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Do Tell: What's Your Favorite Pet-Friendly Hotel?

PetSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:00:21 -0700

When LilPeaPod came back from her adventure with Samson at the Worldwide Fido Awards, she told us all about the great staff at the Le Merigot – where she stayed while filming the show. I know some hotels have a "Pet-Friendly" policy, but aren't too friendly when you check in. Thankfully, that wasn't the case when she arrived:

I was very impressed with the staff of the Le Merigot Hotel in Santa Monica, who went out of their way to make us feel comfortable, and treated Samson like a king – it was definitely all about him while we were there. Our hostess at the hotel café even brought Samson some ice to chew on to cool him down in the heat! Needless to say, if we ever need a place to stay in Santa Monica, we'll be heading back to the Le Merigot.

I've stayed at a few W hotels (and North loved the doormen at the one in our old NYC neighborhood), where do you like to stay when traveling with your pet?

Shop Spotlight: Healthy Spot

PetSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:00:37 -0700

During a recent trip to LA, I took a jaunt over to a little shop called Healthy Spot in Santa Monica and was blown away by all the cool products they have stocked on their shelves. Not only could they be called the one-stop-shop for all the high end and quality products you could want, but Healthy Spot offers up grooming and pet sitting services as well. Located a few blocks from the Santa Monica pier, Healthy Spot is a pretty cool place to be, and lives up to their motto of being the leading provider of fine products, services, and care. Check out my slideshow of their shop, and see some products they offer that you may have a hard time finding anywhere else!

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The Scoop: Santa Monica Squirrels Get Birth Controlled

PetSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:45:18 -0700

Lil squirrelly faces like this one are terrorizing the city of Santa Monica – in fact, there's such a population explosion in Palisades Park that the officials are taking a (thankfully) humane tactic to cut it down . . . birth control shots. It's only the second city in the state (Berkeley was the first) to administer GonaCon, an immuno-contraceptive developed by the US Department of Agriculture to help control the squirrel population. While it doesn't come cheap – costing $2 to $10 a shot – it has no side effects and is much better than the traditional population-control strategy . . . euthanasia. Find out a little bit more (with more pictures) when you read more.

"It's a cutting-edge approach," said Joe McGrath, the city's parks chief. "Pest control in general isn't usually very exciting or even controversial. That hasn't been the case with the squirrels." While my college years were filled with these cheeky creatures often coming into dorms and classrooms, it's been a while since I've been confronted with an overpopulation of squirrels – how about you?

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Anna Paquin Takes Her Pups For a Stroll

PetSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:00:27 -0700

When she's not frolicking around with dolphins and seals, Anna Paquin knows that a good walk is essential to a dog's health. The True Blood star was spotted yesterday taking a stroll through the streets of Santa Monica with her two best furry friends. Although I can see that one of her four-legged pals is a Border Collie, I'm having quite the time trying to place the breed of the brown companion. Besides keeping the dogs in good shape with long walks, Anna practices good owner behavior by keeping poop bags handy with a black Bon Ton dispenser.

Keeping up with her dogs isn't the only thing going on in Anna's life - she just recently announced her engagement to fellow animal lover and costar Stephen Moyer, who comes with a family of his own. But if either of them need any advice on how to introduce new family members into the mix, they know where to come!

To see more of Anna and her pups, just read more.

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Santa Monica's Squirrel Sitch

PetSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:58:54 -0700

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Bare Bones: Jax & Bones Toys and Accessories

PetSugar — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:30:54 -0700

While visiting the awesome Heathy Spot pet shop in Santa Monica, I spotted these super cute Rope Toys ($14) from Jax & Bones that I knew North would love to sink his chompers into. Made from 100 percent natural dyed cotton thread, you can be sure that these toys are not only good for hours of chewing fun, but are good for your pooch and the earth. Not only that, but for each toy purchased from Jax & Bones, part of the proceeds will be donated to the Rescue Train Organization, which helps find homes for pets and operates a no-kill rescue program.

But the goodness doesn't stop there - J&B's beds are all eco-friendly and made from 100 percent recycled materials! This brand leaves me with a full shopping cart, as well as good karma. Check out some of my favorite picks from Jax & Bones in the widget below.

Elton the Octopus ($14)	Lucky Boy Collar ($46-$50)
Eco Bed Collection ($115-$245)	Heart Squeeky Toy ($10)
Jax and Bones Larry the Lion ($14)	Pink Dot Collar and Lead ($26-$50)
Lucky Girl Bowl ($16-$26)	Square Pillow Bed ($99-$169)

Behind the Scenes at the Worldwide Fido Awards!

PetSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:15:05 -0700

In case you missed it, our resident cutie Samson won the title of Cutest Dog in the Worldwide Fido Awards! LilPeaPod, her BF, and Samson headed down to Santa Monica late last week for the taping of the show, and snapped up a few behind-the-scenes piccys to share with us. Big congrats to Samson on taking the "Cutest" title, and although he didn't get the top Worldwide Fido award, he's still a winner in our hearts!

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And the 2008 Worldwide Fido Award Goes To . . .

PetSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:01:00 -0700

Gabe, the bulldog from Bellingham, Wash. who flushes toilets, skateboards, and even rides a rocking horse! Congrats to this super cute smooshy for his big title!
OK, now the back story: Hosted by Fred Willard (star of one of our favorite animal movies), the 2008 Worldwide Fido Awards took place in the aptly-named Barker Hangar in Santa Monica over the weekend. The finalists were announced for six categories including our very own Samson who captured the title of "Cutest Dog" – woohoo!

Judges for the event included celebrity dog trainer Tamar Gellar and actors Kevin Nealon and Vivica A. Fox, and lucky for us LilPeaPod has some behind the scenes tales coming later today.

Until then, check out more cuteness from the event when you read more.

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Matzo's Day at the Beach

PetSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:45:23 -0700

This isn't the first time we've seen lil Matzo on the set of Bedtime Stories . . . am I the only one hoping she'll have a cameo in this flick?! Adam seems to be giving the smushy a mini swimming lesson at this Santa Monica beach while on a break. Good thing he stays close because she's clearly just learning. If you're curious how to introduce a pup to the water (and to see more pictures of Matzo and Adam), read more.

First off, allow your pup to get close to the water at her own pace – never force a pet in! Many dogs may not willingly walk in, but if you start walking into the shallow end, they'll likely follow right along.
Pay extra attention to the size of the waves – measure the height of your dog against your leg. If the waves are hitting that part of your leg, keep the novice swimmers closer to shore.
When your dog finally gets into the shallow water and splashes around, praise her enthusiastically in a "happy puppy voice" – this lets her know it's safe and a good idea to play!
For those pups that like to fetch on dry land, try tossing a ball into shallow water to see if she'll fetch it. This can be all the incentive a pup needs – just in case, attach a rope so you don't lose the toy altogether!

Some pups never will want to swim (or be able to), and may need to be rescued – if your pup seems to freeze or panic (like lil Matzo), go rescue her!

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Adam Sandler and Matzo

PetSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:41:28 -0700

Adam Sandler and his pup horsing around on the set of Bedtime Stories in Santa Monica on March 11.

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