My friend Doug Ratner...come on you know the name and the music! Doug Ratner & The Watchmen, has just launched his new company, "I'd Rather Be With My Dog", a line of T-Shirts with some of your favorite breeds. Currently available are: Beagle, Bulldog, Black Lab, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and Dachshund.
From Doug:
Check out the shirts, read about the charities, check out the blogs, and tell us what you think and remember that every single one of YOU played a little part in inspiring me to launch this new company. Check them out HERE!
Check out these cool T-Shirts...and order your favorite!
Bulldog
German Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Beagle
Black Lab
Dachshund - *IMPORTANT: Dachshund T-Shirts are in production! Pre-order now! They will be able to be shipped by 10/14/13*
They have just released a new music video for the Washington Humane Society!
Did you see my baby, Jonas in the video!
About: Doug Ratner & The Watchmen
Doug Ratner & The Watchmen have covered a lot of ground in a pretty short space of time. If rock n’ roll and the highway make a perfect marriage, the power trio out of Longmeadow, Massachusetts has spent the last year-and-a-half on its honeymoon.
ON ITUNES! http://goo.gl/A084jj
MERCH STORE: http://goo.gl/JT9yUc
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/dougratner
ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dougratnerandthewatchmen
Doug and his favorite girl...Trudy!
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at: www.whispersoftheworld.com
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Following the Griffin family dog's death during Sunday's episode, fans have already collected over 30,000 signatures to revive the late pooch.
Hours after the death of smart-talking Brian Griffin on Fox's Family Guy, a fan petition calling for the pooch's revival has quickly become the top entertainment petition on Change.org.
During Sunday's "Life of Brian" episode of Family Guy, the Seth MacFarlane-produced series killed off the Griffin family's sophisticated talking dog, Brian, when he was struck by a car and run over as he prepared to play in the street with Stewie. Ultimately, his injuries were too severe, and he could not be saved.
Family Guy fan Aaron Thompson of Tuscaloosa, Al., launched the Change.org petition Monday and within hours, the effort calling for the beloved dog voiced by MacFarlane to be brought back to life had already collected over 30,000 signatures.
"Brian Griffin was an important part of our viewing experience," Thompson wrote on the site. "He added a witty and sophisticated element to the show. Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffin is not brought back to the show."
Brian and Stewie are the backbones of the series and often team to mock Griffin family patriarch Peter. Brian is one of several characters voiced by MacFarlane, who also brings Peter, Stewie, Glenn Quagmire and countless others to life on the series.
It's unclear just why MacFarlane and the Family Guy producers opted to kill off the character. Shortly after the episode concluded Sunday, Fox paid tribute to Brian with a short video.
Washington, DC - Police dogs and horses do a lot of work to help and protect their police officer partners, so D.C. police support a proposed new law to help protect the animals by imposing stiff fines and prison sentences for injuring or killing them.
“Any police dog that we have goes home with the handler,” Sgt. Johnnie Walter said. “He's with us 24 hours a day. We spend more time with these animals than we do our own family.”
Retired police officer Marcello Muzzatti spent 20 years on K-9 patrol with six different dogs, but he emotionally remembered his last, Checho.
“Worked the streets until 2008 when he retired,” Muzzatti said.” He then passed away in September of 2011. He lived to be 15 years old and he was my partner and my friend.”
That's part of why Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells -- chairman of the Judiciary Committee -- is drafting legislation protecting the police animals.
Injuring a police animal in the line of duty would have a maximum fine of $12,500 and a five-year prison sentence. Killing an official animal would be a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.
“Law enforcement animals are important,” Wells said. “They're an important component of insuring public safety.”
Police dogs are trained to be aggressive on command. Few are actually injured, but officers say laws need to protect them.
The District's new legislation is similar to protections that already are in the law for federal law enforcement animals.
Meet Scott Giacoppo from the Washington Humane Society in D.C. and find out what this life long cat advocate has seen in the way of changes for cats in shelters, adoption programs, community cat programs, feral cat, trap, neuter, vaccinate, return programs, fostering cats and kittens, and even the challenges involved in mountain lion sightings around our nation’s capitol.
He was truly larger than life. Giant George, a 5-foot-tall, 245-pound Great Dane, passed away last week, one month shy of his 8 th birthday. He made headlines when Guinness World Records named him the world's tallest dog in 2010.
In his 7 short years, Giant George won the world record and appeared on Oprah, the Today show and Good Morning America. He was even the subject of the book Giant George: Life With the World's Biggest Dog by his owner, Dave Nasser.
"We appreciate the love and support you have given Giant George over the last several years. We look forward to honoring his spirit by continuing his charitable works," Team Giant George wrote in a recent blog post.
To honor his life, the Giant George team is asking animal lovers to donate to or volunteer for their favorite animal cause or organization on November 17, which would have been George's 8 th birthday.
Click on video below to see this Gentle Giant at home!
American Humane Association invites you to join us for the final installation of The National Fire Dog Monument, created to recognize the incredible contributions that accelerant detection canines (arson dogs) make in keeping communities safe. The monument traveled from Denver, CO to Washington, DC last summer for temporary placement at D.C. Fire Station #3 where the general public was able to view it inside of the station’s museum. The monument will be permanently installed on the sidewalk in front of Fire Station #2 in the Chinatown section of Washington, DC on October 23rd.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
12:00 – 2:30 PM: NFDM Dedication Ceremony at D.C. Fire & EMS Station #2 in Chinatown (500 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001) – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
American Humane Association and State Farm were instrumental in providing funding to The National Fire Dog Monument (NFDM), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization created to build a bronze monument dedicated to all Certified Accelerant Detection K-9’s (arson dogs) as a way to acknowledge their service to the communities where they serve.
These dogs do not ask for anything in return after risking their lives to reduce the negative impact of arson in their communities. The monument design is a standing fire fighter looking down on his Labrador Retriever (2011 Hero Dog Award winner Sadie served as model!), who is looking back up at his handler ready to work. The monument is titled “From Ashes to Answers.”
I hope you will join us here in Washington, DC on October 23rd, to help call attention to the nation's arson dogs and thank the men and women who train and care for these four-legged heroes who do so much to protect families and communities across America!
Nearly 600 pets have died and more than 3,600 have been sickened in an ongoing, mysterious outbreak of illnesses tied to jerky treats made in China, federal animal health officials said Tuesday.
Most of the cases have been in dogs of all breeds, ages and sizes — although 10 cats have been sickened, too — after eating chicken, duck and sweet potato jerky treats. The pace of the reported illnesses appears to have slowed, but federal Food and Drug Administration officials are now seeking extra help from veterinarians and pet owners in solving the ongoing puzzle.
“To date, testing for contaminants in jerky treats has not revealed a cause for the illnesses,” Martine Hartogensis, a deputy director for the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in the new report. “Despite these warnings, we have continued to receive reports of illnesses in both cats and dogs.”
The new numbers are up from some 500 deaths and 3,200 illnesses tallied in January, but the rate of reports has fallen sharply since then, mostly because two of the largest sellers of pet jerky treats announced recalls tied to the presence of unapproved antibiotic residue detected in the products.
FDA officials don’t think that antibiotic residue is the big problem that has stumped the agency since 2007, when pet owners started reporting their animals were suffering gastrointestinal and kidney problems after eating the popular jerky treats.
Instead, it’s likely that the recall of Nestle Purina PetCare Co.’s Waggin Train and Canyon Creek Ranch treats, plus Del Monte Corp.’s Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats simply resulted in fewer treats being available. Three other smaller retailers also recalled the treats because of the problem.
In fact, FDA officials remain as uncertain as ever about the source of the problem that has led to reports of illnesses and warnings about the possibility of Fanconi syndrome and other kidney problems in animals that ate jerky treats.
“We still are extensively testing treats for a number of things,” Hartogensis told NBC News. “We do seem to be getting some leads, but we still have a little bit of a ways to go.”
Kendal Harr, a veterinary clinical pathologist who has been tracking the problem, says that the specific compound responsible for the illnesses continues to elude experts.
"I think that what it tells us is that the intoxicant is something that we're not used to dealing with as a toxin in North America," she said.
Now, in an open letter to US veterinarians, FDA officials are asking the vets to track and send detailed information about any animals sickened by jerky treats, including results of blood and urine tests. In addition, the agency is asking vets to send urine samples from suspect pets for analysis.
“This testing will allow FDA to get a better idea of how many of the suspected cases involve Fanconi syndrome, whether or not the pets display symptoms of kidney or urinary disease,” the report said.
About 60 percent of reports cite gastrointestinal illness in the animals, and about 30 percent flag kidney or urinary troubles, the report said. About 135 cases of Fanconi syndrome, a specific kind of kidney disease, have been reported.
At the same time that they’re seeking help from vets, FDA officials are putting out a fact sheet for owners that can be posted at veterinary hospitals, pet supply stores and other sites.
The agency has repeatedly cautioned that the treats are not necessary for a balanced diet, but the warnings stop short of a recall, Hartogensis said. The agency is still validating tests to detect the same kind of antibiotic residue that New York officials found earlier this year.
“If we do find an adulterated product, we will recall them,” Hartogensis said. “In terms of doing a blanket recall, at this point we don’t have enough evidence to do a blanket recall within the authority that we have.”
Because there's no formal recall, it's not possible to list affected brands, although a previous FDA analysis indicated that three of the top-selling brands of jerky treats sold in the U.S. were mentioned in connection with pet illnesses.
That doesn't sit well with pet owners like Robin Pierre of Pine Bush, N.Y., who contends that Waggin' Train chicken jerky treats were responsible for the sudden death in 2011 of her previously healthy 2-year-old pug, Bella, who developed kidney failure. She has long called for FDA to crack down on treat makers — and manufacturers.
"I am disgusted that our government continues to protect corporate American and China," she told NBC News. "They need to start protecting the American consumer so that this does not happen again. As soon as a product is in doubt, a warning label should be placed at the point of sale so that consumers can make an educated choice."
If a pet does become ill after eating the treats, FDA is asking owners to provide detailed information — up to and including results of a necropsy to test an animal’s tissues after death.
In the meantime, officials are trying to reach pet owners who might still have treats on hand to make sure they know about the potential problems.
“Right now, the focus for us is to make the public aware that these cases are still coming in,” she said.
Toby, a 6-year-old Boston terrier, died in 2012 after his owners say he was sickened by chicken jerky pet treats made in China.
The nation’s top therapy dog, a pit bull named Elle (pronounced Ellie) from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina who helps teach children about dog safety, reading, and overcoming prejudice and stereotypes – something a pit bull knows too much about – has been named this year’s “American Hero Dog” at the 2013 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™. Elle and her human companion Leah Brewer were presented with the nation’s top honors on October 5th at the star-studded Hero Dog Awards gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
Elle is saving lives by teaching children dog safety (more than 2 million children are bitten by dogs each year) and making positive life changes for people by helping them overcome their fear of dogs. Since becoming a volunteer, Elle started a therapy dog reading program called "Tail Wagging Tales," helping children enjoy books and improve their reading skills. Elle is also making a difference by creating happiness all around while visiting her friends at an elementary school, a middle school, and a retirement home.
Elle also reaches out to educate families about being responsible pet parents, sharing stories about her job as a therapy dog, and spreading positive awareness about dogs that are misunderstood, including pit bulls. This year’s therapy dog category sponsor, as well as the online sponsor, is the leading animal health company, Zoetis.
Congratulations to Elle, the "pit bull" therapy dog who has been named American Humane Associations 2013 American Hero Dog! Elle is making a difference in the lives of so many people and breaking down stereotypes about pit bull type dogs along the way. Way to go, Elle!
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