National Kids and Pet Day $20 Kroger Gift Card Giveaway! {CLOSED}

Congratulations #29~
April 26th, 2010 is National Kids and Pet Day! I love that we have an entire day devoted to Kids & Pets. In our house that is the case everyday because our world seems to revolve around Avin (the baby) and Emma (the black lab). We started out with 2 cats, Emma, and Avin but sadly we made the decision to give the cats away. It broke our heart because they had been our "kids" for years but it was just too much to have 2 house cats, Avin, and Emma. My cat, Jade, was adopted from an individual almost 9 years ago and she was an adult cat when I adopted her. In her old age she was confusing my carpet with kitty litter and other things. After getting rid of her I wish we had at least taken her to the vet to see if there was anything he could have done for her. The honest truth is that a vet bill doesn't fit into our budget since I am staying home full time with Avin. I've been considering getting pet insurance for Emma since it works similar to health insurance in humans. Strangely enough you can get pet insurance and groceries in the same place--Kroger.

Offered through PetFirst, Kroger pet insurance policies cover routine care and medical procedures for dogs and cats, and is available at more than 2,400 stores in the Kroger family including City Market, Dillon’s, Fred Meyer, Frye’s, King Sooper, Owen’s, Pay Less, QFC, Ralph’s and Smith’s. In addition to being available in-store, Kroger’s pet insurance can be purchased online at http://www.krogerpersonalfinance.com/pet-insurance/. Kroger’s pet insurance works at any veterinarian nationwide, with reimbursement typically occurring within two weeks. Coverage starts as low as $9.95 per month and right now, individuals who purchase online can save $10. $9.95 per month covers accident insurance so if you dog should run out of the yard and get hit by a car you it would cover the vet bill.

We discovered pretty quickly that as good natured as Emma is she does get annoyed by the baby. He LOVES her and spends a good part of his day chasing her down to play. When she sees Avin coming she usually gets up and moves out of the way because she has learned that he is no going to love on her. We have been working very hard at teaching him the different between "pet" and "pull". Emma has been pretty patient so far but it's been a big adjustment for her since she is no longer the baby.

Some tips for parents to teach their children regarding safe pet play are:
Teach your children to pet softy, stay away from food dishes, toys and bones, and not to startle your dog or cat when it is sleeping.
Keep babies and toddlers at a level higher than your dog. Dogs perceive height as representative of their hierarchy. Keep your children off the floor when the dog is in the room. (We don't follow this since Avin is an active crawler but we don't leave them alone in the room)
Don’t give your dog toys that resemble your children’s toys or clothing. Stay away from fabric stuffed dog toys that resemble your child’s stuffed animals.
Involve your child in your dog’s care. Even just the presence of your child in the same room while your dog is receiving his favorite things or activities can help build a positive association to children.

For more information on family friendly breeds or additional tips on teaching your children about pet safety, visit Kroger’s Pet Health blog.

For helping raise awareness of National Kids & Pet Day I was provided with a $20 gift card to spoil Emma and a $20 gift card to giveaway to a reader so that they could do the same by the Global Influence Network and the Kroger Co. The gift card is good at good at all Kroger family stores -- King Soopers, Ralph's, Fred Meyer, etc. To win this giftcard you must leave a blog comment relating a cute, funny, or sweet moment shared by your kids and pets.

Additional Entires:
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Tweet any unique tweet about this giveaway using @diapermom and the hashtag #pethealth (Up to 3 tweets per day)

This contest is open to US Residents, 18 and over, void where prohibited. Contest will close April 30, 2010 at 11:00 PM CST. Please leave one comment per entry (5 entries = five comments). Please leave your email in your comment so I can contact you if you win. One winner will be selected using Random.org.