Going on Now: New York Week for Animals

Did you have any idea that the first ever New York Week for Animals is going on right now? Probably not. I sure didn't. There are all sorts of cool events going on in the city and surrounding areas this week. Check out their site and get more information here: http://www.newyorkanimals.org/information.html

They also have a monthly magazine: www.animalworldusa.org.

Find Pet-Friendly Apartments!

Looking for apartments that accept dogs, especially in New York City, can be a serious pain in the ass. Many buildings simply don't accept them, and sorting through various options can take a whole lot of unnecessary time. But one site, My Apartment Map, makes it way easier. Seriously, the site is genius.

Image via arose4u.com

How it works is, you just go to http://www.myapartmentmap.com/pet_friendly/, type in the zip code you want to live in, and select which type of animal you have. In seconds, they list all the pet-friendly apartments in your area. Cool, right?

What I love about this site is that they also promote pet adoption. So, if you're even thinking of adopting a dog in the future, this site can save you a ton of grief in the long run.

When I moved into my building, I had to assure the leasing company that my dog weighed less than 30 lbs. I told them "yes." Meanwhile, Riley weighs 34 lbs. But so you don't have to be a liar like me (and live with the guilt), check out this site first.

More Dog Costume Inspiration

Let's be honest, dogs in absurd costumes never get old. Here, a couple of videos to help you in your planning.

What are Your Dog's Halloween Plans?

There are a variety of potentially horrifying costumes out there for your dog. You can dress him up as just about any kind of animal (cat, monkey, shark); a football player (why, it's unclear); Yoda (if you're a Star Wars nerd); Spongebob Squarepants (if you're mean); or even Elvis (just fyi, nobody will "get" this one). Or, if you're feeling really brave, there are also companies that will match your dog's costume to your own. So if you want to wear that skanky little Catholic schoolgirl number, you can put your pup in a matching plaid mini. (Yes, this really exists. Click on the link.)

I highly doubt Riley will be getting dressed up this Halloween, largely because I couldn't deal with seeing her wear the "how-could-you-do-this-to-me" expression on the beagle above. I also have faint memories of my mom dressing up our Wheaten terrier as a baby and dragging the dog with us while we trick-or-treated, pawing at her stupid bonnet the whole way. Poor thing. But if you're so inclined, below are a couple of sites where you can buy costumes for your canine.

http://www.glamourdog.com/costumes.html
http://www.costumecraze.com/dog-costumes.html
http://www.buycostumes.com/CategoryPage/Pets_132.aspx
http://www.extremehalloween.com/pet.htm

And lucky you, MSNBC just did a story on how to best photograph your animal in costume. Hilar. If you have any images of your dog in costume, please send them in for me to post!

A Cool New Dog Book

There's a new book out that you should definitely check out. It's called Penny the Jetsetting Dog, and it's by a wonderful author named Alexandra Power.

The book tells the story of the author's little blonde dog, Penny, who moved to New York City from Sydney, Australia, four years ago. Since then, says Alexandra, "Penny has traveled the world, from horse riding to the Argentine border in Chile, to getting furious at giraffes for licking her in Kenya. She truly is an adventure dog." (After hearing about Penny's adventures, I started feeling guilty that Riley has only been to places such as New Orleans and Chicago. Poor girl.)

The images inside the book "were painted by a group of children in Kenya who with no formal education who are taught art under a tree in the hope of obtaining an art-related job." What's even more amazing about the book is that 20 percent of the profits go towards creating a high school for creatively gifted children in Kenya.

For more info on the book—and Penny's personal traveling tips—see www.pennythejetsettingdog.com

To buy a copy of Penny the Jetsetting Dog, go to Amazon here.