What to Look for before Leaving your Pet with a Pet Sitter or Lodging Facility

As you plan for your getaway, deciding where your pet will stay is something that should give you peace of mind. The Humane Society writes an informative article about what to consider before choosing your pet's lodging accommodations. Some of their tips mentioned:

•  To have your pets stay where they receive more attention and supervision than if home alone most of the day.
• To find out if the facility requires pets to be current on their vaccinations - including the vaccine for canine cough - this will protect your furry family member from others.

Other important questions to ask before boarding your pet with a pet sitter or lodging facility:

1. Will pets be monitored by trained staff?
2. Are veterinary services available if needed? What are they?
3. Are they veterinarian recommended?
4. Are cats housed away from the dogs?
5. Does the facility look and smell clean?
6. Are other services offered such as training, bathing and grooming?
7. How many years have they been in business?

These are just a few items to consider before choosing a lodging facility. At Morris Animal Inn, we welcome you to ask these questions and more in order to feel comfortable leaving your pet with us. We want to be your pet's home away from home. Please stop in for a tour to see for yourself.  

Source: Humane Society of the United States (http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/choosing_boarding_kennel.html)

Pounds for Hounds Food Donation Totals Over 1500 Lbs!

You lose some… to win some! Morris Animal Inn’s Pounds for Hounds fundraiser had staff eating healthy and exercising to lose weight for a good cause.

This annual event, which took place over a three month period from January through March, is a popular weight loss inspiration for staff at Morris Animal Inn because it means more than just getting healthy: for every pound our staff loses, we donate 10 lbs. of food to an animal shelter. This year, our food goes to Eleventh Hour Rescue Animal Shelter in Randolph, NJ!

After months of hard work, weigh-ins and healthy eating, our staff went above and beyond for our highest total yet: combined we lost a total of 199 lbs! Our final donation to Eleventh Hour was 45 33 pound bags of Fromm dog food and 33 cases of California Natural canned food. Adding it all together, that’s nearly 1500 lbs of dry food, plus the 33 cases of cans!

This hard-earned food will be put to good use at Eleventh Hour Rescue, a shelter that focuses on saving animals from kill shelters and finding them foster and permanent homes.

This year, our Grooming staff participants topped our weigh-in charts with nearly 5% weight loss. Congratulations to our groomers and all our staff participants on taking healthy steps to help shelter dogs get healthy, too!

To help your dog get fit, sign up today for our next Kentucky Derby themed daycare fit camp! “A Week at the Races” from May 13-17 will have your dog racing to the front of the pack with treadmill trots, saddle pawlates, derby diving and homemade healthy treats. Call 973-539-0377 to book your dog a spot in the winners circle today!

 

How to Spoil Your Pet - the Best Way

Is your pet “spoiled rotten?” The expression has undoubtedly become much more common among pet owners today, as we indulge our furry companions by treating them like part of the family with birthday parties, presents and treats galore.

Morris Animal Inn is proud to say we pamper your pets with our amenities, fitness programs and loving attention. Nat Geo Wild’s new show “Spoiled Rotten Pets” spotlights pets whose owners are proud to go above and beyond to give their pets the very best. The show is hosted by Beth Ostrosky Stern, an American television personality, actress and wife of radio personality Howard Stern. 

On Saturday, May 4th at 9 pm, “Spoiled Rotten Pets” will feature Morris Animal Inn as Stern tours our picturesque facility and follows one of our pampered guests on a customized fitness regimen. Read more about the upcoming broadcast here!

The best way to indulge your pet is to include many activities that responsible pet owners do regularly: buying premium foods, making regular vet and grooming appointments and giving your pet frequent exercise and training with a good, consistent program. But is it possible to spoil our pets too much? An article by Helium pet blogger Janet Farricelli acknowledges the fact that some behaviors, though rewarding, can at times be unhealthy for your dog. Keep an eye out for the following to make sure that your dog stays healthy, fit and happy:

• Begging followed by a reward – Rewarding barking, crying or pawing at you during dinner with table scraps can be bad for your dog because it enforces incorrect behavior, but more importantly  because a lot of human food also contains ingredients that can be unhealthy or even deadly for animals. Human indulgences like fatty foods or chocolate can lead to obesity, toxicity, pancreatitis or other dangerous reactions in your dog.

• Praising at the wrong moment – When training your dog, you often want to praise them every step of the way. Limiting your praise to when they are actually performing the requested behavior, like a sit or stay, will enforce the behavior better than cheering them on after the fact. This way, in your dog's mind, the good behavior is what makes you happy.

• Pampering that leads to laziness – If your dog does not receive proper exercise, nutrition or mental stimulation, it could lead an unhealthy environment for both yourself and your dog. Consider your dog’s breed and specific needs in your day-to-day pet activities.

This is not to say that you cannot go above and beyond for your furry friend; their health and behavior won’t change if you buy them that expensive collar or throw them a birthday party. By remembering your dog’s basic needs and making sure these needs are met, you can spoil your pet in the most positive way.

Does your dog need a bit more exercise? Call us today at 973-539-0377 to book your pet a spot in our upcoming “Week at the Races” Fit Camp, May 13-17. For an inside look at the fitness amenities we offer and the good ways we spoil our pets, be sure to tune in on Saturday, May 4th at 9 pm to watch us on Nat Geo Wild’s “Spoiled Rotten Pets!”