Pets are part of the family, there’s no doubt about that. For those out there having trouble feeding your dogs, don’t despair, there is help available. There are pet food pantries/soup kitchens across the country that are willing to lend a helping hand in these difficult times.

What are pet food pantries? They are places for pet owners to go where they can receive low or no cost food and supplies. The pantries owners will encourage or request recipients to donate time and/or skills to help out. It’s a win-win, owners are able to keep their beloved pets and give back to the community at the same time.

We have a local pantry, Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen, that was recently interviewed about what they do, and the difference their services can make.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Many pet owners facing tough times have been forced to give up their beloved animals because they can’t afford to care for them. One Metro Atlanta non-profit group is offering a helping hand to those in need by giving away free pet food.

The tough economic times are taking a toll on man’s best friend. The rising gas and food prices coupled with the high rate of foreclosures in Georgia are having a direct affect on pets.

More people are looking for ways to cut corners and some have been forced to give up their beloved pets.

Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen is trying to help owners struggling to feed their cats and dogs by providing free pet food.

Donations of food and other pet supplies poured into a warehouse on Oakland Industrial Court in Lawrenceville Saturday afternoon.

Daffy’s, part of the SOS Club of Georgia, is spearheading the program.

“We normally would have to drive to [people's homes] to try to meet them, assist them. Now, we can get people coming in off the street. We can help 10 times the people we’ve been helping before,” said Wargo.

Through their efforts, Wargo said he hoped fewer people would be forced to give up their pets to get by.

“Keep more pets home with their families where they belong,” Wargo said.

Daffy’s is in the process of expanding their operations, they are about to open a third kitchen, and are looking to start five more pantries in the metro area. Another local pet pantry is Meals “FUR” Pets, they even have a “Pet Meals on Wheels” program. It assists qualifying individuals with loving pets in need. Elderly individuals with pets, disabled shut-ins with pets who are not able to feed their furry family members. Over 25,000 pounds of pet food passed thru Meals “FUR” Pets organization in 2007.

The two pet food pantries I’ve mentioned are both located in Georgia, but you can find one near you too. Sometimes it take a bit of searching, until recently there have been no national pet food pantry resources, just individual sites. Now there are two groups that are working on changing that, Save Our Pets Food Banks and the HSUS are working on compiling a national list of pet food banks. If anyone has a food pantry or knows of one, both sites have a place to add the name to their lists.

These resources are there for a reason, no one should ever feel ashamed asking for help. At one time or another everyone needs help, the only shame is not asking.

I want to thank Dogster member Christy for barking to me about pet food pantries, suggesting I help get the word out to those who may not know about this option. Christy’s niece is associated with For The Love Of A Pet food pantry and boutique. It’s a great organization located on Cape Cod and is hoping to eventually expand throughout Massachusetts.

Best Friends is a rescue organization dedicated to helping animals that are from mills, unwanted, abused, etc. About a month or so ago Whispering Oaks Kennels in West Virginia surrendered close to 1000 dogs, mostly dachshunds and Best Friends came to the rescue. Please read this post to learn about why we should never buy from animals from pet stores, online, and most breeders. Please do not support mills (which means pet stores, most people do not know that) and adopt!

Parker is one in a thousand—literally. Our little brown Dachshund was one of nearly that many dogs and puppies surrendered by Whispering Oaks Kennel in Parkersburg, West Virginia last week. Until he was rescued, Parker lived in a rabbit hutch with three other dogs; it’s likely he never left that cage. Ever.

Until last week Parker’s sole purpose in life, his reason for being worthy of food every day in his owner’s eyes, was to make puppies. Whispering Oaks sold thousands of puppies online over the years, getting from $300 to over $700 per puppy. Customers had no idea that all the dogs lived in barns and rabbit hutches, because they were never allowed to see where the adult breeding dogs lived. And they couldn’t have known that their puppies may have had a dad like Parker.

I first met Parker last Sunday, when I was on a team of three whose job it was to go cage by cage and put an ID band on each and every dog. My volunteer partner Travis called the ID bands “the ticket out of here.” He and I went along methodically along with Deputy Shanna Modesitt to make sure we had tagged every dog in every cage, and then teams came along behind us and loaded the dogs in crates so they could be taken to the staging area where an army of rescue workers and volunteers waited. Parker was in a free-standing rabbit hutch-type cage outside. All the cages looked like they’d been slapped together with whatever scrap material the breeder could find. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to live in that cage every single day, with nowhere to get out of the sweltering heat, and nothing but a plywood box with no bedding to curl up in during the freezing winter.

Heavy welding gloves protected my hands, just in case we encountered a biting dog. I remember that Parker’s cage was especially tricky because the only way to access it was to lower a large wooden door, leaving a good two-foot hole for dogs to pop out of if they wanted to escape. Travis had the ID bands ready, and Deputy Modesitt was on the other side of the cage, shooing the dogs our way so we could reach them. All the dogs in the cages around us barked furiously at us—I don’t know that they’d ever seen so much action in their lives! I was able to hold one, then the next miniature Dachshund in the cage for Travis to put ID bands on them. And then from the other side of the cage Deputy Modesitt shouted over the barking, “DO NOT let this one bite you; he’s got horrible teeth!” I shouted back “okay!” and opened the wooden door one more time as a scruffy brown Dachshund with huge, snaggly brown and white teeth came zipping to our side of the cage, urged by Deputy Modesitt. He allowed me to pick him up without a fuss, Travis secured his ID collar around his neck, and we let him go back in the only cage he’d ever known.

Later, we found him at the staging area where he had been kept with his cage-mates. He’d likely need extensive dental care, and what better “poster dog” for the all-too common dental neglect found in puppy mill dogs? So he was one of the first dogs we directed Michelle to as she went around to select dogs to come back to Best Friends.

Before we loaded him into a travel crate on our van to come home to Utah, the only experience I’d had with Parker was taking him out of his cage at the puppy mill. But his personality soon presented itself—and what a personality he has! We stopped every few hours to get the dogs out of their cages, since we’d had to really pack them in to fit everyone in the van. My biggest fear was that we’d lose a dog, considering that they’d never ever been walked on a leash before, and probably hadn’t ever walked on the ground before. But little Parker handled it like a pro. He got so excited when we came to his travel crate, he’d SMILE with that crazy mug! Many dogs smile when they’re excited, wrinkling their noses and showing their teeth in a big grin. On Parker, that smile was quite a sight to behold. But what a great little guy.

Soon he was walking on the leash pretty well, sniffing the grass, and going potty outside like a good boy.

After nearly forty hours on the road, we finally arrived at the sanctuary where everyone got to meet Parker for the first time. I can’t wait to watch him blossom here with the care and love that he has deserved, but has been denied until now.

For more information about Best Friends Animal Society please visit their website, http://www.bestfriends.org

Please educate people on the terrible attrocities that happen at puppy mills. We can stop this by not purchasing dogs but adopting instead. Please remember that for every dog that is purchased one dies in a shelter.

Hello everyone. Just wanted to apologize to anyone who visited animaloverdose over the last couple of days. We were unfortunately victims of a absolute scumbag who thought it would be clever to hack our site and change our homepage to some anti bush profanities. We have taken measures to try and prevent this happening again. We can only hope you understand!

Thought i’d share this picture with you to cheer you up! Please leave your captions in the comments box

Each year, the American Kennel Club compiles a list of the year’s most desired breeds. For 2008, I am happy to announce that the “top dog” (and reigning champ for the last 18 years) happens to be the breed closest to my heart: The Labrador Retriever:

The Labrador Retriever is the breed my family has chosen my entire life, so I can speak first hand about their ease with children, playful attitude, and loyalty. My nephews are toddlers and are quite fond of tail pulling, sitting on a sleeping dog, and ear tugging. My Labs take all the confusing displays of affection in stride, though their eyes sometimes indicate they are thinking, “Uh, can someone help me out here?” All joking aside, Labradors are well know as a family dog and are great around young children. In my experience, they also adapt very well to the other pets in a new home, which makes them a great addition to most household situations.

The Labrador is defined by its eagerness to please its owner which makes it an incredibly obedient dog, as well as a great student. They are easy to train and are extremely intelligent. What most people don’t know is that the Lab is also the most popular breed of assistance dog in the United States. Their intelligence makes them fantastic guide dogs for the blind, a great asset to police forces, and a much needed team member for many search-and-rescue teams. However, as the name indicates, they are best know for their talent of retreiving. That said, you are sure to find a new hunting buddy or fellow fisherman in this breed.

Now, without further ado…here are the remaining top 10:

2. Yorkshire Terrier

3. German Shepherd Dog

4. Golden Retriever

5. Beagle

6. Boxer

7. Dachshund

8. Bulldog

9. Poodle

10. Shih Tzu

In the first paragraph, I linked to the AKC’s descriptive entry on this great animal. I have also included links to descriptions for the other top 9 dogs. However, should you like to share your joyful experience with your own pup’s breed, comment away! There are plenty of breeds out there , and we’d love to hear great stories about all of them.

Many people will tell you that it's a very bad habit to let your dogs get
into your bed. They say that it allows them to feel that they're the boss
and makes them push. Or they say that it's just bad manners.

However, it's a great way to lower your heating bills! Eskimos frequently
sleep with their dogs to keep warm. In fact, when the Eskimos want to call
a particular night really cold, they call it a "Three dog night!" meaning
that it takes three dogs to keep them warm!

There is some truth however, in the sayings of those who advise owners not
to let their dogs sleep with them. It really depends on the relationship
between owner and dog. Anxious, or neurotic dogs are spoiled by allowing
them on the bed at night, and in other cases, it may be just fine.

There's considerable debate over this issue, with some claiming that close
contact with pets is hazardous, and others claiming that it boosts your
immune system. My personal opinion is towards the latter, but you can never
tell how others are going to react.

As long as you know who is in charge!