Mazda is making a lot of noise . . . quietly

June 20, 2009

While some other automakers are grabbing all the headlines with their financial issues, Mazda has quietly been busy producing vehicles for drivers who like to hit the road with their beloved four-legged family members.

Recently, DogCars.com reviewer Kim Campbell-Thornton was given the opportunity to test drive two of Mazda’s newest models: The 2010 Mazda 3i and 2009 Mazda 6 Grand Touring editions. While neither of the sedans proved to be entirely dog friendly for large breeds or multiple dog families, they each sported similar qualities that gave Kim a reason to smile.

Mazda calls it “Zoom Zoom Zoom.”

Check out Kim’s insightful reviews on these two Mazda models — along with many others — on DogCars.com.

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Filed under: dogcars.com, dogmobiles — Keith Turner @ 6:00 am

Toyota trio gets plenty of praise from DogCars.com

May 13, 2009

In an effort to keep the dog-loving world up to date with how today’s vehicles rate as potential canine carriers, the reviewers at our DogCars.com Web site have been busy testing some of today’s top automotive products with an eye toward how they meet the needs of our four-legged family members.

Most recently, we tested a trio of new Toyota models: the all-new Venza, redesigned RAV4 and the fourth generation 4Runner.

The Venza was introduced earlier this year as a true DogCar because Toyota is offering a host of accessories that are designed to keep your pups safe and comfortable while traveling in the crossover wagon. Popular pet products manufacturers Kurgo and Solvit have signed on to outfit the Venza with harnesses, booster seats, barriers and even a ramp that can all be ordered and installed through the dealer.

While the RAV4 and the 4Runner are veterans in the Toyota lineup, each has gone through a series of redesigns that make them better now than ever before for dog-loving travelers.

For complete reviews of these and many other vehicles from a dog-owner’s perspective, visit DogCars.com.

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Filed under: animals: pets, dogcars.com, dogmobiles — Keith Turner @ 5:22 am

The Monday jump-start: Good reading elsewhere

May 11, 2009

Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly just keeps getting better and better (and she was great to start with!). Hers is without question one of the most honest and powerful voices in veterinary medicine. She has been on a roll lately with a series of must-read posts about veterinary ethics, arthritis treatment, bloodwork and what happens when a person can’t pay for necessary vet care.

Just go read ‘em all. And if you only read one other pet-related blog — other than this one, of course!  – it has to be Dolittler.

The independent VIN News Service, the pet project of another of those voices, VIN co-founder Dr. Paul Pion, continues to develop its own niche. Some of the stories are not of huge interest outside the veterinary community, but others are must-reads for all. VNS also covers the ethics issue at the core of Dr. K’s post, and its top-notch staff of medical, science and trade reporters will continue to break open the industry for the public — and veterinarians themselves — to look at more closely.

Of special note to pet-lovers, Timothy Kirn’s piece on interpersonal skills in veterinary medicine:

Many medical professionals once believed that bedside manner and empathy traits were hardwired — clinicians either displayed compassion or they didn’t — and few schools bothered to teach the skills required to comfort and reassure patients.

Now that notion has been turned on its head. During the past few years, the veterinary profession has embraced the idea that clinicians can be taught to become better listeners and more sympathetic, and some say that in veterinary medicine, this type of training is sorely needed.

More here. And when you’re there, add the RSS feed to your reader.

Forced spay-neuter is still in play in many locales, especially California, where a rehashed version of last year’s defeated bill is now in committee. As usual, this isn’t about reducing shelter populations — forced spay-neuter doesn’t do that — but sticking it to poor people and reputable breeders, while inserting the government into a medical decision that should be made on  an individual basis by a pet’s owner with advice of a veterinarian.  Contrary to wide-spread belief, spaying and neutering are not all pro and no con for the animal involved, although the cost-benefit analysis still leans towards altering for most pets when all factors — including convenience for the owner and behavior — are taken into account.

Over on Lassie Get Help, Luisa lays it all out. The AVMA, the ASPCA and the no-kill nation get it that forced spay-neuter kills more pets and drives pet-owners away from care for their animals. Why don’t the spittle-spewing haters of the animal rights movement, who just keep selling this reheated slop to well-meaning pet-lovers, get it? Oh, sorry …: I already answered my own question. It’s about hate, not saving pets.

From Lassie Get Help:

How is it that being a “responsible” pet owner here in California might soon involve mandatory surgery on your pet rather than, you know, actual responsibility? What kind of state mandates removal of your dog’s reproductive parts - then turns around and punishes people for cutting tails off cows?

More here. And by the way, you know how I feel about factory farming (cruel, environmentally devastating and  a health risk for us all). Cows crammed in these big dairies are unhappy enough.  Let them keep their fly-swatters, fergoshsakes. I support SB 135 as I supported Prop. 2. Farming reform is food reform: It tips the scale back to humane, sustainable and regional family farms and lays a strong anti-cruelty foundation that industrial animal agriculture has long needed.

As for forced spay-neuter, if you’re in California call the members of the  Senate Appropriations Committee and tell them why SB 250 is more about animal-rights vendettas than pet-owner responsibility … and won’t solve the problem of helping people and helping pets.

ConsumerAffairs.com is reporting that Greenies chews will soon be available through veterinarians and pet specialty stores only — no general retailers (hat tip to Shirley at Yes, Biscuit!):

“We believe that pet medical professionals at veterinary hospitals and well-trained, knowledgeable staff at pet specialty stores are best equipped to answer pet owners’ questions about our products and to make the right recommendation,” said Carolyn Hanigan, vice president of marketing for Nashville, Tenn.-based NUTRO.

Now, I have long argued that the problem with Greenies was that it was an entity that actually could be identified and sued, as opposed to, say, the distributor of generic imported rawhide. Anything your dog chews has risks and benefits, and we have to be sure we choose an appropriate chew for our dog’s size and chewing style, and monitor our pet’s chewing.  (Irony of ironies: When I read the story on ConsumerAffairs.com, the Google-generated ad pitched Greenies from a catalog company.)

Got something good? Throw it in the comments.

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Pets have allergies, too: Here’s some helpful advice

April 24, 2009

So far this spring I’ve had only a couple of bad days, but I know more are coming. Only one of my pets seems to have an allergy problem: Drew has a little seasonal paw-chewing this time of year.

But other pets have it far, far worse.  Our Dr. Marty Becker offers some tips in his most recent “Dr. Becker’s Pet Prescription” segment for ABCNews Now. Click on the image to play:

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Filed under: animals: pets, dogcars.com — Gina Spadafori @ 6:44 am

Honda Element to ramp-up dog-friendly features

April 8, 2009

Today at the New York Auto Show, Honda introduced a new concept version of the dog-friendly Element that is designed to push the SUV ahead of the DogCar pack.

You’ll recall that the Element was named the 2007 DogCar of the Year by the expert reviewers at Pet Connection sister site DogCars.com, making it a trailblazer as the first vehicle to receive that honor. At the time, the news of the award caught the Honda marketing folks off-guard, forcing them to scramble out a new advertising campaign that focused on the highly lucrative pet products market rather than the twenty-something surfers and cyclists that they had been targeting.

Now we learn that Honda has not only embraced the Element’s DogCar attributes, but in fact is introducing a new version with a plethora of dog-friendly features, including a few that have never before been seen on the pet market.

Some of the standout dog-friendly features that have our tails wagging include:

  • Extendable pet ramp that stores underneath the bed platform
  • Pet restraint systems in the second row and cargo area
  • Second-row seat covers
  • Electric rear ventilation fan
  • Spill-resistant water bowl
  • Dog-friendly badge on vehicle’s exterior.

Of course, all of these are in addition to the Element’s already dog-friendly attributes such as an easy-to-clean urethane floor, wide and flat cargo area and wide-opening side doors.

In Honda’s press release announcing the new Element concept, the company not only mentioned the DogCars.com award, but also showed that it hasn’t lost its sense of humor even in these tough economic times.

“In an interesting turn of events, cars are now chasing dogs,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. “Factory integration of a cushioned pet bed, restraint systems and other components are intended to transform the Element into the ultimate dog car.”

While today’s announcement was just about the conceptual version of the dog-friendly Element, it is expected that the model will debut on the market this fall.

Guess you can say that the Honda folks have finally decided to embrace their inner dogma.

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Filed under: animals: pets, dogcars.com, dogmobiles — Keith Turner @ 1:13 pm
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