This is it – we’re down to the wire. It’s now or never to enter our online Halloween Pet Photo Contest on Facebook .

Submissions end today, voting continues until November 6^th at 11:59 pm CDT. Winners will be announced November 11^th on our website. The top five winners with most votes will receive a $25 Chuck & Don’s Gift Card. Reminder: photos must be between 100KB and 3MG in size and .jpg format.

But you must enter before you can win! What are you waiting for???

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

How do you celebrate your cat, or cats in general?

Here’s your chance to do so today! Today is National Cat Day. This day was founded in 2005 by Colleen Paige to help the public become aware of the plight of cats, help people realize the number of cats needing rescue and to remind cat lovers to give their own cats special recognition on that day.

This year National Cat Day’s goal is to aide in the adoption of 10,000 shelter cats on October 29.

Here’s how you can help:

• Spread the word about National Cat Day
• Become involved with your local shelter or cat rescue
• If you have a cat-related business, reach out to people letting them know how they can help the cats in your area.

Did you know many of the Chuck & Don’s stores have a Foster Cat Program? We foster 1-3 cats in those stores, helping the local rescues find permanent homes for the cats. Click here to find out more about our program.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Six days and counting until Halloween! Have you entered your pet in our online Halloween Pet Photo Contest on Facebook? There’s still time……but don’t dawdle as the top five winners will be determined by the ones with the most votes

Details:

Photo Submission Ends October 31^st

Photos must be between 100KB and 3MG in size and .jpg format.

Voting: October 24^th 12:01 am CDT – November 6^th 11:59 pm CDT

Winners Announced: November 11^th on our website http://ChuckandDons.com

Prizes: Top 5 winners with most votes will receive a $25 Chuck & Don’s Gift Card

So dress your pet in a Halloween costume, snap a photo, enter our contest, vote – it’s that easy!

Good luck!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

It’s going to be held Tuesday, October 25th from 5 – 8pm at our Northeast Minneapolis store. Everyone – two-legged and four-legged – will have a howling good time!

• Come meet Chuck & Don’s owners, Chuck Anderson and Bob Hartzell

• Local vendors such as Ginger Hop, Kramarczuk’s and Lunds will be providing light food and drinks for your enjoyment

• It’s important to have proper licensure and id for your pets at this time of the year.  Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) will be selling pet licenses and Chuck & Don’s will print a free pet ID tag while you wait

• Enjoy our 2 for 1 treat for you! For each dollar donated to the Beltrami Dog Park, receive a $2 Chuck’s Bucks (good at any Chuck & Don’s store)

• More treats! A $20 Chuck & Don’s gift card will be given away every half-hour

Be sure to stop by, say hello, see what treats we have for you and your pets (costumes are encouraged)!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Adopt a local celebrity or community leader!

Local celebrities and community leaders will be “kenneled” during the I’m in the Dog House event which will be held at the Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (MACC) facility located at 212 12th Avenue North, Minneapolis. During this event, these “kenneled” celebrities and community leaders will be asking their friends and colleagues to make a financial donation to MACC in order to “adopt” the individual and release him/her from the kennel.

Other festivities include of the MACC facility, face paintings, educational animal-related sessions and booths from local businesses. Chuck & Don’s is happy to be the presenting sponsor for this event.

Come join us for a great time and help get these “kenneled” celebrities released from their kennels….and, you’ll be helping the animals at MACC at the same time.

Visit the website of Minneapolis Animal Care & Control for additional information.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Whenever there is a change in season it is always a good time to be aware of any perils for your pets the new season brings.

With autumn in the air, keep your eyes peeled for such things as:

• Apples – The fruit of the apple is OK for pets, but the stems, leaves and seeds can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lack of oxygen to the blood, respiratory congestion and even death.

• Mushrooms – Most varieties are non-toxic, yet dogs are subject to mushroom poisoning.

• Snakes – Snakes are getting ready for hibernation and may become easily agitated by your dog, resulting in a bite. Know the poisonous snakes in your area, where they can be found, and keep your pets away from those areas.

• As the days shorten and it is getting darker earlier, you will want to make sure both you and your dog are visible on your evening strolls. A high visibility, reflective dog safety vest is a good investment in ensuring drivers will see your dog, thereby keeping your dog safe. It’s a good idea for drivers to see you too – so think about reflective clothing or reflective strips for your clothing too!

What fall tips do you find helpful for your pets? Please share, we want to hear from you!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

We’re excited to be opening another Colorado store on October 25^th!

The new store is located in the city of Centennial at 2253 Briarwood Avenue, Suite 502  in The Streets at SouthGlenn Shopping Center. You will find more information and directions here.

As our presence grows in Colorado, so does our involvement in the animal welfare causes and the Colorado community. Find out more by clicking here.

Rest assured we will be offering the same quality customer service that has become a trademark in all of our stores. From helping you with decisions about what food is best for your pet to helping you carry your purchases to the car, our Team Members are here to help!

We hope you will stop by and say ‘hi”’ – we’d love to meet you and your pets!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

We’re aware that it’s not quite Halloween yet and many of you are still in the throes of deciding upon a Halloween costume for your pet for our annual On-Line Halloween Pet Costume Contest BUT…….

…….it’s time to start thinking of holiday photos for your pets!

Each year Minnesota photographer Patrick Nau comes to some of our stores to take those holiday pictures. If you’ve been in our stores, you have seen his wonderful work decorating our walls. You will want to sign up early before his schedule is filled!  Check our website for his schedule.

With the addition of our Colorado stores, we are excited to have photographer Paul Maynard on board taking holiday photos of your beloved pets.   Check our website for his schedule.

Make sure you schedule your appointment early for a beautiful holiday photo of your adored pet – this is something you will NOT want to miss!

Good luck!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

Every cat has their day, and today is National Feral Cat Day. This day is observed annually on October 16, and was organized by Alley Cat Allies. The purpose of this day to help humans understand that feral cats are happy and healthy with their outdoor lives. It also serves as a reminder that trapping and neutering or spaying before returning the cats to their outdoor lives actually improves the cats’ lives.

Feral cats are accustomed to outdoor living. They aren’t stray cats and don’t belong indoors. If you come upon a feral cat, do not take him/her to your local shelter. According to Alley Cat Allies: “Feral cats’ needs are not met by the current animal control and shelter system where animals who are not adoptable are euthanized. Feral cats live full, healthy lives outdoors—but are most often euthanized in shelters. Even no-kill shelters can’t place feral cats in homes”.

How can you tell if a cat is feral or is someone’s lost pet? The biggest clue comes with the socialization of the cat. If you see a cat in the outdoors who approaches you, is most likely alone, walks with tail up (a sign of friendliness), makes eye contact and meows, that is most likely a stray or lost cat. Feral cats avoid people, usually belong to a colony and don’t make eye contact or meow.

One effective method to help feral cats is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Cats are humanely trapped, taken to a vet for spay/neuter and then returned to their home in the outdoors.

Ear tipping is a universal sign that signifies feral cats have been spayed or neutered, and is not comparable to ear cropping in dogs for cosmetic reasons.  It is a safe procedure, and is performed when the cat is already under general anesthesia for the spay or neuter.  Ear tipping gives immediate visual verification the cat has been altered. If you trap a cat with an ear tip, be sure to release him/her immediately.  Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, ACVIM says in her article Cat Wrangling 101 “The worst possible thing is to perform unnecessary surgery on a cat that is already spayed or neutered because it was not marked with a universally recognized symbol, and this I have done.”

SCRAM is a resource to help feral cats in Minnesota. If you’re in the Denver, Colorado area and would like to find out how to help feral cats, contact Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance .

To learn more, watch this short video about feral cats. To find out more about feral cats and how you can help, visit Alley Cat Allies.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Do you have a dog who likes to move you from place to place and nips at your heels? If so, you may have a herding dog. They’re also called ‘heelers’ because of the way they nip at the heels of what they are herding.

A herding dog’s primary job is to move sheep, cattle, goats, reindeer or even poultry from place to place. They are trained to act with only a sound or whistle from their handler. While some breeds work well with any animals, others are bred to work with specific types of animals.

Common herding dogs are Australian Cattle Dog, Bearded Collies, Heelers and Sheepdogs.

Competitive herding is a sport which has been developed for these animals. The dogs move the animals through fields, around fences and gates as directed by their handler.  To avoid confusion among the dogs, each dog usually has their own set of commands.

Herding dogs make good family pets as long as they have a job to do. The herding instinct is strong in these dogs, so they may need training to help them curb that instinct.

Click here to watch a short 3 minute video of a Border Collie sheepdog in action.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!