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PEDIGREE FOOD RECALL SALMONELLA
Recall -- Firm Press Release
FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Limited Bags of PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites at Albertsons in Southern California and Las Vegas due to Potential Salmonella Contamination
Contact:
Debra Fair
(973) 691-3536
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- FRANKLIN, Tenn. – August 08, 2008 – Mars Petcare US today announced a voluntary recall of limited bags of PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Albertsons stores in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella. There have been no complaints or reports of injury resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product.
The product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.
Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Recalled Pet Food
Product: PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites
Size: 20-pound bags
UPC Code: 23100 14719
Lot Code: 830BFCAT02
Best Buy Date: 07/2009
Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag
Affected Stores: Albertsons locations in Southern California and Las Vegas.
In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at: www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html
Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com.
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WALK FOR ANIMALS PICS!
Today was the day for the annual "Walk For Animals" held by the MSPCA (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Thanks to everyone who donated to the MSPCA Walk for Animals! After Hurricane Hanna came through yesterday, we never would have believed we would have such a sunny day. The Boston Common was beautiful and we had a great time.
If you love animals it is a great event held every year to raise money to help the MSPCA-Angell care for over 250,000 homeless, injured and abused animals each year. I will let you know how much money was raised this year in a later post, but I think it is hovering around $300,000 for just this one walk alone.
It was a great day for the event. Very sunny, warm but not hot or humid. We got to the starting point at the Boston Common at about 11:15 and there were already thousands there. Everyone was very cheery and there were lots of dog checking each other out. To be honest I have never done this walk before and I kept thinking that we would get there and witness many dog fights, but we didn’t see one. I was a little amazed at that, but if humans could behave themselves as well as all these dogs did today it would be a much better world.
We walked with our two dogs Kitsu and Suki. Kitsu was the one dog I worried most about getting into fights. He doesn’t as a rule tolerate other male dogs, but he has come such a long way and I am still working with him on it. But today he behaved better than our two kids! 
We took a few pictures today with a camera phone which are being posted with this blog. All and all it was a great day and alot of fun. Pets tend to bring out the best in their humans.
We hope you enjoy the pictures of the walk, and we will definitely be doing this again next year!
Sharon, Jim, Sarah, Sean, Kitsu & Suki
Kitsu and Suki
My son Sean, me, my husband Jim, and my daughter Sarah
A very nice woman took our picture, but Kitsu and Suki
got cut out of the bottom of the picture
The Archway of balloons where we all started the walk.
Walkers on the Boston Common walking in front of the State House, it was a one and a half mile walk and went pretty well considering the volume of humans and dogs
More walkers ... more dogs ...
More walkers and Kitsu got his mug in at the bottom of this picture. Sean is walking him next to Sarah.
More walkers, and an even bigger variety of breeds and beautiful mutts!
The Parkman Bandstand
"Blue Dog Group" sung "Who Let the Dogs Out"
BOL
Also lots of contests, raffles, microchipping, agility demos, grooming tables, Angell Memorial animal blood bank, law enforcement, Kid's Corner for crafts and face painting, MSPCA gift store booth
Frontline Plus had their Big Inflatable
Boston Terrier Dog
(Looks like our own "Gentleman Jack"!)
I don't know why, but I loved this thing!
Walk for Animals Tomorrow - Still Time to Help!
Praying that Tropical Storm Hanna comes and goes tonight! The walk is on rain or shine, however we are expected a lot of flooding and and rain and wind gusts tomorrow morning. The walk check-in starts at 11:00am, and the actual walk itself commences at noon. Either way, the donations are posted to the MSPCA by all the wonderful people who took the time to read this and donate even $5, it really all adds up. We are planning on rising and shining, and if the roadways allow it, we will be packing up the Dogmobile and heading into the Boston Common early.
We Shibas are very excited, as this is our very first time participating in the MSPCA's Walk for Animals on Sunday, September 7th here in Boston on the Boston Common.
PLEASE HELP ANIMALS IN NEED - It can be $5 dollars, every donation counts!
Visit our Page:
www.mspca.org/goto/ShibaScreamTeam
You will automatically be entered into our Team Raffle!! Update: We did not reach the donation amount we had hoped to, however we are grateful for every donation!! We understand the economy has been tough on everybody, and we do want to send out our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated. There is still time, you can view our page to see our progress on the link above. Again much thanks and we will be contacting everyone who donated after the walk on Sunday!
Tribute to Laura - Tiny Dancer
All music on my player is dedicated to Laura, especially "Tiny Dancer".
I have left barks of this Tribute to Laura on many pages and lost track of who I sent them to, the site has gotten so big. If you did not get a bark please know that this is intended for everybody on the site. If you did get this bark, by all means pass it along to others. I blogged it here so everyone could see it.
As many of you know by now, Carla Genender's 22 year old daughter, Laura, passed away suddenly. Please join me in sending Carla our thoughts and prayers for what has to be the most difficult thing a person can endure, the loss of a child. You can post thoughts on Carla's page at www.mydogspace.com/me/CarlaGenender.
"Roses for Laura" - we are trying to fill Carla's page with roses. Thanks for everyone who is doing this.
Carla, our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of tremendous grief. Our prayers go out to you, your daughter Laura and your entire family.
In Sympathy,
Sharon and Jim Fitzgerald & Family
When we lose our parents,
we are orphans.
When we lose our spouse,
we are widows.
But there is no word for a parent
who has lost their child.
There has never been a word in any
language to describe the agony
Of losing a child.
Walk for Animals Raffle - Help Us Help Animals
PLEASE HELP ANIMALS IN NEED - It can be $5 dollars, every donation counts!
Visit our Page:
www.mspca.org/goto/ShibaScreamTeam
You will automatically be entered into our Team Raffle!!
We Shibas are very excited, as this is our very first time participating in the MSPCA's Walk for Animals on Sunday, September 7th here in Boston on the Boston Common. We have been getting ready and Mom has been taking us for extra long walks lately. Suki is doing pilates to get in shape, and as for me, Kitsu, I have been doing bench presses.
Suki and I just set up our fundraising page, and we plan on sending out an email to a lot of our family and friends for donations. We have even decided to have a TEAM RAFFLE!! There are different prizes for different amounts raised by teams. We already have a lot of verbal pledges, as our two legger kids tell us many family and friends of ours are already donating to our Shiba Scream Team. For example, on our page it has just Mom's starter donation of $25. As we have six members of our family walking (so far) they each have their own pages and at $25 each we have already raised $150 from just our own family at home. Mom has started early as she really wants to get enough donations to hit the $1000 mark. She plans on pitching in more later depending on how we are doing. Also any two leggers who want to walk with us will get their own page to customize, along with an MSPCA t-shirt and can raise their own funds. Registration for the Walk for Animals is $25.
HERE IS THE GOOD PART: If you donate to the Walk for the Animals and donate a minimum of $5 (directly to the MSPCA) via our page the Shiba Scream Team, we will enter every donor, regardless of amount donated, into the raffle for the GRAND PRIZE! Remember every dollar counts! This is what the raffle winner will get depending upon how much the Shiba Scream Team raises:
$300 raised: MSPCA-Angell pet bandana
$500 raised: MSPCA-Angell bag
$1,000 raised: Digital Camera
$3,000 raised: Digital Photo Frame
$5,000 raised: Portable GPS Navigation System
Here is the link below if you would like to donate. We do not plan on barking on anyone's pages as we don't like to pressure our pals, just as we would not like to be pressured. We do know everybody here has charities of their own that they donate to, and if you can donate, great, and if not, a bark of encouragement here on our MDS page is greatly valued! We love our pals and we just wanted you all to know about our event as we are so excited.
www.mspca.org/goto/ShibaScreamTeam
Also click on "Team Information" as each walker is raising money for the entire team. I am just the captain of this one team and there are other walkers contributing to our team. We started early to make sure we are set to go September 7th.
In the meantime, we will be Shibas-In-Training for the big Walk. If you are interested in walking with us and live in the Boston area, there will also be plenty of activities during the day to entertain both dogs and their two-legger friends on the Boston Common. On-site entertainment will include more raffles, prizes, food, contests, microchipping, behavior demonstrations, agility, kid's corner activities, crafts, music and more. We will keep you up to date on our progress via our MSPCA page, and hopefully post some pictures of us working out for the Walk!
ASPCA - RECORD BREAKING PUPPY MILL RAID IN TENNESEE
ASPCA Record Breaking Puppy Mill Raid in Tennesee
ASPCA Makes Georgia DogFighting Bust
Ways You Can Stop Puppy Mills:
1. Do Not Buy Your Puppy From a Pet Store
That puppy who charmed you through the pet shop window has most likely come from a large-scale, substandard commercial breeding facility, commonly known as a puppy mill. In these facilities, parent dogs are caged and bred as often as possible, and give birth to puppies who could have costly medical problems you might not become aware of until after you bring your new pet home.
2. Make Adoption Your First Option
If you’re looking to make a puppy part of your family, check your local shelters first. Not only will you be saving a life, but you will ensure that your money is not going to support a puppy mill. There are many dogs waiting for homes in shelters all across the country―and an estimated one in four is a purebred! Your second option is breed rescue. If your heart is set on a specific breed you haven’t been able to find in a shelter, you can do an Internet search for a breed-specific rescue organization.
3. Know How to Recognize a Responsible Breeder
If you’ve exhausted your options for adopting and are choosing to buy from a breeder, remember that responsible breeders have their dogs’ interests in mind. They are not simply interested in making a sale, but in placing their pups in good homes. A responsible breeder should screen you as thoroughly as you screen them! Read the ASPCA’s responsible breeding statement to find out more about how a responsible breeder behaves.
4. See Where Your Puppy Was Born and Bred
One sign that you are speaking to an unscrupulous breeder is that they will not let you see the facility in which your puppy was born. Always ask to see the breeding premises and to meet both parents (or at least the mother) of the puppy you want to take home. You should also ask for an adoption contract that explains―in terms you understand―the breeder’s responsibilities, health guarantee and return policy.
5. Internet Buyers, Beware!
Buying a puppy from the Internet is as risky as buying from a pet store. If you buy a puppy based on a picture and a phone call, you have no way of seeing the puppy’s breeding premises or meeting his parents. And those who sell animals on the Internet are not held to the Animal Welfare Act regulations―and so are not inspected by the USDA.
6. Share Your Puppy Mill Story with the ASPCA
If you have—or think you have—purchased a puppy-mill puppy, please tell us your story. Every bit of evidence gives us more power to get legislation passed that will ban puppy mills.
7. Speak Out!
Inform your state and federal legislators that you are disturbed by the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills, and would like to see legislation passed that ensures that all animals bred to be pets are raised in healthy conditions. You can keep up-to-date about current legislation to ban puppy mills by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade.
8. Tell Your Friends
If someone you know is planning on buying a puppy, please direct them to our puppy mill information at ASPCA.org. Let them know that there are perfectly healthy dogs in shelters waiting to be adopted.
9. Think Globally
Have a webpage, a MySpace page or a blog? Use these powerful tools to inform people about puppy mill cruelty by adding a link to our puppy mill information at ASPCA.org.
10. Act Locally!
When people are looking to buy or adopt a pet, they will often ask the advice of their veterinarian, groomer or pet supply store. Download and print our flyers and ask to leave them in the offices of your local practitioners.
Mom's Back! Hi Everyone :)
We thought Mom was gone for good! We didn't know any better, and Dad said Kitsu was going crazy crying and then sulking for days, he is kind of a "Mama's Boy". When mom came home we were so excited it looked like we were gonna explode with happiness and wiggled our little butts and curly-Q tails and let out yodels for the whole neighborhood to hear. Mom looked like she really missed us too, she filled up with happiness when she laid eyes on us. She had a blast, said Atlantis was an incredibly beautiful place in the Bahamas and she is so happy she went. She has traveled in Europe but as far as tropical places go, she used to think the Hawaiian Islands was her favorite place. Now she says Atlantis in the Bahamas is her new favorite, she loved staying at the Cove, check out www.atlantis.com and check out the Dolphin Cay, it was awesome for animal lovers! She said it is good to kick the summer off with a tan and feeling relaxed and at the same time energetic. She was really most happy to be able to spend the time with her Dad and her two legger kiddies and that meant the most to her out of the whole trip.
WE MISSED OUR PALS HERE SO MUCH!! Please bear with us while we unpack and catch up on things along with going to a graduation party tomorrow. We really did miss you all and it will be great hearing about what is happening with everydog. Hit us up with a bark and we promise to get back to you when we are all settled in.
Love, 
Suki & Kitsu 
Leaving for Atlantis Bahamas ;)
We will miss all of our friends, however we will be leaving very early in the morning for Atlantis in the Bahamas. We are going to soak up the sun and go swimming with the dolphins, it is a much needed getaway!! All of our little furbabies, Kitsu, Suki, the kitties Bandit, Midnight, and Cuddles, and of course our leopard gecko Sahara, will be safe at home with Dad and our oldest two legger brother. Mom takes off with her Dad and her kiddies Sarah & Sean. We will be sure to take many pictures of our trip, and again we will miss you all.
Mom is not taking her laptop, Blackberry or anything, she is going to completely disconnect and be very very away... she will take her iPod though so she can have some music to chillax. WiFi is everywhere but she is just taking her suitcase, flipflops, sunglasses and all things essential for Atlantis and flying outta here ...
Kitsu & Suki
Read This Friends!!
Hey Everybody!!
If we haven't been on MyDogSpace lately it is because we have been busy running around with lots of things to do. The season starts ramping up here and we love it. Swimming today, BBQ, and the kiddies only have a week and a half of school left, and then school is out for summer. Also Mom is making sure we have all of our shots and she may even get Suki spayed within the next week or two.
Also Mom is "pre-gaming" as we are going away to Atlantis in the Bahamas!
Well, not actually "us" she is going with her Dad, Sarah, and Sean and is leaving us behind with Dad and the kitties and the leopard gecko.
Anyhow she is shopping for her and the kiddies and making a list of things to bring on our trip. She can't wait to go swimming with the dolphins and Sarah, Sean and Grampa. She said of course she would rather swim with us Shibas, but she is sacrificing and only doing it to make Grampa happy. We believe her... really ...
Anyhow we promise to be on soon as we miss our friends a lot. We wanted to leave special personal barks for everybody, but it seems that everytime we went to leave a bark, things just slowed down. We hope everyone is happy and healthy and well and having fun!!
Wags & Smiles, Kitsu & Suki
Memorial Day Weekend
We are home for the weekend and decided not to go away like the big mass exodus we are seeing in New England this time of year, either North to Maine and New Hampshire, or South to beautiful Cape Cod. We love all of these places but we decided to stay home. There is a special peace in solitude, a quiet time to remember those we have lost, our soldiers at war overseas, past and present, and being grateful for those we have today.
It has also been nice to be able to completely focus our entire time on Kitsu and Suki. Suki has been somewhat skittish since the day we adopted her. The breeder we went to also bred enormous Saint Bernards, and we are wondering if their loud barks made her skittish. We also thought that too many new people, foods, and noises combined with the fact that she is still due for some of her shots, would be overwhelming for her. We are laying low and letting her feel secure in her new surroundings. We wish all of our friends on MyDogSpace a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend. Also we made a post in the "Forums" under "General Topics" called "MSPCA Tips for Having a Safe BBQ Season with Your Pets!" It is always good to remind myself what new things come with each time of year. Again wishing everyone, a calm peaceful Memorial Day Weekend.
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