We tried a new type of show this week, discussing recent news stories that we thought would be of interest to pet lovers.
We started off discussing the success of Green Acres 9th annual fundraiser for the Eastern Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank. We raised a total of $6195 from the community for this important cause and added $2000 for a total of $8195. Thank you!
Next, we announced Green Acres’ participation in the Pet Professional Guild 
Project Trade program, a way for customers to earn discounts when they turn in aversive training equipment such as; choke collars, prong collars, shock collars, and citronella collars. FMI – http://www.greenacreskennel.com/articles/project-trade.html
We talked about lawsuits within the pet food industry. Pet food manufacturer Wysong filed a lawsuit in September of 2016 claiming that the defendant’s (Nestle 
Purina Petcare, Mars Petcare, Wal-Mart, Hills Pet Nutrition, BigHeart/J.M. Smucker, Ainsworth/APN) are misleading consumers into believing their pet food contains higher quality ingredients than the foods contain. Purina filed a similar suit against Blue Buffalo over a year ago and won, so this could be interesting. http://www.wysong.net/WysongLawsuitClaimsMajorPetFoodCompaniesareMisleadingConsumers
A post on PetFoodIndustry.com reports on a lawsuit filed in the US District Court of Northern California (Case number 3:16-cv-7001). The plaintiffs claim that the pet food businesses charged consumers more than was justified for certain foods by making those foods available by prescription only. The plaintiffs allege that these prescription foods contain no drug or ingredients that are not found in conventional foods. – http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6188-prescription-dog-cat-foods-face-anti-trust-lawsuit
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) has adopted a new 
position statement on positive veterinary care (https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Positive-Veterinary-Care-Position-Statement-download.pdf). This document emphasizes the importance of making visits to the veterinarian free of stress, anxiety, and fear. Don and Kate discuss why this is so important and how you can make your cats visit to the vet less stressful by teaching them to like their carrier. Learn how at http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2015/03/25/cat-behavior-make-your-life-easier-get-your-cat-to-love-their-carrier/
Related to fear-free veterinary visits is a blog post by Dr. Dawn Crandall Dawn Crandell, where she states “There needs to be a shift in veterinary medicine, and it can’t happen too soon. It isn’t about the medicine. It is about the way we view our patients. And it is all about behavior.” Don shared the post on his blog, where you can read it in its entirety – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2016/12/02/shared-blog-post-are-you-failing-your-patients-in-this-major-way/
It is not just veterinarians that are issuing new position statements that promote fear-free handling and training of pets. The day after Kate and I recorded The 
Woof Meow Show episode on How to choose a trainer, The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) released their new Position Statement on the Use of Pet Correction Devices. The PPG statement is much like our own in that it states that aversive equipment should never be used for the management and training of pets. You can read that statement here – http://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Equipment-Used-for-the-Management-Training-and-Care-of-Pets
The acquisition of pet related companies by giant conglomerates continues as Kate and Don discuss a press release from January 9th, indicating that Mars 
Petcare, maker of Snickers, M&M’s and Pedigree, is acquiring animal hospital chain VCA for $7.7 billion dollars. This merger will combine the two largest chains of veterinary hospitals into one unit owned by the candy maker. You can read more at https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-09/mars-expands-in-pet-care-with-9-1-billion-deal-for-vca
Not discussed on The Woof Meow Show, but right in line with what we were discussing is the corporatization of petcare, which in our opinion is not good for us or our pets. This article from Bloomberg news serves as a warning – https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-01-05/when-big-business-happens-to-your-pet
Green Acres is offering a new training class for students who have completed their Basic Manners class. You can learn more at http://www.greenacreskennel.com/dog-training/refining-rover-class.html
Don and Kate also recognized two Green Acres team members. Michelle Harmon, Green Acres Assistant Manager, has completed the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) 
4-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop and has achieved the Certified Pet Care Technician (CPCT) designation offered by the PPG. The four-day workshop in Wesley Chapel, Florida, covered; 1) How Pets Learn, 2) Canine Behavior & Social Communication, 3) Canine & Feline Anatomy and Physiology, 4) Canine & Feline Health and Handling, 5) Pet First Aid and Emergency Protocols, 6) Pet Care Tools, Equipment, Toys & Supplies, 7) Consent and Preference Testing, and 8) Pet Care Policies and Protocols.
Lois Dimitre, a Lead Dog Training Instructor at Green Acres Kennel Shop, has recently graduated with distinction from the Karen Pryor Academy and has been named a Certified Training Partner. Lois is committed to force-free training 
techniques that make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners. Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior is an innovative institution committed to educating, certifying, and promoting the next generation of animal trainers. Lois has completed an intensive education process and demonstrated a high level of skill in training dogs as well as teaching dog owners. “Our graduates are not only skilled trainers, they are excellent teachers,” said Pryor. “I’m proud to be able to welcome Lois Dimitre to the growing family of KPA-Certified dog trainers nationwide.”
For the past several years, Green Acres Kennel Shop has been recognized by Market Surveys of America as the Best Kennel, Best Pet Store, Best Dog Trainer and Best Pet Groomer in the greater Bangor region. Last month, Best Businesses of America, an affiliate of Market Surveys of America, ranked Green Acres Kennel Shop as one of the Top 15 Kennels and Top 40 Dog Trainers in New England.
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