i Still Love Dogs

Therapy Dog Susie, Survivor of Horrific Abuse, is 2014 American Hero Dog

susie american hero dog Susie, the Pit Bull/German Shepherd-mix therapy dog who last night received the prestigious honor of being named the American Humane Association 2014 American Hero Dog, had a rotten start in life.

When she was just a 3-month-old puppy in August 2009, her owner’s boyfriend, Lashawn Whitehead, beat her for 15 minutes, doused her with lighter fluid and set her on fire — only because Susie had jumped on the couch where Whitehead’s baby son was resting. Whitehead dumped Susie in a park in Greenboro, N.C., and left there to die.

Despite a broken jaw and teeth, as well as second- and third-degree burns over 60 percent of her body, Susie survived. She was found two weeks later, covered in maggots, and taken in by the Guilford County Animal Shelter. After several months of treatment, Susie found a loving new forever home with Donna and Roy Lawrence.

Donna was extremely fearful of dogs at the time. Less than a year before, she’d been attacked by a neglected, chained Pit Bull. But Susie — herself a Pit mix — helped Donna heal.

“If Susie hadn’t come into my life, I don’t know that I ever would have gotten over the fear,” Donna told TODAY. “I was drawn to her spirit — her love and affection for people when she should hate them, you know? She was living in the moment, not living in the past, happy … I thought, ‘If this puppy can forgive humans, I can forgive dogs.’”

Within a few months, Susie was certified as a therapy dog. She began visiting schools, hospitals and nursing homes, helping other people who, like her dog mom, were recovering from traumatic events.

As for Susie’s abuser, he was turned in by his mother, who’d witnessed the attack, three months later. Whitehead pleaded guilty to burning personal property, which carried a sentence of up to eight months in prison, and to felony animal cruelty. At that time in North Carolina, animal cruelty was considered a misdemeanor and only resulted in probation — no jail time. If the probation was violated, the abuser might face, at most, up to five months in prison.

The outrage over the slap on the wrist given to Whitehead led Lawrence and other animal lovers to campaign for Susie’s Law, sponsored by Sen. Don Vaughan. Susie’s Law increases the penalty for the malicious abuse, torture or killing of an animal to a Class H felony. Anyone found guilty of these crimes can be sent to prison.

Susie’s Law was passed in December 2010. The official copy includes Gov. Bev Perdue’s signature as well as Susie’s paw print. Lawrence founded the non-profit organization Susie’s Hope to continue raising awareness of animal abuse in the U.S. and working to end it.

At the Hero Dog Awards ceremony last night, Susie fittingly received a standing ovation. The purpose of this annual national competition is to recognize dogs who unconditionally help humans. The winners in eight categories were selected from more than 1 million online votes and a judging panel.

The American Humane Association 2014 Hero Dog Awards will air on the Hallmark Channel on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m.

Photos via Facebook; Facebook

RECALL ALERT: KONG Aussie Sticks Dog Treats Sold at PetSmart

Some KONG Aussie Sticks dog treats that were sold at PetSmart have been “quietly” recalled because they may be contaminated with mold.

As of Friday morning, the recall has not yet been publicly announced by KONG or the product manufacturer, JAKKS Pacific. KONG sent an email to DogFoodAdvisor.com with the recall details.

Why aren’t KONG and JAKKS Pacific letting consumers know about the recall?

“We are troubled by the covert nature and lack of transparency exhibited by both companies associated with this particular event,” wrote DogFoodAdvisor.com. “Obtaining confirmation and collecting details about this recall were especially challenging. Apparently, the companies only notified PetSmart and relevant distribution centers.”

According to the email sent by KONG to DogFoodAdvisor.com, the recalled products “were not dried properly so a small percentage of finished goods have gone moldy. Majority of the product is fine, and the mold was caught at our [distribution center], but some product may have made it to PetSmart so we are recalling all the product at PetSmart and destroying all the product we have at our [distribution center].”

KONG Aussies Sticks products with the item numbers 75559 and 75560 are included in the recall. They have the “Best Before” date of 1/30/16 or 1/31/16.

The product can be returned to PetSmart for a full refund.

JAKKS Pacific can be contacted at 877-875-2557, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. KONG can be contacted at 303-216-2626.

Photo via DogFoodAdvisor.com

For the Second Time, Kohl’s Is Caught Selling Raccoon Dog Fur as ‘Faux’

UPDATE: Late yesterday, Kohl’s released a statement apologizing for selling the parka. “Kohl’s standard vendor terms require that all merchandise must be free of any real animal fur unless expressly authorized in writing by Kohl’s,” the company said. “No such authorization was given here. Once aware that the product was made with real fur, Kohl’s immediately removed the product from our website.” The stores will accept returns of the parkas “no questions asked,” but the statement didn’t mention if the purchase price would be fully refunded.

Twice within a year, the Kohl’s department store chain has been caught selling items with “faux” fur trimming that is actually made from raccoon dogs.

In 2013, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) busted Kohl’s for selling handbags whose trim was not “faux rabbit fur,” as the store advertised, but real raccoon dog fur.

“When our supporters called the company to urge a fur-free policy, Kohl’s chose instead to play games by changing its customer relations phone number and taking down its customer service web page, making it nearly impossible for people to voice their opinion,” wrote HSUS President Wayne Pacelle on his blog today.

In June of this year, the HSUS tested a men’s parka sold by Kohl’s. The “faux” fur on the collar turned out to be from raccoon dogs.

By selling real fur as “faux,” Kohl’s is breaking two federal laws. In online advertisements for fur products, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Fur Products Labeling Act requires retailers to provide the type of animal killed and the country in which it was killed. Another law, the FTC Act, prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” in commerce.

Kohl’s has not commented on this most recent discovery, but it is no longer selling the parka.

Unfortunately, Kohl’s is not the only retailer guilty of selling real fur as fake — and the FTC isn’t helping matters any.

“Last year, the FTC, the U.S. government agency charged with protecting consumers from deception, decided it would continue to use a bogus fur trade name — Asiatic raccoon — for raccoon dogs, a step that exacerbated consumer confusion and deception in the marketplace,” Pacelle wrote.

To make these fur products, millions of raccoon dogs, a member of the dog family, are raised in inhumane conditions in China and then skinned alive. It costs less to sell their pelts than to manufacture fake fur.

If you want to make sure a “faux” fur item is really fake, the HSUS recommends you do the following:

Check the base of the fur for skin or fabric. If you see threadwork from which the hairs emerge, it’s probably fake.
Check the tips of the fur for tapering. Fake fur generally doesn’t come to a a fine point, as the real deal does.
If you already own the item, remove a few of the hairs and burn them. Real fur smells like human hair when it’s burned.

Here’s a list of retailers, designers and brands that don’t use real fur. To urge Kohl’s to adopt a fur-free policy, call the company at 855-564-5705 and sign this HSUS online petition.

Photo via The Humane Society of the United States

New Budweiser Video a Pawesome Warning Against Drinking and Driving

Back in February, Budweiser’s heartwarming “Puppy Love” spot was, by far, the most beloved and popular of all the pretty amazing Super Bowl commercials.

The company may have topped itself with the new “Friends are Waiting” digital video it released Friday.

“Unlike previous spots from Anheuser-Busch’s flagship beer brand, the online-only content carries a more emotional tone and portrays how having a plan to get home safe can result in a positive ending,” the company stated in a press release.

It begins with a montage of Cooper, a Labrador Retriever puppy, growing up with his best friend, a young man named Luke. When his dog dad, holding a six-pack of Buds, takes off with his buddies in a car, Cooper becomes concerned as the hours pass.

“Friendship, camaraderie and enjoying great times are at the heart of Budweiser’s most popular campaigns, and this video maintains that tradition but with an unexpected twist,” Brian Perkins, the company’s vice president, said in the press release. “Budweiser is known for connecting with beer drinkers in memorable ways, and our efforts to promote responsible drinking through this video are no exception.”

“Friends are Waiting” has been viewed nearly 8 million times on YouTube since it was released Friday. It was created for Anheuser-Busch’s 5th annual Global Be(er) Responsible Day, which is intended to promote responsible drinking worldwide.

Grab a tissue (box) and enjoy. And never, ever drink and drive!

Photo via YouTube

Study Shows Dogs See the Water Bowl as Half Full…or Half Empty

Just like us humans, dogs can have an optimistic or pessimistic outlook on life, according to a new study published last week in the Public Library Of Science (PLOS).

The research, conducted by Melissa Starling, Ph.D., and a team from the University of Sydney, involved 40 dogs of various breeds and ages. Its purpose was to test the dogs’ judgment bias — “how animals interpret ambiguous signals and whether they expect more positive or negative outcomes,” according to the study.

“The remarkable power of this is the opportunity to essentially ask a dog, ‘How are you feeling?’ and get an answer,” Starling said in a press release.

Similar to Ivan Pavlov’s famous bell-ringing study that conditioned dogs to drool when they were about to be fed, the University of Sydney researchers used one distinct tone when they offered the dogs water. They used another tone that was two octaves higher when they offered lactose-free milk, considered a tastier treat.

When the dogs became used to those two tones, the researchers started using nine alternative tones. If a dog didn’t respond to any of those nine tones, he was considered to be a pessimist.

“Pessimistic dogs appeared to be much more stressed by failing a task than optimistic dogs,” Starling said. “They would whine and pace and avoid repeating the task, while the optimistic dogs would appear unfazed and continue.”

Most of the dogs in the study turned out to be optimists, but Starling said it’s to early to assume that’s true of the general dog population.

According to the study results, we may incorrectly peg our dogs as being optimistic or pessimistic, when they’re actually the opposite.

“There was a tendency for owners and trainers to overestimate the optimism of dogs belonging to pessimistic, moderately pessimistic and balanced groups,” the study reports, “and to underestimate the optimism of dogs in moderately optimistic and optimistic groups.”

Being labeled as a pessimist is not necessarily a negative, especially for working dogs. Because they are less likely to take risks, pessimistic dogs make good guide dogs, Starling said. Optimistic dogs are better suited for tasks requiring tenacity, such as sniffing for drugs or bombs.

Knowing whether a dog is an optimist or pessimist could also be helpful in determining the most effective training method to use.

“This research has the potential to completely remodel how animal welfare is assessed,” Starling said. “It could be used to monitor their welfare in any environment, to assess how effective enrichment activities might be in improving welfare and pinpoint exactly what a dog finds emotionally distressing.”

Photo credits: Noël Zia Lee, hannah k