Peaceful Ponderings - PetProductDelivery.com

Meet Chloe Jones!

5/8/2020

A plumber making a housecall near San Antonio noticed a puppy playing outside in the weeds. When he asked the householders about her, they said that they no longer wanted the dog. The plumber called his cousin in Houston and without seeing the animal she agreed to take the pup. She named the dog, Chloe and they never looked back.

Chloe and her Mom started working with a trainer named Mary Kegarise to get some doggie basics. But, little did they know that an inquiry into dog training would lead to bigger things. Chloe's Mom remembers, "She saw Chloe's potential upon meeting her and told us that she would make a great therapy dog. We took the classes and she passed all the tests the first time."

When Chloe was 1 year old they became volunteers for BAK-PAK (Books and Kids, Power and Knowledge). Mary is the director of BAK-PAK at Oaks Presbyterian Church. This program uses therapy dogs to help students not only improve reading skills and literacy but also to boost students’ self-esteem. Pets reduce stress and other observable signs of anxiety, and students are more willing to interact with an animal than with another person. The children read to the animals. If the child has a problem with a word, animals like Chloe will encourage them by licking their hands or pawing the book.

"She loves everyone and is so gentle that even children that don't care for dogs wind up hugging her and giving her kisses. She is a wonderful, loving, fur baby and so smart. I can't imagine my life without her."

Chloe will turn 11 this June.

Meet the Babka Family

4/30/2020

This family lives in the Heights neighborhood in Houston and when we first met during the summer of 2018, they had two cats: Obelix and Asterix (see photo below). The handsome brothers are Norwegian Forest Cats that the Babkas welcomed into their family while living in Norway. Although, Asterix (right) had health problems, it never slowed him down. Both cats loved each other as much as they loved to hunt and play.

Mom Laura had to share "the boys" with her two young daughters and longed for a pet of her own. That's when she adopted a fun-loving little mix puppy. She named him Dash after Queen Victoria's King Charles Spaniel.

Sadly, our friend Asterix went missing one day. The family has not been able to find him and they are still heartbroken. Fortunately for Obelix, though, he and Dash became very interactive. The family calls them "frenemies." They like to chase each other around and wrestle!

As fate would have it, a domestic shorthair kitten with tabby markings was found as a stray with his litter mates. His ear was clipped as is often the case with cats that have been trapped, neutered and released. The Babka's brought the tiny feline home with the intent to foster him last March. Can you guess what happened next? Yep, they fell in love. Oscar is the newest member of the family. Obelix and Oscar became good friends. Now, Obelix has two playmates and when the family takes Dash for his walk, the cats walk with them!

The Babka's nominated Houston SPCA as their favorite pet charity.

The most common grooming questions asked during lockdown.

4/28/2020

Because there has been some confusion surrounding in-home grooming services due to the recent restrictions on businesses, I created this YouTube video to address the most common questions and introduce our latest service: Ask a Master Groomer (Online).

To use our Ask a Master Groomer service, click this link for complete details and to pay and schedule:

https://petproductdelivery.com/collections/fun-stuff-for-humans/products/ask-a-master-groomer-online

Meet Ezer!

4/24/2020

Once upon a time, this doggie was at BARC. It looked like it might be the end of the road for her since she was scheduled to be euthanized. Then a very special lady adopted her. Ezer's Mom is someone we have known for a very long time and she wants us to know that a dog can make a big difference in a person's life.

Ezer is a Hebrew word that roughly translates to "strong helper by my side". This is a fitting name since this dog is not only a service dog, but a protector. She is also her Mom's best friend. "I cannot imagine my life without a pet. A pet is the living example of unconditional love."

Ezer's Mom is a pet professional who lives in Houston. She has chosen to remain anonymous and instead wants to recognize Melanie Rodan, owner of Yuppie Dog Daycare, for her kindness and courage. Melanie housed 15 dogs in her own home during Hurricane Harvey and is a fierce advocate for the proper care of animals. We consider Ezer, her Mom and the entire team of Yuppie Dog as part of our PetProductDelivery.com family.

Ezer's Mom nominated Animeals on Wheels as her favorite pet charity.

Update: Parks will open, businesses still on stand-by

4/19/2020

Dear Pet Parents,

Someone contacted me last Friday. She seemed to be under the impression that the moratorium on in-home "non-essential" services was lifted. I did some research and found updates for the state of Texas, Montgomery County and The Woodlands Township. It seems like Governor Abbott has plans to move forward, but it is unclear to me exactly what those plans are. Certainly, from what I read, retail stores will not be open for business any time soon. So, I looked a little closer to home and here is what I found:

"All Businesses in Montgomery County as defined by GA-14 and clarified by subsequent opinions of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which have been deemed essential or nonessential, shall continue to follow all of the provisions of GA-14 and any future amendments or provisions of that order, or any provisions of subsequent Executive Orders issued by Texas Governor Greg Abbott." - Montgomery County Judge Keough

"At this point in time, no estimated timeline on when the phases will be implemented. As it currently stands, Montgomery County and Harris County are under a Stay-at-Home Orders until the end of April 30, 2020." - The Woodlands Township

Here in The Woodlands, the parks will reopen, but residents are required to wear masks and continue to social distance. In other words, you can go to the parks with your immediate family, but stay protected. Also, Montgomery County has lifted the curfew from midnight to 6:00a. So far, nothing else has changed.

I am cautiously optimistic that "nonessential" in-home services may resume by May 1st. When the moratorium is lifted, I will reach out to reschedule in-home pet grooming appointments, but not before. It is too early to tell exactly what will happen in the next 2 weeks.

This has been a really crazy time for all of us. Several of you have reached out to me concerned about your scruffy looking fur-kids. I miss seeing my little groomies, petting their heads and giving them treats for being so good. But, I think waiting another couple of weeks for in-home doggy and kitty haircuts is going to be okay and is the most appropriate course of action. Your patience and understanding is deeply appreciated.

Pet supplies, however, are ESSENTIAL, so we will continue delivering locally and shipping all over the world. I want to thank the pet parents that have kept us busy filling orders for kibble, canned foods, treats, toys, shampoos, hygiene solutions and supplements. I can never thank you all enough. Also appreciated are the really positive and encouraging texts and e-mails. You folks are pure sunshine. Challenges seem to bring out the best in the very best people. So, thanks for the proverbial lemonade! We are all in this together!

And, finally, I want to thank the people that have already submitted profiles of their fur-families and nominated pet charities for our new PPD Newsletter features. I can't think of a better way to stay connected with other pet parents as we all shelter-in-place. Pets are what we're all about, so let's celebrate the joy they bring to our lives.

Much Love and Plenty of Hugs!

Sandy Stutz
PetProductDelivery.com

Meet the Dawleys!

4/17/2020

The Dawley's live in Woodforest which is located inside the city limits of Montgomery, TX. It's sort of a small town within a town. Dawn loves her pittie babies and her favorite story is about Zeus (seated in the chair). After one of her beloved pets had passed, she decided to adopt. Dawn says:

"In my search I came across an American Bulldog/Pit mix boy named Zeus. His family was an older couple that wanted to retire later that year and travel abroad doing missionary work. They would not be able to take Zeus with them, so they were looking for just the right family to take their baby. Well, quite a large baby at almost 90lbs!"

Dawn and her husband, Bill met Zeus and really liked him, but were not sure that he would be a good fit with their family. In the meantime, they met another pittie, a female, that had been in a shelter for three years. It was a hard decision, but they chose the girl. They stayed in touch with Zeus's family, though.

"I was on the phone with Melody (Zeus's dog Mom) one day and she casually mentioned that she needed to board Zeus for a few weeks while they went overseas briefly in preparation for their move. I ended up volunteering to “baby-sit” Zeus while they were away. Melody was thrilled with the idea!! So they drove Zeus down again with all his stuff for a 3 week stay. As it turned out, he was such a joy and really no trouble at all. He was the perfect house guest and fit in well with our...dogs!!" One Saturday, Bill turned to her and said, “He can stay!!”

And the rest, as they say, is history.

What Dawn loves most about living with dogs is their companionship, She and Bill are happy and content just being home with them. All of the Dawleys, humans and dogs, love exercising together. Zeus enjoys food and naps, Maggie Mae likes sunning herself and Eli likes play-dates and snuggling with Zeus.

The Dawley's nominated Good Lif3 Bully Rescue as their favorite pet charity.

(Dawn has us deliver special diets for Zeus, because he can only eat pork and that is how we met this wonderful family.)

Update: Moratorium, New Service, New Feature

4/11/2020

Dear Pet Parents,

As most of you are probably aware, the moratorium on "nonessential" in-home services continues and the shelter-in-place order is extended in Harris and Montgomery Counties. So, hang tight everyone! I came up with an online service that I hope will be helpful in the short term and may be something we keep in place if people enjoy it: Ask a Master Groomer (Online). Check it out and let me know what you think!

In the meantime, I have been pondering about ways that we can all feel connected. Some of you may remember shortly after Christmas 2018 that I requested photos of your fur-kids to post to this blog. It helped me share the joy I have when visiting each of you. Well, it was a big hit! Many of you receive the PetProductDelivery.com Newsletter that goes out every week. It usually features new products or some kind of sale. What if we added a feature about pet parents and their fur-families? Wouldn't it be nice to see members of our PetProductDelivery.com family of pet parents and read a little bit about each other? How we brought our pets into our homes, what we enjoy doing with them and so on? Let's do it! Please, reach out to me via e-mail and I will send you a list of fun questions to fill out and you can return them with a photo or two to share: [email protected]. I will send the feature out with the newsletter and also add it to this blog. For those of you that are on our mailing list, I will send you a set of questions directly, if you would like to participate. We have hundreds of families in the U.S. and even some in Canada and Japan. Wouldn't we all just LOVE to see everyone having fun with their pets and sharing the joy all around? I can't wait! :-D

Thanks, friends, for supporting this little business and each other. I know that these are difficult times and that there are bigger companies out there that have your attention. We REALLY appreciate that you all still allow PetProductDelivery.com to deliver Holistic Health Products for Pets direct to your door. From our family to yours, Deepest Gratitude. <3

Sandy Stutz NCMG

P.S. If you are on social media you can get more info, updates and other fun stuff here:

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The New Normal

3/31/2020

Dear Pet Parents,

Friday, March 27, 2020, I received the news that Montgomery County has shuttered all "unnecessary" businesses due to an abundance of caution and concern about the spread of COVID19. Fortunately, the CDC has deemed that delivery and pet food are NECESSARY, so PetProductDelivery.com is positioned to be in this for the long haul. I called Montgomery County when I got home to confirm. It is a good time to be in the delivery business! I will be adding even more products to our online store to serve you and your fur-family soon! Also, I have added a SEARCH function to the footer of each page to make ordering your favorite products easier then ever.

After that news, however, I was not sure how I should handle the other services that my business offers: in-home grooming and pet sitting. So, I consulted Harris County and Montgomery County message boards, websites and YouTube videos to try and understand what, as a business person and citizen, I am expected to do. I also called several big box stores that offer grooming and smaller local grooming businesses in both Harris and Montgomery Counties to find out how they were handling grooming and pet sitting services given the mandates in both counties. After a lot of reflection, I decided that the Montgomery County mandate is clear that, although caring for pets is allowed, going into someone else's home, unless it is for home repair, is not allowed. So, after much reflection, I have decided to honor the mandate in the county that I am located in. This was a very difficult decision for me personally, because I love and am very committed to my clients. And, it was also a very difficult decision financially, as those services provide approximately two thirds of the gross income that I use to support my family. Regardless, until April 12, 2020 or until the shelter-in-place moratorium is lifted, I will not be entering my client's homes to provide services. Only delivery and shipping services will remain in place.

In the meantime, I am asking that all clients, please, support our delivery services while the grooming and pet sitting are on hold. The next few weeks could either make or break PetProductDelivery.com, but I am confident that good folks like you all will rally around us. PetProductDelivery.com is the one truly LOCAL pet supply channel in the area that has always offered delivery and shipping. we are here for you. Please, let us know how best to serve your pet supply needs.

Since both Harris County and Montgomery County do not consider pet grooming necessary or essential, I will soon be offering LIVE online Learn2Groom lessons. Look for more updates on what I hope will be a fun alternative to in-home grooming.

If you have groom appointments, consider them cancelled until April 12th or until further notice. I will contact all of our groom and pet sitting clients as soon as the moratorium on in-home "nonessential" services is lifted to reschedule. My sincerest apologies for this unexpected inconvenience.

Thank you for supporting PetProductDelivery.com!!! Wishing you and your two-legged and four-legged family members the best during this unusual and difficult time. Please, do not hesitate to call, text or e-mail if you have concerns or questions or if I can do anything @ all that does not involve entering your home. My heart is with you all.

--
Sandy Stutz NCMG
832-549-1730
petproductdelivery.com

Lola is Missing!

6/18/2019

Dear Pet Parents,

Please be on the lookout for a little mixed breed dog named Lola. She was last seen near Quitman Street and Fletcher Street west of the Woodland Heights neighborhood. She is around 10lbs., 6 years old and is spayed. She is very friendly. Ana has given me 2 different photos with Lola in different hairstyles. This is not one of my clients, so please do not contact me. If you find her please contact her pet parent:

Ana Lopez
832-622-7987

German Pompon Clip...with a Twist

3/19/2019

I rarely post my own stuff, but since my son's service dog, Maximus, happens to be a poodle, I get to groom him any way I want. Sure, it's extra work, but it is also nice to be able to be creative. Most of my clients (whom I truly love) like me to do the same haircuts over and over. So, last month Max sported "Pants and Jacket." Today I put him in a nice German Pompon clip, but instead of shaved feet, I gave him on of my signature touches: "Ballet Slippers." Dogs don't like having their feet shaved, so why do it? Showing off a little bit. We had fun today.