Best Bully News

Dear Readers,

Today Best Bully Sticks celebrates Mutts Day. Since celebration should have reason and understanding behind it, we beg the question: why are we celebrating? We don’t know who came up with Mutts Day; there isn’t a named founder or creator.  Mutts Day is likely little known to much of the world. It’s not as if it’s a highly notable day, per say, but in the least it is fitting to say that every day with a mutt is a great day.

What are mutts? Mutts are the product of two or more dog breeds, creating a unique hybrid of dog. The word “mutt” historically has a negative connotation, but as any owner with a mutt knows, it’s just a word and nothing more. Technically called “half-breeds,” these dogs bring so much joy into the lives of their owners, no purebred status or high price tag matters. In fact, BBS would say most mutt owners would willingly pay the high price tag yet still keep their mutt-owner status.

So, again, why do we celebrate? Best Bully Sticks is celebrating Mutts Day to recognize the wonder that these dogs bring into our lives. Just as their lineage is indiscernible, so is the effect they have on our lives and it’s simply incredible. And maybe we love mutts because they are a reflection of us, of humankind. We are all a little mixed up ourselves and maybe we need an animal to show us just how joy can be found in any family or background. Mutts show us the past can truly be the past and the future is bright. Just like many other holidays, honor and recognition shouldn’t be confined to just a single day. Neither should it go without saying at all.

Best Bully Sticks also knows you can’t have Mutts Day without appreciating all dogs. All dogs, no matter their pedigree or history bring joy into the lives of their owners. Purebred or half-breed, dogs are intrepid animals. It’s been said that in even in the worst circumstances, dogs don’t know that life is unfair. Tail wags greet you at the door. Face licks aren’t gross; they’re welcome and cherished. And if your pup likes to snuggle, those moments are invaluable.  These fascinating creatures love us. We should love them and honor them every day.

Happy Mutts Day, Bully Fans!

It doesn’t even matter. Your dog isn’t a purebred, and that’s more than fine with you. In fact, it’s Mutt-tastic! Best Bully Sticks loves our breeds, our mutt breeds, that is! To celebrate our Mutts and the week leading up to Mutt Day on July 31^st Best Bully Sticks has gone to the Mutts! We know people have very strong feelings about their non-pedigreed dogs and we want to celebrate and show them off with a photo contest!

We’re not putting down purebreds in any manner. We love all dogs to an equal degree!

Upload a good photo of your mutt to the OfferPop app, and include their “mixture.” The mutt photo with the most votes by Tuesday, July 31^th  @ 5pm est wins free bully sticks for a year! Second place wins free bully sticks for a month! 

Best Bully Sticks Rules & Regulations

Only U.S. Residents, 18 and older, are eligible to win contests.

We do not condone cheating. Any suspicious activity will be monitored by contest managers. If we in the least are suspect of any person, we will remove the entry. Voting exchange votes are NOT allowed. Only one vote per person. No votes from profiles that are being maintained as pets will be allowed to vote. Humans only, people. We reserve the right to remove any derogatory comments. No purchase necessary to win. You must meet the requirements of the contest to be eligible. This means that your photo entry must be a mutt, not a pure bred dog. If you, or an organization you represent has won a Best Bully Sticks contest in the past 6 months, you will not be eligible for any prizes.

Because of Facebook Policy, any comments that appear to be votes and are outside or our OfferPop Photo Contest App on Facebook, will be deleted to comply with Facebook Promotion Guidelines.

Contest begins Tuesday, July 24th @ 9am est and ends Tuesday, July 31st @ 5pm est.

Best Bully Sticks is the sponsor and administrator of this contest. Best Bully Sticks is located at 1221 Admiral Street, Richmond, VA 23220

How To Enter

1. Upload a photo of your mutt to the OfferPop Photo Contest App.

2. Include your dog’s name and what you think/know their “mixture” is.

Winning

Winner(s) will be determined by the photo that has received the most votes. The first place winner will receive a lump sum of bully sticks for a year. This is 30 6 inch bully sticks per 12 months, equaling 360 bully sticks. This is a retail value of $406.80 The photo with the second amount of votes will receive odor free bully sticks for a month, or 30 6 inch sticks per 1 30 day period. This is a retail value of $33.90.

Participation & Release

Upon entering the contest, each entrant is releasing their information for use to Best Bully Sticks and is held responsible to Best Bully Sticks contest Rules & Regulations.

Home fires are the most preventable, yet one of the most common family disasters in America. The American Red Cross responds to more home fires than any other disaster. 88% of American families say that their pets are an integral part of the family unit, yet house fires affect 500,000 pets every year. In fact, pets start approximately 1,000 house fires each year!

July 15^th marked the 3^rd annual National Pet Fire Safety Awareness Day. Best Bully Sticks believes that you can prevent fires in your home and protect Fido from fires by following these easy tips.

Extinguishing & Unplugging
You should be following this rule anyway, but make sure when you leave the house, there are no open flames or high heat appliances in use. Open flames in a fire, stove or even a candle can incite a curious dog’s mind.  High heat appliances can include heat lamps or space heaters, which keep your dog warm in the cooler months. These might be a great idea, but when you leave home, it’s the best idea to turn them off.

Blowing Out Candles
Going back to the “Extinguishing” rule above; make sure you have all candles blown out when you walk out the door. Investing in flameless candles are not only a money saver, and even more possibly a house saver. Read more

On the Fourth of July, Americans think back to the revolution in our great country and the independence it gave us. As Americans, we should appreciate the freedoms our country offers and that’s why the Fourth is so special. However, some Americans are still not totally free—disabled Americans. Yes, Americans with disabilities have all the same constitutional freedoms as the rest of us; yet, imagine having a disability that keeps you from being free in the day-to-day world. Being blind, deaf or even having mental ailments such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) limits many Americans.  Today Best Bully Sticks salutes those dogs that return freedoms that most Americans take for granted every day—assistance dogs.

The American Disabilities Act of 1990 defines an assistance dog as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items."

Assistance dogs are usually used in three different ways: hearing dogs, guide dogs, and service dogs.

Hearing Dogs
Hearing dogs assist deaf and hearing-impaired Americans with day-to-day tasks by alerting them of noises that need attention, such as an alarm clock, a baby crying or a doorbell.  These dogs interact daily through physical contact and are usually marked by their orange collars or vests. Hearing dogs can be selectively bred dogs or mixed breeds taken from a rescue or shelter.

Guide Dogs
Blind and visually impaired Americans use Guide Dogs to help them navigate the world. Tasks like stopping at curbs, stairs and generally avoiding obstacles are some of the main functions of a guide dog. These dogs wear a harness with a U-shaped handle for communication between the dog and the handler. Guide dogs are most commonly selectively bred as Labrador and Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds.

Service Dogs
Service Dogs are used to assist many different types of impairments or ailments. These can include mental disabilities such as PTSD or “alert” dogs, which are trained to sense a diabetic’s low blood sugar, or an epileptic’s oncoming seizure.  Service dogs can even be trained to work with people in wheelchairs to open doors or retrieving an out of reach object. Service dogs are can be bred selectively or rescued from an animal shelter.  A backpack or harness usually denotes a service dog. Read more

Best Bully Sticks.com is hosting a dog friendly baseball game for Flying Squirrel fans! Bark in the Park is a great way to have MORE FUNN at the Richmond Flying Squirrels Game! So, Richmond Squirrels Fans: Come out, bring your family and your dog and enjoy the game! 

Who: Best Bully Sticks.com & The Flying Squirrels

What: A Dog-Friendly Baseball Game! (Can't get much better than that!)

When: TODAY, May 16, 2012 @ 6:35 pm

Where: The Diamond: 

From the North/South: I-95, traveling north or south, Exit 78 (Boulevard-161 Exit). The Diamond is two blocks south after exiting.

From the East/West: I-64, traveling east or west, will merge with I-95. Use Exit 78 (Boulevard-161 Exit) off I-95. The Diamond is two blocks south after exiting.

From Powhite Parkway: Travel Powhite Parkway to I-195 north, take the Broad Street exit and turn left onto Roseneath Road, take the second right (Moore Street) and follow it the Boulevard (161), turn left onto the Boulevard which will take you past The Diamond.

Ticketing: If you are bringing your dog, you must purchase General Admission or Diamond Club seating in sections 101 or 102!

More information about the game , tickets and pricing on the Flying Squirrels website!