If You Have a Dog - PLEASE READ - Multiple Diamond Dog Foods Now Linked to Salmonella Outbreak in Humans

It now appears multiple Diamond Dog Food products have been linked to salmonella infections in the human population.

In a bulletin dated May 3, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has announced the agency is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigate an ongoing multistate outbreak of human Salmonella Infantis infections.
According to the report.

Public health investigators used DNA “fingerprints” of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE, to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. They used data from PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections. The outbreak strain is rare and typically 0-3 isolates are reported per month.

Multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at a single manufacturing facility in South Carolina have been linked to some of the human Salmonella infections. People who think they might have become ill after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has eaten dry pet food should consult their health care providers.

So far, among the 14 individuals reported having the infection, five were hospitalized — and no deaths have been reported.

Public health investigations are ongoing to determine if other brands of dry dog food produced at the South Carolina facility are also contaminated with Salmonella – and possibly linked to human illnesses.

The Bottom Line
What’s especially troubling about this story is that the illnesses date back to October 8, 2011 – almost 7 months ago.

This fact alone makes the health complaints reported by many of our readers under some of the Diamond product reviews on this website more noteworthy. For this reason, we’re now becoming increasingly suspicious of the actual extent of Diamond’s Salmonella contamination issue.

And so, we must recommend special caution if you’re feeding any product manufactured by Diamond at its South Carolina plant.

Unfortunately, it’s still unclear which products are produced at that location. So, without more information from Diamond Pet Foods or the FDA, it’s impossible for anyone to reliably predict if – or when – another recall may materialize.

What to Do
I can’t stress enough how important it is to check the Diamond Pet Foods Recall website for exact products, images and production codes associated with the recall.


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Enrique Iglesias Rescues a German Shepherd

Pop star Enrique Iglesias is a new dad — to a rescued German shepherd!

Although fans of the singer have long suggested he’s a commitment phobe, it seems that when it comes to pets, he has no trouble committing.

According to Teddy Hilton, Iglesias adopted the pooch last Saturday from L.A.’s Westside German Shepherd Rescue, which is a no-kill shelter. German Shepherds are often classified as an aggressive breed, and many end up in shelters, so it’s nice to see a celeb doing his part to reduce that number.

The new dog, whose name has not yet been released, has definitely found a pooch-friendly home, considering that Iglesias also has two other dogs: Lucas, who is also a German Shepherd, and Golden Retriever Grammy. The singer often takes his pets on yachts and jet skis, so it’s a good bet that the new addition will have lots of fun adventures this summer!

Up next for Iglesias is an appearance on the Today Show Toyota Summer Concert Series, which is scheduled to air in July.

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National Zoo Elephant Plays the Harmonica

In Washington, DC, a 36-year-old Asian elephant named Shanthi is developing her musical talents by playing harmonicas and other instruments within the reach of her trunk.

In a video released Wednesday by the Smithsonian's National Zoo http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ in Washington, Shanthi has a harmonica attached to her stall and plays tunes even when no humans are around.

Elephant keeper Debbie Flinkman says Shanthi is musically inclined, playing her own songs that always have a big crescendo at the end. Shanthi also likes to tap things, flap her ears against objects to make noise and rub her leg up and down shrubs to repeat noises.

Flinkman says she doesn't make Shanthi play the harmonica. It's something she enjoys.
Shanthi was a gift from Sri Lanka and is the mother of 10-year-old Kandula.

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Maryland Court Finds Pit Bulls are 'Inherently Dangerous'

A new ruling makes it easier for anyone attacked by a pit bull or pit bull mix in Maryland to take legal action against the dog's owner.

The Maryland Court of Appeals ruling declares pit bulls as a breed are "inherently dangerous," and the owner of a pit bull or a cross-bred pit that attacks is strictly liable for damages, as is any landlord who rents to a pit bull owner.

The Maryland SPCA, which arranges adoptions for dogs that need homes, currently has three pit bulls under its care: a five-month-old Brutus is scheduled to be adopted this week, Ayoki is available and Valentina will be put up for adoption soon. But the SPCA is concerned that it may be harder to find adoptive homes and families may abandon pit bulls after the recent ruling.

“We believe that an animal’s behavior should be the determining factor in whether or not the animal is considered dangerous,” said Cheryl Bernard Smith, of SPCA. “We don't believe that a particular breed should be pinpointed for that."

"All dogs, if you don't train them and show them love, can turn out to be mean animals,” said Rodney Taylor, of Prince George’s County Animal Management. “It has a lot to do with the owner and how you raise the pet."

The Maryland Court of Appeals decision dealt with the case of a young boy who suffered life-threatening injuries when he was attacked by a pit bull.

Pit bulls are banned in Prince George's County.

"Back in 1997 they passed a law saying you could not own or harbor a pit bull or a pit bull mix in Prince George's County,” Taylor said. “If you happen to have one or are caught with one you could be arrested. It does carry six months in prison and a $1,000 fine for having one."

Now the law finds pit bull owners throughout Maryland absolutely accountable for the behavior of their dogs.

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Fallout from Ruling that Pit Bulls are ‘Inherently Dangerous’

Erica Carter’s move from Pasadena, California, to Baltimore was difficult, she said, not because of the lack of housing options, but because many places would not allow her pit bull Bailey.

Though Carter has settled into a rental near Patterson Park, she said the search was daunting. And she fears it will only get worse with her next move after last week’s Maryland Court of Appeals     ruling that pit bulls are inherently dangerous animals.

A court ruling in Maryland found that pit bulls and dogs that are part pit bull are “inherently dangerous.”

The court’s decision could have far-reaching implications for landlords and dog owners who rent. Landlords could opt to ban pit bulls or all dogs to avoid future liability, or they could see increased insurance costs, industry experts said. In turn, as pit bull owners have difficulty finding housing, animal advocates fear more dogs will be left at shelters.

The ruling in a civil case brought by the family of a child attacked by a pit bull in Towson in 2007 means victims don’t need to prove a dog’s owner knew it had a history of being dangerous. They just need to show that the owner or landlord knew a dog is part pit bull to make a claim.

“That’s absolutely ridiculous,” Carter, 20, said as she watched Bailey trot happily through the mud with a pack of other dogs at the Canton Dog Park. “Pit bulls get judged by their look and the actions of other people,” she said, referring to owners who train pit bulls to fight.

Howard Carolan, 28, who brought his pit-mix Annie to the park, was surprised by the ruling. He said he and his fiancee recently rescued Annie. “That’s got to be half the dogs in the city,” he said of pit mixes.

“We just got this girl. She’s been sweet,” he said. He added, however, that the ruling “does concern me about keeping her.”

Carter said she would never give up her dog. “I plan on adopting more,” she said.

But many are concerned about the ruling’s impact on pit bull ownership.

“We’re getting calls from people who are getting calls from their landlords telling them to move out,” said Jen Swanson, executive director at the Baltimore Humane Society http://www.bmorehumane.org/ in Reisterstown.

She said the humane society has been advising callers that leases are legally binding contracts and landlords can’t change them until the lease ends. “Landlords can stipulate what they want in a lease, but what’s unfortunate now is this is really breeding fear and ignorance,” she said.

The ruling also is causing concern among landlords and property managers.

M. Arnold Politzer, a commercial and residential real estate lawyer, said the ruling puts landlords who have leases that permit pit bulls in a difficult position.

“If you have a contract that says pit bulls are okay, you’re looking at a breach of contract” if a property owner tries to force tenants to get rid of dogs before the lease is up, he said.

But Robert H. Lande, a University of Baltimore law professor, said a landlord’s options depend on the terms of the lease.

“You have to look at the lease and see if there is any general clause that says you can’t do anything dangerous,” he said, which could be considered enough to allow a landlord to require a tenant to remove a pit bull.

Some said the ruling could lead property owners to not only prohibit pit bulls but all dogs.

“As a landlord, I have no idea of the breed,” said Benedict Frederick III, president of the Property Owners Association of Greater Baltimore http://www.baltimorepropertyowners.org/. He said that for years, he has prohibited dogs because his liability insurance policy won’t permit them.

A fellow association board member, Jacob Danyali, said he also has opted to exclude all pet owners from his properties because of the potential destruction of property. But he said the ruling seems unfair to landlords.

“It’s like saying the car company is responsible for a drunk driver,” he said. He predicted that the market would be driven by the cost of insurance, if insurance becomes too expensive, many landlords won’t accept pit bulls.

Anne Binary, an animal law expert, said one of the consequences of this ruling is that “insurance companies will cancel insurance policies and raise policy costs. … Anybody who carries an insurance policy will be discouraged economically from adopting these dogs.”

Many animal advocacy groups have reacted to the ruling by starting online campaigns, including a Facebook page called “Stop Pit Bull Discrimination in Maryland,” which had garnered more 1,300 “Likes” by Tuesday. A petition also is circulating, asking Gov. Martin O’Malley to prohibit policy that singles out specific breeds.

Eileen Gabby, executive director of the Maryland SPCA http://www.mdspca.org/, said the group is looking at their options. “We hope the case can be reconsidered,” she said.

“People are concerned,” she added. “We want both pets and people to be safe.”

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Judge Gives Tennessee Dog on Death Row a Reprieve - He Will be Featured in Animal Planet's reality TV show "Pitt Bulls and Parolees,"

In Nashville, Tennessee, a dog who sat on doggy death row for more than a year before given a reprieve is now officially free from government captivity and headed toward TV stardom.

Prada, the 4-year-old pit bull mix  that was ruled vicious and ordered put down, was released Thursday from Nashville's Animal Control facility, where the dog had been held since January 2011.

Prada was ordered put down after attacking several other dogs. A judge spared the dog's life after the Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans agreed to take the animal.

The center is featured in Animal Planet's reality TV show "Pitt Bulls and Parolees," which puts ex-convicts and abused dogs together so both man and animal can be rehabilitated

"Prada loves these people," Nicole Andree, the dog's former owner said after a representative from the rescue center came to Nashville to collect the dog.

Andree, a 35-year-old childless real estate agent, fought a lengthy court battle to spare the dog, vowing never to stop until she got Prada off death row. But she had to agree to give up her beloved pet to save the animal's life. The judge lifted the death order after Nashville lawyers said they would not object if Prada went to the rescue center. The dog, however, must stay there for the rest of its life.

Andree says she plans to visit Prada at the center. She believes the dog will have a good life there. FOLLOW US!

Soldier and Dog’s Reunion Video - A Web Hit!

How do you say "welcome home" in dog? We're pretty sure this Great Dane, Emmitt, nicknamed "Thunderpaws," got his super-excited message across.

The overgrown pooch was reuniting with his dad, Trevor Chowder, who was returning from deployment in Afghanistan after spending nine months apart.

The loving giant, who is normally not allowed to jump up (you'll see why when you watch the video — he's as tall as his human companion) stares into Trevor's eyes and gives him a hug while standing on his hind legs.

Here's another video showing a soldier and dog's reunion:

Reunion shows dog's unconditional love (VIDEO)

To say that this boxer, Chuck, was excited to see dad come home is an understatement.  He jumps out of the suv to greet him!  The family went through the same thing last year when he came home.

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Dog Delays Flights at LaGuardia Airport

A few flights were delayed this morning when Byrdie, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, made a run for it on runway 3L at LaGuardia Airport.

The approximately 30-pound canine got loose while being loaded onto a Delta flight bound for Memphis at 10:20 a.m.

Authorities quickly escorted the owner onto the runway and the dog came running to her when it was called.

The pup was only on the tarmac for about 10 minutes and two or three flights were briefly delayed.

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