Bo Hoefinger has written a great book. You should know that this author has quite a bit of writing experience because he’s been blogging for some time on www.boknowsonline.com, sharing his bits of wisdom, news and anecdotes. His blog gets more than 100,000 page views per month. But, the thing is that Bo is a dog, a 16 year old, golden retriever/chow chow big dog to be exact. And, he’s written a book called “Bad to the Bone, Memoir of a Rebel Doggie Blogger,” which recounts the escapades that have made up his life, from his interaction and manipulation of his human “parents,” as he endearingly calls them, to his relationship with Moose, the family cat.

I was fortunate to get an advance manuscript of the book, which is entirely written from Bo’s perspective. I actually started reading it in the waiting room, while my son was getting his wisdom teeth pulled, and was literally laughing out loud, much to the chagrin of the receptionist and others in the waiting room. The book, which begins with his adoption from the shelter, has some hilarious moments.

“Bad to the Bone” has just been published and is a fun, whimsical read. Get your copy at www.amazon.com.

Posted by: Carrie Pollare

We love to see animal stories with happy endings! This lab was very lucky that there are people out there who care so much!

When a Troutdale, Oregon woman woke up to a dog crying outside early last Wednesday, she didn’t think it would take three days to rescue the distressed canine.

But the yowling went on. Until early Friday afternoon when the Oregon Humane Society Technical Animal Rescue team hoisted the desperate dog off a ledge 40 feet above the Sandy River.

Lian Jewell first woke up to the dog’s yowling and whimpering at 4 a.m. last Wednesday. At daybreak, she looked around her property to no avail.

She alerted Troutdale Police, which sent out an officer. He combed the area and found no trace of the dog, aside from the crying.

On Thursday, the dog woke up Jewell at 3 a.m. She called Multnomah County Animal Control; someone took a report over the phone, but said they couldn’t send anyone for days, Jewell said.

Mike Oswald, director of animal services, said an officer was not sent out because Troutdale police had searched the area without finding anything.

Later that day, Jewell and her husband crossed the river and finally determined that the dog was stuck somewhere on the face of the cliff. They still couldn’t see it.

That afternoon, Jewell’s daughter remembered reading that some humane societies have animal-rescue groups. They called OHS, which put them in touch with the volunteers at the Technical Animal Rescue. But dusk was approaching and the rescuers decided to come out the next morning.

At 6 a.m. Friday morning, Jewell woke to the dog’s barking, not crying, for the first time.

The rescue team arrived around 9 a.m. They went to the top of the cliff, strapped themselves in and peered down the drop. A black Labrador’s head was just barely visible through the foliage above a ledge.

René Pizzo, one of the volunteers, was lowered about 15 feet down from the edge of the cliff. At first, the black Lab growled at her. Despite its three-day ordeal, the dog proved to be a picky eater: it took three different offerings of kibbles to find the brand he liked. After a snack and some talking to - while hanging mid-air, of course - the dog allowed Pizzo to slip a harness on him.

Once on flat, solid ground, the Lab turned out to be a very happy camper. He had tags, too. His name’s Hercules.

An animal control officer, who’d been dispatched once the rescue team got involved, took the dog to a vet, who gave it a clean bill of health. Hercules was reunited with his owner that afternoon.

Source: The Oregonian

Many everyday items contribute significantly to vulnerability.

It’s among the top five leading cancers in the United States, and it’s extremely aggressive.

With cancer, many factors are at play, but no single smoking gun. If you have diabetes, gallbladder disease, celiac disease or liver damage, your risk of pancreatic cancer is higher. There are also many household items and foods that increase your risk for pancreatic disease, so here are things to note:

1. Hard liquor and alcohol. It’s a liquid bullet aimed for your liver and pancreas.

2. Cigarettes. Just like alcohol, cigarettes spark loose cannons in your body that destroy healthy cells and promote the growth of cancerous ones. A 2004 study proved that tobacco was an environmental trigger for pancreatic cancer in predisposed patients.

3. Soda and foods that contain HCFS: “High fructose corn syrup” is a very concentrated sweetener that forces your pancreas to secrete a truckload of insulin in order to neutralize the blood sugar spike that occurs after consumption. High insulin blood levels increase your risk of many diseases, including pancreatic cancer.

4. Non-stick pots. Animal studies show that a chemical called PFOA is tied to cancer. Studies conflict; however, some experts feel that non-stick pots are a source of this chemical. Until we are sure, it’s safer to cook with stainless steel.

5. Soft plastics that contain phthalates (like teething rings, water bottles): There are numerous research articles that link phthalates to cancer, including prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer.

6. Animal and trans fats. A study in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found a direct relationship between pancreatic cancer and dairy or red meat-derived fats.

It seems like we hear way too many stories like this. It sickens us to see such animal cruelty.

Cook County sheriffs raided a suburban day care Tuesday after learning it was being used as a front for what officers described as one of the most gruesome dogfighting operations they had ever seen.

Three people were arrested and nine dogs were found during the raid on a licensed home day care in Maywood, including one with a leg twisted backward, another whose limbs appeared to have been nearly torn off and a puppy that had had an eye ripped out. Ten children were being watched at the time, police said.

Animal Crime Unit officers described the scene at the day care and at two other homes they raided as among the most gruesome they have uncovered.

Read more…

Please help us support the fight against animal cruelty by purchasing any of the I’m Tired of Animal Cruelty products. We give half of everything you buy to Best Friends Animal Society.

A litter of nine Pit Bull puppies with a treatable medical condition were nearly euthanized at a San Diego County animal shelter because of a lack of government funding. The puppies were saved by a local rescue group - Pit Bull Rescue San Diego.The nine pit bull pups were relinquished by their owner to the municipal animal shelter because they had an advanced form of non-contagious mange, which made their fur fall out. The condition is typically brought on by poor nutrition and aggravated by lack of medical attention.

The shelter’s limited resources would not allow them to provide the puppies with the long-term care they needed, so the litter was scheduled to be euthanized instead.

That’s when PBRSD came to the rescue and took the puppies under its wing. The non-profit rescue group works with animal control agencies to save pets that need a little extra help recovering from an illness or injury. The puppies were moved to a foster home and began receiving veterinary care for the mange and a secondary skin infection.

“Despite everything they’ve been through, it’s amazing to see how playful and active they are, and their appetite is incredible,” says foster mom Cindy Salazar. “In only one week, we’re already seeing health improvements-their skin is healing quickly, and their hair is already starting to grow back in. At only three months old, they’re already potty-trained!”

After the pups make a full recovery, they will be spayed and neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped, and placed for adoption. Click here to find out more about the puppies.

Source: The Examiner

Please help us support the fight against animal cruelty by purchasing any of the I’m Tired of Animal Cruelty products. We give half of everything you buy to Best Friends Animal Society.