Jun 25 2008
Hoses Aren’t Good For Drinking
While it may be convenient to use your garden hose to fill your dog’s outside water dish, or even your doggie/kiddie swimming pool, take note - there is potential for water from a garden hose to be tainted with lead.
Lead leaching into hose water can come from the vinyl (PVC) material used to make hoses or from brass nozzles on hoses. In producing PVC, lead is often added as a stabilizer.
In sunshine, lead in hose water is a particular concern, as heat can cause hoses to leach even higher levels of lead. In that case, the recommendation is to flush the water out before using it.
Special hoses (commonly used by RV and boat owners) that are white with a blue stripe do not contain these materials and are safe for drinking water.
This lawsuit from the Center for Environmental Health against some of the garden hose manufacturers was settled to require those companies to comply with Prop 65 (California toxics law) by August of 2007.
Packaging for new garden hoses should indicate if they are safe for drinking. In addition, warning labels on any hoses that could cause exposures above the standard would carry a prominent warning label reading, “Do not drink water from this hose. Wash hands after use.”
The American Mutt-i-grees Club, founded by Pet Savers Foundation, wants to spread the word that mutts are people dogs too!
The American Mutt-i-grees Club is all about change and choice:
Changing how mixed-breed dogs are regarded, by celebrating the unique
characteristics of each one of them, and helping people make the right
choice - the choice to adopt mixed-breed puppies and [...]
The pills you pop may make you feel better, but they could be fatal to your pet. Just last year, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) handled 89,000 cases of pets exposed to human medications.
Here’s what to watch out for:
NSAIDs
According to the APCC, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most [...]
My distaste for puppy mills notwithstanding, I’m pleased to report that, stepping away from its reputation as “The Puppy Mill Capital of the East,” the Pennsylvania Legislature passed HB 2525 on October 8, a bill that will improve the lives of tens of thousands of dogs living in Pennsylvania’s puppy mills.
HB 2525 doubles the cage [...]
Two years ago today, my husband and I rescued Greta, and our lives have never been the same since. Sure, it was hard in the beginning–after all, she was a puppy with no experiences outside of living in a wire crate 23 hours a day.
Slowly, she learned how to relax and live in a home. [...]
October is Adopt-A-Dog month, a celebration established by the American Humane Association to promote dog adoptions from animal shelters and educate people about responsible pet care. Learn more about events in your area here.
And just in time for Adopt-A-Dog month, Disney’s new film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua hits theaters October 3. The film is about Chloe, [...]