Archive for January, 2010

Employee Appreciation Happy Hour

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Kyle, Bethany, Mike & Kelly

Grand Prize winner for the raffle

Amanda & Maggie

TFAW hosted a employee appreciation party on Thursday, January 21st at Clarendon’s Eat-Bar (www.eat-bar.com)  Employees had an opportunity to meet with other walkers/sitters, mingle and share tricks of the trade and pet sitting stories.  There was also a TFAW trivia contest with give aways (gift cards) and the grand prize (a 19″ flatscreen TV) was won by Lisa B.

Many thanks to the dedication of our staff.

Christina

Discounted Spays and Neuters

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington Participates in
Spay Day USA in February

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington will partner with the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center and Fairfax Animal Hospital to spay and neuter up to 60 dogs and cats for just $25 each. In addition to this extremely reduced price on spay or neuter surgery, these pets can receive distemper and rabies vaccinations for just $10 each and can get a microchip for $10. To be eligible pet owners must have a household income of no more than $40,000 annually.

Reduced cost spay and neuter surgeries will take place at the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center or at Fairfax Animal Hospital and are subsidized by the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. Participants must register in advance with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington by calling (703) 931-9241 x 246 or e-mailing spayday@awla.org.

The benefits of spaying or neutering your dog or cat are far too abundant to ignore. Not only does it help to reduce the tragedy of pet overpopulation and the number of homeless pets, it also reduces many health and behavioral risks for dogs and cats. Visit our Spay-Neuter page for more information about these benefits.

To help in this effort, please consider a donation to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s Hantke Memorial Low-Cost Spay Neuter Fund. You can donate for this particular event or to help fight pet overpopulation year-round.

You can also enter a photo of your favorite pet in the Spay Day USA Online Photo Contest or vote for one of the photos already entered to benefit the League. Remember to register early for this event as space is limited.
To register call (703) 931-9241 x 246 or e-mail spayday@awla.org.

More Canine Chic … Sort Of

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Best of Craigslist

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

One of my friends found this on the “Best of” category on Craigslist.  I wanted to teach my cat to walk on a leash, but I originally bought a size M for him, which was way too small, and I never returned it and gave up on the walking all together.  Maybe I should buy a bigger leash and find this guy:

I Will Help You Teach Your Cat to Walk On a Leash


Date: 2009-09-28, 3:27PM CDT


Well, there are no guarantees, but it can be done. I am a dog person by nature, but have slowly taught my cats to walk on a leash outdoors. So many people have stopped and said, “‘I’ve always wanted to do that, how did you you do it?” that I figured I might try to pass on some knowledge for a minimal fee.

Walking your cat is great fun, and they love it. One of mine took to it right away and still sits meowing at the door to go out; the other, who I got when he was older, was terrified of the outdoors at first, but has come to love it. Most felines would love to be outdoors, smelling and feeling new things, even if they’re scared at first. Most people just don’t give them the chance.

Cats after three years old may not be able to acclimatize to the outdoors and all of its stimuli; some cats hate the harness; and others may just be housecats, pure and simple. Them’s the breaks.

Teaching them how to walk takes time and patience, but it is rewarding. I should add that they rarely walk completely like a dog (i.e. your cat won’t jog next to you), and will sometimes decide, “Hey, let’s slow down and lay down here for a while, this bush smells good,” you can train them to walk alongside you on a leash for long periods of time. Once they get that first taste, they love it.

And once you can do that, you can take your cat to the beach, to the park, to the lake, etc. A whole new world for them, and fun for you.

My fee for an hour or so of instruction is fifty dollars. I will bring one of mine over as a demonstration and talk to you about the various steps to take. I can’t guarantee that your cat will learn to walk on a leash, but if it does your fifty will be well spent.

Nunwell Glass

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

I declare today to be Cat Day on the TFAW blog! 

Check out these lovely glass paperweights made by a husband-and-wife team, located in Lakeville, Connecticut.  They specialize in handcrafted glass objects and also make remarkable glass memorials from the ashes of our furry friends who have passed on.   To contact them, email andy007s@mac.com.  Request to see their glass memorials–you won’t be let down by the quality of art.

Lost Dog (Not TFAW Client)

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Our Office Manager wanted to pass along this blog about a dog that went missing on Friday evening.

http://lostdogspot.blogspot.com/
 
Spot is small black and white dog- looks like a miniature Australian Cattle dog.
 
Please spread the work and take down the owner’s phone number in case you see the dog sometime when you are out walking. If you try and run after him he will run away from you, best idea would be to stay still and see if he comes closer to you- if not please contact the owner so she has a better idea where he may be (most recently seen at Arlington Ridge Road, in the area of Douglas & Army Navy Drive)

For the Discerning Cat

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

The quote on Great Lake Pet Furniture’s Web site says, “The smallest feline is a masterpiece,” and if you’re a cat lover like I am, then you’d have to agree.  Take for instance, my cat, Hansel, who, just the other day,  jumped at least three feet in the air to catch his catnip-stuffed mousey toy.  If that jump was not a work of art, akin to Michael Jordan’s epic dunk from the free-throw line in the 90s, I don’t know what is.  Every cat owner has a similar tale, and we’d rather watch our cats to see what cool thing they’re going to do next than watch TV.

When TFAW’s owner showed me this wonderful cat-furniture company, I nearly jumped three feet myself at the chance to see my cat play on these unique scratching posts.  Check them out below:

    

Canine Chic

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

I just bought a really great dress from an online fashion company called Modcloth–it has little scottie dogs with sweaters printed all over it, and I’m wearing it right now, happily expressing my love for all-things dog.  (I highly recommend Modcloth to anyone who wants cute and affordable dresses!)   Because I’m so excited about this find, I thought I’d post some other canine chic items that Time for a Walk customers and followers might enjoy. 

Chic on a Leash DressTotes Umbrella with Dog Print, Black

Foster a Puppy

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Thinking about fostering a puppy?  Here’s your chance!  Help Save One, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of dogs in danger of beeing gassed,  is desperate to find fosters for ten puppies–seven shepherd mixes (8 weeks old and 3-4 pounds each) and three chihuahuah mixes (10 weeks old and still very small). 

Help Save One representatives will be driving from New Hampshire down to North Carolina and can drop the puppies off anywhere in between, so long as you are a good match with the puppies.  To find out more about fostering for Help Save One, check out their Web site: http://www.helpsaveone.org/adopt–sponsor–foster.html or send an email to fostering@helpsaveone.org.

Puppies 101

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

The Animal Welfare League is hosting a seminar presented by Lisa Colon Tudor, dog trainer and owner of KissableCanine.  Lisa will help you have a better understanding of your dog’s behavior and learn how to work with him/her to build a stronger, better relationship.  Plus, a portion of the class fee will be donated to the League, so this is another way you can support homeless animals.  You can register by e-mailing info@kissablecanine.com or call Lisa at 571-312-1940.  Registrations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. 

You and your puppy will have a blast breaking down the critical components of puppy rearing, including house training, socialization, and, of course, games!

January 23, 2009 from10:00am - 11:30am
Animal Welfare League of Arlington: Education Room
2650 S Arlington Mill Drive, Arlington, VA 22206
Price: $45.00

This puppy probably just got back from Lisa's workshop.