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Help Paws of War and Staff Sergeant Hope Save Sweet Gizmo!!

As a violent storm battered an American base in a desolate part of Africa, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Hope heard a desperate cry outside her door and when she looked out to investigate, a terrified kitten – Gizmo – rushed in and went into hiding. That was the moment she knew she had to act to save the vulnerable cat and reached out to Paws of War for help. Gizmo was abandoned near the base and with nothing around to survive on, her condition rapidly deteriorated. Staff Sergeant Hope and some other soldiers had been doing what they could – making a tiny lean-to for shelter, and sharing their food, but in a very remote area there wasn’t much available to them to help a struggling cat. Gizmo cowered in the makeshift shelter – afraid of the many predators lurking, and would only come out when she heard SSG Hope who she chose as her person. The sweet cat was so thankful to have someone be kind to her that she would bring gifts of bugs, leaves, and pieces of trash – all she could find to say “I love you” to brighten her hero’s day. In turn SSG Hope found comfort in having the little cat around but while she makes her smile, she can’t take her mind off the worry of knowing Gizmo can’t make it on her own when she returns Stateside and the fear in the young cat during the storm served as a reminder.
Aside from predators, other starving animals, the daily activities of an active military base and constant moving of heavy vehicles, the brutal weather conditions claim the lives of animals daily. Temperatures routinely reach more than 100 degrees through the day and torrential rains during storm season cause severe flooding and life-threatening destruction. There is nothing for homeless animals, and no way to keep them safe. Staff Sergeant Hope is a hero who has selflessly served our country for over a decade; spending many months at a time away from her family and she has never asked for anything, until now. All she is pleading for is help to save the life of the loving cat who became her best friend and a source of joy so far from home.
Our War-Torn Pups and Cats rescue team is in action as we speak – handling the complex logistics of a rescue mission to such a remote location, alongside complying with extensive CDC import requirements, but to save any of the animals who need our help, we need you beside us. Together we can get Gizmo out of harm’s way.. A kind donation of even just a few dollars today will make it possible to get her to the love and safety waiting for her with SSG Hope here in America.
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DROP YOUR BALLS (BY HELICOPTER) — WIN BIG AND HELP HOMELESS ANIMALS!!

DO YOU WANT TO HELP HOMELESS ANIMALS FIND LOVING, FOEVER HOMES?  YOU CAN – JUST DROP SOME BALLS!

IN THE MEANTIME, SAMMY’S HOPE WILL TAKE GREAT CARE OF THEM, FROM DOZENS OF OUR LOVING VOLUNTEERS!

YOU CAN ALSO JOIN OUR NINTH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF OUTING ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, AT THE STANTON RIDGE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB IN WHITEHOUSE STATION, NEW JERSEY.

https://sammyshope.app.neoncrm.com/forms/2024-helicopter-golf-ball-drop

 

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New Jersey Politicians Kill Another Good Animal Shelter – and Lots of Animals

MOST ANIMAL SHELTERS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE PART OF A BROKEN SYSTEM, ONE THAT HURTS INNOCENT, HOMELESS ANIMALS MOST OF ALL. BUT IT ALSO HARMS HEROIC STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.

NEW JERSEY IS ONE OF THE WORST OFFENDERS.

Last year, the genius politicians of JerseyCity suddenly ended the contract with @LibertyHumaneSociety, and its team that many other shelters and rescues have very happily worked with for years. Still, the hiring of a new director, staff, and new procedures designed for the animals’ benefit heralded the possibility that things would actually work out. It wasn’t to be. When a dog attacked and seriously injured the new boss, bureaucrats who know nothing about a shelter or animal welfare, and even less about leadership and common decency emerged, once again throwing a promising start into turmoil.

https://jcitytimes.com/animal-shelter-morale-sinks-after-manager-is-bitten-hospitalized-fired/

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The Truth about PIT BULLS. NOT What You May Think!

PIT BULL AWARENESS DAY!! 🐾 ❤️
Three days ago, we celebrated these loving, loyal, kind, and compassionate dogs. There is so much misinformation about them out there, and they are so unfairly and cruelly maligned. They and their humans have their lives upended by unfairly discriminative breed-specific legislation and refusal of insurance companies to write policies for the humans, even when their breed isn’t actually known.
It’s important to know that Pit Bulls are NOT a breed; they are a type of dog with certain physical characteristics: muscular, stocky builds with deep chests and large, square heads. “Pit Bulls” in today’s society and media actually encompass a number of breeds or combination of breeds, including:
– American Staffordshire Terrier
– American Pit Bull Terrier
– American Bully
– Staffordshire Bull Terrier
– American Bulldog
BUT–The American Pit Bull Terrier is the only breed with the words “pit” and “bull” actually in its name, and the only breed that is most commonly, correctly, and historically called a “Pit Bull”.
So many absurd and outright false characteristics have been attributed to “Pit Bulls” such as locking jaws, that they’re inherently aggressive, or it’s not safe to get a “Pittie” from a shelter. It’s mostly pure nonsense. Pit Bull breeds have been extensively temperament tested, and they score on average in the top 23% of all dogs. Not only do they have an excellent temperament, they are also successful as service dogs, therapy dogs, K9 police dogs, and as family pets; in other words, good canine citizens! They are notably affectionate to humans and most other animals if properly socialized.
At the top of this post is my sweet boy Popeye, whom I rescued in 2020 right before lockdown. You can see what a “vicious beast” he is. He died last February of Megaesophagus, but he gave me three years of unconditional love and loyalty, constantly by my side. 💔 🐾 🌈
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Help Get Justice for Starved Doggy!

Sweet Elmer, Starved to Death in Tennessee

In February of this year, a Selmer City, TN woman brought a horribly emaciated dog to a rescue group, claiming that the dog had been abandoned at her house. The rescue immediately rushed the dog, which they renamed Elmer, to an emergency veterinary clinic.  Sadly, despite all their efforts, this poor, sweet Great Dane died.

The Guardians of Rescue sent Elmer’s remains to a pathology lab to determine an exact cause of death. The results of Elmer’s necropsy were shocking and heartbreaking. While Elmer suffered from intestinal parasites and heartworm disease, the official cause of death was starvation–a painful, excruciating way to die. It was later determined that Elmer had, in fact, been living with this terribly cruel and heartless woman since 2020.

The Guardians of Rescue’s investigation showed that this lady was the owner of Elmer, and responsible for his gruesome death; in response, the Selmer City Police Department charged her with one count of animal cruelty and ordered her to rehome any animals in her custody.  Based on her history of breeding Great Danes, the presence of a heavy intestinal parasite load, heartworm disease and the intestinal obstruction that caused Elmer to die a slow, agonizing death by starvation, we believe she should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No matter where you live or whether or not you own a pet, we ask and encourage you to SIGN THE PETITION TO GET JUSTICE FOR ELMER – PLEASE!  The only deterrent we have to these horrible, cruel crimes is to hold the criminals accountable!

(The Guardians of Rescue is a registered 501(c)3, not for profit organization whose members work tirelessly to work to protect the wellbeing of all animals and come to the aid of those in distress. We are all about People Helping Animals and Animals Helping People.)

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Sweet Boy Carmine Deserves a Forever Home! Meet Him at Sammy’s Hope

Bellissimo Carmine! Smart and sensitive, with a playful side, best describes Carmine. He loves car rides and going on adventures, and he walks nicely on leash. Carmine’s discerning taste in people is evidenced by the top-notch Sammy’s Hope volunteers he spends time with, and he has quite the fan club! He’s a volunteer favorite, but nothing would make his fans happier than to see him find his loving, forever home! He’s such a wonderful boy!
To meet Carmine please complete an interest form?  www.sammyshope.org/adoptdogs
An adoption counselor will contact you to schedule an appointment. We (and Carmine, of course) would love to see you at our shelter in Sayreville, New Jersey to meet sweet Carmine. He might just be your newest family member!
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Tell Your Congressperson and Senators to Pass “Goldie’s Act” and Stop Cruel Puppy Mills

A Puppy Mill

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a number of responsibilities and authorities, among them the oversight of dog breeders, often referred to as “puppy mills.” Certainly, there are humane and reputable breeders, who care for the animals they breed as well as their offspring, and do their best to ensure the puppies they sell are healthy for when they go off to their new owners.

But in far too many cases, these puppy mills are true mills–factories–where animals are cruelly abused and neglected, getting little or no health care, underfed, sick, in pain, confined in cages too small to even stand or turn, with pups being sent off to their new families with terrible, even fatal illnesses.

Named after a Golden Retriever (“Goldie”) who suffered extreme neglect and died at a “USDA-licensed” puppy mill in Iowa where she was known only as No. 142, the Goldie’s Act law will require the USDA to conduct more frequent and meaningful inspections, provide lifesaving intervention for suffering animals, issue penalties for violations, and communicate with local law enforcement to address cruelty and neglect.  

I’ve generally opposed breeders, even good ones, because I know that there are millions of homeless dogs in shelters, thousands of whom are killed each day because the shelters ostensibly “run out of space.”  And that’s because humans, far too often, selfishly insist on owning purebred dogs (who may not in fact be) or specific breeds, and simply ignore of the plight of so many beautiful angels suffering in shelters.
But until now, even I didn’t know how corrupt the USDA is, not just in ignoring its job to regulate and oversee breeders, but even corruptly covering up horrific crimes of animal cruelty: “Yet, days after the DOJ negotiated surrender of the [4000] beagles [from a USDA-licensed business, Envigo, where the USDA documented horrific cruelty during “routine inspections” over several months, including dead dogs, starving dogs, dogs in dangerous conditions, and dogs in need of veterinary care], the USDA renewed the company’s license for another year, and a shocking new report from Reuters revealed that senior USDA leaders went to great lengths to cover up both Envigo’s [cruel and horrific] treatment of the dogs, and the agency’s own refusal to protect the animals.”
TELL YOUR LAWMAKERS: Pass “Goldie’s Act,” protect the puppies, mommies, and daddies, and HOLD THE USDA ACCOUNTABLE!
To contact your US Representative and Senators:
See the full article from the Animal Legal Defense Fund here.
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Megaesophagus: Deadly Doggy Illness the AVMA Needs to Do Better On

MY BABY POPEYE

On February 13, 2023, I said goodbye to my Popeye, the most loving, gentle, and sweet doggy I’ve ever known. I had to help him across the rainbow bridge that day, with the aid of Dr. Sara from Lap of Love, because he was suffering terribly from a disease I’d never even heard of until January, even though I was raised with dogs and had been volunteering around them for years.

Popeye’s downward spiral began last October, when he started coughing for no apparent reason. He was diagnosed then by his regular vet with “simple” lung inflammation, and treated with antibiotics and steroids. But he didn’t get well, so we went back, and upon re-examination and more X-Rays, he was diagnosed with full-blown pneumonia, and put back on a course of stronger antibiotics. He seemed to get better, and I was relieved.  Sadly, on December 2 he had a terrible fit of coughing and threw up a strange white foam. Unlike vomit, it contained no food residue, was bright white, and so thick that paper towels couldn’t mop it up. But he was diagnosed again with pneumonia, probably “aspiration pneumonia” which results when food particles get into the lungs. After spending a very difficult day in the ER, the vet there said he needed hospitalization, and off we went. He spent two nights and two days there on IV antibiotics and fluids. Happily, the hospital called, said he was eating small amounts of food and keeping it down, and was cleared to go home. I picked him up, his tail was wagging, and once again I was relieved…and exhausted.

But I still had no diagnosis as to what had caused his newest symptoms. Fast forward to early January, and Popeye was once again retching up that white foam at least every other day, and went back to the ER. There we saw a different vet, who ordered yet another (now the 3rd) set of chest X-Rays; she told me he had AP pneumonia again, and was put on antibiotics.  She also said she was referring us to an internal medicine specialist, who actually wouldn’t join the practice until the following week.  So nine days later, my baby and I went back…again. After several hours including an examination and a review of his previous X-Rays, the Internist told me that Popeye had Megaesophagus (ME), a disease that can be very hard to treat and often has poor outcomes especially in a senior, as Popeye was. I was gobsmacked. The doctor strongly suggested we test my boy for Myasthenia Gravis (MG), which can cause ME, but two weeks later–the blood sample had to go all the way to the west coast (honestly, no other lab?)–the results were negative. That was actually a letdown, because MG is evidently more treatable. And the blood tests also showed no thyroid problems, which can also cause ME. His illness was “idiopathic”– no known cause.

I was despondent but determined to do everything I could to manage this thing and keep him with me. The vet had recommended giving him liquid Sildenafil, literally doggy Viagra, before meals, which in some pups is thought to help manage ME.  I tried giving it 30, 15, 10, and 5 minutes before, but in almost every case he still regurgitated, sometime as much as 2-3 hours after eating. Another recommendation from the Internist was a “Bailey Chair” which I bought online, and assembled using my very meager mechanical skills. Bailey chairs keep the pup sitting upright while they eat and for some time after, allowing gravity to do its work moving the food through the esophagus into the stomach. But I just couldn’t get my stubborn boy Popeye to sit in it without forcing him, which I could never do.  One other thing I noted in my research was that some ME pups have Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA), but that’s a congenital problem that would have showed up years earlier, and he wasn’t a candidate for surgery in any event.  

In the end, my sweet boy couldn’t keep anything down–he started regurgitating every single meal. He’d always loved to eat, but now wouldn’t even approach his food bowl. Then he even stopped drinking water. He wouldn’t leave the apartment, which he’d always loved, too, and just splayed himself on the couch, sleeping and exhausted. Not knowing what to do, I arranged a video call with a Hospice Veterinarian, also through Lap of Love, and after an hour conversation and a 35-question evaluation, we decided that his quality of life was very poor and it was all but impossible that it would improve. Popeye was at least 13, and had other health problems when I adopted him, including Horner’s Syndrome on the left side of his face, which already made eating more difficult. And now he was just worn out, and his body had given up, though I’m sure his spirit was intact. I knew I had to let him go.

It was the most painful decision of my life. And it still hurts. I hate this damn disease. And I am angry that he presented with symptoms, including loud, retching regurgitation of the telltale white foam of Megaesophagus right in front of three different vets, two of whom were happy to take thousands of dollars in treatments from me but with no diagnosis. Not even a mention of the word, which is also indicated by the aspiration pneumonia he had three times.  Even the internal medicine specialist who finally diagnosed him never mentioned a half-dozen drugs and supplements other humans are giving their ME pups with often good results.

I don’t want to be harsh but I think the veterinary medicine community needs to get its act together far more on this terrible disease, which is suddenly and mercilessly taking the lives of otherwise healthy pups, young and old alike.

#     #     #     #     #

If you want more information about ME:

There is a wonderful support group on Facebook with kind, knowledgeable people who have ME pups or have lost them; more information here from PetMD.

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SERESTO Flea & Tick Collars DANGER: July 2022 Update

In May 2021, I posted that SERESTO Flea and Tick Collars had been implicated in almost 2000 pet deaths and more than 75,000 incidents and illnesses, from relatively minor effects, such as animals suffering itchiness and skin irritation, to serious emergencies including seizures, convulsions, and, yes, horrible deaths.  Vets and health experts say this is no mere coincidence.

A little more than a year later, I am dismayed that they’re still being widely sold, despite a significant amount of damning evidence that they’re dangerous.  So much so, in fact, that the US Congress, not known for doing much if anything for American consumers, now links the collars to about 2500 pet deaths and more than 100,000 pet illnesses. The collar, made by Elanco Animal Health, is linked to a higher number of death and injury reports than competing products, claims the report from the Committee on Oversight and Reform’s subcommittee on economic and consumer policy.  And the report says they should be RECALLED and taken off the market.

US Congresswoman, Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat from Southern California who also sits on the subcommittee, asked Alanco (parent company) CEO Simmons in mid-June 2022 about the fact that other countries including Australia and Colombia have large warnings on the packaging for Seresto collars and “label them as poison.”  Canada even decided to bar sales of the Seresto collar because its review of U.S. incidents and toxicology studies found it “posed too great a risk to pets and their owners to be sold in Canada.”

So that’s why I was even more dismayed when I was online with Chewy on July 3, ordering some things for my beloved Popeye, when I opened a chat with “Ashley H” at 3:53 pm. When I told her my concerns, within two seconds she had pasted in what I refer to as a “form-letter corporate PR response.” As we continued to chat, she wrote (verbatim): “I do apologize for the misinformation that you were given, at this time I am not obligated to discuss this matter any further, if you are uncomfortable using this product we do understand however we will continue to sell the item until we are told that we are no longer able. Then, remarkably, she accused ME of giving HER misinformation (verbatim): I do apologize that you feel that way about this product, the information that you are giving me is misinformation. (!!)

I’ve been a fan an customer of Chewy for years; their service is outstanding and their people (OTHER than “Ashley H”) are friendly. And Chewy says it loves our pets. But even if the data are not 100% conclusive, there is enough evidence that SERESTO collars should not be sold or used–if you care about the life and health of your pet! 

TELL CHEWY TO STOP SELLING SERESTO FLEA AND TICK COLLARS! corporate@chewy.com

https://www.congress.gov/event/117th-congress/house-event/114900

https://news.yahoo.com/congressional-subcommittee-epa-must-cancel-150304580.html

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/pet-owners-whose-animals-died-after-wearing-seresto-flea-collar-testify-at-congressional-hearing

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Review of The Farmer’s Dog: JUNE 2022 UPDATE!

JUNE 24, 2002: After over a year of using The Farmer’s Dog (TFD), these are my experiences, on top of what I said last June, below.

Popeye seems to really like it, and typically gobbles it down…but in the past he gobbled down his kibble, too, as well as the chopped Salisbury steak I put on it at dinnertime when I was still feeding him kibble.  Currently, he gobbles down Blue Buffalo Beef Stew just as happily, which I now sometimes substitute for TFD, and sometimes I mix in, half-and-half. This is an experiment, and it seems to work well.

Irrespective of inflation, TFD is, well, absurdly expensive: about $170 for just three weeks of food, for a 52-pound, very-low-energy senior pup. Yearly, this is about $2,900!  This is more than I spend on food for myself!  And if you have a 70-pound 2 year-old Lab, I can’t even imagine what that will cost you.  For the vast majority of pet-owned humans (he owns me, not the other way around), this is simply impossible. And in this economy, even more so.

The Farmer’s Dog markets itself deceptively as “fresh.” It’s not. The 21 plastic tubes of food arrive frozen, rock solid, and have to be stored in the freezer, meaning the last few have spent the better part of a month frozen. Each day I have to plan ahead to ensure the next tube is thawed in time for my boy’s meals at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Even when thawed, they’re sometimes difficult to get cleanly out of the tube, and even harder to truly portion them at 50%. I do my best, but oftentimes I have to pop them in the microwave, which makes the food slide out easier, but of course you have to be careful not to cook it.

So you ask, quite rationally, why not switch to something else? Well, I looked at five other “fresh” dog food services, including Nom Nom, Ollie, Fresh Pet, Just Food For Dogs, and Pet Plate. They all say they’re designed by veterinarians, and composed of “human grade” ingredients (Nom Nom says “restaurant-quality” whatever that is. But I’ve eaten restaurant food I would never give Popeye).  They all typically offer a discount, often 50-60% of your first order, but many are for only two weeks, and then you zoom right up to full price. I can’t find any that will give you a quote without giving your email. And when I went through the process of checking out three of the others, one was slightly less than TFD, one was the same, and one was even more than $170 for three weeks! And it’s very difficult to find genuinely objective comparisons, especially on price; so many “reviews” are really sponsored by one of them.

And I understand why, but the volumes of the four different Farmer’s Dog recipe are very different, because they’re based on calorie density and not volume. Initially I was getting Popeye the beef, pork, and chicken formulas, but the beef and pork formulas were noticeably and measurably smaller in volume. Even if they provided the same number of calories, the smaller portions weren’t sufficient for two full meals for Popeye, and I had to switch to chicken and turkey only.  And while all the formulas contain a lot of moisture, and once they’re thawed, unlike canned wet food, you’re getting even less.

SO–we ALL adore our dogs and cats (and gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, parrots, snakes, turtles…) and want the best for them. And let’s face it, mealtime for animals is often the highlight of their day. IF you can afford one or the other, it might make perfect sense. For the vast majority of American households, though, they’re probably out of reach.

*********

June 16, 2001: After reading Big Kibble, “An inside look at the shocking lack of regulation within the pet food industry, and how readers can dramatically improve the quality of their dogs’ lives through diet,” I decided to look into what options I have for feeding my beloved rescue pittie Popeye, genuine human “food-grade” meals.

I’d seen a cable TV ad recently for The Farmer’s Dog, which promised “Smarter, healthier pet food, real food, made fresh” so I looked into it. Here’s what I found.

The Farmer’s Dog is a subscription service, similar to many meal delivery services going, such as Freshly (as opposed to meal “kits” that require some actual prep, such as Hello Fresh). Its introductory offer was $55, and got me (well actually got Popeye) what was billed as 14 days of food, with enough for two portions a day, each day’s food in a single plastic pouch. If my sweet boy liked it, I could continue the subscription, but for quite a bit more– about $165 for 21 days.  Before the trial subscription, I answered questions online about Popeye, including his age, weight, breed, and activity level, and their system calculated what was supposed to be the “correct” portion size that corresponded to a specific calorie count–but neither was divulged to me at that time. I did get to choose three meal types out of four–beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. I chose the first three.

POPEYE

Five days later the insulated box arrived.  Inside were 14 sealed plastic packages, very cold to the point of being frozen via dry ice in the bottom. Inside the plastic, the meals look like some kind of mushy stew, identical in most ways except for a difference in color based on the different types of meat.  So, I opened a package of the chicken-based meal and squeezed out a bit more than half, the best I could, into his bowl. It’s actually difficult to get the food out unless the package is fairly thawed, but then it comes out easily. And it definitely looks more palatable out of the package.

Over the next couple days as I fed Popeye twice a day, it was apparent to me that the portion size was probably a bit insufficient, and I needed to go partially into a second package for his dinner.  He did seem to love it, and enthusiastically cleaned his bowl down to the metal except once. And I tasted it myself; it both smelled and tasted good, like “people” chicken, which was a welcome change from the canned wet food and dry kibble I’d been feeding him. I’ll taste the beef and turkey this week.  After squeezing it into his bowl, I fluffed it with a fork each time, which increased the volume and improved its appearance (not that my boy cared).

So now I addressed what I felt were probably insufficient meal sizes for a 55-pound dog, and eventually got a response to my email from “Hans.”  I found that they’re slow in responding, and after my email I immediately received an automated reply saying “Thanks for reaching out. We’re currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries.”  I guess that means business is good, but as a customer, it wasn’t thrilling.  I can always get a human at Chewy, by contrast.

The Farmer’s Dog food for Popeye

I eventually had a detailed email exchange with Hans, originally asking him to double the portion size. After reflecting on that, I opted for increasing it instead by 50%, and when the price was recalculated, was notified “Your new 21-day plan averages $59.59 per week or $189.52 (including tax) per delivery.” That’s $9.02 a day including tax, probably more than I spend to feed myself at home.

Now, please follow me here, as this was a learning experience. After another day of seeing how much Popeye would eat, I finally (I hope) opted for just a 15% increase over what their system originally calculated, for his next full, three-week order.  The new price with the 15% increase in food is $172.26, $8.20 per day. Again, probably more than I spend on myself unless I go out to eat. Popeye continues to gobble his meals enthusiastically, and he’s left a little bit in the bowl a couple times.

So, in general, I give TFD a positive review, except for the cost. Of course, nothing is too good for my Popeye, as I was not thrilled about feeding him kibble and canned food, and absolutely determined to find him something better. This certainly is far better. So, if you can “stomach” the price, give it a try!

One caveat, and this was not made clear to me at the time of the order, and not apparent on the Farmer’s Dog website, you must FREEZE, not refrigerate, the meals except perhaps for the next day’s portion.  I’m hoping the pouches that are left, which I just moved hastily to the freezer, are still good. I guess I have to sniff and examine them carefully after they defrost.  I just sniffed and tasted tonight’s dinner and it was fine. And he wolfed it down!