Sit, Stay, Speak! Where South Florida talks pets | Sun-Sentinel Blogs

What to do when bringing a shelter dog home.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 7:55 PM

If you have adopted a shelter dog recently: Congratulations! You have opened your home to an animal that had lost theirs; I personally think they usually sense your kindness and are forever grateful.

But shelter dogs may need a little extra patience adjusting to you and their new home, given what they have been through. And you may know little about their background or past experiences. Robin Edwards, a dog trainer from Weston helps pet parents through her Bark Busters business, wrote in to offer these suggestions:

* Hold a family meeting to discuss how the dog will be cared for and what he will be allowed to do in the house. Can he sleep on the bed and couch? Who will walk him? Be consistent or the dog will become confused.

* Dogs like a “den,” where they can sleep and get away from the commotion, so set up a roomy crate for him in the house. But limit the amount of time he spends in it.

* Get everything in advance for your dog before the big move: ID tags and collar, leash, feeding bowls, toys, grooming tools, a crate and bedding.

* Bring your dog home on a weekend or when you will be home for several days. But before he steps through your door for the first time, give him a long walk to tire him out a little.

* Make sure your dog sees a veterinarian within a week after his adoption for a health checkup.

* Limit visitors for the first few days, while your dog adjusts to his new family. And when you do have guests, tell them they can help train your pooch by ignoring him when they first arrive until he calms down.

* Dogs need a pack leader, or they’ll try to become the leader themselves. That leader should be you, and the humans in your home over age 12. Learn obedience skills and your dog will see you as the leader – and be happier, and better behaved, for it.

Here’s more from the Humane Society of the United States on easing your shelter dog’s transition to his new home.

Rescue. Raise. Love!

PS: Want to see if your pup's behavior makes the grade? Take this Bark Buster quiz and find out if he's an A student or in danger of flunking out.

POSTED IN: None

Dog day afternoon this Saturday full of fun.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 12:52 PM

Have fun with your dog – and support a good cause.
The Boca Raton Dog Club is hosting Nutts For Mutts from 9 am to 4 pm this Saturday at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater, 12551 Glades Road, Boca Raton.

Admission is free, parking $5.
All the proceeds will go toward purchasing pet oxygen masks for Palm Beach County fire and rescue vehicles.

And activities? Will there be stuff to do!
· Learn pet CPR.
· Get expert advice from Dr. Robin Valentine, an emergency medicine veterinarian.
· Interfaith animal blessings by a rabbi and a priest
· Kids dog show
· Contests for pet/owner look alikes, doggy vocal talent, and best trick.
· “Wedding” of therapy dogs (??)

For more information, call 561-394-4404. Or go to the Boca Raton Dog Club’s Web site.

Click here for a previous post on pet oxygen masks. Raising money for this equipment is a fine project for any group that cares for animals.

POSTED IN: None

Poor little rich pets inherit millions.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 12:56 PM

There was a fascinating article by Jeffrey Toobin, in The New Yorker magazine recently, that looked at the trouble with Trouble -- the Maltese pup that inherited $12 million from the "Queen of Mean," Leona Helmsley.

Toobin's piece explored Helmsley's complicated relationship with her family, and her motivation for leaving $12 million to her dog. Toobin also suggests that lawyers and animal activists are encouraging this practice -- and that it gets to the heart of the ongoing legal debate over if companion animals are property or -- well -- companions.
Here is an excerpt:

The size of the bequests, to Trouble and to dogs generally, has generated widespread astonishment.

In fact, the clear motivation underlying Leona Helmsley’s will—her desire to pass her wealth on to dogs—is more common than might be expected. Pet-lovers (many of whom now prefer the term “animal companion”) have engineered a quiet revolution in the law to allow, in effect, nonhumans to inherit and spend money.

It is becoming routine for dogs to receive cash and real estate in the form of trusts, and there is already at least one major foundation devoted to helping dogs. A network of lawyers and animal activists has orchestrated these changes, largely without opposition, in order to whittle down the legal distinctions between human beings and animals. They are already making plans for the Helmsleys’ billions.

One of the most insightful points, however, came at the end of the piece: At the end of the day, an aging Trouble probably would have vastly preferred to be on a threadbare couch with someone who loved her rather than napping on a Louis XIV sette alone. The conclusion of the article:

Throughout her life, Leona Helmsley demonstrated not just a lack of affection for her fellow-humans but an absence of understanding as well. The irony is that, for all that her will purports to show her love for Trouble, Leona didn’t seem to understand dogs very well, either.

“What is funny about giving all this money to one dog is that it doesn’t deal with the fact that the dog is going to be sad that Leona died,” Elizabeth Harman, who teaches philosophy at Princeton, said.

“What would make this dog happy is for a loving family to take it in. The dog doesn’t want the money. The money will just make everyone who deals with the dog strange.”

So what do you think? Should people will large sums to their pets? Does a large trust ensure an animal companion will receive better care?

In case you want more on this topic, here's another story on a squabble over millions willed to animal welfare groups in Houston.

(above photo from The New Yorker)

WOMAN'S WILL LEAVES MILLIONS TO CARE FOR ANIMALS
By BILL MURPHY
c.2008 Houston Chronicle
(
HOUSTON -- After her marriage soured in the mid-1980s, Ann Slemons Young left her home in Newport Beach, Calif., and moved to Houston, where she found consolation in her pets.

Her passion for animal causes grew. Before dying last year, the 70-year-old mobile home park owner specified that much of her estate would go to finding homes for unwanted animals and helping set up a veterinary clinic.

Everyone agrees that Young's estate left about $2 million to $4 million to animal causes. But there is immense disagreement over which animal organization should receive the money.

The city of Houston says Young's will explicitly states that what remains of the estate after bequests to relatives should go to a foundation.

"The foundation," the will says, "shall exist, and the properties of the foundation shall be used, exclusively and solely, for the support of the City of Houston Bureau of Animal Control (sic)."

But Mike Meehan, Young's son and executor of her estate, has balked at turning over several
million dollars to the city agency - actually called the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care - because, he says, it does little to promote adoptions and is grossly underfunded.

Other parts of his mother's will, he said, give the foundation's trustees the right to choose which animal organizations receive funding.

"If my mom's will said I was supposed to hand over a big chunk of money to the city, that's what I would do," Meehan said. "But that's not what the will says."

The dispute has landed before Harris County Probate Judge William McCulloch, who will decide in the coming months whether the city or Meehan has interpreted the will correctly.

The charitable trusts division of the state attorney general's office has joined the battle. It says it needs to find out whether Meehan intends to comply with the will's intent of setting up a charitable trust that will benefit BARC or other animal facilities.

Young's interest in animal causes intensified about 10 years ago when she was thrown from a horse and nearly died, Meehan said. She decided she would use part of her money to help animals.

"My mother's thinking was that animals do not have ulterior motives. They can give unconditional love," said Meehan, 48, a yacht salesman in Newport Beach who spends part of his time in Houston, tending to his mother's estate.

When she died, Young owned two Tennessee Walker horses and several cats.
Elena Marks, Mayor Bill White's health policy director, said Young made plans to give money to BARC while she was alive. Marks said Young discussed the plans with her and Alison Smith, a lawyer and former chair of the mayor's Animal Protection Task Force.

A deal wasn't reached before Young died on March 28, 2007.
In her will, which includes several broken sentences, Young left her condominium, jewelry and other items to family members, including her son and daughter. She stipulated that $500,000 be put into a trust, with Meehan receiving $3,000 a month from it during his lifetime.

Essentially, the probate court fight is over Royal Coach Trails, a 15-acre mobile home park along the Hardy Toll Road in north Houston, as well as a 30-acre ranch in Waller County.
Meehan's appraiser estimated the value of Royal Coach Trails at $2.25 million. With about 100 lots, the park generates $384,000 in rental payments annually, Meehan said.

The will - immediately after stating that part of the estate will go to the Houston Bureau of Animal Control - says Young's money will help construct "a two-story animal shelter facility that will include, but not be limited to, (a) wellness clinic, illness clinic, cat-and-dog adoption area."

The city hopes to use the money to help establish a satellite animal shelter that would bolster the number of adoptions and reduce the euthanasia rate, said Marks and Smith, who is representing the city pro bono in the probate fight.

"There are definitely better facilities than BARC for adoptions. It is not as accessible to the public as we would like. It's more of an industrial setting," Marks said. "We want to couple this donation with private funding to build a facility we could all be proud of."

But Tom Coleman, a lawyer representing Meehan, said provisions in the will spell out that trustees overseeing the foundation can use the money to help build another BARC shelter or hand it to other organizations that promote sterilization and adoptions.

Instead of selling Royal Coach Trails and the ranch and giving the proceeds to BARC, Meehan would like to keep the properties.
Meehan had hoped to give land at Royal Coach Trails to Saving Animals, a nonprofit organization whose Fix Houston project aimed to halt euthanization of healthy, unwanted pets.

Under that plan, Fix Houston would have run a new spay-neuter facility, called the Ann Slemons Young clinic, at the mobile home park. But Fix Houston went under Thursday when it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

Meehan said he now would like to help another nonprofit organization that would reduce euthanasia in Houston.

POSTED IN: None

News about Sit, Stay, Speak!
> Posted by Diane Lade at 12:19 PM

Dear readers and animal friends:

Thought I should give you a little advance notice...
This is the last week for Sit, Stay, Speak! The blog's final day (at least in its current incarnation) and my final post will be on Friday.

This decision was not made solely on the basis of readership numbers. Basically, the editors are looking to maximize our newsroom resources and, for now, it was felt it was best for me to concentrate on other things. My beats are aging issues and consumer news, so I'll still be bringing you updates on recalls, safety issues and companion animal trends in the Sun Sentinel. So stay in touch! You still can reach me at dlade@sunsentinel.com.

Diane

POSTED IN: None

Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

Rescued Florida lab one of multiple movie Marleys.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 4:14 PM

So a rescue dog has hit the big time in Hollywood! One of the multiple Marleys cast for the film "Marley & Me," from the book by former Sun Sentinel columnist John Grogan about his ill-behaved yellow Lab, was selected from a Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida foster home. Apparently, the dog was from central Florida. This from the "Orlando Sentinel's" Animal Crazy blog.

Hi everyone - wanted to share this with you all. For those of you who don't already know, one of our Lab Rescue dogs (Rudy -- fostered with Sooz) has made it to Hollywood.

When the producers of the movie Marley & Me were searching for a senior Marley for the film -- Rudy was chosen. Rudy actually became owned by the trainer of the movie and lived in Hollywood for over 6 months during the filming.

Marley & Me is scheduled to be released on Christmas. Rudy is back with Sooz but as all big Hollywood stars, now has an agent. Part of the agreement between Lab Rescue and the producers was that Lab Rescue will not publicize/promote, etc. Rudy until after the film is released plus only when the publicity/fundraiser, etc. has been approved by the films' producers/attorney, Rudy's agent, etc.

So bottom line, while Lab Rescue does plan to have a couple of fundraisers with Rudy/Marley, it cannot happen until sometime in 2009 and only with approval.

I can't tell you exactly which dog is our Rudy, but he is one of the adult dogs appearing several times in this trailer.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did and go see the movie when it comes out:

POSTED IN: None

Wanted: Small dogs and friends for meetups.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 3:35 PM

Wanted: Small dogs and their two-legged friends want to meet the same for conversation, nose-touching and a nice run at the park.

If this sounds good to you: Join the South Florida Small Dog Social MeetUp group. Pet boutique owner Kim, petsitter Tracy and Get A Life Pet Rescue volunteer Stacy organized this community of more than 200 pet parents who discuss things online, as well as get together at various dog parks and events.

Members were out in force for the big Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie release party in Pembroke Pines on Sept. 27. The blinged-out pooches dazzled the pup-arazzi -- and Stacy and Chiquita were interviewed on the red carpet by the Deco Drive television show.

Want to make the next meetup? Go here to sign up and get on the mailing list. The next meeting is at 4 pm, Nov. 2 at Gary B. Jones Parks for Pups and People, 8101 Southgate Blvd., Margate. But you must register in advance.

The site also has links to rescue dog meetups -- and even cat meetups!

POSTED IN: None

First Las Olas Yappy hour is tonight.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 3:36 PM

Looking for a great way to meet some new two and four-legged friends -- and walk your dog at the same time?

Head over to the first Dogs Night Out Yappy Hour Pup Crawl from 6 pm to 9 pm tonight on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

Guest celebrity Jo Jo Harder, creater of America's Top Dog Model, will be at the Riverside Hotel signing copies of her book. The Humane Society of Broward County's mobile adoption service will be in the house.

Oh, and Indigo restaurant at the Riverside will unveil its new 4 Paws U menu, the first in the city specifically for dogs. Even includes doggy "beers."

Dress your dog up in a Halloween costume and get an early start on trick-or-treating.
Bone appetit!

(photo from America's Top Dog Model)

POSTED IN: None

Howl-O-Ween is going to the dogs -- and cats.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 3:11 PM

Who knew that trick-or-treat time would become a pet parent’s favorite holiday? My Inbox has been flooded with animal costume contests, some that you enter in pet person and others that just require a photo.

PetSmart even has a “Howl-O-Ween” Central section of its Web site – and costumes are on sale right now. Local PetSmarts already had their in-store contests and pet parades, and the photo competition ended last week. The grand prizewinner was this tabletop pup. But I say extra credit should have been given to whoever was able to get a cat into Elizabethan finery; this was the only feline among the finalists.

The PetSource.org costume photo contest still is going on, if you want to get in on the action. Click here to enter. The competition ends on Friday. The winner gets a buncha pet swag, plus $1,000 to give to the local humane society or shelter of his/her choice.

So: Are you trick-or-treating with your pet this year? What’s your costume? I noticed there are some companies selling owner-and-pet ensembles, so you can go as a matching pair.

Here are some things to remember to help your dog or cat have a Happy Howl-O-Ween:

* Don’t feed candy to dogs or cats – especially chocolate or raisins, as these foods can be toxic to animals.
* If you go trick-or-treating outside, keep your pet on a leash and scan the ground for dropped candy that might be scarfed up.
* Keep decorations away from pets.
* Put your pet in a secure spot inside if trick-or-treaters will be coming to your door.

And be careful when picking out your party animal’s outfit. The pet-purrfect Halloween costume is:

* Roomy but does not drag on the ground in a way that would trip your pet.
* Has no parts that could be easily chewed off and swallowed.
* Made of flame-retardant material.
* Should not have tight masks or capes that could choke your pet.

Thanks to the Animal Medical Center in New York City and VPI Pet Insurance.

POSTED IN: None

Old dogs can be the best dogs.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 8:11 PM

October is National Adopt a Shelter Dog month.

And I would like to encourage anyone interested in sharing their life with a pooch not to only consider giving a forever home to an animal that has lost theirs, and truly needs a new one. Why not also consider a mature dog?

Puppies aren't for everyone, and especially not for those who aren't home a lot or who don't have the patience and energy to train a young dog. Older dogs, on the other hand, usually are already housebroken and well-behaved. They are mature enough to have slowed down some, but still full of fun and life -- and ready for a game of fetch. Yet shelter workers and rescue groups will tell you that any dog beyond 1 or 2 years old has the odds stacked against him or her.

But there are people out there who recognize the virtues of the older dogs, and for that I say: thanks to all of you. Here are two recent success stories involving mature rescued dogs featured in SSS! And in both cases, they were pair adoptions -- not an easy task.

First are Rosie and Sunshine, two 3 year old longhaired dachshunds that were turned over to Florida Dachshund Rescue (FLDR) when their owner lost her home. Both dogs had been well-loved but had bladder stones and urinary tract infections.

The pair was bonded, so FLDR was insisting they stay together. A couple weeks ago, FLDR volunteer and foster dad Mack told me the girls had found a home with a wonderful couple who is paying lots of attention to them.

Then there are Sami and Danni. I met these two sweet-faced Spaniel-mix sisters when I did a story earlier this year on pets left behind when their families lost their homes in foreclosures. Sami and Danni, both 7, were found in the back yard by a Relator; their owners had left the name of their veterinarian and their shot records. Tri-County Humane Society in Boca Raton took them and every now and then, I would check up on them by phone.

"A lot of people have looked at them but they're still here," society founder Jeanette Christos would tell me when I called. "People are worried that they can't afford two dogs." Plus they were 7, hardly puppies. It got to the point I hated to ask.
But I did again, about three weeks ago.
"They're gone!" Christos cheered. Sami and Danni were adopted together, as the shelter insisted. Someone looked into those lovely brown eyes and saw the potential, undimmed by years.

So please, let's not turn our backs on our older animal friends -- who still are as loving and worthy of our love as the day they were born. Mack and other rescue group volunteers have told me they are seeing quite a few older dogs these days. Maybe the bad economy is making people worried about the extra care senior pets may need.

But doesn't the saying go: In sickness and in health?

If you need someone to talk you into giving older pets a chance: Check out this discussion board and support group at HandicappedPets.com.
This one is specifically for senior pets, but there also are boards for blind pets, those with serious medical conditions or amputations, and others.

Washington Post writer (and former Miami Herald editor) Gene Weingarten has just come out with a book called "Old Dogs Are the Best Dogs," that documents canine senior citizens. Let's make our older pets years their best years.

And blessings on the people who adopted Sami and Danni, and Rosie and Sunshine, and to everyone who opens their heart to any shelter cat or dog.

Have any good stories to share about old dogs and cats? Please speak!

POSTED IN: Animal rescue (29)

TGIF! Oh, no, my cat is Emo.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 6:59 PM

Happy Friday!
I've posted other videos from PhotoAnimationGuy before but this one is my absolute fav.
The lyrics alone are priceless:

I look at him he looks away, I try to pet him anyway,
What happen to the Kitty I know?
Oh, no, no, no, no... my Kitty is Emo!

And the song is a headspin. Plus that hair...
Enjoy, even though I am posting too late for proper Friday procrastination.

POSTED IN: None

Hartz recalls rawhide chips.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 2:12 PM

The Hartz Mountain Corporation, working with the US Food and Drug Administration, has voluntarily recalled 4,850 bags of its Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips due to possible contamination with salmonella bacteria.

The products were sold at major retailers nationwide.
Dog owners should check the bag for the lot code JC23282. If the bag has this code, or if no code is visible, stop using the product.
The UPC code on the recalled items is: 3270096463.

The company, based in Secaucus, NJ, issued the recall after an independent test detected salmonella in a bag of the chips. A second test of the same lot, however, came back normal.

Consumers should call Hartz at 800-275-1414 for more details or to obtain reimbursement if they purchased the suspect product.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning in pets include lethargy, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some animals, however, can be carriers showing no symptoms and can pass the pathogen to other animals or humans.

POSTED IN: None

On the trail with pet detectives.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 2:33 PM

Some desk relocation issues here at work have kept me from posting this morning. So until I can sit down to the computer, here is a story from the Los Angeles Daily News on pet detectives who use dogs to search for dogs in the land of the celebutants.
(photo by Evan Yee. Landa Coldiron and Glory are on the right)

MISSING PETS HAVE A LOCAL CHAMPION

By Brandon Lowrey
c. 2008 Los Angeles Daily News

LOS ANGELES - Landa Coldiron and her crew showed up early at the suburban Glendale home in a pair of SUVs big enough to hold her two bloodhounds and three other search-and-rescue dogs.

They wanted to get there while the scent of the missing was still lingering in the crisp Saturday-morning air. Dressed in military-style camouflage with her red hair tucked under a matching cap, Coldiron pulled a restless hound from the back of one SUV while friends and family of the disappeared drew up "missing" posters on the front lawn.

A few minutes later, the hunt began with the seriousness and urgency befitting the search for a missing child. But Coldiron and her Valley team weren't looking for a toddler who'd wandered off in the wee morning hours.
They were looking for Chloe, a 2-pound teacup poodle.

In a region where puppy-philes spend as much money and attention on their pets as others do on their children, Coldiron has few clients balking at her $800-a-day fee.
The price was was well worth it to Chloe's owner, 23-year-old Catalina Gracia.

Gracia was on a European vacation with her boyfriend and left Chloe at home with her friends and family. But the adventurous Chloe, left alone in the backyard for just a few moments, squeezed through a tiny hole in the fence and ran off into the neighborhood.
When Gracia found out, she said her vacation was ruined. She just couldn't enjoy the streets of Paris or the canals of Venice while imagining Chloe being run over by a car or devoured by a coyote. The tiny dog slept in Gracia's bed, snuggling up along her shoulder.

She was more than a pet.
"She's like my child," Gracia said. "She's everything to me. She goes to work with me every day. She goes in the bathtub with me. Even the shower. We're as close as even two people could be."

So with Gracia an ocean away, her friends contacted Coldiron and Annalisa Berns, who are among the only pet detectives in Southern California to use search dogs to find missing pets and one of only 15 to 20 nationwide. A couple of days later, she and her hounds were on the case.

Kicking off the hunt that Saturday morning last month, Coldiron took Chloe's tiny pink Juicy Couture T-shirt out of a zipped plastic bag and let her bloodhound, Ellie Mae, have a whiff.
Coldiron commanded, "Search!"

The droopy dog bolted off, nose to the ground, dragging Coldiron through bushes and across front lawns. Some neighbors watched, bemused, from their porches - potential witnesses the pet detective would interview later, Coldiron noted.
Berns trailed behind, watching the ground for a collar, blood droplets or tufts of fur.

Ellie Mae circled the neighborhood twice, paused at a few homes, and then crossed a major street and abruptly stopped, sniffing a bit, then looking up expectantly for a treat - signaling that her searching work was done and that Chloe was probably picked up in a car by a well-meaning rescuer. Unfortunately, Chloe had no tag or other identification.
"It would be the equivalent to a woman losing a diamond ring on the sidewalk," Berns said.

Even with the inconclusive results, the prospects still seemed good with the pet detectives on the case.
Over the past month, Coldiron said her dogs found 15 out of 17 pets they searched for. The dogs led her and Berns directly to seven of the lost pets, though five were dead.

Even if the dogs don't lead directly to the pet, she calls all the nearby veterinarians and pet shops and teaches her clients the finer points of launching a flier-and-poster campaign - hundreds of fliers and bright, fluorescent posters that loudly promise generous rewards to whomever finds the lost pet.
But with coyotes prowling Glendale's busy streets, could tiny Chloe have possibly survived?

A rare breed
Coldiron, a former apartment manager who hated her old job, learned her skill from pet detective pioneer Kat Albrecht, executive director of the Seattle-based National Center for Missing Pets.

Albrecht came up with the idea to track lost pets with scent dogs when she was a police detective in Santa Cruz County. One of her trained search-and-rescue dogs got loose and went missing in the woods, so she used another scent-trailing dog to find it.
It worked, and she eventually went into business for herself.

She's written two books - a guide book and a memoir, titled "The Lost Pet Chronicles."
And Albrecht said she's had her share of odd requests: A documentarian asked her to use her dogs to find Bigfoot, and another man asked her to track down the dog who constantly defiled his lawn.
She turned them both down.

But now, she focuses her efforts on training other pet detectives. The intensive process takes months, and sometimes years.
"One of the problems is we don't have enough people trained up in this industry," Albrecht said. "So it's becoming a service that only people with enough money can afford."

Happily ever after?

Back at Gracia's house, the mood was somber.
"She called from her trip, hysterical. She's on pins and needles right now. Hysterical, literally," said Gracia's visibly upset friend, Monique Gibson of Glendale. "(Chloe) goes everywhere with her, except this time. This dog is like her one true love that doesn't ask anything of her."

She predicted they would be at this search for months.
In truth, it would be three weeks and three days.

Someone saw one of the many lost-Chloe posters plastered all over Glendale and La Crescenta - a key element of Coldiron's strategy - and recognized the dog's picture. Noticing a neighbor had a new dog that looked just like the tiny poodle, the good Samaritan called Gracia's friend anonymously and declined a $3,000 reward, claiming to be a pet owner who knows how it feels.

Sheriff's deputies escorted Gracia's friends and family to the house in question.
There they found Chloe.

Gracia, who was in Texas on business, had a friend fly out with Chloe almost immediately. The two were reunited in front of a Dallas hotel.

"My friend got out of the cab and she had Chloe in her arms," Gracia said, adding that her dog, perhaps her soulmate, recognized her instantly.
"The door opened, and I just called her name, and that was it."

POSTED IN: None

Ratchet the war dog has arrived.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 10:45 PM

Ratchet is here!

This is just one of many blogs that has been following the story of the dog befriended by an Army sergeant in Iraq who was determined to bring him back to the states. Although Ratchet initially was confiscated by military officials when he was on his way to the Baghdad Airport, he finally received permission to go.

SSS! reader Tara alerted me a few hours ago that Ratchet had arrived in Washington. He got off the airplane sporting a red, white and blue bandana, tail wagging. He's already had his veterinarian check-up and is in great health. So he soon should be in Minnesota, waiting for Sgt. Gwen Beberg to join him after she is deployed.

I couldn't manage to snag television footage of Ratchet's arrival. But I did find this very moving video from Operation Baghdad Pups, which facilitated the rescue of Ratchet and many other dogs and cats adopted by our service men and women in Iraq. Look closely and you will spot Beberg, Ratchet and Nubs, another famous war dog who followed his soldier to a new outpost after the man had been forced to leave Nubs behind.

Welcome to your new home, Ratchet.
And thanks, Tara.

POSTED IN: None

Iraq war dog heads to US
> Posted by Diane Lade at 3:46 PM

If all went well, Iraqi War dog Ratchet should be on American soil today.
CNN is reporting that Operation Baghdad Pups received permission to pick up a dog adopted by Army Sgt, Gweb Beberg on Sunday and fly the animal to the United States.

Ratchet got a spot on a charter plane into Kuwait yesterday, and is scheduled to be flown to Washington today on a flight donated by Northwest Airlines. If veterinarians determine he's healthy, he'll be sent to Beberg's home town in Minnesota.

The military, which prohibits soldiers from adopting pets and sending them home, had confiscated Ratchet after Beberg, whose deployment soon was ending, was trying to get her dog on an air transport bound for the US. Beberg was afraid that Ratchet, who was rescued by soldiers from a burning trash pile, might be euthanized if left behind.

Thousands signed a petition, that I posted about earlier, to grant Ratchet clemency. Maybe all those signatures mattered.

Here's the story from CNN. And go here if you want to see a photo gallery of other war dogs that have been rescued by American soldiers.

(Oct. 19) - An animal rescue group on Sunday picked up a U.S. soldier's adopted dog from Iraq, ending the soldier's weeks-long struggle to send the animal to her Minnesota home.

Operation Baghdad Pups, which said the U.S. military prevented its first attempt to take Ratchet the dog on October 1, picked up the animal in Baghdad with military clearance and flew it to Kuwait on Sunday.

The dog is expected to be flown to Washington on Monday, and if a veterinarian determines it is healthy, sent to Sgt. Gwen Beberg's home state on Wednesday, Baghdad Pups publicist Larry Garrison said.

Beberg, who adopted the dog after soldiers rescued it from a burning trash pile in May, tried to have the group fly Ratchet to the United States on October 1 as her deployment neared an end.

But the military, which prohibits soldiers from adopting pets abroad and bringing them to the United States, confiscated the animal after Beberg put it on a convoy bound for Baghdad Airport, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which runs OBP.
Ratchet and Beberg, 28, drew the attention of thousands of people who signed two online petitions -- linked through the SPCA's Web site -- urging the military to let Ratchet go to the United States.

The military cleared OBP to take Ratchet on Wednesday, but not in time for the group's flight from Baghdad that day, the SPCA said.
On Sunday, private security contractors took Ratchet from a base to the airport, where OBP -- which works with soldiers to help them bring adopted animals home -- put Ratchet on the charter flight to Kuwait, Garrison said.

Northwest Airlines will donate the flights from Kuwait to Minnesota, Garrison said.
The SPCA said Ratchet helped Beberg deal with her Iraq deployment, which started in September 2007 and is scheduled to end in November.

"She was absolutely miserable in the war and was really struggling to keep going every day. Ratchet turned it around for her," SPCA spokeswoman Stephanie Scroggs said last week.

Beberg's mother, Patricia Beberg, in a statement released by the SPCA, said Ratchet "was the savior of her [daughter's] sanity" in Iraq.
SPCA representatives said the military euthanizes some animals that it confiscates, and that Gwen Beberg worried that Ratchet would be killed.
Beberg was thrilled to hear last week that the military would let OBP take Ratchet, the SPCA said.

"Your persistence and amazing work has astonished me throughout this whole thing," Gwen Beberg said in an e-mail to the SPCA, according to the society.
Scroggs said one of Beberg's friends helped spread the news about Ratchet through blogs.

One of the petitions, which had more than 65,000 signatures as of Sunday night, was started by a blogger, Scroggs said.
The SPCA says although active-duty soldiers aren't allowed to adopt animals in the Middle East, many soldiers befriend animals in the course of their service there.

Garrison said the program relies on donations, saying it generally costs $3,000 to $4,000 to bring a servicemember's animal to the United States.
"This isn't a one-time story This is a program making a difference for our soldiers," Garrison said.

POSTED IN: None

How to prevent dog bites.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 2:14 PM

Incidents like the one this morning, when a German shepherd bit a Davie boy who came to pick up a friend, add fuel to the never-ending discussion on how to prevent dog attacks. Breed-specific laws? Legislation that doesn’t target certain types of canines? The debate goes on – and may continue, if the Florida Legislature this session again looks at a dangerous dog bill as it did during the past one.

But law or no, there are things that responsible owners can do to diminish the chances that their dogs will bite, and measures people can take to make sure they don’t get bitten.

FOR DOG OWNERS

*·Don’t place a dog with a history of aggression in a household with young children.
* Don’t play aggressive games with your dog, like wrestling.
* Properly socialize your dog to people and other dogs.
* Teach submissive behaviors, like rolling over and relinquishing food without growling.
* Spaying or neutering your dog will reduce aggressive tendancies.
* Don’t leave young children or infants alone with a dog. Children are the most common dog bite victims.

PREVENTING BITES

* Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
* Do not run from a dog or scream. If approached by an unfamiliar dog, be very still.
* If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still.
* Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
* Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or taking care of her puppies.
* Don’t pet a dog without allowing it to see you and sniff you first.

For more good tips, go here for bite prevention information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here is another link to more information on bites from the US Postal Service.

And here is an interesting report, from a 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, on research involving what breeds have more involved in bite cases nationwide from 1979 through 1998.

POSTED IN: None

A Russian makes history as top cat.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 1:36 PM

Platina Luna Blade Runner -- just Runner to his cat pals -- made feline history at the Cat Fancier's Association Championship this past weekend when he became the first Russian Blue to win the Best of the Best title.

The show, in New York City, featured 248 cats representing 41 breeds.

"We're very surprised to have won, but we knew Runner was special ever since he was a kitten," said his mom, Teresa Keiger, who has bred Russian Blues for 15 years.
Runner lives with Keiger, her husband Rob Miller, and two other Russian Blues and Persian show cat in Greensboro, NC.

The 18-month-old Runner also could have won Mr. Congeniality -- he was perfectly poised and meowed politely at CFA President Pam Dunbar when she presented him his ribbon. Unlike Rona, an Abyssinian who caused an uproar earlier in the competition when she escaped in the exhibition hall.

As champion, Runner wins 400 pounds of cat food -- and made a television appearance today on "Live With Regis and Kelly." What, no SNL guest shot??

Here's a great story on the big event from Epoch Times.

(photo by Chanan.com)

POSTED IN: None

Help bring war dog Ratchet to the US
> Posted by Diane Lade at 12:04 PM

A petition drive has been started, seeking clemency for Ratchet, an Iraqi puppy adopted by American Army Sgt. Gwen Beberg. Beberg had tried to send the dog to the United States through an animal rescue group, but Ratchet supposedly was taken into custody by military officials before he could be put on the airplane.

More than 30,000 people have signed a petition, asking the government to allow Ratchet to emigrate.
Here it is, if you want to get involved.

Ratchet's clemency drive is being sponsored by Operation Baghdad Pups. This program, with the motto of "No Buddy Left Behind," already has taken more than 50 dogs and cats out of Iraq to be reunited with their warrior rescuers back home.

Here is more on Ratchet's story, from the Association Press.

BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi puppy adopted by an American soldier but refused a flight to the U.S., is alive, the military said Tuesday, giving hope to an animal-rescue group that is trying to take it to the United States. The case has cast a spotlight on Defense Department rules that prohibit soldiers in the U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq, from adopting pets or transporting them home.

Army Sgt. Gwen Beberg, 28, of Minneapolis, tried to send Ratchet home with the help of Operation Baghdad Pups earlier this month as she prepared to leave Iraq. But the dog was reportedly confiscated by a U.S. officer before it could reach the Baghdad International Airport, raising concern about the animal’s fate. U.S. military spokesman Lt. Cmdr. David Russell said in an e-mail that the dog was alive, but he could provide no other details or comment on the effort to take it to the United States. More than 30,000 people have signed an online petition urging the Army to let the puppy go home with Beberg, nearly tripling in a day as publicity over the case spread.

Beberg, who had been based south of Baghdad, has been transferred to a staging area to prepare for her departure from Iraq. The coordinator for Operation Baghdad Pups — a rescue program run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International — planned to travel to Baghdad on Wednesday to collect six dogs rescued by U.S. troops.

Terri Crisp is hopeful Ratchet will be one of them, but she has a substitute dog ready to go in his place if necessary. “There’s a lot of pressure being put on the military right now to allow Ratchet to leave,” she said.

Baghdad Pups has taken more than 50 dogs and cats home for their warrior owners, although the group had to cease its activities over the summer because of the heat. Crisp said the U.S. military should cooperate with the group instead of obstructing the animals’ transportation because it helps the troops deal with the stress of being in Iraq. “These dogs and cats are incredibly therapeutic,” she said. “With all the talk of post-traumatic stress disorder, this is a way they can deal with things — not only when they’re in Iraq serving but when they’re at home.”

Last week, Beberg’s congressman, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, wrote to the Army urging it to review the case. Beberg and another soldier rescued Ratchet from a burning pile of trash in May. But Defense Department rules prohibit U.S. troops who are deployed from caring for pets in theater or taking them home.

Sgt. Brooke Murphy, a U.S. military spokeswoman, said there were several reasons for the rule, including health issues and difficulties in caring for the animals. “The military has these policies in place for a reason and really is looking out for the best interests of the soldier and the interests of the animal and the interests of the community,” she said.

Baghdad Pups tried to collect Ratchet two weeks ago, but Crisp said a U.S. commander had intercepted a military convoy carrying the dog to Baghdad and sent it back to Beberg’s former base.

Crisp said the group relies on donations to pay for the missions — Wednesday’s will cost just under $10,000 — but recently has had to ask the soldiers to contribute because of fundraising troubles.

In June, a dog brought back to the U.S. by Operation Baghdad Pups tested positive for rabies after it was euthanized for other health concerns. That prompted a public health investigation, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended immediate vaccination and six-month quarantine for the other animals on the shipment.

SPCA International spokeswoman Stephanie Scroggs said the group meets agency requirements that specify animals that have not been vaccinated for at least 30 days prior to entering the U.S. be quarantined for at least 30 days.

Photo of Army Sgt. Gwen Beberg and Ratchet from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

POSTED IN: None

TGIF! Kenzie could be our first Canine American Prez.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 11:25 AM

Wheaton terrier Kenzie, whose YouTube campaign to win a date with First Dog Barney I have featured before, is tired of being ignored. The Barnster will be leaving Washington DC soon, so Kenzie has hatched a new plan...

Barney's moving out of the White House -- and she intends to move in. She's a terrier with lipstick!
Finally, a candidate for our times.

POSTED IN: None

Computer cat-n-mouse at CFA championship.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 8:20 PM

Jay Jay, an American shorthair and part of the Iams trained cat troupe, played a game of cat and "mouse" this week -- make that computer mouse. The cyber whiz kitty, performing at a press conference, was one of the many amazing sights at preview for the 6th annual CFA Iams Cat Championship going on this weekend in New York City at Madison Square Gardens.

Click here for a complete photo gallery, including snaps of a high-wire cat walk.

(photo by Michael Nagle, Getty Images)

POSTED IN: None

Vegas Night for Miami Pet Rescue this weekend.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 7:38 PM

What happens in Vegas... helps companion animals.

Pet Rescue Inc., of Miami, is holding its annual fundraising Las Vegas At Night event beginning at 5 pm, Saturday, at El Palacio Sports Hotel, next to Calder Race Course on the Miami Dade/Broward County line.

Your $75 per person donation includes dinner, a show and $500 in "funny money" to play in the mini-casino. Click here for more information, or call Pet Rescue at 305-621-8354.

Pet Rescue is a nonprofit no-kill shelter that also has a foster program. Browse their Web site for adoptable dogs and cats.

POSTED IN: None

Pet product trends: Doggy treadmills and dishes to go.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 11:55 AM

Doing some research for a story yesterday, I came across some fun facts on the American Pet Products Association Web site. They came through the association’s 2007-08 National Pet Owners Survey, which helps manufacturers gauge trends and develop new products – a big business, with consumers projected to spend $10.3 billion on pet supplies and medicine this year. Thought I would share some trends on APPA’s radar.

For example: Maybe our candidates should be promising a post in every house, rather than a chicken in every pot. Post ownership is on the rise, with 52 percent of cat owners now having posts, as compared to 41 percent since the last survey. Carpeted posts are the top choice of multiple cat owners, accounting for 82 percent of purchases, as well as for single cat owners, of whom 76 percent pick carpet. Who knew?

And while we all know that cats edged out dogs a while ago in terms of total numbers owned by American households, guess what’s number one in terms of sheer population? Freshwater fish; there are apparently 142 million of them out there. Maybe those cute glass bowls with the plastic castle on the bottom deserve an upgrade.

What are some other product projections?

* Stuff for pets on the go: As more people travel with their pets, there is an increasing market for portable feeding dishes and waste disposable systems. And there is a growing awareness of the need to keep pets safe while in the car, creating a demand for animal seat belts and portable carriers.

* Cross marketing: More companies that traditionally catered to two-legged customers are looking to sell to their four-legged companions. Omaha Steaks, grooming product company Paul Mitchell and clothier Old Navy all have lines for pets now.

* Luxury products: High-end items are taking pet pampering to an extreme, with French doggy day beds, faux mink coats and designer bird cages.
Here is one of my favorites: the DogTread, by PetZen. It folds up for on-the-road workouts and the control console is shaped like a bone. The company says it not only gives your dog a workout in any weather, but can prevent boredom and behavior issues, maybe saving you a torn sofa. From $499 on up.

Click here if you want to see more from the APPA 2008 trend report.

POSTED IN: None

Dying woman anonymously leaves her 32 cats with five vets.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 2:17 PM

What a touching story – an Alabama woman, who apparently was dying of cancer, anonymously dropped off her 32 cats at five different veterinarians. She wrote notes, begging that they not be euthanized.Fortunately, almost all already have been adopted. From the Associated Press.

OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — Five veterinary clinics in eastern Alabama received 32 surprises in the last week: Healthy cats in containers and carriers, along with notes from an anonymous donor saying she is dying from cancer.

The notes signed by “Miss R” beg the vets to find her pets new homes. “My time is very, very short,” the donor wrote. “There is not enough time to find homes for my children another way. I beg you not to let them die because I have to, please!”

“Please do not kill!” was written in capital letters on each of the containers. Veterinarian Kim Bond said she found three plastic containers poked with holes sitting at her clinic’s front door when she got to work at 7 a.m. a week ago.

Each cat’s name, age, description and medical summary was written on its container. At least four other clinics received cats in Lee County, about 50 miles northeast of Montgomery.

“These cats were dearly loved,” Bond told the Opelika-Auburn News. “They’re not feral cats or neglected cats.”

Most have new homes already. Veterinarian Buddy Bruce at Animal Health Center still has the six males dropped off Thursday at his clinic and he is offering discounts on all vet services, such as shots and neutering, to anyone who adopts one of the cats.

The identity and location of the donor is unknown. “Other vets that I’ve talked to say the same thing, ’Let’s do what we can to find these kitties homes,’” Bruce said. “These are her children. She took care of the situation the best way she could.”

Photo: Furby and Jinx explore the table at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic in Auburn, Ala. (Vasha Hunt/Opelika-Auburn News)

POSTED IN: None

Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

Saddle up! Veterans center offers equine therapy.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 1:47 PM

Saddle up, horse lovers. Uncle Sam needs you.

The new South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center in Davie is developing its new Equine Assisted Therapy Program, aimed at helping heal veterans recently returned from the Iraq War.

Center Executive Director Robert Bambury, a Vietnam veteran, said professional mental health workers, psychotherapists and occupational therapists already are volunteering for the program, which will assist vets dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders and service-connected physical disabilities. But now he needs some horse experts to lend a hand.

“They could be sidewalkers, or help people pack up the horses, or show veterans how to groom them,” said Bambury, who himself has been around horses all his life.

Here is more information on the center, which runs on corporate and private donations. Besides the equine program, it offers counseling for returning soldiers and their families, and weekend retreats.

Many studies have shown the therapeutic benefits of companion animals. While dogs tend to be the creatures usually involved in animal-assisted therapy, there are “therapy horses,” too. Great Strides, a program in Maryland, uses interaction with horses to reach adults and teens with behavior and emotional issues.

If you’re a horse lover that wants to work with South Florida’s veterans -- or if you are a veteran that is interested in equine therapy -- call Bambury’s center at 954-791-8603. The center is located at 4311 SW 63rd Ave., Davie.

POSTED IN: None

Tainted pet food settlement approved: How to file a claim.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 6:42 PM

From the Associated Press; A federal judge today approved a $24 million settlement in the case stemming from the largest pet food recall in the nation's history. Most of it was manufacturerd by Canada's Menu Foods. While the Food and Drug Administration never has released an official number, the plaintiff's lead attorney estimated about 1,500 dogs and cats died from eating products contaminated with melamine.

Consumers have until Nov. 24 to file claims. Click here for more details.

By GEOFF MULVIHILL"
Associated Press Writer"
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — A federal judge Tuesday approved a $24 million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman clears the way for U.S. pet owners with claims to start receiving checks next year. A Canadian judge has scheduled a hearing for Nov. 3 to determine whether the settlement can also apply in that nation.

Under the deal, pet owners have until Nov. 24 to file claims.
The settlement is to compensate owners for many expenses, including: the cost of the food, medical and burial expenses for their animals, the value of the animals or the cost of replacement pets, checkups for animals who ate the food but did not get sick, replacing carpets ruined by sick pets, and time the owners took off work to seek treatment for their animals.

Sherrie R. Savett, a lead lawyer for plaintiffs in the case, has said she believes that more than 1,500 animals in the U.S. died after eating the food last year.

Lawyers said that so far, more than 10,000 people have filed claims. Of the claims analyzed so far, the average is nearly $1,500. But the lawyers say that average could drop when an administrator reviews the expenses to make sure they are reasonable.

If money is left over after all pet owners have been paid, it would go to animal-welfare charities. If the fund does not cover all the claims, pet owners would receive something less than 100 percent of their economic losses.

A few dozen pet owners formally objected to the settlement — some of them because they believe it should also compensate them for pain and suffering due to the loss of their pets.

Some wrote letters to the judge describing their animals, who died after eating contaminated food, as best friends who should not be regarded as mere possessions.
But lawyers in the case say the law is not on the side of their deeply felt sentiments, and a hearing on the settlement Tuesday focused on more routine legal matters.

The case began in March 2007, when dogs and cats began mysteriously getting sick. It turned out that the common thread was pet food produced under nearly 200 labels — much of it by Streetsville, Ontario-based Menu Foods Income Fund.

Most of the food turned out to contain Chinese-made wheat gluten laced with melamine, an industrial chemical. Since then, the nitrogen-rich chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers have been found in a variety of food products in China. Authorities there have issued guidelines limiting acceptable levels of the chemical in food.

Hundreds of pet owners sued over the contamination. Just over a year after the pets began getting sick, lawyers for pet food manufacturers, stores that sold it, and pet owners had worked out the settlement, which would be in addition to about $8 million already paid by the companies to pet owners.

At Tuesday’s hearing, the judge also considered the issue of payment for the lawyers in the case. Fifty-five firms did work for plaintiffs. Savett told the judge that the lead firms alone had put in work worth more than $5 million.

Savett, who has spent more than two decades working on class-action lawsuits, said pet owners would do well under the settlement — even without damages for their suffering.

If the case had been allowed to go to trial, she said, the defendants might have tried to make each plaintiff prove that a pet had eaten the contaminated food and that it was not some other cause that killed or sickened the animal.
“There is a risk that people would not have gotten anything at all,” she said.

POSTED IN: None

Get your discount to this weekend's cat-stravaganza.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 1:58 PM

See pretty kitties vie to be top cat (it's kinda like Project Runway with claws) – and help a good cause, too.

Cats Exclusive, a Margate nonprofit that runs a no-kill shelter and a low-cost spay/neuter and medical clinic, is hosting a feline extravaganza all day Saturday and Sunday at War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE 8th St. in Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park.

There will be a Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) championship competition, as well as a display of endangered wildlife. You can shop at the booths of 30 cat-themed boutiques.

And if you don’t have a cat, no problem! Cats Exclusive will have adoptable cats and kittens there both days.

Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and children age 6 to 12, with children under 6 free. But go here to the Cats Exclusive site, which has more details and exact show hours, and get a coupon for $2 off admission.

All proceeds go to Cats Exclusive, which provides low-cost medical services and vaccines for all cat owners.

Oh, and since its Halloween -- costumes encouraged for cats and their peeps.

POSTED IN: None

RESCUE ME: Like chocolate? You will love Spencer the Lab.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 6:27 PM

RESCUE ME PETS: Spencer
RESCUE GROUP: Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRRoF)
BASICS: Chocolate lab, male, 8 years old

HIS STORY: Spencer was found lying on the side of the road about a year ago. He could hardly stand, his eyes and ears were swollen shut from infections, and he had very little hair. He had to spend almost two weeks being fed intravenously, but his tail still wagged.

PERSONALITY: Spencer is easy-going, very polite and well-mannered. His foster family, in Pompano Beach, says he seems grateful to be alive. He loves to swim and fetch squeaky balls.

SPECIAL NEEDS: Spencer is on a restricted diet with no wheats and flours.

TO ADOPT: If you are interested in adopting this special dog, click here for the LRRoF Web site and go to "online adoption application."

You will be asked to pay a non-refundable $25 application fee, which is applied toward the adoption fee. The nearest LRRoF volunteer then will contact you and ask you more about your history with animals and your expectations of the new dog. There is a home visit.
You can find more details, and fees, on the organization’s Web site. LRRoF dogs are spayed or neutered and microchipped.

LRRoF is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to placing purebred Labrador retrievers in loving permanent homes, and is run entirely by volunteers. The group has placed over 2,400 dogs since 2000.

------------------------------------------------------------------

RESCUE GROUP FYI: Most rescue organizations, including Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida, have fees and specific requirements for adoptions.

Many rescue groups and shelters do family screenings before placing an animal and some require home visits. Some retain the right to reclaim the animal if certain conditions agreed to are not followed. Please make sure you understand all of an organization's requirements, its screening process, and the conditions under which an animal may be reclaimed or returned by the new owner before entering into any adoption.

Sit, Stay, Speak! is proud of the many rescue groups in our area, and the dedicated members who work hard to find good homes for abandonned, abused and neglected pets. If you are a rescue group or nonprofit shelter: Send an e-mail to dlade@sun-sentinel.com and we will feature one of your adoptable pets on Rescue Me.

POSTED IN: None

TGIF! Working like a... cat?
> Posted by Diane Lade at 1:58 PM

Happy Friday!

I highly recommend using your procrastination time today to browse Shopcat.
This site features photos and stories about cats on the job across the nation, although a lot of them seem to be from California.

Here's Sixx, from Studio City, CA. Abandonned as a kitten, she went on to forge a career in computer repair and framing, quite an interesting combination. Sixx lives in Steven Levine's frame shop and loves carpet-topped counters, playing with the tape measure and tormenting dogs, not necessarily in that order.

Browse around and check out other Shopcats. Or add your own.

POSTED IN: None

Number one killer of young dogs? Bad behavior.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 7:07 PM

What is the number one killer of young dogs?
Not distemper or parvovirus.

It’s bad behavior.

Euthanasia is the primary cause of death for dogs under age 3, according to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. And usually the animals are brought in by their owners who can’t control them. So while vets are appropriately concerned about young puppies contracting infectious diseases from other dogs, the society encourages veterinarians to promote early socialization to their clients.

Some vets have been reluctant to suggest animals begin things like puppy kindergarten until the dog’s vaccine series is complete. But in an Oct. 1 article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association News, the society says socialization classes can begin when the puppy is as young as 7 or 8 weeks old, although they should have one set of vaccines prior to the first class as well as a first deworming.

Dr. E. Kathryn Meyer, the society president, said it’s critical to expose a puppy to other people and dogs before they are 3 or 4 months old. “[Unsocialized] puppies may fail to develop coping mechanisms and grow into dogs that are unable to adapt to new situations,” Meyer said in the article.

So make life good for you and your new puppy. Ask your veterinarian about puppy socialization classes.

Here is the page that includes the society's position on socialization. And go here to find out how to chose an appropriate dog trainer, depending on the behavior issues you are dealing with.

POSTED IN: None

Animal lovers raise money to bury Florida Keys man, killed rescuing dogs following Ike.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 1:55 PM

Animal lovers in Texas are collecting donations to help bury a Florida man who was killed trying to rescue three dogs during Hurricane Ike cleanup. Robert Emery, who came from the Florida Keys to help clear debris after the storm, dashed onto a Houston-area interstate to save three dogs, who were stranded in the middle of the roadway, hugging the median.

The dogs all made it but Emery was killed when he was hit by a motorcycle.

Alaina Emery and son

No one knew much about Emery and Texas coroners, unable to locate relatives, were going to bury him as a pauper. But animal lovers were determined to do more and eventually, they tracked down his long-estranged daughter in Pittsburgh through the Internet.

"Girl, he died a hero with tons of people loving him," Kellye Nagata
eventually wrote to daughter Alaina Emery.

Nonprofit No Paws Left Behind, in Houston, is continuing to collect money for Emery’s burial. Here are the details for how to donate.

And here is the very moving story about efforts to locate Robert Emery's family from the Houston Chronicle yesterday.
Thanks, Tara.

WEB TRACKS DOWN DAUGHTER OF MAN KILLED WHILE SAVING DOGS
By DANE SCHILLER
Oct. 7, 2998 The Houston Chronicle

The e-mail from a stranger in Clear Lake was to the point, and an
improbable end to a Pittsburgh woman's 13 years of searching for the
father she hadn't spoken to since she was a kid.

"Is your father's name Robert Emery? The whole city of Houston is
looking for any relatives," read the message.

Alaina Emery was startled as she stared at a computer screen while in
the library at paralegal school.

Trembling and swept with emotion, she misunderstood the reason for the
question.

"Why is the entire city of Houston looking for him?" she typed back.

The exchange would quickly lead to Alaina, now 25, realizing her
long-lost father was Robert "Bob" Emery, the mysterious Hurricane Ike
relief worker killed the night of Sept. 27 as he dashed onto the East
Freeway to rescue three dogs stranded in the emergency lane hugging the
median.

The men who worked with him clearing storm debris and traveled with him
from the Florida Keys described him as a big-hearted jack-of-all
trades, but knew nothing of his past.

The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office was also having a tough
time finding relatives, and Emery was to be buried as a pauper if no
one claimed his body.

In so many ways, the 54-year-old Emery's loner life was playing out
like lyrics for the blues songs he loved so much. He'd even recently
been kicked out of a rundown trailer.

But his death rallied animal lovers in Houston and elsewhere, who fell
in love with the man they never met.

They vowed to ensure he receive a proper burial, and that his attempt
to save the dogs would not be forgotten.

"Girl, he died a hero with tons of people loving him," Kellye Nagata
eventually wrote to Alaina Emery, whom she tracked down on the
Internet.

Emery said she had unsuccessfully searched phone books, the Internet
and even appealed to a television show as recently as last week for
help finding her father.

She recalled Tuesday how she had wanted her dad to see her as an adult
and to recover lost time.

"I am very saddened that I could not find him in life, but somehow he
found me in death," Emery told the Houston Chronicle by phone. "I
wanted to hug him, to meet my son."

Alaina said that while she had long wanted to be reunited with her
father and thought of him every day, she knew there was a chance she'd
find him deceased.

Although he was recalled by Emery as well as her mother, Colleen
Schultheis, as having done many good things, Bob Emery had also battled
a drug problem that destroyed two marriages as well as his career as a
construction worker.

He had two other children, and authorities were still trying to
determine if he was still married at the time of his death.

Through all his ups and downs, Schultheis, who graduated from the same
high school class as Emery in Pittsburgh and was his first wife,
described him as a smart, kind person.

She said she wasn't shocked to learn he'd lost his life, hit by a
passing motorcycle, while trying to save the dogs, as he'd had the
four-legged pets for much of his life.

As word of Emery's death spread, dozens of people as well as businesses
lined up to help.

There have been offers to donate a casket as well as a burial plot,
flowers and ministerial services.

Nagata, who has quietly taken up people-searching as a hobby, said she
wishes she'd known about Alaina Emery's search earlier, as perhaps she
could have helped her find Emery while he was still alive.

"I was adopted, so I used to search for my birth parents," Nagata said.
"I got really good at searching."

POSTED IN: None

Pet Tested: The Vittles Vault fights mites.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 1:05 PM

The Product: Vittles Vault.

Last week, I wrote about how several pet parents in different parts of the country reported finding grain mites in Purina Beneful dog. Here's that post, that includes links to more info about these pests. Ingesting the mites usually won't cause serious illness or injury to your dog or cat, but it can make them sick.

Turns out that mites thrive in damp, humid conditions -- hmm, sounds like South Florida to me. So proper food storage is important.

SSS! reader Tara (aka TJ). recommends the Vittles Vault.

Gamma2, the plastics company making the vaults that got its start in biomedical equipment, says these hard plastic containers are impervious to ants, mites and other pests, and helps prevent mold on food. The secret is the vault's spinning lid, which makes the seal airtight and locks out moisture.

Here is Tara's review:

I love the Vittles Vault. I have been using these vaults for the past two years and have not had a problem with mold, staleness of the food, etc. Keeps it fresh. AND.....if you need to toss it in the car with your other pet-stuff during a hurricane evacuation, its very convenient. (We have to think of everything, right? )

Prior to using the Vittles Vault, especially if I used any of the more holistic, preservative-free dry foods, they would tend to mold. I would have to throw them out long before the bag was empty, even if I clipped the bag together with the plastic potato-chip-bag kind of clip.

Thanks, Tara!

The Vittles Vault is available at many local pet stores and through online outlets.
Retail price: $12.99 to about $55, depending on the size and type of container. There are travel vaults, stackable vaults and vaults in different shapes.

Got a pet product or toy that your animal friend loves -- or hates? Write a review for Pet Tested. You can email it to: dlade@sun-sentinel.com.

POSTED IN: None

What's out: Fluffy, Fido, Snowball. So what's in?
> Posted by Diane Lade at 8:06 PM

If dogs are from Pluto and cats are from whatever planet suits them...
Would the distinct differences between the two be reflected in the names people give them?

I started pondering this afer the American Kennel Club today announced the most popular dog names in the United States. Gone are those old tired monikers like Spot, Rover or Fido. Human names are more likely to be used. Princess and King also rounded out the Top 10, which AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson suggested "reflect a pet's stature in the home."

So I decided to do a little analysis, and pulled the Veterinary Pet Insurance's list of top cat names, as drawn from their 300,000 policy holders. My findings?

* People think their cats are pretty adorable and regal, too, or at least the females. Princess was the fourth most common name for girl cats and the third for girl dogs. Angel also was in the female kitty Top 10, and Belle/Bella was number two for dogs.

* Boy dogs sound like the kind of people you would like to have a drink with: Duke, Jack and Rocky were Top 10 contenders. Bad boy names, however, seemed to suit male cats: Tigger, Tiger, Smokey and Shadow.

* Max remains a favorite pet name: Number one for male cats, number three for male dogs.

* One other name made the dog and cat Top 10: Buddy.

You can see the AKC new Top 10 names by going here. You probably won't be too surprised at the number one picks. The site also has tips for choosing a good name, some which might be applicable to cats as well, such as:

* Don't chose a name that's long and difficult to say: Confusing for your pet, hard to spell on the veterinarian records.
* Don't name a pet after a family member without getting their permission first (oops!).
* Pick a name that still will suit a puppy or kitten when it grows up.

Here is some stuff on the top cat names from VPI, via the PetPlace.com Web site. It includes links to suggestions for naming your cat by appearance (like, maybe, Fluffy?) and a list of "cool" names (Harry Potter???).

So: What is the best name you ever gave one of your animal companions?

Years ago, I inherited a panther-ish black young adult male cat from a co-worker who had to relocate. The cat had just gone through major urinary tract surgery and he arrived at my house wearing a giant plastic white cone around his head, to keep him from biting his stitches.

I told my roommate he looked like a kitty that was half satellite dish. So his name became:
Sputnik, after the famous Russian satellite.

POSTED IN: None

Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

Help your favorite rescue group win ten thousand bucks.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 11:47 AM

You can't vote for President until November. But you can vote for your favorite rescue group right now -- and help them win $10,000.

Care2.com -- a Web site that connects the socially conscious with news and petitions for a variety of causes, including animal welfare -- is hosting the America's Favorite Animal Shelter contest. No butterfly ballots here; voting is easy!

Here is a list of of all the Florida shelters, by city, in the running. There are many from South FLorida. Scroll down to find your choice.

Don't see your group? Go up to the right hand corner and you can add it.

There is a total of $15,000 in prize money, with the first-place winner receiving $10,000.
The balloting ends at midnight, Nov. 1.
Hurry, hurry! The leader, Small Paws Rescue of Oklahoma, already has 1,994 votes.

Care2.com also has downloadable information and fliers to help rescue groups promote the contest as well as the work they do.

The contest is being held in conjunction with Adopt-A-Pet.com, a Web site similar to Petfinder that can point you to adoptable companion animals in your area. Adopt-A-Pet also is offering prizes to people who recruit the greatest number of voters as well as picking shelters at random to receive $1,000.

POSTED IN: None

TGIF! Dear Dogfessions: Don't tell my cats but I want a puppy.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 10:52 AM

Happy Friday!

Myfession: I can't get enough of Dogfessions. The brainchild of Nikki Moustaki, part-time Miami Beach resident, Dogfessions are postcards that illustrate deep secrets and hidden thoughts that canines (and their owners) would rather you not know.

Moustaki, a dog trainer whose "dogfession" is that her own two pooches are ill-behaved, came up with the idea about two years ago. At the Westminister Dog Show in 2006, she first asked pet owners for Dogfessions submissions. She now gets about 1,500 to 2,000 a month.

Myfession No. Two: Although Moustaki has expanded to Catfessions, Dogfessions are my favorite. Some are hysterical; others are so poignant and real, they make me cry. I think Dogfessions probably are best appreciated in all their full-color, creative glory through Dogfessions the book, just released by HarperCollins a few months ago ($19.99).

But you also can see some for free (and covertly, at your desk, on a Friday) at the Dogfessions Web site.

Here's the Dogfessions book video, which has some good shots of the cards.

Oh, and I really do want a puppy.

POSTED IN: None

Craigslist: The latest place bad pet owners are dumping their animals.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 2:43 PM

Some irresponsible pet owners have found a new place to dump their unwanted animals:
Craigslist.

Rescue groups are starting to monitor the popular site, which allows people in 450 cities to post classified advertisements for merchandise and jobs, as they’ve been noticing ads for “free” dogs, often purebreds.

Then it turns out these animals are very old, or very sick, or both.

“It’s really sad for these senior dogs,” said Stacy Narcisse, a Fort Lauderdale volunteer with Get A Life Pet Rescue, which specializes in small dogs. “Sometimes, we call about them and whoever posted the ad won’t call us back. You wonder whatever happened to the poor dog.”

Mack, a volunteer with Florida Dachshund Rescue, a few weeks ago told SSS! about Mollie, a “free” dachshund he found on Craigslist. When he went to see her, Mack discovered Mollie had a golf ball-sized cancerous tumor on her face, plus a heart condition.

Here is an update on Mollie from Mack:

Mollie is doing fairly well. After consultation with an oncologist and a cardiologist at the Animal Medical Center Cooper City, we have determined that Mollie will not be a candidate for surgery. Her heart is too badly damaged to allow for anesthesia and surgery on tumor.

So, we are keeping her comfortable on meds, a cocktail of six different meds -- including Lasix for her heart and a chemotherapy drug to try to stop or even reduce the growth of the tumor.

Mollie is a very happy girl most of the time and so friendly -- housebroken -- everything you'd want in a family pet. But realistically she doesn't have many months to live. The meds initially made her sick, so we are watching that and made some adjustments. As long as she is happy and free of pain, we will keep Mollie as a permanent foster and take care of her needs. She will not be adopted out.

POSTED IN: None

Holy cats! Bless your beasts this Sunday -- and how to do it at home.
> Posted by Diane Lade at 1:35 PM

Sit, stay, pray!

Father Joseph, a Franciscan priest with St. Francis Friary, will be blessing all creatures great and small (and of all denominations, we presume) at the Humane Society of Broward County on Sunday, Oct. 5. The celebration is in honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, who preached that all creatures deserve our respect and compassion.

Here is Father Joe, getting a blessing of his own from a schnauzer at the 2006 Humane Society ceremony.

The ceremony begins at 3 pm on the east lawn of the shelter, at 2070 Griffin Road, just west of the Interstate 95 exit. All sizes of pets are welcome but must either be in a carrier or on a leash.

Father Joe also will be blessing the animals in the shelter and shelter mascots Tweety the Cat and Oscar the Bird.

Want to do your own blessing at home, or in your church or temple?

Check out Diana Guerrero's Web site, Blessing of the Animals, which is a companion to a book by the same name. I have this book and it's great. But the site, too, will give you a few tips on blessing ceremonies, animal "rites of paw-sage" like cat mitzvahs, and throwing a pet birthday party, as well as offers some readings and prayers.

It also has a promotional video showing awesome blessing ceremonies from around the world and featuring a variety of animals, including elephants and horses.

I recognize, however, that some people are uncomfortable making animals the focus of a religious ceremony. What do you think? Are pet blessings disrepectful,or do they embody what you practice in your faith? How about things like doggy weddings or cat mitzvahs?

Animal blessing photo by Joe Cavaretta, Sun Sentinel.

POSTED IN: None

Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

Are tiny grain mites infesting your pet's food?
> Posted by Diane Lade at 10:57 AM

Your pets aren’t the only ones that like to chow down on that dry kibble.
So do tiny microscopic bugs called grain mites.

These pests thrive in hot summer months and in high humidity, able to lay hundreds of eggs on one dry nugget. Store your pets’ food carefully and monitor your supply, or grain mites could be having dinner at your house.

So far this month, there have been at least two reports of consumers finding mites in Beneful dry dog food, made by Purina; one in Newport News, VA and one reported through a syndicated pet column in the Washington Post. In both cases, the pet parents discovered a weird dust proliferating in the places where they kept their dogs’ food – and one day noticed the dust was moving. It actually was the residue left behind by hungry grain mites.

A Tallahassee television station also carried a story this week about a family finding grain mites in a Purina product. Although the station didn't report the brand, watch the video and you'll see a Beneful bag being tossed in trash.

Purina spokesman Keith Schopp said the manufacturing process would kill any mites in raw ingredients, but that an infestation could occur after the products left the plant or in the customers’ homes. He did not know if the affected customers all bought the same Beneful flavor or if the products were made in the same facility.

The company has not recalled any Beneful food but “we take this very seriously when we hear from a customer,” Schopp said. Vicki Lemay, the Newport News customer, said Purina offered to cover her extermination expenses.

Veterinarians said grain mites should not cause serious illnesses if eaten, but that pets might have an allergic reaction that could include itching, and intestinal and skin problems.

How can you control grain mites?

* Store pet foods in airtight containers. Don’t store food in garages, sheds or basements.

* Immediately throw bags away outside after the food has been put into a container.

* Don’t buy or use old or outdated food.

* Wash food dishes frequently in hot water and dry thoroughly.

* Buy only 30 days worth of food at a time.

* Don’t purchase food in bags with holes or tears.

* Avoid low quality food with a lot of debris in the bottom of the bag.

* Periodically check food and the area around where the food is stored for signs of mites: a recurring brown dust.

Here is a good fact sheet from the University of Nebraska's extension service on food storage mites, including grain mites, and how to clean up after them.

POSTED IN: None