Sept. 11 is Dog Appreciation Day, and Haggen Food & Pharmacy in Oregon City, along with FIDO (Friends Involved in Dog Outreach) and FidosCityGuide present a day of doggie fun and adventure 11-3 at Haggen, located at 19701 Hwy 213. Highlights of the day include contests and games, a dog wash, a pet food drive for AniMeals and the Dog Food Bank, low-cost rabies vaccinations and microchipping. Also on site will be pet pros including trainers, groomers, pet psychics and adoptable animals, plus live-saving demos by the Clackamas County Fire Dept.

Fall signals the carnival season, and PetUtopia will host its first annual Sept. 25, 10-3, at Greater Portland Bible Church, 2374 SW Vermont in Portland. Activities will include sample K9 Nosework classes with Joyce Biethan, Pet Portraits by Jim Stulting, agility demos & confidence runs with Bobbie Lyons, A Taste of TTouch with Lauren McCall and Debby Potts, K9 Freestyle Dancing Demos by Dogs Gone Dancin', Gardening with Pets in Mind with Ron Field, readings by animal communicator, Faye Pietrokowsky, a Blessing of the Animals, contests, raffles, treats & more. 

Attendees are asked to bring unopened pet food, and/or gear for PAW Team (Portland Animal Welfare), an organization providing vet care to pets of the homeless and low-income. Donations of unopened/unexpired people food will be accepted for Greater Portland Bible Church’s food pantry. For more details, visit www.petutopia.com.

Four- and six-week training classes began last month at Stay Pet Hotel board and daycare in NE Portland. Classes are open to the public, led by experienced trainers Emily Martin of Pawsitively Pets and Erin Winton of Spot On. Classes to choose from include Beginning & Int. Obedience, Handling, Tricky Puppy and Canine Good Citizen. Class size is limited; for more details or to register, call 503-228-7829 or visit staypethotel.com.

Each year, hundreds of organizations around the country host free, fun events where current and future dog guardians can celebrate the month-long AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Days. Events are held throughout September; to find events in your community, visit www.akc.org/rdod and plug in your state. Each is unique, but many include obedience and agility demos, microchip and health clinics, breed rescue information, contests, games and giveaways. A great way to show family and friends how well-mannered your dog can be, take the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test, a 10-step challenge that rewards well-mannered, obedient dogs, and is offered at many events.

Amazing Gracie is well known throughout the West for her stellar accomplishments, including national commercials, local television appearances (she resides in Eugene), her popular revue-style shows (which have helped raise thousands of dollars for pet and human charities), and even performing as Toto in two productions of The Wizard of  Oz.

This month Gracie lent a paw to the Spot crew as they prepared for the annual “Willamette Valley edition,” featuring the winner and contenders of the 2010 Willamette Valley Cover Model Search, as well as feature stories on area orgs and professionals. This year’s issue will also feature Grace herself. The Spot crew says “Thanks, Gracie!” and encourages readers to tune in next month for Amazing Grace’s fascinating story.

The Rabbit Advocates continue to report great success with their monthly outreach events at Western Pet Supply in Beaverton, during which they offer education about house rabbits and, in the “Pawdicure Corral,” provide light grooming, which they say continues to grow in popularity. 

“It’s an awesome and heartwarming experience that enables our group to make bunnies healthier and happier, to garner donations for our Medical Fund, to plant seeds about rabbit adoption, and to enable caretakers to truly enjoy their little pets. Plus, it's just plain fun!” says Elizabeth Olson of The Rabbit Advocates. To learn more visit rabbitadvocates.org.

The before and after photos tell the tale. Four Maltese mixes, a Yorkshire terrier and a Chinese Crested mix recently traveled to Oregon Humane Society as part of the Portland shelter’s Second Chance program, which reaches out to shelters around the region with too many animals and too few adopters. These babies went from looking like motley mutts to the pride of the pack —  all they need now are new homes to make their major makeovers complete!

The six dogs shuttled from the Coos County Animal shelter to OHS are friendly and sociable, but needed serious help with grooming. OHS turned to Petco’s Jantzen Beach store for help, and the dogs returned looking beautiful.

Technology has transformed the job of preparing instructions and notes for pet sitters, putting all the vitals on a flash drive. TravelStix come in two versions: the “Pet Care” flash drive for pet sitters, and the “Travel for Dogs” drive for guardians whose pets are traveling with them. TravelStix include comprehensive forms and information, from a photo of the pet to food allergies and medications and veterinary contact information. Just plug it into any computer for access to any- and everything a caregiver might need. TravelStix also includes an authorization for medical decisions, allowing caregivers to respond in emergencies and make decisions in a pet parent’s absence. Details MyTravelStix.com.

The Camp Bow Wow pet services company has launched the “On Our Way Home Project,” offering shelters across the country free consulting, operational counsel, marketing guidance, real estate and construction assistance for remodels and new facilities, plus additional instruction and tools. Further, the Project will train shelter managers wishing to incorporate socialization for pets, ultimately helping the animals to become more adoptable.

In most cases, shelters are high-stress environments for animals, as they are often isolated and have limited opportunity for exercise and social interaction. Social interaction, “enrichment” and exercise can increase the likelihood of adoption, as socialized animals tend to be calmer, more friendly and affectionate when meeting prospective adoptive families. They are also returned less often, as they tend to adapt better to new homes.

In addition to offering tips and tools to develop and improve shelters nationwide, Camp Bow Wow will choose one shelter in need of renovation for a Camp Bow Wow Makeover. A call for entries is posted at OnOurWayHomeProject.com. Details campbowwow.com.