Dog Survives 8 Days Trapped Rubble

In an extrodinary tale of survival, a dog was found with minimal injuries after a building exploded, hurting the dog's owner.

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. - A dog was found alive and in relatively good shape after spending eight days trapped in the rubble of a building that exploded, critically injuring the pup's owner.
Lulu, a Springer spaniel, was rescued Sunday after the owner of the business that had been housed in the two-story building heard her whimpering.

Here is the complete article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24374035/

Ellen Degeneres Joins Natural Food Company

Love her or hate her, there's no denying that Ellen is a pet lover. Now, she has become an owner of an "All-Natural" Pet Care Company called Halo. c

According to the Press Release:

“I can’t tell you how honored I am to be a part of a company that believes in treating your pets as well as you treat yourself,” said DeGeneres. “Everything about Halo is great. I’ve been using all of their products long before I decided to invest in the company. I attribute my shiny coat to their all-natural supplements.”

Continued DeGeneres, “If you love your pets, you only want the very best for them, and this food is the highest quality. And if you forget to go to the grocery store, you can actually split a can with your dog. If you’re going with the lamb, I’d recommend a nice Pinot.”

“This is a defining moment in the history of Halo,” said Halo President Alan Kerzner. “After more than a year of discussions, we’re delighted to have Ellen join our family, especially at this time of exciting growth. We are a company built on the foundation of providing the best possible care to pets and Ellen wholeheartedly shares our beliefs.”

All Halo pet food is made from pure, all-natural ingredients such as butcher quality chicken, eggs, carrots, flaxseed, green peas, barley, sweet potatoes and cranberries. All the recipes have been fortified with vitamins and minerals. There are no artificial ingredients in any of Halo’s products. There are no byproducts, chemical preservatives, fillers, rendered meats, artificial colors or flavors.

Doggie Dude Ranch

City dogs escape their leash-and-lounge existence and learn get in touch with their inner herder. And it happens on a controlled ranch designed especially for the dogs.

These type of ranches are part of a trend that mixes training techniques, a back-to-basics ethos and a hint of dog (and human) therapy.

The American Kennel Club says new herding clubs are popping up across the country, although it does not track exact numbers. Nearly 200 clubs held herding trials last year. More than 10,000 dogs competed, a roughly 10 percent increase over 2006.

To read more about it, check out:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24113243/

Pet Social Networking Site

Calling themselves the "facebook for pet lovers" All About Pets http://www.allaboutpets.org.uk/

has been developed by The Blue Cross, Britain's Pet charity since 1897, to give pet lovers a new way to communicate, and a place where they can meet like-minded people to share experiences or advice about their pets. To date, the social network has attracted nearly 2,000 members.


All About Pets is completely free. For us in the states, their might be some reluctance as this site is UK based. But, the site offers a lot more then just networking.


According to the site, the advantage of All About Pets over other social networking sites is that it works as an authorative and reliable information directory - there is a strong emphasis on the site being used as an information resource. The Blue Cross has produced over 80l eaflets on all aspects of pet care which are available to view, print or download free from the site. Pet owners with specific problems or those with advice to share can also set up forums and social groups to discuss ideas across the entire network. Members can create profiles for themselves and their pets, upload photos or links to videos and showcase their pet's talents. They can also view other people's pets, photos and videos and even rate them.


Members can take part in discussion forums and polls on topical subjects, promote their own events or find out what is happening in their area, and get the latest in pet news.

Protecting Pets From Pollutants

I recently wrote about toxins in our pets, along with an entire report from the Environmental Working Group.

In conjunction with the report, Environmental Working Group is helping to launch Pets for the Environment. Founded by a mutt named Eddie, Pets for the Environment is a place where eco-conscious pets can do their part to protect the environment -- and learn tips to keep themselves healthy, too.You can learn all about Eddie's crusade at http://www.petsforthenevironment.org/


There is a section about what happened to Eddie's friendly family bird, along with tons of tips on how to stay safe and how you can help the cause. Hopefully by spreading the word through this blog, I'm helping to do my part and hopefully other bloggers out there will spread the word as well.


http://www.petsforthenevironment.org/

Polluted Pets

Are your pets polluted?

Environmental Working Group, a DC-based research and advocacy organization, just released the most comprehensive study of industrial chemicals in pets ever published. The group tested cats and dogs for 70 different chemicals, and found 48 of them -- carcinogens, neurotoxins, fire retardants, stain removing chemicals, heavy metals, the list goes on -- many at levels much higherthan have ever been found in humans.

According to the group, "lax chemical safety standards in the U.S. allow manufacturers to use chemicals without first proving they're safe, and that hurts all of us -- including the feathered, furry, and finned members of our families." You can see the entire article and report on their website
http://www.ewg.org/reports/pets

How do these chemicals get ingested by pets? According to the report, "just as children ingest pollutants in tap water, play on lawns with pesticide residues, or breathe in an array of indoor air contaminants, so do their pets. But with their compressed lifespans, developing and aging seven or more times faster than children, pets also develop health problems from exposures much more rapidly."

It is a disturbing report, especially since you never know when you're at a park or other public area what types of things are being used; and have no control of it either.

Defining a Feral Cat

The news is always reporting things about feral cat problems and how to control the cat population. But how do you define a feral cat?? Darlene Anderson has a great article on http://www.petside.com/ discussing what is meant by a feral cat.

http://www.petside.com/news/what-is-a-feral-cat.html

An interesting point she makes is the impact on public health.
"Ferals that form colonies, or individual strays that go from place to place, are often flea-ridden and have worms relegating them to a very poor quality of life. Not vaccinated for rabies, Ferals impact public health."

Plus, these cats survive without human interaction, and like many wild animals, are often afraid of people.

The suggested way of dealing with this problem is Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR). " Humane traps are set, and the cats are taken to a low-cost spay/neuter clinic where they’re given a cursory exam, a rabies vaccination and are altered. They’re then replaced in their colony, living out their lives without reproducing, ultimately resolving the overpopulation problem."

So the next time you hear a story about feral cats, you can refer back to this article to understand why it is a problem.