Ellen Degeneres has one, & now the daytime cooking talks show hostess Rachel Ray has one. What do they each have? Their own lines of dog food.
Rachael Ray has launched a new line of super premium dog food and treats called “Rachael Ray Nutrish.” Proceeds from each sale will be donated to support Rachael’s Rescue, which is dedicated to helping at-risk animals through adoption, medical care and educational programs, along with training and outreach initiatives.
Rachel had input in creating the dog food & treats. They are available & most stores nationwide & retail from about $3.99 - $16.99. Find out where to get them at www.nutrishforpets.com.
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August 5, 2008 - 6:41 am
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Cynthia
Sam Diesel, the 2 year old German Shepherd police dog died from the heat after he was found in a police cruiser. The dog was routinely kept in the police cruiser with the air conditioning on. But on this day, the air conditioner failed and the dog died from the heat. No one knows how long the dog was in the car without AC but he was in the car for more than one hour while his handler was inside the police station working.
Sam Diesel was bought back in October for $12,625 and was paid for by donations from local WalMart employees when the police did a fund raiser.
It just goes to show, no matter who you are, you should never leave your dog alone in a car on a hot day.
See Sam here…
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July 27, 2008 - 9:01 am
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Cynthia
Over 200 people were bitten by dogs in one day in Ahmedabad, India! In 2007, there were around 80,000 dog bite cases reported by hospitals in Ahmedabad. Stray dogs have over-run many cities in India, so much so that a law was passed last year to sterilize the thousands of strays. But, none of the agencies responsible for project has bothered to start work. That’s government for ya! :p
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July 23, 2008 - 9:49 am
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Cynthia
Pitbulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans oh my! Just the mention of those breeds sends chills down some people’s spine. They tend to be aggressive breeds no doubt (especially when the owner is irresponsible), but would you believe that the most aggressive breeds are tiny?
The dog taking the number one spot as the most aggressive breed is the Dachschund (or weiner dog). I know as a young kid my sister got bit by one. She was fearless & picked the dog up & bit it right back (on the back)! It avoided her from then on. 
The number two spot is held by the Chihuahua. No surprise there. Practically every chihuahua I’ve ever met shook terribly & snapped at everyone (including their owner). I was bit by a chihuahua but didn’t even realize it because it bit my pant leg. I only noticed it when the owner (who was yakking on her cell phone) apologized & I felt my pant leg being tugged on.
And the number three spot goes to the Jack Russell terrier. A neighbor has one that lunges at everyone who walks by. He’s bitten quite a few people before the owner can yank him back. Come to think of it, that little terror bit my pant leg too!
Dr. James Serpell, a University of Pennsylvania researcher said smaller breeds might be more genetically predisposed towards aggressive behavior than larger dogs. Not to mention the fact that bites from small dogs are rarely reported.
I believe owners of small dogs that bite are irresponsible if they let their dog bite people…even if they only grab someone’s pant leg. What if they bite a small child? Any dog that bites (big or small) needs the problem corrected.
Read more about the dog aggression study here…
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July 16, 2008 - 10:32 pm
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Cynthia
The chinese people eat dog meat in many dishes. But with the world watching during next month’s Beijing Olympic Games, the Beijing City Government Food Safety Office has asked the 112 officially designated Olympic restaurants in the region to take dog off the menu. And many other restaurants are being asked as well. Waiters & waitresses are being instructed to make other suggestions for those ordering the dish.
As with most habitual controversial practices, this is all for show. People won’t stop eating dog meat, they just won’t do it where anyone can see…until after the Olympics is over. If you don’t see people eating dog, does that mean that dogs are not being eaten? Hiding it from people is just a case of “out of sight, out of mind.”
China isn’t the only city that has temporarily banned dog. South Korea did too during the 1998 Olympics there.
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July 15, 2008 - 7:05 pm
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Cynthia
A war of sorts has started brewing among the cloning facilities over who actually owns the patent to clone animals.
The Texas firm, Start Licensing, that is credited with cloning Dolly the sheep is suing the South Korean biotech company, RNL Bio, that has cloned several dogs, including cloning the world’s first dog for personal companionship (the 3 clones are to be born later this month via a surrogate mother). Start Licensing claims to hold the patent rights to clone dogs, cats and endangered species. The technology was developed at the Roslin Institute for the Dolly project.
BioArts, a California company claims that it has obtained exclusive licenses for the cloning of mammals using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology from Start Licensing. BioArts is currently running an online auction to clone five dogs, with the bidding starting at $100,000.
RNL could potentially block BioArts from cloning dogs using its patent from Seoul National University (SNU) & they claim that they could sue BioArts and its Korean subcontractors, Sooam BioTech Research Center, led by disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk, as early as this month.
Anytime there is substantial money, prestige & notoriety involved, lawsuits abound. And cloning is historic!
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July 14, 2008 - 9:34 pm
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Cynthia
Summer is upon us & this is the time of year when many a beloved dog dies after being left in a hot, locked car. Even leaving your pooch in the car for just a few minutes (even if you crack the window) could kill your dog. Remember, dogs can’t sweat to cool themselves off. Be mindful before you take your dog with you when you run errands this summer.
One place many people don’t consider their dog suffering heat related problems is when they take their dog cross country with them on an airplane. Most pets are put in the cargo hold (which is air conditioned), however when the plane is coming in for a landing, the air conditioning is turned off. The temperature in the city you land in should be no more than 86°, otherwise it is like leaving your dog in a hot car with the windows up (& who knows how long it’ll be before they get your pet out of the cargo hold). Again be mindful if you are transporting your pet via airplane. If the temperature is going to be hot when you land, schedule your flight for the coolest part of the day.
Speaking of summer, 60 dogs rode the waves at the 3rd Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition held at Imperial Beach, Calif. The competition raised money for the Modest Needs Foundation, which combats poverty.
Some of these dogs really have style on the boards - decked out in sunglasses & shorts. Check them out…
There’s a song with the lyrics, “who let the dogs out, woof!” Well, the warmer weather is causing owners to let their dogs out, and it is causing lots of complaints of excessive dog barking across the country. The warm weather means Fido can go outside and hang out in the yard. Many dogs bark even more outside because there are just so many more things to see.
Many people resort to some type of collar to stop barking. But collars don’t always work. There are more humane ways to deal with the behavior.
Just because your dog is outside and not disturbing you with his barking doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take responsibility for the behavior. If you own a barking dog, be responsible and do something about it. Get “The Ultimate Guide To Stop Your Dog From Barking…Fast!”
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June 29, 2008 - 1:01 pm
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Cynthia
Tomorrow, Friday, June 20th is “Take Your Dog To Work Day.” On that day businesses, animal shelters and pet-care professionals from all across the country will work together to better the lives of shelter dogs everywhere and bring awareness to homeless dogs in the community. Thousands of businesses will open their doors to employees’ pets on this day.
“Take Your Dog To Work Day” was started in 1999 & was created by Pet Sitters International to celebrate how great dogs are as companions and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue groups. Take Your Dog To Work Day is sponsored by Modern Dog Magazine and Comfort Zone.
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June 19, 2008 - 8:38 am
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Cynthia
You probably already heard it. Leona Helmsleys 9 year old Maltese dog “Trouble” who inherited $12 million has lost the inheritance. Well, not the entire inheritance. It seems that Leona’s human relatives fought the will and got Trouble’s trust fund reduced down to a measly $2 million.
Trouble retired to Florida to live with a caretaker of Leona’s choice (the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel), who by the way receives $60,000 a year to care for the dog.
See Trouble here…
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June 17, 2008 - 8:13 am
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Cynthia