Dog owners growl about proposed limit

By Brian Mosely

The number of pets allowed in a yard may be re-examined after the Shelbyville City council got an earful from concerned dog owners about animal control proposals.
Council members have been wrestling with how to deal with changing the city's code on animal control, which came following several dog attacks, including the attack on a Shelbyville woman by two pit bull dogs last November.

A new section to the city code is currently being considered regarding limitations on keeping animals outdoors. This would limit the number of animals allowed based on lot size.

The most critical component, the dangerous dog section, is already going through the process of becoming law, with a second reading set for the next council meeting on May 10.

However, a misunderstanding has arisen over the limitations with some interpreting it to mean that they would have to get rid of some pets if the ordinance is passed. City Manager Ed Craig explained that those animals would be grandfathered in.

One woman took strong objection to limiting the number of animals a person could keep. Debbie Corvino asked the council if they were trying to stop her "from extending my family."

Corvino said that she already has four dogs and asked why she would be prevented from adopting more. "These animals are like my children," she said.

She continued to ask why she was being punished for the irresponsible actions of others, saying that "good people are being punished for the bad people."

"You don't mess with my kids," she said.

In the current proposal, for a lot three acres or smaller, the total number of animals allowed outside would be no more than two cats, two dogs, one rooster, four chickens, four ducks, four rabbits, but no horses or cows. Property that is three to five acres may have one horse and cow each and a lot over five acres would be permitted to have two each.

The animals kept outside would have to be maintained to eliminate any nuisance disturbing the peace and enjoyment of the neighborhood, unsanitary conditions or an unsightly appearance.



All animals must be kept in a confined area and maintained in a sanitary manner. All cages or kennels used to house the animal must conform to the city's accessory use regulation, which allows only 25 percent of the property be used for the pens.

A transitional period will be provided, giving those with animals 45 days from the effective date to comply with the new requirements. The animals with the license would be able to stay on the premises where they are licensed until they are sold, transferred to another location or die.

Persons owning or keeping roosters, chickens, ducks or rabbits over the limit would have one year to meet the requirement.

Transition licenses would be issued by animal control to each animal that is kept in excess of what the new section of the code allows. The license would be specific to the location and after completing the application, an animal control officer will inspect the outdoor facility and photograph each animal.

The animal control officer may require that an identification microchip be implanted if he determines it is necessary to identify the animal in the future.

Another part of the animal control issue concerns amending the city's zoning ordinance to create a special exception for "hobby kennels," which is defined as an outdoor pen, maintained by the owner for housing, breeding or training dogs, cats, or rabbits owned by the person and not for others. A kennel is defined as a facility that is operated commercially.

The special conditions would require the owner to provide a site plan or other documents that would show location, property lines, proposed fencing and how sanitation would be maintained.

The permit would only be given to the owner or occupant of the property, no signs advertising the hobby kennel would be permitted, no grooming, boarding or other commercial service would be allowed and the applicant will have to establish that the hobby kennel would not have an adverse effect on the surrounding neighborhood.

Reference:t-g

The Lucky Day Campaign to Celebrate 'Be Kind to Animals Week’ May 6-12

RISMEDIA, May 3, 2007-As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "A nation can be judged by how it treats its animals." In honor of this year's "Be Kind to Animals Week," The Pet Realty NetworkTM supports Pet Shelters and Humane Societies across the country with the new campaign, THE LUCKY DAY - that special day when an orphaned pet finally finds their new home.

The American Humane Association created Be Kind to Animals Week in 1915 to celebrate the unique bond between humans and animals. Every year, animal shelters throughout the country hold special events during this special week to raise awareness about Being Kind to Animals, and to teach people about the amazing role animals play in our lives. Be Kind to Animals Week is a great time to promote the nation's animal welfare organizations and to encourage everyone to get involved to make a difference for animals.

"Be Kind to Animals Week represents a worthwhile tradition of celebrating and respecting animals," says Amanda Jacobs of The Pet Realty NetworkTM. "This week is a time to reflect on the happiness these companions give us."



According the National Council of Pet Population, moving is the #1 cited reason dogs are relinquished to shelters, and the #3 reason cats are surrendered.

www.PetRealtyNetwork.com, launched in January 2007, serves both Pet Owners and Real Estate Professionals of the community in one convenient place and includes a helpful list of Pet Friendly Real Estate Agents, Properties, and will soon include Pet Friendly Rentals. By connecting Pet Friendly People with a Network of Pet Friendly Real Estate Professionals, The Pet Realty NetworkTM and THE LUCKY DAY campaign can help reduce the number of pets surrendered to pet shelters due to residential pet restrictions or relocation issues, educate and inform pet owners about how using a Pet Friendly Real Estate Professional can lead to healthier and happier pets, and promote the importance of adoptions from Pet Shelters and Humane Societies.

The Pet Realty NetworkTM thanks the Real Estate Professionals, Pet Shelters, and Pet Owners making a difference in the lives of pets everywhere, and recognizes the Humane Societies of THE LUCKY DAY campaign that embodies kindness through action and joins us in celebrating this year's Be Kind to Animals Week.

For more information, please visit www.PetRealtyNetwork.com or www.TheLuckyDay.com or e-mail info@petrealtynetwork.com.

Reference:rismedia

Poaching animals more lucrative than drugs

POACHING and trafficking in wild animals such as monkeys and parrots is reaching critical proportions in Brazil, a non-profit group has said.

The trade is so attractive that it is even prompting drug traffickers to turn their attention to animals.

Police confiscated more than 50,000 captured animals in one part of Brazil's Atlantic rain forest in 2005, up from 15,000 five years earlier, according to a report by the National Network Against Wild Animal Trade, or Renctas.

"Sadly the situation is still critical," Dener Giovanini, founder of Renctas, told a congressional environment committee.



Mr Renctas estimates Brazil accounts for about 10 percent of the world's illegal trade in wild animals.

Nearly half the animals - mostly parrots and other birds - go to Europe and the United States.

Brazil's endangered blue Hyacinth Macaw can sell for $25,000, it said.

Big profits and lax laws are attracting criminals from other trades, said committee chairman Jose Sarney Filho.

"Some drug traffickers are moving to animal trafficking because the penalties are less stiff," Mr Sarney said.

The global trade in poached animals and their hides, tusks and bones is worth $10 billion to $20 billion a year, ranking third after illegal arms and drugs trafficking, the group said.

Reference:news

Animals often pay price when they become exotic pets

Samantha M. Novick
Cronkite News Service


The animals at Southwest Wildlife's sanctuary and rehabilitation center in Scottsdale seem content enough in their spacious enclosures, sleeping on tree branches, sunning themselves on large rocks or digging in the mud.

A closer look, however, reveals painful pasts that led many of the animals here after they were kept as pets.

A mountain lion walks gingerly because its claws have been removed. Some bobcats are missing claws and canine teeth. Another mountain lion, shorter than normal, suffered metabolic bone disease, causing three of his legs to break, because it was fed so poorly.


"It's sad because all of it is avoidable," said Linda Searles, director of the center. "They should have never lost their freedom."

These animals, which were bred to become pets or plucked from the wild, eventually became too much for their owners or were confiscated. State law prohibits keeping exotic animals without a permit, but that hasn't prevented people from owning cobras in Kingman, crocodiles in Tucson and piranhas in a Valley aquarium.

"We get calls every week from people wanting to give up everything from lions to bobcats," Searles said.

Many of the former pets that arrive at her facility are sick, injured or will sit and sway back and forth because they had been kept in a cage that was too small, Searles said. Others will bite themselves or chew on their limbs out of boredom.

"These animals are very intelligent and sometimes if they aren't given enough stimulation it leads to self-mutilation or other factors," Searles said.



Strong state laws in Arizona have kept ownership of exotic pets down, but lately the Internet has played a role in easing trade across borders, said Nicole Paquette, a researcher at the California-based Animal Protection Institute.

"Not only has it helped raised the attraction of keeping an exotic pet, but it has made it easier to learn where you can find these animals," Paquette said.

Four years ago, a Phoenix woman bought a baby mountain lion cub over the Internet to keep as a pet in her home. It was only when neighbors spotted her taking the cat for a walk that authorities were alerted and the animal was sent to Southwest Wildlife.

In Arizona, the majority of animals that are confiscated from pet owners are reptiles, followed by small mammals such as raccoons and skunks, said Jay Cook, a law enforcement supervisor for the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.

"I wouldn't say that it's a huge amount, but it is a problem," Cook said. "It does happen, and a lot goes on that we don't even know about."

Many of the state's confiscated reptiles end up at the Phoenix Herpetological Society, a sanctuary built in Daniel Marchand's Scottsdale backyard. It currently houses more than 40 alligators, crocodiles and caimans and several types of venomous snakes, Gila monsters, monitors, snapping turtles and lizards.

"There's no limit as to what people will keep as pets," Marchand said.

He said every year the society takes in approximately 125 non-native, venomous snakes. It also takes in as many as three alligators a month, he said.

"There are plenty of people out there who feel they are above the law and feel they have the right to have these things," Marchand said. "We already have 13 species of rattlesnakes that live here. We don't need any more venomous snakes on the loose."

Many of these reptiles are destined for a life in captivity because they either are not native to the U.S. or have become too used to humans to be released, Marchand said.

Former pets that cannot return to the wild have placed a strain on sanctuaries with limited space and funding, said Vernon Weir, director of the Las Vegas-based American Sanctuary Association.

"Everyone is aware that there are too many dogs and cats in shelters," Weir said. "But the same problem exists with other species. In many states it's still legal to own a tiger, a bear, even an alligator. And they are abandoned all the time."

Nick Derene, general curator for the Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary in Prescott, said the biggest challenge for sanctuaries is finding places for animals that can't go back into the wild.

A third of the animals at Derene's zoo come from the pet trade, including a tiger named Samson who is so used to people he'll rub on his fence like a cat when a keeper approaches.

"Most nonprofits are only scraping by on donations," Derene said. "There are nowhere near enough places for them to go."

---

- Southwest Wildlife: www.southwestwildlife.org

- Phoenix Herpetological Society: www.phoenixherp.com

- Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary: www.heritageparkzoo.org

- Arizona Game and Fish Department: www.azgfd.gov

- American Sanctuary Association: www.asaanimalsanctuaries.org

- Animal Protection Institute: www.api4animals.org

Reference:azcentral

Chemical might have killed thousands of pets

By Chris Emery and Jonathan D. Rockoff
sun reporters

Federal health officials announced yesterday that the number of pets sickened or killed by contaminated pet food could be far bigger than previously reported, and they now believe that an industrial chemical operating in conjunction with related compounds is responsible for the deaths of as many as 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs.

Contaminated products might have entered the human food supply, health officials said, because more than 3 million chickens at farms in Indiana could have eaten feed containing the chemical melamine and been processed. But the officials said the threat to people is extremely low.

"Those chickens are a tiny fraction of the more than 9 billion farmed for processing or breeding each year," said Kenneth Petersen, assistant administrator for field operations at the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service. "It's a small part of the pet food, and then it's a small part of the feed, and indications are it was fed for a very brief period of time."

The evidence of more widespread melamine contamination follows the discovery of the chemical in certain dog and cat food products last month. The Food and Drug Administration said it has received 17,000 reports of cats and dogs that became ill or died.

Investigators have suspected that melamine was to blame but were unsure how. They have been hindered by a shortage of research examining its effects. A few studies have shown that rats fed huge amounts of the substance developed bladder stones and later cancer.

FDA officials said they suspect that melamine combined with related chemicals caused kidney problems and deaths in cats and dogs. One of the related chemicals is cyanuric acid, which is commonly used to clean pools.

The melamine - a byproduct of coal - has been traced to protein products imported from China and then added to the pet foods and animal feeds.

There have been no reports of illness among farm animals that ate adulterated feed, and there is little threat to humans, officials said.

"We still have no evidence of harm to humans," said David W.K. Acheson, the FDA's new assistant commissioner for food protection.

However, Mickey Parish, a professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the implications for human food are unclear.

"It's what we don't know that's the issue," Parish said. "Melamine is a non-food grade substance so we don't know much about its effect on the human body."

Officials said they have confirmed 16 pet deaths, but the FDA has found 8,000 of the reports of pet food poisoning that it has received - including about 4,000 deaths - credible enough to enter into a database for further examination.



Officials announced Monday that melamine and related compounds had been found in wheat gluten used in chicken feed on farms in Indiana.

A few days earlier, officials announced that contaminated feed might have been fed to as many as 6,000 hogs. The feed is thought to have been used in California, Kansas, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Utah.

Most of the hogs have been quarantined, but some might have gone to slaughter, federal officials said.

Recent news reports suggested that melamine often makes its way into the food of Chinese farm animals, and federal investigators think it has been added to wheat gluten and rice protein products shipped abroad from China.

It is unclear whether the meat and milk from farm animals that ingest melamine would contain the substance, experts said.

Household pets such as cats and dogs often eat a simple diet consisting of a single pet food, but the feed given to farm animals tends to contain a wider array of ingredients, which probably reduces the concentration of melamine and the potential risk to humans.

One explanation for melamine's harmful effects is that it might crystallize when combined with cyanuric acid. Such crystals could lead to kidney failure.

"It sounds as though it's filtered in the kidneys," said Dr. Robert S. Lawrence, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Crystals are forming and blocking the kidneys."

Reference:baltimoresun

Terrier dies trying to protect kids from pitbulls

By RICHARD WOODD and JAYNE HULBERT - Taranaki Daily News

A feisty Jack Russell terrier has given his life to save five children from a mauling by two savage pitbulls.


NIC GIBSON/Taranaki Daily News
OUR SAVIOUR: Manaia youngster Darryl Wilson, 4, holds a photo of George the Jack Russell. Nine-year-old George was killed by two pitbulls which were threatening Darryl and other children in the town on Sunday. Also pictured are George's owner Alan Gay (69), Richard Rosewarne, Christian Rosewarne, 8, and Kelly Rosewarne, 10. Their two-year-old sister, who also witnessed the attack, did not want to be in the photo.





The tiny dog leapt to the defence of the children - aged between 4 and 11 - when the two rogue pitbulls threatened them on the way to a dairy in Manaia on Sunday.

The attack was the final straw for the South Taranaki District Council, which says it intends hunting down all dangerous and unregistered dogs and neuter them.

Richard Rosewarne (11), the oldest of the children, said the pitbulls came up behind them and were going for his brother Darryl Wilson (4).

"George tried to protect us by barking and rushing at them, but they started to bite him - one on the head and the other on the back.

"We ran off crying and some people saw what was happening and rescued George."

But nine-year-old George was so badly ripped apart he had to be put down.

Vet Steven Hopkinson, of the South Taranaki Animal Health Services Ltd, said the injuries were the worst he had seen.

George's owner Alan Gay (69), says his dog died a hero.

"These two pitbulls rushed up and were going for the little boy. George went for them, it's what he would do. He didn't stand a chance, but I reckon he saved that boy from being chewed up.

"These pitbulls should be banned. They're killers and it comes from them being bred for fighting."

Mr Gay lives alone and George had been his faithful companion for about seven years. He inherited George as a young dog after his former neighbours moved away.

The dogs disappeared after the attack, but yesterday dog rangers removed two pitbulls from a Manaia property.

South Taranaki environment services manager Graham Young says they are fairly certain the dogs were involved in Sunday's attack.

The dogs are in the pound and the council will be seeking the animals' destruction.

"Council will also be looking at a prosecution of the owners," Mr Young said.

In the past two months, four separate incidents have been reported in Manaia of pitbulls attacking other dogs and menacing children.

However, Mr Young said it was unknown whether the two impounded pitbulls were responsible for any of the other attacks.



But the attacks have prompted the council to introduce desexing of aggressive dogs. The council says it is empowered to take this action by the Dog Control Act.

"When any of these dogs come to our notice through registration or for reported menacing or any other reason, we will require desexing unless the owner can convince us to not to. Each case will be treated on its merits," Mr Young says.

The council will have a "zero tolerance" policy towards all unregistered, roaming and menacing dogs.

Mr Young said council officers were doing a property to property search throughout Manaia in order to locate such dogs and their owners, with the intention to destroy the dogs.

No warnings would be given to owners of unregistered dogs, he said.

The council will make a leaflet drop to Manaia's 400 houses this weekend, warning people to be on the lookout for menacing dogs and report sightings to an 0800 number.

"They have checked out and eliminated any pitbulls registered in Manaia and will be showing zero tolerance towards any unregistered, roaming and menacing dogs," Mr Young said. "The dogs will be taken to the pound and owners will be able to retrieve them only after paying $300 infringement fees. Owners of roaming dogs will have to pay $200 infringement fees."

Reference:Stuff

Obesity pill developed for dogs

OVERWEIGHT dogs may soon get a scientific leg-up to help shed unwanted puppy fat after an Australian company's animal weight-loss drug passed initial tests.

Perth-based Stirling Products Ltd's R-salbutamol drug was trialled on 15 beagles in the US, each losing 3 per cent weight loss a week, the company said.

Stirling chief executive and managing director Calvin London said it was early days in the drug's development.



"Phase one established an initial dose range that was considered safe to administer to dogs without any clinical side-effects and the second phase tested both high and low dose options in reducing the weight of overweight dogs," said Dr London.

"While it is early days, these results are extremely encouraging and we know we can enhance the effectiveness of R-salbutamol even further with revised formulations in studies."

The company will now tweak the formulation before more extensive trials.

If the second phase of testing is successful, the company will seek approval from the US Food and Drug Administration - a stage Dr London hoped to reach in about two years.

Should R-salbutamol make it to the supermarket shelves, the spoils won't be small (dog) biscuits.

About 35 per cent of US dogs and cats are considered to be overweight or obese, a statistic mirrored in Australia and Europe, Stirling said.

The market for anti-obesity drugs for pets is estimated to be worth more than $US200 million ($242.17 million) in the US alone.

Reference:Daily Telegraph, Australia

Global Survey of Lizards Reveals Greater Abundance of Animals on Islands Than on Mainland Ecosystems

A comprehensive survey of lizards on islands around the world has confirmed what island biologists and seafaring explorers have long observed: Animals on islands are much more abundant than their counterparts on the mainland.

Besides confirming that longstanding observation, the study signals an alarm for island populations in a rapidly warming world. It suggests that climate change may have devastating consequences for lizards and other animals that inhabit islands because their ecosystems are much more sensitive than those on the mainland to change.

Details of the study conducted by biologists at the University of California, San Diego will appear in a paper slated for publication in the June issue of the journal Ecology Letters, available online in May.

“We found that island populations are less resistant to biological invasions, which will likely increase dramatically with changing climate,” says Walter Jetz, an assistant professor of biological sciences at UCSD and a co-author of the study.


“Climate change will drive animals to move to new places,” says Lauren Buckley, a postdoctoral fellow at the Santa Fe Institute who is a visiting scholar at UCSD and the other co-author of the study. “Our research suggests that those animals that move to islands can strongly affect the sensitive animal communities on islands.”



In addition to their increased sensitivity to biological invasions, populations on islands are more vulnerable than those on the mainland to sea level rise and increased storm activity, which are expected by many scientists to become worse as a result of global warming.

Jetz and Buckley gathered 643 estimates of lizard abundance from around the world for their survey, the first extensive global study of island densities for any animal group. Analyzing these estimates, they determined that lizards were consistently more than ten times more abundant on islands than on the mainland.

Previous research conducted by Ted Case at UCSD and others on small groups of islands had found that islands’ limited areas and isolation can reduce predation and competition pressures. As a result, island animals were able to reach exceptionally high densities.

In their study, Jetz and Buckley confirmed that reduced numbers of predators and competitors accompany high lizard densities on islands across the world. The two biologists concluded that an average acre of mainland contains 52 lizards while an island acre contains 777 lizards. This difference in density persisted when the scientists controlled for location and environmental conditions.

“The ecology of islands is particularly important because, while the world’s more than 100,000 islands constitute only 7 percent of the global land surface, they contain many of the earth’s species with numerous species restricted to single islands,” says Buckley. “500 million people depend on island ecosystems for their food and livelihoods.”

The study suggests that islands are particularly sensitive to the loss and gain of species. Species introductions have had dramatic consequences for islands. Introduced mongooses have devastated island populations of lizards and introduced snakes have caused the loss of birds and lizards on islands.

“Cases of species introductions wreaking havoc on islands are likely to become more common as the islands face increasing pressures from population growth, tourism, development, and climate change,” says Jetz. “The consequences of island vulnerability have already been observed as island species account for half of known animal extinctions and a full 90 percent of known bird extinctions in the last 400 years. Our study suggests that islands will continue to be vulnerable worldwide.”

“Many people, myself included, enjoy visiting islands for their spectacular wildlife,” adds Buckley. “Our research suggests that we must be particularly careful to limit the movement of animals between islands if islands are to remain special places to visit.”

Source: University of California, San Diego

Circuses with exotic animals to be banned

Jordan World Circus allowed one last show this summer.
by MARK NIELSEN

Citizen staff

The days of circuses featuring exotic animals performing in Prince George are numbered.

City council voted 6-1 Monday night to go ahead with a bylaw banning such shows from city limits in answer to a campaign spearheaded by local B.C. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals representative Kathi Travers.

Travers, who also writes a weekly animals column for the Citizen, contends the animals are forced to do things they wouldn't normally do in the wild.

"Taking an animal and asking a tiger to jump through a fiery hoop, what's natural about that? It's almost like the olden days when Ringling used to have the sideshows where they had people disabilities and we'd go and say that's entertainment.," she said in an interview Tuesday.




"How can we say an animal being degraded is entertaining?"

Travers, who used to inspect zoos and circuses before she moved to Prince George also said circuses treat their animals poorly.

Travers said the move means Prince George has joined the ranks of 20 other B.C. communities who've banned the shows.

"It shows that we're just as progressive as they are," she said.

Pending final passage of the bylaw, the Jordan World Circus will be able to perform one last time this summer because it's already booked for CN Centre.

Only Coun. Glen Scott voted against the move.

Scott has said he's toured the backlots where circuses park their trailers and found no evidence of ill treatment.

"The cages were clean, they had a covered place to eat and lots of water and, as the trainer said, 'why would I abuse or neglect an animal that I make a living off of?'" Scott said. "To me it just seems we were following what other cities had done."

For many the circus is the only way many people in Prince George will ever get to see a live lion or tiger, said Scott. Travers maintained there are better ways to expose people to exotic animals, including the internet and trips to foreign countries.

"Let them go on a safari to India if they want to see a tiger," she said.

Reference:princegeorgecitizen

APPMA Urges Pet Owners to Buckle-Up Pets

Despite Safety Concerns, Dangers and a Growing Number of State Requirements, Almost Two-Thirds Admit to Not Using a Pet Restraint


GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of Americans get set to hit the road for summer vacations, the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) urges pet owners to be responsible and buckle-up their pets.

According to the 2007-2008 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey, 80% of pet owners say they travel with their pets but never use a restraint.

According to the Travel Industry Association of America, of the 71 million people in the U.S. who own dogs, over 29 million travel with them. This not only includes the busy vacation summer months, but in many cases, daily trips around home.

As travel with pets increases, more states are initiating laws addressing dogs in vehicles. California requires dogs in the open back of a pickup to be either in a cage or cross-tied to the truck unless the sides of the truck are at least 46 inches high.

New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon, Washington, Florida and Rhode Island restrict dogs from pickup trucks or open vehicles with the exception of some working dogs. Nevada, New York and Vermont have bills pending that would also ban the transport of dogs in the back of pickup trucks.

"I think in many cases what keeps people from utilizing pet restraints is a misconception that they require too much time and money to install and use them," said APPMA President Bob Vetere. "As is the case in almost every sector of the pet industry, manufacturers are bringing more convenient products to market, and travel safety devices are no exception."

APPMA has compiled a list of pet travel products that are not only easy to install and use but also protect pets and people in vehicles, as well as make travel more convenient and enjoyable.



Ruff Rider's Canine Vehicle Restraint System easily attaches to any vehicle's seatbelt system. The Canine Vehicle Restraint System is vet approved and exceeds S.A.E. tensile strength standards for human seatbelts. It also includes a short walking lead for all-around use. www.ruffrider.com

Veterinary Ventures Inc.'s new Hydro-Go(TM) Portable Pet Canteen features a convenient fold out bowl which allows for easy drinking when you're away from home. And, its unique design allows for quick clean up. The bowl and canteen work together to form a funnel, easily allowing the unused water to be poured back into the canteen. The bowl also easily detaches, allowing the canteen to be used as a second bowl, giving you a food and water bowl. The Hydro-Go(TM) has a wide, adjustable shoulder strap for comfort. It holds 36 ounces of water and is dishwasher safe. www.petfountain.com

Don't forget your pet when you lather up with sunscreen this summer. Doggles' Pet Sunscreen is designed specifically for dog's skin to avoid irritation. Many pet owners don't realize their pets can get sunburned, so it's important to apply the Pet Sunscreen to their nose and the tips of their ears. Pet Sunscreen also helps with coat conditions and helps to prevent sun bleaching in dark haired animals. www.doggles.com

Komfort Pets has introduced a new Climate Controlled Pet Carrier. The kennels utilize thermal electronic technology and state of the art airflow systems to consistently maintain an interior kennel temperature of 72 degrees. You can also accessorize the pet carrier with safety features including technology in the kennel that can notify the pet owner via text message to a cell phone if the power source has been interrupted or the temperature is out of range. www.komfortpets.com

Kurgo's Auto Zip Line(TM) features a tension cable that attaches between the two rear passenger side handles, creating a tether run for the dog. The secured line allows the dog the freedom of moving around in the back seat while providing safety in case of sudden stops. www.kurgo.com

The Backseat Barrier(TM) by Kurgo is a strong divider that attaches behind the driver and passenger's seats and restricts dogs from moving between the front and back seats of the vehicle. Dogs stay where you put them, protecting driver and passengers from the potential hazard of your family pet lunging into the front seat. www.kurgo.com
And you couldn't possibly forget Aspen Pet Products' DogGone Songs(TM) - Traveling Tunes For You and Your Pet! This musical CD contains soothing piano melodies composed with the award-winning Schoenberger Effect. Composer and creator Thomas Schoenberger's award-winning music was originally composed to delight a new generation of infants and babies, but his mesmerizing melodies have also proved successful in calming pets. The original compositions will provide a peaceful and noticeable calmness over your pet during travel. www.aspenpet.com.
The American Pet Products Manufacturer's Association (APPMA) is the leading not-for-profit trade association serving the interests of the pet products industry since 1958. APPMA membership includes more than 900 pet product manufacturers, their representatives, importers and livestock suppliers representing both large corporations and growing business enterprises. APPMA's mission is to promote, develop and advance pet ownership and the pet product industry and to provide the services necessary to help its members prosper. Visit www.appma.org for more information.

Reference:Yahoo

FDA: Millions of Chickens Fed Contaminated Pet Food

By E.J. Mundell and Steven Reinberg HealthDay
(HealthDay News) -- Up to 3 million broiler chickens were fed melamine-tainted pet food and then sold on the U.S. market beginning in early February, U.S. health officials said in a press conference held late Tuesday.

The contaminated pet product made its way into poultry feed at 38 Indiana farms, 30 of which produced broiler chickens destined for restaurants and supermarkets, said officials at the U.S.
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Department of Agriculture.

Approximately 2.5 million to 3 million chickens fed contaminated pet food have already been sold, Kenneth Peterson, assistant administrator for field operations at the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, said during the teleconference. "That's out of a total of 9 billion broilers processed in the U.S. each year," he noted.

Experts from both agencies downplayed any potential threat to human health.
"We still have no evidence of harm to humans or to swine" from the use of the tainted pet product, said Dr. David Acheson, who began his tenure as the FDA's new assistant commissioner for food protection on Tuesday. Acheson said that the contaminated food constituted only about 5 percent of the total feed at the farms. "The risk to humans is small," he said.

Peterson added that some 100,000 breeder chickens are being held in quarantine at some of the Indiana farms. Those chickens have been quarantined and may be euthanized, the FDA and USDA said. The agencies also warned in a statement issued late Monday that "as the investigation continues, additional farms will likely be identified that received contaminated feed."

The announcement comes on the heels of similar discoveries at hog farms across the United States. The USDA first announced on Thursday that meat from 345 hogs suspected of eating the contaminated feed had entered the U.S. food supply. Some 6,000 hogs suspected of eating the contaminated product have since been quarantined and meat from these animals will be withheld from the food supply, both agencies said.

"As with exposure from hogs fed contaminated pet food and for similar reasons related to the dilution of the contamination, FDA and USDA believe the likelihood of illness after eating chicken fed the contaminated product is very low," the agencies said Monday night. "Because there is no evidence of harm to humans associated with consumption of chicken fed the contaminated product, no recall of poultry products processed from these animals is being issued."

In a similar vein, U.S. health officials have continued to reassure American consumers that pork products from hogs fed contaminated pet food were safe, even as reports surfaced that China has routinely added the contaminant melamine to its exported animal food supplements.

In a joint statement issued late Saturday, the FDA and USDA stressed that, "We are not aware of any human illness that has occurred from exposure to melamine or its byproducts." They added that they have also identified no illnesses in swine fed the salvage food tainted by melamine, which was imported from China as an additive to wheat gluten used in dog and cat food.

Melamine, a derivative of coal, is at the center of the United States' largest pet food recall, involving more than 60 million packages of 100 name-brand products. The chemical has been linked to the deaths of at least 16 pets and the illness of possibly thousands of animals.

In the Saturday statement, the FDA and the USDA said the possibility of human illness from eating swine exposed to melamine remains low for several reasons: "First, it is a partial ingredient in the pet food; second, it is only part of the total feed given to the hogs; third, it is not known to accumulate in the hogs, and the hogs excrete melamine in their urine; fourth, even if present in pork, pork is only a small part of the average American diet."

On April 25, the Pet Food Institute (PFI), which represents U.S. pet food manufacturers, asked the U. S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab and the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Andrew von Eschenbach for "swift action to answer questions about how melamine, a substance foreign to pet food, ended up in specific ingredients from China," according to a PFI statement.
On Monday, The New York Times reported that Chinese producers routinely add melamine to wheat gluten and rice protein in animal feed products to falsely inflate levels of protein.



In interviews with agricultural workers and managers in China, the newspaper reported that animal feed producers have secretly added melamine to their feed for years because, during tests, it appears to be a protein, even though it doesn't add any nutritional benefits.

"Many companies buy melamine scrap to make animal feed, such as fish feed," Ji Denghui, general manager of the Fujian Sanming Dinghui Chemical Company, which sells melamine, told the Times. "I don't know if there's a regulation on it. Probably not. No law or regulation says 'don't do it,' so everyone's doing it. The laws in China are like that, aren't they? If there's no accident, there won't be any regulation."

"We don't know if this has been going on in China for a long time," Acheson said during a teleconference Monday. "But I have read reports that this is something that has not started recently," he said.

On Thursday, China banned melamine from its food products, but rejected the charge that the substance caused the U.S. pet deaths, the Associated Press reported.
It's not clear how -- or even if -- melamine became fatal in pet food, because it's not believed to be particularly toxic. But U.S. law bans its presence in any form of food, the newspaper said.

The rice protein was imported to the United States by Wilbur-Ellis, an agricultural product importer and distributor. The FDA said it is continuing its investigation of the source of the adulterated pet food, including "tracing products distributed since August 2006 by Wilbur-Ellis throughout the distribution chain."

In their latest statement, the FDA and the USDA said that, as of April 26, they had identified sites in six states where contaminated pet food was received and used in feed given to hogs: California, Kansas, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Utah.

On Friday, FDA officials searched the facilities of a pet food manufacturer and one of its suppliers in the continuing probe of the contamination, the Associated Press reported.

The officials searched an Emporia, Kan., pet food plant operated by Menu Foods and the Las Vegas offices of ChemNutra Inc., the news service said, citing information supplied by the companies.

Menu Foods made many of the major brands of dog and cat foods that were recalled because of the melamine-contaminated wheat gluten. ChemNutra supplied Menu Foods with the wheat gluten, which was also imported from China but reportedly from a different supplier than the rice protein.

Both companies said they were cooperating with the investigation, the AP said.
More information
For more information on pet food, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Reference:Yahoo