Talk of the Town: Think of your pets, please!

Calling all pet owners who love their animals.

Here’s another reason to put that cigarette out forever. Extinguish the Camels or you just might be endangering your four-legged friends.

There’s some pretty reliable studies out there that suggest secondhand cigarette smoke causes cancer in animals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 126 million Americans who don’t smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes, vehicles, workplaces, and public places.

This exposure causes thousands of lung cancer and heart disease deaths among nonsmokers every year, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Making the leap from the effects of secondhand smoke on humans to their effects on pets isn’t a big one, says veterinarian Carolynn MacAllister of Oklahoma State University.

“There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to pets,” MacAllister said. “Secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs, as well as lung cancer in birds.”

Your pet doesn’t just inhale your smoke with you. In the homes of smokers, it was found that pet’s fur is covered with smoke particles and they actually ingest it when they groom their fur with their own tongues.

Another study showed that long-nosed dogs like collies or greyhounds were twice as likely to develop nasal cancer if they lived with smokers.

So if you can’t quit for your own health, do it for your furry friends, They have no choice now, do they?

The Big Band Sounds of Green Valley will be in concert at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 1, at Sahuarita Auditorium, 350 W. Sahuarita Road.

Join musical director Allan Riding for an exciting evening of American standards played by this popular 18-piece band featuring vocalist Erin Howell. Tickets are $10 and are on sale at: Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce, Green Valley Cleaners and Laundromat (Green Valley Mall), Canoa Hills Barber Shop, and Robin’s Nest in Bashas’ Plaza.

Big Band Sounds was formed in 1991. Erin, a young and talented singer from Marana, joined the band in October 2005, and has proved extremely popular with all audiences.

The band’s library has grown to more than 400 orchestrations, including many arrangements played by such great bands as Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Glen Miller, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

Riding also prides himself in getting great new arrangements of old standard tunes. He focuses on standards which audiences will know well and selects special arrangements which add interest and demand more of the musicians.

The Beth Shalom Temple Players are back and hard at work rehearsing an all new revue, “From Broadway with Love,” to be presented at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16 and Monday, Feb. 18, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 17, at Beth Shalom Temple Center, 1751 N. Rio Mayo.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Seating is limited. Tickets are on sale at: The Boutique at the Temple on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Camilot Flowers in the Green Valley Mall; Canoa Hills Barber Shop in the Canoa Hills Plaza; Nail Trix in the Safeway Shopping Mall on Duval Mine Road and the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce at 270 W. Continental Road.

Directed and written by Norman Gosman, the production features an exciting lineup of music. Music director and vocalist, as well as guest performer, Tamara Kahrimanis, is the backbone of this musical review.

“If we are to judge from past productions, the cast and the audience will both have an enjoyable experience,” Norman says.“Many of your favorite performers from previous productions, as well as exciting new cast members, will be featured.”

Norman has also invited Yours truly to participate and I am very honored.

The Housley’s Magical Entertainment, featuring magician Rodney Housley and his wife and stage partner, musician Kimberlee, will perform on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, for the “Love Magic?” dinner show at the new Diana Madaras Theater at Amado Territory Ranch, 3001 E. Frontage Rd., Amado, Come enjoy the delightful award winning magic with dinner prepared by Chef Charles Deeby of Kristopher’s Bistro. Tickets are $40 for dinner and show. Call 398-8684 to reserve your table. Visit www.spademagic.com to learn more about Housley’s Magical Entertainment.

rford@gvnews.com