My apologies. It was a real week in the newsroom. I got the featured pet information from Keri at the Dutchess County SPCA on Tuesday as usual, but was too busy to post it by Thursday. And then I had car problems that had to be dealt with on Friday.
So — better late than never — here is the DCSPCA Pet of the Week. Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?
This week's featured pet: Diamond — Coonhound "Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but this shining dog likes men, too! This purebred BluetickCoonhound female will do anything from hiking to napping, with an emphasis on napping."
The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722).
On Sept. 8 — a Saturday — bring your pooch to Bowdoin Park in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the Lucky 13th annual Dutchess County SPCA Paws in the Park Petwalk.
Kate and I will be there, taking in the fun, food, music and games.
You can collect pledges and raise money for the Hyde Park shelter. Registration and pledge forms are available on the DCSPCA website as well as most vet offices and animal feed stores.
Here's a video from PoughkeepsieJournal.com of last year's event, filmed by my editor Maria Burnham and (now former) reporter KathianneBoniello.
Paws in the Park begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m.
It's an age-old question (well, not really) and my result is below.
I would have thought I'd be much more dog than cat — ask anyone, I am needy! — but that's how I answered the questions.
You Are: 60% Dog, 40% Cat
You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.
Yesterday, I got to do a story that was published today about the canine tent at the Dutchess County Fair. There were diving dogs, flying disk-catching dogs and dogs running agility courses.
It's the seventh year in a row that the fair has had an exhibition devoted to companion animals — the only exhibit at the fair. The rest are cows, horse, goats, chickens and such — domesticated animals, sure, but not considered pets.
The canine tent goes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day of the fair, through Sunday.
Here's a video clip (Note to Gannett Corporate: I took the video with my cell phone camera) of Erich Steffensen of Millbrook, N.Y., working with his dog Java, a 3-year-old female border collie.
The dock diving demonstration was fun as well. The fair put a 45-foot-long pool next to the canine tent and twice a day dogs leaped into the water after their favorite toys.
And, of course, you had to watch out for the inevitable consequence of a dog in water. Our finest
Also at the fair, everyday except Sunday, will be police K-9 demonstrations. Besides a program at 1:30 in the canine tent, the K-9 officers will have a demonstration tonight and Friday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and at noon Saturday at Livestock Hill.
I spoke with Lt. Charles Hicks of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office. His partner, Timber, is an accelerant detection canine.
These demonstrations show a little bit of what the patrol dogs can do, he said. They will be showing obedience and agility training, apprehending a suspect and a car stop like on the street.
Hicks said they will also be doing a little bit of audience participation, where they bring a kid up to help out.
"It helps them realize that these dogs can be petted," he said.
At the fair Wednesday were K-9 teams from the sheriff's office, the towns of Newburgh and Poughkeepsie and Mt. Vernon.
Check them out if you haven't seen them in action. These guys and their canine partners are fantastic.
Rescue dogs
The booths in the canine tent were staffed by a few of commercial outfits, like Ledgewood Kennels who have taken such good care of Kate in the past, and some nonprofit rescue groups.
Canine tent organizer Dale Mountain said the nonprofits are not charged for space at the fair. They are provided a place to give information to the public about the plight of dog overpopulation.
I spoke with Campbell Muir of Saugerties, N.Y., who runs the Labrador Retriever Rescue of the Hudson Valley.
He said they are at the fair to do some fund raising and to make the public aware of lab rescues.
"A lot of people don't realize that labs are abandoned," Muir said. "Kids go back to school and the mother and father will get rid of the dog. Or they will get a dog for the kids for the summer and then get rid of it."
Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week. Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?
This week's featured pet: Charcoal — Domestic shorthair "Where there's smoke, there's fire, and one look in this all-black female's gold eyes, and you know there is something cooking inside. Despite her size, this girl is pretty active, so plenty of toys and open space are strongly recommended."
The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722).
Atlanta Journal Constitution editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich has a good cartoon about Vick, who recently said he would plead guilty to dog-fighting charges.
You can see it here. Make sure you choose Aug. 21 on the calendar if it's not already selected.
And others are piling on to Vick's self-created woes.
Want your dog — and by extension, you — to get a chance to get even with Vick? How about a Michael Vick chew toy?
Need some new T-shirts? Bumper stickers? Coffee mugs? Try this link. Some images may not be safe for work.
About Woyton: He's a Poughkeepsie Journal reporter and a dog owner, though not necessarily in that order.
About Kate: She was named after Kate Hepburn. It's the cheekbones. Kate is a (best guess) 14-year-old (even more of a guess) boxer/shepherd mix, who is (absolute certainty!) a sweetheart and the best dog in the whole wide world.
This week's featured pet:
