Pet Cell Phone

I love this! A super-small cell phone for pooch.

No, Fido doesn't have to learn how to dial, speak or text message. This gadget helps protect him from getting lost. This bone-shaped gadget, worn around your dog's collar, features GPS for tracking Fido if he get's lost, an owner call button for a good samaritan to call when Fido is found, and a speaker-phone that will only answer from your approved phone number.

Ok, so I'm not sure the call Fido feature is exactly handy or sane, but the GPS and owner-call features are brilliant ideas. Could this bring an end to the lost and never-found pets epidemic?

BARF Diet, One Alternative

As the list of recalled pet foods grows, loving pet owners worry more and more. "Is my pet's food on the list?" "Will it be added to the list?" Switching to a new type of food might be the answer, until the new food is suddenly recalled, too.

What is the alternative?

One possibility is the BARF Diet. The BARF Diet claims to be safe and nutritious and has been around for years. It is not a new philosophy, in fact, the BARF Diet website, Barf World, claims that the diet "mimics the way your pet used to eat before highly processed, grain-based foods entered our pet’s food chain." What is it? Basically, the diet is a "biologically appropriate raw food."

Might be worth a try but always check with your veterinarian before making any major changes to your pet's diet.

In the Lap of Luxury

When's the last time you went on an expensive vacation to a posh resort only to feel guilty about leaving Fido or Fluffy in a stark, no-frills boarding kennel? If this feeling is all too familiar, consider the latest luxurious pet hotels.

The Wag Hotel, just opened in San Francisco, is a luxury "hotel" just for pets. "Guests" of the hotel enjoy an array of perks including doggie facials, an indoor pool, a rooftop garden to romp, and plasma TVs in each room--kennel. And, thanks to cameras in every room, guardians of guests of the Wag Hotel, may also drop in for a virtual visit. At $45 to $85 a night, the pet hotel might be a nice alternative to your typical boarding kennel.

Don't live in the San Fran area? No worries, many new luxury boarding kennels have opened across the Country in the recent years. In our area (DC) we are fortunate to have the Olde Towne Pet Resort, where DC pets enjoy the same perks as those in the Bay area. Not too shabby.

Is Your Pet Stressed?

Japanese company Medical Life Care Giken claims to have the answer in a patch that measures his or her sweat. Just stick the patch on the bottom of your furry friend's paw and the color of the patch will change depending on sweat secretion which will, in turn, tell you how stressed your pet really is.

The company also makes a similar patch for humans. Hmmm, I think I remember these in the 70s... Weren't they called mood rings?

How Humane is Your Town?

Interested to find out how your city compares to others on humane issues? Check out the Humane Index from HSUS.

Although we live in a suburb of DC, we at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington are proud to live in an area that ranks 4th in overall humaneness of the largest metro areas!