The Petco Foundation is teaming up with Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the comic strip, “Mutts," to promote pet adoption and how “love changes everything.”

Throughout March, the Petco Foundation is collecting photos of adopters and their pets to compile into the largest mosaic mural featuring pets and their people EVER. The mural will be digital but then ultimately be created as an actual physical mural in NYC that will go live on March 25 at Union Square Park.

It’s super easy to participate and those who submit photos are eligible for DAILY prizes including a $100 Petco gift card, a signed MUTTS print, and a coupon for a bag of WholeHearted Pets pet food, PLUS a $500 grant award for eligible adoption organizations!

Here’s the link for submissions: http://love.petcofoundation.org/

The Fourth of July is almost here. For us it marks the official start of summer, and it means keeping an eye out for dogs! Our dog was very uncomfortable with loud booms, and we had to keep Cleo extra close to one of us during the fireworks every year. Before she lost her vision, she also was quick to grab a chicken bone from an unattended plate during our barbecues! At home or out at the park, amidst the fun and games, pet health should be kept top of mind to help ensure a safe summer season. 

Here is a great refresher on summer pet safety, with the top five dangers to watch out for:

Now that you're ready to keep your dog safe from summer dangers, I have a treat for you... it's a giveaway!

Eight years ago today we discovered our dog Cleo at the SF/SPCA and after quickly realizing she was the missing member of our family, adopted her! Today we're celebrating that incredible moment of good fortune, and the success of our first dog adoption with an online party!! And what's a party without gifts?

You're invited to our #Cleo8 Homecoming Party 

To kick off this auspicious anniversary we're starting the party with an eight day contest where you can win one of several really cool prizes, including a limited edition photo book featuring Cleo, the dog of the hour.

Step Right Up! The carnival is coming to town!! A CANINE carnival on the roof top of Wag Hotel in San Francisco!

Do you love dogs? Do you have kids who love dogs? Do you love dogs in costumes?

Today is your lucky day!

One lucky reader will score a pair of tickets (up to $50 value if you paid at the door!) to the June 22nd Canine Carnival on the roof top of Wag Hotel in San Francisco! Bring the family for fun and games including a costume contest for best "Petting Zoo" dog. 

Bonus! This is a benefit for Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) a local nonprofit dedicated to preserving, nurturing and supporting the human animal bond for those most vulnerable in the community. 

This giveaway is open to anyone. Winner should leave a valid email address for notification, and to confirm that you'll be able to pick up the tickets at the door. The winner will get one pair of tickets and will be selected at random by Rafflecopter using Random.org. This giveaway ends at 12:00am ET on Saturday, June 15, 2013. Good luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dog lovers listen up! We're giving away two copies of the fun colorfully illustrated hardcover book, "You're My Dawg, Dog: A Lexicon of Dog Terms for People," using the Rafflecopter below. It's great for anyone curious about all the quotes, proverbs and dog terms used everywhere today. Starting with one of my favorites, doggie bag...

Doggie bag (n) A container for leftover restaurant food, requested by the patron on the understood pretext that it is for the dog. “I’d like a doggie bag for the asparagus, the eggplant, and the chocolate mouse—Bowser’s favorites.”

Hartz® Angry Birds dog toys are back for the holidays! They have four new holiday-themed plush toys for you to collect. 

Want to get your paws on these winter birds for your pooch? We have two different ways you can get your very own set!

It's Giveaway Time!

Want to know one of the best reasons to having a dog? She keeps you in the moment. So much of my focus is on her, that another year of the GrouchyPuppy blog went by, and I almost missed celebrating. Almost.

March Madness I have a great way to commemorate our time together on this blog. Here is a beautiful photo calendar, featuring 18 months of Cleo for one lucky reader. It begins with January, and continues to June 2013. Each month includes a photo of our beautiful GrouchyPuppy muse.

 

Our dog Cleo has always loved squeaky toys. Now that she is older and having trouble with her vision, she takes great pride when she finds one and makes it cry for mercy. While I was at BlogPaws, Hartz Pets gave me an advance selection of their new Angry Birds pet toys.

When I got home, Cleo picked one from the bag, and months later that green rubber squeaky pig ball is still one of her favorite toys. Because we like to share our good fortune with others, last month we took most of the other toys to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. It was a great experience.

Give Fearlessly. It is the season for sharing, and I wanted to offer a fun holiday giveaway for readers, one that lets you give fearlessly. Hartz very kindly put together two special sets of Hartz® Angry Birds® dog toys just for you!

Two lucky winners will receive four (4) Hartz® Angry Birds® dog toys, enough to keep and share - it's up to you, and your dog(s). Some of the toys include:

Many believe that spay/neuter is the key for ending pet overpopulation. Cloris Leachman recorded a great spay/neuter ad for PETA. Over 60% of the dogs euthanized in the City of San Francisco are at least part pit bull, and in March the San Francisco SPCA began offering free spay and neuter surgeries for pit bulls and pit mixes, as part of an awareness campaign.

People everywhere are focused on ending the homeless pet population in creative ways. How would you encourage someone to spay or neuter their pet?

Launched earlier this year, the FiXiT Foundation seeks to find why populations are not spaying or neutering their companion animals. They initiated a case study in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, named “The Island Project,” to test out various incentive programs to entice pet owners to spay or neuter their pets. In March the foundation received a $100,000 grant from PetSmart Charities® to support this creative initiative.