Thursday, February 18, 2010

we've already updated our site!

Thank you to everyone that has e-mailed us since our newsletter went out on Wednesday. Please know that we've followed up with each and every store and restaurant you've mentioned. We're waiting for their response. With that said, we've already got new listings for restaurants and stores so we updated our site this evening.

Under stores in Kansas...

  • dynamic earth equipment company - 13308 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS
    • An outdoor's store that facilitates your immersion in the outdoors. It carries backpacks, gear for camping, climbing, paddling, backpacking and trail running. And, they carry RuffWear gear for dogs.

Under restaurants in Kansas...

  • Dean & Deluca - 4700 West 119th Street, Leawood, KS
    • An upscale grocery and deli headquartered in Wichita, KS. It's a source for gourmet and specialty foods, cheeses, bakery goods, food gifts and more. It also offers catering, a coffee bar and hot food to go.
  • Trezo Vino Wine Bistro - 11570 Ash Street, Leawood, KS
    • A wine bistro that specializes in an experiences to share with delicious food, fine wine and great cocktails.

And, we've confirmed the following...

  • Panera Bread in the Kansas City metro area does not welcome dogs on their patios.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Shopping with your dog - REALLY!

Our much awaited Shopping With Your Dog listings for Kansas and Missouri are finally available!

It's normal to have dogs welcome at dog-centric establishments that sell items specifically for dogs, like Three Dog Bakery, Land of Paws, Petco, PetSmart, etc. But, did you know you can take your dog in to Bass Pro to shop for camping gear or
Rimann Liquors to browse the wine section?

Yes. It is confirmed that dogs are welcome in to 20 stores within the metropolitan area. We have contacted the stores and had e-mail conformation from their owner or the corporate office. And, they gave us permission to list them on our Web site.

So, go out and enjoy shopping with your best four-legged friend. Remember that taking your dog with you in to these establishments is a privilege and not a right, so
proper shopping etiquette is a must at all times.
Many people submitted to DogsLifeKC places such as Lowe's and Home Depot. When we contacted the corporate offices, we were told that it is up to each and every location to determine if dogs were welcome. So, tread carefully and ask the store manager before you bring your dogs in to shop.

If you know of any other places that would like to be listed, email us:
Editorial@DogsLifeKC.com.

Friday, February 5, 2010

To our readers

There is one definite in the dog world of Kansas City and it is that people are quite passionate about their 4-legged friends and about therapy work with their dogs!

After the last newsletter went out, the e-mails and phone calls started coming in from worried Pets for Life volunteers regarding the Dr. Dog PhD class.
Please note. I do take your communications seriously and will be taking action. 
The class description for Dr. Dog PhD states: "There are several local groups in the area to which you can then apply with confidence to serve as part of their visiting team."
Two paragraphs after that, there is the following sentence: "To learn more about therapy dogs visit www.deltasociety.org or www.rechai.missouri.edu."
I provided the links to the Delta Society and the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction - University of Missouri with the thought that these would provide opportunities for readers to learn more about the benefits of therapy dogs and their applications. I do feel that they are very thorough sites with many scientific studies and are beneficial to those exploring volunteering in this field.
This wasn't an intentional push of the Delta Society's Pet Partners program over other active therapy dog groups in the area. Though, many Pets for Life volunteers do feel that it was. For that, I apologize.
As a courtesy, I'm providing the DogsLifeKC readers with an alphabetical list of active programs that provide animal-assisted therapies in the Kansas City area with links to their sites. You'll find it below.
When our new site design launches on Feb. 15th there will be more details regarding the different types of therapy dogs as well as a permanent home for this list. And, if you know of other active animal-assisted therapies in the area or classes training therapy dogs, please let me know.
Thank you for passion in dogs and I appreciate your input. Once again, I do take your concerns seriously and in the future, I will be more cautious as to where I place links or name specific organizations.
Nicki
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Nicki Dobson
DogsLifeKC.com - Hit the Town with Your Hound!
(913) 538-1757 

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Each of the groups listed above do require a form of screening for the dog teams. It is up to each person interested in volunteering with their dog to do the research to determine which group would suit their dog and his or her ablities. Listings on our site are purely that, listings. They are not a personal endorsement by DogsLifeKC or our members of Our Pack.