In Jackson County, KY, a third suspect who was charged with 115 counts of animal abuse has turned herself in. She had over 100 dogs living in filth and animal control found over 40 of the dogs dead. The woman’s husband and friend were arrested earlier.
No word yet on why she had so many dogs. Were they running a “puppy mill” perhaps?
Watch the story here...
Hospitals in England are seeing a sharp rise in dog bite patients – a 40% increase in the last 4 years.
The figures follow a series of widely publicized attacks on children. During the 4 year period, the number of patients under 18 treated for dog bites in London more than doubled, and in the West Midlands region it rose by 80%.
London where the increase in dog attacks has been the greatest, the Greater London Authority, Metropolitan Police, RSPCA and Battersea Dogs’ Home are launching a campaign on responsible dog ownership.
Read more about the story here…
A Toronto, Canada dog that bit a man and his small dog in September was put down earlier this week. The animal control officials deemed Munchie the dog a pit bull and thus a danger to society – despite the pleas of the owner to the contrary. The owners says the dog is a mutt (a mixed breed) and not a pit bull. The officials believed the dog would be a problem if not put down.
The dog’s two co-owners said they spent more than $15,000 trying to save Munchie’s life.
Take a look at Munchie here and you decide if he’s a Pit Bull or not…
This is why responsible dog ownership is so important. Dog ownership involves much more than just possessing one. If you haven’t obedience trained your dog and allow it to be off leash and it bites someone, you are responsible for the actions of your dog and the consequences thereof.
Now that a Beagle has won the Westminster Dog Show, that usually signals a rush on the breed. Beagles are great dogs, but one big problem many Beagle owners face is excessive barking!
A friend of mine had a Beagle that when she left, barked all day, every day. And his deep bark sounded like someone was being murdered (he died many years ago). Needless to say, the cops were called to her home often.
Think twice and do thorough research before you rush out to get the latest “it” dog. Neglecting to do that leads to beautiful dogs ending up in the local animal shelters. Consider this – Dalmations were quite popular when “101 Dalmations” came out in theaters. They were also big residents of animal shelters nationwide about 9-12 months later.
Read more about Beagle’s temperaments here…
Paris Hilton has 17 dogs. She says she’s a pet lover – and I believe she believes she is. But what true pet lover forgets about their pet?
Paris took her cat to the vet and forgot to pick it up. So the vet is keeping the cat due to neglect. That’s not hot. 
A Salt Lake City man who had it up to his neck with his neighbors barking dog decided to take matters into his own hands. He took a butcher knife and stabbed the neighbor’s dog through the fence.
The dog ended up with two stab wounds, neither life-threatening. The man was arrested for outstanding warrants along with a charge of suspicion of animal cruelty.
This is one of the major reasons you need to do something about your barking dog: crazy neighbors! Be a responsible dog owner, visit Stop Your Barking to stop your dog from barking.
In Seoul, South Korea, if you do not put an identification tag on your dog that gives your name, address and phone number, you will be fined 200,000 won (about $213 USD). Those who don’t vaccinate their dogs or muzzle aggressive dogs will face a fine of 300,000 won and 100,000 won (about $319 & $106 USD) respectively. People who abandon their pets will face a 500,000 won ($530) fine, and those who are caught abusing them will be subject to a maximum fine of 5 million won (about $5,321 USD).
In addition, pet owners will be fined a maximum of 100,000 won if they fail to pick up the poop their dogs leave in parks.
I say Hooray for enforcing responsible dog ownership! 
FlexPetz, the California based company that rents dogs for the day is drawing criticism in Boston. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says its a bad idea because it confuses the dog & turns them into temporary possessions.
The company has branches in San Diego, Los Angeles, and New York and plans others in Washington, San Francisco, and London by spring. It’s not cheap to rent either. Customers must pay $300 in initiation and membership fees and then folk out more when it comes time to rent a dog. A weekend day with a dog is $39.95. Dog drop-off and pickup at a home or office is an additional $35. An “inconvenience fee” of $75 a day is added for dogs brought back late.
Read more about it here & see what you think…
In Berkshire, England dog owners who pick up after their dogs will be rewarded, rather than face a £50 fine for failing to pick up after their dogs. To encourage responsible dog ownership, the Bracknell Forest Borough Council has joined an innovative national campaign called “Caught Doing Right” to encourage more dog owners to clean up after their dogs.
People walking dogs who carry bags to pick up the poop will be given a free ticket and be entered to win a one year supply of dog food & a VIP trip to Crufts.
Let’s hope this catches on all over! 
Pets of Bel Air, the upscale pet store in Bel Air, CA where celebs such as Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Demi Moore & Robin Williams buy their little $5,000 teacup dogs has been shut down. An undercover sting by the Humane Society of the United States shut them down because they have been operating without a permit for the past 3 years.
Not only that, the dogs they sell come from “puppy mills” in the Midwest & the pet store lied to customers about where the dogs came from – saying they came from private breeders. It’s not against the law to sell dogs from puppy mills, just immoral.
They will reopen after paying a paltry $130 fine. What a punishment!
The lesson here? Buy your dogs from a reputable breeder, an animal shelter or rescue organization & stop going to pet stores. When you buy from pet stores, you support puppy mills!
See the story here…
