Oh, it happens far more often than any of us are willing to admit. You go out one evening and have a few drinks too many, and the next thing you know, you wake up to find a strange beagle in your bed, wagging its tail, and a credit card receipt from a pet store. Dog? What dog? You never wanted a dog…at least, not when you’re sober. This scenario is enough of an actual problem for some Manhattan pet stores located near bars and clubs that they will turn away customers who have clearly been drinking. [More]
pets
6 Ways To Tame The Costs Of Having A Pet
By 7.5.11
As nice as it is to have a furry, feathered or fishy companion around the house, between food, medicine, the vet and other expenses, it can sometimes add up to a lot of red ink in your checkbook. [More]
My Pet Got Less Legroom, Her Plane Ticket Still Cost More Than Mine
By 6.15.11
Mari and her dog recently traveled by air. While neither of them was lost, traumatized, or killed, Mari found it odd that her dog’s ticket cost more than hers. While Mari got a bargain on her ticket for $240 round trip, passage for her dog cost $125 each way. We assume that her dog is a great traveling companion and surely worth every penny, but the animal still had even less legroom than Mari, being confined to a bag inside the cabin. And she didn’t even get snacks. [More]
Delta Offers Refund, Explanation For Dog Cargo Confusion
By 5.27.11
This is Scruffy the dog. Last week his human, Evelyn, wrote to us about her problems with Delta shipping Scruffy as cargo instead of baggage, not letting her know where he was, and charging an extra $391 at the airport to fly 50-pound Scruffy from New York to Los Angeles. In her letter to Delta, Evelyn said that she would be informing everyone she knows not to use Delta, since it is “most certainly neither a safe nor convenient carrier for pets.” Now, at least, Delta has explained to Evelyn what went wrong, and she’ll be receiving a refund for the full $591 in dog-shipping fees. It doesn’t sound like Evelyn and Scruffy are in a hurry to fly Delta again soon, though. [More]
Get Your Pet Ready To Fly
By 5.23.11
With the number of pet deaths on the rise, 39 last year vs 22 in 2009, pet safety while traveling is very important. Here are some tips on making sure your pet is ready to take the big trip in the sky with you: [More]
Delta Charges Extra $391 To Fly Your Dog, Then Misplaces Him
By 5.19.11
Evelyn’s father booked a ticket for her and her dog to fly from New York to Los Angeles on Delta Airlines. Being a regular Consumerist reader, she was nervous about trusting Delta with her beloved pet, but notes that “[she] thought the horror stories must be rare enough that we should take the trip.” Delta staff told her that her dog, who weighs about 50 pounds, needed to fly as cargo at a cost of $591, instead of the quoted $200. The ostensible reason was severe weather on the ground in Los Angeles. What this extra $391 got Evelyn was a missing pet for an hour, then an upset and dehydrated dog. [More]
Create An Emergency Kit For Your Pet
By 5.4.11
If you had to leave your home on short notice due to a natural disaster or other emergency, would you have a bag of emergency supplies ready to go? While adults and older children can handle packing their own bags in a hurry, members of your family who don’t have opposable thumbs can’t. [More]
People Are Paying Farmers To Let Pet Dogs Herd Sheep
By 3.2.11
I’m a cat person but I have a soft spot in my heart for Border Collies. I would never own one in the city, however, because dogs that are meant to herd sheep don’t mix well with one bedroom apartments. That doesn’t stop some people, however, and according to Marketplace, some bewildered owners of herding dogs are now paying farmers to let their dogs do what they were born to do. [More]
Are Any Luxury Dog Items Worth The Price?
By 2.8.11
Most dog owners try to do everything they can for their pooch without crossing the line into heiress-with-poodle-in-her-handbag territory. But with pet shops and online specialty stores flooded with indulgences for your dog, it’s tough to determine what is worth buying and which are superfluous. [More]
Woman Who Tried To Air Mail Puppy Won't Get Dog Back
By 2.7.11
Many of you have been following the saga of the Minnesota woman who was charged with animal cruelty after trying to ship a four-month old poodle-schnauzer mix puppy to Atlanta via air mail. The latest update: Officials in Minneapolis have shot down her appeal to get the puppy back. [More]
Accused Puppy-Mailer Wants Dog Back
By 2.4.11
The woman who tried to ship a four-month-old puppy from Minneapolis to Atlanta in an airless box using Priority Mail earlier this week reportedly would like the dog back. Will her request be granted, or will the puppy be made available to the numerous people all over the country who actually know how to keep an animal alive and have inquired about adopting him? [More]
Hairless Kitten Freezes To Death After Trip In Delta Cargo Hold
By 1.27.11
Snickers, an eleven-week-old hairless kitten, flew from from a breeder in Utah to her new home in Connecticut in the supposedly climate-controlled cargo hold of a Delta Airlines plane. Her new family paid the airline $70 extra so she would be removed immediately. Instead, she sat under the plane for about 50 minutes, on a 10 degree Fahrenheit evening. When she finally met her family, she showed symptoms of severe hypothermia. They tried to warm her up and rushed to a vet, but it was too late. [More]
Do You Love Your Dog Enough To Buy It A $32 Aromatherapy Candle?
By 1.25.11
Feel like you didn’t do enough holiday shopping for the canine companion on your list? Here’s your chance to atone for your stinginess by pampering your pooch with pricey candles catering to the canine nose. [More]
It's Sort Of Like A Flowbee For Dogs, Except Not
By 11.4.10
My dog thinks that I’m always looking for new and innovative ways to torture her, such as toothbrushes, ear drops, and baths. She should be grateful that I don’t have a Dyson vacuum, since the company is launching a carefully designed pet-vacuuming attachment, which will go on sale in the U.S. in January 2011. [More]
That Halloween Costume May Embarrass Your Dog
By 10.22.10
Before you go shopping for a vampire costume for your Dachshund, have you stopped to consider whether you may be damaging his self-esteem with the getup? [More]
How To Avoid Scammy Online Pet Drug Merchants
By 10.7.10
It’s tempting to skip an expensive visit to the vet’s office when you can just order the same drugs online. Sites offer the exact medications that the vet’s office sells–at much lower prices, without a prescription. It’s not such a good idea, though. Much like buying human drugs online from shady sources (no prescription needed) you may not get exactly what you ordered. The medications that show up on your doorstep could be ineffective, or may even harm your pet. [More]
If You Think Your Dog Will Destroy Kong's Nearly Indestructible Toys, Save Your Receipt
By 10.1.10
Pet owners (and pets) prize Kong brand toys for their indestructible qualities and incredible funness. What happens when one of their toys fails? Mike tells Consumerist that if you want a replacement toy when yours breaks, you’d better hold on to the receipt. [More]
IAMS Sends Coupons, Free Food When Your Mom Can't Afford Cat Food
By 9.29.10
Suzanne writes that when her mother was short on money but needed high-quality food for her sick cats, Iams was a reasonable choice but still outside her budget. So she called the company’s customer service, explained her situation, and was rewarded. She not only received coupons, but she cultivated a friendly relationship with the customer service reps. [More]
