Animal Welfare Information Center

July 2, 2010 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling 86 cases of its 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” pet treats (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm218039.htm

MedicalNewsToday.com - The Dogslife study, the first project of its kind, aims to assess how factors such as diet and exercise can influence an animal's susceptibility to disease and illness. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193678.php

About Aquaculture - http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm218069.htm

MedicalNewsToday.com - A group of 85 international experts believe that the illness known as bovine paratuberculosis or Johne's disease can be eradicated by means of control programs, new vaccines or the sacrifice of infected animals. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193559.php

July 2, 2010 – United Pet Group, Cincinnati, Ohio is voluntarily expanding its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement tablets for Dogs to include additional pet nutritional supplement products for dogs and cats due to possible Salmonella contamination. The list of recalled products is provided below. The Food and Drug Administration is aware of this recall. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm217999.htm

MedicalNewsToday.com - Danish scientists have used Computer Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to investigate internal organs in animals including alligators, snakes and tarantulas. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193386.php

Discovery.com - Although horses can't talk (with the exception of Mister Ed naturally), they are able to pick up on subtle eye and body movements. http://news.discovery.com/animals/horses-communication-dogs.html

July 1, 2010 - Buffalo, NY – Feline’s Pride is announcing a voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, Net Wt. 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg., 40 oz.) produced on 6/10/10, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling raw pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the raw pet food or any surfaces exposed to the product. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm217826.htm

CAAT - Attention lab technicians, animal technicians, and all who work with laboratory animals: The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) now is accepting proposals for the 2010 Animal Welfare Enhancement Awards. http://caat.jhsph.edu/programs/awards/AWE/2010/proposals.htm

Black-footed Ferret Babies Between early May and late June, ten litters of endangered black-footed ferrets were born at the Zoo's Front Royal, Virginia, http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/default.cfm?cam=BFF

ALNMag.com - In late April 2010, OLAW published the three clarifications to its policies on grants involving animals. http://www.alnmag.com/news/olaw-clarifies-use-animals-nih-grants

AltWeb - Montréal, Canada will host the 8th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in August 2011. At this gathering the global animal welfare community and leading scientists will come together in an effort to bridge the distance between science and animal use policy, and to identify opportunities for collaboration. http://altweb.jhsph.edu/news/current/worldcongresslaunches.html

NC3Rs - New guidelines to improve the reporting of animal experiments have been published in the journal PLoS Biology and five other journals1. Poor reporting makes it difficult to derive the maximum scientific knowledge from animal research and risks the use of additional animals unnecessarily. http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news.asp?id=1356

ECVAM wants to inform you that the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) will grant this year a Communication Prize, worth 3000 €, for an essay or article that broadens awareness of the role of safety assessment and regulatory compliance in product development and that promotes replacement, reduction and refinement (3Rs approaches). http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/epaa/0_home/CommunicationPrize.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/epaa/index_en.htm

BaltimoreSun.com - Animal Rescue New Orleans, a no-kill shelter, says so many families have been dropping off pets -- officially or just dumping them -- that they're beyond full. They've got as many dogs and cats in foster care as they do in the shelter. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2010/06/pets_too_victims_of_the_oil_sp.html

Bloomberg - A coin-sized device created by Harvard University researchers mimics the workings of a human lung on a computer chip and may provide a way to test drugs and assess the impact of environmental pollutants. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-24/harvard-scientists-lung-on-a-chip-may-help-test-drugs-toxins.html

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued draft guidance intended to help reduce the development of resistance to medically important antimicrobial drugs used in food-producing animals. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm217464.htm

Chicken litter is much more valuable as a fertilizer than previously thought, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study showing its new-found advantages over conventional fertilizers. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100623.htm

Discovery.com - A cat whose back legs were chopped off in a farming accident has been given a new bionic pair, in a ground-breaking feline first in Britain. http://news.discovery.com/animals/cat-prosthetic-legs.html

Comparative Medicine - http://aalas.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/aalas/cm/2010/00000060/00000003/art00002;jsessionid=1ur7cjmvlmg8h.alice