Much like a sex offender registry (though I’m by no means comparing the two), you can search your area for criminal animal cruelty cases ranging from abandonment to theft.

The crime database lets you search by location in the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Spain, and then drill down even further by searching for specific types of abuse and specific animals. You can even search for cases by status to see if the crime is alleged, open, convicted, etc.

The main page has a news feed that you can toggle between national or local news items, as well as court alerts and videos. You can also sign up for newsletters.

I did a couple of searches for my area, and while a name is given if an individual has been apprehended, I didn’t find anything containing more information. Each case provides a case number, initial information as well as any updates, pictures if available, and links to corresponding news stories.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Pet Abuse Crime Database

Post from: Blisstree

Crazy Cats

A voluntary food recall has been issued by Castleberry Foods. This is actually for human food (one reported case of botulism in Castleberry’s human edible Hot Dog Chili Sauce) but concerns Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs.

Our cats and dogs have been on Natural Balance for a couple of years now and the contaminated food recalls at the beginning of the year really concerned us. Natural Balance was great about keeping their site updated as they got information, and they say that the above products have had no actual consumer complaints as of yet. Thankfully, our animals were not affected by the contamination.

What do your pets eat? Were you affected by the recalls?

Post from: Blisstree

Voluntary Food Recall

However, regardless of how careful you are with your pet during the summer months, do you know the signs of heat stroke? They include extreme panting, becoming exhausted and/or agitated, and vomiting. To cool him down, give him ice cubes (cold water can make him sicker), and lay cool, wet towels across his back. Laying him front of a fan can help as well.

In extreme cases the gums will take on a grayish color and his tongue will turn blue. He may then lose consciousness. Get him in cold water fast or hose him down with a gentle spray. Get his body temperature down as quickly as you can and then call the vet.

Also, a lot people don’t realize that leaving your pet in the car even for a few minute is a bad idea. According to MyDogIsCool.com:

“On a summer’s day of only 85 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, even keeping the windows slightly open won’t stop the inside temperature from climbing to 102 degrees in 10 minutes, and to 120 degrees in 20 minutes. A dog whose body temperature rises to 107-108 degrees will within a very short time suffer irreparable brain damage — or even death.”

Check out the site for some printable flyers to leave on windshields — hopefully the people who need them are truly ignorant about this aspect of their pet’s care instead of just not caring in the first place.

Post from: Blisstree

Heat Stroke in Pets

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Dog Owners Who Look Like Their Dogs

First up we have the cats:

This is Turbo, the very first pet my husband and I got together. We got Turbo as a kitten at a pet store (before either of us knew any better) in April of 1997. He was only about five weeks old (again, before we knew better!) and was the runt of the litter. We have a picture somewhere of him sticking his teeny little head entirely into my husband’s mouth. It’s really not as strange as it sounds – he was really that small! He’s now huuuuuuge and when he stands on just his hind legs can easily stretch up to reach the kitchen counter.

Anyway, Turbo is also known as The Dude and the picture above really sums him up, he’s always that mellow unless he’s got The Crazies, which means he’s acting like an oversized kitten. We refer to him as a “sack of potatoes” sometimes because he’ll basically let you do anything you want to him, include plopping him over your shoulder like, well, a sack of potatoes, if you so desired. I have no shame in saying he is absolutely the best cat I’ve ever known. Just don’t tell the other two:

Next up is Sage. Do not let that beautiful little face fool you – she is a Hell Cat. Seriously. Her nicknames (used only by the adults) include Bitch Kitty and Psycho.

She’s always been extremely skittish and I do wonder if it had to do with her start in life: Sage was acquired as a kitten from one of my co-workers in July 1997. Said co-worker had an eight-year-old brother who, to put it bluntly, should not have been around animals. I think Sage was traumatized at one point or another (or probably several) during her short start with this family and just never really improved. She and Turbo got along pretty well for about eight months before a theoretical little switch in her brain was thrown and she’d have nothing more to do with him. She has claws and knows how to use them (and we’ve all got the scars to prove it).

Lastly we have Kricket. We adopted Kricket from the Salt Lake City Humane Society in January 1998. We went in “just to look” and the rest is history. She is skittish but not nearly as much as Sage, and loves to cuddle, though she will not, under any circumstance, get on your lap. She’ll butt up against you for rubs and pets, but if you even attempt to get her on your lap you’ll get about half a second of kitty attention before she’s off the couch and into hiding.

Both she and Sage can be found under a bed or behind the TV when guests come over. Turbo, on the other hand, is the first to greet everyone.

Turbo, Sage and Kricket eat Natural Balance Cat Food.

Next up, meet the dogs and rat.

Post from: Blisstree

The Pets of Chez Foodbowl