National Dog Fighting Awareness Day: The ASPCA Holds Important Social Media Event

Please get involved in the important endeavor. You can participate from the comfort of your home on Tuesday, April 8th, from 7-8 pm Eastern time:

dog fighting, ASPCA, Michael Vick, animal cruelty, NY Jets,

Dog fighting is a horrendous, money-making system and the ASPCA is bringing awareness to this insidious crime by dedicating a day to helping stop it: National Dog Fighting Awareness Day takes place on April 8th, 2014. This day was created to get people talking about this severe form of animal cruelty and help put an end to it. It is estimated that dog fighting has been going on since the late 1800s and now takes place throughout the country and in all economic brackets.

When offenders, particularly famous offenders, such as NFL football player Michael Vick, are overlooked for having instituting and profiting from this horrific cruelty, and go on to secure million dollar sporting and endorsement contracts, it only makes it worse. (Terrible move, NY Jets, for signing him this year. Visit Boycott the NY Jets and Michael Vick). People say he made a mistake but intentionally killing, torturing and maiming dogs over several years is NOT a mistake. This statement from Matthew Bershadker, President of the ASPCA, stresses exactly why we must not forget what Vick and others like him do:

“It became clear over the course of the investigation that this was not a crime of passion or a case of obliviousness. Michael Vick was fully involved in a six-year pattern of illegal activity that included dogs being savagely electrocuted, drowned, and beaten to death.”

This was a multi-million dollar ring. Profits were high and greed was underlying, as is the case in nearly all dog fighting operations.

Sadly, this is just one high profile case, there are so many more underground operations that no one hears about. According to the ASPCA, there are profitable dog fighting rings located in cities, rural, and suburban areas:

“Fighters were traditionally attracted to states with weaker penalties for dog fighting and animal cruelty, many in the South—but laws continue to be made stronger throughout the country. As a result, this activity is no longer limited to any single area, but it is more likely to thrive wherever enforcement of anti-fighting laws is weak.”

This is exactly why we need to work together to help create stricter laws and enforce the animal cruelty laws already enacted. On April 8th, the ASPCA is hosting a Google+ Hangout with national experts to discuss the underground world of dog fighting.

10 Strangest Items Swallowed By Dogs

My mother’s Schnauzer mix, Sha Sha, eats just about anything. I didn’t quite believe just how often she would quickly snap up everything in her sight until a few weeks ago when she swallowed a quarter and a nickel in the blink of an eye. The vet advised my mother to watch her for the next few days as the coins would likely pass. It’s a very common issue among dog owners and it doesn’t only happen with puppies. The majority of dogs do grow out of the need to eat inedible objects. It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what a puppy would eat so it’s best to be vigilant about where you dog is allowed to freely roam. Many dogs and puppies have been known to swallow seemingly unsuitable items, which you might not find in any way enticing or preferable, but they do. Check out this list of the strangest things swallowed by dogs as witnessed by the ASPCA :

Keep Your Dog Safe With These Holiday Safety Tips!

‘Tis the season for putting up decorations and eating delicious holiday treats, but that also means pets could be getting into serious trouble! Trupanion , a leading provider of medical insurance for cats and dogs, sees a 10% increase in foreign body ingestion claims and a 24% increase in toxicity claims during the holiday months each year. But you can keep your pets safe this holiday season with the below tips from Dr. Sarah Nold:

10 Most Common Medical Conditions That Send Dogs to the Vet

No one likes going to the vet, especially our dogs. Like many others, my dogs can sense when they are going way before we get there. They get nervous and hyper. Some dogs whimper endlessly at the vet’s office while countless others have fear-induced accidents right in the office. While regular check-ups and vaccinations are a necessary evil, we can try our best to keep our pups in optimal health thus avoiding another dreaded trip. Veterinary Pet Insurance compiled a list of the 10 most common medical conditions that send dogs to the vet. Some are unavoidable while others may be caught early on. Dr. Carol McConnell, DVM points out that many of the conditions that most regularly require vet visits “can be stopped early or successfully managed in partnership with a veterinarian. To prevent some of the discomfort that so many pets experience from common diseases, the place to start would be by checking them regularly for developing problems.” Check out the full list here at Babb

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