Foster Home Needed

*Update on Patty Cake- she's found her foster home!

Patty Cake is a sweet pitbull in need of a very special foster home. She has an advanced case of heartworms and requires someone to care for her through the three months of treatment. She'll do best in a home with no other dogs. If you think you can help, please contact Art.

Recall Of Dangerous Dog Toy

A loyal reader sent me a link to a blog that tells the story of a ball manufactured by Four Paws. The ball has a hole in the top and dogs have gotten their tongues stuck in it and been unable to remove them. Chai, the lab who is featured in the blog, eventually had to have his tongue amputated. At the Four Paws site, they claim to have stopped shipment of the Rough and Ready Pimple Ball, along with several other silmilar products and asked retailers to pull the toys from their shelves.

Dog Park Picks

Dog Mysteries For The Fun At Heart

If you like mystery and farce, and aren't afraid to swallow an anthropomorphized Labrador, you will love J.F. Englert's new Bull Moose Dog Run series, starting with "Dog About Town" and "A Dog Among Diplomats". The synopsis on the back of the book reads more or less like this: Harry is a man mourning the loss of his beloved girlfriend, Imogene, who disappeared one night while running an errand. He's also the owner of a plump, poetry-loving Lab, Randolph. Like most Manhatten dogs, Randolph spends his days sifting through a world of scents, his owner's neuroses, and an overcrowded doggy run at the American Museum of Natural History. But now Harry has drifted into a world of would-be occultists. Which might not be so bad if one of them wasn't also a murderer.

Randolph is sentient canine who taught himself to read as a puppy on the newspapers his mistress put down for potty training. He is inspired by great classics, especially the work of Dante, and excuses the general perception that humans have of dogs as unintelliegent because, in his words " Most dogs certainly do not behave in ways that would suggest sentience (though most humans do not either as is apparent from the hastiest of glances at the newspapers)." Randolph is challenged to not only protect his hapless owner from harm, but to steer Harry toward clues that will lead to the killer's identity. He is also trying to cipher a code that Imogene left in her journal, just before she disappeared.

The book is a fast, enjoyable read. Randolph is a likable character. His owner, Harry evokes sympathy, but I found myself getting annoyed with his lack of attention to Randolph. My dog- mother self wanted to scream when Harry fed the Lab whatever came home in a take-out package or was pulled from the "deeply troubled refrigerator." But the literature lover in me, recognized that Harry was eating the same junk food he fed the dog and this description only served to emphasize the emotional collapse Harry had suffered when he lost Imogene. My husband actually laughed at me when I expressed my discomfort with the inappropriate feeding. He remembers his bachelor ways and had no problem with Randolph and Harry's diet.

In "A Dog Among Diplomats", we find Randolph being loaned to a diplomat from Near Upper Pilasia, who is in need of a therapy dog to help calm his anxieties. The diplomat has taken up temporary residence at a boarding house near the United Nations. Several murders occur at the boarding house and Imogene, Randolph and Harry's true love, is implicated. Which suggests that Imogene is still alive, but mysteriously hidden. Randolph must prove that his mistress is innocent and find the true killer, and do so in the midst of political intrique. Very heady stuff for a Lab.

Randolph has his own quirky blog at http://www.adogabouttown.com/ JL Englert generously offers his books to dog shelters for fundraising purposes. To learn more, contact adogabouttown.

Storm Fay

It looks like Tampa Bay will escape the wrath of Fay, but Hillsborough County was prepared to shelter our pets. Volunteers for the pet friendly shelters were on alert throughout the day yesterday and asked to be ready to report to Sickles HS or Burnett MS as early as 8 a.m. this morning. It's comforting to know that people trained to care for our animals would be on hand if we needed to leave our homes and find shelter. I'm grateful to the hard working people, who have commited to helping others during disasters. They have the same concerns as we do during these storms, yet their first thought is for others. Thank you CHAART and the volunteer force behind it.

That said, Hillsborough County is still in need of volunteers for the pet friendly shelters. CHAART has offered two training sessions this year and the turn out has been poor. So, if this is a need you can fill, please email Raquel at CHAART and she will hook you up.

Political Dogs

No, I am not calling politicians', dogs, and if I were it would be a compliment. I'm refering to the issue of the current presidential candidates' pets or lack thereof, and the growing attention it's generating. Consider that The American Kennel Club and Best Friends Animal Society are vying for Barack Obama's attention after hearing that he intended to get a puppy for his daughters after the election. Both organizations have set up websites to allow people to vote for their choice of pup. And then there is the site where your dog can cast his preference for Presidential candidate at http://www.petsvote.com/.

On the Best Friends petition site , they easily got the 50,000 signatures they were trying for in an effort to convince the Obama family to adopt a shelter dog. The Best Friends Animal Society asks that readers stay tuned for an important update. The Kennel Club site offers viewers a chance to vote for their favorite choice of dog for the Obamas. They selected five breed candidates based on the Obama family needs. It's been reported that the two Obama daughters, age 6 and 9, have allergies. The breeds to be voted on are Minature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise, Poodle, Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier and Chinese Crested. Best Friends' points out that the Obama family can find any one of those breeds in rescue organizations.

I cruised a couple blogs to get a sense of what people were saying about this issue. One person commented that it was a silly issue to begin with and unworthy of the press it was getting. I disagree. While the Presidential candidates' stance on owning pets will not be a deciding factor in who I vote for, I do think they have the nation's attention and their choices influence America. Including their choice of pets. When Obama chooses a dog for his household, he will be an example to millions. Think about the message he will send, if he decides to be a part of the solution for the homeless pet problem.

All Things Dog - Aug.18, 2008

On Animal Planet , Sunday, August 24, at 10 p.m., the Michael Vick's case will be featured. They will revisit the case and learn what has happened to the dogs who were rescued.

In last week's Trib's Petcetera section:
The Humane Society University is offering training for Disaster Animal Response Teams (DART) volunteers. The course will be offered in Gainesville, Sept. 12-14 at Sante Fe Community College, 401 N.W. 6th St. The program involves classroom instruction, and role playing. Topics range from leagal and safety issues, animal rescue and transport, damage assessment to team response and incident command systems. Free online course are recommended also. To enroll for the training, go to www.humanesociety.org/university. (Keyword DART)

Also in Petcetera: The Animal Coalition of Tampa (ACT) is offering to spay and neuter pit bulls or pit mixes for $55 duringthe month of August. ACT is at 1719 W. Lemon St. in Tampa. You can call the clinic at (813) 250-3900 for more information or go online at http://www.acttampa.org/.

Hillsborough County Animal Services has scheduled training for volunteers at 5:30 p.m., Aug. 27 at their facility at 440 Faulkenburg Rd. For more info call, 98130744-5660, email info @hillsboroughcounty.org, or see HCAS online

Special Needs Pup's Last Chance

The white smiling face to the right is an 8 month old deaf pit or pit mix. She's a sweetie with one day left on her calender. She' s scheduled for euthanization tomorrow at the Polk County shelter.

They also have a 3 month old deaf pup who is learning sign language and in need of a home. If you're interested in either of these dogs email Art.

International Homeless Animal Day

Saturday, August 16 is International Homeless Animal Day. The International Society for Animal Rights began National Homeless Animal Day to draw attention to dog and cat overpopulation, increase awareness of the millions of unwanted animals killed every year in shelters, and stress the importance of spaying and neutering. From it's modest beginnings in 1992, the occasion has grown to include foreign animal protection groups, thus the need for the new name. ISAR feels candlelight vigils are the most poignant way to dramatize the importance of the overpopulation problem. Dedicated shelter personnel have held moving rituals, where they read euthanized animals' names and dates that each one died. Some offer prayers or play music.To order free vigil packets and learn more, see ISAR

Locally, International Homeless Animals Day is being recognized by Hillsborough County Animal Services and CHAART (Community of Hillsborough Animal & Agricultural Response Team) who will conduct sign-in and pet-sheltering procedures such as those performed during actual disasters. New recruits are welcome to attend, but pets should not be brought to the practice drill. Volunteers will be trained by experienced animal professionals. Information about pet-preparedness will be available, and a pet-evacuation kit complete with micro-chip ID will be on display for interested pet owners. Pet-Shelter Disaster Drill and Volunteer Sign-up is Saturday, August 16th, 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon at Burnett Middle School (1010 N. Kingsway Road, Seffner) . Having a disaster or hurricane plan is vital. For more information , please call 813-744-5660 or log onto http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/

I only had time to do a fast internet search, but I was surprised to not find any of the local shelters and rescues recognizing International Animal Homeless Day. But that doesn't mean people can't create their own celebrations or just acknowledge the day by adopting a stray, volunteering at a shelter, or having a pet spayed or neutered.

More Dog Park Vignettes

These two lab types paired up immediately and they had never met. I always find it interesting how animals of similar breed will seek each other out.

As you can see, they were good buddies before the day was done.

A very kind gentleman allowing Ella to meet him on her terms.

What's Poisonous to Dogs?

My vet thinks dogs will eat virtually anything. Their noses may be capable of astounding detection, but most of the species lack the ability to distinguish between good and bad comestibles. A blog reader recently sent this link to a scary story about a dog who ingested rat poison, without it's owner knowing about it. I had flashbacks to a day many years ago when I realized my Jack Russell had just eaten rat poison at the horse farm where I worked. A call to the local vet guided me to feed her a teaspoon of salt, which I did and she immediately threw up the poison and the salt. I don't think salt is good for dogs, but it worked in that situation and my dog never showed any ill effects.

Rat poison is an obvious no no, but the list of things that are toxic to dogs is long and not always obvious. I think it's safe to assume that most of the concoctions we keep under our sinks and in our garages and sheds, should be kept away from our pets. The medicine cabinet contents should also be off limits. The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center's list of the top ten poisonous substances include human painkillers, cold medications, antidepressants and dietary supplements. Some foods that sit benignly in a person's stomach may be toxic to animals. Raisins, apple seeds, onions and walnuts are a few things you don't want to leave on the floor for the Hoover's of the dog world to suck up. As far as plants go, there are so many on the poison list, you might as well assume most of what's in your yard and house needs to be kept out of your pet's mouth. Toxic plants include such common species as caladium, english ivy, azalea and philodendren. The Humane Society of the United States provides a list of poisonous plants and foods.

Then, there's the things they eat that don't seem at all appealing like plastic, latex and metal. Zinc is highly toxic to dogs. The zinc in one penny can kill a dog.
The American Veterinary Medical Association offers a brochure online and in print titled "What You Should Know About Household Hazards". It's a handy reference to keep in your pet's first aid kit. APCC provides advice on prevention and what to do if you think your animal has been poisoned, along with a venue for pet owners to ask questions. They also have a hotline to call if you suspect your pet has eaten something toxic. There is a $60 consultation fee for that call, but it's worth it when the clock is ticking and your pet's life is at stake. When you investigate all that your dog could possibly eat that's harmful to them, it seems like a daunting task to keep them safe. I have one dog that uses common sense and discernment about what she puts in her mouth (Ella), and another who eats first, suffers later (Hobbit). Keeping phone numbers to our vet, after hours clinics, and poison control near at hand are essential in our house.

All Things Dog - August 11, 2008

PitPositive and Big Dog Rescue are presenting The 24-Hour Dog Adoptathon at 2105 N. Jamaica St. in Tampa, starting Friday, August 22 at 6 pm and running until Saturday evening, August 23 at 6 pm. The 24-hour event is the first of its kind in the Southeast US and brings together a number of local animal welfare groups working to get dogs placed in forever homes. Participating rescues and shelters include Hillsborough County Animal Services, Heidi's Legacy, Pet Pal Animal Shelter in Pinellas County, German Shepherd Rescue, Bull Mastiff Rescue, Humane Society of Tampa and Lakeland's Animal Services. Large and small adult dogs as well as puppies will be available for adoption. There will also be an obedience demonstration, pet grooming and a talent search for a dog to star in an upcoming ad campaign about the importance of spaying and neutering. For more info, see Adoptathon

The Trib reported that Susan Lambert is facing a hearing this week in Pasco County to allow continuation of her rescue shelter in Odessa. Lambert and supporters formed CARES (Community Animal Rescue and Education Shelter) last year when she left
Suncoast Animal League. Lambert's facility sits on five acres and has created tension with her neighbors, who complain of barking dogs. A special exemption is being considered to allow her to house up to 25 dogs.

Also in the Trib; summertime brings out the bugs in Florida and some of those can be a problem for our pets. Besides fleas and ticks; ants, bees, mosquitoes, spiders and scorpians are among the insects that can cause allergic reactions. Florida Veterinary Specialists veterinarian, Sonja Olsen says she regularly sees patients for insect bites this time of year. For advice on how to safeguard your pets and what to do if they are stung, read the rest of this article.