By now you’ve almost certainly heard about the charges against Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick. You’ve probably also heard the gruesome heart-wrenching stories about how dogs who didn’t show the necessary “fight”, were executed by hanging, shooting, electrocution, and being slammed to the ground. I suspect this sort of wanton cruelty is fairly common among those who enjoy this sort of “sport”.
Whether Vick will be found guilty or innocent remains to be seen, but as a civilized nation we absolutely must stop this sadistic form of “entertainment”. The Humane Society has put together a “Dogfighting Fact Sheet“, which details what we, as decent loving humans can do to help stop this atrocity against our animal friends. Please read it, print it out share it, and above all, get involved!
Well we didn’t win the contest over at Tip Tail, but we had a really great time and got to meet lots of new people and pups! Thanks to Cynthia at Tip Tail for the contest and to everyone who came by! And please don’t be a stranger…we’ll be standing here by the door waiting for you to come back!
Brownie, Twinkie, Kizzy, Beans and Weenie, Wishbone and Ginger!
Last Wednesday, twelve year old Jake, a former rescued dog who was to become a world-class rescue dog, was euthanized. The black Lab puppy was found abandoned on the streets with a broken leg and dislocated hip and was adopted by Mary Flood, a member of a federal search and rescue team the Utah Task Force 1. Flood was able to turn this unwanted abandoned puppy into a world class search and rescue dog, one of less than 200 such government certified rescue dogs. Jake searched the smoldering debris at 911, searching, day after disappointing day, for survivors. After Katrina, he searched flooded homes and polluted waters for survivors. In his older years, he helped train new search and rescue dogs and did therapy work with children who were burn victims, and the elderly.
Jake developed cancer, though no one is sure if it was related to his exposure to toxic dust at the 9/11 scene. He was euthanized after he became feverish and began exhibiting signs of pain, but not before he had one last happy stroll in the fields near his home and a dip in the creek.
According to his owner, Jake’s ashes are to scattered in all that places that were most important to him, like the rivers and hills near his home and the Utah Training grounds where he made such a contribution. To learn more about this story see, Jake.
Jake, July 25, 2007
The Metropolis combines streamlined modernism with the creature comforts, like slats on two sides for good airflow and even textured carpet if you choose. Looks great, in fact, too great to go outside…I could see this doubling as a piece of furniture, maybe a side table, then your urban pooch can have his privacy yet still be near the action.
Luckily, only one of our dogs seems to be really afraid of thunder and lightening. Of course, Weenie is pretty goosey about everything, any loud noise will send her scurrying for cover. She’s a burrower and if it’s thundering she likes to get inside a small, dark space, like the sleeve of my sweat jacket. At least this time I wasn’t wearing it!
I saw a product while perusing sites today, it’s called the Anxiety Wrap. If you have a scared-y pup you might want to check it out, especially if your dog won’t fit in your sleeve.
A while back we had a party for my middle daughter who had just graduated from college, (may I brag a moment?…Summa cum laude!) Anyway, I was talking with one of the guests who had been present that night and she jokingly–or so I thought at the time–informed me I had a ghost. She then preceded to tell me that several of the pictures she had taken that night had “orbs” in them. Since I wasn’t clear on what an orb even was, I wrote it off as yet another one of our middle-aged friends taking an early foray into dementia. But then I started noticing that many of the pictures I have taken in my house also have these weird little round things. We live in a Victorian home build in the 1800’s, but that is all I know about it’s history. Here are a couple of recent pictures with the little orbs in them…does anyone have a scientific explanation?
And more importantly, can anyone tell me WHY the heck Wishbone is STANDING on the TABLE????
Can you see an orb?
No orb in this one!
This is Kismet, or Kizzy for short. She is a Japanese Chin. For some reason the breed is not terribly well known, which is a shame because they are really great dogs. Chins have a few endearing peculiarities, like their bark…when Kizzy barks, she purses her lips and out comes, “Woo, Woo, Woo!” They are also known for their “chin-spins” where they fly into wild tight spins, around and around like crazy little whirling dervishes. This seems to be a manifestation of pure chin joy! They don’t develop their full adult coats until they are a year or more old, so they look like short haired dogs for a long period. Kizzy is only about nine months old in this picture, taken shortly after she was spayed. As you can see, she hasn’t yet developed her full adult coat. She’s a bit larger and longer bodied than breeders like to see, and her nose is not nearly flat enough for the standard, but she’s still a wonderful dog and we wouldn’t change a thing about her! If you would like to have a Japanese Chin there are many Japanese Chin Rescues. You’d be surprised how many people buy purebreeds and then find they either don’t turn out the way they had hoped or they can’t manage the dog.
Kizzy in a pensive mood
Wishbone always likes to get in on the action
Did you know that common food items, like sugarless gum and toothpaste can kill or injure your dog? Sugarless gum contains Xylitol. Xylitol, while safe for humans, causes the secretion of insulin in dogs, which dangerously lowers blood sugar and can cause liver failure and death depending on the amount ingested. And there are many other items you should NEVER allow your pet to eat like raisons, grapes, nuts and chocolate. Here is a more complete list.
Frisbees are generally made of hard, unforgiving plastic and could even make your dog afraid to play fetch, especially if he has tooth issues as many small breeds do. And fabric Frisbees can be easily torn apart, (see Wishbone category) The Fling Thing is a unique blend of foam and rubber to make it easy on the mouth, yet durable and buoyant. It’s soft and squishy so your dog can really sink his teeth into it plus it has a special anti-microbial feature to help fight bacteria that can cause mouth odor and tooth decay. It even floats! I’m hoping to get one soon so I’ll let you know if is Wishbone proof.
We had a pug named Rosebud for seventeen years and he was quite the couch potato, especially in his final years…he would have loved the Nuzzle Nests. These beds are covered in soft Sherpa and filled with Hypro-Loft™, an exclusive blend of virgin and recycled fibers which continue to provide fluffiness by not clumping up or matting. And Nuzzle Nests are completely washable, throw the whole thing in or just the removable cover…so no more smelly beds! Especially great for elderly, arthritic dogs, but any dog would love them!
