I just came across this story in the Daily News about this paralyzed Pomerian, named Willy, who was abandoned in Brooklyn…

It’s so nice to hear about wonderful organizations like Sean Casey Animal Rescue and HandicappedPets.com (who has donated a custom wheelchair)!  Willy will be ready to go to his forever home in a few weeks, so please pass this on if you know of anyone who would be able to provide a  wonderful home for a special-needs dog like Willy!!

So, yesterday I wrote about Oscar’s debut as a SNIF Tag spokesmodel, but I today I wanted to talk about some of the other cool companies we met at Pet Fashion Week 2008.  There were so many cool products and companies, but I wanted to give shout outs to a few of our favorites…

First, we need to give props to our neighbors - Leashes and Lovers and It’s Raining Cats & Dogs.  We were lucky enough to be situated next to people with really cool businesses who were ALSO just great people to hang out with for 2 days straight.  Leashes and Lovers is a online site that helps unite local dog lovers - they have events all over New York including frequent Hike & Hound outings to one of our favorite nearby hiking spots - Harriman State Park.  It’s Raining Cats & Dogs has distinctive animal themed jewelry - we were really impressed with their selection of jewelry featuring hard-to-find breeds! 

We were crazy about the hand-made collars and leashes at Bowchies.  The owner was kind enough to let Oscar model this one for the weekend…

It was the perfect complement to his SNIF Tag!  They have lots more stylish patterns on their website, so be sure to check it out.

We met also met fellow bloggers at Pupstyle- the self-proclaimed “original snobby dog blog”!  Of course we have added them to our blogroll and will keep an eye out for the newest trends in luxury pet products on their site.

Finally, I have to mention that I had my first real celebrity encounter EVER!  I know this is hard to believe, since I have lived in NYC for so long…but I’m not brave enough to ever go up to a celeb (plus I assume that they would be annoyed, so I just leave them alone).  But when David Best (of David & Elvis from Greatest American Dog) came around to our booth, filming segments for the pet section of David’s educational website for Doctors - thedoctorschannel.com - I had to let him know that he did us New York dog owners proud (unlike another NY contestant…ah-hem)!  I’m happy to report that Dr. Best was as nice in person as he seemed on TV!  My only disappointment was not getting to meet Elvis (he didn’t know dogs were allowed at the event).

Whew…well that’s all for now.  I know I’m forgetting to mention a ton of cool businesses so check out the full list of exhibitors on the Pet Fashion website and the photos from the Fashion Show in the Daily News.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting a great pet boutique in Harlem called Posh Paws.  While pet boutiques, stores and related businesses are a dime a dozen in lower Manhattan, some savvy small business owners are realizing the potential of opening similar businesses in untapped local markets.

Posh Paws is getting stellar reviews from local customers who value the large selection of high end pet products including food, clothing, beds and carriers.  Don’t see the brand of food that Fido craves?  No problem, they’ll order it for you… 

The super friendly co-owner even gave us a great recommendation on where to grab lunch.  It’s refreshing to find a local neighborhood dog business that is hitting a home run, especially since they do it without the attitude that you get at some high-end boutiques! 

Oscar’s Rating - 4 paws up!  However, he’s not a big fan of designer doggie duds…here he is sporting his Maverick Top Dog tank under duress…