All this week is Camp Bow Wow McHenry’s 1st Annual Sadie "Paw"kins dance! We matched up all of our regular girls with their boyfriends they love to play with and sent out invitations to everyone to join us for the Sadie “Paw”kins dance. For those who did not get an invitation, call us, and we'll set up a love connection for you! If you or your special someone hasn't been to camp yet, join us for a free day of camp this week!

Our entire staff is so excited about the dance! We will celebrate with bandanas for everyone and take lots of pictures. We will have a king and queen each day, one from the little dog yard and one from the big dog yard. It’s going to be so dog gone cute!

I have to share some of the comments we’ve gotten from our clients. They are really looking forward to it!

•    Pepper's dad called as a concerned father to find out whether there were going to be chaperons at the dance, and what about the booze? He also asked whether they’re going to be in separate cabins at lunchtime.

•    Cubby's mom called and wanted to make sure there was going to be no smoking allowed.

•    River's mom called and exclaimed, "River needs a boyfriend!" River has never been to camp before, but she saw our ad about the dance in the Northwest Herald.

•    Wrigley’s mom said, “I didn't even know Wrigley had a special girlfriend at camp! No wonder he's always so excited to get there! He'll be attending and ready to give out lots of kisses!”

•    Savannah's dad said, "I asked Savannah if she wanted to go to the Sadie "Paw"kins dance with Winston. She started blushing, was all embarrassed and kept looking at the floor. The more I asked her, the more she squirmed, but she finally said yes, she wanted to go to the dance with Winston." And he attached a super cute picture of Savannah actually blushing.

•    Dottie's dad sternly said, "I'm going to have to meet this Goliath character before she can go to the dance with him."

•    Gabe's dad giggled and said, "So if you want to find love, Camp Bow Wow is the place to go?"

•    Bella’s dad said, “Bella wants to invite Beau. She gave me five tail wags . . .”

•    Apollo’s mom bragged, “Apollo can’t wait to show off his moves! He has his eye on Pepper . . .”

•    Barrow and Nukka’s mom said, “I saw Barrow and Nukka's set ups, and they are super cute . . . Diesel and Xena . . . here we come!”

•    Penny’s mom is so proud and said, “Penny wants to go dress shopping! She wants to find the perfect dress for Clark!”

I love my clients. We are going to have so much fun with the dance!

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari



 
 

Camp Bow Wow McHenry is now fostering dogs for Helping Paws in Woodstock! Check out our new foster dog, Mya. She is ADORABLE – so friendly and so playful!  She is the perfect little size, just 25 pounds, if you are looking for a smaller dog. Do you know anyone who can give her a forever home? Check out her bio:

Hi! My name is Mya! I’m a beautiful little terrier mix looking for my forever home. I love to play, and I am very affectionate. I love to give hugs and kisses to everyone I meet. The camp counselors say I’m a “little sweetie.” I am great with other dogs, so if you have a friend for me to play with, I would love it! I am being fostered at Camp Bow Wow in McHenry while I am waiting for my forever home. I am available for adoption through Helping Paws Animal Shelter in Woodstock. Please come and check me out . . . I would love to meet you! Please call Camp Bow Wow at 815-385-7297 or stop in to meet me.

Camp Bow Wow McHenry is so proud to be fostering dogs for Helping Paws. If you are thinking about getting a new dog, check out our poster of some of the dogs available for adoption at Helping Paws, or visit Helping Paws in Woodstock at 2500 Harding Lane. Be prepared, you might not leave there alone!

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari
 

Camp Bow Wow has always championed cause-based marketing efforts, urging all their franchisees to give back to the community and to the dogs by fostering pets in need of homes and hosting fundraisers for local rescue and canine causes. 

At Camp Bow Wow McHenry, we have done several fundraisers, some benefiting our local shelters, including Save-A-Pet in Grayslake (www.save-a-pet-il.org) and Helping Paws in Woodstock (www.helpingpaws.net). Other fundraisers have been for The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, The Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation and The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

I am so excited we are now working on getting our foster program going, and we are going to be working with Helping Paws in Woodstock to foster dogs for them. Helping Paws has so many dogs who need homes, and let me tell you . . . so many CUTE dogs!  Terri and I went out there last week to take a tour and talk with Helping Paws about our foster program, and I saw four dogs I wanted to take home with me THAT day! 

Rosemary, a Beagle mix, has stolen my heart! Adorable, she is. If you have not been to Helping Paws, I urge you to go and see the facility (and check out Rosemary). It is so incredibly clean – I was absolutely amazed. Those of you who know me know we keep our camp spotless. I have to say I felt the same way about Helping Paws. It was spotless. It smelled fresh. The staff and volunteers were very friendly, and the animals were happy and clean and well cared for. I am very impressed with the facility and can’t wait to help provide a temporary foster home for dogs with a good energy level who will really benefit from our all-day play environment here at Camp Bow Wow.

Was I able to leave Helping Paws that day without taking someone with me? No. I couldn’t! My heart went out to so many of the dogs and cats who are there. I have been thinking about getting another cat since my cat of nine years, Jorja, passed away in November. As we were touring the cat room, I fell in love with a tortoise-shell colored 4-month-old kitten with a big black spot on her face. She was such a cutie and so playful, I just couldn’t resist! I decided to stick with my “booze hound” names (my two dogs are named Hooch and Skyy, both after alcoholic beverages) and name her Leinie, after Leinenkugel’s beer. 

Leinie is doing great in her new home. Skyy loves to play with her, but is doing a great job at going slow and letting Leinie get to know her so she doesn’t scare her. Adoption is a wonderful thing. Giving your heart and providing a home for a pet in need is so fulfilling, even if it’s just a foster home until they find their forever home.

If you’re thinking about getting a dog, stop in soon to check out our latest foster dog from Helping Paws, or take a trip to visit all the pets at Helping Paws in Woodstock. Be prepared, you might not leave there alone!

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari

 

Did you know Camp Bow Wow has a nonprofit organization called Bow Wow Buddies? Our love for dogs extends to helping dogs everywhere. The organization helps find homes for dogs, helps find a cure for canine cancer and helps stop neglect, abandonment, abuse and suffering for dogs everywhere. Want to help? Become a Bow Wow Buddy.

What is the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation?
Bow Wow Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives and health of dogs everywhere through supporting foster and re-homing programs, spay and neuter efforts, disaster assistance, canine cancer research, animal welfare education and shelter improvements.

What is the foundation’s connection to Camp Bow Wow?
Camp Bow Wow has always championed caused-based marketing efforts, urging their franchisees to give back to the community and to the dogs by fostering pets in need of homes and hosting fundraisers for local rescue and canine causes. We have now brought that same passion for dogs to the nonprofit area by creating the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation.

Our Mission
The mission of the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is to promote the health and welfare of dogs worldwide by focusing on finding foster and lifetime homes for unwanted dogs, promoting humane education and treatment and investing in research and treatment for dogs devastated by illness and disease.

Check out our Web site at www.bowwowbuddies.com. Become a Bow Wow Buddy.

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari

 

I found a funny quote about dogs online: "I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl."

It got me to thinking about my girlfriend’s dog, Webster, and how he will ONLY drink out of the toilet bowl at home. Hmm, how does this happen? Because we let him. Janet loves her little Webby dearly and, of course (like most of our dogs), he is a spoiled rotten little cutie. He apparently is not too attached to his giant porcelain water dish, because when he comes to Camp, he easily figures out the toilet bowl is missing and identifies the stainless steel water bowl we have provided as his new source of refreshment, and he isn't bothered by it at all.

As Janet leaves the house every morning, she makes sure all the toilet seats are up, and she also spreads treats throughout the house for Webster to find during the day as he waits for mom to return. The treat-hiding ritual is great for keeping Webster occupied throughout the day, but it also is an effort to distract Webster as she is leaving the house to prevent separation anxiety and to keep him from bolting out the door when she leaves, as he makes the mad dash whenever he gets the chance. 

The first time I saw her carefully doing the daily treat-configuration routine, I asked, puzzled, “What are you doing?” She explained the several reasons why she was spreading food all over the carpet of her house as if it was a normal ritual we all do as we leave our house before work in the morning, and how did I not know this? While I have to admit that for Webster it is a good idea, it really made me giggle out of control. But Webster does LOVE it!  The things we do for our dogs!

Next time Webster came to Camp, we made sure we hid his treats for him all over his cabin and under his blanket, just to give him that little extra feeling of home. Now that we have our own modified treat-configuration routine down, we’re thinking about getting Webster his very own toilet bowl in his cabin. At Camp Bow Wow, where we make your dog feel at home. 

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari