$12.50 [Wagatha's Organic Dog Biscuits]

My childhood dog, Patches, would go nuts over Milk Bones.  He liked them so much that it made me want to taste them just to see what all the fuss was about

Do you know what my current dogs Betelgeuse and Lulu will do if you offer them a Milk Bone?  They either (1) sniff at it and refuse to accept it at all or (2) take it in their mouths and then spit it out -- yes, they will open their mouths and let the Milk Bone fall right off their tongues.  And it's always some well-meaning small business owner or family friend offering the Milk Bone, so it's just embarrassing that my spoiled little Brooklyn dogs are so unapologetically, Thanks, but no thanks, we're too good for a Milk Bone.

New York did the same thing to my husband's and my taste buds, but we will graciously accept and eat the bland boxed mashed potatoes you offer us and then complain about them later when we're alone.  We don't refuse or spit them out.  In any event, we're supposed to have refined tastes because we're human.

So what is the (over)budget pet version of a Milk Bone, then?  Easy -- it's Wagatha's Coconut Grove Organic Dog Biscuits ($12.50 for 16 oz.).

These wheat-free bone-shaped biscuits are made with human-grade certified organic ingredients, including coconut and tart cherries.  My dogs love these things!  Wagatha's biscuits also come in Little Bites ($7.00 for 8 oz.) and in a host of other flavors, big and little, none of which Betel and Lu have tried.

I like to give each pup a biscuit or half a biscuit when I leave for work in the morning.  It's a little routine we've developed that seems to make my daily departure easier on all of us.  Betel and Lulu used to stand right by the door, holding onto a final hope that I was not in fact going to work but rather was about to grab the leashes so we could all go somewhere awesome together.  And then I would close the door in their little doggie faces.  Now, they settle down happily on the rug with a biscuit as I leave.  Sure, Milk Bones would be cheaper, but these two are worth every penny of that $12.50.

Bon appétit!

$9.99 [World's Biggest Bully Stick]

This past weekend was a busy one for the clan.  We had a rotating cast of house guests [when don't we?], and Sunday was a day full of fun homebrew events [have I told you that my S.O. is both an animal lover AND an award-winning brewer?].

But I digress.  After all, this isn't a blog about humans, it's a blog about the money this human spends on animals.  And although I almost made it to the end of the month, I officially exceeded January's pet budget by buying a gift for our canine house guest, Icarus.  What did I buy that broke the threshold?  A Full Bully Stick Cane, 36" ($9.99).

The Full Bully Stick Cane is so much bigger than your average bully stick -- in fact, a full 30" bigger than your average bully stick.  And for just under $10.00, it's a pretty good deal on a cost-per-inch basis.  Oh man, it's the best joke.  After I bought the Bully Stick Cane at Pets On the Run, I carried it home like it was my royal staff -- yes, I'm the kind of royalty that proudly parades large intimate parts of bull carcasses around the five boroughs.

The Bully Stick Cane was (literally) a big hit with Icarus.  The first thing he did was grab one end of the stick with his mouth and jump up on the recliner, almost knocking over the lamp with the other end of the stick.  I was delighted.  Then he got down to business, really stinking up the living room.

A boy and his magic pipe.  Lulu wanted in on the action, too.  She eventually had the Bully Stick Cane all to herself -- it was nearly three times her body length.  Her radiant happiness (and filthy mane, featuring bits of the bully stick) was captured by Justin in the photo below.

Lulu was also featured chewing on the Bully Stick Cane in a raw, uncut horror movie filmed by Justin at our apartment.  Release date T.B.A.  Leave your kids at home.