A Kenneling Alternative

June

Where In The World is the Westminster Dog Show?

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If you’re a fan of the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) annual dog show, you may have searched in vain for it this month. Like all gatherings, this event had to make some changes due to the pandemic.

What typically is a televised event in February, due to restrictions and safety protocols, was pushed forward to June. And, like all events that involve gatherings of people, this one could be subject to change if circumstances in the world shift. 

What You Need To Know

According the WKC’s press release, the 145th annual event will take place June 12-13th in Tarrytown, New York. The event will be held at Lyndhurst, which is a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

Westminster Kennel Club President Charlton Reynders III said that the venue was chosen because it “allows us to hold a dog show safely while following current social distancing guidelines and public health regulations.”

How You Can Watch

Attendance will be limited despite the “wide-open outdoor space” of the venue, but the WKC’s website recommends you check back as the event nears. 

However, if attending in person isn’t on your to do list, consider tuning in to Fox Sports Network. They will be covering the event. And, the Best In Show competition will be shown live for the first time this year on Fox.

Schedule of Events

  • Masters Agility Championship on Friday, June 11, 2021 
  • Junior Showmanship, Breed, Group, and Best in Show judging on June 12 – 13, 2021
  • The Masters Obedience Championship will be on Sunday, June 13, 2021

Stay up to date on the latest by visiting https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org. 

Looking Ahead to 2021, And Your Floofins All Year

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We want to see your Floofins all year long! If you’ve been a client of Floofins & Co. for a while, you may be familiar with the annual calendar. We like trying new formats and decided to give our clients an opportunity to participate in the creation of the 2021 calendar.

The Rules

Here’s how it will work:

  • Photos must be of Floofins & Co. clients
  • Photos must be posted to our Facebook page
  • The individual photos with the most votes/likes will be selected

How It Works

What does that mean? Well, over the next several days, you will see a Facebook post with the 2020 pet for each month of the year. Your job is to scroll through the thousands and thousands of pet photos on your phone or tablet or laptop and locate one that best fits that particular month. For example, October had a picture of a pet in their Halloween costume. January had a New Year celebration going on with a dog in glasses. Whatever you think represents that month and showcases your floofin…. drop the photo on that post.

From there, the votes/likes will be noted and the winner will be the one with the most likes. Tell your friends and family to vote! We are so excited to be able to let the Floofins Family make their own calendar.

One side note: We will have to go to print in November, so there will be a time limit on the voting and submissions. So, get out there and, as they say in Chicago, vote early and vote often.

When can you post your pictures? Keep an eye out on Facebook. As soon as you see the month uploaded, you can submit your picture. Voting begins as soon as photos are added.

We hope you enjoy this adventure and the opportunity to make your floofin famous. Well, at least among the Floofins & Co. family. Now, start scrolling through those pictures!

Adopt A Cat Month

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June isn’t just the month of summer. It also serves as Adopt a Cat Month.

One of the primary goals of the month is to home cats and kittens. And that certainly is something of a concern during these pandemic times. Shelters in most areas are seeing fewer people in person, forcing most adoptions into virtual events. In addition, they are struggling with funding and and covering supplies.

Since June coincides with the height of kitten season, a time when the largest number of cats give birth to litters, there is often an influx of felines into the shelters. This year, American Humane will celebrate their 45th annual June focus on adoption by hosting “adopt-a-pandemic-pet” month.

For folks interested in donations, you can head over to the ASPCA Adopt A Cat webpage or you can donate to American Humane’s Feed The Hungry campaign which delivers food to shelters all over the country. Or, as we like to encourage, donate to your local shelter where you can have an immediate and close to home impact.

You don’t have to simply donate, ASPCA has a fundraising page where you can build up donations on your own or by creating a team.

If you opt to bring a new cat into your life this month, don’t forget to utilize the great resources that American Humane offers on their website. You can find reference materials on topics such as

  • Adoption Checklists
  • Cat to Cat Introductions
  • Dog to Cat Introductions
  • Cat Collars
  • Scratching
  • Litter box usage

And if you are in the Chicagoland area and considering adopting a cat, please don’t get discouraged. I recently put in several applications for virtual adoptions over the last couple months. I never heard a word. Until late this week, I received an email from a facility I have adopted from in the past. They had received over 10,000 applications to adopt since the pandemic hit. While that is great for the animals, it just means that adopting a cat this month, or later, may require a little patience. 

National Pet Preparedness Month

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June kicks off the official start to summer. And with summer weather comes the threat of weather-related emergencies that could impact you, your family, and your floofins. 

No one likes the idea of planning for an emergency situation, but various groups have quick and easy checklists, videos, and articles available to make creating your personal plan simple and complete. 

No one can forget the images from Hurricane Katrina when people had to either make a decision to leave a cherished pet behind or remain with them and potentially perish. Things have changed in that many more shelters will allow people to bring their pets in the event of a natural disaster and evacuation. But, that doesn’t mean that every shelter and every situation will accommodate you and your floofins.

In addition to making an emergency plan for your family, ready.gov recommends that you also include your pet in that plan. Other factors they recommend you consider for your pet when making plans for a natural or man-made disaster scenario include: emergency kits; evacuation plans; shelter information; and identification. 

Consider using the resources available at ready.gov/pet-toolkit or view their YouTube video to be ready for any emergencies that might occur. And be sure to have all of your information, including emergency contacts, up-to-date in your profile for your Floofins & Co. account.