Wellness Natural, HSUS team up on Giving Tuesday

On Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, community centers and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.
This year, The Humane Society of the United States’ #GivingTuesday campaign aims to raise US$100,000. The money will help fund its Pets for Life program’s essential animal care services in December. Those services include spay/neuter surgeries, veterinary care, and supplies that are unavailable and oftentimes unaffordable in under-served areas of the country. With every US$1 donated, Wellness Natural Pet Food will provide one bowl of food to help feed pets in the program.
Donors will help make pets happy and healthy by giving them the care that they need, especially during the busy and cold holiday season.

Preventative pet care encouraged during National Pet Wellness Month

The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association and The Humane Society of the United States are reminding pet owners that preventative care can help pets live longer and healthier lives as they celebrate October as National Pet Wellness Month.
National Pet Wellness Month is a nationwide educational campaign sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Fort Dodge Animal Health.
“Yearly visits to your veterinarian are an essential part of keeping your pet healthy,” says Dr. Barry Kellogg, VMD, senior veterinary advisor for the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. “Preventative care allows for early detection of problems and often saves money on overall veterinary costs by treating problems before they become serious.”
Dr. Kellogg offers pet owners the following tips to properly care for their pets throughout the year:


• A Balanced Diet: Commercial dog and cat foods make it easy to provide a nutritionally balanced and complete diet. Dog and cat foods contain all of the different nutrients your animal needs in the appropriate quantities, whereas it can be very difficult to create a balanced and complete diet from “people” foods.
• Weight Management: According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarians. Prevention is much easier to accomplish than treatment, so consult your veterinarian about the right diet and exercise regimen for your pet.
• Annual Exams: Pets should visit their veterinarian at least once a year to check their overall health and well-being, which also allows pet owners to make any necessary changes in their pet’s daily routine and care. A review of the vaccination status and program most appropriate for your pet should also be completed at this time.
• Spay/Neuter: Not only do the spay/neuter procedures prevent individual medical problems, but spaying or neutering also helps curb pet overpopulation and reduces the number of unwanted pets who are euthanized every day. Spay and neuter surgeries can be safely performed as early as 8-12 weeks of age.
• Dental Care: Teeth and oral health should be evaluated annually.
• Senior Pets: As animals age, their dietary requirements and their ability to digest certain foods changes. When pets grow older, they lose some ability to concentrate urine so they need to produce more, and therefore need more water intake. You can help by feeding your pets better quality proteins and avoiding red meats like beef and beef by-products. 

HSUS says vegan diets can make cats sick

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is urging cat owners to feed their pets a vegan pet food diet, which is free of any animal products, the Toronto Sun reported.
PETA says felines do not need meat in their diets, but rather should be fed an all-vegetable diet without artificial supplements.
"The nutritional needs of dogs and cats can be met with a balanced vegan diet," says Ashley Byrne, a PETA spokeswoman. "We see a lot of cats who are vegan and they are thriving, so, they don't need meat."
The Humane Society of the United States disagrees with PETA's recommendations.
"I hope this is not a trend, or we will be seeing a lot of sick cats. It is not appropriate to feed cats a vegan diet," says HSUS spokeswoman, Nancy Peterson.
Experts say felines are obligate carnivores and will suffer organ failure and shortened lifespans when deprived of a meat diet.
"To force cats to eat a vegetarian diet is both unethical and irresponsible," says Dr. Michael W. Fox, veterinarian and author. "To impose some vegetarian or vegan ideology on one's cat is to go against the nature of cats and their right to be fed a biologically-appropriate diet."

Animal rescuers lend aid to pets affected by storms in southern, Midwest US

Animal rescuers from all over the U.S. are lending their efforts to help pets affected by the recent storms in the South and Midwest, according to reports.
Volunteers and organizations are providing supplies, transportation and shelter to dislocated, lost and injured animals. The ASPCA, PetSmart Charities, the Humane Society of the United States, Code 3 and Wayside Waifs have been erecting temporary shelters, distributing supplies and helping to transport animals out of shelters in affected areas. "Our goal is to get displaced animals back to their owners and house those animals until their owners can get on their feet," said Tim Rickey, senior director of the ASPCA's field investigations and response team.
Donations to the efforts can be made through the Humane Society of West Alabama, the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter, Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control or the ASPCA.

Pet Valu signs US Humane Society's Puppy Friendly Pet Store pledge

Pet Valu, a mid-Atlantic US petfood and supply chain, signed The Humane Society of the United States' Puppy Friendly Pet Store pledge.
This pledge means that the company commits to not sell puppies from puppy mills, but instead to support local pet adoption programs and provide literature that helps customers learn how to locate a puppy from a reputable source. Store owners who sign The HSUS’ pledge receive a placard proclaiming, “We love puppies; that’s why we don’t sell them,” to display in the store, as well as free materials for their customers about how to adopt a puppy or find a responsible breeder.
“Pet Valu is proud to be a part of the Puppy Friendly Pet Stores Program, which reinforces our commitment to providing our customers with quality pet supplies while looking out for the best interest of animals,” said Connie Lowney of Pet Valu. “We believe that this will be a successful business model in our 63 locations, and are hopeful that our commitment will inspire others to support responsible pet acquisition.”
A list of participating "Puppy Friendly" pet stores is available from www.humanesociety.org/puppystores.

HSUS spends 50% of funds on fundraising, overhead costs, says watchdog

According to a 2010 "Watchdog Report on Animal Charities" from Animal People News, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) spends roughly 50% of its raised funds on continued fundraising and additional overhead costs, including paying lobbyists and HSUS's pension plan.
This number, which Animal People News said it calculated based on HSUS's 2009 federal tax return, is in opposition with the 29% HSUS said it spends on overhead. According to the Center for Consumer Freedom, this information, along with the "D" rating HSUS received from the American Institute of Philanthropy and the one star out of four it received for efficiency from Charity Navigator, paints a picture of factory-fundraising practices and incompetent nonprofit management. “Animal lovers need to know the difference between HSUS and real humane societies," said CCF Director of Research David Martosko. "The only way to be sure your donations will help homeless dogs and cats is to give to organizations in your own community.”

HSUS donates 12 tons of Mars, own petfood to Louisiana

The Humane Society of the United States HSUS donated 12 tons of dog and cat food to Louisiana to help families struggling to feed their pets due to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.The donation included 24,000 pounds of food given by Mars Petcare US and 700 pounds of HSUS's own Humane Choice brand. The donation came after a request from the Plaquemines Parish Animal Welfare Society, which reported that the number of pets given up to local shelters after the oil spill has been on the rise.

What do you think about the new dog food from HSUS?

Did you hear the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is coming out with a line of dog food? It's called Humane Choice , and HSUS says it is cruelty free, all natural and certified organic. The main protein source is soy.
I’m not surprised by the type of product HSUS is launching nor its professed reasons: “to offer consumers a wholesome and nutritious dog food that does not contain animal-based proteins or support the factory farming industry,” according to a press release. “It’s an opportunity to support our work confronting animal cruelty,” a spokeswoman added.
But I have to confess surprise that an organization like HSUS would even enter this marketplace. ..Read the full blog on www.petfood-connection.com.

HSUS launches organic petfood

The Humane Society of the United States is launching an all-natural and certified organic dog food called Humane Choice.
The HSUS said it developed the product to offer consumers a wholesome and nutritious dog food that does not contain animal-based proteins.

HSUS endorses stores that don’t sell puppies

The Humane Society of the United States has endorsed 45 Chicago, Illinois, USA, pet stores that have pledged not to carry puppies in hopes of funneling more customers to those retailers, rewarding them for steering clear of “puppy mills,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
"We want to encourage (the shops) by saying thank you, and to encourage people to support those stores," said Jordan Matyas, Illinois director for the Humane Society.