Animal Radio® is America's Most Listened To Pet Talk According To ArbitronAnimal Radio® Show #550 June 19, 2010

 

 

 

Bob Barker - Retired From Show Business – But Not From The Animals! 

Bob Barker is best known as ringmaster for the game show The Price Is Right, a job that he held for 35 years from 1972 until his retirement.  Barker is also an outspoken member of the animal rights movement.

When asked about the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Barker gets emotional. “Remember those hostages they held in Iran during the Jimmy Carter years?” Asks Barker. “I think the Gulf oil spill could turn out to be Obama’s hostage problem.”

Lately, Barker is personally bankrolling the retirement of four lion cubs that were just liberated from what could have potentially been a life of forced performance thanks to a newly enforced Bolivian circus animal ban.

Working with Animal Defenders International, the cubs – one of which had its claws removed without anesthetic at birth and two which had their fangs sawed off so humans could dazzle crowds by sticking their heads inside — were accompanied on a long flight to San Francisco, sadly without their mother who was blind and so feeble due to a challenging life of circus performing that officials decided it would be more humane to euthanize her.

The lions have been relocated to northern California at the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), which serves as a safe house for exotic animals that are retired from performance, abused or otherwise abandoned.

Barker tells us that he recently watched a DVD, which shows the lions playing at the sanctuary, where they will spend the rest of their lives.  He mentions that this is the nearest thing to their natural habitat that is possible for them in captivity.   This gives him much pleasure.

Animal Defenders International is also trying to do the same thing in Brazil and Columbia.  They have also signed a bill in Bolivia that no circus will play in that country if it has animals of any kind, including pets. 

Barker also brings us up to date on the “Bob Barker,” the anti-whaling ship and a helicopter he purchased for the Sea Shepherds. The Sea shepherds currently have the “”Steve Irwin” ship, but they had to leave the area and go back to land to fuel up. Now, they are able to stay on the site where the Japanese are killing whales.  In the past, the most whales that they saved were just over 300,000.  But now, with the “Bob Barker,” they have been able to save more than 500,000. You can see the Bob Barker in action on Animal Planet's Whale Wars.

Currently, Barker keeps in shape by working out every day with his bunny, Mr. Rabbit.  Who knows, his next endeavor could be the, “Bob Barker Exercise Video With Mr. Rabbit!”

Barker has established the DJ&T Foundation in Beverly Hills, California, the purpose of which is to help control the dog and cat population. He is funding the foundation through his own resources to support low-cost or free sprat/neuter clinics. This foundation is named in memory of his wife, Dorothy Jo and his mother Matilda (Tilly) Valandra, both of whom loved all animals.

He might be retired from show business, but Barker states, "I've been so busy I wonder how I ever had time for a TV show!”

 


#1 in the #2 Business !

Alan & Marlene Wald - Doggie Doo Bag Dispenser  

Animal Radio is one week away before the big drawing for the Doggie Doo Bag Dispenser.  We have been asking listeners to call in or email us with your nomination of a park or beach, etc., near you where there is a desperate need for such a device.

We speak with Alan Wald, the inventor, and his wife Marlene.   Alan states that in their travels, he and his wife visited a lot of areas and noticed the lack of receptacles to clean up after pets.   However, when he traveled to Europe, he noticed that they were a little ahead of the states in this area.  There were, at the time, 30,000 units in Switzerland. The beauty of the system is that dog owners do not have to remember to bring along anything for picking up after their pets. The terrific part is they dog owners do not have to search for a trash bin, once the deed is done. Fast, simple and easy.  He saw many different types of devices and decided upon his return to the states that he would design something that would be people friendly. 

Alan then came up with his first wall unit.  He put a lot of thought into it, and designed it so that it would not have any sharp edges.  He also made it so that the bags pulled out one at a time, as opposed to pulling out on a roll, which could cause wastage.  He has also gone green, making his bags biodegradable.   Along with the commercial unit, he has developed a Home Unit, which uses the same bags.  However, if you flip the cover up, you can hang your leash on it.  The top is also flat, which allows you to keep your dog treats, keys, hand sanitizer and even a flashlight, all in one place. 

But Alan isn’t stopping there.  He is currently working on about 5 more different products. One item he just patented and trademark is called the “Talkie Tag.”   The Talkie Tag is the size of a pet ID and hangs on your dog’s collar and is completely weatherproof.  Unlike other talking tags, you can record up to one minute, and include information on your dog’s name and address.   And let’s not forget his “Ear-Clear Bowls.” When a long-eared dog is eating or drinking water, their ears tend to end up in the bowls.   But with the Ear Clear Bowl, the bowl is rectangular, so their ears clear the bowl.

Doggie-Bags.com

 

Aromatherapy For You and Your Dog

Fido Friendly Travel Talk With Susan Sims

Susan Sims speaks with Vicki Rae Thorne of Earth Heart, Inc.

What is Earth Heart all about?  For 18 years, Earth Heart has developed natural products using pure essential oils and other plant-based ingredients; products that are easy to use; affordable; safe and effective for the hole family.   Earth Heart has also offered classes that promote the use of herbs and aromatherapy as an integral part of healthy living.

Now, the focus has shifted for aromatherapy use in dogs.  About 10 years ago, a kennel owner asked for Vicki’s help in calming her dogs.  Vicki then formulated what is now known as Canine Calm, which was effective in calming the dogs from day one.   The kennel owner liked it so much; she wanted to use it as home and also when traveling. 

Earth Heart makes two products that are perfect for traveling, the Canine Calm and Travel Calm.   This helps sooth some of the restlessness that dogs sometime experience during travels.  Both products contain pure essential oils such as lavender, tangerine and geranium.   These are plants that are historically sued in remedies for relaxation.  The Travel Calm also contains ginger to help with tummy upsets. 

With either product, Vicki suggests that you first spray yourself with one or two mists, which keeps you calm and also helps your dog associate the scent with a person of comfort.  Then just before getting into your car, spray your hands and massage your dog’s outer ear.  You can also spray inside the car or the crate directly, or even mist a favorite blanket or toy. 

Thee are many instances where you might want to use Canine Calm for your dog.   Customers have shored stories of how they used it to help their dog with thunderstorms, fireworks, parties, competitions, visit to the clinic or kennel and even bath time. 

Fido Friendly Magazine:

The Travel Magazine For You & Your Dog, a complete guide to Fido-friendly accommodations across the United States and Canada. "Fido Friendly is the only magazine dedicated to the travel lifestyle of man's best friend, and the one magazine your dog will thank you for." And don't forget to join the Fido Friendly Travel Club.

FidoFriendly.com

FidoFriendlyTravelcCub.com

 

The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

Anyone who has a light or white dog, especially a Maltese, probably has to deal with tear stains.  These stains are a combination of bacteria and yeast.    The most common stains you see are called “red yeast.”  It is a reddish brown stain that runs down the dog’s eyes. 

Tear stains happen for a number of reasons, such as the eye area being wet all of the time, which allows the bacteria to grow.  The stain then gets into the hair shaft and starts turning the hair shaft brown.   One it gets into the hair shaft, it become extremely hard to eliminate. 

To start with, you need to get rid of the tears stains to make your dog look good.   So take a cup of distilled water (use distilled because we don’t want all of the other minerals in the water because they can also stain) and boil it and add a teaspoon of boric acid.  Boric acid is a little hard to find, but it is relatively cheap.  Let it cool down and put the mixture in a jar.  This should last about two weeks before it breaks down and you have to remake it.   Use a cotton ball to wet the stain area with the mixture (try not to get it into your pet’s eyes).  This should penetrate the hair and get rid of the stain.  However, it will not correct the problem. 

The problem can be caused by excessive hair growing into the dog’s eyes, it can be genetic, it can even be from food or from an eye infection, allergies or from even being hit in the face.  Basically, it can be from anything that will make their eye tear.  In rare occurrences, it can even be the tear ducts themselves, which surgery can correct. 

You should always keep your pet’s eyes dry and wipe them 2 to 3 times per day if necessary.  You can also make a mixture of boric acid and cornstarch (50 – 50 mixture) and apply after wiping.  The boric acid is going to help in taking the stain away, while the cornstarch is going to keep it dry. 

If you do this everyday, it will probably take about two weeks before you see signs that it is working.   Be patient.  It took time for it to develop it, and it is going to take time to remove it.

You can eliminate both problems and have your dog end up with nice white eyes if you keep up on this for the entire life of the dog.  You will even notice that the smell has gone away as well!

DOGFATHER'S GROOMING TIP Brought To You By SeniorPetProducts.com

 

Animal Radio® News with Bobbie Hill


Health Care Reform For Animals

Health care reform is in the news again, this time for animals.  The state of California’s State Assembly passed a bill this month requiring pet insurers to disclose more details to pet owners.  The measure forces health insurance companies that cover animals to disclose their policy limits on the main page of their website. The insurance companies must also make clear whether or not pre-existing conditions are covered.  The bill now makes its way to the state Senate.

Cats Under Quarantine

Cat owners around Flagstaff Arizona are under a quarantine to help officials deal with a stubborn rabies outbreak.  Health and wildlife authorities are asking that a lockdown of domestic cats continue through mid September to allow them time to trap local wildlife and disperse vaccine in feed packets. Those packets will be scattered using airdrops from   Williams to Winona.  The Coconino County Board of Supervisors approved the quarantine for areas east of Flagstaff, Mount Elden and Cheshire.

Cat Saves Woman From Attacking Dogs

A Texas woman says her cat saved her from an attack by two pit bulls.  Cherry Woods of Pearland Texas, just south of Houston, was walking near her home last month when she was approached by two large pit bulls who charged her and knocked her down.  Her husband tried to help but couldn’t separate the dogs from his wife.  Just then, Lima the cat jumped in and began scratching and hissing at the two dogs, estimated to weigh between 80 to 100 pounds.  The distraction gave Cherry’s husband enough time to pull her inside.  Local station KHOU could not reach the owners of the pit bulls who are under quarantine at the animal shelter pending a hearing.  Meanwhile, Cherry is recovering under the watchful eye of Lima the cat.

Groundhog Goes For a Ride

A woman in Athens, Ohio noticed a strange thumping noise coming from her car’s engine while running errands.  Rebecca Martin pulled over, lifted the hood and was greeted by the biggest groundhog she’d ever seen. Instead of a mechanic, Rebecca dialed 9-1-1.    It took Athens County Dog Warden Jeff Koons about half an hour to wrangle the groundhog out of the engine and out from under nearby cars.  Once captured, the critter was released in a rural area.

Drunken Parrots

Vets in the northern Australian town of Palmerston are dealing with a bunch of drunken parrots.  The lorikeets are exhibiting all the signs of classic drunk behavior like falling out of trees and loss of coordination.  The Ark Animal Hospital is treating dozens of the birds, with more arriving daily. Vets have seen this before and suspect it may be a plant the birds are eating or a virus. As they recover from their hangovers, the birds are fed sweetened porridge with fresh fruit but mostly just “ sit on the floor of the cage and rest their heads on the side.... curl up in the corner and hide under the paper.”

Fun Facts About Cats and Dogs

Here are some fun facts about cats and dogs you can use to amaze your friends at your next barbecue.  For example, domestic cats sleep an average of 16 hours a day...only sloths sleep more.  Only two mammal species have prostate glands - humans and dogs. Did you know your dog and cat’s nose prints are as unique as fingerprints?  Speaking of noses, the average bloodhound has close to three hundred million scent receptors in their noses while humans have 5 million.  Dog’s can only sweat in one place - between the pads of their feet. That’s the only sweat glands on the dog, which is why they pant to dissipate heat. A group of kittens is called a kindle while a group of cats is a clowder.  Did you know it takes 18 different muscles to move a dog’s ear? Finally, cats have roughly one hundred different vocalizations while dogs have about ten.

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