Allison Cafe

Our new sweet girl

Ok, so it has been too long since my last post but once again I have a great excuse. Not only have I been loving my new job and our new life in North County, we also welcomed into our lives a new family member, of the four legged kind. Miss Daphne joined us last week.

New friends

She is a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. She is 6 and a half years old and is the sweetest little girl. But do not let that sweetness fool you, she actually has become top dog around our home; little Miss Hayley follows her all around. They have been getting along great, although Daphne has more interest in food than she does in playing with energetic young Hayley. Daphne’s family was moving and could not take her with them. And although I am sure she misses them she seems to have adjusted quickly and quite happily to her new home. We are so happy to have Daphne’s sweetness and calm demeanor in our home and Miss Hayley is loving having a friend around while Steve and I are at work all day.

Please join us in welcoming Daphne! Wondering how life is with 2 dogs now? Great, but I am sure I will have twice as many stories to share!

Hayley's Sweet Stare

Hayley needs your vote again today in the Canvas Press Pet Photo Contest! You can vote once every 24 hour period until midnight on 3/24. Help us win a free canvas print, she needs 40-50 votes today to get into the top 3, take a minute to help her win! Vote here.

Puppy's First Pupcake!

Miss Hayley had a very special treat today on her 2nd birthday, she had her first Pupcake.

Pupcakes From Cups La Jolla

A local cupcake lounge in La Jolla, Cups, offers peanut butter and bacon Pupcakes. Yum! It came in a small plastic bag and it appeared to have a cupcake liner, but it turns out the cupcake liner is edible! Judging by how quickly Hayley gobbled it up I would have to assume they are out of this world delicious!

Happy Birthday Miss Hayley! It seems like only yesterday we brought you home from Helen Woodward Animal Center.

Vote For Me!

Hi Friends, our furry family member, Hayley, has been entered into the Muttroplois photo contest. You can click on each photo once a day, per pet, between now and Dec. 17th to vote. The pet with the most votes will win the $1,000 grand prize. Hayley is really hoping to win so we will buy her even more goodies! Thanks for your support, visit the link below to cast your vote today!

Click here for Hayley’s page:

http://photocontest.muttropolis.com/photo.aspx?Id=851

It’s been awhile since Hayley shared her latest stories with you, here are a few words from our favorite furry friend.

Wow, what a great time we had at YiaYia and Papou’s house in Connecticut! My friend Buddy shared the electric fence with me and we got to run free, well almost free. If I went too far I heard some rapidly increasing beeping noises, followed by a sharp shock to my neck if I crossed the line. I only had to learn that lesson once, ok well twice, before I learned not to go past the white little flags in the yard.

Buddy and Me

What fun it was to roam the yard with no leash, chase Buddy’s toys and bask in the sun. I even got to hang out at the party for Papou’s birthday and I almost got a bit of chocolate cupcake, so close.

When can we go back? I miss my morning walks with YiaYia. I miss being spoiled by Papou and all my east coast human friends. Good times. But I can’t complain, I have a pretty gig going here on the west coast. Today we went for a walk by the ocean and I got to watch birds and squirrels, run in the park and get lots of attention from people along the way. Now I just need to get my humans to feed me yummy treats like Papou did.

In celebration of Hayley’s 1 Year anniversary since her adoption, I thought I would share one my favorite commercials. The Pedigree Adoption Drive commercials really tug at your heart strings with the shots of sad little faces behind a fence at the pound, but this one makes you smile to see a very happy Oliver in his new home. Kind of like Miss Hayley.

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I thought I would create a fun little photo montage to share with you all. It is a year of memories with Hayley “Bird”. Hayley says that she feels more loved than ever and can’t imagine what her life would be if we hadn’t rescued her 1 year ago today. We love you Hayley!

It’s hard to believe that an entire year has gone by already since that day that changed our lives forever, the day we brought home our little rescue puppy.

My husband had been keeping a watchful eye on the Helen Woodward Animal Center website, and when Hayley’s cute little face popped up, he turned to me and said “That’s her, that’s our puppy. We are going to get her.” And we did. We said we were (more…)

It has been awhile since Hayley has shared her thoughts with you, today we have a few words from our favorite puppy:

My human has been on the computer all day. So, with nothing to do I have been helping as best I can, by sleeping on the futon in her office. This is so boring! Oh, wait, she just looked over and said something about a WALK, and do I want a CARROT? Yes, Yes, Yes, Please! Ohhh, I love carrots. They are so crunchy and sweet. She says the vitamin A in them will help my eyes, and that we need to supplement my dog food with veggies every once in a while. Whatever. Just keep them coming mom, delicious!

Tasty and healthy treats, carrots!

A few words about dog nutrition to support Hayley’s great contribution today. Just like with a human diet, a dog’s diet should be comprised of a variety of healthy, age appropriate foods; but all in moderation. It is a great idea to supplement your pet’s diet with raw veggies in small quantities. Carrots are a great substitute for dog chews or other cookies. I usually give Hayley no more than 1 baby carrot per day, usually every other day. She loves them, and the hard texture is great for combating plaque build up on her teeth.

There are some veggies and human food items which are harmful to dogs and should never be shared with them: chocolate, onion, garlic, raisins, grapes, green parts of tomato plants, potato peels, rhubarb leaves, broccoli and pits or stones from many common fruits. When in doubt about introducing any new food item to your pet, especially puppies, always check with your vet.

I love opportunities to support local businesses, and just to get outside and do something different. Oh, and my Mom and I tried a new cupcake, so that’s always fun too! The Encinitas Street Fair is in its 26th year and is going strong. There is wide array of crafts, artists, food vendors and music. Over 100,000 people are expected to attend the 2 day event this weekend. That’s a lot of people in just a few blocks! I discovered several unique vendors. I loved stumbling upon new things such as BackSeatDriverBaby.com. They had the most adorable handmade baby gifts. Since I seem to buying lots of baby gifts these days, I was so excited to find something unique. I found a baby onesie with a vespa on it, too cute!

Local artists and crafts

Pretty Ladies

My parents joined Hayley and I at the Encinitas Street Fair. Hayley enjoyed all the smells of the street fair. She scored several treats along the way – some offered to her and some she ate off the ground, gross! She met lots of other dog friends; it was amazing how many people had their dogs with them as they navigated the crowds. As a dog owner you relish the opportunities to do something social that allows your dog to join along.

We had lunch at a local eatery, the St. Tropez bakery. We had some tasty sandwiches and an even tastier vanilla cupcake with raspberry filling and white chocolate frosting, the Princess Cupcake. Yum! (more…)