My Fire Hydrant

[I noticed today that this post was sitting in draft--I thought I had published it on Friday night.]

P&G Expands Voluntary Limited Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods

Due to Possible Health Risk

CINCINNATI, July 30, 2010 – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE:PG) is voluntarily expanding its recall to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet food as a precautionary measure because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.  No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported. 

  The following dry pet food products are included:

Product Name	Version	“Best-By” Dates	UPC Codes
Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas	All dry sizes and varieties	01Jul10 – 01Dec11	All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Naturally Wild	All dry sizes and varieties	01Jul10 – 01Dec11	All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Pure	All dry sizes and varieties	01Jul10 – 01Dec11	All UPC Codes
Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin	All dry sizes	01Jul10 – 01Dec11	All UPC Codes

The affected products are sold in veterinary clinics and specialty pet retailers throughout the United States and Canada.  No canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement.  A full listing of UPC codes can be found at www.iams.com. 

These products are made in a single, specialized facility.  In cooperation with FDA, P&G determined that some products made at this facility have the potential for salmonella contamination.  As a precautionary measure, P&G is recalling all products made at this facility.

Consumers who have purchased the specific dry pet foods listed should discard them.  People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product.  Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

 Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.  If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.  Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

For further information or a product replacement or refund call P&G toll-free at 877-340-8823  (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST).

Media Contact:  Jason Taylor  513-622-3205

In early April, while I attended  BlogPaws in Columbus, my teammate Jen attended the Everything Pets Expo in Cincinnati. Here’s what she had to say about it:

The weekend of April 9-11 was the Iams Everything Pets Expo at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati.  This was an Expo packed with exciting Air Dogs, lovable dogs, cats and foals that needed homes, and even a few marsupial-reptile-amphibian attractions to please everyone!

Iams was the Sponsor of the Event and took center stage with games and giveaways.

First up is Ultimate Air Dogs!  A lot of the dogs were there showing off for the crowd.  These dogs were amazing and made me want to go home and encourage my dogs to get off the couch!

.

.

.

.

.Some dogs were still in the learning stages and had a lot of encouragement from the crowd.

.

.

.

There were a lot of Rescue Organizations attending the Expo.  What a great way to get the word out on all of the cats and dogs available for adoption! 

Grrand Golden Retriever Rescue & Adoption had two wonderful Golden Ambassadors attending; you just couldn’t get enough of these two guys:

Purrfect Feline Friends Cat Rescue had some of the most laid back kitties…they did not care at all about the commotion around them!  They were just looking for a home to call their own!

Lucky Chin Japanese Chin Rescue pulls dogs from auctions and puppy mills.  They had a few along looking for a good home!

So your house is already full with cats & dogs?  How about a horse?  Great!  We have that covered too.  Beechmont Stables & Rescue had 3 week old Nurse Mare Foals in attendance!  Now if you don’t look at these pictures and say ‘Aww’ to yourself….

Another popular organization was Sugar Gliders R Us; you just could not get enough of these little marsupials!  They even shared their prickly Hedgehog friend, although I’m not convinced that he was thrilled with being disturbed from his nap…

Last, but not least, was one of the most educational attendees.  Cool Critters Outreach is a reptile education and rescue organization that supports educational animal experiences for classrooms and beyond! 

 

...

.

 

OK, this whole encounter just made me smile..

.

....

 

Every year the Iams Everything Pets Expo grows, and we are very excited to see what will happen next year.

You’ve probably already heard about this, but in case you haven’t here’s the press release:

P&G Expands Further in ‘Super Premium’ Pet Food Segment

 CINCINNATI, May 5, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) has signed an agreement to acquire Natura Pet Products, Inc., a privately-held pet food business based in Davis, California.

 This move enables P&G to expand into the attractive “holistic and naturals” segment of the pet food category, complementing P&G’s current Iams and Eukanuba brands and helping the Company advance its overall growth strategy of “reaching more consumers in more parts of the world more completely.”

 Natura’s brands include Innova, Evo, California Natural, Healthwise, Mother Nature and Karma. These brands are sold in a limited number of pet specialty stores and through veterinarians, mainly in the United States and Canada.

 ”These outstanding brands and the great employees of Natura Pet Products will complement our Eukanuba and Iams brands very well,” said Dan Rajczak, senior vice president of P&G’s global pet care and snacks businesses. “This acquisition gives us a strong position in the holistic and natural pet food segment. It will enable us to enhance the health and well-being of even more dogs and cats and represents an exciting new source of growth for our business.”

 ”It’s time for the right company to take our brands to the next level of growth. P&G is that company,” said John Rademakers, founder and owner of Natura Pet Products. “We know that P&G will honor our history as they capitalize on their strengths to build these brands.”

 Natura Pet Products employs about 140 people, mainly at its production sites in San Leandro, California and Fremont, Nebraska. P&G is targeting to close this deal in about a month, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Specific terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

Jason leads our North American External Relations team. He’s been with Pet Care for 11 years.

1. What pets share your life?
Wow – there are several.  Since my wife and I raise and show Afghan Hounds, we share our lives with many of them!  Some of the notables are Woody, a 4 year old blue brindle male (and the man of the house), Bella, a 3 year old black-masked red female who’s as sweet as sugar pie, and Rush, our Italian import.  Black, lots of hair, handsome!

2. What is the funniest thing your pets have ever done?
These are too numerous to mention.  They make me laugh every day, and I love them for it.

3. What’s your favorite story about pets in the office?
My favorite story is about Vicki’s dog Rocky (Vicki is a coworker in External Relations).  Now mind you Rocky is the number 1 Boston Terrier in the country – but don’t be fooled.  We came back from a meeting, and Rocky had DESTROYED Vicki’s cube!!!  Her phone was in the floor, receiver over here and base over there.  The contents of her purse were EVERYWHERE.  The lipstick was open.  The pens had chewed caps.  Papers littered her desk, her chair, and all over the floor.  It was hilarious!  And who could get mad at a face like Rocky’s?

4. What is your favorite part of working at Pet Care?
I love being around people with a passion for cats and dogs.  For so many of us, what we do at work and how we live at home are pretty inseparable – pets are what we love.  So to do work where pets not only can have a place, but are featured and our sole reason for being is wonderful!

Janet is an old friend of mine. She helps consumers, retail customers, breeders, and Veterinarians on our toll-free phone lines. She’s been with Pet Care for over 9 years.

1. What pets share your life?
My husband and I have one child, a furry one named Elmo. We sometimes refer to him as Elmo The Wonder Dog. He is a 7-year old, 65-pound, English Springer Spaniel. My husband has taught him many tricks and he is always willing to do them at our request, as long as he sees a treat in my husband’s hand.

2. What is your pet’s funniest habit?
Elmo doesn’t care to get baths. (Yes, I know, he is a water spaniel). When he hears us say the word stinky or bath in conversation, he knows bath time is going to happen again in the near future. He then wants us to forget about him so he moves himself into the dining room or tries to hide his 65-pound body behind one of our living room chairs. He manages to hide the front half of his body pretty good, but the back half is pretty easy to spot!

3. What’s your favorite story about pets in the office?
One of my teammates in Consumer Relations had a very large Great Dane and because of his size, he had an imposing presence. She was very proud of the dog’s stature and the comments she would receive when she brought him in the office. One day, another coworker happened to have his small Jack Russel Terrier in the office, too. As the Great Dane walked through the department, the Jack Russell barked at him and startled him and the Great Dane turned around and ran and hid under the owner’s desk, which flabergasted the proud owner, but the rest of us thought was pretty funny.

4. What is your favorite part of working at Pet Care?
There are several things I especially like about my job which I get to experience on a regular basis. I enjoy educating people on pet nutrition and helping them to pick the best food we offer to meet their dog’s or cat’s needs. Another rewarding conversation is the one I get to have with new puppy owners, or owners who are in the midst of of the first year with their puppy and finding themselves very frustrated. When I can help make the adjustment for both the owner and the puppy a smoother one by giving them tips, I feel that I have helped them to have a smoother adjustment and therefore a closer bond. And finally, I get to hear some of the most heart warming stories about animals being rescued/adopted, and about how much love and care so many animals receive. It is truly heartwarming.