As fancy pet foods proliferate, here's what experts say dogs and cats ...

If you really want to start a heated debate up at the dog park, don't bring up Iraq or the presidential election: Ask the dog owners what kind of dog food they use.

You'll get an earful about raw food diets, antioxidants, organic and holistic dog foods, steamed vegetables for dogs and the best books with instructions for making your own dog food. Unsubstantiated rumors fly -- such as the particularly nasty one that big-brand dog and cat foods are made of euthanized companion animals. Cat owners can be just as vocal about the very best foods for their finicky feline friends.

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New Website Focuses On Animal Charities and Safe Pet Food Shopping

Pet Commerce Direct launches the Animal Shelter Store, designed exclusively for animal shelters and rescues to use as an online fundraising program. The Animal Shelter Store marketplace features more than 600 recall-free pet foods, treats, vitamins and natural remedies.

Germantown, NY (PRWEB) February 7, 2008 -- Pet Commerce Direct, a New York LLC, has launched the Animal Shelter Store, the first of three unique programs created exclusively to enhance online fundraising and increase donations for animal shelters and rescues.

The first program released February 1, 2008 is the Animal Shelter Store.com, which features more than 600 dog and cat recall-free food, treats, vitamins and natural remedies. None of the companies listed in the store are contained in the FDA's January 2008 updated list of companies who were part of the 2007-2008 recall.

Check out the store.

Good dog! Have a treat at Just Dogs! Gourmet

At Just Dogs! Gourmet in Randolph, the proprietor is Elvine Tsang, self-proclaimed dogaholic. The quality control supervisors are Sydney, 6, and Ada, 4. They are German pinschers.

"I don't sell anything Sydney and Ada don't like," said Tsang, originally from Thailand.

The shop, which carries dozens of fun items from dog spa products and designer pet tags to easy-walk harnesses and rhinestone starlet necklaces, is mostly about healthy dog food. Customer traffic has been brisk at the 2-month-old Route 10 location.

"After last year's recall of pet food made with ingredients imported from China, dog owners are more educated," said the 34-year-old Tsang, who opened the shop of her dreams after downsizing ended a 10-year career in corporate graphic design. "Today people ask me where our products are made -- here or abroad."

The answer is "here." To be precise, the company makes its own treats in its Pennsylvania "barkery" using human grade ingredients in a facility inspected by the U.S.

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