December 2008 Archives

New Year's Resolutions for Dogs

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1. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.
2. I'll remember that the garbage collector is NOT stealing our stuff.
3. I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.
4. I will not roll my toys behind the fridge.
5. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur BEFORE entering the house.
6. I will not eat the cats' food, before or after they eat it.
7. I will stop trying to find the few remaining pieces of clean carpet in the house when I am about to throw up.
8. I will not throw up in the car.
9. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc.
10. I will not lick my human's face after eating animal poop.
11. "Kitty box crunchies" are not food.
12. I will not eat any more socks and then redeposit them in the backyard after processing.
13. The diaper pail is not a cookie jar.
14. I will not wake Mommy up by sticking my cold, wet nose up her bottom end.
15. I will not chew my human's toothbrush and not tell them.
16. I will not chew crayons or pens, especially not the red ones, or my people will think I am hemorrhaging.
17. When in the car, I will not insist on having the window rolled down when it's raining outside.
18. We do not have a doorbell. I will not bark each time I hear one on TV.
19. I will not steal my Mom's underwear and dance all over the back yard with it.
20. The sofa is not a face towel. Neither are Mom and Dad's laps.
21. My head does not belong in the refrigerator.
22. I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for Mom's driver's license and car registration.

HT/Humor

A post from a couple of days ago generated quite a bit of controversy. A reader told about how she got a ticket for bringing her dog to a Redondo Beach park.

The dog was leashed and the lady was from out of town, but the cop didn't want to hear it. He gave the poor lady a ticket anyway and now she's out $150.

Other readers weren't feeling very charitable about the situation. Some felt the lady got what she deserved. Others gave her dog a hard time.

Well here's the trouble maker. Doesn't look to worrisome to me.

Have you ever wondered what's going on in your best friend's little furry brain?
A class offered by South Bay Adult School is hoping to take out some of the guesswork by helping students gain insights into dog behavior and even how to communicate in a way that will result in better behavior and more fun.
This is a discussion class only -- no animals allowed -- at Mira Costa High School, Room 206, 701 S. Peck Ave., Manhattan Beach.
The one-session class will run from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 12. Class fee is $29. Register online here  and enter the code "W2009" for $5 off.

If you're a woman or a Democrat, chances are the person you'll be smooching when the clock strikes midnight tonight will be furry and four legged, according to a stury released this week.

If you don't have a pet, you're likely to be horrified by these findings. But if you do, you'll find it perfectly reasonable.

Anyway, I don't need no stinkin' holiday to kiss my stinkin' dog (and sometimes the cat if I've been drinking).

Women are 4.5 times as likely to spend New Year's Eve with a pet than men are. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to spend New Year's Eve with a pet.

"We've discovered over the four years that we've been conducting this survey that people love seeing in the New Year with their pet," said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance. "I guess it's that pure joy and unconditional optimism that animals have that people love to be around."

I never really get tired of watching this video of Bailey the dog having such a good time in the snow.

Enjoy.

This is probably the lamest story of all time. Some people have a pet ferret. They take it for walks and it eats dog food. Therefore, it thinks it's a dog.

Well, at least it's good to know that newspapers in England are as hard up for stories this time of year as we are.

This picture is only a reenactment. The Web site wouldn't let me download the real picture becuase of something called a "copyright."

With its distinctive sleek white coat, tiny paws and cute pink nose there's no mistaking the fact that Harry is in fact a ferret.

But the confused rodent loves nothing more than doing doggy things.

He goes out for long walks on his leash, munches on dog food and snuggles up to family pet Sheba the German Shepherd.

The feisty furball is so convinced of his canine status that he even steals pet pooch Sheba's chew toys and eats his dinner from under his nose.

Why does he bark so loud? Why does he run away? Why does he tear up the furniture?

I've been meaning to post about Dewey the library cat for a while now. He's the subject of a new book by Vicki Myron, the library director who tells his unique and very special story.

That alone is all pretty cool, but I had a special interest in this story: It all took place in my mom's home town of Spencer, Iowa, a place I've visited many times during my own lifetime.

Dewey was found in the library's book return on a cold January night in 1988. When the staff found him, they adopted him and the rest was history.

His official name was "Dewey Readmore Books" (the name was chosen by the staff) and the fluffy cat went on to become quite the libary star, reducing stress for patrons and staff, greeting folks at the door, climbing into book bags and briefcases, and providing plenty of comic relief.

He died on Nov. 29, 2006, in the arms of Myron. He had just celebrated his 19th birthday 11 days before that.

But now he's been immortalized in Myron's book, Dewey, which came out on Sept. 24, 2008. (He's also got his own Facebook page.) Here's a blurb from the publisher's Web site: 

Vicki Myron was a single mother who had surivived the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic husband. But her biggest challenge as the new head librarian in Spencer, Iowa, was to raise the spirits of a small, out-of-the-way town mired deep in the farm crisis of the 1980s. Then, on the coldest morning of the year, Vicki found a tiny, bedraggled kitten almost frozen to death in the night drop box, and her life -- and the town of Spencer -- was never the same.

I'm sorry my mom's not alive to enjoy the book and Dewey's story. She loved cats (and dogs) and would have been happy to see Spencer in the headlines. (My uncle also was a farmer just outside Spencer's city limits and my dad came from Turrell, a small farming community also just outside Spencer.)  

Our special thanks to Vicki Myron, now retired and on a book signing tour, for documenting Dewey's life for posterity.

Now I'm going to go buy the book. It's all making me want to re-visit Spencer again.

  

This looks like it might be handy to have around (and to carry around).

Informed Publishing based in Oregon has come out with a Pet Emergency Pocket Guide, providing quick access to information pet owners often need on the spur of the moment.  

 

 

 

From the company's press release:

"This compact 3x5 guide delivers step-by-step guidelines to help pet owners care for their pets daily, and be prepared so they can respond quickly and confidently in the event of a pet injury, illness or emergency."

The guide includes photos and illustrations, a pet travel check list along with a complete section on traveling safely with your pet, and a natural disaster preparation section.

 

Included are CPR and Heimlich how-to instructions; information on general care such as grooming; lists of the most common poisonous and toxic foods; how to create pet emergency kits; pet record pages to document a pet's allergies, vaccinations and surgeries.

The guide is sold at $16.95 retail but also is available in a new Mobile Edition format for $9.95.

Call them at 888-624-8014 or visit their Web site -- www.informedguides.com. They're also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble online and in bookstores.

 

In my previous post, I detailed how my dog got away from me at the beach just as it started to rain.

On December 6 I attended a party for twin 5 year old boys at a park in the City of Redondo Beach.  I live in Mission Viejo and knew I would be gone most of the day.  I decided to bring my small dog with me rather than leave her home alone all day.  Since the party was taking place at a park I had no hesitation about bringing her.  She is about 5 pounds and pretty much sits on whoever's lap she can crawl up onto.  I figured it would be no problem to have her.
To my surprise, while I was walking her around the park area (on her leash), I was stopped by a not-so-friendly Redondo Beach Police officer.  He informed me that dogs were not allowed at the park.  I told him I had absolutely no idea and that I did not live in the SouthBay area.  He proceeded to write me a citation anyhow!  When I asked if that meant I had to leave the party/park, he said I should lock my dog in the car for the remainder of my stay there!!  Knowing this IS illegal, I started to ask about it and he said the outside temperature was cool enough and I would not get a citation for doing what he asked!!  I guess I should be thankful for that much?!
I just received the paperwork from the court and am SHOCKED to see the citation will cost me $158.00!!!  I suggest if the city of Redondo Beach has such strict and nonsensical laws about dogs they make more of an effort to alert the visiting public.  At $158 a citation they should have enough money to post notices next to their "Welcome to the City of Redondo Beach" signs!
Am I wrong to think this makes no sense?  I honestly had no idea such laws existed!  No dogs allowed at a park!!?  Where I live they actually provide doggie bags to collect your dog's waste while you are on a walk with him/her!  I've only owned my dog for about a year and NEVER thought there would be a law against having a dog at a park!!  Don't the two go hand-in-hand?
Don't be too hard on your dog, I can guarantee you he is probably much nicer than that RB police officer!!

So that movie "Marley and Me" made $800 billion over the Christmas weekend, which is more money I'll earn if I live to be 37,000 years old.

As some of you may recall, I am boycotting the movie because I seethe with jealousy. Some reporter got himself an ill-behaved dog and turned it into a national sensation.

I kick myself for not thinking about it.

And what's so special about Marley? His claim to fame is that he's the "worst dog in the world."

HA!

Here's how I spent my Christmas (Yes, I'm Jewish, but it was still a day off). You tell me who's more terrible, Marley or Rocket:

It rained all Christmas morning. But by early afternoon the sun was poking through and the ground was drying.

Around 2 p.m., there was a knock on my door. It was my across-the-street neighbors telling me they were taking their dogs to the Top Secret Illegal Dog Beach (which is really located at the bottom of the Trump Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes.) Would I like to join them?

I put Rocket on his leash, and darted out to my car wearing just a sweatshirt. It was cool out, but I figured I'd get warm walking down the trails.

I should mention that I am getting over a cold and am having a hard time breathing.

Anyway, we got to the bottom of the cliffs and Rocket was itching to get off his leash. I looked at the expanse of sand and I looked at the dog. I knew there was a reasonable chance I would regret my decision, but I unhooked his leash and let him loose. 

The first half hour were pleasant enough. Rocket and Buddy were happy as could be as they raced up and down the beach.

But then Rocket decided he wanted to explore the cliffs. Off he went into the thicket of bushes.

It started to drizzle. I looked up and realized that another storm was coming.

Everybody else started gathering up their dogs to leave, but Rocket was just getting started.

"C'mon boy," I called as he popped in and out of the bushes.

Then the rain started coming down hard.

"Rocket, let's go!" I shouted, but he ignored me.

I looked around. My friends were gone. The beach was deserted. Rocket kept ignoring me.

The dirt turned into a slick clay and I kept sliding on it as I tried to walk.

My clothes were soaked. I was shivering. I could barely breathe and I kept stumbling on the slippery wet rocks as I tried to catch up with that little jerk. Frigid needles of rain hit me in the face. My nose was running and I was covered in water and mud.

The end.

Ok, not really. But the rest of the story is pretty tedious. I finally caught him and dragged his sorry butt to the car. I got home, took a warm bath and gave him dirty looks for for the rest of the night.

Ok, that's really the end.

Or is it?

 

 

2-Year-Old Donkey Called Up To Pro Donkey Basketball League

We know about how retailers are closing and people are getting laid off. But according to this article in the Daily Bulletin, one group that hasn't suffered much during the recent economic downturn is pets.

The slow economy may have influenced some people to cut back on extra spending this holiday season, but their pets likely didn't suffer.

The American Pet Products Association speculated before the holiday that more than half of dog and cat owners would buy holiday gifts for their pets.

That averages out to 20 million people spending $210million.

"A lot of (customers) don't have family members other than their pets and that's what we cater to - people who really love their pets," said Sherri Cartwright, an employee at the Welcome Wagg'n Home in Upland.

This time of year, the store usually sees an increase in customers, Cartwright said.

Everything from sweaters, treats and toys were being sold at a higher volume.

As readers of this blog know, I hate it when people bring their dogs to the office. Oh wait. The bosses are all at the country club today for their post-Christmas champagne party and bonus collection.

The rest of us are toiling away and one of our copy editors,  Stephanie Cary (or Scary as she's known by her computer logon), brought her dog to the office today!

Martini is a 4-year-old terrier poodle and she's sitting comfortably in Stephanie's lap while she's working. I guess Stephanie came back from a holiday trip and picked Martini up from the kennel.

She has frizzy hair and ears that point in many different directions (the dog, not Stephanie)

Here, see for yourself. I snapped a pic with my cell phone.

 

 

 

 

You may have already seen this video on our crime and court blog. Unhappy with his 10 million hits a month, cop reporter Larry Altman is now poaching animal-related stories so he can steal the pet blog's seven readers.

Well, just in case you haven't seen it there, here it is. This is a pretty cool dog.

 

 

Specifically, this is what happens when they eat something called Gorilla Glue. Reporter Nick Green has a story in today's paper about a 140-pound Newfoundland dog named Lola Bear, who got hold of some.

The glue got wet and expanded in Lola Bear's stomach. After emergency surgery, the LB is doing much better.

The glue expands dramatically when it comes into contact with moisture, creating a solid mass with the consistency of plastic foam inside the stomach, which is what happened to Lola Bear about six days after she devoured the glue.

"I had never seen a case before," said veterinarian Dick Sullivan, who has worked at Torrance's Bay Cities Animal Hospital for 33 years.

But Nick found out that it wasn't an isolated case. Other dogs have gotten themselves into trouble by eating Gorilla Glue.

 

This is a picture of Eartha Kitt, who died this week. Kitt was one of the lesser Catwomen in the old Batman series:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of Kat, reporter Sandy Mazza's pet that she visited over her Christmas vacation. She's been after me to post a picture, so now I have an excuse...

Picking up on Josh's theme below, dogs we've come to know and love at the San Pedro dog park: 

Riff and Rocket (of course)

Last anyone heard from me on this blog, I was battling an invader. Who turned out to be (EWWWW) a rat. (EWWWWW.) 

I accidentally left my tennis shoes out the other day and the dog didn't eat them!

In fact, he's actually getting much better.

On a scale from one to 10, he was a one when I got him. But now he's a two.

So he's twice as good as he used to be!

 

Sure, it looks cute here, but withing four months, the neighbors are calling the police on you. Trust me. I know from personal experience.

 

 

If you still have some holiday gifts to buy, stop by the Harbor Area animal shelter today, where a vendor fair will be held.

The shelter is at 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today 

Pet wear -- collars, leashes and sweaters -- as well as jams, jellies, jewelry and candy will be among items for sale.

A history class from Dana Middle School will sell holiday candy to help raise funds for their trip to Washington, D.C.

The American Red Cross will offer first aid information.

Pets also will be available for adoption and Santa Claus will visit between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.  fd

Nope, it's not my dog. In fact, my dog isn't all that spoiled. He doesn't even get to come into the front seat when I drive.

But this dog has it's own car. Actually, he has two.

Ariel is one lucky dog. He has a brand new Mini Cooper convertible and a Mazda CX-7 SUV at his disposal.

He also gets around in a pram and has a Louis Vuitton carrier bag for tram trips.

If you think that's over the top, check out his wardrobe.

His drawers are crammed with kimonos, a Chinese outfit for his visits to Chinatown, and a Ronaldo soccer jersey.

He wears only Gucci collars - at $500 a pop - because they're made from the best leather. Most of his clothes, accessories and toiletries are bought overseas, of course. 

Ariel eats organic food, drinks mineral water, sleeps in Ms Ng's bed and gets a new toy every day.

Well, MY dog gets a new toy every day. Or most days. But I pick them up at the 99-Cent Store, so I don't think that qualifies.

My colleague and pal Larry Altman got this e-mail from his mother. He forwarded it to me and now I'm sharing it with the world.

Tell your friend Josh I love his blog. Clever, and a lot of fun.   Mom

I don't even hear talk like that from my own mother.

What does this have to do with animals, you ask?

Well, some dolphins appear around 15 seconds in. But the rest is pretty amazing.

 

 Somebody with too much time on their hands:

 Three kittens with ear, neck and tail piercings were removed from a home by humane officers on Wednesday.   

"This is a first," said Officer Carol Morrison. "It's unbelievable anybody would do this to kittens."

Morrison said the investigation began about a week ago when a man from another state noticed "gothic kittens" being sold on eBay. The kittens were also being sold on a pet classified Web site with an attached picture of a pierced kitten.

We ran an AP story today about how pet owners are under the mistaken impression that they can understand what their pets are saying when they bark and meow at them. (The picture accompanying the story features some samoyed pups that look a lot like my sister's new dog Sherman.)

These people also think their animals understand them.

I dunno. Maybe it's true. But the only thing my pets understand is when I clock them with my fist.

I kid. I kid.

But really, if I try to speak to either one of them, they look at me like I'm insane. And here's what I understand about my pets: When my cat is meowing at the door, it wants to go outside (of course, as soon as I let it out, it instantly starts meowing to be let back inside.

As for the dog, I can assure he doesn't even understand himself. And whatever it is he's saying, he does it loud enough for people two towns away to hear.

Here, judge for yoursef. If you can decifer this, let me know.

 

Traveling with your pets can be a big pain in the rear.

It can be expensive too. Not that I would know because the cat has never been more than two miles from the house, while the dog can't sit in the car for more than 20 minutes without becoming bored and destructive.

But for those who travel long distances with their pets, this is pretty sweet. The airline JetBlue announced the new JetPaws program, which offers frequent-flier points for animals.

As part of the new JetPaws program, cat and dog owners get two bonus award points per flight through the carrier's customer loyalty program. The extra points can help pet owners earn free travel.

The New York-based discount airline's non-refundable pet fee is $100 each way. JetBlue allows up to four small cats or dogs in the cabin of the aircraft on domestic and international flights.

"With more than 80,000 pets traveling on JetBlue each year, the JetPaws program is designed to make traveling with pets smooth from start to finish, offering valuable TrueBlue points along the way," said Kim Ruvolo, brand manager.

The new in-cabin program also provides pet owners with "petiquette" travel guidelines for tips on smooth jetting with Max. For the style-conscious, the airline partnered with New York Post columnist and ASPCA board member Cindy Adams to offer custom-made pet carriers co-designed by Adams, also the founder of Jazzy Park Avenue Dog products.

Big dogs need not apply, a fact that is causing much consternation on the article's comment section.

Astute readers noticed how I wrote a post a couple of days ago detailing how the dog, the cat and I didn't want to get out of bed on account of rain.

Boy, it must get pretty crowded in there, they said.

Here, take a look for yourself:

 

If you mop your floor, it'll just rain and the dog will get muddy paw prints all over it.

Like an idiot, I mopped the floor last week. Then it rained on Monday, a confluence of events that the dog was only too happy to exploit.

Although the dog is Episcopalian, we don't celebrate Christmas in my house. It's not like a day goes by when he doesn't get a toy anyway.

   And the cat, well the cat has no interest in anything except pooping in the shower and sleeping.

Still, even though money is tight, Americans would rather spend money on their pets than they would other people.

Yay, America!

In a survey released last week by the American Kennel Club, 81 percent of respondents said they would buy holiday gifts for their dogs, and 69 percent would sooner tighten their belts on friends and extended family than tighten the collars on their dogs. And 65 percent would rather eat ramen noodles than make their dogs eat on the cheap.

I have nothing else to say about this

 

Throwing a shoe at President Bush wasn't the worst thing that journalist did.

According to the International Herald Tribune:

Hitting someone with a shoe is a deep insult in the Arab world, signifying that the person being struck is as low as the dirt underneath the sole of a shoe. Compounding the insult were Zaidi's words as he hurled his footwear: "This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog!" While calling someone a dog is universally harsh, among Arabs, who traditionally consider dogs unclean, those words were an even stronger slight.

Now that's going too far!

 

It's not that I don't like dog shows, it's that I really don't get them. You get a good-looking puppy and it wins a bunch of prizes. And don't get me started on those cutesy names.

 COOKIELAND SEASYDE HOLLYBERRY a 
Pointer known as "Holly" owned by Sean McCarthy & Tammy McCarthy and Helyne Medieros of 
New York, NY. Holly was named the nation's top dog by Best in Show judge Dr. Robert D. Smith 
after a weekend of intense canine competition in Long Beach, Ca.

The dog, the cat and I took a vote and decided not to get out of bed today and to keep the electric blanket set to 7. The dog wanted it at 6, but the cat wanted it at 8, so we compromised.

Look, I enjoy pictures of baby monkeys picking their nose as much as the next guy. Baby hippos? Nothing cuter.

I had my quite overgrown backyard trees trimmed several weeks ago. Around that same time, I was leaving my back door wide open (mind you, I'm just one house away from one of Pedro's natural canyons teeming with urban wildlife) to accommodate Tess's "cone" she had to wear for her broken toe. 

It looks like the First Dog is going to have some company.

While the country has (rigthly) been obsessing about what kind of dog President-elect Barack Obama is going to get, his future vice president snuck out and got his own puppy.

I can't even begin to imagine what the carpets in the White House are going to look like when they leave office.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden picked out a German shepherd pup last weekend from a breeder near his Delaware home, according to a local newspaper report.

Biden was reportedly promised the post-election dog by his wife, Jill, who would tape pictures of different dogs on the back of the seat in front of Biden on his campaign plane.

The vice president-elect picked out a month-old male German shepherd from a breeder in Chester County, Pa., according to the Daily Local News. The breeder told the paper Biden wanted a family dog that was social and obedient and said Biden's granddaughters will name him.

How long does it take to eat a burrito?

Puppies from a Korean puppy mill that were confiscated at LAX will be available for adoption next week.

Here, this is the story from City News Service:

Ten puppies that were allegedly born in a Korean puppy mill and confiscated at Los Angeles International Airport will be available for adoption next week, Animal Services officials announced Thursday.

The five Yorkies and five Maltese puppies were intercepted at LAX in June when Animal   Services and county Public Health officials discovered the weeks-old puppies had health certificates falsely claiming the animals were four months old.

``Incorrect paperwork could lead to puppies not being quarantined or
vaccinated appropriately, placing other animals and humans potentially at risk.
Combating these violations is labor-intensive and we need to fight for support
at all levels of government to be able to do a more thorough job,'' said Ed
Boks, general manager of the Department of Animal Services.

The puppies will be available for adoption at the East Valley Animal
Care Center in Van Nuys on Dec. 20. Though the puppies are healthy, Animal
Services officials warned that the dogs may develop physical or behavioral
problems in the future as a result of improper breeding and poor living
conditions during their first weeks of life.

Following the discovery of the puppies, Animal Services and county
Public Health organized a task force with Los Angeles World Airports, U.S.
Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Transportation Security Administration and
local animal groups to survey animals arriving at LAX.

The task force completed 88 inspections. The results are still being
compiled but preliminary findings show overseas puppy mills are attempting to
flood the market, according to Animal Services.

Imported animals could carry disease or be part of smuggling schemes.
More than 35 percent of the dogs inspected by the task force had falsified
documents, according to Animal Services.

Photographs of the dogs are available at www.LAAnimalServices.com.

As regular readers of this blog know (all seven of them), we had a little mouse situation here in the office a few months ago.

The mouse -- or maybe there was more than one of them -- was seen scurrying under desks, which caused the usual mousey reaction: Girls jumped on their desks and said "eek," while the men lumbered around saying "I'll kill it."

A bit of a stretch, perhaps, but the mouse was soon dispatched by our photo editor, who lured the critter into a trap with a lump of peanut butter.

In true journalistic spirit, we joked about the animal's demise. And now, we're eating cookies made with his likeness.

I don't know if this was reporter Andrea Woodhouse's inspiration. In fact, I doubt she was thinking of our past pest problem the other day when she made perfectly shaped rodents using dough, nuts and little strips of licorice for tails.

I snapped a picture of Andrea's gift to share with the less fortunate among us who have never tasted a cookie shaped like a rodent.

A memento mori has never been so adorable. Or as delicious.

The other day I wrote a post about John Ralph, a longtime visitor to the San Pedro dog park who died a couple of weeks ago. John and his dog, Maureen, would show up most afternoons and John would sit on the bench while Maureen went nuts in that delightful way happy dogs do.

I got a letter from one of John's friends, which I attached to the original article. But it was so sweet and well written that I'm posting it here so more people can see it. The person who wrote it is named Patricia Henricks.

Thank you for your article about John and Maureen. John and I were good friends.

We met one day at the dog park on his 60th birthday, a day when I was thrilled to be alive, enjoying the simple pleasures o the park and my new dog, Beau.

John came in and announced that today was his 60th birthday and that's it, life is over at 60. I told him he was wrong, I was 62 and had just completed 1 year and 9 months of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and my life wasn't over at 60, I was starting a new day with Beau and a gratitude and joy in my heart for a blue sky, a cool breeze, a wonderful park to visit.

That day was the beginning of a long friendship talking about life, the beauty of simplicity, unconditional love of a dog, and how much we could learn from them. John was a really good man who struggled with life's complexities and yearned for goodness and God.

He found a lot of comfort and answers at the park with people and dogs that we all love. Watching the dogs interact, learning a lot from them and their capacity to freely express joy, playfulness, even anger and annoyance one day and completely forget it the next day. John loved our dog park and the dogs and people he met there.

Rest in peace my dear friend, and know that Maureen is well cared for a loved by a sister who loves them both.

Me, I don't know the difference between a mule and a donkey. Sure, I could look it up on Wikipedia, but I'd just forget again five minutes later.

Fortunately for mules, they don't have me watching out for their interests. Instead, they have a man named Vic Otten of Rancho Palos Verdes.

A lawyer by trade, Vic is the mastermind behind STOMP, an organization dedicated to stopping discrimination against mules.

STOMP, by the way, stand for Society to Obliterate Mule Prejudice. Their motto: No mule left behind.

Here's what he has to say about it in his manifesto:

In most cases, you know it when you see it- someone states: "what kind of a half ass job is that?" Or someone refers to a person as "stubborn as a mule" or uses the phrase "there's another mule kicking in your stall (an allegory that means your woman is messing around on you with another guy)". These are examples of associations with the mule that contain negative connotations.  And while they may seem harmless and even funny, these stereotypes, based on a negative and irrational attitude or opinion about mules formulated without a factual basis, can have profound impacts on mules, their owners and society.

I'm not sure how serious Vic is with all this. Clearly he's a fan of mules. But I also guess he's having a little bit of fun.

If you want to learn more about helping the cause of muledom, click here.

This sure is mesmerizing

 

The mood among dog owners wasn't the best in October 2007 when San Pedro's dog park was moved and downsized to the bottom of Knoll Hill.

Wind blowing through your hair, surf crashing in the distance. Things doesn't get any better than this.

This photo was sent to me by my sister, the crazy dog lady of Torrance. She forwarded it from a friend of hers, whose name I can't find.

But the dog's name is Frannie.

And when you look at the picture, you realize how good life can be when you're a dog.

 

Josh posted earlier today about the loss of John, one of our San Pedro Dog Park regulars.

 

When you take your pooch to the dog park, you tend to pay more attention to the other dogs than you do the people. It's not uncommon to know the name of someone's pet and not theirs. I'm sure more than a few people around town know me as "Rocket's Owner."

But when you're watching your dogs sniff and play and sometimes fight with each other, you pick up casual friendships with the folks there. You may have nothing else in common, but you share a love of dogs and you're a dedicated enough owner to go to the park in the first place.

So I probably know more about Maureen than I do her owner. She is about a year old now, is a brindle-colored bundle of energy. She's probably part pit bull, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. She likes to play more than any dog I've ever seen. Upon entering the park, she makes a straight line for the nearest dog and tackles it. Or she finds a toy to steal and runs around in circles taunting the other canines. She's even a bigger toy stealer than my dog.

The story around the San Pedro dog park is that her owner named her Maureen because that was his sister's name and he wanted to ensure that somebody took care of the dog if something ever happened to him.

It's a funny story and if it's true, it turned out to be prophetic. Last week I learned that Maureen's owner died.

Wow, there are LIGHTS at the Long Beach dog park! 

This comes from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I'm cutting and pasting their original press release because I'm feeling lazy. But basically, they're hosting a fundraier for animals in need. Who can argue with that?

 

Los Angeles -- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (spcaLA) has joined forces with the LA Kings and some pet friendly celebs to raise money for animal in need.  Beginning Monday December 8th on spcaLA's eBay page, spcaLA will auction pet bowls designed and autographed by famous personalities like, Tori Spelling and Carrie Ann Inaba (from "Dancing With the Stars") as well as the chance to get up close and personal with the LA Kings.  100% of the proceeds benefit spcaLA. 

Up for auction are one-of-a kind pet bowls designed and decorated by a variety of stars.  Tori Spelling, Jenna Fischer (from "The Office"), AnnaLynne McCord (from "Beverly Hills 90210), Alison Sweeney (from "Days of Our Lives" and "Biggest Loser"),  Carrie Ann Inaba (from "Dancing with the Starts") and many more were generous enough to participate in this spcaLA fundraising opportunity.  Also available to eBay bidders, a chance to win a Zamboni ride or a seat in the LA Kings' penalty box during warm-ups, which make unique Holiday gifts.  These prizes are redeemable at spcaLA's Night with the LA Kings on January 8^th.

spcaLA's Night with the LA Kings on January 8^th is a chance for sports lovers and animal lovers to come together, enjoy a great game (LA Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks!) and raise funds for animals in need.  During the game, a silent auction of pet bowls designed and signed by Kings players and Kings memorabilia will be held.  To purchase tickets for spcaLA's Night with the Kings, please go to http://www.spcala.com/ or call (323) 730-5300, x232.   Proceeds from the silent auction and a portion of ticket sales benefit spcaLA. 

spcaLA's ebay page is http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/spcaLt  

There's a certain poetic justice to this tale that appeared in the Dayton Daily News:

A Dayton (Ohio) police dog on Nov. 23 bit and helped apprehend a man wanted on felony dogfighting charges.

Ranon O. Brock, 31, allegedly fled on foot when he saw officers who were responding to a

call regarding a burglary in burglary in progress in the 100 block of Cambridge Avenue about 5:45 p.m. Lt. Patrick Welsh said.

The K-9 unit was called and the dog, along with a human officer, gave chase on foot, catching up with Brock at the same time.

OK, so the dog did "accidentally" bite the officer in the leg first. But hey.

After another command was given, the canine jumped in and grabbed Brock on the wrist so officers could arrest him.

"The dog does not distinguish between good guys and bad," Welsh explained. "But he did follow commands, and that's what he is trained to do."

The officer was treated for a puncture wound at a local hospital and released.

As for Brock, after being treated for some bite wounds on his hand, he was taken to the Montgomery County Jail where he's being held on two felony counts of illegal dogfighting.

 

Hawks are beautiful creatures. But they also are birds of prey and some small pets can be in danger.

Karen Carpenter of Carson learned that lesson recently. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.

Mrs. Carpenter lives in a culdesac near 220th Street and Wilmington Avenue in the south part of Carson.

For the past month, a hawk has been perching daily on a power pole overlooking her large, fenced-in backyard where her 7-pound, white miniature poodle Randy likes to play.

One day a few weeks ago, she was walking by a window in and heard Randy scream.

"I looked out and saw that the hawk had my dog (in his talons)," she said. Both were semi air-borne when Randy managed somehow to squirm free unharmed and take refuge under the pull-down slider blind covering Mrs. Carpenter's patio.

"The hawk sayed right outside the slider, looking down" as Randy poked his nose out.

The hawk continues to stalk, so Mrs. Carpenter is keeping her dogs -- since then her son and daughter-in-law gave her another white miniature poodle, GiGi, this one only 4 pounds and about a year old -- indoors. They only go outside with their owner on leash.

"They're so used to being outside, running and playing," she said. "It's heartbreaking I can't let them have that privilege."

But for now, it seems to be the best way to keep them safe. She wanted her story to go out as a warning to other owners of small pets.

I did a little online research and it turns out this isn't a unique problem.

Acccording to the Web site Hawks Aloft, raptor birds hunt a variety of prey, including rodents, birds, rabbits, snakes and insects.

From the web site: 

 

 

If my dog only so much as looks out the window, he somehow gets mud on his paws.

When a press release arrives in the office from a law enforcement agency, it's generally not good news  -- somebody has usually been stabbed or shot or kidnapped. And when that happens, you get to read about it on our crime blog.

But when the news is good and involves things with fur and four legs, then we get to post it here at South Bay Pets.

Sure, cops aren't the best spellers, but you gotta appreciate their "just the facts ma'am" approach to these things. By the way, this comes from the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department.

After several days of coaxing and three hours of intense demolition on Tuesday afternoon, a cat has been freed from a space between a reinforced concrete planter and the outer building wall of the Pet Smart store on Los Osos Valley Rd. in San Luis Obispo.

The cat, a 6-7 month old black and white female, apparently entered the space several days ago and could not turnaround in the confined area to exit. Authorities used an infrared device and a fiber optic viewer to attempt to locate the trapped animal, however because of the cats path of travel, it was impossible to see, Sheriff's Animal Control officers could only hear the cat crying from inside the concrete space.

Workers were supplied by Madonna Enterprises, owner of the shopping center, who eventually jack hammered out a large section of the wall on Tuesday which lead to the cats release.

After excavation efforts were halted for the night, a Pet Smart employee was able to remove the cat at about 9:30 PM Tuesday evening. The cat was transported to the Animal ER in Arroyo Grande for treatment. The cat received minor abrasions to face and legs, and was treated for dehydration with an IV.

"The cat appears adoptable." said Dr. Eric Anderson, County Animal Control manager. "The staff has already nicknamed the cat, Jingle Bells." Anderson continued.

This story is from Time. Apparently dog food was a luxury item in Iraq for more than a decade. But that's starting to change. And one Iraqi man pegs the appearance of pet food as a sign of good things to come. 

For the first time in years, pet foods have reappeared on the shelves of our neighborhood convenience store. This is an indicator established by Salah Mahmoud, one of TIME's translators in the Iraqi capital, who told me in the summer of 2003, "Let them start selling dog food at Wardah Supermarket; then I'll know life is getting better.

Imagine your dog on a greeting card singing (well, woofing) "Deck the Halls."

It's a novel idea called Critter Carols.  

You can download images of your own cats or dogs -- even dress them up in cute little virual hats and jackets -- for a unique animated holiday greeting card.

                                                                   

                                                                                       

 You can email it, post it to Facebook or embed it on a webpage.

 

HT: Mashable 

 

Still no definitive answer on what kind of dog the Obamas will be getting. But thanks to Politico.com, we do know this: No girly dogs for the new prez.

During an interview with Barbara Walters, the president-elect and first lady were quizzed about the future First Dog. Walters, it turned out, had actually sent Michelle Obama a picture of her Havanese dog, Cha Cha Cha.

"What is a Havanese?" Barack asked Walters during the interview.

"It's like a little terrier and they're non-allergenic and they're the sweetest dog."

Barack's facial expression changes with this news, the transcript reads.

"It's like a little yappy dog?" he asks.

"Don't criticize," Michelle interjects.

"It, like, sits in your lap and things?" Barack asks. Do we detect some scorn here?

"It's a cute dog," Michelle says diplomatically (ah, we're beginning to see who the real peacemaker is in this family).

"It sounds like a girly dog," her husband responds. But the Obama family is, after all, pretty much a houseful of girls, right?

 

So what kind of dog does the president-elect envision instead for his family?

"We're going to have a big, rambunctious dog of some sort."

 

 

White House calling Rocket.  (I keep telling Josh we need to apply to be the official First Dog bloggers & chief canine staffers. I think I'd be OK with picking up poop from the White House lawn, assuming it would pay more than journalism.

 

Better if they are going to be little poops, though.)

Darla is a red Queensland heeler who went missing after her owner was in a car accident on the day before Thanksgiving.

This all happened north of us, in Ventura County. But sometimes it helps to spread the word.  Her owner, Navy Seabee Chris Touchatt, 24, of Oxnard, must be heartsick..

Touchatt was dirving on Highway 126 toward his parents' home in Milpitas on Nov. 26 to spend Thanksgiving with them when just shortly after 2 p.m., a pickup truck going in the opposite direction crossed over into Touchatt's lane striking his truck.

Darla was curled up asleep in the back seat of Touchatt's truck and was last seen jumping out of a broken window and running down the road. Touchatt tried to chase her, but the accident had left hism with a shattered foot, so he didn't get far. He spent Thanksgiving day, in a splint, combing the isolated roadside for his dog but didn't find her.

Now it turns out that Touchatt may need surgery. Darla has been by his side ever since he returned from a deployment in Iraq 4 weeks ago. 

"She means the world to me," he told reporter Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star.

The dog weighs about 40 pounds and was wearing tags.

"She has the sweetest personality," said Terrie Lemere of Yuba City, whose family looked after Darla through Touchatt's seven-month deployment. "We fell in love with the dog. She's very loving, very sweet."

Anyone with information is asked to call Touchatt's parent's home at 408-945-1835 or Lemere at 530-701-2468. You can also email Touchatt at toy4xchris@hotmail.com.

And much thanks to South Bay Pets reader Mari for alerting us to this story.

To read more, check out the newspaper story about the Navy Seabee looking for his dog

So here's the scoop on yesterday's "Shop and Adopt" event to benefit the San Pedro Animal Care Center:

 

6 dogs,

  

  

                                                                                  4 cats,

 

 

             

 

 

 

 and 1 turtle.   

 

                                                  

All got new homes.

A big thanks to all the volunteers and shelter staffers who worked the event. If you missed this one, there will be another vendor fair on Dec. 21.