healthy dog treats from brothers complete are a hit #sponsored #giveaway

September 28, 2015 Kristen Carr

You know me. I'm always seeking out great dog food and treats to add to our rotation and recommend to my clients and readers. I recently discovered Brothers Complete, a premium line of dog food and treats. Living up to their name, they sent us their complete line to try. It is great to have the opportunity to let N.A.S.H.A. try all of the varieties so we could see which ones she loves best. We started with the treats, naturally.

I am being compensated for helping to spread the word about Brothers Complete. Well Minded only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. All opinions are my own. Brothers Complete is not responsible for the content of this article.

brothers complete line of healthy dog treats

Brothers Complete offers both biscuit treats and dehydrated treats. We tried their Turkey Meal Biscuits, Buffalo Meal Biscuits, Venison Meal Biscuits, Dehydrated Sweet Potato Treats, and Dehydrated Chicken Treats.

what makes brothers complete treats so great?

• GMO-, grain-, sugar-, hormone-, and antibiotic-free

• potato-free

• no artificial colors or flavors

• no chemical preservatives

• made in small batches sourced and made in the U.S.A., designed, delivered and stored by Brothers Complete

• packaged in 3 ply foil bags to preserve freshness

This family-run business takes pride in their products and values their customers. Their mission? "The intention we bring to all that we do is to create the highest good for all involved, our customers, our family, and every dog that we feed." And to back up their high quality product, they offer a 100% satisfaction, no-hassle guarantee, so if for some strange reason your dog isn't digging what they're dishing out, you're covered.

our treat trial

Since we had five high-quality treats to choose from, I thought it would be fun to have a blind taste test. Yes, I realize a blind taste test means that you conceal the product packaging, but since I have not yet taught N.A.S.H.A. to read, I decided that putting the treats in front of their respective bags would be of benefit to you and not skew the results significantly. For the record, I don't recommend you feed your dog (especially if she is only eleven pounds) five treats at once, but since N.A.S.H.A. is an integral part of the trial, I thought it fitting to pay her with a little indulgence.

I put out all of the treats while N.A.S.H.A. drooled and wiggled in my husband's arms. He accused me of animal torture.

The complete lineup of Brothers Complete dog treats, ready to be sampled.

Though all of the treats are fantastic, I was curious to see what she would do when presented with so many options. Actually, I had a pretty good idea of which one she would go for first. Check out the video to see what happened:

Yup! The dehydrated chicken won out, followed quickly by the turkey biscuit and buffalo biscuit, respectively. She made her way through all of the treats, but, being a dog of very little size, she could only grab one at a time. I'm sure some of you Great Danes out there could handle all five at once!

After predictably selecting the dehydrated chicken first, N.A.S.H.A. went back to check out the other offerings. Her review: YUM!

I'm happy to have found the Brothers Compete treats as a healthy addition to our lineup. I also like to make sure the treats I leave for my pet sitting clients at the end of each service period are high-quality, so we might just share the wealth. Probably. Maybe.

brothers complete giveaway

We will share the wealth with you, however, whether you are a client or not. Brothers Complete has offered to send one of our lucky readers a 10 lb. bag of dog food of their choice, plus three bags of biscuits (one of each flavor)! Awesome!

I didn't want to inundate you with too much information all at once, so next time we'll try the Brothers Complete Dog Food and let you know what we think. We'll be giving away a great prize pack then, too, so be sure to check back!

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Click here to visit the Brothers Complete web site.

Find Brothers Complete on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

will your pet be safe if a natural disaster strikes? #NatlPrep #giveaway

August 28, 2015 Kristen Carr

This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I can't believe it's been that long. Hitting the Atlantic coast and costing over 1,800 lives, it was one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. Families with pets faced torturous decisions, as no provisions had been made for pets in such a disaster. Many people were forced to leave their pets behind, which was a huge emotional blow in such a time of crisis, not to mention the health and safety risks the situation posed to the pets. Some people refused to evacuate without their pets, which further complicated rescue efforts. In all, over 600,000 pets died or found themselves homeless, and almost half (44%) of people who refused to evacuate said they did not leave because they were not allowed to bring their pets.

Will your pet be safe if a natural disaster strikes?

PETS Act

Hurricane Katrina was the catalyst for the PETS Act–the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act. The act had bipartisan support in both houses, and the legislation passed quickly through Congress and was signed into law in October 2006. It ensures that state and local emergency planning addresses the needs of households with pets.

our hurricane katrina rescue dog

In addition to the lives lost and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, many animals found themselves astray. The stray animal population was too much for the Gulf Coast area to handle, especially as they began a long process toward recovery, so animals were sent to shelters and rescue groups all over the United States in hopes that by dispersing the stray population, more animals would find homes. Our dog, N.A.S.H.A. was one of those dogs.

Our dog, N.A.S.H.A., is a Hurricane Katrina rescue.

We adopted N.A.S.H.A. in September of 2005 when she was just a pup. She was with a rescue group that had taken on a large number of strays left homeless in the wake of the hurricane. My step-son, B, and I walked past her crate, and she went nuts. We watched from afar as others passed her crate and noticed that she only got excited when we walked by. B asked if we could take her out and hold her. That's when I knew we were in trouble. We weren't even thinking of adding another dog to the family. She chose us, and we couldn't deny her.

do you have a plan in place for your pets if disaster strikes?

Thanks in big part to the PETS Act, our animal companions are now being considered when disaster strikes, but many of us don't have a emergency plan for our pets. Whether you live in a place where a hurricane or tornado could strike, you live in earthquake country, or you live in a place that could flood in a matter of moments during monsoon season (that's us), it's important to have a solid plan in place for your pets.

We're working with the ASPCA to help spread the word about disaster preparedness for families with pets. They have created a handy infographic to break down the most important things to consider:

september is national preparedness month–take the pledge and enter to win a disaster preparedness pack

September is national preparedness month. Are you prepared to take care of your pets in a natural disaster? Are our pets safer than they were ten years ago when Hurricane Katrina struck? Join me in taking the pledge to prepare for your pets in the event of an emergency by clicking here.

Enter to win this ASPCA Disaster Preparedness Pack.

The ASPCA has generously offered to give a Disaster Preparedness Pack to one of our readers! The pack includes:

• emergency ready pet first aid kit

• Subaru roll-up picnic blanket

• Subaru penguin umbrella

With this pack, there's no excuse not to be prepared.

Have you and your pets been through a natural disaster? Are you prepared to care for your pets in the event of an emergency? Please tell us about it.

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staying fresh with natural grooming wipes from PL360 #giveaway #sponsored

August 22, 2015 Kristen Carr

If you read my blog regularly, you remember that we recently discovered a great new natural pet product company called PL360. We had the opportunity to try and review several of their products, and they just sent us their newest great thing, grooming wipes!

I received a pack of PL360 Grooming Wipes to try in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. PL360 is not responsible for the content of this article.

staying fresh with natural grooming wipes from PL360.

I regularly use natural face cleansing wipes, and though it's the same concept, I'd never heard of grooming wipes. What a great idea! We can use these on our pets in-between baths or trips to the groomer to help them freshen up. The wipes can be used on dogs, cats, or other small furry animals. You can use them anywhere except the eyes. Super convenient!

are PL360 grooming wipes natural?

As with all things my family ingests, applies, or even looks at, I inspected the label before giving the wipes a go. I believe firmly that the accumulation of toxins in our bodies is a huge factor in poor health, and I try to avoid toxins as much as possible. The PL360 grooming wipes are entirely plant-based, have no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, toxins, lanolin, soap, or alcohol. Even the mandarin scent is a natural fragrance. They got the all clear from me.

testing them out

N.A.S.H.A. had some friends over, so I asked their parents if they could join in on the fun. I got to try these on three guinea pigs...er...dogs!

My panel: A trio of guinea pigs...er...lucky dogs.

BEFORE

N.A.S.H.A.: usual scrappy-looking coat, light doggy odor enhanced by sun basking in 110° heat

Milo: smooth normal coat, neutral odor

Quigley: more oily to the touch than the other two, some doggy odor, but nothing offensive, chronic skin allergies

DURING

N.A.S.H.A.: slightly skeptical, but tolerant, and seemed to enjoy it once she realized the wipes did not have acid from the depths of hell on them. She even let me wipe her paws, and the cloth didn't tear on her nails.

Milo: couldn't have cared less. Quigley, however, thought I was attacking Milo and barked at me the whole time, so Milo's relaxing massage left a bit to be desired.

Quigley: thought it was play time while I was rubbing him down...Quigley was squigley, but we got the job done.

AFTER

N.A.S.H.A.: shook off, then rubbed herself all over the couch cushions, to my delight, as she does after every bath. Her fur had a light mandarin scent and seemed slightly smoother to me.

Milo: walked away and took a nap (he's 14, so we have to cut him some slack...this relaxing massage business can be exhausting). He smelled fresh as a ripe mandarin orange.

Quigley: he made sure Milo survived the ordeal, then stared at me for several minutes, making sure I was not going to attack again. He smelled fresh like the others, and his fur seemed a bit less oily. Most importantly, the wipes didn't make him itch, in fact, in the few hours following, he seemed to me to itch and scratch less then he normally does.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I think the PL360 Grooming Wipes are a safe, convenient way to freshen up your pet in-between baths or grooming visits. Though I don't currently have any small caged animals, I think they would be especially great for rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, and the like. Though they definitely couldn't replace your pet's regular bathing routine, I think they are a great option for daily use. If you have a pet who likes to "get into things" and make a mess, these would be an excellent resource to save your sanity. They would also be great for travel or even routine walks...it's a big, dirty world out there!

After barking at me for wiping Milo, Quigley thought better of his rash opinion.

UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015: We found another great use for these wipes! The dingleberry (I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that the PL360 wipes made it much less gory than it would otherwise have been).

Would you like to try the PL360 grooming wipes? You can! We are giving away five packs of wipes to five lucky winners, courtesy of PL360. Pawesome!

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natural pet products from @PL360 pet get the job done #giveaway

July 25, 2015 Kristen Carr

About five years ago, our family decided (I decided and dictated my mission) to go chemical-free in our home. I'm pretty sure we've tried it all. I'll be honest: natural cleaners don't always work as well as the hard stuff. We have found a handful of brands that we trust to get the job done the natural way, and I am happy to share with you that we have discovered a great new line of natural, plant-based products to add to our go-to list. PL360 is "for pet lovers everywhere," and has created a line of safe, natural products with our furry friends in mind.

PL360 sent me products in exchange for my honest review. PL360 is not responsible for the content of this article. All opinions are my own.

PL360's products

(PL360's lineup includes the following:)

Grooming. Even Fido wants to look and feel good. This lineup of stellar plant-based grooming products gets the job done the natural way.

Household. Pets are even more sensitive than we are when it comes to the cleaners we use around the house. Cleaning the natural way is super important.

Health. Natural supplements promote a healthier lifestyle for your dog. No need to introduce chemicals when we are trying to boost our pet's wellness.

PL360's philosophy

PL360's products are serious, but their philosophy is lighthearted and heartfelt:

Our best lessons in gratitude, love and compassion often come from our pets. The same goes for what we know about playing freely and living fully. Each day, or pets look at us like we are superheroes, not knowing they are the ones who inspire us.

To repay them for their devoted, unconditional love, we owe them everything we know about their wellbeing. That's why for 14 years we've made it our mission to create products that keep our pets healthy, happy and clean.

trying PL360's natural products

PL360 sent us a few of their natural products to try out: three products from their household line as well as the all-in-one pet shampoo and conditioner from their grooming line.

We tried some of PL360's natural household products.

When I first used the multi-surface cleaner and multi-surface cleaning wipes, I was surprised that there was virtually no fragrance, which, in my book, is a great thing. The cleaner has a mild, almost imperceptible citrus scent, while the fragrance-free wipes just smell fresh. Neither has ammonia, bleach, phosphates, phthalates, or sulfates. The containers suggest I use them on dog and cat toys, water and food dishes, small animal cages, countertops, stainless steel, tiles, walls, and cabinets. Check, check, and check. These cleaners did a great job, and I can feel safe using them even on things N.A.S.H.A. puts into her mouth or eats from. I also used the multi-surface cleaner on my tile floor when a visiting pooch mistook it for the potty. Oops. No fear! PL360 came to the rescue!

All of PL360's natural products are safe for pets–awesome!

Just a sprinkle of PL360's carpet powder did the trick.

I haven't used carpet powder in YEARS. I love the idea of it, but most of them are filled with fragrances I can't handle and chemicals I refuse to subject my family to. PL360's carpet powder combines baking soda with plant-based neutralizers to eliminate odors and contains no ammonia, bleach, phosphates, phthalates, or sulfates.

Hmmmm...we have this one rather pet-ish smelling area of carpet in our upstairs hallway, so I decided to see if the claims held true. Though the powder was fairly fragrant as I was sprinkling it and while I gave it a few minutes to dig in, it was no where near as potent as other powders I've used in the past. Once I vacuumed it up, only a mild, fresh scent was present. Over the next few hours, I didn't smell anything. No scent, and no doggy odor. Neutralized! A success, in my book, and I'll be happy to use this carpet powder again. As an aside, I love how openings on the top are labeled "little mess" and "big mess." A product that works and makes me smile...awesome.

Since my house was squeaky clean, I couldn't leave scruffy N.A.S.H.A. to dirty it all up again, so into the bath she went with PL360's all-in-one shampoo & conditioner in the "fresh pomegranate" variety. PL360 asked me about N.A.S.H.A.'s coat to be sure I was getting the grooming product best suited for her. If you've been here reading my blog before (thanks for coming back), you know that N.A.S.H.A.'s thin, dry coat is helped by natural supplements, but she still tangles easily. The all-in-one PL360 sent me says it is a "deep conditioning formula for dogs with coarse, dry coats that are prone to shedding and tangling."

Can you tell how thrilled N.A.S.H.A. is to be taking a bath?

N.A.S.H.A. is never a big fan of the bath, but we got her in and got her started. My daughter helped me scrub her clean, and I will say that she did smell more like a fresh pomegranate than a wet dog. We loved how well it sudsed up in N.A.S.H.A.'s fur. N.A.S.H.A.'s favorite part of the bath is always the drying off process...a little on the towel, and a lot on the carpet (which I'd thankfully just cleaned with carpet powder) and a lot on the couch. We waited for her to fully dry, then gave her the brush test. Her fur usually tangles, so, just like brushing my daughter's hair, I'm often met with complaints, but after using PL360's shampoo & conditioner, her fur was easily brushed and silky soft!

After a towel-dry, we give N.A.S.H.A. a sniff test. Fresh Pomegranate!

The most important factors for me when selecting products for my family and my home are safety and effectiveness. PL360 checks those boxes, and more. Their products are created specifically for people with pets, and we all know how messy life is with furry family members. Now no one else has to know (wink). Though their products are ultra safe and effective, PL360 doesn't take themselves too seriously. Their product descriptions and packaging are light-hearted and approachable, which almost makes cleaning fun.

We're giving away two PL360 product packs just like the one we received! We'll choose one winner at random. You'll receive one product pack for yourself, and we'll send another to your favorite charity. Pretty great, right?

We know you'll love PL360 as much as we do! Good luck!

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it's here! the super-sized pet blogger summer giveaway

June 15, 2015 Kristen Carr

We've been anticipating it for weeks, and it's finally here: The Super-Sized Pet Blogger Summer Giveaway! What the heck is going on, you ask? Well, twenty-four awesome pet bloggers have come together to celebrate the onset of summer by offering our readers the chance to win one of three doggone amazing prizes.

what can you win?

3rd prize: A PawNosh Cubby Bowl. These bowls are GORGEOUS and made from 100% recycled glass. Safe for the environment, and safe for your pet to eat from.

2nd prize: Your choice of Italian Leather Collar & Leash set from dogIDs. These beautiful sets come in a variety of colors can be personalized with your pet's information.

GRAND PRIZE: A $400 Visa Gift Card. Lots of moolah. Need we say more?

how can you win?

Between June 15 and June 21st, just follow the easy steps in the Rafflecopter widget, below. The more you enter, the better your chances! If you want to super-size your chances of winning, visit all of the participating blogs. Since there are 24 pet blogs, that gives you like...um...a whole bunch of entries (does anyone have a calculator?).

And the coolest part? You get to check out some fabulous pet blogs you may not have previously discovered.

participating blogs

Pawsitively Pets

Christy Paws

Daily Dog Tag

Fidose of Reality

Cascadian Nomads

The Lazy Pit Bull

Oh My Shih Tzu

Pet Product Review

Kitty Cat Chronicles

Animal Bliss

Beagles & Bargains

You Did What With Your Wiener

Kol's Notes

Kama Loves Agility

My Life With Pets

It's Dog or Nothing

Confessions of a Rescue Mom

CindyLu's Muse

Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

My Rotten Dogs

Bones and Fishes

Dolly the Doxie

Tails Are Wagging

well minded pets

Please take a moment to visit our friends and enter to win on each of their blogs.

Be sure to submit all of your entries by next Sunday, June 21st at 11:59 p.m. EST. Come Monday morning, we'll randomly select three winners and officially announce them on The Lazy Pitbull Facebook page. I'll also be sure to give you the scoop on the Well Minded Facebook page. Now that's a way to brighten a Monday morning!

Happy summer, and good luck!

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About the giveaway: No purchase necessary. Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only, except where prohibited by law. Giveaway will run from June 15 through June 21, 2015 at 11:59pm EST. Three (3) winners will be randomly selected and notified via email. Winners will have 48 hours to claim their prizes; failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize. Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest do not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. Participants must read and agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion.