June 30, 2008Light reading on a sunny afternoon
This is Gracie. She likes to spend quiet afternoons in a sunny room reading The Roanoke Times' comics printed on an umbrella. Gracie enjoys the edgy humor of "Get Fuzzy," but feels Bucky Katt is misunderstood. She is undeniably attracted to "Garfield," and wishes her Aunt Lindsey would make her some lasagna. Gracie, making her second appearance as a photo-of-the-week kitty, shares her home with loyal blog reader Kim. Gracie's aunt is blogger Lindsey Nair of "Fridge Magnet" fame. June 27, 2008Take Snowflake home
This is Snowflake, a very sweet, people-loving kitty who has found herself looking for a new home at Angels of Assisi. She was turned in because her pet mom had allergies, and judging from this gray tabby's name, an odd sense of humor. According to the folks at Angels, Snowflake is having a hard time living in a crate at the shelter. She apparently prefers laps and soft furniture. Then again, who doesn't? If you would like to help Snowflake get out of the shelter, visit her at Angels of Assisi at 415 Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke. And who can stop at just one kitty? Remember, cats are adopt-one-get-one-free for the rest of the month. June 26, 2008Mandatory spay/nueter law in DallasDallas City Council approved new regulations yesterday that will limit the number of pets per home, require all but licensed breeders to spay or neuter their pets, and limit how long a dog can be tethered outside. 
The ordinance was enacted to help animal control officers, who can barely keep up with calls about free-roaming animals, ease the strain shelters, where tens of thousands of animals are euthanized each year, and improve the quality of life for people and pets in the city. According to a report on a Dallas television station's Web site, the city's animal shelter commission chairman, Skip Trimble, insisted that the city must move now to reduce the stray and feral animal population. "It can only be done through sterilization," he said. "If we can't control the flow of water, we'll never stop mopping the floor." The ordinance was passed by a vote of 10-3. Critics of the new law feel it limits the rights of responsible breeders. However, mandatory spay/neuter laws do have significant impact on shelter euthanasia rates; the rate dropped 30 percent after the first year with such a law in New Hampshire in 1994. What do you think? Should government enforce mandatory sterilization and limit the number of pets a family can have? June 25, 2008Racing RussellsI called the Salem Civic Center to confirm that the Jack Russell terrier races, part of the Roanoke Valley Horse Show, are scheduled for Friday night's show. The representative I spoke to could not say what time the dogs will hit the post, but she said it would be after the jumping events. The show starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Lenore and Brutus: a love storyClick here to read a charming story written by author John Katz ("A Good Dog", "The Dogs of Bedlam Farms") about the budding romance of a Labrador retriever and a neutered ram. Yeah, you read that right, a ram. A male sheep, mascot of many sports teams, emblem on Dodge trucks. Real love knows no bounds. Tiny dog with a big barkOne of the editors forwarded me this story, which was posted on roanoke.com as a news tip by a reader named Dorie in Roanoke: "My toy poodle had 6 pups that are now 5 weeks old. One tiny pup was half as small as the others at birth and according to the vet, didn't have much of a chance to live. She now weighs a just under a pound. Yesterday I had the pups out on the patio watching them play. My sister, who just lost her daughter in a car accident, came by for a while and as she was leaving, I walked her around front. While coming back around the side of the house, I heard a pup scream like I've never heard before. As I ran toward her I heard water splashing. The tiny screaming pup was standing beside the inground water fountain while her sister was fighting for life to get out. I reached in, grabbed the pup and her sister stopped screaming. Had it not been for the tiny pup screaming for help, her sister would have drowned. The tiny pup not only fooled the vet, she saved her sister's life." I'd hold on to that pup if you can, Dorie. She's obviously a good one to have around in a crisis. June 24, 2008Kitty salon, anyone?I got this e-mail from a co-worker today: "I was looking through your blog to see if you knew of any cat groomers in the area. It seems every place I call only works with dogs. My cat, Kali-Ma, has very long hair and is impossible to brush. She's been hair-ball-crazy lately and I'd like to get her groomed. Do you know of any places?" My kitties have short hair so I can groom them myself with a brush (Thai actually will rub himself against the bristles if we hold it for him, effectively brushing himself) so I was no help here. What do you say, readers? Anyone know of a cat groomer in the Roanoke area? A day of wine, dogs and horsesSave the date for fourth annual Horse & Hound Wine festival in Bedford on July 12. The paw-friendly festival returns with plenty of events for pooches, wine and food for people, and a parade for horses. A prior commitment keeps me from going this year, but we had a great time when we attended last summer. It was brutally hot that day, but the event coordinators made sure to have plenty of water and wet towels on hand for the dogs, and a picnic shelter provided some relief from the sun.
Where: Johnson’s Orchard, 2122 Sheep Creek Road, Bedford June 23, 2008The eye of the beholderAll hail Gus, the nearly-hairless, three-legged, one-eyed cancer survivor named the World's Ugliest Dog at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Northern California on Saturday. 
Gus is a Chinese crested, a breed that seems to have an edge in these anti-beauty pageants. Gus, however, brings the breed standard of unconventional appearance to a whole new level. Still, the little guy is a scrapper in the face of adversity: he lost an eye in an altercation with a cat and he lost a leg to skin cancer, a battle he continues to fight. His devoted pet mom, Jeanenne Teed, told reporters she plans to use the prize money for his radiation treatments. Gus will likely be making the rounds of TV shows soon, and the contest itself will televised on Animal Planet this fall. Read the Associated Press story here. (Photo by Associated Press) Doggie daycare wagon
Greenies give back
The company says this is a healthier alternative to burying pills in human food like hot dogs or my dogs' personal favorite: cheese. My dogs do love Greenies, so this would work for my canine clan. However, my cat Thai does not eat treats of any kind, and giving him a pill requires two people wearing padded sleeves and masks like they use to train police dogs. What works for you when you have to give your pet a pill? Monday morning videoHere's a video from last Saturday's dog wash at the Kirk Family YMCA. The event was a fundraiser for the RVSPCA. If you got your pooch shampooed at there, post a comment about your experience. June 21, 2008Going to the chapelIt's June and there are plenty of lovers walking down the aisle this month. In honor of my anniversary on Tuesday, Here is a video from Petside.com about including your pet in your wedding. June 20, 2008Take Fiona home
Say hello to Miss Fiona, a cute kitten waiting for a good home at Angels of Assisi. Fiona is indeed a little girl kitty, uncommon but not out of the question for orange tabby cats. (For more information on cat colors and gender, click here.) She is described as "an easy going one [that] loves scrunches and rubs." She even likes being carried. If you like lovey-dovey cats, Fiona may be your girl. She and the rest of the feline population at Angels of Assisi are "adopt-one-get-one-free" for the rest of the month. June 19, 2008Find you some bunny to love
It's Bun Day on Friday, June 20, at Angels of Assisi in downtown Roanoke from 2 to 7 p.m.. The shelter has plenty of wascally wabbits looking for good homes. During the open house event, you can learn more about bunny maintenance to make sure you are ready to add a rabbit to your home. There will also be activities for kids. All bunnies have been spayed and neutered, so you won't wake up in a few weeks with more bunny love than you can handle. For more information, go the Web site. Greatest American DogWe've seen enough humans do crazy stunts to win prizes on reality television shows, so it's time to let the dogs take over. CBS will premiere "The Greatest American Dog" on Thursday, July 10 at 8 p.m. A dozen dogs, and the humans who love them, will live together and compete against each other in games "that put the owners' ability to train their dogs to the test," accordning to a CBS press release. The show is hosted by zoologist Jarod Miller. The winning team will take home a $250,000 cash prize. Check out "That TV Blog" here on roanoke.com (formerly "Idol Times") for weekly show recaps. Click on the video below for a promo of the show.
June 18, 2008Dog park on the moveThe Roanoke Dog Park is likely headed for a different location. The park was originally planned for a half-acre of Fishburn Park, an area already designated as off-leash but lacking a fence to keep dogs safe from busy Brambleton Avenue. Members of the dog park committee announced in an e-mail today that Fishburn is no longer considered the ideal location and they are now looking at Highland Park in Old Southwest. Among the reasons listed for choosing Highland over Fishburn is that Highland is not near a major road, more than an acre of land with mature trees and a water source is available, and one side of the area is already fenced. Highland is closer to downtown, which I know will make the urban dog families I interviewed a few months ago happy. Perhaps most importantly, the neighborhood seems to want the park. Residents can meet with the dog park committee members in an open neighborhood meeting on Thursday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at the Gish House, 641 Walnut Avenue SW. I am puppy, therefore I runLife with our little Stormy is going well so far. I think. I hope. 
Most days are good; I get a little concerned over some of the rough play in the back yard. Concerned to the point that the only time we let the terrier pup out with both greyhounds at the same time is the early morning potty break when they are still a little sleepy. When Storm is out with just one big dog, they play and have fun. When all three of them are out there together, the hounds tend to gang up on Little Dude (his most common nickname) and roll him around and cover him with doggie noogies. The canine equivalent of stealing his lunch money. Hackles go up, so we break it up. And then Storm looks at us like we spoiled his fun and he goes right back for more. There is a lot of greyhound psychology to this (all rules of nice play inside the house are forgotten in wide open spaces) so this is something we will have to work on for a while. Monday night I was home alone with the pack since my hubby was out of town. I went through the usual dinner routine: Little Dude eats his supper upstairs while the big ones do their business in the yard. Then the puppy goes outside for his major transaction while the needle-nosed hounds come in for their dinner. Then we all come together in the family room for the evening. It was going pretty well and I was rather proud of myself. Then it was time for bed. And Storm decides to avoid me. 
He ran like a crazed jack rabbit through the house. Up the stairs, down the stairs. Under the dining room table and chairs, under the kitchen table and chairs. Anywhere I couldn't reach him. I ran square into one of the pet gates in the kitchen. A great deal of loud swearing ensued. Little Brat (his second most common nickname) finally ran upstairs and into his crate. He then patiently waited for his good-boy reward for going into his den voluntarily. I catch my breath, close the door and give him his cookie. I added an activity point to my WeightWatchers tracker for that escapade. A reversal of fortuneTrouble, the pampered Maltese that belonged to the late Leona Helmsley, will have to make ends meet on a greatly reduced trust fund. 
Helmsley, who died last August, left the pooch $12 million in her will. In April a New York judge trimmed Trouble's inheritance to a mere $2 million in a deal worked out between Helmsley's human heirs and the state's attorney general's office. That still should be enough for the 9-year-old dog to continue to live in the style in which she has become accustomed. According to a news report on Reuters, Trouble lives with Carl Lekic, the general manager of a Helmsley hotel in Florida. Lekic is quoted that the money would cover annual costs of $100,000 for full-time security, $8,000 for grooming and $1,200 for food. Lekic is paid a $60,000 annual guardian fee out of the inheritance. Perhaps the pup won't need so many security guards now that she only has one-sixth of the fortune in her paws. June 17, 2008Community pet show this SundayThe brave folks at Blue Ridge Vineyards invite folks to bring their dogs, cats, puppies and kittens for a community pet show this Sunday from 2 to 7 p.m. And you can sip some Botetourt County wine while you are there. 
Competitions scheduled for the show include: cutest puppy or kitten, pet parent/pet look-a-like, most unusual dog or cat, most vocal pet, best costumes, most patient (not sure if that means the pet or the parent) and most Frisbee catches. There will also be rally/obedience and agility events. The first event costs $5 to enter; additional events are $2 each. And a five-spot will get you a souvenir glass for wine tasting. Leashes and vaccine records are required for pets; I am sure valid identification is required for the wine tasters as well. The vineyard is located at 1027 Shiloh Drive in Eagle Rock. For more information, call 798-7642 or visit the Web site. Tanner looks for a new homeI can't imagine how difficult it would be to decide to give up a pet. When we bring a dogs or cats into our family, we plan for those critters to spend the rest of their lives with us. We work on proper behavior, develop routines, and eventually settle in to comfortable co-existence. But sometimes things change and, heartbreaking as it is, balance is forever lost. 
This elderly Lab mix is now looking for a retirement home that does not include young children. Here's part of the e-mail I recieved yesterday: "His name is Tanner, he weighs about 80 pounds, and he gets along great with people and other animals. He is neutered and housebroken and lives indoors. He listens well, knows all common commands and is a great watchdog. His owners don't want to put him in a shelter because, well, he's 10 years old." If you know anyone who would like to meet Tanner, please let me know and I will pass the information on to his family. June 16, 2008Cuervo found a home
I chatted with Sarah Orrick of Star City Greyhound Adoptions last weekend and she said Cuervo has a new family. The Happy Wag cannot claim any credit for the adoption, but we are very glad the sweet boy has a forever home now. Volunteers help stop littering
Click this link to read a wonderful story by reporter Jeff Sturgeon about Alley Cat Angels, a volunteer group that spays and neuters hundreds of feral cats in Roanoke. In this photo, Barbara Phipps of Galax holds a recovering feral cat as the kitty's anesthesia wears off. The sterilization clinic is offered through Angels of Assisi. The cats are returned to their neighborhoods after the procedure and a health check are completed. The clinic has sterilized 962 felines since March of 2007. That likely prevented the potential birth of hundreds of thousands of unwanted, homeless cats in the Roanoke Valley. For more information about the clinic, contact Alley Cat Angels at feralcat@angelsofassisi.org or 344-8707, ext. 111. For more information about the cause, go online at www.alleycat.org.
June 14, 2008Hanging with the mean kittyYo, what up blog readers? Just kickin' it this morning with this chill cat video. Enjoy. June 13, 2008Take your dog to work dayNext Friday, June 20, is officially Take Your Dog to Work Day. 
According to the Web site, the day "was created to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue clubs." Since that's exactly where I adopted all three of my pooches, I agree they would all be excellent ambassadors and if my co-workers saw what great dogs they are, they would run out and adopt a sweetie of their own. I have had all three of my dogs in my office at one time or another for very brief visits, but I doubt even my most persuasive argument would convince my boss to let me bring just one of my pooches to work for a whole day. The point is moot anyway: I am out of the office next Friday for a weekend in Nashville. But in case you would like to give it a go at your workplace, here's a Letterman-style top ten list of reasons the Web site suggests you use to convince your boss to let you participate: 10. The squirrels in the neighborhood deserve a break. Good luck and post a comment if you plan to participate or if you have experience with taking your dog to work. Take Faith homeTo quote singer George Michael, "You gotta have Faith." 
In this photo, she is demonstrating her versatility for the camera as she poses as a Halloween decoration. Faith is available for employment through the Barn Cat Buddy program, a joint venture of Roanoke's Angels of Assisi and Franklin County's Humane Society. According to the Angels Web site: "Faith was trapped by a person who thought she was feral (wild). But she's not wild at all. She's sweet however cautious of strangers till you reach out and give her a little scratch behind the ears. She is a loving and sweet kitty who was probably not given tenderness. Someone dropped her off at a modular home manufacturer in Franklin County and that is where she had her two kittens Hope and Charity. So Faith, Hope and Charity are now all up for adoption." Barn Cat Buddies are available for adoption at no charge (though a donation would be very much appreciated) and all house kitties at Angels of Assisi are adopt-one-get-one-free for the rest of June, otherwise known as Adopt a Shelter Cat month. June 12, 2008Bargain baths
The event is a fundraiser for the Roanoke Valley SPCA and is sponsored by radio station The Planet 101.5 FM. Trained groomers will be on hand to wash and fluff your tiny Fido for $10. Big sweeties will cost an additional $5. All the proceeds go to the RVSPCA. The radio station will be broadcasting live from the dog wash and will give away t-shirts and other prizes. Expect a guest appearance by Mugsy, mascot of the Salem Avalanche, and McGruff the Crime-Fighting Dog. No word if those dogs will be bathed at the event. June 11, 2008Good deeds at LAPClick here to read about a Botetourt County real estate firm that spent a service day at the League for Animal Protection in Fincastle. The blog entry said adoptions are down at LAP and it is near capacity with adoptable pets. Keep 'em on the leash
The fine for the pet parent of the errant pooch is fairly stiff and goes up as the summer goes along. Right now, it will cost you a $20 pre-payment plus $69 for court costs for each citation for a loose dog. The court costs spike up to $74 after July 1. That's almost a tank of gas in today's economy. Of course, you can let your dog off leash in Fishburn Park, but the lack of a fence between the park and busy Brambleton Avenue does not really make that a very safe option. With enough community support, there could be a proper public dog park in Roanoke by next summer. June 10, 2008The dogs-and-fireworks problemWhile surfing Google news yesterday, I found an article from the Canadian Press about ways to help a scaredy-dog deal with the fireworks that will be lit all over America in the coming weeks. 
The article quotes several dog trainers who recommend a variety of ways to help your pooch, depending on the dog's age and level of anxiety. According to the article, you can begin introducing booming noises at low volume while your dog enjoys a favorite activity, like eating or playing with a toy, slowly increasing the volume until the dog becomes desensitized to the noise. I would think you would want to start this right away to have any chance of it working before July 4. In extreme cases, the experts recommend making a vet appointment now and getting your dog anti-anxiety drugs to help them stay calm. You can also get your dog naturally relaxed with pheromone-mimicking scents that are aroma therapy for the pooch, helping to ease anxiety. We may adopt a divide-and-conquer plan at our house. We have an even adult-to-dog ratio, so we can each take a dog to a different part of the house so they won't feed off each other's energy. We can concentrate on keeping calm with only one dog to worry about, which should help Dexter and Storm. But for Coral, we may actually need doggy Prozac. For the whole article, click here Got mice? Get cats.
If you have an infestation in your barn, stable or farm, these specially trained rodent control technicians (a.k.a. feral yet friendly kitties) are highly motivated and will work for kibble. All Barn Cat Buddies have been sterilized and vaccinated at no direct charge to the prospective employer, but donations are gladly accepted, appreciated and will ensure the continued success of the program for future Barn Cat Buddies. Protocol and relocation counseling is given to all barn owners so the feline security guards accept their new place of employment and understand their job requirements. Contact Heather Scott or Diane Novak at 420-7241 for more information. Berners of the Valley unite
The event will feature an all-breed rally novice show. There will be show judging for all Bernese mountain dogs (Berners to those who love them) with classes for dogs over 12 months old, including a spay/neuter class and a costume class, and an exhibition-only class for champions. There will also be three conformation classes for puppies. For more information about the event and the club, click here. June 9, 2008A new home, and name, for JumperJumper, the orange tabby kitten who took a header off the Memorial Bridge in Radford last month to avoid capture by an animal control officer, has found a new home. 
The little guy was adopted by Becky Hawke, the city's spokeswoman, who has a soft spot for "Garfield" look-a-likes. She renamed the kitten Geronimo, or Mo for short. Mo now shares a home with two other kitties and a dog. Click here to read the whole story. The puppy daddy
Doris writes: "This is the dad of a litter of 11 golden retrievers. He wasn't sure what to make of all those little things running around. At first he was afraid of them but as you can see he is beginning to warm up and do the things dads do, as in the one where he is standing guard while mom feeds." So here's a shout out to all the fathers, no matter the species. June 7, 2008An engineer's guide to catsThis is a little lengthy, but well worth it if you love kitties. And if you are considering adopting a cat, this is a very helpful guide. June 6, 2008What's in a name?Well, ridcule if you happen to be the poor shlub who is lambasted in this blog entry on mentalfloss.com for naming his cat Tail-less. No wonder the poor kitty ran away and is now the subject of hand-drawn wanted posters. Reading this made me think of this commercial: What is the worst name you have ever heard for a pet? Prince and BeautyBack to our continuing coverage of Adopt a Cat month, read this nice blog entry from Botetourt View journalist Cathy Benson about two kitties who found a home after their owner had to move to a retirement home. Take Sadie home, at least for a little whileThis is an e-mail I got today from Ann Marie Sweeney at the RVSPCA: "[Here] is a picture of Sadie who is under a year old. She's an SPCA return dog that came in to Animal Control and we, unfortunately, have no space here for her and next door is running out of cage space (please read between the lines!!!). We'd like to send her to foster for 2 weeks. If you can help, please let me know." 
I got other e-mails from her about several puppies that also need foster homes. For those of you who do not know the text between those lines Ann Marie was referring to, let me fill you in. Sadie is an adoptable dog who will be euthanized in Animal Control if there is no space for her. I know when I first started this blog I felt very good that the animal shelters here in the Valley, including the SPCA, League for Animal Protection and Angels of Assisi, are no-kill. However, the truth is that healthy, adoptable pets like Sadie do have to be euthanized when there is no space in the no-kill shelters. It's a sad reality. I do realize I am likely preaching to the choir here. If you read this blog you are probably the very best of pet parents, care for your animals and do not contribute to the overpopulation problem. And there is certainly nothing wrong with deciding not to add more animals to your family. That is a decision that cannot be taken lightly and it is far better to be an excellent home for one pet than a chaotic home for a dozen pets. But if you or someone you know could give temporary care to pets like Sadie, please call Ann Marie at 344-4840, ext. 208. June 5, 2008Dogs too unpredictable for a park?We interrupt this week's blog entries about Adopt a Cat month to discuss dogs and dog parks, kind of a hot topic here in Roanoke these days. There was a letter in today's Roanoke Times from a reader in Radford who said she believes that dog parks are inherently unsafe for both pooches and people. The letter writer takes the position that dogs are too unpredictable to get along in groups and will by nature react negatively to each other. "Regardless of our love for our dogs and any amount of training given them, I can never see a time when different breeds of dogs can be turned loose together in harmony," she wrote How then do we have so many mutts, I wonder? Okay, that was my snarky comment of the day. But I do respectfully disagree with the writer. Dogs are pack animals and a well-socialized dog will naturally enjoy a romp with other dogs. It is healthy for a dog to have contact with people and other dogs; that's what prevents a dog from becoming frightened in new situations and reacting on the instincts that the writer describes. And for pooches with homes that do not include a spacious, fenced-in yard, a dog park is the best place to run off the excess energy that also causes behavior problems. A well-exercised dog is a happy, calm dog. But I can see where a dog whose last contact with other canines was when he left his littermates may have problems. To the pet parents of such dogs, you may want to refrain from visiting a dog park or introduce your dog slowly to the experience. But I think it’s unfair to dismiss out of hand the possibility that other dogs will enjoy the experience of running and playing. I do hope the letter writer takes her Boston out for some nice long walks, hopefully in a park. Dogs need grass beneath their paws and fresh air in their lungs. |