DIY Emergency Wallet Card

OK…  We all know that SH*T happens.  Well what happens when your dogs are at home by themselves while the SH*T is happening???  I decided to make a wallet card in case of an emergency.

This is a very simple DIY project.  Just print out the card, cut outside the black border and it will fit into your wallet.  I highly recommend laminating the card.  I made it a little bit smaller than a standard business card so you can leave an additional edge around the border if you choose to laminate it.  Remember to fill it in BEFORE you laminate it!!!

Make sure that the people you list on the card have keys to your home so that they can access your pets.

In case there are legal issues with disclosing certain information regarding any details, I added your name, number and signature at the bottom of the card  to provide your authorization.  I’m not a lawyer, but I figured that it might be a good thing to add. 

 

 

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Cloning Your Dog

We all love our dogs. Each dog has unique physical attributes. You can find plenty of mass produced products that have characteristics of certain breeds. Cuddle Clones are 100% custom designed to look like YOUR dog and the his own quirky, one of a kind characteristics that are unique to him only.

The concept of Cuddle Clones can be deeper than just having an adorable stuffed animal that looks just like yourown dog. I have known people who have lost their dogs due to various situations (including death or due to a custody battle). I also know someone who takes her dog’s photo with her on business trips. A friend of mine has a son who is nervous about going to kindergarten and wants to take his best friend with him (his dog).  Cuddle clones can offer some people a sense of warmth and peace as they can remember their pets when they are not close by.

 

This is how it works:

-Upload least one picture of your pet
-Choose ear & tail position and more
-Submit any other distinguishing features
-Add products to your cart
-Type in EDogs at checkout for your 10% discount – however, from August 17th 2015 there will be a 15% discount which will extend for 2 weeks!
-Submit your order

It takes around 8 – 10 weeks for delivery, but there are rush delivery options as well.

Not only does Cuddle Clones custom design stuffed animal to resemble dogs, but they also create stuffed animals that resemble other pets including cats, rabbits guinea pigs, birds, horses, and other animals.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXjlJyhqFEA

 

Cuddle Clones also make beds, collars, t-shirts, hoodies, figurines, memorials, and ornaments. Each of their products are custom made. Their beds are made from bison leather (with color options). The inside of the bed is made with orthopedic memory foam and may be ordered with a faux fur or bison shearling cover. They are beautiful!

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 Cuddle Clones Products

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Cuddle Clones gives back to the pet community whenever and wherever possible through pet-related causes and animal charities. A portion of each Cuddle Clone purchase goes to various charities.

 

Coupon!  If you purchase Cuddle Clones through my website you may use the Essentially Dogs Coupon which gives you 10% off your purchase.  Just type in “EDogs” (without the quotes) upon payment.  Visit Cuddle Clones!

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Cuddle Clones

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Misleading Organic Food Labeling

So what does “organic” mean?  Does it automatically guarantee that a food is “organic?” The quick answer is NO, but manufacturers are very sneaky about what they promise to their consumers and the FDA enables them to mislead us.

A woman at Evangers pet food told me that their ingredients do not come from China.  She told me that some of the vitamins come from a third party supplier whom (she claims) does not source them from China.  She reassured me that they carry some products that are certified organic.  She explained that by default that ensures that the ingredients don’t come from China.  She might very well be telling me the truth about their third party supplier.  I just don’t have any proof of that because that information is proprietary.  Sounds good???  

This woman was not well-versed regarding the USDA’s loose regulatory practices.  The Food and Drug Administration allows non-organic vitamins and minerals for fortification of food that fit certain parameters when approving for official USDA organic certification. Although a product is labeled with the official USDA organic seal, it doesn’t mean that the product is organic as we would naturally conclude. Certain non-organic vitamins are permitted. These ingredients could come from China and poorly manufactured.  Our government lacks regulation for nutritional supplements. Yeah… That seems strange to me too.

An organic seal does NOT mean that all ingredients are organic.  The FDA has protected the pet food industry.  The  Pet Food Institute (the industry’s lobbyists) got all upset because the cost of production would be prohibitive to many companies.  Vitamin supplements must be added to commercial (canned and kibble) pet food to compensate for the food’s absence of nutrients.  Sourcing vitamins and supplements from China enables manufacturers to earn much higher profits.  The cost of sourcing these supplements elsewhere is so high that it would hurt the industry.  China’s production practices are questionable to say the least and I think that most of us are aware of that.  Sadly, 90% of the world’s ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is sourced from China because it is far less costly than anywhere else in the world.  To read more about these unethical practices sanctions them read my article The Truth About Holistic & Organic Dog Food.

The NOP (Natural Organic Product) classification must consider the economic impact of any changes to the USDA organic regulations; if the action will significantly affect the industry, additional assessments and justifications are required.  The Pet Food Task Force, which included individuals from pet food manufacturing, organic consulting, Pet Food Institute (the industry’s lobbyist organization), and federal agencies were responsible for changes made to the definition of “organic” to pander to the pet food industry.

Vitamins, minerals, synthetic nutrients, and other additives including those used as preservatives are exempt from organic requirements based on the following criteria:

-Ingredient required for a complete and balanced pet food.
-Acceptable ingredients for use in pet food.
-Availability of ingredients in organic form.
-Structure of the pet food industry.
-Number of organic producers supplying raw commodities for organic pet food.
-Types of production costs

Products are certified without regard to source and “other ingredients” under the livestock feed standards. Certifiers have been using the livestock feed standards for our pets.  How natural is that???  Hmmm.

 

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Sources:

McEvoy, Miles V. “Tails” of the Organic Pet Food Rule.” The Organic Integrity Quarterly (Oct. 2012): 7-8. US Department of Agriculture. National Organic Program, Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5100909>. USA. USDA. National Organic Standards Board. Livestock Subcommittee Petitioned Material Proposal Required Synthetic Amino Acids for Pet Foods. N.p.: n.p., n.d. National Organic Standards Board. USDA, 05 Feb. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5102662>. V., Anya. “90% of Vitamin C Comes from China. This Is WHY You SHOULD Care.” Living Traditionally. 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

 

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