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The grand Federal Hill home of Kenneth Munzert, a retired engineer who died last year at age 88, was sold at auction this afternoon, bringing $808,500. Proceeds from the sale will go to benefit the SPCA of Richmond. You can read about it here.
The largest amount the Maryland SPCA has received is $1 million.
Photo of Munzert's house by Baltimore Sun photographer Algerina Perna.
Click on the video above to hear former Gov. William Donald Schaefer talk about how he met Willie IV and what he thinks about owning a cat after many years as a dog owner.
In case you missed it in the theaters, or if you saw it in the theaters, but want to see it again, Marley & Me is out on DVD today. The Baltimore Sun's Chris Kaltenbach offers this review:
Finally, a dog film that understands the bond between man and canine...doesn't exploit it, doesn't mock it, doesn't pretend it's more or less than what it is, doesn't milk it for mawkish sentiment. Marley & Me, which arrives on DVD shelves Tuesday, is about a couple and their dog. It's not filled with heroic events (Marley's no Lassie), or ceaselessly cute puppies. There's no talking dogs, no dog vs. cat staredowns. There's just a man and his wife, and the dog they come to love.
Based on the best-selling book by newspaper columnist John Grogan (the "Me" in the title), Marley & Me stars Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston and 22 different white Labs who get to play Marley at different times during his 14-year lifespan. The film is joyous and forgiving (Marley, as John likes to put it, is the world's worst dog), celebratory and sympathetic. It's adorable when Marley first arrives as a puppy, endearing as he grows into a big, lovable oaf, celebratory as the family keeps growing, and heartbreaking as the relationship comes to its inevitable end.
This is not the film to watch if you don't want to be seen crying. The disc includes plenty of extras: outtakes, deleted scenes (most removed because they interfered with the film's comic pacing, according to director David Frankel), a look at some of the dogs who got to play Marley, a look at the movie and the movie-making through Marley's eyes. The extras are OK, but the film's a gem. See it with some mutt you love.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox
NAME: Keegan Ellis
NICKNAME: Piglet
OWNER: Christine
HOME: Highlandtown
HOW THEY MET: When Chris lived in Southern California with friends who had dogs, she decided she was ready to take the plunge. Having grown up with a Westie there was no question of what kind of dog. She found a breeder and drove the two hours to pick him up. Keegan was the runt of the litter and so small the breeder brought him out sitting on one hand. His ears were, and still are, huge. On the way home he peed in Chris' lap, then lay down and slept the rest of the way. That night he slept curled around her head and gave her fleas.
AGE: 16
BREED: West Highland White Terrier
FAVORITE FOOD: Cheese, hands down. Sometimes Chris thinks Keegan thinks his name is cheese. He loves all kinds -- fancy French, rubbery American slices, shredded Taco or Italian mix. Cheese is the magic treat that gets Chris and Keegan through dog baths, shots at the vet and long car rides. If you have cheese, you are all right in Keegan's book. Runner-up is baby carrots. Apparently he has a thing for orange food.
BEST TRICK: Getting Chris to play with the current favorite toy every morning even if she's late for work. While she's getting ready, Keegan will choose a toy and walk casually by the bathroom or bedroom door over and over as if to say, 'Oh this? It's nothing. Don't mind me. I know you're busy.' It works every time. You just don't say no to a 16-year-old Westie!
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Guarding the house. Keegan spends all day at the window on his cushion, watching out for unauthorized walking past or parking near the house. Children playing with a ball are his favorite transgressors. He barks like mad to issue his citation, sometimes running around the house for emphasis, and people usually move along. Chris swears this job is what's keeping him alive and she makes sure to thank him often. Besides that, he enjoys his daily walk in Patterson Park where he greets his many girlfriends and catches up on pee-mail.
FAVORITE SPORT: Rat-watching. Westies are ratters. In his youth, Keegan caught 3, after sitting outside for hours each evening. Now that he and Chris are in a house with a yard again, he has taken up the pastime again. Rest assured Keegan is doing what he can to clear up the rat problem in Baltimore City.
IF KEEGAN HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Cheese. It keeps you young.
Photo by Christine
To see other pets that have been featured in Collared, click here.
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Tonight at 9 MPT airs a one-hour special, Citizen Schaefer, that relates the extraordinary political career of William Donald Schaefer. While Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik praised the documentary for its satisfying telling of Schaefer's 50-year political career, there's one side of Schaefer the biographers left out: William Donald Schaefer, the pet owner.
Today I visited the former governor in his home at the Charlestown retirement community to find out about his newest animal companion, an orange and white long-haired mixed breed cat named Willie IV.
It should be noted, that Willie I, II and III were dogs. In fact, according to Schaefer, all the dogs and cats he had were named Willie after his father. Schaefer took Willie IV in to live with him after the cat was abandoned at Charlestown several months ago.
"I mostly had dogs," Schaefer confides, "I'm more of a dog person." Ceramics of dogs, a decorative plate with a picture of a black lab and a photo of Schaefer holding one of his dogs are on display in his living room.
He fondly remembers his black labs, including the one that lived with him in the governor's mansion in Annapolis. Willie the dog loved to charge out of the mansion and frighten pedestrians walking nearby, Schaefer said.
Willie IV, however, turns out to be more ferocious. Schaefer says the cat has scratched him several times. "Cats don't like me," the governor says.
Two-year-old Willie IV enjoys sleeping and looking out the sixth-floor window of Schaefer's apartment. Schaefer says the cat sleeps with him, and eats "everything."
Schaefer said he appreciates how clean and pretty his cat is, but after being in charge of running Baltimore and Maryland, the former governor seems a bit perplexed as to how to deal with the independent-minded Willie. "She never does anything I say," he says.
Check back here tomorrow to see a video of Willie and hear Schaefer talk about his pets.
Top Photo: William Donald Schaefer and Willie IV. Photo by Ken Lam, Baltimore Sun Staff
Bottom Photo: Mayor Schaefer bids farewell to his dog before leaving for City Hall in 1971. Baltimore Sun file photo.
After a long winter, it’s great to see the spring flowers starting to bloom. But the ASPCA warns that some of the most popular flowers and shrubs can pose a hazard to our pets. The Animal Poison Control Center received nearly 8,000 calls for plant poisoning in 2008.
Here is a ASPCA list of some common plants that can be hazardous to your pet’s health:
Lilies
Members of the Lilium spp. are considered to be highly toxic to cats. Even very small amounts of the plant can cause severe kidney damage.
Tulip/Narcissus bulbs
The bulbs contain toxins that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation, drooling, loss of appetite, depression of the central nervous system, convulsions and cardiac abnormalities.
Azalea/Rhododendron
These bushes contain substances known as grayantoxins, which can produce vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness and depression of the central nervous system in animals. Severe azalea poisoning could ultimately lead to coma and death from cardiovascular collapse.
Cyclamen
Cylamen species contain cyclamine, but the highest concentration of this toxic component is typically located in the root portion of the plant. If consumed, Cylamen can produce significant gastrointestinal irritation, including intense vomiting. Fatalities have also been reported in some cases.
Yew
Yews contain a toxic component known as taxine, which causes central nervous system effects such as trembling, incoordination, and difficulty breathing. It can also cause significant gastrointestinal irritation and cardiac failure, which can result in death.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis contain toxins that can cause vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, anorexia and tremors.
Chrysanthemum
These flowers contain pyrethrins that may produce gastrointestinal upset, including drooling, vomiting and diarrhea, if eaten. In certain cases depression and loss of coordination may also develop if enough of any part of the plant is consumed.
English Ivy
If pets ingest ivy, it can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation and diarrhea.
Peace Lily
The peace lily contains calcium oxalate crystals that can cause oral irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing and intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue in pets who ingest.
Also, gardeners take note: The ASPCA warns that mulch made from cocoa bean shells, can be toxic to dogs.
Read more here:
Photo by Jed Kirschbaum, Baltimore Sun
NAME: Scooter Rae
NICKNAME: Scooter Rae Ignatius Marie Bublynski! (when she's in trouble)
OWNER: Bublynski
HOW OWNER AND PET MET: We met Scooter Rae at the Anne Arundel SPCA in August 1997, when she was a year old. She seemed to know instinctively we were her new pack. She came home with us on August 18 - her re-birthday/rescueday.
AGE: 12 1/2
HOME: Upper Marlboro, Md.
BREED: We always thought she was a shepherd-lab mix, but we had her DNA tested a couple of years ago and it showed she's half Rottweiler!
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Long walks in the woods with her Uncle John (who lets her do anything she wants); swimming, retrieving, sailing and kayaking.
FAVORITE FOOD: She thrives on a raw diet. It reversed her physical decline and added years to her life.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Here at the Bublynski household, dogs get a very special liver cake on their birthdays. We offered her a taste for a photo op, and somehow, the whole cake slid off the plate and ended up in her mouth.
AN ATHLETE AT HEART: Scooter Rae is a retired athlete -- she earned her Flyball Dog Champion certificate in 2002. She was always one of the largest dogs at the tournaments, and her best-ever run time was an awesome 4.8 seconds.
BEST TRICK: Scooter Rae can balance almost anything on her nose (see photos), and she fetches the newspaper for us every morning.
IF SCOOTER RAE HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: "Throw the ball/stick/newspaper/Kong/etc...!" or "Let's eat!"
Photos by Bublynski. For more photos by Bublynski, click here.
To see other pets that have been featured in Collared, click here.
Want your pet to be featured in Unleashed? Click here to download the Collared questionnaire. Fill it out and email it to us, along with a web-sized jpeg, at unleashed@baltsun.com.
NAME: Nika
OWNERS: Susan, Stephen, Walden and Sethly
HOW THEY MET: We had had another wonderful Portuguese Water Dog before this--that first dog had been a champion that a breeder decided not to breed. After that dog died, we knew we needed to get another and so put the word out to a couple of friends we knew who bred Portuguese. (They still aren't a very common breed and it can be hard to find puppies.) One day we got a call..."I think I have your puppy!" A litter had been born in New York state that our friend knew about. So we drove to New York and came back in the car with Nika and her sister. We delivered her sister to another happy new owner.
AGE: 8 (but acts around 2...a VERY well-behaved 2!)
HOMETOWN: Silver Spring, MD
BREED: Portuguese Water Dog
BEST TRICK: Nika is amazingly obedient...and for everyone. She went to obedience school when she was a puppy and we've worked with her since then, but it's also just in the breed. Portuguese Water Dogs love to be with people and do what is asked (they were trained to be in small fishing boats with lots of fishermen) and so they very easily learn to do what you tell them. When Nika meets a new dogsitter for the first time (usually a teen in the neighborhood), the sitter is astonished that when we say "Take her outside and tell her to heel. Then do some figure 8s around a few trees--off the leash" that Nika obeys!
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Swimming, of course! She loves to fetch sticks in lakes and ponds, but she's crazy about playing fetch in the ocean with small waves. No balls, however, thank you! Just sticks!
FAVORITE FOOD: Actually Nika likes everything--she's the pre-dishwasher licker of plates. But maybe Nika's favorite food is peanut butter. If you can take the tickling, there is nothing quite like putting peanut butter on your clean toes and having her lick it off. (In our house, only Sethly, who's in 8th grade, can bear it!)
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Nika always comes to the door to greet people with a stuffed animal in her mouth. One of her favorite well-chewed animals is an off-white floppy dog. This past Thanksgiving we got a toy poodle puppy, who is about a tenth of Nika's weight. (Nika is 45 pounds.) The puppy is cream-colored. One day recently our oldest son, Sam, just out of college came for dinner and as he let himself in the house, Nika came bounding up to him and he gasped, "Oh, no, Nika! Not the puppy! Drop her!" Just then the puppy came racing down the stairs to say hi too, and we could hear his audible sigh of relief! Since then, several other guests have made the same mistake. Actually the puppy and Nika are great friends, despite their differences in age and size--they play tug of war all day together (Nika lets the puppy win sometimes) and they curl up in the sun together during the day to sleep. (At night the puppy is in a crate.)
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: Nika was born on Christmas Day, and so Grandma came up with the idea of naming her after the Portuguese St. Nicholas ...although she's a girl! We call her Nika, which seems to fit her sunny, sweet disposition.
IF PRESIDENT OBAMA GETS A PORTUGUESE WATER DOG, HERE'S WHAT HE SHOULD KNOW: Portuguese Water Dogs are great "first dogs"--great as the "first dog" for the country because they are so outgoing and like everyone they meet, but also great "first dogs" to have if you haven't had one before. The fact that they don't shed means you don't have to think twice about hugging a black dog when you've got a white shirt on. And the fact that they're obedient means that they will quickly learn to follow your lead.
But like the presidency and like parenthood, there are two key rules to remember: "Begin as you mean to go on" and "Be consistent." If you don't want her in the Lincoln bedroom (or, gasp! sleeping in the president's bed), then don't "just this once" invite her in for a hug and a romp. And always have everyone in the family use the same words to let the dog know what you want her to do. Don't have one person say "STOP!" and one person say "NO!" One of the main reasons Nika is such a well-behaved dog is because the whole family has participated in training her--not formally, but in everyday ways. No one feeds her (or even pets her) at the dinner table, so she never begs. And whoever takes her on a walk, tells her to "heel"...and so she does.
Last bit of advice? After the novelty of getting her wears off, don't forget to continue to love her, take her on long walks, and tell her she's the most wonderful dog in the world.
IF NIKA HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: "I love you...can we go for a run and swim now?!"
Photo by Susan Moeller
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
Want your pet to be featured in Unleashed? Click here to download the Collared questionnaire. Fill it out and email it to us, along with a web-sized jpeg, at unleashed@baltsun.com.
NAME: Hunter
OWNERS: Robert and Teresa Martin
HOW THEY MET: We found each other in the Columbia Mall Pet Store.
AGE: 8 years old
HOMETOWN: Ferndale, Md.
BREED: American Eskimo
BEST TRICK : Fetch the ball and don't bring it back
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Running/walks
FAVORITE FOOD: Whatever he can get his paws on
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Being chased around the yard by a leaf blowing in the wind.
A LOYAL COMPANION: He is a great dog that is always loving and there for his family.
IF HUNTER HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: I'm the center of the universe, everyone must pet me and me alone.
Photo by Justin Martin
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
Want your pet to be featured in Unleashed? Click here to download the Collared questionnaire. Fill it out and email it to us, along with a web-sized jpeg, at unleashed@baltsun.com.
LORI.
She was already helping the environment by buying biodegradable doggie bags, as she shared with us in an earlier post, and now she is getting rewarded for it. She was selected in the random drawing to receive today's fabulous prize: a brand-new leash with a built-in holder for plastic bags.
Congratulations, Lori. We see many happy walks in your future. Thanks for commenting.
Next week there will be another chance to win, so stay tuned.
Keep your tissues handy for Friday's episode of DogTown.
Staffers set out to save dogs that have been victims of an overcrowded puppy mill. That's sad and scary enough, but it's the story of Charro (pictured), a sweet yellow Lab mix with a stub tail, that will move you the most.
Rescued from a neglectful home, Charro arrives at the shelter underweight and coughing. Tests reveal a lung problem. After antibiotics fail to help, Dr. Michael Dix decides to try one of the riskiest surgeries he's ever performed.
It's like ER with dogs, and you'll find your own breathing growing a little shallow as you watch.
DogTown is on Fridays at 10 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel.
Photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah.
NAME OF PET: Jersey
OWNER: Baltimore Sun copy editor Carla Correa and Mark Tregar
HOW THEY MET: We met Jersey at the Maryland SPCA in Baltimore and adopted her on Valentine's Day a few years back. We chose her because she was quiet (naturally, she turned out to be the loudest cat we've ever encountered).
AGE: 5
HOMETOWN: South Silver Spring, MD
BREED: domestic shorthair, brown tabby
BEST TRICK: Sometimes, she sits upright like a person.
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: She likes to sleep, look out the window and meow.
FAVORITE FOOD: Jersey refuses to eat people food or treats.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: She once tried to jump on the couch and didn't make it. (She was full-grown; she is very clumsy.)
LOVE YA: Jersey loves everybody and everything (including dogs). If people stop by, she greets them at the door, then meows and follows them around. She once disturbed an acoustical engineering study in our condo because she was too loud.
IF THIS PET HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Please pay attention to me at all times!
Photo by Troy McCullough (Jersey's favorite person in the whole world)
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
Want your pet to be featured in Unleashed? Click here to download the Collared questionnaire. Fill it out and email it to us, along with a web-sized jpeg, at unleashed@baltsun.com.
It's Animal House Friday. Time for silliness and prizes.
I have a problem that I'll bet a lot of dog owners have. In the last few months, I've made a real effort to be more green by using cloth bags when I go grocery shopping. But now I'm nearly out of plastic bags that I use to pick up after my dog. I didn't think that would ever happen. I used to have a big box of plastic bags. Now I sometimes have to wait for my morning paper to get a bag before I take my dog out for a walk. Or sometimes I leave the cloth bags at home in order to load up on plastic bags at the grocery story so I'll have enough to get me through the week.
Some cities have banned plastic bags, and that's been discussed in Baltimore. But what is a dog owner to do?
Send your suggestion by 3 p.m. to be considered for one of our fabulous prizes. Please include your e-mail address so I can get back to you. Don't worry, it won't be public.
Photo: Monica Lopossay, Baltimore Sun
My colleague Frank Roylance, who covers health and science for The Baltimore Sun, passed along a tip about this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released today:
Every day an average of 240 people are treated in emergency rooms for injuries from falls involving dogs and cats, the CDC says. That adds up to about 87,600 people injured each year.
The CDC study examined five years of emergency department data and found that 88 percent of fall injuries caused by pets involved dogs. Among injuries related to dogs, about 31 percent of people fell or tripped over dogs and 21 percent fell after being pushed or pulled by dogs.
For injuries related to cats, 66 percent fell or tripped over cats.
This study reinforces the American Veterinary Medical Association’s recommendation for obedience training for dogs to reduce behaviors such as pushing and pulling that can cause falls, the CDC concludes.
Now only if there could be training that would stop my cat from lying on the steps all the time. Any day, I fear, I will become one of the CDC's statistics.
What about you? Have you suffered a serious fall caused by your dog or cat?
Photo: Champion Systos George Bailee between owner and best friend Larry Wolfe's legs at the Westminster Dog Show. Baltimore Sun photo by Monica Lopossay
Finally this weekend, after much procrastinating, I'm taking my poodle-mix Spencer to get his hair cut. When the breeder sold us Spencer, she told us he was a cockapoo and he would need to have his hair cut about once a year. Well, the vet and groomer informed us he isn't a cockapoo, but probably a terripoo. And he needs his hair cut every six weeks, although I usualy stretch it out to every three months.
Recently I read about Matter of Trust, an organization in San Francisco that collects human and pet hair to weave into mats that soak up oil spills. Salons and individuals can donate to the organization. Now I'm thinking to ask the groomer to bag up Spencer's hair so I can send it away for a good cause.
Photo by Jed Kirschbaum / Baltimore Sun
Washington politicians are debating bailouts and budgets, but when it comes to animal welfare, the capital city's glitterarti aren't stingy. Saturday's Fashion for Paws, a fundraising event for the Washington Humane Society, is nearly sold out. The models haven't yet strutted down the runway, and already advance tickets sales have exceeded the group's $160,000 goal. The event is sold out except for the $2,000 VIP tables.
"It's wonderful," says Tara de Nicolas, who is handling publicity for the event.
The fashion show is expected to draw national and local celebrities and dozens of models who will parade down the runway wearing selections from the spring 2009 collections of such designers as 7 for all Mankind, Betsey Johnson, Cache, Cole-Haan, MaxMara, Nicole Miller, Liljenquist & Beckstead, Ermenegildo Zegna, Anthropologie, Cartier, David Yurman, Lacoste, Saks Fifth Avenue and Aram.
If you can't go, but would still like to donate, you can by clicking here.
Photo: Style expert Paul Wharton walks with his dog at last year's Fashion for Paws event. Courtesy of Washington Humane Society.
Name: Crash Smith II
Nickname: Crash
Owner: Colby Smith
Home: A Critter Trail cage with all the amenities in Catonsville
How they met: Crash II was selected from Petsmart after we had to bury Crash I. Colby selected him out of a choice of about five hamsters.
Age: not exactly known but estimated at about 11 months
Breed: Long-haired Syrian (aka Teddy Bear hamster)
Favorite food: broccoli and seeds and nuts
Best trick: Crash moves his bedding all around his home. He puts it in his cheeks and travels to a new spot and rebuilds a nest.
Favorite activity: Running in his wheel and in his portable rolling ball
Gentle is his middle name: Crash has never once bitten or even tried to bite anyone. He is the most gentle hamster we have owned
If Crash had a motto for life, it would be: You get more broccoli when you're gentle and cute.
Photo by: Liz Atwood
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
Want your pet to be featured in Unleashed? Click here to download the Collared questionnaire. Fill it out and email it to us, along with a web-sized jpeg, at unleashed@baltsun.com.
The Baltimore Sun's Julie Scharper reports that an Edgewater couple and their son were mauled by a pit bull that attacked them in their home last evening. Police shot the dog and cited the owner for allowing a dangerous animal to run loose.
There are obviously a lot of questions that still need to be answered, but my first reaction is one of sadness. While no doubt there are dangerous pit bulls, there are good ones, too, and many of our local shelters are filled with pit bulls and pit bull mixes looking for homes. Such incidents only make it even harder for rescuers to place these good dogs.
Would you adopt a pit bull from a shelter? Have you? Share your stories with us.
My first dog was a French poodle named FiFi. I remember how excited I was when we picked her up from the breeder, put her in the car and began to drive home. We hadn't gone very far when this cute puppy threw up all over me. Turns out FiFi was prone to car sickness.
None of the dogs I have had since have had that problem. In fact, they all loved riding in the car. But, just as with children, there are precautions we pet owners need to take when riding with our four-legged family members.
I came across an article recently on howstuffworks.com, which has some great advice for traveling with pets. It advises using seat harnesses unless you put your pet in a crate. You shouldn't let your dog hang his head out of the car no matter how much he likes it. And of course you never leave your pet in a parked car.
You can read the full article here.
BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter) is holding a fundraiser from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Mother's Federal Hill Grille, 1113 S. Charles St. Watch the NCAA's "Elite Eight" teams battle it out on 18 flat screen TVs, play games, and participate in a silent auction to raise money for BARCS. There will be an open bar and appetizers.
Tickets are $50 pre-sale and $60 at the door. You can buy them here.
NAME OF PET: Brinkley
OWNER: Robert Badolato
HOW THEY MET: He was an SPCA rescue. He found me when I was searching for a dog for my dad. I had just lost my first yellow lab to cancer and didn't think I would be getting another. Brinkley had other ideas.
AGE: 11
HOMETOWN: Oxford, PA
BREED: Lab
MALE OR FEMALE: Male
BEST TRICK: On command he will get on his back and "ride the bicycle."
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Long walks every morning during which he gets to greet about a dozen horses (I swear he thinks they are big dogs). Playing in the snow or swimming are close behind.
FAVORITE FOOD: Anything from a cow
FUNNIEST MOMENT: My then two-year-old getting on his back and saying "I'm gonna ride this donkey." Brinkley was a good sport and did his best "Trigger" imitation.
MAN'S BEST FRIEND: He's faithfully been by my side now for 11 years and has seen me through some very tough times.
IF THIS PET HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: "Yes." (Brinkley smiles a lot)
Photo by: Robert Badolato
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
Want your pet to be featured in Unleashed? Click here to download the Collared questionnaire. Fill it out and email it to us, along with a web-sized jpeg, at unleashed@baltsun.com.
Last week, we talked about parvovirus, which killed one of Oprah Winfrey’s puppies and sickened another. But as devastating as that disease is, it doesn’t make the list of the 10 most common conditions for pet insurance claims.
According to Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, ear infections are the No. 1 condition for dogs and lower urinary tract disease the No. 1 for cats.
The conclusions were based on an analysis of medical claims the company received last year. The top 10 conditions accounted for nearly 340,000, or close to 25 percent, of all canine and feline medical claims VPI received. The most expensive of the common canine conditions was benign skin tumors, with an average submitted claim fee of $340. For cats, the most expensive common condition was renal failure, with an average submitted claim fee of $267.
Here are the lists:
Top Canine Claims | Top Feline Claims |
1. Ear Infections | 1. Lower Urinary Tract Disease |
2. Skin Allergies | 2. Gastritis/Stomach Upsets |
3. Pyoderma/Hot Spots | 3. Chronic Renal Failure |
4. Gastritis/Vomiting | 4. Enteritis/Diarrhea |
5. Enteritis/Diarrhea | 5. Diabetes Mellitus |
6. Urinary Tract Infections | 6. Skin Allergies |
7. Benign Skin Tumors | 7. Hyperthyroidism |
8. Osteoarthritis | 8. Ear Infections |
9. Eye Inflammation | 9. Upper Respiratory Virus |
10. Hypothyroidism | 10. Eye Inflammation |
What’s been your experience with pet insurance? Do you have it? If so, is it worth it worth the cost?
Photo: AP
NAME OF PET: Tony, aka Kitty
OWNER: Andrew & Michael Vinogradsky
HOW THEY MET: Michael found him as a skinny, half-grown kitten who was lost in the woods. After we fed him, he didn't want to leave.
AGE: 3
HOMETOWN: Catonsville
BREED: domestic shorthair
MALE OR FEMALE: Male
BEST TRICK: He's a cat. Tricks are for dogs.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: lying on the steps and refusing to let the dog go up or down.
FAVORITE FOOD: bugs
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Tony disdains the dog, but when the dog was injured and had to wear a Elizabethan collar, Tony was intrigued. He smelled the collared, then batted it with his paw to see if it was real. The poor dog, who holds mutual dislike for the cat, could do nothing but run away in shame.
MICE FEAR HIM: Although he is the most laid-back animal we've ever seen, he charged after a mouse in the basement a couple years ago and no mice have been seen since.
IF THIS PET HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Life is a bowl of Friskies.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Owner
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message and to unleashed@baltsun.com.
Animal advocates have encouraged President Barack Obama to adopt a dog from a shelter rather than buy an expensive purebred. While it seems the first family is leaning toward the Portuguese water dog, child star Abigail Breslin has gone the other route and adopted a sick puppy from an Atlanta shelter.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Academy-award-nominated actress was in town filming a movie when she saw a pen of puppies at a veterinarian's office. Among those was a Australian shepherd mix who had nearly died. Breslin begged her dad to give her the puppy for an early birthday present. And so child star and sick puppy are reunited for a happy ending.
Stay tuned to learn which lucky dog will end up with the family living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Dad says the selection will be made soon.
Photo: Abigail Breslin at the premiere of "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" at in New York City // Bryan Bedder/Getty Images.
NAME OF PET: Katie
OWNERS: Ben and Henry Waldron
HOW THEY MET: Katie was the smallest, cutest and loneliest of a litter, so Henry knew she was the one.
AGE: 5
HOME: Baltimore
BREED: Jack Russell
MALE OR FEMALE: female
BEST TRICK: jumping on the table (learned by herself)
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: chasing ducks
FAVORITE FOOD: sorbet
FUNNIEST MOMENT: She dove into Stoney Run Creek in pursuit of a duck and got really muddy.
PAY NO ATTENTION: She's very tolerant of her family's habit of talking about her as if she weren't in the room.
IF THIS PET HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Life is beautiful, but I wish I could run more.
Photo by: Stephanie Shapiro
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NAME: Reba
OWNER: Maureen
HOW THEY MET: I picked her out on petfinder.com. She was found wandering in the snow in Prince George's County in January 2007, was underweight, the owners didn't claim her and Partnership for Animal Welfare put her in a foster home in Columbia. I adopted her from there in September 2007.
AGE: About 3 years, 6 months.
HOME: Catonsville
BREED: Shepherd mix
MALE OR FEMALE: Female
BEST TRICK: She knows my car is approaching the house from about a half-mile away.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Taking a walk.
FAVORITE FOOD: Any kind of dog treat, but especially Iams biscuits.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Several times a week, Reba will roll over on her back and stretch out her front paws in a reclining position. Then she'll just sleep like that.
AS SWEET AS KISSES: About a week after I adopted her, I noticed that Reba's white markings on her hind paws are both shaped like Hershey's Kisses. I call them white chocolate Hershey's Kisses, and this dog is definitely branded with sweetness. She has the sweetest, most adorable temperament, and that personality was noted in her profile on petfinder.com. When I mentioned the hind paw markings to her former foster parents a few weeks after I adopted her, they said they had never noticed their unique shape. When I was with Reba in a pet store several months ago, a woman exclaimed that her four paws looked like someone had dipped her in white paint.
IF RHEBA HAD A MOTTO, IT WOULD BE: Start every day with laughter and keep a smile on your face all day.
Photo: Courtesy of owner
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In order to encourage microchipping of pets, the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) is promoting Microchip Madness throughout March. Microchips will be offered to the general public for $20 (regular price $35) and to people adopting animals at BARCS for $5 (regular price $10).
Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of an uncooked grain of rice that can be injected into the outer folds of an animal skin. The chip emits an identification number that can be read through the animal’s skin using a scanner.
BARCS is at 301 Stockholm Street behind M&T Bank Stadium. For information, call 410-396-4695 or visit http://www.baltimoreanimalshelter.org/.Microchipping is available Monday through Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Photo: A Lhasa Apso being injected with a microchip. BY KENNETH K. LAM/Baltimore Sun
NAME: Bonnie Belinda (Belinda was her mother's name)
NICKNAME: Bulldog
OWNER: Alex & Karen
HOME: Canton
HOW THEY MET: One year, for Alex’s birthday, his mother gave him the gift of Bulldog. Bonnie was a tiny puppy bought from a breeder in Missouri. Alex almost wrecked the car as he drove home from the breeder, because he couldn’t stop gazing into her big brown eyes (barely visible under all the wrinkles and excess skin, of course).
AGE: 5
BREED: English bulldog
FAVORITE FOOD: Bacon. Bonnie has a weird ability to communicate her need for bacon, without using words or even sounds. We used to take her to brunch at a few dog-friendly places, and fellow diners would walk up to her with their hands full of bacon and wordlessly feed it into her giant, hungry, drooly maw.
BEST TRICK: Bonnie’s trick is making friends her Mommy and Daddy have never met. Strangers will approach us on the street and greet her by name. We suspect Bonnie goes clubbing at night while we’re sleeping.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Bonnie’s favorite activity, without a doubt, is sleeping. Two years ago, she received two kittens as a Christmas gift. Now those kittens are grown, and Bonnie’s favorite activity is to sleep snuggled against the male cat, Lincoln. They doze and lick each other’s faces, their legs all tangled together. It never once occurred to Bonnie that Lincoln and his sister cat, Charlotte, might be edible. That’s what we love about this bulldog.
FAVORITE SPORT: Bonnie's favorite sporting hobby is swimming and boating, all while wearing her doggie life vest. It turns out that English bulldogs are simply too bulky for their stumpy legs to keep them afloat in the water. Bonnie once jumped in a pool, tipped upward like a tanking cruise ship, and promptly sank to the bottom. Her life vest allows her to pursue her twin passions of swimming and boating, including fishing and crabbing (no, she hasn’t yet been pinched by a crab). In the attached photo, Bonnie is cruising along on the boat, complete with life preserver, on her way to a crabbing expedition.
IF BONNIE HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Life is good, especially when you're getting 20 hours of sleep per day.
Photo: Courtesy of owner
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Oprah Winfrey's cocker spaniel puppy, Sadie, who became sick with parvovirus last week, has turned the corner and will be coming home in a few days.
Dr. Alexis Newman, the vet at the animal hospital in Downers Grove, Ill., where the puppy is being treated, appeared on Oprah this afternoon to give the update. Sadie was with her and looked healthy, even if she wasn't playful. The vet said Sadie is "about 80 percent" back to normal after being treated with intraveneous fluids and blood plasma.
Parvovirus, which is prevalent in dog parks, kennels and shelters, is a highly-contagious disease. It is especially dangerous for puppies and older dogs, although it poses no risks to humans. Sadie's littermate, Ivan, whom Oprah also adopted, died of the disease last Thursday.
The city's recent clamp down on dog owners who let their pets run off leash in Mount Vernon Place has generated a huge debate on what's fair, right and lawful. But the issue is about to get a lot more expensive.
In January, the City Council passed a bill increasing the fines for dog owners who let their dogs run off leash and who don't pick up dog poo from $100 to $1,000. The legislation became law on Feb. 13, but so far animal control hasn't received the official documents and is issuing citations in the old amounts, according to Animal Control Director Bob Anderson. That is expected to change within weeks. So it seems the dog owners cited in Mount Vernon this week were lucky.
What do you think about the $1,000 fines? Excessive? Justified? Let us know.
Photo: Holly Arnold plays catch with her dog, Eliza in Mount Vernon. Photo by: Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun
Among the other pressing matters he discussed in his Tonight Show appearance, the president says the dog will be "in place" by the time he returns from Europe in early April. (If you're sick of the financial crisis, you might want to fast-forward to the end; he talks about the dog in the last two minutes.) "They say if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog," Obama told Leno.
But I don't know...he also said, tongue in cheek: "This is Washington. That was a campaign promise. ...The dog will be there shortly."
Here's a post from Unleashed's own Mary Corey: Say you're recovering from surgery, and you're finding that breathing hurts. Lifting your arms feels like running a marathon, and the pain pump isn't quite the miracle device the doctors promised it would be.
If you're like me, here's what will cheer you up: the new season of DogTown.
The National Geographic Channel's hit series, which airs Fridays at 10 p.m., takes hopeless-case dogs and reveals what training, dedication and patience can do. You've been watching a lot of reality TV, but it strikes you that DogTown is a makeover show of the most meaningful kind. (The show drew national attention for its rehabilitation of the Michael Vick dogs, which continues this season.)
You even forget some of your own troubles when you watch Aristotle, a terrier mix rescued from a hoarding situation battle the worst skin condition the staff has ever seen; Charro, a sweet Lab mix face a lethal lung disease; eight beagles narrowly escape euthanasia.
In the opening scene, Sherry Woodard, animal behavior consultant for DogTown, and another staffer set out on a nearly 1,200-mile drive to save the endangered beagles. You find yourself laughing (but not too hard because it hurts) as the rescue turns into a near-sitcom on the drive back.
You get to talk to Woodard and ask her about the lessons of DogTown. "Hope is the biggest one," she says. "We're living in a time when a lot of people are feeling nothing is going right. We play a role in that. We have more power than we think we do in troubled times. ... It's amazing that we can get these animals that are called unadoptable to learn to love. We can change an animal's life."
DogTown is part of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah, one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in the country. You stop thinking about being sick and start to wonder if you might be healthy enough to visit this summer.
Photo: Aristotle, a terrier mix with a terrible skin condition. (C) Pablo Durana / National Geographic TV.
It's Animal House Friday. That means silliness and prizes.
Today's topic: shedding. It's spring and that means shedding season. My cat leaves a trail of hair wherever he goes. Even my supposedly non-shedding poodle mix is leaving clumps of hair on the carpet. What to do?
If you've found a solution to the shedding, post it here. Or share your own shedding horror stories. Post a comment by 3 p.m. in order to be eligible for one of our fabulous prizes.
Photo: Hair from my "non-shedding" dog, Spencer. Photo by me.
NAME: Kiwi
OWNER: Melissa Smith
HOW THEY MET: My mother adopted Kiwi from an animal rescue as my college graduation gift (Kiwi is UMBC school colors, black and gold!)
AGE: 2 years
HOME: Bel Air, Maryland
BREED: Domestic Shorthair (Tortoiseshell)
MALE OR FEMALE: Female
BEST TRICK: Leaping two feet into the air after a feather
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Chasing a laser pointer
FAVORITE FOOD: Ice cream
FUNNIEST MOMENT: The first time she was exposed to catnip
IF THIS PET HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Is that a laser pointer?Photo by Melissa Smith
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Animal control officers and city swooped into the park at Mount Vernon Place near the Washington Monument this week, citing dog walkers for failing to have their dogs on leash.
Bob Anderson, director of Baltimore Animal Control, said officers responded after receiving numerous complaints about dogs bothering pedestrians in the park. He estimated that in the past three days officers have cited fewer than 10 dog walkers for failing to have their dogs on leash or picking up after their dogs.
Failing to have a dog on the leash can result in a $100 fine for the first offense and a $1,000 fine for repeat offenders. Those fines are set to go up soon, Anderson said.
City law requires dogs to be on leash or in a carrier whenever they are off the owner's property, Anderson said. The law specifies that the leashes should be no more than 8 feet long; retractable leashes are not permitted in the city. The law also requires dog walkers to have something to pick up feces (plastic bags count).
He pointed out that dog owners have the option of using the city's dog parks if they want to let their pets run off leash.
What do you think?
Photo: Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun
Dr. Carl Rogge, a veterinarian with Severna Park Veterinary Hospital, was a volunteer vet for the Iditarod for 10 years, but this year he sat out the race because of other commitments. This morning, with the remaining mushers heading for the finish line, Rogge called to say he missed it more than he imagined. "I will be back next year," he said.
As one of about 40 vets helping with the Iditarod, Rogge was stationed at checkpoints along the 1,100-mile route from Willow to Nome, Alaska. His job was to monitor the health of the dogs and give first aid when needed. While animal-rights groups have complained that the race is cruel to the dogs, Rogge sides with Iditarod supporters who say the dogs want to run. "These dogs love it. They are born to do it."
He says he has seen dogs howl in protest when they are not chosen to run and that the dogs that do run cannot contain their enthusiasm at the start of the race. "These dogs are true athletes."
This year, three dogs died during the race and each death is taken seriously, Rogge said. Pathologists perform necropsies to determine the cause of death and researchers are constantly looking for ways to minimize health problems in the dogs, he said.
Rogge said he volunteered to help with the race for the adventure and he can't wait to go back. "It's funny how you miss it."
See pictures of the Iditarod here.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Rogge
NAME: Jack
NICKNAMES: Jack Williams, Jack O'Lantern, Jack-ob
OWNERS: Erica Barmash and Jon Feinstein
HOW THEY MET: I was walking by the vet's office near our apartment, and we locked eyes through the window. I went in and petted him and was struck by how gentle he was, and called my boyfriend to come see him. Jack was facing the back of the cage when Jon walked in, and as soon as he turned around, Jon said "yes!"
AGE: 8
HOME: Brooklyn, N.Y.
BREED: Not sure. We think he's part Persian and part Maine Coon.
BEST TRICK : Jack comes when called and waits by the door for us to get home. He's also figured out that the best way to wake us up in the morning is not to merely meow but also to make some other sort of noise that will confuse us enough to keep us awake, like hitting his paw against a paper bag.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Humping his girlfriend, a fuzzy blue blanket that we call Samantha. He gets VERY UPSET if he can't find her.
FAVORITE FOOD: Roasted chicken from the Peruvian restaurant near our house
A MODEST KITTY: Jack has a special meow he does when he has his toys in his mouth. It sounds sort of like a gargle. He also enjoys sitting on my yoga mat, drinking out of the toilet, and eating off dirty dishes in the sink. He hates being picked up and refuses to look at himself in the mirror. When he needs your attention, he taps you on the shoulder with his paw.
IF JACK HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: I'm a lover, not a fighter.
Photo by Jon Feinstein (http://www.jonfeinstein.com)
You can follow Jack on Twitter here.
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That's how Lance Mackey of Fairbanks, Alaska, described his team of sled dogs, which took him to victory in the 37th Iditarod earlier today. The win is the third in a row for Mackey and a feat only two other mushers have accomplished. No musher has won four in a row. The Anchorage Daily News reports that of the 15 dogs that finished the race, six had been on his previous winning teams. It took Mackey nine days and 21 hours to complete the 1,131-mile race.
See a photo gallery of the race here.
Photo: Lance Mackey drives his team up the finish chute of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 18 in Nome, Alaska, to win his third Iditarod in a row. (AP)
Carol Lagundo with Lab Rescue says Harley, the injured chocolate lab we mentioned earlier this week, has found a home but the group is caring for another sick puppy, Buddy, a 6-month-old black lab who is almost completely blind. Buddy has juvenile cataracts in both eyes. Carol says he is completely blind in one eye and can only see 20 percent out of his other eye. He underwent surgery on March 16 and the surgeon thinks his vision will be mediocre to poor. He'll have to have eye drops the rest of his life. But Carol says Buddy is "running around like a normal happy lab puppy and no one else would know that he has eye trouble."
If you want more information on the organization, here's the group's Web site.
Ivan, one of two cocker spaniel puppies Oprah Winfrey recently adopted, died over the weekend of parvovirus. Sadie, a littermate whom Oprah also adopted, is being treated for the highly contagious disease and has stabilized. Winfrey, in a statement to the Chicago Tribune, said, "I'm saddened by his passing, though we only had him for a weekend. I remain hopeful that Sadie will pull through."
Parvovirus, is transmitted through fecal matter and vomit of infected dogs can be brought into a dog's environment on someone's clothes or shoes. Puppies, whose immune systems are not yet fully developed, are most susceptible.
A pet owner doesn't know a dog is infected until the symptoms develop.
Symptoms include bloody vomiting and/or diarrhea, which can lead to extreme fluid loss and dehydration until shock and death result. Also, bacteria can invade the animal's entire body, resulting in the formation of septic toxins and death.
It is not a threat to humans. With early and intensive treatment most dogs survive.
Joshua Gowans, director of the Humane Society of Baltimore County, says parvovirus is prevalent in kennels, shelters and dog parks. "It is very, very difficult to kill. ... Most every shelter has some contamination at some point."
When a dog comes to the Baltimore County shelter it is give a parvovirus vaccine and placed in quarantine for about a week. If it shows no signs of the disease, it is then released for adoption, Gowans said. As with the flu, puppies and older dogs are most susceptible to the virus. And vets have found that Tamiflu seems to be effective in fighting the disease.
Photo: Oprah Winfrey opens the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in September 2008
NAME: Chip
NICKNAMES: Mr. Chip, Chiparelli, Chiparoni, Chipper, Chippie
OWNERS: Karen and Larry Tong
HOW THEY MET: Originally from West Virginia (and previously known as Reese), Chip was rescued at age 6 by Lab Rescue of LRCP (http://www.lab-rescue.com) and taken to stay at Towson Veterinary Hospital. After winning the hearts of Karen and Larry, he has made a forever home in the city as Chip Tong.
AGE OF PET: 8 years old
HOME: Butchers Hill, Baltimore
BREED: Chocolate Labrador Retriever
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Eating anything, crossing his paws, chasing his ball in Patterson Park, chasing squirrels, being on the City's "Rat Rub Out" team (chasing rats), swimming, having his belly rubbed, visiting his grandparents in Delaware, playing with his cousin Libby the yellow labrador, licking his best friend Tucker the beagle, counter surfing, playing on the beach and getting sandy, eating his paws, e-mailing his friends, checking in on his friends on Dogbook, being in parades, wearing fancy collars/bandannas/doggles and any other useless human fashion accessories.
BEST TRICKS: Target (he will lick what you point to), Spin (he will turn in circles)
FAVORITE FOODS: Peanut butter, Reese's peanut butter cups, jelly beans, anything he can get his paws on
HE DIDN'T GET THE MEMO: Chip forgets that his needs his paws and tail, and likes to chew on them.
IF CHIP HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: I'll be your best friend if you give me some peanut butter.
Photo by Karen Tong
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The remaining teams in the 2009 Iditarod are facing sub-zero temperatures, 35 mph winds and drifting snow as they try to complete the race from Willow to Nome, Alaska. Two more dogs have died. Search parties were sent out yesterday to check on three mushers who were overdue for their checkpoints. One of them, Lou Packer, a doctor from Wasilla, had to be airlifted to safety.
Although all of the teams are outfitted with GPS devices this year so officials can monitor their progress, modern technology doesn't alleviate the harsh conditions of the race. PETA has complained for years that the race is cruel to the dogs. The Humane Society says racing is OK, but opposes the Iditarod in its current form. Proponents say the dogs love to run and point out that veterinarians keep a close watch on the animals before and during the race.
So far, three dogs have died this year. Do you think the race is too dangerous?
Photo: Canadian musher Sebastian Schnuelle drives his team off of Norton Bay and into the Koyuk, Alaska, checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Monday. (AP)
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the American Kennel Club is saluting Irish dog breeds. We've all heard of Irish setters and Irish wolfhounds, but I had no idea there were so many Irish dog breeds. Here's a little about them, courtesy of the AKC.
Glen of Imaal Terrier–Glen of Imaal, which is a valley in the Wicklow mountains, is the region in Ireland after which this hardy breed is named. Longer than tall and sporting a double coat of medium length, the "Glen" possesses great strength and conveys the impression of a dog of good substance. When working, it is active, agile, silent and intent upon its game. Otherwise, the Glen can be a docile companion for families with older children. Recognized by the AKC in 2004, the Glen of Imaal is one of the newest AKC breeds. For more information, visit the Glen of Imaal Terrier Club of America at: www.glens.org
Irish Setter—The Irish Setter was among the original breeds recognized by AKC at its inception in 1884 and is part of the Sporting Group. Irish Setters have rollicking personalities and require a good amount of exercise to satisfy their breed instincts; they are tough and tireless field retrievers. They are also loving companion dogs who enjoy the company of children. It takes about three years for this breed to fully mature into adulthood, so if you’re considering bringing an Irish Setter into your home, you should be prepared for an active, fun-loving dog. For more information, visit the Irish Setter Club of America at: www.irishsetterclub.org
Irish Terrier–This breed was featured in the 2007 movie "Firehouse Dog," where it was cast as a canine hero. Not surprising, considering that Irish Terriers were used to transport messages between troops on the front lines in World War I. Their bravery and spirit make them incomparable pals, and they possess great tenacity. Irish Terriers served as longtime mascots for the Notre Dame Football team, providing halftime entertainment for adoring crowds. For more information, visit the Irish Terrier Club of America at: www.itca.info
Irish Water Spaniel–This breed was among the original 9 breeds recognized by AKC in 1884. Distinguishing characteristics are a topknot of long, loose curls and a body covered with a dense, crisply curled liver colored coat, contrasted by a smooth face and a smooth "rat" tail. This ancient breed is a natural water dog. Irish Water Spaniels are devoted to their family and cautious around strangers. For more information, visit the Irish Water Spaniel Club of America at: clubs.akc.org/iwsc/
Irish Wolfhound–Irish Wolfhounds were documented in Rome in the year 391 A.D., where they were presented to the Roman Counsel as gifts, which "all Rome viewed with wonder." No wonder-- they are the largest and tallest of the galloping hounds. Males should be a minimum of 32" tall and weigh 120 pounds; females should be a minimum of 30" tall and weigh 105 pounds. This is a swift breed which hunts by sight, and needs an ample, fenced yard to accommodate its full gallop. For more information, visit the Irish Wolfhound Club of America at: www.iwclubofamerica.org
Kerry Blue Terrier–The "Kerry Blue" hails from the Irish county of the same name. Known for his superior working and hunting skills, the Kerry Blue is used for hunting small game and birds, and for retrieving from land as well as water. Size doesn’t matter, for he is an unsurpassed watch dog and herder of flock. In some instances in England, he has even been used for police work. The breed was first recognized by the AKC in 1922. For more information, visit the United States Kerry Blue Terrier Club at: www.uskbtc.com
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier–The "Wheaten" has a special connection to St. Patrick’s Day, having first appeared in the show ring at the Irish Kennel Club Championship on March 17, 1937. The name of this breed describes the characteristics of the coat—soft, silky, with a gentle wave, and of warm wheaten color. Underneath is a formidable dog that enjoys plenty of exercise every day. For more information, visit the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America at: www.scwtca.org
Irish Red & White Setter–The Irish Red & White Setter became an official AKC breed just this past January. This breed is thought to have emerged at the end of the 17th Century in Ireland, and is red and white in color, as opposed to the solid red Irish Setter. Its original purpose was as a versatile hunting companion, providing food for the table, both fur and feather. As companions, they are loving, loyal and best suited for a very active family. For more information, visit the Irish Red & White Setter Association at: http://www.irishredwhitesetterassociation.com/
NAME: Twix
NICKNAME: Twixxer
OWNER: Jenna E.
HOME: South Charleston, Ohio
HOW THEY MET: Twix was found alongside the road outside of my mom's work. One of the workmen took her home, but when she started to chase his pet rabbit he decided she had to go. He asked my mom if she knew of anyone who wanted a cat, my mom called me up and I adopted her.
AGE: 10 months old
BREED: Domestic Shorthair
FAVORITE FOOD: Any food that I am trying to eat. Twix has a fascination with people food. She doesn't care what it is, but if it's food she's not supposed to have she wants it:)
BEST TRICK: Twix doesn't really have any tricks. But when I go upstairs, she likes to run up the steps ahead of me and hide right underneath the bedskirt on the bed. When I walk by, she'll run around under the bed (staying just behind the bedskirt) chasing my feet.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Twix is still a kitten so she looooves to chase things. This includes feet, strings, and basically anything that moves. She also enjoys playing in water coming out of the faucet, and once she's soaking wet she shakes like a dog to dry off.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Twix loves toilet paper. One day I came home from work, and all I see is little bits of paper in the house leaving a trail to the bathroom. I walk in the bathroom and there's Twix completely wrapped in toilet paper like a mummy, and all that was sticking out was her tail and one ear.
IF TWIX HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Life is like a ball of string, a whole lot of fun.
Photo by Jenna Edwards
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Here's the chance to take a walk outdoors in Historic Annapolis for a good cause. Lab Rescue is holding its first annual walk this Sunday to raise money to help rescue, foster and care for abandoned Labrador Retrievers.
Registration for the event starts at 11:45 at the Firefighters Memorial at Rowe Boulevard and Calvert Street in Annapolis. The 2.3-mile walk begins at noon. Registration is $25 and you can register online here or on site Sunday. The first 200 people to register receive a Lab Rescue T-shirt. A map of the walk is available here.Bottled water and light snacks will be provided. There will be prizes for the walkers who raise the most in pledges. Your four-legged friends are welcome.
Raindate: March 29.
Photo: Harley, an 8-month-old chocolate lab who was hit by a car, is one of the dogs being helped by Lab Rescue. Photo courtesy of Lab Rescue.
NAME: Sam (He also goes by Sammy and, thanks to my coworker, Tim, Samdog Millionaire.)
OWNER: Kelly Hager
HOW THEY MET: My friend Josh's sister and her husband owned him. When they had a baby, Sam got very upset at his loss of status and they needed to find a new home for him. Josh suggested me.
AGE: 6
HOME: Baltimore
BREED: Silky terrier
BEST TRICK : He doesn't do tricks -- he is not a circus monkey. :) (I'm told that he used to know how to sit, stay, lie down and roll over on command, but he won't prove it.)
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: In order: eating, sleeping, seeing friends, making new friends
FAVORITE FOOD: Beggin' Strips. He's also very fond of french fries.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Sam is a food beggar, and it doesn't matter what you're eating--if it looks like you're enjoying it, he wants some. My coworker Bernadette was eating a salad and he begged until she gave him a piece of lettuce. Then Sam looked at her like she betrayed him and walked away.
A FAN OF THE OFFICE: Sam usually ignores the TV, but there's one exception: The Office. I'm not sure why -- it could be because I'm laughing or it could be that he has a crush on Pam.
IF SAM HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Life's short, so do what you like. Also remember that everyone is your friend.
Photo by Kelly Hager
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NAME: Otto Kevlar Grimes
HOW OTTO GOT HIS NAME: Otto just suits him, and Kevlar is for strength. Together they spell O.K. His nickname lately is truffle, because when he hunts for treats that I hide in his food, he reminds me of a pig searching for truffles.
OWNER: Jennifer Grimes
HOW THEY MET: I searched high and low for a reputable breeder and found one in Missouri. Otto flew here, with a layover in Dallas. I was nervous all day. When my dad and I finally got to see him at the airport, he was calm and happy and completely unphased by his adventure.
AGE: 3 1/2 years old
HOME: Hampden
BREED: French Bulldog
BEST TRICK: He has many, but the best is that he knows the names of about twelve of his toys. He'll find them in any part of the house if we tell him to get them. One after the other..."chubby bunny," "monkey face," "chicken," "kong" ... over and over again.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Walking along the Avenue in Hampden to visit neighbors and window shop (he loves Mud and Metal).
FAVORITE FOOD: Fruits and veggies. Oranges!
HOW OTTO EXPRESSES HIMSELF: Otto is the funniest dog I've met. He grunts, snores and sneezes to express himself. He is very in touch with our emotions and makes us laugh to break up a serious moment. He is the best snuggler if one of us is sick or having a bad day. Otto loves to help with projects and will stand by your feet looking very intently at whatever you are doing, whether it's working on the computer, electrical work or putting together a puzzle. We like to say that the only thing from stopping him from playing board games with us is that he doesn't have opposable thumbs.
IF OTTO HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Persistence and determination will get you everywhere. And anything for a laugh.
Photo by Jennifer Grimes. To see more photos of Otto, go to flickr.
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If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
Good news, everyone. Nancy Yoshida's lost dog, Nigel, has been found.
I've been anxiously reading the reports on the Iditarod to see if he was located. You'll recall that he was lost when Yoshida's sled crashed in a gorge on the third day of the race. Nigel was white and that made it all the more difficult to spot him. But according to The Grand Forks Herald, a search party found the dog Friday. So it looks like Friday the 13th was his lucky day. An interesting tidbit: Apparently women in the search party were able to coax Nigel in from the cold, whereas he had eluded the men who had searched for him. You can see a photo gallery of Nancy Yoshida here.
I've heard people talk about dogs preferring men or women. Have you ever heard of such an extreme example? Nigel would rather stay in the cold and snow than come to a man!
Meanwhile the race continues, and it looks like two-time champion Lance Mackey is poised to win again. You can see more photos of the Iditarod here.
Proceeds of Carrie Underwood's remake of the Motley Crue song "Home Sweet Home," the new anthem of American Idol losers, will go to benefit The Humane Society of the United States.
The song by Underwood, the Season 4 American Idol winner and four-time Grammy winner, was featured on this Wednesday's results show and it has been released as a digital online single. A longtime supporter of The Humane Society, Underwood says “I’ve always loved this song, and besides being very fitting for Idol, to me, the title is also very fitting with animal rescue and finding animals their own homes. So we felt it was important to tie the release into an amazing animal charity like The HSUS.”
Follow the American Idol results at Reality Check.
Photo: Carrie Underwood poses on the press line at the Elton John Academy Award viewing and after party in West Hollywood, Calif. on Feb. 22, 2009. (AP)
NAME: Brogan
NICKNAME: Brogie
OWNERS: Tony and Pam Cerrato
HOW THEY MET: Last summer, my husband and I adopted Brogan from Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland because we were looking to find a companion and friend for our female Beagle, Scout. We took Scout with us when we went to look at the Beagles that were up for adoption and Brogan was the only one in the pack that never left her side the entire time we were there. We took that as a good sign, and it definitely proved to be true because one doesn't go anywhere without the other.
AGE: 1 1/2 years old
HOME: Cockeysville
BREED: Beagle
BEST TRICK: Brogan absolutely loves to use his paws. It's like he's boxing with you or waving hello. It's the cutest thing we've ever seen.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Running around outside following a scent and chasing after squirrels.
FAVORITE FOOD: Anything his human family members are eating!
FUNNIEST MOMENT: We had Brogan for only a couple of days when his mommy was eating dinner one night. Wanting to see what goodies were being eaten, his curiosity got the best of him and he leaped from the floor and landed on top of the table. Amazingly, he didn't knock anything over on his flight up or down!
HIS UNCONVENTIONAL STRIDE: Brogan doesn't really run ... he hops like a rabbit. He finds being outside so exciting that he leaps across the grass in an effort to get wherever he's going as fast as he possibly can.
IF BROGAN HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: Happiness means running outside, sniffing the dirt and playing with his sister, Scouty.
Photo by Pam Cerrato
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
It's Friday 13th, so it's time for a word about black cats. My husband is so superstitious if a black cat crosses his path he refuses to move. We have sat in the car waiting for another car to cross the unlucky path first or we have turned around and taken another route.
Aileen Gabbey of the Md SPCA on Falls Road tells us of this black cat who needs some luck of her own. Kitty was a stray on the streets. A family found her and took her in but the family dog was not happy at all and didn’t like the new house member. So, Kitty is homeless again. If you'd like to adopt Kitty, she's available. You could make her lucky day. Read about her here.
We laughed at the incorrigible Marley, but what dog owner hasn't had to grapple with the tipped over trash can or the shoe our beloved dog thought was his own chew toy? When Matt Goodman's dog ate his girlfriend's $350 Prada shoes, he decided to take out his frustrations by founding a Web site, ThingsMyDogAte.com. It's a place where dog owners can upload photos, videos and stories of the odd things their dogs ate. This being Animal House Friday, we're all into odd pet stories. Do you have any good stories to tell of things your dog (or cat, or hamster, etc.) ate? Respond by 3 p.m. and you'll be eligible for one of our fabulous prizes. Include your e-mail address in your comment so I can get in touch with you if you win. (The e-mail isn't public).
NAME: Meatball
HOW MEATBALL GOT HER NAME: She is named after a family recipe for meatballs; this is a recipe that has been handed down at least three generations. My dad claims it goes back to Italy (which is at least five generations back). Cooking these meatballs is a major deal in my family; we only do it two or three times a year, and it always is an event. Someone suggested it when we got Meatball, and the name just stuck.
OWNER: The Mosley Family
HOW THEY MET: The previous year, my family lost our cat Panther to old age. My grandmother was down from Cape Cod for her spring trip in 1992 and was determined to get us a new cat. When my mom and grandmother went out for a day trip to Occoquan Va., my grandmother walked by a house and saw that they were offering new kittens for adoption. When the two went in to look at the kittens, Meatball is supposedly the only one to have looked up, but with a look of "who are you and why are you disturbing me!" My grandmother convinced my mom to adopt her, and we got her home about a week later.
AGE: 17 years old
HOME: Cheverly
BREED: Mixed; she has the face fur of a Maine Coon, but not nearly big enough; also has the coloring of a calico.
BEST TRICK: When she was younger, she figured out how to open our back door by herself; she’d jump up, grabbing the handle between her paws, and if she hit her body against the door just right, the door would pop open.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Doesn't get around that often anymore, but she use to climb our Christmas trees with abandon.
FAVORITE FOOD: She goes crazy for chicken.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: When I (Brian) was in elementary school, I normally ate a microwavable breakfast every morning, and it normally had two strips of bacon with it. Meatball tended to climb up on the breakfast room table and sit staring at me while I ate; never really bothered me. One morning I got distracted from my breakfast and had to get up for literally 30 seconds. When I came back, Meatball was licking her chops and my bacon was gone; she had swallowed two strips of bacon whole! I was careful to always keep my breakfast away from her from then on.
IF MEATBALL HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: If you aren’t up by 4 a.m. to feed me, you’re being lazy!
Photo by Brian Mosley. For more photos of Meatball, go to flickr.
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
When I read yesterday about Kenneth Munzert, who instructed much of his $1 million plus estate go toward the care of dogs whose owners had died, I wondered how that gift compared to what other shelters have received. Munzert lived in Federal Hill but had ties to Richmond, Va., and left the money to the Richmond SPCA.
I learned that the Maryland SPCA received its most generous donation ever just this year. Caroline Fisher, who was a modest giver during her life, left more than $1 million to the Maryland SPCA in her will, said Aileen Gabbey, executive director of the shelter.
"As with most bequests, we did not know about it, so it was a pleasant surprise," she said. She's not certain how the money will be used yet but said it will go a long way.
Gabbey said that the Maryland SPCA has begun a program called Legacy of Care, where owners can plan ahead and leave funds for the care of their animals after they're gone. (The animals would go to a foster family and then an adoptive home.)
At Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter Inc., a dog was brought in several days ago because its owner had died. "More and more people are thinking of their animals ahead of time. That's great," said Jennifer Mead-Brause, executive director of BARCS. "But it's not nearly enough."
SUN ARCHIVE PHOTO/Family members meet their new dog, Sage, at the Maryland SPCA on Falls Road.
Actor Patrick Swayze, who is fighting a well-publicized battle with pancreatic cancer, says he wishes the tabloids would stop focusing on the negative. He says in a statement to People magazine he is enjoying life and has a new puppy, a 12-week-old Rhodesian Ridgeback named Kumasai.
Many studies have documented the health benefits of owning a pet. And of course, having a pet around can just make us feel better.
Photo: Actor Patrick Swayze attends Stand Up To Cancer at the Kodak Theatre on September 5, 2008 in Hollywood. Getty Images.
A necropsy performed on the 6-year-old sled dog belonging to Iditarod musher Jeff Holt failed to determine a cause of death, the Anchorage Daily News reports. PETA has criticized the race for being cruel to the animals, but volunteer veterinarians check the dogs before the race and at each check point along the way. The Daily News reports Holt is running a team made up primarily of family pets.
There is no question the 1,150-mile race from Anchorage to Nome is a grueling event for both humans and the dogs. Sleep deprivation, frost bite and even moose are among the hazards they face.
See a photo gallery of the race here.
Photo: Matt Hayashida of Willow, Alaska drives his team alone the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race trail near the Takotna, Alaska checkpoint (AP)
Now you read her; now you don't.
I hate to write this, but I'll be absent from Unleashed for a bit. I have a doctor's note. (Another surgery ... groan.)
But I am leaving you in good hands. My friend and colleague Liz Atwood will be in charge of things. She's been posting for the last week, and you've read her work on the Crufts Dog Show, the Iditarod and even Ugly Bat Boy cat.
Don't worry about me. I'm in good hands too. I researched my medical team, and they all check out. My surgeon has a long-haired Dachshund and a daughter studying to be a veterinarian. My nurse practitioner has seven(!) pets, including a dog with a liver shunt, and an office filled with pet pictures. (Always reassuring.)
And my favorite nurse of all has a dog named Sandy (and two children). She's the one who tipped me off to this video. I must have watched it a dozen times. A cute Husky "saying" I love you will cure a lot of things.
This morning The Baltimore Sun's Julie Sharper has an astounding story about a couple charged with animal cruelty in Odenton. According to police, the couple shot a friend's pit bull after the friend left the dog with them while she had surgery. You can read about it here.
While the couple haven't been convicted, the incident raises a number of questions about who should care for a pet if you temporarily can't. The local teen who volunteers to pet sit for a few days might be affordable, but will she remember to walk the dog or feed the cat? Boarding kennels, on the other hand, can be expensive and stressful for some animals.
What arrangements do you make to care for your pets when you're away? Do you have any advice for finding a reliable pet sitter?
NAME: Hayle
NICKNAME: Monkey, Diva, Dorkalicious
OWNER: Julie and Rob Newman (owners of Love of Dog Bakery in Laurel)
HOW THEY MET: We had just lost our golden retriever to cancer, and I had begun searching Petfinder.com for some homeless dog to share our loving home with. Hayle and her sister (then named "Thelma" and "Louise") were just wee little pups who had been rescued on the side of a busy road and were in foster homes through Animal Resource Network Inc (ARNI) of Lansing, MI. I don't know what it was exactly, but I saw her picture and knew she was the one. We drove an hour and a half out to Lansing (we were living near Detroit at the time), and it was love at first sight. She was 10 weeks old at the time and just the sweetest little black fuzz-ball of a mutt I'd ever fallen in love with.
HOME: Laurel
BREED: Your guess is as good as ours! We think she's probably a mix of Flat-Coated Retriever and Border Collie.
THE NIGHTLY RITUAL: She's always excited to see us when we come home from work. She loves to snuggle on the couch with us while we watch TV.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: SWIMMING! Without a doubt, this dog loves the water! Her second favorite activity is to go hiking in the woods -- and of course the best hike is one that leads to a good swimming hole.
FAVORITE FOOD: She's our little rabbit -- she loves baby carrots and celery sticks. She's also a huge fan of dehydrated sweet potatoes.
WHAT MUSIC MOST SUITS HER: "When you say nothing at all" by Alison Krauss, that song always brings a tear to my eye when I hear it because it makes me think of her.
IF HAYLE HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: "If it's not fun, why do it?"
Photo by Julie Newman
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
Nancy Yoshida, the rookie musher who crashed in the fourth day of Iditarod 2009, is out of the race. Rescuers brought Yoshida of Thompson, N.D., a new sled last night after, but she crashed again, the Anchorage Daily News reports. She finally made it into the Rainy Pass checkpoint late last night (early this morning Eastern time). She was unhurt, but one of her dogs is missing. She is the second musher to quit the race. Yoshida was one of 13 women in the field.
The standings as of this morning are:
1. Aaron Burmeister of Nome, Alaska
2. Hugh Neff of Skagway, Alaska
3. Sebastian Schnuelle of Whitehorse, Canada
4. Two-time champion Lance Mackey of Fairbanks, Alaska
Photo/Associated Press: One of musher John Baker's sled dogs chews on a boot during a rest at the Nikolai, Alaska, checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Tuesday.
Don't miss Jacques Kelly's marvelous tale of The Man Who Left His Fortune To The Dogs.
If you haven't read it yet, I don't want to spoil it. But the gist of it is this: Kenneth Munzert, who died last year at 88, left his major asset, his $1 million home in Federal Hill, to an animal charity to look after Beauregard, his beloved German shepherd. The dog died shortly before Munzert, so he revised his will to state that the proceeds of the house (and some other money) go toward protecting other dogs whose owners had died.
On the surface, some may see it as the last wishes of an eccentric, but I bet we pet lovers will see it a different way. When I was diagnosed with a serious illness recently, one of my first thoughts was: Who will take care of my pets?
This story reminded me of the terrific piece by Jeffrey Toobin last fall in The New Yorker: "Rich Bitch: The legal battle over trust funds for pets." Toobin told in juicy detail the story of Leona Helmsley leaving millions to her dog, Trouble. But the piece also explored the growing movement to ensure that pets will be cared for after an owner's death, and the extremes that some have gone to to make that happen.
What do you make of all this? Do you think pet trust funds are wise or frivolous? Have you made any provisions for your pet in the event something happens to you?
Pictured above is Kenneth Munzert with Beauregard
Pictured left is the view from the sun room of the master suite in Kenneth Munzert's 1868 home. It goes to auction March 31 to benefit the SPCA of Richmond. Photo by Algerina Perna/Sun Staff
For more photos on this story, click here.
NAME: Sierra
OWNER: Phil Romans
HOW THEY MET: I applied to Lab-Rescue of the Potomac for a labrador because I loved the breed growing up. I went to a couple of the group's meet and greets but never found the right dog for me. One meet and greet was coming up, and I wanted to research the dogs that would be there. They mentioned there was a new dog in the system, but could not attend because of kennel cough.
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
The first dog died today in the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Six-year-old Victor, part of the team of North Pole musher Jeff Holt, died between the Rainy Pass and Rohn checkpoints, the Iditarod Trail Committee said in a press release. This is the same part of the trail where rookie musher Nancy Yoshida crashed. The Anchorage Daily News says it's unclear whether the dog died near the site of Yoshida's mishap.
A necropsy will be conducted to try to determine the cause of death.
Holt, a 48-year-old refinery operator, runs Northern Dogs & Dreams kennel with his wife Gaynel and seven children, according to the official Iditarod Web site. He was born in Idaho and moved to Alaska in 2001.
Three dogs died in last year's race. Animal rights groups such as PETA have long protested the Iditarod, saying it's "marked by cruelty, injuries, and death."
Click here to see photos from the race.
Rookie Nancy Yoshida of Thompson, N.D., has had a mishap in the fourth day of the Iditarod, the 1,150-mile race from Anchorage to Nome.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, Yoshida crashed in a rocky gorge that leads over a cliff to a frozen river. She apparently was not hurt, but her sled was broken, and she was blocking other mushers. Rescuers are on the way with another sled.
Meanwhile, Bob Hickel of Anchorage has become the first musher to quit the grueling competition.
Click on here to see photos from the first few days of the race.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
To get an appreciation of how much skill a real handler has at a dog show, get a look at this performance by the Today show hosts.
There are many ways to follow along with the 2009 Iditarod. Here are a couple sites I've found helpful for updates on the race, the dogs and more.
The official Iditarod site has current standings, daily photo galleries and guides for teachers. For those who want more, there's the option of becoming an Iditarod Insider and receiving real-time updates, video and GPS tracking. (Fees begin at $19.95).
The Anchorage Daily News has extensive online coverage that includes a musher gallery, a raw feed with live standings, reader-submitted photos and news about the race. You can sign up for an Iditarod newsletter that's sent twice daily.
Based in Anchorage, the Alaska Public Radio Network also has expanded reporting with a leaderboard, blog and satellite tracking.
Alaska native Josh Rogers has a blog (with podcasts) called Iditablog. And many mushers --including two-time defending champ Lance Mackey (above), fan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe and New Hampshire native Aliy Zirkle -- have Web sites.
Defending Iditarod champion Lance Mackey leaves the Rainy Pass, Alaska, checkpoint of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race yesterday. (Photo by Associated Press/Al Grillo)
NAME: Selene
OWNERS: Patti and Tim Kinlock
HOW THEY MET: In October 1999 I was working evenings and weekends at a library and when the library closed, one had to turn off lights and circuit breakers and lock doors throughout the building. One rainy night I went to lock the back entrance, and next to the security guard was a shoebox with a sleeping kitten.
I asked the guard if it was his cat, and he said that a postdoctoral student had found a kitten wandering in the courtyard behind the building. The next thing I knew, that same woman was pleading with me to board the kitten "temporarily, just for a few days" until she could find her a home, because her apartment complex didn't allow pets. That was 10 years ago.
I called my husband to pick me up and didn't tell him about the kitten (we already had three senior cats). His response was to look in the shoebox and exclaim, "Oh, it's a cat!" Selene was about 10 months old then. She was bedraggled but unhurt, just hungry and tired, and probably hadn’t been outside long.
AGE OF PET: 10 years old
HOME: Baltimore
BREED: No papers to prove it, but she looks (and acts) like a Turkish Van.
BEST TRICK: She comes when you call and always greets us at the door. She knows how to open cabinets and likes to climb in them. As a result we installed hooks and latches on all our kitchen cabinets.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Climbing! Selene will climb on anything. She routinely jumps on top of bookcases and likes to be high up where she can see everything. We recently purchased a 6-foot-high scratching post/kitty condo for Selene and our other cat, Inky, to climb. Until we got the 6-foot scratching post, Selene would climb on the bookcase and taunt Inky, who couldn't climb that high.
FAVORITE FOOD: Cheese
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Turkish Vans have a reputation for liking water, and some even swim. Selene does not swim, but she likes to play with water. She will routinely splash the water out of her water bowl all over the kitchen floor. When we first got her, she was fascinated with the toilet flushing and spent hours peering into the bowl. If you leave a drink sitting out, she will stick her face in the glass and sample it.
IF SELENE HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: I am curious about everything! If it's made, I can either climb it or fit inside.
Photo by Patti Kinlock
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
Martha Stewart, whose Chow was killed in a propane explosion at a Pennsylvania kennel (above) on Friday, has posted more about the tragic accident on her blog. She writes:
"I just spoke to Karen Tracy of Pazzazz Chows and she gave me the following update. In all, Karen lost twelve of her own dogs and five boarder dogs. Three of her chows are at the veterinarian’s in intensive care. Timothy Kleinhagen, the heroic driver of the propane truck, remains in critical condition and is facing lengthy hospital time. The cause of the blast has yet to be determined.
Karen explained that dogs are her life and despite this horrific tragedy, she remains hopeful and optimistic. Her plan is to rebuild her kennels and continue on as a breeder of chows and a boarder of other dogs. In fact, she has been receiving many calls from loyal clients begging her to do so. Karen has spent the past fifteen years building her champion line of chows, producing six generations of the breed."
Stewart goes on to say that Karen Tracy's home was also badly damaged. She and her mother have been staying at a relative's since the accident. A local credit union has established a fund for donations.
To read more, click here.
In the photo at right, made available by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, nine-week-old Ghenghis Khan is seen. (Associated Press/Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia)
In the top photo, the damaged Pazzazz Pet Boarding kennel, near Lehighton, Pa., on Sunday after a propane explosion. (Associated Press photo/Pocono Record, Melissa Evanko)
Is it just me, or do the last few days seem rife with celebrity pet news?
First there was the happy story: Oprah showing off her newest addition -- a blonde Cocker Spaniel puppy she named Sadie; Then came the sad news of Martha Stewart 's Chow, Ghenghis Khan, being killed (along with other dogs) in a propane explosion at a Pennsylvania kennel.
Now in the what-are-we-to-make-of-this category: Paris Hilton.
The party girl extraordinaire turned 28 recently and received a tiny, furry and expensive gift from new beau, hunky Doug Reinhardt of The Hills...a teacup Pomeranian puppy.
Why someone who reportedly has 17 dogs needs another one is beyond me, but I guess I'm not thinking like a hotel heiress.
For more on how Hilton celebrated, click here.
(Paris Hilton arrives to celebrate her birthday at Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday. Photo by Robert Kenney/Associated Press)
Many readers have asked me about today's Collared photo of Kilo, the very adorable Chihuahua walking down the street.
The number one question: How did the owner get that shot?
I went to the source, Ian Pitts (pictured). He's a professional photographer, who works part-time doing architectural and real estate photography as well as weddings, portraits and fine art.
He gave me the story behind his winning photo.
So, how did you get this photo?2. Another issue is camera speed. Up until recently the only way to have a quick reaction time was to use a digital SLR camera. All too often by the time the camera locked focus, the subject (be it a dog, cat, child, etc) was already out of the frame. Newer consumer-level cameras now feature much faster response times.
3. Light is king. Even the fastest consumer-level compact cameras have trouble focusing indoors. Get your pet outside and enjoy the ability to capture those fleeting moments.
Photo of Kilo by Ian Pitts; Portrait courtesy of Ian Pitts
Martha Stewart, whose Chow Chow Ghenghis Khan was killed in a propane explosion at a Pennsylvania kennel on Friday, is already catching some snark from celebrity bloggers.
Here's why: On Twitter, she wrote that Chow breeder Karen Tracy had lost eleven chows and five boarders, including Ghenghis, in the tragic accident. (The number of dogs lost may have increased since then.) That was followed an hour later by a mention of making lunch for guests.
For more, click here.
Blogging columnist Andy Ratner pointed out to me that the Martha backlash was beginning.
Photo by Associated Press
So is Charmin, the Sealyham Terrier which took the champion trophy at the Crufts Dog Show in Birmingham, England, yesterday American, or, as one commenter said here yesterday, really Canadian?
Charmin, aka Efbe’s Hidalgo at Goodspice, was bred in North Hatley, Quebec, Canada by France Bergeron. However, he lives with his owner-handler Margery Good (pictured) of Cochranville, Pa. She told USA Today last year that he sleeps on the floor by her bed and loves playing with her other dogs.
So it seems Charmin joins Dan Akroyd, Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion and a long line of other Canadians who have found fame and fortune in the United States.
By the way, if you have the chance to attend the terrier shows in Maryland, chances are you'll find Charmin's offspring in competition. A number of them have done well in the show circuit, including at the Columbia Terrrier Association of Maryland show at the Maryland State Fairgrounds.
Photo courtesy of Crufts
NAME: Kilo
OWNERS: Christina and Ian Pitts
HOW THEY MET: We decided we really wanted a small dog as a family pet. Since we live in a townhouse with limited space, we figured a Chihuahua was the perfect breed for us. After much investigation and research, we found a breeder in Virginia that agreed to let us have one even though we had a small child. After a 3-hour trip and getting to watch an entire litter of tiny puppies play and explore, we were on our way back home with Kilo.
AGE OF PET: 16 months
HOME: Odenton
BREED: Chihuahua (Short hair, round "apple" head)
WEIGHT: About 5.8 pounds. He was only 2.2 pounds for his first visit to the vet hence the name "Kilo," which is short for kilogram. There are 2.2 pounds per kilogram.
BEST TRICK: Being able to instinctively predict the exact moment any of us are ready to get up with our empty cereal or ice cream bowl so he can head us off at the pass and demand to lick it.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Kilo really loves long walks. He's extremely social and loves meeting new people and other dogs alike. He rarely barks and is always nice to everyone he meets.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Whenever our toddler gets down from eating in his high chair, Kilo runs over to clean any and all crumbs from his body. Even when our son finally gets up on the couch or sits down to play, Kilo is right there making sure that every crumb or fragment of food has been eaten from his clothes.
KILO'S STAR POWER: I took a photograph of Kilo (the one featured above) when he was only a few months old. A photo editor from Avanti Press discovered it on flickr and contacted me about the rights to the image. Kilo is now featured on birthday and Valentine's Day cards. He's famous!
IF THIS PET HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: "Happiness is being warm." Being a short-haired Chihuahua, anything below 78 degrees is freezing. He's a great lap dog and insists that he's let under the covers while we're watching television so he can be as warm as possible. When we have our space heater running in the winter time, he jumps down and positions himself right in front for the best exposure.
Photo by Ian Pitts. You can see more of his work on flickr.
Want to see other pets that have been featured in Collared? Click here.
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
The latest news on the pet front:
-- Lifestyle maven Martha Stewart's dog, Ghenghis Khan, was killed in an explosion at a Pennsylvania kennel on Friday. She shares the sad news on her blog and offers a photo gallery as a tribute to the beautiful Chow Chow. To see the photos, click here.
-- An English Mastiff, who was shot three times in the head and found bleeding in the woods of Maine, has defied the odds and made a full recovery, according to his vets at Foxcroft Veterinary Services in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. He's been nicknamed Wonder Dog, Slugger and even (affectionately) Bullethead. For more, click here.
-- The cost of flying with four-legged friends continues to rise. Spirit Airlines recently raised its fee for carrying pets to $100 each way, from $85 previously. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines raised rates even more last year. For more, click here.
Photo of Martha Stewart by Associated Press/Lauren Victoria Burke
Has the economy gotten so bad that people are now stealing dogs?
A brief today mentions that two 15-year-olds have been charged with stealing a Yorkshire terrier puppy from a high-end pet store in Rehoboth Beach, Del. The store had been targeted by shoplifters before.
And last week in Kenner, La., police pulled over an 18-year-old on traffic violations and discovered the Lexus he was driving was reported stolen. They then found $27,000 in stolen goods and marijuana in the car, according to The Times-Picayune.
But here's the kicker: The Shih Tzu sitting in the front seat had been stolen too. The owners reported the dog taken during a home burglary.
Is life suddenly imitating 101 Dalmatians?
And the winner of Britain's Crufts Dog Show, the largest dog show in the world, is a Sealyam Terrier named EFBE'S HIDALGO AT GOODSPICE, owned by Margery Good, Richard Good, and Sandra Middlebrooks of Cochranville, PA.
EFBE'S HIDALGO AT GOODSPICE, aka Charmin, is no newby, having won the AKC championship in 2007, the best of breed at Westminster in 2008, and the World Dog Show in Stockholm in 2008.
The Brits had to settle for second at Crufts with the reserve championship going to the standard poodle Afterglow the Big Tease.
NAME: Dustin
NICKNAME: Dusty
OWNER: Danielle Bradley (Danielle is a photo technician at The Baltimore Sun.)
HOW THEY MET: At the age of 24 I decided that it was time for a dog of my own, and after a little research I determined it was going to be a Sheltie, a great companion dog. Dusty is from a Shetland Sheepdog breeder in Davidsonville, and though the experience has been nothing but wonderful, next time I've made a promise to save a needy soul from the shelter.
BREED: Shetland Sheepdog
AGE OF PET: 12 years old
HOME: Baltimore
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Walks; helping me discipline the cats, Ziggy and Sebastian; wrestling with his little sister, a miniature Schnauzer named Bella.
DUSTY'S NATURE: My four-legged friend has been with me through it all. Quite literally. You see, it's in his herding instinct to always be at my side. It's a blessing -- and a curse -- most days. He has silently adapted to the many home relocations, enduring the changes without complaint, never lamenting the advantages of one yard over another.
HIS BRAVEST MOMENT: He was by my side, and my mother's, the day she passed away. And I was there, at his side, when he was diagnosed with cancer, which, luckily for Dusty and me, was caught early after a fleshy tumor appeared in one nostril. The vet said we could try radiation treatments or follow his recommendation: "Remove his nose." Well, I guess you could say that Dusty's modeling days are over. He may look a little funny, but for the most part people don't necessarily notice. Dusty's eyes seem to draw people past his nose, or lack thereof.
HIS HEALTH TODAY: He has recovered fully, and wonderfully, without a whimper. Dusty has been cancer-free now for three years. He may be getting up there in years -- pretending he's deaf when I yell for him to get out of the cat food and needing help getting onto his side of the bed in the morning -- but my four-legged friend and I, we still have a bit of the journey left to travel. Side by side.
IF DUSTY HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IF WOULD BE: Food, Love and Happiness
Photo by Danielle Bradley
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
The largest dog show in the world, Crufts in Birmingham, England, concludes today. So far the finalists are:
A Hungarian vizsla named HUNGARGUNN BEAR IT'N MIND.
A Sealyham terrier named EFBE'S HIDALGO AT GOODSPICE
A papillon named QUEEN BLESS JP ROYAL CONNECTION
A poodle named AFTERGLOW THE BIG TEASE
Two more finalists are to be chosen in the working and pastoral groups. You can watch the action here.
Who do you think will win?
Photo: courtesy of Crufts
Al Grillo/Associated Press Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race musher Hugh Neff's lead dogs jump in their harness as they get ready for the ceremonial start of the race Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska. | | The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race got off to its ceremonial start Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska, with mushers and their dogs going on short runs through the city. The grueling 1,150-mile trek to Nome begins in earnest tomorrow with 67 mushers and more than 1,000 dogs competing, but intrigue and controversy are already mounting. -- The recession has hit the famous race, with entrance fees rising as the purse declines to $610,000 from $935,000 last year. Fewer mushers are competing this year, with some saying the expense of training in tough economic times caused them to sit out. -- Will two-time champion Lance Mackey win his third consecutive race? Only two others have achieved such a feat. A heavy favorite, Mackey has a compelling personal story having survived a battle with throat cancer. (A sidenote: He lives with "a dozen non-competing canines -- chihuahuas, Jack Russell terriers and pomeranians," according to an article in USA Today.) -- Animal rights groups such as PETA have long protested the Iditarod, saying it's "marked by cruelty, injuries, and death." This year PETA is mounting a campaign to urge sponsors to withdraw support from the event. The Humane Society of the United States takes a different view. The group doesn't object to competitive mushing so long as the welfare of the dogs is not endangered but opposes the Iditarod in its current form. Three dogs died in the race last year. |
I was watching the agility trials at Crufts today. It's amazing what these dogs can do. I can hardly get my dog off the sofa unless he sniffs a piece of cheese. The agility trials will continue this afternoon. You can watch live here.
In search of a dog, a date and something to do tonight?
Check out the Doggy Date Auction at Johns Hopkins University.
"Whether you're chasing puppy love or a really good romp, our selection of fetching duos has something for everyone," says the Web site for JHU's Pet and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), organizers of the event.
Picnic lunch dates with fifteen undergraduates and their dogs will be sold to the highest bidders to raise money for the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS).
The (human) participants will be dressed in costume, so you could wind up picnicking with Slumdog Millionheiress, The Doggie Dominatrix or President Obama and the First Dog. (Pictured are two of last year's dates, Alvaro Donoso and his canine pal on loan from BARCS.)
The auction begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Glass Pavilion on campus and also features food (for people and pets), a silent auction of pet-themed gifts and entertainment by the comedy improv group the Buttered Niblets.
Tickets are $5. Last year's auction raised more than $700 for BARCS.
What: Doggy Date Auction
Where: Johns Hopkins University's Glass Pavilion
When: Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $5
For more info: Go to the club's Web site or its Facebook event page.
(Photos courtesy of Hopkins PAWS)
NAME: Puff
TYPE OF PET: Bearded Dragon
OWNER: Amber, Animal Programs Aid at the National Aquarium
HOW THEY MET: He was a rescue. The previous owner had abandoned him in an apartment. A relative informed me of the case and was not sure how to take care of him to the fullest degree that he needed care. I received him a week later. He was in a very weak condition; the bones were clearly visible, and he could not even hold his own head up. He also had a broken leg that had healed wrong during his stay with his previous owner. He had to have fluids injected under his skin due to the dehydration and was constantly monitored for the next month.
AGE OF PET: 5 years old
HOME: Owings Mills
HIS HEALTH TODAY: Currently, he is doing very well. Although he is still not eating completely on his own, he can hold his head high and will try and fight back when he isn’t too hungry. (That is a very good sign!) He now has a clean 55-gallon enclosure with enrichment and hides for him to crawl through. And he is very responsive when you are talking to him and cleaning his enclosure. These are all great leaps that he has made since coming to me.
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: He really enjoys his baths. He will lay in the bath with a towel under his head because he tends to fall asleep because of the warm water.
THE TOY PUFF CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Not necessarily a toy, but a Cheez-It box that I cut into a hide for him to crawl through. Every morning when you peek into his enclosure, all you see is the tip of his tail sticking out of the box from where he crawled through it overnight and fell asleep in the middle of the process.
FAVORITE FOODS: Crickets and banana
THE CURIOUS DRAGON: Puff is a very curious bearded, and when you are around his enclosure he will always keep an eye on you. But the second you turn around, he will pretend that he is sleeping.
IF PUFF HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: A little care, a little time, a little patience and a lot of love ... that’s what makes a home.
Photo by Amber
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
It was one big AWWWWfest when Oprah showed off Sadie, her blonde cocker spaniel puppy, on Friday's Oprah Winfrey Show.
There were pictures of Sadie in her pink Ralph Lauren sweater, pictures of Sadie sleeping with her plush bunny, pictures of Sadie eating from her bowl.
But those all paled compared to the arrival of Little Miss S herself. She was carried on stage and put in the arms of Winfrey, who began cuddling away. Sadie was dressed for her TV debut in a snazzy polka-dotted jacket, a gift from co-host Ali Wentworth, wife of George Stephanopoulos.
Second favorite moment? When Sadie's brothers -- Ivan, Webster and Gordie -- were brought out. They're also available for adoption. Winfrey and longtime beau, Stedman Graham, got Sadie last weekend from the PAWS shelter in Chicago.
CATHERINE.
Reality Check Sarah pulled Catherine's name out of the bag, making her the winner of our second Animal House Friday drawing.
Her prize: a DVD of Beverly Hills Chihuahua. She mentioned that her son has "a lovely ant farm." We hope he and any other siblings in the house like dog movies.
The Baltimore Sun's Chris Kaltenbach (owner of a 10-year-old Basenji named Foxy) only gave the movie 1 1/2 stars.
His review begins, "It's hard to go wrong with a movie full of talking dogs. But the makers of Beverly Hills Chihuahua sure try." He, of course, never got to see the all-new animated short and bloopers on the DVD.
Speaking of Chihuahuas, the cutest Chihuahua I have ever seen is coming in our Collared feature on Monday. Even his name is cute: Kilo. Get ready.
Despite the worldwide financial crisis and the decision of the BBC to boycott the event, Crufts, the largest dog show in the world, is underway in Birmingham, England, drawing crowds of dog lovers.
Today, judges gave a perky papillon top honors in the toy division and awarded a standard poodle the top prize in the utility dog competition.
Yesterday a Pharoah hound and a Sealyham terrier won top prizes in their group competitions.
Stinging from a BBC documentary that found some breeds were suffering health problems in the pursuit of perfect shape and form, Crufts officials have told the judges to be vigilant about the health of the dogs they choose as winners. There is also a new exhibit at the show to answer questions about the health of the breeds.
But while the breed competitions have generated the controversy, Crufts is more than a beauty contest. Yesterday dogs performed in obedience and agility trials. There was even a “heelwork to music” competition.
The show runs through Sunday. You can see live video here when coverage resumes tomorrow. You can see a gallery of pictures here.
(Photo by Getty Images)
When I was in New York this week, I dropped by Trixie + Peanut, a trendy little store for the dog that has everything.
Clearly, some dogs aren't feeling the pinch -- unless it's a too-snug velvet collar around their teensy necks.
The Flatiron boutique (23 E. 20th St., 212-358-0881) was long and narrow with rows of designer dog clothes, designer dog collars, designer dog beds. Well, you get the idea.
It was hard to decide which was cuter -- the striped T-shirt with angel wings or the yellow rain slicker? The pink ultrasuede harness or the polka-dotted hair bows?
The celebrity dog toys were a hoot. You have your pouty-lipped Angelina Grrrowlie (Angelina Jolie), your hunky Brad Pittbull (Brad Pitt) and your belly-baring Biteme Spears (Britney Spears). Squeakers included.
Standing guard over all this was Tessa, a Boston Terrier in a rhinestone collar. She looked perfectly cozy in her dog bed by the register. It was shaped like a sleek sportscar, and the back bumper said Furcedes.
Never mind the Obama family's First Dog. I'm eager to hear about your first pet. It's Animal House Friday (Prizes, prizes!), so the sillier the story, the better. Here's mine:
I always thought my first was Snoopy, a willful Lhasa Apso.
But I was wrong.
My first pets were actually Sea-Monkeys.
I wanted them desperately. To have Sea-Monkeys was to have an underwater version of the Jetsons living with you. At least that's how the ads made it look.
I begged until my mother relented. I filled the fishbowl with water and put it on the dining room table. I opened the packet and poured in LIFE. Oh, the power, the glory, the thrill of it all.
Then I waited. Days passed. I looked up at the painting of The Last Supper that hung on the dining room wall. Jesus and his disciples would help bring my Sea-Monkeys to life. I said a silent prayer.
My sisters said they saw the water move. I couldn't trust them. They said they'd seen the Easter Bunny.
I didn't lose faith. One day I would wake up and they would be here. Something was happening in the bowl, but it didn't look like life. It looked like what formed in the water of public toilets we were told not to use. My mother -- who had never met a stain she couldn't remove -- would put up with a lot of things but not a pool of scum in the dining room.
I said goodbye to the murky water -- and to some other things as well. Then I watched as she poured my Sea-Monkey family down the drain.
OK, your turn. Share your Sea-Monkey story or your first pet story or any comment at all AND YOU COULD WIN TODAY'S PRIZE. All commenters will be eligible for today's drawing. The deadline for comments is 2 p.m., so have at it.
NAME: Grace
OWNERS: Daniel and Vicki Ashton
HOW THEY MET: Her mother, Socks, was a feral cat that we rescued/captured just before she gave birth to her five kittens. Grace was born in a laundry basket under our daughter's bed.
AGE OF PET: 10 years
HOME: Germantown
BREED: Tabby/Tortoiseshell mutt
BEST TRICK: Making all her fur stand on end when she is very happy
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Sleeping
FUNNIEST MOMENT: She fell asleep in the window seat with her favorite book Field Guide to North American Birds.
GRACE'S NATURE: Grace is very empathetic. She knows when you are sad and tries very hard to comfort you. Unless you are a cat, in which case you must be eliminated. (We have six cats.)
THE DIGITAL CAT: Our cats have their own blog, The Cats of Ashton Hall.
IF GRACE HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: These are MY people, and this is MY space.
Photo by Vicki Ashton
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
You might have missed it, so here is some of the appalling and appealing news of the last week on the pet front:
APPALLING
A 20-year-old Nebraska man, who stuffed his kitten inside a makeshift bong, was cited for misdemeanor animal cruelty. The cat named Shadow is recovering at a shelter. The owner, Acea Schomaker, explained his behavior by saying the cat needed to mellow out.
APPEALING
We've found our new guilty pleasure: peoplepets.com. Put out by the people who bring you People magazine, this site has the scoop on celebs and the pets who love them.
Oprah adopted a female Cocker Spaniel puppy from a shelter in Chicago. She lost her 13-year-old dog, Sophie, last year. She named the dog Sadie, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
A tubby Labrador won Britain's biggest loser-type pet contest, sponsored by a veterinary charity. At 101 pounds, Keano, from Plymouth, was so overweight he couldn't roll over. In 100 days, he lost 20 pounds, according to the Daily Mail. Take that, humans.
Photo of Oprah by Peter Kramer/Associated Press
An infant who was attacked by the family dog on Wednesday has died, according to the Arizona Republic.
The 2-week-old was put in a low-lying bassinet while the mother went to the restroom, according to police. She returned a few moments later to find the baby girl with severe bite wounds to her head.
The mother placed a "frantic 911 call," according to the Arizona Republic. Paramedics arrived, but the infant was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. The dog was identified as a chow and has been quarantined.
I'm taking a break from catching up on pet videos to ask for advice. From your comments and e-mails, I know there is a lot of wisdom out there and I could use some on this front.
Here goes: Since my sweet dog, Gracie, died two months ago, my 14-year-old cat, Phoebe (pictured), has been out of sorts. She's taken to circling the living room, kitchen and hall again and again. She's meowing more too; not a contented meow, but more like a cat distress signal. Phoebe used to claim the loveseat as her own, and Gracie occupied the sofa. Now Phoebe has started sleeping on the sofa in the exact spot that was Gracie's.
I was away a few days this week, and now this all seems more pronounced. My wonderful neighbor took great care of her and spent plenty of time at my house. But when I got home yesterday, she was cling-on cat. I had to pry her off my lap so I could take out the trash.
I have an appointment with the vet on Saturday since Phoebe needs a vaccination, so I'll ask about this. But I'm curious if anyone out there has faced a similar situation and what you did about it.
I'm just back from New York, where in between long days working I made time for pet trendwatching. (More on that later).
While I was there, people started writing me about this video. It's the YouTube hit of the moment. Everyone thinks it's hysterical, but it makes me wince a bit. Here's why:
1. The poor dog boinks his head against the wall, and the videographer keeps shooting. (The dog is probably perfectly fine but...)
2. I've had plenty of dogs cry/twitch during a sleepwalking episode, but I've never seen one move the way this guy does. It looks like he's auditioning to fill Terrell Owens' spot with the Dallas Cowboys. If this were my dog, I'd have the vet on speed dial.
3. Finally, I'm not sure it passes the truth test. Is it even real?
Maybe I'm way off on all this. What do you think?
NAME: Lofty
NICKNAMES: honeybird, crackerbird, millethead, Secret Agent Lofty Bird
OWNER: Heidi Lasher-Oakes
HOW THEY MET: He chose me! I got him from a wonderful local breeder, Mary Ellen Schott, whom my avian vet recommended after my first canary died. Lofty is the second bird I have purchased from her; the first one, Joe, died in December 2007 at the age of 9. When I went back to pick another canary, I was prepared to sit quietly for an hour or more listening to the songs of all the different birds. After a couple of minutes, I noticed a commotion in the corner, and when I looked to see what it was, there was this crazy little bird poking his head out of his cage and hanging upside down to get my attention!
He was small, with asymmetrical patches of color that made him look like a clown. That was Lofty. We bonded instantly. I started laughing, and I knew that he was the one for me. He hadn’t even started singing yet when I bought him, but he has turned out to be the best singer I have had, and a wonderful, funny and intelligent companion.
AGE OF PET: About 1½ years old
HOME: Baltimore
TYPE/BREED: Lofty is a “green” or wild-type canary. His feather colors are yellow, creamy white, black and olive green. Canary feather colors come from the physical structure of their feathers and the combination of two different kinds of pigments, lipochromes and melanins.
BEST TRICK: Back bends! This bird loves being upside down!
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Playing with his bell toys
FAVORITE FOOD: Millet
ONE TOUGH BIRD: Lofty survived a bad case of pneumonia this fall, thanks to his wonderful avian vet and a vaporizer. Now he sleeps next to the vaporizer every night, and he yells when I take it away to refill it. Lofty is definitely the social butterfly of the family -- he loves it when people are around, whether it's a repairman or someone who has specifically come to visit him. (As far as he is concerned, EVERYBODY has come specifically to visit him!)
IF LOFTY HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: I am here! Life is good! Millet rules!
Photo by Heidi Lasher-Oakes
If you have a pet to suggest for Collared, please send a Web-sized jpeg image and message to unleashed@baltsun.com.
