In partnership with
Hello everyone! Welcome to Mighty Mutts! What a crazy March this has been. Sun, snow, wind, sleet, freezing rain and everything in between. Mother Nature and Old Man Winter have to come to an agreement once and for all! Hopefully you’ve been able to get outside and get some fresh air with your mighty mutt.
Yesterday was National Puppy Day! Nothing makes your day a little brighter than seeing a puppy play. Even if you don’t have one, find a video online and watch them in action. I dare you to frown after that!
In this issue we’ll also talk about a serious subject; something I heard on the news and can’t seem to forget about - medical and scientific research on beagles. I’ll explain what kind of testing they do, why that breed in particular is subjected to testing, and what we can do to stop it.
The Mighty Mutts kitchen also has a great recipe for you to try!
-Enjoy!
Don’t keep us a secret – share this with another large breed dog owner: mightymutts.beehiiv.com
Pablo’s Ponderings
You want my bed? Ok..I’ll just sleep on the floor
Hello my furry friends! Hope you all had a great week! Even though the calendar says spring, it’s been cold and rainy, and it even snowed yesterday. I know I keep saying it, but I can’t wait for spring to come so I can spend more time outside!
Mom’s getting ready for Easter and I’m getting excited because all of my favourite people are coming! That means more attention, more treats and I might even get some ham and turkey too! Yum!! I love the holidays, don’t you?
Send me some pics of you and hooman playing, I’d love to see them! Just reply to this email! What keeps you busy these days? Are you getting outside more? Do your hoomans take you to the dog park, or you just spend time outside like I do?
Stay safe and warm my furry friends, I’ll see you next week!
--Pablo
Live in or near Kincardine, ON? Subscribe to Kincardine Spotlight and get all the area’s events delivered right to your inbox 3x a week! It’s FREE kincardine-spotlight.beehiiv.com
National Puppy Day - March 23rd
We may be a day late, but that’s no reason not to celebrate! There’s nothing like a puppy to lift your mood, make you smile and make your day a little brighter.
National Puppy Day was founded in 2006 by Pet Lifestyle Expert, Animal Behaviorist and Author, Colleen Paige.
National puppy day (and every day, really!) is a great time to show your pup you care by giving him or her extra cuddles, extra attention, and yes even extra treats!
Don’t have a puppy yet but looking to get one? Consider adopting from a shelter. According to the SPCA, more than 2 million dogs are surrendered each year and many of them come with a litter of puppies. Do your homework and get a breed that you and your family will be comfortable with.
Remember that puppies turn into adult dogs. There is lots of training involved regardless of breed, and you’ll need to spend plenty of time with them, both as puppies and into adulthood.
It’s also a good time to remember that many of the puppies in shelters have been rescued from puppy mills. These pups and their moms experience horrific conditions and many live their life in cages. They’re not let out to play or given the attention and care that dogs deserve.
To find out more about how you can make a difference visit these websites:
Medical Research on Beagles
I was watching the news the other day, and among all of the doom and gloom out there, one story actually stopped me cold. I was really only half-listening, immersed in something else, but my heart was heavy after this story. A reporter was talking about medical testing on beagles and some of the horrific experiments they’re subjected to. These include but are not limited to:
Toxicity testing, where beagles are forced to ingest or inhale experimental drugs, household cleaners, pesticides or industrial chemicals.
Force Feeding, where they are force-fed substances to test for harmful effects and determine lethal doses.
Surgical training, where organs may be removed for training purposes and to study techniques. The dogs are commonly euthanized afterward.
The reporter talked about a rescue operation that took some of the dogs to a shelter. It took one dog, in particular, 20 minutes to come out of the crate, because it was scared. Why? The crate was placed on grass, and the dog had never walked on grass before!
Well. I thought, ok, this is an American station. Canada would NEVER allow this to happen. Boy, was I wrong. Turns out, Canada also does medical testing and scientific research on beagles. Why beagles? Because they are docile and forgiving. You can do horrific things to these poor animals, and they will treat you with the same love and respect the next day. Wow. How heartbreaking is that?
To stop medical research on beagles in Canada, support the Beagle Alliance and other organizations pushing to rescue lab dogs and ban their use in studies. Actionable steps include signing petitions (such as Federal e-petition 6841), contacting local MPs to support animal-free science, and choosing cruelty-free household products.
Sources:
Here’s How to Help Stop Beagle Testing in Canada:
Support Advocacy Groups: Support organizations like The Beagle Alliance that are actively working to rescue laboratory beagles and advocate for legislative change.
Sign and Share Petitions: Sign federal e-petition 6841, which demands a coordinated national plan to phase out animal research with measurable targets.
Contact Your Member of Parliament (MP): Urge your local MP to support replacing animal testing with advanced alternatives (e.g., in vitro, organ-on-a-chip).
Support Provincial Action: In Ontario, support initiatives to end testing on dogs and cats, as noted by recent calls to end such practices.
Choose Cruelty-Free: Buy products from companies that do not test on animals, reducing the market demand for animal-tested chemicals.
Raise Awareness: Educate others on why beagles are heavily used—due to their docile nature—and share news about the call for a "new era of innovation" that prioritizes human-based, non-animal research methods.
Dr. Alexa Diaz, PhD, one of the instructors of the workshop
Transform Your Dog Using the Same Secrets Used to Train Service Dogs!
(you’ll also learn all about potty training and fixing 11 common dog behavioral problems)
A small sample of what you’ll get in this free workshop
• The secret methods that service dog trainers use to housebreak dogs
So that your dog never has accidents inside your house ever again.
• How service dogs are trained to never bark out of excitement
Contrary to what many people believe, you CAN’T stop a dog from letting you know that someone has come to your front door – they are simply hard wired for it. Instead, find out the “QUIET WAY” that you can teach your dog so that it still gets to alert you to strangers – without barking even once.
• Why service dogs behave so well when walking on the leash without pulling
So that you can leash train your dog just like a service dog.
• How service dogs are trained to ALWAYS come when called
So that your dog too will come back to you the moment you say its name in the dog park or anywhere else (no matter what it might have been doing at that time).
Grab your seat here!
Mighty Mutts Kitchen
Granola for Dogs
Crunchy Peanut Butter Oat Granola Clusters for Dogs with Light Honey Binding Treat
Ingredients:
* 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats (plain, dry)
* 1/2 cup (120 g) peanut butter (unsweetened, xylitol-free, smooth)
* 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey (optional, small amount)
* 1/4 cup (60 ml) water (to help mix and bind)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix peanut butter, honey, and water until smooth and slightly runny.
3. Add rolled oats and stir until fully coated and crumbly.
4. Spread the mixture evenly on the tray, pressing lightly to form small clusters.
5. Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and crisp.
6. Let cool completely to harden into crunchy granola clusters.
Storage:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Benefits:
* Oats provide fiber for digestion and steady energy
* Peanut butter adds protein and healthy fats for satiety
* Minimal honey used as a binder; no added sugars or unsafe ingredients
Calorie Information:
Approx. 800 kcal per batch; approx. 40–50 kcal per small handful (based on ~16 servings). Estimated using standard ingredient values
That’s it for this issue. See you next week! Feel free to share this with other dog owners!
--Maryanne and the Mighty Mutts team
Every headline satisfies an opinion. Except ours.
Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.