If you only watch the Super Bowl for the ads, then you also might enjoy flipping over to Animal Planet and watching Puppy Bowl V — “the ultimate puppy showdown.” (Above is the clip from Puppy Bowl IV.)
Recruiting from local shelters, the Puppy Bowl features adoptable puppies on a pseudo-football grid iron battling with toys, playing tug-of-war, and committing fouls (piddles) [...]
The Pet Pundit
Humane Education and Writings on Animal Issues
Monthly Archives: January 2009
Jan 30
Puppy Bowl, the “softer side” of Super Bowl Weekend
Jan 28
100 people cited for chaining their dogs
In Macon, Georgia, 100 dog owners were cited for chaining their dogs outside. And I say hooray to the city for boldy enforcing its chained dog ordinance.
Last year, Macon passed an ordinance outlawing the chaining of dogs and cats and gave pet owners sufficient time to build runs or fences to secure their pets. Pet owners may only [...]
Jan 26
AKC releases most popular breeds for 2008 (and 1884)
The American Kennel Club’s top ten most popular breeds for 2008 shows the Labrador Retriever in the #1 spot for the 18th year in a row. There were twice as many Labs registered last year than any other breed making it a likely leader for many years to come. Docile and easy-going, it’s easy to see why people love [...]
Jan 23
CPR (and oxygen masks) can save pet’s lives
Scared and frightened, pets often hide when a fire breaks out, making it difficult for rescuers to find them in a burning home. While more than 40,000 pets die annually in house fires, even more are saved thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters.
Firefighters now know to look for pets these days, and in the [...]
Jan 22
FDA recall on peanut butter affects pets too
Pet treats are being impacted by the FDA’s recall on peanut butter products.
Salmonella contamination has been traced to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), a distributor of peanut butter and peanut paste – a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts. “Peanut butter is often used in small amounts as an occasional reward for dogs, commonly [...]
Jan 19
What does “no-kill” really mean when it comes to pet overpopulation?
The phrase “no-kill” has been bantered about in many communities as the end goal in the game of tackling pet overpopulation. Few people, however, know what the term really means. Most people think it means the halting of all euthanasia of dogs and cats for good, but it’s meaning is quite different than that, depending on whether [...]
Jan 15
“Hotel for Dogs” features former shelter pets
In the movie “Hotel for Dogs,” many of the 35 plus dogs on the set, according to American Humane, were once former shelter dogs. In fact, 75 to 80 percent of pets in film are discovered in animal shelters only to be adopted by cast or crew after the filming ends, they say.
It seems only Hollywood recognizes [...]
Jan 12
Obama family down to Labradoodle or Portuguese Water Dog
President-elect Obama announced this week that their family has narrowed down their dog choices to two possibilities – the Portuguese Water Dog and the Labradoodle. One is a curly-headed mop top, the other a relaxed version of a poodle. Both shed very little, which is what the Obama’s were looking for in a pet since [...]
Jan 12
Cat groomer recycles cat hair into purses
When Danelle German sees a Persian Cat come into her grooming salon, her heart skips a beat. That’s because many people want their Persian cats shaved for easy maintanence and Danelle uses the leftover hair in a lucrative recycling business. She spins the cat hair into a silky yarn to produce one-of-a-kind handbags that sell for between $45 and $400. She apparently has sold [...]
Jan 09
A simple guide to cat talk
Whenever I ask people how many words they think a cat can understand, they often guess “0″ or “3″. I am amazed because some of these people actually have cats in their lives.
I guess they figure cats can’t comprehend a single thing we humans are trying to say, so don’t really expect much of a relationship [...]
Jan 07
Adapting to the rhythms of cats
Very often, we make concessions for our feline friends that we would never consider making for dogs or even our human family members.
For example, you probably can’t tell, but I am typing this column with my left hand because my cat has fallen asleep on my right arm. I don’t wake her because I am [...]
Jan 05
Elephant and dog: two unlikely animals become BFF’s
BFF — the text jargon meaning “best friends forever” — may not just be the mantra of young girlfriends, but the pledge of happy elephants too.
According to a story on CBS Sunday Morning, elephants arriving at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee seek out the special friendship of a single pachyderm at the sanctuary, a best friend they can spend most of [...]
Jan 02
Top 10 pet poisons of 2008
Curiosity can kill the cat, but it can kill the dog also. In 2008, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic substances, many of which included everyday household products kept around the house. Based on those calls, here’s the ASPCA’s top 10 pet poisons [...]
