Paw Play Newsletter

November 2006

Happy Anniversary!   We are very happy to say that we are celebrating our 5th anniversary on November 6th and that we are starting our 6th year in business! It has been a wild ride and one I have loved everyday. As you all know, there are some big changes about to happen, the biggest that I (Penny) am leaving the company at the end of this year. It has been a fabulous run and I can't thank you all enough for supporting my business and my passion. I will miss you all! I am thrilled to say that Jenn and Tanya will be taking over the company and I think they are going to do a fabulous job!

Our long term dogs!  I would like to give a shout out to the following dogs that have been coming here since the very beginning! They are: Luke, Scooter, Scout and Tiga! I would also like to give a shout out to the dogs who have been coming for 4 years: Bailey, Ben, Chelsea, Dotti, Hannah, Ollie, Sadie, Sammy, Shelby and Sierra! And now to the dogs who have been here for 3 years: Abby, Annie, Apollo, Baby Bailey, Bonnie, Boo Riley, Dunkin', Jezebelle, Leo, Murphy, Niko, Ramona, Reilly Boxer, Riley Dane, Troy and Yukon! Thanks for being such great customers and letting your dogs do what they love to do - PLAY!

Kennel Cough...  As you all are aware of from our posting, we have had a round of kennel cough going around our daycare. This bout of kennel cough has been brought into our daycare from the Southington Dog Park. Please remember, that the dog park is a great place to go but, there are no rules or regulations for any of the dogs there. Your dog could very well be playing with a dog who has never been vaccinated. There is also no way to know if a dog is friendly. So, please be careful when you go to the dog park and remember if you see any signs of illness in your dog, do not bring them to daycare. Here's a little reminder about kennel cough...kennel cough is highly contagious and unfortunately there is no way we can detect a dog has kennel cough until they actually show symptoms. The incubation period for kennel cough is 7-14 days so, they can have it and not show any symptoms which is why it is hard to control. The vaccine we require is similar to the human flu shot in that it is not 100% effective and if you are exposed to a strain that your shot does not cover, you can get the flu or in this case, kennel cough. The only way to stop this from spreading more is that if your dog starts coughing, PLEASE do not bring your dog to daycare that day. Go see your Veterinarian and have your dog placed on an antibiotic and cough suppressant and keep them out for a week after they go on the antibiotics.

Holiday closings!   Here is a list of the days we are going to be closed for the holidays this year. We will be closed on Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th for Thanksgiving. We will be closed on Monday, December 25th and Tuesday, December 26th for Christmas. We will be closed on Monday, January 1st to celebrate the start of 2007! Check with us to see if we have room to accomodate you for another day due to the changes in the schedule.

Snow policy!   We hate to think about this but, it's that time of year. So, here's is your reminder about our snow policy...snow is not a valid reason for cancellation in the morning. If you think you will not drive in the snow, cancel the day before otherwise you will have to pay for the day. No exceptions. If the snow storm is going to be really bad and there is possibility that we will not be open, you can call Paw Play after 6:15 am to check to see if we will be open. FYI - we have not been closed for snow in the 5 years we have been open. Plus, the dogs love to play in the snow!

Baby, it's getting cold outside!  As we get into the winter months, we will be experiencing colder weather and it is very important to take special care of your dog! Things to remember: do not leave your dog in the car for any extended period of time when it is under 30 degrees; shorten the length of your walks; make sure that you check their paws for cracks or blisters; do not use ice melt in areas that your dog will be walking - there is a product specifically made for dogs called Safe Paw, please use this product in areas your dog will be. It is all we use at Paw Play.

Speaking of Safe Paw!  We will be selling Safe Paw again this year. As you know, Safe Paw is specifically formulated to be safe on the paws of any of our four legged friends. We will be selling the 8 pound jugs for $12.99. They do sell it in 25 pound buckets if you are interested, just let us know ASAP and we will order the large size for you!

Grooming!  Thanksgiving is only 1 month away and Christmas is only 2 months away! We have a few Thanksgiving grooming appointments on Tuesday and a few openings for daycare baths any day that week so, book them NOW - don't wait! Christmas is also almost full. If you are interested in daycare baths or a full grooming, you must let us know right away or we will be unable to fit you in. We are already completely full every morning that week and are only accepting daycare appointments for the afternoons. We will not be able to accomodate last minute requests for baths for either Thanksgiving or Christmas weeks. Please book a regular grooming appointment if you want your dogs fresh and clean for the holidays.

p> New employee!  We have a new employee who we hired back in August. His name is Christopher and he is fabulous with the dogs. They all had to get used to how tall he is but, now they all love him.