Michael Vick pleads to state dogfighting charge, VA November 29, 2008

Source: Associated Press, By LARRY O’DELL – Nov 26, 2008

SUSSEX, Va. (AP) — Former NFL star quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty Tuesday to a state dogfighting charge, a necessary step to make him eligible for early release from prison and potentially speed a return to the NFL.

Vick, 28, pleaded guilty to one charge and not guilty to a second count that was then dropped. The former Atlanta Falcons star was given a three-year suspended sentence.

“I want to apologize to the court, my family, and to all the kids who looked up to me as a role model,” Vick told the judge.

Vick already is serving a 23-month sentence in Leavenworth, Kan. for a federal dogfighting conviction. He’s scheduled for release on July 20, 2009, and will serve three years of probation.

Federal law prohibits prisoners from being released to a halfway house if there are unresolved charges pending against them.

Vick was convicted of the federal charges in August 2007 when he admitted bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia’s rural Surry County, southeast of Richmond. He also admitted to participating in the killing of several underperforming dogs.

Since the conviction, he has landed in bankruptcy court after losing nearly all of his record-breaking $130 million from a 10-year deal he signed with Atlanta in December 2004.

Surry County Circuit Judge Samuel Campbell did not allow Vick to make his plea by videoconference, saying intense public interest made his appearance necessary.

Under the plea deal, Vick agreed to plead guilty to one count of promoting dogfighting and not guilty to a count that involved cruelty to animals.

Each state felony count was punishable by up to five years in prison.

“Any time in prison is hell. Michael’s been punished. He knows what he did was wrong,” Vick’s lawyer Billy Martin said.

Mars Extends Pet Food Recall November 29, 2008

Source: Consumer Affairs, by Lisa Wade McCormick, Nov 26, 2008

Mars Petcare US is extending a recall of dry pet food after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported finding Salmonella in additional samples of the company’s SPECIAL KITTY Gourmet Blend cat food.

The earlier recall, issued October 27, was for cat food produced at Mars’ Allenton, Pa., plant on August 11, 2008. The recall is now being extended to cover all dry pet food produced at the plant with a “best by” date between August 11, 2009 and October 3, 2009.

The recall affects only products sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club, ShopRite Supermarkets, and Wal-Mart locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. No other customers and no other states are affected.

Retailers have been notified of the recall and asked to remove the products from their shelves. The recalled pet food should not be fed to pets and should be handled carefully by consumers. Consumers should wear disposable gloves and wash their hands carefully when handling any food product thought to carry Salmonella.

Mars makes a variety of pet foods, including Nutro dog food, which has been the target of hundreds of complaints from angry pet ownes who have written to ConsumerAffairs.com.

Eric of Lowell, Mass., said his dog became ill when he switched to Nutro.

“We rushed him to the vet who initially thought it might be leptospirosis, but those tests came back negative,” Eric said. “After four days at the vet, with IV’s, a negative Lepto test, and multiple medications, he was sent home and seems to be doing much better.”

“Bottom line? He became sick after eating Nutro. He got better after stopping eating Nutro,” Eric said.

Salmonella

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, experts say. People can also be infected if they handle the tainted food. Children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection in humans include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Salmonella can, in rare cases, cause such serious illnesses as arterial infections, arthritis, muscle pain, and urinary tract symptoms.

Pets infected with Salmonella may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets, however, may only have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.

Pet owners whose cats ate the recalled food and have these symptoms should contact their veterinarian.

Mars said it was trying to get ahead of the problem.

“We are continuously monitoring and updating our processes to be at the forefront of product quality, innovation, customer responsiveness, and manufacturing efficiency. In recent months, we have invested tens of millions of dollars in plant upgrades, new testing protocols, advanced associate training, and a new state of the art testing facility that will open in mid-2009,” the company said in a statement.

For more information about the recall, pet owners can contact the company at 1-877-568-4463 or visit the company’s Web site.

Troubled Dog Seller Still In Business, Indiana November 25, 2008

Source: TheIndieChannel.com, Nov 24, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS — A woman who promised to shut down her dog-selling business following numerous complaints about the health of the animals was still in business in recent months under several assumed names.

Nearly three years after the state filed suit against Tammy Gilchrist, she was still selling dogs — some of them ill, Call 6′s Rafael Sanchez reported.

Customers all over the country have spent thousands of dollars on veterinary bills in hopes of saving gravely ill puppies.

Blake Brownlee said he racked up $1,300 in vet bills after he bought a Pomeranian puppy, Bella, from Gilchrist and her business, Kritter Heaven.

Within days, Brownlee took Bella to four vets to keep her alive.”She was almost going to die. She actually had to be hooked up to an IV drip line,” Brownlee said.

Bella was diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly contagious intestinal virus that is frequently deadly. A veterinarian said Bella had been exposed to parvovirus before Brownlee bought her and hadn’t been properly vaccinated, in spite of Gilchrist’s promises.

“Not in a million years would I dream what I was about to go through,” Brownlee said.

Melissa Grimes said she spent $1,500 to save her pocket beagle from fleas, ringworm and scabies.  “It was so bad that my vet pretty much knew my phone number,” she said.

Forty-three other customers shared similar stories with Call 6. All said they paid Gilchrist for puppies that were sick or were never delivered, or for kennel papers that were never provided.

After a Call 6 investigation in February, Gilchrist sent an e-mail that said she was shutting down the business.Her business partner, Wally Workman, also said they planned to close up shop.

“We got overwhelmed. That’s why we’re shutting down,” Workman said. “We’re done. It’s too much.”

Gilchrist was found back in business within the last two months when Call 6 sent volunteers with hidden cameras out to puppy shop. She was seen on hidden camera in three separate meetings over five weeks

“We rescue, so you’re in the right market. Yeah, these are all rescues,” Gilchrist said during one of the hidden camera encounters. “We’ve been doing it since the ’80s.”In each encounter, Gilchrist asked would-be buyers to meet her at a gas station in Stilesville or Plainfield in hopes of exchanging canines for cash.

Each time, Gilchrist — who used the name Stacey Picas in her ads — was there. Other names her business recently used to sell a wide array of dog breeds at a variety of prices include Ernest Woods, Dottie’s Antiqs and Tricounty.

When Sanchez confronted Gilchrist, she denied she is Tammy Gilchrist and denied selling sick dogs.”I’m Stacey Picas,” Gilchrist said. When asked why she was again selling dogs, Gilchrist said, “I’m not.”

Beverly van Haaften, who bought a dog from Gilchrist that died of parvovirus, said she’s disheartened that Gilchrist is still in business.

“We’ve got to be able to do something … to keep this from happening over and over and over again,” van Haaften said.Gilchrist’s attorney said she is now selling dogs with health certificates from veterinarians. Of the 50 complaints Call6 has confirmed, Gilchrist has refunded the money, provided the dogs or provided kennel papers for seven customers.

Last Chance for Tainted Pet Food Settlement November 23, 2008

Source: KRDO, November 22, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS – If you were one of the millions affected by the 2007 pet food recall you have until Monday to file a claim and receive money.

The pet food may have contained contaminated wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate and were recalled beginning in March 2007,

The companies involved in the recall have agreed on a 24 million dollar settlement.

If you were one of those affected you must have documentation of financial damages from the recall. The documentation could be a veterinarian bills or credit card statements. It also includes product labels and any other records that could demonstrate your purchased the food and how you paid.

The claim must be postmarked by November 24. It can also be e-mailed or faxed.

For more information on the settlement click here.

The Most Widely Viewed Dog Show In The Country Is In Reading This Weekend November 23, 2008

Covering national dog shows is not a typical topic of my blog but this one is special to me as my mother is showing her Miniature Pinschers at this show this weekend.  Good luck mom, Frankie & Lili!!  Congrats to Frankie on his Best of Breed win Friday! 

Source: WFMZtv.com, Nov 22, 2008

It’s a show for the dogs – and dog lovers!! The most widely
viewed dog show in the country is taking place right in our backyard
this weekend.  It’s being taped today and tomorrow at the Greater
Reading Expo Center. And the National Dog Show will air on
Thanksgiving.

WFMZ’s Jackie Shutack gives us a sneak peek at the dogs
on display.  They trot across the show floor in all shapes and sizes,
some with long flowing fur, others showing off poofy coiffures…these
dogs are trained – and dressed – to impress.

Joan
weiskoph/Bedlington owner: “She’s not bothered by the commotion,
in fact the more clap, the happier she is.”

Cathy
francis/welsh terrier owner:  “When you show together, you get
such a feeling of accomplishment, and rush when you work together, and
you can win!”

These dogs know their owners want them
on their best behavior. This weekend, over 150 different breeds and
varieties compete for best of Breed, First in Group and the coveted
title of Best in Show. Every obedient canine is inspected individually,
then they parade in front of the cameras…recording their strut so all
of America can watch on Thanksgiving Day. Each dog has its own
style…and the owners know it!

Joan weiskoph/Bedlington
owner: “The bedlington unlike most dogs doesn’t have what you
would consider a bridge, they have no stop, it’s a smooth line, the
haircut just emphasizes that beautiful smooth line.”

Judy
Cooley/Bulldog owner: “The bulldogs are easy to groom – trim their
whiskers, clip their nails.”

Hosted by the Kennel
Club of Philadelphia, the show features over two-thousand dogs….man
and man’s best friend alike enjoying every minute of the competition.

Cathy francis/welsh terrier owner: “I like it because
they’re like your best friends, aren’t ya?”

Only one
will win best in show, but every owner knows his or her dog is the true
superstar.

Diabetic says special dog has been a lifesaver November 23, 2008

Source: mercury News, by Lunda Goldston, Nov 21, 2008

Devin Grayson no longer has to wonder alone when her blood sugar gets low. Her service dog, Cody, looks out for that.

Devin had struggled with diabetes for more than 20 years and was starting to live a pretty isolated life when she heard about Dogs for Diabetics in Concord, a non-profit organization that provides dogs at no cost to insulin-dependent diabetics in California.

Cody is so good at his job “he’s saved my life at least three times a month and saves me from being really ill about three times a week,” said Devin, who lives in San Leandro and takes Cody to work with her in San Francisco.

With her type of diabetes, Devin had “started to lose the ability to sense anything was wrong. You start to get confused, and it’s an acute condition that can result in a coma in 20 minutes.”

No more. Cody is on the job.

Cody and other D4D dogs (Dogs for Diabetics) are trained to respond to the smell of the chemicals released by the body at the onset of hypoglycemia. Researchers are still trying to determine exactly what the canines notice when a person experiences a low blood sugar.

People who have insulin-dependent diabetes use a glucose scan to check their blood sugar, “but you’re not checking every single minute or every hour, and you have to go to bed at some point,” Devin said.

Cody sleeps beside her bed. If something starts to go wrong, the 3-year-old dog jumps up on Devin’s bed and will try to make eye contact with her. If he can’t get her attention, he will put his nose on her hand — it’s called “a bump” — and then nudge the hand for her to “open it up and give him the treat.”The training is reward-based, and Cody loves getting those treats. If the situation calls for it and Devin gets really ill, Cody is trained to go get another person and bring them back to her.

“I call it the Lassie effect,” Devin said. “He’ll usually go find my boyfriend or my boss and literally lead them back to me.”

The golden retriever has given Devin the confidence to go anywhere she wants, especially since Cody, as a service dog, gets to go everywhere with her “wearing his cute little vest.”

When she takes off Cody’s vest, “he’s a young active golden retriever,” she said. He loves to play with Devin and catch a ball, but he’s never really off duty.

For more information about Dogs for Diabetics, go to www.dogs4diabetics.com. The private, nonprofit organization relies on donations and grants to survive. It has placed 70 dogs in the past four years and has 49 more in training.

Cody could be in line for another honor: official Milk-Bone spokesdog. From thousands of entries, Cody and Devin are among the 100 finalists. The title will come with a $100,000 contract to serve as spokesdog for a year, and the dog’s photo will be featured on a Milk-Bone box.

Another finalist is Warren Skrifvars of Hayward and his German shorthair, Stonewall, named after Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson because Warren is a Civil War buff.

“My wife entered us in the contest and didn’t tell us about it,” said Warren, who is a firefighter with Cal Fire. “Then I get this big ‘official’ envelope in the mail.”

Warren’s wife, Laurie, had wanted a golden retriever but has taken to the 75-pound Stonewall, who turned 4 in October.

Warren said he woke up early one morning and “I heard this running around in my living room. I open up the door and my wife is chasing the dog, saying ‘I’m going to get you.’ “

Laurie and Stonewall are getting along quite well, although Warren knows his hunting buddies are going to crack up over the chasing story.

“He’s a great dog,” Warren said. “My wife knows everyone in the neighborhood because of that guy.”

Good luck to Devin, Cody, Warren and Stonewall. The winner will be announced in January.

Angels for Animals rescues 31 dogs from Logan County puppy mills, OH November 23, 2008

Source: LimaOhio.com, November 21, 2008

ELIDA – Nearly three dozen puppies will get a new lease on life thanks to the efforts of a local non-profit group.

Angels for Animals, an animal rescue group from Elida, went to several so-called Amish puppy mills in Logan County this week. The mission was simple – save the animals from deplorable conditions and almost certain death.

“The puppies were from Amish that all they do is breed the dogs to sell the puppies for profit,” Sandy Laing, president of Angels for Animals, said. “There’s a lady in Cincinnati that’s been going to these mills every 30 days for about two years and taking what dogs they do not want instead of killing them, which is what they normally do. She gives them a small amount of money for each dog so they can continue living and have a wonderful life.”

It was the first time the local group has traveled to a puppy mill to pick up animals. The mills, Laing said, do not let people inside to see the conditions. Animal rescue officials, however, get a sense of the conditions inside the mills once they assess the rescued animals, she said.

“All the dogs were kept in barns, all the buildings were unheated. A lot of the dogs are short-haired breeds so I’m sure they were very cold,” Laing said. “Most of the dogs have not had much socialization so they’re very shy. Most of them needed groomed because they are very smelly, matted. A lot of them had skin conditions from not being cleaned.”

A veterinarian was spending Friday looking over the dogs and making sure they are healthy and up-to-date on vaccinations. A number of dogs were also sent out to be groomed and brought back to the facility, Laing said.

Puppy mills are fairly common around the area, Laing said. The mills are unfortunate, she said, because they don’t treat the animals well, raising them to be sold at pet stores and elsewhere.

“We had one right here in Allen County in the latter part of the summer that we took their dogs,” Laing said. “In the Amish communities they are a way to make money that’s easy for the people. Unfortunately, they don’t take good care of the animals.”

The goal for Angels for Animals, a group that’s been around more than nine years, is to find good, loving homes for the animals, Laing said.

“They’ll be put up for adoption. The ones that are very shy will be sent to Allen Correctional Institution for the inmates to work with them,” she said. “Some of them are nice enough that they’ll go right into homes.”

The conditions the animals live in before they are rescued is heart-breaking, Laing said.

“It absolutely breaks my heart as an animal lover to think these people are using them as a means to make money instead of going out to get a regular job,” she said. “They’re not here for that purpose. They deserve and need to be loved and cared for and we adopt them out with that in mind only.”

I-Team part 2: inside a puppy mill, MA November 21, 2008

Source: WWLP, by Jaclyn Cashman, Nov 21, 2008

A puppy mill in Minnesota that’s sold animals here in Massachusetts is now in hot water with authorities after an animal rights group shot under cover video inside their facility.
22News I-Team uncovers why Massachusetts can’t prevent those dogs from being sold here.

Whether these dogs are purchased by pet shops, or by residents online, these animals, growing up in terrible conditions, are coming to Massachusetts. We must warn you some of the video is disturbing to watch.

To view the video, visit the original story here:

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/wwlp_localIiteamparttwoinsideapuppymill200811201610

When a dog is shipped to Massachusetts to be sold, few questions are asked by authorities.
The Department of Agricultural Resources makes sure every puppy has a valid health certificate and that it was a healthy animal when it was sold over state lines.

The Commissioner of Department of Agricultural Resources, Doug Petersen said, “All we can do is when we find a bad actor is inform our pet stores about the bad actors and tell them not to get dogs from those who is doing it.”

Up until August dogs were coming here from one Minnesota puppy mill, Pick of the Litter.
The Companion Animal Protection Society, known as CAPS, shot video inside the facility, including a segment where a bulldog that got into a fight and was left bleeding. Pick of the Litter owner Kathy Bauck had this suggestion to treat the animal, ”All you guys have to do is put a clorox water on it they know how to mix it.”
Another segment on the video shows dogs being dipped in prolate-lintox HD–an insecticide that’s only recommended for use on cattle and pigs.
It’s not meant to be put in the eyes, nose, or mouth of a dog.

Deborah Howard of CAPS said they turned this video over to authorities and now owner Kathy Bauck is facing criminal charges and could lose her USDA license.
Deborah Howard of CAPS said, “Once you lose your USDA license you can still sell online. That is not a regulated activity. In a ten month period from 2007 to 2008 we documented she sold 180 puppies. So she is selling well over 200 puppies a year online.”
Howard said their records show those dogs have made their way to the Bay State.

CAPS has been lobbying in Washington for years for congressional oversight–to address problems with puppy mills.

Here’s a list CAPS compiled that shows where Bauck is selling her stock:
www.puppysonwheels.com
www.domesticsale.com
www.puppyfind.com
www.mypetlisting.com

NAFA Working To Stop Dog Fighting In Region 8, AK November 21, 2008

Source; KAIT8 ABC, by Lauren Payne, Nov 21, 2008

The images are disturbing. Dogs– man’s best friends– forced to fight each other for man’s pleasure, and some say it’s happening right here in Region Eight. Sickened by the sight of dogs tearing each other apart, one Northeast Arkansas group is fighting back.

“The smell is sickening, the sounds are sickening. The looks of excitement on the people’s faces when they watch the dogs try to tear each other apart is perhaps the most haunting thing I can tell you that I will ever remember,” said Wannda Turner.

It’s highly secretive, cruel and illegal….and Wannda Turner with Northeast Arkansans’ for Animals says it’s going on in Northeast Arkansas.

Wannda and other NAFA officials are working to create a task force to help investigate and ultimately prosecute those taking part in what Wannda calls a nauseating crime. A crime, Turner says, that’s hard to actually catch people doing.

“These fights can be set up, fought and taken apart in the space of two hours. They move constantly,” said Turner.

Wannda says due to their stature and loyal personalities, pit bulls are usually a dog fighter’s animal of choice….often giving this particular breed a bad wrap.

“You know, they’re a great, sweet family pet.  They can also be a killing dog. It’s not the dogs, it’s the people that do it with the dogs that we’re after.

Turner says dog fighting is something that goes on all year long.  It’s during cooler months that they move indoors, perhaps making it easier for nearby neighbors to see or hear something going on.

“If people in your neighborhood are bringing in dogs and you notice a lot of growling and howling going on, that’s an indication that something is not all it’s supposed to be.

If you have information, you can contact NAFA at 932-1955, or 919-2947.

NAFA and the Humane Society of the United States are offering reward money for the arrest and conviction of those participating in dog fighting rings.

There are some signs to look for if you think there may be dog fighting going on including tires suspended from trees to provide jaw strengthening activities.

*Dog treadmills are created to build endurance.

*A “cat or jenny mill” which confines a cat, rabbbit or small animal and encourages the dog to “chase the present”.  As a reward, the dog gets to capture and kill the animal inside.

*Ownership of several adult dogs that are confined by thick chains with or without weights on their collars.

Top 5 tips to keep your dog from biting November 20, 2008

Source: Houston Chronicle, Nov 20, 2008

No matter his size or breed, any dog will bite under the right circumstances, so it’s up to owners to take steps to keep their dog under control.  Some tips, from the American Kennel Association.

1. Research dog breeds before you bring one into your home. Some need considerable training and exercise if you’re going to keep them under control. Do you have the time and commitment they’ll require?

2. Don’t let your dog run free. Keep your dog on a leash when in public. Keep him behind a secure fence at home. Sure, an electronic fence might keep your dog in your yard, but how will you keep people and their pets away?

3. Socialize your dog. Start socializing him from Day One so he’s not uneasy with strangers. Even loving dogs may bite when they feel threatened.

4. Train your dog. He needs to respond to basic commands like  “sit,” “down,” “stay,” “heel,” and “come.” He needs to drop toys on command so you don’t have to reach into his mouth to get a toy. Play non-aggressive games like fetch rather than with games that will teach him bad habits like tug-of-war.

5. Do not set your dog up for failure. Be cautious when introducing your dog to new situations, avoid situations where he might be teased, and remove him if there are signs he’s uncomfortable.