Two Fabulous Sites To Check Out ....

http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/33002-4-SF.pdf the 69 pg. report from USDA stating that they can't keep up.
http://stlouis.bbb.org/Storage/142/Documents/Puppy%20Mills%20study.pdf the Better Business Bureau report of the puppy industry.

CALL TO ACTION! LET'S END DOG CHAINING IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY
Calling all county residents! We need your help! St. Louis County currently has ordinances banning chaining of dogs for more than 10 hours in a row or a total of 12 hours per day. It has been our experience that these laws are not being enforced. We have been working with officials for months trying to resolve this and strengthen the law, but we need all our voices to be heard loud and clear.


Please call your county representative and ask to meet with him or her about improving the law. Specifically, we are hoping for a total ban on chaining, or at the very least a ban from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and a ban during specific heat/cold indices and severe weather. (Eg., chaining is banned when temperatures/indices exceed 85 degrees or fall below 32 degrees, and during severe weather warnings).


Connie Davie, Joan McKenna or Sandy Lynn will do our utmost to attend the meeting with you if you would like. We can also provide talking points and material you can share with your representative about the importance of anti-chaining legislation and enforcement. It is a matter of humane treatment of animals AND public safety, especially for children.


Below is a list of all the county officials, and a link to the district maps. Please call your representative and let us know when you plan to meet with them. Then please e-mail us at unchainyourdog@gmail.com and daviestl@mindspring.com to confirm, so we can move forward.


We CAN do this if we speak up!!


THANK YOU!


Joan McKenna
St. Louis Area Representative
Dogs Deserve Better
www.dogsdeservebetter.org
unchainyourdog@gmail.com
Connie Davie
Anti-Tethering Advocate, got the original ordinance passed in 2006
daviestl@mindspring.com

ST. LOUIS COUNTY OFFICIALS

COUNTY EXECUTIVE

CHARLIE A. DOOLEY (Democrat) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2006

• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis Mo. 63105 (314) 615-7016


PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
ROBERT P. McCULLOCH (Democrat) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2006

• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-2610


ST. LOUIS COUNTY COUNCIL
MAP OF DISTRICTS: http://www.stlouisco.com/elections/DISTMAPS.html


1st District
HAZEL ERBY (Democrat) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2006 (map)
• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-5436

2nd District
KATHLEEN KELLY BURKETT (Democrat) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2008 (map)

• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-5437

3rd District
COLLEEN WASINGER (Republican) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2006 (map)

• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-5438

4th District
MIKE O'MARA (Democrat) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2008
• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-5439

5th District
BARBARA FRASER (Democrat) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2006

• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-5441

6th District
STEVE STENGER (Democrat) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2008

• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-5442

7th District
GREG QUINN (Republican) Elected to a four-year term Nov. 2006

• 41 S Central Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63105 (314) 615-5443

Stray Rescue......

Join Stray Rescue of St. Louis

LIBERATION REVOLUTION FESTIVAL

Stray Rescue is hosting a Mega-Adoption event at the new companion animal center. Tour the new facility and receive half �off the $150.00 adoption fee, which includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, micro chipping and a copy of founder Randy Grim�s latest book. Be a part of the solution

Saturday, August 28 - 11am to 4pm

Food Drinks Live Music
2320 Pine Street
St. Louis, MO 63103

STRAY RESCUE NEEDS *YOUR* HELP!!! We are in dire need of volunteers and foster parents. The more people that foster, the more lives we can save. Just so
everyone is clear, Stray Rescue covers all medical costs for the foster dog or
cat. If needed, we will provide a crate, food, leash, and bowls, Whatever you need.
We're also open to suggestions on how you think we can get more people to
foster. For those of you who have never fostered, it's one of the most rewarding
things you'll ever do. So PLEASE step up. We NEED you! The Dogs Need You.

We also really need volunteers to help walk dogs at the Pine Street shelter. The
address is 2320 Pine 63103. The morning shift is from 7-10 am. The noon shift is
from 12-3 pm. And the early evening shift is from 5-8 pm. Of course you can come
a little earlier for! the early evening shift. And if you can't stay for the
entire shift, that's totally fine. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Maria Z
636 230-7544 or 314 623- 8394

Stray Rescue Volunteer
St. Louis, MO 63103

Today Pennsylvania 's puppy mill dogs were dealt a crippling blow by Governor Rendell, Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

As many of you know, Governor Rendell is attempting to weaken our hard fought new dog laws by permitting commercial breeders to continue keeping their breeding dogs on painful wire flooring. Wire flooring was outlawed in 2008. Many of the waivers issued to the breeders expire in October of this year, so the Department of Agriculture decided to circumvent our new dog laws with a regulation in an attempt to once again protect the commercial breeders rather than the dogs of Pennsylvania .

Even though, legal authorities agree, you cannot trump an existing law with a regulation, today PA's Regulatory Review Commission passed the harmful regulation at the urging of the Rendell Administration, and Russell Redding is now permitting the breeders to expose their pregnant and nursing mothers to harmful chicken wire flooring. Secretary Redding also (by policy) is allowing breeders to not provide their breeding dogs with access to outdoor runs. Access to outdoor runs is also required under our new dog laws, but Secretary Redding, Special Secretary Jessie Smith, and Director Sue West don't want the breeders to have to obey this law either. Better that breeding dogs spend the entirety of their lives trapped inside.

Basically, the Rendell Administration is gutting every important aspect of our new laws - laws designed to improve living conditions for hundreds of thousands of dogs over the next twenty years. This is a governor we applauded and praised for his efforts on behalf of PA's puppy mill dogs. Not sure why he and his staff have flipped, and are now hurting the very dogs he promised to help. It is a sad time in Pennsylvania .

Please contact Jessie Smith, Russell Redding, Sue West, Agriculture Legal Counsel David Kennedy (addresses below), and let them know just how disappointed you are. Then contact your family and friends and ask them not to visit or spend money in Pennsylvania - our puppy mill problem is far from being solved. And the dogs will continue to suffer.

Bill S.
Main Line Animal Rescue

rredding@state.pa.us

jlsmith@state.pa.us

suewest@state.pa.us

dkennedy@state.pa.us

'Great Court Victory for the Dogs of Missouri!'

'Great Court Victory for the Dogs of Missouri!'

Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2009

Puppy Mill Awareness Day Austin

IMPACT for Animals

Who: IMPACT for Animals (www.impact4animals.com)
What: Trivia Night (hosted by Mary Shapiro)
$20 per person / Tables of 8 for $160
Silent Auction with great items
Bring your favorite snacks
(popcorn & soda provided)
When: Saturday, September 25, 2010
7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Where: Kirkwood Community Center (Large Gym)
111 South Geyer Road
Kirkwood, MO
Why: Raise the funds necessary to provide care for
unwanted & abandoned animals

Please join the fun while helping our furry friends. To obtain tickets or for more information, contact:
IMPACT for Animals
P.O. Box 190184
St. Louis, MO 63119
(314) 995-9260

Thank you.

Nathan Winograd is a Fabulous Leader for NO KILL

More Pet Care Recalls.....

Merrick Pet Care Recalls Texas Hold'ems 10 oz Bag (Item # 60016 Lot 10127 Best by May 6 2012) because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

Merrick Pet Care Recalls Texas Hold'ems 10 oz Bag (Item # 60016 Lot 10127 Best by May 6 2012) because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk
Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:02:00 -0500

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is extending its July 2,2010 recall of 100z "Beef Filet Squares for Dogs (Texas Hold'Ems)" pet treat (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) to also include 83 cases of "Texas Hold'ems" (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10127 BEST BY MAY 6, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products.

The Past is Prologue
August 3, 2010 by Nathan J. Winograd

No Kill Conference 2010 brought hundreds of animal lovers from 39 states and four countries to the George Washington School of Law in Washington D.C. where the most successful shelter directors, animal lawyers, and shelter reformers nationwide shared insights and strategies to end the systematic killing of animals in our nations pounds and shelters. The attendees heard from directors of open admission shelters with save rates between 92% and 96%. They heard from lawyers who have passed laws making it illegal for shelters to kill animals in a wide variety of contexts and who have successfully saved the lives of animals who shelters were determined to kill. And they heard from reformers who have succeeded in passing laws to end the needless killing of animals in their community. In the keynote address, after a brief introduction welcoming attendees, sharing our movement’s successes, the increase in No Kill communities throughout the United States and indeed the world, and laying out the vision of the conference, I talked about the future…

This conference is about the future. What it can hold if we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to building the infrastructure necessary to create and sustain a No Kill nation. To do that, we must demand the immediate implementation of the model that has ended the killing in communities across the nation so we can end the killing right now, today—the No Kill Equation. And then we must institutionalize that model to end the killing forever. That is why we are here. Not just at the No Kill Conference, but in Washington D.C., the seat of government; at a law school; in a conference that combines sheltering and law; in a room full of lawyers and law makers.

There is no doubt the No Kill movement has come into its own. The “adopt some and kill the rest” paradigm which has dominated our country for so long is being replaced. But to fully destroy it, to ensure it never rears its ugly head again; to ensure a more humane future, we must first take a backwards glance. We must put our cause in historical context in order to better understand who we are, what we should be fighting for, and how we should go about it.

We need more than leadership. We need more than directors willing to implement the No Kill Equation. Our goal is to build a more compassionate society for animals; to end their killing in “shelters” now and forever. That goal is new and different from social movements of the past, but the struggle to create a just and compassionate society is not. In that, we have a lot in common with other social movements and we can learn from them in order to achieve our goals.

The struggles they faced are often the same struggles we face. Regardless of whether your politics are to the left, to the right, or to the middle, how they overcame many of the same obstacles we face and how they achieved the ends they were seeking provides a roadmap for us to follow. History is our guide. Because all those movements shared an understanding that in order to create and sustain the changes they were seeking, they must ultimate change the legal landscape of our Republic. They must change the law.

Today, other than strays, most shelters can kill every single animal who comes through their doors. It doesn’t matter if they are healthy or sick, young or old, beautiful or ugly, friendly, scared, or aggressive, the choice is up to them. If the animal was surrendered by a family, he or she can be killed within minutes of arriving. No meager holding period. No chance at adoption. No food, water, or shelter. Just a trip from the front counter to the gas chamber or to be poisoned with an overdose from a bottle marked “Fatal-plus.”

If the animal came in as a stray, he or she will be held from 48 hours to 10 days depending on the state, and then they too can be put to death with no opportunity or chance for adoption. Just a one-way ticket to the morgue. In places like Reno, Nevada, and Charlottesville, Virginia, and some other communities, they’ll be held until they find a home. But nationally, shelters will only find homes for roughly half of them. And except for public pressure, it all depends on where the shelter is, on who is in charge, on how much they care, on how committed they are.

We’ve made tremendous progress, to be sure. No Kill communities exist throughout the nation and No Kill is on the agenda of local and state governments across the country. But in too many communities, we still have this:

I tried to adopt from my local shelter, but they weren’t open on the weekend, it was almost impossible to reach them on the telephone and when I did, I was treated rudely. Nonetheless, I raced down there one day after work, and the place was so dirty. It made me cry to look into the faces of all those animals I knew would be killed. But I found this scared, skinny cat hiding in the back of his cage and I filled out an application. I was turned down because I didn’t turn in the paperwork on time, which meant a half hour before closing, but I couldn’t get there from work in time to do that. I tried to leave work early the next day, but I called and found out they had already killed the poor cat. I will never go back.

It doesn’t have to be that way. We can make that reality a thing of the past; an anachronism just like other movements have. And we do that by passing laws. The aim of every social movement in our nation’s history is legislation to gain and then protect the rights of its members or the focus of its efforts, a legacy which reaches back to the very founding of our Republic.

The year is 1776. It is a time in world history when nations were governed by a privileged few. A few great thinkers dared to imagine something altogether different: a more compassionate society, a democracy, the ability to end injustice through self-rule as codified in law. Our forefathers fought a war for these ideals, and once the war ended, they sought to institutionalize those ideals with laws—great change, a revolution, codified in law.

It is a legacy that is at the core of who we are and how we effect change: a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Our system of government was designed not only to solidify the ideals of the American Revolution, but to change with the changing times. As envisioned by James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, “In framing a system which we wish to last for ages, we should not lose sight of the changes which ages will produce.”

No matter what the issue is: the fight for democracy as epitomized by Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams; the abolition of slavery as epitomized by William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass; the struggle for women’s suffrage as epitomized by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the great Alice Paul; civil rights as epitomized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Harvey Milk; an end to child labor as epitomized by Lewis Hine; or disability rights as epitomized by Justin Whitlock Dart, Jr. and Richard Pimentel; all these movements culminated in the passing of laws.

The goal was not to get promises and commitments that we would strive to do better as a society. The focus was always on changing the law to eliminate the ability to do otherwise, now and for all time. The suffrage movement wasn’t just seeking discretionary permission from elections officials to vote, an ability that could be taken away. Its goal was winning the right to vote, a right guaranteed in law. The civil rights movement wasn’t just seeking the discretionary ability to sit at the front of the bus or to eat at the same lunch counters or be given equal protection and equal opportunity. Its goal was winning the right to do so, a right guaranteed in law. Because without legal rights, one’s fate is contingent on who the election official is, who the restaurant owner is, who the mayor is, and in our case, who the shelter director is.

We have—and embrace—voting rights acts, environmental protection laws, and laws against discrimination based on gender, race, and sexual orientation. Ultimately, such laws are essential to ensure that fair and equal treatment is guaranteed, not subject to the discretion of those in power.

We shouldn’t just want a promise that shelters will try to do better. We already have such promises—and millions of animals still being killed despite readily available lifesaving alternatives show just how hollow such promises are. We must demand accountability beyond the rhetoric. And we shouldn’t simply be seeking progressive directors willing to save lives. We should demand that the killing end, now and forever, regardless of who is running the shelters. And we get that in only one way: By passing shelter reform legislation which removes the discretion of shelter directors to ignore what is in the best interests of animals and kill them.

And nothing drives home the point more than the tragedy of Oreo. As many of you already know, Oreo was abused, thrown off a Brooklyn rooftop and left for dead. But she did not die. She was “rescued” by the ASPCA and dubbed the “miracle dog.” But they did not save her. She was subsequently killed by them despite readily available lifesaving alternatives; despite the offer of a sanctuary to take her, to give her the second chance and love she deserved; the opportunity to live which was her birthright.

In so many ways, it is a tragic story: her abuse, her short life, the betrayal by those who were pledged to protect her, the wasted opportunity for redemption. Tragically, we could not bring Oreo back and give to her the second chance the ASPCA denied her. But we could have lessened the futility of her death if we learned from it and altered our society in such a way as to prevent such a betrayal from ever happening again. That is what Oreo’s Law sought to do.

Oreo’s Law would have made it illegal for a shelter to kill an animal when another non-profit (rescue group) was willing to save that animal’s life. It sought to level the playing field between the big non-profits which have all the power and the small non-profits who are prevented from fulfilling their lifesaving mission when these larger organizations refuse to collaborate with them in order to save more lives. In this way, Oreo’s Law sought to reform our broken animal shelter system; to end injustice through the force of law.

The public overwhelmed the legislature with calls and e-mails of support. Some 10,000 calls and e-mails in a matter of days shutting down the New York State Assembly servers more than once. But the ASPCA ensured Oreo’s Law did not pass by using their power to defeat the bill even though the public embraced it enthusiastically.

In fact, we have seen what happens when the large organizations are not involved, what happens when the public’s values are not hindered. While Oreo’s Law was being undermined by the ASPCA and its acolytes, another state was also considering shelter reform legislation, and they succeeded. Like Oreo’s Law sought to do, the state of Delaware sought to make it illegal for any shelter to kill an animal if a rescue group is willing to save that animal’s life. But Delaware reformers didn’t stop there, because they went further: shelters cannot kill an animal if there are empty spaces in the shelter, if animals can share a space with other animals, if foster homes are available. The law requires them to post animals online and much more. It is the most progressive, comprehensive shelter reform legislation in the country and because not a single national group knew about it, there was no controversy. No fear mongering about hoarders. No fear mongering about dog fighting. No fear mongering about overcrowding. No fear mongering about costs. No fear mongering about notice requirements being unfair to small rural shelters. In fact, no fear mongering of any kind.

The bill mandates that animals be given every opportunity for life, and no one thought that would be a bad or controversial idea. That is why it passed unanimously in both houses of the legislature, with not one single vote in opposition. In fact when I was interviewed by the Dover Post about it, and I told them I was grateful that it passed, the reporter said to me: “Yes, well of course, who could possibly be against it?” I bit my tongue.

To the animal lovers in Delaware, to the rescue groups, to the legislators, and to the reporters, who in their right mind could possibly be against legislation to save animals? Who could be against a law mandating common sense policies the public would be shocked to learn aren’t willingly being done anyway? Imagine the National Resources Defense Council opposing legislation to make sure the BP oil spill disaster didn’t happen again, Greenpeace opposing a law to stop whaling, or the Sierra Club opposing a law to limit deforestation. It is unthinkable. But that is the humane movement we have inherited. Today, we have to fight the very groups founded to protect animals. And so we must fight until we prevail.

The obstacles movements in history faced were great ones. Not only did they have to fight the status quo, they also had to fight the public’s prejudice which sustained it. In other words, they first needed to win the hearts and minds of the American public. And still they prevailed. This is an obstacle we do not face.

We spend more and more every year on our companion animals, topping fifty billion dollars last year. We give hundreds of millions more to animal related charities. We miss work when our animals get sick. We cut back on their own needs to meet the needs of our animal companions. Evidence of this caring is all around us:

■When people who adopt rescued animals send us thank you letters telling us how much they love these animals;
■When we see people at the dog park or on our morning walks through the neighborhoods;
■At our veterinarian’s office—the waiting rooms always filled, the faces of scared people wondering what is wrong, the tears as they emerge from the exam rooms after saying good bye for the last time;
■The best-selling books about animals that touch us very deeply and very personally;
■The success of movies about animals as a reflection of our love people for them; and,
■No Kill success throughout the country being a result of people—people who care deeply.
More importantly, in communities which have ended the killing of savable animals, it is the public which has made the difference: in terms of adoptions, volunteerism, donations, foster care, and other community support. These communities have proved that there is enough love and compassion to overcome the irresponsibility of the few. So we need to put to bed, once and for all, the idea that dogs and cats—animals most Americans now consider cherished members of their family—need to die in U.S. shelters because people are irresponsible and don’t care enough about them. People love animals. And if we give them an opportunity to express that love; if we introduce laws to end the killing, as groups like Faithful Friends, Safe Haven, and others did in Delaware, people will support them because the public is already on our side.

I am not a religious person, but that does not mean I am a man without faith. The faith I hold is in the remarkable capacity of my fellow humans for change and compassion. As a species we aspire to do better, to be better. We want to leave the darkness of the cave and come into the light. And when someone comes along who illuminates a path towards that light as the figures in history did for our ancestors, history vindicates us because we follow them into a brighter future.

I understand that my love for animals and your love for animals is not so unique as we’ve been led to believe. It resides in most people. Most people want to build a better world for animals. And they are waiting for us to show them how, to give them the means to do so. In our movement, the battle is not against the many, but the few; those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Right now, a small handful of people—the regressive directors in our nation’s kill shelters and the heads of the large national organizations—continue to hold us back. They hold us back from the great success we could achieve and the millions of lives we could save if only we find the courage to stand up to them together: loud, unified, uncompromising, demanding legislative changes that would put an end to the ruling power of the pretenders in our midst; that would force them by the rule of law to no longer kill or allow others to kill the animals they are pledged to protect.

We, the people in this room, the rescuers and reformers nationwide, and all animal-loving Americans outnumber them by the millions. As a movement, we must stop deferring to leaders who fail us and the animals time and time again. We must summon the determination to begin this vital process and the fortitude to challenge those who would dare hold us back. That is our mission and our challenge for the coming decade. And that is our most urgent and solemn duty.

As you move confidently into that future, prepared to meet the challenges, ready to fight when that is what the situation calls for, your allegiance never wavering from the animals, know that you are not alone. Know what was once called “impossible,” and then “improbable,” is now “inevitable.” To see what the future holds requires nothing more than a motivating backwards glance to see that you are truly standing on the shoulders of giants. We are continuing the struggle to build a more perfect union. And we’ve already come so far.

At this bright new dawn, let us seize the day…

No Kill Conference........

No Kill Conference 2010 brought hundreds of animal lovers from 39 states and four countries to the George Washington School of Law in Washington D.C. where the most successful shelter directors, animal lawyers, and shelter reformers nationwide shared insights and strategies to end the systematic killing of animals in our nations pounds and shelters.

The attendees heard from directors of open admission shelters with save rates between 92% and 96%. They heard from lawyers who have passed laws making it illegal for shelters to kill animals in a wide variety of contexts and who have successfully saved the lives of animals that shelters were determined to kill. And they heard from reformers who have succeeded in passing laws to end the needless killing of animals in their community.

To download the Shelter Track materials, cut and paste the following to your browser: http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/Shelter2010.zip

To download the Legal Track materials, cut and paste the following to your browser: http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/Legal2010.zip

Dog Food Recall...

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

P&G Expands Voluntary Limited Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- CINCINNATI, July 30, 2010 – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE:PG) is voluntarily expanding its recall to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet food as a precautionary measure because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported.

The following dry pet food products are included:


Product Name Version "Best-By" Dates UPC Codes
Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas All dry sizes and varieties 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Naturally Wild All dry sizes and varieties 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Pure All dry sizes and varieties 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin All dry sizes 01Jul10 – 01Dec11 All UPC Codes


The affected products are sold in veterinary clinics and specialty pet retailers throughout the United States and Canada. No canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement. A full listing of UPC codes can be found at www.iams.com9.

These products are made in a single, specialized facility. In cooperation with FDA, P&G determined that some products made at this facility have the potential for salmonella contamination. As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling all products made at this facility.

Consumers who have purchased the specific dry pet foods listed should discard them. People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

For further information or a product replacement or refund call P&G toll-free at 877-340-8823 (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST).

Pit Bull Says Chihuahua -Terrier Mix Life

Chihuahua (please note, not Buster) was attacked by a bold coyote
Littleton, CO - It's a dog story with a unique twist...the Denver Channel reports of a coyote attack Saturday morning that nearly left a Chihuahua-Terrier mix dead.

Buster woke his owner, Jodi Robinette, early Saturday morning for a potty break. Robinette let her little dog outside when a coyote made a brazen attack.

Buster was grabbed by the coyote in his own back yard. Robinette heard Buster's panicked wailing and ran after the coyote, who was running away with the small dog in his mouth.

Here's the twist - the coyote dropped Buster in a field. Why? The neighbor's Pit Bulls had spotted the coyote and decided to give chase.

Even more surprising to some? The Pit Bulls didn't stop at chasing the bold coyote away, they found Buster hiding under some bushes and stood guard over the injured dog - watching over him until help arrived.

Buster was taken to the Columbine Animal Hospital and Emergency Clinic where he received treatment for a collapsed lung and chest injuries. The little dog was put on an IV with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

This story is shocking to many people who believe that all Pit bulls are natural born killers. To see them in the role of hero surprises many...perhaps because so many stories that are given prime media attention focus only on the bad - the graphic - the horrific.

The sad truth is that Pit bulls are all too often the victims of another vicious animal - humans. Humans that keep them - and train them - to fight. Humans that torture them....drag them....neglect and abuse them.

Perhaps if more people properly owned this loyal breed, we would see more stories of heroism, rather than repeated stories of brutal attacks.

As for the attack on Buster, please be aware that as people continue to spill into natural wildlife areas, the run-ins with coyotes, raccoons, mountain lions and even alligators, will go on. Exercise vigilance when outdoors with your dog, and do not leave your dog outdoors unattended.

Do dogs burp?

I'll answer that question - but first let's define what a burp is. According to Wickipedia, a burp (also known as belch, rectus or erucation) is the release of gas from the digestive tract. It most commonly comes from the esophagus (the tube that takes food from the mouth to the stomach) or the stomach. It is accompanied with a typical sound and occasionally that sound (air) can be accompanied by an odor.

This next part was interesting. According to Wickipedia, "burping" is significantly quieter and much more subtle than "belching." I didn't know that!

Anyway - can dogs burp?

Yes, you bet they can.

Burping occurs when there is swallowed air in the esophagus or stomach. It is common for some dogs to swallow air when eating or drinking - especially when they eat too quickly.

My friends just told me that their dog drives them crazy. They have a silly little Yorkie with a crazy habit. After every meal, the dog comes over to sit right beside them ... and burps!

Dogs are funny, aren't they?

So, what can you do about your dog's burping?

The best thing you can do is to encourage your dog to eat slower (easier said than done if your dog is one of those that "inhales" his food). You can often feed smaller portions more frequently and some people even place an object in the bowl (such as a baseball) so that the dog has to keep moving the object to eat around it (thus forcing the dog to eat slower).

Smiling Dog Farms "A Fabulous Rescue"

Rooney says, "Please pass this on to all the NON-rescue people you know!
You can suggest they check out our website at www.smilingdogfarms.org.
to learn more about Smiling Dog Farms! We really need your help! Thank You!!"

You have always come through for us
We try not to ask unless we really need your help.
We don't want to ever take you for granted!

This weekend, you donated $30
Thank You
You've donated $2635 so far!

We now need just $2606 to wipe out our debt at the bank.

Long term, we need more regular, monthly donors...
then we won't have to beg for money every few months!

Please click http://smilingdogfarms.org/Donations_Page.html to become
a monthly "subscriber" for $10/mo, or $20/mo or whatever you can do to help!

Ella says, "It's not easy being blind and old.
Sometimes I get confused. That happened to me a couple weeks ago.
Somehow, I ended up wandering in town and couldn't remember how I got there!
I was out in the hot Texas sunshine and I could not see to find a shady place.
I became thirsty and exhausted.
Finally, I could not take another step, and I just laid down and baked in the blistering sun.
I was starting to think I might not make it... and then I heard a friendly voice!
It was a wonderful woman named Catherine, who had been jogging nearby and saw me.
She stopped to help me.
She realized that I was blind and she took me home with her.
She called the local rescue group in our town,
but they said they couldn't take any dogs right now!
Then she took me to one of the local veterinarians.
I heard him tell Catherine that he would euthanize me for her,
because no one would want a dog who was old and blind!
Can you believe that?
He said it right in front of me like I wasn't even there!
And he is a vet -- supposed to be dedicated to life, not death!
Fortunately, Catherine would have none of it.
She paid for boarding (which is not cheap at that vet's office) for the weekend.
And then Catherine got busy on the phone, looking for someone to take me.
Besides the local rescue in town, she called rescues in Houston and other cities.
But they either had no room, or they echoed the vet's words!
And then Catherine learned about Smiling Dog Farms through a friend in town.
She called to see if I could go live there.
And Ricky and Jay said, "Yes"!
Jay picked me up from the vet's office and took me down the road to the farm.
Ricky and Jay said that I would be in their adoption program.
They said that some families would love a dog like me, and we just have to keep looking.
And until we find my family, I will just stay right here at the farm.
I am living in a play yard with some smaller dogs who are nice to me.
And I am learning my way around the yard and the townhouse... but I won't go upstairs!
That's a little too risky for an old gal like me!
Now I am never left out in the sun, and I have lots of water and food.
And I have the company of the other dogs.
I'm glad that Smiling Dog Farms said "yes" when I had no where else to go