Pets Are Family Too

After months since President Obama announced that he will allow his daughters, Sasha and Malia, to get a dog in the White House. Speculation on the type of dog and when it will arrive has been burning up the media waves from the internet to mainstream media, world wide. Bo Obama, a Portuguese water dog, is the latest addition to the White House.

Bo Obama is a black-and-white 6-month-old Portuguese water dog got his name from the First Daughters according to the Washington Post,

The girls named it Bo — and let it be noted that you learned that here first. Malia and Sasha chose the name, because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because first lady Michelle Obama’s father was nicknamed Diddley, a source said. (Get it? Bo . . . Diddley?)

Controversy swirled wildly whether or not the First Puppy would come from a breeder or a shelter.  Dog lovers were drawing their lines in the sand and lobbying why a shelter dog would be more appropriate than a dog from a breeder. Guess who won? Read the rest of this entry »

Pollution and toxins are major topics of interest in our world today, especially during this “Earth Week”! We hear people and organizations talk about how to reduce pollution and halt global warming almost on a daily basis. Eco-friendly ads by all manner of businesses appear on our television sets more frequent now than ever than in the past! So, it should be no surprise to learn that our beloved pet family members are not immune to pollutants and that they also are contaminated with chemicals present in the environment and our households.

A recently released study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), of American dogs and cats revealed that some of the same chemical pollutants found in people are also present in in our pet family members. According to the study, pets typically had higher concentrations of the chemical tested than those of humans. Out of the 70 chemicals tested, pets showed evidence of 48 of them, including mercury, heavy metals and fire retardants. Many of the chemicals used in the test are often the same ones monitored in people by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How can this happen? Just as with small children in the home, domesticated dogs and cats often sniff and eat off of the floors, carpets and grass where contaminants tend to reside in abundance. Our pets usually drink tap water from the faucet which may contain contaminants from the municipal water supplies. There is also pet food that may contain high levels of mercury that we feed our cats and dogs on a daily basis. More importantly, the findings in this Environmental Working Group (EWG) study, may also show people who have pets, that their present environment may be more toxic than they know, if they have pets who get cancer and other diseases, sort of an early warning signal, sad to say. Read the rest of this entry »

In this time of home foreclosures at an all-time high in the United States, not only are families losing their homes, but also pet family members are also suffering in the loss of homes. Recently, it was stated that 1 out of every 100 households were in a foreclosure stage. Foreclosure on a home mortgage is the process by which the lender repossess the home from the borrower who cannot repay their loan in full. Generally, foreclosure happens when a borrower may fall behind on monthly mortgage payments due to illness, job loss and other circumstances and a lender will initiate the foreclosure process on the borrower to recover the loan amount.

At these foreclosure rates, we may know of someone who is going through this weary process and their pet family members are also going through tense times. One of the worst casualties in the foreclosure process is when a homeowner loses their home in foreclosure and have to relocate when the lender gains possession and they abandon their pets. In some of the most inhumane and disgusting cases people are vacating their homes and leaving their pets to starve, either too embarrassed to admit they are in foreclosure, or figuring the animals will be found and taken care of. In these cases, the scenario has turned tragic for dogs, cats, birds, horses and other animals. Pet abandonment is a high occurrence when a family loses their home in foreclosure and may have to move into accommodations that do not accept pets. Many pets are left alone in the empty houses with little or no food for periods of time until someone in the neighborhood discover that they are there or a home inspection can reveal a pet on the brink of starvation and other health afflictions.

There is something we can do to help these pets before and after they have been abandoned. We must become as neighbors and reach out to help a struggling family facing the dreadful foreclosure process. Armed with information, we may be able to help them with placing their pets in a safer place, than left alone in vacant properties. Read the rest of this entry »

The American Kennel Club says that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the nation for 2007. Did they get it right? Is your pooch on the list?

The AKC unveiled their Top 10 most popular dog breeds in America which are based on its 2007 registration figures. According to the AKC, the Top Breeds Nationwide and their previous rankings are:

To celebrate the newest member of the Top 10 list, the Bulldog, long recognized as a popular sports team mascot, was fitted with a #10 jersey to mark the occasion. The bulldog has not appeared in the AKC’s Top 10 Breeds for 75 years. AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson had this to say about the bulldog’s rise

“This is the first time the Bulldog has made it onto the top ten list since 1935, said This breed appeals to a very wide range of dog lovers so it’s no surprise that it is a favorite amongst AKC’s 157 breeds. The Bulldog is both docile and adaptive, and can thrive in small or large homes. It’s an excellent all-around family pet.”

If you want to see your favorite dog ranked in the AKC Top Breed List, then click here to check out how the other dog breeds fared. Read the rest of this entry »