The Dog Island; Wii, PS2; Ubisoft, $29.99

13 years-old Erik Christensen wrote:

Woof! That’s what happens when you complete a quest in The Dog Island.

First of all, you get to pick the kind of dog you want to be and name him or her. I picked a Jack Russell Terrier that I named after my dog Buster.

Buster who is also a Jack Russell was thrilled to see me pick him! He gave me two paws up! This is a game about a dog who’s sibling (brother or sister, you get to pick) has been sick for a long time and doesn’t seem to be getting better. This sends you on a journey to find the great Dr. Potan who is the only one who can cure your sibling’s sickness.

This leads you to get on a boat with dogs in town and travel to The Dog Island where Dr. Potan lives. Thus your adventure begins…You sniff out objects like a basket to carry milk and seashells. Also, on the boat, you swab the deck of dirt.

This game also has a few mini games that you can play in the adventure. These are fishing, insect collecting, soccer, footrace, and sled pull. I liked the fishing because it gives you a challenge to try to pull big fish up into the boat.

Also, once you complete a quest certain dogs may give you items such as bones, precious rocks, etc. which you use to exchange for woofs.You then use woofs to spend a night at an inn during your travels.

You can also compete against other dogs by trying to spook ’em by sneaking up behind them and barking loud. Other places that you can visit are the Restaurant, Malshige’s, café, and the Potan clinic. Dogs that you can meet in the game are Mr. Postman, and Boris the Delivery Man.

I give this game two out of four bones. If you're under 10, you'll dig it. (It's not Rock Band!)

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Happy Friday!

"Started in 2000, we proudly present you the largest collection of sour-faced indignant felines on the Internet."

That's the opening line from MyCatHatesYou and it pretty much says it all. You Friday procrastinators will groove to browsing through the hundreds of snarling, psychotic, deranged felines featured here -- or maybe they just photograph that way. With funny captions to match.

Brought to you Jim Edgars, whose prank has turned into the Bad Cat media juggernaut featuring books, calendars and litter boxes (OK, just kidding about the boxes).

Click here for a seriously bad time!

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Because South Florida is home to so many gorgeous pets, we'll occasionally post photos of some of our favorites. Meet Jazz Siambalirags who lives in Oakland Park.

Jazz is a one-year-old purebred Ragdoll. Her coat pattern is called Seal Tortoise - Mitted. Her mother was Seal (dark brown) and her father was Flame (orange). She will continue to get darker mottled colors, but her Mitted feet will always be white.

She's shown here with her collection of jazz recordings.

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I often like to go on Dogster.com because they have a ton of cute and helpful stuff. In there little slideshow on their home page they had a promo on how to groom your dogs and other "how tos".

When it comes to giving my dogs baths, that is something I can actually do. But I saw these graphics and they are so cute! So I thought I would share them with you. Plus, if you have kids who want to help you wash the dog, this could be helpful and fun.

Besides being cute, they also have a lot of good tips on how to take care of your dogs eyes, ears, teeth and the always unpleasant anal glands... I leave that to the Vet. But they also give you tips on things to watch out for when it comes to your dogs health.

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The Humane Society of the United States today (May 28) announced it will give a $5,000 reward to people who report illegal animal fighting in Florida. The offer applies to those who blow the whistle on cockfighting as well as dog fighting.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum was present at the announcement – as was Winston, a black pit bull formerly used as bait to train fighting dogs.

Winston, former bait dog

Floridians convicted of dog fighting can face five years in jail and a $1,000 fine.
To report dog fighting, call your local CrimeStoppers program or the Humane Society at 202-452-1100.

Seems like one good thing that came out of the Michael Vick case is that awareness has been raised about this cruel practice. Any other thoughts?

My only other comment is: If you don’t know your local CrimeStoppers number (I sure don’t), call the police. This is a crime, not something that is none of your business.

Here is the AP story. (Photo by Associated Press)

By BILL KACZOR"
Associated Press Writer"
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Winston, the black pit bull, is gentle and happy in his new home, his adoptive family says.
But when animal officials confiscated him from a fighting ring last July he was emaciated, covered with scars and had two fractures in his right front leg and heart worms. Authorities said Winston was used as “bait” to train fighting dogs.

The Humane Society of the United States used the pit bull Wednesday during its announcement of a $5,000 reward program for reporting illegal animal fighting in Florida.
The reward program, offered nationally, will be paid out of donations that have poured in after the arrest of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

Vick is serving 23 months in federal prison after admitting he helped run a dogfighting ring out of his Virginia home and executed dogs that performed poorly.
“It says a lot about our society when people are still getting entertainment out of two animals ripping each other apart,” said Laura Bevan, the Humane Society’s southeast regional director.

Attorney General Bill McCollum stooped down to pet mild-mannered Winston before joining Bevan to announce the reward program at a news conference outside the Florida Capitol.

Besides being cruel to animals, McCollum said many people involved in dog and cock fighting often commit violent crimes against people.

Winston’s former owner is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to 10 counts of animal fighting and four counts of animal cruelty.
Amy Raddar, an animal shelter volunteer, has adopted the pit bull. She said he gets along fine with her four children, two cats and four other dogs including two more pit bulls.

“Knowing him and his gentle soul, I think he probably wasn’t mean enough to be the top fighting dog,” she said. “So I think they used him to train their other dogs.”

Animal fighting reports can be phoned in to the Humane Society at 202-452-1100 or local Crime Stoppers programs, which allows informants to remain anonymous and still get rewards.
People charged with animal fighting can face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The maximum for spectators is a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

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Airports -- they're not just for airplanes anymore.

Miami International Airport is considering a proposal to build a pet hotel on the property, according to a story today by Local10- WPLG. Travelers would be able to drop off their dogs or cats on their way out of town, then pick them up on their way back home.

Airport-based pet hotels have been moneymakers in Jacksonville, Fl. and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The Miami-Dade County Commission will discuss the idea on June 3.

Click here for Local10's complete report.

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Woof Gang Bakery in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter may be the only canine specific South Florida baked goods purveyor that employs a professional baker.

But that’s precisely the kind of quality control that Cara and Paul Allen insisted on for their six-month-old bakery, which they are quickly franchising.

“I would say it was really founded on the fact that we’ve always been big animal lovers,” says Cara, who honed her customer-first skills during her time a Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts. “We really wanted to make the kind of store that we wanted to shop in that we hadn’t yet found.”

The Allens are parents to Monty, a long-haired Chihuahua, and Ivory, a mixed breed American Eskimo. Along with their two company-owned stores, a third franchise bakery opened in Key Biscayne in April and a fourth is scheduled for this summer in Doral.

The centerpiece of each shop is a dining room table set with white plates. On each plate is a house-baked treat. A place card holder describes what the treat is made of. They cost $12.95 per pound and customers and mix and match. Woof Gang also sells premium dog food that is wheat-free, corn-free, gluten- free and melamine-free. Look for California Natural, Innova, EVO, Wellness, Merrick, Evanger’s and Fromm.

There are also competitively priced toys, collars, leashes and bowl. Some of them for cats. “You don’t have to spend $100 for a collar and a leash,” says Cara.

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Here’s yet another example of how people who abuse animals often are equally callous toward their own species.

A child abuse investigation in Mississippi last week uncovered a large puppy mill operation with more than 180 dogs – many of them small breeds popular with celebutants, such as Yorkies and pugs. Some of the animals were so matted or disfigured, rescue workers could not determine what breed they were.

Authorities initially were called on suspicion that Janet and Ramone Barretto were severely neglecting their nine youngsters. Eight of the children were taken into protective custody; the Barretto’s 2-year-old daughter later died.

As if the death of a child isn't bad enough: the photos taken by the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, which took the Barretto's animals, are utterly heartbreaking. They should be required viewing for anyone buying a dog from a pet store or from a broker over the Internet that can't (or won't) tell them where their dogs come from. The puppies may be cute, but look at the agony their parents must endure.

This poor Shih Tzu at the Barreto's farm, her fur so matted that she can barely see, still was trying to nurse her new baby when rescue workers put them both into a carrier to take them to a veterinarian.

You can follow the progress of these survivors on at the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society’s Web site. Click here.

Here is the story from the "Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal."

GIRL DIES, PUPPY MILL DISCOVERED
5/20/2008
By Emily Le Coz
Daily Journal

NEW ALBANY - A case of extreme child neglect here Sunday night led to one death, two felony counts and the discovery of a mass puppy breeding operation that has animal officials stunned.

Union County Sheriff's deputies raided the home of Janet and Ramone Barreto, 824 County Road 87 near New Albany, after receiving a tip from doctors that the couple might have abused their adopted daughter.

Once at the home, law-enforcement agents also found more than 180 dogs, 25 cats and several ducks in various conditions. The animals' numbers are expected to increase, because some of them continue to give birth.

Sheriff Tommy Wilhite said the Barreto's 2-year-old daughter was brought from a local hospital to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis for an unspecified reason. Doctors there suspected child neglect and tipped off Wilhite on Sunday night, when he obtained a warrant and raided the property.

The 2-year-old died Monday morning, but a cause of death was not yet available.

All but one of the couple's nine children now are in protective custody, Wilhite said, although he did not give the whereabouts of the remaining child.

The animals are being taken care of by the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, which was called by the sheriff's department Sunday night.

The couple has been charged with two felony counts of child neglect and could face more charges as the investigation continues, Wilhite said. Tupelo-Lee Humane Society officials say they might press charges, too, for animal neglect.

In the meantime, the humane society has filed a warrant for order of protection on the property to allow staff to enter the property and take care of the animals. It also filed a seizure warrant to take the animals from the property, said shelter director Debbie Hood.

Both have been granted.

"We're going to remove any animals that are in emergency situations," Hood said. "We will have a veterinarian assess the situation (Tuesday) and make recommendations. Then we'll need to disperse the animals to different organizations and various volunteers for temporary care of the animals."

Hood described the situation there as a puppy mill - a large-scale breeding operation where the puppies are sold for profit. Those in the mill included Yorkies, English bulldogs, Shitzus, and Pugs, which apparently were sold at various Northeast Mississippi flea markets.

Several area rescue groups have said they will take a few animals, but more are needed to help. Also needed are pet carriers, food bowls and volunteers to go to New Albany and feed the other animals until they can be placed, Hood said.

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Score one for working dogs.

The Golden Cab Corporation of West Palm Beach has settled with the state regarding a complaint from a Lake Worth blind woman, who said a cab driver refused a ride to she and her guide dog because his taxi was not “properly equipped” to transport an animal.

The state sued under the federal American with Disabilities Act of 1990.
As part of the agreement, the company agreed to not to deny rides to any persons accompanied by service animals or to charge them additional for doing so, to notify all of its dispatchers and drivers about its service animal policy, and to post a sign in all of its vehicles, stating that service animals are welcome (not sure exactly how this will help blind customers, but…).

Golden Cab also agreed to pay a $1,000 penalty to each person filing a founded complaint in the future, plus a $1,000 civil penalty to the government.

The ADA allows service animals access to private business and other places where pets often are banned, including restaurants, hotels and supermarkets. This right extends to all animals assisting the disabled, not just guide dogs for the blind. Click here for a US Department of Justice fact sheet on the law and service animals.

MSNBC has reported problems recently with some Muslim cab drivers in Minneapolis refusing to rides to disabled customers with service dogs. Strict Muslims consider dogs unclean and the drivers said carrying the animals went against their beliefs.

The Palm Beach County case, however, did not have anything to do with religion.

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When deciding to buy a new car there are many elements to consider. In our hard economic times, how much gas will my new car eat-up would be my first question. But for dog-lovers we also must think about our pets.

Well, worry no more, dogcars.com has done all the research for you. They have picked their "best in show" vehicles, which include Best Luxury SUV: Land Rover Range Rover (right) and Best Mid-Sized: Volkswagen Toureg and Volo XC90 (Tie).

Plus, they have reviewed all types of cars that didn't make their "Best in Show" list, so check it out to see how your car measures up.

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Christine Abrams, the Central Florida woman accused of leaving her white German shepherd Ella locked in a crate without food or water after she moved out of her house, was in court last week on animal cruelty charges. Her attorney say Abrams, 29, hopes for a plea deal so she can avoid jail time.

Abrams and Ella

Ella died in her crate, a bag of dog food nearby, after Abrams never returned for her, saying her new roommate did not like pets. Neighbors saw the dead dog through the window about two months after Abrams had left and called police.

Amazingly, Abrams is charged with two misdemeanors -- not felonies. Petitions have come from as far away as India and Australia, demanding the harshest penalty possible. Click here to join the petition drive.

A Web site, Voices for Ella, can be found here.
T-shirts and buttons promoting the prevention of animal cruelty are being sold, although I am not sure exactly who this benefits.

Here is the latest Orlando Sentinel story on Abram's case:

Brevard dog-abuse case stirs reaction worldwide
Animal lovers worldwide push for harsh penalty in Brevard

Laurin Sellers | Sentinel Staff Writer
May 23, 2008
COCOA - Nobody knows how long it took Ella to die.

What is known is that the 2-year-old white German shepherd died while waiting for her owner to come home, locked in a crate without food and water for weeks. And that has enraged animal lovers worldwide.

Since Christine Abrams' arrest March 13 on an animal-cruelty charge, thousands of people from as far away as India and Australia have signed petitions and sent letters to Brevard-Seminole State Attorney Norm Wolfinger, demanding the harshest penalty possible.

Some have suggested that Abrams should suffer the same plight as her pet: Two months in a cage. Two months without food or water.

Dressed in all black and dabbing her eyes, Abrams, 29, sat silent in a Viera courtroom Thursday. Her attorney told a judge he intends to propose a plea deal to keep his client out of jail.

Another court hearing was scheduled for June 17.

Abrams is charged with two misdemeanors, animal cruelty and unlawful confinement of an animal. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Her attorney, Andrew Stine of West Palm Beach, said in an interview Tuesday that there are circumstances that he thinks might temper the outrage. He would not provide specifics but hinted at economic hardship. He said he and Abrams have received hate mail and threatening phone calls.

As Abrams left the courthouse with her face covered, several protesters stood outside the main entrance, holding signs that read "Voices for Ella" and "No Plea Deals for Animal Abusers."

Nick Stack, 26, of Merritt Island was among them.

"It's absolutely horrible," said Stack, who has three dogs. "I'd like to see it go to a jury and let a jury decide what should happen to her."

The feelings are understandable, said Melinda Merck, senior director of veterinary forensic sciences for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Animals give us unconditional love that we don't experience with humans," she said. "Even when they are abused and neglected, animals still love you no matter what. That's what cuts people to the core."

Authorities think Ella had been left alone for about two months before neighbors noticed a foul odor, peered through a window of the Cocoa home and saw the dog dead in the crate, a closed bag of dog food 5 feet away.

Police initially feared that something happened to Abrams.

"It never occurred to them that someone would intentionally do this," said Barbara Matthews, spokeswoman for the Cocoa Police Department. Neighbors had told police Abrams was a caring pet owner who walked and played with Ella.

When officers found Abrams five hours later and about six miles away, she told them she had moved in with a male friend in January and left Ella behind because he didn't like dogs, Matthews said.

During their investigation, police also learned that Ella's right leg had been amputated on Nov. 6, 2007. Abrams told a veterinarian that she had come home after a night out to find the dog's leash wound tightly around its swollen limb, according to court records. More recently, police reports indicate that the water service had been turned off and that Abrams might have been facing foreclosure on the house when she left in January.

Stine said Abrams didn't take Ella to a nearby animal shelter because "circumstances did not allow for that."

Animal lovers are angry at the State Attorney's Office for reducing Abrams' charge from a felony to a first-degree misdemeanor.

"In my opinion, all animal abuse should be a felony," Brevard Assistant State Attorney Wayne Holmes said. "But deprivation of food and water is a misdemeanor under that statute."

He said prosecutors would have to prove exactly how Ella died to make it a felony. By the time she was found, her body had mummified, making a necropsy impossible, he said.

"We contacted 10 different experts in veterinary medicine, pathology and mummification," he said. "Nobody could do it."

He said it's not the first time the Brevard office has been peppered with letters about an animal-abuse case.

After nearly 18 years, Holmes still remembers Jingles, a 13-year-old black Labrador, arthritic and losing its sight and hearing. Road-crew workers bashed in its head with a shovel as it staggered toward them, later saying they thought it was rabid. More than 900 people wrote expressing outrage and urged prosecutors to file charges, he said.

He remembers that, Holmes added, because a baby died from abuse the same day in the same town, but he received no letters about that.

"Animals don't have a voice," explained Joy Dias, a grief counselor at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center. "With child abuse, everybody knows that it's wrong, and everybody feels the same. With animals, there are a whole lot of people who just don't get it."

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Give the dog his due. Only six days left to nominate a deserving canine superhero for the Dogs of Valor Awards, sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.

Lassie and Underdog have nothing on some of the real-life canines that have acted bravely and saved human lives.

The Humane Society talks about Jesse, a service dog, who helped his owner -- a woman with an amputated leg -- out of her house when a fire started. Jesse died when he went back in to rescue the cat.
And there was Shana, a German shepherd mix who dug her elderly owners a path through the snow drifts during a storm and pulled them both to safety.

Click here for the Dogs of Valor Award home page, that includes links to the contest rules and nomination form.

There are separate categories for animal companions and working dogs. Nominations must be submitted online and must be received by 5 pm, Friday, May 30. You can nominate your own dog, one belonging to someone else -- or even a deceased animal.

Valor never dies -- or fades away.

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Palm Beach County animal control officers yesterday removed 59 dogs, five parrots and a horse from the property of a man living west of Boca Raton. (Click here for the story). The animals were crammed into cages so small they could not properly stand up, and some were covered with wounds and bite marks.

James Marinakis claimed he was a breeder – someone who was trying to create a super breed of dog called a Centurion.
It also turns out he has been cited before for animal cruelty, and has a history with county animal officers that goes back 10 years.

So... is this guy anything that resembles a breeder? Is he running a puppy mill? Or is he an animal "hoarder?"
And what exactly does the county, and the state, require in order for someone to call him or herself a breeder?

I’m sure some responsible breeders and knowledgeable types out there can answer these questions for me.

Also: A poster to the news story mentioned a great Web site that I use, too: Pet-Abuse.com. Click here to see if anyone your neighborhood might be in their database, or see what's going on with important abuse court cases.

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This little Boston is guilty about something. What does your dogs do when you're away?

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Set your TiVo now.

Housecat Housecall debuts at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 7 on Animal Planet.

Here's how it works. On each episode, veterinarian Dr. Katrina Warren and her team visit three cat-loving families in search of a behavioral solution. Ever hear of a cat going on a hunger strike? What about excessive licking?

I certainly know all about being awakened by a cat in the middle of the night.

Dr. Katrina, as she's called on the show, is the kind of vet we'd all love, complete with an Australian accent and a resume that includes fashion modeling.

The companion web site, housecathousecall.com, offers expert advice from Purina Cat Chow and information for applying for the 2009 season.

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Happy Friday!

A funny take on a serious subject.

Oh, all the bodacious kitties in this production were from a foster home. And the cat in the car was driving on a closed course.

Thanks for sharing, TJ.

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Hallandale is the latest city considering adding a “dog park.” The $3,000 proposal calls for areas of three parks to be fenced off for dogs. Click here for Thursday’s Sun-Sentinel story about the project, which will be evaluated after a three-month trial.

But I’m not a dog owner. I have two cats. So should I support public money being spent on, and public land being set aside for, a dog park?

I easily can answer yes. Why?
Because dog parks are good for dogs – a place for them to get exercise and socialize with other animals.

And dogs are good for people. They provide companionship and unconditional love. Research shows that pets can enhance the quality of human life, literally lowering blood pressure.

That means dogs are good for the community. So as a member of the community, I support what’s good dogs.

I don’t have kids. But I certainly don’t begrudge tax dollars (including a lot of my own) being spent on schools. That’s because kids are good for the community, and I support what’s good for kids.

Having said that: I noticed a few posters to our news story complained about owners not following the rules at existing dog parks.

What should the guidelines be in Hallandale? What bad pet parent manners have you seen in other parks?

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Lou Hawthorne is back. He's the former CEO of Genetic Savings & Clone -- remember them? They made headlines a few years ago as the first commerical "pet cloning" venture but shut down in 2006 after they couldn't make a go of it.

Lou Hawthorne and three clones.

Now Hawthorne is head of the Best Friends Again project -- kind of a clone of Genetic Savings. Next month, the California company plans to hold an online auction, raffling off cloning rights to five dogs. Starting bid: $100,000.

Two caveats (well, there probably are more than two, but we will leave it there):
* Genetic Savings had to give back "pricey refunds" earlier, Hawthorne said, when it failed to clone cats "because the technology was not refined."
* Best Friends is partnering with Hwang Woo Suk, a South Korean scientist who made headlines in 2004 when he falsely claimed to have cloned human embryos.

Click here for the complete New York Times story.

I've asked this question before and will again:
If money wasn't an object, would you want to clone your pet?

Me, I don't want a duplicate of my animal friends. They can't be replaced or replicated. Just like my human ones.

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Having trouble picking a name for your new pet?

You could give your dog a celebrity baby name like Lourdes (Madonna's baby's name), Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow) or Suri (Katie Homes). Which probably work BETTER as pet names... or you could pick from the top 10 most popular male and female names according to a survey given by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VIP).

You will be SHOCKED by the number one male and female names... OK, probably not but check it out anyway

CLICK for list!

TOP 10 MALE PET NAMES
1. MAX
2. BUDDY
3. JAKE
4. ROCKY
5. BAILEY
6. BUSTER
7. CODY
8. CHARLIE
9. BEAR
10. JACK

TOP 10 FEMALE PET NAMES
1. MOLLY
2. MAGGIE
3. DAISY
4. LUCY
5. SADIE
6. GINGER
7. CHLOE
8. BAILEY
9. SOPHIE
10. ZOE

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Michael Mack -- a guitarist and comedian famous for his "Faces of Rock" routine -- will headline a benefit for Animal Aid Inc. on Friday, May 30. Four comedians will perform.

The show begins at 8 pm at New York Comedy Club, 8221 Glades Road, Boca Raton. There is a $20 donation required, and a two-item minimum purchase.

Animal Aid operates a no-kill shelter and adoption center in Oakland Park, has a spay and neuter program, and runs a cat sanctuary in Naples. The organization also adopts its cats and kittens through the PetSmart store at Sawgrass Mills.

The nonprofit group runs completely on private donations. Click here for more information about Animal Aid. Or call 954-730-8398.

Check out their section on their special needs pets. These animals need extra support and, in some cases, a forever home with the right kind of person. Maybe that person is you.

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A book crossed my desk that is nothing more than pure indulgence. Eye candy. Escapism canine-style.

Because if you like dogs, you’ll love Dogs: 101 Adorable Breeds ($24.99, Andrews McMeel). Rachael Hale, an animal portrait photographer from Aukland, New Zealand, manages to capture the essence of every breed. You can also read about each dog’s origins, temperament and maintenance.

But this book is really about looking at photos. And judging by the reaction of my co-workers, it's about oohing and awwing at the collection of adorable dogs.

Doggone cute.

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So... I may have made a training boo-boo.

When we get home from work the routine is: check the mail, let the dogs out and then eat. Silvio also has a routine: bang against the door until I let him out, potty outside and beg for food (while we're eating).

When we're eating I noticed Sil tries to get our attention by playing with toys. (Which is unusual because he typically doesn't play with toys.)

So, one day Sil came over to the table, while we were eating, with a toy in his mouth. He had done this a couple times before so I thought I'd try to teach him something. So the next time he came over with the toy (before he dropped it) I said "GIVE", and of course he dropped it because he finally thought he got my attention, and I gave him a treat.

As our dinner went on he learned very quickly that toy in mouth = treat. At first he couldn't figure out what caused me to give him a treat and he kept dropping the toy before I would say anything.

He even retraced his steps (walked away from the table to his bed and back) every time he would make a new attempt for the treat.

Now he is a pro. Every time we sit down to eat he has a toy in his mouth before we even take a bite. He knows not to drop the toy until I say something.

This is the boo-boo. He has no idea what "GIVE" means. He thinks when I say anything is a cue to drop the toy. Plus, I tried to use "GIVE" when there was no food and he had no reaction. So now all we've done is taught him a new (funny) way to beg.

Darn it!

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Got so caught up in the Oakland Park barking dog case yesterday that some serious global animal news slipped by me…
Japan has named Hello Kitty to an ambassador post!

That cute little be-bowed kitten's iconic face is well-known to us stateside, as it's stamped on lunch boxes, kid's clothing and all sorts of stuff made overseas -- where most of our kids' toys come from. Ms. Kitty's new role, however, will be to say hello to tourists from neaby China and Hong Kong.

The girl even has a new multi-million dollar musical in the works: "Hello Kitty's Dream Light Fantasy," due to tour the US over the next three years. And you thought it was tough to get your kid a ticket to Hannah Montana.

Here's the AP story, plus a photo of Mademoiselle Ambasador looking pretty in pink. Next stop: the U.N.

HELLO KITTY NAMED JAPAN’S TOURISM AMBASSADOR
From Associated Press
May 19, 2008

TOKYO - Hello Kitty, Japan's ubiquitous ambassador of cute, has built up an impressive resume over the years. Global marketing phenom. Fashion diva. Pop culture icon.
Now the moonfaced feline can add "government envoy" to the list.

Japan's tourism ministry on Monday named Hello Kitty as its choice to represent the country in China and Hong Kong, two places where she is wildly popular among kids and young women.

Officials hope tapping into that fan base will lead to a bigger flow of tourists into Japan and push the country closer to the goal of attracting 10 million overseas visitors every year under the "Visit Japan" campaign.

Last year the number of foreign tourists traveling to Japan hit a record high of 8.35 million, up 60 percent since the government began the marketing effort in 2003.

Arrivals from China and Hong Kong, who accounted for 16.5 percent of visitors to Japan last year, are poised this year to become the second-largest group of tourists after South Koreans.

At a press conference, Sanrio Co. President Shintaro Tsuji, whose company created the toy cat, called Hello Kitty's new appointment "an honor" and pledged the feline would "work hard to attract many visitors."

Japan's other goodwill tourism ambassadors include Korean singer Younha, Japanese actress Yoshino Kimura and Japanese pop/rock duo Puffy AmiYumi.

Although this is the first time the tourism ministry has tapped a fictional character for the role, the foreign ministry in March inaugurated blue robo-cat Doraemon as Japan's "anime ambassador."

Designed in 1974 by Sanrio, Hello Kitty first appeared on a plastic coin purse. Her image today has become one of the most powerful brands in the world, adorning some 50,000 products in 60 countries.

Hello Kitty — one of mascot-obsessed Japan's biggest hits as a toy character — is often seen on lunch boxes, jewelry and many other accessories.

In China, Kitty-fever has already broken out.
A multi-million-dollar musical featuring Hello Kitty opened earlier this year in Beijing and is in the midst of a national tour. "Hello Kitty's Dream Light Fantasy" is then scheduled to travel to Malaysia, Singapore and the United States over its three-year run.

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So, I'm walking down the street with Silvio, minding my own business when I notice a very loud mockingbird sitting on a wire directly above me. I remember thinking his/her chirping sounded like a car alarm.

Sil stops to sniff a nearby tree and when he's finished we continue on, but I realize the mockingbird is now sitting on a FOR SALE sign right in front of me.

We take about five steps pass the bird when it swoops down and hovers over Silvio's back. Of course, I am shocked and my reaction is to pull Sil toward me (but Sil was apparently to interested in what he was sniffing because he never noticed the crazy bird.)

I thought for sure the bird was going to peck at his ears or something. Thankfully, it didn't attack.

I've never seen anything like that before and I was just wondering if that is normal? I assume the Mocking birds are protecting their eggs. And I have seen mockingbirds fight with each other. But to pick a fight with a dog is impressive and crazy.

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Nothing like a constantly barking dog to drive you berserko. The solution for one Oakland Park 23-year-old guy? He's in jail, without bond, on charges that he shot and killed his neighbor's mixed-breed Boxer because the dog's constant baking interfered with his studying. Click here for the full story.

But BarkingDogs.net, an extensive online resource dedicated to what it calls "the barking epidemic," has its own suggestion:
Shame 'em on YouTube. Use a camcorder, not a gun.

The advantages of this method?

You can vividly show your neighbor's dog in all his full, barking glory -- and send it to everyone you know. Like your city council members, law enforcement, other neighbors and, of course, the dog's owner.

Not to mention you avoid jail time.

Here's an example. Think this would work?

Here's the link to YouTube's Barking Dog Video Group.

Yes, this problem is annoying so many of us, it has its own group.

By the way: Turns out dogs taking a bullet for sounding off isn't that uncommon. Just a quick search turned up three stories of people, driven over the brink by incessant barking, who went gunning for their neighbor's pets.

Isn't this the owner's fault? Yet BarkingDogs.net claims that people who try to deal with the barking issue by going through the legal system rarely get satisfaction.

Here's: "Barking dog shot, killed outside its home." (Staten Island, NY. July 2007)

And here's: "Dog shot dead by neighbor because of barking." (Atlantic Beach, NY. March 2006)

And: "Man arrested for allegedly shooting barking dog." (Albuquerque, NM. January 2005)

Feel free to share your own tales of "barking hell."

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True or false?

* If you are approached by an aggressive dog, scream and run away.
* Look directly into a threatening dog’s eyes, to establish your dominance.
* A dog flattening his ears against his head indicates he wants you to pet him.

If you answered true to any of the above… you have a lot of company. Every year, more than 800,000 people, more than half of them children, get medical attention for dog bites. And many were bitten because they did not understand how to deal with an aggressive dog.

Next week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. And Bark Busters, a worldwide network of dog trainers, is offering free hour-long workshops by its South Florida affiliates on bite prevention and animal behavior. Bark Busters Dog Safety program is available to community and neighborhood groups, Boy and Girl Scout troops, and other organizations.

Bark Busters also is giving away free window decals for homeowners, which alert emergency personnel and firefighters that a pet is inside the home.

To schedule a workshop or for more information, click here for the Bark Busters Web site. Or call 877-500-2275 to find a Bark Buster trainer near you.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also have a great tip sheet on dog bite prevention. Click here to see it.

As for our test above? All of the statements were false. Here are the correct answers and a few more tips:
1.) Do not run and scream if a dog is threatening you. Instead, face the dog but stand very still. Wait for the dog to lose interest and then back away slowly, watching the dog from the corner of your eye.
2.) Avoid direct eye contact with a dog, as the animal might feel threatened. Fear is the number one reason dogs bite.
3.) Ears flattened against the head, tail lowered, hackles raised on the back of the neck and teeth bared all are danger signs that the dog might attack.

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See this guy? He’s the sweetest, most loving cat I have ever shared my life with. He turned my husband, who never had a pet as child, into someone who loves animals and goes out of his way to be kind to them.

This is Dolan. And he was peering out of his cage at Broward County’s main animal shelter in Fort Lauderdale when I first saw him.

This same facility, and the county’s Animal Care and Regulation division that runs it, now is under fire for its practices and its conditions, as detailed in a story in the Sun-Sentinel today. Click here to read it.

On the comment board, I saw several posts suggesting the county should go to a no-kill shelter. My question: How in the world can that happen?

As it is, Broward had to euthanize –- OK, let’s be honest, had to kill -- more than half of the 20,000 animals it took in last year. Dolan was just a few days from being one of them when I adopted him, at age 3, nine years ago.

Given the numbers, it’s no secret that a countywide no-kill shelter would reach capacity pretty quickly. Once the inn is full, where will these pets end up when their owners decide they are done with them? On the street, where they may get sick and slowly die? Or where they may be hit by a car or attacked by a larger animals?

Seems a more realistic solution is a mandatory neuter and spay law, like they have in Palm Beach County.

And by the way: The reason the county has to put down so many companion animals is not the fault of its workers, even if the shelter’s administration is found to be flawed. It’s the fault of irresponsible owners – and of people who would rather pay hundreds of dollars for a designer pet than give a home to one in desperate need.

If you must buy a purebred, why not at least consider a 1-to-1 policy; for every pet you purchase, agree the next one will be adopted. Or go to one of the many breed-specific rescue groups out there. You can find them by going to Petfinder here , then go to "Find Animal Welfare Groups" in the purple box on the left.

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The 2008 Florida legislative session is over. And it's still legal in our state to sexually assault animals.

So that’s why an unnamed Palm Beach Gardens man, suspected of sexually abusing his two German shepherds, may walk away if it turns out he’s guilty of the crime. Because there is no crime. Florida is one of 20 states with no laws addressing this kind of behavior. That leaves prosecutors and police stuck with trying to prove animal cruelty – a much tougher standard, where it must be shown abuse happened deliberately and over time. Not to mention the two potential victims can’t speak out against the man who, quite simply, may have raped them.

In the meantime, however, police were able to arrest a Royal Palm man today (Friday) for keeping five dogs in wretched conditions. The animals were crammed into cages filled with waste, with no food and water. At least these dogs received some justice. Click here for the story.

County animal care workers have gained temporary custody of the German shepherds that may have been assaulted, while the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation. Click here if you want to read the Thursday Sun-Sentinel story on this case.

Sen. Nan Rich tried to change all this, though. And for that, everyone who believes animals deserve our respect and protection should send her a thank-you note.

The legislator, who represents parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, introduced a bill this past session, SB 0744. It would have made it a felony for people to have sex with animals, aiding another person in having sex with animals, or knowingly permitting such an act.

The measure passed unanimously in the Senate criminal justice committee but never got any further. The House never heard it.

Rich, talking with me in the final weeks of the session, acknowledged the bill was dead but promised she would bring it back next year. Although it tackles a difficult subject some would rather ignore, Rich said she thought the proposal had solid support. “It just got started too late,” she said.

Rich first got interested in the issue when an animal welfare group from the Panhandle approached her. Their town had just been through a brutal case, where a man was accused of assaulting a family’s pregnant pet goat and then murdering her. But prosecutors had to settle for a misdemeanor trespassing charge because there was no law regarding the sex crime.

The reason: When the state years ago struck down laws that had made sodomy illegal, the ones regarding sex with animals went, too.

The animal rights group also pointed Rich, a long-time children’s advocate, to research that showed people who sexually abused animals often did the same thing to children. “We have heard of so many cases, it kind of makes you ill,” she said.

Hats off to Rich as well for, in her bill draft, calling this act what it is: sexual abuse and assault. “Bestiality” is a term more likely to draw sniggers, suggestions of sheep in garter belts or frat parties with porn movies. A human being sexually forcing him or herself on a creature that can’t consent or can’t even protest is an act of violence and cruelty. It’s rape and it’s wrong.

If you have any doubt, click here and look at some of the cases on Pet-Abuse.com, which logs all types of animal abuse cases. Bring a strong stomach. Puppies, dogs, horses, cats and goats all have been victimized.

This Jack Russell terrier was sexually assaulted and injured, the insides of his ears deliberately burned with a caustic chemical, and then dropped off anonymously at a Phoenix-area animal shelter last year.

Other animals were tortured or mutilated. Some had their paws and muzzles bound with duct tape so they couldn’t struggle, or were tied to a tree so they couldn’t escape. Many of them died from their injuries.

It’s 292 days until the beginning of the regular 2009 legislative session. And it’s still legal to sexually assault animals in Florida. Send an e-mail to Nan Rich by going here, and tell her you support her efforts on the behalf of these silent victims. Then tell your own elected legislators the same thing.

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Happy Friday!

It's Angel vs. the World. Let the rumble begin!

Click here and add Kittenwar to your list of favorite Friday procrastination rituals. It's tons of time-wasting fun to pit kitties against each other, as they purr and snuggle and cute their way to victory. Here is Angel, waiting for her first contender.

Check out the biggest winners and losers. It's more entertaining than American Idol.

Oh, my Frances Jeanne has repeatedly challenged fellow blogger John T's cat, Brisket, to a face off. Both are tuxedo cats.
John keeps putting the match off: "Brisket is a lover, not a fighter," he said the other day. Me thinks he's running scared.

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A dog, a cat and a rat --
If they can live in balance, why can't we? Check out this amazing video of what a Colorado self-proclaimed "animal trainer" says is a model for world peace.

Thanks, Karen, for sharing!

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On our politics blog yesterday, reporter Scott Wyman wrote that the Broward County Commission has reworked the ordinance that defines “dangerous dogs.”

In a nutshell, a dog now will be considered dangerous if:

1.) It severely injures or kills a person; or
2.) It kills a domestic animal in an unprovoked attack off the owner’s property.

Once a dog is declared dangerous, it must registered with the county, muzzled in public and kept in a confined area with a warning posted.
(Click here if you want to read Scott's complete post on the new law.)

Notice there is no mention of specific breeds. But it is a stricter law, as previously dogs had to kill a pet twice before being labeled dangerous.

This ruling made me think back to an April post on SSS! by Karla, who uses a Rottweiler as a service dog and also is a dog trainer. Karla said she travels a lot overseas and thought that regulations they had in Majorca, an island off the coast of Spain, would work great here. Requirements include:

1.) All dogs over 22 kilos (48.5 pounds), or those considered “bully breeds,” must be registered.
2.) Owners of these dogs must have a muzzle with them at all times when with the dog (don’t have to make the dog wear it, though).
3.) Owners must have a criminal background check, a medical clearance saying they are physically and mentally capable of handling such a pet, and carry $250,000 in insurance.
4.) Dogs cannot be walked on a flexi-leash or leash longer than 6 feet.
5.) A vet must certify the animal has been vaccinated and is not vicious.

(Click here if you want to read Karla’s full post.)

So what do you think of Broward County’s new law? Does it go too far or not far enough? Should there be additional guidelines for specific breeds? Should owners be required to carry extra insurance, as they are in Spain?

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Dogs were receiving bone marrow transplants before humans, as canines were research subjects when the procedure was being developed. Now, dogs with lymphoma can get the life-saving treatment in their own right, say veterinary oncologists at Washington State University -- for a price.

Medical technology is advancing for companion animals, just as it is for their human friends. And with it comes the same questions we ask about advanced medical treatments for ourselves and our two-legged loved ones. When is it time to say "enough" and let go? And with pets comes a second, more complicated query: When does "too much" mean too much money to prolong an animal's life?

Trudy, growing older

The story by Tom Paulson of the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer," which ran Monday, is below. But I also encourage you to click here and read Paulson's accompanying piece about his golden retriever, Trudy, who had a rare blood disease.
"I had to ask my veterinarian to kill my beloved dog recently," Paulson starts out... But not before he spent $7,000, trying to buy a few more months with her.

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTS -- FOR DOGS
BY TOM PAULSON c.2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
May 12, 2008

SEATTLE -- The bone marrow, or stem cell, transplant, a procedure that every year saves tens of thousands of lives and won for the Seattle physician who pioneered it the 1990 Nobel Prize in Medicine, appears poised to come full circle and finally become more widely available to those who first made it all possible.
Dogs.

"They helped us figure out how to help save ourselves, and so this represents a big give-back to the canine species," said Dr. Jeffrey Bryan, a veterinary oncologist at Washington State University.

Bryan is spearheading a project to soon launch what would be the world's first large-scale clinical transplant program for dogs. The program is expected to become available to treat dogs with lymphoma sometime this summer.

Bone marrow transplants had been done experimentally in dogs over the decades, Bryan said, and clinically for a few dogs by some pioneering private practice veterinarians. But the procedure has never before been routinely offered as a cancer therapy for the canine community, he said.

"We are looking at this as an option for dealing with one of the most common cancers in dogs," Bryan said. "There are tens of thousands of dogs diagnosed with lymphoma every year. At WSU, we get five or six calls a week."

The WSU transplant program, which will be a partnership with a private business based in North Carolina, is intended to make the procedures available to pet owners for about $15,000 to $20,000 per dog. That's pricey, Bryan acknowledged, but there appears to be enough demand among pet owners to support the program.

"We could never have done this in the first place without dogs," said Dr. Rainer Storb, head of transplant biology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and one of the original members of the team of Seattle scientists led by Nobel Laureate Dr. E. Donnall Thomas that worked to perfect the procedure in humans during the 1960s and '70s.

It's not just that the scientists happened to work with dogs when the research started, Storb said. Dogs -- unlike mice or monkeys or any other animals in research -- turned out to be uniquely qualified to serve as animal models for the experimental human bone marrow transplant, he said, in part because of their broad genetic diversity.

"It is the only species other than humans that has such a large spectrum of genetic diversity," Storb said. Just consider the difference between a dachshund and a Great Dane, he said, and you get the picture. "They also suffer many of the same diseases as humans."

By 1965, when Storb moved from Europe to Seattle to work with Thomas and his team, most researchers had concluded that bone marrow transplantation would never work. All of the earlier experimental attempts had failed miserably in people, usually because of immune system rejection. But the Seattle team stubbornly believed it could be done and, working with veterinarians, recruited dog owners to help advance the science.

"The funniest one I remember was Richard, a very old Chihuahua with no teeth," Storb said. He said the dog was constantly fainting in the lab and they eventually determined he didn't actually have cancer but rather severe anemia. They gave the owner anemia drugs to treat Richard and sent him home.

Another time, a friend of Thomas brought in his energetic German shorthaired pointer, which had lymphoma. The dog escaped the lab and the scientists spent hours searching the neighborhood before finding him. Storb recalled many other dogs he met while trying to perfect the transplant procedure. Many died anyway, of course, but man's best friends eventually revealed to the scientists how to make it work.

The first clue dogs gave for making transplantation work was identifying that a close tissue match between the marrow donor and the patient was critical, Storb said.
"This was not the case in mice," he said. "We only discovered this because of the dogs. And they also showed us it wasn't the entire solution."

Research in dogs helped the Seattle scientists figure out how to reduce the risk of immune system rejection and led to the first successful human bone marrow transplants. Storb continues to work with dogs and is now doing studies, all of them nonlethal, aimed at eliminating the need for radiation and toxic chemotherapy altogether.

"Dogs are still important to this science," Storb said.
"So it's only fair that we now make this as widely available as a treatment option for them as well," said Dr. Edmund Sullivan, a Bellingham veterinarian uniformly credited with doing one of the first nonexperimental marrow transplants for a dog in this region -- in 2004 on a golden retriever named Comet who had T-cell lymphoma.

Comet was successfully treated for the lymphoma, and enjoyed years more of life, but died last month at age 10 from a different cancer, said his owner, Darrell Hallett, a Seattle attorney.
Sullivan has since done transplants for five other dogs, some brought to Bellingham from as far away as Dallas and New York City. The Bellingham vet, who charges between $25,000 to $35,000 for the procedure, has been able to pioneer the transplant here by working with Storb and also using WSU's radiation equipment.

But once WSU launches its own transplant program, Sullivan has been told he will no longer be allowed to use the university's radiation equipment to do the procedures at his Bellingham clinic.
"Ed deserves a lot of credit for pushing this forward," Bryan said. But in order for the transplants to be done at the highest quality and become fully incorporated as a standard of care within veterinary medicine, the WSU oncologist said, the entire procedure needs to be comprehensively managed within an institutionalized program.

Sullivan agrees with the need for an institutionalized program, but said he sees no reason why he can't also continue to do the transplants, given his successful track record. The Bellingham vet said he suspects there are "turf" or business concerns playing into this and plans to continue to press WSU to allow him access to the radiation equipment.
"I mean, I helped get this whole thing going, starting with Comet," Sullivan said.

However this professional dispute plays out, it appears that bone marrow transplantation will soon become an option for the species that allowed scientists to develop one of the most powerful and innovative anti-cancer therapies out there.
Good dogs.

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Every morning I get to work at around 10 a.m. and go through the same routine. I start up my computer, check my schedule and check out the Dog of the Day.

Dogoftheday.com is a cute site where everyday people (like myself) can nominate their pets by sending in a picture and bio. (And cross your fingers that your pet gets picked.)

And if you’re a cat fan there is also a link for Cat of the Day!

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If you’re like 30 million other Americans, you travel with a pet.

Nancy Cribb of Delray Beach was returning from a visit with her parents in Arkansas, when she got tired of trying to get her two Bichon Frises to drink water at every rest stop.

She looked at her cup holders and a light bulb went off. Why hadn’t anyone invented a bowl that fits in a car cup holder?

The To Go Bowl is her first invention and available just in time for Memorial Day travel from her web site furrytravelers.com.

“People that take their dogs in the car immediately know how valuable it is,” says Cribb, who left a job in property management to launch the site and her flagship invention.

Available in six colors, each $15 bowl holds 24 ounces of water. Cribb recommends filling the bowl to just 16 ounces in stop-and-go traffic. A removable base holds treats or dry dog food. The bowls are made in a Dania Beach factory.

Cribb sells several other products on the web site including harnesses, booster seats and strollers. You’ll also find South Florida stores that carry the To Go Bowl.

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This from my co-worker and gal pal Megan. As an investigative reporter, she encounters far more interesting people than I ever could hope to meet.

In 2001 I wrote a short story for the Sun-Sentinel about a South Florida woman who asked the Town Commission in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea to prohibit people from feeding squirrels. "Common sense would tell you they are a rodent, and you wouldn't want to attract rodents," she told her elected officials. They scoffed and sent her, um, scurrying. "I feed the squirrels. I'm guilty," said then-Commissioner Bob Waller.

Twiggy in action

Since the story appeared, I've been getting, unsolicited, a regular newsletter from, of all things, squirrel lovers. "In a Nutshell" is usually eight pages long, complete with photos and headlines such as: "Baldy and His Gang -- Part 5" ( a 1,200-word essay by a squirrel-feeding window washer charmed by a hoard of squirrels peering into his bucket). In the May/June issue the same author has a piece on his 1997 invitation to appear on the Rosie O'Donnell show to defend the honor of all squirrels, whom Rosie likened to "rats with too much hair" (a phrase she no doubt later employed in her feud with Donald Trump).

The newsletter is the communication vehicle for the 2,500-member Squirrel Lover's Club, published by something called Squirrelly Productions, "a division of Cats 'N' Such, Inc.," out of Elmhurst, Illinois. Cost of membership: $28 a year. (For another $9.99 you can have a DVD with 75 pictures of the "albino squirrels of Olney, Illinois.") Club members remind each other about daylight savings time, mourn the deaths of other squirrel lovers, and commiserate over chewed screen doors.

Little known facts are shared, too. Did you know Hollywood makeup artists prefer to use brushes made from squirrel hair? The brushes give the face "an otherworldly sheen." The latest newsletter even has a cartoon dealing with the sub-prime mortgage crisis and its impact on squirrels. (Picture a nut being thrown out of a hole in a tree.)

Not surprisingly, club members go so far as to bestow names on their favorite squirrels. Besides Baldy, the newsletter refers to Frisky, Cutie, Gray, Hector, Happy, Jazzy, Eenie, Meanie, Miney, and Moe. There's even reference to a fictional critter, Binky --- a water-skiing squirrel that’s a character in the mystery novel Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear. Binky presumably is modeled after Twiggy, a real-life skiing performer that is a fixture at boat shows.

Click here to read more for yourself about the Squirrel Lovers Club, including an update on Twiggy's 2008 tour.

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Are pets property? Or do they have a unique value as living creatures, and companions to human beings, that puts them in a different category than your Honda Accord, your iPod and other things you "own?"

This question is explored in an article by R. Scott Nolen in the upcoming May 15 issue of the "Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association."

Many pet owners are unaware that in almost every state (including Florida), companion animals legally are considered property. This means that while people can sue to reclaim medical and some other types of expenses for what they consider a wrongful death or injury of their pet, they cannot claim damages for emotional distress and loss of companionship. Losing your pet, legally, is the same thing as losing your Honda Accord.

Yet emotional loss claims are the kind that usually bring higher penalties, especially if the case goes to a jury. Nursing home lawsuits often play heavily on emotional loss. People who believed their animals died last year due to eating tainted pet food, and who wanted to send a message to the manufacturers, were disappointed when they discovered the property stumbling block.

But now the Vermont Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case of a couple that wants to sue their veterinarian and a compounding pharmacy for emotional pain and loss of compansionship. Robert and Susan Goodby claim their cats negligently were given the wrong dose of a hypertension medication that caused both pets to die within days of each other. While the ruling would apply only to Vermont, it could set a precedent for other states.

Needless to say, veterinarians, animal welfare activists and pet people are watching this case closely. We'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I suggest you read Nolen's upcoming piece. You can do so by clicking here.
The article lays out the battle lines and the arguments both are making. The alliances are interesting: the American Kennel Club sides with the veterinarians against allowing damages for emotional loss, while the Animal Defense Fund took the other position.

The AVMA's position opposing noneconomic damages is posted on the association's Web site (click here to see it).

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Gail Gedan writes

There have been rumors of chickens in the neighborhood around Plantation's Seminole Park. We've certainly heard the rooster crowing in the morning, and people have seen fleeting glances of chicken-like birds wandering the grounds, but today, while walking my son to school, Mr. and Mrs. Plantation Chicken decided to put on a strutting, squawking show. After I dropped him off, I went back home for my camera and chased them around the park. Here they are!

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Bruce and I were e-chatting earlier this week about my earlier post, regarding people leaving behind their pets when walking away from their foreclosed homes. Bruce wanted to remind folks that if you find a dumped animal, you can try to find its owner through a free Sun-Sentinel classified ad. Click here for the details. However, you'll need to pay if you are seeking a new home for your own pet.

Bruce was speaking from experience, as he recently stumbled across a "lost" stray himself. Bruce did find the cat a home — although not the one he originally anticipated. Here's his story:

Mr. T, and eyes that would melt a heart of stone

Was about a month ago when I ended up with cute black kitten left at a local restaurant - the Georgia Pig.

I advertised on Craig's List for someone to take him but no luck. I just realized yesterday that animal ads in the Sun Sentinel are free and run for a few days. I should have thought about that...
In any case, the black kitten -- "Mr. T" -- seems to like us and we love him. Our other two cats took about a month to get along with him.

I just mention this ... so that the "free ad" thing could be mentioned in any future articles. Just one more idea that people could do instead of giving up on their pets.

I say Mr. T is one lucky guy.
So tell us... has a "lost" pet ever "found" you?

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The Humane Society of the United States has released a video that blows the snazzy front doors off Pets of Bel Air, a tony "pet boutique" catering to spoiled celebutants from the Paris Hilton mold. Turns out most of these pups destined for the laps of luxury are the “products” (which is exactly how the people who raise and sell these animals see them) of puppy mills. The video cuts between the store, which is crammed with designer pet totes and doggy duds, to the Midwestern kennels, where dogs with bleeding feet and sores are crammed into wire cages. There, they spend their miserable lives pumping out litter after litter.

Puppies born under these conditions, not surprisingly, are more likely to have congenital illnesses or skeletal deformities. The Bel Air employees, while denying the operation is supplied by mills, also talk about how they never are allowed to tell customers when a potential pet might be seriously sick. “If anything, we just say he has the sniffles,” giggles one. “It’s cuter.”

There are similar pet stores in South Florida, which has a celebutant culture of its own. If you patronize them, you’re part of problem. Stop it. It’s a dog — a living, breathing creature -- not an accessory.

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Here’s a dog walking product that I’m about to order for friends in Toronto. Whenever I visit, I look forward to walks with their dog, a Labradoodle named Dingo.

Called Leash Luggage, it’s a small bag that attaches to the handle of the leash. It holds plastic grocery bags for clean up. There’s also room for a house key and treats.

They’re $15 from www.leashluggage.com. Add $3 if you want the leopard, zebra or rainbow printed “Gooch Poochie” designs.

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Happy Friday!

No cutie pie calendar kitties for me! I like my cats, well, catty. Which is why I LOVE this thing by Corey "Mr. Safety" Williams, a Los Angeles-area independent video producer inspired by his newly adopted cat. It's a paean to all things feline: Watch Sparta drink out of the toliet, stalk Corey through the halls of their apartment, and practically unhinge his jaw, like a python, trying to stick Corey's entire hand inside his mouth.

Oh, and the song is a total head spin.
"Hey Little Sparta, what's with all the fight?
Little bitty kitty wanna bite, bite, bite."

Keep reading for the surprising back story about Sparta.

Turns out that Sparta orginally was the cat that nobody wanted.
His first family decided they couldn't keep him. So the little girl hauled Sparta from door to door, begging neighbors to take the cat, saying her mother was going to send him to the animal shelter.
Corey's friend agreed. But then the friend's first child arrived and Sparta had to go.

So he landed on Corey's doorstep.
And now, a YouTube video with more than 8 million hits later, the rest is history.

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State laws often are surprisingly weak when it comes to regulating pet stores and breeders. New York state is considering a bill that would give more inspection and enforcement powers to county SPCA officials. The action comes after law enforcement removed dozens of dogs from a Long Island home suspected of being a puppy mill. Here is the story.

BY CARL MACGOWAN AND LAURA RIVERA
From Newsday, May 8, 2008

The investigation of an East Northport, N.Y. woman suspected of running a puppy mill illustrates the need for expanded enforcement power for local animal-control authorities, officials said yesterday.

A dog removed from Long Island home

Fifty-six dogs were taken on Tuesday from the home of Irene Monroig, 66, whom officials said was the subject of several complaints from neighbors.
Monroig also was disciplined seven years ago by the American Kennel Club for sloppy record keeping.

Monroig has not yet been charged. A spokesman for the Suffolk County district attorney's office said prosecutors are waiting for information from the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals regarding the health of the dogs before deciding how to proceed.

Cracking down on suspect breeders and pet stores is difficult because the local SPCA has limited investigatory powers, said Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk society.
The SPCA is not allowed by state law to inspect breeders or pet stores without "reasonable cause" to believe a crime has occurred, said Gross, who wants expanded duties for SPCA officers.

Two bills before state Senate and Assembly committees would give Suffolk the authority to inspect and fine pet dealers and breeders who neglect or abuse animals. "The state just doesn't have the manpower, the personnel, to do spot checks," said Suffolk County Legis. Jack Eddington (WF-Medford).

The state Department of Agriculture and Markets has a dozen employees -- three for the New York metropolitan area -- to inspect the state's licensed dealers and breeders, spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden said. Gross said the Suffolk SPCA has 50 to 60 personnel to help conduct inspections.

Hundreds of people inquired about adopting the dogs after authorities swarmed to the house following an anonymous complaint.
Complaints from neighbors about Monroig date back at least two years, Town of Huntington officials said yesterday during a news conference at the town animal shelter. But inspectors could not go into the house following previous complaints because Monroig was not home, said town public safety director Bruce Richard.

On Tuesday, town inspectors blocked Monroig's driveway on Wicks Road until she emerged from the house, Richard said. "When confronted, she willingly let us in," he said.
The dogs, many with matted fur, lived in cramped, filthy conditions with moldy food and feces, Gross said. "This is one of those houses that you go into and you never forget," he said.
Huntington officials said Monroig may be charged with housing code violations. "The house at this point is condemned because the conditions are deplorable," Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone said.

Monroig, whom officials suspect was breeding and selling puppies at her home, was suspended for five years and fined $1,000 in 2001 by the American Kennel Club, a club spokeswoman said. Officials of the club, which registers purebred dogs, said inspectors found that a litter of dogs she had registered were actually of mixed breed. Monroig's privileges are on hold pending the outcome of the Suffolk case, the spokeswoman said.

Efforts to reach Monroig and her attorney yesterday were unsuccessful. Her daughter, Suzanne Frayler, 41, of Manorville, said her mother had a minor stroke about a year ago.

Some neighbors and customers defended Monroig. "Irene loves her dogs," said groomer Joan Butkereit, 59, of Lynbrook, who said she has recommended Monroig to clients for 25 years. "A couple of years back, I saw her at an emergency vet clinic. There she was, assisting dogs in need in the middle of the night."
More than 1,000 people called the SPCA about adopting the dogs, Gross said. Most will be available for adoption in about a week, after examination by vets, he said.

Click here for the original story about removing the dogs.

Do you think there should be more local regulation of breeders and pet stores?

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Here's some pics from the recent Walk for Wildlife, and the fundraising results...

Animal Planet star Jeff Corwin was at the front of the pack, when the SPCA Wildlife Care Center's Walk for Wildlife got underway on April 19 in Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach.

It was a great day for the 4,500 walkers and their pets -- a 30 percent increase in attendance over the previous year. They raised more than $100,000 for the center, which rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured wildlife as well as finds homes for domestic and exotic animals.

The top fundraising "flock," pictured above with Corwin, was the Michelle Lawless Wildlife Warriors. Other awards went to Donna Leone for top adult fundraiser, and to Alex Ng for the top child fundraiser -- Alex's second year winning that title.

And here are some walking teams that had a Dog Day Morning:
Mike Ingenito with Cody and Coco;
and Kelsey and Aubrey Harper with Charo.

Congratulations to the walkers and the center for a successful event.

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Oline Cogdill writes

Shih tzu owners know how wonderful these little dogs are. Great companions, affectionate, good disposition (OK, most of the time) and much heartier than they appear.

They also don’t shed as their “fur” is more like people’s hair.
Supposedly, and I have a feeling this is true, a shih tzu’s gait is supposed to be as smooth and as flowing as koi swimming. I know that’s true of one of my shih tzus; the other moves like a samurai soldier.

And don’t be worried that shih tzus need a lot of grooming. I have always kept ours trimmed short and a good trimming can last for 4 to 6 weeks.

The shih tzus you see in dog shows are kept that long because they are show dogs. As companions, the shorter the hair the better. They’re happier and you will be too. Besides, do you really want to spending more time on their hair than yours?

We’ve had four shih tzus so far - all rescues - and I am sold on this breed.
But shih tzu owners do have conscious about their eyes. These little bug eyes are so cute, but also need tending.
This is one of the breeds proon to keratoconjuctivitis sicca, also known as KCS or "dry eye." That’s when the eye does not produce a sufficient amount of the amount of aqueous (watery) portion of the tears to keep the eye properly lubricated. Dogs with bug eyes - and other people - often develop this.

When you play with your little guy or gal, check our their eyes to make sure that hair is not growing into their eyes - that’s where good groomer comes in and I have the best - and that no little bumps or tags are growing near their eyes. Regular check ups at the vet are invaluable and always be sure to point out their eyes to your vet.

The American Shih Tzu Club has a lot of info about the breed and health concerns. www.shihtzu.org
And here is a rescue group in South Florida devoted to shih tzus and small breeds. www.shihtzurescue.org

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This very touching story, from the Orlando Sentinel's Animal Crazy blog, definitely is worth sharing. What an amazing coincidence that these two lives intersected at exactly the right time.

ORLANDO COUPLE SAVE KITTEN

The already hectic household of Orlando artists Peter and Kathy Forster gotten even more hectic in April when they took in a kitten that would have surely perished without their intervention.

Peter Forster was visiting a paint-supply store when an employee pointed to "some type of wretched creature that looked as if it had just been run over" next to Forsters' car.

He described it as "no longer than my thumb, unidentifiable because of the black substance covering it. It lay sprawled out on the blacktop, bloody and not able to move .. .. . When I picked it up, I discovered it was a newborn kitten, just minutes old."

He rushed to an animal shelter, where he was told the kitten would have to be put down and would not even make it to his home. Undaunted, Forster got some Pedialyte and soy milk and built a homemade incubator. He and his wife began the grueling process of playing surrogate mama. They must get up several times a night to feed their baby. The other day brought a scare.

"I went to wake him for his 1 a.m. feeding and he wouldn't wake," Forster reports. "Then I rolled him over and he flopped as though he died. I picked him up and he was limp like a dead kitten would be. Kathy and I were both frantic. We massaged him and he came back to life."

Forster reports the kitten is now in good health and parasite-free. They named him Trishna, translated roughly to "clinging" as Buddha's second noble truth because "he clung onto our clothes and life." The Forsters have no regrets about the expense and lost sleep.

"There is a special communication you get with a little guy like this," Peter writes "The biggest reward is the way we look into each other's eyes."

Eyes that just opened recently for the first time.

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For National Pet Week, here is Tip Number Two:

Your animal companions depend on you to keep them safe during storm season, which beings next month. If your hurricane plan doesn't include your pets, get going. And don't assume that the evacuation plan you put into place for your pets last year will work for this one.

Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League of the Palm Beaches, for example, this year is providing emergency shelter only for pets whose owners are elderly or disabled and need to evacuate to a special care facility, or for animals belonging to emergency personnel who must work during the storm. Last year, the league facility offered disaster housing for a $100 donation.

Red Cross hurricane shelters do not allow animals. But both Broward and Palm Beach counties again will each have one designated pet-friendly shelter for people living in evacuation zones or mobile homes. You must register in advance. Even if you registered last year, shelter managers advise that you sign up again this year so they can get a good head count.
To register in Broward, call the Humane Society of Broward County's Hurricane Hotline at 954-266-6871. Or call 954-989-3977.

In Palm Beach County, call the county's Animal Care and Control division at 561-233-1266. Or click here for more information.

In Miami-Dade County, call 786-331-5354.

Pet-friendly shelters do not allow livestock or exotic pets, like reptiles, so make other plans for these critters. Palm Beach's county shelter requires pets to be microchipped and for you to bring flea prevention medication like Advantage (not sure yet about the others). All shelters require proof of a current rabies vaccine and proof that you live in an evacuation zone.

The shelters require you to have a carrier that is big enough for your pet to stand up in and turn around. If you have a cat, it should be big enough to contain a litter box. This is a good idea regardless of where you spend the storm if you're not at home. We have a large collapsable soft-sided model that, fortunately, we haven't had to use so far. Big enough to crate a large dog, it stores flat in the attic. We have a second large cat carrier, so one cat can ride in that and the other in the crate until we get to our destination.

Other necessities: A current photo of your pet, in case it gets lost, and emergency contact information for your veterinarian.

If you decide to shelter you pet at a kennel or your veterinarian, make arrangements far in advance, as in now. Ask if the kennel is in a flood zone, if they have an evacuation plan and if someone will be there with the animals during the storm.

You need to get your family to safety if a major hurricane is approaching. But please, please, don't leave your animals at home alone. They're your family, too. So many pet owners who went through Hurricane Katrina said they thought they would be back by the next morning when, after putting out some food and water, they walked out the door. Many never saw their pets again.

I will leave it up to you if you want to see by clicking here, among the photos of animals being rescued by PETA workers during Katrina, those of pets found dead, including a dog that had been tethered inside a flooded house. If you need motivation to get going on your pet's hurricane plan, this should do it.

Any other hurricane tips? Speak!

(Above photo of dogs being rescued in New Orleans by Mario Toma, Getty Images)

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I have recently been vacating in Phoenix, Arizona, and so many funny pet things have happened since then.

Having four dogs is always a challenge when going on vacation. Luckily for me, I have great friends who don't mind dog-sitting.

Calvin went home with my friend Laura, who has two kids, a husband and a cat. He bonded with her immediately, but I think he may have taken a step too far. She thought it was very cute that he wanted to be on her lap and always be near her, but he started showing signs of jealousy with the kids.

She told me that her son, Zane, who is almost 4-years-old, ran to her and tried to jump on her lap, but as he came flying up Calvin lunged at him, as if to bite. (Which, our course, scared little Zaney)

Apparently his dominate behavior continued through the rest of the week. I find this interesting because Calvin used to be protective over me when we first adopted him, and he would try to fake bite Chris every time he came near me. But when we added Silvio to our family (and then the puppies) this behavior (mostly) disappeared.

(Just as a side note, Calvin is 99% all talk and no action when it comes to biting, so Laura and I were not too concerned.)

For all you behaviorist out there, can anyone tell me what that behavior is all about and also what should I do to try to prevent it the next time he has a sleep-over elsewhere?

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Girl power rules at Texas A&M University. The hunt is on there for a new canine mascot as the current job-holder, Reveille VII, is retiring. The college is willing to consider either a collie type, like the present Reveille, or a golden retriever. But A&M vice president Dean Bresciani said a female mascot definitely is preferred, "because they are mellower."

We knew that.

Here is the full, and fun, story from the Houston Chronicle.

Wanted: one dog, must hate orange
A&M has job opening up as Reveille VII passes on leash
May 1, 2008

By ALLAN TURNER
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

It's a dog's life, and it ain't half bad. Glamour, pomp and pamper; a loyal and petting public; and all the travel you can stand.
If that sounds like the job for you, wag your tail.
Texas A&M's collie mascot, Reveille VII, is retiring, and the Aggies are on the scent of a successor.

On Thursday, the university's 16-member study committee - made up of students, professors, Aggie moms and others - issued a seven-point report on characteristics the new top dog should possess.
Not mentioned, but maybe the most important trait of all, is simple four-footed stamina.

"There is no university mascot that is used as intensively as Reveille," said Dean Bresciani, vice president for student affairs. "She goes to every university event imaginable. She goes to Aggie Mothers Clubs, A&M clubs around the state, and out-of-town and local sporting events; she appears in parades and at weddings and funerals. She travels more than the university president."

Reveille candidates first will be checked by veterinarians, then evaluated by the Aggie Corps of Cadets corporal who will be in charge of the new dog. "We just want to make sure there's not bad chemistry," Bresciani said. After a bit of mascot training, Reveille VIII will debut in the fall.

The study committee recommended the new mascot be a dog of collie-like appearance or a golden retriever. All candidates need be at least 18 months old. Puppies need not apply.

Reveille has been part of Aggie tradition since 1931, when a dog Bresciani described as a "mutt" first filled the role as Aggie emissary to the world.
Reveille VII, who has held the post for about seven years, will be adopted by an undisclosed College Station-area family.

Bresciani said A&M is seeking a female mascot because they tend to be "mellower."
"There's less instinct to dominate," he said. "This is a dog who will be in a variety of situations, including being around children. Females have less need to control."

The dog will be selected, too, for a cheery demeanor and an ability to cope with large, chaotic crowds.
"Some dogs - just like humans - are energized and happy around other people," Bresciani said. "Other dogs find that intimidating. This one will be surrounded by so many people, it's hard to fathom.
Personally, being at Kyle (Field) when we're playing against the University of Texas is intimidating to me. I can only imagine what it's like for our four-footed friends."

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In honor of National Pet Week, Sit, Stay, Speak! will be offering tips and information this week about pet care. Here's the first:

Pet Proof Your House

Kids aren't the only ones that can be harmed by common household chemicals and products. The chocolate you crave can poison your dog, cat or ferret. Your kitten may look cute tossing around that rubber band or piece of string but it can cause an intestinal blockage if swallowed.

Some other hazards perhaps lurking in your home sweet home:

* Antifreeze containing ethylene glycol has a sweet taste that makes it attractive to pets, but even a tiny slurp can be deadly. Instead, use antifreeze made of propylene glycol, which is safe if consumed in small amounts.

* Cedar and soft wood shavings may smell good, but emit fumes that can harm hamsters and gerbils.

* Many common over-the-counter medications -- asprin, ibuprofen, vitamins and cold medicines -- can be toxic to animals. Put away medication bottles and tubes, and pick up any stray pills off the floor.

* There is a long list of human foods that are potentially harmful to pets, including; onions, coffee grounds, macadamia nuts and alcoholic beverages.

* Fumes from non-stick cookware or self-cleaning ovens can harm birds.

* Certain common household plants are poisonous including; azaleas, geraniums, philodendrons and dieffenbachia (I know this one for a fact because in college, my puppy chewed on my dieffenbachia. Fortunately, she pulled through.)

Click here for the complete list of common household pet dangers, from the Humane Society of the United States.

Have any events for National Pet Week? Let us know.

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From the folks at Petlane come 9 myths about cats.

1. Fat cats are not more prone to getting diabetes.
TRUTH: Although any cat may contract diabetes, fat cats are more susceptible to contracting this disease.

2. Cats cannot be trained to scratch on appropriate scratching surfaces.
TRUTH: There are some great products and methods to help keep a cat away from particular surfaces. With patience, most of the time a cat can be trained away from scratching an unwanted surface.

3. Physical punishment is a good way to teach a cat to behave.
TRUTH: Cats do not respond to physical punishment at all. They will not associate a behavior with punishment. They will, however, associate you with something bad. Some cats will respond to treats as positive reinforcement.

4. Senior cats do not like to play.
TRUTH: Older cats appreciate play time just as much as younger cats. They may not react as energetically, but they do enjoy it and need it.

5. The belief that indoor cats do not get bored.
TRUTH: Indoor cats do not receive the stimulation their indoor/outdoor counterparts do. They are much more reliant on their human companions for stimulation through play. Playing with your cat for short bursts about 10 minutes at a time several times a day will make your companion a happier, healthier and more social being.

6. Declawing is just like trimming a cat's nails.
TRUTH: Declawing is nothing like trimming a cat's nails. Declawing is not a "simple," single surgery, but rather 10 separate amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger. Although most cats do survive this procedure unharmed, there are some very serious side effects that can occur and be permanent.

7. A house does not need to be cat-proofed.
TRUTH: Cats will explore every nook and cranny of their home. If you have fragile items a cat might break keep them out of reach. Also be aware of any plants you may have that could be poisionous. Cats do like to munch on plants from time to time.

8. All cats are alike, so it doesn't matter what type of cat we get.
TRUTH: No two cats are alike. It is important you understand the basic traits of any particular breed before acquiring a cat. Some cats are cuddly, some independent, some actually a bit more like a dog. Within a breed, each cat has his or her own special behavior. Be sure to spend some quality time with your cat or kitten before you decide to adopt it.

9. Cats don't use their litter boxes because they are angry.
TRUTH: 99 per cent of the time when a cat doesn't use his or her litter box, it is because the litter is dirty, it is the wrong kind of litter or the cat is ill. Checking with the Vet right away is the safest course of action.

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Consultants from the National Animal Control Association (NACA) will begin a week-long review of Broward County's troubled Animal Care and Regulation division today, Monday, May 5. The team will look at all of the agency's operations, including sheltering, adoptions, field operations and euthanasia procedures.

County commissioners approved an outside review earlier this year after hearing complaints that dogs and cats were being euthanized in front of other animals, and that carcasses were being thrown into the landfill.

Individuals and organizations can submit comments to the NACA by e-mail at naca@nacanet.org or by calling 913-768-1319, extension 6.

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We were talking earlier about if homeowners facing foreclosure were guilty of animal cruelty if they left their pets behind...

A woman living near Orlando this week entered a not guilty plea to animal cruelty charges for leaving her 2-year-old German shepherd, Ella, locked in a crate after she moved out of the house. Christine Dawn Abrams, 29, told investigators she knew the dog eventually would starve to death. Ella was found dead in her crate, two months after Abrams had gone, by neighbors who saw the dog when they peeked in the window.

Abrams faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
But she was NOT facing foreclosure. She moved after her water had been turned off.

Click here to see the original story posted in Animal Crazy, the pet blog at the Orlando Sentinel.

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Take your best friend out to the ballgame! The Florida Marlins are having their annual Bark at the Park tonight, Friday. The game against the San Diego Padres begins at 7:10 pm -- night games are improvement over the Marlin's original Dog Day Afternoon, which broiled pooches and two-legged fans alike in the sun.

The event is held in conjunction with the Humane Society of Greater Miami/Adopt-A-Pet and the Humane Society of Broward County. There will be professional pet photographers and other "dog friendly" activities.

Tickets are $12 for humans, $6 for kids and dogs. That should leave you enough money for -- what else? -- some hot dogs.

Click here for more details.

And check back with Sit, Stay, Speak! tomorrow. We are going to post some photos from the game, and we aren't talking about pictures of the players.

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Happy Friday!
Next week is National Pet Week, so deemed by the American Veterinary Medical Association. We will be bringing you loads of animal care tips and info about community happenings throughout the week, beginning Sunday.

But to get you primed, we offer -- in honor of Friday, a fine time to do a little inner-office procrastination -- a silly way to help you put off those important tasks. The AVMA's National Pet Week Web site offers three games with funny animal characters, like Brutus Woof Flannigan here, with some pet owner education slipped in. Rated G: Play it at home with the kids.
Click here to begin.

Have something coming up for National Pet Week? Post a comment and let us know.

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Since my blogging colleague, Angie Brennan, is taking a few days off I figured the timing couldn't be more perfect to weigh in on her search for the perfect dog toy.

GET A CAT!

That photo to the left? That's Toby with a pair of socks. Every morning, he sits on the bed while I get dressed. Every morning I pull out a pair of socks for Tobes. One pair will keep him happy for a good five minutes. My cats love pen caps and bottle caps, shoe horns and empty boxes.

Aren't cats easy?

What do your cats like to play with?

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Sami and Danni, these two sweet-faced Spaniel-mix sisters, were found alone in the back yard by a real estate agent checking on a Boca Raton home going into foreclosure. Their family had left the name and number of the dogs' veternarian and a note: They had to leave, they said, but could not bring their pets with them. The dogs, taken in by the Tri-County Humane Society in Boca, were healthy and in good shape. But they are 7 years old, cutting their chances for adoption.

I wrote about Sami and Danni in this story that ran last Sunday, on companion animals becoming the silent victims of foreclosures. Although the trend is hard to track, the people running South Florida's shelters fear its on the rise.

"Wow, sad article in Sunday's paper....," wrote Bruce in an e-mail to me. "Absolutely pitiful. Just wondering ... doesn't the Police Dept have any authority to cite or arrest these losers who abandon animals ? Surely this constitutes some form of animal cruelty?"

The answer is: Not necessarily.
There is no Florida law directly addressing animal abandonment.

Owners who leave their pets without water or shelter can be charged with animal cruelty, a misdemeanor that can be upgraded to a felony in extreme cases. But in Broward County, animal control or police officers who discover an animal alone but with shelter and water, and not in distress, post a 24-hour notice on the door. If the officer still finds no one at home when checking back a day later, the animal is taken to the county shelter and the owners notified.

Owners then have five days to claim their pets, and will be charged for boarding and other fees. But no criminal charges are filed.

So -- what are your thoughts on people facing foreclosure who leave behind their animals? Do you know someone who has been in this situation? Is abandonment cruelty if the pets are well-cared for and safe?

It's hard for me to imagine ever leaving my cats behind -- but then, I never have lost my home.

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Coral Springs Museum of Art is going to the dog - the Blue Dog.

Artist George Rodrigue and his glassy-eyed, fox-eared creation, Blue Dog, will be featured during the museum’s – what else? – Blue Dog Weekend. It kicks off with a Friday evening reception. Then on Saturday morning, Rodrigue will read from his children’s book, Why Is Blue Dog Blue?, followed by a lecture and painting demonstration that afternoon. Click here for exact times, reservation and ticket information, and more info.

We are well acquainted with Blue Dog in my family, as my brother lives in New Orleans – Rodrigue’s home turf, and a place where the dog is ubiquitous. Me, I have trouble seeing the art behind mass-producing the same image over and over, although Rodrigue told art critic Candice Russell recently that the Blue Dog “comments on society and how we live today through (the pictures’) titles.”

My mom, however, is a huge fan. So you probably will find me in line Saturday, hoping to get Rodrigue’s signature on a Blue Dog book. Honest, it’s for my mother.

While there, I plan to check out Ann Beebe’s “A Journey of Love,” photographs that will be shown along Blue Dog and works by two other artists as part of the museum’s animal subject-themed exhibit. Beebe, a Microsoft executive living in Seattle, found her life’s passion in raising service dogs for Canine Companions for Independence. Her portraits of her students include one of Piper – a Devonshire lab that ended up flunking out of the program. Piper now lives with museum Executive Director Barbara O’Keefe, along with Arwyn, another training drop-out.

O’Keefe said the exhibit, the last in a series until October, has been huge hit. “It’s all about animals and people are loving it,” she said.

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There has been a lot of cyber chatter lately about efforts to save dogs and cats in Iraqi war zones. And I'll later post some interesting stuff SSS! reader TJ sent along.

But remember when we were talking last week about Nubs, the dog whose ears had been cut off and who was befriended by an American marine? A lot of you recalled this story when it broke last year. Those who don't can click here and get up to speed.

Anyway, it turns out Nubs made it safe to San Diego -- and last month, was reunited with his rescuer, Maj. Brian Dennis. Here's the story, from the San Diego Union-Tribune, as well as a reunion photo.
Apparently, there are other four-legged Iraqi refugees making their home in that city as well.

Nubs is reunited with Marine owner
F-18 pilot returns home to canine friend from Iraqi war zone
By Kristina Davis
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
5:22 a.m. March 22, 2008

They spent months in an Iraqi war zone cementing a special bond.
But after more than a month of being apart, Marine Maj. Brian Dennis began to worry if Nubs the dog would still remember him, especially in a new place like San Diego.

Their reunion early Saturday at Camp Pendleton clearly showed otherwise.
The 2-year-old old dog, named for his two nubby ears, drenched Dennis' face with doggie kisses and said hello with excited whimpers.

“You remember that, huh?” Dennis said as he rubbed the dog's head.

Dennis, an F-18 pilot stationed at Miramar Marine Corp Air Station, was among several Marines to return home from a seven-month tour in Iraq early Saturday.

Among those who also returned was a group that fell in love with seven puppies and also had them brought back to San Diego. They plan to reunite with their new dogs at 3 p.m. at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

Nubs, a German shepherd/border collie mix, came to San Diego a month earlier after friends, family and complete strangers raised $3,500 for the dog's trip out of Iraq.
“It's almost like 'Lassie Come Home' in Iraq,” said Dennis' mother, Marsha Cargo, who anxiously waited for the unit's arrival in the wee hours of the morning.

Dennis met Nubs in the Al Anbar Province where the dog ran wild at an Iraqi Border Fort. When Nubs was a puppy, an Iraqi sliced off most of his ears in an attempt to make the dog tough and more alert.

Another time, Nubs was stabbed with a screwdriver, and Dennis nursed him back to health.
When Dennis' unit, the Border Transition Team, moved camp 70 miles away, Nubs somehow tracked them to their new location two days later.
It was against the rules to keep the dog in camp, and friends jumped in to bring Nubs to San Diego.

“Once he found us there, it seemed like this was supposed to have happened,” Dennis said Saturday. “After he walked all that distance, it seemed like he was supposed to end up in San Diego.”
For the past month, Eric Sjoberg, one of Dennis' Marine buddies, has been caring for Nubs along with Dennis' other dog, Bogey.

Nubs has also been learning new tricks and how to behave in a different environment with some help from a dog trainer.
“After running two years out in the desert, he's got a personality on him,” Sjoberg said.
Dennis said his first outing with Nubs will be a jog on the beach.
“It will consummate the whole journey, going from the sand of Iraq to the sand of San Diego.”

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