"Addicted to Yoga"-a happy ending

An UPDATE on our DOGS:

Our very dear Students, we are pleased to announce that we have found homes for our dogs and have successfully diverted the humane society to doing more important things (like finding homes for their dogs)! We were truly overwhelmed by the response and amount of support we received from the community! In one week we were able to find perfect loving homes for 6 dogs! It was amazing! Thank you for your help, support, spreading the word, open hearts, giving time, positive energy, and so much more! We are so very blessed to have you in our lives and we thank you so much for saving the dogs' lives! With much love and respect, namaste.

Polina & Dave

"Rehome" or "rescue"?

Our choice of words can wield a powerful influence. Words can evoke a particular sentiment or emotion. The crafty animal rights extremists have capitalized on the effective use of words such as "rescue", "puppy mill" and "overpopulation" to help promote the agenda of tightening restrictions on breeders.

Over time, such words and phrases can influence attitudes within society. Consider these oft-repeated platitudes:

"Every dog produced by a breeder takes a home from a shelter dog."

"Don't breed or buy while others die"

"Until there are none, rescue one"

"If you breed, you should rescue"

The not-so-subtle implication is that there are not enough homes to go around; that breeders are to blame for dogs who wind up in a "rescue" situation; that dogs are abundant, and that animal control agencies simply cannot find homes for them all. We are told that there is a dearth of dogs needing homes simply because, well, they exist. Therefore breeders should, the logic follows, help to solve that problem of dog homelessness, since they are the parties responsible for bringing dogs into existence.

However emotional this appeal is, logically, it is a fact that there are many more homes opening up for pets each year than there are pets entering shelters. But emotionally, it's difficult to shake the notion of the need for "rescue", replete with images of forlorn waifs enclosed behind bars awaiting their knight in shining armor to deliver them from the evil human dragons who bred them and thereby are responsible for their imprisonment.

Progressive shelter directors, like Ontario's Bill Bruce, know that shelter problems are not caused by "overbreeding".

"We don't have a DOG problem," states Bruce, "we have a PEOPLE problem."

People want pets and will obtain them through the most convenient avenue. Sometimes, however, problems can occur in the home. It is the inability or unwillingness of these pet-owning people to deal with these problems that results in pets needing a new home. And more often than not, these troubled, pet-owning folks are NOT breeders.

Why does re-homing sometimes become necessary for pets? There can be many reasons. Some, such as death or illness of the owner, cannot be prevented or even predicted in many cases. Divorce causes a split in the family, with the pet in this situation possibly needing to be re-homed. Other reasons may stem from an unprepared owner's unwillingness or inability to deal with normal dog training issues such as barking or housetraining. In today's poor economic climate, another major factor is pet owners who suddenly lose their job. Loss of a job may mean losing your home and having to move, resulting in homeless pets as well as people. In some severe cases, the decision for giving up the family pet may result from the choice between feeding the pet or feeding the family.

These situations call for rehoming, not necessarily for something we might tag as "rescue". Rescue implies removal from an abusive situation. None of the situations above are considered abuse, and such dogs don't need to be RESCUED from abusive owners, they simply need a new home!

The term "rescue" implies a Dudly Doright riding in and swooping Nell from the train tracks. Rescuers generally have an evil nemesis, a Snidely Whiplash. How evil is a dead or unemployed owner? Most of the time, Not Very.

Re-homing seems to be a better term to use for such situations. I've heard some "rescue" groups playfully tag themselves as "pet recyclers" or "second chance groups", and I think that more accurately describes the re-homing job at hand.

In many cases, breeders will take back dogs they have bred when re-homing becomes necessary. In other instances, breed rescues step in to help. However, it's the animal control agencies, the local "dog pounds", who bear the brunt of pet relinquishment. And, according to these agencies, many animals they take in end up being killed.

There is, however, no earthly reason for this situation! No adoptable pet should be killed. Claiming a lack of homes is disingenuous, because statistics show that there are plenty of homes. 

According to the 2010 US census, there are over 105 million households in the US. And, according to the 2009-2010 survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 17 million of those households will add a pet this year. This translates to roughly one in six US households who will add a dog or cat to their home….this year, and every year! With pets only living on average about 10 years or so, and most pet households owning multiple pets, these statistics are reasonably accurate.

So how best to re-home the homeless pets?? Obviously, many shelters are not effectively performing the job. Could local limit laws be partly to blame? After all, if there were no pet limits, there would be many more homes for the homeless, and many less pets sent to shelters simply because the owner might happen to be over the legal limit. Claiming there are not enough homes, and then removing pets from homes due to technicalities of limit laws smacks of the most blatant hypocrisy.

Yet removing pets from homes for not good reason does occur, on a regular basis. In my local area, in just the past few months, there were a couple of rescue groups who were forced by the local humane society to relinquish dogs due to being over limit. These were groups who were not mistreating their dogs in any way, and there were no neighbor complaints. They were simply over the arbitrary numeric limit.

One of these rescue parties is a couple that runs a local yoga ashram studio who took in some street strays. The other group was an established dog rescue actually prosecuted in civil court for being over the legal nuberic limit, and for having facilities built for the dogs....without obtaining a permit. 

Limit laws are "just another tool in the toolbox", to quote the animal control agencies. Meant to be selectively applied in cases of abuse. Right! Like taking rescued pooches from peaceful yogis and from a group without a building permit!

But what limit laws really teach us is this: "Better off dead than living happily with a few other pets". Because the shelters then take the easy route. Rather than being proactive in placing dogs, they kill them.

So how best to place the adoptable dogs in shelters? Should rescue fall to breed clubs? There is no question that, when it comes to specific breeds, breed club rescues are most qualified to match pets with appropriate homes. But what about all those mixed breed dogs? Are the breed experts responsible for those dogs as well? After all, their puppies are keeping those mixed breeds in shelters, right?

This is really twisted logic and yet we see it continually, from rescue groups, to breed clubs to breeders themselves who believe that breeders are responsible for circumstances that result in dogs needing to be re-homed….even when those circumstances are beyond anyone's control!

If our animals shelters would implement more effective methods of rehoming rather than the knee-jerk reaction of killing for space, society would be better served. It can be done! And it has been done in many areas where they have embraced the No Kill philosophy.

"No kill" is also about "no blame". To be part of a solution means to help unselfishly and without sitting in judgment of others. That's sort of difficult, considering human nature, isn't it? We always seem to want to demonize somebody for problems that just, well, are really nobody's fault. Whether it be loss of a job, being over limit, or faced with relocation, there should be someplace to turn when it comes time to re-home a pet.

Because there, except by the grace of God, go you or I tomorrow. Will there be someone there to help re-home our pets when our turn comes?

http://www.championnewspapers.com/articles/2011/01/18/news/doc4d30c30c68a44342574575.txt

Message from "Addicted to Yoga".......

To our very dear students,


We are sending you this email with hesitation but hope that you will be able to help! We love dogs and have rescued many from the streets in the last several years. Many of which we have placed and some of which we have not. We have seven dogs left that need homes and if we don't find homes for them the humane society will take them and most likely euthanize them. Below are pictures of some of the dogs if you are interested or know of anyone who is interested please have them call, email, or visit us to see them! There is no cost we just want the dogs to have a loving and caring home. We are sorry if we offended you by sending this email we just want the dogs to be in a good home and not be euthanized. We have one week before they come back and take the dogs. Thank you for your help and time.


Sincerely,

Dave & Polina

These dogs need a home or they will be euthanized!

February Fallacy

We now have the City of Los Angeles currently promoting February as "Spay and Neuter Month."

11-0181 To Council Resolution (Cardenás - Alarcón) - Resolve that, by adoption of this resolution, the Los Angeles Council joined with the Mayor, City Attorney, and the City Controller distinguishes February as Spay and Neuter Month and acknowledges the Found Animals Foundation for their efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of spaying and neutering our four legged companions.

Presumably, in the City's estimation, speutering everything that moves will somehow magically end pet homelessness. Considering that the vast majority of owned pets are already sterilized, massive spay/neuter campaigns make no sense whatsoever.

Perhaps if we eliminate pets altogether by sterilizing them out of existence, it would then logically follow that there would be no pets entering shelters....because there would be no pets! That would be the ONLY scenario where shelter intake would not happen.

And naturally,the City Council and the Found Animal Foundation aren't going to mention the drawbacks of spaying and neutering, particularly the multitude of adverse health effects for dogs.

But it's never been about pet welfare has it? Only about wielding control. I guess that's why it's called "animal control"?

My next entry deals with why pets are in shelters and how to solve that problem....and it definitely has NOTHING to do with spay/neuter.

Pomeranian Health Concerns

Pomeranian Health Problems

Geneva Coats, R.N.

 

The APC recently launched a Pomeranian health survey on the OFA website. All current and former owners of Pomeranians are encouraged to take the survey. Participation is essential to develop an accurate assessment of the health problems in our breed. You can access the survey here:

 

http://www.offa.org/surveys/survey_pom.html

 

Please complete the survey for each Pom, living or deceased, that you have owned. Also, on the first page of the survey, you are asked for your opinion on the most important health issues in the breed.  

 

Here are some of the health issues commonly noted in the breed:

 

Luxating patellas-a condition where the kneecaps slip out of place. This results in lameness of the hind legs. Symptoms may include limb-lifting and a hopping gait. OFA screening at an early age is recommended for an accurate picture, because as a dog ages environmental factors such as trauma, stress and diet can negatively influence the condition of the knee joint. In the worst cases, surgery to repair the knee is necessary.

 

OFA patella certification is one of the CHIC required exams for Pomeranians. CHIC database information should help us to to breed away from this problem.

 

Heart problems-Pomeranians are known to be a breed that is often affected by heart problems. Heart problems can be congenital (present at birth, such as PDA) or acquired later in life (resulting from bacterial infection of heart valves, chronic breathing problems etc). The best time to screen for congenital heart problems is at 6 to 8 weeks of age. A veterinarian listens for murmurs with a stethoscope over the four valve areas.  Murmurs heard at this age may sometimes be considered normal, and may disappear as the pup matures. If the murmur is still present at 16 weeks, however, the puppy's heart should be further assessed using cardiac ultrasound. 

 

OFA maintains a cardiac registry to gather data on congenital heart defects. Some congenital heart problems may not be evident until the puppy is several months old. Therefore, the OFA screen is completed at 12 months of age or later. Ideally, this should be done by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist. The OFA cardiac exam is one of the designated screens for Pomeranians in order to participate in CHIC.

 

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common problems in dogs, including Pomeranians. Lack of thyroid hormone can adversely affect every body organ and system. The thyroid gland my be underactive due to the effects of illness or some medications. A major cause of hypothyroidism, however, is autoimmune thyroiditis.  This is considered to be an hereditary problem. Similar autoimmune problems (such as hemolytic anemia, diabetes and Addison's disease) may occur in members of the same family.

 

A blood panel is used to screen for thyroiditis. For OFA thyroid certification, a complete thyroid blood panel is required to be done by specific laboratories. OFA thyroid certification is highly recommended for Pomeranians, but is not required for CHIC certification.

 

Alopecia is a loss of coat that may occur due to other illnesses. In Pomeranians, there is a generalized coat loss condition for which no underlying disease can be found. This condition is known as "Alopecia X". A genetic factor is suspected. Research is ongoing, but there is no blood test for this condition at this time. Conscientious breeders remove affected dogs from their breeding programs.

 

Collapsing trachea can occur with most small breeds and Pomeranians are no exception. In this condition, the main breathing airways are not strong enough to remain open on their own. Difficulty is noted when breathing. Your veterinarian can assist you with medical management of this condition. Sometimes surgery is indicated. This is a serious and potentially fatal problem, and affected dogs should not be bred.

 

Hypoglycemia sometimes happens with small puppies who are very active and not taking in enough calories to meet their energy requirements. The pup may develop weakness and pale gums. Untreated, this can lead to seizures and death. If  you suspect hypoglycemia, rub some Nutracal or corn syrup on the gums and consult your veterinarian immediately.

 

Hypoglycemia in adults may be a symptom of other health problems. Your veterinarian should be consulted for further diagnostic testing if your dog becomes hypoglycemic.

 

Seizures are usually a symptom of various other conditions but some cases are felt to be hereditary. Your veterinarian can diagnose the cause and prescribe appropriate treatment for this problem.

 

Dental problems are common in Pomeranian and all toy breeds. Deciduous teeth ("baby teeth") may require veterinary extraction if they are retained beyond the age of four months. Excessive plaque formation and gum disease can be kept in check with periodic professional veterinary dental care. Untreated tooth and gum disease can progress quickly to bone infection and teeth can be lost. Such infection often travels to the heart where it can cause damage to the heart valves, leading eventually to heart failure, so please remember to make regular dental care a priority for your Pomeranian.

 

Although more common in larger, heavier dogs, hip dysplasia is known to sometimes occur in Pomeranians. A specific type of hip dysplasia known as Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is not umcommon in smaller breeds. This problems is believed to probably be inherited. Symptoms usually begin at a fairly young age, usually between 4 months and a year old. Pain and lameness can occur, and the most severe cases require surgical intervention. OFA hip screening for LCP is recommended (but not required) for Pomeranians who participate in the CHIC program. This involves an xray of the hips, usually done under sedation, after the age of 12 months. The films are submitted to OFA for evaluation. Xrays normal for hip dysplasia are also considered normal for LCP. The same films can be used for both certifications.

 

Pomeranians, like all breeds, may suffer from hereditary eye problems. Pomeranians are known to sometimes be affected by several eye conditions including entropion (eyelids that roll inward) or distichiasis (eyelashes growing inward toward the eye). Both these conditions can cause traumatic damage to the surface of the eye, and if untreated can result in blindness.  An eye health assessment should be done by a veterinary ophthalmologist and then submitted to the Canine Eye Registration Foundation or "CERF". CERF certification is a requirement for Pomeranians to participate in the CHIC program.

 

For further information on CERF, please see:

 

http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.HTML

 

For  more information on the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), please see:

 

http://offa.org/

 

For details of the CHIC program, please see this webpage:

 

http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/brdreqs.html?breed=PN

 

And don't forget to take the survey! The APC Health and Genetics committee thanks you!

 

http://www.offa.org/surveys/survey_pom.html

 

Newswriter swallows PETA's lines

In response to a news story about PETA advising governors to push for mandatory spay-neuter laws.

 

Hi Rachel –

 

Just read your article, http://tinyurl.com/msngovs and I'm thinking you could definitely use some interview questions to pose to PETA. 

 

Ask them:

•  WHY they killed over 97% of the animals they claimed to rescue in 2009– and they repeat this sad pattern every year??? 
•  WHY they feel they're entitled to be seen as experts – when they claim that a bitch can produce a litter every 3 months – that's IMPOSSIBLE! 
•  WHY there are so many dogs being imported by rescue groups – if there's such an overabundance of animals here? 
•  WHY they're not helping people retain their pets during financial problems? 
•  WHY they think that dogs and cats are better dead than with people?
•  WHERE they got their statistics – as the statistics they've published every year are FAR more dismal on their adoption rates – OR, do they consider death a "forever home"?

Oh – and don't forget to ask them WHY they're pushing for mandatory sterilization when, according to the 2009-2010 APPMA statistics:

 

75% of owned dogs are already sterilized?  

 

As for the cats – most entering shelters are feral – meaning, NO ONE owns them! And of owned cats:

 

 87% are already sterilized.

 

source: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html

 

Geesh – what a crock of crap PETA has fed you!

http://petakillsanimals.com/

 

Have a great day, and don't forget that research is a prerequisite to good reporting.

 

New York proposed Animal Abuser Registry

Hi Jon –

I just read your site - http://www.legislatorcooper.com/pressrelease_281.html - about your new Animal Rights law.  I do hope your animal abuser registry works far better than the sexual one.  Here in California, we have two families in the San Diego area mourning the losses of their two, beautiful young daughters – and their murderer was in the sexual abuse database for many years.  Yet – these girls were brutally murdered, several years apart.  The police knew about the man – and they were STILL murdered.  Gee – I would think kids would be a higher priority!!!!!!

Not a good plan.  It just doesn't work!  Better to concentrate on the schools and teach kids how to work with animals.  Better to NOT listen to the freaks from PETA and H$U$ who see bogeymen behind every door!  Best to concentrate on what this country and your state so needs – national security, safety for children, an economy that instills encouragement for new businesses, and a legislature that actually obeys the same laws as us little plebeians.

No, Jon, you have your priorities wrong.  Listening to a few freaks is NOT going to get you the popularity of the masses.  Think about it – and investigate if you haven't.  H$U$ is nothing more than PETA in a suit.  They have the same agenda – NO domestic animals!  That's right – no food, no food by-products, no life-saving drugs like insulin, no animal research to solve horrific diseases like ALS (ever watch someone die from it?  I have now witnessed it up front a nd personal – TWICE!!!), no clothing materials from animals, no draft animals, no riding animals, no circuses or zoos – and the absolute worst to me – NO PETS!!!  I can NOT imagine, nor do I want to, a world devoid of animals!  YET – every time a stupid politician listens to them and kowtows to their demands – we are one step closer!  Every time some stupid media person raves about them – we're one step closer.  Terrorists are made up of many agendas – but all are out to ruin and destroy our way of life!

Here's another thought for you – what exactly IS abuse?  My dog doesn't sleep in a special kennel – but on my bed.  Is THAT abuse?  I don't feed my dog once a day – but twice a day.  Is THAT abuse?  My dogs are transported IN crates so they are safe in the advent of an accident.   Is THAT abuse?  A dog hanging their head out the window can be seriously injured – is THAT abuse?  I walk my dog on a leash – abuse?  I train my dog to do things with me and I show in AKC conformation, Obedience, and other activities – is THAT abuse?  My dogs are hard-coated terriers and I pluck their coats – is THAT abuse?  No, I'm not splitting hairs – but H$U$ is.  They will get in a law – then they WILL significantly make it more rigid every year.  That's their way!  What's abuse?  Who's definition?  Sorry, Jon, if this makes you and your staff THINK!!!  While you're at it – ask H$U$ just WHY they only spend less than a half of one percent on animals?  WHY do they NOT have any shelters?  AND – even their whiney CEO doesn't even have a pet – nor has he ever.  How can you accept their word as experts – when they have no real credibility?

Think about it – do you really want to encourage such freaks?  Do you want your children's children to grow up without any pets?   Now – in MY estimation – THAT'S ABUSE!!!!

"Pet Food: A Dog's Breakfast"

 I found a link to watch this video online. http://www.viddler.com/explore/jennifergoodwin/videos/4/

This show was in general very disappointing. They did not present anything about the process of rendering and the resultant poor quality fats and protein meals that form the lion's share of pet food ingredients. The persistant dangers of mycotoxins in kibbles didn't get a mention at all. The risk of bacterial contamination of a raw diet is mentioned without any mention of the fact that kibbles have been recalled more often for salmonella than any commercial raw diet.

The use of old, stale grains was not mentioned, the impression was that the corn and rice etc are no different than what we people eat. An entire section is devoted to comparing cheap with "premium" kibbles and it is stated that there is no difference...but they are basing that on the nutritional analysis which is actually not any gauge of quality in any pet food. What they should have been comparing is kibbled "pet food" with FRESH food. But that didn't happen.


Label comparisons by veterinary students in school? Not very helpful in teaching them about advising clients on what constitutes an appropriate diet. A vet who "trusts" dog food companies was spotlighted too, and there was no counter to her notions of how healthful some of these heavily processed foods actually might be.


One woman (dog nutritionist?) baked up her own kibble. Her point was that using poor quality ingredients can make a palatable food....but I think her point got lost in the shuffle.....it actually looked like something that might be tasty and delicious. And, we know that there is no kibble that is baked in the oven.....except maybe that one premium brand "Flint River Ranch"......I did like the demo on how a mixture of shoe leather, motor oil and sawdust would make a food that meets the standards....that should have been included early on in the show. By the time they got to it, I was frustrated to death with this lackluster presentation.


So what if there is more corn in her kibble than meat? So what if fish heads are used? Did they mention that the meat scraps, fish heads etc are rendered into a glop and then dried into a non-nutritious meal? Did they mention about how rendering and extruding breaks down the essential amino acids to create deficiency problems?? A few minor details left out. Hey dogs have eaten man's dinner scraps for thousands of years, no big deal to most viewers, right?


There was no mention of the reasons WHY grains and carbs are not optimal feed, except one mention that cats are carnivores and should not be fed grains. Another mention that the grains lose nutrients when cooked. There really was no sense of urgency in this production about the ingredients used or the true depth of the overprocessing....feeding kibble is not comparable to feeding your kidds pizza for your kids, as was suggested in this show. That made it sound sort of like kibble is a fun food! Good lord!


Their presented solution is more regulation of pet food, as if that will make it safer. Overprocessed, poor quality dry food cannot be made any more healthy or safe.....IMHO, the solution is to educate the public to stop buying commercial pet food and instead feed a fresh diet!

This is the companion article to the documentary, : http://www.scribd.com/doc/12296452/Whats-Cookin-Ever-Wonder-What-Happens-to-Dead-Animals

A Parable-Dog Law in Virginia

(Flashing blue lights in your rear view mirror. You pull to the curb and stop. A cop stops behind you and approaches. He goes to the front of your car, breaks a headlight with lug wrench and comes back to the
window.)

"Lady, didn't you see the speed limit sign back there?"

(You struggle to control your anger.)

"Ah, no, officer. But I was only going about 25."

"The sign says 'DON'T DRIVE TOO FAST OR TOO SLOW.' That's how we do the speed limits in this town."

"OH ... I didn't know that. But I was only going about 25."

"You were, ahhh ... (looks around) going too slow. And you're driving an unsafe vehicle with a broken headlight."

"I'm sorry. I didn't hurt anything. I'll be more careful next time."

"Good idea, lady, now get out of your car."

"What?"

"I said, get out of your car. You can take your purse and cell phone but leave the keys in the ignition."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me. DO IT, or I'll arrest you."

(Cop gets in car. You start to lose it.)

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"Better call a cab; my partner has to get the cruiser home in time for his dinner."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I'M CALLING A LAWYER."

(Cop laughs)

"Yeah, lady, you do that. Hey, nice wheels. See you!"

(Drives off in your car, followed by cruiser.)

Less than two weeks later having been trashed as an 'abusive driver'-- "Her car was in deplorable condition" -- in three newspaper articles, you go to a hearing in front of a judge. You are required to forfeit your car and pay all costs. Several days later the Prosecutor charges you with ten counts of driving a vehicle in unsafe condition and nine counts of driving too fast.

Your attorney explains that the loss of your car was a 'civil forfeiture' -- you were using the car to violate the law, so the state had the right to take it away. NOW you are being given criminal charges for your actions. Since each 0.1 mile is a separate violation and the cop followed you for a mile, you're up for 19 Class
1 misdemeanors. Bad -- if convicted you could spend up to 19 years in jail. The good news is that you're being offered a plea bargain: If you plead guilty to two counts of driving too fast they'll let you off
with just a fine -- no jail time.

"I thought the charge was driving too slow."

"I donno -- the cop says you were going way too fast. You're lucky he didn't check his speedometer until he'd been following you for a bit, or it would have been an even 20 Class 1's."

"Can't I fight the charges?"

"Sure -- but can you prove you weren't going too fast? Can you prove that your headlight wasn't broken? When juries aren't sure, they often split the verdict. They might find you guilty on 10 counts for the headlight but not for the speeding."

So you take the plea bargain. You agree to two years supervised probation, you are barred from ever driving again, and given a ten year jail sentence, suspended on good behavior. Your fine is $2000 plus $3231.37 in court costs. You lose your job because you can't get to where you work by public transportation. Your attorney -- retainer $5000 -- says "Well, that's the law." He explains that the cop had the required two weeks of training but like a few others on that town's force, he had lost a loved one to a reckless driver, so "He really doesn't like people who don't obey speed limits."

You see an ad in the paper where a garage owned by the cop is selling your car for the blue book value.

===============

Impossible and stupid, right? Couldn't happen, right? RIDICULOUS, right?

Absolutely right on all. However that IS the way Virginia's laws work for dogs and cats. And the fact that not one Virginian in 100,000 has been on the short end of those laws is why the need for HB 2482 wasn't understood.

Of course the targets are nearly all dog breeders and it's not likely that more than one Virginian in 1000 has done that. You are all perfectly safe, for now. And for now, you'll be able to get your next pet from someone -- either in state and not yet driven out of breeding or in another state whose laws aren't yet as bad as Virginia's.

However the HSUS campaign is nationwide; in ten years or so those laws will be nationwide (look for a federal law within five years) and we'll be making do with dogs that are bred or imported illegally at much higher prices.

You think HSUS will stick to dog breeders with these campaigns and not move on to farmers? Researchers who use animals?

I think we should also consider that a nation that allows laws of this kind for animal owners might one day allow them for other people.

"First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist."



Walt Hutchens

Timbreblue Whippets

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie....YES!

An article posted on AOL news this week admonished pet owners to NOT sleep with their pets. It seems there is reported to be a SERIOUS risk that pets can transmit diseases and parasites to their owners. The sensational title even proclaims that sleeping dogs in your bed can KILL you.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/20/letting-sleeping-dogs-lie-in-your-bed-can-kill-you/

Now I'm no expert, but I believe that most contagious diseases are species-specific. In other words, I'm much more likely to contract an illness from my spouse or my kids if THEY sleep with me. Or hug me, or kiss me.....and need we mention the risk of sexually transmitted diseases in humans?

Shucks, I'm really in serious trouble when I get into my car...I might get into an accident and get injured or even killed. Assuming I make it safely to my destination, if it is a public place like a store or a bank, I am routinely exposed to MRSA, flu and cold bugs and even more serious diseases like tuberculosis that travel undeterred throughout the human population.

Assuming someone loves his dog enough to allow him into his bed at night, that person likely also loves their dog enough to treat him for fleas and other parasites. Dogs licking us will make us sick? I dunno about that, but somebody sure gave me a nasty flu bug last Thanksgiving, and betcha dollars to donuts it was NOT a dog.

Two examples were used in this article. In the first, a child supposedly contracted bubonic plague from sleeping with a flea-infested cat. Now, unless that cat was ill with the plague that is a highly dubious scenario. And it's about as likely as, well, getting shot at a Safeway store in Arizona or maybe even at a school or post office. More likely the flea in question originated with a sick wild animal. And anyway, don't most of today's pet owners routinely treat their pets for fleas and other parasites?

The other example cited was the report of a couple who repeatedly became re-infected with MRSA. This problem was attributed to their dog. Gee, by definition MRSA is a "resistant" bacteria, difficult to eliminate even with the strongest of antibiotics. Seriously, blaming the dog for a bacteria that is resistant to treatment? Ridiculous! The couple probably passed that bacteria back and forth just fine without any help from the dog.

Given the fact that there are so many documented therapeutic mental health benefits to including pets in our lives, it smacks of a bizarre, pet-hating agenda by the likes of PETA and similar social miscreants to draw such bold, unsubstantiated conclusions.


As to wound licking, saliva has enzymes and other beneficial components that may possibly assist in wound healing. But, on the other hand, saliva can also in some rare cases transmit other pathogenic bacteria. And, there may be a certain risk to those with compromised immune systems like children and the elderly. It's probably good advice to not treat your wounds with licks from your dog's tongue. But what does that have to do with a dog sharing your bed, or couch, or for that matter, sharing the same floor space?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wound_licking

If your true concern is reducing serious disease....keep the dogs, ditch the humans!

Risky Business

Truth is, commercial pet food is mostly garbage.

That's right, you heard me correctly. It's garbage.

"OK, fine!" you might say. "Dogs love to eat garbage....and they are even expert poop 'recyclers'! There's no food on the planet that can be a worse for them than poop, right? How bad can pet food garbage really be? Companies have to label it honestly, and they can't sell it if it isn't safe. Right?"

Wrong. As many thousands of owners of pets who were sickened and killed by their dog food will tell you. Dead Wrong.

The undisputed fact is that pet food is composed of the waste products from the food industry.

To make a pet food into that familiar crunchy hard kibble, it is necessary to use mostly dry ingredients. Dry foodstuffs like "meals" are used, along with large quantities of grain products, starches such as peas and potatoes, and dried plant proteins known as "glutens". Add to the mix other non-nutritious ingredients like beet pulp (fiber), rock phosphate for minerals (carrying with it a high load of incidental fluoride) and of course the nondescript "by-products". Some sort of preservative is needed for a long shelf life. These ingredients are then extruded under extreme high heat and pressure into the final kibble-foromed product. As we know from studies on people, overprocessed food lose much of their nutritional value. When you feed kibble, you certainly are not providing your pet with anything that could be fairly considered life-sustaining, much less healthful.

Canned food has the advantage of moistness, lack of chemical preservatives, and improved palatablity. However, the meat used in pet food whether it is canned or kibbled, is amost invariably what is referred to as "4D"..... from Dead, Diseased, Dying or Disabled animals. Yes, even most premium brands use 4D meats.

Another disturbing discovery is the use of rendered companion animals in the ingredient tagged as "meat meal". In the 1990s, some vets reported that dogs seemed to be developing a tolerance to pentobarbital, the drug used to euthanize them. Were they somehow ingesting low doses of pentobarbital? Pentobarbital is never used to kill animals who are destined to be food; it is only used to kill companion animals. Was pentobarbital in pet food? There would have only been one way it could have gotten there...by including the remains of euthanized pets in the meat meals that were produced by rendering plants

In 1998, the FDA did a random sampling of commercial pet foods to check for pentobarbital. Shockingly, 31 of the 37 brands tested had measurable amounts of the toxic drug. A followup study in 2000 found that the highest levels of pentobarbital were found in Ol' Roy, Kibbles and Bits, and Pet Gold. Other popular brands like Purina Pro Plan and Nutro Premium also tested positive for pentobarbital.

The uncomfortable fact is that companion animal carcasses have long been accepted by plants who specialize in "rendering". These carcasses join the dead, diseased livestock and road kill and are ground up, boiled at high temperatures and separated into fats and "meat". This "meat" is then further dried to produce a "meat meal." Meat meal is a major ingredient in many brands of commercial pet foods...and the Pentobartital evidence trail proves that companion animals have been a part of the mix...despite denials by the pet food companies.

So how can we avoid pet food made up of "4D" animals or recycled pets? You can look for a label that touts "human grade" meat, but there is no requirement and certainly no guarantee that "human grade" is ever actually used.

AAFCO is the industry group that certifies pet foods as "complete and balanced", usually with their stamp of approval right on the label! AAFCO is made up of individuals from the pet food industry. In effect, the industry polices itself. The fox is guarding the henhouse.

AAFCO certification means simply that the food in question lists a nutrient profile on the label that meets predetermined criteria for fat and protein content. Alternatively, a certification by AAFCO might mean that a feeding trial was done. To pass an AAFCO feeding trial, 6 out of 8 animals must complete a 26 week course of a steady diet of that particular diet without showing clinical or pathological signs of nutritional deficiency or excess. And 6 of the 8 must not lose over 15% of their initial starting weight. This is supposed to prove that the food is "complete and balanced"? Lack of weight loss is not exactly a ringing endorsement. In my estimation, AAFCO certification is completely worthless.

Think about it for about ten seconds. Dogs and cats are carnivores. How can a food based primarily on grains and carbs, with a bit of "4D" meat thrown into the mix, possibly supply them the necessary vital nutrition? Instead of fresh meats and vegetables, our pets are consuming the sweepings from granary floors, fibrous wastes from beet sugar production, and grains that have been warehoused so long that they are often rancid and infested with mites and mold. Proteins are derived in large part from vegetable sources like wheat, corn and soybeans....and dogs and cats cannot effectively digest plant-derived protein. The little meat included in commercial pet food is "rendered" from dead, diseased, dying and disabled animals.

But the proof is certainly in the pudding, as events in recent years have demonstrated. Recalls occur regularly. Most frightening are deaths due to contaminants like poisonous mold, which naturally grows on stored foodstuffs and produces toxic chemicals that are known as "aflatoxins". Equally horrifying were thousands of pet deaths due to eating food that included glutens tainted with melamine and cyanuric acid. Melamine and cyanuric acid are both high-nitrogen substances. They were illegally cut into glutens to increase the bulk of the product as a way to cut costs. Thankfully, the melamine problem seems to have abated with vigilant monitoring. However, aflatoxins remain an ongoing concern, with a recent recall by Kroger in over 10 states in December 2010 due to high levels of cancer-causing aflatoxins. Aflatoxins, produced by mold on foodstuffs, cause liver damage and liver cancer with long-term low dose exposure, or can kill outright at higher doses by inducing liver failure.

Even more damning evidence of the hypocrisy of the claims of "complete and balanced" pet food lies in the many recalls for vitamin or mineral insufficiencies or, conversely, toxic overdoses. We've seen recalls for lack of vitamin A...something that carnivores have traditionally depended on their meat and organ-based diet to provide. Plant-based beta carotene is useless to dogs and cats as they cannot convert it to vitamin A. Most recently, in 2009, thiamine deficiency in pet food caused deaths. There have been recalls for toxic vitamin D excesses and zinc overdoses.

Contamination with Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause diarrhea and illnes, and often cited as a concern with raw foods, actually has been the source of multiple recalls of dry kibbled pet foods. Apparently, when food is cooked until all microorganisms, both good and bad, are dead, you have just created a petri dish ripe for growing unchecked colonies of the first bacteria or fungus that happens to come in contact with that food. Oops!

The heavy overprocessing of meats used in pet foods degrades vital amino acids including taurine. This often causes actual taurine deficiency disease, manifested by cardiomyopathy. So lets cook the hell out of the food and then make a feeble attempt to add taurine back in? Wrong solution to the problem; taurine is abundant in fresh meats.

Most supplements, including the powdered taurine supplement that is added to pet foods, are exclusively sourced from China, leaving us with no safe haven when it comes to additives in our food supply. The glutens tainted with melamine and cyanuric acid were also sourced from China. I'm doubtful that this new world global economy is beneficial to either us or our pets.

Tainted ingredients are often found in different brands during recalls because dozens of different pet food brands are often made in the same production plant. Yes, even the premium brands are produced right alongside the grocery store brands by large "co-packers". Contaminants have been shared among various brands in recent recalls, premium foods as well as grocery store brands .

Transforming garbage into cash is a magical feat that has been perfected by these pet food industry giants. Is it any wonder that pet food companies are able to sponsor dog shows, and heavily lobby the veterinary schools with grants and freebies intended to push their products on society? You'll notice that most vets foolishly advise owners against feeding their pets fresh foods prepared at home.

Carnivores like dogs and cats rely on their traditional diet of fresh foods to keep them healthy and happy. Give your dog a bone. Give your dog some fresh ground beef, or maybe a chicken wing or back. Scramble him up an egg. Share your fish dinner with him. But please, say NO to commercial pet foods.

Sadly, many out there are so indoctrinated to commercial pet foods that they will remain skeptical of this information. "My pets are just fine and I've fed XXXXX brand for years!" they proclaim. This is comparable to playing a game of Russian Roulette with our pets' lives. And, sadly, for those who die, in hindsight the risk could easily have been avoided.

I rest much easier at night since I made the switch to frozen raw or sun-dried meats, and since I made the decision to share my freshly prepared ricotta cheese and egg casserole with my dogs.

And I cringe whenever I see that bag of "Ol' Roy" dog food ready for checkout in the cart ahead of me at WalMart!

More info:

http://www.homevet.com/petcare/foodbook.html

http://seespotlivelonger.com/seespotbook.html

Info on mycotoxins:

http://vetmed.iastate.edu/diagnostic-lab/diagnostic-services/diagnostic-sections/chemistry-/-toxicology/mycotoxins

And here is a recent Saturday Night Live spot that is more factual than they might realize! A fictional ad for "Mostly Garbage" dog food:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/99942/saturday-night-live-mostly-garbage-dog-food

Gosh that never gets old! I love that SNL spot!