Pooper Scoopers Planning a To-Doo!

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Jan. 3, 2008 -- Pooper scoopers will be scooping up their luggage instead of doggy doo. The 5th annual meeting of the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws) will be held January 25-27, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. aPaws is inviting professional pooper scoopers from across the country to come to the sessions where they can learn different aspects of the pooper scooper business and gain professional support. Among the activities planned is the Turd Herding Contest where pooper scoopers face off to see who the fastest scooper in the country is. An activity with a light-hearted name has a serious purpose as professional pooper scoopers monitor the health of the animals for whom they scoop by observing their poop. The convention always wraps up with a charity auction to benefit a dog-related organization. This year's auction is to help raise money to purchase pet oxygen masks to help Firefighters and EMS Personnel. Some departments rely solely on donations, because the funds are just not available.

Pet owners across the country have a responsibility to their pets and to their families to prevent disease that pet waste can transmit. Many localities have ordinances requiring pet owners to scoop the pet's yard, in addition to scooping public areas when the pet is out of the yard. The American Pet Association estimates that there are more than 71 million pet dogs in the United States, producing over 4.4 billion pounds of waste every year, which is enough to cover 900 football fields with 12 inches of dog waste. Talk about deep doo doo!

Professional poop scooping is a growing industry, and the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists is a professional trade organization that provides listings of professional pooper scoopers in the United States and Canada in the Find-A-Scooper National Directory on its Website, http://www.apaws.org. aPaws members agree to follow a Code of Ethics that include to not mistreat animals; report any mistreatment of animals that they observe; disinfect all tools after every yard to protect the health of the animals they serve; and carry liability insurance.

Pet Owner Education Software for Veterinarians

Company Releases Powerful, New Pet Owner Education Software for Veterinarians

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 3, 2008 -- Pet owners bring their beloved dogs and cats to veterinarians everyday for routine care or more advanced procedures. The veterinary market is growing increasingly competitive and pet owners are spending more and more money each year on their furry family members. Veterinarians are always looking for new ways to provide the highest level of care and education to their clients and patients. We expect concise information when we visit our medical practitioner, so why would pet owners expect any less when caring for their dogs and cats?

Odyssey Veterinary Software (OVS) is pleased to announce the release of DIA, a revolutionary pet owner communication tool. The software allows veterinarians to give quick, concise clinical overviews to pet owners on hundreds of conditions using over 1500 3D Animations, Surgical Animations, Virtual Anatomy illustrations, an interactive dog and cat, and other materials combined. Veterinarians can access content through a live search platform and pull up both normal anatomical examples and examples of illnesses. Whether they want to educate a client on the importance of pet dental health, parasite prevention or illustrate to a client how a cataract removal is performed, DIA has it all. When finished, clients go home with an educational print-out or have the material e-mailed to them.

The DIA application uses Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), a new, cutting-edge Microsoft programming technology. This platform, combined with incredibly lifelike anatomical graphics, gives veterinarians a simple tool to validate their findings and gives pet owners a whole new perspective on their dog or cat's physical health. The system, which was released January 1, 2008, is less than two-thousand dollars and includes contributions from over fifty veterinarians and board certified specialists. OVS was formed by Matt Russell, Christian Graus and Dr. Victor Adoue, who have over 50 years experience in the animal health field and computer programming combined. For more information, please contact Matt Russell at 888-826-0935 or visit http://www.odysseyvet.com.