I have been asked to jump in here to let you know that Alexis will be back just as soon as this monster climbs off of her house and plugs the power back in. Not to worry because there’s plenty of firewood and snacks and help is on the way. Remember, winter is fun!!!
Snowmageddon – The saga continues…
Friday Quote – Snowmageddon Redux
As many of you pointed out the Superbowl is this weekend, not last. Let me point out that this is a pet food blog that deals with animal-related news, not ESPN. Clear? Good. Want a quote about Superbowl? Go check out last week’s Friday Quote.
Since I am once again facing a major snowstorm, one that the weather reporters are sure will blot out the sun and end humanity, I can’t resist the urge for a quote on weather.
Let's see... I know I left the car around here somewhere.
A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!
~Author Unknown
On the east coast, we are going to race off the to the grocery store and buy every gallon of milk, every loaf of bread and every last roll of toilet paper (because that’s what we do when snow is predicted!) and settle in for Snowmageddon of ‘10. Oh, and the Superbowl. I can’t forget that this weekend is the Superbowl.
I hope you stay warm, dry and that whichever team you’re rooting for – Colts, Saints or The Ads – your team wins. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you back here Monday!
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Tigertail Foods — real food for your pets, naturally. Made with all-natural, human-grade ingredients, Tigertail Foods meals and treats are the best value for your money.
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A Year Later; Lancaster’s Breed Specific Mandatory Sterilization Legislation
Mayor R. Rex Parris of Lancaster, CA
A year ago we told you that Lancaster, California passed a law that singled out specific breeds for mandatory spaying and neutering. It also addressed the issue of vicious dogs through a process for judging if a dog is a threat to public safety (that had been trained to be overly-aggressive or for fighting) and, if so, then the dog may be destroyed and/or the owner fined for safety violations. The law singled out pit bulls, Rotties and mixes of those breeds if the dog had predominately physical traits of either of those two breeds. Its goal was to reduce the amount of dog-gang related crime, as the dogs were viewed as instruments of harassment and coercion. It also allowed the police a means of legitimately interacting with suspected gang members that would open up further investigation into possible criminal activities. At the time, we were highly dubious that the law would have a positive effect on gang related crime and with the only real outcome leading to further “criminalization” of more breeds.
In the year since the law was passed into effect 1,138 pit bulls and Rottweilers were impounded last year by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Of those, 362 were voluntarily surrendered by their owners in response to Lancaster’s ordinance. (LA Times 1/21)
Mayor Parris declared that the legislature has been a major step in improving the safety of the community. Parris released the following statement:
“One of the most immediate and meaningful results we have seen from our aggressive action is a plummeting gang crime rate in Lancaster. In 2009 alone, violent gang crime, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, was reduced an astounding 45% and overall gang crime was reduced 41%. The longer term impact of our aggressive action is a lower level of hyper vigilance in the City, particularly among our young people. Hyper vigilance is a heightened and constant state of anxiety caused by fearful stimuli. Scientists tell us that young people join gangs in part because they feel unsafe and gangs represent security to them. We will never eliminate gangs until our youth can go to school and walk our streets without being afraid. Ridding our community of pit bulls is a giant step in lowering the level of hyper vigilance.
“These individuals delighted in the danger these animals posed to our residents, often walking them without leashes and allowing them to run rampant through our neighborhoods and parks. Today, more than 1,100 of these animals have been removed from our city, along with the fear they create. Lancaster is now a great deal safer because of it.”
It is hard to argue against Parris’ numbers. There certainly seems to be a correlation between the law and the reduction in gang related crime. I have to admit that I really thought that this law was just bad news for not just the “bad rep” breeds but for all dogs. Is it really the breed specific legislation at work or some other factor? What do you think?
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Become a member of the Tigertail Foods’ Once a Month Club and have Just-a-Bite biscotti automatically shipped every month to help your dog stay healthy and happy! Every purchase benefits the rescue group of your choice.
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Covering the Upbeat
I have to be honest with you all . . . I have the best job on the planet. I get to write about animals, talk to people about animals, learn about animal issues and read all the animal related news for stories that I think you will want to read. Doesn’t that sound like the coolest way to spend everyday? I think so too . . . except for earlier this morning. This morning I found myself absolutely dismayed by the sheer number of animal cruelty stories in the news. I’m won’t talk about details. One of the goals I had for this blog when I started it was to write about things that would make people smile, and if something wasn’t uplifting then it had to be a really major news story to make it as a post. Normally I don’t have a problem picking and choosing what to cover during the week. Some days I’m lucky enough to write about a couple of different happy, positive stories in the animal world.
Except today in three different sources I read a total of five cases of animal cruelty.
Maybe you can understand why I was feeling as though I’ve swallowed a stone. Maybe you’d feel the same way.
I would like to think that news outlets are just covering more of these stories and it isn’t some bizarre trend that is picking up steam. I read these stories and wonder why. How could a person be wired so horribly wrong that they take their aggressions out on a living creature that is utterly dependent on man for its survival? The heck is going on with people???
Then I ran across the following story that turned everything around for me. . .
Not our shooter but certainly dressed for the occasion
In Merced County, a 53 year-old man was hunting with his black Labrador in a duck blind. The man left the duck blind to get some decoys. Before exiting the blind, he set down his shotgun. The female Lab stepped on the shotgun and released the safety and caused the gun to go off. The hunter who was in the process of retrieving the decoys was described as surprised when No. 2 shot became lodged in his upper left back — as you’d be if your dog had just shot you . . . in the back. The hunter was taken to the hospital for treatment and released the same day.
One story of man-abuse by animal. Hmm, anyone else see some sort of karmic scale of justice thing here? I’m also thinking that Labs are a LOT smarter than we give them credit for. Seriously, have you ever fired a shotgun? It isn’t easy to do even with four fingers and a thumb!! She managed to get the safety off and pulled the trigger just by standing on it. In the future that hunter might want to heap on the praise for every successful retrieve. I’m just sayin’.
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Tigertail Foods’ Flavor of the Month is Strawberry Shortcake — the sweet way to show your dog how much she means to you!
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What’s New for February
Here we are at the halfway point of winter, sitting exactly between winter solstice and the vernal equinox (today is also known as a cross-quarter day). At Tigertail Foods we are still enjoying the nip in the air that winter brings and think that long dark nights are perfect for cozying up on the couch with your best furry friend, a roaring fire and a great classic movie. If your days are feeling a little gloomy, let our new treats, savings, rescue of the month and articles help brighten things up a bit!
Strawberry Shortcake hearts for your furry heartbeat.
In honor of Valentine’s Day we have done something different for our Flavor of the Month treats . . . we present Strawberry Shortcake as three heart shapes, small, medium and large. They are as cute and festive as they are delicious! They are made with real strawberries — and yes, the dogs go nuts for that all-natural sweet goodness! As you can see, they are pink, which comes from a touch of beet juice. Again, in keeping with our mission to make everything for your pets natural and healthy, we found a way to add color without using an artificial dye. You can feed these to your dogs and give them to your friends as gifts with the full assurance that these treats meet our highest standards — and were given rave reviews by our in-house taste testers! A bag of three hearts is only $5 — a special price for a special treat!
You'll love what Emu Oil Shampoo & Conditioner does for your hair!
Our Savings Spotlight is a whopping 15% discount (actually slightly over that) when you buy the set of our Emu Oil Shampoo and Conditioner together. Normally going for a price of $21.90, this month you can get both for only$18.50. The Emu Oil Shampoo and Conditioner are both very mild, very gentle for all hair types. They have very little scent — what is there is just a clean smell, no flowers or spices so both men and women can use it and not feel as though they smell like they are wearing their spouse’s cologne/perfume. Everyone at the company uses it, including our production manager who has hair down to her waist and she loves the way it makes her hair soft, shiny and healthy-looking right down to the tips. If you haven’t tried the Emu Oil Shampoo and Conditioner, now is the time to put in your order!
The Rescue of the Month is the Dharma Rescue for Cats and Dogs. Located in Torrance, California, Dharma is a totally volunteer-run organization that takes in cats and dogs that have no other options. They save the severely abused, critically ill and senior animals that no one else wants. The name Dharma means means one’s righteous duty, and these volunteers apply it as doing non-injury to all living things. They spay and neuter, provide shelter and medical care for those animals that need it and help individual rescuers afford veterinary cost with emergency financial assistance. We respect the work Dharma does and to support them in their continuing effort to help the helpless, we have named them Rescue of the Month. A portion of every unaffiliated purchase this month will go to Dharma Rescue for Cats and Dogs.
We have two new articles. Sit, Stay, READ is the first installment of “Form and Function”, a series that covers breed-specific issues as they related to how modern breeds developed and evolved. This month, part 1 is how the Sporting Breeds, the Spaniels, the Pointers, and the Retrievers came to be and why they were needed. Our new Health Matters was inspired by our friends Pat and Marie and their Golden girl, Rayne. Pat and Marie have been doing titers for Rayne for a while now, but her most recent results brought up a lot of questions about how vaccines, immunity and titers work, and it reminded us how very important (and controversial) titers are. Sadly, not many people have heard about titers or really understand this important medical tool. We give an overview on vaccines, the dangers of overvaccinating, immunity and titers with the hope that it inspires you to do your own research and consider making the switch to titers with confidence.
Check out all the new additions and let me know what you think. I always love to hear from our Tigertail friends!
Stay warm and my best wishes for a very “love”-ly February!
Happy Groundhog Day!
Straight from Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, arguably the most famous groundhog in the United State (dare I say the world), made his appearance this morning at sunrise. Throngs of cheering and adoring fans were there to greet Phil in the frigid pre-dawn hours for his 124th prediction.
Punxsutawney Phil in 2009
Is it just me or is Phil looking a little chunky-monkey these days???
The lore is that if Punxsutawney Phil comes out and sees his shadow, winter will stick around for six more weeks across the United States; conversely, if Phil doesn’t see his shadow, then break out the short sleeves and sandals because warmer temps are on the way.
Folks, keep the turtleneck sweaters out for another six weeks! Phil saw his shadow. It’s going to be a long winter.
We’d like to support Phil and his fans by saying that he is always right on the money, but the reality is that Phil’s record is closer to 40%. But who cares? Phil and his ritual is more about the celebration than the reliability of the his predictions.
Speaking of which, did you all hear that PETA is lobbying to replace Phil with an animatronic version. Basically a robot groundhog. It might work for Mr. Lincoln, but not Phil.
And on the subject of high-tech groundhogs, Phil is getting into the technology craze. After having his own website for years — you can find it at www.groundhog.org — Phil now has a MySpace page, a Facebook page and texted his predictions out to those who signed up for it. If you are interested in having next year’s prediction sent to your mobile phone, check out the details on Phil’s web page.
Phil’s official publicly proclaimed prediction for 2010: “If you want to know what’s next, you must read my text. As the sky shines bright above me, my shadow I see beside me. So six more weeks of winter it will be.”
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Tigertail Foods’ Small Animal Crackers are the perfect treat for little nibblers! If you have a hamster, guinea pig or bunny pick up a bag of Small Animal Crackers and make your furry friend’s day!
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LA River Dog’s Owner Comes Forward
Vernon/Spikey after LA River rescue
“Vernon”, the dog rescued by helicopter from the rushing waters of the LA river, featured in this breath-taking video has been claimed.
The German shepherd mix had no collar, id or microchip was taken to a city shelter and quarantined for rabies after biting his rescuer, a LA firefighter named Joe St. Georges, several times. “Vernon’s” story has received a lot of media coverage in the LA area, leading to numerous request to be first in line to adopt him when he became available. “Vernon” has been at the Southeast Area Animal Shelter in Downey since January 22, and given the extensive attention it was beginning to look like his owner, if he had one, wasn’t going to come get him.
Last week, “Vernon’s” – whose real name it turns out is Spikey – owner showed up at the Downey shelter. She is an elderly Hispanic woman who does not speak English. A family friend alerted the woman to Spikey’s whereabouts. The woman said she didn’t know anything about what happened to Spikey because the story wasn’t widely picked up on the Spanish-speaking news programs.
Aaron Reyes, the Southeast Area Animal Shelter’s director of operations, said that when someone Spikey recognized showed up at the shelter, “Vernon just went crazy, his tail flapping.”
The woman’s other dog, a yellow lab named Polo had been picked up by animal control the day after Spikey was rescued from the river when he was found wandering the neighborhood. The woman believes that her grandchildren left the gate open.
Spikey will still remain in quarantine until next Tuesday for biting St. George, who says that wasn’t holding a grudge against the dog for the bite and understood why he did it.
Hopefully, once Spikey is sprung from puppy prison his owner will buy him a lovely collar and set of id tags.
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Do you have cats and dogs and want one good, healthy treat they both will love? Get a bag of Tigertail Foods’ Tuna or Liver Bark and watch the cats and dogs come running!
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Friday Quote: Superbowl Weekend!
Sunday is the last NFL game of the season – Colts versus Saints, two really great offense teams with equally fantastic QBs Drew Brees and Peyton Manning in what’s set to be . . .
Oh, come on. You didn’t really think I’d keep that up, did you?
We all know what this game is all about. We are there for eating too much junk food, yelling at the refs who have been bought and paid for (the suspense is not knowing by whom!) and hoping there isn’t another “wardrobe malfunction” on anyone’s part.
The Colt's Super Bowl ring from '07. It's really all about the jewerly!
Men, I want you just thinking of one word all season. One word and one word only: Super Bowl.
~ Bill Peterson, Houston Oilers head coach
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Tigertail Foods — Real foods for your pet, naturally!
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Moose Plays Soccer (video)
Remember those tiny baby moose from the previous video? Remember how cute they were? This is what they will look like (if they’re boys) when full grown. Manchester United may want to look into signing this guy.
Any one else think that he just got those antler? He seems to be befuddled as to where they came from and how they got there and now what to do with them.
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Pick up a bag of Tigertail Foods’ Whoats for your horse today! Your horse will love them and you’ll love giving him a treat that is all-natural and good for him!
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Baby Moose Play in Sprinkler (video)
Two baby moose (should that be mooses, meece, mice?) and their mom find someone’s lawn sprinkler the height of enjoyment on a summer afternoon in Anchorage, Alaska .
Don’t they look like they are having fun?
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Tigertail Foods’ Just-a-Bite Biscotti is the all-natural, good for your dog treat made with only human-quality ingredients. Nothing artificial ever. Because your pet’s health is the motivation for everything we do.
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