Two-time runner-up Ramy Brooks was disqualified from the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for abusing his dogs. The 38-year-old Brooks hit each of his 10 dogs with a trail marking lathe, similar to a surveyor's stake, after two refused to get up and continue running on an ice field, race marshal Mark Nordman told The Associated Press from Nome on Sunday.
One of Brooks' dogs died the next day on the trail.
Not sure I could possibly have anything constructive to say about this one other than the fact that physical abuse is NEVER the answer. Would love to hear what you think.
Read the full story.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Recalled Pet Food
Menu Foods -- a major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands -- recalled 60 million containers of pet food after reports of kidney failure and at least 10 deaths of cats and dogs.
Read the full story.
For updates on the pet food recall visit Menu Foods.
Read the full story.
For updates on the pet food recall visit Menu Foods.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Top Ten Poisons Dogs Ingest
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center recently released a list of the ten most common poisons that dogs ingest.
1) Ibuprofen
2) Chocolate
3) Ant and Roach Baits
4) Rodenticides
5) Acetaminophen
6) Pseudoephedrine Containing Cold Medications
7) Thyroid Hormones
8) Bleach
9) Fertilizer, Including Plant “Foods”
10) Hydrocarbons Including Paints, Polishes, and Fuel Oils
For more information visit MSN Dog Central for the full article.
1) Ibuprofen
2) Chocolate
3) Ant and Roach Baits
4) Rodenticides
5) Acetaminophen
6) Pseudoephedrine Containing Cold Medications
7) Thyroid Hormones
8) Bleach
9) Fertilizer, Including Plant “Foods”
10) Hydrocarbons Including Paints, Polishes, and Fuel Oils
For more information visit MSN Dog Central for the full article.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Rabbits: A Classic Story of What NOT To Do
As a child, I had two bunnies that I loved very much but knew absolutely nothing about. All I knew was that they were cute and fluffy and fun to play with from time to time. Little did I know that I was an incredibly irresponsible rabbit owner. My story is a classic case of everything a rabbit owner should NOT do.
My second grade teacher lived on a farm and bred various animals, including rabbits. She told the kids in her class when she had a litter of bunnies up for grabs and I, being a lover of all things furry, had to have at least one. I ended up getting two. I named one Snuffleupagus and my sister named the other Joshua. My father built a big wooden hutch for them, that we kept outside on the porch, with an outdoor area fenced with chicken wire, and an indoor area that we filled with sod.
The outdoor fencing of the hutch was not small enough to always keep the young bunnies inside and they frequently escaped. I remember running through the yard after one, finally cornering and catching him. As they grew, they could no longer escape, but often stuck their heads out through the wire, enticing our dog to lunge for them. The always escaped the dog's jaws but only by a hair.
Joshua was a rather sweet bunny that I often picked up and cuddled but Snuffleupagus was, well, vicious. He bit every finger that crossed his path, and I could only handle him, wearing thick gloves. Neither of the rabbits was neutered and, looking back on it, I guess we were lucky that Joshua was as sweet as he was, considering.
The bunnies were also very messy, I didn't know you could litter train them but I didn't know that they should be neutered, either. Cage cleaning duty fell on my patient father who ended up with scars all over his fingers from Snuffleupagus' teeth.
The mess spread into the house, too. We often let them out in the living room to romp, much to my mother's dismay, and they would leave droppings with each hop and chew the back of the sofa, chairs and anything else that looked chewable.
Eventually, Snuffleupagus died. Then when we moved from Maine to Virginia, I gave Joshua to a friend and never saw him again.
Why do I share this story with you now? Not to open myself up to critique or stone-throwing, rather to educate people like me who simply don't understand what it means to care for a rabbit.
DO:
Spay or neuter you rabbit
Give them a litter pan
Keep their cage inside, away from danger
Make sure that they cannot escape from their cage
Give them plenty of safe toys to nibble on
Line their cage with plain paper (shredded paper or care fresh, never cedar shavings)
Give them love and attention
Let them roam around the house in rabbit-proofed areas for some extra exercise
Teach your children about proper rabbit care and handling
Feed them appropriate rabbit food and veggies
Adopt a rabbit forever
DON'T:
Allow your second-grader's teacher to offer rabbits to him or her without consulting you, first
Leave your rabbit outside
Allow the dog or any other animal easy access to your rabbit
Corner a rabbit, you could frighten it to death
Breed rabbits, there are far too many homeless rabbits today
Give a rabbit as an Easter gift
My second grade teacher lived on a farm and bred various animals, including rabbits. She told the kids in her class when she had a litter of bunnies up for grabs and I, being a lover of all things furry, had to have at least one. I ended up getting two. I named one Snuffleupagus and my sister named the other Joshua. My father built a big wooden hutch for them, that we kept outside on the porch, with an outdoor area fenced with chicken wire, and an indoor area that we filled with sod.
The outdoor fencing of the hutch was not small enough to always keep the young bunnies inside and they frequently escaped. I remember running through the yard after one, finally cornering and catching him. As they grew, they could no longer escape, but often stuck their heads out through the wire, enticing our dog to lunge for them. The always escaped the dog's jaws but only by a hair.
Joshua was a rather sweet bunny that I often picked up and cuddled but Snuffleupagus was, well, vicious. He bit every finger that crossed his path, and I could only handle him, wearing thick gloves. Neither of the rabbits was neutered and, looking back on it, I guess we were lucky that Joshua was as sweet as he was, considering.
The bunnies were also very messy, I didn't know you could litter train them but I didn't know that they should be neutered, either. Cage cleaning duty fell on my patient father who ended up with scars all over his fingers from Snuffleupagus' teeth.
The mess spread into the house, too. We often let them out in the living room to romp, much to my mother's dismay, and they would leave droppings with each hop and chew the back of the sofa, chairs and anything else that looked chewable.
Eventually, Snuffleupagus died. Then when we moved from Maine to Virginia, I gave Joshua to a friend and never saw him again.
Why do I share this story with you now? Not to open myself up to critique or stone-throwing, rather to educate people like me who simply don't understand what it means to care for a rabbit.
DO:
Spay or neuter you rabbit
Give them a litter pan
Keep their cage inside, away from danger
Make sure that they cannot escape from their cage
Give them plenty of safe toys to nibble on
Line their cage with plain paper (shredded paper or care fresh, never cedar shavings)
Give them love and attention
Let them roam around the house in rabbit-proofed areas for some extra exercise
Teach your children about proper rabbit care and handling
Feed them appropriate rabbit food and veggies
Adopt a rabbit forever
DON'T:
Allow your second-grader's teacher to offer rabbits to him or her without consulting you, first
Leave your rabbit outside
Allow the dog or any other animal easy access to your rabbit
Corner a rabbit, you could frighten it to death
Breed rabbits, there are far too many homeless rabbits today
Give a rabbit as an Easter gift
In-Home Breeding Alternatives
A recent story about Yorkie pups that were advertised for sale and then stolen, at gunpoint, raises some real questions in my mind. This story certainly calls to mind the dangers of advertising and selling anything out of your home, but many of the comments I read suggest that dogs should not be bred and sold at all and some say that dogs should only be sold in puppy stores, both of which raise further questions, in my mind.
I, too, obviously believe in spaying and neutering all pets and, of course, knowing how many homeless pets are out there, am not a proponent of any kind of breeding of animals. But I am also realistic enough to know that, despite my wish, not everyone is going to adopt a homeless dog from an animal shelter.
So, what is the alternative to home breeding and selling? Puppy stores? Aren't these the places that get so much of their stock from puppy mills? And aren't puppy mills often guilty of overbreeding, inbreeding, poor care, overcrowded cages and neglect?
So, while so many chastise this family for breeding dogs, charging outrageous prices for them, and selling them out of their home, maybe we should consider the alternative.
I, too, obviously believe in spaying and neutering all pets and, of course, knowing how many homeless pets are out there, am not a proponent of any kind of breeding of animals. But I am also realistic enough to know that, despite my wish, not everyone is going to adopt a homeless dog from an animal shelter.
So, what is the alternative to home breeding and selling? Puppy stores? Aren't these the places that get so much of their stock from puppy mills? And aren't puppy mills often guilty of overbreeding, inbreeding, poor care, overcrowded cages and neglect?
So, while so many chastise this family for breeding dogs, charging outrageous prices for them, and selling them out of their home, maybe we should consider the alternative.
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