Get Ready For Gustav

Animal rescue organizations have deployed teams of disaster response experts to Louisiana and the Texas coast to help with pre- and post-storm evacuation and sheltering in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav. In addition to having people on site, organizations are also frantically sending supplies, coordinating logistics and keeping the public updated. Thousands of pet carriers have been rushed to New Orleans to help with pet evacuations.

Shelters in Louisiana are being closed until the hurricane passes, and scores of animals are being evacuated to shelters in Texas.

These evacuations will impact shelters in and around Dallas - because of the influx, they will be desperately in need of supplies, blankets, kennels, crates and even foster homes for some of their longer term residents awaiting adoption.

What you can do:

Please don't wait to volunteer, offer assistance or donate needed items - this IS in your backyard, and you can help now!

Keep up to date on what's happening:

• Best Friends rapid response
• Humane Society disaster response team - notes from the field
• ASPCA Hurricane Gustav updates

Get prepared for a disaster:

• Humane Society information resources - includes disaster preparedness guides for horses, pets and livestock.
• ASPCA Pet Emergency information - including evacuation preparation.
• American Humane disaster preparation tips for pets and livestock.

Don't wait for Gustav to hit - you can help get ready now!

Help us spread the word about Dallas animal laws!

The Dallas City Council recently passed several new ordinances designed to encourage responsible pet ownership in our City. Changing the law is one thing, but to make sure those laws can be upheld takes education and the support of every responsible pet owner in the community.

Dallas Animal Advocates and the City of Dallas Education Committee are requesting your assistance getting information about these new ordinances to the public. A new brochure is now available detailing each of the new ordinances, when they go into effect, and whom to contact for more information.

You can help by sending the brochure to your friends, family, co-workers, and fellow volunteers, as well as distributing the brochures at vets, groomers, adoption events, and anywhere pet lovers are found. Download the new brochure from www.dallasanimaladvocates.org or send a message to dallasanimaladvocates @ gmail.com (no spaces) and we will email it directly to you.

If you have any questions, please visit www.dallasanimaladvocates.org or email dallasanimaladvocates @ gmail.com (no spaces). We will also have this information available in Spanish shortly.

Information and forms will soon also be available for the grandfathering exemptions, fostering exemptions, and intact animal permits so watch this space.

The City of Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Education Committee & Dallas Animal Advocates thank you for your help!

Dangerous Toy Alert: Four Paws Pimple Ball With Bell

A potentially lethal toy

A horrifying report on consumerist.com last week is a painful Buyer Beware story: In what is apparently not the first problem with the Four Paws (r) Pimple Ball with Bell, a dog called Chai sustained severe injuries from playing with the toy, ultimately resulting in the amputation of the dog's tongue.

The ball only one hole in it, which can cause a vacuum effect as an animal chews on it - in this case, sucking the dog's tongue into the ball and causing such extensive damage that the tongue could not be saved.

After finding out from others that her dog has not been the only one to suffer injury as a result of chewing this toy, the owner is now calling for the toy to be recalled and a movement is growing among animal lovers to boycott products from Four Paws. The company is allegedly refusing to take responsibility for the multiple injuries - some of which have resulted in the death of an animal - and Chai's owner may sue.

We urge all pet owners to be careful when buying toys, especially chew toys, for your pets - check out consumer reports and always supervise your pet when playing with chew toys.

Our sympathy goes out to Chai and all other dogs wounded or killed by poorly designed products that should have simply brought them some joy.

Contemplative Cat

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought,

of the thought of his name:

His ineffable effable

Effanineffable

Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

~T.S. Eliot

Cleburne TX Steps Up to Fight Animal Overpopulation

The city of Cleburne, TX has its priorities straight in the fight against pet overpopulation - when people face tough economic times, they can find it hard to justify the cost of sterilizing or vaccinating their pets - but they're also not prepared to support the unwanted litters that result. To help counter this vicious cycle, the Coalition for Animal Protection and Cleburne Animal Services partnered together to support their local community and in 2004 they introduced a low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination program.

Once a month for two days, animal services opens the low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Veterinarians from the Metroplex perform spay and neuter surgeries by appointment and conduct low-cost vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"[The Cleburne clinic] served as a model for our organization to set up clinics in other cities,” said Stacey Taylor, executive director of the coalition. “We have stand-alone clinics in Denton and Fort Worth and satellite programs in eight other cities.” The coalition spays and neuters about 20,000 animals a year in North Texas, and in Cleburne it averages about 35-50 pets a day during their clinics - even so, the pet overpopulation crisis continues to grow statewide, and the Coalition for Animal Protection is urging other cities to follow Cleburne's example.

The next clinic will be Aug. 25-26, but the spay and neuter appointments are full. Surgeries are being scheduled for the October clinic. To schedule an appointment or for clinic dates, call 817-837-4500 or 866-310-7387.

Pets available for adoption in Cleburne are listed on petfinder.com or you can call Cleburne animal services on 817 648-0650.

Download a flyer about Cleburne's low-cost spay/neuter clinic here.

Pedigree Pet Food Recall - California & Nevada

Today Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of 100 of the 20-pound bags of PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada to a limited number of Albertsons locations due to potential Salmonella contamination.

There have been no complaints or reports of injury resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product at the time of this release.

The product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Recalled Pet Food Details:

• Product: PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites
• Size: 20-pound bags
• UPC Code: 23100 14719
• Lot Code: 830BFCAT02
• Best Buy Date: 07/2009
• Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag
• Affected Stores: Albertsons locations in Southern California and Las Vegas.

In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at: www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html

Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com. A full listing of Albertsons stores in Southern California and Nevada can also be found on the site.

In addition, Mars Petcare US voluntarily recalled a limited number of 52-pound PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites bags from limited Costco stores in Northern California and Nevada only. Costco has notified all of its customers in Northern California and Nevada about this issue directly.

Some information about Salmonella:

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Responsible Pet Ownership In Dallas, Texas

The recent Dallas City animal ordinance changes are really all about responsible pet ownership - and that goes beyond simply ensuring humane treatment of companion animals (although that's a big part of responsible pet ownership); it takes into account the societal responsibility of owning pets in a community where other people (and their pets) create variables often out of control of each individual.

Creating a community where animals are treated humanely; people respect each other's properties and families; and everyone (animal and human) can live in a clean, safe environment relies on everyone participating and keeping the greater good in mind - that's why these standards are codified in law with consequences for non-compliance.

Understanding the new laws, and the reasons for them, is an important part of any change so Dallas Animal Advocates have created some resources to help with this.

Feel free to download the flyers and distribute them around your neighborhood! It's a great way to update people who may be unaware of the changes.

• An overview of the ordinance changes approved in June
• Pet registration - an overview of the law and benefits of registering your pet
• Download a flyer on the anti-tethering law - English
• Download a flyier on the anti-tethering law - SPANISH

And finally, we all know that it takes time for a city to implement changes and some people who may need to apply for permits or exceptions - so why not make it easier on yourself and sign up to be notified by email when all the appropriate new forms are available?

Heartworm - it's not just for dogs

How many of you cat lovers took a look at our recent post about heartworm in dogs and thought, "well I don't need to worry, I have a cat"?

Well, don't get complacent! Cats can get heartworm too - in fact, the number of cats testing positive for heartworm disease has steadily increased even though it can easily be missed because standard blood tests often don't detect heartworm in cats because fewer worms make it to adulthood in cats than in dogs.

"Well," you may think, "Cats have fewer worms so it can't be that serious, right?" WRONG. Because cats are actually not the preferred host for heartworms, even a few worms cause a lot of damage, and can even cause death. In fact, heartworm disease is considered more serious for cats because treatment after the fact in cats is often about as bad as the disease.

The worst part is that while heartworm disease can be fatal, many cats don't show any symptoms until suddenly they're seriously ill or even die unexpectedly.

Bottom line - for cats, heartworm prevention is CRITICAL! Outdoor cats aren't the only ones at risk - even indoor cats can get heartworm, all it takes is one infected mosquito getting in through a screen.

So how can you prevent your cat from getting heartworm disease?

As always, talk to your vet and get their professional opinion. If you suspect your cat may have heartworm disease, discuss testing and treatment options. For prevention, your vet may prescribe a heartworm preventative, or they might suggest an over the counter solution such as Advantage Multi for cats (applied topically; also protects against fleas and intestinal parasites), or Heartguard (taken orally).

A Happy Ending for Duncan

Last week we told you about a lost dog who wandered onto a large company's campus without identification - and we're happy to report that the story has a happy ending!

One of the company's employees had taken the dog (we now know his name is Duncan) home, while others had posted flyers, notified local vets and posted his picture on craigslist. Almost a week later, someone recognized his picture on craigslist and notified his owner who got in touch with the employee who was taking care of him.

After a stern conversation about the importance of making sure your pet has identification (preferably tags and a microchip), Duncan was released into his owner's care on Wednesday evening and everyone celebrated his safe return.

So it goes to show - if your pet does go missing and somehow loses their tags, it pays to use all means possible to try and find them - flyers, friends, networks, vets, animal control and high-traffic websites. This applies just as much to found animals - don't assume you'll never find their owners! Easy identification makes for a quick reunion but sometimes having eyes all over town is the best backup you can have.