WAG! Fest - August 24, 2013 - Hillard, OH

WHAT:  WAG! is FUN, FREE, and FAMILY-FRIENDLY

As the region’s largest dog event, WAG! is a perfect day’s adventure for dogs and people together. Taking place in the beautiful Darby Bend Lakes area of Prairie Oaks Metro Park, there will be pet-friendly trails to wander and lakes to splash in…where the route to activities leads past appealing booths, where attendees can stop, shop, and learn from the area’s best dog-related product and service providers.

Admission is FREE.

Activities include:

• The WAG! Marketplace will include exhibits of products, samples and services from pet retailers, clubs and organizations dedicated to the health and well being of canines.
• Dogs can take a dip at the Water Bark Beach off-leash swim area.
• Demonstrations, entertaining programs and contests at the Take a Bow-Wow Stage. Pups that stand out from the pack will have a chance to compete in the Top Dog Contest.
• Guests can meet experts from various area rescue groups to learn about the best four-legged match for their home and lifestyle at the Meet the Breed Pavilion.
• The icy oasis of the Canine Ice Castle will provide for a cool canine respite on a warm afternoon.
• Captivating disk demonstrations and dog agility demonstrations by some of the area’s most talented canines.
• Canine companion adoptions available through various dog rescue groups. And much more!

WHEN:   Saturday, August 24, 2013  10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

WHERE:  Darby Bend Lakes Area of Prairie Oaks Metro Parks, 2755 Amity Road, Hilliard, Ohio 43026

WHY WAG!:  Supports dogs in need. We help over 30 Central Ohio dog-serving organizations reach thousands of donors and potential adopters each year.

MORE INFO:  Visit www.WAGFEST.com

The Pet Cremation Conspiracy Theory

This is an excerpt from a blog post written by Minette of The Dog Training Secret:

The Pet Cremation Conspiracy Theory and the Hardest Lesson I Have Ever Learned

I hate conspiracy theories, I am not a believer but I think I have uncovered one!

This is probably the hardest article I have ever written.  Usually writing comes pretty easily to me, don’t get me wrong I have my bad days and my writers block days where I want to write but clear thoughts don’t really enter my mind in a coherent way; but this article is different.

It has taken me 7 months to get to a place where I could even contemplate writing it and it breaks my heart, but I am hoping my story will save other people the heart ache I have gone through.

As many of you know, my “angel in fur” my “furry soul mate” my “heart dog” died in September of last year.

Cancer had invaded his lungs and I didn’t know until it was too late, I woke up he was having trouble breathing and he had to be euthanized that day;  he had been so stoic that there was no warning that he had been battling cancer.

A piece of me died that day, a big piece.

Euthanizing your pet, your family member is hard enough, it is devastating to say good bye and I realized it is almost equally hard to pick up your pet’s ashes post euthanasia and cremation; but I had always wanted to be buried with my special dog when I died.

I was a vet tech for many years, so I guess I just trusted the veterinary/cremation process and took some of my knowledge and expectations for granted.  I made sure after my dog had been euthanized that I would be getting him individually cremated and that I would get just his remains… I paid for that, but I didn’t drill the ER clinic about who they contracted with and what my expectations of his treatment post death would be;  I assumed that the rituals I had known as a vet tech were standard in all/most (especially a well- known ER clinic) within the veterinary world.

I guess this was my mistake and I am here to make sure it is not yours.

When I went to pick up my baby’s ashes, he had been disposed of in a Ziploc bag, which had then been put in a velvet bag; however  the Ziploc bag had sustained several holes in transit and so his ashes had spilled out into the velvet bag and to add insult to injury there was no documentation of substance.  There was a tiny paper hand written tag that had been looped onto the bag with his name on it, but that was it.

There was no information or certificate on when he died, who had cremated him and when, how much he weighed or any kind of certification at all; no metal tags that had followed his body through the process… there was just nothing.

Click HERE to read the full story.

Should You Microchip Your Dog?

By Cesar Millan

I just heard a story in the news about a family who had lost their dog. They did everything to find him—putting up posters, checking shelters—nothing. Then, after two years, they get a phone call. Their dog was found. The person who found the dog took him to be scanned for a microchip and it showed who his family was and they were reunited.

The chip’s only as big as a grain of rice. It’s usually implanted in the scruff of your dog’s neck and doesn’t cause any pain for your pet. And it only costs around $25 to $50, depending on your vet.

I think it’s so much safer than other forms of identification. If your dog gets lost, he might lose his collar and tags; if your dog is stolen, the thief might remove his collar and tags. With a microchip, you can help people who find your dog find you and if someone else says it’s their dog, you can prove the dog is yours.

They make some neat stuff that works with your dog’s microchip, too. Like a pet door that recognizes your dog’s chip and lets him into the house (but not the raccoon that comes by later). The microchip won’t track your dog though. Your dog has to be taken somewhere to be scanned.

To me, the decision whether to microchip your dog or not is an easy one. You should microchip your dog as soon as possible, and you’ll rest easier knowing that if anything happens to your dog, you’ll have a better chance of recovering him.

Read the full story on Cesar's Way.

URGENT Pet Food Recalls

There have been multiple dog food recalls this month. Please check these websites if you feed your dog(s) any of these brands:

Canidae

Natural Balance

Wellness

Diamond including these brands:
•    Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul 
•    Taste of the Wild
•    Country Value
•    Premium Edge
•    Professional
•    4Health 
•    Diamond Naturals
•    Kirkland

May 2, 2012  FDA update on Chicken Jerky Treats from China

Pet Toy Badly Injures Dog - The Chai Story

I received an email to check out the following blog about a dog named Chai whose tongue was caught in a toy made by Four Paws Pet Products. The toy in question is a Pimple Ball with Bell. The injury to poor Chai's tongue was so severe that it had to be amputated!

Chai's owner Daniel has launched a blog that tells Chai's story. He is updating the blog regularly with information about his dealings with Four Paws to have the toy recalled.

Please visit:
http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/.

Sadly, Daniel reported on his blog this morning that he was contacted by another dog owner whose dog Cole was injured by the same toy in 2005 and had to be euthanized. Daniel was going to accept a settlement from Four Paws until he learned of this news.

Be sure to visit The Chai Story blog for continuing updates!