Hosting a successful celebration
One of the most valuable connections that you have through life is the unconditional love and devotion your fur baby adds. Hosting a successful celebration is the perfect opportunity to create moments for a lifetime of memories. However, trying to figure out how to organize your event properly, booking the venue, choosing decor, and creating a production timeline can be arduous tasks.
What to expect from Fur Babies Valet
At Fur Babies Valet, we know what to expect. Our sole purpose is to take your concept and help you host a successful celebration. By hiring Fur Babies Valet, we can save you time and energy, all while staying on budget. We will assist you with the venue selection, design, coordination and more. We are highly organized, keep timelines on schedule, budgets in check, and details running like a well-oiled machine from the strategy stages to the post-event checklist. Let us do the work and enjoy the party!
Celebration types
Our most popular celebrations:
- Holiday such as Halloween, Valentines Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving
- Birthdays, Welcome Home / Adoption Day
- End of Treatment / Recovery
- Just Because!
Planning and hosting a successful celebration
Planning is key to the success of any party, so if you’re going solo, consider some of the following tips for hosting a successful celebration:
Budget
Whatever special event you are planning, a budget is essential to keep costs under control. It is easy to lose track when you are juggling multiple tasks.
Theme
Every good party has a theme! Cartoon characters or superheroes are crazy fun! Feet or paws, all your guests will love dressing up.
Guest List
As most pet parents would know, it is preferable not to invite cats to a doggy party or dogs to a kitty party, so plan to invite one or the other. We highly discourage interspecies events. A party is also not the ideal time to bring a new friend into the social mix, and it is not a good place for an aggressive pet or any pet that you are unsure about. Invite other animals that you have met before, so you know they get along. Avoid putting pets on the guest list if you have these concerns. Additionally, keep the number of guests low to avoid the need for additional supervision, and always try to get an even balance of male and female dogs. Dogs of opposite sex tend to get along better.
Venue
Like any party, the right venue is essential for event success. Consider the size of your location in relation to the number of guests you are inviting. An enclosed space is safest, but a small back garden will not be suitable for ten large dogs. In warmer climate zones, outdoor venues such as dog parks, backyards and terraces are ideal. You may also want to consider a party area at your favorite training grounds. Trainers often have facilities that can accommodate. For cats or other smaller pets, your home is best.
**TIP: If you notice that your pet tends to be territorial at home, choose a neutral location to hold the party.
Invitations
Send your invitations six to eight weeks prior to the event so your guests have enough time to RSVP. Invitations should be fun and unique and include a compelling image of the pet celebrant. You can send your invitations online, by USPS, or create a Facebook event page where invitations are instant. Hand craft or customize a pre-made invitation or Facebook event cover at such sites as evite.com or canva.com.
Include the date, time, and place, RSVP deadline, and a reminder to come with their dog. Ask your guest to make note on any dietary restrictions, allergies, house-training, and vaccination status.
**TIP: Give your nearest rescue shelter a call to determine what they need, write it down, and share the list.
Select a Photographer
When you hire a photographer for an event, you are not just getting beautiful pictures of your guests: It keeps you engaged in the party. Take the pressure off during the event so that you can focus on enjoying yourself and being present for your guests.
Decorations
Decorations create an alluring atmosphere, establishes the theme, organizes the event, adds an individualized touch, and creates a lasting impression.
**Tip: Clear away any breakable or fragile items from the party space. When decorating for any animal-focused event, opt for shatterproof materials and simple ornaments.
Munchables
Pets love goodies, but they cannot eat all the ingredients that people enjoy like cheese, chocolate, onion, macadamia nuts, walnuts, raisins, grapes, Xylitol, artificial flavorings, sugar and salt. Provide safe pet treats and cool refreshing water. For a cute touch, create a party gift that they can take home at the end of the party by personalizing a bowl with each pet guest’s name.
Activities
Have a meet-and-greet
Give your pets the opportunity to sniff each other and get to know each other. This will help to ensure that all the dogs get along well. Avoid hovering over or pulling tight on their leash as they can sense stress from their owners, which can cause tension and aggression. If a pet shows signs of aggression, he should be removed by his owner. Include activities to keep pets busy during the party. Most are happy to entertain themselves and play with their friends so leave balls and other toys around for them.
Establish Safety Rules
It is important to provide a safe environment for your guests. Important rules include:
- All owners must be present. Do not allow owners to drop off their pets and then leave.
- Require guests to bring leashes in the event there is conflict.
- Require all pets to be up to date on vaccinations to prevent the spread of any infectious diseases.
Designate a time-out area
Just like children, dogs may act up and need a time-out. Set aside an area at your party for dogs who appear stressed or are playing too rough. If you can, designate the time-out area in a separate location from the other dogs at the party.
Provide poop bags
Dogs will relieve themselves during the party so pass out poop bags to owners to make for easy clean up.
Doggie bags
No party is complete without giveaways. Purchase or create doggie bags for your guests to take home. Custom treats such as home-made biscuits, wearable favors, like personalized collars, dog shampoo, a pet store certificate, a bone, and a thank-you card are just a few ideas. Further personalize each party favor by adding essentials for that are breed specific, i.e., sunscreen for hairless dogs, coat whitener for white fur, or a flannel bib for a drooling breed.
Human Guests
Do not forget about your human guests. Finger buffets or BBQ are always a great idea. Be mindful of where you set this up and make sure it is out of reach of curious critters.
Free consultation
For a free consultation, contact us at 737.314.5064.
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