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Pampered pets and their owners going green
By Skyefire Productions
21
Jul
2010
By Patricia Reaney
ReutersWednesday, July 21, 2010; 1:06 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Whether it is organic coconut chip treats, eco-friendly rope toys
, hemp
and bamboo collars
or beds
made from recycled material, pampered pets and their owners are going green
.
There are still $3,000 snake-skin and diamond collars
, fitness trainers for pudgier pooches and pet hotel suites but more animal lovers are eschewing luxury for green gear.
"In the last year and a half we have seen more eco-friendly products than ever before," Charlotte Reed, a New York-based pet products expert, said in an interview. "More people are leaning in that direction."
And they are realizing that their dog
, or cat
, can help reduce their carbon footprint.
"We see more products that will make your dog
fit and healthy, products that will be natural and good for his/her hair and well being," Reed said.
Stephanie Volo, of Maine-based Planet Dog
, has been providing recyclable toys and pet products from sustainable materials for more than a decade. She is convinced that pet owners
are more concerned now about the environment and showing it with the types of products they buy. But pets need not sacrifice style to go green. Along with grooming products bearing organic labels, doggy water ramps for getting Fido back on the dock and portable potties for traveling canines that were on display at a New York pet product show, there was plenty of bling and stylish outfits for discerning owners and their pets."We are seeing a growing demand for products that are good for you, good for your dog
and good for the earth," she explained. "It is definitely a trend."
If a standard dog collar
doesn't suffice, Los Angeles-based Weizhi Inc has several snakeskin and silver and 18K gold varieties. A silver dog chain and silver fox and blue fox chain holder retails for $30,000.
"This is for people who look for something unique," said Yoko Okuaki, a manager with the company.
There was also no shortage of stylish winter coats, comfy sweaters, Halloween costumes and party dresses for all occasions for fashionable canines.
One of New York-based Royal Animals' newest items is a biker jacket, complete with an assortment of zippers.
"It's a different concept, a bit more rugged," a company representative explained.
TORU, which makes T-shirts, tank tops and hoodies for dogs, has launched a new line called Rescue Wear to promote awareness for rescue groups, adoption and spay and neuter programs. It will also publish a calendar in the autumn called Rescues Rock The Runway featuring dogs saved from shelters. Part of the proceeds will be donated to a Miami rescue group.
And to calm an anxious pet during travel, veterinary visits and thunderstorms Pet Acoustics has created what it describes as a "sound world for animals" -- relaxing music for dogs, cats and horses, and what is billed as the world's first pet speaker designed for animal hearing sensitivities.
Along with the pet sound system international pet expert Janet Marlow has composed and recorded music specifically for animals.
Provided by washingtonpost.com
There are still $3,000 snake-skin and diamond collars
"In the last year and a half we have seen more eco-friendly products than ever before," Charlotte Reed, a New York-based pet products expert, said in an interview. "More people are leaning in that direction."
And they are realizing that their dog
"We see more products that will make your dog
Stephanie Volo, of Maine-based Planet Dog
If a standard dog collar
"This is for people who look for something unique," said Yoko Okuaki, a manager with the company.
There was also no shortage of stylish winter coats, comfy sweaters, Halloween costumes and party dresses for all occasions for fashionable canines.
One of New York-based Royal Animals' newest items is a biker jacket, complete with an assortment of zippers.
"It's a different concept, a bit more rugged," a company representative explained.
TORU, which makes T-shirts, tank tops and hoodies for dogs, has launched a new line called Rescue Wear to promote awareness for rescue groups, adoption and spay and neuter programs. It will also publish a calendar in the autumn called Rescues Rock The Runway featuring dogs saved from shelters. Part of the proceeds will be donated to a Miami rescue group.
And to calm an anxious pet during travel, veterinary visits and thunderstorms Pet Acoustics has created what it describes as a "sound world for animals" -- relaxing music for dogs, cats and horses, and what is billed as the world's first pet speaker designed for animal hearing sensitivities.
Along with the pet sound system international pet expert Janet Marlow has composed and recorded music specifically for animals.
Provided by washingtonpost.com
Category:
Green,
News
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Oil spill's refugee dogs snapped up in Md.
By Skyefire Productions
21
Jul
undefined
Oil spill's refugee dogs
snapped up in Md.
Bree is 5 months old. (Courtesy of SPCA)
It’s just Bree now.
The female Labrador retriever
mix is the last dog standing after 10 dogs
abandoned by distressed owners along the Gulf Coast were brought to an Annapolis shelterlast month. Local families snapped up eight of the animals
. Another is being treated for heartworm.
The Capital of Annapolis had this report:
When oil started seeping into the Louisiana waters weeks after the disastrous explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, things began to go downhill for Shrimp
.
When oil started seeping into the Louisiana waters weeks after the disastrous explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, things began to go downhill for Shrimp
Shrimp
, no crustacean but a young Labrador retriever
, was one of 10 abandoned dogs
who wound up at the Anne Arundel County SPCA late last month, an unexpected casualty of the Gulf Coast oil spill.
The dogs
came from two shelters in Louisiana. Since the oil spill began, Gulf Coast animal shelters
have been filling up with pets
, said Sue Beatty, executive director of the Anne Arundel County SPCA. Many pet owners
have lost jobs and are unable to continue to care for their dogs
.
The Humane Society of the United States arranged for 33 dogs
to be sent to Maryland shelters. Robin Small, director of operations at the county SPCA, picked up 10 of them from Gaithersburg, where they arrived by van from Louisiana.
"They had a long ride, so they were very happy to see the ground again," Small said.
Eight of the dogs
already have been adopted by local families, and one is currently undergoing treatment for heartworm. While the shelter doesn't advertise to visitors which dogs
are from Louisiana, Beatty said the oil spill victims have been adopted faster than usual. "Always, people want to adopt the less fortunate ones," Beatty said. A notice posted on the SPCA's website about the dogs
drew many interested families, she added.
Bryan Myers and Meredith Luttrell of Arnold adopted a 7-month-old Labrador retriever
mix, whom they've named Cooper. When they first brought him home, they said he seemed sad and shy.
"It definitely took him awhile to warm up," Luttrell said. "You could tell he had been through a lot."
But after a week, they say they've seen a complete turnaround in Cooper.
"He's a very sweet and affectionate dog
," Myers said. "I don't think we could have picked a better dog
."
On Thursday — the same day BP announced that oil had stopped gushing into gulf waters for the first time since April — Shrimp got some good news. After a home visit, the dog
was finally adopted by a local family, more than two weeks after the long trek from Louisiana.
But one other victim of the oil spill, Bree, is still available for adoption. Beatty said she hoped that all of the dogs from Louisiana will find new homes by this week.
Courtesy of washingtonpost.com/
Category:
News,
Oil spill
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World War II Museum Features Animals of War
By Skyefire Productions
19
Jul
2010
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY (AP) – 9 hours ago
"Loyal Forces: The Animals
The first exhibit highlights the Coast Guard shore patrol, which used 3,000 horses
North Africa
An oral history from Hiram Boone, a mule
And for the Pacific front, there are the dogs
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Smoky the Yorkshire terrier
"Loyal Force: Animals
"There was a great love and loyalty between the soldiers and the animals
The exhibit opener may seem odd to people used to thinking of the Coast Guard as offshore duty in cutters, patrol boats, helicopters and airplanes.
In the mezzanine, where a Sherman tank and a half-track represent the period's most common cavalry, will be a figure of a Coast Guardsman on shore patrol with his horse
"Luckily, before they could wreak havoc they were caught," said Kiser. "But there was this great fear that we really had to protect America's coastline."
Nearly 3,000 horses
The first thing visitors will see in the special exhibits gallery is a German reconnaissance horse
Germany's 1st Cavalry Division pursued the Soviet Army through the northern marshes of the Soviet Union, but was disbanded and mechanized in November 1941, largely because horses
But most supplies and a great deal of artillery were still horse
"These mounted patrol troops were referred to as the 'eyes and ears of their units,'" an exhibit panel explains.
The museum's artifacts were part of the reason for including the German horse
North Africa and the Mediterranean are represented by pigeons
An oral history from Hiram Boone, a muleskinner
For the Pacific front, there are the dogs
Smoky, found in a foxhole in New Guinea, was a mascot who became a war heroine when engineers needed to run 70 feet of telegraph wire through an 8-inch culvert under an airfield.
Cpl. William Wynne, who had adopted Smoky and taught her many tricks, tied one end of the wire to Smoky's collar and had his buddies hold Smoky at one end of the culvert while he called her from the other.
Her story is among a half-dozen featured on a touch-screen display, as is that of Kurt, a Doberman Pinscher who alerted his handler to Japanese soldiers lying in wait above the Asan Point beachhead on Guam, but was killed by a mortar shell.
Bronze statues of Smoky in a "pot" helmet and Kurt, lying down but on the alert, also are part of the exhibit. Kurt's statue is a replica of one at the United States Marine Corps War Dog
Sculptor Susan Bahary also put Barnes in touch with the widow of Lt. William Putney, commanding officer of the 3rd U.S. War Dog Platoon, who led 110 Marines and 72 dogs
"A lot of stuff they had was the same as for humans," Barnes said. "It took a while for the Army to get around to having special supplies for dogs
There's also a mascot slideshow and a narrated "slideshow movie" about servicemen's encounters with exotic animals
They had to omit lots of stories, such as that of the bear
"We really wanted to concentrate on the animals
(This version CORRECTS APNewsNow. Corrects name of exhibit. Changes muleskinner to mule handler to clarify. Will be updated.)
Taken From Google.
Category:
Animals,
News,
War
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