Baxter

Beloved Baxter
You will be missed

Strut Your Mutt

Somerford House and Place at 2100 Whittier Drive in Frederick is having a Strut Your Mutt walk, judging contest and pet food drive on Sat, August 21st from 10:00-12:00. Food collected will be donated to Frederick County Animal Control. Go to www.somerfordhousefrederick.com for more information.

Maryland Dog Friendly Beaches

Annapolis: Quiet Waters Dog Park and Dog Beach (http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/parks/dogparks/index.cfm)
Dogs are allowed off-leash on the beach and within fenced areas, but must be on a leash at all times outside the fenced areas.

Assateague Island National Seashore
(http://www.nps.gov/asis/faqs.htm)
Dogs on a leash no longer than 6 feet are allowed in the Maryland portion of the National Seashore, but are not permitted in the backcountry, on nature trails, on the lifeguard-protected beach, the State Park and north of the State Park to the Ocean City Inlet, at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the entire Virginia portion of Assateague Island.

Lexington Park: Elm's Beach Park
(http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/recreate/facilities/elmsbeach.asp) Located on the Chesapeake Bay. Dogs on a leash are allowed on the beach.

Lusby: Flag Ponds Nature Park (http://www.calvertparks.org/Parks/FlagPonds/FPhome.htm)
Located on the Chesapeake Bay. Dogs on a leash are allowed in the park which includes a sandy beach.

Ocean City beaches
(http://www.ococean.com/ord.html)
Dogs on a leash are allowed on the beach only during the off-season, from Oct. 1 to April 30.

Pasadena: Downs Park Dog Beach (http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/parks/dogparks/)
Dogs are allowed off-leash.

Stevensville: Matapeake Park
(http://parksnrec.org/park-maps-a-descriptions.html)
Dogs on a leash are allowed in the park. Visitors may take their dogs swimming at Matapeake Beach as long as the pet is under voice command control.

Surgical Ban

Massachusetts has become the first state to ban a controversial surgical procedure that removes the vocal cords in animals. A more complete account may be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/us/21brfs-NODEBARKINGS_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=debarking&st=cse

How to get your cat in the carrier

How do I get my cat into the carrier!


Many of our clients arrive with scratches up and down their arms due to wrestling their cat into the carrier. Here are some tips to hopefully make this process easier:


1. Place the back end of the carrier against the wall with door open. This will help keep the carrier from sliding around.


2. Scoop up your cat. If your cat runs and hides as soon as the carrier is in site, you may want to feed a meal or treat in a confined area like a bathroom. Then retrieve carrier and place up against wall near confined area.


3. Slide your cat into carrier backwards. This is the key! They are less likely to resist if they don't see where they are going. It is best to gently scruff your cat with one hand and support under body with your other hand. They should just slide right in. Quickly shut the door and you are ready to go!


P.S. This works very well for rabbits too. They are less likely to jump and injure themselves.

Pet Friendly Surroundings

For some animal lovers, buying aesthetically pleasing pet supplies is not enough: they have created their own animal-friendly design solutions to complement their human-centric décor. See the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/garden/22pets.html

Yummy Peaches

Steve and Mary Ferguson, pet parents to "SweetPea", were driving home from a visit to Florida when the saw a roadside fruit stand in Georgia. SweetPea insisted that they stop to get something for her friends at Kingsbrook. A big thank you to SweetPea, Steve and Mary for the wonderful peaches.