Got Milk Bone?

Sour or not, milk can be a total downer when your enjoyment of the delicious dairy beverage is tainted by the site of a missing child on the back of the carton. You were just like, Man, I love this milk! Then all of a sudden the world becomes a sad, sad place as you push the glass away, thinking about social injustice and wronged parents.

Good news, though: The same doesn't have to be the case for your prized pup! In fact, if your pooch likes his Milk Bones straight from the box, now you can get his adorable mug printed right on the packaging! For $23.99 (plus shipping and handling), a personalized Milk Bone box will feature your little canine guy or gal's proud grin every time you reach for a treat.

In other words: Who needs milk after all? Just tack on "bone," and you'll have yourself the cutest pet-food packaging you could ever imagine. Hasta la vista, depressing dairy products!

How to Help Animals for Free

When the economy suffers, people suffer, and unfortunately, so do pets. Many folks would like to help animals, but think they can't because they don't have the means or the money-yet that couldn't be further from the truth. There are various ways to help animals that are free and easy-right in your own community-or right from your own computer. Here are some ways.

Step 1 - Click daily on these websites: The Animal Rescue Site, Care2's Race for Pets in Need, Freekibble and Freekibblekat. Each click is completely free. On Freekibble and Freekibblekat you get to answer a trivia question-and the cool part is-even if you miss it-you'll still help feed homeless pets just by clicking-plus you'll learn some interesting facts about doggies and kitties.

Step 2 - Use the search engine dogpile.com, and every time you do, you will help generate funds for the ASPCA and other organizations that help homeless pets. You can also make dogpile your home page if you like. The more you search, the more they rescue-and it won't cost you a penny.
Step 3 - Post pictures and information about homeless pets that are up for adoption in your community on your website, MySpace, Facebook, Petfinder.com, Adopt a Pet.com and on Craigslist. Craigslist prohibits selling pets, but allows you to list pets that are up for adoption if you charge a small fee ("free to a good home" ads are discouraged to prevent animals from falling into the wrong hands). The Internet has proven to be a valuable (and free) tool for getting homeless pets adopted.

Step 4 - Link your grocery club card to an animal organization. Most supermarkets have savings cards with a percentage of whatever you spend going to the community organization you designate. Many of them have animal organizations on the list.

Step 5 - Donate blankets and towels to your local animal shelter (especially during winter), so the pets won't have to sleep on a cold, cement floor. There is an organization in Southern California called Operation Blankets of Love that is dedicated to this and they hope to branch out nationwide, or you might start a similar drive in your area.

Step 6 - Find out what's on your local shelter's wish list and donate some items. Needs may include: paper towels, newspaper, dog and cat toys, pet food, cleaning products, rubber tubs and collars/leashes.

Step 7 - Clean out your closets for animals. Many cities and towns have thrift stores that benefit animal organizations and rescues. Find out which ones do in your area and take over that stuff that's just been sitting there accumulating dust. Many organizations will pick up your items.

Step 8 - Donate your time and love to a local animal shelter or rescue. The lonely animals will sure appreciate you until they hopefully find homes. You can help walk dogs or socialize cats, and some shelters need help cleaning cages and with computer work. If you are a dog trainer you might also offer your services to help get the dogs more adoptable. Then there are many organizations that hold mobile adoptions and need volunteers to help transport animals to the events, as well as people to work the events.

Step 9 - Visit the website of an organization such as Best Friends Animal Society or North Shore Animal League to find out about volunteer opportunities. You can also periodically check the websites of the major animal organizations to find out about the latest campaigns and sign up to receive action alerts.

Step 10 - Lobby your local elected officials concerning animal issues, participate in boycotts and demonstrations and educate people you know. There are different ways to do it. For example, you can boycott pet stores that sell dogs and cats and tell everyone you know to do the same. With the millions that are destroyed each year, there is no need to sell animals. Aside from the fact that the overwhelming majority of dogs (almost all) sold in pet stores are from puppy mills, factory-like breeding operations that keep their breeding dogs in cramped cages for most of their lives and discard them when they're done. You can also organize a pet store protest, which isn't hard to do, or join one in your area.

PADDIO STICKS

You can easily learn how to make dog toys out of sticks and rags! They'll cost you nothing except a little time to gather materials and put them together.

Comet enjoys these because they move in unpredictable ways. They can be good temporary chomp toys but do not leave your dog alone with them. Watch carefully to make sure your dog doesn't swallow the material.



ESTIMATED TIME

•15 to 30 minutes per toy
MATERIALS
•Colored tape
•A large old T-shirt or equivalent
•Sticks, 1 /2 to 1 inch (15 to 25mm) in diameter, about a foot long
Note: Green sticks that bend rather than break, are preferable, and crooked sticks rather than totally straight add a little extra fun. If the ends are really pointed, saw them off to blunt them.

PADDIO STICK CROSSIE



Comet's got a tight grip on his Crossie!

INSTRUCTIONS

Take two sticks and for each stick do the following:

•Cut/tear strips about 2 inches (5 cm) wide and as long as possible from the T-shirt ([If you tear horizontally you'll get the longest pieces]
•Take a strip of rag and lay the stick on it
•Wrap lengthwise a couple of times, covering the ends of the stick
•Tightly wind the rest of your strip around the stick and wrapping
•When that strip ends, start with another, overlapping the ends
•Keep on with another strip or two, remembering to wrap tightly
•Tuck the last end under previous wraps, using a knife to help
•For a decorative touch, apply plastic tape around the ends
•When you have both sticks firmly wrapped, lay them crosswise and use another strip of rag to bind them firmly together in the middle
We hope this one showed you it's not difficult to learn how to make homemade dog toys. Are you ready for the next one?
The following Triangle toy is similar, only you'll need three sticks. Comet really enjoys chewing on this one because he can hold onto it so well with his paws.


PADDIO STICK TRIANGLE



INSTRUCTIONS


•Take three sticks and wrap each of them per the Crossie above
•Lay the sticks in a triangle, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) sticking out at the ends
•Wrap each corner firmly, going around and between each stick
•To finish off, tie a knot and tuck the ends under a wrap
•When you have all three angles done, add tape as desired
Uses: Play fetch by throwing or rolling along the ground or give to your puppy to chew on (under supervision only)

Thanks for being willing to learn how to make dog toys! (The first time I typed that it came out as "hog" toys - maybe they'll work for a pet pig too!)

Can Dogs See in Color?

Ever wonder whether dogs see in color like humans do, or only in black and white? Does it matter to your dog if you humiliate him by making him wear a blue sweater, or will a yellow one be just as humiliating? Modern science has the answer:

Dogs see in color, but not very well.

Eyes have two cells that receive light: rods and cones. Rods tell us how bright or dim a light is, i.e. how "white" or "black" it is. Cones tell us what color the light is. Humans have three kinds of cones that each detect color at different wavelengths, which are basically yellow, violet, and green. Just like old television sets have little squares of blue, green, and red to make up the full picture, every color we see is a combination of cones working at different intensities.

Color blind humans are missing one type of cone. Dogs only have two types of cones, the yellow and the violet, so technically, all dogs are color blind by human standards. For dogs, orange, yellow, and green are seen as yellow, blue-green is seen as white, red is seen as close to black, and there is little distinction between the blues as they get darker.

It's Bacon

How cute is this little guy?! And what a cute name for a dog! In honor of Bacon's name, I though it'd only be appropriate for a dog treat recipe involving bacon! Behold the Bacon Flavored Dog Biscuit Treats:

Ingredients

5 cups Whole wheat flour
1 cup Milk
2 Eggs
10 tablespoon Vegetable oil or bacon fat
1 pinch Onion or garlic powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Cold water
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil to grease pan

Mix all ingredients well. Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll them into two-inch balls. Bake biscuits at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Let them cool, then store in an airtight container.

Originally from the Humane Society of Santa Clare Co., Santa Clara, CA.

Rescued Dog Surprises Rescuer With Puppies

Atlanta's Gary DeNicola was a perfectly normal single-dog-owning man before he found a small dog in the middle of an intersection back in September. While everyone else ignored Ruby (named by DeNicola later for the color of her coat), DeNicola did what we all would like to do: He put her in his car and took her home, as reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But little did DeNicola know that he could have taken the carpool lane that day. Ruby was preggers.

After coming home, DeNicola put Ruby in the backyard to avoid confrontation with his other dog, Tiger. But DeNicola had his own confrontation to make. "At that point, I actually felt a kick and put two and two together and realized [Ruby] was pregnant," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. More likely, he felt a chorus line of kicks. Ruby soon gave birth to nine puppies.

Drowning in a sea of fur and cuteness, DeNicola called local shelters in Atlanta, but was unable to find one willing to take the puppies; all of the area shelters were already overcrowded. The best he could find was a place that would take them only if they were already vaccinated. Instead, he made a pen in his basement to house the pups, and has been caring for them ever since.

For now, DeNicola has no plans to keep Ruby or her puppies. He is taking them to get their shots this week, and he intends to find each one of them healthy, happy homes. If you are interested in adopting one of DeNicola's puppies, he gives his e-mail address in the original article. For now, we at Paw Nation commend this modest hero for helping an animal in need.

Hilary Swank Helps Homeless Pets

The Oscar winner supports the program that has found homes for over three million animals. Ever since second grade, when she persuaded her mother to let her adopt gerbils named Joe and Moe, Swank has been obsessed with animals. She discovered her dog Rumi at L.A.'s East Valley Animal Care Center in 2008, and she rescued her other dog, Karoo, from the streets of South Africa six hears ago. "They've brought me love and so much happiness," she says. Last year she helped spread that joy by becoming the ambassador for the Iams Home 4 the Holidays program, which finds families to take in pets. "When you hear that so many people want to bring an animal into their lives and a staggering eight million need to be adopted, you think, How can we bring them together?" Swank says. the connection can be magical: "You go to the animal shelter, and in the end, the animals choose you more than you choose them".