After an eight-month investigation, the Humane Society of the United States accused Petland, the national pet store chain, of selling dogs bred under appalling conditions at puppy mills around the country.

While puppy mills aren't illegal, they're also not places where dogs are treated as anything more than merchandise—and the Humane Society says that the 21 Petland stores they investigated mislead buyers on where the dogs actually come from.

From Weaver's article:

"They are buying from puppy mills where these dogs are not treated like pets," Michael Markarian, an executive vice president with the Humane Society, told a news conference. "They're treated like a cash crop, where mother dogs live in wire cages, sometimes stacked on top of each other in filthy, dirty, cramped conditions, where they receive little socialization or human interaction or exercise."

Among the poor conditions cited, investigators found puppies in commercial breeders "living in filthy cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization," according to the release. The Humane Society says dogs at the mills were found in cages with wire flooring so large that the puppies' paws and even the paws of the mother dogs would fall through.

Petland did not return calls to Weaver about the allegations, but she notes that their website seemingly absolves them from corporate responsibility by stating that each store is independently owned and individually "responsible for choosing healthy pets offered to Petland customers."

While that may be true, there's no reason for Petland to offer such an unrestricted, hands-off policy to its franchisees. By way of example, this week Subway asked one of its franchisees to rescind a corporate-branded donation to California's anti-gay "Yes on 8" campaign, citing that their agreement prohibits using "the Trademark in a manner that degrades, diminishes, or detracts from the goodwill of the business associated with the Trademark."

So, uh, how come you don't protect your brand like that, Petland?

"Investigation ties pet chain to puppy mills" [MSNBC]
(Photo: Getty Images)

I read your post Saturday regarding the Purina Beneful dog food. I feed my dog the same brand so I was understandably concerned. I checked the checked the stock we had on hand and was relieved to find no maggots, larvae,or other creatures in my dog's food.

Later today, 22 Sept., I opened a new bag of the same food and fed Banjo. I usually mix a bit of water in his food to soften it up for him. When he finished eating I grabbed his bowl so I could rinse it out. The junk that was left in the bottom of his bowl was nothing short of maggot stew.

I took a few pictures just in case we would need them and then called Purina customer service. After an automated message stating that Purina was aware of another recall from a competitor's brand of pet food, I was put in the holding queue with a promise that a service rep world be with as soon as possible. After the wait a pleasant CSR named Megan answered. I told her of my predicament and asked for her advice. She gathered the information from the bottom of my bag and urged me to discard any unused food into an outdoor trashcan. She told me a full replacement coupon was in the mail and apologized profusely. I asked if the bugs would be harmful to my dog and she said that normally they weren't but if we had to take my dog to the vet as a result of the swarm then we should call back with the reference number and inform the CSR. I hope we can avoid that route but it seems like she was genuinely concerned and apologetic.

I cant imagine bugs would be harmful to him because he eats poop too but that isn't the point. I paid for a bag of food with an unspoken promise of a bug-free dining experience for my dog. All in all the customer service portion of my ordeal was pleasant and it seemed like they weren't trying to shirk their responsibility.

Recalled brands:

• Pedigree
• Ol' Roy
• Retriever
• Paws & Claws
• Member's Mark
• Natural Dog Food
• Natural Cat Food
• Doggy Bag
• PMI Nutrition
• Red Flannel
• PetPride
• Special Kitty
• Country Acres
• Wegman's Bruiser
• Wegman's Buju & Ziggie

To check whether the package you have is part of the recall, look at the code under the "Best Before" date.

For Pedigree brand food:

Consumers should look for “PAE” on the bottom line – the sixth, seventh and eighth digits. Sample:
Best Before 02/2009
808G1PAE01 12:00

For all other brands:

Consumers should look for “17” as the first two digits of the second line. Sample:
Best By Feb 18 09
17 1445 1

If you find a match, wrap up the product according to FDA guidelines and take it back to the store where you purchased it for a refund.

Mars Petcare September 2008 Recall Information (Thanks to Liz!)
(Photo: Getty)

Darryl wrote to us about what happened to his girlfriend's dog:

Today I received a frantic call from my girlfriend about her dog Brutis. Brutis is a 130 pound Black Lab, more like a barrel shaped teddy bear. Brutis is also a very, very big boy. He lives in the country and in the Michigan summer, fleas tend to come around. My girlfriend noticed a flea on his tail and decided to give him a bath and apply some Hartz Flea & Tick remover according to the generic instructions.

Please do not get the impression she applied it improperly. It was sprayed no where near his face, nose, eyes, etc. He was sprayed outside to provide ventilation. 45 minutes later Brutis starts throw up violently, becoming weak with shaking and tremors. He would fade in and out of this condition. I went to the internet to find information, finding the advice to wash the dog with luke-warm water and dish soap. She thoroughly washed Brutis repeatedly to remove any of the flea & tick remover. He was still trying to vomit, merely dry heaving bile from his stomach. Sorry this is graphic.

We rushed the dog to Michigan State's Emergency clinic which is roughly 15 miles away from their house. The dog continued to vomit in her back seat on the way to the clinic. He was very lethargic and unresponsive, not displaying his usual characteristics. It was determined that the Hartz spray was responsible for this violent reaction.

We don't know how Brutis turned out, but we've asked for an update and will post it if Darryl replies.

If you've got a flea problem, HartzVictims.org suggests you ask your veterinarian for a suggestion, and avoid any OTC product from a retail store.

Update: Darryl sent us a status report on Brutis, along with a pic:

When we brought him in Friday night, he was extremely dehydrated and his heart rate was 180 bpm, when it should normally be between 60-100bpm. We were told that if we had not brought him in he would have died from either dehydration or heart failure.

After some great care provided by the MSU Emergency Clinic, Brutis is at home resting sound waiting for his next meal, and the one after that, and the one after that..

I still have to go through the trouble of getting them to cover the bill, but that is non-comparative to the value of having them exposed for the people that never have the satisfaction of bringing their pet home alive.

www.hartzvictims.org
"Against Hartz"
(Photo: Getty)

"One Dallas reader took me to task for spending so much on my dog and then daring to write about it in a column called 'Cheapskate.' He wrote, 'Basically, my 'frugal' belief (I do not consider myself a cheapskate) is that I paid $110 for our family cocker spaniel from a rescue organization six years ago, and I will pay no more than $110 to keep her alive.' "

On the other hand, some are willing to pay almost anything:

"A Massachusetts reader put it eloquently as he described his efforts to stretch out the life of his 14-year-old 'best friend,' afflicted with pneumonia, an impacted colon and cancer. 'There are many who think burning 18 grand to keep a dog around for six or 12 extra months is madness,' he wrote. 'Sometimes I think so, too. But my wife died from lymphoma two years ago, and I have no children. What am I going to do, buy a bigger television set?'"

Have you decided how much you'd spend to save your pet? If so, what financial steps have you taken (like adding more to your emergency fund) to support such a plan of action?

How Far Would You Go To Keep Your Dog Alive? [The Wall Street Journal]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE
(Photo: fantasysage)

On Sunday, June 22, 2008 my 10-year old lab mix, Chai, sustained a severe injury from a product that the company Four Paws Inc, produces. The toy I'm referencing is the pimple ball with bell. (Item #20227-001, UPC Code 0 4566320227 9)

While chewing on the toy, a vacuum was created and it effectively sucked his tongue into the hole in the ball. From speaking with my vet, this likely occurred because there is not a second hole in the ball preventing the vacuum effect from happening. I became aware of this when Chai approached a friend at my home whimpering with the ball in his mouth. She tried unsuccessfully to remove the ball but the tongue had swollen and could not be released.

Chai was taken to the Animal Medical Center (an emergency care facility in New York City) and was treated by Dr. Nicole Spurlock to have the ball removed. Because the size of the opening on the ball was so small, all circulation to his tongue was cut off. The doctors had to sedate him in order to remove it. Once the ball was removed, his tongue swelled to the point that he could no longer put it in his mouth. Chai was sent home with care instructions and to be observed overnight for any changes.

By the following morning Chai’s tongue had swollen even more.

He was taken to his regular vet, Dr. Timnah Lee, for treatment. He was admitted and kept sedated for a period of three days during which time they were treating his wounds and waiting to determine how much of his tongue could be saved. On June 26, 2008 Chai had his tongue amputated.

He was kept in after-care for an additional three days. On Sunday June 29th I brought Chai home from the vet with a barrage of home care instructions, to last for an additional 7 days. His next visit was to have his mouth re-examined and have the feeding tube in his neck removed.

The owner says they mentioned the injury to friends and were shocked to learn that the same type of injury had happened to their dog. Now the owner is asking for a recall of the chew toy:

it is their position that there just aren't enough instances to do anything about this. I told their Insurance company's case manager that was not a good enough excuse, It was inferred that my dogs value wasn't much and that his pain and suffering don't count as he is just a piece of property.

You can read the rest of the story and check out photos of the injury (Warning: they're pretty graphic) here.

The Chai Story(Thanks, Paul!)

UPDATE: Someone who contacted the company on Chai the Dog's behalf posted this email response in the comments:

Thank you for your recent note expressing concern over the Four Paws® Pimple Ball with Bell. We were equally alarmed to learn that a dog may have injured himself while playing with this toy.

Dogs have been enjoying the Pimple Ball with Bell for more than a decade with over 500,000 units sold. In all the years this product has been on the market, this is the first injury of this nature that we are aware of. Unfortunately, accidents sometimes happen. That’s why we recommend that dogs always be supervised when they are playing with any toy. We take great care in developing safe products for pets and their owners.

At this point we have identified the problem and are not shipping any more Pimple Balls. We have contacted customers that carry this product and have asked them to immediately return their inventory.

Thank you for your concern and feedback. Please know that we are in direct communication with the pet owner whose dog was injured. At Four Paws, happy pets and satisfied pet owners are our number one priority. Rest assured we will continue to work hard to deliver on our priority.

Sincerely,

Allen Simon

President, CEO

Four Paws Products

Sent by Haley Birk on behalf of Allen Simon

Sara says:

I wanted to let you know what happened to our dog when we took him to get groomed at Petsmart today. We've taken our Lab and Boxer there many times in the past and never had a problem, but today we got a call that they had "nicked" our Boxer's toenail and were having the on-site vet take a look at him "just in case." We went up there to find out what was going on.

We went to the grooming salon to check out both dogs. They give you the bill before they release your pets to you and you go in the checkout line to pay. The woman in the salon looked at the bill and said she wanted to check something and told us to go over to the vet to see what was going on with Winston, the Boxer. We noticed smeared bloodstains on the tiled floor both inside and outside the salon. The vet was called out to see us after we waited about ten minutes. He said that the grooming technician accidentally cut the nail to the quick and it was bleeding. He said that the Boxer was full of energy and during the short walk from the salon to the vet's office the dog "knocked against something" and it started to bleed again. There is an unobstructed path between the salon and the vet's office. He said that our dog was anxious and his blood pressure was up and he hoped to keep him there while he calmed down and that if we took him home he would probably continue to bleed. He said we could BUY a product to help stop the bleeding. The vet said that nobody was at fault except the dog for "wiggling."

They blamed the "accident" on a black nail. Boxer's nails vary between black and white depending on the color of the skin of the toe. When we finally got the dog back to examine, it is very apparent to us that the nail was not a black nail. You can see clearly that the nail was not "nicked" but in fact there is very little left of it. This is definitely a painful condition for a dog and leaves our pet open to infection until it heals.

When I went back to pay, the bill was for full price, without a discount that I thought was forthcoming after the tech wanted to "check something." I asked, "You are going to charge me full price after hurting my dog?" An assistant manager was called since the manager was not there. While the manager was apologetic, he said the best he could do was offer to give us the doomed nail clipping free because "your dog still got a bath and we didn't charge you for the vet's time." He went on to tell us that in addition to the bleeding from the cut nail the nerve was also damaged. Nice. He eventually did give us the product to stop the bleeding for free.

I understand that nail trimming, especially with an energetic dog, is a difficult task but that is the reason we take our dogs to a professional groomer. We are not brave enough to undertake that task ourselves because we are afraid of injuring our pets. We understand that the vet was consulted for our dog's injury but we feel that injury was completely preventable if care was taken. Our dog can't be the only energetic dog the groomers see. When the vet offered to sell us the product to stem the bleeding we were enraged. We also appreciate that the assistant manager offered to get our "trust" back by whatever means he could, but the fact that no meaningful discount was offered was galling. After they hurt your dog and probably make it impossible for him to ever allow his nails to be trimmed again, what could they possibly do?

We were so upset that we didn't accept the nominal discount for the nail trimming as we just wanted to get our dogs home. I don't think this is an across the board condemnation against the groomers at Petsmart but this really shouldn't have happened.

Ouch! Poor puppy. We suggest launching an EECB (executive email carpet bomb) on Petsmart to see if there's anything more they can do for you. Accidents happen, but haggling over a product to stop the bleeding that they caused is, well, rude.

For more information about launching an EECB, click here.

Also, you're probably in the market for a new dog groomer, so be sure to check out this information from the Humane Society of the United States.

What do you think Petsmart should have done in this situation?

(Photo: Jenna Belle )

Elizabeth writes:

A few weeks ago I adopted a retired racing greyhound. A beautiful, loving and well mannered dog. And like every other pet owner I’ve gone nuts buying him squeaky toys, treats, and bones to chew. Of course, having a dog is a bit like having a child so now everyone wants to tell me what I am doing wrong. Just about everyone informed me that rawhide was dangerous to dogs, that I should buy him Bully Sticks.

Sure enough, Robbie loved them but at $7-$10 each, they were a bit expensive. So I went online to try and buy them in bulk. I found them alright, plus a little more info than I needed. Turns out Bully Sticks are dried bull penises that are smoked and then cut to size. Some outifts are upfront and call them pizzles, but the larger companies that sell to Petco and PetSmart refer to them simply as beef muscle.

Now I like penises just as much as any girl, but the joy of picking up a soft, soggy well chewed penis continues to elude me.

(Photo: Getty)

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

With the arrival of spring and a deepening recession, shelters already bulging with pets that have lost their humans and homes through foreclosure now have the added strain of new litters of puppies and kittens.

Euthanization figures at shelters in two of metro Atlanta's largest counties are proof they have reached their limit.

"This," said animal rescuer Stacey Hall, "is as bad as I've ever seen it."

Bad all over, too. A national organization that charts animal issues reports that across the country shelters have overflowing inventories. Adding to rescue societies' problems: the escalating price of gas continues to cut into their budgets.

Chicagoland's Southtown Star recently wrote about the South Suburban Humane Society, which provides free pet food to needy owners fourth Thursday of each month. They've added the second Thursday of each month due to increased demand.

"We used to hand out food from noon to about 3:30 (p.m.), until supplies were gone," said Emily Gruszka, executive director of the Chicago Heights facility. "But the last two months, we've opened up to find 10 to 15 people already waiting in line. And we've had to close by 12:30 (p.m.) because we'd run out of food already."

Gruszka says that with energy prices and the economy in the state that they are, people consider pets and the $1,000 or so they cost per year, to be a luxury. "Few families can look at the economy now and think, 'I have an extra $1,000 to spend,' " she said.

Need for donated pet food rising [Southtown Star]
Dogs, cats feel the bite of home foreclosures [A J-C](Thanks, j!)
(Photo: Bob Andres)

Reader Michael says:

Last week, I found that kitty's favorite food vanished from Petsmart. So I went to Petco, where the Super shrink ray scored a critical hit. The big bag of Science Diet Nature's Best cat food shed 31% of its weight, going from 17.5 lbs to 12 lbs. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see that the "Low price!" tag is kind enough to point this out. Although the old price may have been clearance and the new UPC was different, the price check said $35.99.

It's also now "Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner" instead of merely "Chicken and Rice". Surprisingly, the ingredients might qualify as legitimately new and improved: "chicken" (a lot closer to what you'd think it is than the unpleasant but cheaper "chicken by-product meal") has been bumped up in the ingredient list from #7 to #1, for example.

Anyway, it was a sad ending here for Science Diet. Before, Nature's Best was merely high-priced food. Now it's now the most expensive food in the store.

Reader Amy contacted the company and here's the response they sent:

Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.

Ms. Amy xx
xxx
xxx

Dear Ms. xxx:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Hill's® is a significant purchaser of quality ingredients used in the production of our pet foods. In the last several months, the cost of these ingredients has substantially increased. We are passing along a portion of these increases in the form of a product price increase.

Hill's® has always maintained the highest quality pet food and manufacturing processes, and will continue to do so. This quality is reflected in the superior nutritional benefits we provide pets, at cost of just pennies more per day than grocery brands.

We can certainly understand your concern, as we have personally been impacted by rising costs of essential items like gas or food. However, Hill's® is unwilling to compromise our high quality standards by using less costly, lower quality ingredients or manufacturing methods.

Comments from our consumers are one of the most important sources we have for measuring the quality and acceptance of our products and the services we provide. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to call our Consumer Affairs Department toll free at 1-800-445-5777, 8AM-5PM CST, Monday-Friday, or visit HillsPet.com.

Sincerely,

Jama Einfalt
Dietary Management Consultant
Consumer Affairs

On the surface, Hands-N-Paws caters to owners-n-their-dogs, but the company's real stock in trade is being hilariously rude to its customers. When someone asked them to cancel an order immediately, they wrote back, "No..not immediately, when we can get round to it." When another person threatened to report them to the Better Business Bureau, they wrote back, "File it. Blackmail gets you nowhere, honey." They even have a "Hall of Shame" on their website where they list the email addresses of customers they hate most of all. This is why we make all of our cats' clothing out of old newspaper.

This story from the thread seems to encapsulate the type of experience shoppers have with handsnpaws:

I ordered over $60 worth of items from this site in March......their site clearly states that your "order status" will change within a week from your order...and if not, to email their customer service. So, when mine didn't change, I sent an email....not response, sent another, no response.....it was now the middle of April and I still hadn't heard from them, my order status was never changed and I read a lot of BAD reviews on them, so I got worried.
 
Here is an email I sent them (the only one they ever answered to):

This is my third attempt to contact you regarding the status of my orderd, placed on March 1st. I would like to know when to expect it to be shipped, if item are backordered, etc. I am a little concerned about my order and am afraid if I do not receive a response about my order OR receive my order soon, I will have to file a dispute for my PayPal payment.   Thank you! Jenn

AND here is their response back:

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:12:31 -0700 (PDT) From: "HandsNpaws" Subject: Re: FEEDBACK: Order   File it. We're still closed for PASSOVER and the processing time is still 1 to 4 weeks as you were advised. We'll say the same thing elsewhere, because that's the first thing they'll ask. What are our terms. And we'll show them what we showed you...more than once. Blackmail gets you nowhere honey, but we do get a kick out of letting you make a fool of yourself. And of course, you won't get the items any quicker. We'll let the paypal time run its course. That will be even more fun sitting back and making you wait while you get yourself all worked up. It pays to be nice, honey. When you're nasty, this is one store where we won't go one inch out of our way. Don't have to.

I had filed w/ PayPal before I got the email back from them, because, of course, it took them awhile to respond. But once I got this email, I forwarded it to PayPal, my dispute was moved to a claim (within a few days of my filing my dispute) and I got my money refunded (THANK GOODNESS)!!!
 
Here is their response in the PayPal refund:

Sophistication Alley Ltd. (Mail@HandsNpaws.com) has issued you a full or partial refund for your payment.   Message from merchant: Hope you enjoyed the long wait. That's what you get for being rude and impatient.

Even the lone customer on the thread who stands up for the company has faint praise:

I've been ordering from that website for the last two years with ZERO issues! I wonder what happened. I haven't ordered anything within the last few months, but the last shipment I got was prompt and correct. I must admit thought, I don't ever get a shipment confirmation or anything from them.

Ripoffreport has another stunning example of the madness behind Handsnpaws, where they refuse to answer a customer's questions, then tell her they aren't going to talk to her anymore.

A Ripoffreport commenter also point out that there's another company, Hands AND Paws, that is totally unrelated to this story, owned by a different person, and has no complaints against it. Here are the Sophistication Alley businesses we could find:

• Sophistication Alley Ltd.
• www.handsnpaws.com
• www.sundaycolors.com
• www.pawstogo.com

Handsnpaws, please read this post and send us a hateful email! Unlike customers, we actually enjoy hearing back from people like you. It makes our jobs that much easier.

(Thanks to Dan!)

(Photo: kansas_city_royalty)

Stewart is a realist: he admits that there are definitely some high costs associated with monkey ownership. But he also considers the fact that a monkey can be an investment if properly trained. You know, to ride dogs and stuff:

The only reason you have a monkey as a pet is to train it to do cool things. These cool things can also earn you money, if you know how to crack the competitive birthday party/rodeo market. Lets assume that my monkey isn't smart enough to be a public spectacle until he is 5 years old and I put him out to stud for the last two years of his life. That leaves me about 10 years of use out of the monkey.

Just last week a little boy here was bitten to the bone and seriously injured by his family's "pet" lemur.

"Pet Monkeys - The Financial Considerations" [My Family's Money]

(Photos: monkey riding dog: I Fought the Law; monkey pants: scottobear)

Vet Investigation [KNBC]

Up a tree over dead cat's health plan [Chicago Tribune] (Thanks to David!)

When Gonzalez explained that he is disabled and was training Mason to help him, the manager responded that dogs were not allowed in the store and that Gonzalez would be escorted out, Gonzalez said.

The manager was "very firm, and I felt embarrassed and ashamed," Gonzalez said. "I felt like I was disrespected."

Dillard's officials say Gonzalez never identified himself as disabled and only indicated that he was training the dog.

"On a daily basis Dillard's welcomes customers with service dogs into many of its stores across the country," Johnson said.

"If a person wishes to seek to train a dog in a Dillard's department store, the respective store manager needs to be contacted so that the best time can be established for both parties."

After leaving the store, Gonzalez contacted Hurst police. Officers talked with Gonzalez and the manager and determined that the dispute was a civil matter. Police say there was a report of the dog causing a disturbance in the store, which gives the business owner a right to ask the animal to leave.

However, if a business owner is suspected of discriminating against a disabled person with a service animal, the business owner can be ticketed for misdemeanor discrimination, police said.

Store boots disabled vet and his service dog [Star-Tribune]
(Photo: D.J. Peters/Star-Tribune)

On Friday, November 16, 2007, my dog, Catfish, died. Catfish died from ingesting a toy I bought her from the Dollar Tree. This was a dog toy by "Paws N Claws", called a "Chase and Fetch Chew Toy". It was a plastic boomerang distributed by Greenbrier International Inc. from Chesapeake, Virginia.

Here is an account of how things happened...

When I purchased this boomerang, there was no label on it. Catfish enjoyed this toy, so when it got old, I bought another, and later, a third one. None of these toys had any labels on them. I noticed that Catfish chewed off pieces of the toy, but did not think she was ingesting those pieces. I would find lots of parts of the toy chewed up laying around the house. She had obviously discarded them. I would pick them up and throw them away.

On Thursday, November 8, 2007, I woke up to my dog crying. I got up, and there was vomit everywhere. Some of the piles of vomit had blood in them. The vomit was a deep brown liquid. I called my vet and was told not to feed her for 24 hours. I did that. She was constantly shaking badly, and would hide under tables and chairs. The next day, Catfish was still sick. She was no longer vomiting, but she would not drink any water, was not interested in eating, and was still shaking and hiding. She just seemed really ill, so I called the vet again. The vet suggested feeding her some white rice and boneless, skinless chicken breast. I cooked these things, but Catfish did not want it. During the course of the day, I got her to eat a tiny bit of it. That evening, she threw it all up. I made an appointment for the next day, Saturday, at the vet. That day, the vet pulled some pieces of the plastic boomerang from Catfish's rectum. We all hoped that that was the answer. However, Catfish continued to shake terribly, and still refused to eat and drink. Monday morning, I took Catfish back to the vet. The vet was able to pull another piece of this toy from her rectum. These pieces of toy were extremely sharp and pointy. I knew that these were parts of the boomerang, because of the color, texture, and the fact that all of her other toys were intact. The vet had me purchase some items for Catfish- a nutrition paste, and another paste intended to lubricate the digestive track making it easier for defecation. However, Catfish remained ill. She was still refusing to eat, and I had to force water into her mouth with a syringe. An appointment was made for Thursday the 15th for exploratory surgery. The vet opened Catfish's intestines and stomach. Lots of the toy was found. Parts of her stomach were necrotic, and the vet sutured them. There was a massive amount of scar tissue on Catfish's insides. The vet recommended that I leave Catfish with her until at least Saturday, however Catfish did not make it that long. The vet took Catfish home with her that evening, but on Friday morning she died. The doctor said the toy may have been toxic and gotten in her bloodstream, however, the death may have been due to the extreme scar tissue.

We buried Catfish Friday morning.

I have all of my receipts from the vet, as well as a bag full of the toy that was in my dog's stomach. I have since been back to the Dollar Tree to purchase an identical toy. I mentioned that the toys that I purchased had no labels on them- This time, I dug through the toys thinking that surely there must be a label stating who made the toy, etc. After tossing aside 5 boomerangs with no label, I finally found 1 with a label. It is a piece of paper that easily slides off. While this paper did have a warning about supervising your dog while it plays with any toy, this warning was not provided to me when I purchased not only 1, but all 3 boomerangs.

I bought Catfish this toy because I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to play and have fun. I never ever thought that I was killing my dog. If I had not bought this toy, my dog would be with me today.

Catfish was an excellent dog. A few months ago, a man tried to break into my apartment, but was scared off by Catfish. Less than a week later, that man was arrested for breaking into another apartment and sexually assaulting a woman. That is one example of how Catfish was everything you could want from a dog.

Unfortunately, to find out whether or not the toy is toxic would take way more money than I have to spend. I paid a great deal of money trying to make my dog well. No amount of money will ever comfort me. However- someone should pay for the death of my best friend. No other dog or dog owner should ever go through this. I want these toys taken off the shelves of every store. And I'd like for everyone involved in the selling of this toy to know how devastated and crushed I am by the loss of my poor dog.

Thanks for your time,
LeAnn Waters

Please don't buy your pets cheap plastic toys from dollar discount stores. If they're gnawing toys into shards, it's possible for those shards to get lodged in your pet's digestive track and possibly kill them.

..the District Manager called us back and stated that she watched the video in slow motion, and that while she could understand how we interpreted the employee's gestures to have been inappropriate, that she has concluded that the man was just playing with the animals, did not in fact strike any dogs, and was not inappropriate.

On Sunday, October 21, my wife and I picked up our dog from the Petsmart Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia (at Potomac Yards) where he had been boarded for one night. As we waited for our dog to be retrieved, we watched a live video stream of the day care room on a monitor facing us. The room appeared to be overcrowded with more than a dozen large dogs in a relatively small space. One employee could be seen in the middle of the crowd of dogs. Suddenly, both my wife and I saw this employee raise his hand and strike a dog. We were shocked by what we saw. Outraged, we immediately pointed this out the desk employee and requested to see a manager. As we waited, we continued to watch the video feed and witnessed the worker strike two or three more dogs. The Pet Hotel manager came out and we explained what we saw. We asked that this matter would be investigated and that the individual we saw strike the dogs would be removed from caring for dogs. We weren't looking for any deal from Petsmart or to threaten any legal action — we just wanted a firm answer that this employee would no longer be left in the care of any animals.

The following day we received calls from both the Pet Hotel manager as well as the store manger. The Pet Hotel manager told me personally that she watched the video and found the worker's actions "unacceptable." In a separate conversation, the store manager stated that he watched the video "about 12 times" and also found it horribly inappropriate. Next we received a call from the District Manager who was incredibly evasive in her statements and stated she would get back to us after a full investigation, but that the employee in question was still working with dogs while the investigation took place. Ten days after the incident, the District Manager called us back and stated that she watched the video in slow motion, and that while she could understand how we interpreted the employee's gestures to have been inappropriate, that she has concluded that the man was just playing with the animals, did not in fact strike any dogs, and was not inappropriate. In response, we very reasonably asked if we could watch the video with her so she could show us what she saw. She said no.

Since this incident, we have canceled all his future stays. We are outraged by what we saw and even more troubled that despite two managers having told us that they agreed that the employee was inappropriate, the district manager not only concluded otherwise, but refused to show us her interpretation. Petsmart has handled this in the worst possible way, excusing the conduct of an employee who hit dogs he was entrusted to care.

We feel the right thing to do is to let the community know about this incident so that dog owners can consider this incident when finding care for their dogs. Needless to say, we feel strongly that Petsmart Hotel is not a dependable or safe place to trust for care of D.C.-area pets.

(Photo: dairycow2)

This past Tuesday my Yorkie Mason began throwing up, and not having the best appetite in the world. After throwing up 6 times in one day, we figured something was wrong with him, so of course we took him to the Doggie ER. They evaluated him, and said he may be dehydrated, and did some type of procedure on him. The next day, he was somewhat ok, but still not his normal playful self. He has now been under the vets care, and has spent two nights there under the vet's watch. I called the vet last night and told him what I discovered: Expiration dates from 2004 on the Eukanuba canned dog food I purchased. Now, I purchased 5 cans of this dog food, and 2 of them have the 2004 expiration date. I don't know if the other cans he has finished may have had this expiration date on it since I have thrown those away already.

Now, I really want to go to PETCO and punch someones face for this, but I'm really not the violent type, so I would love for you to give me some heads up on what to do!

This story reminds us that people should still keep an eye out for both expired pet food and recalled pet food. Stores are much less vigilant about pet products than they are about food meant for people. Give a hug to the puppy for us, he's adorable.

Has this happened to you or your pet? What did you do?

[Michelle Waltenburg of Tacoma] was on the Craigslist web site looking at the classified ads for pets when she came across an ad for a "lovely English bulldog puppy needing a loving and caring home."

"Something about the way they worded it jumped out at me," she said. "It was an adorable little bulldog puppy, just sitting there, looking at the camera. That's it. That's all it takes."

Michelle responded and got a quick reply from a James Campbell. He claimed to be an American working in Cameroon. He said he wanted someone in the United States to adopt his bulldog puppy, Suzy, because the weather in Africa was no good for her.

"And he said, 'No, there's no fee, but I need you to pay for the puppy to be flown home,' " Waltenburg recalled. "And I said, 'Oh cool. I can do that,' having no idea what was involved."

Waltenburg thought she was going to get a purebred puppy for free, as long as she paid for the shipping, which the "seller" said had to be wired via Western Union.

Michelle sent him $180. That's when the requests for more money started coming in.

"Unfortunately, there never was a dog and you're never going to get your money back," said Alison Preszler, with the National Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Scam artists using puppies to steal your money [KOMO 4 via All Consuming]
(Photo: anyoungkevin)

The first, and most outlandish/awesome suggestion, is to set up a trust fund. It's actually more practical and cheaper than you think, at least if you live in one of the 38 states (or D.C.) where it's legal. These "statutory pet trusts" require only a few more lines in your will, and can be for as little as $100. If you go this route, see an attorney and make sure you address the following items:

• know who will manage your trust;
• know how you want the money to be spent;
• provide instructions on what to do with unused funds when the pet dies (we bet this one keeps Trouble awake at night);
• and know how you'll fund the trust.

"Your Money: Pet lovers like Helmsley plan ahead" [USA Today]
(Photo: Getty)

Scammers post on Craigslist with a picture of an adorable puppy like Scooter (who belongs to one of our readers, not a Nigerian scammer), and a sob story. The puppy can be yours for only $100 in shipping! You go ahead and wire the money to the scammer.

Sadly for you, there is no puppy and you've been had.

Here are some pet-scam-avoiding tips from Bankrate:

• 
  Dos:
  
• Check out referrals
  
• See the puppy in person
  
  Don'ts:
  
• Pay via wire transfer
  
• Buy from an overseas seller
  
• Purchase a puppy, sight unseen

We can definitely see how this sort of scam works. One look at Scooter and your wallet flies out of your pocket and starts spraying money indiscriminately. Puppies are so cute.

Pet scams [Bankrate]
(Photo:SIRBERUS)

Yes, we don't want to panic the volatile Chicken Jerky Strip market, better keep this one on the DL boys, oops, your dog is dead. Walmart offered the Chihuahua owner $2,000 to compensate her for her loss, which she refused.

When will Walmart step up and do the right thing and launch an official recall? When 5 dogs die? Or after more media attention? Or after the FDA steps in?

[FoxNews] (Thanks to kg6mso!)

About eight weeks ago, our dog was treated for a stomach bug, a bout of diarrhea. He was treated and we submitted the claim. This one was denied because it fell between the time when we applied for the insurance and when the policy kicked in. No problem. Then, several weeks later, he had some vomiting, we took him to the vet and filed a claim with the insurance company [VPI]. Now that claim is being denied. They are claiming that all stomach-related illnesses fall under the category of "pre-existing conditions" although he has no chronic stomach problems and the two incidents were entirely unrelated to one another. Both incidents occurred after we applied for the policy, but the second one is being denied because we filed the first one during the short window before the policy kicked in. This seems entirely unfair, as we applied for the policy in total good faith, when he was in great health. Now I am told that we cannot get reimbursed for any medical expenses related to stomach issues, because they will all fall under the category of pre-existing illness, although he has no illnesses to speak of. He will have to go for a full year without any stomach problems (almost impossible for many puppies) before we can apply to have the exemption removed.

I'm not sure what to do, other than to write a long letter to the Insurance company and to alert everyone to the unethical practices of VPI Insurance. They don't care about pets, only about profit.

Yours,
Barry T.

It's almost like VPI, and said hey, those are some great ideas. Let's do the same thing, except for pets.

We don't know, can you file a chargeback against an insurance company? Otherwise, yes, take your own advice and write a letter to the company. But don't make it long. And don't make it about how unethical they are. Make it about how you feel there was a misunderstanding and you feel your claim was unfairly denied. Here's a how to to get you started.

(Photo: Catskills Grrl)

While adding no nutritional content, the additives high nitrogen levels makes a food look like it's chock full of protein. And it's certainly cheaper than actual food.

In China, they make melamine from boiled coal. Mmm, yummy coal! Makes kitty's fur lustrous and eyes so shiny! — BEN POPKEN

Filler in Animal Feed Is Open Secret in China [NYT]
(Photo: Ariana Lindquist)

We wrote:

Dear Purina,

Me and my kitty love Purina Naturals! It's the purrrfect fuel for keeping her coat lustrous and her eyes shiny.

I was looking around at other Purina brands on the website and I noticed a lot of the packages show a female cradling a cat. I'm fond of religious art history and couldn't help but notice that it sorta looks like those Madonna and Child paintings. Is there any truth to that?

Either way, Mittens thinks Purina Naturals is heavenly!

They responded:

Thank you for contacting Nestl Purina PetCare Company.

We appreciate your patience while we investigated your inquiry. We have been in contact with the appropriate individuals within the company and have been advised that the images are intended to reflect the close bond between the consumer and their pet.

We hope this information is helpful and that you will let us know if you have any other questions.

Again, thank you for visiting our web site.

Good thing we got thought settled. Now we're off to give our kitten his communion, oops, we mean Purina Natural snack. — BEN POPKEN

PREVIOUSLY:
Dear Purina: Why Do You Love The Virgin Mary So?
Purina Pays More Homage To Madonna And Child Motif, For Some Strange Reason
Purina Cat Food Logo Rips Off Christianity

Dear Purina,

Me and my kitty love Purina Naturals! It's the purrrfect fuel for keeping her coat lustrous and her eyes shiny.

I was looking around at other Purina brands on the website and I noticed a lot of the packages show a female cradling a cat. I'm fond of religious art history and couldn't help but notice that it sorta looks like those Madonna and Child paintings. Is there any truth to that?

Either way, Mittens thinks Purina Naturals is heavenly!

We're still waiting for a response. — BEN POPKEN

A spokesperson for the airline said the mouse had to be located before take-off because it posed a threat to the safety of the plane. "We were afraid it might chew through some of the plane's cables," said the head of the airline's safety department.

Sneaking animals on a plane? Not such a good idea. Then again, maybe it was just escaped food for the snakes.—MEGHANN MARCO

White mouse forces delay of Vietnam Airlines flight [USAToday]
White mouse grounds Vietnam Airlines flight [France24]
(Photo: Refracted Moments)

Walker said he had removed the products earlier in the week, but clerks restocked the shelves overnight, unaware that the pet food had been recalled. "At night they didn't know better," Walker said. "It's just confusing."

Pet owners on quest for safe food [The News & Observer] (Thanks to John!)
(Photo: ayustety)

PREVIOUSLY: Signs Your Pet Ate Contaminated Food
Walmart's Ailing Recall System
Recalled Pet Food Still On Walmart Shelves

Today, we went to the grocery store and happened across the pet food section. Most of the bags just had cats on them. Two more packages showed female owners cradling a cat in their arm. Both were made by Purina.

Packaging design choices are often made at random, often by studying bird bones, lofting balloons, examining the lumps on men's heads, and by games of spin the bottle, so it's just one of life's little coincidences that one of the images burned into humanity's collective consciousness shows up on a bag of cat food. Marketing isn't about manipulation, it's about fun, family, and togetherness.

More snaps, inside...

And for editorial balance, some dog food.

— BEN POPKEN

It's not like an artist doing a "riff," or an "homage," rather, Purina is tapping into a thematic trope deeply embedded in mankind's consciousness. That's kinda creepy, weird, and funny, to boot.

Some people worship their cats so we guess it makes sense. Hey, at least Purina Natural doesn't have wheat gluten. — BEN POPKEN

(Thanks to Thomas!)

According to import records, the wheat gluten was shipped to the United States from Nov. 3, 2006 to Jan. 23 of this year and contained "minimal labeling" to indicate whether it was intended for humans or animals. The vast majority went to pet food manufacturers and distributors, according to the FDA. But some of the processing plants that remain under FDA scrutiny make both human and pet food.

"To date, we have nothing that indicates it's gone into human food," said Dorothy Miller , director of the FDA's Office of Emergency Operations . "We have a bit more investigation to do."

Was human food tainted too? [Boston Globe] (Thanks, Mitchell!)
(Photo: Hector Garcia)

Here are the tell-tell signs of kidney failure:

• Stops eating
• Drinks lots of water
• Listlessness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

If you see at least 2-3 of the above signs, especially listlessness, call your local animal hospital.

Even if you're not buying any of the recalled products, its important to know what to look out for. Who knows what other products the recall might grow to? — BEN POPKEN

(Photo: Maulleigh)

Once again, the culprit appears to be wheat gluten imported from overseas. Pet owners are advised to read the label carefully and, as a precaution, avoid any product made with wheat gluten, and especially those with gravy sauce.

As an alternative, consider making meals for your pets (see books like Real Food for Cats, or Real Food For Dogs), or letting them outside to catch and devour the flesh of small animals. — BEN POPKEN

Del Monte Recall Press Release

PREVIOUSLY:
How To Contact Menu Foods Executives, Makers Of Rat-Poisoned Pet Food
BREAKING: Rat Poison Found In Recalled Pet Food
Woman Buys $1,000 In Tainted Pet Food At Walmart
Recalled Pet Food Still On Walmart Shelves
Massive Pet Food Recall After Animal Deaths

A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.

There is some good news according to the source. Knowing the chemical should aid veterinarians who are treating animals that have been sickened by the pet food.

Aminopterin is used in the United States in, of all things, a cancer drug, according to the source.

Rat Poison to Blame for Pet Food Contamination [ABC News] (Thanks, Kevin!)