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Or call us at 945-6841

In This Issue

• Green Acres 2013 Calendars - $243 in Coupons!
• Please Vote for Us. – Best of Surveys
• Upcoming EventsPet Health - The Importance of Dental Care for Pets
  • Screening: Tough Love: A Meditation on Dominance Dogs, February 9^th - 2PM
• Featured Dog Food – Innova Prime
• Featured Cat Food – Evo for Cats
• Featured Treats – Bravo Raw Bones
• Featured Products – Dental HealthFeatured Product – The ThunderShirt
  • Wysong DentaTreat
  • TropiClean Fresh Breath
• Save When You Have Your Pet Groomed When Boarding
• New Boarding, Daycare & Grooming Rates Effective March 1st
• The Importance of Spaying & Neutering Your Pet
• Woof Meow Show Now Available As Podcasts
• Kennel NewsTune in to The Woof Meow Show
  • Staff Champions
  • Staff Anniversaries
• Find Us on the Internet
• Coupons

Green Acres 2013 Calendars - $243 in Coupons!

We have a limited number of our 2013 photo contest calendars for sale at $20 each. If you don’t need a 2013 calendar, think of it as a coupon book! Every calendar includes 2 coupons for every month, and all 24 coupons combined have a total value of $243. The coupons cover the full gamut of our offerings, including; b.f.f., California Natural, Innova, Evo, Natural Planet Organic, NutriSource, Pure Vita and Weruva pet foods, frozen raw food and bones, grooming, boarding, dental care products, dog and cat toys, collars and leashes, treats, and even training classes. Enjoy a calendar with some fantastic pet photos and coupons that will save you money!

Please Vote for Us – Best of Surveys

Once again it's time to vote for the best businesses in the greater Bangor area in the annual survey by Market Surveys of America. We'd appreciate it if you would consider voting for Green Acres Kennel Shop in the following four categories; 1) Best Dog Trainer, 2) Best Kennel, 3) Best Pet Groomer and 4) Best Pet Store. All you need to do to vote is to go to this website http://www.bestofsurveys.com/, click on “Vote” and select “Bangor, ME.” Thanks!

Upcoming Events

Screening: Tough Love: A Meditation on Dominance Dogs, 
February 9^th, 2013 -2PM

Please join us as and filmmaker Chad Montrie when we host a screening of Tough Love: A Meditation on Dominance and Dogs. This documentary film examines the history of the dominance construct and the theory of pack hierarchy and the “alpha dog” in the dog training world. The film looks at how these flawed theories came about and how there has been a resurgence in this approach by some celebrity “trainers”, even though it is contraindicated by science. The film includes interviews with a wide variety of dog experts (Gail Fisher, Paul Owens, Dr. Sophia Yin, Nicole Wilde, and others) who describe their own cathartic moment when they realized that being dominant towards their dogs was not only unnecessary but was often damaging to the relationship between dog and person. Professor Montrie and members of the Green Acres Kennel Shop training staff will be on hand to answer questions at the conclusion of the film. You can learn more about this film by listening to the podcast of our interview with Professor Montrie (http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2013-01-26-Tough_Love_Chad_Montrie.mp3
) or by visiting the films website: http://www.anchorholdfilms.com/#

Pet Health - The Importance of Dental Care for Pets

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) periodontal disease is the most commonly diagnosed problem in dogs and cats, and while 80% of people brush their own teeth every day, most do not do the same for their pets. Periodontal disease is a disease of the gums; it can lead to infections of the mouth. Left unchecked, the bacteria causing these infections can spread through the bloodstream and cause life-threatening conditions. Infections from periodontal disease have been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other life threatening disorders as well as tooth loss. The AVMA estimates that by age two, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have some form of periodontal disease.

Some common signs of dental disease in pets are; bad breath, reluctance to chew or crying out when chewing, increased salivation, red and/or puffy gums, bleeding gums, a buildup of tartar/calculus on the teeth, and missing or loose teeth.

Your veterinarian will typically examine your pet's mouth and teeth during a routine physical exam. This is one reason why a through annual exam is so important for every pet. If necessary, the veterinarian may recommend a dental cleaning. This procedure requires general anesthesia. During the procedure the pet's teeth and gums will be thoroughly examined, scaled and polished. If a problem tooth is found, it may need to be extracted.

The best way to minimize professional cleanings at your veterinarian is to keep your pet’s teeth clean by home dental care. This can include brushing your pet's teeth (the general rule seems to be at least every 48 hours to be effective) or using special treats and or supplements to help keep teeth clean. There is an urban myth that feeding only dry food will keep your pet’s teeth clean and it is just that - a myth. Cats teeth may in fact benefit greatly from having canned (wet) food in their diet.

Featured Dog Food – Innova PRIME

Natura’s Innova Prime formulas have been developed to address the need for a grain-free dog food based on a high-quality, animal-based protein exclusively sourced from a single category, such as poultry, or red meat or fish. All Innova PRIME formulas include real fruits and vegetables like farm-fresh apples and carrots. There are three Innova PRIME formulas; Grain Free Chicken & Turkey, Grain Free Salmon & Herring, and Grain Free Beef & Lamb Meal. The Innova PRIME formulas are appropriate for dogs of ALL life stages, including puppies, which is not always the case for grain-free formulas. In the case of large breed puppies, the Grain Free Salmon & Herring formula is recommended.

Check the coupons below for a special offer on Innova PRIME

Featured Cat Food – Evo for Cats

Natura’s line of Evo grain-free foods are one of our most popular products for cats. Since our cats are carnivores, it only makes sense that EVO’s high-animal protein content is a “purrrrrrfect” nutritional choice. Available in  three dry formulas (Turkey & Chicken Formula Dry Cat & Kitten Food, , Herring & Salmon Formula Dry Cat Food and Weight Management Dry Cat Food) and four canned formulas (95% Chicken & Turkey Canned Cat Food, 95% Beef Canned Cat Food, 95% Venison Canned Cat Food, and 95% Duck Canned Cat Food) Evo is a natural choice for any cat.

We stock the Chicken & Turkey and Beef cans the Venison and Duck cans may be special ordered by the case.

Check the coupons below for a special offer on Evo for Cats

Featured Treats – Bravo Raw Bones

There are some folks that feed their pet a diet of raw food or at least use raw bones as a way of keeping a dog's teeth clean and healthy. Please note that not all veterinarians are comfortable with this practice, nor is it a good practice if you have a dog with food guarding issues.  We, however, have routinely fed raw bones over the years and our dogs have loved them and we believe they have contributed to better dental health. Here at Green Acres, we sell Bravo Raw Bones in the store because we feel they offer a superior product to what you might get at the supermarket.  Before feeding raw bones you might want to review this article on the Bravo website - 

http://www.bravorawdiet.com/product/bones/ChoosingBones&;;Chews.html

Check the coupons below for a special offer on Bravo Raw Bones

Featured Products - Dental Health

February is National Pet Dental Health Month so we are featuring three of our favorite products that can be used to help keep your pet’s teeth clean and healthy.

Wysong DentaTreat™

Paula and I have been using DentaTreat™ with our pets since it first came out several years ago. We will be the first to admit that we are not very diligent about brushing our pets’ teeth. It's a difficult habitat to establish and so easy to break. That's what makes DentaTreat perfect for people like us - you just sprinkle it on your pet's food at every meal and... voila! The dental-active natural cheeses, minerals, and apple polyphenols in DentaTreat go to work, keeping their mouths clean and healthy. Yeah, we know... that sounds way too good to be true, but the fact is when we use DentaTreat with the fur kids it has greatly reduced our need for cleanings at the veterinarians. If you want all of the technical details, you can read more at - http://bit.ly/yxM1Oj

Check the coupons below for a special offer on Wysong DentaTreat

TropiClean Fresh Breath

TropiClean's line of fresh breath products are one way you can keep your pet’s breath fresh and fight periodontal disease without brushing. 93% of users of the Fresh Breath line have reported cleaner teeth in less than two weeks and 86% have noticed better breath in less than one week.

Fresh Breath Clean Teeth Gel for dogs and cats works fast and naturally with no brushing required. You simply apply directly to the teeth daily. Typically you can reduce application to two times per week after the first 30 days. Alternatively you might wish to try Fresh Breath Instant Fresh Foam which helps keep your dog’s teeth clean when used daily.

Fresh Breath LiquidFloss + TriFlossBall is a product which uses your dog’s natural instincts to chew and play to help keep their teeth clean. You simply spray LiquidFloss on the TriFlossBall, or any rope toy, and initiate a game of tug-o-war. The unique polymer material used in the TriFlossBall helps remove harmful bacteria and food particles that accumulate on your dog’s teeth while massaging their gums and flossing their teeth.

Fresh Breath Water Additive provides cats and dogs with essential daily oral hygiene, promoting healthy gums and fresh breath for up to 12 hours.  You simply add one capful of the additive to your pet’s 160z water bowl every time you refill it.

Check the coupons below for a special offer on Fresh Breath Clean Teeth Gel

Featured Product – The Thundershirt

The ThunderShirt can be a very useful tool for reducing and even eliminating dog anxiety caused by fear of thunder or fireworks, separation or travel, and even generalized anxiety.

The ThunderShirt uses gentle, constant pressure which has a calming effect on the nervous system similar to the manner in which veterinarians use pressure to relax cattle during administration of vaccinations or pressure shirts are used with children with behavioral problems.

When we first heard of the ThunderShirt we were skeptical. We had tried a similar product in the past which was not only difficult to put on the dog, but did not seem to have the desired effect. For the last year we have been selling the ThunderShirt and love what we are seeing. We have had clients come in reporting that their dog, who previously was extremely reactive to other dogs which made walking an ordeal, was much calmer and more manageable anytime he wore the Thundershirt and can now pass by dogs on the street with no problems. Additionally we have staff members who use the shirt on their dogs and they report that in a storm, their dogs no longer shake pace or tremble and in fact will lie down and simply sleep.

While its level of effect varies from dog to dog and situation to situation, there is no question that we are skeptics no longer.

Check the coupons below for a special offer on a ThunderShirt

Save When You Have Your Pet Groomed When Boarding

Did you know that if you have your dog groomed when boarding with us, you will not be charged for your dog’s last day of boarding? That’s effectively a $20 to $25 discount off your dog’s grooming. When you request that your dog be groomed during boarding, they will be groomed the last day of their scheduled stay and will be ready to pick-up mid-afternoon.

New Boarding, Daycare and Grooming Rates

Effective March 1st

It’s been four and a half years since we increased our boarding and daycare rates. Since then our utility, heating, insurance, supply, and labor costs have risen significantly. As a result we will be raising our boarding, daycare and grooming rates so that we can continue to provide you and your pets with the quality of service you expect.

Boarding for Dogs

Whereas in the past we have charged for playtimes and snuggle times, the basic rate for a dog will now include one playtime of your choice; individual play, group play or snuggle time. You may add on additional plays at the cost of $2.50 per session.

*Dogs boarding in the same kennel must reside together in the same household and must be able to eat beside one another. Green Acres Kennel Shop reserves the right to board animals separately should they feel it is in the best welfare of the animals to do so. If animals need to be boarded separately, you will be charged for individual kennels.

Boarding for Cats

Our spacious cat kennels allow for ample room for your cat to move around and play or just hang out while here. We have a large playroom filled with cat furniture that is used to rotate our boarding cats through on a daily basis; the opportunity to spend a day in the playroom is included with the basic rate. Some cats need a day or two to acclimate, so staff will determine when they are ready to go into the playroom.

*Cats boarding in the same kennel must reside together in the same household and must be able to eat beside one another. Green Acres Kennel Shop reserves the right to board animals separately should they feel it is in the best welfare of the animals to do so. If animals need to be boarded separately, you will be charged for individual kennels.

Daycare for Dogs

Doggie daycare will continue to include 2 group play sessions as well as a stuffed Kong midday, and accommodation in a full indoor/outdoor boarding run when not playing. Day care is for well-socialized dogs that just need to burn off a little extra energy during the week. Our daycare hours are from 7:00am to 6:00pm.

Grooming for Dogs & Cats

You can expect a modest increase in our base grooming rates for dogs and cats of approximately $1.00. We will be continuing to offer our frequent groomer discount; if your pet is groomed every 6 weeks or less, you will receive 10% off the cost of the total grooming.

Due to the high degree of variability in grooming prices which are based upon breed, size, condition, behavior and specific style it is difficult to give exact quotes. Please feel free to contact us if you for base rates and ranges for your specific pet.

The Importance of Spaying and Neutering Your Pet

By: Stacey R. Coventry, BHS Public Relations Manager

With Suzan Bell and Dr. Mark Hanks 

It happens everywhere. In every community and in every state, there is a pet overpopulation problem resulting in a high number of homeless animals. In the U.S., there is an estimated 6-8 million homeless animals entering animal shelters every year. Only half of these animals are adopted, according to the ASPCA (the Animal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

The Bangor Humane Society (BHS) alone takes in over 5,000 animals a year. Two-thirds of those animals are cats. The reality is that every time an unneutered dog finds his way out of his yard to visit the female dog down the street, or the indoor/outdoor cat comes home pregnant once again, the result is often another unwanted litter of dogs or cats. Even if they are placed into homes, it is still possible for them to end up in shelters once they become too much responsibility or they reproduce the next generation of homeless puppies or kittens.

Reducing the number of unwanted pets in the U.S. is the most significant societal benefit that spaying and neutering our pets can have. By reducing the pet overpopulation problem, we alleviate the strain and burden placed on shelters nationwide. Consider this; one unspayed female cat that produces an average of three litters a year with 4.5 kittens in each litter will produce 91,511,383 cats in just a seven year time frame. One unspayed female dog and her puppies can produce over 67,000 dogs in just six years. It is just as important to spay or neuter pet rabbits. Rabbits reproduce faster than dogs or cats and often end up in shelters as well.

At this rate, shelters easily reach capacity and become overwhelmed with unwanted pets. The reality is there just aren’t enough homes for all these pets. This puts and overwhelming strain on shelters, forcing them to make hard decisions, like ones often resulting in euthanasia.

Fortunately, for BHS, the current pet population issue has not yet put them in a position in to make life and death decisions based on time or space. But, staff fear that can easily change in the future, if individuals don’t begin taking responsibility to spay/neuter their pets.

“If we truly respected and honored our pets, then we would all take responsibility to spay/neuter our own pets to ensure that every pet has a home,” says Suzan Bell, Executive Director of the Bangor Humane Society. “That is our responsibility as a pet owner and as society who claims to care so deeply for its animals.”

Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs, cats and rabbits. Spaying/neutering every pet not only has a significant societal impact, but many medical benefits for pets as well.

Spaying—removing the ovaries and uterus of a female pet—is a veterinary procedure that requires minimal hospitalization and offers lifelong health benefits. Neutering—removing the testicles of your male dog or cat—will vastly improve your pet’s behavior and keep him close to home.

According to Dr. Mark Hanks, DVM of Kindred Spirits, the medical advantages of spaying your female pets is a reduction in breast cancer. Dogs that are never spayed have a 1 in 4 chance of developing breast tumors. If they are spayed before their first heat, the chance is less than 1 in 1000. Also, spaying eliminates heat cycles and potential for uterine infection and significantly reduces the risk of ovarian cancer.

Furthermore, Dr. Hanks states that there are also several medical advantages of neutering male pets. Neutered males are less likely to roam and have trauma or injuries resulting from fights with other animals.  Neutering also eliminates male marking behavior and the development of testicular cancer, and reduces prostate disease.

Additionally, Dr. Hanks eases pet owners’ concerns about the recovery of pets after they undergo spay/neuter surgery. Newer anesthetics and under the skin sutures allow for a safer surgery with a quicker recovery period. Also, the younger a pet undergoes the surgery, the faster and easier he/she will bounce back.

The Humane Society of the United States has recognized the medical and social benefits of spay/neuter and has designated the month of February as spay/neuter month to help educate the public. While each pet adopted from the Bangor Humane Society is spayed and neutered, BHS has also committed to participate in public spay/neuter awareness not just in February, but year round.                                         

BHS was recently awarded over $20,000 in grant dollars from the Belvedere Animal Welfare Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, and from other generous local foundations to be disbursed to qualifying individuals through vouchers to spay/neuter their cat or dog through the participating veterinarians in the local area.

The State of Maine has also developed a website, www.spaymaine.org to gather information on statewide spay/neuter initiatives and low-cost spay neuter programs for individuals.

By spaying and neutering your pet or helping to raise awareness on the pet overpopulation dilemma, you too can become an important part of the solution.

Woof Meow Show Now Available As Podcasts

The latest episodes of the Bangor region’s show all about pets, The Woof Meow Show, are now available as podcasts at: http://woofmeowshow.libsyn.com/webpage. If you can’t catch the show on WVOM or WVQM you can listen to it on your computer or download shows so you can listen to them on your mp3 player or smart phone. We will be loading some of the older shows from our back catalog as time permits. Give a listen and let us know what you think!

Kennel News

Staff Champions

Every month the Green Acres staff chooses two Staff Champions; someone who has done an exceptional job and someone who has publicly recognized another employee for doing an exceptional job. Hearty congratulations and thank you to our latest champions!

December – Jessica H. & Amber T.

February Staff Anniversaries

Green Acres is very fortunate to have many staff members who have been with us for several years. We thank them for their service!

Tracy Haskell – Lead Instructor – 6 years

Tune in to The Woof Meow Show

The Woof Meow Show airs twice a week – 
7:30AM on Saturdays and 8:30PM on Sundays
 on WVOM 103.9FM and WVQM 101.3FM.

• 2FEB13-3FEB13 – Training Tips - Jumping Up, Sit & Down
• 9FEB13-10FEB13 –  The Benefits of Spaying/Neutering Your Pet with Dr. Mark Hanks of Kindred Spirits Veterinary Clinic
• 16FEB13-17FEB13 – The Importance of Pet Dental Health with Dr. Mark Hanks of Kindred Spirits Veterinary Clinic
• 23FEB13-24FEB13 – Pet Personality Profile: Interview with Dr. Michael McCaw of Veazie Veterinary Clinic
• 2MAR13-3MAR13 – ENCORE: Green Acres 2013 Training Classes (Original Air Date 15DEC12)
• 9MAR13-10MAR13 – Feeding A Raw Diet – Interview with Steve’s Real Food for Pets – part 1
• 16MAR13-17MAR13 – Feeding A Raw Diet – Interview with Steve’s Real Food for Pets – part 2
• 23MAR13-24MAR13 – Cat Friendly Veterinary Care with Dr. Michael McCaw of Veazie Veterinary Clinic

Find Us On the Internet

Green Acres Website – www.greenacreskennel.com

Green Acres FaceBook – www.facebook.com/GreenAcresKennelShop

Bach Flowers for Pets Website- www.greenacreskennel.com/bach-flowers-for-pets

Bach Flowers for Pets FaceBook - www.facebook.com/BachFlowersForPets

Woof Meow Show FaceBook – www.facebook.com/WoofMeowShow

Woof Meow Show Podcast Website – http://woofmeowshow.libsyn.com/webpage

Friends of Furry Friends Food Bank FaceBook - www.facebook.com/GAKS.FFFFB

February Coupons

Innova PRIME for Dogs

$2.00 Off Any 5lbs Bag Innova Prime Dry Dog Food

GN-0213-01 

OR

$4.00 Off Any 12lbs Bag Innova Prime Dry Dog Food

GN-0213-08 

OR

$6.00 Off Any 25lbs Bag Innova Prime Dry Dog Food

GN-0213-09 

Coupon must be printed and presented in its entirety at time of redemption. 
One coupon per family. Not valid with other coupons, discounts or special offers.
This coupon valid until February 28, 2013.

Evo for Cats

$2.00 Off A 2.2lbs Bag Evo Cat Food

GN-0213-02 

OR

$4.00 Off A 6.6lbs Bag Evo Cat Food

GN-0213-10 

OR

$6.00 Off A 15.4lbs Bag Evo Cat Food

GN-0213-11 

Coupon must be printed and presented in its entirety at time of redemption. 
One coupon per family. Not valid with other coupons, discounts or special offers.
This coupon valid until February 28, 2013.

Bravo Raw Bones

$0.50 OFF any bone, purchase up to six

GN-0213-03 

Coupon must be printed and presented in its entirety at time of redemption. 
One coupon per family. Not valid with other coupons, discounts or special offers.
This coupon valid until February 28, 2013.

 Wysong DentaTreat

$3.00 OFF a 10oz. Wysong DentaTreat

 GN-0213-04 

OR

$1.00 OFF a 3oz. Wysong DentaTreat

GN-0213-05

Coupon must be printed and presented in its entirety at time of redemption. 
One coupon per family. Not valid with other coupons, discounts or special offers.
This coupon valid until February 28, 2013.

TropiClean Fresh Breath Product

20% Off Any TropiClean Fresh Breath Product

 GN-0213-06

Coupon must be printed and presented in its entirety at time of redemption. 
One coupon per family. Not valid with other coupons, discounts or special offers.
This coupon valid until February 28, 2013.

 ThunderShirt

$5.00 Off Any Size Thundershirt

 GN-0213-07

Coupon must be printed and presented in its entirety at time of redemption. 
One coupon per family. Not valid with other coupons, discounts or special offers.
This coupon valid until February 28, 2013.

Published by
Green Acres Kennel Shop
1653 Union Street
Bangor, ME 04401-2204
207-945-6841
www.greenacreskennel.com