April 2008 Archives

Cats have a friend in Iraq.

"Louise" -- no last name given -- is a security consultant in Baghdad who has a giant heart for felines. And so she moonlights as something of a one-woman animal rescue unit, finding strays and getting them out of harm's way.

"Some people buy flash cars, others flash clothes," she said in an AP story. "But it's my animals that float my boat."

This Associated Press photo by Bradley Brooks shows Tigger, a half-tailed kitten, sitting outside a Green Zone villa in Baghdad in February. He now lives in England.

Researchers in New Zealand found a squid that has the biggest eyes of any animal ever found. Its peepers are bigger than dinner plates!

One of the squid's two eyes, with a lens as big as an orange, was found intact as the scientists examined the creature while it was slowly defrosted at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa. It has been preserved there since being caught in the Ross Sea off Antarctica's northern coast last year.

This isn't scientific, but I believe my dog, Rocket, has the biggest ears of any animal.

That's what a six-year study of 9,000 children concluded, according to an article in the London Times. Children run less risk of being sensitive to allergens if there is a dog in the house in the early years of their lives, the study found.

The conclusion...adds weight to the theory that growing up with a pet trains the immune system to be less sensitive to potential triggers for allergies such as asthma, eczema and hay fever.

The "hygiene theory" of allergy holds that modern life has simply become too clean, meaning that babies' immune systems are not exposed enough to germs to develop normally.

Having a dog provides enough dirt of the right kind, the new German study suggests. But it may be important that baby meets dog early enough to affect the immune system as it develops.

Our thanks to LA Unleashed for calling attention to the story.

Wow, I really opened a can of worms when I talked about the secret South Bay dog beach. I didn't even give directions there, but got a bunch of angry e-mails from people who either didn't want dogs to go there or from people who do take dogs there, but don't want to share.

And a couple of days after my original post ran, the authorities showed up and started handing out tickets to people who had their dogs off leash.

This morning I spoke to the guy who helped get the dog beach going in Long Beach, as well as the woman who started a group to get one (so far unsuccessfully) in Playa del Rey.

I'm going to be writing about this issue a bit as I gather more information, but I also want to know what you guys think.

Would you guys like to see a dog beach in the South Bay? Where would you like it? And do you take your pets to beaches, even though you're not supposed to?

Animal activists and friends will gather at the Carson animal shelter on Saturday to protest what their press release calls "the county's Department of Animal Care and Control's continued alleged neglect of the animals in their care."

According to the press release,

Among the Departments numerous alleged violations of Department Policy and Procedure, Board of Supervisor Policy and Procedure, and State and Federal law, the Department has and continues to engage in the following:

·          Causing animals unnecessary suffering, sickness, and death

·         Not providing animals with proper medical care

·         Not providing animals with adequate nutrition, shelter, exercise, and water

·         Not treating animals kindly and humanely

·         Routine failure to hold employees accountable

·         Retaliating against employees, volunteers, and members of the public for exposing patterns of neglect

"The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control subjects the animals in their care to horrid conditions," said Ryan Olshan, protest organizer.  "They are failing to provide animals with basic care as dictated under law.  These are laws that were put into place to prevent what is happening at the County's 6 shelters."

I feel Josh has proven himself as a self centered egotistical attention-freak by publishing this "secret beach." Perhaps the intentions were just to get a reaction and to piss people off who rely on this place for possibly rehabilitation of aggressive dogs or just having privacy, like Anonymous. There's actually a private community living down from the beach Josh talks about, and thanks to his public announcement, the residents now can enjoy the craziness of all the public humans, screaming children, and their animals. Gee, Josh, I bet you are voted Mr. Popular of the south Bay by the residents in this secret location which is now public. Hurray for Josh for being Mr. A-Hole of the k9 secret hideouts, of which some of us have been living at for quite some time. I hope Josh never finds out where my private address is for the public will surely surround my place with their families and dogs: fortunately, I like zoos, so bring it on Mr. Media! ooops, yes, I forgot to mention, I enjoy the circus, too, so the more the merrier - NOT!

At least two dogs were rescued Monday by the mobile SPCA Disaster Animal Response Team which responded to a commercial warehouse fire in South Los Angeles.

The "DART" unit, which operates solely on donations, provides temporary housing, food and medical care to animals. helping other animal control agencies. You can donate by going to www.spcaLA.com or calling 888-spca-LA1, Ext. 233.

With the onset of hot weather and fire season, SPCA officials have issued the following tips to help pet owners prepare for an emergency:

This is just weird, but here it is. It seems a vet in Brazil is pushing plastic surgery for dogs.

According to the Seattle Press Intelligencer, Veterinarian Edgado Brito can "make protruding ears droop and uses Metacril to straighten bent ears. he uses Botox to fix inverted eyelashes."

Now inverted eyelashes do present a legitimate a medical problem, I remember a dog from the shelter I helped release had that condition which caused eye infection. Surgery was requried at that time, so if there's a non-surgical way to fix something like that, it could be a good thing.

But the demand for pet plastic surgery is increasing, according to the article. And that makes animal rights activists and some dog breeders uneasy.

A committee of the Dallas, Texas, City Council was scheduled today to take up new pet ownership rules, including mandatory spay/neuter (unless breeders apply for permits), limits on the number of pets that can be owned, stricter dangerous dog language and a ban on tethering.

Many of these issues have been addressed by our local animal control departments as well. The problem comes with enforcement.

Most people never license their animals and animal control workers typically don't have the manpower to go door to door to find them. The American Kennel Club is tracking the issue.

There's an update to an item we posted a few days ago about a woman in Rancho Palos Verdes who was bitten by two loose German shepherds in her backyard while she was breaking up an attack on her own dog.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula News, a sister paper to the Daily Breeze, provides a full and more recent account from today's April 28 edition. Included are some comments from the German shepherds' owner, Renata Heindl. There also are comments from emergency and animal control authorities regarding how dog attack calls are handled and from neighbors.

Heindl's dogs remain under quarantine at her home. Maria Lyons told reporter Ashley Ratcliff that she is still "unsure" if she will press charges against Heindl. 

The best summer vacations are when you can take your dog with you. Or how about the cat? Believe it or not, there are now even cruises for cats. Go figure.

But if you need a pet sitter to take care of things while you're gone, there are some good tips to consider. Like getting references and finding out if the sitter is bonded.

There's actually an association for Pet sitters that you can check out for referrals in your area.

People on talk radio are always going on about how conservative actors are shunned by Hollywood. Or something like that.

I don't want to get into that discussion because it's ridiculous. I only mention it because a few weeks ago, we lost a man who was not only a beloved actor, but also a well-known conservative.

For any nerdy kid, Charlton Heston was the beloved star of three great 1970s science fiction movies: "Soylent Green," "The Omega Man," and, of course, "Planet of the Apes."

He was also in the first sequel, "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," where he destroys the planet Eearth and creates one heckuva time-travel paradox. But he only made a cameo in that movie.

I thought Heston was a great guy. I had the good fortune to meet him about 10 years ago and he was very nice to me. And so I dedicate today's monkey video to him.

BUT, this blog isn't just about monkeys, it's about monkey madness, and so I present a mash-up from from "Planet of the Apes" with what may be the funniest five minutes from TV's "The Simpsons." They did a send-up to the Heston movie. This clip combines the best of both.

Hermosa Beach's annual Dog Parade and Trick Show will be held Sunday, May 4.

Registration begins at 11 a.m., followed by a dog parade. (Dogs must be accompanied by humans). It starts at Pier and Valley avenues, and heads north along the greenbelt toward Valley Park.

After the parade, there will be trick show in the park's amphitheater, where dogs can show off the cool things they can do.

Participation is free, but all dogs must be leashed. And no cats allowed! (Yay, says Rocket)
For more information, call 310-318-0280

Torrance officials have banned dogs from posted areas at busy Wilson Park during special events, including the Saturday Farmers market.

“Over the years we’ve had so many issues with dog bites,” said Mayor Frank Scotto. “It created a tremendous amount of effort to police that.”

The ban is in place from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, when the Farmers Market is also held, as well as the day of July 4, the Halloween Carnival, the Spring Boutique and the Holiday Boutique.

Violators will receive the equivalent of a traffic ticket with a fine of $25-$50.

The ban goes into effect 30 days after Tuesday’s City Council meeting, when the ordinance was adopted.

Do you know what these dogs have in common?

They're all the same dog. They're clones. And even have the same name: Toppy, which is a portmanteau of tomorrow and puppy. They were, what, born? hatched? developed? in Korea and will be used to sniff out drugs.

The seven new cloned male dogs are all healthy, though one was sent to a university laboratory a few days ago for a minor foot injury it received during training, according to training center head Lim Jae-ryoung.

"They have a superior nature. They are active and excel in accepting the training," said Kim Nak-seung, a trainer at the Customs Service-affiliated dog training center.

In February, all seven dogs passed a behavior test aimed at finding whether they are genetically qualified to work as sniffing dogs. Only 10 percent to 15 percent of naturally born dogs typically pass the test.

This, of course, raises all sorts of weird ethical issues. Like, what about all those dogs in shelters being put down because there aren't enough homes for them? And if they can clone dogs, what's next? Journalists?

The whole thing gives me a headache. It also makes me wonder what would happen if Rocket were cloned. I think it would look something like this. Shoot me now

I got a nice e-mail from Sanam and Indi yesterday. I say it's nice because Sanam cleverly threw in a compliment about me and Rocket.

Rocket is very cute, I love his multi-colored coat --very unique! Hopefully, one of these days we will run into each other at one of the doggy parks.

 

I hope so too. Indi, according to Sanam, is a...

high energy AmStaff who will be turning one on May first. She is very sweet, loving, and entertaining. I never realized how wonderful it is to have a dog until we adopted/rescued her.  She is very loved and spoiled, that's for sure!

Life looks sweet for Indi. And good for you for adopting her. Rocket is a shelter dog too.

Here's the video. Check it out. And be sure to send along some of your dog or cat or ferret or 'possum. I'll post them, which will give you an extra three views on your Youtube page.

Indi also has her own blog! You can stop by and check out some of her adventures. I recognized Averil Park in one of the photos.

That's what my fellow pet blogger, Donna, wanted to know.

Puppies, that's what!

You wanted more cats on this blog? Well Here ya go. Now really, is there anything cuter than kittens??

• Shark skin is made of tiny tooth-like scales called denticles and has been used for sandpaper.
• Sharks live mainly on a diet of fish, squid, octopus and plankton.
• Sharks have no swim bladder and must move constantly to breathe and stay afloat.
• The whale shark is not only the largest shark , it's the largest fish. It can grow to a length of 50 feet. The smallest is the aptly named pygmy shark . It grows to 2 feet.
• Sharks can detect one drop of blood in 1 million drops of water.
• Sharks have rows of teeth that are constantly being replaced as old ones fall out.
  

So there's this critter -- it sounds big, I think it's a raccoon -- that's been traipsing across my flat roof now for over a week, keeping me up half the night. Vigilant, I have taken to following his path, shadowing from below his pre-dawn wanderings across my housetop. During peak moments of frustration, I have been known to bang the broom handle -- BAM BAM BAM -- on the ceiling. "Go Away!" I shout. 

These episodes make me look dangerously disturbed, I realize. My two sheepdogs, who are utterly unfazed by the house guest, have taken to shunning me during the increasingly frequent late-night outbursts, quietly migrating toward the back of the house where they can get some sleep.  

I think the raccoon may even have managed to make his way inside a small crawl space right above my bedroom closet ceiling. The overhead sounds have become way too close in that part of the house. And when I heard tiny bits of plaster actually falling onto the closet floor like pebbles the other night, I exited without delay, pulling blankets and pillow onto the living room couch.

Now raccoons are just as cute as they can be. But I know enough about them to realize they can be (a) feisty and (b) very destructive to roofs. Oh, and this is also litter season.

Yikes.

I am awaiting call backs from some humane trappers-for-hire in Long Beach who say they can help relocate the animal(s) and do followup repairs (good-bye tax rebate check). But in the meantime, I decided to educate myself (and now you) on how to protect my property from these "urban bandits" in the future.

Some of this has probably been my own fault -- like neglecting to trim the huge tree that now towers above my roofline for a few years now. I can hear the creature scaling it during his comings and goings (a tree-trimming appointment has been made).

Other precautions: Don't leave any kind of pet food or water bowls outside. Close up the doggie door at night. And install a protective screen/cap on the top of the chimney. That's my next order of business, lest Rocky Raccoon come tumbling forth one of these nights right into our living room (which, of course, would absolutely thrill and entertain my dogs to no end -- Woo-hoo! Finally, something to herd!).

Raccoons are nocturnal creatures that feed on fruit, poultry, lawn grubs, garbage -- and they especially like koi fish swimming in those ponds that are so popular with homeowners in my neighborhood. So you can see how urban areas are a big attraction for these masked marauders.

And they aren't the only pesky creatures urban dwellers have to beware of -- there also are skunks, opossums and other wildlife that proliferate this time of year. 

So here are some good general tips about how to prevent wild animals from coming into your yard.

And raccoon advice specifically is offered by both the city of Los Angeles and the county.

I just read that the man who died in the San Diego shark attack was a retired veterinarian.

 I wrote a story about shark attacks a few years ago after a bunch of incidents a couple of years ago. And while it's sad that someone died today, swimming in the waters off the ocean is still pretty darn safe, especially here in South Bay waters.

 When I wrote the story in 2001, there were only 10 reported deaths due to shark attacks in California since 1926, according to the International SharkAttack Files.

And not a single one of the occurred in Los Angeles County.

Of the tens of millions of people who have taken a dip in local waters in the past 75 years, only 110 have been attacked by sharks. The last was in Santa Barbara in 1994. You're more likely to be stung to death by honeybees.

In other words, it's safe to go back into the water.

I got an angry comment from Laura, who was responding to a post I made earlier this month about a secret dog beach in the South Bay.

Laura writes:

I was there this afternoon and the police and animal control were there

giving out tickets to dog owners on the beach. So thank you to everyone

that just felt the need to advertise this "secret spot" to the masses. Now

please, everyone go back to the ridiculous rules dog beach in long beach

and leave us alone....

Sorry about the ticket, Laura. I agree, the beach is secluded enough that the police should just leave the place alone. It's not like anybody goes there to sunbathe.

But, like I noted in my original post, it is illegal to bring your dogs there, so you can't blame me. I've gotten a few tickets over the years and it's not fun, but here's the way I look at it: I've been taking my dog to parks and beaches for years, so if I get busted every now and again, it's just the cost of doing business.

Anyway, off-leash dog walkers be warned. The Man is on to us!

Like most phones these days, mine comes with a camera. But it also allows me to take little 15-second videos. My usual subject is the dog.

Her name is Babe and she looks like a great dog. But as of this morning, the 1-year-old shephed mix was homeless, logged in as No. A941745 at the Harbor Animal Care and Control Center in San Pedro.

Sadly, Babe isn't alone.

The shelter, one of the city of Los Angeles' oldest and smallest, has record-high numbers of dogs right now, says Capt. Daniel Pantoja -- 76 dogs with only 14 kennels.

A new, 80-kennel shelter will open to replace the facility in a couple months in San Pedro, But for now, shelter workers are scrambling, trying to spare as many lives as they can.

So if you're thinking of adopting a dog -- or know someone who is -- please send them to the city shelter at 735 Battery St.  

You can see all the great dogs  on the web site. 

"I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons." -- Will Rogers

That's just one of the 22 quotes I found about dogs and politics. Enjoy.

A couple of days ago, I wrote a post about how Rocket and I went on a hike and had an encounter with a rattlesnake. We skirted our way around it, but some dogs aren't alway so lucky. Naturally curious, dogs can poke their noses against the curled up snakes. In response, the snakes can pounce and bite the dog.

The canines don't always survive. And with the weather warming up, the cold-blooded animals will become a more common site on trails around the South Bay.

Today's Orange County Register has a story about a man in Norco who teaches dogs to stay away from rattle snakes. He's charges $70 for the short lesson.

Patrick Callaghan ... continues to travel virtually each weekend from March to September to various venues throughout Southern California, working "to educate and protect the dog as much as we can."

In his training, he uses live — but muzzled — rattlesnakes to duplicate what a dog would encounter in the wild.

The dog is fitted with a collar that emits an eye-opening stimulus much like a muscle stimulator used in a chiropractor's office.

When the dog hears, sees or smells the snake, Callaghan pushes a button on a remote control that triggers the stimulation, making the dog think the snake got it.

"It's nasty," he said. "I imprint on them that it's not nice. They've got to stay away."

 

I got an e-mail today from a reader of my blog. OK, it was from Daily Breeze Copy Desk Chief Jack Mulkey.

While walking at a mall (a fair-skinned man, Jack likes to take his exercise indoors), Jack noticed a plethora of those little rug rats that seem to be all the craze with the rich and annoying.

Jack writes...

So...what is with all these people I've seen the past year or so bringing their little tiny dogs with them to shopping malls? Why do they do that? What do the malls think of it? What do the owners do when the little dog has to, well, go? I was in one mall where a tiny, tiny dog was perched atop a baby stroller, and I thought, "if that pooch falls off and I accidentally step on it, it's gonna be flatter than a pancake!" What's the deal?

I don't know an answer to any of those questions. But if you ask me, Jack, those aren't even dogs at all. To qualify as a dog, an animal has to weigh at least 35 pounds. Otherwise, theyr'e just rats.

As far as the headline for this post goes. It should be "flounder," not "founder," but I was making a little joke. It may not seem funny to you, but to a copy editor, it was hilarious.

Skunk.

I feel for ya, Josh. (See post below)

I must have had a family of the cute black-and-white critters living in my backyard several years ago. It almost became a routine one summer -- dogs go out, run enthusiastically after something, then .... a deathly quiet. In they'd come, heads lowered, eyes watering, soaked in skunk oil.

Darlene is right on target with her recommendation for the best recipe to use (see first comment on Josh's post). I tried a bunch of them, but that concoction worked the best. 

I took Rocket for a hike in one of the canyons around here yesterday. It was secluded enough that I figured it would be a good time to  see how he would behave off leash.

I unhooked his collar. He looked up at me for a second, not sure what I was up to. Then he took off like, well, a rocket, and disappeared into the thick bushes.

Every few minutes I'd hear some rustling over to the left of me. Then I'd hear some baying over to the right of me. After about five minutes, he reappeared with that happy, satisfied dog look on his face.

He ran up to me and and I was about to pat him on the head when I smelled something. Something nasty. Rocket got himself skunked!

He seemed to find it amusing, but he reeked of that musky smell and I was miles away from home. So I had to put him into my car, which means that my car now stinks of skunk. And now every time I get into my car, it rubs off on me and *I* stink like skunk. And now I'm at work and people are looking at me funny, like they notice that I smell funny, but don't want to be impolite about it.

So if anybody knows a good skunk recipe, please share it -- especially how to get it out of my car.

Comments are always welcome here at South Bay Pets. In fact, we highly encourage them!

Talk about a dog owner's nightmare.

Last Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m., Maria Elena Lyons of Rancho Palos Verdes decided to be the good Samaritan when she agreed to hold onto 2 very large German shepherds running loose in her neighborhood until their owner could come get them.

It wasn't the first time the dogs had gotten out of their yard about two miles away, Lyons told me when she called the newsroom. There have been at least three other past escapes leaving her and her neighbors shaken due to the animals' sheer size (the male, she said, weighs 120 pounds). There were no reports of attacks occuring during any of those earlier escapes, Lyons said. But with numerous small children playing outdoors on any given day, the loose dogs made many feel more than just a little bit nervous. 

This last time, the canines had a group of local nannies, waiting to catch the bus home, feeling cornered. The dogs seemed to go with Lyons willingly after another neighbor, already late for an appointment, asked if she could take over for her and keep the dogs confined until the owner, who had been contacted, could come and retrieve them. Not wanting to see the dogs at large again in their neighborhood, Lyons reluctantly agreed, leashing them up and putting them in her garage.

"I was sort of leery of them, but they looked tired. So I was in the garage with the dogs and opened the door that goes out into the garden just a crack (to leave) when all of a sudden they threw me aside and went after my dog who was under the avacado tree taking a nap." Even at 76 pounds, Lyon's 4-year-old family pet, Greta, was no match for her two attackers.

"The male had her by her head, the female had her by the rear, and they were just pulling her apart," Lyons told me. "They ripped her underside. I don't know how I did it, but I was able to get the male off of her. I just couldn't stand by and watch. As I pulled him back he was on his hind legs and walking backwards. He was taller than I was. I was kicking the female. I threw (the male) into the garage and then the female went straight in with him."

She slammed the door and began to assess the damage.

Lyons, who said there was "blood everywhere," wound up with more than 15 puncture wounds: "I had wounds on my forearms, my hand, might right thigh, my chin and my elbow," she said.

Lyons managed to get Greta into her car and dropped her off first at Pacific Veterinary Center at Hawthorne Boulevard and Skypark. Then she drove herself to Torrance Memorial Hospital where one of her wounds, a deep gash, was so bad that it needed stitches. Her husband, who was away on business, was summoned home to help take care of her.

Greta, a gentle dog according to Lyons, remains hospitalized with a stent to drain her abdominal wound, but she is expected to recover. She even appeared to be in a cheerful mood when Lyons and her husband visited her a few days later. The owner of the attacking dogs has called Lyons repeatedly with offers of help.

Lyons wants the dogs forced out of the neighborhood or even euthanized, but there are no prior incidents on record for the animals.

So officials are pursuing the case largely through the county Health Department, which has quarantined the dogs on the owner's property. Presumably the animals will be able to stay put -- but only so long as the owner is able to keep them safely behind her own fence in the future. A health department official who visited the dogs told Lyons that the canines appeared to be "docile."

A county shelter official in Carson told me that a violation of the dangerous dog ordinance, which carries more severe penalties, can only be filed if there are at least two written reports on record.

"This attack was so viscious that it just upsets me so much," Lyons said. "But there's never been a paper trail."

In the back of my car is a bag of maybe a dozen or more unopened cans of medically-prescribed dog foods for two of my dogs, Pilgrim and Ellie, whom I sadly lost over the past several months. The surplus food is headed for the San Pedro Animal Shelter at 735 Battery Street (off of North Gaffey Street) where animal care workers often have need of specialty diet foods as they help and house our community's homeless dogs and cats.

But that's not all they need. The shelter can make use of all kinds of donations, said Capt. Daniel Pantoja -- unopened pet foods, old towels, newspapers.

Got a spare dog house that's still in good condition? Shelter workers can give them to struggling pet owners who otherwise might not be able to afford them. Tax deductible receipts are available from the shelter office.

Who knew it would take this long, but San Pedro's new, state-of-the-art animal shelter is (tentatively) slated to have its grand opening celebration on June 21. A committee is now meeting regularly to plan opening festivities, said animal shelter Capt. Daniel Pantoja.

Folks in Pedro are used to waiting a long time for stuff to happen, of course. (Waterfront predictions anyone?) And this has been no exception. Ground was first broken for the city shelter in February 2005, with construction expected to take 15 to 18 months. Apparently there were numerous snags encountered during the process.

The 2-acre shelter -- at 957 N. Gaffey St. -- will be a huge improvement over the Battery Street facility, now 57 years old and located on about one-third of an acre.

We'll keep you updated as plans for the new shelter move finally toward an opening date.

The tale of the little lost sheep and her best friend, a dog, that made a local media splash last week ended happily on Saturday when the two were reunited with their owners, a mother and daughter from Granada Hills. The reunion story by Harrison Sheppard (of course) ran in Sunday's Los Angeles Daily News.

"Daisy" the sheep and "Maggie" the German shepherd mix were found wandering city streets last Tuesday by John Caruso, a pizza-shop owner from Sylmar who took them to the nearby city animal shelter.

The owners told Chatsworth Animal Shelter workers that the pair escaped from their home when an 83-year-old relative with Alzheimer's disease accidentally left a gate open.

"She was just traumatized by having the animals lost," shelter supervisor Pat Ott was quoted as saying. "She just wanted to get them home. Her daughter's very upset, but they're grateful that they found them now."

Now that's a good ending.

A stray German shepherd that attacked a 15-year-old Lomita boy on April 13 near Machado Lake was captured early Saturday morning by Los Angeles Animal Services workers and park rangers.

The teen, who was rushed to the hospital, was released on Friday, but continues to undergo painful rabies treatments as a precaution. He told authorities that a "police dog" jumped out of the bushes unprovoked to attack him and was "foaming" at the mouth.

The dog eluded officers for days by swimming across the lake where Reggie the alligator lived for nearly 2 years before being captured. The lake is in Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park near Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Harbor City.

The animal is now in quarantine at the San Pedro animal shelter.

Animal Services Capt. Daniel Pantoja said officers had tried catch the dog after the inident finally was reported to them last Wedneday, three days after the attack.

"The dog was very evasive," Pantoja said. "He would swim into the lake to the island so on Saturday (at 4:30 a.m.) we went out there with a tranquilizer gun."

The tool wasn't needed, though, after authorities were able to move the dog toward the golf course and finally lasso him at about 6:30 a.m.

The unneutered, purebred German shepherd, estimated to be between 1 and 3 years old, appeared to be underweight and cowered from officers when they tried to approach, Pantoja said.

And while he had no collar ID, the canine did have a microchip, as it turns out. Officers said the registered owner is a San Pedro woman who now says she'd given the dog away to someone -- she couldn't remember who -- six months ago.

But guess what?

"Legally she's the last known owner," Pantoja said, since her name is registered to the microchip.

Possible dangerous animal charges are pending, he said.

The popularity of Monkey Monday has surpassed my wildest expectations. It's become the biggest Internet sensation since dancing hamster mania swept the world in 2001.

Do you know what tricks my dog can do?

He can pull the sheets off the bed and drag them into the backyard.

Here's a dog that can do a bit more than that. I guess this is from a TV show in England where people show off their secret skills for prizes. It's called "Britain's Got Talent" and it even has that Simon guy from "American Idol" on it.

What a great idea!

Take Your Dog To Work Day -- or TYDTWD as those of us in the know call it -- is put on by something called Pet Sitters International. Or at least they own the trademark for the term.

Their Web site says they promote the high standards and professionalism of of pet sitting. TYDTWD was started 10 years ago as a way to help animals trapped in shelters.

We are asking every business--great and small--to become a true friend of the canine community by helping us promote pet adoptions in a positive and proactive way!  In the months ahead we will tell you how your company can make a doggone difference to shelter dogs in your town. Until then, feel free to download a copy of last year's Action Pack.  It is full of good information, sure to answer many of your questions. 

I'm not sure how it raises awareness of anything besides getting fur on your work clothes, but taking your dog to work should be more than a yearly event. As some of you may know, I celebrate TYDTWOS, which stands for Take Your Dog To Work on Saturdays. With the bosses all at home stocking their koi ponds, Rocket and I have a grand old time at the office.

TYDTWD is being held on June 20 this year. That give me plenty of time to butter my boss up to the idea. I'll post more about it as the date draws closer. 

You know what else they should have? A Take Your Cat to an Empty Lot Day.

Teresa Rossiter, who has owned Best Friends in Eugene since February, was attacked just as she was about to show Darla the python to a customer.

"I reached in to grab her head, and she grabbed me first," Rossiter said Friday. "She bit onto my right finger on my right hand and with her body grabbed my left arm and threw me to the floor."

I was playing with Google Maps yesterday and found these cool pictures of cats living in the cliffs of San Pedro. It was taken at White Point. Or is that White's Point. Or maybe Whites Point. I can never remember.

Anyway, there are tons of stray and feral cats living in the rocks up and down the coast. They grow pretty big and they look pretty healthy, so maybe that sea air is good for them. In any case, a lot of loyal people show up to make sure they're well fed. And some people catch the wild animals, fix them and return them to their homes in the rocks, so they can't reproduce.

A lady I met down there once drove like a hundred miles a couple times a week just to make sure the cats were had enough food. They recognized her and would swarm around her. The time I saw her, there were about 20 cats standing in a circle around her. The amazing thing was they were all black.

I asked her about this and she told me that the black cats are descendants of cats brought over by Spanish sailors hundreds of years ago. I didn't believe her story then and I don't believe it now. But it sure makes for a good story.

Nothing excites a dog more than hearing that first jingle of getting a leash ready for a walk. 

But walking the dog is good for us, too.

I have special memories of how my mom and I would walk the family pooches every night together when I was in my teens, talking over our day, commenting on the new fences, a coat of new house paint or colorful gardens we'd see in the neighborhood along the way.

Later, long after I'd been out on my own but stuck in apartments where no pets were allowed, I'd come home for Sunday night dinners. The visit was always capped by "Let's walk the dogs."

When my mom died unexpetedly some 17 years ago, I wound up "inheriting" her two 30-pound terrier mixes and had to find a house to rent so I could keep them. How different it was, though, doing "solo" walks with no one to really talk to. 

But I soon found "walk time" to be such a consolation -- a time to pray, a time to grieve in those early months after my mom died. Occasionally the tears would come as I carried on this important family ritual with the dogs that my mom loved so much. But how many times there would be unexpected laughter, as well, as I enjoyed the dogs' antics. Like how Muffin couldn't walk by the house with the lion statues out front without spiraling into a barking frenzy at the life-like stone creatures. Arriving back home after the walks, I always felt better than I did when we left.

Those terriers are long gone. But dog walks are still special in my house, now with my sheepdogs Cowboy and Tess. Through good times and bad, tired or not, daily walks are the staple of dog ownership. And let's face it, there's no better way to get to know your neighbors, especially those who also have dogs. Stopping and chatting with fellow dog owners or other neighbors who happen to be out when we walk by is a high point. 

So here's an article I was glad to find online listing the Top 10 Reasons to Take the Dogs for a Walk. Writer Deb Martin covers it well, including this point she makes in Reason No. 4: "It's cheaper than therapy. Dogs are great listeners."

Next time your dog complains about not being allowed on the furniture, tell it the story of Snickers the cocker spaniel.

This sounds like its the plot from a cheesy movie, but it really happened. The good news is that Snickers is now not only living in comfort, he's also become a celebrity.

In his eight months of puppyhood, the brown-and-white cocker spaniel has:

spent 95 days adrift on a 48-foot boat;

survived four months on Fanning Island after being abandoned by his original owners, who were rescued by a cargo vessel that couldn't allow the pup on board.

 

You can read the whole harrowing story here. Then tell your lazy dog to stop his stupid whining.

Deborah Davidson-Harpur, local dog owner and dog agility team leader extraodinaire (team page), wanted us to get the word out that the American Kennel Club this month is warning dog owners and breeders of a recent spike in pet thefts.

From parking lots to pet stores and even backyards, more dogs are disappearing. In the first three months of 2008, the AKC has tracked more than 30 thefts from news and customer reports, versus only 10 for all twelve months of 2007.

The "dog-nappings" have been reported throughout the United States and include cases of armed robbers entering homes and dogs taken from cars or even animal shelters.

The full article includes some valuable tips for how to keep your pets safe.

Remember that guy who came home from the kennel with his dog, only it wasn't really his dog?

In case you don't, this Oregon guy, Ken Griggs, dropped off his black Lab at a boarding kennel before leaving on a vacation. He picked up the pooch two weeks later, but something just wasn't right. Callie was acting as if she didn't recognize her family.

That's because the dog wasn't Callie at all. It was a look-alike dog that somehow got mixed up with Grigg's dog. Labs tend to look alike, so the family didn't even realize they had the wrong pup.

Only the family cat realized what was going on -- she hissed at the new dog, whose name turned out to be Dixie, and whose owner had taken Callie. The families had a dog exchange, but somehow mixed them up a second time.

Griggs arrived at the Dundee kennel before the Sherwood woman and a black Lab got excited when he and his children approached. The kids declared it was Callie, and everyone went back home to Lake Oswego.

But it turned out to be the same dog Griggs had just returned.

Still thinking there might be a Callie impostor roaming his house, Griggs took the dog to his regular veterinarian. She confirmed through X-rays that the dog lacked Callie's surgical marks.

 Well, you see where this is going. The dogs eventually were eventually returned to their rightful owners and everybody is happy.

The end

Or is it?

The story of the inseparable dog and sheep that we posted yesterday seems destined for a happy ending.

The pair were found wandering along a street in Mission Hills Tuesday and were taken to the Los Angeles Animal Shelter in Chatsworth.

After Daily News columnist Dennis McCarthy wrote about them, dozens of  people called the shelter wanting to adopt them.

"Our phones have been ringing off the hook all day," said Ed Boks, general manager of the city's animal services. "Those two captured the hearts of a lot of people."

McCarthy said his phone was ringing off the hook, too.

So here's the status: So far, no owner has turned up to claim the two animals, but the shelter must hold them a 10-day period in case that still might happen.

But if it doesn't, Maria Dales, founder of German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County, has pledged to adopt them both and keep them together.

Others also have said they'd be willing to take them, including Kim Ledoux who e-mailed McCarthy with this note: "If no one claims them I would love to have them. I have a home preschool in Malibu with two sheep and dogs. Lots of land."

Meanwhile, the tale has been very good for business, according to the pizza shop owner who initially loaded the stray pair into his car on his way to work.

"Man, it's been crazy," said John Caruso, owner of Caruso's Pizza in Sylmar. "I've had a million phone calls and people stopping by, thanking me for stopping to pick them up. I've been selling a lot of pizzas."

Thanks from us, too, John. Got that sheep smell out of the car yet?

Here's the original story with pictures and then today's follow up

Jill is an FOB, or Friend of the Breeze, a term I just now made up. She used to work here, but moved on to another job a couple of years ago.

She has her own blog called South Bay Soliloquy where she muses about whatever interesting tidbit pops on to her artistic mind. She also includes a lot of neat pictures.

But since this is an animal blog, we won't concern ourselves with that stuff today. Jill has a cat named George, who is not only amazingly fat, but quite the comedian. He's also quite agile. Put him near a ladder and hilarity can't be too far behind.

Coyotes have killed at least 11 protected desert tortoises that were relocated to make way for Army tank training exercises north of Barstow, according to a story this week in the Press-Enterprise. Now, the coyotes will be tracked and possibly killed to protect the tortoises, the article that ran Wednesday said.

It's rare for coyotes to attack tortoises, but experts say the ongoing drought is making the scanvengers more desperate.

"The tortoises are a tough food item to eat with that big shell," said Roy Averill-Murray of the U.S. fish and Wildlife Service. "Rabbits would be easier, but when there aren't many rabbits, then tortoises seem to be thier next choice."

The Army started moving the tortoises in late March from the southern boundary of the National Training Center at Fort Irwin as part of an $8.5 million effort to deal with the threatened species while expanding its training grounds into the land considered critical for the tortoises, according to the newspaper story by reporter Jennifer Bowles.

Altogether, 23 tortoises has been killed since the relocation of more than 700 reptiles began. Others have been maimed. Two environmental groups are threatening to sue.

The dog and I went for a hike up in Friendship Park this morning. The yellow flowers (I think they might be mustard plants, but I'm not sure) were so tall that as I walked through the narrow trails, all I could see around me was a sea of flowers. The birds were chirping and there wasn't another soul around. It all made me feel like I was a million miles away from San Pedro.

It always amazes me when you go somewhere and suddenly find yourself all alone, even though there are millions of people with just a few miles of you.

We saw a billion lizards scurrying around the trails and bushes. Rocket was fascinated by them at first, but lost interest pretty quick. Then we saw a rabbit and Rocket went into hound-dog mode. He loves them furry little critters, he does.

Finally, we saw a giant rattler sunning himself in the path in front of us. I never enjoy seeing those guys. I pulled Rocket close to me and walked around it. Thankfully they both ignored each other.

But the encounter reminded me of a couple of things: There are lots of rattlesnakes in the hills of Los Angeles. And now that summer is coming, they're going to start appearing more frequently. They want to be left alone, but dogs don't always know that. A rattle snake bite isn't always fatal, but it invariably will cost you a lot of money.

It's a blessing to have so many trails around here. But make sure you keep your dogs away from those snakes. 

Have you heard the one about the sheep and the dog who became best friends? And the dog isn't even a sheepdog!

Dennis McCarthy writes about the sweet story in today's Los Angeles Daily News,

It seems that John Caruso had just dropped his son off at school Tuesday morning when he spots a dog and sheep starting to cross the street at San Fernando Mission and Hayvenhurst, heading straight for a freeway off-ramp.

"'I couldn't believe it,' Caruso told the writer. "'People were blowing their horns, trying to stop them from walking up the off-ramp and onto the freeway.'

"So Caruso jumped out of his car and collared the German shepherd (mix) and put him in the back seat of his car. He didn't even have to go back to get the sheep -- she jumped in the car right after the dog.

"'It was like wherever the dog was going, she was going, too,' Caruso said."

Thus the Daily News headline: "Whither ewe go, I will go...."

Needless to say, Caruso was a bit befuddled, now carting around a strange dog and sheep in his car while he was heading off for work at his business, Caruso's Pizza in Sylmar.

So he dropped them off in the yard at his grandmother's house in Granada Hills where the odd duo became a quick hit with the neighborhood kids.

The next day, Caruso delivered the pair to the West Valley Animal Shelter at 20655 Plummer St. in Chatsworth (1-888-452-7381). 

So if someone in the San Fernando Valley is missing a dog and a sheep, you know where to pick them up.   

More than 1,000 unwanted animals will be offered for adoption at the Super Adoption, an annual event that organizers call the largest pet adoption event in the world. It takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 27 in the San Fernando Valley, which isn't that far to drive to find a new family member.

 This is from the event's press release:

In a single day, the Super Adoption event typically finds new homes for more than 400 animals.  The event is organized by the Los Angeles Programs of Best Friends Animal Society. 

 

The free event, presented by The Petco Foundation, Designing Health and Chrissie's Fund, has been organized to find new homes for animals in an upbeat, festival-like atmosphere that offers fun for the whole family. It will include a children's activity pavilion, all-day dog agility, Frisbee and flyball demonstrations, the popular "Shelter Dog Parade," pet psychics, veterinarians, dog trainers, pet-related products, service vendors, a food court, celebrity guests and much more!

 

It will be held at North Hollywood Recreation Center, 11430 Chandler Boulevard (Tujunga Ave.& Magnolia Blvd), in North Hollywood.

As anybody who has ever brought home a homeless pet will tell you, adopted animals make the best pets.

Click here for more info about Best Friends' programs.

It can be a dilemma for most dog owners, especially in an era when more and more of us are taking our dogs with us.

Let's face it, dogs can be dangerous to your driving. A new law is making its way through the California Legislature that would ban animals from riding in a driver's lap or anywhere in and around the driver's seat.

Unrestrained dogs anywhere in a car can also be a hazard in the event of an accident. There are several dog "seat belt" devices you can buy at pet stores, essentially harnesses that hook into your seat belts (although I've had at least one dog wiggle out of one in the back seat and wind up sitting in the passenger seat within a few miles).

Some newer cars even come equiped with pet restraints.

Another option, at least for SUVs or station wagons, is putting dogs inside travel crates in the back cargo area, which is probably the safest option for both people and dogs.

For now, my dogs are relegated to the back seat of my Jeep, but they currently ride unrestrained.

The proposed legislation (AB 2233) by Assemblyman Bill Maze, R-Visalia, doesn't detail exactly how drivers should keep pets in their place inside a vehicle -- only that they should not be on your lap, which seems reasonable enough. A $35 fine would be handed out to violators.

Current law doesn't prevent animals from roaming freely in cars, but pets in the back of a pickup truck must be secured in a cage or by other means.

So what solutions have you found out there? Any good new products on the market?

Here's more information about the new law from the The Desert Sun and from the Sacramento Bee.

I read today that Martha Stewart's dog died. I have nothing in common with Martha Stewart, I've never read her magazine and never watched her TV show. Heck my towels don't even match.

But I lost a dog a few years ago, so I know what she's going through. Her dog didn't know that she was rich or powerful, although he probably wondered where she was those months she was in jail. All her dog knew was that she was the lady who put food in the bowl and scratched its belly.

And that's enough, really. That's what dogs are all about. So, Martha, if you're one of the three people who read South Bay Pets, I offer my condolences.

I haven't written about my old dog before. His name was Buck and he was 17 when he died a couple of years ago. He had many claims to fame, but this is my favorite. Without telling me, my friend Tom Mallory submitted an entry about Buck to the comic Marmaduke. I opened up my Sunday paper one day many years ago and imagine my surprise when I found this. Buck got a lot of belly rubs that morning. And yes, he really walked around with wax lips in his mouth.

Here's a weird story: A guy in Oregon drops his dog off at a kennel. He picks up the dog after he comes back from vacation, but thinks he might have the wrong dog.

"It's a sweet dog," Griggs said of the impostor living at his Lake Oswego house. "It's tough because now we've had the dog for 10-plus days, and the kids, especially the younger ones, start to get attached to the dog. I like it, but I want mine."

That's the problem with Labrador retrievers. They're nice dogs, but they pretty much all look alike.

But that's the one benefit of owning a coonhound. Rocket may be the noisiest dog in the world, but his coloring is as unique as a fingerprint. He's got weird blotches and spots all over his body. And in the paisley maze of black and white, there are freckles of brown that only a doting owner would be able to spot.

And my cat has a map of Idaho under its chin. It's true! As soon as I figure out how to post photos, I'll be able to prove it.

 Our hearts never fully recover from the loss of a beloved pet. The bond we share with the pets we love is stronger than even death, and the grief we experience at their passing lasts years if not for the rest of our lives. We can never really forget those animals that have touched our hearts and made life more enjoyable with their companionship, playfulness, and unconditional love.

Now imagine that, not death nor sickness, but circumstances dictate that you and your pet must be separated FOREVER. Not only that, but you must leave your healthy pet behind in a hostile environment where its chance of survival is minimal and likelihood of abuse and cruel treatment are all but guaranteed. That is what some of our brave soldiers stationed in the Middle East face today. But the bond our soldiers have formed with these companion animals doesn’t have to be severed this way. Something can be done...

Pretty soon there will be a new resident in the White House. We're talking pets, here. So who might the new furry resident be?

According to visitmypet.com, Hillary Clinton is the owner of a chocolate lab named Seamus.

Barack Obama? Well, he doesn't really have any pets right now. But in that fine old political tradition, he has "promised" his kids a dog. Uh-huh.

And John McCain, probably because he has a ranch, wins for sheer numbers. He has three turtles, three parakeets, a ferret, two dogs, a cat and 13 salt water fish. How many of those would actually make it to the White House should McCain win is unknown.

There's a fascinating list  of the many and varied pets our past presidents have owned on Wikipedia. Some became famous, like Richard Nixon's dog Checkers and Franklin Roosevelt's Scottish terrier Fala.

Of more recent vintage, there's Socks the cat and Buddy the lab (Bill Clinton); Millie the springer spaniel (George H.W. Bush) and Beagle and Little Beagle and Him and Her (touching names if I ever heard them) owned by Lyndon B. Johnson.

Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy was given a dog named Grits by her teacher. But Grits was later "returned." (Boo!) She did, however, also have a Siamese cat named (I'm not kidding) "Misty Malarky Ying Yang" who apparently was allowed to stay.

Through the years there also have been schnauzers and Welsh terriers, hamsters and lovebirds, fighting roosters and mice, goats and cows, cats of all kinds, horses, and even a few alligators (Herbert Hoover and John Quincy Adams).

According to Presidential pets at Inside the White House , Abraham Lincoln allowed his sons, Tad and Willie, to keep as many pets as they wished, resulting in a managerie of rabbits, turkeys, horses and two goats (Nanny and Nanko).

James Garfield had a dog he named "Veto" -- as a threat to Congress.

George Washington, our nation's first president, owned a black and tan coonhound along with other dogs he called by the names of "Drunkard," "Taster," "Tipler" and "Tipsy."

Our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, began his term in 1901 with six children and "more animals thant the White House ad ever seen," according to Inside the White House. There was a small bear named Jonathan Edwards, a lizard named Bill, guinea pigs named Admiral Dewey, Dr. johnson, Bishop Doane, Fighting Bob Evans and Father O'Grady, and Maude the pig. Ah, but that's not all. There also was a badger, a blue macaw, a hen, a one-legged rooster, a hyena, a barn owl, a rabbit and a pony.

The only president so far who left no record of having any pets? Chester A. Arthur, who became president after James Garfield was assassinated and served from 1881-85.

Never heard of him, have you?

We've shown videos of painting elephants and dancing walruses, but there's a dog right here in the South Bay who knows how to play the piano!

Rocket and I were at the San Pedro dog park this morning. Among the pooches greeting us at the gate, was AARP. (It's pronounced "Arp.")

AARP is one of of Rocket's favorite buddies. A six-year-old white boxer, AARP is full of life and likes to rassle with Rocket, who is always looking for a good partner to tussle with.

I was talking with AARP's owner (one of MY favorite dog park people) and she told me that last year, her pup was named the America's Third Most Talented Pet in a contest hosted by Petco.

Before we get to the video, a little about the name. Barbara, AARP's owner, told me she names her dogs after stages in her life. Before AARP, she's had pets named Cholesterol and Misery (when she was an angst-filled youth).

These tricks are pretty good, but the THIRD most talented dog in America? I don't know about that. If anybody out there has a pet that can do amazing tricks, let me know.

Our friends at the Humane Society are urging residents to celebrate Earth Day 2008 (next Tuesday, April 22) with some backyard expeditions to learn more about how we can make life easier for the suburban wildlife that surrounds us.

The organization hopes to educate people about how best to deal with the wild critters and habitats they may come across in their own backyards and neighborhoods. My dogs had a few midnight encounters with some rather defensive skunks who took up residence -- quite comfortably, apparently -- in our backyard a couple summers ago. But that's another story.

The full press release on how to be a good neighbor to those who may want to nest on your property for a season -- or maybe are just passing through -- is after the jump.

Love to nurture?

Los Angeles Animal Services needs volunteers to become "foster parents" to under-age kittens and puppies that are homeless and still need to be bottle-fed.

Volunteers will be responsible for caring for these little ones (under 8 weeks) who have become separated from their mothers too soon, providing a clean and safe environment, nourishment in the form of baby bottles and lots of love and patience, until the animals are old enough to be adopted.

Training is required and a local orientation session is planned from 4 to 6 p.m. April 23 at the San Pedro Animal Shelter, 735 Battery St., San Pedro.

Volunteers will receive a starter kit and on-going supply of milk replacement as well as other support. Expenses incurred by foster parents are tax deductible.

Information is available online, along with the volunteer applications. Questions? Send an email to Aiesha.ridgeway@lacity.org or call the department at 1-888-452-7381 and ask for the New Hope Coordinator. Those wanting to attend the orientation must RSVP through either the email or phone number.

The program is open to minors (ages 16 and 17) but they must present a minor consent form in order to attend the orientation with a parent or guardian.

While waiting in my doctor's office this morning, I picked up a parenting magazine called Wondertime and found this article on What dogs can teach kids. Lessons like the blessings of companionship, the benefits of regular exercise and responsibility.

Dogs also provide a feeling of security and safety, said writer and dad Pete Nelson. "Monsters are, it goes without saying, afraid of dogs."

So what are your kids learning from having pets? 

The incredible dogs that help protect the Port of Los Angeles are featured in a story by our LAX and port reporter Art Marroquin in today's Daily Breeze.

Port Police have relied on the super-sniffers increasingly since the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The dogs were seen as an important tool in searching for explosives.

Four more dogs and handlers will join the cops-and-canines program by the end of 2009. Dogs now on the job include Edo, Bear and Rika.

"You can't ever stop terrorism," said port police Lt. Mike Cappodanno, head of the canine unit since 2004. "But you need to make the port a harder target to hit."

The dogs undergo rigorous training in Belgium, learning how to pick up the scent of explosive materials and illegal guns and responding to commands in German and French. That way cruise ship passengers, who mostly speak English and Spanish, won't get unduly alarmed.

The dogs seem to love their work, with a good job done always rewarded by a large plastic toy. Food treats are out for these canines who must stick to a strict diet to stay fit.

"They're always enthusiastic," said Officer Tom Yamamoto. "They're working dogs. Theyr'e bred to protect us." 

Last week we ran a clip of monkeys wearing hippie clothes and playing in a band. We thought it was hilarious, but a reader named I Like Toast (well, who doesn't?) sent us a letter saying there was nothing funny at all about monkeys wearing wigs.

In an effort to appease Ms. Toast, this week we offer something of a counterpoint. Humans dressed like monkeys!

Why this clip is funny, I have no idea. But it has been delighting of comedy fans since  it first appeared in the 1950s.

The Nairobi Trio, as the band is called, featured not much more than three people wearing monkey masks, hats and overcoats. It was the brainchild of television pioneer and and comedy genius Ernie Kovacs.

The monkey in the middle is apparently Kovacs himself. The one at the piano is his wife, Edie Adams. The identity of this ape on the left changed, but it is known that both Jack Lemmon and Frank Sinatra participated in the stunt at different times.

Last week I wrote a post about how black dogs are less likely to get adopted at shelters. The reason is that they are harder to see in dark cages and it's difficult to make out their facial expressions.

Well, I got an e-mail from Kaye Zigrand, a South Bay woman who is also on the board of directors of the Roar Foundation, which maintains the Shambala Preserve.

If you haven't heard of that, it's a place where big cats can go live in comfort. It was started by actress Tippi Hedren. I met her once a couple of years ago when she brought a tiger to a vet in Lawndale for eye surgery. She let met touch the cat's paw (while it was sleeping), which was a truly memorable experience. That paw was bigger than my fist.

This is from their Web site:

Perched on the edge of the Mojave Desert, forty miles northeast of Los Angeles, California, Shambala is a surprising paradise and the only wild animal preserve of its kind in the United States. Since 1972, this unique eighty acre wildlife habitat has provided a haven for endangered exotic big cats. Currently, almost seventy animals live at Shambala, including African lions, Siberian and Bengal tigers, leopards, servals, mountain lions, bobcats, a lynx, and a Florida panther.

 

Anyway, Kaye let me know that there's a group trying to help the black dogs get adopted. And the solution is pretty simple. Pawsoftheplanet.org is trying to provide bright yellow bandans for every black dogt in every shelter. It's called the "Out of the Cage and Into Your Heart Campaign."

All they need is a little money. Visit their Web site for more information.

Thanks for the heads up, Kaye!

That headline looks like something from a Hunter S. Thompson story, but it's not. A rabid bat WAS found earlier this month. OK, it wasn't in your backyard. It was in Griffith Park. which is kind of like everybody's backyard. Public health officials are asking anyone who touched the animal contact a doctor for possible anti-rabies treatment.

I think anybody who touches any kind of bat should have their head examined, never mind tested for rabies.

Rabies, or "hyderphobie" as they called it in "Old Yeller," is a very treatable disease that is found most commonly in wild animals like bats and raccoons and squirrels. Household pets account for fewer than 10 percent of rabies cases, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Here, read about it for yourself.

Only a few people die a year in the United States from it, but that's too many. If you're off in the woods and come into contact with a wild mammal, call your doctor and get treated.

And make sure your pets get their shots on time. Yeller got rabies and you know how that turned out!

A vet once told me that they don't give you big shots in the stomach to treat the disease anymore, but, not being a doctor myself, I can't vouch for that.  The vet also told me the reason for the stomach shots is that the antidote is so potent that the stomach is the only place in the body that won't be destroyed by it.

Well, that's what a vet told me once anyway.

Check out these cool tags I found recently online. The "Fetching Tags" company was started by an artist and metal worker who was disappointed by the flimsy and unimaginative mass market-machine generated ID tags she found available after adopting her dog from a shelter.

These tags are not only lightweight, but unique and eye-catching, in a primitive sort of way. And they come with fun sayings on the front, such as "Beach Bum," "Ball Junkie," "Best Friend," "You Fetch It," "Couch Potato," "Disc Dog" -- well, you get the idea. There's a whole list of stock phrases. But you can also suggest your own, which is even more fun. For my two sheepdogs, I ordered tags with "Got Sheep?" on the front side.

AND: A portion of their tag sales is donated to rescue groups.

They also make tags for cats. If your cat is into that sort of thing.  

Toenails scampering across the roof before dawn can mean only one thing. Raccoons. We've have them before and it is, after all, nesting season for these cute but pesky -- and sometimes destructive -- night marauders.

Having two border collies doesn't help. Frustrated, they bark and follow the creature's route from room to room, hoping to herd it into place but so far with little success.

Josh, the other poster on this blog, has offered to "rent" out his baying coon hound, Rocket, at $20 a night. Yeah, that'll buy us a peaceful night's sleep. 

Any advice out there?

For a funny read, check out this raccoon and dog story.

It's home to 33 gibbons, the small tree-swinging apes native to Southeast Asia, and the only facility in the world with all four genuses of gibbon. The center studies gibbon behavior and breeds several family lines, hoping to prevent extinction of the fifteen gibbon species. The primates live mostly in enclosures with room to swing and climb. They graze on lettuce, bananas and peppers (and the like) nine times a day. To prevent outside disease from reaching the apes, I had to disinfect my shoes before entering the compound. High fences keep out the coyotes, lions and local teenagers.

 

My dog only only has a few solid black spots, which is lucky for him. According to a disturbing Associated Press story, big black dogs are less likely to be adopted than dogs of different colors.

The evidence isn't scientific, but according to the story, the problem is widespread.

But anecdotally," said Stephen Musso, executive vice president of the ASPCA, "that's what we hear from shelter after shelter: Big, black dogs just don't get adopted."

At the city animal shelter in Rogers, Ark., big, black dogs almost always make up the bulk of the animals put to sleep each month. Last month, 13 of the 14 dogs killed by the city were large and black — mostly Labs, shepherd mixes, pit bull mixes and Rottweillers, said Rhonda Dibasilio, manager of the city Animal Services Department.

Among other reasons cited are the fact that black dogs are harder to photograph and are more difficult to see in dark shelter cages.

People are often wary of dark dogs because it's difficult to read their expressions, said Paul Nicosi, the dog behavior specialist at Bide-A-Wee animal shelter in New York City. Without defined eyebrows, a playful grin might be construed as an angry grimace, he said.

"There isn't a lot of contrast between black eyes and a black face, so people can't get a handle on how the dog is feeling," Nicosi said.

Whatever the reason, I think it stinks. A Web site is devoted to doing away with fear of big, black dogs, citing many reasons why they make better pets than say, white dogs. Their fur is harder to spot on your clothes, for one, and their teeth always look bright.

Elliott Erwitt is a French photographer known for decade's worth of sad, funny and absurd photographs of candid situations. A master of the "indecisive moment," Wikipedia calls him.

One of his most famous pictures is a close-up of of a chihuahua standing next to a great dane. The smaller dog barely comes up to the big dog's ankles.

Slate magazine has posted a gallery of  some ofErwitt's most amazing animal photos. They manage to be sweet and weird at the same time. They're all black-and-white pictures, which means that my dog would make a lousy subject. In addition to being black and white, Rocket is also brown.

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Rover Rescue, a 7-year-old Redondo Beach dog rescue group, is putting out the call for dog owners and their pooches who want to start out their Fourth of July morning with a 5K run-walk sponsored by Redondo Beach Village Runner.

"People love it because it's local," said Danni Dean of Redondo Beach, an assistant to Rover Rescue President Cathy Rubin. "They can bring their dog and either run or walk. Last year we raised $9,000."

That's money that helps pay for shots and other medical care, along with boarding fees, for the many dogs Rover Rescue saves out of the Los Angeles County animal shelters.

Pledge sheets are available for participants to start raising money now. Although you can register the morning of the run (which begins at 8 a.m.), those interested are encouraged to do so in advance. Go to the Rover Rescue web site or call them at 310-379-0154 for all the details and instructions. Participants get a T-shirt and packets.

The route, which equals about 3.2 miles, goes along the Esplanade. The perfect spot to be on a bright, 4th of July summer morning.

Meanwhile, Rover Rescue will hold its next regular adoption event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 19 at Centinela Feed, 413 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach (they have them every other Saturday at the store).

I've never been to one of their events, but I have seen their picture board at the store. And I have to say, they manage to get the cutest dogs. Just check out their "before-and-after" pics on the web site. A couple years ago I spotted a dead ringer for my shaggy terrier mix Long Beach "pound" dog, Ellie, whom I lost earlier this year after a brief bout with lymphoma at the age of 13. 

And watch for details on the group's big upcoming celebration, probably in late June, marking the adoption of Rover Rescue's 1,000th dog.

Good job, guys.

This weekend -- Friday through Sunday -- the 19th annual America's Family Pet Expo will be presented at the Orange County Fair Grounds at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

Several South Bay groups take part in this three-day extravaganza that features more than 1,000 animals in stage shows, competitions and demonstrations. And it's not just dogs and cats. The expo features birds, fish, reptiles, llamas, pot bellied pigs, goats, rats, rabbits and miniature horses. There are animal experts to answer all your questions and hundreds of vendor booths with the latest in pet gear.

Ready to adopt a cat or dog? Dozens of rescue groups will be on hand to help you select just the right new pet.

"It's a wonderful family event," said Stephanie Crawford of Creative Pets in San Pedro. The dog rescue component of that business, Animals Rule , typically finds homes for between seven and nine dogs during the Pet Expo, she said. This is the fourth year Animals Rule has participated.

"It brings in thousands and thousands of people and there is everything there, from rescue groups to breeders to breed clubs," she said. "If you're an animal person, it's a great day."

Also participating with a booth will be i Love Dogs  of Torrance, an online business that helps sponsor Operation Baghdad Pups through the SPCA, a project set up to bring to the U.S. the stray dogs that our service men and women in Iraq have "adopted."

Dog breed rescue groups at the expo span the spectrum, from Basenjis to Welsh terriers. There are special presentations on how to hand feed baby birds, dog grooming for kids, "urban mushing" (as in how to convince your dog to pull a cart), rattlesnake "avoidance" for dogs, and special dog and cat show events. Other demonstrations feature police dogs, "Scaly Tales -- All About Reptiles" (ewww, a guaranteed kids' favorite), and diving "splash" dogs.

Expo hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $12 ($10 for seniors 60 and older and $6 for children 6-12; free for kids 5 and under). You can find $2 discount coupons at local veterinarian offices and also online at the Pet Expo  web site.

Every dog owner in San Pedro has heard of it.

"Been down to Trumps?" they'll ask.

They don't mean the golf course. What they're referring to is a stretch of isolated beach near Donald Trump's golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Donald Trump doesn't own this pristine piece of land. And he doesn't really strike me as a dog person anyway -- unless you count the one he wears on his head.

It's the worst-kept secret among dog walkers, but it's a secret nonetheless because, well, it's probably not exactly legal -- government officials tend to frown on dogs running unfettered on local beaches.

It's perfect for people like me. Not only is it fairly close to home, but the last time I took the dog to the stretch of dog-friendly sand in Long Beach, he got halfway to Mexico before I finally caught him. A row of pylons signal the end of the dog beach there, but it's not like I expect my dog to know what a pylon is.

Anyway, the local beach is great. It's secluded. It's mostly surrounded by steep cliffs and rocks, so dogs have a hard time escaping.

The bad news? Well, it's a fairly steep climb getting up and down. That's not really bad news, but if you're not up to it, you'll have a hard time making the journey. And since it's so isolated, there's always a rotting seal carcass or two to make the place smell bad.

So how do you get there?  I'm no snitch. And I don't want to abet lawbreaking so brazenly. But e-mail me and I'll fill you in on the details.

"Lassie," that Sunday night television show featuring the iconic golden-maned collie, was a ritual for kids of my generation. We'd all drop our baseballs and bikes and race indoors so we'd be sure to catch the latest installment of the best and bravest dog in the whole world.

I yearned for a dog as a kid. A collie, to be exact. But my dad, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, wasn't so sure dogs belonged behind a fence in South Bay suburbia. Besides, he said, dogs in the city have to be walked.

I begged for a few years, reasoning that a dog was a lot less trouble than the horse I'd asked for earlier. But it was no go.

We did, however, have cats. There was Smoky, who was the first pet I really remember (an earlier feline bolted and got lost when we moved during my preschool years).

Then there was Tom.

Tom was a big, rather wild, scruffy gray tomcat who sort of came with the house we moved into when I was about 9 years old. He didn't belong to anyone and he clearly didn't trust us very much. But he decided to hang around after we began putting out bowls of cat food for him. It took a good year, I think, before he'd venture (barely) inside our open kitchen door to eat.

Eventually we managed to gain his trust, my mom being especially fond of cats since she'd grown up in a house with a big yard in Iowa that always had several felines roaming about. Tom became a very comfortable house cat, often found lying on his back and sleeping long hours. He would get up and play, however, for catnip. 

Later, we acquired Liz, a very funny black-and-white kitten who had six toes on each front foot. Sadly, she died after we had her only a few months from what was then known as "cat fever."

Later came Nancy, the neurotic female cat left behind when our elderly neighbor died.

When they died, the cats were all mourned and buried by my dad somewhere in our rather large back yard, a practice that was acceptable in those days.

We got our first dog when I was about 15 years old and long over my Lassie phase. He was a shaggy little black poodle mix puppy who "adopted" us one year while my parents were putting up outdoor Christmas lights.

Figuring he had a home somewhere since he was wearing a red collar with a jingle bell (but no tag), we took him in to keep him safe, then spent the next several days asking around the neighborhood and running newspaper ads in hopes of finding his owners. No one ever claimed the little guy, which was just fine by us. Even my dad became a fan.

We named him Blackie since he seemed to respond to it.

After that came Snoopy, Chico and Queenie, a beautiful German shepherd, then Muffin and Fritz and Annie.

None of them quite as fancy as Lassie, to be sure. But all so special, all so loved and all so fondly remembered through the years. Cats and dogs alike.

South Bay Cats is offering some cool T-shirts for a minimum $15 donation. Proceeds go to support the cat and kitten rescue group.

Stop by their weekly rescue event from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Centinela Pet Shop in the Terraces shopping center at 28901 Western Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes, and also at the Centinela Pet Shop at 22840 Hawthorne Blvd. in Torrance to check out the kittens up for adoption. It's kitten season out there and these little ones all need good homes.

For example, take a look at Shasta on the South Bay Cats  web site.

With the recent real estate downturn and many families facing possible foreclosure, the Humane Society of the United States has set up a new fund to help families with pets.

The society will administer grants from the Foreclosure Pets Fund for animal shelters, rescue groups, and animal control agencies to help families in caring for their pets during financial hardship.

Grants vary from $500 to $2,000.

Find out more from the Dog Channel web site .

Guidelines are available from the Humane Society.

The toll:

• One "Bark" magazine, chewed to shreds in the backyard..
• One sock, destroyed during a backyard game of tug-of-war with Cowboy, Dog #1.
• One semi-ruined, out-of-print hardcover book that I was horrified to find because it was loaned to me by a friend; apparently snatched from the bedside table, cover badly chewed. Frantic, wide-ranging search for local bookbinder and/or replacement copy ensued.
• An up-ended water pan resulting in muddy paw tracks all over the recently scrubbed kitchen floor.

On the other hand....:

Who can resist the fun, the long walks, the snuggling, the adventure of getting to know a newly adopted dog in need of a home? At 18 months, Tess the border collie is, I'm sure, a gem. I spent part of my stay-at-home vacation last week trying to get to know her a bit better, observing her behavior, learning her problem areas (see list above), trying to teach her some boundaries. Eventually we'll enroll in a basic obedience course, although she arleady sits and waits (for a while, anyway) on command.

Last night, I'd already gone to bed when I heard her burst through the doggie door, paws thundering louder and louder as she headed for the bedroom. Then, silence, as she went airborne -- landing smack on my head. Ah, tommorrow's another day, I thought as she finally jumped down and into her crate while I drifted off to sleep.

If you have a dog, you know there are at least two simple tasks turn into miserable chores. One is making the bed. Those flying sheets are too inviting a lure for any self-respecting dog. They have to jump on them, grab them, run around in them. What would normally take five minutes, turns into a two-hour ordeal.

I bet there isn't a single wild monkey living anywhere in the South Bay. Which is too bad because what's funnier than a monkey doing some sort of human activity?  Put a chimp in a pair of suspenders or give him a cigarette and the laughs are just about guaranteed. it's pure comedy gold, I tell ya.

Or in this case, it was a woman who did the chomping.

There's an old saw that says it's not news if a dog bites a human, but it is if the human bites a dog.

And that's exactly what happened in Minnesota -- and it involved a pit bull, no less.

It seems the mean dog jumped over a fence and attacked Amy Rice's Lab. And she did what any self-respecting pet owner would do: She got even.

I ended up biting the pit bull on the nose," said Rice, 38, whose dog, Ella, was attacked in her northeast Minneapolis yard. "I didn't plan it, that's what happened."

Yesterday, we ran an item here at South Bay Pets about an elephant that could paint. We were scoffed at and ridiculed by our colleagues.

One wag even went to the Snopes urban myth Web site to debunk the video, but the search was inconclusive. Well, the good folks at Snopes did a little research and determined that the elephant video was real! Haw haw to all you skeptics. (Yes, I'm talking to you, FS!)

My colleague Larry Altman, the busiest man in journalism, did a little research of his own and discovered that if you search You Tube, you can find videos of virtually any animal painting. They aren't as amazing as the pachyderm artist, but they still got a lot of heart.

People ask me, "Josh, is Rocket really the loudest dog in the South Bay?"

You don't really expect an animal to be self aware. I suspect my dog doesn't really know he's a dog. When he looks in the mirror, he doesn't recognize himself. Instead, he barks at his own reflection for hours at a time because he thinks there's another dog in the room.

My cat, well, he doesn't even recognize ME and I feed the little monster.

That's what makes this video so strange. It's an elephant painting a picture of an elephant. And he did a better job than I did. I know this because I actually tried drawing a picture of an elephant after watching the clip and couldn't do half the job it did.

I've heard elepants were smart, but artistic? Who knew?

While watching the video here at work, people gathered around me and gasped in awe. Being cynics, several of my colleagues assured me it was a fake. One editor laughed at me and said it was clearly computer generated.

It looks real to me. And there are dozens of videos and Web sites dedicated to artistic elephants. You decide.

Here's what happens when you give a paintbrush to a dog. But like the old saying goes, it's not that he does it well, it's that he does it at all.

A dog fell off an embankement and landed some 200 feet down a ravine this morning near Bel Air.

Poor dog must have been terrified, but a team of Los Angeles firefighters soon showed up in a helicopter to save it.

Emergency crews were sent to North Bel Air Road about 7:30 a.m. after the owner of the 100-pound animal reported the problem, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The dog was placed in a harness and was hoisted to safety, accompanied by a firefighter,
shortly before 9 a.m., Humphrey said.

Yay!

Here's a video of the dramatic rescue. It's on the KTLA Web site. You'll have to click on the video link to watch it. It shouldn't be too hard to find. Good ole firefighters. And although this is a pet blog, we'd like to give a shout out to Brian Humphrey, the best PIO in the business.