The following post comes from Diane Herbst, a freelance writer who is passionate about animals, and has written many articles involving dogs and cats for People magazine. Diane’s two dogs, Rudi and Smokey, love their Spots Stew — which her three cats savor, too.

Since Halo’s $20,000 food donation on the Ellen show in September to Mimi Ausland and freekibble.com, the 12-year-old from Bend, Oregon distributed 7630 pounds of dog and cat meals to five rescue groups across the country. “This food is just a blessing in disguise,” says Naomi Yaussy, head of adoptions for Adopt a Rescue Pet in Las Vegas, Nevada, which received 1,000 pounds of Spots Stew Dry Formula for dogs to feed their 250 pups. “That changed our lives for a couple of weeks.”

Same for the 700 cats roaming free on 12 lush acres at The Cat House on the Kings sanctuary in Parlier, CA. (Check out the amazing video about this cat paradise.) Mimi sent them 1,400 pounds of Spots Stew dry cat kibble.

“The food we got is such a good quality of food, we gave it to our kittens, our old cats, our debilitated cats and the cats with special needs,” says Cat House founder Lynea Lattanzio, noting her cats go through 150 pounds of dry food a day. Says Mimi of her gifts: “It makes me feel really amazing; it’s great. Healthy food makes such a difference.”

The other recipients are the SPCA of Westchester, NY, which received 2530 pounds Spots Stew kibble for dogs; the Humane Society of Central Oregon, with 2500 pounds of dog and cat food; and the Center for Animal Care and Control of New York City receiving 1500 pounds.

The donation to Adopt a Rescue Pet was a first for the group. “Our only time,” says Yaussy. “This is amazing for a kid, you don’t expect this. It amazes me a child thought of this.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued another warning about dogs consuming chicken jerky products manufactured in China. The chicken jerky products include chicken tenders, chicken strips and chicken treats. A similar warning has been issued in Australia, and one company has recalled their chicken jerky products from China.

Dogs should be watched closely for decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, increased water consumption and increased urination. If signs are noticed, stop giving the treats and consult your veterinarian. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure or other forms of kidney dysfunction. Most dogs have recovered, although a few deaths have been reported. The FDA is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs.

For more information on this issue, visit www.fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/ComplaintsChicJerky.htm.

Check out this exciting new announcement from Ellen!

“Tune in to QVC on January 17 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM PST  (3-4 PM ET) to catch host Carolyn Gracie and myself in a live segment from my studio!

“I’ll be promoting my Halo brand of pet food and supplies. Halo is the gold standard in holistic pet food, as well as an innovative line of natural pet care. I have yet to meet a dog or cat who didn’t agree!”

Read more about Ellen on QVC talking about Halo here.

The plight of feral cats has become a serious concern for many animal advocates, with good reason. Feral cats are those that were either born in the wild and never socialized or abandoned pets that have since become wild. Since these cats are generally not friendly to humans, they usually do not stand much of a chance of adoption, and are often among the first put to sleep when they make their way into animal shelters.

This situation has led many to turn to TNR or Trap-Neuter-Return, as a way of humanely controlling the population of feral cat colonies. Cats are trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and returned to where they were found. Important to note is that they are not just released anywhere in the wild – these ferals live in outdoor colonies that are maintained by caretakers, who feed and monitor them.

Though TNR has been practiced by individual animal lovers for an unknown number of years, it began as a formal program in the United States in 1980. AnnaBell Washburn learned about the program while in the process of creating an animal shelter in Martha’s Vineyard to handle the unwanted pets people adopted for the summer and then left behind. Washburn attended a conference held by the World Society for the Protection of Animals where she heard Dr. Peter Neville speak about TNR programs in England. She thought this would likely be a good fit for the situation in Martha’s Vineyard, and, thus, the first US TNR program was born.

Today, there are many organizations throughout the country involved in TNR efforts. One such program, Operation Catnip, has neutered 15,000 cats since it began over 10 years ago. Halo Purely For Pets is proud to show their support for TNR programs by donating food to this organization, which has volunteer-run clinics in North Carolina, Florida, and Virginia.

The number of feral cats in the United States is currently estimated to be in the tens of millions. If you live in a community that has a large feral population and are interested in helping these often forgotten cats, TNR may be something you want look into. Feline advocate organization Alley Cat Allies provides a good resource page on practicing TNR in your area.