Free Kibble

Mimi Ausland, a 12-year-old, started a trivia Web site to feed homeless cats and dogs Kibbles.(Article Courtesy of ZooToo.com)

BEND, Ore. -- What began as fun and games for 12-year-old Mimi Ausland has turned into the serious business of aiming to feed dogs and cats in shelters throughout the country.

Mimi was playing an Internet vocabulary game with her parents called FreeRice.com, which donates rice to the United Nations Food Program to help end hunger for every correct answer.
Perhaps it was words like generosity, charitable, altruistic, or philanthropic that sparked the idea. Perhaps it was just the musings of a very big-hearted young lady who loves animals.
“I don’t quite remember my train of thought,” said the ambitious 6th grader. “But I do remember that I always wanted to do something bigger and, after playing this game for awhile I made the connection that I could use the computer so people all over the world could help feed animals.”

Mimi and her parents planned for about four months before launching the Web site FreeKibble.com. It resembles the FreeRice.com site in that she offers a daily trivia question with a multiple choice answer.

Instead of helping to end hunger among people, however, she aims to feed all the animals in the shelters across the country. For every person who plays, no matter if their answer is right or wrong, she donates 10 pieces of Kibble to a designated shelter.

While the project involved the whole family, “My mom did the drawings, like the dog and cat. My dad designed the Web site,” Mimi said. The site belongs to Mimi, who is in charge of finding sponsors, serving as a spokesperson and generating media attention for the site.

“She has enthusiasm, passion, and she knows what she’s doing,” said Richard Thompson, the founder of Zootoo.com, which is donating all the Kibble that Mimi generates through her Web site.

While Zootoo helps a lot of shelters around the country, Thompson says he was drawn to Mimi’s operation because it encourages the next generation to help pets.

“Right now, the generation of primary volunteers out there didn’t grow up with the Internet,” Thompson said. “In fact, a lot of shelters don’t even have a computer, so to get the next generation out there helping is good for the sheltering community.”

As part of that next generation, Mimi has been on board for years volunteering her time at the Humane Society of Central Oregon. She walks dogs and cleans out litter boxes.

To date, FreeKibble.com has donated 740 pounds of Kibble to the HSCO. It takes about a half-pound of Kibble to feed a dog per day. Mimi’s efforts have been feeding the dogs in her hometown shelter for two months and counting.

Next on Mimi’s list: feeding the cats at her local shelter through FreeKibbleKat.com and providing food to Furrytale Farms in Bainbridge Island, Washington, which takes in rescue animals and pets that are victims of foreclosures.

“My goal, and I really thought this was going to happen and it did, is that we could feed all the dogs here at HSCO,” Mimi recalls. “And then I thought that if we could do that, we could go on to other animal shelters.

“I really wanted that to happen. I had no idea that it was going to be this big.”

Already, Mimi has an international audience helping her raise Kibble for the shelters -- friends of the family who live in Spain have been passing along the word and playing often.

“I don’t think we’ll run out of Kibble,” Thompson said. “But if she gets that big, we’ll have to buy another pet food factory.”

Sidewalk Dangers

From the Pages of http://www.petsugar.com/

In addition to releasing heat with those dangly tongues, doggies also sweat through the pads of their feet. Now imagine what that would be like if they were trying to get rid of their own excess heat . . . onto already scalding sidewalks. Hot pavement can burn puppy paw pads – and since animals are much closer to the ground, they heat up quicker than we do and can be in special danger.


When walking your pup in scorching climates, try to stick to shady sides and save longer strolls for when the sun is low, like morning and evening. If you're not sure how sizzling the street or sand is, test it out on your bare foot or hand – if it feels too hot for you, it's probably also too hot for your pet!

Product Buzz: Check out our Paw Balm - an all natural Paw Rub is formulated to protect, heal, and moisturize.

Some Don't Like it Hot

Brought to you by: Doody Calls

It’s a beautiful day, sunny and warm. You park your car, with your dog inside, and dash into a store. “Hey, it will only take a few minutes,” you say. Even a few minutes is sometimes all it takes to fry a dog’s brain or kill him. Cars heat up fast. On an 80-degree day, a parked car can become twice as hot in minutes. Parking in the shade or rolling down a window or two may not help much. One expert advises that if the temperature is over 60 degrees, don’t even think about it. If you put in him in danger in this way, in some states, you’re breaking the law! And as for jogging in the summer sun: Don’t take him running on a hot steamy day. Remember what dehydration does to you and your children. Dogs need water – and, sometimes, plenty of it. Remember: dogs get heat stroke too – this isn’t just a people thing!

Heat stroke (hyperthermia) happens when the body can no longer successfully regulate its temperature. This occurs when air temperature exceeds body temperature and the body sends excessive amounts of blood to the surface of the skin. This deprives critical internal organs of adequate blood supply. The vital organs then begin to shut down. This process is accelerated when the body lacks sufficient fluid. The signs of heat stroke are easy to spot: excessive panting, blackened tongue and/or gums, anxiety, lethargy, vomiting, disorientation, dizziness, rapid pulse, confusion, uncontrollable thirst, glazed eyes, and uncharacteristic clumsiness or lack of coordination. If you see one or more of these symptoms and it’s hot, suspect heat exhaustion. The first thing you should do is cool your dog off: squirt some cool water into his mouth, give him a bowl of water (not ice cold water), wet his body, especially chest, neck, and throat (but do not cover him, even with a wet towel), and you might even immerse him in cool water. And, of course, move to a cool location. The point is to get his temperature down and hydrate him. Then call your vet – in severe cases hydration or the use of drugs may be necessary. The very best way to “treat” heat stroke is to be an intelligent dog owner and NOT allow it to happen. If it does, it’s hard to think of an instance when it won’t be your fault.

Dog’s perspire a little around their paws, but their primary means of controlling body temperature is panting. They wear a coat throughout the year, and they simply cannot control their temperature as well as humans. While you may be perfectly comfortable, your dog may feel awful. Young, old, sick, or overweight animals or breeds with narrow nasal passages are particularly sensitive to the heat. The latter include the Bulldog, Shihtzu, and Pekinese. Overweight dogs have a problem because heat does not quickly escape through the extra layers.

Dogs, of course, are both sensitive and tough. The trick is not to ask them to do things in the hot weather that evolution has not designed them for or that conditioning has not prepared them for. No dog would ever choose to be locked in a hot car – he’d instinctively know that he could get really sick or die in there. If you and your dog are out running or walking, give him small amounts of water regularly – this is far more beneficial than a long drink each time you think one of you is thirsty. Be a good friend: carry a bowl and a water bottle just for him. Also, swimming or running in water is a pleasurable way to exercise a dog in warm weather. And, of course, place his dog house in a nice cool, shady, breezy location – raising it off the ground on a platform that air can flow through will help keep it cool.

For additional information on the proper care of your dog in the summer heat, visit the following Web sites:

• About.Com: Dogs
• Dogs and Heat Stroke
• Dog Owners Home Veterinary Handbook
• Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

Check out our great Breezy Beds for your dog's outdoor oasis!

Who let the Cat out?

Outdoor Enclosures - from Cats International

Aside from leash-training, there is another way to let your cat enjoy the stimulation of being outdoors without the risk of being lost, stolen, or injured--build an outdoor enclosure.

It can be any size, but a 6' x 6' x 6' area is sufficient. The vertical space can be utilized by attaching perches to the sides of the structure. If the enclosure is against the side of the house, then only three sides plus a wire roof (cats are great climbers!) are necessary.

A pet door will allow the cat free access to the enclosure
and eliminate your job as doorman or taxi (if the pen is further out in the yard). Solid redwood two-by-fours and 2" x 3" galvanized wire makes a very attractive play area, but you can choose the materials that best suit your budget.


The primary requirements are that the structure be sturdy and escape-proof. A wire door will provide you with access to the inside to clean it and to rearrange the decor from time-to-time. Wooden cat trees, logs and other natural items placed inside the pen will give Kitty choices for perching and scratching.

If the enclosure is not attached to the house, there should be a solid wooden box, or "dog house" inside to provide Kitty with a safe, dry, place in which to hide, take refuge from a sudden rain shower, or just take a catnap.

It only takes a little bit of effort, a small financial investment in materials, and a modicum of imagination to add a wonderful new dimension to your cat's life.



See our newest addition to our cat products - the KittyWalk Systems.

Spa Vs. Grooming

Over time we have come to see more products for pets that may stop and make us think twice. Is calling it a "Spa" package just a fancy word for pampering your pet? Does taking your furry friend to the groomer or dipping them in the tub every couple of weeks classify as a proper "spa" experience?

These days we find ourselves seeking out pampering experiences for ourselves. The hussel and bussel of everyday life can wear us down and the thing we first think of to help "un-wind" might be a day at the spa. But what makes those experiences relax us in a way that we think our pets could need the same treatments? How much stress could fido or fluffy have?

Now a days, there are so many products that are more focused on more than just keeping our pets clean and the best thing we can do is understand the difference.

Grooming focuses on one aspect of your pets - a temporary external appearance. "Spa" (which means Sanitas Per Aquas - healing through water) recognizes that beauty is much more than skin deep and spa products create a lifestyle for your pets by:

• Focusing on the inside and outside health of your pet - Overall health can't be achieved by just keeping your furry ones clean (although it certainly helps), pets (and humans) must also pay attention to their internal well-being by eating a healthy all natural diet, taking vitamins, herbal elixirs and herbal supplements.


• Appealing to all of the senses - Spa products stimulate smell, sight, taste and even hearing. Aromatherapy is commonly associated with the spa experience, and while smell is just one of the applications of aromatherapy, it is a powerful one. Spa products generally contain essential oils, which are much more therapeutic (and expensive) than synthetic fragrances.


• Sound and music are also important and there are many CD's available specifically designed to help calm your pet.


• Taking care of the dogs mental well-being - Fido and Fluffy can get nervous too (have you seen a them during fireworks or a thunderstorm?) and there are products out there that can aid in relaxation and is also wonderful to use during travel, before trips to the vet & groomer, before obedience school (so the dog is more attentive) and during thunderstorms.


• Another important thing we forget about is exercise. Without lots of exercise or stimulation most pets become bored, lethargic and generally unhappy.


• Caring about the environment - Spa products are typically more natural, healing, and environmentally friendly. Products that contain botanical and herbal extracts are going to cost more than those that don't. Beware of shampoos that are pink, purple or other bright colors. These have coloring in them and are not natural. Harsh products will be irritating to the skin and will not take into consideration the PH balance of a your pet's gentle skin.


• Caring for Emotional Well Being - It's important that you can spend quality time with your pets. Light a candle, pour a glass of wine (for the human, not them) and give a soothing massage (be careful to make sure they are in the "mood"- otherwise you could stress them out more!). Moisturize those paw pads, condition that coat, and chill out while the smell of lavender and chamomile wafts through the room.

So we can say that "Spa" is much more then a bottle of shampoo. It's about creating a healthy lifestyle and spreads across many product types- grooming, food, vitamins/supplements, toys, training and even special bonding time with you and your pets.

What to Expect

Have a dog? Expecting a Baby?

by Bark Busters Home Dog Training

If you have a dog and you're expecting a baby, there are some easy tips to follow to ensure that your existing baby and the new baby arriving can happily and safely co-exist. It will take some adjustments but if you start early, it will help your dog get used to a new baby in the house...

Tips for expectant parents.

• Make any changes to your dog's environment and routines at least 2 months prior to bringing your baby home (i.e. dog is now outside more, feed and walk times are variable, not sleeping on your bed, etc.)

• Start ignoring your dog's demands for attention. Call him to you for pats. The demanding will only get worse once baby is home.

• It is best to use a crate/portable den for your dog to sleep in and to provide his own "safe place" when you need him away from you or your baby.
  

• Ensure your dog has at least basic obedience training in place and working.

• Bring home a receiving blanket from the hospital with your baby's scent on it. Put it in the crib, swing, car seat, etc. Let your dog get used to the smell that baby will have before baby is home.

• Buy a doll that cries like a baby and begin carrying it around wrapped in a blanket in your arms or baby carrier. Do the same with the "baby" in a crib and walking with it in a stroller. If your dog is out of control, Bark Busters training is necessary.

• Be sure the dog has no way of getting to soiled diapers. You don't want him to acquire the taste as they may still be on baby the next time he's tempted!

• Never leave baby and dog alone, ever!

• When working in yard or home where you may be distracted, have baby safe in locked room or dog locked in his kennel or crate.

• Do not panic. Dogs and babies/children can co-exist quite safely. You just need to practice good management.

This information is provided by Bark Busters Home Dog Training - the world's largest, most trusted dog training company. More information can be obtained by contacting your local behaviour therapist on toll free 1-866-418-4584, or by visiting www.barkbusters.ca

Canine Obesity

Canine obesity is an important - and very common - medical condition with serious health implications. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has estimated that there are 41.2 million pet dogs in the United States, 40 percent of those dogs, approximately 17 million, are overweight or obese. Learn More