4th ANNUAL DOGGIE PROM!

On Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Morris Animal Inn will be celebrating it's fourth annual doggie prom event! While no limos, date swapping, or drama will be involved, big hair, cute outfits and lots of dancing are encouraged! Dapper dogs - with or without dates - are all invited to our retro, 50's themed prom, "Bark Around the Clock!"  So put a quarter into the jukebox and get ready to jive!

Last year we went pink, this year, we are delving into the past, back to a world of doo wop, early rock and roll, saddle shoes and drive-in movie theaters! Sign your pooch up for our prom party and witness the inn transformed for this special doggie event! For your dog, highlights of the day will include:

-Music and dancing to some of the greatest rock and roll hits
-Prom photos at the American Barkstand
-"Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog" dash
-Barking and rolling on the pooch playground
-"Splish splash" dunks in our indoor aqua center

As per tradition, we are teaming up with a charity organization and this year we are happy to partner with SAGE Community Outreach, located in Summit NJ. SAGE is concerned with the health, happiness, and general well-being of older citizens and their families. SAGE operates New Jersey's oldest Meals on Wheels program and Adult Day Care Service. The SAGE Resale Shop supports their efforts by providing funds for SAGE's programs and services. We are collecting gently used prom attire and accessories to be sold at the SAGE Resale shop at a lower cost for those less fortunate. Any dog and family who donates formal wear will receive a $25 gift certificate for lodging, grooming or daycare at Morris Animal Inn. We will be accepting donations until May 2. A special thank you goes out to all of those who have already donated prom attire and/or accessories!

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW ACTIVITY PACKAGES!

Morris Animal Inn is excited to announce two new activity packages!  We know that every pet is different! That's why we are working to increase your options with new packages that can be added to any dog's stay (we have other specific play options available for cats). This allows you to choose what Fido would prefer. Read on to discover Fido's options!

Manners and Obedience Training

Improve your dog's manners and general obedience through positive training! You've spent hours training your pooch and now you're going on vacation for two weeks! Might as well kiss those lessons goodbye. Not anymore! With this selection, you can add several daily training sessions to your dog's stay. Not only will this reinforce your dog's manners, but it will break up their day and add mental stimulation. For dog's that have never been trained, this is a great option to go over basic commands. Manners training is also perfect for puppies and can be added a la carte to our Puppy Steps program.  When your canine companion is not training, they can move their muscles with "business walks" on our shaded trail where they can stop to smell the roses!

Health and Fitness

Our health and fitness packages are great for any dog but especially canines with boundless energy or those needing to shed a few pounds. Your dog's day will be active with activities like canine cardio sessions. Canine cardio sessions are customized to your dog's preference and can include our canine treadmill. When not splish splashing in our pool, playing with other dogs, exercising on the canine treadmill or enjoying a serene trail walk, your furry pal can relax on a raised bed while munching on a healthy treat.

Whether large or small, old or young, these new activity packages are great for any dog's stay!

4 LUXURIOUS WAYS TO SPOIL YOUR PET

In honor of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month this April, we'd like to highlight some of the ways you can indulge your pet. Thanks to organizations like the ASPCA, the world has made huge strides in preventing cruelty or violence against animals. Pets, most of all, have prospered from this change. Dogs no longer sleep in the backyard or the garage, they sleep nestled next to us in our beds or on their own plush doggie mat. They wear coats in the wintertime and eat gourmet food.  Nourish this special bond by spoiling your pet with the following luxury spa treatments offered at Morris Animal Inn's grooming salon.

Facial Scrub

You thought only you could receive a facial? Think again! We offer a refreshing blueberry and vanilla scrub that will help whiten tear stains, clean dust and grime from facial fur and leave your pooch's face smelling sweet and delicious! This facial scrub is especially great for breeds with wrinkles and folds like Pugs and Shar Peis.

Paw Treatment

Much like a human pedicure, this paw treatment will soothe and moisturize dry, cracked paw pads. It will also eliminate that corn chip smell that comes from bacteria and instead, leave behind the fragrant scent of vanilla!

Shed-Less Treatment

If you have a dog that sheds, you either have a lint brush in every room of your house or you have simply given up and accept the dog hair as a fashion accessory. If you would like to eliminate some of that extra fur in your life, try our Shed-Less Treatment. This treatment removes dead hair and dander from your dog's coat. The process involves a bath with a specialty shampoo followed with an exclusive de-shedding solution. After the bath and premier conditioning, pets are dried and brushed out with a combination of tools designed to remove the greatest amount of undercoat. While the Shed-Less Treatment does not stop the natural shedding process, nor is it a one-time cure (for best results it should be done every 4 weeks), it does extract extra hair that would eventually shed and find its way onto every surface of the furniture in your house.

Canine Salon Experience

For the ultimate in pampering, try the Canine Salon Experience. This luxurious treatment includes a blueberry facial scrub, the soothing paw soak, a vanilla bubble bath, revitalizing deep-moisture shampoo (ginger and grapefruit scented), and is followed up with a vanilla and white ginger conditioner. Your pet's fur will be silky smooth and smell fabulous!

This month or any month, indulge your pet with one of our special spa treatments!

DOES YOUR DOG QUALIFY TO BE A PET THERAPY DOG?

Nancy with Angie as a puppy at 4 months

Nancy, Guest Services Manager of Morris Animal Inn was on a roll. Her beautiful American Eskimo dog, Bianca, was a naturally well-behaved dog. As a volunteer at St. Hubert's, Nancy decided Bianca was the perfect candidate to become a pet therapy dog. Pursuing this goal with vigor, they blew through the pet therapy certification program at St. Hubert's with ease. Once they accomplished their goal, Nancy and Bianca visited nursing homes and hospitals in the area like Morristown Memorial Hospital and Overlook Hospital in Summit. The whole process was extremely rewarding.

Things were going great until her darling Bianca died very suddenly and unexpectedly because of a lesion on her brain. Heartbroken and living in a house that felt empty without Bianca, Nancy and her husband decided the only way to move on, was to bring a new dog into their lives.

Nancy's next pooch, Angie, is the same breed as Bianca, but has a very different personality. Unlike Bianca who was calm, cool and collected, Angie has a penchant for naughtiness. She often gets into every garbage in the house and terrorizes her cat sisters by eating their food before they can. Her playful and social personality leaves her with boundless energy so she is a regular in our daycare program and at our parties. With her good looks, Angie has become a bit of a poster child for Morris Animal Inn, often appearing on flyers for our events and even on the cover of our brochure!

Angie at 1 years old

Nancy wanted to do pet therapy with Angie but she knew it would be harder this time around since Angie was more interested in eating other dog's poop than listening to her. To get her on the right track, Nancy began training Angie as a puppy at Morris K9 Campus in Randolph, NJ with excellent results.

When a few dedicated animal lovers created their own pet therapy organization called Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in January 2012, Nancy took advantage of their first pet therapy certification class and began training Angie. Angie successfully passed the certification program this March! Yay Angie!

What are the Pet Therapy Requirements?

-Your dog must be at least one years-old.
-Your dog must know basic commands like sit, stay, down, and come. Your dog should not bark out of turn or jump.
-Your dog must love to be petted and enjoy being around people.
-Fido should not frighten or startle easily since they will be around strange objects like wheelchairs, moving beds and oxygen tanks.
-Should get along well with other dogs since your dog may pass other therapy dogs in the hallways of the hospital or nursing home.
If your dog has those qualities, he/she is an excellent candidate for becoming a therapy dog! Find which organization you want to get your dog's pet therapy certification from and receive an evaluation from them. If the answer is yes, than you are on your way to developing your canine into a pet therapy dog!