We had a great Instructor training class in Columbus, OH, hosted by Cheryl’s Doggie Daycare. Things got off to a bit of a rocky start when we missed our flight but we landed there safely and were able to get things rolling on time.

The biggest excitement was when, on day two of the training, we were interrupted by a tornado siren! That was followed by 45-minutes of calling loved ones (two and four-legged) to make sure everybody was safe. The tornado touched down in our county but all were safe, and we were able to get back to the business of pet first aid.

We want to welcome all the wonderful Pet Care Professionals in our class and wish them all the best in “improving the quality of pet’s lives, one pet owner at a time.”

Posted: June 11th, 2008 under First Aid, Pet Tech News.
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Pet Tech Instructor Training #52 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina went awesome. We had some great Pet Care Professionals, from a Canine Camp to a Fetch Pet Care Franchise.

As my dad always said, “Dynamite comes in small packages!”So even though this class was small, I expect big things from our new Instructors in North Carolina. Each one of them had massive amounts of enthusiasm and are anxious to get started changing pets lives one pet owner at a time!

If you’re in North Carolina, and want to take a Pet Tech class, contact one of our newest Instructors. Some of them are already listed in our instructor directory, and the others will be added soon.

Posted: April 24th, 2008 under Pet Tech News.
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Cindy, Parker, and I have been packing up to head out to North Carolina for the Pet Sitters International convention and Rio got caught up right in the middle of everything.

While we’re in North Carolina we’ll be teaching a PetSaver class for pet sitters, as well as the 3 day instructor course for pet sitters and other pet professionals. It’ll be a busy, but fun, week and we’re looking forward to it!

We’ll keep an eye on Rio to be sure he doesn’t get packed away with all of our demo dogs!

Posted: April 17th, 2008 under Pet Tech News.
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I was the featured guest on Animal Talk Naturally (web site) with veterinary naturopaths, Dr. Kim Bloomer and Dr. Jeannie Thomason. What a blast I had with them. They actually called me “Noble” for doing The Million Petizen Rally. I call it the right thing to do. We covered a lot of ground in the 45 minutes we had together. We talked about how Pet Tech got started, some important components of our PetSaver training and of course The Million Petizen Rally.

Just minutes after the interview I received several e-mails and orders for the book, “KYPH” and a request for the book to be reviewed in Canada!

Listen to the entire show here!

Posted: April 11th, 2008 under Million Petizen Rally News, Pet Tech News.
Comments: 1

We had a fun and energetic group of people at our most recent Pet Tech Instructor training, which we held in Pamana City, Florida last week. During the three-day training, everyone caught on quickly and are eager get moving to train pet lovers in their hometowns!

It was great to see such a wide spectrum of pet care professionals committed “to improving the quality of pet’s lives, one pet owner at a time.” We had a K-9 Officer, Animal Control Officer, Gulf Coast Community College Regional Trainer for the State of Florida, Pet Sitter & 2 Nurses and a Scoop!

Be sure to check our Pet Tech Instructor Listings to find a Pet Tech Instructor in your area. Or, if you’re interested in becoming an instructor, see our website for information on our upcoming Instructor Training classes.

Posted: April 2nd, 2008 under Pet Tech News.
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We were pleased to be mentioned in this month’s AKC Gazette, in an article about house fires and pets. Fires are a major cause of death for pets. According to Pet Safety Alert, makers of fire-safety decals, an estimated 40,000 pets lose their lives in fires each year. CDC estimates that more than 3,000 people died in house fires in 2005, with more than 13,000 people suffering injuries from house fires.

Our natural reaction is to try to save the ones we love. As a result it’s not uncommon for pet owners to suffer injuries or even lose their lives, by going back into a burning home to save their pets. In the Pet Tech first aid classes we teach “Safety First,” which means not putting anyone…pets or humans…in danger while trying to save another pet. So, as the AKC article points out, if your pet is in a burning building, and you are outside, you must not go in to save them. The lifesaving should be left to the firefighters who are trained for rescue work.

While there is no way to guarantee there will never be a fire in your home, the article offers a fire safety checklist of things that may just save your life, and that of your pets. Just a few of the suggested items to have in your home are smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and a pet evacuation kit. Items in the pet evacuation kit include copies of your pets’ veterinary information, a carrying case or kennel, muzzles, and leashes.

For more information about fire safety and disaster preparedness, see the AKC website. And for information on the Pet Tech First Aid & Care for Your Pets classes see the Pet Tech website.

Posted: March 20th, 2008 under Pet Health.
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When the phone rang a couple days ago Cindy answered it and was greeted by a woman with a very pleasant sounding voice. She wanted to order a copy of Knowing Your Pet’s Health. (We love calls like this!) She was cleaning out her desk and came across an old clipping she had saved from her local newspaper. It was the Dear Abby column that talked about the book. Cindy and the caller had a bit of a chuckle over the fact that the Dear Abby clipping was from 2001! Both agreed it was high time that desk was cleaned out - who knows what other treasures may be hiding in there!

And just for the record, here’s what Dear Abby had to say…

“I’m sure your booklet will save the lives of companion animals that might not otherwise survive. I commend you for providing such a readable and easy-to-understand guide.”

It’s amazing the reach that Dear Abby has. To honor her, please save 20% on your next purchase of “Knowing Your Pet’s Health.” Feel free to pass this code to the pet lovers and Pet Care Professionals in your life.

At the check out page, put in code ABBY20 to save 20%! Order today, offer expires March 25th!

To read more about The Million Petizen Rally and get your copy of Knowing Your Pet’s Health click here.

Posted: February 21st, 2008 under Million Petizen Rally News.
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Late last week as my family and I were traveling to Phoenix, we were stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint. During this brief detainment I saw a K-9 Officer walking along the cars (no doubt sniffing for contraband). I immediately grabbed a “Knowing Your Pet’s Health” book from my visor and called the officer over. I handed him the book and thanked him and his K-9 for their service. He gave me a big smile and waved us on thru!

OK…so maybe the book wasn’t actually confiscated, but I always take the opportunity to do a little bit of educating wherever I go. You might even call it shameless promotion, but hey, when you’ve got it flaunt it. And in fact, there is so much in this book that it should be on every pet owner’s bookshelf! No doubt, the border patrol officer is a real pet person and I am excited and honored for him and his K-9 to have copy.

Want to know more about Know Your Pet’s Health? Check it out here.

Posted: February 13th, 2008 under Million Petizen Rally News.
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We have some really exciting news about The Million Petizen Rally & Pet Retail Stores!

We will have a booth at the H.H. Backer Trade Show and Conference, which will be held in Baltimore, MD May 16 – 18, 2008. This is one of the largest pet industry tradeshows with approximately 1,000 booths, and an anticipated attendance of over 8,000 pet store buyers from around the world!

And, not only will we be there with a booth, but we will have the best seat in the house! Our booth will be in the hallway right outside the only entrance, so if you’re at the show you certainly won’t miss us.

We will be debuting our retail display for the “Knowing Your Pet’s Health” guide, and signing books throughout the three-day event. I will also be doing several presentations based on material from the book and the Pet Tech First Aid & Care course.

Ask your favorite pet store if they are attending and have them stop by and say “Hi!”

See the H.H. Backer website for more information about the show: www.HHBacker.com

Posted: January 28th, 2008 under Million Petizen Rally News.
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People aren’t the only ones who suffer weight issues. More and more, we’re hearing about pets who are dealing with obesity, and the effects caused by the extra weight. Obesity in pets can cause a number of other health issues including diabetes, heart disease, breathing problems, joint problems, and more.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention…

An Estimated 45% of All Pets in the United States are Overweight or Obese
An Estimated 25% of All US Pets are Obese

Maintaining a healthy weight cuts down on the associated health problems as well as the medical bills that go with them. Other than the health and monetary benefits, being active with our pets can be a fun way to spend time together.

For tips on how to help keep your pets happy and healthy, subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll send you a weekly tip to keep your Petizen healthy! Not sure what  a Petizen is? Click here to find out.

Posted: January 15th, 2008 under Pet Health.
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