Black and Gus and Navy

Merci:  It looks like I'm the only one that showed up to write our post for today so this will be a solo report.

In the same humorous vein as our recent story of Jan's strange footwear ( Imaginary Shoe Inserts), I heard a true story I'd like to share.

A man traveled occasionally for his job.  One day he found one navy sock under the bed where he stayed.  He took it home and put it in the laundry.  See, he wore only black socks and he knew his wife would go crazy trying to match the one navy sock; however, she didn't have any problem finding it a mate.

One day he noticed he was wearing one black and one navy sock.

Getting even with the jokester must have been such fun!

And by the way, that was not Jan's first mismatched shoes experience. Back in 2005, she wrote Black and Gus for her spiritual-minded Mercy and Percy blog. 

Just for the record, Black and Gus were not the names of Jan's shoes. They were two cows... sort of.
 

Two Mini Horses Amble

Sam

SAM:  Hey, Rusty, did you hear about the two miniature horses that ambled into a hosptial?

RUSTY:  No, I didn't.  What's the punch line?

SAM:  Punch line?

RUSTY:  Yeah, everyone around here has been trying to tell a joke lately.  What's the punch line?

SAM:  There is no punch line.

RUSTY:  How can you tell a joke without a punch line?

SAM:  But I'm not telling a joke.

RUSTY:  You got that right, Sam!  It isn't funny without a punch line.
 

Rusty

SAM:  But I'm trying to tell you a story.

RUSTY:  Right.  And when you remember the punch line, be sure to not wake me from my nap.  

SAM:  But I'm trying to tell you a TRUE story!

RUSTY:  A true story?  You mean ...

SAM:  Yep, two miniature horses ambled into a hospital in Chicago.

RUSTY:  And they got arrested?

SAM:  No, they were welcomed.  They're therapy horses.  They make the sick kids smile.

RUSTY:  Oh, why didn't you say it's a true story?

SAM: I did.  You can read it here - Horse trots into hospital: It's therapy, no joke.

A Nose for News

Hey, Buddy here.  You might be glad to know I haven't had to wear this oversized collar for a while now.  In a way, that's a shame because evidently I look so pitiful while wearing it that Jan gives me extra attention and the other furries move out of my way when they see me coming.

Yesterday we launched a Meet & Greet column at the Blogville Chronicle.  We're looking forward to meeting / posting more pet bloggers, so be sure to send in those blogs you'd like to see included in the next issue. (We have a mailbox in our sidebar.)

In case you are wondering, yes, our Funny Farmer Felines will continue the Friday interviews at Mousebreath.

Something else we have been working on for some time and (barely made any progress) is a list of blogosphere / blogville news blogs.  We have just added it (check under our header for "Blogging Pet News Sites."  Like most of you, we're usually pressed for time and we forget to write them down when we come across them, so we have only a few.  If we're ever going to compile a list, we're going to have to ask for reader input.  If you are a blogging pet news site or you know of one that isn't already on our list, let us know and we'll add it.

*scratches head*  Um, I'm sure there was something else I was supposed to add but I've forgotten what it is.  If you think of it, shoot me an email.  (Hahaha.  That's what Mr. Doug did to Jan the other day.  He left the message, "I won't stop by if you aren't there, so if you aren't home, call me" And hung up laughing.) 

Trout Talkin Tabbies

Some of you have already met Da Tabbies O Trout Towne.  Those who haven't are in for a special treat.  We suggest you grab a cup of nip tea and head over to Mousebreath to read Trout Talkin Tabbies ... Boomer, Dai$y, Sauce & Tuna.    We think you'll enjoy it.

And then you can stop by to visit Trout Towne for some mackerel hot off the grill.  We're still laughing over their blog post on the interview.

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Happy Hanukkah  (or Festival of Lights) to all our friends who are celebrating it

The computer hog has been at it again, so we're even more behind than usual.  Our Christmas card will be posted soon.  

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We received an email from Toby Franks this morning and decided to share it with our readers, in case any of you are from or know someone from Barberton, Ohio.

Barberton Feed Ban will be voted on Dec. 17 - Video from Fox 8 News

http://fox8.com/2012/12/13/cat-fight-feeding-pets-could-cost-you/

While most communties are moving away from arcane animal control practices and embracing non-lethal methods, Barberton City Council plans to fast-track a vote on a feeding ban on Monday, Dec.17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Barberton City Council Chambers - 576 W. Park Ave., Barberton, Ohio 44203

Barberton residents who feed an outside pet when it is dark can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $50 a day by one of four enforcement agencies. One of the enforcers according to the ordinance is Summit County Animal Control.

This feeding ban was passed in an open meeting of the subcommittee. Carol Frey, chair of the subcommittee, said that there would be no further discussion. Law Director Lisa O. Miller, wants one reading rather than the normal three readings. Concerned Barberton residents will not be able obtain clarifications or explanations. Barberton residents should be able to provide care for their pets, feral cats, or the occasional lost or stray pet. There should be three readings so that citizens can be informed about the ordinance.

Please attend the City Council meeting on Monday Dec 17th. You can speak for five minutes. If you cannot attend, please call Barberton City Officials, send emails & faxes to express concerns, ask questions and ask for more time to obtain clarifications and explanations and to remove the punitive aspect of this ordinance.

A public record request showed that there were only 13 complaints in all of Barberton in an entire year -- not all of them were about feeding and not all of them were found to be valid. A complaint is counted numerically even if it is called in anonymously and even if no problem is found. An earlier version of this ordinance was unanimously withdrawn by Barberton City Council in 2007 and by the Barberton Safety Committee in 2010.

The President of Barberton City Council is Fred Maurer, and his email address is fmaurer@cityofbarberton.com

Here is the contact info for all Barberton City Officials:

http://www.cityofbarberton.com/govt/departments/council_clerk.shtml

April, Divas and New Blogger

Hey, Percy here.  We hadn't planned to post today but we were asked a question about the new Blogger interface and decided to put up a quick link that might help those of you who have recently been switched to the new Blogger interface and are having problems.  Your input and patience can help Blogger fix things.

But first we'd like to express our condolences to Amber DaWeenie's family..  The mom has been dealing with Benji's cancer and then April 's sudden illness.  April died at the vet's office yesterday and we know she is very missed!  Love, pawhugs and hugs to Mom Linda. 

We haven't been posting or commenting for a week or so.  Among other negatives, our car has been down for 2 weeks and Jan has been having to hike and haul, so her pain level is high and her sense of humor non-existent.  We're just trying to stay out of her way so she doesn't trip over us.  We advise you to do the same.

Oh, as most of you already know, today Truffle and Brulee are celebrating Show Your Diva in remembrance of Sweet Praline.  It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since she left.  Time passes, pain eases, but our furries are forever missed.

Even though we're behind in the news, we are aware Blogger has been shifting everyone over to the new interface and it's causing many headaches among bloggers.  We switched a number of months ago so we could try to learn the new while still having access to the old when necessary.   And sometimes it was necessary.

Hopefully, this article can explain enough to help you weather the problems associated with the changes.  You aren't the only ones having them, so they will have to be fixed sooner or later.

Better Get Into The New Blogger GUI Soon - And Tell Blogger What Problems You Find

You can browser the problems in the link they give or join the group and post your own. As irritated as we get with Blogger sometime, when it works it's good. And within our budget. (Free.)

Now I'm crossing my paws and hoping this actually publishes.

Jayden and Good News

Hey, Merci here.  I grabbed the typing chair and keyboard while Jan is in the kitchen so I can share a funny video of Jayden.  Wonder what Jan would do if any of us slammed a door on her when one of us is in trouble.  Unfortunately, we don't have any doors to slam around here.  We have doors, it just wouldn't be possible to slam one.  Buddy and Sam have tried it.  Believe me, it doesn't work.  (Jan hangs laundry to dry on them so they don't even close.

This is very short, so enjoy it.


 If the video doesn't play, click here.

Last December the Houston Pittie Pack lost 5 members in a fire (Prayers for Houston Pittie Pack.)  It's been a painful and emotional road for the family - mom, dad, toddler and two surviving pitties.  Today they share some very exciting and happy news.  In case you haven't read it yet, we aren't going to spoil their surprise.  But you can read it in The Big Reveal.

Congratulations to all at the Houston Pittie Pack!  We're excited for you!  You really needed some good news.

Now go read their big news.  :)

Meowers and Ellen Minus Snap

Hey, Merci here.  The sun has finally come out after days of rain, clouds and even fog.  We woofies were antsy and stiff from spending so much time indoors and walkless.  Is walkless a word?  Well, it tells it like it was.  We were walkless or short-walked.  We were raring to go this morning.

We Funny Farmers would like to thank Meowers from Missouri for their funny post on Jan yesterday.  We were kind of hoping Ed was calling Jan "Foghorn Leghorn" so she doesn't get a swelled head, but, alas, Ed was talking to Igmu. 

We are all astounded that Ellen Degeneres, an animal lover, will be launching vegan pet food.   Although a vegan diet might be healthy for Ellen, dogs and cats are carnivores and require meat protein.  Unfortunately, because of her popularity, many pet owners will buy into this.

UPDATE from Jan:  We're getting comments that Halo, the pet food company Ellen has dealings with, has denied they will be introducing vegan pet food. but this is a post of vegan pet food from the Halo blog.  We totally disagree with the idea!  Just because dogs will eat anything does not mean anything is good for them. 

We mention this because we think the subject is important, but you can do a web search and find lots of information on Ellen's new pet food, so we're going in a different direction.  Facebook.

How do we get from vegan diet to Facebook?  That's easy.  We don't have a GPS so we can wander anywhere we want. 

We don't have a Facebook account.  We share Jan's.  Only Jan won't let us post much personal information.  Or her photo.  Well, she did post the Mexican hat and sunglasses birthday photo, but she hates to have her picture taken, so we can't find any fun ones to post on her.  But the same can't be said for some folks. 

Are you starting to see where we're going with this?  You guessed it.  Facebook photos from the Ellen Degeneres Show.  Not Facebook photos of Ellen, but embarrassing Facebook photos of a few of the audience.  So we suggest you check your privacy settings and consider whether you'd like to see your photo on national television before you post it.


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Oh, if any of you have anything on your blog from snap DOT com (we don't want to advertise them so we're using DOT), you might want to take a closer look at them.  They are not (yet) classed as spyware, but companies can and do change policies.

It opens a little box when you try to click on a link, a photo and even comments.  It wants you to use their search box, to use the link in their box to visit the link in the post, to use them to view the photos on the blog.  And by this they track you and your visitors not only around the site but around the web.

We had never heard of it before yesterday, and it's a long story, but Jan was very unhappy with what she found when she was helping a blogger who used snap DOT com.  The blogger found the program annoying so was happy to be rid of it. You might be too.

Have a good day. 

Rusty Rambles

Hey, Rusty here.  Happy Monday to you.  It's rainy, cold and dreary and but we're sacked out in front of the heaters trying to "unchill."  Yes, I'm aware there is no such word but it's descriptive so I'm adding it to the Funny Farmer dictionary. 

We're sending out some purrs and woofs to Jan's minister who is having (or has already had) partial knee replacement surgery this morning.  I was going to say how lucky we are not to have knees to need surgery, but Jan ruined my day by saying cats and dogs have 2 knees and knee pain is a common cause of lameness in us furries.  Before you gush about how brilliant Jan is she only learned this three minutes ago.

I can't figure out whether the number of cats lost in transit by airplane is climbing or if the numbers remain the same but lost animals are getting more publicity.  We were glad to read that at least one airline takes a missing pet seriously!  When Wenty's empty carrier arrived in Seattle without her, Alaska Airlines didn't drag their feet and lose valuable time.  They went to great lengths to help find Wenty.  And Wenty was found! 

"Using everything from *Karma’s nose, high power spotlights, a search camera, an amplified listening device, and digital wildlife cameras, MPP conducted a detailed “area search.” Alaska Airlines gave the team unrestricted access to the baggage area and the tarmac area."  (*Karma is a Missing Pet Partnership cat detection dog.)

You can read the rest of  "Alaska Air Stops at  Nothing to Find Lost Cat'" on Mousebreath.  After some of the horror stories we have read on lost cats entrusted to an airline, this was a breath of fresh air.  Missing pets should be taken seriously.  Kudos to Alaska Airlines!


On a different subject, this title is a mouthful but we suggest you read it, especially if you are a newbie to blogging. There are a lot of folks out there who are anxious to take advantage of bloggers. Our Reading Lists, Hijacked By Spammers, Who Have Conned The Owners Of Blogs That We Follow.

Don't be conned by spammers.  They are numerous and they are sneaky, so we furries need to be on our paws and remain smarter than they are.


Cat curiosity aroused: We've had a couple of contacts in the past few months asking if we take text ads on our blog and when we ask for more information, we're told all we have to do is to put their ad link in a post or two for them - not a new post, a prior post. This doesn't make any sense to us and doesn't seem particularly legitimate, so we've turned them down. But our whiskers are twitching to know why anyone would even ask. There must be some advantage to someone wanting to pay to have an ad placed in a "used" post or two, but we can't figure out what they get out of it. So we thought we'd ask our more knowledgeable readers if any of you know why someone would want to pay to "hide" an ad in an old post.

That's all the news I have for today.  We have photos and a post or two to catch up on but Jan hasn't downloaded them from the camera yet.  Perhaps by spring?

I'm going back to my blankie in front of the gas heater now and catch some zzzzzzzs.

Rusty

SUV in the Lake Update

Hey, Sam, Merci & Buddy here with an update on yesterday's post on the SUV in the lake. If you missed it, you can read it here.

When we were down that way at 8 pm last night, there was still a crowd of police and rescue workers. A boat was slowly going back and forth in the area where the SUV was found. They had used a grappling hook, sonar and cadaver dogs and trained crews and equipment from another county.

Jan learned this morning the body had been found late last night but she wanted to wait until she was sure it had been announced before posting on it. You can read the radio news report here. A positive identification has not been made yet.

One thing we do want to make clear is this was not an accident.  It was not a case of someone missing a curve or losing control of a car.  We've never walked over to the area where he entered the property, (it would be quite a walk), but we assume he trespassed via a service road before crashing the SUV through the fence, driving across a field, down a hill and into the water.

We have had some comments and questions that lead us to believe some might have misunderstood. Jan did not call the police to report what she thought she saw but couldn't have seen. She emailed the chief of police the next morning after listening to the news report on the radio.

In answer to Karla's question about possible nightmares, thankfully Jan's mental and emotional health hasn't been affected. She regrets that she didn't call someone but at the time not calling was a rational decision. You don't call the police to report an optical illusion. It wasn't like we saw an entire SUV floating on the lake. It was just a lopsided V of the back of the roof and top of the back of the SUV sticking out of the water. And then it was gone without even a ripple. So it evidently went under while we were crossing the street.

And the city workers who found the damaged fence assumed it was vandalized, so they didn't realize anything until they saw debris from the vehicle floating in our drinking water. (Yes, that's where our drinking water was coming from. The city had to switch us to another source.) 

Since Jan is the type of human who is easily excited, she is very surprised she has been calm and at peace from the first. Any other time, she would have been trying to chase down someone with a cell phone or flagged down the police car that passed us on the corner. We believe the man was already dead by the time we started down the hill or she would have felt a sense of urgency.

Our thoughts and Jan's prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased. They will always carry the pain of losing their loved one and likely never know why he did this.

Please, if you are angry or depressed, don't hold it inside, as many humans are prone to do. Talk to someone. Say a prayer. Read a good book. Go for a walk. But don't go driving until you've calmed down. What one human does can affect a lot of other lives.

SUV in the Lake

Hey, Sam, Merci and Buddy here with today's post.  We were all eyewitnesses so we decided to write this together. What were we eyewitnesses to?  We're glad you asked us that.

Have you ever been in the position of explaining to police officers you saw something you knew wasn't possible, so you thought you imagined it and didn't report it? Well, Jan has joined that club.

While walking yesterday morning, we started down the hill. We turn at the bottom and retrace our route to home. Across the road is the lake where Jan made the video of the Marching Geese convention.

But there's something different about the view. What looks like the corner of a roof and back of a vehicle is sticking out of the water. But that isn't possible. The area is posted, fenced and locked. There is no way a non-work vehicle could be on the property, let alone in the lake.

Photo taken through the chain link fence.

We picked up the pace for a closer look. The object didn't move. At the corner, we waited on traffic. Jan kept a wary eye on an approaching bicyclist because we get excited and want to chase anything that moves. The cyclist stopped and we watched two vehicles drive by. The second one was a police car. We sped across the road and ... nothing. There was nothing in the water. Not even ripples.

It must have been an optical illusion, the sun playing tricks on us. So we turned around and started home.

Hours later, Jan was coming back from town and there were a lot of men and a boat down at the lake. Cars were pulled over and men were standing on higher ground for a good view of what was happening. That's when she realized she really had seen a vehicle just before it completely submerged.

This morning there was an item on the WTGA Fun101fm local news station. A man had taken a family vehicle and driven it through a fence and down the hill into the water. But the damaged fence was too far away for Jan to see. And who would have guessed?  This is not a case where someone could possibly have been driving down a road and missed a curve or lost control. This was deliberate.

Photo taken from the hill across the street and cropped

So Jan emailed the chief of police and said she had seen the SUV in the water. An officer Jan knows came by to get her phone number and the investigator for the case called to talk to her. Jan doesn't know anything, except the approximate time it happened.

The "accident" was discovered when an employee noticed some items floating in the water. According to the Thomaston Times website, at this time the driver's body has still not been found.  They are still searching for the body but there is a possibility he escaped through the open back hatch.

So we suggest if you see something that is so totally impossible you think you imagined it, report it anyway. No, not the little green Martians you see after a few too many, but the I stopped to cross the street and suddenly everything was back to normal sighting. You might have actually seen what you couldn't have seen.

Popping in and out

We're just going to do a quick newsy post today.  We know there is a lot more news and more hurricane Irene information on the blogs, but we haven't been able to visit as many as we'd like, so we'll just post on a couple of things that caught our attention today.


Autumn and Jasmine explain why they have been quiet for a while. There has been much sadness in their personal lives, as they have lost furry relatives and friends, as well as some very bad animal-related things going on where they live in Malaysia. They could use a kind word or two, so please stop by Autumn & Jasmine's Playground.

The Creek Cats posted a video of the hurricane passing through their area. It does not show the high winds that rocked their home at 3:30 am Saturday morning.

The Cat Street Boyz have some photos of the rushing water they can hear from their house.

Prayers are still needed for those affected by hurricane Irene over the weekend.   Many are still without electricity., in a flooded area or have other damage to contend with.  Khyra is one of those still without power, most likely because of a tree on a line. 

Hope you all have a great day!

Cameron Reports

Hey, Cameron here. I had to get up to ... um, you know, visit the litter room, so I thought I'd just grab the chair while it's empty and say hello.

It's too hot and humid here to have any news. But I can think of some news elsewhere.

Trouble from Dennis the Vizsla's blog has left for the bridge. She had a long life and we'll miss her. She added spice to Dennis' highly unusual adventure stories. Actually, she was the "villain" who was always trying to kill him or get him killed. Dennis has only been posting occasionally as his dada is concentrating on another book.

Many of you know Amber da Weenie. She hasn't been blogging much for a while because they went on vacation in June and then they had lots of visitors. Reno, their 16 year-old Eskie, left for the bridge on June 2nd, while they were away. And now their Tucker has been diagnosed with lung cancer and is preparing to leave also. Please keep Amber, her mom and the rest of the pack in your thoughts.

We stopped by Freya's blog and enjoyed the review/demonstration video. Especially the whapping part. We figure we can use it to prove to Jan we aren't the only siblings that whap each other.

I know there's more news somewhere but my brain is on heat overload, so that's all for now. Have a great day.

Update: A happy dance for Lil Em is about all we'd be moving around for today. And we're not only moving, we're dancing. Lil Em was adopted! You can read about it on Brian's Home blog.

Sam on Keys and Stealing

Hey, this is Sam. Do you see the smile on my face? It isn't there just for the treats you see beside me. I'm smiling at the news we read this morning.

Remember yesterday we posted on how tired we are of the Michael Vick hero worhipping hype? If you missed it, you can read it here. Go ahead. We'll wait. We want you to see the video of the Mayor of Dallas, Texas giving Vick a key to the city and then Vick and his entourage saying they don't care about the dogs when one of the media says he has one of Vick's dogs - one of the dogs that survived being fought and was eventually adopted into a real home.

Well, today we learned the Mayor of Dallas did not give Vick a key to the city. The Mayor didn't give him anything. It was the Mayor Pro Tem and he did not have the authority to give a sports idol or anyone else a key. You can read that short story here.

And we would be quite happy if that is the last Vick story we ever read.

On to a happier, more informative subject. There is a terrific post over at BlogPaws on not helping oneself to photos and stories online. Now, we're not posting this here for our blogging friends because we already know appropriating material is wrong and most if not all of us have had that happen to us at least once.

A good example is that pet blog photos can appear on one of the LOL sites with someone else's name on them and occasionally we recognize a photo. Recently, we saw this happen and when we checked out the one who posted it, we found she'd appropriated a photo of a very popular and easily recognizable blogging kitty, whom we informed, for her own ID photo. The next morning the ID photo was gone. But ... it was replaced by another stolen photo of the same blogging kitty. This time we left a message for I Can Has Cheezburger and a couple of days later that photo was gone. However ... it was now replaced by another kitty's photo that looked very familiar but we couldn't place it.

Now that is definitely a repeat offender who just doesn't get it. She might not steal from the collection plate on Sunday but she does steal, nevertheless.

The problem we bloggers have is explaining it to others, those who grab photos and posts and either repost them - with or without the owner's name, but definitely without your permission - or email them to everyone they know so they circulate around the globe "forever."

Jan is a bit fanatical on this subject because she once discovered someone was stealing every one of her posts from another blog she used to write and putting them on a forum. Not only that, but she found a number of other bloggers whose posts she recognized there too. She tried explaining that posting them there is stealing and if he wanted to share the stories, he needed to share a link instead. Then one night she finished/posted a story at 2 am. First thing the next morning, she checked the forum and her story had been copied and pasted - stolen! - before 5 am. Jan spent hours going page by page to ID every story of hers and those she recognized as stolen and reported it. A forum administrator ended up deleting all the stories, one by one.

You own the stories you write and you have the right to request they be removed if someone else uses them without your permission. If the blog or website owner refuses or ignores you, go over his head!

The BlogPaws post is Not Your Blog Post! Give it Back! We're going to bookmark it for future need. We hope you'll do the same because we'll likely forget where we bookmarked it and have to ask you for the link.

Well, Jan is impatient to get to a project so we have to sign off for the day.

Merci Friday News

Hi, Merci here.It's kind of cold, so hope you don't mind if we make this a bit short. Jan saw the gas bill and turned down the heat. As soon as I finish this post, I'm headed back to Buddy's chair with the blanket on it since Buddy is curled up in my bed using my blanket.

Last year Jan Photoshop Elements had a nervous breakdown and totally lost contact with our photos. When Jan reinstalled PSE, all the tags she had spent so many hours working on were gone. Since then she can't find any photos without having to scroll through several thousand. Not fun! She is only learning so she didn't know she could save the tags to the files. (Unless any of you know an easier way.) So she needs to redo all the old photos plus the newer ones, something she has been dreading. We'll be around but since Jan will be hogging the computer again, our time will be limited online and we might not be able to leave any comments for a while. We will be checking on you, though.

In case you aren't aware, the jury pool in Boston, Massachusetts now includes a feline. Yep, Sal Esposito has been called and must appear. He will not be excused. We can just see how this can help us in our quest for furry justice. With cats on the jury, dogs are sure to demand equal rights. Dog abusers, torturers and killers BEWARE! Soon we will be helping to decide your fate! You can read the story here.

And a reminder that our neighbors Friends of Pike County Animals needs your daily vote to get an adoption and education center in their rural Georgia county. You can vote here.

Dan Palmer, Hero to 3 Dogs

Unfortunately, this is just one example of animal abuse escalating into human abuse. We hope Dan Palmer will survive and be okay and the scum that beat him for asking them to stop beating the dogs will go to jail for a long time! And, please, may they never, never, never have access to any animal again! 

LONDON, Ont. - All Dan Palmer wanted to do was stop the dogs from being beaten.

Instead, Palmer was beaten and is clinging to life in critical condition at London Health Sciences Centre's Victoria Hospital. You can read the rest of the story here.




If you haven't voted yet, we hope you will take a moment to vote for our friend Bob. Voting is easy. Just click here, fill in email address and captcha.

We just read that our area will be getting a Petsense retail store in the near future. We don't know whether that's an economical and good thing, since we've never heard of Petsense before. But we see it will have an adoption center that will work with the local shelter and rescues. That should be a good thing.  What is really needed, though, is a change of mind-set for those who are blind to the fact that animals are not trash to be chained and/or ignored or thrown away.

Two-Legged Lamb and Bear Bear

There's a little disabled guy with a real will to live.  Born with only 2 legs, one lamb's determination won the heart of the owner who would otherwise have killed him at birth  Funny thing is, he's the only one who doesn't know he's disabled.

Sheepish Cui, 38, says she would normally have killed the youngster at birth, but was so impressed by his struggle to survive she began to hand-rear him.

‘He was so determined to live he pulled himself up onto his own two feet and started drinking his mother's milk. I couldn't let him die,’ said Cui at her farm in Shangdong province, eastern China. You can read the rest of the story here.

For those of you who haven't heard the story of Bear Bear yet, stop by Khyra's or Meeshka's  to read his story. And then while you're all hot under the collar, get your humans to use the contacts listed to help get Bear Bear justice.  There are too many law enforcement officers of one type or another who are trigger happy when it comes to animals, often killing a pet in front of family members with no provocation or remorse.  They should be held accountable!  The investigation was reopened after a "flood of outrage" over the shooting.  You can read that story here.



Don't forget to stop by the CB auction for little Miri.  The anonymous donor who matched the bidding total for Maxie's last auction has offered to match the winning bids for Miri also. You can visit the auction here.

Iams Expands Recall

We received this information from P&G Pet Care to help communicate it to pet owners, we are just going to post what they sent because it is important.

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Earlier this week (Sunday 7/25/10) you may remember that P&G Pet Care announced a voluntary recall of two lots of Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal. We are expanding this recall to include all Iams Veterinary Formula Diets (dry), Eukanuba Naturally Wild, Eukanuba Pure, and Eukanuba Sensitive Skin. I am including images of the affected products with this email

Any other Iams or Eukanuba cat/dog diets, biscuits/treats or supplements are NOT included in this recall. Below is the press release for your information.


July 30, 2010

P&G Expands Voluntary Limited Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk


CINCINNATI, July 30, 2010 – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE:PG) is voluntarily expanding its recall to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet food as a precautionary measure because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported.

The following dry pet food products are included:

For each Product name listed below --

ALL UPC CODES ARE INCLUDED!

BEST BY DATES -- 01Jul10 – 01Dec11

Iams Veterinary Dry Formula -- All dry sizes and varieties 

Eukanuba Naturally Wild -- All dry sizes and varieties --

Eukanuba Pure -- All dry sizes and varieties

Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin -- All dry sizes 

The affected products are sold in veterinary clinics and specialty pet retailers throughout the United States and Canada. No canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement. A full listing of UPC codes can be found at www.iams.com.



These products are made in a single, specialized facility. In cooperation with FDA, P&G determined that some products made at this facility have the potential for salmonella contamination. As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling all products made at this facility.



Consumers who have purchased the specific dry pet foods listed should discard them. People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.



Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.



For further information or a product replacement or refund call P&G toll-free at 877-340-8823 (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST).

Stupid Human Laws

We can't help but wonder why humans pass animal protection laws they have no intention of enforcing, yet they will do whatever it takes to stop caring humans from helping the animals the "lawkeepers" refuse to aid. If you're not familiar with Dogs Deserve Better and their campaign to unchain dogs, you're about to meet them. We are shocked and abhor the way some humans keep their animals in deplorable conditions -- intentionally! They refuse to allow anyone with a heart to help the animals. And they pervert the law to prosecute those who do.

February 6, 2010, Altoona, PA
Dog advocate charged with trespassing after providing straw to underweight dogs chained in freezing temps: Charges point to immediate need for stronger dog protection laws nationwide



February 6, 2010, Altoona, PA — Dog advocate Tamira Ci Thayne, founder and CEO of Dogs Deserve Better, a non-profit working solely on behalf of chained and penned dogs, spent the coldest night of the year sleepless despite being snug and warm in her bed.

The faces of dogs chained out in single-digit temperatures and sub-zero windchills haunted her, and she worried if these dogs would survive the night in their inadequate houses, many of which contained not even the single insulating element that could well save their lives: straw.

Determined to help local dogs, she rose early and, with another DDB volunteer, took straw, food, and water to some of the worse cases.

At 1492 Dulancey Drive in Lilly, Pennsylvania, Thayne spotted two skinny dogs with inadequate shelter, minimal straw, no food, and no water. She knocked on the door, and when no one answered she left a Dogs Deserve Better calendar and stuffed the doghouses with straw to save the dogs from immediate danger of death by freezing. She gave the dogs each a bone, food, and water. They shivered nonstop while they ate in the -11 degree wind chill.

The boxer mix had very short fur, a too-large doghouse with an opening as large as the dog, and every rib and bone in her back stood out starkly as she tried to decide whether to eat or run into her house for what little warmth it offered.

Current Pennsylvania law dictates that dogs must have access to"sustenance, drink, and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal's body heat and keep it dry." Thayne knew the law was being broken, so she returned three days later to speak to the caretaker on behalf of the dogs.

Again, no one answered the door....Read More...

Thayne will be in district court on Main Street in Portage, Pennsylvania, at 9:30 a.m. on February 16, 2010 to defend against the bogus charges. She will be bringing photo and video evidence, and well as eye-witness testimony.

Thayne is asking all Pennsylvania residents to stand against this form of abuse by joining the coalition to Unchain Pennsylvania Dogs. The coalition seeks to pass HB1254, a bill setting time limits on chaining, and creating better conditions for Pennsylvania's dogs. Sign up today at Unchainpadogs.com.

Please visit the website at DogsDeserveBetter.org to learn more about dog chaining, the reasons it is cruel to dogs and dangerous to humans, and to find a local area representative.

See more photos and watch video of the dogs at the site: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/thaynetrespassing.html