Great Tag Line

Isn't the internet amazing? I meet so many incredible people, and so many wonderful animal lovers. On Etsy I met a really cool woman named Kathy who owns her own pet service and her website just had me cracking me up.

Her tag line is ... "I love them, if you have to leave them." Isn't that cute?!? I love the idea of a Pet Nanny who comes to your home to take care of your animals so they don't have to be somewhere strange. Our dogs didn't seem to mind being boarded when I was in labor and recovery, but I know hubby hated it the whole time and even when I was recovering and could barely stand up he was asking if he could go get them. *grin* He's a goof.

Kathy is in Michigan, a bit too far away for us. But maybe you know someone in that area who needs assistance. I bet Kathy would be glad to help!

Not Cruel - But A Little Creepy

I'm not sure how I feel about this. "Creative Grooming" is apparently all the rage over in the UK with some poodle owners. It seems a little creepy, although I admit some of the dogs are kind of cute in their "disguises".

I've got to admit that the Jack Sparrow poodle made me smile. As did the Panda Bear poodle.

But really I've never been a fan of spray painting animals - even though I know people use non toxic paints that are harmless and wash out ... it just seems so weird and unnatural to me.

I definitely don't put it in the "cruel" category - even though a couple of those dogs look very sad in their photo shoots. As one of the comments in the story says, cruel is chaining a dog outside with no shelter, beating a dog, and other things that truly cruel. It's not dressing your dog up (or cutting/dying their hair.

Can you imagine Trooper as a panda bear? hahahaha

h/t Carpe Diem

Taking to the Skies

As I was getting ready to leave for work this morning I saw on the news a preview for after the commercial for a new Pet Airlines. I was intrigued so I made a point to look up the story when I got to work.

I LOVE this idea!!! If we ever went somewhere that required flight, but we wanted to take the dogs, our only option was sticking them in crates and loading them like baggage. I can only imagine the stress this would put them through…and I don’t think Quinn could handle it at all in her old age.

Check out this video - it is just under 4 minutes. The whole idea behind the new service was to create less stress for both animals and their humans. Pets ride in the main cabin and there are even Pet Attendants. I think it’s too bad that pets can’t travel with their owners in the cabins…but that might be logistically difficult. Maybe they’ll add that service someday.

Billed as First Class Pet Travel, the current cost is $149 one way, with no size restriction (so Trooper would cost the same as a chihuahua). Pets are called “Pawsengers”…is that not adorable? And dogs get potty breaks! They can’t get that on a regular flight.

I think this idea will definitely take off (so to speak) and become more popular nationwide and maybe someday even globally. I know Rachel Lucas made the heart wrenching decision to leave her doggies home due to the stress and hassle of transporting them. (I know…there’s still the whole quarantine issue but at least the doggies would be more comfy on the trip over.)

So now you have an alternative to sticking your pet below.

Amazing Artistic Cat

I was in the lunchroom waiting for my macaroni and cheese to heat up (yes, I said Mac and Cheese…don’t judge) and was reading through the Tacoma Art magazine.

Just browsing and flipping through pages I came across a little snippet about a photographer cat named Cooper. Have you ever wondered what your cat saw when he (or she) traveled about?

This cat lets us see what he sees…and I am SO impressed.

Cooper lives in Seattle (just up north of me) and every week he dons a lightweight strap on camera around his neck and heads out to explore. The camera snaps a photo every two minutes and just from the few I’ve seen does an amazing job.

You can even purchase his incredible work from Urban Light Studios - or if you’re in the area go check out an exhibit.

I love the picture he captured of his girlfriend. *grin* SO freaking cute.

Do you think Cooper knows how famous he has become? Is it sort of like the Elephants who paint? Everyone knows it’s not really “art” by definition but it really is amazing and very cool. (I believe art has to be consciously created for that purpose and I don’t really believe animals have that capability…as cool as it would be if they could.)

I wouldn’t mind having his “artwork” on my walls…maybe someone will get me one for my birthday. It’s today!

A New Leg and a New Chance

I love stories like this!

This morning had me up super early…hubby should have been home at 2 a.m. but when I woke up at 4:15 a.m. he wasn’t there yet. So I was up and awake and not going back to sleep (the nagging cough and cold don’t help) and on went the television. I love watching Fox and Friends in the morning while I get ready for work and since they’re three hours ahead they were on.

They had the sweetest story about a dog rescued by a wonderful couple in Florida. This sweet boy had lost his back leg in some sort of trauma, and while we know that dogs can live and thrive on three legs this couple decided to look for an alternative.

This German Shepherd mix lucked out when he found his forever home with retired dentist Steve Posovsky. He and his wife tried a strap on leg designed just for Cassidy but the poor guy just couldn’t adjust. So they went to veterinarian Denis Marcellin-Little who agreed to attach a truly prosthetic leg to Cassidy’s right thigh.

This dog was so cute on TV…cuddling against papa. I don’t know that he was really enjoying the attention, but at one point he used his prosthetic leg to scratch himself! It was so sweet and funny.

They said on the news that this procedure will be used on several other dogs and then they want to try this technology on humans. This is the best of both worlds in my opinion. Yes, they are “experimenting” on dogs but the benefit to the dog is so worth it. It isn’t cruel and the leg will even detach automatically if it senses any stress…

“At the beach last week, the foot got caught on a step. Cassidy just walked away and the leg lay there on the sand.”

Talk about amazing. I am so grateful to live in this amazing time.

Have You Heard of This?

I came across a cool blog and as I was reading some of her posts I came across one that mentioned something called NAIS. She is anti - NAIS which aroused my curiosity so I decided to dig a little deeper to find out what it was.

NAIS apparently stands for National Animal Identification System.

Sounds harmless enough. Unless you’re like me and never like the sound of a “national” identification system of any kind. Aside from drivers licenses we don’t need to be identified and tracked like cattle. Which is what this program wants for animals - a way to track them from birth to death and everywhere in between.

I am not a fan of the government tracking us or our animals for our “own good.” The premise behind this law appears to be the government’s way of preventing disease or at least discovering where they start. At least that is the excuse they are using.

Just like the issues with the Consumer Protection Act passed last year, the unintended consequences are rarely thought about by the politicians, who aren’t even affected by such laws. Thankfully, that law got a stay for another year so children’s clothing and items are okay for now, but who knows what will happen in this year.

The unintended consequences of the NAIS, to me, appear to be a massive overreach of government into personal lives. This country used to be much more free. People had the freedom to do as they wished with their land, their livestock, their businesses.

While some regulations are good and I have no problems with, this kind of system reeks of big brother. It does not just track the animals, but the people and their movement. It affects not just huge farms, but hobbyists and small businesses (just like with the CSPIA).

Even though USDA is advocating this program, the government has not done a cost analysis of the program. Costs for similar programs in other countries are estimated to range from $37/head to $69/head on average. With over a hundred million cattle and millions of other livestock animals in the United States, the NAIS will likely cost producers, businesses, and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.

Unintended consequences.

All in the name to “protect” us … usually from ourselves.

I cannot tell from reading whether this law will someday apply to companion animals like cats and dogs. My dogs are microchipped, but it was a voluntary decision, not mandated by law. I do not want the government coming in telling me that I *must* do something like the NAIS proposes.

Approrpriate Use of Tax Dollars

My first reaction to watching this video was disgust. If my husband were to do this I’d make fun of him and be mad. At first.

This is in my neck of the woods. The officer stops traffic on a very busy highway in order to let a momma duck and her ducklings cross the street.

Why do I say it, at first, made me angry? Because it is not the job of a police officer to protect wildlife that happens to wander on the road.

Not only that, but most law enforcement deaths are from traffic accidents so this officer was putting himself in even greater danger for some ducks. I would be furious if my husband put himself in this kind of danger. You can see that even though he was trying to stop traffic some of the cars were still going around (which also pissed me off … you see lights you stop or pull to the right…you don’t go around!).

On second consideration though I think that the cop did the right thing. Why such a change in thought?

I was discussing this with my coworkers and one of them brought up the fact that if he hadn’t stopped traffic that it is very likely that some moron would have swerved to avoid the ducks, thereby causing a serious accident and very likely a fatal pileup.

Knowing the people in this state I can say that is probably exactly what would have happened. There are people here who would rather swerve to avoid hitting a squirrel and put their own lives or the lives of others in danger than to hit the squirrel.

Me? I’d hit the squirrel if there were cars or people around. I hate squirrels anyway and no way would I try to avoid one if it meant crashing my car or hurting someone. [Lest you think me heartless, I also wouldn't swerve just to hit a squirrel...yucky.]

So after considering the situation I am glad the officer did what he did, even though my gut reaction was disgust. He probably saved the lives (or at least prevented serious injury) of people.

Oh…and yes, I’m specie-est (or whatever the word is) because if it would have been a dog I would have immediately been glad the officer stopped traffic. But whatever. =) I know my faults.

Walter Reed for Dogs

I love this!

A new $15 million veterinary hospital for four-legged military personnel opened Tuesday at Lackland Air Force Base, offering a long overdue facility that gives advanced medical treatment for combat-wounded dogs.

It sounds like, from the article, that dogs are in high demand for the military. So much so that they’ve started breeding programs on base. Which is interesting. I wonder why they are in such high demand.

I love the last quote in the story though…after their service is over…

“the military tries to adopt them out and “station them at Fort Living Room,”"

Narcoleptic Poodle

While visiting my Entrecard buddies I stumbled across this post at The Gang about a Narcoleptic poodle. Is it wrong that I started laughing when this poor guy plopped down asleep. The poor thing!!! I hope they figure out how to fix him so he can have a normal doggy life. But it’s still kind of cute.

Here I pray for my dogs to sleep! Well, at least for Bullet to sleep. She went to daycare today!!! At this moment, 5:30 p.m. Pacific time she is sleeping at my feet. In the 3 weeks we’ve had her that is unheard of. Woohoo!!! A tired dog is a good dog…except when it’s Narcoleptic.

A New Trend? Dog Napping?

My mother in law told me that she saw a news report about a woman in Seattle fighting off an attacker as she took her dog for a walk. The dog - a beautiful red and white Siberian Husky - was the target of the attempted robbery. Seriously. The guy was trying to steal her dog!

Who the heck mugs someone for their dog? Apparently stealing dogs isn’t a new thing but it still boggles my mind.

The news story mentioned that the purpose of trying to get the dog was to then resell it for $500. Which is insane. Dogs aren’t commodities. They aren’t televisions (though I admit an unhealthy affinity for my TV).

A radio talk show host I used to listen to had his new purebred bulldog stolen right out of his front yard when he was home. (One of the drawbacks of having an electric fence in the yard is that it doesn’t keep the bag people out.) He received a call a few days later saying that he would get his dog back if he paid money. They were after drug money. Thankfully the people involved weren’t *that* bright because they agreed to meet him and he brought the police and got his dog back.

I know that hubby and I are extremely paranoid about our dogs. All three are microchipped and we don’t even like to leave them home alone in their outdoor kennel. We are seriously that concerned about someone entering our fully fenced back yard and stealing our dogs. There are some seriously unstable people out there.

I couldn’t find either story I reference above online (I am not good at searching for things like that) so if anyone can find it let me know. MIL saw the husky mugging on the nightly news a couple of days ago.

Oh…the woman above fought back. =) As well she should have! No one is taking my dog from me without a very furious fight. She is injured but alive and she still has her dog. Thank God!!!

Hang on to your babies!

Remember Those Who Served

This Memorial Day we pause to remember those who served and died fighting to protect our freedoms and liberties. Often overlooked are the military dogs who served alongside their humans…and often died in their efforts.

In World War II, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American Kennel Club encouraged dog owners to donate dogs to the war effort. The “War Dog Program” became known as K-9 Corps during the 40s and 50s. While nearly 30 breeds were initially accepted into the program, eventually German Shepherds and four other suitable breeds made up the program.

Dogs trained for 8 to 12 weeks on everything from basic commands like sit and stay to intense training to become accustom to gun fire and riding in military vehicles. After basic training dogs were entered into one of four programs…

Sentry Dogs - Most dogs were trained for sentry duty working with a guard and warning them if any stranger approached. They were especially valuable in the dark.
Scout/Patrol Dogs -These special dogs were trained to perform their duties in extreme quiet in order to detect snipers and enemy forces.
Messenger Dogs - Only 151 messenger dogs were trained during WWII and they were extremely special dogs. Their loyalty was paramount as they were required to work with two trainers.
Mine Dogs - I think the name says it all. These dogs were trained to detect mines and trip wires.

They saved lives and helped defeat our enemy through several wars. The incredible work that these dogs did cannot be forgotten.

Animal Intelligence - Good or Bad

I found this interesting article via Instapundit.

My dogs are of course the smartest dogs in the universe *grin* but apparently being smart isn’t necessarily a good thing for animals in terms of evolution and life span. Of course the scientists used fruit flies in their experiment (what is it about fruit flies?). I honestly don’t know how their results truly translate to larger mammal populations.

“…the very act of learning takes a toll. The scientists trained some fast-learning flies to associate an odor with powerful vibrations. “These flies died about 20 percent faster than flies with the same genes, but which were not forced to learn…”

I know I feel pretty drained after learning anything new. Ha! I just hope I’m not shortening Trooper’s life span by teaching him new things in Agility Training. =)

I wonder how this study would apply with cats. If Fade can learn how to play dead (*grin*) he has to have some smarts! I know that my kitties are so smart that they even clean their own litter boxes (that’s another story for another day).

National Peace Officers Memorial Day - May 15

Today is National Peace Officers Memorial Day. First signed into law by President John F. Kennedy, National Police Week is every May and yet we rarely year about this special acknowledgment of our hard working men and women in law enforcement.

Nor do we often hear about their K-9 comrades. Do we ever stop and consider the important work that these incredible canines do? Police dogs are a huge part of law enforcements efforts to keep law abiding citizens safe. They do amazing things and perform great acts of heroism and yet are often overlooked in their valor.

Every time I see a K9 police car I smile. I know how special these dogs are. Not any dog can become a successful police dog. I know mine wouldn’t pass the test.

When I volunteered at the local shelter we’d have people come in to test the dogs to see if they had the characteristics necessary for police work. It wasn’t a difficult test. I remember so clearly one time a man coming in with a yellow tennis ball. He held the ball in front of each kennel and see what the dogs reaction was. If the dog focused on the ball intently it would be taken out to the play area for some more interaction. What a great way to save these dogs from an uncertain future! There are so many unwanted dogs and training some for police work is a much better result than the alternative.

While we celebrate the protection that officers provide us every day, let’s take a few moments to also honor their K-9 partners. They work, sacrifice, and give their lives in the line of duty.

“The Working Dog”

My eyes are your eyes,
To watch and protect yours.

My ears are your ears ,
To hear and detect evil minds in the dark.

My nose is your nose,
To scent the invader of your domain.

And so you may live, my life is also yours.

Author Unknown