Are You Lazy Enough To Send Your Dog To Fat Camp?

by Amy Tokic

Published: July 4th, 2014

are you lazy enough to send your dog to fat camp

If your dog has too much weight and you have too much money, why not send him to fat camp?

Pet obesity is on the rise and this is a troubling concern. As pet parents, we want to arm ourselves with information on how we can help keep our pets healthy and at a proper weight for their size. But if your dog has too much junk in his trunk, how far would you be willing to go to get him to lose the unsightly pounds? Would you send him to fat camp? Because if you have the money to throw away, now you can!

As you can probably tell by the tone of this article, we think that the trend of luxury “fat camp” spas for obese pets is going a little overboard, trying to separate pet parents from their money. Just one of these camps is the Morris Animal Inn in Morristown, N.J. Your pudgy pooch (or fat cat) can feel the burn with a five-day-long stay that includes participation in activities such as doga, pawlates and treadmill trots. After pumping their paws off, pets can refuel with organic granola treats. The cost to send your pet to Morris Animal Inn will set you back $249.

Don’t get us wrong – pet obesity is a growing problem in North America that can lead to a variety of health issues (just a few include osteoarthritis, diabetes, decreased life expectancy and cancer.) According to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, about 53 percent of dogs in the U.S. are obese, while 58 percent of cats are obese. But is sending them away to fat camp the answer?

We think that cutting back on fattening and sugary treats, feeding a well-balanced and quality diet and upping exercise is the answer, not sending your pets away for a week. That’s not fixing the problem – your dog will just come back, the bad habits will start all over again and the weight will come back on.

You know what – this would work for pet parents too! Let’s set a good example for our pets. Let’s put down the junky snacks, pick up the leash and the tennis ball and get outside with our pets! Who’s with us?

What are your thoughts on fat camps for pets? Please leave your comments down below.

[Source: CBC]

Amy Tokic

Amy Tokic, Editor of PetGuide.com, is a passionate animal lover and proud pet parent of Oscar, a Shih Tzu/Chihuahua cross, and Zed, a Japanese Chin. Her love of animals began in kindergarten, when she brought her stuffed dog Snoopy into class with her every day. Now, she writes about her adventures in pet ownership and tirelessly researches products, news and health related issues she can share with other animal enthusiasts. In her free time, Amy loves perusing used book and record stores, obsessing over the latest pet products available and chasing squirrels with wild abandon (a habit attributed to spending too much time with her pooches).

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A library in Massachusetts is waiving certain fees in exchange for cat photos.

World’s Largest Cruise Ship Welcomes a Super Cute Dog as a Resident

“Icon of the Seas” might have been known as the largest cruise ship until this year, but now, everybody will know it as the ship with a permanent doggy resident – Rover, a cute Lab with (apparently) four sea legs!Ever since coming on board, Rover has been the focus of social media posts by the cruise ship’s crew members. Based on the posts, the adorable pooch boarded the ship while it was stationed in Ponce, Puerto Rico, just as it was about to finish its journey in Miami, Florida. And soon enough, Rover, who is a young  Labrador Retriever, became the ship’s very own mascot and likely everybody’s favorite resident.After all, Rover was so friendly and loveable that it took only one day for the crew to decide that he would become the permanent resident of the vessel – that takes some serious charm, ya know?“Meet Rover,” one Instagram post said, “the Resident Mascot of the Icon. He just came on board today. He’s a friendly Labrador who’s going to be the permanent resident of the World’s Largest Cruise Ship, Icon of the Seas.”The crew all quickly gathered around to ensure that Rover would be given the best possible care in his new role of “Chief Dog Officer”. Allison, one of the crew members is originally from Australia and has been a member of the crew for five years. She ensures that Rover receives plenty of treats and a ton of love. "As a crew member on Icon, Rover's job is to bring joy to her fellow crew and guests onboard. All the while, she gets to explore the Caribbean shores and beautiful ports," she said. Even though Rover had been on the ship for just a short time, he did not fail to capture everyone’s heart. He enjoyed walks on the “lido” deck and even visited the Captain in The Bridge - a privilege reserved only for the select few. And, in no time, many other crew members chimed in on social media welcoming the doggo onboard. "We are absolutely thrilled to introduce our newest team member, Rover, who has joined us as a permanent resident aboard the magnificent Icon of the Seas," said  @godwin_fernandes2000.So much so, that even Royal Caribbean, the company behind the Icon of the Seas, posted about Rover on their own official account! Now, Rover found his new forever home – in the unlikeliest of all places: a cruise ship. And if you want to follow the adventures of this sea-faring puppy, be sure to check out his Instagram account  @chiefdogrover where they’ll be documented!

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