…now get out there and enjoy it, ideally with your dog(s)!

Did you know that now there’s a new concept in lost pet tracking that avoids these issues and guarantees they can help you find your lost pet in six hours? Smart Tags is a network that works for you when your dog or cat goes missing notifying area shelters and vets and shelters, and providing a central contact point for anyone who locates your pet.

You just set up an online profile with your pet’s description, medical requirements, photos, and of course all your contact information. Then as soon as you report your pet missing they spring into action and provide an instant search party!

All your pet needs to do is wear their rather attractive tag – in your choice of style. Or better yet, order the one with Best Friends Animal Society logo on it and they receive a donation of 25% of the proceeds.

Check it out, there’s a great informational video on their site. And keep in mind 90% of lost pets that are returned home are wearing a tag!

[Getting to see pictures of super cute pets is just one of the perks of our jobs here!]

PS: Hey, cat lovers.. Has summer gone to the dogs (and guinea pigs)? You can get in on the action to, check out some of our custom cat portraits and consider what we can do with your feline’s photos!

Should the public know if a convicted animal abuser lives or works next door? A bill before the California legislature would require adults convicted of felony animal abuse to register with local law enforcement; their names would be placed in a database similar to the national sex offenders’ registry. Tennessee, Louisiana, and New York are also considering animal-abuse registries.

“We’re trying to reduce risk,” says Stephan Otto of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, noting that animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans and four times more likely to commit property crimes than those without a history of violence against animals.

The registry would include people convicted of maiming, mutilating, torturing, or killing animals, as well as pet hoarders and operators of animal-fighting rings.

“To me, the bill seems like overkill,” says California State Sen. Bob Huff, adding that he’s wary of putting animal abuse and child abuse on a legal par. Huff also worries that fines imposed on animal abusers won’t bring in enough revenue to cover the costs of the registry.

Alison Gianotto, a New York Web developer, started a volunteer pet-abuse database after her neighbor’s cat was kidnapped and set on fire in 2001. At a cost of about $10,000 per year, Pet-Abuse.com now tracks nearly 16,000 accused or convicted animal abusers. Gianotto says government officials need to do more “to help the public understand that animal cruelty is everywhere, even in their own backyards.”
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If you would like to offer your opinion on whether animal abusers should have to register, click here. Thus far, 89% say YES, while only 11% say NO.

Losing luggage is one thing, but how could an airline misplace a dog?

A Canadian man claimed his pet disappeared after he checked the animal with Delta Airlines for a flight from Mexico City to Detroit.

Josiah Allen, of Ontario, told the consumerist.com that Delta offered him an apology and a $200 credit for future Delta travel.

“I think that this is completely absurd,” Allen wrote to consumerist.com. “There is no excuse for this kind of situation to take place.”

Allen said he and his girlfriend rescued the stray dog while on vacation last month in Puerto Vallarta.

“We took him to the vet’s, got him all of his shots, an eye infection treated, two baths to clean him from hundreds of dog ticks that were covering his whole body, and gave him the name Paco,” Allen said.

According to Allen, the nightmare began when the couple attempted to check Paco with Delta for their connecting flight to Detroit. Allen said a Delta agent told them the pet carrier they purchased for Paco was not big enough. He added that the airline only accepted the carrier after he and his girlfriend signed a waiver releasing Delta of any liability if Paco was injured.

Allen said he and his girlfriend arrived in Detroit where they waited for Paco at the pet claim for about twenty minutes. Eventually, according to Allen, a Delta employee informed the couple that the dog was not at the airport and in fact had never been boarded on the plane in Mexico City….
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To read the full story click here. Then find out what you can do; sign a petition, send them an email, or even boycott Delta!

Now a church in Massachusetts is giving pets and their parents the opportunity to cover their religious bases, according to an article in USA Today’s Paw Print Post:

Pets and heaven? This church helps pave the way

Do pets go to heaven? A church in Massachusetts and a Guideposts author are among the believers who would say yes.
Calvary Episcopal Church in Danvers, Mass., will offer later this month its first “Perfect Paws Pet Ministry” aimed at giving area pooches and their owners improved odds at getting canines into heaven. The church plans to hold the service on the third Sunday of every month, complete with communion for the humans and special blessings for pets. Dogs will get special treats. For now, it’s only for dogs, but special prayers can be offered for other kinds of pets. Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas tells The Salem News dogs will have a say during service because barking won’t be banned.

For those of you who aren’t local or aren’t familiar, let’s see, how can we describe the Furry Scurry?… It’s complete bedlam on a leash!!

This huge fundraiser helps DDFL care for more than 25,000 homeless pets every year. The festivities include refreshments and demonstrations before, during and after the walk. A  “Flealess Market” for pet-friendly merchandise and services offered by more than 100 vendors.  That’s where we’ll be!

You can even enter the Pet/Person Look-alike, Best Pet Kisser, Best Tail Wagger and Best Trick contests beginning at 9:45 a.m. It all happens tomorrow at Washington Park – 1000 S. Downing St. in Denver. Registration begins at 7:00 and the walk commences at 9:00, Rain OR Shine!

We’ll be there for the first time in a few years and we’re pretty excited about it so we hope we’ll see you there – please stop by and say hello!

Better yet, order a custom pet portrait tomorrow and 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the Dumb Friends League to help rescue Denver’s homeless pets!

Just place your order today and use the Discount Code, SPRINGCLEAN when you’re checking out and take advantage of one of the best deals and biggest discounts we do all year!

PS: Our Twitter Followers and Facebook Fans knew about this sale first – You should join us too!

So when Josh asked if we would like to work with him we were flattered and of course and agreed. But then we asked if there was some way we could use the card program to help raise funds for animal cancer research. Many of you know we lost our beautiful Kylie to cancer and our very close friend lost her adorable boy, Trouble, to cancer around the same time. So we are always looking for ways to honor them. Josh was totally agreeable to the idea. We hope you’ll find it a worthy cause too!

Here’s how it works:

The program is super simple and FREE to download. Just click here: http://quio.me/download/papCards.exe

You get to check it all out and send two cards for FREE!

If you decide you love it, just click on the “buy it” option. Then for a very reasonable $20, 100% of our portion of the proceeds ($10) will go to Colorado State University’s Animal Cancer Center (ACC) to support their research and treatment center.

If for some reason you don’t love it, it’s just as easy to uninstall it so no worries there. But we hope in that case you’ll forward it to others who might really enjoy it. Oh, one limitation, the program is not Mac-friendly. But if you are Mac, you can still help out by passing this along to all your PC friends. And if you are PC you can now send a cute, colorful card to all the animal lovers in your life for any occasion!

Thank you so much for your help and support for this cause!

More info about ACC:
CSU’s Animal Cancer Center’s mission “is to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer in pet animals, translating our research and knowledge to also benefit people with cancer.” In their pursuit of this mission, every penny counts! Visit them at www.csuanimalcancercenter.org.

It’s said that a dog is a man’s best friend, but he could also be your best investment. Pet stocks — those companies that cater to the health and happiness of your furry companion — is arguably the hottest growth market going.

Indeed, amid the greatest consumer downturn of this generation, the pet industry managed to grow 5.4% in 2009 to $45.5 billion, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). “Pet suppliers offer more compelling growth prospects than most retail categories,” Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy, wrote in a note. And it doesn’t seem like this momentum will slow any time soon, with APPA predicting another 5% jump in 2010.

According to the APPA, 63% of U.S. households own pets, and it’s a number that’s poised to expand, as the trend of humanizing pets has also boosted the sector. Service-based businesses like dog walkers, pooper-scoopers, trainers and even massage-therapists are booming, while day care, pet walking and pet sitting all continue to be in high demand.

Within the sector, the more reliable pet plays are those companies that provide veterinary and animal-health products; while consumers might delay purchasing a new chew-bone for their pup, or might stock up on a cheaper brands of biscuits, they won’t deny medical care to their beloved pet.

In 2009 health-care spending on pets surged 8.5%, as medical advances generated a greater range of services available. “From CAT scans, root canals and cancer surgery, to antibiotics, anti-depressants and even grief counseling, pet owners have more medical choices and spending options than ever before,” the APPA said. The association expects this sector to increase 6% in 2010.

Still, with such a litter of pet-centric companies to choose from — and still others with smaller animal divisions — how can the investor sort through them all?…

Click here to read on and get the complete list of companies they recommend to set up your Pet Portfolio!