Crazy for Critters

Pet Hall of Fame

2008 Pet Hall of Fame Award Honoring our Animal companions, sponsored by the Florida Veterinary Medical Association

Every year  these awards are presented  to honor the outstanding contributions our animal companions make to human lives. There will be one inductee selected for each of the following categories:

Hero: Pets who have unselfishly saved or preserved human life (non-professional)

Companion: Pets who have provided a benefit and contributed to the quality  of life of their human companions.

Professional Speciality trained for handicapped person's assistance animal or used in law enforcement.

Click here to fill out the application.

2008 Chain-Off News

The Chain-Off is an annual consciousness-raising event sponsored by Dogs Deserve Better, the group dedicated to liberating dogs from miserable lives on the ends of chains. Humans chain themselves, sometimes for 24 hours, to make the point. Click here for comments and photos.

K-9 shot and killed; bad guy shot but not killed

It happened early Thursday morning in the Mt. Sinai Medical Center parking lot, after a high-speed chase from North Broward to Miami Beach. A BSO shepherd lost his life. The shooter has been arrested 26 times. TWENTY SIX. And he's running around loose, with a gun. Swell. Click here for the story and pictures.

Volunteer Heroics at Animal Serivces

From Aileen Sanchez, who coordinates volunteer activities (among other things) at the Miami-Dade shelter.

"Chuchi, a gray Miniature Schnauzer, was found roaming the streets. She was brought to Animal Services and impounded as a stray. Melissa [the volunteer] reviews the ads of lost dogs listed on two websites: Craig’s List and Dog Detective.com. She compares that information to the postings on Animal Services - website photos and ads. Chuchi’s ad photo was small so Melissa wasn’t sure if it was the same dog. She contacted the owner to let her know there was a gray Schnauzer at Animal Services with a pink collar similar to the one described in her ad. Owners went to Animal Services to see if it was their Chuchi.

When the dog was brought out to the shelter lobby, the owners were elated to see it was Chuchi! Immediately, Chuchi rushed to them, gave them kisses, did flips and ran in circles with joy! Chuchi was finally going home thanks to the help of a volunteer who cared.

You, too, can help reunite pets with their owners! If you are interested, please contact asanche@miamidade.gov for training in Lost & Found.

Pandas!

This is a great narrated slide show about a Chinese panda preserve. Enjoy.

Hero Dog!

BROWARD

Man says dog saved him from fire

Posted on Mon, Jul. 14, 2008

BY ADAM H. BEASLEY

abeasley@MiamiHerald.com

WALTER MICHOT/MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Madelus Davilmar holds his dog, Junior, Monday after a fire at their home in Fort Lauderdale.

» More Photos

• Video | Family grateful to dog for saving their lives

RELATED VIDEO

Firefighters put out the blaze, but a Fort Lauderdale man credits his dog, a mutt named Junior, with rousting him out of bed after flames and smoke filled his family's home.

''We're lucky to be alive,'' said Madelus Davilmar of the 1700 block of Northwest 14th Avenue.

Davilmar said he was sleeping when Junior, a poodle mix, started yapping incessantly. Davilmar had somehow slept through the sound of smoke alarms blaring. But the dog, who barks at the slightest provocation, including a stranger walking by on the sidewalk or a car whizzing by, kept barking.

The smoke was so heavy he had to feel his way around, Davilmar said. But he got out of the house -- the last of seven to do so. Fire trucks arrived within four minutes of the call.

Battalion Chief William Findlan said the call came in at 7:58 a.m. and that the house was filled with smoke and flames. The fire was put out in five minutes.

The fire, which may have been electrical, apparently started in the guest room, where an 11-year-old boy has been staying.

Davilmar said he doesn't know where the family will go now that the house is uninhabitable, but that they have some relatives who live in the area.

And KEEP it Off!

Beijing, July 11 (PTI) Restaurants and hotels in the Chinese capital have been asked to take dog meat off the menu during Olympics and Paralympics due to concerns that the canine dishes might be offensive to Westerners and animal rights activists.
"Gourmets with a special predilection for dog meat will be disappointed if they come to the Chinese capital in the coming two months," a Beijing Tourism Bureau official said.

The Beijing Catering Trade Association (BETA) has issued a circular forbidding all the 112-designated restaurants from providing dog meat dishes during Olympics and strongly advised other establishments to suspend serving the canine delicacy until September.

"If a customer orders dog meat, the restaurant staff should patiently suggest another entree," Xiong Yumei, the Bureaus Vice-Director, was quoted as saying by official Xinhua news agency. "Conflicts should be avoided." Canine dishes are popular among the Korean community in Beijing, as also in Yunnan and Guizhou restaurants.

Apart from being a delicacy, dog meat is also believed by many Chinese to be an effective element to lower blood pressure. Some also think it boosts "sexual prowess".

Animal rights and environmental activists claim dogs are brutally killed with clubs and knives in China's dog meat industry.

As for dog meat for medicinal purposes, the circular said the ingredient should be listed clearly.

I've Heard of Bats in the Belfry, But........

Teenager finds baby bat in her bra

By Laura Clout

Last Updated: 1:47PM BST 08/07/2008

Telegraph.co.uk

A teenager was stunned to find that a baby bat had been curled up inside her bra for five hours - as she was wearing it.

ADRIAN JUDD

Miss Hawkins said the bat looked 'very snug' inside her bra

Abbie Hawkins, a hotel receptionist, thought her mobile phone was ringing when she felt vibrations coming from her clothes.

But she later discovered the tiny creature tucked away in the padded pocket of her underwear.

As staff and colleagues crowded around, Miss Hawkins, 19, produced the frightened bat, which was the size of her hand.

She said: "Once I realised it was a bat I was shocked, but then I felt quite sorry for it really.

"It looked very snug in there and I thought how mean I was for disturbing it."

Miss Hawkins said she got dressed at 7.30am and arrived for work at the Holiday Inn Norwich North, near Norwich International Airport without noticing anything unusual.

"When I was driving to work I felt a slight vibration but I thought it was just my mobile phone in my jacket pocket," she said.

It was not until her lunch break, at midday when she felt a strange movement inside her bra, which had been hanging on her washing line the previous night.

"I plucked up the courage to investigate and I pulled out a little baby bat. I just lost my breath when I saw it and I did not know what it was at first," she said.

The teenager's general manager freed the bat in the hotel garden.

"I keep thinking how could I have not known it was there?" Miss Hawkins said. "I will certainly be checking my bras every morning from now on."

Jaime Eastham, of the Bat Conservation Trust, said they had never heard of a bat being found in a bra before.

But she said the animals roost anywhere that appears dark and safe.

Hot Dogs (and cats) at Miami Humane

The AC went kaput at the shelter, so there's a need for emergency cash and, in the meantime, fans:

MIAMI, FLA--(July 9, 2008, As outside temperatures soar into the high 90s in South Florida, the inside temperature is escalating into the 90s at the Humane Society of Greater Miami Adopt-A-Pet’s Soffer and Fine Adoption Center due to a irreparable air conditioning system. The Humane Society of Greater Miami is making an urgent plea to the South Florida community to help its own today.

“In our 70 plus year history we have rarely issued a plea to the community but we are in desperate need to help the 200 animals in our care,” says Emily Marquez-Dulin, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Greater Miami Adopt-A-Pet. “We are calling out to companies and individuals to help us raise the $85,000 needed to purchase and install a new air conditioning system. We have raised $13,000 thus far.”

The Humane Society of Greater Miami also urges the community if they are interested in adopting animals from right here at their local community shelter now is the time. “Our cats are most affected and we need potential adopters to please visit our shelter as soon as possible,” added Marquez-Dulin. “Also those interested in fostering cats or dogs during this crisis are asked to contact our shelter.”

The Humane Society of Greater Miami Adopt-A-Pet Soffer and Fine Adoption Center is located at 16101 West Dixie Highway in North Miami Beach. The shelter is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11am until 7pm.

High Alert for a Lost Vizsla

The family is FRANTIC to find Bodi, this gorgeous pup. He disappeared on June 28 from Fort Lauderdale Beach near Oakland Park Blvd. He's about 35 pound and was wearing a green collar. There's a $1,500 reward, which gives some indication of how badly the family wants this dog returned. I hope it's soon and that there's no damage done. Contact lmastriana@aol.com.