Bone Adventure served up some special sushi squeaky toys and treats. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Well, folks, we’ve done it again. It was touch-and-go for a bit with rain in the forecast, but our friend and fellow dog lover Jonathan Yuhas (KARE 11 weather guru) called in a favor and held off the rain for the evening. We’re proud to report that Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued was a smash success. During Wednesday’s festivities, close to $1,000 was raised for our fabulous beneficiary, The Pet Project. Click here if you missed the party but would still like to donate to this noble cause.
Make no mistake—serious fun was had by all. And if you weren’t able to make it and need further proof, Sarah Beth Photography snapped some great photos. See for yourself!
Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Bug Duds' Dorothy Grinolds shares a roll with gal pal Ladybug. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Sidewalk Dog editor Meredeth Barzen strikes a pose with a tray of hand-rolled dog-friendly maki sushi. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
This little one was particulary well-dressed for the occasion. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Jack slipped into a pleasant food coma after feasting on some doggie sushi and ice cream. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Paw Reader and professional actress Peggy Kelly informs a human about her hound's future. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.
Back by popular demand, Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2 in Uptown are hosting a yet another installment of the Sushi With Your Poochie shindig that we threw last month—and you’re invited!
During last month’s Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux parties, more than 150 dogs and 200 owners were treated to fresh sushi, fresh air and fun. For a complete overview of the event, click here to read Sidewalk Dog’s blog post on it. For photographic evidence, check out the complete gallery of photos that Sarah Beth Photography took at the event. If you attended last month’s event and Sarah caught you and your pooch in action, you can purchase the photo three ways: as a $5 low-resolution download ($1 goes to our beneficiary for the night, Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program); a $20 print up to 5×7 ($3 goes to MNSNAP) or as a $35 print up to 8×12 ($5 goes to MNSNAP).
Anyway, the event was such a hit that we’re holding it again! On Wednesday, August 18th, we’re throwing Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued! Same time, same place. All your favorite parts of Part Deux are back, including the doggie sushi, the lovely Paw Reader Peggy Kelley and Tiger Sushi 2’s amazing human happy hour treats. This time around, we’ll have doggie ice cream from Pumphouse Creamery to help our four-legged friends beat the August heat, and our beneficiary will be The Pet Project, which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing. Click here for ticket info.
Since we worked out the kinks for our July event and, as promised, turned it into “a well-oiled fun machine,” we’re giving you another opportunity to see what all the buzz is about. Here are some highlights to look forward to:
The sushi artists at Tiger Sushi 2 are once again hand-rolling special dog-friendly maki sushi for our four-legged friends! And, for the first time, doggie ice cream will also be available to help Spot beat the August heat.
Paw Reader and professional actress Peggy Kelly is back to inform you what lies ahead in your pet’s future.
In addition to being able to order off Tiger Sushi’s amazing happy hour menu, which the restaurant is offering for the entire event, you can purchase ready-to-eat boxed sushi from a table on TS2’s beautiful patio.
Bone Adventure will have special rawhide sushi treats, chew toys and other whimsical products for sale.
A small portion of ticket proceeds will go to our fabulous beneficiary, The Pet Project, which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing. The Pet Project will also receive part of the proceeds from all paw readings and $1 from each of Tiger Sushi’s fabulous martinis (Ninja Jinga or or Pomegranate Empress, anyone?) sold that night. Please note The Pet Project requests that you NOT bring a food donation to this particular event. You can donate at the event, or support them by purchasing raffle tickets, paw readings and those yummy martinis.
We’d love to see you, with or without your pup!
The Deets
What: Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued, an encore on-leash social event presented by Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2
Date: Wednesday, August 18th.
Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Location: Tiger Sushi 2’s gorgeous patio at 2841 Lyndale Ave. in Uptown Minneapolis. (Free parking is available after 4 p.m. in the Egg & I parking lot across the street.)
Cost: $15/person in advance; $18 at door if not sold out ahead of time.
“THIS JUST IN: Tens of thousands around the Twin Cities metro area were reduced to uncontrollable fits of hugging after the Internet release of the Twin Cities Puppy Bowl’s full-length footage.”
Don’t be surprised if you see that headline flit across the Star Tribune’s front page this week—the Twin Cities Puppy Bowl is coming, and trust us: It’s going to be huge. Hugely endearing, that is.
Clarence of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue takes a time out.
It all started when Lisa Weikle, general manager of Fetch Delivers, was struck with inspiration—to team up with Sidewalk Dog, Sarah Beth Photography and Pampered Pooch Playground, creating a Fantastic Four-style super-squad with only one purpose: put a bunch of puppies in a room and film the inevitable explosion of cuteness that ensues. “I wanted to bring these four groups together, since I know we share the same passion for animal rescue,” Lisa said.
“It’s great exposure for a new rescue like Secondhand Hounds,” said the group’s founder, Rachel Mairose. “It shows that there’s a need for adoptive parents out there, and there are always puppies available for adoption.” She added, “Who doesn’t like cute puppies?” Answer: no one we want to associate with, that’s for sure.
Check out each pup's personal trading card, designed by Sarah Beth Photography.
“We all have a vested interest in making sure these guys get placed with good families,” said Suzanne Grindle of Safe Hands, a 3-year-old rescue that gets many of its puppies from the high-kill Harlan County Animal Shelter in Kentucky. Some TC Puppy Bowl players came from as far away as Mexico, like Pete from Pet Project Rescue, which works with a Mexican shelter to place puppies and encourage spay/neuter initiatives.
And so, last Saturday, Pampered Pooch Playground was filled to the gills with adorable rescue puppies, pouncing and frolicking and donning adorable, hastily-knitted (but unfortunately, not prescient) Vikings sweaters.
Molly Feeney of Just Paws Puppy Training (shown here with Aldo—not a TC Puppy Bowl player, but a football fan nonetheless) played ref.
Molly Feeney of Just Paws Puppy Training put on her referee shirt to make some tough calls, Clyde’s K9 Cuisine (formerly Well Pet Foods) whipped up some special football treats to re-energize the noble athletes, and The Dog Perk outfitted players in jersey bandanas. Stunt Puppy, Topline Canine, ScoopyPoo and DoodyCalls also helped the day go off without a hitch, and the pups (and people) went home tired and happy.
Pete runs the controversial somersault play.
The result debuts this week on TC Puppy Bowl’s Web site and Facebook page, complete with insightful commentary from Tom Scott and George Scot McKelvey. You can also catch it on Super Bowl Sunday before the big game at “the official veterinary clinic of the Twin Cities Puppy Bowl”—Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, which is throwing a big dog-friendly fundraising shindig complete with food, activities, a silent auction, and a screening of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl VI. Proceeds from the bash benefit the clinic’s Pet Protection Program for Cornerstone Women’s Shelter, and Sidewalk Dog readers get $5 off if they RSVP by Feb. 4th.
When you watch it for the first time, you may want to don protective headgear—you’ll be hit square in the face with fuzziness, after all. Until then, here’s a teaser to tide you over until the big day!
There’s a heck of a lot going on in the pet industry, perhaps most especially right here in the Twin Cities. (Just check all the activity on our Facebook Page!) This makes us here at Sidewalk Dog very happy, since we’re all about connections: connecting you, our dear readers, with pet-related and dog-friendly businesses and nonprofits, connecting those same businesses and nonprofits with each other, and so on.
Another way local pet-related businesses and nonprofits specifically are connecting is through a networking group called PetPAC (a.k.a. “Pet Professionals and Companies”). The following is a little Q and A with PetPAC founding member Lynne Willeke of Bark Busters:
When did PetPAC start? PetPAC was founded in 2007.
Who started PetPAC and why? Sonja Tengdin of ScoopyPoo, Jay Cowan of Fetch Delivers and I started meeting one-on-one to talk about ways we could partner to market our businesses through joint projects. It quickly became apparent we could do even more if the three of us met together. Soon after we were joined by Cathy Menard of The Urban Dog and Amy Rosenthal (formerly) of the Animal Humane Society. The five of us then founded PetPAC.
What is PetPAC’s mission? Our mission is to grow our individual businesses through networking, to promote and support other member businesses, to promote and support responsible pet ownership and to provide the public with useful information.
What are some of PetPAC’s goals? Our short-term goals include demonstrating professionalism and leadership within the pet industry and supporting and promoting member businesses through networking. Longer term, we plan to share knowledge with the public and to become the go-to professional association for anything pet-related.
How has PetPAC changed since it started? Originally, someone that owned or operated a pet-related business needed to submit an application and get approval from the PetPAC membership committee prior to attending a PetPAC meeting. Now PetPAC welcomes guests at our meetings without any prior approval. There remains an application form and a reviewal process for those who wish to become PetPAC members, but anyone is welcome to attend indefinitely as a guest.
If someone wants to join PetPAC, who should they contact? They can contact me at minneapolisnorth@barkbusters.com or at 763.228.3649.
Anything else you’d like to add? I’d just like to reiterate that anyone who owns or operates a pet-related business is welcome to attend any PetPAC meeting as a guest. Our next meeting is from 8:30-10 a.m. on January 21, 2010 at Minnesota Grille in Byerly’s St. Louis Park.
Thanks, Lynne! Now, if you still need to pick up a holiday gift for the dog lover in your life, we encourage you to take advantage of the following special offers from PetPAC members:
Bark Busters: $50 off a customized in-home training package (includes all levels). Valid in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Limit one $50 offer per customer. More info.
Forever Lawn: $30 off a K9 Potty, a self-enclosed dog potty featuring antimicrobial K9Grass. Perfect for apartments, condominiums, balconies, boats, etc. More info.
Pure Spirit (training, behavior, animal communication): 10% off a 5-session private, in-home training package or $10 off an animal communication consultation. More info.
Talk2theAnimals (animal communication): Talk2theAnimals is running specials on calendars, photo books and more. Visit their Web site for more details, but hurry! Discount codes expire 12/24/09. More info.
Attendees really got into the "spirit" of the event at last year's Monster Dash 5K-9.
By Meredeth Barzen
Looking for a fun way to celebrate Halloween with your dog? Team Ortho is holding its annual “Monster Dash” 5K-9 on the spookiest day of the year—this Saturday, October 31.
The 5K-9 is the dog- and costume-friendly (for people and their pets!) portion of the Monster Dash race, which also includes a half-marathon, a 10-mile race and a regular 5K race—more than 7,000 runners are expected to participate this year. The 5K-9 will take place around Lake Harriet, and for your noble exercising efforts, you’ll receive a long-sleeved tech shirt and a collar or leash from the event’s sponsor, Stunt Puppy. Sidewalk Dog will be enjoying the festivities from Stunt Puppy’s tent. Plus, Fetch Delivers will be there to refuel your dog with treats and free one-pound sample bags of Go! Natural Grain Free Endurance dog food (great for active dogs) and to hand out coupons for any food in the the Now!/Go! lines, which can be redeemed at any retailer. ScoopyPoo will take care of anything your dog—ahem—leaves behind, Bits of Love Pet Massage will be providing mini-massages for your four-legged athletes and Pampered Pooch Playground will be on hand to simply love up all the pups.
Registration is $47 for one adult and one dog. If you haven’t pre-registered, registration for the 5K-9 opens at 8:45 a.m. Saturday morning, and the race starts at 10:35 at the Lake Harriet Bandshell.
There will be three water/trick-or-treat stops along the way, and remember: There’s no shame in walking if you get tired—you can always blame it on your dog.
Here’s some important info from the pooch lovin’ people behind the race:
1. Race Guide: The entire guide can now be downloaded at www.teamortho.us. In the guide, you will find detailed schedules and start locations for runners, information on parking, great suggestions for spectators and where you can pick up awards for running and costumes. We encourage you to read this document.
2. Packet Pickup is Friday, October 30 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Please note that packet pickup has moved from Marathon Sports to the Minneapolis Convention Center. Time for packet pickup: 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. in Ballroom B. Please bring a valid ID and your confirmation card. If you didn’t receive a confirmation card yet, never fear; come to packet pickup with your photo ID and we’ll get your bib number for you. Note: There will be no packet pickup on race day for the Half Marathon and the 10 Mile.
3. Registration is still open for the 5K-9: Online registration (highly encouraged!) shuts down Wednesday night. You can register at packet pickup on Friday or on race day; registration fee will be $47.
When Sidewalk Dog recently discovered the fabulously dog-friendly patio at Tiger Sushi 2, it was love at first sight. And so we’re throwing a fabulously dog-friendly party… together!
The nitty-gritty What: “Sushi with Your Poochie,” an on-leash event presented by Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2
When: Thursday, July 16th from 6:00PM to 8:30PM (Rain date: July 22nd)
Where: Tiger Sushi 2’s huge, lovely, breezy and well-shaded patio. (FREE parking is available after 4:00PM in the Egg & I parking lot across the street.)
Menu: Tiger Sushi 2’s awesome Happy Hour menu* will be available throughout the entire event!
Tickets: $15 online($4/ticket will go to MnPAW). Every effort will be made to sell ALL available tickets online. If event does not sell out online, tickets will be available for $18 at the door.
On to the fun stuff! Bark Busters will be on hand to make sure all the doggies are getting along. They’ll also take your dog to go potty if you’d like (provided your dog is game).
Pampered Pooch Playground will be offering a special doggie menu of tableside services, including personal water bowl, serving of treats with doggie fortunes (homemade by Tiger Sushi 2!), personal doggie bed, 3-minute massage, pawdicure, etc.
Sarah Beth Photography will be capturing all the fun.
ScoopyPoo will be scooping poo down on the Greenway and serving BlackDog Whinery’s (first vintage!) Doggy Cabaret, PeeNo Su Casa, ZinFanDog to pooches on the patio.
Stunt Puppy will lend you one of their hands-free leashes for use during the event (if you’d like, that is).
UrbAnimal will send you off with a seriously awesome doggy bag filled with treats, food samples, a toy, a poop bag dispenser, other product samples and special offers from local pet-related and dog-friendly businesses.
Prizes!
Your ticket comes with a chance to win fabulous prizes from our sponsors and other pet-related and dog-friendly businesses. Plus, you’ll get to find out if you won upon check-in! Stay tuned for a complete list of prizes. Here’s a preview:
Bark Busters: One (1) gift basket with dog training items and toys (value $70)
UrbAnimal: One (1) gift basket with dog toys and treats (value $75); One (1) 4 lb. box CANIDAE Nutritional Gourmet Snap-Biscuits; Two (2) 3-pack Sojos treats
Nigiri Sushi
$1.95 per piece: Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Unagi, Tako, Bincyo, Suzuki, Hirame, Sockeye Salmon, Kampachi
Rolls
The “Favorites” are $2.95: Tekka Maki (tuna roll), Sake Maki (salmon roll), Veggie Roll, Kappa Maki (cucumber roll)
Specialty Rolls
Spicy Salmon Skin Roll $3.50 — California Roll $4.95 — Caterpillar Roll $6.95 — the “Kick in the Pants Roll” is $7.95 — Spicy Tuna Roll $4.95 — Dynamighty Roll $4.95 — Crunchy Roll $5.95 — Crispy Crunchy Tuna & Salmon Roll $5.95
The dog-lovin’ Greater Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce is throwing a HUGE party for hounds and their humans in Downtown Wayzata from 11AM-3PM tomorrow. Check this out:
Sonja Tengdin, Grand PooPaw at Scoopy Poo and her youngest dog, Bode.
If you’re like most dog parents, you love your dog, but you don’t love the mess she leaves in your yard. Luckily, the Twin Cities is home to ScoopyPoo, a dynamo professional pet waste removal business who will happily clean it up for you.
ScoopyPoo Doggy Doo Pick-Up is working to improve the lives of dogs and dog parents across the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area one yard at a time. Known for keeping their sense of style even in the worst conditions, ScoopyPoo Poop Scoopers arrive at customers’ homes armed with tools and a sense of humor as they remove one pile of poo after another. The scoopers end their cheeky chore by leaving a personalized note complete with a poo-ism, poo haiku or a fun one-liner about the before-and-after state of each customer’s yard, along with treats for both the humans and their dogs.
Owner, Sonja Tengdin, a.k.a. Grand PooPaw, can be seen driving around the Twin Cities in the company car, a Mini Cooper deemed the Mini “sCooper,” decorated with ScoopyPoo logos and sayings. Serious about poo-free yards, yet able to constantly poke fun at the business of Pet Waste Removal, Tengdin and her scoopers enjoy what they “doo” — or, rather, un-DooDoo — and it shows.
“It’s a crappy business but someone has got to ‘doo’ it,” says Tengdin with a sly smile on her face. “Spring is our busiest season. With a little thaw [of snow and ice], the poop re-appears and people panic.”
What started as a whymsical concept has now morphed into a full fledged company that has more than 250 weekly stops, 7 scoopers and ScoopyPoo World Headquarters located in Edina, with a second branch in Phoenix, AZ.
What makes her customers the most happy? No more poo on their shoes.
Tengdin left us with one of her poo haikus:
Our life here is short
A lesson young grasshopper
Let others scoop poo
For more haiku poems and more information about ScoopyPoo services, visit www.scoopypoo.net or call 612-374-3000.
Stunt Puppy™. If you don’t think canine gear can be both functional and fashionable, then you haven’t seen Stunt Puppy’s collars, leashes, and accessories. Stunt Puppy website(use coupon code DISH for free shipping through December 31st),Urbanimal, BoneAdventure, Corazon, and Marathon Sports.
Dugen Clip. This is the leash that lets you go anywhere. Take your dog out on the town on all your errands knowing that you can secure them safely to anything from a tree to a street pole if they can’t come inside with you. Easily adjust the size. Where to buy: Dugen Clip website and 45 Degrees, Urbanimal, KBO Doggie Duds.
Bark-n-Biscuit has the best designer collars and leashes for dogs of all sizes. FREE SHIPPING AVAILABLE. Matching sets or mix-n-match in great colors. Retail for $28 and up. Where to buy: Bark-n-Biscuit website.
TREATS
Hound Street™
Looking for a unique gift for a hard-to-shop-for hound? Quit sniffing around and enroll the fastidious Fido in the Hound Street Treat-of-the-Month Club. Aptly named by size, The Jack Russell (for petite pooches), The Boxer (for medium mutts), and The Labrador (for biggish beasts) packages were created to put an end to what owner Lynn Johnson calls “treat boredom” by delighting furry members with a different treat package each month for an entire year. Where to buy: Hound Street website(15% off when you spend $20 or more through December 18th),Pet Chef Express, Andover Animal Hospital, and Armstrong Ranch Kennels.
Sojos has not only the high quality treats that are corn and wheat free, but also the loveliest packaging that requires little to no wrapping. The Kung Fu Fido brand is a box of fortune cookie treats for dogs with a real fortune in each one. And, Good Dog Treats in the cutest little boxes with handles. (Indie loves Blueberry Cobbler and Chicken Pot Pie the best.) Where to buy: Linden Hills Coop, Fetch Delivers, BoneAdventure, Whole Foods, Chuck and Don’s in Calhoun Village.
FASHION
WAHSSIE™. Fortunately for furry fashionistas everywhere there is new canine courtier in town: Winnie Tan Musser, owner of WAHSSIE™ Knine Fashion. Named after a pet name for her toy poodle Wah Wah (Chinese for “doll’), WAHSSIE offers everything from basic tees and spaghetti-strapped tanks to fleece hoodies and puffy vests. The versatile designer’s most unique collection, however, is composed of traditional Asian-style clothing including silk coats, Japanese kimonos and Chinese Cheongsam and Qi Pao dresses. Where to buy: WAHSSIE website and 4 Paws Boutique.
Also, don’t miss Lulu and Luigi in St. Louis Park where their to die for dog sweaters are made of luxurious cashmere, tween and Italian
wool.
MONOGRAMMING/PERSONALIZATION
PillowGram™. PillowGram™ is the brainchild of Nancy Sundeen, dog mom to three Bernese Mountain Dogs who has a soft spot in her heart for pets. PillowGram allows you to personal a travel-sized pillow with custom embroidery. You can also chose from hundreds of themed fabrics. Great for a pet who is recovering from surgery, away at a pet sitters or just plain likes to put her head on a pillow.
Where to buy: PillowGram website.
Also check out Momento Inc. in St. Paul for artist Robin Getsug Taple’s gorgeous handmade pillows that can be personalized with photos of you and our pet, and InBeaute Photography in St. Paul where Wendy Blomseth has created a new line of photo totes and purses that can give you a lovely and practical way to “carry” your pet with you wherever you go.
CREATURE CARE
Stacy Lewis/Dancing Porcupine™. Is your best friend (or someone else’s) feeling particularly out of balance these days? Has it been a “ruff” year? Consider the gift of Stacy Lewis, “creature teacher,” author of the heartwarming book JAVA: The True Story of a Shelter Dog who Rescued a Woman and gifted practitioner of Tellington TTouch™, Shamanic Healing, and Animal Communication. Where to buy/book: Dancing Porcupine website.
Also check out Janet Roper, just back from the American Music Awards, Janet is also an animal communicator as well as a violinist who can sooth your pet with 30 minutes or more of her heartwarming music.
For Dog Lovers
For dog lovers, there are so many great gift ideas that can make any pet parent’s life easier. Some of those interests include: gardening, shopping, vacationing, crafts, reading, shopping, dining out, sports and outdoor activities, renting movies.
Here are a few ideas:
House Cleaning. Give your friends a family a break from the fur and get them a gift certificate for house cleaning. Check out Nook and Cranny who specialize in pet homes and can care for your pet.
Outdoor Gear - Socks, face warmers, hand warmers and anything to keep dog lovers warm during the extra time spent walking outside with their dogs. Check out 45 Degrees and Jake’s on St. Croix Life is Good Store, both in Stillwater (and both carry dog items, too).
“THIS JUST IN: Tens of thousands around the Twin Cities metro area were reduced to uncontrollable fits of hugging after the Internet release of the 
Tiger Sushi 2
