Made in the U.S. of ...China?

The FDA has reported several complaints since 2007 about chicken jerky treats manufactured in China, dogs have become ill and for some it has even proven fatal. I had not heard of these complaints until last week when the story circulated again on the internet and so for the last two months we have been feeding Charlie the Welcome Home Chicken Jerky treats available at Centinela Feed. From the first bite we knew he was hooked, the minute the bag came out he would make a beeline for his bed and sit patiently waiting for his favorite treat. He has never become ill from the treats, but after reading the FDA report we were naturally concerned. I scoured the back of the package, but found no information about where the treats were manufactured, so I called the number listed. A very kind customer service representative confirmed that the treats are in fact manufactured in China, but she tried to assure me that the plant is inspected regularly and that they have never received any complaints from customers. We decided that although we have had no issues, we will no longer be giving Charlie the treats. Anyone who followed the news this past year is aware of all the appalling recalls to come out of China, from toys to tainted milk, so for me it was a no brainer.

Now the hard part: finding something to replace Charlie's favorite tasty treat. After 20 minutes in Centinela Feed yesterday it quickly became apparent that all brands of Chicken Jerky are manufactured in China, along with a great deal of other dog treats. We finally settled on some flavored milk bones, which he seems to like although it's no jerky. Later in the day while running errands we stumbled on a small local pet store where we found some promising candidates. I selected a bag of dehydrated sweet potatoes which have a similar consistency to the jerky, fingers crossed that Charlie feels the same.

The Unwritten Rules

Every dog park has a sign posted at the entrance listing the rules, obviously for the purpose of making the dog park a safe and enjoyable experience for all. In addition to these listed rules, in my humble opinion, there is a need for a certain amount of unwritten etiquette as well. For example, in almost every dog park bunch there is certain to be at least one dog I like to call "the humper." This is the dog whose activity of choice consists of mounting every dog in the park. If you are the owner of just such a dog, it is your responsibility to pull your offending dog away and not just stand back, giggling nervously and proclaiming "Oh, he always does that, I don't know why." Hmm, I wonder.

Worse yet are the people who seem to have less sense than their four-legged companions. Today we took a trek out to the big park, which was packed with dogs and owners, Charlie had a great time, I, however, was dismayed by the fact that two people chose to bring their small children with them to the park and by small I mean not older than three years at the most, one even younger. Now, I am all for the dog park being a family experience, but there is a huge issue of safety, especially when dealing with very small children. Charlie is not an aggressive dog, but he LOVES small children, loves them so much that the minute he spots one he makes a beeline, drawn like a magnet, and jumps up to lick their face. Of course anytime we are in public he is leashed and so he is not allowed to leap on children. The dog park, however, is a free space where he can run wherever he pleases, it is made for him and other dogs, not for children, but when a child enters a dog park and is injured, either intentionally or accidentally, who is to blame? I certainly don't want to take the risk of finding out and so I can't help but think that children so small should not be allowed in, or at the very least should not be able to walk around on their own two feet. If you are smaller than a small dog, then perhaps you are too small. 

Today I was appalled to find that not only was one little girl allowed to run free in the park, but she was not even there with a dog! It's one thing to have your child accompany you and your dog to the park, but to enter the park without a dog is irresponsible and just plain rude. It's not a petting zoo for crying out loud. It's a park... for dogs.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a happy holiday!

ROVER

Tuesday was Charlie's first visit to Rover Kennels, a doggy daycare in Culver City. We had been looking for a place that we could use occasionally to board him either for the night or a few hours, when we came across this place and immediately loved it. We went in for an "interview" last weekend and Charlie came through with flying colors. We were a tad nervous since he has been irritable as of late, going through his "terrible teens," but he did great.

Tuesday night we had an event to go to so we brought Charlie in for Dinner and a Movie, which allows you to drop off your dog anytime between 6-7pm and pick up anytime before midnight (Monday through Friday), he is fed his dinner, gets play time with other dogs and then gets to chill out in the presidential suite watching a movie (how that works I have no idea, as he has almost no interest in our television at home). Dinner and A Movie was one of the main reasons we sought out Rover, since they are the only facility we found that offered a service like this, but once we saw the place we knew it was perfect. It's a great facility and the people there are friendly, attentive and obviously dog lovers. Charlie seemed to be happy with the experience on Tuesday so we are bringing him back again tonight while we meet some friends for dinner and drinks.

WANTED: Peanut Lady

WANTED: Santa Monica Peanut Lady

Crime: Scattering peanuts which rile up the squirrels and birds and in turn, make Charlie crazy.

Last seen on the corner of 4th and Raymond scattering peanuts on the sidewalk.

Always seen carrying a one pound bag of peanuts (source of peanuts unknown, deal with a circus elephant suspected).

If spotted, call for back-up. Do not approach or you may come under fire of peanut pelting.