I’m so proud of Missouri - I truly hope this starts a trend with other states.  DON’T buy your dogs from pet stores, off the internet or out of the paper - if you want a full breed dog try www.petfinder.com, local full breed dog rescues in your area or research a very reputable breeder!

Missouri takes legal action against puppy mills

Published: June 29, 2009

Missouri officials have located more than 200 unlicensed breeders and rescued nearly 1,900 dogs since February as part of a statewide crackdown on puppy mills.

To continue reading, go to: http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/06/29/daily4.html?surround=etf

Check out this awesome segment on a day at Camp - our Tampa Airport Camp to be exact….it’s what we strive for every day at Camp Bow Wow - Happy Campers!!

http://groundhog.tv/search.do;jsessionid=641D8440A000A66C76F42D7BA51F41E1?sort=Air+Time&query=camp+bow+wow

Have a Dog Gone Great Day! Heidi

We continue the guest blog of Connie with Camp Bow Wow corporate as she documents her visit to the Colorado State University Animal Cancer Research Center….

 It’s around 2:00pm but physically and emotionally I feel like I’ve been up working all night. I was beginning to feel the mental stress of the day, but had 4 more hours to go. I had just come out of surgery and was on my way into another surgery. Jake, the vet tech, asked if I would be ok as the surgery was much more invasive. They were in the process of removing the entire upper right jaw and teeth of this pup. (the procedure is call a segmental maxillectomy).  

As I stood and watched via a large monitor that was mounted on the wall I was amazed. I started to ask some basic questions like name, breed, age & diagnosis. I couldn’t tell what type of dog as she was completely covered but she was a 10 year old Golden Retriever. She was being treated for malignant melanoma of her upper jaw (maxilla). Unlike the Calico cat tumor, malignant melanomas are much more likely to spread, AND are equally invasive locally (often destroying the bone where they grow).  They could not determine that her disease had spread until the surgery (all tests so far were negative).

At the same time of her surgery a lymph node removal/biopsy was performed.  I found out a few days later even though it appeared that the tumor was completely removed from her jaw, there WAS evidence of tumor in her lymph nodes. Unfortunately, she will likely die of metastatic disease regardless of the removal of all of her tumor. I’m told that her prognosis would be 4-6 months. For now though, she is doing great and has recovered well from surgery.  I was devastated in hearing this.

After her surgery, I help wheel her into recovery. They removed the draping and she was sleeping peacefully. She looked so much like my “Grand Dog Odin”,  I teared up while I stroked her and silently said a little prayer for her. I’m getting very emotional when I even think of her. I was told that she has since recovered wonderfully. I will be following these cases in the coming months and will report back.

My day was coming to an end - I remembered I had picked up some ice cream for everyone on my way in that morning.  It came in handy during the afternoon follow-up rounds and was great way to end a very long day.

This experience has changed my life in so many ways.  I feel a sense of comfort in knowing that there are so many wonderful people out there that really do care about the health and well being of our furry 4 legged family members. I also feel a sense of sadness that we still have so far to go in finding a cure for this dreadful disease.  It has also made me much more aware of my own pup Jason’s health and immortality.

I would like to end my blog by saying that every animal that enters through the doors at the CSU Animal Cancer Center enters at the opposite of the leash of an owner that loves him or her with all their heart.  They are all looking for help and hope. I will be returning to CSUACC within the next couple of months to spend another day as I want to continue to be part of the wonderful work there!!

I will leave you on a much happier note.  As I was saying my good byes and thanking everyone for everything they do, Dr. Christine Hardy wanted to show me an email and photo that strangely she had received that day. It was follow up from the owner of a cattle dog that had malignant melanoma of her upper jaw- just like the Golden. This was over 3 years ago and she has been living a happy healthy life in another state.  Aside from the cute half smile she has compliments of her surgery 3years ago, she is still cancer free! 

Just goes to show- there is HOPE.

To learn more about CSU Animal Cancer Center and how you can help support a wonderful cause please visit there website… and remember- 1 in 4 dogs will die of cancer.  www.csuanimalcancercenter.org

We continue the guest blog of Connie with Camp Bow Wow corporate as she documents her visit to the Colorado State University Animal Cancer Research Center….

It was time to head back into the exam room to speak to the parents of the beautiful 3yr old Great Dane.  We would discuss the prognosis and their options for her. As we walked into the room, the look in their eyes was something I’ll never forget. It was outright fear. The two vet students explained that indeed she had bone cancer. (All the while we’re talking to her parents this 100+ lb Dane was attempting to sit on her mom’s lap! )  

The mood changed from fear to fight.  Ok… this is what she has- now what do we need to do to help give her the best quality of life and best chance to survive. They were clearly not ready to let her go!  They explained, “we just can’t believe it, she’s only 3…we understand that Danes have a much shorter life expectancy…..but 3yrs?!?!”  

After going over their options, they elected to enroll her in a clinical trail for which she would receive a novel drug being tested in dogs for eventual use in humans.  After being treated with this study drug, her leg would be amputated (on day 10 post drug administration) and the tumor analyzed to study the effects of the drug. Paws crossed for this sweet lap dog.

As it was time for a break,  I met up with Dr. Christine Hardy and we headed over to hear Dr. Nancy Kay Speak. She had just written a book called “Speaking for Spot - Be the advocate your dog needs to live a happy, healthy, longer life”. What a great speaker and well written & informative book! I would advise every pet owner to pick up a copy. After listening to Dr. Nancy speak, Christine & I headed back to the room where the clinical rounds were held. We were greeted by Dr Withrow who asks if I’m ready to scrub up for surgeries? How exciting! There were two procedures I had my choice to stand in on. Dr, Hardy thought the 9 year old female Calico cat that had sun induced squamous cell carcinoma of her nose would be most interesting.

This sweet kitty was originally from Belize. Her parents brought her in to have a tumor removed. These tumors are highly invasive but rarely spread to other sites such as the lymph nodes or lungs. Surgical removal often provides a cure, but it requires aggressive surgery—as I observed. The procedure is call a nasal planectomy or a “nosectomy”.   Dr Gall and Dr Withrow performed the procedure.

I was escorted to get my scrubs, mask, booties & gloves by a wonderful vet tech named Jake. Not only is he a great surgery tech, but I was told that he has saved the day on several occasions with his ability to do sign language and help the vets communicate with deaf clients!

He took wonderful care to make sure I was ok and that I was able to see everything that was taking place! And believe me I saw everything. Dr Withrow was for the most part instructing Dr. Gall on the removal of the tumor and a very large portion of the cat’s nose. This surgery took about 1hr. It was a success! She was wheeled off to recovery and has since made a full recovery.  I went from the cat surgery to a much more invasive and much more emotional procedure for me personally-  a 9yr old beautiful Golden Retriever.  Those of you who know me,  know that I have a very special place in my heart for Golden’s. My heart breaks when I think about her and her hopes for recovery.

Stay tuned for my 4th and final blog…..

We continue the guest blog of Connie with Camp Bow Wow corporate as she documents her visit to the Colorado State University Animal Cancer Research Center….

As the morning rounds come to an end Dr. Christine Hardy approaches. Dr Hardy is very accomplished - she has her DVM, MBA, MPH and is Director of Operations for the Center. She also holds a seat on the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation board of directors.  

We then chat with Dr. Perry. Dr. Perry is is our Bow Wow Buddies Fellow and is an amazing veterinarian! He has chosen to further his studies to make a difference in saving the lives of our furry pets.

Between the three of us we then decide how the day was going to play out. I would start with Dr Perry, break at noon and go to see Dr. Nancy Kay who was speaking that day at the center.  As Dr. Perry and I enter the examination room I’m greeted by a 6 year old adorable golden retriever, tail wagging and barking as if to say..Hey I’m here..Come pet me!!! What a cutie!

Her parents had just dropped her off for the day for her last treatment. It seems this sweet girl was not acting like herself.  She had been a little lethargic. Her parents took her to their local vet. He ran some tests and it appeared the problem was her liver. The local vet took an x-ray and noticed a tumor on her liver. Shortly thereafter she was to undergo surgery.  When they opened her up it didn’t look good, the tumor had spread to a number of places on her liver. The vet stitched her up and recommended she head straight to CSU. Her guardians did just that.

The Golden was diagnosed with Hepatocellular carcinoma (usually slow growing and slow to metastasize). She received her first treatment with a human study drug. She is such a trooper!! She will return in 6 weeks and undergo another ultrasound to see if she’s making any progress. As of now she is doing very well- Paws crossed for this sweet girl.

Next up was a beautiful 3yr old Great Dane.  As we walked out to the lobby, I had a knot in my stomach. These poor people! The feeling of worry..it’s consuming when it comes to our 4 legged love ones. We greet them and proceed to the exam room. They had brought along her x-rays for the cancer center to review.  After her exam, myself and the student vet took the x-rays to the room where they conduct the clinical rounds to review them - the prognosis was not good. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of her forelimb (proximal humorus or “Bone Cancer”.   Earlier while speaking with her guardians, they relayed that it seemed her symptoms had come on suddenly. She was fine one day, started limping the next- I felt sick to my stomach. We then needed to return to the exam room and tell them the dreaded news and talk about options.

The only light at the end of this tunnel is they have come to the right place… the place that will give them hope.

Stay tuned for part 3.

Today starts a series of blogs guest written by a special long time member of our Team at corporate Camp Bow Wow.  Connie has been working with me for over 6 years since she left corporate America to come work at my second Camp for a “break” and never went back! She recently spent a day at one of the most incredible places on earth…here’s Part I.

My Day at Colorado State University’s Animal Cancer Center 

As I was making my way north to Ft Collins early in the morning, my mind was racing…what was I going to encounter? I was excited as well as nervous. As I entered the Center, I was greeted by a friendly face - Lynda Reed. As far as I’m concerned, she is the glue that holds this center together. Lynda is the first person I spoke with at the Center, and is Dr Stephen Withrow’s assistant. I had reached out 2 years ago to inquire as to how Camp Bow Wow could help their cause and in the meantime we had built a wonderful partnership.

She greeted me with a huge hug.  As I looked around I could see that the lobby was beginning to fill up with nervous owners – and their nervous 4 legged loved ones. As we walked through the large double doors the change in energy was noticeable - people rushing here & there clutching files of these wonderful, lovely animals. I was escorted to receive my visitors badge and given an official blue smock to wear. I must say I looked very official. I was taken to a room with a large round table with several very large white boards.

Today was a very special day. It was the first day for the new Senior vet students to take over the current cases. The room was buzzing with excitement! Laptops open and hand written note cards in hand, clinical morning rounds start at 8:30. There were 12 of us. Because today was the first day for the Seniors, they started with introductions and then went on to talk about the cases they would be talking over.

At the head of the table was the head medical Oncologist in charge of the team. She started by asking one by one about the patients..”who has Fluffy?” The student responds with details on their furry client…”Fluffy is a 5 year old male mixed bread who was diagnosed w/ XYZ on a given date.”  They then talk about what the plan of attack for Fluffy will be today. (With the head oncologist giving her thoughts and suggestions.)

This process takes aprox 45 minutes. Everyone is very detailed in there explanations. It truly is a team effort. Dr Withrow is also in the room with his direct “NO BULL” spirit and wonderful sense of humor. What a great teacher. I have so much respect for Dr Withrow.  He is truly an angel in my opinion and would probably say different as he is extremely humble! I feel he’s one of the smartest and most compassionate people I’ve ever met.  I bet his thousands of furry clients would put a paw up in agreement!

It’s approximately 9:15 and morning rounds are now over.  I’m now wondering which one of these cases I will be following today. I must say, before even meeting several of these 4 legged patients a couple of them have already captured my heart just based on hearing their cases..Stay tuned for part 2.

You can find out more at http://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/ or donate at www.bowwowbuddies.com

The current recession has pushed the inner entrepreneur out of many unemployed workers. Plenty are burnt out looking for work at yet another corporation, so instead of sending in their resume, they’re channeling their inner inventor and composing business plans. In fact, if an entrepreneur succeeds in starting up his/her business, the outcome could turn the ailing economy around because small companies are big employers. In 2008, According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.8 small companies that had less than ten workers employed 12.4 million people, or in other words eleven percent of the private sector work force.

 However, even in a flourishing economy the odds are not good for an entrepreneur to succeed. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, over 50% of small businesses fail in the first year and 95% fail within the first five years. Drawing from these statistics, we can safely say starting a business is survival of the fittest.

Regardless of our current economic state, if you have been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and are thinking about starting your dream business, you need to consider if starting a business is what everything you thought it would be.

When it comes to jumping into the entrepreneurial pool, some people dip their feet while others dive in head-first. You must determine where you are in your life and how much you are willing to give to a start-up business. Or, you need to calculate how much you are willing to lose. What route to take is ultimately determined by how you answer one question:

How comfortable are you with risk?  Try this quiz to get a gauge your chances of success as an entrepreneur…

http://www.youronestopcenter.com/entrepreneur-test.php

If you can handle the leap now is actually a great time to take the reigns and create your own future!

Giving back and contributing to the betterment of society has always been paramount for me.  I absolutely believe we can create a world where all dogs have a home and we can stop overpopulation.  Did you know there are over 500 Million dogs around the world and only 25% of them have a home?

We have to take one dog at a time and one issue at a time. It’s been my goal since day one - the main reason I started the business was to do something I was passionate about and be able to make a difference in the lives of animals. Our Camps give back through fostering dogs and reaching out to our customers to donate to dog charities supporting education on spay/neuter, animal welfare, canine cancer and canine health. We donate money and time directly to all kinds of smaller organizations and foster dogs whenever the opportunity arises.

We currently sponsor a PhD fellow in canine cancer research at Colorado State University’s veterinary school, and we are working towards funding organizations such as RAVS and VIDAS that go into poor areas in the U.S. and elsewhere to spay and neuter stray dogs. We undertook a rescue mission abroad after our in-house counsel vacationed in Greece, a country with no humane society, and saw how poorly strays were treated there. We brought 26 dogs back over the past year and fostered them until finding them homes. I can’t think of a better feeling and more fulfillment than seeing the dogs play and having fun, especially the dogs we helped find a new life off the streets. I think of the 2,500 plus dogs we’ve found homes for across all Camps and it makes me even more determined to make a difference and grow the business!

 With our for-profit business a success, we brought that same passion for dogs to the non-profit area by creating The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation in 2007.  I found an incredibly rewarding way to honor my commitment to the well being of my beloved animals and to give others a chance to share in that commitment.

Our Mission 


The mission of the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is to promote the health and welfare of dogs worldwide by focusing on finding foster and lifetime homes for unwanted dogs, promoting humane education and treatment, and investing in research and treatment for dogs devastated by illness and disease.

Current Initiatives

Homing 
Every dog deserves a loving home. The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation works with Camp Bow Wow doggy day care and overnight camps throughout the county to provide foster care and facilitate adoptions for homeless pets. Since 2003, we have found homes for over 2,500 dogs—and we plan to find forever homes for additional 2000 dogs this year.

Health 
Working to find a cure for canine cancer is our top priority. In addition to funding a yearly scholarship at the world-renowned CSU Animal Cancer Center, Bow Wow Buddies has launched Lend a Paw for the Cure, a campaign to raise money and awareness for the research and treatment of canine cancer.

Humane 
All dogs have the same basic needs— clean food and water, shelter and love. Worldwide dog overpopulation leads to neglect, abandonment, abuse and suffering. We are on a mission to help solve this problem by supporting spay/neuter programs around the world!

Please help us by spreading the word about the foundation www.bowwowbuddies.com !!!!

If you don’t have passion in what you do, your job will seem like, well…work! It is the essence that drives all top business owners to hit their stride every day. I was validated on this point when I was a guest teacher for a college class on entrepreneurship at University of Colorado at Boulder (go Buffs!) recently. It was great fun to speak about my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned building Camp Bow Wow into a national brand.  I spoke about the challenges of managing teams effectively, protecting our intellectual property, integrating technology into our business, utilizing cash and precious resources to grow the brand.  I told stories of good days - and bad - in the trenches of building a business.  I focused on what would help prevent them from making mistakes that I’ve made and other entrepreneurs have made on the road to success…

I anxiously awaited the questions following my presentation about the difficult and complex business challenges I face daily.  What came instead were questions about the core of our business - the dogs.  It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did.  They wanted to know what types of dogs came to camp, how we entertained them, kept them safe and what the funniest moments at Camp had been.  It lightened my heart and reminded me that at the core of any business started is passion.  It’s not complex - it’s simple.  Do what you love and the success will follow.  That’s why Camp Bow Wow is a success.  All of us on the corporate team, all of our franchisees and all of our staff at the Camps have one passion that joins us and makes Camp Bow Wow work - our furry friends.

Let your passion inspire you in life and business. For me it was my family, and of course my dogs. We don’t have to look beyond our own furry friends for all the important things we need to know about life.  Our dogs are gifts.  They are teachers; they stay by our sides, undisturbed by worry or regret, and show us how to live each moment as it comes.  

The stray dog problem is a truly global issue - at this very moment there are millions of dogs on the streets and in slums, outside in all weather, with nothing to call home other than the bare dirty pavement. Over 500 Million pups on this planet and only 25% have a home! They fight over the limited amounts of food available and suffer from agonizing diseases such as rabies and distemper.  This data is from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)… 

In most countries the majority of stray dogs are abandoned by their owners or are owned but allowed to roam freely. These dogs then breed, resulting in unwanted puppies.

With a lack of knowledge and resources, communities in developing countries frequently resort to cruel methods of population control like poisoning, electrocution and shooting. These methods are inhumane, causing the animals great pain and suffering. They are also ineffective in the long term as they do not address the cause of the problem.

Without resources for treatment and education about responsible pet ownership, the stray population will keep growing and countless numbers of dogs will continue to suffer in the slums.  Some of the issues:

A stray dog on the streets of  Colombo, Sri Lank

• India – At least 20,000 people in India die each year from rabies, spread in part by the country’s 30 million stray dogs - 45,000 of which live in the city of Jodphur. WSPA is supporting the Marwar Animal Protection Trust (MAPT) in a large scale Animal Birth Control (ABC) program to humanely reduce the dog population in Jodhpur. Over the past four years they have caught, sterilised, vaccinated and released on average 10,000 dogs per year. They have also provided education on rabies prevention in schools and through puppet shows in low-income areas.
• 
  

  Girl with her pet dog, awaiting treatment at the mobile clinic in Cali, Colombia

  Sierra Leone – As a result of widespread and extreme poverty, the dogs in Sierra Leone suffer terribly from starvation and disease. Freetown, the country’s capital, has one of the highest population densities of stray dogs in the whole of Africa – around 100,000. WSPA is working with the Sierra Leone Animal Welfare Society (SLAWS) to provide education on responsible ownership as well as neutering and vaccination services to those dogs whose owners have no other access to veterinary care for their animals. They are also working with the local government authorities to help them take an active role in dog and rabies management.

• Colombia – In the city of Cali, approximately 85% of the total companion animal population are owned pets. WSPA’s project, run in partnership with our member society Paraiso de la Mascota, provides humane education programs on responsible pet ownership for children and adults, and a mobile clinic where owners can bring their pets. Before WSPA got involved in 2003, the government of Cali was catching dogs at night and killing them by electrocution. Now the government works with Paraiso de la Mascota to provide education materials and low-cost sterilization to dog owners in low-income areas.