Urban Resource Institute Launches URI PALS Project, New York City’s First Initiative to Shelter Domestic Violence Survivors with their Pets

URI NYC

Muriel, a survivor of domestic abuse and her dog Jasmine

NEW YORK, New York – May 30, 2013 – Urban Resource Institute (URI) today announced the launch of New York City’s first-ever co-sheltering program to enable domestic violence survivors and their pets to reside together in shelter. The project, called PALS—People and Animals Living Safely—will run as a six-month pilot beginning June 1. URI is partnering with the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals (the Alliance) because of its expertise in ensuring pet safety in crisis situations. [click to continue…]

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Take your dog to work Pinterest contest

By Bart on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 in News, Products

take your dog to work dayBil-Jac  is hosting a Take Your Dog To Work contest where dog lovers across the US have the opportunity to win dog treats and food coupons by sharing a photo of their dog at work. It is a celebration of National Take Your Dog To Work Day June 21 with a very special campaign, celebrating the spirit of the American office dog!

Between now and May 30, share your favorite photo of your dog “at work” — in the office if you’re an office worker, in a home office if you’re a home office/remote worker, and/or in the home if you’re a home-maker, stay at home mom, or the like. Share the photo via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or on the Bil-Jac website here.  http://www.bil-jac.com/photouploader.php.

After June 1, you can vote daily for your favorite “Dog at Work” picture on the Bil-Jac Pinterest  board. The Dog at Work with the most votes before June 30 wins $100 worth of Bil-Jac premium dog food and treats!

To learn more about Bil-Jac dog food and treats, go to BilJac.com

Photo by great_sea (Flickr.com – photo page, large size) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

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Time for a doggy dna test

By Bart on Thursday, May 16th, 2013 in Doggy Lifestyle, Products

Wisdom PanelApparently there’s now a new and improved Wisdom Panel 2.0 dog DNA test, to help me figure out my breed mix. It’s really fun to guess but there are reasons why mommy might want to know to help with training and nutrition. If you think your dog might be a purebred this works too. I’m 100% reservation dog but we’ll see what else is in the mix. (The folks at Mars Veterinary sent me this kit free, by the way but they are not paying me to review it!)

I’m going to take the test again and see what I am. If you want to guess my breed before it gets back, we’ll draw a name to send a free Wisdom Panel kit to the winner! Leave a comment with your best guess. 

Here’s more information about Wisdom Panel® [click to continue…]

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Akita named greatest animal companion

By Bart on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 in News

Image courtesy of www.fanpop.com

Hachiko

The ParksByNature Network, creator of the must-have parks navigation app – Pocket Ranger® has announced their list of the top five animal companions in celebration of how much our four-legged friends love the outdoors. And of course, the number one greatest companion is an Akita. (I am part Akita!)

#1 Hachiko (dramatized in the film “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” starring Richard Gere.

Unlike the other four animals on our list, Hachiko actually existed. He has become something of a legend, though, inspiring books and movies, all of which serve as a testament to the enduring power of this true story. Born on a farm near Odate, Akita Prefecture, Hachiko was an Akita dog known for his remarkable loyalty. In 1924, a Tokyo university professor named Hidesaburo Ueno took in Hachiko as a pet, and the pair subsequently developed a routine in which Professor Ueno left for work in the mornings, and in the afternoons Hachiko went to the train station to greet his owner upon his return. This routine continued until May 1925 when Professor Ueno suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died, never returning to the train station where Hachiko obediently waited for him. Amazingly, each day for the next nine years Hachiko continued to appear at the train station precisely when his dead owner’s train was due to arrive. After one of Professor Ueno’s graduate students noticed Hachiko waiting at the station, word of the dog’s loyalty spread throughout Japan and became legendary. In 1934, admirers erected a bronze statue of Hachiko’s likeness at Shibuya Station.

The other animal companions include: [click to continue…]

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Take the pledge to support pet rescue!

By Bart on Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 in Animal Rescue, News

Pet rescueP.L.A.Y., makers of high quality dog beds, and Nebo, Atlanta-based digital marketing agency, have partnered up to launch the Rescue Pledge to generate support and raise awareness for animal shelter adoptions

ATLANTA – Nebo, an award-winning digital marketing agency, and P.L.A.Y., makers of high quality dog beds with pets, people and the planet in mind, recently announced their newest joint effort called the Rescue Pledge to help pet rescue.

By taking the online pledge, users agree to support adoption from rescue shelters, avoid unlicensed breeders, become educated about minimum standards of pet care, report abuse or neglect and give back to the community by donating to or volunteering at animal shelters.

Taking the Pledge is simple and unobtrusive. After registering, pledgers receive a digital badge to share the cause with friends and family. They also gain the opportunity to publish their own pet adoption story on the Rescue Pledge website.  [click to continue…]

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Reduce your carbon pawprint!

By Bart on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 in Doggy Lifestyle, News

planetdogIt’s Earth Day and our friend Heidi Ganahl, CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow  has compiled a list of several ways to help eliminate some burdens that dogs naturally impose on the environment and reduce your carbon pawprint.  

  • Make Waste More Eco Friendly: A well-known fact is that it takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose. There are more eco-friendly options available at the grocery store, such as biodegradable bags made of corn husk that are made specifically for picking up after your dog.
  • Premium Puppy Chow: When buying dog food and dog treats, always look for organic and/or natural products, which are easier on your dog’s stomach, and helps reduce waste overall. Be sure you recycle the packaging that is used for dog food, such as cans and food bags. To go the extra step, make your own dog food. [click to continue…]

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Study shows humans can detect dog emotions

By Bart on Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 in Doggy Lifestyle, News

Study suggests years of kinship have developed empathy

Bart the Dumpster DogSan Francisco, CA — (SBWIRE) — 04/12/2013 — Many humans believe their dog shows a bit of a guilty face at times, though science has proven we likely more often project our own belief of such an emotion on our best friends. Still, it seems that humans do have an ability to recognize more realistic emotions in our dogs, according to a new study.

Scientists believe that humans may have developed a natural empathy with dogs that has evolved as the two species developed side by side for nearly 100,000 years.

The new study has found that humans are able to identify precise emotional ranges in dogs based upon slight movements in their facial expression. The human mind is naturally attuned to note specific within their pets to know how they are feeling, and can correctly spot when a particular animal is happy, sad, angry, scared, or even surprised (guilty, as mentioned before, seems to be more a projection). [click to continue…]

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Albuquerque ranked top city for travelers with pets

By Barts on Monday, April 15th, 2013 in Uncategorized

pet-friendly hotelsNORWALK, Conn., April 10, 2013 . . . America’s best cities for people traveling with pets have been ranked and compiled in a list released today by priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN).  The cities were ranked according to their number of pet-friendly hotels, off-leash dog parks and walkability.

 The top ten cities on the list are:

 1)      Albuquerque, NM

2)      Portland, OR

[click to continue…]

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Miss New York USA styles shelter dogs at ASPCA NYC

By Bart on Thursday, April 11th, 2013 in Animal Rescue, News

ASPCA - Courtesy of the ASPCA

On Tuesday, April 9 Miss New York USA Joanne Nosuchinsky visited the ASPCA’s Adoption Center in NYC where she “styled” shelter dogs in celebration of the 16th Annual ASPCA Bergh Ball (taking place Thursday, April 11). There, Miss New York USA bestowed furry VIPs with sparkling pieces from the Tender Voices™ jewelry collection from Firestar Diamonds, which benefits the ASPCA, and visited with loving cats and dogs throughout the afternoon.

The 16th Annual ASPCA Bergh Ball, which draws a passionate and distinguished crowd of animal lovers, including community leaders and celebrities, will take place on April 11 at The Plaza in NYC. The theme of this year’s Bergh Ball is “Animal Kingdom.”

Photo: ASPCA: Courtesy of the ASPCA

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Tracks, the little puppy that could

By Bart on Tuesday, March 26th, 2013 in Animal Rescue, News

Recently we learned about Tracks, a 5 month old pup from Leech Lake Reservation that was found as a stray. Sadly, the pup could not walk no matter how hard she tried. Here’s the scoop from rescue organization Leech Lake Legacy:  [click to continue…]

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