Ultrasonic Squeaky Toys
Friday, October 28, 2005
If your dogs love squeaky toys, but you hate having to hear the noise, get a
Sonik Soft Toy
.
It uses the same technology as a silent dog whistle. The toy emits an ultrasonic noise that will keep your dog happy without driving you mad. And they're furry and cute too, a small family of aliens from, of course, NoNoyze. They're priced from $4.00 to $9.99 and can be found at most major pet stores.
Via
Gizmodo
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Weird Jack Russell Story!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Charles Patrick Dugan of Del Rio, Texas, a retired U.S. Marine Corps infantryman and survivor of heavy combat in Vietnam, gave his rank and serial number to his muscular Jack Russell terrier by calling him Cpl. Jack Russell Dugan, USMC, 2164539, or "Cpl. J.R." for short. Dugan and the dog often exercised by walking through four local cemeteries.
As it neared Veteran's Day one year, Cpl. J. R. ran off unexpectedly. Dugan found the dog scratching at a neglected grave marker. Brushing the debris away, he was amazed to find that the dog had found one of the only military gravestones in the cemetery. It was inscribed with the dog's same name, Jack A. Russell, Texas, Cpl. Signal Corps. After Dugan swept the tombstone clear of debris, the dog rested on the headstone of his namesake who had died during the Korean War.
This story is part of a collection of remarkable dog stories in the new book, "Angel Dogs: Divine Messengers of Love", by Allen and Linda Anderson.
Allen and Linda Anderson co-founded the
Angel Animals Network and its free online "Angel Animals Story of the Week".
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Eat, Drink, and Wag Your Tail
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Dog owners with an interest in feeding their pets raw foods and natural foods might want to take notice of a film on DVD called "
Eat, Drink, and Wag Your Tail".
It explores the subject of dog nutrition while promoting the concepts of raw and natural food diets. The film is made up of 18 light-hearted vignettes, each self-contained, exploring the relationship between diet and health. For example in the segment entitled, "Think Prey", BARFers might feel warm and fuzzy as a little chihuahua happily chomps down on chicken necks and legs, while in the segment "USPD", a team of dog poop analyzers crack jokes over a St. Bernard's handiwork.
While the film doesn't necessarily preach "holistic diets", nor paint a negative light on commercial dog food, it does however take a serious tackle on the growing trend of cancer and poor health in dogs, hence drawing an association between poor dog health and conventional diets.
Contributing to "Eat, Drink, and Wag Your Tail", is the noted holistic veterinarian Dr. Richard Pitcairn. The DVD includes a special 23 minute interview of Dr. Pitcairn, who authored the book, "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats".
$18.95 from
Interdependent PicturesSteve's Take: While I don't have an issue with serving raw food to dogs, I do have an issue with serving bones to dogs. I recommend readers visit
the website of veterinarian T.J. Dunn who has published some compelling cases of bones having sent dogs into surgery.
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A New Dog-Blog for Dog Owners
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Dog owners who are genuinely interested in concerns about dog-ownership might want to head over to
Pooch Master.
Pooch Master is authored by Sam Basso, professionally known as "
Sam the Dog Trainer". In short, his writings defend the rights of dog owners.
That's something I've been grappling with since I launched DoggieNews. Our city, county, and state governments seem to be ablaze with dog legislation designed to limit the rights of dog owners. Moreover, elected officials seem more eager to solve problems by limiting everyone's freedoms, rather than going after the bad guys.
And animal rights activists are equally seeking to trample on the rights of dog owners too. If think a dog owner isn't treating their dog well enough, they push for laws that allow officials to seize their animals. Case in point, last January the City of San Francisco
adopted a law that allows them to seize your dog if you're not using the right kind of water bowl!
The way I look at it, dogs need people, and people love dogs. The two ought to get together. Our country should encourage this relationship, and reward responsible ownership. Don't punish everyone because of a few bad apples. Get rid of the bad apples!
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Yahoo's New Pet Page for Singles
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Yahoo! has a new "
pet microsite" for singles who have pets.
The new site is a segment of Yahoo! Personals, Yahoo's popular dating site. It's designed to provide users of Yahoo! Personals with an array of tips, stories, and information helping single pet owners cope with dating and caring for a pet.
This all comes on the heels of pet ownership seeing a surge of popularity in America, and a growing number of specialty websites that cater to single pet owners.
Yahoo! Personals has been working with Wendy Diamond, pet expert, author, and star of VH1's "The Fabulous Life of Celebrity Pets" and "Top 40 Celebrity Pets," to develop the new microsite. Diamond, who is also the founder of Animal Fair magazine, contributes tips and articles, such as, "Keep Yourself Out of the Dating Dog House", and "Owners Training Class: Dating Tips for Pet Owners".
The new microsite also features polls, including the latest, "Do you trust your pet's instincts about a potential love interest?" There's also stories submitted by other singles.
There is also a search tool labeled, "Find Other Pet Lovers", presuming to show you all the single pet lovers in your area. However, from what I could tell, it simply searches the regular Yahoo! Personals database. Yahoo! Personals doesn't really identify its members attitudes towards pets, so I'm not sure how this can help you find actual pet lovers. It does identify members currently living with pets, but doesn't necessarily aid you in finding "other pet lovers".
Visiting the pet microsite is free. If you want to meet someone on Yahoo! Personals, or post your own profile, there is a subscription fee, though you can test it out with a 7-day free trial.
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Purina Launches New Dry Dog Food
Thursday, October 27, 2005
New from Nestle Purina PetCare is their "Purina Little Bites Indoor Complete Dry Dog Food".
It's billed as the complete nutrition source for indoor dogs, claiming to help maintain "Lean muscle mass - Healthy skin & coat - Healthy teeth & gums", and last but not least, "Excellent taste".
Visit "
longliveyourdog.com" for all the details.
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1-800 Pet Meds is Down
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
I got a message from the guys at
1-800-PetMeds, the company that sells pet medication by phone and Internet:
Due to the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Wilma, the 1 800 PetMeds site is currently down. We do not yet have an ETA on site availability. Our offices currently do not have phone service, electricity or Internet access.
At this time all links will go through to the site but customers will see the following message "Due to Hurricane Wilma our Website is currently down, please check back with us shortly."
I just checked the site and it seems to be up. Maybe it's just sporadic.
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The PETS Act - A Band-Aid on a Big Problem
Monday, October 24, 2005
The PETS Act, which is an acronym for "Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act", is being
pushed by the Humane Society of the United States. To sum it up, it requires each State to explain how it plans to accomodate pets owners during times of emergency.
This all came out as a result of thousands of animals found wandering loose after Hurricane Katrina. There were stories of people forced to give up their pets because Red Cross shelters wouldn't accept them. Rescuers in boats told folks that they wouldn't let any animals on board. Animal activists were outraged, and wanted something done to prevent it from happening again. Enter the PETS Act.
Gina Spadafori, who writes a very good pet blog, has been writing about this subject ever since Hurricane Katrina struck, and brings up some very good points.
Here's an example. While I do support the PETS Act in principle, I'm sorry to say that it's largely a waste of time.
I only support the PETS Act because I think it will cause States to think about animals, and anytime you can get people to think about animals, its a good step forward.
But this legislation doesn't require states to implement these plans. That's mainly because the federal government doesn't have the authority to force states to do so. It can do other things to encourage implementation, such as withhold federal aid funding. But then again, how it would look if the federal government held back assistance for healthcare just because the State didn't provide emergency shelter for pets? I doubt the people would stand for that.
That's why the PETS Act is practically useless.
Read it for yourself, and tell me where the teeth is.
The real issue here is money. The States don't have money to implement this level of emergency assistance, and I can tell you now that it won't do so, even if it's in their plans. When you have so many people needing public assistance, and so little money to spare, pets are going to fall way down on the list of priorities.
Moreover, government doesn't have the
heart to provide aid. Only people have hearts. Government is just a collective body of elected and appointed officials. Where is there a heart to motivate government into doing something charitable?
This is why we have charities like the HSUS, to do the things that government is incapable of, or inefficient at doing. Private organizations should be empowered to provide assistance. As human beings, we have the generosity in our hearts to drive us towards doing good things. And, we'll do good things if government gets out of our way. What exactly does government know about animals anyways?
That's why it makes no sense to me that a large charitable organization like the HSUS spend so much of its time and money trying to get government to solve our problems. Seems like whenever a problem raises its ugly head, folks want the government to do something about it. How about empowering people to do something instead? The HSUS should solve problems itself, by spending money on animals directly.
Don't get me wrong, I know the HSUS has done many great things on its own, and continues to do so. But it can do even better if it focused itself 100% on helping animals directly, instead of trying solve problems indirectly as a political lobbyist.
Why can't the HSUS build their own series of emergency shelters for pets and pet owners? If the Red Cross can do it for people, then it seems the HSUS can do it for animals. I'd bet the HSUS would get tons more in donations if it brought itself into every community.
Otherwise, if it's just going to spend its donations pushing ineffective legislation, your money would go further if you bought yourself a canoe, and rescued some dogs yourself.
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Ariel the Polish Sighthound
Saturday, October 22, 2005
mobile0037
Originally uploaded by mlesiak.
"Ariel
mobile - nokia 6230"
There's plenty of other great photos of Ariel on her Flickr page. Take a look.
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Kippy the Second Chance Dog
Friday, October 21, 2005
A new book entitled, "
Kippy: Second Chance Dog", by Susan Mann, is written to teach kids about adopting a dog from the animal shelter, and then how to train and take care of it.
It's targeted to parents whose kids are asking for a puppy, perhaps for Christmas, as a way to teach them about their responsibilities. The story focuses on clicker training.
It can be purchased online from
Buy Books on the Web, for $12.95.
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New Bait Kills Mice but not Your Dog
Friday, October 21, 2005
Safe-Kill is a new form of mouse bait from Spectrum Brands, it kills mice, but is safe for dogs, cats, and people too.
Of course, you gotta love a name like "Safe-Kill", right?
The new mouse yummy is made from a natural corn oil/corn cob formula that does not hurt people or pets, but kills vermin dead. It's only effective because rodents have a unique digestive tract that is regulated by a complex nutrition mechanism. Safe-Kill disrupts that mechanism, leading to coma and death.
Now you can spread this stuff around your home and garden, kills lots of vermin, while your kids, your dogs, and cats, remain happy and healthy!
Safe-Kill is said to be available in stores right now. However, the only online merchant selling it right now is
AG Organics.
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Skeeter the Narcoleptic Poodle
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Most dogs jump for joy and wag their tails when it's time for chow. But not Skeeter, he just goes to sleep.
Skeeter has narcolepsy.
It's extremely rare in dogs and has fascinated Skeeter's veterinarian, Walter Rowntree of Bannock Animal Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho. The condition is so rare, Rowntree said, that there are no statistics available about its prevalence in dogs. The condition is triggered by excitement, and causes the victim to fall instantly into a deep sleep.
Skeeter's condition has gotten progressively worse. His owner has to feed him special food. And to avoid him from falling to sleep, she holds his hind legs up in the air, and rubs his neck.
WFTV News Via
Weird News Today
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Sir Rex Waggintail's First Aid Oil
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Sir Rex Waggintail's First Aid Oil is "boo boo medicine" for dogs, to treat insect bites, cuts, scrapes, burns, and the like.
It's said to be based on "holistic aromatherapy".
Ingredients are: sweet almond oil, neem oil, essential oils of ravensara aromatica, lavender, labdanum and immortelle, and a small blend of herbal tinctures (calendula, arnica, comfrey root, oak bark, gravel root, mullein, lobelia, wormwood, marshmallow root, skullcap and walnut root, and olive oil).
You just dab it on your doggie's boo-boo, and it supposed to make it all better.
$7.50 for a 10oz bottle.
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Doggie Scrapbooking Supplies
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Croppers with dogs might take interest in some new scrapbooking supplies available at PetSmart:
Sweet Petatoes 12 x 12 Bones & Bowls Deluxe Scrapbooking Kit by Gail Green - Everything you need to create a lasting memory of your pet, in one easy and colorful kit. Kit includes: 12 inches x 12 inches postbound album, Clear acid-free and PVC-free page protectors, 10 pages of patterned paper, 10 pages of solid paper, 10 sheets of white paper, Assorted alphabet sticker sheets, Assorted phrase sheets, Assorted character stickers, and an idea guide. $24.99
Kathy Davis Dog Lover's 8 x 8 Scrapbooking Kit - Kit includes: 8 inches x 8 inches scrapbook, 10 cardstock sheets, 10 full-color 8 x 8 papers, an 8 x 8 sticker sheet, 20 diecut shapes, 10 4x6 mats, an idea sheet, 10 journaling strips in 2 colors, a card stock phrase sticker sheet, 6 plastic dog embellishments, and a yard of leather cord. $14.99
Flair Designs® Top Dog Scrapbook Kit - Dog-themed scrapbooking kit features: seven 12 inches x 12 inches art papers with dog themes (to include dog want ads, various dog breeds, crumbled paper bag, etc.), a 12 inches x 12 inches vellum sheet of dog words (black text on white vellum), a sheet of circle alphabet stickers, a sheet of dog-themed cardstock stickers, velvet string, and a 1.75 inches wide metal bone-shaped tag with the word "WOOF" embossed. Stickers are acid-free and lignin-free. $14.99
Flair Designs® Vellum Dog Quotes - Add zip to your scrapbooking project with this booklet of dog quotes in black text on vellum paper. Attach to your scrapbooking page with spray adhesive, vellum tape, eyelets/brads, staples, sewing, photo corners, etc. $7.99
Flair Designs® General Cardstock Pet Stickers - Use these pet-themed stickers for your scrapbooking projects. Set includes 18 stickers/diecuts with pieces as long as 12 inches to as small as 3/4 inch in diameter. Stickers are acid-free and lignin-free. $3.29
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Doggie Christmas Stockings
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
With Christmas coming into view (
it's still ok to say "Christmas" right?), remember to put your dog on the gift list!
Plumpstocking sells Christmas stockings and stocking stuffers, and has something for dogs and cats.
Their doggie stuffers include:
- Medium Booda Rope Bone
- Spiral Beef Chew
- Santa Plush Dog Toy
- Fold-a-Bowl Travel Bowl
- Dr. Noy's Toys Material Dog Chipmunk Squeak Toy
- Medium Cornstarch Velvet Bimple Bone - Baby back ribs
- Plush Jingle Ball
$39.00 at Plumpstocking
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Try DonationWare for Your Charity Event
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
The folks at Thankful Paws have created a line of wearable products designed to help animal charities raise funds and increase adoptions.
Among their products is the
DonationWare Vests. Their vests that clearly identify the wearer as someone can accept monetary donations. By wearing this vest, and mingling with the attendees at events, it reminds people to make a donation and makes it more convenient for them to donate.
Jody Cohen and Terry Lanphear, are the owners of Thankful Paws, and both volunteer their time with the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League. They've pledged to donate a percentage of each purchase of Thankful Paws DonationWare to the League.
If any of you are working with animal rescues, consider using the company's "Adopt Me Please" bandanas. When taking your animals to the pet supply store for the weekend adoption event, these bandanas may encourage folks to think about adopting a dog or cat.
Visit
Thankful Paws and see their entire line of DonationWare products.
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Color Your Dog's Fur
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Color Highlights is a new product from
Pet Society, allowing you to add color highlights to your dog's fur, much like the highlights women add to their hair.
It allows pet owners to give their dogs a special and unique touch by coloring its coat according to the creativity and imagination of the owner. It's effect is temporary, lasting only 1 to 3 days and can be easily removed with a rinse.
Available in 5 colors: Blue, Pink, Orange, Gold and Copper.
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Mummify Your Dog
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
A company called
Summum offers to turn your dog, or any other pet, into a mummy.
They'll even do horses.
The company, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, offers mummification services for people too. In fact, they've already mummified several people, and have another 1,457 who've paid in advance.
Summum has also done many cats, dogs and birds at up to $25,000 each that will end up beside their owners who also wish to be mummified.
Summum is headed up by a guy named Corky Ra, whose last name refers to the ancient Egyptian sun god. He claims his company is the only one offering mummification services.
The mummification process involves placing the body in a vat of preserving liquid. Once removed from the vat, it is cleaned and covered in soft lanolin cream. It's then wrapped in 27 layers of gauze. The body is then encased in resin, and then painted over and sealed in with a plastic paint. It's then plastered over, and then finally, covered in gold leaf paint or any other color. Lastly, the mummy is placed inside a quarter inch bronze mummiform.
Owners wishing to mummify their pet are allowed to choose a favoried remembered position.
So why mummify your pet? Corky Ra believes the benefits are the same as those enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians, eternal life. Ra believes that modern medicine will one day allow scientists to clone dogs, cats, and people too. (Well, it's already happened with cats).
According to Ra...
"Perhaps in 40 or 50 years or less, people who are mummified now will be cloned as a new-born baby, genetically engineered for the future as a super human and when they reach a certain age they had liked and requested in their will, perhaps 25, they will have all their memory up to that point restored.... and start all over again."
If you'd like to have your dog start all over again, visit
Summum's website.
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Lazy Police Dog Gets Fired
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
A german shepherd was relieved of his duties due to his lack of interest in fighting crime.
The Associated Press
reports that the canine cop was in the employ of the South Yorkshire Police, in Great Britain, and could have had a great career. But doing the "dog thing" seemed to be the better idea as far as Buster was concerned.
He's now been placed with an adoptive family.
On one occasion, Buster walked straight past a suspected criminal hiding in the garden of a house late at night and went off to cock his leg.
When patroling Rotherham at pub closing times - when the streets are often crowded with drunken revelers - Buster wagged his tail when people came up to him and ate their fries.
Some dogs have it in them, and some dogs don't.
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Heaven Scent Pizza for Dogs
Monday, October 17, 2005
This is a 7" pizza for dogs, that comes in two varieties, Original Pizza, and Cheddar Cheese.
It's effectively a wheat-based doggie treat, that contains pizza ingredients like parmesan cheese, garlic, vegetable oil, tomato paste, basil and oregano. It's preserved with natural Vitamin E, and contains no added salt.
Pizza for Dogs comes shrink-wrapped in a pizza box, and does not need heating. Just serve it up to your dog,
$6.50 per pizza, from
Blissful Biscuits
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Doggie Gift Baskets
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Gift Baskets For All Occasions has several gift baskets available for dogs, in a variety of themes.
This "
Get Well Dog Gift Basket" makes a great welcome surprise for the dog who isn't feeling well. It comes with a bag of Pill Pockets, Gourmet Gravy (to encourage your dog to eat), some gourmet biscuits
eating again. Also included are more gourmet biscuits for when he is feeling better. This gift is a very much appreciated by both the pet owner as well as the dog.
Check out their full line of
doggie gift baskets.
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New Dog Reality Show
Sunday, October 16, 2005
So what do you think? Boring, or fun?
Al Roker is peddling
an idea for a new dog reality show. He's going to set up hidden cameras in places where people take their dogs, and find the ones that act like real dogs. Then he's going to have Tamar Geller, a celebrity dog trainer, to swoop in and hit up the owners for obedience training.
Tamar Geller is reportedly a former Israeli intelligence officer, who found new life training dogs for celebrities. She apparently has talents that involve paper clips, whatever that is.
My thoughts? Boring.
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Yappy HOWLoween Pet Party - Poulsbo, WA
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Dog lovers in the vicinity of Pouslbo, Washington might want to take note of
Dane & Dane Photography's first annual "Yappy HOWLoween" Trick and Treat Party, on October 29, from 4-8pm.
There will be tasty HOWLoween treats for pets and their people, and of course, a Pet Costume Contest with prizes ranging from an exclusive Pet Portrait Sitting (just in time for the holidays) to a one-hour behavior consultation with Gila Kurtz, owner of Good Dog Academy!
There will be several local Pet Professionals on hand for you to meet and greet, raffles, mini HOWLoween Portrait Sittings, and as usual all kinds of romping and sniffing for the pooches!
For more information, please call (888) 201-3778 or email info@dane-dane.com.
Dane & Dane Photography is located above Apollo Salon, at 219 Moe Street, Poulsbo, WA
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Del Monte's New Meaty Bone Denta-Delicious
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Del Monte Foods today introduced its new
Meaty Bone® Denta-Delicious™ dog chew, designed to clean teeth and freshen breath.
The company claims that it's also scientifically proven to reduce tartar build-up by 70%. The bone-shaped treat features a meaty flavor that encourages man's best friend chew his way to cleaner teeth and fresher breath through the product's unique, patent-pending design.
Denta-Delicious is available in the pet care aisle of major grocery stores, retail chains and pet stores starting in October. The product retails for $2.99 and is available in two sizes (for small and large dogs).
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Halloween Dog Safety Tips
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Seems like whenever a holiday approaches, a slew of "pet safety tips" funnels its way into the media channels.
Bark Busters, a company that provides training for dog owners on controlling barking dogs, is among the first to get theirs into our hands. Their
Halloween Safety Tips seem to provide very nominal advice, mostly the kind of stuff that brings out the "I already knew that" in most of us.
But not to downplay their services. I just got back from the vet this afternoon getting Max and Mia their regular checkup, and there was a really anxious dog in the waiting room. It just would not shut up, barking and whining, and making everyone in the waiting room roll their eyes. The owner did her best to control him, and explained that "he's not like this at home". Ok, we know.
And Bark Busters has a lot of great
reading material on their site. Check 'em out.
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Painting Beagles of Newfoundland
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Piper and Tuig are beagles trained to paint with their paws (using a special mit). They create works of art, and each have their own styles.
They're both owned by
Tonji Stewart, a professional clicker trainer, who trained them to paint by taking advantage of their "targeting behavior", something that beagles do to touch or push a pre-determined target.
The idea for creating beagle art came as a way to pay for Tuig's eye surgery. Tuig has a condition called Micropthamalia (small eyes), and he also has cataracts. In fact, Tuig is almost completely blind. So, Tonji taught her other beagle, Piper, to paint, with the idea of selling the artwork to raise money for Tuig's surgical needs. She ended up teaching Tuig to paint also. Their work was recently featured on Canadian television.
Consider
buying some beagle art to hang in your office or home.
Tonji announced that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the
Courtney Trempe Memorial Fund for Dog Bite Victim Support. This fund provides financial support to the families of child dog bite victims in areas such as trauma counseling, caregiver support and support for communication with peers while in hospital, where insurance payments fall short. The fund is administered by
Doggone Safe, a non-profit that provides education and support to schools and communities on dog bite prevention.
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Pewter Dog Collar Charms
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Big Paw Designs has several lead-free pewter
collar charms with cute and funny sayings. Most sell for $10.00, and come with the ring.
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Pet Pals Facial Tissue
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Potlatch Corporation
announced the launch of their latest member to their line of SepticSure™ facial tissue, Pet Pals™.
Pet Pals is a travel/pocket pack of facial tissue that features high-quality color prints of popular dog and cat breeds on the outer packaging.
Potlatch notes that there is a growing trend in pet ownership in American households, and Pet Pals represents a way for them to leverage this market, and get their product into pet supply stores.
Potlatch hopes to begin shipping Pet Pals to retailers by January 2006. The product will be available in packages of 3 dog and 3 cat pocket packs using a variety of 8 different layouts for each. Each pocket pack contains 15 premium grade facial tissues. Suggested retail price range for a 3-pack of Pet Pals is $.99-$1.29.
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PetCompare
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
If you buy a lot of dog supplies online, then you might want to give
PetCompare a try. It's a price comparison site, allowing you to look up a product, and then compare prices from several merchants to find the lowest price.
For some supplies, it seems to be quite useful, finding prices that are as much as twice as cheap as the highest price.
But for other supplies, such as Frontline, there is very little variety, only two merchants, and both selling at the same price.
But you might want to poke around and see if you find anything that you buy often. You might find a cheaper price.
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World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show
Monday, October 10, 2005
Dogster.com launched their "
World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show" last week, which is a contest that runs through November 17.
The contest, which takes place online at both Dogster and Catster, is open to any U.S. dog or cat registered with Dogster or Catster, regardless of breed, and has no cost to enter. Judges then sort through the entries, and pick several finalists from each
category. At that point, the winning dog and cat from each category is voted upon by website members, with the winners being announced on Dec. 9.
Winners will receive prizes including a Nintendo DS game system and a copy of their recently released game, Nintendogs, Target gift cards, Dad's pet foods, a photo shoot with New York Dog or Hollywood Dog magazine and a personalized copy of Dogs 24/7 or Cats 24/7. Other prizes will be given from sponsors, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
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Star Wars Halloween Costumes
Monday, October 10, 2005
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PuppyKnits
Monday, October 10, 2005
A new book just came out last month entitled, "
PuppyKnits - 12 QuickKnit Fashions for Your Best Friend
", by Jill Eaton.
The book provides designs for 12 fun and upbeat knitwear designs for the stylish dog about town. It includes cute everyday sweaters and ritzy special occasion designs even include a felted, waterproof sweater for drizzly days. There are also hats for every occasion, such as the Holiday Spritz and the Puppy Fez.
PuppyKnits also showcases a range of accessories, such as a collar and leash, felted toys, and a cozy doggie bed. It has a measuring chart for breeds of all sizes, knit-to-fit instructions, and a primer on basic stitches.
Jil Eaton, who lives in Portland, Maine, is an internationally acclaimed knitwear designer whose work regularly appears in Vogue Knitting International. She has published and distributed worldwide a collection of hand-knitting patterns under the Minnowknits label. She has authored other books, "After Dark", "Minnies", and "SimpleChic".
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PetSafe's "IdeaFetch" Contest
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Got a great idea for a new pet product? Then why don't you enter your idea at
IdeaFetch?
IdeaFetch is the creation of PetSafe, a maker of pet doors and electronic fences. They're giving away $40,000.00 to the person with the best idea, and PETCO has agreed to sell the winning product at its stores.
The winner will be selected by the public through a vote.
All you need is an idea, no financial backing or capital.
The second place winner gets $5,000.00, and the third place gets $2,500.00.
All first, second and third place winners will get the chance to have their ideas turned into product, at the expense of PetSafe. Keep in mind, however, that PetSafe gets to completely own your idea, should it turn into product.
But, if you don't have the "gusto" to turn an idea into a business, this might be a great way to earn some quick cash.
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StickySheets
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Stick it! Rip it! Done!
StickySheets are giant pieces of sticky tape, designed to remove pet hair from your furniture and car seats.
Instead of using lint rollers, or smaller pieces of tape, use one huge, honkin' sheet, and pull everything off in one rip.
Each sheet measures approximately 3ft x 2ft, and you get 15 sheets for $19.95.
No word on when they'll come out with StickySheets for body waxing.
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PetSmart Howl-o-Ween Costume Party
Saturday, October 08, 2005
PetSmart is having its annual "Howl-o-Ween Costume Party" at all store locations on Thursday, October 25, from 6 to 8pm.
This year, PetSmart will provide creative pet costumes and accessories, along with a special grooming package. Customers can also bring their own costumes.
An in-store parade will take place at 6:45. Pet parents can purchase a photo package to capture the memory, including an exclusive glow-in-the-dark photo frame, for $6.95, or $4.95 with a Pet Perks savings card.
It wouldn't be "trick or treat" without offering treats in exchange for tricks. Accredited dog trainers will also be on hand to offer treats to teach dogs some new tricks, such as "high-fives" and "waving goodbye".
PetSmart is also offering a variety of new and creative pet costumes, ranging from Darth Vader, Batman, a frog, a little devil, among others. You can see the whole line at
PetSmart's Halloween Shop
.
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Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month
Saturday, October 08, 2005
The ASPCA and Pethealth Inc., a provider of pet health insurance, are
celebrating October as Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month, to raise awareness of dogs in need of adoption.
If you know someone interested in getting a dog, invite them to visit a local animal shelter, or animal rescue. Offer to buy them lunch, in exchange for visiting a shelter with you. Once they see the anxious faces behind bars, it's unlikely they will walk away without feeling a need to save one of them.
There are shelters and rescues everywhere, and very likely several in your immediate area. All animal shelters are open to the public, don't require any appointments, and allow you to walk past the cages in person. Visit
PetFinder or
PetHarbor, enter your zip code, and it will show you all the shelters nearby.
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Bamboo Quick Control Collar
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Bamboo, a brand of pet products from Munchkin, Inc., unveiled its new dog collar, "
Quick Control Collar".
It has a retractable handle that extends out from the collar. The handle attaches to the collar with elastic bands. This allows the owner to use the handle like a leash, for times when they need immediate control of their dog.
Quick Control Collars are available in five, two-tone fashion colors: black, red, blue, pink, and orange and come in Medium (14"-18"), Large (18"-22"), and Extra Large (22"-26") sizes.
They also include a an integrated identification card, and reflective stitching for visibility at night.
Click here to find a retailer.
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Chinese Dog Fur Industry
Friday, October 07, 2005
People for the Efficient Termination of Animals (PETA) has been sending out e-mails trying to call attention to the business of fur trade in China, involving dogs and cats.
They've launched a website called "
Jcruel.com", a play on the name "J.Crew", a maker of fur fashions. The folks at PETA managed to get a
video of Chinese workers kicking around cages jam-packed with dogs and cats making their way through the skinning factory.
Why would anyone buy clothes made of dog and cat fur? Well, apparently they do in various markets in Asia. In many societies, dogs and cats don't enjoy the same status as they have here in the United States.
So, does that mean our society is superior to theirs?
Of course not. The Chinese would never harm any of their pandas, for example. They adore them like Americans adore their chihuahuas. So, it's not correct to assume the Chinese have less regard for animals. In fact, it would be a grave mistake for Americans to judge the Chinese using American values.
Heck, PETA itself has
killed over 85% of the animals it "rescued", over 12,000 in all, between the period of 1998 and 2004. These included healthy, perfectly adoptable dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens. They euthanized them because PETA believes that animals are better off dead than to live as pets. How wacky is that?
Final ThoughtIf you think about it, both the Chinese fur trade and PETA are doing the same thing, killing off dogs and cats, and reducing their populations.
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Honda's New "WOW" Car
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Honda Japan
unveiled a new car dubbed "WOW", which apparently stands for "Wonderful Open-hearted Wagon". Honda says they designed this car for dogs.
But instead of a glove compartment, it's got a dog compartment. After all who the heck drives with gloves anyways, let alone actually store their gloves in the glove compartment? I guess Honda figured out a new use.
But it's not just the dash board that's friendly to dogs, but the back seat also. The WOW Car has a dog crate that pops up from the floor to accomodate dogs that are too large for the dash board.
And if your dog is still too big for the crate, the car has a special seat belt that latches into the floor.
Apparently demand for dogs in Japan is huge, more huge than here in the States, and it seems that far more dogs are getting hurt while travelling in cars than in the States as well.
NewLaunches Via
Gizmodo
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Take the Stink out of your Dog's Poop
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Pet SuperJuice is the name of a food supplement that claims to take the stink out of your dog's poop. You spray it on your dog's food everytime you serve it up, and it reacts with his digestive system to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.
This bacteria counters the "bad" bacteria, which is responsible for the foul fecal odors. The bacteria is also said to boost the digestion of food, and provides vitamins.
The from the sounds of it, Pet SuperJuice sounds like the animal equivalent of
Whiff!, a dietary supplement for people that makes the exact same claim. Except, the manufacturer of Whiff! warns that it will create an abundance of gas, and possibly diarrhea in the first two weeks, and that it will turn your poop green.
So perhaps Pet SuperJuice may end up doing the same thing, who knows. Or maybe dogs have a different intestinal biology that it doesn't have the same side effects.
In any case, Pet SuperJuice is currently found at a
handful of stores in Oklahoma and Arkansas, where dog poop gets really bad. Some of these stores have websites where you may be able to buy some online.
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Furfection offers "Build Your Own" Pet Spa Collection
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Furfection, Inc., a designer of grooming products for dogs and cats, is offering a "
Build Your Own" pet spa collection.
Customers can "custom build" a spa for their dog or cat using items such as Furfection Naturals™ shampoos and conditioner; microfiber towels; a machine washable and dryable bath mat; massage brushes; pet greeting cards; treats and more. The items are packaged in Furfection's own pet spa gift box.
Furfection Naturals™ are the company's premium line of quality pet grooming products made with natural ingredients. They include shampoos such as, "Sensitive Skin Formula" and "Moisturizing Aloe Formula." Their "Gentle 'No Tears' Formula" can be used to bathe all dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, while the "Extra-Shine Moisturizing Conditioner" is recommended for dogs only.
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Hound Bytes Talking Dog Collar
Monday, October 03, 2005
Now your dog can talk (or somewhat anyways) with the Hounds Bytes Talking Dog Collar. The bone shaped gadget hangs from a dog's collar and is pre-programmed to say various phrases through its internal speaker.
It comes with a remote control so that you can turn it on just as Max walks up to an unsuspecting person.
It has six phrases in all...
- (Farting) Oh I'm so embarrassed, canned food always gives me gas.
- Hey, does this coat make me look fat?
- I'm a lover, not a biter.
- Of course my breath stinks, look what I've been licking.
- Baby you're so sweet, if I bit you I'd get a cavity.
- Gotta poop, gotta poop, Gotta poop right now! (Farting) Oh there it goes.
If you'd prefer more vulgar phrases, they have an
X-Rated version.
Sells for $14.99 at
BeWild.
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