Service dogs are extremely helpful in the lives of people with disabilities, under stress and in need.  They are also very versatile friends.  You’d be surprised at how many different types of service dogs there are, from dogs that sniff out cancer to dogs that give comfort in times of need.

Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) raises, trains and provides four different types of assistance dogs.  They offer Service dogs that help with physical tasks like pulling wheel chairs and opening doors, Hearing dogs that aid the deaf and hard-of-hearing in daily life by alerting them to different sounds like doorbells, Skilled Companion dogs that work in a 3 part team with an able bodied adult and a person with physical or developmental disabilities, and Facility dogs that offer support for people in mental, physical and emotional stress such as hospital patients.

CCI based in Santa Rosa, is a non-profit organization with five regional training centers.  Since 1975 it has trained and supplied more than 2,600 assistance dogs to enhance the lives of people in need. 

Assistance dogs are born into their careers.  At about 8 weeks old they are placed with volunteer ‘puppy raisers’ for 16 to 18 months to grow up in a happy, healthy environment where they will learn basic house training, obedience commands and become socialized with people.  CCI uses Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Retriever-Lab mixes because of their gentle nature, intelligence and ability to work with and please others. 

After their puppy stage, they return to CCI where they are screened and given medical tests to make sure they are suited to life as assistance dogs.  They may be released from service because of medical reasons or temperament issues.  Many are adopted out to families, but several usually end up as career dogs working to look for illegal drugs, bombs, checking customs, on the border patrol and even as therapy dogs.

Those that pass the tests move on to be trained for 6 to 9 months with CCI Instructors and they even get off-site field trips to accustom the dogs to life in all kinds of environments.  After training the now well-trained assistance dogs are matched up with companions.  CCI doesn’t charge people for their assistance dogs, though they do need to have a physical or developmental disability and show that an assistance dog will enhance their quality of life.

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America used to have its own native species of ferret.  Yep, living in the Southwest and hunting those darn Prairie Dogs used to be the Black-Footed Ferret.  It’s a feisty little creature with a long, torpedo shaped body and tail, rather rat-like face and four short but fast legs.  Many people actually keep domesticated ferrets as pets in their homes.  Well, that species of Ferret is making a big turnaround these days. 

About 20 years ago the Black-Footed Ferret all but disappeared from the American Southwest and dwindled down to numbers fewer than 20 Black-Footed Ferrets.  It was a sad state of affairs and we were left only with our tumbleweeds and Prairie Dogs.  Then, the Arizona Game and Fish Department focused on a reintroduction effort.  In 1996, the Diamond A Ranch in Aubrey Valley became one of the 11 Black-Footed Ferret reintroduction sites in the Unit ed States and Mexico. 

The different facilities raise the ferrets and show them how to survive in the wild, and then they release the Black-Footed adolescents.  The goal is a self-sustaining population of Black-Footed Ferrets.  So far about 300 ferrets have been released and it's estimated that there are about 665 ferrets in the wild.  Arizona Game and Fish Officials say that they are finding more Black-Footed Ferrets that have been born in the wild all the time.  The program is turning out to be a success, but these feisty little critters are still in trouble. 

Their numbers are still low.  Diseases could still wipe out the burgeoning population.  In addition, the Black-Footed Ferret is facing the decline of their staple food source, the Prairie Dog.  I really had no idea that the ferret could eat a Prairie Dog.  I believe they are about the same size so that must be one heck of a fight for three meals a day. 

Source: http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2007/11/18/news/state/state1.txt

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Aesop's Fables are filled with plenty of great insights and moral tales. So, here are a couple more for you to read to yourself, the kids or family for the holidays. I found them at a great site called PetPics.

The Peacock and Juno

A Peacock once placed a petition before Juno desiring to have the voice of a nightingale in addition to his other attractions; but Juno refused his request.

When he persisted, and pointed out that he was her favourite bird, she said:

"Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything.

Even with all it's beauty the Peacock still desired more. Perhaps as the goddess, Juno states in the fable, he should have been more content with his own natural virtues and made the most of them instead of envying those of others. It's a good tale for the kids when they start arguing over presents on Christmas morning.

The Bald Man and the Fly

There was once a Bald Man who sat down after work on a hot summer's day. A Fly came up and kept buzzing about his bald pate, and stinging him from time to time.

The Man aimed a blow at his little enemy, but his palm came on his head instead; again the Fly tormented him, but this time the Man was wiser and said:

"You will only injure yourself if you take notice of despicable enemies."

This funny tale relates that the more one attempts to seek revenge, the more you end up hurting yourself.

 

The Cock and the Pearl

A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied something shinning amid the straw. "Ho! ho!" quoth he, "that's for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw.

What did it turn out to be but a Pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard? "You may be a treasure," quoth Master Cock, "to men that prize you, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn than a peck of pearls."

Precious things are for those that can prize them.
 

That Rooster had it right when he passed by the pearl.  A pearl is pretty to behold, but life is lived on the necessities.  Hmm...for a human though, the pearl could bring money which could in turn bring food... 

 

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In the European Union (EU), officials have voted to ban the sale of cat and dog fur. This is in response to the discovery that fur traders are not following a voluntary prohibition against placing cat and dog fur into their products. So, many different fur and even faux fur products have been found to contain the fur from domesticated animals in EU products.

The total ban is on the sale or import and export of any products containing cat or dog fur as of the beginning of 2009 across the European Union. There are a total of 27 member states of the European Union.

However, some activists state that 2009 is not soon enough. Throughout 2008 thousands of cats and dogs will suffer horrible deaths. Plus, the ban doesn’t specifically state what the consequences will be if someone is found to be in violation. Personally, if the ban doesn’t yet state what the punishment will be for the illegal use and trade of dog and cat fur, I don’t think those fur traders will be very inclined to obey the ban. The European Union needs to come up with a very definite and stiff reaction to anyone caught selling, importing or exporting the fur of these two domestic animals.

It is hard to determine the true percentage of current fur products that are made from cat or dog fur, since it is often used as an illegal substitute for the more expensive furs or in supposed synthetic fur substitutes.

British Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy states that the majority of cat and dog fur comes from China. There are about 2 million cats and dogs slaughtered there each year for their fur and skins. They kill 10 dogs for one single fur coat and even more if they use puppies.

The ban by the European Union does not prohibit the trade of other kinds of fur products such as mink, or raccoon.

Source: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2973112,00.html

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At my apartment we have a lot of feral and semi-feral cats hanging about. In fact, there is one female cat who had a litter of four kittens a few weeks back. They are very cute in the way they scamper about and pick up the scraps people leave out sometimes. However, those cute kittens have already picked up the feral nature of their parents. They hiss, growl and even get into the garbage dumpsters around here.

It’s hard to resist the lure of a kitten, that’s seemingly helpless in the wild, but is it a good idea to rescue them? In truth, it’s very hard to capture a truly feral cat and domestic it or at least get it used to living in a home. Many adults remain skittish around people after being rescued and are a constant flight risk whenever you open the front door. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be helped.

Some people have started the practice of rescuing pregnant cats and keeping them until their kittens are old enough to be weaned. Then the feral mother, if she hasn’t adapted to life with people, is neutered and released back into the wild. Her kittens are tamed with people and given the chance to live with loving families.

In fact the practice of catch and release, ahem, for cats has been catching on for a while. There is a group in Philadelphia that is working to catch cats from the city’s large feral colonies and spay or neuter them before releasing them. It’s called the Community Cats Council and they are working to slowly reduce the numbers of feral cats forced to live on the outskirts of safety. There are estimated to be about 250,000 feral cats living in this city alone. It may seem like an incomplete solution, but for many cats the only other option would be euthanasia.

Source: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_region/20071126

_Trapping_cats_to_help_them.html

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You can rent a pet in today’s world!  So if there is anyone who has a hankering for a pet, but they just can’t afford the long term commitment or live somewhere a pet isn’t allowed its easy to pick up a pet for a day.  As least in Japan, anyway.

 

In Janet Village in Japan you can rent yourself a dog.  They offer different breeds and sizes of pet pooch by the hour, day or week.  I think this is an excellent idea for people who happen to have a need of a doggy or who just miss having a pet around.  You know, I still miss my old pet pooch and wouldn’t mind having a doggy rental from time to time.  Of course a cheaper version is probably volunteering down at the local humane society. 

 

This particular pet rental places requires that customers pay a 2,000 yen membership fee, which is equivalent to a little over ten dollars I believe.  They must also provide proper identification and sign a form stating that they will pay up to 1.5 million yen or close to ten thousand dollars to replace a pet if it goes missing, is stolen, or is fatally injured during an accident.  Hopefully, that doesn’t happen though. 

 

You can rent a dog for 1,500 yen an hour, 10,500 yen a day, and 40,000 yen a week.  Larger dogs can cost a little more at 2,000 an hour and up.  However, they do run promotional deals that are offered twice a year where customers can rent a pet pooch for only $20,000 yen a week which is a little over a $100.

 

Customers who pick up a pet get a small bag with cleaning materials for doggy accidents, and a drinking bowl for water.  Food for your pet has to be picked up from a store.  

 

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/25/wpets225.xml

 

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In a strange court case a woman is suing her pet sitter, because the pet sitter got her pig fat, among other problems.

 

Michelle Schmitz in Winona, Minnesota stated that she gave her pet potbellied pig, Alaina Templeton to a co-worker for pet sitting.  This was because Ms. Schmitz was on medical leave from her job to recover from ankle surgeries and wouldn’t be able to properly take care of the potbellied pig. 

 

Ms. Schmitz kept her pig, Alaina, on a strict diet so she would remain only 50 pounds instead of growing to the enormous proportions that many potbellied pigs are prone to do.  The co-worker took Alaina to pet sit in February 2007 and when Ms. Schmitz tried to get her pet back in April after she’d healed properly, the co-worker wouldn’t return her phone calls.  Schmitz didn’t have the address of the co-worker and it took her a full 9 ½ months from February to finally track down her potbellied pig. 

 

When Schmitz showed up at the farm where the co-worker lived, she was shocked to find that Alaina had grown to 150 pounds and the pig’s neck had grown around her collar to the point that she was having trouble breathing.  It took veterinarians 4 ½ hours to surgically remove the collar from Alaina’s neck at the end of October.  However, Alaina was doing well after her surgery and her wounds are likely nearly completely healed by now. 

 

Ms. Schmitz was understandably upset when she finally tracked down her pet and stated that she cried for three days on the discovery of Alaina’s weight problem.  She is very close to the pig, having bottle fed her at just 11 days old and even sporting a tattoo of Alaina’s name.  Authorities were also investigating whether or not the pet sitter should face charges of animal neglect or animal cruelty.

 

Source: http://www.columbian.com/news/APStories/AP10302007news223668.cfm

 

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In Evansville, Indiana a woman died after being shot by a neighbor. The bullet wasn’t even intended for her. It was meant for her dog, which she’d been chasing closely.

Not a lot is known about the event that happened yesterday during Thanksgiving celebrations all across the country. The 29-year-old Nicole Stroud had been visiting her grandmother’s home Thursday when apparently her dog got loose. Nicole chased her pet through the neighbor’s property where she was shot. The neighbor’s property is about 15 miles northwest of Evansville and near Wadesville.

Posey County Sheriff James Folz said the neighbor, Melinda Lindauer, was apparently trying to shoot the woman’s dog. However, the shot missed and the bullet hit Nicole. When County Deputies arrived at the Lindauer’s backyard there was quite the scene. A crowd of onlookers watched as volunteer firefighters were performing CPR. Nicole was transported to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville but she was pronounced dead.

The County Deputies detained and questioned Melinda and Lonnie (her husband) Lindauer and they also found a handgun on a bed in the couple’s bedroom. The Deputies arrested Melinda Lindauer on preliminary charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide. The Sheriff stated that there didn’t seem to be any evidence that Lindauer was attempting to shoot Nicole Stroud, but the even is still under investigation.

On a more personal note, this is a really horrible way for the Stroud family to have lost their daughter, especially during the holiday season. There may be more to the story and I will keep a current eye out for the possibility that Lindauer had complained about the dog previously or felt threatened by it when she took the shot. However, from the story so far, it doesn’t seem that way to me. I believe Nicole’s dog managed to escape unharmed.

Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/14677405/detail.html?rss=ind&psp=news

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Gobble, Gobble! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day! Now that your tummies are all stuffed and you can sit down and read a few thanksgiving stories with the kids. I found a few great ones at a site called Apples for the Teacher.  Here’s one of my favorites below, including an animal of course! It was written by the Venerable Bede a very long time ago and shows the spirit of giving existed long before the Pilgrims celebrated the virtue.

Once upon a time, the good Saint Cuthbert of Lindesfarne, went forth from his monastery to preach to the poor. He took with him a young lad as his only attendant. Together they walked along the dusty way. The heat of the noonday sun beat upon their heads, and fatigue overcame them.

``Son,' said Saint Cuthbert, ``do you know any one on the road, whom we may ask for food and a place in which to rest?'

"I was just thinking the same thing," answered the lad, "but I know nobody on the road who will entertain us. Alas! why did we not bring along provisions? How can we proceed on our long journey without them?"

"My son," answered the saint, "learn to have trust in God, who never will suffer those to perish of hunger who believe in Him."

Then looking up and seeing an eagle flying in the air, he added, "Do you see the eagle yonder? It is possible for God to feed us by means of this bird."

While they were talking thus, they came to a river, and, lo! the eagle stood on the bank.

"Son," said Saint Cuthbert, "run and see what provision God has made for us by his handmaid the bird."

The lad ran, and found a good-sized fish that the eagle had just caught. This he brought to the saint.

"What have you done?" exclaimed the good man, "why have you not given a part to God's handmaid? Cut the fish in two pieces, and give her one, as her service well deserves."

The lad did as he was bidden, and the eagle, taking the half fish in her beak, flew away.

Then entering a neighboring village, Saint Cuthbert gave the other half to a peasant to cook, and while the lad and the villagers feasted, the good saint preached to them the Word of God.

The moral of this story is to have faith that what's needed will be provided and that one should always share and be thankful for what they do have.

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People are already making jokes about this case, but I feel that It’s no joke.  It’s one of those serious signs of spousal abuse, showing through in one man’s treatment of his spouse’s pets.   You may have read the post I wrote a few months ago about how some spousal abusers use a loved ones animals to controls them.  This is usually through the use of threats against the animal, abuse of the animal and even killing the animal.  Many victims are so afraid of what their spouses or partners would do to a beloved pet that they hesitate to leave an abusive relationship. In this particular case in Waupaca, Wisconsin a man shot the family goat because his wife wouldn’t bring home some beer for him.  It happened last Saturday when 48-year old Peter Mischler came home from hunting.   He was angry at first with his 22-year-old daughter who had let out the pet goats and apparently made a mess.  Later, when she was on the phone with her mother, the man told his daughter to ask his wife to bring home the beer.  While still on the phone, she refused.   When the wife arrived home, beerless, both she and her daughter heard 4 gunshots.  They found that the father had shot one of the family goats and worse it was still alive with it’s entrails hanging out.  It later had to be put down by a sheriff’s deputy.   Gladly, Mischler was arrested on charges of mistreatment of animals, possession of a firearm while intoxicated and disorderly conduct with a dangerous weapon.  He has already posted a $1,000 bail.  What will happen with his family and the surviving goat is unknown.

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Owners of pets who like giving them tasty treats will find that many companies will soon be placing serving size suggestions on their products. This is especially true of ADI Pet Inc. which has decided to institute the policy in response to recent FDA (Food and Drug Administration) investigations and reports that pet owners are overfeeding their furry friends with their treats, Waggin‘ Train Jerky Treats.

For the past two months, the FDA has been looking into the possibility that such treats may be the cause of a recent disturbing increase in the occurrence of Fanconi Syndrome, a rare kidney disease that is being reported by veterinarians. Most of the dogs that came down with the condition were small and had eaten chicken-flavored jerky treats, possibly to excess.

ADI Pet Inc. is implementing a serving size suggestion on their jerky treats based on the weight of pets to help owners avoid overfeeding. Maybe the pet owners are over feeding these treats to their dogs thus leading to the condition. Jerry Peters, president of ADI Pet Inc. has said, “The problem with high protein treats is that dogs really, really like them because they taste good. I may like hamburgers for the same reason, but I shouldn’t eat 10 of them a day.”

Yikes, I wouldn’t eat ten hamburgers a day either. It seems that after a while the pets would get bored with these treats just because they have them all the time.

The American Veterinary Medical Association first noticed the increased numbers of pets coming down with Fanconi Syndrome in August, when numbers of veterinarians started reporting cases. The association represents about 75,000 veterinarians and issued a statement to notify pet owners about the growing problem. Owners should also keep an eye out for the development of renal problems in their pets. Symptoms of kidney problems include vomiting, tiredness or lethargy and loss of appetite.

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Here’s a noodle scratcher for you. Would cocoa mulch make your dog sick? We love the smell of chocolate. Some people love it so much that they use special cocoa mulch on their lawns every year, just to get the sweet refreshing scent of cocoa powder every time it rains.

However, there is some concern that cocoa mulch can be as bad as chocolate is for your dog. The chemical in chocolate that makes a dog sick is theobromine. This chemical can be found in cocoa mulch. So, is there enough of the chemical in your average bag of cocoa mulch to make a dog sick or even kill it if he or she got bored and had a crunchy snack.

I know my dog, Lucy, used to dive right into the mulch at one of our apartment complexes during the spring because it contained tasty dehydrated frogs.  Let’s all have a yuck moment…Okay, so I know it’s entirely possible that a dog will eat mulch and the stuff found in mulch. Add to this the sweetly, attractive scent of chocolate and I’m pretty certain a dog or puppy will at least take a nibble or two of your favorite cocoa mulch, but is it enough to be dangerous.

The ASPCA website, www.aspca.org, advocates that pet owners should avoid the use of cocoa bean mulch in their landscaping because it does contain theobromine. However, some manufacturers, such as Mirana Co. in Palos Verdes, claim that their cocoa bean mulch contains only small amounts of theobromine because they use their cocoa beans to make cocoa butter and that draws out most of the chemical.

It seems to me that it’s better to ere of the side of caution and avoid that wonderful sweet cocoa mulch if you happen to have a dog. You just never know how much theobromine it may contain.

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Another animal rescue case, I swear this must happen at least once a week somewhere in the country.  How are people amassing these large numbers of animals?  Why are they amassing these large numbers of animals?  I know, it had some basis in mental and emotional disturbances, but dozens of animals?

 

Anyway, in this case 24 animals were rescued from a home in Lodi, California.  Most of the animals were mostly small pets such as three doves, four rabbits, three guinea pigs, two kittens and one lizard.  There were also nine dogs in the house.  You know it must have been difficult to keep that place clean.  Dogs and cats, well…if you take them outside and keep their litter boxes clean you can do fairly well with them.  However, small animals kept in cages need more effort.  You have to clean their cages every few days, water them, and feed them special foods and so on.

 

The worst of the problems seemed to affect the nine dogs, who Lodi Police say were exposed to a contagious disease called, Parvovirus.  This is probably the main reason the animals were rescued from the home.  Parvovirus attacks the intestines and is very unpleasant.  Currently those dogs are under quarantine.

 

As for the couple that had all the pets, they could end up facing animal cruelty charges and a violation of the local ordinances that limit households to five pets.  In addition, authorities are looking into whether or not the couple actually put their four children at risk by having all those pets in the household.

 

Erp!  This doesn’t look too good from any angle.  Hopefully, nothing too severe other than the dangerous exposure to Parvovirus….happened with the animals or the kids.  Could this simply be a case of parents being unable to say no to their kid’s requests for more pets?

 

Source:  http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7482830?nclick_check=1

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Look out parents living in Alberta, Canada, especially if you're kids are in love with the idea of getting a pet rat. Many of you have heard about the recent movie called, Ratatouille, which is the heartwarming tail of a young rat in France who loves to cook. He eventually overcomes issues of responsibility to his family, the feelings of humans towards rats and the Parisian health code to become a great chef.

The movie certainly struck a cord with the kids. So much so that many kids are now hankering for a pet rat. Unfortunently, officials in Alberta, Canada have put a law into effect that basically outlaws the ownership of pet rats in the surrounding areas.

It's nothing against the rats, well...okay, it kind of does. A single female rat that got loose in the area could turn into 300,000 more little rats running around eating up all the crops. This is more of a problem than it seems because they don't have a very long growing season in the first place and there are fewer natural predators of rats. So a single rat could do a lot of damage.

Parents remember, rats are cute, but if you live in Alberta keep to the local laws and buy your kid a nice dog or cat for Christmas this year. I suggest going to the pet shelters and picking up a friendly, loveable mutt. To kids all dogs are puppies and therefore loveable.

Anyone who is found to be illegally keeping rats, even a pet rat, can be fined $5,000 or 60 days in jail if they can't pony up the cash.

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It's a sad state of affairs when the animal control system is so messed up in a country that the citizens are actually taking to suing the privatized company in charge and some government officials to try and find some peace. There is a big blow up in San Juan, Pueto Rico over the criminal behavior of an animal control company called, Animal Control Solutions. This company dominated the market in animal control in Puerto Rico simply because there was no competition, but that certainly didn't mean they were the best for the job. A recent Associated Press investigation has revealed that Animal Control Solutions has been improperly euthanizing animals for years and even taking people's pets illegally. Many of these pets were cruelly thrown into ditches, gullies and even over bridges to die terrible, slow deaths. I won't even relate some of the horrific tales owners and even former employees of Animal Control Solutions are telling prosecuters and reporters. Luckily, this has all come to light and now the Puerto Rican government is getting involved. It looks like criminal charges will be filed against the company or the over of the company, a Julio Diaz, concerning an incident in which 80 pets were thrown from a bridge to die. These pets had all been seized from three housing projects in Barceloneta where pets aren't allowed. Half a dozen of those pets thrown from the 50 foot bridge survived the fall and were rescued. A few have even been reunited with their owners. In addition, a 22.5 million dollar lawsuit has been filed against Animal Control Solutions and city officials of Barceloneta on behalf of 16 families whose animals were seized and thrown off the bridge. I should be objective here, but I hope those families win that money and I hope Animal Control Solutions goes out of business.

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One day in our neighborhood, I noticed a couple walking two greyhounds and thought to myself, ‘boy, I’d like to get me greyhound sometime.’ Not just because they’re beautiful dogs with short hair, long legs and a mild temperament, but also because one of the best things you can do is rescue an animal and there are a lot of greyhounds that need ‘rescuing’ after their time runs out at the racetrack.

Greyhounds are popularly known for their racing prowess and there are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of dogs used in Greyhound racing all over the world. Every season some of those dogs are retired and end up at places like Fast Friends of New Hampshire, where volunteers and organizers work to get the dogs adopted out to loving families and a little relaxation.

Right now, my apartment and my budget are a little too small to be taking care of a special greyhound but I’m sure someday I’ll probably get sucked in by a couple of sad puppy dog eyes and make the plunge.

Greyhounds do need time to adjust to their new lives after racing. In general they are said to be docile and dignified. Their thin coat makes them sensitive to cold weather, but they are also easy on people with a propensity for allergies. If you do end up with a greyhound make sure you have plenty of bedding for them, since their wiry body type doesn’t provide a lot of padding for hard surfaces.

Those who have adopted rescued Greyhounds say that it takes some time for them to become part of the family. They may not know how to interact at first and keep mostly to themselves. Some may not know what glass and stairs are and can be a little confused by their new environment. Greyhounds are however mature, quiet dogs that love to spend time sleeping in a favored spot and going for short walks.

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In a sad turn of events this past Monday, one man was killed and another man injured in an attempted pet rescue. In Bendigo, Australia, a pet Cockatoo managed to escape from the home of his seventy two year old owner. The owner was able to sight the missing bird in a tree at night, and obviously concerned about the welfare of his beloved pet attempted to climb the tree in order to rescue the bird.

As you can imagine the owner fell from the tree and injured himself. It’s just not a good idea to climb up a tree at night, especially if you are in your seventies. I understand that the man was concerned about losing his beloved pet, but really?

The owner was taken to a hospital in Bendigo, which is in the southern Victoria state and one would assume that the nightly antics had ended. Yet, from there the elderly man’s younger neighbor of fifty eight years of age attempted to climb the tree. He intended to rescue the Cockatoo as the pet’s owner wanted to do, but also fell to the ground. This time, he wasn’t as lucky as the bird’s owner and died instantly on impact. It’s just not a good idea to climb up a tree at night.

Even worse, the poor man’s wife was watching when the fifty eight year old man edged out onto a tree branch twelve meters above ground from a ladder. He then slipped and fell in front of her eyes. Sergeant Gilmore of the Bendigo Police Department said of the man, “He felt sympathy for (the bird's owner) and tried to climb up the ladder and up the tree to fetch his cockatoo.”

The missing Cockatoo which was the cause of all the mayhem has still not been found as of late Tuesday night.

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Man-dies-trying-to-rescue-pals-pet-bird/2007/11/13/1194766627012.html

 

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Carroll County Officials recently began removing large numbers of dogs and puppies, over 1,000 animals, from a Virginia puppy mill last Saturday. This is possibly the largest animal rescue on record and perhaps one of the largest puppy mills that has ever been come across.

The puppy mill is just one of several puppy mills in Virginia that had been found by the Humane Society to be skirting around many Federal guidelines. There was even a record of one puppy mill owner giving a cesarean to a pregnant dog, without medical training, and botching the procedure so the dog ended up with a severe infection.

Most of the dogs from this puppy mill are small-breed female pups from the ages of 6 months and up. They reportedly took about 700 adult dogs and 350 puppies from the mill. Officials rescued the animals after a five month investigation revealed plenty of neglect and animal cruelty.

Of course, with so many animals rescued many different shelters in the area had to take on rescues from the gigantic puppy mill. The North Shore Animal League in particular is taking the most animals of all with 132 dogs that will be up for adoption this Friday.

Workers say that most of the animals never had much human contact, they spent their lives in cages with two or three other dogs and many were neglected and dirty. Some dog’s toenails were so long that they actually curled up into the pads of their paws and plenty had matted dirty fur and even dirt and grime down in their ears.

The owner of the commercial puppy mill, Junior Horton, called the removal of his animals, “Dognapping”. Horton may end up facing charges of animal cruelty, but he is also being allowed to keep 200 dogs and seek out the proper licensing for owning and selling such a large number of dogs.

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Pet owners will enjoy the new video game that’s coming out on the Nintendo DS. It’s called Pet Pals: Animal Doctor and even non-pet owners will enjoy it. In fact, I’m betting that if you like watching Animal Planet or have aspirations of becoming a Veterinarian you’ll also enjoy this little game. I not pushing the game or anything, but have long thought that game makers should take advantage of the popularity of video games to really teach something educational.

Majesco Entertainment Company is doing just that with this new game. It’s designed so players can take a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to be a Veterinarian. Players can examine and treat virtual dogs, as well as play with them to keep up their moral and even deal with the virtual owners of the virtual pets.

The game features 30 different medical cases that were created by real-life veterinarians. The cases vary from something as simple as a hairball to infections to broken bones. These thirty cases come in 23 different kinds of pets. There is a Yorkshire terrier, python, turtle, parakeet, rabbit, hamster and even a Siamese cat. The player works with their stressed out patients by administering over 40 Touch Screen tests.

The tests will help you determine the pet’s condition and then you administer the treatment. Afterwards the pet is moved to the Recovery Room where it can be played with and fed to help it heal. It may not earn you a degree in Veterinary Medicine, but if you are interested in knowing all about your Veterinarian’s experience with sick animals and nervous owners, Pet Pals looks like it will provide a little insight.

Lunacy Interactive is the publisher of this game. Other similar games for portable systems by this publisher are Emergency Room and Zoo Vet. I’m looking forward to the release of this little video game in early 2008. It’s expected to cost about $20.

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Everyone living in Michigan keep a wary eye out.  There are rabid foxes lurking around.  A woman has reported being attacked by a fox and that the fox also bit her pet Beagle. 

The woman lives in Plymouth Township and is a Wayne County resident.  The fox apparently came out and nipped the woman in the leg.  It appeared crazy and her pet Beagle chased the fox off, but not before being bit by the fox too.  The fox managed to break the skin with it's bites.  So, you know what that means. 

Both of them had to get medical treatment for their bites.  The Plymouth Township Police Chief Thomas Tiderington and police members were unable to track down and capture the fox in question.  They believe this fox was rabid because there were two other incidents in the area with foxes that were captured and they did test positive for rabies.  Those foxes had to be euthanized.  So this fox is still out there folks be sure to stay alert and if you see any animals in the area that look suspiciousstay well away from them.  If you are bitten head straight to the nearest hospital, especially if its from a fox. 

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Our pets may benefit from the use of acupuncture to relieve chronic pain and ailments. Many times we can feel frustrated by going to the vet only to get the response that there is not much they can do to help a chronic condition like hip displaysia. Yet, your pet pal is still very much alive and you even want to bring up the 'E' word (Euthanasia) in front of him or her. So, what is there to do?

I'm hearing that a lot of pet owners are looking into Acupuncture to treat those chronic conditions without the hassle of trying to get your friend to eat a pill every four to six hours.

Dr. Donovan of the Kindred Spirits Mobile Veterinary Hospital in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts is one of those veterinarians now using acupuncture to ease the pains of older pets, those with pinched nerves, arthritis, hip displasia and even IBS and asthma and allergies. Plus, needles don't have to be used for an Acupuncture treatment. This is the 21st Century after all. New techniques involve using infrared stimulation, electric currents and even lasers to hit those traditional acupuncture spots.

Donovan says that animals have been treated with acupuncture for 4,000 years. He treats horses, cats and dogs. Since many animals don't like to sit still for a needle, Donovan says he regularly uses the more modern techniques such as infrared stimulation. The good doctor finds that most pets can be relieved of their pain in four to eight treatments. His treatments each cost $90.

Source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/LIFE/711100317

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Another football player has been involved in animal cruelty charges over the past year, but you may not have noticed as most of the press has been focused on Michael Vick's dogfighting ring case.

In this case, Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux had been under investigation over the death of his girlfriend's pit bull-mix. The investigation conducted under the lead of Gwinnet County District Attorney Danny Porter is now finished and they have decided to dismiss the charges after what seems to have been a very thorough investigation.

The dog died from blunt force trauma to the back of the head. Babineaux denied hurting the dog intentionally, but claimed that it was coming at him and his infant child in an agressive manner. So he engaged a leash 'spinning' technique that his dog trainer taught him and presumably the dog's head hit a nearby wall.

Investigators in the case were able to verify some of Babineaux's claims that the pit bull mix had a history of unprovoked attacks. Plus, his trainer did teach him this 'spinning' trick to use when the dog got aggressive. Experts were also uncertain as to what could have caused the blunt force trauma, either accidentally hitting a wall or being hit, which were some of the reasons Porter listed when he annouced dismissing the charges.

I must say this sounds like a sad, but accidental death to me as well. Certainly, the 'spinning' sounds like it could cause harm, especially if a dog were close to a hard surface that it might hit. What do you think? Babineaux is a big guy, he may not have realized his own strength in the face of an aggressive dog. Or do you think this 'spinning' could be harmful?

Source: http://www.ajc.com/wireless/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/11/07/babineaux_1108.html

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This is one of the strangest cases I’ve ever heard about.  In Livonia, Michigan the local police have arrested three people suspected for stealing about 69 exotic and pricy pets.  These guys stole everything from Toucans to Wallabies and even foxes.  What’s more, these thieves actually had a website set up called, www.thoseanimalguys.com and where using the stolen pets in presentations and demonstrations they gave at schools and exotic animal shows.

 

These guys were pretty confident, perhaps over confident.  It was in fact due to their website that they were finally caught by the police.  One of the people who had a pet stolen from ‘those animal guys’ noticed a picture of his very own missing pet featured on their site.  The victim, named Mark Rosenthal, lives in Florida where the thieves stole five rare toucans amongst other animals from them.  Each of the toucans was valued at between $30,000 and $50,000.  The thieves even had a converted ambulance which they used for transporting animals to shows and get this, had a blown up image of on it of one of Rosenthal’s animals.

 

They were way, way too overconfident.  Eventually police raided the three homes of the thieves.  They found that amazingly, the thieves had set up mini zoos in the homes by partitioning off cages with fencing. 

 

Not all of the stolen animals were recovered in the raid.  It seems that some of the animals were also sold online for quick cash.  One pet shop owner lost about $50,000 worth of exotic animals when the thieves broke into her store and the police were only able to recover about $1,500 worth of animals in the raid.  Luckily, amongst those animals was their store mascot.  His name is Rupert and he is a Savannah Monitor lizard.  The owner, Hazel Kelly stated that Rupert was a little thin and lethargic, but happy to be home.

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It’s time for another fun animal story for the kids. I found this ‘tail’ on a site called, Dimdima.com.  There are lots of other animal related tales that you can take a look at for the kid’s bedtime story tonight, or just for yourself.

Below is the story of a fire and how some animals knew the best ways to save their own lives when threatened by that fire.

The Fire Specialists

There was an enormous haystack near a village and several small animals had made their homes in it. Among these were a tortoise, a cobra, a mongoose and a jackal.

One day as these four were enjoying an afternoon chat, the other residents came running to them in a state of panic.

"Our haystack is on fire!" they screamed.

"A fire, is it?" said the tortoise. "Please stay calm. I know a hundred thousand ways of dealing with a fire."

"And I know a thousand ways," said the cobra, modestly.

"As for me, I know only a hundred," said the mongoose,"but they're all tried and trusted methods."

"And you, Sir," said the residents to the jackal. "How many do you know?"

"Only one," said the jackal, sniffing the smoke-laden air. "When the fire is this close there's only one thing to do: run!" And with that he jumped from the haystack and bounded away.

"Stupid creature," sneered the tortoise. "He ran away because he has not studied fire like I or my friends here have. Listen to the first method of escaping a fire..."

But he never got beyond that. A tongue of flame leapt out from the centre of the haystack and consumed him and his two knowledgeable friends. The other animals leapt from the haystack like they had seen the 'stupid' jackal do and ran for their lives.

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Over in England a Border Collie named Gale, managed to survive an unbelievable 9 days without food or water in the trunk of a car. There wasn't any foul play, just a dog afraid of loud noises. Gale lives in Fylingthorpe ner Whitby, North Yorks and is actually the star of a book and a few columns about her antics by Tamar Jones. This little pup just gave her owner another amazing story to tell (though she says she isn't planning on writing a tale about her furry friend's recent close call).

It seems that while Tamar was helping a neighbor go through and clean out the trunk of his car a low-flying plane went by overhead and scared Gale. The two people saw the Collie jump into the trunk of the car, but had thought that she got back out of the trunk when they both turned their backs for a moment and when they turned back saw the trunk was empty.

In reality Gale seems to have squeezed behind a toolbox in the boot of the car in her fear of the loud noise from the plane. Tamar and her neighbor both reloaded his car and closed the trunk, locking Gale inside unbeknowst to the both of them. Later, her neighbor left for a week-long vacation, leaving his car in the drive.

When Gale failed to turn up later, Tamar was afraid something had happened to her pet. She didn't believe the pooch would run away, but there were few other leads. Many residents of Tamar's home village struck out across the countryside and helped her look for Gale the Border Collie, but to little avail.

The neighbor returned from his trip and it took a little while before he decided to clean out the trunk of his car, but imagine his surprise when he found Gale still hiding in the boot. He rushed to Tamar's house to let her know he'd found her dog.

When they pulled Gale from the boot she wasn't in good condition. She had stiffened up from not moving for nine days and was very thirsty. Tamar took her straight to the vet, who was also amazed at where Gale had been hiding and that she had managed to survive for nine whole days without food and water. His best explaination is that dogs can sometimes go into a semi-hibernation where they shut down most of their bodies systems to survive in emergencies. Tamar thinks that there must have been some condensation or water leaking into the boot which was just enough that Gale could survive on.

Gale is said to be back to her old self and doing just fine.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=492015&in_page_id=1770

 

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Alert!  Puppies have been stolen, yes, stolen right out of a Pet Luv Store in Chicago over the past weekend.

 

It’s believed that these puppies were taken to be resold at a cheaper price by the thieves.  Normally in Chicago, dog thefts involve stealing animals to use in dog fighting rings but in this case the police believe that these puppies were taken for resale because of their high selling point. 

 

The puppies stolen are estimated to cost in total over $10,000 when sold through the pet stores, but will probably only get the thief a quarter of that on the black market.  Can anyone say grand theft? 

 

The Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago is very concerned of puppy thefts of this nature because those people who end up buying puppies at cut-rate prices may not have the money required to care for their puppies in the long run.  A person who can’t afford a $1,000 puppy from the store probably isn’t able to afford all the care and food that same puppy will need in the long run. 

 

The thief seems to have been practiced at this kind of robbery.  Half an hour after the pet store closed the electricity to the store was cut and someone smashed in a front window.  Then, the thief took one of the store’s own plastic garbage cans and filled it up with 17 puppies.  This person obviously didn’t care a lot about the health of the puppies as those on the bottom of the can could have been crushed and smothered.  In addition, the thief didn’t even get away with all the puppies he took.  The next morning three of the puppies were found in the cold alley beside the store, one of them had a broken leg.    

 

The Pet Luv owner said that they’ve had a few other puppies stolen and beefed up security as a result, but this was the worst of the store thefts so far.

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As a natural part of writing my pet news blog I have to write about some pretty sad topics, but this is not only sad its just wrong. I don't understand why people consistantly continue to carry on with this stupid behavior even when they repeatedly see others on the news arrested for the same exact stupid acts.

This past August a Police Sargent with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona left his K-9 partner in the car in 109 degree heat for more than 12 hours. If you can't trust your partner, who can you trust to watch your back? This poor dog, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois named Bandit, died from the heat.

Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was arrested for a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty and he was also suspended for two days and reassigned away from the animal K-9 Unit. However, isn't that police dog given the same status as an officer of the law when he works for the police department? So, shouldn't his partner Lovejoy have gotten a much stiffer charge, something along the lines of neglect or perhaps forceful restrain of an officer of the law? I'm certain there is something along those lines with which they can charge this guy. If a criminal suspect had taken that dog and left him in the car to die, I'm certain a much stiffer charge would have been applied.

Why o' why do people persist in leaving their animals and children unattended in the car? I've seen repeated horror stories along these same lines involving children and animals and it never ends well. During the investigation, police officers found that Lovejoy had left his K-9 partner in that hot car for 12 hours, while he "ran errands, napped and ate out with his wife." Most of the time the answer to why a person left someone so important to them in the car is simply that they forgot. Kind of makes one wonder what things in life were really important to those people.

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