FloridaPets.net has been online since August, 2002 and we produced the first issue of the NewsPetter in June, 2003! We hope you are enjoying both the Web site and the NewsPetter as much as we enjoy working on them for you, our very kind, faithful readers and subscribers. And we hope you'll continue to "tail along" with us as we grow and develop the ability to bring you more and more information about all that is pet-friendly in the sunshine state!

According to statistics released in May by AAA, the number of lodgings that accept pets has increased by 8 percent in the last year. Now, more than 38 percent of all lodgings rated by AAA accept pets.

Officials from AAA said they think the increase is due, in large part, to the hospitality industry's overall need to get out of the red. We at FloridaPets.net think being more accommodating for the ever-growing number of travelers who take their companion animals with them is a very wise financial step on the part of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast facilities everywhere.

In this month's issue, we feature an event for cats, yes, we said an event for the felines, a "playa-ful" vacation spot in Ft. Myers Beach, a photo of a group of singers who would have made Elvis proud, a few travel tips, tails and more.

A warm welcome to all our new subscribers and a hearty welcome back to all our current readers. We hope everyone will enjoy this one-year anniversary issue of the NewsPetter. Please pass the word about FloridaPets.net and write us with any suggestions or requests. Until next month, thanks for "tailing" along with us and remember our motto: "They're part of the family, so take them along!"

Patricia Collier
Editor

Special Note: If you cannot see the photographs in this NewsPetter, you are missing out on a lot of neat stuff! Some of our readers just can't get email in the HTML format that allows them to view pictures and other artwork, so we've come up with this solution:

You can read the entire issue online by clicking here...

	Featured Pet-Friendly Activity
If you snooze, you'll lose at Catnip Carnivāle By Patricia Collier By popular demand, SPCA of Central Florida's first-ever cat event, aptly named CATNIP CARNIVĀLE will take place Sunday, June 27. Don't be like the kat pictured here, sleeping through all the fun! Presented by FrontlineŽ and HeartgardŽ, Catnip Carnivāle will celebrate the family feline and support the SPCA of Central Florida. Activities of the day will include contests and prizes, expert presentations on kitty care, kitty vendors, a designer kitty karrier auction, raffles and refreshments -- ahhh, a purrrfect way to spend a few hours! There will be plenty to do for everyone, such as: * Decorate your cat carrier and enter the "Kitty Karrier Kontest." * Stuff the ballot box for your favorite cat at the "People's Choice" table. * Stuff the donation tin for your favorite kitty picture. * Have your kitty's photo taken at "Furry Fotos" with celebs Clifford the Dog and Sir Catnip Carnivāle. * Listen as starry-eyed "Animal-ologists" share secrets of the feline cosmos. * Bring your human kiddies and get whiskers painted on their faces by "Enjoy Your Face." Admission is $15 for one participating purrrson and cat (includes one contest entry per purrrson, $5 for each additional contest.) Admission for spectators is $7 and includes two raffle tickets; $3 for ages 12-17 which includes one free slurpee certificate, and kids under age 12 get in free. Catnip Carnivāle will be held at the National Guard Armory at 2809 S. Ferncreek in Orlando. The doors open at 1 p.m. and the event runs until 4 p.m. All cats attending Catnip Carnivāle must be in carriers and their humans must produce their up to day vaccination record before they'll be allowed to enter. Humans, please bring your feline friend in a carrier that is comfortably sized for him or her. Your cat's nails must be clipped and no cats in heat, please. For more information about the photo contest, including guidelines, prizes, and a downloadable entry form, please go to the link below. For more info about Catnip Carnivāle, click here... »

	Featured Pet-Friendly Vacation
Casa Playa Resort Whispers, 'Come Play' By Patricia Collier The facility is wrapped in flamingo-pink paint, streaked with colorful murals by Angela Savko, a local artist. And that's just the first thing that tells you Casa Playa Resort in Fort Myers Beach is special. Managed by Estero Island Resorts, the first two floors of Casa Playa are the "pet floors." And, according to Nathalie Makepeace, Director of Sales & Marketing, pets of any size are welcomed guests. Couple that with the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico as a backdrop and pet-friendly Casa Playa becomes a perfect place to spend a few relaxing days. Accommodations vary from one-bedroom suites to efficiency units. Most units have balconies with views of either the gulf or Estero Bay. Rates are reasonable. While there is no deposit required for pet-loving guests, there is a $15 per night fee if your pet weighs over 30 pounds and a $10 nightly charge for pets less than 30 pounds. Makepeace said Casa Playa Resort enjoys going the extra mile for pets. "We provide doggies biscuits at the front desk and dogs on the beach in front of Casa Playa are fine if on a leash," she said. And they have a doggie station, with do-do bags, making it easy for guests to pick up after their companion canines. There's another beach nearby that welcomes dogs as well, Makepeace said, "It's at 'Lovers Key', about five miles south of Casa Playa, a very pristine area between the bay and gulf." Lovers Key is a must-do even for non pet-toting guests. It's actually a 1,616 acre park and is made up of three other islands besides Lovers Key -- Inner Key, Black Island and Long Key -- all teaming with water activities. There's plenty more to do in the Fort Myers Beach area. Browse the charming shoppes and sample the restaurants of "Times Square" or indulge your adventuresome spirit and take off in a swamp buggy to explore some good ol' Florida swamps. You can also enjoy a dinner theatre, visit a shell factory or tour Thomas Edison and Henry Ford's winter estates. Or, you can simply sit on the beach under a billowy umbrella like the folks pictured here, and work on doing zip, zero, zilch! Casa Playa Resort is the perfect host to an area of the sunshine state with something for everyone. Note: Last night, we had problems getting the link to Casa Playa Resort to come up. They may have been doing maintenance on the site. If you have problems with the link, copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.casaplayaresort.com. If you still have problems with the link, wait a few hours and try again. Contact us if difficulties persist. Thank you. For more information about Casa Playa Resort or to make reservations, click here... »

	From Our Readers
And a Howling Good Time Was Had by All Bruce Cornely and the Baskerbeagles, pictured here without Bruce, live at Howling Acres in Gainesville, Florida. Duncan, on the far right, moved on to Rainbow Bridge in 2002, but has left his three chums, Miles, Molly, and Dequi, also known as Dewi, (the latter also not pictured) to carry on the family tradition. Bruce is a master organist and also enjoys writing and snow, the latter for which we will forgive him if he promises to come shovel our driveway if Northeast Florida ever gets another "spittering" of the white stuff like the one we saw in the early 90s. Seems the hounds were on a roll when this photo was taken. We understand totally. The FloridaPets.net family enjoys the companionship of a dachshund/Bassett hound mix ourselves. We practice guitar daily around here and during tunes by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Eagles, we are accompanied by what starts as chitter chat and builds to downright head-back-howwwllling-it-out singing by the doxie/bassett guy. Then one of our border collies and our pom mix join in for good measure. What a choir! You can learn more about Howling Acres and read some of Bruce's delightful "scratchings" as he calls them, by going to Howling Acres. Check out our Pet of the Week Photo Album... »

	Tips, Tails and Talk
George and Marie Schroeder from Tampa vacationed in Maine last summer and nearly lost their male terrier mix while there. "We wanted to pass along this warning to your readers, "George wrote, "that when people travel to different areas of the country with their dogs, things smell different and if not on a leash, your dog can try and follow that scent and end up getting lost -- maybe even for good." Luckily, George and Marie's "Scooter" was found, but not until the next day and he was frightened and very dirty. There are a lot of different smells in Florida, so take George's word to the wise and keep your dog leashed when in a strange area without a fence. Speaking of dogs and speaking of travel -- which we do frequently around here, a FloridaPets.net reader living in Miami Beach would like to form a "Doggie Caravan" from different points in Florida to travel to Helen, Georgia for the city's famous Okoberfest. Dates are flexible, end of September through November. For more information about the event, check out http://www.helenga.org. If you're interested in joining the canine carpool with your dog and would like to help share the driving, contact Gabriele Ohst-Trappio at apollo14 @ bellsouth.net. Helen offers many dog friendly accommodations (mountain cottages, B&B's etc.) Bookings need to be made soon, as rooms fill up quickly. Note: Type the email address above without the spaces we insert to prevent spammers from harvesting email addresses in our eZine. A tip from FloridaPets.net to residents and visitors alike: If you're spending more than a couple of days in Florida, don't store dog food in the original bag or you could end up feeding your dog more than dog food. Buy an inexpensive plastic container with a tight-fitting lid to keep out "tropical critters of the truly yucky kind", especially in damp, humid weather. Do you have a handy tip, cute tale or talk about traveling with pets? Send it to WebMistress and we'll share it here with other readers of the NewsPetter. Click here for our pet-friendly vacation accomodations directory... »

	Casting Call
One of the neatest things about having FloridaPets.net is all the great photos of pets we get to look at every day! We know we aren't the only ones who go all gaga over the Fidos and Fluffys of the world, so here's your chance to show off your beloved companion. If you haven't already done so, send your stories and/or photos to WebMistress. Depending on which you are submitting, put "Story" or "Photo" or "Story and Photo" in the subject line of your email. We may use your pet's photo in the "Pet of the Week" feature on FloridaPets.net OR we may feature it here in a future issue of the NewsPetter eZine. Either way, we guarantee your pet will get his or her 15 minutes of fame and more! NOTE: Please do NOT send stories as attachments. Either type the story in a text editor, then copy and paste the story into your emails, or type the story directly into the body of your emails. You may send photos as attachments. Thank you for your submissions! Check out our list of Florida animal rescues here and find a pal today... »

	Our Special Sponsors
The "New & Improved" FloridaPets.net Paw Patch Shoppe is Here! A couple of months ago we joined with an online shop provider to bring you some fun items with the FloridaPets.net logo. We weren't totally happy with the idea and have been searching since for an alternative. We decided to do up a little shoppe ourselves. It offers limited items for now, but we'll be adding to it every month. If you have any requests or suggestions as to what we might carry, please let us know. Meanwhile, be sure to check out the new Paw Patch by clicking either on the colorful paw here, or on the link below. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Publish An eZine Like the NewsPetter? This tool is designed to add thousands of opt-in leads to your list for virtually zero effort - and all 100% free. What is it? Copy and paste the following link into your browser to find out: http://www.listinferno.com/?i=1912&c=a4 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Syn-flex, A Non-Drug Answer for Cat and Dog Arthritis "Just wanted to drop you a note and tell you how great Nicholas is doing. You were right....Syn-flex is truly amazing. I have my precious Nicholas back! He is actually starting to run and play again. He also has a gleam in his eyes again. I believe if more people knew of this product that they would surely want to try it." - Dianna, speaking for 15-year-old Nicholas, new Syn-flex customers. As the owners of FloridaPets.net and guardians to both dogs and cats, we try a lot of different products. We recommend very few to others because we're pretty picky. Last summer, our 10-year-old dog, J.R., started showing signs of arthritis. He slowed down quite a bit and we often heard that familiar "Umph!" sound as he got up and down. We started J.R. on a small dose of Syn-flex every day and now, he mostly gets it every other day. He acts like a dog five years younger! We did a lot of research about this product before making our initial purchase and learned Syn-flex is made of natural ingredients and not only helps ease pain, it actually rebuilds cartilage and renews joints. We are thrilled with Syn-flex and think you will be too, if you give it a try. To see J.R. and read more about Syn-flex and our experience with it, visit J.R.'s Story. Syn-flex normally sells for up to $30.00 a bottle and, from what we've seen, around $25.00, including shipping, on eBay. We've made a special bulk purchase that allows us to offer it to FloridaPets.net readers for $19.95, plus a small charge for shipping. If you'd like to try Syn-flex for your dog or cat, you can order securely at FloridaPets.net Paw Patch. Your total satisfaction is important to us and so, if you purchase Syn-flex from us and do not see an improvement in your companion animal's condition after using Syn-flex faithfully for a month, contact us and we will refund your money, no questions asked. Check out the brand new FloridaPets.net Paw Patch Shoppe here... »

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