I just wanted to leave you all with some pet dos and don’ts. I’m not a certified expert, I’m not a vet—just a pet owner who has done a lot of research.

Do take your pet to the vet regularly. Pets are living longer than ever these days and health maintenance is the best way to ensure your pet has a healthy life.

Don’t buy an animal from a pet store. These animal usually come from mills, which mass produce dogs, cats and everything else without regard for their safety and health.

Do consider rescue when you are looking for a pet. Lizards, horses, rabbits, cats and most dog breeds all have rescues with multiple locations across the country.

Don’t dye your poodle pink. It’s not as cute as you think it is.

Do research nutrition instead of pulling the first bag you see off the shelf. It really does make a difference.

Don’t confine your dog to the house. Take him for walks (on a leash please!) take her to the store. Take them to meet the neighbors.

Remember (and I’ve read this in one of those chain e-mails several times) you have work and school and friends. Your pet just has you. Enjoy them!

I’m flabbergasted this is allowed to happen in the U.S. Yes, the military needs to keep up with training, but not by shooting living things that feel pain in a very real way.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is, naturally, working hard to stop this before it happens today in Hawaii. I often find PETA’s tactics to be unhelpful and over the top, but in this case they are spot on, encouraging outraged animal enthusiasts to call the military en masse to protest this exercise.

I hope more rationale minds will prevail today. No animal should be used for something like this. If these military higher-ups want this training, they should volunteer to be shot instead.

It’s where we throw toys that cost more than they should have after they have their innards ripped out by our pets who don’t understand that we could have bought two days worth of groceries with that money.

I’ve also got a stuffed lamb up on mine that only has a slight rip, but causes my dogs to fight like nothing I’ve ever seen.

So I stumbled across LickedToys.com which pays homage to the de-stuffed toys and the dogs who killed them.

My personal pic on the site this morning? The $10 stuff goose with an Ace bandage wrapped around the middle. I feel the owner’s pain. I think had one of those on my fridge at one point.

Some dogs are nice to their toys. But some (including Molly, my Italian Greyhound) take to de-stuffing like a sport. But while Molly will often discard her prey after the deed is done, others (including my mom’s dog) play with the carcass for months until it’s so ratty it’s held together by strings.

A subsequent Associated Press article took note of the popularity of White House pets.  Like him or not, George W. Bush’s Scottish terriers are good looking dogs.

The reasoning behind the study, according to the article is that McCain owns several pets, from dogs to turtles, while Obama doesn’t have any—though he promised his daughters a dog after the election was over.

In the same poll, Obama was shown to have a lead over McCain among people who don’t have pets.

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file) 

NBC10, Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate reported the story today, listing chihuahuas, Jack Russell terriers, Akitas and Austrailian cattle dogs as rounding out the top five.

Basset hounds, golden retrievers, Siberian huskies and greyhounds ranked among the least aggressive dogs.

What do you guys think? I’m especially interested in hearing from doxie owners. I’ve heard the rumors about this breed being … fresh, shall we say, but haven’t ever met any that were anything but friendly.

Unfortunately, this holiday offers the perfect mixture for a disastrous evening with your pet. If you are having people over, make sure your pets are kept safe from opening and closing doors as well as food that could be toxic (grapes, some kinds of nuts, alcohol, etc.) Many of them would much prefer to be in a quiet room away from the bustle anyway.

Fireworks—not a good idea. Period. Leave Fido at home unless he’s been proven not to be bothered by them. The large crowds, the loud bangs, the bursts of light—it’s all enough to make even the best trained animals bolt like their lives depend on it.

And all too often those dogs are hit by cars or go missing for days.

Also just a reminder in the heat—make sure your pets always have access to fresh, cool water and shade. You wouldn’t want to be tied out by your neck in the hot sun—don’t do it to your animals either.

The Daily Mail reported the story of Cinders and her owners, Debbie and Andrew Keeble, who are former sausage farmers.

No worries for Cinders though. The Keebles now keep pigs solely as pets.

Photo via the Daily Mail’s Web site  

Just got a link to this review of the new Paw Luxury shop (online and in person) which sells organic pet products. Sounds great! Like people products, you’ll generally pay a bit more for environmentally friendly animal must-haves, but it’s a great way to keep your pets healthy and give yourself a healthier carbon foot print.

My dogs would LOVE this eco-friendly bed made from recycled and organic materials. But at $119 for a medium-sized bed, they may have to ask Santa for this one come Christmas.

But there is a lot on that site I can afford and would buy, from shampoo to their oh-so-cute cupcake tank tops, all eco-friendly of course.

A personal fav? A product that owners can use to prevent their pets from becoming amorous in inappropriate settings. Or Dog Smog, which helps control gas.

An Associated Press article details the accident in which a Utah teenager crashed into two cars while chasing after her pet gerbil that had gotten loose in the car. Two people were injured (the gerbil was unharmed.)

I myself was about 18 when I was on my way back to college after a weekend at home. I had my aquarium containing my two lizards on the front seat, but the heat lamp (still very hot to the touch) slid off the top of the cage and on to the fabric seat.

Fearing the lecture I’d get from my father about burning a hole in the car seat, I reached down get it, looked back up and—I swear that mailbox was coming straight at my car.

I didn’t just hit the mailbox, I sent it flying into the next yard—post and all- spewing the day’s mail between the two properties. So as I ran around collecting all the mail and leaving it in the mailbox on the front porch I suddenly became aware of the guffaws coming from the construction workers across the street.

It was my first accident, but at least I didn’t hit anyone. Though I did have to replace the mailbox and STILL ended up getting a lecture from my father about the hole I ended up putting in the hood of the car.

Moral of the story folks—make sure your pets and their accoutrement are secured before shifting into drive. And if you have to make adjustments (or find that lost gerbil)—pull over!

That crack—it does virtually nothing in warm temperatures. I even called the police last year on a car in the grocery store parking lot after finding a dog crying and breathing heavily in a car in more than 80-degree heat.

The Animal Protection Institute (and thanks to the faithful LoHud.com reader who has sent me this card two summers in a row) issues a reminder card telling pet owners the dangers of leaving animals in hot cars.

In 85-degree weather a car’s inside temperature can rise to 102 degrees in 10 minutes and to 120 degrees in a half hour—and that’s with the windows cracked open.

Dogs who are not killed by being left in hot cars (this counts as animal cruelty and is illegal, by the way) run the risk of suffering seizures, heat stroke and brain damage.

And may I also just remind pet owners not to leave your pets outside on hot days unless they are guaranteed a supply of fresh, cool water and adequate shade.

For more information on summertime tips, click here.