You may remember this post we wrote up earlier about asking people to nominate us for DogTime’s Petties Awards. Well we asked and you came forth and did it! I Love Rescue Animals is now one of the four finalists for Best Cause Related Blog! Thank you so much to everyone who entered our names. Just making it to the final four has blown us away. You are all amazing.

Vote Again!

But it’s not over! Now that we’re in the final four, how about trying to get us to #1? I know we here at ILRA would be absolutely estatic if we managed to take the top spot, and we feel that with your support, we have a good chance.

So please take a moment to vote for iloverescueanimals.org in the “Best Cause Related Blog category. If you support what we do and what we stand for, this is a great way to show how much you appreciate it. With a few clicks, you have helped us take one step forward to getting our message to a bigger audience.

Thank you so much for getting us this far! Feel free to share this with friends and family. We could use all the support we can get it.

Filed under: BlogPaws, Causes, Events, Website Related on August 6th, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am excited to announce that DogTime Media is holding their very first Pet Blog Awards: The Petties!

Vote for ILRA!

So here’s what DogTime says about the contest: “You can choose as many categories as you like and nominate as many bloggers as you like. You can even nominate yourself! Once nominations are closed DogTime will select the four most popular bloggers in each category. Then you and your readers, friends, family and anyone else can vote for their favorites! The blogs with the most votes will win! Nominations close on July 30th, 2010.”

That’s right, you have until July 30, 2010! We would love if you would vote for I Love Rescue Animals in the Best Cause Related Blog category. We have been working super hard to bring quality content to our readers and to make aware all the great things that we can do for animals. We feel we’ve been doing an awesome job, and we hope that you do too! Show us some love and vote for us!

You can find out more about The Petties at the BlogPaws page, and we hope to see you all at our favorite conference: BlogPaws 2010 West!

Filed under: BlogPaws, Causes, Events, Website Related on July 21st, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Last week, Ash and I got a chance to talk on the phone with Tracy Blinder, who works with Lippe Taylor, the PR firm in charge of Rachael Ray’s Nutrish dog food (many thanks to Caroline of Romeo the Cat for introducing us). She told us all about the new project that Nutrish has started called My Shelter Site. It’s a place for shelters or rescues to go to create their own website – complete with hosting, design, and content management system (WordPress – my personal favorite!).

She also informed us that she is coming to our own Austin, Texas to talk with all the shelters in the area about what this project can do for them and why it is so very important to have a good, user-friendly and functional website. This mission is near and dear to my heart and I am so happy to help spread the word about it. This outreach program is open to all non-profit shelters who are interested in or need a service such as this. Click on the flyer for more details:

Click on this flyer to see it fullsize!

The Details!

When: Tuesday, June 15th @ 6-8pm
Where: The Cork Room @ J Blacks [website]
Address: J Blacks Feel Good Lounge
710 West 6th Street (Near Avenue C)
Austin, Texas 78701

If you would like to RSVP, please contact 212-598-4400, or email Tracy Blinder (tblinder@lippetaylor.com) or Allison Good (agood@lippetaylor.com) and let them know that your shelter or rescue would like to take part in this awesome event. We hope to see you there!

Filed under: Causes, Events, Rescue/Shelter on June 9th, 2010 | No Comments »

Hey all! Did you know that April 30th (TODAY) is National Hairball Awareness Day? ILRA is celebrating with Romeo the Cat and the folks over at FURminator Inc (who provided the great content) by giving you, our awesome readers, a few tips on hairball prevention and overall cat welfare.

Five Tips for Preventing Hairballs

Fuzzballs, cat scratches and dirty litter boxes may be top complaints from cat parents, but paws down, hairballs are among the worst of the worst. In observation of National Hairball Awareness Day, to help both cats and parents alike, FURminator, Inc. created five quick tips for hairball prevention.

1. Regular Grooming: Decrease the amount of hair your cat ingests by using the FURminator deLuxe deShedding Tool, which reduces shedding by nearly 90 percent.

2. Home Remedies: Add a little canned pumpkin to your cat’s meals once or twice a week. The fiber in the pumpkin can help move any hair clods through their system.

3. Stay Hydrated: Encourage your cat to drink plenty of water by placing various bowls throughout the house. The water will help flush out the hair before it has time to clump in the stomach.

4. A New Menu: There are several specially formulated cat foods that aid in the fight against hairballs. Always consult with your vet first before making any drastic changes to your cat’s diet.

5. Ask Your Vet: If you believe your cat has a chronic hairball problems ask your veterinarian to recommend a laxative supplement to help prevent ingested hairs from forming hairballs.

A Closer Looks At Cats: Wellness, Aging, Instincts & Hairballs

We’re also taking a closer look at the cat: feline wellness, aging, instincts and the dreaded hairball!

Did you know?

• When a cat coughs up a hairball, it is actually choking. This hacking can be dangerous and can cause death in some cases. Cats will over-groom themselves, especially in the spring during peak shedding season. To reduce the amount of hair ingested, and the corresponding hack that follows, many veterinarians recommend the FURminator deLuxe deShedding Tool for cats; it’s a safe, natural and holistic way to lessen the amount of hair cats ingest.
• Cats have primal instincts and the location of their water bowl can prove it. In the wild a cat would never drag its kill to a watering hole to eat and drink at the same time. House cats have inherited this same instinct. Owners should keep a cat’s water bowl in a separate location than their food bowl. Cats will drink more water (and this increase will help their system clean itself of ingested hair).
• A cat’s age can affect how they shed. As a kitten matures their coat changes in several ways – texture, thickness, curl and coloring. This transition may take up to two years depending on the breed. Once a kitten’s coat has matured they will begin to shed more by dropping their “kitten coat”. Consult with a veterinarian or groomer on when a cat’s grooming needs change.
• Keep cats active to stay healthy; they’re athletes at heart. A healthy cat can jump as much as seven times its height and yet 21 percent of cats are considered obese or overweight by their veterinarians. Interactive toys with feathers on the end will encourage cats to leap, stretch and stay active. Keeping cats active will help them maintain a healthy skin and coat, as well as increase balance and coordination.

April means more than just hairballs – spring cleaning tips & tricks

Shedding peaks in the spring, causing increased hairballs, as well as fur tumbleweeds rolling across floors and lawns and furniture… Pet owners, both feline and canine, are looking for ways to battle the fuzz and capitalize on all that spring cleaning elbow grease. Rid your home of excess pet fur and keep a clean, healthy pet by following these simple tips from FURminator, Inc.

• Healthy Diet: Diet plays a key role in your pet’s overall health. Feeding your pet a quality pet food with protein, vitamins and Omega-Fatty Acids will promote a healthy weight and topcoat and can help reduce shedding.
• Scratch the Itch: Pets can itch because of fleas, dry skin or even a skin allergy, which can spread dander throughout the house. Whatever the cause, make sure to speak with your veterinarian to help your pets feel and look their best.
• Love Your Pet, Hate the Shedding?: Use a professional style grooming tool, such as the new FURminator deLuxe deShedding Tool, which is guaranteed to work better than any brush, rake or comb available. The deLuxe deShedding Tools reduce the amount of fur left on floors, couches and clothes by nearly 90 percent. They also feature a FURejector button, making it faster to clean and remove loose hair from the tool.
• Lessen Allergies & Sneezing: Create allergy-free areas for family members with pet allergies by restricting animals to certain rooms of your home and consider using allergen-resistant covers on mattresses and pillows. Regular grooming will also decrease the amount of airborne allergens and dander around the house.
• Pet Hair Removal: Upholstery is a pet hair magnet and removing fur can be tedious. Eliminate newly shed hair with a lint roller before fur works its way into fabric. If pets are allowed on the furniture, consider investing in furniture throws that can be laundered – this will keep your home looking and smelling better.
• Pet Crates: Pets prefer a clean, dry space to sleep in. A crate acts like their bedroom and provides a positive solution to house-training. Be sure to keep their “room” clean by washing blankets kept in the crate.
• Avoid the Outside Coming In: Keep a washable rug near the door your pet uses. Wipe off their paws so mud or dirt is not tracked onto floors. Consider using a bottle of the FURminator Waterless deShedding Shampoo & Conditioner to easily eliminate odor without bathing. Also, dispose of pet waste regularly to ensure it’s not being tracked into the house.

Got some good hairball tips? Share with us and help us celebrate National Hairball Awareness Day!

Filed under: Advice, Events, Product Review on April 30th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Last week may have been the official Be The Change day (click that link to read our post out about it and help out Feline Forever Ranch), but that by no means says that it has to stop there. This week on April 21st, there will be a PawPawty (or BlogPawty as the case may be this time) to help raise money for Pets Without Parents. To help out, I am going to be hosting a giveaway of my own.

The Giveaway

If you didn’t know it already, I am a web designer. I work for a small company here in Austin, but in my spare time, I freelance under the name Design Coyote (and @designcoyote on twitter). So to do my part in this great twitter pawty, I will be giving away one awesome pet design (estimated cost up to $500) for one lucky pet blogging winner!

You can see my work here at ILRA (the current design and the illustrations), over my personal blog Snailbird, or my design site that I linked to above.

The Rules

01. You don’t have to have a blog to win. We can set you up with an awesome blog either on Blogspot or a self-hosted WordPress blog (or another blog platform of your choice). The only catch is, whether you do have a blog or you’re going to be making one, it has to be about animals/pets!
02. WordPress.com blogs are not eligible unfortunately, only because they do not host custom designs. If you have a WordPress.com blog and win, you have two options: either move to a hosted wordpress blog, or move to blogspot.
03. You do not have to make a donation to be eligible to win.

How To Win

Now here’s the fun part! Ash and I tried to think up different ways that would not only be fun to do, but would also get people to promote adoption, shelters, and rescues and here’s what we came up with. To have your name thrown in the hat, we would like for those of you on twitter to pick a twitter account that posts about animals in need (be it urgents needing fosters or adoption, or animals requiring donations for injuries or rescue purposes) and RT it.

Once you’ve done your retweet to help the cause, comment here with a link back to your retweet, and we’ll toss your name into our hat of entries. If, for some reason, you do not have a twitter account, no worries. Just find something you would like to “retweet” and post it on your blog and post that link here! This giveaway is open as of now and will continue on until 1am EST on Monday the 26th of April I will announce the winner sometime later that day.

Be sure to attend the awesome BlogPawty on Wednesday starting at 7pm eastern time. It’s going to be a blast – full of new friends, great music, and awesome connections. See you there!

Contest Closed!

Winner will be announced soon.

Filed under: BlogPaws, Causes, Donations, Events, Giveaways, Website Related on April 19th, 2010 | 5 Comments »