Ani-mail Post@ Animal Designs June 2004
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1. What's New
2. Pet Journals
3. Featured Item
4. Planet Dog's Tips For a "Pawsitive" Office Experience
5. Drawing and Fun Stuff
6. Comments-Questions-Suggestions
7. How to Unsubscribe

1) WHAT'S NEW
Come and join us for our 5th anniversary celebration . Free gifts
and prizes!! Any order of $15 or more receives a free 2 1/2" ceramic
paw print box during the month of June. Also, search for the yellow
paw print ball on our site and enter your name in the drawing for a
$30 gift certificate. Yes, spend it as you like at Animal Designs.
All this in addition to our regular monthly giveaway. Just a way of
saying thanks to all our valued customers who have made this
celebration possible. Visit us at www.animaldesigns.com

2) PET JOURNALS
My co-workers and I were busily checking email and organizing for a
beautiful Texas morning of work when we heard loud chirping from an
obviously very irritated or scared bird. Shortly, our "bird hunt"
revealed a little fellow stuck behind the heating unit vent. We took
turns trying to reach him -- unsuccessfully. We appealed to our
neighbor with longer arms in the next office to help with the rescue
mission. When he tenderly placed the tiny bird in my hands, it was
love at first sight! He was pathetically naked, except for a thread
of down on his back and a layer of dust. The large yellow mouth
comically covered most of his head and black eyes stared trustingly
into mine. Joy filled my heart and... our home. I almost cried
to think his life was, literally, in my hands. I knew absolutely
nothing about caring for birds. I'd read someplace that baby birds
eat constantly, so food was first on the agenda. The pet section of
our local grocer offered bird seed and not much else. Instinctively
knowing he wasn't ready for solid food, I bought jars of strained
baby food and parakeet gravel. Mixing a bit of this together and
using my pinky, I pushed the mixture gently into the rear of his
mouth. He gobbled up the makeshift meal like I was his mother bird,
stopped his incessant squawking, and went to sleep. Hourly feedings
got us through the first day and kept him fairly quiet. Thereafter,
until he was able to eat on his own, we went to work together.
Experimenting, I offered him tidbits of food until I discovered his
favorites -- grapes, chicken, hardboiled egg and cornbread were top
ranked and eaten with gusto. We had no idea what kind of bird he
was. His feathers were mostly brown at first, then getting darker
until finally, the unmistakable iridescent, black spotted plumage
identified him as a European Starling. Joy stayed in a cage during
the day, but evenings he was allowed to fly about the house.
Perching on our heads, shoulders, or the arm of a chair, he'd watch
TV and cock his head from side to side, screeching like an owl during
noisy action scenes. Our two old poodles tried to ignore him, but he
would swoop down, land on their backs, and search through their fur
for tidbits. Joy's antics amused us for hours. One evening the most
delightful thing happened. As I let him out of the cage for his
evening routine, I greeted him asusual. Not believing my ears, I
called to my husband, "David, please come hear this. Joy can talk!"
When David came in the room, our talented bird said plainly in my
voice, "I love you, Joy," "Give me a kiss," followed quickly
by "Joy's a pretty bird." The little rascal, mimicking me, repeated
all the phrases I'd said to him. He even laughed like me! Next
night he asked, "Where's the monster?" This seemed to be his
favorite expression as he frequently inquired about the monster. I'd
never said this to him, so he must have picked it up from
some "scary" movie we'd watched together. Out of curiosity, I put a
tape recorder in his room when we were away. He talked nonstop. One
night I heard a different sound. Looking around, I discovered him
taking a bath in our aquarium! Needless to say, he got his own
bathtub the next day. He enjoyed his daily baths, splashing water
everywhere until we bought him his own aquarium. (He'd had the right
idea after all.) Besides his tub, we placed some pots of grass
inside. He enjoyed snacking on it, plus he kept it well-watered as
he shook his feathers to dry off. Each night before retiring, I'd
say "Good night, Joy" and he'd repeat the words back. One night he
didn't respond. Something had to be wrong! Joy was on the bottom of
his cage struggling to breathe. We rushed Joy to the vet's office,
but he couldn't save him from an infection. Wrapped in a soft, warm
towel, he died cradled in the palm of my hands. The voice of my
beautiful little bird was stilled. For six years, this wonderful,
handful of iridescent feathers had enriched and blessed our lives. I
like to think he is flying high above the Rainbow Bridge, dive
bombing all the pets waiting there for us and yelling, "Joy is a
pretty bird." Or "Where are the monsters?" and "I love you Joy."
www.petwarmers.com
We all have stories that we like to tell our friends about our pets,
so send us your favorite "tail", and we will select one each month
to feature in our newsletter.

3) FEATURED ITEM
Our popular cell phone cover is this month's featured item. Made of
softsided cotton fabric outer shell/polar fleece lining with built in
belt loop, velcro closure and measures 3" X 6". If you want a
different size, just email us with your requirements. To order your
favorite design, visit :
http://www.animaldesigns.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?
Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=animaldesigns&Category_Code=4

4) PLANET DOG'S TIPS FOR A "PAWSITIVE" OFFICE EXPERIENCE
For Office Manager:
·Inform co-workers in advance of an employee who will be bringing
a
new dog to the office to make sure there are no surprises or concerns
·Doggy-proof the office, especially if puppies will be present
(cover/protect all garbage cans and remove toxic items from snout's
reach e.g., ink, toner cartridges, white-out, etc.)
·Create and post guidelines/tips/doggy etiquette rules
For Dog Owner:
·Take an honest look at each dog's temperament, if the dog is
excessively shy or aggressive, bringing the pooch to a busy workplace
might not be a
good idea. Have a back-up plan in case things don't work out for
your dog at the office.
·Practice obedience training with your dog before bringing them to
work - this will increase their chances of being allowed to stay.
·Make sure you have "please don't let the dog outside" signs or
knob
tags on office doors if escape or mingling is a concern with your
dog. It's also
important to let visitors know that there are dogs inside who are
friendly, although sometimes loud.
·Once in the office, practice doggy etiquette by making sure it is
okay and safe for your dog to approach or brown nose co-workers or
other dogs.
·Bring a leash and keep it handy in case your dog is apt to
wander.
Baby gates are useful devices that can help keep your dog in your
office instead
of wandering the halls. ·Bring plenty of toys to keep them busy
and
treats to reward them for good behavior.
·Make sure you provide adequate water - Planet Dog's portable and
collapse-able water bowl comes in handy at the office, on breaks and
in transit.
·Coordinate your schedule to take breaks to take the pooch out to
take care of its business and be sure to pick up after your pooch.
Save the loud,
roughhouse play for outdoor breaks.
·Have clean up supplies ready should there be an accident!
·A new environment can be fun - but overwhelming, so keep on the
lookout for signs of stress (panting, licking the lips, yawning and
whining)
·Bring along a dog bed or make sure there is a quiet, comfortable
place available for nap time. Planet Dog's unique corner bed is
great for confined work spaces.
·Be considerate of others, especially minimizing barking (keep
treats
handy)
Company Benefits (Pet Products Manufacturers Association 2000 Survey):
·73% of companies surveyed said pets create a more productive work
environment, lead to a more creative work environment and improved
interpersonal skills, compared to 42% improvement through business
development or management training courses
·20% showed a decrease in employee absenteeism
·96% said pets created positive work relations
·58% of employees stayed later with pets at the office
Adapted from the Animal Radio Network http://AnimalRadio.com.

5) DRAWING & FUN STUFF
Congratulations to Barbara W. .....the winner of the pawprint
visor.... June's drawing is a paw print eyeglass case. After
entering your name, check out the rest of the fun page at
http://www.animaldesigns.com/trivia.htm
Thanks to Mary S .... for this month's photo is of Chester.... We
would like to honor your pet next month, so send us a copy of their
photo either by email or snail mail.
May's question was: Who's the boss, you or your pet? It's a mutual
compromise (171) had the most respones followed by My pet, of course
(136) with a fewer votes for I'd like to think I am (48).

6) COMMENTS-QUESTIONS-SUGGESTIONS
We get many questions about making a personalized card for those
special occasions, such as, weddings, housewarmings and special
friends. When you place your order and ship to another person, we
will gladly add that personalized extra touch. Just email us with
that special greeting you want and we will do the rest!.


As always, we appreciate your comments, questions and suggestions
and we've provided this link for sharing this newsletter with your
friends. http://www.tellafriends.com/p?id=2247 Thank you for
taking the time to tell your friends and family about Animal
Designs. It is the ultimate compliment and we greatly appreciate it.

All the Best,
Jeanie
Animal Designs
www.animaldesigns.com
1.866.468.1739