Observations from a Puppy Prom | thepupdiary.com

17 Jun

We have a confession to make. This past Saturday we attended our fifth Puppy Prom! We attended the very first Salty Paw Puppy Prom several years ago – Cubby was even crowned prom queen one year! And now the most recent prom – our friends’ event this past weekend at Toyota of Manhattan. Why do we keep coming back? We love the giddy emotions that a prom evokes! Also, at this year’s event raising close to $1,500 for Metropolitan Maltese Rescue is not too shabby! And a big congratulations to the Prom King and Queen — Mr. America and Gia Marie!

Here is what we saw and heard at the New York City 2013 Puppy Prom!

Whose prom is it anyway (and does it matter)? Part of the fun of attending themed events is seeing how the guests interpret the theme in their outfit design and choice. A “puppy prom” is of course an event for the pups. But matchy-matchy human outfits add an additional entertaining element. It was fun seeing all of the coordinating gowns, jewels, and tiaras. And mom says she probably would have had more fun at her own prom had we been there with her! Some of the moms never had a chance to attend their high school proms. I bet they had more fun at this one anyway!!

Pretty in Pink: Pretty pink fairy tale gowns were everywhere! Another common theme was black. We checked Seventeen magazine to see what they had to say about 2013 prom dress trends – lace, sequins, peplum, asymmetrical, vintage, cutouts, and strapless. For a “unique” option they suggested ombre. We know the designers are always proud when their outfits “win”. Mom thinks someone should produce a doggy designer reality show! Our favorite gown was by Tammy Peace on Pretty Lily.

Cubby's gown at the prom

Cubby’s gown at the prom

To date or not to date?: We found prom dates at the 11th hour. Meaning we were at the Halo, Purely for Pets pop-up shop an hour before the prom where we met 2 other dateless male pups, Buttercup and Lucas. They asked to escort us and we said sure. Some doggy couples had coordinating outfits with tiny corsages. Many dates continued to party even after the event with dinner at cafes and drinks in lounges. We had to leave early for a pet therapy visit.

What’s next?: Just when we think we have seen every possible event on the NYC dog scene, something else comes along! And we like it that way!

Puppy Prom in NYC
Prom King Mr. America
Prom queen Gia Marie

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It’s Flag Day – beautiful flags on dog-friendly South Bass Island | thepupdiary.com

14 Jun

Today is Flag Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official US flag back in 1777. Mom just googled “flag day” to find some historical details. She found an article posted today on 6 Things You Probably didn’t know about Flag Day. (Today is also the birthday of the US Army, which explains the big Army event in Times Square this morning!)

Flag at sunset on Put-in-Bay

Flag at sunset on Put-in-Bay

One of our favorite places to see flags is on South Bass Island, a small island in Lake Erie. There must be a lot of patriotic pups on the island because there are flags everyone – on boats, monuments, and homes! Mom spent her summers on the island growing up and she loves to go back!

Getting there: It is about an 8-hour drive from Midtown Manhattan to the boat dock in Ohio. We take the dog-friendly Miller Boat Line ferry from Port Clinton, Ohio to Put-in-Bay. Adult fare is $14 RT. We don’t bring our car because they have golf cart rentals all over the island.

What to do: You can tour most of the island in a day trip. (The island is approximately 3.7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide.) The annual island pooch parade is this Saturday, June 15 in downtown DeRivera Park. We were welcome on some outdoor patios for dining (it is hit or miss) and we were welcome in most of the downtown shops. Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial grounds are open to leashed dogs. (Dogs are not able to enter the actual monument.) This year there will be many special events to commemorate the bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. During the summer high season, it is fun to people and pup watch! Put-in-Bay tends to have a big party scene.

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial

Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial

Where to stay: Dogfriendly.com lists many hotel and camping options in the area. (We stayed with relatives.)

Day trips: Kelleys Island, another island in Lake Erie, is a fun stop in the area. While more family oriented, it does feature dog-friendly parks, beach areas, and wineries. The Erie County Humane Society is hosting a doggy event on Kelleys Island this weekend.

Put-in-Bay – South Bass Island

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Our unexpected guest at Rescues Rock the Runway | thepupdiary.com

12 Jun

Yorkie911 Rescue has placed over 400 doggies into loving homes over the past four years! Their annual Rescues Rock the Runway event, held this past weekend at the Hauppauge Sheraton Hotel, was the pawfect place to celebrate and help raise money for even more success stories! And truth be told, the Yorkie folks sure do know how to host a great event! Food, fashion, friends, fun giveaways, and over fifty great raffle baskets! A fun day on Long Island for a great cause.

Yorkie911 Rescue - Rescues Rock the Runway

Yorkie911 Rescue – Rescues Rock the Runway

Adopted dogs took center stage wearing gorgeous fashions by Toni Mari Designs, NemiCouture, Chick-a-Bow-Wow, and Vienna Couture Canine. All outfits were available for sale after the runway show with a portion of the proceeds donated to Yorkie911 Rescue. We loved meeting the designers and seeing their fashions up close and personal. PawVogue came out to check out the show and take fashion photos.

Fashionistas at Rescues Rock the Runway

Fashionistas at Rescues Rock the Runway

We had a surprise visitor- a tick! We found the critter on Ginger’s belly as we were leaving. Mom applied a vial of Frontline Plus to Ginger’s neck and the tick jumped off onto the couch where mom caught it. We called the vet who said the tick could start to spread disease only after 24 hours of attachment. He told us to apply Frontline every 3 weeks if we will visit Connecticut or Long Island, where ticks are becoming resistant sooner than the 4-week recommended dosage. Our doggy friends recommended Earth Animal Internal Powder so we will give it a try! Of course, we had just attended a Lyme disease event and mom did not take her own advice! She screamed and flushed the tick down the toilet . . . We heard it is going to be a very bad tick season in our area so we need to get prepared!

We love Yorkie911 Rescue because they truly love the dogs! They are a group of volunteers with a passion for helping pups. They are always looking for volunteers to foster, visit homes of potential adopters, help at doggy adoption events, and other tasks. Join their team for the upcoming Strut Your Mutt on September 28 in NYC– an annual dog walk and fair on the Hudson River!

With Heidi Walker, President of Yorkie 911 Rescue

With Heidi Walker, President of Yorkie 911 Rescue

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Wordless Wednesday | thepupdiary.com

12 Jun

All of the rain sure is giving us some beautiful flowers this year! Here we are on Martha’s Vineyard with gorgeous blooms all around us!

Posing on Martha's Vineyard

Posing on Martha’s Vineyard

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Dog-friendly vacation on Martha’s Vineyard | thepupdiary.com

7 Jun

Martha’s Vineyard is a pawfect location for a long-weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of New York City! We especially like the two words – “off season” – when things on the island are a bit relaxed and not as crowded. The Martha’s Vineyard high season begins the end of June through Labor Day. Here’s how we spent a few days on the island!

On the Steamship Authority Ferry to Martha's Vineyard

On the Steamship Authority Ferry to Martha’s Vineyard

Getting there: We rented a car and drove 4.5 hours from Midtown Manhattan to Woods Hole, MA for the 45- minute dog-friendly Steamship Authority ferry to Vineyard Haven. Leashed dogs are welcome in all areas of the ship except the food stands. The vehicle fare is expensive ($137 round trip!), but having a car on the island is pretty much a necessity if you want to visit all the sites. Book your car ferry reservation in advance. Spaces are limited and it sells out!

Where we stayed: We stayed in the Mansion House hotel in Vineyard Haven for one night. They are conveniently located near the dog-friendly Vineyard Haven beach areas, shopping, the ferry, but they do charge a non-refundable $50 pet fee per dog per stay. Our hotel room rate and pet fee combined was over $400 for one night- yikes! Dogfriendly.com lists some other options. If you have a group of people or are staying for a longer period, check VRBO for options – they do have a filter for pet-friendly homes.

Nancy's walk-up snack stand in Oak Bluffs

Nancy’s walk-up snack stand in Oak Bluffs

Dining options: There are seafood “shacks” with walk-up windows in most of the towns. Other than that, we did not find any restaurants where dogs were welcome on outdoor patios. We were offered to keep the dogs on a leash just outside the patio, but that is not an option for us. We had yummy food at all of the walk-up stands and then just ate at benches which were plentiful in most areas.. Nancy’s in Oak Bluffs had a nice patio by their walk-up stand and did allow the dogs. We ate at Quarterdeck in Edgartown and The Galley in Menemsha.

Aquinnah Cliffs

Aquinnah Cliffs

Activities: Shopping, exploring, walking, beaches — there are lots of fun activities! We were welcome in all of the shops and there are “main street” shopping areas in Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, and Edgartown. We especially loved The Black Dog stores! There are several beach areas and many do not allow dogs at any time. We found the Vineyard Haven beach area to be the most dog friendly. The Oak Bluffs area allows dogs at certain times depending on the season. The state beaches did not seem to allow dogs at any times. Signs are clearly posted at most beach areas with their dog policy. We loved visiting Aquinnah and seeing the Aquinnah Cliffs, but dogs are not allowed on those beaches. They do have walk-up snack stands with picnic tables, so it is a nice stop for lunch and a gorgeous view! Menemsha is a cute little salty stop with a few shops, pretty water views, and walk-up snack shacks. Once again, no dogs on those beaches! We loved walking through the Campmeeting Association campground area in Oak Bluffs! We stopped in Good Dog Goods, a cute dog boutique in Oak Bluffs, and they had tips for us on off-leash dog areas and beaches.

Oak Bluffs Beach Rules

Oak Bluffs Beach Rules

Day Trips: Provincetown on the end of Cape Cod is extremely dog friendly and a great place to visit if you are out on the Cape.
It is about a 2-hour drive from Woods Hole, MA (Steamship Authority ferry terminal). Gopetfriendly.com has a nice review of the P-town area.

You can definitely tour most of Martha’s Vineyard in two days! It really is a beautiful place for a dog-friendly getaway! Have fun!!

Martha’s Vineyard

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