Pet News

I do not share the extreme vegetarian view that food reform is the foundation of other reforms, for I think it can be shown that all cruelties to animals, whether inflicted in the interests of the dinner-table, the laboratory, the hunting-field, or any other institution, are the outcome of one and the same error—the blindness which can see no unity and kinship, but only difference and division, between the human and the non-human race. This blindness it is—this crass denial of a common origin, a common nature, a common structure, and common pleasures and pains—that has alone hardened men in all ages of the world, civilized or barbarous, to inflict such fiendish outrages on their harmless fellow-beings; and to remove this blindness we need, it seems to me, a deeper and more radical remedy than the reform of sport, or of physiological methods, or even of diet alone. The only real cure for the evil is the growing sense that the lower animals are closely akin to us, and have Rights.

(Henry S. Salt, The Logic of Vegetarianism: Essays and Dialogues [London: The Ideal Publishing Union, 1899], 109-10 [italics in original])

I do not share the extreme vegetarian view that food reform is the foundation of other reforms, for I think it can be shown that all cruelties to animals, whether inflicted in the interests of the dinner-table, the laboratory, the hunting-field, or any other institution, are the outcome of one and the same error—the blindness which can see no unity and kinship, but only difference and division, between the human and the non-human race. This blindness it is—this crass denial of a common origin, a common nature, a common structure, and common pleasures and pains—that has alone hardened men in all ages of the world, civilized or barbarous, to inflict such fiendish outrages on their harmless fellow-beings; and to remove this blindness we need, it seems to me, a deeper and more radical remedy than the reform of sport, or of physiological methods, or even of diet alone. The only real cure for the evil is the growing sense that the lower animals are closely akin to us, and have Rights.

(Henry S. Salt, The Logic of Vegetarianism: Essays and Dialogues [London: The Ideal Publishing Union, 1899], 109-10 [italics in original])

Our Fall Benefit is just 8 days away! Be sure to purchase your tickets soon. The event will be on Saturday, November 7th at 6 PM at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park. You can purchase your tickets online on our website.

As an all-volunteer foster-based animal rescue, all funds raised will go directly to supporting our adoption and spay/neuter programs.

The winter holiday season is a time for family and friends to gather, often traveling a great distance to be together. Many families consider pets to be part of their family and choose to take them along. Traveling with pets is not always easy, especially when the family dog or cat experiences fear of travel, or motion sickness.

Some dogs resist getting into the car, giving out shrill yelps, while cats meow plaintively, salivating and drooling even before getting into the car. Some pets happily jump into the car, but the moment the engine starts and the car begins to move, their heads hang down and they start to drool, eventually getting sick after some distance. Others look out the window, flicking their heads in different direction as things move by, and quite rapidly they begin to drool and soon get sick.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that most long-distance holiday travel, about 91 percent, is by a personal vehicle, such as by car. Below are some helpful tips from HomeoPet to help make car rides more comfortable and safe for your pet, and your family:

Seat your pet securely in the car, either with a harness, crate or barrier.Allowing your pet to roam freely in the car can be dangerous for the pet and distracting for the driver. For pets with visual cue motion sickness, putting them down on the floor of the car where they cannot see out can often be very helpful.

If your pet is not accustomed to traveling in the car, take some short trips, gradually increasing his time to get him used to longer rides.Bring a favorite toy and blanket for comfort.

Your pet should have a very light meal in the three hours before travel.An empty stomach is usually more prone to nausea. Some pets will respond better on a reasonably full stomach, but if it comes up, it could mean a lot of cleaning. Keep pets hydrated with small amounts of water.

Make frequent stops, allowing pets time to exercise and relieve themselves. Be sure your pet is wearing identification tags or has a microchip in case he does run away or gets lost.

Never leave your pet in the car unattended. They can easily overheat, even when windows are left open. Always be careful with an open window—pets may jump out at the wrong time, or get stuck in them.

Be sure your pet’s mandated vaccinations are up to date, and ask your vet for a health certificate to bring along. Pack any medications your pet might be taking, or might need in an emergency. Researching local veterinarians and emergency clinics in the area you intend to visit can save you valuable time in an emergency.

If your pet does experience motion sickness, use HomeoPet’s Travel Anxiety before you begin your trip.

Tips courtesy of homeopet.com

The New Zealand Veterinary Association is warning trick-or-treaters to spare a thought for their pets this Saturday night.

Halloween is a bad time of year for black cats, with their long-standing connections with witches, hubble-bubble and evil.

Veterinarian Pieter Verhoek warned petowners to keep black cats away from children who might play pranks.

Reports of deliberate cruelty to black cats rise especially in the weeks around Halloween in Britain, the RSPCA animal charity said on Wednesday.

Verhoek said dogs should be restrained and protected from getting over-excited by a series of visitors to the front door which could result in someone getting bitten by accident.

Treats and trick-or-treating should also exclude pets, Verhoek advised.

“Lollies and chocolate are not good for cats and dogs, and in some instances can be toxic. Especially with chocolate, which can result in animals getting seriously sick or even dying. We do suggest that such treats are kept out of the reach of our pets.

“If the kids want to dress your dog or cat in a costume – please be sensible – ensure that the animals are comfortable and not restrained by unaccustomed clothing,” he said.

Our Fall Benefit is just 9 days away! Be sure to purchase your tickets soon. The event will be on Saturday, November 7th at 6 PM at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park. You can purchase your tickets online on our website.

As an all-volunteer foster-based animal rescue, all funds raised will go directly to supporting our adoption and spay/neuter programs.

We recently got an update on Jasmine from her family, and we just had to share!


“Jasmine Marie Humphries  came into our lives on a cold day on January 22nd
2005. We met her at a Pet Haven adoption event where we got to meet her 2 brothers.
Jasmine had started her life with  her 4 other siblings and mother by being thrown away into a dumpster. Luckily  someone found them and rescued them the first time. Two of Jasmines siblings  didn’t survive to get the chance for rescue number two like Jasmine did.

I knew the instant that I  laid eyes on her, that I was totally and helplessly in love with this little fur ball. At that time, my husband and I were in the process of building a brand new  greenhouse business. So from day one, Jasmine came to work with us every day and  became part of our team! She had many family members to play with and follow  around all day, and free reign of a nice warm place to work/play. She also  got to spend the day with her Gramma and Grampa, and her new best friend, Uncle  Baily! (Gramma and Grampas big ole yellow lab). Oh how she loved to play in the  dirt, and un-plant things we had just planted We had also found out how she  really likes to roll in stinky things, so we have since nick named her Stinky.  She has stolen the hearts of all who worked with her. Jasmine’s photo’s have been  in several greenhouse publications as our mascot.

During her puppyhood, we  attended puppy kindergarten and puppy social hour weekly, so she had plenty of  interaction with other puppies while growing up, and even a  cat! Eventually it became time for us to leave that job, we didn’t know  what to do about leaving her home. She is such a social girl, that the thought  of her home alone all day just broke our hearts. So Gramma and Grampa daycare  was born! Each morning, she gets picked up by her Gramma and Grampa and her uncle Baily, and they go on a four mile walk on the Gateway  trail. (that is, when she will get out of bed when Gramma comes to get her,  sometimes we have to lock her out of the bedroom in the mornings when we leave  for work, or she won’t come downstairs when my Mom comes to get her!) Then she  spends the rest of her day at their house, and gets to play with her Uncle  Bails, run around in their huge yard, and sometimes even gets to go bye-bye.  Then either Mommy or Daddy pick her up on their way home from
work. Its a pretty  good life.

We miss her each day  while we are at work, and are so happy to see her when we get home. Jasmine has  been with us camping, stayed in a cabin in Northern MN, even walked around  Gooseberry falls state park. She sends her allowance to a dog with a  heart condition each month and has for the past 3 years. We do our best to make  sure that if we go anywhere, it is dog friendly so we can bring her with. We  once brought her to an open house event that a home builder had that was dog  friendly, where she could get a free scarf, a photo taken, and even got to  ”speak” to a pet psychic. The psychic said that Jasmine thought her name should  be Jackpot, because she is hit the jackpot when she found her new  Family. We also asked the psychic if she minded being called Stinky, and  she said No! I love to be Stinky!! She is loved by all, wherever she goes.


We  love our little girl more than anything, and thank God Pet Haven brought her  into our lives for her second chance at a great life. She has filled a hole in  my heart I never even knew I had and I don’t know what I would do without my  little Stinky. To anyone who is reading this, please open your heart and home to  a rescue, they will spend the rest of their lives paying you back for doing  so.”

(Note: Thanks for the good wishes folks! I look forward to being healthy again. Not exactly yet though)

If you’ve been a Museum member for a while, you probably recall that I am a big fan of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation and have been since 9/11. Did you know that the dogs would get so sad finding no survivors that volunteers would hide in the wreckage pretending to be victims? Then the dogs would find someone alive and be happy that they had done a good job.

A dog needs a very particular set of gifts to be a good rescue dog. Today in my email I received the stories of two new champs: Riley of Santa Barbara, and Rex of Long Beach. I hope you’ll take a look at their stories and at the NDSDF website as a whole. This is an interesting and worthy look at how humans and dogs team together to use what they do best for a most important task.

Q: About this topic (pets with chronic UTIS), I am having a similar problem with my 8 year old male cat, but he had oxalate stones earlier this year, and surgery to remove them, and is now on Hills C/D and has had chronic UTI’s only since being on this food. I want to switch him off to a grain free quality food (like Wellness) but am concerned if this would cause new oxalate stones to form. The effectiveness of Hills C/D has not been proven to me yet – although he has not had additional oxalate stones. Any advice?

Y: We have had exceptional success helping cats and dogs prevent UTIs and stone development but it requires a complete holistic program involving dietary changes AND supplements—they go hand in hand. There is a lot you can do to help your cat using a hypoallergenic, low carbohydrate diet. Good nutrition can greatly help but you also need to get your cat on a regular supplement regime to ensure that the UTIs do not reoccur. There is not a simple answer to address the diet and supplements since typical programs for preventing UTIs include supplements such as cranberry that might acidify the urine and calcium oxalate stones grow in an acidic environment so you need to be VERY CAREFUL. Also, some pets have a tendency to get stones and so switching to a diet that prevents oxalate stones might then result in the formation of struvite stones. The secret is finding a balance and identifying the foods your kitty is allergic to. Also, there are supplements that would help regardless. These include Renelix, Amazing Omegas and Probiotic.

As far as the diet, I would need to work with you in detail to discuss the foods you can try and use based on your kitty’s preferences. There is not one diet you can readily use and ideally some homemade food should be mixed in. You are right to be cautious and concerned as just using any commercial diet, including Hills C/D will not be the perfect answer–a more comprehensive approach is needed. Thus, a consultation via inperson or telephone appointment is recommended.

Q: About this topic (pets with chronic UTIS), I am having a similar problem with my 8 year old male cat, but he had oxalate stones earlier this year, and surgery to remove them, and is now on Hills C/D and has had chronic UTI’s only since being on this food. I want to switch him off to a grain free quality food (like Wellness) but am concerned if this would cause new oxalate stones to form. The effectiveness of Hills C/D has not been proven to me yet – although he has not had additional oxalate stones. Any advice?

Y: We have had exceptional success helping cats and dogs prevent UTIs and stone development but it requires a complete holistic program involving dietary changes AND supplements—they go hand in hand. There is a lot you can do to help your cat using a hypoallergenic, low carbohydrate diet. Good nutrition can greatly help but you also need to get your cat on a regular supplement regime to ensure that the UTIs do not reoccur. There is not a simple answer to address the diet and supplements since typical programs for preventing UTIs include supplements such as cranberry that might acidify the urine and calcium oxalate stones grow in an acidic environment so you need to be VERY CAREFUL. Also, some pets have a tendency to get stones and so switching to a diet that prevents oxalate stones might then result in the formation of struvite stones. The secret is finding a balance and identifying the foods your kitty is allergic to. Also, there are supplements that would help regardless. These include Renelix, Amazing Omegas and Probiotic.

As far as the diet, I would need to work with you in detail to discuss the foods you can try and use based on your kitty’s preferences. There is not one diet you can readily use and ideally some homemade food should be mixed in. You are right to be cautious and concerned as just using any commercial diet, including Hills C/D will not be the perfect answer–a more comprehensive approach is needed. Thus, a consultation via inperson or telephone appointment is recommended.