Miami’s Best Holiday Gift Guide for Pets

Happy howlidays! Our annual Local Pet Gift Guide has grown to include several dedicated dog groomers as well as fresh and local pet food and treats suppliers! We’ve met excellent pet care professionals popping up around Miami and are happy to support fellow local, small businesses dedicated to making our pets’ lives healthier and happier.

If you’re scrambling around looking for the pawfect, last-minute gift, our city has plenty of great companies ready to supply the perfect gift for your pet. Read on for our pawsome finds!

The Gift of Health:

Good health begins with a great diet. We have not one, but three recommendations for local companies providing a range of freshly-made food for your dogs and cats. We met an up-and-coming company named Dishes For Dogs: Canine Kitchen at one of our community events this past year.

Dishes for Dogs is based in Wynwood and is committed to creating pet-friendly meals with local and fresh ingredients while providing a balanced diet for your pup. Owner Michael O’Rourkek partnered with Dr. Justin Shmalberg, an animal nutritionist, to create fresh meals. “Each meal is 100% free of preservatives, additives, artificial flavors, fillers or animal by-product.”  All dishes are made up of proteins and vegetables. We know that nutrition is just as important as exercise and companionship are in keeping your pups fit, healthy, and happy- we’re excited to have such a healthy, local option to give our pets! Read more.

Animal Crackers: Animal Crackers is a Miami-based pet business that offers premium, all-natural and organic foods, supplements, toys, accessories, and grooming services for your pet. Founder JJ Diaz has been operating Animal Crackers out of his downtown location since October 2010. We’ve known him for years- his advice helped us calm our beautiful sharpei’s skin allergies when no amount of testing and veterinary visits helped, and he’s helped countless clients of ours with their pets’ needs. We highly recommend his services! 

Animal Crackers has a storefront downtown where you can shop for goodies or drop your dog for a spa day to be groomed. If you need your pup picked up and dropped off for grooming, JJ’s staff is happy to accommodate. Downtown Address: 280 NE 2nd St, Miami, FL 33132. Read more.

Pet Wants: If you’re looking for fresh, all-natural kibble for your cats and dogs, look no further! Pet Wants Miami will deliver their slow-cooked kibble to you. This kibble is made in small batches once per month so every kibble is guaranteed to be fresh and packed with nutrition. You can be sure that they don’t use corn, wheat, soy or dyes, so this food is good for pets with allergies. Our mobile service delivers to Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Midtown, Aventura, Doral, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Kendall, and Palmetto Bay as well as the surrounding Florida communities. Learn more. 

Miami’s Best Dog Treats

Miami, meet Bubba Rose Biscuit Co.! This wonderful, organic dog treat company was founded in 2006 by Jessica and Eric Talley. We love that all of their baked dog treats are made with real, wholesome, clean ingredients and are soy, wheat, corn and are gluten free and they’re all handmade. What’s even better than that? All meat used is locally sourced which are all antibiotic free, free-range, grass-fed and hormone free, and a portion of the proceeds goes towards animal rescue organizations.

We’ve given these treats as gifts and our clients loved them! They customize treats, birthday cakes and more. Please browse through their beautiful selection of cupcakes, cake pops, dog bones, and other cute gift ideas! Visit them here.

Doggie Bar! We love, love, love Doggie Bar! is involved in helping support local rescues and her treats are as scrumptious as they are beautiful. Doggie Bar products are made with organic, human-grade ingredients. They are well-known for their beautiful birthday cakes (be sure to order them two weeks in advance as they are made to order!). They cater pawties and also offer a Doggie Box, a monthly supply of fresh healthy treats for your fur friend (including kitties!). Check out Doggie Bar online and on Instagram.

My Pets Love It: My Pets Love It also offers hand makes all-natural, organic baked-to-order dog treats with fresh, human-grade ingredients. They have really delicious combinations, like honey ginger hearts with coconut and cinnamon, and turkey with cranberry. My Pets Love It also features seasonal boxes for pet gifts, so be sure to check those out! We love that they donate a portion of their earnings to the Humane Society, ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Food for the Poor, and Behavior Links. Building community with dog treats? Sign us up! Learn more about My Pets Love It on their website!

Miami Dog Treat Subscription Box

Pooch Perks- dog treats and toys in Miami: is a monthly treat and toy box for pups based in South Florida. The company seems to source the items in the USA, and the owners test each treat and toy on their 7 dogs. It’s very popular, up and coming, and a very cool gift for the nice (ok, and even naughty) dogs in your life.  

The treats are made in the United States and are mostly Natural, Organic, Non-GMO, and Gluten Free (even the pups have jumped on that bandwagon!). The treats are so natural and healthy that they’re safe for human consumption, according to the company website. We love that they do their best to source their treats from socially-aware companies. The toys are another great perk, as all toys are tested for fun, safety, and durability by the owner’s five large dogs and are held to the same standards of safety as children’s toys. You can purchase the subscription online at Poochperks.com!

 

Doggy Spa Time!

Carla’s Doggy Grooming is a mobile dog grooming business founded and run by Carla Sebastia. Carla takes care of several of our clients and also volunteers alongside us in pet-friendly events around Miami. Carla’s Doggy Grooming was opened six years ago and serves dogs in the Coconut Grove and Coral Gables neighborhoods. She is extremely professional, passionate, and a great animal lover- our clients’ dogs recognize a kindred spirit the moment they see her.

Carla’s iconic, hot pink grooming van comes directly to your door where she provides pooch pampering, professional talent, and love all while using eco-friendly, organic products! She serves all good-natured pups of any breed and size; vaccinations records are not required. Learn more about Carla Doggy Grooming here!

Best in Show Pet Spa, run by animal enthusiast Tess Oliver, is a mobile Grooming Business serving the greater Miami Area. We can tell Tess is passionate and committed to her career as she says “grooming should be an enjoyable part of every dog’s life. I wanted to create an atmosphere where every visit is completely catered to each dog, with gentle, all-natural products, relaxing aromatherapy, and an endless supply of kisses.” We couldn’t agree more!.Best in Show Pet Spa caters to a large area including Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Miami Lakes, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, & Plantation. Tess loves creating a perfect look for your pet. “We are able to work with you to create a cute, original look for your pup. Whether you are looking for an easy maintenance haircut, or an Asian Fusion style groom, we’ve got it covered!”  Read more about Best in Show Pet Spa here!

MyDog: If you’re looking for a brick and mortar grooming experience, bath time at MyDog is for your pups! The friendly staff and delicious suds (ask for the blueberry face mask) are a huge part of the appeal. Located in Pinecrest, MyDog offers pick ups for those within a certain area, as well as cute custom-made dog beds, chic collars and leashes, and an assortment of spa products for your pampered pooch. Gift cards are available!

Doggy Dinner Date

Dinner date with your pups! night with your pooch at Lokal Burgers and Beer! Recently voted as the top restaurant in Coconut Grove, Lokal offers a delicious dog-friendly menu in addition to putting out fresh doggy biscuits and water for doggie passersby, as well as non-alcoholic beer so your pooch can join you in toasting to life, love, and health! We love that this restaurant provides tasty meals for our four-legged compadres and comadres, and are also thrilled with their dedication to sourcing food locally and to sustainable energy use.

We also highly recomment their sister restaurant, The Spillover in Mayfair. The Spillover brings local seafood to the table, and offers the city’s first Cider and Mead bar. We love the outdoor seating because it’s catered to dogs, who get their own menu including Cuban chew-gars. We also appreciate their dedication to helping local animals.

Donate to a local rescue!

Donating to a dog or cat rescue: Does your pet have everything s/he needs? Many people take the holidays as a time to give to those less fortunate than they are. Maybe your dog and cat want you to support a local rescue this year! There are so many animals in need in Miami, and many deserving animal rescues. We’ve included a list of local rescues that would greatly appreciate donations!

• Lucky Dog Rescue – Miami
• A Second Chance for Furry Friends – North Bay Village
• A Second Chance Rescue – West Palm Beach
• Abandoned Pet Rescue – Ft. Lauderdale
• Allen Babcock Dog & Cat Rescue – Ft. Lauderdale
• All Pet Rescue – Vero Beach
• Animal Aid Inc. – Boca Raton
• Animal Rescue Force of South Florida – Palm Beach
• Beyond Nine Cat Rescue – Pompano Beach
• Big Dog Ranch Rescue – Wellington
• Born Free – Key Biscayne
• Caring About the Strays – Miami
• Cats Exclusive, Inc. – Margate
• Chesed Foundation Dog & Cat Rescue – Boca Raton
• Companion Animal Rescue – North Miami
• Coral Springs Humane Unit – Coral Springs
• Crazy for Dogs, Nuts for Cats – Miami
• Doggone Dogs – Hollywood
• Dogs & Cats Forever – Ft. Pierce/St. Lucie
• Fairy Tails – Miami
• F.I.N.O. Doggie Rescue, Inc. – Parkland (West Palm Beach)
• Florida Little Dog Rescue – St. Cloud
• For the Love of Cats – Marco Island
• Friends Forever – Miami
• Friends of Gummi – Naples
• Get a Life Pet Rescue – Plantation
• Good Karma – Ft. Lauderdale
• Grateful Paws Dog & Cat Rescue – Coral Springs
• Have a Heart – Boca Raton
• Hobo’s Wish – Hollywood
• Humane Emergency Animal Rescue – Miami
• KAZ’s Corner Pet Rescue – Lauderhill
• Luv a Pet – Royal Palm Beach
• Noah’s Ark – Pompano
• One By One Dog Rescue – Miami
• Paws 2 Help – West Palm Beach
• Paws 4 You – Miami
• Partners for Pets of South Florida, Inc. – North Miami
• Pets at Risk – North Miami Beach
• Pets in Distress – Davie
• Peggy Adams Animal Rescue – West Palm Beach
• Puppies Under Protection, Inc. – Royal Palm Beach
• Raining Cats & Dogs – Tamerac
• R U 4 Me Pet Rescue – Boynton Beach
• Sabbath Memorial Dog Rescue – Miami
• Save a Dog / Save a Cat – Lake Worth
• Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary – Jupiter
• Small Paws Rescue – Margate
• Stand Up For Animals, Inc. – Marathon
• Stray Aid & Rescue, Inc. – Ft. Lauderdale
• Sunshine All Breed Rescue, Inc. – Ft. Lauderdale
• The Cat Network – Miami
• Top Paw Rescue, Inc. – Hollywood
• Smitten with Kittens
• Have a Heart
• No Kill Network