Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week — Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Auggie & Jazz — chow and lab mix
"Why do a solo when a duet is twice as nice? These two guys have spent most of their lives together and we really would like to keep the team tight. Think Abbott and Costello, Seals and Croft, Ben and Jerry. Auggie is a reddish-brown chow mix; Jazz, a brown-and-white lab mix. One is a lonely number — you wouldn't wear one sock out of a pair, would ya?"

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). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

Ivins' memory lives on

This date can't go unnoticed as the day in 2007 when my favorite columnist — Molly Ivins — died at age 62.

Molly had a dog, which was named ... well ... I work for a family newspaper, so I'll just say that Ivins' obit in The New York Times said it was "an expletive."

For more, read this.

Thanks, Molly, for making me smile once again.

For the record, I've called Kate "you little 'expletive'." But I said it with love.

Please, no more photographs!

Try traditional treats instead

Buddy, a 3-year-old Labrador retriever, had a not-so-tasty, but pricey treat: two Super Bowl XLII tickets valued at $900 each.

His owner had instructed a courier to leave them under a doormat but slipped them under the door — and into Buddy's domain.

Here's the story from the Arizona Republic.

"He's a troublemaker," Buddy's owner said. "But he looks at you with those big eyes and you can't be mad for long."

Hey, been there, done that.

Kitsch me, you fool

What do you get when you cross man's best friend with stereo equipment?

Woofers.

Pretty kitschy, isn't it?

Look up your dog's name in our database

Here is the article in today's Poughkeepsie Journal about dog names in New York State as well as Dutchess and Ulster counties.

I had some fun picking out strange names.

Enjoy.

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week — Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Elsa — Domestic shorthair
"Elsa's family was forced to leave her behind, and this 2-year-old female badly misses her warm bed and the attention she once enjoyed. If you are looking for a sweet, affectionate cat, Elsa's your girl!"

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). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

Coming to the Poughkeepsie Journal

Be sure and check out my "expose" of dog names on the front page of tomorrow's Poughkeepsie Journal. There will even be an interactive database where you see how popular your dog's name is.

Mortgage crisis affects pets, too

This story from the Chicago Tribune tells how the subprime mortgage debacle has forced some people to give their pet up when their lose their homes.

Sad state of affairs, isn't it?

Manual for cat-keeping a must read

Here is a pretty amusing look at cat ownership from Mark Hinson at our sister paper, the Tallahassee Democrat.

If you are thinking about hiring the guy in the blog post below, maybe you should read it.

BTW, I love the name Pinko Commie (Expletive).

Man needs job

I like the way this guy thinks.

I just might rewrite my resume.

Top dogs

Like to look at dogs? Here's a slideshow from ABC News with the American Kennel Club's annual Top 10 breeds list.

Enjoy.

Comfy?

Yes, thanks.

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week — Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Switch — Terrier
"This young female terrier came to us after spending the first year of her life in a neglectful home. What a 'switch' she has made here at the shelter! This friendly girl gets along fine with other dogs and would be the ideal companion. Show her what it means to be in a loving, forever home."

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). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

Morning sun

The rich get richer and their pets get pampered

According to an article on Forbes.com, the pet industry is the seventh largest retail industry in the U.S., more than jewelry, candy, toy and hardware. What's more, after consumer electronics, pet care is the fastest growing category in retailing, expanding about 6 percent a year.

And the rich and famous, with much more disposable income that I could ever imagine, are driving the growth of "upscale" services, like acupressure and pet massage, hydro-surge and oatmeal spa treatments, aromatherapy and animal psychiatrists.

Old joke: I'd take my dog to a psychiatrist, but he's not allowed on the couch.

Ba-dum-bump.

Be sure and check out the photograph link at the end of the article.

I should be so pampered.

Solution for a difficult choice

An Arlington, Va., women's shelter opens its doors to abuse victims' pets.

It sounds like a great way to avoid having women put their lives in more danger to protect their companion animals.

Here's the story from the Indianapolis Star.

'Tears of joy and relief'

Here's another story on the trucker's lost dog saga, which wonderfully had a happy ending Friday when they were reunited.

Sorry, Kate, but that is one cute dog.

Trucker's dog found

Looks like Sato has been found and the trucker is on his way back for a reunion.

Here's the story from the Journal News.

UPDATE: The story has been revised. Trucker and dog have been reunited.

Mark your calendar

This blog has started a new holiday. It's Live Like a Cat Day.

Some ways to celebrate it, as they suggest, are by sleeping in, playing with toys on the floor, taking a nap in the bathtub and having food delivered.

It's like I have a twin.

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week — Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Bells — Brown & White Tabby
"Lost and sad, Bells came to us as a stray and is attempting to adjust to life at the shelter. A staff favorite for her sweetness, she is destined to be a great companion someday."

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). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

'Dog bites man' isn't news

Here's a pretty bizarre story out of Houston about a dog stepping on a loaded rifle and shooting a hunter.

I'm reminded of Eddie Izzard's response to the saying "Guns don't kill people; people do." In this not-quite-safe-for-work-because-of-language video, he says, "I think the gun helps."

Still looking for trucker's dog

Sato, the red shiba inu with the tan belly, is still missing. The trucker is offering a $500 reward for his return. Call 845-494-1519 or 914-329-6067.

Here is today's article from the Journal News.

Trucker's dog lost in East Fishkill

A truck driver was told by his company to keep driving or lose his job after his dog ran away from a rest stop near East Fishkill.

Here's the story from the Journal News.

The dog is a 2-year-old Shiba Inu named Sato, who also answers to Little Toad. He is 23 pounds and is red with a tan belly.

Anyone with information should call 845-494-1519 or 914-329-6067.

Words to live by

"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue." — Author unknown.

He's got a hat face

Enjoy this video.

Cats in hats.

Cool.

And funny.

Ole, indeed.

Pet food maker to settle in contaminated food case

The Associated Press is reporting that Diamond Pet Foods, of Meta, Mo., will pay $3.1 million to reimburse pet owners for the loss of their dogs, veterinarian bills and the cost of unreturned contaminated food.

The company acknowledged that its workers at the Gaston, S.C., plant failed to follow internal testing procedures to make sure its products were safe.

Read the complete story here.

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week — Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Brucey — Beagle
"Forming their own little beagle brigade, two pals — Lucy and Brucey — were found wandering the streets in search of, well, something! Lucy has since found a home, but 6-year-old Brucey is still patiently waiting for the second chance he deserves."

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). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

Another year for my sweet Kate

Hard to believe.

Kate is 13 today. While I can't be sure exactly when her birthday is, she was about 4 or 5 months old when I got her. So I say that New Year's Day is her birthday.

She's as wonderful a dog today as she was back then.



I hope on some level she understands when I say, "Thank you, Kate."

Happy New Year

Have a safe and happy 2008!