This update has been a long time in coming. To backtrack, June 4 th of this year in Ontario, Canada, an 8 month old dog, Daisy, was seized from her owner, Tammy.

Ontario is a very strict BSL state and Daisy was seized, from her house in front of her owner and shocked and crying children by officials under BSL laws.

There was a number of charges, one being that Daisy was determined to be a “pit bull” and was unaltered as was required by law, and another that she ‘attacked’ someone.

1) She was scheduled to be altered after her heat cycle was completed under the advise of her vet.

2) She greeted an elderly woman who fell down and was hurt. The woman says she was not attacked, that the puppy was just being a puppy and jumped up. But they say that it was a attack - Dog Owners Liability Act 5.1 (a), no matter if it was a accident or not.

There’s much more to this story and you can find all the details HERE.

Read more »

ScienceDaily  — Like us, our canine friends are able to form abstract concepts. Friederike Range and colleagues from the University of Vienna in Austria have shown for the first time that dogs can classify complex color photographs and place them into categories in the same way that humans do. And the dogs successfully demonstrate their learning through the use of computer automated touch-screens, eliminating potential human influence.

In order to test whether dogs can visually categorize pictures, and transfer their knowledge to new situations, four dogs were shown landscape and dog photographs, and expected to make a selection on a computer touch-screen.

In the training phase, the dogs were shown both the landscape and dog photographs simultaneously and were rewarded with a food pellet if they selected the dog picture (positive stimulus). The dogs then took part in two tests.

Read more »

Bill Whiting’s little dog, Edna, disappeared on Halloween nite, October 31. He was visiting a friend and believes she slipped out the door when trick-or-treaters showed up.

When he notice the very friendly and trusting dog missing he scoured the streets for her calling her name. The next day he put up missing fliers with Edna’s picture, his cell phone number and a promise of a $500 reward for her safe return. He hoped that someone would bring Edna back “either out of the goodness of his heart or desire for the reward.”

Bill was devastated over his missing dog. Edna “was so gentle that Whiting took her to hospitals, where patients cheered up as they petted her. Edna had pointed bunny ears, warm brown eyes and was Whiting’s “constant companion” since he adopted her a decade ago. She had never known anything but kindness from human hands.”

“This is one of the most horrible things that has ever happened to me,” said Bill Whiting and describe how he made sure that Edna always wore her collar. Attached to her collar were her vaccination tags, showing she was a healthy dog, and her name tag with Whiting’s information, showing she was a loved dog. When Edna walked, her tags jingled.

Read more »

Make sure you have your sound on… this is really too funny!!!

Dog and cats abandoned at a Tahequah property after the owner just up and left… one to two months ago!

The exact number of animals has not been verified but it’s somewhere between 10 and 20. There were actually some animals, dog and cats, found alive inside the abandoned residence.

An abandoned residence in Hilltop Addition has become a virtual charnel house, after several dogs and cats were left to starve inside the building.

Between one and two months ago, the owners of the property abandoned the house and an estimated 10 to 20 dogs and cats on the property without any source of food or water, neighbors and law enforcement officers have said.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Investigator Nate King was one of the law enforcement officials called to the scene after the initial complaint.

“There were eight living animals, three deceased canines and two deceased felines,” said King. “Most of them were trapped inside the house. Everything that survived was inside; everything that was outside was deceased already.

“Apparently, these dogs were abandoned without food or water for at least a month before the sheriff’s office was notified. To be honest, the smell was so overwhelming that I couldn’t stay inside.”

Read more »

Aside from an accumulation of dirt, a persistent and unpleasant doggie odor could be caused by many factors including dental disease, ear infections, or oily skin. A closer look at your dog may help you find the problem. Look in your dog’s mouth. Are the teeth discolored? Do you sniff more than the usual “doggie breath?” If so, a visit to the veterinarian for a dental checkup and treatment is in order. Your veterinarian can also explain how you can clean your dog’s teeth to help protect against future dental disease.

Ear infections are frequently the cause of an offensive odor, especially among long-eared and floppy-eared dogs. The inside of the ear becomes moist and hot, providing the perfect environment for infections. Take a close look inside your dog’s ears. Is the skin red and sore? Does the dog cry out in pain as you try to examine the ears? Does the ear canal have a bad odor? Any of these may be warning signs of an ear infection which should be treated by a veterinarian.

Read more »

Have You ever Thought of ALL the Benefits of a Well Trained Dog?

Daniel Stevens

Have you ever thought about why is it so important to train your dog to be obedient, and to know what is acceptable behavior and what is not?

Most people think the biggest benefit of having a dog who is well trained is that you don’t have to worry about your dog ruining anything for you anymore (e.g. chewing up furniture, digging holes, aggression, biting, and so forth) — and that’s what a lot of “experts” will tell you too. But these people are completely missing the Big Picture. Read more »

Through the shelter/rescue grapevine I just received word that the suspect that they were searching for in the dog rape case in Maricopa County, Arizona has been found.

The dog, a one year old Jack Russell Terrier mix was found last week near an animal hospital and there was evidence of anal rape.

Officials we looking for a man described as 5 foot 8 inches tall, with a tan skin tone and dark hair who was driving a late 60’s to mid 70’s reddish-brown pickup with a dual exhaust system.

No details yet but when I hear more I’ll pass it along.

Please see the bottom of the story for any updates

11/29 - The story finally gets picked up by the media - see below

Update 11/30- Mayor Cancels Shelter Fundraiser - Jaime Glandon Put on Administrative Leave! See details below!

Rally “Justice for Jamie” - for all the details - CLICK HERE

Update 12/10/07 - Jack Hill Back Working for the City, Jamie Still Still on Admin Leave - See details below

Update 12/12/07 - New Animal Warden Appointed and Jaime Glandon reinstated!

This puppy, named Gabby, was at a shelter in Rushville, Indiana. On the Monday, 11/12, she was euthanized by lethal injection.

On Friday, 11/16, she was found in the shelter freezer by a worker STILL ALIVE!! She was buried under the bodies of other dogs that had been euthanized and had been there for four days!

Even worse, this is not the first time but the third time something like this has happened recently!

When contacted regarding this and the previous incidences, the current Mayor of the City of Rushville, Robert M. Bridges, ordered Gabby to be euthanized again. He showed no concern and based on information that I have received, just wants this whole thing to go away. (Read the Rushville Republican news below to see the story he’s telling now)

Read more »

Candace Jennings of Idaho City, Idaho, may only be alive today thanks to an abused dog that she rescued, who saved her life twice when her home caught on fire. Thanksgiving Day was truly a day of thanks for Candace Jennings when Anna, a blue heeler she adopted from an animal shelter nudged and howled at 3:30 am until Jennings awoke to find her mobile home engulfed in flames.

“Anna woke me up,” Jennings said. “I had an awful headache. The place was filled with smoke.”

The two escaped the home but Jennings felt she needed to go back and get some keys the she used in her job, keys that belonged to other people.

“I’m a janitor in town,” she said. “I had everyone’s keys in my backpack. I had to go back and get them.”

Once back in the house she became disoriented and overcome by smoke, she couldn’t find her way back out. Anna, who followed her back in the burning structure led her back out, again.

“I couldn’t find the door,” said Jennings. “She pushed on me, she nudged me out the door.”

Read more »

Ok, now when a dog’s munching on his bone of course he doesn’t want to be bothered, but this is taking it a bit to the extreme!

dogattackingpaw.wmv

Whenever you decide to add a new member to the family of the canine sort, there are many questions; what kind of dog, from a breeder, shelter or rescue, puppy, adolescent or adult, to name just a few. And if you decide to adopt a dog, always a wonderful choice because you’re saving a life, then you have to decide whether to look at puppies or adult dogs. Here’s some information to help you ponder.

Should You Adopt a Puppy or an Adult Dog?

By Meg Charendoff

Congratulations! You’ve decided to adopt a dog. It’s a big decision. But it’s only the first step in a process that will ideally result in a loving and a lasting relationship with your canine soul mate.

The next logical question to ask yourself is whether a puppy, an adolescent, or an adult dog is right for you. And, if you have a family, you must carefully consider what age of dog makes the most sense for them before you and your ecstatic children are face-to-face with that irresistible litter of tumbling puppies.

Read more »