Lisa Falkenberg, a columnist for the Chronicle, wrote last week about conditions at BARC. She writes:

The bit of good news I reported last week from the city of Houston’s troubled animal shelter didn’t tell the whole story.

While the shelter’s new policy to vaccinate all dogs upon or before intake is indeed progress, the practice wasn’t implemented until June 10 — not in January, as a city spokeswoman had indicated in my column, according to Kim Grieff, the recently resigned senior community liaison at Houston’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care.
Grieff, who …

The Dog Nanny, a blogger for PetsHouston, writes about the condition of dogs at BARC, as they appeared at an adoption event Saturday in the Heights:
These are all dogs who had been at BARC (our city pound) for weeks or months.  No record is made of their weight at in-take (and why not , I’d like to know) but according to volunteers and medical records that show the amount of medication needed, their weights have all decreased dramatically.  Even if they had come in like this, their weights could have …

Last year, the story of Jasmina Ristic, a Chicago woman struggling with cancer whose cat Spodee offered needed love and support, inspired a partnership between Purina Cat Chow and the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure.
Ristic’s story is featured with other Stories of Hope. “Once my treatment began, I struggled to cope with the pain and exhaustion. But somehow my cat, Spodee, knew I was suffering. It didn’t make sense. There was no way for her to know. But she just did,” she writes. “She snuggled up with …

Come to Molly’s Mutt House Sunday, June 28 to learn more about reiki, a Japanese technique to promote physical, mental and spiritual health.

 
As the current green movement grows and several recent books detailing where our food comes from have become bestsellers, consumers are increasingly interested in the origins of the products they put on their tables.
American Humane Certified has partnered with Viking Cooking Schools to help educate cooking enthusiasts about the taste benefits of humanely raised food. Teachers at Viking’s 15 U.S. schools will integrate information about American Humane Certified producers’ beef, pork, poultry, veal, eggs and dairy products into their lesson plans.
There are currently 15 Viking Cooking School locations nationwide, including …

“My focus… will be to save lives. We will be working with more volunteers, more foster families, and more rescue groups,” said new shelter director, Dr. Patricia Ryan, DVM.

Veterinarians no longer have to rely on just external cues and intuition to pinpoint sources of pain and discomfort in canine and feline patients. Veterinary Imaging of Texas, located at 3800 Southwest Freeway, recently was launched by the same couple who founded the Canine Health Institute to provide veterinarians with a one-stop-shop for medical diagnostic, pain management, and rehabilitation services for dogs.
Dr. Jeffrey Kozak, an orthopedic spinal surgeon, and his wife Vickey, who serves as the chief operating officer, founded Canine Health Institute in February 2009 and opened Veterinary Imaging …

I see that  Dr. Mark has recently blogged about the dangers of heat stroke,  but due to the extreme heat of the last week,  I thought the subject was worth revisiting…
This heat! My God, I feel like I’m melting. People keep telling me I’ll get used to it, but I’m still skeptical. My dogs and I just relocated from Southern California, and it has been a real trick finding time to exercise outside in this sticky, brutal heat. We have resorted to taking our walks early in the morning and …

 Stop by A Tail and 4 Legs at 4212 Dowling St on Monday June 14 for a Pet Wellness Clinic. The event lasts from 2 to 4 p.m. You can also bring your pet in to get their shots and checkups every Monday at A Tail and 4 Legs. 
Dr. Tony Malone will be administering all services.

Dr. Brian Beale, of Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, hosts an informative radio talk show every Sunday night! He is quite knowledgeable about many pet health issues and he also has interesting guests on the show, called Your Pet’s Health. Dr. Beale recently gave a raving review of Houston PetTalk Magazine that we want to share with our readers…Check out this mention from Dr. Brian Beale on his show,  You can listen to him every Sunday at 8 p.m. on NewsRadio KTRH on AM channel 740.