Looking for something fun to do involving animals?  Here are two upcoming events in the Orange County area.

America’s Family Pet Expo- 

  April 11 thru  April 13 at the Orange County Fairgrounds 

Exhibitors include manufacturers, retailers, groomers, veterinarians, hobbyist groups, humane rescue organizations, humane societies, breeders, etc. Almost every kind of companion animal is on display and many are featured in educational demonstrations and seminars. Great shows of dogs, cats, birds, fish & reptiles.   www.petexpooc.com

Pet Project Foundation’s Annual Wag-A-Thon-

Saturday, April 26, from 8:30-1:00 in the Dana Point Harbor

You and your dog will enjoy music, the Disc Dogs in Southern California, food, the Bowser Bazaar, and more!  A great event for your entire family.  Bring your dog!  For more info visit www.petprojectfoundation.org

Look for our coupon the first Thursday of the month in the San Clemente Times!  New Customers Save $5 and 20% Off One Retail Item!  Or, print it out and bring it to your next grooming appointment.

www.sanclementetimes.com

Thank you San Clemente for voting VIP Pet Spa Best in Pet Care/Grooming for the 2nd year in a row!  Everyone at VIP Pet Spa truly loves your pets, and we work hard to keep them looking good and smelling great!  :)  For more information and to see the other winners of the 2nd Annual San Clemente Times Ole Awards click HERE or visit www.sanclementetimes.com.

Also known as the “lion dog”, the Shih Tzu came about by probably breeding a Tibetan Lhasa Apso with a Pekingese in the 17th century.  The Shih Tzu became a favorite of the Imperial Chinese Court, and for years were so revered that the Chinese refused to sell or give away these little dogs.  It was not until 1930’s that the dog was imported to England.  Today the breed is very popular as a companion dog and a glamorous show dog. 

The Shih Tzu is a very popular breed at VIP Pet Spa.  Grooming ranges from bath and brush outs to keep the coat long, to shorter puppy cuts for less maintenance.  The coats tends to matt very easily, so daily brushing and combing is a must if you want to keep the coat long!  The Shih Tzu looks very cute with a round “teddy bear” head or with long bangs pulled up into a pony tail.  They are generally happy little dogs with a friendly personality.

Did you get a cute, cuddly puppy for Christmas?  VIP Pet Spa loves puppies!  Do not wait until your cute baby is 8 months old for a first trip to the groomer.  As soon as your puppy has all of its shots, give us a call to schedule your first appointment.   Your pup needs to get used to the sounds, feels, and handling from a young age to be sure of proper behavior to make grooming time a fun time for the rest of its life.

Be sure to vote for VIP Pet Spa in the Best of Pet Care/Grooming category in the San Clemente Times Best of San Clemente Ole Awards!  You can vote online at www.sanclementetimes.com or fill out a paper ballot found in the newspaper.  The newpaper comes out every Thursday.  Votes must be submitted by January 9.  Thank you!

In the spirit of the Holiday season, enjoy a few laughs from this “A Dog’s Christmas Promise” poem.

A Dog’s Christmas Promises

Pronounced SKIP-er-kee, the Schipperke is a small, thickset, tail-less dog with a thick double coat and a ruff around his neck.   Originally bred in Belgium, these dogs are a big dog  in a little dogs’ body.   In Flemish, Schipperke means “Little Skipper”, or “Little Captain”.  These dogs were the ”ratters”, a very important funtion on a canal barge, and also usually the captain’s dog.  Schipperke’s  are quick, energetic, hot-tempered, high-spirited, self- confident and protective.  They are wary of strangers and may seem somewhat aloof, but are actually very devoted and loyal, especially with children.  The Schipperke is very smart, curious and mischievous, can be willful, but is usually easy to train.  This breed likes to howl and bark!  

The Schipperke is very clean and pretty much takes care of its own grooming, however it does blow its coat up to 3 times a year.   This coat change is a sudden drop of ALL undercoat within about a 10 day period.  A trip to the groomer during these times is a necessity, unless you want to clean up bags and bags of undercoat around your house!

VIP Pet Spa would like to express our deepest sympathy to all those affected by the recent Southern California fires.  We hope that all family and pets are safe, and you are able to return to your homes soon. 

The holiday season is approaching quickly!  The week before Thanksgiving and Christmas is the busiest time of the year at VIP Pet Spa.  We encourage all customers to make their appointments early in order to reserve their spot.  We are expecting to be filled for these 2 weeks way in advance, so you may be out of luck if you wait until the last minute.  Give us a call at (949) 492-7473 to make your appointment.

 Normally, VIP Pet Spa is closed on Monday’s, but we will be open Monday, November 19 and Monday, December 17 to accomodate the increased demand.  Here is the holiday schedule:

CLOSED:  For Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 22 and Friday November 23.  For Christmas: Sunday, December 23 thru Wednesday, December 26.  For New Years: Tuesday, January 1.

OPEN:  For Thanksgiving: Monday, November 19 thru Wednesday, November 21.   For Christmas: Monday, December 17 thru Saturday December 22.