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

State suspends rules on intrastate travel for animals as Ike approaches.

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:03:07 -0500

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. :-)

Sugarless gum is toxic to dogs.

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:28:57 -0500

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.

TGIF! Kittens with guns!

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:33:45 -0500

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.

Democat or Republicat? Feline mailed a voter's registration application.

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:11:47 -0500

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? Yes, Dipped is a feline – a 6-year-old female tuxedo cat. So she’s already dressed to go to the Inaugural Ball, should her favored candidate win. 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.

Marketing animal rescue to teens and young people.

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:06:48 -0500

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.

And the winnner is... all of them!

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:17:34 -0500

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.

Oakland Park to discuss feral cat policy tonight.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:31:37 -0500

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.

Dog advertised on Craigslist has cancer, heart defect.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:29:47 -0500

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) The article suggested that while most practices seem to be weathering the downturn, vet practices in areas where the housing crisis has hit hardest -- primarily Florida and California -- are seeing a decrease in revenues. Which makes me wonder: Was the poor doxie that Mack, of Florida Dachshund Rescue, recently picked up a victim of rising home foreclosures and gas prices? Or of an uncaring owner? 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 now we have to figure out where to go from here. An ultrasound would show the severity and whether there's any leakage from the heart. At her age, 7, and weight, only 11 pounds, she's not a good candidate for surgery even to fix the heart. It could be controlled with medication if not too serious. "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.

Pets fare much better in Gustav than Katrina.

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:46:30 -0500

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.

Shelter Stories: When rescue isn't enough.

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:46:13 -0500

This is from Mack, who is involved with Florida Dachshund Rescue (and, in his first Shelter Stories post, told us how he meet his wife through his love of doxies.) A sad reminder that sometimes, rescue comes too late. The success stories keep us going in rescue. We love to watch the happy tails of dogs newly sprung from the pound, then to see them blossom into wonderful pets and ultimately find a new home. But this is not one of those stories. It's the story of Itsy, a little dachshund that deserved better. A little dog that gave love but got very little until she found her way to one of our foster homes for the last four months of her life. Itsy died a couple weeks ago, never leaving the foster home that graciously took her in when her owners moved from Florida to California. I opened the email from her owners this past May, reading how they were moving out of state and didn't think Itsy would "do well'' on the long trip. As the coordinator responsible for taking in dogs to our group, Florida Dachshund Rescue, I knew of a foster home who liked the seniors. As it turned out, it was a good thing we got Itsy.

TGIF! Rescue dogs rock.

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:52:31 -0500

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.

New tips for pet preparedness in hurricane season.

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:34:38 -0500

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!

Vote for me! My dog loves me!

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:55:28 -0500

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.

Company issues its own recall of dangerous dog toy.

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:17:12 -0500

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. Like Dr. Greco, I have heard that the company has been working with Chai's family and has issued its own recall of the product. Click here to get the recall information. The company vice president also is urging all stores selling the pimple balls to return them, and is visiting the manufacturer to correct design defects. 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.

Your pet outta be in pictures -- and on T-shirts, tote bags, etc.

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:09:41 -0500

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.