Paw Nation

If you're planning to spoil your pet--or a pet owner--with a special gift this Valentine's Day, why not choose a product that also gives back to animals in need? Many items designed for pets and for the humans who love them benefit rescue organizations or other charities through proceeds from sales.

Supporting animal charities through your purchases is a great way to say "I love you" to all the four-legged friends in your life. So in order to help you celebrate pets on Valentine's Day by giving back, our friends at Zootoo rounded up some of their favorite pet products with heart.

A fun, snappy book, "Mimi and Maty to the Rescue!" by Brooke Smith was inspired by Smith's daughter, Mimi Ausland, whose charitable website Freekibble.com has enabled users to donate over 675 million pieces of kibble to shelter animals to date. The clever story and illustrations will delight children and adults alike, and for each book sold, Halo will donate five meals to feed shelter animals.


A durable toy that also supports canine charities, the Orbee-Tuff Glow for Good Ball from Planet Dog is both sturdy and satisfying for your pooch. Eco-conscious shoppers will appreciate that the ball is recyclable, and an impressive 100% of the proceeds from sales of the Glow for Good Ball go to the Planet Dog Foundation, which promotes and celebrates dog service programs.


If you're looking for a unique present to treat your feline on Valentine's Day, try the Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon Adjustable Cat Safety Collar from Coastal Pet. This top-quality collar features a pink ribbon design, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each collar benefits breast cancer foundations.


Your valentine can show support for animal rights in style with the All Over Paws Socks, available at The Animal Rescue Site's online store. The comfortable socks are offered in a range of eye-catching color combinations, and purchases made through the website help to fund food and care for rescued animals.


Featuring an appropriate design for Valentine's Day, the Rescue Heart Pewter Collar Charm from Big Paw Designs helps to promote adoption awareness with a well-designed, durable product. And like the other items in the brand's Rescue Power Collection, the charms are available at discounted rates to pet rescue groups to help them in fundraising efforts.

Q: We took our puppy to a training class at the local pet store. The trainer handed out a list of dangerous items that we should never give our pets, and on that list was a tennis ball. We thought this was odd. We've had dogs for years and have always thrown tennis balls for them. As a veterinarian, do you see a problem?

A: Yes--and no. Our Golden Retriever, Shakira, is a tennis ball addict, and a daily dose of fetch has helped keep her lean and fit well into her senior years. But tennis balls do present a hazard that requires they be used only in supervised conditions.

SEE ALSO: Why Does My Dog... Lick and Chew His Feet?

The problem is that dogs have strong jaws capable of compressing a tennis ball. If that compressed ball pops open in the back of the throat, it can cut off a dog's air supply. Most notably, one of Oprah Winfrey's beloved dogs was a tennis ball victim, but there have been many others. The chewed bits of a tennis ball also aren't something you want inside your dog.

SEE ALSO: Meet the Pets of the Republican Presidential Candidates

You don't have to throw away all your tennis balls, but you do need to use them in a way that reduces the risk of choking. Tennis balls should always be put out of reach after a game of fetch, and no dog should ever be allowed to use them as a chew toy. In supervised play, insist that your dog fetch, return and immediately release the ball--no games of keep away while the dog works the ball in her mouth. And have only one ball in play at a time, to minimize the risk of having your dog pick up more than one and get the furthermost ball lodged back in her throat. Keep the game of fetch fast and lively to keep the focus on the chase and the next throw. (I couldn't live without the Chuck-It, a tool that flings the ball much farther than most of us can throw.)

Nothing in life is without risk, sadly, but there's no need to deny your dog the joy and needed exercise that a tennis ball can provide. Just be sure to follow a few simple guidelines to keep playing safely.

The perennial joke about children's toys is that you'll spend a lot of bread buying them something big and elaborate, and they'll end up spending more time playing with the box it came in.

The same is true for pets. We spend epic amounts of money on toys when cats are perfectly happy batting at dangling pieces of string or your shoelaces. And dog, well, they genuinely love tennis balls and chew toys, but when all of those are too chewed up to play with anymore and you haven't hide time to buy replacements yet, improvise.

Your not crazy; you've seen this video before. It's just that last time, our feline DJ was spinning some truly putrid early-'90s house-music jock jams. That was back in the fall of 2010, before dubstep became a national obsession. Now Kitty Skrillex has updated his record collection, and whether you think his new sound is putrid or not, at least it's current.

This keyboard cat is playing a cat keyboard. Your argument is invalid.