February 2010 Archives

Another hard story  in the Daily Breeze today -- an 8-pound Maltese named Mercedes (pictured below) was killed Thursday by two unleashed dogs in Hermosa Beach.

A story out of Washington state this week is disturbing.

Someone apparently was leaving poisoned meatballs Spokane yards, killing three pets.

Washington State University veterinarians later confirmed that the chemical strychnine was in the tained food.

The incidents are under investigation and the Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

Closer to home and not as serious, I understand that thieves who broke into a San Pedro home during a burglary earlier this month sedated the family dogs while they collected and made off with their goods. 

Here's a video of the poisoned meatballs posted on North West Cable News and KREM.com:

We ran a story in the Daily Breeze about the Los Angeles Department of Animal Control's efforts to collect more revenue in dog license fees. The story also details department budget cuts being faced by Animal Services -- among them, the department's toll-free call center is in line to be eliminated, meaning more phone calls will have to be handled by already over-burdened shelter staffers.

(Interestingly, a City Council discussion on the matter prompted one councilman, Tom LaBonge, to actually get his dog licensed.)

I asked department Assistant General Manager Linda Barth during our telephone interview if the city was considering licensing cats.

As a matter of fact, she said, Councilman Bill Rosenthal did ask the department to study that issue. But she said the department's first focus will be on getting more of the city's estimated 350,000 canines licensed as required by law. Currently, only about a third of the dogs in the city have licenses.

Daily Breeze photo by Scott Varley

The BBC reports about a German man on the run who was caught by police -- thanks to his Jack Russell pet dog.

When officers called at his flat in Eurskirchen, near Cologne, the door was opened by an acquaintance of the missing man who was holding the dog.

The acquaintance said he did not know where the owner was.

But when the dog was set down, it led police to the cupboard (where the man was hiding), standing expectantly with its tail wagging.

Officers who opened the (small) cupboard ... found the fugitive "hunched up inside."

A police spokesman did not say what offense the man was being sought in connection with, but told AFP News agency it was "not a captial crime."

Neither the name of the suspect, 52, nor that of the pet was given but, according to AFP, the dog was a Jack Russell Terrier.

Desperate to find money for its growing budget deficit, the city of Los Angeles said today it may go after dog owners who have failed to license their pets -- and using a novel technique.

City Council President Eric Garcetti suggested identifying those dog owners by using a database that the Department of Water and Power created for the benefit of its meter readers.

The database lists households that are believed to have dogs so that meter readers can take the proper precautions when approaching a home.

I'm all for licensing your dogs, as I've posted here before (and here's another prior post on the topic). Involving the DWP makes me nervous, though, since I've had a year-long battle with that department in trying take an overcharge off my trash pickup bills. Let's just say they don't have my confidence when it comes to efficiency or accuracy.

But I suppose that's my own separate issue.

The city requires that all dogs -- and horses -- be licensed by the Department of Animal Services. Cats are exempt.

A license for a spayed or netuered dog in the city of L.A. costs $15 (up from $10 just a couple years ago). Garcetti estimates only about 20 percent of pet dogs in Los Angeles are licensed.

So what do you think? Is your dog licensed? Why or why not?

Actors and Others for Animals will distribute vouchers for free spay/neuter surgeries for 400 cats belonging to Los Angeles County residents beginning today. Among the clinics taking part is Clinico in San Pedro.

It's all part of the 16th annual Spay Day, a yearly campaign of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International.

"We firmly believe that the only way to solve the pet overpopulation problem and end the killing of so many unwanted animals is through spay and netuer," said Actors and Others for animals President JoAnne Worley.

The program is sponsored by the PETCO Foundation and supported in part by a grant from the California Community Foundation. From today through March 9, L.A. County residents can register online at www.actorsandothers.com to receive a voucher that will allow them to have their cats spayed or netuered without charge Surgeries must be completed by April 20 and there is a limit of three vouchers per household.

Participating veterinary clinics are:

• Animal Clinic of La Mirada
• Clinico/San Pedro
• Crenshaw dog & Cat Hospital
• Fix Nation
• Gateway Animal Hospital
• Golden State Humane Long Beach
• Lynwood Animal Hospital
• Spay & Neuter Clinic of Simi Valley
• Valley Vet Hospital/San Gabriel

A news conference announcing other new spay/neuter initiatives for L.A. residents that will benefit both cats and dogs -- thanks to a grant from Found Animals Foundation -- will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Clinico Harbor Clinic, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro. For more information or to book an appointment go to www.clinico.org or call 310-241-0768.

He lived each day of those 16 years happy and fulfilled as Cesar's right-hand-"man," helping to shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. He stood as champion for calm-submissive pit bulls everywhere, and was instrumental in helping to repair their image as violent, savage, uncontrollable beasts. He successfully battled cancer and weathered chemotherapy, and even got the opportunity to present at the 56th Annaul Create Arts Emmy Awards.

Daddy, R.I.P.

The U.S. Postal Service is hoping to raise awareness of shelter pets with a new series of stamps.

The stamps -- with photos by photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce of Connecticut -- feature dogs and cats that were homeless at one time but now have been adopted.

The stamps will be available on April 30.

Photo: Tien Tran

From owner Deb Davidson-Harpur:

Breed: Rat Terrier

Name: Rickie was a birthday gift to me from her breeder. She came with the registered name Bur Way it's Like this -- and the call name of Rickie. I added the Roo when I got her because she hops up and down like a kangaroo. Now she's Rickie Roo. We often call her Rik or Rooster too.

Where did you find your best friend? Rickie Roo came to me from Bur Way Stars in Forestburg, Texas, and breeder Barbie Trannel. I had known of Barbie and her dogs for years because she is one of the top breeders of Rat Terriers in the U.S., but never dreamed I would get one of her dogs. Rickie roo's daddy was the No. 1 UKC Rat Terrier and Barbie always has lots of dogs in the top 10 for UKC Conformation. Since I don't show in Conformation, only in agility, who would think she'd let one of her dogs come to me? As it turns out, Rickie Roo was a natural born athlete and Barbie wanted her to go to a top performance home. She says my reputation as an agility handler and the way I love my dogs were among the reasons Rickie Roo was able to come to CA to me.

Personality: Rickie Roo is VERY naughty. She is full of spunk and is smart. If she gets in trouble, instead of looking sad like my other Rat Terrier, Gigi, Rickie Roo boldly stands there and acts as if she doesn't care if she is in trouble at all. She is a very talented agility dog who has a very strong work ethic. She is very, very fast and will work for other handlers, too. Her conformation is outstanding and she is an excellent example of her breed. She is also a doggie model, actress and athlete. If she were a person, she'd be like Gabrielle Reese.

Favorite trick? She does a very nice Huppy Puppy -- that is when she is running around and leaps up into my arms at chest level.

Best/worst habits: She's a hard worker and focused. Her worst habit is chewing up odd things like my eyeglasses, cell phones and pens.

Favorite things to do with your dog: My dogs do everything with me. I think Rickie Roo's favorite thing to do is go to agility class, kill her stuffed toys and go for rides in the car.

 Photo by Robert Moray

 From owner Deb Davidson-Harpur:

Breed: Border Collie

Name: Harpur's PJpupp -- Harpur is our family name so I used that instead of a kennel name and PJ pupp is a combo of PJ (for Paint Job) and Pupp so she would always be a puppy to us.

Where did you find your best friend? We got her from Drs. Judy Taylor and Rudy Tyler at Laguna Vista Vet Hospital in Harbor City. PJ's mom found her way to their home on The Hill during the El Nino storms of 1998 and had nine puppies in their backyard overnight in the rain. Judy and Rudy brought them to their vet practice and put them in the stable. I took her home at 8 weeks old and immediately put her into puppy kindergarten with Lomita Obedience Training Club (Ethel Mercer's class) where she was a star pupil.

Personality: PJpupp is the most mellow border collie in the world. This makes her easy to live with, but doesn't make her as hard working as other border collies when it comes to agility or sheepherding. Sure she enjoys it, but she doesn't NEED it. She's find just hanging out.

Favorite trick? She is the BEST dog to have if you play Mulical Mats -- she will sit or lie down so fast no one else can beat her. In Musical Mats, you walk around in a circle when the music plays and when the music stops you make your dog either sit or down. The last one to do it gets eliminated ... like musical chairs for people. PJpupp is 12 years old this year and has only been beaten once ... and we play that game A LOT at dog club parties, etc. She's great!

Best/worst habits: Best: She's the best-behaved dog I have. Many people tell me she's better behaved than many children. Worst habit? I can't really think of one, but I guess my husband would say it's that she hogs up his side of the bed at night and makes him sleep all crunched up.

Favorite things to do with your dog? My dogs and I do everything together. PJ loves coming to work with me everyday and likes attending the agility trials. She is retired now, but still comes out now and then to have fun and show them that old champions keep on tryin.'

Photo: Silver Gecko Photography

Here's Gigi, a shelter dog who's become an agility champion under the guidance and training of owner Deb Davidson-Harpur in Harbor City.

The details:

Breed: Rat Terrier

Name: Harpur's Giddy Upp "Gigi." I named her Gigi because she was originally with me short term as a foster dog. She was a good girl. when I decided to keep her, I thought G.G. Good girl. Her fancy registered name has our family name in the front where a kennel name would usually be and because I had Harpur's PJpupp, I wanted an "UPP" Name so she became Harpur's Giddy Upp -- got the family name, the Gi and the Upp all in one name!

Where did you find your best friend? I got this lovely purebred Rat Terrier from the Los Angeles Harbor Shelter in 2004 during their adopt-a-thon. She was on sale for 35 bucks.

Personality: She is the sweetest dog ever, but a true athlete. She came to us knowing nothing ... except how to pee on my new carpeting. She quickly became an agility dog and has earned multiple agility championships. She is also a doggie actress and model. She even has a job. She works as a canine ambassador for the Active Care line of dog food by Breeder's Choice and does the same for local compani ilovedogs.com.

Favorite trick? She LOVES to ride her skateboard. You can seeing her doing just that in the newest commercial for www.TJ.LA.

Best/worst habits? I would say her best habit is her nice manners. She is very polite. her worst habit? Gobbling food as if she will never see another kibble for the rest of her life. My favorite habit of hers is that she likes to sleep under the covers, like most Rat Terriers do. All you have to say is "push-push" and under the blankets she goes (and if you are lucky, she will give you a good foot bath, too. I think that's so cute).

Favorite things to do with your dog? I do EVERYTHING with my dogs. Gigi enjoys going to dog shows, having playdates with her friends in Portuguese Bend and just sitting back watching TV.

In honor of Westminster's Best in Show winner Sadie, a Scottish terrier, here's a video of another Scottie playing with a Pomeranian pup:

A dog collar recently fetched $11,590 at a New York City auction.

The reason? It belonged to Charles Dickens. From the AP story;

The leather and brass collar is inscribed with Dickens' name. It had been estimated to sell at $4,000 to $6,000. The buyer's name was not immediately disclosed.

The collar was auctioned tuesday at Bonhams New York's sale of dog art.

Like many Victorians, the author of "David Copperfield" and "A Tale of Two Cities" was fond of dogs.

People shopping for pets in West Hollywood might soon wonder why there aren't any doggies in the windows anymore.

The city is poised to give final approval to an ordinance that would end sales of dogs and cats as a way to reduce the demand that can lead to inhumane conditions in the breeding industry.

The ordinance was approved on a first reading earlier in the month. If it passes a second reading Tuesday, the law would take effect March 19.

Councilman Jeffrey Prang said the move would strike a blow to puppy mills and other cruel, assembly-line breeding.

"There's so many abandoned animals," said Ivan Merino, a manager at Collar & Leash in West Hollywood. "People keep buying dogs and cats and then after a few months they just dump them."

From her owner, Kasey: 

"Yes her name is Tuna. Tuna is a purebred pug we rescued from Little Angels Pug Rescue when she was just 6 months old. She was rescued from a hoarder house, where she was piled amongst trash, dirt and her siblings in a small cage.

"When we first met her, her name was Una, which was significant because she had only one eye. It was unsure if this was caused by a birth defect or from her neglectful months in the hoarder house. 

She was timid and would shake if anyone even tried to touch her." 

Looks like she's come a long, long way from those days. Amazing what a loving home will do for a dog who had a tough start in life. 

What a perfect pair to feature on Valentine's Day. 

These two are adorable. I've been dealing with a pinched nerve over the last couple days and not feeling my best. But when I opened the photos of these guys, I couldn't help but smile and forget my pain. 

Owner Maggie describes them both as "beautiful and sweet." 

First, Mochi (in the photo above and the two below): 

Breed: Maltese

Name: Mochi (She was so tiny, white and soft when I first met her. She reminded me of these white, chewy, sweet Japanese mochi.)

Where did you find your best friend: I got her from a breeder

Personality: She is just the sweetest little angel. And she loves to pose for pictures! (yes, we can see that)

Favorite things to do with your dog: Everything. 

Here's Jolie: 

Breed: Maltipoo

Name: Jolie (I adopted her and she came with this lovely name)

Where did you find your best friend: I adopted her from a rescue group

Personality: She loves cuddling. You can hold her like a baby and she will fall into sleep.

Favorite things to do with your dog: Everything 

Here are three rescue dogs that share a home (and, lucky for them, a get-away ranch property) with the woman who founded San Pedro Dogs, a home-based business that makes pet treats.

Oh yeah, and the resident dogs also get to be the taste testers. A ranch, homemade treats -- lucky, lucky dogs. What a deal is that?

(Look for more Best in Show dogs her on the blog over the next few days. For details on getting your dog featured as a South Bay Best in Show, check out our earlier post.)

So here's the first of the San Pedro Dogs, Reba. (By the way, the breed IDs here are pretty exact, thanks to some DNA breed testing):

Breed: Pit/shepherd/Rhodesian Ridgeback

Name: Reba, after Reba McEntire (hair color and eye makeup)

Found: In the Harbor Shelter (mobile pet adoption at PetCo)

Personality: No pain, no fear, no boundaries

Trick: High 5

Best habit: very protective

Worst habit: hunts EVERYTHING

Favorite thing to do: take her to the ranch to go with me on horseback rides, she is right next to me the whole time

Next up, Scotty:

Breed: Akita/Shar Pei/Sheba Inu

Name: Scotty after Scotty Emerick (to stay with the country music theme)

Found: bought him off the side of the road from people selling puppies

Personality: total lover

Trick: none, really

Best habit: loves other dogs

Worst habit: herds cows

Favorite thing to do: take him to the ranch and watch him wear himself out

And finally, Kimba (cute-cute-cute):

Breed: Belgian Tervouren and Cairn terrier

Name: named after the white Lionesse ... that's what she looked like as a baby

Found: Carson Shelter (was only supposed to foster her for a few days)

Personality: protective, paranoid

Trick: none, really

Best habit: very protective

Worst habit: hunting squirrels

Favorite thing to do: take her to the ranch and watch her run wild.

You know your dog is dying to "tweet." (For the technologically uninitiated, that means posting things on Twitter.)

Now, Mattel is coming out with a high-tech toy that will post one of 500 canned tweets to your dog's Twitter page after it's triggered by a sound and motion sensor worn on the animal's collar.

From a story in the L.A. Times:

Attached to a dog's collar, the plastic tag randomly generates one of 500 canned tweets when it detects barking or movement and automatically posts an update to Fido's own Twitter page.

... A frenzied run through the backyard might garner "I finally caught that tail I've been chasing, and .... OOOUUUCHH!"

.... Puppy Tweets is Mattel's first foray into the pet market and just one of thousands of toys that the El Segundo company plans to release this year through its various divisions.

Executives say that the toy bridges Americans' love of pooches with the growing popularity of sites such as Twitter and Facebook, which keep users constantly updated on their friends' whereabouts and goings-on.

....

Christian Velasco, 23, said he planned to check out Puppy Tweets because he often wondered what his dogs, Bailey and Casey, were doing during the day.

A Twitter user and co-owner of West Hollywood pet boutique D.O.G., Velasco said he thought the toy would resonate with consumers.

"It's a dog market," he said. "Now Apple just needs to make an 'iPawd.'"

 

Via our colleague Muhammed El-Hasan over at the Daily Breeze Biz Waves blog who scooped us on this one. 

 

Meet our first entry in the South Bay Best in Show series: Sherman, a Samoyed from Torrance. (See our earlier post for the details -- we want to see lots of your dogs posted here.)

It's all in honor of the upcoming Westminster Dog Show next week in New York. But why go there when we have so many great dogs right here in our own backyards (literally).

So we've decided to feature the South Bay's "Best in Show." And that would be your dog.

Here's Sherman doing some agility work, but he's also done some herding.

Gosh, he's cute.

Owner Darlene (aka Josh's sister) has this to say about her pup:

• Breed: Samoyed
• Name: Sherman. He was 3-1/2 months when we got him and he weighed a lot, so "Sherman" (tank).
• Where did you find your best friend? A very trusted breeder.
• Personality quirks: Loves to lay in my lap and sleep, all 50 pounds of him. He LOVES to hold things in his mouth and tries to hold multiple items at one time -- balls, twigs, leaves, grass, whatever he can get hold of. He has a small stuffed animal that he pushes around and pounces on as if it were trying to get away from him.
• Best and/or worst habits: Worst: Waking me up at 4 a.m. to go outside even though he has complete access to the doggie door. He also loves to bring grass and weeds into the house.
• Favorite things to do with your dog: Agility. He loves it and according to my friend in the class, he is a star.

A Park Slope pooch was left shivering in the buff after a coldhearted mugger stole his coat just days before a raging winter storm bore down on the city.

Donna McPherson, 42, says she tied up Lexie, her 10-year-old Westie, in front of Ace Supermarket "for two minutes" so she could buy milk.

When she returned, his $25 green wool coat with leather trim and belt was gone.

Fortunately, she said, Lexie wasn't wearing his pricier Burberry.

GREGORY P. MANGO

THAT'S COLD: Lexie looks traumatized yesterday after some goon stole his winter coat while he was tied up outside a grocery store in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Bruce and Maureen Megowan will be speaking to the Rolling Hills Estates City Council members tonight regarding the establishment of a fenced-in, off-leash dog park on the Peninsula.

They're encouraging supporters to show up (on time), fill out a speaker's card and give it to the City Clerk so they can speak in favor of the proposal. It's on the agenda under audience items so that means it'll come up at the beginning of the meeting.

Here are the details:

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 9)

Where: RHE City Council Chambers, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, Rolling Hills Estates

Information: Maureen Megowan, 310-541-6416.  

For background, read this November 2009 Daily Breeze story

With the Westminster Dog Show  approaching fast (Feb. 15-16), I got to thinking. All dogs are special, pure bred or not. Realizing that we have a vast variety of dogs right here in the South Bay, it might be a good time to showcase some of our local talent.

So what makes your dog stand out as a Best in Show in your book?

Consider this your open invitation to send us a photo(s) of your dog along with some of this pertinent information:

1) Breed (or breed mixes)

2) Name -- and how or why you chose this name.

3) Where did you find your best friend? A local shelter or rescue group? A trusted breeder?

4) Personality quirks. What makes your dog funny or outstanding in other ways?

5) Favorite trick?

6) Best habits vs. worst habits?

7) Favorite things to do with your dog?

Feel free to add other details if you wish, special stories or anectdotes. We'll post them here at South Bay Pets as they come in.

Email them to donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com. Pictures should be in jpeg format if possible.

Here's to all the special dogs in the South Bay -- purebred or not!

Kimberley Foley, who founded Peninsula Dog Parks in 1998 and spearheaded the establishment of San Pedro's off-leash dog park that opened in 2002, is the new owner of the Kritter Korral Pet Shop in Harbor City.

The independent store -- at the corner of Palos Verdes Drive North and Western Avenue -- has been a mainstay in the community since it was opened in 1983 by Donna Holick (it was originally in the Park Plaza shopping center in San Pedro).

Dave and Melissa Jones bought the store from Donna in 2003 and now are moving on to prepare for overseas Christian missionary work (see the jump for more details on their plans).

With the sale of the store finalized on Feb. 1, Kimberley's already hard at work this week tearing out the carpet and preparing to re-do the self-serve dog wash tub and grooming area.

"I want it to be more of a day spa for dogs," she said, adding that two groomers are set to come onboard when the remodeled facilities are expected to be finished March 1.

Look for other changes to come, including a transition to a new store name, events and free gifts from time to time.

Anyone who's known Kimberley can testify that she's a whirlwind of creativity and hard work when she takes on a project that's close to her heart.

"She's definitely got the drive," Melissa said of their successor. "She's changing a lot of things, which sometimes is good. She's got a lot of great ideas."

She's also a keen watcher of the latest pet industry trends.

Kritter Korral at 1724 Palos Verdes Drive North will remain open while the remodeling continues (hours are 9-7 Monday through Friday, 9-6 Saturdays and 10-5 Sundays).

So stop by and offer your encouragement. Operating an independent store in an age of chains isn't an easy challenge. The store's phone # is 310-514-4924.

And if you're interested in Melissa and Dave's future plans, check the jump.