Petbar Issue #05 : simplebooklet.com

PETBARSUBMISSIONSSend us your submissions at submissions@petbarmagazine.comCONTACTWant to write for Petbar? We would love to hear from you! info@petbarmagazine.comADVERTISINGIf you would like to advertise in PETBAR email us at sales@petbarmagazine.comFOLLOW USFollow us on social media @petbarapp. Feel free to tag us or comment and let us know how much you love the Petbar Mag #petbarmag.EDITOR-IN-CHIEFMarielo GomezCREATIVE DIRECTORJohn SerourCONTRIBUTORSStefanie Shank Alyssa LogiudiceCian HowlettEron EdwardHollie FreemanBono LeeMonica Van Der MadenLeigh IsaacsonRebecca WarrinerJarrod PartridgeNick Ettridge Charlie OsmanON THE COVERSTEFANIE SHANK NICKELODEON ART DIRECTORPhoto by @stefanieshankAll rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The views expressed in PETBAR are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily shared by PETBAR.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORAnother fantastic issue in the bag! You bet we’ve loaded October’s issue with all of the good stuff! Think photography, art, travel and food! Our contributors explored high and low, collecting stories and experiences from Australia, America, Italy and England! Now that’s one well-covered team! In this issue, we look into how our love for animals can shape our careers, Stefanie Shank, our cover star took inspiration from her dog, combined it with her artistic flair for illustration and is now getting slimed and walking red carpets with Nickelodeon. We popped into Melbourne’s coolest tattoo shop to see Bono, a rising tattoo artist who’s inking peoples pets onto them and the fun doesn’t end there, we even managed to catch up with Dog Photographer of the Year Monica Van Der Maden and did we mention you can now find love on Dig? The dating app for dog people! See, I told you - it’s jam packed of goodies!We hope you feel as inspired as we did after reading this! Don’t forget to share with your friends, and spread the word by using Petbar. See you for the next issue! Marielo GomezP.S Don’t forget to come and say hello over at @Petbarapp!PETBAR6

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ADJUST ROUTINES EARLIERStart making subtle changes before the baby arrives. This is an essential tip to ensure your dog doesn’t asso-ciate change and less attention with the baby. Consider changing where your dog sleeps, the time you go out for walks and habits like jumping up on the sofa!PLAY BABY SOUNDS Okay hear us out, it might seem extremely odd changing the playlist from Ed Sheeran to ‘Baby Crying’ while mak-ing your dinner, but it can be beneficial to your pup to start recognising new sounds.INTRODUCE OTHER CHILDRENIf you have other young children in your family and friendship circles, ask if you can bring your dog along and keep them on a leash if needed. Michael from Pup-Ford says “exposing our Labradoodle Doris to kids be-fore we brought home our own was the most beneficial step we took.”LEAVE A SCENTIf possible, once the baby is born and you’re still in the hospital, ask a family member to take a sock, or a hat from the baby to your home and leave it with your dog. Allow them to get used to the new scent. Steffanie from Curiosity Trained says “I have a rescued Rottweiler/Do-berman mix. She is pretty laid back but gets anxiety with change. Once our baby was home, I’d leave blankets that the baby had been wrapped in out for my dog to smell and get used to. I wore baby around the house in a carrier, so my dog got used to the noises my son made.After a day or so, my dog’s anxiety lessened.“GREET YOUR DOGWhen you come home from the hospital, greet your dog alone. Don’t hold the baby, as an excitable dog will be jumping up and a scolding from the onset, while you’re protecting your newborn, won’t get things started in the right way!KEEP A LEASH ONFor the first few interactions, keep your dog on a leash and allow them to smell, see and hear the baby. Take it slow and put yourself in the mind of your dog, it’s a con-fusing time, and the process can’t be rushed.SWAP BABY TOYSDon’t punish your dog for playing with baby toys, simply take it away and swap it with their dog toy. You don’t want to associate the scent of the baby with being told off. They will start to understand soon, be patient. DON’T NEGLECT WALKIES!The first few weeks/months can be extremely draining for new parents, and you don’t know what tired really is unless you’ve had a baby. Understandably, you don’t want to be going out on long walks, but you mustn’t just stop doggos playtime altogether. Hire a dog walker, ask neighbours or friends and make sure your dog doesn’t miss their favourite time of the day. GIVE THEM BOTH ATTENTIONWhen your baby is around, give some time to your dog too. Don’t miss chances to praise and reward with your dog because you’re too focused on the baby. It’s the best way for the dog to understand that they don’t need to be worried or compete for your love.TIME TO TEACH BABY!Once your baby is not such a baby, you must begin teaching them how to treat your dog. Make sure they don’t pull ears or tails, even the most tolerate dog has a limit. NEVER LEAVE UNATTENDED!The final rule should be never to leave both your baby and dog unattended together. It’s such a special moment, and if you trust the guide of tips and tricks, you will one day see both your baby and dog becoming the best of friends. PETBAR11

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BONO, WHEN DID YOU START TATTOOING, AND WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION TO BECOME AN ARTIST COME FROM?I got my first tattoo about six years ago from a friend. I admired his work and super cool lifestyle, so I decided to teach myself!WE FIRST FOUND YOU ON INSTAGRAM, YOUR PROFILE IS AN ONLINE PORTFOLIO OF ALL YOUR FANTASTIC WORK, AND IT’S INCREDIBLE! DO YOU THINK HAVING YOUR WORK ONLINE HAS HELPED YOUR CAREER?Yes! Definitely, it’s great because anyone around the world can see my work, so it creates more opportunities and exposure.YOU’VE QUICKLY BECOME ESTABLISHED AS BEING THE GO-TO FOR BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED PET PORTRAITS, WHY ANIMALS? WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO FOCUS SOLELY ON ANIMAL TATTOO’S?I’ve always been interested in animals and nature! I used to work as a Japanese style tattoo artist, but the long sessions gave me terrible back pain, so I decided to turn to smaller pieces, I started doing animals, and I fell in love with the process!WHAT KIND OF PERSON COMES TO YOU WANTING THEIR PET TATTOOED?Most of my customers are new to the tattoo world! I think because my work is so small and pretty people aren’t afraid because it doesn’t look painful or intimidating!WHAT’S THE PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH!It’s so quick and easy, I ask customers to send me lots of photos of their pet so I can draw something up, then a few forms later - I start tattooing. The session usually only take one or two hours.WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR JOB?As with all tattoo artists, it’s great to see a customer really happy with your work. It’s such an honour to be able to turn customers pet photos into tattoos.WHY DO YOU YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE SO EAGER TO GET THEIR PET TATTOOED NOW? People have a closer bond with their pets now and getting a tattoo is a way to always remember them.WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE KIND OF JOB, DO YOU PREFER DRAWING A PARTICULAR BREED OR ANIMAL?I love working on cats and dogs, but for me, I find it reallyinteresting to work on more unusual pets like birds and rabbits! I’m really interested in wild animals, and I’d love to do more work in that style too!WHO’S WORK INSPIRES YOU TO KEEP PUSHING YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST?I mainly get inspired by the work of wildlife photographers!WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?!I work at a private studio called Little Gold Studio in Brunswick, Melbourne! You heard it here first! Thinking of your next tattoo? Head to @hi_imfromyesterday for some serious tattoo inspo!HI_IMFROMYESTERDAYPETBAR

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WHAT SPARKED THE IDEA OF CREATING DIG AND WHAT WAS THE PROCESS YOU UNDERTOOK FROM INITIAL CONCEPT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?A few years ago, my sister, Casey Isaacson, was dating a guy who tried to be a dog person for her. By the end of the relationship, he didn’t want the dog in his apartment, or he’d put towels down on the couch so the dog didn’t touch anything. She said to me, “I wish I just knew from the start that this wasn’t going to work because of my dog.” With that, together, my sister and I decided to launch Dig!TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF USING DIG.On Dig, users have a profile area that includes a section of their profile for their dog, if they have one. Users can search for someone with a dog or without a dog, search by size dog, and search by age, distance, and other general dating app criteria. The Dig app is, of course, LGBT friendly, and users can identify as male, female, or non-binary.Users can find treats from dog companies in the Daily Deal section, search for a dog-friendly first date idea in the dog-friendly locations list when chatting with matches, and get a “tip or trick of the day” from vets and trainers.WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN LIKE SINCE LAUNCHING?Incredible! More than 110k people have downloaded Dig looking for love! Also, we are so happy to announce that we have heard about the first Dig engagement of a couple in Boston who met on the app! We’re so happy for them and hope there will be lots more Dig weddings to come!WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOUR POTENTIAL PARTNER SHOULD KNOW UPFRONT ABOUT YOUR DOG?Dogs can affect so many different areas of your life from how you keep your home, perhaps when you want to have children, how you want to travel, how much money you spend, and more. Dogs can be an especially important part of the dating process - many believe the way your date acts around your/their dogs helps gauge their character, especially in terms of essential traits like compassion, humour, and ability to love. It’s so attractive to a dog lover when you witness a happy reaction between a potential significant other and your pup. The opposite can be a red flag for many!WHAT’S A TYPICAL DIG DATE LOOK LIKE?A typical Dig date is to meet somewhere dog-friendly, like the dog-friendly patio at Hop Valley Brewing Co in Portland or Barx Parx indoor dog-park in Las Vegas, bring the pups along and find a unique treat for them. We’ve had couples go to places like the Urban Den Dog Retreat in Los Angeles for hikes or even to learn how to give your dog a massage!WHAT KINDS OF PEOPLE ARE USING DIG?Dig users range from 18 - 65+. Most Dig users are ages 25-35 with dogs, but 1/3 of Dig daters don’t have a dog - yet! People want to date someone with a dog or find someone to get a dog with in the future. Similarly, you may have a dog that doesn’t get along with others, and you want to find someone who will love your dog as much as you do.YOU’RE BASED IN NEW YORK, WHAT’S THE DOG SCENE LIKE OVER THERE? WILL WE SEE HANDBAG DOGGOS PEEKING OUT WHEREVER WE GO?! (THE DREAM!)New York is incredibly innovative with dog fashion, dog cafes, and dog-friendly date spots! We launch city-by-city, which means we get to see the different dog scenes in cities across the U.S. It’s incredible to see the frenchPETBAR18

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bulldogs in handbags on the subway in N.Y. vs the labs in the back of pickup trucks in Louisiana and the athletic dogs on hikes in Denver. It shows that the dog world is hugely varied even within itself - so having conversations about your kind of dog lifestyle is so important up-front in a relationship.BEST NYC PET-FRIENDLY SPOTS FOR OUR AMERICAN READERS?I always suggest the dog park first date like the Washington Square Park Dog Run in N.Y. or Lafreniere Dog Park just outside of New Orleans. Check out the dog-friendly locations feature on Dig! When you match with someone, you can tap the location icon and see dog-friendly date spot ideas like the closest dog parks, dog-friendly breweries, dog-friendly hike and beach ideas, and more.YOU WORK WITH PLEDGE 1%, TELL US MORE!Pledge 1% is a promise to leverage a portion of your success to support nonprofits in your community. You can commit to pledge 1% of profits, equity, or time. We love the program, and we’re dedicated to supporting local rescues in many different ways. Each city we launch in, our events feature and promote local adoptable dogs and rescues. Also, each dog we show in our marketing and on @DigDates Instagram is available for adoption from Jefferson Parish SPCA or NOLA Bulldog Rescue in New Orleans!If you’re looking for love, this is the app for you! We wish you all a very happy ever after!DIGDATESWWW.DIGDATES.COMPETBAR19

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PETBARWHAT EXACTLY IS BANGERS & MASH?Bangers & Mash is a collective of pooches great and small, who all work together to support one another and help each other grow. It’s an agency by nature, but much more than that, we are a pack of likeminded people and pooches. Its a support network, an advice hub, event planning service, a successful blog, a review service, PR and marketing agency and a place to celebrate dogs in all their glory!WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START A PR AND MARKETING AGENCY FOR PUPS ONLY?We’ve worked with a variety of PR firms none of which solely look after dogs, so we wanted to build a one-stop-shop for brands and pooches alike, with no frills attached, just a simple, good service ran by honest, dog-obsessed humans!WHAT SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?We offer friendly advice (social media can be a confusing place) and get the right product into the right paws for brand promotions and social marketing campaigns. We offer photography, videography, photoshop and editing services, as well as offering an event planning/management service for pooches and dog-related brands, ensuring the right doggies are in attendance!We also arrange mass social media campaigns on small or large scales, and we always ensure the dogs happiness and well being come first.YOU’VE GOT SOME SUPER GORGEOUS AND INSTA-FAMOUS DOGS ON YOUR TALENT REEL, HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT TALENT TO REPRESENT BANGERS & MASH? WHAT’S THE PROCESS?Anyone can apply via our website. It doesn’t matter if you have 1000 followers or a million! It’s super simple - just fill in a quick form with a link to your social media profiles, and we will do our research. We ensure accounts are genuine and make sure they fit our squad, and as soon as we have an opening in our talent section, we will get them on the books! We pride ourselves in having dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes and believe the energy from the human is equally as important for it to fit with our ethos.HOW CAN BANGERS & MASH HELP A MODEST PUP BECOME INSTA-FAMOUS?If a pup loves the camera, we can help them kick off a social media career, from the initial creative advice to collaborating with bigger brands. They can be guest bloggers on our site and will most likely collab with other already established insta-famous Doggos.We aren’t promising to make doggos famous, but we are certainly promising to be there when they need advice, whether it’s on the job for Bangers and Mash or a private job. We work non-exclusively, and if a dog on our books does well, we will celebrate it. There is no need to compete with one another; we believe there’s room on the throne for them all!HOW IS THE SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD EVOLVING? WHY ARE PETS BECOMING MORE PROMINENT ONLINE?Marketing is evolving, and the use of popular creators is becoming an affordable way to promote a product to an exact demographic and be able to track the campaign’s progress, would you spend X amount on a tv ad or pay 24

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PETBARfor a creator with the perfect platform to speak of your brand? Pets also create a cute relief in what can be a heavy online world of news. Their innocence, sass or cuteness can create a popular subject in an online video. Who doesn’t love looking at cute doggos!?WHEN A DOG IS ON YOUR TALENT REEL, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO TO BE ABLE TO GO TO EVENTS, WORK WITH BRANDS AND BUILD A FOLLOWING?We often have a few brands in the pipeline for a new doggo, we’ve created a rapport with brands that continue to work with us. Once in the talent reel, we encourage everyone in the collective to support them, and when we organise events, we will, of course, invite them along.Many of our campaigns include trying out new doggy products on the market, so the dogs are regularly gifted with products to test out and promote. We also actively encourage all the lovely pooches on our books to get involved in the blog and perhaps do guest blogs if they have a product or place worth shouting aboutYOU OFFER PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY AS A BANGERS & MASH SERVICE, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A SCROLL-WORTHY FEED TO HELP YOUR PUP BECOME GREAT - WILL YOU SHARE A SECRET TIP WITH US?We live in the generation of being able to swipe if a bit of content doesn’t grab us. Having a variety of well-framed BUZZTHEPOMPOMTHEPUGGYSMALLS25

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PETBARphotos or videos that grab your attention within the first second is key to a great bit of content. ..one secret tip? Lighting is key to everything. Oh and have treats to hand…TELL US ABOUT THE LONDON DOG SCENE; YOU GUYS HAVE FORMED AN ELITE! There’s so much going on, it’s always exciting to hang out with like-minded people (we’re all dog mad), We turn up to support dogs in our collective, but also to roll around on the floor surrounded by dogs, to meet new faces, and generally laugh about our crazy dog-centric lives! We really don’t believe it should be an elitist system, and we are opposed to the types that take it all too seriously. We are all about positive vibes, having a laugh, loads of support and even more belly rubs!EXPLAIN A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE AT THE BANGERS & MASH OFFICE!It’s so much fun, most of our admin is done with a Pug on our feet or Sausage dog on our laps. We are always in touch with our talent, responding to brands and frequently looking for brands to work with. We always spend a chunk of our day with our creative hats on with the dog’s groomed/dressed to the nines for some content, and each week we try to get to a few dog-friendly places to enjoy, review and spread the word.We’ve got some exciting things ahead and cant wait to show everyone, it’s enough to get tails AND tongues wagging!BANGERSANDMASH.DOGWWW.BANGERSANDMASH.DOGPOP_SAUSAGE THEPUGGYSMALLS26

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After a fairly eventful road trip (I’ll get into another time, but I’ll leave you with - Friday rush hour traffic and thunderstorms). I pulled up to the entrance and was filled with butterflies of excitement. English charm seeps through the building, and I admired the stunning architecture before heading inside. Greeted by a flurry of friendly staff who had doggie treats out at the ready for a tail-wagging Lola, I sensed a state of total relaxation instantly. Without any delay, we were shown to our suite for the weekend. The Deluxe Suite was nothing short of indulgent, and I made no hesitation to starfish jump the enormous four-pillar bed.Lola seemed to do the same, as she instantly sniffed out her very own set-up, a cosy dog bed, bowl and treats waiting for her. With Lola fed, we decided to walk off the car journey and went to explore the gardens. Fairy lights began flickering on as we strolled through the beautiful grounds and after an hour of playtime and exploring, with bellies rumbling we went off to find dinner. The main restaurant doesn’t allow dogs, but the pleasant staff had a place set for us just alongside, with a fireplace close, Lola asleep under the table and a glass of red wine in my hand, it was a moment of pure serenity! After a tasty feast, I headed back to our room to plunge into the bathtub and get some beauty sleep. The next morning, recharged, we strode out in our walking gear, pumped to catch the rolling hills of the Cotswolds in daylight. The receptionist gave me some tips on the best walking routes, and off we set, lush greenery surrounding us, we walked for hours and ended up in the village of Broadway. Cobbled pathways and boutiques lined the streets and with each cafe, or pub stop off Lola was greeted with the utmost attention from both passersby - Oh to be a privileged pup!Heading back to The Lygon Arms, I discovered a hose down area to wash away any dirt and grit from our day’s adventure. Back in the room, Lola flopped into her bed instantly. I creeped out and hit the spa - it would’ve been rude not to! A relaxing swim in the indoor pool, followed by a session in the sauna and steam room, I walked back to our room in a dream-like state. What total bliss! After another evening of exquisite food and stellar service, I was already dreading leaving and returning to London life! The Lygon Arms was one of my favourite dog-friendly stays to date. The staff welcomed us with open arms and went above and beyond to ensure we were happy. It’s an idyllic spot to slow down, relax and rejuvenate and the perfect combination of pet-friendly practicality with stunning decor! WWW.LYGONARMSHOTEL.CO.UK30

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PETBARMANIS Each year, millions of tourists come to Bali to holiday, and thousands of people come as digital nomads, working online by day, partying by night. And as often happens while on holiday or living abroad, a romance blossoms.It starts innocently enough, as they often do, with a bit of attention here, a quick bite to eat there. Then before you know it, the Bali dog that was living in the laneway has now taken over half the bed and will only eat what you’re eating – dog food just isn’t good enough for a sated belly. Then, as often happens, it’s time to go home and return to reality. And the once-loved dog is returned to the street to fend for itself, wondering what it did wrong, why you don’t love it anymore. It’s a story that is all too common, and one that befell Manis (in Indonesian the word ‘manis’ means ‘sweet’). Brought to Canggu as a cute little puppy, Manis was loved as part of the family, and well looked after. While she was still a puppy, her Spanish owners got pregnant, and returned home to Spain, abandoning her at Candra Surf Homestay. With a lot of young mouths to feed, the owners did their best, but it wasn’t the same as the love and nutrition she had been receiving. When we moved into ‘her’ house, she had blotchy skin, was seriously underfed, and had fur like a wire brush. Bit by bit, we started feeding her, then giving her flea baths, vaccinations, and so on.Then one day she climbed in through an open window, and never left the airconditioned room! Having been a ‘laneway dog’ surviving on whatever she could, she now only likes things like BBQ chicken and porridge with eggs... Manis had been living with us for just over a year when we decided to have a baby, and Manis was the first one who could tell my wife was pregnant. She knew before the test results confirmed it! She started getting super protective, and also super scared, as the last time her owner got pregnant she got abandoned, and she moped around thinking the same would happen to her.Fast forward to the baby arriving in October 2018, and she understands we’re not going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean she likes the situation! Manis doesn’t necessarily enjoy having a baby around, she will leave whatever room he is in to avoid grabbing hands, but she tolerates the baby because it means we are still here. However, when we all go to the beach, she is ultra-protective of him and runs around crazy, barking at all the other dogs, chasing them off. She’s only a small dog, and it doesn’t matter how big the other dog is, if she thinks it’s too close to the baby, then it gets growled at and chased. The story has a happy ending for Manis. She has people that love her, a bed, and food in her tummy. However, thousands of dogs get dumped on beaches every year in Bali, and sadly aren’t as lucky. 37

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PETBARKOPI One of the happiest dogs you will ever meet, Kopi is an old soul, a nomad, and has the perfect personality for living in the seaside surf town of Canggu.Nobody knows how old Kopi is, but Wayan, the owner of Candra Surf Homestay (who has looked after him all these years), estimates around 11 years old, which is enormous for a Bali street dog who loves a fight. One year ago he got in a massive fight with a dog across the road from the homestay, over what else, a girl dog!Normally victorious in a scrap (most dogs know not to mess with him) he was on the worst of it this time and had a puncture in his neck that none of us spotted. We just saw some bleeding and figured it was hard for him to get to, and Kopi never lets people touch Kopi. He still came on our afternoon walk every day, at the front, protecting the rest of us. After about a week, I was giving him some food, and by pure luck got to see the wound, and saw the huge hole! In a harrowing experience for Kopi, the vet was able to get him into the car and take him for treatment. Kopi needed double the dose of anaesthetic normally required for a dog of his size - he was still that strong. Graphic warning... The wound had become infected with maggots that had eaten into his ear and brain.The vet estimated Kopi could have lived another 1-2 days max. Somehow earlier that afternoon he managed a 2km walk with us! He was at the vet for about ten days, as the wound had to close up by itself. In that time he was treated like royalty with food and baths, the first wash he’d had in about five years. While he was there, we had a super tough decision to make! Kopi had never been desexed; something Wayan had been feeling guilty about for around eight years, as it had made Kopi a bit wild (though he was and is still a sweetheart). Who is Kopi if he’s not out chasing girl dogs?In the end, we decided to do it, because there were so many baby-Kopi’s all over the neighbourhood, and Bali doesn’t need more dogs. We just hoped he wouldn’t hate us. Well, when he came back, he was like a new dog! Boundless energy, playing all day. He’s now been able to go back to his nomadic lifestyle, he roams around, hangs at the beach (about a 2.5km walk from the homestay), and comes back every few days when he’s hungry. He’s honestly never been happier, he always has this crazy grin on his face and is relishing his new lease on life.38

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PETBARBRONNIE Bronnie had a tough start to life, plucked from the middle of a busy road, shaking, during a storm in the wet season that was causing flooding everywhere. Trembling and scared, this little puppy climbed into Wayan’s jacket and rode home with him to a new start.Alive and safe but not totally out of the woods (or rice fields) Bronnie contracted distemper, a virus that is usually fatal for puppies. Luckily, thanks to Wayan giving Bronnie a warm home and plenty of food, Bronnie survived, with the only casualty being the loss or breaking of most of his teeth.Wayan and Bronnie were best friends, going everywhere on the motorbike together, and Bronnie protected the family home. When Wayan and his wife Epi had their two children, Candra and Dhea, Bronnie had one purpose in life – protect the girls at all costs. If the girls were at home, Bronnie was ready, and should anyone he didn’t know come into the family compound; they would be barked at relentlessly until someone came out of the house to greet the visitor. He was the ultimate doorbell!The loyalty and gratitude that Bronnie showed to Wayan and his family were unwavering. After almost three years (including daily food and treats) Bronnie still wouldn’t let me pat him, and other visitors all had the same result. Only Wayan could wrestle with, pat, and brush Bronnie.Unfortunately, after ten incredible years with the family, Bronnie picked up a nasty flu that had been going around Bali. He couldn’t swallow, so, therefore, couldn’t eat, and in two short weeks, he wasted away to almost nothing and passed away. Several vets tried, but they couldn’t help poor old Bron.Wayan was heartbroken, and the girls were devastated. Since Bronnie’s passing, Kopi has curbed some of his nomadic ways and has started hanging around home more. Interestingly, we hadn’t seen Kopi at the house for over a month. Just two days before Bronnie died, Kopi came home and spent the evening tucked up with his mate, as if he was saying goodbye to his old friend. Between Bronnie and Kopi, they owned the laneway and the main road in front of it for a decade. Now Kopi sits exactly where Bronnie did, in the same pose, making sure no other dogs get any big ideas.41

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IT’S A BALI DOGS LIFEFor Manis, Kopi, and Bonnie, they’re three of the lucky ones. Sadly every day, more dogs are dumped on the beach, more puppies are born, and more dogs go to sleep hungry. Education around sterilisation, nutrition, and general dog care is improving all the time but sadly too much is being done by too few. The Bali Animal Welfare Association are one group who do an outstanding job with limited resources, as they offer free or discounted sterilisation and immunisations for local dog owners, and they take in vast numbers of rescue dogs, nursing them back to health. To help them help more dogs, please visit bawabali.com to donate. Author Bio: Jarrod Partridge – The Parenting CoHaving been terrified of messing up as a dad and going to considerable lengths to avoid babies at all costs, and never even holding one, after 37 years of saying ‘no kids’ Jarrod moved to Bali, met the cutest local kids, and changed his mind. He now lives in Canggu with his wife Honey, his new best mate AJ, and their rescue dog Manis. He has now held one baby.PETBAR42

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STEF! PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR LOVELY READERS!Hi lovely readers! My name is Stefanie Shank, and I am an art director, illustrator, animator and lover of all things colourful & cute. I’m married to my Art School sweetheart Kenny Kim, and I’m a proud Mum to my dog Tooie. I was born and raised in the middle of Kansas but currently reside in New City, New York, in a small rural neighbourhood outside of NYC.YOU’RE THE NICKELODEON CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR - WOW, THAT MUST BE A DREAM JOB, TELL US HOW YOU GOT THERE?!I actually got my job via LinkedIn! No one believes that Linkedin works, but that’s how I connected with some great people at the company. I reached out to a Creative Director there, sent him my portfolio, and then he invited me in to meet! I had previously interned at American Greetings and had some cute character animations under my belt. I think that helped the Art Directors see that I had potential to create kid-focused content. I also had a broad and illustrative portfolio from my previous job at Moxie Sozo in Colorado. I spent about a month taking time off from work to prep my portfolio website, and then when I felt ready to rock, reached out to companies I was interested in.I began my gig there as an animator and designer for the On-Air promos team. I was then promoted to Art Director after working there for several years. On that team, I worked with many inspiring animators. I soon became fascinated by Social Media as an art form and then moved over to our newly growing Social Media Team to become the Art Director there and help build up that department. I currently oversee a team of amazingly talented animators and designers, and we create content for all of the network’s 160+ social media accounts. It’s crazy but always exciting and filled with slime.HOW AND WHEN DID YOUR PASSION ILLUSTRATION BEGIN?My passion for illustration has been around for as long as I can remember. In kindergarten I told my teacher I wanted to be an author-illustrator. I was always drawing as a kid, writing books, taking art classes and watching cartoons. It was just a great way to create your own little world for free!YOUR SIGNATURE WEINER DOODLE HAS BECOME PRETTY ICONIC ONLINE, HOW DID THE LITTLE FELLA COME ABOUT? I guess I owe a lot to the development of my signature Weiner dog to my dog Tooie and Reese Witherspoon. The first Weiner closest to my current style was a little yoga pup stretching. I thought it was so cute how my dog Tooie would slowly stretch in the morning doing a little downward dog and then an up dog, extending each leg one at a time. I threw that up on Tumblr and didn’t think much of it. Then one morning, my private Instagram account blew up with thousands of follower requests. I was like “what is happening!?” It turns out she posted it, and it gained a great response. Ever since then, I switched my account from private to public and have been sharing more of my weenies with the world. I created my signature walking weenie during one of the Super Bowls.48

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I was pretty bored with the game and decided to work on a dog marching triumphantly down the field in the colours of whatever team won. Something about the walking loop was very satisfying for me to watch. I then began exploring dressing that pup up in all kinds of crazy outfits and see how creative I could get with that simple loop.WHAT’S THE PROCESS OF CREATING AN ANIMAL CARTOON? The process always starts in my imagination. I first come up with visualisation in my head of the cartoon and usually picture it moving. Then I jot down a quick initial sketch either on paper or my iPad. In that phase, it’s super rough, usually just a funny shape, trying to get the proportions down.After that, I focus on the hero pose, where I draw what looks very close to the final image. I colour and ink everything in Adobe Draw. After that, I retrace the image to get it to start moving. Animation is basically an illustration- with patience! You end up drawing and shifting an illustration over and over again to get it to start moving the way you imagine. Quite often, the animation looks pretty different than what I was first picturing in my head, but a lot of the times it’s much funnier because of the silly movements you couldn’t have predicted.I never fully see it moving into action until I export all of the layers into Photoshop and then hit play for the first time. I think that’s my motivation to get through drawing all of the repetitive layers; the surprise of getting to see it come alive for the first time after all of the hard work.DESCRIBE AN AVERAGE DAY IN THE LIFE OVER AT NICKELODEON! At Nickelodeon, I oversee a team of 10 amazingly talented designers and animators. We are located in the heart of Time Square, so every morning you have to dodge about 100 people in bootleg Elmo costumes and people trying to sell stand-up comedy tickets as you try to walk to the door. We create all of the promotional and brand content for all of our social media accounts.On an average day, I guess I direct and review around 30-40 different pieces. I give creative notes and feedback on all aspect of design, illustration and animation. Sometimes the feedback is given through emails, and sometimes I literally act out how I’d like an animation to move! WHAT IS IT ABOUT ANIMAL ILLUSTRATION? DO YOU EVER VENTURE TO HUMANS, OR ARE YOU STRICTLY ANIMAL/CREATURE DOODLES!? I prefer critters because they make me smile and are so universal. Anyone can look at an animal and see themselves. I also love how innocent and calming they are. Every day, no matter what, when I come home, my dog is so genuinely happy and excited to see me. She instantly cheers me up, and I try to create work that brings joy and is soothing for these stressful, high-pressure times.50

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WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?I find my inspiration all around me, from cartoons to fashion, pop culture and of course, my dog! I have a running list of ideas on my phone that I jot down the instant I’m inspired. I think a lot of my aesthetic comes from the whole enamel pin craze that blew up several years ago. I had saved a bunch of small illustrations on Instagram that I found appealing over clean, colourful backgrounds.I am also always inspired by all of the fantastic comic artists; Charles Schulz, Charles Addams, Daniel Clowes, Ron Rege Jr, and Adrian Tomine. Many illustrators inspire me like Natalie Koromoto, Jordan Sondler, Gemma Correll, and Anna Hrachovec, to name a few! YOUR DOODLES HAVE BECOME SO POPULAR, AND YOU NOW SELL MERCH. WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO OPEN YOUR ONLINE STORE AND WHAT’S THE RESPONSE BEEN LIKE? I opened my store for the first time last fall. My husband runs an online clothing business and was always like “you gotta make something, you gotta make something!” I had always wanted to, but it was his positive encouragement that helped me get over the fear and dive right in. The response has been huge! I have sold many pins and shirts all over the world. I’m always inspired by the positive notes and messages I receive, it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience.ANY INSIDER SECRETS OF ANY NEW MERCH COMING SOON? I totally love Halloween and Holiday themes. My goal is to have a bunch of new seasonal merch ready for the upcoming big holiday stretch. And I’ve been binge-watching a ton of X-Files if that’s any hint of what’s to come!WHAT’S YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT SINCE WORKING FOR NICKELODEON?Probably my proudest moment was getting slimed for the first time at Kid’s Choice Awards this spring. I’ve never been slimed during my 11 years of working at Nick, and it was definitely a bucket list dream come true. But despite how awesome it was, I was pretty nervous before it happened! The slime cannons are intense, and as you are standing up there waiting for it, it feels like an eternity. Then the slime hits, and it’s ice-cold and all up in your hair, nose, and ears. My other proudest moment would be getting to walk the red carpet at the Emmy’s one year. We were nominated for our World Wide Day of Play campaign. We weren’t officially invited to walk on the red carpet, (that was reserved for more of the big-time names like soap stars and Cookie Monster) but my Creative Director Matthew Duntemann and another fellow Art Director Shannon MacNeilage just snuck up in the line and ran out on the carpet. We had all the paparazzi taking pics and yelling at us, and it was all a giant funny blur!PETBAR55

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PETBARHOW HAS SOCIAL MEDIA HELPED YOU?Social media has really helped inspire me by exposing me to tons of new artists and animators. It also helps keep my artwork interactive and conversational, which I think is an exciting new form of the medium. I can connect with other pet owners and their stories directly through all of the latest tools they keep adding in Instagram stories. I also love the new addition of Giphy Stickers to stories. That adds another delightful layer and tool in the toolbox where you can have your work be viewed, shared and utilised all over the world.I think it’s just so much fun to see how far a little gif can travel. It feels like the possibilities are endless, but on the same coin, the possibilities are endless, which can leave you feeling a little exhausted. I’m always working to strike a healthy balance of working hard on social media, but also taking the time to put my phone down and pet my dog.TIPS FOR ASPIRING ANIMAL ILLUSTRATORS!? I’d say find your spirit animal, the one that makes you smile the most, and just have fun with it! Mine is definitely the dachshund, and I never grow tired of channelling my energy through those spunky little pups. I work on illustrations that cheer me up, and I think that’s the most inspiring place for me to come from. I’d also say, to find your style, be self-indulgent and start playing around and do what comes naturally. If you are having fun doing the work, then it’ll likely be fun for the audience as well.WHERE CAN WE LOOK OUT FOR YOUR NEXT PIECE OF WORK? I’m always updating my Instagram, Giphy, Tumblr and Big Cartel pages with my new work! They all have the same handle @stefanieshank.56

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HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN PET PHOTOGRAPHY? IS PHOTOGRAPHY SOMETHING YOU STUDIED OR WAS IT MORE OF A HOBBY?I started photographing in 2004 as a hobby, but after losing my first dog Noa in 2011, I realised how important it was to have beautiful images of your pet. Unfortunately, I didn’t have many pictures of Noa, and this made me very sad, so I started to photograph my other dogs more and then the dogs of friends and families. I posted them online and especially in online dog groups. When other people saw my images, they started to ask me if I wanted to photograph their dogs too. I felt very blessed and a little nervous to be asked!HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PET PHOTOGRAPHER?I’ve been photographing for years, but my own business really took off in 2012.WHAT IS IT ABOUT PETS THAT YOU LOVE PHOTOGRAPHING? I love every dog I see, dogs are, in my opinion, the best animals on earth! When I look into their eyes, I want to capture that unique moment. My passion is creating artwork that showcases the pets, and I capture the feelings I see in their eyes. Every dog is beautiful and unique! WHAT IS INVOLVED WITH A SHOOT, DO YOU HAVE ANY INDUSTRY SECRETS TO CAPTURING THE PERFECT MOMENT?I am not afraid to get dirty to get the shot! Take your time during the photo session! For me, it isn’t merely about posing a dog and taking a photo. It’s about capturing their personality, finding those little nuances that make them unique and telling their story in just one snap!YOU WON THE DOG PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR - CONGRATS! TELL US ABOUT THE WINNING SHOT, AND HOW YOU APPLIED FOR THE COMPETITION.After I won the competition in 2018, I doubted if I wanted to enter the contest again, but my husband pushed me to go for it. I had an idea in my head of what I wanted the achieve for the categories; puppies and oldies. I put out a call on my Facebook page for models, and I started getting great responses from owners, and everything went from there! I won the puppy category and had a special mention in the Oldies too! I already had some images for the other categories. With ‘Dogs at Play’ I wanted to step away from a beautiful clean portrait, I just wanted to make people smile when they saw the image. I had a shoot with a lovely Australian Shephard, and I knew it would be perfect! He wasn’t the only one that was dirty that day! Both myself and his owner were covered in mud! I’m so glad the image won!On October the 4th me and my husband will travel for the second time to the Kennel Club in London, for the Award Ceremony! TALK US THROUGH A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE FOR YOU! Every day starts with coffee! I then go on a walk with my dogs. From Monday to Friday I have clients, sometimes I host private workshops, other days I have a shoot. I try to do my edits in the afternoon while answering emails and phone calls. Some days I’m on the road all day as clients request I shoot at their location. Between all of this, I try to stay on top of my marketing and arrange workshops in other countries! As you can see, I don’t have a lot of free time, but I love what I do!PETBARTELL OUR READERS A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF!My name is Monica Vergunst van der Maden, and I live in the Netherlands together with my husband and four lovely dogs. We have Joop, our Staffordshire bullterrier, Trijntje, our Whippet and Kees and Nell our two chihuahuas!62

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WHAT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE YOU HAD SINCE FINDING SUCCESS?After I won, my followers on Facebook and Instagram shot up, and I received thousands of emails from pet owners! I was asked to a talk show and had lots of companies wanting to work with me! I was also asked to speak at a great conference in Minneapolis at the AIM2020. This year, I will be in Chicago and Nova Scotia to organise two great workshops about Dog Photography.WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TIP FOR BUDDING PET PHOTOGRAPHERS?My tip is, go out with your camera and enjoy photographing pets! Never give up and believe in yourself!WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS MOVING FORWARD?To make some fantastic memories with dogs in every country in the world! I have a big bucket list; there are so many places I want to travel to take photos of dogs! In the future I hope to get an opportunity to photograph for somewhere like National Geographic or Discovery!WHAT SERVICES DO YOU OFFER YOUR CUSTOMERS?My photography is custom! I want to create something that will be timeless, and that’s why I only offer top of the line products. Fine art quality is paramount in my work. I love what I do and feel so blessed that my clients trust me to capture special moments that will become photographs that last forever.TELL US ABOUT THE BEST SHOOT YOU’VE EVER HAD, WHAT MADE IT SO SPECIAL?In November 2017 I received an email request from a lady who wanted to book in a session with her lovely Great Dane called Noa - Yes, the same name as my dog! We had a great time shooting and got some fantastic photos. A couple of months later, I decided to enter the Dog Photographer of the Year competition with one of Noa’s images. In the summer, I got a phone call telling me I had won the Oldies category with Noa’s photo, not just that but also the overall winner award! I was so shocked, I really didn’t expect it at all - and that’s why it will always be my favourite shoot!MONOA_PHOTOGRAPHYFACEBOOK.COM/MONOAFOTOGRAFIE

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WHAT CAN I SAY… Rome is a fantastic place where every stone has a story. Taking in the surroundings as you drive around, you have an overwhelming sensation of what went on in the timeless buildings and streets thousands of years ago.The iconic sites that we all know are astoundingly beautiful and although you can certainly see the long-time history through the aged structures, I couldn’t help but think about how amazing it is that these buildings are not only still standing but how unbelievable a task it would have been to build in the early historical times that these structures were constructed.Throughout this article, I will be referring to my friend, tour guide, driver and overall Italy expert Riccardo. He is the person that has been instrumental in ensuring everything is perfect.Well, Riccardo, where to? Being left in the hands of a Roman in Rome is as good as it gets.Let’s start with a great coffee.SANT’EUSTACHIO IL CAFFEKnown for being the best coffee in Central Rome, this café is typical of Rome – a hole in the wall with little room for customers to move, but even with this being the case, the place is standing room only with people standing shoulder to shoulder in a line that extends out the door, waiting to grab their caffeine shot and be able to say they’ve been there. Coffee done! Did someone say shopping?Ok Folks. Shopping in Rome – where to?Well, shopping is everywhere and depending on your credit card limit, it’s your choice which direction you head. I have listed a few areas that seemed to be hotspots for shopping in Rome:LA RINASCENTEThis department store is multilevel and located in 2 places in Rome - La Rinascente Rome Piazza Fiume and La Rinascente Roma Tritone. This department store offers a mixture of mid to very high-end brands all under one roof. If you love to shop, you could easily spend the day strolling through all of the floors in the centre. Don’t forget the Rooftop Bar for an Aperol Spritz break and an opportunity to take in some of Rome with a perfect 360-degree view. Hey, can’t get there – visit their website and shop online at www.rinascente.it/rinascente/en.SPANISH STEPSWith the excuse of visiting the Spanish Steps, you will walk the streets that lead to the steps that are again, a mixture of very high end (i.e. Prada and Chanel) to all the essential retail brands that we know and love from all around the world. As I mentioned, get the credit card ready and make sure you have a little left for a Gelato!Now, back to some food.What I haven’t had the opportunity to experience yet is Pizza by the slice (Pizza a Taglio) which in Italy is a must. Pick your pizzas of choice and enjoy a slice of a selection of different types of pizza rather than a single type only.We were taken directly to Pizzeria da Pasquale. The original owner runs it from when the doors opened, and he’s still making pizzas. I consumed way more than I should have and overdosed on carbs, but every single bite was worth the carb intake.Located at Via Dei Prefetti, 34/a, 00186. Roma. RM, Italy. Phone: +39066873726ROME77

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Three weeks until we meet Rome again, but now onto destination 2 – Positano. To get the best experience, we drove, which allowed us to absorb some of the scenery and experience the Italian Autostrada and Auto grills along the way.For those of you who are thinking, what’s an auto grill? Well, you will find auto grills along the autostradas ( highways ) of Italy. It’s a refuelling point and opportunity to go in and have a coffee, panini or pastry which by the way would kill any fancy café in terms of taste. One euro for a coffee, about 1.30 euro for a pastry and about 3.50-4 euro for a panini, you can have that little tummy filler to get you through that peckish feeling on your drive, which I seemed to experience about every hour on the hour during my time in Italy.Driving on the autostradas in Italy is certainly an experience and not for the conservative driver. We were hitting speeds of about 160-170 km/h (100-105 mph) and still being flashed by cars behind us to pull over to let them overtake. Luckily, I had Riccardo, a friend and born and bred Italian to take control of the drive for our adventure.As we approach the Amalfi Coast we get into winding road territory, which for the unseasoned passenger could cause a bit of car sickness as the roads are full of twists, turns and tight streets; and when I say tight I mean tight. As we were manoeuvring through the winding road, a tour bus was approaching in the opposite direction; at the corner, we both meet, stop, and at this point, we need to back up a little to allow others to turn the corner to keep going. I have to say that part of driving was a bit scary, and being at the highest point of the mountain didn’t help - but I did laugh after. Time to check into our hotel. Hotel Marincanto is perched on the side of the mountain and has the most spectacular views of Positano. Hotel Marincanto like many hotels throughout Italy is, in fact, pet-friendly. For the Italians, their dog in most cases is like their child, and there is no way they would do anything without having their furry friend right by their side. Pets and animals are just a part of their everyday life. The Hotel Marincanto is a boutique hotel that offers great size rooms and if you do get an ocean view, the most breathtaking views that you will ever wake up to. The Hotel has an infinity pool and a private beach area which only takes 286 steps to get to…. yes, that’s 286 steps each way. I’ll say it was undoubtedly much-needed exercise to help work off all of the food I was consuming. Anyway, getting back to the hotel. A small gym is also available but in case you are a gym junkie, don’t expect anything to flash in that department. With an excellent sundeck area to work on that tan you’ve been dreaming of and a terrace area where you will find seating for breakfast and dinner, the Hotel offers non-stop views of the Mediterranean Sea.The Marincanto staff were lovely and very accommodating. I would like to personally compliment Antonella and Andrea at reception and Lisa, who is one of the waitresses at breakfast who always had a smile on her face. Walking through the streets of Positano, you can’t help feeling the holiday vibe. Tourists from all around the world come to experience this incredible destination, as well as many Italians that come from all over Italy to enjoy the sunshine and scenery during the holiday season. Positano, like so many summer destinations in Italy, has a season that opens in about April/May and closes by the end of October each year. In most cases, many of the hotels close as the tourists begin to die down during these winter months.There are a few things you must do and places I want to recommend for your stay in Positano. 78

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DA ADOLFO BEACH CLUBWhat a great place to spend the day. Enjoy a meal at the beach club, sit on a deck chair and take in the ocean. To get to this secluded beach club, you need to take a boat from the main dock of Positano. These boats run regularly all day, but I do recommend you try to get down there early so you can make the most of a beautiful day. The food that gets delivered out of a little kitchen at the beach club is amazing. The owner Sergio is a great guy and loves to chat with everyone. He is the son of the man that opened the beach club, and from the conversation we had, you can tell he loves what he does.CHEZ BLACK RESTAURANT (VIA DEL BRIGARDINO, 19)We had lunch at this restaurant located on the beach level of Positano and can say; it was thumbs up for me. If you’re into mussels, I would certainly recommend them from Chez Black. I would also recommend their Caprese Salad which is basically a combination of perfectly sliced and layered pieces of fresh tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella with salt and a touch of oil and basil. Just refreshingly delightful for a light lunch when you’re in 30+ Celsius (86+ Fahrenheit) heat.L’INCANTO (VIA MARINA GRANDE, 4)Another beautiful restaurant located at beach level along the main walkway, serving a combination of seafood, meats, pasta and pizzas.If you are a lover of seafood, do yourself a favour and make sure you enjoy the fantastic seafood selection that any Italian coastal destination has to offer. The seafood is always fresh, and for the most part, the Italians are such food lovers that they would hate to spoil their reputation by providing a meal that wasn’t to standard. Patrons sit in the restaurant with their dogs by their side, and I found it amazing to see how accepted it is to have your pet (well, I only saw dogs) in a restaurant. Well, from an Australian perspective, it is a rarity, which is a real shame as many of us have pets that are better behaved, cleaner and more hygienic than some people.TRAVELLING TO OTHER ISLANDSJust a short trip via ferry will take you to the islands of Capri or Ischia; that’s if you feel that need to leave beautiful Positano. I suppose depending on how long you were to stay, and there’s plenty to discover along the Amalfi Coast including Amalfi and Ravello which unfortunately we did not get a chance to visit.81

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TAORMINA is a beautiful hilltop town located on the eastern coast of Sicily. From Taormina, you can get a clear view of the active volcano Mt Etna and have the opportunity to try some of the local cuisines of Southern Italy. Our drive of about 6 hours by car via autostrada wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. As expected, the auto grill stops kept it interesting. To get from Calabria (the closest point from Mainland Italy) to Sicily, you need to cross via ferry. This ferry trip takes you from the port in Calabria to Messina in Sicily. Those ferries not only accommodate cars but also take the train carriages for those of you who may want to train through Italy and down to Sicily. The train networks are quite amazing, and between a combination of regular and fast trains, it allows you at various price ranges to discover Italy. For example, a One-way trip from Rome to Milan on the fast train will set you back about 90 euros and takes approx. Two and a half hours. My personal feeling is that catching the train or driving where possible are the best options when travelling around Italy. From experience, I found that flights take up too much time from check-in at least an hour before to wait times, delays and flight changes – the train or car would be my preference.Anyway, back to Sicily. After arriving on the Ferry in Messina, we drove through to Taormina stopping at a town called St. Alessio, the birthplace of my friend and honorary tour guide Riccardo. It is a quaint little town that was once bustling but has now become a quieter spot with its typical Italian village beachside feel. As we were driving through the town, Riccardo wanted to make our first taste of Sicily come from his favourite bar (café) during his youth; Eros Café. When we entered, the original owner who has had the bar for over 40 years saw Riccardo and the hugs and kisses were flying thick and fast. We were served with a combination of traditional Sicilian Arancini (fried rice balls filled with a Bolognese mix on the inside) and Sicilian Cannoli. Now, if you have cannoli, you need to have traditional Sicilian cannoli which are to die for. Forget the chocolate or vanilla cream; these cannoli are lovely, hard-shelled cones filled with the perfect mixture of ricotta mascarpone, pistachio and dried fruit mix. Do yourself a favour and get to Sicily just for these. Speaking to the owner of Eros Restaurant and Bar, I asked him what has kept him there for all this time. He replies, “It’s my life, I love the town, I love the people, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else”. Even when times are tough and business is slower his passion for his business and the friendship with all of his loyal clients make him happy for where he is at in life. Next stop Taormina. On arrival in Taormina, we checked into our hotel UNA HOTELS CAPOTAORMINA, another fantastic hotel built into the side of a mountain. Once again, the ocean, mega yachts and the main town of Taormina is the view we get to wake up to for the next week. From the hotel, there is an amazing view of Mt. Etna which occasionally would send out a puff of smoke and one day even decided to keep the smoke coming until there was a thick layer of dark smoke sitting above the mountain causing a significant haze that spread, through to Taormina which about 56 kilometres away (about 1h 10min by car).The hotel is well maintained and offers beach access, as well as an infinity pool for times, were lazing around is what needs to be done.This is another pet-friendly hotel and offers guests pet-friendly rooms for those wishing to travel with their furry friend. I managed to speak to a couple who were travelling in Italy. I asked them why they chose to travel with their dog (which was the cutest little toy poodle) and was told that for them, they wouldn’t feel happy nor would they enjoy their holiday if they couldn’t bring their dog which has been part of their family for the past 15 years. They would trolley the small poodle around as it was quite hot and she was thrilled to be pampered by her owners. There was a true sense of love that came across with every pet owner I spoke with during my trip.Taormina City centre is just beautiful. In 212 B.C., Taormina fell to the Romans after the first Wars in Rome and began being ruled under Caesar Augustus Octavian (the first Roman Emperor), Taormina became a popular holiday spot for the Nobles and Senators, and since then, the tourism in Taormina has boomed.83

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The streets of the central city bring you back in time, and the buildings and architecture are just magnificent. I think coming from the growing modern city of Melbourne and stepping into an alternate world of history and stories, experiencing these types of places gets quite overwhelming. Speaking to Riccardo about Italy in general and the amazing history he summed it up perfectly when he said, “every stone has a story, that’s what makes it so amazing”.In Taormina, you will find restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, jewellery, tourist gift stores, bars and open-air music. At one point, I looked up as I was sitting outside sipping a spritz listening to a live band and watching what seemed like some gala event with actors and actresses on the red carpet during a beautiful summers night and thought, yep, it doesn’t get much better than this. During one of our final days in Taormina, we were brought down to another local suburb called Giardini Naxos which sits at the bottom of Taormina. During the afternoon, the streets generally aren’t so busy as people gather at the beach or are trying to keep cool indoors, but during the evening everyone comes out. Dinner at ‘La Cambusa’ in Giardini Naxos was truly a taste of Southern Italy. With signature seafood dishes; swordfish is the one dish that seems to be on everyone’s menu in the South, as it is the big season for it. The items that led the menu were simple chargrilled swordfish or swordfish involtini (basically swordfish fillet rolled up and filled with cheese and breadcrumb stuffing which is delish). The usual pasta dishes are also always a staple menu item with spaghetti and a basic sauce cooked to perfection, just dense enough that it pulls all the famous flavours through and creates a volcanic explosion of tastes leaving you wanting to savour each mouthful… by the way, no pasta dish would be completed without a gentle top lathering of parmesan. Yum - give me more…On the last morning in Taormina before moving onto our next stop, of course, I needed to start my day with the hotel’s buffet. I finished my breakfast off with a traditional Sicilian Summer breakfast favourite- coffee granita with brioche. This combination of sweet brioche bread and coffee granita mixed with a dollop of cream giving a smooth consistency that makes you push the thought of weight gain so deep into the abyss of your mind that is non-existent. This is what dreams are made of. PETBAR84

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Here we go again – we drive from Taormina to the port in Milazzo to connect to a hydrofoil that will take us to Lipari. The drive to the port is easy, but the chaos in trying to find a place to leave your car is crazy. Each time you stop the car or ask for directions, you seem to be greeted by someone asking if you want to leave your car at their carpark. The fear of leaving the car, and it being there when you get back crossed my mind many times until we finally took the plunge and followed one of the guys to the carpark before getting a lift back. Fingers Crossed. The beautiful ride takes about an hour and runs seamlessly with only one stop at Vulcano, another island near Lipari.Of the Aeolian islands, Lipari is the biggest and most popular. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I really hadn’t had much feedback prior to the trip. In Lipari, our hotel of choice was the Hotel Aktea. A 4-star hotel, walking distance from the city’s main street, the Port and the Marina. It was early July when we visited, so it was still relatively quiet as the main holiday period for the Italians is during August when most businesses shut down for the holidays and lines everywhere start to grow. We were in Lipari for a few days, so we decided to wander through the main commercial strip, which is one street with a few side streets incorporating a combination of residential and business activity. Forget the clothes shopping because that’s limited, but it does have the same restaurants and services that not only cater to the tourists but the locals all year round.We make our way up to the top of the town in Lipari where we get a full bird’s eye view of the town. The local council is located here and so is the main city square. The restaurant that we visit is one of the most well-known on the island and is called Ristorante Filippino. We arrive at dinner at 8:15 pm which for Italians is too early to eat. Dinner reservations for Italians are usually made between 8:30-9:30 pm. I asked Riccardo if anyone eats at 6:30 or 7 pm; He looked at me and said, ‘if you come to a restaurant at 6:30 in Italy you will most likely be helping the staff to set up for the night’. My choice of dish for the night - spaghetti alle vongoli (clams), which is another local dish which you can’t go wrong with. Packed full of flavour this plate of carbs is worth every calorie. Although there are several dogs in the restaurant, all are well behaved and no barking, no fighting or need for control required.86

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Day 2 of Lipari was a day trip on a boat which included going around the Lipari coastline to Salina, Vulcano and about six stops in strategically chosen locations where the water is crystal clear giving us the opportunity to jump into the water and cool down. The water is quite warm, bright and amazing to swim in. The only thing you need to watch out for are the jellyfish which pack a sting with their touch. These jellyfish have been gravitating in numbers over the years and from what I was told have migrated from Africa. This makes you a little cautious when jumping in, but nobody was too concerned as the water is filled with people taking the opportunity to cool down. We stopped in Salina at around lunchtime where we had a local dish called Pane Cúnsatto which is a crusty bread base soaked with a topping such as a tomato and cheese that moistens the bread. 8 euro for a full serving will fill your belly just enough that if you go to jump off the boat for a swim – there is a likely chance that you will sink. Luckily, they did let us know that they do half serves which were more than enough. From what we saw in Salina in the few hours we were there, there were limited things to do - but the locals did say that apart from their pebble beaches, there is not much activity in Salina. Back on the boat and off to Vulcano - our last stop before heading back to Lipari. Now, Folks, Vulcano is known for its mud baths which are smelly but therapeutic. I was geared up to try them out, so we set out with this as our plan. As we got closer, the odour picked up… all good, we can do this. Closer still and I’m thinking; did someone leave some garbage out? Umm, no problem all good! Within 50 feet of the mud baths, we all started breathing into our beach towels and dry reaching due to the odour of what smelled like someone had dropped truckloads of rotting eggs mixed within a sea of decaying corpses. I don’t think I’d ever seen any one of us run so fast before, so that we could get away from the terrible scent. I couldn’t believe my eyes at the people in the mud bathes rubbing the mud all over themselves as if it were smelling of roses. Ah well. That didn’t happen, but at least I have a good story to tell. If you are brave enough, try it out, you’ll have an even better story and maybe discover that your smell and taste glands are dead.89

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ORTIGIA is located in the Sicilian town of Syracusa and is a small island known as the white pearl. The island known as Citta Vecchia (old city) has many historical landmarks worth seeing.We checked into the Grand Hotel Ortigia located right across the road from the marina and the marina walk - which is lovely in the evening as you stroll down the full street with bars/cafes to one side and mega yachts to the other. The Grand Hotel Ortigia is a beautiful boutique hotel that utilises its period styling building to the best of its ability. Although there is no pool and no gym, the hotel does offer a private beach that they will take you to by boat. It also provides an amazing rooftop restaurant that has spectacular views over the marina and Siracusa (Syracuse).The streets of the town are amazing, and when walking through, I notice that many of the older buildings look like they are unoccupied. They have clearly been maintained as much as possible judging by the exterior which creates a magnificent streetscape, but over the years some buildings have clearly become unable to be occupied. In the middle of Oritigia’s centre square is a church where there sits a statue of the Madonna (The Virgin Mary) which supposedly wept blood. People gather from everywhere to visit this church to pay their homage to the weeping Madonna.The streets of Ortigia are filled with people from all around the world who have come to experience the beauty of the ancient city. On the outskirts of the city is a shopping area featuring some of the more well-known brands if you want to get in an hour or so of retail therapy to counter the cultural experience.Overall, I would give Oritigia a big tick but would recommend that if you get the opportunity to visit - you could easily spend 7-10 days down there and use it as a base to visit more sites within Syracuse. Some of these sites being, L’Orechio Dionisio (The Ear of Dionysius) or Teatro Greco (Greek Theatre), which have been named a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. I would also recommend visiting and spending a day at Fontane Bianche if you want to get a bit of beach time in.91

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SARDEGNA SARDEGNA is an island located off the coast of Rome that historically has been a playground for the rich and famous. Sardegna as an island is the same size as Sicily with about 1.6 million inhabitants against 5 million approximately in Sicily. Walking through the local town of Porto Cervo, you can certainly see why. The city centre is wall to wall designer labels from Prada to Dior and everything in between. If you wander down to the Marina, you will find it full of the mega yacht after mega yacht - you can tell that Porto Cervo is there to cater for the loose dollars the mega-rich will pay while relaxing on vacation.Who doesn’t have a Bentley dealership at a marina and a Dolce and Gabbana store in case you need a quick outfit change due to the spillage of the Bollinger on last night’s dinner outfit whilst partying on your $300 Million-dollar Yacht. A few bars line the marina walkway for anyone wanting to sit, and people watch, or of course for the yacht guests wanting to get some time on land for a Spritz or 2.Walking through the town, I came across a store called Prince and Princess. This Pet Store is the most upmarket I’ve seen to date. It smells more like a perfumery, and I was greeted by the store owner who approached me as I saw two puppies playing in a playpen. These puppies were Chihuahuas and were for sale. They come complete with an all vaccinations and a passport, as most purchases made are by yacht owners who will return to their country and need the passport for their pal. For all you pet owners you can look them up at https://www.princeandprincess.it/en/clothing-for-dogs/ and check out their goods.Our hotel in Sardegna is the Colonna Resort which also has the Colonna Golf Club. If you’re looking for pools, you’ll find them here. With seven private pools and a private beach, this resort is the place you want to be on those 30+ degree summer days in Sardegna. Luca, a resident of Sardegna, arranged for us to go to a traditional local restaurant for dinner which is where the Sardegna locals eat as well as people ‘in the know’, like us that have a local on hand.In Sardegna, their signature dish is their pork. Cooked to perfection, their rotisserie pork is cooked over an open flame, and it is mouth-watering. Now, at this point in the article I would like to apologise to all the vegetarians out there as most of the dishes I have mentioned in my article are far from vegetarian options; but let me say this, there are always vegetarian options and Italy caters to gluten-free requirements also at most of the places that I visited. Now getting back to my delicious pork, well let’s say that the more food they brought out, the fuller and sleepier I was getting (and trust me the food just kept coming). Do not fret my loyal readers; I won’t let you down. Dinner is over, and I fought the urge to snooze off to an open-air night club. Perfect evening summer weather with a slight breeze and we were ready to burn off a couple of calories dancing to the sounds of Italian summer. This was the first open-air night club I had been to and wow - it was awesome. The club was called Phi Beach and is located on the beach. A taxi ride is necessary to get there, but it was well worth the experience. Ordering drinks was done by going to the cashier to get drink tokens of 15 euros each and then going to the bar, handing over your tokens and ordering your drink of choice. 92

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ROME is one of those places that is great to see as a tourist but offers a whole next level experience if you can experience it like a local.We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to experience our final few days in Rome with some local Romans. I did have a few ‘must do’s’ on my list, which I had to do as a tourist in between living like a local.FOUNTAIN OF TREVIRestored about three years ago this piece of history is quite amazing when you get a chance to soak it in properly. If you would like to have some quiet time at the fountain, my suggestion is to get down there between 6:30 am to 7:30 am. After this, the place is wall to wall tourists pushing and shoving to get that perfect selfie while dodging the flying coins that others are tossing into the fountain to make a wish.The fountain itself is one of the oldest water sources in Rome. It was built at the end of an aqueduct (Aqua Virgo) that was constructed in 19BC. The water that flows into the fountain comes from the Salone Springs about 14 miles outside of Rome. The fountain itself is about 85 feet (25.9 metres) high and 65 feet (19.8 metres) wide and is Italy’s most famous baroque fountain.According to legend - tossing one coin into the fountain means you will return to the eternal city (Rome), throwing two coins means you will return and fall in love and tossing three coins means you will return, find love and marry.ST PETERS SQUARE Once again, a place to visit in the early morning before the madness of tourists make their way through. Quite spectacular is this Piazza San Pietro as known by the Italians, which is one of the world’s most famous squares located in the Vatican City at St. Peters Basilica. I think it’s the enormity of this place that gets you. Standing in the middle of St Peters Square, you feel amazed by architecture that was built in a time when all the bells and whistles of modern construction weren’t even a dream.SPANISH STEPSIf you want to take in a little of this 138 step gathering place connecting Piazza Di Spagna below with Piazza Trinita Dei Monti above, take a seat, take in the atmosphere and gather your walking legs because when you’ve finished you have got some severe shopping that can happen in the streets right in front of you. FINAL STOPROME94

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THE VATICANWhether you are religious or not, the Vatican is a fantastic place to visit. The architecture, sculptures, paintings, Sistine Chapel or any other little crevice, will make it a worthwhile experience. The Sistine Chapels’ painted ceilings are spectacular.The one thing I want to put out there is that it gets so full in the Vatican during the day that visiting during the summer months can be a bit claustrophobic and hot. If you can get a fast pass for early morning entry (yes, I know it sounds very Disneyland) it’s worth every cent. It is getting in there before the crowds allow you to explore while the place is still quiet. I could take up a few hundred pages going through all the sites, and I’m starting to get a tour guide vibe going on while writing this article so I will leave you with this on the sites of Rome - see what you can but leave yourself enough time to soak in the atmosphere. Enjoy a 3-hour lunch, wander the streets aimlessly and soak it all in, because you’ll blink and it will be all over. Now let’s get talking about sharing some meals with the locals. We had one dinner in the main centre of Rome; a little restaurant called Piccolo Arancio. We ate here because Riccardo recommended this spot that has been run by the same person for as long as he can remember. Tucked in one of the little side streets near the Trevi Fountain, this restaurant has some authentic Roman cuisine and leaves you wanting more.For dinner, on our last night, we were taken to a place about half an hour out of Central Rome located in a suburb called Ariccia. This area is stunning with homes and trees surrounding a central lake. Well, I suppose it would have to be a beautiful area since it is the location of the Popes summer residence. I must say, this is the place I would like to go back to and spend a day walking around. Dinner time – this outdoor eatery located in a forest feel setting with park benches, and tables are the place to be. It is so hard to detail the culinary experience and doing it justice, but I will try. Inside of the main building, you order your food at a counter filled with the most flavoursome selection of local cheeses, salamis, prosciutto and other cured meats. Freshly cooked Porchetta (Pork) that is so tender and cooked to perfection that the thought makes me salivate (Sorry vegetarians, I praise you for your sacrifices, but I love my meats). Olives, eggplant and all the Italian smallgoods that are prepared to perfection - you choose what you would like out of this selection and bring it back to your table as the starter share plate.During this time, you have pre-ordered whatever mains you want to come after the feast, which in our case was pasta with Napoli and Bolognese sauce. Whether it’s the fact that I am eating this house-made “Casalinga” (home) style local food or it’s the several glasses of the house-made wine that I consumed, I couldn’t help but feel like everything I ate was the best thing I had ever tasted. The people that we shared our experience with were all locals and childhood friends of Riccardo, and I can say these are some of the most beautiful people I have ever met. By the end of our few catch-ups, I felt like I had created new, lifelong friendships.Well, the time has flown and the last day is a day of walking the streets with no real mission but just a final opportunity to take in all the beauty of such a fantastic place. You can’t help to think of times gone by, Gladiators, Emperors, Battles through the streets and the thousands of years of history. Thank you ITALY!Thank you, FRIENDS!Arrivederci …. Until we meet again!97

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JOSIE & EDIETHE ADVENTURES OF JOSIE AND EDIEHuman to Josie and Edie, Rebecca is a lifestyle blogger and photographer, and together they all reside in the North Nottinghamshire countryside. Josie is a whippet cross, and little Edie is a whippet, and together they are the perfect pair! Josie is bold and outgoing meanwhile Edie is a little more reserved, but they love nothing more than a good run through the forests of Nottinghamshire together! Josie and Edie’s Instagram and blog were born from the desire to expand from the frantic Google searches Rebecca would find herself doing on a weekly basis. Since then, it’s become somewhere hound owners can have an honest conversation about the breed, discover places to explore in Nottinghamshire and the Peak District, find practical but well-designed outerwear and seek comfort in the strange things you’ll experience owning a sighthound.THEADVENTURESOFJOSIEANDEDIEPETBAR98

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MEET DAISYDaisy is taking the world by storm! She is a beautiful, little, fluffy white Bichon Poo-dle who in a short amount of time has become the face of the Petbar app and a so-cial media influencer. We speak with her loving family - Adrian, Lisa, Samuel, Alyssa and Jada Logiudice, who love Daisy more than anything in the world. Check out her exclusive photos and trending videos roaming around the streets of Melbourne on Petbar today! THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE PETBAR APPWHEN DID DAISY COME INTO YOUR LIFE?Daisy came into my life about 7 years ago – it was always a constant family discussion about when the right time would be to get a dog and one day, it just clicked, and we did it!WHY DO YOU THINK DAISY STOOD OUT TO YOU AS A DOG?Daisy was surrounded by siblings that were running and jumping like the playful young pups they were, and when I went to pick up Daisy to hold her, she pee’d a little out of her excitement. From there, I was bound to her!!!WHY A BICHON POODLE?Well, our one pre-requisite when getting a dog was that it was going to be indoors with us and therefore – it had to be small. We didn’t mind if it was a girl or boy, but we wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to grow into a big dog that we wouldn’t be able to care for properly. We all researched different dogs and saw that a breeder was close by with Bichon Poodles so we went to have a look, not even intending to buy her straight away and well, the rest is history!WHO CAME UP WITH THE NAME DAISY?I will take the credit for that and say that I came up with her name! My sister originally wanted to name her Sparkle, but as soon as I had a good look and played with her, I realised she was definitely not a ‘Sparkle’. Looking at her cream fur and bright face, the name Daisy came to mind straight away. Everyone loved it, and we knew that was the one.IS THERE ANYTHING YOU FIND DIFFICULT ABOUT HER?She is honestly the most well behaved and placid dog that I have ever encountered. I know it may sound biased, but when it comes to her difficulties, nothing really comes to mind. She doesn’t do her business inside (most of the time), she doesn’t wreck any furniture, she doesn’t jump around wildly, she doesn’t shed – she’s our perfect dog! Maybe the only difficulty I would say is when I am trying to sleep, and she somehow finds her way onto the bed and ends up taking up more of the bed than I do! PETBAR106

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SO, YOU LET HER SLEEP IN THE BED WITH YOU, THAT’S AMAZING! I’M SURE MANY DOGS DON’T GET THAT LUXURY.I mean it’s hard to say no to that face so when she jumps on the bed and cuddles you how can you say no! In saying that, we do treat her like a real princess. It’s very rare that she doesn’t get her way – from going on walks to doing her business outside and looking at us through the window begging for us to let her inside immediately.TELL ME ABOUT DAISY’S PERSONALITY.Well, as you’ve probably already gathered – Daisy is a princess. She is a very calm dog and doesn’t really bark or go crazy as some pups do. She is happy to do her own thing but is very dependant and protective of our family. As long as she knows that we are around, she is comfortable and off doing her own thing. She is a very family-oriented dog and likes to feel our presence or have our attention. She does have a playful side around other dogs and loves her toys and running around outside but as long as she is around us, the content.WHAT DO YOU THINK IS A QUIRK THAT IS SPECIAL FOR DAISY?She is quite the quirky but intelligent dog and can read every situation and act accordingly. Her funniest quirk that never fails to make us laugh is at when we are all eating snacks and watching TV on the couch she will come around to each one of us, tapping us on the foot or arm as a signal that she wants her snack – and she does NOT stop until she gets what she wants.WHAT SORTS OF ACTIVITIES DO YOU LIKE TO DO WITH DAISY?We try to bring Daisy wherever we can. From taking her on walks to taking her to cafes or restaurants with us where we sit outside – we love to have her around. It is harder during the winter months where activities tend to be inside rather than out, but in situations where we can bring her, we certainly do. From things like picnics to walks, we do lots with our dog, she is like a member of our family, and it just doesn’t feel right not bringing her along.IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO PETS?Well, we have been very much trying to work out why the world around us so pets inclusive from being able to take pets on planes, to having them ready to come into most eateries and being able to stay in most hotels from 2 stars to 5 stars. It seems we are very behind in this respect in Australia and it’s something that needs to change as pets, well dogs, in particular, have become an extension to our family and for some, their only family. I say, let’s change.108

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HOLLER DOG STOREBrighton is one of the most popular destinations in the UK, known for expressing its creativity through independent stores, streets covered in striking artwork and of course the infamous pebbled beach. We took a trip to the beachside city and stumbled across Holler, an unapologetically bold store brimming with exquisite dog wear. We got chatting to owner Cian to find out more!HI CIAN, WELCOME TO PETBAR. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS! Hi, I’m Cian the creator and founder of Holler store in Brighton UK, a once frustrated dog owner who could never find what I was looking for, until now!TELL US ABOUT HOLLER, WHAT MAKES YOUR STORE DIFFERENT? Holler is fast becoming a ‘must go’ destination for dog owners who are looking for something that extra bit special. We sell bespoke and unique brands you can’t find on the high street. Dogs have become such an integral part of our lives we want to treat them to something special, and that’s our ambition! We want to help our customers discover those brands that can be hard to find. We want to help you spoil your dogs!WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU OPENED HOLLER? I worked as a stylist in my early career, so I always had my eye on fashion and had my own style. I opened my own hairdressing business which I really enjoyed back home in Essex, but my heart was in Brighton and no longer as a stylist, so my partner and I decided to sell up and upticks to live here and we’ve never looked back. It’s a unique city, a creative bubble on the East Sussex coast of England.WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RUN YOUR DOG STORE? TELL US ABOUT YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVENTURE! Dogs have always been a huge part of my life. I don’t think I’ve spent much of it without having a dog to trip me over occasionally or follow me around like a shadow. Our own canine family grew fairly rapidly, and I become increasingly frustrated at the lack of choice when it comesto finding unique/premium things for them. Having found the confidence to establish another successful business doing something completely different before, it inspired me to take the plunge and bring those amazing products I’d managed to find for myself over the years to a physi-cal store. I had total faith in Holler from the start, and it’s been a very exciting time for us. WHAT’S BEEN THE BEST BIT SO FAR? Meeting like-minded people. When people come in with their dogs or share their photos and stories, you really see the best part of them, people’s spirits lift, and it is an absolute pleasure to be part of their journey. Our cus-tomers get excited when they see our brands and their dogs walk out wearing some fantastic accessories. It’s a great feeling that I helped them! Dogs feel that admiration, you can see it in the way they hold them-selves when they leave, I love that the most.WHAT BRANDS DO YOU SELL IN YOUR STORE? WHAT CAN THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER EXPECT TO FIND WHILE BROWSING? We have some incredible brands that have joined us, and I am sourcing new products all of the time. As we’ve grown, I’m being approached by others who are asking us to support them, some of them are so special, and I want to help champion their brand. Currently, we hold Hiro+Wolf, Doggie Apparel, Vackertass, Love My Dog, Fetch & Follow, Dug and Bitch, Hindquarters, amongst others.I will never want to retail mass-produced products, I want to retail unique brands, and I want those to change throughout the seasons, for my customers to find some-thing different every time they visit our store. We hope to introduce our own collection sometime next year, some-thing else to get excited about. PETBAR111

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WHAT’S THE CURRENT PET TREND YOU CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF?People are exploring pattern and colour more than before, and there is so much more choice for our pets. There is always a place for the timeless classics, and they still prove extremely popular, although the majority of our customers make a beeline for the vibrant stand out pieces. People are proud of their dogs, and they want them to stand out from the crowd, dogs are always up for fun, and they should have something that suits the personality of them and their owner. THE DEMAND FOR MORE BEAUTIFUL DESIGNED DOG ACCESSORIES IS BOOMING AT THE MOMENT! WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF DOG AND OWNER TRENDS HEADING? Dog accessories are becoming more seasonal, so I see there being different collections coming through more often. It’s no longer just about primary all-year-round colour. It’s becoming much less safe. There are more luxury tailored accessories out there for specific dog breeds because owners want their dogs to feel comfortable as well as look good. There will always be a demand for novelty accessories, but I see style and comfort becoming increasingly more important. Ethically sourced and organic materials are also more of a consideration; people are taking more responsibly and making more informed choices for the health and welfare of their pets and the environment. HOLLER STANDS OUT IN A STREET WHERE EVERY SHOP IS FIGHTING FOR ATTENTION, TELL US HOW YOU DESIGNED SUCH A GORGEOUS STORE - WHAT WAS YOUR VISION? Thank you, it’s been a huge investment for me, and people’s reaction is so heart-warming. A lot of hard work has gone into establishing our own brand’s identity. It was essential our image, and physical store reflected the quality of the brands we stock. It has a designer department store feel but is still welcoming enough for people to come in and explore. The lighting and clean canvas present the products brilliantly. Brighton’s lanes are a unique space in the city, and it’s a place like nowhere else. Businesses have much more freedom to celebrate their individuality; it’s an extraordinary place to work. WHAT’S BRIGHTON LIKE FOR DOG OWNERS? IT SEEMS TO BE BUILDING. WE SEE MORE PUPS OUT AND ABOUT ON SHOPPING TRIPS/COFFEE DATES THAN EVER BEFORE! Brighton must be the most dog-friendly city in the UK, I have three dogs, and I don’t hesitate in taking any of them out with me to eat or to shop. Dogs are celebrated here, and there are loads of dog walking groups and all year round events, literally too many to mention!The annual canine highlight has to be the pride dog show in the park, dogs and dog lovers come together and shine with Pride, it’s a great day. Our next event we are attending is the closing of the local lido swimming pool, and dogs are welcome to go and swim there for the last few days of the season and enjoy the grounds as it closes for winter — just a few examples of what goes on here. WHERE’S THE BEST DOGGY FRIENDLY PLACES IN BRIGHTON? If you are planning to visit Brighton, do not hesitate to bring your dog here, you will be welcome in most café’s, many restaurants and lots of shops are happy for you to browse with well-behaved dogs. Dog water bowls are available in all of the pubs, and dogs are made to feel as welcome as their owners. We will be working with those businesses soon to establish a directory of dog-friendly places for our website. WHERE’S THE BEST PLACE FOR A LONG DOG WALK IN BRIGHTON? We are so lucky here; Brighton is surrounded by the South Downs National Park and of course Brighton promenade and the expanse of the beach. When the weathers good my daily walk along the seafront to work is a bonus, people watching and taking in the sea air; you can’t beat it. There are many local parks all with dog-friendly areas, one of my favourites being Stanmer Park with a choice of woods or fields, and for a bit more of an ambitious walk an area of outstanding beauty Devils Dyke. ANY FUTURE PLANS OR COLLABORATIONS FOR HOLLER? I’ve already been in discussion with some local designers and artisans with the ambition of establishing Hollers own collections of accessories. I’d love to celebrate those people’s talents and bring in my own creativity to design and produce something special, to sell in-store and online. My dream would be to establish relationships with other high-end stores and supply them with Holler accessories. With that, you’ve got Holler store in Brighton in a nutshell. We hope our UK readers will nip and say hello to Cian on their next Brighton day out! To follow the journey of Holler Store, be sure to follow on Instagram at:HOLLERSTOREBRIGHTONPETBAR112