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Happy New Year!
This Chinese New Year is The Year of the Dog - That has to be lucky, right?
First we have to say Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! to all of you who came to us for your holiday shopping, and thanks especially to all of the generous folks that bought a bag (or more!) for the Pongo Fund during our annual dog food drive. We sold 66 bags, and with the matching from Nutrisource and our distributor, it was rounded up to 86 bags! That’s 2,838lbs - over a ton of pet food to be donated to food-challenged pet owners, keeping pets with their families and out of the shelter. Just a few weeks ago I went to the Pongo Fund Food Bank warehouse for a big announcement to the press and their donors, unveiling their new Mobile Animal Hospital - a project that's been years in the making, paid for by generous donors, staffed by vets volunteering their precious time and expertise. It's amazing inside - equipped with everything you'd need to perform surgical procedures, with x-ray machine, surgical table, anesthesia equipment and recovery cages, and it can go directly to where its needed most. It will save thousands of lives. Please take a moment read this amazing account of the many many ways the Pongo Fund (run entirely by volunteers) helps low income and homeless pet owners here. It's truly wonderful that that we have this remarkable resource to support, save and protect animals all over Oregon. We're honored to support them and we thank you, our generous customers, for helping the way that you did.
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| Annual Winter Coat Drive!For the past several years, we’ve hosted a winter coat drive for dogs, and last year we expanded it to include winter clothing for humans as well. The Pongo Fund and Safe Dogs By the River both picked up car-loads of clothing to help out low income and house-less pet owners and their pets with the bitter cold. This year clothing will be distributed by The Pongo Fund and The Paw Team. So, search your closets this month for scarves, hats, gloves, coats, boots, clean socks in great condition, long underwear, clean blankets in good condition, and of course, coats and sweaters for dogs, and they’ll make sure to get them right into the hands of the people that really need them. |
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Massage Class!We’re hosting massage classes this month, taught by the very sweet and knowledgeable Rubi Sullivan, who owns Heal NW Animal Massage. She’s taught classes here before, and she’s such a wonderful teacher. Massage can be as therapeutic (and pleasurable) as it is for us, helping a wide range of medical conditions and situations including stress and anxiety (decreasing cortisol levels), digestive disorders, insomnia, soft tissue strains and injuries, pain from arthritis, increasing range of motion, lowering blood pressure, stimulating kidney and liver functions, improving circulation, and moving lymph through the body. Studies indicate that regular massage can naturally increase the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity–the activity level of the body’s natural "killer cells”. It’s also a lovely way to improve the bond between human and animal, and a gentle restorative way to give reassuring loving support to older dogs. The next available class will be held on January 18th starting at 7:15pm. We have 9 spaces still open for this class, and they will likely fill up fast. The cost is $45 (prepaid please - you can pay in the store by cash or check made out to Heal NW). It’s probably not the best place for a reactive dog, but do know that Rubi can come to your house for a private session. We encourage you to bring a mat or bed for your dog, and perhaps a picnic blanket and/or cushion for yourself as well. The floor is hard and we won’t have time to mop between when the store closes at 7pm and the class at 7:15pm (not that it's gross, but we don't normally ask you to sit right on it after a busy day).
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| | | Check out the cool specials on featured products below. These discounts are only for you, our newsletter subscribers, so let the cashier know when you check out that you’d like the newsletter special! |
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Salt Sox!
Luckily the ice right before Christmas this year was significantly less than last year, but of course there still might be more in our future. Last winter showed us that we were badly needing a better variety of boots. We knew we needed a brand that was made for neighborhood walks in inclement weather and for basic hikes in Forest Park. We were looking for something a bit more reasonably priced than the fabulous Ruff Wear boots, easy to put on, and one that dogs would feel comfortable wearing.
This year we’ll especially need boots to protect dogs from contact with road salt and other deicers during storms. We understand why salt is sometimes needed during our ice storms. After ice decimated our Christmas shopping season last year, we as business owners will be grateful for clearer roads during ice events, but it was still a little troubling to hear of its expanded use in Portland. There are two big downsides to road salt: when salt migrates into lakes and streams, it can harm aquatic plants and animals and salt can hurt or even kill pets. With these serious things in mind, we hope we’ve found the perfect boots! Salt Sox have soft shell fleece laminates which are breathable, waterproof, salt-proof, warm, and keep paws dry and protected from the elements. 1000 Denier Cordura is extremely durable yet supple. It gives the boot a thin-soled natural feel which promotes balance and security. They have an anatomically engineered fit designed to be close-fitting, comfortable, and to stay on.
This exclusive design resists rolling, moves with your pet's natural range of motion, are easy to put on and even easier to take off. Even better, they’re designed and made in the USA. Here’s a good thorough review from someone trying them for the first time We’re very interested in your feedback with any of our products!
We have them stocked in black and red, and we know they will also be handy to help keep your floors dry and clean when dogs come back in from a wet walk.
Newsletter Special: Mention the newsletter and get 15% off of any Salt Sox boots!
For more info about de-icers and the dangers that even “pet friendly” de-icers can have for pets please see our Blog Post |
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Purpose Pet Food and Treats
The folks that make Purpose Pet Food believe you shouldn’t have to worry about what’s in your pet’s bowl or how the ingredients got there. It’s often easy to forget that the pet food in your pet’s bowl was once an animal. Meat proteins are vital to the health of the carnivores in our care, but it’s also important to consider, “How was that animal raised? How was it treated?” We believe the humane treatment of animals should extend to those who make up your pet’s ancestral diet.
Therefore the practices of Purpose’s suppliers are always guided by an attitude of care, responsibility and respect. They only work with suppliers who either have a humanely raised certification label or have extensive humanely raised practices. Their foods and treats are passionately prepared using humanely raised and human-grade, antibiotic-free and steroid-free meats, poultry, certified organic produce, certified organic minerals and natural vitamins in a human-grade food production facility. If you’re feeding Stella and Chewy’s or Small Batch freeze dried you might want to put these freeze dried patties into your rotation. If you feed raw, freeze dried raw is excellent for when you travel or go camping. If you feed kibble, there’s nothing better than crumbling some freeze dried raw over the top to add valuable whole food nutrients.
Their three flavors of treats are great too - Turkey heart pieces, whole chicken hearts and beef liver in a great training treat size - all three treats are perfect for cats too.
Have you read our blog post about the incredible value of feeding hearts to dogs and cats? Check it out!
Newsletter Special: Mention the newsletter at the counter and take 15% off of any Purpose Turkey Heart, Beef Liver or Chicken Heart treats! |
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Big Shrimpy “Easy” Beds!
So we went to the owner of Big Shrimpy and told him that he might need to design a new bed. People tell us they’re looking for beds with a padded edge to curl up against and that they can rest their heads on like a pillow. A big problem for older dogs is that they often don’t feel stable climbing in and out of a bed that’s too puffy, as it lacks stability. We thought an orthopedic pad would suit them better than a pillow style bottom. He jumped right on the project, and came back with these lovely beds! They certainly are easy for older dogs to walk right into, and are made with Big Shrimpy’s beautiful durable and washable faux suede and super soft Berber fleece outsides, which are actually reversible for a different look and feel. The pad on the bottom is made from nontoxic Certipure Foam and the fluff in the bolster is made from recycled soda bottles. There’s even a waterproof liner available that we can special order for you. The photo above shows the reversibility feature in two different colors - suede on the bottom and fleece on the bolster, or the other way around - you choose just by flipping it over. Easy Peasy!
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Vital Essentials Raw Bar!
Woo Hoo! Lots of new treats to chew! We’ve long wanted to stock Vital Essentials "Raw Bar" freeze dried chews for a long time, but couldn’t figure out where to fit them. A little creative reorganization allowed us to bring in 6 varieties. They're all freeze dried and well priced: chicken necks, duck necks, turkey necks, salmon skin rolls, turkey wings, and bully sticks. They are a delicious light, crispy chewing crunching experience, perfect as a special treat for all dogs. Unlike kibble that just gets cracked and swallowed doing nothing for
tooth and gum health, these treats make the tooth have to pass through
them, getting a little scrub in the process and stimulating the gums. They're especially helpful for older dogs or any dogs who have had tooth problems. These dogs often still have the desire to chew, but it’s often hard to find something safe enough. More varieties to come!
We could use your vote: Some other freeze dried things Vital Essentials offers: Duck Feet (great for glucosamine and chondroitin to help the joints), Pig ears, Moo Sticks (beef gullet), and Duck Heads (I know - totally gross to look at, but an incredible source of nutrients that are missing from other foods. Carnivores naturally consume them every chance they get, as brains are nutritional powerhouses!). Which should we choose? Or, do you have a favorite chew that we’re not carrying? We want to know about it!
Newsletter Special: Mention the Newsletter at the counter and take 15% off of all Vital Essentials Raw Bar freeze dried chews!
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Pet Wellbeing Derma Support Gold for Dogs
Chronic overgrowth of yeast can result in a bad smell from a dog's skin and chronically infected ears, can cause terrible discomfort and hair loss, and can be very challenging to treat. This tincture can be paired with diet changes and probiotic supplements to help kick yeast to the curb!
Here’s a testimonial from the Pet Wellbeing’s Derma Support Gold page: "My young dog has battled yeast problems for some time now. She was smelly, had dry fur that fell out and would scratch herself constantly until she had nasty hot spots. I have changed her diet and added some supplements that have helped but it was still there, always seeming ready to flare up if something triggered it. I have had good success with other Pet Wellbeing products so I ordered Derma Support Gold in hopes that this product would be our answer. I gave it to her as directed for three weeks and I am amazed at how much she improved in that time. She lost that stinky, yeasty odor, her skin is clear and calm, no more red, itchy, bumpy spots that turn into hot spots, and no more itching and scratching in general. Maybe the occasion scratch here and there, just more like what any normal dog would do. I am so happy to see how much better she feels now, it's a huge relief for both of us! I will keep this product on hand now to either use occasionally as a preventative or in case of a flare up since yeast in dogs is often a long term battle". Read more about yeast and this tincture here (click on "description").
Diet Tips for Chronic Yeast: Eliminate as many carbs as possible, as yeast is fed by starchy sugars - a fresh raw diet is ideal as it doesn’t need the starchy binders that all kibbles use, and it will best support healing of the skin. Starve that yeast!
Supplement Tips for Chronic yeast: Quality probiotics are key: We have a great tasteless powder by Wholistic Pet, or for larger dogs, the Answers Cow’s Milk Kefir is a perfect match for chronic yeast issues (try the cultured goat's milk for smaller dogs). These beneficial bacteria help to strengthen the immune system and out-compete the yeast.
Fish Oil is an excellent supplement that helps to reduce inflammation in the body and support the health and healing of the skin from the inside.
For other causes of itchy allergies, check out Itch Support Gold
Newsletter Special: Mention the Newsletter at the counter and take 15% off of ANY Pet Wellbeing tincture. They have remedies for many common health issues!
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Free Goat's Milk!
If you ask any of our employees what one product we have in the store that we absolutely couldn't live without (and we have over 4000 items!), they would likely all tell you that it's the Answers Brand cultured raw goat's milk. Their farmers deliver the best grass-fed raw goat’s milk to Answers, which they then ferment, making it nature’s most nourishing food. It’s so nutrient rich! It contains an extensive list of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, probiotics, enzymes, fatty acids, and so much more. Adding some to a processed food (dry kibble) diet adds valuable whole food nutrients to their meal. It's rich in in probiotics and digestive enzymes, helping them to absorb the nutrients better from any food they eat. It's so much more digestible than something like heat-pasteurized yogurt made from cow's milk, as goats milk proteins are an 1/8th of the size of a cow's milk protein. It even makes a great puppy milk. It's high in CLA, a fatty acid good for healing the skin and the gut lining, and therefore very soothing after digestive upsets. The lining of the gut is where 80% of their immune system resides, so it helps to support that as well. It has a naturally anti-inflammatory effect in the body, helping to calm itching and other chronic aches and pains. Add to any diet or serve alone. Shall I go on? I could! But let's not bury the lead too much - did I say you can try it for free? Answers has given us some nifty coupons that will let you try one pint for free! No strings!
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| | Green Tip: Go out for a cocktail!
We’d like to give a big Green shout out to our friends at St. Jack restaurant! They’ve committed to going strawless in 2018 and joining the #stopsucking movement! Did you know that 500,000,000 straws are used EACH DAY in the U.S.? They’re kicking it off with a delicious cocktail called “The Hipper Sipper”- all proceeds from this cocktail will be donated to PlasticPollutes. Get on over there, get to sipping, and support one of the very best restaurants in PDX! Go St. Jack! Let's all resolve to ditch straws this year.
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| | This Just In! Attention Those That Feed Weruva Pouches To Cats!
We're so happy to announce that Weruva (an overall awesome company) has just become a little more awesome. Just today we learned that they have teamed up with Terracycle, so now you can recycle your BPA free Weruva "Cats in the Kitchen" and "BFF" plastic pouches for free! And it's super easy! Just go to this website, fill out your info, and they'll send you an envelope you can fill with clean empty pouches and pop them in the mail with the prepaid shipping label. You can bet we're pretty excited about this! Thanks Weruva!
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| | Neighborhood News!
- Meow Haus Expands! Did you know that our friends at Meow Haus, a fabulous boarding facility for cats on NE Sandy Blvd, has expanded to a second nearby location? They bought the Mittens Motel and completely renovated it to be like their first location, giving them a total of 42 luxury suites. Their rooms are long and tall with climbing shelves, scratching posts and most have a big window to look outside or to watch birds in their flighted aviary. Congrats to them!
Read To A Dog At The Library! Jan.16 and 23. 4-5:20 p.m. Improve reading skills and make a friend by reading aloud to a therapy dog from Pet Partners. Free. Registration required: 503-988-5123. North Portland Library, 512 N. Killingsworth St.
Second Profession Brewing Company opened a brew pub on NE Sandy Blvd and 58th, also offering tastings and classes. More here
Pizzaria Otto - did you know our friends at Otto's are serving lunch these days? If you don't know Otto's, you're really missing out!
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| | Thanks Again For Your Loyal Support! See You Soon!
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| | | | Located in Beaumont Village 4327 NE Fremont Street, Portland, Oregon 97213
Telephone: 503-528-1800
© 2007 - 2015 Green Dog Pet Supply. Green Dog Pet Supply® is a Registered Trademark. |
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