Making Dog Theft a Felony!

NY bill passed to strengthen punishment for pet thieves.

JoAnna Lou | June 3, 2011

Having a beloved pet stolen is one of my worst nightmares. In New York, pet thieves are typically only charged with a misdemeanor since dogs are considered property by law. The value of stolen property must exceed $1,000 to qualify as a felony larceny. Since it's hard to place a dollar value on an animal, most thefts are prosecuted as the lesser offense. Fortunately, it looks like this may be changing for the better.

Read the whole story:

http://thebark.com/content/making-dog-theft-felony 

Did the Scent of Feet Bring a Lost Dog Home?

Human scent trails as a recovery strategy

I recently finished reading a story in Bark's summer issue about best practices for recovering lost dogs, based on the experiences and research of folks at the Missing Pet Partnership (MPP). Among their techniques for locating lost dogs are scent-detection dogs, i.e., using one dog to track down another. What I hadn't heard of was relying on the lost dog's nose to get himself home.

Over the weekend, I read about the curious case of Annika Schlemm and her wirey Terrier, Charlie, who went missing during a walk not far from his home in West Sussex, England. He was on the lam for several days, and was frequently sighted in areas where Schlemm had recently been searching. So her mom suggested she go to the last place he'd been sighted and walk home, barefoot—leaving a scent path for Charlie to follow. It seems to have worked; the errant dog arrived home the following day. We won't know for sure, Charlie isn't talking, but it's an interesting notion.

Relying on a dog's keenest scent makes sense, except for one possible problem. During my lost dog research, I learned that panicked dogs can temporarily lose their sense of smell. "The olfactory portion of the brain will shut down when a dog is stressed," MPP founder Kat Albrecht told me. "They're not thinking of eating. They're protecting themselves. They are full of adrenaline and need to be ready to bolt and run." That may be why some dogs don't always respond to food as bait or, unlike Charlie, have a hard time finding their way home

Original source, Lisa Wogan, thebark.com

Armless Girl's Dream--to surf with Surf-Dog “Ricochet“ Comes True

"There is more than one way of doing things" You should focus on what you CAN do.

Sabine is a survivor of one of the biggest medical tragedies of modern times… Thalidomide, which caused birth defects and was withdrawn from the market in 1961. She was born without arms, but that doesn't stop her from following her dreams. Thanks to surf dog Richochet, Sabine learned that "there is more than one way of doing things" and that you should focus on what you CAN do.

See her amazing story……….. http://www.freekibble.com/knews.asp

Dogs break out the champagne.

Dogs break out the champagne as Dogs Deserve Better, A non-profit savior of dogs, sets to close May 27th on Michael Vick's former Bad Newz Kennels

Will open mid-July as the DDB Good Newz Rehab Center for Chained and Penned Dogs.

Tipton, PA -- May 24, 2011 -- Dogs all over the country will be breaking out the champagne Friday as dog nonprofit Dogs Deserve Better—dedicated to ending the cruelty of chaining and penning dogs for life—closes on the property which once housed Vick's Bad Newz Kennels.

Sloane, a DDB foster dog recently rescued from years of living chained in the harsh Pennsylvania winters, will be the first foster dog to enter the property, where he will do a photo op for the Hampton Roads Magazine. In lieu of champagne (since it's really not good for dogs), Sloane will break out the doggie bones in celebration.

The dogs have cause to celebrate. Tamira Thayne, founder and CEO of the organization, states "Purchasing this property and in effect giving it back to the victims of the abuse that occurred here is a very powerful step for animal advocates and our country's dogs alike. We are sending a message to those who want to abuse and fight dogs that a new day is dawning in America, a day where dogs are treated with the love and respect they deserve as companions to humans. Here's to you, Dogs!"

Dogs Deserve Better, which has rescued and fostered over 3000 dogs in the ten years they've been in operation, hopes to build a facility on the property for their rescues which will house and rehabilitate 300-500 dogs a year when it is up and running.

But for now, the dogs will have to be happy with a symbolic triumph of good over evil. The group has raised the 30% down required by the bank, and will close on the loan Friday, May 27, when they will begin the transformation to the Good Newz Rehab Center for Chained and Penned Dogs. They still needs to fundraise to pay the remainder, build a fence around the property to keep the dogs inside and safe, and install temporary housing for dogs while they fundraise to build the facility.

They are seeking volunteers to help with these projects and materials, as well as transport for the org from Pennsylvania to Virginia.

The property was sold by Michael Vick to an investor as soon as the heat came on, and has been sitting vacant ever since. The group plans to maintain a memorial for the dogs who lost their lives in the brutality that occurred at the Moonlight Road, Virginia location.

Thayne continues, "Dogs Deserve Better has worked hard for chained and penned dogs for nine years, winning numerous awards, and fostering as many as 400 dogs per year out of our homes. With a center to call our own, we hope to rescue another 500 chained or penned dogs per year and move them on to new and better lives as members of a real, inside home and family. Dog lovers and supporters of our work will be welcome to visit us and our rescue dogs, as well as take a moment to honor the memory of those who died there.

"I ask every dog lover to donate what they can and spread the word. Ask your family, friends, celebrities, company owners, everyone you can possibly think of. Supporting this center as a major donor could only be good publicity, and Dogs Deserve Better continues to be an amazing nonprofit who will not let you down."

http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/ddbcenter.html

A Florida man saves his dog from the death grip fangs of a hungry 6 foot alligator.

Mr. Gary Murphy, age 72, was at  his Palm City, Florida home about 80 miles north of Miami, when he heard his West Highland terrier named "Doogie" making yelping sounds in the back of his yard.

Murphy quickly discovered his companion pet was in the jaws of an alligator that had entered the yard from marshland behind the property.  

He launched a rescue attempt by jumping on the reptile's back and hitting it on the head.

"I had loafers on and I hit the back of that gator. It was like jumping on a pile of rocks," Murphy told the newspaper. 

The alligator let go of Doogie, who required veterinary treatment for deep gouges, lung injuries and liver damage, but was expected to make a full and total recovery from this life threatening ordeal.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission warned it was alligator mating season -- making the reptiles more active -- and suggested pet owners keep a sharp vigil, and keep their animals on a leash, especially around water.

Murphy said he isn't a hero and likely would have done the same for anyone. Well, almost anyone.

"I'd have probably done it for anybody, except a politician," said Murphy.

Fukushima: Pets starving, scavenging in nuclear danger zone.

Via The Star: Pets starving, scavenging in nuclear danger zone. Excerpt:

They are family members, with names and birthdates, and they are often adorned with cute ribbons, sweaters or socks. 

But thousands of these pets are scavenging or starving to death as they wait for their owners to come to homes within a 20-km radius of the Fukushima nuclear power plants, which have been spewing radiation since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. 

When about 80,000 people were forced to flee explosions at the reactors in March, many couldn’t get fuel for their cars, and they weren’t allowed to bring their pets on buses. Thousands left their dogs and cats at home, thinking they could soon return for them. 

More than 70 days later, while they sleep in crowded, noisy evacuation shelters, their pets are still far away, alone or roaming in packs. 

“I called health officials at the Fukushima prefectural office a few days ago, and they still won’t allow us to rescue the pets,” says Akiko Fujimura, leader of Japan’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The SPCA is one of about 70 groups of animal welfare activists who have been protesting in Tokyo. 

“Many people want to save these animals, but the government won’t give them permission. It’s really horrible,” says Fujimura. “If the pets have radioactive elements on their skin, it’s no problem to wash it off. I think the government basically doesn’t care about animals.” 

The government says the rescues are too risky amid high levels of radiation. They have asked residents, who last week began taking buses to their homes for brief visits to collect photo albums and small valuables, to tie their pets to the front gates for collection. So far, about five government workers have picked up dogs, and only a few, says Fujimura.

One Man, One Dog, One 140,000 mile Life Changing Adventure.

A few years ago, Ara's 26 year old son died of cancer. He was lost without hope, felt empty and purposeless. Then, a dog named Spirit came along and Ara adopted him right away. Spirit had a tough go of it in the past and also had damage to overcome.......

Read this heart warming story at: http://www.freekibble.com/knews.asp