Animal Planet - Pet Trends blog

Lend a Helping Paw

I love chatting with y’all about the luxuries we pamper our pets with.  But sadly with today’s downward economy, many families are cutting back on luxuries for all members of our family.  Some pet owners are even struggling to give their pets the food they need.  Thankfully, there's people like Ann King. 

Ann King of Atlanta, Georgia (my awesome hometown) heard local news reports about pet owners who were forced to abandon their pets, because they simply could not afford to feed them.  Also, many people were having to move into apartments because of the excessively high mortgage rates, and often rental properties do not allow pets.  Ann decided to take action, and launched the Save Our Pets Food Bank.  What a Super Woman!  Go Ann!

The Save Our Pets Food Bank lends a helping hand to pet owners and pet shelters in the Atlanta metro area by supplying them with pet food. This helps families spend their limited resources on food and living expenses for themselves, while at the same time keeping pets and their families together in loving homes. Ann best describes the food bank’s mission, “Our desire is to prevent animal neglect and to spare loving pet owners the devastation of having to give up a best friend!” Ann and her team have already established over 20 pet food donation sites in the Atlanta area, and have distributed over 4,000 pounds of food.

Nothing feels better than the feeling of helping others less fortunate. Check out the Save Our Pets Food Bank to find out how you can help plus how to start a pet food bank in your area.  You'll be glad you did!  Also, leave a comment to let me and other's know about pet food banks in your local community!

Like Zip Car But For Pets

Think you don't have time for a pet?  Well, a new company called FlexPetz thinks you do!  FlexPetz describes themselves as, "providing members with local access to a variety of dogs, all of whom are rescued or re-homed, very lovable and fully trained.  Flexpetz members can spend from just a few hours to a number of days with each of our dogs."

Since reading about this trend in the news, I've asked myself, "How did this come to be?"  The founders explain that the idea originated with dog owner wannabes discussing how sad they were that they didn't have the time to devote to having a dog full-time. But, they did have the desire to have a meaningful relationship with a dog. 

The basic premise is that you pay a monthly fee and on the day you wish to have some canine companionship, you go to the local Flexpetz and pick out your date for the day.  Or, you can even have the doggie delivered to your door in one of their doggie shuttles.

Flexpetz is available in New York, San Diego and Los Angeles.  Coming soon ... San Francisco, London, Boston and Washington DC. 

Curious to hear what you think about this.  Do you think it's a good trend for pet lovers unable to commit or is it a bad trend for those poor dogs who have to go back to the kennel at the end of their playdate?  Lemme know!  This might just be something I need to see to believe.

Perez Hilton ... Queen of All Media and Dog Lover!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know all about Perez Hilton.  His blog gets millions of hits a day from folks eager to hear the latest celebrity gossip and his show on Vh-1, What Perez Sez features Perez hanging out with - and dishing on - his favorite Hollywood friends.  He's now my new friend and I couldn't wait to ask him all about celebrity pet lovers and his new dog, Teddy. 

How did Teddy come into your life?
Teddy came into my life thanks to the internet.  I typed into Google three keywords: small, cute and smart. Mini-Goldendoodles (a mix of a Golden Retriever and Poodle) were the first to come up. 

I had never heard of that type of dog before so I was a bit confused. My family has a dog named Coquito, who I love.  He's an older Maltese, but I really wanted a smart dog.   So I did a little more research on Goldendoodles and then I found a breeder that specializes in them.  So I drove really far to pick him up and when I picked him up, I was instantly drawn to him.  On the drive back, he barfed on my lap and it was love at first site.

Does Teddy look like a celebrity? 
Teddy has so many fans, that I think he looks a little like Benji, that famous dog from back in the day, but much cuter.  He's like a little teddy bear, that's why I named him Teddy.

Have you always been a pet lover?
I have always loved animals, though I'm really allergic to cats.  I start crying and sneezing and sniffling.  It's just not pretty.  Thankfully, Teddy doesn't shed and it's a perfect match.

Do you have celebrity playdates with other dog lovin' celebs? 
Yes, Teddy has had a playdate with Emmy Rossum's doggies.  My friend Ross Matthews (from The Tonight Show) has a doggie and we are setting up a playdate soon. 

What do you think about Paris' recent troubles with having all those dogs?
I think it's a little excessive to have more dogs than you can take care of yourself.  If you can't take care of 6 or 10 dogs alone, you shouldn't have that many.

Who is your favorite celebrity dog lover? Ellen Degeneres

If Teddy could talk, what would he say? "I love my daddy."

What is your favorite Pet Trend?
My favorite pet trend is getting dogs neutered.  My vet says it's healthy for them and it helps keep the animal population in control.

Do you travel with Teddy?  If so, what are your tips for traveling in style?
I haven't yet traveled with Teddy, because he's not 100% trained yet, so as soon as he's done with that, he'll be able to travel with me.

What are your favorite doggie grooming products and stores?
Well, Teddy is really spoiled and he gets so many things from different locations.  He loves his toys and outfits.  Some of the recent places he's gotten great goodies from include House of Dog which is located in California.  Also from My Sassy Dog in Canada and organic treats from Kaylee Kakes. 

How do you pamper Teddy?
I love giving Teddy massages and I love giving him new toys. He loves his toys.  He's got so many toys!

What is your favorite thing to do with Teddy?
My favorite thing to do with Teddy is just to cuddle with him.

What would Teddy say about you?
Teddy would say that I'm a very loving parent and that he's really lucky to have me as a father.

After our interview, I wanted to thank Perez for chatting with me, so I sent Teddy this Hollywood Stretch Limo Pet Bed from Trixie + Peanut.  How perfect for a dog like Teddy!

Photo Credit: Ryan Born/Contributor/Getty Images

Political Pets

Everyone's talking politics.  Where do the candidates stand on important issues?  Who will best lead our country?  Just who is a pet lover?  Okay, maybe this isn't considered an "important" issue, but it got me to wondering, so I did some research.   

Let's see how the front-runners stack up.

The Democats, er, I mean DemoCRATS

Caption: John Edwards and family with their two new puppies, Rufus and Lily.
Photo Courtesy: johnedwards.com

Barack Obama — None
Hillary Clinton — Chocolate Lab named Seamus
John Edwards — Golden Retriever, Belle and a Chocolate Lab, plus two new puppies: Rufus and Lily
Bill Richardson — Two cats named Jake and Squeaky

The Republicans

Caption: Mike Huckabee with his dog Jet.
Photo Courtesy: mikehuckabee.com

Rudy Giuliani — None
Mike Huckabee — Black Lab named Jet, and Sonic a Shih Tzu
Mitt Romney — Marley the Weimaraner, who is apparently "lost"
John McCain — A small zoo including:
Coco, the mutt,
Two turtles, Cuff and Link,
Oreo, a black and white cat,
a ferret,
three parakeets,
13 saltwater fish.
And perhaps a partridge in a pear tree?!

Not in the race, NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg has said that while he doesn’t have a dog, he looks forward to whenever his daughters go out of town so that he can doggy-sit.  Hey, Mr. Mayor, Dixie is happy to visit you and be New York’s First Pooch for the day anytime!

Finally, check out this paw-sitively fun site where your pet can get in on the presidential action.  Mypoliticalpet.com is the place to let the political fur fly!  Who would your pet vote for?  Register to vote and let your pet's ruff, purr or chirp be heard!