National Kids & Pet Day - Kroger Gift Card Giveaway

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National Kids and Pet Day is celebrated on April 26th and Kroger and its family of stores are celebrating by sharing fantastic information about pet safety, selecting the right pet for your family, and making sure your family’s animal friends are taken care of. Pets are such an important part of our families, and making sure that they are happy and well cared for is a huge responsibility. Everything from finding the right pet to making decisions about their health and well-being is a major undertaking that can impact the whole family.

(Keep reading, the Kroger Gift Card Giveaway information will come later in this post...)

Pet Safety - here are some tips regarding children and safe pet play:

• Teach your children to pet softly, stay away from food dishes, toys and bones, and not to startle your dog or cat when it is sleeping.
• Keep babies and toddlers at a level higher than your dog. Dogs perceive height as representative of their hierarchy. Keep your children off the floor when the dog is in the room.
• Don’t give your dog toys that resemble your children’s toys or clothing. Stay away from fabric stuffed dog toys that resemble your child’s stuffed animals.
• Involve your child in your dog’s care. Even just the presence of your child in the same room while your dog is receiving his favorite things or activities can help build a positive association to children.

Selecting The Right Pet For Your Family - choosing a pet is a big decision and one that should not be made lightly. Before you get a pet, do a little research to learn more about specific breeds and how they might fit in with your family. Here are a few examples of family-friendly dog breeds:

• Cocker Spaniel – These lap dogs are sensitive and sweet and enjoy the attention of children. Cocker Spaniels are obedient with training and friendly around people.
• Pug – This affectionate breed loves being part of a family. Outgoing and mischievous, they make playful companions for children.
• Golden Retriever – Similar to Labs in personality, Goldens are mild mannered and enjoy being around families and other people. These dogs are easy to train and are gentle with children.
• Basset Hound – This breed is good with children of all ages. They are known for their docile nature and gentleness. Their long backs need to be supported when they are picked up, and an eager child can accidentally injure them.

Taking Care Of Your Animal Friend is an important part of being a pet owner. Did you know that The Kroger Co. offers pet insurance? Offered through PetFirst, Kroger pet insurance policies cover routine care and medical procedures for dogs and cats, and is available at more than 2,400 stores in the Kroger family including City Market, Dillon’s, Fred Meyer, Frye’s, King Sooper, Owen’s, Pay Less, QFC, Ralph’s and Smith’s. In addition to being available in-store, Kroger’s pet insurance can be purchased online at http://www.krogerpersonalfinance.com/pet-insurance/. Kroger’s pet insurance works at any veterinarian nationwide, with reimbursement typically occurring within two weeks. Coverage starts as low as $9.95 per month and right now, individuals who purchase online can save $10.


For more information on family friendly breeds or additional tips on teaching your children about pet safety, visit Kroger’s Pet Health blog.

On Twitter:
Kroger has set up the hashtag #pethealth so people can follow along on National Kids & Pet Day. Kroger will be Tweeting too, from our Pet Health account @PetsOfHealth
 

Kroger $20 Gift Card Giveaway - to enter the giveaway, comment on this post and tell me whether or not you are a pet owner, and, if so, what type of pet you have. (mandatory entry)

For extra entries, you may do any of the following (leave separate comment for each that you do):
1. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect (see sidebar)
2. Subscribe to my blog via email (see sidebar)
3. Follow me on twitter
4. Follow Kroger @petsofhealth on twitter
5. Tweet about this giveaway and leave tweet link in your comment (may tweet 1x per day)

**This giveaway is open only to U.S. residents. Giveaway will close at 10:00 pm EST on April 28, 2010. Winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email (please make sure I have a valid way to contact you).


For helping raise awareness of National Kids & Pet Day, Global Influence Network and the Kroger Co. provided me with a $20 Kroger gift card to spoil the pet in my life and a $20 Kroger gift card to giveaway to one of my blog readers so that they could do the same.