Two articles were published about dogs (and cats) in the New York Times on September 4, 2019, that describe, in part, varying positions of a complicated issue-spay and neuter of pets in the United States—“Spaying, Neutering and Rescuing Lead to Drop in Pet Euthanasia” by author Alicia Parlapiano and “Dogs Are Not Here for Our
Animal Health
Food Recycling in Hog Farming is Losing its Allure
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
The Swine Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 3801, et seq.), enacted in 1980, regulates food waste fed to swine and helps ensure that it is properly treated to kill disease causing organisms. According to USDA,
The Swine Health Protection Act (SHPA) regulates food waste containing any meat products fed to swine. Compliance with this
…
State Restrictions on Pet Burials in Cemeteries Can Be Hard on Owners
By Fox Rothschild LLP on
Losing a pet can be hard for owners. However, it can be even harder for those owners to know that they will be separated from their beloved pets in their final resting place. In the U.S., households own about 89.7 million dogs and 94.2 million cats.[1] When looking at total pet ownership, including horses,…
The Perils of Importation of Dogs from Egypt Acknowledged and Temporarily Ceased by US Government.
Rabies is a nearly 100% fatal disease when unvaccinated animals and humans are exposed. As previously discussed the risk of exposure to rabies from dogs imported from other countries, especially from Egypt, has increased exponentially resulting from the shift from pets purchased from USDA licensed or exempt breeders in to the unregulated sales of pets…
Guest Blog “Careless rescue importation exposes people to zoonotic disease” by Patti Strand
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Originally posted on July 9, 2018 at NAIA Official Blog, reposted with permission.
More troubling news from the wild world of rescue import has been picked up by the Worms & Germs blog : a rescue dog with a known history of chronic health issues is imported into a private U.S. shelter from Thailand…
Increasingly popular backyard chickens should be permitted but regulated to protect human and animal health.
An interesting study about ordinances governing backyard poultry ownership in Colorado was recently published, titled “A Method for Guarding Animal Welfare and Public Health: Tracking the Rise of Backyard Poultry Ordinances” (the “Report”).
The Report “tracks the development of municipal ordinances, with attention to provisions for animal health and welfare and significant concerns…
A proposed “Humane” license plate in New Jersey would dilute an existing program that helps pets and their owners.
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
A set of bills introduced in the New Jersey legislature would dilute funds from the decades-long spay neuter program overseen by the Department of Health, to the detriment of pets and their owners.
New Jersey bill S883 and sister bill A 2197 would authorize the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission “to issue special Humane State…
How animal rescue organizations perpetuate irresponsible dog breeding (and related issues) Part 2.
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Rescue Road Trips, inc. (the Rescue), as previously described, transports dogs from the south to the northeastern states for sale/adoption. The Rescue states that
No exchange of payment may occur within the boarders [sic] of the State of Connecticut.
Connecticut, in an attempt to protect consumers and pets, requires animal importers to register with…
How animal rescue organizations perpetuate irresponsible dog breeding (and related issues) Part 1.
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Retail rescue organizations like Rescue Road Trips, inc. (the Rescue) who purport to provide “loving, humane road trips to homeless, unwanted, and unloved dogs from Southern Kill Shelters . . . deliver[ed] to Loving ‘Forever Homes’ in New England and surrounding areas,” do nothing to decrease the number of dogs being irresponsibly bred. They actually…
Potential Risks from Pet Therapy Programs
Pet therapy programs have been expanding throughout the country, based largely on the increasing recognition that humans benefit from the human-animal bond. The human-animal bond is defined by the American Veterinary Medical Association as:
a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health
…