Real Dogs Eat Meat, Virtual Book Reading Invitation From Taye Diggs

Want to discover the best places to bury a bone? What about tips for licking food off the floor?

You can learn this information, and more, as award winning actor, Taye Diggs, star of ABC’s Private Practice, and dog owner, reads excerpts from ALPO’s first-of-its-kind “Real Dogs Eat Meat” Handbook at a fun and interactive virtual book reading event.

The book takes readers into the hearts, minds and mud-covered “soles” of real dogs - those opposed to doggie spas and designer sweaters - as they share their infinite wisdom about drooling for dinner, scratching wherever it itches and marking their territory. The Real Dogs Eat Meat Handbook is written by 20 “paw-thors” (dog owners and lovers who submitted stories on behalf of their dogs) who won a 2009 national ALPO photo/essay contest.

It’s easy to participate – all you have to do is log onto www.ALPORealDogs.com and register! You will receive reminder emails as the event approaches, and then, on May 19^th a 10:00 a.m. EST, they can view the live book reading event, happening in New York City’s Meatpacking District. For more details, please see below:

VIRTUAL EVENT MEDIA ADVISORY

ACTOR TAYE DIGGS HOSTS A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND

VIRTUAL BOOK READING EVENT . . . FOR DOGS!

Real Dogs and Their Owners Invited to Enjoy a Good Dose of

Canine Common Sense from 20 Celebrated “Paw-thors”

- Diggs to Read Excerpts from Newly Released ALPO® Real Dogs Eat Meat Handbook -

WHAT: Real dogs across America and their owners are invited to participate in a first-of-its-kind virtual book-reading event. Hosted by award winning actor and dog lover Taye Diggs, the book reading celebrates the release of the ALPO® Real Dogs Eat Meat Handbook, a how-to manual written by 20 “paw-thors” that is designed to help dogs get back to the business of being dogs. Mr. Diggs will read excerpts from the handbook to an audience of real dogs at an event in the Meatpacking District in Manhattan. The book reading will stream live on www.ALPORealDogs.com so real dogs everywhere can enjoy the mud-covered musings of their canine kin.

Enough with doggie spas and designer sweaters! That’s the message that real dogs dish out in the ALPO Real Dogs Eat Meat Handbook which features stories (ghost written by the “paw-thors’ owners) about life’s simple pleasures such as chasing sticks, burying bones and drooling for dinner. The “paw-thors,” including Hank, Bear, Thor and 17 other candid canines, won a national photo/essay contest that searched for real dogs as part of an ALPO movement to celebrate a more common sense approach to pooch pampering.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
10:00 a.m. EST

** To participate in the virtual event, please register at www.ALPORealDogs.com

WHERE: www.ALPORealDogs.com

KEY VISUALS:

· Actor, TV star and real dog owner Taye Diggs reading to dogs in Meatpacking District of Manhattan

· Dozens of real dogs eagerly listening to the book-reading

· Free downloadable copy of the ALPO Real Dogs Eat Meat Handbook

For more information, contact: Jennifer Newberg, jnewberg@coneinc.com or 617-939-8359.

Tips for Pet Transportation

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Want a $5 GC from Lofty Dog?

Austin Lofty Dog will give you more than a penny for your thoughts!  Take the Lofty Dog client survey and they'll send you a $5 off coupon for your next visit to the store.

Go to the survey.

The survey should take you less than five minutes. Also take some time to look at some adorable animals that are adoptable now by visiting our Adoptions page.

Can a therapy animal help an autistic child?

Help Us Help Kids With Autism! American Humane desperately needs your help building our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program to address a serious challenge affecting innocent children across the country: autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,1 in every 110 kids born in the United States struggles with autism, a developmental disability that often makes communication and interaction with others difficult. These children also face tremendous stress in their daily lives, as they valiantly work to keep up with their peers in the same classrooms. The good news is therapy animals can help kids with autism cope and connect with others! Our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program brings specially trained teams of animals and human volunteers to a variety of settings, including classrooms that serve kids with disabilities. There’s just one problem: The need to serve children with autism is bigger than our program. That’s why your donation to help our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program grow is so critical! Interacting with a friendly, patient therapy animal from time to time is a great way to encourage the development of children with autism -- and relieve stress. Here are just a few examples of how it works: Children with autism struggle to make eye contact. Practicing this with an animal is less threatening. Children with autism have trouble forming relationships. Brushing, talking to, praising and playing with a pet can increase empathy. Children with autism often feel overwhelmed. A pet’s unconditional love and calming presence can provide a welcome relief, allowing the child to focus better afterward. A Belgian Malinois Inspires a Child With Autism If you have any doubts about helping more kids with autism through animal-assisted therapy, consider the story of Michael* and Jaxon. Michael is a second grader with autism. Jaxon is a big-hearted Belgian Malinois who was adopted by Barbara Weiss, an American Humane volunteer and a school system assistant in special education. Every other week, Barbara brings Jaxon to school to provide animal-assisted therapy to Michael and other children. Communicating is tough for Michael, but he recently surprised everyone by exclaiming, “Jaxon lives with Michael!” He went on to describe how Jaxon was going to sleep on his sofa, and even be carried in Michael’s backpack despite the lovable dog’s huge size! This display of affection and humor may seem like a small thing. But for Michael, it was a tremendous breakthrough. Please donate today so American Humane can bring more kids like Michael and therapy dogs like Jaxon together! *Michael’s story is real, but his name has been changed to protect his privacy.

New, Improved Crush Act Introduced--Let's Get It Passed!

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court declared an important federal anti-cruelty law known as the “Crush Act” (18 U.S. Code Section 48) unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable. The Crush Act banned the creation, sale and possession of materials depicting genuine acts of animal cruelty where such acts are illegal. The Court made it clear that its major concern was the broadness of the law’s language, which could make the law applicable in many circumstances not intended by its authors.

While the ASPCA is disappointed with the Court’s decision, we are moving forward! Representative Elton Gallegly of California has acted quickly and introduced a bill to amend the law. H.R. 5092 will make the Crush Act’s language more specific and resolve the over-breadth concerns raised by the Supreme Court.

Passage of H.R. 5092 will help prevent a revitalization of the crush video industry. The original Crush Act was passed with little opposition—help us ensure that this revision passes, too.

What You Can Do
Please tell your U.S. representative that you support H.R. 5092, and that he or she should co-sponsor the bill and help move it quickly through the legislative process. Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online to email your representative now.

Thank you for helping us fight animal suffering and exploitation.

Reports of Kennel Cough in the Portland Area on the Rise

From Green Dog Pet Supply:
I thought I'd give you all a quick heads up - it seems there is a bit of an outbreak of kennel cough here in the Portland area. I got a call last night from the good folks at Doggy Business, letting us know that though they have only received about 4 reports of kennel cough in the last few days from customers, there are a few daycares here in town that have actually closed temporarily to help to slow the spread of the disease. Doggy Business is being vigilant and notifying their customers to ensure that people are watching for signs. Kennel cough, or Bordatella, is a generally mild, though very contageous respiratory illness that can be caused by bacteria, flu-like viruses, or a combination of both. Immunization cannot prevent all occurrences of kennel cough, so even if they've had the immunization, they still could fall ill if interacting with another dog that is shedding the virus. The most obvious symptom is a dry hacking cough, and sometimes some lethargy. In rarer cases it can evolve into pneumonia, so if your dog seems to be getting sicker (poor appetite, listlessnes, or fever), do see a vet.

If it's just a cough, keep them out of the daycares, classes, and parks for a while
here are a few useful links to learn more:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=452
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/kennel_cough.html
To soothe the coughing, we have a tincture called phytomucil that is useful for soothing coughs. Or, you can go to the Whole Foods bulk spice/herb section and pick up either marshmallow root or slippery elm. Bring it home and make a tea from it (a spoonful of root to a big mug of water), let it cool and offer it to your pet. These herbs are both useful for soothing the throat, are very safe and are both kind of sweet, so usually liked by dogs - you could also put in some chicken broth if they won't drink it straight.

I read an interesting thing online that I haven't tried - making a concoction of 8 oz water, 3 drops of hydrogen peroxide, and one teaspoon of honey in warm water. I have no experience with this, but I see lots of testimonials here. The part of it that I like best is the honey, which is both soothing and has antibacterial properties.

Beware the Easter Lily! Download our Pet Safe App

Whether you’re celebrating Easter, Passover or the arrival of daffodils, it’s time to show our pets some love by keeping them safe from one of the season’s most popular—and poisonous—plants, the Easter lily. Our feline friends are particularly vulnerable to this arresting flower, which can cause kidney failure within 36 to 72 hours of ingestion.

“All lilies belonging to the plant genus Lilium are highly toxic to cats,” explains Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President, ASPCA Animal Health Services. “Consuming even small amounts can cause a life-threatening situation.” Common lily varieties that are dangerous for cats include the Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily and certain species of daylily.

Don’t know your lily from your laurel? Check out our new Pet Safe app for all of your flower power know-how! Compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch, the app includes a searchable database of plants that are toxic to cats, dogs and horses. It’s now available in the iTunes Store—download it today, and you’ll always have the life-saving information you need right at your fingertips!

For more information about harmful household flowers, check out our online guide to toxic plants. As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

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