We wanted to let all our dear friends and readers know that we are going out of town and hence, won’t be posting for about a week. Don’t worry – we’ll be back next Wednesday and will have all kinds of goodies to post:)

Thanks again everyone for all your heartfelt comments about my baby Theodore. Getting out of here for awhile is just what the Doctor ordered for me to get through my overwhelming grief…

See you soon, and Happy Valentine’s Day! Give the furkids some extra nip and treaties for the holiday to show your love, but not too many! And remember to keep them away from the chocolates and flowers, which could be poisoinous!

Love,

Jaime, Benson, Gibson and Sasha (and Theodore in spirit)

We are so sorry to our dedicated readers that we are so behind in posting. Mom has been bed-ridden with both pneumonia AND Mono for the last two weeks. We have several product reviews to get up, and some fun Christmas pictures of the furkids opening their presents.

We promise to start posting again as soon as Mom’s fever goes down and she can get out of bed.

We miss you all and love you! Hope you are having a wonderful new year!

Love,

Jaime, Benson, Gibson, Theodore, and Sasha

Hi everyone.

Well Mom has been REALLY sick for about four weeks now. She went from swine flu to sinus infection and now has a bad upper respiratory infection accompanied by a nasty chest virus.

Needless to say, we are going to have to take a break for a couple days. We hope to be back next Monday and will post more doggie photo contest entries.

In the mean time, sorry we haven’t made it around to your blogs as often as we’d like but Mom has been too sick to even really be on the computer and do our blogging!

We miss all of you and hope to hear from you soon. We will be back next week.

In the mean time, don’t forget both December contests run through December 14th. So get your dog pictures  in to win holiday themed doggie bag prizes, and send me your animal welfare contribution stories  to win the PetSmart package!

Wags, licks, kisses, purrs, barks,

Benson, Gibson, Sasha and Theodore

(and Jaime, the sickly Mom)

We at ThoughtsFurPaws want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. Be sure to eat lots of turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie! We will see you tomorrow:)

Love,

Benson, Gibson, Sasha, Theodore and Jaime

Benson is HOME!!! HOORAY! Mind you, he is on 6 medications and still has Pancreatitis but we picked him up yesterday and he was SO happy to see us. He had a little pep in his step and is still in some discomfort but he is ALIVE!! We are so happy and want to sincerely thank everyone for their warm thoughts and prayers. Benson still has life-endangering medical conditions but for now he seems to be hanging on. We think he pulled through so he can see his Father again…

On that note, Dad is doing a little better, too. His fever has dissipated and he was able to get out of ICU and onto the skilled nursing unit floor this weekend. He will start physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy this week sometime and is not expected to have to undergo anymore operations. THANK GOD.

Thank you everyone so much again for your purrayers. We are firm believers in the power of prayer and think that’s what got us through this. We love you all and are so lucky to have such wonderful bloggie friends like you. We plan to stop by everyone’s blog this week to leave a more personal note of thanks.

Keep your paws crossed for the continuted recovery of Benny and Brian!

Love, Jaime

Just a quick update for you all. Benson is not doing well. We was rushed to the emergency vet early this morning where it was discovered that he now also has Pancreatitis, which can be deadly in his current medical condition. They have him on fluids and are going to see if he can eat some chicken and rice without throwing up tonight. Overall this does not look good at all for dear Benny. We know you all have been so supportive and now we need even MORE prayers.

On the other hand, Dad (Brian) is still in ICU after his second brain surgery. He is fighting off some type of bacterial infection that’s causing a fever of over 100 degrees.

How much suffering can one handle? Please keep sending your warm thoughts and prayers our way. This is extremely traumatic for the whole family. Poor Gibson doesn’t know what to do with himself without Dad and Benson, he’s so depressed.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support and prayers.

Love, Jaime

Hi all. Sorry we haven’t posted in awhile. We are currently dealing with another family trauma. Two weeks ago Dad was diagnosed with two severe subdural hematomas in his brain. He has undergone two very serious brain surgeries in the last ten days.

Please continue to pray for Benson (who is doing a “teeny” bit better, at least he’s eating again) and for my Dad, who will remain in ICU while the clots drain.

We won’t be posting again until mid next-week. Thanks to all of you for your concerns and prayers, we really appreciate it and Benny is fighting away!

We love you all, sincerely,

Jaime, Benson, Gibson, Sasha and Theodore

Thanks to the Humane Society for this urgent press release:

Petland Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Peddling Unhealthy Puppy Mill Dogs in at Least 20 States

PHOENIX (March 17, 2009) — Members of The Humane Society of the United States and other consumers filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Petland, Inc. and the Hunte Corporation are conspiring to sell unhealthy puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting consumers in numerous states. Petland is the nation’s largest chain of pet stores that sells puppy mill dogs and Hunte is one of the country’s largest distributors of factory-produced puppies.

The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Phoenix late Monday, alleges that Petland and Hunte violated federal law and numerous state consumer protection laws by misleading thousands of consumers across the country into believing that the puppies sold in Petland stores are healthy and come from high-quality breeders. Many of the puppies sold by Petland come either directly from puppy mills or puppy brokers such as Hunte, which operates as a middleman between the mills and Petland’s retail stores.

“Unscrupulous dog dealers like Petland and Hunte reap massive profits by pushing unhealthy puppies on well-intentioned dog-lovers who would never knowingly buy a puppy mill dog,” said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president & chief counsel for Animal Protection Litigation at The HSUS. “Families often bear the great expense of veterinary treatment for sick and unhealthy dogs, or the terrible anguish of losing a beloved family pet. This industry has been systematically lying to consumers for years about the source of the dogs they sell, and it’s long past time for a reckoning.”

The class action lawsuit is the result of many months of investigative and legal research, and comes after an eight-month investigation into Petland stores by The HSUS that demonstrated a direct link between multiple Petland stores and unscrupulous puppy mills. Numerous other reports have also surfaced of Petland’s allegedly deceptive sales practices, including the marketing and sale of puppies with life-threatening genetic defects and highly contagious parasitic and viral infections.

The 34-page complaint includes numerous examples of sick or dying puppies that Petland sold, including:

Mainerd, a Boston terrier, was diagnosed with a congenital spinal condition. Some of her vertebrae have not formed completely while others have fused together causing tissue to grow underneath along with possible nerve damage. Mainerd is now receiving steroid treatments for her ailments and may require expensive surgery.
Minchy, a miniature pinscher, was sold by Petland at 10 weeks old. He was immediately diagnosed with coccidian, an intestinal parasite that causes diarrhea and weight loss. Minchy was also diagnosed with an inherited disorder, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, which will ultimately lead to permanent blindness.

Tucker was sold at four months old. The bloodhound puppy experienced severe separation anxiety and various health problems before developing orbital cancer at only 7 months of age. 

 
Patrick, a Pomeranian puppy, was sold at three months old. He suffered from diarrhea and vomiting shortly after arriving at his new home. At 11 months old, Patrick was diagnosed with a genetic disorder, dual luxating patellas, which will require expensive surgery on both of his knees to correct.
 
Puppy mills are mass breeding operations where the health of dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits. The dogs are often kept in wire cages, stacked on top of each other, with no exercise, socialization, veterinary care, or loving human interaction. They are treated not like family pets, but like a cash crop.  Petland denies it supports these substandard breeding facilities, and claims to follow “Humane Care Guidelines” developed in conjunction with the USDA.  However, USDA recently informed HSUS in writing that it has no record of any such guidelines.

The class plaintiffs are being represented in the case by Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky, PC; Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, LLC; Garen Meguerian, Esq. and lawyers in The HSUS’s Animal Protection Litigation section. The suit requests a jury trial on behalf of the consumer class plaintiffs, and seeks reimbursement of the puppies’ purchase price along with compensation for all related monetary damages for the class members.

To learn more about puppy mills, visit humanesociety.org/stoppuppymills. A multi-media release is also available.

The ASPCA issued a statement recently about pets suffering due to the recent economic downward spiral.
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In Difficult Times, ASPCA® Urges Families Facing Foreclosure, Economic Woes:

“Please, Don’t Leave Your Pets Behind”

As the downturn in the economy continues, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today responded to the flurry of recent media reports about pets being both left behind in foreclosed homes and abandoned in shelters. The ASPCA wants to remind pet parents everywhere that they have options when faced with these heart-breaking decisions.

“While the ASPCA has not personally experienced an increase in animal intake to its Manhattan Adoption Center due to the economy, we have heard that many shelters across the country are seeing an increase in the number of abandoned animals,” said Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, Executive Vice President of ASPCA Programs & Science Advisor. “This issue will vary drastically from region to region across the United States, and without a network in place to collect and report these numbers from the nearly 5,000 community animal shelters nationwide, it is difficult to quantify.”

“The loss of a home is devastating and can only be made worse by having to also leave behind a beloved family pet,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “The ASPCA wants to remind pet owners that planning ahead is the best way to make an informed decision. Even though options in these cases may be less than ideal, it will be much better than simply leaving the pet behind in an abandoned home.”

The ASPCA offers this advice for people who are faced with foreclosure and the loss of their pets:

- Check with friends, family and neighbors to see if someone can provide temporary foster care for your pet until you get back on your feet. Agree to a specific time frame, and check on the pet regularly;

- If you are moving into a rental property, make sure pets are allowed and get permission in advance—and in writing; and

- Contact your local animal shelter, humane society or rescue group, in advance of your move, since many shelters limit their admissions to the number of animals they can adequately care for. If a shelter agrees to take in your pet, provide medical records, behavior information, and anything else that might assist shelter workers in finding your pet a new home.

“It is difficult and heartbreaking to lose a pet as a result of economic hardship,” continued Sayres. “But pet parents may take comfort in knowing that their pet will be better off, if they plan ahead and keep their cat or dog’s well-being in mind.”

We wanted to tell everyone to have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season, whatever you celebrate. We here will be taking a break for a week or so, so we won’t be around until around the New Year.

We hope your holiday is filled with love and happiness, and we wish all of our readers the very best. Please check back with us in a week or so, and look forward to our next newsletter coming out January 5!

Happy Howl-idays!

Jaime, Benson, Gibson, Sasha and Theodore