Issue #12

This week we are celebrating of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day (which was on April 30th). Each year, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes. Consider adopting or fostering a dog in need of a home and little love ♥️ #adoptdontshop

Here’s what’s in this month’s Real Pet Food box: turkey gizzard, lamb lung, whole smelt, beef aorta, duck wings and pig ears.

Does your pup have an allergy? Let us know and we’ll be happy to accommodate ?

Match dot com for finding your next dog. About 4 million dogs per year are handed over to shelters and rescues because people so often choose dogs that don’t fit their lifestyle. Though several other online services match people with pets, the founders of How I Met My Dog say they take things to a new level with a more detailed, science-based questionnaire that narrows the number of dogs that meet a human adopter’s lifestyle and expectations.

PetSmart announces the acquisition of Chewy.com for $3.35 billion. The largest e-commerce acquisition to date (bigger than Walmart’s deal for jet.com), it’s a smart move by PetSmart to offset its dwindling in-store sales by extending its reach to online consumers, but many of Chewy’s loyal customers see it as selling-out to the big corp and that it’s only a matter of time before their service changes and it loses it’s “wow” factor. Other business partners, including Tuffy’s Pet Foods, maker of NutriSource, Pure Vita and Natural Planet brands, immediately responded to the news by announcing it was parting ways with Chewy. What do you think?

What dogs actually mean when they look guilty. According to a new write-up in Psychology Today, dogs offer an "apology bow" when they look guilty, stemming from pack rules and behavior of their wolf ancestors. “As social animals, they crave harmonious integration in the group and neglect or isolation is painful for them,” so bowing down is basically asking to be back on your good side.

Largest family dog tree shows how canines evolved into more than 150 modern breeds. In a study at the National Institutes of Health, researchers analyzed the genetics of 161 modern dog breeds, and their wild relatives, the wolf and the golden jackal, identifying 23 clusters (clades) of dog breeds that are all similar to each other. You can now tell where different dog breeds came from - and the diseases they are prone to.

Dog owners could face new penalties in Washington state if they tie up or “tether” their dogs. Gov. Jay Inslee has signed legislation that would penalize dog owners for leaving their dogs tied up for a reckless period of time without access to food, water, and shelter. Seems like common sense to us, but only about 20 other states have similar laws in place. Consider talking to your local congressperson if you don’t see your state listed.

Work work work. Dogs live to please us, and some are bred to love work. Give them a job helping people, and the rewards go both ways. Here are nine dogs who do amazing work every day.