One of the best things about having a mother: You're guaranteed at least one reader for your blog.

We always had pets as kids -- cats, turtles, fish, an armadillo. My mom continued to keep the company of cats long after her nest was empty, and she had no more kids to bug her about getting a doggy or kitty. But after she became a widow, she wanted to travel more. And she has a more active social life than I do. So she has been pet-less for more than 10 years.

I've asked her if she misses sharing her life with an animal companion and she has said no, not really. But I notice she dotes on the pets that my brother and I have, her "granddogs" and "grandcats," as she calls them. And even on dogs and cats (cats especially are her weakness) that are no relation.

Here is an e-mail she sent me last week, from an inn in the Ohio countryside, where she is staying with her friend, Bob. I think Caesar may become an honorary granddog:

Bob and I met a new friend this weekend. His name is Caesar. He is a border collie and can he herd!

The cows move down the path about 100 feet and then again stop to eat. Caesar watches impatiently. Then off he goes, squeezing under the fence again to nip at their heels. They finally move on. Caesar relaxes, his job complete.

Do any of you enjoy the companionship of other people's animals if you are not able to have pets of your own? Do you have "granddogs" or "grandcats?"

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From the US Food and Drug Administration

Mars Petcare US recalls multiple brands of dog and cat food, including Pedigree, Ol 'Roy and Special Kitty.

Reason: These products may be contaminated with salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats. This pathogen also can be passed to people, especially young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
The suspect food came from the company's Everson, PA. plant, which stopped production "as a precautionary measure" in July after two plant workers contracted salmonella, a Mars spokesperson said.
Mars did not say how many units have been recalled, but the products were sold in 31 states.

Description: The brands recalled include: Country Acres, Members Mark, Natural Cat Food (Sam's Club), Ol' Roy, Paws & Claws, Pedigree, Pet Pride, PMI Nutrition, Red Flannel, Retriever, Special Kitty and Wegman's. But only certain products in these lines are recalled, not the entire brand.
Affected products will have "17" as the first two digits of the second line on the UPC. Affected Pedigree products will have "PAE" on the bottom line.

Sold by: Sam's Club and multiple retail outlets nationwide.

Return policy: Consumers can return this product to where it was purchased for a refund. For more information, call the company at 877-568-4463.

Click here for a complete list of recalled brands and details on how to read the UPC codes.

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Hey, I'm back. Thanks for your patience, SSS! readers!

Emily wrote while I was away, asking what kind of litter she should get her cat that she is having declawed tomorrow. Do any of you have suggestions?

I saw some recommendations for Yesterday's News, by Purina. Made of recycled newspapers (gee, and people say the newspaper business has no future), it supposedly is less harsh on tender paws.

But dear Emily:
What I really would like to recommend to you is rethink having this surgery performed on your cat. Because it is surgery, and painful surgery. It's not a manicure. Those paws indeed will be tender.

I recognize that living with a feline that loves nothing more than destroying your furniture can be maddening. Our living room couch hasn't looked the same since Frances Jeanne came to stay.

But there truly are ways to manage clawing without resorting to something that is painful, cruel -- and may possibly alter your cat's behavior for life. We put a double-sided sticky film (available in many pet stores) on spots that Franny seems to prefer. The texture doesn't feel right to her, so she doesn't scratch.We also have scratching posts -- both vertical and horizontal, and different sizes -- scattered everywhere throughout the house.

And if she goes after something that isn't critical, we just let her destroy it. Franny LOVES scratching the telephone directory that sits on the telephone stand. Big deal. We'll get another when she finishes shredding it.
As for the couch? We've just decided to live with the one we've got while Franny is a member of our household. We'll throw a slipcover over it when we have company.

And we cover all of our upholstered surfaces, which have a texture that makes cats want to scratch it, with old towels and sheets. It doesn't look too classy. But it saved a large ottoman by the window that is Franny's favorite place to sleep.

Declawing literally is removing the first joint from the cat's toes. It would be like taking off the first joint of your own finger. The procedure has been banned from the United Kingdom and some veterinarians here won't do it.

There is a lot of information out there about declawing.
Click here to read one that covers a lot of details about what the surgery involves, and things you can try to alter scratching behavior rather than declaw.

It also has a link to an interesting article at the end, by a vet technician, on what she sees when she cares for a patient that was just declawed. I hope you'll read it.

I'm not trying to be judgmental. But if you love your cat, Emily, please reconsider. You and your cat will be grateful.

Do you have an opinion about declawing? And do you have any other suggestions how Emily can get her cat to stop scratching?

> Discuss this entry

Sorry, folks. Gotta take a blog break for a couple days.
I have a big project due.

In the meantime: Here's video of that New Bedford, MA. firefighter (the one we wrote about yesterday) saving a cat with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Thanks to SSS! reader Fred for this one.

And please cross your fingers for all creatures great and small in the path of Hurricane Ike, as it moves toward landfall in Texas.

> Discuss this entry

A story from the Associated Press today, on a cat trapped in a burning building that was saved by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from a firefighter, points to something most of us don't think about:

Does your fire department have what it takes to save your pets?

I don't mean the determination or the training. I'm talking about the right gear:

Animal-sized oxygen masks.

People-sized masks don't properly fit dogs and cats. So firefighters must try to revive pets with "mouth-to-snout" breathing or by waving a regular oxygen mask under the animal's nose. Pet-sized masks, however, are the most effective way of delivering life-saving oxygen. And more departments are getting them, with one in three American households now having pets.

But they are expensive. So in some cases, local animal welfare groups or breed clubs have stepped up and donated the equipment.

Best Friends Pet Care, a Connecticut-based company, has started a matching grant program that has placed thousands of masks in fire stations around the country. There are no Best Friends franchises here in South Florida. But click here for their Web site and information about starting a fundraising drive for masks on your own.

Here's today's story on the "mouth-to-meow-th" rescue in Massachusetts.

And keep reading for a 2005 story I did on animal oxygen masks and how a Boynton Beach firefighter saved a dog with one.

Mouth to Meow-th: Mass. firefighter revives cat with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation By Associated Press 11:26 AM EDT, September 11, 2008 NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) _ A lucky cat owes one of its nine lives to a firefighter who revived it with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Al Machado rescued the cat from a burning apartment Tuesday, telling The Standard Times of New Bedford that he saw immediately that it needed air.

Machado began performing mouth to mouth on the animal as he carried it outside.

Video shot at the scene shows Machado bent over, breathing into the cat's mouth several times. The cat, a tiger angora, was revived and resting comfortably soon after.

No humans were injured in the fire. A man and woman whose last known address was the building that burned were arrested and charged with arson, authorities said.
Two other cats died in the second-floor apartment, but two dogs there were saved with the help of oxygen from paramedics and animal rescue personnel. Pets on the other two floors — including a ferret and even some frogs on the first floor — were all saved.

Asked what it tasted like to give mouth-to-mouth to a cat, Machado laughed, grimaced and said: "Like fur."

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Love my dog, love me?

Hank, a roommate in a large house I shared with seven other students one college summer, always said Justin was the ultimate chick magnet.

Justin was Hank's handsome white German shepherd. All Hank had to do was tie a bandana around Justin's huge neck, snap on his leash and take him for a walk -- preferably at the park that bordered the women's college, where debutants accompanied by their horses went for their higher education. Hank and Justin always came back with a few numbers.

This ploy can be yours.

The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches is holding a Dog Walking Day in the Park, Bark Bark and getting some exercise isn't the only goal. The event is part of the JCC's singles program.

The walk begins at 6 pm this Sunday (Sept. 14) at Pooch Pines in Okeeheelee Park, 77715 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach. It's open to dog lovers age 21 to 45 (and for dogs of all ages, I suppose). To RSVP, e-mail TamaraL@JCConline.com.

So just curious: Anyone out there made a love connection at the dog park?

My co-worker Laura attracted the attention of her future husband as she drove around town with her giant mastiff, Tara, in the back seat. Now that's how to stop traffic.

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From the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission:

About 223,000 SlyDog retractable dog leashes are being voluntarily recalled by the importer, Worldwise Inc. of San Rafael, CA. The product was made in China.

Reason: The metal clasp connecting the leash to the collar can break, injuring dog owners.
There are five injuries reported so far, including facial cuts and a broken tooth.
(Note: If dogs were being injured or killed, this CPSC-conducted recall would not be happening. The agency has no jurisdiction over pet products).

Description: The leash retracts into a blue plastic case with a black plastic grip. The leash itself is a woven black strap.

Sold by: Dollar Stores nationwide from September 2007 through August 2008 for $5.

Return policy: Consumers can return this product to Worldwise for a full refund, including shipping costs. For more information, call the company at 888-296-3807.
Or click here for more information from the manufacturer.

> Discuss this entry

This from SSS! reader Linda, who has written several times before about Nutro pet food.

The Pet Food Product Safety Alliance had private testing done on samples believed to be Nutro Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula, and Nutro Max Puppy. The alliance says levels of copper were found in both foods that were above levels recommended by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which crafts guidelines for producing animal food.

Copper can cause health problems in some dog breeds.

The alliance also questioned the food's zinc content. While the amounts feel within AAFCO's guidelines, those amounts are 10 times higher than what would be recommend for human adults, based on body weight.
The symptoms of zinc toxicity “are consistent with the majority of those reported by consumers suspecting problems believed to be associated with feeding Nutro dry dog food,” according to the alliance.

Click here for a link, also in the alliance post, from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia on zinc toxicity.

Click here for a full discussion, from the Pet Food Products Safety Alliance, on it's latest Nutro test results.

The Pet Food Product Safety Alliance was started by Don Earl of Port Townsend, WA. A retired real estate developer, he believes his cat, Chuckles, died from eating tainted pet food last year, when millions of pet food products were recalled. Earl said he offered to send Chuckles’ food to the Federal Food and Drug Administration for testing, but the agency declined.

Earl later filed a petition in federal court, calling for the FDA to “perform its duty” and investigate if other toxins, besides melamine, contaminated the food.

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Oakland Park officials have agreed to humanely deal with the feral cat colony that has taken up residence at the city's public works building. But instead of TNR -- feral cat lingo for "trap, neuter and release" -- the city will trap, neuter and relocate.

Here is the update from Sun Sentinel reporter Juan C. Ortega.

OAKLAND PARK-- After city officials debated how to deal with wild cats on city property, they agreed to let a cat-rescue group trap and relocate the felines.

Volunteers from Cat Rescue Inc. will move the cats from the city’s Public Works Operations building, 5100 NE 12th Terrace, and have them spayed or neutered. At a recent public meeting, Assistant City Manager Pam Himelberger said the cats would be taken to a feral cat colony elsewhere in the city.

Some animal lovers at the meeting lauded the city’s decision to hire the rescue group.
The city wanted a humane solution for the cats after it earlier this year arranged for animal control workers to pick up nine feral cats that later were euthanized.

> Discuss this entry

With the Dow taking a sharp dip last week, most of us are looking to save a few pennies. From SSS! reader Karen Kirwan, of Plantation, comes a suggestion for a make-it-yourself toy that your cat and your wallet will love.

Here’s Karen’s comments. And thanks for the Pet Tested tip!

This is King and his 'drug sock' - that's what we call his catnip.

Anyway King will pick this sock up and drag it between his legs in some strange arched body movement. He'll make it all over the house doing this and he'll make funny whining noises at the same time. It is really funny to watch.

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.

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We don't like Ike!!!

State officials second that emotion. Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson has just announced the state is suspending requirements for transporting animals across state lines, in hopes it will encourage Florida residents not to leave their pets behind or their large animals unattended.

Georgia and Alabama also have agreed to accept livestock evacuated from Florida.

The suspension only applies to those living in regions expected to be impacted by Hurricane Ike.

If your a pet owner, you need to start scrambling if you live in Ike's predicted path but don't know where you can go that will accept your animals. Remember that most Red Cross shelters in our area do not allow pets, and you need to be registered to go to one of the pet friendly shelters.

Click here for a previous SSS! post on pet-friendly shelters:

Click here for another previous post that has a good link to a listing of pet-friendly hotels.

And keep reading for more tips just released from the state Department of Agriculture.

Stay safe, all.

First thing on my to-do list tomorrow is to get a mild kitty Valium from our vet, in case we have to evacuate and cannot get Frances Jeanne into her lovely new spacious crate (which is very likely.) I hope Dr. Cindi puts an extra pill in there for me. :-)

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Bob, a good friend of my family's, just forwarded me one of those viral e-mails that's making the rounds. Turns out this one is true. And it contains information all dog owners need to know.

The note, from an indentified woman, talks abut how her dachshund Chloe scarfed down a pack of sugarless gum -- a move that could have killed her dog.

Many sugarless products contain xylitol. According to the Animal Poison Control Center, of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the substance can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar if eaten by dogs, leading to depression, a loss of coordination and seizures.

There also appears to be a link between liver failure and xylitol.

Dr, Eric Dunayer, a toxicology specialist at the center, told the Journal of the Veterinary Medical Association in 2006 that the center was starting to hear of cases where symptoms occured even when dogs ate smaller amounts of the artificial sweetner. In these instances, the signs of problems might be delayed as much as 12 hours.

Bottom line: If your dog gets into your sugarless gum, candy or baked goods, call your veterinarian immediately.

You also can get more information at the ASPCA Poison Control Center by clicking here.

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Happy Friday!

If you live with a cat, you'll be able to relate. Don't we secretly love them because they aren't afraid to let us have it when they feel like it??
Cool song, too.

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Dipped Jewitt, a Cleveland resident who never has been to the polls, received a voter registration application from a nonpartisan group recently. But will she register Democat or Republicat?

Here’s the story, from The Plain Dealer.com
(photo by Scott Shaw)

Voter registration mailing misguided, cat receives application

Posted by Brian Albrecht
September 03, 2008 20:45PM

Dipped the cat may have an independent streak, but that won't be enough to get her past poll workers on Election Day. The feline's owners recently received a voter registration application addressed to Dipped from a national group called USAction Education Fund.

Dipped Jewitt has the purrfect opportunity to make sure the interests of pets are represented in the upcoming election.

She recently was given the chance to vote via mailed registration materials sent by the USAction Education Fund, which describes itself as a national nonprofit, nonpartisan group that has organized voter-registration drives since 2004.

But there's one problem -- Dipped Jewitt is a cat. She received the voter registration application, addressed to her, at her former domicile in Cleveland where her owner, Jeff Jewitt, 54, runs Homestead Finishing Products.

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Frances Jeanne and Dolan have decided that, hey, maybe dogs aren't so bad after all!

My feline pair got a blog shout out from Lulu and Lolly, the road-tripping Maltese pups whose Rescue Dog Rock video we featured on SSS! last Friday.

And I got an interesting e-mail from Cynthia Miller, Lulu and Lolly's mom, who has novel ideas on marketing animal rescue to teens and young people. This photo from the 2009 calendar says it all.

But more on that in a minute.
First, here's Lulu and Lolly's post to my kitties!

Thanks to Dolan, a 12-year old feline food-aholic, and Frances Jeanne, two cats who have an outstanding life, for encouraging their human, Diane Lade, to put our video on the Sit, Stay, Speak at Sun-Sentinel.com! Diane has said that Dolan and Frances Jeanne "refuse to get good-paying jobs," to which we say, "OF COURSE they refuse to get good-paying jobs" -- work (werk? sp?) is a disease. You should have a CAREER, which Dolan and Frances Jeanne have: their career is eating. But not a JOB. Love, your career-oriented paLs, LuLu and LoLLy!

The 2009 LuLu and LoLLy calendar, featuring fun photos of these girls doing everything from motorcycling to skydiving, is available now for $13.99. Click here for ordering info. Proceeds go to different animal welfare organizations. The one being featured for the next six weeks is Animal Rescue of New Orleans.

Your pets can converse with L and L as well through their Dog Blog -- or, as they say, their "Dlog." Click here to sound off. You can send photos, too.

As for Cynthia, who lives in Austin, TX and says her "real job" is producing political media:
She got interested in promoting pet adoption -- and getting the word out about puppy mills -- after she got Lolly from a rescue. But wanted to try something fun, lighthearted and catchy. And she wanted to get the attention of younger women, the ones more likely to buy the designer dogs favored by celebutants.

Keep reading for her take on marketing animal rescue to young people.

> Discuss this entry

The Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRRoF) calendar for 2009 is out!

So click here and see if your favorite Lab photo made the cut.
You may remember that LRRoF ran a "calendar search" contest, and the public was invited to vote for their favorite.

All of the dogs are rescues. And I loved the two representing August. But honest, all of them are winners.

The calendar is $20, with proceeds going to LRRoF.

And: LRRoF is a regular on the SSS! Rescue Me series. So check back here at the blog for beautiful Labs of all ages and colors, looking for a forever home.

> Discuss this entry

For anyone following the caterwauling regarding the feral cat colony encamped at the City of Oakland Park's Public Works Operations building...

City Manager John Stunson will give city commissioners an update tonight on how the city might handle the issue humanely.

Supposedly, some city workers had complained that up to 25 cats were calling the yard outside their building home, spreading fleas and bringing bad odors. Supervisors asked employees to stop feeding the felines, in hopes they would go elsewhere. When that didn't work, nine cats were trapped and handed over to county animal officials, who euthanized the animals.

Then the fur (and the e-mails) really started flying.
Cat lovers, supported by Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue, have been pushing for what's called TNR -- the trap, neuter and release policy that allows feral cats, which often can't be domesticated, to live outdoors without aggravating the problem by having more kittens.

The meeting starts at 6:30 pm but the cat crisis is way down the agenda, at number 35. Expect a packed house.

Click here to read the original story.

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Veterinarians are concerned that ongoing difficulties with the economy may mean pet owners will cut back on preventive care for their animals, according to an Aug. 15 article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. (click here to read it)

Here's Mack's e-mail to me earlier this week about poor Mollie:

"I picked up another little sweetheart on Thursday of last week. The owner was listing her free to a good home on Craigslist. Dog has a cancerous tumor as big as golf ball on her face.

"She saw a specialist today, who believes he can remove it but it will be costly. The owners let that mass sit on her face for a YEAR and now the surgery is very tricky because the only way to remove it safely is to also remove her perfectly healthy right eye."

I understand how it is to feel overwhelmed by the cost of an animal's medical emergency. I once had to borrow some money from a boyfriend in order to pay for my cat's kidney surgery. But these people advertised their sick dog on Craigslist??

Here is an update on Mollie from Mack today:

"Just heard from the surgeon this morning. He is not going forward with surgery. They detected a heart murmur that was quite severe. As a result, they took X-rays which found an enlarged heart. She would most likely gone into heart failure had they put her under anesthesia.

"So, we have to determine if the heart can be improved just so she can have the cancer surgery. Doesn't look good."

Will keep you posted. At least Mollie is with people now who will try to help her.

> Discuss this entry

Just when I’m convinced we (the human “we”) never learn anything, something comes along that makes me rethink that stance.

Take the recent response to Hurricane Gustav.
Not only did a record number of Louisiana residents (including my brother’s family) hit the road as the storm drew near. Most were able to take their animals with them. It was a far different scenario than what unfolded pre and post-Katrina, which struck New Orleans almost a year ago to the day that Gustav arrived.

I remember having to watch, over and over again, the video clip where a crying young boy leaves behind his tiny dog, Snowball, as he’s hustled onto a bus evacuating residents from the city. The final shot is Snowball, jumping toward the bus steps as the door slams shut.

Didn’t see that kind of footage this year.

Animal welfare organizations from around the country joined forces to give residents options as Gustav approached. They assisted with evacuating hundreds of dogs and cats from shelters in threatened areas, including New Orleans, to safer quarters.

Here is a video from the Humane Society of the United States about one of three massive temporary shelters that were set up before Gustav. This one in Shreveport could accommodate up 1,000 dogs and cats, with housing nearby for their owners.

More people living in hurricane-prone areas seem to be including their pets in their disaster planning. Both Broward and Palm Beach counties have pet-friendly emergency shelters, although some have questioned if they are large enough if a serious storm threatens.

Disaster housing for pets doesn’t just save animal lives. It saves human ones, too. Many people died in Katrina because they had no way to leave the city with their animal companions, and refused to go without them.

Thanks to all the first responders who recognize that animals, too, need assistance when disaster arises.

Keep reading for a story from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram over the weekend on New Orleans evacuation efforts for pets.

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Happy Friday!

Lulu and Lolly, whose Maltese Road Trip exploits landed them in national magazines, are featured in what their two-legged groupies believe may be the first rock video promoting the adoption option.

I'll post more on this pair later. In the meantime, enjoy.

And as Lulu and Lolly say:
Looking for someone to rock your world? Try your local shelter.

> Discuss this entry

For those of us who might have been in denial: It's pretty clear that we indeed are in the heart of hurricane season now, with Gustav heading toward the Gulf Coast and Hannah barreling through the Atlantic.

Does your family hurricane plan include your pets? And if you have to evacuate, to you have somewhere to go that will take your animals, too?

The FloridaPets Web site is a great resource, with information about pet-friendly hotels (a SSS! reader previously mentioned the La Quinta chain) and emergency shelters that allow dogs and cats. Click here to take a look. It also includes a good hurricane checklist for pet owners.

And I would be interested in hearing from any SSS! readers about their disaster planning tips that get left off the usual list.

Post them in the comments and I'll compile a list.

Here are two of mine:

* Take a minute as you prepare for the storm and vacuum your house well. If you lose power for a week or two, the pet hair is going to pile up pretty fast. You'll be better off if you start with a clean floor.

* If you have cats, they may have to stay in their cage or crate for several days. So get one big enough to accomodate a small litter box. We have one made for a large dog that folds flat when not in use, and I'm buying another one today.

Stay safe!

> Discuss this entry

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there on the campaign trail, as one party's convention winds up tonight and another one begins soon. So as the spinning starts, here is one gun the candidates may want to add to their arsenals:

Pet endorsements.

Yep, a Democrat running for a hotly-contested Ohio Congressional district recently issued a statement broadly claiming the support of "dozens of area dogs, cats and other pets."
Leading the pack were Mary Jo Kilroy's own three dogs, Murphy, Chase and Dodger, who have launched their own "Pets for Kilroy" site. (click here to see it.)

Mary Ann Akers, who writes "The Sleuth" column for the Washington Post, made some snarky comments about Kilroy targeting "crazy pet people... many of them DINKs (double income no kids) who attend bark balls... and treat their pets as children." Geez, Akers, you got a problem with bark balls??

If this idea catches on, then -- opps! -- Obama is in trouble, since he doesn't have any family animals to give him two paws up.

Some quick research on my part did not uncover the pet status of Obama running mate Joe Biden. Does anyone know about Sen. Biden's stand on this important issue? Anyone?

Click here for Akers' complete column.

> Discuss this entry

This comment, from a New York vet, is worthy of its own post.
Dr. Charles Greco has used and recommended Four Paws products for years. But he agrees that their pimple ball for dogs appears to have a manufacturing defect -- and that any pet owner who has one of these products at home should check it and consider not letting their dog play with it.

Dr. Greco praises Four Paws' response to the injuries suffered by Chai, a Lab whose tongue had to be amputated when it was sucked into the ball. Apparently, a design flaw causes a vacuum to build up if the ball does not have a second hole or the hole is blocked.

It's great that Four Paws is being proactive on this situation -- because the reality is, they don't have to do anything under law. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission does not regulate pet products like toys, and there are no mandated manufacturing standards. The federal Food and Drug Administration only oversees food and treats.

Do you think that there should be more regulation of pet toys and products?
(Click here for my previous post on Chai and pimple balls.)

Here are Dr. Greco's comments:

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

The Truth About Four Paws Toy

My name is Dr. Charles Greco. I'm a veterinarian in New York. I came across your blog about your dog Chai. I wanted to extend my well wishes for a speedy recovery. I own 6 dogs, 2 cats, 4 birds and 3 tortoises, so I know how much a pet can become a part of the family.

I was shocked to learn that the toy that hurt poor Chai came from Four Paws Pet Products. I
have used many products from Four Paws, from Wee Wee Pads to toys and dental products, and I have always found them to be of the highest quality.

I personally contacted Four Paws today and talked to some lady in the customer service department who told me that the toy that hurt Chai was the result of a manufacturing defect with its pimple ball with bell toy.

She explained that the defect, which is very difficult to see with the naked eye, is caused by a blockage in a small hole in the ball that is critical to regulating the suction inside the toy.

She also told me that when Four Paws learned of the injury to Chai they immediately stopped
shipping the product to distributors and retailers. She also said that Four Paws asked any retailers that had this toy in their possession to remove the toy and send them back to Four Paws.

She told me that Four Paws is individually inspecting every one of the pimple balls in its inventory in order to identify and discard any that are defective. She also said that Four Paws will also be changing the packaging of its pimple balls to make it easier to inspect them for potential defects.

I was surprised when she told me that the Executive V.P., Barry Askin, was so deeply moved by the injury to Chai that he is personally visiting the manufacturer next month to inspect the manufacturer's operation and to make sure the defect has been corrected and that procedures are in place to make sure that procedures are in place so it will not happen again. It was reassuring that this company is not sitting by idly but is taking an active role in making sure this terrible accident never happens again.

I would just urge any pet owner who may already own one of these toys to check carefully to see if the second small hole in the ball is blocked. If they have any doubt whether the hole is open they should not let their pet play with the ball. I also went on Four Paws' webpage at www.fourpaws.com. On the webpage, they state that they will replace any defective toy.

Again, all the best to you and Chai. I hope the two of you can share many years of happiness ahead.

> Discuss this entry

Pet photo contests abound. Guess they know how to suck in pet parents, always eager to show off their little darlings. Hey, we're no exception at my house. David doesn't have a photo of his lovely wife on his cell phone but carries one each of Franny and Dolan.

Any-who...
Here is a chance from PetSmart to plaster your Fluffy or Fido's image on the consumer psyche nationwide.

Artistic renderings of the dog and the cat that wins the annual Just A Buck, Change Their Luck photo competition will grace T-shirts, mousepads, tote bags and a buncha other merchandise that will be stocked in PetSmart stores next year. The sale is part of the company's annual Just A Buck campaign that has raised millions to support animal welfare groups in the US and Canada.

Here's the four winners as featured on this year's products.

Ten dogs and ten cats will be picked as finalists through online voting -- which seems to be a popular way of doing these things -- that begins Sept. 10. There will be one canine and one feline selected.

Click here for all the entry details. Deadline is Sept. 6.

There are prizes for finalists and winners, including all the Just A Buck swag you can handle.
Good luck to the contestants and may be best pet win.

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Well, Dolan and I had our visit with Dr. Cindi on Tuesday. And it turns out that despite my husband waving away my suspicions, I was right. Dolan has lost two more pounds in less than a year, bringing him down to 11 pounds – too little for our Big Boy, who once tipped the scales at 16 pounds.

The good news is it isn’t cancer, as I feared.
The bad news is that it’s something no veterinarian can fix:
Advancing old age.

Dolan apparently has severe arthritis. The X-rays, which the vet let me see, showed bone spurs bridging three vertebrae. He also has some osteoporosis in his breastbone. Dr. Cindi was amazed Dolan still is able to jump up on the couch. But apparently, the arthritis is limiting his ability to squat in his litter box, which has caused some other issues with his urinary tract and colon. So now he gets to take a kitty laxative (oh joy) and arthritis medication like a lot of other senior citizens.

Oh, and the blood work came back today. It turns out Dolan also has a thyroid condition, as Dr. Cindi suspected. The signs were there. Not only was there weight loss, but he also was peeing and drinking overtime – things I realized because he’s an indoor cat, and I know his habits.

So add another pill to my boy’s daily regime. Oddly enough, I also am having my thyroid checked this week, have developed bone spurs in my left foot this year, and have osteoporosis. I guess Dolan and I can share a pillbox and age ungracefully together.

Dolan is a rescue, so I’ll never really know his age. We think he’s between 12 and 13, which Dr. Cindi says puts him at “upper middle age.” This is the first time I have watched my animal companion grow older, day by day, over many years and it’s not going to be easy. I think I blindly assumed that Dolan would live forever, or at least outlive me.

But at least I did something right. I know my cat’s basic habits, so I noticed they were changing. I check out his bod under all that fur on a regular basis, so I could tell he lost weight even without a scale. And I acted on it.

I hope this will give Dolan many more years with David and I. Because I know however much bonus time we get, it will never be enough.

Thanks to everyone who sent sweet notes of concern. See? Positive energy does work.

> Discuss this entry

We all know that cats have an amazing ability to find their way back home. Here is an incredible story of a feline that needed a little human-type help -- but was able to hang on out there on her own for almost a year until she could get back to her family half way across the country.
Photo of Sukie from the family.

From: chicagotribune.com

Long, strange trip for curious cat ends in Brookfield
Suburban woman reunites pet with N.C. family
By Ted Gregory
Chicago Tribune reporter
10:41 PM CDT, August 20, 2008

Sukie the cat has returned to her home in North Carolina, which isn't all that extraordinary, considering she's an indoor-outdoor cat. Except for this: She disappeared in August 2007 and was found a couple of weeks ago 622 miles from home, brushing against the legs of cat lover Tricia Roman in Brookfield.

The mystery of how Sukie ended up in Brookfield remains. Only she and the person who provided her transportation know for sure. One can't talk. The other can't be found.

The best guess is that Sukie, a black-and-white feline of about 8 pounds and far too friendly a disposition, was scooped up and spirited away last August while meandering around the neighborhood in Carrboro, N.C.

The next reported Sukie sighting was Aug. 5 by Roman as she stood in front of her house, scanning for damage from storms a night earlier.

"I look to my right, and there is this little cat sitting on my next-door neighbor's steps," Roman said. "I gave it a little whistle and she came to me."

Sukie, in fine health, flopped on her side and sprawled at Roman's feet. She ate the food Roman put out for her. Then Roman had to leave for her job as a legal assistant in Lisle.

> Discuss this entry

A story in today's Sun Sentinel reveals that a Palm Beach County teenager accused of sexually assaulting the family's German shepherd also had child pornography videos on his computer, showing grown men performing sex acts with little girls, police said.

Surprise, surprise.

Research repeatedly has shown that people who sexually abuse animals often do the same to humans they also feel they can dominate -- just as people who physically abuse animals tend toward violent crimes. It's all well and good that county officials, who removed dogs and two cats from the family's home, have banned them from owning pets. But now is another good time to point out something that really will shock you, folks:

It's legal in our state to sexually assault animals.

Yep, we are one of 20 states where this is true. The reason is that when states struck down laws outlawing sodomy, the ones barring sex with animals went, too. This makes it hard for prosecutors and law enforcement to pursue these cases.

Sen. Nan Rich, a Democrat representing parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, introduced a bill last session (SB 0744) that would have fixed this, but admits it got started too late to get very far. She plans to try again. And she needs your support.

There are 215 days until the 2009 Florida legislative session begins. Tell your elected senators and representatives that you want them to support Rich's measure, which I hope will be introduced again this year. Stop legalized rape of our innocent animal companions and friends.

Click here to read my original post on this subject, with much more background and details on how to contact Sen. Rich.

> Discuss this entry

Seems that South Florida firefighters proudly are carrying on the longstanding tradition of their breed: Rescuing lost, stranded or endangered cats.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers, accompanied by a fleet of earth-moving equipment, in June freed a cat that had become trapped in a drainpipe in Aventura -- only a week or two after they had to do something similar for a cat in southwest Miami.

Then last weekend, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue firefighters employed their home renovation skills to cut into the wall of a Lauderdale Lakes home -- and extract a tiny kitten, no more than a week old. The firefighters used a thermal imaging camera and stethoscope to pinpoint the exact location of the mystery meowing, and check any additional trapped siblings.

Makes getting a cat out of a tree look pretty routine.

But all kidding aside; I personally am grateful that rescue workers still are willing to take saving companion animals' lives seriously. Hope I never need to make that 9-1-1 call -- but thanks.

Photo by: Mike Jachles, BSO

> Discuss this entry

Dolan will be making an unexpected visit to Dr. Cindy tomorrow (Please don’t tip him off. He's hard enough to wrestle into the carrier as it is). Reason: For such a big guy, he feels pretty bony lately underneath all that fur. I’m worried he’s losing a lot of weight.

Which makes me think about the unthinkable. The big C.
Cancer.

Cancer is very common in companion animals, the main cause of death for older dogs and cats. It accounts for almost half of all pet deaths annually, according to the Pet Cancer Awareness Web site.

I stumbled across this easy-to-understand and well organized resource while I was doing some research in advance of our veterinarian visit. It’s funded through the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research, started in 2003 by the Blue Buffalo holistic pet food company. The company's founding family became interested in animal cancer after their own dog, Blue, was diagnosed.
Click here and check it out the Web site for yourself.

Two things I didn't know:
* Certain breeds of dogs are genetically prone to cancer: Golden retrievers, labrador retrievers, rottweilers, Bernese Mountain dogs and boxers. This is due to improper breeding practices.

* Over-vaccination may weaken your pet's immune system, making them more vulnerable to cancer. Cats can get "vaccine-induced fibro sacroma," a cancer that develops on your pet's skin specially where he/she has been vaccinated. At our vet's suggestion, we started cutting back on vaccinations awhile ago, as both of our cats are out of kittenhood and stay indoors. But we discussed it in terms of it the cats really needed them, rather than a potential harm to their health.

The 10 early warning signs of cancer, according to the site:
* Abnormal swelling that persists
* Sores that don't heal
* Weight loss
* Loss of appetite
* Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
* Offensive odor
* Difficulty eating or swallowing
* Loss of stamina or hestitating to exercise.
* Persistent lameness or stiffness
* Difficulty breathing, urinating or defecating.

Please keep your fingers crossed for Dolan. I'll let you know how he does.

> Discuss this entry

What the devil????

Yoda is the talk of the tabs. Blogs galore are featuring pics of the fiendish-looking (but in a good way) Chicago-area kitty who was born with an extra set of ears. And the talk shows are calling. His owners -- who took pity and adopted Yoda when, as a stray kitten, he was being passed around in a bar -- say he is otherwise perfectly normal and hears as well as any cat.

Click here for his story in the Chicago Tribune.

It's pretty obvious how Yoda got his name (Prince of Darkness doesn't have quite the same ring). And it turns out more than a few felines resemble the Star Wars' Jedi Master. Click here for a hysterical Web site featuring feline Yoda lookalikes.

So does your pet resemble a celebrity? Would love to see the pics! Send them to: dlade@sun-sentinel.com

> Discuss this entry

The product: KONG Wubba Teaser Cat Toy

Franny and Dolan's three favorite catnip toys are nearing retirement: Mousie's fur is hopelessly matted, Batty's face has been chewed off and Mr. Strawberry has lost his stem.

So when I heard that the KONG company had a line of cat toys, I decided to ease in a newcomer.
KONG already has a loyal following among dog owners. And here is what the Wubba Teaser promised: "Specifically developed to appeal to cat's instinctive desire to stalk and capture prey."

Talk about truth in advertising.
Frances Jeanne jumped Wubba the minute it was out of the package, despite the fact that the toy looks like a cross between a fleecy sheep and a pink octopus rather than a legitimate prey animal. Wrapping her front paws around Wubba's head, Franny lifted her back legs and started kicking away - an instinct throwback to the house cats' jungle ancestors that used their powerful hindquarters to disembowel their prey.

Ah yes, the Wubba helps Franny get in touch with her inner tiger!

Wubba now is preferred stalking target of both cats. It supposedly is infused with "natural" catnip, although it doesn't have a refillable catnip pouch like the previous toy trio. The detachable baton allows me to control Wubba without risking my hand.
Only thing I worry about is the string: Franny loves chewing on it almost as much as she does the toy.

KONG Wubba Teaser is available at most local pet stores and online outlets.
Retail price: $7.99

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.

> Discuss this entry

The American Humane Association is looking for a federal resolution acknowledging September as “National Link Awareness Month.” The Link being referred to is the connection between animal abuse and other violent crimes.

Here’s the piece from the PRNewswire today.

DENVER -- In 1894, the American Humane Association first noted a connection between animal abuse and other forms of societal violence. More than 100 years later, this connection -- which American Humane now calls The Link -- is internationally recognized. Yet so much more must be done to address The Link’s tragic impact on victims of abuse.

With the support of U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), American Humane’s Office of Public Policy recently introduced House Resolution 1046 to designate September 2008 as “National Link Awareness Month.” Davis is a strong advocate for children and animals, and is a longstanding member of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus. The resolution is currently pending before the House Agriculture and Judiciary Committees with 19 co-sponsors, and American Humane is working with Davis to move the resolution to a House vote soon.

In her March 13, 2008 statement before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Davis emphasized the resolution’s importance. She stated, “This resolution would highlight the need for more attention and resources to be focused on how violence toward animals is indicative of other violent tendencies. By investigating The Link further, information could be gathered that will help mitigate societal violence.”

Earlier this year, in anticipation of the bill’s introduction and with the support of Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and the late Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), as well as U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), American Humane held a congressional briefing in the Rayburn House Office Building. Speakers on The Link included Dr. Frank Ascione, Utah State University professor of psychology and an adjunct professor for American Humane; Phil Arkow, American Humane interim director of human-animal bond programs; and American Humane’s director of public policy, Allie Phillips, J.D.

Phillips recognizes the positive impact Congress’ interest in the issue could have. She noted, “The Link is typically addressed at the state and local levels. The fact that key congressional leaders are now committing themselves to addressing The Link is a promising step toward future action and increased exposure for the issue.”

American Humane is the only national humane organization with divisions for protecting both children and animals from abuse, neglect and exploitation. Addressing The Link between violence to people and violence to animals is integral to the organization’s mission. For this reason, American Humane facilitates workshops to build collaboration on The Link among human services, animal protection, public safety and law enforcement professionals.

American Humane also operates the National Resource Center on The Link, provides professional training at national conferences, publishes resources and training guides, and advocates for the passage of legislation that includes pets in domestic violence protective orders.

Marie Belew Wheatley, American Humane’s president and chief executive officer, strongly encourages the House of Representatives to pass HR 1046. She said, “As America’s leader on The Link between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, American Humane enthusiastically embraces Congress’ interest and looks forward to further collaboration on this issue.”

> Discuss this entry

I came by this via Orlando Sentinel's Animal Crazy blog and definitely want to spread the word...

Chai, a yellow Lab in the New York City area, had to have his tongue amputated after it got stuck in a red rubber "pimple ball" he was playing with. Chai's veterinarian said the problem was that as the dog chewed on the toy, a vacuum was created, sucking Chai's tongue inside. The frightened dog's tongue then began to swell, making it impossible for his owner to remove the ball and eventually circulation was cut off to the tongue.

A second hole in the toy would have prevented the vacuum effect.

Chai's owner wants the product, the pimple ball with bell made by Four Paws Inc (UPC Code 0 4566320227), to be recalled. And I bet that there are other dog balls out there that also may contain this design flaw.

Click here to see all the details on poor Chai's miserable experience (warning, some of the photos are a little distressing) and videos on how he is learning to eat again.

Another case was documented by the Log Cabin Animal Hospital in Indianapolis. Click here to read about Rosco, a young Shepard mix who also was treated because his tongue had gotten stuck into a ball. While this report doesn't give the make of the ball, it looks very similar to the one that injured Chai. And it clearly does not have a second hole.

Four Paws is based in New York. Click here for the information on how to contact them and demand this toy be recalled.

And check all plastic chew toys to ensure they have a second hole.
Please leave a comment if you have had a similar experience.

> Discuss this entry

RESCUE ME PETS: Rosie and Sunshine.
RESCUE GROUP: Florida Dachshund Rescue (FLDR)
BASICS: Longhaired dachshunds, both females, both 3 years old.

THEIR STORY: Rosie and Sunshine were turned over to FLDR by their owner,
who had lost her home and was moving to a place that could not accept her
pets. They had been well loved but needed quite a bit of veterinary care.

Both had urinary tract infections when they were taken in this April. They
were slow to heal, however, and it was discovered this summer that both had
bladder stones. Surgery has been set and we expect both to be adoptable
very soon. They are only 3 years old and are being fostered in a Boynton Beach home

Rosie

PERSONALITY: These two longhair dachshunds are bonded to each other and must be adopted together. Based on the rescue group's observations, it would be a disservice to both to separate them.

Both get along well with other dogs, they love to snuggle like most dachshunds and will retrieve toys for you. Sunshine will bark at you if she does not know you but two minutes later is your best friend.

SPECIAL NEEDS: The chronic urinary tract infections still are clearing up chronic, but should be alleviated with the removal of the bladder stones.

TO ADOPT: Click here for FLDR adoption information and the application. There is no application fee, but the adoption fee is $400
total for Sunshine and Rosie.

Sunshine

Florida Dachshund Rescue Inc. is a statewide organization devoted to the rehabilitation and rehoming of dachshunds in need of a new home. They were founded in 2003. Dachshunds are one of the 10 most popular breeds in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club registrations, but their stubborn nature is not for everyone.

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RESCUE GROUP FYI: Most rescue organizations, including Florida Dachshund Rescue, 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.

> Discuss this entry

8:20 pm, Wednedsay, Aug. 20

About 20 minutes ago, I posted a plea from a teacher who lives in Fort Lauderdale who had been desperately looking for her minature pinscher, Chyna, since last week. Jessica Reynolds particularly was worried because tiny Chyna is 10 years old -- not exactly a youngster -- and had intestinal problems that required a special diet.

Jessica sounded so sad the few times I talked to her, and I felt the same as I put her information on Sit, Stay, Speak!, hoping for her dog's safe return.

And now I am rewriting and reposting. Because Jessica called me a few minutes ago to say Chyna had been found.

And I think the reason why is worth mentioning.

Because Jessica's "lost dog" posters that she plastered around the neighborhood, and rechecked after Tropical Storm Fay blew through, did the trick.
Animal experts have told me previously that while microchips and tatoos are fine, the old-fashioned poster still is one of the best ways to get back your MIA dog or cat.

In Jessica's case, a woman living about two miles away from her house happened to mention to her neighbors that she had seen a small black-and-tan dog out in the rain squalls sweeping through yesterday and today post-Fay. "Gee," said someone who was listening. "Go look at that poster over there. It sounds like the same dog."

They called the phone number on the flier. And by the time Jessica called me, Chyna was home having a late dinner.

Somehow, Chyna had managed to cross the bustling Oakland Park Boulevard-Federal Highway intersection, possibly during rush hour, given when she escaped. The dog was close to the house where Jessica had been living up to three months ago, and she wonders if Chyna was looking for her old home as the storm approached.

So: Welcome back, Chyna.
And the lesson for the rest of us is, Jessica agrees: Posters do work.

So always keep a current photo of your pet on hand, especially during storm season when you may have to evacuate.

Click here for some great tips on effective posters from Missing Pet Partnership, an organization promoting effective search techniques for lost animals that was started by a California police officer turned pet detective. You really should read the entire piece, as it gives super helpful advice.

But in a nutshell:
* Make posters large so people can't miss them.
* Use bright-colored paper, so they attract attention.
* Put them at major intersections near where you lost your pet and near where others have sighted your pet.
* Keep them brief and to the point.
* And include a current photo.

Feel free to post your own "lost pet found" story and what worked for you. We love happy endings like this one.

> Discuss this entry

We've started feeding our two cats, who previously ate nothing but kibble, more "wet" food lately on the advice of our veterinarian. (Apparently, vets are starting to believe that dry food-intensive diets may contribute to kitty diabetes, but more on that later). Sometimes, I'll give Franny and Dolan part of the can and then leave the rest overnight until breakfast -- covered but not refrigerated -- as the chilled stuff does not smell as stinky-delicious to cats.

Turns out this is a very, very bad idea.
Improperly storing and handling pet food can result in foodborne illnesses, including salmonella, just as it can with human food, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. So while I'm busy reading labels and fretting about pet food recalls, I could have been poisoning my animals all on my own.

FYI: Leftover wet food should be either promptly discarded or stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees.

Apparently, we pet people also can pick up salmonella ourselves by improperly handling our animals' meals. Here are some tips from the FDA, which is stepping up its education campaign on pet foods and foodborne illness:

* Purchase products in good condition; cans should not be dented, bags should not have tears or holes.
* Wash your hands in hot water, with soap, for 20 seconds BEFORE and after handling pet food and treats.
* Wash pet food bowls, dishes and scooping utensils with soap and hot water after each use, and don't use bowls as a food scoop.
* Try to store dry food in its original bag in a clean plastic container with a lid, keeping the top of the bag folded closed.

Click here for more pet food handling safety tips from the FDA, and for a fact sheet on protecting yourself and your pet when preparing and feeding a raw diet -- which is particularly tricky.

> Discuss this entry

Karen Milstein, a volunteer with the Adopt A Cat Foundation, rescued two kitty siblings not once – but twice. And it wasn’t easy. She had to drive hundreds of miles to get back the two cats that she originally had fostered. Shotgun and his sister, Belle, had been adopted through the foundation. But their “forever family” apparently changed their minds and anonymously dumped the pair last October at a Kentucky shelter.

Here they are today (Belle is on the green perch). And here is Karen’s Shelter Story, in her own words.

How could I have done anything different?
After all, I was connected to these guys from the beginning.

I can still, very clearly, see their little faces, peeking out from the carrier. Four small kittens, two of them very ill, waiting for the right person to come along. No one had up to that point and they were slated to be returned to the shelter, where the two sick ones would have most likely been put to sleep. Everyone knows that shelters don't have the time to care for sick animals, even babies. I was their last chance.

So they came home with me and I nursed the two back to health. Together, the four of them grew into rambunctious, beautiful kittens, ready to find a home with loving families. One was adopted immediately, and then two went together, brother and sister. The fourth, having tugged deeply at our hearts, came to be a member of our own cat family, attaching herself to one of my daughters. All were supposed to be loved for a lifetime.

It wasn't to be. The two taken together one night ended up in a shelter drop box at the Lexington Humane Society in Lexington, Ky., their owners too cowardly to fess up to no longer wanting them. When our rescue was called about the cats, time passed before we could finally make the arrangements for them to be shipped home, so much time that one of the cats became severely ill. Flying was now out of the question.

> Discuss this entry

Horses and other large animals need special care during and after storms. Broward County officials offer these tips as Tropical Storm Fay approaches. South Florida’s three counties all are under tropical storm warnings and flood alerts.

And be aware that even after Fay's winds and rain hav passed, standing water can cause problems with horses’ hooves and their feed. Now is the time to make your final preparations.

BEFORE THE STORM:

* Horses should be kept on the owner's or caretaker's property, if possible. If you plan to evacuate your animal out of the area, go early.

* In a Category 1 storm, animals may be safe in a sturdy barn. In a Category 2 storm or higher, animals are probably safest in a large pasture with room to move around, allowing them to utilize their best instincts if there are no electrical wires to come down and the fences are in good repair.

* Do NOT tranquilize your horse!

* Make sure your animal is well identified by spray painting your phone number on your horse's body; attach a fetlock band or mare band with your name address and phone numbers in permanent ink; braid a luggage tag into your horses mane or tail close to the body (be sure its water proofed).

* Be sure to have photos of you with your animals, showing any unique markings, to prove ownership.

* Be sure that your horse is wearing a leather halter which will make it easier for someone to catch your horse if it gets loose.

* Plan for water (20 gallons per animal per day) and feed and hay for your horse.

* Have on hand a supply of basic first aid items, i.e., bandages, anesthetics, etc.

* Do not stay with your horse! You cannot help a frightened, 1,000-pound animal, and you may get hurt.

PROTECTING YOUR ANIMALS FROM FLOOD WATERS:

* Move your large animals to high ground.

* Cleanse feet and hooves with iodine. Once the iodine dries, the feet and hooves should be covered with Vaseline or petroleum jelly for protection from standing water and infection.

* Feed and hay should be moved above ground three feet to avoid water damage and mold.

(Keep reading for links to more information).

> Discuss this entry

Last month, I blogged about an alleged puppy mill in the Florida Keys that was raided by police and an animal welfare group. They found dozens of dogs, with five to seven of them pregnant, shut in a windowless warehouse near the Marathon airport that stank of urine. Six adult dogs were locked in a room the size of a closet.

“The rooms were awful,” said Katie Bentley, of Stand Up For Animals, the organization that took in the dogs. One of the pregnant females had her litter that night.

Marni and Tom Jones, who had come to Marathon when Tom was hired there as a firefighter, agreed to turn over 42 dogs to Stand Up For Animals. The nonprofit rescue group works with Marathon’s animal control officials.

And then yesterday, I get an e-mail from Mollie, of Tampa. What has happened, she asked, over the last month to the Joneses and their dogs?

It turns out Mollie had bought a goldendoodle puppy from the couple, who called their breeding operation the Sixth Day Ranch, over the Internet. And her experience shows why shopping for dogs online is just a bad idea.

Mollie, who is 22, says “I’ve definitely learned my lesson.” I am going to post her full note below because her description of the process lays out exactly how eager prospective pet parents get sucked in by unscrupulous breeders.

Fortunately, Mollie’s dog, Rugby, is almost 4 months old and so far seems OK. But puppy mill dogs often are born sick or with congenital deformities, or are not socialized as pups so they have behavioral problems. Jeffrey Wellinger, who started a Web site to expose Sixth Day Ranch, posts photos of his dog Ernie, purchased from the Joneses. Click here and you can see video of poor Ernie limping painfully across the floor; Jeff says its due to hip problems caused by poor breeding.

The Jones family

Jeff and others also posted some scathing comments on a Webshots site, where the Joneses posted this photo of themselves and their dogs, promoting their business. Click here to read ‘em.

Bentley said Stand Up For Animals also has received calls from other Sixth Day Ranch customers who say their dogs are sick or crippled as well.

And the Joneses? The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office did not file neglect charges against the couple, as they surrendered their animals in exchange for not going to court. Animal neglect also is often tough for law enforcement to document to the point that it can be prosecuted.

“I don’t know if malice was involved (on the Jones’s part),” said Marcy LaHart, a West Palm Beach attorney who filed Stand Up’s petition for custody. “Just stupidity and greed.” LaHart fostered eight of the rescued puppies.

The Joneses, who previously lived in the Florida Panhandle and Colorado, quickly left the Keys. LaHart, looking at a FaceBook page maintained by their son, believes they are back in Woodland, CO.

Mollie says she found what she thinks was a link to them this week on Next Day Pets, a Web portal for online breeders, and reported it to the Web master. Apparently, the link has been removed.

So here is Mollie’s story. You’ll see all the red flags that she sees now:

* The Joneses wouldn’t let Mollie see the puppies in their home.
* She had to pay in advance.
* They wanted to “drop the puppy off” on their way to the Keys and met her in a parking lot to give her the health certificate – signed by a vet Mollie didn’t know.

There is a simple way to avoid all this:
Don’t buy puppies online or from strip-center puppy stores claiming to specialize in "celebrity" dogs. Reputable breeders do not sell their animals this way.
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This from Mollie:

I have allergies and really wanted a goldendoodle because they are better for people with allergies. I was looking online and found (Sixth Day Ranch), and I thought it was great they came from a "religious" background. At the time they were still in Destin, FL and had pictures up of apparently where the puppies played, etc.

I did some research on the breeder and really couldn't find anything bad so I went with them. I've never bought from a breeder, especially an online one before.
Now that I look back on it, there were definitely suspicious signs.

Because I live in Florida, I wanted to go to the breeder and pick out the puppy I wanted, but they said I couldn't because the pups were still young and they didn't want any of them getting sick and "that's just not how they did things." They said they would send pictures and video of the pups.

> Discuss this entry

Happy Friday!

Engineers may think they can analyze, design and wonk their way around anything. But they may have met their match with cats, as the Engineer's Guide to Cats proves.

Take a Friday afternoon break and watch Oscar, Ginger and Zoey put engineers Paul and TJ through their paces as the cats demonstrate such arts as feline floral regurgitation and cat yodeling. You also will learn such helpful skills as learning how to calculate the internal volume and aspect ratio of your own cat, to better determine wind resistance and leaping capability.

And speaking of TJ: It was our own SSS! reader TJ who recommended this viral vid a few months ago. Thanks!

> Discuss this entry

From Associated Press today -- a story about people who mistreat their own family members along with their animals.

Cancer patient, 55, mauled by dogs in Washington home.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A 55-year-old man with cancer was mauled by hungry dogs in his home while his daughter was away and he was hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
Michael Warner’s daughter and another woman were arrested Saturday for investigation of criminal mistreatment, Pierce County sheriff’s Detective Ed Troyer said. The two women have not been charged, and both were released from custody.

Twenty-seven dogs, many of them puppies, were taken from the home in Parkland, near Tacoma.
“We believe some animals were left behind that were not fed and some of the puppies got to him — not intentionally attacked him, but used him as a food source,” Troyer said. He declined to give details of the man’s injuries.

Troyer said that apparently, the women were unofficial caretakers for Warner and the dogs, but had left them unattended for several days. Warner was on the floor, incapacitated, for a couple of days, he said.
The case came to light after Warner’s daughter dropped him off Friday at Tacoma General Hospital. Warner was in critical condition Tuesday and has not been able to communicate with investigators.

A neighbor, Anna Bruun, said she had complained about the dogs several times to animal control after a woman was bitten a few months ago. She also said Warner had been left alone at the home in the past, and had stumbled over to her house for help.

“Once I had to call 911 because he came over and collapsed in our front yard,” she told KOMO-TV.

> Discuss this entry

Marion County animal officials have gained permanent custody of 123 horses and minature ponies from an Ocala-area woman, described by friends as a "one-woman rescue mission." Officials seized the animals in May, after getting reports that many of the horses were malnourished, and had overgrown hooves and other serious conditions.

Five of the horses were so sick they had to be euthanized; two died from malnutrition.
Oddly enough, no mention in the story below, from the "Ocala Star-Banner," of animal cruelty charges.

COUNTY GETS CUSTODY OF 123 HORSES

By Suevon Lee
OCALA STAR-BANNER
Published: Thursday, August 14, 2008

OCALA --A judge on Wednesday gave Marion County permanent custody of 123 horses and miniature ponies that were seized from their owner in late May following an extended period of neglect and maltreatment.

County Judge Steven G. Rogers also ordered that the owner, Francine Derby, be held responsible for $15,000 of the nearly $25,000 the county spent for hauling the horses from four properties and bringing them back to health.

"Obviously, the care was something that was lacking here," Rogers said after listening to an hour's worth of testimony from county officials and animal care experts and viewing photographs of the horses.

Wednesday afternoon's hearing at the Marion County Courthouse came nearly three months after the county filed an emergency petition for protective custody of the horses, which witnesses described in court as severely malnourished, crawling with parasites and suffering from overgrown hoofs.

Not all of the animals made it; five horses have since been euthanized, while two have died from malnutrition.

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Here’s your chance to help seriously ill or injured homeless animals and pick up a lovely original piece of artwork at the same time.

Miami artist Darek Pala is auctioning ten of his paintings, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to start Karmela’s Fund. The fund will finance surgeries and medical treatments for seriously ill pets in the custody of four Miami-area rescue groups: Buddies Thru Bullies, Humane Society of Greater Miami, Miami-Dade Animal Services, and Paws 4 You Rescue.

The care will be provided by Miami Veterinary Specialists, a regional critical care and emergency center that treats animal patients needing advanced surgeries or procedures.

The fund is named for Pala’s dog, Karmela, who has three legs. Pala adopted Karmela from a Miami animal shelter where she had been surrendered by her owners, who were unable to pay for Karmela’s treatments.

According to the center, thousands of dogs and cats, like Karmela, are taken to animal shelters because they have conditions their owners can’t afford to treat or don’t want to bother dealing with. People often shy away from adopting such animals, so the majority are euthanized.

“We have close relationships with the shelters and rescue groups in Miami, and they are short on funds as well,” said Dr. Juan Sardinas, a surgeron at Miami Veterinary Specialists. “We see broken legs, tumors. Maybe Karmela could have kept her leg if her owners had gotten her treatment earlier.”

Bidding for the paintings, which all feature dogs, starts at $1,000 a piece. The auction continues today and through tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 15.

You can see the paintings in person at Miami Veterinary Specialists, 8601 Sunset Drive, Miami, during business hours. You also can view them online by clicking here.

To place a bid, call Robbie at 305-665-2820. You also can make a donation to Karmela’s Fund at that number.

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A lovely summer afternoon. Fine art. A chilled glass of chardonnay. And your best friend at your side.

Doesn’t get any better than that, eh?

I’m sure the 15 people who attended the Museum of Art’s first Dog Days of Summer wine tasting would agree. Dog lovers and the objects of their affection came from Boca, Miami and Hollywood on a Sunday early this month to sip wine (or water, for the four-legged ones), chat and bark. Tables were set up outside in the museum’s breezy atrium in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Even the wines were canine-themed, with names like Dachshund Red.

A portion of the proceeds went to Sebastian's Haul Foundation to Support Greyhound Rescue.

“Everyone really enjoyed themselves, the wine, meeting others. And of course, being able to bring their dogs was most important!” said Douglas Ratcliff. He’s the man behind those exciting changes in the museum’s shop and event schedule, which now includes regular wine tastings and a café with a delicious menu.

Douglas hopes to do more wine-and-dog events at the museum but first wants to connect with the Humane Society and other local animal welfare people. So rescue groups: Give a shout-out to Doug. You can e-mail him at artandwine@mac.com.
And click here for more info about The Wine Bar and The Store at the museum.

Art, animal causes and wine: This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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Literature and movies are filled with tales about dogs who are faithful to their owners even after death. Here is a sad but true tale reported today by Associated Press.
(Photo of Cash, and Sara and Lane Baysinger)

Dog guarded owner’s body for weeks after suicide.

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — A dog stood guard over her owner’s body for up to six weeks after the man committed suicide on the remote northeastern Colorado plains, authorities said.
The body of 25-year-old Jake Baysinger of La Salle was found Sunday on the Pawnee National Grasslands about 75 miles northeast of Denver. Cash, his German shepherd, was found beside him, thin and dehydrated but still alive. The dog had apparently survived by eating mice and rabbits, authorities said.

The Weld County coroner ruled Baysinger’s death a suicide. The cause of death wasn’t immediately determined but authorities found a gun nearby, the coroner’s office said Tuesday.
Baysinger was reported missing June 28. An extensive search failed to locate him, but a rancher saw Cash last weekend, went to investigate and discovered Baysinger’s body and his pickup.

“At least we know it’s over now,” said Baysinger’s wife, Sara. “We’d been looking for my husband for six weeks, and this isn’t how we wanted it to end. At least we can close this.”

Cash has been reunited with her and her 2-year-old son, Lane. She said her little boy is “very close to that dog” and happy to see her again.
Investigators said the dog probably kept coyotes away from the body.

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This heart warming Shelter Story came from Diane Gaglinao, program coordinator at Seminole County Animal Services, near Orlando, via the “Orlando Sentinel.” Who could resist such a Cinderella ending?

The little beagle didn’t even have a name when he was picked up as a stray and brought into Seminole County Animal Services. He sat here for two weeks, cast aside and abandoned, hoping someone would see the potential he had to be a great dog. The shelter staff named him Perkins and hoped for the best for him.

Perkins and partner

Then along came the USDA National Detector Dog Training scout. She was looking for a dog to join their famous Beagle Brigade. The Beagle Brigade is a group of dogs that work at airports all over the world sniffing out fruits, meats, vegetables and plants that are not allowed to be imported into certain countries.

Could it be this is what Perkins was destined to do? Perkins was accepted into the program and began his education at the Detector Dog Training School, where he graduated at the top of his class on July 24, 2008. Perkins and his handler are now headed to an airport in Guam where his nose will sniff out things that aren’t supposed to be there.

Perkins and his handler had such a wonderful bond. It made us proud that Seminole County Animal Services could play a small roll in getting Perkins into this wonderful organization. Perkins will work until he is about 9 years old and upon his retirement, he most likely will be adopted by his handler.

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South Florida may have miles of coastline but there aren’t a lot of places where dogs can dip their paws in the surf. But a dog’s life got better earlier this year, when Hollywood city officials approved a new dog beach.

And you don’t even have to be a Hollywood resident to enjoy it – although you will have to pay extra for the privilege.

Dog Beach of Hollywood is located between Pershing and Custer Streets, east of Ocean Drive (State Road A1A) and north of Sheridan Street. It’s open from 5 pm to 9 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. One-day passes are $5 per dog for residents, and $10 per dog for non-residents. Six-month passes (come on, your dog will want to go more than once!) start at $30 for residents, $60 for non-residents.

Passes can be purchased from rangers on site, when the beach is open, or at the Hollywood Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Office, 1405. S. 28th Ave., Hollywood. For more info, call 954-921-3404.

Beach-goers must use the Pershing Street entrance and sign in with the ranger. And the Web manager for FloridaPets.net warns on her site: Follow the rules! It took years for dog-lovers to get the city to agree to the concept, she said, and the project will be routinely reviewed. “So don’t give the naysayers any ammunition,” she wrote.

Do you know other places where dogs can hit the beach? Let us know!

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Mars Petcare US, the company which also manufacturers the recently-scrutinized Nutro foods, has just recalled 100 of its 20-pound bags of Pedigreee Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites, according to ConsumerAffairs.com.

NOTE: None of this food was sold in Florida. It appears to all have come from Albertsons' stores in southern California and the Las Vegas area.

Mars said it issued the recall after a component of the food that tested positive for salmonella was inadvertently shipped to its California plant.The affected bags have "best by" dates of July 7, 2009.

I could find nothing about this on the US Food and Drug Administration Web site. But click here for complete recall info from Mars Petcare.

Consumers have continued to blame Nutro products, also manufacturerd by Mars, over this past year for the illnesses and even deaths of their dogs and cats. One of them, Linda, talked about her experiences with Nutro in a note to SSS! that she posted yesterday. Keep going if you want to read it. She claims both her dogs and cats had serious problems on Nutro that stopped when she switched to Eukanuba.

Feel free to tell us about your experience, too.

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If you are one of those motorists driving around with a “spay and neuter” Florida plate – thank you! A grant coming from the proceeds of these plates will allow 1,300 South Florida cat owners to receive low-cost spaying and neutering for their pets this year.

Cats Exclusive Inc., a nonprofit animal welfare group based in Margate, today announced it has received a $20,000 grant from Florida Animal Friend toward its low-cost spay and neuter program. The clinic will offer the surgeries for $20 on every Tuesday for the next year. Licensed veterinarians will do the operations. Each cat will be sent home with doses of antibiotics and pain medication.

Only 25 surgeries will be done each Thursday, so call 954-975-8349 for an appointment. Click here for more information about Cats Exclusive.
The group, which runs a non-kill adoption center, also recently received another $500 from the PETCO Foundation for shelter improvements and equipment.

Want to keep a good thing going? Think about getting a Spay and Neuter plate yourself. The cost is an extra $25 annually on top of regular tag fees, and a $10 one-time charge for the new plate.
Monies raised are distributed through Florida Animal Friend (click here for more info), a nonprofit dedicated to reducing pet overpopulation. Almost 2,200 animals are killed in Florida daily, according to the organization,
simply because they have no homes or someone to care for them.
There is info and links on their site about the plate.

Locals on the Animal Friend board include Hollywood vet Dr. Larry Dee; Dianne Suave, of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control; Sunshine Ranches resident Lil Sayre; and Sen. Nan Rich, who has championed animal causes in the State Legislature.

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Happy Friday!

Long ago, in a cubicle far, far away...

My then-podmate Lona (whose young daughter's first pet had her smitten with all things hamster) e-mailed me something that came to be known as the Hamster Dance. Created and launched by a Canadian art student 10 years ago this month, this Internet meme was a very early (and very simple) version of what we now call a "viral video" -- an infectious bit of Internet nonsense that winds up circling the globe a few million times, delighting Friday cubicle-rat procrastinators around the world.

Nora is a teen-ager now and her pet hamster long gone. But the Hamster Dance is alive, well and in multiple versions on YouTube. Click here for a close copy of the original. Back in the day, it was known as the Hampster Dance -- for the creator's pet and muse, Hampton the Hamster.

Below is a massively upgraded model, sort of like what a Broadway musical might be to a high school play.

Happy anniversary Hamster Dance!
You changed my life, and my Fridays, forever.

Click here for Hamster Dance history from Wikipedia.

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OK, I know I’m biased, given that I formerly shared my home with two Labs. But Labrador retrievers are sooooo cute/handsome/beautiful, you would need a 100 months in a year to do them justice in a calendar.

But, sigh, only 12 lucky dogs can be calendar pups for Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida’s annual project. And you can help choose them.

Click here to see the 114 entries already received. Then vote by e-mailing the NUMBERS next to the photos of your two favorites to: LabRescuePhotos@yahoo.com.

Here is Number 14, possibly the next Miss June. (Editors note: Publication of this photo is not the reflection of the opinion of the management and should not be construed as an endorsement of this Lab).

But hurry, hurry! The deadline to vote is this Sunday, Aug. 10.

LRRoF is a nonprofit organization 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.

Their adoptable dogs regularly appear on Rescue Me, a SSS! feature that profiles animals available through our nonprofit South Florida rescue groups. So check back here from time to time if you are on the hunt for a Lab.

And if you are a local rescue group that would like to be featured on Rescue Me, just email: dlade@sun-sentinel.com.

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RESCUE ME PET: Beau
RESCUE GROUP: Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRRoF)
BASICS: Black Lab

HIS STORY: Beau is between 1 1/2 and 2 years old. He was at a Miami animal shelter, on the list to be euthanized, when he was spotted by a volunteer with a pug rescue group who had come to get a dog facing a similar fate. The pug group tried to find Beau a home for several months, with no success. "People were coming to see pugs and not interested in a Lab. I don't know why!" says Beau.

Pug Rescue contacted LRRoF when Beau's foster family went north for the summer. Beau now is being fostered by a North Miami Beach family.

PERSONALITY: Beau is energetic, smart and loves everyone and everything: Cats, dogs, birds turtles and especially people. He is housebroken and very well-behaved. He enjoys trips in the car and going to the dog park and hunting lizards in the back yard.

SPECIAL NEEDS: Beau has a slight handicap: He was born with front feet that turn out very dramatically. His vet says it shouldn't affect Beau's lifespan or health in any way, and his foster mom says he can run and play just like any dog.

TO ADOPT: "I just need to find a family that loves me for me and doesn't look only at my front legs," says Beau. 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.

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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 us an e-mail to dlade@sun-sentinel.com and we will feature one of your adoptable pets on Rescue Me.

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Last week, we started asking for "shelter stories:" tales from those of you who have volunteered with animal rescue groups. We wanted to know about the good times, the bad, and what inspired you to do this work.

Our first submission, from Mack, sets the bar high. It made my day and I hope it does the same for yours.

I volunteer for Florida Dachshund Rescue and serve primarily as "intake coordinator.'' My role is to find foster homes for dachshunds that wind up in shelters or are given up by their owners. My interest started merely by being an enthusiast of the breed. I wanted to help. Soon I became a foster home. Who knew I'd gain a family as well?

I received an email in March of 2006 from a young woman who had spotted a black and tan doxie named Rascal at the Santa Rosa County Animal Services shelter in Milton. She was there to pick up a basset hound for her basset rescue group. I was lucky Rascal caught her eye.

She went home and Googled "dachshund rescue'' and up popped my group. Her note was like so many of the 4-5 a week I receive. I responded that I would try to help, but at that moment had no foster home for Rascal.

She told me later that she had about given up when I hadn't gotten back in touch in more than a day. But then we got a break -- a foster home for Rascal. The lady pulled Rascal for me and got him into our rescue.

Rascal is now in his forever home in Auburndale, near Lakeland, one of hundreds we've placed since FLDR's inception in 2003.

The young woman who emailed me that day from Santa Rosa kept emailing -- and calling. There were 11 more dogs taken from shelters in the Panhandle -- all in a course of a couple days a few weeks later.

There was also a personal connection there, a bond that grew stronger. By September, we were married, that lovely young woman and I making our home in South Florida, merging a family of furkids that now consists of eight dogs -- four dachshunds (one from among the group of 11), three basset hounds and a clumber spaniel. And a 13-month-old daughter.

And rescue is still very much a part of us. Without it, our lives would be very different.

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These Pet Tested products weren’t exactly tested by the pets themselves. But a well-read and well-educated owner is a companion animal’s best friend. SSS! reader TJ had sent me a list of some of her favorite books earlier this month and one in particular caught my eye:

Vet Confidential: An Insiders Guide to Protecting Your Pet, by Dr. Louise Murray. (Ballantine NY, 2008).
Consumers and veterinarians on Amazon.com praised the book, and Dr. Murray, for her straightforward, understandable way of discussing everything from how to chose a vet, what a diagnosis means, and what tests should and should not be done.
“I am reading it right now and it’s the only one of its kind out there,” TJ told me. “It’s a terrific layman’s book on how to evaluate your vet. Very useful, well worth the money.”

Here are TJ’s reviews, in her own words, of three other animal books she loved.

Tell Me Where it Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Suregeon, by Nick Trout (Broadway, 2008)
I usually avoid the dog and pet “story” books because I end up crying my eyes out and can't sleep at night afterwards (still getting over Black Beauty, 1958). But with this book, which I just picked up at Barnes and Noble while drinking my coffee, was funny, touching, yes, sad at times, but really very uplifting, as this vet is an incredibly sharp guy. He will, I bet, continue to write books, he's amazing. It’s his recounting of a day at work and all the characters, people and animal that he deals with.

Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster, by Allen and Linda Anderson, and John Ensign (New World Library, 2006)
It’s the best book I have ever read on Katrina animal rescue. Amazing, can't put it down.

Enslaved By Ducks, by Bob Tarte (Algonquin Books, 2004)
And finally, just to laugh like you have never laughed, there’s this story of a pet-less couple who suddenly find themselves living in the country with a backyard full of ducks to care for. Doesn't sound like much. But believe me, as a fellow animal-lover, you will appreciate how this hapless couple are gradually pulled into the hypnotic spell of this bunch of personality-plus ducks and find out what being a pet slave is all about. Really a blast to read. And I understand he has done a follow-up called “Fowl Weather.”

All of these books are available on Amazon.com and you probably can find them in local bookstores, too.
Thanks TJ!

Do you have a favorite book that deals with companion animals: Fiction, consumer guides, amazing true stories? Post a comment here on Pet Tested and we will share it.

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Seems like every couple weeks, I read yet another amazing story on how modern technology is allowing companion animals that before would have been euthanized to live long, happy lives. Here is the latest, from the Animal Crazy blog at the Orlando Sentinel via the University of Florida-Gainesville.

Dachsie Lance, from Miami, had a spinal condition that caused him to lose function in his back legs. Although he could not be helped through surgery, the veterinarians at the university suggested Lance get a doggie wheelchair and instructed his owner, Claudia Machado, how to care for him.

When he isn't chasing his Frisbee, Lance today works as a certified therapy dog at Miami Children's Hospital and other medical facilities. Read on for the heartwarming details.

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Happy Friday!

Amanda Jones has been called "the Scavullo of pets," a nod to the late fashion photog famous for celebrity glamour portraits of Brooke Shields, Burt Reynolds and others. But Jones' pictures aren't just lovely. All that is wonderful and unique about companion animals shines through: Their grace, their playfulness, their kindness, their soul.

And you can get one of these photos every month in your inbox. Free. Just join Jones' Dog of the Month Club by going to her Web site here. This should hold you over until you can save $1,400 towards a photo session with Jones for your own fab dog or cat.

Above is Jones' picture of Chloe, the May Dog of the Month.

Jones, who has been photographing dogs and cats since 1994, lives in North Adams, MA. with her husband Chris and long-haired dachshund, Lily. She has done four breed-specific books: One each on French bulldogs, dachshunds, greyhounds and mutts.

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Have you volunteered at an animal shelter or for a rescue group? Do you now?
What inspired you to do this? What did you encounter, what were the highs and lows?

SSS! would love to hear some "shelter stories" from our readers, because we know a lot of you are on the front lines. Send them to: dlade@sun-sentinel.com. Or post them under Comments here.

What got me thinking about this was a first-person piece, passed to me by TJ, by a woman who was a new volunteer at a Brooklyn, NY shelter for cats. Natalie Macrynikola, an editorial assistant at Studio One Networks, learns that rescued kitties needed more patience than she realized -- and ends up with some battle scars on her hands as proof. But she also finds a lot of love from creatures that, in their former lives, had been shown so little of it. Keep reading for the story, which ran in The Daily Cat:

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Want to hang with your best friend – forever?
It’s now legal in Florida.

State legislators last year amended state statutes governing the funeral industry, allowing people to be buried, or their ashes interred, with animals. Yep, before that you were breaking the law if you and Spot were resting in peace side by side. Who knew?

The change was proposed by Sen. Jim King, a Republican from the Jacksonville area. King had asked his family to bury him, when the time came, with his beloved black Labrador retriever Valentine, who had died nine years earlier and was cremated. The senator was surprised to learn that cemeteries did not allow humans to be buried with their pets.

The law does have two caveats: The ashes of pet and person cannot be co-mingled. And the deceased, or his or her legal guardian, must have given permission in advance. So if this is your wish, make sure you add it into your final exit planning.

(photo of pet urn from Angel Ashes. Go to www.angelashes.com)

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Can't wait to get a cute puppy for your equally cute toddler?
Not a good idea, according to the concise but nifty Kids and Pets Interaction Guide from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Very young children still are too curious, and too into pulling and touching, to properly interact with new pets. So wait a few years -- and supervise contact between toddlers and any animals already in the household. Limit childrens' contact with food dishes, litter boxes and the pet's toys.

A guinea pig is an ideal first pet, good for ages 3 to 5. But wait until about age 10 to go with dogs and cats -- a time when kids love animals and, with your guidance, can learn to be responsible pet parents.

Click here for the guide, which includes age-appropriate pet-care tasks and other tips.

So have you had an experience, either in your childhood or with your children, regarding age appropriateness and pets?

My brother and I were in early elementary school when we graduated from turtles and fish to our first real pets; twin black kittens that my mother picked up from someone who was adopting them out. We probably weren't quite ready. My mother was horrified when she found us rolling the mewling kitties down the carpeted stairs, laughing because they looked so funny. We honestly thought the cats liked it. The scolding we got was memorable, however; the kittens were unharmed and the lesson learned.

(photo from the ASPCA)

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Two pit bulls -- ears close-cropped to sinister points, one in a spiked collar and both draped in heavy chains -- loll in the sun at a junkyard. They quickly come to life when a young man leaps the fence, drawn by a glistening high-tech cellphone that somehow got left behind. The dogs rush with teeth bared as the man races to the phone...

Edgy commercial? Or pit bull stereotyping, definitely un-PC in the age of Michael Vick?
The latest ad for Verizon's new LG Dare phone is drawing plenty of comments from both sides. Watch it for yourself, if you haven't seen it already.

SSS! reader Jenni thinks the spot is "disgraceful" and glamorizes animal abuse, of which pits are some of the most frequent targets. She also is appalled that the ad targets young consumers -- the ones that need to be taught chaining dogs, and turning them into fighting machines, is wrong.

Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney said the ad was just a fictious, over-the-top presentation designed to get attention.

If you agree with Jenni's view:
Click here to sign an online petition, being sponsored by the ASPCA Online Community. It asks Verizon to "show more compassion" about stereotyping a breed often unfairly judged and to not use any live animal performers in the future.

So: What do you think about the commercial? Is it just broad-brush, harmless satire? Or harmful to pit bulls and promoting animal abuse?

And keep reading for Jenni's comments.

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RESCUE ME PET: Bear
RESCUE GROUP: Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRRoF)
BASICS: Yellow Lab

HIS STORY: Bear is a 4 ½-year-old male dog who is being fostered with a LRROF family in Weston. He is a good boy in the house and already knows the basic dog commands. Now he just needs a forever family to love.

PERSONALITY: His foster family says Bear is mellow and has a great personality. And he loves other dogs, so he would be good with a canine brother or sister.

SPECIAL NEEDS: Bear is very curious about cats, so it’s recommended he go to a home with no felines. He has diabetes, so he will need a special diet, insulin and eye drops.

TO ADOPT: Wouldn’t you love to have big Bear hugs all the time? If you are interested in adopting Bear, click here on 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.

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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 us an e-mail to dlade@sun-sentinel.com and we will feature one of your adoptable pets on Rescue Me.

> Discuss this entry

You can't call 911 when your dog is having a medical crisis. But you can learn how to handle emergencies until you can get to the vet.

Get trained in animal CPR and first aid at the Dog Health & Safety Expo, being held from 6 pm to 9 pm next Tuesday (July 22) at Family Dog Central in Deerfield Beach.

There also will be instruction on hurricane preparedness for pets and dog massages, plus food, drinks and treats. Leashed dogs are welcome, although the emergency training program is for humans only. (You practice on dog models rather than the real thing).

There is a $20 fee for the first aid class, but everything else is free. Pre-register for the class by calling 954-360-2871.

Family Dog Central, at 1807 S. Powerline Raod, Suite 101, in Deerfield Beach, offers doggie day care and overnight stays. Click here for the Web site and more information.

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Happy Friday!

And speaking of happy -- take time today to make Kenzie, a Wheaton-colored Scottish terrier from Seattle, WA., exactly that.
Kenzie, you see, has a bad case of puppy love. A big crush. On Barney, the nation's First Dog. As you can see from this little poster she made.

The fact that Barney, a black Scottie, soon will be moving out of the White House has not deterred her. Kenzie, with the help of her Scottie brother Boone, has been relentlessly pursuing her dream date with the Barnster. She has launched a YouTube video campaign, asking Barney to please phone. Watch and you can see Kenzie is quite a catch: She works out, is an actress and world traveler, and quite cute.

Kenzie tried sending Barney a Valentine and has been on national television, pleading her case. Barney's family acknowledged her advances last year, and even sent some gifts: Pawtographed photos of the Presidential pets, Nylabones, etc. But alas, no date.

Here is where you come in.
Click here for Boone and Kenzie's Web site, Scottie Tails. You'll see a link where you can e-mail the White House on Kenzie's behalf.

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

> Discuss this entry

Got pets? Then I bet you got stuff – or are thinking about getting stuff.
There is serious stuff, like medications and safety collars, and silly stuff, like doggie duds and electric litter boxes that supposedly scoop themselves. There is stuff for grooming, for playing, for sleeping, for eating.

But what to buy? For every thing I get for Franny and Dolan that they love, there’s three things that they loathe or ignore. Amount of money spent does not guarantee success. Dolan, for example, loved the $4.90 fleece donut bed I bought on sale at a drug store but would not go near a $50 leopard print “cat nap” mat with no-slip backing.

So with this in mind, SSS! presents: Pet Tested.
I get lots of promos from product manufacturers about the latest pet gadget. But I want to hear what has worked for you, the consumer, and your pet – NOT from the product promoter. So if you have purchased something that your pet has loved, or hated, tell us about it. Send your thoughts to: dlade@sun-sentinel.com.

Here’s our first Pet Tested product: The FURminator.
Invented by a professional groomer, the FURminator deShedding Tool looks like an oversized disposable razor. It supposedly removes the loose undercoat that eludes surface grooming. The tool comes in small, medium and large sizes, with additional models for cats and horses.

Click here for the FURminator Web site, complete with demonstration videos. Looks like they range in price from about $35 to $60 (don’t know about the equine one). Available at a wide range of stores and Web sites, which you can locate through the company’s home page.

But don’t just take the company’s word that FURminator is great. Here’s testimony from faithful SSS! reader TJ:

I swear by the Furminator pet grooming tool. I have a long-haired cat with a deep undercoat that defied all manner of grooming tools, and she had hairballs, etc. due to this thick coat. I ended up buying a Furminator in cat size, brushed her thoroughly once, got a TON, I mean a PILE of cat fur off her, including all the undercoat.

Now, we touch her up every couple of weeks and no more hairballs, shedding, etc. It’s great. I understand its great for dogs,too, and they have larger sizes for that.

> Discuss this entry

We all think our pets are THE most adorable, precious and smart ones around (which makes us sound alarmingly like stage moms and dads). Here’s your chance to prove it to the world.

The search is on for a pup that will be the new face (maybe that should be new muzzle) of ALPO, a name synonymous with dog food. But the winner will need more than just good looks.

ALPO wants their new spokesdog to be a “meat maniac” – in their own words, “a loveable, everyday dog who has the most entertaining and memorable way of showing his excitement when dinner is served.”

You have until July 27 to enter, so hurry, hurry, hurry! Submit a home video of your dog in action by either snail mail or e-mail. Dog lovers preferring to sit on the sidelines can vote for their favorites, American Idol style. Click here for all the details.

The top dog will have his or her image featured on 2.5 million cans of ALPO. But wait, there’s more!
Other prizes include a trip to Hollywood for the winner and human posse, $10,000 in cash, a hometown celebration – and a year’s supply of ALPO.

And we already have a local girl in the running. Below is a video of Sissy, a Pomeranian from Boca Raton, showing that she will work it for food.

> Discuss this entry

Uno, the irrepressible pooch who has taken the dog world by storm, probably thought he made the big leagues when he took Best in Show at Westminister earlier this year. But now he truly is in the majors.

America's Top Dog threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers-Cinncinati Reds baseball game in Wisconsin last weekend -- possibly the first canine to do the honors. Flying first class with his own seat and harness, Uno earlier wowed the crowd by doing some fielding for Brewer's pitcher Jeff Supan and signing "pawtographs."

He also denied rumors that he's dating Madonna (sorry, A-Rod).

Click here for a column from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Uno's first pitching start.

Wonder if he's a southpaw?

(photo by Associated Press)

> Discuss this entry

When we love our pets, we love it when kids love our pets. It's fun to share the joy of petting our four-legged friends with children, most of whom naturally are drawn to animals.

But a recent story by Linda Lombardi, of the Associated Press, points out that saying yes when a kid asks "Can I pet your doggie?" may be setting both the child and the dog up for an unpleasant experience.

Here are some tips to make the encounter go well:

* Tell the child that before the petting begins, "Let's ask the dog if it's OK first." Either have the child put out a closed fist or a hand with the palm upraised. Or just have the youngster stand close to the dog. Either way, let the dog approach the child. If Fido moves behind you, or turns away, it's not the right time for a pat.

* Watch the dog's body language around the child. Forget the tail; watch the mouth. A dog that is licking its lips or yawning excessively is not comfortable. An open mouth means the dog is relaxed.

* Tell the child to pet the dog along chin, neck or side, not the blind spot on the top of the head.

* Encourage kids to pet in "slow motion" rather than rapid patting.

Click here to read the complete story, via the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in Texas, which includes more tips.

(AP photo by John Way)

Trainer Amy Robinson, of Vero Beach, shows Myles Blane how to pet Trixie.

> Discuss this entry

Rates of obesity in pets are rising in this country, just as it is for their human companions. So with all the quick-fix fat fighters out there for people these days, should we be surprised that there now is one for animals?

Slentrol, from Pfizer Animal Health, is the first prescription diet pill for dogs to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It works by keeping some fats from being absorbed by the small intestine, giving the dog the sensation of being full. Hence, the dog isn't hungry and eats less. The medication, when administered properly, will allow your pet to lose about 3 percent of his body weight every month.

"If your dog is obsese, help is available!" says the Pfizer Web site. "Managing obesity in your dog is not a matter of 'looking good.' It's about managing the potential for serious health consequences."

Agreed. There are about 17 million overweight or obese dogs out there. And yes, they are more prone to arthritis, lung and heart problems -- and, in general, live shorter lives. But is a pill, rather than diet and exercise, really the answer for most dogs?

The Coco The Blogging Dog site had a recent post outlining Slentrol's risks, drawn straight from Pfizer's data. Tests showed dogs on Slentrol were more at risk for vomiting and diarrhea, although those symptoms often lessened as the treatment continued. But two dogs in the Slentrol control group developed corneal ulcers. A 5-year-old healthy beagle developed seizures. A dachshund had to be hospitalized for aneroxia. (Click here to read the full Coco post).

The reality is: All medications have risks, including those for animals. Is this one worth it?

Would love to hear from any veterinarians or dog people who have had experience with Slentrol.

> Discuss this entry

Surprise! Florida is among the states ranked tops in doing something we can be proud of (as compared to, say, mortgage foreclosures).

The Humane Society of the United States has released a chart of all states and their laws regarding three possible offenses: Running a dogfigh, being a spectator at a dogfight, and owning fighting dogs.

Florida is among 20 states that have felony penalties for all three. We are number 15. We classify all three offenses as third-degree felonies, carrying a maximum sentence of five years and a maximum fine of $5,000.

At the bottom?
Montana and Hawaii, where it is legal to go to a dog fight (so how is it legal to go to a fight but illegal to put one on?).
And Nevada, where it is legal to own dogs for the purpose of fighting them.

Click here to see the rankings.

The Humane Society also is offering a $5,000 for reporting dogfighting. Click here for more details.

What do you think about dogfighting penalties? Too strict? Not strict enough?

> Discuss this entry

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 animals. So beginning today, we will run a periodic feature called Rescue Me, spotlighting pets available for adoption through non-profit organizations. Boots is our first.

RESCUE ME PET: Boots
RESCUE GROUP: Animal Aid, Fort Lauderdale
BASICS: Dog, boxer mix, 35 pounds

HIS STORY: Boots, so named because of his four white paws, orginally was a shy, skittish stray roaming the streets of the Stonebridge Golf and Country Club neighborhood in Boca Raton. He was picked up by county animal control officers late last year when he wandered into someone's garage. Because he could not be leashed, he was deemed unadoptable and scheduled to be euthanized in five days.

But the neighbors rallied, raising $1,500 for the dog's care. They got the county to agree to release him as long as he was sheltered by an animal welfare group that could rehabilitate him. And so Boots came under Animal Aid's care, moving in with managing director Tamera Gibson.

Tamera soon noticed Boots was crying at night and had stopped eating. Taking him to a vet, she discovered that Boots at one point had been hit by a car -- and had two bullets lodged inside him. They cannot be removed because Boots possibly could be paralyzed as a result of the surgery.

PERSONALITY: Tamera says Boots is house-trained and loveable. He is a little leery when someone comes near his neck area, but is friendly and well-behaved, she said.

SPECIAL NEEDS: Because of his injuries, Boots should not live with other dogs or small children, but does fine with cats. He must never wear a collar, as that could paralyze him due to the bullets. He can wear a harness, but should not be on a leash and must be walked gently.

Here is a video about Boots and his recovery:

TO ADOPT: Boots could be a special dog for a special family. For more information about adopting Boots, please contact Tamera at: TameraC@aol.com.

For more information about Animal Aid, other dogs and cats available for adoption there, shelter hours and the organization's policies, click here.
You also can call Animal Aid at 954-730-8398.

Animal Aid is a non-profit organization that runs a no-kill shelter and is supported by adoption fees and private donations. It takes emergency, abuse and neglect cases, as well as some animals from county shelters. The group also runs a trap, spay and return program for feral cats. The shelter is located at 2121 W. Oakland Park Blvd., No. 6, Oakland Park.

WHEN CONSIDERING ANY ADOPTION: Be aware that most nonprofit rescue organizations 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 requirements, the screening process, and the conditions under which an animal may be reclaimed or returned by the new owner before entering into any adoption.

> Discuss this entry

There’s never a good time or a good place to lose your air-conditioning in South Florida. But when the time is July, when temperatures are pushing into the 90s, and the place is an animal shelter, home to dogs and cats that suffer in the heat even more than we do, you have a worst case scenario.

But that’s the situation facing the Humane Society of Greater Miami, which has lost its cooling system at its Soffer and Fine Adoption Center in North Miami. So if you are able to donate to an animal welfare cause, or have been thinking about adopting an animal companion, now is the time.

Cats especially are affected by the heat. Temporary foster homes also would be welcome.

For more information, call the center at 305-696-0800. Or click here to go to the organization’s Web site for more info.

> Discuss this entry

Linda and Brien Mastriana, a Fort Lauderdale mother and son who were searching for Brien’s lost puppy Bodi last week, did find a dog.

The sad news is it wasn’t their own. The Mastrianas still are conducting a massive “Find Bodi” campaign, complete with a YouTube video.

The good news is that Brien’s sharp eyes and the Mastrianas’ diligence reunited a woman with her lost pug that somehow had wandered almost six miles away.

This tale shows posting “lost pet” signs as soon as your animal goes missing really can work. In some cases, posters with a photo can be as effective as fancy tracking devices or microchips, according to experts I interviewed for a story on lost pets last year. (Keep reading after the video below for a reprint of that story and tips on recovering lost animals).

Linda said Bodi, a 5-month-old friendly Vizsla owned by her real estate developer son, escaped on June 28 when Brien’s father was dog-sitting the active pup. The family began searching the beach and neighborhoods near Oakland Park Boulevard and State Road A1A, where Bodi slipped away, but saw no sign of him.

Brien, however, last week noticed a “lost pug” sign in Victoria Park, posted on the same pole as one of Bodi’s flyers. He mentioned to his mother he had noticed a “found pug” poster in another part of town earlier that day. So they called the “lost pug” lady and gave her the telephone number on the “found pug” sign. Two hours later, pug and owner were reunited.

“We were very happy to help her, given the feelings we are having about finding our own dog,” Linda said yesterday.

The Mastrianas grow more worried every day that Bodi, who went to work every day with Brien, is gone for good. Bodi’s big brother Wahoo, a yellow Labrador, misses him. So please: Be on the look out for a red-coated, 35-pound lean dog with a green collar and a red rabies tag with the number 37620. The Mastrianas can be reached at 954-600-7399. They are offering $1,500 for Bodi’s return, no questions asked.

Hopefully, this search will have a happy ending like the one the Mastrianas made possible for someone else.

And here is the video that Brien posted on YouTube that really gives you a good idea what the dog looks like.

> Discuss this entry

The animal cruelty case against Christine Abrams -- the central Florida woman accused of starving her dog Ella to death by leaving her behind, locked in her crate, when she moved -- is far from over. During today's hearing (Wednesday, July 9), defense attorney Andrew Stine asked the Brevard County judge to withdraw, saying she signed an order involving the case without his knowledge.

Here was the story filed earlier today by Orlando Sentinel reporter Laurin Sellers:

VIERA — A hearing in Christine Abrams’ animal-cruelty case ended abruptly Wednesday when her attorney asked Brevard County Judge Kelly Jo McKibben to withdraw from the highly publicized case. McKibben postponed the proceedings to give attorney Andrew Stine time to put his request in writing.

It was uncertain when McKibben would respond, or when the hearing on a defense motion to toss out key evidence would resume.

Abrams, 30, is accused of moving out of her Cocoa home late last year and leaving her dog, Ella, to die in a locked crate without food or water. Police found the dead dog in March after neighbors smelled a foul odor. She is charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and could face a year in the county jail and a $5,000 fine if convicted.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Stine said McKibben spoke Tuesday with Brevard Assistant State Attorney Michael Raska and signed an order without the defense attorney’s knowledge. Raska said he contacted the judge about a mislabeled packet of case law he submitted during a previous hearing.

"The defense is trying to play every trick in the book," said Holly Gann, one of more than 60 animal lovers who packed into the courtroom. "He has no case and he knows it."

> Discuss this entry

Born: Lewis.
Occupation: Pet (cat)

Yes, Lewis has become so famous since his 2006 headline-making court case, when he was accused of a mass hissy fit that included attacks on the local Avon lady, that he even has his own Wikipedia page.

Lewis and Ruth

The entry -- as long as the one for former Florida Lt. Governor Frank Brogan and far more detailed than the one for hot new American playwright Sarah Ruhl -- traces the once accused feline felon's rise from a Fairfield, Ct. house cat to his arrest following complaints he had gone after a half-dozen neighbors. Owner Ruth Cisero was charged with reckless endangerment.

But the fur really started flying when the Bridgeport Superior Court judge suggested the best solution was to euthanize Lewis. The cat's supporters soon had their own MySpace page and were selling "Save Lewis!" T-shirts.

Today an indoor cat living a mild-mannered life, Lewis was back in the news last week, when the judge dismissed charges against Cisero. The cat and owner apparently had complied with the court's ruling in June 2006, offered as a substitution for the death sentence: Fifty hours of community service for Cisero, house arrest for Lewis, and two years probation for both.


Click here to read the latest in the Lewis saga from the Connecticut Post Online.

Oh, and hang on to that "Save Lewis!" shirt. Bet it will be worth a lot on eBay one day.

> Discuss this entry

The "Sun-Sentinel" story yesterday (click here to read it) about Nikki, the local poster dog for the Humane Society's campaign against abusively tethering dogs, came at a perfect time. It also was the last day of Dogs Deserve Better's national Chain Off, an event held since 2003 to bring awareness to the misery, discomfort and sometimes fatal conditions animals face when they are chained or penned for hours in unsafe environments.

An estimated 6 million dogs spend most of their lives chained. The American Veterinary Medical Association has condemned the practice, saying it makes dogs aggressive, neurotic and potentially vicious.

Last year, the Chain Off drew more than 108 people in 36 states, who chained themselves to doghouses in backyards, on street corners or in local parks for eight to 24 hours to simulate what many of these dogs endure.

This year, one of the participants was Bryan Wilson, 39, who shackled himself to a doghouse in a park in Sanford, near Orlando. He and his wife, Carla, are lobbying Seminole County to pass an anti-chaining law.
Click here to read the full "Orlando Sentinel" story and see the video.

Nikki and her owner, Tony Vincent of Southwest Ranches, are pushing their hometown city council to pass a similar ordinance, as 12 Broward County cities already have done. But there is resistance in the Ranches, as there has been in Seminole County. Excuses have ranged from that exisiting animal cruelty laws already cover abusive chaining to that it would prohibit low-income people from having pets as they can't afford to fence their yard.

And here's a comment from Southwest Ranches council member Don Maines: It's better to put your dog in a pasture under a tree, with a bowl of water, he said in the "Sun-Sentinel" story, than leave it "in the garage cooped up all day."

Gee, maybe neither option is very humane. Perhaps Mr. Maines should spend 24 hours shackled to a tree in the July heat and see if he changes his opinion.

Click here for more information about Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting laws against abusive tethering and chaining .

Chaining laws do stir up strong opinions, and we welcome yours at Sit, Stay, Speak!
Keep reading for one from Monica Schreiber, posted on the "Sun-Sentinel's" comment board, in response to Maines' statement and the article.

> Discuss this entry

Ariel, a kitten born in the Bradenton area three months ago, came into the world with her umbilical cord wrapped around her legs. She immediately lost both of her hind feet and was so seriously deformed that her veterinarian recommended she be euthanized.

But the Humane Society of Manatee County fought to save Ariel, even after a severe infection required them to amputate all of one hind leg and much of another. Now she has adjusted to her new life and can do anything a four-legged cat can do -- except use a litter box. The society is looking for a special forever home for Ariel, and trying to get her a wheelchair so she can scoot around on her own.

You can see a video about Ariel by going to the "Bradenton Herald" Web site by clicking here.

> Discuss this entry

More people than you might think are buying a ticket for their furry family member, rather than calling the pet sitter, as they get ready for their summer vacations. A survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that among the more than 71 million households nationwide with pets, about 19 percent with dogs and 3 percent with cats include them in their travel plans.

Experts, however, advise that not every companion animal is a jet-set pet. Those that are anxious or nervous, very young or very old, pregnant, sick or injured, or who have biting or barking problems probably would be happier being left behind. I always have loved road trips, and have longed for a feline traveling companion like Norton, the worldly Scottish Fold made famous in Peter Gether’s book “The Cat Who Went to Paris.” But Dolan and Frances Jeanne both hate the car; in fact, car trips make normally ferocious Franny so frightened, she pees in her carrier. So for them, there is no place like home.

But if your pet is the traveling kind, here are some good tips from Dog Blog, from Calgary, Canada:
* Call ahead and make sure your hotel, campground or other accommodations do indeed accept pets, and if there are restrictions or extra fees.
* Sedation usually is not recommended for pets but if you are going to try it, do so under your veterinarian’s guidance and do a trial run first at home.
* Don’t let your dog hang his head out the window, as he can get debris in his eyes.
* Bring enough of your pet’s usual food, as dietary changes can cause diarrhea. Bring water from home and introduce the water at your destination slowly into your pet’s diet.
* Ask if it's okay before bringing your pet to a friend’s home, and be clear about house rules regarding sleeping on beds or indoors.

Click here for more great tips from this Dog Blog piece.

Also, here are two good Web sites that can help you plan your pet-friendly trip:

PetTravel.com is a portal for lots of information about traveling with animals, including immigration requirements, guidelines for pets and timeshares, and airline policies that you can search by carrier.

PetFriendlyTravel.com can link you to restaurants, hotels, spas, bed and breakfasts, and cabins in the United States, Canada and Mexico that will be happy to serve you and your four-legged family members.

Keep reading for some must-have products that will make your pet travel-worthy and happy.

And if you have any pet travel stories, or tips, to share: Please speak!

> Discuss this entry

Happy Friday! And Happy Fourth.

You hopefully aren't at work today, so you don't need something that can deliver some serious procrastination time. Instead, take a quick break from blowing things up, pump up the volume and watch kitties morph to the beat.

From PhotoAnimationGuy.

> Discuss this entry

The Brevard County judge has set Wednesday, July 9, as the next hearing for Christine Abrams, the central Florida woman accused of starving her dog, Ella, to death. Abrams left Ella behind, locked in her crate without food or water, when she moved out of her home, as her new roommate did not want pets.

Abrams and Ella

Andrew Stine of West Palm Beach, Abrams' attorney, tried to get critical evidence thrown out at the last hearing, saying police did not have a search warrant and therefore could not legally enter Abrams' vacated house. Neighbors had called police after they noticed a foul odor and, looking in the window, saw the dead dog still in her crate.

The case gained the attention of animal lovers around the world. There have been protests outside the courthouse in Viera, with people calling for a maximum sentence for Abrams. I'm sure there will be more on Wednesday and we'll keep you posted.

Click here for a previous post that includes instructions on how to make your views known to the court.

Thanks for the heads up, Lynn.

> Discuss this entry

The media spotlight this past week was on dogs that were brought to Broward County after being rescued from a deplorable Tennessee breeding operation. But it turns out we may have had a puppy mill in our own backyard.

Local10.com, the Web site for WPLG-TV in Miami, is reporting that an alleged puppy mill was discovered in the Florida Keys last weekend. Linda Gottwaldof, of the Marathon Animal Shelter, said 46 dogs were found locked in a windowless warehouse. Many were malnourished and so matted they had to be shaved.

Most of the pups have been adopted, but some adult dogs still need homes. Call the Marathon Humane Society at 305-743-3253.

Click here for the story from Local10.

> Discuss this entry

The Fourth of July may be one of your favorite summer holidays. But it might not be so fabulous for your four-legged friends.

Noise is the hallmark of Independence Day celebrations, but the "bombs bursting in air" can be highly stressful to some dogs and cats. Common reactions may be: Shaking and trembling, drooling, barking or howling, trying to hide, refusal to eat. Some may even lose bladder or bowel control. Does this sound like a good time to you?

So if you are heading out to a park or large public fireworks display -- consider leaving your pets at home. They'll be grateful.

Keep reading for some more advice from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Broward County Animal Care and Regulation Division on how you AND your pet can have a happy holiday:

> Discuss this entry

Eastern equine encephalitis cases are on the rise in Florida, with four times as many infections in the first six months of this year as for the same time period last year.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is advising all horse owners to get their animals vaccinated – and for people to take steps to reduce the mosquito population, as the insects transmit the virus.

There have been 45 confirmed cases of equine encephalitis so far this year. One last month involved a Palm Beach County horse that had to be euthanized. The disease is 90 percent fatal to horses. Symptoms include fever, listlessness, stumbling and circling.
There also has been one confirmed case of West Nile virus, which also is transmitted by mosquitoes, in a Madison County horse.

While vaccines aren’t foolproof, they are critical in fighting mosquito-borne viruses. State officials say owners should check with their vets to make sure their horses’ vaccinations and boosters are current

Click here for a fact sheet on Eastern Equine Encephalitis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Equine encephalitis also can be contracted by people, especially in rural areas, and can be deadly. Keep reading for what you can do to protect yourself and keep down the mosquito population.

> Discuss this entry

It’s hard to miss the pet news of the day. It’s at the top of our Sun-Sentinel Web site, with video and all:

“Lines out the door for puppy mill adoptions.”

Hundreds are lining up at the Humane Society of Broward County, in Dania Beach, eager to adopt one of the 130 dogs rescued from a Tennessee puppy mill. (You can click here for today’s story). In some cases, there were as many as six people wanting the same dog.

“Oh, I guess I’m going to cry,” said Alison Lindy, of Pembroke Pines, when she learned there were four families ahead of her for her top choice.

Don’t cry, Alison.
Go see Sami and Danni.

I met these sweet sisters, Sheltie-spaniel mixes, at the Tri-County Humane Society shelter in Boca Raton. They ended up there through no fault of their own. Their family left them behind, with a note and their vet records, saying they had lost their house in foreclosure and could not take them. A real estate broker found the dogs in the back yard.

Here is their picture. It was taken when I went to see them at the shelter in April, as part of a story I was doing on the growing number of companion animals being surrendered by their owners as the housing crisis gets worse. Sami watched me carefully but Danni, determined to make a good impression, immediately rushed forward and licked my hand through the kennel’s chain link gate.

“Hey,” her eyes said. “What the heck are me and my sister doing here? Get us out of here!”

That was three months ago. They are still there.

Jeannette Christos, Tri-County’s executive director, thinks it may be because the shelter is insisting the two sisters, who are litter mates, be adopted together. Or maybe it’s because they are 7 years old, “although most dogs have many years of life left after 7,” Christos said. The dogs are well-behaved and in good health, and many people have come to look at them, Christos said – have looked into their hopeful, dark eyes.

But no one has opened their heart and taken them home.

There are thousands of stories like this in our animal shelters, and with our rescue groups, right now. There probably will be more, as the number of South Florida foreclosures is predicted to grow. And it isn’t just here. A recent New York Times story talked about how shelters around the country are seeing record numbers of surrenders.

There could be any number of reasons that people are coming out of the woodwork to adopt the puppy mill dogs imported from Tennessee, if you read the comments piling up on our message boards.

They just want a purebred at a discount price, some say.
They just are responding to the publicity deliberately generated by the Humane Society (And we need to bring more dogs here when we are euthanizing hundreds daily?), wrote others.
And: Why don’t they spend their time and money helping people instead of pets, say others.

I guess we could debate these points. Me, I think anything that sheds light on the horror of puppy mills, and that finds good homes for neglected animals, is a good thing.

But I hope when the news cameras shut off, people will remember that dogs and cats are suffering in this bad economy, too – and some will pay with their lives.
If you, like Alison, are disappointed that you didn’t get one of the puppy mill rescues, go see Sami and Danni. Or the thousands like them. You’ll have plenty of good choices.

All of our animal companions, not just the ones in the spotlight, deserve a forever home.

> Discuss this entry

As suspected, the next hearing for Christine Abrams, accused of leaving her dog Ella in her crate without food or water after she moved, is NOT this Friday, as previously reported. Friday is the Fourth of July holiday.

Brevard County Judge Kelly Jo McKibben sent out a note earlier this week, saying the hearing was postponed but giving no date, according to Animal Crazy, the Orlando Sentinel’s animal blog.

Animal Crazy’s Ann Hellmuth also mentioned a story in her newspaper about Holly Gann, a 21-year-old Melbourne woman who has been a leader in organizing the protests against animal cruelty and calling for a maximum sentence for Abrams. Gann and her fiance are behind the Voices For Ella buttons being sold on CafePress that we blogged about here earlier.

Click here for story about Gann.

Click here to buy Voices For Ella buttons from CafePress.

> Discuss this entry

Dog gone: Miami ranks number two among cities nationwide where dogs are lost, according to Dog Detective, an online network of owners who have lost and found pets. And the Magic City is number three when it comes to pup abductions.

Labs number one MIA

Labradors are the most common breed lost, according to Dog Detectives records as of the end of June. And pit bulls are the breed most likely to be stolen.

Here are the rankings:

Top three breeds lost: 1.) Labrador retriever; 2.) Chihuahau; and 3.) pit bull
Top three breeds stolen: 1.) Pit bull; 2.) Labrador retriever; and 3.) Chihuahau

Top three cities where dogs are lost: 1.) Houston; 2.) Miami; and 3.) Phoenix
Top three cities where dogs are stolen: 1.) Houston; 2.) Los Angeles; and 3.) Miami.

This is kind of like those rankings that show the most commonly stolen cars.
So: Does this make you, say, less likely to buy a Lab or more likely to buy a Yorkie if you live in Miami?

And I must say: It sure seems like it would be a lot easier to pocket a Chihuahau than a pit bull, but apparently not.

All kidding aside, take precautions to keep your dog (or cat) from being lost or stolen. Some owners have reported animals being taken from their own homes or backyards. Microchip your pets. Keep a current photo of your animal and start posting fliers as soon as he or she goes missing. Be wary of leaving your dog unattended outside, be it in or out of your yard.

(photo from Just Labradors)

> Discuss this entry

On deadline for another piece, so I gotta make this fast...
Our "Sun-Sentinel" Web site just posted a story on the Humane Society of Broward County taking in 130 animals rescued in raid on a Tennessee puppy mill over the weekend by the Humane Society of the United States. This is said to be the largest emergency action against a puppy mill in history.

Click here for the South Florida story:

Here is the first video about the raid:

Click here to read more details about the rescue from the US Humane Society, and see some of the follow-up videos. Some of the puppies and their mothers died in these stacked bare wire cages without food and water, covered with feces that dripped down from the dogs above them. Heartbreaking.

Remember: If you are buying dogs over the Internet, or from a pet store that won't show you real documents as to where their animals come from, you could be contributing to this horror. Don't support puppy mills.

In fact, these refugees from Tennessee will need good homes. Instead of buying a dog, why not adopt one of them?

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Winner TJ, hanging 20

Surf Dogs Rule, Show Dogs Drool!

That was the motto of the third annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition, held on Saturday near San Diego. About 60 canine kahunas (okay, I stole that line from the "San Diego Union-Tribune" reporter) rode the waves either on their own or with human support.

Winners in their respective categories included Spaniel mix TJ, black Lab Stoli (who had an edge, given he's a water dog), and Zoey, a Jack Russell.

Click here to see the winners, the excitement and doggie beach fashions at Coronado Bay.

And click here for yesterday's story from the Union-Tribune.

(TJ photo by Laura Embry, Union-Tribune)

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There was no ruling Friday on defense attorney Andrew Stine's motion to throw out the evidence against Christine Abrams, the central Florida woman facing two animal cruelty charges. Abrams is accused of letting her dog, Ella, starve to death after she moved out and left the animal locked in her crate without food or water.

Neighbors called police two months after Abrams was gone and they noticed a foul odor; looking through the windows, they saw Ella dead in her crate, a bag of dog food nearby. Abrams, who was living about five miles away, said she did not take the dog because her new roommate did not want pets. Stine has argued that police had no right to break into the house without a warrant.

Abrams and Ella

The case has stirred outrage literally around the world, with animal lovers calling for the judge to levy the maximum penalty against Abrams.

The "Orlando Sentinel" story below says the trial will resume July 4 -- not sure how that is possible, given its a federal holiday. Will post more later.
Below is the rest of Orlando's coverage from Friday.

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Brevard County Judge Kelly Jo McKibben did not rule Friday on defense attorney Andrew Stine’s motion to toss out the evidence against Christine Abrams. The judge will hear arguments from both sides on Friday, July 4 before deciding. A trial date has not has been set.

Earlier today, reporter Laurin Sellers wrote from the courtroom -- The hearing could last for a few more hours. Right now a police sergeant that responded to Christine Abrams' Cocoa home on March 12 is testifying about what he saw that day and why officers entered the house.

They said there was a foul odor and flies and that seeing the dead dog in the crate through an open window only heightened their concern about Abrams' safety. They said they went inside to search for her. But her attorney, Andrew Stine, said they should have obtained a search warrant before entering the house on Peachtree Street.

Stine has spent much of the day grilling the neighbor that called police to the home and the officers that responded.

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