Gracie's Bark | Pet Friendly Resource

A Sneak Peek into Gracie's Weekend

Gracie had an eventful weekend. We didn't go on any adventures but we did fit some nice walks in between yard work and errands. I tried to make it as interesting as possible for Gracie since we had such a busy weekend. 

Friday night we headed over to UMass Dartmouth for a gorgeous sunset walk.

Then on Saturday we did lots of yard work and squeezed in a walk over at Fort Rodman in New Bedford.

Gracie stole my smart water bottle and decided to bury it in the yard while I was busy working in the flower garden. 

Then she was all tuckered out after a long day!

On Sunday we had a bit of chaos on our hands. Gracie's cat brother Luke brought a live bunny into the house... It was complete hysteria for a bit, but we managed to capture the bunny and put him back outside in the wild where he belongs. Thank goodness!

What did you and your dog do this weekend?

Gracie at Pet Fest and Walk for Animals on Sunday May 15, 2011

Gracie had a great time at the Coalition for Animals of Greater New Bedford's Annual Pet Fest and Walk this past Sunday at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford, Ma. She couldn't wait to get to the park and enjoy all the festivities! 

We enjoyed walking around to all the vendors and getting all sorts of goodies for Gracie! It seemed like all the dogs had a great time.

The rain even held out for us too! Buttonwood Park was filled with all sorts of dogs, big and small. 

  

A special thank you to the Coalition for Animals of Greater New Bedford for another great pet friendly event!  Gracie had a wonderful time.

Did you and your pet go to Pet Fest 2011?

If so, share your stories and pictures with us. Email us any time at [email protected]

Pet Fest and Walk for Animals on Sunday May 15, 2011

Come one come all! Bring your pet to the Coalition for Animals of Greater New Bedford's Annual Pet Fest and Walk this Sunday, May 15, 2011 at Buttonwood Park, 425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford, MA.

Every year the Coalition for Animals of Greater New Bedford puts together a great fundraiser where pets and their owners can enjoy a 2 mile walk (starting at 12:00 p.m., with registration starting at 11:00 a.m. and a $10 fee is required for participation in walk) and fun pet friendly activities such as:

• Canine Mastery Flyball
• Canine Agility Demo by Canine Training Center
• Doggie Fashion Show Presented by Starbucks and Pooch Parlor Pet Salon
• New England Reptile Bird of Prey Show
• New Bedford Police K-9 Demo
• Rescue Demo by Animal Rescue League of Boston
• Music by Dave Antunes
• Visit booths of fabulous vendors, rescue groups and shelters from across the state
• Raffle Prizes
• Puppy Kissing Booth at Forever Paws Booth $1
• I.D. Pet Tags at Melissa's Pet Depot Booth $5

100% of Walk proceeds will help support the Coalition for Animal's Programs. For more information, please visit: Coalition for Animals

You can also receive free information on: MA Spay/Neuter License Plate, Nutritional needs for your pets, Dog Bite Prevention, and Disaster Preparedness.

Free Giveaways! Free Kids Face Painting and much more!

A complete schedule of activities will be posted at the event. Click here... for the PetFest Brochure.

 

We look forward to seeing you all there!

 

Gracie's Adventure to Slater Park to check out the New Pawtucket Dog Park

We decided this past Sunday was the perfect day to take Gracie on a little adventure to Pawtucket Rhode Island to check out Pawtucket's highly anticipated dog park scheduled to open this month. Dogs near and far are barking about the news from the City of Pawtucket's Parks and Recreation Department who said the grand opening will be sometime in late May 2011. 

The Pawtucket City Council, at the urging of a young resident named McKenzie Rennick, approved the Slater Park site as at least a temporary location for the city's dog park in late February of this year. The park will be open on a trial basis for a year as Animal Control Officer John Holmes monitors how well it works.

The Pawtucket Dog Park will be located inside Slater Park at the grassy, fenced-in area where the Slater Park Lawn Bowls Club used to play. The genteel sport of lawn bowling has literally gone to the dogs.

According to an article posted in the Valley Breeze Newspaper, "the current fenced-in area behind the Looff Carousel at Slater Park will be divided in half, with an area for small dogs (less than 30 pounds) on one side, and one for large dogs (30 pounds or more) on the other. There will be separate entrances for the two sections, each with a "bullpen" containment area guarded by a spring-loaded gate to prevent dogs from escaping. A second gate, this one manually operated, will let pets and their owners into the park, where they'll be allowed to run free." Read more

The future site is a perfect spot for a dog park. Gracie took some photos to share with all you!

There is a large fenced in area with nine benches all around and one double bench. It really is one of the nicest dog parks we've seen in New England. 

When the dog park does open officially, we recommend you spend the day over at Slater Memorial Park. This park is the oldest and largest public park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The park is named after Samuel Slater, a famous American industrialist who constructed America's first water-powered mill in Pawtucket.

The park lies on the banks of the beautiful Ten Mile River and features the 1685 Daggett House, the oldest house in Pawtucket.

There is also a beautiful pond with a winding walking path and a garden stone gazebo.

We also saw the Pawtucket Municipal Animal Shelter which is located within Slater Park.

We had a great adventure. Gracie was exhausted!

A special thanks to McKenzie Rennick for advocating for this dog park in Rhode Island. 

Do you know of any dog parks or other dog friendly locations you would like to share with Gracie's Bark? Email us anytime at [email protected]. We'd love to hear a "bark" back from all our friends in New England and beyond.

Don't forget to take some photos of your dog enjoying Slater Park and share them with us!

Check Out Gracie's May 2011 Spotlight Dog: Ruby from New Bedford, MA

The Morton family, from New Bedford MA, contacted Gracie's Bark to share their loveable dog Ruby's story. Gracie was delighted to spotlight Ruby this month. 

"We adopted Ruby, our Portuguese hunting dog, from the SouthCoast Humane Society in June 2010.  When we brought her home, Ruby was about 6 months old, and very timid.  She seemed to be afraid of everything.  She wouldn’t eat and lost a lot of weight.  She wouldn’t play fetch, she jumped at every little sound…she just seemed to be a nervous wreck.  We didn’t know how we were going to get through the winter when the first time we turned the heat on, Ruby stood frozen in the middle of our living room, shaking like leaf at the sound and vibration of the forced hot air! Over the past 10 months, Ruby has evolved into a new dog.  Though still a picky eater, she eats well and is at a healthy weight.  She loves being outside, and loves playing fetch with tennis balls and empty Gatorade bottles.  Ruby is the sweetest, most loveable dog, and we just couldn’t imagine life without her!"  

Gracie and Ruby have been to Gooseberry Island together. They both had a great time running along the beach last year. 

Ruby is adorable and we want to thank her for becoming part of Gracie's Bark Blog Family. Every month Gracie will spotlight a dog.

Please email your entry (short story) with a photo to [email protected] and tell her about your favorite pal! Additional pictures and video welcome, space permitting.