Clipmarks | Pet Clips

Protect Pets

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:53:08 GMT

clipped by: dmccluredvm
clipper's remarks: Write to the Governor and your state representatives to stop taxation of veterinary services. Health care services should not be taxed, even for animals.

Clip Source: www.marketwatch.com

California Veterinarians Ask Governor to Not Tax Veterinary Services

State Veterinary Association says taxing pet and food animal health care could result in increased pet abandonment, euthanasia and public health concerns

The current proposal to tax veterinary medical care is contained in the administration's "Governor's Budget: Special Session 2008-09" document. The proposal recommends that on February 1, 2009, the sales and use tax be broadened to include services, such as "appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair, golf, and veterinarian services."

Tags: pets, veterinary care, taxes, california, budget

HYPOALLERGENIC OBAMA DOG

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:17:00 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: Perhaps it is time to find the cure for allergies

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

What makes a dog hypoallergenic?

Is there really such a thing as a dog that won't cause allergies?

NO ALLERGIES? The Obama family is considering getting a goldendoodle (half poodle, half golden retriever) as the First Pet.
Fooferkitten via Flickr

Barack Obama has promised the future First Daughters a dog, and his eldest, 10-year-old Malia, has zeroed in on a so-called hypoallergenic breed to accommodate her allergies. Her top pick is a goldendoodle, a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle, though the future prez has hinted about adopting a rescue dog, noting that "a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me."

Why are some people allergic to dogs?

Would a hypoallergenic dog be a good option for people who are otherwise allergic to pooches?

What types of dogs might be better for allergy suffers?

What about the Peruvian Hairless Dog, which that country has offered to the Obamas? Is it better for allergy sufferers?

Are purebred dogs healthier than other dogs?

What puppy should the Obamas get?

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:58:45 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

Weigh In on What Dog Barack Obama Should Bring to the White House

President-Elect Barack Obama's getting ready to move his family to the White House. During his victory speech at Grant Park in Chicago Tuesday night, he promised his daughters, Malia and Sasha, a gift they're surely going to expect on move-in day: a new puppy.

What kind of dog should the soon-to-be first family get? Weigh in by clicking on "Post Your Comment" below.

Tags: obama, dog, pet, family

It's farewell to our great friend Bush

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:26:37 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Pres. Bush still has friends in the world?? In Australia.

Thanks. You, the Brits and Israel.

Clip Source: www.theaustralian.news.com.au

It's farewell to our great friend Bush

In his America, allegedly awash with racism, militarism and bitter religion, the white war hero with the evangelical running mate got creamed and the black man of letters got the presidency.

This should be an important change in global politics and it offers an Obama administration a unique moment of opportunity.

It has most often been this way in US history -- presidents get into trouble when their notional friends control the Congress.

There will be no political check or balance on the Democrats, no obdurate blocking opposition to stymie pet spending plans.

And as a nation we are just about to lose the best friend we ever had in the White House.

The world may hate George W. Bush, but by God he was a good friend to Australia.

Fish tank toilet

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:57:18 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Fish tank toilet 'will cut water use'

A Chinese firm has come up with the perfect solution for pet-loving families who don't have the space to keep animals: the fish tank toilet.

By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 9:23AM GMT 04 Nov 2008

The cistern may look like an aquatic torture chamber, but it is actually completely safe, both for humans and the fish.

The toilet has three separate tanks – one for water flowing in, one for water flowing out, and a third for fish and underwater plants - ensuring that the fish always have enough water to swim in, and are never sucked into the bowl.

The firm behind the toilets say they are ideal for Chinese families seeking company for their only children, but without the room for a stand-alone fish tank or bigger pet.

They are also environmentally friendly, the Runto Sanitary Ware claims. Because the flushing tank has been reduced to make space for the fish tank, the toilet uses far less water than similar models.

New guidelines for pets

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:02:05 GMT

clipped by: valann 47

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Absurd" new guidelines advise pet owners against allowing dogs to beg at the table

Failing to notice your dog is getting fat, feeding it at the table and chocolate treats are all animal cruelty that could end up putting someone in jail under new government guidelines.

Chocolate, raisins or grapes are "poisonous" for pets, according to the code, while a dog should not be disturbed when eating as this can cause "food-related aggression".

The new codes of practice for owners of dogs, cats and horses, just released for consultation, are part of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to prevent cruelty. The guidance says that breaching the three codes will not in itself be a crime, but it could prove to be the deciding factor in whether an individual is found guilty in court of a pet welfare offence – which carries a maximum jail sentence of six months or a fine of up to £20,000. Opposition policiticans criticised the "over the top" rules that "take people for fools".

Tags: guidelines, animals, rspca, pets, welfare, offences

Is your dog your next sweater?

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:15:24 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "Better a sweater from a dog you know and love than from a sheep you'll never meet." Photos of people in sweaters they knitted from their pet's fur.
No, I haven't tried this. But I had a hamster once.

Clip Source: ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com

These aren't just lovely portraits of people posing with their pets, but look a little closely and you'll see that the owners are wearing sweaters and vests that resemble the fur of their dogs. And they should because they were literally made from them.

Below is a series of photographs (an ongoing project) by photographer Erwan Fichou of people posing with their beautiful dogs, sporting canine couture... actual sweaters and vests made from the hair (fur?) of their own pet dogs.

Tags: knitting, clothing, pets

Palin and the fruit fly or just plain ignorance

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:59:59 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: One might have thought that Sarah Palin would take a more active interest in one aspect of scientific research. Palin's youngest son has Down's syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21. Although a geneticist by training, I am certainly no expert on the pathogenesis of this condition, nor the significance of Drosophila research into Down's syndrome. So, I typed "drosophila trisomy 21" into PubMed, the scholarly biomedical equivalent of Google. There were 109 results, the most recent published just the day before Palin's gaffe. The concluding sentence of that study — about the genetic cues that steer nerve fibres around during the growth of the fruit fly — suggests that the paper will "have implications for the pathogenesis of Down's syndrome".

These two are drops in the ocean of fruit fly research that have clinical relevance. Down's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, autism, diabetes, ageing research, cancers of all types

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Palin and the fruit fly

Sarah Palin may have alienated herself from the entire basic research community

"You've heard about some of these pet projects, they really don't make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not."

"I'm going to be as restrained and measured as I possibly can about this. But this is the most mindless, ignorant, uninformed comment that we have seen from Governor Palin so far, and there's been a lot of competition for that prize."

the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is arguably on a par with the mouse as the founding model organism for the field of genetics.

Palin said in the same speech that "early identification of a cognitive or other disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changing difference".

The discovery, made in Drosophila fruit flies, may lead to advances in understanding autism spectrum disorders

Tags: election, science, genetics

Shocking Politics

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:01:29 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: his son just wanted to see how the sign was put together
riiiiiiiiight

Clip Source: www.breitbart.com

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Shawn Turschak of Chapel Hill was tired of someone stealing McCain-Palin campaign signs from his yard. Turschak, with a degree in electrical engineering, hooked up a third sign to a power source for an electric pet fence Monday and also put up a surveillance camera.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that a 9-year-old boy with an Obama-Biden sign grabbed the McCain-Palin sign and got a jolt on Tuesday.

The boy's father, Andrew Noble, upset that his son had been shocked, showed up at Turschak's door. Soon an Orange County sheriff's deputy also showed up at the Turschak's home.

Noble said his son just wanted to see how the sign was put together. Turschak said the boy intended to swap out the signs.

Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass said he doesn't plan to file charges.

___

Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com

Tags: politics

6 Rules To Keep your Woman Happy!

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:55:02 GMT

clipped by: Hunnybun
clipper's remarks: Boys, this is a very important list....I dare you to read it!

Clip Source: punkinseeds.blogspot.com

It may be that you've heard this kind of advice before, but hell, it can't hurt to just 'refresh' your memory can it.....and this is only a wee list, as I'm breaking you in gently.....

Only men like to give their body parts pet names, women don't....so stick to calling our bits by terms that we use...it's just a lot easier!

Nose picking, ear poking, penis adjusting, farting and ass scratching are all HUGE TURN OFFS, so if you do any of them in our presence, don't look hurt and offended when we say we don't immediately want to jump on top of you and have mad monkey sex!

'Giving wedgies' is strictly to be kept for male bonding moments. If we've worn thongs to please you, then yanking them upwards until we scream, is a sure fire way of having us back in granny panties in seconds!

Asking if our 'ex' was big in the wangdoodle department is not a smart move and we can't be arsed with the hysterics afterwards......so don't ask unless you have thicker skin than a rhino wrapped in foam!

Tags: advice, men, women

Pet Fashion Week 2008

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:45:34 GMT

clipped by: lekahe

Clip Source: www.treehugger.com

Pet Fashion Week may be a bit of a misnomer for the two-day pet-lifestyle trade show that took place in New York City over the weekend, but don't tell that to the dogs who roamed the floors of the sprawling exhibition space dressed to maim, if not to kill, in rock 'n roll-themed hoodies, blinged-out collars, and hand-crocheted "pupooses."

Tags: pets, fashion

Ill Health for Small Business

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:53:52 GMT

clipped by: strider72
clipper's remarks: To me the most striking statement in the entire article is "Mr. Obama has not released details".

A week before the election and he won't say what his plan will require businesses to do??? Sure, because he knows it would cost him votes. After the election he'll be happy to tell us all about it.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

AGAWAM, Mass. — Dave Ratner, owner of Dave’s Soda and Pet City, is pretty sure he is about to get “whacked” by the new state law that requires employers to contribute to health care benefits for their workers or pay a $295-per-employee penalty. In order to avoid thousands of dollars in fines, Mr. Ratner is considering not adding part-time workers at his four pet supply stores in Western Massachusetts.

But the penalty in Massachusetts is picayune compared with what some health experts believe Senator Barack Obama

might impose as part of his plan to provide affordable coverage for the uninsured. Though Mr. Obama has not released details, economists believe he might require large and medium companies to contribute as much as 6 percent of their payrolls.

would be catastrophic to a low-margin business like his, which has 90 employees

“If they do that, prices go up and employment goes down because nobody can absorb that.”

that is one of the significant concerns about Mr. Obama’s health plan

Tags: politics, barack obama, taxes, health care, small business

Obama's Health Plan ~ Details Would Make Business Sick

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:44:36 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: “To all of a sudden whack 6 to 7 percent of payroll costs, forget it,” he said. “If they do that, prices go up and employment goes down because nobody can absorb that.”

More from the Times on Team Obama's plan to hide the ball:

“We will ask all but the smallest businesses who don’t make a meaningful contribution today to the health coverage of their employees to do so by supporting this new plan,” he said.

Left undefined has been what size firms would be exempted, what constitutes a “meaningful contribution,” and how much noncompliant businesses would be required to pay.

“We made a decision even before the plan was rolled out not to decide,” said David M. Cutler, a Harvard economist who speaks for the campaign on health care. “It’s not that there’s a decision out there that we’re not telling. It’s literally that we’ve decided not to decide."

Not deciding on the extent of the new business tax is a slick gambit if the press will let them get away with it.

Clip Source: justoneminute.typepad.com

The NY Times finds space for a hard look at Obama's health care plan back on page A16 (the front page includes breakthrough coverage of whites willing to vote for a black man):

But the penalty in Massachusetts is picayune compared with what some health experts believe Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, might impose as part of his plan to provide affordable coverage for the uninsured. Though Mr. Obama has not released details, economists believe he might require large and medium companies to contribute as much as 6 percent of their payrolls.

That, Mr. Ratner said, would be catastrophic to a low-margin business like his, which has 90 employees, 29 of them full-time workers who are offered health benefits.

Tags: obama, health plan, employers, small business owners, affordable coverage, uninsured

Dog "Leo" Saves Kittens In Burning House

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:03:33 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: LEO the dog risked his life to protect four kittens trapped in a house fire in Melbourne last night.

The plucky pooch tested the courage and skills of firefighters as they were forced to dodge fallen power lines to reach him and his young feline companions at the burning weatherboard home in Pilgrim Street, Seddon just before 9pm.

Commander Ken Brown said family pet Leo, which remained in the house guarding the family's four-week-old kittens, owed his life to the firefighters.

"They got him out of the house and successfully resuscitated him,'' he said.

Following a few tense minutes, the animals responded to oxygen and therapy, and were now fully revived. Commander Brown said the family was relieved to be reunited with their family pets, including the mother of the kittens, which had initially been lost in the incident.

She [11-year-old girl suffered smoke inhalation] was at the home with her 37-year-old mother, a five-year-old sister and 18-year-old brother. . . .

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

A Jack Russell Terrier named Leo went above the call of duty when he risked his own life to rescue a litter of kittens trapped inside a burning building in Sydney. Ten News' James Wakelin reports.

[Video]

Tags: "leo"jack russell terrier, burning house, risked his life, rescued kittens

pay taxes for pet's funeral

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:38:05 GMT

clipped by: aphrael202

Clip Source: showbizandstyle.inquirer.net

Prayers for pets are taxable business, Japan court says

TOKYO -- Saying a final goodbye to pets at a funeral is a special moment for owners, but the monks involved must still cough up money in taxes, Japan's top court ruled Friday.

The Supreme Court ruled against Buddhist monks who argued that Japan's growing trend of pet funerals was a religious activity that should be exempt from taxes, like funerals for humans.

The Jimyoin temple in central Aichi prefecture offers last rites for animals that resemble traditional Buddhist funerals, with bereaved pet owners paying pre-set fees.

In Japan, bereaved families generally offer donations to monks who perform last rites rather than explicitly paying for their services.

"This is a profit making operation that should be regarded as taxable income under the corporate tax law," he said.

"The list of charges spells out prices. By no means does it show the characteristics of religious donations," presiding judge Osamu Tsuno said in his ruling.