PetHobbyist.com Site Blog

Longtime PetHobbyist staffer PHRascal lives in Cedar Rapids, and shared the struggles of humans and the animals they love in the aftermath of one of the largest floods in U. S. history:

I live in Cedar Rapids, IA, one of the cities hit very hard this past week by flooding. There are no words in the English language to adequately describe the extent of devastation here, but losses for the state of Iowa already have exceeded those of Katrina, and the tally climbs daily.

There are over 25,000 newly homeless people in Cedar Rapids now. Over 1300 city blocks of this town were flooded. The flood waters have receded and the massive cleanup has begun, but it is going to be years before this town recovers from this catastrophe. Cedar Rapids was actually cut in half for a while when all bridges across the river were closed due to flooding. Only 1 lane of the interstate was kept open for emergency traffic. One of two hospitals evacuated due to flooding. Both hospitals lost power for 2 days.

In addition to the many businesses and residences that flooded, the police station, the main fire department, the main post office, the federal court house, the county court house and jail, the sheriff's office, city hall, the public library, and the city animal shelter also flooded. Yet, to my knowledge we have had only 1 arrest for looting and the arrest of 2 idiots who tried to impersonate National Guardsmen and enter flooded areas. Alert National Guardsmen noticed their uniforms did not match the current issue and that fraud ended quickly. Police are on record as saying there will be a zero tolerance for scamming or price gouging, and all contractors have had to apply for a photo ID, submit to a background check, be adequately insured and references are actually being checked. Police have told citizens not to pay anyone in advance, for anything.

My home was just far enough from the river to escape flooding and I am very grateful to have experienced just the draconian water restrictions as just 1 pump out of 4 was working. We had a few power surges in this area, but did not actually lose power. Resetting the clocks a few times was a minor inconvenience. Traffic then was congested for some time as slowly the roads began to open after the large debris was removed from the streets and bridges, and people could see for themselves the wrath of Mother Nature. Most of us just gaped in disbelief.

Power is still out for the downtown area, including traffic signals, yet citizens are patiently navigating intersections. The water supply remains at 50% and probably will remain at that level for a while. The downtown area is full of large trucks from national disaster and catastrophe cleanup businesses and there is no shortage of need for those people. Most of the small businesses and almost all of the individuals are left to clean up the hard way, and everything they are handling is contaminated by flood water. The air in those areas is contaminated and people have been urged to wear the best mask they can find, wear gloves, wear boots and avoid touching anything directly. Easier said than done, for sure.

Even the buildings that are going to be demolished have to be emptied first. Rich, black Iowa topsoil has washed away only to be replaced by sludge and rock. Stock up on corn and soybean-based products now as costs for anything related to those products will rise sharply, including even your beef, pork and gasoline. Over 6,000,000 sandbags were used in Iowa this past week.

There are countless stories of loss and heartache, and many stories now of heroism, altruism and dedication to rebuilding this fine town. Iowans are helping Iowans as they always do in a crisis, but I want to put in a plug for one place that really needs help.

The city animal shelter was destroyed by the flood and those animals are now being housed at Kirkwood Community College. Fortunately, Kirkwood has agricultural programs and a vet tech program, along with a beautiful new equestrian arena and several barns. Kirkwood is also the temporary home to nearly 1000 animals, including pets rescued from flooded areas, new strays since the flood and drop-offs by owners who have lost their homes and currently cannot care for their pets.

As you can imagine, the expense is huge for this kind of undertaking. Each animal is microchipped, vaccinated, bathed and examined by a veterinarian on arrival. Medical needs are addressed. Local veterinarians have been generous with their time and volunteers have done a yeoman’s job of helping to care for the ever increasing number of animals. PetSmart and other businesses have contributed much needed supplies. HSUS, EARS and other national rescue groups have been helping rescue, transport and care for the animals. Even an HSUS group from Missouri has been here helping. I have volunteered out there and can attest that the animals are receiving excellent care.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated. If you can’t afford to donate, say a prayer for the people and pets who have lost their homes. Hug your pets and be glad they are safe with you.

Today, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Marshals seized various animal food products stored under unsanitary conditions at the PETCO Animal Supplies Distribution Center located in Joliet, Ill., pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Chicago.

U.S. Marshals seized all FDA-regulated animal food susceptible to rodent and pest contamination. The seized products violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because it was alleged in a case filed by the United States Attorney that they were being held under unsanitary conditions. (The Act uses the term "insanitary" to describe such conditions).

During an FDA inspection of a PETCO distribution center in April, widespread and active rodent and bird infestation was found. The FDA inspected the facility again in May and found continuing and widespread infestation.

"We simply will not allow a company to store foods under filthy and unsanitary conditions that occur as a direct result of the company's failure to adequately control and prevent pests in its facility," said Margaret O'K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "Consumers expect that such safeguards will be in place not only for human food, but for pet food as well."

The distribution center in Joliet, Ill., provides pet food products and supplies to PETCO retail stores in 16 states including Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

FDA has no reports of pet illness or death associated with consumption of animal food distributed by PETCO, and does not have evidence that the food is unsafe for animals. However, the seized products were in permeable packages and held under conditions that could affect the food's integrity and quality.

As a precaution, consumers who have handled products originating from the PETCO distribution center should thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap. Any surfaces that came in contact with the packages should be washed as well. Consumers are further advised as a precaution to thoroughly wash products sold in cans and glass containers from PETCO in the 16 affected states.

If a pet has become ill after eating these food products, pet owners should contact their veterinarian and report illnesses to FDA state consumer complaint coordinators.

AB 1634, California’s controversial proposed legislation to mandate sterilization of dogs and cats by 16 weeks of age, is dead in all but name.

The language of the bill has been completely rewritten by Senator Negrete McLeod, Chairman of the Local Government Committee. From Concerned Dog Owners of California :

Under this version mandatory spay and neuter is no longer discussed except as a remedy for dogs about whom complaints, which cannot be barking dog complaints, have been made to animal control. Presumably this would include loose and roaming dogs but would be more inclusive. At the third complaint for dogs, the owner would be required to have the dog altered at his expense. Further the fines for complaints are increased.

Earlier this week Assembly Member Lloyd Levine met with Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod to discuss AB 1634. Senator Negrete McLeod chairs the Senate Local Government Committee where AB 1634 has been held since mid-2007. The Senator presented amendments that remove all the current language of the bill and replace it with new language her office developed. The new bill targets only dogs and cats who are the subject of repeated complaints to animal control or repeated shelter impoundments. Assemblyman Levine agreed to adopt these amendments, which also adds Senator Negrete McLeod as a principal co-author.

[....]

I know many of you will not be happy with this proposal, and I am personally deeply disappointed that AB 1634 has been rewritten by Senator Negrete McLeod. But, please take a careful look at the new bill and the committee’s analysis, and come to your own conclusion about whether it might help decrease California’s pet overpopulation.

A group of stranded scuba divers fought off a Komodo dragon until they were rescued.

Elena Neralairen threw rocks at an aggressive Komodo dragon and scavenged for mussels on a remote Indonesian island where she and fellow divers were stranded for days after being swept away in treacherous currents.

The group — three from Britain and one each from France and Sweden — drifted 20 miles in sharp-infested waters before landing after nightfall on Rinca's palm-fringed beach, their last chance to avoid being swept into the open ocean.

But the next morning, it became clear their ordeal was not yet over. They came face-to-face with a deadly Komodo dragon, which can weigh as much as 365 pounds, and scared the beast away by screaming and pelting it with rocks and sticks.

There's no doubt about it - there have been major advances in the type of medical care available to our pets. This means that instead of euthanasia, nowadays pet owners have more advanced treatment options - along with the medical bills to show for it.

Health-care expenses are rising, not only for humans but also for their pets. According to the 2007-08 National Pet Owners Survey, 63 percent of U.S. households -- 71.1 million homes -- include a pet. Many of the pet owners are baby boomers no longer burdened with the cost of raising children and are willing to use whatever disposable income they have to increase the quality of life of their furry -- or scaly -- companions. "As we become a more pet-friendly environment, people want to take care of their pets more," said Jerrold Boone, a veterinarian at Adams Morgan Animal Hospital.

Veterinarians and financial planners said that anyone thinking of buying or adopting a pet should consider the potential costs beforehand, especially if they want purebred dogs, which tend to have more health problems than mixed breeds.
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"It's not unusual to have bills over $1,000, and that can have a major impact when people are not ready for that," said Anna Worth, a veterinarian in Vermont and president of the American Animal Hospital Association. "Not only do you need to feed and house and water this wonderful new pet in your family but you have to figure out how much it's going to cost to do preventative care each year, and what if something major happens?"

Drug resistant staph infections (aka superbugs) aren't just for humans anymore. Christie has written an article about these nasty infections which can be extremely painful, and deadly to our pets.

There's a new and growing threat to your pets' health, and while I wish I could tell you it's just another Internet rumor, it's all too real. I should know, because my dog is its latest poster child. I'm talking about something you might have thought only affected humans: drug-resistant staph infections.

We hear a lot about these types of infections in people these days, severe ones spread in hospitals and less severe ones spread in daycare centers, schools and gyms. Most human infections involve methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. In dogs and cats, the bacteria is slightly different — methicillin-resistant staphylococcus intermedius, or MRSI — but it's otherwise pretty much the same problem: some strains of a common bacteria found in and on most dogs, people and surfaces have evolved to resist the antibiotics we normally use to treat it.

As people try to make ends meet these days, many pet owners feel the need to cut costs where their pets are concerned. One money-saving tactic, buying cheap pet food, may not be all that healthy for the pets.

Soaring food prices have forced Brooklyn pet owners to trade in Fancy Feast for Kibbles 'n Bits.

A steady rise in the cost of pet food has cash-strapped animal lovers scooping up generic brands, according to storeowners.

"All of a sudden - boom - prices on pet food just skyrocketed up, and people began going from premium healthy brands to cheap dog and cat chow," said Sam El Romi, owner of Pet Emporium in Brooklyn Heights.

In the last few months, El Romi said, a can of Fancy Feast has gone from 49 cents to 69 cents. Premium Wellness has nearly doubled in price from $1 to $1.89.

The rising prices could spell bad news for Fido's health.

Menu Foods, and others who were involved in the pet food recall last year have agreed on a $24 million dollar settlement.

Menu Foods, other pet food makers and retailers involved in last year's massive pet food recall will set up a $24 million cash fund to compensate pet owners, according to a proposed settlement filed Thursday in federal court.

The fund is expected to compensate thousands of pet owners in the U.S. and Canada who bought recalled pet foods made by Menu and 11 others. The products had a contaminated ingredient from China that sickened dogs and cats.

The $24 million is in addition to $8 million that pet food makers have already paid to pet owners. Legal fees and expenses, which haven't been determined, will come out of the fund. The settlement, negotiated over the past seven months, would resolve more than 100 lawsuits by more than 250 plaintiffs brought in the U.S. and a dozen in Canada.

Officials are making provisions to help pet owners who may have to seek shelter in case of a hurricane. Taking what they learned from Katrina, their goal is to make it possible for people to take their pets with them in case of evacuation.

Officials making hurricane preparations along the Gulf Coast say they are trying to make sure pets and other animals have shelter during a storm.

Officials at the Alabama/Mississippi hurricane conference said they had organized networks of shelters and veterinarians, and that they are more prepared than when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The disaster taught them to expect thousands of storm evacuees with pets - everything from gerbils to potbellied pigs - they refused to abandon. Many evacuees then had no idea where to shelter their pets.

Please join us for a special guest chat with John Binns of the International Reptile Conservation Foundation and Fred Burton of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme will be joining us Saturday May 17, 2008 at 7 pm Eastern TIme (4 PM Pacific Time) to discuss the recent tragedy at the QE II Botanical Gardens, the latest developments in the investigation, and how you can help BIRP recover from this tragedy and support conservation.

To join us in chat, click here.

From the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, updating our earlier post (PDF):

After the death on Tuesday of another Blue Iguana injured in the attack on the Captive Breeding Facility last weekend, the condition of "Billy" and "Archie" has been an urgent concern. Responding to the crisis, the Wildlife Conservation Society dispatched specialist veterinarian Dr. Stephanie James to attend to these two large breeding males.

Dr James arrived near midday yesterday, and thanks to extraordinary measures willingly taken by the Department of Agriculture and the Cayman Islands Veterinary Board, she was formally permitted to get to work the moment she arrived.

X-rays at Island Veterinary Services had already confirmed "Billy" had some problems, and Dr. James' first examination of blood parameters confirmed that some of the types of injuries that had killed the other iguanas may also be present in these two. However Dr. James commented "the blood work isn’t nearly as disastrous as I’d feared".

The two iguanas were treated with a painkiller, antibiotic, and various other injections and infusions to counteract any developing infections and other possible consequences of internal injury. They are now being held in a natural enclosure under conditions designed to minimize all stress. They will be under close observation today, while Dr. James designs an ongoing treatment strategy.