Victoria Stilwell to be at Second Annual Fido Fest!

Victoria Stilwell the host of It's Me or the Dog on the Animal Planet will be in Rochester on Sunday June 19th at Boom Towne to kick off Fido Fest. Tickets to her seminar are $65 for general admission and $150 for a VIP ticket which includes a meet and greet with Victoria.

This is the second annual Fido Fest at Boom Towne. Last year's Fido Fest showcased many local rescue organizations such as Lollypop Farm, Big Dogs Big Hearts, All American Dachshund Rescue, and Happy Tails. Last years entertainment included a costume contest, a flyball demonstration, live music, door prizes, food,  and many pet supplies vendors.

Flyball at Boom Towne

I was able to get a good shot of Peanut during flyball practice at Boom Towne. In this video she is practicing jumping with the other dogs. This was her first time doing this specific warm up but she did really well. Normally she jumps alone, this technique is used to get her used to what a tournament would be like. She always has so much fun at flyball, it is a great way to burn off some of her energy. We practice with a great group of people and dogs.

Dog Training at Lollypop Farm

Taking training classes with your dog is a great way to increase your bond and understanding of each other. Lollypop Farm in Fairport offers a wonderful selection of training classes from basic training to agility. Peanut has taken Tween Puppy Head Start class and Adolescent Puppy at Lollypop. Peanut is extremely smart and really enjoys going to these classes. I always learn a lot from them too. Bailey has taken Bravery Boost at Lollypop. I don't know why we just think we know how to train our dogs with out any help from classes or books. One of the top reasons dogs end up in shelters is because they aren't trained properly. Peanut and I just signed up for Really Reliable Recall, this is a very important skill for your dog to have especially if she is as fast as Peanut!

Surge of Pit Bull Problems in Roc

Lately there has been a surge of news stories in Rochester about pit bulls. It is really discouraging to see the stories in which these dogs are being abused, used for fighting or have hurt someone. It is important that people understand these dogs are not naturally aggressive. They are being bread and raised by their owners for these traits. It is also important in instances when someone gets hurt to think of the entire situation. Was the dog provoked, or frighted.

The story about the two pitbulls left for dead is extremely sad. Thank goodness our community has places like Lollypop Farm to take care of these mistreated animals. The pit bulls that were left in the dumpster are going to be featured on the Lollypop Farm Telethon at Eastview Mall. 



Bailey at Work

Bailey got to come to work with me on Friday! He does so well at work. He sits in my cubicle and plays with his toys. He loves the attention he gets from my coworkers. More offices should be dog friendly. Having dogs in the work place really helps to relax people and bring a sense of fun while working. I am lucky that Bailey can come to work with me twice a month. He enjoys it but not every dog is suited for office life. Bailey is pretty low energy so he is content just playing with his toys while I work.

The Story of Bailey

I adopted Bailey from Rochester Animal Services in June of 2006. I had been looking through pictures of dogs on Craigslist just for fun when I saw an add for a Chihuahua that someone was claiming was going to be put to sleep soon if it wasn't adopted. So I went to see the Chihuahua, which was not Bailey. He was super loud and hyper and instantly I knew he wasn't the dog for me. Also he was not in any danger of being put to sleep. In the next cage over was Bailey. The most beautiful dog I had ever seen. He was being so quiet playing with this tennis ball.

I am not sure exactly what kind of breed Bailey is but I like to guess hes Pomeranian Chihuahua mix. Bailey has a deformed rear leg that we think he was born with. The leg does not have a knee and is completely straight. Bailey doesn't even seem to notice this, he gets around great. I filled out the adoption application and found out there was a wait list to adopt Bailey with 5 other people in front of  me. Since Bailey was a stray he had to be held 5 days before he could be adopted. I called the shelter every day that week to see if anyone had dropped off the list. By the time adoption day had come two people had dropped off the list but I still worried about not getting him. I arrived at the shelter 3 hours early and waited to adopt Bailey. No one ever showed. Bailey and I were meant to be together.

Lollypop Farm Greece Location

In case anyone hasn't heard the Lollypop Farm adoption center in Greece Ridge Mall will be temporarily closed until January 31st. They are moving their adoption location to a larger area near Rochester Athletic Club. There are cats, small animals, and birds available for adoption at this location. The hours are Monday and Tuesday 5pm - 9pm, Wednesday and Thursday 4pm - 9pm, Friday and Saturday 10am - 9pm, and Sunday 11am - 6pm.

Please consider adopting when searching for a new pet. Lollypop Farm has tons of wonderful pets available for adoption and the selection is always changing. If you do not find your perfect pet the first time be patient and see if other local rescues might have what your looking for. Rochester has several independent small rescue groups.