The casting call went out last January, not to big Hollywood agents but to animal shelters and rescue groups across the country.

Looking for four-legged crooners, black and white, who can get along with others on tour, do the old soft paw on stage, and won’t leap off into the audience when they hear the sound of applause.

Dozens of shelter dogs got the parts for the The 101 Dalmatians Musical including Rascal, a puppy with a broken leg found on the side of the road. Like the others, he has …

Tags: animal cruelty , animals , Broadway , Dalmatians , Disney , dogs , entertainment , family , musicals , pets , rescue dogs , shelters , stage , Styx , theater

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No one growing up during the upbeat, Mattel-directed Sixties figures they’ll be worse off in middle age, forced to scrounge harder for work, buy less, live smaller.

Those Barbie songs my sister and I sang along to in our pink and green room constituted teenage visions of a supercalifragelistic future that we owned, co-starring Dick Van Dyke, four kids, a shiny Lincoln and full-service yacht.

“Here’s a cake, that you and I can make, I’ll share the recipe, if you say yes to me.”

But due to the recession and soaring costs …

Tags: affirmations , aging , birthday , blessings , book clubs , children , conservation , debt , Disney , family , green , jewelry , Life in the Green Lane , luxury , Mary Poppins , menopause , nature , pets , recession , San Francisco

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This is the third in Luanne’s new lifestyle column, Life in the Green Lane. Read the inaugural column, “The Pros & Cons of Being Married to an Eco Man” and the follow-up, “Why Is it So Hard to Get My Mom to Go Green?”.

My dog has fleece. And that’s not all. There are dozens of reasons why this impossibly adorable pug is leaving behind a puny carbon paw print.

If you consider dogs part of the family then it’s important they’re pulling their weight in the eco …

Tags: bio bags , biodegradable , birds , carpool , china , compost , Conserve , dog beds , dog food , dog toys , dogs , endangered , fleece , fuel , green , hybrid , Life in the Green Lane , organic , pets , plastic , pugs , recycle , reuse , Smoky Bear , walking

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We love our cats and dogs, and we owe it to them to keep them healthy. After all, mercury in fish is just as bad for Whiskers as it is for you! Green pet care may cost a little more up front, but it’s certainly less expensive than future vet bills for sick pets.

Here are some tips to keep your pets healthy:

Don’t buy foods with the chemical preservatives BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin.

Switch your cat’s diet around so they …

Tags: byproducts , flea care , health , mercury , pet food , pets , toxicity

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There’s a lot of discussion about how climate change could increase the spread of disease. But most of it focuses on how this will have an impact on humans.

Humans, however, aren’t the only ones affected by climate change. New research across Europe is finding that increasing temperatures are exposing pets to new infectious diseases spread by ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. Ticks in particular are on the increase, with milder winters allowing for them to stay active all year long.

Just a few of the diseases cropping up …

Tags: climate change , disease , pets , ticks

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You’re resolved: toxic chemicals are out of your life. Now how about your fellow creatures? Our pets deserve natural care too, but fleas are often the biggest pet problem we have to buy chemicals for – or do we? Here are some non-toxic flea care ideas to help you keep your animal companions – and your home – safe and organic.

B vitamins and garlic are natural insect repellents, so supplement your pet’s diet with a pet safe vitamin. Healthier animals are more resistant to pests …

Tags: care , environment , fleas , home , organic , pets , safety , treatment

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Attention all dog owners. Thanks to Pet Habitats, you no longer have to scoop the poop into a plastic bag that you just know is not good for the environment. Instead, you can now use the Flusheze, the world’s first flushable dog waste transport bag.

Made from water soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), the Flusheze bags are strong enough to hold the goods while out walking but will easily dissolve when flushed down the toilet.

But don’t just take their word for it. Head over the Pet Habitats and find out …

Tags: disposal , dogs , Flusheze , Pet Habitats , pets , waste

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Serious hikers and those who travel are quite familiar with the many varieties of portable water testers. But who would have imagined that here in the United States we would ever feel the need or desire to test our pet food or baby formula?

With an estimated 50,000 Chinese children sickened and several deaths after drinking melamine contaminated formula, and the reported deaths 8,500 dogs and cats in the United States from contaminated pet food produced in China, the folks at Purdue University were inspired

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Tags: chemicals , contamination , environment , food , hazard , melamine , milk , pets , safety , toxicity

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There’s a saying, “animals make us human.” It’s because the way we treat the creatures in our care shows what kind of people we are. If you care about your own health, what you eat and what kind of home you live in, it’s important that you care about the health and happiness of the animals that share your home. Love is important for your pet, but so is proper care and mental stimulation. Here are the essential basics of providing a good life for your pet:

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Tags: animals , care , going green , health , personal care , pets

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