Important factors to consider for the protection of all family members

In response to the recent spike in pet food recalls, the ASPCA®’s (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) Animal Poison Control Center has some suggestions on how to best keep two-legged and four-legged family members safe:

1. Do your research. Salmonella is the contaminant that appears to be the cause of concern during this most recent round of pet food recalls.

The most important thing for pet owners to do if they suspect their dog’s food has been contaminated is to stop feeding their pet the recalled food immediately. If the pet shows signs of illness after eating a recalled pet food, a trip to the vet should be first on the list of to-dos, and then the food manufacturer should be notified.

*** Pet owners can identify the recalled foods by visiting the FDA’s website at www.fda.gov. ***

2. Know the signs. While healthy adult dogs are relatively resistant to illness from Salmonella bacteria, pets with health issues (such as young puppies, elderly and pregnant dogs that could have compromised immune systems) may be at greater risk for becoming ill. Dogs who are affected by Salmonella may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, and drooling or panting—an indication of nausea. *In severe cases, the bacterium may spread throughout the body resulting in death.

3. Clean is key. Salmonella isn’t only dangerous to the pet eating the food, but could also affect the pet parent serving the food. Salmonella can be spread through direct contact with the affected product and animal feces, so exposure should be avoided. The best way to protect family members, including other animals in the home, is to thoroughly wash your hands (or paws) after any dealings with the product or feces. In addition, all bowls, utensils and surfaces that may have come in contact with contaminated food should be washed using hot soapy water and rinsed thoroughly or sanitized in the dishwasher.

For more information about the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center and potential pet toxins, visit www.aspca.org/apcc.

Have you all heard of DOGTV, the new television programming that is taking the nation by storm? As its name suggests, DogTV is a television channel scientifically developed for canine viewers.

DOGTV is cable’s first television network for dogs that is created exclusively for canines, and the humans who love them.

DOGTV’s 24/7 programing helps stimulate, entertain, relax and habituate dogs with shows that expose them to various movements, sounds, objects, experiences and behavior patterns, all from a dog’s point of view.

The network is built around a core team of highly acclaimed pet experts including Victoria Stillwell.

Recently featured in major publications including “TIME Magazine,” “The New York Times,” and “The Huffington Post”; and featured on national news and talk shows such as “NBC Nightly News,” “Ellen,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Chelsea Lately,” DogTV is quickly becoming a household name in the US and abroad.

Well the new TV phenomenon has a blog end, too! It’s re-launching soon and it’s called the Alpha Dog Blog. Stay tuned for more on that end!

In the meantime, check out DogTV for a discount that’s special only for you, as ThoughtsFurPaws readers! You’ll find some awesome stories and videos akin to not even major network television – it’s THAT cool!

Currently, DogTV is only offered on TV in the San Diego test market. However, it’s available as a streaming online channel that can be accessed by any pet lover in the world starting now!

And guess what?

I’m offering you a special promotion code that allows you to receive 50% off the online streaming price for the first two months! Hooray!

 Simply type in: FB2M50%01 and you’ll get the 50% discount.

Let me know what you think about DogTV in the comments section!

How To use DOGTV?

Look at those white-gloved paws and that fuzzy belly… this kitty is Klondike. He is 11-years-young and lives with his mom, Brianna in Minong, Wisconsin.

They are the winners of Honorable Mention in the Iams Senior Plus, Play Young, Stay Young Contest which is happening on Facebook right now!

Isn’t Klondike a cutie? Here is the essay that won then the Honorable Mention:

“He loves to run after his little brother Jack. When I put my hand under a blanket he goes nuts. Whenever I open the door to go outside he thinks he can run outside. He is a baby at heart too. He goes nuts on feathers. I have a bird feeder outside the window and his big blue eyes just light up when he sees a bird. He thinks he can get them. After he uses the bathroom he runs around the house and makes weird noises. He is one big weirdo. And that is how my cat Klondike stays young.”

Do you have a cat or dog who refuses to act his age? If you do, enter him/her in the Iams contest!! It’s awesome and you can win premium pet food!

IAMS started the contest recently, and it goes ‘til June 3rd. It’s on their Facebook page.

“Play Young, Stay Young” goes as follows:

* Each week, for 8 weeks, the team at Iams will pick one cat and one dog winner (11 years or older – “super senior pets”) based on a photo and a 100-word essay submission from pet parents.

1. It’s super easy to enter! They’re seeking pets that essentially refuse to act their age – pets who are older but still act younger. For example, Benny is 12 but still roaches around on his back like a puppy after he gets his dinner every night!

2. Each winning animal will receive a year’s supply of Iams Senior Plus dog food! That is a lot of dog food!!

3. So are you stoked about this contest or what? Are you reading this, saying I MUST enter this contest … so how do I do it?

4. It’s easy-go here to the IAMS Facebook page

From the Best Friends Animal Society website and Facebook page:

Last year, the Back in Black adoption event was introduced to showcase black dogs and cats and give them the best chance at being adopted. And over 900 pets found homes!

This year, we’re back with Back in Black 2.

Our goal is to find good homes for 1,000 or more pets in black this May.

Right now, thousands of wonderful animals are waiting to be adopted at shelters and rescue groups nationwide. And every day, 9,000 pets are killed in shelters because they don’t have a home.

Best Friends and our No More Homeless Pets® Network Partners are committed to saving them. Join us!

Click here to find adoptable black pets near you.

Erasing myths about black dogs and cats

Even though they make wonderful pets with great personalities, black dogs and cats are often overlooked for adoption, but why? After all, the color of a pet’s fur has no relationship to their ability to provide unconditional love, companionship and devotion. Here are a couple of theories:

• Bad photos hinder “love at first sight.” Black dogs and cats are harder to photograph because their eyes are close to the color of their fur and their facial expressions and personalities don’t always shine through in pictures. That’s a real disadvantage since many adopters “meet” their new best friends online.
• Superstitions! There are negative stereotypes about black cats and dogs that simply aren’t true. Just ask anyone who loves their beautiful black pet! They’ll tell you about all the wonderful qualities their pets possess and that they wouldn’t trade them for anything.

What are you waiting for? Change the future—and the world—for homeless pets in black today. 

There are 129 No More Homeless Pets® Network partners with adoptable black cats and dogs participating across 37 states.  Click on a state below to find local groups. Click on the group to visit their website for more event details.

Alabama | Arizona | Alaska | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming | US Virgin Islands

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA) has announced the creation of a Legal Advocacy department to increase legal protections for animals across the country. The department will provide “second chair” legal support through the coordination of legal and other expert services vital to the effective handling of animal cruelty prosecutions, as well as conduct selective, affirmative civil litigation in cases with the potential to effect substantial change in animal protection laws nationwide. The team will also provide legislative analysis and bill drafting expertise to the ASPCA’s Government Relations department.

The Legal Advocacy department will be led by Stacy Wolf, who adds this position to her current role as vice president and chief counsel of the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement department.

Wolf, who was a career public defense attorney before joining the organization’s Legislative Affairs department in 1998, was responsible for spearheading the passage of New York’s felony animal cruelty law, dog shelter law, exotic pets ban, veterinary reporting law, and dangerous dog law.

Ms. Wolf also served as legislative chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Special Committee on Animals and the Law.

“The formation of the Legal Advocacy department is an essential step toward fulfilling the ASPCA’s mission of providing effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States,” said Matt Bershadker, senior vice president of the ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty Group. “Stacy has a wealth of animal law experience and possesses the necessary tools to implement significant legal change for the benefit of animals.”

Wolf has already appointed two people to the department: Jennifer Chin, who will serve as Legal Advocacy counsel; and Sandy Christiansen, who will serve as director of case development.

“I am thrilled to have Jennifer and Sandy join the ASPCA in this capacity,” said Wolf. “Their exceptional backgrounds are unique, yet complimentary, and both will play a vital role in helping to shape stronger animal welfare laws through the judicial system.”

Chin will provide second chair legal assistance to prosecutors handling animal cruelty cases across the country; assist in affirmative civil litigation cases brought by the department on behalf of the ASPCA; and provide legislative analysis for the ASPCA’s Government Relations department. Chin comes to the ASPCA from the United States Attorney’s Office in Newark, N.J., where she served as Assistant United States Attorney since 2008 specializing in criminal appellate work. She worked on complex civil litigation at two private law firms prior to her time at the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Christiansen will focus on affirmative outreach to identify and develop potential litigation opportunities; working with prosecutors and investigators on Legal Advocacy cases; and conducting legal research and legislative analysis. Prior to joining the ASPCA, Christiansen was the president and CEO of the Spartanburg Humane Society in Spartanburg, S.C. since 2005. In this role, he was responsible for supervising a staff of 41 employees and helping to grow such programs as humane education, anti-cruelty initiatives, behavior and training, and animal transport. During his 19 years working for the welfare of animals, Christiansen has also gained extensive experience in conducting cruelty and animal fighting investigations.

The Legal Advocacy department is part of the ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty Group, which is also comprised of Humane Law Enforcement, Field Investigations and Response, Anti-Cruelty Behavior, Strategy and Campaigns, Forensic Sciences, and Anti-Cruelty Projects.

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 http://www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/aspca.

What if saving a pet’s life was as easy as visiting your Facebook profile or posting something to it…?

A new, unique, online Facebook application – Share a Pic, Save a Pet allows you to help save the lives of the nearly 8 million homeless pets in the U.S. today to drive public awareness and increase adoptions through social media!

Thousands of healthy, loving pets are in need of adoption right now, and you can help!

How?

Donate your Facebook page to a four-legged friend finding a forever home with Share a Pic, Save a Pet.

It’s quite fun to play around, test it out, and share these guys on your profile – you never know who may be looking or who may be wanting to adopt.

Created by non-profit PetSmart Charities and powered by Adopt-A-Pet.com, the first-of-its-kind Facebook application transforms individual profiles to alert your friends, family and followers about adoptable pets in your own community that need lifelong, loving homes, giving Facebook users an exclusive way to ‘donate’ their profile to showcase homeless pets in the community.

How to Use Share a Pic, Save a Pet

1. Go to http://apps.facebook.com/shareapic-saveapet/

2. Input your ZIP code.

3. Select up to 10 adoptable dogs or cats to showcase on your profile by breed, color, size and gender.

4. Adopt-a-Pet.com’s nationwide shelter database enables the application to populate your Facebook profile with photos of local pets available for adoption and links to local animal-welfare organizations where the pets available for adoption. These pictures are shared directly to your Friends’ news feeds and on your Facebook timeline!

We tried it on our personal Facebook page and its fun and functional both – your friends will catch on in no time and undoubtedly be doing the same.

Just imagine the lives we could save if everyone puts up ten pets every day for one month?!?

So check out Adopt-A-Pet.com’s Share a Pic, Save a Pet now – and get to sharing!

The month of April brings lots of fun stuff from Hill’s!

Did you know that National Hairball Awareness Day is…uh hum, “coming up” on April 27???

It’s sure to not only be informational but lots of fun!

Hill’s will be featuring the Hairball Battle Game on their Facebook page, there will be a video that talks about the amount of hair your cat consumes just grooming itself (starring Roady, a Hill’s’ employee kitty) and more!

Enter now online for your chance to win a gift basket for your special cat. **Gift basket will include a free bag of Hill’s® Science Diet® Hairball Control cat food and a $20 Petco gift card!

Roady the Hill's Hairball Spokescat!

Roady is here to help me tell everyone about the amount of cat hair he (as an average cat – albeit, he’s NOT average wink wink) will consume over a year’s time simply grooming himself.

Did you know an average cat will actually consume 173 grams of hair over a year???!!!

Take a peek at the video to see just how much cat hair that is!

Remember to play the Hairball Battle Game and Happy Hairball Awareness Month!

Also, stay tuned on ThoughtsFurPaws for a Hill’s Science Diet pet food giveaway!

In two days, I will be announcing the Hill’s pet food giveaway contest!

Dear Ohio Animal Advocates,

Ohio is one of only a handful of states with virtually no regulations on wild/exotic animal pet ownership.

Even before last year’s horrific incident in Zanesville, this oversight has led to tragedy for both people and animals: The Associated Press found that along with having some of the nation’s weakest restrictions on exotic pets, Ohio has among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.

This is partially due to the fact that the state has become a haven for breeders and dealers of these animals.

It’s time to stop the insanity!

The ASPCA supports Senate Bill 310, which is currently pending in Ohio’s legislature (in Columbus). If passed, it would prohibit keeping many wild, dangerous and exotic species of animals as pets (effective 2014).

The full Ohio Senate may vote on the bill as soon as TOMORROW!

What You Can Do

Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online to quickly email your state senator and ask him or her to support S.B. 310 to ban keeping wild animals as pets. Your senator will likely vote on the bill this week, so there’s no time to lose.

 Thank you for defending wild and exotic animals, Ohio!

Cats & pit bulls to benefit from low-cost spay/neuter surgeries

You, my beloved readers, can help put an end to a tragic situation…

Each year, thousands of kittens and puppies wind up in shelters as you know. Many are euthanized as a result of accidental litters from pets that are not spayed or neutered.

In fact, 11,000 pets in this country are euthanized daily – that’s half of the 8 million pets that land in shelters each year, according to a PetSmart Charities study.

Not all of these pets start out homeless.

Half of U.S. pet owners who’ve had a pregnant dog or cat say the pregnancy happened “by accident.”

Spaying/neutering at an early age is the best way to prevent unplanned litters and also has health benefits for pets. Many people don’t realize that operations as early as 8 to 10 weeks is safe for most pets – and waiting longer puts you at risk for an unplanned litter.

So I’m helping PetSmart Charities spread the word about early spay/neutering because it’s one the best ways (in the top three) to save homeless pets and curb the pet overpopulation problem in the US.

PetSmart Charities, the nation’s largest funder of spay/neuter initiatives, recently announced a NEW $1 million national grant program to fund high-quality, affordable spay/neuter operations to save the lives of pets that are at the highest risk for euthanasia: cats and pit bull terriers-these guys have that high risk due to overcrowding in shelters, which is due to overpopulation, etc.

Do you see how the circle works? If I were a graphic artist I would make an infographic but I’m not so I can’t. I did find one that’s to the right though from Pawesome.net.

The new PetSmart Charities grant program builds on the group’s efforts to:

- improve spay/neuter rates

- reduce shelter overcrowding

-increase pet adoption

Since 2007, PetSmart Charities has provided $26.3 million in grants that have subsidized almost 1 million spay/neuter surgeries in the United States.

Today, this year, the new grant program will help 65 nationwide non-profit spay/neuter clinics provide high-quality, affordable spay/neuter surgeries for more than 23,000 cats and pit bull terriers, ultimately reducing the homeless pet population by tens of thousands of at-risk cats and dogs that would otherwise wind up in shelters because of unplanned litters, according to Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities, Inc.

Four million adoptable pets are euthanized every year in the United States because they aren’t adopted.

“Approximately 34 percent of dogs and cats in U.S. households are not spayed or neutered yet the procedure is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet overpopulation,” said Della Maddalena. “With our new national grant program and our ongoing efforts to make affordable spay/neuter available to the public, PetSmart Charities is addressing the root cause of pet homelessness and this will have a national impact on reducing shelter intake and, ultimately, the euthanasia of adoptable pets.”

Lori Redmon, president/CEO of the Kentucky Humane Society in Louisville agrees.

“Shelters do their best to find forever homes for all of their cats and dogs that are loving pets, but unplanned litters quickly lead to overcrowding, and tragically, too many wonderful pets are at risk for euthanasia. With the grant from PetSmart Charities, we will be able to perform 200 more spay/neuter surgeries and give some much-needed help to cats and pit bull terriers that are especially at risk.”

“Beat the Heat” and “Primp Your Pit”

PetSmart Charities’ new grant program will support two spay/neuter campaigns:

·         “Beat the Heat” was held in February 2012 to spay female cats before they go into heat, and prevented 17,000 unplanned litters during the “kitten season” spring months.

·         “Primp Your Pit” will be held in August 2012, giving clinics resources to spay or neuter pit bull terriers. This breed, in particular, ends up in shelters in large numbers due to the myths and negative media and public perceptions that are associated with pit bulls. Search BSL or pit bulls on ThoughtsFurPaws.com for more information on that (don’t get me started about myths on these sweet, gorgeous, loving dogs…)

Through these special campaigns, spay/neuter clinics receive:

1. grant funds to help lower the cost of spay/neuter for the public
2. professionally-developed marketing materials to educate the public
3. funding and support to advertise and promote the campaigns in local communities

To find high-quality, low-cost spay/neuter services locally, the public can go online here to access a free searchable database made possible through a partnership between PetSmart Charities and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®).

How to Donate to Save Pets’ Lives

Donations allow PetSmart Charities to offer these types of grant programs and resources that support local clinics and shelters across the nation. Members of the public can join the fight to end pet homelessness by making a tax-deductible donation online, by email at gifts@petsmartcharities.org or via phone at 623-587-2826.

Stay up to date on the lives that are being saved through PetSmart Charities’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/savehomelesspets.

About PetSmart Charities®

Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest funder of animal-welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities has provided more than $134 million in grants and programs benefiting animal-welfare organizations and has helped save the lives of nearly 5 million pets through its in-store adoption program. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS (7387).

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. ***