October Toy Drive Beneficiaries!

I just learned that our October toy drive at Changos Taqueria will benefit Austin Pets Alive! and Emancipet.

Changos at 3005 South Lamar will benefit Austin Pets Alive! and Changos at 3023 Guadalupe will benefit Emancipet.

Want to support these great organizations but cannot make it out to the toy drives? Another way to help is to purchase our one-for-toy and use the "Purchase a Teeny's Friends one-for-one toy for your favorite shelter or animal organization" option and let us know who the toy is for. We'll send them the toy/s you purchased PLUS our matching toy donations!

Double the Fun - October Toy Drive News

This month, for the first time ever, we will be having TWO simultaneous toy drives! Changos Taquerias, part of the Manuels restaurant family, will be hosting our bins at BOTH of their locations.

This also marks the first time we will have a restaurant for a host. Previously, we have always had pet-related businesses host our toy drives. It's my goal to reach a broader range of people and I believe a restaurant, with its heavy foot traffic and revolving customers, is just what we need to do so. I'm hoping that this increase in visibility will translate to even more toy donations! I know that together Changos & Teeny's Friends can do great things!

Between Saturday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 16th if you get a craving for tacos, please stop by one of Changos Taquerias locations [3023 Guadalupe and 3005 South Lamar] and drop a new or gently used toy in our bin.

Fun at the Dog Park!!!

This weekend we went to San Antonio to visit my in-laws. On Saturday morning, we piled all the dogs into the car and went to the dog park at Phil Hardburger Park. "All the dogs" means Teeny, Tootsie, and my in-laws miniature schnauzers Mandy and Molly. Between Todd, myself, and his mother Alice we managed to wrangle everyone to and fro without any major catastrophies.

The real story here is THE PARK! It was the most amazing dog park I have ever been to. There were two sections: one for big dogs, one for small dogs. The only negative- we had to cross through the big dog side in order to get to the small dog side. Once in safe territory we unleashed everyone and let them go wild. There were two agility ramps, picnic tables, benches to sit on, and even a dog playhouse! Teeny did not want anything to do with the agility ramps but Tootsie took to them fairly quickly - especially when tempted with treats. Both dogs loved the playhouse, though. It's two-story with a ramp and an upstairs "balcony" (complete with a railing with carved-out fire hydrants and bones). I wish we had one for our own backyard!

I've posted the photos from the park below. If you are ever in San Antonio with your poochies I highly recommend you stop by for a visit!



September Toy Drive Complete!

This afternoon I picked up the bins from Austin Canine Central, who hosted our September toy drive. I am so excited to donate these goodies to the pups at Heart of Texas Lab Rescue! (They are just as excited to receive them: click here to read an article they wrote about us and our toy drive!)

I always wanted to announce that we have 13 toys to add to the bin, thanks to sales of our one-for-one toy. Several of HOT Lab Rescue's fans purchased toys and requested that they all be donated, including:

• 
  
  Delta, HOT Lab Rescue alum - 4 toys, and
• 
  
  Bosco, HOT Lab Rescue alum - 6 toys.

A BIG thank you to Delta, Bosco, and everyone else who donated and helped make this toy drive another success!

Teeny and Tootsie in Action!

I'm trying to get with the times and learn how to post my own videos of the dogs. I thought people might like to see them live and in action! In that spirit, here is some footage of them having a great time playing in our backyard. If you guys like it, I'll be posting more!

Feed Shelter Dogs Just By Clicking "Like"

Do you want an easy way to help feed shelter dogs? Are you on Facebook? If so, I have GREAT news for you!

Did you know that for each person that clicks "LIKE" on the Pedigree Adoption Drive Facebook page, they will donate one bowl of dog food to a shelter dog? At last count 1,114,494 bowls of dog food have been donated since January 1, 2010. Please help us to pass along the message and together, along with Pedigree, we can make a big difference!

Bathtime With Teeny & Tootsie

Presented without comment, because I think the looks on their faces say it all.

NEW Ways To Help Needy Dogs!

New on our site- even more ways to help needy dogs! As you will notice in the "Buy Now" section (right-hand column) we have added two new options: buy a one-for-one toy as a gift, and buy a one-for-one toy for your favorite shelter or animal organization. If you are unfamiliar with our one-for-one toy, it's a special toy that we sell exclusively on our site. What makes it special, you ask? When you buy one, we donate one. Many dogs in animal shelters and low-income neighborhoods now have toys to play with thanks to the sale of these toys. Click here to read more about it.

Buy a one-for-one toy as a gift: you can now purchase a one-for-one toy as a present for a friend or family member. Makes a great gift for any animal lover! Click the "Buy Now" button in this section and fill out the name & address of your chosen recepient in the blanks provided. We will mail one toy to them and will add one toy to our toy donation bins!

Buy a one-for-one toy for your favorite shelter or animal organization: we have also included an option to purchase a one-for-one toy, which we will donate directly to the needy dogs at your favorite shelter or other animal organization. Do you love a local rescue group? Did you adopt your dog from a shelter and want to donate a toy in his or her name? Click the "Buy Now" button in this section, fill out the business name & address, and we'll send BOTH toys to the shelter or organization of your choice. That's right - we will include our donated toy in the package along with the purchased toy!

Of course, we still have the option to buy a one-for-one toy for your own furry friend!

Inspiring & Adorable Video From BlogPaws

I will embed the video as soon as it's posted on YouTube, but for now please click here to watch it on the Be The Change For Pets Facebook page.

As many of you know, I went to Denver, Colorado this weekend to attend BlogPaws. I had an absolutely fantastic time meeting everyone (as well as some of their pets!) and networking! I took advantage of many of the learning sessions they offered, such as Blogger tips, SEO, and pet photography tips. I can't wait to start implementing some of the things that I learned on this website. I feel as though I came away with some things that will help me take Teeny's Friends to the next level. We raised around 300 dog toys last year for needy dogs, and this year we hope to increase that number to 400.

The video in the link above was played during the Be The Change For Pets general session on Friday. It highlights some amazing individuals, and I am blown away that Teeny's Friends was included in the video as well. The video makes a fantastic point, which is that "being the change" doesn't take a lot of money and doesn't have to be complicated- if we all just pitched in a little, we could make a BIG difference! Please watch the video, and keep an eye out for the Teeny's Friends portion at around 2:29.

Extended - September Toy Drive!

Great news for those of you who thought you missed your chance to donate to our September toy drive at Austin Canine Central - it has been extended by one week! It will now end on Saturday, September 25th. So head on over to their location at 5402 Middle Fiskville Road and donate a new or gently used dog toy. All donations will benefit the needy dogs at Heart of Texas Lab Rescue! And don't forget - if you'd like to help but aren't in the Austin area, please consider purchasing our 1-fur-1 toy. When you buy one, we donate one! Each toy is only $4.99 and that price includes sales tax and shipping. It's shopping for a cause!

Two Paws Up Breakfast Scramble

My sweet mother-in-law Alice bought me a subscription to Everyday with Rachel Ray for Christmas last year. One of my favorite parts of the magazines is the section with treat recipes for dogs. Last month's recipe was for "Two Paws Up" breakfast scramble. I made it for Teeny and Tootsie this afternoon and they LOVED it! So much so, I wanted to share the recipe with you guys.

Ingredients

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

1/2 tomato, seeded & chopped

1/4 red or green bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1 egg (Katy's note: I used 2 eggs since I was cooking for 2 dogs)

Directions

In a small nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach, tomato and bell pepper and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and scramble continuously until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool before serving.

I hope your dogs enjoy the breakfast scramble as much as mine did! Below you'll find some pictures I took of Teeny & Tootsie scarfing down their little treat!

Sept Toy Drive Going on NOW!

Our September toy drive at Austin Canine Central is going on now! They are located at 5402 Middle Fiskville Road. And just a reminder: we accept new and used toys!

Our beneficiary for this month is Heart of Texas Lab Rescue. Their mission is to rescue Labrador Retrievers from shelters, pounds, abandonment, and other situations, and place them in loving, caring homes. They serve the Austin, San Antonio & surrounding areas.

September's Cruise Ship #PawPawty For Charity

♫I'm on a boat and
It's going fast and
I've got a nautical themed
Pashima afgan
I'm the king of the world
On a boat like Leo
If you on the shore
Then you're sure not me-o!♫

I hope you will all attend this weekend's cruise ship themed #PawPawty on Twitter! We so look forward to these pawties each month. "Teeny" will be DJing (dog jockeying) from 3-4pm CST on Saturday, September 4th. If you are on Twitter, please stop by & visit with us during that time or make a song request if you have one! This month's pawty benefits The Oldies Club. Read more about them here!

Hope to see you all there so you can help us change the world one paw at a time! And don't forget to tip your DJ! *wink wink*

More August Toy Drive Loot Pics!

This afternoon, I dropped the toys raised at our August toy drive off at the Austin Humane Society. I love it when I am able to drop off the toy donations in person. Look at how many there are!!! I told you it was a big month. In addition to all the toys raised at the toy drive itself, we sold quite a few of our 1-fur-1 toys, which we added to the pile. The purchased  toys included 5 bought by GloRod, our DJ friend who had us on her radio show a few months ago. She purchased 5, and asked us to donate her 5 in addition to the 5 generated donations. I know I've said it before, but I'm gonna say it again - thanks X million to all you angels out there who support our efforts!

Teeny's Friends Tribune September 2010

[Click for a larger version]

September Toy Drive Begins Friday!

Our September toy drive begins Friday, September 3rd! It will be held at Austin Canine Central on Middle Fiskville Road. ACC is  an all-in-one facility, offering doggie day care, grooming, dog training, and even a boutique. I'm excited to visit them on Friday and take a tour.

Our toy drive bins will be there until Friday, September 17th. The beneficiary is yet to be determined, but I'll be updating with that info as soon as I receive it!

Update 09/04/2010: Just received an email from Austin Canine Central and the beneficiary organization is Heart of Texas Lab Rescue.