In the News...
Sniffing Out Cancer
A new study adds to the body of research that suggests "man's best friend" may actually be able to smell cancer.
Read the article >>
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01-Oct - Barney H
01-Oct - Vinny P
02-Oct - Fanny P/C
03-Oct - Ruby C
03-Oct - Dude C
04-Oct - Jupiter B-N
06-Oct - Chiodo P
07-Oct - Maylo A
08-Oct - Keela B
08-Oct - Sheilah C
09-Oct - Buddy B
10-Oct - Ginger D
11-Oct - Scout M
11-Oct - Miley G
12-Oct - Desi I
12-Oct - Romo B/D
12-Oct - Poppi H
12-Oct - Tundra B
12-Oct - Georgie L
15-Oct - George K
16-Oct - Lola V
21-Oct - Jackson C
25-Oct - Raven G
25-Oct - Dublin T
25-Oct - Buddy B/N
27-Oct - Weesum O/A
27-Oct - Lucas T
30-Oct - Logan R
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Greetings!
 What a beautiful autumn we are having so far! Almost makes us forget the summer doldrums of July... almost. The dogs are grabbing the last sunny days playing out in the yard and the inevitable rain coats are waiting in the wings. Our extended hours have been a tremendous hit and it's been so wonderful to hear how well this works for our clients. We've been busier than ever and have been greeting many new happy, wagging tails. While we are happy to accommodate everyone from Monday to Saturday, we do have some specific restrictions - outlined in "In the Zone" that have been put in place for Sundays and Holidays, when we are, for all intents and purposes, closed. And as everyone's favorite spooky holiday is right around the corner, I thought I'd revisit the dos and don'ts of Halloween to keep your pets safe in "Pup Smarts". Lastly, there's a new off-leash park coming to our neck of the woods - read all about it in "Heard at the Hydrant". One more thing... while reservations during the week are not required, if you want to make sure your dog gets a spot on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's a good idea to let us know ahead of time - or at least call before you come on down to make sure there is room. Our staff will be happy to put in a standing reservation for any of our regulars. Tuesdays and Thursdays have been flirting with our maximum capacity the past few weeks and we don't want anyone to be disappointed. |
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A Pet-Safe Howl-o-ween!
 Halloween.
A holiday that inspires dread in the hearts of beloved pets everywhere.
They cower fearfully, anticipating the worst... and then, without warning, the dreaded object of their terror is once again revealed...
...that darned hot dog bun costume is back again. All kidding aside, while Halloween is great fun for adults and kids alike, it does pose a few hazards that as owners we need to be on the look-out for to ensure a healthy and happy haunting time for all.
Halloween Candy I'm not going to win any four-legged friends with this, but keep the candy away from your pup! Human goodies are rarely a good idea for dogs, and some - especially chocolate - can be deadly. Even the candy wrappers themselves can be dangerous if ingested. What may be tempting to the nose can cause choking, upset stomach or even intestinal blockages. Bottom line, you'll want to ensure that all candy is well out of the reach of inquisitive noses.
 Trick-or-Treaters
While visitors are generally an exciting event for our dogs, they can also be stress-inducing. Consider how your dog reacts when someone knocks on your door. So now let's multiply that by the number of trick-or-treaters - all strangers, all dressed in strange and sometimes scary costumes - that will be knocking on your door come Halloween. If your dog gets stressed or overly excited by visitors you will want to consider options for keeping your dog away from all the fun. And let's also not forget that there may be trick-or-treaters coming to your house who are scared of dogs so the stress can go both ways if Cujo is barking and jumping at the door every time there's a knock.
Halloween Costumes
Some pups love getting dressed up and being the object of attention. Others, well... not so much. Be sensitive to your dog's comfort level and don't force the issue if they are fearful. You'll also want to ensure the costume is safe. Costumes that are too loose or large can get caught on household objects that could fall on or trip your pet - or even pose a strangulation risk, and costumes that are too tight can cut off circulation. No matter what you dress your dog in never leave your costumed pet unattended.
Keep 'em Indoors! It's really important that no matter how comfortable your dog is outside, you keep him inside for Halloween. Halloween is unfortunately associated with an increased risk in animal cruelty at the hands of people with a twisted sense of what is fun. While black cats are at most risk, it's best to keep any pet indoors and away from any potential pranksters.
A 'Less-Stress' Alternative Whether your Halloween plans call for a stream of trick-or-treaters or a party, for the sake of everyone's stress level you might want to consider boarding your pet overnight at Wag Zone. Instead of alerting you to the 27th doorbell in the last 45 minutes or stealing candy corn from your kid's treat bag, your dog can hang out here and do the monster mash with his pup friends and everyone can have a happy, healthy Howl-o-ween. |
Sundays and Stats Sunday, Fun-day
Did you know if your dog is on a package and you reserve ahead of time that your pooch can come in for modified daycare on Sundays? On Sundays we have a small staff on site caring for our boarding dogs that can take a very limited number of daycare dogs for mellow, indoors-only care between the hours of 9am-5pm. You must have at least one day left on your pet's package to qualify and reservations are mandatory. If you're not on our list, our staff cannot let you in. Sunday Boarding Pick-Ups and Drop Offs
All pick-ups or drop-offs taking place on Sundays must be by reservation ONLY. Our Sunday staff is skilled at managing dogs but do not have access to our computer system to facilitate an unexpected pick-up (or drop-off for that matter). If you know ahead of time that you will want to pick your pet up on Sunday, you must notify us no later than Friday or we will be unable to release your pet to you until Monday. This goes for delayed pick-ups too. If your pet is scheduled to go home on Saturday but your flight is delayed until Sunday, you will need to wait until Monday to reunite with Schmoofie. Statutory Holidays = CLOSED
While reserved daycare and boarding pick-ups and drop-offs are possible on Sundays, Wag Zone is fully closed on Stat Holidays. Stat Holidays mean a small crew of dog handlers tending to what is usually a larger population of boarding dogs. To ensure the safety and stability of the pack, no daycare or boarding pick-ups/drop-offs will be permitted. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. |
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New Off-Leash Dog Park on the Way!
Off-leash parks are a wonderful commodity for dog owners throughout Vancouver and word has it that progress has apparently been made towards constructing a formalized off-leash dog area in Kings Mill Walk here in North Vancouver - adjacent to the North Shore Auto Mall.
After receiving community feedback from two Open Houses, a plan was developed for an off-leash area and an alignment for the Spirit Trail through Kings Mill Walk. The funding is in place, and the construction is being scheduled. Beach access steps will be installed on the west side of the park at the end of October and the remainder of the overall work is planned to begin in late 2011. The construction work will be phased to allow portions of the park to remain open and accessible. Signage will be installed throughout the construction period detailing the areas that are open.
For more information and to review the material from the Open Houses, please visit: www.cnv.org/DogsInCityParks.
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Woof!
Robina & the Pack @
Wag Zone Urban Dog Retreat, Ltd.
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