June 2008 Archives

They're small, cute and throw poop --  the difference between baby monkeys and baby humans is pretty tiny.

But monkeys don't grow up and join gangs, go to college, pierce their noses, get tribal tattoos or other obnoxious things humans do these days.

I was sitting here at work just now when a commercial came on for a show called "The Outsiders. "It's going to be on at 10 p.m. Tuesday. That's pretty much all I know about it, but the premise of it seems to be that a lady realized that monkeys are less trouble than humans, so she adopted a monkey.

The monkey eats at the table, drinks out of a glass, goes to the playground and wears dresses (which I suppose makes it a girl monkey.)

This is the best link I could find and I don't know how long it's going to last. It's for the Primetime series. If you poke around, you'll find a video called "substitute children." That's the one about the lady who is raising a monkey.

I figure that I've walked at least 10,000 miles with various dogs over the years. Probably more.

And one thing I've learned is that people are very trusting of you when they see you have a dog with you.

You can be walking down the street at  2 a.m., but if you have your pet with you, people will smile and wave if they happen to see you.

But if you're by yourself, it'll only be a matter of seconds before they call the cops.

That's the lesson this guy should have learned. When police stopped him, he claimed he was out walking his dog. Problem is he didn't have a dog with him.

A car break-in suspect's alibi that he was just out walking his dog at 4 a.m. Friday when police stopped him might have worked better if he'd had a dog.

But Scott St. Peter's story fell apart when he told officers that he'd left the dog at home so he could scout out the street first to see if it was safe to bring out his pet, court records state.

There's probably a pun in there about police collaring the guy, but I try to avoid such things. 

"Dogs would make totally incompetent criminals. If you could somehow get a group of dogs to understand the concept of the Kennedy assassination, they would all immediately confess to it. Whereas you'll never see a cat display any kind of guilty behavior, despite the fact that several cats were seen in Dallas on the grassy knoll area, not that I wish to start rumors." -- Dave Barry, humor columnist

A love story

Given the human suffering that occurs, it seems almost embarrassing to write about animals that are victims of natural disasters, like the recent earthquake in China.

But disasters can strike anywhere, and if something like that happened to me  -- I'd be comforted to know that my pets -- even the stupid cat -- were safe and sound.

In China, where stray dogs are being shot because of the scope of the problem, one woman has taken it upon herself to rescue homeless dogs, whose owners may have died or been displaced because of the quake.

For 11 years, the 60-year-old Chen has been rescuing strays off the streets. She now cares for about 900 dogs and 100 cats in her shelter built among rice paddies on the southern outskirts of Chengdu, the provincial capital.

"I think that dogs and humans have the same right to live. They're equals," she told The Associated Press as a brown brindle hound missing a front leg jumped up on her and snuggled his snout in her lap.

 It's a bittersweet story. But it's nice to know that there are people like Chen.

Here's an AP photo that accompanies the story.

 

As if they didn't have enough problems in the flood-ravaged midwest. After volunteers worked so valiantly hold back the overflowing Mississippi River, it failed on Friday. And all because of a muskrat. 

 WINFIELD, Mo. - A heroic effort by hundreds of townspeople, volunteers and National Guardsmen to hold back the Mississippi River failed Friday -- undone by a burrowing muskrat.

The furry rodent dug a hole through the earthen levee in this eastern Missouri community, allowing water to penetrate the floodwall, which failed shortly before dawn.

I must admit to not knowing exactly what a muskrat was. It turns out they look like beavers.

 

 

 

 

Thumper, Ocho, Gigi and Jake.

They're all rescued pets who found a place in artist Nancy Webber's collage now on permanent display at San Pedro's new animal shelter.

Webber, a longtime San Pedro resident and Harbor College faculty member who was awarded the $55,000 arts grant from the city, took animal-themed paintings and incorporated images of real pets from snapshots mailed in to her.

Reporter Jim Farber writes about the project in today's Daily Breeze. "I wanted to do something for the animal shelter that would combine the history of animals in art," Webber told Farber.

************** Also in today's Daily Breeze is an update on efforts  to get a water mister system installed at the shelter at 597 N. Gaffey St. Seems the city process could take months. Volunteer Theresa Sardisco is working to do it all on private money, confident the misters could be in place within weeks. The city is still hoping to find the funds, though, and is consulting with a firm that set up a similar system at one of the shelters in the San Fernando Valley.

Theresa will be at the shelter from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday collecting donations should those still be needed for the project. You can also call her at 310-386-7932 or call the shelter at 888-452-7381, Ext. 143. 

 

I just got this e-mail from Katie Casey from Formula, a pr agency in El Segundo. She offers some very smart and common sense tips for helping your pets get through the stressfull Fourth of July holiday from the World Wide Pet Industry Association.

I copy and paste her letter because she makes the point as clearly as I could...

While the nation celebrates this holiday with fireworks and other festivities, the Fourth of July can cause extreme stress on your pets. 

The loud noises from fireworks, bright flashes of light and smells of sulfur can create an environment that is unfamiliar and hostile to pets.  The World Wide Pet Industry Association (WWPIA), the oldest non-profit association dedicated to promoting responsible pet care, offers a list of expert tips on how to reduce your pet's anxiety this Fourth of July.

Yahoo has introduced a new domain name for e-mails. Technically, it's an old domain name, but it's been inactive for 10 years.

It's called rocketmail and it's available for free to anybody with an Internet connection.

Since they named it after my dog, I thought it was only fair that he got his own e-mail address.

So if you're so inclined, feel free to drop him a line. He's available at badrocket@rocketmail.com. Maybe he'll take time out of his busy schedule of barking, napping and running away to respond. But don't hold your breath.

As soon as they start a service called riffmail, I'll get one for my stupid cat.

Brushing their teeth.

Well, maybe not. But this dog seems to be enjoying it. But I'm sure the other dogs in the neighborhood laugh at him behind his back.

 

Look what they've gone and done to the humble doghouse.

This special NeoClassic dog retreat home will do a whole lot more than just shelter your dog or cat, of course. The seller says it will actually bring your pet "peace of mind." 

These dog and cat houses are one of those gifts from the universe where all things lined up easily and effortlessly to make this creation possible. So you know that your precious little darling will be surrounded by great energy.

It also comes in an "Old Ruins" design. All for just $675 (although for the upgraded $825 model you'll get a tree planted in your name in the Costa Rica rainforest).

Go to Leifers.com to reserve yours for delivery before Sept. 3. You're on your own for the plant, though.

I don't think my dogs would go for something like this, even if I could afford it. This dog model -- whose name (seriously) is Bunker Waffle Penso Vera -- appears to be more zen-like than Tess and Cowboy. My dogs aren't really into the whole "inner peace" thing. Or outer peace, for that matter. 

There's simply too much fun to be had digging holes in the yard, stealing shoes, playing fetch, trumbling and running with the little dogs at the dog park. harrassing the mail carrier ..... etc., etc., etc.

 

This is how it starts. You give monkeys a few rights and the next thing you know, they're putting us in cages.

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's parliament voiced its support on Wednesday for the rights of great apes to life and freedom in what will apparently be the first time any national legislature has called for such rights for non-humans.
Parliament's environmental committee approved resolutions urging Spain to comply with the Great Apes Project, devised by scientists and philosophers who say our closest genetic relatives deserve rights hitherto limited to human

Chickens, lizards, pigs -- people sure got themselves a mess of weird pets!

 

 

 

 

This almost seems more like a "Josh" kinda post, but there is a connection to my previous Pennies and More item about the rise in the cost of pet food.

So here's the story: An animal lover on welfare in Japan decides to don a dog mask, brandish a knife and rob some convenience stores so he can keep feeding his two dogs, five cats, five turtles, two snakes and an aquarium of tropical fish.

Takaharu Kawata appeared on store videos and was  arrested in March. He is awaiting a court appearance and his animals were handed over to a pet shop, according to Tokyo police.

The mask? That was never recovered by authorities. His beagle, he told police, chewed it up.

And for good cause, I'd say.

 

First gas, now pet food.

For the past three months, consumer watchdogs -- not to mention pet owners -- have seen pet food costs rise. According to the U.S. bureau of Labor's Consumer Price Index, pet food prices are up by between 8 and 9.5 percent over the same time last year and represents the largest pet food increase in years.

A story this week in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cites several factors contributing to the spike, including the higher cost of ingredients such as grains and meats that manufacturers are having to pay.

And, yes, there's also a gas pump link -- delivery costs, way up.

High gas prices and other rising expenses are also hitting animal shelters hard, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Soaring fuel costs are biting into the budgets of Central Florida's animal shelters. ... And taxpayers are bearing the brunt of it as the price for everything from dog kibble and flea dip to gasoline and medicine keeps going up. 

Meanwhile, there's also new demand for help at pet food banks and discount vets, according to this MSNBC story.

 

After sitting through last Saturday's sweltering grand opening for San Pedro's new animal shelter, city officials and community activists all agreed: Misters.

Discussions are underway to get a water "mister" system installed to help keep the animals cool on hot days. Linda Marinkovich of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council was among those who e-mailed L.A. Animal Services GM Ed Boks on Monday. He replied in an e-mail to her that the city is seeing what it can do to "make it happen." 

In today's Daily Breeze story  (accompanied by these photos by Breeze photographers Sean Hiller - above - and Brad Graverson - below), shelter volunteer Theresa Sardisco is pledging to get the job done, city money or no city money. 

 

There have been conflicting stories about why there were no misters put in at the shelter at 957 N. Gaffey St. The most recent explanation was that the misters were in the original shelter plans, but got scrapped as construction costs began to rise and the city had to meet its budget for the facility. Because San Pedro is considered to be in a "coastal" zone, downtown architects figured the misters wouldn't be missed 

We hope to have an update on this later in the week. But if you want to find out how you can help, give Theresa a call at 310-386-7932. Or stop by the business she owns,Dominic's Pizza House at 28360 S. Western Ave. in San Pedro (that's in the Smart n' Final shopping center, near Westmont Drive).  

 

Last week, I wrote about how my dog wiggled under the chain link fence and escaped at 5 a.m. I was alerted to this fact only because one of my nice neighbors knocked on my door.

I don't know why he decided to take a powder in the middle of the night, but quick action was required. He spent the day at the kennel while went to Home Depot in search of a fix.

I bought a bunch of spikes and drove them into the ground about every six inches of the perimeter of the yard.

Problem solved. Or so I thought. Yesterday morning my phone rang. This time the call came at 3 a.m.

"Your dog is running back and forth in front of our house," came the annoyed voice on the other end of the phone. I ran out in my pajamas and there he was running around like a spaz and having the best time of his life.

My reputation in the neighborhood grows stronger.

My dog is not a small dog. His head is the size of a watermelon. But I guess dogs are like octopuses. They can fit through pretty much anything. Well, I drove more spikes into the ground and then placed cinderblocks around the edges. It may not work, but at least it's very attractive.

Here's a video I took of his latest escape:

 

We're quickly running out of Daily Breeze pets to write about. Oh sure, there are other dog and cat owners, but they sniff at the idea of posting pictures of their pets.

One of my colleagues -- who shall remain nameless -- mocked me for having a photo of my dog on my cell phone. But guess what? She recently got a kitten couldn't resist snapping a few pictures on HER phone.

That's OK, we only like cool animals here.  Take, for instance, Charlot. Charlot belongs to Mike Carroll, the Breeze's editorial page editor. Charlot enjoys lounging, getting into it with the cat across the street, and apparently not much else. I like that in a cat.

 

Here's what Mike has to say about about his kitty:

 

Charlot (French for "Charlie" and pronounced "Sharl-OH has been a member of the Carroll family since he was just a kitten who slept in a straw basket. Now 7 years old, the black and tan, long-furred tabby enjoys stalking birds, lounging on furniture and an occasional brawl with his arch enemy across the street.

Charlot recovered from an accident in his youth that required a midnight emergency room visit and an $800 hip operation, but he's healthy now, although his sitting posture is somewhat unbalanced. Visitors have remarked, after seeing the cat stretched out on a piano bench for hours on end, that, "Your cat seems lethargic." To which my wife, Eugenie, responds, "And your point is?"

Naturally, our three daughters love the cat and often make him the center of attention, although they concede that he's only slightly more animated than a Pet Rock. His favorite lounge spot during meal preparation time is smack in the kitchen's center, where he can gain maximum attention to his own hunger with minimal effort. For unknown reasons, Charlot is popular with the veterinarian's staff members, who usually remark when he emerges from his traveling box, "Oh, you're a handsome cat, aren't you? Yes, you are ..."

To date, we've yet to identify a strong, socially redeeming reason for Charlot's existence, other than my wife's observation that, "Well, at least his colors and markings go with the furniture."

As Donna mentioned in her previous post, next week is the Fourth of July. While most Americans spend the day in patriotic celebration, it's a time of high stress for many pet owners. Fireworks cause many animals to freak out and act in ways they never normally would.

It's almost the Fourth of July. Really. It's next week already.

So be honest, isn't your dog just panting to express his inner patriot?  Why not indulge him a bit.  Here's a "Boat Dog Bed With Anchor Toy".  How cute is that?

And only $269.00 from www.muttropolis.com. 

Sadly, the sailor hat's not included.

How is your pooch going to celebrate the 4th?     

As some blog readers know -- along with  every single one of my neighbors -- I have the most obnoxious, loud, stupid, stubborn, cat harassing, unmanageable dog in the South Bay.

There are plenty of days when I want to send him to the pound, drive him out to the country and leave him there or just plain strangle him.

But Rocket is also as sweet and good natured as any dog ever was. He's likes hang out, flirt with girls and rassle with other dogs for hours at a time.

Rocket is a coonhound, something of a rarity here in these parts, but quite common in the South. Not a week goes by when some old man will stop and tell me how he had a coon dawg when hewere a boy growing back home.

Coon dogs are also featured in the book "Where the Red Fern Grows," something else strangers are always talking to me about.

Different people are attracted to different breeds. Who knows why? But coonhounds seem to have an especially loyal following. Coonhounds even have a special place to go when they die. And no, I don't mean that spiritually.

There's actually a coonhound cemetery in Alabama.

It's called the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Cemetery.

 

Other breeds may have their own cemetery, but I've never heard of it.

A man named Key Underwood started it in the late 30s when his beloved coon hound died. Other hunters followed and today there are dozens of coon dogs buried there.

This is from their Web site:

Some of the burial ground's headstones are crafted of wood, some of sheet metal. Others are not unlike the stones found in a "normal" cemetery

But, of course, the names of the deceased are different and so are the epitaphs.

For example, listed among the dead are Patches, Preacher, Smoky, Bean Blossom Bomma and Night Ranger. And etched along with these names are tributes such as, "A joy to hunt with" and "He wasn't the best, but he was the best I ever had."

 

 

I honestly can't say Rocket is the best I ever had -- that honor goes to another coon dog named Buck, who lived to be 17! But he's better than all the others. And someday -- but not for a really long time -- maybe I'll drive him down there. Or next week if he doesn't shape up! 

 

 

San Pedro's new animal shelter had its grand opening Saturday (Capt. Daniel Pantoja, left, joins other staffers in applauding remarks by L.A. Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn).

Four Girl Scout troops (Go, Girl Scouts!) were on hand to help greet and escort visitors through the new facility at 957 N. Gaffey St.

Many animal welfare groups were on hand as well to mark the opening, including Kaye Zigrang of Torrance from the Roar Foundation/Shambala Preserve.

There also were representatives from San Pedro's Neighborhood Council. One of them, LInda Marinkovich from Coastal, already is spearheading a drive to collect old newspapers for the shelter.

But what about that heat?? For those of you who were there, you know how HOT it was -- that part of Pedro can get pretty toasty during the summer. So what happened to the water "misters" that were supposed to be installed to help cool down the animals? We'll be following up on that issue this week in the Daily Breeze.

If you want to see some more pictures from the opening (after looking at the shots I took, it became very clear why I never would have been hired as a photorgrapher), check out Daily Breeze photographer Sean Hiller's slide show. 

Climbing on the furniture!

 

A life without predators, good medical attention and a healthy diet are causing zoo animals to live longer, according to this AP story.

I feel their pain

The Golden Years have arrived at the nation's zoos and aquariums, and that is taking veterinarians and keepers, along with their animals, into a zone of unknowns. Do female gorillas, now frequently living in to their 40s and 50s, experience menopause? Can an aging lemur suffer from dementia? How do you weigh the most difficult choice -- between prolonging pain and ending life -- when the patient is a venerable jaguar who's been around so long she's come to feel like a member of the family?

All of those questions hang on a larger one that, until recent years, has been left to educated guesswork based on limited evidence.

"How old is geriatric? How old do animals really live?" says Sharon Dewar, a spokeswoman for the Lincoln Park Zoo, whose keepers have adjusted to Rollie's toothlessness by serving him a diet of soft-cooked veggies. "That's the million-dollar question."

Taking a nap after a hard day at the office.

 

It's not until September, but booth applications are available.