How Can Your Online Purchases Help Senior Pet Project?

What is iGive.com?

Established in 1997, iGive.com is an Internet company whose goal is to enable the economic power of individuals to benefit their chosen communities. We hope that in the near future, all consumer transactions contain a percentage that benefits causes close to home.

Hundreds of thousands of iGive shoppers have raised over $6,000,000 for their favorite causes - all at no cost.


F.A.Q.s


What Causes Can I Support?

At iGive.com, members list and support their favorite worthy causes, from national nonprofits to local, neighborhood efforts, like your child’s school organization or your local animal shelter.

Whenever a supporter lists a new cause at iGive.com, an e-mail is sent to the nonprofit group requesting them to verify the information the supporter provided. Checks are sent monthly to all verified causes with more than $25.00 earned.


Which Stores Help My Cause?

Our online mall features over 1,300 of the web’s best stores, including Amazon.com, Pottery Barn, Best Buy, Staples, GAP, PETCO, Expedia, and QVC. From gifts to groceries, special occasions to everyday necessities, every purchase can help your cause.


How Much Money Goes to My Cause? 

Up to 26% of each and every purchase benefits your cause, and donation rates vary by store. Donation rates are clearly listed within the iGive Mall. When you shop, every penny of the advertised donation goes directly to your cause. No administrative costs, fees, no mark-ups. We promise, you’ll never pay more to shop through iGive.


How Can You Do All This for Free?

Online retailers pay iGive.com a sales commission, which is totally separate from the donation rates listed on our web site.  Paid advertising on our website and e-mails also allow us to expand our free services for you and your cause.


Join

Join for Free @  www.iGive.com/SeniorPetProject

Use the link above and Senior Pet Project will automatically be selected to receive your iGive earnings! You can create an iGive account in just a few moments.


Safe & Private!

Your iGive account is totally free and private. We will never sell your e-mail address or personal information to anyone.

Our Community

As an iGiver, you’re part of the world’s first and largest online network of shoppers, stores, and non-profit organizations ~ all dedicated to turning everyday online shopping into philanthropy.

Shop & Search

Shop through iGive and a portion of each purchase helps Senior Pet Project!  ♥

Start at iGive

Bookmark the iGive website or install their handy Button to make sure you never miss out on a donation opportunity at iGive.com. Smart shoppers: look for the weekly iGive newsletter for coupons, free shipping deals, and sale alerts at stores that help your favorite cause.

Looking For a Specific Store?

You’ll find over 1,300 of the web’s best at iGive.com, with new stores added every week. Check iGive.com/Shop to see if your favorite store is on the list.  Next to each store in the iGive Mall, you’ll see exactly how much of each purchase will be donated to Senior Pet Project.

Tell Friends

Spread the word about iGive.com to help Senior Pet Project even more.

To introduce friends to iGive.com, click on the handy ‘Tell a Friend’ link on top of every iGive web page to send them a custom e-mail invitation. Or take your referral link from the ‘Tell a Friend’ page and create your own invitation.

Link to iGive

On the ‘Cause’ page, you’ll also find a variety of customized links and banners for your use on your organization’s Web site. 

Really Branch Out!

Find iGive on Facebook, MySpace & Twitter (@igivedoyou)!  Become a fan, become a friend, and help spread the word to help Senior Pet Product.

What's Really In Your Pet's Food?!

You may not realize it, but most commercial pet food is made primarily from leftovers from human food production, such as animal products that are unwanted or are condemned for human consumption. The type and quality of pet food ingredients can vary widely.  While it's true that, in many cases, you get what you pay for ~ the cheapest pet food is most likely to contain the lowest-quality ingredients ~ in some cases you may actually be paying a premium price for mediocre foods from makers who spend a bundle on advertising and promotion . . . . or, use a celebrity for endorsement purposes.

That said, there are a few ingredients to look for on a pet food label that give a good indication of the food's overall quality.

Animal Fat

Animal fat, also called tallow, is a product of rendering. In the rendering process, pieces, parts, and even whole animals are put through a gigantic grinder, then boiled in vats for 30 minutes to several hours. High heat is necessary to kill bacteria, viruses, molds, and other pathogens. The boiling process also allows the fat to separate and float to the top, where it is skimmed off for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, industrial lubricants, and, of course, pet food.

When a pet food company is using fat from a single species, it will say so, but when the ingredient is an inexpensive amalgam of whatever came through the door, the general term "animal fat" must be used. It's not something you want your pet to be eating!

Meat and Bone Meal

Meat and bone meal, or MBM, is another product of rendering. It's a single ingredient, and the term doesn't infer a combination of "meat meal" (which is defined separately) plus bone meal. At the renderer, once the fat is removed from the cooking vat, the remaining material is pressed and dried to yield a fluffy brown powder ~ that's MBM. It is a high-protein powder commonly used in lower-cost dog and cat foods. MBM is a generic term that can include any one species or a variety.

Both animal fat and MBM may come from any species of animal or from a wide variety of sources, including outdated supermarket meat, livestock that died on the farm, and restaurant waste, such as used grease from deep-fat fryers.

For many years, it's been rumored that euthanized dogs and cats were being processed into pet food, although the pet food industry has always adamantly denied it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no dog or cat DNA in the foods it tested. However, it did conclude that animal fat and meat and bone meal were the ingredients most likely to be associated with the presence of sodium pentobarbital ~ the drug used by veterinarians and shelters for euthanasia ~ in the food.

Animal Digest

This ingredient is a flavoring agent commonly sprayed on dry kibbles to make them enticing to dogs and cats. It's made from a stew of animal parts broken down with the use of enzymes or chemicals. Again, the use of the term "animal" means that it may be derived from any one or from many species. This can be a problem if your pet is allergic to a particular animal protein.

Corn Products

Many forms of corn are found in pet foods, including whole grain corn, ground yellow corn (also called corn meal), corn grits, corn bran, corn flour, and corn gluten meal. It's used primarily as a source of "energy," which is simply another word for calories. The vast majority (85 percent) of corn in the U.S. is genetically modified (GMO). Moreover, most poultry and livestock in the U.S. are themselves fed GMO corn, so the chicken, beef, and other meat products in pet food are giving our pets double trouble. Corn gluten meal is especially problematic because it is used primarily as a cheap substitute for meat. Cats and dogs are by nature carnivores and do best with a meat-based diet.

Chemical Preservatives

Many pet foods still contain synthetic preservatives, such as BHA, BHT, propyl gallate, and ethoxyquin. Such chemical preservatives have been linked to a variety of health conditions, including cancer. Opt for foods that use only natural preservatives, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherols (vitamin E), and rosemary oil.

Summary

It definitely pays to be a label reader and to choose foods made from good-quality ingredients. It's worth noting that dry foods are more likely to contain rendered ingredients and corn products, and cats in particular are better off with high-moisture foods such as canned, frozen, or homemade. By paying attention to what's in your pet's food, you'll be ensuring your pet a long and healthy life.


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www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com

Life's Abundance Pet Food has prebiotics and probiotics. 

Remember when switching food do it very slowly. 

Buy Life's Abundance Pet Food Today!

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Raven is an engaging entrepreneur who encourages others to celebrate pets as part of the family, as well as keep them happy, healthy, and spoiled with her online specialty pet boutique (http://www.TheGiftedPet.com), and premium pet food business (http://www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com)

For more information, please visit her Facebook page to PM her (https://www.facebook.com/TheGiftedPet), or email her at Raven@TheGiftedPet.com

Senior Pets Matter!

When private individuals want to relinquish a senior pet, our mission is to be able to offer advice to try to keep the senior pet in the home. For example, sometimes a house-soiling problem can be controlled by the use of a belly band, the introduction of puppy pads, or even canine or feline diapers. We also assist senior pet parents who may be having difficulty affording vet care, medication, or even just basic necessities. Our priority is to try and keep senior pets in their homes, rescue senior pets who have been relinquished to a shelter, and help senior people keep their own pets.

Too often, senior pets are outright abandoned, which is when we offer help in finding them a safe place to land. We are unable to accept owner-surrendered pets at this time, as we do not yet have a sanctuary. It is our goal to learn about any issues prior to a surrender or abandonment, however if that is not the case, we do our best to keep senior pets out of high-kill shelters and offer financial assistance until they can be placed in a foster home or a forever home. 

Donations are a critical part of our mission, as we cannot help without the resources to sustain what we do. Keeping a senior pet in their home through common sense solutions, or helping a senior person afford their current pet is far less expensive than trying to re-home a senior pet. It is also far less traumatic for everyone concerned . . . . especially the senior pet. Shelters can be quite scary and confusing to a pet who has been abandoned. Even though most pets are very resilient, it is preferential to keep them out of the shelters and in happy homes. Please, won't you help us sustain our mission by making a generous donation today?! No amount is too small. Many raindrops fill an ocean. 

Donate directly at www.SeniorPetProject.org.  Thank you for your support.  ♥

Click here to view our Senior Pet Project video!

www.SeniorPetProject.org