PetHobbyist.com Site Blog - Chat News & Info

Chat Month 2011: The hoarding myth, rehabbing pit bulls, reptile smuggling

nospam@example.com (Christie Keith) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:08:04 -0600

From the frontlines of America's no-kill movement with one of its most controversial leaders, to the jungles and hideouts of the world of reptile smugglers, to the redemption story of the decade -- no, not the one about Michael Vick; the one about his dogs.

That's just the first weekend of our Thirteenth Annual Chat Month, when we'll be joined by:

Redemption" author and No-Kill Advocacy Center director Nathan Winograd; more information here. (Friday, March 4, at 9:30 PM Eastern in The Auditorium)

Jennie Erin Smith, talking about her controversial new book, "Stolen World: A Tale of Reptiles, Smugglers, and Skulduggery"; more information here. (Saturday, March 5, at 5 PM Eastern in the kingsnake.com Chat Room)

A panel featuring pit bull rescuers and advocates who have rehabilitated and adopted former fighting pit bulls, including two of the Michael Vick dogs, Hector and Leo; more information here. (Sunday, March 6, at 8:00 PM Eastern in The Auditorium)

Discussing Amazon Tree Boas with Kathy Love and Mike Heinrich (Sunday, March 6, at 10 PM Eastern in the kingsnake.com Chat Room)

That's not all. Guests later in the month include the forces behind the "Austin Miracle," Dr. Ellen Jefferson and Ryan Clinton; Dr. Robin Downing, one of a handful of veterinarians to hold the Diplomate credential in the American Academy of Pain Management; Joe Pittman of the Florida Snakebite Institute; an expert on the impact to wildlife of the Gulf Oil Spill; veterinary critical care specialist Dr. Tony Johnson of Purdue University, talking about how to get out of the emergency clinic with your pet and your wallet intact; Animal Wise Network's Mike Fry; Maddie's Fund president Rich Avanzino; "Do Border Collies Dream of Sheep?" author Carol Lea Benjamin; and Tom Crutchfield, one of the reformed smugglers featured in "Stolen World." More guests are being added and confirmed every day!

This year, like last, we'll be bringing you our guests in live streaming audio, with a text-based chat room running simultaneously so you can ask questions and discuss the interview with other listeners.

New this year, we'll be streaming over the Animal Wise Network, a popular, successful 24/7 channel featuring original content and interviews about animals and animal issues.

Learn more about how to listen and participate here.

To keep up with additions to our guest list and any schedule changes, as well as to view links to archived chats if you're not able to listen live, watch this feed and follow us on Facebook or Twitter!

And if you're wondering about that logo in the upper right hand corner of this post, it's true; PetHobbyist.com is getting a name change! Please join us at the beta site for ConnectedByPets.com, and help us get up and running!

Tuesday: How to save your pet's life in an emergency

nospam@example.com (Cindy Steinle) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:50:00 -0500

Do you know how to save your pet's life in an emergency?

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month, and according to the American Animal Hospital Association, "One out of four pets would be saved if just one pet first aid technique was applied prior to getting to proper veterinary care."

"Preventable accidents are the leading cause of death and disability for our pre-senior dogs and cats," says Thom Somes, "The Pet Safety Guy" of PetTech.net. He'll be joining us Tuesday, April 6, from 10-11 pm Eastern Time in the Auditorium to discuss the skills and techniques that can save the lives of thousands of pets in emergency situations each year, and how to avoid preventable incidents from happening in the first place.

Thom will also be letting our chatters know about the "Million Petizen Internet Rally," where one million dollars is being raised for four pet charities through the sale of his book "Knowing Your Pet's Health, A Guide for Optimal Wellness from Snout-to-Tail." And a special discount code for 20 percent off will be given to all chatters that night!

Thom will be speaking with Therese Kopiwoda via streaming audio, and you'll be able to comment and ask questions in the text-based chat room.

To join the chat: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!

See you there!

Chat Month 2010 @ Kingsnake! The recordings

nospam@example.com (Cindy Steinle) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:52:33 -0600

Wow... even with the shortened schedule because of the Tinley Park Summit, our 12th Annual Chat Month was jam packed with lots of talking goodness. Thanks to all who came and helped us kick off our streaming audio chats.

For those who couldn't make it, we did miss you, but here are the transcripts. Sit back, relax, and listen while you cruise the net or clean your cages. Much more fun than the usual reading, wouldn't you say? More are still coming, but I wanted to release these as soon as possible.

Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry interviewed by Cindy Steinle

The Rainbow Boa Panel with Dave Colling and Jeff Clark interviewed by Cindy Steinle

Terry Phillip interviewed by Cindy Steinle

Chad Brown interviewed by Cindy Steinle and Jeff Barringer

John Binns interviewed by Cindy Steinle

Julie Bergman interviewed by Cindy Steinle

As I said, more are still coming and get ready: everyone loved this so much we'll be making it a regular feature!

Sunday: Steve Dale and Kim Campbell Thornton

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:41:10 -0600

Steve Dale and Kim Campbell Thornton are two of the top pet journalists in America today -- but that's not why they're joining us this year.

Kim and Steve both had beloved pets who succumbed to genetic disease, and on Sunday night, Feb. 28, at 10 PM Eastern Time, they're going to be talking with Darlene Arden about the funds they established in those pets' memories to help other animals afflicted with the same condition.

Steve founded The Ricky Fund in memory of his Devon Rex cat Ricky, who died at the age of 4 of feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Kim founded The Darcy Fund in memory of her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Darcy, who died of mitral valve disease.

Find out more about these diseases, how the Funds have helped both other animals and also Kim and Steve, and how you might go about honoring a lost pet in a similar way.

Kim and Steve will be speaking with Darlene via streaming audio, and you'll be able to comment and ask questions in the text-based chat room.

To join the chat: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!

Sunday: Russ Gurley of the Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:24:24 -0600

On Sunday, Feb. 28 at 9 PM Eastern Time in the kingsnake.com chat room, we'll be talking in live streaming audio with Russ Gurley, founder of the Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group.

The TTPG was created in 1996 to help spread the horrible news: The worlds turtles are disappearing. Across the planet there are a variety of pressures facing the worlds turtles including habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, collection for food and folk remedies, collection for the pet trade, and many more. Each year, turtle and tortoise keepers are having more and more successes with keeping their chelonians healthy and in creative enclosures and they are producing healthy captive-hatched specimens that are living stress-free and parasite-free in homes all over the world. These pets are ambassadors for their cousins, living in nature.

The TTPG is involved with the dissemination of information about the world's turtles and tortoises and their proper care through talks at herpetological societies, Turtle Night at the National Reptile Breeders Expo, the TTPG Conference in Phoenix Reptile Expo, and through books, articles, care sheets, and their website.

This, our final event of our 12th Annual Chat Month, marks the first of a regular TTPG group discussion that will be hosted on kingsnake.com

Saturday: Tough times for animal causes: What can we do?

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:46:00 -0600

Times have been hard -- brutally hard -- on all kinds of charitable efforts, and animal causes are no exception. How can animal welfare organizations beat the times and keep helping pets in need -- and how can animal lovers still help animals when their wallets are feeling the pinch as well?

That's the topic we'll be tackling on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 9 PM Eastern Time, when we're joined by IMOM founder/president Jacki Hadra and IMOM vice-president Cindy Wilson for a panel discussion with Christie Keith on "Keeping help flowing to animal causes in a recession."

Few groups understand better than IMOM just how difficult it is for people to cope with an inability to pay their pets' veterinary bills. For years, they've been making grants and helping pet owners raise money to pay for procedures for pets whose owners can't handle the costs on their own. But tough times have made it hard for them to keep helping.

If you're a rescue group or are trying to raise money to help animals, find out from others in the same boat what tips and techniques work better in tough times. And if you're an animal lover, find out how you can help not just IMOM but all kinds of animal organizations, just how little it can really take to make a difference in a sick or injured pet's life, and how much difference that can make for the pet's owner, too.

Bring your questions and comments, as you'll be able to share them in our chat room while listening to the streaming audio interview!

To join the chat: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!

Saturday: Julie Bergman of Gecko Ranch

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:42:33 -0600

On Saturday, Feb. 27, at 9 PM Eastern Time in the kingsnake.com chat room, Julie Bergmen of Gecko Ranch will be joining us to talk... what else? "Geckos!"

Julie is a noted breeder, keeper and author of and about geckos, Global Gecko Association 2009 President and Lifetime member, member of the International Reptile Conservation Foundation, Pet Industrial Joint Advisory Council(PIJAC), Heritage Society, University of California School of Veterinary Medicine and Northern California Herpetological Society.

She is also the author of "Geckos: Day Geckos, Tokay Geckos plus New Caledonians and More!" and co-author, "Leopard Geckos: A complete guide to Eublepharine Geckos."

Julie will be talking with kingsnake.com's Cindy Steinle via streaming audio. Bring your questions!

Saturday: Keeping dogs and cats in their homes by resolving -- and preventing! -- behavior problems

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:31:11 -0600

From scratching the sofa to peeing on the rug, behavior problems can destroy the human/animal bond, and send pets to the shelter. As part of this year's focus on "Ending Pet Homelessness in America," perennial PetHobbyist.com favorite guest Darlene Arden will be joining us to talk about "Keeping dogs and cats in their homes by resolving -- and preventing! -- behavior problems."

Please join us on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 10 PM Eastern Time in the Auditorium for a discussion with Darlene Arden, author of Rover! Get off her leg! and other top-selling pet books, for an in depth look at how to handle common behavior problems once they arise, and better yet, how to keep them from happening in the first place!

To listen to the audio and join the chat room: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!

Friday: Nathan Winograd on using legislation and litigation to save animal lives

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:55:15 -0600

Nathan Winograd is one of the most passionate and controversial voices in animal welfare today. As part of this year's Chat Month focus on "Ending Pet Homelessness," he'll be speaking with us on Friday evening, Feb. 26 at 10 PM Eastern Time/7 PM Pacific Time about the role the law can play in saving animal lives, and how legislation and litigation can help create a No Kill nation.

Nathan will answer questions about how to fight back in the courts and in the legislature, about New York State's proposed Oreo's Law, the feral cat lawsuit in Los Angeles, how the Civil Rights Act can come to the rescue, using the Freedom of Information Act, and more.

Although Nathan was originally scheduled to speak with Christie Keith, she has laryngitis. Mike Fry and Beth Nelson of Animal Wise Radio and the Animal Ark Shelter of Hastings, Minnesota have agreed to step in for her. PetHobbyist.com extends a huge thanks to Mike and Beth for their kindness!

Nathan will be joining us via streaming audio, and you'll be able to comment and ask questions in our text-based chat room.

To listen to the audio and join the chat room: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!

Friday: John Binns of the International Reptile Conservation Foundation

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:26:06 -0600

Join us on Friday, Feb. 26 at 10 PM Eastern Time in the kingsnake.com chat room for an evening with John Binns, president of the International Reptile Conservation Foundation.

The IRCF was founded to support conservation and research programs that contribute to the survival of threatened reptiles and amphibians and their habitats. The organization works in concert with the scientific community, educators, and professional conservation organizations as a part of the total conservation solution. The IRCF is a member-based organization that actively pursues the conservation of reptiles and amphibians and the natural habitat and ecosystems that support them in a variety of capacities, depending on the project or program.

John will be joining us tonight to discuss a variety of IRCF's campaigns, as well as where more help may be needed. While many look at the reptile community as from a pet trade industry perspective, kingsnake.com also strongly supports many conservation efforts world-wide, including kingsnake.com CEO taking a turn in a dunk tank at Daytona last summer in support of IRCF.

John and kingsnake.com's Cindy Steinle will be talking via streaming audio, and you'll be able to chat, comment and ask questions in our text-based chat room.

Sunday: Dr. Vicky Thayer on Feline Chronic Renal Failure

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:56:21 -0600

Vicki Thayer, DVM, DABVP (Feline) of the Winn Feline Foundation will be joining us on CatHobbyist.com on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 9 PM Eastern Time.

One of the most-requested chat topics from the cat-owning users of our site, Chronic Renal Failure is alarmingly common in cats. No one has been more on the forefront of research into diseases affecting cats, including CRF, than Winn Feline Foundation. We're honored to welcome Dr. Thayer, president of the foundation, to discuss this condition, including the latest research into its causes, diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention.

Dr. Thayer will be speaking with award-winning pet author Darlene Arden via streaming audio, and you'll be able to comment and ask questions in the text-based chat room.

To join the chat: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Cat Care Central" from the drop down menu!

Sunday: Chad Brown

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:50:45 -0600

On Sunday, Feb. 21, at 9 PM Eastern Time, kingsnake.com welcomes Chad Brown to a special guest chat in the kingsnake.com chat room.

Having retired from the real world job of playing linebacker in the NFL, Chad is getting back into the swing of the reptile world.

Chad has been running Pro Exotics with Robyn Marklund since 1993, and he is enjoying being a more active player on that team now. Pro Exotics has benefited from that increased involvement, and has taken advantage of it to expand.

Their tempgun business is booming, and in spring of 2009 they added another division to their brand "Ship Your Reptiles."

Tonight taking a break from his wife and kids, Chad will be joining us to talk about one of his favorite groups of snakes, the Asian Rat Snakes. While a slow growing group of species in popularity, they are stunningly beautiful animals.

Chad will be talking to kingsnake.com's Cindy Steinle and Jeff Barringer in live streaming audio, while chatters can ask questions and comment in the text-based chat room.

Sunday: Dr. Patty Khuly on genetic animal diseases

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:46:17 -0600

On Sunday, Feb. 21, at 8 PM Eastern Time, we're going to be talking with Miami veterinarian and USA Today columnist Dr. Patty Khuly about genetic diseases in dogs and cats.

Dr. Khuly is an honors graduate of Wellesley College, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and, inexplicably, the Wharton School of Business.

Her blog, Dolittler, has won accolades from the veterinary community as one of the "Ten Best Blogs in Pet Health" (Fox News, 2007), while Dr. Khuly has been voted one of the "25 People to Watch in 2008" by Pet Product News.

Dr. Khuly will be speaking with Christie Keith via streaming audio, and you'll be able to comment and ask questions in the text-based chat room.

To join the chat: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!

Saturday: Women in Herps with Tracy Barker and Cindy Steinle

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:26:54 -0600

Tracy Barker and her husband Dave have run Vida Preciosa International out of Texas for longer than Tracy would like to admit. Her first snake was a reticulated python at the age of 15, from Trooper Walsh. She never turned back. Tracy has been a breeder, zookeeper, field biologist, researcher, and graduate student, along with Dave. Together the Barkers have been the leaders in the python industry, doing more first-time species captive breedings than anyone else in the country.

Tracy says that the reptile industry gave her the freedom to raise her family, and later helped her with her breast cancer journey. She remembers the days when she would be at a reptile event and she was the only woman, and today is thrilled to see so many other women making strides in an what is thought to be a man's world.

Tracy was a pioneer for many people in this hobby, including Cindy Steinle, who is today site coordinator of kingsnake.com, the oldest and largest reptile and amphibian website in the world. Tracy and Cindy will discuss the evolution of women in the reptile community and what women herpers can do to impact possible impending legislation.

Tracy and Cindy will be talking via streaming audio, and you'll be able to chat, comment and ask questions in our text-based chat room. The chat will be held on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 9 PM Eastern Time in the kingsnake.com chat room.

Saturday: Inside the Shelter Pet Project

nospam@example.com (PetHobbyist) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:16:33 -0600

Last fall, the Ad Council launched the first animal welfare campaign of its more than 60 year history, the Shelter Pet Project. Based on new information developed during the one-year period leading up to the three-year, multi-media campaign, the Shelter Pet Project uses humor and a positive approach to get its message across.

On Saturday, Feb. 20 at 9 PM Eastern Time, find out how the Shelter Pet Project came to be, the research behind its television, radio and print public service ads, how it is designed to end the killing of healthy and treatable dogs and cats in the nation's shelters, and why that's not a fantasy but a very achievable goal.

Joining us will be representatives from the sponsors of the campaign: Ad Council campaign manager Cece Wedel; Maddie's Fund president Rich Avanzino, and Betsy McFarland, senior director, companion animals at the Humane Society of the United States. Moderating the discussion will be Christie Keith.

Bring your questions and comments about the Shelter Pet Project, as you'll be able to share them in our text-based chat room while listening to the streaming audio panel discussion!

To join the chat: Registered users of PetHobbyist.com log in here. If you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!