Canine Carnival on Sunday, October 5, 2008

You don't want to miss the APA of Missouri's 18th Annual Canine Carnival at Tilles Park in Ladue. They have games for dogs, special dog contests, lots of children activites, pooch parade and so much more. It is from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and admission is free. This is the APA biggest fundraiser of the year. Pets will be available for adoption and you can visit plenty of vendors booths. Kids will enjoy their own carnival games, activities and crafts. It is located at TIlles Park which is on the corner of McKnight and Litzinger. If your coming from Hwy. 270 go east on Manchester to McKnight and go left and on the corner of LItzinger and McKnight you will see the park. If you want any further information or would like to volunteer that day call Stephanie at (314) 645-4610 at ext. 122. Hope to see you there. I'll bring my business cards for my blog as you know I'm kind of a big deal....Love ya, Hudson

Did you know St. Louis was the first Missouri city to

Bet you didn't know St. Louis was the first Missouri city to let dogs in outdoor restaurants. On Friday, July 17, 2007 St. Louis became the first Missouri city that now allows a local option for dogs to go dining with their owners. Dogs found their advocate in Alderwomen Lyda Krewson, who pushed for a city ordinance that allows dogs to dine with their owners at outdoor restaurants. Lawmakers passed this provision which was part of the Senate Bill 22 and Governor Blunt signed it. The state law applies to dogs, cats and any other domestic animal that would not under normal circumstances need a cage. Obviously this would not include pet gerbils, hamsters, birds, fish or even turtles. This new ordinance allows any well behaved dog the opportunity to enjoy going to an outdoor restaurant with their families for dinner. Stay tuned because I will be blogging very shortly on my Favorite Top Ten Dog Friendly Restaurants in St. Louis. I already talked about The Boathouse in Forest Park which is exceptionally dog friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant as the food is fabulous, the view is spectacular and the staff is super friendly.

C.A.R.E.

I just found out about a fabulous organization that helps my fellow canines who are homeless, lost or the last. C.A.R.E. stands for the coalition for animal rescue and education. Their organization provides rescue services, shelter facilities, medical care and helps to adopt these animals to loving homes. Their goal is to eliminate the endless cycle of pet overpopulation and neglect of animals by creating public awareness. They work deligently with animal rescues, spay and neutering programs and community education. They are a not -for-profit organization 501c(3) located in Washington County in Missouri that is on 155 acres. They are a no-kill shelter who accepts animal rescued and their animals can be adopted through their website at http://www.caretakersnetwork.org . You can view their pets on this site. They adopt their pets in St. Louis through Petsmart at Manchester Meadows shopping center. They have a high rate of adoption. They also encourage people to call them at (636) 208-6267 to set up an appointment to come out and see their animals for adoption. If you are considering a pet for your home this is a fabulous place to call. Here's to adding a wonderful pet to your home through C.A.R.E.

The Boathouse in Forest Park

Last night the fam and I went to the Boathouse for dinner and had a wonderful time. If any of you haven't been there it is very canine friendly. They have a big sign at the entrance saying dogs welcome and the minute you walk through a gate to their restaurant they have water bowls and a tin of dog treats on your left. How's that for service my brothers and sisters in the canine world. We sat outside overlooking a beautiful lagoon full of ducks and heron. We met a beautiful King Charles Cavalier Spaniel who was sitting to our right with her folks and a cute little yappy York terrier a table away. The fam gave me some delicious table scraps and raved about their food. They even had Fitz's root beer floats which I can only assume was outstanding by the way my fam devoured them. Anyone can rent paddle boats and paddle all over the lagoon which people did the entire time we ate. Lots of families even took their dogs on the boat with them. The prices were great and the service was fantastic so I highly recommend this place for canines and their families. We had fabulous weather and the trees around the lagoon were spectacular. One weeping willow tree to the far left is so calming. Then we took a walk around forest park. It is just stunning as always and this wasn't the first time in the park for me. I've been around the block a time or two. If anyone has any other suggestions on most go to dog friendly places let us know in the comment section here. I will feature shortly my favorite restaurants around St. Louis and places to go.

Fostering for Pet Adoption

As if my family wasn't busy enough they decide to start fostering animals for the Pet Adoption Center on Mid Rivers Drive. Was I not entertainment enough for them. I'm just not getting it. Anyway what they do is help raise the animals until they are old enough to adopt them out to families.Some of these animals were found without their mothers etc... Some of the kittens didn't even have their eyes open yet and "Mom" had to wake up every three hours around the clock to feed the babies. The Pet Adoption Center has a wonderful program and program director "Katie" who helps you through everything. I have to admit I had a blast with each one of the animals we fostered.Our families goal was to make them the most lovable pets they could. They always brought them around lots of their friends and family and other animals. Every one of them would drive me insane wanting to play 24/7 and acting like I was their mother biting and sucking all over me. I put up with it and generously shared all my toys and bed with every single one of them. It was hard to let them go and we checked on them every other day until they were adopted out. "Mom" says our babies were the friendliest and going to make the best pets for their new families. We took pride in the fact that we never lost a baby we fostered and they were all adopted out of the Pet Adoption Center within a week of us returning them. It was a great way for our family to see what type of animals they loved. I highly encourage anyone to foster for their local animal shelter as it is so fun to do. IF you don't want a permanent pet it is a great way to enjoy an animal for a short time. It's a great way to also teach your children about compassion. Here's to volunteering and fostering at your local shelter.

Hudson's Top Ten List of Things He Hates

10. Belts ( I go spastic over them)

9. Guns (fake or real)

8. Puppy Mills

7. Bubble Wrap

6. Being crated all day

5. Not sleeping in bed with one of my family members every night

4. Pet Stores (98% of dogs they get come from Puppy Mills)

3. Dressing me up in ridiculous dog outfits

2. Buying a dog off the Internet(except through a rescue group site)

1. A day without my Frisbee time (a worthless day in my life)