A Yummy Treat for your Pups

Here is a simple recipe to make to bake your pups a yummy treat - Cheesy Carrot Muffins. They will love you for it!

Cheesy Carrot Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated carrot
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line it with paper baking cups.

Combine the flours and baking powder and mix well. Add the cheese and carrots, and use your fingers to mix them into the flour until they are well distributed.

In another bowl, beat the eggs. Then whisk in the milk and vegetable oil. Pour this over the flour mixture, and stir gently until just combined.

Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full with the mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins feel springy. Be sure to let the muffins cool before letting your dog do any taste-testing. If he's a medium to large dog, one muffin will be a great snack. Make it half a muffin for a toy or small dog.

2009 Campaign to Fight Puppy Mills in Full Swing

As America ushers in a new era of federal leadership, many state governments are also getting back to work—and at least one of them is making puppy mill reform a priority. Last Sunday, the ASPCA joined animal welfare advocates and Illinois lawmakers in Chicago to announce the arrival of Chloe’s Bill, legislation that will help stamp out the worst puppy mills in the Prairie State.

“Illinois has a unique opportunity to adopt one of the strongest commercial breeding laws in the country,” says Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives. “As commercial breeding increases throughout the United States, particularly in the Midwest, it is reassuring that Illinois is recognizing the need for stronger laws before the prevalence of puppy mills becomes a blight on the state’s reputation.”

As currently written, Chloe’s Bill would:

Limit to 20 the number of unaltered dogs a breeder may possess
Ban anyone convicted of felony-level animal cruelty from acquiring a dog-breeding license
Prohibit wire flooring in commercial breeding facilities and create guidelines for appropriate heating, cooling and ventilation
Require pet stores and breeders to provide customers with a dog’s full medical history
Establish penalties for violations, ranging from fines to animal seizure and license revocation

Sponsored by State Rep. John Fritchey and State Senator Dan Kotowski, Chloe’s Bill is named for a young cocker spaniel—rescued from a Macon County, IL, puppy mill—who was present at Sunday’s press conference. Now living with one of the animal control agents involved in the raid on her kennel, Chloe is the sole survivor from her litter. Like thousands of other commercial dog breeders in the U.S., the owners of Chloe’s kennel focused on producing as many puppies as possible with little regard for the physical and mental health of their animals. The dogs found at this puppy mill were matted with feces and urine, and infested with fleas and internal parasites. Many suffered from deformed paws from living their lives on wire-floored cages.

As Rep. Fritchey explained to the media, “We are not trying to do anything drastic; we’re not trying to do anything radical. We’re trying to implement standards for what is humane care, for what is decent care.” Fritchey added that although he expects the bill will encounter some opposition, any dog breeder who would oppose it is likely to be the type of breeder that should make consumers wary.

How can you help? In the coming weeks, the ASPCA Advocacy Center will email our Illinois advocates, providing guidance on how they can join us in getting Chloe’s Bill passed. But wherever you live, don’t miss out on this or any other important legislative news from the ASPCA—please sign up to receive animal advocacy-related emails.

Liven up the party with our new Rock & Roll Collection!

We're giving a new meaning to "Bad Dog" and "Bad Kitty"! We are please to introduce our new Rock & Roll Collection with several hip and stylish prints that are sure to bring out the rock n roll attitude in your pet!

Bad to the Bone

Show everyone at the bark park you dog is bad to the bone! This fun design features a black background with eye-catching pirate skulls and crossbones in white.

Bone Daddy

Taken from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Bone Daddy is used in reference to someone who parties big and is hungover the next day. Does your furry best friend party hearty? This print has a macabre feel with it's black background and creepy skulls.

En Fuego

This is one HOT print! Your pet will be styling and turning heads in this very rock n roll fabric that allows the red, orange and yellow flames to lick their way across the black background.

Grrr... Baby!

This is one chic and sassy print!

Only Rock & Roll

I know it's only rock & roll, but we love this print! When we came across this fabric, we couldn't wait to add it to our Rock & Roll Collection. It's a very sharp print with the white background and black music - both you and your pet will be dancing to the music as you walk down the street!

Puppy Pirate

Explore you puppy's dark side with this hip and stylish print. With designs of dark chocolate colored skulls on a turquoise background and little white swirls.

Princess Puppy Pirate

This print is the feminine counterpart to Puppy Pirate. Who says little girls can't be just as sassy and dark? This stylish print features dark chocolate colored skulls on a pink background with little white swirls. One of our most popular prints!

Skeletons from the Closet

Is your pet a Dead Head? This print pays homage to the Dead's Skeletons from the Closet. It's a fun fabric featuring small white skeletons dancing the night away on a purple background. This print is very unique indeed and your pet will turn heads everywhere they go wearing Skeletons from the Closet.

Tattoo You

From Michael Miller's Tattoo Parlour collection, this print includes chic and fashionable colors: cream, black and red over a very hip tattoo design. Now your pet can have their own "ink" - very Rock & Roll!

Yellow Submarine

This is a new Beatles fabric commemorating scenes from the The Beatles' 1968 film Yellow Submarine, a psychedelic animated film depicting the band's adventures in music-loving Pepperland. This print shows a mass of colors such as the crew of the Yellow Submarine would have seen as they made their way to Pepperland: yellow, orange, lime, purple, blue and fuchsia.

Zebra Stripes

When your pet wears this stylish print, people will think you are with the band! Nothing says rock & roll like this very hip zebra print: bright black and white which stands out on any pet's coat.

Give Your Pet a Bon Bon for Valentine's Day

It's not too late to order a little Valentine's Day treat for your pet. We're introducing some new prints to our Seasonal Collection for Valentine's Day.

A fun new print in our Valentine's Day collection is Bon Bon: a soothing pink background featuring several delicious-looking chocolates. Wearing this print is a decadent treat for you pet. It's available for collars, harnesses and leads.

To go along with their Bon Bon 'swanky wear', treat your pup to our Dogdiva Chocolates plush squeaky toy. It measures approximately 6" square and features four different yummy chocolate truffles on top. These wonderful gifts will make your pet feel extra-special this Valentine's Day.

January 24th is Change a Pet's Life day

Hill's Science Diet is partnering with shelters all over the country to sponsor Change a Pet's Life day, this January 24th.

Get involved in CHANGE A PET'S LIFE DAY and open your home to a pet. The first ten adoptions at participating Hill's partner shelters are free on January 24, 2009. New pet owners will also receive a starter kit that includes free Hill's® Science Diet® pet food and tips to give their adopted cat or dog the best start in their new life.

You can search for a partner shelter near you by visiting this link.

Tucker the Well-Suited Chihuahua

Meet Tucker --- a 6 month old Chihuahua who lives in Gainesville, FL with his very proud mom, Courtney.

His mom says he is "quite the character and loves to bring his toys up the stairs, roll them down and run back to the top to start all over again. Mr. Lovable for sure. Loves to give kisses to everyone, including people he has just met. He is happy playing with toys and Mommy, but also loves to play with all of the other dogs, including his best friend, Capone, a 60-lb American Pointer. Quite the pair for sure. Tucker takes all of Capone's toys and Capone takes all of Tucker's toys. And when they've had enough fun, you can always find them both on the outside patio, enjoying the Florida sunshine!"

Courtney tell us the Well Suited collar that she had us make for him, is his new favorite. We think he looks more than 'swanky'!

Superbowl Playoff Teams

Here in Phoenix, everyone is talking about the Arizona Cardinals making the NFL playoffs. They will be facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles in a bid to play in the Superbowl on February 1st in Tampa Bay, FL. To celebrate the Cardinals victory, we are offering 20% off all four playoff teams: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. This promotion will end on February 1st, so order your fun NFL swanky gear today to help your pet cheer on your favorite team. Go Cardinals!!

Pedigree to sponsor Hotel for Dogs movie

The new movie, Hotel for Dogs will premiere on January 16th. It's a fun, comedy adventure about a sister and brother who turn an abandoned hotel into a dog's paradise.

When you see Hotel for Dogs, Pedigree will make a donation to help shelter dogs find loving forever homes. Pedigree has established a new charitable organization which is dedicated to helping dogs in need find loving homes by supporting the good work of shelters and breed rescue organizations throughout the country.

Pedigree has also set up a site to illustrate different ways we all can help these dogs find loving homes. To learn how other ways you can help shelter dogs, visit this link.

Sassy the Love Bug

Tales (tails?) of high adventure from Sassy, the lovable Lhasa....

It's been a busy day today...and it's only half over. Mom sure knows how to pack a lot into a day. We live in Phoenix, so it's not as cold as in some parts of the country, but this time of year it gets pretty chilly at night and in the early mornings and in between warming up throughout the day. So, this morning I decided I'd take advantage of the down comforter being within my reach and I decided to curl up in it and stay cozy warm while Mom had her morning latte.

We have a lot of orders to make for swankypet.net, so we spent a couple of hours printing packing slips and shipping labels, cutting fabric and ironing. Then we took a mid-day stroll through our new neighborhood. We've recently moved from the city to the 'burbs, which is nice because we have a park near by. Lots to sniff and bark at along the route. It's always a lot of fun to go with my two sisters, Java The Mutt (12 year old Pom/Schipperkee) and 2 year old Merlot - a black and tan Chihuahua (hiding in the background).

We took a very long walk, so now I'm beat...but there is no time to rest...I have to help Mom sew all of the orders. As you can see my version of helping is laying by the sewing machine foot pedal and demanding a belly rub. I'm wondering how long the sewing will take before we have earned our kibble.......

Ouzie Jr is Working for a Living

Pet Sitters International names it's 'Take Your Dog to Work Day' photo content winner. 

I've been lucky enough to be able to bring one of my dogs to work with me on occasion. At one time, my adorable Chihuahua puppy, Merlot came to work with me every day and was so loving and well-behaved, that my coworkers would take turns having her nap on their desks. Of course, I had to provide lint rollers to everyone for their daily use! 

Well, this little cutie is Ouzie Jr. - a 1 year old Brussels Griffon who lives in New Jersey who's mom, Kristen Hartman works at a marketing agency, IMC. As the 2008 contest winner, both Kristen and the shelter of her choice, Tinton Falls Animal Care Center will receive $500. Additionally, cute little Ouzie Jr will also receive a gift basket full of all kinds of goodies. 

Pet Sitters International first began their annual Take Your Dog to Work Day in 1999 and it's popularity has grown by leaps and bounds every year. This coming year, it will fall on Friday June 26, 2009 - so start your planning now! 

University of Texas: Hook 'Em Horns!

I'm please to introduce a new addition to our Alumni Collection for the University of Texas Longhorns - now available to order. 

The University of Texas has one of the premier athletics programs in the nation. The University's teams, known as the "Longhorns" have long been an outstanding part of the school's identity. To date, the University's sports teams have won 47 national championships.

The design of the Texas Longhorns fabric features black and orange squared background with the University's logos and the "Hook 'Em Horns" slogan.

We Get Letters...

I wanted to share this wonderful email I received from Marcy in Palm Desert, CA: 

'I just got the large, preppy (Burberry like) collar for our dog, Alfie and I wanted to let you know right away how delighted we are with your product! It is just as cute as was pictured on your website and the workmanship is impressive.'

Thank you, Marcy! Please send us a photo of Alfie sporting his new Swanky Plaid collar for our slideshow. 

Celebrating College Bowl Games

To celebrate the college bowl games that run through January 8th, we are offering a 20% refund on all items ordered beginning today through Jan 31st from our Alumni Collection: 

University of Arizona - Wildcats 

The Arizona Wildcats have one of the most elite athletic programs in the nation. The Wildcats have been particularly successful with their baseball and basketball programs. The design of the Arizona Wildcats fabric features squares composed of the University's logo and the team's wildcat logo over a navy and red background. 

University of Florida - Gators

In football, the Florida Gators participate in famous rivalries with the Florida State Seminoles, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee volunteers. The Florida vs. Georgia game has come to be known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party", a series that Georgia currently leads. The design of the Florida Gators fabric features squares composed of Florida's logo and Albert E Gator mascot over a blue and orange squared background. 

University of Georgia - Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs are officially recognized as having two national championship seasons in football: 1942 and 1980. Additionally, the 'Dawgs' were recognized as national champions in various polls in 1927, 1946 and 1968. Furthermore, the Bulldogs have won 12 SEC championships. The design of the Georgia Bulldogs fabric features squares with the team's G logo and the school mastoc Uga the English Bulldog over a red and black squared background. 

Louisiana State University - Tigers

Since LSU's football program started in 1893, it has compiled over 660 victories, 12th in the NCAA. Furthermore, the Tigers claim two national championships: 1958 and 2003. In addition, the school has been recognized as national champions on 4 other occasions: 1908, 1935, 1936 and 1962. The design of the LSU Tigers fabric features squares with the team and university logos, and the school's Mike the Tiger mascot over a purple and yellow background. 

Miami State University - Hurricanes

University of Miami's football program is one of the nation's best. Among the football teams accomoplishments can be counted the NCAA record for longest home winning streak: 58 games between 1985 and 1994. The design of Miami Hurricanes fabric features a green and tangerine background with the university's U logo and the team's hurricane logo. 

University of Southern California - Trojans

The University of Southern California has one of the premier athletics programs in the NCAA. Over course of its storied history, the University has won over 100 national championships, 87 of which are NCAA championships. The design of the Southern California USC Trojans fabric features squares of the University's logos over a red and yellow squared background. 

Texas Tech University - Red Raiders

Under the guidance of current coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders have become known for fielding a high scoring offense that ride on the arms of prolific quarterbacks. Since Leach's tenure began in 2000, Texas Tech has had a winning season every year - this despite playing in one of the most competitive football conferences in the nation. The design of the Texas Tech Red Raiders fabric features red and black squares and the University's logos and the Masked Rider mascot. 

University of Texas - Longhorns

The University of Texas has one of the premier athletics programs in the nation. The University's teams, known as the "Longhorns" have long been an outstanding part of the school's identity. To date, the University's sports teams have won 47 national championships. The design of the Texas Longhorns fabric features black and orange squared background with the University's logos and the "Hook 'Em Horns" slogan. 

Super Bowl XLIII ads are going to the dogs

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Pedigree dog-food will be joining the line-up of big name TV commercials during the upcoming Super Bowl on February 1, 2009. The company has never advertised during the football game, but believes the conditions are right for them to take the plunge now.

However Pedigree will not be talking about the quality of their pet food in the commercials, but will focus on a cause instead. The ads will promote the adoption of homeless pets.

Pedigree says that it currently spends about half its marketing budget encouraging people to adopt dogs and has had a lot of success with its television commercials.

“It’s the right message to send out at this time,” says John Anton, Pedigree’s director of marketing. “More dogs are going to end up in shelters because of home foreclosures.”

The new Super Bowl commercials will stay in the theme of most ads during the football game and will be funny. Pedigree’s commercial, which is being produced by Omnicom Group’s TBWA/Chiat/Day, will show what the world would be missing if there were no dogs. For instance, one ad will show an ostrich (and not a dog) harassing a mailman.

Pedigree feels sure that the commercials will be well received by the public.
The dog-food manufacturer is the third-largest in the country and says they are dedicated to the cause of helping orphaned pets find homes. And Mr. Anton says, Pedigree will continue to, “…make the best product we can.”

Get our Swanky Blog via Technorati

Keep up to date on the latest news from swankypet.net by adding our blog to your favorites using Technorati