Never Leave Your Pet’s Food Unsealed To prevent unnecessary exposure to air and humidity, which can rapidly degrade food and increase risk of bacterial contamination like Salmonella, pet food should be sealed in a safe container after every feeding. If your pet eats dry kibble, this may very well be the original packaging if the top of the bag is folded securely. High quality pet food bags have been designed to keep out the elements and maintain its freshness for as long as possible. If you want to store food in a plastic container, the best option is to use the original bag and place it in a plastic container. If pouring food into the container, you should purchase a food safe. It must be cleaned and dried very well when the container is empty. The oils and food will expire and could cause issues with palatability and GI upset when stored in a non-food grade container.
Never Leave Pet Food Sitting Out Too Long How long dry food can be left out will vary depending on the food and manufacturer. Some companies use natural and artificial preservatives that generally are good until expiration, even when open. The best recommendation is to contact the manufacturer to find out the recommendation for your pet’s specific food. Canned food, once opened, can be left out from 2 to no more than 4 hours. Any unused canned food should be immediately put in the refrigerator. Contact the pet food manufacturer to find out their recommendations for how long the food can still be fed once opened and placed in the refrigerator. Ideally, unopened dry and canned foods should be kept at room temperature and away from heat, humidity and infestation.
Don’t Forget To Clean Food Bowls Regularly How often do you wash your pet food bowl - Every week? That’s not bad, but the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) actually recommends washing pet food bowls, dishes, and scooping utensils with soap and hot water after each use. This is to prevent infectious agents such as Salmonella or Listeria from accumulating on the items. If you use a plastic container to store your pet food, wash the container when empty, and make sure it is completely dry before adding new food.
Never Allow Young Children to Handle Pet Food Left unsupervised, children and pet food simply don’t mix. Kids tend to be less reliable in their sanitary habits before and after handling pet food and they are more likely to incorrectly measure an appropriate meal for your pet. This can harm both your child (exposing them to dangerous infectious agents) and your pet (promoting overeating and issues with obesity).
Never Keep Pet Food Past Its Expiration Date Pet food expiration dates (sometimes known as “best by” or “use by” dates) are established to ensure the safety of the food for your dog or cat. These dates are often found on the side or the bottom of the pet food package or can. Can’t find the date? Call the pet food manufacturer. They can easily instruct you as to where the expiration date can be found. Don’t take the risk by feeding your pet expired food.
A Quebec Superior Court judge has extended a suspension of Montreal's ban on pit bull-type dogs until there is a final court ruling on the SPCA's legal challenge of the bylaw. The SPCA is arguing that clauses of the new animal control bylaw dealing with pit bull-type dogs should be declared null and illegal. Restrictions aimed at pit bull-type dogs, including a prohibition on adopting them and a requirement that they be muzzled when outdoors, will not be enforced until the SPCA's challenge is heard by the courts and a final decision is rendered. Other provisions of the new animal control bylaw remain in effect, such as the requirement that all dogs weighing more than 20 kilograms, regardless of breed, wear a halter or harness. Bylaw definition 'vague, imprecise' In Justice Louis Gouin's decision, he found the provisions dealing with pit bull-type dogs raise numerous red flags and merit further review. Gouin said the definition of the term "pit bull-type dog" is vague and imprecise and needs to be clarified. "The challenge is to establish the limits of the very elastic definition of 'pit bull-type dog' and the court notes that, during the hearings, even the city has been unable to define those limits," the decision reads. Gouin also questioned whether the City of Montreal has the right to order the seizure and euthanizing of pit bull-type dogs that may not, in fact, be dangerous.
Spotsylvania County, Virginia - An armed suspect who shot a K-9 with the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office Sunday evening during a traffic stop is still on the loose, according to officials. The Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office reports, around 9 p.m. the vehicle of a suspect wanted on numerous felony warrants in Fredericksburg was spotted and pulled over in the 2800 block of Lafayette Blvd . The driver of that vehicle was reportedly "taken without incident," but a passenger inside, Joseph Conway, 34, got out and began to fight with a Deputy. Conway then made an attempt to flee the scene on foot, according to the Sheriff's Office. A Spotsylvania Deputy, along with a K-9 named Dux, had just arrived on the scene and officials report Dux was released in an attempt to detain Conway. According to the Sheriff's Office, after a short pursuit, Conway pulled out a pistol and began to shot at the Deputies and Dux who were pursuing him. Dux was reportedly struck by the gunfire at least once. Officials say the Deputies shot back at the pursuing Conway, but it's unclear at this time if he was injured. None of the Deputies were shot or injured during the pursuit, officials confirm. ABC7's Suzanne Kennedy reports several vehicles in the area were also struck during the gunfire exchange. Dux was taken to an emergency Veterinary hospital where he underwent surgery. By Monday afternoon, officials tweeted that Dux was "out of surgery and in recovery."
When construction workers were on the job in Canary Wharf, London, they found something they didn’t expect. Deep in a hole caked in mud and strips of plastic was a small helpless animal. The workers carefully extracted the animal from the hole, but it was so entrenched in mud and garbage that they could not make out exactly what it was. At first, they guessed it was a puppy, but they soon learned they were wrong. They enlisted the help of a wildlife hospital, and you won’t believe what they found. PetsFans.com tells the story: “The story started when, on a normal work day in England, some construction workers had a task to do near an area close to London’s Canary Wharf. While going on with their jobs, a few ground holes were left open. The workers were startled when they heard a faint sound of cries coming from one of the open holes! Imagine how heartbreaking it must have sounded. The workers didn’t waste any time, they rushed to try and locate the animal, without even knowing what they should expect to find, or whether any of them could be in danger.” The workers contacted specialists from the Essex Wildlife Hospital who worked for hours to carefully clean the animal. After a good bath and lot of special care, the workers were able to properly identify the animal as a four month old baby fox. They named him Muddsey and lauded the construction crew for saving him. Su Schwar who runs the hospital said, “it would certainly have had a pretty awful death if it hadn’t been found, it was very cold and in shock but is fine now. We felt very sorry for him because he was completely caked and was absolutely petrified.” Others have applauded the efforts of construction workers as well. One Green Planet wrote, “If rescuers hadn’t found this baby fox trapped in a hole, who knows what could have happened to him? With all that dirt on him and no mother in sight fretting over him, he must have been tough to spot. What a lucky guy! While we’re not sure if he’s old enough to be out and about on his own just yet, he’s in the capable hands of the veterinary staff at the wildlife hospital, who will help him learn to be the best fox he can be before they release him back into the wild.”
Hero Viral wrote, “This 4 month old fox had actually fallen so deep that he couldn’t get out himself. As to why the fox came to the construction site, chances are the construction forced his family to move out of their home. They give the poor fox a bath and now he looks like a proper fox! According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), animals find themselves at threat against various land developments and hence they decide to move out and go somewhere else.”
BREAKING NEWS! Miami-Dade County Commisioners will vote this week to decide whether to end the ban of pitbull s in Miami. We need your help to e-mail all of the County Commissioners to ask them to End BSL in Miami-Dade and allow Pitbulls in Miami again. This 20 plus year Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) has caused the death of thousands of innocent pit bulls at the Miami-Dade Shelter. If the commissioners hear from enough people they may overturn the pitbull ban. To read more on this story, click here:BREAKING NEWS! Miami-Dade Will Vote This Week Whether To End Their Pitbull Ban
Montreal's SPCA will ask the Quebec Superior Court to review the city's new animal control bylaw in a bid to have the sections targeting "pit bull-type dogs" declared illegal. The SPCA said the action will be presented at the Montreal courthouse on Thursday. The bylaw, which will ban new ownership of pit bulls and pit-bull type dogs, was passed by city council on Tuesday, and goes into effect Oct. 3. But the SPCA wants the sections of the new bylaw concerning "pit bull-type dogs" declared illegal on the following grounds:
It discriminates by creating additional and punitive obligations for owners and guardians of pit bull-type dogs, which the SPCA argues are not dangerous.
It is "vague and imprecise" in its definition of pit bull-type dogs and makes it "impossible to know which dogs fall into this category."
It fails to include a means to challenge the designation of a dog as a pit bull-type breed.
It contravenes Article 898.1 of the Civil Code of Quebec, which grants animals the status of sentient beings, as well as sections of the Animal Welfare and Safety Act.
It is unreasonable that the bylaw treats all pit bull-type dogs as dangerous dogs despite what the agency says is the lack of credible evidence that they are inherently dangerous.
Animal rights advocates have criticized the bylaw, pointing out that many cities that have implemented similar legislation have since repealed the laws. A spokesperson for the City of Montreal said the municipality has a "well-recognized" right to pass animal control regulations, especially where it concerns the safety of Montrealers. To read more on this story, click here:Montreal SPCA to Take Legal Action Against New Bylaw Targeting Pit Bulls
