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Domestic violence and animal abuse; snakes, lizards at Lake Metroparks; $10 ...

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- Stay-A-While Cat Shelter hosts a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Saturday to raise funds for the more than 100 cats at the shelter, 8800 Akins Road in North Royalton.

Low-cost cat neuters
Citizens for Humane Animal Practices hosts a mobile cat neuter clinic Saturday at the Nefco Building, 180 East South St. , Akron. Males will be neutered for $40; females for $50. Low cost vaccinations, deworming, earmite treatment and nail trims will be offered. Register: 330-724-6181.

Reptiles and amphibians
Meet snakes, lizards, turtles, salamanders and frogs at the Lake Metroparks Snakes 'n Such event from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Penitentiary Glen Reservation and discover their roles in healthy ecosystems. There will be crafts, games, hikes and displays.

Dog wash
The second annual Doggie Dip@The Studio fundraiser for Friends of the Cleveland Kennel runs from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at 1887 Fulton Road. Dogs will be brushed and shampooed for $10 each.

The kennel seeks donated dog collars, leashes, toys, pet food, treats, bowls, rawhides, crates, carriers, blankets, dog beds, dog shampoo, cat litter, litter boxes, flea-control products, laundry soap and towels that can be brought to the event. 

Lake shelter invites children
Lake Humane Society invites children ages 4 through 14 to the shelter from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday for a tour, pet care lesson and craft project for $10. The nonprofit group also seeks foster homes and members. Details: 440-951-6122; 7564-E Tyler Blvd., Mentor.

Who Says There's a Bubble? Quidsi Launches Pets.com Copycat ...

Launching an online pet store, I have to ask: Does this mean we are in another bubble?

Lore, who has a little expertise in this matter as an investment banker turned entrepreneur, says we aren’t.

“Back then, the economics didn’t work and there were no revenues. It’s night and day … Today people are confusing high valuations and a little frothiness with crazy.”

Or maybe the two have been listening to one of Silicon Valley’s better-known VCs, Marc Andreessen,  who predicted at D9  that “almost every dot-com idea from 10 years ago that failed will succeed. Pet food, diapers, deliveries, they’re all working again now.”

“It is a lot easier today,” Lore admits. “Back then [Pets.com] started off with front-end marketing. They didn’t invest what they needed to do on the back end, like warehouses and logistics. I’m sure that was the plan to do that, but they never had the opportunity.”

The launch of Wag.com represents Quidsi’s first as an independently operated subsidiary of Amazon.com. The company has many other sites in its pipeline, the next being a toy portal at Yoyo.com .

Bharara said they’ve developed a process for selling even the heaviest, most expensive items to ship — even dog food and baby formula.

Wag.com will be similar to Quidsi’s other verticals by offering free two-day shipping on purchases of more than $49. It will have the same 365-day return policy and customer service as its other sites.

(As a side note, Pets.com redirects you to PetSmart.com, which is currently charging $5.99 shipping on orders of $60 or more.)

Bharara said the strategy is to build a relationship with the customer by getting them to buy everyday stuff and then selling them on the higher-margin stuff. On Wag.com that might mean starting off with dog food or cat litter and then transitioning to dog toys and stylish cat collars. “It is very costly, but we’ve set it up well to do it fast and cheap.”

Before the company ever made a dollar in revenue, the founders spent two years building out its technology platform, which includes using robotics and software at its three warehouses around the country.

“Even with all that, it is expensive,” Bharara added. “It’s going to be expensive, and some people won’t make that investment, but if you play it out for the long run, the payout is well worth it.

Scientific American

Chatterbox

Cat Crimes

New York Magazine

The works of the British dramatists, carefully selected from the original editions with biographical notes, etc., etc