Dog Center Blog

Here’s another self-interested reason to not eat meat: Drug-resistant bacteria are routinely found in beef, chicken, and pork sold in supermarkets. Drug-resistant infections are by no means rare. Twenty percent of people who get salmonella have a drug-resistant strain. To find out more of what the meat industry and pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know, read this Associated Press column by Margie Mason and Martha Mendoza.

Here are just a few facts drawn from the column:

• Drug-resistant infections killed more than 65,000 people in the U.S. last year—more than prostate and breast cancer combined.
• 70% of the antibiotics used in the U.S. last year—28 million pounds—went to pigs, chickens, and cows, which in turn creates a perfect breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant super germs.
• Many of these antibiotics are routinely added to the feed of healthy animals to promote rapid weight gain.
• The FDA, the CDC, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have all declared drug-resistant diseases stemming from antibiotic use in animals a “serious emerging concern.”
• The problem is not new. In the 1970s, the FDA proposed a ban on penicillin and tetracycline in animal feed, but the proposal was defeated after criticism from interest groups.
• In 2008, the FDA issued its second limit on the use of cephalosporins in cows, pigs, and chickens, citing the importance of cephalosporin drugs for treating disease in humans. But the Bush Administration reversed that decision five days before it was going to take effect after receiving several hundred letters from drug companies and farm animal trade groups.

The Bottom Line: If history is any guide, you can’t count on the federal government to do the right thing and ban the routine nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in farm-animal feed, but here are two things that you can do: First, nudge Congress in that direction. Contact your U.S. Representative and urge her/him to support Representative Louise M. Slaughter’s bill banning the routine use of antibiotics in animal feed. Second, and most importantly, refuse to support the meat industry’s unsafe practice of adding antibiotics to animal feed by refusing to purchase their products. Make a conscious choice to not eat meat. Protect your own health and the future effectiveness of antibiotics: Go vegetarian in 2010!

Wishing You Joy and a Wonderful 2010! With Love, Liz

Wishing You The Gift of Joy ~ oil on linen panel, 5 x 7″ ~ Liz Holm

If you are reading this blog, you are probably like me and Liz and all the other folks here in our community who love animals with a passion that is all consuming. Liz Holm has been a contributor to the “Art For The Animals” project from the beginning. When I got this ecard from Liz this holiday season, I inquired about the subject of her heart warming painting. Liz got back to me with this wonderful story about Taz.
She writes;
Taz arrived at the Prince George’s County SPCA in the spring of 2007, and his exuberance and outgoing nature quickly won over his foster family and their three dogs. Unfortunately, little Taz’s enthusiasm led to injury when he jumped on another sleeping dog in the middle of the night, and he was bitten by the much larger, startled male. Taz’s upper jaw was broken, and he spent 2 months of repeated visits to the dental surgeon, and wore the dreaded Elizabethan/cone collar while his upper jaw mended. Once bitten, twice shy? Not Taz. Undaunted, he continued to romp with his cone collar on, and showed affection to everyone he met. Once his jaw was completely healed, he joined his adoptive family and new brother, Jack, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The last picture is of Taz in his new back yard, smiling with sheer joy. It’s that picture that inspired me to do the Christmas painting. Such a joyous, forgiving, unstoppable spirit seems right for the season.

Taz recovering

Taz visiting Licorice and Coconut

Taz happy at his forever home….
Photos courtesy of Pam Townsend. The sale of the original art and reproductions to benefit the PGSPCA.

Zipper is a playful boy with a lot of energy.  He’d make a good running buddy, or maybe he would like to play frisbee with you.  He’s currently playing and sleeping at one of our great boarding partners, Pampered Pooch Playground, but he would really love it if he had a real home to go to.  Zipper plays well with other dogs and is fine with cats. If you would like to meet Zipper, please let us know at dogs@pethavenmn.org

None of our dogs were adopted this holiday week, so I’m bringing you an update on a recent adoptee.

Ella, formerly Emma, is a medium-sized, mixed breed dog who came from Red Lake with her sister Lola.  They were said to be German Shepherd mixes, but looking at Ella’s recent pictures and knowing that she weighs  29 pounds at eight months of age — let’s just say that we’re skeptical.

Here’s a brief update from her new mom:

She LOVES playing in the snow and playing with all her toys.  We took her to the vet yesterday and they said she is perfectly healthy and has already grown to 29lbs.!  We are excited to take her home to Iowa over Christmas so she can meet the rest of our families.

None of our dogs were adopted this holiday week, so I’m bringing you an update on a recent adoptee.

Ella, formerly Emma, is a medium-sized, mixed breed dog who came from Red Lake with her sister Lola.  They were said to be German Shepherd mixes, but looking at Ella’s recent pictures and knowing that she weighs  29 pounds at eight months of age — let’s just say that we’re skeptical.

Here’s a brief update from her new mom:

She LOVES playing in the snow and playing with all her toys.  We took her to the vet yesterday and they said she is perfectly healthy and has already grown to 29lbs.!  We are excited to take her home to Iowa over Christmas so she can meet the rest of our families.

Toby was adopted a couple of years ago.  You can see from the pictures that he is living the good life and loving it.

With his Beagle nose, he can cause a little havoc.  Last Christmas Eve, he ate his grandma’s birthday cake, so his mom had to call all over town trying find a new one — an unmanageable feat on a holiday.  She ended up baking a new cake in the wee hours of Christmas morning.

This year, Toby will be spending the holiday with his foster foster mom.  Laura knows she will not be able to leave any treats within reach of this motivated boy and hopes he will spend his time happily snoozing as in the picture below.

Toby was adopted a couple of years ago.  You can see from the pictures that he is living the good life and loving it.

With his Beagle nose, he can cause a little havoc.  Last Christmas Eve, he ate his grandma’s birthday cake, so his mom had to call all over town trying find a new one — an unmanageable feat on a holiday.  She ended up baking a new cake in the wee hours of Christmas morning.

This year, Toby will be spending the holiday with his foster foster mom.  Laura knows she will not be able to leave any treats within reach of this motivated boy and hopes he will spend his time happily snoozing as in the picture below.

We had a busy adoption day on Saturday.


Hailey’s delighted to be in her forever home with her Basset Hound/Springer Spaniel sister, Molly. The two hounds will share a fenced yard and two nice parents.  Hailey came to us from the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley.  She could not be placed through them because she had a history of nipping at small children, but we were able to place her with a couple without young kids.

Our lovely Shepherd mix from Red Lake, Daisy, found a new home. She’ll be living with a young Irish Wolfhound.  Her doting dad enjoys visiting area dog parks, so Daisy is sure to have a fun, busy life.  She’s a calm and beautiful dog who has many friends and admirers at Pet Haven.  Thank you to Karen Good at Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue for giving this girl a second chance.

Mac Daddy is happily at home with another small Poodle mix, Pickles.  The two dogs met and played together beautifully at the Petco adoption event and are looking forward to many eventful days ahead.  Pickles has his own Facebook page, co-authorized by his mom, so we’re thinking that perhaps Mac Daddy will have one, too.  Mac Daddy was a stray picked up by Minneapolis Animal Control and taken to Camden Animal Hospital for treatment of a broken leg. The leg healed and he found rescue with us.

Dakota was returned to Pet Haven recently because of changes in his owner’s life. Dakota spent a few days in foster care and went home with his new forever family after the adoption event.  He’s the perfect ‘family dog’ and will have two young boys to love in his new home.

We had a busy adoption day on Saturday.


Hailey’s delighted to be in her forever home with her Basset Hound/Springer Spaniel sister, Molly. The two hounds will share a fenced yard and two nice parents.  Hailey came to us from the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley.  She could not be placed through them because she had a history of nipping at small children, but we were able to place her with a couple without young kids.

Our lovely Shepherd mix from Red Lake, Daisy, found a new home. She’ll be living with a young Irish Wolfhound.  Her doting dad enjoys visiting area dog parks, so Daisy is sure to have a fun, busy life.  She’s a calm and beautiful dog who has many friends and admirers at Pet Haven.  Thank you to Karen Good at Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue for giving this girl a second chance.

Mac Daddy is happily at home with another small Poodle mix, Pickles.  The two dogs met and played together beautifully at the Petco adoption event and are looking forward to many eventful days ahead.  Pickles has his own Facebook page, co-authorized by his mom, so we’re thinking that perhaps Mac Daddy will have one, too.  Mac Daddy was a stray picked up by Minneapolis Animal Control and taken to Camden Animal Hospital for treatment of a broken leg. The leg healed and he found rescue with us.

Dakota was returned to Pet Haven recently because of changes in his owner’s life. Dakota spent a few days in foster care and went home with his new forever family after the adoption event.  He’s the perfect ‘family dog’ and will have two young boys to love in his new home.