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Nikki Moustaki rasies awareness of Nitro's Law

I've long believed that dog women are indomitable, and I would certainly say that Nikki Moustaki could be described as that. She is trying to raise awareness of Nitro's Law by pledging to eat dog food every day until the law is passed - if you watch the video above she explains it all. Here's the press release:

 

Animal Advocate Eats Dog Food Daily on YouTube to Pass Nitro's Law Against Animal Cruelty

Animal advocate, dog trainer, and the author of 40 books on pets, has pledged to eat dog food every day and post her daily doggie dining on YouTube until the anti-animal cruelty bill, Nitro's Law, is reintroduced and comes up for a vote.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 4, 2011

Animal advocate, dog trainer, author and TV personality, Nikki Moustaki has pledged to eat dog food every day and post her daily doggie dining on YouTube until the anti-animal cruelty bill, Nitro's Law (http://www.nitrofoundation.com), is reintroduced into the Ohio House of Representatives -- and she wants every state in the nation to join her. Moustaki is a Miami Beach native who lives between Miami and New York City.

Nitro's Law, formerly known as House Bill 70, would increase the penalty to a fifth degree felony for egregious acts of animal cruelty by the animal's caretaker, punishable by a year in jail per count. According to the Humane Society of the United States, Ohio ranks 45th in the nation for animal cruelty laws.

The need for tougher laws in this state became an issue after 7 dead and 12 starving dogs were discovered in October of 2008 at High Caliber K-9, a boarding kennel in Youngstown, OH. Nitro, a beloved pet Rottweiler, was left in the care of that facility while his human family attended to a sick family member out of state. The facility owner, Steve Croley, was sentenced to four months in jail and a small fine after only four misdemeanor charges were pursued. He did, however, have his American Kennel Club privileges revoked for 10 years, and the AKC fined him $2000.00.

"This isn't just a local issue, it's a national issue," says Moustaki. "This didn't happen in my home state, but as someone who speaks up for animals, I consider them all in my backyard. Animals don't vote, but their owners do. If this can happen in Ohio, it can happen anywhere, and it's important for people to be aware of the laws in their state."

Only 4 states in the nation do not consider animal cruelty a felony, and only 9 states (including those 4) do not count first animal cruelty offenses as a felony, including Ohio. Nitro's Law did pass the House of Representatives, but died in the Senate at the end of 2010. Moustaki is hoping to help change that in 2011, one bowl of dog food at a time.

How long will Moustaki commit to eating dog food every day on camera?

"I will eat dog food for one meal a day as long as it takes to get Nitro's Law reintroduced -- maybe even until it passes," she says. "This bill needs to be reintroduced so that it has a chance of passing in the House and Senate. Only then can it become Nitro's Law."

Moustaki plans on eating one meal a day of Lucky Dog Cuisine (http://www.luckydogcuisine.com/), one of the brands of pet food that her 3 rescued dogs enjoy. She is asking for people to join her and hopes to include pet lovers from all 50 states.

"Nitro and the other dogs were deprived of dog food, so I'm going eat it for them," Moustaki says. "Ideally, other dog owners will join in on this with me - if we can create a movement, no matter how 'doggone crazy' eating dog food might seem - we might be able to make a positive change."

With more than a half a million pet books in print and hundreds of articles on pets and their care and training to her credit, Nikki Moustaki, award winning freelance writer, TV personality (host of pet shows on MSN.com and The Beach Channel in Miami Beach), pet industry expert and animal trainer, is the country's leading Pet Lifestyle Authority. Her tireless work feeding shelter pets with her innovative website, The Pet Postcard Project (http://www.petpostcardproject.com, along with her hands-on rescue efforts and vocal advocacy for homeless animals have led her to be dubbed "Saint Nik."

Nikki Moustaki is also considered an "Urban Dog Guru," specializing in training city dogs for their particular needs. She has published more than 42 books, primarily on the care and training of pets, and her pet books and articles have been translated into 5 languages. Along with being a dog trainer, Nikki is one of the country's foremost experts on parrots, having authored more than 24 books on birds and their care and training, including Parrots for Dummies (Wiley Press). She splits her time between New York City and Miami Beach, Florida.

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