Denver Processor Recalls Pet Treats Made Over 5-Month PeriodFebruary 26, 2013 Among the recalled items are selected lots of Petco pig ears, Target bully sticks and Nutri-Vet jerky. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported the recall Feb. 21. The recall came nearly three months after the FDA warned pet owners about a single lot of Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats sold at Costco and produced by Kasel. The agency issued the advisory Dec. 6 after Kasel declined to voluntarily recall the treats, which were identified as possibly being tainted by salmonella. Positive salmonella tests led Kasel last fall to recall some Boots & Barkley Roasted American Pig Ears and Boots & Barkley American Variety Pack Dog Treats sold at Target and another lot of Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats sold at Sam’s Club. No people have been sickened by salmonella linked to the company’s treats, but a small number of animals fell ill, the FDA stated. Company owner Ray Kasel defended the plant’s practices and accused the FDA of blowing the salmonella issue out of proportion. “The truth of the matter is that the FDA was in this facility two weeks …
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Nature's Variety, Honest Kitchen, Hy-Vee Issue Dog Food RecallsFebruary 26, 2013 No illnesses or injuries were reported with any of the products. Nature’s Variety The recalls began Feb. 15 when St. Louis-based Nature’s Variety called out a single batch of Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula with a best-by date of 10/04/13. Some bags may contain pieces of clear plastic that could pose a choking risk to pets. The recalled foods include medallions in 3-pound bags (UPC number 7 69949 60137 1) and 27-pound cases (UPC number 7 69949 70137 8), and patties in 6-pound bags (UPC number 7 69949 60127 2) and 36-pound cases (UPC number 7 69949 70127 9). Consumers may return the food for a refund or exchange. More information is available at 888-519-7387. The Honest Kitchen San Diego-based The Honest Kitchen recalled five lots of its Verve, Zeal and Thrive dog foods Feb. 21 because of potential salmonella contamination. The food was produced from August to November 2012 and sold nationwide in the United States and Canada. The ingredient in question was a batch of human-grade parsley received from a supplier that no longer does business with The Honest Kitchen, said …
FreeHand, Founded On Principle Of Buy One, Give One, Is PurchasedFebruary 13, 2013 The new owners will continue the “buy one, give one” model, said Kavanaugh, FreeHand's chairman and senior adviser. “Millions of dogs are needlessly killed each year because municipal shelters and rescues can’t afford to feed them, and FreeHand solves this,” said Kavanaugh, CEO of the entertainment company Relativity Media. “My wife, Britta, and I are proud to be a part of what we call an ‘ecosystem for good.’” Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Los Angeles-based FreeHand was co-founded by Tom Bagamane, who also founded Integrated Pet Solutions and is a former director at The Kong Co. Bagamane will stay on as managing director of FreeHand. FreeHand manufactures four holistic, dry dog foods. With each bag sold, an equal amount of food is given to a local rescue organization or shelter. The company has given more than 16,000 pounds, or 46,000 meals, to U.S. shelter dogs since the program's inception. “We have tremendous momentum in building our brand in the first six months since our product launch," Bagamane said. "This is certain to increase with the acquisition of the company, with Ryan …
Ceva Animal Health Hopes To Capitalize On 2012 GrowthFebruary 13, 2013 Veterinary pharmaceutical maker Ceva Animal Health is preparing new products and plotting an aggressive advertising campaign to drive more business to veterinary clinics, the company’s North American division announced Tuesday. Sales of Ceva’s Vectra parasiticides for dogs and cats grew by 34.5 percent in the United States in 2012. Looking to capture even more market share for Vectra, the company is planning television advertising and “first dose free” coupons in 2013. The company’s behavior segment, which includes products such as Feliway for cats and Adaptil for dogs, increased by 30.4 percent in 2012, the Lenexa, Kan.-based division reported. A new product, Feliway Wipes, will be introduced at the Western Veterinary Conference, which begins Sunday in Las Vegas. Adaptil and Feliway will be centerpieces of a nationwide Behavior Advocate Program and a veterinary-exclusive sampling program, the company added. Also planned is the continuation of the Keep The L.O.V.E. Alive bus tour, which aims to increase awareness of behavior products as an alternative to euthanizing a pet. “We are coming off a very strong year and believe Ceva will continue growth with an outstanding team in place, …
England Makes Microchips Compulsory In Dogs By 2016February 11, 2013 Free microchips will be implanted through 18 Dogs Trust centers and through local authorities and housing associations, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reported Feb. 6. Owners who fail to microchip their dog after being advised to do so by police or local authorities may be fined up to $800. The new law won the endorsement of groups such as the London-based dog welfare charity Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Association. “This will help to reduce the number of dogs that needlessly end up with an uncertain fate in council pounds and rescue centers when their owners simply cannot be traced,” said Clarissa Baldwin, chief executive of Dogs Trust. “We urge dog owners to view microchipping as part and parcel of dog ownership and, importantly, also take responsibility for keeping their contact details up to date.” BVA president Peter Jones, BVSc, MRCVS, applauded the move and said pet owners may find free microchipping through some veterinarians. “The introduction of compulsory microchipping is a giant leap for dogs and their owners and is something that vets have long campaigned for,” Dr. Jones …
Experts Urge Keeping Housecats Inside, Sterilizing Feral CatsFebruary 8, 2013 The reaction arose from a study conducted by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Birds. Published Jan. 29 in the journal Nature Communications, the report crunched numbers from 90 previous studies to conclude that while backyard cats kill their fair share of wildlife, an estimated 80 million farm cats, strays and feral felines are responsible for 69 percent of bird mortality and 89 percent of mammal mortality. “This study…demonstrates that the issue of cat predation on birds and mammals is an even bigger environmental and ecological threat that we thought,” said George Fenwick, Ph.D., president of the American Bird Conservancy in Washington, D.C. The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association noted that the issue “can’t be solved overnight” and must be addressed in “a meaningful way.” “It is clear that effective solutions to the problems of free-roaming cat overpopulation and wildlife predation will have to include newer and more innovative approaches,” said Barry Kellogg, VMD, the Washington, D.C.-based group’s senior veterinary medical adviser. Dr. Kellogg pointed to community-based TNR programs as “the most viable, long-term approach available at this time …
Lumina Media Takes Over Magazines, Books, Websites Of BowTie Inc.February 5, 2013The acquisition, effective Feb. 1, includes certain assets of BowTie Inc., including trade magazines like Veterinary Practice News and Pet Product News International; consumer magazines such as Reptiles, Horse Illustrated and Urban Farm; websites including VeterinaryPracticeNews.com, AnimalNetwork.com and DogChannel.com; and bestselling books about animals, including “Dog Heroes of September 11th” and “The Original Dog Bible.” “We are thrilled to bring these storied brands under our umbrella,” said Harris, who has been appointed interim CEO of Lumina Media. “Combining the talented, passionate teams that have built such a robust content engine with the technology and expertise of our existing joint ventures creates the perfect platform on which to create an infinite variety of special-interest content for delivery in all formats.” Lumina Media is the latest in a series of professional partnerships between Fry and Harris and their respective companies. Harris is the co-founder and co-owner of National Publisher Services (NPS), the leading provider of publishing management services. …
Labrador Retriever Still Most Popular Dog, AKC ReportsFebruary 4, 2013 “Bigger breeds are making their move,” AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson said. The Labrador retriever retained its position as top dog for the 22nd consecutive year, tying with the poodle for the most popular breed of all time. The popularity of “portable pooches” appears to be waning, Peterson reported. The top five did not include a toy breed for the first time since 2003, which also was the last time Yorkshire terriers were not in the top five. In 2012, Yorkshire terriers swapped places with bulldogs, falling to sixth. Chihuahuas, pugs and Pomeranians all dropped some notches on the popularity roster. Here are the AKC’s top 10 U.S. breeds for 2012: 1. Labrador retriever 2. German shepherd 3. Golden retriever 4. Beagle 5. Bulldog 6. Yorkshire terrier 7. Boxer 8. Poodle 9. Rottweiler 10. Dachshund The least popular breed in 2012—drum roll, please—was the English foxhound, which finished at No. 175. In related news, New York City-based AKC expanded its roster of recognized breeds to …
Cats Kill Billions Of Birds, Small Mammals Each Year, Study ConcludesJanuary 31, 2013 With razor-sharp claws and a penchant for chew toys, backyard and feral cats are serial killers of small mammals and birds, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. The study’s figures were apocalyptic: 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion small mammals such as mice, voles, squirrels and rabbits are killed every year by U.S. cats, the researchers reported. Those are just median figures. The study’s bell curves top out at 5 billion and more than 25 billion, respectively, for birds and mammals. “This study…demonstrates that the issue of cat predation on birds and mammals is an even bigger environmental and ecological threat that we thought,” said Dr. George Fenwick, president of the American Bird Conservancy in Washington, D.C. Peter Marra and Scott Loss of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Tom Will of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Birds crunched numbers from 90 previous studies on cat predation to come up with their findings. While backyard cats kill their fair share, an estimated 80 million farm cats, strays and feral felines are responsible for 69 percent …
Hartz Withdraws Chicken Chews, Oinkies Pig Skin Twists With ChickenJanuary 28, 2013 “Even though two-thirds of the products we tested did not contain antibiotic residues, we would rather be overly cautious by voluntarily withdrawing these products from the market,” Secaucus, N.J.-based Hartz Mountain Corp. stated. Antibiotic residue led two other manufacturers to take similar steps in recent weeks. St. Louis-based Nestle Purina PetCare Co. voluntarily withdrew all Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch chicken jerky dog treats sold in the United States, while Milo’s Kitchen, a brand of San Francisco-based Del Monte Corp., voluntarily recalled Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers Home-style treats. The antibiotics discovered in the Hartz treats are approved for use in poultry in China and European Union nations but not in the United States, Hartz noted. No evidence has been found that the treats raise health concerns or sicken pets, the company added. “Upon learning about the nationwide voluntary withdrawal of several other brands of chicken jerky products through media reports, Hartz acted immediately to begin additional testing to determine if the same unapproved antibiotic residues …
