What a day!  Rita McKeehan, Ruth Hann, Gypsy, and Harriet Cavalli sold 95 tickets and attracted $16 in donations, for a grand total of $206.  Much of the credit goes to Gypsy, who prefers sitting on tables instead of on the ground.  She offered her paw and tummy to anyone wishing to touch her, and of course they then had to buy at least one ticket.

Today our kids were marveling at how it hasn’t even been two months since we met Libby and they can’t imagine life without her. That made me realize that it was time to send you an update! Libby is doing wonderfully and she makes us all so happy. Her warmth just fills our home with smiles.

The first picture is Libby sitting by the front door after the unbelievable heartbreak of our three older kids leaving home for a couple of hours without taking her.

The second picture is “The Sisters of Chaos” duo. Lucy spends much of the day calling out, “Come, Lib! Come Lib! Follow me!” as they run through the house. When Lucy’s bedtime finally arrives the first thing Libby does is climb up on the couch and sleep for an hour. She is always so patient and gentle with Lucy throughout the whole day, but she’s worn out and ready for a nap by evening. They have a cute relationship. It will be fun to watch them grow up together.

The third picture is Riley cuddling with his best running buddy. When Riley reaches for his running shoes Libby knows to be ready for a good jog around the neighborhood. Those two will keep each other in shape! We just got her a reflective leash and a flashing collar light for the dark winter months that will be here soon.

Libby did wonderfully recently on an extended-family camping trip. There were about 10 families with lots of kids and other dogs. Everyone was in love with Libby by the time we came back home. She fits in really well with everyone.

The remaining pictures are from another recent camping trip. Libby with her beloved green ball, in a daze from being brushed, “helping” with a jigsaw puzzle, and walking with her favorite alpha guy. She really loves Kim and recognizes him as the leader of our pack. We think she transferred her respect and love for her trainers to Kim because they made such a great impression on her. They really taught her what it meant to be a part of a family. We are thankful to them for shaping her into such a great house dog.

Thanks,

Jan

We had the pleasure of adopting a black lab from you on August 8, 2010. Her name was Trinket or Lucy and it has since been changed to Tala which she has embraced well.

I just wanted to write and thank you for the pleasant experience we had with this entire process. We found Tala via the online web page Petfinder.com and were interested in seeing her. You allowed us to come for a visit and have the kids play with her in the yard. It felt like she was a good match for us right away, and it seems she feels the same back.

She was adopted and came home with us to Aberdeen that evening. At her first vet appointment she did very well and they were impressed with her and stated she has a wonderful temperament. They felt she had already bonded well to us as when they took her out of the room and she heard our voices, she just wanted them to bring her back to us. That made us smile.

We have had her for 2 weeks now and she has been so much fun! With a family of 5 this is a very busy house and she gets tons of attention.

Tala has enjoyed the sunny weather and has enjoyed cooling off with a good game of “fetch” in the swimming pool. What a great water dog she is! She already obeys the “sit” command and when told to go to her crate she obeys very well. Tala has alot of energy and she starts her training classes this evening. We are so excited! She is very smart and has a great desire to learn tricks and please her owners.

Thanks again for allowing us the pleasure of adopting such a great dog. We will keep you updated on her progress.

Sincerely,

Shonna

NAIROBI (AFP) – A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast, has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back   to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

‘It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a ‘mother’,’ ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.

‘After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond.

They swim, eat and sleep together,’ the ecologist added.
‘The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother,’ Kahumbu added.

‘The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years,’ he explained.

‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.’

This is a real story that shows that our differences don’t matter much when we need the comfort of another.

Procter & Gamble Co., maker of Iams and Eukanuba dry dog foods, is recalling certain varieties of veterinary and some specialized dry pet foods as a precautionary measure because the food might be contaminated with salmonella. The manufacturer said no salmonella-related illnesses have been reported, but it is urging consumers to immediately discard the recalled products.

“These products are made in a single, specialized facility,” a July 30 Procter & Gamble press release said. “In cooperation with FDA, P&G determined that some products made at this facility have the potential for salmonella contamination.  As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling all products made at this facility.”

Spot isn’t the only one who should be worried about the recall.

“People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product,” according to Procter & Gamble.  The FDA also warned that infected — but otherwise healthy — pets can spread salmonella to other animals or people.

Symptoms of salmonella infections in healthy people include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever, the FDA said. In rare cases, salmonella can cause arterial infections, arthritis, muscle pain, and other serious health problems.

Pets with salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain, the FDA said. If the infections are not treated, pets can become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

Consumers with dogs or cats that ate the recalled foods should contact their veterinarians if their pets experience any of these symptoms, the FDA said.

For more information or a product refund, call Procter & Gamble at 877-340-8823.

To view a complete list of the recalled products, visit Iams.com.

Sand Flea Pet Parade 2010

And the Winners Are…

^ Beachiest Pet: Nikki with owners Chet & Connie of Washougal, WA

^ Best Costume: Moose & Zoe, with owner Kati of Tacoma, WA

^ Best Trick: Roxy and owner Jade, of Issaquah, WA

^ Pet/Owner Look-Alike: Daisy and owner Scott of Everett, WA

^ Biggest Paws: Cisco the Malamute, along with owner Arvo, of Ocean Park, WA

-–•–-

Congratulations to our winners, and THANK YOU to everyone who came out to participate,
buy a raffle ticket, offer up cash to our Donation Dog and have a good time!

Sand Flea Pet Parade 2010 Winners

Deaf Great Dane “Lilly”, a rescue herself, collected donations for SPCHS

There is a well-meaning but dangerous tip on the Internet about using dryer sheets to remove loose hair from cats or dogs and to reduce natural static when the humidity is low. But is it a safe tip? Dryer sheets repel static because they are full of cationics and other chemicals. Formulas vary from product to product, but your favorite fabric softener or dryer sheet may contain benzyl acetate, camphor, or even chloroform.

None of this is good for pets. The Merck Veterinary Manual warns that cationic detergents, which are present in fabric softeners and dryer sheets, can cause a variety of problems for animals ranging from minor irritation to widespread systemic distress and pulmonary edema. Animals lick their fur and the areas on which they rest, so using dryer sheets to remove fur is dangerous.

Dryer sheets should never be stored where an animal can ingest them or play with them. Kidney failure is just one of the problems that can occur.

Source: http://laundry.about.com/od/laundryproductsafety/qt/petsdryersheet.htm

When can chaos be fun? When it is “Kitten Chaos”!!!

We will be celebrating the availability and cuteness of our kittens this Saturday, July 17, by hosting our annual kitten shower- this year dubbed “Kitten Chaos”. The event will be held at the shelter from 11-4, and will include fun prizes and cat-themed goodies to eat and drink such as “cat d’oeuvres” and “cat-tails”.
While we have had some nice kitten and cat adoptions recently, it is still the height of kitten season, and new arrivals are coming pretty much on a daily basis. Pet-lovers always seem to have a good time at our shelter parties, and these events are great for family fun.
For guests wishing to bring the kitties shower gifts, they would most appreciate receiving Purina Kitten Chow, canned cat food, and fun and entertaining toys.
Our usual adoption fees for kittens and cats are already considerably lower than most shelters, but for this event, our Manager Diana said we will be “wheelin’ and dealin’” in an effort to help these nice felines find loving homes and people to call their own. Come on down!

We hear so many good things about our Peninsula veterinary office, Oceanside Animal Clinic.  Doctors Ed and Catherine, along with their staff, are so very good to us here at the Shelter.  When one of our volunteers, Eileen, was at the clinic recently, she saw a picture of  Maddie taped to the wall.  The photo was from the last adoption update we’d received from Maddie’s forever family.  Curious, Eileen inquired and received the best possible response:

“I just loved her.”

That pretty much says it all, eh?

It’s Kitten Chaos at the Shelter and the Sand Flea Pet Parade down on the beach!

Click for more info:

Click for the print-friendly pdf version

On July 2nd, United Pet Group, Cincinnati, Ohio voluntarily expanded its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement tablets for Dogs to include additional pet nutritional supplement products for dogs and cats due to possible Salmonella contamination. The list of recalled products is provided below. The Food and Drug Administration is aware of this recall.

The recalled products are sold nationally at various retailers. The products include various United Pet Group Pro-Pet and Excel branded products for dogs and cats, and certain other private label brands of the same products. All of the affected products are in tablet and powdered form. These products are being removed from retail stores and consumers should immediately stop feeding these supplements to their pets. The affected products are those with expiration dates that include and are between “01/2013″ and “06/2013.” Products with expiration dates earlier than 01/2013 or later than 06/2013 are not included in this recall. The expiration date can be found imprinted vertically on the right side of the product label.

Laboratory testing has revealed that some lots of some of these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The company is recalling the additional products out of an abundance of caution.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

People who handle these products can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with them or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with the product should contact their healthcare providers.

Consumers who have purchased the affected products are urged to contact United Pet Group or the place of purchase for further direction. Consumers may contact United Pet Group at 1-877-399-5226, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm EST.

TABLE OF RECALLED PRODUCTS

###

FDA Press Release

RSS Feed for FDA Recalls Information

Beautiful Life (Promoting Adoption/Rescue)

Ginger is so adorable and fun! She runs right past the two dogs and has tried to make my Sheltie mix her surrogate mommy!

We LOVE our local no-kill shelter!

Sondra & Jim

Let’s say you were trying to find a way to wean the kids off sweets to stop the cavities and dentist bills. So you spent a lot of time researching and experimenting and came up with a sugarless cookie that if sprinkled with a little herb you discovered, stopped the cavities.

You decided to set up a little bakery and sell the cookies so other parents could benefit. You made your discovery no secret, in fact you wrote articles and books describing how you did it.

Years passed and you noted that other bakeries were copying you. Nevertheless, you knew that kids were benefiting so you didn’t fret about that too much, even when they tried to convince their customers that they were the inventors. Besides, you didn’t have the resources to go through the patent process, so really everyone had a right to it.

Then one day you received a letter from an attorney on staff at a mega-billion dollar corporate conglomerate cookie bakery. He said he had a patent on your cookie. What? You do a little investigation and discover that their patent came fifteen years after you made the discovery and were selling cookies all over the country.

So you write back and tell him this. He responds and says that if you do not pay him a commission on your last six years of cookie sales, and a commission on all your sales into the future, he will sue you in federal court. You again remind him that he can’t do that because you were first. He can’t steal your idea, patent it, then demand a ransom using the threat of suit.

He says, oh yes he can, and that you better settle up or face two to three million dollars in legal fees for patent litigation. After all, he says, what you are being asked to pay him is not as much as the legal fees will be, so why not just pay him and be done with it.

The other companies that had copied you actually were infringing on the patent since they began baking the cookies after the date of the patent. Thus they had no defense other than to rely on you to prove the patent invalid. But that would mean you could incur huge legal costs and really not gain anything other than to continue what you had always been doing. The only real winners would be the companies who had copied you, since without you they would either have to stop selling the cookies or pay the six-year penalty and commissions to the patent holder.

If you capitulate and pay, you get branded as a patent infringer. You will also have to increase the price of your cookies, as will all the other companies, to cover the commissions. That means that all the parents buying the cookies will now have to pay an inflated price. It will also stick in your craw that although the mega cookie manufacturer suing you describes in detail in their patent how kids’ cavities can be prevented, they don’t even use your invention in their own cookies! They just want to make money off other companies doing it.

What would you do?

Believe it or not, this is the exact dilemma Wysong [Ed. Note: Dr. Wysong is a hero in the Natural Pet Food revolution] now faces.

Wysong Corporation appreciates any encouragement or thoughts you may have about their David and Goliath battle:
989.631.0009 | 989.631.9280 | Wysong@Wysong.net | www.Wysong.net

Read more here http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/wysong_under_attack.htm

And now that you know this, are you still going to purchase Nestle/Purina products?

• Arrowhead
• Perrier
• S.Pellegrino
• Cheerios
• Cini Minis
• Nesquik
• Gerber
• Buterfinger
• KitKat
• WillyWonka
• Nescafe
• Coffee Mate
• Hagen Dazs
• Drumstick (ice cream cones)
• Dryers
• Buitoni
• Stoufers
• Lean Cuisine
• Hot Pockets
• Jenny Craig
• Boost
• Power Bar
• Alpo
• Beneful
• Purina
• Friskies
• Fancy Feast