Metro The Plain Dealer Breaking news: cleveland.com Friday, February 10, 2012 ANIMALS IN THE NEWS Dog's death highlights concerns over foreign-produced pet food 7 3 CLEVELANDAPL Chef Matt Fish, holding Riley, is raffling five $20 Melt Bar Grilled gift cards to encourage adoptions at the Cleveland Animal Protective League. Riley has been adopted. tion fees this month; 440-951-6122, lakehumane.org, 7564 Tyler Mentor. Cat spays in Medina: The Quick Fix Clinic at 930 Lafayette Road received a grant from PetSmart Charities to offer Beat the Heat cat spays this month for $20 each. Call 330-558-1540 between 10 a.m.
and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, and mention "beat the heat" to make an appointment. Appointments are not needed for low-cost vaccinations and worm and flea treatments between 10 a.m.
and 3 p.m. Saturdays. Details: quick fixmedina.org. Cat spays in Akron: One of a Kind Pet Spay Neuter Clinic at 1700 W. Exchange St.
received a grant from PetSmart Charities to offer Beat the Heat cat spays this month for $20 each. Mention "beat the heat" when calling 330-865-6890 for an appoint4 ment. Geauga pets: Geauga Humane Society at 15463 Chillicothe Road, Russell Township, offers vaccinated, neutered cats for $25 and dogs for $50 this month; 440-338-4855, geaugahumane.org. Hockey pups: Dogs are invited to the Lake Erie Monsters hockey game Sunday, March 4. The Cleveland Animal Protective League and Public Animal Welfare Society of Ohio get part of the ticket proceeds.
The first 250 dogs receive a gift. Order tickets, $15 a person and $5 a dog, at groups.theqarena.com/PAWS or call 216-402-1106. Wildlife conference: Over- looked wildlife will be the focus of an Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Columbus.
There will be presentations on earthworms, freshwater mussel restoration, invasive aquatic species, a Lake Erie pelagic bird survey, crayfish, orphaned wildlife, wetland restoration, beavers, porcupines and fishers. Preregister for $25 at bit.ly/ WildlifeDiversityConference or call 1-800-945-3543 (1-800-WILDLIFE). About 975 people attended last year's Great Danes In Westlake: Members of Harlequin Haven Great Dane will introduce people to their gentle giants from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at Pet Supplies Plus, 30034 Detroit Road. The group has two dozen Danes in Bethel, Ohio, that need homes: ohiodanerescue.com.
Pet teeth: Big Creek Pet Hospital in Middleburg Heights and Olmsted Township offers free dental screenings for dogs and cats through Thursday, March 23; 440-234-5831. Pizza for paws: The annual Lucky Paws Animal Rescue fundraiser runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at Scoundrels Bar and Grille, 826 Front Berea. All- pizza, wings, pasta, salad, draft beer, well drinks and soda, as well as raffles and auctions. Tickets are $20; luckypawsrescue.org, 216-556-0811.
Lobbying in Columbus: The Ohio Companion Animal Lobby event this year runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Ohio Statehouse. Advocates will have lunch with legislators and push for stricter laws involving animal cruelty, puppy mills and other issues. Register for $15 at ohio companionanimallobbyday.com.
Animal rescue: Lake Erie Labrador Retriever Rescue hosts an animal rescue seminar Saturday, March 31, at the Galaxy Restaurant in Wadsworth. Topics include public-private rescue partnerships, cat rescue and veterinary care. Sponsors and groups wishing to set up displays should email yahoo.com or call 330-725-1393. Details: lakeerielabrescue.org and on 4 Geauga dogs: Totally Dogs 4H Club and Geauga County Recorder Sharon Gingerich. will host a dinner and silent auction for the county dog shelter and sheriff's police dogs from 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday, April 20, at Chardon United Methodist Church, 515 North St. West Geauga High School students are making dog dishes for the auction. Call 440-285-0779 or 440-286-4329 for tickets, $25 for salmon, $20 for chicken, or to donate auction items. The shelter, which cared for 700 dogs last year, needs do- 1 4 NEWS POLICE BLOTTER I. victim and tried to start a fight.
Then the two brothers and the two boys jumped and beat the victim. The victim had a bloody nose and bruises. He was treated at Parma Community General Hospital, where staff contacted police. On Jan. 31, police arrested the 18-year-old brother in his home on Haverhill.
That same day, officers saw the 19-year-old brother walking in the Alber Avenue-West 54th area. When the man realized that police had seen him, he ran. The older brother ran through several backyards before police caught him. One officer injured his knee while jumping over a fence during the chase. DONNAJ.
MILLER Plain Dealer Reporter The "buy local" food slogan so popular with environmentalists may also catch on with people shopping for pet food. "Avoid the newest products on the shelves and buy pet food," veterinarian Brian Forsgren said Tuesday at a news conference called by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown to publicize the death of a Westlake dog who died after eating chicken jerky made in China. The Food and Drug Administration has received several hundred complaints since 2007 from pet owners whose dogs suffered serious or fatal kidney damage after eating chicken treats.
But the agency's scientists, although they've previously found pet food products that contained harmful contaminants from China, have not been able to identify a toxin and link the jerky treats to the illnesses. Meanwhile, Forsgren, Brown and the Westlake dog owner urged pet owners to avoid products made overseas. But is it possible to buy totally pet food? Chicken breasts "are not produced domestically in sufficient quantity to meet demand," said Kurt Gallagher, director of communications for the Pet Food Institute, which represents 98 percent of U.S. pet food companies. "In China, consumers prefer to eat dark-meat chicken and other cuts, so white-meat chicken breasts are available for making quality dog treats." And some pet food ingredients are only available from foreign sources, including certain vitamins, amino acids, minerals and micronutrients, he said.
"Interestingly, the only significant supply of vitamin worldwide, which is also taken as a daily supplement by people around the globe, is China," Gallagher said in an email. Brown and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich have called on the FDA to recall the jerky treats, step up its search for toxins in them and other pet food, hold U.S. companies accountable for the quality of their overseas ingredients, and improve communications with the public about threats.
"Would a consumer who goes to the store to purchase dog treats have any way of knowing that a particular product is under review other than scouring the FDA's website?" Brown wrote in a letter to the agency. While the senator awaits a response (which you'll read about in Animals in the News), veterinarians and pet owners can learn more at the American Veterinary Medical Association's userfriendly site, avma.org/ Privacy for eagles: A bald eagle pair is nesting in the Pinery Narrows area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Brecksville. Rangers have closed the immediate area and restricted use of the trails. The Cuyahoga River downstream of the Brecksville Dam to the Fitzwater Road bridge is closed to boating, fishing and wading. Eagles lay one to three eggs that are incubated for about 35 days.
The eggs are sensitive to cold temperatures, so adults must remain on the nest constantly, and human activity could scare them off, park spokeswoman Mary Pat Doorley said. The nesting activity was spotted Monday. Cat adoption fees reduced: Seven rescue groups offer neutered, vaccinated cats for $5 and kittens for $30 today, Saturday and Sunday. Details: Cleveland APL.org, GeaugaHumane.org, KEVIN THAXTON After Penny suffered kidney problems, her owner, Candace Thaxton of Westlake, saw an FDA alert about chicken treats possibly making dogs sick. Thaxton and Penny's veterinarian believe the treats killed Thaxton's older pug, while Penny recovered at a cost of $4,000.
FriendshipAPL.org, Lake Humane.org, MedinaCounty SPCA.com, PawsOhio.org and SummitHumane.org. Pet food donations: The People Care Pet Pantry fundraiser will take place from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. today at the Bob Evans restaurant at 400 Devon Place, Kent. The restaurant will donate 15 percent of sales to the pantry, which supplies low- income pet owners with pet food.
Present server with a flier available at peoplecarepetpantry.webs.com. Also, bring a pet food donation and get raffle tickets for prizes. Kicking for WAGS: J.R. Miller Martial Arts students raise money for W.A.G.S. 4 Kids with a kick-a-thon from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Saturday. About 50 students are seeking pledges for every kick they can perform in 10 minutes, or send a check to W.A.G.S. 4 Kids (the school's name) at 27093 Bagley Road, Olmsted Township, 44138. Details: jrmillermartialarts.com, 440-655-1850.
Working Animals Giving Service 4 Kids trains and gives assistance dogs to children with disabilities; facebook.com/ wags4kids. Gambling for pets: The Friend- ship Animal Protective League in Elyria hosts its third annual Wags to Riches casino night with Dick Goddard at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Tom's Country Place, 3442 Stoney Ridge Road in Avon. Tickets are $80 for a buffet dinner, co*cktails, games, music and prizes; friendshipapl.org, 8303 Murray Ridge Road, 440-315-2938. Fundraiser in Rocky River: Berea Animal Rescue Friends (formerly Berea Animal Rescue Fund) benefits from Style Mutt's customer appreciation event from noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday. Free food, drinks and a toy for every dog. Berea ARF will use the proceeds from 50-50 and basket raffles to treat dogs suffering with heartworm. Details: facebook.com/stylemutt, 440-409-0454, 19512 Center Ridge Road. Parma pets: The Parma Animal Shelter's Valentine's Day bake and gift sale runs from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Sunday and features special-needs cats that require homes; parmashelter.org, 440-885-8014. The shelter, at 6260 State Road, needs adult volunteers who can commit to a morning or late-afternoon shift each week; 440-582-4310. Cleveland APL: Chef Matt Fish, owner of Melt Bar Grilled, is A Fantastic February Sale! Basista FURNITURE OFF! www.basista.com Cash in on the Savings LA M-F: 10-9 Sat: 10-6 Sun: 12-5 5295 State Parma 216-398-5900 BSE for All a Now signs or lead to BSE CU CRENT Used Auto Loan! (Middleburg Phone: 19249 Heights, Bagley 440-243-9180 OH Road 44130 Rates low as as 2.99% Credit www.bsecu.org Union is up to Competitive rates with Borrow open to all families 72. flexible terms! who live, work, STOP months school anywhere in attend church or Refinancing options available! Berca, Brook Park, Middleburg Heights, Apply today! Olmsted Falls Township.
and Loan must close between February 1-March 15, 2012! Percentage Rate. Loan rate is determined by amount and term of loan and personal credit history. With a loan of $20.000 for 72 months at 2.99% APR, the monthly payment would be approximately $303.80. Payment does not Include credit life and disability Insurance, which is available at a minimal cost to members. AN rates and Promotions are subject to change without notice at any time.
This offer ends March 15. 2012. nations of dog. food and toys. Last year's event brought in $4,000 that was spent on veterinary care and obedience training, Gingerich said.
$1,000 raffle for cats: Caroline's Kids Cat Sanctuary is again raffling off $1,000. Tickets at carolineskids.org are $5 each six for $25 for the Friday, April 27, drawing at the shelter, 7394 Morley Road, Concord Township. Details: 440-449-3496. The last $1,000 raffle netted $3,215. Garage sale for parrots: Parrot Hope Rescue hosts its first garage sale from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Packard Shelter House, Mahoning Avenue, Warren, and is seeking donations of clean items; 330-221-0049. Wildlife photo contest: The fourth annual Ohio Wildlife Leg- acy Stamp photography contest features the black-capped and Carolina chickadees. The two species look nearly identical, but black-capped chickadees live in the northern third of the state, while Carolina chickadees populate the rest, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Entries are due Aug.
13-31. The winning photographer will receive $500, and the image will become the 2013 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp. Details: wildohiostamp.com. Last year's winning image was selected from 58 photos of salamanders and became the 2012 stamp, available March 1 for $15 each. Wildlife Legacy Stamp sales have raised more than $45,000 for the preservation of wildlife diversity.
Feral cats: Euclid Beach Feral Cat Project volunteers in Cleveland's North Collinwood neighborhood have captured more than 640 cats and kittens since Get more animal news at blog.cleveland.com/metro/ animals and blog.cleveland.com/ missing-pets. April 2009. Most were taken to the Cleveland Animal Protective League for adoption. More than 100 feral cats were vaccinated, neutered and returned to small shelters, where they're fed daily. More volunteers and donations are needed to continue the progress.
Contact the group at ebfcp.org or 216-470-4125. Golden retrievers: G.R.I.N., Golden Retrievers in Need Rescue Service, seeks members interested in fostering and fundraising; 216-229-0295, grinrescue.org. Low-cost neuters: Valley SaveA-Pet and more than 20 veterinarians in Greater Cleveland again are offering low-cost sterilization of pets to low-income owners. Schedule an appointment by calling 440-232-2287 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. More than 900 feral cats and 500 owned pets were neutered last year through the Have a Heart program that began 27 years ago. Donating to animal charities: The 13th annual Watchdog Report on Animal Charities reviews the spending, salaries and policies of 122 animal and habitat protection groups. It's available for $25: tinyurl.com/6rtvu5g; 360-579-2505; or mail check to Animal People, Box 960, Clinton, WA 98236. Send animal news to fax Seven Hills Drunken driving, Hastings Drive: A Parma man, 19, drove through a stop sign Feb.
6, then crossed over the yellow double line. When he made a right turn without using a turn signal, an officer pulled him over and smelled alcohol. The man failed a sobriety test. A search of the vehicle turned up two knives and an open bottle of rum. The man was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, traffic control devices, driving in marked lanes, open container, and carrying concealed weapons.
A woman passenger, 18, from Parma Heights, was also charged with underage consumption of alcohol. raffling five $20 Melt gift cards to encourage adoptions at the Cleveland Animal Protective League. Adopt a pet this month at 1729 Willey Ave. to enter the raffle. Details: clevelandapl.org, 216-771-4616, ext.
111. Berea ARF: Berea Animal Rescue Friends seeks shelter volunteers and foster homes, especially for cats recovering from injuries and for kittens. Learn more at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Berea Library, 7 Berea Commons, or at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 22, at the Middleburg Heights Library, 15600 E. Bagley Road; email vounteer or call 440-234-2034. The group is registered to receive donations from the online shopping websites adoptashelter.com and Igive.com. Tacos for pound dogs: For the Dogs Rescue hosts a tacos and tequila event from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb.
18, at Crystal's Keg, 7936 Sprague Road, North Royalton. Admission is $20 for Mexican cuisine, beer and well drinks. Homemade dog beds will be raffled. Funds help dogs rescued from foreclosed homes and county pounds. Details: 216-816-6646, $6 cat neuters: PetFix Northeast Ohio and the Rainbow Veterinary Clinic in Cleveland Heights will neuter 100 cats for $6 each Saturday, Feb.
25. Every cat will also get a rabies shot. Owners must show proof of low income. Kittens must be eight weeks old or weigh at least 2 pounds. Appointments for female cats have been filled, but time is available for male cats.
Make an appointment by emailing or call 216-536-0930. Enriched dog day care: Ohio Air Dogs offers dog enrichment on Mondays and Fridays beginning Monday, Feb. 27, at 13688 York Road, North Royalton. Up to five dogs will play scent games, swim, receive an hour of training and learn a new trick for $50 each a day. Details: ohioair dogs.com.
Children's contest: Geauga 'Humane Society hosts a Me and My Pet contest for children ages 5 through 9. The best drawings or 50-words-or-less essays or poems about loving real or imagined pets win prizes. Entries due by Wednesday, Feb. 29. Call 440-338-4819, ext.
20, for details. Lake County pets: Lake Humane Society offers $20 off adop- SUN FROM B3 Parma Assault-obstructing official business, West 54th StreetHaverhill Avenue: Two Parma brothers, 18 and 19, were arrested Jan. 31 after they allegedly took part in the beating of a Parma man, 19. The victim was walking with a female friend at about 3 p.m. Jan.
25 when they passed the two brothers, who were walking with two 15-year-old Parma boys. One of the brothers taunted the victim, saying he had once dated the female. The victim and the female ignored the man. The brothers threatened the A Parma Heights Grand theft vehicle, Greenbriar Drive: Police conducted a high-speed chase following three Cleveland teens in a stolen vehicle Feb. 3.
An officer checked the license plates of the vehicle at the intersection of Olde York and Pearl roads and determined that it had been stolen in Middleburg Heights. The car turned on Ackley and proceeded to Denison, Ridgewood and Bennington before hitting a tree at 6665 Greenbriar Drive. The three juveniles ran off but were caught by police chasing them on foot. 1 They were released to their parents or guardians pending charges. HI 2.
