If you’re involved in or just want to keep an eye on the $24 million class action lawsuit involving the pet food tainted with melamine, keep the following info handy!

First off, if you purchased and your pet consumed pet food after March 16, 2007 double check to see if it’s on the recalled products that are affected by the lawsuit, which contains a lot of big names like Nestle-Purina, Royal Canin, Diamond Pet Food, Hill’s, and Del Monte.

The case is called Pet Food Products Liability Litigation; MDL Docket No. 1850, Civil Action No. 07-2867 (NLH). The final hearing will take place on October 18, 2008, and the final date for submitting a claim form is November 24, 2008.

Check with PetFoodSettlement.com for continuing updates and read through the FAQ, notices, and important dates.

[image: sxc]

Post from: Blisstree

Keep Up With the Pet Food Class Action Lawsuit

Summer is in full swing which means it’s vacation time! If you have a pet, though, you’ve got a lot of extra preparation to consider before you even pack your bags: Where will the dog stay? Who will take care of the cats? Why not take them with you!

Many hotels and resorts around the world are realizing how important pets are to their guests and have become accommodating by not only allowing supervised pets on the properties but some even go so far as to provide special outdoor areas for them as well.

My friend and fellow pet lover Alicia helped me find a few of the links below – they’ll definitely help make life easier the next time you need a weekend away!

BringYourPet.com lets you search worldwide for pet-friendly hotels, chalets, bed and breakfasts, resorts, lodges, and motels.

PetsWelcome.com offers pet-friendly listings (use the menu on the left), as well as emergency vet locations and kennels nationwide. They even have a section just for cat-friendly spots!

PetTravel.com lets you search by city, country or region, and even has informative articles on pets and timeshares and immigration and quaratine.

DogFriendly.com provides travel guides specifically for dog owners.

PetFriendlyTravel not only lists hotels, motels, B&Bs, etc, but also restaurants and recreation areas.

1ClickPetHotels lists only pet-friendly hotels and motels by state or province.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Pet-Friendly Lodgings

Do you take your dog(s) to the dog park?

The only time Chip has been to a dog park was actually when we went to meet Honey for the first time when we were looking to adopt a second dog. We decided to meet at a neutral spot (instead of the front or back yard, which were Chip’s territory) to give each of them a chance to adjust and get used to each other. We haven’t taken them back since because as far as exercise goes we’ve got a big enough backyard and well, they’re pretty small dogs!

Socialization is another benefit of dog parks and while I know they’re split between areas for large dogs and small dogs, I don’t feel comfortable with other peoples’ dogs running free – chances are even in the small area Chip would be one of the smallest. He does well with friends’ dogs after a few minutes of warm-up, so socialization isn’t something we worry about anyway!

[image used with permission from theblackframe]

Post from: Blisstree

Feedback Friday: Do You Go To the Dog Park?

This week’s video is about taking care of an overweight cat and the best way to handle feeding time.

We haven’t had this problem (knock on wood!) and have always “free fed” the cats with a reservoir-style food bowl. The cats are getting older and less active, though, and Kricket has always tended toward the fluffy side of the spectrum.

Have you ever taken care of an overweight cat? Would you add anymore tips?

Post from: Blisstree

Handling an Overweight Cat

Timberwolf Organics brand dog food is voluntarily recalling two formulas from their line of pet food due to some customers reporting that their dogs are vomiting, have diarrhea, and are refusing to eat.

Only two lines are affected – the Dakota Bison and Ocean Blue with the following “best by” dates printed on the bag:

- Dakota Bison: best by date of February 12, 2009
- Ocean Blue: best by date of February 20, 2009
- Ocean Blue: best by date of March 8, 2009

If your bag is affected you can take it back to the store you purchased it from for a full refund.

[product images: timberwolf organics]

Post from: Blisstree

Timberwolf Organics Recalls Dog Food

The stress of an emergency situation can be alleviated a bit when steps have been taken to prepare for it.

These videos give tips and ideas for preparing your dogs and/or cats for an emergency and what kinds of supplies you’ll want to have on hand to make for a quick evacuation if needed.

Tips include the basics like food, water and dishes, but don’t forget about rabies vaccination records, treats, ID tags and bedding!

Post from: Blisstree

Cat and Dog Emergency Preparedness

Image details: Pet Food In Red Plastic Bowl served by picapp.com

Companies that were sued over the tainted pet food that caused the deaths of thousands of animals last year have reached a settlement amount of $24 million to pet owners in the United States and Canada.

The agreement still needs a judge’s approval but if it makes it through it will benefit the people who incurred expenses directly related to the illness or death of a pet linked to the food, and pet owners could be reimbursed for all reasonable expenses, including veterinarian bills and burial or cremation costs.

The pet food was discovered to contain wheat gluten imported from China that was contaminated with melamine, a chemical used to make plastics.

A court hearing on the settlement is scheduled for May 30.

Were you or anyone you know affected by the tainted pet food?

Post from: Blisstree

Settlement Reached in Pet Food Lawsuit

It’s been many years since I’ve had hands-on experience with snakes and I’ve never actually owned one (though I’ve wanted to!), so I found this neat series of videos by Holli Friedland, Reptile Rescue Coordinator at the Mid-Atlantic Reptile Show.

The videos walk you through every step of set-up, care, maintenance and even troubleshooting in corn snake ownership!

I love snakes and the only thing that’s kept me from having one myself is that I’m squeamish about feeding time. Though I’ve (live- and dead-) fed many snakes (my first job was at a small pet store, and I was at the bottom of the totem pole!) and I know that snakes need to eat too, I also love rats and mice, so I just don’t have a snake!

Anyway, more videos below the cut!

How to Decide if a Corn Snake is Right for You:

Setting Up the Corn Snake Cage:

Corn Snakes – Temperature, Humidity & Lighting:

Choosing a Corn Snake:

Corn Snake Handling:

Corn Snake Feeding:

How to Trouble Shoot Problems with your Corn Snake:

Post from: Blisstree

How To Care For A Corn Snake

Pet laws in California may be changing soon: One lawmaker wants to make it illegal for pets to ride on their owners’ laps while driving and offenders could face a $35 fine.

He says he was inspired to introduce the bill when he witnessed one driver with three dogs on her lap at once!

To be honest I think this is a good move. Keeping your pet restrained either in a carrier or pet-specific seat harness while in a moving vehicle not only keeps them safe but you as well.

Restraining your pet helps you concentrate, and what happens if you’re in an accident? Your pet could be injured from the impact (and so could you with a now-flying canine in the car!) or if it manages to get out of the car it could run away. Do you really need Fluffy on your lap for that ten minute drive?

What do you think?

[image: stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

No More Doggies Out the Window

Image details: Chihuahua served by picapp.com

Well, my chihuahuas don’t go “beep beep!” but one in Detroit does!

For the last four months Peanut the chihuahua’s owner, Ken Brown, has been building the three year-old dog a remote controlled Volkswagen Beetle!

It’s not finished yet but he says when it is it’ll have turn signals, spinners, a horn, headlights and a padded seat. He hopes to have it done by Memorial Day weekend:

Brown said the car will go up to 15 m.p.h., but he plans to slow the engine so Peanut won’t have such a bumpy ride. And if the car ends up on YouTube, who knows?

“Maybe I can build one for Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua,” Brown joked.

As the comments in the article say, it’s a good way to turn Peanut into peanut butter!

[via Alicia]

Post from: Blisstree

Beep Beep! Goes the Chihuahua