Lucky Pup Adventures

27/08/2024

Today is National Dog Day. While everyday is Dog Day around these parts, today we celebrate all that dogs are:

Dogs are loyal, caring, devoted, smart, inquisitive, hard working, a best friend, keeper of secrets, a shoulder to cry on, uplifting, cuddle buddies, inspirational, life-protectors, tireless, lover of children, encourager of the old, patient, committed, adventure companions, and comedians.

Most importantly, though, our dogs are a partner in this crazy life.

We honor all dogs who serve as family companions, hunting partners, service providers, protectors, farm workers, and bringers of peace and relaxation.

We owe our dogs so much, in part because they give us so much in return.

Our dogs teach us how to live and love unendingly, if only we learn how to watch and listen and serve them as the partners they deserve to be. ❤️🐾

22/08/2024

When you’re ✨Just A Baby ✨ but you are serious about your game of tug!! 😤 Don’t tell Dolly, but we think she is totally adorable when she plays tug with some grumbly growls! 😍

Did you know these kind of noises during play are totally normal and it means they are having fun?! Dogs usually have a “play growl” and a “serious growl.” We call the switch from play noises to serious noises “kicking it into second gear.” Those are a sign you need to take a break or help the dog feel better about the kind of play that is happening.

But if you dog gives these lighter style noises or keeps coming back to play again, know that it is Ok to keep playing if you like! Play grumbling doesn’t mean you will train a dog to be aggressive, so you can keep having fun together!

21/08/2024

“Get in, human! We have smells to smell and things to do. Let’s hit the road!!”
- Leia and Charlie, probably

While the pups were sad the window was rolled up for their car ride (safety first!!), they do love to ride in style. It’s all part of our VIP services for Very Important Pets!! ❤️🐾

18/08/2024

Happy Sunday, Fam! May we all live with the hope, optimism, and joy of a dog who once found something super awesome in a random shrub. 😂❤️🐾

17/08/2024

Just a pair of Very Good Boys™️ enjoying some fetch on a beautiful sunny day! We love seeing those happy faces and getting to tell their people about all the fun we had together. ❤️🐾

13/08/2024

In-your-home pet care means your pet’s favorite treats, toys, and routines will always be there right when they need (or want!) them. Miss Olive here is especially grateful for the treats, walks, and belly rubs! ❤️🐾

01/08/2024

Please help share this great low-cost spay/neuter event!!

Great spay/neuter deal at Colman Veterinary Services in August. Contact them directly to sign up!

Special Starts Tomorrow! We have been able to keep our prices the same as last year!!!

COLMAN VETERINARY SERVICES 605-270-7232
Leave a message for a call back as we only one phone line.
Call to get on the August Schedule and lock in your discount. Multiple cats on the same day get additional discounts. Kittens 8 weeks or older as Dr. McNeil is experienced in pediatric surgery.

No appointments will be made online, through social media, by messenger, or by text.

01/08/2024

Today is Harry Potter’s birthday! To celebrate, we want to know: which House would your pet be if they went to Hogwarts? Drop us some emojis in the comments to let us know!!

Here are mine:
🦅 Crosby 🦅
🐍 Fawkes 🐍
🦡 Newt 🦡

——————

There’s nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can’t see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be!

You might belong in 🦁 Gryffindor 🦁 ,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry,
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in 🦡 Hufflepuff 🦡
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old 🦅 Ravenclaw 🦅 ,
If you’ve a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in 🐍 Slytherin 🐍,
You’ll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends.

🦁 🦡 🦅 🐍 No matter which House they are sorted into, know that the best House is whichever one where they are with you! 🦁 🦡 🦅 🐍

24/07/2024

Wally loves our Puppy Adventure Outings and we love exploring with him! These are outings around town for pups of all ages who want a bit more adventure! We explore parks, downtown, and other fun areas around Sioux Falls. We work on finding exciting new sniffs, working with shy pups to help them feel more confident, and just adding more adventure to their days. These are such fun adventures for both us and the pups! ❤️🐾

17/07/2024

“Sometimes I just need an extra set of hands.” A new client said this to me today and I just replied: Yes!! That is exactly what we are here for!!

Whether you need someone to help in a pinch or you are heading out of town, our team of pet pro all-stars are there for you and your VIPs (your Very Important Pets!). ❤️🐾

16/07/2024

Is there anything cuter than a couple of BFFs? We think not. 😍

15/07/2024

When it is too hot for outside, we hang inside instead! First flooding, then the skeeters 🦟, now the heat. 🥵 Gee thanks, South Dakota.

14/07/2024

Long line safety tips! This is sometimes called a “bunny loop” method for handling a long line with your dog. Think of each side of your hand having a loop of bunny ears! 🐰

A few of my favorite tips for using long lines:

- Always loop the excess line *across* your palm, never *around* your hand! Think bunny ears!!

- If your dog is speedy, I recommend keeping some tension on the leash between you and your dog. If your dog runs ahead with a lot of slack in the leash you 1) don’t have much control, and 2) might go flying face first when you dog reaches the end of the leash. A good way for you both to get hurt!

- Always play it safe where you choose to use a long line with your dog, and choose the right length! I never recommend walking with a long leash (>8’ long - this includes flexis!) in an active neighborhood/area or along a busy street. It is too easy for your dog to get into things they shouldn’t! If you want to give your dog some room to roam, find a spot where you won’t interfere with anyone else and you can have fun safely!

12/07/2024

Winston says he loves in-his-home pet care because he can snuggle up in his cozy bed and snooze the day away. We have an extra soft spot for older pets among Team Lucky Pup. It doesn’t hurt that they can’t always hear you walk in and so you can snap adorable photos like this to send to their people. ❤️

11/07/2024

We have some pretty amazing organizations in our community working to give pets (and people) a better life! ❤️🐾

🐾🐱Today is National Spay Day!🐱🐾

In 2023, out of the 3,000 stray cats we took in, 1,200 were under the age of 5 months or born at the shelter. Today is a great day to recognize our partnership with Sioux Empire TNR Coalition!

The Sioux Empire TNR Coalition's mission is to foster community welfare and improvement through protecting the quality of lives for feral and free-roaming cats, otherwise known as "community cats."

SETNR works with compassionate community volunteers, local government officials, and companion animal rescues to utilize humane population control of domestic cats in our area through education, low-income alter assist programs and the use of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats.

We also provide referrals for low-cost sterilization services and access to a wide range of resource for TNR education and community cat colony management in the Sioux Empire and surrounding areas. We also find loving homes for friendly cats and kittens that come to us through our TNR efforts.

We need the community's help to reduce the population of stray and feral cats in the community. Please spay & neuter your cats!🐱🐾

26/06/2024

POV: You are enjoying your lunch break without having to fight traffic home and back to work again. Your dog is living their best life with a walk and some belly rubs.

No stress, no mad dash home, and you get cute pictures like this right to your phone.

we have openings for midday, dog walks, and we’d love to hear from you! No minimums, no requirements, just great times for your pup on your schedule!

Send us a note at luckypupadventures.com to get started!

21/06/2024

Wally gave his rainy backyard two paws down today, but he gave a rainy walk fourpaws up. Who were we to say no to a rainy day adventure!? 😍

21/06/2024

Stay safe out there, Fam!! It is tempting to want to check out the flooding and the river, but remember: ⚠️ Safety First! ⚠️

Several parks and sections of the recreation trail are closed across Sioux Falls due to flash flooding from heavy rains.

The following parks are closed as of 9:40 a.m. Friday, June 21:

· Cherry Rock Park
· Family Park
· Farm Field Park
· Legacy Park
· Pasley Park
· Rotary Park
· Spencer Park
· Tuthill Park
· Yankton Trail Park

Several sections of the recreation trail are also closed. Closures will be marked by barricades. Residents are asked to avoid walking, riding or driving through any water. Flood waters are dangerous and can lead to serious injury.

An updated list of closures will be available on siouxfalls.gov.

(Photo taken at Rotary Park near 26th Street and Interstate 229)

20/06/2024

How’s everyone doing out there?! Staying dry?? Hanging in there?! Moose here said he didn’t mind a little rain on his walkie day, but some pups gave it a big no thank you!

07/06/2024

Conan is feeling the Summer Vibes, and we hope you are, too! When asked, Conan said his best advice is to sniff out some fun wherever you go this summer. 🐾

31/05/2024

We are hiring! Do you know someone who would make a great addition to Team Lucky Pup?

Summer is suddenly here (um, where did spring go??), and we are preparing for a busy season of pet sitting. We love getting to love on all our clients, and we are in need of more amazing team members!

We are hiring part time pet sitters and dog walkers for all times of day and all days of the week!

If you or someone you know would make a great addition to our team, would you please send them to our job application? Our work is pretty special and we take our responsibilities seriously.

We’d love to hear from those you think would make an amazing pet sitter or dog walker. We offer a pretty great place to work, a great team to work with, and even better clients!

We are also hiring an Aquarium Maintenance Tech for our aquarium care branch, !

We’re looking for someone excited to learn about aquariums and help people enjoy their aquarium stress-free!

Someone could even apply to be both a dog walker/pet sitter and an aquarium tech!

Applying couldn’t be easier! Visit https://luckypup.applytojob.com/

30/05/2024

I was at a conference this spring and had a conversation with my friend Shannon with Paws & Purrs Feline Services and Furkids East Cobb. As we were about to part, Shannon made on offhand comment: “So often cats are seen as second class pets. I want to continue working to change that.”

SO true!! Often cats are seen as easier pets. They don’t need as much hands-on care as a dog does, but that doesn’t mean their needs are less-than. They still need to do cat-things, have their needs met, and they deserve to have humans caring for them who are educated about their behaviors and communication styles.

Cats are amazing pets, and they deserve just as many amazing things as dogs do! Here are a few of our favorites:

🌴 Cat trees and elevated hidey spots for climbing and perching

🐭 Toys for them to play hunt with, like wand toys, crinkle toys, mouse toys, and things to chase and stalk

🍃 Cat nip or silvervine! Not all cats love catnip, but silvervine is a great alternative.

🐦‍⬛ Cat TV! Whether you pull up videos on YouTube for them to watch or you strategically install bird feeders outside of your cat’s favorite window, your cat will thank you for “turning on” their morning cartoons!

We are all about helping pets and their people live full and happy lives! Have questions about giving your pets their best life? Our team has lots of resources to help you be an amazing pet parent! ❤️🐾

27/05/2024

On Memorial Day we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I had the honor to visit Pearl Harbor this last summer. The entire grounds were moving, but the trip out to the USS Arizona was one of the most impactful, beautiful, and emotional memorials I had been able to visit. The dedication of volunteers and NPS members to keeping this part of our history alive was remarkable. I was holding back tears the entire time. I wanted to share some of those photos with you today.

Today and every day we thank those who have served our country, and we remember and honor those who died in its service. 🇺🇸

“No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”
- Virgil

25/05/2024

Bringing smiles to pets and their people all around Sioux Falls! 😍 We love getting to send photos like this to our clients after every visit. While you are working, vacationing, or out running errands, your pet could be having a grand adventure! 🥳

22/05/2024

Little pup, big adventures in Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

12/05/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who loves with a Mother’s heart. I am not a huge fan of labels. I think labels tend to get in the way more than they connect us.

When you love with a Mother’s heart, it doesn’t matter what your “role” is. Your love, compassion, comfort, and guidance are so needed in this world.

Today we celebrate the aunts, aunties, sisters, teachers, and coaches who stepped up to love like a Mother. To the foster moms, the birth moms, the adoptive moms, the “traditional” moms, the dads that fill the place of a mom, the pet moms, the sisters who mother, the moms-to-be, the ones who wish they could be, the moms who have lost, the ones who have lost their mom, the ones who wish they had a mom, or those that are missing things from their mom, this day is for you, too.

Because we celebrate all Mothers on Mother’s Day. And the world is a better place because of you. ❤️

27/04/2024

From early mornings to late nights and everywhere inbetween, you can find our team loving on pets weekdays, weekends, and holidays. Basically, you can spot our Lucky Pup-mobiles doing our good work almost anytime and all around the Sioux Falls area!

19/04/2024

Many years ago Mr. Lucky Pup and I decided to “temporarily foster” a little white pittie who was on a euth list in an overcrowded shelter. We named her Harlequin for her brindled eye patch, and about two weeks after that we decided she was home.

Two years ago today, at not quite 7 years old, we said goodbye as the cancer overtook her. It was our second goodbye to a young dog in 18 months, and we were so very sad.

As I remember her today, I am comforted by a poem a colleague shared. I hope you like it, too. Here are some excerpts, because these captions don’t have room for it all:

Dogs never die. They don’t know how to. They get tired, and very old, and their bones hurt. Of course they don’t die. If they did they would not want to always go for a walk, even long after their old bones say:” No, no, not a good idea. Let’s not go for a walk.” Nope, dogs always want to go for a walk.

A walk with you is all there is. Their person, and the cacaphonic symphony of odor that the world is: cat p**p, another dog’s mark, a rotting chicken bone (exultation), and you. That’s what makes their world perfect, and in a perfect world death has no place.

When you think your dog has died, it has just fallen asleep in your heart. And by the way, it is wagging its tail madly, you see, and that’s why your chest hurts so much and you cry all the time. Who would not cry with a happy dog wagging its tail in their chest. Ouch! Wap wap wap wap wap, that hurts. But they only wag when they wake up. That’s when they say: “Thanks! Thanks for a warm place to sleep and always next to your heart, the best place.”

They fall asleep in your heart, and when they wake up, they wag their tail. After a few dog years, they sleep for longer naps, and you would too. They were a GOOD DOG all their life, and you both know it. But don’t get fooled. They are not “dead.” There’s no such thing, really. They are sleeping in your heart, and they will wake up, usually when you’re not expecting it. It’s just who they are.

I feel sorry for people who don’t have dogs sleeping in their heart. You’ve missed so much. Excuse me, I have to go cry now.