May 2009 Archives

Our friends at the Baltimore Sun's Unleashed blog inform us that First Dog Bo Obama now has a very special "non-drool" bowl.

The non-spill water bowl comes from Road Refresher and claims to be especially handy when pets must travel.

Designer Natalie Ellis created the bowl, a replica of the White House with Bo's name in rhinestones. 

Or maybe just crazy and a little too brave for her own good.

It's certainly a strange tale.

According to the Associated Press, a chihuahua named Chiquita managed to chase off a cougar that had nabbed her buddy, Rosie, a border terrier, up in Oregon..

Here's the story:

PHILOMATH, Ore. (AP) -- A big cat picked the wrong little dogs for a fight. Chiquita the Chihuahua and Rosie the border terrier chased off a cougar that strayed into this small town near the Oregon State University campus. The dogs' owner, Loren Wingert, said Chiquita and Rosie are tough, but lucky.

The cougar pinned down Rosie, who squealed, but Chiquita convinced the big cat to flee by barking ferociously.

Wingert lives in a cul-de-sac atop a hill that backs up to a wooded area with deer trails. Warning signs about cougars are posted on the trails.

Wingert said the dogs are fine.

Information from: Gazette-Times, http://www.gtconnect.com

Here's a new canvas grocery tote designed to promote pet rescue and spread the word about the imporance of spaying and neutering your pets.

Put out by Viva la Revolucion, the tote can also go to the beach. A percentage of sales goes to pet rescue and you can even plug your favorite rescue group by having them imprint it on the bag.

Cost $8.50 (extra charges for personalization).

HT: Barkability

Southwest Airlines has announced a reversal of its no-pets policy.

Beginning this summer, small dogs and cats in carriers will now be permitted to ride in the passenger area ($75 each way). Larger pets are still banned from the airline's cargo area, however.

For more details, visit Southwest's P.A.W.S. web site.

Raining? In L.A.? In May?

OK, more of a drizzle, but still enough to get my dogs pretty damp.

Tess happily burst through the doggie door and onto the sofa this morning with a wet greeting. Cowboy respectfully kept his distance.

Do your dogs like rain? I finally bought some runner carpet strips to lay down in the kitchen a few months ago from Lowe's. Those, at least, keep the muddy paw print trails to a mimium during weather like this.

A friend of mine took these shots of her cats a while back (the bottom photo shows them near their aquarium, no doubt a popular resting spot).

Lakota, a 7-year-old Australian shepherd, has taken over mom duties for a litter of kittens whose real mom was hit and killed by a car.

The dog and kittens are at the family farm of Colleeen and Robert Nesseth in Snohomish, Wash.

AP Photos/The Herald, Dan Bates

HT: Unleashed

Here's the story as reported by Nick Green in the Daily Breeze: Newman, an 8-year-old Boston terrier, belonged to a family killed in a head-on collision near Lake Tahoe in July 2007.

The Torrance residents were on their way to a time-share when their car was struck, killing the family of four.

Newman, their dog, was not with them and was adopted by Juan Lozano, whose sister, Maria Amelia, died in the crash. Newman was his last link to his lost family.

But last week, Newman disappeared.

Now, the dog is back.

Join us on Saturday May 23, 2009 as we re-dedicate the historic Fort MacArthur K9 Command Cemetery at the Fort MacArthur Museum. As many of our supporters are aware, this has been a long anticipated project for the association and has involved many years of planning and hard work. Several speakers will make presentation during re-dedication ceremony including Former K9 Handler Paul Acosta, Museum Director Steve Nelson, and local San Pedro resident Dorothy Matich, who has spearheaded the funding efforts for this project. 

I received an email this morning from Nicky Gore-Jones, a volunteer at the Harbor Animal Care Center in San Pedro. The center is filled to capacity and Nicky wanted us to let our readers know that there is a desperate need this weekend for people to adopt some of their dogs. From her e-mail:

We have several dogs in danger of being euthanized next week unelss we can get the whole bunch adopted this weekend.

We have 78 dogs at the moment and that's just too many ... We've worked very hard this year to keep dogs alive through online appeals and getting them to rescues, including one that I drove to Portland to foster and four that we shipped to
Canada to new homes. ... It's a never-ending battle to keep our San Pedro dogs alive and without lots of people coming in to adopt the animals, we just can't help them.

Visit the shelter at 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro, or call 888-4LAPET1 or 888-452-7381.

Here are a few of the dogs available (be sure to click on the jump at the bottom for more pics): 

Every now and then, we like to feature a guest blogger here at South Bay Pets.

So here's Rollin Keller, my former (now retired through still guest preaching and busier than ever) pastor from Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church, who tells some stories of his beloved childhood cat, Blondie, on his newly launched personal blog Old Guys Rule.

I pretty much have drafted him into duty here, but he was a very good sport about it all.

I was well aware of Rollin's wonderful sense of humor, his love of kids and cats, and, of course, his strengths as a pastor.

But his blog makes it evident that he's a warm and talented writer and storyteller as well. Maybe not a surprise. Rollin recalls how he and his wife, Barbara, loved listening to master storyteller Jean Shepherd (of "A Christmas Story" movie fame) on New York radio years ago when Rollin was pastoring a church on the east coast.

I think you'll catch a little of that same flavor in Rollin's tale of how Blondie ate his uncle's wedding cake, reprinted here with his permission. Enjoy: 

Blondie strikes again

For all you cat lovers out there...

Our Daily Breeze pet of the week today is Honey, a 1-year-old Chinese sharpei mix.

Honey, unfortunately, was hit by a car and now wears a pink cast on her left hind leg which was fractured. The leg will not ultimately heal, however, and veterinarians have recommended that the leg be amputated before she is adopted. The shelter will provide for the surgery and the costs -- if someone wants to adopt her.

If you can provide a good home for this special girl, she's at the Carson Animal Shelter, 216 Victoria St. 310-523-9566. Ask for ticket number A3964271.

It was two years ago yesterday that I got my dog. As I've written before, it was on Mother's Day and for some reason I decided to stop at a shelter while driving to my mom's house.

Boy was she mad when I showed up with a strange dog.

It's been two years of frustration and fun. But Rocket is becoming less and less of a monster every day. He no longer destroys things (but that's only because there's nothing left). And he doesn't try to escape nearly as often (probably because I turned my house into a dog fortress).

Here's a picture of the two of us hanging out.

Ha ha. Its funny because that dog actually looks like Rocket. And, of course, I look like a monkey.

But the pair in that picture are actually friends at an animal shelter. And I thought we were the only monkey-coon hound pair in the country. The two swim together and the orangutan actually takes the dog for walks. See, they ARE just like us.

It doesn't get any better than this.

Snippets from a weekday morning at the dog park:

Angel the beagle sprints across the park as Cowboy, Cosmo, and big Riley give chase. Angel howls in mock distress, ducking under the bench and then gleefully rolling over  for a belly rub as Tundra the white Lab gnaws on a forbidden stick nearby.

Tag, the handsome Great Pyrenees with soulful brown eyes, slowly walks down the line in front of our bench, getting exactly what he's asked for -- head pats and back rubs and "good boy" affirmations as we all delicately try to avoid making contact with the long string of drool swaying from the corner of Tag's mouth.

A new arrival, a golden doodle named Karma, soon has everyone in an uproar in another wild game of chase. There's also a lemon-spotted Dalmatian, an Italian greyhound and a Besinji who have joined the mix. So much energy. We laugh watching the colorful, chaotic scene.

Meanwhile, Daisy's long fur is collecting wood chips as she lounges at our feet, barking sharply when a big dog gets a little too close to stepping on the little gal.  

(Here's Daisy below from a prior photo)

"Little" Max, a happy yellow Lab pup in that gangly, pre-teen stage, runs smack into a fire hydrant, part of the park's unique decor, causing him to limp a bit for the next 5 minutes. Owee. But he's young and bouncy and he quickly recovers, resuming his favorite sport of running after all the big dogs.

Now Angel's up and going again, my border collie Tess hot on her trail -- and tail -- in an instinctive herding move. Tess's gait slows for just an instant and Cowboy spots his opportunity. He latches on to her rear end and begins to hump. Nikki, owner of Tag and Daisy, remarks that Cowboy must get turned on when he sees her herding like that.

After about 45 minutes, it's time for me to go. "I've got to get to work," I announce as I gather up Tess and Cowboy to leave.

"I'm already at work," says Nikki, our the local dog sitter. Her tone is a little bit smug, I think.

She knows I'm jealous.

(Tundra)

I found this post about a lost dog in San Pedro on former Daily Breeze colleague Diana Chapman's Underdog for Kids blog.

The dog, named Wolfie, was last seen at Angels Gate Park, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, on April 19. From the blog:

Wolfie, a friendly sweet dog who loves children and animals, vanished from his home and his owner, Raven, has been on a desperate search for him.

Please keep your eyes wide-open to find "Wolfgang," who weighs about 50 pounds, is a golden-reddish color and was last seen in the park. He has the body of a golden retriever, the face of a husky and blue spots on his tongue. He's neutered and wears a black collar with his name, phone number and address on it. The owner has posted fliers all over town, so please be kind and help reunite these two friends. Email hartchap@cox.net with any info.

 

A 5th grade student at Cornerstone Elementary School in Rancho Palos Verdes has contacted Bruce and Maureen Megowan with an offer to help establish a dog park in Palos Verdes Estates.

         "We are currently doing a community project called Project Citizen," the student wrote. "I have 15 students in my group and we have decided to research and propose getting a dog park in PVE. ... We called PVE and they told us if we got a petition going of at least 100 names they would consider our proposal. We are currently in the process of collecting these names. ... Here's to all the pooches out there that need socialization, exercise and a good time!!"

The Megowans have been trying to get a fenced-in, off-leash dog park somewhere on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, with the idea that it would serve all four cities on "The Hill" (Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills Estates, and Rolling Hills).

Their latest idea is for the County of Los Angeles to dedicate several acres of the former Palos Verdes Landfill area between Hawthorne and Crenshaw boulevards, just north of Palos Verdes Drive North.

From Bruce Megowan's reply to the youngster:

I think that it is wonderful that you and your friends are willing to help out getting a dog park built on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. ... We are now trying to get the city managers of the four cities on the Peninsula to use their political muscle to encourage the county to build a dog park due to the tremendous need for one in our area.

The only other locations of a dog park near us are in Redondo Beach (190th and Flagler) and the Knoll Hill area of San Pedro, both at least a 20-minute car trip. The San Pedro dog park is on Port of Los Angeles land on a temporary basis and they have also been unsuccessful in finding a permanent home in San Pedro.

It would be tremendously helpful if you could circulate a petition to construct a dog park on the former Palos Verdes Landfill site. ... I have been building an email database of dog park supporters and getting other supporter emails that will help us get the word out when there are government meetings to attend ... "

At least one person I know has raised questions about the safety of the landfill site as a dog park location. The property has been the subject of a number of articles in the Daily Breeze. Tests have cleared the site as being safe for people uses, but a number of citizens continue to question those findings.

Again, if you would like to pitch in -- or at least stay informed about the progress of the PV dog park effort -- send an email to Bruce at bmegowan@cox.net to get on his list of contacts. And be sure to check with him if you want to help circulate petitions as there are some specific guildelines you'll need to follow.

I'm back from being out sick since Thursday with a textbook case of the flu. This meant no posting from me, of course, and several days in which I moved (barely) from the bed to the sofa, leaving my dogs bored and frustrated. Border collies don't really "do" sick. My self-imposed quarantine proved to be a difficult period for Cowboy and Tess. So they were VERY pleased this morning when we headed out for the dog park and were hardly able to sit still while I leashed them up.

(I did try posting a mom dog and her puppies on the pets blog from home on Sunday for Mother's Day, but just could not get the video to embed, so I gave up. Hope everyone had a great holiday.)

So. Back to business, pet news-wise. Upon my return to work today, I see that San Pedro Dogs has forwarded notes on two more dogs that need homes. Contact Terrell at 323-385-8993 or tc2806@hotmail.com for both dogs that were found in the south Los Angeles area..

Here's Titan, a 6-month-old mixed breed (mom was a Staffordshire terrier, father may have been a small Rottweiler or Doberman):

At 6 months old he only weighs about 20pounds so he won't be a big dog. Titan was found with his mommy in south L.A. He is good with other dogs and cats. he is learning to use a doggie door to go outside to do his business. Titan is neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, fecal test done, frontlined, and microchipped.

And here's Sandy:

She is a year and a half old Staffie mix. Sandy is very affectionate and playful. She loves to fetch and she avoids conflicts with other dogs. She just wants to be friends, even with cats. Sandy was found with one of her pups in south L.A. She has been spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, fecal test done, frontlined and microchipped. This loving girl had been on the streets for at least 7 months.

 

Yet another dog park is getting ready to open, this one in New Orleans.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for the city's first dog park, a 4.6-acre facility expected to open this fall. From the story online at nola.com:

(The park) will include separate play areas for small and large dogs, a doggie wading pool, water fountains for dogs and humans, shade pavilions, a quarter-mile walking trail and a lawn for special events.

In August 2007, NOLA City Bark was started by a group of dog lovers who believe that rebuilding a better city means addressing quality of life issues for both people and their pets.

In January 2008, the group was officially incorporated as NOLA City Bark, a non-profit organization run by a volunteer board of directors whose purpose is to raise the money needed to construct the dog park.

Now that all came together rather quickly, don't you think?.

Ah, but then I have to remind myself.

When it comes to getting projects done, I'm used to Los Angeles bureaucratic time.  That's sort of like dog years, except in reverse.

Photo: Elliot Kamenitz/The Times Picayune

Watch the Redondo Beach Police Department's top dogs compete Saturday May 9 in canine trials at Redondo Union High School, 631 Vincent Park.

The free event will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the football field and feature police officers and their four-legged partners from across the state.

The competition includes a canine obstacle course and area searches, among other events.

The schedule is: 9 a.m., box search; 10:45 a.m., obedience/agility; and 1:30 p.m., manwork, in which competing canine teams demonstrate their ability to safely subdue a combative suspect.

Got a bad dog?

Videotape him and bring the recorded evidence to one of three auditions this month to be on The Dog Whisperer show with Cesar Millan.

Producers Kay Sumner and Sheila Emery will be on hand at three PetCo locations -- La Canada (May 8), Westwood (May 15) and Lakewood (May 22) -- to take submissions for the show's sixth season on National Geographic.

From the press release:

The show is looking for a wide variety of dog problems, including unusual phobias, obsessions, fearful behavior, or any other unique situations that Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan could help transform.

Owners are asked to leave aggressive dogs at home. Dogs do not need to be present at the audition.

Owners need to bring a video (any format except memory cards) showing their dog's bad behavior. Submissions cannot be accepted without a video. Release forms should also be completed and brought to the audition.

Those forms can be found at the Dog Whisperer Web site.

All three auditions will be conducted from 4 to 5 p.m. The dates and locations are:

• May 8: PetCo, 475 Foothill Blvd., La Canada, CA 91011
• May 15: PetCo, 1873 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
• May 22: PetCo, 5215 Lakewood Blvd., Lakewood, CA 90712

To get a feel for what one of these auditions are like, we posted on the South Bay Pets blog and wrote a Daily Breeze story about the show's San Pedro audition last September.

I was walking Cowboy and Tess through our neighborhood park this morning when we were spat at by a swan? A goose? Or something. I'm not entirely sure what she was, but she had a very long neck and she was clearly irritated by our attempts to pass through her territory, disturbing her morning snooze. My colleague Sandy Mazza, who says she was once almost attacked by a swan, says it's a swan. So there you go.

But whatever she was, there she sat, right in the middle of the walkway. We waited. I tried talking to her. She wasn't much interested. I wondered if we should just turn back, it was one of these creatures, after all, that came stalking right toward us last time we tried this maneuver. (We turned tail pretty quick that time.)

Eventually, she spit at us some more and then honked as she reluctantly rose from her spot and moved (sort of) off to the side, allowing us to walk by.  Talk about being in a foul mood.

Cowboy and Tess were much more interested in the squirrels, of course. But I had the sense we ruined the feathered Missy's day.

I was enjoying a startingly beautiful sunset at a friend's house on the Palos Verdes Peninsula the other night. We were enjoying a glass of wine and watching a dolphin dancing in the water.

 All of a sudden, I heard this horrible screaming sound. It sounded horrible. It sounded like somebody was pulling the hair out of a child's head. It sounded exactly like my dog, but multiplied by a hundred.

What's that ghastly sound? I asked my friend.

"Oh," she said, "that's just the peafowl. They do that all the time."

It seems that others have noticed the noise (and the constant pooping too). My colleague Melissa Pamer has an article about the horrible animals. They're causing problems again in Rancho Palos Verdes. Here's the start:

While some locals appreciate their rich coloring and luxuriant plumage, other complain about their ear-splitting shrieks and copious excrement.

Today, peacocks and peahens are back in the spotlight on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where the birds have been known to ruffle feathers.

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council tonight will consider what to do about the creatures known collectively as peafowl.

In recent years, the city has seen an uptick in complaints about the birds. A recent peafowl "census" showed the population up 53 percent since a count in 2000.

 

 

 

While some locals appreciate their rich coloring and luxuriant plumage, other complain about their ear-splitting shrieks and copious excrement.

Today, peacocks and peahens are back in the spotlight on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where the birds have been known to ruffle feathers.

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council tonight will consider what to do about the creatures known collectively as peafowl.

In recent years, the city has seen an uptick in complaints about the birds. A recent peafowl "census" showed the population up 53 percent since a count in 2000.

***Update: The Megowans reported that the meeting went well and they're encouraged about the prospects for a dog park to serve the peninsula. They are now doing some research on dog parks in general and are also looking to create a Web site.

If you can help, email Bruce Megowan at bmegowan@cox.net.

Bruce and Maureen Megowan, who have been spearheading the move, wanted us to let readers know they'll be raising the issue again at a community forum at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (5/5) night.

The couple are focusing on the former Palos Verdes landfill site off of Crenshaw Boulevard as a potential location and have spoken to county officials who have been soliciting ideas for the property.

There are no dog parks on the "hill" and the new park would be designed to serve residents of all three municipalities in PV.

"We believe that it is important that all of the Peninsula cities actively promote this idea of a Peninsula off-leash dog park to the county," Marueen wrote to me in an email. "The major advantage of this proposed use is that it would not distrub the landfill material below the top soil of the property."

So if you like this idea, show up and speak up. The meeting will be in the council chambers at the Palos Verdes Estates City Hall, 340 Palos Verdes Drive West.

The forum is being hosted by Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Ellen Perkins and Rosemary Humphrey, mayor pro tem, as a way to give residents an opportunity to bring up issues of concern at an informal question-and-answer session.

We received this note today regarding Bear, a 7-year-old American Rottweiler (with a tail) whose family is facing eviction in two days.

Very loveable and loves attention. Gets along with children, other dogs, animals. I only have 2 days before I have to move out. ... it breaks my heart to think he will have to go to the pound and might be put down. It's not his fault. Please help!

The family apparently will be moving into a temporary shelter but needs to find a home for Bear quickly. If you can help, call Sheron at 562-275-5843.

From my colleague, reporter Sandy Mazza;

Bear's owner, Sheron, said her children have grown up with the large
Rottweiler. But, since her landlord gave her a 5-day eviction notice
after raising her rent to a price she can't afford, the family has to
give Bear up. But they are very concerned about giving him to a good
home.

"I can't see sending Bear to a pound," Sheron said. "Worst case
scenario, he'll be in my car. But I can't leave him there in the day
because it's too hot. What am I going to do? He's a big dog."

She said she would prefer finding a temporary home for Bear while she
finds a permanent home for the family. She is going to seek temporary
public assistance to get back on her feet. She has a full-time job
but it doesn't cover the rent for the home where they have been
living.

We're on a roll now. A bunny roll.

Here's a video featuring bunnies, albeit bogus bunnies. They're still pretty cute.

Fish gotta swim and bunny's gotta hop.

And if they hop really hard, they can win fantastic prizes.

Bunnies from all over will be competing in England for the hoppiest bunny award.

Here's the story, but this is the my favorite paragraph.

Now Bubbles, Lilac, Cuddles, Apple, Muffin and Beefy will be among the competitors at the Ultimate Pet Show at the NEX Arena in Birmingham tomorrow.

Mmm, Beefy.