In late 2008, Cathy DiMatteo was browsing the aisles of Whole Foods in Princeton, New Jersey. An owner of three dogs, she mistakenly picked up a can of Spot’s Stew for cats. “When I placed it back on the shelf, a man standing there with a clip-board said ‘Excuse me, can you tell me why you put that can back?” recalls DiMatteo, who told the man she was looking for Halo dog food. “And the man said, ‘I’ll help you find it.’”

The man turned out to be Alan Kerzner, Halo’s president, visiting the store with other Halo employees. During this chance meeting, DiMatteo told Kerzner she was a volunteer at Sayreville Pet Adoption Center, a no-kill animal shelter in Sayreville, N.J. She told him that the center was always in need of food, and that when volunteers brought in cans of Halo, the cats went wild.

Kerzner, impressed that people were donating Halo, decided to make a much larger gift: Soon after that fortuitous meeting, Halo donated 100 cases of dog and 300 cases of cat Spot’s Stew to the shelter. “As animal lovers it makes us feel great,” Kerzner says. “It’s good to help any animal, and especially gratifying to help those in need.”

Barbara Keegan, director of the shelter, was ecstatic when a truck pulled into the shelter driveway. “That was such a blessing they gave us that food, beyond belief,” she says. “This is over and above anything we’ve ever been given.”

This good fortune for Sayreville almost didn’t happen. DiMatteo planned on shopping earlier in the day but a stroke of luck put her in the aisle with Kerzner. “It would have never have crossed my mind he was so high up in the company,” says DiMatteo, noting Kerzner never told her he was Halo’s president. “He was so down to earth.”

Sayreville, a privately-owned shelter, is completely dependent upon donations; one of its biggest expenses is for food at over $10,000 annually for the approximately 25 dogs and 170 cats that are there at one time. “So far this year,” says Keegan, “we haven’t had to spend a cent on food, which is awesome.”

When the cases of Spot’s Stew arrived in late January, so did a homeless American bulldog that the shelter staffers named Halo. “We really wanted to honor the company,” Keegan says. “And he was the number one lover of the Halo food.”

DiMatteo says that the shelter’s normally noisy cats now quiet down when it’s feeding time. “It’s so funny,” says DiMatteo, “everyone shuts up and eats. The cats are in heaven with the Spot’s Stew.”

The Halo donation has helped Sayreville care for what Keegan notices is a tremendous rise in homeless pets. “It’s very bad, especially now,” Keegan says. “We’re seeing more abandoned pets, animals being found in parking lots, animals that were clearly someone’s pets.” Why? “Because of the economy,” says Keegan, who has seen a spike in owners whose homes have gone into foreclosure come in to give away their pets. “It’s horrendous.”

Still, at least these strays will be well fed. One top feline aficionado of Spot’s Stew is Big Boy, a toothless Siamese mix cat with feline AIDS. Says Keegan: “He has no teeth left but he loves the Halo.”

Dr. Spector Answers Readers’ Letters: Fat Cats No More

Q: The Manual of Veterinary Dietetics states that a safe weight-loss for a cat is less than 2% of starting body weight per week. I’d hate for pet owners to think that “speed dieting” is healthy for cats, given the risk of hepatic lipidosis. It would be nice if you’d at least address this issue, and remind cat owners that a weight-loss race isn’t safe for a cat unless it’s closely supervised by a veterinarian, and it’s not something they should try at home without consulting a vet. I like Halo’s food, but I think this contest is irresponsible without a few warnings about the risks.

A: Thank you for your question. Please take a look at our February 19 blog post titled “Have a Fat Cat? How to get rid of extra pounds.” In this post, we did recommend only 1-2% of body weight loss each week. We can assure you that this weight loss challenge with Bideawee is being monitored carefully to avoid any chances of hepatic lipidosis.

With the economy down and jobs disappearing, many pet owners are foregoing pet healthcare because they just can’t afford hundreds of dollars in vet bills. While it is still important to visit your veterinarian yearly for an examination, you can cut out many unnecessary tests and procedures by keeping your pet as healthy as possible throughout the year. Not only is this money saving, it is great for your pet’s health and longevity.

1. Invest in Quality Food—choosing a high quality natural pet food is your best chance at long term pet health. The right food can help you eliminate problems with allergies, intestinal problems, obesity, diabetes and other food-related diseases. Although you will spend more at the check-out line, the overall investment should save you hundreds!

2. Avoid pet obesity—Obese pets can suffer from many costly conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, and diabetes just to name a few. Feeding your pet the correct portion will control unwanted weight gain and keep them out of the vet.

3. Avoid dangerous treats—many treats can become lodged in the esophagus, stomach, intestines or trachea (windpipe) of pets. Avoid things like rawhide chews, pig’s feet or other chews that are too hard and dissolve poorly.

4. Brush Teeth—pets suffer from the same dental problems as people and should have their teeth brushed daily to avoid costly veterinary procedures. Apply pet toothpaste to either a soft pet toothbrush or gauze wrapped around your finger to clean their choppers. Tooth and gum disease can result in infection, pain, loss of teeth and even organ damage in pets. A quick brush a day can keep the vet away! Click here to read more about proper dental care in pets.

5. Routine eye care. Keeping your pet’s eyes clean will contribute to their health and wellness by preventing irritation and infection that can be painful and possibly lead to loss of vision. Careful inspection and cleaning once weekly with an excellent natural product like Herbal Eye Wash to open clogged tear ducts and prevent infection will keep your pets eyes clear and bright. Click here to read more about proper eye care in pets.

6. Routine ear care. Keeping your pet’s ears clean will help prevent painful irritation and infection that can lead to hearing loss. Clean your pet’s ears once weekly with a natural pet product like Herbal Ear Wash to keep them out of the vet with costly ear infections. Click here to read more about proper ear care in pets.

7. Proper flea control. Fleas can be an expensive problem year round. Not only do they cause itching and sometimes troublesome hot spots—they can also infest your pet with intestinal tapeworms. There are many topical products available to control fleas. If you are looking for a natural approach, try an herbal dip with citronella and other oils that will aid in natural flea control.

8. Bath and groom your pet regularly—Choose a natural shampoo without detergents, colors or fragrances as these ingredients may contribute to allergic reactions. There are many instructional books and videos that can help you learn about proper pet grooming to minimize this expense. Don’t forget to wash your pet’s feet every time they go outside. This can help them avoid ingestion of chemicals that may be in the grass or on the sidewalks and streets.

9. Pet-proof your home and yard—Every year thousands of dollars are spent on treating pets for accidents and poisonings. Pet-proof your home so your pet has no possible access to rat bait, snail bait, ant bait, prescription medication, cleaning supplies or even the kitchen cupboards. Pets are amazing…they can smell chocolate through a cupboard door! Insure your yard is safe—that boards are not loose in the fence, the gate latches securely, the trash and recycling bins are sealed tightly and there are no hazards in the yard.

10. Exercise! Pets get the same health benefits that people do from exercise. Try it together…it will be healthy and fun for both of you!

Buy at least $75 through Feb.14th, get $25 coupon for more!

Hey blog readers, wanted to alert you of a big-time sale. Buy at least $75 online by Valentine’s Day, and we’ll send you a coupon for $25 worth of Halo products. Enter this promo code AFTER your payment information to make sure you receive the $25 coupon: 75free25. Go to www.halopets.com/shop

I wanted to share our special end-of-the-year stock up sale with blog readers. This week only, we’re offering free shipping on orders $50 and above. If you order $100 or more, you’ll receive:

•    -FREE SHIPPING
•    -A $25 GIFT CARD
•    -$12 IN COUPONS

We’ll email you the $25 Gift Card and $12 in coupons 2-3 weeks after shipping your $100 order.

Please shop soon, because this offer ends this week (January 2, 2009).

CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW

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Natural Dog Food

Natural Cat Food

Natural Treats

Pet Supplements

Grooming Supplies

The Whole Pet Diet book

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