Summer Tips for Pets

Gardening is a summer passion for many pet owners. Poisons in gardening products can make your pet seriously ill and at worse cause death. Cocoa Mulch is one such product. It has been out for years. It smells like chocolate and some dogs will eat it. It causes seizures and death. The harmful ingredient is "Theo bromine" and comes from cocoa bean shells. Check the labels of your garden mulch for this ingredient and don't use it if your pets will wander around the yard where you mulch.

Other products to be aware of are slug poison, rat poison, ant poison, weed poison, insect poison and other toxic garden items. If you spray it, keep pets away for a while to be safe. A friend of mine bought slug poison. She asked the clerk at the store if it would be harmful to her dogs. The lady, who must have wanted the sale badly, said, "No, of course not, it's safe." My friends dog ate the slug poison and almost died. Fortunately, she was rushed to the vets and saved. Read labels and if it doesn't say safe for pets, assume it isn't safe. If you search the internet, you can find recipes for natural pet insecticides and fertilizers that are not harmful to pets or wild life. That is a much better solution than poison.

Check out plants before you purchase them. Different plants may be toxic to your dog, cat, horse, etc. If you think your pet may have eaten a poisonous plant or toxic poison, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 1-888-426-4435, Massachusetts SPCA 1-877--226-4355, ww.smspca.org, PROSTAR International Poison Control Center 1-888-232-8870. Check you area now, before a tragedy hits, and see if there is an Animal Poison Control Center near your home. Post these phone numbers with your families other emergency numbers.

If you know your pet swallowed something poisonous, you need to get to a vet. First you want to make sure they have thrown up. They may have already done this. Do not make the pet vomit if he is in a stupor, unconscious, convulsing, or having very heavy breathing.

To induce vomit, give dogs a 3% mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide to water. One teaspoon for each 10 pounds the dog weighs. They can receive this up to three times, 15 to 20 minuets apart and walk the dog between doses.

Syrup of Ipecac can be used but is not as effective as Hydrogen Peroxide for dogs. Call the poison control and your vet and get them to the vets office as soon as possible.

Heat stroke is a big risk in the summer heat. Make sure your pets have plenty of fresh water at all times. Don't leave them locked in a hot car. Cars left in the sun can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter inside the car, especially if the windows are rolled up. Don't take pets to the store and leave them in the parking lot. If the temperature is high, leave them home and keep them safe. Make sure pets have shelter and shade when outside to protect them from hot direct sunlight.

Heat stroke is a real risk and can cause death. Dog don't have pores to sweat and cool off like people do. They cool off by panting and a tiny bit through their paws. Heat is harder for them to handle than it is for their human owners. Call your vet right away if you pet has been exposed to high heat.

Signs of heat stroke are:

• heavy breathing and panting
• tongue and mucus membranes are bright red
• a lot of thick saliva
• vomiting
• unsteady
• passes bloody diarrhea
• as the dog goes into shock the mucus membranes turn gray
• collapsing pet will go into seizures and death takes place

This is a serious emergency. Treatment you can give is take measures to cool the pet off. Put into an air conditioned area. Place in cool tap water (not ice water) for a few minuets. If you have a room fan, put the wet pet in front of the fan. Cool packs can be used on the groin. Keep the paws wiped with cool water. If you have a rectal thermometer, take the temperature every few minuets until the temperature is 103 degrees or lower. Then the pet is safe. Dry them off and keep them out of heat for 24 hours while they recover from their experience. It is advisable to take them to a vet right away as there are other complications from heat stroke that a vet should check.

Advice on these topics and more are found the the "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" and can be purchased at EverythingNaturalPetFood.com in the pet education book section. Everyone should have a book like this on hand for dogs, cats, or horses because you never know what emergency you may have to deal with in the future.

Weight loss is a good thing to help your pets with so they can be healthier and enjoy the summer. I recommend you feed them a natural, human grade, organic, holistic dog or cat food that is high in protein and low in fat. One that is developed for overweight pets. EVO makes an excellent natural high protein dog food. Here are the details:

Ingredients:

Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Herring Oil, Natural Flavors, Egg, Tomatoes, Apples, Carrots,Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins/Minerals, Dried Chicory Root Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Protein 52
Fat 15.5
Moisture 10
Fiber 2.5

Extra Information:Calories 1643 Kcal/lb Calories 3615 Kcal/Kg Calories 440 KCals/Cup

EVO also makes canned and dry cat foods that are as equally impressive as far as natural human grade ingredients. Try some and see the difference at EverythingNaturalPetFood.com.

Treatment of Dog & Cat Ear Infections

There are several types of ear problems with dogs that need veterinary care and follow up care and treatment by you the owner. There are ear mites, which are common in cats as well as dogs. Your vet can easily diagnose ear mites and start the treatments. Treatments are usually successful if you diligently follow the vets treatment directions.

Minor ear problems and irritations to the ear tissues can also be successfully treated. It is the chronic ear infections that are painful to the pet and frustrating to the pet owner that need some extra diligence. I have a Basset Hound with very long ears (seen above). Long eared dogs, like my Goober, can have reoccurring ear infections. If your dog has this problem, you know when they start scratching their ears repeatedly, it's time to get them to the vet.

These problems can also be caused by flea allergy, food allergy, or bacteria. Of course if you have fleas, you need to start on flea treatments right away for the pet as well as for your home. Food allergy can be caused by some of the toxic substances in some dog foods. It is important for you to change to a natural, human grade, organic, or holistic dog or cat food.

Some of these natural pet foods are made specifically for allergies. There are several excellent choices at http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/NaturalDogFoods.html including Natural Planet Organics dog food. Goober loves it and hasn't had any ear problems since eating this food.

Vets usually give you a prescription medication for ear infections to be applied inside the ear. You then need to rub the base of the ear to work the medication down into the ear canal. You will usually be advised to use an ear wash on a regular basis after healing takes place to keep the debris cleaned out and reduce the chance of further infections.

Go to http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/PetWellnessCare.html

and click on "Ear" and you will find several excellent ear washes and other ear care products. I particularly like the Ear Cleanser with Aloe Vera. It cleans, dries, deodorizes, acidifies the tissues. Another good product is "Sulfodene Ear Cleaner Antiseptic for Dogs & Cats" which also helps to reduce the chance of further infection. Never use alcohol or harsh cleansers which are not only painful but irritate the already injured tissue.

Ear wash is applied by squirting a bit down the ears and rubbing the base of the ears. Then let your dog shake it out. Take a "Bio-Groom Ear Care Pad"and clean all visible debris from the ear and skin folds in the ear. This should be done twice a week to keep ears clean and ear odor down. Never poke a cotton swab stick down the ear or you could puncture the eardrum. Very serious. In fact, ask your vet to make sure your dogs eardrums are not punctured before using ear dryer. It could cause more serious problems if it gets in the inner ear and is never used on pets with punctured eardrums.

An excellent product for cats is "Lambert Kay Ear-Rite Miticide for Cats & Kittens" which kills ear mites and contains natural Aloe Vera to sooth and help heal.

There are other conditions of the ear. If you see any unusual signs of ear problems get to the vet. It's better safe than sorry! I also like to look up information to educate myself and keep some dog and cat manuals on health care. Some good ones for your pet care education are:

• Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook
• Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
• The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat
• Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats : Your A-Z Guide to Over 200 Conditions, Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements
• Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook
• Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs
• Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions
• Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs
• The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Dog's Symptoms
• What's Wrong with My Dog?
• Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats

You can find all these and many more wonderful educational pet care books at http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/PetEducationBooks.html and click on the "Pet Wellness Care" on the right side of the page. There are many pages of excellent books for you to browse through. As with all pet health care, you need to know where there is a good pet, have some good book resources to refer to, and have the proper first aide products available.

Also, if you have an emergency preparedness kit for your family, don't forget to include everything your pets will need also. Take the ear medications and other items to keep the ears in good condition if you are forced to leave your home or even be confined to your home.

Everything Natural for Cats

Oh the marvelous creature called cat. So loving, so mysterious, and the best companion you could ever ask for. They definitely are in charge of the house including keeping the dogs in line. They stay with you when you're sick, they know when something is wrong. They rejoice at the new addition called "baby" in the family and show a loving protective nature. The keep the mice at bay along with any moths hanging around the lights. What would we do if we ever had to watch TV without our lap cats? I don't know. The playful antics of kittens keep us entertained for hours. They are so very special to us and they deserve very special care. Today is dedicated to some special products for the deserved care of our beloved cats.

Book review: "Real Food for Cats" by Patti Delmonte has 50 vet-approved recipes to please cats. If you want to cook special food for your cats, this is it. Everything is natural, human grade, safe and delicious. You might ask kitty to share a bite with you; it's really tasty! Here are some of the recipes:

• Tabby Tuna Popsicles
• Meow-Va-Lous Mackerel Munchies
• Mmmmm Meaty Cookies
• Trout Treats
• You Gotta Have Sole
• Tuna Cakes
• Sardines & Rice
• Fabulous Fish Tacos
• Meowshi Sushi
• Beef Stroganoff
• Shish Kebab
• Cordon Bleu

And for kitties with very special diet needs there is:

• Allergy Diet
• Soft, Bland Diet
• Reducing Diet
• Feline Kidney Diet
• Restricted Mineral Diet

This book has helpful information for urinary stoppages, feeding guide for cats on a restricted mineral diet, feeding guide for cats on a kidney supportive diet, information on impaired liver and kidney function, special obesity information, delicate intestine information, and special information on allergies.

The author has six cats and an award winning artist, Anne Davis, created the adorable cat sketches in the book. This is a must have for cat owners and is available at http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/PetEducationBooks.html on the second page. Do you need a gift for a cat owner friend? This is it.

Kitty Foods: Kitty deserves natural, human grade, organic, holistic cat food; both canned and dry. This is important because many commercial grade pet foods still include very unhealthy ingredients that over time can cause sickness or even worse. Many pet food companies have taken a stand and created totally natural pet food that you can rely on for excellent nutrition. These kitty foods are available at: http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/Natural_Cat_Food.html . You will find an excellent variety to choose from. If your kitty has special needs, the foods are here to accommodate those needs. Here are a few to start with:

• Newman's Own Organics Advanced Active or Senior Formula
• Wellness Complete Health - for moderate activey
• Wellness Healthy Weight Formula - for overweight or sedentary lifestyles
• Halo Spot's Stew Wholesome Turkey Sensitive Formula - easy to digest
• Halo Spot's Stew Wild Salmon Indoor Formula - indoor cats
• Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Feline Formula with Roasted Venison & Smoked Salmon - easy to digest
• Back to Basics Chicken Dry Cat Food - Feline Urological Syndrome support
• Artemis Holistic Chicken Canned Cat Food - supports natural healing process
• California Naturals - no known allergens in the food ingredients
• Feline Caviar Chicken with Pink Salmon Cat Dry Food - good for nursing cats and prevents struvite urinary crystals
• AvoDerm Natural Chicken & Herring Meal Formula Indoor with Hairball Care - for the needs of your indoor cat with hairball formula

Natural Cat Wellness Care: Having products available when you need them for the right conditions is a must to any cat owner. You can find everything you need at http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/PetWellnessCare.html. Products are categorized by condition, body part, or category so it is easy for you to find what you need. For instance, click hairballs and you will be taken to a page with 20 products for hairball treatment. Or look under Product category to find holistic, herbal, flower essences, or homeopathic natural remedies. Does your cat have kidney problems? Click "Kidney" and find four natural products to assist in your cats treatments.

Remember, none of these products are meant to replace good veterinarian care. If your cat is sick see a vet. That is important.

Cat Health Insurance: Does your cat need cat health insurance? Absolutely yes! There are so many emergencies in life and it only takes one that can cost big dollars and risk your cat's life. For a few dollars a month, you can purchase health insurance that helps to cover much of the expense and give the necessary veterinary care. I have know so many people that couldn't afford those emergencies and sadly put their pet to sleep instead. Wouldn't you prefer to have the resources to restore your cat to health? Look at the health insurance on http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/PetWellnessCare.html . It really is affordable.

Cat Rx Prescriptions: Does your cat have reoccurring or ongoing conditions that require prescription medications? If so, you can order your prescriptions and have them sent to your home when you need them. Click http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/SalesCoupons.html , then click "National Pet Pharmacy 10% off entire order code PERNPP30" and you'll receive 10% off your order.

Everything Natural Pet Food is dedicated to bring you the best natural, human grade, organic, holistic cat food and other products for the supreme care of our special felines. We are blessed with them in our lives and caring for them is a pleasure and expression of our love. Enjoy your cats and may they live a very long, healthy, and happy life.

Dog Food Review & Tuna Cat Cookie Recipe

This picture someone sent me is a veteran and his dog. You can see this man loves his country and served it well. It shows in his expression. The loving face of his dog shows the devotion we all enjoy with our pets.

Natural Planet Organics is an ultra premium natural organic dog food. It is carefully developed to build uncompromising nutrition for your dog. The first two ingredients are organic free range chicken and chicken meal which is very good. That means there is plenty of protein for your dogs. The rest of the ingredients include many wonderful varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables along with healthy maintenance items like glucosamine & chrondroitin for strong joints, and high levels of Omega 3 & Omega 6 fatty acids which are essential nutrients for normal growth in dogs and cats. The ingredient list reads like a healthy complete meal with vitamin pills. Read the ingredients list below and see for yourself.

Ingredients:
Organic chicken, chicken meal, organic brown rice, organic oats, organic barley, natural flavors, dicalcium phosphate, organic flaxseed, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), calcium carbonate, organic sunflower oil, potassium chloride, tomato pomace, brewers yeast, sea salt, proteinated minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, cobalt proteinate, manganese proteinate, selenium proteinate), choline chloride, organic alfalfa, organic peas, organic sunflower seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, organic carrots, blueberries, organic broccoli, yeast culture (saccharomyces cerevisiae, enterococcus faecium, lactobacillus acidophilus, aspergillus niger, trichoderma longibrachiatum, bacillus subtillis), vitamins (vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), glucosamine hydrochloride, chicory extract, lecithin, taurine, preserved with mixed tocopherols, sage, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), chondroitin sulfate, yucca schidigera extract, garlic, calcium iodate, rosemary extract.

My dogs are eating this now. They dive into their bowls and eat with tails wagging. That's a sure sign of satisfaction to me. After all, if it didn't taste good they wouldn't eat it. They just can't pass up all those natural organic ingredients. You can find more information on Natural Planet Organics dog food at EverythingNaturalPetFood.com.

Tuna Cat Cookies Recipe

• 6 ounces of undrained tuna
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix thoroughly all ingredients. Use a rolling pin to roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into treat sized pieces. Perhaps get a small fish cookie cutter and a kitchen shop. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes or until golden. Don't brown too deeply. Cool and store in air tight jar. Glass is best. There are no food preservatives in this recipe so feed it to kitty right away. Kitty's love the tuna aroma and flavor. You'll have no problem using up this recipe. In fact, you might want to double the recipe so you don't run out.

This is also a good gift idea. Wrap up the cookies in fancy wrapping paper and give it to a friend along with a book on homemade cat food recipes found at EverythingNaturalPetFood.com

Let me know the results of your dogs when you try Natural Planet Organics. Also, let me know how your Tuna Cat Cookies turned out. Post an answer. Send any questions you have and I'll answer. Have fun with you dogs and cats and remember, "Feed them life!"

What's New at "Everything Natural Pet Food"

Everything Natural Pet Food is THE SOURCE for natural human grade, organic, holistic dog and cat pet food. We who treat our pets like family know how important quality pet food is. Without proper balanced nutrition, your pet's life is shortened and probably made miserable due to diseases that attack unhealthy bodies. Some pet foods have been laced with toxins, foreign objects, etc. We wouldn't eat that and it wouldn't nurish our bodies. Therefore, it is necessary to find the best quality natural human grade, organic, holistic pet food that you can. This is easy at Everything Natural Pet Food. There are many choices of the top brands of dog & cat pet foods on the market. There are coupons to save money on your purchase. They will even set up future shipments on an ongoing basis so you will never run out of your favorite pet food.

Wellness Care Products of everykind are available for your dogs & cats. You can even fill your pets Rx prescriptions online. They will call your vet to verify the information and ship your pets medicine to your front door. What a service!

Pet Insurance is available in the Wellness Care Products. I just had a huge vet bill for my dog's overnight stay at the emergency clinic. The cost would have paid for two years pet health insurance. I am now determined to buy this health insurance for all of my pets so I won't be left with an empty wallet and my pets can have the quality care they need. Just like humans, we never know when an emergency is going to happen. Pet health insurance starts as low as $10.95. It's important. Check out this information for your pet's health insurance needs.

Pet Education Books have everything the pet owner needs. There are hundreds of books on 1.) Pet Food Recipes/Diets, 2.)Pet Wellness Care, 3.)Pet Training, 4.)Horse Training & Horse Nutrition, 4.) Pet Breeds & Stories for adults & children. Here is information on everything on how to make homemade dog & cat pet food to braiding a horse's tail. This is one of the best selections of pet education books you will find anywhere.

Whales & Friends Gifts & Clothing for animal lovers. Find something for you and everyone you need a gift for. Clothing: T-Shirts, dresses, jackets, childrens items all animal printed. Cups, suitcases, and everything you can imagine. Over 900 items available. Catalogues available and up to 80% off many items. Look and see how to save money while buying beautiful quality animal design gifts. Don't forget to treat yourself as well.

Lastly, answer this blog and tell us what you would like to see offered on EverythingNaturalPetFood.com. Give us your ideas to help us make this "your website of choice" for all your pet needs. I also welcome good pictures of pets to use on this blog. I look forward to hearing from you.

Homemade Pet Food Recipes and Pet Food Reviews

Are you looking for some excellent human grade dog and cat food recipes? Here they are! This blog continues to supply free natural human grade dog and cat food recipes. You know if you cook it yourself it is fresh, and full of vitamins and minerals. Try the following recipes and watch if your pets mouths aren't watering while it's cooking. My dogs love to watch me cook. They look so hopeful while the food is cooking, twitching those cute noses to enjoy every food fragrance. But when I put it in their bowls, they know something good is coming their way the the tails wag for happiness. Enjoy!

Wheatless Tuna Biscuits (Dog or Cat) Ingredients 1 cup yellow cornmeal - or 1/4 cup corn flour 1 cup oatmeal 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 small can tuna in oil -- undrained 1/3 cup water Directions 1. Grind oatmeal in processor to make a coarse flour. 2. Set aside in small bowl. 3. In food processor, whirr tuna with the oil, and water then add all the rest of ingredients. 4. Pulse till mixture forms a ball, Pulse to knead for 2-3 minutes. 5. Knead on floured surface till it forms a soft ball of dough. 6. Roll out to a 1/8"-1/4" thickness. 7. Cut into shapes. 8. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet , at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 9. Cool completely.

Flounder Filet (Dogs or Cats)
Ingredients
1 - 5 0r 6 oz boneless filet of flounder
1/2 cup raw instant farina rice or regular white or brown rice
1 soft cooked or hard cooked egg
1 cup mashed carrots & peas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Small pinch of salt
Directions
1. Prepare farina (or white or brown rice) according to directions on box. Save in mixing bowl.
2. Saute filet in oil 5 minuets each side.
3. Combine all ingredients together and mash.
This is two meals for a 10 pound animal. Increase recipe accordingly.

Pet Food Review - Newman's Own Organics
I like to feed my dogs two meals a day; early morning and after I get home from work. My morning meal is where they get a good quality natural, human grade, organic, or holistic dry dog food. I am currently using Newman's Own Organics Advanced Dog Formula. Newman's are made with all organic grains and vegetables. The first two ingredients are chicken, and chicken Meal. This is terrific! This excellent source of protein is first on the list and means it contains a high amount of chicken protein.

The rest of the ingredients are filled with natural organic foods. Here is their Ingredient Declaration: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Organic Oats, Organic Barley, Organic Peas, Organic Soybean Meal, Organic Sorghum, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Millet, Organic Rice, Chicken Fat (Naturally Stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols (A Source of Vitamin E), Organic Flax Seed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Organic Carrots, Chicken Liver, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Parsley, Zinc Amino Acid complex (Source of Chelated Zinc), Choline Chloride, Iron Amino Acid complex (Source of Chelated Iron), Vitamin E Supplement, Rosemary Extract, Manganese Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Manganese), Lecithin, Copper Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Copper), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Source of Vitamin C), Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Biotin, Cobalt Proteinate (Source of Chelated Cobalt), Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (Source of Iodine), Vitamin K Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Dehydrated Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dehydreated Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bifidobacterium Pseudolongum Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Enterococcus Facecium Fermentation Product.

Feeding guidelines recommend you gradually adjust the dogs diet to avoid stomach upset over a transition period of 2 to 3 weeks. This is a good idea for all pet food transitions. Newman's Own Organic Dog & Cat food is available at http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/NaturalDogFoods.html

Everything Natural Pet Food is the source of natural human grade, organic, and holistic dog and cat food, pet wellness care products, pet education books on homemade pet food cook books, pet wellness care, pet training, horsemanship, and horse nutrition.

National Pet Week May 4 - 10, 2008

National Pet Week is a time to celebrate the unconditional love our wonderful pets give to us. Considering the United States has 172 million pets, that's a lot of unconditional love. So this week, I'm taking my pets out for a drive in the car, making them some good homemade treats, and spending some extra quality time with them.

My dogs love to play chasemaster and hide and go seek. Of course, they love tummy rubs and back massages. I might even make them some new bandanas. Dogs love presents too. So that will be our National Pet Week. Except for one item. I have rescue dogs and we have a wonderful life. In honor of that, I will donate some money to pets in need at www.EverythingNaturalPetFood.com. Visit the Charities page and you can find many pet charities that need your help also.

American National Pet Week this year is May 4-10 (the UK dedicated an entire month to their pets; 5 April - 5 May 2008). As you can see in the above poster, the theme for 2008 is "Pets Jazz Up Your Life." This theme was chosen because the American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention will be held in New Orleans, July 19-22, 2008.

National Pet Week was jointly founded in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA, and is now widely celebrated throughout the United States and other parts of the world. Each year, its goals are: to promote responsible pet ownership, celebrate the human-animal bond, and promote public awareness of veterinary medicine.