We were scouring the internet to bring you a nice wolf howl for Halloween when we came across this one, submitted to YouTube by a fellow with the screen name of Baltomike.

Baltomike, as it turns out, has nothing to do with Baltimore. He's a student in the United Kingdom studying media, whose screen names honors "Balto" -- the Siberian Husky sled dog, who has nothing to do with Baltimore either.

Balto led the dog team delivering diptheria serum to Nome, Alaska in 1925, ending fears of an epidemic. The run is commemorated by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Balto was named after Norwegian explorer Samuel Balto, who had nothing to do with Baltimore, either.

Balto (the dog) and his team toured the U.S. after they rescued Nome from diptheria, but their fame soon faded, and the team was sold to a vaudeville promoter running a dime museum in -- no, not Baltimore -- Los Angeles.

In 1927, the dogs were discovered there in poor health by a former boxer (as in pugilist) and businessman from -- no, not Baltimore -- but Cleveland.

That businessman, George Kimble, started a campaign among schoolchildren and others who raised $2,000 to buy Balto and the team and bring them to live at what was then called the Brookside Zoo.

After his death in 1933, Balto (the dog) was stuffed and put on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where he stands today.

All of which has nothing to do with Halloween. And nothing to do with Baltimore.

But Happy Howl-o-ween, anyway.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

To make sure the only thing your dog suffers this Halloween is the indignity of wearing a silly costume, we offer the following safety tips, culled from the ASPCA and the American Kennel Club.

First off, if you are one of the 10 percent of Halloweeners that are putting your pet in a costume, make sure it fits properly, doesn't obstruct seeing, hearing or breathing, and that it has no small pieces that could be broken off or be swallowed.

On top of that, the AKC recommends you be careful about any open flames, inside or outside. Make sure candles and jack-o-lanterns are kept where neither the dog, nor the costume might come in contact with them.

Keep chocolate and other candies out of your pets' reach. Chocolate can be toxic for dogs, and other candies and gums contain large amounts of the sweetener xylitol, which can be toxic to pets, especially dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruely to Animals. Ingestion can produce a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar. It's a good idea to keep pets away from candy wrappers as well, the ASPCA says.

The AKC recommends getting your walk in early. That will lessen the chance of your dog getting into any discarded candy, or the remnants of any pranks, such as broken eggs. It also lessens the possibility that so many loud children in strange costumes will freak him out.

If your dog is going to greet trick or treaters -- as my dog Ace insists on doing -- be sure to keep him on a leash, the AKC says, and don't leave him unattended outside, even if he is behind a fence.

The ASPCA says it's a good idea to keep any extra close eye on pets, and to be sure your pet is wearing his tags. With all the opening and closing of the front door on Halloween, it increases the chances of dogs escaping and getting lost.

Follow this link for the complete list of the ASPCA's Halloween tips.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

If you're hard up for a last-minute Halloween costume for your pet, the video above might give you some ideas.

And if putting Bowser in a Batman costume gives you pause, take heart: A whopping one of ten households that celebrate Halloween -- about 7.4 million of them -- plan on outfitting their pets for the holidays, according to the National Retail Federation.

Devils, pumpkins, witches, princesses and angels (in that order) are the top five Halloween costumes for pets this year, the federation reports in its 2007 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch.

“Many consumers who own pets think of them as family members,” said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. “Pet owners will go all out to include dogs, cats and other critters in Halloween festivities, including trick-or-treating, handing out candy or even celebrating at a friend or family members’ house.”

Nearly 60 percent of American humans plan on celebrating Halloween in some way, with princess the most popular costume for females and Spiderman still the leader among boys, according to the survey.

Pet costumes are bigger and more available than ever before – Target, Wal-Mart and Amazon.com all now stock dog and cat Halloween costumes. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) says “humanizing accessories” are the fastest growing segment of the $41 billion a year pet market.

The APPMA predicts about 7 percent of dog owners plan to purchase a Halloween costume for their pet this year, up from 4 percent in 2004.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The pets at the Maryland SPCA will be celebrating Halloween again this weekend -- donning costumes for the second weekend in a row.

That's Miles to your right, a German Shepherd in his Spiderman disguise.

All during the month of October, the SPCA's adoption center, at 3300 Falls Road, has been getting in the spirit of Halloween, with animals performing tricks for treats, and free candy and decorations for visitors.

Pets will be in costume this Saturday and Sunday, as well as Tuesday and on Halloween night.

Also, all adopters receive free ZooBOOO! tickets for The Maryland Zoo's big October event.

On Saturday, the adoption center will be open an extra hour and a half, from noon until 5:00 p.m.

In addition, the Maryland SPCA, in honor of Halloween, is holding a "Black Cat Special" until Oct. 31, in which all black cats are available for $40 -- half the usual adoption fee.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

If dogs could talk ...

...We'd finally understand what's so intriguing about the game of fetch.

...A Doberman would be elected to Congress.

...Cats would try to put words in their mouths.

...Iggy could have just said who he wanted to live with and this whole Ellen-hairdresser-rescue organization drama could have been avoided.

...We probably wouldn't like them as much.

If dogs could talk, videos like this wouldn't be unusual at all.

Okay, your turn. Fill in the blank (by clicking on "comment" below):

If dogs could talk, ______________________________.

Best answer gets a free copy of my video, "Hey, Mister, What Kind of Dog is That?"

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) will hold its third annual BARCStoberfest this weekend.

The event, sponsored by Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon, will be held from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday (it's being rescheduled from Saturday due to rain) in Patterson Park (corner of Eastern and Linwood).

“This is a festival specifically geared to you and your pet, with lots of activities, entertainment and information,” said Jennifer Mead-Brause, BARCS’ executive director. The event will feature a low-cost microchip clinic, a scavenger hunt, a Silly Agility Course, children activities, a silent auction, a raffle and several pet contests.

Local vendors of pet-related products and services will be on hand, as well as experts in animal health and wellness.

The popular Pet Costume Contest is back, just in time for Halloween. Other featured contests include Best Trick and Owner/Pet Look-a-Like.

Thousands of people and their pets attended BARCStoberfest over the past two years, raising $26,000 for BARCS’ efforts to protect animals through adoption, education and the promotion of responsible pet ownership.

Mead-Brause anticipates the turnout to be even stronger this year. For those looking for a pet, plenty of adoptable animals will be available on-site, including animals from BARCS, as well as pure-breeds from area rescue groups. All proceeds from this event benefit the animals of BARCS.

Pets on leashes are welcome.

Entrance is free but some activities require donations to participate.Due to rain, the event has been rescheduled for Sunday. BARCS is a non-profit organization created in 2005 that works in conjunction with the Baltimore City Bureau of Animal Control.

For more information visit BARCS website at www.baltimoreanimalshelter.org

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

A German Shepherd named Aldo was returned to his elderly owners in Bogota, Colombia, a month after after he was kidnapped and held for a $350,000 ransom, the Associated Press reported.

The dog was returned to his owners on Friday, after the story of his kidnapping was published on the front page of the country's largest newspaper, El Tiempo.

Capt. Wilfredo Vasquez, spokesman for the police's elite "Gaula" anti-kidnapping unit, said the dog's owners refused to discuss the case, but described them as a wealthy, retired couple.

"They lived alone and loved the dog like it was a child," said Vasquez.

The four-year-old purebred was taken hostage on Sept. 18, when kidnappers broke into the couple's house, subdued the dog with a tranquilizer and lugged it away in a bag, Vasquez said.

Hours later, the captors called the couple to tell them that Aldo would be mutilated unless they forked over $350,000. They also received photos of the dog bound in chains, along with a tape recording of the warning, "This is how your dog cries at night."

When the couple went to pay part of the ransom last week, six undercover agents were lying in wait.

A shootout erupted after the exchange took place, wounding one of the agents and leading to the capture of two of the dog's kidnappers. Aldo was dropped off at the vet's office later the same day, showing signs of starvation, Vasquez said.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

While it's done wonders for my blog -- drawing in a record number of readers and comments -- I would nevertheless like to see some closure in this whole Ellen-Iggy mess.

That way, the world could move on to slightly more important things, like global warming, the presidential election, or fixing a child welfare system that regularly messes things up for children far worse than Iggy has been messed with.

Of all the comments from readers, here is the one l liked best. It came from a Fred, via hotmail:

"Take it to Judge Judy! Emergency show. Prime Time. Proceeds to animal shelters."

Think about it. It could be a serial -- running for five nights, leading up to Judge Judy's binding verdict. We could hear all the testimony. Watch all the tears. And a portion of the mega-advertising revenue it would generate could go to shelters or humane societies.

Most important, we'd all have closure -- Iggy included.

As far as it creating a "carnival atmosphere," no worries.

Like global warming, it's already here.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Iggy -- a beady-eyed little bundle of fur whose custody has become a matter of worldwide concern -- continued to dominate headlines today as Ellen called for calm.

On her television show today (taped yesterday) Ellen said she would not mention the puppy again -- unless of course there were a happy ending and Iggy ended up being returned to the hairdresser, in which case maybe she'd have them on the show.

The comedian also pleaded for an end to any harassment her fans and supporters were directing at the owner of the rescue organization, Mutts and Moms.

That organization inactivated its website on Petfinder.com after being overwhelmed with emails and voicemails, and its owner says she has received death threats.

Petfinder, while not taking sides, had this statement:

"Many shelters and rescue groups insist, through their adoption agreements, that if a pet cannot stay with his adoptive family, the adopters must return him to the group. Why do they do this? Between 500,000 and 1 million pets adopted from shelters and rescue groups find themselves homeless and in the shelter once again."

Here's Ellen's "last" word on the subject, as seen on today's show.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Long drama short: Beloved (mostly) comedian Ellen DeGeneres adopts a Brussels Griffon mix named "Iggy" from a California dog rescue organization called Mutts and Moms.

In doing so, signs papers (though maybe she didn't read the small print) saying if she can't keep the dog herself she will return it.

Instead, because he's "rambunctious," she gives dog to her trusted hairdresser and her family. Mutts and Moms calls Ellen two weeks later to check on the dog. Ellen tells truth. Rescue group goes to hairdresser's house and reclaims the dog. Hairdresser and daughters upset. Rescue lady upset. Ellen upset, and everyone (media included) seems to be taking themselves too seriously.

Iggy could figure this thing out in a second; but with humans, celebrities and lawyers involved, expect the drama to last for months.

Where does Iggy belong? Cast your vote by clicking on the comment tab below.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (96)
        

The Mutts blog prides itself on regularly providing our readers with useful and relevant information -- reports that are, at once, intellectually stimulating and brimming with societal significance.

But once in a while, we just get goofy.

It is in that latter pursuit, that we bring you this number, via YouTube, entitled, "I'm a Pug, Woop"

Posted by John Woestendiek at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Hayle is the official taste-tester for a new small business in Maryland, Love of Dog Bakery, which was opened this month in Laurel by Julie and Rob Newman.

Without a two paws up verdict from the flat-coated retriever mix, adopted from an animal rescue organization when she was 10 weeks old, the Newmans' handmade mutt munchies don't leave the kitchen. (Hayle also has her own blog, which you can find here.)

In late 2006, Julie tried her hand at making homemade dog treats as gifts for her friends' dogs over the holidays. When a friend suggested she sell them, she and Rob, a marketing professional, turned to the Internet and launched their website in October. 

Every month, they choose a different animal-related charity and donate 5 percent of all sales to it. Last month it was the Humane Society. This month, it's the ASPCA.

Rob contacted me last week, interested in looking at making Rolling Dog Ranch, the sanctuary for disabled animals in Montana, a beneficiary in the future. (The ranch was featured in the Mutts blog all last week. To see those stories, scroll down a bit.) 

Julie, who is finishing up her PhD program in clinical psychology, personally bakes every treat herself, including a chicken and parmesan treat, a beef and cheddar one, peanut butter carob chip and Peanut Butter Carrot PupCakes. 

As for Hayle, she says on the website that she'll answer your email, though she prefers checking "pee-mail" while out walking in the neighborhood.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Baltimore's city animal shelter (BARCS) is on YouTube, with a new promotional ad aimed at getting pet lovers to come to Patterson Park for the third annual Barcstoberfest, two weeks from Saturday.

The event, which raises money for the non-profit side of the shelter, will be held Oct. 27 unless it's too rainy. Then it will be Sunday Oct. 28.

We'll be telling you more about it in the weeks ahead. But if you can't wait, you can get more information at the website of BARCS.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Admittedly, things have gotten a little heavy here on the Mutts blog -- what with all the heart-wrenching (though inspiring) portraits of disabled animals at Rolling Dog Ranch, and the controversy over the proposal in Baltimore County to punish all pit bulls because of the acts of a few.

Now, it seems the pit bull proposal has lost its steam (which is a form of hot air), and that any legislation passed will rightly be aimed more at vicious dogs than particular breeds.

To celebrate, and lighten things up a bit, we bring you a dancing dog -- not just any dancing dog, but Rookie, the Golden Retriever whose performance with Carolyn Scott, to the tune of "You're the One That I Want" (from "Grease") has become an internet staple.

Scott has been training and showing dogs for the past 30 years. She is one of the founders of the Musical Dog Sport Association and will be conducting a seminar in Maryland later this month.

To see her and Rookie (Wayne Newton should get a few pointers from this retriever), click on the video above.

Scott will be leading a seminar in dancing with dogs at the Salisbury Kennel Club's training center, at 1305 S. Division St., on Saturday, Oct. 27. For more information, contact the kennel club or visit Scott's website

Posted by John Woestendiek at 4:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Ace is at it again.

My dog is a bit of a philanthropist, you see. And though neither he, nor his keeper, has any money, he still likes to try and make the world a better place.

So now the movie about the search for Ace’s roots – “Hey, Mister, What Kind of Dog is That?” – is (with his permission) available for rent at Missoula's Crystal Video.

And the proceeds from those rentals will be going to Rolling Dog Ranch, the sanctuary for disabled animals featured in the Mutts blog all last week.

Of course, people can still watch the serialized version of the movie online here. And I’ve already offered to send free copies to teachers and humane societies in the Baltimore area who want to use the movie in classes or fund-raising efforts. (But people in Missoula don’t know those things and Ace is betting that, even if they did – as dog crazy as they are -- they’d still fork over some cash to rent the movie, knowing that money is going to a good cause.)

What the movie raises in Missoula – like the $800 that advanced screenings raised in Baltimore for the shelter Ace was adopted from (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, or BARCS) -- may just be a drop in the bucket, but enough drops in enough buckets can add up.

The DVD version of “Hey, Mister …” is a tad shorter and slightly less glitch-filled than the original online version, thanks to Terri Cierny, who worked some magic on it. And it's packaged in a snazzy case, featuring an image designed by the Sun's Peter Yuill, thanks to Rob Emenecker at Hairy Dog Digital in Linthicum, which burned the DVDs for us.

It’s still about as far away from “hi-def” as you can get it, but it does have that very cool Wilco song “What Light” on it.

So, for the folks back home in Baltimore, the offer remains -- while supplies last, of course -- free copies to teachers, humane societies, and anyone else who is either a loyal Mutts reader or defender of the dog (Just send your address to mutts@baltsun.com)

To the people of Missoula, you can check out Ace's display and rent the movie at Crystal Video on Higgins Street, thanks to the gracious cooperation of owner Tim Huffman.

And to the owners of Rolling Dog Ranch, Steve Smith and Alayne Marker, thanks for doing what you do.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Carey Hughes says the two years she spent taking care of a friend's pitbull mix are what's behind her petition drive against the breed specific legislation that has been proposed in Baltimore County.

"I was also leery of pitbulls thanks to all of the negative media attention they receive," said Hughes 31, who works as a billing manager for an outpatient surgery center, and runs her own hand-made jewelry business.

Then a close friend asked her to take care of her dog, a pitbull mix named "Balto."

"Balto taught me that 'pitbulls' are the most loyal dogs in the world. He taught me that they like to sleep under the covers and love to lay out in the sun. He taught me that they look forward to training sessions and would do back flips for you if they could just figure out how. Most importantly, he taught me that dogs WANT a pack leader and someone to answer to. They WANT to be good.

"Balto quickly became everyone's favorite dog," she added. "He left my house in May and
the neighborhood children still ask for him every time they see me. My mother, who was bitten by dogs as a child and never really liked dogs in general, was more upset than I was when he left. He loved to lick her face constantly. The more she laughed, the more he licked. She would laugh and say 'I can't believe I'm letting a pitbull lick my face!'"

Balto is living in North Carolina now, and Hughes has her own dog -- but it was her experience with Balto that led to her campaign, in which she trying to gathering as many signatures as she can by Thursday to present to the council.

"I took on this unfair legislation on Balto's behalf and on behalf of every other well-behaved, well-trained 'pitbull' in Baltimore County," she said.

To see the petition -- they are available and being collected at Dogma, the pet shop at 3600 Boston Street -- click below.

October 2, 2007

Please see the attached signatures of Baltimore County residents who are against Bill no. 70-07 titled “Regulation of Pitbulls and Dangerous and Menacing Animals”.

By signing below, I agree that Bill No. 70-07 unfairly discriminates against responsible dog owners as it is proposed. In addition, I do not agree with ANY legislation that singles out any particular dog breed. I do, however, support legislation against dangerous and menacing animals as long as it is NOT breed specific.

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Posted by John Woestendiek at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

(A) Pit bulls

(B) Humans

We bring you two videos today (for best results, play them simultaneously) -- on the eve of a council meeting in Baltimore County to discuss a proposal to require pit bulls be muzzled in public and caged in private.

The proposed "breed specific legislation," as it has become known, provoked the most comments ever received on this blog, all of which, as of today, have been passed on to all seven county council members via email. The council's work session is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow in Towson.

Almost unanimously, those commenting here -- including several from jurisdictions that have passed such laws -- agreed that the proposed legislation is a foolish pursuit.

When a pit bull, or any dog, behaves violently, it's almost always because that behavior was instilled and encouraged by a human -- and if anyone belongs in a cage, it's the latter.

I would even go so far as to say a pit bull -- raised with love -- is a much more predictable animal than a human.

As a society, we've never been much for looking into the causes of violence. Politicians prefer grandstanding; with or without the facts at their side, which is one reason for my earlier tongue in cheek proposal that they, not pit bulls, be caged and muzzled.

Once we get that accomplished, we might want to move on to professional athletes.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

(rolling dog ranch from john.woestendiek on Vimeo).

For Steve Smith and Alayne Marker, the dream was to retire early from their jobs at Boeing, buy a ranch in Montana and start a sanctuary for disabled animals.

The problem was, even early retirement was a ways off, and they were getting tired of waiting for it, especially once they secured the ranch, on 160 acres near Ovando.

“Back in Seattle, we were spending every waking moment thinking about being here,” said Smith.

So they ditched the jobs – he’d been in the communications department at Boeing for 10 years, she’d spent 17 years as a lawyer for the company – and got on with the dream, moving to Montana and naming the ranch Rolling Dog, after the way their own dogs gleefully rolled in the grass there every time they visited.

Rolling Dog Ranch is not a place where animals stay until homes are found, or until illnesses are overcome, but one where, most often, they come to live out the rest of their days. They are animals so severely injured or disabled that many people would assume they had no quality life ahead.

But daily, the dogs, cats and horses at Rolling Rock Ranch show just how wrong those people are.

Like our friend Henry, the three-legged cat we wrote about last month, the animals at Rolling Dog Ranch don't just survive, they thrive.

The ranch opened, slightly earlier than planned, in 2000, when Steve and Alayne were asked to take in a blind horse. Seven years later, it serves as home to 80 animals – 40 dogs, 10 cats and 30 horses, 25 of which are blind.

It is funded through donations from the public.

“People assume a ranch with 80 disabled animals is going to be a sad place, but when they come they’re really quite captivated,” Steve said.

“People tend to transfer their human emotions onto the animals, so a lot of people think a disabled animal can’t be happy, which is so far from the truth,” Steve said. “We tell people not to feel sorry for these animals, because they don’t fee sorry for themselves.”

Not Blanca, a nearly blind, totally deaf Great Dane from Mexico; not Evelyn, a blind labrador who, through scent and sound, can fetch a ball nevertheless; not Tyler, a deaf English pointer who came from a puppy mill in Ohio; not Patty who lost both eyes after being assaulted with a shovel, but doesn’t seem to hold a grudge against humans.

You see no self-pity, no anger; they just accept their condition, adjust and move on, sometimes with awkward gaits, as in the case of those with neurological problems. But behind even those spastic movements lies more grace than I -- or most humans – will show in a lifetime.

The couple – they met on a hiking trail when Alayne’s dog brought them together – had been adopting special needs animals for several years. Steve adopted his first after seeing her photo month after month in a published listing of animals in shelter in the Seattle area. Her name was Dolly – the same name as his childhood dog. He adopted her, then another, named Dylan. By the time they left Seattle, Steve and Alayne had six dogs and six cats.

They saw the ranch/sanctuary as a way to make a bigger impact on the number of animals who -- deemed useless, too different, or too much trouble -- are euthanized each year in America.

Horses, though not part of the original plan, have become a major focus. Because they are often seen more as working animals than companions, are even more likely to be euthanized, Steve said. “Once these animals go blind people don’t want to put another dollar in them… Breeders just want the animal gone – today. They don’t want anyone to know they had a disabled foal.”

To change that way of thinking the couple has started a website called blindhorses.org.
Both Steve and Alayne work 14 hour days at the ranch, and they have one employee to help feed and medicate the animals, and transport them to veterinarians when necessary. The ranch can spend up to $40,000 a year on vet care alone.

To contribute to Rolling Dog Ranch, or learn more about its animals, visit its website: rollingdogranch.org.

The slide show above is made up of photos I took during my visit in September -- except for the one of Widget and Alayne. It was just too cute not to include. It was taken by Ashley McKee, a journalism student at the University of Montana, and was provided courtesy of Rolling Dog Ranch.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

More than two dozen cats have come to Rolling Dog Ranch with blindness, neurological disorders and other disablities -- but this isn't one of them.

This is Ash, (to the left) one of the cats that moved to the ranch with Steve and Alayne.

Recently he showed up with a broken leg, possibly the result of getting stepped on by a blind horse.

Now, he's recuperating in the cathouse, a 300-square-foot building with an attached outdoor enclosure that's also known as "Hoedad’s House," named for a cat Smith had found starving  in Sri Lanka.

Its other occupants include Blind Bobby from Billings, a big orange and white cat who has memorized his way around the building; Wobbles, who has cerebellar hypoplasia, but doesn't let that stop him from playing with other cats, and the dogs; and Lulu, a one eyed black cat from Helena.

“A one-eyed black cat doesn’t stand a great chance to get adopted," Smith said.

Together, the cats spend their days playing, or lolling in the sunshine.

Though Alayne is allergic to them, the ranch now houses about 10 cats, including these two, who don't let having little use of their rear legs stop them from having some fun. The video (below, click it twice) is from the Rolling Dog Ranch webswite -- via Youtube.

(Tomorrow: The humans behind the haven)

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Travis came to Rolling Dog Ranch from Spokane, where he had been left tied to a veterinary clinic door.

He had a rare muscular disease that -- though it's normally treatable -- went untreated for so long that his jaw fused shut, leaving him, in the view of animal control, unadoptable.

Surgeons affilliated with the ranch determined he had masticatory myositis, and that surgery wasn't an option. Drugs didn't help much either. A tube was inserted into his stomach and, for months after he arrived at the ranch, Steve and Alayne fed him that way. To keep Travis from pulling his stomach tube out, they kept him covered in a dog sweater.

One day though, they noticed he was licking an empty dog bowl, and that he was able to stick his tongue out through a small opening between his teeth on one side of his mouth.

They began feeding him with a bowl, running the food through a blender first, and eventually Travis ripped the unused tube out of his stomach. He continues to eat out of a bowl, but, since he can't lick it clean, the other dogs wait for him to finish and then scarf up what he has left behind.

The hole in his stomach where the tube was is healing now, and Travis, thanks to taking in more food, has become far more energetic than he was when he arrived.

He loves wrestling with the other dogs, and while he can't use his mouth to playfully bite, he does use his front teeth like a saw, Smith said. He can't bark, but he does manage -- by puffing his cheeks and pushing air through the tiny opening in his mouth -- a muffled woof.

(Tomorrow: Visiting the cathouse)

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Soba is one of two sisters (the other is Noodle) who came to Rolling Dog Ranch from a humane society in Iowa -- both with a neurological disorder known as cerebellar hypoplasia, which makes them wobble, flop, flail and fall.

But both seem very happy dogs.

Steve said Soba's mom, when pregnant, got distemper. As a result, some of her pups were born with the disorder. Two others were born totally paralyzed and one was unaffected.

Noodles is rarely shown to visitors at the ranch because some guests get upset by how much she falls.

Soba and Noodle, meanwhile, take their condition in stride. ”They have no idea anything is wrong with them," Smith said. "They just live their lives and are perfectly happy”

Soba, the more coordinated of the two Collie mixes, takes a while to get where she's going. At times, she seems to be going in all different directions as she walks, as if each leg has a mind of its own.

Sometimes all four will be flailing, but she gets nowhere. Other times, they make contact and propel her to her destination.

But neither seems frustrated by their handicap, or by how long it takes them to get where they want to go, as you can see in this Rolling Dog Ranch video (below) of Soba:

(Tomorrow: Travis learns to eat)

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When members of a humane society first spotted Allie zig-zagging down a street in Ontario, Canada, they thought she might have swallowed something toxic.

They took the stray labrador mix to a clinic where she was diagnosed with cerebellar hypoplasia -- a disorder that often leads to a death sentence for dogs.

As sweet as Allie was, though -- she was but three-months-old at the time -- they couldn't bear the idea of euthanizing her.

They contacted Rolling Dog Ranch, and, with word that the ranch had accepted her, a local campaign was mounted to pay her airfare. It raised $1,500, more than enough.

Allie is a floppy-eared lesson in persistence. She falls frequently, but gets right back up and doggedly continues to make her way to you. When she reaches you, she falls at your feet, which Smith believes is her way of making sure you stay still, so that she can stay by your side.

Of all the dogs I met at Rolling Dog Ranch -- and there are 40 of them there now, each inspirational in their own way -- Allie is the one that most inspired me. She's the canine version of the little engine that could, perseverance personified.

Here's a Rolling Dog Ranch video of her (click it twice to make it play) -- and how she gets from one side of a fence to the other.

 
(Tomorrow: A tale of two sisters)

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Cash was four days old when his owners, realizing he was blind, contacted Rolling Dog Ranch in February.

The owners, in Alabama, said they couldn't keep him around, and needed him gone within a month -- even though it's normally advised that foals stay with their mares for at least four months.

Steve Smith and Alayne Marker, owners of Rolling Dog Ranch accepted the horse -- the alternative was his owners putting him down -- and the owners chipped in to help with the cost of shipping him to Montana.

That, Smith noted, is more than most horse owners do. Generally, they don't want blind horses around, partly because of the nuisance they might cause, partly because having produced a disabled horse might affect how customers view their breeding operation.

Smith and Marker also have a website devoted to blind horses -- blindhorses.org -- that seeks to dispel the myth that a blind horse can't have a quality life and offers tips on how to care for, pasture and appreciate them.

Rolling Dog Ranch -- while it was intended for dogs and cats -- started with a horse as its first permanent guest.

Her name was Lena, a registered Quarter Horse who had been a victim of training abuse. Because of a problem with her rearing up, a trainer rigged her reins so that she would flip over backwards if she tried. Four times, Smith said, Lena was allowed to flip over backwards, and the repeated blows ruined her optic nerve, leaving her blind.

Her owner was considering selling her to a slaughterhouse when a friend offered to take her in, later realizing she couldn't afford to keep her.

Rolling Dog Ranch was putting up its first buildings when a delivery person, upon finding out that an animal sanctuary was what was planned on the 160 acres near Ovando, told them about Lena.

Lena arrived scared and scarred, but since then she has become gentle and trusting, and Smith says she helps new blind horses who arrive at the ranch learn the ropes.

Cash, who has a rare eye disorder called aniridia, in which the irises don't develop, was one of those. He arrived in March, four weeks old by then, and quickly impressed the ranch with his smarts, as can be seen in this Rolling Dog Ranch video (click twice to make it work) of Cash engaging in some horseplay with Smith.

Here's another of Cash, who, despite blindness, figured out a novel way to get some extra food:

(Tomorrow: Saving Allie)

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All All this week, we'll be taking you to a very special place -- one where sightless horses lope across golden meadows, blind and deaf dogs chase balls with spirited abandon, and neurologically damaged cats still play mischievously, making up what they lack in coordination with perseverance.

Rolling Dog Ranch -- a sanctuary for disabled animals -- sits on 160 grassy acres in a sparsely-populated valley near the town of Ovando, Montana.

I was lucky enough to visit the ranch, about 60 miles northeast of Missoula, on a recent weekend, and all this week on the Mutts blog, you can, too.

You'll meet Cash, a Quarter Horse born blind on a farm in Alabama; Allie, a lab mix with cerebellar hypoplasia who was found weaving down a street in Ontario, Canada; and Travis, a stray picked up in Spokane, Wash., by animal control officers who noticed he could not open his mouth.

And, eventually, you'll meet the couple behind it all -- Steve Smith and Alayne Marker, who left their jobs with Boeing in Seattle to build a haven for animals that, were it not for the ranch, likely would not be around today. For many of them, the escape was narrow, Marker said. Some came to the ranch the same day their were scheduled to be euthanized.

But first you must heed the warning that the ranch's owners give all guests: Don't be sad, because the animals aren't. Despite it being a final home for about 80 disabled animals, Rolling Dog Ranch is really not a depressing place at all.

In fact, it's an inspiring one.

(Tomorrow: A blind foal named Cash was four weeks old when he arrived at the ranch from Alabama, where his owners were considering putting him down.)

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