Macrobolic’s BodyBlog

Does China plan on keeping any of their promises?

BEIJING - Some International Olympic Committee officials cut a deal to let China block sensitive Web sites despite promises of unrestricted access, a senior IOC official admitted on Wednesday.

Persistent pollution fears and China’s concerns about security in Tibet also remained problems for organizers nine days before the Games begin.

China had committed to providing media with the same freedom to report on the Games as they enjoyed at previous Olympics, but journalists have this week complained of finding access to sites deemed sensitive to its communist leadership blocked.

“I regret that it now appears BOCOG has announced that there will be limitations on Web site access during Games time,” IOC press chief Kevan Gosper said, referring to Beijing’s Olympic organizers.

“I also now understand that some IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games related,” he said.

Attempts at the main press center to access the Web site of Amnesty International, which released a report on Monday slamming China for failing to honor its Olympic human rights pledges, continued to prove fruitless by mid-week.

Other Web sites, including those relating to the banned spiritual group Falun Gong, are also inaccessible.

Beijing organizers said censorship would not stop journalists doing their jobs in reporting the Games.

“We are going to do our best to facilitate the foreign media to do their reporting work through the Internet,” BOCOG spokesman Sun Weide told a news conference.

“I would remind you that Falun Gong is an evil, fake religion which has been banned by the Chinese government.”

Reporters without Borders, a Paris-based media watchdog, said it was increasingly concerned that there would be many cases of censorship during the Olympics.

“We condemn the IOC’s failure to do anything about this, and we are more skeptical about its ability to ensure that the media are able to report freely,” the group said in a statement.

Skirting censorship
To combat the issue, Reporters Without Borders is encouraging journalists covering the Beijing Olympics to skirt censorship with tips on how to get around firewalls, lock computer files and find safe translators.

In a guide published on the Internet Wednesday, the Paris-based organization advised reporters Wednesday to conduct phone calls and write e-mails with the knowledge that they may be monitored.

China has backed away from a promise to lift all Internet blocks on foreign media.

The new guide will likely help only journalists who have not yet left for Beijing: The press freedom group says its Web site,  http://www.rsf.org, remains blocked in China. The guide is available at  http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=27991 .

Chinese officials assured news organizations “complete freedom to report” when bidding for the games seven years ago. The International Olympic Committee received further such assurances in April. But Kevan Gosper, a senior member of the IOC, said this week that the promise will apply only to sites related to “Olympic competitions.”

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BEIJING (AP) - Two female Chinese gymnasts, including a gold-medal favorite, might be too young to participate in the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

Several online records and reports show He Kexin, the host nation’s top competitor on uneven bars, and Jiang Yuyuan might not yet be 16, the minimum age for Olympic eligibility. Both were chosen for China’s team last week.

On the Web site of the Chengdu Sports Bureau - Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in southwest China - a file dated January 2006 shows He Kexin as being born Jan. 1, 1994.

Most recently, a May 23 story in the China Daily newspaper, the official English-language paper of the Chinese government, had He’s age as 14.

The newspaper story begins: "The 14-year old newcomer to the national team, who was recruited last year, has raised a lot of eyebrows recently after she broke two world records on the uneven bars in as many months."

The New York Times raised questions about the athletes’ ages in a story Saturday. And Chinese officials provided the newspaper with copies of passports indicating both gymnasts are 16.

But in a speech on Nov. 3, 2007, in the central city of Wuhan, Liu Peng, director of general administration of sport for China, said: "The 13-year-old uneven-bar gymnast He Kexin, who defeated national team athlete Yang Yilin - she just won the bronze medal in the world championships - has demonstrated her ability."

To be eligible for the Cities Games where Liu made his remarks, Chinese documents show athletes must be over 13, but under 15.

The New York Times reported International Gymnastics Federation officials acknowledged questions about He’s age had been raised and asked the Chinese for clarification in May.

"We heard these rumors, and we immediately wrote to the Chinese gymnastics federation," Andre Gueisbuhler, the secretary general of the international federation, told the newspaper. "They immediately sent a copy of the passport, showing the age, and everything is OK. That’s all we can check.

"As long as we have no official complaint, there is no reason to act, if we get a passport that obviously is in order."

The American and Chinese women are expected to battle for the team gold medal when the Beijing Games begin Aug. 8.

He is one of the few athletes in the world who has scored over a 17 under the new scoring system. Using He and Yang Yilin, who also has scored a 17 on bars, the Chinese hope to use the uneven bars to build up a big advantage in the team competition.

The Americans, who won the 2007 world championships team title, have only one gymnast, Nastia Liukin, who’s gotten a 17 on bars.

If gymnasts He, a gold-medal favorite, and Jiang are under age, it would be yet another black eye for China in the buildup to the games.

In June, Chinese swimmer Ouyang Kunpeng and coach Feng Shangbao were permanently banned from the sport after Ouyang tested positive for anabolic steroids. Wrestler Luo Meng and his coach also were barred for life for a doping violation by the athlete.

The Chinese government is working feverishly to present a positive image of an open, friendly, progressive nation. But visa restrictions, toxic air pollution, freedom of the press issues and a problem-filled torch relay have presented a far different image to the world.

This story actually made me quite mad. I have T-Mobile, and wasn’t even aware of this! If you have a cell phone, you need to read this:

By Bob Sullivan as found on www.redtape.msnbc.com
When Marco Zaldivar purchased four T-Mobile cell phones for his family a few years ago, he had no interest in text messages. They came anyway, and by 2007 unwanted texts were adding $20 to $30 to his bill every month, he claims. When he asked T-Mobile to shut off text service, the firm said that was impossible. Instead, he was given a Hobson’s choice — either sign up for a bundled text message plan with a monthly fee, pay $800 in early termination fees to cancel the service or turn the phones off for the remainder of his two-year contract.

Zaldivar decided on a fourth option — he’s suing T-Mobile for violating consumer protection laws. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, got a small green light last week from a U.S. District Court in Seattle, which rejected T-Mobile’s motion to dismiss the case.

“When T-Mobile customer service told me I could always take the battery out of my phone to avoid the charges, I couldn’t believe this was happening to me,” Zaldivar, a corrections officer in California, said in an e-mail statement to msnbc.com. “It left me no choice but to try to stand up for myself, and others in the same situation.”

A number of the texts received by Zaldivar were unsolicited advertisements, said Zaldivar’s lawyer, Jeff Friedman. Even when unopened, his client was still charged for the messages, he said.

T-Mobile said it would not comment on the lawsuit, but a spokeswoman said the company has recently added a feature that allows consumers to essentially turn off texting.

“T-Mobile is committed to providing the best customer experience in wireless and does offer customers the ability to block chargeable text messages,” the spokeswoman said. “T-Mobile also has extensive filters built into the network to help detect and block spam text messages being sent to customer’s handsets that originate from internet IP addresses.”

Last year, when the Red Tape Chronicles explored the topic of text message spam, a T-Mobile spokesman said text message service could not be shut off because it was used for internal billing purposes.

“The text messaging feature on your account is actually a mandatory feature and cannot be removed,” the spokesman said. “This feature is needed because it’s where voice mail and billing notifications are delivered.”
If Zaldivar’s lawsuit is given class-action status, T-Mobile could have a large case on its hands.

Friedman said about 17 million of the 27 million T-Mobile customers are not signed up for a text message bundle currently, and about 4 million of them have never sent a text message, indicating their lack of interest in text service. The lawsuit will attempt to include all those consumers in the class.
T-Mobile would not discuss how many subscribers pay for text message bundles.

The lawsuit maintains that T-Mobile, which is based in Bellevue, Wash., made text service “mandatory,” while never making that pre-condition “clear and conspicuous” in its contracts. That violates Washington state’s consumer protection laws, the lawsuit alleges.

“This is a matter of a long line of abuses, where people with the carrier have very little choice,” Friedman said. “(Zaldivar) was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He felt trapped, and that he was put in an unfair position.”

Verizon, AT&T and Sprint allow consumers to shut down delivery of unwanted text messages.
The T-Mobile lawsuit comes at a time when all carriers are turning up the heat on consumers to sign up for monthly text bundles. In August, T-Mobile will increase its basic text message cost by 33 percent, from 15 cents to 20 cents per message. Other carriers made that jump earlier this year.

Consumers can avoid those high prices by signing up for a bundle — 400 messages for $5 a month, for example.

Critics say the basic price of text messages is excessive compared to other cell phone data-related charges. Because they carry only 160 text characters, text messages consume a tiny amount of bandwidth — about 1/4000th as much as a typical song, according to the blog GThing.net. But downloading a 4-megabyte song costs only about $1 on a standard cell phone data download service — or roughly five times the price of a single text message. At test message prices, music downloads would cost almost $6,000 each, the site argues. You can double-check the Gthing.net math here.

And remember, cell phone companies make 20 cents twice on each message — when it’s sent, and when it’s received.

Friedman says he expects a federal judge to rule on certification of the proposed lawsuit class by the end of the year.

RED TAPE WRESTLING TIPS• Many people are signed up for a per-message text plan and don’t realize it. If that’s you, shut it off now, before you get a bunch of text spam. Check with your provider. Now with T-Mobile on board, all the major providers essentially let you shut off texting.
• For most people, even light users, it’s worth signing up for at least a small text bundle. They are reasonably priced — as little as $3 per month – and act like insurance for that one month you are stuck in a train tunnel and find yourself sending 15 or 20 text messages. It’s odd for me to be recommending that you sign up for a service with a fee like that, but that’s just the way cell phone math works right now.
• If you have teenagers, seriously consider plans with unlimited text messages. Youngsters are capable of sending incredible numbers of text messages, so you’re best off insuring yourself against that.
• Even with an unlimited plan, you can still end up paying a lot for text messages – so-called “premium text messages” — which can cost $1-$10 each. These are texts sent to or from special subscription services, like dating services. One consumer who wrote to Red Tape found himself on the long end of a $10,000 bill not long ago. Even if you use text messaging, you should consider calling your carrier and asking that premium texting be disabled.

Dear Friend,

There’s a lot to celebrate about the Summer Olympics in China: The many nations of the world put politics aside and come together in peace so that the greatest human athletes on Earth can compete.

But there’s an ugly side for animals living in the Olympic host country, a side that you won’t see in this week’s nonstop coverage: the Chinese fur industry’s horrific abuse of animals.

By making an urgent donation today to support our work, you can help us draw the world’s attention to the cruelty of the Chinese fur industry and keep people from unwittingly supporting it.

An estimated 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs are tortured and slaughtered for their fur in China every year. PETA’s undercover video footage shows terrified animals crouched in tiny cages that are crammed so full of animals—both dead and alive—that the animals are unable to move. Some of the dogs and cats shown in the footage were still wearing the collars that their former families put on them. Animals are often hung upside-down by their legs or tails, and their skin is ripped off their bodies as they writhe and struggle.

China’s fur industry unrepentantly continues to torture and kill animals for their skins.

China is one of the world’s largest suppliers of animal fur. More than 95 percent of China’s finished fur garments are exported for sale overseas, and many of them go to North America. Dog and cat fur is often intentionally mislabeled as “Asian jackal” or “rabbit” fur.

With so much attention focused on China right now, this is the time to demand an end to the Chinese fur industry’s terrible torture of animals. Please help us stand in the way of the fur industry by taking the following two simple steps:

• Sign our pledge to go fur-free. Thousands of people—including gold-medal-winning Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard—have already pledged never to buy or wear fur. Please also forward this pledge to all your friends, colleagues, and family members. This simple act is one of PETA’s most successful weapons in the fight against fur because it gets new people to take the pledge and think about the cruelty that goes into making fur garments.
• Make a generous donation online to support PETA’s worldwide anti-fur campaign. Your gift will allow us to keep working hard to end the horrors of the fur industry in China and around the world. Please help us stop the slaughter of animals for fashion!

We know that the fight against the fur trade is one that we can win for animals if we push hard enough, long enough, and vigorously enough. PETA’s efforts to expose the true cost of every piece of fur has already helped convince some of the world’s leading designers and retailers—including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Ann Taylor—to adopt permanent fur-free policies. With your help, we can work to ensure that animals, including dogs and cats who are treated like trash by the Chinese fur industry, don’t suffer for their fur.

Don’t let this important moment pass without doing all that you can to help cats and dogs and other tortured animals in China. Sign the petition, and make your gift now.

Thank you for supporting our work to end senseless cruelty.

Kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

P.S. By making a generous gift today, you can send a powerful message to those in China and around the world who profit from the unimaginable suffering of animals. Please act against the cruel fur industry today.

Dogs who are left unattended in back yards, even for a few minutes, face danger every day of the year. They are abducted, poisoned, and beaten, and they suffer from stress and loneliness. In the winter, they suffer from frostbite, hypothermia, and dehydration.

What Climbing Temperatures Mean for Dogs

The “dog days” of summer pose a particularly dangerous threat to “backyard” dogs: heatstroke. Many people know about the danger of leaving dogs inside cars during the warm summer months, when temperatures can climb to well above 100°F in just a matter of minutes.

But for backyard dogs chained outside and deprived of water, shade, and ventilation, the threat of death has nothing to do with cars—even though they might be tethered to an old jalopy. Baking in the summer sun in a barren yard—day after day, week after week—takes its toll and kills many of these animals.

Beating the Heat

Beating the summer’s oppressive heat is extra tough for dogs, because they can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads. Heatstroke can occur quickly and can result in brain damage or a gruesome death that’s often preceded by panic and seizures.

If you know of a backyard dog in your community, why not do what you can to make his or her life a little better? The following are some simple tips for helping backyard dogs in warm weather:

• Let the owners of these forgotten animals know that a dog’s needs for water and shade are especially urgent during the summer months.
• Ask them to give their dogs fresh water twice a day, or offer to do so for them.
• Urge them to let their dogs inside during heat waves, much like some owners do during spells of bitter-cold weather during the winter.
• If your dog isn’t allowed to be a part of your family, why not change that, starting today, by keeping him or her inside with the rest of your loved ones, at least while the weather is dangerous?

Signs of Overheating and How to Respond

Watch all dogs for symptoms of heatstroke, such as restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite, dark tongue, rapid heartbeat, fever, vomiting, and lack of coordination. If a dog shows any of these symptoms, get him or her into the shade immediately and call animal control or the police (if the dog is not your companion) or your veterinarian (if the dog is your companion). Lower the animal’s body temperature gradually by providing water to drink; applying a cold towel or ice pack to the dog’s head, neck, and chest; or immersing the dog in lukewarm (not cold) water.

There are countless other ways that you can improve the life of an “outside” dog—these dogs truly need every friend that they can get.

“Habitats” made by humans may appeal to visitors who only look at them for a few minutes, but they’re still cages for the animals who are forced to spend their whole lives in them. We buy our cotton candy and move on with our lives; the animals are there to stay. They are housed in cages that don’t come close to the jungles, deserts, savannahs, and forests that are their natural homes. They have no choice in their diets, mates, or living companions. Every aspect of their lives is controlled and manipulated.

A few fleeting moments of distraction for humans mean a lifetime of misery for animals. This summer, if you care about animals, avoid animal exhibits like you would avoid poison ivy. Here are a few of the saddest summertime spots for animals:

Disney’s Wild Animal Kingdom

Orlando, Florida
Disney’s Wild Animal Kingdom is more like a funeral parlor than a theme park. Before the park even opened, 31 animals died because of neglect and carelessness, including two West African crowned cranes who were run over by safari trucks, four cheetah cubs who swallowed a toxin found in antifreeze, and two Oriental small-clawed otters who ate poisonous seeds from loquat trees planted in their exhibit.

At Orlando Weekly’s invitation, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk visited Animal Kingdom on opening day to survey the park. A nocturnal kinkajou was trying to sleep in a glass case with glaring lights and thousands of gawking people outside, a dove was trying to incubate her eggs while on display, and a number of baby animals were separated from their caged mothers. Parrots are forced to perform on cue, and lizards are carted around in containers at the pseudo-African theme park.

Sea World

San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; Orlando, Florida
At Sea World, orca whales perform tricks for food; swim endless circles in small, barren concrete tanks; and live far short of the 60-year lifespan that orcas enjoy in the wild. In the wild, these whales live in tight family units, with bonds that may last a lifetime.In their ocean homes, dolphins swim together in family pods up to 100 miles a day. At Sea World, their home is reduced to a virtual bathtub.

Sea World, which owns most of the captive orcas and dolphins in the United States, has one of the worst histories of animal care. At least 39 orcas and 54 dolphins have died at U.S. Sea World facilities. The aquarium industry worldwide has claimed the lives of at least 150 orcas and 963 dolphins. And until it was exposed to the public, Sea World routinely shot and killed hybrid ducks who flew in and joined Sea World’s resident bird population.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom World

Vallejo, California
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom World can’t even keep its own employees happy, much less its animals! In March 2001, two former Discovery Kingdom World employees filed a report with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging animal beatings, neglect, suffering, and terror caused by inadequate veterinary care, improper housing, mishandling by untrained and unqualified personnel, and exposure to noise from thrill rides and growing crowds at the park.

Since 1995, eight elephants have died at Discovery Kingdom World.  Elephants are forced to perform tricks and give rides to park visitors. Elephant handlers and visitors to the park have been injured by elephants on four separate occasions. Despite these serious incidents, Discovery Kingdom World continues to use cruel, outdated circus-style training methods, in which elephants are beaten with bullhooks (rods with sharp metal hooks on the ends) if they don’t perform on cue.

Six Flags Wild Safari

Jackson, New Jersey
There are 31 Six Flags parks in North America; Wild Safari is one of two that exhibits elephants (see Six Flags Marine World, above). The elephants are kept in a drive-through exhibit, which means that they are subjected to a constant stream of vehicles, exhaust, and unsupervised visitors.In one three-month period, 26 animals died at Six Flags Wild Safari. The causes of death ranged from neck and skull fractures to hypothermia, tetanus, pneumonia, and drowning. While drive-through wildlife parks give the impression that they’re “sanctuaries,” Six Flags Wild Safari has sold “surplus” baboons to biomedical researchers and exotic hoofed animals to hunting ranches.

Catskill Game Farm

Catskill, New York
Catskill Game Farm is no fun for its 2,000 animals, including big cats, bears, primates, pygmy hippos, goats, pigs, sheep, and various species of exotic hoofed animals. Catskill lures customers with an endless supply of cute baby animals, and it sells unwanted adults—even tame petting-zoo animals—to canned hunts, where they are shot at point-blank range, or it ships them off to slaughter. The USDA has cited Catskill Game Farm for failure to provide veterinary care and for keeping animals in filthy, unsanitary conditions.

Three Bears Gift Shop

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Visiting the Three Bears Gift Shop is more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. The bears are housed in barren concrete pits. Three Bears has been penalized, for a total of $5,500, by the USDA for repeatedly violating the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). It consistently fails to provide the bears with their minimum space requirements, shelter from inclement weather, and clean food and drinking water. All the bears live in small, barren concrete enclosures.

Saint Louis Zoo

Saint Louis, Missouri
Animals are dying to entertain you at the Saint Louis Zoo. A polar bear named Churchill died in May 2005 after ingesting foreign objects that were thrown into his enclosure. Another polar bear, named Penny, died a month later from peritonitis. The zoo was unaware that Penny was carrying two dead fetuses until after a necropsy was performed.Born at the zoo in 1983, a chimpanzee named Reuben was torn from his family when he was only a year old and sent to the Folsom Children’s Zoo in Nebraska. Two years later, he was transferred to Zoo Nebraska, where he spent the next 14 years of his life alone before the zoo acquired other chimpanzees. In 2005, zoo workers failed to properly lock the chimpanzees’ cage after cleaning it, and all four chimpanzees inside made a break for freedom. Reuben was killed when he was shot nearly a dozen times.

In 2005, the Saint Louis Zoo announced that a dead elephant calf was decomposing in an elephant named Sri’s womb. The zoo could only wait and hope that Sri would expel the corpse.

A chimpanzee named Edith, who was born at the zoo in 1964, was animal-unfriendly spots to avoid.

Come Home Happy, Not Heartbroken

Summer vacations should hold only happy memories. Instead of tainting your trip by seeing tortured animals, why not simply hit the beach, take a cruise, or visit a museum? There are loads of eco-tourism companies that offer cruelty-free excursions.

On the Fourth of July, Americans from sea to shining sea will commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence more than 200 years ago. As we celebrate the colonists’ determination to be free from British rule by setting off fireworks and hosting backyard barbecues, how many of us will notice that some Americans remain in bondage—sometimes just a few feet from the grill?

From Chesapeake Bay retrievers to Boston terriers to Alaskan malamutes, millions of dogs live their entire lives—24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year—in chains. They get food when their owners remember to toss it out the back door. They get a drink whenever they manage to avoid tipping over their water bowls. The last time they got a walk, James Madison was in the White House. Entertainment options? Snapping at the flies circling their heads, gnawing on their chains, and watching their families flip burgers and twirl sparklers up on the deck.

Unchain Your Dogs, America!

Dogs, like people, are social animals. They crave contact with humans and other dogs. Being stuck outside alone is like being a prisoner of war—only dogs are not our enemies, there is no war, and they are never going to be set free. That is, unless those who think that chaining a dog is an act of betrayal worthy of Benedict Arnold do something about it.

If you know of a backyard dog, why not do what you can to make his or her life a little better? Here are just a few of the ways you can improve the life of an “outside dog”:

• Let owners of backyard dogs know that dogs need food, water, shelter, exercise, and regular trips to the veterinarian. Tell them that Fourth of July fireworks can be especially frightening to outside dogs, and urge them to let dogs inside during fireworks displays. Click here to download an informational leaflet to share with owners of chained dogs.
• Offer to take “forgotten” dogs for walks. Stop by for visits and take treats and toys along. These can mean the world to a neglected dog.
• Offer to provide a doghouse and bedding if the dog doesn’t have them. (In the Tidewater area of Virginia, PETA offers free doghouses for neglected dogs. If you live in southeastern Virginia or northeastern North Carolina, call 757-622-7382 for more information.)
• Offer to build or repair a fence so that the dog can be taken off the chain. If that isn’t feasible, provide the dog with running line so that he or she can exercise more freely.
• Call your local humane society or animal control to report neglect. If possible, take pictures and write down dates and times when the dog goes without food, water, or shelter. “Complain” about barking. Barking dogs are often lonely, neglected dogs. Click here to download an “Unchain a Dog” pack with more tips and information.
• Make chaining a crime! Work with your local legislators to follow in the footsteps of more than 70 jurisdictions across the country by passing restrictions or a ban on chaining. Click here for a list of existing ordinances.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, explaining why chaining dogs is dangerous to the community. Explain that chained dogs are unable to flee from threats and often attack humans who approach them—especially children, who often wander unawares into chained dogs’ territory. Click here for tips on how to compose a letter to the editor.

The Fourth of July can be one of the most dangerous and frightening holidays for animals. Loud explosions are terrifying to animals who don’t understand them.

With proper planning and some common sense, your companion animals can remain safe and secure on Independence Day.  Here are some tips:
* First and foremost, leave your companion animals at home when you go to see fireworks! Resist the urge to take them to fireworks displays.

* Before you leave home for the fireworks, make sure your animals are indoors in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you’ve removed any items that your companion animal could destroy or that would be harmful if chewed or swallowed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him/her company.

* Make sure your animals are wearing identification tags (and it’s even better if they’re also microchipped!) so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly.

* Do not leave an animal in your car. With only hot air to breathe, your animal friend can suffer serious health effects, even death, in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air or cooling, but they do provide an opportunity for your animal to be kidnapped.

* If you know that your animal becomes seriously distressed by loud noises, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.

* Never leave your animals outside unattended, even in a fenced yard, and especially not on a chain. With explosions occuring, animals who normally wouldn’t leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death. (There are lots of other reasons to never leave your dog chained! Contact us if you want more information about the negative effects of chaining dogs.)

* If you find somebody else’s companion animals running at-large, either take them to the address on the tag, if you feel comfortable doing so, or bring them to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their human families.

And our friends at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offer the following additional tips, which are appropriate year-round but especially so on Independence Day:

* Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where animals can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison animals. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.

* Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your animal that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

* Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of animals’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing - or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.

* Keep animals on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can cause severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.

* Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in animals.

* Never use fireworks around animals! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious animals, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.