SAN FRANCISCO - Try searching for an apartment that allows pets in San Francisco and in all likelihood you will strike out time and again. With only a small percentage of apartments allowing cats and dogs, prospective renters sometimes wind up parting ways with their animal companions and tenants are less able to adopt pets from shelters.

To transform The City’s rental market into a pet-friendly market, The City’s Animal Control and Welfare Commission is urging the Board of Supervisors to adopt legislation allowing landlords to charge 5 percent of a tenant’s rent per pet as an incentive for landlords to roll out the welcoming mat for animals.

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By MATTHEW VERRINDER

UNION, N.J. (AP) - Pet owners were worried Saturday that the pet food in their cupboards could be deadly after millions of containers of dog and cat food sold at major retailers across North America were recalled.

Menu Foods, the Ontario-based company that produced the pet food, said Saturday it was recalling dog food sold under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico by major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway.
An unknown number of cats and dogs had suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, the company said.

Many stores that sold the affected brands frantically pulled packages off shelves.
A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was available from the Menu Foods Web site, . The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information - (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708 - but callers kept the lines busy for much of Saturday. http://www.menufoods.com/recall

Menu Foods' chief executive and president Paul Henderson told the Associated Press on Friday that the company was still trying to figure out what happened.

He said that the company had received an undisclosed number of owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering kidney failure after eating its products. He estimated that the recall would cost the company, which is mostly owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, an estimated $26 million to $34 million.

The company said it makes pet food for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Procter & Gamble Co. (PG)

1. Get a letter of recommendation from your former rental property owners/managers for proof of your responsible pet ownership. Include your past property owners' names, addresses, and phone numbers.
   
   
2. Prepare a Pet Resume with information from your pet's veterinary records, including all up-to-date vaccinations, worm and flea control, general good health, and any other positive details you may wish to include. Also, include any special certification (i.e. AKC's Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program), training for obedience or showmanship.
   
   
3. Bring a picture of your dog when you meet with the property owner. Offer to have the owner/manager meet the dog at their convenience — it shows you have nothing to hide. If the property owner wants to meet your pet, it helps to exercise the dog well before the meeting time to release excess energy.
   
   
4. Provide a written statement that you will keep your dog on a leash when outside, and that you will clean & dispose of your pet's waste properly.

"The FDA said the drug, Cerenia, is the first to prevent and treat vomiting in dogs. When used in tablet form, the Pfizer Inc. drug can prevent vomiting associated with motion sickness, the FDA said. The agency also approved an injectable form of the drug, known generically as maropitant citrate, that it said can prevent and treat acute vomiting due to chemotherapy, parvovirus, kidney disease, pancreatitis and other causes. Severe vomiting can lead to dehydration and death in dogs, the FDA said."