I would like to address Avrom Charach's op-ed piece by firstly acknowledging the 800-pound gorilla in the middle of the room (Your pet, my problem, March 6). Charach is a landlord, and as such is not a public health advocate, a medical professional, or anyone that is remotely interested in or versed in public welfare.

He is interested in profiting, and allowing pets into communal-type housing arrangements may undeniably eat into that profit slightly, with higher administration costs for management. Let me point out that this is part of doing business when you are managing buildings with dozens of suites and tenants, families, and all the associated headaches therein.

It is interesting that Charach addresses the hazard of second-hand smoke in communal spaces and living quarters. Are all of his buildings and units smoke-free? Does he deign to dictate to his tenants whether they can smoke in their own units, and thus pollute their and the surrounding apartments and tenants' lungs with one of the most noxious, offensive, and proven dangers to public health in the last century?

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It took every effort for Lorie Chortyk to respond patiently to the caller on the other end of the phone. General manager of community relations for the B.C. SPCA, Chortyk was listening for the third time in as many days to an angry pet guardian complain that the puppy they recently purchased from a Lower Mainland pet store was now desperately ill.

What is the B.C. SPCA going to do about it, they demanded. "The short answer is we're already doing it," says Chortyk. "We repeatedly warn people that pet stores are known to purchase their puppies from puppy mills, that puppy mills put profit before the care of the animals, and that people who purchase animals at a pet store may end up with a sick animal from a substandard, puppy-mill facility.

Even when they know this, people still buy from pet stores because they are attracted by the cute puppies in the store window. Then they call us, demanding we do something because the animal they purchased on impulse in the pet store is now sick."

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To the baggage handlers loading Buddy's kennel onto American Airlines Flight 1526 from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago's O’Hare Airport last November, the four-year-old pit bull seemed sedate, but otherwise in good health.

But when baggage handlers in Chicago pulled him off the plane, they made the heartbreaking discovery that Buddy had passed away. A veterinarian examining Buddy found no cause of death, and the case was closed, according to a Department of Transportation Pet Incident Report.

Unfortunately, Buddy's tragic story is not an isolated incident for pets traveling in the baggage hold of an airplane. From November 2008 to December 2009, a tally of DOT reports revealed 27 deaths and seven injuries of pets on domestic airlines.

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The tough economy is taking its toll on families, including pets. That's why the Cincinnati Pet Food Pantry is trying to help people who need some extra help feeding their furry friends. The group collected donated pet food from another group, filling two storage units. They plan to give it away to people in need this Saturday. Shannon DeBra is the founder of Recycled Doggies, and founded their program, the Cincinnati Pet Food Pantry. She found out about other pantries using Twitter.

"I followed some pet food pantries in other parts of the country that I had learned about – and I started thinking and wondering if we had anything like that here and did some research – and we didn't," said DeBra. The Cincinnati Pet Food Pantry will give away pet food on Saturday from 10 a.m to noon at Queen City Self Storage located at 4775 Red Bank Road in Madisonville.

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Small pets could soon be banished from passenger cabins in Canada after the government agency overseeing consumer complaints ruled Thursday that some customers suffering from a cat allergy are disabled and must be accommodated.

The Canadian Transportation Agency ruled that the three complainants are in effect persons with disabilities because the pet policies at Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd. -- allowing cats in aircraft cabins -- impact on their ability to fly. However, the agency stopped short of telling the airlines to change their policies or to bar cats or other small pets from aircraft cabins. Instead, the agency will now determine "appropriate accommodation" for the allergic passengers.

"Should the agency find that an obstacle exists, it will assess whether the obstacle is undue," according to the newly released decision. The tribunal did not say how long it will take to determine "next steps." Initially, "for reasons of efficiency and in the public interest," the agency is seeking an agreement from the airlines and the complainants to expand the scope of its investigation to include a review of policies related to small dogs as well as cats.

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MORE than 50 per cent of pet owners are willing to put their life on the line for their four-legged friends, a study has found. The New Zealand-based poll found that 58 per cent of people would return to a danger zone rather than allow their pets to perish.

Steve Glassey, a distance education student at Charles Sturt University in NSW, said 99 per cent of people deem their pet a family member. "They've got quite a strong bond so that means in a disaster they're quite less likely to abandon them if they're told to do so,'' said Mr Glassey, a former officer for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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More than half of Britain’s vets were forced to kill a pet cat or dog over the past five years because owners could not afford treatment, it said. Almost 90 per cent of vets across the country admitted they had experienced cases of treatment for animals being rejected by owners because it was too expensive. Experts said vet fees were rising by more than 12 per cent every year, leaving animals being “needlessly put down”.

Among the diseases that could not be treated because of the rising costs included dental trauma, gastroenteritis, lameness and diabetes, the study from Sainsbury's Finance found. 'Advances in veterinary science mean that our pets can get the best treatment possible these days,” said Joanne Mallon, of Sainsbury’s.

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February is National Pet Dental Health Month, a time to reflect on the wonders of puppy breath and the woes of big dog halitosis. But "dog breath" is just part of being a dog, right? Not so, says Dr. Brett Beckman, a veterinary dentist specialist in Sandy Springs.

"It's really not normal. That smell is indicative of early periodontal disease," Beckman said. "[A pet's breath] should smell neutral." Brushing your pet's teeth is as important as brushing your own, he said. Just as humans need a daily dental scrub to combat tooth decay, animals need the same attention to prevent periodontal disease and bone loss. (Owners should use toothpaste designed specifically for pets, as human toothpaste can be harmful to an animal, he noted.)

"Brushing is paramount if we want to get a handle on prevention," Beckman said. "And the smaller the dog, the higher the propensity for periodontal disease because their teeth are unusually overcrowded." If dog owner Ken Kukla has one regret when it comes to his dog's health, it's that he didn't brush Hannah's teeth from the beginning.

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The Ohio County Animal Shelter is offering discounted spay and neuter services for cats and dogs, thanks to money bequeathed by an animal lover. The first clinics for male cats are scheduled for March 20 and April 17 at the shelter, located at 7011 National Road, Triadelphia. Veterinarian Gail Welty will perform the neutering procedures.

Such surgery can cost upwards of $100, but thanks to a $37,515 donation from the late Sandra Prager-Wertman, the procedures will be subsidized and will cost $35 per cat. In addition to the surgery, the fee also includes a rabies vaccination.

A clinic for female cats is slated for May 15. The cost of the spay procedure is $50 and includes a rabies vaccination. Spay and neuter clinics for dogs are expected to be held on later dates in the summer. A canine neuter procedure will cost $60, while canine spaying will cost $75.

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Neutering is one of the greatest gifts you can provide your pet, your family and your community.This routine medical procedure not only helps control pet overpopulation, but it may also prevent medical and behavioral problems from developing, allowing your pet to lead a longer, healthier and happier life.

Neutering improves your pet's health, reducing or eliminating the risk of certain cancers and other diseases. Because neutering often reduces the tendency to fight with other animals, it also protects your pet from fight-related injuries and from dangerous viruses spread through bite wounds.

Neutered animals wander less and stay closer to home. As a result, they are less likely to be lost or hit by cars. Neutering reduces or eliminates spraying (marking objects with a spray of urine), yowling, howling, escaping and other troublesome behaviors.

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