6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL AUGUST 23, 2017
Editor's note: Due to a contributor scheduling confl ict, Pets Tips n' Tales is a re-reun from 2015.
“I owned my fi rst store when I was
17-years-old,” said industrious entrepre-
neur Darren, “and since 1983 I’ve devel-
oped and manufactured cosmetics and pet
products.
I supplied the products to other stores,
and one of my best clients, ‘Woofl es and
Meowz’, is located in one of Vancouver,
BC’s busiest tourist areas, on Granville Is-
land.
When the owner mentioned that his store
was for sale, I made ‘no bones’ about buy-
ing it — and bought it three days later. No
one would complain if I brought my dog
to work, so buying it was a ‘no brainer’. I
could earn money, spend time with my dog
and make other pet lovers and their dogs
happy.
Customers were happy to see my dog
— especially tourists, because many hadn’t
seen their pets in awhile and they were
missing happy-tail-wagging-welcomes.
The store also introduced me to a busi-
ness and life partner! One day a friend ar-
rived, with his friend, Cameron, and on the
seventh anniversary of our fi rst date, Cam-
eron and I were married.”
After owning the pet shop for six years,
they sold it because Darren was ‘itching’ to
promote his own soap creations. So he and
Cameron opened the “Soap Gallery,” which
is also located on Granville Island.
“I enjoy the freedom of creating special-
ty items,” said Darren, “like our realistic
Sprinkle Chocolate Donuts, Pineapple-Ki-
wi Cheesecake and Cherry Coconut Cake
soaps”.
Not kidding! Darren artistically designs
life size soaps that look more ‘real’ than
gourmet cakes and food! His delicious
looking creations nourish the skin and are
pleasing to the eye, err, appetite, but don’t
eat them! If you do, it is like washing your
mouth out with soap... and you’ll froth with
foam like a rabid dog!
“We discovered that selling soap prod-
ucts,” said Darren, “is easier than selling pet
products! Not everyone has a pet, but every-
one uses soap! Our natural-gentle formulas
are different than ‘normal’ store soaps be-
cause they are pH balanced for human skin
and pets’ more alkaline skin. For pets, we
add essential/fragrance oils as fl ea and tick
inhibitors, then pour them into adorable
multi-colored paw-print soap bars!”
“We have soap making demonstrations/
classes and our soaps have been sold to
tourists from almost every country,” said
Cameron. “You might say that our products
are ‘cleaning up’ the world!”
Yes! As a tourist, I bought gifts for the
family and cats’ baths for soft skin and
clean fur!
“We enjoy having our pets at work,” adds
Cameron, “and enjoy it too! They are ‘little’
social creatures. Most working people have
to leave their beloved pets home alone,
all day, but ours are constant company. As
good as our products are, many people walk
in the store not to see us but to visit with
our dogs!”
Yes! So true! Their two itty-bitty-Tea-
cup Yorkies, Pippi, seven-years-old, and
Riley, fi ve-years-old, are customer magnets
that instantly attracted me at their West Van-
couver farmer’s market location! I noticed
the windup-furry-toy looking dogs, all four
pounds of them, THEN the soaps, and purr-
chased several colorful-handmade Canadi-
an people and pet products.
“Cameron and I are advocates of pet res-
cue organizations,” said Darren. “Each dog
breed has certain traits and our two wee
rescues are perfect. They charm us and our
customers.
Don’t buy animals from pet stores which
contributes to the horrifi c puppy and kitten
mill situations. Instead adopt deserving
pets from rescue shelters.
It is a mistake to assume that older res-
cued pets are damaged; not trainable or
must be allowed to act out or keep a learned
bad behavior. Renaming them releases them
from their past life experiences, so that they
can gracefully move into their new life with
you. As a dog trainer, I learned that dogs
quickly relearn a new name — especially
when food and treats are involved.
Pippi and Riley are pure joy and ‘usual-
ly’ obedient pets that keep us laughing and
guessing. They are not allowed to sleep on
the bed but ‘every’ morning I wake up to a
four-pound furry creature tranquilly resting
on his back - on my pillow. Riley casual-
ly rolls his black button eyes in my direc-
tion, and has an adorable quizzical look that
seem to ask, “What?! Is there a problem?”
We treat our dogs the way we want to be
treated - with the utmost of respect. They
feel safe, secure, happy, and are well adjust-
ed members of our family. They are trained
with positive infl uences, not carried around
all the time, not allowed to act out of fear
or indecision, and fed a healthy diet. It took
almost no time to have our two little rescues
become smart, funny, and well socialized.
Pippi and Riley’ gift is their charm. They
will never be guard dogs, but we wish they
could be trained to make our morning cof-
fee!”
TIPS
Cameron and Darren hold their Toy Yorkie soapy-sales staff and internation-
al tourist attractions, Pippi and Riley.
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“When a cat plays with an organic wool
catnip toy, it keeps its teeth clean!” teaches
creator Darren.
*** Yes! Bought some catnip balls gifts
for our spoiled kitties, who held down the
fort at home! (Thankfully they left their live
baby possum pets outside while we are on
holiday!)
LOW COST
If you can’t be a Vancouver tourist, purr-
chase natural soaps from vendors in your
area.
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Oral Health Habits to Maintain a Beautiful Smile
W
ith beach season in full swing, many men
and women are trying to put their best
body forward to appeal to others. How-
ever, according to a February 2009 survey from the
American Dental Association and Crest(R) and Oral
B(R) the smile outranks eyes, hair and the body as the
most attractive physical feature on a person. Th erefore,
taking care of your teeth and smile is essential.
Men and women diff er when it comes to taking care
of their teeth and gums. A nationwide survey of 1,000
Americans ages 18 and older found 86 percent of wom-
en brush their teeth twice or more a day, yet only 66
percent of men do so.
Th e survey also found that women say they change
their toothbrush or power toothbrush head every 3 to
4 months on average, yet men hang on to theirs an av-
erage of 5 months. Th e ADA recommends replacing
toothbrushes every 3 to 4 months or when the bristles
become frayed since frayed and worn bristles decrease
cleaning eff ectiveness.
Most people need to do a better job of fl ossing their
teeth. Only half of those surveyed (49 percent) say they signal gum disease or another health problem.
fl oss their teeth once a day or more oft en. And 1 out of
Oral health is an important part of overall health.
3 people surveyed think a little blood in the sink aft er Regular dental check-ups are important not only to
brushing their teeth is normal, yet it’s not -- it could diagnose and treat gum disease and tooth decay, but
also because some diseases or medical conditions, such
as oral cancer, have symptoms that can appear in the
mouth.
Growing research indicates there may be an associa-
tion between oral health and serious health conditions
such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, underscor-
ing the importance of good oral hygiene habits.
“We need to constantly get the word out how im-
portant it is to stay on top of your oral health,” says Dr.
Ada Cooper, an ADA consumer advisor and practicing
dentist in New York City. “Brushing twice a day with
fl uoride toothpaste, fl ossing daily, eating a balanced
diet, and visiting your dentist regularly can help keep
your smile healthy.”
Forget hair, eyes and body ... a recent survey found
For more information on oral health, visit the Amer-
that people consider the smile the most attractive fea- ican Dental Association’s Web site at: www.ada.org.
ture in a person.
This message is brought to you by these local sponsors:
Douglas G. Maddess, DMD
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with
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in Mind
Brent Bitner, DDS
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541.942.7934
350 E. W ASHINGTON A VENUE • C OTTAGE G ROVE
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