Hungry for a Midnight Snack?

I'm always hungry for a lite Husky snack in the middle of the night :-) Does your dog like to hang out in strange places?

[Image: CaninePics.com]

Just Washing the Dishes

...with my tongue! How does your dog find tasty left-over goodies?

[Image: CaninePics.com]

Abandoned Dog Becomes Inspiration to Others

More than two years ago, when Duane Hodges found Dobie, a stray black Labrador puppy, who was severely injured, he had a right-hip fracture and a break in his right leg.

According to a veterinarian, Dobie was believed to have been thrown from an upper level of a parking garage, based on his injuries. Duane Hodges works near the St. Louis Park, Minn. parking garage where Dobie was found injured. He believes the intent was to end the dog's life, and he is angry about it. After Hodges went to visit Dobie at a clinic he said that Dobie ran to him and that it broke his heart.

After that, Hodges decided to pay the $5,000 cost of surgery and underwater treadmill therapy Dobie would need to get better. Hodges explained that he didn't even think twice about the cost, because he's a dog lover and his heart went out to Dobie. The surgery was a success. Now, more than 2 years later, Dobie has been adopted into a loving home. His owner said, “There are no hip joints there so when you see him go down the hall there’s not hips but he does really well.”

Dobie uses his disability to help people with severe disabilities. This therapy dog has been visiting Phoenix Alternatives every week for the past three months. He brings a smile to those that can’t speak, walk or use their hands. One man, who can’t speak, uses a device to speak and play with Dobie. A recording goes off that says, “Dobie, sit, good dog.”

“There were a lot of people that really gave a lot of encouragement, a lot of help in getting him here and it’s just a way to thank them is to let him help someone else. That’s what he loves doing,” said his owner.

[Source: Itchmo.com and WCCO]

Man Marries Dog to Ward off Curse

A man in southern India married a female dog in a traditional Hindu ceremony in a bid to atone for stoning two dogs to death.

The 33-year-old man married the sari-draped dog at a temple in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after an astrologer said it was the only way to cure himself of a disability, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported. P. Selvakumar told the paper that he had been suffering since he stoned two dogs to death and strung them up in a tree 15 years ago.

"After that my legs and hands got paralyzed and I lost hearing in one ear," the paper quoted him as saying. Family members chose a stray female dog named Selvi who was then bathed and clothed for the ceremony. He promised that he would take care of Selvi for the rest of his life. The family and the groom had a feast to celebrate, while Selvi received a bun to eat.

[Source: CNN Europe]

Dog Survives Swallowing Wii Remote

This is another story to remind pet owners of what not to leave around our curious and hungry pets.

The Becknell family took their three-year-old Labrador retriever to the veterinarian when the dog started vomiting blood. The animal hospital took X-rays of the dog’s stomach and it appeared that there was a TV remote in his stomach. The veterinarian induced vomiting on the dog. Pieces of an old TV remote came out from the dog’s stomach, but there was something else in there besides the TV remote.

“The vet started massaging the dog’s belly and it just came flying out of the dog,” said Marie Becknell. “I knew what it was right away by the color and shape of it. It was my son’s video game remote. The dog had swallowed the boy’s Nintendo Wii controller.”

The curious dog had to undergo surgery to have the remote removed. He recovered from his ordeal, but the Wii Remote did not fare so well. It had to be tossed into the garbage. The son’s punishment for leaving the controller out was two weeks allowance to replace the Wii remote.

Here are the top ten most common items surgically removed from pets, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance:
1. Socks
2. Underwear
3. Panty Hose
4. Rocks
5. Balls
6. Chew Toys
7. Corn Cobs
8. Bones
9. Hair Ties/Ribbons
10. Sticks

Other frequently ingested objects include nails, sewing needles and nipples from baby bottles. But VPI has also received medical records for pets that have swallowed pagers, hearing aids, drywall, snail bait, batteries, rubber bands, toy cars, and sand with bacon grease poured on it.

The best thing pet owners can do to prevent costly foreign body removal surgery is keep a clean living space. This includes making sure that personal items are not left on the floor or within easy reach of pets and remaining aware of each pet’s chewing tendencies. Certain objects may appeal more to some pets than others. Knowledge of a pet’s tastes and tendencies can help pet owners exercise caution when letting a pet near objects that could be accidentally swallowed. Also remember that table scraps can contain excessive grease, bones or other objects not easily digested by pets.

[Source: Itchmo.com]

Boys Honored For Raising Money For Police Dog Vests

Chicago Police are applauding the efforts of two young boys who raised money to help protect department canines.

Jonathan and David Walker-Moses, ages 5 and 6, were honored at the department’s monthly Awards Ceremony on Thursday for raising money to buy a protective vest for a police dog as a part of the Illinois Vest a Dog Program. The boys raised the funds by sponsoring a garage sale with the help of their mother last summer, according to a release from the police.

Jonathan and David were presented with certificates of appreciation at the ceremony, during which a check was presented on behalf of the boys to the department's Canine Training Center, the release said. On average, dog vests cost about $800 each.

Great job, Jonathan and David!

[Source: WBBM 780]

Hip Hop Mogul Speaks Out Against Dog Fighting

Russell Simmons, a hip-hop mogul and co-founder of Atlanta-based hip-hop label Def Jam Records, is speaking out against dog fighting. He recently shot a public service announcement for the Humane Society of the United States and the BeKIND Foundation.

The public service announcements will run on YouTube and on the organizations’ websites starting Tuesday. The ads feature a muzzled dog being thrown into a fighting ring, and Simmons saying, “There is nothing slick, cool or glamorous about dog fighting.”

This is not the first time that Simmons has spoken up against animal cruelty. In 2005, he joined the ASPCA and launched a national campaign to help raise awareness of and eliminate animal abuse and neglect. Simmons said, “There is nothing cool about being cruel to animals, they have no choice and no voice. Animal cruelty happens every day in America and people just sit by and do nothing.”

Kudos to you, Russell Simmons!

[Source: Itchmo.com]

Dogs Get SAD Too

As autumn moves into winter, don't be surprised if your dog has less energy and generally seems a bit down on life; he could be suffering from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD).

According to the PDSA, the UK's leading veterinary charity, 30% of dog owners questioned in a recent survey said that their dogs became less playful and seemed 'sadder' during the winter. In the same survey 40% of owners also thought that their dogs slept more frequently and for longer periods of time, and quite often lost all interest in walks.

SAD is a disorder many people suffer from in the winter months; it's believed that the lack of sunlight to the eye's retina increases the amount of melanin produced by the body. It's thought that a release of melanin into our bloodstream depresses our mood and makes us feel drowsy. Looking at our dogs in the same context, then it's not surprising they appear to show the symptoms of SAD during the winter months. Added to this, dogs pick up on our moods, so if we are affected by SAD our dogs are more likely to show the symptoms too.

If you find your dog is quieter during winter, keep an eye on the amount of food you are giving him - it's all too easy for inactive dogs to pile on the weight, so you may need to cut back on the rations. You could also try making exercise time more exciting to lift your dogs spirits - short, energetic games are more fun than long walks on cold, dark evenings. Try playing fetch with a favorite toy, or a game of frisbie. Games like that lift both your spirits and keep you warm!

[Source: DogTopic.com]