Martha Stewart’s new Chow puppy, Ghenghis Khan died along with 15 other dogs in a freak accident in a boarding kennel.

“The domestic maven wrote on her blog that she was “deeply saddened” by the death of her dog, Ghengis Khan, in Friday’s blast at Pazzazz Pet Boarding, a kennel in the Pocono Mountains that breeds and trains show dogs.

Fifteen dogs were killed in the explosion, and two more died over the weekend.

The kennel was getting a propane delivery when the tank ignited, setting the pens on fire and injuring the driver, Timothy Kleinhagen, of Summit Hill.

Though badly burned, Kleinhagen managed to toss a cairn terrier over the kennel fence to safety. He was listed in critical condition Monday at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

“That man is a hero,” said the kennel’s co-owner, Karen Tracy. “My heart goes out to his family.”

Oh my goodness – that’s the worst nightmare of any dog owner I know!  Unfortunately, you can’t do much to prevent freak accidents, but there are some basic safety steps you can take to help your dogs escape a fire.

• Make sure you have pet labels on the front and back doors, letting rescue services know how many pets and what types you have.  You don’t need to get fancy with breeds or descriptions, but letting firefights know that you have two dogs and three cats can help them.
• Keep leashes hanging by your doors.  Being able to control your dogs in a hurry can save their lives.
• And of course, keep your fire alarm in good working order.

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Martha Stewart’s new puppy dies in kennel explosion

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Dog video of the week

Michelle Obama has just announced that they will be adding a Portuguese Water Dog to their family this spring:

“First Lady Michelle Obama told People magazine that her family has decided to adopt a Portuguese water dog, pointing to the breed’s medium-sized and good-natured reputation. The breed is also hypoallergenic — a must, given daughter Malia’s allergy to dogs.

The first lady said her daughters will have to wait until the end of April to get the dog, since her family is planning on going away for Spring Break.”

I can’t wait to see the new First Puppy – after all, dogs are part of the White House too

image: Newscom

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The First Dog has been chosen!

Designer Lela Rose brought her treasured pooch to her runway collection:

Aubrey O’Day (former member of Danity Kane) shared the spotlight on the red carpet with her pooch:

And of course, actor Mickey Rourke won’t even go for dinner without his Chihuahua

images: PicApp

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The dogs rule the roost at New York Fashion Week

Stump is the oldest dog to win the best in show title at the Garden and in fact, came out of retirement to do so.  That’s quite an accomplishment for a dog at any age – but for a 10 year old, that’s amazing!

image: PicApp

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Congratulations Stump!

Check out this article from The Holistic Option – it’s definitely eye-opening:

“Dog toys, they come in all colors, sized and textures, they squeak, they squish, they bounce, you can stuff them with treats or let your dog tear the stuffing out of them. Your dogs chew on them, shake them, suck on them, and love tearing them to pieces (literally).

Sounds like fun right? However, did you know there is really no totally SAFE dog toy? Some toys if ingested even in small amounts can cause cancer and liver damage! Vinyl and plastic dog toys contain a chemical compound that has been under investigation by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) due to possible cancer risks to humans.

The chemical in question is DINP (di-isononyl phthalate), used to make hard PVC plastic soft and pliable. In 1998 Health Canada issued an advisory warning about the dangers of mouthing soft plastic toys by small children, and some countries, such as Sweden, Germany, and Italy, have already phased out DINP for use in children’s toys. But, for some reason no one is talking about the effects DINP may have on our dog’s health.”

There are lots of safe toy options out there – but you’ve got to do your research!  What do my dogs chew on?  I give my precious pooches Nylabones, Kongs, firm squeaky balls and as special occasion treats, soft fabric toys under supervision.

Remember that any toy can be a choking hazard – so buy the right size for your dog and keep an eye on your dog while they play.

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Is your dog’s toy box safe?

I love to watch the Westminster Kennel Club dog show every year.  I curl up on the couch with my dogs and watch the amazing competition.

But did you know that there is a series of dog shows before the “big” show?

You can now catch them all online – as well as expert commentaries, direct from the judges and more.  Everything starts on Thursday, February 5th and runs through the weekend.  Westminster begins on Monday the 9th, so you can enjoy six full days of dog shows!

Westminster Weekend dog show videos are available online here.

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Watch dog shows online!

Yikes – check your treat cupboard again folks!

Two more companies have voluntarily recalled different dog treats, including:

“The recalled products include only the following types of Carolina Prime Pet treats in single unit packages with lot date codes between 081508 and 010909:

• 6″ Beef Shank Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542007
• 2pk Hooves Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542000
• 4″ Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542003
• 6″ Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542005
• 6” Healthy Hide Beef Shank Peanut Butter, UPC 09109333479″

And:

Salix, a manufacturer of rawhide dog chew products, is voluntarily recalling its Healthy-hide Deli-wrap 3-Pack 5” Peanut Butter-Filled Rawhide dog treats that contain peanut butter made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is the focus of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste.

The voluntarily recalled peanut butter-filled rawhide treats are sold at PetSmart, Target and Wegmans Food Stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. Although Salix is not aware of any reported cases of illness related to these products, it has issued this voluntary recall as a precautionary measure. The UPC of the voluntarily recalled product is 09109333354.

You can read the complete press releases for Salix and Carolina Prime online from the FDA.

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More recalls on dog treats & cookies

It’s time to check your stash of dog treats & cookies!

The FDA posted this press release this morning:

“PetSmart is voluntarily recalling seven of its Grreat Choice® Dog Biscuit products that contain peanut paste made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is the focus of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility.

Although PetSmart is not aware of any reported cases of illness related to these products, it has removed these products from its store shelves and website and is conducting the recall as a precautionary measure.”

The full press release is available online here.

Be aware and keep your puppies safe!

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FDA recalls peanut butter dog treats

The ASPCA has just released a warning about a new scam happening on the internet, and even through newspapers.  The basic scam is you respond to an ad which states “puppy to go to good home”.  The person who is “giving away” the dog says that the dog is actually in another city, and you’ll need to pay for a crate and airfare or gas to get it to you.  Of course, once you’ve paid – the dog mysteriously disappears and you’re left with an empty wallet and no puppy.

This happened to a lady in my own city – not only did she pay more than $200 to the scammer, but they then contacted her again and told her that her puppy had been accidentally shipped overseas and would cost another $1000 to fly back to her!  She of course, realized it was a scam and contacted the police.

“ASPCA Warns Potential Pet Parents to Be Aware of Internet Puppy Scams
Don’t be fooled by Adorable Pictures and “Free to Good Homes” Ads

NEW YORK – In response to recent reports regarding the growing trend of
Internet scammers offering purebred puppies for ³free to good homes, the
ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®)
today offers potential pet parents some valuable tips to avoid such scams.

“The best way to avoid being scammed is to simply never buy a dog you
haven’t met in person,” said Cori Menkin, Esq., Senior Director of
Legislative Initiatives for the ASPCA.  “Internet scammers lure people with
cute pictures of cuddly puppies, but the Internet is a vast, unregulated
marketplace.  People need to do their homework before they decide to get a
pet through the Internet.”

There are plenty of responsible breeders who ship puppies all over the country and even the world.  But before they will sell you a puppy, they’ll spend time making sure you’re the right person for their precious puppy.  Just because your dog needs to be shipped to you, doesn’t mean it’s scam – but it’s buyer-beware these days!

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scary puppy-buying scams