Bark in the Park 2007 - 09/29/07

ANIMAL PLACEMENT BUREAU’S BARK IN THE PARK – SEPTEMBER 29, 2007


LANSING, MI – The Animal Placement Bureau will be putting on their annual Bark in the Park fundraiser on Saturday, September 29, at Delta Mills Park. The event will run from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.


Bark in the Park is a dog-friendly event. All dogs must be on a leash.


The day’s activities include informational booths, doggie obstacle course, dog contests, dog and human games, a raffle, and a rescue parade. Lunch will also be provided.


To register ahead of time, please log on to www.apbpets.com. All registrants will receive a t-shirt, dog bandana, treats, and a doggie bag. You may also register the day of the event. The cost to register is $35.00.


The Animal Placement Bureau (APB) is a no-kill, non-profit, all volunteer-run, foster organization for homeless dogs in the mid-Michigan area. All proceeds from this event will directly help cover the cost of saving, treating, and caring for neglected, abused, and abandoned dogs.

It's my Party....

My Mom is planning a birthday party for me at Cones and Bones. If you'd like to be invited, please join my Mom's group - Greater Lansing Dogs. There is a link to it on my main page. All dogs who RSVP by the 20th will receive a goodie bag!

There will be party hats and cake for all dogs that RSVP by the date indicated! Bring a few dollars for some delicious ice cream!

If you have any questions, please email my Mom at greaterlansingdogs@yahoo.com.

Hope to see you there!!

Jalopy!

Weekly Play Dates!

So my Mom has me meeting a TON of awesome new dogs every week. How'd she do it? She started a group called Greater Lansing Dogs. There is a dogster version too (the original is a Yahoo Group - please feel free to join)!

We now meet weekly on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. on the campus of MSU. If you'd like more information, e-mail me, and I'll ask my Mom!

~Jalopy!

Don't Forget - Dog Get-2-Gether on January 27th - all are welcome

Just a reminder - Dog Get-2-Gether on January 27th - 2:00 p.m. - Cones and Bones, Lansing (MI). Located at 412 Elmwood Road.

Cones and Bones is a dog-friendly ice cream establishment. Bring your camera!

E-mail me for more information and to RSVP (if possible).

My Birthday Party

My birthday is today - hooray! My Mom and Dad threw a birthday party for me yesterday at Cones N Bones - a local Lansing establishment that is dog-friendly! I got to have my own ice cream sundae and open presents. The owner (Jim) was SO NICE. He pet me on my head and talked to me like a big boy.

My Mom's group - Greater Lansing Dogs - is having a get together there on Saturday, January 27th at 2:00 p.m. - all are welcome. For more information, e-mail me and I'll ask my Mom. There is no cost to attend - because this group doesn't have a cost! My Mom created this group through Yahoo Groups - because she wanted to meet other dog-friendly persons in Lansing!!

Cones N Bones is located at 412 Elmwood in Lansing (near West Saginaw Highway Meijer & Beaners).

I found this article online about Cones N Bones:

Ice cream parlor caters to canine customers

DELTA TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Some customers in Jim Byrnes' new ice cream parlor behave like animals.


They stand on tables. They spill their ice cream all over the floor. They've even been known to bark at the hired help a time or two.

But that's OK.

Byrnes' doesn't mind that his store, Cones and Bones, has gone to the dogs. That's what it was meant to do.

One side of his ice cream parlor in Delta Township caters to people. The other side exists to serve their canine companions.

"When I first started talking about this idea, people all giggled and snickered a little," Byrnes said. "But a lot of people are spending a lot of money on their animals. I started thinking that maybe this is not such a crazy idea after all."

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 63 percent of all households have at least one pet. And this year, pet owners are expected to spend an estimated $38.4 billion on their pets.

On average, an owner will spend $241 annually for dog food and an extra $68 for treats.

The association represents almost 1,000 businesses that make products ranging from dog food to ferret hammocks.

"People tend to humanize their pets," AAPPMA President Bob Vetere said.

"They're bonding more with their pets, taking them on trips or going out to eat with them."

In some European countries, restaurants are allowed to let dogs into the building. American health codes are a little more picky.

Byrnes' store is divided by wall-sized windows and a door. The people side serves up 12 flavors of ice cream from Ludington-based Ashby's Sterling Ice Cream and frozen custard Byrnes makes onsite.

Byrnes already knew how to serve up a tasty treat. He recently retired as a production supervisor at a Michigan State University dormitory.

Byrnes said he knew he wanted to start his own business in retirement and figured it would be wise to stay in food service, where his knowledge and experience is. Selling ice cream appealed to him.

But Byrnes also knew that these days, just selling ice cream isn't enough for most independent stores. While other parlors have added sandwiches or coffee to their menus, Byrnes took his business in another direction.

That's where the "Bones" part of the business comes into play.

Workers on the dog side of the business dispense an ice cream designed for diabetic and lactose-intolerant people.

Byrnes needed to get an animal feed license to dispense the treats and had the ice cream checked out by a veterinarian.

"It's not something a dog should have every day, but it's going to be easier on their system than regular ice cream," Byrnes said.

He came up with the idea of selling ice cream to dogs and people by buying doggie ice cream at the grocery store. He realized he couldn't be the only one spending money to pamper his pooch with frozen treats.

The canine cafe also has gourmet and organic doggie treats and even a snack or two for cats.

It's the type of place pet owner Cathy Bashaw, who has worked at Lansing-based Soldan's Feeds and Pet Supplies for 11 years, would like to go.

Bashaw includes dogs, cats, birds and reptiles among her housemates. They are part of her family. She's even been known to push her dogs around in strollers in crowded areas.

"I like to go places where I can take my dogs," Bashaw said. "They're an important part of my life."

It's that kind of thinking that could make Cones and Bones a success, said Rick Preuss, owner of the Preuss Animal House in Lansing.

He's seen pet owners be increasingly willing to open their wallets for their pets. Owners are even celebrating their dog's birthday.

"Whatever someone thought of to do with their children," Preuss said, "someone else will do with their pet."