2015 Grammy Awards Best Song Nominees (If Written by Dogs)

Congratulations to all the songwriters who received Grammy Awards Song of the Year nominations for “All About That Bass,” “Shake It Off,” “Take Me To Church,” “Chandelier” and “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version).”

What if these five songs were written by dogs instead of humans? Why don’t we take a look…

‘All About That Basset Hound’

“Because you know I’m all about that Basset Hound, that Basset Hound, no Terrier
All about that Basset Hound, that Basset Hound, no Terrier
All about that Basset Hound, that Basset Hound, no Terrier” [Repeat over and over. And over.]

‘Shake It Off (Ugh! Baths!)’

“Cause the bather’s gonna bathe, bathe, bathe
And the sprayer’s gonna spray, spray, spray
Puppy I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake
Shake it off”

‘Take Me To Dog Park’

“Take me to dog park
I’ll worship like a…human…at the shrine of your feet
I’ll bark at you and you can throw me the ball
Offer me that yummy yum-yum
Good God, let me give you my leash”

‘Chow Chow Leer’

“I’m gonna wag from the Chow Chow leer, from the Chow Chow leer
I’m gonna live like shelters don’t exist
Like they do not exist”

‘Spay/Snip Me (Shelterdog Version)’

“Won’t you spay/snip me?
‘Cause a puppy ain’t what I need
Pet overpopulation is clear to see
So darling, spay/snip me”

Photo credits: Eda; Matt Armstrong; Taro the Shiba Inu; Luigi Borromeo; Klearchos Kapoutsis

Did Brian Williams Really Save Pup(s) from a Fire as He Claimed To?

Brian Williams announced today that he’s taking a break from anchoring NBC News while he’s under investigation for lying about being in a helicopter that was shot in Iraq in 2003.

Williams has also claimed that he saw a dead body float down a French Quarter street while he was covering Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. However, that area of the city wasn’t flooded during the disaster. Hmmm.

But that’s not all. Ten years ago, Williams told Esquire Magazine that, as a teenager, he rescued two puppies from a house fire while serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Old Village Fire Company in Middletown, N.J.

“All I ever did as a volunteer fireman was once save two puppies,” Williams said at the time.

Six years later, while retelling his brave rescue tale for USA TODAY, the two puppies became one puppy.

“I remember one such house fire … conducting a search on my hands and knees, when I felt something warm, squishy and furry on the floor of a closet,” Williams wrote in 2011. “I instinctively tucked it in my coat. When I got outside, I saw two small eyes staring up at me, and I returned the 3-week-old and very scared puppy to its grateful owners.”

The Old Village Fire Company has not commented on the anchorman’s conflicting puppy tales — and has yet to confirm that he actually ever rescued any puppies at all.

What do you think — was “Lyin’ Brian” at it again?

Photo collage by Laura Goldman. Photos: David Shankbone (Brian Williams); Jenn Durfey (helmet); ManuelFD (puppy)

Milk-Bone Survey Ranks the Most Puppy-Loving US States (Congrats, California)

California pet parents are the most loving to their dogs, according to the Milk-Bone “Doggy Love Index.” (Woo hoo! As a resident, that’s no surprise to me.)

The ranking is based on a December 2014 survey of 3,000 pet parents across the country, conducted by PRH Data Insights. The results were calculated “by averaging the percentage of a state’s dog parent population that says they regularly engage in seven different loving behaviors with their dog,” according to Milk-Bone.

Those “loving behaviors” included:

Telling their dog “I love you” at least once a month — Once a month? More like once an hour! Am I right, my fellow Californians?
Buying their dog a gift at least once a month — Um, premium dog food counts as a gift, right?
Allow their dogs to sleep with them at least once a month — Again, once a month?!

Congrats to California and the other nine states that made the top 10 puppy-loving list:

2. New York
3. Washington
4. Tennessee
5. Florida
6. Massachusetts
7. Texas
8. Missouri
9. Ohio
10. Arizona

Here’s a Milk-Bone infographic with detailed results of the Doggy Love Index…and an ad for Milk-Bone products. (Incidentally, Big Heart Pet Brands, the company that makes Milk-Bones as well as Pup-Peroni, Kibbles ‘n Bits and Meow Mix, is being bought by J.M. Smucker, the Washington Post reported yesterday.)

If you want to be extra loving to your pup, google “homemade dog treats.”

Photo credit: Eric Danley

RECALL ALERT: J.J. Fuds Expands Frozen, Raw Dog Food Recall

J.J. Fuds, Inc., which voluntarily recalled one lot of its frozen, raw Premium Natural Blends Chicken Tender Chunks dog food Jan. 24, has expanded the recall to include all lots of the product, along with all lots of J.J. Fuds Beef Tender Chunks and J.J. Fuds Duckling Tender Chunks.

According to a Feb. 5 press release, the recalled dog food has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and/or Salmonella. (A Jan. 27 fax sent to distributors identified additional recalled products as “Beef Strips” and “Duck Strips.”)

The recalled products were sold in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

They can be identified by the UPC number and batch ID code (manufactured date), which are printed on the back of the individual plastic bag or on the master case label.

J. J. Fuds Premium Natural Blends Chicken Tender Chunks

5 lb. bags
Product UPC Number: 654592-345935
Manufacture/Lot Code Date: All

10 lb. bags
Product UPC Number: 654592-345805
Manufacture/Lot Code Date: All

J. J. Fuds Premium Natural Blends Beef Tender Chunks

5 lb. bags
Product UPC Number: 654592-345942
Manufacture/Lot Code Date: All

10 lb. bags
Product UPC Number: 654592-345757
Manufacture/Lot Code Date: All

J. J. Fuds Premium Natural Blends Duckling Tender Chunks

5 lb. bags
Product UPC Number: 654592-345928
Manufacture/Lot Code Date: All

10 lb. bags
Product UPC Number: 654592-345737
Manufacture/Lot Code Date: All

J.J. Fuds recalled these products after a routine sampling program by the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development resulted in a positive test for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. These organisms can affect animals who eat the contaminated products, and there is also a risk to humans who handle the products, especially if they do not thoroughly wash their hands (and any surfaces the product touched) afterward.

Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. The symptoms for both people and dogs include nausea and diarrhea. If you or your dog have these symptoms after touching or eating the recalled product, see a doctor or veterinarian.

If you purchased the recalled products, return them to the retailer for a refund and proper disposal.

J.J. Fuds can be reached at 888-435-5873 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST) or by visiting jjfuds.com.

Photos via PRNewswire.com

Dog Rescued from L.A. River Adopted by Woman Who First Spotted Him

Lucky, the dog rescued by firefighters last week from the raging Los Angeles river, has a new forever home — with the woman who called 911 after she spotted him struggling to stay afloat.

“I happened to see something out of the corner of my eye that looked like a piece of a log just bobbing along, but there was a rhythm to the movement that caught my attention, and I was able to look closer and confirm that it was, in fact, the head of a small dog,” Rachel Dably told CBS Los Angeles.

She told the 911 dispatcher she wanted to adopt the dog. “He says, ‘Well, let’s get him rescued first,'” Dalby told KABC.

When firefighters arrived, the dog had been swept nearly two miles down the river. Firefighter John Terrusa was lowered on a cable from a helicopter, swam to the terrified dog and scooped him up in his arms.

But the rescue wasn’t a done deal yet — as the helicopter flew the two toward an embankment, they started spinning in circles, nearly hitting some tree branches.

Once they were safely on the ground, the firefighters named the pup, appropriately enough, “Lucky.” (Earlier reports said Lucky was a Shiba Inu, while CBS Los Angeles and KABC are now calling him a Welsh Corgi mix, which he really appears to be.)

Lucky was treated for hypothermia as the North Central Los Angeles animal shelter tried to locate his owner. He was wearing a collar and leash, but no identification tags, and he wasn’t microchipped.

Dably told CBS Los Angeles she has been wanting to adopt a dog for a year, and visited Lucky in the shelter every day.

“It was sort of a waiting game to see if there would be a claim of ownership,” she said.

When no one claimed Lucky after the seven-day holding period, Dably became his new dog mom.

“I’m excited — very excited,” she told CBS Los Angeles. She has set up the account luckytherescuedog on Instagram, where you can follow Lucky’s future adventures — which, it’s a sure bet, won’t include any swims in the L.A. River.

Photo via Instagram

Here’s a KNBC video of Lucky’s nail-biting rescue.