By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

While we are enjoying the warm weather and summer activities – our pets may not be.  One thing many people tend to forget or not even think of is pet safety and heat.

While there are many ways your pet can overheat; too much exercise in the heat of the day; squished face pets like bulldogs, pugs, Frenchies, Shihtzus who can’t breath that great to begin with – they have a hard time with the heat; and lack of access to water for your pets especially if they are outside for any length of time in this hot and humid weather.

Of course this time of year the major concern is pets left in cars.  It amazes me year after year, that I still see people on a warm day leaving the windows open a crack and leaving their very furry dogs in the car – while they go into a store. According to a study done by San Francisco University, and if you haven’t seen this video of a veterinarian sitting in a hot car which shows how quickly temps rise during a heat wave.

Why not try it yourself, without your pet of course.  Next time it is a beautiful 75 -80 degrees, go sit in your parked car crack the windows a bit and sit in there for 10 -15 minutes. Don’t cheat by drinking water or turning the AC on.  Now imagine yourself in a fur coat without the ability to sweat. Are you hot yet?

Sometimes people think it’s ok to run into the store for 5-minutes during the summer and leave their pets in the car.  But what if you get stuck in the store, there is a long line, problem at the register, etc., and there you are in the air-conditioned store while your pet is sweltering in the heat, causing heat exhaustion or worse death.

What to do if you see a pet left in the car during during the warm spring, summer and fall months:

• Call Animal Control of the town the car is located in. *Helpful tip, program the Animal Control phone #’s of all your town municipal animal shelters into your phone so you can quickly access them.

• Call the police, tell them the location, make/model color of the car, give them the license plate number.  Take a photo of the car, license plate and pet inside the car.

• Stay until the authorites arrive to be sure the pet was safely evacuated from the hot car.

• Know the laws in your town, city and state.  Some people may take actions into their own hands if the animal is in severe distress in the hot car and may get in trouble for bashing in the window of a car to save the pet.  Some areas the laws are changing where you would not get into trouble.

Check to see if the car is running, sometimes people leave their car locked and running with the AC on, water in a bowl to run into a store for 5 minutes.  It may not be ideal, but they are making the effort to make sure their pet is cool while they do their errand.  This also goes for people who are traveling alone with their pets on a road trip, and may have to stop to use the rest stop.

Pet owners should also know if you are caught doing this or someone reports your car with a pet in it to the police, the police have the right to break into to your car with whatever means necessary, call animal control and have your pet seized. You may be issued a summons, arrested for animal cruelty, or more. So the next time you are running up to the supermarket on a hot day, please, please, please leave your pets at home in the AC!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

The 30th Annual ARF (Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons) Garden Tour took place this Saturday in the towns of Wainscott and Sagaponack in the Hamptons.   I believe this is my 4th time going, I feel like this was the best year yet.

We joked at the first house, that we didn’t need to go to any other houses, because the Landis house was pure bliss, the gardens the pool, the view overlooking Georgica Pond, frankly I don’t even remember looking at the house at all!  It was exactly what you think of when you think of summering in the Hamptons – and why some people would just be happy staying at their homes – so much to do on that property, really no need to leave!

I have said it before, if you have yet to go, be sure to go next year – you will not be disappointed!  (And as a pet pro – it’s such a cool way to host a fundraiser for pets, because you tap into an entirely different crowd – not just pet parents. Wheels spinning yet with ideas?) 🙂  Enjoy the photos, link on bottom to access all pictures:

To see MANY more pictures of the amazing houses and gardens, CLICK HERE!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Our list of gifts that you and your pet will LOVE this Valentine’s Day!

Recently I received the Travel Blanket from Original Territory for my dog Cody – and for someone who has been in the pet industry for a while, this is something I have not seen before!  It makes such a great gift for a dog parent because it’s 2 in 1 functions, but also because it’s useful for both you and your dog.  The Travel Blanket starts out as a bag with handles and pockets where you could put items like dog treats, water, sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, etc. and take it with you on a hike, to the beach or where ever you are going with your dog.  When you get to your location, you can take the items out, undo the velcro holding the bag together and open up and like magic you now have a soft blanket to sit on. The back side is waterproof – so if you’re on a beach that the sand may be wet or the ground on your hike is a little damp – you won’t get wet while sitting on the blanket!  How cool is that.  I can’t wait to use it this spring, summer and fall to bring with me on one of Cody’s Adventures.  The Travel Blanket is available on Target.com – and Original Territory has many other fab pet products that you can purchase for your furry valentine as well. You can see a video from Titus and Hailey about the blanket here and even a big beautiful dog like Bocker the labradoodle fits perfectly on it – check out Bocker’s pictures here.

And don’t forget to get your pup delish dog treats for Valentine’s day – they may not be in the shape of a heart but your dog will love these Made in the USA healthy treats from Kaleb’s Organics.  Your pooch will fall head over paws for Kaleb’s Organics Dog Treats!  Kaleb’s offer wholesome ingredients, great taste, and are USDA Certified Organic and you can even eat them yourself.  Available in a variety of delicious flavors, Kaleb’s are made using all natural ingredients and no preservatives. The ingredients in each treat provide numerous health benefits for our animal companions and are Non-GMO Project Verified.  Your dog may be eating better than you on Valentine’s day!

Your dog will be thirsty after crunching down those yummy treats so why not give him filtered water from the new innovative Torus water bowls by Heyrex Limited.  Pretty to look at with their modern design, these bowls are more than just a pretty face!  Use them at home as your pet’s regular water bowls, but they also have a lock, fill and drink function making it ideal for travel as well.  Holding up to 2 liters of water in their reservoir walls, filtering the water as it automatically dispenses.  Its large capacity means less filling and low profile means less spills.  These bowls come in 2 liter and 1 liter sizes perfect for big and small pets and you have to love all the colors they come in!  To get yours, you can purchase simply on Amazon.com.

After drinking all that water and maybe you’re not home in time to let your dog out – here’s the perfect solution UGODOG, the #1 indoor dog potty training system. The UGODOG is environmentally friendly, keeps paws dry, easy to use, absorbent liners are reusable and biodegradable, we love that!  Plus you purchase one you will get a free training manual with your UGODOG.  This also a perfect solution to pads laying around your house and those days when perhaps the elevator is working in your high rise apartment building.  UGODOG can change the way you think about potty training your dogs and it is also light weigth and portable so you can bring it with you.  To get yours you can simply click here or call 1-888-405-7499 for more info.

Here’s another simple, yet brilliant solution to leaving your sliding glass doors open so your pets can go in and out.  You know what I am talking about!  Treat your dog or cat to an Apartment Pet Door™ by Balcony Pets solves the problem of you having to leave your sliders open.  It is a non-permanent pet door that is adjustable and pops right into the track of your sliding glass doors.  One of those, why didn’t I think of that ideas!  Created by Nancy Carson who didn’t want to leave her doors open all the time yet give her pets the ability to go in-and-out without having to install a traditional doggie door or having to get up everytime her pet was pawing at the door to go in the yard.  It’s simple to put together, snaps together in minutes, installs without tools or expertise from a handy person, drops into the tracks of your sliders and works with any height sliding glass door.  You can take this mobile pet door with you when you move or travel.  You’ll love the convenience and also the energy you save by not leaving the door open!  Check out the video about it here, and to get your own or your sweetheart one for their pet click here.

While your pet is enjoying going in and out, make sure that they have proper ID on them and keep your dog or cat safe and sound with a Twigo LOVE Tag!  Perfect for the furry love you own, Twigo Tags are a fun way to add that ID tage to your pets collar and also not have to hear that jingling either. Pet safety should be at the top of all pet owners’ priority list. A Twigo LOVE Tag is perfect for spreading pet identification awareness in a simple and stylish way this Valentine’s Day. Twigo Tags require no engraving and are instantly personalize-able with a ballpoint pen – simply write, boil and wear. The tags self-attach and are completely silent, ideal for those who dislike the jingling noise and remove their pet’s tags while inside the house.  To get yours click here.

After all the adventures with your pup, the romping in the yard, hikes and playing in the snow – you may notice that your dog is not smelling to lovely!  Time for a bath – and to make his fur super soft and sweet smelling you will want to try ECO Dog Care Pet Products Simply Clean Dog Shampoo.  Recently I got a bottle of this dog shampoo and gave Cody a bath – and not only did he smell great, he was soft and silky and even stopped scratching! (He has some seasonal allergies).  There is also and in-between spray called Simpy Fresh that you can use – and what I love about it is it is environmentally friendly, Made in the USA and with all natural ingredients.  Simply Fresh also naturally repels pests like fleas and ticks so they stay off your dog and out of your car & house – yes, love that!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com & American Pet Professionals

7 Ways to help animals now – with no powerball winnings!

Imagine winning the Powerball lotto this week?  I have asked the question, what would you do with all that moola on my Facebook page and the majority of the answers from my pet loving friends was; “I would open an animal sanctuary!” or “I would adopt all the pets from our locak animal shelters.”  We are pretty full to the brim with pets for adoption here on Long Island (dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, horses, chinchilla’s, birds and even some reptiles) – so those answers are great ones indeed.

However, chances are that you may not win the 1.4 Billion jackpot, now don’t get me wrong, you could win it (ever the optimist here!), and you could open that animal sanctuary – make an amazing place, help countless homeless animals.  It would be a wonderful thing.  But since the odds unfortunately are against you, like they are against our homeless animals in this country, how about thinking of some ways you can help now.

I know some of you may be screaming at your computer screen reading this, “But Nancy, I already do help, I donate, I volunteer, I share photos of dogs and cats needing homes, I go to the events…” Ok, please don’t yell at me, I know so many amazing pet people who do this.  So from the bottom of my heart (and Cody’s!) THANK YOU – keep up the AMAZING work.

BUT, for those or you that are saying they want to open a sanctuary if you win, and deep down inside you know you want to help right NOW –  here are some ideas you can implement today, without all the winnings from the Powerball:

1. Foster – Becoming a foster pet parent is SOOOOOO needed here on Long Island, and everywhere across the country.  I know some people are wishy washy about fostering, “I don’t know how I could give them up.” Or “I just don’t have the time to add a foster to my schedule,” I get it, but think about how happy that dog or cat that has been sitting in the shelter for years will feel being in a warm, comfy, loving home?  Our rescues here on Long Island are in desparate need of Foster homes from little Yorkies to Rotties and everything in-between.
2. Donate Your Services – Now if you are a dog trainer, chances are you may have done this already – volunteered at an animal shelter, helped with a case here or there. And I get it you need to make a living.  But if you volunteer your services 1 time a week to a local animal shelter OR volunteer to help someone who may need help (i.e. they are thinking of giving up their dog due to something as simple as puppy chewing – no joke, sadly this happens all the time – and 99% of the time it is the owners fault the puppy is chewing and NOT the dogs).   So maybe offer your services to them at a discount or for free and with the understanding that they won’t turn the dog into the shelter.  Pet Photographer? Donate your amazing photography to help get their pets seen in a better light than just from an iphone picture.
3. Be a Billboard – Ok so your friends may know that you are heavily involved in rescue or just love your pets way more than they do! Become an informational human walking billboard so to speak, about the things that are needed by our rescues or a rescue that you work with.  If you do this in a way that is educational, informational and from factual and correct info – you will be taken more seriously.  If you’re working the 9-5 at a corporate office, more than likely there are many of your pet loving tribe is already there – see if you can get your, co-workers, boss or company to take on dogs/cats/horses each month by sponsoring them.  Tell them what their monetary (should be tax deductible too) will do for each and every animal. This is where your billboard comes in.  Maybe you might even get some co-workers to foster!
4. Volunteer Your Expertise – Are you a social media guru? Can you volunteer a few hours a week to a non-profit rescue to help them with their social media?  Most rescues need a lot of administrative help as well.  Can you help with grant writing and/or applying for grants for them for funding?  Are you an animal lawyer that could help them with contractual legalize?  Are you an event planner extrodinaire?  Help your favorite rescue with their gala event to help raise funds for the animals in their care.  Are you a video producer, you can shoot footage and put together short videos of pets available for adoption to be shared on social media. You get the point.
5. Teach Compassion – If you are a teacher, there are a few things you can implement (with your principals ok of course), you can have a rescue come in and talk to your class. The rescue can teach your kids about what they do on a daily basis, about the animals they rescue, how the importance of being a kind, loving and responsible owner is, and how they can help even at a young age.  Many kids get inspired by this and figure out a way to help on their own.  You could organize a class project to pick out a rescue to work with throughout the semester, or even better full year.  The possibilities are endless.
6. Host an Adoption Event – Have a retail store or business location that would not nessecarily be associated with a pet adopt-a-thon?  Host an adoption event at your location with your favorite rescue.  Many of your customers will love this and it will help educate the every day non-pet industry person about the dire need for adoptions.
7. Adopt – But of course – open your heart, home and life to a homeless animal.  You will be a much better, happier person for it and you will have just saved 2 lives (the pet you adopted and the space you opened in the animal shelter).

This list could be about 100 ways to help without winning the powerball – as us pet pros know, but I hope it helps open your mind to helping, to the possibilities of what you can do right now without all that dough to help.   Our rescues and the animals thank you.  Now get out there and help! 😉

Have fun, easy ways and ideas to help out that you do – that you think others can do as well???   Comment in the Facebook comment section below – would love to hear them and share!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com (Sponsored article)

Can you feel it, the holiday magic is in the air! We are brining you our pet and pet owner holiday gift guide so you can get some of your shopping done early!  The majority of the products listed below are by small businesses – so you will be contributing to the shop small movement too!

In no particular order, please take your time looking at these wonderful products, click on the pictures to go to their websites to learn more.

1.) Your Pet Chef Presents the 12 Days of Christmas and 8 Days of Hanukkah TWO Newly Released Holiday Cookbooks for Dogs!

They include grain and gluten free recipes based upon traditional holiday dishes! Priced at just $8 each, they make great stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts. Recipes include Muttzo Ball Soup, 3 French Chiens and many more recipes!

For more information, contact us at info@yourpetchef.com or call 1- 888-958-4088, or to purchase your copy or copies for gifts, click here!

2.) The AKC Calming Coat & Calm Cat are easy and cost effective solutions in treating pets who suffer from anxiety, especially around the holidays!

The AKC Calming Coat and Calm Cat comes in pink, gray or royal blue and is available in an array of size options from XS-L.  The patent pending design gently hugs your dog or cat.

• Easy to put on and take off
• Machine washable
• Durable fabric that resists collecting hair
• Available for $29.99
• Perfect Holiday Gift for Pet Parents

Visit our website BHPetGear.com to learn more or click the picture above!  Or you can place an order on Amazon!

3.) Introducing Can Toy, the durable rubber dog toy that is both new and instantly recognizable. Made in the USA, Can Toy is a tantalizing puzzle for your pooch.
Stuff it with treats and keep your dog entertained for hours.

Can Toy’s thick walled construction has been tooth tested and holds up to the strongest chompers. It’s also easy on the earth – made of sustainably harvested, non-toxic and biodegradable natural rubber.  Find out more by clicking here or the picture above! A great holiday gift for your pet!

4.)  Silent Night will change your quality of life. For Pet Owners or anyone with allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other respiratory problems, this new state-of-the-art product should run 24/7 where you sleep and work.

Unlike anything the market has ever seen, the Silent Night air moves air silently.  It is effective against dust, pet dander, pollen, mold, bacteria, viruses and smoke particulate. Silent Night utilizes ionization and special antibacterial, electrostatic filters.  Perfect for homeowners with pets, doggie day cares, veterinarian offices and shelters!  The cost for a Silent Night ZEPA 500 is only $599 + shipping and taxes. Call Bill at 631-745-4810 or click here to order your own Silent Night ZEPA 500 Air Purifier!

5.) The “Pet Fashion Almanac 2015” is NOW AVAILABLE!  It’s a handy annual tool and resource for people focusing on pets or pet-themed material in their business. It’s meant to be kept close, referenced, dog-eared, and used! People use the information to plan & market- social media, events, conferences, trade shows, PR, direct mail, advertising, and optimal times to implement ideas.  It has pet holidays by date, week, and month; media & organization lists; fashion weeks; trade shows, conferences and events in the pet industry.

If you would like to sell this book in your store, please email bmckay@sps.com for discounted  bulk orders. To order your own Daily Inspurration or get purrfect stocking stuffers, click here!

7.)  This is the time of year we begin making a list and checking it twice! CritterZone USA is excited to unleash their new Travel Pack for holiday gift giving!  This pack is an ideal gift for the family or pet owner who is always on the go!