Media:
Ed O’Neal
337-463-8665

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 13, 2011 – DeRidder, Louisiana – O’Neal’s Feeders Supply, Inc. today announced a voluntary recall of its dry Arrow Brand DOG FOOD – because it contains corn which was detected to have higher than the acceptable levels of aflatoxin.. The affected products were manufactured between Dec. 1, 2010, and Dec. 1, 2011. No illnesses have been reported in association with these products to date.

Affected products are:

ARROWBRAND 21% Dog Chunks SKU #807 40 lb. bag

ARROWBRAND Super Proeaux Dog Food SKU #812 40 lb. bag

ARROWBRAND Professional Formula Dog Food SKU #814 50 lb. bag

The recall only applies to the above products with the following Packaging Date Codes Lot numbers 4K0341 through 4K0365 and 04K1001 through 4K1325.

The affected dry dog food products were distributed in the state of Louisiana and Texas. Retailers have already been instructed to remove the affected brands and products from store shelves.

While no adverse health effects related to these products have been reported, O’Neal’s Feeders Supply, Inc. is implementing this recall as a precautionary measure. Consumers are urged to return affected products – whether in opened or unopened packages – to their place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact 800-256-2769 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mold by-product. Pets that have consumed any of the above recalled products and exhibit symptoms of illness including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums, or diarrhea should be seen by a veterinarian.

Media:
Tim Loesch
952-742-6910

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 6, 2011 – Cargill Animal Nutrition today announced a voluntary recall of two regional brands of its dry dog food – River Run and Marksman – due to aflatoxin levels that were detected above the acceptable limit. The affected products were manufactured at Cargill’s Lecompte, Louisiana, facility between Dec. 1, 2010, and Dec. 1, 2011. No illnesses have been reported in association with these products to date, and no other Cargill Animal Nutrition pet food products are involved in this recall. Affected products are:

• PROFESSIONAL FORMULA RIVER RUN HI-NRG 24-20 Dog Food, 50 pound bags
  
• RIVER RUN PROFESSIONAL FORMULA 27-18 Dog Food, 50 pound bags
  
• RIVER RUN 21% Protein Dog Food, 40 and 50 pound bags
  
• RIVER RUN Hi-Pro No-Soy Dog Food, 40 and 50 pound bags
  
• MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 24% Protein 20% Fat, 40 pound bags
  
• MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 20% Protein 10% Fat, 40 and 50 pound bags
  
• MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 28% Protein 18% Fat, 40 pound bags

The recall only applies to the above products with the following Packaging Date Codes (lot numbers): 4K0335 through 4K0365, LL0335 through LL0365, 4K1001 through 4K1335 and LL1001 through LL1335.

The affected dry dog food products were distributed in the following 15 states/territories – Kansas, Missouri, Northeast Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Southeast Indiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and limited areas of Florida and California.  Retailers have already been instructed to remove the affected brands and products from store shelves.

While no adverse health effects related to these products have been reported, Cargill is implementing this recall as a precautionary measure.  Consumers are urged to return affected products – whether in opened or unopened packages — to their place of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, including photos of products involved, consumers can go to www.cargill.com/feed/dog-food-recall or call toll free 855-460-1532.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mold by-product. Pets that have consumed any of the above recalled products and exhibit symptoms of illness including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums, or diarrhea should be seen by a veterinarian.

About Cargill

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 138,000 people in 63 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit Cargill.com and its news center.

Media:
Jason Taylor
513-622-3205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 6, 2011 – – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily retrieved a single production lot of dry dog food due to aflatoxin levels that were detected above the acceptable limit. This product has already been retrieved from store shelves. No illnesses have been reported in association with this production lot to date, and no other Iams pet food products are involved.

Product affected by this announcement:

The affected product lot was distributed to a limited number of retailers located in the eastern United States (AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, SC, VA).  These retailers have already removed this product from store shelves.  No other dry dog food, dry cat food, dog or cat canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected by this announcement.

While no health effects related to this product have been reported, P&G retrieved this product as a precautionary measure.  Consumers who purchased the product listed should stop using the product and discard it and contact Iams at the number below for a replacement voucher.  Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring by-product from the growth of Aspergillus flavus and can be harmful to pets if consumed in significant quantities.  Pets which have consumed this product and exhibit symptoms of illness including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums, or diarrhea should be seen by a veterinarian.

For further information or a product replacement or refund contact P&G toll-free at 866-908-1569
(Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST) or www.iams.com. 

About Procter & Gamble
Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visithttp://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

In a pail mix:

• 1 quart hydrogen peroxide (the 3 percent hydrogen peroxide variety)
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Dawn dishwashing liquid

If you have a large breed dog, you may need to double, triple or even quadruple the mixture.

Wear dishwashing or other household gloves if you like during the whole de-skunking process.

Don’t wet down your pet. Apply the mixture to your pet’s dry coat from the collar back toward the tail. Don’t pour it near the eyes because the hydrogen peroxide solution can burn them.

Lather the mixture into your pet’s coat and skin. Rub the solution around for about five minutes or until the skunk smell starts to dissipate.

If the front of your pet is as stinky as the back, use a sponge to apply the solution to your pet’s chin, cheeks, forehead and ears, being very careful not to go near the eyes. When you rinse the head area, tilt your pet’s chin upward so the solution does not run down into the eyes, instead allow the water to run back off his neck.

Do a complete rinse once the smell starts to decrease, then repeat the entire process again.

You may need to repeat the lather and rinse process up to three times, but it’s a very effective method for removing the skunk smell from your pet.

Make sure to completely rinse the solution off your pet. Your final rinse should be very thorough.

You can’t prepare this solution ahead of time and store it – it won’t be effective when you need it. It must be made fresh, right before you apply it to your pet. So it pays to make sure you have all the ingredients ahead of time!

Where:
Tim Nichol’s farm
Hwy 78 & Hacks Cross
Map of the interchange of Hwy 78 and Bethel Rd/Hacks Cross

Directions from the Hwy 78 interchange:
-Turn south onto Bethel Rd/Hacks Cross
-Follow the Southern Flight HRC signs to location
When:
July 9, 2011 — 9am-4pm

Mark your calendar for July 9th as a day devoted to kids having fun in one of God’s greatest gifts… the outdoors!

There is no charge for this event!

In cooperation with HRC, and all of the Region 5 and 5A HRC clubs, Southern Flight HRC is proud to extend an open invitation to all for the inaugural HRC Kids Kamp!

Come spend the day with friends and family, learn about many outdoor hunting and fishing related activities, while educating tomorrow’s future outdoorsmen & women. This is not only a great opportunity to educate our kids but perhaps to introduce a child to the outdoors for the first time. Have you often thought that you wished you were able to introduce your children to the outdoors, but feel as if you don’t have the experience or know how to do it properly? Don’t let this opportunity pass, there will be experts from numerous fields on-site willing to not only show the kids how it is done but also answer any questions that you might have as well.

Lunch consisting of hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings will be prepared on-site and provided for all, free of charge.

Bring your kids, your friend’s kids, your neighbor’s kids and let’s spend the day together learning more about the great outdoors. Young and old, kids of all ages can attend, even the young at heart are welcome to participate.

Highlights and activities for the Kids Kamp

-Duck calling lessons and kids calling contest
-Game wardens discussing their jobs, equipment used, aging deer and duck identification
-Puppy training seminar and interaction
-Archery lessons and shooting
-Gun safety demonstrations and shooting instructions

-AND MORE!!

Please RSVP by sending an email to mh.sf.hrc@hotmail.com so we can get a head count. Thanks!

Media:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 17, 2011 – Boss Pet Products, Inc. announced that it is recalling its Diggers Natural Treat Pig Ear pet treats because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Boss Pet has been notified by one of its suppliers, Keys Manufacturing Company, Inc., that a batch of Keys’ pig ear treats tested positive for Salmonella. Keys Manufacturing has initiated a voluntary product recall in cooperation with the FDA and has identified several shipments of potentially affected products which Boss Pet shipped out under its Diggers brand in November, 2010 through April, 2011. So far, there has been a report of one dog in Missouri having Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The recalled Diggers Natural Chews Pig Ears were sold in the following package sizes:

Bulk Pig Ears in boxes of 100 (UPC #0-72929-00038-6)

Bulk Pig Ears Shrink Wrapped in boxes of 50 (UPC #0-72929-99120-2)

2-Pack Bags shipped in cases of 12 bags (UPC #0-72929-99504-0)

4-Pack Bags shipped in cases of 12 bags (UPC #0-72929-00227-4)

8-Pack Bags shipped in cases of 12 bags (UPC #0-72929-99584-2)

These products have been distributed via truck to distributors in the following states:

MT, CA, WA, OK, TN, NY, KS, OH, TX, MS, AL, OR, UT, IA, MO, IL, IN, LA, and MN.

The recall is a result of a reported illness to one dog in Missouri. Subsequently, Boss Pet has been working with the FDA to identify any products that might contain the bacteria while the manufacturer of the product and the FDA are continuing the investigation to determine what caused the problem.

Consumers who have purchased Diggers Natural Chews Pig Ear products are urged to return them to their place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Boss Pet at 1-800-445-6347 during normal business hours (9:00 AM – 5:00PM ET) or on our website at www.bosspet.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 17, 2011 – Blackman Industries, Inc. of Kansas City, KS is recalling all PrimeTime brand 2 ct. and 5 ct. Premium Pig Ears and all KC Beefhide brand 20 ct. Premium Pig Ears because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the recalled pig ears can potentially become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after giving them to their pet.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

These products were distributed in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota and sold through many of the following retail outlets: Price Chopper Stores, Hy-Vee Stores, Hen House Markets, Bag N Save Stores, Dahl’s Food Stores, Baldwin City Market, SunFresh Food Stores, Apple Markets, Brookside Market, Franklin Food Stores, No Frills Food Stores, Alps Food Stores, Big V Food Stores, Country Mart Food Stores, Thriftway Food Stores, County Fair Food Stores, Super Saver Food Stores and Russ’s Food Stores and Feldman’s Farm and Home Stores.

The product was distributed between Jan. 4, 2011 and April 29, 2011. PrimeTime products are in translucent plastic packages with yellow printed headers and are marked with the following UPC codes 7-48976-18316-6 on a 2 ct. package with a $3.49 retail price, 7-48976-09040-2, on a 5 ct. package with a $5.99 retail price and 7-48976-19040-9 on a 5 ct. package with a $6.99 retail price. The KC Beefhide product is packaged in a red mesh nylon bag with a green and white header that says KC Beefhide and has the following UPC code 7-48976-09065-5.

Consumers can tell the difference between the recalled product and the new product by the placement of a production code on the new product located on the back of the product (i.e.2011FBC). A similar code beginning with 2011 and the production run is also printed on the bags under the Made In USA label.

One illness of a dog in Missouri has been reported to date.

The recall is a result of a reported illness of a dog in Missouri who consumed pig ears from the same production lot but from product sold by a different distributor. The distributor has been working with the FDA to identify any products that might contain the bacteria. The company and the FDA is continuing the investigation to determine what caused the problem.

Consumers that have purchased any of the PrimeTime or KC Beefhide pig ear products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-913-342-5010 Monday through Thursday between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

There is still time to buy raffle tickets. All money will go to the Black Cow Pond project and every $50-$100 will go a long way…. There are some great prizes also! Time is running out as the raffle will end on May 14!

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR RAFFLE TICKET AND DONATION INFORMATION!! Black Cow Pond Renovation Raffle

Contact Chad Wilson via email at chadwilson79@gmail.com for last minute donations!!

With the national decline in public areas which support our sport, the Montgomery Retriever Club, North Alabama Retriever Club, and Black Warrior Retriever Clubs are holding a Raffle which would support the efforts of the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial area. This area is truly becoming one of the top training/trialing facilities in the country!

There is still time to buy raffle tickets. All money will go to the Black Cow Pond project and every $50-$100 will go a long way…. There are some great prizes also! Time is running out as the raffle will end on May 14!

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR RAFFLE TICKET AND DONATION INFORMATION!! Black Cow Pond Renovation Raffle

Many thanks to those who have already donated. Below are some photos of work already completed….

Many of us are reluctant to overstep their authority when faced with a weather related decision, so let’s look at who bears the responsibility of protecting workers and participants from severe weather. FindRetrievers recently presented this question to AKC Field Representative Jerrry Mann due to the overwhelming confusion on who actually has ‘AUTHORITY’ to delay an event or stop the testing due to severe weather.

Question: Whose responsibility is it during an AKC Field Event to call a weather delay due to severe lightning?

Jerry Mann’s Answer: ….to address your question, in Chapter 6, Section 2 of the Rules it states in part, “A club that has been granted permission by the American Kennel Club to hold a licensed or member field trial must appoint a Field Trial Committee which will have complete responsibility for the planning and conducting of the trial. —–“. In Section 4 it states, “The Field Trial Committee of a club holding a licensed or member trial shall have the authority to decide upon any matter arising during the running of the trial, except a matter coming within the jurisdiction of the Judges, but such committee decisions must be made in accord with these Field Trial Rules and Standard Procedures”.

The portion of the above Section 4 stating “—-except a matter coming within the jurisdiction of the judges ——-“, relates to matters over which the judges have total jurisdiction. Those are the design and requirements of the test within the stake they are judging and the scoring or judging of the performance of the dogs in that stake. While these are jurisdictional issues, judges have additional “responsibilities” they must meet, i.e. determining when re-runs will be accomplished, dealing with misconduct issues on line, working with the Event Committee to conduct a timely and efficient event, etc. Committees intervene in these matters only when a situation may be hazardous to dogs or humans or when the tests are in violation of the Rules.

Let us look at the other portion of Section 4 which states in part, “The Field Trial Committee of a club holding a licensed or member trial shall have the authority to decide upon any matter arising during the running of the trial, ——–“. Events are the sole responsibility of the sponsoring club and the Event Committee is the official group appointed by the club to make decisions regarding that event. The Event Committee certainly has not only the authority but more importantly an “obligation” to assure the safety of all participants, both human and animals. If weather or any other conditions warrant the suspending of an event to protect those involved the Committee can and should make that decision as expeditiously as possible! The approval of the judges, participants or anyone else is not necessary. Once the impending danger has passed the event should be continued as soon as possible.

Event Committees are totally responsible for the planning and conducting of the clubs event. The Committee and Event Secretary are responsible for compliance with all the Field Trial Rules and Standard Procedures. And while the judges have complete jurisdiction over the design and requirements of their tests, the Committee and Event Secretary are responsible for assuring no Rules or Standard Procedures are violated in the judges’ discharging of their responsibilities. For this reason the Chairperson and Event Secretary and each member of the committee should be well versed in the Rules and Standard Procedures for Retriever Field Trials. They must also be willing to step up and take control when necessary!!

I hope this helps with your question and to clarify the role of the Event Committee and others in the conducting of these great events!

Question: Can it be any one person on the Event Committee stopping the event or must it be a consensus of all committee members by a meeting?

Answer: The decision as to whom on the Committee can suspend testing or if it takes the committee as a whole to give its approval is left up to the Committee itself.  If the Committee members are spread out over the grounds at different testing sites, then I would think a committee member at that site should have the ability to shut testing down until after the danger passes.  Having to get everyone together to take a vote could prove to be disastrous!

Question: Does this apply to Field Trial and Hunting Tests the same?

Answer: The authority and responsibility of the Event Committee, crosses all venues of the Sporting Group.  Event Committees in all AKC approved field events are in charge of their tests.

FindRetriever’s thanks Jerry Mann for his time in answering these important questions.

Some clubs issue weather related devices to warn of impending storms and many smartphones contain applications that can also be of use in making judgement calls on the weather. Just remember that many times in remote locations smartphones will not show your actual location, but the location of the ‘tower’ your phone is operating from.

Good luck to you all and have a very safe and fun spring trial season!