All About Pets_Holiday Guide 12.04.2020

DECEMBER 4, 2020

THE PRESS

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to Brentwood 103 Technology Ct., Suite F, Brentwood • (925) 666-WOOF

www.campbowwow.com/brentwood

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Adopting a new family member is a forever gift DAWNMARIE FEHR

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ne poll recently conducted a study of parents and learned the average child asks for a pet 11 times each month, or

1,584 times before they turn 18.

For parents looking to fulfill that wish this holiday season, local shelters still have feline and canine companions looking for their forever homes, despite a rise in adoptions during the coronavirus pandemic.

George Harding, animal services manager at Antioch Animal Services, said his shelter’s population is low, with a current inventory of 30 animals.

“Inventory is low due to COVID,” Harding said. “30 is normal for the last few months, but in years past, we would be closer to 100.”

Harding said anyone looking to add a new animal to their life should consider the amount of time they are able to spend with their pets. Some dogs require attention, play time and walks each day, whereas a cat is more independent. He also noted the Friends of Antioch Animal Services is currently sponsoring adoption fees, making a new pet virtually free. Antioch residents will have to purchase a $20 license for dog adoptions; anyone from outside the city would purchase a county license, the cost of which can vary based on the animal.

“There’s always great animals to find at the animal shelters,” said Harding. “We currently have an older female pit bull here who is super sweet, but because she’s older, she just gets passed by. She would be a great opportunity for someone to bring home a dog who already knows its manners and is ready to go.”

Photo courtesy Metro Creative

For families looking to adopt this holiday season, local shelters still have feline and canine companions looking for their forever homes.

Antioch Animal Services is currently open seven days a week by appointment only. To make an appointment, call 925-779-6989. For more information, or to view the shelter’s current animal population, visit https://www.antiochca. gov/police/animal-services/.

East Contra Costa County’s Homeless Animals Lifeline Organization (HALO) – an all-breed cat and dog rescue – operates out of the homes of its volunteers. Verlene Leonardo is vice president of the organization and one of its cat managers.

She said HALO has moved its operations entirely online and is doing well. Previously, volunteers were at local stores each weekend with cats and dogs looking for new homes, but since COVID-19 restrictions were enacted, that is no longer possible.

“People are coming and going in the volunteers’ homes,” she said. “Right now, I have 13 kittens in my home and it gets kind of crazy sometimes, but I love to do it. You have to love to do it because sometimes it’s messy and dirty, but kittens are a lot of fun.”

Leonardo said each time people visit pets, they and the foster families wear masks and maintain social distance. Pet visits are done outside, when possible.

Leonardo suggested setting aside several days when bringing home a new pet, to familiarize them with their new home and family.

For more information on HALO, call 925-473-4642 or visit https://furrerbies.homestead.com/.

Homeless Animals Response Program (HARP) is currently assisting far East County residents with low-cost spay or neuter resources for community cats.

“We have limited resources but will assist where possible by lending traps and making reservations for low cost surgeries in order to decrease the large number of feral or friendly cats that have been abandoned,” said HARP president Karen Kops. “We always could use volunteers and financial donations.”

For more information on HARP or to donate, call 925-431-8546, email karenkops@yahoo.com or visit http://www.harp-rescue.org/.

Happy Holidays!

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Spring opening set for Brentwood’s Camp Bow Wow DAWNMARIE FEHR

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anine fans of Camp Bow Wow will soon have something to celebrate with the opening

of the franchise’s newest location in Brentwood in spring 2021.

With the site currently under construction, owner Marc Beeson said he is excited to bring a new kind of high-end dog boarding facility to the East County area.

“This is an all indoor facility, located within the Brentwood city limits,” he said.

“We have neighbors to the right and left.

Our camps are built in such a way that they are noise-proof and smell-proof and urbanfriendly. We have perfected this process over the past 20 years so we can operate very successfully within the confines of a commercial building.”

Camp Bow Wow will offer dog boarding and day care, light grooming and pet training. The franchise was founded ON THE COVER: Canine’s and their human families can look forward to a Camp Bow Wow location coming to Brentwood soon. The popular franchise will be located on Technology Court.

Photo courtesy of Camp Bow Wow.

Photo courtesy of Marc Beeson

The Beeson family, above, look forward to opening their latest Camp Bow Wow location in Brentwood. The new indoor facility is expected to open spring 2021. in 2000 and currently has more than 200 locations operating in North America.

Beeson – who recently retired from the Department of Homeland Security – said he was drawn to the organization because of its transparency and successful track record.

“I started looking into business opportunities and I looked into Camp Bow Wow because we love animals,” said Beeson. “I looked into lots of different franchises, fast food, yogurt, but I kept coming back to the Camp Bow Wow model. They are an open book and are very

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open and honest about the way they do business.”

Beeson will be running the facility with some help from his wife, Amanda, who owns an All State Insurance Agency in Livermore. Amanda – who is from the area – said the couple intends to be involved in each other’s businesses, and she will be stepping up to help out at Camp Bow Wow a few days a week. Amanda is currently involved in animal rescue organizations and said helping at the boarding facility will be more like a vacation than work.

“We love animals and anything we can do to help animals puts a smile on my face,” she said. “We have two girls, Lacey and Emma, and they both love animals so much, and that’s really why we went for this business. It’s there to play all day and snooze the night away. It’s there for your pet to get out their energy and have fun.”

Beeson promises pet visitors won’t be bored at his boarding facility. Camp counselors will work on stimulating dogs’ hearing and sense of smell with different sounds and scents throughout the day. Pet parents can even watch their fur babies play on live video feeds through an app on their smartphone.

“You just download the app, and when you drop your dog off, you can get on the app and watch your dog play,” he

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ocal veterinarian Dr. Melissa Jacobs, DVM, found a way to keep helping animals after her

son’s distance learning schedule kept her home from the office.

Jacobs spent the summer building a website with products for pets and pet lovers, including PawSoak, a foot soak she created for pets big and small.

“RemysBrands.com is my creation,” said Jacobs. “It is a combination of pet care and health articles and an online retail shop ... and also pet pharmacy access via VetSource.”

On the website, Jacobs produces and authors several monthly articles with information on caring for animals and keeping them safe and healthy. She offers essential supplies such as food and supplements, and recently launched her Holiday Shop, with gifts, ornaments and wrapping paper from smart and sustainable sources supporting American artists.

She is most proud of her own PawSoak product, which she created after unsuccessfully looking for an Epsom salt soak for her pitbull, Remy.

“I had heard my favorite veterinarian dermatologist talk about Epsom salts for years, and I’ve been recommending it for a long time, but when I went out to look for a product, there wasn’t much out there,” Jacobs said. “There were a few five-pound bags with pictures of horses, but nothing specifically for dogs and cats.”

Since dogs and cats are Jacobs’ veterinary focus, she went to work creating a product for that market. The end result was a natural-based, non-medicated, prescriptionfree product with only three ingredients.

“It feels very nice and very silky,” she said. “I use natural salts and mix that with colloidal oatmeal. My own dog has a lifelong problem with allergies and constantly chews on his paws, so I did have my own in-house dog to learn from, and he tries my

new products for me.”

Jacobs has been working in veterinary medicine for 14 years. Animals were not her first career choice, though. Initially, she sought a career in engineering, but could not find a passion for her work. During a summer spent soul-searching, she volunteered at a veterinary clinic near where she lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, and had what she calls an epiphany.

“I realized this was where I was meant to be,” she said. “I went back to school to get some biology credits and then went to veterinary school.”

Jacobs has worked in veterinary offices all over the Bay Area, including Discovery Bay Veterinary Hospital. Though she has temporarily stepped away from that work, she still strongly believes in educating her clients about the issues they face with their pets and offering trusted products.

As she created her website and product base, Jacobs tapped into the talents and knowledge of her husband, Stafford Jacobs, who works as an insurance broker.

“My part has been helping her structure the business,” Stafford said. “As we see now in the market, traditional retail stores are definitely suffering, so she had the idea of going to this online market, which seems like a unique opportunity right now.”

Stafford used his experience helping other companies iron out risk and safely execute ideas to help Jacobs market her business and target her customers. He noted the online platform makes it easy and safe for East County residents to support a local business from the comfort of their own homes.

“I can really speak to what people would use products for,” Jacobs said of her website.

“I think being created and curated by a veterinarian is an important part of what I have out there. And the fact that it is smaller. I’ve intentionally supported black-owned businesses, and I’ve intentionally supported other independent artists that make these products and I think those have that attention to detail and small origins that I like to support.”

For more information, visit Jacob’s website at https://remysbrands.com/ or email info@remysbrands.com.

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HOLIDAY PET GUIDE

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Gifts for the fur babies on your holiday list

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oliday shoppers who are busy making lists and checking them twice

should make sure they don’t overlook the family pet. Christmas has gone to the cats and dogs, as a greater number of people include their companion animals when selecting gifts each year.

Specialty pet services

The American Pet Products Association says the demand for highend pet grooming and other services is substantial. In addition, personalized training, behavioral consulting, portrait photography, dog sitting, and upscale spa treatments like pet Reiki and massage are booming.

Interactive laser Felines love to play and this interactive laser will keep them entertained while you relax. The

Doggie Depot

Memory Foam Bed

Dog DNA kit

Yep, even our four-legged friends want to know where they come from.

This DNA kit will streamline the process and tell you about your dog’s pedigree and lineage. Available at Petco.

This squeaky tennis ball gift is a winner anytime of the year, but with it’s colorful holiday design it makes the

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RemysBrands.com An online pet pharmacy (food & supplements)

Shop our “Products for pets and people who love pets.”

Log online today for our

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It’s time to give Fido’s hideaway an upgrade with a memory foam bed. The soft cushion is perfect for dogs with aging issues including body aches, arthritis and joint pain. Available on Amazon.

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Slip on this silicone glove, attach a hose and give your dog a bath without any hassle. You can clean, scrub, and bathe your pet with one hand, leaving your other hand free to keep your pup from escaping. Available on Amazon.

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holiday-themed patterns, and have builtin squeakers. Not recommended for heavy chewers. Available at Petco.

perfect gift of the season for that hardto-buy-for pooch in your house. They come in a wreath shape with different

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Just as people are interested in protecting the health of the planet and their own personal health, so, too, are they extending this concern to companion animals. Natural pet products, which can include natural flea and tick remedies, holistic foods and organic items.

automatic mode feature runs for 15 minutes at a time. PetSafe Products, available on Amazon.

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Natural pet products

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A study by OnePoll conducted by Rover.com, the nation’s largest network of dog sitters and walkers, found that 95% of pet owners have bought holiday gifts for their pets. Gifts can range from everyday needs, like food and treats, to more lavish extravagances like spa treatments.

Pet owners who plan to get their pets gifts this year may want to consider some of the emerging pet trends as they browse wares and services.

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Fast food for pooches: How to safely feed your pup when you’re on the run

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ealthy foods are essential for the well-being of companion animals, but as things get

busy over the holidays, many pet owners turn to premade foods because they are readily available and can fulfill nutrition requirements for pets.

But the convenience of premade foods has been compromised during the pandemic, when empty shelves have become the norm. The pandemic has disrupted supply chains, slowed down shipping times and caused other interruptions. For some pet parents, this may mean that they are unable to get the dog foods they normally purchase before their existing supply runs out. Because of that uncertainty, it pays to learn which items in the pantry and refrigerator can serve as substitutes when commercial dog foods are unavailable.

According to Korinn Saker, DVM, PhD., DACVN, and Associate Professor, Nutrition with the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, homemade meals should not be served to dogs for longer than five to seven days because they

are not 100 percent nutritionally complete.

Even though many human foods are safe for dogs, pet owners may not be able to create complete and balanced blends that provide the amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals dogs need to stay healthy. Routinely feeding dogs human foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies over time.

The Dog People, a dog information resource powered by Rover.com, advises dog owners to aspire for a balance of lean protein and complex carbohydrates in homemade meals. Avoid excess sodium and fat, which can cause excessive thirst and stomach upset. If you’re using canned meats, rinse off the product to get rid of excess sodium.

One of the easiest meals to put together on the spot is chicken and rice. In fact, when dogs are experiencing stomach issues, vets often suggest a temporary diet of bland, boiled chicken and rice. Lean beef or rotisserie chicken with the skin and bones removed are additional options. Many dogs like salmon or other fish as well.

If there’s no rice, oats or plain cooked potatoes can suffice. Many vegetables, like carrots, corn and peas, also are safe for dogs. Eggs can be a great nutritional source

when other proteins are unavailable.

When preparing meals, there are some foods to avoid, according to the Canine Journal: ♦♦ greasy, processed, salty foods ♦♦ grapes and raisins ♦♦ onions ♦♦ garlic ♦♦ deli meats that are high in sodium ♦♦ bacon ♦♦ cocoa and chocolate ♦♦ milk ♦♦ spicy foods ♦♦ small bones ♦♦ coffee ♦♦ avocado ♦♦ macadamia nuts ♦♦ foods your dog is allergic to Should a dog eat something it shouldn’t, vomiting is likely to occur.

Lethargy and diarrhea also may indicate a dog ate something it should not eat.

Those who are unsure of what to make for an emergency meal for their dogs should speak with a vet about foods that are safe to serve.

– Courtesy Metro Creative

Pet of the Week Brought to you by Pets Frolic Inn THE PRESS

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Tips to find the right dog trainer

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f you’re looking for the perfect gift for the brand-new pet owner

For a clean, healthy home...

Call Pristine today for Holiday Specials!

on your list, consider giving the

gift of a trainer.

Finding the right trainer for your dog takes some research as each animal is unique and responds to training in different ways.

controlled facility

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• Customizing individual care for your special pet.

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♦♦ Find out which services the trainer offers.

Trainers offer different services. Some may specialize in one-on-one training, while others train in class-like environments that can promote socialization. Each dog is different, so a training environment that works for one dog may not work for another. Speak with various trainers about their services and then choose the one that most aligns with your dog’s personality. ♦♦ Ask for a trainer’s credentials. The AKC notes that certification with certain organizations is not mandatory, though certifications may indicate how serious a trainer is about training dogs. Trainers should be forthcoming about their credentials, including any certifications they may have. The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com) can help dog owners learn about the various types of certification so they can make the most informed decisions possible when choosing a trainer for their dogs. ♦♦ Take note of your own comfort level with the trainer. The AKC reminds dog owners that dog trainers teach dog owners, who will need to be comfortable with a trainer to get the most of his or her services. Ask to observe a training class and take note of the trainer’s interactions with both the dogs and their owners.

Dog trainers can help dogs acclimate to new homes and help their owners adjust to their new roles. More information about dog trainers can be found at www.akc.org.

– Courtesy Metro Creative Camp Bow Wow will be located at 103 Technology Court in Brentwood. For more information, to join the mailing list or spin the prize wheel, visit www.campbowwow. com/brentwood.

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said. “We also have two luxury suites that are not kennels, but bigger rooms and owners can bring in beds and other items to make their dog feel comfortable.”

Clean • Seal • Protect We do it all!

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Dogs add an entirely new component to the dynamic of a household. Whether a dog is being welcomed into the bustling home of a family or the more sedate environment of a singleton’s apartment, the four-legged friend will soon acclimate to its new surroundings and become a beloved member of the family.

The transition from a pet-free home to one with a dog is not always smooth, especially if the dog exhibits certain behaviors.

Chewing is a common behavior exhibited by dogs after they enter a new home that may alarm new dog owners. The ASPCA notes that it’s normal for puppies and dogs to chew on objects as they explore the world. Some dogs may do so to alleviate pain stemming from incoming teeth, while others chew to keep their jaws strong.

Destructive chewing may be a byproduct of anxiety or frustration, and such behavior can be especially hard for new dog owners to comprehend and corral. In such instances, dog owners can benefit from working with professional dog trainers. The American Kennel Club (AKC) notes that dog training is an unregulated industry, which can complicate the process of finding trustworthy trainers. In recognition of that difficulty, the AKC offers the following tips to dog owners searching for the right trainer. ♦♦ Ask about a trainer’s philosophy. Dog trainers use various methods, but the AKC emphasizes the importance of finding trainers who use positive reinforcement training. Such a philosophy rewards appropriate behavior and teaches alternative behaviors in place of inappropriate ones. The AKC notes that positive reinforcement training is science-based and fosters a love of learning in dogs while strengthening the bond between dogs and their owners.

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