LAS VEGAS - Someone is going to wind up in the dog house for this crime.

A group of pet experts offering free health exams for dogs is heartbroken after the theft of their sound-proof trailer.

The "Mobile Heart Health Unit" was stolen from a local veterinarian's
parking lot shortly before Wednesday's scheduled stop at the Barkin Basin Dog Park in Las Vegas.  'Without the trailer, the group was forced to perform the health exams inside a tent. It was not exactly the same experience owners had hoped for when they read about the free health exams.

"It's very disappointing that it got stolen. And it's really just a unit so that we can, there's nothing of value in it, but it was for this event that we could actually perform these free heart checks," said veterinarian Dr. Ruth MacPete.

Anyone with information about the stolen trailer is asked to call Crimestoppers at 702-385-5555

Heart disease in dogs is almost as common as it is in humans. About 11 percent of the nearly 75 million dogs in the United States have heart disease, and that figure increases to as many as 60 percent among dogs over age 5 and certain predisposed breeds. Yet, a national survey shows that more than half of dog owners are unaware that their dog may be at risk of heart failure.

"Early diagnosis and treatment of heart failure can significantly prolong and improve the quality of a dog's life," says Ruth MacPete, DVM, a San Diego veterinarian, media personality and pet author who will travel with a local veterinary cardiologist on the Mobile Dog Heart Health Tour. "We look forward to reaching out to local dog owners to educate them about heart disease in dogs and the treatment options. By emphasizing the importance of annual veterinary examinations and early diagnosis of heart disease, we hope to help more dogs live longer and better lives."

On the tour - which will stop at dog beaches and parks throughout California as well - veterinary cardiologists will perform free dog heart screenings from inside a special sound-proof mobile exam room. They will use a stethoscope to listen for heart murmurs and other irregular sounds as well as generally assess whether or not the dogs show any signs of heart disease.

The veterinarians on tour will also make sure that dog owners are aware of some of the common symptoms seen with heart disease: reduced willingness to walk or exercise, difficulty breathing, coughing, loss of appetite and weight loss. Dog owners can learn even more at www.yourdogsheart.com.

Mobile Dog Heart Health Tour in Las Vegas
When: Wednesday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Barkin' Basin Dog Park - Alexander Road & North Tenaya Way

About Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs

The makers of Vetmedin(R) - a break-through prescription drug now available in the United States to treat canine heart failure - organized the Mobile Dog Heart Health Tour to teach people about congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs. CHF leads to excessive water and salt retention, causing fluid build-up in the lungs.

While there is no cure for CHF, clinical study results have shown that dogs with the condition live nearly twice as long and enjoy a higher quality of life when treated with Vetmedin.

About BI

Boehringer Ingelheim is the exclusive U.S. manufacturer of Vetmedin. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (St. Joseph, Mo.), is a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation based in Ridgefield, Conn., and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 135 affiliates in 47 countries and approximately 39,800 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2007, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of US $15.0 billion (10.9 billion euro) while spending approximately one-fifth of net sales in its largest business segment, prescription medicines, on research and development.

For more information please visit www.bi-vetmedica.com