Hitting the road

It's time for a change.

After a couple of years freelancing and over five years full time as a reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal, I am leaving the paper as of today.

I've accepted a position as local editor of the newcity.patch.com website, and I'll be moving to Rockland County.

It has been fun scouring the web for pet-related stories and video. I hope you learned a thing or two and, at times, had a good laugh or smiled when you hadn't been before.

Out of the 1,065 blog entries — including this one — there have been some real highlights.

Remember Sally, the dog tossed into a clothing donation bin? We broke that story. We followed it through Sally's adoption and the perp's sentencing. All the festivals like Beacon Barks and Paws in the Park? Great times all. Silly videos like Dogs Baking Bread or the Stealthy Kitty? Why not enjoy the special qualities that pets bring to our existence?

Kate, my loyal companion for over 15 years, has been my foil through this whole experience, and I hope she will continue in the role for a while longer. It is hard to believe she was diagnosed with kidney failure almost a year ago.

I tried not to anthropomorphize her, but it is difficult to not do so when she has such character. Those eyes; they seem to drill into your soul.

Kate has her good days and her bad days, just like me. I want more of the good days, but will be there during the bad, for sure.

Thank you all for the feedback, and thanks for visiting this blog.

I intend to continue blogging about pets at my new personal site "Making Us More Human," which you can access by clicking here. Give me a day or so to decompress, even though I've already posted an entry.

I send many good thoughts to all of you and the special creatures that keep us grounded and loved unconditionally.

Dog bites ... shark?

Here's one for the books.

A posting on Hambone Nation Blog chronicles the tale of Lucy, the 1-year-old shepherd/husky mix who loves jumping into the water and catching lemon sharks.

Our story comes from Chuck Limroth of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Chuck was captaining a boat in the Bahamas when he and his wife Wendy came across Lucy, a 1-year old German shepherd and Siberian husky mix that was up for adoption. The couple was looking for a pet and decided to take Lucy back home to Florida.

What they weren’t told was the reason Lucy was up for adoption—it was for her own protection! While living on her former owner’s private island, Lucy had developed a knack for catching small lemon sharks in the mangroves. On two separate occasions she had to be flown off the island and treated for shark-bite related injuries. Her owner realized it was just a matter of time before Lucy was more seriously injured as a result of her “fishing” activities. The owner had Lucy taken to a nearby harbor and hoped for her own safety that she would be adopted by a tourist.

The Limroths were on vacation in the shallow mangroves of an island when Lucy jumped out of the boat they were in to chase after a lemon shark. A stingray was nearby and Lucy pounced on it.

The stingray plunged its barbed tail, full of venom, into Lucy's neck. I won't spoil the story; you should read the entire tale here.

There is something said for leashes and being very careful wherever you are if you choose to have your pooch off leash.

There are also some good tips on what to do in a medical emergency.

Dancing doggie

Dog doing the Merengue!

Woohoo!

Watch it here.

Sleeping hard before breakfast.

Cuteness alert

This video is too adorable.

It's corgis on a treadmill.

Super cute, arent' they?

Some rewards come at too high a price

From Reuters is the story of a Labrador retriever that won an unusual award.

Read the story here.

Elie, the pooch, ate a beehive containing dead bees and pesticides was recognized as the most unusual pet health insurance claim in the United States.

The winner was selected from a dozen pets nationwide and was announced by the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.

"Ellie may be a young dog, but she's already managed to eat everything from wooden toy train tracks to laptop computer keys," said the VPI. "So the beehive in the backyard was just another culinary adventure for this insatiable pooch."

She beat a border collie that ran through a window to get to a mailman and a terrier that bit a chainsaw.

Dogs in the swim to save lives

From Italy, via the Associated Press and NPR, comes the story of canine lifeguards on hand (paw?) to help swimmers who get into trouble.

Read the entire story here.

These "lifedogs" wear a harness or tow a buoy that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore, and unlike their human counterparts, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.

With millions flocking to Italy's crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year — and their canine helpers are credited with saving several lives.

Training takes three years to reach expert rescue status.

Roberto Gasbarri, who coordinates the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards program in the seaside town of Civitavecchia, said 300 dogs are fully qualified for duty.

"The dog becomes a sort of intelligent lifebuoy. It is a buoy that goes by itself to a person in need of help, and comes back to the shore also by himself, choosing the best landing point and swimming through the safest currents," he said.

Any breed can be trained as long as the pooch is at least 66 pounds.

What a great idea, don't you think?

What's that you say?

Who's a better listener? Your partner or your dog?

According to a survey by Purina, 31 percent of New Zealand female dog owners think their pets are better listeners than their partners.

Read the story in USA Today.

Two-hundred-fifty dog owners and 250 cat owners were interviewed.

The survey also found that nearly 50 percent of female cat owners share their problems with their pets.

Well, all I can say is Kate doesn't listen to me.

Good kittie

Not exactly the Cat Whisperer, but pretty impressive.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, there's a cat that has a sixth sense about other cats that might be in trouble.

Dubbing him a "guardian angel," "wonder cat" and "miracle kitty," the staff and volunteers at the Nine Lives Foundation's Feline Well-Care Clinic say Christopher can tell when other cats need help. He will sit outside the cages of sick felines until someone lets him in, and last month, the clinic says, he saved the life of a kitten in need of a blood transfusion.

Read the entire article here.

"He'll often paw at a cage door to be let in so he can clean and comfort a cat in there," said Robert Lowery, a San Ramon resident and volunteer at Nine Lives.

He even became known as the "feral kitten tamer" last month, when he asked to be let into a cage with two feral kittens that were "untouchable, just hissing and growling," Thompson said.

Dog stabbing being investigated

From The Associated Press:

SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. Park Police are investigating the stabbing of a dog at San Francisco's Fort Funston.

Authorities say a woman walking her dog reported her pet was stabbed by a man as he walked his dog on a trail in the park Thursday afternoon.

Park ranger George Durgerian says it's not clear what sparked the attack, but investigators are taking statements from witnesses who came forward after flyers were posted of the incident. A possible suspect has been identified, though no arrests have been made.

As for the wounded dog, it has been released from a veterinarian after undergoing surgery.

U.S. Park Police are investigating because Fort Funston is within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is operated by the National Park Service.

Beef treat recall

Another pet food recall affects beef-flavored dog treats.

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. announced the recall of all lots of 10-ounce “Beef Filet Squares” for dogs and “Texas Hold’ems” pet treats because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Read the recall notice from the company here.

According to consumeraffairs.com, this is the third time in recent weeks the Amarillo, Texas, based company has issued a recall for certain lot numbers of treats.

The food was distributed nationwide.

In July, Merrick pulled 86 cases of its beef filet squares off the market after a sample analyzed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested positive for salmonella. Earlier this month, the company pulled another 83 cases of those treats -- and the Texas Hold’Ems treats -- off store shelves. On Monday, Merrick recalled all lots of the treats sold in 10 ounce plastic bags because of ongoing concerns about salmonella contamination.

Merrick said it has not received any reports of illnesses linked to the recalled treats.

People can become infected with salmonella by not thoroughly washing their hands after touching contaminated products or any surface exposed to them.

Consumers who purchased the recalled treats can return them to the store for a full refund, the company said. For more information about this action, contact Merrick at 1-800-664-7387.

On this date

In 1977, on this date, comedian Groucho Marx died at the age of 86.

One of his funniest lines, to me, was the following:

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

Cats once abandoned, now being adopted

Ninety cats living in an abandoned Albany apartment have been rescued and are now up for adoption.

Read the story and see the video and pictures from WRGB TV Channel 6.

The effort started with a simple plea from Diane Metz of Albany: "Please help the Orange Street Cats." Lara DeLaMater was one of several dozen area residents who responded and learned that the long-abandoned apartment at 198 Orange Street was housing 90 severely neglected cats and two dogs.

The animal lovers entered the condemned apartment July 29 and took the animals.

In a previous email to CBS 6, DeLaMater said, "I personally walked through the house... there were cats in rafters trying to seek safety from the inches of feces on the floor. Thousands of flies swirled around and the stench was suffocating, even with a mask."

So far, without spaying or neutering, medical costs for each animal has been between $150 and $250, Metz said.

They have a Facebook page and a website if you'd like to help or donate. The group is looking for foster care providers.

Can somebody help here?

Here's a video showing that animals help each other.

It involves two turtles, one of which is in an awkward position.

Watch here.

An odd couple

This will make you smile, I guarantee.

Here is a video of a dog and a deer who play together.

Watch.

Dog goes above and beyond the call of duty

This has been around for a while but I just came across it.

Normally, when you see a dog grabbing a kitten, it doesn't bode well for the kitten.

But read this story from CBS News and watch the video for a real surprise about an Iowa shelter dog who takes care of a litter of kittens.

It really is remarkable, don't you think.

Stay out of my food bowl

File this under gross.

Your pet's food bowl could be making your children sick.

Here's an article in USA Today.

Dry pet food and cross-contamination after feeding a pet in the kitchen is responsible for salmonellosis outbreak in 21 eastern U.S. states between 2006 and 2008. The outbreak sickened 79 people, with almost 48 percent of the cases occurring among children under age 2, according to Casey Barton Behravesh, CDC veterinary epidemiologist and study's coauthor.

"This investigation resulted in identification of the first documented outbreak of human salmonellosis linked to the use of dry dog and cat food," Behravesh wrote.

The story also has links to the recall of several pet foods last week as well as what to look for if you suspect contamination.

Who are you calling dumb?

How do dogs and cats measure up?

An article on msnbc.com by John Roach makes comparisons of dogs to toddlers, the hunting prowess of cats and well educated cat owners are versus dog owners.

If the debate over cat vs. dog intelligence seems better articulated by cat owners, there's a reason: Cat owners are more likely to have university degrees than dog owners, according to researchers at the University of Bristol.

They blame it on work ethics, meaning better edumacated people work longer hours so they have less time for pet care.

Specious argument, I think.

The article also says cats hunt less efficiently than dogs, even though cats are able to sneak up on their prey.

The biomechanics of the dog gait, for example, enables them to reduce muscular effort required to move forward by 70 percent. The cat gait efficiency gains max out at 37 percent and drops precipitously in a stalking posture.

Interesting article. Too bad I'm not educated enough to understand it.

Bad economy bad for pets

A stagnant economy is affecting pets, too.

It's not a new story. The economy falters, companies downsize. Employees lose their jobs, can't pay bills and are forced to move out of their homes.

That can be difficult enough. But for some victims of the economy who find themselves in tight financial situations, there's another difficult issue to tackle:

What do I do with my pet?

Read the entire article by Abbey Roy in the Newark (Ohio) Advocate.

Increasing cases of animal abandonment and shelter overcrowding indicate that pets aren't immune from the economy's toll on the nation. As pet owners continue to tighten their budgets to make ends meet, many are turning to shelters or abandoning their animals simply because they can't afford to keep them.

The Licking County Humane Society works with people who feel they have to give up their pets, asking if they are doing so because they can't afford to feed them.

If that is the case, there are places where food can be obtained such as a pet food pantry in Newark.

People are also cutting back on preventive care, such as heartworm prevention and fecal checks.

Sad to say, I am sure people are cutting back on their own care as well.

Walkway event promotes pet safety

My colleague John Barry covered Hounds Over the Hudson — hosted by the Dutchess County SPCA — Saturday on the Walkway Over the Hudson.

Here is his story in today's Poughkeepsie Journal.

I stopped by to check things out and took a few pictures. It was a gorgeous day to be on the Walkway. The views were spectacular.