Some Dog Foods Deliver Toxic Doses of Poison

With the memory of the melamine pet food scare still fresh in the minds of many, the Environmental Working Group is publicizing a new threat: potentially toxic doses of fluoride in dog food.

An EWG analysis found troubling levels of fluoride in 8 of 10 dog foods tested. The concentration of fluoride was up to 2.5 times higher than the safe level the EPA sets for drinking water. Some puppies may be exposed to five times this limit.

The fluoride in dog food originates in bone meal and animal by-products. EWG recommends choosing dog food brands free of bone meal and meat by-product ingredients like chicken by-product meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken meal and beef meal.

Sources:

The Daily Green June 30, 2009

Environmental Working Group June 26, 2009 [Full Report]

Related Resource: Dr. Mercola

Most pet owners consider their four-legged companions beloved members of their family. With everything else to keep track of, the diet of your pet can easily get tossed on the backburner. Unfortunately, your pet’s health is as dependent on the food you serve as the rest of your family.

Fluoride, it seems, may be a particular problem, as many pet foods contain some form of bone meal, which is believed to be the main source of fluoride in commercial pet foods.

The Power of Advertising is Just as Potent in the Pet Food Industry

As you probably know by now, the food industry spends millions of dollars each year influencing your dietary habits, and the pet food industry is no different. But despite advertising claims and pictures of happy puppies, the majority of commercial pet foods are far from optimally healthy.

Much of the so-called “healthy pet foods” on the market contain inferior meat meals, cheap grains like corn and soy, fillers, by-products, food coloring, pesticides, preservatives, and other contaminants, including fluoride.

Pet food has simply not gained the same amount of scrutiny as human foods, and only when widespread disaster struck did the quality of pet food ingredients become the talk of the town. You may remember the melamine mass-contamination that rocked the pet food industry last year. Since it led to thousands of sick and dead pets around the country it was impossible to ignore.

Fluoride, on the other hand, is more insidious, and likely will not cause sudden death. But it is a potent toxin that can have devastating long-term health effects, both in humans and in pets.

Dangerous Levels of Fluoride Detected in 80 Percent of Commercial Pet Food

When the Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted a survey of ten national brands of dog food, they discovered that all but two contained “potentially dangerous” levels of fluoride.

Unfortunately, no one really knows what the safe levels of fluoride for animals might be and there are no standards for pet foods, but eight of the brands contained fluoride in amounts between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum legal dose in drinking water.

We also know that 2 grams of fluoride is enough to kill an adult, and just 500 mg is enough to kill a child. To those of you not familiar with the metric system, a teaspoon is 5 grams. So less than one half teaspoon of fluoride will kill most adults and one tenth of a teaspoon will kill most children.

In the U.S., people have died, and many have become sick, when faltering fluoridation equipment has pumped excess fluoride into the water. And, since fluoride is used as anactive ingredient in a number of pesticides, we also know it’s definitely deadly to a number of smaller critters, in small amounts.

At an average of 8.9 mg of fluoride per kilogram of dog food, the sampled brands also contained far higher amounts of fluoride than what is associated with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer that typically occurs in young boys.

Posted: Just One More Pet

Teen Who Killed Kitten Only to Serve One Year in Prison

The ASPCA applauds the conviction of Cheyenne Cherry, a 17-year-old Bronx, NY, resident who admitted to the heinous act of leaving her ex-roommate’s kitten, Tiger Lily, in an oven to burn to death. On June 3, she was arrested by ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) Agents for aggravated animal cruelty, burglary, criminal mischief and arson.

On July 16, in Bronx Supreme Court, Cherry unapologetically pled guilty to charges of animal cruelty and burglary. Waiving her right to appeal, she agreed to serve one year in prison and not keep a pet for the next three years. Currently jailed on a probation violation, her formal sentencing is scheduled for July 31. Cherry’s accomplice, a 14-year-old girl who allegedly placed the kitten in the oven, is facing charges in family court because of her age.

The horrific death of eight-week-old Tiger Lily garnered the public’s attention this past June, and justifiably so, as a clear connection has been established between acts of cruelty toward animals and potential future violence directed at humans. “Cherry appeared to show no remorse for her role in allowing an eight-week-old kitten to cook to death in a 500-degree oven,” says Stacy Wolf, Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel for the ASPCA HLE department. The teen also has a history of violent crimes against both people and animals—in 2008, she was arrested for committing the armed theft of a Yorkshire Terrier.

“The lack of remorse shown by Cheyenne Cherry, along with the complicity of a younger child in the crime, is alarming,” says Sheryl Pipe, ASPCA Senior Director of Humane Education. “It is crucial that legal, mental health and education professionals identify kids at risk of committing such acts and learn how to appropriately intervene.”

What do you think? Tweet on this article. Include @aspca and #TeenConvict

Source:  ASPCA.com

Absolutely not enough considering the level of cruelty.  Cheyenne should have gotten 10 years in prison and should never be allowed to own a pet for the rest of her life!  Cheyenne was unapologetic and there is no rehabilitation in prison that will change her sociopathic tendencies or cruelty and the same goes for the 14-year-old accomplice.  This sentence is a crime!!  JOMP~

Posted: Just One More Pet

Related Articles:

• Teen Kills Kitten in Oven; Faces 10-Year Sentence
• Police Dog Killer Gets Life Without Parole
• Domestic and Animal Abuse
• Father Arrested for Allegedly Killing Family Dog in Front of Children
• Warning Signs That Your Child’s Behavior Is Dangerous To Pets
• Manhatten Man Arrested For Beating Dog and Girlfriend
• Alabama Dog Fighting Bust

Vick Released from Federal Custody—ASPCA President Speaks Out

“The question isn’t whether he deserves to earn a livelihood. The question is whether Mr. Vick should be able to re-join the ranks of elite athletes in the NFL.”—Ed Sayres, ASPCA President & CEO

On Monday, July 20, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, once the highest-paid player in the National Football League (NFL), was released from federal custody after serving a 23-month sentence for dog fighting. The investigation into the horrific activities that took place at Vick’s Virginia dog fighting operation, Bad Newz Kennels, and his 2007 federal conviction not only led to a sullied public image, but to the star quarterback being let go by his team and indefinitely suspended from the NFL.

In light of the ASPCA’s integral role in the investigation—we collected forensic evidence for the court case and led a team of behaviorists in the evaluation of the dozens of dogs rescued from Vick’s property—Ed Sayres, ASPCA President & CEO, offers his unique perspective on the release of Michael Vick and the question on everyone’s mind: what will he do now?

——-

ASPCA Responds to Release of Suspended NFL Star & Convicted Dogfighter Michael Vick from Federal Custody

NEW YORK— The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) issued a statement from ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres prompted by suspended NFL star and convicted dogfighter Michael Vick’s release today from federal custody:

“I have spent over 35 years in animal welfare, and currently serve as President of an organization whose very mission it is to prevent animal cruelty. So I do not exaggerate when I say that my thoughts surrounding the future of Michael Vick test the very limits of my objectivity. I have dedicated my life to bringing an end to the very activities that Mr. Vick himself admitted to perpetrating—yet it is with the utmost level of objectivity that those of us in the animal welfare world must employ when discussing ‘What next?’ with Mr. Vick’s career in the NFL.

“Being as objective as possible, the facts are clear: Mr. Vick participated in a six-year pattern of illegal activity. His plea clearly stated that along with these activities, he savagely electrocuted and beat dogs to death after they lost their brutal fights. It is this barbarism that sets the crime apart. This was not a one-time transgression or crime of passion—this was a multi-year pattern of behavior that demonstrates a startling lack of moral character and judgment.

“Regardless, Mr. Vick most decidedly deserves to be employed. However, the question isn’t whether he deserves to earn a livelihood…. The question is whether Mr. Vick should be able to re-join the ranks of the elite athletes in the NFL. The NFL is not your average workplace—with stratospheric salaries, licensing agreements, corporate endorsements and tens of millions of adoring fans, the NFL represents, to many, the achievement of ‘The American Dream.’ These athletes are looked upon as our heroes… our role models… and with Mr. Vick in the enviable role of quarterback, they are viewed as leaders.

“Given the stature of what it means to be a part of the NFL, it is crucial that Mr. Vick first express remorse for what he has done—something that he has yet to do throughout his incarceration. It is also critical that Mr. Vick take advantage of the opportunity granted to him by Wayne Pacelle and the Humane Society of the United States. Through his association with HSUS, Mr. Vick has a tremendous opportunity to address those many years of horrific judgment and finally demonstrate responsible community behavior.

“It is this conscientious presence in their communities that truly made heroes of men like Walter Payton and Jack Kemp. These men had a sense of integrity, compassion and dedication that was apparent throughout their illustrious careers. It is these legacies that Mr. Vick should aspire to emulate.

“Most people will be seeking a cut-and-dried answer to the question of whether Mr. Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL. It is simply not my place to make such an assertion—instead, this is the challenge that awaits NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. But Mr. Goodell has amply demonstrated his capacity for leadership in the past, and as a representative of a community that truly has been tested by Mr. Vick’s ruthless actions, I ask that we give Mr. Goodell the time and space to deliberate on what will undoubtedly amount to a precedent-setting decision.”

Note: The ASPCA worked closely with federal authorities at every step of the case, first assisting in the investigation itself through the involvement of Dr. Melinda Merck, senior director of Veterinary Forensics with the ASPCA, and later when Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, CAAB, executive vice president of ASPCA Programs, led a team of several Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists in the behavior evaluations of the seized dogs.

Source:  ASPCA.org

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Related:  Resources:

• ASPCA Assists in Largest Dog Fighting Crackdown in U.S. History
• Great Update About Dogs Removed From Michael Vick’s Compound
• Seems Micheal Vick Snuck Out of Prison When Release to Avoid Media
• Humane Society of the U.S. finally changes its policy on fighting dogs
• Dogtown