community news - [ Dogs ]

From CNN:
SANTA BARBARA, California (AP) -- Sam, the dog whose ugliness earned him TV appearances, limousine rides and even a meeting with millionaire Donald Trump, has died, the Santa Barbara News-Press reported Tuesday.

The pooch with the hairless body, crooked teeth and sparse tuft of hair atop his knobby head died Friday, just short of his 15th birthday, said his owner, Susie Lockheed.

"I don't think there'll ever be another Sam," she said, adding wryly, "Some people would think that's a good thing."

Sam became an international celebrity after winning the ugliest animal contest at the 2003 Sonoma-Marin Fair in California -- a victory he twice repeated. The purebred Chinese crested hairless made appearances on TV in Japan, radio in New Zealand and in Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid, stayed in luxury hotels and met Trump on a talk show set. more...

ALHAMBRA, Calif -- The littermates of a Northern California puppy may be green with envy.

That's because a golden retriever born last week is green. The little green fella is one of a litter of four. But his littermates are the usual blond color.

read on...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A hound mix named Trucker has survived having two long nails driven into his skull by his owner, according to Kansas City TV station KMBC.

The nails were driven into his head with a hammer, according to KYTV in Springfield. The nails just missed the dog's brain and major nerves. Veterinarians were able to remove the nails, but Trucker will be blind in one eye and deaf.

Dr. Robin Toner, an emergency veterinarian, said it is the worst case of animal abuse that the workers have seen. One nail was allegedly driven into the dog's skull, and another was hammered into his cheekbone, KYTV reported.  more...

I entered Pepper and Daisy in Channel 4's Cutest Dog Contest.

See them here in "more cutest dog contestants" section! They are numbers 21 and 22 on the slideshow!

Now the waiting game!

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- When is a dog not a dog?
 
When it's a greyhound in Kansas.

It may sound like a punchline to a joke, but it's true. Two years after the Parimutuel Racing Act was passed in Kansas, the law protecting pets in the state was changed to exclude greyhounds from the designation of dog.

"A greyhound ought to be a dog in the state of Kansas," said Kevin Neuman, of Overland Park.

Neuman and his wife, Sherri, have fostered and adopted greyhounds for 11 years. They are also active in a greyhound placement organization for retired racers.

"We fell in love with the breed. They're definitely a dog . They're a great dog," Neuman said.

Monday, he went to Topeka to try to change the law.

The National Greyhound Association, based in Abilene, Kan., disagrees. The executive director called the change unnecessary and said greyhounds aren't bred for pets, and therefore, shouldn't fall under pet protection laws. keep reading...

A pet chihuahua dog has adopted a baby chick in China.

Huahua took charge of the chick as soon as owner Liu Bangyang's daughter brought it home.

She regards the chick as her baby and stands guard to make sure it comes to no harm, reports the Chongqing Morning News.

And, whenever the chick strays too far, Huahua picks it up gently in her mouth and puts it back in its cot.

Liu, from Guiyang city, Guizhou province, said: "We'll try our best to raise the little chicken, if that's what Huahua wants." from Ananova...

DORA, Ala. -- A lost Alabama toddler was found Wednesday after a neighbor’s three-legged dog came to his rescue.

The incident began in Walker County, Ala., Wednesday morning when Mitchell Lachance wandered out in the yard and went a little too far. 

"He just walked the wrong way, went out in the woods, you know. It was just an accident," said Ron Lachance, Mitchell's father.

Firefighters, police and neighbors scoured the woods in a four-hour search that turned up nothing.

With the search getting tense, neighbor Gary Hagood and his dog Sasha joined in.

"(Sasha) could hear Mitchell, but I couldn't. So she went right to Mitchell, and I followed her, and he was in a ravine, and there was a bunch of briers and thorns," said Hagood. "She went right through the briers. She was all over him, licking him, and Mitch was petting her." read more...

Proof that a little compassion goes a long way...yet another reason to believe that there IS hope in this world...

Iraqi Dogs Have Plenty of Food After Response To Soldier's Plea

LAS VEGAS -- Just before the New Year, Army Reserve Capt. Gabriella Cook sent an urgent e-mail from Iraq requesting food shipments. Not for her or her unit - for Iraqi police dogs.

"The dogs are starving and urgently need dry dog food," Cook wrote in a Dec. 28 e-mail that said the Iraqi Interior Ministry's only bomb-sniffing police dogs were eating table scraps and garbage.

The response to the canine crisis has been overwhelming: Offers of help poured in from New Hampshire, Florida, Texas, Ohio and New York. One sports gambling handicapper alone ponied up $5,000. more

dogs  donations  feel-good  fundraising  good samaritins  U.S.  world  

HELLO EVERYONE! Dog Food is not available for purchase in Iraq. It costs $50 to send a bag on your own, but the Las Vegas Humane Society is pooling funds to get food at a discounted rate. I donated $10 through the Las Vegas website...it's tax deductable!

Click here to read the whole story
LAS VEGAS -- The commander of an Army Reserve detachment is begging friends back home to send food for Iraqi police dogs.

"The dogs are starving and urgently need dry dog food," Capt. Gabriella Cook, commander of the Las Vegas-based 313th Military Police Detachment, said in a Dec. 28 e-mail reported Wednesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"Some of them have already died," Cook wrote. "Half of them are sick. We have no way of buying actual dog food here." 

If you would like to help feed the dogs, you may send checks to the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. They are working with several companies to ship food to the animals as soon as possible.

"PetSmart has donated a pallet of food, and we hope PetCo will do the same," Judith Ruiz, president of the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society said.

Ruiz said several companies have donated food and that with the money, the Humane Society will be able to buy more dog food at a discounted rate and will also pay for shipping to Iraq.

"All funds will go directly for the animals," Ruiz said.

The Humane Society is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. So your donation will be tax deductible.

Send donations to:

Las Vegas Valley Humane Society
Funds For Dogs In Iraq
2250 E. Tropicana
Suite 19
Las Vegas, NV 89119
DONATE ONLINE

I received this message from my friend Jessica…

Please, everyone! Take Action! www.nochancearkansas.org

A dog just over seven inches long and weighing 27 ounces has been officially confirmed as the world's smallest living dog.

Danka, a one-year-old long-haired Chihuahua, is one of 10 dogs that Igor Kvetko keeps in Revuca, eastern Slovakia. Read on...

The Michigan Humane Society rescued a dog Tuesday that was stranded on Mud Island in Ecorse, according to Local 4 reports.

Authorities were able to trap the dog, which is described as being a Chow mix.

Residents in the area made several attempts over the past few weeks to save the animal. read on...

NEW YORK -- Fourteen search and rescue dogs who dug through the rubble of the World Trade Center have since died.

Eight of the dogs died from cancer.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine said they don't believe there is a connection between the deaths and the chemicals the dogs were exposed to.

But the New York Daily News said some dog owners blame the mix of chemicals their dogs were exposed to during the hunt for survivors and remains after the attack on Sept. 11, 2001.

more from WDIV Channel 4

THE COLONY, Texas -- A Texas man has been arrested after police say he taped the muzzle of his brother's dog shut -- and the dog died.

The 1-year-old black Labrador retriever -- named Bull -- was euthanized after suffering from heat stroke.

Police said Richard Swift of The Colony, near Dallas, taped the dog's muzzle shut last week to stop him from barking so he could sleep.

Swift was arrested two days later on a felony animal cruelty charge. He's free on bond. If convicted, he faces up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

An official with the SPCA of Texas told The Dallas Morning News that the taped muzzle kept the dog from panting. Panting allows dogs to cool down, since they don't sweat like humans. full story...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A California man is now wondering why he risked the lives of his family members in order to help a stray dog.

Jefferson Silveira pulled his minivan off the freeway Sunday night, to try to shoo a stray dog away from traffic near San Jose.

While Jefferson Silveira tried to save the dog from wandering into traffic, his wife, Catherine, her 12-year-old son and the couple's three younger children waited in the family minivan. He then watched in horror as the minivan was slammed from behind by a passing pickup going at least 60 mph. The driver reportedly told police he didn't notice the van until it was too late. Charges have not been filed and there was no alcohol in the driver's system. read on...

BETHLEHEM, Ind. -- Some 90 people searched through the night for a missing 2-year old girl before she was found safe Wednesday morning with a family dog on an Ohio River bank.

Daisy Smith was found more than a mile from her home by a Clark County conservation officer taking part in a search that began after she and the dog disappeared from the family's back yard about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Conservation Officer Mac Spainhour said the family dog was to thank for the girl's safety.

"This girl has a guardian angel," Spainhour said. "And it's the dog. He stayed with her throughout the night, and in the end he led us to her." more...

TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) -- Six puppies were killed, apparently by fireworks placed in their mouths, shortly after teenage boys were seen carrying Roman candles in a north Tulsa neighborhood.

Animal control officers said they were following leads Tuesday but had no suspects in Sunday night's attacks, during which one person told police they heard a puppy yelp.

more...

Kristen Kirby's 16-month-old Australian cattle dog, Summit, does just about everything you'd expect out of a puppy.

He runs in the park, fetches tennis balls, plays with Kirby's toddler and sometimes darts into the neighbor's yard, playfully ignoring his owner.

Summit is much like every other dog in the neighborhood, except for one thing - he can't hear. Kirby, who now lives in Atlanta, adopted Summit last spring from Summit County Animal Shelter just before she moved east.

more from Vail Daily...

With the approach of Valentine’s Day, there are a few important tips you should know for your sweetheart pet. A box of treats may not be the perfect way to say, “I love you” to your furry friend. High fat content and over-eating are a few problems for both people and pets during the holiday months.

Your cat or dog may find that hidden box of chocolate intended for your Valentine! Plastic or aluminum wrappers left unattended may pose a choking hazard. Prevent a holiday disaster by reading more from: http://www.petsmart.com/articles/article%5F13565.shtml

The Michigan Humane Society reports that shelter is required, by law, for any pet that must remain outdoors for any length of time.

The definition of shelter is, at the least, a well-built, insluated, slant-roofed dog house. The interior must be large enough for the animal to stand and lie down comfortably. It must be elevated at least 4 inches from the gorund for circulation, and the door should face away from wind with a protective flap to reduce drafts.

Use hay or straw instead of blankets because blankets may freeze, thus making the animal even colder.

Michigan Humane Society Investigators spent Friday searching for dogs that may have been left out in the bitter cold, WDIV Channel 4 reports.

Investigators had already found one dog dead from exposure when they found a rottweiler chained to car inside an uninsulated garage.

After investigators spoke with the homeowner's daughter, she attempted to bring the dog indoors, but it snapped at her. At that point, investigators decided to seize the dog and bring it to the warm shelter.

Experts advise not to use blankets for dog beds as they retain water and freeze. They recommend hay or straw in dog houses at least 4 inches off the ground.

Read more from WDIV Channel 4...

A recent accident reminds us to keep a colse eye on our pets near partially frozen lakes...

Deborah Jeffers was walking her dogs near Sylvan Glen Lake in Troy this weekend when one ran onto the ices and fell through.

Jeffers ran to the rescue of her dog, yet she fell through as well. Neighbors tried to rescue her, but in the end police were called and eventually dragged her to safety.

Jeffers is recovering from hypothermia and her dogs are safe and sound. More on this story from WDIV Channel 4...

A very rare condition was fixed on a small stray dog in North Carolina WDIV Channel 4 Reports.

Popcorn was found alone in a North Carolina State Park. At first, her rescuers thought she had a limp, but it turned out that she had five legs.

Donations totaling over $3000 have poured in from across the country to help pay for the lengthy surgery that removed two of the legs. One of the amputated legs was severely curled while the other was rotated 90 degrees, giving Popcorn painful arthritis. more about Popcorn...