Pet News: Week of February 18th

Pet news from this week:  The dirty side of the exotic pet bird business is exposed, a dog saves family from house fire, and another pet food recall.

Exotic Pet Bird Business Exposed

Matt Smith, the Executive Director of the Central Virginia Parrot Sanctuary, is one of Wagbrag’s favorite writers and content contributors.  So we were elated to see that Matt was highlighted in this month’s issue of All Animals – a magazine published by the Humane Society of the United States.  Matt has relentless devotion to educating the public about the millions of exotic pet birds that are held in captivity who live a life of abuse and neglect.  Just like the notorious “puppy mills”, birds are being breed in horrendous conditions and then sold into homes incapable and unaware of how to properly care for these smart yet complex creatures.  But thanks to organizations like the Central Virginia Parrot Sanctuary, many rescued bird are able to experience flight and other natural bird behaviors.  Keep up the great work Matt!

Dog Saves Family from Fire

A homeowner in Hobe Sound, FL, was awakened around 2:30am by his dog.  The dog, Wags (gotta love that name), was anxiously barking as well as jumping up and down. When the homeowner woke up, he noticed his room was filled with smoke and the house was on fire.  The house was destroyed by the fire, but thanks to Wags, he and his grateful owner were able to escape the house just in time. The homeowner gives Wags full credit for saving his life.

Dog Food Recall

In the news again is another dog food recall.  This time it’ with Kasel Associates Industries, and the fears over salamonllia poisoning from dog treats.  Kasel carries such brands as Boots & Barkely, Bixbi and Nature’s Deli.  We’ve seen several recalls already this year – our unofficial count is about 11 since the beginning of January.  So – are you like us and having a hard time keeping track of all the food recalls?  There are two sources that we suggest you turn to for information.  The FDA is official site for recalls, but we tend to find the site a little difficult to navigate.  For easier navigation, we recommend Dog Food Advisor. On their top navigation there is a “Recall” section – doesn’t get any simpler than that.

Photo: Courtesy of longhorndave via Flickr (CC by 2.0)