Man marries dog

As headlines go, "Man bites dog" -- maybe.

But "Man marries dog"?

Apparently, that's happened in the rural Indian province of Tamil Nadu when a 33-year-old man, convinced that his stroke resulted from clubbing two mating dogs to death when he was 18, sought to fix his bad karma.

An astrologer advised that marrying a female dog would restore movement to his limbs and his hearing.

The bride is a former stray named Selvi. No word on where they honeymooned.

Car insurance for pets

Insurance companies are so busy listing breed-specific exemptions in their policies lately, it's refreshing to see one do something pro-active for animals for a change.

The Associated Press reports that Cleveland-based Progressive Corp. is providing collision coverage for customers' dogs and cats at no additional cost. It will pay up to $500 if a customer's animal is injured or killed in a car accident.

The company's pet benefit is not  yet available in North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York or Virginia.

Valium in the litter box?

What to do with all that extra Vicodin? Don't flush it, warn the feds -- making fish and salamanders and assorted wildlife woozy by introducing powerful controlled substances into the environment can't be a good thing.

No, instead, mix your overage of OxyContin in with the kitty litter, or your dog's scooped poop, advises the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. That way, marauding junkies will be less inclined to salvage it from your garbage.

You just can't make this stuff up.

Duke still in limbo

Duke the pitbull still awaits word on his freedom.

In the meantime, a "Punish the Deed" quilt bearing Duke's likeness is being sold on eBay. Bidding ends Nov. 10.

Walking for a Cure

The Long Island chaper of the American Parkinson Disease Association sponsors a "Dog Walk for a Cure" on Sunday, Oct. 28 at Marjorie Post Park (Merrick and Unqua roads, Massapequa). Registration is from 11 a.m. to noon, and the "Paws for Parkinson's" walk begins at 12:30 p.m. rain or shine.

For a brochure, registration form and pledge sheet, call 516-626-6114 or 631-862-3560, or visit liapda.org.

Help is on the way for California-fire pets

Today's email contained this information about where volunteers in Southern California can go to help evacuated owners care for their furry companions:

In the face of advancing flames, and under urgent evacuation orders, people reach instinctively for their beloved pets, but in the rush to leave, often forget to take the food and other provisions necessary for their care. In order to help fill this need, Dennis Sprung, President of the American Kennel Club, has coordinated with Susan Sholar, President of the California Federation of Dog Clubs, to send an immediate donation of food, collars and leashes, and crates to help those dog owners affected by the devastating fires in southern California.

CFODC members, and anyone else needing assistance in providing for their pets' security and well-being as a result of these fires, should call the California School of Dog Grooming at 1-800-949-3746, and ask for Susan. The school, located in San Diego, is the designated site for distribution of the donated supplies, as well as a growing list of volunteers with offers to foster care, or with available kenn els, dog runs, RV parking spaces, spare bedrooms, sofa beds, and the like.

The AKC and CFODC, in order to maximize their opportunity to help, ask that you cross post this message wherever possible.

Thank you.

Board of Directors
California Federation of Dog Clubs

Welcome to the Hotel California

Take a few minutes today to think positive thoughts for those in Southern California who have been evacuated from their homes. I have many Ridgeback friends there, and all, as far as I hear, have escaped harm, with their animals in tow.

VCA Animal Hospitals in the area are offering free boarding for animals whose families have been evacuated. For a list of hospital locations and numbers, click here.

The Search for Intelligent Life in the Ellen Universe

The Ellen DeGeneres hoopla has prompted tons of media coverage, including two stories by yours-truly -- a column ciding Ellen for not abiding by her rescue agreement and a feature story that explores minimum-age requirements set by rescue groups and breeders.

Internet searches have also had an "Ellen factor." Yahoo! reports that searches on "ellen degeneres dog rescue" and "mutts and mom rescue" spiked after Ellen's weep-a-thon ping-ponged across the web.

Here are the top-20 dog-rescue searches on the poplar search engine. What, nobody's into Kuvasz rescue?

1.       Boxer Rescue

2.       Golden Retriever Rescue

3.       English Bulldog Rescue

4.       Yorkie Rescue

5.       German Shepherd Rescue

6.       French Bulldog Rescue

7.       Pug Rescue

8.       Great Dane Rescue

9.       Border Collie Rescue

10.   

Chihuahua

Rescue

11.   Doberman Rescue

12.   Beagle Rescue

13.   Boston Terrier Rescue

14.   Dachshund Rescue

15.   Poodle Rescue

16.   

Labrador

Rescue

17.   Pitbull Rescue

18.   Shih Tzu Rescue

19.   Rottweiler Rescue

20.   Basset Hound Rescue

Duke's Last Stand

Duke, the brown-nosed pit bull who has been pining in a muncipal shelter in Suffolk County for more than three years while his case winds its way through the court system, gets his final chance at justice.

On Fri., Oct. 26, Duke's case will be heard by the Appellate Division in Brooklyn.

Duke's advocates are encouraged to write polite letters in support of Duke, as well as to gather in support at the court.

Date of Appellate hearing : Friday, October 26. Supporters are gathering at 9 a.m.

Address to write a letter : Appellate Division 2^nd Department 

                                                45 Monroe Place

                                                Brooklyn, NY 11201

In the subject line, indicate that the letter refers to Dominick Motta v. Denise Menendez, Index No. 2007- 02998, and also indicate that you are writing in support of Duke and the Appellant Denise Menendez.

Have you seen Buddy?

Buddy's owners are busy looking for their missing black Labrador retriever. He was last seen in Amityville, on Suffolk County's South Shore. Have you seen him?

Vivi kindred spirit in Brooklyn

"Conan" is a neutered, microchipped pitbull/rottweiler mix has been missing since April from the East New York section of Brooklyn. He was sighted on September 18, one block from where he was lost by a volunteer from Spay Neuter Intervention Project (SNIP).

Conan is believed to be in the Hyland Park/Cypress Hills area, the same cemetery-carpeted section of Brooklyn where Vivi was last seen more than a year ago.

If you are interested in joining a search team for Conan, contact SNIP at SNIPNYC@aol.com.

Bravo Raw Food Recall

Now it's we BARFers who get to be paranoid.

From http://www.bravorawdiet.com/recallinfo.html:

Connecticut-based Bravo! announced a voluntary recall of select tubes of three of its poultry products for cats and dogs. The pet food is  being recalled because two of the products have the potential to be  contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, while the  other product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria  monocytogenes.

Both Salmonella and Listeria are organisms which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and if there is cross contamination, in people, especially small children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people with Salmonella  infection may only suffer short-term symptoms, such as high fever,  severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Long  term complications can include arthritis and other more serious  ailments. Healthy people with Listeria infection may only suffer  short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness,  nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The company has received no reports of illness in either people or  animals associated with any of the three products.

The recalled products are distributed nationwide to distributors,  retail stores, internet sales and directly to consumers, and they can  be identified by the batch ID code located on the hang tag attached  to the bottom of the plastic film tubes. The recalled products should  not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should return unopened frozen  tubes of food to the store where purchased for a full refund. Pet  owners should dispose of opened tubes of product in a safe manner  (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the washed  plastic batch ID tag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Recalled Pet Food:

Product: Bravo Original Formula Chicken Blend frozen raw food
Product Numbers: 21-102, 21-105, 21-110
Sizes: 2 pound, 5 pound and 10 pound tubes
Batch ID code (on hang tag): 236
Reason for Recall: Salmonella, Listeria

Product: Bravo Original Formula Turkey Blend frozen raw food
Product Numbers: 31-102, 31-105, 31-110
Sizes: 2 pound, 5 pound and 10 pound tubes
Batch ID code (on hang tag): 236
Reason for Recall: Listeria

Product: Bravo Basic Formula Finely Ground Chicken frozen raw food
Product Number: 21-212
Size: 2 pound tube
Batch ID Code (on hang tag): 226
Reason for Recall: Salmonella, Listeria

Other Batch IDs for these same products are not involved in the recall.

It wasn't easy being Greenies

The Greenies class-action suit has reached a settlement, reports Business Week. The company, whose distinctive chlorophyll-colored treats were reported to have cause intestinal blockages in some dogs that did not properly chew them, have since reformulated the wildly popular chewies.

The initiators of the lawsuit were the owners of Burt, a rescued Dachshund who allegedly died after ingesting one of the treats.

Whoopi on Vick

The latest hoopla in the Michael Vick saga is over Whoopi Goldberg's comments on "The View" that his alleged involvement in organized dog fighting is "not an unusual thing for where he comes from," presumably referring to the South's traditional tolerance for bloodsport.

And then there's Newsday's own Les Payne, whose defense of Vick seeks to put him on a bar with owners who dump their animals at shelters because they have a new baby or move into no-pets-allowed apartments. I'm still getting emails on that one.

I Heart Your Chihuahua

You've got a lucky number -- how about a lucky puppy? Japan-born "Heart-kum" is a long-haired Chihuahua with a heart-shaped marking on his flank. It's not a PhotoShop job, it's Mother Nature. Meanwhile, his breeder is not selling him, citing the "good fortune" he brings.

Now boarding all fake service dogs ...

It's the canine version of snagging a handicapped parking spot when you are perfectly able-bodied: passing your dog off as a service dog when he's just a regular Rover. The San Diego Tribune reports that service-dog vests are  available for the asking, and federal law prevents merchants from asking for proof of a dog's service-dog status. Coupled with the fact that a service dog's function might not be readily apparent -- any animal, not just a canine, can be used for "emotional support" -- and that leaves lots of loopholes through which the unethical are willing to jump. Sort of agility for losers.

Do Fence Me In

Long Island has plenty of dogs, symbols as they are of successful suburban living.

What is doesn't have is a lot of places for them to run.

Suffolk County Unleashed is a local organization dedicated to establishing dog parks throughout Long Island. They recently held a "meetup" at Southaven Park in Brookhaven for dogs, their owners and legislators who understand the political capital of a canine-friendly photo-op.

The group recently announced that a new dog park is in the works for Middle Island, east of the former Kmart property.

Suffolk County Unleashed meets on Mon., Oct 1.; if you are interesting in attending, email gina@suffulkcountyunleashed.com.

Vick Redux

Apparently, the penchant for dog-fighting isn't limited to American sports figures. On the other side of the pond, Gaelic football star Gerard Cavlan is reportedly a principal in a fighting enterprise called The Bulldog Sanctuary Kennels, the BBC reports.

Britain, among other countries, has enacted its share of breed bans. The story illuminates how dog fighters get around this -- in part by importing dogs from other parts of Europe as "mixed breeds" to throw off customs officials.

Hairy heiress

Now this is a dog's life I'd like to lead: Hotel magnate Leona Helmsley bequeathed $12 million to her housekeeper-biting Maltese, the appropriately named Trouble. Her chauffeur got $100,00, and two of her grandchildren got .. zilch.

Vick update

The wheels of justice grind slow, but this recently news is exceeding fine: The National Football League has suspended Michael Vick without pay indefinitely.

Rhames mastiffs not guilty

Now it's the mastiff people's turn.

Initial news reports about the death of Canadian scripwriter Jacob Adams at the West Los Angeles home of "Pulp Fiction" star Ving Rhames called it a "mauling." But now, it appears Rhames' four mastiffs are being vindicated, as a coroner's report shows that Adams did not die of bite wounds.

A police official sonjectured that the superficial bites found on Adams could ahve been the result of the dogs trying to help him or pull him toward the house.

Still, it's too little too late for mastiff lovers, who lament that the news story has lost its luster and the new details are not being reported as, er, rabidly as when "dogs gone wild" was the news peg.

"Mastiffs are well know for giving 'love nips' to their owners (it isn't always fun to be nibbled on, but it is a display of their affection)," writes dee dee Andersson, author of "Mastiff, Aristocratic Guardian," in a press release to media. "They would also literally do anything and everything to bring a human they consider theirs to a place of safety, including but not limited to body-blocking, herding, pulling, nipping."

She says a likely scenario is that the dogs tried to drag Adams with them after he suffered a heart attack, creating scratches and nip marks in the process.

Andersson added that only two of the dogs appear to be mastiffs, a reference t the classic English breed; the others are likely a Fila Brasiliero and a Spanish bulldog.

Chomp on this -- Vick chew toy

It had to happen, though we didn't expect it quite this quickly: the Michael Vick chew toy. A portion of proceeds benefit the Jacksonville Humane Society.

Meanwhile, the Southern Christian Leadership Conferences says it will not abandon its plans to recognize the Atlanta Falcons quarterback at its 49th convention this week in Atlanta.

The Cruelest Cut of All

The Michael Vick backlash has only begun. One web site, NeuterSickVick.com, takes things perhaps a step too far, though its  T-shirts are reportedly selling briskly.

Letter writing is a far better idea. If you're feeling uninspired, copy the sample letter to football commissioner Roger Goodell that the AKC has created.

Fans who contemplate burning their Michael Vick jerseys can trade them in on July 29 at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif.: In return they will get free admission for themselves and their four-footed friend, and will be seated in a special pet-friendly section of the Long Beach Armada ballpark, whose team plays in the regional Golden Baseball League.

Rabies baiting in western Suffolk

If you live in western Suffolk County, heads up (and down): The county's Rabies Baiting Program is being held implemented today through Friday.

About 19,000 one-inch-square fishmeal baits containing oral rabies vaccine will be distributed by county vehicles north of the Long Island Expressway, west of Elwood Road and east of the Nassau County line. Another 64,000 will be dropped by helicopter in primarily wooded areas.

Contact with the vaccine is not harmful to humans or domestic animals, though it can cause vomiting in dogs and cars if ingested in large quantities.  Do not make bare-hand contact with the bait, and wash your hands immediately if you inadvertently do so.

In case of accidental human ingestion, contact the poison control center at (516) 542-2323.

According to the county, 15 cases of rabid raccoons have been confirmed, all on the Nassau-Suffolk border in the northwestern portion of Huntington.

A larger, county-wide rabies campaign is slated for September.

How much is that bunny in the window?

Bunny rescuers are in an uproar over PetSmart's recent decision to start offering dwarf rabbits in some of their stores.  The chain has had a long-standing policy of not selling puppies and kittens.

Though the rabbits will be spayed and neutered before sale, groups such as the House Rabbit Society contend that rabbit care is too nuanced for rabbits to be sold as an over-the-counter commodity.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, called the policy change a "sell-out to commercialism."

In recent years, individual PetsSmart stores have worked with local rescuers to place adoptable rescued bunnies through its stores.

Sad tale of a lost Iggie

From the Internet comes this sad tale of a teeny Italian greyhound lost in the county of kings:

<<We lost our dog on Sunday 7/15/07 in Brooklyn, in the vicinity of  Flatbush and Lenox. Some people said they saw her on Ocean Ave and Regent and E 21st. She is an Italian Greyhound, medium size. We live in NJ, she has never been in the city. Even in the suburb, she is shy, timid and afraid of people, specially scary of loud noise.

Unfortunately, we were out of town a couple of days and our friend brought her to Brooklyn and she got lost right away. I know she was taken outside and was afraid of seeing so many people on the street and noise of the cars/trucks, and she went off leash, her leash has her name tag, so she is out on the street without a name tag.

We love our dog, she is like a daughter, sister to us. She is a sweet girl, beautiful dog. We are devastated. Please help me find her home. I know she is still in the area of around Lenox / Flatbush/Ocean ave/Regent..etc.  or if she can cross the busy street, I don't see how, she then ended up in the Prospect park.

I have travelled to Brooklyn in the last three days from dawn to dusk, looking all around and calling out her name, but could not find her.

We just got back home to get a bite to eat. I will go back to the Brooklyn streets tomorrow, but I don't see where she could hide,  there is no grass areas, and a thousands people on the street
walking, talking..she would she be, a scary little greyhound.

I placed [posters with her picture] all over the streets, but i found people there take them off, so I put up new add everyday, but I have to go to work on Monday and won't be able to travel to Brooklyn until 6PM. I am so hopeless, desparate, my heart broken, could not eat, sleep, think of her and how much she must be so scare.. on the street.

Please help me network out to find Gracie and to bring her home. I also offer a monetary reward. I will help you save your dogs, I promise. PLEASE HELP ME SEARCHING FOR HER AND BRING HER HOME.

Thank you so very much,
Theresa
(908) 433-6401>>

Ridgeback roundup

I'm getting a lot of nice emails the world over from today's column, which talks about my beloved breed being placed on a list of "dangerous dogs" in Dublin, Ireland.

Anyone who lives with these intuitive hounds knows that their default with children is demonstrated by my intact 8-year-old male, Blitz, and my then-2-year-old son, Stephen, pictured here.

Meanwhile, here's a link to video of a Ridgeback in Serbia nursing a very unlikely puppy. Who says our hounds aren't versatile, not to mention nurturing?

The Mahatma said ...

... the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

No surprise, then, that there has been a dustup over the Boston Globe's rehash of a trip Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney took more than two decades ago, when he tied his Irish setter's crate to the top of his station wagon for a 12-hour trip from Boston to the family lake house in Ontario. (The punchline -- for the former Massachusetts governor, anyway -- came when Seamus had a housebreaking faux pas and he had to pull over for a scrub down of both car and dog -- what the paper called a preview of that great leadership skill, "emotion-free crisis management.")

"Mitt Romney: Dog Torturer!" howled one partisan blog. "Romney's Cruel Canine Adventure," intoned Time, evoking Chevy Chase in "National Lampoon's Vacation" and, noting that the elevated accommodations were not only windy, and terrifying, but probably illegal in light of state animal-cruelty statutes.

The Los Angeles Times used this as an opportunity to catalog other egregious animal acts by national politicos past and present. Give it a read, and let me know if you'd ever let former Senate Majority leader Bill Frist near your kitty cat.

Calling All Pharaoh Hound Lovers

Bonnie Folz sends this sad story via email:

<< I'm sending this email out with a plea for help.

I found 5 female Pharaoh Hounds listed on Petfinders, owner surrendered.  These five girls are not in the best of shape physically and mentally.   A few seem to have bad skin conditions and have hair loss.  We don't know if it is mange or a thyroid problem, all have teeth that are in very bad condition, they are afraid, some have separation anxiety and probably were not well socialized but seem to calm down when put out together and warm up to people after a while.  After contacting the shelter that has them, The Animal Orphanage, we found that they will help these girls, get them vetted and spayed, and find good homes to adopt them out.  It is a no kill shelter and the director is a sighthound person so she will screen potential adopters properly.  One of these girls in particular needs to be out of the shelter and into a foster home as she's not coping well.   She's a sweet, small, frail little 2.5yr old named Pink. 

I've been in constant contact with the Pharaoh Hound Club of America's rescue committee as well as other club members and we are working together to do what we can for these girls.  The problem is that these 5 that I found are only a partial number that may be in need of help.  Though we are trying to find out how many there actually are, and where they were placed, we know there may be more that are in need of help.

It's been a sad chain of events and unfortunately, as usual, the dogs suffer, but as I said, we're working on it.

One of the other females, the sixth one we were able to track down, is being fostered now by the original owner's neighbor but the dog doesn't seem to be house-broken and she can only keep her for another week or so. 

Sighthounds are somewhat of a fragile lot to begin with, tack on bad nutrition and possible lack of socialization, separation anxiety and you have a recipe for a dog who will need a special home/foster.

I'm friends with a gal, Marcy, who is a trainer and works at Wonderdogs and she's been out to see and socialize the five at the shelter the past two days (this all happened Friday).  Marcy will send me a synopsis on her thoughts about each.  From what Marcy has told me so far, these girls are just confused and scared but seem to warm up after a while. 

Please do NOT contact this shelter direct.  We currently have a good relationship with the folks there and any bombardment of emails and calls may be detrimental for us in helping these girls.

The Animal Orphanage is accepting donations of good premium food, bedding, toys and such, which if marked "for the Pharaoh Hounds" they will put aside for these girls.

Someone has already donated a months worth of dog food which is great!  Marcy will also continue to work with these girls.

I have to tell you, I've been a member of the PHCA for about ten years now and we ALWAYS step up to the plate when one of our red dogs are in need.   The breed is fortunate to have a relatively small, somewhat tightly knit community that puts all personal issues aside and bands together for the sake of our dogs.  If the PHCA has 6 dogs a year in the rescue program, it's a lot.  Finding out about possibly more than 7 Pharaoh Hounds in need of help at one time is just a bit overwhelming but not one of these dogs will go without being helped. 

Donations for the 5 females, "Justice", "Pink", "Lady", "Emma" and "Storm" can be made to:

The Animal Orphanage P.O. Box 1363, 419 Cooper Road, Voorhees, New Jersey 08043

Please make a note if the donations are to be made specifically for the Pharaoh Hound girls.

Monetary donations can also be made to:

The Pharaoh Hound Club of America Rescue Program

c/o Chairperson: Pam Haig

8019 Corryton Luttrell Rd

Corryton, TN 37721

 

If anyone knows someone who can foster either of these girls, please contact me at

917-626-1374.

Thanks for your help

Keeping the faith & making a difference.

Bonnie Folz>>

California vets back off of AB 1634

The California Veterinary Medical Association has switched its position on the California Health Pets Act from "for" to "neutral."

Critics of the bill -- including yours truly -- point out that it seeks to punish reputable breeders for animal overpopulation, while letting the puppymillers off the hook.

My fellow dog writer Gina Spadafori has a great post on her blog today that discusses the bill's shortcomings. If only her state representatives in California would read it.

Horse sense

With the death of their beloved racehorse, some FOBs -- that would be Friends of Barbaro -- have turned to activism. Among their causes celebres: the passage of anti-horse slaughter bills currently in both houses.

At the end of last week, the last operative American slaughterhouse for horses suspended operation when a temporary court order allowing it to stay open was to expire and federal judge refused to renew it.

The epicenter of this grass-roots campaign is a Wiki page on the web site of a Maryland racing stable. There, you'll find point/counterpoint arguments, upcoming anti-slaughter events, even daily talking points for calls to legislators.

(Photo: Horses from the New York Police Department's mounted division have retired to an Otisville, N.Y., farm for close to 100 years. Others of their species are not as lucky when old age or illness looms. / Jed Egan for the Times Herald-Record.)

Beware the blue-green tide

Talk about getting bogged down: Blue-green algae has been the cause of one dog death in Michigan, the Whole Dog Journal reports. Such toxic algae blooms can occur in fresh water at this time of year, so avoid swimming your dogs in any bodies of standing or stagnant water that have a green or blue-green cast.

Out of the can -- in more ways than one

When is a stinky, empty dog-food can worth seven figures?

Apparently, when its contents have been fed to the pampered pupsters of newly freed jailbird Paris Hilton.

Auctioned off on eBay by Hollywood StarTrash (their motto: "If it's not StarTrash, it's just Trash!"), the 13.2-ounce can of Party Animal Organic Gourmet Dog Food has been bid up to $1,500, 501 -- with three days left to go on the electronic auction.

You decide whether the online action -- which involved 49 bidders so far -- is legit.

"We guarantee that the items we are selling were taken from garbage in front of the celebrity's house," the listing assures, "but we cannot guarantee that the items were used or thrown out by the celebrity himself/herself."

The heiress' other detritus apparently has far less cachet -- a red toothbrush has reached only $285 so far.

Putting the "humans" in humane

The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is looking for a few good animals -- and their humans.

It's time again for the humane organization's annual Humane Awards. Among the categories open for nominees:

- ASPCA Dog of the Year: For a dog who has performed a heroic act in the past year.

- ASPCA Cat of the Year: For a cat who has performed a heroic act in the past year.

- ASPCA Kid of the Year: For a child under 14 who has rescued an animal or helps make the world a kinder place for animals.

-  ASPCA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year: For a member of the municipal police force (or other public service officer) who has made a heroic effort to save an animal in the past year)

ASPCA Fireman of the Year: For a municipal firefighter who has made a heroic effort to save an animal in the past year.

Winners will be invited to attend the Humane Awards Luncheon in New York City on Thursday, November 1, at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, where the awards will be presented.

You can submit nominations at www.aspca.org/nominate). Deadline for entries is Wednesday, August 15, at noon EST.

They're off to sue the Wizard

People complain all the time about how terrible puppymilling is. But The Humane Society of the United States has decided to do something about it.

HSUS has announced that it has filed a class-action lawsuit against The Wizard of Claws, a Florida pet store that also does business online. The HSUS has called the establishment "a notorious

Broward

County

puppy-mill front."

The suit alleges that Wizard of Claws has defrauded customers by misrepresenting the origin of puppies, and by selling puppymill dogs who suffer from severe health problems and genetic defects, all in violation of Florida state law. It also contends that the company refused to reimburse customers for the purchase price of sick dogs, or veterinary treatment that sometimes cost thousands.

Describing its puppies as "children in dog's outfits," the Wizard of Claws web site calls itself a "Doggie Ritz Hotel," and says that puppies are vet-checked before going to their new homes.

Wizard of Claws specializes in toy breeds, including "teacups." Reputable breeders note that "teacup" is just a potent marking term for "runt," and that such dogs are often medically compromised and should not intentionally be bred for.

It'd look great over the sofa

Forget those cuestick-wielding bulldogs on black velvet.

Tomorrow, Christie's puts a collection of dog art on the block that is expected to be the largest canine-centric sale over, with an anticipated net of more than $3 million.

Center stage at the Manhattan auction house is an 1824 painting, "Neptune," by British artist Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, expected to bring between $800,000 and $ 1.2 million. Landseer was one of the most famous animal portraitists of his time.

Dog buffs know that the type of black-and-white dog in this painting takes its name from the artist, who made them a favorite subject: Landseers  are actually a color variant of the Newfoundland, which most people think of as being all black. And the setting is no coincidence: Whatever its color, this breed was -- and still is -- famous for its daring rescues at sea.

Fittingly, the painting's frame is  made from the beams of the warship Téméraire, which saw action in the Battle of Trafalgar.

Hercules Unbound

I get a ton of emails about animals that need life-restoring surgery, but their owners are hard-pressed to pay. If I wrote about every one, it could be my full-time job.

But there is something about "Hercules" that tugs at my heart.

This 12-year-old shepherd mix has served the Charles family of Queens in good stead, fending off burglars -- and holding one in his grip until police arrived -- and even saving a young family member from an unprovoked attack by schoolyard bullies. That young man is now 23 and a 2-year member of the New York City Park Police.

Now it is Hercules' turn to be helped. After he started circling round and round and his rear legs began giving out, specialists at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview performed an MRI and diagnosed a brain tumor.

The tumor is operable, and after surgery Hercules could live a few more years with a good quality of life.

The total fee for the MRI, surgery and hospitalization would normally be $4,500 to $5,500. Dr. Dominic J. Marino, chief of surgery at LIVS, discounted the MRI cost and is foregoing the fee for the surgery, which is schedule for next week. But the family still cannot afford the hospital fees of several thousand dollars.

A fund has been established to help the family, " VSS of LI-Hercules fund." To donate, call LIVS at 516 501-1700.

World's smallest dog inches along

His name is Dancer. Weight: 18 ounces. Height: 5 inches at the shoulder.

Now that this Chihuahua from Lake County, Fla., has turned a year old, his owner has  sent those stats into the Guiness Book of World Records to be officially named The World's Smallest Dog. He looks like a shoe-in --literally!

Congrats, little big man!

Breaking up a dog fight

Newsday is reporting today about a gruesome-sounding dog fight that took place in Dix Hills today.

Apparently, two Rottweilers ran over to a leashed pitbull. A bystander who tried to break up the fight suffered cuts on his head, and had his ear nearly severed.

I don’t know the specifics of the incident, but I do know that there is a right way to break up a dog fight, and a wrong way.

The wrong way is to get in the middle. Don’t bother yelling — it doesn’t go any good.

The right way is to have a person grab each dog by the hind legs, and then back them away from each other, moving in a circle so the dog cannot whip around and bite you. Even in this scenario, the risk of a bite can and does exist.

Shelter workers and dog trainers know to have protective Kevlar gloves -- the longer the better -- on hand.

For an excellent tutorial on how to break up a dog fight when you are alone, visit leerburg.com/dogfight.htm.

Ol' Roy recall

From a company press release:

<<Manassas, Virginia -- June 6, 2007 -- Doane Pet Care is announcing today a voluntary recall on a specific single lot of 55 pound bonus bags of Ol' Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food. This product was produced at one facility in Manassas, VA and was distributed exclusively by some Wal-Mart Stores. Please note that no other Ol' Roy products are affected, and that this recall is not related to the Menu Foods recall (and other recent recalls) of pet food due to tainted Chinese vegetable proteins.

This product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling this pet food can become exposed to Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with this pet food or any surfaces exposed to this product. Consumers who have the dry dog food bearing the code "04 0735 1" with a "Best By Apr 13 08" should not feed it to their pets.

This voluntary recall has been issued because FDA detected Salmonella in the product. Doane Pet Care has not confirmed the presence of Salmonella, despite extensive independent testing of duplicate samples. Nonetheless, the company is issuing this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution. The company regrets any inconvenience to pet owners. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product, or any product produced at this facility.

Product: Ol' Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food
Size: 55 pound bonus bag
UPC Code: 6 05388 72076 4
Lot Number: 04 0735 1
Best Buy Date: Apr 13 '08
Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag

Affected Stores: Only 69 Wal-Mart Stores potentially received this product from 2 distribution warehouses in Virginia. The 69 stores are located in Maryland (4 stores), North Carolina (10), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (3), Virginia (40) and West Virginia (11). A full listing of the affected stores is available at www.doanepetcare.com. This product UPC has been blocked from retail sale at these 69 locations.

Any remaining product should not be fed to pets. Dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Pet owners who have questions about the voluntary recall of this 55 lb bonus bag of Ol' Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food products should call 800-624-7387, or visit the web site listed above. >>

AB 1634 -- another voice of protest

June 4, 2007

By Denise Flaim/Newsday

I'll be honest. I don't want to care about what's going on in California. I have limited CPUs in this aging head of mine, and I'm hard-pressed to keep up with my new puppy's housebreaking, much less obsess over legislation being passed in a state on the opposite coast.

But if you are on any dog-related e-mail lists, chances are you, too, are being inundated with posts about AB 1634, also known as the California Healthy Pets Act. And perhaps, as with me, the hue and cry has become too much to ignore.

Despite its upbeat name, what this legislation aims to do is mandate that any puppy or kitten be spayed or neutered by 4 months of age. Owners who wanted to keep their animals' reproductive organs would be required to pay an "intact permit fee," the cost of which would be determined by their municipality, or face a $500 fine.

Commercial breeders - better known as puppymillers, who stock pet stores, all the better to facilitate your furry impulse buy - will gladly pay the price.

Not so "hobby breeders," of which, in the interest of full disclosure, I am one. Hobby breeders are just that - they breed primarily for the love of a breed, not for its cash value. If they are in any business, it is to leave their breed in better condition than they found it. They perform appropriate health tests on their dogs, sell all their pet-quality dogs on spay-neuter contracts, and promise to take back any dog of their breeding in the event the owner no longer wants it.

Most hobby breeders are acutely aware of the animal- overpopulation issue that prompted AB 1634 in the first place. But they also recognize that the problem stems not from overachieving ovaries or unsnipped testicles, but rather from irresponsible owners. Which is why reputable breeders vigorously screen buyers and turn down inappropriate ones, and why waiting lists can be months - even years - long.

Laws like AB 1634 only create disincentive for the most honorable breeders to breed. Filling the void will be puppymillers. And you can look forward to a spike in imported puppies, like the unpapered, disease-ridden perros smuggled across the Mexican border into cities like San Diego by the thousands.

It's not just hoity-toity show-dog people who are up in arms over the bill. Breeders of working canines - those that lead the blind, accompany police officers, retrieve waterfowl and herd sheep - are absolutely ballistic, starting Web sites such as saveourdogs.net.

Then there's the touchy subject of spaying and neutering, which in recent decades has become all but synonymous with Mom and apple pie. Dare I suggest that there are well-documented, rational reasons for delaying these surgical procedures in dogs, even in those that should never reproduce.

Early spay-neuter has been associated with increased risk of osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, and some veterinary experts have suggested that performing this surgery very early, before the sex organs have time to mature, might be attributable to increased urinary incontinence in females.

As for behavioral problems, a study out of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine showed that neutering didn't reduce aggression in dogs, and, in the case of spayed females, actually increased it. Go figure.

Personally, I advise my puppy people to wait until one year of age, if possible, before they spay or neuter their pet-quality dogs. (Yes, letting a heat cycle pass slightly raises the risk of mammary cancer, but I consider it worth the gamble.) But then again, I know my owners are responsible enough to contain their dogs, or I wouldn't have given them one in the first place.

The bad thing about AB 1634, other than an innate intrusiveness that should send most any Civil Libertarian into convulsions, is that, as with most animal legislation - including breed bans - it puts the onus on the wrong end of the leash. Animal overpopulation isn't the result of oversexed studs and come-hither queens. It's the byproduct of the cavalier attitude we have toward what should be the lifelong responsibility of caring for and loving an animal. It's a reflection of our disposable, fickle, flavor-of-the-week society. That's why dogs and cats end up at shelters - because they were acquired in haste, loved conditionally, and given up when new circumstances, whether a new apartment or a new love, rendered them inconvenient.

As with breed bans, AB 1634 is targeted at those who are least likely to comply, because they simply don't care. And in the case of feral cats that have no one responsible for them, population explosions will continue unabated.

Now, if someone could legislate against stupidity, that's a law I could get behind.

Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.

Missing a border collie?

From today's email. Attention agility folk in the New England area:

<<A fellow club member is one of the "heads" of the Nashua Humane Society.
Picked up in Mason NH, and now located at the shelter in Nashua is a VERY
well trained Border Collie, who shows that he is quite an agility star.
Someone clearly spent MUCH time training this dog. He is super and
enthusiastic and eager to perform what else he knows...besides agility and
obedience, he loves a frisbee!!! He was picked up sporting a gorgeous coat
and well groomed nails. Somebody must be missing this dog!!!??? Or.....he is
quite a gem for someone looking for an agility partner. The staff is so
convinced that he must be desperately missed, they are holding onto him
longer than usual before placing him up for adoption. Sadly, no microchip.

Feel free to cross post.>>

Tennessee Pete has been found!

Pete, a rescued English setter who went on the lam on Long Island, was caught in a humane trap Wednesday morning.

He will be returning to Tennessee with his rescue-group searchers.

Lost Yorkie in Queens

Honi Reisman sends this via email, along with the ever-true comment: "No one knows Queens better than Team Vivi."

<< lost yorkie queens

2 years old
Male, Neutered – 6 lbs.
Lost last Saturday 4/28
No collar, etc.
Name: Maxie
Lost at Main St and 68th Ave near Kew Gardens Hills

Contact:  Peggy Bautista 347 276 1534>>

Lost dogs, a mosaic

Lots of missing Fidos this morning. Here goes:

First, an email from English setter rescue about PETE:

<<A newly adopted English setter from Setter Rescue is loose on Long Island.  He was  recently adopted from Above & Beyond English Setter rescue, and just  finished his long transport from Tennessee to Stony Brook this past Saturday.  His name is Pete, and he's 2.5 years old. Apparently, Tuesday afternoon he scooted out the front door of his new  home in Stony Brook when it was opened.

Pete was extremely fearful to begin with, and  after his long transport and new home he's even more of a flight risk.  He's never bitten, but might
defecate when approached. Since he's  frightened and not at all familiar with
his new Stony Brook area, we fear he  might be running far and wide.

He has no ID or collar on him, and he was not  chipped.

Please contact us if hear of any information or he is turned into your shelter.  We  will retrieve him immediately.

Bonnie Girard, 610-367-1803, Founder, Above and Beyond English Setter Rescue (www.esrescue.org)

or

MaryEllen Romano, (631) 275-1139>>

HERO is a 14-month-old male Rottweiler who escaped from a friend's house on April 20 in the Capital Heights, Maryland area. A policeman fed him potato chips for a half-hour while waiting in vain for animal control to arrive ... Hero left and is still on the lam.

Call Mary Pope 804-448-9424 or Gene Ellison 202-386-2314.

For more information: http://www.vomblaurasen.com/HERO_Missing.pdf

Out on the other coast is THOR, a 10-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback whose family was camping this weekend at KOA Santa Cruz. Early Saturday morning, Thor experienced a seizure of some sort, and, when his family let him out of the cabin to orient himself, he bolted.

His family searched the campsite for two hours that evening, all day Saturday and Sunday morning, to no avail. "We actually came close to him two or three times in the two hours after he ran away but he looked at us as if he didn't know us and bolted the opposite directions," his owner writes in an email.

Thor was not wearing his collar and tags. The family has posted "lost dog" signs within a three-mile radius of the campsite, have notified local authorities, and is checking with animal services regularly. So far, nothing.

Thor has lots of fatty tissue bumps on his body, and is lean and trim (just over 80 pounds).

Contact June Madsen Clausen on her cell phone at 415/407-7528 or via email at clausenj@usfca.edu.

HAPPY ENDING: The van full of St. Bernard's stolen from the Red Lion Hotel Parking Lot in Sacramento, Calif., has been recovered, along with its precious cargo. "It was totally stripped but the dogs are all o.k. ," says a cross-posted email we received. "Thank you everyone who was on the lookout!"

A fine morning for a recall

Royal Canin announced that it is recalling the following dog and cat foods because they contain rice protein concentrate contaminated with melamine . The company stresses that no illness have been reported from ingesting the food, but rather that it is taking a "proactive" stance:

ROYAL CANIN SENSIBLE CHOICE® (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)

- Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD
- Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD

ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET™ (available only in veterinary clinics)

- Canine Early Cardiac EC 22™
- Canine Skin Support SS21™
- Feline Hypoallergenic HP23™

More recalls in the offing

More recalls are in the offing. Reuters reports:

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