by: Tiffanie Gabrielse

The Ultimate Guide to Doggy Fun in North Carolina
By: Suzanne Jalot
OllieDog Media
$5.95

To say it’s difficult being a military wife is an understatement. Our husbands are away for months at a time, and when they are home, there are long hours they must do training or standing duty. More often than not, we wives feel as though we live alone, and our husbands are merely visitors.

It is a sacrifice we make and a hardship we earn the right to complain about. However, there is one family member that, around the clock, never fails to let me know I am loved. There is one family member that warms my heart in the cold night and communicates loyalty, comfort, everlasting friendship and devotion with one look from his giant brown eyes. He is my dog, Zeus. Not limited to military wives without children, a family pet can mean the difference between depression and happiness.

For local editor and publisher of Dog Living Magazine—a bimonthly magazine all about pet health-care tips and interviews with prominent local dog owners—Suzanne Jalot believes dogs are much more than a furry, fluffy and faithful companion. As I will agree, she believes dogs are a pathway into our souls, who deserve much more than a pat on the head. Within her first book, The Ultimate Guide to Doggy Fun in North Carolina, Jalot feels the biggest influence on our dogs is the way in which we live our life with them. Many insist her work is the best travel guide available to steer owners down that fun and rewarding path.

“I started it as a compiled list for my own use at first,” Jalot confessed. “I wanted to do things with my dogs, Ollie and August. I wanted to include them more . . . Then, the more random things I did find that were available to us, the more I thought, This is useful!

“I love to travel with my dogs; they are my two big mutts modeled on the cover of the book. I wanted it to be a reference book for the entire state of North Carolina. It hits the highlights our state has to offer, and there are coupons in the back to use.“

Discussing everything from rules of etiquette for dogs when they play in parks, to the responsibilities owners should remember as they enjoy dinning patios like South Beach Grill at Wrightsville Beach, The Ultimate Guide to Doggy Fun in North Carolina details where to go for dog-friendly accommodations, emergency vets and animal-friendly annual events. Along its pages readers will also be lucky to discover the best-kept secrets of our animal-friendly Port City, such as the Masonboro water taxi to Masonboro Island now welcomes pets to come along for the ride!

Still, why a book solely dedicated to dogs? Perhaps the better question is, why not? Simply put, there’s nothing on the shelves like it. Jalot’s work is the first of its kind. The Ultimate Guide to Doggy Fun in North Carolina is more than a trite idea. Months were devoted to finding answers to our common canine questions, and her research spanned wide across our great state to sniff out the best places to take our pooches. Divided into three main sections for the mountains, piedmont and coast, Jalot’s work is an easy reference guide for those who want to explore not only Wilmington but our entire state.

“The Ultimate Guide to Doggy Fun in North Carolina is also an extension of our magazine.” Jalot explained happily, with her two floppy-eared creative muses by her side. “It’s to promote socialization, responsible dog ownership and awareness. It’s a lot like parenting. One of the life lessons our dogs teach us is they live for you. Their love knows no bounds, and we have to respect that. They cant take care of themselves, they can’t speak for themselves—it’s up to us. Through our pets we can see how to enjoy the little things.”

Available now at Southport’s Cool Dogs, Crazy Cats and Wilmington’s Aunt Kerry’s Pet Stop, Coastal K9 Bakery and Dog Gone Crazy, The Ultimate Guide to Doggy Fun in North Carolina shows us when and where we can expose our dogs to the many great experiences life has to offer. In essence, Jalot’s work should not be viewed as a list of businesses or events that tolerate animals, but rather considered as the dog owner’s bible to enjoying and sharing the world we live in with their four-legged best friends.