First of all, I thank you and the entire Pet
Connection staff for the work you have done. This website has provided so much for so many in the last month. The site has educated and consoled many of us in what has become an unprecedented crisis for those of us who want to keep our pets alive and healthy.And I truly believe it has been integral in getting the ball rolling for making changes that we need to make to keep both pets and people healthy.

Please, please reconsider the plans of closing
the database. We desperately need to keep the
database open. When the FDA press release dated
today, April 12, states that recalled food is
still on shelves being sold and asks*consumers*
to police pet food sales venues to remove
recalled foods, the crisis is not over. We have a distinct need to keep the database open at least until the Menu Foods recalls have ended and the food off the shelves. The Pet Connection database is as relevant and needed today as it was when it began nearly a month ago. The numbers are important to many and as long as the tainted food is still out there, the sick and dead pets still need to be counted in.

The database numbers are what attracted much of the initial attention from both major media and political forces. And unfortunately those numbers will be what keeps or loses the attention of many of them, despite all of our individual efforts. The goal is long term changes rather than a long term database, that I understand. But to get those changes, I believe that an open database currently remains relevant.

I don’t know…I feel like we’re accomplishing something here - we’re actually making a difference, contributing to the cause. Every one of us who gathers here is a pet lover. We come from different walks, different regions, different jobs, religions, beliefs. But, two things we have in common is our love for our pets and our purpose - to save their lives.

Before I go to bed at night, I come here. When I wake in the morning, I come here. When I have a few minutes at work, I come here. As I said before, this is our Home Base. This is an information center like no other. No other site can compete with the valuable input and research that has taken place here.

Please, don’t take this from us…not yet.

Please don’t close the site. This is the only place where information has been collected and been given quickly. I keep mentioning this site as the place to go to get timely information. The media needs a place to continue following the story and the numbers.

After watching the hearing today, it looks like more questions than answers. No one can give 100% assurance the product is safe!

This is the first time through the internet and one site that cases of sick dogs and cats across the country really raised concern - before this a number of sick animals in NY were never linked to a few more in Oregon to a few more in Mich, etc.

Without Pet Connection and all the fine work done here,I believe this issue would have been swept under the rug and never noticed.

Kudos to you and your staff for all your hard work and time.

Katie

The staff of the Pet Connection covers pet-related issues in more than 60 newspapers every week. Our pet-care page is syndicated through Universal Press. (Click on “About” up above for more.) If you’d like your local newspaper to carry it, let ‘em know.

We have pets, we love pets and everything we do here is for pets and their people who care about and for them.

Why are you closing the database? Is it a legal issue, lack of funds?

Please reconsider.