Sorry for reporting on a repulsive story but sometimes I have to just so we don't let our guard down on animal cruelty. This is a strange one indeed. From the Scotsman:
A BLIND man bit his guide dog during a savage attack on the animal in the middle of a busy city street.The 34-year-old man sank his teeth into the dog’s head in an astonishing attack.
The assault has provoked fury from animal welfare groups who said anyone found guilty of an attack on an animal should be banned from owning one, even if they have a disability.
An eyewitness said they saw the man dragging the eight-year-old bitch across the access road at Meadowbank Retail Park before biting its head and kicking the dog’s body.
The sickened passer-by immediately contacted Lothians and Borders Police.
A spokesman today said a man was identified and arrested several days later. He has since been charged with breach of the peace and animal cruelty.
The labrador/retriever cross was taken into protective care by police and was later handed over to a charitable organisation for guide dogs.
Detectives are in the process of checking the area’s CCTV camera footage to ascertain why the man "lost it" before biting and kicking the beast.
Amber's secret to longevity is her diet of cod, chicken and prawns
A west Wales feline is laying claim to be being the oldest living domestic cat in the world.Amber was a fully grown stray when she took up residence in Diane Sleeman's Ferryside home in 1978.
Diane thinks she is now approaching 30, which would make her almost five years older than the current record holder, according to Guinness World Records.
Researchers said if Diane can provide them with evidence then they will consider Amber's claim.
She has still got plenty of spirit but she is not as active as she used to be
Diane SleemanAmber has lost most of her teeth now which makes it hard for vets to get an accurate age.
Okay, a day late but here's Sammy showing off 14 front toes for you:
Have a nice weekend and thanks for stopping by!
Remember those paintings of dogs playing poker? Two of them just sold for a lot of Kibbles and Bits. From AP/Yahoo:
A pair of paintings from the famed series depicting dogs playing poker fetched nearly $600,000 at auction Tuesday.The two works — "A Bold Bluff" and "Waterloo" — were among 16 paintings that artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge was commissioned to create for a Minnesota-based advertising company in 1903. Of the 16, nine are of dogs playing poker.
The two works that sold Tuesday for $590,400 capture moments in a poker game played by five dogs, among them a St. Bernard that ends up collecting the pot on a bluff.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, a bunch of snooty pure-breds prance around for a bunch of snootier (is that a word?) dog aficionados. Think I'm joking? From Yahoo/Reuters:
Plenty of the grooming was legitimate, said a handler snipping the whiskers off a Doberman pinscher. Nearby a woman rubbed petroleum jelly on her mastiff's toenails to make them shine, and another sheared the fuzz off the ears of her lamb-like Bedlington terrier.Breeder Ken Wall sounded impatient as he tried to stop onlookers from petting his long-haired Japanese Chin, who stood soaking wet as he awaited the day's blow-drying session.
"The show is horrible," Wall grumbled. "People are so rude. This morning someone ran over a dog with a baby stroller."
Holding onto his Welsh terrier, breeder R.C. Carusi agreed. "Dogs good, people bad," he declared.
Not all dogs were good. One Chihuahua barked so much he sounded hoarse and in danger of losing his voice altogether.
"Let's hope he does," muttered a handler working nearby.
Dogs are God's blessings to mankind. He included a few extra-special ingredients when creating them. He sprinkled in some loyalty, some devotion, some protection, some empathy, some desire of cold pizza, and a whole lot of LOVE for us. I have said before and I'll say it now: Humankind is better, and nicer, and smarter, and more loving because we have dogs in our lives. Using a Reuters' image from the dog show let me make the point perfectly clear:
This isn't a dog.
It's some mutant.
So let me ask you an honest question: Would you really, really like to hug that fru-fru poodle? That weird thing from a sci-fi movie?
Or would you rather spend a sunny afternoon romping through the fields tossing a wet, drooly tennis ball or a chewed-up stick with Puff?
And who do you think will more appreciate that extra burger you just grilled? And who would look at you like you're nuts if you came at him with a blow-dryer?
Look, let's put it on the line:
Who would you really rather have at your side to greet strangers at your door?
I rest my case!
Usually here, I report on how a dog or cat saves a human. This is a sad story of a young teen from my neck of the woods who gave his life trying to save his dog. From the Buffalo News:
SHELBY - An Orleans County teenager died early Friday morning after falling through some thin ice on a town of Shelby creek to rescue his dog, Orleans County sheriff's officials reported.John W. Barrett, 17, a junior at Medina High School, left his house just after 6 a.m. to walk with his dog along Route 63, according to deputies.
During the walk near Oak Orchard Creek, police said the dog ran out onto the ice and fell through into the water. Barrett ran onto the ice to try and save his dog and fell through as well.
The dog's remains were recovered at about 9:15 a.m.
About three hours later, Barrett's body was recovered by rescue/recovery teams about 30 yards downstream from where he was last seen.
I'm sad now. But this brave and loving young man deserves all of our praise and prayers.
Meanwhile in New Hampshire, after a snowless Winter, we finally have some snow and so from the Laconia Citizen Online:
A day after canceling the 76th running of the World Championship Sled Dog Derby because of a lack of snow, the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club has announced plans for a modified, shorter event.With the National Weather Service saying a storm may bring 8-14 inches of snow to central New Hampshire Thursday, the club has decided to hold the Lakes Region Championship, a race that will feature two days of competition instead of the derby’s three.
Racing begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the six-dog class while the unlimiteds start at 1 p.m.
On Sunday, the six-dog teams again hit the course at 8:30 a.m. followed by the juniors at noon and the unlimiteds at 1 p.m. A one-dog race may be held in the downtown sometime Sunday.
The start-finish line for the LRC will be at the state-owned property on North Main Street, directly across from the Lakes Region Facility prison.
Racers will follow a 12-13 mile loop that goes behind the prison, across Meredith Center Road, over the grounds of the Laconia Country Club, up to the area of Petal Pushers garden center and then down to the start/finish line.
In between races on Saturday, the Laconia Main Street program, which for the past two years has partnered with the LRSDC to bring the world championships back to the downtown, hopes to have shuttles running between the start/finish area and the downtown where the LMS’s Winterfest, regardless of the weather, will be in full swing.
Following Saturday’s unlimited race, LMS plans to bring all the mushers downtown for a recap of the day’s results and also to meet the public.
Last week I had the story of a cat rescued by the rescue squad and today we have the story of a dog rescuing the rescuers (I'm not sure that's a word...). From KMBC (Kansas City TV):
A family dog saved its owner's life Tuesday night.As a 911 dispatcher for Riverside, Lou Sill spends his days helping others in trouble. But it was Sill's dog, Princess, who saved his life when his house caught fire at Northwest 56th Street and North Colrain Avenue.
Sill told KMBC he was asleep and didn't hear the smoke detector alarm. Instead, his collie woke him up.
"She was clawing at me and barking and howling, licking me. I had taken some cold medicine. She woke me up, I'm thankful she did," Sill said.
Sill's wife and daughter were not home at the time.
Wednesday, Princess was honored for her life-saving efforts by Wayside Waifs.
Investigators believe embers in the basement fireplace sparked the blaze.
What, you think humans have all the fun at the Mardi Gras?
Shiny beads, fun costumes, flying candy and thousands of dressed-up dogs. What more could a kid want?
The Beggin' Strips Mystic Krewe of Barkus Pet Parade is one of the favorite Mardi Gras events among the younger crowd. And children outnumbered the dogs marching through the streets of Soulard on Sunday.
[...]
...other doggies that caught their attention were a rat-sized Chihuahua pulling an even smaller flower cart, a greyhound adorned with peacock feathers and a leather-wearing bulldog riding in a wagon with the sign "Bad to the Bone.'' And super heroes were popular this year. The girls spotted Spider-man, Batman, Superman and Mr. Incredible.There was a tiny, long-haired white dog in a galvanized tub complete with a bubble-blowing machine and rubber duck. There was Storm, an attention-loving Doberman pinscher whose costume made him look like he was playing the guitar. And there were dachshunds in Army fatigues.
One down, eight to go. One lucky cat managed to survive being caught in the engine of a fire truck. This one's also from the BBC:
The vehicle was being used by a fire service driving instructor on Tuesday afternoon when the driver heard noises from the engine.The lorry was returned to Durham Fire Service headquarters in Framwellgate Moor for closer inspection.
A mechanic was stunned to find the cat inside the fan area, unharmed but a little hot under the collar.
Brigade spokesman Dave Turnbull told BBC News: "The vehicle had been driving around the county all afternoon so we have no idea where the cat came from."
This sounds like the start of some "moral lesson" cartoon on PBS but instead, an owner's wandering cat has received a death-threat. From the BBC:
Smudge the cat disappeared from his home in Huntingdon, Cambs, two weeks ago. He was found five days later with a note placed under his collar.The letter, addressed "To whom it may concern" said: "Keep your cat indoors... If I catch it again it will be for the last time."
A Cambs Police spokeswoman said they were looking into the incident.
[...]
The family said eight-year-old Smudge was found with the note on a piece of paper torn out of a notebook tucked under his collar.It read: "Your cat 'Smudge' keeps coming into my home, eating my cats' food and fighting with my cats.
"I'm sick of it bullying my cats and causing fights at stupid hours of the late evening/early morning disturbing my sleep.
"I'd advise you strongly to keep your cat indoors in the evening. If I catch it again it will be for the last time and you will not see Smudge again."
Cowboy Blog is ferret blogging. And there's more here.
CBS News had a segment yesterday about choosing a dog breeder. Since Dan Rather wasn't involved, there's probably a grain of truth to the story. Here's a quote:
The first thing to do is ask your veterinarian, groomers, boarding kennels, and other pet owners who the reputable breeders are in your area. You could also try the local kennel club.By all means, Turner says, do your homework. Know something about the breed you're interested in.
Visit the breeder's home or kennel. The premises should be clean and smell good. Avoid breeders who have large numbers of dogs and puppies kept in kennels or runs. This could be a puppy mill masquerading as a breeder.
Ask to see the whole litter and at least one of the parents. The animals should look healthy and well-fed, with no runny eyes or noses. The puppies or kittens should be sociable and outgoing. They shouldn't appear to be afraid of the breeder.
I reported last week that Leona Helmsley's dog supposedly bit an employee of hers. Apparently he's also channeling her deceased husband. From the NY Daily News:
Leona Helmsley's dog Trouble is a fluffy Maltese small enough to fit into her purse. But when Trouble barks, Leona listens.That's because the 84-year-old hotel queen is said to believe that her late husband, real-estate tycoon Harry Helmsley, communicates to her through the pooch.
Someone who recently dined with Leona and her canine companion came away convinced that she sees Trouble as a psychic transmitter.
"She didn't use the term 'channeling,'" says the source. "But she gave me the clear impression that Harry was speaking through the dog."
What has Harry supposedly told her?
Well, for one thing, he doesn't like the public mausoleum that's been built next to his private crypt at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
Harry is said to have told Trouble to tell Leona that the new edifice spoiled his view. Last July, Leona filed a $150 million suit against the cemetery, alleging she was led to believe that the field next to the Helmsley crypt would remain empty.