What is next Gothic fish? I won't be surprised to hear that too. I myself like tattooing - BUT then ITS MY OWN SKIN and I choose to bear the needle pain. I don't suppose the fishes got a shot of anesthesia before there were tattooed with needles.
They look colorful, don't they? Then again Charlton Heston looked ornate bleeding as Moses with whip cuts no? Once I give that example, sounds sick right? IT IS A SICK IDEA. Its no different than cattle branding or even slave branding at one time.
Tell me why this is not cruelty to animals? Can you think of any sane reason why we are promoting this?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Fishes eat Mouse and Frogs too!
I thought Piranha fishes eat human beings in the Amazon so what is the big deal? The big deal is Piranhas have sharp rows of teeth and these fishes(below) don't!
Well that was tiny frog so not that much of an event to shock you, right? Watch the next:
That guy was really trying to be all animal planet!
They might be in your fish tank and one day your hamster might might be gone if he gets too friendly.
That mouse was too small eh?
Mouse Killer! Wierd fish eating habits I must say.
Well that was tiny frog so not that much of an event to shock you, right? Watch the next:
That guy was really trying to be all animal planet!
They might be in your fish tank and one day your hamster might might be gone if he gets too friendly.
That mouse was too small eh?
Mouse Killer! Wierd fish eating habits I must say.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Did Oprah's Puppy Mill Show Have Any Impact?
Someone remarked this week that her local shelter had adopted out more dogs since Oprah's show on puppy mills aired and she wondered if there was a connection. Good question! Has anyone noticed this at there local shelter? Could there be some sort of new trend or at least a spurt of interest?
Sadly, too few cats, especially older ones, are adopted and they, too, deserve a good home. Of course too few dogs are adopted as well.
I hope that Oprah's program has made a difference and I hope she will revisit this topic from time to time. And as I posted on my PerPETuallySpeaking blog, I hope that she will talk more about responsible breeders.
Darlene
Sadly, too few cats, especially older ones, are adopted and they, too, deserve a good home. Of course too few dogs are adopted as well.
I hope that Oprah's program has made a difference and I hope she will revisit this topic from time to time. And as I posted on my PerPETuallySpeaking blog, I hope that she will talk more about responsible breeders.
Darlene
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Transport needed Arkansas to Minnesota
hese two poor dogs were pulled from a Louisiana shelter and send to boarding for what was supposed to be a 2 week quarantine period. Well 6 months later they are still there with the rescue now refusing to pay the $1500 bill. They basically told the boarding facility to send them back to the pound. Do you know what will happen to 2 pit bulls in a southern shelter. THEY WILL DIE!!!! Thanks goodness the lady who runs the boarding kennels refused to do that has been holding them until rescue could be found. The really pitiful part is that the male was just a baby when he went to boarding. He is now 7 months old. He has lived almost his entire puppy life in a boarding facility. He now has the chance to live in a real home situation....he is headed to a foster home....and probably a family of his own. Please don't let them miss this opportunity. Be a part of making right what rescue did wrong. Volunteer to drive a leg.
In memory of Katie, my beloved boxer of 13 years; Jack, my little lost boy and Bebe, who fought the gallant fight but lost. Forever in my heart. I will see you again at the bridge.
Crates will not be provided. They have been together for 6 months and get along great. We can provide seat belt harness if you ask for them. The dogs will each come with a choke collar, leashes, food and bowls, medical records and health certificate. They will be bathed, have a CapStar and flea prevention applied. Both approximately 30 to 35 pounds.
PLEASE EMAIL ME DIRECTLY….I DON’T WANT TO MISS AN OFFER chipp@bellsouth.net
Receiving rescue: Pet Haven, Minneapolis, Minnesota http://www.pethavenmn.org/
Passenger 1
Benne – neutered male – American Pit Bull Terrier - 7 months old -
Current on shots, heartworm negative
Benne may whine a little in the crate, as he likes to be near you. He gets along with larger dogs, cats and likes people of all sizes. He is afraid of small, yappy dogs.
Passenger 2
Hazel – spayed female – American Pit Bull Terrier Mix – 1 ½ years old
Current on shots, heartworm negative
She likes people of all sizes and get along well with other dogs. She has not been exposed to cats.
ALL LEGS HAVE A 15 MINUTE TRANSFER BREAK
SATURDAY, APRIL 19
LEG 6 – NEEDED
Texarkana, AR to Arkadelphia, AR
77 – Miles – 1 ¼ hour
12:15 PM to 1:30 PM
OVERNIGHT NEEDED IN BENTONVILLE, AR
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
LEG 11 – NEEDED
Bentonville, AR to Joplin, MO
60 miles – 1 hour
7:00 AM to 8:00 AM
Rocky Gates
grambo7@bellsouth.net (@bellsouth.net)
grambo7@bellsouth.net (@bellsouth.net)
Chi.P.P.
Chihuahua and Pound Pup's Rescue
Chihuahua and Pound Pup's Rescue
In memory of Katie, my beloved boxer of 13 years; Jack, my little lost boy and Bebe, who fought the gallant fight but lost. Forever in my heart. I will see you again at the bridge.
They are our friends...partners...
Protectors...ever-loyal...all-forgiving...
To their hearts' last beat...
The least we owe them is to live a life
that is worthy of their devotion
……St. Roch-Patron Saint of Dogs
Protectors...ever-loyal...all
To their hearts' last beat...
The least we owe them is to live a life
that is worthy of their devotion
……St. Roch-Patron Saint of Dogs
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Zootoo to the Rescue
My friend Dr. Jill sent the following email, which talks about how Zootoo.com is helping animals though RESCUE GROUPS.
"I wanted to pass onto you some information in the hopes you will help spread the news. Our latest program is the Zootoo to the Rescue Sweepstakes.
The total amount awarded would be $26,0000 divided into the grand prize winner ($10,000), one runner up ($3,000), and thirteen finalists ($1,000.) For the rescue group to win, they will need the support of their community. The sweepstakes is organized and funded by Zootoo.com to support hard-working and dedicated rescue groups. To learn more about the program and eligibility, you can visit: http://www.zootoo.com/rescues/
Monday, April 14, 2008
Why is my hamster eating her litter?
SOMEONE (won't reveal identity) WROTE AT THE WEB: I purchased a potty corner for her and put hamster litter into in. she eats it and i came home today and there was a little brown spot in it it looked like she may have thrown up from eating it. im not too sure. anyone no hwy she does this? is it safe? how can i stop her?
A web vet wrote:"Yes. Hamsters have a different digestive system than humans. Hamsters produce two types of excrement — one that's partially digested containing lots of nutrients, and one that's just garbage. Hamsters practice coprophagy, eating the nutrient-filled excrement to get the nutrients from it and digest it fully."
HOWEVER, my friend Dr. Jill(She is a Vet) differs:"rabbits and guinea pigs only have night pellet eating.... just confirmed" . Please feel free to see Dr. Jill's comments at: http://petgazer.blogspot.com/
Friday, April 11, 2008
Are you Turtly enough?
Turtles are intelligent animals, they live longer than average pets and they don't cost a fortune.
Make no mistake, it becomes a complicated responsibility to care for these shelled darlings. I strongly suggest that one reads up on maintenance and caring issues before making them a member of your family.
Take a look at this turtle, looks like he responds to kissy wissy better :)
Not all turtles make good pets for young children. Aquatic turtles, for instance, may need a spacious aquarium and specialized food to thrive. Some need special lights for basking, which keeps their shells strong. Land tortoises may need room to roam, or soft soil in which to dig. Every species has its special needs -- and some live a long time, even dozens of years, so be prepared to be around for a while!
Then there is also the occasional case of tortoise bite. If they bite once, they don't let go off easily. There has been numerous cases reported where a child had a severely bitten finger ... they even bite dangling and rarely let go like the old folk tale of ducks carrying the turtle on a stick.
Not to scare potential turtle owners but maybe one should see the follow video of a cat and a tortoise.
I found my busy, working friends are particularly tempted to bring home a turtle for their child. According to experts this shelled amphibian its the greatest pet for smaller kids for they are host to many a viruses. Especially, Salmonella bacteria can poison/sicken and even be fetal to kids - if their hands are not sterilised properly.
If you are starting to wonder by now if a turtle/tortoise can pose a threat to your family''s health. Consider this, we humans transmit a lot of virus and bacteria to these adorable strong shelled animals that lead to death or severe disease. Caring is the key and how its done. Try the red-eared sliders, cooters, and mud and musk turtles for starters for they don't grow to a giant size and are prone to withstand more handling issues.
All said, I'll go and watch the water turtles on the movie "Finding Nemo" now :)
Research is the key to finding a turtle that you can handle -- and hold onto for its entire life
Make no mistake, it becomes a complicated responsibility to care for these shelled darlings. I strongly suggest that one reads up on maintenance and caring issues before making them a member of your family.
Take a look at this turtle, looks like he responds to kissy wissy better :)
Not all turtles make good pets for young children. Aquatic turtles, for instance, may need a spacious aquarium and specialized food to thrive. Some need special lights for basking, which keeps their shells strong. Land tortoises may need room to roam, or soft soil in which to dig. Every species has its special needs -- and some live a long time, even dozens of years, so be prepared to be around for a while!
Then there is also the occasional case of tortoise bite. If they bite once, they don't let go off easily. There has been numerous cases reported where a child had a severely bitten finger ... they even bite dangling and rarely let go like the old folk tale of ducks carrying the turtle on a stick.
Not to scare potential turtle owners but maybe one should see the follow video of a cat and a tortoise.
I found my busy, working friends are particularly tempted to bring home a turtle for their child. According to experts this shelled amphibian its the greatest pet for smaller kids for they are host to many a viruses. Especially, Salmonella bacteria can poison/sicken and even be fetal to kids - if their hands are not sterilised properly.
If you are starting to wonder by now if a turtle/tortoise can pose a threat to your family''s health. Consider this, we humans transmit a lot of virus and bacteria to these adorable strong shelled animals that lead to death or severe disease. Caring is the key and how its done. Try the red-eared sliders, cooters, and mud and musk turtles for starters for they don't grow to a giant size and are prone to withstand more handling issues.
All said, I'll go and watch the water turtles on the movie "Finding Nemo" now :)
Research is the key to finding a turtle that you can handle -- and hold onto for its entire life
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Rare birds and the "Birdman of India"
Known as the "Birdman of India", Dr.Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali's(or Dr.Salim Ali, as he is better known) name was synonymous with birds to everyone.
On his return to India in 1930, Ali discovered that the guide lecturer position had been eliminated due to lack of funds. Unable to find a suitable job, Salim Ali and Tehmina moved to Kihim, a coastal village near Mumbai, where he began making his first observations of the Baya Weaver. The publication of his findings on the bird in 1930 brought him recognition in the field of ornithology.
Ali undertook systematic bird surveys of the princely states, Hyderabad, Cochin, Travancore, Gwalior, Indore and Bhopal, under the sponsorship of the rulers of those states. He was aided in his surveys by advice from Hugh Whistler. Salim wrote "My chief interest in bird study has always been its ecology, its life history under natural conditions and not in a laboratory under a microscope. By travelling to these remote, uninhabited places, I could study the birds as they lived and behaved in their habitats."
Hugh Whistler also introduced Salim to Richard Meinertzhagen and the two made an expedition into Afghanistan. Although Meinertzhagen had very critical views of him, they continued to remain good friends. Salim Ali found nothing amiss in Meinertzhagen's bird works but later studies have shown many of his studies to be fraudulent. Meinertzhagen later made his diary entries available to Salim and reproduced in his autobiographical Fall of a Sparrow.
Ali rediscovered a rare weaver-bird species, Finn's Baya in the Kumaon Terai region, but was unsuccessful in his expedition to find the Mountain Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa).
He was accompanied and supported on his early ornithological surveys by his wife, Tehmina, and he was shattered when she died in 1939 following a minor surgery. After Tehmina's death, Salim Ali was looked after by his sister and brother-in-law.
Ali lacked interest in bird systematics and taxonomy.[1] Ernst Mayr wrote to Ripley about Ali's practice of failing to collect sufficient bird specimens suggesting that "as far as collecting is concerned I don't think he ever understood the necessity for collecting series. Maybe you can convince him of that."[1]
Ali himself wrote to Ripley complaining about bird taxonomy:
My head reels at all these nomenclatural metaphysics! I feel strongly like retiring from ornithology, if this is the stuff, and spending the rest of my days in the peace of the wilderness with birds, and away from the dust and frenzy of taxonomical warfare. I somehow feel complete detachment from all this, and am thoroughly unmoved by what name one ornithologist chooses to dub a bird that is familiar to me, and care even less in regard to one that is unfamiliar ----- The more I see of these subspecific tangles and inanities, the more I can understand the people who silently raise their eyebrows and put a finger to their temples when they contemplate the modem ornithologist in action.
—Ali to Ripley, 5 January 1956[2]
=================================================
2nd half of content is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On his return to India in 1930, Ali discovered that the guide lecturer position had been eliminated due to lack of funds. Unable to find a suitable job, Salim Ali and Tehmina moved to Kihim, a coastal village near Mumbai, where he began making his first observations of the Baya Weaver. The publication of his findings on the bird in 1930 brought him recognition in the field of ornithology.
Ali undertook systematic bird surveys of the princely states, Hyderabad, Cochin, Travancore, Gwalior, Indore and Bhopal, under the sponsorship of the rulers of those states. He was aided in his surveys by advice from Hugh Whistler. Salim wrote "My chief interest in bird study has always been its ecology, its life history under natural conditions and not in a laboratory under a microscope. By travelling to these remote, uninhabited places, I could study the birds as they lived and behaved in their habitats."
Hugh Whistler also introduced Salim to Richard Meinertzhagen and the two made an expedition into Afghanistan. Although Meinertzhagen had very critical views of him, they continued to remain good friends. Salim Ali found nothing amiss in Meinertzhagen's bird works but later studies have shown many of his studies to be fraudulent. Meinertzhagen later made his diary entries available to Salim and reproduced in his autobiographical Fall of a Sparrow.
Ali rediscovered a rare weaver-bird species, Finn's Baya in the Kumaon Terai region, but was unsuccessful in his expedition to find the Mountain Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa).
He was accompanied and supported on his early ornithological surveys by his wife, Tehmina, and he was shattered when she died in 1939 following a minor surgery. After Tehmina's death, Salim Ali was looked after by his sister and brother-in-law.
Ali lacked interest in bird systematics and taxonomy.[1] Ernst Mayr wrote to Ripley about Ali's practice of failing to collect sufficient bird specimens suggesting that "as far as collecting is concerned I don't think he ever understood the necessity for collecting series. Maybe you can convince him of that."[1]
Ali himself wrote to Ripley complaining about bird taxonomy:
My head reels at all these nomenclatural metaphysics! I feel strongly like retiring from ornithology, if this is the stuff, and spending the rest of my days in the peace of the wilderness with birds, and away from the dust and frenzy of taxonomical warfare. I somehow feel complete detachment from all this, and am thoroughly unmoved by what name one ornithologist chooses to dub a bird that is familiar to me, and care even less in regard to one that is unfamiliar ----- The more I see of these subspecific tangles and inanities, the more I can understand the people who silently raise their eyebrows and put a finger to their temples when they contemplate the modem ornithologist in action.
—Ali to Ripley, 5 January 1956[2]
=================================================
2nd half of content is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Friday, March 28, 2008
Pet Wars: The Search for the Cutest Pet in America.
I came across this neat feature on Zootoo.com - where you vote for the cutest pet.
Concept is pretty simple, click among two pet's pictures...the one you lick wins that round. Too bad I can't do that for my own :(
Some more explanation from the site:
The first cuteness contest for ALL pets in America. Pick the cutest pet by clicking on the image or the "this pet is cuter" button. Your pets are already participating if you are a registered user. If not, join Pet Wars, where the only fight allowed is on cuteness, not cruelty.
Let's sign up at zootoo and have some fun, what say ya'll?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Pets (not hides) in the Catwalk?
We are so used to the idea of Fur coats, animal skins or leather being the connection between fashion and animals.
Nice to see some one is making a difference out there by holding up the animals and not their hides to quench some pompous person's accessory thirst.
Since, it is not my content please feel free to read the story at its source at Pet News.
Rescue Dogs Find Homes on the Runway
By Annabella Asvik
March 28, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The fashion trade is known for its use of furs and leather -- a fact that angers many animal lovers. But designer Ashley Paige is working to bring animals into the industry in a completely different way.
Paige was one of the top designers to show her collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles last week.
The designer is famous for her knitted bikinis and sending gorgeous models down the runway -- rescued dogs in tow.
“The one thing about being in fashion is that you can be famous in fashion, you are interviewing me right and I can talk about animals, so in my heart I know that the bigger my company grows, the more I can give back to the animals and that’s my mission,” said Paige.
“Closing” a fashion show is a huge honor, which usually goes to the hottest new model. But when Paige is running the show, the honor belongs to the rescue dog.
“Today the star is Georgie, and he is a three-legged Pit bull from South Central that I rescued, and his leg was all mangled and messed up,” said Paige. “He had been severely injured … And we raised the money and had his leg amputated and he’s the happiest fastest three-legged dog you’ll ever meet in your life.”
Last week’s event was Georgie’s debut on the runway.
He shared the catwalk -- or dogwalk -- with models such as Sarah Larson, actor George Clooney’s girlfriend. He closed the show to huge applause.
The guests left with gift bags that had model cards and contact information for the three-legged dog.
But Georgie isn’t the first animal to be saved by the grave of Ashley Paige.
“I have rescued 500 dogs since I started four years ago,” she explained. “I pull them before they euthanize them at the pound.”
Paige does this all through her non-profit rescue organization RuffHouZen. And she also shows the dogs at her bikini boutique.
Every Sunday, she turns her boutique into a pet adoption center. Visitors can get a cute bikini or an orphaned pet -- that will be a part their homes longer than the season’s hottest fashions hanging in their closets.
On a good Sunday, Paige finds homes for up to five pets, but even if she only adopts one, she said, it’s worth it.
To find out more about Paige’s adoption site, go to ruffhouzen.com
Nice to see some one is making a difference out there by holding up the animals and not their hides to quench some pompous person's accessory thirst.
Since, it is not my content please feel free to read the story at its source at Pet News.
Rescue Dogs Find Homes on the Runway
Rescue Dogs Find Homes on the Runway
By Annabella Asvik
March 28, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The fashion trade is known for its use of furs and leather -- a fact that angers many animal lovers. But designer Ashley Paige is working to bring animals into the industry in a completely different way.
Paige was one of the top designers to show her collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles last week.
The designer is famous for her knitted bikinis and sending gorgeous models down the runway -- rescued dogs in tow.
“The one thing about being in fashion is that you can be famous in fashion, you are interviewing me right and I can talk about animals, so in my heart I know that the bigger my company grows, the more I can give back to the animals and that’s my mission,” said Paige.
“Closing” a fashion show is a huge honor, which usually goes to the hottest new model. But when Paige is running the show, the honor belongs to the rescue dog.
“Today the star is Georgie, and he is a three-legged Pit bull from South Central that I rescued, and his leg was all mangled and messed up,” said Paige. “He had been severely injured … And we raised the money and had his leg amputated and he’s the happiest fastest three-legged dog you’ll ever meet in your life.”
Last week’s event was Georgie’s debut on the runway.
He shared the catwalk -- or dogwalk -- with models such as Sarah Larson, actor George Clooney’s girlfriend. He closed the show to huge applause.
The guests left with gift bags that had model cards and contact information for the three-legged dog.
But Georgie isn’t the first animal to be saved by the grave of Ashley Paige.
“I have rescued 500 dogs since I started four years ago,” she explained. “I pull them before they euthanize them at the pound.”
Paige does this all through her non-profit rescue organization RuffHouZen. And she also shows the dogs at her bikini boutique.
Every Sunday, she turns her boutique into a pet adoption center. Visitors can get a cute bikini or an orphaned pet -- that will be a part their homes longer than the season’s hottest fashions hanging in their closets.
On a good Sunday, Paige finds homes for up to five pets, but even if she only adopts one, she said, it’s worth it.
To find out more about Paige’s adoption site, go to ruffhouzen.com
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
What are the most important things to teach your new puppy?
Most puppy owners are eager to work on things like sit and stay. I want the focus to be on socializing that puppy (teaching the puppy about sights, smells, sounds, people, and other dogs), teaching the puppy not to jump up or nip at your heels, and teaching the puppy to pay attention to you when you say its name. If I had a puppy, my puppy would:1 - Never see the inside of a food bowl: All food would come either from me for sitting, looking at me when I say its name, or coming when called. Any food I wasn't using for training would go into interactive feeding toys for my puppy to figure out.
2 - Go with me to a new place every single day: No matter how tired I was, my puppy would go to the vet's office to say hello, a Home Depot to see sights and sounds, a children's playground, or a shopping center every single day for the first few months of its life. I want a puppy that is not afraid of new experiences.
3 - Get fed for sitting from as many people as I could possibly find.
4 - Be crate trained and trained to stay alone comfortably.
Sure, there are other things I would teach and we would do a lot of training, but these are the things I'd focus on for the first couple of months of that puppy's life!
============================
This content is written by Cara, Austin Dog Trainer
Monday, February 18, 2008
I think snakes are charming, do you?
Here is an interesting video from National Geographic:
SO YOU THINK SNAKES WOULD BE AWESOME PETS, right?
Consider the following (someone wise put the content at robinsfyi.com)
1. If you want to impress your friends take them out for a night on the town. If you feel unsafe at your home either move, or buy a burglar alarm system. You will meet your goal, and save money too. Snakes are great creatures, HOWEVER they are wild animals!
2. Would you buy a car/truck you didn't know anything about? Of course not, you ask around about it. How much is maintenance, any known problems, miles per gal, resale value, etc. Snakes are much the same, there are many different kinds, with different needs.
3. Snakes must eat. They don't eat Purnia Snake Chow, they eat other animals. With any luck your snake will eat pre-killed food. Depending on what you get, do you mind a freezer with a case of dead rats? Some snakes will only eat live food. This must be done with supervision, every time it feeds !!!!! Can you sit there and watch him kill and eat the Easter Bunny.
I LOVE SNAKES, caught least one in each of my HS years BUT I consider myself incapable of having them as pets. It's not that they are too demanding, for every pet is (unless a pet rock) but my travel schedule would cause them harm and thereby forcing the creature to escape and lead to neighbourhood panic.
My whole point of this article is, just because you admire a beautiful wildlife don't think you can handle them as pet. If you are still serious about getting a snake as pet then I suggest you read up extensively and then venture out.
SO YOU THINK SNAKES WOULD BE AWESOME PETS, right?
Consider the following (someone wise put the content at robinsfyi.com)
1. If you want to impress your friends take them out for a night on the town. If you feel unsafe at your home either move, or buy a burglar alarm system. You will meet your goal, and save money too. Snakes are great creatures, HOWEVER they are wild animals!
2. Would you buy a car/truck you didn't know anything about? Of course not, you ask around about it. How much is maintenance, any known problems, miles per gal, resale value, etc. Snakes are much the same, there are many different kinds, with different needs.
3. Snakes must eat. They don't eat Purnia Snake Chow, they eat other animals. With any luck your snake will eat pre-killed food. Depending on what you get, do you mind a freezer with a case of dead rats? Some snakes will only eat live food. This must be done with supervision, every time it feeds !!!!! Can you sit there and watch him kill and eat the Easter Bunny.
I LOVE SNAKES, caught least one in each of my HS years BUT I consider myself incapable of having them as pets. It's not that they are too demanding, for every pet is (unless a pet rock) but my travel schedule would cause them harm and thereby forcing the creature to escape and lead to neighbourhood panic.
My whole point of this article is, just because you admire a beautiful wildlife don't think you can handle them as pet. If you are still serious about getting a snake as pet then I suggest you read up extensively and then venture out.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Pets in our Lives
Dictionary tells me, the word, "Pet" means, any domesticated or tamed animal that is kept as a companion and cared for affectionately. However, it's derivative meaning seems to amuse me quite a bit..."a person especially cherished or indulged", more so because, it precedes an application like, a teacher's pet! After all, it's about favoritism...you see!
Jokes apart, I believe, it's actual meaning encompasses a broader spectrum of attributes that these printed words, simply, fail to explain. It's not merely confined to the "goochi goochi poo" aspect of affection– Pet is also about a loyal friend, a non-deserter companion and sometimes a counter-recognition of Life itself!
Now, moving on to the more obvious question...when does one usually get a pet? Well, may be, when one feels lonely, lacks attention – sounds very selfish though...doesn't it? Unfortunately, there just might be some truth in it!
My dear Rescue friends, never would I like to simulate that people with pets are selfish and they do so because they have no life (so to speak/write)...on the contrary, I would think, it REQUIRES a noble spirit to adopt/save lives (even souls? …let's not debate) of the endangered ones. But the fact remains...
I know it because, I got my first pet from my uncle when we set out to live in another town where he could not visit me that much. He thought, despite parents' attention, I would get lonely in a new place. I'll also confess as to why I got my darling wife, her aquarium when she came to this country for the first time. Just because, I knew she would feel lonely till she joins the work force here!
Am I trying to make you guys think all over again or giving you a guilty conscience as to why you might have got your pet(s)? Not really...conversely, I think we become better human-beings once, we realize that our love transcends beyond our own kind. Compare, the love my neighbor's two-year-old has for his pup to how you/I feel for our dog in a quiet (not lonely but without any human company) fishing trip. Love evolves with time and maturity.
Now, that I got you all mushy, tell me who/what is a Pet according to you and why did you get (would like to get) one for yourself? I am asking all of you...seriously...
A Scratchy Parrot
I have seen my gand father use a scratching stick to scratch his back but a parrot?
This is so unreal!
Tool Using Parrot!!! (youtube.com/cherylrampton) - Funny bloopers are a click away
The twisted humour is, he uses another bird's feather.
This is so unreal!
Tool Using Parrot!!! (youtube.com/cherylrampton) - Funny bloopers are a click away
The twisted humour is, he uses another bird's feather.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Lions, Tigers and Ligers?
I saw this new flow of violation at Zootoo Pet Pulse. Nice Job Robin!http://www.zootoo.com/zootootv/v/petpulse540ligerrescuedfrmpett2
Looks like we love coming up with new terms.
There is already a dictionary entry for LITIGON (a hybrid of an Indian lion and a tiger - itself the offspring of tiger and a lioness).
I found a relevant story on another part of the globe...though the news is old ( 4/24/2001)
The male litigon named Cubanacan at Alipur Zoological Gardens, Calcutta, India was believed to weigh at least 363 kg 800 lb. This unique animal stood 1.32 m 52 in at the shoulder and measured a record 3.5 m 11½ ft in total length. He died on 12 April, 1991.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Horses go the big way
Equestrian Services, LLC (www.equestrianservicesllc.com), the company setting the standards for planning, designing and managing equestrian amenities for resorts and communities worldwide, is pleased to announce that Belgium professional equestrian trainer/rider Mr. Didier Kempter has been selected as the first European recipient of Equestrian Services’ annual sponsorship. The sponsorship, established in 2004, recognizes one equestrian each year and demonstrates the company’s support of riders in achieving their equestrian dreams.“Equestrian Services’ is committed to offering a sponsorship that recognizes riders for their achievements, their willingness to promote the equestrian sport through professionalism, and for their kind treatment of horses, safety and equestrian leadership capabilities,” said Jennifer Donovan, founder of Equestrian Services, LLC. “We are pleased to sponsor Didier, a professional trainer specializing in horse education who will introduce the John Lyons Signature concept to Europe. Didier is also the first Belgian/European trainer certified by John Lyons.”
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Elephants show what they think of Tourists
The gentle giants, that I what we call the elephants adoringly. It's funny how suble their indications are :D
Honestly a funny video:
Honestly a funny video:
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Pet Gazer is Launched
Hello Friends,
Please feel free to talk about Pets, Animals and related issues.
I am free flowing, so is this blog - only request, refrain from hateful comments, profanity and offending slurs/pics/videos.
Thanks for being here,
C
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Lab testings on Pets are back
It’s happened again. New laboratory tests have detected the pain killer acetaminophen in yet another brand of pet food, ConsumerAffairs.com has learned.
These results add to the growing number of cases in which toxicologists at ExperTox Analytical Laboratories in Texas have detected the over-the-counter pain medicine in dog or cat food.
Carol's Cat Food |
The latest findings (pdf file) came in a composite of three flavors of Menu Foods’ Special Kitty food -- Special Kitty with beef and gravy, Special Kitty mixed grill in gravy, and Special Kitty with turkey & giblets in gravy.
The tests performed by ExperTox earlier this month also detected another toxin in the foods: melamine. That’s the chemical that triggered Menu Foods’ massive recall in March of more than 60 million containers of pet food.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the melamine in the wheat gluten imported from China, which pet food companies used to make their products. Thousands of dogs and cats nationwide suffered kidney problems or died after eating the tainted pet food.
ConsumerAffairs.com learned a Rhode Island pet owner bought the Special Kitty food in February – one month before Menu announced its nationwide recall. Pet owner Carol V. said her two cats -- Jessica and Smudge -- nearly died after eating the tainted food.
“To say the food made them sick is an understatement,” she told us. “It nearly killed them.”
Now, she’s beginning to understand why. ExperTox’s lab results, she said, give her some insight into what made her cats so sick.
Not just melamine
Carol's Cats |
Smudge recovered “I expected the lab to find melamine,” said Carol, who worked as an X-ray technician for years. “But from what I’ve read, melamine isn’t too harmful and isn’t toxic unless it reacts with cyanuric acid. But the lab didn’t find cyanuric acid in the food.”
The acetaminophen in the cat food, however, may explain Jessica’s and Smudge’s problems. The popular pain killer can be toxic to cats, according to veterinarians.
“It just floored me that there was acetaminophen in the food I feed my cats,” said Carol. “How can you explain acetaminophen in my cats’ food? I sent the food in the original, unopened pouches.
“But finding the acetaminophen in there also makes perfect sense after seeing what they’ve gone through,” she adds. “I really thought both of them were going to die.”
The first signs of problems surfaced in mid-February when Carol detected a strange odor on Jessica’s breath.
“It smelled uremic, like a kidney dialysis patient,” Carol recalled. “We also noticed that Jessica was outside drinking water from a melting puddle. I remember commenting that we’d never seen either cat drink before. But Jessica was so desperate for water that she was drinking from a puddle outside.
“And then we noticed that she couldn’t stand on her own.”
Kidneys failing
Carol rushed the 15-year-old Tabby cat to the family’s veterinarian.
“He did a urinalysis and discovered her kidneys were failing,” Carol said. “We thought we would have to euthanize her. “But our vet said that because Jessica she’d seemed fine the day before, he wanted to presume this was something he could treat.”
For the next few days, Jessica received fluids, potassium supplements, the heartburn medicine Pepcid AC, and an antibiotic.
“We decided that if this didn’t work…if she was suffering…we wouldn’t continue with the treatment,” Carol said.
But Jessica’s condition slowly improved.
“Her back legs were getting stronger and she seemed to be getting better. So we continued giving her more fluids and sticking with this same treatment program.”
Carol’s vet also emphasized the importance of getting Jessica to eat.
“So I tried to force fed her the Special Kitty food,” Carol said, adding this occurred a few weeks before Menu Foods announced its recall. “Jessica refused. I even poured tuna fish oil on the Special Kitty food to entice her to eat, but she walked away.”
Smudge, however, continued to gobble up the Special Kitty food.
And on March 12 -- four days before Menu Foods announced its recall – the Calico cat suddenly became seriously ill.
“She could hardly stand up, she was staggering, and her breath smelled foul,” Carol said. “I thought that she had whatever Jessica had…that maybe it was a virus.”
Renal failure
But Carol’s vet discovered another -- much more serious -- problem. Smudge was in renal failure.
“He said she was much worse than Jessica was and he didn’t think that she’d last through the day,” Carol said. “He said it looked like she’d gotten into some antifreeze. But he did a test and that proved it wasn’t antifreeze poisoning.”
The family took aggressive measures to save the 13-year-old cat. They authorized their vet to follow the same protocol he used to treat Jessica.
Slowly, Smudge started to improve.
“Our vet said he didn’t know what was going on with Smudge,” Carol said. “He was baffled. And I think I asked him if it could be something we were feeding the cats.”
Carol’s suspicious were confirmed a few days later.
Stiffed by Menu, FDA
“I was watching the news and heard about Menu Foods’ recall and that the food was causing renal failure in pets.” Carol said she immediately contacted Menu Foods, but the company didn’t respond.
“All Menu Foods was publicly telling pet owners to do was save their receipts. But this wasn’t about money. It was about saving our pets and nothing was happening.”
Carol also contacted the FDA--several times.
“I offered to give the FDA my cats’ food, but they said they didn’t want it. I told them I have the food that’s on the recall list and I also have two really sick cats. I begged and pleaded them to test my food, but they didn’t want it.”
At one point, an FDA employee even chastised Carol for calling.
“The person who answered the phone said ‘why are you calling me about this.’ What really bothered me was how these agencies could be reporting information about the pet food recall if they weren’t taking any information -- at least not from me. I didn’t expect this from the people who supposedly were the investigators on this.”
The FDA finally returned Carol’s calls – but only after she sent numerous e-mails and contacted Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
“Five minutes after contacting the Senator’s office, I received a call from a woman at the FDA,” Carol said. “She told me my previous messages apparently didn’t get through.
“This whole experience has been so frustrating. It’s like being on a merry-go-round and I keep going to back to square one. And all I really wanted was for someone to test my cats’ food.”
New Organization Responds
A new organization called The Pet Food Products Safety Alliance answered Carol’s plea.
That organization -- created to raise public awareness of pet food safety issues – paid ExperTox to test Carol’s cat food. A representative with the group, Don Earl, learned about Carol’s situation on an Internet Web site.
“Don asked me if I would send him the cats’ food to be tested and I told him I’d be happy to,” Carol said, adding she’d saved several unopened pouches of Special Kitty since March and stored the food in her freezer. “Don wanted to know which flavor was worse and I said I feed my cats every flavor. That’s why he wanted three different flavors. He knew the results would be scrutinized.”
ExperTox’s results on the Special Kitty food are significant for two reasons, Earl said.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time acetaminophen has been detected in the presence of melamine.”
Red herring
The tests also cast doubt on the theory that melamine is the culprit behind the pet food recall, he said.
“(These tests) add significantly to the body of evidence that melamine has been used by the pet food companies as a red herring to cover up the actual toxin that killed an estimated quarter of a million pets,” said Earl, who has extensively researched this issue since his cat, Chuckles, died in January. Chuckles went into kidney failure after eating Pet Pride cat food that wasn’t included in the recall.
Earl said his research -- and these latest finding by ExperTox -- have convinced him that another toxic caused the illnesses and deaths in pets nationwide.
The scientific data, he said, just doesn’t support the melamine theory.
“Melamine is less toxic than common table salt and couldn't possibly account for the kidney failure epidemic in affected pets,” he said.
ExperTox’s latest results also add to the growing list of pet foods that have recently tested positive for acetaminophen, including:
• About a half-dozen samples of pet food tested in May. ExperTox did not disclose the brands of those foods because of a confidentiality agreement. But Earl confirmed that two of those samples were Menu Foods’ Pet Pride "Turkey and Giblets Dinner" and Pet Pride "Mixed Grill that he sent to the lab for analysis. The FDA disputed ExperTox’s findings, but we discovered the FDA could not confirm it tested the same lots and brands in which ExperTox detected the pain medication;
• A sample of pet food -- identified as CANIDAE dog food. ExperTox, however, said the sample arrived in a Ziploc bag and it could not confirm the pet food was a CANIDAE product. The lab's customer, who was not identified because of a confidentiality agreement, listed the sample as CANIDAE pet food on ExperTox’s forms. CANIDAE denied its products contain acetaminophen, but said it would test samples of its food for the painkiller.
ExperTox’s newest findings demand further investigation, Carol said.
“I know some people have criticized ExperTox, but I trust them. I know how hard it is for a lab to stay accredited. “I don’t think the FDA can continue to turn its head on acetaminophen.”
FDA, Menu Foods Mum
But will the FDA unleash a new investigation of possible toxins in the tainted pet food in the wake of ExperTox’s latest findings?
Will it specifically look for acetaminophen in pet food?
An FDA spokeswoman told us the agency “does not comment on pending legislation, litigation, or citizen petitions.”
What about the run-around Carol received trying to get some answers from the FDA – and get that agency to test her cats’ food?
The FDA spokeswoman suggested Carol contact the FDA’s Consumer Complaint Coordinator. Carol took that action on Tuesday and said the FDA now seems interested in the Special Kitty food.
“The FDA coordinator took very detailed information from me,” Carol said, adding the representative wanted her cats’ medical records and additional information about their food. “I think from my tone she knew that I have no intention of keeping this quiet.”
Menu Foods, on the other hand, is keeping quiet about these latest test results. The company did not respond to our inquiries.
In the meantime, Carol said her cats are getting better each day.
“Jessica is 90 percent of her sassy self,” she said. “And Smudge just started eating on her own at the end of June. We were feeding her in a syringe for months. We were determined that if she survived this in the beginning, she had a right to make a full recovery.”
Pet owners also have a right not to worry every time they feed their dogs or cats, Carol said.
“I don’t want something like this to happen again. My cats don’t have the reserves to survive even one more bite of bad food.
“The FDA cannot dismiss this as they have with all the other tests (that detected) acetaminophen.”
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