Crazy for Critters

Cats? Minks? Hard to Tell

There are seven of them, tho only six sat still for the picture. Too cute.

All Dressed Up for Halloween

Bal Harbour wigmaker Ruth Regina makes Wiggles hair extensions for dogs. Here's the Halloween model.

Dog Shoots Hunter (seems to be epidemic)

In Oregon and Iowa, some hunters got a taste of their own metallic medicine when their dogs stepped on their guns and winged 'em. I don't like hunting, so you know whose side I'M on. Click here for Oregon and here for Iowa.

Happy Halloween (and be safe)

Check out pets in costume: click here. And here.

Need a Smile?

Who doesn't? Click here and go to 'featured pets.' Sit back and smile.

When is Enough Enough?

When it comes to caring for a seriously ill pet, most of us think with our hearts instead of our wallets. This piece on Salon.com raises interesting issues around this subject-- worth a read.

Cop in Trouble for Saving a Suspect's Dog

A North Miami police sergeant took home a murder suspect's Sheltand sheepdog because she fear little Barbie would be sent to the shelter and euthanized. Now the cop's been suspended. It could play havoc with the case, but I have to say I'm glad the dog is all right. Click here for the story.

Feral Cats in Peril at NY Aiport

Click here for a New York Times story about how authorities are rounding up score of feral cats that Kennedy Airport cats have been feeding and sheltering for years, saying their food attracts birds that endanger aircraft.

“It’s just a happy cat camp,” said Ashot Karamian, president of the Urban Cat League, which specializes in rescuing stray cats in New York and whose members had visited the site in the past.

Hero Dog Saves Girl From Potential Kidnapping!

By MIAMI HERALD STAFF REPORT

Police are searching for a man who tried to abduct a 9-year-old girl who was walking her dog outside her Southwest Miami-Dade home Friday morning.

The man was described as a white male, between 30 and 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to six feet two inches, and 170 to 180 pounds. He was seen wearing a brown shirt and black pants.

Miami-Dade police, in a statement to the media, reported that he grabbed the little girl and attempted to pull her away, but then ran away when the girl's dog attacked him. He was last seen running toward Southwest 88th Avenue.

The girl was not injured, police said.

The incident occurred in the vicinity of Southwest 87th Avenue and 146th Street.

 

Cat Neuters

In order to prevent the birth of thousands of kittens the Humane Society of Broward County is bringing back $10.00 male cat neuters.  The special offer will began Tuesday, October 23 and continue until December 31, 2007!  According to Cherie Wachter, Director of Marketing at the shelter, “We offered this same special over the summer and were able to sterilize more than 500 male cats.  We hope to do just as many by the end of the year.”  The surgeries will be preformed on the shelter’s mobile surgery unit that operates five days a week.   Felines can be as young as 8 weeks of age and vaccinations will also be available for additional fees.

To schedule your boy kitty call 954-463-7729 today. 

The Humane Society of Broward County is a private, non-profit organization supported by donations from companies and people who want to help us help the homeless animals.  Visit www.humanebroward.com today to find out how you can help.

World's Most Articulate Bird Dies

I'm a little late on this, but link to a story about Alex, a talking African Gray parrot, who recently died at 31. He had an astounding vocabulary but could understand abstract concepts. He helped in brain research at Brandeis University.

Tammy Grimes, Dog Liberator, Goes Back to Court

October 24, 2007, Altoona, PA-Dogs Deserve Better founder Tammy Grimes will be back in court October 29th at 9:00 a.m. for a motion hearing to defend against the Blair County DA's attempt to bar her most-compelling evidence--video, photos, and vet testimony of the dog's condition--from the courtroom. Grimes was arrested September 11, 2006 after taking a dog--unable to stand for three days--for veterinary care; then protecting him from returning to the abusive situation.

Grimes maintains that there were clearly Pennsylvania cruelty laws being broken for at least three days by the time she arrived on the scene, and charges should instead be filed against the Arnolds for abuse and neglect.

She states, "We need to take a serious look at a justice system that favors animal abusers, and I would ask what kind of example this is setting for our children. We have ample proof of abuse in this case: neighbor testimony, vet testimony, video and photo evidence. If we as humans see an animal or human dying and in need of immediate help, it is our moral duty to help that being and protect him/her from further harm. A system that instead requires an abused child or animal to be returned to the situation in which the abuse is occurring is corrupt, and must be questioned and examined if we are to evolve as a society."

The dog, who Grimes dubbed Doogie, had been kept safe and lived inside as part of a family until March 1, 2007, when he passed away due to age and a lifetime of neglect. Doogie's body was returned to Altoona, Pennsylvania, where an autopsy was performed. The DA subsequently ordered the body to be held at the vet and returned to the Arnolds.

Grimes continues, "Barring my evidence from the courtroom may change the verdict in my case, but it will never change the truth. The DA knows that, and so do the supporters of our work at Dogs Deserve Better. I am confident that in the end the truth will set both Doogie and I free."

Dogs Deserve Better has put out two new t-shirt slogans poking fun at the Pennsylvania justice system in Grimes' case, and in honor of Monday's motion hearing. "Only in Pennsyltucky: Save a Life=Go to Jail" and "Only in Pennsyltucky: The Best Offense is to Bar All Defense" shirts and other items are available from http://www.cafepress.com/dogsdeserve.

Tips on Keeping Pets Safe During Halloween

From ParkPaw News:

Here are some tips to keep your pet - and the trick-or-treaters - safe.

·        Treats - Resist the temptation and begging, do not feed human treats to your pet! Chocolate, especially, can be dangerous for cats and dogs. Wrappers and small pieces also pose choking threats. Keep treats in a sealed container.

·        “Scaredy”Cat - For cats and dogs, it's very important to provide a safe, indoor refuge as trick-or-treaters visit. Put your pet somewhere they feel safe, like in a closed bedroom or in their crate with food, water and a litter box. Play soft music or have a television on (pets love the Animal Channel!) and check on them throughout the night.

·        ID Them - Make sure your pet has been micro-chipped or at least has a collar with current ID tags. If she/he escapes, this will make it easier for someone to return her/him to you.

More Pit Bull Mayhem

This time in Oakland Park, where two pits running the streets slaughtered a greyhound and chewed up her human. The pits will, of course, be destroyed. None of this would have happened if the idiots who own the pits had made sure they were secured in their yard. And now three dogs pay the price. How sad. Click here for the story.

Another Dogfighting Incident

I was in St. Louis for a long weekend and was greeted by a front-page story in the Post Dispatch Monday morning about a dogfighting ring that had been broken up: three men, 26 dogs (all pit bulls, except one beagle). Disgusting. Click here to read it.

Talk About a Pets-in-Condos Issue!

A Vermont woman in a wheelchair wants her 100-pound miniature horse to be considered a service animal that can live with her. Why not? He's smaller by 20 pounds at least than one of our dogs! Click here for the story.

Poppi, Redux

You can see her in an earlier post inside a kitchen cabinet. Bill Cooke, freelancer photog, is her human.

Rocky!

From his rescuer:

Rocky is a very special guy! He is a Shepherd mix, with beautiful brindle markings on his tan face and legs. He's got a great medium coat and a very athletic build. He has spent a lot of time at doggy day care, and is very playful and socialized with large and small dogs alike. He made a name for himself as the dog who would show the new dogs around. Before he came into our rescue, he was a stray dog that was tossed out on the street to fend for himself. He started hanging around a farm, where the family gave him food, but they already had too many dogs and were forced to give him up. Luckily we got him before he was sent to a high-kill rate shelter!

Rocky's ideal home would have at least one other dog to play with, and a big fenced in back yard for lots of play and excersice. While he does great with new dogs, he needs to be watched if at a public dog park because sometimes he will defend his space from new people. He really needs a home where he can stay in, feel comfortable and gets lots of love from his family! He knows the basic commands and learns very quickly!

Rocky is neutered and completely up to date with shots. He is completely housebroken and crate trained if crating is desired. If you would like to meet Rocky please do not hesitate to contact us! (954) 560-1812 OR KIWI4FUN@MAC.COM.

New Dog Park Opens

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the Northeast Dade Regional Dog Park, Sunday, October 21, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Greynolds Park East, 16700 Biscayne Boulevard. For more information,  http://onlyforpetlovers.com/

A Clean Dog is a Happy Dog!

SoFla Siberian Husky Rescue is having a dog wash. Click here for more details.

Saturday, November 10 th - 10am -3pm
VCA Hillsboro Animal Hospital
4181 W. Hillsboro Blvd
Coconut Creek, FL

Delilah Needs a Home

From her rescuer: Delilah is now staying in a vet's office.  She needs a foster home or a forever home with a huge backyard! Delilah is a sweet dog who gets along with other dogs and people, and loves to play! Delilah is an AWESOME girl, she lives with Dobermans and thinks she is one! She's 30-35 pounds, so she is like a mini Doberman, with little "flying nun" ears. Delilah was a stray in Miami, left to fend for herself as a young puppy. Some terrible people decided she shouldn't be hanging around their shop and poured battery acid down her back. She will have the scar for the rest of her life! It is about 5 inches long down her back. When I got her, she was skin and bones and had a bad cough. She weighed 18 pounds! Just a tiny little thing! Because of her time starving on the streets, it did take a few weeks to coax her into eating with my pack, but she has conquered her food protectiveness and eats from the same bowls as her foster brother and sisters. Delilah is about 9 months old now, and she is ready to meet her new loving forever family.

HAS HAD SHOTS. SPAYED. AND POTTY TRAINED

Faktura Pet Projekt, Street Dog Rescue, 305-490-6675, rescuedoggies@comcast.net or fakturaprojekts@gmail.com

Casino Night to Benefit Friends Forever

Saturday night Nov. 3, Friends Forever Rescue is hosting a Casino Night at the Dadeland Marriott, 9090 S. Dadeland Blvd. The ticket is $100, which covers dinner, an open bar and $50 worth of chips. There will also be a silent auction. The attire is 1920s flapper or gangster, and the agenda is raising money for a great cause: dog rescue. For more info - including sponsorships - call 305-491-5651.

ELLEN!!

By now, every critter person in America knows what happend between Ellen Degeneres and the rescue group that reclaimed the dog she'd placed with another family. Yes, she violated (though without evil intent), their policy, but for heaven's sake, could they NOT have done a home evaluation and based on that, made an exception to the no-kids-under-14 rule? Absurd. These folks, I predict, have shot themselves in the foot bigtime. I find it hard to imagine that donations will be rolling in after this. Click here for the latest. (I hope Ellen gets the kids another dog, pronto).

New Site Saves Shelter Pets

It's called dogsindanger.com. It tracks dogs that are facing death in shelters if they're not adopted and urgently promotes adoption. Check it out.

I Want to Do Very Bad Things to These People....

This is a nasty story about animal abuse - cats, in this case. Don't click here if you don't want a dreadful image to get stuck in your brain.

Bird's Got the Moves!

This video is hysterical - cockatoo rockin' to boy-band music.

Darrin Needs a Home

What a sweet baby! Here's the message I got:

PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU CAN FOSTER OR ADOPT DARRIN...HE HAS 1 WEEK LEFT AT OUR DOGGY DAYCARE WHERE I WORK. DARRIN IS VERY SWEET AND SUBMISSIVE, GREAT W/OTHER DOGS...SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE. HE'S A QUICK LEARNER! HE ALREADY KNOWS 3 COMMANDS, SIT, STAY, & COME (WHICH I TAUGHT HIM AT WORK). HE LOVES TO PLAY BALL AND LOVE TO BE AFFECTIONATE! HE IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, POTTY TRAINED AND NEUTERED! WE THINK HE'S A MANCHESTER TERRIER MIX. HE WILL GO BACK TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY IF THE OWNER CAN NOT FIND HIM A HOME. rescuedoggies@comcast.net  or fakturaprojekts@gmail.com

Oh, Those Crazy Cats

From Miami freelance photographer: a picture of his cat, Poppi, making herself at home in a kitchen cabinet.

I Want One!

Check out these adorable mini-pigs.

Mindboggling Cruelty in Puerto Rico

Pets Hurled Off Bridge in Puerto Rico

By OMAR MARRERO

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Animal control workers seized dozens of dogs and cats from housing projects in the town of Barceloneta and hurled them from a bridge to their deaths, authorities and witnesses said Friday. Mayor Sol Luis Fontanez blamed a contractor hired to take the animals to a shelter.

"This is an irresponsible, inhumane and shameful act," he told The Associated Press.

Fontanez said the city hired Animal Control Solution to clear three housing projects of pets after warning residents about a no-pet policy. He said the city paid $60 for every animal recovered and another $100 for each trip to a shelter in the San Juan suburb of Carolina.

Raids were conducted on Monday and Wednesday, and residents told TV reporters they saw the animal control workers inject the animals. When they asked what they were giving them, they said they were told it was a sedative for the drive to the shelter.

"They came as if it were a drug raid," said Alma Febus, an animal welfare activist. "They took away dogs, cats and whatever animal they could find. Some pets were taken away in front of children."

But instead of being taken to a shelter, the pets and strays were thrown 50 feet from a bridge in the neighboring town of Vega Baja, according to Fontanez, witnesses and activists, apparently before dawn Tuesday.

"Many were already dead when they threw them, but others were alive," said Jose Manuel Rivera, who lives next to the bridge. "Some of the animals managed to climb to the highway even though they were all battered, but about 50 animals remained there, dead."

Rivera said he alerted officials, who spread lime over the animals' corpses to control the stench.

Animal Control Solution owner Julio Diaz said he went to the bridge when he heard of the allegations, but remains unconvinced that the dead animals are the same ones his company collected.

"We have never thrown animals off any place. We always take them to our local shelter and euthanize them," he said. "They can't prove that they are the same dogs that we picked up."

Fontanez said he would cancel the city's contract with Animal Control Solution and said city lawyers were considering a lawsuit.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a rule allowing locally owned and operated housing authorities to set pet rules, but it does not grant authority for a blanket ban or mass confiscation, said Brian Sullivan, an HUD spokesman in Washington.

Asked to comment on the reported pet massacre, Sullivan said: "This sickens me if true."

Animal rights activists have long criticized the treatment of pets in Puerto Rico, where there is no pet registration law and little spaying or neutering. Animal shelters are overwhelmed and must kill many of the dogs they receive, according to Victor Collazo, president of the island's Association of Medical Veterinarians.

One organization recruits volunteers to take dogs home with them on commercial flights, and sends between 1,500 and 2,000 dogs a year from Puerto Rico to American shelters.

At least 175 dogs have been rescued in the last couple of years from Yabucoa Beach, which activists nicknamed "Dead Dog Beach" because of the strays that roam the coast and are sometimes found dead of disease, starvation or gunshots. Similar rescue efforts have been undertaken in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Associated Press writer Ben Fox contributed to this story from San Juan.

Tell 'Tail' Wagging

It's an old story but it was just brought to my attention again. It's about what your dog's tail-wagging really means. Cute graphic too. Click here.

Benefit This Weekend

BRUCE ROSSMEYER'S HARLEY DAVIDSON presents "HOGS N' DOGS",
Benefitting dogs and cats in need.

   SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2007

   4:00 - 7:00 pm

   Hors d'oeuvres, drinks & great auction and raffle prizes

   Bring your 4-legged friends and your 2 legged ones too....

   Well behaved, leashed pets will be welcome

   Bruce Rossmeyer's Sunrise Harley-Davidson

   201 International Parkway - Sunrise, FL  33325 - 954-414-4135
   (I-595 to SW 136th Avenue, west on SR #84 1/2 mile, entrance
on right)

   Proceeds to benefit GRATEFUL PAWS DOG & CAT RESCUE, a no-kill,
Not-for-Profit, 501c3 Animal Rescue Group, Saving the lives of
abandoned, abused and homeless animals, just one at a time.

   

A Few Words From Best Friends

WHAT'S IT FOR?

We've all seen the amazing power of the grassroots to benefit
animals.  And there are probably millions of us out there - in
this country and beyond - who believe that kindness to animals
builds a better world for all of us.  So the Best Friends Network
is a place for people of like mind and heart to share ideas and
interests, and work together.

   HOW DOES IT WORK?

   It starts with you. You can simply browse the site, or you can
become a member of the network.

   JOINING THE NETWORK:

   As a member (there's no charge - just log in), you can set up
your own member profile with photos of you and your pets,
friends, and family. You can also showcase your hobbies and
interests, passions and work - whatever you want to share with
others. network.bestfriends.org/Members/

   BLOGS:

   You can create your own blog (or web log) - an online journal
or diary where you share your thoughts and ideas. Fill it with
high-flown philosophical opinions, or just with photos and
comments on your cats or your travels. You can set it up so other
members can comment on your entries, too, if you like.
network.bestfriends.org/Blogs

   COMMUNITIES:

   You can start a member community and invite other people to
join. It can be a community for your friends, family, club, or
other organization. Or a place for people who share a particular
interest (e.g. pugs, animal rescue, vegetarian recipes, or
volunteer vacations). network.bestfriends.org/Communities/

   Each community has its own home page for news, calendar and
announcements, and comes with a full set of easy-to-use web
tools. You can:

   PUBLISH NEWS and photos to your community / campaign home
page.

   ORGANIZE meetings, events, activities etc. using the CALENDAR
tool.

   SET UP DISCUSSIONS with message boards and blogs.

   BUILD RESOURCES by creating libraries of documents, videos, or
other files.

   We've also set up regional communities - sites for every state
in the U.S., and other regional sites around the world, where
local groups can work together to help animals. If you're in a
position to organize such a regional community site, please let
us know via email at info@network.bestfriends.org

   CAMPAIGNS: Best Friends periodically launches specific
campaigns on behalf of the animals.

   GETTING STARTED: The best way to get started is to join as a
member and build your member profile. If you don't like it, you
can always delete it and start over. Then join a community or
start your own. Feel free to experiment and have fun.

   And thanks for being part of the Best Friends Network!

Great Photos

These recently ran in the Herald with a story about Blessing of the Animals. Enjoy.

Dog Bless America!

Oct 4, 2007-(From Central Bark)

As an Artillery Instructor, Sgt. Arthur Lyles was responsible for training many of our soldiers for the battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq.  His military career was cut short by an accident that caused a spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.  On Monday, October 1st 2007, , Sgt. Lyles met his match.  A two year old, Standard Poodle named, Jackson. Their lives will never be the same.  Jackson is not just your everyday Standard Poodle.  He was raised in the California Institute for Women, a maximum security Prison in Southern California.  Jackson was donated from a dog breeder for a special program called, the Prison Dog Program.  He is a Certified Service Dog, trained for high level task work.

Sister Pauline Quinn began the Prison Dog Program in 1981, rescuing shelter dogs & bringing them into the prison where inmates, trained them to assist the handicapped. The inmates learned responsibility through the care and training of these special dogs.  Prison Dog Programs are in many states & some think it is one of the most successful rehabilitation programs in the American prison system.

Today, thanks to Dog Bless America and the fundraising efforts of Central Bark Doggy Day Care in collaboration with Pathways to Hope‘s Prison Dog Program, severely injured and handicapped Veterans are getting a new lease on life.  Through this program many will get the needed support and assistance they deserve with a match to a trained service dog.

“These guys really need our help” says Carol Roquemore, founder and CEO of Canine Support Teams, the organization that manages the Service Dog Training program at the California Institute for Women.  “It’s a thrill to work with the dogs and the Inmates.  These women are really making a difference for Veterans like Sgt. Lyles.” 

As the current President of the Paralyzed and Disabled American Veterans – Long Beach Chapter, Sgt. Lyles and Jackson are an inspiration of what is possible.  Dog Bless America.

For more information about Dog Bless America and how you can help, please visit http://www.centralbarkusa.com 

A tragedy

There was a terrible pet-store fire in Hialeah Gardens last night that killed 53 animals. Click here to read it and see a sweet photo of a puppy getting oxygen.

Hi-Tech Medicine for Pets

Very interesting story in todays Herald about all the new diagnosis and treatment tools now available for pets. Click here to read it.