Up, Up & Away to #BlogPaws

I'm getting ready to take off to the airport for BlogPaws.  Will I see you there?

I'm going to try sending lots of Instagram photos out, you can follow me on Instagram at Phoerauf.

I'll also be tweeting, hopefully, and you can follow me there on @PetBlogsUnited.

I'm really excited about is meeting Kevin (MeowMeowMans) & his wife Tracy from Animal Shelter Volunteer Life.  We've been blogging buddies forever and meeting people that I've known through the blogosphere is my favorite part of BlogPaws.

I'm not taking my laptop, so there probably won't be any BlogPaws related posts while I'm gone unless I can find a way to post from my Kindle Fire.

Watch next week for all of the BlogPaws recaps!

Once again, if you haven't done it yet, please take a moment to fill out our reader survey.  It will help Pet Blogs United be the best blog we can possibly make it.

Sushi's Diary ~ New Blogger Alert

Today we have kitty mom Piper talking about her beauty, Sushi from Sushi's Diary.

I've always loved cats. I guess my dad was a big influence. When he was a teenager, a cat saved him. The cat jumped on the bandit's shoulder, startled him and ran away. From then on, we rescued cats from the streets.

Sushi is my first cat, my own pet cat. She just turned 8 months. She is curious about everything. She loves to play, eat and sleep all the time.

I decided to create her own blog to keep track of the milestones in her life. Sushi is also my stress reliever. She brings me joy with all her cuteness. She doesn't need fancy toys. Just crumple a piece of paper into a ball, toss it to her, and off she goes with it to play! She's like a baby to me... my fur baby and I love her to pieces!

Sushi: Come check out my blog. I want to have lotsa friends!

Love, Love, Love,
Piper & Sushi

Stop by & say hello to Sushi & if you haven't already taken the time to do so, please take a moment to fill out our survey!

acd6pack ~ Featured Blogger

Today we are proud to feature the special group known as the acd6pack!

The acd6pack is just that. A pack of six rescued and special needs Australian Cattle dogs. I suppose that I should re-name it acd6pack + one since we recently added a mix breed puppy! (not sure what kind of a mix, she just keeps getting bigger)

The pack is Callie, Bill, Hiker, Brook, Forest, Azule and Breeze. Life with seven dogs is sometimes busy and when you factor in one being deaf, three blind, a neglected now one year old and add two more, well, we have lots of fun!

People often wonder where the dogs are kept, if they are kenneled outdoors. Never! I always say that if I wanted yard ornaments I'd get a plastic pink flamingo. At our home, dogs are a part of the home and while they are crated when alone, they otherwise have the freedom to be wherever they want. This means that the couch gets crowded, the bed gets crowded, there are toys all over the floors and dogs often under foot but I'd not change it for anything!

The pack are just like other dogs except that some have vision, some don't, some can hear and some can't. They all enjoy being outside, going for walks, going hiking, camping, backpacking and swimming.

The best advice I got was from our veterinarian when I adopted Hiker, my first blind dog. The vet said, "Laugh at her. If you don't, you'll feel sorry for her and she won't do anything." Since I am not the "oh, you poor little thing" type, I agreed. Within a few months, Hiker was off on a backpacking trip with two other dogs. We had a great time and have not stopped the adventures.

By creating the blog, my hope is that people will read about the dogs and what it's like having a pack but more importantly, how rescued dogs and those that are labelled as special needs are just dogs that need and deserve love and a home.

Here are three of their favorite blog posts:
#BTC4A - Rescues Are Best
Three Blind Dogs
Family Portrait

As you can see acd6pack is a special group, so stop on by and tell 'em howdy!

PS ~ If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to complete our brief survey so we can make PBU the best blog possible!

Can We Get Your Feedback?

Can we ask for a moment of your time?  At Pet Blogs United our goal is to introduce pet bloggers to each other and encourage new bloggers to become a member of this wonderful community.

We want to provide you with the best information about pet blogging, pet products, and great pet blogs you might not be familiar with.

We want to know what you want.  To that end we have compiled a brief survey to find out more about you, our reader.

It's real short, only 10 questions and the feedback you provide will help to shape the direction PBU takes in the future.

If you would click over to our survey and give us your feedback Oskar will send you tons of nubbin wiggles and schnauzer snuggles! Thank you for your time and for being a part of the Pet Blogs United community.

Pet-Pourri ~ New Blogger Alert

Say hello to the folks at Pet-Pourri, they are wonderful rescue folks!

My husband and I own and operate a dog rescue specializing in the American Eskimo Dogs. We do take other breeds if there is a need and we have room for them. It's called American Eskimo Dog Rescue & Sanctuary of Iowa, Inc. (www.eskiedog.org). We are a non-profit organizations and licensed by the state of Iowa. We are also members of several e-mail lists for American Eskimo Dogs and rescue sites.

We often have folks asking us questions about dogs and other animals, so I thought a blog would be a good way to share the information I do research on. I wanted to appeal to a wider audience than just Eskie lovers so I decided it would be a popourri of animal information. That's how I came up with the name Pet~Pourri. I just started it in October and already have a large following.

Stop by Pet-Pourri today & see what they're up to!

Forever Home Pet Bed Review and Giveaway

Today we are happy to offer a review & giveaway of of the Forever Home Pet Bed set.  Below is some information directly from Forever Home Pet.

Forever Home Pet -  The comfort of home your pet deserves. The hope of home every pet deserves. Forever Home Pet offers soft, stylish pet beds and matching blankets that help support pet rescues with every purchase. Each pet bed, available in small or large sizes, features classic, black-and-white houndstooth print and comes with a matching plush blanket for extra comfort.

Please don't look at the dirty carpet!

Forever Home Pet believes every dog and cat deserves to find its ‘Forever Home’ – and the brand is passionate about supporting that mission by donating $2 for every product purchased to support pet rescue organizations.When you purchase Forever Home Pet products, you can feel good about the comfort you’re providing your pet, as well as the hope you’re giving to other pets in need!

Smells pretty good

The 2012 donations went to Happily Ever After Dog Rescue in Alvin, Texas.

Forever Home Pet is always open to suggestions of deserving pet rescue organizations that could benefit from a donation. I recently told Forever Home Pet about PAWS, one of my favorite rescues. Do you know of a deserving organization? Tell us in the comments for an entry in the giveaway.

This is perfect for my nap, now would you get out of my face with that camera? 

This bed is ultra soft & plushy, something that Oskar took to right away.

Please go away!

Forever Home Pet beds come in small and large.  Oskar is 25 lbs. and the small is perfect for him.

Maybe if I hide under the blanket she'll go away.

The blanket is made of the same soft material as the bed and when it was chilly Oskar was like a diva & loved being wrapped up in it.

DIVA??

You bore me, go away.

This bed and blanket get the highest Oskar rating.  Now he would prefer to nap in this bed as opposed to napping on the couch with us in the evenings.

Forever Home also has a nice blog where you can learn more about them.

Leaving a comment telling me of the shelter you would nominate if you could is mandatory to entering the contest.

This contest is open to US residents only.  Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter the contest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pet Blogger Community Mall! Read All About It!

EXTRA! EXTRA!
Have you heard?

There’s a Mall coming to the Pet Blogging Community!

The Mall Blog is UP! And if you want be in the know, hop on over and choose an option to follow - MallBlogLink 

Lots of exciting things are going on!

You can watch it being built.

Shopkeepers – get on the Grand Opening List! Graphic Artists (hobbyist and professional) – The Mall is sponsoring a Contest you won’t want to miss! Details coming out the first of the week.

Lots of info coming out for everyone. Come on down and join in the fun!