Thank you for visiting Mutt Madness. We had a rough start to this first week due to many technical difficulties people were having with the site.  Due to these problems, we will extend the program by one week, meaning this first week will not end on Monday night as originally planned but will end on Sunday, October 25th at midnight.  On October 26th, the candidates that will move into round two will be displayed on the site.  This extra 6 days will candidates more time to get  friends and families in to vote and get comfortable with the blogs.  Here’s...

Many of you have been inquiring as to the status of Mutt Madness. The submission process closed as of September 30, the top candidates will be contacted via email today and announced tomorrow, October 13, 2009. Once the top candidates are contacted and  announced they will be randomly assigned spots in the Mutt Madness brackets and receive $1000.00. In the first round, charities will be judged head-to-head by visitors to the site with the charities receiving the most votes moving on to the next level. The winners of each pairing will be announced and the Mutt Madness field will be cut...

My yellow lab is affectionately known as “the vacuum cleaner.” While we don’t intentionally serve him any human food (with the exception of canteloupe and banana - he can smell them a mile away and I will give him a small piece when he comes running), we have young children and he sits under the table whenever they are eating with the hopes that a piece of pasta or crust of bread will fall on the floor (which it often does) so he can “clean it up.” In the years when the kids were very small and often an entire...

Yes, there is a canine flu, but not to worry, most dogs aren’t at risk or in need of the vaccine. There are a few “hot spots” around the country (including the Miami, Denver and Northern Virginia regions) where there have been outbreaks of canine influenza (CIV) over the past five years. Symptoms of this respiratory virus include runny nose, coughing, mild fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. It can last for 1 - 3 weeks, after which most dogs are fine, with the exception of the very old or those with other health conditions (just like humans). This flu is...

I had a horrible night last Friday as my beloved ten year old yellow lab  - Biko - was missing. All night. This has never happened before and we live in an urban neighborhood with lots of cars and traffic so I was fearing the worst. Around 7 pm one of my kids left the backyard gate open - as they do frequnetly  - and Biko wandered out in the front yard - as he does frequently. He typically walks about three houses down to sniff around and then comes back. He is old and slow and can’t move that...

We feel pretty passionate about our products, especially Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food, which has real meat as the first ingredient and is possibly the most delicious dog food on the market.  We get countless letters from people telling us how their picky eater dogs who don’t normally eat their food will gobble up Nutrish. But we were blown away when we found this video on You Tube: Hey, don’t forget to sign up for Mutt Mad...

My beloved yellow lab, Biko, is now ten years old; while I love how mellow he has become as he spends most of his time lying by my feet, thumping his tail madly if I even glance his way, I am nostalgic for the old Biko. The old Biko was scarily similar to the famous Marley of “Marley and Me” (my husband I and I were recently walking him in the park and some boys pointed at him, shouting to their mom, “It’s Marley!”) - he jumped, he ate foods off of counters (with a stomach of steel - he...

Daytime Host Launches “Mutt Madness” to Find the Neediest and Most Deserving Pet Charities in America Star Studded Panel of Pet Lovers Including Kathy Griffin and Beth Ostrosky Stern Will Choose the Initial 64 Candidate Organizations NEW YORK, NY AUGUST 6, 2009 – Daytime television host and best selling author Rachael Ray is looking for a few good pets become the beneficiaries of more than $200,000 in proceeds from the sale of her NutrishÔ pet food. Starting today she will launch the first ever “Mutt Madness Awards Program” to find the most deserving charitable organizations in America, which have demonstrated...

Dear Pet Lovers: Now that it’s summer, my Golden Retriever is shedding and panting like mad. I know that poodles and other breeds have their coats regularly shaved but I never see dogs like my Golden with shaved coats. What do you think? We like to go to the beach a lot, and this would also help with the sand! Thank you! Mom of one hot and sandy pup Dear MOHSP: As always, ask your vet. However, our opinion is do not shave your Golden. Northern breed dogs like Huskies, German Shepherds, etc. as well as Golden and Labs have double coats that can be irretrievably damaged if...