Did you know that this month (October) is adopt-a-dog month? Well according to the American Humane Society it is! Too many dogs get put into animal shelters and never leave.
As a kid I lived near the dog pound (as we called it then) & every day after school I’d go down & spend time with the dogs. It always hurt my heart when there would be fewer familiar dogs & more strange ones every day. Many people are irresponsible, they do not spay or neuter their dogs and thus the overpopulation of strays.
Ironically, people go to breeders and spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on purebred dogs, when they could have gone to a shelter and gotten the exact same breed for practically the cost of registration. There are breed specific rescue shelters, so any dog that you just had to have is available on the cheap. So go out there and get a pound puppy.
And check out this page for some humorous reasons why you should adopt a shelter dog.
Speaking of Shelter Dogs
Possible future President Barak Obama & the family are getting a dog. And they have decided to adopt a pound puppy. (Doesn’t every President have a dog?)
Best Friends Animal Society which operates the nation’s largest facility for neglected & abused dogs is stepping in to help.
Best Friends created buzz around the Obamas’ search for a dog in mid-July when it launched the web site, ObamaFamilyDog.com. And within 24 hours approximately 20,000 dog lovers had signed a petition urging the Obamas to adopt their dog from a shelter.
The Obamas have decided to adopt versus buy a dog. I believe that all politicians calculate every move they make to paint them in the most positive light. Do you think it was the petition that swayed them or are they just doing the right thing?
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October 3, 2008 - 1:52 pm
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Cynthia
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill Saturday that would have banned drivers from holding a pet in their lap while driving. He said the bill was not important enough to pass… it wasn’t high enough priority. 
I think that having a pet in your lap while you’re driving around (particularly a small pet) is especially dangerous. Rush Limbaugh the conservative radio talk show host says the bill is stupid and has dubbed it the “Paris Hilton bill” due to her love of pets - dogs in particular.
I say if it’s against the law to talk on your cell phone while you’re driving, or not put your child in a child safety seat, then dog’s should not be allowed to roam free in your vehicle. They are just as much a distraction as a cell phone, as a child, or as someone putting on makeup or texting while they’re driving.
Gov. Arnold recently passed the state budget after over 80 days of stonewalling and he threatened to only pass certain bills. He held true to his word by vetoing 95 bills and signing 114.
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September 29, 2008 - 7:28 pm
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Cynthia
The BBC documentary entitled, “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” claimed that many dogs are bred for beauty rather than health, and that prompted some of the annual Crufts dog show sponsors to pull out.
The claim was that there was inbreeding, which caused health problems in the dogs.
The Kennel Club, which runs Crufts (Britains largest dog show), said it might cut ties with the BBC over what it called the network’s unfair reporting.
Read the full story here…
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September 21, 2008 - 11:16 am
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Cynthia
Snuppy, the world’s first cloned dog has just fathered 10 puppies! And not just any puppies mind you. Their two mothers are clones themselves.
This is the first time in history that a clone has had a family from a clone.
See Snuppy here…
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September 7, 2008 - 8:16 pm
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Cynthia
I watched a new reality type show last night on the National Geographic channel (right after Cesar Milan’s “Dog Whisperer”). The show was called “Dogtown” & it’s about the “Best Friends Animal Sanctuary” (the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the nation) & the dogs who they rescue from neglectful &/or abusive situations.
Last night’s episode (which I think was a rerun) was about the pit bulls from former football star Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring. One dog in particular was heart-breaking. Cherry was so terrified of people that he cowered in a corner when they came near his pen & he wouldn’t walk - he would lay prone on the ground instead.
A trainer finally broke the ice with Cherry & he learned to trust the trainer. Now, 9 months later, Cherry has turned into a friendly, playful pup that takes walks, plays with toys and doesn’t even mind cats. And now he’s ready to move to a foster home.
It just goes to show that even terribly abused dogs are so forgiving & can learn to trust people again - even though they were their abusers.
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September 6, 2008 - 9:08 pm
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Cynthia
The New York dog chew manufacturer of the Four Paws Pimple Ball With Bell is recalling the toy after several dogs ended up having severe tongue injuries.
At least two dogs got their tongues caught in the hole in the ball, the ball had to be cut off and the dogs tongues were injured so badly that their tongues had to be amputated. And one dog had to be euthanized during the same sort of surgery.
If you have this toy, throw it away or send it back to the company.
Speaking of chew toys…
Apparently, dogs can’t resist deer antlers! At least according to ANTLERZ™ brand dog chews manufacturer, QT Dog. The antlers come from deers that have shed them naturally (so no deers were harmed in order to get the antlers). Wild deer shed their antlers once a year as part of a natural process, after which the deer re-grows another set.
The antlers are cut to the appropriate size, cleaned, and packaged to produce the dog chews. ANTLERZ™ hold up substantially longer than most traditional chews made from plastic, bone, or compacted starch. Unlike processed livestock bones, ANTLERZ™ don’t chip or splinter when they are being chewed on by even the most aggressive dogs.
I’ll have to get some & see if my girl likes them.
Check out ANTLERZ™ here…
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September 1, 2008 - 6:36 pm
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Cynthia
Ellen Degeneres has one, & now the daytime cooking talks show hostess Rachel Ray has one. What do they each have? Their own lines of dog food.
Rachael Ray has launched a new line of super premium dog food and treats called “Rachael Ray Nutrish.” Proceeds from each sale will be donated to support Rachael’s Rescue, which is dedicated to helping at-risk animals through adoption, medical care and educational programs, along with training and outreach initiatives.
Rachel had input in creating the dog food & treats. They are available & most stores nationwide & retail from about $3.99 - $16.99. Find out where to get them at www.nutrishforpets.com.
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August 5, 2008 - 6:41 am
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Cynthia
Sam Diesel, the 2 year old German Shepherd police dog died from the heat after he was found in a police cruiser. The dog was routinely kept in the police cruiser with the air conditioning on. But on this day, the air conditioner failed and the dog died from the heat. No one knows how long the dog was in the car without AC but he was in the car for more than one hour while his handler was inside the police station working.
Sam Diesel was bought back in October for $12,625 and was paid for by donations from local WalMart employees when the police did a fund raiser.
It just goes to show, no matter who you are, you should never leave your dog alone in a car on a hot day.
See Sam here…
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July 27, 2008 - 9:01 am
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Cynthia
Over 200 people were bitten by dogs in one day in Ahmedabad, India! In 2007, there were around 80,000 dog bite cases reported by hospitals in Ahmedabad. Stray dogs have over-run many cities in India, so much so that a law was passed last year to sterilize the thousands of strays. But, none of the agencies responsible for project has bothered to start work. That’s government for ya! :p
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July 23, 2008 - 9:49 am
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Cynthia
Pitbulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans oh my! Just the mention of those breeds sends chills down some people’s spine. They tend to be aggressive breeds no doubt (especially when the owner is irresponsible), but would you believe that the most aggressive breeds are tiny?
The dog taking the number one spot as the most aggressive breed is the Dachschund (or weiner dog). I know as a young kid my sister got bit by one. She was fearless & picked the dog up & bit it right back (on the back)! It avoided her from then on. 
The number two spot is held by the Chihuahua. No surprise there. Practically every chihuahua I’ve ever met shook terribly & snapped at everyone (including their owner). I was bit by a chihuahua but didn’t even realize it because it bit my pant leg. I only noticed it when the owner (who was yakking on her cell phone) apologized & I felt my pant leg being tugged on.
And the number three spot goes to the Jack Russell terrier. A neighbor has one that lunges at everyone who walks by. He’s bitten quite a few people before the owner can yank him back. Come to think of it, that little terror bit my pant leg too!
Dr. James Serpell, a University of Pennsylvania researcher said smaller breeds might be more genetically predisposed towards aggressive behavior than larger dogs. Not to mention the fact that bites from small dogs are rarely reported.
I believe owners of small dogs that bite are irresponsible if they let their dog bite people…even if they only grab someone’s pant leg. What if they bite a small child? Any dog that bites (big or small) needs the problem corrected.
Read more about the dog aggression study here…
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July 16, 2008 - 10:32 pm
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Cynthia
