July 1, A Celebration at the Casa
On July 1, Casa Canine celebrated 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!

Casa Canine’s First Annual “Funds for Hunds” Fundraiser A Success!

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In June, we collected monetary donations for our first annual fundraiser to help homeless pets. We raised $438- not too shabby! Our collection was donated this year to Puyallup Animal Rescue (PAR), and we got a big hug and many thank you's! Click here to view a copy of our letter to PAR. Contributors were automatically entered into our drawing for a free doggie gift basket, and the winner was Ann Mayers, mother of "Mason." Mason will enjoy toys, treats, Earthbath Mango Tango spritz (the kind we use right here at the Casa), and other goodies. Also included was a coupon for THREE FREE NIGHTS at the Casa!

Exciting News- Casa Canine Now Accepts VISA and MasterCard!

We are happy to announce that we now accept VISA and MasterCard credit cards. We hope this will be an added convenience for our clients.

Keeping the Canines Cool in the HOT Weather
We can't think of many hotter days than we have seen in the past few weeks! At the Casa, we do all we can to keep the doggies cool, comfortable, and safe in this hot weather. First, we usually only go to the field in the morning before the temperature has risen to uncomfortable levels. Sometimes we will replace our "missed" afternoon outings to the field with a short stroll to the field during our 8 p.m. potty break. Second, we have the kiddy pool out! The doggies sure love a pool party at the Casa! Some doggies also like to be sprayed with the hose. Next, we keep the dogs in the cool shady areas (the patio or in the tree shade), or in the house, where they like to lay on the cool cement floor. Inside, we keep the fans running. Finally, we keep plenty of fresh water out all day long, along with frozen bowls of water for a cool treat!

	Pool Party!
	Ike enjoys being misted with the hose...

Make Summer and Holiday Reservations NOW!
It's never too early to make a reservation. Summer is a busy time, so we recommend letting us know if you need a reservation as soon as possible. We are already taking reservations for fall and the holidays, too!

Another Note About Making Reservations...
We are happy to accept your reservation by phone, e-mail, or in person. Please remember to let us know what time you are planning on dropping off your doggie, because much of our day revolves around when dogs are arriving and/or departing. Also, keep in mind that drop off hours are 8 a.m. to noon, and pick-up hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. We are open 7 days a week, so please understand that we have limited personal, "down time." Along with the dogs' daily schedule, OUR personal schedule also revolves around peak activity times (like when a dog is arriving). We try to schedule personal appointments and errands during lighter activity times. We really need to stick to our arrival and departure windows for the good of the pack and for our own personal, much needed, "time off."

New (Human) Faces at the Casa

Some of you have already met Angela, our Facility Assistant. She actually started working with us at the Casa last fall. This past month, her sister, Sarah, joined Team Casa as our Facility Maintenance Assistant. These fine additions will help keep the Casa running smoothly and our doggie guests happy! Left: Angela, Right: Sarah

Giardia- A Parasite to be Aware Of
Although most fecal exams do not automatically include giardia tests, we now recommend that you get one annually. We require a regular fecal exam (fecal float) every six months. But, if your dog is especially at risk for giardia, or if you have never had this test done, you should do so. We have recently been made aware of a few cases, found when fecal testing was done for new clients prior to taking a tour at Casa Canine. Your dog is especially at risk if they swim in and drink possibly contaminated water sources, like ponds, lakes, streams, and puddles, or play in parks and other areas where dogs defecate. There are several problematic issues involved when dealing with this protozoal disease. First, it is difficult to diagnose. Most dogs do not show any symptoms of infection. Testing may require serial samples (several samples over several days) to determine if this small organism is present. Next, there is controversy about treatment: when to treat (ex. should asymptomatic dogs be treated) and what treatment to use. Finally, there are several different treatments, but efficacy seems questionable in all of them. Our philosophy is to test regularly, get treated when necessary, and do what you believe is in the best interest of your dog. Bottom line, there is no possible way to fully prevent your dog from taking the risk of getting these types of infections if you want them to have a social life full of other dog friends. Like we always tell people, "when you send your child to school, they will probably at some point come home with a cold." When your dog interacts with other dogs, whether at daycare, at a dog park, or even at Casa Canine, there is no way to fully prevent them from possibly becoming infected with a contagious condition.

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...

Projects at the Casa
Anastasia installed a Welcome Garden at the entry to the property. We hope you enjoy it.
We are still 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. We hope to start this project this fall season.

Adoptees at the Casa
Are you thinking of getting another dog? Please consider adopting!! Remember, we often have adoptees staying at the Casa in the warm months. We now have two! 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! Also, check out petfinder.com to see all the wonderful animals seeking a forever home!

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