SPCA Bringing Dog From Iraq in Honor of Fallen Soldier
May 29, 2009 by Nancy
Filed under Featured Story, News Talk
SPCA International, in honor of U.S. Iraq and Vietnam war veteran Major Steven Hutchison, is bringing his team’s dog, Laia, from Iraq to the U.S.
Major Hutchison died earlier this month in Basra, Iraq of wounds from a roadside bomb. He is the oldest U.S. service member to die in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Major was 60.
Sgt. Andrew Hunt, a fellow team member of Maj. Hutchison’s, will adopt Laia. In an email to SPCA International, Sgt. Hunt wrote, “Laia was Major Hutchison’s dog. Laia has brought so much joy and happiness into our lives, and we cannot express how much she has touched us all..As a final act for our brother, we want to send his dog home.”
A SPCA International program created to provide veterinary care, clearance and transport for animals U.S. service members have come to love during deployment in the Middle East, Operation Baghdad Pups, will handle the rescue. Operation Baghdad Pups’ manager, Terri Crisp, will escort Laia and four other U.S. soldiers’ dogs from Iraq to Virginia.
Once Laia is in the U.S., she will be cared for by Sgt. Hunt’s uncle until Hunt returns from Iraq. Laia is expected to arrive at Dulles International Airport on June 1st.
Walmart Cited in Black Friday Death of Employee
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Walmart in the Black Friday death of an employee Nov. 28, 2008.
Walmart employee, Jdimytai Damour, 34, was stampeded by a surging crowd of after Thanksgiving shoppers at the Valley Stream, N.Y. store. Damour died of asphyxiation after he was knocked to the ground by the trampling herd of shoppers as they fought their way into the store for Walmart’s annual “Blitz Friday” sale.
OSHA faulted Walmart for it’s failure to implement reasonable and effective crowd management principles and failure to provide employees with the necessary training and tools to manage the large crowd.
The citation carries a $7,000 fine which is the maximum penalty allowed for a serious violation.
Osha’s regional administrator in New York, Robert Kulick said, “Effective planning and crowd management could have prevented this incident and it’s grave consequences. Walmart must now take steps to ensure that a situation such as this one never happens again.”
Darmour was a Walmart temporary employee and had only been on the job one week before his Black Friday death.
Dry Cat Food Recall by Nutro Products
May 25, 2009 by Nancy
Filed under Featured Story, News Talk
Incorrect levels of zinc and potassium have prompted a dry cat food recall by Nutro Products.
The voluntary recall includes select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010.
The products have been distributed to all 50 states as well as Canada, Mexico and some overseas countries.
Nutro Products is advising people who have purchased the products to immediately stop feeding the product to their cats and are asking owners to monitor their cats for symptoms. The symptoms include reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea.
Affected products of the dry cat food recall should be returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund or exchange for another Nutro dry cat food product.
