For some reason people are mass-sending me entries for the contest at the last minute!!!

 I’m going to get all the entries up by Friday, then give another whole week to vote…

ANY ENTRY RECEIVED AFTER 5 PM EST TOMORROW Thursday September 2nd WILL NOT QUALIFY.

But — you are more than welcome to come back for the ThoughtsFurPaws October Contest (gifts courtesy Fun Time Dog Shop) and the SUPER-SECRETIVE-SUPER-SWEET Holiday Contest for November and December…(one hint – Holiday Contest winner (1st place) gets a gift valued at $189.99…)

Sooo… again, here are some more August Photo Contest entries, and read the older posts (here is another one to review for voting) to review the rules of the contest.  The remaining entries will be posted by Thursday, and voting ends at 9 pm EST SHARP on Friday, Sept 10. Winners will be announced on the 12th as I will be out of town…

*Full-grown animals are UNFORTUNATELY not being posted as this is a KITTEN and PUPPY contest only; all prizes are oriented as such.

8 week old Great Dane Frank

Frank at 4 months

8 week old Travis

Clancy

Emerald

Foxy

Gator

Jasper six months

Peebles

Sadie

Pretty Puppy Bear

Tika

Tika II

Sweet Praline

Today might be the happiest day so far this month or year maybe…

I am featured and interviewed about ThoughtsFurPaws.com on the FRONT PAGE of BlogCatalog.com. I’m a Recognized Blogger with them and they sent out an email featuring ME and ThoughtsFurPaws to their Subscribers today!

WOO-HOOOO!!

Here’s a snap shot and some snippets — I’m forwarding the email to most of my regular readers and everyone in my Blogroll, but if you want it forwarded to you, just email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com. The formatting is all screwy here on the blog because I could not figure out how to take a screen shot and turn it into a JPEG (still trying…).

Anyways — hooray ThoughtsFurPaws!!

About the Author Meet Jaime. With a love of golden retrievers and tabby cats (and pretty much anything else with fur), pet blogger Jaime injects her blog full of the passion and adoration she feels for our quadruped companions. Her blog, Thoughts Fur Paws, is a mix of posts about animal welfare issues, pet product reviews, and heartwarming stories about the magic that happens when a loving human and a loyal pet find each other. We included a few of Jaime’s recent posts in the newsletter, but head over to Thoughts Fur Paws to check out her full line up of pet-packed posts. From an early age… Jaime’s love of pets is not a recent phenomenon. Her mom, who Jaime identifies as the most influential person in her life and her best friend, began teaching her to care for pets at the age of four. The lessons she taught have become part of Jaime’s life-long passion to care for animals. The seed that was planted by her mother has blossomed and today Jaime uses her blog as a tool to educate the public about animal welfare issues. Most recently, Jaime has been shining a light on the horrid conditions dogs are forced to live in at puppy mills and dog auctions. Focusing mainly on legislation to ban these types of operations in Ohio, Jaime is rallying us all to come to the aid of the defenseless creatures who rely on us to keep them safe. And the Pettie goes to… Thoughts Fur Paws has been nominated for the Best Pet Blog award as part of Dogtime.com’s 2010 Petties. The competition looks stiff as there are a number of good blogs have been nominated along with Jaime’s. So, if you check out her blog and agree with our opinion that the site is Pettie-worthy, I’m sure Jaime would appreciate it if you swung by and gave her a vote. Jaime, all of us at BlogCatalog wish you good luck and hope you take home the Pettie!	Ohio Dog Auctions Many concerned citizens firmly believe the auctions serve not reputable breeders but large commercial facilities where dogs are bred to produce as many puppies as possible in conditions ranging from unsanitary to inhumane. The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions is spearheading a new, citizen-backed ballot initiative – The Ohio Dog Auctions Act. August Photo Contest This is a KITTEN & PUPPY PHOTO CONTEST only, so please don’t send pictures of your babies unless they’re 6 months old or younger! The entry deadline is next Friday, August 20th at 7 p.m. EST. Clean + Green Clean+Green by SeaYu has founded Fragrance Free Day (#fragrancefreeday), a social media event which asks people to tell the world via their social networks that they’ll go “fragrance free” for one day.

It’s hard nowadays to find a pet food brand (whether for dog or cat) or a dog treat brand that actually lives up to expectation; that actually helps what it promotes; that honestly lives up to its PR company’s hype.

Henry Checking Out the Turkey Jerky...

Well, despite all that, I believe I found the perfect mix of food and treats for our family’s dogs through K9 Cuisine. K9 Cuisine offers only the healthiest and most well-prepared, honest-to-goodness pet nutrition products you will ever find ANYWHERE. You can find wellness brands of food, treats, food toppers and more. I was TOTALLY surprised and thus impressed when our dog and my sister’s dogs – who are all SO PICKY AND STUBBORN – took so well to these healthy grain-free food and treat options. It’s truly a fabulous website with only the best products.

I’m talkin’… revolutionary product that will change the way people treat their pets in terms of nutrition. Just as Americans are becoming healthier in terms of eating habits, thus so should our best friends – our pets.

Rotations Sample

First, we sampled the Rotations Complete 3-in-1 Complete Nutrition System. It’s adult dry food that has various flavors. The boxed set offers you three different meal types – Premium Chicken and Brown Rice, Wild Salmon with Peas and Carrots, and New Zealand Lamb and Potatoes.

The idea is to rotate them so your pet doesn’t get bored with the same old food. They basically promote the “appropriate levels of proteins and fats to provide energy and maintain ideal weight.” Rotations dog food options are all balanced with fermentable fiber (as always, no corn, wheat, or soy) so your dog receives proper digestive support and gets a healthy overall body maintenance and performance.

ROTATIONS Pet Food is designed around the premise that a broader array of fresh natural ingredients provides pets with a more complete diet that can still be easily digestible and convenient for you. That’s why each box contains three distinctly different all-natural formulas in three separate re-sealable bags — to ensure that your pet will never be bored, undernourished or overexposed to one particular ingredient or flavor.

Benson LOVED the Chicken and Rice one and surprisingly ate the veggies in the other kinds too. We noticed after feeding him this diet for about 10 days that not only did he lose almost 2 pounds, but also he was FAR MORE active – acting and playing with the energy of a puppy again!

Rotations is by far the “cream of the crop.” Learn more about it on their site, which is chockfull of information on how to feed, what’s in the products, what the benefits are, and LOTS more.

K9 Cuisine also sent us the Wellness Pure Rewards Turkey Jerky. I don’t even know how to explain this… I’ll tell you that I let my sister’s Bassets try these samples out instead of Benson. I gave each Basset one and they each practically swallowed it whole. Ten minutes later (I was dog-sitting and in another room), one of them (had to be Henry – a 10-yr-old Basset trouble-maker who is shorter than the normal breed) actually jumped up and counter-surfed to pull

Turkey Jerky Wellness Treats and Free Wet Food Lid!

the treat bag down! The two of them then just went to town on the Turkey Jerky because they liked the flavor so much! So yeah – they ate a lot of them, but they had NO SYMPTOMS of stomach upset, diarrhea, etc , after eating a whole bag of treats in ten minutes… These treats get four (okay – paws up for SURE!! I have since bought many bags of these for them to bring when I come over to dog-sit…

Tons of Tasty Samples from K9 Cuisine

K9 Cuisine also let us sample the Go! Grain Free Chicken, Turkey and Duck wet formulas. These were also a HUGE hit with Benson. They didn’t upset his stomach and he “chowed” them right down (highly unusual for him as he is SO PICKY in his old age). The best part about this wet food is that it has human-grade ingredients, so your dog is tasting food similar to what your food tastes like.  (Not to mention it’s packed with vitamins, minerals and supplements like sunflower and wild salmon oils for Omegas, plus garden fresh vegetables, orchard fruits and lots of minerals!)

Next up from K9 Cuisine we tried the Real Food Toppers in Pure Beef

Even the Kittehs Checked Out the Samples!

Sirloin Flavor. After topping Benson’s food with these once, we realized we would use them as treats because he wouldn’t eat dinner without them that night!! He remembered that at breakfast he had a tasty topper! So we used them as treats for going potty in the proper area, sitting, lying down, etc.

Overall, I was seriously blown away by the products I got from K9 Cuisine. First because they are ALL grain-free, but in particular, the Rotations and the Wellness Treats are items that we have since re-ordered or purchased. I’ve also now moved my cat Sasha over to the Wellness brand wet food since she’s almost 10.

Benson's FAVORITE Thing EVER!

The quality of the products, the care and study that goes into creating them,  and the all-natural REAL ingredients used in ALL of these cat and dog foods, really are top-notch, and totally worth spending a few extra bucks for shipping. I would not tell you to go and buy something if it wasn’t any good – you know me better than that. But K9 Cuisine has it all: the BEST brands, the HEALTHIEST choices, the most REASONABLE prices, plus they always offer free samples, discounts and shipping deals and other promos. Plus, the company’s founder –Anthony Holloway – designed these recipes himself after realizing that he knew what he was eating from his plate, but his dog didn’t know what he was ingesting, and neither did Anthony; thus, K9 Cuisine was born. (I just think that’s a great story and a little tidbit for you all to read and learn how dedicated Anthony and his team are to making exquisite, quality pet food.)

Dog Food Toppers and Go! Grain Free Wet Food

I genuinely hope that some of you will go ahead and order at least one of the products discussed here, and measure the difference in your animal’s coat, eyes, attitude, and energy level (or even their weight). K9 Cuisine is BAR NONE the best option for cat and dog food that I’ve come across thus far.

Visit the site and you can get free samples by clicking on the tab on the top right!

Who wants to meet other pet-fanatics??

Snuggle Session Complete!

Who wants to learn how to get more traffic?

Who wants to get relevant pet information about pet nutrition & animal welfare??

Who wants to learn more about pets in the news & pet charity??

Who wants to learn how to make $$$ major moolah from advertising???

ME!!! I mean WE!!

ThoughtsFurPaws.com wants to know all of the above – which is why Mom is headed to BlogPaws West 2010.

It’s in Denver from Sept 9-11, and the conference is filled to the brim with fun, fur, friends, and… oh yeah, TONS of information on how to make your pet blog ROCK:)

Mom went to the very first-ever BlogPawsEast in Ohio & had a total blast!

She only decided to go to this one at the VERY last minute — when she found out ThoughtsFurPaws.com was a finalist in Dogtime.com’s Petties Awards…

** So we’re totally pumped about that nomination, but Mom thinks she has zero chance of winning considering who she’s up against…

Anyhow, according to the website, BlogPaws West is being held to:

“continue building our Be the Change focus on a national scale, to embrace the exciting momentum of BlogPaws East (thank you, thank you, thank you EVERYONE!), and to give our peeps in the West a chance to meet and connect, we’re offering: more learning, more networking, more blogging, Tweeting, laughing, raising funds for shelters/rescues, shouting, singing, partying, listening, hugging, crying, cooing, clapping, and learning at BlogPaws  2010 West. “

And guess what we just found out?? Our super-good buddies at IAMS/Eukanuba are sponsoring our trip! HOORAH! We can’t wait to see our friends from there!

We will for sure return that favor somehow – Mom is already thinking of ways in her mind – she has steam coming from her ears and that means she’s on a mission. (When Mom is on a mission we do not interrupt!!)

There’s going to be lots and lots of pets there and lots and lots of people and food, and treats and vendors, and sponsors and all-around FUN!!

We also can’t wait to see our best friends from Bissell, Inc, too — they are sponsoring BlogPaws for the second time this year and we’re looking forward to catching up with our fellow Bissell Pack of Pet Lovers members.

Anyhow, we think everykitty and everydoggy should go to BlogPawsWest. You can get more information on the BlogPaws Community of Pet Bloggers here.

The August Kitten and Puppy Photo Contest lasts a whole week longer, so let’s keep those cute pet pictures comin’ in.

And don’t forget to vote, vote, vote!! I’ve only gotten like 10 votes so far, and half of them are for the same animal!!

Here are some more cute kittens and funny dogs/puppies for the contest… actually, it seems this is turning into another dog and cat photo contest for pets of any age… some people just send in pictures of their pets as they are now… oh well…

Let me know in the comments or in an email who YOUR favorite is!

Andy, Banks and Oliver

Bella

Aries

Anne

"Fi Fi the Wicked Frenchie Witch"

The Famous KC

Peanut

Putty Tat

Sammy vs Dumbo

Chloe

Daisy and Deeogie

Thomas Fiddlehead and Lewis

This is a picture of one of the July Contest winners… Diva. Here she is — all pooped out from fighting over her Porcupine toy and all those treats with her brother Dexter…

Diva and Dexter Too Tired to Tug Anymore...

Group Aims to Fly Homeless Pets out of Gulf 

Pilots N Paws to transport animals from Gulf Coast to more stable areas

Pilots N Paws, an online forum that connects animal rescue groups and volunteer pilots, moves thousands of homeless pets each year.

The weekend of September 18, pilots and other volunteers will participate in the Pilots N Paws Gulf Coast Rescue Flyway, trying to relocate hundreds of animals from the Gulf Coast disaster areas to shelters and fosters in other parts of the country.

“These animals need help now,” says Debi Boies, co-founder of Pilots N Paws. “Many had families who loved them and are victims of the oil spill. Their owners have lost their jobs, their homes and are barely surviving. They no longer have the means to care for their pets.”

According to the National Council on Pet Population, 9.6 million shelter animals are needlessly euthanized each year. After the oil spill, one shelter in Louisiana euthanized 900 in a single month! The aim of Pilots N Paws is to decrease this number by connecting shelters and rescue groups with pilots willing to transport animals to safe homes.

With the help of the Pilots N Paws website, rescuers and foster homes in high-kill areas are able to locate their counterparts in areas of the country where high-kill rates are not the rule. These no-kill shelters then make space for the animals being rescued. The sending and receiving pair team up with a volunteer pilot, who provides transportation.

To make this life-saving, heart-warming event a success, many more volunteers are needed. Opportunities include:

• Pilots – Register online to fly pets from shelters to their foster or forever homes.
• Short- and long-term foster homes – Take care of pets, ranging from overnight stays en route to extended periods, while adopters are found.
• General volunteers – Local shelters always need help walking dogs, cleaning cages and filing paperwork.

In addition to volunteer roles, there are other ways to help:

• Spread the word – Tell your local animal shelter about Pilots N Paws. If there’s a small airport nearby, ask the manager to let its pilots know about the event.
• Donate – Pilots N Paws, rescue groups and shelter donations are usually tax-deductible.
• Adopt – Consider taking one of the rescued pets into your own home.

“Volunteers are the key to our success,” says Boies. “Without the pilots and rescue groups, our program wouldn’t exist. The more volunteers we have the better chance of saving helpless animals.”

Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) organization, so pilots’ expenses relating to transport flights are tax-deductible. Pilots N Paws is an excellent example of the critical role general aviation plays in our everyday lives. For more information, or to help out with the Pilots N Paws Gulf Coast Rescue Flyway, visit www.pilotsnpaws.org. To learn more about other ways general aviation pilots help every day, visit GA Serves America.  Petmate and Subaru are proud sponsors of Pilots N Paws and the Pilots N Paws Gulf Coast Rescue Flyway. 

The August Puppy and Kitten Photo Contest is in full-swing mode now…

Here’s the first round of pictures!

 * Remember, you can vote for up to three pets in a comment or an email to me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com. You CANNOT send 3 votes for the same animal. *

Bailey

Bailey and Toffee

Ginny

Iris

Koko Bean

Koko Bean II

Logan

Oliver

Rumble the Shar-Pei

Angie Kitten

Get your votes in today or this week via email and comment! If you see your pet on this post, don’t forget to send all your friends and network here to vote! More cute puppy and kitten photos to come later this week!

** This is a guest post written by a friend, Heather Reynolds.

First, here is my introduction to this post. Since I’ve been talking about pet insurance – and it seems to me that more and more pet owners are buying policies now-a-days (according to statistics from companies like PetInsurance.com, etc.) – I got an insider’s professional view of the pet insurance industry. Many of you either commented or emailed me after the last post with tales of how pet insurance saved your animals’s lives, or how you WISHED you had bought it when you had the chance because you now have $6k in vet bills…

Heather Reynolds works for Trupanion here in the U.S. So since we already discussed pet insurance and pet health earlier I thought I’d allow a guest post rrom a knowledgeable industry rep. on the whole pet insurance concept. Heather is representing Trupanion, a pet insurance company based in Seattle. Although it’s fairly new to the industry in the U.S., the company has been thriving in Canada for the last decade, and actually ranks 5th in Google for the term “pet insurance.”

In fact, recently, the pet insurance industry was reviewed by Consumer Reports and Trupanion was named as thee one company that provides everything Consumer Reports looked for in a preferred plan.

The report states, “We prefer coverage with simple, percentage-based payouts, and no reliance on judgments of what’s ‘reasonable’.”

Trupanion offers one simple plan, pays a straight 90% of veterinary costs, and does not impose ‘reasonable’ fees. There is no payout limit over the life of the pet and no limits per year, claim, illness, procedure, or condition. The report also looked at two specific scenarios in which pet insurance could be applied – one in which the dog was basically healthy and one in which the dog had chronic problems.

While none of the nine policies reviewed would have been cost-effective for the healthy dog scenario, Trupanion provided the highest net benefits for the chronically-sick dog scenario.

Another portion of the review told the story of two cats with rare conditions – one young, one old. In this scenario, Trupanion’s coverage paid the most for both cats, at both the $100 and $500 deductible levels. Check out the full report here. Also, check out Trupanion’s blog here.

Anyhow, here is Heather’s guest post: (thanks Heather!)

None of us want to think of something disastrous happening to our beloved pets. But the truth is that three out of four pets require emergency medical treatment in their lifetimes. With veterinary costs rising every year, it’s getting harder and harder to pay for needed veterinary treatments.

This is where/when/how having pet insurance will help.

First, be wary – there are many pet insurance carriers out there, some of them “less than reputable” to put it nicely, and so choosing the policy that’s  right for your pet(s) can be a daunting & sometimes confusing task.

Here are a few tips on getting started with pet insurance coverage:

1. Do your research. Check out www.petinsurancereview.com for an unbiased review of several pet insurance companies.

2. Use word-of-mouth. It’s well-known in the Marketing and PR industry today that word-of-mouth advertising beats any ad you’ll see on TV, hear on the radio, or see online or in a magazine. So visit some pet forums (i.e. Iggy Planet, Petfinder, PetLovers.com or The Nest) and search for the term ‘pet insurance’. (Most forums already have a chat room open and lively for this topic.) Chances are that you’ll find other people asking the same exact questions — and perhaps they’ve received solid advice. Also, there’s no harm in asking friends, neighbors, people you know from the dog park, and/or even your vet for their experiences and/or preferences. (Be sure to explain you’re not asking their OPINION on the concept – just if they have pet insurance and who it’s through…)

3. Get quotes. Visit several pet insurance websites and receive quotes for each pet you want to insure. This will give you up-to-the-minute pricing that may be outdated on other sites.

4. Read the fine print. Many pet insurance companies only disclose ‘reasonable costs’ and other fees in their fine print, which many people don’t see until they actually have to file a claim.

ThoughtsFurPaws recently published a post about Petplan. I would like to tell you a little bit about Trupanion, a different pet insurance company. Recently, the pet insurance industry was reviewed by Consumer Reports. The report reviewed nine policies from four companies, including Trupanion. After comparing all companies against certain veterinary scenarios, Consumer Reports determined what they would prefer in an insurance company. They state: “We prefer coverage with simple, percentage-based payouts, and no reliance on judgments of what’s ‘reasonable’.”

Trupanion mirrors those preferences by offering one simple plan, paying a straight 90% of veterinary costs, and not imposing ‘reasonable’ fees. There is no payout limit over the life of the pet and no limits per year, claim, illness, procedure, or condition.

You can read the full report here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/insurance/pet-insurance/is-pet-insurance-worth-the-cost/overview/index.htm.

Just as with human health insurance, pet insurance is only financially beneficial if your pet becomes seriously ill or injured. But also like human health insurance, it’s extremely beneficial to have in place if the unthinkable happens. You don’t want to have to wait to make a medical decision so you can ‘crunch the numbers’, and you don’t want the financial stress piled on top of the emotional pain you feel when your pet is sick.

You do so much to protect your pets… so it only makes sense to protect your pocketbook as well by investing in pet insurance.

 Top 5 Reasons to Choose Trupanion

No Payout Limit – No dollar limit on the cost of care if your pet becomes sick or injured.
Higher Payout – We cover 90% of your veterinarian’s bill.
Fast Approval – We approve and pay claims faster than any other competitor.
No Penalties – You are never penalized with higher rates for submitting claims.
Fair Premiums – Premiums won’t increase due to your pet aging.

Heather Reynolds is a pet lover and internet journalist at Trupanion. Feel free to contact her with any questions related to cat and dog insurance at heather.reynolds@trupanion.com.

Every 6 Seconds a Pet Parent Gets a Vet Bill
for Over $1,000. Bow-Ouch!

I know how much animals mean to you—whether they live in the wild, on a farm, or in your own home. If you’re anything like me – they are your kids and you would do anything to protect them, right?

The concept of pet insurance is definitely a “controversial” one — some say it’s a waste of money while others thank God they had it when their dog was run over…

I feelthat it’s definitely necessary if you have an outdoor animal who roams free around the neighborhood (like my Sasha) – but I really am not sure about other circumstances.

I suppose if you have a gold ribbon/medal winning dog breed than he/she should definitely be insured for possible pt health problems… stemming from unknowingly poor pet nutrition, lack of care, or sensitive and likely to be injured bones and joints (for bigger breeds), etc.

Anyhow, for many reasons the HSUS has decided to team up with Petplan, the world’s largest pet insurance provider; to ensure that your four-legged family members live a long, happy life togethger. (And don’t have to worry if your pet gets severely ill and you can’t afford the vet bill… God I’ve been there and trust me, it’s NOT fun.)

Across the globe, Petplan is recommended by more veterinarians than any other pet health insurance provider and is consistently rated No. 1 in independent reviews by pet parents. Join over 1 million policyholders who already enjoy peace of mind with these benefits:

–   Covered for Life Guarantee™—once your pet is insured with Petplan, any condition they develop, including all chronic conditions, will be covered into their old age with no extra surcharges or riders.*

–  Coverage of all hereditary and congenital conditions—conditions such as hip displaysia, mitral valve disease, and luxating patellas are covered without dollar or time limits.*

–  Customizable coverage for your dog or cat—set your own co-pay and deductible according to your needs and budget.*

And when you get a quote, Petplan will make a $20 donation to our Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association’s Field Services program, which provides free veterinary care to pets in underserved communities. Be sure to use code “HSUS20″ when getting a quote to indicate that you’re an HSUS supporter & to receive an additional 5% discount!

Celebrate the animals in your life — and protect them for good so you can enjoy a longer lifetime with them…

Visit Petplan today to see if it’s right for your pets.

*Portions of this important pet health and wellness article courtesy Wayne Pacelle/HSUS . Photos courtesy Petplan.com