Flush Puppies Winners Ready for Earth Day

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

courtesy r.g.
Abby Shows Off Our Prize

Earth Day is Monday and All Things Dog Blog will be celebrating by sharing tips--both my own and other bloggers--for helping Fido go a little greener. The opportunities are endless so be sure to join us for the listings of posts you can learn from in our Mutt Monday Blog Hop.

Thanks for all your participation in this Go Green Giveaway. Tanner enjoyed posing for the cover photo! 

If you are not among the winners today, please feel free to drop in at FlushPuppies.com to place your order. Then pat yourself on the back in the knowledge that you are putting dog doodie where it was meant to be managed. A wholehearted thank you from mother Earth...

Flush Puppies is sure to be thrilled at the number of entries and enthusiasm of the comments. We finally get to draw the winners and ship the prizes. That's always the fun part :)

Today's winners are Vivian S, Crystal R, Daraya, and Betty L. I have already notified each of you via email from AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Check your spam if you do not see this email from my account, or write me back with your shipping address. I look forward to hearing your feedback. Please drop in at Flush Puppies' Facebook page and let them hear a thank you from you.

Happy tails,

Flush Puppies Earth Day Giveaway

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Flushable Doodie Bags

Flush Puppies are back and we couldn't be more thrilled. I bumped into the founding brothers at Global Pet Expo and they were happy to provide some additional giveaways. Yay! Perfect timing with Earth Day just around the corner.

You may be wondering how doggie poop bags can be "Green". With Flush Puppies, it's easy. These bags are flushable in municipal sewer systems, and completely biodegrade within a couple of days. Simply drop the bag of waste into a toilet and flush. One important tip: Don't tie a knot in the bag. This holds air inside the bag, and when water pressure is low, the bag may not flush well. With many toilets being made with lower water pressure to conserve on this important resource, we need to remember this important rule.

What else do we love about Flush Puppies? No more smelly trash cans! That's huge. With my mom now living nearby, she has recently switched to Flush Puppies when she learned that she cannot dispose of Jacque's 'jobs' in the community trash receptacle. That left her with a not-so-uncommon problem. Fortunately I had the solution for her and now Flush Puppies has a new customer--Jacque!

So, if you'd like to give Flush Puppies a try, you can enter below to win a 3-pack of bags. There are 20 bags in a package, so this should be an ample one-month supply for most dogs. I'm offering lots of ways to enter, so choose your faves and jump right in. Pat yourself on the back for making an effort to live a little lighter on planet Earth.

Our giveaway will take entries through midnight on Thursday April 18. Winners will be announced on Friday, April 19. Good luck to you all!

Prefer the sure-thing method? No problem. You can simply order your Flush Puppies online. Their website also includes a store locator at this link which may help you find a brick and mortar store near you. Flush Puppies thanks you!

Flush Puppies has provided this product for a promotional giveaway. I have not been compensated for this PR. No purchase is required to enter.

Pet Combo Pack Giveaways

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© C. Boyko
Promotional Handouts--Such Fun!

© DogPackSnacks.com
Coco

Wrapping up the end of my last shipment of  Dog Pack Snacks are 3 packages of Pea-Nutter Cookies and 1 package of  U.S. made Chicken Jerky. Our friend Deb makes these treats herself, with Coco supervising. This is one small business we like to back because we know YOU do not want any problems with the liver treats from China that you may have heard are not healthy for Fido.


Another is Flush Puppies, making flushable and totally biodegradable and compostable poop bags. This is what we use to make sure that we're not leaving tons of plastic bags full of unmentionables in the landfills. I've got 6 wallet packs for 4 winners-WOW!


This giveaway is a one weeker, so don't lallygag (one of my mom's words for procrastinate!); be sure to get your entries in quickly. Once you've done the manadatory entry, you can tweet daily if you wish. Good luck and Happy tails!



The products in this giveaway have been provided as a promotional courtesy. There is no purchase required to enter and I have not been compensated to offer this giveaway.

Sneaky Dog Pack Snacks Hide Out in Flush Puppies Giveaway

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Don't Flush the Dog Pack Snacks!

We've decided to give up teaching Tanner to flush his own doodie bags. Even though his Flush Puppies bags are flushable and dissolve in the sewer system water, all the other goodies that may end up in the toilet are not necessarily flushable. Therein lies the problem.

© Carrie Boyko
Tanner and Oliver
Wait Permission to EAT their Dog Pack Snacks

Today Tanner appeared to be practicing his DROP IT skills with a sample pouch of treats. "Wait! That doesn't go there Tanner!" Maybe he was trying to tell me something.  When I pulled out the Dog Pack Snacks he perked right up and was ready for a performance of most any kind that would bring him the desired reward. That's my boy!

© courtesy Flush Puppies

Speaking of rewards, this week you guys get one. Just for being loyal readers, you get to enter a giveaway from two of my sponsors: Dog Pack Snacks and Flush Puppies. Six winners will get a small pouch of Dog Pack Snacks (from a variety of flavor choices) and 3 wallet packs of Flush Puppies. Now you'll have rewards for your dogs after they take care of their business outside. Good doggie!

I know that some of you would rather just purchase your own products and be done with it. In this case, let's cut to the chase. You can pick up your choice of flavors from Dog Pack Snacks, and select your Flush Puppies in rolls or wallet-packs at their site at the link above. Flush Puppies are also available at most Pet Supermarkets and  here through Amazon.

If you don't see the Rafflecopter entry form here, just click on the title to refresh and it will appear just beneath my name:

No Dog Doodie at this House: Clean Yard Kit Winner

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
The Clean Yard Kit

Who knew that you guys would respond so well to a title that says "Pawsome Pet Poop Prizes". I mean seriously, we're sounding like the mommy blogs who have mommies flocking to get diapers. Doesn't that make you BOL! It certainly does me. 


I don't know what I was thinking when I conjured up that title. Today I have redefined it as the Clean Yard Kit. That sounds a bit more sanitary. Sigh.


I do hope this winner has an appropriate need for great supplies. Mary J. has won this Clean Response bin and rake from Petmate, along with a nice supply of Flush Puppies to do her job at caring for our Eco-system. 

Add caption

Flushing is definitely preferable for our Earth than trash cans, yards and plastic poop bags that will live on forever in our landfills. 


For those of you who have not yet managed to win any of our Flush Puppies giveaways, fear not. There will be more coming. As of this week, Flush Puppies is now a sponsor of All Things Dog Blog, and we intend to keep them happy. We love this product that dissolves in our sewer system, allowing its contents to be treated in a system that was intended to do just that. 

In a hurry to try them? No problem. Click this Flush Puppies link and you'll be magically taken to their website where you can order your own selection. They have dispensers, wallet packs and rolls, so grab what you like and enjoy the great green feeling you'll have in using them. Happy tails!

NOTE: Flush Puppies are also available at many Pet Supermarkets. Check the Store Locator for other retail locations.


Full disclaimer: The Clean Response system and Flush Puppies in this giveaway were provided by Petmate and Flush Puppies as a promotional courtesy. No purchase was necessary to win. Complete Giveaway and Contest Rules are available at this link.

Doggie Doodie: Keeping Our Waterways Clear of Bacteria

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Be sure to stop by Btc4Animals and thank them for this quarterly awareness day. I hope you'll find time to read through some of the other postings at their site today.


Have you read your state or county's website on the water quality of your area's natural waterways? Well let me clue you in. We're in a sad state of affairs. Runoff is our largest offender. Drainage after a hard rain such as last weekend's 20-hour-long deluge in Central Florida carries all manner of pollutants through our drainage systems and right into our lakes, rivers, streams and retention ponds.


When tested, these runoff waters have picked up, among other no-nos, fertilizers that cause algae bloom, pest control chemicals that poison fish and waterfowl, and you guessed it--doggie doodie. That means coloform bacteria is carried in small brown packages right into our recreational areas for swimming, boating and fishing.


Think again if you're telling yourself you don't live near a waterway. The maze of drainage systems in any developed community--urban or suburban--will amaze you if you look into it. It's like this unseen rat's maze under the streets that carries rain and floodwaters to its final destination in our favorite watering holes. What a shame that some pet owners are contributing so unknowingly to this pollution.


It's not too late, though. You can do your part. I'll start with the toughest idea and move toward the easier. Here's a simple plan:

• Vow to stop using toxic chemicals on your lawn. That's major, I know. I made the switch to organic lawncare in 2007. It has been 4 1/2 years and I still have a full lawn that is lush and green. Sure, I have a few more weeds. But that's mostly because I don't work terribly hard at removing or killing them naturally (Sprinkle yours will baking soda and they'll wither just as good as with weedkiller). You can read more about Eco-friendly lawncare here.
• Clean up after your dog in your own yard. If you're like my family, our two pups often make their deposits here at home. A bucket and scooper will allow you to quickly collect these daily, to avoid their bacterial runoff with the eventual rainfall. To best reduce pollution, you can dump this waste into your toilet and flush. The sewer systems were created for processing and treating omnivorous waste. That's what you've just collected, so why not dispose of it without making your trash can stink and spreading bacteria? You can find the Petmate Clean Response system here.
• Use an outdoor disposal option that is Eco-friendly. Rather than tossing your canine's castoff into the trash, drop it into an in-ground biodegrader, without the bag. This terrific gadget called a Doggie Dooley, is inserted into the ground outside. With a flip-open top, it provides hands-free operation when you drop Fido's load into the container, which then proceeds to biodegrade the material and allow it to be absorbed into the soil below. Check it out at the link above. 
• Follow through with cleanup when away from home. Carry a bag with you when you walk your dog or take him with you anywhere. Better yet, keep a package of doodie bags in your car and in a leash attachment. I love Flush Puppies because they were made to dissolve in water, therefore making them flushable and allowing the contents to be treated in our waste system. Anything is better than putting a lifetime of plastic bags in the landfill, only to biodegrade in a hundred years.  I did the math and was not impressed. Two dogs x 3 bags on average per day at an average of 14 years per dog = 15,330 bags just for my 2 dogs alone. With 40-60 million dog owners in the U.S., depending on which estimates you read, that's a ton of dog poop in landfill. Worse yet, the plastic bags are a nightmare for our environment. Even the so-called "biodegradable" poop bags that are not flushable will take years to biodegrade. 

© courtesy pontchartrain.net

The point is you do have choices. You can contribute to a cleaner world moving forward, or you can tell yourself it's just one bag each time you put it in the trash. Next time you visit your nearby lake or riverfront, don't be surprised when you see a sign posted " No Swimming. Water Tests Reveal Coloform Bacteria". This doesn't just mean you; it includes your dog too. Where will you swim now?

Need help getting started? Check out my giveaway at Pawsome Pet Poop Prizes! You'll also find this link in my center sidebar.  And good luck to you in whatever way you to choose to do your part. You've taken the first step by reading this Be the Change for Animals post. Grab the badge and write your own cause. It's good karma.