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This news release promotes the American Humane Association’s Adopt-a-Dog month celebrated each October. In writing for public relations, I tried to emphasize the mission of the organization and get their message out clearly while still following the standards of news writing. All of information was provided to us in class, but it’s drawn from the Humane Association’s actual PR materials. You can read the real version of their news release here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/october-is-american-humane-associations-adopt-a-dog-month-300153407.html But first, read mine below.

dog-photo-for-asg2 — October is Adopt-a-Dog Month. American Humane Association urges you to adopt a pooch like this adorable one pictured above.

American Humane Association Leads the Way in Annual Adopt-a-Dog Month

American Humane Association, the country’s first national humane organization, is celebrating Adopt-a-Dog Month by encouraging animal lovers to consider adopting a dog from a local shelter or rescue group. Adopt-a-Dog month annually occurs during the month of October nationwide.

For this year’s Adopt-a-Dog Month the AHA wants to focus especially on helping older dogs.

President and CEO of American Humane Association, Dr. Robin Ganzert, said, “It’s heartbreaking to think about all the senior animals who had been cherished pets before they suddenly found themselves confused and alone in shelter kennels… With so many dogs in shelters all across our country available for adoption– and many of them never finding a safe, loving, forever home– adopting a dog will make you a hero too.”

A recently published book by TODAY.com writer Laura T. Coffey and photographer Lori Fusaro, “MY OLD Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts,” shares happy adoption success stories about shelter dogs past the age of puppyhood.

Coffey said, “Senior dogs who get adopted from shelters just might be the most grateful dogs on the planet. And don’t let their age fool you! It’s amazing to see how much theses dogs still have to offer and teach us”

You can find senior dogs, as well as puppies at your local shelter. These shelters have dogs of every type and personality– all waiting for a loving home. If a local shelter doesn’t have the specific dog you are looking for, you can go online to find a breed-specific rescue group in need of caring owners.

Help to spread the word today by signing the Humane Association’s online pledge to make adoption from a shelter or rescue your first choice when looking for your next canine companion: Http://Bit.ly/adopt-a-dog-month-pledge

About AHA:

American Humane Association started in 1877 as the country’s first national humane organization. Since then it has been a critical frontrunner in protecting animals from abuse and neglect. You can visit our Virtual Adoption Center for information about dog adoption, behavior and care at:

http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/programs/special-initiatives/adopt-a-dog-month/adoption-centeter.html

This story is based on a set of facts provided to us in class. The challenge was to select the most newsworthy information, organize it following the inverted pyramid model and write an article for print news that adhered to journalistic style. It’s harder than it looks, but I’m pleased with the results.

china-1177009_960_720 — Bowl of 4,000-year-old noodles were found in China.

World’s Oldest Noodles Settles Global Feud

A global feud regarding which culture developed noodles first is settled as a team of scientists discovered 4,000-year-old noodles this month in northwest China.

Houyuan Lu of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at Beijing’s Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with a group of colleagues, discovered the oldest noodles in an archeological dig at an ancient settlement called Lajia.

Lajia, like Pompeii, is hypothesized to have been suddenly destroyed, but rather by a flood or earthquake.

The bowl of noodles seemed to be preserved by the surrounding clay after it was overturned and became sunk into the clay– protecting the noodles for thousands of years.

The noodles were 20 inches long and made of millet rather than wheat, the most common ingredient in modern noodles.

Lu said, “this is the earliest empirical evidence of noodles ever found. Before this, the earliest record of noodles was in a book written during China’s Han Dynasty sometime between A.D. 25 and 220.”

Archaeochemist, Patrick Mcgovern, said, “if the date for the noodles is correct, the find is quite amazing. This shows a fairly high level of food processing and culinary sophistication.”

The scientific paper describing the team’s discovery can be found in this month’s issue of Nature.

*National Geographic covered this story as well. You can find their story here.