Healthy Pets Blog

About Wysong - Best Dog Food 2009

2009-06-17T11:42:00.005-05:00

I will be posting a series for the Best Dog Food of 2009 - My pick Wysong over the next few weeks. Check back for details and helpful tips on finding the best pet food and supplements for your dog, cat, ferret or even horses.

About Wysong - Learn about the company, background and Dr. Wysong

For nearly thirty years we have let principle lead and have helped people achieve better health for themselves and their pets with competent and honest information and products. The premium, natural, and organic health products and information on this site represent tens of thousands of hours in research and development spanning nearly thirty years. We see our business as a place of trust, fiduciary responsibility, and conscience. Many of the “natural” changes you see in the market were begun right here at Wysong.

We were originated by, and are presently led by, health professionals who have come to see that nature is the ultimate origin of health. Our purpose is to help people take control of their own health destiny. Wysong products, and especially our information, make it easy to be healthy and fit because true health comes from an informed mind.

Our best product is information, much of which is free on this website. We offer Dr. Wysong's books, monographs, CDs, and newsletters (covering topics on supplements, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and other nutraceuticals, as well as holistic health, disease care, holistic veterinary approaches, preventive care, dieting, natural therapy, sports supplements, natural anabolics, alkaline water, orthotic insoles, skin care, beauty, personal care, natural shampoos, organic cereal, prescription pet diets, premium dog food, cat food, ferret food, equine food, and more).

Over 300 healthy human products, cat foods and supplements, dog foods and supplements, ferret foods, and horse feed and supplements are offered to you on our sites. What we discover of value in humans, we apply to animals, and vice versa. All creatures share the same need for natural nutrition as nature intended. All creatures can enjoy health by abiding the same natural principles.

We are a small company with a big goal - we want our work to help you and your loved ones be healthy. To do this we develop and manufacture our own products based on sound science and using nature as the principle. We are not middlemen and these are not ‘me-too’ products intended only to capture a market. Moreover, if you avail yourself of the education and health newsletters you will learn how to achieve the best health potential for you, your family, and pets, without having to rely on any manufactured products at all - even ours. As with any good doctor, we serve people best if we can teach them how to not need us.

If you are a thinking person serious about health, we are here for you.

About Wysong FAQ

1.Q: Where did the name "Wysong" come from?
A: That is the name of our founder and present director, Dr. Wysong.

2. Q: How long have you been in business?
A: Since about 1979. Dr. Wysong began with clinical and surgical inventions, and branched into the various facets you see today as his research demonstrated the problems in conventional medicine and the importance of prevention.

3. Q: What is Dr. Wysong's background?
A: Dr. Wysong has a B.S. in biology and chemistry and a DVM in veterinary surgery and medicine. At the college level he has taught human anatomy, physiology and origin of life courses. He also has practiced veterinary clinical surgery and medicine for over 30 years. Dr. Wysong has engaged in research and development of surgical, clinical, nutritional, food processing and nutraceutical products with an emphasis on prevention and natural therapeutics.
Publications include technical journal articles on nutrition, health care, embryology, and surgical techniques. He has authored a monthly health newsletter since 1987. His books include Lipid Nutrition - Understanding Fats and Oils in Health and Disease, The Synorgon Diet - Achieving Healthy Weight in a World of Excess, Rationale for Animal Nutrition, The Truth About Pet Foods and numerous technical product monographs.
Both the company by his name, and the non-profit Wysong Institute, were founded by him and continue under his direction to this day.

4. Q: Do you have other scientists?
A: There are several others with DVM, PhD or MD equivalent, as well as others with MS and BS degrees in the sciences. Although nature is the underlying principle at Wysong, leading edge science is used to discover and apply that principle.

5. Q: Does this make you different from other companies?
A: We think so. For most companies the emphasis is on marketing. There may be name dropping of "Dr." consultants, but these individuals usually have no authority over product design and in many cases (in the pet food industry particularly) no real expertise in the field. There is also liberal use of words such as "science," "clinical," "studies," and the like - whether or not there is underlying substance. In contrast, Dr. Wysong directly designs, oversees and controls products and processing.

6. Q: Are you a health food company?
A: Since many people equate "health food," with "weird food," we don't like the association. In our food divisions, we create healthy foods backed by science, not lore. Wysong, in effect, bridges the gap between nature and science.

7. Q: Where are you located?
A: Our corporate and research headquarters are located in Midland, MI. We also have manufacturing operations in Lake Mills, WI.

8. Q: Are you approved by government regulations?
A: We are inspected and under the purview of the FDA, USDA, OSHA, and AAFCO.

9. Q: Can I buy stock in your company?
A: No, we are not a publicly traded company.

10. Q: Are there job opportunities with Wysong?
A: Yes. Please send an e-mail to wysong@wysong.net with your cover letter and resume.

11. Q: Do you manufacture your products or do you have others do it?
A: Yes, we conceive, design, and directly manufacture almost all of our products. This distinguishes us from most pet food companies.

12. Q: How do you control the quality of your products?
A: In order to control quality you first must understand a lot about food processing and the potential dangers within foods. We have professionals on staff who work with Dr. Wysong to control a variety of factors that many manufacturers are not even aware of - such as mycotoxins, food-borne pathogens, antinutritional factors, oxidant status and toxin contaminants, to name a few.

13. Q: Do you do laboratory research on animals?
A: No. We believe that caging animals for studies is unnecessary. When we want to gather data, we ask for help from real pets in real homes and use veterinary clinical consultants across the country. Nobody gets hurt. Please see our article on Animal Testing and Feeding Trials.

14. Q: What do you do to be environmental?
A: All that we can. The world is a finite resource and we treat it that way. We take all the measures we can to reduce energy consumption. We reduce, reuse, and as a last resort, recycle. We have an in-house recycling center, compost organic waste and encourage garage sale reuse among employees. Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of environmentalism is health. If an action - such as recyclable packaging that improperly protects nutrients and causes toxin formation - creates harm to health, we put health first.

15. Q: Isn't it kind of weird making both human and animal products? Hope you don't mix them up.
A: The technology Dr. Wysong developed for animals applies to humans, and the technology he developed for humans applies to animals. So why not? We and our fellow biological creatures are not so different as you might imagine. We also use our products to teach. Many people come to learn how to better care for themselves and their family because of interest triggered in what they learned from Wysong animal foods. Or vice versa. And no...we don't mix them up - they are made separately. Even if we did, no harm would come because the same level of quality is in all of our products.

16. Q: How do you decide what products to make?
A: First off, we do not see the point of making things that are already available just to try to gain profit. We make things that, in our opinion, are not made well enough yet. We also make what we would personally prefer to use.

17. Q: There are so many choices out there, how do I decide?
A: Since companies and their advertising/marketing partners can easily confuse people, you need to be informed. Cool ads, movie stars, words like "natural" and "science," fancy graphs, pretty packaging and the like is not that education. Asking questions like this is a start. If a company cannot give you any real depth, get suspicious. Please see our article How To Choose a Pet Food Company.

18. Q: Why don't I see your company advertising or in all the major stores?
A: Our primary focus has been and is education, research, and development. We are not a marketing firm, so what advertising you do see will be with an educational emphasis.

19. Q: Why are some of your products quite expensive?A: Because they are expensive to produce. Quality has a price.

20. Q: It just seems that there are similar things out there for a lot less money, don't you think?A: Health is not a place to be budget-minded. It's a pay now or pay later type-thing. There are many important health features in Wysong products which are not easily discerned on labels. (Pet food regulators strictly limit what can be said on labeling.) In fact, it is possible to create products that have virtually the same label as Wysong, but cost a fraction of what it costs to produce Wysong. Since such deception is possible, you must read company literature carefully to discern if those behind the products are marketers saying words or serious scientists committed to health.

21. Q: Where is Wysong headed in the future?
A: You can count on Wysong being very creative. We will continue to lead, not follow, and bring you state-of-the-art information and products to enhance health for both humans and animals.

Also see: Wysong As A Holistic Company

10 Tips to Choose a Pet Food Company

2009-06-15T10:15:00.003-05:00

It is virtually impossible for consumers to know the health value of packaged pet foods by viewing or feeding them. Processing makes products non-descript, and, furthermore, manufacturers can cleverly make about anything look like anything they like, e.g., starch, textured vegetable protein and dyes can look like a pork chop. Additionally, taste enhancers can make non-foods palatable and short term feeding trial results do not reveal the true health measure of a pet food’s value – long, active, vital life, free from chronic degenerative disease conditions.

Judging merit by reading advertising, marketing brochures and pet food package labels can also be deceiving. Although it would seem that regulation would not permit false and misleading information in the marketplace, this is simply not the case. So assuming that what is said in advertising is true because it is in a reputable publication, or on a beautifully designed brochure or package is a dangerous mistake.

So if all the commonly used criteria for judging the merit of a pet food are invalid, what is the concerned pet owner to do? As in all other important decisions in life, gathering information and applying reason is the best way to the best answer. This process is even more important in food decisions because health is at issue.

Ultimately a pet food can be no better than the competency and the principles of those producing it. Everything flows from that. If the pet food producer’s main objective is profit, then health will be a secondary consideration. Evaluating manufacturers, therefore, becomes the most critical element in making pet feeding choices. The following criteria will help you in this evaluation.

1. PET HEALTH PHILOSOPHY: Does the literature and pet health philosophy make sense and clearly put pet health as the number one priority, or is the primary objective marketing and sales?

2. LEADER CREDENTIALS: What are the credentials, experience and accomplishments of the people in charge? Is the leader a marketing person, a board of directors concerned primarily about profits, or someone competent in health and nutrition?

3. PET HEALTH INFORMATION LITERATURE: Read their literature, don’t just test feed the product or read package labels. Is their literature mere marketing claims, or do they educate and provide logical and documented scientific proof for the rationale of their product? Additionally, do they propose that the only way to pet health is through feeding their products? If so, be assured that they are lying...

4. MANUFACTURING CONTROL: Find out if the pet food company marketing the product is also the owner of the company manufacturing it or in close control of formulations and manufacturing parameters. Consider that anyone off the street can go to any number of pet food manufacturers and have them make a food (such contract manufacturers have files full of ready-to-go formulas), add micro amounts of “special” ingredients, create a new label and then make unsubstantiated claims about the superiority of the “revolutionary new” product.

5. THE “100% COMPLETE & BALANCED PET FOOD” MYTH: Does the company promote the claim of “100% complete and balanced?” This claim is a myth and is directly responsible for far-reaching nutritional diseases in pets. Use of the claim proves a manufacturer does not properly understand animal nutrition and pet health and is under the mistaken (but profitable, since it misleads consumers into thinking they should feed only their processed food) view that manufactured foods can be perfect.

6. FADS OVER FACTS: Does the company follow fads or does it lead with solid responsible information? Fads include high fiber, low cholesterol, low fat, “natural,” no preservatives, four food groups, high protein and the like. Such singular focus on faddish pet food fallacies demonstrates either an incomplete understanding of nutrition or a motive to profit from misinformed consumers.

7. INGREDIENT BOOGEYMEN: Does the company incite fear mongering about “boogeyman” ingredients? Current examples of such nutritional boogiemen include: soy, corn, wheat, fat, “by-products,” seaweed, ash, meat meal, yeast and magnesium. Popular misconceptions, dubious field reports and poorly conducted science lie at the base of such beliefs. If a pet food company uses such fallacies to promote their products, they either do not understand pet nutrition or desire to play on popular ignorance for financial gain.

8. FOODS AS DRUGS: Since the body can only experience health and healing from natural foods and a natural environmental context, it is presumptuous to claim a processed, manipulated, fraction-based food can do it better. In fact, such fabricated foods may create serious side effects and are far inferior to whole natural nutrition. Pet food producers who create and promote such foods attempt to capitalize on the awe of supposed advanced manufacturing technology and medicine. The illusion is created that a processed pet food, just because it is promoted like a prescription drug, is somehow high-tech and scientific, when in fact it may be no more so than most other processed pet foods.

9. COSMETICS OVER PET NUTRITION: Most pet food producers target food cosmetics rather than real nutrition. Flavors, shapes, packaging, bonuses, discounts, coupons, pricing, guarantees and the like are essentially unrelated to health and nutrition. Emphasis on such features should alert the consumer that the producer may be interested primarily in mass marketing, not serious pet health and nutrition.

10. INNOVATION: Since nutritional science is a rapidly growing and expanding field of knowledge, a producer truly interested in pet health should be highly innovative. Adapting new knowledge to formulations, processing, packaging and storage should be ongoing and these innovations should be clearly communicated to consumers. Most pet food companies don’t lead, they follow. Consumers would be wise to follow leaders, now followers.
We invite your comparison.

Freeze Dried Raw Pet Food Recall - Nature's Variety

2009-06-14T20:41:00.002-05:00

Freeze Dried Raw Product

Nature's Variety News - June 12, 2009

Nature’s Variety recently identified two lots of Freeze Dried product that didn’t meet our quality standards. These products do not represent a health hazard to your pet. We have voluntarily withdrawn distribution of these specific products:

Freeze Dried Raw Chicken Formula (UPC # 69949 60151) with a “best if used by” date of 05/25/10
Freeze Dried Raw Beef Formula (UPC # 69949 60251) with a “best if used by” date of 05/25/10

From the Nature's Variety site:

Our distributor and retailer partners have kept control of these products, and because we retrieved these products so quickly, it is very unlikely that you purchased this batch of food. If, however, you believe you may have purchased one of these products, you may contact Nature’s Variety at 1.888.519.PETS (7387) for a full refund or replacement.

We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us by clicking CONTACT US at the top of this page, or call our Customer Service Team directly at 1.888.519.PETS. We will be happy to respond to you as quickly as possible.

Our Commitment to Quality
At Nature’s Variety, we’re committed to product quality. Our team is passionate about providing nutritious products, formulated with high quality meat, poultry, and fish protein. Our Quality Assurance Team takes extra care to ensure the wholesomeness of our premium foods.

Nature’s Variety has and will continue to enforce strict quality standards as we offer our nutritious foods to your special pet. Thank you for your continued trust in Nature’s Variety. Be assured, your pet’s health and happiness is our first priority.

Dog Skin Problems Cures

2009-06-08T19:09:00.003-05:00

If your furry friend suffers from Hot Spots, Flea Bites, Mosquito Bites, Spider Bites, Eczema, Skin Rashes, Blisters, Chronic Scratching, A Dull Coat, Dry, Itchy, Flaky Skin, Scabbing, Split Pads, Acne or Burns, this is an important message for you...

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If you've had ever had a dog with a skin or coat problem, you know the frustration when the prescribed method of treatment does not work, or ends up doing more harm than healing (we all know about the dangerous side effects of drugs).

The honest-to-goodness truth is, the most effective remedies are ones that work with your dog's natural healing processes, not against them. And when it comes to clearing up their skin and coat, there's only one totally natural, 100% organic product on the market that is guaranteed to help clear up the 17 most common canine skin and coat problems out there...

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Dog Whisperer Training Not For All Dogs

2009-05-27T16:16:00.006-05:00

Before you listen to the TV dog trainers and try what they teach - think again and please read this new study.

A new study shows how the behaviour of dogs has been misunderstood for generations: in fact using misplaced ideas about dog behaviour and training is likely to cause rather than cure unwanted behaviour. The findings challenge many of the dominance related interpretations of behaviour and training techniques suggested by current TV dog trainers.

Contrary to popular belief, aggressive dogs are NOT trying to assert their dominance over their canine or human “pack”, according to research published by academics at the University of Bristol’s Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.

The researchers spent six months studying dogs freely interacting at a Dogs Trust rehoming centre, and reanalysing data from studies of feral dogs, before concluding that individual relationships between dogs are learnt through experience rather than motivated by a desire to assert “dominance”.

The study shows that dogs are not motivated by maintaining their place in the pecking order of their pack, as many well-known dog trainers preach.

Far from being helpful, the academics say, training approaches aimed at “dominance reduction” vary from being worthless in treatment to being actually dangerous and likely to make behaviours worse.

Instructing owners to eat before their dog or go through doors first will not influence the dog’s overall perception of the relationship – merely teach them what to expect in these specific situations. Much worse, techniques such as pinning the dog to the floor, grabbing jowls, or blasting hooters at dogs will make dogs anxious, often about their owner, and potentially lead to an escalation of aggression.

Dr Rachel Casey, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol University, said: “The blanket assumption that every dog is motivated by some innate desire to control people and other dogs is frankly ridiculous. It hugely underestimates the complex communicative and learning abilities of dogs. It also leads to the use of coercive training techniques, which compromise welfare, and actually cause problem behaviours.

“In our referral clinic we very often see dogs which have learnt to show aggression to avoid anticipated punishment. Owners are often horrified when we explain that their dog is terrified of them, and is showing aggression because of the techniques they have used – but its not their fault when they have been advised to do so, or watched unqualified ‘behaviourists’ recommending such techniques on TV.”

At Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, rehoming centre staff see the results of misguided dog training all the time. Veterinary Director Chris Laurence MBE, added: “We can tell when a dog comes in to us which has been subjected to the ‘dominance reduction technique’ so beloved of TV dog trainers. They can be very fearful, which can lead to aggression towards people.

“Sadly, many techniques used to teach a dog that his owner is leader of the pack is counter-productive; you won’t get a better behaved dog, but you will either end up with a dog so fearful it has suppressed all its natural behaviours and will just do nothing, or one so aggressive it’s dangerous to be around.” Source ScienceDaily

Nutro Cat Food Recall

2009-05-21T14:36:00.003-05:00

Nutro Products Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Range of Dry Cat Food Products
Contact:
Monica Barrett
Nutro Products, Inc.
(615) 628-5387
monica.barrett@effem.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Franklin, Tennessee (May 21, 2009) -- Today, Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO® dry cat food.

This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier. An extensive review confirmed that only these two premixes were affected. This recall does not affect any NUTRO® dog food products, wet dog or cat food, or dog and cat treats.

Affected product was distributed to retail customers in all 50 states, as well as to customers in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Israel. We are working with all of our distributors and retail customers, in both the US and internationally, to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or distributed further.

Consumers who have purchased affected product should immediately discontinue feeding the product to their cats, and switch to another product with a balanced nutritional profile. While we have received no consumer complaints related to this issue, cat owners should monitor their cat for symptoms, including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If your cat is experiencing health issues or is pregnant, please contact your veterinarian.

Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® dry cat food product. Cat owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST, or visit www.nutroproducts.com.

Recalled Pet Food

The varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods listed below with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010 are affected by this voluntary recall.

Nutro Products Recall List – Dry Cat Foods

U.S. Product Name
Bag Size
UPC

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food
4 lbs
0 79105 20607 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food
8 lbs.
0 79105 20608 2

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food (Bonus Bag)
9.2 lbs.
0 79105 20695 2

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food
20 lbs
0 79105 20609 9

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food (Sample Bag)
1.5 oz
none

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult
4 lbs
0 79105 20610 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult
8 lbs.
0 79105 20611 2

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult (Bonus Bag)
9.2 lbs
0 79105 20694 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult
20 lbs
0 79105 20612 9

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult (Sample Bag)
1.5 oz
none

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor
4 lbs
0 79105 20622 8

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor
8 lbs
0 79105 20623 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor (Bonus Bag)
9.2 lbs.
0 79105 20698 3

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor
20 lbs
0 79105 20624 2

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
3 lbs
0 79105 10228 5

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
6 lbs
0 79105 10229 2

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
16 lbs
0 79105 10230 8

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor (Sample Bag)
1.5 oz
none

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
3 lbs
0 79105 10243 8

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
6 lbs
0 79105 10244 5

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
16 lbs
0 79105 10245 2

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor (Sample Bag)
1.5 oz
none

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor
3 lbs
0 79105 10246 9

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor
6 lbs
0 79105 10247 6

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor
16 lbs
0 79105 10248 3

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control
3 lbs
0 79105 10249 0

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control
6 lbs
0 79105 10250 6

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control
16 lbs
0 79105 10251 3

Elite Animals Gets Puppies From "Puppy Factory"

2009-05-21T10:02:00.004-05:00

Elite Animals of West Hollywood Meet with Animal Protection Movement Leaders at City Hall

Companion Animal Protection Society’s Along with Animal Activists Believe that Elite Animals is Selling Pet Factory Animals and Defrauding Consumers

(Los Angeles, CA) – On Tuesday May 12, 2009 there was a meeting between Isabella Stroshnoy, the owner of Elite Animals and members of the animal protection movement at West Hollywood's City Hall. The Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) presented evidence of a puppy mill in Minnesota that supplies Elite Animals. The organizations that participated were CAPS, The Animal Legal Defense Fund, IDA, Best Friends Animal Society, The Amanda Foundation and Strangest Angels Rescue.

The evidence presented was from a CAPS investigation of a particularly cruel puppy mill in Minnesota — a puppy factory that Elite Animals admits it purchases dogs from. The evidence included graphic photographs of dogs suffering in enclosures filled with urine and feces, subject to rusted wire flooring, injured with wounds and infections. The dogs had attempted to chew their way out of the wooden whelping boxes. Many of the dogs were exposed to the elements and water containers had a thick layer of algae.

In addition to gruesome photographs from the mill, evidence of repeated incidents of non-compliance from USDA inspection reports were presented. Also disclosed were reports gathered by Pet Shop Puppies that were linked exclusively to the mill that supplies Elite Animals. The consumer reports regarding dogs from the mill in Minnesota stated dogs had congenital malformations, severe illnesses and some of the cases claimed that several dogs were so sick they had to be euthanized.

Elite Animals is violating a federal law from the Farm Bill which was passed in 2008. This law forbids the importation of live dogs into the United States from overseas for resale if the dogs are under the age of six months. Elite Animals has repeatedly offered to sell eight week-old puppies imported from Russia to CAPS undercover investigators posing as customers. Elite Animals told CAPS investigators that the dogs they sell in the store were "raised in a house" and "not from a puppy mill."

A verbal agreement was reached with Elite Animals that they would cease buying dogs while they considered the idea of converting to a humane business model. Elite Animals has agreed to provide CAPS and the Animal Legal Defense Fund with the list of breeders supplying the store for the ongoing investigation. This information should have been posted on the outside of the enclosures of the puppies in the store according to California law. Elite Animals was in non-compliance with the California puppy lemon law.

Teri Austin, president of the Amanda Foundation, an established rescue organization in Los Angeles, agreed to meet with owners of Elite Animals next week to discuss the possibility of an arrangement to hold adoptions at the store. Once Elite Animals has ceased importing animals or buying animals from factories, discussions might evolve on creating a humane business model for the store. The details for such an arrangement would be based on a binding legal agreement between Elite Animals and CAPS to stop buying, breeding or importing animals. Leaders of the animal protection movement as well as the dozens of activists who support the anti-puppy mill campaign are hopeful such a deal can be reached.

“It's disappointing that during this economic crisis when people are losing their jobs, their homes and being forced to give up their pets at shelters, some people are still buying $1000 dogs. People could be giving back to the community by relieving our municipal shelters and adopting a pet. This is a new era of social responsibility and these people could be giving that $1000 to a family in need. Furthermore, pet stores, whether they are bricks and mortar or Internet pet stores, lie. Behind the pretty store front and the attractive Web sites is the ugly reality that the puppy's parents are suffering in a canine supermax prison, never to get out alive, being forced to breed in a cage until death. Elite Animals is a particularly egregious case. Not only are they supplied by one of the worst puppy mills in the U.S., they are breaking a federal law by importing and selling underage puppies from Russia. We've got millions of abandoned dogs who need families right here at home. What we need from Russia is friendship and a shared commitment to controlling nuclear weapons, not more dogs to kill in our shelters. We need dogs from Russia like we need a hole in the head." - Carole Raphaelle Davis is the author of “The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife”, reporter for American Dog Magazine and West Coast Director of the Companion Animal Protection Society.

For more information on the Companion Animal Protection Society please contact President Deborah Howard at 781-210-0938 or visit caps-web.org. For local [California] information please contact Carole Raphaelle Davis at 310-990-5758 or hollywoodjinky@gmail.com. For media inquires please contact Anny Deirmenjian at 781.721.4624.

###

About Companion Animal Protection Society:
Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting companions from cruelty and inhumane breeding practices in pet shops and puppy mills. Founded in 1992, CAPS addresses this issue through investigations, education and outreach, media relations, legislative involvement, puppy mill dog rescues, consumer assistance, and pet industry employee relations. Congressional oversight hearings targeting the USDA’s failure to enforce the Animal Welfare Act are one of CAPS’ major goals. CAPS has gained worldwide recognition for shutting down puppy mills and converting pet shops to humane animal adoption centers. For more information on the Companion Animal Protection Society, please visit www.caps-web.org.

Anny Deirmenjian
Account Manager
Image Unlimited Communications, Ltd.
28 Church Street, Suite 9
Winchester, MA 01890
P. 781-721-IMAGE (4624)
C. 617.851.9315
F. 781-721-0066
www.imageunlimited-boston.com
http://twitter.com/ImageUnlimited1

Why Ban Greyhound Racing?

2009-05-20T12:35:00.004-05:00

Greyhounds are dogs not racing machines.

"The killing will never stop until people realize that it is the 'business' of greyhound racing which fosters and perpetuates the cruelty, no matter how hard they try to separate themselves from it. And it's just that simple. The cruelty will never end until greyhound racing is out of business."
Gary E. Dungan Executive Director The Humane Society of Tucson Tucson, Arizona

Sadly, greyhound racing is not a "sport" about fast dogs, but a state-sanctioned form of gambling ruled by profit. It is inherently cruel to a gentle and ancient breed of dog once favored by nobility.

When greyhounds do not run profitably, they are of little use to the racing business. Thousands of greyhounds are killed each year in the United States alone. Despite racing industry propaganda, there are simply not enough homes for all the discarded greyhounds.

The discards of an American business.

Since 1990, there have been more than 51 media-documented cases of mistreatment of greyhounds, collectively involving thousands of dogs. These cases include greyhounds shot, abandoned, left starving in their crates, sold for medical experimentation, and even electrocuted.

Those greyhounds lucky enough to make it to a racetrack typically live in crates for 18-20 hours per day with exercise limited to only every fourth day or so when they race. Some are left muzzled almost constantly. The dogs are often fed raw meat from diseased livestock rejected by the USDA.

It is virtually impossible to regulate greyhound racing to ensure humane conditions for the dogs.

Individual state regulations are of little use because a dog may be bred/trained in one location and then race in several different states. More importantly, economic interests always stand to prevail over any regulations or concern for the dogs. At some tracks, owners/trainers of unprofitable kennels barely have enough money to feed racers, much less provide medical treatment or humane death.

In other instances, trainers are afraid to speak out about abusive situations or poor conditions for fear that they will lose their jobs. All parties involved with the dog racing industry - including track owners, state governments, and even some greyhound adoption groups - have a monetary incentive to cover-up or ignore abuses and to keep secret the massive numbers of dogs killed annually.

© Copyright 1997-2002 Greyhound Protection League

The ugly truth behind greyhound racing. These were dogs brought to be killed at a shelter at the end of the season because they were no longer of use for dog racing.

Grapefruit Seed Extract for Dog Bad Breath

2009-05-14T11:43:00.004-05:00

I have two Shelties and a cat with very bad breath. I usually take them in for teeth cleanings but I know with the economy being bad many people (like me) are looking for effective treatments at a lower cost.

We all love our pets, but adult dogs do not have that wonderful puppy breath. And more importantly, the bacteria that causes bad breath and periodontal disease can actually shorten your dog's or cat's lifespan.

I use a natural product in the pets drinking water. It's Grapefruit Seed Extract.
Non-toxic and safe for my pets and it really takes care of the doggy breath (and fishy cat breath). I mix 10 drops in a gallon jug of filtered water and use this for my pets drinking water. I marked the jug with Pet's Drinking Water so anyone in the family can top the pet water dish off. It has no taste when diluted like this. Never use undiluted!

I use it as a mouth rinse myself. I dilute 4 drops in about 3 tsp of warm water, swish and swallow. I don't like the taste at all so I make sure I have it mixed well and with enough warm water. The pets don't notice any taste or smell in their water. I haven't tried this but you can mix a few drops in water and use it for a doggy mouth spray or tooth paste.

Grapefruit seed extract combines very well with other natural remedies. It is a great team player and seems to augment the activity of other medicinal herbs. Homeopaths particularly value it because is does not interfere with the activity of homeopathic remedies.

Regular teeth cleanings are important for you pets. Periodontal disease has been called the 'silent killer of pets', and proper oral health care may actually extend the life of your pet by 2 to 5 years. It's estimated that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of 3 suffer from periodontal disease, a serious deterioration of the gums and supporting bones of the teeth. Left unchecked, resulting bacteria can enter your pet's bloodstream, causing infection or damage to vital organs such as kidneys, lungs, heart, or liver.

You can find the Grapefruit Seed Extract from Natural Food Stores or from many online sources. I bought mine here, iherb.com. Use this code OBI850 and get $5 off your first order so you can get the GSE for less than $9.

I have also used products from Native Remedies and they do work with a higher price tag.
Get more info on Gumz-n-Teeth to prevent pet gingivitis.

There are so many uses for Grapefruit Seed Extract and I will write more but this post is about using it as part of your pets oral hygiene care.

No Kill Conference for Animal Shelters

2009-05-14T04:19:00.001-05:00

Reflections from the No Kill Conference in Washington DC

Why death rates in animal shelters have been cut nation-wide by 85% since the 1970's and why Minnesota shelters keep on killing
by Mike Fry

Today marks the beginning of Be Kind to Animals Week and as I sit down to write this, I am both physically exhausted and incredibly inspired. I returned yesterday from Washington DC where I attended and presented at the No Kill Conference. Coordinated by the No Kill Advocacy Center and hosted by the George Washington School of Law, this event featured dynamic presentations from some of our nation's leading animal welfare advocates working in the legal and sheltering fields to end the systematic killing of animals in animal shelters.

The event was energizing, inspiring, informative and just plain fun, with hundreds of attendees packing the presentations to standing-room-only.

During the keynote address, Richard Avanzino, thought by many to be the founder of the national no kill movement in the United States, presented some remarkable statistics. Avanzino was the Executive Director at the San Francisco SPCA when that city virtually ended the killing of healthy dogs and cats. He is now the President of Maddie's Fund, the World's largest animal welfare foundation. Maddie's Fund focuses its resources on helping communities achieve similar, and in some cases, even better results, than were achieved in San Francisco.

Avanzino presented statistics of shelter deaths nationally since the 1970's, when our nation's animal control and animal welfare organizations were killing, on average, about 115 dogs and cats annually for every 1,000 human residents (or about 24 million deaths). Last year, deaths at these facilities were down to about 12 per thousand humans (or about 3.6 million deaths). That is a reduction in killing of 85%.

While that is certainly wonderful news, I could not help but reflect on the fact that, in Minnesota, things have not gone so well. In fact, in the Twin Cities, animal shelters are still killing about the same number of dogs and cats as they were in the 1970's. While shelters around the country have been implementing and embracing the various programs and services generally referred to as The No Kill Equation, Minnesota's largest shelters have not. In fact, Minnesota's wealthiest animal shelter (annual budget in excess of $11 million) has suggested they cannot implement these programs for a variety of reasons. They have gone so far as to suggest that some are illegal, when they are not. They have said of others that they lack the resources to implement them, in spite of having millions of dollars in reserves. Other critical aspects of the No Kill Equation, they have said, are "not a priority" for them. As a result, the Animal Humane Society annually continues to unnecessarily kill between 14,000 and 16,000 dogs and cats each year. In total, shelter deaths in Twin Cities metro area shelters are about 3 times the national average, in spite of being home to one of the wealthiest animal shelters in the nation.

It is also worth pointing out that admissions to animal shelters in the Twin Cities are actually lower than the national average, providing further evidence that the overwhelming majority of these deaths are unnecessary.

According to Nathan Winograd, founder of the No Kill Advocacy Center and Avanzino, that reality is going to have to change.

The American public, they say, is filled with animal-lovers who want change. And, ironically, it has been these animal welfare advocates, often working at the grass-roots level, that have brought about much of the positive change in our country. They say that many donors are actually more advanced in their thinking than some animal welfare organizations themselves.
They also state that because of new technologies like YouTube, Twitter and FaceBook, these grass-roots animal welfare advocates are gaining a louder voice.

Take, for example a petition that was recently posted online. The petition is calling for the resignation of the CEO and COO of the Animal Humane Society. The petition cites the unnecessarily high kill rate for this organization as the primary rationale for this demand. Though only recently posted, the petition has already gathered nearly 1100 signatures from Minnesota and far beyond.

This educated and passionate public is the primary reason Windograd and Avanzino give for a wave of successes sweeping the nation. "The American public is ahead of the animal welfare movement on this issue," said Avanzino. "People have a right to demand the organizations they support live up to their mission of saving every life they can. And, animal welfare advocates are doing just that."

These are some of the reasons Avanzino states that a no kill nation is not only inevitable, it is imminent. Data from multiple sources indicates that the USA will achieve no kill status by 2015. In examining the evidence presented at the No Kill Conference, I believe that to be true. During the next 6 years, leadership at organizations that fail to fully embrace the new paradigm of life-saving will be replaced by a new generation of leadership.

The no kill revolution is marching on!

14,500 Unnecessary Deaths by Animal Humane Society in Minnesota

2009-05-13T15:10:00.003-05:00

14,500 Unnecessary Deaths by AHS in Minnesota - Please help these pets live - Sign a petition that gives the animals right to live back. Is that too much to ask for? The dogs and cats don't understand why they ended up at the shelter and now they don't even have a chance to find a new home, they just die!

You do not have to live in Minnesota to help the animals - Go here.

Sponsored by: Animal Advocates in MN
Over 36,000 animals were taken into the Animal Humane Society of Minnesota and nearly half of them were destroyed. The AHS of Minnesota is a non-profit 501(c)3 and is now a collaborative of 5 agencies throughout the Twin Cities. A budget of an astonishing $11 million was collected by AHS from a number of sources none of which include government funding in 2007. They have also ventured into "for profit" business in the past year to raise even more money. The AHS needs to be restructured immediately and we are calling for the resignation of the CEO, Janelle Dixon and COO, Ray Aboyan. Under the direction of Janelle Dixon and Ray Aboyan, AHS destroyed over 14,500 animals for various reasons. Please sign this petition to save animals from the Animal Humane Society of Minnesota and it's current administration.

According to Janelle Dixon, CEO of AHS, the explanation of the more than 14,500 "humane deaths" by AHS included:
19% were owner requested
30% health of the animal
42% behavior/temperament (including animals that were just shy)
5% lack of space in the AHS for cats and other small animals
4% un-weaned babies with low survival rate.

Some simple math paints a troubling picture. If we remove from the total the 19% "owner requested" we are left with around 11,700 animals. We know from other publications that around 94% of the euthanized animals are dogs and cats. This means that around 11,200 cats and dogs were killed under the discretion of AHS reasons ranging from "un-weaned babies" (labor intensive), "health of the animal" (often very treatable illness), "behavior/temperament of the animal" (using very suspect criteria streamlined to pass only the most easily adoptable animals), and "lack of space in the AHS" (obviously relieved by working with rescues).

All of these numbers could be dramatically lowered or eliminated. Rescues and other groups throughout Minnesota could help these numbers decrease and save these special lives. AHS will not encourage this collaboration as they made over $2 million in revenue through their own adoptions and simply destroyed the other animals instead of making them available to rescues.

The AHS of Minnesota has one of the highest kill rates of non-profit kill shelters in the US and still manages to try and defend their actions by saying they had to do it. The 5 Animal Humane Society branches in the Twin Cities run by CEO, Janelle Dixon, according to their own numbers, euthanized an average of over 30 animals every day for a year. There are rescues who are willing to take most, if not all, of the animals. They only sent 43 animals to rescues over an 8 month period last year and still claim to work with dozens of rescues. In 2007 AHS made over $11 million. They paid 157 full-time, 98 part-time employees, almost $6 million (more than half of what they made). They also had 1,550 volunteers that put in over 100,000 hours of volunteer time - and they still did NOT save the animals.

The AHS of Minnesota under current management is destroying far more animals than it should. The Board of Directors should be ashamed of this catastrophe. The animals deserve better and people that care need to help them. Please sign this petition asking for the resignation of the AHS CEO - Janelle Dixon and COO - Ray Aboyan. An immediate restructuring of the Animal Humane Society in Minnesota needs to take place if there is any hope of stopping their killing of vulnerable companion animals.
To speak directly to Janelle Dixon of AHS call her at 763-522-4325.

Please help the animals. Make the greed stop at this shelter and let the pets live and find a good home! You do not have to live in Minnesota to help the animals - Go here.

The Visiting Dog ~ Cute Story

2009-05-12T12:46:00.004-05:00

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.
I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.

He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head;
he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the
hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard,
walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.
This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar:
'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is
and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep.
Can I come with him tomorrow?'

Credit for this story goes to an email I received from a dear dog lover friend. I wish I knew the original author so I could give due credit!

Heartworm Prevention Season

2009-05-11T10:01:00.003-05:00

It's almost time to start the dog's on their heartworm preventive for the summer. I've grown more concerned about giving my animals drugs and exposing them to chemicals. After much research I've decided it's best to give my dogs the preventive - but on my terms not just what the vet suggests.

The chemicals used to prevent heartworm are extremely effective and can save dogs from difficult, unpleasant and potentially dangerous treatment. However, many veterinarians recommend treatment schedules year round or for many months longer than nessary or even advised by the American Heartworm Society (AHS).

The Heartworm Season Varies By Climate

The transmissibility season for heartworm is determined by temperature. In order for the larvae of the heartworm, carried by mosquitoes, to be transmitted to a dog, the temperature must be at least 60 degrees for a month. (I don't think we will have a month of above 60 degrees here this year!)

When I lived in Texas, the heartworm season was quite long so I did give my dogs preventive year round.

In Minnesota, the temperature necessary for transmission of heartworm is not usually reached at night until June or later. The beginning of the season is not likely to be earlier than June 1 in most years, and perhaps later, even though mosquitoes may be present. Temperatures begin to drop at night by September. And, the season will certainly be over the next month, although you may still see mosquitoes.

Preventatives Kill Heartworm Larvae

The chemicals used to control heartworm are called preventatives, but when we use them, we are actually treating larvae. Think of it this way: The chemicals kill the larvae your dog may have picked up in the period since the last dosage.

The monthly drugs you can use include Ivermectin (Heartgard or Iverheart), Milbemycin (Interceptor) or and Selamectin (Revolution).

I keep the monthly preventive as simple as possible. I buy products that specifically prevents heartworm, rather than a silver bullet that treats everything. Some manufacturers formulate products that combine heartworm prevention with worming medication, flea, tick and mange medication, just in case your dog may encounter these parasites.

That just-in-case scenario is not good enough to put a multitude of toxic chemicals into your dog's body. Plain Ivermectin (Heartguard) is the simplest choice, and the safest for most dogs, though certain breeds have shown some sensitivity to it. We recommend you discuss the least toxic options for your pet with your holistic veterinarian.

My dogs eat anything and are not picky about their "treats." It's still best to keep an eye on your dog for a while afterward to make sure he doesn't spit the heartworm preventive out.

When to Start and End Medication

To determine the best time to test for heartworm, read the guidelines posted on the AHS Web site. Each geographic area is different.

So, you've had your dog tested this spring, and she's clear of heartworms. How do you know when to start the preventative?

Heartworm is not transmissible from mosquitoes to dogs until the weather is quite settled and warm, and the medications work on larvae acquired after the season starts. The time to start recommended by the AHS is a month after the transmissibility season begins.

The chemicals used for monthly prophylaxis are effective for at least six weeks.

Only give the amount your dog needs by taking a minute to mark the due dates on your calendar to save your dogs unnecessary chemical exposure.

Holistic veterinarians often recommend the first dose be given a month after the season begins (dealing with any larva which may have been acquired and allowing for a little overlap) and every six weeks after that, until the end of the season. The AHS recommends the last dose be given within a month after the season ends.

How many doses will your dog need?
I give at most four doses to my dogs (July 1 Aug. 15, Oct. 1 and Nov. 15). If I started May 15, the last dose would be Oct. 1. Close attention to the weather, particularly night temperatures, will give you excellent information about when to start.

Protecting The Liver

Some dog owners prefer more holistic, natural options, like herbal or homeopathic remedies. If you want to stay away from traditional heartworm preventives, it's imperative your animals be under the care and supervision of a veterinarian with expertise in this area. Don't take chances.

Holistic veterinarians often recommend herbal support for the liver following preventive such as a daily dose of milk thistle for the week following each treatment. Milk thistle supports the liver as it metabolizes the medication and aids in the body's detox processes.

Having the perfect balance with the smallest amount of preventive for the shortest amount of time is key for your dog's health and well being. This balance provides the best solution to a major health threat, with the minimum amount of medication, followed by appropriate detoxification.

Balance with natural diet, exercise and health check-ups make your dog's health and well-being better!

Adopt this sweet Sheltie - Minnesota

2009-05-07T17:08:00.003-05:00

I have a PetFinder widget on my blog and I look at the dogs up for adoption everyday. This will be in the Minnesota region. That is how I came across Santana a lovely Sheltie mix girl. See her and other dogs on PetFinder.

Santana is a 7-8 year old, 36 lb. Sheltie mix, possibly with Border Collie. Her background is a mystery since she came to the rescue group as a stray. You can tell from the pictures that her eyes are clouded over with cataracts - we were hopeful that she would be a surgical candidate to have the cataracts removed to restore some eyesight to this sweet, blind dog, but the news was not good - retinal atrophy caused the cataracts and she won't benefit from surgery.

Most dogs with retinal degeneration can lead a normal, happy life, according to the canine opthalmologist who performed her eye exam. This is a stable condition and Dr. Olivera recommends checking for inflammation during her yearly physical exam. There currently are no signs of inflammation, but she would only require some eye drops should she have any inflammation at some point. O

nce she is in her environment, she can map it out and she gets around amazingly well by memory and using her other senses. There are many blind dog resources available, such as www.blinddogs.com and www.blinddogs.net. It’s important to keep her environment consistent (don't rearrange the furniture, etc.).

Like all dogs, Santana would just like to have a safe home where she will be loved and adored like she deserves to be! Santana is calm and good-natured. She rarely barks (a big plus!) and usually only if she’s around a dog she doesn’t know. It’s almost like she’s trying to tell them she’s not vulnerable. She’ll also bark when the activity level around her is really high, or if she gets really excited, and even then she only lets out 3 or 4 barks.

She does well with the cat and dog in her foster home, although she does not seek interaction with them. She prefers her people! She does great with respectful children ages 6 yr and up. Because she can’t see you, it helps Santana to be able to sense your presence or hear you. She’ll be your little shadow! She’s so affectionate and just craves attention.

She walks well on a leash and enjoys taking walks. A fenced yard is strongly recommended to ensure Santana’s safety - especially if you live on a busy street with a lot of traffic.

We believe Santana may have had some sort of injury to her hind end, as she can’t lift up or wag her tail, but she shows that she is happy to be with you in many other ways!

She’s not familiar with obedience commands at this point, but responds very well to a whistle. Blind dogs are trainable, just like any dog. Please visit the websites mentioned above for more information. Santana is reliably housetrained. She doesn’t signal when she needs to go out, but is kept on a consistent schedule. She is crate-trained and also does well left out with the run of the house.

She tolerates baths and loves to be brushed. She enjoys car rides, especially because she gets to be with you! Santana is spayed, current on vaccination and heartworm negative. Her adoption fee is $50. She’s such a sweet, loving angel, and cute as a button to boot! If you would like to welcome this little darling into your heart and your home, please contact us at 651-771-5662.

Petland Puppy Mills

2009-05-06T14:23:00.003-05:00

Rally This Weekend For Dog Moms - Source HSUS
May 5, 2009

Did you know that there are dog moms all across the country who are trapped in cages for years and years who will never know a happy Mother's Day? These moms live in puppy mills, mass-breeding facilities that raise dogs in shockingly poor conditions with little hope of ever becoming part of a family.

This Mother's Day weekend, we're rallying for these moms, with the goal of creating better futures for all dogs like them. We hope you'll join us at a Petland near you.

Rally For Moms
Animal protection advocates will assemble for the third time this year at Petland retail stores across the country Saturday, May 9 to call for the nation's largest chain of puppy selling pet stores to stop supporting puppy mills.

Join Us at a Rally
Find a Petland near you»Stop Selling Puppies!

Advocates will urge Petland to stop supporting the cruel puppy mill industry through the chain's puppy sales, and instead create an adoption program similar to other large pet supply retailers like PETCO and PetSmart.

In March, demonstraters crowded the sidewalks in front of 30 different Petland stores from coast to coast to tell the comapny to stop selling puppies.The InvestigationIn November, The Humane Society of the United States revealed the results of an eight-month investigation of Petland Inc. The HSUS investigation revealed that Petland is the nation's largest retail chain purchasing dogs from puppy mills.

Our March demonstrations were followed by a nationwide class-action consumer lawsuit filed against Petland and the Hunte Corporation by HSUS members and other consumers.

Can't Make It?
Can't make a rally this weekend? Don't live near a rally site? You can still help by encouraging your local pet store them to become puppy friendly.
How to approach your store»Download the invitation »Download the pledge »

Good News
In late April, life got better for dogs in Indiana when the state
passed new legislation (H.E.A. 1468) that provides upgraded penalties for animal abuse, and basic care standards for dogs at puppy mills.

The new legislation requires that dogs in puppy mills be let out of their cages at least once per day for exercise and increases the minimum cage size and bans painful wire cage flooring. These protections will curb some of the worst abuses at large-scale puppy mills and do not affect responsible home breeders who already raise dogs humanely.

Pet Microchips

2009-05-06T14:12:00.003-05:00

Microchips: Common Questions

George Bernard Shaw once quipped, "Science … never solves a problem without creating ten more." Well, microchipping pets hasn't exactly created ten previously unknown problems, but the important new technology has left some pet owners scratching their heads like dogs. Particularly now that microchip manufacturers have developed competing technologies.
The brave new world of microchipping has left pet owners with questions. In this section, the experts at The HSUS answer them.

I have heard there are problems with microchipping pets. What are the issues surrounding microchipping?

Microchipping is a great tool to help you reunite with a lost pet; however, it is not foolproof. When a lost pet is picked up by an animal control officer or is taken to an animal shelter or humane society, the professionals there will scan the animal using a handheld scanner, which will let them know if a microchip has been implanted. The microchip implanted under the skin reflects the signal given by the scanner to provide a unique alpha numeric code, which is picked up when the animal is scanned. Microchips implanted in 2003 or earlier are generally readable by most shelters and veterinarians. Microchips that came into use in late 2003 are generally not readable by most shelters and veterinarians because the chips require different scanning technology. Microchip manufacturers have not yet provided shelters around the country with a scanner that reads all different types of microchips (called a "universal" scanner).

What is the problem for animal shelters and humane societies with different types of microchips available on the market?

Each company that manufactures microchips has its own scanners, and some of these scanners can only "read" their own microchip. In other words, in some instances, the scanner of one company may not be able to detect the microchip of another manufacturer, which would indicate to the shelter staff that the lost animal is not microchipped. Without the ability to use one scanner for all types of microchips, shelter staff would have to scan the animal, who may be fearful and difficult to handle, multiple times with each manufacturer's scanner. Additionally, some companies provide their scanners free to shelters, some do not. Without sufficient numbers of free scanners available to equip all animal control vehicles as well as shelters, microchipped animals may go unscanned by agencies, which can't afford to purchase multiple scanners from multiple manufacturers.

My animal has already been microchipped, how do I know if my local shelter will be able to read the information on it?

The only way to know for sure if your local animal care facilities have the ability to read the microchip implanted in your pet is to call them. Visit www.pets911.com, or check your local listings to find your local shelter.

My animal has not yet been microchipped. If I purchase one, how do I know if my local shelter will be able to read the information on it?

This is the responsibility of the business or group providing the microchip. Ask whether the chip being implanted in your pet is compatible with the readers in place in your community. If there is any question, call your local animal shelter to be sure.

What do I do if my local animal care facility cannot read the chip that is implanted in my pet?

Call the microchip manufacturer and ask that they send at least one scanner to your local facilities free of charge.

Why isn't there a scanner that can read all the different types of microchips?

Prior to late 2003, there was a universal scanner that could read all the chips in use in the United States. However, in late 2003, companies began selling chips with a new technology that could not be read by the previous universal scanner. To date, no microchip manufacturer has provided a truly "universal" scanner to read all currently available microchips. The technology to do this is available; the various companies manufacturing microchips must agree to share their technology to make this a reality.

What is The HSUS doing to help?

The HSUS has appealed to the microchip manufacturers to develop or modify existing scanners to make them capable of detecting all microchips, regardless of brand. The HSUS will continue to monitor the situation and assist in developing a long-term solution.

Given the present issues surrounding microchipping, should I microchip my pet?

Yes, microchipping provides an important safety net for your pet. However, before having a chip implanted, talk to your local shelter and/or animal control agency to make sure the type of microchip your vet is implanting can be read by the scanner being used by your local shelter.

How long do microchips last? Do they ever need to be replaced?

Microchips are designed to last the lifetime of a pet—a chip typically lasts at least 25 years. Chips do not need replacing. Once the microchip is implanted, it will remain there and active for the life of the pet.

What else can I do to ensure that my pet will be returned should he or she become lost?

All pets should wear identification tags at all times. Tags should include a local contact number, as well as a number for a friend or out-of-town relative. Proper identification tags are your pet's first ticket home if he becomes lost. Microchips provide an important extra level of protection in the event your pet becomes separated from his collar and tags. Providing your pet with both tags and a microchip can help ensure a happy reunion if the unthinkable happens: your beloved pet gets lost.

Updated Sept. 14, 2006

Visit HSUS for more great pet help.

Facts About Puppy Mills

2009-05-05T10:03:00.003-05:00

Image © The Humane Society of the United States.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PUPPY MILLS

Every year, millions of puppies are mass-produced at puppy mills. Most of these dogs are shipped to pet stores across the country. Many more are sold directly to the public, either through the Internet or newspaper ads. Pet stores are not required to inform their customers that their new dog came from a puppy mill, and classified ads are not obligated to tell potential buyers if the puppies they’re selling were born and raised in dismal conditions.

Even though most puppy mills are inspected and licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, loopholes in the system allow many mills to get away with poor living conditions for their dogs. The facilities where these puppies are bred are often filthy and overcrowded. Their construction usually consists of a number of small wooden or wire crates and cages that are stacked one on top of the other or cramped side by side. Some of the larger dogs in puppy mills, like those used only for breeding, are barely able to turn around in their tiny cages.

Because the dogs are often underfed and lack proper veterinary care, there are a number of medical issues commonly found in mill dogs, including epilepsy, cataracts, personality disorders, periodontal disease, and mammary tumors. Also, because the dogs receive little in the way of human companionship, their social skills are often lacking, making them problematic house pets.
Unfortunately, the shocking level of neglect and carelessness in puppy mills goes on mostly unhindered. The plight of mill dogs has yet to be resolved.

RESOURCES ABOUT PUPPY MILLS:

Last Chance for Animals

The Human Society of the United States

North Shore Animal League America

North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest animal rescue and adoption organization, has rescued, rehabilitated and found permanent homes for many victims of these cruel puppy mills, and offers a free Puppy Mill Behavior Profile and Pet Rehabilitation Guide.

Puppy mills thrive because they exist out of the public eye. Though they are legal, it's a breeding factory for puppies that has been the cause of many behavior and medical problems. Learn more about the undercover world of puppy mills.

Puppy mills are factory-like facilities that produce large numbers of purebred puppies.

Puppy mills use the internet and newspaper ads to sell directly to the public, as well as selling their puppies through pet stores.

According to The Humane Society of the United States, exhaustive documentation on the problems surrounding puppy mills include the following: “overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals.

Buying a dog from a puppy mill, either directly of indirectly, may likely lead to having an animal that will need urgent veterinary care or caring for whatever genetic diseases the animal may be carrying. These symptoms may not surface for several years into the animal’s life.

The greatest victims in the puppy mill problem are the breeding parents, because they will live their life in that cage and it generally ends fairly brutally.

There are about one to two hundred thousand dogs in puppy mills at any given time in the United States.

All breeds of dogs are at risk of being bred in a puppy mill; even larger ones like Saint Bernards.

It’s common to see chronic infection in puppy mills, such as chronic eye infections, chronic ear infections that lead to blindness and deafness. Dental disease is a also huge problem.

© The Humane Society of the United States.

Watch videos with Cesar Millan

More info National Geographic Channel

Bad Dog Training Makes Aggressive Dogs

2009-05-04T15:30:00.003-05:00

Dogs Are Aggressive If They Are Trained Badly

ScienceDaily (May 1, 2009) — Many dogs are put down or abandoned due to their violent nature, but contrary to popular belief, breed has little to do with a dog's aggressive behaviour compared to all the owner-dependant factors. This is shown in a new study from the University of Córdoba, which includes breeds that are considered aggressive by nature, such as the Rottweiler or the Pit Bull.

The conclusions, however, are surprising: it is the owners who are primarily responsible for attacks due to dominance or competition of their pets.

The research team from the University of Córdoba (UCO) has determined a series of external factors which are inherent to the dogs in order to understand their aggressiveness, and they have observed that external, modifiable and owner-dependent factors have a greater influence on the animals.

According to Joaquín Pérez-Guisado, the main author of the study and a researcher from the UCO, some of the factors that cause aggressiveness in dogs are: first-time dog ownership; failure to subject the dog to basic obedience training; spoiling or pampering the dog; not using physical punishment when it is required; buying a dog as a present, as a guard dog or on impulse; spaying female dogs; leaving the dog with a constant supply of food, or spending very little time with the dog in general and on its walks.

"Failure to observe all of these modifiable factors will encourage this type of aggressiveness and would conform to what we would colloquially call 'giving our dog a bad education'", Pérez-Guisado explains to SINC.

The study, which has recently been published in the Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, is based on the following fact: approximately 40% of dominance aggression in dogs is associated with a lack of authority on the part of the owners who have never performed basic obedience training with their pets or who have only carried out the bare minimum of training.

Breed has less influence on aggressiveness

The Spanish researchers studied 711 dogs (354 males and 357 females) of which 594 were purebred and 117 were half-breed dogs older than one year of age. Among the breeds observed were the Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Alsatian, the Boxer, the Rottweiler, the Doberman, as well as apparently more docile breeds such as the Dalmatian, the Irish Setter, the Golden Retriever, the Labrador Retriever, the Miniature Poodle, the Chihuahua, the Pekinese, or the French Bulldog, which also exhibit dominant behaviour.

According to Pérez-Guisado, certain breeds, male sex, a small size, or an age of between 5-7 years old are "the dog-dependent factors associated with greater dominance aggression". Nevertheless, these factors have "minimal effect" on whether the dog behaves aggressively. Factors linked to the owner's actions are more influential.

To correct the animal's behaviour, the owner should handle it appropriately and "re-establish dominance over the dog", the researcher adds. In terms of physical punishment, Pérez-Guisado points out that "this method cannot be used with all dogs given the danger involved, although it could be used to re-establish dominance over puppies or small and easy-to-control dogs". However, "it should never be used as justification for treating a dog brutally, since physical punishment should be used more as a way to frighten and demonstrate the dominance we have over the dog than to inflict great suffering on the animal", the vet states.

According to the researcher, "dogs that are trained properly do not normally retain aggressive dominance behaviour". Pérez-Guisado attributes this "exceptional" conduct to the existence of some medical or organic problem, "which can cause changes in the dog's behaviour". Source: ScienceDaily

I've always felt certain breeds of dogs are given a bad name because of Bad People. I'm happy to see a study done and I hope pet guardians will learn how to raise a great dog! Robin, the HealthyPetNut

If I Didn't Have a Dog or a Cat...

2009-05-01T10:23:00.005-05:00

How would my life have been without my Tara for 18 years?

I can't imagine life without lots of fur friends ~ If it happened would it be like this?

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

I would not talk 'baby talk'. 'Eat your din din'. 'Yummy yummy for the tummy'..

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words
B-A-L-L,
F-R-I-S-B-E-E,
W-A-L-K,
T-R-E-A-T,
B-I-K-E,
G-O,
R-I-D-E

I would not have as many leaves (or pine needles) INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

I would not have to answer the question
'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get. How EMPTY my life would be!!!

"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened."

Dear God Letter ~ From The Dog

2009-04-29T15:35:00.002-05:00

TO: GOD

FROM: THE DOG

Dear God:
Is it on purpose our names are the same, only reversed?

Dear God:
Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?

Dear God:
When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch?
Or is it still the same old story?

Dear God:
Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a Dog?

How often do you see a cougar riding around?
We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the ' Chrysler Eagle' the ' Chrysler Beagle'?

Dear God:
If a Dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad Dog?

Dear God:
We Dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID's, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths.
What do humans understand?

Dear God:
More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God:
Are there mailmen in Heaven?
If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God:
Let me give you a list of just some of the things I must remember to be a good Dog.

1. I will not eat the cats' food before they eat it or after they throw it up.

2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

3. The Litter Box is not a cookie jar.

4. The sofa is not a 'face towel'.

5. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

6. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.

7. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is an unacceptable way ofsaying 'hello'.

8. I don't need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm under the coffee table .

9. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house - not after.

10. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt.

11. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch.

12. The cat is not a 'squeaky toy' so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.

P.S.
Dear God:
When I get to Heaven
may I have my testicles back?

Canine Heartworm Disease

2009-04-29T11:21:00.002-05:00

In 2004, more than a quarter of a million pets were affected by a disease that is completely preventable. Heartworm disease, spread by mosquitoes, is often un-noticed by the pet owner because of the lack of apparent symptoms. Untreated, this parasite can cause exercise intolerance, coughing, damage to the main blood vessels of the heart, liver failure and even death. Pet owners can prevent this potentially fatal disease by the use of economical monthly medications. The continued high incidence of this problem has experts looking at many biological factors and even at the shift of our population to different areas of the country.

Dog Cancer Treatments

2009-04-27T19:48:00.001-05:00

Medicinal Mushrooms, Tumor Attackers

I want to talk about cancer treatment for dogs. But first let's be clear on what cancer is and the causes in our dogs. Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells on or inside the body. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, dogs get cancer at about the same rate as humans. This increases with age and accounts for almost half of deaths over the age of ten years. However more and more veterinarians are concerned about seeing younger animals with cancer.

Cancer is attributed by holistic veterinarians as a failure of the immune system, due to genetic weakness fostered by conventional breeding practices, poor diet, medication, toxic chemicals, vaccines, and stress. The underlying problem, in the holistic viewpoint, is a failure of the body's defenses to stop abnormal mutating cells from growing rapidly.

I lost my dear sweet Sheltie, Cher, 7 years ago to cancer. She had never been sick until the cancer in her nose reared its ugly nasty self. She crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge 3 weeks before her 13th birthday. Her cancer was too advanced and in the wrong place to try surgery or any other conventional treatments so I loved her for 5 months and made sure she knew without a doubt that she was special and a wonderful dog.

Now I know there are other options and there are natural ways of healing. It was because of Cher's cancer that I became a healthy pet nut and continue to learn all I can about holistic cures and healing for pets.

Unique and exotic eclectic mix of mushrooms, herbs and antioxidants have been utilized around the world for their immune enhancing, blood cleaning, overall health and anti-cancer properties.

Dr. Harvey offers this medicinal mushroom for tumors and overall health healing.

And this one for cancer tumors:
New Beta Glucan Supreme

(Tested at the University of Louisville)

Helps reduce sickness and helps the elimination of tumors and cancer!
Just add this pleasant tasting, extremely powerful mix to your pets food twice a day.

Dosage: up to 40lb dog 1/4-1/2 tsp, up to 100lb dog 1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp daily

There are Beta Glucans out there but our new Beta Glucan Supreme is derived from the Reishi, Turkey Tail, Split-Gill, Agaricus Blazei and Shitake mushrooms which studies have shown are superior resources for the most powerful antioxidants available.

The mushrooms are grown organically and are minimally processed by a naturally advanced, modern, solid fermentation technology, featuring low temperatures and a supersonic nanotechnology. This assures the maintenance and purity of the antioxidants. In addition to the Beta Glucan extract (primarily B1, 3/1, 6D), this product contains mushroom spore compliment, active selected mushroom extracts, and metabolites. It also contains ribonucleic acid along with unique trace minerals.

Beta Glucan Supreme can help improve both the body's cellular and humoral immune components, while promoting normal cell function and metabolism. Beta Glucan is a powerful immune stimulator, activating the immune systems macrophages (those cells responsible for clearing pathogens).

Studies have found Beta Glucans not only has a positive effect on the macrophages, but also supports B lymphocytes, activate the NK (natural killer) cells, and assist the suppressor T cells, through its powerful action as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger.

Research results indicate that incorporating Beta Glucan Supreme into your pets daily meals will improve your pets health conditions and enhance their immune system.

New Beta Glucan Supreme

Doggy Daycare Business Ideas

2009-04-25T12:42:00.005-05:00

I've worked full time with animals for the last 8 years. It's the most fulfilling heart-warming work I've ever done. It doesn't feel like work because I'm playing with dogs much of the day.

I'm spoiled working with these great dogs and cats and I'm not suitable for a "normal" job now. Lucky for me I found my calling and won't have to go back to working with "people" everyday.

There are several ways you can start a pet care business and some could be home-based. The kennel here is home based so I step outside and I'm at work.

I can tell you the pet sitting and doggy daycare business is a growing industry with many Americans willing to spend billions of dollars a year on their beloved dogs. I know this for a fact because overnight boarding has dropped over the past year. Money isn't an object when people are concerned about the care of their dog. We charge $24 a day for boarding, people will spend $30 a day for doggy daycare. It's a no-brainer to branch out into the doggy daycare business.

If you are considering a pet related business, get it on the trend by taking a few simple steps. Be clear about the services you want to offer. Will you care for dogs alone or will you include small animal pet care? Cats, birds, rodents snakes, fish? If your focus is dogs will you take them on walks or on outings to local dog parks? Will you do both? Are you available to pet-sit when an owner is out of town or are you a "middle of the day" kind of worker? These are the kinds of questions to ask yourself.

This, My Pet Business is the best resource I've found for pet business ideas and quickly learning the ropes. It's all on DVD.

JUST SOME OF WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

The most important skill a doggie day care owner must learn
How to avoid costly mistakes
How to get through the zoning process
How to make sure your business is profitable

You'll see incredible footage of doggie day care facilities from around the country. These professionals will tell you how they got started, exactly what it's like to be in this fun and challenging business and what you need to do to get started today!

I've worked with dogs for over 8 years and love the work. Let me tell you the doggy day care and pet sitting is the new trend. People feel bad leaving their dogs in a kennel (even a loving one like mine) and they will spend a lot of money for the comfort of their dog. Now is the time to get the DVD's and play with dogs for a living. I will always work with dogs and now I can combine the doggy day care, grooming and pet sitting with my kennel.

I learned a lot from watching the DVD's but sometimes I'm more into reading so I got the Ebooks. I printed them off and placed them in a binder. They are great for training seasonal summer helpers. There's even one for your Doggy Bakery business. My Pet Business Ebooks

You can add products and services to your doggy daycare but don't go crazy until you have the clients. Yes, you will have clients if you do your homework and LOVE DOGS....

Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes

2009-04-23T13:36:00.006-05:00

Making homemade dog food is a healthy choice for your dog. But, it's not something all pet owners are ready to do and that's OK. If you are not ready to commit to homemade pet food at least buy the highest quality of food you can afford. This pet food is what I feed my dogs and cat. It's a raw food in kibble form so it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge. And, it was created and is sold by a vet.

I rotate with a homemade dog food and the dry healthy food from Dr. Elliot Harvey.

If you are ready to feed healthy homemade dog food recipes this is a great resource. I loved all the recipes and keep the cookbook in my kitchen beside the other family cookbooks.

Feeding a homemade dog food meal is healthy if it's not the same thing everyday. You need to add variety and made sure your dog is getting all the nutrients he needs.

In order to get all the recipes found in this ebook " Healthy Food for Dogs: Homemade Recipes" you would probably have to do as John Miller did. Read dozens of books, meet the best dog-fanciers, talk with experts for hours.

And most of all, you would have had to create recipes, analyze their results and draw conclusions.

Now, the best recipes and techniques can be found in this condensed, practical, complete and immediately doggy food recipe book.

I also learned which of the products I already had in my kitchen and bathroom that work to:

Make my own dog shampoo
Eliminate dogs bad breath
Make dog safe Insecticides
Make dog safe Fertilizers
Skunk Odor Remover recipe

So here are two options for the healthiest way to feed your dog and the exact ways I feed my 2 Shelties.

Healthy homemade dog food recipes

Dr. Elliot Harvey's Great Life Performance Pet Products

No matter what you committed to doing for feeding your dog, there are healthy options. Never buy dog food from discount stores (Dog Chow etc.).

Heartworm Quiz

2009-04-21T18:04:00.003-05:00

Heartworm Quiz
Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff

See how much you know about heartworm and its prevention!

(Answers are provided at the bottom of the page)

1. Does heartworm only occur in dogs?

2. What is the immature stage of the heartworm that is laid by the female worm and may be found in the blood of infected animals?

3. What parasite transmits heartworm to pets?

4. What are three easy steps you can take to protect your pets from heartworm?

5. Why is regular heartworm testing important?

6. How long does it take for an infected animal to test positive for the disease?

7. How often are heartworm preventives administered?

8. What determines what time of year to start giving heartworm preventives?

9. What are three ways to prevent mosquitoes from biting your pet?

10. Heartworm disease is determined by what kind of test?

Answers:

1. No. Heartworm can also occur in other animals such as cats and ferrets.

2. Microfilariae.

3. The mosquito.

4. Regular blood testing for heartworm, preventive medications, and reducing your pet's exposure to mosquitoes.

5. To ensure your pet is heartworm-free before starting or continuing a preventive medication, and to detect a heartworm infection before it causes serious and permanent damage.

6. In dogs, tests are usually not positive until about 6-7 months after infection has occurred. In cats, it is usually about 7-8 months after initial infection.

7. Some medications are given to pets monthly, while others are given daily.

8. When mosquitoes are present in your part of the country, although the American Heartworm Society recommends giving preventives year round.

9. Eliminate breeding sites, reduce exposure during times mosquitoes are most active (dawn and dusk), use repellents.

10. Diagnosis of heartworm disease is determined by a blood test.

Visit Doctors Foster and Smith for ordering heartworm preventive and learning more info.