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Posted on 24 May 2012
By Overtime Staff
From: CBS News
This is definitely not the kind of story we’re used to hearing from Afghanistan.
It involves heroics, but no gunfire. This is the story of how U.S. Marines, military transport pilots, a CBS bureau chief, and “60 Minutes” correspondent Lara Logan went to extraordinary lengths to try to rescue a little puppy named Bill.
Read more: CBS News
Posted on 24 May 2012
By Associated Press
From: OregonLive.com
A West Linn family’s dog whose spine was damaged in a trap and who became a symbol of a push to change Oregon’s trapping rules has been euthanized as a result of lingering injuries and pain.
The 8-year-old, 38-pound wheaten terrier Kieri and her owner, Jack Williamson of West Linn, were on a bird-watching walk in February when she was caught along a trail by a device meant to kill otters and beavers quickly.
She underwent surgery and seemed to be recovering, Williamson told the Bulletin in Bend. But pain returned in April. This month, she again underwent surgery, but debilitating pain began again last week. She was euthanized Tuesday.
Kieri is among a half dozen dogs reported to have been caught in traps last winter in Central Oregon, three times more than usual.
State wildlife officials think that trappers have responded to high gasoline prices by staying closer to town and that a dry winter has enticed more hikers to use land where traps are set.
Williamson wants the state to ban the use of large body-gripping traps on land and require more ethics training for trappers. He also wants warnings at trailheads in areas containing traps and says traps should be marked if they are within 100 feet of a trail.
“There just isn’t any good reason to put a trap on a trail,” he said.
A member of the Oregon Trappers Association agrees, saying such traps should be in water or in rough or brush-covered riverbank.
“To set (one) close to a public walkway like that is beyond bad judgment,” said Don Nichols, the fur sales manager for the Oregon Territorial Council on Furs, which holds an annual event in Prineville.
Members of the Oregon Trappers Association have met with Williamson and wildlife officials to discuss rules changes that would keep pets safer. The Fish and Wildlife Commission meets next month for a biennial review of its rules.
Read more: OregonLive.com
Posted on 24 May 2012
Posted on 24 May 2012
By Cindy Galli
From: ABC News
Just six months after issuing its latest warning about chicken jerky dog treats made in China, the Food and Drug Administration confirms it has logged more than 900 complaints from pet owners who say their dogs either were sickened or died after eating the treats.
The number of complaints has nearly doubled since the story was first reported by ABC News in March. The FDA says its investigation is ongoing and that it continues to test samples of the popular treats, which dog owners across the country say have caused kidney failure in their pets, resulting in severe illness or death.
Consumers have largely blamed two brands for the reported illnesses. Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch, both produced by Nestle Purina and made in China, are reportedly included in the samples being tested by the FDA. The agency told ABC News it has solicited samples of treats from the owners of the pets allegedly affected, but will not say whether it is tested those samples. To date, the FDA has not been able to determine a cause for the reported illnesses.
The FDA issued its first warning about chicken jerky treats from China in 2007 and again in 2008, both times based on consumer complaints. But it wasn’t until a third warning — in late 2011 — that the momentum of complaints accelerated as an angry population of pet owners demanded to know what in the Chinese treats might be sickening their dogs.
“It’s hard to believe that we’re still fighting the same battle,” said Terry Safranek, whose 9-year old Fox Terrier named Sampson died of kidney failure in January.
“The last thing that he ate and then threw up was the chicken jerky,” said Safranek. “It kills me that the treats I fed him killed him.”
Safranek is a member of a Facebook group called “Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made In China,” which has grown to 4,500 members and includes hundreds of photos of dogs whose owners claim were sickened or died from chicken jerky treats.
“We’re just the ones who are online. There literally could be tens of thousands of people whose dogs were affected,” said Safranek.
The group also keeps its own spreadsheet of victims, ranging from a 1-year old, five-pound Chihuahua named Kiarra to a 111-pound German Shepherd named Floyd.
“The problem with the issue is getting the word out,” said Dr. Richard Goldstein, Chief of Medicine at The Animal Medical Center in New York City. Goldstein has been studying the connection between pet illnesses and chicken jerky treats made in China since 2007 and says although deaths have been rare in his experience, it’s still crucial to seek veterinary care if a dog shows symptoms such as vomiting or lethargy.
“These are still on the shelves and cases are still popping up,” said Goldstein, urging pet owners to be vigilant.
The issue has gained attention in Washington, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D.-Ohio, who has been urging Congress to look closely at products coming from China, recently blasted the head of the FDA over the issue. At a Senate Appropriations hearing in April, Brown told Dr. Margaret Hamburg he was concerned that pet owners were still buying the treats, unaware they may possibly be tainted. “The FDA must be as aggressive as possible to find the source of this contamination,” he said later in a press release.
A spokesperson for Nestle Purina told ABC News in March that the safety of pets is the company’s utmost priority and that production of the treats in China is held to the highest quality and safety standards. Nestle Purina has not been named in any of the FDA warnings and the company points out that reported illnesses may be the result of eating things other than the chicken treats. “We’ve looked at this, and we continue to look at this,” Keith Schopp told ABC News.
Read more: ABC News
Posted on 24 May 2012
From: Market Watch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — While the broader markets are in a jittery mood about the eurozone economic crisis, PetSmart Inc. shares saw their biggest gain in almost 10 years on Wednesday as Americans continued to show their love for their pets through their wallets.
PetSmart (US:PETM) shares rose 13% to $62.99, the biggest daily percentage gain since July 2002, after it reported a better-than-expected first-quarter profit and raised its outlook for the year. The S&P 500 Index and the Dow both closed little changed after declining earlier in the day.
Its stock has jumped 23% this year, outpacing the 16% rate of the S&P Retail Index and the 4.9% increase of the S&P 500 Index during the same period.
Easing investor concerns about online competition led by Amazon.com Inc.’s (US:AMZN) introduction of Wag.com last year and competition from discounters such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (US:WMT), PetSmart posted a 7.4% increase in same-store sales in the first quarter as comparable transactions were positive for the eighth straight quarter.
“The sector has remained impressively (Wal-Mart) and (Amazon) proof,” said Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. analyst David Schick, adding PetSmart’s comparable sales gain was the highest since that in the first quarter of 2004 and at least its 53rd straight quarterly increase.
While the pet ownership in the U.S. has stayed steady in recent years, spending has climbed in at least each of the past 10 years, according to the American Pet Products Association.
About 73 million homes, or 62 % of American households, own a pet, according to a 2011-2012 survey by the trade group. That was up from 56% of U.S. households in 1988 when the survey was first conducted and unchanged from 62% in 2008.
However, spending is expected to rise to $52.9 billion this year from $51 billion last year and from $43.2 billion in 2008.
Other retailers also are capitalizing on the trend. Sears Holdings Corp.’s (US:SHLD) Kmart chain, for instance, has expanded its pet-gear section and this month began to sell pet prescription drugs.
“We favor the pet retail industry for its growth characteristics and our belief that it is also recession-resistant,” said Standard & Poor’s analyst Michael Souers.
Analysts said PetSmart also deserves credit beyond benefiting from the industry trend. It’s also more insulated from increased competition from its online and discount rivals because shoppers buying at specialty retailers tend to have a higher-than-average income.
The company, for instance, has boosted demand through charity efforts that help 1,100 pets to be adopted each day in its stores and through its offers of new adoption and puppy starter kits that come with coupons for its products and services. (Executives said the rate of adoption, which increased in the fourth quarter, continued in the first quarter.)
Read more: Market Watch
Posted on 24 May 2012
By David Goodhue
From: The Miami Herald
Jurors have found a Key Largo man guilty of felony animal cruelty that left an 8-month-old dog injured and fighting for its life.
Prosecutors say Noah Mitchell, 35, savagely beat his Labrador retriever, Bubba, during a barbecue on Oct. 3, 2010, because the animal took a steak from the kitchen counter. The six-member jury took about six hours to deliberate on Wednesday.
Animal cruelty is a third-degree felony in Florida. Third-degree felonies are usually punishable by up to five years in prison, but animal cruelty is among several charges with a maximum punishment of only one year in county jail and four years of probation.
Prosecutor Terri Hunnewell of the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office said Mitchell dropped, kicked, punched and strangled the dog around 9:30 p.m. that night. Mitchell had just moved into his house on Pimlico Lane.
Two men were also in the house when the incident happened — Curt Murphy and Gary Pitterman. Mitchell describes the men as “acquaintances” who helped him with the move. Pitterman was the prosecution’s only eyewitness. Mitchell’s defense attorney, Key West lawyer Donald Barrett, said Pitterman’s testimony was unreliable because he admittedly was drinking heavily that night.
But Hunnewell said the deputy who first interviewed Pitterman that night said the witness did not appear intoxicated. She told jurors that based on Bubba’s injuries, there was no reason they should doubt Pitterman’s version of the incident.
One veterinarian who observed Bubba at a Miami-Dade County animal clinic testified Tuesday that the dog’s injuries were consistent with those that an animal that size would sustain after falling from a two- to three-story building, or after being hit by a car. Bubba had collapsed lungs, a damaged larynx and six fractured ribs.
“The injuries are consistent with what Gary Pitterman said he saw Noah Mitchell do to Bubba,” Hunnewell told jurors during closing arguments Wednesday.
Mitchell insisted he hurt Bubba by accident. He testified Wednesday that when he went into the kitchen, Bubba ran outside and to the back of the house because he knew he wasn’t allowed to have the steak. The dog tried to hide in between the house’s water heater and the washing machine.
When Bubba would not come out, Mitchell said he reached behind the hot water heater and grabbed the dog by the collar. Bubba gave out a loud yelp, and Mitchell said he did not want to bother his neighbors on a Sunday night with a barking dog.
Mitchell said he scooped the dog up with his right arm, cupped his left hand over Bubba’s mouth and began to walk back into the house. That’s when Bubba wiggled his head from Mitchell’s hand and bit his owner on the index finger, leaving about a half-inch wound.
At that point, Mitchell said he accidentally dropped Bubba and fell himself, hitting his knee against the concrete patio. Mitchell said both he and Bubba were in a “freefall.” He told Hunnewell that he’s not sure if his knee ever hit Bubba.
Mitchell maintained that he was never angry at Bubba for taking the steak off the counter and was just trying to get control of the young dog.
“I was ambiguous about the steak. It was my fault. I left it where he was able to get it,” Mitchell said. After falling, Mitchell said he guided Bubba back into the house by the collar. He said Bubba was able to walk.
Once inside, the dog briefly laid down by a coffee table, then went inside his kennel, Mitchell said.
Mitchell said it wasn’t until that point in the evening that he realized Bubba was seriously injured. He gave Pitterman and Murphy a ride back to the main access road at mile marker 100 that Pitterman uses to go to his liveaboard boat.
Pitterman called his friend, Karin Kass, and told her how badly injured Bubba was. Kass called the police. When deputies arrived, they determined Bubba needed medical attention. A deputy took the dog to Dr. George Bailey of Key Largo Animal Care Clinic. Bailey inflated Bubba’s collapsed lungs but determined the animal needed more care than he could provide.
Sgt. Thomas Kiffney took Bubba to a clinic in Miami-Dade, where the dog was put on a ventilator and oxygen for two days. Bubba is reportedly healthy and doing fine. It is not clear where he now lives.
Posted on 24 May 2012
From: Philly.com
Diamond Pet Foods has issued yet another recall, this time for its small breed dog food.
In case you are losing count, this is at least the eighth round of recalls in the past six weeks since the discovery of a salmonella-tainted batch of food made in a South Carolina plant.
Since the recall 16 pet owners in 15 states – including two in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey - and in Canada became sick after handling the food and now we hear reports of two cats at a shelter in Montreal that were sickened after eating Diamond brand food.
Eleven brands of dog and cat food are made in the Gaston, S.C. plant operated by Diamond Pet Foods, including Costco under the Kirkland name.
Other brands affected include Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul, Canidea and Taste of the Wild, as well as several Diamond brands.
The latest recall involves Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula samples, 6 pound and 18 pound bag sizes, manufactured on Aug. 26, 2011, due to potential exposure to Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported connected to that batch of food.
For full information on what is being recalled read the details on the Diamond site here.
We wondered why the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued no notice of the recall nor provided the public with any information about the individuals who fell ill here and got this answer from the state:
Salmonella outbreaks are sometimes associated with food items; sometimes we cannot make the connection. When the item (or some other exposure linked to human illness) is specific to Pennsylvania or originates in Pennsylvania, we do send out “advisories” (usually in the form of a press release). On the other hand, when a situation is occurring in multiple states across the country, and the food comes from outside PA, we generally rely on the CDC’s and FDA’s efforts, along with standard food recalls announced by the producer or manufacturer. In the current situation, this dog food, which was produced in South Carolina, was recalled nationally by the manufacturer in cooperation with the FDA.
A day later the Health Department issued a warning about contaminated shellfish that may or may not have been sold in Pennsylvania. When we inquired were told the difference in the two cases was that the federal government had not yet issued a recall so the state felt it needed to do so.
How would the state backing up the federal government and issuing its own statement have hurt? It certainly would have helped spread the word that two Pennsylvania pet owners were made ill by a bad batch of dog food and that consumers ought to be careful about handling pet food – whether tainted or not. Of course we have no idea where in the state the food was purchased or how ill these people were.
Perhaps readers of Philly Dawg will spread the word to fellow pet owners of this seemingly endless recall.
Lab tests indicated those who fell ill were infected with a rare strain of salmonella Infantis, which was detected Apr. 2 after a routine test of dry dog food revealed contamination, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration conducted a week-long probe and found numerous violations at the South Carolina plant, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
“All reasonable precautions are not taken to ensure that production procedures to not contribute contamination from any source,” its report said, noting that the factory’s screening process for possible contaminants wasn’t thorough enough.
Other violations: Factory workers were seen handling sensitive equipment with bare hands; there weren’t enough hand-washing stations throughout the plant (even in areas where raw meat was being handled); the factory used damaged equipment with holes and cuts, which would make the tools difficult to clean properly.
Here’s the timeline according to the Monitor:
Despite these findings, the company didn’t issue a second recall until a week after the inspection was over, involving a single production run of its Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul brand. On April 30, it issued another expansion of the recall, this time involving puppy food. On May 3, the federal government announced it had linked 14 cases of salmonella in adults to Diamond’s dog foods. On May 4, Natural Balance Pet Foodsand WellPet LLC, makers of Wellness, announced a recall of their dog foods made at Diamond’s plant. From there, the recalls kept coming.
People can become sick by handling the tainted pet food or through contact with an animal that has eaten the contaminated food. Experts advise washing hands thoroughly after feeding pets or picking up animals. Also, clean litter boxes daily.
Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact Diamond Pet Foods toll free at 1-866-918-8756 , Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST. Recalled products should be discarded.
Salmonella infections can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness can last up to a week and most people recover without treatment. In some cases, severe diarrhea can require hospitalization.
Read more: Philly.com
Posted on 23 May 2012
Posted on 22 May 2012
Posted on 22 May 2012
Posted on 22 May 2012
By JoNel Aleccia
From: msnbc.com
Nearly 1,000 dogs reportedly have been sickened by chicken jerky pet treats from China, according to a new tally of complaints from worried owners and veterinarians submitted to federal health officials.
The Food and Drug Administration has logged 900 reports of illnesses and deaths since November, when it warned owners about continued problems with the products known variously as chicken jerky strips, treats and nuggets, a spokeswoman said.
Read more: msnbc.com
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Posted on 22 May 2012
In the Arctic circle, ducks take advantage of permanent holes in the sea ice, fighting the fierce ocean currents to dive 10 metres down and reach the rich layer of mussels that populate the sea floor. Beautiful underwater filming from BBC natural history masterpiece, Planet Earth.
Posted on 21 May 2012
Posted on 19 May 2012
Posted on 19 May 2012
Posted on 18 May 2012
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