Nature's Variety has recalled their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet for dogs and cats with a "Best If Used By"� date of 11/10/10 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The only products affected are limited to chicken medallions, patties, and chubs with a "Best If Used By"� date of 11/10/10. No other Nature's Variety products are affected.
The affected products are limited to the Nature's Variety Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet packaged in the following forms:

* 3 lb chicken medallions (UPC# 7 69949 60130 2) with a "Best If Used By"� date of 11/10/10
* 6 lb chicken patties (UPC# 7 69949 60120 3) with a "Best If Used By"� date of 11/10/10
* 2 lb chicken chubs (UPC# 7 69949 60121 0) with a "Best If Used By"� date of 11/10/10

The "Best If Used By"� date is located on the back of the package above the safe handling instructions. The affected product was distributed through retail stores and internet sales in the United States, and in limited distribution in Canada.

If you are a consumer and have purchased one of the affected products, please return the unopened product to your retailer for a full refund or replacement. If your package has been opened, please dispose of the raw food in a safe manner by securing it in a covered trash receptacle. Then, bring your receipt (or the empty package in a sealed bag) to your local retailer for a full refund or replacement.

Nature's Variety became aware of a potential problem after receiving a consumer complaint. Subsequent testing indicated that the lot code related to the consumer complaint tested negative for Salmonella. However, additional subsequent testing found the "Best If Used By"� date of 11/10/10 to be contaminated with Salmonella.

If you're not a sports fan, tune in to Animal Planet on Sunday for some adorable puppy action! On February 7, Puppy Bowl will be back for its sixth year, showing from 3-5PM and then repeating throughout the night.

An all-star, all-adorable cast will mix it up on the gridiron, and this year, the network is bringing the cuteness to a new level with bunny cheerleaders and a kitten half-time show!

All of the precious puppies come from shelters, including the SPCA of Anne Arundel County (Maryland), Pennsylvania SPCA, All Star Pet Rescue (New Jersey), Waveland Animal Shelter (Mississippi) and All Paws Rescue (Missouri).

If you're interested in adopting your own rescue pup, you can visit Petfinder.com.

To vote for this year's MVP (Most Valuable Puppy),visit AnimalPlanet.com. But before you vote, click through to get a glimpse of this year's starting lineup!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Social networking is going to the dogs.

In its first-ever toy created for the canine community, Mattel is introducing a product called "Puppy Tweets" that meshes the hugely popular Twitter with consumers' love of pets.

Puppy Tweets is a plastic tag with a sound and motion sensor that you attach to your pet's dog collar and connect its USB receiver to your computer. Then you create a Twitter account for your dog and enjoy updates all day from Sparky or whatever its name is on your computer or smartphone.

The tag is set with several pre-recorded tweets that are triggered by the dog's activities. So if he's running around, you might get a tweet that says "I finally caught that tail I've been chasing and...OOUUUCHH!"

If Sparky is napping, he'll tweet "Somedays it feels like my paw is permanently on the snooze button!" If he's making a ruckus, his tweet will let you know that as well, saying"YAHOOOOOOO! Somedays you just gotta get your bark on."

"Puppy Tweets capitalizes on two popular trends - the use of social media and real time communication, as well as peoples' extreme love for their dogs," said Susan Russo, Mattel's director of marketing.

Puppy Tweets is part of the No. 1 toymaker's line-up of new products for 2010 that it showcased to members of the media Thursday ahead of the industry's annual Toy Fair in New York next month.

Jim Silver, a toy industry analyst and editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com, said he was "curious" about Puppy Tweets when he first saw it.

"I thought that a 5-year-old doesn't know about Twitter," he said. But he said that Mattel is going after an entirely different market and "expanding beyond kids" with Puppy Tweets. "This is a product for adults."

"It's a good thing to try especially since no one else has come up with a pet product quite like this."

Puppy Tweets will be available at retailers in the fall, and will carry a suggested retail price of $29.99.

I know this isn't a dog story, but it's disturbing none the less as it demonstrates that no matter how many times animal cruetly is reported and profiled on the news, there are just some people that just don't seem to get it.

Not only are we disturbed and greatly saddened by outcome for the pet in question, but also for the child that was asked to perform this task by his parent. What kind of world are we living in where this is deemed acceptable as a just corrective message by any parent. How will this affect the child later in life in social setting and his own development? And what state of mind is this parent in?


WARM SRPINGS, Ga. "” A Georgia woman is in jail after police say she forced her son to kill his pet hamster with a hammer as punishment for bad grades.

The sheriff of rural Meriwether County told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday that the 12-year-old boy told his teacher about the killing. The teacher reported it to the Division of Family and Child Services, who contacted police.

Sheriff Steve Whitlock said 38-year-old Lynn Middlebrooks Geter of Warm Springs faces one charge each of animal cruelty, child cruelty and battery.

The sheriff's office said she remained in the Meriwether County jail early Friday. It was not immediately known if she had a lawyer.

Meriwether County is located about 90 minutes southwest of Atlanta.

Many parents will be scouring the internet to find the best deal on toys and gadgets this Christmas, which means facing the online threat of "˜counterfeit' goods. However, there's another item on the list and it's not the latest games console or fad toy, but one of the 50,000* trafficked puppies believed to be imported from Ireland each year, as well as those bred by unscrupulous breeders in the UK.

Nearly a third (32 per cent) of people thinking about buying a puppy admitted they will search the internet or ads in a local newspaper to find a cut-price, puppy bargain and 45 per cent would be prepared to pay less than £200, according to new research from animal welfare charity, the RSPCA.

The charity is concerned that, despite warnings not to buy a puppy this Christmas, people are unaware of the threat of potentially huge hidden costs, and dangers of buying a "˜counterfeit' puppy.

Furthermore, almost one in five people (19 per cent) planning to buy a puppy are giving in to the demands of their family's children. The research shows that the combination of desperate parents, and the Christmas rush for presents, could create the perfect storm for the puppy "˜counterfeiters' who have little regard for animal welfare and whose main concern is profit.

When asked about buying a puppy, 92 per cent of those planning to purchase feel it is important to know where it has come from, yet more than half (56 per cent) say they plan to get one from an advertisement in a newspaper, on the internet or from a pet shop. Based on complaints received from members of the public, the RSPCA believes this increases the chance of buying a "˜counterfeit' puppy, with potentially fatal health problems such as Canine parvovirus or worms. This means that some new owners could find themselves facing the heartache of a very sick or even dead puppy after Christmas.

Justine Pannett, spokesperson from the RSPCA, said: "The RSPCA warns people not to buy puppies as Christmas presents. It's quite shocking to learn that despite this, people may be treating shopping for a puppy in much the same way they would for other Christmas gifts, like a Wii, and looking at ways to make savings wherever possible. There's no cheap way to be a puppy owner. People thinking about buying a puppy don't just need to plan for the initial cost of buying it. They also need to consider the on-going costs and commitment needed to care for a dog throughout its life."�

The RSPCA emphasises the importance of thorough research before buying a puppy. A few examples of checks that can be done include always seeing a puppy with its mother in the place where it was bred, as well as checking vaccination cards and vet details carefully. The charity also advises that if the vet's contact details are obscured or are registered outside of the UK, the vaccination card could be a fake.

One mother from Kent, who remains anonymous due to an ongoing investigation, gave into pressure from her children to buy a puppy and has regretted not researching its origins ever since. This October, after scouring the newspapers and internet an advertisement on a website selling puppies caught her eye. She went to the breeder's home in Surrey with her family and paid £250 for Archie, a Jack Russell puppy. Despite seeing what the breeder claims was a vaccination card, within five days Archie became dehydrated, was diagnosed with suspected Canine parvovirus and placed on a drip. A few days later he was put to sleep.

"We were all absolutely devastated,"� the Mother said. "I feel like I've been very naïve but you don't expect to get a puppy and for it to die just a few days later. Archie was supposed to have been vaccinated, but when we looked closer the card we had been given by the breeder looked like a fake. Next time we will do more research and think very carefully about where we get a puppy from."�

Justine concluded: "Puppy trafficking is an appalling, profit-driven business and we can't emphasise enough the importance to Britain's dog-loving public of working together to fight the puppy "˜counterfeiters'. It's not always easy to spot a trafficked puppy just from looking at it, but we recommend doing thorough research before buying a puppy, to help save heartache and spare people from lining the pockets of unscrupulous "˜counterfeiters'."�

To find out more about puppy trafficking please visit www.rspca.org.uk/puppytrafficking

Pet Carousel has initiated a recall of all Pig Ears and all varieties of Beef Hoof pet treats because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The problem was discovered after FDA testing found positive results for Salmonella in pig ears and beef hoof products.

These products were recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect both humans and animals. People handling dry pet food and/or pet treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the treats or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella may experience some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Although rare, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their health care provider immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may only experience a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed any of the affected products or is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

The following products have been recalled: The affected pig ear products were packaged under the brand names Doggie Delight, Pork Tasteez and Pet CarouselItem No.: * 18100-P Bulk* 18016-P 10-pk red mesh bag* 18120-P 20-pk red mesh bag.

The affected beef hooves were packaged under the brand names Choo Hooves, Dentley's, Doggie Delight, and Pet CarouselItem No.: * 1506-K 5 lb. bulk* 1507-K 10 lb. bulk* 1520-K 20 lb. bulk* 12125-T 10-pk vinyl bag* 12110-T 10-pk, vinyl bag* 12111-T 10-pk, vinyl bag* 12122-T 10 lb., bulk* 1503-K 3-pk, vinyl bag* 1510-K 10-pk ,vinyl bag* 1405-S 5 lb., bulk* 1408-S 10-pk, vinyl bag* 1410-S 10 lb., bulk* 1420-S 20 lb., bulk* 90058-H Cheese/& Bacon Stuffed Hoof, bulk* 90056-H Peanut Butter Stuffed Hoof, bulk* 17005-R Rope toy with Hooves.

The products were distributed nationwide in both bulk and retail packaging for sale in pet food and retail chain stores throughout the country. All sizes and all lots of these pork ears purchased on or after 08/16/2009 and all beef hoof products in all varieties purchased on or after 09/16/2009 made by Pet Carousel are included in this alert.

Pet Carousel has completed notifying its consignees and requested the consignees return affected products and remove them from retail sales. Out of an abundance of caution and concern for public safety, Pet Carousel is issuing this press release to inform consumers of potential risks and to ensure that all affected product has either been returned or otherwise removed from use.

Consumers who have purchased the products described above should cease use and return the product to their place of purchase. Additionally, consumers with questions may contact Pet Carousel at 800-231-3572 from 8:00am to 4:00pm PST.

The Daily Woof gets asked to review items from time to time and we especially enjoy books and useful products.

Sometimes it is difficult to adequately review an item in just mere words, as sometimes the item reviewed seems to transcend conventional narratives and is more of a "˜feeling' than anything else. That's how we feel about the book "Dog Town: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption."� from National Geographic Press.

This book clocks in around 300 pages and is a collection of heart wrenching stories, all true, from the viewpoint of various staff members at the Best Friends Animal Society just outside Kanab, Utah. For those that have ever watched the show, both some of the staff and dogs will be very familiar to you, but the writings contained within can capture and compliment those tales seen within the television show.

Each of the 15 chapters follows the story of a rescued dog. The stories can really touch your soul and it's impossible not to have empathy for both the dog and the caretaker in question. From abused animals, to older and sickly ones, these are first hand accounts told from the viewpoint and words of those on the front line.

Some of the chapters end in happiness, and some do not. It's fact, it's raw, and makes one really think about animals and the volunteers in a whole new light.

The chapters are accompanied with nice black and white photographs, and there is also educational and training tips contained within as well (Thanks to Pat Whitcare). The education comes in exposing puppy mills, dog fighting, and other important care related issues.

As we said, it's hard to put into words the power of this book. The Daily Woof highly recommends this as a "˜must read' for anyone who has ever loved or cared for not just a dog, but any animal and the people who volunteer their skills and time to ease their suffering and make a "˜quality' life. 5 stars.

Oh, and every book that is purchased? A portion of the proceeds goes to the Best Freinds Animal Society.

Buddy, a 4-year-old beagle, was reunited with his New Jersey family on Monday after 98 days spent on unihabited Gull Island in New Jersey' Manasquan Inlet.

The Kelleys, of Eatontown, N.J., lost control of Buddy on Aug. 31 as the family attempted to switch the dog's leash while frolicking on Dog Beach in the Manasquan.

Two months later, Buddy "” who had lost so much weight he was little more than skin and bones "” was spotted along railroad tracks near the deserted island.

"The Coast Guard said they had seen him digging in the sand," said Edith Kelley. "He might've been looking for clams or sand crabs."

Exactly how the dog survived is unclear, but Kelley said Coast Guard officials told her the dog might have survived on dead seagulls found on the island. But by the time a local man, "Muskrat" Jack Neary, successfully trapped Buddy on Monday, the once-35-pound dog had dropped to just 19 pounds.

Kelley's husband, Charles, said he still can't fathom how Buddy made it back home.

"I'm still walking around in a funk, it's hard to believe," Charles continued. "I mean, is this true? It's hard to believe."

Edith Kelley, whose son Patrick cares for Buddy, said the family is simply "ecstatic" to be reunited with their "miracle" dog.

"I couldn't believe it "” after 98 days," she said. "And he's behaving like he never left. He didn't go feral."

I adopted your dog today
The one you left at the pound
The one you had for seven years
and no longer wanted around.
I adopted your dog today
Do you know he's lost weight?
Do you know he's scared and depressed
and has lost all faith?
I adopted your dog today
He had fleas and a cold
But don't worry none
You've unburdened your load.
I adopted your dog today
Were you having a baby or moving away?
Did you suddenly develop allergies?
Or another reason he couldn't stay?
I adopted your dog today
He doesn't play or eat much
He's very depressed
But he will learn again to trust
I adopted your dog today
And here he will stay
He's found his forever home
And a warm bed on which to lay.
I adopted your dog today
And I will give him all that he could need -
Patience, love, security and understanding.
Hopefully he will forget your selfish deed.

SYDNEY "” A bomb-sniffing dog that disappeared during a fierce battle in Afghanistan between Australian troops and militant fighters has been found and returned to its unit after more than a year.

And Sabi the black labrador is getting a celebrity welcome home.

Sabi was with a joint Australian-Afghan army patrol ambushed in restive Uruzgan province in September 2008, triggering a gunfight that wounded nine troops and earned one Australian soldier the country's highest bravery medal.

But there was no sign of Sabi after the battle, and months of searching failed to find any sign of the retriever "” until now.

Defense officials said Thursday that a U.S. soldier recovered Sabi at an isolated patrol base elsewhere in Uruzgan. Further details about the base were not given.

The dog was returned to the Australians' base in the province just in time for a visit by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was photographed Wednesday along with the U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal petting Sabi.

"Sabi is back home in one piece and is a genuinely nice pooch as well," Rudd told reporters.
Exactly where Sabi has been or what happened to her during the past 14 months will probably never be known, though that she was in good condition when she was found indicated somebody had been looking after her, military spokesman Brig. Brian Dawson told reporters in Canberra.
The dog was being tested for diseases before a decision was made on whether she can return to Australia.

Old dog in a locket

That lays next to my heart

I will always love you

As I did right from the start.

You were right beside me

Through the darkest of my days

It was your kind and gentle nature

That made me want to stay.

Now I hold you in my arms

Your breath still warm against my hand

Our hearts still beat together

And I wonder if you understand.

Through the hours that I held you

Before the light did leave your soul

I knew a way to keep you

Forever in my hold.

I snipped the hair from around your eyes

So I would always see

The beauty that surrounds me

Even in times of need.

I snipped the hair from around your ears

So I would always hear

Music in the distance

To quiet any fears.

I snipped the hair from across your back

To bring me strength in time of need

And the power of your essence

Would always be with me.

I snipped the hair from around your heart

That beat in time with mine

So I would know that love would find me

At some distant time.

And so, your life slipped out of mine

On a quiet Spring like day

But I knew that a part of you

Was always here to stay.

Old dog in a locket

That lays next to my heart

I will always love you

Even though we had to part.

LAURENS COUNTY, Georgia (CNN) -- It was 8 a.m. October 15. Our CNN crew had been up for a while, waiting. We still didn't have an address.

My producer, Susan Brown, and I had several questions: What would the living conditions of these dogs be like? What about the man whose door the Sheriff's Office was about to knock on? He was unaware of the raid that was about to occur in his backyard. Despite all of our planning, unknown variables were at play.

First stop was the Sheriff's Office in Laurens County, which is in central Georgia. Starting with information from a tip line, authorities had uncovered clues that led them to believe they needed to intervene and investigate.

The plan was this: The sheriff would drive to the property to execute the search warrant for particular objects generally associated with dogfighting, and for the dogs themselves.

Expressing concerns about the conditions at this private residence where dogs were suspected of being bred for dogfighting, Laurens County Sheriff Bill Harrell said, "If anything is going wrong, we want to get it stopped."

Private investigators with Norred and Associates Inc. will work alongside Harrell and his deputies, leading tactical teams. The teams were made up of veteran investigators donating their time, effort and expertise, along with volunteers of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society, who would collect and care for the dogs.

All of the team members had experience with animals, particularly pit bulls. Based on information from the tip line, they were starting the day prepared to find as many as 60 dogs chained up in the woods behind one man's house in East Dublin, Georgia. These men and women waited, braced for battle -- only the war they were waging was on animal cruelty.

"I want to thank everybody for coming. It's for a good thing. It's for the dogs." Chuck Simmons, a private investigator and former police chief, was mapping out the search area on a dry erase board.

He was warning his crew about snakes, water from recent rains and nonsocialized dogs.

After loading up crates on several trucks, everyone headed out. With the address of the raid location in hand, our crew joined a convoy of half a dozen cars down several rural roads to our final location. We arrived at a one-story ranch house with several acres of grounds.

The sheriff beat us there. He and his deputies were already roping off this man's front yard with yellow crime tape. Rollin Monta "Monty" Loyd, the property owner, appeared furious. As the teams moved into the woods behind his home, our crew was stuck in front and across the street.

We could not go on the property to get the shots we wanted, because that would be trespassing. We couldn't see the dogs, but we could hear them. The private investigators, who where part of the raid, videotaped the operation.

Half an hour into the raid, reports began to come in. The good news: The dogs were still there; news of the raid hadn't leaked. The bad news: There weren't 60 dogs, as anticipated; there were more. The final count was 97.

Most of the dogs were pit bull terriers; many were puppies. They were found cowering in cages or chained. Some older dogs were scarred -- possible signs of fighting, investigators said. Others were malnourished, simply skin and bone.

Their conditions were atrocious, according to Terry Wolf of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society.

"Their chains are too short to reach shelter, those who have shelter. The water that they have seems to be recent rainwater with algae in it, and I've seen no food bowls. Most of them are very timid," Wolf said. "They seem to be human-friendly, but they're attention starved, and they're definitely not socialized. You can tell they've been living hidden in the woods, out of sight."

Irene Sumner, director of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society, talked through tears, overcome before the count had been completed.

She told us about a puppy found dead and tossed aside into a used plastic bag.

"I wouldn't do that to anybody. How can they -- what do you need 80-plus dogs for? There's no reason for it. It would be totally different if it was a kennel situation where they were housed, fed, vetted, all of the above. We don't know all of the information on that yet, but you can visually see that that's not the case here," Sumner said.

The Sheriff's Office says no evidence of dogfighting or training was found on the property, but veterinarians will examine the dogs for any physical signs of fighting. Test results will take several days.

As volunteers continued to count dogs and buzzards circled overhead, property owner Loyd waited out front with members of his family. He was angry.

CNN tried to speak to him, to give him a chance to tell his side of the story.

He didn't want to talk. Instead, he shouted to go see his lawyer. When reached, Loyd's attorney said: "My client has not participated in dogfighting and is not charged with dogfighting."

Loyd was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. Neighbors and family members whom CNN spoke with came to his defense, saying Loyd loved the dogs and they were bred to be pets.

The founder and CEO of the private investigation firm heading up this raid isn't buying it.

Since the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's dogfighting ring, Greg Norred has been donating his firm's time and expertise and his own money to rescuing dogs.

"I'm an animal lover. I've always been an animal lover. And in the wake of the Michael Vick case, I always thought there might be something I could do about animal cruelty, and with the type of business that I'm in and the resources that I have, it seems like dogfighting is the best vehicle that I can use to do something about animal cruelty."

In the past two years, Norred's team has volunteered for at least 16 raids. They've helped put 20 people behind bars and saved 200 dogs. Make that almost 300 after this most recent raid.

Several hours into the raid, the first group of dogs was transported from the woods to an undisclosed location. A CNN crew was allowed to go but could shoot only from inside this building.

Investigators feared that if there were any identifiable marks outside the property, someone might recognize it and steal the dogs. Authorities couldn't take that chance. But they did allow video of some of the dogs from inside the cages. They had taken many puppies, which looked helpless.

Volunteers feared one puppy wouldn't make it through the night.

The next step for these dogs is to determine which ones are healthy enough to possibly be adopted. Some, sadly, won't share that fate. They'll have to be put down.