Nothing warms our hearts like the stories of four-legged companions thriving and loving life! This review from JC in Boulder, Colorado made us feel like puppies again too! Here’s JC’s review of Halo Vitaglo Xtra-C from Only Natural Pet Store:

We Love Halo!
I bought this product in hopes it would help my dog’s hip problems. I mixed some of it in with his food and it practically disppeared! After only a few weeks I noticed a difference in my dog. He looks and feels like a whole new dog! Sometimes I mistake him for my puppy! hahaha I’ve noticed his urine no longer smells so strong and is lighter in color. He is doing much better, gets around great, and seems like he is in love with life again.

Ellen DeGeneres, a Halo part-owner, is selling clothes that she’s worn on her show and at some events including the Emmys to the highest bidders on Ebay to raise money for the Humane Society of the United States. All of the procedes from the sale of these items goes to the HSUS.

So far, the highest bidding is for a non-clothing item — a Zac Efron autographed basketball. Other items include Ellen and Britney Spears Go Caroling Outfits and a plaid shirt Ellen wore when Chris Matthews groped her on the show.

Click here to get to Ellen’s auction.

“Ellen is just amazing in all that she does for animals,” says David Yaskulka, Halo’s v.p. for marketing communications. Prior to joining Halo, Yaskulka spent six years involved with eBay Giving Works, which is hosting Ellen’s auction; it has raised over $150 million for charity.

Ellen isn’t the only donor selling their wares to benefit the HSUS. Hundreds of items up for grabs — including gemstones, collectibles, car parts and of course pet supplies, with sellers donating a varying portion of the procedes to the HSUS.

Click here to view the items.

And you can click here to bid on thousands of additional items supporting other great animal causes here, including HSUS, ASPCA, World Wildlife, Best Friends Animal Society, and many more.

High levels of industrial chemicals are showing up in American pets. A fairly recent study performed by the Environmental Working Group has documented that pets were positive for 48 of the 70 chemicals tested. On average, dogs had 40% higher and cats had 96% higher levels of these chemicals than were found in people. These chemicals are known carcinogens or toxic to the reproductive, endocrine, or neurologic systems.

This study did not prove that these chemicals were causing illness in pets, however, these chemicals have been linked to serious human health problems. The numbers are even more alarming given that pets have much higher cancer rates and endocrine disorders than people.

This study documents that dogs and cats are exposed to a complex mixture of industrial chemicals. Since pets breathe in, ingest or absorb the same chemicals that are in our environment, exposures that pose risks for pets pose risks for human health as well. This is a wake-up call that stronger safety standards for industrial chemicals are needed to protect ALL members of American families.

Help decrease your pet’s exposure to chemicals:

• Bathe your pet more frequently (with a natural herbal oil grooming product) to remove chemicals that may be airborne and deposit on their fur. Avoid grooming products with ingredients such as “paraben”, “-eth”, and “fragrance” as these are chemicals which can be absorbed through the skin.
• Wipe down your pets coat, feet and legs every time they come in from outdoors. This will decrease their chance of ingesting chemicals during their normal daily grooming.
• Remove your shoes at the door to avoid tracking in harmful chemicals. Dust and vacuum (with a HEPA-filter system) frequently to remove dirt and dust which has been documented to be contaminated with fire-retardant chemicals, heavy metals and pesticides.

Click on the title to read the entire article, “Dogs and Cats May Be The Proverbial Canaries in the Coal Mine“.

Help your pet tread more lightly on Mother Earth with a few easy changes!

1. Scooping poop! Use biodegradable bags to collect your dog’s waste. Ordinary plastic bags can take decades to decompose in landfills. If your bag meets biodegradability standards (ASTM D6400) they will decompose in just months. Avoid clumping clay litter for cats. Not only is the clay strip-mined (which is bad for our planet), there are usually several chemicals added to this type of litter which can be harmful for the cat and the environment. There are several environmentally friendly alternatives such as litter made of plant sources or recycled newspaper.
2. Consider composting pet waste. This is only an option for the very environmentally responsible family. Animal waste contains nasty bacteria (and other pathogens) that can contaminate soil and anything you may grow there. If you choose to compost, choose a commercially available product or bury an old garbage bin (far away from any food-growing area) to use as a pet waste composter.
3. Feed a natural or organic pet food for optimal health and well-being. These foods provide nutrients which are minimally processed and preserved with natural substances. They do not contain artificial colors or other harmful additives. Organic pet foods also avoid the use of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically engineered ingredients.

Click on the title to read the entire article, “Top 10 Green Pet Tips for Earth Day“.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, a leader in saving the environment, issued a report in 2000 called Poison on Pets, with a list of dangerous chemicals contained in flea and tick products; since then, the NRDC has helped to get most of the poisons banned, and is working on getting rid of the final two still on the market.

The issue is so important that the NRDC has created a special web site — www.GreenPaws.org — to increase awareness of pesticide use on and around pets. Many of the most popular brands of flea and tick treatments and their ingredients are listed, with possible side-effects including cancer-causing agents.

The site also has tips on how to protect your pet without the use of chemicals, including regular combing and baths.

As you probably know, Halo does not use any of these unsafe chemicals, and offers a full line of natural pet grooming products as a safer alternative for both your pet and the environment.