Issue #36

Harvard startup wants to reverse aging in dogs. A world renown synthetic biologist is behind a new company that plans to reverse aging by using gene therapy - the process of adding new instructions to your DNA. Rejuvenate Bio, co-founded by George Church of Harvard Medical School, has tested gene alteration on at least 4 beagles and the university has filed a patent on “genetic means of aging control” in multiple species. Rejuvenate will first try to stop fatal heart ailments common in spaniels and Doberman pinschers, amassing evidence that the concepts can work in humans too. Lab research already provides hints that aging can be reversed.

A bone for emotional support. Wickedbone, an interactive bone-shaped smart toy for dogs, contains what it calls an “emotional system” that allows the device to react to your dog’s emotions. It ranges from bored, mad and sleep to content and going crazy. Critics wonder if it would last more than a few minutes with a large dog. The Wickedbone was fully funded on Kickstarter under 24 hours with over $38k pledged to date.

In case you missed it, on May 1st formerly "Real Pet Food" became "Real Dog Box"! We wanted to distinguish ourselves from not just any pet food maker, but one that specializes in making a monthly box that meets your dog’s treat and chew needs! In conjunction with our name over, we expanded our operations are able to welcome even more members of the Real family! To celebrate, we are offering new members 50% off their first Treat & Chew Box!

For a limited time, try your first Treat & Chew Box for 50% off. Normally $35, our Treat & Chew Box comes with 3 types of treats and 3 types of chews. You can now try your first box for $17.50. Don’t miss out! *Available to new members only *New members will get a fresh combination of treats & chews we have in stock which may differ from the current month’s box. *Allergies will always be accommodated 🙂

Available until tomorrow, the current box: 🦃 Turkey Gizzard, 🐖 Pork Liver, 🐟 Alaskan Pollock, 🐄 Beef Aorta, 🐑 Lamb Ears, 🦃 Turkey Neck, 🔥 Super Chew: Rolled Cow Skin. Peep the unboxing!

We’ve got a NEW box coming out on Monday, May 21st. Here’s the lineup we have in mind:

🐖 Pork Heart, 🐑 Lamb Lung, 🐟 Anchovies, 🐓 Chicken Feet, 🐖 Pig Skin, 🐄 Beef Tendon, 🔥 Super Chew: Whole Lamb Femur ** ½ cut lamb femurs may be requested.

Did you know… Omega-3 is called an essential fatty acid because neither our bodies nor our pups’ bodies can produce it itself? This means that all omega-3s must come from diet. Fatty acids you’ve heard of - eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) contribute to healthy brain function, a healthy heart, and joints. The most beneficial omega-3 fats occur naturally in oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and anchovies. You can find anchovies in the new box.

A lawsuit filed against a non-profit selling fake “diabetic alert dogs” for $25k each. Filed by the attorney general of Virginia, the lawsuit claims that Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers (SDWR) advertised highly trained diabetic alert dogs able to “detect low/high blood sugar levels through scents in skin and breath; retrieve food and medications; and even dial 911 in an emergency,” but the pups they sold lacked basic pet training and weren’t even housebroken. The complaint alleges that SDWR violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act by deceiving consumers, as well as illegally encouraging them to solicit charitable donations.

Nestle Purina acquires majority share in Tails.com a U.K. based dog nutrition business. Nestle sees the advantage to acquiring a direct-to-consumer subscription service with home delivery. Nestle’s CEO said: “Personalized pet nutrition, along with direct-to-consumer subscription services, is expanding rapidly and this move underlines our focus on investing in high-growth categories and acting on consumer trends.” The news comes just days after Amazon launches “wag” dog food exclusively for its Prime members.

Vaccines will not give your dog autism. The British Veterinary Association felt compelled to respond to pet owners’ fears that their dogs developed “canine autism” as a result of vaccines or who refuse routine shots over worries about side effects. Though there are valid concerns to over-vaccination, autism is certainly not one of them.

Your Instagram #dogs are training Facebook's AI. An artificial intelligence experiment of unprecedented scale reveals Facebook using 3.5 billion public Instagram photos to train algorithms to categorize images. Thanks to transfer learning this could help with identifying and removing offensive, violent or extremist content.

Stray dogs have allegedly killed 6 children in northern India. In just a week, six children between 5 and 12 years old were killed by strays while more than two dozen other children have been injured in attacks. A team of scientists in India is investigating as parents have stopped sending their children to school as they believe there are “killer beasts” killing their kids. Vigilante dog-catching squads have started shooting and strangling animals, while local authorities have recruited police officers and a team of expert monkey catchers to apprehend the strays.