“Dog Wars” Pulled from the Android Market

It is hard to get concrete figures about the number of dogs that are killed each year in dog fights, but some put it at 20,000. Big breeds, like pit bulls and Rottweilers are often chosen and raised to fight, and many shelters have experienced thefts in which these types of dogs – and more – were stolen for this purpose. Dog fighting is not only cruel, inhuman, and disgusting, it is illegal. This is why animal rights activists, as well as anyone with a pet, loudly voiced concern and disgust over the new Android game, “Dog Wars.”

“Train your dog to beat the best! Feed, water, train, and FIGHT your virtual dog against other player’s.” This is the sales pitch of “Dog Wars,” a game which has drawn the ire of people all over the country – but also downloaded by more than 100,000 people. Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) president Michelle Turner says, “We feel that those games are not realistic. They are outlandish and almost cartoonish. Dog fighting is real. Dogs die every day because of this deplorable illegal and inhuman activity.”

For their part, “Dog Wars” developers issued this classy message:

It is just A VIDEO GAME...Perhaps one day we will make gerbil wars or beta fish wars for people who can't understand fantasy role play games.

Even Michael Vick spoke out against the game, saying in a statement, “I’ve come to learn the hard way that dogfighting is a dead-end street. Now, I am on the right side of this issue, and I think it’s important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify this form of animal cruelty, even in an Android app.”

The Human Society argues that “Dog Wars” is not just a game: it instructs players on “how to condition a dog using methods that are standard in organized dogfighting…this game may be a virtual training group for would-be dogfighters. Its timing and message are all wrong.”

People all over the country are asking Android to pull “Dog Wars” from its Market permanently.

A New Use for Dog Poop

We humans may not like to talk about dog poop – but dogs aren’t as shy about their bodies’ natural functions. They do not care; when the urge strikes, they just relieve themselves, regardless of whether there is a cute dog walking right by or you are in a hurry. In France, dogs leave behind about 194 million pounds of droppings, and a great deal ends up in public places, which costs the country millions in cleanup. Researchers at Agronutrition SAS, a multimillion dollar fertilizer company, are working on making good use of this excrement.

Dog poop is a serious financial problem in Toulouse, France, and Deputy Mayor Jean-Michel Fabre says, “The majority of the people complained about dog merde. We have seven dog parks, but the dogs refused to use them.” Instead, the ornery dogs use city sidewalks and parks; about one-third of the 153 million euro sanitation budget is devoted to cleaning this up.

Monetizing dog feces would help relieve these costs, but that is not a pleasant task. In Victorian England, homeless people collected dog droppings to use in tanning leather. Today, that just won’t work. This is where Agronutrition comes in. Microbiologist Hicham Ferhout says, “We’ve finally discovered how to make a dog sh*t in a specific spot, disinfect the deposit and convert it into environmentally friendly energy or fertilizer.”

Talk about a renewable resource! Besides this, dog feces contain bacteria, zoonotic diseases, and more. The EPA puts it in the same category as toxic waste and chemicals. Cleaning it up is a must, but current methods are not ecologically sound, say experts. Toulouse and Agronutrition are working to change this, one dog at a time.

Homemade Dog Food

It can be hard enough to feed ourselves or our children a well-balanced diet; making homemade food for the furry members of the family may seem impossible. In fact, it does take a very organized person to make a homemade dog food diet work, but it can be excellent for your dog. Do the benefits outweigh the extra work that it takes to feed your dog home-prepared meals?

Why prepare homemade dog food instead of purchasing commercial kibbles? We know that it is better for us to make our own foods from fresh, whole ingredients than it is to eat out or choose heavily processed foods. It’s the same way for dogs. When you make your own, you can control each ingredient that goes into your dog’s meals. This allows you to use organic or all-natural foods, as well as human-grade ingredients, which can eliminate many chemicals and fillers from your pup’s diet.

Once you get the hang of homemade dog food, you’ll find it is less expensive than buying food in the long term, and you are improving the health of your best friend while you’re at it!

When you make your food, make sure you provide a balanced blend of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as the vital minerals and vitamins your dog needs. Ask your vet about your dog’s calorie requirements, which are based on his breed, weight, age, and other factors.

You also want to avoid foods that are dangerous to dogs. We all know chocolate is a no-no, but many of us don’t realize things like onion, garlic, avocado, grapes, and other foods are equally toxic. WebMD has a list of foods to avoid.

You can find a lot of great recipes online, including this one from Dog-Obedience-Training-Review.com for beef cakes.

You’ll need:

• 1.5 cups brown rice
• 3 cups water
• 2 grated potatoes
• 4 grated carrots
• 2 chopped celery sticks
• 6 pounds ground beef or chicken
• 8 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 cups rolled oats

Yes, that is a lot of ingredients – but this makes a great quantity of dog food that you will be able to freeze and serve as needed.

To make:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease 3 large muffin trays. Cook the rice and water in a large saucepan. Let cool to room temperature when rice is fluffy. Mix the potatoes, carrots, celery, beef, and eggs in a large bowl, and then mix the salt, olive oil, oats, and rice in.

Fill each muffin cup with the rice/beef mixture and pack it down so it is level with the rim. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Wait until they are cool to serve. You can serve individually and then freeze the rest for a quick meal.

Does Your Dog Have a Compulsive Disorder?

Does your dog chase his tail? Instead of a cute, if odd, pastime, it could be a compulsive disorder. At the International Association of Animal Behavior Conference, Dr. Nicholas Dodman, spoke about compulsive disorders in our furry friends. “Like people can have compulsive behaviors, such as…washing their hands until their skin is raw, animals can have similar behaviors.”

Dr. Dodman is the director of the Behavior Clinics at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and author of several popular books. Dr. Dodman thinks that it is probable that about five percent of pets have compulsive behaviors. How can this look? As mentioned, a dog may chase his tail. Others chase light or shadows, suck on their flanks, or snap in the air, as if they were snapping at a fly.

There is a reason for their compulsions, according to Dodman. The dogs who chase light or shadows compulsively tend to be dogs that were originally bred for herding. They are working on whether or not these traits are genetic. “If it’s true in dogs, there’s a good bet it’s true in people.”

Other veterinary experts say that mental illness in pets is increasing, and more are being prescribed anti-depressants. Dr. Gabrielle Carter, of the University of Melbourne, said she is seeing more pets with phobias, aggression, and separation anxiety. “We use a lot of drugs like Prozac and other anti-depressants and Valium. And we always prescribe behavioral treatment plans.” Dr. Dodman has also treated horses with Prozac to good results.

Both agree that owners and vets need to be aware of the signs of mental illness, which can include sudden aggression, destructive behaviors, regression in house training, or self-injurious behaviors, such as excessive scratching or sucking on their fur, which can irritate their skin.

Keep an eye on your pet; even if he doesn’t have a mental illness, all that love and attention is great for him and can keep him happy and energetic.

Why Your Dog Should Go Green

A few years ago, New Zealand authors Brenda and Robert made headlines for their assertion that dogs and cats were harder on the environment than SUVs. They contend that the carbon “pawprint” of our pets is more than twice that of your average gas-guzzling vehicle. It’s not fair to blame dogs for climate change or pollution – but we can get into a more green routine when it comes to our pets. The following eco-friendly pet supplies are ideal for earth-loving dogs, who emit many things but never as much carbon as an SUV.

Honey Dog Bamboo Collar. This collar is so green that your dog would eat it if he were a herbivore. It is made with a 100 percent organic bamboo ribbon and 100 percent undyed organic bamboo webbing. It is hypoallergenic so it won’t bother your dog’s skin, antibacterial, biodegradable, and breathable. There are no pesticides, insecticides, or fertilizers used in the making of this fiber.

This delightful collar features honey bees and dogs with bee wings to raise awareness of Colony Collapse Disorder, which has inexplicably killed a large percentage of honeybees around the world. Since bees pollinate about 1/3 of the world’s food, this is a big issue.

Love Dog Bamboo Harness. This adorable harness is a chic accessory and a great way to support pet adoption and spaying and neutering programs. Wagging Green, the company behind this harness and a complete line of great collars (like the Honey Dog!), donates 5 percent of the profits to these programs to help homeless animals.

Natural Cotton EcoHip Dog Collar. Made from organic cotton, this great collar is durable and strong. And funky. It has two layers of cotton webbing in complementary colors and great fringe edging. Five percent of the profits from this collar help fund green projects.

These and other great eco-friendly products are not only fabulous and stylish – though they really are! They also have a conscience; whether helping the environment or animals, your purchase is doing something to pitch into the greening up of the world.