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Premieres Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 10pm (ET/PT)
Premieres
Tuesday, February 21 at 10pm (ET/PT)
View the New Public Service Announcements: Our new public service announcements are being aired on local cable channels all over Boston and Western Mass!
Southern Exchange - Bark
| Spring '05 (download
PDF)
In the Dog House - Air Date: 04/21/2004 A north shore pet store is "In the Dog House". Owners
buying sick puppies are now threatening legal action. State investigators
are looking at a pet store chain for selling sick animals. One shop
even told to stop its sales, but that may be just the beginning.
More now on a story you saw "First on 7". Ingrid Price But the honeymoon was brief. Peter fell ill almost immediately with a nasty case of what Ingrid first believed was kennel cough... Ingrid Price In fact, Peter had giardia, an infection of the intestine, the same condition that left 17-month Corey nearly crippled. Geffin Falken, Cory's Owner What do Peter and Corey have in common besides giardia? Both were purchased from Woof and Company stores, Peter from Braintree, Corey from Saugus... And now a former manager is stepping forward to say the chain should shape up. Laurie Reggiannini, Former Manager Problems at the Saugus store have led to a temporary ban on their selling of puppies. Customers at the store are told not to bring their children inside and workers are being tested. As for Ingrid, in addition to the $950 she spent for her dog, she has vet bills approaching $500... And she says Woof and Company has reneged on its guarantee to foot the bill. Ingrid Price Local Woof and Company employees referred our calls today to their corporate headquarters in New Jersey. And for the second consecutive day, those calls went unreturned.
During a rabbit's lifespan of up to 12 years, you can expect care costs of between $3,000 and $4,000 -- which includes an initial $200 in one-time costs for a habitat, spaying/neutering, litter box, care book, dishes, brush, water bottle, etc., and yearly costs of approximately $300 for food, annual veterinary visits, and white wood shavings. Also, rabbits, while cute and cuddly, demand a commitment of care the same or greater than for a cat or dog. While often purchased for children, parents overlook the fact that they are the ones that must be regarded as the primary care givers, not the children. Proper care includes regular daily exercise out of the animal's habitat, daily grooming, a varied diet that includes fruits and vegetables and chew items to keep the rabbit's constantly growing teeth worn down. It may be a surprise to some that rabbits are not necessarily the best pets for children. While rabbits enjoy receiving attention and affection from people, most do not like being held or cuddled because it initiates a feeling of being caught by a predator. Held rabbits often try to escape and can suffer serious injury if they fall or, in the struggle, the child may be injured by the rabbit's powerful hind legs. Unwanted Rabbits Shelters nationally always have an abundant supply of rabbits both after Easter, when many are turned over to shelters, and throughout the year. Another stark reality is that many unwanted rabbits are abandoned to the wild to fend for themselves. These domesticated rabbits often lack the instincts to survive on their own and fall prey to predators such as coyotes, are susceptible to disease, or end up starving because there is no adequate food source. Alternatively, if there are no predators the rabbits may flourish and upset the balance of nature by multiplying into a serious overpopulation problem. If you don't think through the purchase of an Easter rabbit you may regret your decision. The commitment of care must extend throughout the animal's lifetime. If you are not prepared for the decade-long commitment of a rabbit in your family, the option is simple -- give children stuffed animals as Easter gifts. LEIGH GRADY Sterling Sterling Shelter to Spay/Neuter Homeless Pets in Saint Lucia
STERLING, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 2003-- VCA and Sterling Animal Shelter Partner with International Veterinary Assistance, Inc. to Staff Spay and Neuter Clinic in St. Lucia, West Indies and Provide Care for Needy Animals For the first time ever, a volunteer U.S. based veterinary team will travel to St. Lucia in the Caribbean to staff a spay/neuter clinic where nearly 100 homeless and stray animals will receive much-needed veterinary care. In close cooperation with the St. Lucian Animal Protection Society, this unique collaboration between International Veterinary Assistance (IVA), VCA Animal Hospitals and the Sterling Animal Shelter involves sending one VCA veterinarian and two surgical veterinarian technicians to St. Lucia for the seven-day clinic from September 13-19, 2003. Generous donations of veterinary supplies, vaccinations and products provided by VCA, Fort Dodge Animal Health and Henry Schein, Inc. enable the volunteers to spay, neuter and vaccinate nearly over a hundred animals that might not otherwise receive medical care. "VCA Animal Hospitals is proud to be a partner in a program
that is making a real difference in the lives of St. Lucia's homeless
and stray animals. We are deeply committed to protecting the welfare
of animals everywhere, including St. Lucia," said VCA's Rachel
Kiessling, DVM. "By spaying, neutering and vaccinating these
animals, we are minimizing the overpopulation problem and ensuring
that they have a better chance to live healthier, happier lives,"
she added. "We hope that this type of program can be replicated on other islands, where the numbers of stray dogs and cats has been rising sharply due to the abundance of food during the main tourist season," explained Mehrdad Nazari, president of IVA. "Sadly, the vast majority of these strays are in poor health, infected with parasites and diseases, and produce 2-5 litters each year, compounding the existing problems," he added. "Though the general public may not realize it, overpopulation forces three to four million pets in the U.S. to be killed annually and the overpopulation epidemic is a worldwide crisis," said Leigh Grady, executive director of the Sterling Animal Shelter, and one of the two vet techs traveling with the volunteer team to St. Lucia. "VCA, Fort Dodge and Henry Schein are all supportive of animal shelters, rescue groups and outreach programs, so it was only natural to team up with them for this worthwhile life-saving effort to try to mitigate overpopulation. Without their generous support, the trip would not be possible. I also want to recognize Kristin Ruggiero of the VCA Northboro Animal Hospital, who was responsible for setting up the contacts with these generous suppliers," she added. Grady plans to involve more veterinarians and technicians each year to help those communities that are less fortunate and have an overwhelming need for assistance. In addition to IVA ( www.DVMassist.org ), the collaborative partnership includes VCA Antech, Inc. (Nasdaq:WOOF), who operates the largest network of freestanding, full-service animal hospitals across the country and employs more than 800 veterinarians at over 240 animal hospitals, as well as the largest network of veterinary-exclusive clinical laboratories in the nation; Henry Schein, Inc., the largest distributor of healthcare products to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets; Fort Dodge Animal Health, leading manufacturer and distributor of prescription and over-the-counter animal health care products for the livestock and companion animal industries; and Animal Shelter, Inc. of Sterling, Massachusetts, a non-profit, no-kill shelter with no time, age or breed limitations. SOURCE: Veterinary Centers of America
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