Bad economy bad for pets

A stagnant economy is affecting pets, too.

It's not a new story. The economy falters, companies downsize. Employees lose their jobs, can't pay bills and are forced to move out of their homes.

That can be difficult enough. But for some victims of the economy who find themselves in tight financial situations, there's another difficult issue to tackle:

What do I do with my pet?

Read the entire article by Abbey Roy in the Newark (Ohio) Advocate.

Increasing cases of animal abandonment and shelter overcrowding indicate that pets aren't immune from the economy's toll on the nation. As pet owners continue to tighten their budgets to make ends meet, many are turning to shelters or abandoning their animals simply because they can't afford to keep them.

The Licking County Humane Society works with people who feel they have to give up their pets, asking if they are doing so because they can't afford to feed them.

If that is the case, there are places where food can be obtained such as a pet food pantry in Newark.

People are also cutting back on preventive care, such as heartworm prevention and fecal checks.

Sad to say, I am sure people are cutting back on their own care as well.

Walkway event promotes pet safety

My colleague John Barry covered Hounds Over the Hudson — hosted by the Dutchess County SPCA — Saturday on the Walkway Over the Hudson.

Here is his story in today's Poughkeepsie Journal.

I stopped by to check things out and took a few pictures. It was a gorgeous day to be on the Walkway. The views were spectacular.

Oil spill and abandoned dogs

One hundred dogs from Louisiana are heading to a shelter in Madison, N.J.

The pets were left behind by owners affected by the massive Gulf oil spill.

Read the USA Today story here.

The Louisiana SPCA, the Humane Society of the United States and American Humane Association have teamed up for this big transport. The animals are from various shelters around the area including St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society.

Monday, Pamela Anderson tried to help out also. Anderson, the honorary chairman of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was in New Orleans to help relocate about 50 dogs from Louisiana to Virginia.

"People can't afford to feed their families, so the family member that gets left behind and has to go is the pet," Anderson said. She ended up adopting two of the dogs.

Anderson was in New Orleans helping to relocate about 50 dogs to Virginia.

The pooches are expected to arrive in New Jersey Friday at noon.

Dogs to strut across the Walkway Saturday

The Walkway Over the Hudson will be the scene Saturday of the Hounds Over the Hudson bridge festival, sponsored by the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and its counterpart across the river, the Ulster County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public with no registration required.

DCSPCA staff and volunteers will be providing information on the care of dogs and giving demonstrations with therapy dogs.

Members of the Humane Law Department will be giving demonstrations on how to prevent stress to dogs in hot weather.

A canine parade of adoptable shelter dogs will begin at 11 a.m. with each shelter meeting in the center of the bridge.

Note: The parade will be canceled if the temperature or weather conditions are unsafe for dogs on the Walkway.

Here are directions to both entrances — Highland to the west and City of Poughkeepsie to the east — to the linear park.

Bitten?

From the Seattle Intelligencer comes information about dog and cat bites.

Read the story here.

Veterinarian Beth Guerra said she sees a gamut of bites, from minor wounds to major trauma.

These do not just occur between strange dogs; often dogs in the same house that have been co-existing peacefully can find themselves in a fight, often over food or territory. The concern with this type of trauma, especially from larger dogs with extremely powerful bites, is that extensive injury can occur under the skin where only small punctures or even only mild bruising are visible.

She said while cat bites may seem innocuous, cats carry a bacteria in the mouth that can rapidly cause infection in the bite wound.

If you are bitten by a dog or cat, be sure to seek immediate medical attention, even if you do not feel the wounds are that severe. At the very least, the wounds should be washed immediately with soap and water. It is best to have any injuries assessed before complications develop.

Dog riding a lawn mower

Title sez it all.

Watch via the Huffington Post here.

Procter & Gamble recalls 2 Iams cat food lots

From the Associated Press:

CINCINNATI — Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble Co. said Sunday it is voluntarily recalling two lots of Iams brand prescription renal dry cat food because it could be contaminated with salmonella.

The products are available by prescription through veterinary clinics.

No illnesses have been reported, but an FDA analysis identified positive results on two lots of Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal 5.5 lbs: numbers 01384174B4 0 19014 21405 1 and 01384174B2 0 19014 21405 1.

Codes are found in the lower right corner on the back of the bag.

Anyone owning the food should throw it out. Pets can become infected and people handling the dry pet food can become infected with salmonella as well if they do not wash their hands. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, seniors and others with weakened immune systems.

Customers seeking more information or a refund may call P&G at 877-894-4458.

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You can read the P&G press release here.

Doggie ice cream comes to London

Now there's another reason to go to London.

On Saturday, the world's first ice cream truck for dogs opened in Regent Park.

Here's a story from the Daily News by Aliyah Shahid.

The red, white, and blue truck, dubbed 'K99,' will dish (and cone) up a variety of pup-friendly flavors like "Dog Eat Hog World," a concoction of cured leg of pork and chicken. Then there's the classic "Canine Cookie Crunch," which is vanilla ice cream topped off with dog biscuits.

The truck will travel the parks through the summer. According to London's Daily Mail, the truck will play the theme song from "Scooby Doo," instead of the traditional Mr. Softee jingle.

And best yet, the ice cream is safe for humans.

Pit bull takes care of actress Moore

Actress Mary Tyler Moore has a pit bull named Spanky who alerts her when her blood sugar gets too low.

She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes around the time she began "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the 1970s.

Here is the article from PeoplePets.com.

"He helps me with my diabetes —he can sense when something's not right," Moore told PEOPLEPets.com at Broadway Barks. "He will come and sit and stare at me until I do something about it."

Moore and her husband also share their home with Shadow, a 12-year-old golden retriever; Shana, an 11-year-old miniature schnauzer; and Bond, James Bond, a 9-year-old Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. They each have wonderful vocabularies, she says.

Afghan war vet gets big greeting

Here's a video that has received more than 2 million hits of a soldier returning from Afghanistan being greeted by his dog.

What a reaction.