Spa Luce Offers Calm In The Midst Of Chaos

by Deidre Woollard Jul 4th 2009 at 11:01AM

The Hollywood and Highland Center in Los Angeles doesn’t exactly inspire thoughts of blissed-out spa moments but ascend from the parking lot and up to Level 5 of the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel and the world falls away a bit. Spa Luce is a beautiful and tranquil place to grab a little peace in the middle of a bustling area. The decor is modern and spare and the treatments are designed to be holistic and recharge body and mind.

Spa Luce features skincare and body care products and treatments by Red Flower, Sonya Dakar and Somme Institute as well as a signature scent created for Spa Luce by Dr. Sharon, an aromatherapist, acupuncturist, chiropractor and masseuse. One of the most extensive experiences offered by the spa is the hammam ritual. The multi-step massage ritual includes a cleansing with Moroccan mint tea and silt, a vigorous scrub with coffee, olive stones and fresh lemons, and a wrap in rhassoul clay. Finally after all that preparation you surrender to a Turkish massage with essences of cardamom, jasmine, bergamot, amber and clove. The 80-minute experience costs $180.

You can extend your Spa Luce experience by taking ample time to enjoy the facilities. Treatments include access to the eucalyptus-infused steam rooms and rooftop pool. Spa lunches can also be ordered up and eaten in the relaxation area or next to the pool. And you can also buy products to take home. Dr. Sharon’s Am I Dreaming aromatherapy kit, shown above, includes an aromatherapy oil, an aromatherapy candle, the Aromatin fragrance dispenser, and an instruction booklet. It sells for $48.

Article Published in Animal Wellness Magazine June 2009 (submitted by Alpha Dog PR for Chillybuddy)

Take the heat off!

Canine hyperthermia can be a significant threat during the summer. Help your dog stay cool and comfortable by learning how to protect him.

by Bob Stalick

We may love the heat, but it’s hard on our canine companions. Whether you live in Arizona or Alaska, your dog is affected by rising temperatures during the summer. And with global warming driving average temperatures up, the situation won’t get any easier for our four-legged friends.

In an odd twist, people’s awareness and knowledge of canine heat issues seems to be inversely related to the average temperature of a particular region. We found that Canadians are generally very knowledgeable and concerned about the thermal welfare of their dogs; in some ways, though, those living in the southern United States are a bit more casual about it. You might say it’s the old story of familiarity breeding contempt.

Basic facts

•Dogs have defective cooling systems. They lose heat only through respiration and their paws, and they don’t perspire like we do. Like any heat producing engine, they radiate heat to the environment. This is a great system for an animal that evolved for life in the taiga and the Ice Age, or cold deserts at night. It’s not so great for a sled dog living in Florida.

•The equivalent of 1,250 calories per square meter of infrared energy strikes the Earth at sea level every hour – and that number is higher at greater elevations. This is approximately the energy requirement for a reasonably active 50-pound dog per day.

•The normal temperature for a dog is 101ºF to 102ºF.

•A dog is considered hyperthermic when his body temperature exceeds 106ºF (The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2006, 20:38-46).

•The mortality rate for hyperthermic dogs treated immediately by qualified clinicians is only 50%, due
to irreversible changes in blood chemistry (JVIM, Ibid).

In short, summer is hot, dogs are already hot, and there isn’t a whole lot of room (4ºF to 5ºF) between “doing fine” and “likely to die”.

Doing the math

In dogs, we are dealing with a system already overloaded by the elimination of normal heat caused by burning food for energy. In a walk lasting an hour, the average dog is exposed to almost as much energy as he consumes in a day from food. Even if he absorbs only 10% of the solar influx, he is adding significantly to his thermal load.

The average fit 50-pound dog burns about 1,400 calories per day; that translates to an average of 56 calories of energy burn an hour. That rate goes up if the dog is out for a leisurely walk. Let’s say there are 100 calories of energy to be eliminated. A dog doesn’t occupy anything like a square meter, but is exposed to about a third of the total influx of infrared energy mentioned earlier (1,250 calories/square meter/hour), or about 400 calories per hour. Assuming the same 10% absorption referred to above (based on coat temperature measurements, this is probably a low number) the dog will absorb about 40 calories on an hour-long walk. That absorption is an additional 40% load on an already challenged heat elimination system.

Cool solutions

1. Water, water, water! Your dog should always have plenty of fresh cool water available. If you’re taking your dog for a walk, there are some very neat new devices for carrying water for your dog.

2. Don’t overwork him. Just because he goes nuts when he sees a tennis ball doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to throw it for half an hour when it’s 95º outside. If you’re going to work a dog in warm weather, take a good cue from the best agility and search and rescue handlers: be prepared with lots and lots of water, a good cooling jacket that works properly, and perhaps a cool pond in which to quickly dissipate heat.

3. Provide shade whenever possible. My dog Buddy’s unwillingness to come out of the shade for a walk
was what gave me a clue to develop my own cooling jacket. Shade represents reduced heat influx (though
not entirely) and reduces strain on the dog’s system.

4. Air movement is good, and more is better. A breezy, shady spot on a warm day helps a dog even though he doesn’t perspire. Dogs can lose heat through radiation, helping offload some work from his primary cooling systems.

5. Give him a dip in a pool or stream. Water on the body allows for evaporative cooling. But that cooling mechanism works well only if airflow is plentiful and the heat being absorbed by evaporation comes from the dog, not the environment. One of the problems with older style towel wraps and chamois is that they turn into a sauna underneath because they emphasize water at the exclusion of air. Evaporative cooling is about 80% airflow, 20% water.

6. Watch for the slightest signs of heat stress. Keep in mind, though, that a dog may already be suffering
from heat stress before these symptoms of distress appear.

a. Intense, rapid panting

b. Wide eyes

c. Excessive salivation

d. Staggering and weakness

e. Collapse

7. Use a good quality cooling jacket. I designed the Chillybuddy jacket for Buddy to deal with the real physics and biophysics of the dog’s circumstances. Try to find a product that addresses solar influx, provides enough airflow and/or emphasizes water over airflow. Remember this is not about what’s convenient or
inexpensive for you.

Protecting dogs from hyperthermia is mostly about prevention and common sense. Take the right precautions, and you and your companion can relax and enjoy the summer in comfort.

Knowledge is power

Busting the myths about dogs and heat.

“My dog’s long coat protects him from the heat.”

This has to be the number one myth and it comes in a corollary version too: “My dog is double coated so isn’t bothered by heat.” A fur coat is an insulator; two fur coats makes a better insulator. Yes, it’s true that longer hair helps reduce the heat transmitted from the surface of the coat to the skin. But the longer coat also creates a layer of air that insulates the dog. In this case, that air is heated by two sources: the dog and the outside environment. In the event that the insulating air mass exceeds the skin temperature of the dog, the heat transference will be reversed and flow back to the skin.

“My dog’s short coat protects him from the heat.”

A short coat does help a dog radiate his own heat to the environment better than a longer coat – we all see that in the cold months. But the short-coated dog is that much more likely to absorb heat from solar influx, and a black short-coated dog is most at risk.

“My dog is tough.”

Very popular among those with Dobermans, rottweilers, various American bulldog breeds, etc. A tough-minded dog has the same metabolism as any other canine, but is less likely to let you know he is suffering until he cannot carry on. Add to that the fact that many of these “tough” dogs are black and short-coated, and you have a problem since black attracts heat.

“I walk my dog at night.”

Good, that’s a start. But if it’s 105ºF in Las Vegas at nine in the evening, you and the dog are still being bombarded by radiant energy. Your eyes say it’s dark, but the heat says the world is glowing with radiant thermal energy. If it’s hot, it’s hot.

Callout

Just because he goes nuts when he sees a tennis ball doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to throw it for half an hour when it’s 95ºF outside.

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ANIMAL WELLNESS MAGAZINE, ©2009.

www.AnimalWellnessMagazine.com

Artist Aimee Hoover came to us with the dream of painting a portrait for her favorite TV Personality Bonnie Hunt. We had to pull some major strings with our contacts at the show but we finally did get the producer to go along with the idea. We love to make our clients dreams come true…

[via Aimeehover.com]

I was completely honored and thrilled when the wonderfully talented and hilarious Bonnie Hunt of the Bonnie Hunt Show (Jerry Maguire, The Green Mile, Cheaper By The Dozen) presented her new (large!) portrait of Charlie, her pit bull mix, on national television.

And a week later I had the chance to thank her in person during a live taping of the show in Culver City, CA. For those of you who are wondering, yes–she is as warm and funny as she seems on TV. I highly suggest checking out her new talk show, if you haven’t already and attending a live taping of the show if you live in the area. It was a blast.

Here we are, they dynamic trio talking about our favorite subject, dog
products! Baldwin and Bliss were the true super stars on the Duke
Firemaster show. The funny part, though, was my well behaved boy Baldwin was
barking while Bliss, my usual wild child, was the picture of perfection.
They are just like us humans, subject to moods. Whatever was going on, we
all had a blast!

Fox News

Check out this report! A year in the making but our president, Susan kept “hounding” reporter Louise Pennell until she finally agreed to do a sotry on the business behind the pet industry. And the story centered on All Alpha Dog PR clients! You’ll see super star Sailor from PetFlys, Badwlin & Bliss are in beds wearing their Chillybuddy vests, that’s our freind Kika on the Urbanbone bed, she’s holding a bag of Kruncheros form our client Great Life Performance food, the best food around, and on and on.

This is one of our favority stores located in Santa Monica. So naturally, when the opportunity arose to film a segment for Fox News, we called on them and they were thrilled to help out! Check out owner Andrew. He’s a movie star! We got a bunch of our Alpha Dog PR Clients mentioned in the report. Yahoo!

Getting a client in an Associated Press article is like hitting the lottery! This is sent to hundreds if not thousands of publications and goes over the internet. Sometimes, these stories get picked up by the major tv shows too! Here, we got our Trendhunter Jeremy in an article about the top trends in 2009…check it out!

AP) – What will be the top trends of 2009? Here’s what professional trendspotters forecast:

THE TREND: The “Cuspers”

Marian Salzman, trend spotter, chief marketing officer for Porter Novelli Worldwide

The “Cuspers” are Boomers born between 1955 and 1964, said Salzman.

She predicts the Cuspers, sometimes called Generation Jones, will continue to rise to power. She ticks off a list that includes president-elect Barack Obama, Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations nominee, and Caroline Kennedy, who could be tapped to run for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s vacant seat.

Unlike older Boomers, Cuspers are more egalitarian, more tolerant and more anxious to make a big difference, she said. Look for more Cuspers in leadership roles, said Salzman. And look for their “let’s get on and do it” message to resonate with the masses, she said.

THE TREND: Detoxing

Anna D’Agrosa and Paige Newman of the Zandl Group

Newman and D’Agrosa see aversion to “toxic spending” _ living above one’s means and buying things they don’t really need or want.

“Lately, several people have even mentioned that the recession almost seems like a blessing because they are now forced to readjust their values and make different choices, says Newman.

Even those who are OK financially are choosing to cut back, place more value on substantive things and focus on personal relationships that are not based on buying.

THE TREND: Credit crunch couture/DIY and upcycling

Jeremy Gutsche, Chief Trend Hunter, TrendHunter.com; Rita Nakouzi, director, Promostyl, North America

Inexpensive designs are getting a lot more attention, says Gutsche.

Designers such as Vivienne Westwood, who made a splash in her spring/summer 2009 collection by emphasizing fashion statements that work on a limited budget, including necklaces made out of safety pins and shawls from tablecloths, are going in that direction, he says.

The credit crunch is also adding fuel to more folks doing it themselves, DIY, says Gutsche. A troubled job market and the need for extra cash will motivate hobbyists to transition their love for their craft into a cottage industry.

That dovetails with “upcycling,” reusing an item so that it doesn’t become waste. The term comes from “Cradle to Cradle” authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart.

“There would be no waste if we upcycle everything that we’ve used,” Nakouzi says.

Last year, Etsy, a site where people buy and sell handmade things, challenged users to create an upcycled object to sell on the site, she said.

Nakouzi said to look for things like a chair cushion made out of old neckties, and more restaurants and hotels using reclaimed materials.

THE TREND: Distraction as entertainment

Ann Mack, Director of Trendspotting at JWT

Content creators are layering a multitude of media into entertainment for simultaneous consumption and engagement, Mack said.

For example, “LittleBigPlanet” users are gamers, social networkers and content creators, “The Hills” ‘Backchannel’ social networking site is where fans can gather to talk about the show as its happening on TV, and author Stephenie Meyer has a playlist that readers can listen to while they’re reading the Twilight series, she said.

“People are almost in an entertainment bubble of sorts,” said Mack.

THE TREND: Mobilize me

Jane Buckingham, president of The Intelligence Group

The year 2008 was all about computer saturation, says Buckingham, with people Facebooking, uploading videos on YouTube and watching television on their laptops.

“But next year your media friend might start collecting dust when a mighty mini version takes hold,” says Buckingham. “With the iPhone, the Bold and the Google phone, we’re beginning to truly be able to take our shows on the road.”

Alpha Dog PR got some major media coverage for Yoyo’s first press conference on her bid to become the White House Dog! – WATCH THE VIDEO

Getting interviewed for the front page of the Los Angeles Times was exhilarating!Looks like I am the expert when it comes to dogs!

Shelter dogs are in the spotlight as the Obamas search for a White House puppy. Many are hypoallergenic too.

Wanted: Presidential First Puppy. Should be less than a year old. Only hypoallergenic dogs need apply. Poodles and doodles especially welcome. Yorkies, bichon frises, Cairn terriers, Westies, cockapoos and wheaten terriers also encouraged. Must be doing time in a city or county shelter, foster home or private rescue facility. Will be vetted by incoming first daughters, Sasha,7, and Malia, 10. Position is highly competitive.

“There is a perfect dog sitting here waiting for him,” Gillian Lange, founder of a private rescue operation on the Westside, said Friday in a pitch echoed by others eager to submit resumes of shelter dogs to the White House transition team.

Ever since President-elect Barack Obama announced in his victory speech that his daughters would be taking a new puppy with them to the White House, interest in the subject of the First Pooch has exploded. Animal welfare websites bristle with advice on pet ownership and praise for Obama’s pledge to search for a shelter dog.

“We’ve called and e-mailed his transition team; I think we’re approaching harassment,” database co-founder Betsy Saul said, laughing. “I want to communicate the message loud and clear that I will personally help his family find the right dog.”

Ed Boks, general manager of L.A.’s Animal Services Department, said he called the office of Antonio Villaraigosa in hopes that the mayor — who’s on Obama’s economic task force, after all — might “put in a good word for L.A.’s homeless dogs. Our dogs would make the very best ambassadors to the White House.”

But so would the bald and stark-looking Peruvian hairless dog — at least according to the Friends of the Peruvian Hairless Dog Assn. “They do not cause any type of allergy and are very friendly and sweet,” the group’s director, Claudia Galvez, told a wire service reporter this week. Galvez sent a letter through diplomatic circles offering a male puppy.

And Yoyo, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina and a rescue dog of the puli breed — a Hungarian sheepdog — is scheduled to announce her candidacy for First Dog at a Nov. 25 news conference at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in West L.A., according to hospitality and pet industry publicist Susan Hartzler.

The White House has been home to plenty of dogs and cats, an occasional pet pony or cow, even a literary pooch — Bush One’s springer spaniel, Millie, “wrote” a book. But rarely has a First Pet selection generated such interest.

A local animal welfare advocate sent out a group e-mail Tuesday urging animal activists and City Council members to talk up two young poodle mixes housed at an L.A. Animal Services shelter. “Please, everyone use your own method to get to Obama to make it happen,” he beseeched.

It’s not just a matter of wanting to be connected to the new POB (pet of Barack).

Obama’s declaration last week that his family would prefer a shelter dog has bestowed upon homeless creatures in private rescue operations and municipal shelters — once known as lowly dog pounds — a respectability that animal welfare professionals, activists and celebrity supporters have spent decades trying to convey.

“That sends such a clear message that we have got to stop the nonsense of buying from pet stores and puppy mills when so many animals are dying in our shelters,” Boks said. Millions of healthy animals in shelters across the country are euthanized each year because there’s not enough space to keep them all.

Because Malia is allergic, Obama said, the family would have to get a hypoallergenic breed. “But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me,” he added, referring to his white mother and black father.

The shelter community rarely hears that kind of presidential pronouncement.

“It’s huge. The . . . president-elect is standing up there describing himself as a mutt saying he wants shelter dogs,” said Saul. “It feels like it was a long time coming, and at the same time, I feel like Sleeping Beauty who’s been asleep for 100 years and just woke up.”

Shelter officials say they hope the Obamas will be imitated. “If he says he’ll adopt a shelter dog, I bet you people will adopt shelter dogs,” said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Los Angeles.

Even Obama’s mention that it might be hard to find a hypoallergenic shelter dog has only stoked the puppy advice frenzy.

Though many people think shelter dogs are all mixed breeds, in fact a quarter of them are purebred, said Saul, whose database lists about 150,000 dogs from rescuers and shelters across the country.

The Petfinder database lists poodles and poodle mixes as well as other breeds considered hypoallergenic because they shed less than others.

Unfortunately no dog, no matter where it’s from, is completely nonallergenic, according to David Bruyette, medical director of the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital.

“There is protein in their blood that is excreted into the hair follicles and the saliva,” Bruyette said. It’s the protein that often triggers an allergic response, and all dogs have hair follicles, even the hairless breeds, he said.

But there are ways to minimize or avoid allergic reactions: “Rule No. 1, to decrease the allergy load, the smaller the dog the better,” Bruyette said. “And dogs that don’t shed are better” because their hair follicles are less stimulated.

The Obamas could find many sought-after breeds through private rescue groups. It may be a challenge to find the coveted Labradoodle or goldendoodle — reportedly a favorite of the Obama girls — through private rescue groups, but they are out there to be adopted from rescuers. (There were some Labradoodles and goldendoodles listed Friday on Petfinder.com.)

And private rescue groups, which are notorious for subjecting prospective pet adopters to rigorous vetting, may just relax their rules in the case of the First Adopters.

Lange, who usually hands out a two-page questionnaire to prospective adopters and subjects them to a home visit, said she was willing to forgo all that for the Obama family. In fact, she said, “I’m willing to get on a plane and fly to Chicago with the dog.”

Baldwin and Bliss had a blast in Las Vegas! Their favorite thing at Super Zoo? Testing the food! They were good sports when it came to making this video, don’t you think?

We love sharing good news with you…

Check out this Top Drawer page from Veterinary Practice News. The new Walking Wheels from my client Handicappedpets.com is one of the featured products!

Pet Product News is going to spotlight our client Great Life’s new Kruncheros in January. Elliott Harvey is also scheduled to appear on the nationally syndication Dog Tales discussing his book The Healthy Wholistic Dog before the end of the year.

Also, our Holiday Gift Guide Trendsetter just went out yesterday and we already have commitments from the New Haven Register in Connecticut which asked for a box of products to select from; Animal Wellness Magazine committed to a January story on Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection from Dog Lovers Wine Club; the St. Paul Pioneer Press will include Victory Wine, Urban Bone Dogs Beds, Total Diva Pet Wigs and Chillybuddy warming jackets. That’s in less than 24 hours!

Our client Handicappedpet.com is featured in the new products section of Veterinary Practice News.

Yoyo for Presidential Puppy:  For The Change Pets Need 

Los Angeles, California – In the weeks since President-Elect Barack Obama’s historic victory, the most pressing question on everybody’s mind is the most surprising of all: who’s going to be the presidential puppy? During his eloquent speech on Election Night, in which he declared that “change has come to America,” Obama promised his two young daughters, Malia and Sasha, a puppy when they move into the White House, carrying on a long tradition of famous Presidential Pets. But who is the right pet for America’s New First Family? 

Behold, the candidate for today’s America: Yoyo the Puli for Presidential Puppy!

Yoyo is a native of New Orleans, where she survived Hurricane Katrina, and she is a rescue dog, which would show the Obamas’ support of shelters throughout the country. She is hypoallergenic, which is a necessity because of Malia’s allergies. This housetrained, well-groomed four-year-old Puli is energetic, friendly, and very diplomatic, just in case Vladimir Putin brings his Russian wolfhound over for a run! 

Yoyo’s Puli Party Platform:

Yoyo calls for Americans to help make the change that’s necessary in our nation’s overcrowded shelters and help her work toward a future where no more pets have to be euthanized. She hopes to put rescue and shelter dogs into all American homes. Her personal motto is “No More Drama,” and she encourages dogs everywhere to unite and put conflict behind them, volunteer in their communities, avoid chewing on furniture, and remember that their similarities (four legs, cute noses, tails) are far greater than their differences. 

Other “pet projects” for Yoyo include: 

• Support American Humane - Put your canine in a cool, American Apparel ‘White House PAWtential’ doggie t-shirt with proceeds going to this worthwhile organization. www.alphadogpr.com

• Stay Cool Under Fire – Just like the canine heroes she admires who volunteer for Search & Rescue Missions, Yoyo promises all dogs will be kept cool in the summer and warm in the winter. She suggests owners visit www.Chillybuddy.com and check out the latest vests like the special edition red, white and blue one she’s wearing to announce her candidacy. 
• Green Toys for All – Pets of all shades should demand toys and playthings made from non-toxic materials, produced by environmentally responsible companies, such as Simply Fido’s Organic Pet Toy Collection, which manufactures all of its toys right here in the United States. www.simplyfido.com 
• Eat Organic – Just like their owners, dogs and cats love their organic food! Organic pet foods, like Kruncheros Fine Pet Dining, are simply healthier and tastier, and the choice of the discerning pet palate. Kruncheros offers a sophisticated line of freeze-dried raw food that comes in four delicious flavors: Chicken Pot Py, Beef Wellington, Chicken Fiesta, and Spaghetti & Meatballs. www.doctorsfinest.com 
• A Good Night’s Sleep – With a country in crisis, it’s important to a good night’s sleep. This helps us, both humans and pets, be the best version of ourselves: productive, friendly, and happy. This is only possible with a comfortable bed, such as those made by Urban Bone Dog Beds, which produces handmade canine and kitty beds that are comfortable, decorative, and durable. www.urbanbone.com 
• Stay Healthy – Our health, and that of our pets, is of utmost importance, and an important aspect of any health regimen is proper nutrition. Recommended by top pet nutritionists, Vetraceuticals is an easy-to-use supplement that helps pet immune systems, ensuring a long healthy life. www.vetranutrition.com
• Support the Arts - A vibrant culture of arts is essential to a successful civilization and, under a Yoyo pet-ministration, all pooches will be encouraged to express themselves. American Artist Aimée Hoover will help. Her one-of-a-kind, custom pet portraits already hang in the homes of animal lovers across the country and now, she will be painting our Nation’s First Dog hopeful. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including Bark Magazine, Modern Dog, and Australia’s Urban Animal, in which she was recognized internationally as one of ten pet portrait artists from around the world. www.aimeehoover.com 
• Support Your Party - Seeing the light side of any situation is an important aspect of being a pet, especially a presidential hopeful, and Yoyo finds all her fun accessories at Charming Pet Products. Whenever she has to address her public, Yoyo sports the company’s famous Original Party Collar in a red, white and blue patriotic design for all-American canines! This Party-Collar consists of fancy chiffon ribbons finished with stars connected on a covered elastic band that fits around a patriotic pooches’ neck. Yoyo says Charming’s Patriotic Party Collar is the perfect accessory for the new First Dog in the White House! Woof! www.charmingpetproducts.com 
• Dress Fabulous, Be Fabulous - A lover of stylish clothes and dramatic fashion statements, Yoyo knows pets must look good to succeed. She finds her pet fashion at Total Diva Pets, whose fashionable wigs for fashionable dogs were a giant hit on the runways of Pet Fashion Week in New York and Tokyo. Dogs everywhere will want to look just like Yoyo by wearing the Afro style. www.totaldivapets.com 
• Be Prepared - Following the Boy Scouts’ solemn creed, Yoyo keeps herself safe by bucking up while in the car with her own seat belt from www.handicappedpets.com. She does this not only to protect herself, but also for the driver and passengers in the vehicle. Unrestrained pets can cause serious harm to your beloved four-legged family member or to other passengers if the pets are launched during a crash.  

Think not what your dog can do for you, think what you can do for your dog!

Here’s our client, handicappedpet.com on CNN!

How did this happen? We did an event that received local coverage and then that coverage was sent over the national wire and Voila! CNN got a hold of it and aired it! You never know how these things happen.

Alpha Dog PR ‘s client, the American Humane Association, discussed their concern about the possibility of abandoned Chihuahuas because of the new movie “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” live at the city shelter in downtown Los Angeles on the KTLA Morning News! We love Gayle, she’s a real dog lover. And her own little dogs help her out on many of her dog related stories. Go Gayle!

The New York Post and Danger Dogs, imagine that! Well, this article took quite a while to materialize but it finally did! She got lots of orders from this…

Fox News Highlights Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa for Summer Staycations

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Fox Business News interviews our client, Chris Orr, Marketing Director for the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa

This is where Baldwin and Bliss love to heard sheep. Doesn’t it look like fun? I guess not if you’re a member of the flock. But the dogs sure do love it!

Karen is the person responsible for bringing Agility to Los Angeles. She’s quite a business woman and I really admire her. She also care deeply for the animals at her ranch. I needed to rehome some chickens one and Karen took them in. How is good old Bertha these days, Karen?

Burley Tail Wagon, Immi’s Pet Safety Buckle and Happy Tails Spa’s on-the-road grooming products for the traveling pet are featured in the summer issue of Dog’s Life Magazine.

Honest Kitchen’s healthful dog food in eco-friendly packaging and Simply Fido’s organic dog toys are earth-friendly highlights in the Spring issue of Dog’s Life Magazine.

Here’s one of our clients on Fetchdog.com. We just love Danger Dogs from Nepal, don’t you?

KTLA Morning News featured Alpha Dog PR’s Holiday gift Trendsetters for this segment with the popular reporter Gayle Anderson. You might notice a couple of the dog stars on the show!

Our President Susan Hartzler reported on Holiday Gift trends for the nationally syndicated Dog Tales show. Of course, she used items from our Trendsetters!

Bliss dressed up for the kids in items from Alpha Dog PR clients. On behalf of the kids, we thank you so much for brining a smile to their faces!

It;s always exciting to get into this publication! And lately, they’ve been calling us for stories. That’s nothing to “howl” about! I guess it was just a matter of time before we became known as being “pet-centric!”

Bliss visited the kids at County USC Medical Center for Valentine’s Day
wearing a pink wig, courtesy of totaldivapets.com and a faux fur pink stole
from charmingpetproducts.com. Thanks to our clients for making these kids
smile!

Another client, Baron Hats, was also featured on Dog Tales. And guess who a couple of the models are?

\
These are the best hats! They are extremely well made and are really works of art.
We had such a great time doing this story.

We arranged for our client PawPrince.com to be featured on the Nationally Syndicated show Dog Tales. You might recognize a couple of the dogs as our President’s four legged family, Baldwin and Bliss!

View the rest of this article at Healing Lifestyles Magazine.

Urban Bone’s designer pet bed, Sunny-Dogs Inc’s Pet First Aid Kit and Purrrfect Pets Massage Mitts were featured in the Winter Issue of Pet Product News after joining in the Trendsetters Promotion. This editorial placement is worth $5,280.00 had they taken out an ad in the publication.

Alpha Dog PR coordinated the appearance of dogs from Le Paws in the 2007 Hollywood Santa Parade. We also worked with Cesar Millan orchestrating his participation in the event

Our President, Susan Hartzler, was interviewed for this story in Gayot on pet travel:

[Read The Complete Article on Gayot.com]

Pet travel is on the rise in the United States, according to experts in the field. “More and more people want to bring their dogs on vacation with them,” says Susan Hartzler, President of Alpha Dog PR, “instead of missing their beloved four-legged family member.”

“Pet-friendly” is the latest amenity at hotels across the country, but the term can mean different things in different places. It usually refers to dogs, but Hotel Allegra in Chicago and others do allow cats.

“The important thing,” says Hartzler, “is to call the property prior to the trip and find out their parameters, or book through a specialized travel agency which offers customized travel concepts incorporating the family pet.”

It’s possible to bring pets along pretty much anywhere in the U.S., from boutiques to chains, from high end to low. Whole towns, including Carmel and Ventura on California’s coast, welcome pets in special parks and on designated beaches. But road trips with Fido usually don’t come cheap: expect to pay $25 or more per night per pet, with additional deposits or cleaning fees ranging up to several hundred dollars per animal.

At Hotel Solamar, a Kimpton property in San Diego’s trendy Gaslamp District, you’ll find one of the most reasonable policies around: all pets are accepted, and with no fee. The only thing the hotel requires is a cell phone number for the guest in case of a pet emergency while the owners are away from the property. Bay Area-based Personality Hotels only accepts dogs weighing 40 pounds or less, and does not take Pit Bulls, Rottweilers or any animals that appear aggressive. Guests pay a $75 cleaning fee and are also on the line for up to $250 in additional cleaning costs.

W Hotels has a Pets Are Welcome (PAW) policy. There’s a $25 increase in the room rate for a pet, plus a $100 cleaning fee, but also plenty of pampering, from chew toys and a special bed to monthly Lucky Dog animal fashion shows at the San Diego property.

At the very upper end, Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles allows small dogs and pampers them well, but charges a $500 cleaning fee as the room is taken out of circulation for a full day following checkout for deep cleaning. The three Peninsula properties in the US all welcome furry friends. At The Peninsula Beverly Hills, canine guests receive monogrammed paw print towels and sleep on a small Simmons Beautyrest Mattress with 300 thread count sheets, for which the hotel charges a $35 supplement. And all Peninsula hotels have ready access to emergency vet care 24 hours a day, which may be the most important pet amenity of all.

[Read The Complete Article on Gayot.com]

Our President Susan Hartzler and her dog Baldwin are mentioned in this article in Healing Lifestyles Magazine, November-December 2007. The topic is Pet Pampering, Spa Time For Your Best Friend. So of course, the media came to Susan to weigh in on the topic!

Dr. Karen Halligan is the author of What Every Pet Owner Should Know: Prescriptions for Happy, Healthy Cats and Dogs. She has acquired many great media placements including LIVE with Regis and Kelly and the Today Show. Please click here to view her demo reel, highlighting some of her achievements. Be sure to watch her on Animal Planet’s Groomer Has It and read her stories in Parade Magazine. She’s quite a go getter, that Doc Halligan!

The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel is one of Alpha Dog PR’s Hospitality industry clients. Alpha Dog PR is on hand to publicize the upcoming changes that will take place at the property and have already acquired some great media highlights and instituted a blog on the comapny’s website. The blog has received great reviews from the media!

Alpha Dog PR was featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal on September 3, 2007. The article highlights the re-branding of the company as well as many of Alpha Dog’s premiere pet clients. Click here for an online version of the article. We just rebranded and already, were the topic of conversation. Hey, that’s great when people are talking about you!

Our company’s president, Susan Hartzler, was just honored with an article in PR insider online magazine “Strumpette: Leader’s Perspective.” The article highlights the passion and knowledge she brings to the industry through her love and knowledge of pet’s and the industry responsible for enhancing and improving their lives. Please Click Here for the full article. If you have any questions about Susan or this company, this is the article to read!