MTV’s award-winning documentary series True Life is looking to tell the stories of young pet owners whose lives are being disrupted due to a certain pet that they love…

- Is the problem with the animal… or the human? 

- Who is being affected? 

- What needs to happen moving forward? 

If you appear to be 15-28 years old and have an issue with the pet in your home, MTV wants to hear your story!!!

*** Please email them at pet@mtvn.com and include your name, phone number, location, a recent photo and a brief explanation about how your pet is affecting your life and those around you in a negative manner; and tell them that ThoughtsFurPaws.com sent you. ***

Last Monday, Iams announced their AWESOME new Facebook contest: “Play Young, Stay Young!”

Each week, for eight weeks, the team at Iams will pick one cat and one dog winner based on a photo and 100-word essay submission from pet parents. It’s super-simple to enter!

They’re basically looking for pets that essentially refuse to act their age…!

Each winning animal will receive a year’s supply of Iams Senior Plus! They’ll have a total of 16 winners by June 3!

So to help Iams get their contest started, as an official Iams blogger, I wanted to ask you, my devoted readers, for some help.

-  Do you have tips on how to keep YOUR super-senior (11+) pets staying and feeling young? What do you do to ensure the ongoing health of your super-senior pets?

Please read below for the full press release details of the contest; and look forward to more posts from me on Iams throughout April, May and June! Every couple of Saturdays, I’ll be posting the Honorable Mention photo/essay contest winners for you all to see!

“In honor of their newest formula, Senior Plus, today, IAMS is launching a national contest on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/IAMS) calling all pet parents of dogs and cats age 11 and older to put their animal’s best paw forward for the chance to win a year’s supply of food. With as many as 33 million pets in the U.S. in the double-digit age bracket, IAMS created this contest as a fun and playful way to shine a spot light on those pets who don’t allow age to get in the way of the games they play, while educating consumers about the unique nutritional needs for pets 11 and older.

Starting today through June 3, each week, based on a photo and brief essay, the team at IAMS will select a dog and cat that exemplify how 11+ pets can play young, to stay young. Interested pet parents should visit www.facebook.com/IAMS to enter their cat or dog into the contest. A total of 16 pets (eight dogs and eight cats) will receive a year’s supply of IAMS Senior Plus and be featured on the IAMS Facebook page.

“On the heels of introducing our new Senior Plus formula, we launched the ‘Play Young, Stay Young’ contest to offer pet parents a fun and unique opportunity to celebrate their 11 and older four-legged family members with the chance to win free food for a year,” said Laura Lewis, external relations manager, IAMS. “We’re all looking forward to reading the many entries that bring to life how cats and dogs can really benefit from a proper diet and active lifestyle.”

 Stay Young, Play Young Contest

Iams Senior Pets Photo Montage

Consumers can enter the contest on the IAMS’ Facebook page April 9 through June 3, 2012 by submitting a current photo of their dog or cat and explaining in 100 words or less how their pet refuses to act his or her age. Each week, IAMS will select and announce a winning cat and dog who will receive a free year’s supply of Senior Plus food. At the end of the eight weeks, a total of 16 pets will be featured on the IAMS Facebook page and all will receive food for a year! For more information, including contest rules and regulations, entry form and more, please visit Facebook.com/IAMS.

Finding the Right Formula for 11+ Pets

It’s more important than ever to ensure pet owners make smart nutritional choices throughout every stage of a dog’s and cat’s life. With this in mind, IAMS introduced Senior Plus diets to specifically address the unique needs of pets age 11 and older.

IAMS Senior Plus is available in the brand’s ProActive Health and Premium Protection formulas for cats and small to medium breed dogs age 11 and older, and ProActive Health for large breed dogs age 9 and older, at pet specialty stores, mass retailers and grocers.

To learn more about IAMS Senior Plus, visit www.IAMS.com.

These are some adorable and hilarious cat and dog pictures that I picked up in emails over the last week. Thought I’d show you them in an effort to bring you all some laughter…

I received this email from Kyla Duffy, Founder of Up for Pups, and Happy Tails Books; see how you can contribute by purchasing a new book on Herding Breeds! Here goes… ( I made a few additions…)

Add dog breeds are different. Most owners of specific breeds know that, and cherish the particulars of their own dog breed.

In honor of Happy Tails Books’ latest products to promote rescue and adoption, I wrote this headline somewhat in jest, but I do mean to make a point.

At our local shelter, we are inundated with herding-breed dogs. Why? Because they are generally extremely intelligent and driven; this may also mean ‘destructive’ in the wrong household…

Scroll down to see how you can make the money you spend on your Happy Tails Books herding-breed item purchase go even further this month! It’s double-donation days!

Now, we have a very good local shelter, and I’m sure the volunteers eye people down carefully when they say they want to adopt a herding-breed dog, but this is not the case everywhere, thus, causing many herding-breed dogs to be adopted and returned multiple times before they eventually find someone who understands them and can provide them with what they need, or they meet an untimely end simply for being misunderstood.

What’s a herding-breed dog? Here are some examples: Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Collie, Corgi, Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog), etc.

It is our hope that our new book, t-shirts, and stationery will help educate people on herding breed dogs’ unique needs in order to reduce the number who find themselves displaced or on death row. These dogs make wonderful companions for people who are looking to participate in dog sports or who can at least provide their dogs with a significant amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation, but they are not for everyone.

If you are one of the aforementioned people, please consider adopting a herding-breed dog; you, too, are a unique breed, and these guys need you!

In addition to a great book, Happy Tails Books has developed select herding-breed stationery and  T-shirts to help you start the conversation about rescue and adoption!

For any stationery purchased before May 1st, we’ll double our donation to your rescue of choice.

So head on over to HappyTailsBooks.com and check out the selection; it’s going to a good cause!

Did you know that 97% of animal welfare organizations rely on volunteers to help keep administrative costs down year-round?

I didn’t know that either… PetSmart Charities told me.

They polled 750 local animal welfare organizations in 2011, and nearly all (97 percent) said they depend on volunteers to help keep administrative costs down.

The survey also showed where the groups have the greatest need for volunteers:

• 40 % said their greatest need was foster care for pets
• 28 % said they needed assistance with general pet care, including brushing, bathing and walking pets.

*** And now – the person who tells me his or her bestest (yes I know this is not a word), most inspiring volunteer story (that can be backed up by an Admin at the rescue/shelter) is winning a prize worth near $100 from ThoughtsFurPaws.com. ***

Why?

To honor PetSmart Charities and their Volunteer Action Day.

**Here are the details on Volunteer Action Day, first, then we’ll talk contest…

PetSmart Charities has announced that People Saving Pets™ Volunteer Action Day will be Wednesday, April 18.

This day is designated to educate the public about the need for volunteers as well as inspire year-long involvement in the movement to save homeless pets.

Volunteer Action Day falls during PetSmart Charities® National Volunteer Week (April 15-21), which focuses on helping homeless pets – and aims to educate the public about the need for volunteers and mobilize pet lovers to lend a hand at their local animal welfare organizations.

“Volunteers make a huge difference in helping local animal shelters and rescue agencies stretch their limited resources further to care for and adopt more pets,” said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities, Inc.  “Volunteer Action Day is meant to spark year-long involvement in the movement to save homeless pets. Volunteering for just a few hours a month can make a significant difference on the well-being of adoptable pets.”

Anyone can get involved by joining the People Saving Pets Volunteer Network. Simply by entering your ZIP code, you can easily find volunteer opportunities in your area.(It’s really cool; I tried it and like 12 things popped up that sound like so much fun!)

PetSmart Charities would love to hear from you about how you’re sparking action in your local areas!

I’m encouraging you to join the conversation online and share your fave volunteer stories by posting on their social networking pages and by “tagging” PetSmart Charities.

-          People Saving Pets on Facebook

-          PetSmart Charities on Facebook

-          People Saving Pets on Twitter

-          PetSmart Charities on Twitter

You can make a difference in a homeless pet’s life by taking part in the People Saving Pets™ Volunteer Action Day on Wednesday, April 18.

Volunteers free up funds to care for adoptable pets, such as providing low-cost, high-quality spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, food and shelter.

How to Get Involved

Anyone can get involved in Volunteer Action Day – whether you’re ready to foster a pet or simply want to spend some play time with cats and dogs in your local shelter.

1. Visit www.PeopleSavingPets.org and click on the Volunteer Network page

2. Enter your ZIP code to find volunteer opportunities near you

3. Register to sign up for an opportunity

4. Spread the word! Tell your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter about Volunteer Action Day and how they, too, can help save the lives of homeless pets by volunteering

5. Take part in the ThoughtsFurPaws.com contest. Leave me a comment or email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com and tell me your most inspiring, most blood, sweat and tears, in-the-trenches type of volunteer dedication story. You can win a prize worth $100. The prize is both dog- and cat-themed, but if you have a preference I can swing it so it’s 75% one way…

6. Talk about your own experiences volunteering on your own blog and be sure to link to People Saving Pets and PetSmart Charities Volunteer Action Day on FB and Twitter!

Don’t forget to download the free Volunteer Action Day Infographics online and post them on your blogs, Facebook pages and on Twitter to help spread the word about the benefits of volunteering for local animal rescues, shelters and other welfare organizations.

THOUGHTSFURPAWS.COM CONTEST WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ONLINE on APRIL 25th around 6 pm EST (or after).

You can share your volunteer stories in the comments and stay up-to-date on the latest Volunteer Action Day news by visiting the People Saving Pets Facebook and Twitter pages.

I was lucky enough to receive several  pet supplies and pet products to sample and to give a try from Amplitude Marketing Group, Inc. a few weeks back.

Benson, Franklin, Ramsey (the new addition, if you haven’t heard, check here), & co. got to test out multiple new additions or existing pet supplies to those pet product families, including the following, which we’ve tried and are ready to tell you about:

1. Out!™ Bitter Cherry Spray
2. Out!™ Handle-Tie Pick-Up Bags
3. Vet’s Best™ Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo
4. Simple Solution® Eco-Care Training Pads
5. Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover
6. Bags on Board® Walk-N-Stake™ Portable Stake System
7. Bags on Board® Marble Bone Waste Pick-Up Dispenser & Refill Bags

I guess the easiest way is to go by brand, in order as listed above. So we’ll start with Out!

Out! Bitter Cherry Spray is a safe and alcohol-free taste “deterrent formula used to discourage chewing and licking at skin, hot spots, bandages or stitches.”

It works. It Works Well.

Benson got one taste of this off of his footy-Band-Aid and never returned; hail Mary because we couldn’t get him to stop licking the Band-Aid off his allergy-laden foot sores. I was afraid to smell it at first, but then I read that it smells nice – it just TASTES bad… Benny went up and got a drink and we gave him a bone-y so it wasn’t like it’s mean or something to do this. I don’t think it is.

Trust me; when you have a Golden (or any type of )puppy (which Benny was once) who chews $200 Birkenstocks and even worse, leather furniture or pillows or clothes or anything else, you will not hesitate for a second to use this and even the vet I asked at Avon Lake Animal Clinic said this product is fine to use… In fact, the vet said they recommend bitter cherry products during puppy training phases of biting and nipping and chewing!

Pros of the Out! Bitter Cherry Spray:

-          100% Satisfaction Guaranteed – Money-Back Guarantee

-          Clear, Non-Staining Formula

-          Smells okay or “pleasant” as it says on bottle

-          Safe for use around all pets and children

Cons of the Out! Bitter Cherry Spray:

-          Hard to find detailed info online

-          Couldn’t find price anywhere

Out! Bitter Cherry Spray retails for $5 – $13 online (depending on size of product) at places like Amazon, PetSmart, & other pet supply stores. Just Google it and you can read other reviews, or check out the Out! website here.

Out! Handle-Tie Pick-Up Bags are awesome – they come in a convenient box where you just “punch-and-pull” out – at the perforation – one bag at a time. The bags are dependable, durable yet nice and light; heavy duty and bendy/durable enough for large “loads;” they make cleaning up after Benson easy, plus Ramsey and Franklin at once, too!

It says on the Handle Tie Pick-Up Bags box that there are 100 in there, but the box is small and light, which is nice – it’s not a pain to carry in your jacket pocket.

These, too, have a money-back guarantee and comments/questions are solicited on the packaging.

Again, the con is that I can’t find a price anywhere – online retailers say anywhere from $4 $7 to $7 to $10 for 50 and 100 bags, respectively. Check out the Out! website here to see the full product line, which is extensive; they’ve got everything from cleaning products to training solutions.

Vet’s Best Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo has been the big surprise for us in this package; Benson’s Dad is extremely “picky” (for lack or politeness of choosing a different word) about what Benny is washed with. The Aromatherapy Shampoo smells like Lavender and Aloe; plus it’s infused with B-vitamins, Oatmeal, Allantoin and more.

Benny smells like a salon and feels like a smooth puppy – he looks adorable after his shower with this and he loves the way he smells and feels. We can tell because he roaches differently after his shower with the Vet’s Best – instead of a regular back-scratch ‘I’m trying to dry myself;’ it’s an, ‘I love the way I smell and want to keep smelling myself and pushing my soft face against my legs’ kinda’ thing!

Vet’s Best Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo claims to ease tension during bathing. We noticed this significantly in Benny, too, once it was on him. They also claim on the bottle that it’s moisturizing and anti-itch: Benson has itched less since being bathed with it three times in three weeks. It’s FANTASTIC for dogs with sensitive skin like our little Benny-Boy.

Finally, the lavender oil calms, conditions and invigorates – your dog will thank you, trust me AND it won’t affect topical flea products – HOORAH!!

We will actually be using this product here on forward permanently as the name is widely trusted and has been around for more than 28 years. Plus, all the formulations are vet-created and have natural ingredients and use natural health systems.

Retails for $6 to $12 (depending on size of product) from what I could find online (near me…). Check the Vet’s Best website here for further reviews and details; they also have a ton of other products like conditioners and products for skin types.

Simple Solution® Eco-Care Training Pads

I myself did not try these; my sister, who is fostering a new Basset Hound did. She always has to have potty pads down because many fosters come in not knowing what potty-training is.

Ash simply said that she prefers other brands of potty pads over Eco-Care.

She did say that the Eco-Care Training Pads provided ample coverage, reduce landfill waste, and have an attractant to make the dogs go on them (which works!!), but she said that they cannot be dried and re-used, which is a big draw of the brand if you’re down on funds and into fostering non potty-trained dogs.

** The package says they have “odor control for re-use” so maybe there is just a cap on re-use or something??** I’m not quite sure…

Retails for $7 – $18 (depending on size {L, XL, etc.} of product) online at different sites (PetSmart, Amazon, etc.). Check out the website here for more information or to see what else they offer – like a blog, resource center and a coupon section!

Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover was a BIG hit! It uses oxygen, that wonderful element we all breathe in and out every day, to get rid of poop and pee stains! Amazing! (Works on vomit, hairballs & other gross stuff, too.)

Again, we tested this in the Basset house as there are all kinds of unsavory smells and stains in there from four animals, (mostly from two dogs and some from past house guest dogs who were semi-potty-trained but not really…).  There were even some seriously old mystery (no doubt human-caused) stains in there that we removed with this stuff! It’s awesome!

The triple-oxy driven formulation in Simple Solution Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover pierces deep into rugs, carpets, etc. to ‘seek and destroy’ (lol, my terminology, not theirs) stains and odors like some kind of super-powered Jedi stainfighter, even if they’re set in, we discovered.

** This product even eradicated “re-marking” in three of four tested spots in the house.**

Other pros of Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover:

-          It’s quite comparable to a wet vacuum cleaner or carpet/upholstery machine cleaner

-          Removes old and new odors

-          “Only formula with both triple-oxy and double-aldehyde power” according to bottle

-          Safe for bedding, carpet, upholstery, clothing, tile, concrete, brick, and other water-safe surfaces

-          Safe around pets and children

Priced from $12-$25 online (depending on size of product) at different sites (PetSmart, Amazon, etc.). Check out the website here for more details and for a cool Resource Section, which is chockfull of, well… resources and a coupon section!

Bags on Board® Walk-N-Stake™ Portable Stake System is so cool; it lets you place a big fat wooden stake that can hold a medium sized pulling dog in your yard and contain him.

And then you can pick it up and move it to a different part of the yard or somewhere else if you want. It has the “strength of a traditional stake system with the portability of a leash.” And it really does. Franklin could pull a circus train across the yard (or stop one when he stops walking) and he couldn’t budge from the leash with this thing. AWESOME!

Walk-N-Stake has easy to place fold-in handles that you can easily move and transport. It can be used for dogs of any weight it says on the package. Plus, you can put it pretty much anywhere in any ground surface. Pull the ropes up to remove and fold the stakes into the channel to put away. Doubles as a leash handle!

Priced from $12-$25 online at different sites (PetSmart, Amazon, etc.). Check out the website here to see the awesome full suite of products.

Bags on Board® Marble Bone Waste Pick-Up Dispenser & Refill Bags

This thing makes dog clean up easy and I laugh hysterically when I read the company’s motto:

“stop over-poop-ulation.”

I cannot handle myself with that one. Hee hee.

This is an easy-to-carry, lightweight dispenser bag system that you can put on a keychain or toss in your pocket.  Holds 30 hefty duty bags that don’t break and is leak-proof. Has refill area and you can order the coolest bags online for the dispenser!

Retails for around $10. Check out the website here to see the awesome full suite of products.

Overall, I’d venture to say our favorite pet supplies tested were, in order, the Vet’s Best™ Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo, the Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover and the Bags on Board® Walk-N-Stake™ Portable Stake System.

These provided to be the most useful and quite successful in meeting their product claims as made on the packaging. Plus, we now have a new shampoo for Benson for life, which is a feat, and have found a less expensive, less “in the trenches” way to remove stains and odors from the house. Additionally, The Walk-N-Stake System lets Ash take the Bassets (one wanders a lot) wherever she wants without worry.

Thank you so much to Amplitude Marketing for providing us with all the products listed at the top of this article. And thanks to each of the brands mentioned here! Don’t forget to check out their websites – they are all quite fun and interactive, and they all have a useful array of products.

One last FYI, Bags on Board® has a TON of “designer doggie bag dispensers” and bright, colorful refill packs for you to check out and I highly suggest you take a look. Even if you  aren’t planning to buy any, it’s really fun to see what they have come up with to, “Stop Over-Poop-Ulation!”

HA-HA-HA!

Let me know if you have any questions about any of these products!

And FYI, some of these products have already been bought to be given away in future ThoughtsFurPaws contests/giveaways!

The Royal Canin dog food team, like many others, attended the mega-pet conference Global Pet Expo in Orlando in late February.

There, in celebration, the generous dog food company partnered with a local Orlando rescue organization, Florida Little Dog Rescue featuring its small, adoptable dogs, to launch a new product,  Royal Canin X-SMALL BREED dog food formula.

Florida Little Dog Rescue helped Royal Canin at the show by bringing attention to them and their new X-SMALL Breed dog food, made for dogs under eight pounds; Royal Canin, in turn, helped the group by featuring their dogs for adoption.

* If you’re interested, you can see pix (and read about the seven rescue dogs adopted at the Expo) on their Facebook page. * (Here is the Royal Canin USA Facebook page.)

1. Global Pet Expo attendees were asked to participate in short five-minute trainings to learn about the innovation and nutrition behind these new foods.
2. For each training session completed, Royal Canin donated a bag of food to Florida Little Dogs Rescue.
3. The result? In three days, attendees raised a donation of more than 2,500 bowls of food for the rescue! Cool, huh?

So why am I telling you this, besides the facts that this kind-hearted pet food brand is so helpful and generous, and that they’ve launched a new dog food product?

Well, to celebrate the launch of the new X-SMALL dog foods (formulated specifically for dogs weighing less than eight pounds), ThoughtsFurPaws.com is hosting a super-valuable giveaway with them. I’m giving away two “Doggy Day Spa” gift packs specialized, like the brand’s new food, for little dogs.

Each, including the last item that ThoughtsFurPaws added itself, is valued at over $100 and contains:

- A small bag of Royal Canin’s new X-SMALL dog food
- Oatmeal and baking soda shampoo
- Grooming lead (for easier bathing sessions)
- Natural grooming wipes
- Microfiber Pet Towels (pack of 5)
- Grooming brush
- Toothbrush and toothpaste combo pack
- Nail trimmer
… And for good measure and since I’m a proud supporter of PetArmor® and since this fits with the theme, I’m throwing in a pack of PetArmor® so you can properly arm your pet’s cute little rear end (and whole body!) against fleas and ticks this season.

So how do you enter and win?

Well, I’d like you to tell me in the comments below why you think your dog would benefit from this interior and exterior makeover, and/or why he/she needs it most.

You can also write about it on your blog and then come back and leave me a link to your link in the comments…

… Or you can Tweet about it and leave me a link to your Tweet in the comments.

Don’t forget to support Royal Canin!

Results will be posted on ThoughtsFurPaws.com in three weeks on Friday, April 27th.

It’s official – PetArmor^®, the AWESOMEST, the best flea and tick treatment in the world if you ask me, made by FidoPharm — that I told you guys about last spring –  is the official “sponsor” or “treatment” of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA^®) through the rest of the year! How cool is that?

And Amy Smart is the official spokesperson for the ASPCA and the launch!

With the official arrival of spring and the official beginning of a horrible flea and tick season, PetArmor^® has teamed up with the ASPCA^®, plus the super sweet shelter animal advocate and kind-hearted PetArmor^® spokesperson Amy Smart to launch the PetArmor^® Protection Promise.

The national campaign elevates the ongoing commitment PetArmor^® and the ASPCA share to protect pets in need. 

*** PetArmor^® is the No. 1 selling fipronil generic flea and tick treatment.***

- PetArmor^® has the same No. 1 veterinarian recommended active ingredient and offers the same flea and tick protection as Frontline^® Top Spot^®

- It costs, however, about half of what Frontline costs ($25 – $35 for a 3-month supply).

- As I said before, PetArmor works the same way as Frontline, providing full-body protection to help keep your pets flea and tick free. And they stay gone for 30 days.

It’s that simple. PetArmor is just as safe and effective as Frontline®. It’s just about 50% cheaper! And it’s available retail:)

“We are so thrilled to work with the ASPCA to launch the PetArmor^® Protection Promise and give pet lovers an opportunity to help shelter pets in need,” said FidoPharm President Alex Kaufman at the launch. “PetArmor^® is continuing its commitment to provide accessible, affordable treatments to all pets, and the Promise is a way for pet owners to protect their furry family members while also making a difference for shelter pets across the country.”

♥ ♥ The cool part of all of this? A select few bloggers involved in the “Pet Protection Posse” are a part of the Promise… but also – The PetArmor^® Protection Promise is offering pet lovers and dog and cat owners an opportunity to help pets in need, especially those in shelters across the country.♥ ♥

BACKGROUND:

Across most of the country, “spring has sprung a little early.” Winter was remarkably mild, with many places around the country experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures & a definite lack of snow.¹

(According to Jody L. Gangloff-Kaufmann, an urban entomologist at Cornell University and the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program, freezing weather typically kills off some insects, whereas in a mild winter, bugs are free to be fruitful and multiply. Subsequently, this year mosquitoes, fleas and ticks could all be out in full force considerably earlier than usual.²)

(END BACKGROUND!)

To provide all dogs and cats with protection from harmful fleas and ticks, PetArmor^® is embarking on a campaign to provide treatments to pets from coast to coast.  PetArmor^® will distribute up to 20,000 flea and tick treatments for shelter pets in need from coast-to-coast. Consumers can participate by visiting the PetArmor^® Facebook page and selecting a shelter to receive a treatment. 

This is an amazing effort on behalf of an organization if you ask me… this is a SERIOUS investment on their part (PetArmor). After meeting with some PR reps, vets, scientists, associated behaviorists like Harrison Forbes (who is my newest animal welfare hero BTW) and company executives this week; I am pleased to say that I fully support their mission 110% and am going to ask you all to help me spread the word!

…

How?

Visit the PetArmor^® Facebook page and choose where the donations go in one of three ways:

1. by supporting the ASPCA’s national disaster relief efforts

2. selecting a shelter that faces a high incidence of fleas and ticks

3. choosing a local shelter

“As an animal rescue advocate and proud dog mom, I am so excited to be working with the ASPCA and PetArmor^® on this wonderful campaign that supports a cause I care so deeply about,” said Smart. “I encourage pet owners everywhere to participate in the Promise and help ensure all pets receive the protection they need.”

The PetArmor^® Facebook page also gives pet owners the chance to share photos of their furry friends, celebrate those funny and memorable pet moments with a robust community of fellow pet owners, and enter contests throughout the year offering a chance to win some great prizes.

As the exclusive flea and tick sponsor of the ASPCA, PetArmor^® is used on dogs and cats at the ASPCA’s Adoption Center and Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital and clinics in New York City. ASPCA also uses PetArmor^® on animals recovered from ASPCA disaster relief efforts. Through select television commercials, PetArmor^®also is encouraging the public to make donations that they will match, up to $50,000.

Amy Smart

“Our increased work in disaster relief and animal rescue over the last year has underscored the importance of safeguarding animals from fleas and ticks and other harmful diseases,” said Elysia Howard, vice president of marketing and licensing for the ASPCA.  “We are thankful to PetArmor^® for their ongoing commitment to protecting pets in need, and for their pledge to provide much needed doses to shelters across the country for the animals in their care.”

So, once again, you can help shelter pets in need by participating in the PetArmor® Protection Promise! Now through May 2012, one flea and tick treatment will be donated to the ASPCA®, or to a shelter of your choice. (up to 20,000 doses). All you need to do is choose where your treatment will go to protect pets in need by going to Facebook.com/PetArmor!

About PetArmor^®

PetArmor^® contains fipronil, the same No. 1 vet-recommended active ingredient for combating fleas and ticks, in the same concentration, providing the same flea and tick protection as Frontline^® Top Spot^®. It is the first generic fipronil product approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to treat both cats and dogs of all sizes.

PetArmor^® is the first generic fipronil flea and tick treatment available on retail shelves nationwide. Forget about prescriptions or asking the vet for it!

For more information about the product or to participate in the Protection Promise, visit www.PetArmor.com or www.facebook.com/PetArmor.

About FidoPharm

FidoPharm is a leading companion pet health product company committed to providing consumers with best-in-class companion pet health products that contain the same active ingredients as branded veterinary products, but at a significantly lower cost. FidoPharm products, including the PetArmor® flea and tick products, are available at major retailers nationwide, offering consumers the benefits of convenience and cost savings to ensure the highest quality care for their pets. Learn more at www.PetArmor.com.

About the ASPCA

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org. To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/aspca.

Frontline^® is the registered trademark of Merial.  Frontline^® and Merial are not affiliated with PetArmor^®.

^1,2

: On the Net: http://www.livescience.com/18351-mild-winter-surprising-downsides-warm-weather.html

** STAY TUNED FOR MORE POSTS ON THIS AND FOR SOME PICTURES OF AMY SMART WITH MYSELF AND OTHER BLOGGERS AND SOME SWEET RESCUE KIDS!**

Two weeks ago or so, I had the fortune of going to Hills Pet Nutrition Center after being invited and hosted by the Hill’s Prescription Diet® and Hill’s Science Diet® pet food brands’ big brand, Hill’s®.

They, like many other pet food companies including Purina, are starting to open their doors to bloggers and online writers as the realization spreads that we are the 21st century form of consumer reviews… and that ALL companies need to be more transparent to their customers. (Don’t get me started.)

Anyhow, I am excited to tell you about my trip and I’ll have some separate posts every couple of weeks about other things at Hill’s.

So first I will give a quick (or not) bullet review of what I took away…:

- Hill’s is extremely focused on nutrition and creating formulas for pets with various medical and health conditions

- Hill’s has a TON of acclaimed veterinarians and scientists who create their foods based on the pets’ life stage, health condition and/or size

- Hill’s does animal testing, but it’s food testing, it’s NOT INVASIVE PEOPLE… They do side by side bowl testing. What I witnessed first-hand was in total opposition to what you will read on outdated and offensive sites like Uncaged. I won’t link to it…) There is NO abuse or neglect happening at Hill’s Pet Nutrition Center. Watch the videos…

- The cats that are used for food testing are extremely happy; and they’re extremely smart – taking doses of medication like a human would down a shot so they can get some attention afterwards as a reward! The cat care is amazing:) !

- The folks here are quite dedicated to pleasing the pet’s palette in this process

- The animals are well-trained and know their schedules; they have space to move and are not in teeny cages, suffering or whining. They are HAPPY:)

- Hill’s has some of the most intelligent veterinarians and nutritionists in the industry

- Hill’s is very into label manufacturing – ensuring its guests understand how to read a pet food bag or can’s label correctly (I’ll explain later)

- Hill’s is very involved in the community, supporting the Kansas Humane Society of Wichita through it’s Food, Shelter and Love™ Program (LOTS more on this in a separate post)

- This one-of-a-kind program has donated over $240 million worth of Science Diet brand pet foods to nearly 1,000 animal shelters nationwide

- Hill’s has been right by the side of other agencies during national and international emergencies like the Joplin, MO tornadoes, the 2010 Gulf Coast BP oil spill, and the Japan tsunami, bringing along their Hill’s pet food to donate. Heavily involved in disaster relief, yet seemingly unnoticed and under the radar while doing it, Hill’s also helped generously during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, during the Calif. wildfires of 2007, and they’ve donated other items, too to vet clinics, Vet Assistance Teams, vet schools & other random places where homeless pets are being cared for and housed.

- Hills has a brand-spankin’ new manufacturing plant where they are seriously dedicated to quality, cleanliness, safety, value, nutrition, taste and manufacturing and developing only the most perfect kibble.

- At the Emporia, Kansas manufacturing plant, where the folks are as sweet as southern summers, if one piece of kibble is broken, it doesn‘t go in the bag – it gets thrown away… the imperfect pieces of kibble that have ends cut off, are cracked or fragmented get tossed. This seemed wasteful to me. (Sorry, just being honest and saying what I saw.)

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So, now you have things in a nutshell. There is lots more – I mean, this tour was chock-ful of information packed into a a teeny two-day timeline. The first day we spent learning from the folks at Corporate and the Veterinarians, then we took a VERY short tour (oddly short I thought… kinda hands-off) of the Pet Nutrition Center; the second day we spent at the Manufacturing Plant in Emporia, Kansas, which is only three years old.

This trip was of particular interest to me because last spring I toured the Nutrition Center (et. al.) at Proctor & Gamble Pet Care, i.e. IAMS/Eukanuba (and a few others).

I was curious how Hill’s® runs their show because, unlike IAMS, we HAD fed Hill’s® pet food to our animals before. There was a time about five years ago when Gibson was still alive that he and Benson were on Hill’s®.

And, in February I did get a generous sample from the company of the wet Savory Chicken Entree canned cat food for the our kittehs. The kind Marketing/Blogger Outreach Mgr., Lori Smith — who is one of the sweetest, most caring and kind-hearted people I’ve ever met — hooked me up!

Anyways, Sasha, sorry to say, did not like it and Max, who has been super-surprisingly “P-I-C-K-Y – you-ain’t-got-no-alibi – you-PICKY, uh-huh, YOU PICKY” lately, didn’t care too much for it, but Tater ate it up and my sister’s two adult ladies LOVED LOVED LOVED it. They lapped it up like creme or something. The canned selections at Hill’s that we sampled did seem to be quite “watery” but I learned that it’s not water – it’s juice.

Which brings me to a point about Hill’s that I want to cover now – THE BASICS.

Let’s start with The Basics — their MISSION, which was explained to us by Neil Thompson the first morning; he’s the President and CEO. Thompson has been with the company in some capacity since 2003 and has contributed significantly to sales, international business growth and profit growth, and brought industry experience to the European division (He’s British and so enthralling…!)

Hill’s Mission: “… to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets.”

Philosophy: “We believe all animals, from your pet to our pet partners, should be cared for and nurtured, throughout their lifetime.”

- Hill’s Pet Nutrition is a $2.2 billion, global subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive, headquartered in Topeka, KS

- Over 2,500 employees worldwide

- Hill’s product line includes more than 80 Prescription Diets and 90 Science Diet brand pet foods

- “To deliver great-tasting, precisely balanced nutrition, a Hill’s team of more than 150 vets, nutritionists, and food scientists, among the largest in the industry, collaborates globally.”

- Since 2002, The Hill’s Shelter Nutrition Partnership, the largest company-sponsored shelter support program in the industry, has donated more than $180 million worth of Science Diet brand pet foods to more than 1,000 shelters nationwide. This provides about 500 million nutritious meals for shelter pets and helps more than 5 million pets find new homes! (Separate post about this to follow!)

Vision: to make nutrition a cornerstone of vet medicine, which build on Hill’s heritage of leading-edge research, from the pioneering work of our founder Dr. Mark L. Morris to our current global exploration of the science of Nutrigenomics (separate post to follow on Nutrigenomics — it’s AWESOME stuff!).

Soooo… here you have it. The first impression of what Hill’s is all about in not a nutshell. I loved the people there – everyone is an animal lover and is passionate and knowledgeable. Everyone was extremely courteous and you could tell that that’s just the way it is there — kinda laid-back but totally cutting-edge research into nutrition happening behind the scenes! All to help our fur-babies.

Stay tuned for more posts on Hill’s, including an Animal Welfare round-up, a 5th Vital Assessment review, a Nutrigenomics lesson, and more!

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that it has been awarded more than $1.4 million in funding from Subaru of America, Inc. as a result of its participation in the Subaru “Share the Love” event.

Sixty-two percent of the donation the ASPCA received has already been earmarked for the ASPCA’s “Share the Love” Grant Program for shelters in all 50 states.

To-date, approximately $884,000 has been distributed to local shelters.

“Year after year, we’re honored and overwhelmed by just how much Subaru customers care about their pets,” said Elysia Howard, vice president of marketing & licensing for the ASPCA. “In 2011, the ASPCA was able to distribute more than $15 million in the form of 1,300 grants to 740 animal welfare organizations in all 50 states. The funding from the “Share the Love” event will enable us to save more animals through our national programs and give even more to shelters and rescue groups across the country in the coming year.”

* Note that Subaru has been heavily involved with animal charity and animal welfare here in Ohio — they had an event a while back, remember? Read it here

During the “Share the Love” event, which ran from November 19, 2011 to January 3, 2012, Subaru pledged to donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased to the customer’s choice of one of the following five charities: the ASPCA, American Forests, Make-A-Wish Foundation®, Meals On Wheels Association of America and Special Olympics.

Subaru Dogs! Photo Courtesy Facebook/ASPCA.com

“Our new car owners helped us give more than $5 million to charities in just six short weeks of Share the Love,” said Dean Evans, senior vice president and CMO, Subaru of America, Inc.

“We’re proud to have donated more than $20 million to worthy charities over the last four years, helping them carry out the vital work they do every day.”

ASPCA Rescue Dog: Photo Courtesy ASPCA.org

As part of “Share the Love,” the ASPCA also worked closely with Subaru dealerships across the country to help them partner with local animal shelters and host a range of events including pet adoption, food donation drives, holiday pet picture-taking, pet ID-tagging and micro-chipping.  As a result, approximately 100 events took place, more than 1,000 dogs and cats – and even two horses – were adopted, and $121,000 was raised for local shelters. (See above link…)

The ASPCA also held a shelter incentive contest during “Share the Love,” and the following winners were selected to receive a total of $35,000 in grants from the ASPCA, awarded as follows:

• 1st prize (winners of a $20,000 grant): Protection of Animals in Wakefield Society (PAWS) – in partnership with Subaru of Wakefield in Wakefield, Mass.

• 2nd prize (winners of a $5,000 grant): Friends of Sangamon County – in partnership with Green Family Subaru in Springfield, Ill.

• 3rd prize (each winner of $2,000 grants):

-          Spokanimal – in partnership with Appleway Subaru in Spokane, Wash.

-          Irvine Animal Care Center – in partnership with Irvine Subaru in Irvine, Calif.

-          Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control – in partnership with Subaru South Blvd in Charlotte, N.C.

-          Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region – in partnership with Heuberger Subaru in Colorado Springs, Colo.

-          Kent County SPCA – in partnership with Dover Subaru in Camden, Del.

In addition to supporting the ASPCA through its annual “Share the Love” event, Subaru supports other key ASPCA initiatives including Team ASPCA, the upcoming ASPCA Mega Match-a-thon event and the National Spay/Neuter project.

*** In addition to this wonderful ‘partnership’ that’s blossomed, the ASPCA recently announced that it will provide more than $340,000 to 15 local municipal shelters, animal control agencies and non-profits throughout the state of New York to create and expand low-cost spay/neuter programs!

ASPCA Kitty: Photo Courtesy ASPCA.org

“By providing grants that specifically fund low-cost spay/neuter projects, the ASPCA hopes to directly impact the number of homeless animals in New York, as well as help pet owners who are most in need of assistance,” said Michael Barrett, vice president of grants management for the ASPCA. “We encourage local animal shelters to apply for these grants, which will not only help expand their spay/neuter efforts, but could greatly impact their work to eradicate animal homelessness in their communities.”

Increased spay/neuter programs can help to prevent litters of homeless kittens and puppies from entering the sheltering system, in addition to reducing the number of free-roaming cats in communities when Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is practiced. Spaying and neutering not only helps reduce animal homelessness but has numerous behavioral and health benefits for dogs and cats as well.

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org. To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/aspca.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of approximately 600 dealers across the United States.  Subaru boasts the most fuel efficient line-up of all-wheel drive products sold in the market today based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy standards.  All Subaru products are manufactured in zero- landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information, please visit www.subaru.com.