Friday Finds - The Dog Days of Summer

It's no secret that both of us love animals. Since there are no human babies in either of our households yet, we both tend to heap all of our love and attention on our "fur-babies."

Jen has a lovable Yorkie-Maltese pup named Chloe and two cats named Chai and Shank. Chloe loves to hang at the boutique. And at the tender age of one, Jen is still enduring the perils of puppyhood!

 Monica on the other hand, snuggles up to a sweet, mature 8 year old beagle named Penny Lane and 2 spunky cats named Dante and Raja. Jen keeps hoping some of Penny Lane's calmness will rub off on Chloe...but no luck so far!!

So this summer if you are looking for some great places to hang with your "fur babies", spoil them with cute pet accessories or need a local place to get them all cleaned up...Read on!

Visit Rickena Perry at Fetch.Fur.Love. for all your pet accesories. This adorable and pet friendly boutique features the latest pet fashions as well as practical items like food, dog leashes, and pet carriers. Located in Soho, Fetch.Fur.Love. is your one stop shop for all things doggie. Check out her cute pet beds - some of them even look like couches! They keep your pet comfy and bring style to your living room. She's having a super sale right now with some great deals! And, if she doesn't have what you're looking for in the shop, she is ready, willing, and able to special order you just about anything! Jen recently special ordered a cute little pink paisley harness for Chloe!

Runinng late or working late and need someone to walk, feed, and cuddle your dog? Call up Dayal Santosuosso owner of South Tampa Dog Walking. She is a tried and true animal lover that will take exceptional care of your dog when you can't be there! Going out of town for a much needed summer vaca and don't want to put your pet in a kennel? Dayal does overnight sitting as well! She's friendly and full of energy. We know your animals will love her just as much as we do!!

We realize and appreciate that not everyone is as fortunate as we are to be able to pop their dogs in the sink or bathtub for a quick rub a dubdub. That's where Green Dog Wash comes in! Located in Soho , GDW is all about turning a routine chore into something fun! They have six stainless steel, self service dog washing tubs and use nothing but eco-friendly shampoos and other doggie products. Prices for a self service bath start as low as $12 - and don't worry - one of GDW's friendly staff will be on hand to show you the ropes and help you when needed!

Need something a little more? Green Dog Wash also has an on site groomer, Leslie, and she is phenominal! She's been grooming Chloe for the past few months and Jen couldn't be more pleased with how super cute her puppy is when she picks her up.

The best part? GDW is cage free, so you drop your dog off at their appointment time and Leslie will call you when she's done. There's no wait time for your dog in a cramped cage surrounded by other barking dogs!

Dogfriendly.com We love this website!! It contains info on local dog friendly restaurants, parks, and lodging. Search any city for a list of places that treat your dog like part of the family. Our local favorite...Cafe Dufrain. A waterside restaurant on Harbour Island, Cafe Dufrain has a great outdoor patio that you can chill with your dog while enjoying delicious food and a view of Tampa Bay.

Dogfriendly.com is also great this time of year for us Floridians planning our hurricane evacuation routes. Just enter in your starting location and your potential ending location and dogfriendly.com will show you hotels and inns along the route that will accept pets. It's important not to forget the fur-babies when planning for hurricane season!

It's going to be a hot one this summer! So don't forget to keep your furry loves cool and well hydrated!

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

-- Roger Caras