PURR Act Reintroduced
The bipartisan Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act (PURR Act) was reintroduced last week with a promise that it will improve life for pets, pet owners, and pet food manufacturers alike.
The bill would create a national standard for pet food nutrition and labeling, under the authority of the FDA. This new standard would replace the current rules, which vary from state to state, typically falling under old animal feed regulations. While the earlier regulations may have been fine when they were written, they create a confusing patchwork of rules to navigate, and they don't conform to our current understanding of nutrition. They also don't recognize how people’s relationships with their pets have changed over the last century. Many pet owners today demand clear and consistent details about the ingredients and nutritional value of the food they serve to their pets. Frankly, a lot of us pay more attention to the nutritional value of our dogs' food than our own meals, something that is alluded to in the language of the bill.
While the devil is always in the implementation, the PURR Act’s goal of uniform standards and labeling for pet food is a rare gift that would be helpful for all parties involved. We are constantly learning more about our pet’s nutritional needs and quirks, and there is no better time than now to gain a clearer knowledge of the ingredients and quality of pet food.
NAIA President, Patti Strand, weighed in on this issue today, saying "Uniform standards for dog and cat pet food and pet food labels is an idea whose time has come. For dog owners who've lost a dog to copper toxicosis, where the amount and type of copper added to dog food is strongly linked to the disease, the Purr Act is overdue. Pets are part of the family today so it's imperative that the foods we provide them are based on quality, species-specific research. Requiring uniform standards overseen by the FDA is a major step in that direction."
Source: PURR Act reintroduced into Congress
Baited Poison Is Killing Wildlife and Pets in Arizona
Tucson's Pantano Wash area has experienced a recent wave of animal deaths claiming the lives of wildlife and beloved pets alike. Last weekend, the Arizona Game and Fish Department discovered the culprit: poison. They found coyotes, javelinas, and a raven – all victims of what appears to be intentional poisoning. The pets were likely killed from the same source. While the exact poison hasn't been confirmed, wildlife veterinarian Dr. Anne Justice-Allen suspects strychnine or something similar. Investigators believe the poison was hidden in food left out as bait.
Killing wildlife with rat poison is a misdemeanor in Arizona, and there may be additional charges for the pets that have died. But aside from the fact that this kind of poisoning is illegal, it is also incredibly indiscriminate. The poison that kills a targeted animal can just as easily claim the lives of pets, protected wildlife, and even harm children who might accidentally come into contact with it. On top of that, predators and scavengers who eat animals that have been killed or weakened by poison can become sick themselves – so the poison doesn’t go away, it just travels up the food chain.
If you suspect your pet has been poisoned, time is critical.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department urges residents to keep dogs leashed and prevent them from picking up anything while walking. They continue investigating this case, but it serves as a stark reminder: poison placed for any animal creates a deadly risk for all.
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Source: Family dogs, wild animals killed after ingesting food laced with poison, wildlife officials say
Massive Hoarding Situation and Rescue in Ohio
In Ohio, a hospitalized woman called up the Humane Association of Warren County to tell them she was a hoarder and needed someone to go to her home and care for her 200 animals. Assistance arrived, and it was quickly determined that the situation was even more dire than the woman had described. The home was a disaster area, and the total number of live animals recovered – many, if not most of them dwarf hamsters – may be closer to 500 than the 200 that were reported. Even worse, several of the animals were dead, including all but one of the woman’s huskies.
No charges are pending and the chief humane officer on the case is not demonizing the woman. She recognizes that the woman has a serious problem – and that even horrible cases like this often start from a “place of love,” only to spiral out of control over time. The officer just asks local people who are feeling overwhelmed by their animals to please, please, please call her humane association for help. This is the right message, and hopefully it reaches at least a few people who need help – as this story demonstrates, a lot of folks are too frightened, ashamed, and/or in denial to reach out until it’s too late.
Source: ‘300 to 500′ animals removed from Warren County hoarding situation
Every Animal Looks Good in Ultrablack – If You Can See It
Ultrablack is a color so dark it absorbs over 99% of light that hits it, making what our eyes think of as "regular" black look positively bright in comparison. Take the velvet ant (wasp) of Brazil. This little creature sports a striking black-and-white pattern that would make a panda jealous. Its ultrablack comes from a clever trick: tiny hairs scatter incoming light, which then gets trapped by its dark outer shell. The result is a disappearing act that helps these ground-dwelling females avoid predators while they hunt for bee and wasp nests to parasitize.
But velvet ants are not alone in the ultrablack club. The Gaboon viper uses it to perfect its dead-leaf disguise in African rainforests, and deep-sea viperfish cloak themselves in darkness with it. It also comes in handy for animals that aren’t trying to hide: birds-of-paradise and peacock spiders flash it next to bright colors during courtship, making their displays even more dazzling. What's fascinating is how each creature develops its ultrablack differently – through ridges, cones, or specialized scales. Scientists are taking notes, hoping these natural designs might inspire better solar panels and optical devices. And they're pretty sure they've only scratched the surface: there are likely many more ultrablack species out there, still waiting to be discovered. The challenge will be in spotting them!
Source: These animals evolved to be ‘ultrablack’—here’s why
News Bites: Long-Lived Rodents and Bats, A False Found Pet, and Agricultural Extra Credit
Oftentimes, when we talk about long-lived animals, we focus on the ones with lifespans that surpass humans. Animals like giant tortoises (192 years and counting) or Greenland sharks (250+ years), for instance. But here’s a piece that gives a few animals with unusual relative lifespans a welcome day in the sun: Brandt’s bat and the naked mole rat.
Bats actually have longer lifespans than you’d expect from similarly sized critters. Numerous bats can reach the 35-year-minimum age for the U.S. Presidency, and the tiny (only six grams) Brandt’s bat can live past the age of forty! The bat’s ability to fly, which makes life harder for potential predators, coupled with a metabolism that allows for hibernation, are the suspected drivers behind this animal’s longevity.
In the case of the naked mole rat, its up-to-40-year-lifespan gives it extraordinary longevity – at least for a rodent (small rodents generally don’t live past the age of five). Of course, given the animal’s fascinating “beehive” social groups and ability to starve cancer cells, its lifespan may not be its most extraordinary feature. But it is nonetheless impressive… even if the suspected reason for the naked mole rat’s longevity – lack of predation – is rather pedestrian.
A Connecticut man was arrested on animal cruelty charges after it was revealed that the emaciated, grossly neglected dog he surrendered to animal control was actually his own dog. Initially, the man claimed he had just found the dog, making him sound like a good Samaritan, though a quick investigation revealed that not to be the case.
What’s most important in the here and now is that the dog is receiving the care it needs. That said, it should have never reached this point in the first place. If someone is unable to meet their pet’s minimum, basic needs, the most responsible and humane course of action is to surrender the pet to an individual or organization that can. And this needs to be done well before the animal is starving, sick, or has toenails that have curved back into its paws.
For animals that were displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires, Pierce College has been a literal lifesaver. The public community college’s farm and campus took in around 225 animals needing sanctuary – horses, alpacas, pigs, and other farm animals. And this is in addition to the animals they are currently housing. Agriculture, equine science, and veterinary medicine students volunteered their time, keeping the animals fed and hydrated, clean, and safe.
While this endeavor was a strain of time and resources, the students became attached to the farm animals during their stay and are missing some of the animals, now that they have returned home. We already value community college animal programs, but seeing Pierce College in action, providing such a vital service to animals and its community has been simply fantastic. We hope that the students who volunteered their time and efforts get some serious extra credit!
★ Shipshewana business owner cited for mistreating animals (Multiple Violations; Shut Down for at Least Two Years)
★ 'Inhumane is an understatement': Bucks County man accused of beating, stabbing his 2 dogs to death (Cruelty, Crime, and Arrests)
★ Many animals, plants losing their genetic diversity, making them more vulnerable (Biodiversity; Less Healthy & Adaptable Populations)
★ Dozens of animals seized from North Texas property (Neglect & Deplorable Conditions; Rescue & Rehoming)
★ Q&A: Sexual Diversity Good for Animals and Humans Too, Says Author (Animals & Evolutionary Biology; Anthropocentric Biases)
★ (Video Interview) Reading with farm animals at Pineland Farms (Farmtime; Community Education & Outreach)
★ Amazing animals that once roamed Great Britain (Fun & Historical Lists; Much Better If You Can Ignore the First Paragraph)
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