Mention the idea of food stamps for dogs and you’re likely to get one of two reactions:

Those touchy-feely animal lovers (such as me) will say it’s a great idea that could help keep dogs from being surrendered to shelters, abandoned, or worse, by owners who can’t afford to feed them anymore.

Those “It’s-just-a-dog” types will say its ludicrous, that they’d hate to see their tax dollars used for something like that, and that, if you can’t afford a dog, don’t get one in the first place.

When the idea does float to the surface, there’s usually some quick debate — then it vanishes as quickly as a bowl of kibble.

Now, in a way, the concept is back, and it’s being carried out on a national scale — with no involvement from government, and no use of tax dollars, it should be noted. It’s the mission of a nonprofit organization formed by a New York man who describes himself as a stockbroker, journalist, entrepreneur and business consultant — a frightful combination if ever there was one.

The organization is called Pet Food Stamps, though no stamps actually appear to be involved. Instead, low income individuals can submit applications, which, if approved, lead to six months worth of deliveries of dog food from Pet Flow, an online pet food store. It’s all to be funded through private donations, founder Marc Okon says.

Pet Food Stamps and Pet Flow announced their “exclusive partnership” in February:

“Pet Food Stamps aims to provide pet food for pets of families receiving public assistance and for food stamp recipients who otherwise could not afford to feed their pets. Based in New York City, the program is open to anyone in the United States. More than 80,000 pets have already been registered …”

Okon, 36, said the idea was inspired in part by a friend going through some economic hard times who told him “she sometimes fed her cat before herself,” Wall Street Journal columnist Al Lewis reported. Also, he says, doing something philanthropic helps remove the bad taste that remains from some of his previous employment experiences in corporate America.

Okon says he briefly worked for a firm that sold dubious medical benefits to seniors in the South. “Their whole corporate philosophy was to manipulate seniors who didn’t have any type of insurance,” he said. “I could only do that for about a week and half,” Okon said. The article calls him “a man so disgusted with the lack of ethics he witnessed in private enterprise that he founded a nonprofit to hand out dog food.”

While many a humane society operates similar programs on the local level, Pet Food Stamps says it has been swamped with applications — 45,000 in the first two weeks alone, according to a press release.

Okon says the applicants often describe how they’ve lost their jobs and homes.

“Millions of pets are surrendered to shelters each year and euthanized because their owners can’t afford to feed them,” he said.

Okon says he isn’t against the idea of the government providing food stamps for dogs, but that it’s not part of the current picture.

“We’re not looking for government funding at this point,” Okon told ABCNews.com. “Should the government be willing to provide assistance further down the line, we will look into it.”

It seems a noble idea, and we hope it’s nobly carried out — with enough transparency that dog lovers who make donations know exactly how much money the organization is receiving, how much of that is going to buy and ship dog food, and what profits, if any, the private dog food company is making.

We’d point out, too, that people unable to afford to feed their pets can check with their local humane society or SPCA to see what programs might be available in their area. Some food banks distribute dog food and cat food, and some chapters of Meals on Wheels deliver pet food, too.  In 2006, Meals on Wheels started the We All Love Our Pets (WALOP) initiative after finding some of their clients were sharing their meals with their pets because they couldn’t afford pet food.

For a state by state list of programs offering free and discounted services — from food to veterinary care — check out this Humane Society of the United States link.

Natura Pet Products is recalling its dry foods for dogs and cats because of concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.

The recall includes all dry pet food products with expiration dates prior to and including March 24, 2013. The brands include California Natural, EVO, Healthwise, Innova, and Karma.

Based in Fremont, Neb., Natura Pet is a maker of “natural” and “holistic” pet foods, according to a company statement.

The recall is an expansion of one that had been announced by the company last month, according to a Food and Drug Administration press release.

The affected products were sold through veterinary clinics and select pet specialty retailers throughout the United States and in Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Costa Rica. The products were also sold online.

No canned wet foods or biscuits are included in the recall.

Pets infected with salmonella can appear tired, and have diarrhea and vomiting. Some pets may not show obvious symptoms, but experience decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Pets can spread the bacteria to other animals, including humans.

Natura Pet said people who have purchased the products should discard them. If their pets have consumed the recalled product and are showing symptoms, they should contact their veterinarian.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that Kasel Associates Industries Inc. is recalling all pet treats manufactured at its Denver plant from April 20 through Sept. 19, 2012 due to potential contamination with Salmonella.

Products manufactured by the company are sold under various brand names by retailers that include Target, Petco, Sam’s Club and Costco.

The company had issued three previous recall notices for specific products manufactured during this time period. Now the list of recalled products has expanded to more than 50.

In September, Kasel recalled Boots & Barkley beef bully sticks. Weeks later it recalled Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treat. Two weeks after that it recalled Boots & Barkley Roasted American Pig Ears and Boots & Barkley American Variety Pack Dog Treats

The recalls began after the Colorado Department of Agriculture tested a retail sample of a Kasel pet treat product and found it to be positive for Salmonella. Follow-up inspections by the FDA found that at all of the finished pet treat product samples and 48 out of 87 environmental samples collected tested positive for Salmonella.

More than ten different species of Salmonella were found in the firm’s products and manufacturing facility, indicating multiple sources of contamination, according to an FDA press release.

The FDA says it has received a small number of complaints of illness in dogs who were exposed to the treats.

Because of the multiple positive tests for Salmonella, and the production practices and conditions observed at the facility during the inspection, the FDA believes that there is a reasonable probability that all pet treat products manufactured in the facility from April 20, 2012 through September 19, 2012 are contaminated with Salmonella.

Both people and animals can contract Salmonellosis from handling or eating contaminated products. People handling dry pet treats should thoroughly wash their hands after having contact with the treats as well as any surfaces exposed to these products.

Salmonella is a public health risk and is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness. Its symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may experience only a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed any of the affected product or is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

You can find the full list of recalled Kasel products here.

A Baltimore dog food company is coming to the defense of bully sticks — at least those it produces.

The treats, made from bull and steer penises, were maligned in a recent study that reported not everybody who buys them for their dog realizes what they are, that they are high in calories, and that — at least among the 26 bully sticks researchers purchased – about one of every three were contaminated with bacteria.

Boesl Packing, a Baltimore company that makes raw diet dog food and a variety of dog treats — all USDA approved — is recirculating this video, which it produced in 2009, about the making of its K-9 Kraving bully sticks.

Just as the video clearly discloses what bully sticks are, we need to offer some full disclosure of our own here. My former girlfriend (and Ace’s godmother) works at K-9 Kraving, which is how — though I wasn’t aware of it — Ace ended up in the video (around the 30-second mark), gnawing on a bull penis.

Despite all that, I have the ability to remain objective. But what fun would that be?

My opinion is that the study, limited as it was, goes too far in stating the potential safety concerns. The sample size was far too small to issue what  — at least once the media got hold of it — amounted to something close to a blanket indictment.

As for the number of calories bully sticks contain — about 88 per six-inch stick — that doesn’t seem too out of line.

As for bacterial concerns, it’s hard to grasp how serious or widespread they may be, given only 26 sticks were tested, and the makers and vendors are not identified in the study. There was a recall in September of bully sticks made by Kasel Associated Industries, based in Denver, due to salmonella concerns.

But what one manufacturer produces sloppily, another may produce with quality. Look at chicken jerky treats, for example.

K-9 Kraving says its bully sticks are “dried at 165 degrees  for 3-4 days (depending on girth) …In other words, cooked.” They come only from U.S. farms and are cleaned, odor-free and have the seminal tube removed.

Too much information? There’s no such thing when it comes to what we feed our dogs.

K-9 Kraving points out where bully sticks originated — that is, the country of origin of the bulls and steers to which they were once attached — can be a factor, as can cleanliness, production practices and quality controls.

The company says it was the first dog food company to achieve USDA Certification, meaning its production practices are held to a human grade standard — even in the case of bully sticks, which it began marketing in 2009.

The USDA certification means the treats are suitable for human consumption, and some humans do consume them — though usually not to their knowledge. Outside of the dog treat industry, Chinese restaurants are the biggest purchasers of bull pizzles, for use in preparing soups.

The study was performed by researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the University of Guelph. Their findings were published in last monthy’s Canadian Veterinary Journal.

Tests on 26 bully sticks purchased from various unidentified vendors found that nine were contaminated with bacteria. One was contaminated with Clostridium difficile; one with Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics; and seven were contaminated with Escherichia coli.

The researchers advised pet owners to wash their hands after touching such treats, as they would with any raw meat diets.

Lilica lives in a junkyard in São Carlos, Brazil, along with another dog, a cat, some chickens, a mule, and a human caretaker named Neile Vania Antonio, who found her abandoned as a pup and took her in.

Every night, Lilica walks two miles to the home of  Professor Lucia Helena de Souza, who takes care of 13 stray dogs and 30 cats.

Lucia prepares a large meal, and Lilica eats some of it. Then she carries the rest two miles back home to share with her fellow junkyard dwellers.

It’s a routine that has been going on every day for three years, according to this report.

When she first started feeding Lilica, Lucia said, ”I realized that she ate and then stared at what was in the bag.” When a neighbor suggested that Lilica might want to take the rest home, Lucia tied up the bag and Lilica carried it home.

“From that day on we do it,” said Lucia.

Lucia meets Lilica every night at 9:30 pm. Lilica eats some of the meal and then carries the rest back down the highway and delivers it to her family.

Lilica’s caretaker, Neile, said the dog’s spirit of sharing is more than she sees in some people.

“People don’t do that. Some people hide and do not want to share what they have with others. She did not. Lilica is an exceptional animal.”

OFF THE MARKET AT LAST

It was a long time and hundreds of dog deaths coming, but Del Monte and Nestle Purina announced this week that they will cease to market Chinese-made chicken jerky treats sold under their brand names.

Del Monte’s Milo’s Kitchen products and Nestle Purina’s Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch treats will all be pulled from the market after the New York State Department of Agriculture found possible contamination by an antibiotic that is illegal in the U.S.

The treats have been anecdotally linked to kidney failure, illness and death in hundreds of dogs, and the FDA — while never going so far as to recall them — has issued three different warnings to pet owners in the past five years about possible risks.

FDA tests for toxins and heavy metals have found no explanation for the alleged illnesses, and its unclear if the banned antibiotic is the culprit in the hundreds of dogs deaths in which the treats were suspected to be a factor.

Nevertheless, Nestle Purina and Del Monte decided to pull their products after New York officials announced they had found trace amounts of the banned antibiotic in tests of the products, ABC reported.

“Pet safety and consumer confidence in our products are our top priorities,” said Rob Leibowitz, Del Monte’s general manager for Pet Products. “While there is no known health risk, the presence of even trace amounts of these antibiotics does not meet our high quality standards. Therefore, today we decided to recall both products and asked retailers to remove the products from their shelves.”

Thieves stole more than 20,000 pounds of dog food from an Atlanta warehouse last week, and the owner of the kibble says the loss may put him out of business.

James Galloway, owner of Intown Healthy Hound, told WSBTV that the stolen food was worth $35,000.

It was stored in a warehouse that was broken into Wednesday. Police said the thieves apparently cut a hole in the fence of the next-door property, climbed through the warehouse window and used a forklift to move pallets filled with the dog food and load it onto a vehicle.

There was no camera or alarm on the property, police said, and Galloway said he didn’t think his insurance covered items being stored outside of his shop.

Rachael Ray is donating $500,000 to the ASPCA to help pets who were displaced, hurt or lost during Superstorm Sandy.

On top of that, Ray’s pet food company, Nutrish, is sending four tons of wet and dry dog food to help feed the animals affected by Sandy. It’s the largest donation ever by the company.

Ray announced the donations Friday, and again on her television program today. 

The $500,000 will be used by the ASPCA to lease a building that can be used as a central shelter for Sandy animals,  provide mobile veterinary services, hand out supplies and continue searching for lost pets.

Since Sandy, the ASPCA had rescued more than 250 animals and treated or provided supplies to nearly 6,000 in New York City and Long Island.

Ray teamed up with the ASPCA earlier thisyear for its $100,000 shelter challenge, a photo contest whose winners are to be announced this week.

Ray is also donating $100,000 to City Harvest and the Food Bank for New York City.

“When you make your living in food, you have to give back in the same way,” she said.

Kasel Associated Industries of Denver has expanded its recall of dog treats due to the possibility they may be contaminated by salmonella.

Two weeks after announcing a recall for Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treat, the company announced it is voluntarily recalling Boots & Barkley Roasted American Pig Ears and Boots & Barkley American Variety Pack Dog Treats.

In September, the company recalled Boots & Barkley beef bully sticks.

The two latest products were distributed at Target stores nationwide in August.

The Roasted Pig Ears come in a clear, 12-count plastic bag marked with UPC bar code 647263899158. The Variety Pack is a clear, 32-ounce plastic bag marked with UPC bar code 490830400086. Both products have a best-by code of Sept, 14, 2014.

The lots tested positive for salmonella bacteria during an analysis by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

The new recalls follow one issued Oct. 2 for Nature’s Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats, which were sold at Sam’s Club stores in 12 states and have the bar code 647263800208 and best-by code  of Sept. 19, 2013. The September recall involved 6-count, 5-inch Boots & Barkley American Beef Bully Sticks distributed at Target stores from April through September, with a bar code of 647263899189.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with any of the Kasel products.

Consumers who purchased any of the recalled products are urged to return them for a refund. Anyone with questions may contact Kasel at 800-218-4417.

Nature’s Recipe is voluntarily recalling chicken-based dog treats that could be contaminated with salmonella.

The company announced Saturday the recall of a limited supply of its “Nature’s Recipe Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken,” which were manufactured at its plant in Topeka, Kan.

The product is distributed nationally, primarily through pet specialty retailers, according to the Associated Press.

Nature’s Recipe officials say no illnesses have been reported in pets or humans, but suggest that pet owners monitor themselves and their dogs for signs of salmonella and seek medical care if symptoms worsen.

The company advises consumers who bought the recalled treats to discard them immediately.

The recalled treats were sold in 19-ounce stand-up resealable pouches.

The products included in the recall are marked with the Lot Codes 2199TP or 2200TP and a UPC Code of 30521 51549. The pouches also have a “Best If Used By Date” stamp of either 10/11/13 or 10/12/13.