===========================================
ANIMAL RADIO | April 2, 2004
a not-for-profit tri-weekly newsletter
===========================================
In this newsletter:

* BELIEVE YOUR LOST PET WILL BE RETURNED WITH A MICROCHIP? THINK AGAIN!
* NOISES IN YOUR ATTIC - IT'S SPRING!

===========================================
THIS WEEK ON ANIMAL RADIO
===========================================

CAT HAS SEVEN EARS AND SEEMS HAPPY
A couple of ordinary domestic cats gave birth to an unusual kitten having seven ears instead of two. At first, owners noticed the kitten had three ears; there were the normal ears like all animals have and the third one was inside of one of the normal ears. That is why the name given to the kitten was consonant with the numeral "three". It was just several months later that the owners discovered even more ears when they were bathing the cat.

HAMSTER COAT STORES BANS FUR
Complaints flooded in from as far as the US after it was revealed that House of Bruar was stocking coats made of hamster skins. Around 100 pelts went into each of the full-length coats, which sold for $500.

The charismatic Illinois State Treasurer JUDY BAAR TOPINKA joins us and "tells all" about Treasured Pets Adoption Program.

PAT DERBY, President of the PERFORMING ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY, pioneered the method of elephant handling that uses NO bullhooks or chains. She's our special guest this week.

Next week:
We're broadcasting from the BEST FRIENDS SUPER ADOPTION at Johnny Carson Park in Los Angeles. Special guests include:
FRANCES CONROY -"Ruth Fisher"- Six Feet Under
SHELLEY MORRISON - "Rosario"- Will & Grace
AUSTIN MAJORS - "Theo Sipowicz"- NYPD Blue
NOAH POLETIEK - "Twitch"- Holes
JILLIAN CLARE - "Abby Deveraux"- Days of Our Lives
JOSEPH ASHTON - "Otto Rocket"- Nickelodeon's Rocket Power
WILL ESTES - "J.J. Pryor"- American Dreams
KATE LINDER - "Esther Valentine" - The Young and the Restless
STEVEN ANTHONY LAWRENCE - "Dylan" - Cheaper by the Dozen
Also...STRESS RELIEF FOR LAST-MINUTE TAXPAYERS

LISTEN TO BEST FRIENDS on ANIMAL RADIO: A list of 70+ AM-FM RADIO STATIONS
that broadcast Animal Radio is at the bottom of this newsletter. Consult
your station for day and time.

IF YOU CAN'T FIND A RADIO STATION NEAR YOU - Listen ANYDAY, ANYTIME
ONLINE using the FREE Real Audio Player or Windows Media Player. (http://realplayer.com).

Click to LISTEN ONLINE 24/7:
Real Audio Player - http://AnimalRadio.com/cfc.ram
Windows Media Player - http://AnimalRadio.com/217.asx

Animal Radio is underwritten by the animal conscious folks at:
FRESH STEP CAT LITTER (http://www.freshstep.com);
BISSELL (http://www.bissell.com);
LINT ROLLER PARTY (http://www.LintRollerParty.com).

================================================
YOUR OPINION - WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY
================================================
We always welcome your response to articles in our newsletter or something
you heard on the radio. We wish we could publish all the e-mails, but there
is simply not enough space here. You may view other comments online at
http://AnimalRadio.com.
______________________________________________________
TREATING YOUR PET AT HOME:

Cecilia, Missy, Webster, Mittens, T.J. and Lit Bit responded:
I noticed in the article "Treating your pet at home", that most of the time
the word "pet" was used versus "dog" or "cat". This is very important,
because there are human medications that a dog is able to take with the
correct dosage and it is safe. However, cats are a different situation. I
know for instance that cats can not take aspirin, it is toxic to them. Please let your readers know which animal (dog or cat) can take the medicines mentioned in your article. I would like to know also. Thank you

Editors note:
Thank you for your comment. In this case, any time the word pet was used was in reference to both cats and dogs. It was noted with Pepto-Bismol that it is to be used only for dogs.
This is something we will be more careful with in the future so as not to cause any confusion. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
______________________________________________________
HOW CAN OUR WEB VISITORS LISTEN TO ANIMAL RADIO WHILE SURFING:

Diane Burchard, President, Teca Tu, Inc responded:
I enjoy receiving your tri-weekly newsletter. As an owner of a pet
shop in Santa Fe, NM how can we link to your site so that my customers
can log on? Thank you,

Editors response:
You may offer your web-visitors audio content when they visit your website. Cut and paste the code below to create a graphical link directly to the Animal Radio. When your visitors click this link, they will be able to surf your website while listening to the Animal Radio simultaneously.




______________________________________________________
PROBLEM WITH MY CHIHUAHUA:

Kristy Vargas writes:
I have a toy Chihuahua that has a breathing problem. He acts like he has Asthma. I have taken him to vets and have gotten many different reasons for this. One he has allergies, the others he gets excited and this is a normal reaction for his breed. Sometimes it is worse. He will be eating and start choking, and then start having what I call his Asthma attacks and yes even sometimes he does it when he gets excited. I have met a lady with the same type of dog and problem. I would really like to find a way to ease this problem or take it away. I have had allergy injections given with no help. It is like his throat will swell up so bad that he can't even drink water with out coughing. Please if you have any ideas of where I can get help for him can you let me know.

Dr. Virg Cleman's response:
It sounds as if your dog has a condition called "Collapsing Trachea". The
trachea is the wind pipe, the tube that carries air from the mouth into the
lungs. Normally, it is a fairly stiff tube, reinforced by cartilage rings to prevent collapse when the dog is breathing in and out rapidly. In small
or toy breed dogs (poodles, Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas, and
Pomeranians), sometimes the cartilage rings are soft or weak. Therefore,
when the little dog becomes excited, or is eating or drinking, the trachea
"collapses" partially making it very difficult to breathe. The dog coughs
and this relieves the collapse and the dog can again breathe normally. The
incidence of the cough is worsened by excitement, heat, humidity, exercise
or obesity. A dry "honking" cough is usually what is described. Also,
there may be a long standing history of intermittent coughing or difficulty
breathing. Severely affected dogs may even faint during an episode of
collapse. A thorough physical exam with blood work and radiographs (x-rays)
is needed to rule out some other conditions that can cause the trachea to
collapse. Tracheal collapse is most often diagnosed by clinical signs and
radiographs alone. Treatment involves weight loss (if obesity is present)
and the use of cough suppressants and/or antihistamines to help control the
cough and reduce tracheal inflammation.

______________________________________________________
ROME'S NEW HUMANE PRACTICES:

Pam Covington of Santa Barbara, CA responded:
Hooray for Rome!! I have long felt that throwing live lobsters into boiling
water was a hideous practice. No living creature should ever be subjected
to that kind of cruelty. I make it a practice to request from every grocery
store and restaurant that sells and cooks live lobster that they kill the
animal first. I believe it is called pithing. It is easy, quick and saves
the lobster from suffering. Nearly all of the time, this has never occurred
to the people I speak with. But when I request that they make it a policy in
their establishment, most are willing to do so. Of course, the best thing
to do is not eat lobster in the first place.

Melody K. Barrett of Hanoverton, OH responded:
I just this minute finished listening to the "Live Report" from Elizabeth Doyle from the cat sanctuary in Rome, Italy. I thoroughly enjoyed the Animal Radio Show and will make it a Saturday morning ritual in this house from now on. Thank you so much for all that you do.....God Bless All of You!
______________________________________________________
{Comments welcomed at: YourVoice@AnimalRadio.com}

================================================
BELIEVE YOUR LOST PET WILL BE RETURNED WITH A MICROCHIP? THINK AGAIN!
================================================
Unfortunately, while micro-chipping is a great idea, there is no guarantee that your animal will be returned safely.

There are three parts to the microchip:

(1) The chip itself, implanted under the skin that emits a radio frequency with encoded information;
(2) The scanner, which reads the information; and
(3) The database, which contains the ownerâs contact information

There are now two chips on the market today. The International Standards Organization (ISO) Chip, new to the market in the United States, which transmits information to a scanner on a radio frequency of 134.2 kHz, and a non-ISO microchip, that is widely used in the United States, that transmits at a frequency of 125 kHz.

The concern is that the current scanners at the shelters and veterinary clinics in the United States will not be able to read the new ISO chip.

While ISO resolved the issues of compatibility among technologies, they did not tackle the issue of tracking the two different types of chips. This will be a problem for the animals in the United States that have been implanted with these new chips, as well as those that will receive one in the future. Unfortunately, there has not been enough education provided to shelters and veterinarians using this new chip.

Until a ãuniversalä standard is agreed upon, please check with your veterinarian as to what type of chip he will be using on your pet.

You can learn more about microchipping at http://AnimalRadio.com

================================================
BABIES ON BOARD! SPRINGTIME BRINGS EXTRA CONCERNS FOR WILDLIFE
================================================
SILVER SPRING, MD - This time of year, people may think theyâre home alone until they hear ghostly scratching noises coming from the attic, or chirping sounds resonating from the chimney. Itâs baby season! Springtime is when many wild animals take advantage of holes in attics, uncapped chimneys, and openings under sheds to raise their young, said Laura Simon, the Urban Wildlife Director of The Fund for Animals, who recently appeared on ãThe Ellen DeGeneres Show.ä

ãThe easiest and most humane solution is merely to wait it out. The mother will move her family when the young are big enough,ä said Simon. ãDonât move the babies from their den site or the mother wonât find them.ä

According to Simon, trapping is a cruel and inhumane solution and will not solve the problem÷the mother animal usually gets trapped, leaving the orphaned babies behind. ãAnd hiring a commercial trapper can cost hundreds of dollars for a problem that homeowners can easily solve themselves.ä

Simon recommended these simple, humane solutions for evicting unwanted wildlife:
* For mammals, place a blaring radio, lights, and ammonia-sprinkled rags near the den or nest to encourage their departure. (For raccoons in the chimney, place the deterrents in the fireplace).
* Do this just before the animalsâ normal activity time; i.e. in the early evening for nocturnal species or in the early morning for diurnal (or daytime-active) species.
* After the animals are gone, be sure to put chimney caps on flues and close any other holes in the home.
Simon also cautioned would-be rescuers of ãorphanedä wildlife to make sure the animal is really orphaned. ãCertain wild animals, such as deer and rabbits, leave their young alone and only return to nurse them a few times a day. Only if a fawn is injured, wandering and crying incessantly, or if the mother is definitely dead, should a licensed wildlife rehabilitator be contacted (call your local fish and wildlife agency for a referral).ä

Simon also points out that contrary to myth, a baby songbird who has fallen out of the nest can simply be put back. If the nest is unreachable, the baby can be placed in a shallow wicker basket attached securely to a nearby tree limb.

The Fund for Animals has excellent tips for helping the public understand and solve wildlife dilemmas this time of year through its urban wildlife hotline at 203-389-4411 or its web site at www.fund.org

Get more info at http://AnimalRadio.com

================================================
ATTENTION DALLAS SUBSCRIBERS
================================================
In recognition of National Prevention of Animal Cruelty & Human Violence week, the SPCA of Texas is offering $10 rabies and booster shots the week of April 18-24 at both its Dallas and McKinney animal wellness clinics.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged. In Dallas, call (214) 651-9611 ext. 116 or 133; in McKinney, call (972) 562-7297 ext. 105. Recommended boosters are FVRCP for cats and DHLPP for dogs.

================================================
NO MORE HOMELESS PETS CONFERENCE
================================================
April 23 ö 25, 2004
Presented by Best Friends Animal Society
Alexis Park Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada

How can your community bring an end to the killing of healthy homeless pets?
Cities, counties, and entire states across the country are doing it... yours
can, too!
Join us for this gathering of experts from across the country as we explore
strategies to develop no-kill communities.

Some of the Speakers:
Mike Arms, President, Helen Woodward Animal Center
Richard Avanzino, President, Maddieâs Fund
Francis Battista, Rescue Outreach Director, Best Friends Animal Society
Gregory Castle, President, No More Homeless Pets in Utah
Merritt Clifton, Editor, Animal People
Rick DuCharme, First Coast No More Homeless Pets
Stewart Gollan, Treasurer, No More Homeless Pets in Utah Utah
Brenda Griffin, DVM, Asst. Professor, Auburn University
Linda Harper, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
Steven Hirano, Development Director, Best Friends Animal Society
Jane Hoffman, Mayorâs Alliance for NYC Animals
Don Jordan, Executive Director, Seattle Animal Control
Faith Maloney, Animal Care Director, Best Friends Animal Society Utah
Michael Mountain, President, Best Friends Animal Society
Donna Wilcox, Executive Director, Alley Cat Allies
Nathan Winograd, Tompkins County SPCA

Learn more and register at:
http://www.bestfriends.org/nmhp/conference0404.html

Listen to Animal Radio's live broadcasts from the conference. Log on to
http://AnimalRadio.com)

================================================
FINAL THOUGHT
================================================
ãDinner With My Familyä - Ed Kostro

I now have a wife, five precocious cats, and one hyper Chihuahua-mixed breed dog. Since we donât have children, I somehow manage to keep bringing home more and more of these delightful stray animals. I just canât help it, I guess. Although my spouse always grumbles at first, she soon learns to love these adorable little creatures as much as I do.

But my spouse simply cannot stand it when our feisty felines jump up on countertops or dressers, or our cunning canine hops up on the sofa. I, of course, donât mind this behavior at all. After all, theyâre members of my family.

When Rebecca and I first married, I quickly realized that cooking dinner would be my responsibility since my lovely spouse has been a workaholic her entire life. She still is. She always will be. Iâve never been a workaholic, and donât plan on starting now.

Since I always get home from work much earlier than she does, I usually cook the evening meal. When we first got married, I would carefully prepare a lavish dinner for the two of us, and hungrily wait to eat it until she arrived home.

I soon discovered that I was waiting far too long for her eventual arrival. I was a hungry man. I had eaten dinner fairly early my entire life. Old habits are extremely hard to break. Thus began my nightly ritual of eating dinner alone.

But a strange thing soon began occurring. My six pets soon began congregating around the kitchen whenever I prepared a dinner they especially liked. All six of them would become extremely quiet and attentive each time I made some sort of dish they craved.

I eventually began cutting up some of the cooked meal for them and spreading it around the kitchen floor on six tiny plates. As I dined at the table, they all eagerly dined on the floor. They all seemed to enjoy both my cooking and my company.

One evening, as they all sat anxiously awaiting another delicious home-cooked dinner, I filled their tiny plates, playfully placed these plates around our huge dining room table, and yelled out, ãdinnerâs ready, everybody!ä

To my utter amazement, all six of them eagerly jumped up on a chair and ravenously began devouring their meals at the table. Their table manners definitely needed some work, Iâm afraid. None of them even had the decency to wait for me to sit down and join them. They were too busy eating.

Thus began my sin of eating evening meals with my six family members gratefully gathered around me almost every night of the week. Although they lack certain social graces, and none of them are very good conversationalists, I do enjoy their excellent company. Itâs much better than dining alone.

On some evening, I even try conversing with some of them.

ãSo Monty, how was your day today?ä or ãtell me, Chica Blanca, did anything exciting happen around here this afternoon?ä or ãhowâs that nasty arthritis of yours today, gabby girl?ä

Usually, if I ramble on too long, or the questions I ask are too boring, the dinner companion Iâm directing my conversation to suddenly stops eating, looks up at me disgustedly as if to say, ãwill you shut up already, Iâm trying to eat,ä and eagerly resumes devouring his or her meal.

The usual silence around our dinner tables does have one great advantage, though. It enables us to hear my wifeâs key in the door when she occasionally surprises us and arrives home earlier than expected.

When we hear that metal key jangling in the front door, all hell breaks loose.

The six animals nervously jump down from the table, scatter to the dark corners of the house, and hide in fear of their lives. I jump up, hastily grab their six dinner plates from the table, and nervously toss them into the sink. I then try to act as nonchalant as possible as my wife finally enters the kitchen area.

ãHi sweetie! Youâre home awfully early tonight!ä

Whew, another close call.

But I fear that my dear wife has now figured out our daily dining arrangement. Sheâs a pretty smart gal, after all. After she eats the home-cooked meal Iâve left out for her, she usually washes the dinner dishes before trudging up to bed.

I now often catch her glaring at those six tiny dinner dishes. Then she begins grumbling, cursing softly under her breath, and shaking her head in disgust.

Thatâs when the five fearful feline creatures, the cowardly canine creature, and the old hen-pecked make creature all nervously race upstairs to bed before she ever has a chance to scold any of us.

(Copyrighted and reprinted with permission from Ed Kostro. Get his book now! It's an Animal Radio "5 paw" book called "Curious Creatures - Wondrous Waifs" - You can hear this story and learn more about Ed and the book at http://AnimalRadio.com)

================================================
ANIMAL RADIO STATION AFFILIATE LIST
================================================
2 million weekly listeners and growing. New stations soon TBA for central
California. *=Stations that air "Best Friends"

STATE MARKET CALL FREQ TIME DAY
AK Dillingham KRUP 99.1
AL Birmingham WSMQ 1450
AR Hope KXAR 1490
*CA Los Angeles KOST 103.5 6:30am Sun
*CA Santa Barbara KTMS 990 6pm Sun
*CA San Luis Obispo KVEC 920 6pm Sun
*CA Santa Maria KSMA 1240 6pm Sun
CO Buena Vista KDMN 1450 6:00 Sat
CO Colorado Springs KWYD 1580 6:00 Sat
CO Denver/Longmont/Boulder KLMO 1060 6:00 Sat
CO Vail/Aspen/Breckenridge KSKE 610 6:00 Sat
CT Bridgeport WICC 600
*CT Hartford WNTY 990 4pm Sat
CT New London WSUB 980
DC Washington D.C. WPLC 1050 9am Sun
FL Ft. Meyers/Naples WCNZ 1660 3 Sun
FL Sebring WWTK 730
GA Jasper WYYZ 1490
IA Marshalltown KFJB 1230
ID Idaho Falls KZNI 1260
ID Pocatello KZNR 690
IL Chicago WBIG 1280 3 Sun
IL Elgin WRMN 1410 2 pm Thur
IL Princeton WZOE 1490
IL Vandalia WTRH 93.3
IL Sterling WSDR 1240
IN Marion WGOM 860
KY Murray WNBS 1340
KY Murray WKJM 1320
LA Lake Charles KAOK 1400
MA Boston WBPS 890 3 Sun
MA Providence WPEP 1570
*MD Baltimore WHFC 91.1 noon Wed
ME Portland WLOB 1310
ME Rumford WLOB 96.3
MN Duluth-Superior WDSM 710
MN Waseca KOWZ 1170
MO Osage Beach KRMS 1150
MO West Plains KWPM 1450
MS Greenwood WABG 960
NC Albemarle WSPC 1010
NC Charlotte WSPC 1010
NM Clovis KICA 980
NM Los Alamos KRSN 1490
NV Las Vegas KSHP 1400 8pm Sun
*NY Crown Point WIPS 1250
*NY Brentwood/Long Island WXBA 88.1 9am Sun
OH Portsmouth WPAY 1400
OR Salem KYKN 1430
PA Ambridge WMBA 1460
PA Pittsburgh WBVP 1230
PA Youngstown WPIC 790
RI Providence WNRI 1380 3 Sun
*SD Mitchell KORN 1490 9am Sat
SC Greenville WAIM 1230
SC Florence WJMX 970
SC Charleston WTMA 1250
TN Chattanooga WGOW 1150
TX Brownwood KXYL 96.9
TX Tyler/Longview KRBA 1340
TX Lubbock KKYN 1090
TX Texarkana KTFS 940
*UT Brian Head/Kanab KREC 98.1 6am Sat
*UT St. George/ Mesquite NV. KDXU 890 am 10am Sun
*UT St. George KSNN 93.5 6am Sat
*UT St. George / Mesquite NV. KUNF 1210 6am Sat
VA Johnson City WFHG 980
VA Johnson City WFHG 92.7
*VA Richmond WHAN 1430
*VT Burlington WIPS 1250 9am Sun
WA Tri-Cities KTCR 1340
WV Bluefield-Beckley WHIS 1440
WV Tazewell WTZE 1470
WY Cheyenne KRAE 1480

Animal Radio not in your area? Call your local station and ask why.
Meanwhile, listen online.

CLICK TO LISTEN NOW:
Real Audio - http://AnimalRadio.com/cfc.ram
Windows Media - http://AnimalRadio.com/217.asx

Get a WEEKLY COMPACT DISC of ANIMAL RADIO:
http://AnimalRadio.com/order.html

================================================
HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS NEWSLETTER (sorry to see you go!)
To be Removed from this list - Please reply with "Unsubscribe" in the
subject line. You will be removed within 24 hours. NOTE: You must reply from
the exact same address that you used to sign up for this newsletter.

COPYRIGHTS {©2004 Animal Radioú- Various contributions have their own
copyright. Material in this newsletter may not be published or broadcast
without permission. All rights reserved}
================================================