Roberto Cavalli has made his foray into a range of designer petwear. The Italian designer will debut a line for dogs exclusively at his boutique shops at the end of March.

The collection consists of stylish pieces such as jersey or printed fleece t-shirts and velour tracksuits, as well as classic garments such as polo-shirts, sweaters and puffer jackets.

Cavalli has also created some leopard print coats and rhinestone-studded accessories for the range. Key pieces in the collection consist of a satin-trimmed bathrobe, silk printed shorts and some shearling jackets.

Limited edition pieces are available in a "Paws" print, which looks like an animal pint but is composed of small paws. Special edition items such as bowls, beds and jewels are "in the works," reports Fashion Week Daily.

Roberto Cavalli Pets is a collection entirely devoted to man's best friend, the designer said. Inspired from Eva Cavalli's enduring love for animals, the new Roberto Cavalli pets will cater to small and medium sized dogs.

"It came as a natural conclusion, therefore, to bring a bit of our style to the canine universe," Eva, who is the most passionate animal lover told W Magazine. The couple have two monkeys, seven parrots, three cats, one iguana and more horses than they care to count. They also have a Saint Bernard and two bichons frises.

The line is priced from $110 for a t-shirt to $1,200 for the patent-leather quilted dog carrier. The larger sizes will be available for custom order.



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by Rosemary Parker

The long, snowy winter has left many pet owners with a disagreeable spring chore -- cleaning up after their dogs and cats now that the snow has melted. Picking up what pets have left behind in the yard is chore enough. Figuring out the responsible way to dispose of it may be worse.

While many recommend flushing, that's not a good idea when it comes to sewer maintenance, especially in areas served by on-site septic systems, local health officials say.

Hosing down the grass and washing the dissolved feces down the driveway is not a good solution either because of the potential for contamination of streams and lakes as runoff enters storm sewers.

So what is the solution? Homeowners are allowed to bury pet waste, although that's not always a practical solution with the accumulation of a winter's worth of feces and wet spring soils. Since pet waste can be disposed of legally in a landfill, scooping and bagging it and throwing it out with the household garbage is an option, as long as it is allowed by the homeowner's garbage hauler.

And if picking up poop is too odious to consider, homeowners can opt for spring cleanup services that will take care of the whole chore. A final option: Do nothing at all and allow the piles of waste to degrade with spring rains.

But urine salts pose more of a threat to lawns, he said, especially if pets have repeatedly visited the same part of the yard. It is recommended to thoroughly water the area to wash away accumulated salts. If the grass doesn't grow, turn over the soil and reseed it with rye grass or another quick-growing seed.


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by Jane Poriccelli

Make no mistake about it - social networking is going to the dogs. There are sites like Dogster and PetPop, which allow you to create profiles for your dogs and meet other dogs online. There's a Dogbook application that lets you connect with other dog owners and their pups right on Facebook. People magazine has even gotten in on the action with an online community called PeoplePets.

But there's also a new trend among social media-savvy pets. Many are joining Twitter to stay connected to their pals. Of course, whether or not these pets are actually setting the accounts up themselves - or their owners are - is up for discussion.

(Scratching your belly - er, head? Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to instantly message each other through updates, called "tweets", of up to 140 characters in length. Users can then easily stay connected to their network of friends, which consists of people whose updates they choose to follow.) Full article...

Best Friend NYC has joined the digital revolution too simply by writing this blog and creating an online portal for dog lovers.  We also recently joined Facebook and now can keep all of you fans updated with latest news, photos, and special promotions. Join us now ...



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This Friday March 6th The Luxury Pet Pavilion, a red carpet-inspired luxury pet trade show in Los Angeles, will present an exclusive fundraising event: “Barking Boutique Bid-N-Buy Auction” to benefit newly-founded L.A.-based "Ruff Houzen No-Kill" animal rescue shelter. 

Best Friend NYC joins Ashely Paige, a celebrity swimsuit designer and a TLC show host in supporting the cause, and raising awareness and funding for the new shelter in Los Angeles.

The celebrity fundraising event “Barking Boutique Bid-N-Buy” will feature a silent auction, which in addition to Best Friend NYC Dog Grooming Products will also feature over 50 of the latest pet fashions, home accessories, art and other pet products on the market today. On the night of the event, Ashley Paige, who is the Honorary Chair and the founder of Ruff Houzen, will unveil a custom swimsuit for the live auction and give an overview of plans for the new shelter.

Guests will enjoy specialty cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, delectable desserts and posh pet-product swag bags as they raise money for a great cause. Best Friend NYC will be in attendance and will report live from Beverly Hills. Stay posted for photos and videos from the event.



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