What does the upcoming presidential election have to do with puppies?

With the FDA approving deadly drugs for dogs and long overdue legislation on the puppymill trade, our dogs are deeply affected by our governments leaders.

So, what do our candidates say?

I am going to be very brief since I know dogs, not politics…

Barack Obama, democratic presidential hopeful has been outspoken on his support of animals, sponsoring a bill to prevent horse slaughter in the Illinois State Senate and voting for a dozen other pro-animal initiatives. Obama has been endorsed repeatedly by the Humane Society. “I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other,” Obama has said “And it’s very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals.”

Obama’s kids are definitely pro-dog and he has been quoted saying that as a condition for letting him run for President, his daughters have made Obama and his wife promise that win or lose, they can get a dog. If Obama wins, I suppose he and his family will learn the joys of house training - in the White House!

In spite of the Republican party’s bad reputation when it comes to pro-environmental and pro-animal right legislation, John McCain comes out on the positive too!

John McCain co-sponsored a bill to prevent horse slaughter, supported a bill to stop the inter-state shipment of live birds for cockfighting and backed a bill aimed at stopping those who kill bears for harvesting and selling their organs.

In addition, McCain has come out against the fur industry - and voted to eliminate funding that the industry had been receiving and he also voted against oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!

I left out a ton on each candidate’s record, so for more information, please visit here for more on Obama and here for more on McCain.

Cup of Dog endorses animals, not candidates and we do not have any political affiliations - we just want the United States to pick a President who is excellent on animal welfare. No matter who you vote for, make sure you vote!

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Heartworm strikes fear into loving pet owners hearts as soon as the temperatures start rising. Most pet owners use a monthly heartworm preventative to avoid the risk of the parasitic disease. Now, beyond fearing heartworms, we need to pay close attention to the drugs we use to prevent it for fear that those medications may cause illness themselves.
In 2001, a new heartworm preventative, marketed under the name ProHeart 6 was released. Unlike once monthly preventatives, ProHeart 6 was to be administered every six months by injection at the vet’s office. The drug became extremely popular, due to its convenience (one shot could protect for an entire heartworm season). The drug was distributed by Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of the drug giant Wyeth Pharmaceutical Company.

Unfortunately, the drug directly caused the deaths of between 500-600 dogs and adverse reactions such as seizures, extreme lethargy and uncontrolled bleeding affected between 5,500 - 6,000. The FDA pressured ProHeart 6’s manufacturer to pull the drug from the market in 2004.

According to an article in today’s USA Today, ProHeart 6 market, released under an (moxdectin) is back on the FDA required risk minimization plan that requires veterinarians who want to purchase the drug to register with the company and participate in an e-training program before they can obtain the drug. These types of programs are reserved for a small number of human drugs…this is the first animal drug to be marketed under such a program.

Watch out for veterinary offers of ProHeart 6 and please make sure to do your research before switching to a new heartworm preventative.

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Rumor has it that Paris Hilton was rejected by a Pet Shop on Melrose Avenue in LA, this past weekend. Apparently, Ms. P stopped in on the way to a photo shoot and wanted a new Yorkie pup - a salesperson refused to sell the pooch to the heiress/entrepreneur, saying it was obviously an impulse buy.

Paris, none to happy about being refused got pretty angry…

What I want to know is, whatever happened to Tinkerbell? Tink was the whole reason to watch the Simple Life and I haven’t seen a photo of her for quite some time!

Source

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Umm…I think the laws of nature have gone topsy-turvy.

At a nearby dog park, I had a strange experience. A few days ago, I was minding my own business, marking my territory, when I was disturbed by a squawking bird. Thinking this was just a confused little airpuff, I let out some super beastly barks to let him know that he’d be lunch if he kept hassling me.

Today, the exact same bird was still by the park. Still squawking. This time, the little air rodent kept flying at me, calmly stalking me before descending and flying around my head, over and over. Totally undignified behavior for a bird, if you ask me! I decided he was done for. I am taking the air rodent out.

I got into hunting mode and stalked the little squawker. The difficulty is every time I got close to nabbing him, the pipsqueak flew off. I can jump like Michael Jordan on speed, but this bag of birdseed kept rebuffing my Spaniel skills! Its in my blood! My ancestors have hunted birds for centuries! Why can’t I nab this one foul excuse for a bird?

I thought about it long and hard. I eat pheasant…but it comes in a nugget shape…how do I get the bird to go from squawking to a feastable nugget? I must continue to ponder this and will not rest until justice is served!

A note from the editor: Cup of Dog managed to score an exclusive interview with the bird that hunted Louis, in attempt to find out the true story behind his actions.

The bird, named Henry, claimed his “grandpappy had been murdered by a Spaniel, ruining the family’s source of income and breaking his grandma’s heart.” Henry is seeking revenge.

Cup of Dog has no word on if the Henry plans to continue his attempts at retribution.

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I am taking Cup of Dog a little bit highbrow this evening! What many of you don’t know about me is that my degree is in art history…and now I work with dogs. Glad I spent all that time in school…Anyway, one of contemporary art’s most venerable players has been making dog themed art for quite some time and I have to say, dogs have always been my favorite theme for some good art.

Jeff Koons, who actually attended my alma mater, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago makes a damn good piece of dog art. (He also attended the Maryland Institute College of Art, where I took classes as a kid. I am totally a stalker.) Many use terms like ‘kitsch’ when describing his artwork, but I say ‘Ruff’!

His work Balloon Dog (mixed media sculpture, produced in editioned series) fizzles with color and free spirited fun. These dogs come in all sizes and are made of high chromium stainless steel with a transparent color coating.

What can I say? I love it! My next favorite Koons would have to be Puppy, a forty-three foot tall topiary sculpture of a West Highland White Terrier puppy executed in a variety of flowers on a steel armature, done in 1992 for an exhibit in Germany. In 1995 Puppy was dismantled and rebuilt for permanent exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney Harbour. The new one includes an internal irrigation system. How cool is that?

In 1997, Puppy was purchased by the Guggenheim Foundation and installed at their Bilbao location. Puppy is also privately owned by model Stephanie Seymour and her husband. It is installed on their Connecticut property.

While there are other dog themed works, one of pertinent interest is going to be included in Sotheby’s Contemporary Art sale, scheduled for July 1, 2008 in London. Koon’s Yorkshire Terriers sculpture hits the auction block with a hefty estimate of $1.5 million - $2 million dollars. The piece is made of polychromed wood and for those interested in bidding, head over to the Sotheby’s website. Happy bidding!

Here are some more images to enjoy from the same series as the Yorkshire Terriers.

Poodle, 1991

Bob-Tail, 1991

White Terrier, 1991

Three Puppies, 1991

By the way, I also make my own dog themed art and have been since studying at Jeff Koon’s place of education…Leave a comment if you think your dog should be my next subject!

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Special thanks to our pals Stanislaw (Ella Bean’s gentleman caller) and Big Pupi for alerting us to this breaking news.

Canine Influenza has been confirmed in Illinois. The dog flu is extremly contagious and presents symptoms similar to kennel cough such as coughing, lethargy, watery eyes and runny nose. Canine flu can progress to bacterial pneumonia, which has the potential to be fatal to puppies, sick and older dogs. The initial discovery of the infection was four years ago, when it was found in Florida in race greyhounds.

If you can, avoid doggie daycare, dog parks, other dogs boarding and grooming facilities as the highly contagious flu is usually spread by being in close proximity to infected individuals.

Illinois is the 27th state to have confirmed the presence of the dog flu. Please pay extra attention to your dog and if anything out of the ordinary occurs, take your friend to the vet. Early treatment and care is vital for a positive outcome.

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Its been a busy few weeks. While recovering from the maiming I was subjected too, news of my exceptional good looks traveled through cyberspace and my fan base has grown considerably. Fame is tiring. Between doing press, beauty sleepies, grooming, answering fan mail and changing outfits, I don’t have a whole lot of extra time for gratuitous appearances.

However, the good people over at Animal Planet, sent me a wonderful new accessory to look cute in and I couldn’t resist agreeing to a photo shoot to show it off!

Maggie Gallant and her bitch Dixie keep AP viewers on top of the latest pet trends and in addition, they have started Trendy Tuesdays, where a lucky winner receives the weekly giveaway. I won the Bow-lenciaga Bag by the fittingly named brand Ella Dish. Thats me in my new fab bag in the photo shoot. The photographers were complete amatuers, which was super annoying, but my beauty was able to shine through in spite of them.

The giveaway was sponsered by the New York based canine e-tailor to the stars, Trixie and Peanut. Besides me, Trixie and Peanut has catered to the pampered pooches of Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs, Drew Barrymore, Parker Posey, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Jimmy Fallon, Ciara, Scarlett Johannsen, Missy Elliott, Courtney Cox & David Arquette, Oprah Winfrey, Charlize Theron, Gabrielle Union, Nicole Richie, Penelope Cruz, Sharon Osbourne and former President Bill Clinton. Trixie and Peanut has also been featured on VH-1’s Fabulous Life of Celebrity Pets.

Enough name dropping. Back to me! I was asked by some fans to share my photo shoot playlist…Enjoy!

1. I’m So Hood Remix - DJ Khaled Ft. T Pain, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi from Outkast, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman, Rick Ross
   
2. Give it To Me- Timbaland Ft. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake
3. Superstar - Lupe Fiasco Ft. Matt Santos
4. Drop it Like its Hot - Snoop Dog Ft. Pharrell
5. Gimme More - Britney Spears
6. Sexyback - Justin Timberlake Ft. Timbaland
7. Change Clothes - Jay-Z
8. Doggy Dogg World - Snoop Dog
   

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Trouble Helmsley, the poochey heiress to $12 million dollars of the late billionaire Leona Helmsley’s cash, suffered a massive paycut today when a Manhattan judge ruled that Helmsley was not mentally competent when she signed her will. Trouble’s take has been reduced to $2 million, with $6 million going to Helmsley’s previously disinherited grandchildren.

Trouble has retired to the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel in Florida. The pampered Maltese’s expenses include $100,000 for 24 hour security, $60,000 for her guardian’s annual caretaking fee, $8,000 for grooming, $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses, $1,200 for food and between $2,500 - $18,000 for medical care. The paycut still supports maintaining Trouble’s lifestyle for over 10 years, which is longer then the dog’s life expectancy, says the pup’s guardian, Carl Lekic, who is also the manager of Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel.

This isn’t Trouble’s first trip to court - the dog was the subject of a lawsuit by a housekeeper the bitch had bitten. In addition, Trouble has received multiple death threats. In spite of the drama, life seems to be working out for Trouble, who is, according to accounts very happy in her new home.

Source

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In the wake of the tragic earthquakes in China, aid groups have assembled to assist those in need - including the pets. The Animal Asia Foundation has set up a veterinary clinic in Dujiangyiang and have started a hotline for pet owners to call for assistance. Quake survivors are leaving their pets in the safe care of the Animal Asia Foundation while they struggle to reassemble their lives.

The Animal Asia Foundation (AAF) has been working to rescue the four legged family members affected by the quake since they learned that authorities were planning to round up and euthanize dogs for fear they would spread disease. The rescued animals are being relocated to a Chengdu animal shelter and the AAF is ensuring that the pets who need urgent medical care are receiving it.

The AAF is based in Hong Kong and is registered with the government as an animal welfare charity. The organization was founded in 1998 with the aim to improve the quality of life for wild, domestic and endangered species across Asia. Their projects include the China Bear Rescue, that has worked to rescue and rehome endangered Asiatic black bears or Moon Bears, as they are also known, from farms who extract bile from the bears which is sold as a traditional Chinese Medicine, Friends or Food? which aims to end dog and cat eating through cultural understanding and education, the Doctor Dog program has 300 animal therapy dogs working across Asia with the ill, the Professor Paws assists children in learning English by working with animals, and the Project Asia progra addresses issues such as animal markets, the use of animals in Chinese traditional medicine and provides emergency relief when necessary.

The AAF’s work in earthquake relief has been supplemented by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The IFAW and government officials made an agreement to end the killing of dogs and address public health concerns by providing vaccinations and veterinary aid. In addition to vaccinations and medical care, these organizations are also providing animal food, collars and leashes.

Dogs have also been vital in rescuing trapped victims of the earthquake, alerting rescuers to victims whereabouts. Dogs have been found barking at the locations their family are trapped, are catching and killing disease ridden rats, stopping the spread of disease and of course, providing emotional support to traumatized survivors.

For more information or to support the animal victims of the earthquake, please click here.

For more information on bear farming, please click here.

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Listen up humans. I don’t have many thoughts and the ones I do have usually revolve around munching on some meaty goodness or sniffing butts, however, I have now officially survived my first Father’s Day and Mother’s Day and I would like to lodge a formal complaint.

What about the dogs?

Are we not important? Do we not give you hoomans enough affection? Kisses? Is it our breath?

On behalf of all Canine-kind, my legal team and I are preparing paperwork to submit to officially instate official Canine Appreciation Day and by my count, it should occur seven times per hooman year.

It shall include daylong feasts, four extra long walks and free reign of the house to sniff and do as we choose. No scolding allowed or baths allowed. I would like to also recommend that the holiday include new additions to the pile of stuffies and other fun toys to celebrate the awesomeness that is dog.

This holiday in no way negates the recognition of birthdays, the hooman holidays with presents or any other such occasion that includes the extra special attention we deserve.

Let it be known, I have spoken to my lawyer and as we speak, he is getting the proper paperwork in order.

Sincerely Yours,

Louis Reginald

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