And why not??! From Yahoo/AP:
Shouldn't your loyal dog Spot be able to live out his life in the manner to which he is accustomed if — hypothetically — you should meet your end first? Under a bill scampering through the Legislature, he will. The measure would allow Hawaii residents to leave a trust for the care of their pets after their owners pass on.Seventeen states already have similar laws, said Cynthia Keolanui, manager of community outreach for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
"Pets share our homes and are considered part of our family. As with any family member, when planning our estate, we want to make sure our beloved companion's future is secure," said Keolanui, speaking on behalf of the group.
However, there is currently no legally enforceable way in Hawaii to leave an inheritance to a dog or a cat, or any other pet.
Attorney Emily Gardner said she got behind the issue because of her experience visiting elderly long-term care patients at St. Francis Hospital with her dog, Toby, who works as a therapy dog.
Several of the residents expressed concerns to Gardner about the fate of their own pets.
But Gardner found there was no solid legal way to entrust money to a pet.
Interesting story from the Arizona Republic:
Born with just two feet, George Bailey staggered through his first year of life as an invalid cat, propping himself on his good paws and dragging his stumps behind.Each trip to the food dish was a painful ballet.
Then Tuesday, doctors strapped him to an operating table for two hours, drilled into his right tibia and fastened a prosthetic leg with titanium screws.
If the surgery takes and George Bailey's leg bone grows over the prosthesis, he will be bouncing on a new foot made from spring steel inside of six weeks.
[...]
Simmons and his wife will pay thousands for the surgery at North Carolina State University. But there are implications beyond George Bailey's wobbly gait. He's the first animal fitted with a custom-made prosthesis that fits inside the bone.
In Scandinavia, the same technique has already been applied to humans. A man there was fitted with a detachable thumb, said Greg Thomas, NCSU spokesman.
Fitting a prosthesis inside a bone rather than attaching it to a stump makes a stronger connection, relieving stress on areas of the body that aren't designed to take it.
It is not unlike a total hip replacement, said Dr. Denis Marcellin, who operated on the cat.
Sacramento Firefighters have good souls too. From KCRA TV (CA):
Carol Berry's 12-year-old chow, Damian, walked outside his new home on a bathroom break late Tuesday and fell into Arcade Creek, getting stuck in branches, with fast-moving water just below."He's my baby. I mean, I cried all night. I didn't think I was going to get him out," Berry said.
After contacting several animal agencies, Berry was referred to the Sacramento Metro Fire Department Wednesday morning. Fire officials built a bridge with their ladders, then hoisted Damian to safety.
"A lot of us have dogs, yes. So, we know how it is to be attached to an animal. And they are our best friends sometimes. So, it was a good job," said Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Capt. Robert Gorman.
As the crew returned Damian to his grateful owner, he was limping.
"If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have been able to get him. I had no way in there," Berry said.
A veterinarian check Damian out and said that he was OK.
Dealing with an elderly pet whose health is failing is one of those sadder experiences all pet owners eventually face. Eric Scheie's dog, Puff, is now 15 and probably nearing the end. in a touching post Eric relates that even a small victory can still be celebrated. God bless Puff, and Eric for making his final time better.
The average person moves every five years or so. This can put a lot of stress on your dog. The Herald Press has an article that could help:
Dogs are most comfortable with consistency and routine. As you're packing the house and belongings start to disappear, your dog's stress begins. When packing dog's supplies, leave out a few of his favorite toys so he has familiar things close by.If possible, take your dog to the new home a few times before moving day. This gives him the opportunity to explore his surroundings before the chaos of moving in. Once moved, get the dog's bed and toys unpacked first so he has familiar things in an unfamiliar place. Giving him a good chew bone or stuffed Kong will relax him.
A housetrained dog, in a familiar home, doesn't mean he'll automatically know when and where to go in a new home. Practice remedial housetraining for the first few days. Take the dog outside every hour or two, praising and treating him as soon as he eliminates. Confine to one room or a kennel if you must leave him alone gradually giving him access to the rest of the house.
Heinz Ketchup was almost in trouble... From the News Scotsman:
AN advert which sparked criticism for showing a guinea pig drinking tomato ketchup has been cleared by TV watchdogs.Seventeen viewers complained the Heinz commercial was irresponsible and could lead to children replacing pets’ water supplies with the sauce.
The advert, part of Heinz’s sponsorship deal with ITV soap Emmerdale, showed a guinea pig in a cage drinking from a ketchup bottle and finished with the message: "You can’t eat without it."
But Ofcom ruled it had not breached guidelines and was clearly meant to be humorous.
In a strange and unpleasant story, someone has kidnapped a cat and refuses to return it. From the New York Post:
The sinister tale dates back to Feb. 21, when the couple came home from a vacation and realized Penelope was gone."There had been some workers in the apartment, so we thought she had just gotten out," DePasquale said. "The next day, we started putting up fliers."
They began scouring the building for the black cat and even offered a $1,000 reward. When no one came forward after a week, DePasquale started knocking on doors around their first-floor apartment.
The next day, the terse typewritten note appeared, slipped under their door.
"Blackie is safe and warm with me and my family of 3 kitties. She has instantly bonded with our autistic child, and I cannot think of separating them. The reward is of no comparison to the amount of love and joy she brings to my daughter's heart. I know this will not assuage your grief, but know she is well looked after, loved and always will be. Regards, MN."
Realizing a cat burglar was in their midst, the couple called police. Detectives soon learned that only three of the 222 apartments at 410 W. 53rd St. housed children — one developmentally disabled.
But none of them had the cat.
I wonder if "MN" realizes that most people consider their pets to be as much a part of their life as a child. To my mind, "MN" is a terrible and evil person and I hope she only has misery in her life. She could easily have gotten a loving cat or dog at any animal shelter.
The Great Race has finished and Norwegian Robert Sorlie and his wonderful dogs have won. From Reuters and the AP:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Hoisting a Norwegian flag handed to him near the finish line, Robert Sorlie captured his second victory in three years in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race."It feels good to be here. I'm ready for breakfast," said Sorlie, a firefighter from Hurdal, Norway, after driving his dog team to Nome's Front Street, the end of the 1,100-mile sled dog race.
Sorlie, 47, completed the route in nine days, 18 hours and 39:31 minutes, 34 minutes ahead of runner-up Ed Iten of Kotzebue, Alaska.
For his victory, Sorlie was awarded a cash prize of more than $72,000 and a new truck.
The winner, who has limited English, struggled a little when asked if he ever doubted he would win. "What is doubt?" he said.
Just a quick note to thank all of you who visit here. Tarazet is a strange blog. It's about animals, especially our beloved pets. Also, I put up other stories of cool dogs, cat, rats, parrots, hamsters, and everything else that gives us pleasure and keeps us company. If you're visiting a link here, please spread the word that this is a family friendly blog for all who love our furry or feathered (or scaled) friends! Please take some time to visit the archives listed on the left sidebar. This is a very pet-loving place. This isn't the most active blog, but I'd like to think it is the most slobbering, tongue-licking one.
Thanks so much for visiting!
Those of you who read both this blog and my other know that I hate criminals. I especially loath those who inflict pain and torture. Animals are far too trusting of the many evil humans who infect this planet. A person or persons who torture or harm animals deserve to die, painfully if I had my way. But once again, a piece of crap who set a cat on fire will serve no time in prison. From the Daily Telegraph (UK):
Animal lovers thought justice was served when one of the culprits, Matthew Staines, of Tregear, was sent to jail for 16 months.But a whirlwind appeal has allowed the 18-year-old to walk free and he now only faces 100 hours of community service for his part in William's death.
The RSPCA is furious over the courts' leniency towards people who torture animals – especially when they could face a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment and/or a $22,000 fine.
"William suffered horrific injuries and died a horrible death and all William's death is considered to be worth is 100 hours of community service," RSPCA chief inspector Don Robinson told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
"To say it's disappointing is an understatement. The manner in which William was killed was callous and cruel. He suffered a great deal."
William, a cute grey-and-white kitten, received second degree burns to 30 per cent of his body after petrol was poured over his small body and then set alight at Mt Druitt in January.
William – named after William "Braveheart" Wallace – died in February after an operation at the Sydney University Vet Hospital to reconstruct his skin.
He survived the surgery with a 50-50 chance of pulling through, but later died in his sleep.
Staines faced Penrith Local Court last month where he was found guilty of aggravated cruelty to the kitten and was sent to jail for a non-parole period of eight months by Magistrate Ian McRae.
It is alleged a 15-year-old was with him during the attack. The decision was appealed, which resulted in Staines facing Penrith District Court last Friday. He was freed and ordered instead to complete 100 hours of community service.
I've reported several times here about mutants who torture or kill animals and get-off with a slap on the wrist. We all need to work to make animal protection laws much tougher. Imagine if that was YOUR best friend cat who -- in curiosity mode -- approached an animal human who proceeded to pour a flammable liquid on it and torch it. No jail and just a few pawltry hours of "community service".
Now I'm pissed. I hope you are too. I know you are or you wouldn't be reading Tarazet...
I hope the Almighty God put William the cat in a wonderful heaven right away. I hope he's now building a special hell for whoever did this crime.
I have trouble even reading this but it turned out alright in the end. From USA Today:
LONDON (AFP) — In a feat that put human sword swallowers to shame, a British dog managed to gulp down a stick only two inches shorter than its own body, and escape unscathed, a report said Thursday.Millie, a two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, swallowed the stick by accident while on a walk with her owner, John Hurst, in fields behind his home in Portsmouth, southern England, the Daily Mail newspaper said.
Hurst threw the 16-inch stick for Millie to retrieve, but it stuck in the ground like a javelin and the sprinting dog managed to effectively impale herself on it, swallowing it whole.
Fearing the worst, Hurst rushed his pet to a vet, where micro-cameras found the stick had somehow worked its ways down Millie's throat and deep into her stomach without hitting any vital organs on the way.
After a two-hour operation, the only injury to Millie was a small scratch inside her stomach, the report said.
...then Victor must be rat blogging.
and Mog is cat blogging.
I'm not making this up. From My Way News:
BATES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - A man cooking in his kitchen was shot after one of his cats knocked his 9mm handgun onto the floor, discharging the weapon, Michigan State Police said.Joseph Stanton, 29, of Bates Township in Iron County, was shot in his lower torso around 6 p.m. Tuesday, the state police post in Iron River reported. He was transported to Iron County Community Hospital.
Michelle Sand, a spokeswoman at the Iron River hospital, said Stanton was treated there before being transferred to Marquette General Hospital for further treatment. But Marcie Miller, a representative of the Marquette facility, said there was no record of the hospital receiving a patient by that name.
A telephone message seeking comment was left Wednesday at Stanton's home.
State police said he was cooking at his stove when the cat knocked the loaded gun off the kitchen counter behind him.
The average dog in Britain costs 20,000 pounds (29,000 euros, 38,000 dollars) to look after over the course of its lifetime, more than a luxury car or round the world cruise.In its annual Cost of a Dog report published on Sunday, pet insurer Churchill said the Great Dane was the most expensive dog, costing 31,840 pounds over its average 10-year life, followed by the Rottweiler at 24,340 pounds.
Mongrels costs 20,998 pounds, while Jack Russells were a relative bargain at 17,476 pounds, said the insurer, which released its findings ahead of Crufts, the world's biggest dog show, opening Thursday in Birmingham, central England.
By comparison, a Jaguar X-type, Saab 9-5 or Volkswagen Passat sell in Britain for around 20,000 pounds, which is also the same price for a round-the-world cruise on Queen Elizabeth II.
Actually, I'd call Dogs the best bargain around!
...Well, I'll let the New York Post tell the story:
A male Brooklyn canine narrowly avoided being neutered after a legal dogfight over his virility reached a de facto settlement.Despite the city's insistence he be neutered, a 2-year-old European Shepherd named Shustriy was returned to his owner in one piece after he caught a cold.
To avoid the illness spreading to other animals, the dog was given what's known as a "spay-neuter pass" and allowed to go home.
"The dog developed an upper respiratory [problem] and we released him," said a spokeswoman for Animal Care & Control of New York.
As reported last month, Shustriy escaped from his Brighton Beach home in January and was rescued by workers from AC&C.
But the law requires any animal that ends up in an AC&C facility be neutered.
The owner, Anatoliy Krinitskiy, filed a civil suit to have the dog returned to him without being fixed.
"Shustriy is a valuable dog, that [Krinitskiy] planned on mating, and as a result would suffer great emotional and financial distress if Shustriy were to be sterilized," the lawsuit claimed.
A woman motorist drove 10 miles along a US interstate not knowing her pet cat was on the roof of her car.Torri Hutchinson was on Idaho's Interstate 15 when a motorist kept trying to get her attention and pointing to the roof of her car. She said she was wary of the man, but wondered if perhaps her ski rack might have come loose.
Hutchinson said Cuddle Bug the cat had climbed into the back of her car as she was getting ready to leave her home. She put him out, but he must have jumped on the roof while she wasn't looking, she said.
H.P. the cat was adopted by National Guard troopers serving with the 152nd Field Artillery Battalion. Spc. Jesse Cote said the cat was starving and toothless when they found it.But the GI's were able to nurse H.P. back to health. The cat ate and slept with the soldiers and even helped them. Cote said H.P. would be the first to react to mortar fire and was their warning of incoming.
When the soldiers were returning to Maine, they raised $700 to fly H.P. to the states. No one's sure how H.P. got its name -- but Cote said it could stand for Here Puss.
In Garrett County, just below the Mason-Dixon line, you can a ride behind a team of huskies and even learn to mush this winter from two companies offering tours for the first time.The state's western mountains, with an average annual snowfall of nearly 100 inches, "are ideal for dog sledding," said Linda Herdering, who operates Husky Power Dog Sledding with her husband, Mike.
They and competitor Yellow Snow Dog Sled Adventures reflect the expansion of a sport rooted in the far north. Although commonly associated with Alaska and Canada, sled dogs are raised and trained in virtually every region of the United States, including Florida, where Siberian huskies sometimes pull wheeled carts for recreation in the cool, early morning hours, said Peggy Wright, of Seminole-based Siberian Husky Rescue of Florida.
Marcia Horne, owner of four huskies in Bristol, Va., said she has driven her dogs on snow just once, in January 2004, when two or three inches fell along the Virginia-Tennessee line.
"If we get snow, that's just icing on the cake," she said. "Otherwise, we're happy with the wheels."
Dave Steele, executive director of the International Sled Dog Racing Association in Merrifield, Minn., said media coverage of the Iditarod, an annual 1,100-mile race across Alaska scheduled to start this year on March 6, has boosted the sport's popularity. The number of races worldwide has more than tripled since 1995, and commercial tours and outfitters are among the sport's fastest-growing segments, he said.
"It's a good thing for us and for the racing community," Steele said. For many first-timers, "it lays to rest the absurd notion that the dogs have to be forced to do this. You only have to take one ride to know they love to run."