Cutest Dog Contest

All American Pet Brands is hosting a cutest dog contest on their Web site.  This has been going on since August, but I just found it.  Entries are already closed, but you can have input into the final winner! 

 They’re also giving away a Nano mp3 player to one lucky voter each day.

 Danny, the beagle pup pictured here has my vote.  Who’s your favorite?

 Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Interracial Puppies?

As a white mother of a black child, this story from Doncaster, England  really caught my eye.  What happens when you breed a white female poodle with a black male poodle?  In this case, ALL EIGHT of the offspring turned out black, a genetic rarity.  Together they make quite a picture!

 Sukanto My Fair Lady (otherwise known as Rosie), who lives with John & Carol Marsden, went into labor unexpectedly, and Mrs. Marsden actually got to deliver the first three pups before the breeder got there to take over.  Over the course of seven hours, all of the puppies were born healthy and happy.  Good thing Mrs. Marsden is a retired nurse! 

 To keep her strength up while caring for the newborns, Rosie is being treated to a liter of goat’s milk every day from the Stone family farm, just down the road from the Marsdens. 

 The father is Kertellas on Easy Street at Montravia, but goes by the much less-of-a-mouthful name of Alfie.  He lives with Marita Rodgers.  No word on what he thought of his octuplets.  (Should I say “typical man”?)

 Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Reader’s Digest Hero Pets of the Year

My bad!  I totally missed the boat on this one.  Over the summer, Reader’s Digest ran a contest to find a winner for the award of Hero Pet of the year.  Finalists included 2 dogs, 1 horse, 1 cat, and 1 parrot.  No big surprise that one of the dogs won!

 I’m sorry I didn’t get this to you in time to vote – I’ll put it on my calendar to check on for next year.  At any rate, the stories of the finalists are available on the Reader’s Digest site - they are very touching.

 Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Pregnant Dog is a Hero

According to a recent story in the Canton Repository, kudos are due to Jada, a mixed breed who lives here in Canton with Tabitha Billings.  Seems an intruder broke into their home and threatened Tabitha and her 3-year old son with a gun.

[Read more]

Poor Jessica Simpson!

Not only did she recently break up with her boyfriend, NFL star Tony Roma, Jessica has now lost her Malti-Poo, Daisy, as well.

[Read more]

Stop smoking…for your dog?

Research has shown that secondhand smoke is linked to certain cancers and allergies in dogs.  Now WebMD reports that many smokers are willing to try to quit if it means it will improve their pets’ health.

[Read more]

Sad News for the Seattle K-9 Force

Freddie, a Seattle PD bomb squad member for more than six years, has died. He was taken to the vet Saturday, where he required surgery to remove his spleen and multiple transfusions. Unfortunately, he died soon after the surgery, although he had been revived prior to the surgery when his heart stopped.

Freddie and his partner, 24-year veteran Officer Craig Williamson, had been together since 2003 and had received numerous honors including the Award for Excellence at the 2008 Seattle Police Foundation awards ceremony and being named a premier team by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, which trained Freddie.

Our condolences to Officer Williamson on the loss of his faithful companion.

Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!

Dogs Chained Outside

Several news sources today had articles about the inappropriateness of keeping your dog chained outside. 

Think about it:  if you are using your dog as a guard for your home, how can he protect anything if he can’t get loose from the tree to which you have him tethered?  And if your dog is a companion for your family, how much joy does he bring you (and how much joy does he have in his life) if he’s constantly outside?

[Read more]

Hilary Swank promotes dog adoption

The Associated Press is reporting that Academy Award winner Hilary Swank will partner with Iams’  Home 4 the Holidays Pet Adoption Campaign.  Their goal is to send 1.5 million shelter pets home in time for the holidays.

Although I never think pets under the Christmas tree are a good idea, I applaud this campaign because they are targeting the dates from October 1st through January 4th, so it’s not specifically targeted at giving pets as Christmas presents. 

Swank who lives with a cat, rabbit, several parrots, and a mixed-breed dog named Karu, points out that the older animals often found in shelters have “already gone through a lot of the training that cam be challenging for people.” 

Kudos to her for getting involved!

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Health Care Reform / A Bailout for Your Dog

USA Today is reporting that Representative Thaddeus McCotter, a Republican from Michigan, has proposed a bill which would allow people to deduct up to $3,500 per year on their taxes for expenses related to pet health care.  From reading the bill, it sounds as if you can deduct not only vet care, but also food, accessories, and supplies.

Known as The Happy (Humanity And Pets Partnered through the Years) Act, the bill is now being debated in the House Committee on Ways and Means.  The goal of the bill is to encourage responsible pet care and reduce the abandonment of pets which has skyrocketed during the current recession.

Citing research from the American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owners Survey, the bill states that 63% of us have pets in the household.  The bill also makes note of the positive effects the human-animal bond has on our emotional and physical well being.

Support the bill by calling or writing your Congressman and asking him to vote for house bill HR3501.  You can find contact information for elected officials by entering your zip code here.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

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