When you’re looking for a pet, you’re probably thinking with your heart rather than running a cost-benefit analysis. But animal sidekicks come with a plethora of hidden challenges, including financial demands that you’ll need to make sure you can handle. [More]
pets
Get Your Barking Dog To Shut Up
By 1.30.12
Even otherwise well-trained dogs sometimes can’t control their urge to romp around your back yard and bark at everything that moves, annoying your neighbors and making you feel guilty. But with a soft, firm touch and dedication, you can probably get your pooch to pipe down. [More]
Kroger Now In The Business Of Filling Your Pets' Prescriptions
By 1.23.12
Tired of paying exorbitant prices to your vet to get those prescription pills, creams, eye and ear drops for your pets? The folks at Kroger hope you are, as they have just expanded the availability of pet medications to all the supermarket chain’s in-store pharmacies nationwide. [More]
Arizona Clinic Won't Take Credit Cards Over The Phone, Euthanizes Cat Instead
By 12.29.11
An Arizona man didn’t have the $400 for his injured cat’s vet care, and the Humane Society clinic he visited wouldn’t take his mother’s credit card information over the phone or wait for . So he did what he thought was the best thing for 9-month-old Scruffy: surrender ownership to the organization so she would receive treatment. He was told that he could adopt her back later on. A lack of resources meant that Scruffy, whose injuries were not life-threatening, was euthanized instead. [More]
D.C. Residents, Recycle Your Cat Litter Or Face Garbage Snooping, Fines
By 12.14.11
The Washington, D.C. Department of Public Works is apparently so dedicated to enforcing recycling laws that they’re willing to dig through trash to find evidence to issue fines. A resident says she’s been stuck with $2,000 worth of fines, some of which come from a government employee who admits to discovering her violations by snooping in her garbage. [More]
5 Ways To Keep Your Dog Warm During Cold Months
By 12.12.11
Dogs are better equipped to handle the cold than humans, but Jack Frost can still put the hurt on pooches. If you own a dog who spends a lot of time outside, there are things you can do to make sure he stays warm when temperatures bottom out. [More]
Illness In Dogs Traced To Chinese Chicken Jerky
By 12.1.11
The first thing that I do when looking at a bag of pet treats is turn it over and look for the country of origin. I’m not alone–and not paranoid, as it turns out. A few weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration reminded American pet owners about unexplained and sometimes fatal illnesses related to chicken jerky treats imported from China. The FDA and its counterparts around the world have been warning consumers to be alert about jerky-related illnesses since 2007. [More]
Why Is There A Dog Sitting At The Table At Outback Steakhouse?
By 11.10.11
If they knew what an Outback Steakhouse was, most dogs would want to visit there as often as possible. But non-service dogs aren’t allowed inside. Reader Erik and his wife recently attempted to dine at Outback, but the presence of another customer’s large, poorly behaved ostensible service dog drove them out of the restaurant. [More]
NYC Pet Stores Linked To Midwest Puppy Mills
By 11.10.11
An undercover video investigation shows that many New York area pet stores are getting their pets stocked by so-called “puppy mills” with a history of USDA violations. [More]
Jack The Cat Found After Two Months In JFK Airport
By 10.26.11 — Updated: 2.25.13
Before the flight to his new home in California, Jack the cat escaped from his travel carrier and disappeared into John F. Kennedy Airport. The airline organized searches and put out food, and animal lovers all over the world helped in any way they could, from performing their own searches of the airport and nearby neighborhoods to getting word out to employees of nearby businesses and other airlines. We’re happy to report that Jack has been found. In two months, he apparently never left the airport. [More]
Animal Shelter Manager Reveals Horrors Of His Job
By 10.20.11
An anonymous posting by an animal shelter manager whose job, which often involves putting animals down, is shooting around Facebook. It offers a sobering look into what goes on behind the scenes at animal shelters. [More]
Purina Goes After Desirable Doggy Demographic With Sounds Only Your Pet Can Hear
By 10.4.11
While fast food advertisers have taken a lot of heat in recent years for packaging and marketing that is targeted heavily toward children, the evil ad geniuses of the world have found another demographic on which it can focus its marketing laser — your furry friends. [More]
Cat Lost In JFK Airport On August 24 Still Missing, Internet Swarms In To Help
By 9.22.11
Have you seen Jack the cat? According to his Facebook page, he’s been on his own in Queens for more than four weeks now. He allegedly disappeared from his carrier in the baggage area of New York’s JFK airport on August 24th, as he, his feline brother, and their human were flying to their new home in California. Employees searched for him. Then Hurricane Irene happened. [More]
Six Flags Saves Dog Left In Car, Then Loses Dog
By 9.14.11
If you visit California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain while vacationing with your dog, it’s probably not a good idea to bring your dog with you. Dogs aren’t fans of roller coasters… well, that, and and non-service animals aren’t allowed inside the park. For this reason, Six Flags provides a free kennel for the pets of guests. One recent visitor to the park was upset after her service dog escaped from the kennel. After all, she had never put the dog there in the first place. She had left her in the car. [More]
Dog Swallows $10,000 In Diamonds At Jewelry Store
By 8.25.11
Dogs will swallow just about anything, which is why it’s probably not a great idea to let them near tiny, sparkly things of great value. A dog that employees allowed to hang out at a Georgia jewelry store drove home the point by gulping down loose diamonds worth a collective $10,000. [More]
Farmers Insurance 'Totals' Dog After Car Accident
By 8.17.11
Sasha, a 9-year-old Lab mix in Colorado, was hit by a minivan while walking her human last week. She survived the accident with damage to her liver, lungs, and diaphragm that may require surgery. While her person clearly considers her a family member, the law and the driver’s insurance company see things differently. Injuries to dogs are property damage, and the company “totaled” out the dog. They did not haul her off to a dog junkyard to be used for parts. [More]
Dog Dies After Visit To Petco Groomer, Owner Wants Hair Dryer Cages Banned
By 7.28.11
Sadie, a beloved 6-year-old Lhasa Apso in good health, died in 2008 after a regular grooming session at a California Petco. She became ill while inside a cage dryer, a kennel with an air blower attached (sometimes heated, sometimes not) and was immediately taken for emergency medical care. The veterinarian treating her concluded that the dog died of “severe heatstroke.” But was the heatstroke caused by the actions of Petco’s employees, as her owner’s lawsuit alleges? [More]
L.A. Law: If Your Dog Chases Someone, It Can Be Seized, Killed
By 7.20.11
Los Angeles County residents will want to keep a tighter leash on their dogs due to a new law passed by the Board of Supervisors that loosens the definition of how officials determine dogs to be “vicious.” A dog that chases someone without causing an injury can now be reported, seized and possibly euthanized. [More]
