In March Natura issued a voluntary recall of certain lots of its dog, cat, and ferret foods. The company, known for its line of "natural" and "holistic" pet foods, has expanded that recall after tests by the Departments of Agriculture in both Michigan and Georgia detected Salmonella in additional lots of dry cat food. The expanded recall now includes

This was posted today on Petside.com.

Five Golden Retrievers, part of the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry, based near Chicago, Ill., were deployed to help comfort victims and Bostonians earlier this week at the request of the First Lutheran Church of Boston.

The five dogs are part of a group of 67 Golden Retrievers trained as service dogs that help bring comfort to victims of tragedies such as the shootings at Sandy Hook. The group was formed with just a few dogs in 2008 following the shooting at Northern Illinois University.

April 21 - April 27 is National Volunteer week. A time to thank all the wonderful people who volunteer their time, services, energy and resources to support causes they believe in. I personally have volunteered with the San Diego Humane Society for close to 7 years and can't begin to tell you what a rewarding and satisfying experience that has been. I also volunteer with PAWS San Diego and have volunteered with SNAP in the past. Giving your time to an organization you believe in regardless of whether it is animal  or people-oriented is a wonderful way to make a difference in this world.

Most of us can recognize the beautiful greyhound when we see one. Their appearance is quire distinctive and their bodies, designed for speed, are poetry in motion. This month, has been declared National Greyhound Adoption Month so if you are considering adopting a greyhound, why not do it now. Greyhounds are described as brave, devoted and intelligent animals. they are very loving and loyal even though they may be reserved in behavior to strangers. They are sensitive and even-tempered and respond best to soft commands with a voice of authority and confidence.

Although no type of rattlesnake aversion training is foolproof, I have been looking around for an alternative to the traditional method which incorporates the use of "Shock Collars" to train the dog to stay away.

Traditionally, most programs use a series of steps, using live, muzzled rattlesnakes to deter the dog from the scent, sound and posturing that rattlesnakes present. They begin by putting a "shock collar" on the dog and then expose him to the rattelsnakes' smell. As the dog sniffs, he receives a slight shock.