Diamond Dog Food Recall

Many of us rely on commercial dog foods for our pets. Low cost, convenience, and the purported "complete and balanced" feature keep people coming back for more. However, commercial foods are subject to a variety of problems such as imbalances of supplemental vitamins and minerals, aflatoxins produced by the aspergillus family of fungi, and now, contamination with salmonella.

 

According to the Center for Disease Control, 14 people in nine states have been infected with Salmonella infantis, some cases of which have been traced to to exposure to pet foods produced by Diamond. Five of these people required hospitalization.

 

So now, unfortunately, another widespread pet food recall is underway. This is a voluntary recall of 14 different brands of pet food sold in more than 40 states due to possible salmonella contamination. These foods are all produced by Diamond at their production plant in Gaston, South Carolina. The plant was shut down April 8 due to the Salmonella crisis.

 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/diamond-dog-food-recall-summary/

 

•  4Health
•  Apex
•  Canidae
•  Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
•  Country Value
•  Diamond
•  Diamond Naturals
•  Kirkland Signature
•  Natural Balance
•  Premium Edge
•  Professional
•  Taste of the Wild
•  Wellness

 

To determine if their pet food is recalled, Diamond officials say consumers should check the production codes on the back of bags that have a number "2" or a "3" in the 9th or 10th digit and an "X" in the 11th digit. The best-before dates for the recalled brands are Dec. 9, 2012, through April 7, 2013.

 

Now is a good time to remind ourselves about a simple but essential rule of food handling. Always WASH YOUR HANDS with soap and rinse with water while scrubbing for at least 15 seconds, both before and after handling ANY sort of food, whether it is intended for people or animals. Don't forget to use a nail brush or an orange stick to clean under your fingernails, too.

 

So far, no reports of any ill dogs. Dogs are better-equipped to handle salmonella than humans are. Their digestive tract is quite acid, and the intestines are much shorter than ours....making illness from bacteria very unlikely.

 

Delta therapy dogs bans their participating dogs from consuming raw foods, but maybe they should re-think that maxim. Cooked kibbles are just as risky for carrying salmonella (perhaps more so in some cases) than clean, fresh raw foods.

Upland considers mandatory sterilization of "pit bulls"

Upland Mayor and City Council

Upland City Hall
460 N. Euclid Ave.
Upland, Ca 91786
(909) 931-4107 (Fax)

May 7, 2012

 

Dear Mayor and City Council Members,    

 

 The California Federation of Dog Clubs, founded in 1990, represents thousands of dog owners across our state. We are advocates for animal welfare and for protecting the rights of responsible dog owners. The CFoDC conducts breed identification workshops for shelter workers, distributes a dog care and training brochure for new owners who adopt from shelters, and provides a 1-800 help line for pet owners struggling with behavior or training problems. We also maintain and administer a relief fund for animals affected by disasters such as earthquakes or fires. CFoDC supports animal legislation which positively benefits society.

 

The California Federation of Dog Clubs urges you to reject any mandated spay-neuter proposal, particularly when attempting to single out a specific breed or breeds.

 

For decades, one of the most popular types of dog in this country has been those of the "bully" breeds. This type of dog has served as the mascot for the "Little Rascals", the logo dog for "Target" stores, the dog listening with rapt attention to the RCA Victrola, and the "Spuds Mackenzie" dog in beer commercials. Helen Keller owned a beloved bull terrier. Millions choose dogs of this type when selecting a family dog, and why not? The Bull Terrier was known in Victoria times in England as the "nanny dog" because it was so reliable with children. Bulldog breeds are smart and loyal and brave, known on many occasions to save the lives of their owners.

 

Attempting to target a certain type of dog simply because it is popular makes no sense whatsoever. Responsible owners will be unfairly affected, while the problem owners will be unlikely to comply with any new laws. So-called "pit bulls" are not any more apt to bite than any other breed of dog. Due to current popularity trends, there are simply more of this type of dog represented in the community than most other breeds. Chihuahuas are also very popular, and also are also over-represented in statistics. It is insulting to read ignorant comments from people who claim that "THEY will move to Upland to be able to breed their vicious dogs". Bull breeds are no more vicious or threatening than any other breed, and stereotyping owners is as offensive as stereotyping the dogs.

 

 

 

 

Enforcement of existing leash and confinement laws is the most effective way to prevent canine nuisance incidents. Cooperation with local breed rescue groups, providing low-cost spay-neuter services and marketing of shelter pets to the public at adoption events have all been successfully-used methods to achieve reductions in shelter intake and death statistics.

 

Mandatory sterilization and breed-specific laws are opposed by all mainstream animal welfare organizations, including the American Kennel Club, the National Animal Interest Alliance, the ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. These laws simply don't work. In fact, such laws are counterproductive.

 

Everywhere mandatory sterilization and breed-specific laws have been tried, they have failed. Punitive and coercive laws are burdensome on the citizenry, particularly the elderly and low-income families, who often simply ignore the unreasonable spay-neuter mandate. Enforcement costs rise, and shelter intakes and deaths also subsequently rise when people cannot afford the fines and, in many cases, the cost of the sterilization procedure itself.

 

Legislation attempting to target specific breeds has been a documented failure with breed-specific laws also unable to withstand legal challenges. Baltimore, MD estimated in 2001 that it spent over $750,000 per year for their breed-specific law and they were still unable to effectively enforce it. They chose to repeal the law, as did Saginaw, Michigan and other locations. On February 21, 2012, Ohio Governor John Kasich officially signed Ohio HB 14 into law, which prohibits discrimination by breed. Dogs in Ohio will now be regarded by their behavior instead of their appearance.

 

Studies prove that that while de-sexing may decrease dog-to-dog aggression some of the time, it actually increases the risk of aggression directed toward humans. Spay-neuter also has many documented adverse health effects, particularly when performed on juvenile animals. It is unfair to the owner and the dog to force spay-neuter. The decision for spay-neuter should be made on a case-by-case basis, by an owner in consultation with their veterinarian, and not by government policies based on bad science and faulty logic.

 

CFoDC has produced a powerpoint breed ID program for shelter personnel. We would be happy to provide you with a complimentary presentation any time. We can state unequivocally that it is impossible to ID a supposed "pit bull" or mix. There are at least 25 breeds of dogs that are commonly mistaken for "pit bulls", including Rottweilers, Boxers, and even Labrador Retrievers.

 

Mandatory sterilization and breed-specific laws are ineffective, unconstitutional and unreasonable

 

Sincerely,

  

 

 

Geneva Coats, R.N.

Secretary

California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

Cc: Ray Musser, Brendan Brandt, Kenneth W. Willis, Gino Fillipi

 

AB 610 - letter to governor

The Honorable Jerry Brown

Governor, State of California

State Capitol, Suite 1173

Sacramento, CA 95814

Fax: (916) 558-3160

April 25, 2012

 

Re: CA AB 610 (Solorio) Vehicles, specialized license plates. (as amended 3-21-2012) : OPPOSE. REQUEST FOR VETO.

  

Dear Governor Brown,

 

The California Federation of Dog Clubs, founded in 1990, represents thousands of dog owners across our state. We are advocates for animal welfare and for protecting the rights of responsible dog owners. The CFoDC conducts breed identification workshops for shelter workers, distributes a dog care and training brochure for new owners who adopt from shelters, and provides a 1-800 help line for pet owners struggling with behavior or training problems. We also maintain and administer a relief fund for animals affected by disasters such as earthquakes or fires. CFoDC supports animal legislation which positively benefits society.

 

We know of no other special license plate program granted such an extension; and there is no clear path for the collection or distribution of any funds generated by this program.

 

While the bill author claims that a state of 'urgency' exists, there is no evidence to support such an assertion. Spay-neuter drives in California over the past 40 years have resulted in sharp declines in shelter numbers. Intakes are down by over 80% since the 1970s. Over 78% of all owned dogs and over 88% of all owned cats are already spayed or neutered (Source: American Pet Products Association 2011-2012 National Pet Owners Survey). According to Dr. John Hamil, past president of the California Veterinary Medical Association, "If the animals in the shelter were due to 'overpopulation'; we would find desirable puppies available in shelters, there would be no market for internet and pet store puppies, there would be no need for shelters to import puppies and puppy smugglers and brokers would be out of business due to market saturation. There is, in fact, a shortage of healthy, well-bred and socialized puppies and kittens in California."

 

Many rescue groups right here in California import dogs from other states and even from other countries. The Helen Woodward Humane Society in San Diego imports dogs from Romania. "Dogs Without Borders" in Los Angeles imports dogs from Taiwan. The US Border Patrol estimates that over 10,000 dogs are smuggled into San Diego County each year from Mexico. Beagle rescue flew 41 dogs into Los Angeles from Spain last November. Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern California imports dogs from Taiwan on an ongoing basis. These are just a few of the more recent examples. Demand for dogs in our state far outstrips supply.

 

The claim of "urgency" is being falsely made for the sole purpose of raising funds for unspecified organizations.

 

CFoDC urges you to VETO CA AB 610.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

 

 

Geneva Coats, R.N.

Secretary

California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

SB 1221 - hunting with hounds (letter)

California State Senate

Committee on Natural Resources and Water

State Capital, Room 4035

Sacramento, CA 95814

Fax: 916-323-2232

 

Re: SB 1221 (Lieu) Hunting with hounds: OPPOSE.

Request to be listed as official opposition

 

April 20, 2012

 

Dear Senator Pavley and committee members,

 

The California Federation of Dog Clubs, founded in 1990, represents thousands of dog owners across our state. We are advocates for animal welfare and for protecting the rights of responsible dog owners. The CFoDC conducts breed identification workshops for shelter workers, distributes a dog care and training brochure for new owners who adopt from shelters, and provides a 1-800 help line for pet owners struggling with behavior or training problems. We also maintain and administer a relief fund for animals affected by disasters such as earthquakes or fires. CFoDC supports animal legislation which positively benefits society.

 

The CFoDC is OPPOSED to SB 1221. The sponsors of this bill allege that the use of hounds is inhumane, unsporting and unfair.  Unfortunately, the information they use to support this bill comes from anti-hunting organizations that have no motivation to be truthful about the practice. 

 

Hunting with hounds is not only humane but a sensible and valuable tool for wildlife managment. Hound hunting is virtually the only form of non-consumptive hunting, and is very similar to catch-and-release fishing. It allows an animal's age and sex to be determined before any attempt to harvest is made. It also allows a houndsman to determine if a female is pregnant, nursing, or has offspring so that they can be left alive and well in the tree. The use of hounds allows for the timely and accurate resolution of incidents involving threats to public safety or livestock by identifying, locating, and taking only the offending animal. 

 

Not only is this bill unreasonable as a hunting and wildlife management measure, but it places the lives of our dogs in danger. Any dog felt to be a threat to a "big game mammal" can be captured and/or "dispatched" (i.e. KILLED) by game wardens, and the owner of the dog would have no recourse. We urge you to reject SB 1221.

                              

Sincerely yours,

 

 

 

Geneva Coats, R.N.

Secretary,California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

CC: Fran Pavley, Doug LaMalfa, Anthony Cannella, Noreen Evans, Jean Fuller, Christine Kehoe, Alex Padilla, Joe Simitian, Lois Wolk

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SB 969 - Establishes a council to regulate grooming

California State Senate

Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development

State Capital, room 2053

Sacramento, CA 95814

Fax: 916-324-0917

 

April 20, 2012

 

Re: CA SB 969 (Vargas). Pet Grooming. (As amended 4-18-2012): OPPOSE

Request to be listed as official opposition

 

Dear Senators,

 

The California Federation of Dog Clubs, founded in 1990, represents thousands of dog owners across our state. We are advocates for animal welfare and for protecting the rights of responsible dog owners. The CFoDC conducts breed identification workshops for shelter workers, distributes a dog care and training brochure for new owners who adopt from shelters, and provides a 1-800 help line for pet owners struggling with behavior or training problems. We also maintain and administer a relief fund for animals affected by disasters such as earthquakes or fires. CFoDC supports animal legislation which positively benefits society.

 

The CFoDC is OPPOSED to SB 969. This bill would further strain the state's budget for a program regulating the bathing and brushing of pets. A costly new council will be created to oversee another bureaucratic agency. Groomers must complete 1300 combined hours of instruction and hand-on experience before they will be allowed the privilege of paying for a biennial certification, in order to bathe and brush pets. All grooming schools must be approved by this new board. An examination process must also be instituted, to include written exams as well as demonstrations. This is unnecessary and presumes that certification for grooming of animals should be on a par with provision of cosmetology services to humans. Costs for the taxpayers and for grooming customers will necessarily skyrocket in order to pay for the administration of this new certification program.

 

The proposed council would be composed primarily of individuals who know nothing about professional grooming practices. Only two of the members would be familiar with grooming. The council would prominently include animal rights proponents and animal rights activist lawyers (who are anti-animal ownership in general). All grooming programs and the certification examinations must be approved by the council, a group overwhelmingly unfamiliar with established grooming practices.

 

This bill would adversely affect dog show handlers, groomers and junior handlers under the age of 18, all of whom groom for financial compensation. AKC administers a nationwide Registered Professional Handlers program, which is voluntary. Professional handlers certainly should not need to also apply for state certification in order to claim they are professionally qualified to groom dogs, and indeed, AKC's RPH program itself is a voluntary program. Professional handlers who travel into California from other states may find themselves in a legal quandary under the terms of SB 969.

 

 

Grooming establishments already must comply with requirements for business licenses and are subject to consumer regulation by word of mouth. If groomers do a poor job, they go out of business. Our state can ill-afford a new program that provides no benefits to the citizens of the state beyond the functions of local Better Business Bureaus.

 

Incidentally, the exact type of pet covered by this bill is not specified; it could be any sort of pet from a hamster to a horse.

 

Please reject SB 969 so that the state's resources can instead be utilized for programs of genuine importance to our taxpayers and citizens.

 

 

Sincerely yours,

  

Geneva Coats, R.N.

Secretary

California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

 

 

 

CC: Curren Price, Bill Emmerson, Ellen Corbett, Lou Correa, Ed Hernandez, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Tony Strickland, Juan Vargas, Mark Wyland

Laguna Beach proposes to ban retail sale of pets

City of Laguna Beach

505 Forest Ave.

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Fax 949-497-0771

April 17, 2012

Dear Mayor Eggly and City Council Members,

The California Federation of Dog Clubs, founded in 1990, represents thousands of dog owners across our state. We are advocates for animal welfare, for promotion of responsible dog ownership and for protecting the rights of responsible dog owners. Among our current projects, we conduct breed identification workshops for shelter workers, we distribute a dog care and training brochure for new owners who adopt from shelters, and provide a 1-800 help line for pet owners struggling with behavior or training problems. We also maintain and administer a relief fund for animals affected by disasters such as earthquakes or fires. We support animal legislation that provides positive benefits to society.

The CFoDC is OPPOSED to bans on retail sales of pets, regardless of exemptions. It seems the intent of your ordinance is to eliminate anyone who breeds or sells animals with the intent to profit; as if the intent to sell well-bred, healthy animals as a profitable business is something to be ashamed of! In any event, California's Lockyer-Polanco act provides consumer protection for pets purchased in pet stores. This law provides no consumer protection for animals that come from shelters or rescues.

 Further, the premise in your "Summary" of April 6, includes a false supposition that "animal rescue shops……do not rely on commercial breeders as a source for dogs or cats."

In fact, it is impossible to know for sure exactly WHERE the animals in most shelters or rescues originated. These animals often come from unregulated sources such as casual home breeders, from unregulated foreign puppy mills or from groups who rescue "street strays" from outside the continental US, and a few may even originate in commercial breeding establishments. Rescue groups often obtain animals from "raids" of commercial breeding establishments so yes, they do rely on commercial breeders as a source for dogs or cats. A sales ban would only hurt legitimate businesses and responsible, regulated breeders, not substandard facilities.

Sales bans create a shortage of desirable pets, a black market for dogs and cats, and a rise in imports from other countries. And, replacing pets from licensed breeders with unregulated "rescue" animals is very unwise. Many "rescue" groups are already importing dogs from overseas to meet the demand for pets. This is happening right now in southern California! A rescue group in LA imports dogs and sells them for hundreds of dollars each. Per the "Dogs Without Borders" website: "We currently rescue most dogs from local shelters and strays, but sometimes we rescue dogs from as far away as Taiwan!....Some of the dogs you see on our site are not here in the States."

This practice is not only outrageous, but also is very irresponsible on the part of the shelters/rescues that participate. There are diseases and parasites in other countries which are transmitted from dog-to-dog or from dogs to humans which put the safety of our citizens and our dog population at great risk. In late 2004, the first case of canine rabies in Los Angeles County in 30 years was confirmed. The dog had recently come in from Mexico. Rabies is a fatal disease that still causes over 50,000 human deaths annually worldwide. 

Claims of high incidence of illness in pet store puppies are totally unsubstantiated. There is evidence that the pet industry provides more veterinary care for puppies than the public at large. DVM/VPI Insurance Group, the largest provider of animal health insurance, testified during a hearing in California that "preconceived notions" concerning pet store puppies "could not have been more wrong."

After insuring more than 89,000 pet store puppies and kittens and handling health claims from a pool of more than 500,000 insured animals, the insurance company reduced its premiums for pet store puppies and kittens substantially by as much as 22 percent compared to premiums charged for animals from other sources. Why? Pet store puppies receive more veterinary attention during the first 12 weeks of age than any other puppies and, as a result, have fewer claims.

Commercial breeders are a legitimate source for healthy, well-bred animals. Studies show pet store animals are generally very healthy. Shelter and rescued animals are a different matter, with unknown health, temperament, parasites and infectious diseases. We urge you to reject the proposed ordinance to prohibit the retail sale of puppies, dogs, kittens and cats.

Sincerely yours,

Geneva Coats, Secretary

California Federation of Dog Clubs

Cc: Jane Eggly, Verna Rollinger, Kelly Boyd, Elizabeth Pearson, Toni Iseman

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