At the Dog Wash, yeah...

Yep, another great community event. We are so lucky to live where we do and to be surrounded by so many Dog People!  Last Saturday's Paws in the Park was a huge success -- beautiful weather, great crowds, lots of precious dogs (especially those in costume). And we washed 110 pups for charity! Thanks to Mr. Rich Anderson, Director of Peggy Adams, for joining us:

And our radio celeb washers, JD, Dave and Moriah from WIRK WRMF and Denna, Jen, and Bill from Sunny 107.9. What a great day celebrating dogs and their humans, and raising money for our friends at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. 

Countdown 2...

...a whole new world of pet ownership!

Saturday's Countdown 2 Zero event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center was way cool. As a sponsor, we not only offered a free Scenthound Express to all the pups adopted that day (part of our CleanStart™ program), but we were able to be on the "front lines" of the adoption initiative, educating folks on their pups' basic maintenance needs.  Many people who were adopting short-haired dogs didn't realize that their new family member would still need regular grooming -- nail trims, ear-cleaning, teeth-brushing, skin and coat-washing -- in order to stay healthy, so it was great to be able to fill them in and to give them our nifty infographic detailing the whys and hows of preventative care. We showed them how easy it can be to keep your dog healthy, comfortable, and happy. 'Cause our mission is to keep dogs and puppies in their adopted homes by making it easy and affordable to care for them.

One of our vans, ready to receive adoptees!

Plus, let's be honest: watching over 310 dogs, cats, and guinea pigs find homes was pretty much the best feeling ever...

Before the crowds descended...

The goal of 300 animals adopted was exceeded!!!

Most of these crates were empty by the end of the day!

Where we hung out...

Congratulations to all who found a forever friend on Saturday.  Thanks to all who were involved and who sponsored the event, especially our friends at Peggy Adams, Darbster, Animal Care and Control, and Big Dog Ranch! 

Darbster Rules

As you know unless you've been living in a cave (in which case, "Hi there!  Welcome to the party!"), we love partnering with cool businesses who support animal welfare, companies whose missions align with our belief in making pet ownership a win-win for everyone involved.  People who know that happy pets equal happy people, happy homes, and happy lives.

We've long been fans of Darbster Bistro for three reasons:  1) their absolutely delicious vegan food (if you're not a vegan, trust us: "delicious vegan" is not a contradiction in terms -- the folks at Darbster are amazing, creative chefs -- they just might convert you!  Those of us who aren't vegan had no idea how tasty vegan food could be!); 2) their dog-friendly dining atmosphere; and 3) their commitment to animal welfare.  Owners Alan and Ellen (rolls off the tongue quite nicely, doesn't it?) founded Darbster "to provide delicious, natural, organic and vegetarian friendly cuisine that will satisfy all tastes."  And they even named their restaurant after their rescued poodle Darby, which makes them that much cooler.  At the same time, they founded the Darbster Foundation "to assist in animal welfare and animal rights efforts through education, charitable contributions and direct sponsoring of animal care such as spaying and neutering."  All of the profits from Darbster Food go to the Foundation.

Here's an example of the good they do: In 2012, the foundation was responsible for the TNR [trap-neuter-release] of over 400 cats, the adoption of many kittens and the sponsoring of medical care for puppies found in the Everglades. In 2011 the foundation was responsible for the TNR of over 200 cats, the adoption of many kittens and assistance in fostering some dogs from Miami.

They're all that AND a bag of (amazing vegan) chips!  (And burgers, and French Toast, and key lime pie, and chocolate cake, and raw tuna wraps and mmmm...we're salivating over here...)

Well, we figured, how much easier can it be to get your dog washed than while sitting and eating at your favorite restaurant?  So last Saturday we brought the Scenthound van and provided Scenthound Expresses right there, with a portion of our proceeds going back to the Darbster Foundation. Again:  win-win.

We had a blast -- and especially loved getting to know some of the Darbster staff's pups-- like Bacon, the beagle owned by Darbster WPB's head vegan chef (oh, the irony) and ZZ, a Hurricane Katrina rescue!  Check out the photos below...