BUDDHA DOG Spring 2009 Newsletter

SPRING IS HERE!

Enjoy it!

Hello Friends!

We're almost two weeks into Spring, and I have finally gotten the newsletter done! So much has happened since the last newsletter: we have a new president and will soon have a rescue dog in the White House; Californians overwhelmingly passed Prop 2 to give more room to confined farm animals; Ringling Brothers is finally on trial for cruelty; and there are a slew of humane bills in the California Legislature. The bills include Assemblymember Mike Eng's that would make hitting any animal with a vehicle and fleeing without trying to render aid or alerting authorities illegal; one that would allow us to deduct animal adoption fees from our taxes; a bill that would crack down on puppy mills, and another against dog-fighting; and a bill that would ban docking the tails of dairy cows, to name a few. This is an exciting time to be an animal lover! Please see my story on the new humane trend in pet stores, thanks to Oprah, and so many other heroes. I hope the news just keeps getting better and better for those that have always gotten the short end of the stick.

I hope everyone can make it to the PAWSTRONOMICAL Pet CPR Event on Saturday, April 18th from 10 AM to noon to learn a whole lot of life-saving information! See details below. Thank you for checking out the newsletter! Hope to see you soon.

Peace and Love,

Pam

P.S. Buddha Dog has a "fan page" on Facebook, and we'd love to see you there! : http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Woodland-Hills-CA/BUDDHA-DOG-animal-massage/10735303718?ref=s

Party with the Big Dogs this Saturday, April 4th!
PAWSTRONOMICAL Pet CPR Event on Apr 18th to Benefit The Volunteers of The Burbank Animal Shelter
Spring Special
A Wonderful New Trend in Pet Stores
Beverly Hills Groomer starts May 16th on Animal Planet
Buddha Dog on Zen Evolution TV
Buddha Dog on Unleashed Four-Legged Love Radio Show with Candi Cane Cooper
L.A. Body Points partners with Buddha Dog
The 23rd Genesis Awards Wrap-Up
A CAUSE FOR PAWS Pet Expo to benefit Pet Stop Rescue
Center for Spiritual Living 2nd Annual CRITTER DAY/PET FAIRE event
More Awesome Events
Spay/Neuter Without Surgery! By Pam Holt, RVT (full version as printed in The Pet Press )
A "Doggy & Me' Massage Makes A PERFECT Gift For Mother's Day!
Natural Touch 4 Paws now delivers the best to your home!
FETCH! Pet Care
Daniel Slaton, DVM & Westlake Village Animal Hospital
Shelter Stories by Patrick McDonnell

Come Party with the Big Dogs This Saturday, April 4th!

Saturday, April 4th- 11 AM to 3 PM

The Dog House
17321 Dearborn St.
Northridge, CA 91325
818-998-6299

You and your pet are invited to party at The Dog House!

Celebrated Photographer Pam Marks of Paw Prince Studios will be taking Easter Photos

Psychic Readings from Internationally acclaimed animal communicator
Candi Cane Cooper

Acupressure, TTouch, Stone Massage and Reiki from Buddha Dog Animal Massage

Doggie Merchandise from Pet Flys

Agility and other fun!

You can RSVP or get more info from pam@buddhadog.com.

PLEASE JOIN US on April 18th at PAWSTRONOMICAL- a Pet CPR Event

I am helping to promote this important event and would appreciate you all spreading the word and attending! You don't want to wish you had these vital, life-saving skills! Sponsorships and donations of any level are appreciated. See sponsorship letter here.

Be part of the largest gathering ever of humans to learn animal life-saving skills... in conjunction with "National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month" (April 2009).

Saturday, April 18th, 2009
10:00 am - 12:00 noon Woodbury University - New Woody's Hall 7500 Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91510 This event will promote awareness of animal life-saving skills (PET FIRST-AID & CPR), and will provide a low-cost venue for people wanting to learn how to handle an emergency with their cat or dog or to refresh skills they may already have. COST: $15 per person in advance/$20 at the door ½ price for Children 12 & under and Seniors 65 & over Proceeds will benefit the Volunteers of The Burbank Animal Shelter, a 501(c) 3 animal service agency, devoted to providing medical, social, behavioral and financial care for animals at risk and determined to eliminate animal homelessness in the Burbank Community. REGISTER at http://www.pawstronomical.com Or send a check to P.O. Box 3031 - Glendale, CA 91221-0031 CONTACT: Denise Fleck, Sunny-dog Ink OR Molly Stretten, VBAS (818) 951-7962 or (818) 406-3218 denise@sunnydogink.com or stretten@sbcglobal.net Topics covered to include:

Rescue Breathing & CPR
What to do for a Choking Pet
How to give your dog or cat a Head-to-Tail Check-up including checking Vitals (respiration, pulse, temperature, capillary refill time and hydration)
How to handle chocolate poisoning,
snake bites, heat stroke and more!
Real-life stories of animals that have been helped by knowing these skills will be shared, and a parade of adoptable pets will delight and entertain along with the lecture/demonstration segments
Raffle, Goody Bags, Book Signing and more.

Photo by Paw Prince Studios

SPEAKERS:

Denise Fleck, Sunny-dog Ink, Pet First-Aid Instructor / Author

Denise Fleck began teaching the life-saving skills of Pet First-Aid & CPR after her Yellow Labrador Sunny ruptured discs in her spine and became immobile. Although the canine bounced back after surgery, "Sunny's misfortune compelled me to learn whatever I could should I again face a difficult situation with a dog or other animal," Denise explains. "Through my training with seven national organizations in animal life-saving skills, rescue work & disaster preparedness training, I've encountered situations that continue to test, and hopefully improve, my skills." Denise has appeared on Animal Planet's hit show, Groomer Has It, CNN Headline News, KTLA Morning News, PBS-TV's Lassie's Pet Vet and other outlets. She has assisted Homeland Security with their K9 Border Patrol Program, taught Oprah Winfrey's Montecito Staff animal life-saving skills and is a freelance writer for many animal publications including Dog Fancy, Dogs USA, Dogs for Kids, Dog Sport, The Pet Press and Dog Days in L.A. Fleck has authored Lessons Learned From Eleven Dogs and a Cat: A Pet Parent's Guide to Animal Care, First-Aid and Disaster Preparedness in addition to developing her own line of Pet First-Aid Kits.

Martin Small, DVM/Medical Program Director, Burbank Animal Shelter

A lifelong lover of animals, Martin Small decided to become a veterinarian in Junior High School while all of his friends wanted to become medical doctors. Never wavering from that early resolution, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences from UC-Davis in 1951. The Korean War delayed veterinary school for a while, but in 1955 he was accepted at his alma mater. He began practicing in Redondo Beach but soon bought his own practice, the Small Animal Hospital, in Burbank. After a most successful run, he sold his practice to VCA in 1994 and briefly retired from practice in 2001. Only a short time later though, the Burbank Animal Shelter signed him on as the Medical Program Director where he continues to volunteer and fulfill his need to help animals.

Molly Stretten, President, Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter

Brenda Castenada, Senior Animal Control Officer

VBAS strives to provide the best possible care for all animals at the Burbank Animal Shelter. The volunteers educate the community about the benefits of spay/neuter, proper pet care and pet adoption and have also established a successful medical program, senior pet therapy program and kitten foster program. The Burbank Animal Shelter is a division of the Burbank Police Department and is operated by several dedicated Animal Control Officers and Kennel Attendants. The volunteers support the shelter staff by exercising and grooming the dogs, cleaning the animal cages and helping socialize the cats. They assist the staff at the front desk and help the public in choosing the right pet for their home as well as keep the corral clean, the bunnies happy and work animal related events.

SPRING SPECIAL

Book an appointment by June 1st, and SAVE!

Mention the "Spring Special" and receive $15 off an hour session, $10 off a half-hour session, $20 off a 90-minute session, or $5 off a cat massage!

Regular Rates

One-Hour Session: $50 (Spring Special- $35)

Half-Hour Session: $30 (Spring Special- $20)

Ninety-Minute Session: $70 (Spring Special- $50)

Cat Massage: $25 (Spring Special- $20)

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT NOW

A Wonderful New Trend in Pet Stores

Animal lovers rejoiced when Oprah Winfrey finally exposed the atrocities of puppy mills on her show. Lisa Ling’s investigation was hard to watch, but we all knew things would be changing faster after the world saw the horrors behind the “doggy in the window”.

Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue with Lisa Ling and Oprah Pet stores selling animals began to fall under more scrutiny. The lease was not renewed at Pet Love, a store at the Beverly Center that has been selling sick puppy mill puppies for years, causing us to breathe a huge sigh of relief. The goal is not to close down these pet stores though, but for them to go humane. Luckily, our area is seeing a boom in pet stores that are going humane, only adopting out rescued animals. After over six months of protests and a lawsuit with over 800 plaintiffs, Pets of Bel Air was forced to shut its doors. Jamie Katz, the former manager of Pets of Bel Air, decided to resurrect the location, and reopened as Woof Worx, but now all of the dogs up for adoption at the store are rescues.

After five months of protests, Posh Puppy in Beverly Hills closed, with the Tarzana location closing soon after. World Kennels, who supplied both Posh Puppy stores with puppies that would sell for as much as $4000, was investigated and 402 dogs were found living in inhumane conditions. Los Angeles County ordered them to reduce the number of dogs to 100, leaving over 300 dogs needing to be rescued at the expense of poorly-funded rescue groups.

This was the first of many weeks at Posh Puppy in Beverly Hills before they closed. Photo by Melissa Maroff It took five weeks of protests for Elaine Binner of Elaine’s Pet Depot on Wilshire to sign an agreement to become a rescue center for homeless animals. Judy Robertson of Judy’s Pet Depot in Westwood didn’t need protests in front of her store to question the supplier of her dogs when all her profits were going to the medical bills of these sick dogs. She made the ethical and smart decision on her own to stop selling ALL animals. Judy now hosts adoptions by rescue groups like The Kris Kelly Foundation and Strangest Angels Animal Rescue at her store. Clark DuVal, the owner of OrangeBone on Melrose (formerly The Puppy Store), made the courageous decision to go all-rescue after being educated by protestors, and checking out his suppliers, who were less than transparent with him. The Pet Care Company in Hermosa Beach has teamed up with Ken-Mar Rescue to offer rescued dogs for adoption seven days a week. Pet’s Delight in Monrovia, South Pasadena, and Covina now get their animals from shelters like the high-kill Kern County Shelter. There are many heroes who volunteered countless hours to help make these historic changes happen, organized by groups like CAPS, The Companion Animal Protection Society, who brought their “Rescue Revolution” to Los Angeles, Last Chance for Animals and their crusade for “Puppy Mill-Free Stores”, In Defense of Animals, and Best Friends Animal Society’s “Puppy Store-Free L.A.” campaign, whose latest target has been Puppy and Me, a store in Sherman Oaks, who still supports puppy mills. I am confident that they will see the light in due time, or their store may suffer the fate of others that chose not to stay with the more compassionate times we are living in now. If you have a couple of free hours on a Saturday afternoon, and would like to make a difference, contact any of these groups at the above links to find out where they will be. Signs are usually provided and the protests are peaceful. It will be a happy day when no more protests are needed. Please support these humane stores (you can click on the name of the store to go to their website) that are making a huge difference for homeless animals and those suffering in puppy and kitten mills, when purchasing food and supplies, and when looking to add a new family member, so these kind of stores can succeed, and others will follow their lead. The Riverside Miniature Pinscher Puppy Mill Rescue Two of the leaders in this movement are actor and author of “The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife”, and L.A. Director of CAPS, The Companion Animal Protection Society, Carole Raphaelle Davis, and Carole Sax, Volunteer Coordinator for CAPS. On March 3^rd, these two angels assisted Good Dog Animal Rescue at a puppy mill in Riverside where Linda Smith says she bred dogs that she would sell for $1500 each until the poor economy started affecting sales. Sixty-two Miniature Pinschers with many health concerns were rescued from filthy conditions. These dogs were found to have been cruelly debarked by Smith herself in a very painful procedure that makes intubation extremely difficult should these dogs ever need to be anesthetized. Riverside Animal Control should be ashamed that they gave this facility a passing grade only 6 days before the rescue after an inspection that Smith was given notice about beforehand. Here is a short documentary by award-winning filmmaker Carly Lyn about the rescue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NfFRISt6kA There are still animals that need to be removed from this property. If you are outraged, please call Riverside Animal Control at (951) 358-7387 and ask them to take the rest of Linda Smith's animals away from her so they can be rescued. Please call Riverside City Council at (951) 826-5991 and ask them to overhaul this animal control agency. The Riverside County Department of Animal Services Administration, Director Robert Miller can be contacted at (951) 358-7442, and the contact information for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to complain about this situation:

County Executive Officer
Bill Luna
County Administrative Center
4080 Lemon Street - 4th Floor
Riverside, California 92501
(951) 955-1100
bluna@rceo.org

Public Information Officer
Ray Smith
County Executive Office
4080 Lemon Street - 4th Floor
Riverside, California 92501 Good Dog Animal Rescue is in desperate need of volunteers, food, donations, fosters, and adopters for these dogs! Four humane pet stores will have some of these rescued Miniature Pinschers up for adoption: Woof Worx, 2924 N. Beverly Glen Circle in Bel Air, 90077
310-474-1211
http://woofworx.com

Elaine's Pet Depot, 12423 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, 90025
310-828-4545
http://petdepot.net/elaines.html

Helen's Pet Depot, 10531 West Pico Blvd. in L.A, 90064
310-470-2922
http://petdepot.net/helens.html

Kirby's Pet Depot #3, 12112 Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista
310-313-1801
http://petdepot.net/kirbys.html For more info contact:
http://www.gooddoganimalrescue.com
310-403-9301 To keep up with the humane movement, check out these blogs written by Carole Raphaelle Davis: http://www.hollywooddog.blogspot.com
http://www.puppymillmom.blogspot.com back to top

Beverly Hills Groomer

Premieres May 16, 10 PM e/p

Don't miss this entertaining new show on Animal Planet about America's Greatest Groomer, Artist Knox (winner of the 1st Groomer Has It), that we are lucky enough to have right here in L.A.! My dogs Shug & Shirley and I had a great time with Artist, his brother Desmond, and his dog Bumpy when we gave them a crash course on animal massage. I look forward to seeing lots of my friends on other episodes!

Check out Artist's website: http://artistgrooms.com

Join the ZEN EVOLUTION!

I was honored to be a small part of the launch of Zen Evolution TV! I had a great time filming with Rocky and his dog Simon, and then again with my dog Grace, who will be 18 soon. My heartfelt thanks go out to Rocky, Stacey, Ben, Jim, Ana, Howard & Stephanie and the entire Zen Evolution TV Team! Below is a short clip, but the whole piece, along with a nice article by Stacey Kumagai, can be seen here: http://www.zenevolution.tv/buddhadogmassage.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtrzaDjsY-E

Unleashed Four-Legged Love Radio Show with Candi Cane Cooper

I recently had the pleasure of sitting in on a panel discussion on
"Alternative Modalities in Animal Care" for Candi Cane Cooper's radio show, "Unleashed Four-Legged Love".

Alternative Modalities in Animal Care

The show: http://www.iamhealthy.info/audio/animalcaremodalities0209.mp3

http://www.iamhealthyradio.com/candi_cane_cooper.html

Dr. Tiffany Margolin / Westlake Village Animal Hospital

Dr. Tiffany graduated from UC Davis, the number one veterinary school in the country, in 1991. She specializes in Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Alpha-Sonic, & Veterinarian Manipulation.

Inge Halliday / Malibu Horses

Inge has students from 6 years of age to adults, from beginners to 4th level dressage. She’s very passionate about humans and horses understanding each other physically, mentally, and emotionally. She specializes in Holistic Training.

Pam Holt / Buddha Dog Animal Massage
Pam is a Registered Veterinary Technician and Certified Animal Massage Therapist that offers Acupressure, Reiki, T-Touch, and education.

Moderated by:
Candi Cane Cooper
Candi Cane Cooper is an internationally acclaimed Animal Communicator and Certified Hypnotherapist. Her work has been forged from her commitment to mesh human and animal into one universal mind. Helping animals, owners and trainers all over the planet to have a better coexistence.

http://www.iamhealthyradio.com/animal_rescue_and_adoption.html

I am now offering my Animal Massage Services through
L.A. Body Points!

Rewarding Compassion- The 23rd Genesis Awards on March 28th

The Genesis Awards, where I volunteer, are held every year to shine a spotlight on cruelty and compassion, awarding the media for courageously featuring animal issues. The awards were dedicated to stopping the cruel Canadian Seal Hunt this year. The show was another great success, though Gretchen Wyler, the creator of The Genesis Awards that we lost two years ago, is especially missed on this night (of course we all felt her presence). We cheered for the many victories we have achieved like Prop 2 in California, and The Greyhound Protection Act in Massachusetts, abolishing greyhound racing in the state by 2010, and we cried when we saw how far the human race has to go in the humane treatment of all animals. It was great to see old friends, meet new ones, and to meet heroes like Scotlund Haisley, who as Senior Director of Emergency Services for the HSUS, has rescued countless animals from situations like puppy mills.
Carole Raphaelle Davis & Carole Sax of CAPS, Writer/Comedian Carol Leifer, Scotlund Haisley, and me
photo by Kristina Bowman The highlight of my night was meeting Bill Smith of Main Line Animal Rescue in PA. He put up the billboard that Oprah Winfrey saw that conviced her to do a show on puppy mills. He is our rock star!
me, Carole Raphaelle Davis, Bill Smith of Main Line Animal Rescue, Carole Sax, and Elle Wittelsbach of Strangest Angels Animal Rescue photo courtesy of Carole Raphaelle Davis

See some great pictures from The 23rd Genesis Awards here.

Full List of Winners:

The Wyler Award
ELLEN DEGENERES & PORTIA DE ROSSI

© Long Photography

Feature Film
BOLT

Dramatic Series
GREY'S ANATOMY "Life During Wartime"

Sid Caesar Comedy Award
THE SIMPSONS "Apocalypse Cow"

Children's Programming
HANDY MANNY "Manny's Mouse Traps"

TV Newsmagazine - National
20/20 "Elephant PTSD"

TV Newsmagazine - Cable
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL "Hidden Horses"

National News Feature
WORLD NEWS WITH CHARLES GIBSON "Monkey Business," "Person Of The Week," "Rescuing Racehorses," "Saving The Rhinos," and wolf segment

Local News Series (a tie)
KGO-TV (Bay Area) "I-Team Investigation: Battery Cages"
& KLAS-TV 8 (Las Vegas) "Elephant Abuse: Life on the Road"

Local News Feature
KHOU-TV Houston "Slaughtergate"

TV Documentary
BLINDERS

Unscripted Televison Series
30 DAYS "Animal Rights"

Brigitte Bardot International
THE MONG LAH CONNECTION

Talk Show
THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW multiple shows

OUTSTANDING WRITTEN WORD:

Series of Newspaper Articles
USA TODAY multiple articles by Sharon L. Peters

News Magazaine
NEWSWEEK "Extinction Trade" by Sharon Begley

Magazine
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED "The Good News out of The Bad Newz Kennels" by Jim Gorant

Brigitte Bardot International - Print
DAILY MAIL (U.K.) multiple articles by Dr. Danny Penman

Special Recognition
SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS multiple editorials

A CAUSE FOR PAWS Pet Expo to benefit Pet Stop Rescue

Buddha Dog will be doing massages at A CAUSE FOR PAWS to benefit Pet Stop Rescue. :)

May 2, 2009

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

950 Hampshire Rd. (Westlake Blvd. & Hampshire Rd.)
Westlake Village, CA

Admission & parking is FREE!

Dog adoptions, large raffles and silent auction, demos, vendors, free gift bags, barbecue wagon, food & fun for the whole family & their pets. Dogs on leashes are welcome (no retractable leashes please). Please bring a used or new blanket or towel for Operation Blankets of Love. For more info, call OBOL founder Eileen Smulson at 818-402-6586.

For more info: 805-530-5009 or email mysassydog@yahoo.com

back to top

Center for Spiritual Living 2nd Annual CRITTER DAY/PET FAIRE event

June 27, 2009

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

I will be doing a workshop on Animal Massage! :)

The Center for Spiritual Living is presenting their Second Annual CRITTER DAY/PET FAIRE event on Saturday, June 27, from 10 AM - 3 P.M.

This event is in conjunction with CRITTER MONTH, a month long celebration of our kinship with all life and our pets.

Adoptions! Education! Speakers! Vendors!

The purpose of CRITTER DAY is to bring awareness to the community regarding responsible pet ownership.

One Hour Workshops with pet trainers, veterinarians, acupuncturists, activists, groomers, nutritionists, psychics, etc. If you're interested in becoming a speaker, please send your bio, resume and brief description of your workshop to latrfc@aol.com.

www.pvcrs.org

Pleasant Valley Church of Religious Science
Center for Positive Living
221 Daily Drive, Suite 1
Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 482-4300

More Awesome Events!

There are lots more wonderful events coming up like Tony Cardenas' 2nd Annual Pet Care Fair in Woodley Park on Sat., April 18th from 10-3 (Come after the Pawstronomical Pet CPR Event!), where there will be a BUDDHA DOG booth. Worldfest is May 16th this year, and Nuts for Mutts will be on May 17th, just to name a few. Please check out the events calendar page for the latest and greatest events to help animals!

back to top

Spay/Neuter Without Surgery! By Pam Holt, RVT (full version)

[originally printed in the January/February 2009 issue of The Pet Press]

The number of healthy animals killed in shelters is far greater than the number of lives taken by any other “disease” known to dogs and cats. Despite this fact, animal health research has not traditionally focused on helping to ease the overpopulation crisis. Animal advocates hope change is on the way with news of The Michelson Prize in Reproductive Biology, an international competition that will award $25 million for a safe, permanent, non-surgical sterilization method. Spinal surgeon, inventor and entrepreneur Dr. Gary Michelson and his Found Animals Foundation are also offering an additional $50 million in grants to support promising research in non-surgical sterilization. “We’re killing millions of pets annually in the U.S. for the simple lack of a home and sterilization programs are the only viable solution,” said Dr. Michelson. “Animal welfare experts have long recognized sterilization as the most important component in the fight against pet overpopulation.”

Dr. Michelson’s foundation has teamed up with The Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D), a non-profit that has led the pursuit of non-surgical sterilization since 2000. ACC&D has brought together hundreds of representatives from animal welfare organizations, government agencies, and the veterinary and pharmaceutical industries to exchange ideas and research results at three international symposia they have held since 2002. According to ACC&D, researchers have been on the brink of discovering pet contraceptives for years, but development has been hindered by a lack of funding. The Michelson Prize can potentially motivate researchers to allow “for ground-breaking approaches in pet sterilization to emerge” says Joyce Briggs, President of ACC&D.

Although spay/neuter resources increase and awareness improves each year, the number of new babies born each day immensely surpasses the rate in which we can surgically sterilize animals, consequentially resulting in a surplus of homeless dogs and cats, most of which suffer fates they do not deserve.

Non-surgical sterilization’s greatest impact will be felt in the feral cat and dog populations, especially in developing countries where poverty and insufficient resources make the situation much more desperate. According to Briggs, “many pet caretakers don’t have access to basic veterinary care, let alone spay/neuter services. As a result, draconian measures, including poisoning, electrocuting, and shooting, are still used to control dog and cat populations abroad. A non-surgical sterilant could help end these unspeakable practices.”

Neutersol®, a Zinc Gluconate with L-Arginine compound, is the world’s first FDA- approved chemical sterilant and was to be launched here in the U.S. soon until, having nothing to do with the safety or efficacy of the product, the patent-holder and the distributor severed ties. The same situation with a different distributor prevented the introduction of Neutersol here in 2005. ACC&D worked hard to facilitate the reintroduction of Neutersol, but after this latest disappointment will shift their focus “to the use of this product internationally, where the largest potential for saving lives exists, and where, in developing nations, veterinary surgery is a scarce commodity,” according to Briggs.

Ark Sciences, a new animal health company, recently introduced the Latin American version of Neutersol called Esterilsol™ in Mexico. According to the company’s website, the compound is made without preservatives, and safely, permanently, reliably and virtually painlessly sterilizes male dogs with just one injection in each testicle. The treatment is even covered by Veterinary Pet Insurance Plans with routine care coverage. Well-known retired Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez has signed on as the Esterilsol spokesperson. Ark Sciences has plans to import Esterilsol to other Latin American countries where economic hardships and cultural resistance make sterilizing male dogs a challenge.

The Morris Animal Foundation has funded an ongoing study on a vaccine that would interrupt the reproductive cycle of feral cats by using the immune system to inhibit the action of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and preliminary results have been promising. Similar GnRH vaccines are being developed by different pharmaceutical companies in various countries. Though there is still great life-saving potential with sterility lasting up to three years in cats, the vaccine is not ideal because it does not create permanent sterility.

The biggest dilemma animal advocates have had to face in this quest for easier sterilizing is the fate of animals used in development and clinical trials for these new sterilants. The creator of Spay Day USA, the Doris Day Animal League, who has always been a champion against animal testing, was given $14,000 by a generous donor that requested these funds be used for non-surgical sterilization research. DDAL turned to ACC&D for guidance on where the grant should go. SenesTech, Inc. was the chosen recipient to further develop ChemSpay™, an injection for female cats and dogs that prematurely ages the ovaries, making them permanently infertile. With DDAL’s new grant, SenesTech began a study with dogs that were adopted out to good homes from a shelter on the Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona, where the stray population and euthanasia rate are high. The dogs’ new guardians brought them to the lab for their ChemSpray injections and for subsequent follow-up visits to monitor effectiveness of the product, showing that research can be done without keeping animals in a lab and killing them at the end of the study. One of ACC&D’s founders, scientist Brenda Griffin, DVM, has set new standards for housing, socializing and post-study adoptive placement of cats contracepted non-surgically in her studies at Auburn University. When it comes to using animals in research, ACC&D, in general, embraces the basic principals of Reduce, Refine and Replace. Any animal research performed in pursuit of the Michelson Prize in Reproductive Biology must adhere to Found Animals' standards for humane treatment of animal subjects, which will be made available early 2009.

Another hurdle ACC&D has found is the lack of drive by veterinarians to get behind an alternative to spay/neuter surgery. ACC&D recently surveyed veterinarians and not surprisingly, the majority of shelter vets agreed there was a need for non-surgical alternatives, but most private practice vets didn’t feel there was much of a need for them. “Clearly, shelter vets who work with abandoned pets see the need more than general practice vets that engage pet owners,” says Briggs, “We’d like all vets to be more supportive because nonsurgical pet contraceptives could potentially have a huge impact on increasing the number of sterilized pets in our country.” The AVMA’s official position on non-surgical spay/neuter alternatives is supportive.

ACC&D always welcomes new organizational partners. If you are part of an organization that would like to get involved (they make it real easy for you), and for much more information, please visit www.acc-d.org.

(Pam Holt of Buddha Dog Animal Massage is a Registered Veterinary Technician, Certified Animal Massage Therapist, and an organizational partner of ACC&D. Visit her website at www.buddhadog.com.)

A "Doggy & Me' Massage Makes A PERFECT Gift For Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is MAY 10TH

Pamper Mom and her best friend this year!

BUDDHA DOG is pleased to announce our partnership with Spaquest, Inc.'s Amy Cucullu.

"Doggy & Me" massages offer you Amy's brand of Fitness Therapy Massage incorporating five styles, personalized to accommodate your specific needs, while your dog or cat gets a full-body massage, along with acupressure, TTouch and Reiki, right next to you (their favorite place to be!).

Amy has an office in La Crescenta, or we can come to you (ample advance notice is appreciated).

Relax, Revitalize, and Rejuvenate with your best friend!

Go ahead, treat yourself and your loyal companion...
YOU BOTH DESERVE IT!

Email pam@buddhadog.com or call 818-300-4478 for an appointment.

Click here for more about Amy.

Click here for the rates page.

back to top

Natural Touch 4 Paws now delivers the best to your home!

NATURAL TOUCH 4 PAWS

In Home

Delivery Service

Health Consultations

The Natural Choice for the Well-Being of Your Pets

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CHOICES FOR YOUR DOGS AND CATS!

DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR!

The perfect blend of health, fun and beauty for our furry friends NOW comes to you!

Keep your furry children in the lifestyle they are accustomed to.

Natural Touch 4 Paws offers the Discriminating Pet Guardian a selection of quality

Natural/ Organic/ Healthy Pet Products

and all their needs (toys, treats, collars, beds and more) delivered to your door.

· Organic, Natural Foods, Raw Meat Diets, Natural Treats

· Pre Formulated Supplements

· Herbal tinctures

· Flower Essences

· Chinese Herbal Formulas and Detoxifiers

· Vitamin Supplements

· Non-Toxic Cancer, Arthritis, Cardio, Liver, Intestinal and Kidney Products

· Herbal Skin and Coat Products

Evey Gold, owner of Natural Touch 4 Paws will now provide health consultations via phone or in-home.

Natural Pet Care will provide your pet with the best of what nature can offer in order to heal the body and achieve optimum health.

Natural Touch 4 Paws gives you alternatives for the well-being of your pets.

Call today to discuss your needs at convenient and affordable prices.

Do what is best for you and your animals, I know we will!!

B: 818-986-9997 C: 818-521-3433

NaturalTouch4Paw@aol.com

www.dogfoodanalysis.com For Reference

FETCH! Pet Care

Fetch! Pet Care is the nation's most trusted name in professional at-home pet sitting, dog walking and private boarding services. Fully bonded and insured, satisfaction guaranteed. Call 1-866-FETCH-ME or visit http://www.fetchpetcare.com to schedule a free in-home consultation.

Daniel Slaton, DVM & Westlake Village Animal Hospital
http://westlakevillageanimalhospital.com