Celebrating National Pet Month


Did you know that April is National Pet Month? In celebration of this Ocean Loans have given me a very generous £50 to take part in their pet campaign, where I've had the chance to shower my dogs with treats and toys without having to worry about finances. As a self confessed crazy dog lady this makes me very happy- pet shopping is my absolute favourite! Seeing how excited they were when they spotted everything was just the cutest thing, they're truly spoilt for choice and now have a stash of goodies that will last them for ages.

There's no doubt that owning pets is expensive, and having bigger breeds bumps that cost up even further. When you're buying for bigger dogs everything from their food, collars, leads, beds, even worming and flea treatments costs so much more- and it's no different when it comes to toys. High quality and hardwearing dog toys don't come cheap, and so it was really nice to be able to fill up a basket at Pets at Home without having to worry about the budget. While I wanted to get a mixture of things, I made sure to get a couple of quality pieces that would stand the test of time. The Nerf Infinity tug of war toy (£12) is something my boyfriend has been wanting to pick up for a while as he plays tug of war a lot with the dogs, but with them being such strong breeds (especially Bowser, a rottweiler/ mastiff cross) the rope style ones dont last for five minutes. This is a really solid piece made of durable rubber and the infinity style gives you and the dog both something to hold onto. The Boingo Ball (£8) is another toy we've had our eye on for a while, the rubber on the outside makes it really tough so great for strong chewers, and to also withstand being thrown around the garden. The Nylabone Dura Chew (£12) is another great piece; both dogs love chewing bones but as they can be a choking hazard due to small pieces breaking off they can only ever have them while they're being supervised, whereas this is something they can have when we go out too. It's designed for powerful chewers and so far is standing up to that claim, both dogs have had a good chomp on it and have hardly left a mark on it. This seems to be Romeo's favourite so far, probably due to the fact it's bacon flavoured! The solid rubber ball and hoop (£4 each) are great hardwearing pieces for the garden, they already have a couple of smaller sized versions and they get played with every day so these were an easy choice. 

The smaller pieces we chose were the plush soft toys, a teeth cleaning chew toy (great for smelly dog breath!) as well as some treats and bones. Both dogs have been in their element since getting their paws on this haul, seeing them happy and content with all of their new goodies is the best feeling in the world! National Pet Month encourages responsible pet ownership and the importance of companion animals, however not all animals have caring families and there are still far too many in shelters waiting for their forever homes. If you'd like to get involved and donate or help to raise money for the charities and shelters that care for these animals, check out here for more information.

Will you be treating your pet during National Pet Month?