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No. 147: Inside
Petside
Whether you're looking for
your Dalmatian's horoscope or a new motion-sensor
water bowl for you finicky Persian, you may want
to stop by a new Web site on the companion animal
scene. Petside.Com is offering visitors everything
from expert veterinary advice to breaking news.
Guest Kim Jack Riley, executive editor of Petside.Com.
Also, the Petcasters discuss
CareCredit,
an extended payment program you can use at the
vet and debate the truth behind that story of
a dog that got "lost" and made
its way home in northern Nevada. Oh, and we
visit the story of
Snickers, which we believe.
* * *
No.
146: Popping in on Poppy
Steve's mom returns to explain
what's gone right and wrong with her new puppy,
Poppy. That prompted chatter between the Petcasters
about how to use treats to encourage a dog to
do something. Emily also demonstrated her surprising
understanding of spray-cheese products. Steve,
meanwhile, wants to know how to stop Jack from
constantly doing his little trick. Also, the Mandalay
Bay in Vegas just got a komodo dragon for its
Shark
Reef attraction.
* * *
No.
145: High-Tech Pet Trackers
There's nothing
scarier for a pet owner than coming home to find
a front gate left open and a beloved pet missing.
Dan
Fost, a freelance writer basd in San Francisco,
discusses his recent New York Times article on
new technology to keep
track of your dogs. Sorry, it doesn't really
work for cats yet.
* * *
SPECIAL
VIDEO EPISODE
(Read Steve's NY Times piece on this here)
Steve visited Tomi Tomek of SOS Chats in Noriaigue,
Switzerland, in mid-March for a NY
Times piece on the quest in Switzerland to
ban the trade of cat fur.
* * *
No.
144: The Pet-Friendly College Dorm
For college
students leaving home for the first time, the
transition can be even tougher when it means leaving
behind a beloved pet. For more than 10 years,
the State University of New York at Canton has
offered an unusual solution: the pet wing in the
Mohawk Residence Hall. Courtney Battista, director
of residence life at the school, explains how
it works and why dogs and snakes are species non
grata.
Plus, the
Petcasters mull some things pet owners should
ask when they board their animals following a
fire that killed several pets at a Las Vegas veterinary
office and Steve ponders his dogs' fears of him
running on the treadmill.
* * *
No.
143: Are All Performing Pets Abused?
Since 1984, animal wrangler
Pat Derby and her partner Ed Stewart have offered
a haven for abandoned, abused and retured performing
animals. The
Performing Animal Welfare Society maintains
three sanctuaries in California, including 2,300
acres on San Andreas. That's the new home of Maggie,
until recently Alaska's only elephant, after the
state's zoo agreed to let her go in September
2007.
Plus, Emily catches
us up on Archie's agility triumphs and tribulations
and Steve affirms his adoration for his dogs after
admitting he's been feeding them big-dog food.
*
* *
No.
142: Wheelchairs for Pets
 \
Leslie Grinnell,
co-owner with her husband Eddie of Eddie's
Wheels, joins Emily and Steve by phone from
Shelbourne Falls, Mass., to explain the origin
of their business creating custom carts for mobility-disabled
pets. The Grinnells found the company after their
Doberman named Buddha lost use of her hind legs
and Eddie figures out a solution.
Also, the duo is joined by Mayor
Scott Mangold of Powell, Wyo., whose council passed
a new law dictating the number of rabbits.
* * *
No.
141: The Problem With Importing Pets
Before you send a money order
to Tasmania for that adorable yorkie you found
on Craigslist, you may want to hear from today's
guest, California attorney John Hoffman. In his
distinguished legal career, Hoffman has done pro
bono work for dog organizations, and as a result,
has become an activist working to combat the problem
of unscrupulous puppy importers. He and a Boston
attorney, Charlotte Creeley, built a website called
TheWrongPuppy.Org, where they advise the public
on this trend.
Also, Steve discusses the pet-related
story he worked on while in Switzerland.
* * *
No.
140: A Vet Student’s Life
The Petcasters are joined by Loren Noblitt, a
second-year veterinary student at Purdue University
in West Lafayette, Indiana. We speak to a lot
of animal experts on this program, but we’ve
never really looked into the process of veterinary
education, so we wanted Loren to join us and tell
us what it’s like. Loren earned a MS in
veterinary pathobiology in 2003 and began veterinary
school in August 2006.
Plus, guest host Amy chimes in on whether she’d
have a pet funeral.
* * *
No.
139: Don’t Animals Think?
As a counterpoint
to our episode No. 36 entitled "Do Animals
Think?", we are joined by Eugene
Linden, a widely published author and journalist
whose Parade Magazine last year on new evidence
about animal intelligence that caught our attention.
Linden's career began in 1972 when he covered
the Vietnam War, and his work, which has appeared
in the Smithsonian, Time and the Atlantic, tends
to focus on nature and the environment, and it
was a piece in . Linden has written more than
a half-dozen books including such titles as "The
Octopus and the Orangutan: New Tales of Animal
Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity" and
"The Parrot's Lament and Other True Tales
of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity."
Plus, a bizarre
Swiss
catnapping case and the top 10 items surgically
removed from pets.
* * *
No.
138: Listener Petcast Scrum!
Amy (bulldogs Lola (left)and Leon), Lin (parrot
Pollyester at center) and Malya (a springer spaniel
named "Chester" Chesterfield Aliwishous
Shakespeare" at right) join us to discuss
life with their pets. Amy, guest host, describes
how she found her newest dog, Lola, via YouTube!
* * *
No. 136: Archie Eats A What?!?
Hearing is believing
this time out as Emily describes what disgusting,
stretchy item Archie swallowed. Plus, on the OTHER
end of the spectrum, the Petcasters go over the
results
of the 2008 Westminister Kennel Club Show
and ponder the light-snack
packets for pets.
* * *
No.
135: Lurch, The Amazing Blood-Donating Dog
We all know the
importance of blood banks for patients recovering
from surgery, accidents or treatment for cancer
and other diseases and disorders. What you may
not know is that animal blood banks regularly
save the lives of companion animals facing the
same kinds of health challenges. Joining the Petcasters
is a surgical technician at a veterinary clinic
in Fowlerville, Mich., where her English bull
mastiff, Lurch, is an on-call emergency blood
donor. His generous spirit earned Lurch an award
earlier this week from the American Red Cross.
Also, Steve takes the dogs to the vet.
* * *
No.
134: The Pet Funeral Director
Pets give us unconditional
love, which is one of the reasons why saying goodbye
can be so painful. For pet owners in Phoenix,
Arizona, there’s a new company offering
help with that final fairwell. Joining the Petcasters
is Skip Knopke, founder of Fairwinds
Pet Memorial Services. He has more than 35
years in the death care industry, and is a certified
cemetery executive. Plus, the Petcasters ponder
whether cats will prevent
human strokes and heart attacks.
* * *
No.
133: Do Competition Dogs Take Performance Enhancers?
National
Humane Education Society educator Maria Keith
joins the Petcasters to explain the 60-year-old
group, which advocates on behalf of animals, through
information services, rescue and relief assistance
and adoption services. Plus, Emily has yet another
health scare for Archie, this time related to
his eyesight, and Emily also reveals some of the
tricks of the competitive-dog trade. Do they juice
up?
* * *
No.
132: Springer Spaniel Rage
Lynn Brezina, a
certified dog trainer in the Chicago area, joins
Emily and guest-host John to answer a question
from listener Malya, who asked whether the idea
of 'springer rage' is real or fictional. Brezina
is also an officer with the Great Lakes English
Springer Spaniel Breeders Association. Plus, the
Petcasters mull the
amazing tale of the cat in the suitcase!
* * *
No.
131: Pet, uh, Pigeons?!?
Nichole Lucht and
and Phil Poburka, a pair of Las Vegas-area pigeon
enthusiasts, join Emily and guest-host John in
the studio to show off some pretty pet, uh, pigeons.
Yes, they can be your friends! Plus, Emily explains
her alternate, canine-related Super Bowl plans.
John catches us up on his three cats and how they
would interact with the addition of a puppy.
* * *
No.
130: The Healing Power of Pets
Author Sharon
Sakson, whose latest book is “Paws
& Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs,” discusses
her research and writings on the importance of
animals for people who are sick. Sakson is also
an AKC confirmation judge and a producer for the
Westminster Dog Show.
* * *
No.
129: A Trainer to the Stars
Vickie Marx, Laguna
Beach, Calif., owner of the West Coast Academy
of Dog Training, offers tons of terrific tips
on training dogs and opines about the growth of
the animal-training biz. Her training company
is at 949/360-7773 or email her at vmdogs@sbcglobal.net.
Plus, Emily talks about Archie's recent sleepover
and his amazing muffin-stealing incident and she
and guest-host Amy ponder vitamins for animals.
* * *
No.
128: The Reptile Man
Andy Snider, director
of animal care and conservation at Fresno
Chaffee Zoo, shares his tales of animal research
around the world (including on Armenian viper
and Galapagos turtle pictured above) and also
discusses issues related to having reptiles as
pets. Guest-host Amy is pondering a new English
bulldog puppy to add to her family so Emily offered
some thoughts about how to go about it, including
a long discussion of the different sorts of breeders.
* * *
No.
127: A Legal Team For Animals
Joyce Tischler,
general counsel and co-founder of the Animal
Legal Defense Fund, describes the work that
the group does to protect the rights of animals
and their owners. Their first case had to do with
trying to stop Naval officers from slaying wild
burros, ultimately leading to those animals being
adopted.
* * *
No.
126: The Mobile CSI Unit for Pets
Animal forensic
investigation pioneer Dr. Melinda Merck, who chatted
with Emily and guest host John, chats with Steve
at the ASCPA headquarters in mid-December about
the $220,000 van is dubbed the Mobile Animal CSI
unit. Steve, in NYC on family business, quizzed
Dr. Merck about the first specially equipped vehicle
for an investigator to take to process animal-related
evidence at a crime scene. Dr. Merck will use
it in her work in the Atlanta area. Also, why
are Steve’s dogs afraid of the bathroom?
* * *
No.
125: Why Old Birds Lay New Eggs
Terri Jones of the Arcadia
Bird Sanctuary and Educational Center in Freehold,
N.J., discusses her facility’s mission and
answers a question from a listener about why her
old parrot, Polyester, suddenly started laying
infertile eggs. Jones also takes on some listener
complaints about our guest on Episode No. 116,
who suggested cockatiels can be “fixed.”
Also, Archie triumphed at agility last month and
Steve is appalled by a friend’s insistence
at feeding his poodles from the table.
* * *
No.
124: Schnauzer Mania
Schanuzer expert Jeri Muntis answers a listener
question about how to keep the dog’s beard
white. Her answer was a bit of a surprise to Emily.
The Vegas-based Muntis, who raises champion miniature
schnauzers and handles them in competitions ranging
from obedience to agility, brought a schnauzer
puppy and full-grown schnauzer and discussed tail-docking
and ear-cropping, common for this breed. Plus,
an update on the tiger attack at the San Francisco
Zoo and celebrating (or not) Black and Jack’s
birthdays.
* * *
No.
123: His $11,000 Newsweek Turn
Fred Lynch. a professor at Claremont McKenna College
in California, wrote a Newsweek
“My Turn” essay this summer about
spending $11,000 on cancer treatment for his cat,
Fritz. Lynch joins the Petcasters to discuss the
reaction to his piece. Plus, the topic prompted
the Petcasters to wonder how much we would spend
to save our animals.
* * *
No.
122: Mom Gets A New Puppy
Steve’s mom, Joan Friess, calls in to consult
with Steve and Emily about her new puppy, Poppy
Seed, a 3-month-old silky
terrier. The Petcasters also discuss Hannukah
presents for their pets.
* * *
No.
121: An Iraq Vet’s Gripping Tale
Sgt. Ron Portillo,
badly injured in Iraq, joins Steve and Emily in
the studio discusses a
program he created to provide service German
shepherds for other wounded war vets. Since this
conversation, Portillo decided to abandon the
program because he was overwhelmed by his own
recovery, but the conversation is a fascinating
reminder of how important pets can be to improving
the human spirit.
* * *
No.
120: ASPCA's Guide To Gifts
It’s the
holiday season again, and you might be considering
what sort of gifts would work for your pet-loving
friends. Steve and guest-host Amy chat about some
ideas is Jo Sullivan, a senior vice president
at the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals. The ASPCA has its own line
of products that they sell to help fund their
other activities and that page can be found here.
* * *
No.
119: The Chicken-Soup-For-Pets-Lovers Writer
Author Amy
Shojai calls herself an "equal opportunity
pet lover since birth" A former vet tech
who became a certified animal behavior consultant
and author
of 22 books on pets including "Chicken
Soup For the Dog Lover's Soul" and "Chicken
Soup For the Cat Lover's
Soul." She is past president of the international
Cat Writers’ Association, of which she was
a founder, as well as a contributor to numerous
cat and dog magazines. Shojai joined Amy and Steve
to discuss her career.
* * *
No.
118:
The Skinny on Pig Rescues
Mary Schanz of the Ironwood
Pig Sanctuary in Marana, Ariz., describes
her fascinating 15-acre, 450+-pig refuge for unwanted
porkers. Also, Emily and Dayvid ponder the question
of whether to include pets in holiday cards.
* * *
No.
117: Turning Woofie Into Warhol
There were a lot of odd and interesting
products at the SuperZoo trade show that Emily
and I attended in September, but one that really
caught our eyes was Artcasso, an art kit you can
buy for your budding little Monet or Cezanne.
Or, as Tammy Zaiko says, your
Pup-casso or Kitty-casso. We weren’t
the only ones intrigued; the kits won second place
earlier this year in the gift category for Best
in Show at the American Pet Product Manufacturers
Association’s Global Pet Expo. Zaiko joins
Emily and Dayvid to explain. Plus, Emily follows
up her dog-rescue "study" with one about
cats. Sort of.
* * *
No.
116: The Bird That Lays Too Much
Tennessee listener Bay Loftis
had to give up a cockatiel that was laying too
many eggs. It’s a serious issue because
it could lead to egg binding, a fatal problem.
So she gave up the bird to a bird shop in Knoxville,
Tenn., called Strictly Feathers. Owner Gwen Woodward
explains all of this and more for Emily and Dayvid.
Plus, Emily did an informal study of stories about
dogs who rescued families.
* *
*
No.
115: The Puerto Rican Dog Crisis
Katie Block, the Baltimore-based
founder of Island
Dog Inc., joins Emily and Dayvid to discuss
horrific
recent reports about mass dog slaughters in
Puerto Rico. Block’s organization works
to improve the difficult circumstances of dogs
in the American territory, where there are no
animal shelters. Plus, Emily offers a checklist
for how to travel by air with your pets.
* * *
No.
114: Making Pets Eco-Friendly
Al
Gore's slideshow doesn't address it, but there
is an environmental movement afoot in the pet
world. The market-research firm Packaged Facts
says U.S. retail sales of natural pet products
will hit $1.3 billion this year, double from 2003
and half of what's expected by 2012. One reason
is the activism and entrepreneurship of our guest,
Anthony
Zolezzi, a co-founder of the Pet Promise line
of pet food. Zolezzi and his partners formed Pet
Promise in an effort to create a market for small
family-owned farms raising animals in environmentlaly
friendly and cruelty-free ways. Zolezzi is co-author
of "How Dog Food Saved The Earth" and
he offers us ideas as to things we can do as pet
owners to keep save the planet.
*
* *
No.
113: Taking Heartworm To Heart
Everyone knows that heartworm is a very dangerous
disease to all kinds of pets, but we don’t
really know that much about what it is or how
to prevent it. Here's the 411 from Dr. Sheldon
Rubin, a practicing vet for nearly 40 years, author
of books on dog and cat care and the current president
of the American
Heartworm Association. He’s also the
past president of the Chicago Veterinary Medical
Association and was named the American Animal
Hospital Association’s Practitioner of the
Year in 2003. Plus, guest host Amy describes what
her birds thought of a snack bar Steve brought
her birds from SuperZoo and discusses bird diets
a bit.
* * *
No.
112: When A Dog Bites A Child
Emily's friend Sandy Gold
joins us to discuss what her options are since
her dog bit one of her kids' friends on her bottom
lip, resulting in stitches. Plus, an Austrian
court case asks the question of whether a 26-year-old
chimp named Hiasl (above) is a person.
*
* *
No.
111.5: The CA Fires Crisis
The massive devastation
in Southern California firestorm this month has
given the nation a chance to see if disaster preparedness
management has learned anything about how to deal
with pets and pet owners since Hurricane Katrina.
Like Katrina, hundreds of thousands of residents
of an urban area have been forced out of their
homes and into overcrowded public shelters sometimes
with but sometimes without their animals. Joining
Steve and guest-host Amy to offer sense of the
crisis and to discuss the local, state and federal
responses to the tragedy as it pertains to pet
owners is Simran Noon, spokeswoman for the San
Diego Humane Society and Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals.
Plus, Emily calls
in to chat about Archie's David Beckham Halloween
costume and his performance this weekend in an
agility trial, and Amy's bulldog Leon also is
getting dudded up for the holiday. You can view
pix of David "Archie" Beckham and Leon
En Tux on The Petcast blog by clicking here.
* * *
No.
111: SuperZoo Special #2
In the second part of our
live SuperZoo 2007 coverage, we chat with folks
from Lafeber
bird products, For
Dogs' Eyes Only training videos and the animal
wigmaker Wiggles.
Something for everyone!
* * *
Petcast
Video #1
This is our first
video
episode, this time showing Georgia Peach trying
out the Puppy
Love Paw Pads. Enjoy!
*
* *
No.
110: SUPERZOO SPECIAL #1
[See
more pix on the blog here]
In our first out-of-studio outing,
the Petcasters spent a day at the SuperZoo 2007
pet-stuff trade show. From liver biscotti to dog
paw pads to the Furminator, Emily and Steve saw
all kinds of interesting possibilities and products,
and Emily considers making Archie a French artist
for Halloween. Plus, an on-site interview with
Terry Donaldson, whose wife invented a schnazzy
ChokeFree dog harness.
Links to products
discussed on this episode:
Upcountry.Com
Puppylovepawpads.com
Furminator.Com
Liverbiscotti.com
Chokefree.Com
* * *
No.
109: Lynn Johnston's Pet World
[Hear Steve's full chat with Johnston
here
and read his USAT piece here]
Cartoonist
Lynn Johnston of "For Better or For Worse"
spoke to Steve about weathering the controversy
surrounding her 1996 decision to kill off Farley
the dog and about her approach to animals in her
cartoons. Plus, tragedy strikes Emily's neighborhood,
why she's not eating bacon anymore after reading
this story from the Las Vegas newspaper and
are chihuahuas known as jumpers? Also, we discuss
an odd USA
Today story about a kill-it-yourself farm.
* * *
No.
108: Asking Ask Dog Lady
Monica Collins,
Boston-based author of the syndicated column "Ask
Dog Lady," explains how her column took
off. Also, guest Petcaster Dayvid Figler wonders
that existential question, "What would your
dog's first statement be if he/she could speak?"
Also, Dayvid asks, "Can you overpet a dog?"
Happily, the Petcasters asked Ask Dog Lady the
second question.
* * *
No.
107: Emily Richmond, Goldfish Slayer
Emily's sister
calls in to relate a take of Emily's childhood
cruelty to goldfish! Emily finally confesses and
apologizes. Plus, the director of San Francisco's
Animal Care and Control, Carl Friedman, discusses
the remarkable success and controversy surrounding
a new law requiring the neutering/spay of all
pitbulls. A piece about the law, California's
first breed-specific law, and its stunning results,
is here.
* * *
No.
106: Picking Pets With Diane Pomerance
Author Diane
Pomerance joins Emily and guest Petcaster
Dayvid Figler to discuss her latest book, "Pet
Parenthood: Adopting the Right Animal Companion
for You." Dr. Pomerance is a founder
of the Pet Grief Counseling Program for the SCPA
of Texas and is author of the acclaimed children's
nonfiction book on pet loss, "When Your Pet
Dies." Find all of Dr. Pomerance's books
here.
* * *
No.
105: Flyball Takes Off
Las Vegas couple
David Pohl and Keith Brown join the Petcast with
Devon, their McNab, to describe their new passion,
Flyball. This being Vegas, Devon's team is the
Fly
N Aces and you can see their site here.
Plus, David and Keith explain how they ended up
adopting this once-neglected dog, a happy ending
to a standard sad Petcast story.
* * *
No.
104: Itching for Itchmo
Ben Huh, founder
of Itchmo.Com, joins the Petcasters to chat about
what has fast become one of the most important
pet-journalism sites on the Internet, getting
a bit push from their work breaking stories on
the pet-food recall mayhem. Also, the president
of Steve's HOA writes a bit inappropriately about
cats in the neighborhoods.
* * *
No.
103: Rent-A-Pet?
Marlena Cevantes,
founder and owner of FlexPetz,
explains her controversial dog timesharing company.
Plus, Emily's co-worker adopted an abused puggle
puppy and Emily is excited that she helped solve
a potty problem. Also, Steve describes the visit
to the vet and the potential cost of doggie teeth
cleaning.
* * *
No.
102: Duck Poop and Reptiles Happen
Dayna Rich with
the Colorado
Reptile Humane Society discusses why people
surrender their reptile pets and what people ought
to know before they get one. Plus, Steve explains
what sort of damage the ducks from Episode 100
did and the Petcasters discuss whether people
angered by Michael Vick ought to be vegetarians.
* * *
No.
101: Moving Pets Across Country
Karen Chadwick,
owner of
Professional Pet Transports, explains how
her company transports animals for people who
are moving and don’t want to drive it or
fly it. Plus, Steve rolls out some corny dog jokes
from the kids’ page of the newspaper. The
dog’s role in a Phoenix helicopter crash
and taking your dog to work.
* * *
No.
100: A Petcast Centennial!
For our 100th show,
Emily blindfolds Steve and forces him to determine
what sort of animals are placed in his hands.
Then they discuss these animals with Cindy Bezard
of Boulder City, Nevada, who raises the critters.
Plus, Steve and Emily expound upon what they’ve
learned in 100 shows.
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