August 2010 Archives

Those of you who followed the saga of Courage, the German shepherd in Orange County who was almost starved to death, will be happy to read this update.

Five months ago, he weighed 37 pounds. He's since doubled his weight and is doing fine.

 

Shawn Hollub of German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County gives Courage, 3, a hug at the community Veterinary Hospital in Garden Grove in May. Five months ago, caretakers worried that Courage might die because his diet of dirt had reduced him to 37 pounds and he was so emaciated he could barely lift his head. Thanks to blood transfusions, IV fluids and a high-calorie diet, Courage is up to 85 pounds. (Cindy Yamanaka/The Orange County Register) 

Maybe not.

But if you live in -- or visit -- snow country, this might be nice.

The K-Rosco Dog Walking Utility Jacket ($250) is made by Let's Go Design and features special pockets for bags and treats, reflective trim for night-time safety, and a leash holder around the waist for hands-free walking.

 

And it works in warmer weather, too -- the fleece lining is removable and the sleeves come off if you just want a vest.

 

Our friends at Life's a Pet have posted about dogs that are now available from a hoarding case in Agua Dulce. Some are at the Carson Shelter. Call 310-527-5158.

More info on the link above.

They need immediate rescue to avoid euthanasia.

For photos, download PDF file here.

Dogs/cat = 1. Human = 0.

8/31/10 update: Annie woke me up at 6 a.m. today -- meowing on the front porch. The dogs were running in the backyard. My make-shift doggie door barricade (I've long since lost the original closure panel) apparently wasn't fool-proof.

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I've made a decision. The doggie door will be off-limits at night. The border collies & border cat, from now on, will have to spend the night indoors.

I know. That's harsh. Blame it on the cat.

The final straw -- or tail, maybe I should say -- came this morning just before dawn when Annie brought in yet another lizard and dropped the detached, still-wiggling tail on the covers on my bed. On top of me.

I could feel her pouncing around on me and I knew that none of her store-bought toys gave her such joy.

Wisely, I got up, turned on the light, and spotted what was either, eww, a worm ? or -- yet another -- lizard's tail flopping around on the comforter, all to Annie's immense delight.

The rest of the lizard has not been located.

Enough.

Annie the cat is, indeed, a good hunter. And that bell I put on her collar? Well, let's just say we've established that lizards really don't hear so well.

Above is Annie's collection from just this weekend alone on the front porch. The top tail -- it honestly needs video to do it justice since it is still moving -- is the most recent addition, sntached off my bed with a paper towel and carried outside.

A rather rude awakening.

But I was up early enough to get the dogs to the dog park before work. And that made them quite happy.

 

9/8: (final?) Postscript:  Annie the Dog goes political.

 

8/31: Here's another story on the return of Annie the dog.

***8/30/10: Annie was returned to Chuck Hoage today. This may be the end of the immediate story that captured so much interest, far and wide. But I have a feeling the incident will spark some ongoing dialogue on some of the issues that were raised through it all. Seems like there were lessons for all parties in this one, including those of us who were just watching from afar and not personally involved.

 

Here are a couple more shots that were posted on the "Friends of Annie" Facebook page. I love seeing the bright new red I.D. tag(s) hanging from Annie's collar. :-) She has also now been microchipped.

Remember folks, microchips and tags (and licenses) are really a must for all dogs these days -- the simple I.D. and license tags are often the first-line of defense when a dog goes missing.

 

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***8/29/10: Looks like a resolution is at hand. The adoptive family have indicated they will return Annie to Chuck Hoage.

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**8/28/10: More updates with a letter from the family that adopted Annie; in light of that -- and because of the growing volatility of this debate -- today's rally was (wisely, in my view) cancelled. Let's all hope this will be resolved amicably among the parties concerned. 

**8/27/10 Update. Rally also being planned in San Luis Obispo for Saturday 8/28 (Cancelled). 

And thanks to all of our readers here for the good comments, keep them coming. An interesting debate.

First, here's Annie, one of the most striking Australian shepherd dogs I've seen:

And now, her story from San Luis Obispo County on California's central coast.

The 8-year-old dog was raised from a puppy by Chuck Hoage of Arroyo Grande, who recently lost his wife and called the dog "his whole life."

On June 22, Annie was riding in the back of Hoage's truck ***(clarification: We now understand that she was sitting, unleashed, in the back of the truck on Chuck's ranch property as he fed his horses)*** when she was apparently startled by a noise. Annie bolted and Hoage spent the next couple days searching desperately for his friend.

He contacted the county animal shelter that had one dog that seemed to fit Annie's description. He left a message with the shelter.

Three weeks later, he received a call from the shelter saying the dog was there and asking him to come pick her up. Annie apparently had been found on the highway and kept for a week before taken to the San Luis Obispo County shelter. She turned up at the shelter on July 2 (the time gap remains something of a mystery).

One problem: The dog had already been adopted to new owners on July 9, two days before Hoage got the call to come get Annie.

And now, the new owners, who are attached to the dog, don't want to give Annie up.

Hoage's efforts to get Annie back have attracted quite a bit of attention in recent weeks, sparking a website and a Facebook page.

Read more by columnist Bob Cuddy at San LuisObispo.com.

And tell us: What do you think? Who should have Annie?

 

 

 

 

So many books, so little time.

I now have a stack of books on my desk that I've been meaning to blog about. I've read 2 out of the 8 -- and parts of a few more. If you've ever spent some time in the pet section of a bookstore -- and I'm guessing all our readers have -- you know that pet books are popular, both fiction and nonfiction.

I've posted before about Dewey, the cat from the Spencer, Iowa, library (my mom's hometown) that was (and still is) popular on bookstore shelves.

I've not yet made it through the new stack -- many received in the mail, a couple I've bought. I'd hoped to read them all before posting,

But I decided to start posting about them separately in the coming days/weeks. The list:

• "First Person Cat" by Jacque Heebner
• "Katie: Up and Down the Hall" by Glenn Plaskin
• "97 Ways to Make a Dog Smile" by Jenny Langbehn
• "Careers for Your Cat" by Ann Dziemianowicz
• "Releasing Your Pet's Hidden Health Potential" by Dr. Richard Palmquist
• "Off-Leash Dog Play: A complete Guide to Safety & Fun" by Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs
• "What My Golden Retriever Taught Me About God" by Rhonda McRae
• "Lesson From a Sheepdog" by Phillip Keller (this one's an older favorite of mine)

Any favorite pet-themed books that you've run across lately?

All those summer days we've had that barely cracked 70 make this week (with daytime highs in the 80s in most of the coastal South Bay) feel mighty hot.

Here are some reminders and tips about how to keep your pets safe and cool when the temperatures rise.

Primary among them:

Never leave a pet in a parked car, even with the windows open, a Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control official said. The interior temperature of a car with open windows can reach 120 degrees within minutes on a hot day and could kill a pet, cautioned the agency.

 

For more, see this story and an expanded video with interviews.

This video of a woman in England placing a cat in a garbage can went viral shortly after it appeared. And because of that, the culprit was caught. She's facing an interview with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The cat, a young tabby named Lola, is fine, by the way. The bin was in front of her owners' home and, after 15 hours, they finally heard her cries and rescued her on Sunday morning.

The owners had recently installed a surveillance camera outside their home in Coventry when a series of thefts moved through their neighborhood. The video attracted tens of thousands of viewers after it was posted.

****Aug. 25 Update: Woman issues a public apology.

 

Go figure.

Ellie, a Labrador retriever in Santee, CA, has been named the 2010 VPI Hambone Award winner.

The contest is sponsored by the Veterinary Pet Insurance company and takes nominations from the claims handled throughout the year.

Ellie's owners, Robert and Sandra Coe, had brought in an exterminator to spray a bee hive in their yard.

Later that night, the family's 1-year-old dog, Ellie, just wasn't acting like herself.

She began vomiting -- hundreds of dead bees.

Ellie had somehow found and eaten the bee hive after the exterminators had left.

The emergency vet on duty that night examined her and gave her a dose of anti-nausea medication, keeping her for observation. It was determined she not only hadn't been stung, but the pesticide did not pose a risk of toxicity.

Good job Ellie.

What a dog.

Ellie was chosen by popular vote on the company's website. Go to VPIHamboneAward.com for more information about the award.

 

 

A story in today's Daily Breeze chronicles problems with the city's spay-neuter voucher program.

Meanwhile, low-cost vaccines and sterilization surgeries continue to be available at the Harbor Area Animal Care Center's Clinico at 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro.

 

 

I heard from Dolly at the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals this morning about Freddie, a special cat they are trying to place. He sounds like a sweetie. If you or someone you know would like a cat, contact Peter Zippi in Hermosa Beach at 310-379-1264. Volunteers will be at the PetSmart in Hermosa today (Saturday, 8/20/10) from noon to 3 p.m.

This beautiful orange and white boy with classic tabby markings caught the eye of a woman who was volunteering at a local shelter.

He had been recently surrendered and was absolutely petrified.

The kind woman pulled him and found him a wonderful foster home, where they named him Freddie.

Freddie spends his days indoors in that foster home, in the company of adults, older children, the family's resident cats, a multitude of other foster kittens, and three small dogs (chihuahuas). Freddie gets along great with all of them!

Thanks to that loving foster family, Freddie has come a long way in overcoming his fearfulness, and he is a real love: he will curl up with you and sleep with you --- but he still gets scared at abrupt, loud noises so we cannot recommend him for a family with small, active children.

Freddie's approximate birthdate is 3/1/10. He is healthy, neutered, microchipped, pest and virus free, and has received all the vaccinations appropriate to his age.

If you'd like to meet Freddie, please call or email The Peter Zippi Fund - we'd love to introduce you! 

 

Meet Chevelle ("Chevy" for short), a 6-year-old smooth coat (short hair, she weighs about 50 pounds) border collie who was turned in by her owner to Border Collies in Need. Go to their website to contact them if you're interested. (You're also all invited to "Like" the group via its Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/bcin.inc/)

 

The rescue group -- these are great folks, I adopted Tess & Cowboy from them -- has had Chevy for 8 months and is really trying to get her placed:

"Chevy, as we fondly call her, is a sad statistic we see all too often. People get a dog, then babies come and the dog becomes 'too much,' relegated to second, third or further down the line of priorities. Chevy was incredibly bonded to her man. Upon intake, she became extremely shut down. At points, we did not know if she would turn around. She was distrustful of everyone. One thing about this breed is that they are so highly intelligent they can overthink situations and that is just what Chevy did.

"She adores ball, is highly driven and we felt that would be our way 'in.' It was, it just took much longer than we expected. She took her time regaining trust of humans. But, boy, once she gave in, she has become the most affectionate girl in foster care!

"Chevy is housebroken and has good manners with one exception. She counter surfs, so no food can be left on counters. She settles very nicely inside and certainly has an 'off' button. She adores fetching her ball. She has been very good with the resident 3- and 5-pound dogs and gets along with everyone but one female here who insists on challenging her. We would say Chevy is an upper level girl and would be happy with a subordinant female or any male canine companion. She was an only dog in her previous life and would probably do well as one again, if provided the human interaction she craves.

"Chevy is such a lovely girl and we are looking for her real forever home. She certainly deserves that."

 

Daily Breeze photo editor Chuck Bennett heard a ruckus outside his house last night.

It turned out a feral cat had gotten into someone's trash can and wound up with his head stuck in a pickle jar. He was banging it on everything, frantic to get free.

So Chuck and a neighbor managed, with the help of a beach towel, to grab him and dislodge his nogin from the jar. And off he ran. Hopefully he'll be more careful rummaging around in the next trash bin.

 

It's only been a couple weeks since Annie the cat dropped a (very) live(ly) and LARGE, meaty lizard onto my bed.

What happened after that -- after he quickly slithered beneath the covers, right up next to me -- is admittedly a bit of a blur. But eventually, I regained my composure and managed to find & carry the lizard outdoors in my shoe (a long story) to freedom.

On Monday, I came home from work to find Annie  busily occupied with something in the hallway. She'd brought in yet another (tail-less) lizard that she was batting around as he tried to take refuge under a bookcase and a jumbo package of Smart 'N Final paper towels.

I almost caught and rescued him. But he slipped my out of my plastic sandwich container, dashing down the hall and ducking under the door jam into the relative (but temporary) safety of my bedroom closet.

The exact events of what took place the following day will never be fully known. But I returned home from work to discover a rather disturbing scene.

The bathroom floor was littered with a small empty box that had been sitting in the hallway. A box of Lysol cleaner had been upturned and knocked over onto its side.

Lying amid the disarray -- and sticking out from under the Lysol box -- was the back half of the lizard. He was clearly quite dead, though he

remained in one piece with no visible injuries (other than the missing tail which must have happened when he was first caught).

Annie apparently had vacated the house. She was nowhere to be found.

A mystery.

A friend speculated the lizard may have simply committed suicide.

Possible. And certainly understandable considering the circumsances.

But I'm thinking the lizard fell prey to a sudden, accidental death from the blow incurred from the Lysol box. Annie's disappearance in that case makes complete sense. Once her lizard friend stopped wiggling, Annie would have become quickly bored and moved on quickly to find something else to amuse her.

So I respectfully boxed the lifeless lizard and placed him in the trash bin outside. The fugitive cat returned home later in the evening, heading straight for the bathroom where she sniffed the floor in search of her friend.

Meanwhile, I have ordered a new cat collar for Annie. It comes with a bell:

I don't know if lizards can really "hear" bells. But at least there will be some warning to everyone else that she's out stalking among them.

***Update 8/24: I found the tail. Stepped on it tonight, barefoot. Annie dredged it up from somewhere and left it on the bathroom rug.

Runners World  for September features articles telling you everything you ever wanted or needed to know about running with your dogs.

 

Articles feature an an array of topics and issues that are apt to come up with those who take their dogs on the running trails or streets.

 

 

A Pomeranian named "Simply Irresistible" proved to be -- well, irresistible this past weekend to judges at the South Bay Kennel Club dog show, according to Michael Lekov of the South Bay Kennel Club.

(Much thanks to Michael who provided us with the Best in Show & group breed winners in such a timely manner the day after the weekend show.)

The 4-1/2-pound "Palmer" took Best in Show on both days (each day offered separate breed conformation competitions). His full name is Ch. CR Simply Irresistible, clearly an apt name for the canine described on his website as "stylish" and having "great movement" -- and "enough attitude for a herd of Poms."

Daily Breeze Photographer Steve McCrank took these magnificent photos of him at the show on Sunday. And be sure check out Steve's full photo gallery from the dog show featuring some other stunning shots.

 

More than 1,150 dogs entered each day's show and the Best in Show was selected from a field of seven group winners. Pomeranians are members of the Toy Group, the smaller companion dogs.

Other group winners that competed with Palmer in the final Best in Show rings:

Hound Group: A Rhodesian Ridgeback (both days)

Non-sporting Group: A Miniature Poodle (both days)

Herding Group: Bouvier des Flanders (both days)

Sporting Group: A Weimaraner on Saturday and an Irish Setter on Sunday

Working Group: A Newfoundland Saturday; a Portuguese Water Dog Sunday

Terrier Group: A Staffordshire Bull Terrier Saturday; a Kerry Blue Terrier on Sunday.

Owners of the dogs that competed at North Torrance High came from a wide region, including entries from Arizona, Texas and Hawaii.

 I finally was able to get a shot of Tess and Cowboy in the same frame (photo below -- that's just me and Tess at the left).

 

 

 

Cowboy's very camera shy, but I was able to fake him out using my iPhone camera.

He also was quite eager to see that Tess was getting ready to chase the ball. That means that he'll get the chance to chase her, one of his all-time favorite games.

 

 

 

Now all I need to do is figure out a way to include  Annie the cat in the shot next time so I can finally send that "group" photo my vet's office asked me for a while back.

Think I could bring her to the park and maybe toss her into the frame for a flying-cat-with-dogs pic next time?

Perhaps not.  

Hundreds of dogs competed today in the South Bay Kennel Club's 67th annual dog show at North High in Torrance.

Like be sure to watch your step in the parking lot, for starters.

 

The South Bay Kennel Club's 67th annual dog show is this weekend at North High in Torrance.

Cynthia Woods of the club emailed us this piece that appeared in Dog News about the dog show world for the uninitiated. Parts of the article also address the tension that's developed in recent years between the purebred breeding community and mandatory spay-neuter advocates.

It's reprinted with permission and continues on the jump:

 

What I Learned At The Dog Show
by Humane Watch in
Dog News June 11, 2010

I spent this weekend at the Myrtle Beach Kennel Club's All Breed Dog Show in Florence, South Carolina. The Club invited me down to talk about the threats its members are facing from the Humane Society of the United States and the rest of the animal rights movement. Since I had never been to a dog show, I said yes. (I grew up thinking fancy was an adjective. Silly me.)

I'm not a big fan of people who pooh-pooh things they've never tried or seen close-up. If one of my children says "she doesn't like" something on the dinner table before taking a tiny bite ----- well let's just say that doesn't wash in my house.

And I've always thought the whole "dog show" community was rather mysterious, a kind of benevolent secret society with its own rules, customs and vocabulary. Sorta like Deadheads, but with a lot better grooming and a lot less fleas.

Truth be told, the dog breeders I met this weekend do have their own peculiar way of saying and doing things. But they're really just ordinary people with a shared hobby. They're really into what they do. And they taught me a lot in just a Saturday. Here's some of what I learned.

1. When you go to a dog show, bring your own chair. But don't be surprised if someone offers to lend you theirs. (I am typing this in someone else's customized, embroidered lawn chair,)

2. Dog shows are competitive, but the people involved are remarkably supportive of their human opponents, I heard a stream of "congratulations!" offered to blue- ribbon holders from handlers who were trotting away empty-handed.

3. If you are a first-timer who asks "what kind of dog is that?" too loudly, someone might look at you funny.

4. These people treat their dogs like royalty. It was 90 degrees in the shade on Saturday, and the dogs had shade, electric fans and cold water-even if their owners didn't.

 

The South Bay Kennel Club hosts the 67th AKC Licensed All Breed Dog Show Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 14 and 15) at North High School, 3620 W. 182nd St., Torrance.

Saturday's lineup -- see Saturday schedule details here -- focuses on conformation, with breeds and groups competing throughout the day beginning at 8 a.m. The Best in Show event is expected to take place at around 4 p.m.

On Sunday, obedience and rally trials will be the focus, also beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing through most of the day. Schedule details are posted here for Sunday.

Like to shop? There will be plenty of vendors on the grounds featuring dog-related products.

Admission is free but there is a charge for parking. Those fees are collected by and will go to benefit the North High School Band.

Dog show tours (free) will be offered by club members; when you arrive, check in at the superintendent's table or with the announcer for details.

 

 

Animal cruelty charges are being filed against a 51-year-old man who was "marinating" his cat in oil and peppers. Police discovered the cat when they heard it meowing from the man's trunk during a traffic stop.

 And we thought we'd heard everything.

***Update: The cat, Navarro, has found a new home through the SPCA.

 

In this photo provided by the SPCA Serving Erie County, Navarro, a four-year-old cat found "marinating" in oil and peppers in the trunk of a car in Buffalo, N.Y., on Sunday night, is

shown Monday, Aug. 9, 2010 at the agency's Tonawanda, N.Y., shelter infirmary. Buffalo police say officers heard the cat meowing when they stopped 51-year-old Gary Korkuc, of Cheektowaga, to ticket him for running a stop sign. Korkuc was charged with animal cruelty and released. (AP Photo/SPCA Serving Erie County)

Our friends at Life's a Pet and Carson Cats posted today about a 2-year-old Maine Coon cat that's available at the Carson shelter.

The Harbor Animal Care Center in San Pedro will hold a mobile adoption from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday (8/14) at Hesse Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes.

Daily Breeze reporter Melissa Pamer updates us on the effort to establish a dog park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula -- specifically on 3 acres of the 100+ acres of the former Palos Verdes Peninsula Landfill in Rolling Hills Estates.

Below, dog owners visit the beach below Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes. In the near future, though, they could find themselves facing citations for off-leashing their dogs on the property.

Steve McCrank / Staff Photographer

County officials say any dog park on landfill site will have to wait until at least 2012 -- and that's before a study of the issue could even begin.

Alternate (but much smaller) sites are now being explored in Rancho Palos Verdes for the project. But those already face neighborhood resistance.  

 

Daily Breeze staff writer Kristin Agostoni covered this story recently about Bill and Virginia Hilker who pack their Ford van with food -- including special pet treats for dogs -- and park along the Esplanade in Redondo Beach around sunset during the summertime.

 

******Aug. 25 Update

******8/18 Update: Charges have been filed in this case and the owner of Bear-Bear weighs in.

 

Dog parks usually offer a peaceful respite for dogs and their owners.

But things turned ugly last week at a dog park in Severn in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, where a Siberian Husky named Bear-Bear was shot to death on Aug. 2 by another dog owner, setting off an uproar among humane organizations, park regulars, area residents and community leaders.

Controversy over the case, which this week was turned over to the state's attorney, has sparked websites, petitions, bumper stickers, Facebook pages -- and, of course, a few campaign promises during the ongoing election season.

From the original story that ran in the Baltimore Sun on Aug. 3:

Stunned dog owners and residents of a Severn neighborhood are shocked that authorities won't be charging a federal police officer who shot and killed a Siberian husky Monday night at a community dog park.

Bear-Bear, a brown and white husky that was about 3 years old, was playing in the Quail Run dog park at about 6:30 p.m., running off leash inside the fenced-in area, when the officer and his wife arrived with a German shepherd, who was kept on a leash. When the dogs began to play roughly, the federal officer asked Bear-Bear's guardian, his owner's brother, to call off the dog. But before he could do anything, the officer pulled out a gun and shot Bear-Bear, according to the husky's owner.

Bear-Bear, who belongs to Rachel Rettaliata, died of his injuries a few hours later. County police did not name the federal officer.

 

Since then authorities have agreed to continue investigating the incident and the off-duty officer has been placed on leave. Here's another update. An attorney representing the man who shot the animal says he did so in defense of his pet, his wife and himself.

Just from what I've read so far, if the owners of the German shpherd kept their dog onleash the entire time, that could have contributed much of the trouble.

(And on a related topic, I just heard this morning that a dog fight broke out in the San Pedro dog park last night when a man brought in two intact male pit bulls -- but he kept both on leash after entering the park -- and trouble began when a young husky approached them; fortunately, no serious injuries, but so many of the problems in dog parks stem from owners who are new to the dog park concept and unwittingly behave in ways that set the stage for conflict.)

Update: This apparently wasn't an "official" dog park, but rather an area that is commonly used for people who want to off-leash their canines.

Two Facebook pages (here's the second one) have been launched in support of Bear-Bear's owners and a memorial was held Thursday night. The New York SPCA also says it is "closely monitoring" the case. We'll see how this one plays out. Here's a video interview with Bear-Bear's owners.

For updates, check the Sun's Unleashed dog blog maintained by one of the newspaper's reporters who wrote the story, Jill Rosen.

Blogger Penny Blankenship of Meeshka's World has published an interview with Bear-Bear's owners.   

 

This is just a heads up -- we'll post more details about this show in the week ahead -- but mark your calendars to attend the South Bay Kennel Club dog show next weekend (8/14-15) on the grounds of North High School, 3620 W. 182nd St. in Torrance.

This is the 67th AKC Licensed All-Breed Dog Show for the club, featuring 1,200 entries with more than 110 breeds represented.

Admission is free, although the school charges a parking fee which goes to benefit the North High School Band. Bring a chair if you plan to hang out and watch a while.

Dog show tours will be offered and there are always lots of vendors on hand selling dog-related gear, accessories, food, and other products.

You can find the schedule of breeds being shown and activities online here. The show runs pretty much all day both days.

I've gone to this event in the past and it's a great opportunity to see close-up how the dog show circuit works. Owners and handlers are more than eager (in their down times) to talk about their breeds and the work they've done with their dogs in order to qualify.

Sunday's schedule will feature obedience trials in which mixed breed dogs registered in the AKC's new mixed-breed program will compete.

Check out the photos and coverage in our post from last year's show. 

(Oh, and last year's Best in Show winner? A corgi.)

 

 

The EPA tells consumers how to tell if that Advantage or Frontline they bought is the real deal -- or a fake.

 

 

I haven't seen this film, but would like to. One of the trainers at the Long Beach sheep herding facility sent the link to me about this documentary, Sweetgrass.

It's billed as "an unsentimental elegy to the American West, (following) the last sheepherders to trail their flocks up into Montana's Beartooth mountains for summer pasture."

 

You may recall the tale of the lizard that Annie the cat brought into my house in late May (the tail came separate and wound up in my trash can when I found her playing with it).

Here's another submission in our request for readers to tell us about unusual pet names. 

On June 15th, we found a new wonderful dog from the Long Beach shelter, who was a Shiba Inu and German shephard mix.  Sight unseen, our 4 yr old daughter named her "Feather."  I had to warm up to the name at first, but it fits.  

Official name: Feather "Clementine" Velez

Feather - because her tail really does look like a feather...and when it wags, her whole bum moves.

"Clementine" - because she is so sweet.

 

What a great looking dog with just the right name. Congratulations to all of you! 

We got a call from a San Pedro resident named Cheryl today who told us she and her dog, Scooby, were attacked and bitten the other night by a raccoon as they walked along the ocean cliff wall in San Pedro's Point Fermin Park.

She said she often leash walks her dog -- a Chiahuahua-Jack Russell mix -- at the park in the

evenings. But on Saturday night, she said a raccoon bounded over the wall from the other (cliff) side, biting her dog and then her on the leg, running circles around them. The racoon then literally chased them across the park to their car.

Cheryl is now going through a series of shots in case the animal had rabies. Her dog had to be taken to the vet ER, but he also will be OK. She didn't report the incident to L.A. Animal Services, but that would probably be a good idea (though a report may have been filed after-the-fact through the required medical reporting procedures),

She feels the problem goes back to people feeding the racoons and/or the feral cats whose food is then shared and consumed by other wildlife.

Raccoon attacks are rare, but do happen. It's always good to stay on alert when you're out walking and to remember that wild animals can be unpredictable. And sometimes they can seemingly come at you from out of nowhere.

  

 

We heard from the folks at Free Play recently about an online petition they have going to establish a dog beach at Dockweiler near Westchester.