Dog food recall 1.4.09

Solid Gold Voluntary Recall - Turkey, Ocean Fish, Carrot, & Sweet Potatoes Formula

Turkey, Ocean Fish, Carrot, & Sweet Potatoes Formula Canned Dog Food 13.2 oz Cans – POP-TOP CANS ONLY WITH A ‘USE BY DATE 01/02/2010’ located on the bottom of can

A limited production of this Turkey canned food was made with the POP-TOP, and none of the product was distributed in any of the following states: Arizona, California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Hawaii, or Alaska. 

Solid Gold has received several complaints regarding mold found in a batch of 13.2 oz canned Turkey, Ocean Fish, Carrot, & Sweet Potatoes Formula, with Pop-Tops. As a precautionary measure, they ask that you return any of this product with the ‘Use By Date 01/02/2010’; you will find these numbers on the bottom of the cans.

• 13.2 oz Turkey and Ocean Fish Canned Dog Food.
• Purple label with a POP –TOP (Pull top) only.
• Date on bottom of can 01/02/2010
• Turkey and Ocean Fish cans without a Pop-Top are not affected.   

If you have this product with this date range, you can return it to the store you purchased it at for a full refund.

More about Sarah Palin's polar bear fiasco

According to the Washington Post, Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin is suing the Federal Government. Palin joined four companies who want to reverse the listing of polar bears as being endangered. They claim that the polar bear species as a whole are stable and that melting sea ice does not threaten their lives. The companies involved are the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Iron and Steel Institute, American Petroleum Institute and the National Mining Association.

The lawsuit was filed August 4, 2008-the government has 60 days to respond.

They object to what they call the "Alaska Gap" in relation to the special rule the federal government issued in May in conjunction with the polar bear's protected status. The rule, meant to prevent the polar bear's status from being used as a tool for imposing greenhouse gas limits, exempts projects in all states except Alaska from undergoing review in relation to emissions.

Read more here...

Sarah Palin's confusing view on polar bears.

I was reading an article on something related to animals, but not specifically polar bears. Something about feral cats not being responsible for the decline of birds. Which, by the way, humans are responsible for the decline of birds due to urban sprawl, pollution and global warming.

So, I was reading an article and found my way to another article written by Sarah Palin from January 5, 2008. I don't know how she came upon these opinions of hers. It seems to me that the polar bears are in definite danger and she just wants to keep her pocketbook full of money from the oil industry. She wants to drill in the Artic Refuge, where polar bears live. Isn't it common knowledge that the polar bears are in trouble?

Below is a confusing quote from her OpEd in the New York Times.

They are worthy of our utmost efforts to protect them and their Arctic habitat. But adding polar bears to the nation’s list of endangered species, as some are now proposing, should not be part of those efforts.

Another quote from Palin:

The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, has argued that global warming and the reduction of polar ice severely threatens the bears’ habitat and their existence. In fact, there is insufficient evidence that polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct within the foreseeable future — the trigger for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Read more from Sarah Palin

Here is a quote from the U.S. Geological Survey that seems to contradict what Sarah Palin claims is "insufficient evidence".

“There were some years when some bears may have had to swim as far as 100 miles,” Steven C. Amstrup, the senior polar bear scientist with the United States Geological Survey in Anchorage [Alaska, where Sarah Palin lives], wrote in an e-mail message. “Now the ice is much farther offshore, more consistently and for longer. So the possibility of long distances between land and sea ice is much greater.”

Read more about the polar bears

A study in Canada that contradicts her theory of "insufficient evidence":

In Canada’s Hudson Bay, a long-term study confirms polar bears are losing weight and bearing fewer cubs as global warming melts away their icy habitat. Click here to read the study.

Yet, another study that contradicts her statement, done in her own state!

The Alaska Conservation Solutions (Palin's home state) found that annual temperatures have increased 3–5 °F and winter temperatures have soared 7–10 °F. During the last four decades, Alaska has heated more than anywhere in the country.

So, I ask, how in the world can she say there is "insufficient evidence"? She lives in Alaska! She must be aware of these temperature changes but is not willing to admit to them.

I think she is choosing monetary gain over the lives of polar bears and other arctic life. We definitely don't want her in office.

What do you think?

Alaska: Support Felony Penalties for Animal Cruelty

Alaska is one of just seven states in the entire country with no felony-level penalties for the most egregious acts of intentional animal cruelty, such as burning, poisoning, and torture.

Legislation (S.B. 273) has been introduced in the Alaska Senate to make it a felony to torture or poison an animal. This bill also increases the penalties for being a spectator at an animal fight. Stronger animal cruelty laws are essential to protect animals and our communities. It is critical that legislators hear from their constituents who support this bill!

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite call to your state senator and urge support for S.B. 273 to strengthen Alaska's animal cruelty law. Click here to look up your state senator and the phone number.

After you make your phone call, fill out and submit the form on the right to automatically send an email to your senator. Remember to personalize the text below so that your message will stand out and have a greater impact.

Tell Lawmakers to Ensure That Animal Cruelty Is Treated as a Serious Crime

The Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007 would require the FBI to add animal cruelty as a separate category in its crime data reporting system. Contact your senators and ask for their co-sponsorship and support of this bill!

The link between animal cruelty and other forms of societal violence is a national concern. The practice of dogfighting perfectly illustrates this connection, as it is almost always linked to illegal drug and weapons violations, gambling, aggravated assault and gang violence.

Laws that enable law enforcement agencies to address animal cruelty increasingly improve the lives of animals. However, reported incidents of animal cruelty are still not getting the attention they deserve because there is no national system designed to track these crimes. Instead, when local and state police agencies report animal cruelty incidents to the FBI, they are labeled “other offenses.” This in turn makes it nearly impossible to access and respond to even the most basic information about animal cruelty crimes and their perpetrators.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) wants to change this. Today, Sen. Menendez introduced the Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007, which would require the FBI to add animal cruelty as a separate category in its National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Doing so will help law enforcement agencies track animal cruelty crimes, which will help stop the cycle of violence and allow researchers to study animal cruelty’s connection to other forms of societal violence. This critical bill ensures that animal cruelty is finally treated as a serious crime.

The American Humane Association supports this legislation. Tell your senators to co-sponsor and support the Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007!