October 2010 Archives
| This CAT - ID#A1156649 I am an unaltered male, white and gray Siamese. The shelter thinks I am about 2 months old. I weigh approximately 4 pounds. I have been at the shelter since Sep 29, 2010. |
| This CAT - ID#A1156653 I am an unaltered male, white and gray Siamese. The shelter thinks I am about 2 months old. I weigh approximately 4 pounds. I have been at the shelter since Sep 29, 2010. |
Or something like that.
Josh's sister sent these photos to me of her dog Sherman. I'm not sure if this is his Halloween get-up, but I am guessing it is. :-)
He looks pretty happy and pleased with himself.
Consider this an invitation to send in your pet Halloween photos.
Many of us pet owners who can't be home for long stretches at a time LOVE our doggie doors.
What a great invention.
The free-swinging plastic flaps allow our dogs and cats to come and go at will, traveling from our fenced yards and into the house without any help from us. When we're at work for long hours, they can be completely (well, almost) self-sufficient without us.
Of course, one of the biggest upsides to all this is no indoor accidents. No muss, no fuss. Ever. We like that part a lot.
The downside?
See above. And then read our cautionary tale below titled The Great Raccoon Visit.
One of our Daily Breeze editors sent me these photos that came from the senior pastor at his church. The pastor and his family were actually home when this intruder decided to come for an uninvited visit.
The peaceful parsonage was soon to be upended.
The pastor was the first one who noticed something amiss. He spotted a dark streak shoot by him.
Whatever that was, it surely was not the family dog, he realized.
He followed to discover what appeared to be a gigantic, unfriendly, drooling and rather-unpleasant raccoon.
Gently commanding such a creature to "Shooo!" and "Go in peace" would be ineffective, for sure.
So the pastor sprang into action and courageously gave chase.
And how did that work out? Predictably, mayhem ensued.
Fortifications were needed. The pastor's wife and daughter bravely joined in the fray, armed, respectively, with a shoe and a broom.
What followed sounded like it was quite the broom-swat-and-swishing, shoe-lobbing Keystone Cop-style chase all through the house, the renegade raccoon cleverly evading capture at each and every turn.
When the critter decided to jump down from one of his perches, a bookcase, he took more than a few things with him:
Animal control was called but the officer arrived after the creature had torn through the house again and finally exited on his own, presumably going back out the way he came -- through the doggie door.
It was one of the biggest raccoons the animal control officer said he'd seen after being shown the picture.
A good reminder, he added, to close those doggie doors up at night.
The damage: rattled nerves, a knocked over lamp and claw marks in their leather couch.
The good news from all this? The pastor had a lively sermon illustration for the week, the theological message of which was not relayed to me in the editor's second-hand, emailed account.
So readers: What's the strangest thing you've seen come through your doggie door? And how did you get it back out again?
You've heard about the Thanksgiving food drives and Toys for Tots.
Now there's Wishbones for Pets, an international charity drive to benefit pets in shelters and rescue groups sponsored by a professional pet sitting association. This year's drive is in full swing -- it runs until Nov. 30 -- and donations can be dropped off at several San Pedro businesses.
Look for a box like this:
This one's at Henry's Farmers Market in the Park Plaza shopping Center, 820 N. Western Ave., next to Peck Park. (It's inside near the store's exit, next to the ATM machine.)
Cash donations can be made at Off the Vine wine boutique, 491 W. Sixth St., Fragments, 321 W. Sixth St.; and American Furniture, 1141 S. Pacific Ave.
The sponsor of the local component of this campaign is Happy Hound Helpers pet sitting in San Pedro, with donations going to Daphneyland, a basset hound rescue group.
Donations have been sparse so far, so if you can pick up an extra item at your next stop at the pet store -- or if you have gently-used items in good condition at home that you no longer need -- put them in the car and drop them off when you visit Henry's (conveniently, there's a Petco store right next door). Or drop a cash donation off at one of the other businesses.
Donations are tax-deductible.
|
JESS - ID#A1161760 SPECIAL NEEDS - HAS GLAUCOMA AND IS ALMOST SHUT-DOWN with fear of going blind! Loves to just sit on your lap and be held, but shows little interest in the world around him. Needs someone who will give him time to adjust to his diminishing vision, perhaps with another dog to teach him how to be a dog again. Almost blind, but can still see light & movement. Squishes himself in the corner of his cage for security. Sweetest, cuddliest little guy in the world! Gentle, quiet, loving, beautiful dog! My name is Jess and I am an unaltered male, apricot and white Lhasa Apso mix. The shelter thinks I am about 7 years old. I weigh approximately 16 pounds. I have been at the shelter since Oct 16, 2010. |
all quite non-specific; and how can you know with cats? But anything from a body trauma I didn't know about to systemic illness were possibilities. Funny quote from former President George W. Bush in a speech this week plugging his book. He
was reflecting on the first time he took his dog, Barney, for a walk around their new neighborhood in Texas after leaving the White House:
"I was out of the presidency for two weeks and I had a plastic bag
on my hand," which drew laughter and applause from the crowd attending the Commercial Finance Association convention. "In the old days there'd be a guy with a plastic bag on his hand, following."
A bearded dragon named Caeser was apparently stolen on Saturday from Kathy Burkholder of Redondo Beach. Kathy is the founder of Kathy's Critters, a group that takes exotic animals to
schools, parties and other events as an educational outreach.
Check out the story and give her a call -- 310-318-1389 -- if you know where the lizard might have ended up. He needs specialty care and Kathy says he'll likely die if not cared for properly.
Manhattan Beach has put the word out for dog owners in the city who would like to serve on a
committee addressing dog issues.
The Community Dog Advisory Committee meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays -- the next meeting is Oct. 26. From the press release:
The city has worked for the past several years to increase the quality of life for dogs and their owners, specifically addressing the establishment of more places for dogs to walk, run and play.
"The Community Dog Advisory Committee activities are another way the Parks and Recreation Department strengthens community image and sense of place and helps facilitate community problem solving," said Idris Jassim Al-Oboudi, recreation services manager for the city. "We encourage pet owners to participate on this committee as we look for ways to provide safe, secure and fun environments for dogs and their owners, while respecting the rights of non-dog owners."
The committee positions are voluntary. If you're a Manhattan Beach resident and dog owner who is interested in serving, contact Al-Oboudi at 310-802-5404 or ialoboudi@citymb.info; or Marty Friedman of FIDO at 310-545-5854, fidonow@att.net.
The meetings are held in the Joslyn Center at 1601 Valley Drive, Manhattan Beach.
My dog Cowboy -- a blue merle border collie/Australian shepherd mix -- has skin flare-ups like clockwork around this time of year (early fall).
I typically have to resort to a short course of prednisone treatment and while that clears it up quickly, I began wondering what else I could do to keep his coat healthier and hold our seasonal problems to a minimum.
I've given both Cowboy and Tess (who also began itching more than usual this fall, though her coat is much shinier and requires less maintenance than Cowboy's) Omega oil capsules but recently increased the dose (after more carefully reading the label, I found I was giving less than the recommended amounts).
I also am trying a couple teaspoons of Missing Link canine formula in their food. My vet tells me that many dogs show good improvement with this, though not all of them respond. Either way, he said it isn't harmful to try for a month.
Some of this seems to be making a difference. Cowboy's coat already feels softer and both dogs seem to be scratching less.
But here's my question for readers: What, if any, supplements have you found effective for skin and coat issues?
Well, not exactly a dinner for dogs.
Rather, a dinner to benefit people who rely on dogs to help them live more independently.
The Lions Club of San Pedro will donate proceeds from its Dining Out for Charity dinner -- 7:15 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 9) at the L.A. Harbor Masonic Lodge, 1640 W. Ninth St., San Pedro -- to Canine Companions for Independence.
The nonprofit organization was founded in 1975, pioneering the concept of training dogs to assist people with disabilities other than blindness.
The Lions Club locally has long supported this cause, with many of its members among the volunteer puppy trainers.
Once the dogs are trained, they are presented at no charge to someone who needs an assistance canine.
Tickets for the dinner are $30 each and will be available at the door (social hour begins at 6 p.m.). Call Debbie at 310-530-6460.
Highlights will include dog demonstrations. If you want to learn more about this worthwhile program or volunteer, the Lions' dinner is the place to be Saturday night.
We received some more photos taken a few weeks ago at the Best Friends Animal Society's
well-attended "Strut Your Mutt" on the Santa Monica Pier (see our earlier post about the Sept. 19 event).
These come from the sharp-looking black-and-white battalion, Border Collies in Need, with funds raised to help with medical costs for Angel and for Ferris, a 5-month-old border collie pup who was hit by a car. One of his rear legs had to be amputated. Both dogs' stories are on the website under "adoptions."
The group raised almost $4,500 at the walk with 23 walkers participating on their behalf.
Good job, guys.
Below is actress Emmanuelle Vaugier with Sundae, who also participated in the walk. Sundae was adopted from Border Collies in Need by Ariella Reisner. These pics turned out so nice that the organization said they might use Sundae for the Best Friends magazine promotion of next year's event.
We'd second that idea.
We'll remind you all of this closer to the event, but later this month -- on Oct. 24 (a Sunday) -- the South Bay Kennel Club will sponsor an AKC-sanctioned "B" all-breed dog match at Arthur Johnson Park (formerly South Park) in Gardena.
These informal matches are a great way for beginners and their dogs to get acclimated into the world of dog shows.
Entries (pure breds only) are taken from 9 to 11:30 a.m. with judging starting at 12:30 p.m. Club members also will answer questions and members of the Hub Poodle Club of Orange County, which is co-sponsoring the match, will give demonstrations on how to get your dog ready for the show ring.
Also that day, South Bay dog trainer Barbara Millman will offer Canine Good Citizen evaluations during the match. This is a program that's open to all dogs. My dogs, Tess and Cowboy, passed the test in May, the last time it was
given in the South Bay.
To learn more about the Good Citizen test, visit the AKC website. You can also call 310-324-3549 for information.
The park is on 170th Street between Normandie and Vermont. The public is invited to come and watch. Admission is free.
Sean Hiller Staff Photographer
Update (10/2/10): Moshie's home. Turns out he hadn't wandered too far, he was hiding in a nearby backyard.
When she learned of the missing cat, Dolly from the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals went over to the Suarts' with a couple traps and Moshie went into one of them before dawn this morning.
We got a call from Andrea Suart this afternoon saying their 13-pound Siamese cat, Moshie,
slipped out of the family's attached garage today and is still missing. He was last seen at around 11:30 this morning in the 22600 block of Kathryn Avenue in south Torrance.
What makes this especially urgent is that Andrea's daughter, 17-year-old Alexa, a South High student, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma recently and the cat was adopted as therapy for her. The cat has become a very special friend and source of comfort during the months she's been in treatment.
"He's been the best therapy," her mother said. When Alexa is in the hospital for chemotherapy, her mom said she frequently mentions returning home to her pet, acquired just a few months ago from an area veterinarian.
Mother and daughter were in Long Beach for an oncology appointment this morning when the cat managed to dart out of the garage door when it was opened by her husband, Andrea said.
Moshie has never been outdoors and has no ID. He has blue eyes.
If you live around there please be on the lookout for him and spread the word. Perhaps also on Facebook? He means a lot to his owners.
Call the family at 310-378-3539. They've been making the rounds to all the local shelters, but so far he has not turned up.
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.