Why Morris Animal Inn Guests Love the Holidays

Are you having as much fun as your pet is having at Morris Animal Inn this Christmas? Here's what our guests will be up to during the holiday...

Getting fit and having fun on our canine cardio treadmill. 

Video: Watch Weller go for his morning speed walk!

Being silly and playing games with friends. 

Video: Watch Tess jump for joy!

Letting out their creative kitty side. 

Video: Watch Steamboat Willie create a piece of art
with our Pi-Cat-So game!

Getting a spa experience at our grooming salon to return home clean, happy and healthy.

Video: Watch some pampered pets get the royal treatment!

We hope your holiday is filled with fun and family! 
As for your furry family members, they will be enjoying all of the love and luxury that Morris Animal Inn has to offer this Christmas! 

October is National Pet Wellness Month

October may be filled with fall festivities and Halloween costumes, but this month also celebrates pets with more than just the image of a dog howling at the moon. As National Pet Wellness Month, October is a time for reevaluating your pet’s health and preventing disease. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) offers tips for considering your pet’s wellness this month in order to keep them healthy all year round.

Make sure your home is safe for your pet. Pet-proofing your home is important whether you have a new pet or have had pets for years. There are many everyday objects (medicines, pesticides and some household plants) that can prove poisonous to our pets. Go through your home to be sure that all potentially harmful objects are out of your pet’s reach.

Schedule a veterinary check-up. Just like with humans, it’s important that you pet visit the vet more than just when they are ill or injured. Having a regular physical can help ward of diseases by getting routine vaccinations and allowing your vet to look for any signs of potential health problems.

Consider your pet’s diet and exercise routine. Dog and cat obesity can lead to extensive health problems as your pet ages. Speak with your vet about what specific foods and physical activities are best for your pet to help extend and increase the quality of their life.

We are excited to encourage pet wellness this month at Morris Animal Inn, where the wellness of our pets is a priority every month! You can take steps towards giving your pet a long and healthy life by taking these safety precautions and bringing your pet to Morris Animal Inn for daily activities and healthy treats. Our Canine Fitness Program, which was recently featured in The New York Times, offers healthy snack options like yogurt and vegetable parfaits and high levels of physical activity like dog treadmills, swimming sessions and stair climbs. Call us at 973-539-0377 to join us in recognizing National Pet Wellness Month today!

Belle's One Month Anniversary!

It's my one month anniversary. It feels like yesterday when I walked into the Morris Animal Inn lobby feeling like my life was about to change. And it really has in a good way! Working on my fitness has been the best thing to ever happen to me! I've met so many new companions – both human and canine.  Let me tell you all about the busy week I had!


With last week being the ‘Week of Love’ leading up to Valentine’s Day, everyone has been very cheerful. The word around the Group Play Yard was that a certain canine thought I was dog-gone cute! I was super surprised when my buddy, Leo asked me to be his Valentine! I was so happy, I couldn't wait to run and tell my girlfriends! 

By the way, did I tell you that I love snow? Check out this video to see how much fun I had in the snow last week!

My training is going great! You should see how fast I am now on the treadmill! I'm still getting used to the Aqua Center but I'm sure I'll be swimming laps with Beckett in no time. 

I had a really good feeling this week when I stepped on that scale. When my Fit Camp Trainer, Lisa said that my weight was down to 118lbs, I couldn’t help but let out an energized bark! I lost 3lbs in one week! That’s a total of almost 7lbs I have lost since I first came to Morris Animal Inn! I knew I was feeling great but knowing that I was able to lose that much, makes me even more motivated for next week! I've been losing about an inch a week around my belly too; at this rate, I’ll have a beach-ready body in no time!

Are you interested in adopting me?

Contact Eleventh Hour Rescue at (973) 664-0865!

Beautiful Belle and her Posse of Playmates

My journey continues! I began my third week of training and I keep getting stronger! Who knew I could have this much energy? Even after a full day of fitness, I still like to romp around at home with my foster brother!

  Belle and Beckett in the Aqua Center
taking a quick break in the Aqua center

I have a new favorite spot to hang out when I visit Morris Animal Inn – the Aqua Center! Beckett, my new Black Lab comrade, has been joining my swim sessions to help get me adjusted to the pool. I haven’t gotten the courage to test the waters yet, but I’m sure I will be doing cannonballs soon enough. Beckett is super popular and she’s been coming to the Inn for a while!

We've become best friends and she’s introduced me to all of her playmates in Group Daycare! She’s taken me under her wing to keep me motivated! Beckett is a great athlete and she encourages me to shed these pounds! 

Gal pals: Belle, Sam & Rosie

I love to mingle during Group Play! Each day I visit, I find new buddies to play with! I made new gal pals: Rosie, an Airedale Terrier, and Sam, a Yellow Lab. During playtime, we play together while the boys zoom around the yard – Girl Power!

My treadmill sessions have been going great! I’ve worked up to running 3mph on the Canine Treadmill! I never dreamed that I could run this fast. Back in West Virginia, the only time anyone saw me running was to find my next meal!

 I’m very happy with my progress for this week! I’m down to 121lbs and measuring 35 inches around my belly! For a bigger gal like me, losing close to 4lbs in three weeks is pretty good! I’ve been training really hard and I keep on slimming down so it must to be paying off! Keep checking back for more updates on how I’m doing with Fitness Camp! 

If you are interested in adopting me, contact Eleventh Hour at 
(973) 664-0865. 

Bloodhound Belle was Born to Run

Belle running on the Canine Treadmill

Hi there. It’s Belle again! I’m between workouts right now and wanted to let you know how I’m doing! I knew it would take some work to get into shape – I guess that’s why it’s called a ‘workout’ – but I never knew I could have so much fun too! No matter what new activity I try at Morris Animal Inn, I  am having a blast!

I’m usually at the Inn three days a week. I am starting to notice the difference in how I feel, both inside and out. Just last week on the treadmill, I was walking at a slow pace. This week, I was actually jogging a little bit! I am doing pretty well if I could say so myself.

I was a little nervous when my friends at Morris Animal Inn suggested I try Group Daycare. The first day, I stayed to myself because I was not sure if the other canines wanted to get to know me but the next time, I took a chance and introduced myself to a few furry fellows. I made so many new acquaintances. I enjoy spending time in Group now with my new playmates but my favorite time of day is spending time on the Trail Runs! There is nothing like being outside to breathe in all of that fresh air.

Belle running in the Front Yard with Morris Animal Inn's, Lisa

When I stepped on the scale last Saturday, I kept my fingers crossed that I had lost some weight. Manner’s and Fitness Program Leader Lisa said I weighed 122.4lbs. I'm proud to say that I've lost 2lbs and one inch around my belly in one week. With my training sessions and healthy meals, I'm losing weight at a great pace. I hope all of my hard work will pay off and I find my fur-ever home! I'm excited to see what the plan is for next week! Keep following my story so I can let you know too!

Interested in adopting me? Contact my friends at Eleventh Hour Rescue at (973) 664-0865.

Ain't Nothing But a Bloodhound...Much More Than That!

I am a two-year-old Bloodhound, who tips the scale at 124.8lbs. I have been feeling a little sluggish lately and my friends from Eleventh Hour Rescue told me that I would be visiting this wonderful place called Morris Animal Inn to get healthy and fit. This made me a little nervous at first because I had no idea what that meant. But I trust them and know they always do what is best for me.   

By the way, my name’s Belle! Please follow me through my journey at Morris Animal Inn. I enjoy making friends and I hope you will decide to be mine.

That's me greeting my new friend Jess.

As soon as I walked through the door of Morris Animal Inn, I felt like I was in a good place. So many nice people greeted me and I am getting so much attention. I wasn't sure I'd make friends but it seems like everyone is really eager to meet me!  I’m about to start my weight loss training program but let me tell you a little bit about where I came from...

Hey there! Just showing you my profile.

When I was in West Virginia, I was pretty lonely. I did not have anyone to play with or feed me and I had to find a lot of food on my own. I ate a lot of leftovers in outdoor cans outside everyone's houses. I realized that not everyone liked me sniffing around though, so I never got a chance to stick around for long. I hope someday that I will be able to make some friends, find a home and live happily ever after. Right now I am glad the people at Morris Animal Inn and Eleventh Hour Rescue is giving me a chance. 

I’m a lot slower than I could be. I want to get healthy and fit before I go home with a family!

Another one of my new friends. Her name is Lisa.

I’ll be working out three times a week. I'm looking forward to all sorts of fun activities such as trail runs, treadmill sessions and even swimming in the pool! Everyone at the Morris Animal Inn is going to keep me super busy and eating right so I can drop these pounds!

Stay tuned for updates on how I'm doing!

Interested in adopting Belle? Contact Eleventh Hour at (973) 664-0865.

Update on our Favorite Catahoula Mix!

Recently, Morris Animal Inn had a visit from a very special friend, Ginger. In the spirit of National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we'd like to spotlight Ginger's inspiring journey.

When Ginger came to Morris Animal Inn in early June, she had endured a rough few months. In her home state of West Virginia, she was dumped at a shelter with one of her four month old pups. After watching her puppy be adopted, this Catahoula Boxer Mix waited for when it would be her turn to leave the shelter. Eleventh Hour Rescue came to help, bringing Ginger to New Jersey to begin her new life.

She came to Morris Animal Inn weighing a husky 91.6 pounds and measuring 30 inches around her waist. When Ginger began our Health and Fitness Program on June 4th, she loved it! Working closely with trainers Lisa and Michelle, she began to shed those extra pounds through healthy dietary changes and fun exercise activities such as agility, swim and treadmill sessions. Becoming a fast favorite of those here at Morris Animal Inn, Ginger was never too far from a reassuring back scratch which she enthusiastically returned with kisses.

On August 15, Ginger left Morris Animal Inn to stay at the Eleventh Hour location in Mount Olive to meet new potential adopters. We were sad to see Ginger leave but we knew that she would be able to meet new people that would love her as much as everyone at Morris Animal Inn does. Upon leaving, she had lost a significant 12.2 pounds and 5 inches from around her waist.

Ginger's visit in Mount Olive was brief as she was soon brought to a caring foster home. Her foster mom keeps up with Ginger's weight loss efforts and a nutritious diet. During Ginger's visit in October, she was looking slim and trim and weighing only 71 pounds. Ginger was able to safely lose 20 pounds since first coming to Morris Animal Inn! We are so proud of her success and how far she has come!

Adopting from a shelter can change a dog's life as well as your own so contact your local shelter today.

If you're interested in adopting Ginger, contact Eleventh Hour Rescue at 973-664-0865 or visit the Eleventh Hour Rescue website for more information.

MY JOURNEY IS NOT OVER

My journey is far from over, in fact it's just beginning. My time at Morris Animal Inn has been wonderful. I've been fortunate enough to live in the lap of luxury with friends to exercise me everyday. I've learned the importance of fitness for canines. Yes, we can become overfed or inactive and no, that is not good! Even if it's only one walk a day for 30 minutes, it is essential to get off one's furry hindquarters and be active! If your owner doesn't have time, (we know how busy life can get) Morris Animal Inn will gladly do the work! With a canine treadmill, play yards to romp in, a nature trail, aqua center, and more, there is no shortage of physical activity here, trust me, I know! I lived it all for a month! 

Remember that healthy eating goes hand in hand! I enjoyed low-fat snacks that were surprisingly scrumptious like green beans, rice cakes, and pumpkin puree. I ate a dry Eukanuba blend for sensitive stomachs and the staff made sure to feed me the appropriate portion size (check with your vet on that one).

Overall, I lost 5 pounds and 3.5 inches from my waist line!! To put that in human terms, losing 5 pounds for a dog like me is equivalent to a human losing around 20 pounds!!  I'm extremely proud of myself!!

Last night I made my debut at Eleventh Hour Rescue's Muttini Mixer. It was really fun and I was able to get dressed up!

I'm very lucky because Morris Animal Inn is going let me stay a while longer with them. I'm still looking for that special owner to bring me home and love me furever! I promise to shower you in kisses, walk with you, play with you, protect you and love you till I'm old and grey. I promise I won't give up on you, so please don't give up on me. Will you give me a chance?

If you are interested in adopting me, please contact Eleventh Hour Rescue.

NOT TOO HOT TO TROT!

I'm not sure if any of you have noticed but it's been REALLY HOT lately!! Being from the south, I'm used to high temps, but I thought that by moving up north, I wouldn't have to deal with that anymore. WRONG!  The summer's are just as hot and the humidity...yuck...don't even get me started!! While I'm still going on nature walks since the path is shady and cooler, I've been spending a lot more time indoors working out.

Yesterday, Zeke and I played together in one of the indoor play suites. We jumped and danced around, chasing toys and playing tug of war! Best of all, it was nice and cool the whole time!

I'm slimming and trimming my waist-line! So far, I have lost 3.2 pounds and 3 inches from my waist line. To some, that may not seem like a lot but I'm doing it in a slow and healthy way. To put it in perspective, we can refer to an example from Dr. Ernie Ward, veterinarian and founder of The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. He says, "Every excess pound on a female Lab is equal to 4 to 5 pounds on a 5’ 4” female or 5’ 9” male."  (Check out Dr. Ernie Ward at Morris Animal Inn).

Since I'm almost the size of a female Lab, for me to lose 3 pounds is equivalent in human weight to me losing between 12 and 15 pounds. Smaller portions of healthy food and regular exercise, much like in the human world can also work wonders in our doggie world of weight loss. Three weeks down, one more to go!

Stay cool everyone and have a safe and wonderful weekend!

GINGER'S TREADMILL WORKOUT

Check me out on the treadmill! I sure can move! (And I look pretty good too!) Even when it's too hot outside, I can still get my workout on the treadmill inside their nice cool, air conditioned building.

I like exercising on the treadmill but I like giving free kisses to my awesome trainer even more! She's the best!!

Don't forget, if you are interested in adopting me, contact Eleventh Hour Rescue and please take the time to view my adoption page. I would truly appreciate that. :)