January 2011 Archives
Thanks to my friend the "cat diva," the authority on all things "cat."
***Update 1/29/11: I'm told Jasper has been adopted. :-)
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Particularly disheartening because records showed that just a year earlier -- in January 2010 -- the Clinico spay-neuter clinic at the shelter
provided a free surgery and microchip for the newly adopted cat.When shelter officials contacted his registered owners, though, "they did not want him anymore."
There's no information on the circumstances surrounding the gunshot, but the shelter says his wounds are now healing and he's "more than ready" for a permanent home. And his time at the shelter is running out.
If you can open your home to this very loving cat who's had a tough start (he's about a year and a half old), contact:
Harbor Animal Care Center
957 N. Gaffey St.
San Pedro
Call 310-548-2632 or 213-305-8323 or email leslie.corea@lacity.org.
Jasper's Animal ID # is A1182001.
The AKC released its annual "most popular dogs" lists this week and for the second year in a 
row, the bulldog reigned as the most popular breed among Los Angeles residents in 2010.
"Los Angeles has spoken and the bulldog is here to stay," Lisa Peterson of the American Kennel Association said. "While the bulldog is slowly moving up the ranks nationally, L.A. has made the breed its top dog for the second year in a row, trending ahead of the rest of the country."
Nationally, the Labrador retriever maintained its first-place spot for the 20th consecutive year, followed by the German shepherd, Yorkshire terrier, beagle and golden retriever.
The bulldog ranked sixth -- up from 21st place in 2009 -- on the national list.
You can see the full list at www.akc.org.
row, the bulldog reigned as the most popular breed among Los Angeles residents in 2010."Los Angeles has spoken and the bulldog is here to stay," Lisa Peterson of the American Kennel Association said. "While the bulldog is slowly moving up the ranks nationally, L.A. has made the breed its top dog for the second year in a row, trending ahead of the rest of the country."
Nationally, the Labrador retriever maintained its first-place spot for the 20th consecutive year, followed by the German shepherd, Yorkshire terrier, beagle and golden retriever.
The bulldog ranked sixth -- up from 21st place in 2009 -- on the national list.
You can see the full list at www.akc.org.
Diva is quite the traveler.
She went missing from her Lancaster home about a month ago and headed east. She turned up this week 800
miles away -- in Boise, Idaho.
The dog was found -- thin, but otherwise healthy -- by Kari Ravert, a customer service manager at the Idaho Humane Society. The owner, Rita Kircher, a Lancaster mom of five, almost didn't answer her phone when Ravert called on Tuesday. "I don't know anyone in Idaho," she said.
From IdahoStatesman.com:
They checked the local shelter, but the dog never turned up.
Fast forward to this week and some 800 miles away. Ravert was driving her minivan in South Boise when she noticed a dog wandering through the fog in traffic at around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"I stopped, pulled my passenger door open, and she jumped in. One of the kids at the bus stop closed the door," Ravert told reporter Katy Moeller.
There was no collar, but Ravert took the dog to a shelter to scan for a microchip.
The Idaho Humane Society is assisting the Kircher family in getting the dog home.
How the dog got from California to Idaho is still a mystery.
She went missing from her Lancaster home about a month ago and headed east. She turned up this week 800
miles away -- in Boise, Idaho.The dog was found -- thin, but otherwise healthy -- by Kari Ravert, a customer service manager at the Idaho Humane Society. The owner, Rita Kircher, a Lancaster mom of five, almost didn't answer her phone when Ravert called on Tuesday. "I don't know anyone in Idaho," she said.
From IdahoStatesman.com:
Ravert asked Kircher if she had a dog named Diva. "She was shocked that her dog was in Boise," Ravert said.Diva, shown in the photo above provided by the Idaho Humane Society, had been staying with a friend when the family was moving to a new home and somehow got loose on Dec. 20. The family looked "everywhere" for the 2-year-old German shepherd mix, who belonged to Kircher's son, Tyler, 15, according to the Idaho Statesman article.
.... "She does get out of the yard, but she doesn't go far," Kircher said. "She's always wound up right back in the front yard.
They checked the local shelter, but the dog never turned up.
Fast forward to this week and some 800 miles away. Ravert was driving her minivan in South Boise when she noticed a dog wandering through the fog in traffic at around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"I stopped, pulled my passenger door open, and she jumped in. One of the kids at the bus stop closed the door," Ravert told reporter Katy Moeller.
There was no collar, but Ravert took the dog to a shelter to scan for a microchip.
The Idaho Humane Society is assisting the Kircher family in getting the dog home.
How the dog got from California to Idaho is still a mystery.
***Update: The owner has found a new home for Domino. Yay.
Domino is almost 3 years old, neutered, healthy, up-to-date on his shots, "very" domesticated, somewhat needy of attention (but he "loves to sleep and eat"), and he is well behaved.
His owner is moving and the new rental doesn't accept any pets. Plans are to take the cat to the Carson shelter/S.P.A.R.E. (Saving Pound Animals through Rescue and Education) for participation in mobile adoptions at Petco, but does anyone have another option in the meantime? Email me or leave a comment and I can pass it on to the owner.
He sounds like a sweetie. And he sure is handsome.
Domino is almost 3 years old, neutered, healthy, up-to-date on his shots, "very" domesticated, somewhat needy of attention (but he "loves to sleep and eat"), and he is well behaved.
His owner is moving and the new rental doesn't accept any pets. Plans are to take the cat to the Carson shelter/S.P.A.R.E. (Saving Pound Animals through Rescue and Education) for participation in mobile adoptions at Petco, but does anyone have another option in the meantime? Email me or leave a comment and I can pass it on to the owner.He sounds like a sweetie. And he sure is handsome.
We hate fleas.
Fortunately, pet owners now have all kinds of anti-flea products available to them that make fleas a much smaller problem than they once were.
I've been around long enough to remember those smelly aerosol sprays for flea control. It took
two people, one holding the pet down and turning him over, to apply the treatments. And the people often wound up with just as much stinky spray on them as the pet did. Good riddance to that mess.
And before that, there were those entirely ineffective flea collars.
Thankfully, the science of keeping pets parasite-free has come a long way in the past couple decades.
Once keeping pets and their owners happy was seen as a potential profit-making venture, laboratories began working hard to develop more effective products. And they've succeeded. Program, Advantage, Frontline and a host of other products have made pet-owning households much happier places in the past 15 years.
There are concerns about some of the topical treatments -- some pets have adverse reactions to the products. You have to be careful not to use a formula designed for dogs on a cat, for example.
But here's my personal dilemma: I've been using Frontline top spot (not the Plus formula) on my two dogs for several years. I don't think I'd even seen a flea in most of that time.
Recently, though, I've noticed fleas returning before month's end. Cowboy's especially sensitive to fleas but both he and Tess are biting and scratching within three weeks after I've put the Frontline on them. Upon closer inspection, I see adult fleas on both dogs. A single dose of Frontline used to last us a good 6-8 weeks. And I often never had to treat them at all through the winter months, even here in California.
I'm wondering if adding an indoor-outdoor cat to the mix about a year ago could be part of the issue (I use Frontline for cats on Annie). But I also spotted a website that indicated some concerns back in 2007 that Frontline may have been losing its effectiveness.
On the advice of a friend in Idaho (who prefers natural remedies), I've recently started supplementing our flea-fighting strategy with food-grade diatomaceous earth sprinkled on bedding and in pets' coats. It's too early to tell if that's helping, but I'll most likely be consulting with my veterinarian soon to see what he recommends.
In doing a little research, I was amazed at the selection of products that are now available to consumers.
What's your experience been with flea control? What have you found to be the most effective & safest treatments to use?
I like Frontline because it treats ticks as well. But can pets develop a resistance to some of these formulas over time?
Talk to us.
Fortunately, pet owners now have all kinds of anti-flea products available to them that make fleas a much smaller problem than they once were.
I've been around long enough to remember those smelly aerosol sprays for flea control. It took
two people, one holding the pet down and turning him over, to apply the treatments. And the people often wound up with just as much stinky spray on them as the pet did. Good riddance to that mess.And before that, there were those entirely ineffective flea collars.
Thankfully, the science of keeping pets parasite-free has come a long way in the past couple decades.
Once keeping pets and their owners happy was seen as a potential profit-making venture, laboratories began working hard to develop more effective products. And they've succeeded. Program, Advantage, Frontline and a host of other products have made pet-owning households much happier places in the past 15 years.
There are concerns about some of the topical treatments -- some pets have adverse reactions to the products. You have to be careful not to use a formula designed for dogs on a cat, for example.
But here's my personal dilemma: I've been using Frontline top spot (not the Plus formula) on my two dogs for several years. I don't think I'd even seen a flea in most of that time.
Recently, though, I've noticed fleas returning before month's end. Cowboy's especially sensitive to fleas but both he and Tess are biting and scratching within three weeks after I've put the Frontline on them. Upon closer inspection, I see adult fleas on both dogs. A single dose of Frontline used to last us a good 6-8 weeks. And I often never had to treat them at all through the winter months, even here in California.
I'm wondering if adding an indoor-outdoor cat to the mix about a year ago could be part of the issue (I use Frontline for cats on Annie). But I also spotted a website that indicated some concerns back in 2007 that Frontline may have been losing its effectiveness.
On the advice of a friend in Idaho (who prefers natural remedies), I've recently started supplementing our flea-fighting strategy with food-grade diatomaceous earth sprinkled on bedding and in pets' coats. It's too early to tell if that's helping, but I'll most likely be consulting with my veterinarian soon to see what he recommends.
In doing a little research, I was amazed at the selection of products that are now available to consumers.
What's your experience been with flea control? What have you found to be the most effective & safest treatments to use?
I like Frontline because it treats ticks as well. But can pets develop a resistance to some of these formulas over time?
Talk to us.
We received this today from a reader:
I do a lot of animal welfare work on the PC with a wonderful group,
called Care2 (www.care2.com), & we are frantically trying to place this sweet dog, before she is euthanized at the shelter. here is the Posting:
here is the article & photo of this poor dog:
she is located at:
Carson Animal Shelter
216 W. Victoria St.
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 523-9566
Update: The bake sale was a huge success, according to Tina, Sweet William's owner. More than $3,500 was raised for the dog's cancer treatments "and we had the honor of meeting so many wonderful people on Saturday!" she wrote.
Sweet William now also has his own Facebook page, launched as a way to keep supporters informed.
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Sweet William is no stranger to the Daily Breeze.
Sweet William now also has his own Facebook page, launched as a way to keep supporters informed.
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Sweet William is no stranger to the Daily Breeze.
Former colleague Jasmine Lee wrote about the once-abused pit bull several years ago when Noah's Bark rescue in Manhattan Beach took him under their wing. The dog weighed only 27 pounds and animal control officers thought he should be put down.
But rescuers thought otherwise. The sweet and gentle demeanor of the one-eyed dog (authorities believe his eye was deliberately punched in) won them over and they soon made Sweet William a singular cause.
His health restored, the dog was used in therapy work. He was later adopted by Scott and Tina Lockwood of Torrance who, along with their 6-year-old twins, have given the dog a very special place in their household.
But just before Christmas, Sweet William was diagnosed with a melanoma on his tongue. It's not curable, but it is treatable. But the treatments, of course, don't come cheap.
So Noah's Bark has joined forces with the Lockwoods to raise donations for Sweet William's cause. If you're near Crenshaw and Lomita boulevards in Torrance on Sunday, stop by the Petco in the Torrance Crossroads center to buy a cupcake and meet Sweet William and his family. They'll be there sponsoring a bake sale to help raise funds for Sweet William's treatments.
Read our story from earlier this week in the Daily Breeze for more details.
Wishing Sweet William and his family all the best.
Daily Breeze photo by Robert Casillas
The Lockwood family from Torrance adopted the pit bull-chow mix dog Sweet William, 11, from the rescue group that included his original caretaker Marilyn Wayne from Noah's Bark (glasses) eight years ago.Tina Lockwood, her husband and six-year old twins Matthew and Brianna have given the dog a loving home. Sweet William has been diagnosed with cancer and the rescue group, along with Torrance Petco are sponsoring a bake sale to help raise funds for his treatment.
A free monthly clinic for pets that belong to the homeless is offered at the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital, 1827 Pontius Ave. The next clinic is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 20:
Photo by jeffreyw via Flickr
From LAist:
Photo by jeffreyw via Flickr
From LAist:
Notes Venice Patch, though some clients came from downtown and other parts of L.A., many of of the pet owners came from Venice and Santa Monica where the center was advertising services.
Volunteer doctors assessed, diagnosed, ran blood tests, administered shots, removed abscesses and performed surgeries to spay and neuter the pets ... Clinic founder Dr. Tina Owen wanted to provide some relief to the local homeless population. "She said for many homeless people, the emotional connection with their pets may be the only one they have," notes the Venice Patch.
Is someone looking for this dog?
This sweet but scared (described to us as a miniature Doberman Pinscher, who possibly just had puppies; looks like a mixed breed to me) was found early Thursday morning on 16th Street between Weymouth and Dodson in San Pedro.
A resident reported that she was taking out her trash at 5:30 a.m. when she spotted the pup who walked up to her.
The dog -- black with peanut-butter coloring on her chest, paws and mouth -- is now at the Harbor Area Animal Care Center at 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro.
This sweet but scared (described to us as a miniature Doberman Pinscher, who possibly just had puppies; looks like a mixed breed to me) was found early Thursday morning on 16th Street between Weymouth and Dodson in San Pedro.A resident reported that she was taking out her trash at 5:30 a.m. when she spotted the pup who walked up to her.
The dog -- black with peanut-butter coloring on her chest, paws and mouth -- is now at the Harbor Area Animal Care Center at 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro.
Staff Writer Sandy Mazza's story appeared in today's Daily Breeze.
Give it a read and tell us what you think.
Give it a read and tell us what you think.
****1/11/11: I received an email today from Sonji saying that Jack J's new owners (who apparently had not yet updated his microchip after they adopted him) spotted this posting and have contacted her to take Jack home. Yay. Jack J was found wandering around the Lomita business district just after Christmas. He is
being kept temporarily but those who found him would like to find his owner. From the email: I have a business in Lomita and a lost dog wandered in just after Christmas. We think the dog is a Jack Russell Terrier, black and white, neutered male, probably a year old or less (we aren't sure).
We took the dog to the vet and the vet scanned him - he has a chip. The chip service had the registered person contact us, but apparently that person sold the dog to someone, and they never registered as the new owners. The original owner said he would contact the new owners, and give them our info. But no one ever called. We called the original owner again, and they basically hung up and didn't answer the phone when we called subsequent times.
We already have a large dog and a cat and are not able to keep him, but would like him to find a good home. He is a beautiful, friendly, cuddly dog and gets along well with everyone he's met, as well as other dogs!
We found temporary arrangements for him to stay with a friend, but they already have dogs too and can't keep him, so we need to find another option for him. (His name is Jack J )Call Sonji at 424-237-4384.
This came to us from Life's a Pet:
These two sweethearts were dumped independently of each other at the high-kill Carson shelter and need out immediately!
The gray and white cat, TY (a female), was turned into the shelter and was adopted by a new owner -- but then returned again 10 days later because the cat came down with an upper respiratory infection (easily treated).
Sunny, described as "sweet and calm" and an "easy-going" companion, has a long orange and white coat.
Contact cdzacko@gmail.com if anyone can rescue the cats or provide other assistance.
These two sweethearts were dumped independently of each other at the high-kill Carson shelter and need out immediately!
The gray and white cat, TY (a female), was turned into the shelter and was adopted by a new owner -- but then returned again 10 days later because the cat came down with an upper respiratory infection (easily treated).
Sunny, described as "sweet and calm" and an "easy-going" companion, has a long orange and white coat.
Contact cdzacko@gmail.com if anyone can rescue the cats or provide other assistance.
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.