"HERO PEOPLE OF THE WEEK" - Our Hero Saved A 400-lb. Drowning Bear - Adam Warwick

What would drive Adam Warwick to jump in alligator filled waters to save a bear that was drowning? Adam is our special guest this week and he tells an adrenaline filled rescue story. When he's done telling you what he did for this bear, you'll ask yourself if you would've done the same thing.

Adam Warwick is the Stewardship Manager & Wildlife Biologist at The Nature for The Nature Conservancy based out of North Carolina's Southern Blue Ridge Mountains Office in Asheville.

A few years ago, when Adam worked for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, he dealt with many human/bear conflicts. This usually pertained to bears getting in trash or coming on porches to get dog or cat food.

One day he got a call about a bear swimming about a mile off the beach that eventually came on shore. The bear then spent the next two weeks going from house to house to get into trash. Normally Adam would set a trap in this type of case and then relocate the bear. However, because this bear had been caught before, they decided to "free dart" him. The bear was bent over digging through a trashcan when they "shot" him with the dart. What they thought would be a fairly normal event went horribly wrong.

Usually a bear goes down in about 10-15 minutes after being darted, but 20 minutes later and this 375-pound bear was still up, perhaps because of the adrenaline. The bear then crossed the road and headed towards the bay. The bay itself is about four miles wide.

The bear was going to try and swim to the other side and made it out into the water about knee deep, when he started wobbling. Adam knew the bear couldn't make the 4-mile swim safely across the bay and would probably drown. Adam then ran out to the end of a 20-yard long dock and got in the water. His plan was to try and create some commotion so the bear would turn around and go back to shore.

The bear kept swimming and eventually caught up with Adam. They were then both head-to-head in about 5-foot of water. By this time, the bear was really struggling and jumped up on his hind legs as if he here going to leap up on top of Adam. But then all of a sudden, the bear fell straight backwards into the water.

At that point, the bear was bobbing around and having a lot of trouble swimming. Adam was then able to swim around him and get on his back and grab the scruff of his neck. Adam hung on until the bear was "out of it" enough so he could handle him better and hold his head up so he wouldn't drown, but the bear continued to thrash around. Someone eventually came out with a boat, but that startled the bear even more.

Adam lost track of time, but felt another 5 or so minutes went by, with him hanging on to his back, almost like you would ride a horse, just trying to keep his head above water. The bear eventually stopped thrashing and was about 90-95 percent out of it, so Adam was then able to get up underneath him and pull him to shore.

Adam stated that at this point, he wasn't even thinking, he was just reacting, something he'd always done his whole life, when it came to saving any type of animal.

When you dart an animal, Adam states that you take custody of that animal and are responsible for their wellbeing, whatever it takes.

Thanks to Adam the bear survived and was eventually transported back to his home in Osceola National Forest.

http://www.nature.org

Thinking Globally. Acting Locally. Do you know someone that should be nominated for our Hero Person of the Week? Send us an email to: YourVoice@AnimalRadio.com.

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What to Do With The Poo
Rose Seemann, The Pet Poo Pocket Guide

Rose Seemann is the author of "The Pet Poo Pocket Guide" and our guest. She has some shocking realities about our pet's waste. There's more poo than we think accumulating in landfills and polluting our environment. She'll be using the gold standard of monumental measurement, the football field. And you'll need a lot of them to house all our pet's poo.

The Pet Poo Pocket Guide came about when Rose Seemann was having lunch at a park, reading a book about recycling. She continually looked up form her book to watch people in the park who happened to be picking up poop after their pets.

She said it didn't sink in at first, but then she started wondering about how much pet waste there actually was, and started crunching numbers. How much does a dog poop every day? It turns out an averaged sized dog poops an average of 3/4 of a pound a day. She then started multiplying that by weeks and months and years and came up with a figure that an average sized dog actually excretes 275 pounds a year.

With eighty-three million dogs (and ninety-six million cats) calling the US home, dogs alone produce enough waste to fill more than 1,091 football fields 1 foot deep in a single year. Add billions of plastic pick-up bags to the mix, and season well with tons of litter box waste. Scoop a hefty portion into local landfills and seal it tightly to ensure optimal methane production. Clearly, this is a recipe for disaster.

Unfortunately about 40-percent of dog waste is left on the ground, which is bad. Not only can you step in it, but it also pollutes. Sixty-percent of the people pick it up, put it in a plastic bag and throw it in the trash, which is the right thing to do. However, the fact that it goes to a landfill means that we are filling up landfills with an organic waste that excretes a lot of methane. This not only takes up space, but it costs money to transport it to the landfill. Everyone also admits that landfill are eventually going to fail.

Dog and cat owners who trash their pets' offerings daily are in denial about how much waste is produced and what happens to it. Those who want to make the responsible choice often turn to the Internet, only to find misleading, confusing, and contradictory information. The Pet Poo Pocket Guide will help you reduce your pet's environmental paw print with:

- Best practices for cycling pet waste back to nature
- Suggestions on how to tailor your approach based on location, situation, weather, needs or available time
- Instructions for using your composted pet waste safely to enrich your soil and nourish ornamental plants.

Rose Seemann is the owner and operator of EnviroWagg, a company dedicated to collecting and composting canine waste into safe, nutrient-rich garden soil. She established the company after her extensive investigations into the issue of pet waste disposal in North America uncovered an astounding labyrinth of denial, stonewalling and deception. Rose's goal is to educate and guide pet owners in the safe and responsible composting and upcycling of their dogs' and cats' waste - in doing so she hopes to nudge the world toward a more sustainable future.

http://www.newsociety.com/Books/P/The-Pet-Poo-Pocket-Guide

The Lucy Pet Foundation
Joey Herrick

Joey Herrick is the founder of The Lucy Pet Foundation, named after his own rescue dog Lucy, which is an organization that focuses on spaying and neutering cats and dog in Southern California. They offer no cost or low cost mobile spay and neuter clinics.

Many years ago Joey was the drummer on the John Davidson Show. The only thing Joey was trained to do was to play drums and he states that if you would have told him that he would end up doing something else, he would have said you were crazy!

At the age of 24, Joey became entrepreneurial and wrote a drum book that sold in 13 different countries. He learned about marketing and the power of celebrity marketing.

At a young age, Joey met Dick Van Patten while on the John Davidson Show. Dick was a host on the show for a week and while talking with him, Joey learned that they had a lot in common as they were both big pet lovers. At the time, Dick was doing celebrity tennis tournaments to raise money for the animals while Joey was walking animals at local shelters.

Joey also worked with Phyllis Diller on a TV pilot. One day on the set, Phyllis made some chili. John commented that it was the best chili he had ever tasted and told her she should sell it. Phyllis said she didn't have time, and told John to go forward with it on his own. John then took Phyllis' recipe and sent it to market. However, before someone would manufacture it, they told him he couldn't come out with just one product. They suggested a beef stew and John then added a third product of baked beans. But, he still needed one more product. He came up with the idea Chicken Chili. Everyone, including the manufacturer told, him he was crazy, that the industry was specifically beef chili. Joey's Chicken Chili was the first chicken chili on the market and he was now in the food business, while still playing drums.

Joey ended up selling his food company and thought about what to do next. Since he loved animals and knew about manufacturing food products, starting a pet food company just seemed the natural thing to do. He went to Dick Van Patten, since they had a love of animals in common, and asked him if he wanted to start a pet food company together. Dick said yes and together they created the Natural Balance line of pet food.

Joey thought he would be in the pet food business for a few years, but he ended up loving it and staying in the business for 25 years, before selling the company. He is now making dog shampoo and conditioning sprays, which will be available this summer.

During his time in the pet food business, Joey donated millions of pounds of pet food to animal rescue groups. He stated these groups are the ones who have lowered the euthanasia rates in America's shelters. But there are not enough animal rescue people to go around and there are just too many animals. He's been at shelters where they adopt out 70-80 dogs and cats in a week's time but take in 140 in that same week. Do the math. It doesn't pencil out to a good result for animals.

Once his company Natural Balance sold, Joey no longer had food to donate to these rescue groups, but he still wanted to help and get on the other side of animal welfare. Joey wanted to get involved with stopping the influx of animals going into these rescue groups. His answer was starting The Lucy Pet Foundation and focusing on spaying and neutering.

The Lucy Pet Foundation, which Joey doesn't take a salary from, is mostly funded by himself and consists of two spay and neuter vehicles. The Lucy Pet Foundation has been in existence for about eighteen months. While spaying and neutering, Joey also knows that you need to educate the people and you need to start with the children. He reaches them by going into schools and places like the boys and girls clubs. He states that you need to teach children that animals are living, breathing things that give unconditional love and you need to care for them. Legislation is another part of it, as well as training. All of these issues need to be addressed before going "No Kill."

Joey just doesn't want to make a difference, he wants to change things!

To find out more about the benefits of spaying and neutering, please visit The Lucy Pet Foundation.

Here is a list of upcoming free or reduced fee mobile clinics:

Until the end of June:
If you live in the City of Downey or Baldwin Park and are low income (below $30,000) spays and neuters are FREE.

June 5:
Home Depot in San Pedro
Cats - spaying or neutering including vaccinations $10

June 19th
Orange County FREE Spaying or Neutering sponsored by Love Bug Rescue

You must get on a list to have your pet spayed or neutered at these locations. Please call The Lucy Pet Foundation toll free at 1-855-499-5829 to get your pet scheduled.

http://www.lucypetfoundation.org

Customize Your Dog's Treats
Bri Bradley, Smart Cookie Treats

Bri Bradley is co-owner of a brand new dog treat business. What makes her business so different than the hundreds of other dog treats? She customizes the treats for your dog. You tell her what flavors, carbs, proteins and vegetables to put in and she'll bake them and deliver them right to your door.

Bri Bradley and her husband wanted to come up with an idea to start their own business, but didn't know what to do. But being huge pet lovers, they came up with the idea of everyone eating healthier after making special treats for their own dog who became ill, who needed a special diet, and after Bri got sick as well.

They gave out the special treats to friends who commented that while their dogs liked them, they were particular and had a certain preference for things like chicken or beef.

Bri then thought that you can customize everything from shoes to cell phone covers, why not customized personalized nutritional dog treats for your dog's lifestyle or dietary restrictions!

Everyone at Animal Radio thought this was a great idea and had to try it. So we designed a treat specially made for Ladybug, the Animal Radio Stunt Dog. We selected chicken, quinoa and cranberries & carrots. When we received the treats, Hal Abrams had to try them, as he tries all food before we give anything to the Animal Radio studio animals. He said they tasted like "dog treats" but finicky Ladybug thinks they are fantastic!

This is a great way to get treats made specially for your pet without all the time and mess. To get started and make your dog a special treat, all you have to do is to choose your protein, carb and fruits & vegetables. They are then made to order and shipped to your home. What are you waiting for!

http://www.smartcookietreats.com

The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

Will Supplements Help Your Pet's Coat?
People are always asking Joey about caring for their dog's coat. Besides just the normal brushing and bathing, they ask if they should add supplements and vitamins to their pet's diet to maintain a healthy, vibrant coat.

Joey states that in the right circumstances supplements are good, but there are other cases where they are not. Like anything else, when you start taking supplements, you need to make sure you are taking the right ones for you.

Some of the healthiest, active people who are vegetarians and vegans, exercise daily and take vitamins and supplements, may still have dry, brittle unhealthy looking hair and skin. This is the same for our pets, if they are not given the proper nutrition.

If you want to invest in your pet's looks, including their coat and wellbeing, talk to your veterinarian to see what kind of food is right and works best for your pet. Ask if you should be adding any supplements to their diet, and if so, what kind.

Some people think that just by adding oil to their pet's food it will help their coat. But in some dogs, their bodies will actually reject it and their skin will push out the oil onto their coat.

Joey mentions a German Shepherd he saw that looked very oil and smelled very fishy. It turns out the owner was adding a fish oil to his diet. When the owner stopped adding the oil, the dog's coat looked better, his skin looked better, and he was all around healthier.

So before you add any supplements to your pet's diet, talk to your veterinarian and see if just by changing to a better food, their coat gets healthier. You still need to brush and comb them, because that will stimulate the coat growth. Lots of water and exercise are also the best things for you dog's coat.

Remember, just like in humans we can't eat only Twinkies and then take a multivitamin and expect to be healthy - it doesn't work!

Coyotes Stalking our Neighborhoods - Dr. Debbie

I just saw a scraggly coyote in front of my house this morning - the second coyote sighting in my neighborhood this week. I feared what could have happened if my 15-pound terrier was outdoors alone. Wildlife is beautiful, but when my little terrier, Boss, is in harm's way - my doggie momma protective instincts kick in. While not a threat to be exaggerated, the coyote nonetheless poses a risk to our pet's safety.

Coyotes are increasingly becoming a concern in urban areas - some are displaced by the urban sprawl that consumes their potential habitat. But other coyotes become urbanized savvy to living, feeding and thriving within city environments. Coyotes are born opportunists and dine on what they find available. They eat small animals like rabbits and rodents, but also consume ample vegetable matter with up to 40-percent of their diet consisting of seeds, grasses, fruits and flowers.

The most serious coyote concern for pets is injury and predation. As a veterinarian, I can recall many a client whose pet was brought in injured by unknown wildlife or whose cat just one day reportedly just vanished. While many might believe their cat was stolen, in reality these cats most likely fell victim to coyote predation. Likewise, small to medium sized dogs can be injured or lost to the same fate as their feline counterparts.

Steps to Keep Your Pet Safe

Whether you have pets or not, it's important not to feed coyotes. Intentional feeding of coyotes makes them dependent on humans and less fearful which increases the chance of an unwanted, dangerous interaction with people or pets. Just leaving unsecured garbage is invitation enough for these opportunists. Secure all garbage in closing containers and avoid leaving bagged garbage at the curb overnight. Pick up uneaten pet food as soon as your pet has finished eating.

Pet owners should take precautions to keep their household pets protected as well. Keep cats indoors and maintain all pets on leash control when outdoors. Ensure your dogs and cats are up to date on their rabies vaccines. Even indoor cats that do not venture outdoors should be current on this vaccine for both pet and human safety.

Besides rabies, keep your pets current on other vaccinations, deworming and preventatives as recommended by your veterinarian. Coyotes are known to harbor carry skin mites, canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, adenovirus and heartworm disease. So even if your dog never leaves your yard, there is potential for infectious disease crossover between wildlife and your pet.

These wild canids are masters at adapting to their changing world and it's unrealistic they are going away on their own. As humans, we are the ones that need to change to make urban areas less appealing, removing easy feeding sites and by raising awareness to the potential crossover between wildlife and pets.

Featured veterinarian known as "Dr. Debbie" on national pet radio program, Animal Radio. Ebook author of "Yorkshire Terriers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Pugs: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Mini Schnauzers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; and "Shih Tzu: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend."

http://www.drdebbie

It's a Wacky Wednesday Here at the Animal Radio® Studios

WackyWed Contest IS ON - LIKE your FAVORITE pic and the three pics with the most LIKES & SHARES are this week's winner will receive a Serta Pet Bed from nVision.

WackyWed@AnimalRadio.com - (Please put WACKYWED in the subject line & give us your pet's name, your name & where you hail from) If YOUR pic is chosen then spread the word to your friends & family on Wednesday - the pics w/the most LIKES and SHARES will be the winner!

This week we are giving away a Grey Cool Twist Sleeper Sofa, which combines an ultra comfortable, shape conforming pillow lounger with a supportive built-in backrest from nVision.

The nVision Cool Twist Memory Foam is engineered to increase airflow and assist in moving heat away from your dog allowing for a more comfortable night's sleep, while the thick foam is plush and cushy while still offering adequate support for your dog's joints.

Join Animal Radio® on Facebook for Wacky Wednesday! Win great prizes every week for your wacky pet pictures. Last month we gave out goodies from Wham-O Inc., BH Pet Gear, Dream Bones, Oster and more. Visit us on Facebook now.

Animal Radio® News - Tammy Trujillo

Don't Buy Treats Made In Asia
The FDA says PetSmart's Authority brand chicken-flavored teething rings and jerky treats may be responsible for the deaths of more than a thousand dogs. The dogs showed signs of kidney failure within just hours of eating the treats. The labeling is confusing, they say the treats are packaged in Phoenix, but they are MADE in China and Thailand. A lot of pet guardians are now checking labels trying to make sure they know what they are giving their pets, but manufacturers do not have to list the country of origin for each of the ingredients used in their products. PetSmart says it pulled products made in China from it's stores after the FDA confirmed they were dangerous, but that so far the FDA hasn't said that about pet treats made in Thailand. If that happens, the company will immediately pull the items. The FDA says it wants to hear from any pet guardian about any illnesses through its Safety Reporting Portal. Some vets are saying just don't buy any treats or food that lists Asia on the label in any fashion.

Otterbox Doesn't Deter Otters
Otterbox cellphone cases are notoriously difficult to open, though apparently not for their namesakes. A visitor at the Red River Zoo in Fargo, North Dakota, dropped his Otterbox-protected iPhone into the otter exhibit while trying to grab a photo of the cute little animals. One otter decided to show how clever he was, quickly tearing the case apart and throwing the phone in the water. The otter then kept retrieving the phone to chew on it and then throwing it back in the water, then retrieving it so he could do it all over again.

Canine Flu Continues To Spread In The Midwest
H3N2 is a flu strain that we haven't seen here in the U.S. before, so dogs have little or no immunity to it. Experts think it was brought in from Asia. They're not sure if the vaccine for the older version of the dog flu, H3N8, will be that effective against H3N2, but most veterinarians suggest getting dogs vaccinated anyway, saying it could make the severity and duration of the flu less severe. If your dog is around other dogs, you should keep a lookout for symptoms like coughing, sneezing, a runny nose or nasal discharge, decrease in appetite, lethargic behavior and fevers. Fevers are hard to detect in dogs. The best way to check is by feeling inside the dog's ears. Since the flu is viral, it can't be treated with medicine. In Asia, the virus has spread to cats, guinea pigs and ferrets, but there have been no reported cases of that happening in the U.S. Humans can't get canine flu, but they can spread it. The virus can stay alive on objects for 24 hours and on skin for 12 hours. So you need to wash your hands and change clothing or maybe even take a shower if you've been around a sick animal.

May The Force Be With You And Your Pets
We love it when shelters get creative to help homeless pets find homes. The Ottawa Humane Society has gone to a galaxy far, far away for help. It's teamed up with their local 501st legion, a volunteer group that makes appearances as villainous Imperial Star Wars characters. The 501st's motto: "Bad guys doing good." Rohit Saxena is a photographer who's been volunteering at the shelter for five years. He says the group started doing themed photo-shoots a couple months ago to help animals find homes. They started with a Game of Thrones session then moved on to the Star Wars' iconic anonymous villains. Turns out the bad guys aren't that bad. The Storm Troopers posed with cats, dogs, bunnies and guinea pigs. I guess the shelter didn't have any Ewoks up for adoption.

Who Would You Trust With Your Innermost Feelings: Your Siblings Or Your Pets?
A new study done at Britain's Cambridge University followed 100 families over the course of 10-years. It found that not enough attention is paid to the significant role pets play in a child's life. The research shows that children facing emotional difficulties, such as "bereavement, divorce, instability and illness" place a particular importance on their pets. They turned to their pets for support much more often than they turn to their brothers and sisters. That's even true when they know that their pets actually don't understand what they are saying. The research also suggests that kids are likely to have stronger relationships with their pets than their peers. One of the keys to the relationships, the children say they know their pets won't judge them.

Dog Left At Railroad Station Becomes "Spokes-Dog"
Remember the story last January about a dog, named Kai, in Scotland who was tied to a rail at a railway station with a suitcase full of its belongings? He got a new home and job after Ian Russell adopted the Shar-pei mix. The Scottish SPCA chose him from a list of hundreds of people who wanted to give Kai a home. Ian feels like it was no accident he was selected to become Kai's new guardian. He feels Kai was sent to help him get through a difficult time after his Dalmatian Mica passed. Now Ian is involved with the charity, helping promote adopting homeless pets and Kai's become the spokes-dog for the cause. Kai's story got so much publicity that Ian says he is recognized everywhere they go and that they are always getting stopped on the street and asked for photos. He says Kai loves everyone and even gets along with all the other dogs they meet.

NEWS UPDATE brought to you by Drs. Foster & Smith, affordable pet supplies. Low prices every day, so you save on every order.

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