Saying our thanks

This was in my mail this morning, cute and sad at the same time...




Dear Lord, Thank you for bringing me to Timmy's house and not to Michael Vick's -- AMEN!

Barney leads the way

As this calendar year winds down, Barney is an inspiration in how we might look at the upcoming year to live our lives anew.

An 8-year-old lab mix, Barney was a shelter dog who had little chance of being adopted - he was blind and deaf. Amy Shever, founder and director of the all-volunteer 2nd Chance 4 Pets in Los Gatos, California, received the call for help. Once Barney arrived in her home, he was home, as he instantly became part of the family.

After some time for rehabilitation, touch was used to train Barney. Today, if his rear is tapped, he'll sit. If his front paws are stroked, he will lie down, although "it helps to have some food" while they are doing this. When they go for walks, if there is a step up, Amy will lift up lightly on Barney's leash and he steps up just fine.

Amy said Barney "isn't afraid of anything, [he] always has a smile on his face and uses his heart to see the world around him. His biggest pleasures include long walks, nightly wrestling matches with humans, playing hide-and-seek with dog buddies and extra kibble whenever he can get it.

"You see this dog, and you're just happy."

It's amazing to me how adaptable our pets are regardless of the challenges life gives them, whether they be physical, emotional or both. While many people might think a dog with this level of disability couldn't possibly live a full life, the article puts to rest any concern of that. May we all use Barney as our example of how to look past our limitations and embrace the wholeness of our lives.

Rent a life?

Last Summer, I read an article about Flex Pet, a rent-a-dog service for busy professionals. At the time, I was conflicted about whether this was a good idea or not.

On the one hand, it gives a second chance to shelter animals that might not have a life otherwise. It could give a person, who had not had a dog as a part of their lives before, an idea of what life would be like with a dog. A lot of people adopt dogs, thinking they can be cared for easily, and when they find out otherwise, they land up at the shelter. The owner of the business comes across as a dedicated pet lover, and has several safeguards in place for her charges.

On the other hand, dogs are not commodities, and do best when they have a life of predictability and routine. They also bond to their "alpha" and strive to be with them as a member of the pack. For the renter, they get only restricted view of life with a dog, which can cause significant misunderstanding, maybe even worse than not having had a dog at all.

I can imagine "renting" my Yorkie, Chocolate, for the weekend, and being captivated with his energy, joy, and cuteness. It would take more than a weekend to realize that living with him has other aspects too, and not nearly as endearing as any short visit would reveal. But that's life with a dog (or at least my dog). I love him for everything he brings to my life, but it is a responsibility, one that pays off immeasurably as we share our lives together with the balance of the good, and sometimes, the not so good.

Now Boston.com is revisiting the subject, as Flex Petz plans to move into the Boston area this coming Spring. It covers all the good and bad listed above, but the best quote is also the best solution:

"Why would you need to rent a dog when you could walk a dog in a shelter in your community?" said Gary Patronek, director of animal welfare and protection at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, where dogs that go out on walks with volunteers wear red vests that read, "Available for adoption."

"If you are feeling a little lonely, we are here," Patronek said.

This is the right way to "rent" a pet if that's what you need to do...

Tragedy all around

Today's lead news from San Francisco is the death of one and the mauling of two zoo visitors Christmas evening, just before closing time. The attack was made by a Siberian Tiger, Tatiana, who was killed by police officers as she approached them when they were trying to reach one of the victims. The zoo is closed today as investigators look for possible additional victims, and try to determine how Tatiana escaped her enclosure, which was fortified after she attacked one of the zookeepers almost a year ago.

This story resonates with me for two reasons.

One is that I know the zookeeper who was mauled last year. She is a tremendous woman who has extraordinary talent working with zoo animals. This story brings up the terrifying memories from then and the sadness today that it's not only happened again, but with a fatality. The road to recovery from such an attack is long and arduous. My heart goes out to the families who are enduring the loss and pain from yesterday's attack.

The second reason I keep thinking about this story is that we, as folks who relate to animals, can sometimes make the mistake that all animals are capable of co-existing with us. That is simply not true. An article from the UK outlines the risks of attempting to live with crocodiles, scorpions, poisonous snakes and spiders, etc, etc, that become the reason we visit the emergency room more often than we might otherwise. I'd like to think that such an episode makes people reevaluate the structure of their lives, and if they are endangering themselves and their wild animals, they can make changes now. That allows everyone, two- and four-footed, to live their lives fully and safely.

Merry Christmas

Today, I'm feeling enormous gratitude for the whole host of wonderful people and animals that are my friends and family. One friend, Mike Harding, has the absolutely wackiest animated Santa I've ever seen - check it out at MontaraVentures.

And I hope you have a joyous and blessed Christmas.

Home for the holidays

Today's opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange was rung in by a group of 7 friendly dogs to highlight the advantages of pet adoption during this holiday season. Home 4 the Holidays, sponsored by Iams, is in its 9th year of operation, and claims to be the world's largest pet adoption drive. Their goal is to find homes for almost 500,000 pets before January 3, 2008. Adoption has the added benefit of significantly reducing the number of euthanasias, making a Merry Christmas for all.

Jingle Bell Dog

Since it's only 38 seconds, and Joshua does some cute things as he "sings", it's worth the watch... enjoy...

Slow pet news week...

...so we're reduced to watching youtube, what a job!

Visiting Santa

Doesn't get much better than this.... happy Wednesday...

My Christmas wish

If I could have any wish today, it would be to have enough funding to buy and revamp Michael Vick's Surry, Virginia, estate into an animal refuge. I could see dogs running free on the available 15 acres, and cats lounging in the outbuildings that had been used for the pure evil of dogfighting. I'd have an area for horses, there would be a large aviary, and small animals of all kinds would have a place to live their lives fully. Where fear, cruelty, and inhumanity abounded, the property would be transformed into a safe, loving, protective harbor where all pets without homes would be welcome. This would be their home, as long as they needed it, until a new one became available.

The large house could be used for training, classes, and education. There would be programs available that would attract people from all over to visit, help, share, and learn in all areas of pet welfare and care. I could see a camp for at-risk kids, who could learn first hand that caring for a pet is a positive step forward to a healthier life. There could be seminars and workshops on various careers within the pet industry, and maybe even a museum that would become a must-see vacation spot.

While there are many of us who respect and care for our pets, there are still many others who continue to abuse them in the most barbaric ways. The house's legacy would be a reminder of this sad fact, however the goal would be to measure over time how a former torture chamber for innocent dogs is transformed into a worldwide humanitarian effort that makes a better world for all the animals we share our lives with.

That is my Christmas wish.

Countdown to Christmas

Something to think about this holiday season. If a new pet is in your plans, consider adopting a rescue pooch like this great guy... Otis is spreading some extra Christmas cheer in his work as an ambassador for the group G.R.I.N. (Golden Retrievers in Need) located in Ohio. G.R.I.N. specializes in rescuing Goldens and finding great homes for them.

Great Britain honors their war heros

Britain took time to honor (or is it honour?) its animal war heroes at the newly restored Ilford Animal Cemetery in Essex, England, earlier this week.

This cemetery is the resting place of a dozen recipients of the Dickin Medal, which is the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, Great Britain's highest military honor.

An example of an honoree is a cat, Simon, who despite being wounded during his tour of duty, continued to protect his ship's food from rat infestation and buoyed the spirits of the crew on the HMS Amethyst in 1949.

The ceremony also honored current heroes, such as Sadie, a black lab who is trained as an explosives search dog. She saved numerous lives by tirelessly sniffing out bombs in Afghanistan, and posed for pictures with a medal inscribed with, "they also served."

In addition, the full story highlights 32 pigeons who received this honor, which is more than any other species. Derek Partridge, of the Pigeon Racing Association provided the following quote:

These birds achieved so much and saved so many lives. It is worth remembering what they did for us, because we might not be here without all of these animals.

This is a wonderful way to acknowledge all who make a positive difference during wartime.

Walking night light

Researchers at Gyeongsang National University in Korea have taken the cloned cat, a technology that's been around for five years now, and created a florescent cloned kitty.

The research can be utilized in working with certain genetic diseases in animals and humans. They also believe it can help reproduce rare animals, such as tigers and wildcats, which are on the verge of extinction.

Copycat was the first cloned cat, born in 2002 at Texas A&M University. Kong Il-keun, the professor leading the Korean research team, cloned the first cat in Korea in 2004. His work has continued with the goal to clone animals for therapeutic research.

In the meantime, we have a whole new way to use a lampshade...

Fun break

If you haven't visited icanhascheezburger, it's a great way to spend (some might call it "waste") a considerable amount of time looking at pictures with funny captions. Here are some of my favs:

Holiday reading

If you'll have time this holiday season to enjoy a book or two, the Wall Street Journal lists five books about dogs that cover heartwarming, practical, educational, historical, and fun. A very short synopsis is below, the full article gives a more detailed description of each book.

• For the Love of a Dog by Patricia B. McConnell - a book about the emotions of dogs and people, from a behaviorist point of view. Includes personal stories and antidotes to make it an easy read.
• If Only They Could Speak by Nicholas H. Dodman - Deemed the best of the books he's written to date, this one covers case studies of dogs (and cats) that were treated at his behavior clinic at Tufts University.
• If Dogs Could Talk by Vilmos Csanyi - a more scientific, but interesting, look at how dogs communicate with humans.
  
• Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier - a hands-on, practical guide as to the differences in how dogs and humans communicate. The premise is that if we learn our dog's language, we will have an easier time in all other aspects of our lives with them, including training.
• Always Faithful by William Putney - A fascinating story of how pet Doberman pinschers were trained as wartime partners when liberating Guam in 1944, and then what needed to be done to successfully repatriate them with their families at the end of the war.
  

They are our best friends too...

Today's post honors the unwitting victims behind the 23-month sentencing of Michael Vick. Note that the biggest threat these chicks have growing up with Sharky is the possibility of his eating all their food.

Friends helping friends

A wonderful feature story describes the partnership between Rose's Rescue and the Trumbull Correction Institute in Ohio which, in the aim of providing pet rehabilitation by the inmates, also provides inmate rehabilitation by the pets.

Rose Sachs saw an opportunity to give local pound dogs a second chance by providing socialization training via the inmates at Trumbull. Before this program was in place, most dogs that qualify as Rose's adoptees would be euthanized as they were ones no one else would take home.

Sharon Chilson, a prison program facilitator, observed that the program works miracles for both inmates and dogs. Quoting from the article:

Men and women who used to hang their heads will straighten up after a few sessions of unconditional adoration from their charges, who give them something to care for. The experience lasts a lifetime, as their newfound skills are marketable on the outside, a tool for re-entry into society.

"The program has taught me how to love again," said inmate Jeff Rowman, who trained Maude, a hound/husky mix who is now available for adoption at Pet Finder.

More great quotes:

I grew up on the streets and didn't have that," Rowman said, eyes fixed on his dog. "The program has brought me closer to other people."

"It's a really good program," said Robby Ware, assistant to the warden. "It helps offenders in their rehabilitation process and gives back to the community at the same time. It's win-win.

This is amazing stuff. Treat yourself to reading the full article and consider contributing to Rose's Rescue as a year-end gift.

New Years resolutions for all

Doodah - ready for
the New Year

I've always hated the smug diet and health advice that states, "Eat less, exercise more." How can something so simple be so hard? Well, now our cats need to live by this paradox too.

The Chicago Tribune reports disturbing news that our cats are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at increasing rates. The largest suspect for cause is overfeeding, with a focus on dry cat foods that are higher in carbohydrate and lower in protein content. An important point made is that while humans and dogs are omnivores (eating both plants and animals), cats are pure carnivores. The more protein in their diet, the better.

In addition to diet, exercise is important too. In nature, these nocturnal predators roam and hunt during the night. It's estimated that for every 30 to 40 attempts at catching prey, they succeed only four or five times. That's significant exercise they don't get now as they stay in the house with us.

If your cat is overweight, check out your cat food labels for protein content. As an example, the article talks about Catkins, a food that is 3 percent carbohydrate, 55 to 60 percent protein and the rest fat. It's based on the nutritional value cats would get from eating mice. Yum.

There's also value in wiggling strings and other games that will get them to move around, even when you don't.

And if you'd like to learn more about cat diabetes, check out http://yourdiabeticcat.com, a site run by Elizabeth Hodgkins, a veterinarian practicing in Yorba Linda, California.

I'll take what he's having

Picture this: on a cold winter's day, you walk into your favorite neighborhood cafe, order a hot drink, sit down, and a warm, cuddly kitty joins you in a lazy morning or afternoon respite.

That's the scene at Cat Cafe Calico in western Tokyo, one of several cafes that have opened up in the city that include cats as part of the ambiance.

Maybe this isn't your cup of tea, but for this cat lover, I'd love to see one open up in my neighborhood!

Happy Hanukkah

Chaia is all ready for the first night of Hanukkah. If you are celebrating, I hope yours is very happy...

Dogs see pictures like we do

In the science corner, a very interesting study by the University of Vienna in Austria shows that dogs can categorize complex color pictures as we humans do.



The experiment is summarized in three phases:

1. During a training session, dogs were shown pictures of landscapes and pictures of dogs. Using an automated touch-screen (to eliminate human intervention), the dogs received a treat each time they chose a dog picture.
   
2. Once training was complete, the dogs were shown completely different dog and landscape pictures. They continued to choose the dog pictures, showing that the knowledge gained in the training session was transferable to new images.
3. In the second experiment, the landscape pictures shown in the training session were altered to include pictures of dogs. This added significant complexity since it combined an image that received no treat (landscape) with an image that did receive a treat (dog). The new composite images were shown alongside new landscape pictures without dogs. The dogs were able to figure it out and stay consistent with choosing the pictures with the dogs.

I think this could be modified to become a very cool dog trick at home. Chocolate is food-motivated enough to be trained to at least step on a dog picture fairly consistently (avoiding the very expensive touch screen option)... could be a fun addition to his "dead dog" pose...