In Memory of One of Us

John O'Neill was one of us - someone who loved his pets dearly. A short while ago, he lost his dog Idaho Jack, a terrier (pictured with John here), while out on a walk. Idaho Jack broke free from his leash and was hit by a streetcar on their busy street. John was inconsolable about the accident. He blamed himself, and wasn't able to talk about it to his family and friends.

A couple of weeks ago, he made a step forward by adopting Cappy. With the prior tragedy still very much on his mind, he worried about Cappy's safety in the busy City. Still, he was diligent in making sure they got out for their daily walk. On their walk last Thursday night, Cappy also broke free of his leash. In what must have been terrifying for John to once again witness, he saw his new dog race into traffic and run down similar streetcar tracks. He ran after Cappy, caught him, and was, perhaps, breathing a sigh of relief that this tragic history wouldn't repeat itself. However, John didn't see the streetcar coming from the other direction until one last, split second moment. It was in that small time frame that he released Cappy, who cleared the streetcar, but John was hit and killed.

As I read this story, I remembered the times I've had my thoughts consumed by a traumatic experience, and how it clouded my ability to pay attention to what I needed to do in the present. I've been lucky in that the results of these experiences have not endangered my life, but it's easy to extrapolate and know that it's only by the thinnest degree of difference that I could find myself in a very similar situation. My guess is that we're all a bit like that. So, as we take care of our pets, we also need to make sure we take care of ourselves. We're all worth the time and energy.

My deepest, heartfelt condolences go to John's family, friends, and loved ones.

Lucky Dog

Released yesterday, Leona Helmsley's beloved Maltese, Trouble, has inherited a $12 million trust fund to make sure she is comfortable until she joins Ms. Helmsley in her mausoleum.

Chocolate's not much of a gold digger, but he's all decked out just in case Trouble comes a-callin' :).

A Tale of Two Cities

Today's San Francisco Chronicle covers the success in reducing the City's pit bull populations via a sterilization law that was put into place after the tragic death of 12-year-old Nicholas Faibish in 2005. Here are the stats collected by San Francisco Animal Care and Control for the 18 months that the law has been in place:

-- 250 fix-it tickets have been issued (dog not fixed, get it fixed, then get credit on ticket)

-- 204 citations have been issued

-- 38 pit bulls or pit bull mixes have been seized

-- About 500 pit bulls have been spayed or neutered

This is good news in that today only about a quarter of unwanted pets in the Animal Care and Control Shelter are pit bulls compared to three quarters before the law was passed.

There's the hint of another story in this article, one which needs more research. Across the Bay, Oakland has a record of more pit bulls being registered than any other breed. Instead of a law to force surgeries, there's a concerted effort by advocates and officials alike to educate owners and have them voluntarily sterilize their pets. Donna Reynolds, Executive Director of the pit bull advocacy group, Bad Rap reports, "...we're seeing huge numbers pour into the doors to get their pit bulls fixed."

After all the controversy over the California Healthy Pets Act, there's a question of whether we need laws in place to ensure control of pet populations, or whether we have another avenue by reaching out to pet owners to do the right thing without additional legislation. If the numbers can be gathered in Oakland to validate their success in sterilizing pit bulls via education, this is a strong statement that pet owners are a much more responsible group than we're given credit for, and we will do the right things without additional red tape to complicate an already complicated world.

Lots of Michael Vick News

Three articles are making the rounds on the Michael Vick dogfighting case:

Vick Enters Plea, Vows to Redeem Himself With his family by his side, Michael Vick gave a heartfelt apology and took full responsibility for his part in setting up and running a dogfighting ring on his Virginia property. There were several quotes of significance:

• "I was not honest and forthright in our discussions"
• "I need to grow up"
• "Dogfighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it"
• "So I got a lot of down time, a lot of time to think about my actions and what I've done and how to make Michael Vick a better person"
• "I will redeem myself. I have to"

Dog-Eared Michael Vick Cards Win Big on eBay Collector Rochelle Steffen of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has raised more than $455 on 22 cards lovingly chewed by her Weimaraners,
Monte and Roxie. The cards were getting higher bids chewed up than those being sold elsewhere in more pristine shape.

The auction ended yesterday and the winning bid money will be given to the humane society of the bidder's choice.




Pit Bulls at Vick's House Face Deadline Here comes the hard stuff. What do you do with 50 dogs that have been trained to be vicious and can never be adoptable as pets? Sadly, the answer is euthanasia. While it's great that Michael Vick is turning his life around, at least he has the chance. These poor guys are just waiting time until a judge makes the final decision on Thursday.

From One Extreme to Another

Last Tuesday, I posted a picture of Creme Soda, a beautiful Maine Coon Cat competing at the South Central regional cat show sponsored by The International Cat Association in Waco, Texas. Today, we go to other extreme with Nude Dude, a hairless Sphynx, who is at the same venue. What a difference, although beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He looks like he has a great personality... and you just gotta love his name...

Saturday Trivia...

Ya know the old adage, "a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's"? Well, it turns out dogs have different kinds of bacteria in their mouths than we do, so it's not cleaner, just different.

Maybe this bit of trivia can be weaved into one of your conversations this weekend. Have a happy one...

Did You Know?

Since January, it's illegal in the state of California to tether your dog to immobile objects. That means I'm a fugitive as I "park" Chocolate each time I step in to my favorite coffee shop to get my morning latte. Who knew?

Kicking Back...

The original intention of the law was to stop the practice of tethering animals outside homes on a seemingly permanent basis. This happens in some neighborhoods more than others.

The good news is that the law has discretion among the various city jurisdictions. I haven't seen any evidence in my town that a crackdown has happened or is about to happen. In Oakland, there have been issues, so City Councilwoman Jean Quan has a proposal in place to reach a more reasonable solution. That would be good and make sense for the state's responsible dog owners.

Surf's Up!

This is Zoey, showing off her well-honed surfing skills during the 2nd Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition held in Imperial Beach, California, last Saturday. The link has a full slide show, but this is my favorite of the bunch, although the picture of surfing world champion Steve Allen isn't so bad either. :)

FDA Recalls Two Pet Foods Today...

Salmonella has been found in two dry dog foods that were recalled by the FDA today:

• Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula (50-pound bag)
  
• Krasdale Gravy (5-pound bag)

Krasdale Gravy is sold in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Red Flannel has a more limited distribution in stores located in Reedsville and Richlandtown, Pennsylvania. All but one bag is accounted for.

This is in addition to Wal-Mart's quiet recall of Chicken Jerky treats sold by Import-Pingyang Pet Product Company and Shanghai Bestro Trading. Both products were found to contain melamine, the same chemical that caused over 150 brands of pet food to be recalled earlier this year.

Cats Remember by Doing

A very interesting study shows that cats remember via action and not by observation. But their memories are short - about 10 minutes - when they do process via action.

The experimenters had cats step over an object with their front legs, then prevented them from stepping over it with their hind legs. For about 10 minutes, they'd remember the object was there and lift their hind legs to clear it, even when the object was moved.

When they simply showed cats an object but not have them physically move around it, their memories didn't register the object at all. They continued as if it was never there.

There's been similar research with horses and dogs, and early results show the same behavior.

And what about us humans? Well, before a cup of coffee, I don't remember anything past 30 seconds, so 10 minutes seems pretty good....

Cute

This is a picture of Creme Soda, a Maine Coon Cat that's all decked out for a show in Waco, Texas. What a beautiful face!

Michael Vick to Plead Guilty in Dogfighting

Wow. This one is big. Instead of hiding behind expensive attorneys and elaborate defenses, Michael Vick has consulted with his family and decided to plead guilty for his involvement in dogfighting on his Virginia property. His career with the NFL is uncertain and was not discussed as part of the plea bargain.

There's some good news in this tragedy: the United States Humane Society reports that since this high-profile case was first broadcast, there have been "at least 32 dogfighting rings broken up in 15 states with 240 dogs seized." They have an easy way to send thanks to the U.S. Attorneys who, by all news accounts, worked very hard and made all the right moves to bring it to closure quickly. Follow the link above to sign the card, it takes only 15 seconds and is well worth it.

Cats: Doing What They Do Best

One of my closest friends sent me this picture of her son, Adam, and a new addition to the family, Duncan.

This is one of those "they found each other" pairings. Adam has autism, and has preferred to stay away from pets. Duncan, at age 15, is in his golden years, but still has a tremendous spirit after a cancer diagnosis earlier this year cost him his right rear leg.

Nancy was uncertain the pairing would work, but as you can see, they are making their way toward a friendship that will provide a lasting, positive impact for both. We'll know there's been complete success once Duncan sits on the keyboard while Adam tries to maneuver around him.

Happy Monday.

Today's Picture...

...is from the Associated Press. The photograph has a great artistic feel. I also wonder what's prompting him to be in that spot. I remember as a kid enjoying the summer downpours of the East Coast, feeling the break in temperature while the steam rose from the asphalt, causing an instant steam bath. Maybe that's what he's enjoying too. In the meantime, the humans in San Antonio, Texas, try to get past too much weather coming in way too fast.

The Cats In (and Out of) our Lives

Yesterday's papers carried a wire story on Freddy, a cat that decided to stay behind in his rented quarters once his owners moved on.

Tonya Payne, the landlord, has tried every humane trick in the book to get Freddy to come out of his hiding place under the bathtub, but he's eluded capture for 12 days.

As I thought about this story, I realized that dogs give us unconditional love through their loyalty, and cats give us amazing stories to tell because of their territoriality. While I haven't had to contemplate removing a bathtub in order to get to a cat to safety, I have two stories that underline the bond cats have to their surroundings more than they have to their families.

Chatty Cathy was a tortoise shell cat that was so ugly when I first saw her in a pet shop that I knew no one in their right mind would adopt her and make a good home for her. So I did. When we moved houses five years after she'd been in our family, she decided we weren't worth the trouble. No matter how I tried, she found her way out of the new house and traveled the 12 blocks back to the old house on a consistent basis. One former neighbor despised her and wasted no time contacting me once Chatty Cathy was again perched on his roof. Another neighbor loved seeing her sun herself on their back deck each morning, so in the end, that's where she spent the rest of her days. When I would stop by for visits, she was always there to say hello, but never gave any indication that she wanted to be anywhere else but there.


Minnie

Minnie is also a tortoise shell that came to live with us in the new house once Chatty Cathy made it clear we weren't her thing. Maybe it's a trait with torties, but Minnie also has a fondness for high places, and after disappearing one mid-winter's day, I heard her cry out in my neighbor's roof. Of course, it happened at a time when my neighbors decided to take a relaxing vacation, so a long distance effort was underway to determine how to get Minnie out safely and keep some of their vacation experience in check as we talked about the various options for entering the house and releasing her before they were to return one week later.

There was no way to coax her out, because she had fallen into one of the steep gables of this beautiful tutor house and was stuck upside down. The Humane Society and the local Fire Department worked together to determine the best way to release her. The decision was to open the roof since the inside of the gable exposed numerous nails that would injure her if she was netted and brought out the way she came in. It was at this point that my neighbor's vacation with their family must have become much less fun. But permission was granted, and after numerous hacks to an otherwise fine shingle roof, I could see Minnie's fur. One of the firefighters pulled her out. And guess what she did? She wiggled her way free, and ran directly to the same opening in the roof to continue her hiding. Another hour went by before she was netted and placed in a carrier by the Humane Society.

Three years later, she is still somewhat famous on the block. People ask where the "roof cat" is - she caused quite a bit of excitement bringing a hook and ladder truck as well as the Humane Society transport truck to our quiet street. She was the lead story in our neighbor's next Christmas letter. And I still get the question, "You spent how much to make sure she was ok and make the repairs to your neighbor's house?" I'm just grateful that she was fine (there was worry of kidney damage if she'd been in there too long) and through lots of Godiva chocolate and other ploys, my neighbors still talk to me. When you're busting up someone's house, things can get a bit touchy. But instead, I have a happy ending and a good story.

Horses to the Rescue

We've all had those days, and it seemed like it was my turn. A friend reached out and knew just what I needed - to spend time with the horses. We spent the day grooming, riding through the beautiful Los Gatos foothills, then grooming again. It gave me just the break I needed to stop over thinking life's challenges.





Breezy above, Shierka below, and Matisse bottom right

I rode Shierka, a beautiful Arabian and a very well behaved mare. I also got to know Matisse and Breezy, and it was interesting to see how each horse had a distinct personality. For a lazy summer day, everyone was laid back, so of course I had no choice but to join in. That reminded me of the powerful healing properties animals give us.






The American Pet Products Manufacturer's Association shares the following health statistics. Review, enjoy, and always remember that they're there for us.

• Pets Help to Lower Blood Pressure A recent study at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that people with hypertension who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did those who did not own a pet. (Dr. Karen Allen, State University of New York at Buffalo)
• Pets Help to Reduce Stress Walking with a pet helps to sooth nerves and offers instant relaxation. Studies conducted worldwide have shown that the impact of a stressful situation is lesser on pet owners, especially males, than on those who do not own a pet. (Josephine M. Wills, Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, United Kingdom)
• Pets Help to Prevent Heart Disease Because pets provide people with faithful companionship, research shows they may also provide their owners with greater psychological stability, thus a measure of protection from heart disease. (National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefits of Pets)
• Pets Help to Lower Health Care Costs People with pets actually make fewer doctor visits, especially for non-serious medical conditions. (National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefits of Pets)
• Pets Help to Fight Depression Pets help fight depression and loneliness, promoting an interest in life. When seniors face adversity or trauma, affection from pets takes on great meaning. Their bonding behavior can foster a sense of security. (Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship)

Check This Out

Take three minutes and treat yourself to watching Carolyn and Rookie dance to "Your the One That I Want" from Grease. It is pure joy.

Be Careful Out There

You may be familiar with the various versions of the Nigerian Scam, where unscrupulous folks extort money from victims by requesting a small deposit of money to secure a larger payoff, claiming a lottery win, a will bequest, double invoice or other tactic. Within my high-tech circle of friends, it's always an interesting "badge of honor" to be able to say you've received one of these requests.

Now the scam has morphed. Instead of a Nigerian-linked story about money just waiting for you, the story is about finding a home for a puppy named Timi. Timi's owners don't want money themselves, they really just want to make sure he's in a good home, but they ask for support on vaccinations and other "incidentals" - requesting you deposit money to cover these charges before Timi goes to his new home.

As the article states, this scam preys on those who make themselves vulnerable in their love of pets. And because the email address is real, the message is bypassing the general spam filters and arriving in unsuspecting pet lovers email boxes.

There's a warning that this sort of scam will continue to expand into other areas that strike a chord in our generous souls. Do not let yourself fall prey - take the time to do the necessary research on anyone and any organization requesting your hard earned dollars... there are so many great things we can do for animal welfare via legitimate avenues, and they sorely need our support.

Today's picture is of Tex, who is available for adoption at the Peninsula Humane Society.

Happy Thursday...

Pet Friendly Home

I received a weekend edition of The Examiner, and in it was an article about how to have a pet-friendly home, sharing tips on keeping your home clean while living with a pet. The story source was Scripps Howard, but I've been unable to find the article on line. With this attribution, I'm moving forward to share the text of the article here. The only change I've made is to put the tips I found most interesting at the top of the list. The cute picture comes from a long ago article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

• Use an angel food cake pan as an outdoor water dish for a dog. Put a wooden stake through the center of the pan to prevent the dish from getting knocked over.
• Add a couple of teaspoons of tomato juice to a dog's food to reduce the acidity of the dog's urine and eliminate brown burn marks on the lawn.
• To keep pets away from your plants, mix some lemon juice with water and place in a spray bottle. Periodically spritz your plants with the mixture; plants love the humidity, and your pets will avoid the citrus smell.
• If a dog is finicky about eating dry food, keep a spray bottle of chicken broth handy to spritz the food and encourage a dog's appetite.
• Remove odors in pet bedding by sprinkling with baking soda. Let it sit for a while and then shake out or vacuum. Put some into cat litter boxes to help eliminate those odors as well. This product is non-toxic and safe to use around pets.
• For pet-friendly walls, don't use flat finish paint. Semi-gloss is the easiest way to wipe down, but its sheen will call attention to every ding and irregularity in your walls. Satin or eggshell finishes are more elegant, and as easy to clean as glossier paint.
• Wait at least 24 hours after fertilizing a yard before allowing the pet back out to play. Always consult the directions on fertilizer before applying to areas where pets frolic.
• In the summertime, flea control is very important for your pet. The first defense against these insects is routine brushing and bathing, an excellent way of killing any live fleas.

Happy Weekend...

A very cute picture sent to me by a friend, hope you enjoy...

Heikke is Home

Last night, local television station KPIX ran a story about dogs gone missing in the Bay Area. It may have been that broadcast or the astounding effort put in by Heikke's family and friends that got him home early this morning. But he is home.

We are powerful as a community. We know our pets belong at home with us, and we understand the pain and trauma of those around us when they are in this situation. It is our natural reaction to try to do the right thing and bring a happy ending. This is one such story.

A woman called the Lofgren home very early this morning. She knew her boyfriend had Heikke, and she was on her way to his house to pick up the dog. They arranged to meet in a neutral location, positive identification was made, and the ordeal was over.

Whether it was the newscast or some other means, this woman got the word that a puppy was away from his family, and when she made the connection, she did the right thing.

The Lofgren's left very little to chance in reaching out to find Heikke. A very abbreviated list of actions they took include:

• extensive neighborhood search
• posters everywhere (including out of the area) with a reward
  
• calling every vet in a 43 mile radius (600 of them)
  
• registered as missing with all the main shelters in the Bay Area
• reaching out to the Bernese Mountain Dog, Society Dog, Menlo Dog Owners, and San Francisco Dog Walkers affinity groups
• monitoring local flea and farmers markets

In short, they took no chances, and at least one of their efforts had the right effect.

It's a happy day for Heikke, let's now see what we can do to bring Bebe home safely.

A Dangerous World

Today's San Jose Mercury News carries a story of two dogs who have been stolen in the past couple of weeks.

Bebe, a Yorkie, was grabbed by her leash and taken from her family on an evening walk July 24th in South San Jose. Because there was assault when grabbing Bebe, the San Jose police are involved and treating the case as a strong arm robbery.

Heikke, a 4-month old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, was in the front yard with Hank, a Black Lab, when someone took him from his home on July 18th. Tom Lofgren and his neighbors recall seeing a full size pick up truck for three days straight before Heikke went missing. Tom saw the truck first on Monday, noticing the driver was using a leaf blower on the wrong side of the guard rail across from his driveway. When the driver saw Tom walking toward him to investigate, he quickly packed up and left. But neighbors report seeing him in the area again on Tuesday and on Wednesday, the day Heikke disappeared.

It's one thing to lose your dog to a wild summer run, as what happened when I took care of Kody recently. However, it's most frightening when there are people who are ready to steal a precious member of your family. Both families have taken extraordinary measures to enable the safe return of their dogs. We, as a community, can help by keeping alert to suspicious activity and reporting it quickly and without hesitation or apology. If we look to support each other, we will find some level of safety in a more and more dangerous world.