a friend for BObama?

LibertyBell
Washington DC







Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services for The HSUS has a portrait made in front of the White House with Liberty Bell, a Portuguese Water Dog rescued from an alleged puppy mill in Allentown PA during a raid on Almost Heaven Kennels. Haisley walks by the White House with son Coltrane. Rescuers from The Humane Society of the United States found a young, female Portuguese Water Dog during the June 23 raid of a notorious Lehigh County, Pa. puppy mill.





The dog, who was rescued from cramped, unsanitary conditions, will be transported to the nations capital today by The HSUS. Liberty Bell received her name because she has been liberated from a life of neglect.

She and the other 216 dogs rescued in Tuesday's raid on Almost Heaven Kennels have been placed with partner shelters and rescue groups throughout the region, and will soon be made available for adoption..

Ugly is...

This year's World's Ugliest Dog was named at the Sonoma-Marin Fair.
Miles Egstad rescued the new title-holder, Pabst, a boxer mix from a shelter three years ago. The dog's "bitter beer face" inspired his name.

Pabst upset a seven-year stretch of wins by members of the Chinese Crested breed. 2007's winner took 3rd this year. Elwood, a 6-pound Chinese Crested, was rescued by the New Jersey SPCA during an animal-abuse investigation.

Normally undesirable features like a severe underbite and a rumpled up face earn this dog a blue ribbon, $1600 in prize money and a modeling contract with House of Dog.

All the participants had to provide proof of health by a veterinarian. Celebrity judges included Jon Provost, the actor who played Timmy on "Lassie" and Karen "Doc" Halligan, known for her TV roles in "Groomer Has It", "Dog Tales", "Animal Rescue 911" and "Dogs 101". As Judge and Fair Board Member Brian Sobel said, “We were looking for dogs who were naturally ugly.” And Pabst was. Although thrilled about his win, Pabst's owner disagrees, "I don't think he's that ugly!"

Check out the The Daily Beast's Worst in Show round up.

RIP Michael

Michael Joseph Jackson 8. 29. 1958 – 6. 25. 2009

Remembering dads today

Another sweet friend is gone

dear sweet Crystal,
we hope you're on the stoop with Stella once again...

Respect

“I use this chance to honor the emotions of the nation of Iran and remind them that Iran, this sacred being, belongs to them and not to the fraudulent.” ~ Mir Hossein Mousavi

Wow !

Happy Birthday, Sasha!

sorry it's raining!

sasha b cohen feingold 6.9.2005

No Country for Old Dogs?

It's hard to imagine

making the decision to give up a family member for any reason but apparently it happens quite a bit...

Flo is a doe-eyed 10 year-old Basset hound mix that was sent to the animal shelter when her owner couldn’t return home after being hospitalized. The little dog,almost deaf, was terrified to be in a cage at a shelter with so many other animals and all of the commotion.

Josie is a serious looking senior Wheaton terrier mix whose owners tied a pretty bow around her neck and dropped her off at a shelter in Northern California.

And when a tiny silver-haired Shih Tzu named Jennifer got too old, her family brought her to the shelter to be euthanized.

This is how life turns out for thousands of loyal older dogs. The main reason senior dogs are relinquished to shelters seems to be illness. Either the owner becomes too sick or passes away or the dogs develop an illness and owners can’t afford to pay for the medical care or choose not to get help.

Prospects are pretty grim if you’re an unwanted senior canine. Shelter workers see the tragedy every day as older dogs with wonderful dispositions are tossed aside. And once they get to an overcrowded public shelter with limited resources they are “practically written off” as un-adoptable.

In addition to being hard to re-home, senior dogs have special health risks when they’re exposed to a shelter environment. They’re more susceptible to kennel cough, their arthritic bones get worse as they sit on concrete floors and the overall stress of living in a shelter can worsen any pre-existing illness. For most old dogs the shelter is where they spend their last days before being euthanized.

However, in the last couple of years some animal advocates who are touched by these sad circumstances are coming to the aid of senior canines.

Sherri Franklin is one of these advocates. With a distinguished career in animal rescue she began a non-profit organization in 2007 for older dogs, called Muttville. The group is located in San Francisco. Their website says this about their goals:

“Muttville’s mission is to change the way the world thinks about and treats older dogs and to create better lives for them through rescue, foster and hospice. We reach out to senior and special needs rescue dogs; find suitable homes for those dogs that are adoptable; and offer end of life care for those that are not.”

The organization is successfully making the last few years of unwanted senior dogs peaceful and happy.

In other parts of the country, The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs and Old Dog Haven are also saving the lives of seniors that have been cast aside. Both organizations have become experts in getting older dogs ready for new homes. They provide an extensive medical workup for each animal so they are in the tip top condition and they use the internet for finding new homes.

Because most of their budgets are used for medical care another organization called Grey Muzzle was started to help. They give grant money to rescue groups that specialize in working with senior dogs.

And some animal shelters like Sacramento SPCA have started programs to meet the special needs of old dogs. They provide cots to get the dogs off the floor and they do a dental and blood work-up so they can determine any medical problems. The group also waves the adoption fee so senior dogs have a better chance of getting a new home.

There are many specific reasons why people avoid adopting an older pet, but the basic theme is, ¯There‘re so many dogs available, why choose one with something that looks like a big problem, or looks ugly, or takes a lot of effort?

The Senior Dogs Project also finds homes for older dogs. They list these 10 reasons why people should consider adopting a senior canine:

1. Most are house trained.
2. They are past chewing inappropriate items.
3. They are focused so they quick learners.
4. Old dog know the meaning of “No.”
5. Settle in with a pack easier.
6. Give lots of love.
7. WYSIWYG - What you see is what you get in personality and behavior.
8. Instant companionship.
9. Owners get more time for themselves because seniors are less demanding.
10. A good night’s sleep - old dogs need their rest.

It’s a sad commentary when people place less value on anything or anyone that is old. Sure, brand new puppies are wildly adorable, but it is a heartwarming experience when an older dog looks you in the eye and crawls into your lap and falls asleep.

Many thanks to Dogster member Daisy Mae’s page.

ever wonder?

Ever wonder what television and movie producers have to do in order to display the disclaimer, "No animals were harmed?"

A guest at the Denver Pet Partners volunteer meeting on Saturday, June 6th, provided inside information about the crucial and fascinating work of the Film and TV Unit of American Humane.

Karen Rosa, unit director, explained to Denver Pet Partners their role in assuring the safety of all animals, from insects to elephants, that are used in television shows and movies.

Certified Animal Safety Representatives are sent to the sets to observe the filming and verify the health and welfare of the animals. Many hold advanced degrees in animal behavioral sciences.

Safety Reps may have species-specific expertise or may be generalists with knowledge of an array of animals (here is information on becoming a rep )

"Established in 1940, American Humane’s Film & Television Unit is the leading authority on the safe use of animals in film. We are the only animal welfare organization in the world with on-set jurisdiction from the Screen Actors Guild to supervise the use of animals.

We are also the only organization with the authority to issue our renowned “No Animals Were Harmed”® end-credit disclaimer."

In some early movies, animals were deliberately harmed in order to produce realistic, albeit inhumane, effects. In order for horses to fall in the battles in the 1936 film, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," they were tripped with wires, and had to be put down after the photo shoot due to broken legs. One horse in another movie was run over the edge of a cliff into a river and subsequently broke his back. This brutal treatment was put to an end due to the dedication of American Humane.

The Screen Actors Guild is very grateful for the partnership of the Film and TV Unit of American Humane, because they want their audience to know they have not harmed the animals in their movies. There is no other organization that does this work, and American Humane has all rights to the four words, "No animals were harmed." There are a few specific designations, or ratings, they apply to the films as well. For instance, the rating "Outstanding" means they approve of the entore film and "Acceptable" means it was overall acceptable but not all scenes were monitored.

Now you know.

many thanks to Denver Pet Partners and Denver Dynamic Dogs for this information.

Dogwood Park

is









our favorite dog park!




This fabulous pooch paradise










offers 25 acres of fenced-in, off-leash fun

for dogs

and their humans alike.

Sasha LOVES the huge swimming hole!
(no humans allowed)










it's a great place to socialize

go for a romp in the woods

a roll in the grass







or just get some
well deserved rest!












Dogwood Park of Jacksonville
7407 Salisbury Rd., Jacksonville FL 32256
daily/weekly passes available!
Phone: 904-296-3636