Shadow, a success story!   A few months back, I wrote about an organization called Frankie’s Friends, that helps pets with life-threatening illnesses receive the veterinary care they need. But, what do you do if your pet doesn’t qualify for help from an organization like Frankie’s Friends? There is another great option I’ve discovered! If you need help paying vet bills, PetChance.org, a 501(c)(3) organization founded by animal lover, Peter Alberti, could be a godsend. “I was listening to a talk show in the Boston area and a guest vet was answering questions from pet parents,”… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links A SAR dog working with a handler in a mudslide area It can happen to any of us at any time. A missing family member, an act of God, a catastrophe. We never know when a Search and Rescue dog (SAR) may be required to be a lifesaver. Having had the opportunity to get to know some hero dogs through designing their coats for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards,  I can tell you I was humbled by the stories of what they did everyday. That’s why,… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links If you’re a Bark & Swagger follower, you know I’m a fan of the PUPSAVER. For me, it’s the best dog car seat out there. It’s the only one officially crash-tested by the same company that crash tests infant car seats for the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). With the holidays almost upon us, we’re already thinking gifts – for us, our pups, our friends and loved ones. If you live outside a major city or just plain get around in a car with your dog, you need a car seat. I… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links Eye gunk. It even sounds icky. And yet, as pet parents, we sometimes have to deal with eye discharge in dogs. I’ve learned it contains bacteria and yeast, both items we want to remove from our dog’s faces on a regular basis to avoid any real infections setting in. What I was doing was washing out Sophie and Jasper’s eyes each night with a sterile, isotonic buffered solution from the vet, as part of our evening grooming ritual. And, it worked ok, but it didn’t address the area under the eye or their… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links Jasper & Sophie playing in the front yard I love a good smell. Don’t you? I’m not a big perfume wearer, but give me a gorgeous musk or a prepared aromatherapy scent, and I’m in heaven. But, a product that discourages ticks and fleas from making a meal (or several) of our dogs that smells divine? Not that I’d found. Most flea and tick products smell clinical, at best, dangerous at worst. So, you can understand why I’m over the moon that I’ve discovered Earth Heart’s Buzz Guard. Oh,… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links Sophie & Jasper relaxing on a bench by the river Is being in love with a dog harness a bit extreme? I mean, I’m emotional about stuff, I admit it. I get excited. So when I bought two awesome-looking harnesses from Ruffwear, one of my favorite dog gear brands, and they arrived, I couldn’t wait to try them out. And, boy, did we give those babies a run for the money! We’ve been all over with them for the past couple of months, and I figured now was a… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links The beautiful Frankie Your beloved best friend is very sick and requires an operation or intensive medical care. It’s very expensive; you don’t have the money. What do you do? This is a situation faced by many people around the world, and it’s heartbreaking to think some may have to say a premature goodbye to their babies for lack of funds. There’s a wonderful organization called Frankie’s Friends, that may be able to help. I discovered Frankie’s Friends at Blue Pearl Veterinary, where we take our kitty Isabel for… [Continue Reading]

Muffin in his Muffin’s Halo Muffin is changing lives. He’s an adorable white toy poodle, who just turned 14. He’s also blind. Like most blind dogs when they’re first afflicted, Muffin’s world changed drastically, and coping was very tough. He would bump into things and feel constantly disoriented. This made the once feisty little man retreat into himself, feeling insecure about his surroundings. Heartbroken that her baby was having such a hard time, mom Silvie Bordeaux made it her mission to find something to alleviate his suffering. But there was nothing on the market fit the… [Continue Reading]