Poop City

Taking a step back

Regular readers of this blog have probably noticed a dearth of content over the past few weeks. This is due to several things. One is that my paying workload has increased. This is good for me, but bad for Poop City, as I no longer have the time I once did to post here.

Another factor is the difficulty in cultivating interest and readership for a city-wide blog - something else that takes more effort than I am able to give at the moment.

So rather than leave you to look at Inky's picture indefinitely - cute as he is - I suppose I need to officially place Poop City on hiatus.

However, I am also tinkering with plans to bring it back, either as a stripped down news site with a strict focus on welfare and abuse issues, or as a bigger, more feature-oriented site with additional contributors, a la SuperVegan. To this point I've tried to make Poop City a little of both of these things, and it hasn't worked for me.

Thanks to everyone who has read and supported the site so far, and please cast an eye toward it every now and then to see what direction it eventually takes.

In the meantime, stay tuned to Itchmo for ever-important food recall news.

Morning Poop: Inky Edition

- Latest food recall news [Itchmo]
- Cat blood supply taxed in springtime [Voice]
- Humane education res needs support [LOHV]
- Letter carrier bites up sharply [Daily News]
- Fake vet avoids jail [AMNY, NYP]
- Nine horses die in stable fire [AMNY]
- Dog fashion show benefits org for strays [Daily Intel]
- Meet the Greenpoint Billy Goat!!! [Gowanus Lounge]

Photo: Inky, found and adopted in Williamsburg, c/o Bad Advice

Morning Poop: Bugzy Edition

- Latest food recall news [Itchmo]
- Bugzy disappears from Harlem office [Harlem Fur]
- Pet parents could sue under NJ law [Newsday]
- LI man caught after dumping starved dog [Newsday]
- ASPCA offers book on solving cruelty [NJ.com]
- Emergency vet saves stricken dog [Brooklyn Eagle]
- Woman sues over Lab attack [Daily News, NYP]
- Reptiles die in Queens fire [NYP]
- Mr. Selassie rules at BARC [New York Shitty]
- Brooklyn Industries seeks "Top Dog" [Brooklyn Enthusiast]
- All Poop City headlines

Photo: Bugzy, missing from Halstead Office on Lenox Ave and 119th, c/o Harlem Fur

Morning Poop

- Prospect Park loses early off-leash hours [Brooklyn Eagle]
- Pups born without front legs, abandoned by breeder [NYP]
- District Dog store opens in Greenpoint [New York Shitty]
- Pet-prohibited co-op goes unsold [Daily Intel]
- Killingworth pony rescued from well [NYT]
- All Poop City headlines

Photo: kevin813 via Flickr

Morning Poop

Recall:
- NEW RECALL: Royal Canin Sensible Choice & Kasco [PetsitUSA]
- New FDA czar has no power to protect [PetCon]
- Complete, updated recall list
- All recall headlines

Non-recall:
- Petcka indicted on harassment charge [Gothamist]
- LI man says he stole to help cat [Newsday]
- PETA alleges cruelty at MOMA fashion event [NYP]
- All Poop City headlines

Photo: gillicious via Flickr

Morning Poop

Recall:
- FDA/USDA press conference summary [Itchmo]
- Heading toward reform of the FDA [NYT]
- Complete, updated recall list
- All recall headlines

Non-recall:
- Pleading self defense, Petcka indicted [NYP]
- Related: Petcka finds humor in cat killing [NYS]
- Off-leash policy officially becomes law [NYP]
- Related: Unclear how regs affect park [Brooklyn Paper]
- All Poop City headlines

Photo: skidder via Flickr

Morning Poop: Weegee Edition

Recall:
- FDA issues melamine employee warning [PetsitUSA, Itchmo]
- The buck stops where? [PetCon]
- Complete, updated recall list
- All recall headlines

Non-recall:
- Weegee needs a home [New York Shitty]
- Parks Dept. looks for downtown off-leash areas [Daily Intel]
- Meet Harlem Hound Ella [Harlem Fur]
- All Poop City headlines

Photo: Weegee, c/o eva101 via New York Shitty

Morning Poop

Recall:
- Tainted fish feed companies identified [Itchmo]
- Cyanuric acid emerges as contaminant [NYT]
- Jury still out on gluten [NYT]
- What the food scandal should mean for the FDA [NYT]
- Illinois meat supply is safe, official says [NYT]
- Pet parents turning to smaller food companies [Newsweek]
- Complete, updated recall list
- All recall headlines

Non-recall:
- New off-leash regs apply uptown only [New York]
- Fake veterinarian could avoid jail [NYP, NYT]
- Help wanted: Animal Haven shelter manager [Idealist]
- The little dog has his day [NYT]
- Related: Get a dog from a shelter [NYT]
- City dogs given fake testicles [Daily News]
- Summer travel tips from ASPCA [ASPCA]
- Related: 'Vivi Crusade' pushes for airline regs [Animal House]
- Cat found after nine months [NJ.com]
- Billionaire rides slave dogs to swank celeb-fest [Daily Intel]
- Park Slope dog killing area tree? [Gothamist]
- All Poop City headlines

Photo: Thomas Hawk via Flickr

Morning Poop

Recall:
- NEW RECALL: Drs. Foster & Smith [PetsitUSA]
- NEW RECALL: SmartPak Canine LiveSmart [PetsitUSA]
- FDA investigation "virtually closed" [Itchmo]
- Avoid all foreign supplements, ASPCA says [ASPCA]
- Chemical combo investigation continues [WaPo]
- China at head of poisoned medicine trail [NYT]
- Complete, updated recall list
- All recall headlines

Non-recall:
- Inky needs a home [Gowanus Lounge]
- City tries, fails to make cat homeless [NYS: 1, 2, 3]
- Officers trained to aid canine "officers" [NY1]
- Pets help hospice patients cope [Levittown Tribune]
- Novel centers on NYC dogs [Voice]
- Walking Nicole Kidman [The Morning News]
- All Poop City headlines

Photo: Inky c/o Gowanus Lounge

China arrests gluten exporter, Times stuck on 16

From the NYT:

SHANGHAI, May 3 - The general manager of one of the companies accused of selling contaminated wheat gluten to pet food suppliers in the United States has been detained by the Chinese authorities, according to police officials here and a person who was briefed on the investigation.

Mao Lijun, head of the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company, is being held in coastal Jiangsu Province, about 320 miles northwest of Shanghai, though a police spokesman in Pei County declined to say on what charges.

In a telephone interview a few weeks ago, Mr. Mao denied any knowledge of how melamine, an industrial chemical, had adulterated pet food supplies sold under his company label earlier this year. He also insisted that his company had never exported any wheat gluten and that his products were only sold in the domestic market.

[...]

Scientists are still trying to explain how melamine, a chemical used to make plastics, fertilizer and surface coatings but not considered very toxic, caused so many deaths.

The contamination -  which affected some of the leading American pet food brands - has killed 16 animals and sickened thousands of others, according to the F.D.A. [Not exactly]

Read the entire article >>