Adoptable Pet of the Week!!

Bark ATL's adoptable pet of the week is Chickie. This sweet pup is about 4 months old and is a fluffy bundle of love. She appears to be a Chow / Collie mix and her fur is as soft as a baby bunny's. Chickie was found at a Chick-Fil-A - hence her name. She lives in a foster home with other dogs and cats and seems to adore both. 

 She has excellent house manners and does very well in her crate. If the size of her paws are any indication, she's going to be a big girl as an adult. She's very smart and already learned how to sit after just a day. Chickie is very much a puppy and is learning when it's appropriate to use her puppy teeth and when it isn't. Because of this, we recommend that she goes to a home with no children under the age of 12. She is fully vetted, spayed and microchipped.

More information about this sweet girl can be found on Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends Facebook page. Please repost this on your page, send out a tweet, email your friends and shout it from the rooftops. Let's help find this baby her forever home!!

Meet Bark ATL's Staff: Aidan!

So this will be a short post because Aidan won't show his face for any pictures!! I'm sure most of you know Aidan by now anyway since he has been here for over a year. Here he is as a baby!

Aidan's the guy with the long blond hair! I did manage to sneak a shot in the other day. Shhhhhhhh, don't tell him!

Aidan is our morning shift big dog handler although you might see him in the afternoon from time to time. He is the proud owner of a shepherd mix named Echo. 

Aidan loves working with dogs because they all have their own unique personality. When he is not at Bark ATL he likes to spend his time pet sitting, camping, hiking, reading, watching movies, and working on his own independent films/videos.

Bark ATL's Little Student of the Week: Bella G!!

Are you ready to see something adorable that will make you smile? Then read on cuz it's time for Bark ATL's little pup student of the week. This week our star student is Bella G!! Her mom said that after MANY trips to the Atlanta Humane Society, a little terrier mix caught their eye. Who could resist that face...and those eyes?!?!

Her people said they should have known she was going to have problems 'sharing' her toys. At only a few months old, she loved to have all of her toys...all at one time. She's still trying to figure out a way to pick them all up at one time. She loves playing ball, but isn't the best at giving it back to you!!!

Though the blue blanket officially belongs to Daddy, Bella adopted it quickly as her own!

Bella has earned many nicknames, but 'Sun Goddess' ranks up there.  She's a huge fan of enjoying some relaxation on the deck.  If she can manage to get on the chaise before you claim it...you're out of luck!

What would a picture of the Christmas decorations be without Bell making an appearance! I think she is waiting for Santa Paws to come down the chimney.

Like most people, Bella's family got cabin fever during the ice storm in January, so they ventured out to the dog park to let her release some energy. Well, though she was dressed for the occasion, she decided her 'southern paws' just weren't meant for the snow.

On the other hand, Bella LOVES the beach/ocean. She really feels we should move closer, but would never want to give up seeing her friends at BARK ATL!!!

Though her Mommy & Daddy love the long walks, we enjoy the days were Bella comes home nice and sleepy after a day of fun with her friends at BARK ATL!!!

Bella is quite the snuggler...especially after a day of daycare!

This is one of the reasons she is so worn out! Bella loves to play and one of her favorite friends is Mr. Wendall. They love to wrestle!

Poor Biscuit has no idea that Bella isn't giving up that red ball for anything!

 

Bella got to play dress up this past Howl-O-Ween. She liked being a sheep.

 

But being a princess was way more fun!

 

Bella had her first birthday with us this past November. It was a grand affair and all of the cool kids were there! We can't wait to celebrate her next one.

Congratulations on being this weeks little pup student of the week Bella! Everyone at Bark ATL loves you!

Bark ATL's Vaccine Requirements

At Bark ATL we require your dog to have updated vaccines. The three we require are Rabies, Distemper, and Bordetella. Here is a little bit more info about the three diseases. 

Rabies:

Rabies is a highly fatal viral infection of the nervous system that affects all warm-blooded animal species, including humans. The virus is most often transmitted from one animal to another through bite wounds. It then travels up through nerves, the spinal cord and eventually the brain. Once in the brain, the signs of rabies occur. Once the virus reaches the brain, death usually occurs within 10 days; it can take weeks to months for the virus to reach the brain, however. 

Once signs of rabies develop, there is no cure and the disease is fatal. For this reason, reducing the potential risk of rabies in our companion pets is very important. It is so important that vaccinating your pet for rabies is required by law.

Distemper:

Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease caused by canine distemper virus (CDV). It may affect the respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurologic systems in the body. It is generally transmitted through contact with mucous and watery secretions discharged from the eyes and noses of infected dogs. However, it can also be transmitted by contact with urine and other bodily fluids of infected dogs, so your dog may become infected without coming into contact with an infected dog. Air currents and inanimate objects can also carry the virus.

Distemper was a common infection in dogs many years ago, but the incidence has been significantly decreased through widespread vaccination of dogs. Canine distemper is now most commonly seen in young, unvaccinated or immune-compromised dogs. More than 50 percent of dogs that contract the disease die from it.

Bordetella:

You might think your dog has something stuck in his throat. The cough associated with kennel cough is a high-pitched, honk-like cough, sometimes followed by retching.

Kennel cough is a highly contagious inflammation of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchial tree caused by a contagious virus or bacterium. The disease is associated most often with dogs housed in a high-density population or boarding kennel. The infectious agents can be transmitted through the air or by contact with contaminated surfaces. Puppies and younger dogs are at greatest risk, but even old dogs can acquire kennel cough.

Make sure to talk to your veterinarian about these and other vaccines. A yearly heartworm test must be done for your pet to continue taking preventative and a fecal test (to test for intestinal parasites like tapeworms, roundworms, etc.) is also done yearly.

Bark ATL's Big Student of the Week: Raisin!

It's hard choosing who Bark ATL's student of the week is going to be. I've been asked how I choose and honestly I have no idea. A name or face just pops into my head and I go with it. We have so many awesome students so stay tuned!! This week our star student is Raisin.

 

Raisin is a lab mix who is full of energy. Doggy daycare was designed for pets just like her! Raisin loves to run, jump and play. Here she is playing with Fergus.

Raisin is one of those pups who is either all over the place or crashed out. The only time I can get a picture of her is when she is tired from playing! 

Raisin loves to play and be played with. She can be seen chasing other pups around the room or letting them chase her. She will then fall to the floor and roll over. Too funny!

 Raisin's "boyfriend" is Ripley. She loves to give him kisses!!

Raisin said she loves all animals, even her mom's cat Ringer! 

 

 

Raisin said she wasn't very excited about the Easter picture but said she's rockin the outfit. She hopes her mom has us do a picture at Halloween. She said she wants to be a pretty princess, not a bunny or a flower! 

 

Raisin also told me that she is excited for the warmer weather. She said she can't wait to go back to the beach and get a tan.

Congratulations on being Bark ATL's student of the week Raisin! We all love you. :)

Bark ATL's Favorite Picture of the Week!

Bark ATL's favorite of the week was hard to choose this week but I knew it would be an outtake from the Easter photos we did. As I was searching through the hundreds of pictures that were taken I stumbled upon this jewel. It's our resident jokester Jessica posing with sweet little Ella.

Happy Easter!

Adoptable Pet of the Week!

I'm switching up the blog a little. Bark ATL's favorite pic of the week post has been moved to Sunday and in it's place we will feature an adoptable animal (we love cats, too!) from an area rescue or shelter. Please post it on your Facebook page, email it to friends, send out a carrier pigeon if you want but let's do all we can to help these sweet babies find good homes! Today our featured pet is James Joyce!

James Joyce is a 2 year old pit bull who was rescued from the shoulder of a major interstate in Atlanta one cold afternoon. He was underweight and heartworm positive. Thanks to wonderful people at Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends he is now healthy and heartworm free! Click here to read more about this adorable guy and help find him a forever home.

Meet Bark ATL's Staff: aimee!

It's time for another exciting round of meet Bark ATL's staff!! Today we bring you aimee. She spells her name with a lowercase a and it is pronounced Em-Aye. aimee has been with Bark ATL for almost a year and helps care for both the little and big dogs. 

aimee is owned by two dogs, Keyser Soze:

And Lev Trotsky (below). aimee also has two cats, Benny and Emma.

aimee loves her job because she likes meeting dogs with BIG personalities and bonding with them. aimee is currently in grooming school and we hope she will soon be showcasing her skills here at Bark ATL!

 

When she is not at Bark ATL aimee loves to eat, write, and talk politics.  She speaks three languages; English, French, and Kinyarwanda. aimee is from Rwanda and moved to the USA from Zambia in 99. We are happy to have you with us at Bark ATL!

Bark ATL's Little Student of the Week: Bailey!

Woooooo hoooooo, we made it to Wednesday!! Hold on kids, the weekend is almost here. To help your day a little more enjoyable let me introduce you to Bark ATL's little pup student of the week, Bailey! I hope you had the chance to check out her birthday party I blogged about yesterday. Little Bailey B. is one of our favorite students and I'm sure she will be one of yours, too!

Our little Bailey is a jumper! I can stand on the other side of the door and hold my arms out and she will jump into them. I'm 5' 10"!!

One of Bailey's favorite things to do is claim the cube. If someone else is in her cube she kicks them out!

She likes to share the cube with her best friend Puppi.

Bailey's mom said that she knows when she is about to go to "school" aka Bark ATL. Mom tells her that she's going to see her friends and she immediately runs to the door and gets very excited!

Bailey loooooooves the water. It doesn't matter if it is in a bowl

Or in the pool with friends.

When there isn't any water in the pool this is what she does when we go outside! Silly girl.

Bailey is such a sweetheart. This picture pretty much sums it up!

Bailey loves to ride! Every time she gets in the car mom will lower the window and Bailey tries to bite the glass. She's so excited she gets to put her little head out of the window! We love you Bailey and hope every time you ride in the car you are coming to see your friends at Bark ATL. :)

It's Bailey's Birthday at Bark ATL!!

Yesterday was Bailey's 4th birthday and we were super excited to host her birthday bask at Bark ATL! Once our girl was dressed in her birthday outfit it was time to get this party started.

Bailey wanted to make sure all of her closest friends were in attendance. Our party goers were Sebastian:

His sister Emma:

Max B:

Bella G:

And Raisin!

 Once all of the guests were in attendance it was time to par-tay!

 We had a wild bunch! Little Raisin thought her hat would be more fun if she carried it around.

And our birthday girl wanted to turn her party into a pool party! Unfortunately nobody brought their bathing suits.

The party simmered down when we brought out the Lick-A-Lots! 

They all go crazy for ice cream. 

Sebastian wasn't sure about it at first but after he saw his sister devour hers he cleaned his dish!

But most importantly, our birthday girl loved it!

Bella was the first one to smell the pupcakes!

After we all sang Happy Birthday to Bailey it was time to enjoy the yummy baked goodness that are pupcakes! 

I think she likes them!

 Sebastian sure does!

And so does Emma!

I think it's pretty safe to say that they all likes the pupcakes. Thanks Aunt Bre for making them! 

Bailey wants to thank everyone for making her birthday party a hit! It's so nice to have such great friends. Kisses!!