Jul 14 2008
Rise In Contaminated Canines

In April 2008, the Environmental Working Group released a report, “High Levels of Toxic Industrial Chemicals Contaminate Cats And Dogs”, by Olga Naidenko, Rebecca Sutton, Jane Houlihan.
In the first study of its kind, Environmental Working Group found that American pets are polluted with even higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have recently found in people, including newborns.
The results show that America’s pets are serving as involuntary sentinels of the widespread chemical contamination that scientists increasingly link to a growing array of health problems across a wide range of animals—wild, domesticated and human.
According to the findings, dogs and cats were contaminated with 48 of 70 industrial chemicals tested, including 43 chemicals at levels higher than those typically found in people, according to our study of plastics and food packaging chemicals, heavy metals, fire retardants, and stain-proofing chemicals in pooled samples of blood and urine from 20 dogs and 37 cats collected at a Virginia veterinary clinic.
Read the full report here.
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, [...]