Bay Area Humane Society PetWalk 2011

The Bay Area Humane Society was founded over forty years ago and helps thousands of animals each year in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The 12th Annual PetWalk will be held on June 4, 2011. Event attendees can see a demo of the Doody Digger Pooper Scooper, and win the Doody Digger as a prize for the obstacle course.

Fundraiser Details
Date: June 4, 2011
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Bay Area Humane Society
1830 Radisson St
Green Bay, WI 54302
Events: 5K walk, children’s activities, dog obstacle course, and pet vendors

Sheltie Rescue of Utah Fundraiser

The Sheltie Rescue of Utah places homeless shelties in foster and permanent homes. We are proud to support the upcoming Sheltie Rescue of Utah Fundraiser, a large 5 day dog show. Event attendees can see a demo of the Doody Digger Pooper Scooper, and win the Doody Digger as a raffle prize.

Fundraiser Details
Date: May 4 to May 8, 2011
Location: Salt Lake County Equestrian Park
2051 W 11400 S
South Jordan, UT
Events: Microchip Clinic, Conformation, Rally, Obedience, and Agility

Video: How to Perform Dog CPR

Dog CPR could save your dog's life. Encourage all of your family members to watch this video, so you are prepared in case of an emergency. For more information, please consult your veterinarian.

Supermarket Guru Consumer Panel: Pet Feeding Stats

What are you feeding your pets? The Supermarket Guru consumer panel revealed interesting statistics about pet feeding and food purchasing. Of the people surveyed, 95% had a dog or cat, and 19% reported that their pet is overweight. Almost half of the people surveyed purchase pet food at a specialty pet store.

“76 percent feed it store bought natural, organic or gourmet pet food. Twenty-four percent serve their pet a mixture of people and pet food, while merely 21 percent reach for generic pet food.”

“And what about those feeding their pets from the dining room table? Over half say they sometimes do while 35 percent say they never do. The question is why? A third feed their pet people food and say they do it for a change, to stimulate the pet. Twenty-three percent say their pet likes people food more, and 18 percent say it’s nutritionally superior. Another 18 percent just don't want their foods to go to waste.”

If you feed your pet people food, do not feed them “chocolate, coffee, caffeine, avocado, macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, yeast dough, undercooked or raw meats, eggs or bones, the sweetener xylitol, onions, garlic, chives, milk, salt, and never any alcohol.” All of these are hazardous to pets, according to the ASPCA.

Borrow a Dog at the Yale Law School Library

Stressed out students at Yale Law School can visit the library to checkout a dog for 30 minutes. Yes, you read that correctly. Along with over one million law books, the students can borrow a dog during this three day trial, which begins on Monday. While it is well documented that therapy dogs can help kids feel more relaxed, it is interesting to see this concept applied to law students. This news was even published in The New York Times today.

The dog is hypoallergenic and must remain in a designated part of the library. The school is seeking feedback from students about whether or not this should become a regular service, like at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.

Resources for Dogs on Special Diets: Gluten-Free and Vegan

While many humans eat gluten-free or vegan, there are a growing number of dogs on vegan or gluten-free diets. Some dogs have a gluten allergy. In other cases, dogs may eat vegan or gluten-free because their owners are vegan or have celiac disease. Here are two new blog posts that contain excellent information and resources.

The Vegan Soapbox has a blog post called “Thriving Vegan Dogs.” The post has links to an interesting CNN article and The Vegan Dog Nutrition Association. The author, Eccentric Vegan, shows how dogs can survive on a vegan diet.

Kristen Campbell at Gluten-Free Fox wrote a great post called “Caring for a Gluten-Free Dog.” She described her struggle to identify the cause of her dog’s health problems and find gluten-free dog food. She even used gluten test kits to determine if the food was truly gluten-free!

How Much Does It Cost to Own a Dog?

Are you considering getting a dog or cat? Before you do, it is important to understand the cost of owning a dog or cat.  Here are tips from Savings Experiment: Cats vs. Dogs.

“The results are clear, and it's not even by a whisker. For most lifestyles, dogs are higher-maintenance so they're more expensive. Although cats and dogs tie in some arenas, there's not a single category in which cats are pricier.”

When adopting a pet from the ASPCA, there is an adoption fee, but it does include spaying or neutering, micro-chipping, and shots. For a dog, expect the adoption fee to be between $75 and $200. Add to your dog budget other costs, such as routine health care, pet insurance, food, treats, special dietary needs, dog toys, a leash, a pooper scooper, waste bags, dog walkers, and kennels.

You can save money on bags by using the Doody Digger pooper scooper, since you don’t need to dispose of the bag after only one use. Stand up the Doody Digger when not in use and the weight of the waste will virtually seal the waste bag closed. When the bag is heavy, replace it with the inexpensive Doody Digger waste bags or reuse grocery store bags.