April 2011 Archives

The AKC's Canine Good Citizen test will be administered Saturday (4/30) at Hathaway Park, 25600 Pennsylvania Ave., Lomita.

Testing begins at 10 a.m. and is sponsored by Lomita Obedience Training Club.

The 10-part exam covers basic obedience skills, temperament and socialization. It's considered the first step in qualifying a dog to do therapy work.

You can sign up at the park -- cost is $5.

Or, if you know your dog isn't quite ready yet, you can come and watch. That way you can get a feel for what the test entails.

Test specifics can be found on the training club's website or at the AKC website.

My friend and agility competitor/trainer Deborah Davidson Harpur decided to have some good-natured fun on Facebook today.

She posted a gallery of photos of her friends' various dogs attending the Royal Wedding. Hilarious.

We are all, including our dogs, British today. Now where did I put my hat?

Cheers.

A Cat's Tale rescue has lots (and LOTS) of kittens and cats this year.

Stop by the Petco at the Torrance Crossroads, 24413 Crenshaw Blvd. between noon and 4 p.m Sundays and check them out.

Some are so young they're still being bottle fed.
 


In addition to permanent homes for the cats, foster homes and volunteers always help a lot. And the group is always in need of donations, including pet food.

For information about adoptions, email info@acatstale.org

Looking for something to do with your dog on Saturday?

A Pet Awareness Day and fundraiser for the spcaLA will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday (4/30) at Recreation Dog Park, 5201 E. 7th St., Long Beach.

The Wagging Wishes event is coordinated by CSULB event planning students and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The main event will be a dog show featuring local dogs.

Cost to enter is $10 for one contest, $15 for two contests, $20 for three contests, and so on. All proceeds will go to the spcaLA.

Contests include best costume, best trick, best overall, look-alike, best jump (large - medium and small breeds separately), and best catch (large and small/medium breed).

Want to enter? Send an email to CSULBdogevent@yahoo.com. Include your dog's name, breed and which contests you're interested in entering.

More info at: Wagging Wishes on Facebook

A concert to benefit the victims of the Tsunami in Japan -- both human and animal -- will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday (May 1) at The Strings Connection, 716 Deep Valley Dr., Rolling Hills Estates.

Sponsored by ALMS -- Animal-Loving Musicians Support  -- the event will raise funds to be distributed through Diamonds in the Ruff and the Japanese Consulate.

The ALMS ensemble is made up of professional musicians who "use their instrumental and vocal talents to support legitimate animal rescue groups in the USA and beyond. Our goals are to help animal rescuers generate donations and to create awareness of the plight of suffering animals worldwide."

The concert will include jazz and pop standards. Suggested donation is $5. You can also donate online.

Call The Strings Connection at 310-377-0803 for more details.

****UPDATE 4/28/11: Dog fighting app pulled.

____________________________________________

There are a lot of good dog-related "apps" these days for your smart phone -- there are apps that post lost dog notices and others that get the word out about adoptions and shelters.

But this latest app is truly a bad idea, says Paul M. Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

It's called "Dog Wars" -- a game created by Kage Games that Weber says will only be embraced by local gang members and encourage (real, not just virtual) dog fighting.

"It's sickening, absolutely sickening," Weber said in a post at L.A. Now. "They should take it down immediately. These animals are defenseless. It's absolutely the wrong message to send to our children."

It promotes "cruel and immoral" behavior, he said, and should be taken off the market.

The app was created for the Android smart phone operating system and encourages players to "Raise your dog to beat the best." Players then train a virtual pit bull to fight other virtual dogs for (virtual) "money."

The company's website also notes that the game player has a "gun for police raids and can inject the dog with steroids."

So it's understandable why police aren't too keen on this whole idea.

Animal rights advocates also are up in arms.

The company's response to the criticism from its marketing site:

1. It is just A VIDEO GAME
2. Perhaps one day we will make gerbil wars or beta fish wars for people who can't understand fantasy role play games
3. Just because something is illegal in real life in certain countries, does not mean it is illegal to make a song, movie, or video game about it (looking at you XDA Developer Forums... deleting our beta testing thread and banning our account?!)
4. Just go slingshot some virtual birds to kill some virtual pigs.

Dogster also weighs in.

What do you think?





 

OK, so there really isn't a legitimate angle to Prince William's upcoming wedding Friday.

After searching the web, I could find nothing about whether Kate or William already have -- or will have -- pets after they're married.

But finally, today, I struck gold. Sort of. Let's just say this is the closest we'll get to a pets angle for the wedding story that's dominating so much of the news this week.

And we do like to stay current here at South Bay pets. Our motto: If you scrape and look hard enough, there is always a pet tie-in that can be found to nearly every big news story.

Here's a giant corgi wedding cake created by award-winning cake designer Michelle Wibowo. She also set a Guiness World Record for the largest dog-friendly cake. It's nearly 6 feet long and 4 feet high, weighing 150 pounds.

So there you go. A pets angle to the royal wedding.

And as an aside, Dogster reports that Kate/Catherine is rising in the ranks of popular pet names.

The veterinarians at the Pet Poison Helpline are reminding pet owners about some of the hazards to pets during the Easter season.

Here's one I really wasn't aware of:

"Unbeknownst to many pet owners, Easter lilies are highly toxic to cats," said Ahna Brutlag, DVM, assistant director at Pet Poison Helpline. "All parts of the Easter lily plant are poisonous -- the petals, the leaves, the stem and even the pollen. Cats that ingest as few as one or two leaves, or even a small amount of pollen while grooming their fur, can suffer severe kidney failure."

In most situations, symptoms of poisoning will develop within six to 12 hours of exposure. Early signs include vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and dehydration. Symptoms worsen as kidney failure develops. Some cats will experience disorientation, staggering and seizures.

"There is no effective antidote to counteract lily poisoning, so the sooner you can get your cat to the veterinarian, the better his chances of survival will be," said Brutlag. "If you see your cat licking or eating any part of an Easter lily, call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline immediately. If left untreated, his chances of survival are low."

Chocolate is another seasonal hazard, with the hotline saying calls about dogs poisoned by chocolate increase by nearly 200 percent during the week of Easter.

Find out more on the group's website.

Or check out the site's new "Ask-the-Vet" videos on keeping pets safe from toxins inside and outside the home.


The phone # is 800-213-6680 and there is a one-time $35 consultation fee per incident, which also covers followup calls.

Pet Save Foundation is still alive and well.

They had to close their store and rescue location on Ninth Street in San Pedro a while back, but I happened to be in the Petco store in San Pedro last night and spotted a rabbit adoption corner.

Turns out they were from Pet Save, the organization founded by Bona Tucker 11 years ago to provide a "safe haven for abused and abandoned domestic rabbits." I'd lost track of the group after they moved from their Ninth street facility, so it's good to know they're still up and running (now in Hawthorne).

We posted earlier   about another group, Too Many Bunnies, and an open house they're holding Saturday for people interested in adopting or fostering rabbits.

Pet Save also is always looking for adopters and fosters. They're a regular at the Petco in the Park Plaza Shopping Center in San Pedro also. 

Go to their Facebook page and click "Like" to keep up to date with the group.

Check out their video below and their website for more information. They're now based in Hawthorne (14009 Crenshaw Blvd. #C), near the corner of Crenshaw and Rosecrans. (No store anymore, just the Rabbitat rescue.)

The Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society has issued a public awareness notice about that plastic Easter "grass" that comes in all the baskets and winds up in many Easter egg hunts.

It seems that the grass can be picked up by Bluebirds and other cavity nesters such as Tree

Swallows that build their nests out of grass.

They weave it into their nests, but the material can be dangerous to adults and chicks alike. Birds get tangled in the strong plastic grass and get trapped, unable to leave the nest to feed or fly away.





If you want to help spread the word about this little-known danger, here's how you can help:

Now in its third year, the Bluebird Nest Box Project has first-hand experience with this danger, especially in the spring. Our nest box monitors have continually removed strands that have been woven into the nests, as well as picked up and disposed of in clusters found on the ground.

This year, in an attempt to educate the public about this danger, we're working with the staff at Harbor (Ken Malloy - Regional) Park to get the word out. We've created an informational flier on poles and picnic tables, and the nest box monitors will be giving them to park visitors during our weekly nest box checks.

The flier is available on our website at:

http://pvsb-audubon.org/bluebirdproject.html or click here.

You can help by either passing the word to family and friends or by joining the group at Harbor Park to hand out fliers. Go to the website for contact information.

And if you see the plastic grass lying in a park or your yard, pick it up!

Here's another article on the topic.

Bluebirds are pictured below.

The run-up to Easter always results in a fair amount of angst among our already-overwhelmed South Bay rabbit rescuers.

Every year, people buy "Easter" rabbits and have no idea how to care for the animals. In a month, or two, they often wind up in the local animal shelter or discarded in a public park, left to fend for themselves. Rabbits are easy prey, however, so they rarely live long outdoors.

Last year, Linda Baley of Too Many Bunnies in Redondo Beach ("Education, Rescue and Respect" is the group's motto) thought of an alternative. Why not offer people the opportunity to "foster" some of the group's bunnies on a temporary basis. That way, they could be trained in bunny care before taking the pet home -- and, if it didn't work out, the animal could be returned to the rescue group.

She's sponsoring an open house from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday (4/23) at 1724 Rockefeller Lane, Redondo Beach, where participants can learn everything they need to know about caring for a rabbit in their home. More than 30 bunnies of all kinds are currently seeking homes.

You can go to the website for more information or email her at Linda@toomanybunnies.com.

The website has helpful articles and links that cover topics such as diet, grooming, bonding, handling, spay/neuter/ rabbit disease, litter box training and more.

Fostering a rabbit gives prospective owners the chance to see if such a pet will fit in with their household without making a full commitment to adoption up front.




  

Got this reminder from the folks at Coast & Canyon Wildlife Rehabilitation about the hazards of tree-trimming season.

This is a nesting time for birds and other wildlife, so it's a good idea to check for any active nests before you being a landscaping project.

Here's more on that topic from an Orange County Register blog post.

Meanwhile, Coast & Canyon -- who already have UStream live cams up for squirrels and skunks -- have launched a new live cam focused on baby opossums. Opossums being nocturnal, most of the action on this one happens after dark.

Live streaming video by Ustream

It's spring and apparently the lizards are again active in my neighborhood.

I've had to carry two of them out of my house this past week but a third has -- so far -- eluded capture and is still living in my bathroom.

All courtesy of Annie my cat who finds them and brings them home with her. Once inside, most of them manage an escape her clutches and find some hiding spot within the house (behind furniture, in a closet, inside a pair of shoes -- eeek -- which makes getting dressed always such an adventure).

They are all tail-less by the time I catch and release them, of course. Lizards, as you all probably know, can shed their (still twitching) tails as a defensive mechanism to distract and throw their predators off the track while they escape. Very clever -- and very effective, it still tricks Annie more often than not.

This lizard obsession of hers has been ongoing ever since I adopted Annie a year and a half ago. So I was amused Sunday morning when I walked out onto my porch on my way to church to find that someone had anonymously left two colorful "lizard tiles."

How cute! And how very, very appropriate.

Maybe it's my imagination, but I don't think so: It seemed that America's Family Pet Expo at the Orange County Fairgrounds (Costa Mesa) -- which opened today and runs through the weekend -- was bigger than ever. Or maybe I just get more tired than I used to after 4-5 hours of walking the fair grounds!

It's a busy weekend for pet-related events. We've posted about these events previously, but as a reminder here's what's going on:

• America's Family Pet Expo starts today and runs through Sunday (4/15-17) at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Among the local rescue groups that will have booths are Animals Rule (San Pedro) and the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals (Hermosa Beach). Look for them and stop to say hi. Tickets are $12 general admission.

• A Wilmington church, In His Power Christian Center, will sponsor a community "Pack Walk"  from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (4/16) to  raise awareness for spaying or neutering your pets. Walkers meet at the church, 602 Broad Ave., and will walk to Pacific Coast Highway and Avalon Boulevard. So leash up your dog(s) and join them to "walk for a cause."

• A pet adoption fair and community barbecue will be presented from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (4/15) at the Silverado Senior Living facility (for Alzheimer's patients), 514 N. Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach. There also will be information about the facility's pet therapy program.

• And for those of you who have followed the saga of Sweet William, the gentle, one-eyed pit bull who found happiness with a loving Torrance family, you can stop by to offer your moral support and encouragement from 1-3 p.m. Saturday (1/16) at the Petco store in the Crossroads shopping center (at Crenshaw and Lomita boulevards in Torrance). Sweet William has been undergoing cancer treatments and would love to receive some pats on the head and hugs. His family would appreciate it as well, and it would give them a chance to meet those of you have been following the story and rooting for Sweet William.

And don't forget all the regular pet adoptions this weekend sponsored by our South Bay and Harbor Area rescue groups. Most of the local pet stores usually feature weekend adoptions by these hard-working nonprofits.

So enjoy the weekend! And email me your photos if you get to any of these events, we'd be glad to post them on the blog next week.

He was once called Mr. Burns after he was rescued in 2009 in an auto shop fire in Gardena.

Months of hospitalization were required to restore his health, but then local rescue groups could never find a permanent home for him.

Close to being euthanized, the Akita-chow mix -- now named Hachi -- is home at last.

Read the full story at petfinder.










Below is the October 2009 photo taken by Daily Breeze photographer Brad Graverson. The dog was still undergoing rehabilitation at Affordable Veterinary Care in Torrance:

America's Family Pet Expo -- billed as the "world's largest pet and pet product expo" -- runs Friday through Sunday (April 15-17) at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The expo is a big draw every year for animal lovers (leave your pets at home, though) with lots of entertainment, demonstrations, shopping and adoptions.

Many of our local rescue groups in the South Bay and Harbor Area will be participating, so be sure to look them up if you attend. Altogether, the expo this year has donated 134 booth spaces to nonprofit rescue organizations. Since 1996, more than 6,400 animal adoptions have found new homes through the expo. Last year's total, 668, broke a record for the number of animals placed for one year.

Two local groups that I know are participating are the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals, a cat rescue based in Hermosa Beach; and Animals Rule, a dog rescue based in San Pedro.

New this year will be Forever Wild, a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates captive-bred exotic animals. "Whether an animal was left in a foreclosed home, rejected by the animal entertainment industry, confiscated from Fish & Game because of its dangerous nature or unable to adapt to the domestic environment when taken home to be a pet, these exotic animals have been rescued and rehabilitated and are now free to enjoy the stable environment the Forever Wild sanctuary provides."

Also appearing will be "The Birdman of Las Vegas" Joe Krathwohl, featured on Animal Planet, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. and other national television programs.

Tickets are $12 for general admission, $10 for seniors 60 and older. Children 6-12 are admitted for $6 and children 5 and younger are free. Active military members with ID also are admitted free. Parking is $5.

There is a $2 discount on the admission if you order tickets online through the event's website.

The expo is sponsored by the World Pet Association.

Animal welfare advocates are gathering today in Sacramento as part of Humane Lobby Day, an annual nationwide event sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA.

Advocates are meeting with lawmakers to urge support of legislation to "protect sharks, combat illegal animal fighting and to prevent animal abuse and neglect." You can find out more here.

Among the bills being discussed:

• AB 376, authored by Assemblymembers Paul Fong, D-Cupertino and Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. Prohibits the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins.
• SB 425, authored by Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello. Establishes minimum fines for animal fighting and adds cockfighting to the profiteering statute.
• SB 917, authored by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance. Prohibits the roadside sale of animals and increases animal neglect criminal penalties
• AB 1117, authored by Assemblymember Cameron Smyth, R-Santa Clarita. Would clarify animal seizure process and require judges to prohibit ownership of animals by those convicted of animal cruelty for a period of time.

In His Power Christian Center, a church that has congregations in Wilmington and Carson, will sponsor a community "Pack Walk for a Cause" from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (April 16)  to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets.

From Dawn at the church:

In His Power Christian Center is excited to announce our Noah's Barkk Ministry is doing a Pack Walk to raise awareness on spay and neuter. This is a free event and we will be walking with our dogs from In His Power Christian Center, 602 Broad Ave., Wilmington, to PCH and Avalon, sharing information with everyone.

All dogs are welcome, big or small. Come join us to be a blessing to all of God's creatures.

"Those who do what is right take good care of their animals. But the kindest acts of those who do wrong are mean." Proverbs 12:10

I've always liked that particular verse myself. In another translation (New American Standard), it reads: "A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the compassion of the wicked is cruel."

So check it out and let us know how it goes. We're always happy to post photos from these events if participants would like to email them to us: donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com


 

A special Adopt-a-Pet event and barbecue will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (April 16) at the Silverado Senior Living facility at 514 N. Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach.

In the spotlight will be the facility's pet therapy program. A collection also will be taken for local rescue groups and adoption organizations. Bring non-perishable pet food, treats and toys to donate.

Participating vendors include Nature Network, Whiskers and Tails Foundation, Dirty Dog Squad, St. Anthony's Canine Rescue, Southern California Greyhound and Adoption Legion. For information, call 310-896-3100.



Silverado facilities specialize in treating people with Alzheimer's and other memory disorders.


Here's a 2010 story out of Salt Lake City about Silverado's unique use of kangaroos as therapy animals.

They're starting to crop up in my yard again -- they're the horror of spring for dog owners everywhere, California's foxtails.

These weeds -- that can enter your dog's body through noses or ears or mouths or paws or just the skin in general -- can cause serious and even fatal injury to your pet, and cost you hundreds of dollars in vet bills.

Fritz, one of my terriers years ago, sniffed a couple up his nose one night, requiring an emergency vet visit after I noticed he was violently sneezing and spraying blood all over the kitchen floor.

There's no easy way to get rid of these nasty weeds once they take root in your yard. Around Southern California and in other western states, they are one of the few dreaded hallmarks of spring and summer.

Pulling them out by their roots -- preferably while they're still green -- is the most effective way to rid your yard of them. But it can be a painstaking (and back-breaking) chore.






Here are some helpful links about foxtails and the particular danger they pose to pets:

Foxtails: A Deadly Summertime Danger

A Dog Owner's Guide to California Foxtails

Foxtails Can be Hazardous to Your Pet's Health

Foxtails (which includes a description of symptoms your dog may display if one of these stickers invades his body)


And here's an earlier post from June 2009 that we did at South Bay Pets on the topic.

I did hear from a reader recently about a creative way  to protect pets from foxtails by way of a new product. But I'm not sure my dogs would go for such a thing.

It's called the the OutFox Field Guard (patent pending), a "high-tech mesh" hood that fits around your dog's head. Guess you'd still have to manually check their paws and, on long-haired dogs, the rest of their bodies for stray stickers.

.



Comments welcome -- as well as any stories you have of foxtails. They're a special pet peeve of mine every year.

Read our story today on the new Lotus microcannery that opened up in Torrance.

Daron Matsuura, President of Lotus Pet Foods in Torrance, in the lab where he explains the human-grade ingredients and high nutrition of his canned dog food products.

(Brad Graverson / Staff Photographer)

For those of you who have followed the story of Sweet William, the one-eyed, 67-pound pit bull-chow mix who has been undergoing cancer treatments:

Sweet William and his Torrance family, the Lockwoods, will be at the Petco store in the Torrance Crossroads Center from 1-3 p.m. April 16, a week from this Saturday.

They're hoping some of his supporters will turn out to give him a hug and to provide some much-needed moral support. As with most treatments, there have been ups and downs along the way.

Noah's Bark, the Manhattan Beach rescue group that took in Sweet William eight years ago, is helping with the treatments for the melanoma that was discovered on the dog's tongue just before Christmas. Sweet William, who went on to be a therapy dog -- and turned into a wonderful family dog as well -- has been the subject of several Daily Breeze articles over the years.

From Tina Lockwood's email this week regarding the upcoming April 16 Petco event:

We aren't doing it as a fundraiser per se, we just want to be there so people who donated at the previous bake sale can come out and see him and get an update and give him a hug. We definitely need all of the positive thoughts and prayers we can get at this point. And last time we were there, the results were miraculous, to say the least. We will also likely have my twins pouring lemonade and/or iced tea for the well-wishers who come out.

Our story from January gives the background and you can also keep up to date with Sweet William's progress on Sweet William's Facebook page.

The Lockwood family from Torrance adopted the gentle, pit bull-chow mix dog Sweet William, 11, from the rescue group that included his caretaker Marilyn Wayne (glasses) eight years ago.Tina Lockwood, her husband and 6-year old twins Matthew and Brianna have given the dog a loving home; just before Christmas, Sweet William was diagnosed with cancer. (Robert Casillas / Staff Photographer)


 

PURRfect Partners, a cat rescue based in the South Bay, will hold a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday (April 8 and 9) at 4716 W. Bulova St., Torrance.

Proceeds will benefit spaying and neutering for cats. Items for sale also can be donated by dropping them off at the above address today or Thursday. Email cats@purrfectpartners4cats.com.

Items for sale include kitchenware, glassware, clothing, household furniture, office supplies, lounge chairs, Hello Kitty merchandise, books, DVDs/videos and gardening tools.

The group holds adoptions from noon to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday at Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies, 413 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach.

Sisters of Loyola Marymount University's Delta Zeta will volunteer at Sunday's (April 10) pet adoption sponsored by Marley's Pit Stop Rescue at the Petsmart at Plaza El Segundo, 730 S. Sepulveda Blvd., El Segundo.

The adoption is set from noon to 4 p.m. and fundraising events that day will include a "kissing booth" with three of the group's special needs dogs, along with a walk around the plaza (open to the public) to show off some of the adoptable dogs.

The kissing booth will raise funds to cover some of the medical expenses for the dogs currently in the rescue.

The group has its regular adoption events from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at the Petsmart in El Segundo. Visit their website for more information.

Nice piece today by Daily Breeze columnist John Bogert on their newest dog, Diego. 

There's a vaccine now being developed that "could" cure cat allergies, according to this article by Stephanie Pappas of LiveScience. From the article:

Sniffly-nosed kitten-lovers rejoice: A new vaccine could soon banish allergies to cats. The vaccine isn't ready for prime time yet, but a new study finds that the shots are safe, researchers reported March 31 in the journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. They're also effective at reducing allergic reactions, the researchers reported.

The article says about 10 percent of the population is allergic to cats.

The vaccine is being developed by Adiga Life Sciences, a company established at McMaster University, and British biotech firm Circassia Ltd. Clinical trials are continuing.
 

Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, has written a new

book (being released today) that looks at the compassionate bond people have with animals and, on the other hand, the institutionalized or systematic cruelty -- seen in trends such as proliferation of puppy mills -- that seem to be tolerated in our society.

From the publisher:

The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them (William Morrow; On Sale April 5, 2011; $26.99) is Wayne Pacelle's first book. It is a compassionate, insightful, and comprehensive examination of our special connection to all creatures, written by one of America's most important champions of animal welfare.

In the book, Pacelle unveils the deep links of the human-animal bond, as well as the conflicting impulses that have led us to betray this bond through widespread and systematic cruelty to animals. During a quarter-century of leadership, most of it at the HSUS, Pacelle has become America's foremost voice for those who cannot speak in their own defense, and has helped to bring animal protection from the margins to the mainstream.

***Pacelle is embarking on a nationwide tour to promote the book and he'll be at the Borders Book Store, 3700 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, at 7 p.m.  April 12 (Tuesday).

Here's a clip of a televised interview with the author:

New Book By Humane Society President Looks At Human - Animal Bond: MyFoxDC.com

This Thursday, a team of Amazon CARES "Vets Abroad" volunteer veterinarians, nurses, technicians and bloggers will travel to Peru on a mission to help companion animals in need of medical assistance.

I Love Dogs Inc., based in Torrance, is among the supporters:

The Torrance-based dog vitamin and supplement manufacturer i Love Dogs, Inc., contributed more than $1,000 making it a Platinum Sponsor of Amazon CARES (Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety). The company is also donating a large amount of its famous i Love Dogs supplements, including Multivitamins, Green Tea, Glucosamine and Chondroitin and Reishi.

Amazon CARES is a nonprofit animal welfare group based in Peru's Amazon River region. It operates the region's first no-kill shelter and a low-cost veterinary hospital in the town of Iquitos.

Veterinarians on the mission include Dr. Patrick Mahaney of West Hollywood, Dr. Jessica Vogelsang of San Diego and Dr. Amanda Brown of Philadelphia.

Lotus Pet Foods, a brand of natural pet foods carried by Centinela Feed in Southern California along with other independent stores, is opening a new manufacturing plant at 2727 Maricopa St. in Torrance.

A grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday (April 7).

If you're looking to adopt a dog, check out the pups that need homes at the Harbor Area Animal Care Center, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro. Many of them are running out of time.

Among them is a very cute one-eyed Havanese/poodle mix (miniature) named Alfie (ID# A1193402). He's 11 months old and is very affectionate.

Check the website (first link) or call the shelter at 310-548-2632 or email Leslie Corea at leslie.corea@lacity.org.

AP photo

Here's some rare good news out of that tragic earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11.

A dog was spotted from the air last week, walking around on some floating debris of a house in the ocean about a mile from the coastline. The dog, a female named Ban, was rescued and reunited with her owner this morning. She had been out there for 3 weeks. Video below.

In a separate story out of Japan this week:

A pet dog is screened for radiation contamination after being reunited with its owner in Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Sunday, April 4, 2011. Tamura city lies partly within the zone around the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, where officials have told residents to stay indoors. (AP Photo/Yomiuri Shimbun, Kenji Shimizu) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT (Kenji Shimizu)


 

Daily Breeze colleague and business writer Muhammed El-Hasan profiles Beany Woullard in today's paper.

Beany, 48, who has been grooming dogs for 30 years, recently signed on with Dino's Pet Shoppe Boutique & Bistro (formerly Kritter Korral) at 1724 Palos Verdes Drive North in Harbor City. The store is on the southeast corner of Western Avenue and PV Drive North.

"Dogs are fun," Beany told Muhammed. "I say they're a 3-year-old with a dog suit, and they just can't find the zipper. Sometimes they'll do mischievous things and then look at you, like, 'It wasn't me.' "

For appointments, stop into the store or call 310-514-4924.

Below, Beany Woullard works on Tinkerbell, a 3-year-old cocker spaniel. Ahhh, doesn't that feel good? (Daily Breeze photo by Brad Graverson)

Speaking of Coast & Canyon Wildlife (see our previous post), they've recently launched a new live cam with critters other than squirrels.

Watch live as volunteers feed and care for these baby skunks now in the "nursery." When they're ready, they'll be released back out into their natural habitats. Here's the direct link to the ustream site where you can also sign up and participate in a "chat" feature for viewers.

Live TV by Ustream