Coffee and Provocation

A Tax Cheat Starts a "Pet Sharing" Business
A couple of people sent me links to news stories about "Flexpetz," a business that claims it is in the business of "shared pet ownership." What the hell?? Apparently a naive press corps ate this strange concept up, but I smelled something funny right from the beginning. Well, it turns out my nose was right. Itchmo reports that Simon Brodie, the fellow behind this fur-brained idea, is a repeat problem-child with numerous collapsed businesses behind him, repeated charges of accounting fraud, massive IRS liens, and an outlandish claim that he created a new type of hypo-allergenic cat (which he will sell you for $20,000). Mr. Brodie's latest doggy adventure (dare I say possible scam?) involves seriously stupid people paying $150.00 "at registration to cover a mandatory one-hour introduction session with a trainer," and then $50 a month to spend a time with mutts that have been rescued from the local animal shelter. On top of all that, there is an "annual account maintenance charge of $99.95," and you have to sign up for a full year right at the beginning (i.e. $300 is due at the signing). So, to be clear, in that first year, you are going to be out $850 to give a few walks to some pound puppies. My guess is that your local animal shelter will give you a lot better deal!

HSUS : The Continuing Fraud
Itchmo reports that the continuing fraud known as the Humane Society of the United States is being "called out" by the Center for Consumer Freedom for pocketing money raised under false pretenses. In fact, almost ALL the money raised by HSUS is raised under false pretenses (they do not give a dime to local shelters, spend the majority of their budget on direct mail, and pay their executives huge salaries), but the specifics in this case are that HSUS was promising on its website that financial contributions would be given to helping “care for the dogs seized in the Michael Vick case.” A nice idea, except that HSUS is not taking care of those dogs, and is in fact pressing for their destruction according to The New York Times.

Let us Pray for the Soul of the SCLC
Dogster is reporting that the Southern Christian Leadership Council is honoring Michael Vick this weekend. There is no excuse for this: the dog fighting allegations against Vick are not new, and any invitation extended to him should have been scrubbed back in May. If the SCLC is looking to honor great black Americans, I can come up with a list in very short order, and Michael Vick will certinaly not be on it. How did the SCLC -- a once-great organization -- come to this low point? The mind boggles.

Another Sign of the Apocalypse
I came across this perverse method of "LoJacking" women while writing about Neuticals, and I could not believe that this was a real web site. But apparently it is. Yikes! This has no relation to dogs, but because it is another clear sign of the coming apocalypse, I inlcude it here. Start digging a concrete bunker in the backyard people!

PETA and AIDS
Over at the "My Stupid Dog" blog, I learned that Dan Mathews, vice president of PETA, is gay. That fact alone is hardly interesting or notable, except if you think about how many HIV-infected people in America (gay, straight and otherwise) depend on animal-based research to help keep them alive. Thinking people (gay, straight or otherwise) actually oppose PETA. Check out "Patient Advocates Against PETA" to see why.

Traveling with Dogs

I don't travel much with the dogs (no shows, hunt locally, etc.) but it occurs to me that a list of hotel chains that normally take pets (albeit with a surcharge if the dog is let into the rooms) might be of some use to some people.

• Red Roof Inn
• Ramada
• Best Western
• Days Inn
• Holiday Inn
• Super 8 Motel
• Comfort Inn
• Residence Inn
• Howard Johnson
• La Quinta Inn
• Econo Lodge
• Westin Hotels
• Sleep Inn
• Travelodge

A surprising number of top-end hotels will also take dogs. Hiltons generally do, for example, but there is often a weight restriction (i.e. no dog over 15 pounds, or 25 pounds or 50 pounds). Restrictions and surcharges vary from hotel to hotel.

For more information on hotel options, by state, and with restrictions detailed see >> http://www.1clickpethotels.com/

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Coffee and Provocation

How do You Spell Coccidiosis?
The Wall Street Journal reports that some feline owners are fearful of professionally processed cat foods made by big companies that actually have quality control personnel and bank accounts large enough to go after. Their solution is to buy fresh rabbit carcasses that have been ground up whole -- guts, brain, bone, fur and all. Good idea? Maybe not. Here's a tip: look up a few diseases like Cryptosporidium cuniculus, Giardia duodenalis, Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis cuniculi and see if they have a relationship to rabbits and cats. Remember: there's a reason we cook food in restaurants, and why wild animals that eat raw meat are generally dead at age two or three. Eating raw animals (even domestic animals) is not a good idea. Fire was invented for a reason.

Attack of the Killer Water Weed:
The New York Times reports that Caddo Lake in Texas is being eaten alive by Salvina Molesta, a type of South American water weed "with an ability to double in size every two to four days and cover 40 square miles within three months, suffocating all life beneath." No problem there!

Pet Insurance:
With insurance, the big print always seems to provide coverage, but the little print always seems to limit that coverage or void it altogether. Now consider pet insurance. When a pet insurance company denies your claim or pays out only fragmentary coverage, your only option is to hire a $10,000 lawyer in order to litigate a $2,000 claim. Not likely. So what do you do? You pay the vet, walk away bruised, and the Pet Insurance company pockets your premums and laughs all the way to the bank. Don't believe that's what happens most of the time? Then read what people with pet insurance have to say. Has anyone ever had a good experience with pet insurance? If so, tell us in the comments section (and sign it!).

Giant Alien Crabs:
Check out this picture and story over at Tom James Virginia Outdoors. Yow! Just what the Cheseapeake Bay needs -- more alien invaders.

Advice from a Mad Man:
Over at the Black Bear Blog, Tom Remington has sage advice from a mad man in Oklahoma who wrestles live coyotes: “If a coyote bites down" on you this gentleman says, “Don’t panic.” If you jerk your hand back, the coyote’s teeth will rip flesh off the bone. The thing to do is to calmly dig your fingernail into the soft roof of the coyote’s mouth. “When it lets go, grab it by the throat and yank it up. “When you get all four legs off the ground, the fight is over. You’ve won.”

Louisiana Hawking Blog Kicks Up Again:
Good news on the blog-o-sphere: Matt M. is cranking up his hawking blog again. Excellent!

Best Environmental News of the Month:
Sen. Ted Stevens's home has been raided by FBI and IRS agents looking into corruption. Corruption? No! Just because he has pimped out America's wild lands to the oil and gas lobbies, for more than 30 years? Why would you think there might be corruption there? Anyone who thinks getting a warrant for the most powerful U.S. Senator on Capitol Hill (who is also a Republican) does not know how it goes in this town. And yes, he could be as innocent as O.J.

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The Pet Economy and the High Cost of Vet Care

The cover story of this week's edition of Business Week is entitled "The Pet Economy," and the teaser copy reads:

"Americans now spend $41 billion a year on their pets — more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world.

"That’s double the amount shelled out on pets a decade ago, with annual spending expected to hit $52 billion in the next two years, according to Packaged Facts, a consumer research company based in Rockville, Md. That puts the yearly cost of buying, feeding, and caring for pets in excess of what Americans spend on the movies ($10.8 billion), playing video games ($11.6 billion), and listening to recorded music ($10.6 billion) combined.

"That means hotels instead of kennels, braces to fix crooked teeth, and frilly canine ball gowns. Pet owners are becoming increasingly demanding consumers who won’t put up with substandard products, unstimulating environments, or shoddy service for their animals.

"But the escalating volume and cost of services, especially in the realm of animal medicine, raises ethical issues about how far all this loving should go."

The high cost of veterinary care is something I have written about before. For a few posts on that topic (and a few others about canine costs in general), see:

• The Price of Putting on the Dog
• Veterinary Care Reaches Human Care Cost
• Vet Pricing Has Nothing To Do With Care
• Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Dogs
• Attempted Veterinary Extortion
• Murder by Can Opener: How Pet Owners Kill Dogs
• Get Over It: Bagged Food is Fine for Fido
• Do Food Secrets "They" Don't Want You to Know

For some good common-sense tips on how to keep veterinary care costs down, see the Terrierman.com web site for information on:

• Health Care in the Field
• Antibiotics for Less
• Veterinary Care Without the Bite
• Flea and Tick Remedies and Their Cost
• Common Dog Diseases
• Vaccines for Less
• Microchipping, Tattoos and Slide Tags

Remember: The money you save may be your own!

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