Hotel Derek is kicking off its Derek Dog Day Out—a social networking mixer for professionals and their four-legged family members. 
The first Derek Dog Day Out takes place July 30 from 6 – 9 p.m. and funds raised will benefit Citizens for Animal Protection.  Guests can mix and mingle, get massages for themselves and their pets while expanding their professional network. 
Derek Dog Day Out is an extension of Project Derek Dog, an annual event held at Hotel Derek each spring. 
The 2009 Project Derek Dog winner, Madison, will host events throughout the …

Lisa Falkenberg, a columnist for the Chronicle, wrote last week about conditions at BARC. She writes:

The bit of good news I reported last week from the city of Houston’s troubled animal shelter didn’t tell the whole story.

While the shelter’s new policy to vaccinate all dogs upon or before intake is indeed progress, the practice wasn’t implemented until June 10 — not in January, as a city spokeswoman had indicated in my column, according to Kim Grieff, the recently resigned senior community liaison at Houston’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care.
Grieff, who …

The Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) announced today that it will be combining its reduced-cost spay-neuter clinic and wellness clinic into one larger space.
  This expansion is being made possible by a $225,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, Inc.  “SNAP’s spay/neuter program is an excellent example of collaboration,” said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities, Inc. “Partnerships like these are the key to successful, low-cost spay/neuter in local communities.”
SNAP currently operates the two individual clinics, less than one mile from each other off of Interstate 10 and Shepherd/Durham. 
The new …

The Dog Nanny, a blogger for PetsHouston, writes about the condition of dogs at BARC, as they appeared at an adoption event Saturday in the Heights:
These are all dogs who had been at BARC (our city pound) for weeks or months.  No record is made of their weight at in-take (and why not , I’d like to know) but according to volunteers and medical records that show the amount of medication needed, their weights have all decreased dramatically.  Even if they had come in like this, their weights could have …

 
Bett Sundermeyer, President of No Kill Houston will be on KPFT, 90.1 FM on Monday, June 29th from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.  He will be discussing no kill initiatives in Houston and at BARC, a new low cost spay/neuter clinic in Houston and leadership at City Hall to support humane initiatives.
Special guests will include:
Nathan Winograd, Dir of the No Kill Advocacy Center;
Deanna Sellens, Dir of Fundraising for Adopt A Cat, Inc. & Clinic Director for Spay/Houston; and
Kelly Cripe, Campaign Treasurer, Noah’s Ark PAC.

Last year, the “Thinking Outside the Shelter” program helped 12,000 animals to stay out of the shelter system by providing direct assistance to owners and fosters.

Please take a minute to listen to this ad for PetTalk that airs on KTRH AM 740. 
And don’t miss Your Pet’s Health with Dr. Brian Beale, of Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists. You can listen to him every Sunday at 8 p.m. on NewsRadio KTRH on AM channel 740.

Ed Gonzalez won the special election to fill the Houston City Council District H seat. Noah’s Ark PAC endorsed Gonzalez early on in the race because he is committed to addressing the issues facing District H, the “Corridor of Cruelty” and BARC. Gonzalez reached out to animal welfare advocates and they responded with votes.
In a run-off that turned out more voters than the initial nine candidate election last month, Gonzalez earned 61 percent of the vote, soundly defeating his opponent whose campaign had ignored BARC and who had failed to …

“My focus… will be to save lives. We will be working with more volunteers, more foster families, and more rescue groups,” said new shelter director, Dr. Patricia Ryan, DVM.

Slip on your flip-flops and join us for a margarita and tasty treats to toast Gold Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue Saturday, June 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  at Hollywood Frame Gallery at 2427 Bissonnet.
 
Our Jimmy Buffet-themeed benefit fundraiser celebrates the 10th anniversary of Gold Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue. The highlight of the evening will be a silent auction of Jim Tweedy’s original acrylic painting “Golden Retrieverville,” and Jim Tweedy will be on hand to sign prints.
Prize drawing items include a flat-screened TV, a fishing trip, and a custom-framed …