Here's another one of those stories that defies explanation.
It's difficult to comprehend why it happened, but in Griffin, Ga., south of Atlanta, a police dog was stolen from his kennel this week, was shot and killed, then thrown in a ditch. A $1,000 reward has been offered to anyone who can lead police to the person who did it.
Griffin police officer Chad Moxon was at a firing range when his two German Shepherd Dogs, Jimi and Yeager, disappeared.
Moxon told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he searched Monday night and most of Tuesday, handing out some 300 flyers in the hope of finding his missing dogs.
Then, Wednesday morning, he got a call that someone might have found Jimi, a 3-year-old, in a ditch. A vet found buckshot in the dog's body.
"I just sat down in the ditch for the next 30 minutes," Moxon said. "I didn't have the energy to get him out."
The other dog, Yeager, was found in a neighbor's yard. "I almost didn't recognize him," Moxon said. "He was badly beaten." He's hopeful Yeager will recover in the next few days.
Let's hope police find the person who harmed the dogs. Given all they do - Jimi was trained in finding drugs and explosives and tracking people -- it's unbelievable someone would hurt a police dog.
Products may be contaminated with Salmonella
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing this health alert to warn consumers not to use Pig Ears and Beef Hooves pet treats manufactured by Pet Carousel because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The products were distributed nationwide in both bulk and retail packaging for sale in pet food and retail chain stores. Pet Carousel is based in Sanger, Calif.
The products were manufactured under conditions that facilitate cross-contamination within batches or lots. Although no illnesses associated with these products have been reported, the FDA is advising consumers in possession of these products to not handle or feed them to their pets.
The affected pig ear products were packaged under the brand names Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel. The affected beef hooves were packaged under the brand names Choo Hooves, Dentley’s, Doggie Delight, and Pet Carousel. All sizes and all lots of these products made by Pet Carousel are included in this alert.
During September 2009, the FDA conducted routine testing of pig ears made by Pet Carousel. The test results detected a positive reading for Salmonella. This prompted an FDA inspection of Pet Carousel’s manufacturing facilities. During the inspection, the agency collected additional pet treat samples. Further analysis found Salmonella present in beef hooves, pig ears and in the manufacturing environment.
Salmonella can affect both humans and animals. People handling dry pet food and/or pet treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the treats or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella may experience some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Although rare, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their health care provider immediately.
Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may only experience a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed any of the affected products or is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.
The FDA will continue to investigate this matter to determine the source of the Salmonella contamination and offer updates as appropriate.
Consumers can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food and pet treat products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in their area. You can locate the nearest consumer complaint coordinator at:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm
PetSmart Voluntarily Recalls Dentley's Beef Hooves
PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) is voluntarily recalling two Dentley's Beef Hoof products for potential salmonella contamination. The products were manufactured by Pet Carousel, Inc. in Sanger, Calif.
The recalled products include only the following types of Dentley's Beef Hooves purchased between Oct. 2, 2009 and Nov. 3, 2009:
Dentley's Bulk Cattle Hoof UPC# 73725703323
Dentley's 10 Pack Beef Hooves UPC# 73725736055
No other products are included in this recall.
The affected products were shipped from the Pet Carousel plant to three PetSmart distribution centers in Ottawa, Ill.; Groveport, Ohio and Newnan, Ga.; and then shipped directly to certain PetSmart stores. Although the affected product was not shipped to every store, as a precautionary measure PetSmart immediately recalled the product from all of its US stores and instituted a register block to prevent any product from being inadvertently scanned and sold. In addition, PetSmart removed the product from the PetSmart.com Web site and notified PetPerks customers with valid e-mail addresses in the PetSmart database who purchased the affected products.
Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called salmonella. Most persons infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some individuals, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
Many dogs do not show clinical signs of salmonella. However, when they do, they often have diarrhea or other signs of systemic infections.
Customers who purchased the recalled products should discontinue use immediately and return the product to any PetSmart store for a complete refund or exchange. Customers who have concerns about their health or their pet's health should consult a medical professional. For additional information about the recall, customers can visit www.petsmartfacts.com, www.petsmart.com ; www.fda.govor contact PetSmart Customer Service at 1-888-839-9638.
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. The company operates more than 1,145 pet stores in the United States and Canada, 156 in-store PetSmart PetsHotel(R) cat and dog boarding facilities, and is a leading online provider of pet supplies and pet care information (www.petsmart.com). PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products; and offers complete pet training, pet grooming, pet boarding, Doggie Day Camp(SM) pet day care services and pet adoption services. Since 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization, has funded more than $87 million in grants and programs benefiting animal welfare organizations and, through its in-store pet adoption programs, has helped save the lives of more than 3.7 million pets.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.petsmartfacts.com
customercare@petsmart.com
1-888-839-9638
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
Jessica White
PetSmart Media Line (623) 587-2177
mediarelations@ssg.petsmart.com
SOURCE: PetSmart, Inc.
http://www.petsmartfacts.com
mailto:customercare@petsmart.com
mailto:mediarelations@ssg.petsmart.com
Sometimes I worry that I can't seem to let go of the Michael Vick issue. I wonder if maybe I've written too much about it, and that at some point those of us who own and love dogs need to move forward - forgive and forget and get on with our lives.
But it's tough. The unspeakable crimes that were committed against those dogs and Vick's transition back into pro football after serving 18 months in prison have come and gone. So why we can't we let it go?
I know I'm not alone. It's a subject that continues to resurface, particularly by those were personally touched by the Pit Bulls that were rescued from Vick's horrific dogfighting operation in Virginia.
One of them is Donna Reynolds, co-founder Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls (BAD RAP), who has seen up close the results of Vick's dog-killing ring - the kinds of things few others truly realize. As Christie Keith wrote this week in the San Francisco Chronicle, Vick was convicted of running a gambling operation that involved dogs, not of animal cruelty.
That's why we've never really heard the details of how Vick and his cohorts actually disposed of unworthy fighters. But Reynolds knows.
Two years ago, she went to Virginia to evaluate 49 Pit Bulls that were found alive on Vick's property. A federal agent told her some of the things they discovered during their investigation, horrible things no one knew. In her blog, Reynolds wrote, "The details that got to me then and stay with me today involve the swimming pool that was used to kill some of the dogs. Jumper cables were clipped onto the ears of underperforming dogs, then, just like with a car, the cables were connected to the terminals of car batteries before lifting and tossing the shamed dogs into the water.
"We don't know how many suffered this premeditated murder, but the damage to the pool walls tells a story. It seems that while they were scrambling to escape, they scratched and clawed at the pool liner and bit at the dented aluminum sides like a hungry dog on a tin can."
It was difficult to read that the first time, and it's equally difficult to write now. But it helps explain why so many people remain angry, why Vick still encounters protestors when he plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, why dog owners still wait for a sign of remorse from him that isn't likely to come.
And the fact is, he has never paid for those acts of cruelty. He is earning millions of dollars playing football again while speaking occasionally to groups about the evils of dogfighting. But where's the apology? Where are the tears? When does he ask for forgiveness?
Until then, I can't forget.
If you missed it, the "Today" show on NBC featured the story of a Marine who made friends with a dog in Iraq named Nubs. It's no ordinary story, though.
The fact the two of them were sitting in a New York studio on Monday was impressive in itself. It wasn't supposed to happen. Military rules are written to prevent this sort of thing - soldiers cannot have pets in war zones. Period.
But it happens, as we've written about previously. In this case, Maj. Brian Dennis, a Marine pilot who first came across Nubs in October 2007 at a border fort, befriended the dog, got him to California and has written a children's book about their adventure: "Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle," published by Little, Brown Young Readers.
"As soon as I met him, he just kind of jumped up and I started playing with him," Dennis said. "The first time we ever met, he just kind of flipped over. I started rubbing his belly. Really, my whole team, we just kind of bonded with him as soon as we met him."
Nubs got his name because his ears had been lopped off by an Iraqi soldier. It's a common procedure, done so that there's less for another dog to grab in case of a fight, but also to make the dogs tougher. As Dennis said, "It didn't make much sense to me."
Dennis figured he had seen the last of Nubs when he was transferred to another fort 70-75 miles away on the Iraqi border. But as his convoy of soldiers pulled out, the dog followed. And followed.
Somehow, Nubs made it all the way to where Dennis was stationed. It took him a couple of days, but he was not going to be denied. "It was the craziest thing when he walked up," Dennis recalled. "It was just amazing."
Now, the two are together, thanks to donations that helped Dennis bring his dog home. It's clearly an enduring friendship.
The animals shelter manager Ginger Smith Holmes said: It was total disbelief and shock, and I just couldn't quite believe it. Ginger hopingly said: They laid down and went to sleep and that's what happened, because if I think of anything else...I can't cope.
This fire has devastated not only the volunteers but the community for something like this to happen. The Second Chance Animal Shelter is in need of your support to help them with the replacement of the food and items that were lost due to the fire.
Read the article by Foti Kallergis here.
Another sad note goes out to the loss of Jake a two year old dog who was set on fire a week ago. Jakes owners Deionna Richardson and Troy Jeanmard from Baker, LA thinks that someone set poor little Jake on fire for revenge.
How sad is that for someone to do this to a dog, I just hope that the Police find the sick person and locks them up. The dog lovers in jail will take care of them for what they did.
Read the article by Caroline Moses here.
