From Now on "Like" us on Facebook!

From now on we will be continuing our blog posts on our New Facebook Page! "Like" us at http://facebook.com/bestfriendsashland

Small Dogs Meetup

Our next small dogs meetup will be held Sunday, December 19th. If you have a well-socialized, small dog, come join us for a fun-filled hour of fun and socialization (for both dogs and their humans)! The group will meet noon-1pm and it's free to attend! For more info, please visit the Metrowest Small Dogs Meetup Group website at http://www.meetup.com/Metrowest-Small-Dogs-Meetup/ or call us at 508-881-3441.

Give Thanks By Helping Homeless Animals in Need

Best Friends is now taking donations for our anual Angel Tree program. We are raising money for food and toy donations to our local animal shelters: Baypath Humane Society and Greyhound Friends. There are a lot of animals in need and this is the perfect way to help them. If you'd like to donate, please stop by our Ashland location (10 Fountain St. Ashland, MA 01721) and ask an associate how you can help.



Small Dogs Creepy Costume Party

Our monthly Small Dogs Meetup had a theme this month! It took place on Halloween, so of course all of the pooches had to dress up! Here is just a taste of some of the wonderful costumes from that day.

Happy Howl-o-ween!!

Here are some pictures of our howl-o-ween daycamp party!

Happy Birthday Petey!

 Hey, guess what!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!

Happy 9th Birthday, Petey! You don't look a day over 5!

Come to our Howloween Bash!

We are having our annual Howl-o-ween Doggy Day Camp Party on Friday October 29th, 2010! We'll be having costume contests, games, fun prizes, and a keepsake to bring home for the proud doggy parents! If you'd like your dog to take part in the festivities and they've been to our camp before, just give us a call to reserve their spot! If you'd like your pup to join in on our ghoulish fun and they've never been to our camp before, just give us a call and we'll fill you in on the details of how our camp works!

Small Dogs Meetup

Our next Small Dogs Meetup will be held Sunday, October 3rd at our location on 10 Fountain St in Ashland. If you and your pint-sized pooch enjoy the company of other dogs their size, come on down for a fun-filled (and FREE) day of doggie and human socialization! The group meets noon-1 and is held in our outdoor fenced-in play yard. We do have limited seating, so bring your own chairs if you'd like, along with some bottled water.

50% Off All Retail!

We're having a 1/2 off sale at Best Friends right now! You'll get 50% off any and all retail items (excluding food). This includes beds, kongs, nylabones, greenies, cat toys, jackets, costumes, an array of bones and treats and much, MUCH more! Hurry in while supplies last!!

Small Dogs Meetup

Our next Small Dogs Meetup will be held on September 5th 12-1pm at our center on 10 Fountain St. in Ashland. It's a great group of small dogs and their owners getting together and having fun! If you've got a small dog and want more information, go to the meetup website or call us at 508-881-3441.

Summer Heat Precautions

 

  Summer is here! There are lots of fun activities for you and your dog to do in the summer, but be careful. Some dogs are very susceptible to heat stroke and can even get sunburned! Some signs of heat exhaustion are heavy panting, bright red tongue, red or pale gums, thick/sticky saliva, depression, weakness, confusion or inattention, vomiting or diarrhea - sometimes with blood. To help prevent heat stroke, make sure your dog has access to plenty of cool water and if it's really hot, try to get your dog into an air conditioned environment. If your dog seems to be suffering from heat exhaustion, try your best to cool him/her down with cool water and a fan. Ice packs can also be applied to places like the armpits or neck (pulse points with good blood flow). A dog suspected of suffering from heat stroke should be brought to their vet as soon as they're cooled down a bit to make sure he/she is not dehydrated and there are no further complications.

  As for sunburns, there are a number of dog sprays with added SPF. You can even use human sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater, but be sure that there is no PABA in the ingredients as it is harmful to dogs if ingested. If you have a light-colored, hairless or shaved dog, it is best to protect them with such a product. If your dog does get burned despite your best preventative efforts, you can give him/her a cool bath with an oatmeal product or baking soda mixed in to help soothe the skin. You can also apply Witchhazel and 100% Aloe Vera to the effected spots.

Oil Spill Still In Need of Fur, Hair and Nylons

The oil spill in the Gulf is still being cleaned up by volunteers every day. If you want to help but don't quite know how, here's a simple way: get your pet groomed! Right now Best Friends is collecting the hair that they clip from their hairy friends and sending it to the Matter of Trust organization. They take the donated fur and hair  along with nylon stockings and create hair booms and mats for use to soak up the oil in the water and along the beaches. If you'd like to donate your pet's hair to this cause, call us at 508-881-3441 to book a grooming appointment.

Welcome Baby Autumn Catherine Murray!

We would like to announce the arrival of Best Friends' newest family member: Autumn Catherine Murray, daughter of our Manager, Michelle Murray. She was born on May 29th and was 6lbs 11oz! Congrats to Michelle!! We couldn't be more proud!

Small Dogs Meetup Group

Do you have a small K-9 friend that loves to play with other dogs his or her size? Looking for a place to socialize your tiny pal? Look no further! We will be holding our monthly Small Dogs Meetup on Sunday, June 20th at 12pm (noon). This fun-filled event lasts about an hour and is free to attend! We just ask that you bring proof that your pooch is vaccinated against distemper, rabies and bordatella. You and your little best friend are sure to make new friends and have a blast! For more info, call us at 508-881-7557 or go on over to the meetup website and sign up for our group!

Help Us Clean Up The Gulf Oil Spill!

Best Friends is currently collecting clean pet hair to donate to the efforts in cleaning the massive oil spill in the Gulf. Hair is hydrophobic which means it repels water, it is also great for absorbing oil (greasy hair means that hair collects oil). So Matter of Trust has volunteers making devices called hair mats and hair booms out of recycled hair and nylons- which are then placed in the water to soak up the oil. After this big spill, hair is in high demand- and we can all help! We are saving and shipping all the hair we cut from pets in our grooming salons to Matter of Trust for use in the oil spill clean up. If you would like to do your part to help with the clean up efforts, call 508-881-3441 to set up a grooming appointment. Every piece of fur helps!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIMES TWO!!

We celebrated TWO birthdays this week at Best Friends!

Tony turned TWO on 4/22! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY! Here are some photos of his Camp Bday Party!

The very next day was Simon's birthday! Simon turned NINE on 4/23! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIMON!!

We hope you had fun celebrating your special days with us!

April/May Obedience Classes Now Enrolling!

Our Basic Obedience class is now enrolling for April 30th. The class will take place on fridays from: 6 to 7pm. The class runs for 6 weeks and costs $140. We also offer 1 and 2 week Board-and-Train programs and private sessions. For more information or to sign up, please call 508-881-3441.

Help your pet "Go Green"

Everyone's doing their part to pitch in and help improve the planet by reducing their carbon footprint. With Earth Day right around the corner (April 22nd), we thought we'd direct you to some useful sites to help Fluffy and Fido reduce their "Carbon Paw Print." Something as simple as buying biodegradeable dog waste bags or cooking simple meals for your dog or cat every once in a while can make a big difference in cutting back on pollution! Here are some sites with more helpful hints:

Shrink Your Pet's Carbon Pawprint
Reducing Your Carbon Paw Print
The Carbon ‘Pawprint’ Of Pets
Informative Newsweek Article

Small Dogs Meetup

Looking for something fun and FREE to do with your best friend now that the weather's nice? Look no further! Our monthly Small Breed Meetup is being held on Sunday, April 11th 12 noon to 1pm! All friendly small breed dogs are welcome to attend! Just bring proof of vaccinations to your first meetup! To sign up, just follow the link and follow the directions to join! Hope to see you there!

St. Patty's Day Fun at Doggy Day Camp!

We had a BLAST at our St. Patrick's Day bash yesterday! Here are just a few of the hilarious photos: