Alert for Chinese Treats. Prison Dogs. Annuities. Mill Pups Banned. Missouri Puppy Mills. Inside Pool? Puter Problems!

Not quite a wolf -- but doesn't this adorable dog deserve the same nutrients the alpha wolves go for?

"The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has notified the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) of reports of possible toxicity with chicken jerky treats from China.
The recently reported Fanconi syndrome-like symptoms in dogs are similar to those documented in 2007 by the AVMA, also associated with chicken jerky treats made in China.

The AVMA issued an alert to its members, state veterinary medical associations and allied organizations to 'remain vigilant for illness possibly linked to chicken jerky treat consumption.' "
Dr. Becker recommends you not feed chicken jerky treats to your dog. Select an all-natural, protein based treat like Beef & Bison Bites, or another healthy treat made in the U.S.
As with any treats, they should be fed only occasionally, not routinely. This is especially true for small-breed dogs."
More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/07/26/avma-issues-alert-for-chicken-jerky-treats-from-china.aspx
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Prison Inmates Caring for Shelter Dogs:
"In a small town in Louisiana, a group of prison inmates is caring for the pets that come into a shelter built right on the Dixon Correctional Institute campus. The shelter came about after a grant from the Humane Society of the United States."

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Charitable Gift Annuities

"Plan for your future while celebrating animals and confronting cruelty with a Charitable Gift Annuity.
Good news! Charitable Gift Annuity Rates have changed as of July 1 2011. Click here to request a customized illustration.
A charitable gift annuity may be a great way for you to provide an income for yourself while at the same time supporting The Humane Society of the United States programs and campaigns.

In exchange for a donation of $10,000 or more, The HSUS will provide you with an income for life. The donation can be made in cash or marketable securities like stock, bonds, or mutual funds. The income rate of the annuity is determined by your age. The rates are established by the American Council on Gift Annuities.
Some of the benefits of a Humane Society of the United States charitable gift annuity include:

• A charitable tax deduction for a portion of the donation.
• Part of the income is tax-free.
• Greater income security during a volatile economic environment.
• The knowledge that your gift will help celebrate animals and confront cruelty."

From: http://www.humanesociety.org/donate/plan/charitable_gifts.html
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Los Angeles Bans Sale of Puppy Mill Pets

"On June 8, the L.A. City Council voted unanimously to ban the sale of pets bred in ‘mills.’ The legislation included the results of a 2010 survey that showed many of the retail stores in L.A. were selling mill-bred live animals.
It is now up to the L.A. Department of Animal Services, the city attorney and the LAPD to recommend new policies to regulate pets bred in puppy and kitten mills to the Board of Animal Services Commissioners and the City Council.

The policies will include banning the sale of mill-bred dogs, cats, chickens and rabbits, as well as prohibiting mill operations within Los Angeles city limits. The motion also calls for L.A. Animal Services to work with pet stores to feature shelter animals available for adoption. In addition, pet stores with high standards for the humane treatment of pets will be visibly identified."

Sources:  dvm360 June 10, 2011

Dr. Becker's Comments:
"As a general rule, I'm in favor of any legislation that brings awareness to and shuts down pet mill operators and penalizes pet stores selling puppies and kittens bred in those places.
The majority of pet mills are filthy operations in which animals are subjected to cruel treatment and inhumane living conditions. They exist primarily to put money in the pockets of mill operators and pet store owners.

The Situation in L.A.

As the L.A. motion drafted by City Council member Paul Koretz accurately depicts:

"These mills are medium- and large-sized 'factory farms' where breeders have been known to produce hundreds or thousands of puppies and kittens annually under conditions that lend themselves to a variety of abuses, from straightforward cruelty to inbreeding and abuse-inspired health and personality issues."

Mr. Koretz also points out that unsalable puppies and kittens, as well as worn out breeding stock, are routinely dumped at animal shelters. Thousands of healthy cats, dogs and rabbits are euthanized each year at L.A. animal shelters – 25 percent of the dogs taken in and half of the cats.

From my perspective it is plainly inhumane to allow pet mill operators and pet store owners to continue to contribute significantly to the problem of homeless companion animals.

It seems Mr. Koretz purchased a mill-bred Bichon 20 years ago and his pet required extensive medical treatment likely due to the circumstances of the dog's birth. I agree with Koretz when he states:

"This is frequently the case because these animals are inbred and raised in terrible conditions, and that results in medical problems, behavioral problems … often that leads to those animals winding up in our animal shelters."

Other Cities and States Taking Action Against the Sale of Mill-Bred Pets.

More at:  http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/07/14/los-angeles-bans-sale-of-puppy-mill-pets.aspx
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Keep up the fight for Missouri's dogs and against animal cruelty everywhere:
"Missouri’s dogs are suffering in thousands of large-scale puppy mills, and last year Missouri voters approved a ballot measure to turn around the state’s reputation as the puppy mill capital of America.
But a handful of career politicians in Jefferson City substituted their judgment for the wisdom of nearly one million Missouri voters, and they gutted the new puppy mill standards before they were even allowed to take effect.

It was unfair and undemocratic. It was an arrogant power grab. Dogs are still suffering, and people are losing faith in government and elected officials."

"I pledge to stand up against the unfair power grab after the 2010 Election by the Missouri legislature against Prop B, the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. I pledge to protect dogs from future legislative attacks by supporting the Your Vote Counts campaign. The Missouri legislature should respect Missouri’s voters, and I pledge my support for the Your Vote Counts Act that would enact greater protections for citizen initiatives.
By signing this pledge, I will join with Missouri and animal advocates across the country as part of the Your Vote Counts effort."

Thank you for keeping up the fight for Missouri’s dogs, and for pledging to protect the rights of Missouri’s voters.
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Gus v. Pool!
Video of dog trying to drag pool into the house: 

http://www.dogwork.com/ihopk8/#
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Yesterday:

It was drizzling when I posted yesterday's journal.  But the hopes of having a good downpour here, were soon dashed.   That little sprinkle didn't do anything to alleviate the drought.

This is holding us up on the cargo trailer, as the bumper needs to be welded back on before we can replace the trim under the back door.  No sparks allowed around here.

The orphan kittens have got to the age where they don't respect my aloe vera plants on the screen porch.  The plants have been laid on, played with, and a few uprooted.    Part of that was my fault as some had grown too tall for their pots, so they would tip over, and that amused the kittens.   It took quite a time to re-pot a bunch of them.

Potting soil has dropped down behind the shelves, so I can see a good cleaning of the screen porch in the future.
When Jay was de-winterizing the porch last Spring, he removed the whole vinyl sheet instead of just rolling it up.  So now the two big baker's rack shelves on that side, and the plants, will have to be moved to get the vinyl back in place.  When we have the shelves out of the way, that will be a good time to give the porch a good clean.  It is a big job, and it needs to done in cooler weather.

I don't want to restrict the kittens by not allowing them on the screen porch, it is a treat for all the cats.  None of my cats are allowed loose outside.  
When outdoors they don't live as long, or can run up some expensive vet bills.  
I found that out when Bobbiecat came home with a broken leg, and Honky crawled home by his front paws with a broken pelvis.  My cats have never been loose outdoors since then. 
Bobbiecat has a back-pack/stroller, and harness and leash when she goes camping. http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/95/Preventing-Your-Cat-from-Getting-Outside.aspx
  

Not only that, but Environmental Concerns, too:

Killing birds and small animals:
"A cat’s prey drive is so strong that even well-fed cats may naturally enjoy hunting birds or other small animals. Although the impact made by one cat might not seem like a big deal, it is important to think about the total impact of all the cats who are allowed outside. Loose cats are estimated to kill hundreds of millions of birds each year, yet birds are believed to be only 20 percent of the wildlife stray cats kill. Birds are especially at risk around homes with feeders and birdbaths."
From: http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/caring-for-your-pet/indoor-cats-vs-outdoor-cats.html


When I was looking up something about horse shoes, my computer showed a message about allowing a certificate, and that thing would not go away.  Everything I clicked on just made a "Plunk" noise.  My computer wasn't stuck, as the items on the Start menu would come up, but I couldn't do anything else.   Even several rebootings, disk cleaning, Malwaredbyte-ing, CCleaning, Clearing Footprints, etc., did not work.

While I was doing this I was on hold to my tech support three times with wait times of 20 minutes each.  I would speak to someone, they would put me on hold "While I research this", and then I would be cut off.  None of them had come across this particular problem before.  Just about the same on 'Live Chat Help', on my other computer.  I know it had them stumped, and they just hoped I would go away.

As they must have records of how many times I had tried to contact them, finally a knowledgeable tech came on the line.  I gave him permission to remotely see what was going on.  Now someone could see the problem.  Having never seen it before, he tried lots of things, and was surprised that they didn't cure it.  Finally, he did a Restore, and it went away.  Whew! What a way to spend an afternoon, and most of the evening.

You never know when something like that will happen and waste a large part of your day.