Pulscher's dogs Georgia (Vizsla, age 10) and Dixie (German Shorthair Pointer, age 5) making a VIP appearance at Nokomis community center.

By Meredeth Barzen

You know how it feels when you’re on a lovely little walk with your dog, having a grand old time and—EEEW!—you have to execute a very quick sidestep maneuver—or shove your walking companion out of the way—to avoid someone else’s dog’s poop.

“This is why people think dogs are a nuisance,” you say to yourself. But not only does failing to pick up after your dog make dog owners look like bad citizens; it’s bad for the water in our streams and lakes as well. That’s why the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board launched the “Canines for Clean Water” summer movie series—the most enjoyable way to crack down on improperly managed dog poop ever conceived.

A conscientious owner and her dog sign the Clean Water pledge at the Nokomis community center.

Dog-themed movies (“Because of Winn Dixie” and “Scooby Doo” are past examples) are shown at a handful of Minneapolis’ lovely parks, and dogs and their people can show up a little early to participate in some fun dog-friendly activities and take a pledge to keep dog poop off the ground and out of the water. Plus, your signature (and your dog’s paw print) earns you a free water bottle from the Park board.

“Objectives (of the program) are to get dog owners to understand the negative impacts of dog poop on water quality (not to mention aesthetics and the ability to walk barefoot or not get dog poop on your shoes), as well as have dog owners make or renew their commitments to bag up dog poop and put it in the trash,” says MaryLynn Pulscher, who coordinates the environmental education programs for Minneapolis Park and Rec.

She points out that more than 100,000 dogs call Minneapolis home, and that create an estimated 41,000 pounds of solid waste every day. According to Pulscher, the park board has to close down a swimming beach if it tests for more than 1,260 E. coli—a pile of dog poop contains millions of the nasty little critters. That means that if you leave your dog’s doo doo to wash into a lake even once, you could ruin some serious summer fun for others.

There are only two more movies left for this summer, so catch them while you can: on August 25, “Beverly Hill Chihuahua” is showing at Painter Park on Lyndale Ave. and 34th St. (Canine Companions will be holding a dog-wash before the movie, which starts at dusk.) And on August 26, “Bolt” is playing at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park (on the east end of the Stone Arch Bridge), and Wild Honey and the Locusts will be playing live beginning at 7 p.m.

And please, for the reputation of dog owners everywhere: bring an extra baggie on your walk.

By Meredeth Barzen

Ask any dog what his version of heaven is—it’ll probably read like this:

“It’s nice people who pet me and tell me I’m a good dog and a big bowl of treats right on the ground so I can snarf them and—IS THAT A RABBIT!!??—Anyway, there are like a million smells all over and—SQUIRRREL!!!—there’s this lady who hand-feeds me little balls of ground beef just because I’m a good dog and she knows I am the best at catching the Frisbee!”

Welcome to Clancey’s.

Kristen Tombers opened the Linden Hills store when one of the only surviving meat markets left in town went up for sale. She thought she’d try to revive the shop by selling only meats from locally raised animals—this was fortunately right as the local food movement really started to catch fire—and named the market after her grandpa’s yellow lab. Clancey the Dog is now going on thirteen years old.

Clancey, the meat market's namesake.

Not only is Clancey’s the absolute, hands-down best place to get bacon in the Twin Cities,* it’s a veritable doggie paradise.

The nice people and the petting? Tombers allows dogs in the store and always gives them lots of attention. The bowl of treats? A cast iron cauldron on the floor filled with Solid Gold Cinnabones—all natural, of course (according to Tombers, “lots of the dogs—even the short ones—go in for a treat on their own.” The smells? It’s a meat store—imagine the sensory overload on your dog’s olfactory system—but don’t worry, germaphobes: all the food is far from the dogs and safely behind glass.

Solid Gold Cinnabones

And the lady with the meat balls? Let’s just say that almost every time we’ve gone in (which is often—we really like bacon), Tombers has come from behind the counter with a very special treat for Sadie the Wonderdoodle—washing her hands very carefully afterward, of course. According to Tombers, this part is pretty popular: “The dogs that know the shop (especially the ones more motivated by food) go pretty crazy knowing that they’re potentially in for a raw meat treat. Most of them pull to the end of the counter to make things happen faster.”

The store also makes a cooked dog food that sounds like you could happily share it with your mutt—all beef shank meat cooked with carrots and celery. You can add just a little to your dog’s dry food to amp up the flavor.

“We are dog-friendly,” Tombers says. “We are also earth-, farm-, food- and people-friendly and are always striving to create a sense of community with our customers. It’s much easier to be in business when the customers can be considered as friends.”

Tombers' yellow lab Lilah--a.k.a. "The luckiest dog in the world."

In case you’re wondering, the luckiest animals in the world are Lilah, a seven-year-old yellow lab, and Schmitty (“a ten-month-old brown tabby kitten who thinks he’s a yellow lab.”) They live with the meat lady. “They are all rescue animals,” says Tombers, “which is kind of funny. I rescued them once. They save me every single day.”

* Official Sidewalk Dog Bacon Preparation: Cooling rack over sheet pan. Oven. 400 degrees. 15-20 minutes. Trust us on this.

We finally created a Facebook page for Sidewalk Dog. Now all we need are fans. Come join us, won’t you?

Oily coat, bald spots, low energy, inflammatory bowel disease. This is not another list from a bad television pharmaceutical commercial, but rather a very real, heartbreaking description of the health issues experienced by Woody (pictured left), the beloved dog of Enrique Palma, and the namesake to Palma’s new venture, Woody’s Pet Food Deli, now open in Southwest Minneapolis.

Palma and wife Michelle are on a crusade to see pets become healthy. Their quest began with Woody.

The Palma’s adopted Woody shortly after they moved here from the Phillipines. Palma said they purchased dry kibble for him since that is what they noticed most people here in the U.S. did. They couple assumed it would be good for him. But growing up in the Philippines, Palma said their family dogs were always fed a wholesome diet of real food like meats and vegetables.

“Most of our dogs growing up, all medium sized mixed breeds, lived to be more than 15 years old with almost no health problems,” said Palma. “I believe, now , that was because of their diet.”

The Raw Truth

But as Woody’s health deteriorated, the Palmas questioned whether he’d even live to be seven. After several visits to numerous veterinarians and experimentation with drug therapies and many different types of dry dog foods, it dawned on Palma that perhaps it was the food Woody was eating that was causing his ailments.

He dove into months of research about canine nutrition, reading, searching and talking to vets and other experts and slowly began to change Woody’s diet from dry kibble to all natural raw meats and vegetables.

“Almost right away there were noticeable improvements in Woody’s coat,” said Palma. “The excessive shedding and the oiliness, for example. Then, gradually, he got better. Completely.”

Canine Crusade

The changes in Woody as well as the Palmas’ other dog, Fred, were so dramatic that they felt a calling and a responsibility to help other dogs for whom diet is the root cause of health problems. They opened Woody’s Pet Food Deli (inside pictured left) in June of this year.

“All dogs’ needs are different. They are carnivores who need real food. There is no one miracle food. They, and all animals, as well as humans, need a variety of foods,” said Palma.

Consulting and Community for Carnivores

Woody’s Pet Food Deli is a place where people can go to select from nearly 10 different kinds raw or cooked whole meats, from rabbit and elk to turkey and lamb. They also provide fresh vegetables and fruit mixtures and nutritious treats and supplements.

It’s also a comfortable, community gathering spot for dogs and dog lovers where you’ll find both fun and educational events happening on a regular basis.

Palma and his staff are on hand to consult with dog owners regarding their dog’s special needs and then customize a diet for him or her.

Customers can sample the foods first before buying.

Woody’s Pet Food Deli
www.woodyspetdeli.com
3008 W. 50th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55410
612-208-0335
Hours: T-Sa: 12PM-7PM; Su: 12PM-5PM; Closed Mondays

Woody’s Recommended Resources
www.caninehealthconcerns.com
www.drmarty.com
www.doctormwfox.org

More than 150 dog lovers and nearly as many dogs attended Dog Lovers Night Out at Cue featuring Scoopy Poo. Guests arrived on the green carpet (provided by K9 Grass) and enjoyed a gourmet grill menu and dog treats from Cue executive chef, Michael Delcambre.

Among our honored guests were:

1. Top sponsor, Scoopy Poo, the Twin Cities’ most fashionable dog waste removal service demonstrates how they do the doo-doo in style (Robin Keller, left), and drop off their VIPs in style int ehir MIni “Scooper” company car (below). Scoopy Poo announced at the event they are accepting nominations for their new Adopt-A-Condo project to keep downtown dog owners’ condo properties clean. Nominations being taken through July 31 and scooping will happen for one new condo each week in August.

2. Carrie and Brian Ehlers (above and below) owners of 2 Dunn Bros in Linden Hills and 50th and Xerxes) and their dog Sugar, who were chosen as the Sidewalk Dog VIPs and VIPet of the night and chauffeured to the event in the Scoopy Poo Mini “Scooper.”

3. Also in attendance were M.A. Rosko from Fox9 News and her dog Munter, along with Alexis Walsco of Lola Red PR and FM107 Shopgirls with her dog, Lily (both pictured below).

4. Bethany Hermel of Minneapolis-based Who Let the Dogs Out dog walking and pet sitting service reveals her frequent walker program.

5. Michelle and Tim Burt of Well Pet Foods show off their dogs and their healthy tasting menu of food and treats for dogs that not only look tasty, but also pack in a lot of healthy ingredients into every bite.

6. Brian Fulmer and Graham Fulmer of Bone Adventure show off their summer farmers market fare of dog toys ranging from squeaky artichoke toys and plush ice cream cones to Poochie Sushi. and cupcake squeeze toys.

7. Pampered Pooch Playground power couple, Patrycia and Keith Miller wowed the crowds with news of the nine doggy web-cams available at their dog daycare. Non-stop doggy-tainment!

Jessie Marianello, founder and artist in residence of Stray Dog Arts, displays her lovingly crafted fine pet portrait works on canvass and cards.

Small dogs enjoyed Pint-Sized Play on K9 Grass with a glorious view of the Stone Arch Bridge and the Mississippi River.

George (with owner Susan Davis of Cue) looks up to the canine creations from Cue Executive Chef, Michael Delcambre.

The Hilton Hotels pet-friendly program was announced on June 3. Participating Hilton hotels will welcome dogs and cats into specified rooms within the hotel that are 75 lbs. or less. And a whole host of perks are included with guests’ pet-friendly package, including treats, poop bags and a Hilton collar.

While this appears to be a well thought out program, traveler be ware! Not every Hilton Hotel franchise or hotel has implemented this program. I called the Minneapolis Hilton today and the 4 people I spoke with did not know about this program. Currently that hotel adheres to a long-standing policy that allows dogs and cats 35lbs. or less only and those pets must be in a crate when the pet parent leaves the room. No perks, no conceirge service, no special training for the staff that you would get from the new program.

For Hilton Hotels that do participate, a select amount of Pet Friendly rooms are designated pet-friendly so space could be limited.

My main message here is call ahead before making any plans or assumptions.

For those hotels that do adopt the policy, there will still be some restrictions (weight limit of 75lbs.), but for the most part, it’ll be full of perks such as a creature comforts welcome package that includes organic treats and bio-degradable poop bags, no crating required when you leave the pet alone in the room, and access to a pet concierge for any needed pet items or services. The rooms will include Crypton Clean pet pillows designed by William Wegman, and pet bowls.

Minneapolis council member Lisa Goodman (Ward 7) has been instrumental in getting Minneapolis to be the first city in the state to adopt the new ordinance to allow outdoor cafes and eating establishments to allow companion animals by special permit. (Made possible by S.F. 2876 signed into law in May.)

According to an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, 6/12/08, the policy has won “initial approval” and “full approval is expected June 20.”

Take Your Dog to Work Day was designated by Pet Sitters International in 1999 in order to encourage employers to experience the value of pets in their workplace for this one special day, and to promote pet adoptions. Visit their site to get involved and download tools to help your employer welcome your dog to work.

Father’s Day, coming up June 15, is for men who love spending time with their dogs, too! Here are 5 gift ideas for your the doggy daddy in you life.

1. Chuckit® Amphibious toys for dog day fun at the lake cabin.

2. The Tarpon 130T sit-on-top kayak by Wilderness Systems has plenty of space for dad and dog to lie flat or sit up.

3. Dog Dad hat or shirt from DogWire.com.

4. Dog Breed golf head covers from DogDecor.com.

5. Wild Dog beer specialty doppelbock from Flying Dog Ales.