Tuesday, January 29, 2013

WARNING! New Puppy Mill Tactics!







Thanks to the many dog friends that I have there a­­­re always alerts of one kind or another in the name of keeping dogs safe. Sometimes the information a recent food or treat recall, product recall, awareness of puppy mills such as I wrote about in the article on this blog “Puppy brokers the new stock market.”

 Thankfully the general public has left comments on that blog telling of other people to 
beware of out there so I am hoping to see comments on this post from the public as  well. The more we can find of this type of operation the sooner they can be shut down. I would think by now nothing that puppy mills do would surprise me but this takes the cake! As a 501c3 they can also run fundraisers to feed and use the money on these animals but I am sure none will do so.  The below post came from a reputable rescue and they too are looking for  information so I will post it in its entirety. If you can help them further their investigation please do so by email or if you can make others aware of an unscrupulous rescue group please leave something  here to warn others. When I get further information as to how to spot such rackets I will post here in the comments section or add a new blog post.

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ATTENTION NY AREA RESCUERS AND POTENTIAL PET ADOPTERS:

There are individuals and groups who are creating non-profit animal rescue organizations, those who have been and continue to be in the puppy mill/broker/pet store business. As the pressure has been applied by many organizations local and national to make congress end the dirty dealing business that goes on behind closed doors in the puppy store world, they are turning to a safer avenue to practice their unscrupulous exploitation of dogs.

Because of the outpouring of education on where puppies come from (puppy mills) the puppy store business is down and will slowly be depleted. These pet store dealers have turned to a new way of profiting off of animals by filing with the IRS to become a charitable 501c3 organization under the guise of rescue. So now, they are bypassing state laws and the state inspectors that regulate the cleanliness, health certificates and origin of puppies. They are no longer subject to the complaints filed to the state. All the while they bring puppies in from other puppy stores and fooling the public by saying they are animals rescued from death row shelters. Many feel there is shortage of small adoptable dogs in NY area. This gives great opportunity to act as non-profit and be supplied with an unlimited amount of puppies. It also bypasses the puppy lemon law. We have uncovered several groups and individuals that are conducting themselves in this capacity . We have our private investigators, Parco Private Investigators working on these matters. We ask that you report any information as a concerned pet lover and we will pass it along. If you feel people are getting them from pet dealers or brokers, please report to us, as we will provide the necessary authorities with this information as we are working very closely with them.

We understand that many organizations take small dogs in from out of state that may otherwise be euthanized. But these new groups are purporting they are from out of state but in reality they are coming from other pet dealer stores. It’s a very tricky, sticky wicket and only those that are savvy in the rescue world see the pattern. A tell tale sign is when customers call and request a specific breed of puppy and coincidentally it is “arriving this week”, breeds such as French bulldogs, Boston terriers, and Chihuahua puppies that rarely come into a rescue organization. They are coming in on a puppy store truck to another store or house and for a few bucks are being handed over to these “rescuers”. It is a new way to make money off the backs of innocent animals, all the while skirting the laws.

If you are looking for a new best friend, please go to a known, reputable animal shelter. If you suspect any unscrupulous dealings at a “rescue shop” please report it to Guardians of Rescue at investigations@guardiansofrescue.org

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Hartz Recall on Treats

Jan 25 , 2013

Don't you just love voluntary recalls? Essentially the company makes you feel they are doing a good thing by doing it voluntarily but really had they been on their game to begin with especially knowing that there has been this same problem with trace evidence of antibiotics in other chicken chews put out by other companies going back into the beginning of January, they may take steps to stop production before they get to the shelves?  This time it involves not only chicken but also pig...go figure! 

The antibiotics found in all of these treats (Hartz and the others)  are approved in China but not in the good ole' USA
'To date no known illnesses have been reported of animals but seriously what dog does not get a bout of illness coming from an unknown source? If you fed the chicken or pig treats consider that your source!
 
If you have any suspicion that anything you fed your pet made them ill you can always  file a report with the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinaors by clicking here 

 

 Any questions for Hartz?  1-800-275-1414   for a product refund go to www.hartz.com

Products: Oinkies pig skin twists  wrapped chicken with chicken products and Chicken chews


http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-hartz-mountain-corporation-is-voluntarily-withdrawing-its-hartzr-chicken-chewstm-and-hartzr-oinkiesr-pig-skin-twists-wrapped-with-chicken-for-dogs-188445741.html  

Friday, January 11, 2013

Another company recalls Chicken Jerky Treats

I would have to say that after Milo's voluntary recall of it's Chicken Jerky treats (see previous blog) and now a recall of  IMS Trading Corp's Cadet Brand Chicken Jerky treat products  when the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets found similar residue of antibiotics , I would feel safe in saying toss all chicken Jerky Treats or bring them back to your store for a refund. These antibiotics are approved in China, but not the good old US  of  A! 

Thumbs up to the Dept of Agriculture!

You can find more information here   I will continue to post as I get them.

Voluntary Recall Milo's Treats

Milo's Kitchen is doing a voluntary recall of the Chicken Jerky treats and the Chicken Grillers Home-style dog treats which are both made from the same chicken supplier. Read all about it here.

 I have seen others blog on this and there have been comments from people that state their dog got sick after eating  these  which were purchased as Christmas gifts. Yeah I know only a dog lover makes the family feel they have to include the dog in the gift giving seasons!  There  have been  not reported illness other than ones say so left in comments.   That being said I have seen lots of write ins of dogs vomiting so it could also be a virus being spread around:)  Better safe than sorry.



Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Marking in the Home




Marking in the home is probably the second reason that dogs are given to shelters though I am sure no owner giving a dog up for this reason would state it!

Marking by male dogs is common and is more common among in tact dogs than neutered dogs, however I have found in my own group of 26 dogs over the years that dogs were more likely to mark if they were not neutered by six months of age.  If  they were neutered at a later age they continued to mark if not watched.   I’m sure there will be backlash from those that are against neutering but I am going on my own experience as a seasoned multiple dog home owner where competition to be known among the dog pack can be fierce, especially the moment a new dog enters the home.

Also it stands to reason that a dog coming from a shelter which already is understaffed may continue to mark once you get it home because they got used to eliminating where they eat and sleep which can make marking even more frustrating.     Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying to forego your local shelters to find the perfect companion; what I am saying is you may need more patience and knowledge so you don’t get frustrated. Frustration doesn't help you or the dog. If you handle the problem from the beginning, while the marking may not stop, you may not get so frustrated if you take certain steps.   It is a new way of learning how to keep a marking dog from having a chance to fail so you don’t ban them to the outside world 24/7. 


 Dogs mark for many reasons.
  • A new pet in the home
  • A new child or visitors
  • Being unaltered
  • Having access to stimuli (other animals) through a window or doorway.
  • Having separation anxiety
  • Claiming their territory
  • Physical ailment

First you want to be sure it is marking and not a health problem as dogs with urinary tract infections and bladder stones will spritz out some urine so if you know the dog is potty trained by you, and this behavior is new then get a health check ASAP because if you wait it out, it can suddenly become a habit the dog does not lose.

There is a misconception that if the dog is neutered he will be cured and although this would be the first thing I would have done as the marking will be cut down by about
60 % it does not stop altogether, especially if the dog has reached sexual maturity.
 (over 6 months ) Marking can be a life long act and even those that Neuter a dog late in life still have a problem.
Another misconception is that only males mark. Females who have a strong desire to be in the lead position will also mark.  

Marking is not a behavior you are not likely to change 100% with basic obedience training as it is a natural instinct so the dog would have to be monitored constantly and not left to roam the house. However, though you may not be able to make a dog stop marking there are things you can do to help keep him from continuous marking inside the home.
1) Keep him in a crate when you can’t watch him and put a treat or small bowl of food and a water dish in the crate.
 2) Tether him ‘to you’ while you are home going about your business so you can keep your eye on him and if he starts to lift the leg you can interrupt him by saying his name or clapping your hands or tugging the lead then take him outside to finish. If he continues outside then praise like crazy!
3) Tether him on a ten food wire dog lead to a spot in the home near his bed and water dish as most dogs do not like to eliminate where they sleep and eat. It would be helpful to toss a couple of treats on the bed as well. Tethering a dog inside the home with his bed and water dish sometimes helps to make the dog feel not so cooped up as a crate might especially for those dogs that do not like crates in general.

Do not allow the dog to sniff and mark outside places when on a walk. You will know it is marking if the dog is stopping at every bush sniffing and spritzing out urine rather than producing a full stream of urine. Give him a heel command so he is not allowed to do this.  Make yourself the hierarchy in the family so hopefully he sees no reason to mark. To do this you can try the nothing in life is free diet.http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/training.html    



For the places that the dog has marked:  Clean it with an enzyme cleanser made just for dog urine. Once that is done sprinkle some of the dog’s kibble or treats in those spots so he learns the home is for eating and not for marking. You can even put small water dishes in those areas. It is not a fool proof plan for everyone but for some it works.

Next you can try a belly band which is sort of a diaper for male dogs. This will at least keep the urine in the band and off of your furniture.

 Never punish a dog that marks as it does nothing but eventually the dog will fear your presence near him and start hiding to mark. To the dog he is doing something very natural, not naughty.

To totally prevent marking you have to be on top of the dog 24/7, keeping him confined to the same room you are in.

If anyone  else has some tips on the subject I surely welcome them in the comments section:)