Helen Bogus of Sebring, FL, was happy in December when she adopted Kelly from the Highland County Humane Society, but then she thought she was just adopting one dog. Little did she know that her one dog would turn into 14 in just a month!

Even when the vet told Bogus that Kelly was pregnant, she still had no clue what she was getting into. Golden retrievers normally have litters of 6-8 puppies so on January 14th when the final total was 13 puppies, needless to say, Bogus was surprised.

When Jan. 14 came, however, Bogus and Highlands County Humane Society board member Barbara Clark spent all night with the golden retriever/Irish setter mix-breed and several kids in the neighborhood as they helped with Kelly’s labor.

“We just wanted Kelly,” Bogus said. “We really just wanted one dog but we ended up with 14.”

Read more »

Ok, so it’s not officially called a ‘puppy mill’ bill, it’s a dog-breeding or commercial breeder legislation. House Bill 538, sponsored by Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline County, establishes licensing, inspection and safety provisions and imposes limits on the number of adult dogs a breeding operation can maintain and it just squeaked by in the House of Delegates to a 9-8 vote.

No matter what you call the bill, it’s main aim is to regulate unscrupulous breeders commonly dubbed ‘puppy mills.’ This particular piece of legislation got a boost because of the 2007 Bland County kennel fire which killed nearly 200 dogs. There was also the more than 1000 dog seized from a Carrol County kennel and many more incidents.

The new legislation if it makes it through the House Appropriations Committee, which must sign off on the costs associated with the new requirements would make some not insignificant changes.

The new requirements would apply to kennel operators who keep more than 20 female dogs for breeding purposes. Among other things, commercial breeders would be required to have a valid business license, cooperate with inspections by animal control officers, have an approved fire safety plan and keep no more than 50 adult dogs on the premises. Operators also would have to maintain accurate veterinary records for a five-year period. Violators would face a misdemeanor charge that carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail. (Roanoke.com)

Read more »

Note that the Alpha dog has a muzzle hold on the gator preventing it from breathing, while another dog has a hold on the tail to keep it from thrashing. The third dog attacks the soft underbelly of the gator.

Abandoned pets are a damn shame and there’s no excuse except for people without a heart or conscience who don’t think they need an excuse for anything.

Even sadder are those abandoned animals who have not even been given a chance at life before they were so cruelly thrown away, no better than garbage. This is yet another story of puppies thrown away in a trash bag. Luckily all six of these newborn puppies were rescued in time and so far have survived. One of the tiny puppies is in poor shape but the other five are doing well. Best of all, all of the puppies will have new, loving homes.

Route 81 rest stop near Watertown, NY, two women came across a trash bag laying on the ground, not normally a big deal except this one was moving. When they opened the bag that’s when they found the six tiny puppies that were closed up inside. With the time of year, the weather as cold as it is, it’s doubtful those puppies would have survived very long had they not been rescued.

Read more »

If you watch the news, you’ll see more and more stories about these most innocent victims of this financial hell our country seems to be going through; Foreclosure Pets. The headlines ring out; “Foreclosures At An All Time High,” “Foreclosures Leads to Abandoned Animals,” “Family Pets Major Victims of Foreclosure” and many more. It’s heart wrenching!

The stories are even more so. Dogs, cats, even small pets, abandoned; closed in rooms or left outside or in a garage with no means of sustenance, many beyond saving by the time they are found, the pictures so graphic as to make you think of animal holocaust victims.

One of the things that makes this even worse is that people often have months warning when they are going to lose their home but their once cherished pets don’t even seem to enter their minds and are relegated to just trash left behind.

Even pet owners who care and try to do the right thing are running into problems; rescues are filled to overflowing with dogs and cats, shelters are bursting at the seams.

This sad situation is only bound to escalate as the economy bottoms out and foreclosure rates continue to rise, shelters and rescues fill and people are not adopting because sadly, pets are expensive.

Read more »

Some owners seem to want their dogs to stop barking, period: a good dog is a quiet dog, and the only time that barking’s permitted is when there’s a man in a black balaclava and stripy prison outfit, clutching a haversack marked ‘Swag’, clambering in through your bedroom window.Dogs don’t see barking in quite the same light. Your dog has a voice, just like you do, and she uses it just how you do too: to communicate something to the people she cares about.

I don’t think that barking is necessarily a bad thing – in fact, I think it’s encouraging that my dog wants to “talk” to me, enough so that I can overlook the stentorian qualities of his voice (which, in enclosed spaces, is positively overpowering) in favor of his desire to communicate with me. It’s the thought that counts (even though I feel better-equipped to stand by this sanctimonious belief when my ears are sheltered safely behind industrial-quality ear-plugs).

Unfortunately, the language barrier between dogs and humans is pretty well impermeable, which means it’s up to us to use the context, the body language of our dogs, and the circumstances of the vocalization to parse meaning from a volley of barks.

So why do dogs bark? It’s not easy to say (it’s like trying to answer the question, “Why do humans talk?” in so many words). Let’s start off by saying that dogs bark for many different reasons.

Read more »

Before I was a Dog Mom: I made and ate hot meals
unmolested; I had unstained, unfurred clothes; I had
quiet conversations on the phone, even if the doorbell
rang.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I slept as late as I wanted
and never worried about how late I got to bed . . . or
if I could get into my bed.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I cleaned my house everyday, I
never tripped over toys, stuffies, chewies, or invited
the neighbor’s dog over to play.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I didn’t worry if my plants,
cleansers, plastic bags, toilet paper, soap or
deodorant were poisonous or dangerous.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had never been peed on,
pooped on, drooled on, chewed on, or pinched by puppy
teeth.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had complete control of my
thoughts, my body and my mind. I slept all night
without sharing the covers or pillow.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I never looked into big,
soulful eyes and cried. I never felt my heart break
into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop a hurt. I
never knew something so furry and four-legged could
affect my heart so deeply.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had never held a sleeping
puppy just because I couldn’t put it down. I had never
gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes
to make sure all was well. I didn’t know how warm it
feels inside to feed a hungry puppy. I didn’t know
that something so small could make me feel so
important.

Before I was a Dog Mom: I had never known the warmth,
the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or
the satisfaction of being.

A dog is an instinctively aggressive creature. In the wild, aggression came in very handy: dogs needed aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other creatures, and to defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a mate. Selective breeding over the centuries has minimized and refined this trait significantly, but there’s just no getting around it: dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm (just look at those teeth!) because that’s how they’ve survived and evolved. And Mother Nature is pretty wily – it’s hard to counteract the power of instinct!

But that doesn’t mean that we, as dog lovers and owners, are entirely helpless when it comes to handling our dogs. There’s a lot that we can do to prevent aggression from rearing its ugly head in the first place – and even if prevention hasn’t been possible (for whatever reason), there are still steps that we can take to recognize and deal with it efficiently.

- Different aggression types -

There are several different types of canine aggression. The two most common ones are:

- Aggression towards strangers

- Aggression towards family members

You may be wondering why we’re bothering categorizing this stuff: after all, aggression is aggression, and we want to turf it out NOW, not waste time with the details – right?

Well … not quite. These two different types of aggression stem from very different causes, and require different types of treatment.

Read more »

Antoine Draper filed a police report, he brought forth witnesses to the cruel heinous crime but still the criminal walks free.

MiMi, a 2 year old pit bull that Antoine Draper left with his brother was doused with gasoline and set on fire as she gave birth to her puppies by Draper’s brother’s ex-girlfriend in a stoned fit of rage and vengeance against Draper’s brother.

Antoine said it was like parting with a child when he sent MiMi to live with his brother temporarily.

“From a puppy I fed her with a bottle. From the time she was born,” Draper said.

Then, just days before Christmas he got a call which would turn his life upside down and make him sick to his stomach, someone had set his MiMi on fire as she was birthing her puppies. When he got to his brother’s, MiMi was still burning and to make matters even worse, this was no ’stranger’ crime.

Read more »

$1800 Worth of Super Bowl Tickets!!

Chris Gallagher specifically instructed the courier to leave the highly anticipated and pricey package tucked safely under the doormat of his Avondale, AZ home.

Unfortunately for Chris, the courier seemed to feel the package would be safer tucked under the door, little knowing that Buddy, a three year old Labrador Retriever, with other crimes under his collar, was happily waiting to take delivery!

Buddy, previously purveyor of such culinary samplings as sunglasses, shoes and even a football “didn’t sign, but he licked, mauled, chewed and swallowed portions of the coveted tickets.”

When Gallagher came home he was greeted by the back end of Buddy darting out the doggy door and bits and pieces of his latest and most expensive chew toy scattered all over the living room. Buddy kept himself scarce for two days in the backyard.

“He’s a troublemaker,” Gallagher said. “But he looks at you with those big eyes and you can’t be mad for long.”

And for all you footballs fans out there, you can stop cringing and plotting what you would do to Buddy if he were your pooch - Gallagher’s been assured that the tickets are replaceable, but said Chris, Buddy won’t be invited to the Super Bowl party this year!

Source - AZ Central

Dogs are very curious animals and natural scavengers. They can get into and eat just about anything. However, there are many toxic substances found in your home that could potentially kill your dog. The following is a list of ten common household substances that you should make sure to keep out of your dog’s reach. For a more specific and complete list, please see - Poisonous or Toxic to our Dogs and Pets

1) Antifreeze: Many people do not realize it, but common antifreeze kills many pets each year. It smells and tastes very sweet to your dog and is very appealing to him. Ethylene glycol is toxic however, and each winter, many animals are killed by it. Symptoms of toxicity include seizures, vomiting, stumbling and lethargy leading to kidney failure. Make sure to keep your antifreeze out of your dog’s reach. If you suspect that your dog has ingested antifreeze, take your dog to the veterinarian immediately.

2) Chocolate: Chocolate contains a substance called the obromine which is toxic to dogs. Baking chocolate and dark chocolate is especially dangerous. While it usually takes a somewhat large amount of chocolate to kill a dog, poisoning and death does occur with smaller amounts ingested. Signs of chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination, and increased activity. This can progress to seizures and unusual heart rhythms. Call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate.

Read more »

Dog to human translations…..

• Like, why do dogs insist on sniffing the entire lawn before doing their business? Well, to a human, going to the bathroom is just going to the bathroom. To a dog, it’s a form of communication. It tells other dogs who he is. Dogs can also tell how long it’s been since another dog marked that spot. Basically doing their business is like leaving their calling card and it’s only natural for your dog read all the messages lying around before leaving his reply.
• So what does it mean when your dog licks your face? Is it a kiss? Not really. It’s your dog’s way of saying ‘You’re the boss; I defer to you.’  It’s a hold over from what puppies do to their mother or the leader of the pack. They often lick their faces and lips when they want to be fed. So why does your dog lick your face in a moment of affection? Because he’s been conditioned that when he licks your face, he gets petted or praised. So he learns to keep doing it.
• And what about a dog who chases his own tail? Well, terriers and German shepherds are the breeds most likely to go after their own tails. But it’s not normal dog behavior for them or any other breed. Tail-chasing usually starts in dogs with a high predatory drive and no natural hunting outlet for their instincts. So one day, when your dog is bored from being in the backyard all week with no walks, he’ll spy his tail out of corner of his eye and try to pounce on it. Sometimes it becomes compulsive and dogs can bite their own tails and make themselves bleed. If your dog chases his tail compulsively, he’s not getting the mental and physical stimulation he needs. You may need to start taking him to agility classes, or on long walks everyday, or maybe even get him on anti-obsessional drugs. But get a couple opinions from veterinarians you trust before starting that type of medication.

Courtesy of Bark magazine.