Although I was happy to discuss purebred cats with Martha Stewart, who had just gotten a Persian cat herself, being on her show was important to me so that everyone would know that kitty came from a rescue and was not purchased.

HALO is terrific in their support of shelters and rescues across the country and they share my plea to everyone to always try to adopt, no matter what breed of cat (or dog) you want. Over 30% of the animals in shelters are purebred, so with a little detective work and patience, you can find the pet of your dreams by adopting, not buying.

HALO shows their support of shelters and the animals in them by donating thousands of meals to those pets through Freekibble.com (which I play every day and am learning lots of fun facts at the same time!).

Watch this video clip:

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

Summer traveling with your pets can be overwhelming, but I have some great ideas that will make it as smooth as possible- and introduces you to a 4-legged friend looking for a new home!

Whenever I travel around the country, people want to know what I feed my own dogs. I feel wonderful telling them that of all the kibble out there, I have chosen HALO. If they are interested in why, I tell them because of the integrity of the company – both in the ingredients they choose to put into their foods, but also in their dedication to the less-fortunate dogs and cats and all the wonderful work they do supporting local and national rescues and shelters.

Plus, there’s that marvelous Ellen DeGeneres who owns part of the company and is so darned adorable and funny when she goes on QVC with Halo that it just makes me want to buy more!

Watch this video clip from CBS KOIN:

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

The second most important thing you need to do after choosing your puppy is choosing a great food for him. You want a dog food made from fine ingredients that will help him grow big (but not too big!) strong and happy.

You also want a food made by a company dedicated to the wellness of all dogs, even those who aren’t lucky and windup in shelters instead of being chosen and cherished. The reason I recommend Halo Spot’s Stew kibble for Puppies is because it is made from truly good ingredients and the company gives back to pets in shelters without devoted pet parents to make the best nutrition decisions for them.

Watch this video clip:

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

G.W. Little, where small dogs get happy! Their emphasis may be on small dogs, but their focus is always on better care and treatment of all pets.

Want to watch your dogs go bananas over a healthy treat? Open a jar of Halo’s Liv-a-Littles and you won’t believe your eyes or theirs as they try to coerce you into giving them every last morsel of 100% freeze-dried chicken or beef, nothing else. No fillers, byproducts or preservatives. Great for cats, too!

Watch this video:

Here are a few customer reviews:

Hit in Our House!
March 11, 2010 | By C. Burchuck

The HALO Liv-a Littles doggie treats were a hit in our house! The only one (out of the 4) who wasn’t interested was the 4 month-old and that’s because she’s still only interested in her own food. They’re compact (in packaging) and nutritious, pure protein!

Smudges Loves Them!
March 11, 2010 | By K. Halpin

My dog Smudges absolutely LOVED the HALO liv-a-little treats! He didnt want to eat his dinner the first night I gave him one. He went over to the cabinet where I put the treats away, and was scratching at the door! He loved both the beef and the chicken equally. I wish I had my camera or phone out to take a picture when he was eating them. Hysterical!

It is an absolute favorite in our house where all three of my gigantic dogs gets a bath at least twice a month and truly no shampoo comes close to Halo’s for easy rinse-ability, soft skin, and cleaning without being harsh.

Maybe one of the nicer hotel chains like the Four Seasons – which puts out bowls and beds and leashes for their traveling dog guests – could also pop some Cloud Nine Herbal Shampoo in there and people could take advantage of the nice low edges on hotel bathtubs to give their travelling four-leggeds a little bubble bath?

Here’s me, sent to Sacramento by Petco to chat about pet travel issues. You can see it’s pretty fun! Sacramento & Company TV Appearance.

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

From my blogs posted on July 14, 2010 and July 21, 2010.

Have you seen the new Ad Council TV campaign of hilarious vignettes shedding light on how animals end up at shelters? It’s great!

According to the Humane Society of the United States, about 1 of 5 domestic dogs and cats in this country were adopted from shelters. If we can move that figure to 2 out of every 5, then nearly all of the 4 million shelter dogs and cats euthanized every year would have good homes!

One of the reasons people buy pets from pet stores, Internet sites, and breeders they don’t know is they think those dogs and cats will be healthier or better behaved than those in shelters. It’s a myth! This video series pokes fun at this common misconception.

Halo users won’t be surprised to learn what his owner, Frank Pavich, touted as the diet that’s kept ChiChi strong for well over two decades — “he eats a food called Spot’s Stew, by a company named Halo, which is really healthy stuff, exclusively…”

Check out the story in yesterday’s New York Times:

And watch the Good Morning America video:

While many of us at Halo will admit to having tried our own treats and food (read the ingredients — Halo may be better than the snacks you’re eating now!), we do want to remind you that Halo products are for dogs and cats, not for humans!

Watch this funny video:

House-training a puppy means house-training you, too. If you follow my simple rules, you’ll have your puppy going where he’s supposed to, and not on the carpet, in no time.

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

Watch my video hand selected by the Vodpod community.

From my blog posted on July 14, 2010

Have you seen the new Ad Council TV campaign of hilarious vignettes shedding light on how animals end up at shelters? It’s great!

According to the Humane Society of the United States, about 1 of 5 domestic dogs and cats in this country were adopted from shelters. If we can move that figure to 2 out of every 5, then nearly all of the 4 million shelter dogs and cats euthanized every year would have good homes!

One of the reasons people buy pets from pet stores, Internet sites, and breeders they don’t know is they think those dogs and cats will be healthier or better behaved than those in shelters. It’s a myth! This video series pokes fun at this common misconception.