My Friendly Pets

If you have never heard of a puppy mill, they’re horrifying places where dogs are kept inhumanely for the sake of breeding strictly to make money. Most of the breeding dogs are kept in small cages without human interaction, proper nutrition, or veterinary care. Their puppies are sold to places like pet stores where unsuspecting people buy them, consequently keeping the puppy mills in business. While countless dogs wait in shelters for a home, dogs are being bred rapidly and without care in these puppy mills. The only way to end this cruelty is to increase public awareness so that people will not buy dogs from pet stores. With no demand, puppy mills will be forced out of business. I urge you to only buy puppies from responsible breeders, or adopt one from a shelter.

Watch this short message from PETA about puppy mills with caution, some of the images are heartbreaking.

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I just love dog movies!

Year of the Dog, starring Molly Shannon opens this Friday, April 13th. I usually don’t get all pumped up about movies, but I really want to see this one! According to reviews, it’s a heartwarming comedy about a single woman, Molly Shannon’s character, who struggles to get over the passing of her beloved Beagle. I’d say it’s worth checking out… who doesn’t love Molly Shannon? And dogs, of course.

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Still on my home cooked dog food kick… here’s a cute little recipe from ‘The Poop Pantry’ for dog treats made with baby food:

You will need:
-2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup powdered milk
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 egg
-6 tablespoons vegetable oil
-10 tablespoons water
-2 small jars strained baby food (beef, chicken, lamb, or liver)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and knead for about 3 minutes. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with bone-shaped cookie cutter (or any shape will do) and place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 min.

Makes approximately 2 dozen doggie biscuits.

YUMMY!

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Last night I was browsing some dog forums (I know - what a nerdy thing to do) and I came across several postings about more pet food being recalled. Of course, I checked the FDA website to confirm, and sure enough – MORE FOOD RECALLS!

There are several brands of treats being recalled, and none of them are associated with Menu Foods, the company from the original recall. I assume they all contain the same ingredient that has been the culprit before – contaminated wheat gluten.

At this point, I thought of my mom’s two dogs, Ellie Mae and Lucy. They eat about forty-five jerky treats a day, Ol’Roy brand. I thought I would look and make sure those were not on the recall list, and wouldn’t you know, as I scrolled down, there they were – Ol’Roy beef jerky strips! So I jumped up, grabbed the phone, and called my Mom. She was concerned that this information had not been on the news, but thankful that I happened to come across it. Needless to say, she threw the treats away immediately! Hopefully this recall is just a precautionary measure and maybe the treats aren’t contaminated. Loads of people shop at Wal-Mart, so I’m sure there are millions of dogs who have consumed those snacks.

Let’s just hope that something good comes out of this mess, like pet-owners educating themselves about what’s in the food. I’ve been experimenting with home-cooked dog food lately, but my dogs have been eating Wellness for some time now. A while back I did some research on common dog food ingredients and didn’t like what I found. Wellness appealed to me because it’s organic. I would encourage all dog owners to do the same – research what you’re feeding your precious puppy dogs!

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The WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) is building a global petition to advocate for the welfare of animals. In conjunction with national organizations such as the ASPCA, they are striving for global recognition of animals as significant beings who have feelings and experience suffering. By signing the petition, called “Animals Matter to Me,” you are agreeing that we need a global standard for the treatment and well being of all animals. The WSPA lobbies governments to pass legislation to improve these standards. Their goal is ten million signatures - and as of today almost 500,000 people have signed their names.

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Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cans sweet potato
2 whole eggs, shells and all.
1 can mackerel
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chicken liver or gizzards

Puree ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pour into a pot and simmer for about two hours. Since this recipe makes a large amount of food, You may need to freeze or refridgerate portions of it, which is fine. Enjoy!

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A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
~Josh Billings

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Everyday when I come home from work, my three dogs bombard me and wrestle each other for my affection. The same craze happens at night when it’s time for bed. Holly and Remy both want to sleep on my pillows, nearly on top of my head. I have to shuffle them around just to get myself comfortable! Teddy likes to snuggle by my side, but if Remy and Holly get too close, he gets irritated and jumps down, only to wake me at three in the morning by barking until I pick him up. Our bed is tall, and he’s old and has trouble jumping. There are times when they all three play together, peacefully, but this is usually not the case. For some reason, they all seem to want the same toy. We have a zillion toys for them to choose from, so it baffles me as to why they all three want the same one! This is when the romping begins, and they chase each other around the house swiping doggie bones and chew toys from each other. I suppose it’s just what dogs do, but it reminds me of sibling rivalry.

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