Rescued May 21, 2011 in California
The story behind getting Hamachi started even before looking at local shelters, it started with an Golden Retriever. We received a Golden from a close family friend because they didn’t have the ability or patience to continue taking care of the dog. However, after a week they changed their mind and decided to take the dog back. Unfortunately he was supposed to be my dog and when he was gone I needed to find something that could fill that empty void, another dog. I spent countless hours looking through several animal shelter websites and each dog that I was interested in just didn’t work out. I did find one dog that caught my eye but the breed said Cocker Spaniel mix. I wanted a big dog so I decided to move on.
I was beginning to give up hope but then there was an adoption fair near my area and I decided to go. As I was walking along a something caught my eye. This dog was gorgeous and it was just simply sleeping after an exhausting morning. I went over and something shocked me, upon looking at his photo I found out that this was the exact dog I had overlooked. I decided to continue browsing the fair but my mind kept on returning to the dog. I then decided to take him home. It wasn’t until that night that I found out he was scheduled to be put down.
I named him Hamachi, meaning yellowtail sushi in Japanese, after his gorgeous feathered tail. To this day we’re not exactly sure what his breed it, he somehow resembles a Saluki, or his age. But regardless I still love him with all my heart. I definitely feel that we were meant to be. Hamachi definitely completes me and I cannot imagine my life without him. We are now inseparable! Usually when you find one you’ll see the other, it’s like we’re joined at the hip.
Now he lives in luxury, he has almost everything that I can offer, and is definitely one pampered pooch. His closet now even rivals mine, Hamachi has an outfit for any occasion and he loves every minute of it. In Chinese we have a saying that I find very fitting: The transformation of a Crow into a Phoenix. He is my heart and my life.

We are a group of Volunteers with over 30 years of Rescue Experience. All Members Volunteer while also maintaining Professional Jobs. We work long hours to help save the Dogs we can, and with the help of our AMAZING Volunteers we will do our Best to Save hundreds of Dogs every YEAR!

Come join us…If You Love Dogs, You are just like us. We were just like YOU until we joined the Mission. Volunteer or Foster it will Change YOUR life!!!!

www.absandmore.org
(858) 273-5386

One summer day I was out on an early morning mountain bike ride with a friend at Salmon Falls California State Recreation area. It is so remote that there is no cell phone service. We pulled into our normal parking lot at 7 am and noticed a black and white dog sitting rear a ramp take-out area. My first thought was “how cool is that, the dog is waiting for his owner to finish kayak/rafing”, much like a surfer’s dog waits on the beach. Their was one other car in the parking lot, a fisherman. We asked if it was his dog and he replied ” no he’s been here since the ranger and I entered at 5 am, he won’t come to anyone”. My friend and I proceeded to spend the next two hours trying to capture this poor dog. He looked so bad, with a visible eye infection, intact testicles(hangin’ way too low), and a bad limp. He had a collar and no tags. He would let us get about 5 ft. from him and then he would back away. We scratched our ride trying to catch him and finally gave up as I had to get to work. We left and called Animal Control and notified them that they had an abandoned dog at the park.

After work I was heading home and just couldn’t do it without verifying that the little black and white Bassett from the morning was safe. I stop to get some dog treats and headed back to the park. There he was sitting near the same spot. He had a plate of food near him and an old flip flop. I approached and just as I was going to give him a treat two labs came fromthe shore and chased him up on the main street(whre most people speed). The labs returned to their owner, who was so sorry for her dogs actions. Now the little fellow was up on a street in danger, I drove up to the street and noticed people running down the street. I knew they were after my buddy. They would be the help I needed. I drove past the little guy and told the folks in chase…” I’ve been trying to catch him for hours, let’s corner him on the bridge. We did. Instead of being captured on the bridge(now 10+ cars are stopped in each direction), he scurried under my car. I finally pushed the car back, put a collar and leash on him and he was in my car, thanks to 10 wonderful people who helped me. I took him to the vet, got him fixed up and then started to look for his owner. I called every Vet. in 50 mile radius, posted on Craigslist, and even went door to door to try and find his home. After a while I realized someone just left him.

Somehow I just instantly started calling him Howard. It fits

Boy was he naughty when i got him. He destroyed so much stuff. Naughty little Howard!!!!

To make a long story short….We are best frineds and he ahs helped me through some tough times. He is such a good friend. In fact i am paying the $4500 to ship him to New Zealand with me next month when I move.

It would be such a great honor and just a “kick in the pants to have Howard(H-Dog) as one of your models. He’s super easy to work with and even though the Vet told me the Bassett Hound is not a very intelligent breed compared to my departed Healer…….I got him to sit on command!!!! WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!!!! The Vet and I figure he’s probably approx. 8 yrs. old.

Thanks for reading.

Heather Merritt, founder of Smartdog Jerky, is determined to help dogs stay fit and at healthy weights by offering a line of all-natural, human-grade, USDA-certified jerky treats made at a non-pet food facility. You won’t find wheat, grain, soy, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors in her meaty treats. They are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. And, frankly, dogs of all sizes and ages find them irresistibly delicious.
But she didn’t stop there. Until the end of June, the company will offer free shipping on all orders. Simply use coupon code: PRFS1 when placing orders.

“Being passionate about pets, I wanted to not only create the healthiest dog treat on the planet, but to raise more awareness about pet adoption,” says Merritt, whose family includes Carly, a happy, black Labrador-Shepherd mix. “We donate a portion of our dog jerky to nonprofit rescue organizations and humane shelters. And, we proudly display real-life dog adoption success stories on our packaging, along with sharing their stories on our website.”

Take a look at the packaging and you will learn about the rescued dogs named Lucy, Bailey, Phaneuf and more. Check the website and you will learn more about Smartdog Jerky’s partnership with such nonprofit groups at Pet Project Foundation in San Clemente, Calif. and Freedom Dogs in San Diego. The site also features a community share page.
“We are committed to posting photos of rescued dogs on each and every package of Smartdog Jerky treats and to donating a portion of our jerky to groups, big and small, whose volunteers and staff are bettering the lives of companion animals,” explains Merritt.
The Smartdog Jerky line currently includes Real Chicken Breast Jerky, Red Beef Jerky and Real Beef Jerky Sticks. Plans are underway to expand to other flavors, including buffalo, lamb, rabbit and venison. The only ingredients used in any package are USDA-certified meats, water and a tiny bit of sea salt.
“Dogs need protein to stay fit and strong and Smartdog Jerky delivers that in a healthy, nutritious way,” says Merritt.

About SmartDog Jerky:
Smartdog Jerky was founded in 2011 by Heather Merritt, inspired by helping to save dogs and the desire to do more. The ingredients used in Smartdog Jerky are sourced and made in the United States and meet human-grade, USDA-certified requirements. Free shipping is offered with all orders totaling $50 or more. This Laguna Beach, Calif.-based company distributes to pet supply stores and is available online at www.smartdogjerky.com. For more information, call Smartdog Jerky at 949-273-5127.

-30-

Media Contact:
Blythe Palamara
936-321-0814
Blythe@palamaraprgroup.com

Blythe Palamara
936.321.0814 Office
936.203.2361 Cell

Dogs are carnivors and need meat! A dogs natural diet is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. High levels of carbohydrates can lead to obesity and other medical issues.

Now, not all proteins are created equal. Dogs that consume a low amount of animal origin protein (meat) can be subject to itchy and flaky skin, dull coats and low energy levels. Here’s a few examples of how our dogs consume protein:

* Lean, quality human grade meats – this is what Smartdog Jerky uses and is the best choice for your dog. We use only lean, hand selected choice cuts of beef and pure chicken breasts. Jerky is excellent for dogs because of the high level of quality protein, lean in nature and low in carbohydrates. This is the most expensive to produce but isn’t your dog worth it?

*Meat By-Products – Many of our pet food products on the shelves today use meat by-products which is the remains of the carcass — heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, unborn babies, and other parts not generally consumed by humans. The nutritional quality of by-products, meals, and digests can vary from batch to batch.

* Vegetable Protein – The amount of grain and vegetable products used in pet food has risen dramatically over time. Plant products now replace a considerable proportion of the meat that was used in the earliest commercial pet foods. This caused severe nutritional deficiencies. Most dry foods contain a large amount of cereal grain or starchy vegetables to provide texture. These high-carbohydrate plant products also provide a cheap source of “energy” — the rest of us call it “calories.” Gluten meals are high-protein extracts from which most of the carbohydrate has been removed. They are often used to boost protein percentages without expensive animal-source ingredients. Corn gluten meal is the most commonly used for this purpose. Wheat gluten is also used to create shapes like cuts, bites, chunks, shreds, flakes, and slices, and as a thickener for gravy. In most cases, foods containing vegetable proteins are among the poorer quality foods.

www.sandiegopetexpo.net

When: Sept 13 – 15

Where: Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas Nevada

More info at: www.superzoo.org

When: Sunday, August 21 20119:30am – 3pm

Where: Long Beach Marine Stadium Park

For more info, visit http://www.surfcityanimalresponseteam.org/