Blog ID: 1239 Posted by LucyPal on Monday Jun 30, 2008 8:13 PM EST

Pet Rentals May be Banned in Boston

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I’ve written a few blog posts about the topic of renting pets for those living in apartments or who can’t afford a pet of their own.  Now pet rentals are coming to America or at least trying to.

A company that had success opening dog renting stores in New York, Los Angeles and London found they are being shut out by Massachusetts.  But the they are trying to get back in business by putting up a fight.

The company named FlexPets plans to open a new store this year in Boston, Massachusetts.  The City of Boston, however, is considering banning or prohibiting pet rentals.  I suppose it has something to do with the idea that this is somehow inhumane or cruel to the animals…lots of people coming in but the dogs never get to go home with anyone permanently.

This isn’t the only recent ban Massachusetts has considered concerning pets and renting pets. Earlier this month the state of Massachusetts considered a ban against leasing dogs or cats by the hour or day. This was in response to the company’s plans to open a Boston location. However, the ban and did not go through and now the City of Boston has to deal with the problem themselves.

Animal welfare advocates are against the new FlexPets store that will be opening in Boston. They believe the service treats pets like disposable commodities, something along the lines of Netflix but with dogs. I suppose people will be allowed to rent the latest releases. I hope they are toilet trained.

FlexPets has defended its treatment of the animals saying the concept is more like renting a vacation timeshare or getting a gym membership than making a movie rental. They call it “shared pet ownership.” So when the company breaks up with customers…I guess they have a hard time deciding who gets which part of the dog. Just kidding!

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2008/06/dog-rental-comp.html

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1236 Posted by LucyPal on Sunday Jun 29, 2008 1:57 PM EST

Large Cat Sighting in New Zealand

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Lions and tigers and bears oh my! Boy. I just love saying that don’t you?  Speaking of lions there’s a big cat scare going on in New Zealand. A giant wildcat described as possibly being a lion was seen by a firefighter and his son during an exercise with the local fire brigade.

This sighting of a cat occurred in Kaiwaka which is 90 minutes north of Auckland. A father and son said they saw something rather large and unusual about 30m from the ridge of the Parker Lime company quarry.

They said, "It was not a sheep, it was not a dog it was a very large cat." Father and son both described the cat as being about the size of a large dog, but it was still scary enough to look at. They reported the sighting because they would have felt “terrible” if something had happened involving this creature and they’d not reported it.

Volunteer fire brigade chief officer John Gilmore looked into the sighting, which occurred on 5:00 PM May 29th.

His investigation led him to another local citizen, a minister, who has also seen something similar about a decade ago. Bowmar said, "I made discreet inquiries and I come up with this guy (the minister) and he's no idiot… (He) saw it years ago, he was out duck shooting. It was a huge cat, he said. It was a bloody big bastard…He said, `There was no point in me shooting it. I turned tail and ran.’"

Just what this mysterious creature is, is still a subject of great controversy. Some think it’s a large feral cat others think it might be a mysterious black panther. There have been sightings of strange cats in the area for over twenty years.  We won’t know until it’s found.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4601310a11.html

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1235 Posted by LucyPal on Saturday Jun 28, 2008 1:37 PM EST

Bee Swarm Attacks Dogs; Kills One

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It’s been awhile since writing some sort of a post about bees.  So I thought I’d write another blog on these buzzing insects.  I recently came across this scary story involving bees, two dogs and a woman living in Oak Hills, California.  A woman who asked only to be identified by her first name, Linda, watched helplessly as her two dogs were attacked by a swarm of bees. 

One of her dogs, sadly, was killed from the bee stings. The dog, Chewy, was a fourteen year old cocker mix.  Her other dog of boxer, was critically injured from the bee stings though he managed to survive and is recovering at home.

The woman stated that both of her dogs came up to her front door looking for help as the bees swarmed around them.   

She stated, “The worst thing for me was looking out the door and seeing Chewy looking up at me - 'help me, let me in' - and I couldn't do it.” Of course she couldn’t do it because once the door was open the bees would have swarmed inside and attacked her. However it’s a terrible thing to watch one’s beloved pet stung to death.

A third dog, a yellow Labrador retriever, jumped into a pond on the property to escape the bees as they swarmed. 

Joe Harris of Harris termite and pest control said that the bees seemed particularly angry and aggressive. A trait in bees, which is becoming more and more common in the areas around Oak Hills, California. He stated of the swarm, “At Linda's place those bees were very, very, very, very aggressive, extremely aggressive.”

Linden ran into her house when the bees began swarming and became trapped there.  She feels lucky though because she had to call for different exterminators while trapped by the swarm and none of them could get out to her house for the least five hours.  In that time, though, they didn’t make inside her home.  Even the exterminator had trouble dealing with these aggressive bees when he arrived.  It took him several tries just to get close enough to the hive to spray them, even while wearing his protective bee suit because they were just so aggressive.

 

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9729274?source=most_viewed

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1234 Posted by LucyPal on Friday Jun 27, 2008 1:15 AM EST

See the World's Ugliest Dog for 2008 Anyway!

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It’s once again time for the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition.  People from all over the world have gathered to stare in awe at some of the ugliest canines on the planet, but as with everything there can be only one.

Strangely, previous year winners are most often Chinese crested dogs. It seems this particular breed yields some of the ugliest dogs on the planet. And proving this adage once more this year is, Gus, the winner of the 2008 worlds of World’s Ugliest Dog Competition.

Gus is a Chinese crested with no hair. One of his legs has long since been amputated because of cancer. Oh, and he only has one eye. He lost it previously in a fight with a tomcat.  As you can imagine he didn’t win the fight.

Gus’s owners thought that he was just ugly enough to show off in the competition and brought him all the way from his home in Florida to enter the contest. He turned out to be more than good enough to show off.  In fact, Gus won the competition as World’s Ugliest Dog and took home the top prize. It’s a nifty $500.00 check entirely for him, oh and his owners.

Being the world’s ugliest dog is not all bad.  Gus was apparently a rescue dog. He was taken from a bad home and is now living with loveing devoted owners.  Owners who love him despite a face only a mother could love.

There were twelve dogs in the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition contest for 2008 and they came from all over the world. There were dogs from Petaluma, San Jose, Florida, New Jersey, and  Arizona.

One of the previous winners, a dog named rascal who won in 2002, lives in Sunnyvale, the land of the light and airy. His owners, Andrew and Dori Beezley, adore him despite physical flaws. Rascal is still kicking with all four legs.  However rascal is a real cutie pie compared to Gus.

 

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_9728035?source=rss

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1231 Posted by LucyPal on Thursday Jun 26, 2008 12:39 PM EST

Police Still Looking for Poisoner at Toronto Dog Park

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Some of you may remember the recent rash of dog poisonings in Toronto’s High Park.  Several dogs became ill after they somehow managed to ingest antifreeze while running in the ‘off leash’ area at the park. 

 

Authorities are now allowing people to bring their dogs back to this area of the park after ruling out the drinking basins in the park as a possible source of the antifreeze. 

 

This doesn’t mean that pet owners can really relax though.  The authorities haven’t identified who or why the dogs were poisoned.  They did scour the area around Dog Hill (off leash area) and found a mixture of bread and flax seeds doused with antifreeze scattered around the park. 

 

Authorities are following up a new lead.  They got a tip that someone may have been targeting raccoons that were digging up their garden and attempted to get rid of them.  Several raccoon carcasses were found over the past month in the park.  A couple of them posed in bizarre positions, one was holding a bouquet of flowers, another holding a dead squirrel.  However, poisoning wasn’t suspected at the time and so the raccoons were tossed in the garbage.  Police were unable to find them in order to test the bodies.

 

If this is indeed what led to the deaths of the dogs, it could still be punishable by law, as whomever was attempting to poison raccoons did so in a public area and it resulted in the deaths of several pets.  Two more dogs have since died of the damage inflicted by the poison.  However, since it wasn’t intentional…

 

However, the lead investigator in the case says that police are still not ruling out the possibility that these dogs were poisoned intentionally.  The off leash area has long been a point of contention in the local community where some believe pets shouldn’t be allowed off the leash while their owners are a good distance away.

 

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080626/dog_poisonings_080626/20080626/?hub=TorontoNewHome

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1229 Posted by LucyPal on Wednesday Jun 25, 2008 3:15 PM EST

Man Jailed for Pet Bear, Daughter also Taken

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A strange sort of family has been broken up in India where a man has been arrested for bringing home a sloth bear cub and raising it as part of the family.

 

The man, Ram Singh Munda, had brought home an orphaned bear cub to his 6 year old daughter last year as an attempt to help her, and perhaps himself as well, work through the grieving process of losing his wife/her mother. 

 

The new family rapidly grew attached to each other.  The baby bear earning the name, ‘Rani’ or Queen and becoming like a surrogate sibling for Munda’s daughter. 

 

As happy as the small family was, their happy moments would soon reach an end.  The unusual family garnered attention from the local news shows and a short segment about Munda and the bear appeared on television. 

 

Wildlife officials saw the story and arrested Munda for violating the country’s laws which prohibit keeping wild animals.  Here’s the worst part, Munda faces up to three years in jail, his young daughter has been taken and placed in a state run boarding school and the bear which is now in a zoo refuses to eat. 

 

The situation has rapidly deteriorated.  Now, animal rights activists from People for Animals are working to try and secure Munda’s freedom and get his daughter returned to him. 

 

Jiban Ballav Das, of People for Animals in India's Orissa state said of Munda, "He never tortured the animal. Neither was he using the bear for any commercial purposes. Therefore, we feel he should not have been arrested." 

 

They also warn that Rani, who is refusing to eat, is in danger of dying if zoo officials don’t properly handle this sudden separation from her human family. 

 

Sure, it’s not a good idea to take a wild bear from the forest and raise it as your own.  Yet, this case seems a little excessive, since the man only wanted to care for the bear and not use it for income.

 

Source: http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/448754

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1232 Posted by LucyPal on Tuesday Jun 24, 2008 3:41 PM EST

Pensioner Detained for Killing a Dog Owner

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Here’s weird story of outrage, violence and dog ownership.  It all sounds so much like a strange Stephen King thriller, but in reality it’s just sad and has resulted in the death of a man for almost no reason at all.

 

In Nicosia, Cyprus a 63 year old pensioner is currently being held under suspicion of killing a man.  What was the reason for the killing?  Apparently the man allowed his dog to swim in the sea at a public bathing area. 

 

In the Greek Islands there are many popular beaches for public use.  In some beaches it’s illegal for dog owners to bring their dogs onto the beach or even to allow them into the water.  This is simply a public hygiene concern as the dogs may think of the beach as one big bathroom and the owner may not pick up after said dog.

 

In this particular incident the police state that the two men argued after the dog owner allowed his pet to swim in the sea at the public beach. The Cypriot pensioner ran over the 50 year old man with his car, killing him after the fight. 

 

Police are considering this incident to be ‘premeditated murder’, though they are only holding him for a legal 8 day detention period.  It’s likely that the elderly man will be charged with murder after the 8 day period has ended.  There is not currently a court day set for this case.     

 

It’s amazingly sad what people will commit murder over these days.  Everything from road rage to pet ownership just seems to set off an act of violence.  Avoid arguments with others about pets.  I suggest keeping your own pet on the leash at all times and simply walking away when it seems like someone is trying to start a fight.

 

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/26/europe/EU-GEN-Cyprus-Dog-Feud.php

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1226 Posted by LucyPal on Monday Jun 23, 2008 12:37 PM EST

Help with Grieving over a Lost Pet

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Since mentioning the problems of finding a proper resting place for you pet once it’s gone, I’ve sought out some information to help folks with the grieving process once they have lost their pets.  I’ve always found it easier to write to lost loved ones, even pets in a daily journal while grieving.  It’s a way of finding some closure with the event and communicating with that loved one one more time.

 

Here are a few other tips for deciding when the time is right to say goodbye to an ailing pet and how to deal with it from the Best Friends Animal Society.

 

A family affair.

When it's time, and where applicable, allow all of the family members an opportunity to say good-bye to the pet. Some veterinarians will even come to your home to perform the euthanasia. This is an individual decision and may not be appropriate in all situations. The term "euthanasia" means "gentle death," and when done by a caring professional, can be very releasing for a family, after having experienced a painful illness.

 

Creating a ritual around the life of your pet can be very healing. If possible, lay your pet to rest in a quiet part of your yard and put up a marker with his or her name on it. This can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. A rock with the pet's name in indelible marker written on it, a piece of wood with the name carved into it, a ring of stones, or a newly planted tree on the site will help family members remember all the good times they had with their pet. If you choose cremation, then you can create a place of honor for the ashes, with pictures and stories contributed by everyone in the family.

 

Talking about the pet seems to be an important part of getting through the inevitable grieving process. Remembering all the little things that made your pet an important part of your life helps to ease the pain.

For more help in choosing the right time to say goodbye to an older or ailing pet or just dealing with the loss head to: http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/fm_goodbye.cfm

 

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1220 Posted by LucyPal on Sunday Jun 22, 2008 5:30 PM EST

Environmental Pet Tips for a Healthier Pet

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We all want to make sure our pets are as healthy as possible.  It’s important for their happiness and quality of life, as much as it’s important for ours.  Since healthy pet won’t be costing you extra money or even run the risk of passing unwanted infections to your family.  Below are a few healthy tips from Pets for the Environment.com: 

 

 

 

• Choose pet food without the chemical preservatives BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, vary cats’ diets to limit their exposure to mercury in seafood, and choose organic or free-range ingredients rather than “by-products.”
• Use a reverse osmosis, faucet-mounted, or pitcher filter to remove contaminants before filling your pet’s water bowl.
• Replace older foam pet bedding, and replace or reupholster furniture with exposed or crumbling foam where flame retardants are found.
• Vacuum often with a HEPA-filter vacuum, and take off your shoes at the door to minimize your pets’ exposure to toxic chemicals in house dust.
• If you suspect your deck was made with arsenic-treated wood, treat it with a sealant every six months and don’t let pets play or sleep underneath it. Wash with mild soap and water, but never power wash!
• Don’t get optional stain-proof treatments on couches, carpets and car upholstery—they’re loaded with toxic perfluorochemicals.
• Avoid nonstick pans. An overheated nonstick pan can kill pet birds, and it gives off chemicals that may be bad for other pets and people too. Try cast iron instead.

 

For more tips and entertaining information on keeping the environment and your pets healthy visit: http://www.petsfortheenvironment.org/takeaction/eddiestips.  This site is all about trying to get hidden chemicals out of our everyday environments and those of our pets.  It’s pretty fun and follows the efforts of Eddie the dog as he attempts to get these harmful chemicals out of our lives!

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1219 Posted by LucyPal on Saturday Jun 21, 2008 12:29 AM EST

California Wildfire Causes 40 Animal Deaths

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In South County, California a wildfire called the ‘Trabing Fire’ by local officials and residents moved through an area with residents who owned hundreds of animals ranging from the domestic housecat up to and including horses and llamas.  It’s estimated that the fire destroyed in total of 15 buildings and over six hundred acres of property and killed at least 40 animals while displacing hundreds.  It’s currently 90% contained but the cost of animal life has been tragic. 

 

The fire kicked up after most residents in the area had already left for work and so few people realized that the fire was moving into their residences and endangering animals.  Ann Simon, a Trabing Road resident was one of the first to call in the fire.  She saw it coming and managed to walk three of her horses to safety, but was unable to save the other animals.  She stated, ‘"By the time I got back they were gone," she said concerning her goats, cats, ducks and chickens.

 

Todd Stosuy of Animal Services stated, ‘"I saw more dead animals than I care to even remember. Whole barns wiped out."  Santa Cruz Animal Services worked frantically trying to make rescues Friday as the Trabing Road Wildfire moved in.  However, they were hindered by the rush hour traffic and people heading the other direction in order to get out of the fire’s way.  By the time most volunteer rescuers showed up it was already too late to rescue many animals.

 

However, there were 220 animals evacuated from the fire’s threat and they are currently in the care of Animal Services at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonsville and the Graham Hill Showground in Santa Cruz.  That is until they can be placed back with their owners, or their owners can be located.

 

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_9664528

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1216 Posted by LucyPal on Friday Jun 20, 2008 5:08 PM EST

What to Do When your Pet Dies

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When my dog died a few years ago, we didn’t quite know what to do with her.  We lived in an apartment complex, so it wasn’t like we could easily bury her in the backyard.  We also didn’t know of a pet cemetery in the nearby area, so for a few hours it was kind of like ‘what are we going to do’?  Luckily we had seen a veterinarian about her condition just a day before her death and decided to try calling him to see if they had something set up to help pet owners with pets who’ve just died. 

 

It turned out that they did have a contract set up with a company that does pet cremations and we were able to have our dog safely put to rest. 

 

Many pet owners live in apartments and have a hard time dealing with the deaths of their pets.  I’ve looked up a column called ‘Ask a Vet’ that offers some ideas and help for these pet owners who suddenly have to deal with laying their pet’s remains to rest.  Here’s an excerpt:

 

Handling of a deceased pet can range from:

 

-- Disposals involving rendering (a process making the pet's remains suitable for industrial use, such as extracting oil, etc.)

 

-- Referrals to pet cemeteries

 

-- Cremation (private or communal)

 

Most pet hospitals will not pick up your pet and the owner is responsible for transportation. You can call AMERS (Animal Medical Emergency Response System), which is an emergency animal ambulance that transports sick and deceased pets for a fee. They can be reached 24 hours a day at (877) 426-3771, and the Web site is www.animalmedics.com. If you must lift a large animal into a vehicle yourself, use a blanket with each person grabbing a corner. Depending on the city, some owners may contact their local Animal Control department to aid with transport and disposal.

 

For the rest of the column head over to: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/20/HOCI11BK8T.DTL

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1212 Posted by LucyPal on Thursday Jun 19, 2008 5:23 PM EST

Dangerous Dog Breeds Banned in Washington

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Another city has decided to ban certain types of dogs.  Yep, the city of Wapato in Washington state is banning several breeds of dog including; pit bulls, pit bull mixes, mastiffs, Rottweilers and American bulldogs.  If you live in Wapato, you can’t have one of these breeds as a pet. 

 

If you do have one of these breeds as a pet or decide to get one of them as a pet then you may face a fine of up to $500 for violation of the new law.  The law doesn’t seem to indicate that your dog will be taken from you, but there don’t appear to be any limits on the number of times you can be fined this $500 for being caught with your illegal pet.  The first offence is only a $250 fine and every offence after that is the big $500.

 

However, if the dog in question is certified as a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) by the American Kennel Association it is allowed to stay.  The CGC program was started in 1989 as a two part program teaching responsible pet ownership and good manners in all doggies.  Participants in the program receive their official Canine Good Citizen certificate after completing a 10 step CGC test.

 

The City Council had been afraid to enact the ban earlier in the month and had actually been exploring other ways to outlaw ‘vicious dogs’.  However, this changed when a dog chased several people and cars throughout the city, until it was shot and killed by police.

 

Since the city of Wapato also has no animal control office, they are more than a little concerned about the problems of dealing with such cases as the dog that wreaked havoc on the streets.  This isn’t the only recent violent dog attack to occur in Wapato either.  In the past four years, two children under the age of five have been mauled by packs of stray dogs on two separate occasions.

 

Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2008/06/city_outlaws_dog_breeds.html

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1209 Posted by LucyPal on Wednesday Jun 18, 2008 1:20 PM EST

Potty Training Pet Tips: Getting Doggy to Go Out!

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We all have moments when we’ve gotten new pets, especially young or baby pets, which have no potty training.  You know those moments, when you first walk in the front door after work or wake up in the night…Well, when you have a pet this young it’s your responsibility to potty train that pet.  Here are a few tips from Top Pet Tips.com to help you out with getting your puppy or kitten to go out!

 

-For the first few months be vigilant. Do not fail to notice the faint signals that the dog or puppy gives when it has the urge. The signals usually come in the form of sniffing or scratching at the door panels.

-Pick it up gently, releasing it in the back garden or wherever it is convenient.

-Bring it back to the parlour, patting gently on the head and saying encouraging things as you would say to a week old baby. Young dogs are extremely sensitive to the tonal quality of human voice and very easily distinguish between harsh words and soft words. All efforts to train the dog will be wasted if he is alarmed at this stage.

-Young dogs of most breeds are also capable of understanding human emotions and feelings. Note signs of uneasiness in the dog if you ask him, do you have to go outside? He would immediately start wagging his tail, indicating that he has to go. Start first by bodily lifting him and releasing him at the appropriate place. Thereafter, opening the door and a mere command to go will be sufficient.

-Don’t forget to reward him with some titbits and a gentle pat. The dog will understand that he has done something to please his master. There is nothing pleasanter to a dog than to please his master, which he will do even in his deathbed.

 

For more tips on potty training your pet head over to: http://toppettips.com/general_tips_for_all_pets/dog_tips/potty_training_for_a_dog.html

 

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1207 Posted by LucyPal on Tuesday Jun 17, 2008 1:02 PM EST

Man Sics Pet Snake on Police

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Oooohh, this man is in traaaaa-ble!  Not just the regular old kind of trouble, but the kind where you do something really stupid to upset the police.  What’s he done you ask?  Did he get tasered some of the more perverted readers want to know? 

 

Well, 21 year old, Victor Rodriguez tried to sic his pet Python on the police this past Monday and no he wasn’t tasered for it.  Honestly.  I can tell right now that this man must have been drunk, because, I mean, really?  Even if it were possible to teach an old snake this new trick, it just seems a lot more likely that the snake would have turned and eaten Mr. Rodriguez. 

 

Police were called out to his apartment in Bridgeport, Connecticut to investigate a reported domestic disturbance.  Apparently he was threatening his girlfriend with his albino python.  I’m not making a joke, that’s really what it says.

 

While there, they state that Rodriguez ordered his 9 foot long python to attack them by yelling, ‘Get them’.  The police report that the pet python did not listen to Rodriguez’s order.  Naturally.

 

As I’m writing this I find myself wondering how this gentleman came to the belief that he could elicit such a train response from his pet snake.  Perhaps this has roots in the Harry Potter book series?  He may have mistakenly believed he could actually speak ‘parseltongue’ to the snake, thereby eliciting the desired response.  Oh but there is something wrong here.  Yes, I know, Harry Potter is fictional and so is ‘parseltongue’.  It’s not real!

 

Rodriguez did get something in exchange for his verbal attempt to sic a python on police officers.  He got arrested and charged with threatening police and disorderly conduct.  The python also got picked up by police.  He was sent to a city animal control shelter.  Rodriguez is being held on a $10,000 bond.

 

Source:  http://www.nbc30.com/news/16631809/detail.html

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1205 Posted by LucyPal on Monday Jun 16, 2008 11:21 PM EST

Leona Helmsley's Dog, Trouble, Loses Inheritence!

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I’ve written about Leona Helmsley’s dog frequently on here.  It’s become something of an obsession I suppose, this deceased billionaire’s pet that’s inherited a whopping $12 million dollars in a trust fund. And her human heirs were left with surprisingly little money.  She ominously stated in her will that they were cut out for ‘for reasons which are known to them’.

 

Well the dog, delightfully named ‘Trouble’, is back in the news again.  A New York Judge apparently felt that the dog had been given too much money to play with and trimmed it down quite a bit.  Judge Renee Roth accepted a settlement between the human heirs and the New York State Attorney General’s Office that cuts the dog’s inheritance from $12 million to just $2 million dollars.  This settlement being arranged on the grounds that Helmsley was mentally unfit when she made her will.

 

Helmsley’s two grandchildren were given nothing in her will, but this settlement with the state now awards them $6 million dollars.  I’m assuming they’ll have to split the money however they see fit.

 

Trouble will still be able to live in the lap of luxury according to his guardian, Carl Lekic, the general manager of a Helmsley hotel in Florida.  He stated in an affidavit that ‘enough money to pay for the dog's maintenance and welfare at the highest standards of care for more than 10 years’.  Trouble’s annual cost of living expenses equal over $100,000 in full time security, grooming, food, and the $60,000 annual guardian fee Lekic is paid from the inheritance.

 

All told, I’m assuming Trouble didn’t bat an eyelash at the sudden drop in his monetary worth.  He’s probably out there somewhere drooling on satin sheets, watching doggy porn and getting a deep tissue massage at this very moment.

 

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKN1634773920080617

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1213 Posted by LucyPal on Sunday Jun 15, 2008 1:08 AM EST

Tips for Photographing your Pets

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We all have photos of our beloved pets around the house.  Some are just to show off how beautiful our best friends are in a frame.  Others are to remember previous lost pets that we’d just like to remember and perhaps honor for their loyalty and commitment.

 

So you can take a great photo of your pet I’ve tracked down some pet specific photography tips at Digitalphotographyschool.com: 

 

1. Use Natural Light

If possible always use natural light when taking your pet in picture. Avoid flash, as flash burst can, not only cause red-eye, but also frighten the animal. Instead try to go outside or, if it is not possible, in a room well lit by a large window.

 

2. Keep the Eyes Sharp

Having sharp eyes is important in any kind of portraits photography. As they say, “Eyes are the Window to the Soul” and pets eye can be very expressive. So make sure to focus on your pet’s eyes and keep the tack sharp

 

3. Go to Them

It is very important that you pet feels comfortable and at ease, so instead of forcing him to come to you go to him. Most important is to get down to his level; We all know how a dog looks when viewed from above, this is the way we always see them. Show us the way they see world! Sit on the floor or lie on your belly and remember to shoot from HIS eye level or below.

 

4. Give Value to their Character

You know your pet better than anyone else, and a successful picture is one that conveys the character of its subject. If you have a lazy cat show him yawning, if your animal is of a playful type show him in action performing his favorite trick.

 

5. Go Macro

Put on that long lens and fill the frame with your pet’s face and fur, close up shots often make beautiful animal portrait.

 

Check out: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/9-pet-photography-tips/ for more pet photography tips.

 

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1204 Posted by LucyPal on Saturday Jun 14, 2008 9:19 PM EST

Girl Admits Cooking Cat; Drowning Two Kittens

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This is the reason we have animal cruelty laws that are felonies!  A misdemeanour just doesn’t adequately cover the kind of cruel, painful deaths that some animals must endure at the hands of unstable people.  They give us so much and the least they deserve in return is the right to live free of torture and painful death.

 

I literally felt ill when I read this news story.  A girl in Athens, Tennessee has admitted to killing an 8 year old cat by cooking it in her oven and two kittens by drowning them. 

 

Honest to God, it’s just one step, one step to people!  Animal cruelty laws do more than protect animals they protect people by helping to identify and restrain unstable individuals before they move on to hurting humans.

 

Police Chief Chuck Ziegler stated, ‘To my knowledge this is the first time we have ever had this means of the killing of an animal."

 

Authorities have decided not to file charges against the girl, due her mental condition.  A police report stated that the girl’s family have called her ‘mentally unstable’.  After the three animals were found in the home the girl was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.

 

Hopefully, she will remain under close observation by her family and hospital doctors as well as getting some help.  Nobody wants to see a repeat of this incident.

 

Apparently the girl walked to the E.G. Fisher Library in Athens to call her mother at work.  She reported to her mother that something bad had happened.  On hearing this she called police and when officers arrived at the home they noticed the odor of singed hair and lots of smoke coming from the house.  Then they found the animals.  Fire fighters were called in to pull some of the smoke and smell from the home.

 

Source: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jun/16/no-charged-will-be-filed-against-juvenile-cat-cook/

  

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1202 Posted by LucyPal on Friday Jun 13, 2008 12:11 PM EST

People's Random Pet Tips!

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I found a fun website with some pet tips that were turned in by visitors.  These are site visitor tips, at DogBreedInfo.com so they’re not turned in by professionals.  Be sure to take any advice and ideas with a grain of salt.

 

1. Using metal water dishes outside in winter may be a risk, because your pet's tongue could stick to the frozen metal. In the summer medal bowls can get very hot, and burn your dog.

 

2. If you have a puppy that pees on your carpet. After soaking up most of the mess with paper towel, sprinkle a generous amount of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) over the area and leave it to absorb both the traces of urine and the odor.

 

3. If your dog runs away from you and you finally catch up to it, no matter how angry you are at the dog, do not yell or smack it or your dog will never come to you when called for fear of being punished.

 

4. Do not leave your dog unattended on a choke chain. The chain could get caught and strangle the dog.

 

5. Do not leave your dog in the car unattended on hot days. Even with the windows open, temperatures in cars WILL reach deadly levels. It only takes 5 minutes!

 

6.  Is your dog digging? Try putting cayenne pepper in the holes - they don't like the sensation when they go back to dig again.

 

7. Dog urination burns your lawn? Try giving them some tomato juice every day (either in a bowl or on their food) and it should solve the problem.

 

(Personally on this last one I find it’s easier to just get the garden hose out and water the lawn after letting the dogs out to urinate.  It helps diffuse the urine so it won’t burn the grass and also waters the lawn. )

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1196 Posted by LucyPal on Thursday Jun 12, 2008 12:52 AM EST

City Releases Shelter Dogs into the Wild

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This is just plain odd.  I’m tempted to make jokes, but in reality this is no joke. The city of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas has released some of the animals staying in their Animal Shelter into the St. Francis National Forest.  Free Willy this is not.

 

Mayor James Valley stated that he has no problems with dogs or other animals, he just believes that the strays will be better off living in the nearby national forest.  Why?  Because their animal shelter is extremely run down.

 

The small city’s local animal shelter is so run down that even a regional humane society worker came in last winter and cut the locks to release all the dogs in the shelter.  This dramatic act caused the city to move their operation to a temporary outdoors fenced in area at the city sanitation department.  However, this is still not a suitable arrangement for the health and safetly of the animals.  Many people complained about the conditions, stating that the dogs weren’t being properly cared for. 

 

So, Mayor Valley thought the dogs would be better off in the wilds of nature.  Valley had the city street director release 10 dogs into the forest last Wednesday after having fed and watered them.  They had to keep 3 of the dogs from the makeshift shelter to be put down by a veterinarian.

 

He stated simply, ‘They are better off free.’

 

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service said that the agency was not contacted by Mayor Valley or anyone from the city prior to releasing the dogs into the forest, which is against federal code by the way.

 

The Mayor stated that the city needs $50,000 to $60,000 to open a new animal shelter and they plan on working towards that end with county officials.  If I didn’t know any better I’d say the releasing of the dogs was a bold stunt to garner national attention for the plight of their animal shelter.

 

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/pets/stories/061308dnlivdogs.221d89d.html

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1233 Posted by LucyPal on Wednesday Jun 11, 2008 12:42 PM EST

Finding Nemo Fish Population is Decreasing

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We all know and love Nemo of the ‘Finding Nemo’ movie.  That beloved clownfish who gets kidnapped by a dentist to make a fun pet for this crazy kid who likes shaking her aquatic fish furiously until they go belly up.  Well, the clownfish species that Nemo and his dad are based off of are in real danger, danger of going extinct!

 

Dr. Billy Sinclair of the University of Cumbria has been studying Clownfish populations for five years, since just about the time that the movie ‘Finding Nemo’ first came out.  He’s noticed a decline in the population and states that Clownfish should now be listed as endangered stating, ‘“In one coral reef we looked at in Keppel Bay, clownfish populations have dropped from 25 to just six in two years.”

 

In fact the Falmouth Dolphin Mystery Studies of Clownfish have shown a large decline in the Clownfish species in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.  Shoals of Clownfish that once numbered in the dozens now feature only a few fish.  It’s caused a great deal of difficulty in breeding amongst the species as there are so few of the Clownfish in the wild.

 

The culprits in the decline of Clownfish are thought to be the increased demand for pet Clownfish, dying reefs in the oceans and rising sea temperatures.  Since the movie has come out, Clownfish are a must have pet amongst small children and fans of the film.

 

In fact the captive breeding programs that normally provide Clownfish for pet shops have only been able to meet about 50% of the demand for these colourful little fish.  The rest have been harvested wild from the oceans. 

 

In Australia, a small salt water aquarium with two tiny clownfish can be purchased for as little as $50. 

 

“I am not saying it is solely down to over-harvesting as climate change is clearly having an impact on the coral reefs and anemones on which the clownfish live…But existing harvesting programmes will have to be reviewed in the light of what is happening to the reefs or we could see local extinctions in the near future.”

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4220496.ece

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Leave your own comments by clicking here. Blog ID: 1191 Posted by LucyPal on Tuesday Jun 10, 2008 4:21 PM EST

Dog Swallows Deadly Cane Toad; Both Survive

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Well, it’s not Jonah and the Whale, but it certainly is amazing. A dog in Austrailia ate a poisonous Cane Toad and lived to tell the tale. So did the toad!

A three year old mutt named Bella accidentally swallowed the Cane Toad whole when her owner went to feed her leftover pies and pastries in the back yard. The owner, Jackson Crews, a rugby league player took the food outside to feed his dogs.

He states, "I went to feed the dogs some left over pies and pasties…I threw them on the grass and as I did I noticed a cane toad. Bella saw it and thought it was one of the pies. She swallowed it whole."

Knowing the toad was poisonous, Crews called an animal hospital in the area. They instructed him to bring Be