March 15, A Celebration at the Casa
We celebrated March 15, John’s two year anniversary of working full time at the Casa. He previously worked for the City of Federal Way as the Civic Theatre Coordinator for seven years. He worked there full time, then worked at the Casa evenings and weekends. But, the time came when we needed him here all the time! And the canines love “Uncle Johnny!” We are dedicated to taking the best care of your canine, and we work hard every day of the week, morning to night, making sure your doggie is happy, comfortable, and safe.

Casa Canine’s First Annual “Funds for Hunds” Fundraiser this June!
In June, we will be collecting monetary donations for our first annual fundraiser to help homeless pets. As many of you know, Anastasia volunteers with the local animal rescue group, Puyallup Animal Rescue (PAR), and Casa Canine often fosters a PAR adoptee. She knows first hand how great a need there is for financial support of this animal rescue organization. Donations are used for food, veterinary care, and other costs related to the rescue and care of homeless pets. Many of PAR adoptees come directly from The Humane Society, preventing the euthanasia of these healthy, adoptable pets. Please give as much as you can this June! Give us your donation when you pay for your stay, or mail it to us! Make checks payable to Puyallup Animal Rescue. They are a non-profit, 501-c-3 organization, and your donations are tax deductible as allowable by law. And, as a bonus, when you give a donation, you will be entered into a drawing for a free gift basket for your doggie, which will include discount coupons for your dog’s stay at Casa Canine!

Projects at the Casa
Currently, we are working on installing a plant screen in the play yard to provide more privacy for our guests. The terrible wind storms this past winter damaged some of the existing trees and took away the already existing, although meager, plant screen.

We are also in the early planning stages of a new play area just for canines! Our plan is to incorporate into the play field an area that includes an earth tunnel, small climbing hills, sand “digging pits” and a sun deck. We hope to be able to install a water faucet in the field and will then be able to have kiddie pools in the new play area. Finally, we will plant more trees and erect a seasonal canopy for shade.

Make Summer Reservations NOW!
It's never too early to make a reservation. If you are planning a summer vacation trip, don't hesitate to get penciled into our schedule book, especially if it is the 4th of July week!

Casa Canine Forms
Has your information changed? Have you moved? Or does your dog have different feeding or care instructions? If so, please fill out a new Boading Agreement and/or Care Card. They can be found on our Reservations page.

Casa Canine’s Four Year Anniversary is Approaching- Thank You!
On July 1, Casa Canine will celebrate our four year anniversary! Thank you all so much for making Casa Canine a great place to live and work. We love taking care of all our guest canines and appreciate your trust and loyalty as our valued clients!

Reminder:Please Get Those Fecal Tests Done!
Believe it or not, we had four tour cancellations and one reservation cancellation recently because the dogs tested positive for ROUNDWORM or another parasite! Roundworm is one of several internal parasites, and is very contagious. Treatment generally takes a couple weeks. Our policies about contagious conditions are in place to protect your dog and the other doggie guests while here at Casa Canine. As far as internal parasites, our best defense is regular testing. Testing is really the only way to know that your dog is infected. Many people are surprised when they find out their dog is infected, because they did not show any signs or symptoms of an infection. It is not uncommon for an infected dog to show no signs or symptoms! The parasite eggs that are shed in the feces cannot be seen by the naked eye.

So, please, do yourself and your canine a favor and get those fecal tests done. Do them well in advance of your next stay in case your dog needs time to get treatment. Our policy is that we require a negative test within the six months prior to your dog’s stay.

A Note About Tapeworm and Fleas
We have seen quite a few cases of tapeworm over this past year. Fortunately, this is not contagious to the other dogs. However, it is a parasite to your dog and it needs to be treated. Tapeworm is spread when your dog ingests a flea or an infected small animal, such as a mouse. Often, you can see some of the small, white segments on the outside of the feces right after your dog defecates, around your dog’s anus, or dried up on your dog’s bedding. Treatment is easy and usually in the form of one pill that will kill the tapeworm quickly.

Help prevent tapeworm by preventing fleas. As we embark on flea season again, we would like to share some information about fleas. Most vets will recommend a monthly medication to control fleas. However, if your dog has fleas, killing the fleas on your dog is only part of the solution. The biggest part of a flea problem is the fleas in your dog’s environment, your home. Even if the medication kills the fleas on your dog, you still have a problem because the fleas are living in your home. Some good ideas to control fleas include:

1. Vacuum regularly, at least a few times a week. Fleas love carpeting, and that’s where the hatching cycle begins. Treat your carpet with a natural flea control product that contains boric acid.
2. Check your dog’s (or cat’s) coat regularly, using a flea comb to check for fleas, eggs, and “flea dirt.”
3. Regularly launder your dog’s bedding.
4. Consider other flooring besides carpeting if fleas are a big problem.
5. Feed your dog a high quality diet. Fleas are attracted to unhealthy coats and skin. Dry skin is a feast for fleas!

Other Contagious Conditions to Be Aware Of
We would like to remind you that there are other contagious conditions to watch out for, especially if your dog attends daycare. Kennel cough, also known as bordatella, is a respiratory illness, like a human cold. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses. The bordatella vaccine helps against the bacterial form, so this vaccine is not always completely effective at preventing this illness. However, we recommend that you consult with your vet about the vaccine protocol for kennel cough prevention. Papilloma is a wart-like growth, found usually in and around the mouth, and is very contagious to other dogs. Mostly found in young dogs, it is spread by contact with the growths. Usually these go away on their own without treatment, but there are some methods used to help these growths to go away.

Our policy at Casa Canine is that dogs with contagious conditions such as these are not allowed to board until they are healthy. Our goal is to prevent the spread of contagious illness as much as possible.

Casa Canine’s Happy Canine Photos of the Quarter
Click here to see just a few of the happy faces, many of them new, seen this past quarter at the Casa...

Earn a Free Night at the Casa for your Canine- Refer a New Client!
Don't forget, if you refer someone to the Casa, and their dog boards here, you will earn a free night for your doggie! So spread the word!

Adoptees at the Casa
We often have adoptees staying at the Casa in the warm months. We now have three! If you or someone you know is interested in adopting a wonderful, new companion, please check out our Dogs for Adoption page on our website, or give us a call to talk about the adoptees!