Did you know that now there’s a new concept in lost pet tracking that avoids these issues and guarantees they can help you find your lost pet in six hours? Smart Tags is a network that works for you when your dog or cat goes missing notifying area shelters and vets and shelters, and providing a central contact point for anyone who locates your pet.

You just set up an online profile with your pet’s description, medical requirements, photos, and of course all your contact information. Then as soon as you report your pet missing they spring into action and provide an instant search party!

All your pet needs to do is wear their rather attractive tag – in your choice of style. Or better yet, order the one with Best Friends Animal Society logo on it and they receive a donation of 25% of the proceeds.

Check it out, there’s a great informational video on their site. And keep in mind 90% of lost pets that are returned home are wearing a tag!

Should the public know if a convicted animal abuser lives or works next door? A bill before the California legislature would require adults convicted of felony animal abuse to register with local law enforcement; their names would be placed in a database similar to the national sex offenders’ registry. Tennessee, Louisiana, and New York are also considering animal-abuse registries.

“We’re trying to reduce risk,” says Stephan Otto of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, noting that animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans and four times more likely to commit property crimes than those without a history of violence against animals.

The registry would include people convicted of maiming, mutilating, torturing, or killing animals, as well as pet hoarders and operators of animal-fighting rings.

“To me, the bill seems like overkill,” says California State Sen. Bob Huff, adding that he’s wary of putting animal abuse and child abuse on a legal par. Huff also worries that fines imposed on animal abusers won’t bring in enough revenue to cover the costs of the registry.

Alison Gianotto, a New York Web developer, started a volunteer pet-abuse database after her neighbor’s cat was kidnapped and set on fire in 2001. At a cost of about $10,000 per year, Pet-Abuse.com now tracks nearly 16,000 accused or convicted animal abusers. Gianotto says government officials need to do more “to help the public understand that animal cruelty is everywhere, even in their own backyards.”
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If you would like to offer your opinion on whether animal abusers should have to register, click here. Thus far, 89% say YES, while only 11% say NO.

Losing luggage is one thing, but how could an airline misplace a dog?

A Canadian man claimed his pet disappeared after he checked the animal with Delta Airlines for a flight from Mexico City to Detroit.

Josiah Allen, of Ontario, told the consumerist.com that Delta offered him an apology and a $200 credit for future Delta travel.

“I think that this is completely absurd,” Allen wrote to consumerist.com. “There is no excuse for this kind of situation to take place.”

Allen said he and his girlfriend rescued the stray dog while on vacation last month in Puerto Vallarta.

“We took him to the vet’s, got him all of his shots, an eye infection treated, two baths to clean him from hundreds of dog ticks that were covering his whole body, and gave him the name Paco,” Allen said.

According to Allen, the nightmare began when the couple attempted to check Paco with Delta for their connecting flight to Detroit. Allen said a Delta agent told them the pet carrier they purchased for Paco was not big enough. He added that the airline only accepted the carrier after he and his girlfriend signed a waiver releasing Delta of any liability if Paco was injured.

Allen said he and his girlfriend arrived in Detroit where they waited for Paco at the pet claim for about twenty minutes. Eventually, according to Allen, a Delta employee informed the couple that the dog was not at the airport and in fact had never been boarded on the plane in Mexico City….
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To read the full story click here. Then find out what you can do; sign a petition, send them an email, or even boycott Delta!

It’s said that a dog is a man’s best friend, but he could also be your best investment. Pet stocks — those companies that cater to the health and happiness of your furry companion — is arguably the hottest growth market going.

Indeed, amid the greatest consumer downturn of this generation, the pet industry managed to grow 5.4% in 2009 to $45.5 billion, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). “Pet suppliers offer more compelling growth prospects than most retail categories,” Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy, wrote in a note. And it doesn’t seem like this momentum will slow any time soon, with APPA predicting another 5% jump in 2010.

According to the APPA, 63% of U.S. households own pets, and it’s a number that’s poised to expand, as the trend of humanizing pets has also boosted the sector. Service-based businesses like dog walkers, pooper-scoopers, trainers and even massage-therapists are booming, while day care, pet walking and pet sitting all continue to be in high demand.

Within the sector, the more reliable pet plays are those companies that provide veterinary and animal-health products; while consumers might delay purchasing a new chew-bone for their pup, or might stock up on a cheaper brands of biscuits, they won’t deny medical care to their beloved pet.

In 2009 health-care spending on pets surged 8.5%, as medical advances generated a greater range of services available. “From CAT scans, root canals and cancer surgery, to antibiotics, anti-depressants and even grief counseling, pet owners have more medical choices and spending options than ever before,” the APPA said. The association expects this sector to increase 6% in 2010.

Still, with such a litter of pet-centric companies to choose from — and still others with smaller animal divisions — how can the investor sort through them all?…

Click here to read on and get the complete list of companies they recommend to set up your Pet Portfolio!

Fortunately more and more people are becoming aware of craigslist and freecycle and are using them to keep things out of landfills. Especially after moving, lots of people will post that they have boxes and other packing materials for free to anybody who wants them. We have acquired bags & bags of bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and paper to fill our boxes and securely ship our one of a kind portraits to our clients. So if you order a custom pet portrait of  your own you may find the package filled with some paper and some plastic pillows, or some other combination of nice cushy materials keeping your masterpiece protected.

Whenever possible we will REuse a box too, so if we happen to get a conveniently sized shipment from amazon, your portrait may arrive with a familiar smiley face on the box! And it definitely will arrive with a sticker reminding you to please Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle what we’ve sent to you.

Just doing our little part for the planet and hoping you will too! So remember next time you need to pack or ship something check your local craigslist or sign up with freecycle.com!

We are constantly encouraging our clients to take better photos of their pets because the better the photo, the better the portrait; and we remind them that you will never regret having more pictures of your adorable animals. So not only is she singing our song, she is giving some of the same advice that we do, for example:

Get Down to Eye Level with Your Pet
Too often people photograph their pets from a standing position with the camera aimed straight down on the subject. Get down to the same level as your pet — it should make them more comfortable with you photographing them, which more-than-likely will result in a better photo.

Whenever Possible, Use Natural Light
Amanda believes successful photos utilize filtered sunlight or bright shade. A normal window sheer with sunlight streaming through is ideal.

Treats, Treats and More Treats
By far the easiest way to get your pet to do what you want for the photo. Start slowly, with small bites and make sure you praise your pet for doing what you’ve asked. Be sensible — don’t overfeed; maybe cut down their meal prior to the shot if you know a long photo session is ahead.

Get Someone To Help
It’s always easier grooming, treating and positioning your pet when there’s another human around to help. That way, you can concentrate on the photo while your helper worries about the rest.
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Please click here to read the entire article with even more great suggestions for taking better photos of your pets. Then even if you never decide to have a custom portrait created from your pet’s photo, you can still take some great pictures – and you’ll be glad you did!

Step 1: Make an appointment with your veterinarian or low-cost clinic to have your dog or cat spayed or neutered, if you haven’t already. Spaying and neutering not only helps control animal population, but it can also protect dogs and cats from various diseases, including cancer.

Step 2: Encourage friends and family members to get their dogs and cats spayed and neutered. Check your local phone book or the Internet for low-cost spay/neuter clinics in your area. Make a list of the low-cost clinics and give them to any friends or family members that are struggling financially.

Step 3: Train your dog; this is extremely important. The Number One reason for dogs ending up in shelters is behavior problems. By training and socializing your dog you can greatly reduce the chances of your dog ever getting lost or ending up in a shelter.

Step 4: Feed your pet a well-balanced and nutritious diet. There are many quality dog and cat food choices on the market today. With a little research you can find a lot of information on food, and the food that would be best for your pet.

Step 5: Clean up after your dog. Whenever you take your dog for a walk or to play at the park or beach, make sure you bring some bags to pick up after your dog. Needless to say, it’s very irresponsible and unhealthy to not clean up dog waste (aside from being against the law).

Step 6: Groom your dog on a regular basis (although some dogs don’t require as much grooming as others). A Pit Bull, for instance, has a short coat that does not require any clipping. A Bichon Frise requires grooming on a weekly basis. Keep your pet’s coat clean with regular trimmings if he requires it, nails trimmed, ears clean and teeth free from plaque and tartar.

Step 7: Give your pet plenty of exercise and feed a proper diet to protect against various diseases. By feeding a nutritious diet you can boost the immune system, which will help keep your pet healthy and vibrant.

Step 8: Let your dog live in the house with you. You need to provide shelter for your dog; dogs are extremely social animals and need contact with their human “pack.” Isolating your dog from the household is detrimental to your dog’s mental well-being. It is unfair to get a dog and then banish her to a backyard kennel.

Step 9: Make sure your pet has up-to-date identification tags on his collar. Check them every once in a while, as pets (dogs especially) do have a tendency to lose their tags. It’s also important to make sure the information on the tag is up-to-date.
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Sadly spaying and neutering rates in America are way down. Even with all we now about the benefits, and about the volume of homeless pets filling shelters and being euthanized every year, fewer pet owners are choosing to have their pet sterilized. We encourage you to please make the responsible choice, and please encourage your friends with pets to do the same.

PS: Pictured above is a friend and very responsible pet owner, with her gorgeous, greyhound rescue, Khai! Photo taken by Cow Dreamz Photography of Phoenix.

Plus, this story is kind of a two-for-one because the star of the video, Lucy, is also a friend and one of our favorite clients!

We knew she was a beauty.. now she’s a star, and a very lucky girl to be so well cared for!

In the past few days, several organizations have joined forces to create the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), with the goal of raising funds to help animals in the earthquake-stricken country and to provide direct aid to animals once rescue teams can be assembled in Haiti.

The ASPCA is the latest to join.

In addition to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ARCH now includes The International Fund for Animal Welfare, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, American Humane, Best Friends, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International.

..Read the whole story here, and please donate if you can to any of these animal welfare organizations to help the animals of Haiti.

It’s that time of year when the furry, four-legged friends get extra treats and jingle bells on their collars, and dogs even get a pass if they lift their legs indoors (because, hey, somebody put a tree in the living room).

Eight in 10 pet owners say they give their pets holiday and birthday gifts, according to a survey from the American Animal Hospital Association. Another 21 percent sometimes dress their pets, according to the association.

Marc Bekoff, a research scholar at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver, said pets love the extra attention around the holidays, as their guardians tend to spend more time around the home.

“They don’t know it’s the holiday season, but they know something special is going on,” Bekoff said. “It’s a great time for bonding with your family .. it’s acknowledging that these animals have emotions and feelings. You want to treat them well, and by treating them well, you feel good.”
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So join the crowd, spend time with your furry family members this holiday season!