ohmidog!

A federal judge in Camden, N.J. yesterday approved a $24 million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman clears the way for U.S. pet owners with claims to start receiving checks next year, the Associated Press reported. Pet owners have until Nov. 24 to file claims.

A Canadian judge has scheduled a hearing for Nov. 3 to determine whether the settlement can also apply in that nation.

The settlement is to compensate owners for the cost of the food, medical and burial expenses for their animals, the value of the animals or the cost of replacement pets, checkups for animals who ate the food but did not get sick, replacing carpets ruined by sick pets, and time the owners took off work to seek treatment for their animals.

Sherrie R. Savett, a lead lawyer for plaintiffs in the case, has said she believes that more than 1,500 animals in the U.S. died after eating the food last year.

Lawyers said that so far, more than 10,000 people have filed claims — seeking an average of $1,500 each. Money left over after all pet owners have been paid, would go to animal-welfare charities. If the fund does not cover all the claims, pet owners would receive less than 100 percent of their claimed losses.

The tainted pet food came to light in March 2007, when dogs and cats began mysteriously getting sick. The culprit was pet food produced under nearly 200 labels — much of it by Streetsville, Ontario-based Menu Foods Income Fund.

Most of the food turned out to contain Chinese-made wheat gluten laced with melamine, an industrial chemical.

We’ll be tossing out a few more Halloween costume ideas this week and next (though this one looks more suited for Easter) so you can be prepared — not just for Halloween itself, but for the “Howl-O-Ween” costume contest that will be part of this weekend’s BARCStoberfest.

Among the many things taking place at the Saturday event, Canton Dog Park will be holding its 9th annual doggie costume contest.

Registration for the contest is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the contest itself will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. To register, bring your dog, in costume, to the registration table, to be located near the stage. The entry fee is $15 per dog per category.

This year’s categories are: Most Baltimorean, Most Original, Best Matching Dog and Human, and Best Last Minute Costume.

All proceeds benefit the Canton Dog Park, at S. Bouldin and Toone Streets, which exists solely on volunteers and donations.

BARCStoberfest, which benefits the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), will be held at Patterson Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. (Rain date, Sunday.)

For 52 more ideas for doggie Halloween costumes — some of them store bought, some of them homemade – visit humor.beecy.net.

And whether your dog is in a costume or not, don’t forget to visit the ohmidog! booth at BARCStoberfest for fun, games and treats.

A dog owner in Connecticutt is suing his dog sitter for more than $6,000, claiming she left his prized English bulldog in the hot sun, causing it to die from heat exposure.

Gerard Carbonaro, of Oxford, filed the suit last week in Milford Superior Court, saying his dog sitter left the dog, named Riot, outside on his unshaded deck in 93-degree heat on July 17 while he was on vacation.

Carbonaro bought the dog for $2,000 in April 2007 and says he later spent more than $4,000 for veterinary care, including palate reconstruction, according to an Associated Press report. He claims the dog sitter knew about Riot’s medical history, including chronic pneumonia, and was told to keep the dog off the deck during the daytime heat.

Dog breeders say English bulldogs cannot tolerate extreme temperatures.

Researchers at an Australian University say young children in households with dogs are less likely to be overweight or obese.

The Deakin University study is of particular interest because Australia, like America, has a growing childhood obesity epidemic.

The study of more than 1100 children aged five to 12 found they were slimmer and healthier if they had a dog, even if they did not walk it regularly, according to a report in The Age, an Australian newspaper.

The findings suggest even incidental play with a dog helps children keep weight off, said Jo Salmon, the head researcher and an associate professor at the university.

“For parents who are trying to get their kids off the computer and switching off the TV and getting out and playing, having a pet might be a really good strategy for doing that,” Professor Salmon said. “Social support for physical activity is vital, so this research suggests the extended family network — not just parents and siblings but also dogs and pets — is important for children’s health and their physical activity.”

The study, published in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia, follows a previous paper from the same researchers that found young girls who owned a dog were physically active for 30 minutes more than those without a pet.