Ok...
So today I start flipping through the world wide web looking for something interesting going on in the pet world. You know what morsels of valuable information I found for you today?... Get this!
More and more, pets are becoming a topic of contention in divorce settlements. No more is it just about who bought Fluffy for whom, and "well it's his dog" or "her fish". People are actually spending thousands of dollars in legal fees fighting over who Poochie gets to go home with.
Now... that being said, I love my dog. She is a sweetheart and there will definitely be no other girl like Sabbie. However! I try my best to put myself in a divorcee's shoes, but they just don't seem to fit.
Quoting from the article I found on International Online, "A survey of the UK's top 100 family lawyers reveals that judges are recognising the importance of pets in break-ups. Warring couples were awarded joint custody in more than a third of cases in 2006, compared with just under a quarter in 2005."
And just to make matters worse, guys... if you were the one who Buckshot loved the most, forget it. You're better off stealing him off in the night, because just like in custody battles over children, "(w)omen still win massively over men in claiming exclusive rights over their pets. In more than 59 percent of cases, wives gained sole custody of their pets."
Just something to think about next time you find yourself in a relationship and instead of children, you decide to get a pet to share. It ain't the easy way out....
Article Quoted:
International Online : http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=24&art_id=vn20070428083705328C662776
www.planet-pets.com
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
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Saturday, April 28, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Nice reminder of what my dog did for my household..
Just this past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting my parents in Atlanta, Georgia. Just last year, my family melted down from our main location of 15 years in Toronto, Canada into a spread out web including Los Angeles, Toronto, Hamilton, and Atlanta. My father got a job offer back in May of 2006, and left shortly thereafter to begin building his new business down in Atlanta.
I personally think it was toughest for my mom, not having the chance to even experience the "empty nest" syndrome, but lost in all this was my dear little puppy, Sabbie. An 11 year old Coton de Tulear , a breed originally from Madagascar, kept exclusively for the Royalty, my little dog is a real character.
I have no idea how, why, or when it happened, by somehow Sabbie became so connected with my mom that you would literally never see her outside of 4 feet from my mom. Completely content to follow in my mom's footsteps, Sabbie was the perfect fuzzy little shadow. What a cutie.
I haven't seen her since I moved out to Los Angeles last November, and I tell you, when I walked into their place in Peachtree City (a gorgeous community south of Atlanta), it was like I'd never left. It's amazing how dogs exist in a perpetual state of "now". It's always "now", never "before" or "after". That state of mind I find to be one of the most enjoyable personally, but it doesn't take much to happen over the course of the day to throw you out of it. It was just amazing to see how quickly the dynamic Sabbie facilitated within our family took hold. Immediately she became the grease, making everything smooth again.
That to me was the thing for which I am most grateful. We had some of our own moments together, but the way she single-"pawededly" became the one thing that we all agreed on is amazing. I come from a family with some pretty dynamic and hard headed characters, but the one thing we could all agree on was Sabbie and how much we loved her.
So are you looking for a solution to the fact your family always seems to argue? There's nothing better to grease the squeaky wheels than someone like my little Sabbie.
What a darling. I miss her already.
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
I personally think it was toughest for my mom, not having the chance to even experience the "empty nest" syndrome, but lost in all this was my dear little puppy, Sabbie. An 11 year old Coton de Tulear , a breed originally from Madagascar, kept exclusively for the Royalty, my little dog is a real character.
I have no idea how, why, or when it happened, by somehow Sabbie became so connected with my mom that you would literally never see her outside of 4 feet from my mom. Completely content to follow in my mom's footsteps, Sabbie was the perfect fuzzy little shadow. What a cutie.
I haven't seen her since I moved out to Los Angeles last November, and I tell you, when I walked into their place in Peachtree City (a gorgeous community south of Atlanta), it was like I'd never left. It's amazing how dogs exist in a perpetual state of "now". It's always "now", never "before" or "after". That state of mind I find to be one of the most enjoyable personally, but it doesn't take much to happen over the course of the day to throw you out of it. It was just amazing to see how quickly the dynamic Sabbie facilitated within our family took hold. Immediately she became the grease, making everything smooth again.
That to me was the thing for which I am most grateful. We had some of our own moments together, but the way she single-"pawededly" became the one thing that we all agreed on is amazing. I come from a family with some pretty dynamic and hard headed characters, but the one thing we could all agree on was Sabbie and how much we loved her.
So are you looking for a solution to the fact your family always seems to argue? There's nothing better to grease the squeaky wheels than someone like my little Sabbie.
What a darling. I miss her already.
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Let's just take a second to think about this....
This afternoon, I read a VERY interesting story on Foxnews.com, regarding the percentage of imported food goods that is inspected upon entry to North America. Can you guess what it is? 30%?... nope. 20%?... not even close. 10%? 5%?... not even. 1.3%!!
Let's use a loose comparison to illustrate that.
Out of 100 fish from China, 1 fish and maybe a tail is inspected. Out of 100 eggs, just one plus a yoke is looked over and tested. OR even more absurd would be to think that if you went to a restaurant and only looked at your entree once out of a hundred times, eating whatever it was in front of you, regardless of what it was.
Does that seem ok? Are you kidding me?
With the contaminated wheat gluten coming from China, and increasing demand for imports from China grow, I start to wonder how vulnerable are we?
I like to keep this forum focused on our fuzzy friends, but what more do we owe to our pets than a happy, healthy owner? I think that's the best gift you could give anyone.
I've definitely moved more towards eating greater amounts of organic, locally grown foods in recent years, and I can honestly say that I feel better for it. Whether it's placebo, or just a greater confidence in the quality of the food I'm eating, I'm not sure. Either way, it doesn't really matter to me. I like it. It's not hard to recognize the tell-tale signs that America is growing more and more aware of the growing concerns with our mass produced food systems. Every time you walk past another health food store, Whole Foods, Erewohn, or organic section in your grocery store, you can rest assured that the tides are changing. And it'll never completely go organic, just like Honda will never stop making the Civic model, even though the Accord is clearly a better product. But I digress...
Visit Planet-Pets.com's message forum to discuss this topic further...
http://p075.ezboard.com/bplanetpetspetadvicecommunity
Related Websites:
Food and Drug Administration: http://www.fda.gov/
Agriculture Department: http://www.usda.gov/
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
Let's use a loose comparison to illustrate that.
Out of 100 fish from China, 1 fish and maybe a tail is inspected. Out of 100 eggs, just one plus a yoke is looked over and tested. OR even more absurd would be to think that if you went to a restaurant and only looked at your entree once out of a hundred times, eating whatever it was in front of you, regardless of what it was.
Does that seem ok? Are you kidding me?
With the contaminated wheat gluten coming from China, and increasing demand for imports from China grow, I start to wonder how vulnerable are we?
I like to keep this forum focused on our fuzzy friends, but what more do we owe to our pets than a happy, healthy owner? I think that's the best gift you could give anyone.
I've definitely moved more towards eating greater amounts of organic, locally grown foods in recent years, and I can honestly say that I feel better for it. Whether it's placebo, or just a greater confidence in the quality of the food I'm eating, I'm not sure. Either way, it doesn't really matter to me. I like it. It's not hard to recognize the tell-tale signs that America is growing more and more aware of the growing concerns with our mass produced food systems. Every time you walk past another health food store, Whole Foods, Erewohn, or organic section in your grocery store, you can rest assured that the tides are changing. And it'll never completely go organic, just like Honda will never stop making the Civic model, even though the Accord is clearly a better product. But I digress...
Visit Planet-Pets.com's message forum to discuss this topic further...
http://p075.ezboard.com/bplanetpetspetadvicecommunity
Related Websites:
Food and Drug Administration: http://www.fda.gov/
Agriculture Department: http://www.usda.gov/
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Sure it's homemade, but it is what your pet needs?
Having been deluged of reading on the pet food recall and all of its repercussions, the biggest splash I've noticed, especially online, is the explosion in promotion for homemade pet recipes. While immediately I enjoyed the beautiful opportunity the open market can bring to the consumer so quickly, I very soon thought of the many people who will be promoting products such as e-Books, with homemade recipes for your pet. And most importantly, the many products that are out there that really won't have your pet's best interest in mind.
Now based on recent estimates, there are over 60 million pet dogs and 75 million pet cats living in America today. That's a lot of mouths to feed!!! Quoting the Associated Press, "Dog and cat food sales in the United States reached over $14.3 billion in 2005, according to the Pet Food Institute that represents manufacturers of commercial pet food. Surveys by the Organic Trade Association indicated sales of organic pet food increased from $14 million in 2003 to $30 million for 2005." Based on the backlash effect that has been felt all over the country, I believe the organic, alternative lifestyle for America's pets will continue to grow and hit new highs, while the traditional pet food industry will never regain the trust it once enjoyed. Needless to say, there's a lot of money on the line.
What I'd like to remind anyone who's interested in cooking or preparing food for their pets is make sure that the food you are cooking for your pet is actually what they require, nutritionally speaking. Each breed does require a specific diet. Just because it's homemade and organic does not guarantee that your pet will be "healthier." If you choose to go the homemade route, please do your homework. Find out not only what your pet's diet needs to be, but also look seriously into the credibility of the person who has authored the recipe, the book, or the website.
If you are interested in doing this for your pet, it obviously shows the value you place on their life. So do them a favor and take the extra step to ensure that what you are about to do for them really will help them to live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Mar29/0,4670,PetFoodOrganic,00.html
Related Sites:
Organic Trade Association - http://www.ota.com/
Pet Food Institute - http://www.petfoodinstitute.org/
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site has additional resources and information for consumers, including a comprehensive list of recalled pet food, at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
Now based on recent estimates, there are over 60 million pet dogs and 75 million pet cats living in America today. That's a lot of mouths to feed!!! Quoting the Associated Press, "Dog and cat food sales in the United States reached over $14.3 billion in 2005, according to the Pet Food Institute that represents manufacturers of commercial pet food. Surveys by the Organic Trade Association indicated sales of organic pet food increased from $14 million in 2003 to $30 million for 2005." Based on the backlash effect that has been felt all over the country, I believe the organic, alternative lifestyle for America's pets will continue to grow and hit new highs, while the traditional pet food industry will never regain the trust it once enjoyed. Needless to say, there's a lot of money on the line.
What I'd like to remind anyone who's interested in cooking or preparing food for their pets is make sure that the food you are cooking for your pet is actually what they require, nutritionally speaking. Each breed does require a specific diet. Just because it's homemade and organic does not guarantee that your pet will be "healthier." If you choose to go the homemade route, please do your homework. Find out not only what your pet's diet needs to be, but also look seriously into the credibility of the person who has authored the recipe, the book, or the website.
If you are interested in doing this for your pet, it obviously shows the value you place on their life. So do them a favor and take the extra step to ensure that what you are about to do for them really will help them to live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Mar29/0,4670,PetFoodOrganic,00.html
Related Sites:
Organic Trade Association - http://www.ota.com/
Pet Food Institute - http://www.petfoodinstitute.org/
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site has additional resources and information for consumers, including a comprehensive list of recalled pet food, at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
Friday, April 13, 2007
Welcome to Planet-Pets.com Inside Scoop!
Welcome!
I'm so glad you could join me here at Today's Inside Scoop, Planet-Pets.com's official blog, where I, Brandon James, explore the most up-to-date, influential information regarding animals and pets. Together we'll talk about the commmon issues that pet owners have, tips to solve those problems, breaking news, and controversial issues from pet ID chipping to the recent pet food recall and the long term effects on the industry. I want to deliver and discuss the best information I can find to help make your life that much easier with your pet. I like to keep my fingers on the pulse of what's new and what's hot. Enjoy!
Bit about me...
I'm a 27 year old guy living in Los Angeles, California, enjoying the weather, the people and the beautiful things that this state has to offer. Originally from Toronto, Canada, I'm upset by how little ice hockey coverage there is here, but I suppose that goes with the territory.
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
I'm so glad you could join me here at Today's Inside Scoop, Planet-Pets.com's official blog, where I, Brandon James, explore the most up-to-date, influential information regarding animals and pets. Together we'll talk about the commmon issues that pet owners have, tips to solve those problems, breaking news, and controversial issues from pet ID chipping to the recent pet food recall and the long term effects on the industry. I want to deliver and discuss the best information I can find to help make your life that much easier with your pet. I like to keep my fingers on the pulse of what's new and what's hot. Enjoy!
Bit about me...
I'm a 27 year old guy living in Los Angeles, California, enjoying the weather, the people and the beautiful things that this state has to offer. Originally from Toronto, Canada, I'm upset by how little ice hockey coverage there is here, but I suppose that goes with the territory.
For more articles and comments from Brandon James, subscribe to Planet-Pets.com's monthly newsletter - The Scoop - click here
www.planet-pets.com
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