Doghouse Properties - Cody & Havana's Tails: October 2007

The Lucky Dog Show, sponsored by www.funstufffordogs.com interviewed several Pet Industry Entrepreneurs 2 weeks ago on a blog talk radio show, including myself. I spoke about topics pertaining to the development and growth of DogHouseProperties.com since our launch January 2006. If you are interested in hearing the interview, visit The Lucky Dog Show blog talk radio show.

During the interview, we also briefly touched on the launch of our new pet product! Visit www.DogHouseCovers.com for more information on our new, stylish crate covers for your dog's metal crate.

Woof!
Rebecca Suarez

FunStuffForDogs.com | Lucky Dog Show
Pet Industry | Entrepreneur
Blog Talk Radio | DogHouseProperties.com
Interview | Pet Product | DogHouse Covers
Crate Cover | Metal Crate
Rebecca Suarez

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Ellen Cries as Adoption Agency Removes Dog

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Ellen DeGeneres adopted a little mutt from Paws Boutique store in Pasadena, CA (part of the Moms and Mutts program) a few weeks ago. The little dog was having a hard time adjusting to her cats. With the best interest of the dog at heart, Ellen gave the dog to her hair dresser (who has children). That family absolutely adored the dog and welcomed it with open arms.

Moms and Mutts called Ellen to check on the dog and Ellen told them the truth. They took the dog from the hair dressers home because it was apparently a violation to their "adoption contract." It is so disappointing that this supposed non-profit adoption agency has a clause that they don't adopt small dogs to families with children under the age of 14. How can you have the word "Mom" in your non-profit and not allow children??????

Ellen DeGeneres | Adopt | Dog | Cats
Paws Boutique | Pasadena | Non Profit
Hairdresser | Children
Moms And Mutts | Contract

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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

America's Most Friendly Cities

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Straight from Forbes.com:
Americans love their pets, shelling out more for food, supplies and veterinary care than they do on consumer staples like beer, ice cream, cosmetics and golf--some $36 billion annually. The combined total of cats and dogs in the U.S. is estimated at 163 million, or more than one for every two people.

But how many owners factor in Fido's or Fluffy's happiness when it comes to choosing a place to live?

For those who do, some cities measure up better than others. And Colorado Springs, Colo., tops our list of America's Most Pet-Friendly Cities. Generous public space, ample veterinary care and wealth of pet-friendly retailers all added up to heaven on earth for this small metropolis of just under 400,000 people and their estimated 61,000 dogs and 54,000 cats.

To find out where pets and their owners are most welcome, we measured the country's 50 largest cites to see which had the most public park acreage, including those parks tailored specifically for dogs (the second most common pet after cats and the ones that require the most outdoor facilities), the most pet supply and service businesses, and the most veterinary facilities. We also looked at which cities typically charge the least for veterinary care. We measured the statistics on both a per capita basis, or against each city's human population, and on a "pet capita" basis--against the city's estimated pet population. Those cities with the most vets, public parks, dog parks and pet businesses, both per person and per animal, shot to the top of the list.

Colorado Springs ranked in the top 20 in all the categories. The city has more than 10,000 acres of public park space, or almost a tenth of an acre for every pet. It also features seven dog parks and 113 veterinarians.

Colorado Springs fits a profile common to the top 10, a list of small- to medium-sized cites with a median population of 507,000 people. The list includes Portland, Ore., Albuquerque, N.M. and Charlotte, N.C., cities with a sought after sweet spot: They're large enough to draw lots of pet shops, vets and public parks, but small enough not to drown out such amenities with overly dense populations.

While large cities like New York and Los Angeles rank very high in total park space, for example, both are near the bottom on a per capita (and "pet capita") basis. New York is also the most expensive city in which to care for a pet, followed by major metros Boston and San Francisco.

The most pet-friendly among cities with populations of over a million is San Diego, which ranks 13th overall and sixth in public park space per capita/pet capita.

One factor that was considered but ultimately not included in the rankings was air quality. While cleaner air would seem inherently healthier for cats, dogs and birds, their relatively short life spans and their ability to make do in most any climate makes the issue moot, according to experts.

"Animals can generally adapt to anything humans can," says New York City veterinarian Richard Green.

And while no official statistics exist that track the number of pet-friendly rental dwellings in various cities, those in the apartment business say the trend is going the pet owners' way. The roots go back to the last real estate slump of the early 1990s, when building owners fought off low occupancy rates by allowing pets.

"People were almost desperate to fill their apartments, so they decided to either take pets or to relax their restrictions somewhat," says Lisa Trosien of Apartmentexpert.com.

No doubt, the relative lack of high-rise buildings in smaller cities also plays to pet owners wishes, since smaller, lower-to-the-ground units usually have more lenient rules. Throw in a nearby park and a pet store on the corner, and life is good for small city pet lovers and their their furry friends.

Colorado Springs | Forbes | Best City for Dogs
San Diego | Portland, Oregon | Albuquerque
Pet Friendly | Cody | Havana | Doghouse Properties

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Dress Your Dog in Costumes for Halloween

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With Halloween right around the corner, it is time to start thinking about what you are going to dress your dog as. Costumes have become increasing popular over the years, as more options become available.

There are many options for dog costumes available; the funniest ones I have seen are hotdogs, pigs, and doctors. In addition, the prices for dog costumes seem to be more reasonable than in previous years. We usually find better quality costumes at local pet boutiques, than at mass retailers - just personal preference. If you are looking for a pet friendly Halloween costume, try checking out your local store. Cody and Havana always do!

If you have a picture of your dog in costume, send it on over!

Dogs | Pet | Costume | Halloween
Pet Friendly | Cody | Havana | Doghouse Properties

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Wednesday, October 03, 2007

DogsInDanger.com Shows Number of Unadopted, Euthanized Dogs

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According to Itchmo.com,

A new dog adoption website, dogsindanger.com, uses a different and more forceful approach to persuade people to adopt dogs from shelters.

The site publicizes how much time animals have left before they are euthanized if they do not find a home. There also is a counter in the corner which states how many dogs have been killed in the time that you have been on their website.

The people behind dogsindanger.com believe their website is the first to take this kind of more direct approach. They hope that focusing on the fact that many of the dogs that don’t find homes will be euthanized will influence people to adopt them.

On the website, there is also a memorial with names, photos and dates that euthanized dogs died.

“This is happening … in our country, in our back yard,” said Alex Aliksanyan of The Buddy Fund, the group behind the website. “It’s been kept underneath a blanket of niceness and sweetness. So we said, ‘Lets put the truth in front of the consumer — either do something about it, or at least realize you’re a partner.’”

He also added that dogsindanger.com is not a place that parents should look for dogs with their children.

“It’s not a happy site with puppies running around. It’s not meant to be that,” he stated. “We’re taking it the other way around. We’re saying these pets are going to die. Look at their faces.”

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