Best Friends Chadds Ford

From Now on "Like" us on Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:21:00 +0000

From now on we will be continuing our blog posts on our New Facebook Page! "Like" us at http://facebook.com/bestfriendschaddsford.com

Funny Video of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:06:00 +0000

Here is a video that is appropriate for this summer's sky-high temperatures!

Kitty City

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:24:00 +0000

Did you know that we have a very unique and luxurious boarding area for cats? It's totally separate from the dog boarding area, and there are 44 large "kitty apartments" that each have their very own window. You can even choose the view that you cat would enjoy best: overlooking the dog playyards, the birds and squirrels in the trees, or people in the parking lot! We have a ceiling-high cat climbing tree, a tent, lots of toys, and a couch and chairs for the kitties to enjoy while at playtime.

Call us at 610-459-2724 for any questions or information!

Boomer: Play and Stay Champ

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Our best buddy Boomer is an 8- year old Golden Retreiver, who stays with us quite often and does our Play and Stay program. He loves to play with the jolly balls in our camp room and splash around in our pools. Boomer loves all other dogs and people, too. He is just the happiest , friendliest boy ever, and we love having him with us!

Call us at 610-459-2724 for more information about our Play and Stay program!

Bionic Kitty!

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:24:00 +0000

Check out this article taken from Philly.com about this remarkable feline:
MARIA CHENG
The Associated Press
LONDON - Oscar the cat may have lost one of his nine lives, but his new prosthetic paws make him one of the world's few bionic cats.
After losing his two rear paws in a nasty encounter with a combine harvester last October, the black cat with green eyes was outfitted with metallic pegs that link the ankles to new prosthetic feet and mimic the way deer antlers grow through skin. Oscar is now back on his feet and hopping over hurdles like tissue paper rolls.
After Oscar's farming accident, which happened when the 2 1/2-year-old-cat was lazing in the sun in the British Channel Isles, his owners, Kate and Mike Nolan, took him to their local veterinarian. In turn, the vet referred Oscar to Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick, a neuro-orthopedic surgeon in Eashing, 35 miles southwest of London.
Together with biomedical engineering experts, Fitzpatrick gave Oscar two metal prosthetic implants, or pegs. Those were attached to custom-built faux paws that are a bit wobbly, to imitate a cat's natural walk. But first, he covered the brown implants with black tape to match Oscar's fur.
Fitzpatrick said he and biomedical engineers designed the artificial paws so that they would be fused to the bone and skin. "That allows this implant to work as a seesaw on the bottom of the animal's limbs to give him (an) effectively normal gait," he said. "Oscar can now run and jump about as cats should do."
The veterinarians then inserted the peg-like implants by drilling them into Oscar's ankle bones in his rear legs. The metal implants are attached to the bone where Oscar lost his paws and were coated with a substance that helps bone cells grow directly over them. The cat's own skin then grew over the end of the peg to form a natural seal to prevent infections.
After rehabilitation training that taught Oscar how to walk again, the cat was on all four feet in less than four months. Oscar's owners said they hoped his new paws would also further the technology for developing artificial limbs for humans.
"This is a pretty lucky cat," said Dr. Mark Johnston, a veterinarian and spokesman for the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. "Giving a cat artificial limbs is a very novel solution." Johnston said that while there are many "perfectly happy" three-legged cats and dogs, animals that lose two legs do not usually fare as well.
Dogs might cope better with some sort of animal-wheelchair for their back legs, but cats don't usually adapt to that because of their freer lifestyle, he said. "If a cat has two legs that are damaged beyond repair, it's very hard to keep him going," he said. "We would generally euthanize a cat in that situation."
He doubted the technique would be widely available due to the cost and said it was still relatively rare for animals to lose two legs at once. Gordon Blunn, head of biomedical engineering at University College London, who led the effort to make Oscar's fake paws, said they cost about 2,000 pounds ($2,996) to make, not including the cost for the operation itself.
In 2008, Fitzpatrick made an artificial knee for a cat named Missy who was struck by a hit and run driver. In the U.S., several animals have received artificial limbs directly attached to their bones at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Johnston said the next six months to a year would be critical for Oscar. He said veterinarians would have to closely monitor the feline to make sure no infections, sores or other movement problems crop up.
"It may not last forever, but even if you provide the cat with a few years of pain-free mobility, it may well be worth it," he said.

The Spayed Club

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:44:00 +0000

Spaying and neutering our pets is very important for so many reasons. It helps prevent overpopulation, decreases unwanted sexual behaviors (like mounting and humping for dogs and spraying and heat cycles in cats), decreases the risk of your pet getting cancer, makes dog license fees cheaper, and decreases any unwanted or unplanned litters that you could be faced with.
The Spayed Club in Sharon Hill, PA, offers low cost spaying and neutering as well as vaccines. It is located at 800 Chester Pike Sharon Hill, PA 19079, and the contact number is 484-540-8436. You can also check them out online: http://www.thespayedclubclinic.org/

Prince Chunk

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:53:00 +0000

Check out this video about the success story of a formerly obese, homeless cat and the foundation that has been set up in his honor:

Camper of the Month: Kallie

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:24:00 +0000

Kallie is a beautiful, sweet "Georgia dumpster hound" who was rescued last spring. Kallie gets along with all other dogs and loves to come to Doggie Day Camp and dazzle us with her good looks and charm.

Kallie is very athletic and loves to jump up onto high places, which always makes us laugh. She is also quite the cuddle bug!

Cat Cafe Video

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sat, 22 May 2010 12:19:00 +0000

Check out this cool video about cat cafes in Tokyo, Japan, where people can go to enjoy the calming effect of hanging out with kitties!

Best Friends Donates Fur to Help in the Gulf!

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:53:00 +0000

A non profit organization called Matter of Trust is collecting donations of clean hair and fur of all kinds to clean up the oil in the ocean. Hair is hydrophobic which means it repels water, it is also great for absorbing oil (greasy hair means that hair collects oil). So Matter of Trust has volunteers making devices called hair mats and hair booms out of recycled hair and nylons- which are then placed in the water to soak up the oil.

Schedule your dog for a grooming today. Best Friends Pet Care will be donating all hair clippings to Matter of Trust to assist in the Oil Spill clean up. Give us a call at 610-459-2724 and start saving the world!

Here is the video that was posted on youtube.com explaining what Matter of Trust is doing and how it works!!

Small Dog Meet-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sun, 09 May 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Come join us for our small dog meet-up group on Saturday May 15, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. It's in our indoor/outdoor Doggie Day Camp, and it's always a great time! We will have coffee and donuts for the 2-legged guests, and treats for the pups too, of course!
Check us out on meetup.com: http://www.meetup.com/small-dog-meetup/

Dog Breed Quiz

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:25:00 +0000

Play this fun game from Zootoo.com!

More Caption Contest Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:53:00 +0000

A big thank you goes out to all that stopped by our table & entered our caption contest at the Super Pet Expo a few weeks ago! Below are more of the finalists from our contest.

Written by Chris H.

Written by Mike & Lisa L.

Written by Joanna S.

Chester County SPCA's Walk for Paws

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:59:00 +0000

On Sunday May 2nd, we will be attending the 23rd annual Walk For Paws held by the Chester County SPCA. The walk is from 10-2 at Hibernia Park. Click here for more details:http://www.ccspca.org/news/22/88.html
In addition to the walk, there will be fun contests like the smallest dog, largest dog, most precious puppy, owner/dog look-a-like contest, best tailwagger, best dressed, best singer, best dancer, and best dog trick!
This is a rain or shine event, so hope to see you there!!

Adopt a Dog!

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Check out this article taken from thephillydog.com:
Daray is a dazzling pit bull/terrier mix who has been at ACCT since mid-January (that’s three months!!). Daray is a very sweet, loving girl who likes to climb into your lap to give you kisses. She is about three-years old so she is calm, which makes her so easy to handle on a leash! Don’t let this fool you though- she would happily go for a quick run at the park or as part of her daily walk. She is well-behaved and knows how to “sit” and “come” and would be happy to have more obedience training. Since she is easily motivated by treats, learning new tricks probably wouldn’t take very long! Daray could probably live with another dog (but it’d be best if he were male) and children- bring your family by ACCT to meet her to be sure! She also loves rides in the car and trips to PetsMart (mm, she loves checking out the bone section!) and the park as she loves to wiggle around and stretch out in the grass. Are you ready to meet your new best friend? Daray is!
Daray is at the Animal Care and Control shelter at 111 W. Hunting Park Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19140. If you are interested in fostering or adopting this sweet girl, please email spyro1006@aol.com or stop by the shelter to meet her!
To see how cute she is click here!:
http://www.thephillydog.com/?p=1313

Delaware Dog Fest and Small Dog Meet Up

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:54:00 +0000

Next weekend is going to be pretty exciting for us! On Saturday 4/17 we will be having our small dog meet-up group at 11:00 a.m. at our facility: 3914 Pyle Rd. Chadds Ford, Pa 19317. Call 610-459-2724 for more details or check us out online: http://www.meetup.com/small-dog-meetup/
Plus, on Sunday 4/18 we will be attending the Delaware Dog Fest sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League at St. Anthony in the Hills in Avondale, Pa. from 10-2. Here is the website for more info: http://www.padanerescue.com/events/dogfest.htm
Hope to see you during this weekend of fun!

Easter Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 22:06:00 +0000

Happy Easter!!

Treating Animals With Kindness (TAWK)

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Check out this article from Faithful Friends' website:

"February 23, 2010 – Wilmington, DE – In recognition of National Spay/Neuter Week, the Philadelphia Eagles TAWK program (Treating Animals With Kindness) is partnering with Faithful Friends, Inc. No Kill Animal Shelter to reduce pet overpopulation in Delaware by donating $20,000 toward one of their spay/neuter initiatives that also focuses on education and outreach.

Pamela Browner White, Philadelphia Eagles Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations, presented the check for $20,000 to Faithful Friends. “We chose to award Faithful Friends No Kill Animal Shelter with this grant because they have demonstrated outstanding animal care standard,” said Pamela Browner White. “We are proud to start a new partnership with them and expand our support for the plight of homeless and abused pets in the Delaware community.”

The Philadelphia Eagles TAWK program is a community outreach initiative that focuses on public education and awareness to reduce the abuse of animals, promote responsible adoption, encourage spay and neuter and put an end to dog fighting.

Dr. Carmen Garcia, Faithful Friends Board President, was joined by Carla Markell, First Lady of Delaware, County Executive Chris Coons, and Mayor James Baker at the press announcement to thank the Philadelphia Eagles for investing their funds in Delaware initiatives. The First Lady praised the agency for their great care of animals and talked about her daughter, who volunteers as a dog walker at the shelter. County Executive Chris Coons went on to talk about his recent adoption of a dog from Faithful Friends and the wonderful experience his family had there, “We didn’t just walk out the door, the staff at Faithful Friends prepared us for the challenges of adopting a puppy and the commitment it would require on our part to train him as he grows up. He is a joy to our family.”

Jane Pierantozzi, Executive Director of Faithful Friends, opened her remarks by introducing resident cat, King David. King David is a rescue from Edgemoor Gardens, where Faithful Friends went door to door to neighbors last year when a kitten was burned alive. According to Ms. Pierantozzi, “King David represents the thousands of cats and pit bulls mistreated each year in Delaware and across the country. They are either neglected, or as King David was, tossed out to fend for themselves. The community of Edgemoor Gardens is one of many neighborhoods where residents appreciate our help to take homeless cats into care, or to help them spay/neuter their family cats at low cost or free. Reaching out to neighbors that need education and accessible, affordable services is essential; not only to reduce the unnecessary killing of animals in shelters, but to end neglect and suffering as well. These programs put responsible pet ownership within reach.”

Faithful Friends Operation CatSnip spayed and neutered 1,200 cats last year and their model Pit Stop program, which offers ‘one stop shopping’, spayed/neutered and offered support services such as micro-chipping, vaccination and training advice to 222 families and their pit bulls. Last year, this program ended with almost 100 people on the waiting list to get their pit bulls altered.

“We are looking forward to a long standing relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles to increase our work to advance the plight of homeless and abused pets, said Board President Dr. Garcia. “This grant will specifically enable us to serve those pet caretakers in Delaware who have been on our waiting list to spay/neuter their cats and pit bulls, as well as learn to be responsible pet owners. That is the ultimate goal that we both share; bringing more services to help animals and their caregivers, so they have the tools they need to care for their pets’ well-being.”
The Philadelphia Eagles also donated $10,000 earlier this year to the Faithful Friends ‘Double Your Love Campaign’, a matching grant program."

Delaware Week for the Animals

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:06:00 +0000

The 3rd Annual Delaware Week for the Animals is happening April 17-25, 2010! There are so many exciting and fun events planned for that week, such as pet food drives to benefit Delaware animal shelters, a low-cost vaccination clinic, a Nuts for Mutts Adoption Day, Barkitecture: An Evening of Art for the Animals, and The 9th Annual Dog Fest held by the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League at St. Anthony in the Hills on Sunday 4/18 (which we will be attending!).
Check out the site for more details: http://www.delawareanimals.org/index.html

Brandywine Zoo

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:26:00 +0000

Now that the sun is finally shining, it's time for outdoor adventures! The Brandywine Zoo, in Wilmington, Delaware has lots of fun programs for the entire family. They offer things like the Pint-Sized Planeteers Programs for children 18 months through 6 years, Scout Day for Girl and Boy Scouts, Earth Day Celebration and Endangered Species Day for the whole family, and many more great programs. There is also a summer internship program for teens ages 13-18 beginning in May. The Brandywine Zoo's location is:
1001 North Park Drive
Brandywine Park
Wilmington, Delaware 19802
Phone: (302) 571-7747
Check out the website for more info:http://www.brandywinezoo.org/index.html

Best Friends Caption Contest Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:27:00 +0000

A big thank you goes out to all that stopped by our table & entered our caption contest at the Super Pet Expo a few weeks ago! Below are the finalists from our contest.

Written by Kayla Bedzela

Written by Doris French

Best Friends Interview with The Cute Pet Gazette!

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:28:00 +0000

During the Edison Super Pet Expo Danielle the manager from our Windsor, NJ location was interviewed for the "How Cute is Your Pet" segment of The Cute Pet Gazette. This is a great interview loaded with awesome information on Best Friends Pet Care.

Dog Growls

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:16:00 +0000

This video from Discovery News is quite interesting!

Training Class and Meet-up Group

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:57:00 +0000

Spring is on the horizon, and it's time to plan some activities for your pooch! If you have a small dog, check out our Small Dog Meet-Up Group. It's free, and it's held at our facility this month on Saturday, March 20th at 11:00 a.m. http://www.meetup.com/small-dog-meetup/

We also have a new session of training classes beginning Monday, March 15th at 7 p.m. Does your puppy need to learn some manners? Or does your older dog need to socialize and fine-tune those commands? If so, give us a call at 610-459-2724.

Super Pet Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Best Friends Chadds Ford) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:26:00 +0000

We had a great time at the Super Pet Expo in Valley Forge this past weekend! Check out some of the cuties we met!