Human Hospital Opens Doors To Animals
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Ispwich Hospital, located in the UK, came up
with a plan to help it recover from debt, offer its services to pets.
Ipswich Hospital is proposing to use its state-of-the-art radiotherapy equipment, which lies dormant at weekends, to treat family pets with cancer at special Saturday morning clinics.
Considering that pet ownership is on the rise, and that some pet owners are willing to spend more money caring for their pets than they do themselves, it might be a great way for US hospitals to escape the debt that Medicare and Medicaid imposes on them.
The BBC published an
article on the same subject, reporting that a patients' advocacy group condemned the idea as "horrifying". Wow. Horrifying? Goes to show that there are still people in this world who hate dogs.
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Pegetables
Saturday, October 28, 2006
A company called Splintek has a product out called "Pegetables". It's a set of dog chews made from vegetables.
They claim its not your "garden-variety" dog treats. They're made with real vegetables, and are fortified with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, to make them even better than the real deal.
They come in flavors of corn, celery, and carrot. Pegetables actually contain flakes of these vegetables to help them break apart when chewed.
At a price of $8.99 for an 8oz bag, it's probably cheaper to feed your dog the real thing, if you can make them taste good. I haven't given any Pegetables to my dogs, so I can't tell you if they like them.
Visit their store locator:
http://www.pegetables.com/retaillocationsmain.htmOr get a free sample online:
http://www.pegetables.com/harvesting.htm
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Banfield's Season of Suppers
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Banfield The Pet Hospital announced a partnership with Meals on Wheels to help collect pet food.
Beginning November 1, you can bring in cans of pet food at any Banfield location and drop them in a collection bin. The Meals on Wheels program will pick them up and distribute them to senior citizens who have dogs and cats.
Meals on Wheels is a nationwide organization that provides free food to hungry seniors in America. For many seniors, a dog or a cat is the only companionship they have, and this effort seeks to help seniors keep that companionship.
If you'd like to donate some pet food, you can visit Banfield's list of locations here:
http://www.banfield.net/health/search.aspVia
Banfield Press Release
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Dog Urine Creates Power Outage
Monday, October 23, 2006
On Ananova today is a
story about a dog who peed on a power cable, and blew out electricity to 148 homes in England...
Bailey, a Staffordshire bull terrier, went for a wee against a faulty pylon, reports The Sun.
His owner Gary Davies said: "There was an almighty explosion and the whole street lit up. I turned round and the dog was on fire."
Kinda reminds me of the first Star Wars movie (or technically fourth), where a single shot from a puny X-Wing fighter took out the whole Death Star.
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Faces of Dog Death
Friday, October 20, 2006
While this is old news, I still get riled up over
the story of two PETA workers who were caught euthanizing perfectly healthy and perfectly adoptable dogs and cats in North Carolina.
The latest on this story,
as I'm reminded from BlogDog, is that PETA tried to get the judge to dismiss the charges, which are charges of animal cruelty, the very act that PETA supposedly fights against. They argue that the animals they killed were
humanely killed.
Excuse me? Someone please explain to me why it is "humane" to euthanize an animal that is healthy and adoptable?
Puppies and kittens too!
Here's a
statement from Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, that ought to upset you...
"PETA has never made a secret of the fact that most of the animals picked up in North Carolina are euthanized," Newkirk said.
Huh? PETA has a policy to kill just about every animal it gets it hands on? What about the people who donate money to PETA? Do they know their money is being used for this?
I can't see anyone loving dogs and supporting PETA at the same time. Am I the only dog blogger asking people to stop supporting PETA?
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Skull Charms for Dogs
Friday, October 20, 2006
Hot off the success of the recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie, comes these skull shaped charms for dogs.
They come in either human skull, or dog skull.
For those times when Fifi is coppin' a 'tude.
Available at FouFouDog:
http://www.foufoudog.com
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Halloween Dog Burning Tradition
Friday, October 20, 2006
Indymedia Ireland reports of that folks in the emerald Isle have a tradition of throwing dogs and cats into bonfires during the Halloween season.
Today a burnt suffering cat was shown on the news, the result of barbaric torture by Halloween louts.
This will happen to many cats and dogs over the next few weeks.
Apparently this is a habit that takes place every year, the writer goes on to say, dubbing it as "Animal Holocaust".
Read the full article here.
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National Dine With Your Dog Day
Friday, October 20, 2006
Tomorrow, October 21, has been marked as "Dine With Your Dog Day". The occasion was given blessing with the pens of governors in California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Nebraska and West Virginia.
Dick Van Patten apparently had a hand in making this happen, though it isn't clear to me exactly who and how the declaration made its way around the country.
But anyways, it appears that pet stores all across the country are going to celebrate it.
The famous star of "Eight is Enough" will
be on hand at the PETCO store in Littleton, CO to eat some of his own "Natural Balance" dog food to show everyone how much he loves the stuff. The public is invited to come watch him do it.
So how are you going to celebrate "Dine With Your Dog Day"? I think instead of feeding them dog food, we're going to go to Yellow Basket (our favorite burger joint), and get us some burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets, and let Max and Mia feast on some of it. It might not be as healthy as "Natural Balance", but then again it's not fair the dogs get to eat better than us!
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A Precious Pit Bull Gets Shot Down
Thursday, October 19, 2006
I woke up this morning to
read about an incident that happened last month, where a man's dog was shot and killed by a park police officer.
To sum it up, a homeless man named Joe and his pit bull named "Precious" were in a park in Washington DC. The dog was not on leash. The police officer yelled out to Joe and asked him to put Precious on a leash. The officer claims that Precious charged at him with teeth blaring. Other witnesses said the dog was chasing a squirrel and happened to be running in his direction.
In any case, the officer pulled out his gun and shot her.
Why aren't police officers trained to handle dogs without the use of deadly force?
If a man charged at an officer, holding no other weapon other than his teeth, would officers still resort to shooting them? I suppose the answer could be "yes" in some cases, and "no" in others. But why does a police officer feel so much fear from a pit bull? Aren't they supposed to be among our nation's "bravest and finest"?
Yes, Joe should have had Precious on a leash. But it's not his fault that the dog was shot and killed. Killing her was unnecessary.
Today, Joe still walks the same park, but without his faithful companion. By virtue of her own name, I'm sure he loved Precious very much.
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Vienna Still the Dog Poopiest
Thursday, October 19, 2006
An
article in the Sunday Independent, a British-based fish-wrap, says that the thing that folks in Vienna, Austria are most concerned about, is dog poop. Apparently, they have a big mess there!
Enforcement is lax to non-existing, many dog owners argue that they pay dog fees to the city anyway, ignoring the fact that paying for a dog licence has nothing to do with cleaning away dog faeces.
I'm not totally sure why Austrians tend to be more lazy about picking up after their dogs than say, Americans. But I haven't been to Vienna, so I don't really know if it's any more poopier than an American city. It may be that the Viennese are just more freaked out about dog poop than Americans.
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$100,000 Dog House
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
BusinessWeek has an
article today about luxury dog houses, citing that prices can go as high as $25,000 for production homes, and $100,000 for custom built ones...
Designers and architects have taken the pet industry's growth as a cue to transform the traditional A-frame doghouse into imaginative new real estate projects. Ranging in price from $900 to upwards of $100,000, designer doghouses are typically created with two things in mind: catering to the habits and personality of the dog, and complementing the beauty of the owner's house.
I can understand spending up to a couple hundred dollars for a sturdy cedar dog house, but once you get into the thousand-dollar range, it becomes nothing more than just the fun of spending lots of money. While big-spending dog owners might claim they want nothing but the best for their "Mimi", the truth is that the dog would prefer to sleep in the owner's house.
Here's a photograph of the $25,000 dog house, complete with an air-conditioning unit, ceramic tile floor, suede couch, and a real flat-screen television (not pictured). It's designed to accomodate both dogs and their owners, for those times when the wife kicks you out of the bedroom.
The $100,000 dog house is being built by
Doggie Mansions for NFL Quarterback, Carson Palmer. I think there are some actual "manufactured homes" you can buy for that amount.
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Roverlution March is Set for October 29, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Roverlution's 2nd Annual "Luv-a-Bully" March is scheduled to take place on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006, in six cities across the United States.
The March is an organized protest against breed specific legislation (BSL), which are laws that outlaw or target specific breeds of dogs. Most of these laws have been focused on pit bulls, but they've also targeted German Shepherds, Dobermans, Chows, and Rottweilers.
Marches will take place in the following cities...
Brea, California
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Indianapolis, Indiana
Kansas City, Missouri
Pelham, Alabama
West Palm Beach, Florida
Roverlution was started by a veterinarian, Paula Terifaj, DVM, who became outraged after the City of Denver passed a law banning pit bulls. Read more about Roverlution at their website:
http://www.roverlution.org
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Government Mandates States Must Help Save Pets During Natural Disasters
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The title above comes from a
press release issued by Riley Care. Riley Care is the name of a website that sells dog products, and uses "safety" as a shtick towards selling more stuff.
But what Riley Care is referring to when it talks about states having to help pets during natural disasters is the passage of the PETS Act.
I covered the PETS Act in detail last year, and summarized it as federal legislation that does very little to help pets. While I support the PETS Act in general, the law itself is toothless.
You can read my analysis here.
Here is a snippet of the analysis I wrote, in case you don't want to read the whole thing...
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.
The reason why I'm addressing this again is because I'm seeing articles and opinions published here and there claiming that states are now required by law to assist pets in natural disasters. WRONG!
The law doesn't require states to do this at all. It simply requires them to create a plan. It doesn't require them to effect the plan, or to fund the plan, or to actually carry it out in a time of disaster. The reason why is because the federal government HAS NO AUTHORITY to do so. States are self-governing, and autonomous.
Moreover, the PETS Act is not meant to help pets. Rather, to help PEOPLE with pets. It's goal is to assist people who are with dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, etc. But not actually provide shelter and aid to animals.
The reason why I'm adamant about this is because laws like the PETS Act, and propaganda such as this press release from Riley Care, tend to make people complacent. Complacency is the biggest problem we have in dealing with natural disasters. People don't make their own disaster plans because they expect the government to rescue them. What Riley Care published doesn't help our situation one bit.
If you're frail and weak, then you ought to have your own plan in place to help yourself and your dog.
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Pennsylvania Gets Tougher on Breeders and Kennels
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania today proposed sweeping changes to the state's dog law and related state regulations that are designed to improve the conditions under which dogs are bred and sold in Pennsylvania.
Rendell stated, "We are taking strong steps to protect consumers, reputable breeders
and kennels, and the defenseless animals whose health and welfare is at the heart of this important issue."
To oversee the state's effort, the Governor named Jessie Smith, a 20-year veteran of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, as "special deputy secretary for dog law enforcement" in the Department of Agriculture.
Smith, who owns four dogs, will serve as dog law enforcement liaison with municipalities, courts, law enforcement, dog welfare organizations, veterinarians, kennel licensees, constituent groups and the general public.
Additionally, Smith has served as president of the board of directors for the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area since 2003. She has also worked as an adjunct faculty member at Dickinson Law School and as a Dauphin County arbitrator.
The Governor also named Jeffrey Paladina, who most recently served as the assistant district attorney in Beaver County, as special prosecutor for dog law enforcement, one of six new positions in the Agriculture Department's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, who will work to make sure current laws are being enforced.
Furthermore, Rendell also created a special enforcement team comprised of four kennel compliance specialists, who will be dispatched throughout the state to enforce the kennel provisions of the dog law.
Governor Rendell also announced the appointment of a special team to improve enforcement of Pennsylvania's dog law and also named 16 individuals to the state's Dog Law Advisory Board. The advisory board members represent various categories of organizations that are mandated in law.
Read the full news release here.
What's interesting about all this is that the Governor didn't just propose some new laws, but actually spent the money on "law enforcement", by appointing a special prosecutor to try violators of dogs laws, and hired code enforcement teams to go around inspecting breeders and kennels.
This is unlike how other states have tried to solve the problem of puppy mills. Many other states simply enacted new laws that make it tougher to breed puppies, but didn't bother addressing enforcement of the laws. So in the end, honest breeders got squeezed out of business, while dishonest breeders simply ignored the new laws.
If other states actually spent money enforcing the laws we already have, organizations like HSUS and PETA wouldn't have half the voice they have now.
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Tough Poodles
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Synchronized HA!
Originally uploaded by The Pack.
"Thanks everyone for your comments and favs! The Boyz think it's all a great game to play fierce. When you know them you know how sweet, cuddly and sensitive they are when you share the cookies! LOL"
This is a photo of Mercury and Tag, two standard Poodles that like to rough-house. Check out all 137 photos on Flickr; lot's of really good action shots.
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Dog Survives Car Dragging
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
TV Station WFAA out of Dallas, TX
reports that a black Lab was dragged by a woman driving a pickup truck, and lived.
Varrassi had a veterinarian treat Lucy for severe road burns on her belly and paws.
"Her paws, the pads - most of them are gone," she said. "Her nails have been broken off completely under the skin."
The dog was found by a woman named P.J. Varrassi who brought the dog to a vet, and subsequently named her "Lucy".
Donations to help the Varrassi family pay for Lucy's recovery can be given to the VCA DeSoto Animal Hospital at 200 N. Hampton Rd. at DeSoto, TX. 75115. Calls can be made to the hospital at 972-223-4840.
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Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet?
Sunday, October 15, 2006
A new book is out called, "
Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet?
". It's described as exploring 101 of the most perplexing questions and mysteries about dogs.
It goes on to address all of those weird doggie behaviors you've wondered about, but no one ever bothered to explain. Authors Marty Becker DVM and Gina Spadafori tackle such oddities like how seeing-eye dogs know when a red light changes to green, or like whether or not dogs are ticklish, or why dogs love to swim but hate to take baths.
At 224 pages long, and only $7.77 from Amazon.com, it's an inexpensive read sure to increase your understanding of the pooch.
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Stray Dog Found After 1,400 Miles
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Stories of lost dogs being recovered after traveling across the country are nothing new. Here is the lastest.
A terrier named "Kobe" left his home in Bellflower, CA last month and was discovered in Denton, TX. The Associated Press, who
reported the story, went on to say that Kobe was implanted with an AVID microchip.
AVID, a Norco-based company that produced the chip, flew Kobe from Texas to California and on Thursday he was reunited with his owners, the Ontiveros family, at the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority in Downey.
AVID is the same company that gets targeted by several "ISO Chip" proponents, because AVID enjoys widespread usage in the United States. I just thought it was interesting that the AP gave AVID mention in a "feel good" story.
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Pedigree Launches New Super Chew
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The Pedigree Brand of pet food today unveiled its new "Super Chew", claiming it to be an innovative long-lasting meaty treat for dogs, and that it "finally" offers a safe and delicious alternative to other potentially dangerous chews and toys.
Fortified with vitamins A, and E, calcium and phosphorous, the new chew consists of only two percent fat. Pedigree claims its highly digestible, and is a nutritionally complete treat that won't splinter. It has a meaty center to keep dogs occupied and satisfied.
Super Chew comes in large and small sizes but is not recommended for dogs weighing less than 20 pounds.
Pedigree launched a special website for its Super Chew:
http://www.TheHealthyChew.com. The site allows visitors to upload photos of their dog caught in the act of chewing something they're not supposed to, like shoes, furniture, etc.
PEDIGREE Super Chew is now available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $5.49 for two small 4.58 oz. chews or one Large 12 oz. chew.
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Fastest Pooper Scooper in the USA
Friday, October 13, 2006
A company called
Yuckos, a professional pooper-scooper service in Missouri and Illinois, reminds us that pooper-scoopers across the country will be flocking to Las Vegas for the 4th Annual Meeting of the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws).
From what I understand, there will be a "Turd Herding Contest" where pooper scoopers face off to see who can pick up the most poop in the shortest amount of time. I've never witnessed one of these contests; I wonder if they use real poop or fake? Seems like it ought to be real poop, with a variety of hard stuff and soft stuff, if you really want to put the skills to test.
Not just pooper-scoopers are allowed into the meeting, anyone with a profession in the pet industry can attend.
There's also some statistics to "pick up" on. The American Pet Association estimates that there are more than 71 million pet dogs in the United States, producing over 4.4 billion pounds of waste every year, which is enough to cover 900 football fields with 12 inches of dog waste.
The folks in San Francisco,
are interested in getting more of this free material. Maybe aPaws ought to host their meeting there.
BTW, check out
Yuckos website, they have some interesting "no dog poop" signs and stickers you can buy.
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Milk Glazed Meaty Treats
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Doctors Foster and Smith is now offering these Milk Glazed Meaty Treats.
They're coated in "organic milk" and then baked. The company claims they're high in protein and full of flavor. Made from "all natural American beef", they're available in three styles, beef sticks, bakels, and love bones. All are said to be easily digestible.
Beefy Bakels are supposedly to be similar to New York style bagels (see our
original blog entry).
Milk Glazed Love Bones, 12 ct
, retail for $11.99.
Milk Glazed Beefy Bakels, 20 ct, retail for $9.99
Milk Glazed Beefy Sticks, 9 oz, retail for $9.99
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Bad Dog Behavior Can Be Remedied by Veterinarians
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
The California Veterinary Medical Association issued a
statement today that if your dog is uncontrollable, try taking it to a veterinarian to determine if a medical problem is causing bad behavior.
Ron Faoro DVM, President of the CMVA said...
"We urge pet owners to see a veterinarian first when bad behavior surfaces because a veterinarian can determine whether a medical problem is contributing to the behavior problem. Veterinarians can diagnose medical conditions and recommend proper treatment. In cases where there is not a contributing health factor, veterinarians may refer the pet owner to a board-certified veterinary behavior specialist for therapy."
The CMVA cites bad behavior as the leading cause of pets being surrendered to shelters. Many dog owners don't already know that there are board-certified veterinarians who deal specifically with behavior, and that taking your dog to a veterinarian is a great way to determine if a dog needs a such a specialist.
"Early intervention is key for a pet owner when it comes to preventing a dog's or cat's behavior problems," added Melissa Bain, DVM, UC Davis' Veterinary Medical Hospital faculty and one of California's six board-certified veterinary behaviorists. "Puppies need to be socialized and trained at an early age. After 14 weeks, socialization becomes more difficult. For cats, litter training is also an important step in preventing problems."
Dr. Bain goes on to warn that anyone can adopt the title of animal trainer or
behaviorist and, while some may be good at what they do, she recommends pet owners seek a veterinarian first, particularly if a dog or cat becomes too aggressive.
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First Ice Cream Sandwiches for Dogs
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Breyers announced today they released the "first real ice cream sandwich formulated especially for dogs".
It's made by Breyers, but with the Pedigree logo on the box.
Recognizing that some dogs are lactose-intolerant, the company says their new ice cream sandwiches are 99 percent lactose free, but still has a creamy texture that four-legged ice-cream eaters have enjoyed for generations. They also have added protein, but no added sugar. The sandwiches are perforated so that they can broken up into smaller pieces.
Breyers goes on to describe a consumer test with this new product and found that consumers preferred the ice cream sandwich over cups of ice cream because it's easier to feed to their dogs and is less messy.
PEDIGREE Ice Cream Sandwich Treats for Dogs are just now making their way into supermarket freezer sections, in packages of six (6) 3 oz. sandwiches, for a total of 24 bite-sized perforated pieces, and have a suggested retail price of $3.99.
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