1
00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:22,600
Speaker 1: You're listening to Petlifradio dot com.

2
00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,120
Speaker 2: Welcome to Animaltopia on pet Life Radio. I'm your host,

3
00:00:26,199 --> 00:00:29,640
Robert Simro. Thank you for joining us on today's show.

4
00:00:29,679 --> 00:00:33,280
We go Forever Wild, cook for dogs, hear the story

5
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,799
of the elephant and the tortoise, and finish with a

6
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,600
great school flashback from yours. Truly, we'll be right back

7
00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,960
with Forever Wild after these messages from our sponsors.

8
00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:49,280
Speaker 3: Sit. Stay, We'll be right back after a short pause. Well,

9
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:50,960
for to be exactly.

10
00:00:54,079 --> 00:00:56,719
Speaker 4: Fluster, you're telling me my dog food products can't go

11
00:00:56,759 --> 00:00:57,159
on your show.

12
00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,320
Speaker 5: That's right, didn't pass one of a pet Co certified

13
00:00:59,399 --> 00:01:02,000
nutrition check Listen, Sorry, went who made these checklists?

14
00:01:02,079 --> 00:01:02,640
Speaker 3: Geniuses?

15
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:03,759
Speaker 5: Very smart guys.

16
00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:05,560
Speaker 6: Well it's good enough for most grocery stores.

17
00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,560
Speaker 5: DC cheese puffs on my shelves, mayonnaise soda pop.

18
00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,280
Speaker 7: No, that's because I ain't running no grocery store.

19
00:01:11,359 --> 00:01:14,760
Speaker 5: Wayne, your pets will get better nutrition. I guarantee dot.

20
00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:15,760
Speaker 7: Co a healthy pets.

21
00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,079
Speaker 8: Go and through the code Lucky ten l u c

22
00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,480
ky then number ten and get ten percent off any order,

23
00:01:23,799 --> 00:01:30,760
no minimum at petcode dot com.

24
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,159
Speaker 1: How would you like your business to reach out and

25
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,959
invite in our audience. We have a brand new.

26
00:01:35,799 --> 00:01:38,000
Speaker 7: Trade in our concept called infocs.

27
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,959
Speaker 1: Info Sees are short, twenty second seeds of information about

28
00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,560
your place of business, practice or service.

29
00:01:43,799 --> 00:01:46,840
Speaker 7: Is the best, most cost effective way to invite us in.

30
00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,599
Speaker 1: We only have a limited number of slots left.

31
00:01:49,879 --> 00:01:54,120
Speaker 6: For more information, visit the website atlifradio dot com.

32
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:56,000
Speaker 1: Click on sponsorship information.

33
00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,200
Speaker 8: There you can listen to a sample of invoc Remember,

34
00:01:59,319 --> 00:02:02,079
only a limited number of opportunities are available.

35
00:02:05,719 --> 00:02:09,080
Speaker 6: This year, Americans are expected to spend a jaw dropping

36
00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,159
thirty six billion on their pets. From lighted leashes to

37
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,080
high end spot products, the discriminating pet owner can find

38
00:02:17,159 --> 00:02:20,479
just about anything to pamper, kiss or her pet. Hi.

39
00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,199
This is Michelle Fern. Join me every week for best

40
00:02:24,319 --> 00:02:27,319
Bets for Pets, where we'll talk about the latest pet

41
00:02:27,319 --> 00:02:30,360
products and talk to the companies that make them. Best

42
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:40,560
bets for Pets every week only on Petlifradio dot com.

43
00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:49,719
Speaker 3: Let's talk pets on petlife Radio dot com.

44
00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,960
Speaker 2: Welcome back to Animaltopia on Petlife Radio. Did you know

45
00:02:57,039 --> 00:03:00,879
that in some states, including Alabama, North and San South Carolina,

46
00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,080
West Virginia, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin, you're allowed to own

47
00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,000
an exotic pet with no questions asked. You know, when

48
00:03:08,039 --> 00:03:11,360
most of us decide we want to see lions, tigers, leopards, reptiles,

49
00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,919
and other exotic animals, we decide to head out to

50
00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,680
our local zoo, and those are great places to see

51
00:03:16,719 --> 00:03:20,000
and learn about animals, But often, especially when it comes

52
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,280
to the bigger animals, we are kept at quite a

53
00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,560
distance from them for their safety and ours. Our first

54
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,199
segment today is all about a place dedicated to giving

55
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,919
exotic animals who were once people's pets a second chance

56
00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,840
at a happier life. The Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary

57
00:03:35,919 --> 00:03:39,520
is an amazing place filled with amazing animals and amazing

58
00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,199
animal people. The founders of this Exotic Wild Animal Sanctuary

59
00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:48,719
are Joel and Chamaine Almquist. The sanctuary, located in Faland, California,

60
00:03:49,199 --> 00:03:52,240
is about an hour east of Los Angeles, and some

61
00:03:52,319 --> 00:03:54,960
of you may recall the name Forever Wild Exotic Animal

62
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,560
Sanctuary as they appeared on the ABC hit show Extreme

63
00:03:58,599 --> 00:04:02,039
Home Makeover. Sanctuary continues to thrive and be a big

64
00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,360
part of the animal community in California. You can often

65
00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,400
find Semaine and her team at local events discussing the

66
00:04:08,439 --> 00:04:12,719
important animal issues and concerns with the eager audiences. Still,

67
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,719
the best way to really experience and understand the message

68
00:04:15,719 --> 00:04:18,759
that Joel and Schamaine hope to deliver and inspire others

69
00:04:18,759 --> 00:04:22,399
to act upon is to visit their incredible sanctuary that

70
00:04:22,519 --> 00:04:26,040
is home to a wide variety of previously captive bred animals.

71
00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,759
The sanctuary is home to four North American bobcats, one

72
00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:36,439
Siberian lynx, seven serviles, two cougars, two black leopards, nine

73
00:04:36,519 --> 00:04:41,879
Siberian Bengal tigers, one amazing white tiger, and one very

74
00:04:41,959 --> 00:04:44,800
large African lion, just to name a few big cats.

75
00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,079
I recently made a trip with the film crew up

76
00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,319
to Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary, and it was a

77
00:04:51,399 --> 00:04:54,000
visit that I will cherish and plan on repeating soon.

78
00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,079
I spent a lot of time with founder Chamaine on Quist.

79
00:04:57,879 --> 00:05:02,439
This animal sanctuary is very fa friendly. As parents themselves,

80
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,240
Joel and Chamaine wanted to create an environment that was interactive, inspirational,

81
00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,040
and educational for people of all ages. They want to

82
00:05:11,079 --> 00:05:15,040
reach the adults and educate the children. The sanctuary works

83
00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,079
with schools and organizations to bring awareness to the plight

84
00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,040
of these exotic animals that were once people's pets. It's

85
00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,079
remarkable to think that people would have a Siberian tiger

86
00:05:25,399 --> 00:05:28,360
or an African lion as a pet, yet that is

87
00:05:28,399 --> 00:05:31,040
exactly how these animals came to reside at the Forever

88
00:05:31,079 --> 00:05:36,000
Wild Sanctuary. Their owners or the government agencies who confiscated

89
00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,279
them turned these animals over to the sanctuary to provide

90
00:05:39,319 --> 00:05:42,439
a safe and caring home for these animals who might

91
00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:46,199
otherwise have been euthanized. Chamaine explained to me that in

92
00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:48,639
some states, you could purchase a tiger cub or a

93
00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,319
lion cub for less than what you would spend on

94
00:05:51,399 --> 00:05:54,560
certain dog breeds. In this day and age, that would

95
00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:59,279
seem to not only be irresponsible, but incredibly dangerous. As

96
00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,560
they toured the fact was Shamine, it was clear to

97
00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:05,399
see that the animals knew and loved her and her staff.

98
00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,680
We've all been to a zoo and seen some large animals,

99
00:06:09,199 --> 00:06:11,680
but unlike a zoo, you're able to get about ten

100
00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,959
to fifteen feet from these magnificent animals. I know I

101
00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,120
felt very small as we got within a few feet

102
00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,839
of these tigers. I felt even smaller when one of

103
00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,639
the tigers, Sakia, who had been used as a photoprop

104
00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,000
at a roadside photo booth in Texas, got scared by

105
00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,079
our camera crews. She ran from one end of her

106
00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,199
enclosure to the other end and stood up and roared

107
00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:38,040
at us. For my part, I stood there marveling, knowing,

108
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,920
like any tiger's prey, that there would be no escape

109
00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,439
from a tiger that size and that fast if I

110
00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,000
weren't protected by the reinforced enclosure keeping the tiger and

111
00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,120
myself safe. And to know that she had been a

112
00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:54,199
photoprop for someone just made me ill. She was friendly

113
00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,959
and beautiful, but had been neglected and abused by her

114
00:06:56,959 --> 00:07:00,519
photoshop owners. The scarring on the inside and outside has

115
00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,120
not diminished her passion to live, though, and thankfully Joel

116
00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,879
and Chamaine brought her to the sanctuary in two thousand

117
00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,040
and two and have done remarkably good work with her.

118
00:07:10,959 --> 00:07:13,879
We proceeded to meet the other tigers, who were simply amazing.

119
00:07:14,519 --> 00:07:18,639
They're all so beautiful and mesmerizing. I could, and we did,

120
00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,959
sit there for hours just looking at them, watching them

121
00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,000
as they went about their day. They were very playful.

122
00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,480
We watched as they played with various toys and large

123
00:07:28,519 --> 00:07:32,000
balls that kept them engaged and stimulated. Then there was Zoro,

124
00:07:32,279 --> 00:07:34,959
a black leopard who came to the sanctuary by way

125
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,920
of a Las Vegas entertainer. Zoro follows you, and if

126
00:07:38,959 --> 00:07:42,240
you're watering his cage or the surrounding area, he tries

127
00:07:42,279 --> 00:07:45,759
to get wet and splash around. And there's Blue, a

128
00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,399
Siberian tiger from a traveling circus who decided that he

129
00:07:49,439 --> 00:07:53,360
no longer wanted to perform. Rather than be euthanized, the

130
00:07:53,399 --> 00:07:56,199
sanctuary took him in and gave him an environment he

131
00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:01,040
really seems to enjoy. There's Czar, who certainly delighted myself

132
00:08:01,199 --> 00:08:03,920
and most of the film crew with his talents. He

133
00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:08,480
chuffs or purrs when he likes you, and if he doesn't,

134
00:08:08,519 --> 00:08:11,800
a big roar will certainly alert you to that. Shamaine

135
00:08:11,839 --> 00:08:14,839
was sharing with us heart wrenching story of Tsar's paw

136
00:08:14,959 --> 00:08:18,639
reconstruction because of the botch, declaining that her previous owners

137
00:08:18,639 --> 00:08:21,600
had done. In fact, many of the big cats at

138
00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:26,360
the sanctuary have had to go through Paul reconstruction. Fortunately,

139
00:08:26,519 --> 00:08:30,079
the Paul Project, who we'll talk about in a future episode,

140
00:08:30,439 --> 00:08:33,360
has been there for a number of these cats. As

141
00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:35,559
Schamain told us, the story of Tzar and a few

142
00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,080
of the other big cats. Zar took a liking to

143
00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:41,440
our director of photography and our guru of most things

144
00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,799
film related. I couldn't quite figure it out, Butizar kept

145
00:08:45,799 --> 00:08:49,519
looking back over her shoulder at this person who should

146
00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,480
remain nameless, but I'm sure Derek won't mind. While Derek

147
00:08:53,519 --> 00:08:56,480
and the crews were focused on filming, I watched as

148
00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:01,159
Zar maneuvered herself in her enclosure, raised her and I

149
00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,679
swear I heard her laughing as she proceeded to baptize

150
00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,320
Derek into the tiger realm. Being the good host and

151
00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,159
friend that I am, I yelled out to him quick

152
00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:15,039
cover the camera, which he did as we all laughed

153
00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,200
with him. Derek was a good sport and continued to

154
00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,879
film the rest of the day Tiger sent in all.

155
00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,600
We certainly stopped much carefully after that, as we watched

156
00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,440
Shamayine get splashed by playful tigers as she would talk

157
00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,720
next to their cages. We watched them revel and joy

158
00:09:30,759 --> 00:09:32,720
with the huge ice chunks that they were given to

159
00:09:32,759 --> 00:09:35,759
play with and to keep them cool. They were truly

160
00:09:35,799 --> 00:09:39,279
a fun bunch and our hearts melted. His Gypsy, the

161
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,000
African Lion kissed Shamaine softly on the cheek while Shamaine

162
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,720
was doing an interview with us right outside of her cage.

163
00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,440
It was one of those moments that shows us that

164
00:09:48,519 --> 00:09:51,480
the animals know that the people caring for them do

165
00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:55,000
truly care for them, and they appreciate it. And if

166
00:09:55,039 --> 00:09:58,320
all that big cat interaction and closeness wasn't enough, I

167
00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,519
then got to do something that I know ever thought

168
00:10:00,519 --> 00:10:03,519
I would do. I got to feed a few of

169
00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:07,080
the tigers. This is a fun and safe experience that

170
00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,679
Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary makes available to everyone, not

171
00:10:11,799 --> 00:10:15,600
just yahoos like me. For just a few dollars, children

172
00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,000
and adults can feed one of their big cats with

173
00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,000
the assistance of a feeding tool and the supervision of

174
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,840
one of their trained staff. As I said, safety is

175
00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,879
very important there, both for you and the animals. Still,

176
00:10:28,919 --> 00:10:31,639
to be this close to some of the Animal Kingdom's

177
00:10:31,639 --> 00:10:36,200
biggest predators is an experience. They can't be described, though

178
00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,720
I'll certainly try. I was standing a few feet away

179
00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,279
from tigers who had paused bigger than my head and

180
00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,759
quickness that you wouldn't expect. I prepared to feed some

181
00:10:46,799 --> 00:10:50,679
pieces of steak to the tigers. Chamaine explained the process

182
00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,600
to me, which was very simple. The state goes on

183
00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,759
the feeding tool and then you offer the tool to

184
00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,399
the tigers safely and calmly, and the tiger pursued to

185
00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:05,200
swallow the big piece of steak. It was energizing, certainly,

186
00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,480
not something that you get to do every day, but

187
00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,799
something you'll certainly never forget. At some points, as we

188
00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,639
filmed at Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary, we were just

189
00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:18,559
a few feet away from these animals and they would

190
00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,960
look right into our eyes, and it was something special.

191
00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,320
This experience and the entire facility are so different than

192
00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,600
anything I've ever experienced at a zoo or other place

193
00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:32,440
with animals that are this large. To be able to

194
00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,240
get that close yet be that safe is remarkable, and

195
00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,360
I applaud them for what they've been able to accomplish.

196
00:11:39,639 --> 00:11:42,120
After the time with the big cats, we regrouped at

197
00:11:42,159 --> 00:11:45,440
the picnic benches that they have there. The picnic benches

198
00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,399
allow families and groups to bring a meal and eat

199
00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,440
while surrounded by the animals. From there, we went to

200
00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:56,519
visit with the exotic birds, the sugar glider, the kinkajew

201
00:11:57,039 --> 00:12:00,519
and finished with a trip into their reptile room. The

202
00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,679
reptile room is Joel's domain. He is often consulted when

203
00:12:04,759 --> 00:12:10,000
dangerous reptiles are discovered or confiscated. In twenty ten, a

204
00:12:10,039 --> 00:12:13,039
tortoise was dropped off by visitors who saw the tortoise

205
00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,440
nearly get run over by several bosses. Yet that wasn't

206
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,720
the most unique part of the story. See it appeared

207
00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:23,200
that there had been a bomb strapped to the tortoise. However,

208
00:12:23,279 --> 00:12:25,759
Joel was able to save the tortoise and it is

209
00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:29,639
currently safe at the sanctuary. One of the more eye

210
00:12:29,639 --> 00:12:33,080
opening stories that Chemayne shared with me was how they

211
00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,039
came to have a green mamba, one of the world's

212
00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:41,080
deadliest snakes, at their sanctuary. One random day, a teenage

213
00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,759
boy showed up at the sanctuary with a snake in

214
00:12:43,799 --> 00:12:47,159
some pillowcases. When they asked the boy what it was

215
00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,559
and how he had come to have it, he said,

216
00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,320
I ordered it over the internet, but my mother won't

217
00:12:52,399 --> 00:12:54,840
let me keep it. I was hoping you would find

218
00:12:54,879 --> 00:12:58,240
a home for it. When Joel and Schemaine found out

219
00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,320
it was a very dangerous and dead green mamba, they

220
00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,440
were shocked. Yet this only serves as one of the

221
00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,399
many examples of how it is too easy for people

222
00:13:07,399 --> 00:13:10,399
to buy exotic animals that weren't meant to be pets.

223
00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,200
You know, this snake could have killed very easily. Fortunately,

224
00:13:15,639 --> 00:13:18,960
the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary was able to provide

225
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,200
it a safe home. The Reptile Room at the Forever

226
00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:26,279
Wild Sanctuary is a reptile lover's mecca. They've got multiple

227
00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:32,639
species as rattlesnakes, vipers, cobras, pythons, lizards, came in, alligators, illa, monsters,

228
00:13:32,639 --> 00:13:36,240
and more. Each of these rescued reptiles was facing certain

229
00:13:36,279 --> 00:13:40,320
euthanization without the care and support from Forever Wild Exotic

230
00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,840
Animal Sanctuary. The sanctuary, like most other sanctuaries these days,

231
00:13:45,159 --> 00:13:48,320
continues to find a way to provide despite the economic

232
00:13:48,399 --> 00:13:52,519
downturn we are in. Still, the daily costs for food, medicine,

233
00:13:52,879 --> 00:13:56,799
care facilities, and more continues to escalate as well. It's

234
00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,480
a struggle that the visitors to the sanctuary itself in

235
00:13:59,519 --> 00:14:02,600
failing Care California can see as well worth it. For

236
00:14:02,639 --> 00:14:05,720
those unable to visit the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary

237
00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,159
in person, you can see a lot of the great

238
00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:12,879
animal information, photos, videos, and more on their official website,

239
00:14:13,159 --> 00:14:16,879
which is Forever Wild Exotics dot org. As always, you

240
00:14:16,919 --> 00:14:20,360
can find more information about Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary

241
00:14:20,639 --> 00:14:25,240
by also visiting our website animal toopiens dot com. When

242
00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,200
we come back, we will talk about cooking for dogs,

243
00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,799
the elephant and the tortoise, and I'll share a flashback

244
00:14:31,799 --> 00:14:35,000
from grade school. We'll be right back after these messages.

245
00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,480
Speaker 3: Sit stay, We'll be right back after a short pause.

246
00:14:41,039 --> 00:14:42,960
Well for to be exactly.

247
00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:47,919
Speaker 7: Love your pets, but wish their medications were a lot

248
00:14:48,039 --> 00:14:51,120
less expensive they are. At one eight hundred Pet Meds,

249
00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,799
you'll not only save on flea and heartworm medications, but

250
00:14:53,879 --> 00:14:57,799
on prescriptions for arthritis, incontinence, thyroid and more. And you

251
00:14:57,879 --> 00:15:02,000
get fast service, free shipping, and a one satisfaction guarantee.

252
00:15:02,159 --> 00:15:07,000
Plus our licensed pharmacist insure accuracy, monitor drug interaction and more.

253
00:15:07,159 --> 00:15:10,000
See why over five million people have trusted their pets

254
00:15:10,039 --> 00:15:13,519
health to one eight hundred pet Meds, America's largest pet pharmacy.

255
00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:15,519
Call no or order online.

256
00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,759
Speaker 8: Go to PetMeds dot com. Forward slash Lucky l u

257
00:15:19,879 --> 00:15:23,440
c Ky to get ten percent off any order and

258
00:15:23,639 --> 00:15:26,879
free shipping on orders of thirty nine dollars or more

259
00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:49,320
at PetMeds dot com.

260
00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,399
Speaker 6: I Love My I Love My Pets.

261
00:15:53,519 --> 00:15:57,799
Speaker 1: It's the Nis singles by Mark Winter available on iTunes Hi.

262
00:15:57,919 --> 00:16:00,799
Speaker 5: This is Tim Link, host of Animal Rights on pet

263
00:16:00,799 --> 00:16:03,840
Life Radio. Join me as we feature interviews with best

264
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:08,080
selling pet related authors, award winning writers and journalists and bloggers,

265
00:16:08,279 --> 00:16:11,159
and we'll tell stories about the animals and interesting topics

266
00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,600
about the animals in our lives. Each of the interviews

267
00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,080
will give you a firsthand knowledge about why the authors

268
00:16:16,159 --> 00:16:19,159
and writers chose a particular story, what the feature animals

269
00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,320
meant to them, and what has become of those animals

270
00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,960
that we've talked about. And of course I'll also share

271
00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,639
stories from my own books, blogs, articles and experiences. So

272
00:16:27,759 --> 00:16:30,320
be sure to join me and the writers and authors

273
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:31,279
on Animal.

274
00:16:31,039 --> 00:16:39,480
Speaker 3: Rights every week on demand only on petlife Radio dot com.

275
00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,559
Speaker 7: Let's Talk Past It, Let's pet Radio, Headlight.

276
00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:56,080
Speaker 4: Radio Petlight Radio dot com.

277
00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,279
Speaker 2: Welcome back to Animal Toopia on Petlight Radio.

278
00:17:00,039 --> 00:17:00,320
Speaker 6: Stuff.

279
00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,480
Speaker 2: We're going to talk about the world's first human braide

280
00:17:02,519 --> 00:17:06,960
kitchen created exclusively for dogs. When I was up at

281
00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,599
Super Zoo in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, which

282
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,200
is one of the largest pet retailer shows in the world.

283
00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,960
I noticed a trend that has really taken root and

284
00:17:15,039 --> 00:17:19,079
is growing rapidly, better food for our animals. In fact,

285
00:17:19,279 --> 00:17:23,240
it's astounding the amount of time, research, and attention that

286
00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,200
is being paid to what we feed our animals. Yet

287
00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:28,920
once you hear what is in some pet foods, or

288
00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,799
you read the labeling of peanut and almond shells as

289
00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,599
vegetable fiber, you understand why the focus on ingredients has

290
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:39,400
become more intense. It's also clear that consumers are doing

291
00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:41,839
their research on what goes into the foods that they

292
00:17:41,839 --> 00:17:45,559
are feeding their animal friends. With Americans spending more than

293
00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:49,839
seventeen billion dollars on pet food annually, you can bet

294
00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,960
consumers and pet food companies or wising up about what

295
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,279
our beloved animal friends should be eating. It was this

296
00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,519
search for knowledge and better food for his dogs that

297
00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,079
drove Sean Buckley to start creating his own food for

298
00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:06,880
his dogs, Simon and Nala. He, along with some fellow

299
00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,319
business partners and dog lovers, created the world's first human

300
00:18:10,319 --> 00:18:13,799
grade kitchen and a wonderful business supporting a growing trend

301
00:18:13,839 --> 00:18:17,599
for better food for animals. They called it just food

302
00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,599
for Dogs. It's not a restaurant, but you will often

303
00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,599
find dog owners and dogs at the establishment watching as

304
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,160
the dog meals are being prepared. They built this place

305
00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:33,839
from scratch in Newport Beach, California, on beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.

306
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,519
It's an eyecatcher for sure, but spend ten minutes in

307
00:18:37,599 --> 00:18:40,799
the Just Food for Dogs location in your eyes and

308
00:18:41,079 --> 00:18:44,359
mind will truly be opened. I spent some time with

309
00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,799
Sean and his team at Just Food for Dogs recently.

310
00:18:47,799 --> 00:18:50,400
The first thing that grabs you is the large kitchen

311
00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:54,039
area where they prepare the food for the dogs. It's

312
00:18:54,039 --> 00:18:57,799
not hidden away or some adapted, smaller scale kitchen. It's

313
00:18:57,839 --> 00:19:00,559
a large cooking area that many restaurants will love to have.

314
00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,240
They have everything that a regular restaurant has, from a

315
00:19:04,279 --> 00:19:08,640
walk in refrigerator to industrial ovens and equipment. And one

316
00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,279
of the coolest things about what they do is that

317
00:19:11,319 --> 00:19:13,880
they will have their vet work with your vet to

318
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,079
create a custom blend that is much healthier and also

319
00:19:17,319 --> 00:19:22,079
customize to your dog's nutritional concerns, allergies, and specific needs.

320
00:19:22,599 --> 00:19:26,039
They also have custom nutritional supplements that can also be

321
00:19:26,079 --> 00:19:30,039
customized and worked into your dog's food. The ingredients are fresh,

322
00:19:30,079 --> 00:19:32,960
the preparation is meticulous, and the love for dogs is

323
00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:35,960
easy to see. They take great care in preparing the

324
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,720
food and gently cooking it, and that's critical because too

325
00:19:39,799 --> 00:19:43,480
high of temperatures cause over cooking of the food and

326
00:19:43,519 --> 00:19:46,079
then the nutrients will be lost. This is one of

327
00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,279
the big problems when deciding on pet foods. If you

328
00:19:49,319 --> 00:19:52,559
don't know the preparation approach, the ingredients may not be

329
00:19:52,599 --> 00:19:55,720
as healthy simply because the good ingredients were lost in

330
00:19:55,759 --> 00:19:58,640
the making of the food. They also add their nutritional

331
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,160
supplements to the food to increase its nutritional balance and impact.

332
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,400
Just Food for Dogs is open daily and prepares meals

333
00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,759
in large as well as custom batches. Once the food

334
00:20:08,799 --> 00:20:12,160
is prepared, it is vacuum sealed and frozen immediately after

335
00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:15,160
it's been chilled. That method allows them to maintain the

336
00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,519
nutritional integrity of the food while also giving the food

337
00:20:18,599 --> 00:20:21,680
a shelf life of twelve months. A lot of people

338
00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,880
are throwing around human grade in human quality these days. Well.

339
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,160
I sampled a few of the recipes after they had

340
00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,000
been prepared, and though I won't be wrestling with my dogs,

341
00:20:31,039 --> 00:20:34,039
Sugar and Zoe for the food, it was certainly much

342
00:20:34,079 --> 00:20:38,480
better than I expected, and certainly human quality also, Sugar

343
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,119
and Zoe seem to really anticipate the food that I

344
00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,920
brought home from Just Food for Dogs, so with them

345
00:20:44,039 --> 00:20:47,119
it was certainly a big hit. After spending time with

346
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,319
Sean and his team, you see that there is more

347
00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,640
than just an idea. It's a passion. With more than

348
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,359
a thousand customers already, they are rapidly growing and grabbing

349
00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,920
attention from dog owners and veterinarians searching for a better

350
00:21:00,039 --> 00:21:03,480
food source for their dogs. Their passion is infectious and

351
00:21:03,559 --> 00:21:06,559
their knowledge is reassuring. Still, this is more than a

352
00:21:06,599 --> 00:21:10,440
dog kitchen. It's also become a dog retreater hangout. They

353
00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,799
regularly have yappy hours, and one of the more interesting

354
00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:17,440
things they do is they have cooking classes. They hold

355
00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,400
monthly cooking classes for dog owners where they teach the

356
00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,440
owners how to properly cook meals for their dogs. They

357
00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:25,720
even go one step further by having some of their

358
00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,799
recipes of their products online and free for anyone to use.

359
00:21:30,559 --> 00:21:33,559
Sean and his Just for Food Dogs team really have

360
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,400
gone beyond the normal efforts and are making a difference

361
00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,039
when it comes to better food for dogs. You can

362
00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:42,519
visit our website at animal Toopiens dot com for more

363
00:21:42,559 --> 00:21:46,599
information and links to Just Food for Dogs. Next up

364
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,640
are a few stories forwarded to us by listeners who

365
00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,839
must have been moved by our recent Real Dolphin Tales

366
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,720
episode and don't forget You can share your Animal Topia

367
00:21:56,799 --> 00:22:00,599
stories on our toll free Animal Topia Share your Story

368
00:22:00,599 --> 00:22:05,079
hotline at eight five five two six four six two

369
00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,880
five eight or eight five five Animal Toopians. Our first

370
00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,160
story is about an elephant. There's an elephant in Thailand

371
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,799
who's received a new prosthetic leg. The fifty year old

372
00:22:16,799 --> 00:22:20,279
elephant named Motala had lost her front left leg in

373
00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,880
nineteen ninety nine after she accidentally stepped on a land

374
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,799
mine left over from the ongoing conflicts along the Thai

375
00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:31,039
Mayan mar border. She had been given an artificial leg

376
00:22:31,079 --> 00:22:34,000
in two thousand and six and learned to walk on it,

377
00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,400
and then a more permanent one in two thousand and nine.

378
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,000
But since the prosthetic has to be changed according to

379
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,599
the weight of the elephant, Motala has been given other legs. Accordingly,

380
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,559
she recently received her third one and is doing quite

381
00:22:47,559 --> 00:22:51,400
well with it. Truly an inspirational story, and again kudos

382
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,160
to all those putting the effort in to take care

383
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,160
of an animal that otherwise might have been put down.

384
00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,160
Our second story is a similar one. We we have

385
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,920
a tortoise who gets another chance to beat the hair.

386
00:23:03,319 --> 00:23:06,160
There's a twelve year old African tortoise that recently had

387
00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,960
its left front leg amputated due to an injury. Well,

388
00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:13,200
now that tortoise is moving along just fine thanks to

389
00:23:13,279 --> 00:23:16,200
a swiveling wheel attached to his shell by doctors at

390
00:23:16,279 --> 00:23:21,079
Washington State University's Veterinary Hospital. The twenty three pound tortoise,

391
00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,599
named Gamera after the giant flying turtle of the old

392
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:29,000
Japanese monster Movies, is gaining weight and generally thriving with

393
00:23:29,079 --> 00:23:32,880
his new appendage. Veterinarians attach the wheel to the tortoise's

394
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,680
shell using an epoxy adhesive, and the animal has taken

395
00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,200
to the new device immediately. The castor style wheel should

396
00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,200
last for years before it has to be replaced. These

397
00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,720
are just two more incredible animaltopiin stories of people helping

398
00:23:46,799 --> 00:23:51,039
animals overcome tragedies that may have been justification to euthanize

399
00:23:51,079 --> 00:23:54,799
them in days gone by. Instead, people are inspired by

400
00:23:54,799 --> 00:23:57,720
these animals, will to live and have been moved to

401
00:23:57,839 --> 00:24:01,359
action and invention. Kudos to all those involved in helping

402
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,920
the elephant and the tortoise. And yes, we did receive

403
00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,000
the calls and the emails about the moose in New

404
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,599
Hampshire that required the assistance of nine firefighters to help

405
00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,680
guide the moose out of the frozen pool. The video

406
00:24:13,799 --> 00:24:17,000
is all over YouTube and is certainly entertaining, though I

407
00:24:17,039 --> 00:24:20,480
wonder if they shouldn't maybe change the saying to stubborn

408
00:24:20,519 --> 00:24:25,119
as a moose. Okay, bad jokes aside. So it's October

409
00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,160
and that means it's time for the blessing of the animals.

410
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,440
I enjoy these gatherings as you get to see a

411
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,839
wide variety of animals and animal lovers coming together to

412
00:24:34,839 --> 00:24:38,480
have their animals blessed. I've also noticed that these gatherings

413
00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,519
have become larger and they are more of them happening

414
00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,400
each year. So I started to do some research on

415
00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:46,720
the subject, and I was surprised to learn that there

416
00:24:46,759 --> 00:24:50,279
are now animal ministries in every state. Some of them

417
00:24:50,279 --> 00:24:53,599
are involved with animal food drives, adoption events and more.

418
00:24:54,039 --> 00:24:56,640
It seems that the churches have realized that animals are

419
00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,880
an important part of our physical, mental, and spiritual w

420
00:25:00,039 --> 00:25:03,400
well being. Having gone to Catholic school, most of my life.

421
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,079
I remember back in grade school having to pick a

422
00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:08,799
patron saint to honor, and though I was young and

423
00:25:08,839 --> 00:25:12,119
had no real perspective on any importance or influence it

424
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,559
would have in my life, I chose Saint Francis of Assisi.

425
00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:18,799
You know, there are many wonderful stories about Saint Francis

426
00:25:18,839 --> 00:25:22,480
of Assisi and his ability to connect with animals and humans.

427
00:25:22,839 --> 00:25:26,039
And while there are numerous animal related stories, poems, and

428
00:25:26,039 --> 00:25:28,680
prayers that give credit to Saint Francis of a CC,

429
00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:32,200
I will stick with a simple quote by him. Not

430
00:25:32,279 --> 00:25:35,160
to hurt the creature's brethren is our first duty to them.

431
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,240
But to stop there is not enough. We have a

432
00:25:38,279 --> 00:25:41,559
higher mission to be of service to them wherever they

433
00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,039
require it. I know we have all seen that in

434
00:25:44,039 --> 00:25:46,039
the actions and words of those who are making a

435
00:25:46,079 --> 00:25:49,880
difference every day for the animals and humans and Animal Topia.

436
00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:52,240
Do you have a great animal story you'd like to

437
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,799
share with us, Please contact us on our toll free

438
00:25:55,839 --> 00:25:59,559
share your Animal Toopian story hotline at eight by five

439
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,000
two six four six two five eight, Or do what

440
00:26:03,079 --> 00:26:06,680
I do and just remember eight y five animal topiens

441
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,640
for Animal Topia, Pet Life Radio and all those who

442
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,119
make this show possible. I'm your host, Robert Samrose, saying

443
00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,960
I'm proud to be an animal topian and I look

444
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,160
forward to sharing more stories from animal Topia with all

445
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,400
of you very soon. Take care everyone.

446
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:28,000
Speaker 3: Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on petlifradio

447
00:26:28,279 --> 00:26:44,440
dot com