Canines In The News


Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education and Awareness believes it is important to stay informed on current affairs and issues relating to animal welfare and public safety. The following news links will feature information that may play a role in our mission. Daxton’s Friends believes that the media does an accurate job in reporting canine related incidents involving any breed of canine and does not find there is substantial evidence that only certain breeds are reported. However, many canine related incidents involving attacks on other canines do not make media news. If you have been involved in a canine attack, find a canine related incident that you think we should share, or just have a good dog story to tell, please e-mail us at [email protected]. *Abusive and/or deceitful emails are subject to being published in full.* 


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PUPPY-website-main-628-image-with-creditBlind Dog Saves Drowning Girl

What A Hero!

Posted: 11 May, 2015 by Carly Heading

This video is doing the rounds again and it’s so, so beautiful…
Meet Norman!
Back in 1993 he was due to be put to sleep after over staying at a rescue shelter.

But luckily for Norman, he was rescued by a loving American family who lived by the Necanicum River in Oregon.

Norman was loving life… living the dream… long walks on the beach and lots of family fun…

But sadly soon after he was adopted, his new family noticed that he had some problems with his eye sight… he was soon diagnosed etinal atrophy, an eye condition which would would eventually leave him completely blind.

But of course that never stopped him!

Click here to read more


450-deyoung-cenaMilitary dogs save lives and serve our nation: They deserve better

By  – Published April 14, 2015 – FoxNews.com

Superheroes come in all forms, and my favorite ones have fur, four-legs, wagging tails and distinguished service records on the battlefields in the war on terror.

I am an advocate for war dogs, their handlers and the incredible humane bond that exists between the two. The bond between service members and their military working dog (MWD) or contract working dog (CWD) is powerful, and can be healing after their return from the sands of Iraq and Afghanistan. The healing happens on both ends of the leash as the invisible wounds of war, such as post-traumatic stress (PTS), impact both humans and animals.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/04/14/military-dogs-save-lives-and-serve-our-nation-deserve-better/


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Rescued Dog Saves Two Strangers From Riptide

by  – March 27, 2015 – 6:00 am

An amazing thing happened in the seaside town of Ventura, Calif., last week. A 3-year-old Bernese Mountain dog named Nico, who was recently adopted from a local shelter by Dan and Vivian Clarke, noticed a woman struggling against the riptide. The attentive canine ran into the ocean and swam to the lady in trouble.

The woman’s husband had also swam out to help his wife but soon found himself in a similar situation, unable to tame the riptide. Dan Clarke, a former lifeguard, was amazed at the swiftness and instinctual attitude of Nico, his hero dog.

Clarke watched from the shore as Nico swam to the woman in distress. He shouted to her to grab Nico “anywhere you can.” She put one arm around the super-sized dog’s chest area and the other held tight to her boogie board. Nico guided her to the safety of shallow water.

His work not yet complete, Nico then went to the man struggling in the ocean and did the same for him. “The woman and the gentleman they were just exhausted. They just looked and said, ‘Is that, like, a trained life-saving dog?’” Dan Clarke told KTLA.

His reply? “That’s the first time I’ve seen him doing something like that.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/rescued-dog-saves-two-strangers-from-riptide.html#ixzz3VsWBR5tc


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War veteran Sarbi dies a hero dog: Army explosive detection warrior gets highest canine military honour

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – MARCH 28, 2015 12:00AM

DECORATED canine war hero Sarbi died yesterday after a short battle with brain cancer.

The army explosive detection dog was awarded the highest military honour for canine warriors, the War Dog Operational Medal, as well as the prestigious Purple Cross by the RSPCA for her war-time services.

The 12-year-old newfoundland-labrador retriever cross suffered several seizures in recent weeks and scans detected a tumour in her brain.

Sarbi had spent the past five years as a pet of her army handler Warrant Officer David Simpson and his wife Kira, after her tours of duty.

Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/war-veteran-sarbi-dies-a-hero-dog-army-explosive-detection-warrior-gets-highest-canine-military-honour/story-fni0cx12-1227282011734


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3-Year-Old Meets His 4 Legged Hero

LEX18.com – 3/26/15

The story about a boy and his dog is as old as time, but this story has a particularly heartwarming ending.

Thursday, three year-old Lukcas Bertram and his mom paid a visit to his four-legged hero, Lucy, a very special search and rescue canine, to thank her for reuniting them after a terrifying day.

On Wednesday chaos and confusion ensued when Lukcas went missing. He had wandered from their home on Ike Court in Cannonsburg.  It was a frightening experience for his mom, Cammi.

“I didn’t know where he was,” she said. “So it made me nervous and I didn’t know if somebody had him or what.”

Luckily though, Lucy the dog came to the rescue.

“The trail he took went over 3 and a half miles on foot,” his mom said. “They knew because they could track his footprints.

The trail was dangerous with cliffs, hillsides, wild animals, briers and barbed wire fences.

The search and rescue team scoured for about an hour looking for the toddler. They searched while Cammi watched and waited. Then they let Lucy go out to look for him.

Read more: http://www.lex18.com/story/28626301/a-boy-and-his-dog-hero


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Local K-9 Competing for Charity

WIFR.com – 3/26/15

BELOIT (WIFR) — A Stateline dog that’s been helping to catch criminals is once again up for a heroic award.

According to the Beloit Fire Department, Lt. Keith Lynn’s partner K9 Glory is nominated for the 2015 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards. Glory was previously nominated in 2014, where she made it to the semi-final round. The Hero Dog Awards recognize notable canines.

Glory is a certified accelerant detection canine.

Voting in the first round of the semi-finalist determination takes place between March 9 and May 15.

Read more: http://www.wifr.com/home/headlines/Local-K9-Competing-for-Charity-297707231.html


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Hero police dog Ulrich finds Herbert ‘Nobby’ Bartlett, who had been missing for four days

RICHARD NOONE – THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – MARCH 26, 2015 5:01PM

A SECOND police dog has been hailed a hero within a week after locating an 86-year-old man missing for four days.

Police launched a widespread search for Herbert “Nobby’’ Bartlett after he was last seen about 9.10am on Monday at Maitland Hospital, where he had been receiving care after a stroke six weeks ago.

It was believed Mr Bartlett left the hospital and was possibly in the Maitland, Kurri Kurri or Weston areas.

Police and Mr Bartlett’s family held grave concerns for his welfare, as he required medication, was frail and may also have been disorientated as a result of his stroke.

When extensive searches failed to find any trace of Mr Bartlett police yesterday launched a public appeal for information.

The search resumed at 10.30am this morning this time involving social media star police dog “Ulrich’’ and his handler Senior Constable David Wynn.

Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/hero-police-dog-ulrich-finds-herbert-nobby-bartlett-who-had-been-missing-for-four-days/story-fnii5s3y-1227279528522


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“Hero” German Shepherd saves master Dog alerts sleeping homeowner to fire, officials say

Author: Ryan Hughes – 3/25/15

BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. – A dog took on the role of smoke detector and alerted his master to a fire inside their home in Berks County early Tuesday morning. The fire erupted around 4:30 a.m. in the basement of the home at 37 Franklin Street in Bechtelsville, according to state police. “He jumped up on me and started pawing at me,” said Pete Dardas, who was asleep on the first floor.

Read more from WFMZ.com at: http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-berks/fire-in-bechtelsville-starts-in-basement-of-home/31979018
Connect with us… Facebook/69WFMZ or @69News


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Tylerite credits his dog with saving his life

Published on Tuesday, 24 March 2015 15:57 – Written by KENNETH DEAN, [email protected]

Greg Hall is recovering from a heart attack, a recovery he believes is possible due to the actions of his 12-year-old Labrador Kona.

Hall, 54, of Tyler, said he was battling nausea last week. He went to his primary care physician, who prescribed something to help with the sick feeling Hall said he couldn’t seem to shake.

“I didn’t know what it was, but I didn’t think of a heart attack. I dealt with it all week and finally late Friday night it woke me up,” he said.

Hall said he was wide awake and couldn’t go back to sleep so he decided to go grocery shopping.

Upon his return home from the late night trip to the store, things would change quickly.

“I opened the front door and walked in with the bags in my arms. Next thing I knew, I was on the floor and the groceries were scattered everywhere,” he said. ‘I couldn’t move my body and I was in severe pain. It was pretty scary.”

Unable to move, Hall said he was in agony and wondered if he was going to die. He didn’t know where his phone was or how to call for help.

Ivan, his 10-year-old Shizu-mix was scared and worried, but Kona came to his rescue.

Read more: http://www.tylerpaper.com/TP-News+Local/216311/tylerite-credits-his-dog-with-saving-his-life


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St. Pete police dog recovering after rattlesnake bite

By: Evan Axelbank, FOX 13 News – 3/19/15

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) –

A St. Petersburg Police canine is said to be improving after being bitten by a rattlesnake while chasing after a robbery suspect.

Veterinarians treated ‘Ajax’ with anti-venin and transfusions of plasma overnight, and say he will continue to be monitored throughout the day.

Officer Joe Lehmann and Ajax were called to 4th Street to help search for a burglary suspect near an apartment complex where there have been several break-ins reported.

“They were moving very fast,” said department spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez.

As they were tracking the suspect, a rattlesnake darted up and bit Ajax on the mouth.

“The dog yelped and jumped and {the officer] saw the snake extended.”

Lehmann shot the snake three times, which gave police the chance to retrieve it so they could figure out how much venom got into the dog.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/28563716/st-pete-police-dog-bitten-by-rattlesnake


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A Dog Named Hero Pulls A ‘Lassie’ to Help Save 10 Newborn Puppies & Their Distressed Mom

BY  – 3/17/15

Hero is the perfect name for a mixed-Labrador stray who recently came to the rescue of a litter of puppies and their weakened mother in a Dallas, Texas, park.

Marina Tarashevsce of the animal welfare group Dallas Dogrrr told Fox News that they had been trying to rescue Hero from the park for several days, but the clever dog kept giving them the slip. That is, until this weekend when, to her surprise Hero greeted them with loud, urgent barking.

As the Daily Mail reports, Tarashevsce and John Miller, a dog behaviorist with Dallas Dogrrr, decided that not only was something wrong, but that Hero wanted them to follow him. As they moved closer to him, Hero would move backwards and continue barking.

Read more: http://www.ijreview.com/2015/03/273667-dog-named-hero-pulls-lassie-help-save-10-newborn-puppies-distressed-mom/

 


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Local fire dog up for national award

Dollar, an Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Arson canine, serves Southern Illinois fire departments, including all Wabash County departments.

A female Labrador, Dollar, is nominated for the American Humane Association’s “Hero Dog Awards.”

Voting is under way and continues until May 15 with the selection of three semifinalists. The winning dog will be flown to Los Angeles and celebrated at a red carpet, star-studded awards gala on Sept. 19, when this year’s American Hero Dog will be revealed.

Dollar, who is handled by Investigator Kenny Arnold, has been used in numerous arson investigations throughout Southern Illinois, including recent fires in Mt. Carmel.

Read more: http://www.tristate-media.com/drr/local-fire-dog-up-for-national-award/article_4cf380a4-ccab-11e4-ae81-27a435b71891.html


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Dog saves family from fire

By Mike Grant Times Herald – 3/16/15

A Friday morning house fire resulted in considerable damage, but the family claims the results could have been much worse if not for the family German Shepherd. Washington fire fighters were called to 7 Dewey Ave. around 7:46 a.m. Friday after an electrical short sparked a fire in an upstairs bedroom.

The house was being occupied by Danna Oldham-Chen and she was in the process of purchasing it from Larry Bryant.

“We had just put down new carpet and paint and had taken down the smoke detectors,” said Oldham-Chen. “I was asleep on the couch and my dog began scratching at me and barking and woke me up. He ran upstairs and I followed him and he took me right to the fire.”

Oldham-Chen says that when she saw the blaze in the empty bedroom she grabbed her two sons, age 1 and 3, and brought them downstairs. “If Toshiro had not awakened me I would have lost my boys. They were upstairs and my 3-month-old daughter was downstairs with me. When I got upstairs the fire was over to the wall for the boys’ room and still spreading.”

The reaction of the dog not only saved the family, but also may have kept the house from being a total loss. “The fire did moderate damage to the structure of the house,” said Washington Fire Chief Dave Rhoads. “This fire could have been a lot worse. The house had some tall attics and we managed to get to it before it got up into the attic and really take off.”

 

Read more: http://www.washtimesherald.com/news/local_news/dog-saves-family-from-fire/article_01ff8093-5dfd-5e22-a4e9-76c932bf11c8.html


2015-03-19_09h40_53IHS teacher shares story of how shelter dog ‘chose’ his family

My story about my dog and I actually begins with my previous dog, Jesse. At 8 years of age, Jesse had a heart attack and died. My family was distraught. We needed a new dog, and fast. A quick internet search led us to Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary.

By Doug Tackmann  – IHS English and Debate teacher – 3/18/15

My story about my dog and I actually begins with my previous dog, Jesse. At 8 years of age, Jesse had a heart attack and died. My family was distraught. We needed a new dog, and fast. A quick internet search led us to Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary.

My family and I scheduled a time where all five of us could go to Mackenzie’s to pick out a dog. The first one was too nervous and we didn’t think he would be a good fit. With some hesitation, the handler at Mackenzie’s brought in Chauncey. He immediately ran to the two boys and started to play. At that point I knew he was the one. He had chosen us!

Read more: http://www.sentinel-standard.com/article/20150318/NEWS/150318920/1997/NEWS


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BFD’s arson canine Nika nominated for Hero Dog Award

By Caleb McCaig Brownwood Bulletin – 3/15/15

One of Brownwood’s finest is up for one of the most prestigious awards she can receive in her line of work. However, for her to win she’ll need the help of Brown County due to the fact that she walks on all fours and lacks the opposable thumbs needed to use a computer and vote.

Nika is the working fire arson dog here in Brownwood and Brown County and has been nominated for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards in the arson dogs category. Her partner and best friend Brownwood/Brown County Fire Marshall Buddy Preston is happy to see her recognized.

“We were teamed up back in 2011 and she’s with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days of the year,” Preston said. “It means a lot to see her recognized. She’s not only a great arson dog, but just a great dog in general.”

Nika, a 5-year-old black labrador retriever, is a trained accelerant detection dog and is taken to sites that have caught blaze to determine if any chemicals can be identified.

Read more: http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/local/article_0098c63a-6115-58b7-9553-e22b899e74f4.html


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From Failed Student to Hero Search Dog, Busan’s Rescue Team Gains Attention


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Abandoned dog called Hero saves lives of 10 newborn puppies and their mother after leading rescuers to the freezing litter

  • Lab mix, Hero, had spent weeks eluding rescuers in a Dallas, Texas, park
  • But on Tuesday night, dog greeted them with loud and persistent barking
  • Every time they moved closer to him, Hero inched backward and barked
  • Rescuers followed dog to burnt-out tree, located by a creek in woodland
  • Incredibly, they discovered ten sick, newborn puppies and weak mother
  • 11 rescued animals are now in a foster home; have been joined by Hero
  • Dogrrr-Rescue, Rehab, Reform said it ‘still cannot believe’ dog’s actions 

By SOPHIE JANE EVANS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM – 3/15/15

An abandoned dog has saved the lives of ten sick, newborn puppies and their weak mother after incessantly barking to alert passersby and then leading them to the dogs’ location in dense woods.

The Labrador mix, who has since been named Hero, had spent weeks eluding members of Dallas Dogrrr-Rescue, Rehab, Reform in Texas, who were trying to rescue him from a south Dallas park.

But on Tuesday night, he greeted rescuer Marina Tarashevsce and dog behaviorist John Miller with persistent barking. Every time the pair moved closer to him, Hero inched backward and barked.

Deciding that the dog was trying to alert them to something, Ms Tarahevsce and Mr Miller followed him into nearby woodland. A short while later, they came across a burnt-out tree, situated by a creek.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2996352/Abandoned-dog-called-Hero-saves-lives-10-newborn-puppies-mother-leading-rescuers-group-BARKS.html


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Wilmington Service Dog Titus Nominated for Hero Dog Award

By Hannah Brewer – Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 06:05 PM EDT

WILMINGTON– Service dog Titus was given a second chance at life and Canines for Service President and the Rick Hairston are to thank.

“We got Titus the night before he was due to be put down from Horry County. He spent a year in the military prison up at Camp Lejeune. He was trained by several prisoners up there and they did very well and he is now my service dog,” said Rick.

While Rick was once a hero to Titus, the tables have turned. Titus is vying for the title of “Hero Dog” in the Service Dog category of the 2015 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards.

The contest includes eight categories: Military Dogs, Arson Dogs, Service Dogs, Law Enforcement Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Guide/Hearing Dogs, Therapy Dogs, and Emerging Hero Dogs.

The top dog in each will win $2,500 for their designated charity partner.

Read more: http://www.twcnews.com/nc/coastal/news/2015/03/15/wilmington-service-dog-titus-nominated-for-hero-dog-award.html


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Furry officer takes a bite out of crime

Danielle Lunsford – Posted on Mar 11, 2015 – by Danielle Lunsford

OTTUMWA — Affectionately described as a “big fur ball,” Sharek, Ottumwa Police Department’s K-9 officer, can turn into an fierce officer of the law with a simple Polish command.

With the help of handler and human partner Officer Cody McCoy, Sharek showed area residents just how vicious his bite can be during a demonstration earlier this week.

“Just having him in the car with me and people knowing that he’s in there and I have a dog gives me a little extra [advantage],” said McCoy while discussing how effective his partner can be during a pursuit.

“I have had a few people hiding in the woods, and I’ve said ‘Come out or the dog’s coming in,” and people have come out of hiding because of the threat of the dog,” said McCoy.

The K-9 officer showed off how effective his takedown can be by chasing after and latching onto the arm of a volunteer officer. After a successful takedown, he showed the group how strong his sense of smell is and followed the scent of planted methamphetamine and marijuana throughout Bridge View Center. His furry nose swung back and forth across the expo hall before proudly scratching at the source site where the drugs were hidden.

Read more: http://www.ottumwacourier.com/news/local_news/furry-officer-takes-a-bite-out-of-crime/article_02f95a58-c834-11e4-8e15-5793133d1959.html


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SEE IT: Stray dog kicked by driver returns with his pack to get revenge, attack car 

BY  – NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 1:34 PM

Who said dogs were dumb?

An angry stray kicked by a driver in China for sleeping in his parking spot exacted revenge on the mean motorist by fetching his pack of four-legged friends to wreck his car.

The pooch’s payback on the Chongquing man was photographed by a neighbor, according to Metro UK.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dog-kicked-driver-returns-pack-revenge-article-1.214567


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Nero the hero: Police dog who faced being put down over £2900 vet bill looks set to enjoy happy retirement after undergoing surgery

HERO police dog Nero has had the operation that should set him up for a happy retirement.

The German shepherd was facing death by lethal injection until the Record stepped in to reveal 
shameful penny-pinching by Police Scotland.

We told how bosses would rather put the seven-year-old dog down than pay a £2900 vet bill for the op on his two slipped discs.

The force did a rapid U-turn after our story sparked outrage, and Nero’s surgery on Monday went well .

Our stories on him were shared more than 9000 times on Facebook, and our intervention may help protect other dogs in public service.

A source said: “We hear Nero was fast-tracked through and everything seems to have gone smoothly.

“He’ll be resting up for a few weeks but should be back to near his best after 
a recuperation period.

Nero’s distraught handler was told by a boss last week to take time to decide when the dog should be killed and whether he wanted to be with him at the end.

Read more: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/nero-hero-police-dog-who-5307649


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Hero Dog: Leo The Lab Alerts Joanna Mellor’s Boyfriend That She Stopped Breathing

Joanna Mellor, 24, says she owes her life to her dog and boyfriend.

By Amanda Bernocco [email protected] | Mar 09, 2015

If it weren’t for beauty therapist Joanna Mellor’s labrador, she probably wouldn’t be alive today.

The 24-year-old went into cardiac arrest during the night while sleeping in bed with her boyfriend, Andrew Rayment, 27.

The couple’s 5-year-old lab, Leo, noticed that Mellor wasn’t breathing and woke Rayment by barking and jumping up at her side of the bed.

“I remember going to bed and drifting off the sleep and the next I know I’m in intensive care in hospital and told I’d suffered a heart attack,” reported Mail Online. “The doctors say I was technically dead because it took Andrew 30 minutes to get my heart started. Andrew said he woke up with Leo barking and jumping up at my side of the bed and going mad. He says he could tell something was wrong with me and dialled 999 and the operator talked him through CPR.”

Read more: http://www.hngn.com/articles/75748/20150309/hero-dog-leo-the-lab-alerts-joanna-mellors-boyfriend-that-she-stopped-breathing.htm


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Hero dog in St. Tammany rescues and is rescued from Bogue Falaya River

James Varney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune – By James Varney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Two months after a three-legged dog rescued her owner from the chilly waters of the Bogue Falaya River, sheriffs’ deputies rescued the dog from the same location.

The second rescue took place Sunday (March 8) when the elderly owners of “Bounce,” an 11-year-old German shorthaired pointer, called the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office to report their beloved pooch was in the drink.

Bounce had fallen down the same steep incline near the River Road home that tripped up her male owner in January, authorities said. Then, disregarding her handicap, Bounce went down after her owner, who had broken his leg in his tumble, and helped pull him to a sandbar. Once out of the frigid water, Bounce set to barking until the man’s wife heard the courageous canine and called for help.

Read more: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2015/03/hero_dog_in_st_tammany_rescues.html


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Family dog is a real super hero

by Gayle McBain – 3/6/15

A CUTE little cocker spaniel with the most appealing eyes has a new nickname.

This is cheeky looking Mini whose owners have dubbed her Mini the Minx because of her recent exploits.

She is soon to reach the age of 12 weeks and is starting to really find her feet in the Raby household in Halliwell.

“We are trying to stop her nipping at our ankles — it’s a real problem when I come in from work wearing tights as I get holes in them,” laughs 43-year-old Andrea Raby who adds that she can cope with the holes in her slippers.

Mini — who as you can see from the photograph is a real “super hero” to the family — has just enjoyed her very first walk.

“We went to Moss Bank Park and she met her first dog. She was thrilled to meet him but he was an old dog and not very happy to have Mini wanting to play with him,” says Andrea.

Andrea, husband Philip and daughters Candice, aged 22 and Bethany, aged 17, were recovering from the loss of their previous much-loved cocker spaniel, earlier this year, when they decided to get Mini.

Read more: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/features/11839597.Family_dog_is_a_real_super_hero/


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This Dog Can Detect Thyroid Cancer – By Sniffing Human Urine Samples

By News Staff | March 7th 2015 10:00 AM – Science 2.0

A trained scent dog has been found to accurately distinguish between benign and cancerous urine samples of thyroid cancer patients a terrific 88.2 percent of the time, according to a new study.

That canine diagnostic accuracy is only slightly less than that of fine-needle aspiration biopsy, the method generally used first to test thyroid nodules for cancer – but it is noninvasive and inexpensive.

Arny Ferrando, PhD, of  the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences previously “imprinted,” or scent-trained, a rescued male German Shepherd-mix named Frankie to recognize the smell of cancer in thyroid tissue obtained from multiple patients. Ferrando, who noted that dogs have at least 10 times more smell receptors than humans do, said, “Frankie is the first dog trained to differentiate benign thyroid disease from thyroid cancer by smelling a person’s urine.”

Read more: http://www.science20.com/news_articles/this_dog_can_detect_thyroid_cancer_by_sniffing_human_urine_samples-153837


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Crufts nominee medical detection dog Pal shows off his skills

by Hayley Robinson – [email protected] – 3/6/15

To the outside world Pal looks like any other dog but through the eyes of owner Claire Pearson the dog is her lifeline.

That’s because he has been trained to save the type 1 diabetic’s life over and over again.

The ‘dogtor’ alerts her when it detects small changes in her scent indicating her blood sugar levels are rising too high, or falling too low, both of which could lead to her falling into a coma and possibly dying.

“I can tell by the way he looks at me that he’s picked up something,” she said.

“I don’t get any warning but he’ll lick my hand, paw my leg or hassle me until I’ve checked my blood levels.

“He can fetch my glucose medication if it’s low or my insulin if it’s high, he knows which one to get.

“If I’m not taking any notice he will get someone else if they’re in the house or he will bark.

“My neighbours know then that there’s something wrong. He can even fetch the phone.”

Read more: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/sittingbourne/news/he-saves-my-life-a-33006/


Tina Ashford-Rowe from Parkinson with Raffy the dog who saved a drowning baby possum when it fell into their pool. Picture: Josh Woning.

Family pet, terrier cross Raffy, saves a drowning possum from a backyard pool at Parkinson

March 9, 2015 9:00am – Quest Newspapers

AN old dog really can learn new tricks.

After never swimming a day in his life, a 14-year-old Terrier Cross has rescued a drowning baby possum from a back yard pool at Parkinson.

Proud owner Tina Ashford-Rowe said she was gardening by the pool when she heard her beloved family pet, Raffy, dive into the water.

“Suddenly I heard a noise and Raffy was in the pool, which was a bit of a shock because he never goes in the pool,” Ms Ashford-Rowe said.

The old dog, who is deaf in one ear, wasn’t going for a dip but performing a heroic rescue, swimming silently to the side of the pool with the baby brushtail on his back.

“When he got out of the pool I saw he had something on his back and I thought it was a rat, but then I saw it wasn’t a rat but a possum,” Ms Ashford-Rowe said.

Read more: http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/south/family-pet-terrier-cross-raffy-saves-a-drowning-possum-from-a-backyard-pool-at-parkinson/story-fni9r1nj-122725509323


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Pit Bull Found With 60-Pound-Chain, Padlocks Wrapped Around Neck

Inquisiter – 3/10/15

Authorities in New Mexico are investigating after local residents discovered a pit bull with a 60-pound-chain and several padlocks wrapped around its neck, a galling case of abuse that animal control officials believe may have been perpetrated for a far darker purpose.

The pit bull was found in Albuquerque, near the 1600 block of Lake Drive SW, according to KOAT. When the unfortunate animal was discovered, the massive chain was wrapped around its neck, fastened in place with several large and heavy padlocks. According to Mary Martin, director of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, though chains are used for several purposes when it comes to dogs, the way in which this one was affixed to the animal spoke volumes about the owner’s intent.

“People were using the chain as weight to build the dog’s muscles,” she said. “They want a very powerful dog, either potentially for fighting purposes or sometimes just to have that look.”
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1912223/pit-bull-found-with-60-pound-chain-padlocks-wrapped-around-neck/#G60386UhGOV5UM6J.99


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Dog saves ailing man’s life

Alongside Adam Dunn, decorated federal Air Marshall and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, are a pair of yellow Labradors. At all times, Reann or Bruno comfort and assist a man who is grateful for life.

It has been a decade since an accident left Dunn pinned between a 75-ton patrol boat and pier. Remnants of the night are evident. Dunn has lost the use of his right arm, has mild brain damage and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder

Acting on a recommendation by his psychotherapist, Dunn sought the companionship of an animal. The search lead Dunn and his wife Wendy to San Rafael, the home of Guide Dogs for the Blind.

From there, a truly amazing story unfolds

Read more: http://www.petaluma360.com/news/3603010-181/dog-saves-ailing-mans-life


home-made-dog-wheelchairHomemade Wheelchair Saves Lives Of Pets In The Balkans

Obtaining a pet wheelchair is difficult in the Balkans – an impoverished region with a bad record for caring for the disabled – both humans and pets. There are no local producers of the devices, and getting one from a European producer is practically impossible for most people due to the expense. Worse yet, due to the overwhelming problem of stray dogs in the area, instead of helping disabled pets, authorities normally just put the animals down.

However, Dragan Dimitrijevic didn’t want a spinal injury to stop his beloved dog, Mica, even though buying a pet wheelchair wasn’t an option in his native Serbia. According to the Milwaulkee Journal Sentinel, he just devised a homemade one for his pet, and Mica is back on her feet again, playing with other dogs in the park.

Dimitrijevic constructed the wheelchair from used parts – small wheels, plastic pipes, and old belts – but it worked, enabling Mica to be mobile again after her injury.

“I have a soft spot for dogs,” Dimitrijevic told the Associated Press. “A wheelchair is not a cure, but it enables them to run, sniff, do all the things other dogs normally do.”
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1907501/home-made-wheelchair-saves-lives-of-pets-in-the-balkans/#Kd10eDlZqOxdkX7k.99


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Tail Waggin’ Tutors uses therapy dogs to help children strengthen reading skills

By Peggy Ussery – 3/7/15

At 2, Ms. Ellie’s attention span is not always what it should be.

So, sometimes when the German shepherd is told to stay, she happily keeps moving and the command for “down” is often interpreted as “get up.”

In the children’s reading room at the library in downtown Dothan, however, nobody really seemed to mind.

“This is her first time here and she really will check everything out,” owner Diane Haberle said.

Ms. Ellie has been a therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International’s local chapter for about a year, following puppy classes, obedience school and an evaluation. As a team, Ms. Ellie and Haberle typically visit local hospitals and nursing homes.

But earlier this month, the team and other therapy dog teams visited the downtown main library with the Dothan Houston County Library System. They were at the library to listen as children read to them.

“Kids are less shy if they’re talking to a dog than they are if kids are listening to them and they stutter or if they have issues,” Haberle said. “(Dogs) don’t talk back. They don’t criticize. They’ll sit and listen and get pet on all day long.”

Tail Waggin’ Tutors is a program offered through Therapy Dogs International as a way to help children strengthen their reading skills.

“We thought it would be an excellent way to get kids to enjoy reading and brush up on their literacy skills,” said Kristin North, the children’s and youth services manager for the Dothan Houston County Library System.

During Tail Waggin’ Tutors, children simply choose a book from the library shelves, sit down next to a dog they feel comfortable with and begin reading. While the human handler is nearby, it’s the dog that makes the difference, North said.

Read more: http://www.dothaneagle.com/lifestyles/local/tail-waggin-tutors-uses-therapy-dogs-to-help-children-strengthen/article_9780c90e-c442-11e4-a4a1-6376d2e464ed.html


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Kickstarter Campaign for Dog Hats Saves Canine Ears From the Cold


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Dog attacks not a crime, but owners will pay

Sharon Coolidge, [email protected]2:12 p.m. EST March 4, 2015

Cincinnati’s new dog law was approved Wednesday but with a change — it won’t be a city crime if a dog injures someone.

That means if a dog bites someone, even several times, there dog owner won’t be charged with a crime, but might face increased fines. There was concern by Mayor John Cranley and Council Member Kevin Flynn that a city law that made such an incident a crime would be difficult to enforce.

If, both said Wednesday, such an incident happens and is bad enough, existing state laws can be used to prosecute criminally.

The new law could mean owners of biting dogs could face up to a $15,000 fine.

Law and Public Safety Committee members Christopher Smitherman, Yvette Simpson and Kevin Flynn voted last week to increase civil fines for dog attacks, create an animal task force and require the owners of vicious dogs to get insurance.

Councilman Charlie Winburn abstained.

Over-the-Rhine resident Britt Born rescued her pit bull Massy in 2012 and she told the Council committee Monday exactly what she thought: Breed-specific laws would hurt good owners and do nothing to penalize the bad ones.

“Today’s outcome is the best we could have hoped for,” Born said. “No one wants their neighbors or children to have to go through a dog attack. But a ban on a specific breed, or legislation that targets a specific breed, is not the answer.”

The committee shot down Cranley’s suggestion that pit bull owners be required to get special collars for their dogs.

Nationwide, from 2005 to the end of 2014, pit bulls killed 203 people in America and accounted for 62 percent of the 326 recorded deaths from dog attacks, according to the website DogsBite.org, a nonprofit that says it puts people’s safety first. Combined, the website found, pit bulls and rottweilers accounted for 74 percent of these deaths.

Read more: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/03/02/pitbull-regulations/24255961/


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Dog saves elderly neighbor’s life

Andy isn’t just a pet, he is a hero.

Vicki VanDenburgh, of Chesterton, owns golden retrievers Andy, 5, and Ike, 9, both certified therapy dogs.

A few weeks ago during a bitterly cold evening, Andy and Ike were outside in the backyard when an elderly neighbor fell into a snow bank trying to get out of her car.

VanDenburgh said the neighbor is in need of a knee replacement and was unable to get herself off the ground.

Andy quickly noticed what was happening across the street, jumped over the fence and ran toward the woman, barking until VanDenburgh came over to help.

“No one would’ve known she was lying there if it wasn’t for Andy,” said VanDenburgh. “I don’t know how he knew. He just did.”

Due to the woman’s injured knee, it took VanDenburgh nearly an hour to get her neighbor off the ground and back into her home.

“Andy stayed with us the whole time,” said VanDenburgh. “It was really amazing. I’m sure he saved her life.”

Andy’s reaction doesn’t come as a surprise. VanDenburgh said he is one of two dogs in Indiana participating in the HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Responses Team, a team of handlers and dogs trained to provide comfort through animal-assisted support to individuals affected by crises and disasters, according to the organization’s website.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/duneland/chesterton/dog-saves-elderly-neighbor-s-life/article_b5dd0eac-8018-5f7c-8c08-31ec52f9c673.html


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‘Biker dog’ saves master after Harley crash

By Jim Hagerty – Rockford Record American – 3/1/15

When Rodney Shaw was looking for a dog to adopt, a 1-year-old shih-poo seemed like an unlikely companion compared to the others he saw at Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary in Rockford.

“Sam, as my wife, Jane, named him, was shaking and he had sores from hair matting,” Shaw said. “He had never been groomed before coming to Noah’s Ark. Actually, he was the ugliest dog there.”

That was February 2012. Since then, to say Sam has been a true member of Shaw’s family would be a grave understatement. Sure, he’s a typical dog in many respects. He enjoys his toys and the old eat-sleep-go outside routine applies to scrappy little “Sammy the Dog,” as Shaw calls him.

When he’s not lost in peaceful sleep, Sammy trains to be an epilepsy service dog. Even then, he is ready for a ride when Rodney fires up his Harley-Davidson Road King.

Read more: http://www.rockfordadvocate.com/biker-dog-saves-master-after-harley-crash-1375/


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Dog Saves Family Of Three From Apartment Fire

By Katy Savage, Standard Staff – 2/27/15

SHARON — A woman and her 14-month old son made it out of a fire inside their apartment unscathed when their dog woke them up in the early morning last Thursday.

Ashleigh Myrick and her son were sleeping when their 8-year-old dog Shiloh started barking to warn them that the couch was on fire in the living room around 4 a.m.

Myrick said there were no smoke detectors in the apartment and she didn’t have a fire extinguisher. The dog barked just in time for Myrick to grab her son and make it out the door. Myrick’s husband was working.

“I don’t know what would have happened, I don’t want to think about it,” she said.

She ran back inside to get a coat and shoes, but she’s lost all of her other belongings.

Read more: http://www.thevermontstandard.com/2015/02/dog-saves-family-of-three-from-apartment-fire/


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VIDEO: Dog Saves Owner’s Life – With Slippers

Cornwall News – 2/27/15

A dog has saved the life of his Bude owner, when she collapsed downstairs in the middle of the night.

Linda Humphreys passed out with blood poisoning at Whitstone, while her husband slept upstairs.

But labrador Mazie went and woke him up – with his slippers.

Linda told Pirate FM: “Mazie, who’s a rescue dog, ran upstairs to try to wake my husband. She went as far as getting him his slippers and putting his slippers on the bed. When he still didn’t get up she started jumping on the bed, which she’s not allowed to do. So, eventually, he got up, put on his slippers, came downstairs and found me unconscious on the floor.”

He found Cookie, the couple’s other dog, standing guard over her.

Read more: http://www.piratefm.co.uk/news/latest-news/1541940/video-dog-saves-owners-life—with-slippers/


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Our Heroes 2015: War hero hit by bomb in Afghanistan credits his recovery to four-legged comrade who never left his side

09:15, 2 March 2015 – By

WHEN war hero Mick McConnell was blown up by a bomb in Afghanistan, he thought he would never be reunited with the four-legged comrade who waited patiently by his side for help.

Mick’s left foot was shattered when he stepped on a Taliban boobytrap while on patrol with his faithful explosives sniffer dog Memphis.

The limb would later have to be amputated and Mick suffered painful burns and numerous shrapnel injuries as a result of the blast.

Despite his ordeal, the tough Scot vowed to adopt the loyal springer spaniel who had dutifully served alongside him.

After months in hospital, Mick was finally reunited with Memphis – and credits the pooch with helping him learn to walk again.

Mick, 41, from Elgin, will never forget the day his life changed forever.

He said: “We were doing a routine patrol and Memphis was walking ahead of me.

“The next thing I remember is lying on the ground covered in blood and Memphis was by my side barking.

Read more: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/heroes-2015-war-hero-hit-525721


Brisbane sculptor Kathy McLay poses with her lifesize bronze statue of Sarbi, the former Australian Special Forces explosives detection dog at the opening of Sarbi Park at Warner Lakes. Photo: Michelle Smith

Brisbane sculptor Kathy McLay poses with her lifesize bronze statue of Sarbi, the former Australian Special Forces explosives detection dog at the opening of Sarbi Park at Warner Lakes. Photo: Michelle Smith

Canine war hero Sarbi visits Brisbane dog park named in her honour

Cameron Atfield –  – 3/1/15

She spent 14 months lost, presumed dead, wandering in war-torn Afghanistan.

But on Saturday14-year-old Sarbi, Australia’s most decorated canine war hero, was right at home at the south-east Queensland dog park named in her honour.

The $1 million Sarbi Park at Warner, north of Brisbane, was officially opened on Saturday as part of Defence Housing Australia’s new Warner Lakes The Reserve development at Warner.

DHA managing director Paul Howman said the organisation had wanted to honour Sarbi since it became aware of the former Australian Special Forces explosives detection dog’s deeds in Afghanistan.

Sarbi, a Labrador-Newfoundland cross, disappeared in September 2008 when a convoy of Australian and Afghan soldiers was attacked by insurgents in Oruzgan province.

Nine Australian soldiers were wounded in the engagement but Sarbi was nowhere to be seen.

That changed about 14 months later.

“She was finally located by an American soldier just walking along a trail with an Afghan person, and the American, through a few signals and words, determined she had military training,” Mr Howman said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/canine-war-hero-sarbi-visits-brisbane-dog-park-named-in-her-honour-20150228-13rftu.html


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Three-legged dog is Be the Solution celeb

Gerald Ensley, Tallahassee Democrat – 12:17 p.m. EST February 26, 2015

Manny, the three-legged dog, is a candidate for an ESPN “30 For 30” story.

Abandoned as a puppy, the medium-sized, mixed breed lived on the streets of Puerto Rico before he was assaulted by two attack dogs, whose owner used Manny as bait to train his dogs. A policeman saw the attack, and got Manny to a veterinary hospital where his front right leg was amputated. Manny was then turned over to a dog rescue group, who sought a home for him on Facebook.

Karen Jumonville, Tallahassee’s city director of growth management, adopted Manny in October 2012 — driving to Miami to pick him up after a flight from Puerto Rico — and Manny’s life has been award-winning ever since.

In March 2013, he was voted the top dog in the Tally Top Pet contest, sponsored by Be The Solution. In 2014, Manny was voted the overall winner in Tally Top Pet and rode on a float in the Springtime Tallahassee parade.

Saturday, Manny will retire as a competitor but move into celebrity duties. Manny and Jumonville will lead a parade around Lake Ella, as the 5th Annual Tally Top Pet contest kicks off at the American Legion Hall.

“We’re really excited,” said Jumonville, who will be joined by her niece and nephew, Ava and Erik Cherashore. “It was such a fun experience to enter Manny and raise money in this way. I really believe in Be The Solution’s cause.”

Be The Solution is a nonprofit organization that raises money to spay and neuter pets. The organization was founded in 2007 by Tim and Gerry Phipps. The group provides vouchers to pet owners to help defray the costs of spaying and neutering at a dozen local animal hospitals who are part of the program.

Read more: http://www.tallahassee.com/story/entertainment/things-to-do/2015/02/26/three-legged-dog-solution-celeb/24058171/


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Man facing charge for giving away heart attack victim’s dog

wpxi.com – 2/24/15

SHARPSBURG, P.A. – The friend of a landlord is facing a theft charge after he allegedly gave away another man’s dog while the dog’s owner was in a hospital recovering from a heart attack.

“They got rid of my dog for no reason at all,” said John Panza.

Panza told Channel 11 that his landlord had someone remove his belongings from his rental home in Sharpsburg and gave away his dog, Coco, after he was taken to a hospital for a heart attack.

Police charged David Zimmerman with theft in connection with the incident.

Property Manager Chris Fanto said when she couldn’t find Panza’s caretaker for the dog, she gave Coco to her friend, Zimmerman.

According to the criminal complaint, Zimmerman took the dog in because he feared that Animal Control would put the dog down because of its age.

Read more: http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/man-facing-charge-giving-away-heart-attack-victims/nkJgc/


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Hero rescue dog saves life of Cornish woman with blood poisoning

By WMNJBayley  |  Posted: February 25, 2015

A pet dog saved the life of its owner after she became seriously ill by alerting her husband with her slippers.

Hero pooch Mazie, a three-year-old Labrador, dashed upstairs to wake up Mark Humphreys when his wife Linda had collapsed with serious blood poisoning.

Mazie not only nudged him but dashed back to get her slippers to make sure he came to her aid.

Linda was rushed to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, and has since made a good recovery – but without Mazie’s quick-thinking her condition could have proved fatal.

Mark, 50, Linda, 53, and daughter Caitlin, of Whitstone, Cornwall, have praised the actions of Mazie and their other red fox Labrador Cookie who stayed downstairs protecting Linda.

Mark said: “Linda didn’t feel well during the night and got up and went downstairs where she collapsed on the sofa.

“At about 8am she managed to get herself up to let the dogs out into the garden but again collapsed. I was still asleep in bed knowing nothing about this when our dog Mazie came up and started nudging me. Then she bought the slippers up and put them on the bed. She then jumped up on the bed which she is never allowed to do and made sure that I was awake. I got up and came downstairs where I found my wife lying with our other dog Cookie appearing to be looking after her.”
Mark then called an ambulance and she was rushed to hospital.

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Nervous-rescue-dog-saves-life-Cornish-woman-blood/story-26082186-detail/story.htm


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Couple saves puppy found frozen to the ground

Published:

GREENBRIER, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Greenbrier couple is credited with saving a puppy’s life Tuesday morning after they found the dog frozen to the ground.

April Dickerson told Smokey Barn News her husband Jason slowly melted the ice underneath the puppy to free her from frozen ground. Dickerson said the puppy is missing a small patch of fur on her hind end.

The couple said the dog was extremely hungry and practically “attacked the food.”

“She is eating adult dog food, but she still has puppy breath,” Dickerson said.

Dickerson told Smokey Barn News people often drop animals off in her Robertson County neighborhood.

Read more: http://wwlp.com/2015/02/24/couple-saves-puppy-found-frozen-to-the-ground/


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Dog saves owner’s life in Middletown

By Alison Bologna, NBC 10 – 2/24/15

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – A Middletown man escaped from potentially deadly carbon monoxide gas inside his home thanks to help from his dog.

The dog, Miss BB, rarely barks or causes a fuss. So, her owner, Chuck Cabral, knew something was wrong when she woke him up after she began barking and pawed at him.

“She’s never grabbed or nipped at my arm to pull me off the bed,” said Cabral.

Miss BB, a four-year-old who is part Great Dane and part English Mastiff, alerted Cabral just before 4 a.m. on Friday.

As it turns out, a pipe in the basement had rotted out. While no alarms went off, Cabral had been exposed to carbon monoxide gas.

“I’m positive if she hadn’t woken me up I’d have bought it,” Cabral said with a laugh.

Read more: http://www.turnto10.com/story/28191127/dog-saves-owners-life-in-middletown


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Pet rescue groups will be allowed to adopt pit bulls from the Springfield pound

Edited news release – POSTED: 06:12 PM CST Feb 24, 2015 
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – As a result of a request from Springfield City Council, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department will begin partnering with local animal rescues to avoid euthanizing adoptable pit bull and pit bull mix dogs.The six-month trial program has been approved by City Manager Greg Burris. A change in the City’s Pit Bull Ordinance is not required for this particular policy. At this time, the Health Department is working on the proper contractual language to transfer pit bulls or pit bull mixes to existing adoption partners.“Citizens have provided feedback and Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky and other Council members have further supported this policy change,” says Mayor Bob Stephens. “Other issues examined by the task force are still being considered, but this was a change staff felt could be made, following certain requirements.”New Adoption Requirements for Pit Bull and Pit Bull Mix Dogs
• As with all other dogs leaving the shelter, the dog will be aggression tested by SGCHD Animal Control staff. Additionally, pit bull mixes will be evaluated by another outside qualified individual for additional temperament testing. Any animal showing dog, person or food aggression will not be a candidate for adoptions.
• Any dog—pit bull or otherwise—with a previous bite history is not considered adoptable.
• Adoptable pit bulls will be microchipped and vaccinated before being sent to one of two adoption partners. The dog will also be required to be spayed or neutered by the adoption partner in compliance with the City’s Pit Bull Ordinance.
• The adopting agency will be required to sign a liability waiver before taking the dogs to hold the city harmless against the future actions of the dog.
History of the OrdinanceCity Council passed an ordinance regulating pit bulls in April 2006. The ordinance is not an outright ban – it places additional ownership requirements on pit bull owners. The top priority has always been to protect people from dog bites.Under the ordinance, a pit bull or pit bull mix must be:
• Microchipped
• Registered with Animal Control annually
• Spayed or neutered
• Up-to-date on the rabies vaccine (state law)As a result of the ordinance:
• Pitbulls are more often returned to their owners compared to other breeds of dogs (36.4 % return to owner rate versus 31% as of December 2014)
• Dog bites have dropped significantly (down from a high of 148 in 2001 to 72 in 2014)
• Vicious dog attacks are down as well (from a high of 18 in 2005 to 2 in 2014)
• Fewer pit bulls are making it to our shelter (from 22% of the total dog population in the shelter in 2005 to 9% in 2014)Read more: http://www.ky3.com/news/local/pet-rescue-groups-will-be-allowed-to-adopt-pit-bulls-from-the-springfield-pound/21048998_31459542


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Our Long National Pet-Feeding Nightmare Is Coming To An End

Finally, the technology industry has developed a solution to a question that has plagued us for decades: How exactly do you feed a dog?

 –  – BuzzFeed News Business Editor – 2/24/15

Pets are great, but feeding them? It’s a challenge on par with the space program, and few have really mastered how to feed a dog.

There are so many variables to consider — what kind of animal is this? is it hungry? how much food should I give it? — that most of us just give up and don’t feed our pets at all, leaving them to fend for themselves and find nutrition from couch cushions and strips of carpeting, like they do in the wild.

But no longer. A solution to the problem of feeding animals is being pieced together by Petnet, a Los Angeles tech company that has developed a kind of pet-feeding robot that connects, as all things must, to your iPhone.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/tomgara/our-long-national-pet-feeding-nightmare#.jtvj9m8jM


Ellie May is a finalist in the Eukanuba Friends for Life competition Photo: The Kennel Club

Care home dog makes finals for Crufts hero award

ITV REPORT – 24 February 2015 at 8:00am

A caring pooch from Powys is up for a special Crufts award.

Ellie May, a nine-year-old Lhaso Apso, has made it into the finals for the prestigious Eukanuba Friends for Life competition.

She’s been recognised for transforming the lives of the residents in the Oaklands care home in Crickhowell.

Ellie May’s lived at the care home since she was a puppy, and brings happiness and comfort to the residents.

Julie Cashell, 38, who manages the home and owns Ellie May says that many of the people in the home can get confused and scared but they transform in Ellie May’s company as she is able to give them love and reassurance.

Read more: http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2015-02-24/care-home-dog-makes-finals-for-crufts-hero-award/


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HERO PUPPY RESCUED FROM FIERY NORTHERN MINNESOTA TRASH BIN

PAUL WALSH | Updated 1:45 PM on 2/23/2015

The rescuer said the dog was too small and the bin too tall for it to escape.

Faint whimpers on a subzero night caught the ear of the pickup truck driver visiting the garbage dump on the edge of a northern Minnesota reservation village.

Clayton Van Wert followed the sound to one of several bins inside the fenced-off yard. The metal dumpster was bursting with flames.

Van Wert clamped his gloved hands onto the 4-foot-high edge of the bin, hoisted himself up and peered down at a puppy burrowed in the trash, its fur charred a deep brown.

Van Wert plucked the pooch from the bin Friday night, called for help and was still fighting back tears days later as newly named Phoenix is being nursed back to health by a Twin Cities veterinarian.

“I don’t believe that he got into the dumpster on his own,” said Van Wert, 55, who operates a towing and auto recovery business out of his home in Redby. He’s sure that the dog, a husky mix “about the size of a small poodle,” was too small and the bin too tall for the animal to willingly bound up and over the edge.

“He had to be put in there … by a very, very sick person,” said Van Wert, a lifelong dog owner.

Read more: http://www.vita.mn/crawl/293711061.htm


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Farewell old friend: US police officers and their dogs line the streets as veteran K-9 unit is taken to hospital to be put down, still carrying his favorite training sleeve

By WILLS ROBINSON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM – 2/22/15

  • Judge was retired from West Deptford police in New Jersey in 2013
  • Was diagnosed with Chushings Disease and given medication 
  • His health deteriorated and specialists then found masses over his body
  • The dog chewed his favorite toy through the guard of honor   
  • One vet sobbed as she lined up with her colleagues inside the hospital 
  • Judge was deployed 208 times and played a key part in 152 arrests

Chewing his favorite toy and surrounded by devastated police officers, this is the heartbreaking tribute made to a veteran K-9 just before he was put down.

The nine-year-old German shepherd named Judge was driven to Swedesboro Animal Hospital in Woolwich Township, New Jersey on roads flanked by saluting canine cops.

His handlers questioned whether he would be strong enough to make it to the door, following years of deteriorating health problems.

But his tight squeeze on the sleeve he used while he was being trained proved he had enough energy for one final walk.

Vets and specialists surprised the West Deptford Police department by lining up inside the clinic. According to Gloucester County Online, one of them was sobbing as Judge passed.

He was then taken into a treatment room – and was put to sleep.

Judge’s work aided in the arrest of 152 people, the seizure of three vehicles, the removal of three handguns from the streets, drug seizures, and the confiscation of more than $47,000 in cash, said police.

He was recruited in 2007 and was a key fixture in the department until he was forced to retire in 2013 because of issues with his teeth.

Last June however, his health started to get worse – suffering from vomiting, hair loss and bloating.

He was taken to see a vet, who found several large masses over his body. After that cops made the difficult decision to end his life.

More than than $13,000 was raised in one day to help pay for the German Shepherd dog’s mountain of medical bills last year, but it was not enough to save him.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2964631/A-hero-s-farewell-Police-officers-dogs-line-streets-veteran-K-9-unit-taken-hospital-down.html


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Chase, once an injured stray, was saved from the middle of an Arizona desert by a hot air balloon pilot. (Photo : Go Fund

Arizona Hot Air Balloon Pilot Saves Injured, Abandoned Dog

By Amanda Bernocco [email protected] | Feb 23, 2015 02:17 PM EST

An abused, injured dog was saved by an Arizona hot air balloon pilot while he was taking two couples out for a ride as part of their Valentine’s Day celebrations.

While they were admiring the serene desert landscape a little white dog caught Jason Elkins’, owner of Equinox Balloons, eye.

“This poor little dog was following us. He was coming over to us. He was limping up the road,” Elkins told KPHO, a CBS affiliate.

Elkins took the dog, who he later named Chase, home with him that day and brought him to a local veterinarian where he learned the pup was shot several times with a 22-caliber gun.

Chase, who is named after the chase crew that follows hot air balloons until they land, is likely a 3-year-old American-Eskimo mix, the vet told AZ Central.

Read more: http://www.hngn.com/articles/71839/20150223/arizona-hot-air-balloon-pilot-saves-injured-abandoned-dog.htm


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Can a Food That Sterilizes Dogs Solve the World’s Stray Problem?

 |  Feb 24th 2015

Former PETA chairman Alex Pacheco believes so, and his non-profit group, 600 Million Dogs, has such a food in development.

He’s the person who gave birth to the animal rights movement in the United States. Heck, he’s the reason the phrase “animal rights” became a household word. His work while at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) helped to save millions of lives. Now he’s focused on preventing the births of stray dogs.

In 1980, Alex Pacheco co-founded PETA. He grew the organization from a few people in a basement to the world’s largest animal rights organization. Specializing in undercover investigations, litigation, and lobbying, Pacheco served as the organization’s chairman for 20 years, making people around the world change the way they think about how animals are treated.

I first met Pacheco in 1993, when I was a fresh-out-of-college intern at PETA. I later worked for him at the New England Antivivisection Society. I even bailed him out of a Miami jail one New Year’s Eve after we protested elephants being forced to march down Biscayne Boulevard in the parade. I’m proud to have called him a friend for more than 20 years. There are few people I admire as much as I do him.

Pacheco and PETA parted ways in 2000, and since 2009 he’s been focusing his efforts on the global pet overpopulation crisis. His nonprofit group, 600 Million Dogs, is working to develop a dog food that will sterilize dogs and, he believes, end the cycle of suffering for the 600 million homeless, diseased, and starving stray dogs around the world — without surgery or euthanasia.

Unlike human birth control pills, Spay Food will work in a single dose for both male and female dogs. A formula for cats is also in the works.

Read more: http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/spay-food-dog-birth-control-600-million-stray-dogs


APBT 2Information needs to be provided regarding pit bulls

Posted: Friday, January 16, 2015 8:32 pm – Julie Wall – Rochester

Pit Bull Rescue Central, the leading pit-bull authority, recommends pit guardians have a “break-stick,” a wedge-shaped piece of wood used to pry open a pit bull’s jaw during an attack.

PBRC says “Since pit bulls have a strong fighting background, we recommend that owners also have a breaking stick as a precaution. … Breaking sticks are not something to brag about and the general public might have the wrong impression if you walk around with a stick in your hand. Breaking sticks are not illegal, but they are considered dog fighting paraphernalia in certain states and/or with certain law enforcement agents.”

PBRC also says “It is a fact that our pit bulls, (American staffordshire terriers) and pit mixes come with a built-in fighting heritage. It doesn’t matter where we get them from, whether it be the pound, a stray we pick up or a puppy we buy from a breeder. The majority of pit bulls will, at some point in their lives, exhibit some degree of dog-on-dog aggression. … Yet, chances are that a ‘normal’ pit bull will not share his affection with other animals. We cannot predict when or where it will happen and we can’t love, train or socialize it out of the dog. Pit bulls may not start fights, but they will finish them.”

Most rescues and shelters fail to tell people this.

Read article: http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/letters/information-needs-to-be-provided-reguarding-pit-bulls/article_c8d5a578-3b88-57ce-b850-fcc1daf486a5.html


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Bretagne and Denise at ground zero in 2001, where they worked exhausting 12-hour shifts (Supplied)

The last surviving 9/11 dog is honoured

ELLEN CONNOLLY – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015
Bretagne, a 15-year-old golden retriever, may look like any other dog playing in the park but to those involved in the 9/11 search and rescue effort, she is a hero.

During the weeks following the terrorist attack which claimed almost 3000 lives, the then two-year-old dog worked 12-hour days alongside her handler and owner, Denise Corliss, searching through piles of twisted metal and rubble for any signs of life.

“Our role was to look for survivors – we were still hopeful – even though in hindsight we now know there were no survivors,” Denise told 9 Stories.

But Bretagne brought much more to the mission than her capable nose – providing comfort and therapy to the grim faced and weary first responders.

“The rescue workers were drawn to her,” recalls Denise.

“Almost everybody who came up to Bretagne had a brother or a loved one missing in the pile of rubble. They would pat her and share their story.”

Denise, an electrical engineer from Texas, says she decided to volunteer to be a handler in 1997. She selected Bretagne (pronounced Brittany) in 1997 from a breeder and began the rigorous training program.

The September 11 disaster was the first deployment for the pair and Denise admits nothing could have prepared her for the devastation she would face.

“I had seen the images on TV but it really took my breath away when we first arrived on scene.”

What confronted them was truly harrowing – the remains of those killed buried amid tonnes of concrete and steel.

“Bretagne was very confident and behaved as if she was a very seasoned searcher. I could not have asked for a stronger partner.”

Read more: http://minisites.ninemsn.com.au/9stories/8959438/the-last-surviving-9-11-dog-is-honoured


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Weimeraner survives mountain lion attack

 – Lisa Blanck – 2/21/15

A weekday rendezvous with Mother Nature gave a group of California hikers much more than they expected. What started out as a pleasant mountain jaunt for a four-year-old weimeraner and her owner in Oakhurst, California went south very quickly when they came face-to-face with a mountain lion. On Feb. 19, Candace Gregory was hiking with friends in the Sierra National Forest with her dog Sally. As Gregory tells it, she and her friends were about 30 feet behind her dog when she saw “a flash of something tannish”.

Before it could even register, the big cat had Sally’s head in it’s jaws and it’s paws wrapped around the pooch’s body. Fellow hiker Rick Lawin said he heard a “blood curdling screaming sound of an animal in its death throes.” He ran up and started hitting the mountain lion with his hiking stick, to help out Sally and protect his fellow hikers. That worked, because the hungry animal dropped the dog and jumped into the trees. They estimate that the big cat must have weighed at least 120 pounds.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/weimeraner-survives-mountain-lion-attack


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‘Bo’ WX police’s first K-9 officer

by MELINDA WILLIAMS – 2/20/15

WOODS CROSS — To some. it may seem as though the Woods Cross Police Department is going to the dogs.

Last week, officers welcomed  “Bo” into its ranks as its first true K-9 officer.

Bo, a two-and-a-half year old  German shorthair K-9 dog, started his duties on Thursday, Feb. 5, working with handler, Officer Mike Daugherty.

Bo is trained in narcotics detection and tracking but is not a “bite dog,” according to Woods Cross Police Chief Greg Butler.

That means Bo will not chase suspects down to detain or attack them. He’ll remain on his lead and let officers detain suspects.

What he will do is detect drugs in cars and buildings and track people, whether they be suspects, an Alzheimers patient or a lost child.
Read more: The Davis Clipper – Bo WX police s first K 9 officer


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Dead hero police dog’s genes saved for future breeding

Judge, who died last month, already has 23 pups and nine grand-pups as working police dogs. Now his genetic material will be used to produce more.

By: The Canadian Press Published on Thu Feb 19 2015

Winnipeg police have stored the genetic material of their star police dog, who died last month, in the hopes of breeding more like him down the road.

The 11-year-old Belgian Malinois named Judge died of kidney failure nine months after retiring.

The police force says Judge was the top tracker in their history with more than 500 arrests under his collar during his 10 years of service.

Judge already has a lot of offspring making their mark — 23 of his puppies and nine grand-puppies are working as police dogs across North America.

Canine unit Sgt. Dave Bessason says it’s hoped his genetic material will be used to produce pups for the next decade.

Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/02/19/dead-hero-police-dogs-genes-saved-for-future-breeding.html


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Hero dachshund helps save St. Bernard

Published:

BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) – A little dog is being hailed a hero for saving his much larger buddy. One dachshund’s persistence led to a dramatic water rescue of a St. Bernard.

Belen firefighters and police officers raced to the rescue to save Tim Chavez’s St. Bernard named Jazzy. Chavez believes the 180-pound dog was stuck in a cold, muddy ditch for about 18 hours.

Chavez’s tiny dachshund named Razor is credited with making the rescue happen.

Sunday afternoon, the 9-year-old St. Bernard got loose. By Monday, Chavez had to go to work, and in retrospect, Chavez realizes Razor was trying to let him know that something was wrong.

“I went to feed him, and he was kind of going crazy, trying to get my attention,” Chavez said.

Razor kept trying to alert others to something, as he barked at the neighbor too.

“He noticed that Razor was kind of running amok, and just causing a scene and trying to get this attention,” Chavez said.

It was all for good reason because Jazzy was in a bad predicament.

Read more: http://krqe.com/2015/02/18/hero-dachshund-helps-save-st-bernard/


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Hero Dog Who Took 2 Bullets During Home Invasion Expected to Recover

By  – 2/19/15

When a group of men forced their way into a Tampa home Tuesday night, Legend the dog wasted no time trying to protect his people.

The gentle giant sprang into action, biting one of the men, as the home’s occupants struggled with their attackers.

Legend, described as a bullmastiff mix, took two bullets in the attack – one in the side of the head. Even so, he was able to help scare the men off.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Legend was taken by the county’s animal control department for treatment at a local veterinary hospital.

Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Melissa Kincheloe was able to visit with Legend Wednesday and reports he’s expected to recover nicely. The critter even posed for a few photographs while Kincheloe was with him. He was released back into his owner’s care to rest up at home later that day.

See Also:

The incident that led to Legend’s shooting began to unfold around 11:14 p.m. Tuesday as the dog’s owner, Damien Strickland, 25, was standing outside his home in the 9400 block of Polak Drive. Strickland noticed several men walking towards him and attempted to go back inside.

Strickland, however, was struck from behind by a firearm, the sheriff’s office said. He was then drug inside the home as he tried to struggle with the attackers.

Strickland’s girlfriend, Mersadie Wells-Shahan, 19, and her mother, Brenda Cronk, 45, tried to come to his aid.

So did Legend.

Read more: http://patch.com/florida/brandon/hero-dog-who-took-2-bullets-during-home-invasion-expected-recover-0


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Weston mulls leash law and no-dogs law

By Kimberly Donnelly on February 19, 2015

Weston’s animal control officer would like to see Weston have some dog regulations that have some teeth.

With that in mind, at their meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5, the selectmen did a first reading of a proposed ordinance that would require dogs to be leashed on most town- and school-owned properties, and would ban dogs from others.

Animal Control Officer Mark Harper said the ordinance would allow the town to take action when unleashed dogs attack or injure other dogs or people. “It’s a public safety issue as far as I’m concerned,” Mr. Harper said.

State law only says dogs must be under the “care and custody” of their owners when they leave their property, Mr. Harper said. The ordinance would give the town something to enforce.

For example, he said, people often bring their dogs to Morehouse Farm Park. There is a rule that no dogs are allowed there, “but we don’t have a law. So if I go up there, what am I enforcing? The sign?”

He often runs into a similar situation at Bisceglie-Scribner Park, he said. Dogs are allowed on the trails there, but must be leashed; they are prohibited from being on the baseball fields. Many times, however, people will let their dogs off their leashes and allow them to run around the baseball fields — and, he added, many people do not clean up if the dog defecates on the fields.

“We need a law we can enforce,” he said.

Read more: http://www.thewestonforum.com/25607/weston-mulls-leash-law-and-no-dogs-law/


New dog rules face City Council hearing, second vote

By David Dore – 2/19/15

Proposed changes to the city’s dog ordinances so they match state law face a public hearing and a second vote by the City Council next week.

The council unanimously approved the new rules at its Feb. 12 meeting. A hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23 in the council chambers at City Hall, before the board is scheduled to vote on them a second time.

The changes include updated definitions for dogs that have been deemed “dangerous” and a “nuisance,” new definitions for terms ranging from “adequate shelter” to kennels, new rules for how owners deal with dogs that are deemed dangerous, and increases in the amount people must pay in penalties. Councilors have said the changes bring the city’s dog bylaws in line with state rules.

Perhaps the biggest change comes in the section dealing with enclosing and restraining dangerous dogs.

The proposed bylaw adds to the current rules that dangerous dogs must be muzzled, “restrained by a substantial chain or leash” and “under physical restraint of a responsible person” by stating the leash must have a “minimum tensile strength” of 300 pounds and be no more than 3 feet long.

It states that for pens or structures built for a dangerous dog that don’t have a floor, “the sides shall be imbedded into the ground for not less than 2 feet. The construction of the enclosure shall be approved and inspected by the Animal Control Officer.”

The new rules would also require people with a dangerous dog to post a sign on their property, which is not mentioned in the current rules.

“The notices shall be posted at such intervals and heights and shall be of such size and type as to provide clear, obvious and unambiguous notice that the dog enclosed in the structure is a dangerous dog,” the proposed rules state. “The notices shall be understandable by adults and children. It shall also be unlawful for the owner/keeper of a dangerous dog to violate the written order of the Animal Control Officer, the Hearing Officer or Hearing Authority.”

Read more: http://www.leominsterchamp.com/news/2015-02-20/Front_Page/New_dog_rules_face_City_Council_hearing_second_vot.html


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Hero dog Barney is in need of a home

First published Monday 16 February 2015 in News

A MUCH-LOVED family pet has been reunited with the abandoned dog that gave her a second chance at life.

Barney the labradoodle, a Labrador poodle cross, has been hailed a hero after he donated blood to little Ellie, a jackawawa, or Jack Russell, chihuahua cross, after she suffered suspected rat poisoning.

Ellie’s owners Natasha Krejzl, 28, and David Spooner, 34, have now launched a campaign to find five-year-old Barney a loving home.

Mr Spooner said: “Before Ellie became ill, we had never heard of dogs being able to give blood.

“Barney was so brave and is such a lovely dog. He loves people, but unfortunately does not get on with other dogs, otherwise we would have taken him in ourselves.”

Read more: http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11796385.Hero_dog_Barney_is_in_need_of_a_home/


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Popeye the dog gets ‘Hero’ award for saving 17 horses

CAROLINE PAILLIEZ, QMI AGENCY

Last Updated: 12:41 PM ET

MONTREAL – Popeye the dog was inducted into Quebec’s Animal Hall of Fame on Sunday for rescuing 17 horses from certain death in a stable fire.

The Neapolitan mastiff received the “Hero” prize from Quebec’s association of veterinarians for his bravery during the fire on Oct. 8, 2013.

An equestrian centre just east of Montreal went up in flames in the middle of the night. Owner Gilles Godbout tried to save his 30 horses but the terrified animals refused to move.

“Popeye knew what to do,” Godbout told QMI Agency at the awards ceremony on Sunday. “I opened the stalls and sent him in to nibble on the horses’ legs. He saved 17 that way.”

Popeye continued his mission until the ceiling collapsed. The last horse got out with its mane on fire.

“I don’t even know how to thank him,” said Godbout, breaking into sobs. “He didn’t hesitate for a minute. He would have died for me if he had to.”

Read more: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Good_News/2015/02/16/22239811.html


A HOME FOR HERO: Hero with his new owners John and Linda Moreton, of James Reckitt Avenue, east Hull. Picture: Peter Harbour

Hero the frug gets a loving new home – and can stay for life

By Hull Daily Mail  |  Posted: February 15, 2015

WHEN Linda Moreton read about the plight of a puppy left abandoned in Pearson Park, she was moved to tears.

Hero, a French bulldog and pug cross, had suffered serious leg injuries and was in desperate need of an operation – and a new home.

Staff at Hull Animal Welfare Trust suspected he had been used as bait in dog-fighting.

Just weeks after Mrs Moreton read about Hero’s story in the Mail, the puppy is playing with his new toys in her living room.

Staff at Hull Animal Welfare Trust chose Mrs Moreton and her husband John to provide Hero with a new home after receiving more than 70 applications.

Read more: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hero-frug-gets-loving-new-home-8211-stay-life/story-26023941-detail/story.htm


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A badge with bite: Police dogs certified in Jackson County

JACKSON COUNTY — Singing River Island went to the dogs Friday afternoon as 27 K-9 units from around the state went through their yearly USPCA recertification tests.

The dogs and their handlers were required to finish three tasks in front of certified judges.

During one task known as the recall, a dog is required to chase a suspect and, seconds before the apprehension, abandon the chase and return at his owner’s call.

“The recall is always the hardest part,” Richland-based officer Coty Hamilton said. “Dogs see their goal and they just want to please the handler.”

Hamilton’s dog, Rico, couldn’t resist munching on the padded arm of the “suspect” during his recall drill.

“Once they take off after a suspect, it’s really hard for them to stop,” Jackson County sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Palmer said. “The dogs are having a blast out there.”

Palmer has been training his dog, Tino, for more than two years and said their bond is closer than those of some humans.

“An officer’s dog is family,” he said. “When I’m out there in the field, I have 100 percent confidence that Tino has my back and he knows I have his.”


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News: 1st LEB dog training with support of ACU-5

Story by Lance Cpl. April Price – 2/13/15

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – The relationship between a military working dog and its handler truly epitomizes the saying “man’s best friend.” The dog’s loyalty and obedience to its handler is crucial in any search or attack scenario, regardless of the environment.

Military working dogs and Marines with 1st Law Enforcement Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force participated in Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) training Feb. 12, at the Assault Craft Unit 5 (ACU-5) area of north of Del Mar aboard Camp Pendleton, California, in an effort to familiarize and examine Marines and their dogs with the LCAC while evaluating how well they can work after its flight.

Sergeant Daneil Godina, a military dog handler with 1st LE Bn. and his black Labrador Retriever, Moxie, were one of 10 dog-teams to participate.

“If we’re ever overseas or deployed in these LCACS and we hit the shore, we have to use our dogs for explosives detection,” said Godina. “If we want to do that effectively, we need to make sure they’re used to being on the LCAC and ready to do so.”

Read more: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/154512/1st-leb-dog-training-with-support-acu-5#.VN–nfnF-KU


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California Police Dog Killed in Action Gets Hero’s Farewell

Johnny Dodd / People – 2/12/15

Hundreds of mourners turned out Wednesday in Riverside, California, for the memorial of Sultan, a police dog killed while attempting to subdue a violent felon.

“When I heard this, it felt like I’d lost a peer,” Riverside County chief deputy Geoff Raya said at a press conference. “There is very little differentiation between four legs and two legs – they are all members of the Riverside Sheriff’s Department.”

Born in Slovakia, Sultan had been working with the department since September 2013, working in narcotics detection, tracking and apprehension. On Jan. 21, the Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix, along with several deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s station, was called to search for Todd Allen Hodge, 36, who had failed to show up for his arraignment on a weapons charge.

Hodge had been spotted in a residential neighborhood in Hemet, California, Riverside Sheriff’s spokesman deputy Albert Martinez tells PEOPLE.

It didn’t take long before the veteran police dog “alerted” cops to a crawl space beneath a residence and was sent down the house to investigate.

Read more: http://time.com/3707820/sultan-police-dog/


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The 544th Dog Detachment from Fort Lee Army Base gives a demonstration of the role of dogs in the military during “Bark in the Park,” at Petersburg National Battlefield on Saturday, February 7, 2015. Scott P. Yates/Progress-Index Photo

Fort Lee soldiers demonstrates the obedience of their canine unit

Soldiers, along with their dogs, from the 544th Military Working Dog Detachment at Fort Lee came out to demonstrate just how helpful dogs can be in battle.

By Amir Vera – Staff Writer  – Posted Feb. 11, 2015 at 2:01 AM

PETERSBURG — They’ve been known as man’s best friend, on and off the battlefield.

Feb. 6 marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Hatcher’s Run and Petersburg National Battlefield not only paid tribute to the human soldiers who fought bravely, but also to the canine soldiers, past and present, who have served in the military. The Bark in the Park Event Feb. 7 featured displays commemorating dogs throughout history.
“One of the casualties [during the Battle of Hatcher’s Run] was the beloved mascot of the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry, her name was Sallie,” said Elizabeth Dinger, PNB park ranger. “Rather than our usual battlefield walks and talks, we thought we’d try something a little different. So we decided to try Bark in the Park to talk a little bit about the history of military dogs starting with Sallie and the other Civil War mascots and take it up to modern day.
”Soldiers, along with their dogs, from the 544th Military Working Dog Detachment at Fort Lee came out to demonstrate just how helpful dogs can be in battle.

 

– See more at: http://www.progress-index.com/article/20150211/NEWS/150219945/1994/NEWS#sthash.jNyAWOqT.dpuf


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Ford Explorer Interceptor: How A Protection Dog Stole The Debut

By Scott Burgess – 2/13/15

Shortly before watching Keegan, a Belgian Malinois Shepherd, pull the silk dropcloth off of the Ford Interceptor police vehicle at the Chicago Auto Show, I mentioned the PR stunt to an executive at another automotive brand. He cursed.

“That is brilliant, and it’s going to get all of the television coverage,” he said. “I wish I would have thought of it.”

Indeed, Keegan successfully completed the unveiling without a flaw in front of a slew of flashing cameras. It was perfect. On cue, the 55-pound short-haired shepherd ran up to a knotted corner of the cloth and yanked it off, shaking its head violently while pulling. I half expected to hear a loud squeak as it pulled. It was — and most watching agreed — pretty cool.

Early in the day, I got a chance to sit down with Keegan to see what it’s like to be the center of attention during an auto show. While we sat there, a number of people rudely interrupted us to snap pictures of the dog, often asking me to scoot out of the picture. I found this annoying. Keegan didn’t seem to mind.

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/chicago/ford-explorer-interceptor-how-a-protection-dog-stole-the-debut/ar-AA9k4qN


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Dog Saves Her Owners from Fire

Posted on by in

SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — This is the same old story, but no matter how many times you hear it, it’s always heartwarming, especially if you are an animal person.

A family of two – a 77-year-old elderly woman whose surname is Kim, and her son, aged 61 — were sleeping when a fire broke out outside their room at an apartment complex in Busan, South Korea at 40 minutes past midnight on February 10.

The old woman awoke suddenly to hear their dog Doong-ee barking desperately, and she sensed thick smoke seeping into the room. She rushed to wake up her son, and they escaped their house barefoot, together with the savior Doong-ee, a Maltese breed, two years old, that they adopted one year ago.

Some twenty minutes after they hurriedly escaped their home, it was consumed in flames. They escaped unscathed thanks to their barking dog – the same old but always heartwarming story.

Read more: http://koreabizwire.com/dog-saves-her-owners-from-fire/29932


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Are pit bulls costing your clients their homeowners insurance?

by Insurance Business | Feb 10, 2015

If insurance carriers are suddenly dropping your homeowners clients, it may be have something to do with the family pet running around their front yard. According to recent data, the prejudice against pit bulls and other dog breeds considered dangerous is extending to the world of homeowners insurance.

In 2013, US insurance companies paid out more than $483 million for 17,369 dog bite-related claims. As a result, several families have reported their insurers ceased to cover them after finding out they own dog breeds classified as too risky to insure.

“The average cost per claim nationally has risen more than 45 percent in the last decade (2003-2013), due to increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which are still on the upswing,” said Loretta Worters, vice president with the I.I.I.

And agents have noticed the pull back from carriers.

Of the eight insurance carriers Sacramento independent agent Randy Brown works with, “literally none of them will write policies for pit bulls, even mixed breeds,” he told the Sacramento Bee. Others will cover the breed, but exclude liability for bites or attacks.

Read more: http://www.ibamag.com/news/are-pit-bulls-costing-your-clients-their-homeowners-insurance-21295.aspx


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Ohio bill would crack down on dangerous dog owners

Posted by Brett Hoffland – 2/10/15

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) –All dog owners in Ohio may face harsh penalties if their four-legged friend doesn’t behave.

It’s part of a new bill in the Buckeye State that’s targeting dangerous dog owners.

“What we’re trying to do eliminate this idea that the first bite is free,” said Ohio Senator Bill Beagle. “We’re trying to empower our local law enforcement with an ability to charge somebody if the dog causes serious injury or fatality,” said Beagle.

Beasley said Ohio law states that during a first time dog bite, often times the owner is cited for failure to control an animal. But it takes a third bite to really crack down on irresponsible owners.

This legislation would hold the owner accountable. After a first bite, the owner could face a 1st degree misdemeanor or a 5th degree felony.

“It is the owners responsibility to make sure that the dog does not create a danger for the community,” said Katy Blanton.

Blanton has been instrumental in pushing for fair laws for all dogs as a leader of the Cincinnati Pit Crew. Some Tri-State communities have a pit bull ban based on the fact that some believe they’re vicious. But Blanton says it’s refreshing to see this bill doesn’t discriminate.

Read more: http://www.fox19.com/story/28077357/ohio-bill-would-crack-down-on-dangerous-dog-owne


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Dangerous dogs may be euthanized sooner after Clackamas County passes emergency ordinance

Hannah Leone | The Oregonian/OregonLive – By Hannah Leone | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Three dangerous dogs in custody at Clackamas County’s animal shelter may be the last to wait, in isolated cells, for up to 60 days while their owners decide whether to appeal their euthanasia orders.

County commissioners passed an emergency amendment to the county’s dog ordinance Thursday, Feb. 5, shortening how much time owners have to appeal their dog’s officer-ordered euthanasia to 10 days. When passed, emergency legislation is effective immediately.

However, this will only apply to new cases, said county dog services officer Kristine Wallace. Owners of Symba, Striker and Goliath, who have all been impounded at the shelter for more than a month, still have 60 days total to file an appeal.

“The ordinance revision is not retroactive,” Wallace said in an email. “It applies to all new cases as of the time it becomes effective, and does not apply to dogs in our custody before the ordinance was approved.”

State law allows a 10-day appeal period for cases in which a dog is ordered euthanized. Clackamas County code, until Thursday, superseded state law and allowed a 60-day appeal period.

“Essentially, it would be to make our code more consistent with state law, and also has to do with the interest of the dog,” said Scott Ciecko, assistant county counsel, at the public hearing Thursday.

When a hearings officer orders a dog to be euthanized, that dog is impounded at the county animal shelter — for the length of the appeal period.

When the ordinance passed Thursday, Symba had been in county custody for 37 days; Striker and Goliath had each been in custody for 34 days, according to records provided by the county.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2015/02/dangerous_dogs_may_be_euthaniz.html


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Hero Boxer Fighting for Her Life After Protecting Owner From House Fire

By Amanda Bernocco | Feb 09, 2015 10:39 AM EST

A heroic boxer dog is fighting for her life after trying to save her owner from a deadly house fire in suburban Cincinnati.

A fire broke out in the basement of Ben Ledford’s house. When first-responders arrived they found Ledford lying on the ground with Carmen, his 9-year-old boxer, on top of him attempting to shelter his face from the heat, smoke and flame, WCPO, a CNN affiliate, reported.

“A lot of dogs instinctively know when there’s a crisis going on and so a lot of them do go to try to protect their owners, so she very well may have been trying to protect him,” Dr. Marlo Anderson told WCPO.

Carmen was brought to Cincinnati’s Care Center, a critical care veterinary hospital, where the vets have placed her on a ventilator.

Read more: http://www.hngn.com/articles/67763/20150209/hero-boxer-dog-fighting-for-life-after-protecting-owner-in-house-fire.htm


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Man pulls over, rescues dog trapped in icy creek

Anthony Borrelli, [email protected] | @PSBABorrelli12:03 a.m. EST February 7, 2015

Neither Sasha’s owner nor her hero will ever know how the dog found her way into the water.

All they know is this: On the morning of Jan. 23, an 8-year-old Labrador mix wandered off from her home in Berkshire and somehow wound up a half-mile away, stranded in the current of a snow-crusted, icy creek.

Then, fate intervened, in the unlikely form of a hearty 6-foot-5 hunter and his girlfriend headed from Endicott up to Syracuse for a sportsmans expo.

They were 15 miles into the trip on a chilly Friday, driving north up Route 38 through Tioga County, when Rachel Goetz spotted an animal in the middle of a creek to the east.

Coyote, 22-year-old Ryan Ellsworth of Endicott thought at first. He’d hunted them before in this area.

But, he recalled during a phone interview, it seemed worth pulling over to investigate. That’s when he discovered Sasha half-submerged in the frigid waters of Owego Creek, whimpering and clinging with her forepaws to the ice.

They briefly considered calling 911, but couldn’t accept the chance that emergency responders would be too late, even by a matter of minutes. The dog, Ellsworth decided, had to be saved now.

Read more: http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2015/02/07/endicott-man-saves-dog/22928619/


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Saluki from Foley among local dogs to compete at Westminster show

February 08, 2015 1:45 am  • 

LINCOLN COUNTY

Betsy Cummings knew the puppy was going to be special.

After Cummings’ dog whelped two males and a female, Cummings heard a high-pitched wail.

At first she thought the noise was coming from the newborns, but it was inside the mother. A few seconds later, a fluffy, cream-colored Saluki made her entrance.

It was quite a first impression. Cummings named her Tributes Ringside Scandal, but she calls her Winnie, short for winner.

“The way she came into the world, saying, ‘I’m here,’ was what captured our attention,” Cummings said. “She won’t let you forget her.”

Winnie’s owner hopes her dog will catch the eye of judges when she competes with more than 2,700 other dogs in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. Several other local dogs are competing for a spot in the finals on Feb. 16-17.

Cummings, 50, has been breeding Salukis for 12 years. She currently owns 11 and one Irish wolfhound. She and her husband, Kevin, live on six acres in Foley, about 50 miles northwest of St. Louis, where the dogs have room to run.

Salukis are known locally as the mascot of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, but their history is much longer. They are one type of sight hound — greyhounds are another — who hunt by sight, not scent. They originated in the Middle East, Cummings said.

“Salukis were famously bred by the Bedouin tribes,” she said. “They were highly prized. They were never sold but were given as gifts.”

Salukis can run for short distances up to 45 mph, but they are the marathoners of the dog world; they can go 30 mph for miles, she said.

“Everything about this dog is speed and grace and elegance, and to me, there’s nothing more beautiful in the whole world,” she said.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/pets/saluki-from-foley-among-local-dogs-to-compete-at-westminster/article_01ec3351-0167-5cc3-b22a-802b692a1080.html


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Asheville has a long history of battles over dog laws

Rob Neufeld, Visiting Our Past – 6:38 p.m. EST February 8, 2015

Buster was a dog — Asheville’s official rat catcher — and when Oscar Wilson, the city’s dogcatcher, took Buster into custody on July 1, 1915, the zealous official found himself mobbed by angry dog lovers on Pack Square.

Both Oscar and Buster were made beneficiaries of an impromptu catch and release policy.

The dog issue has raised its puzzled head throughout the history of the city, most recently when Kadie Anderson began a petition, two weeks ago, to remove the unchained dog exemption for hunting dogs.

She and her two dogs were attacked on the first day of bear-hunting season last year by a pack of hounds in a Graham County wilderness area, Citizen-Times reporter Sabian Warren recounted on Jan. 31. The hunting dogs’ owners came to her aid and then had left without leaving their names or taking responsibility.

Read more: http://www.citizen-times.com/story/life/2015/02/08/asheville-long-history-battles-dog-laws/23090453/


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Dog Shot and Killed in Dispute in Thomasville

February 6, 2015 – By Julie Montanaro

A dispute over a little girl’s dog ends in gunfire in Thomasville.

The dog wound up dead and now police are trying to decide who’s to blame.

A rat terrier named Rugrat was shot and killed Thursday by the man next door.

Robin Manning was willing to talk, but not show his face. He claims the dog had repeatedly come into his elderly mother’s yard and tried to attack her and her dogs.

“The neighbor’s dog was chasing after us, but we made it inside, but I did get the gun and come back out and shoot the dog. It’s a vicious dog,” Robin Manning said.

“It was wrong for Rugrat to get out, no doubt about it,” the dog’s owner Jennie Evans said. “He found another hole and got out, but he’s a dog. But he’s not a vicious dog like they have made him out to be.”

Read more: http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Dog-Shot-and-Killed-in-Dispute-in-Thomasville-291111301.html


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Pregnant Woman And Her Boyfriend Saved By Their Beloved Rottweiler

By Dominic Kelly, Fri, February 06, 2015

A pregnant U.K. woman says she owes her life to her Rottweiler, who saved her from a group of knife-wielding criminals that broke into her home.

Reports say that on March 9, 2014, 24-year-old Kasha Marie Weston was home with her 26-year-old boyfriend Aryan Salhi and their dog Rocky when a gang of criminals busted into their home. One of the suspects held a knife to Weston’s throat while the others reportedly “rained blows” to Salhi.

“Aryan and I were in bed, with Rocky fast asleep on the floor next to us,” Weston said, according to the Mirror. “Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the front door. Rocky shot straight out the room, barking madly. I peered through the spy hole but I couldn’t see a thing but Rocky was still barking furiously.

Read more: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/hero-dog-saves-owners-knife-wielding-criminals


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Wayne Dog Hailed as Hero After Alerting of Fire

Three-year-old Oreo barked and ran diagonally to alert her owner of a fire in a nearby home on Oakwood Drive.

By  – 2/5/15

A 3-year-old rescue dog is being hailed as a hero after alerting her owner of a fire in a nearby home.

Owner Linda Cattuna knew something was wrong when 3-year-old Oreo began barking at the sliding door of her Lake Drive West home and “darted out diagonally through the yard and continued to bark,” NorthJersey.com reported.

It turns out Oreo was indeed trying to tell her something: flames and sparks were shooting out of a neighbor’s chimney on Oakwood Drive.

Read more: http://patch.com/new-jersey/wayne/wayne-dog-hailed-hero-after-alerting-fire-0


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Newquay: Dog saves the lives of owner and walker after warning that cliff was about to collapse 

19:24, 5 February 2015 – By

The cliff above Newquay’s Great Western beach suddenly gave way today causing tonnes of earth to fall to the ground

A dog has been hailed a hero after warning her owner and a walker that a cliff they were sat on was about to collapse.

The cliff above Great Western beach in Newquay, Cornwall suddenly gave way today causing tonnes of earth to fall to the ground.

Aimee Jones was sat on a bench just a yard from the landslide when it happened said she owes her life to dog Hazel who was on the clifftop at the time.

The collie dog was with her owner Matt at the top of the cliff when she raised the alarm – saving the lives of her owner and Ms Jones.

“We were just sat there chatting when Hazel started sniffing a little crack at the top of the cliff,” said Ms Jones.

“Suddenly she bolted away and both Matt and I got up to see what was happening and that’s when the cliff went.

“There was a rumble and a snapping sound and it just fell away.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/newquay-dog-saves-lives-owner-5113264


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Dog puts the bite on county commissioner

GINNY RHODES [email protected] – 2/5/15

One McDowell County Commissioner took his support of the K-9 program to a whole new level by experiencing what an unlucky suspect might feel one day.

County Commissioner Matt Crawford said when he was elected, Sheriff Dudley Greene gave him a tour of the jail and office to familiarize him with the department. Greene told Crawford about the K-9 program, which he said he fully supported for the community.

“I know that these dogs will great for locating drugs and officer protection. But also, these dogs will help all of the emergency services with tracking subjects,” Crawford told The McDowell News. “What better way to show support to the officers then allowing the dogs to bite me?”

For the past 10 weeks, Loki, Jazz, and Kessy, the new K-9 additions to the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, have been training in criminal apprehension, tracking and drug detection. On Monday, Crawford got a feel — not once but twice — on what Loki learned during his criminal apprehension training.

Donning a bite sleeve, Crawford stood before Loki, a 70-pound male Belgian Malinois, who after given the command, lunged at the commissioner.

“With the sleeve on, you can’t really feel anything, but I wouldn’t want to go against that dog without the sleeve,” he said. “The pain would be immeasurable.”

Read more: http://www.mcdowellnews.com/news/dog-puts-the-bite-on-county-commissioner/article_e494393c-ad7d-11e4-9b98-f3f40e3b2a51.html


Bailey remains the only unadoptable dog at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society. Staff have placed five of seven unadoptable dogs since September 2014 and said they are seeking options for her, too. — Image Credit: Sequim Gazette Photo By Matthew Nash

Animal control suggests new policies for ‘unadoptable’ dogs 

by MATTHEW NASH,  Sequim Gazette Reporter – Feb 4, 2015 at 12:47PM

“Unadoptable dogs” may be receiving new policies for their handling at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society later this month.

Clallam County Animal Control recently revealed its findings in a voluntary investigation at the shelter for these dogs that have been sectioned off from the general public. In the past, up to seven kennels were made available for dogs with a violent record of either attacking humans and/or other animals but aren’t deemed dangerous enough to be euthanized by the group’s veterinarian.

Tracey Kellas, animal control deputy for the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation at the suggestion of shelter executive director Mary Beth Wegener.

No wrong-doing was found, but some supporters still question the level of care for the dogs.

Former volunteer Bob Bish, who runs a Facebook page for the “Forgotten Dogs,” questions how much time the dogs spend in isolation, how much of an effort the shelter makes to seek refuge for the dogs out of the area and how much quality time the dogs have with others.

Kellas said since these dogs are brought in by the public and not her or another municipality, then the shelter is not required to euthanize or transfer them to another shelter or sanctuary.

“(The report) is about forming policy,” she said.

“(The dogs) are well fed, exercised and bedded and cleaner than most kennel dogs. They have blankets and nothing illegal going on there.”

Read more: http://www.sequimgazette.com/news/290819981.html#


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Deputies: Georgetown man wanted for dog fighting is still on the run

By Bobby Liga – 2/3/15

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) –Deputies are still looking for the Georgetown man wanted in a connection to a dog fighting and drug ring investigation. 23-year-old Rashad Derrell is still on the run. One animal shelter in the Lowcountry is doing whatever they can to get this suspect behind bars.

“I want to know who that person is. I want to get that person off the streets. I want that person charged,” said Carol Linville, President and Founder of Pet Helpers in Charleston.

That’s why Pet Helpers is offering a $500 reward to assist police in the arrest of a Georgetown man wanted for dog fighting.

“It’s time to stop. It’s time for the community to quit looking the other way and understand this goes on everyday,” said Linville.

“I see pain all of the time and this is just a completely useless source of it,” said Meredith Jones, a Veterinarian at Pet Helpers.

Veterinarians like Meredith Jones say enough is enough. She’s sick and tired of hearing that dogs are fighting to their deaths.

Read more: http://www.live5news.com/story/28018450/deputies-georgetown-man-wanted-for-dog-fighting-is-still-on-the-run


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Coastguards save border collie from cliff face fall after it became stuck during stroll

by Emma Yeomans – 2/4/15

A DOG had a lucky escape from a cliff edge when it was saved by a coastguard.

The border collie was enjoying a Sunday stroll on the beach at Cuckmere Haven when it ran up the cliff.

Its owners tried to coax the dog down, but when it became clear that their pet was well and truly stuck they called for help.

Trevor Cutler, Newhaven Coastguard station officer, said that it was an unusual situation for the cliff rescue team.

He said: “We’re used to rescuing dogs that have run over the top of the cliff edge, rather than up from the beach.

He added: “It was a difficult situation because the cliffs are so unstable at the moment.”

The team sent rescuer Peter Leonard down the cliff with an animal rescue bag and he was able to strap the dog in.

The position of the ledge made the rescue tricky, but Mr Cutler said the dog “knew it was in trouble” and caused no more difficulty in getting strapped in.

Read more: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11768898.Coastguards_save_border_collie_from_cliff_face_fall_after_it_became_stuck_during_stroll/


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Ozark board of aldermen approve changes to city dog bite ordinance

Shayla Patrick Picture Shayla Patrick, [email protected] – POSTED: 06:57 AM CST Feb 04, 2015 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – From great companionship to providing protection at home there are many benefits of being a pet owner, but there are also responsibilities and liabilities if your dog attacks some one.
“In the past no matter what the situation, the owner of the dog has to surrender the dog for 10 days quarantine and then pay an impoundment fee, no matter what the situation, if the dog bites an individual,” said Randy Wright, Mayor Pro Tem for the city of Ozark.

The measure was put in place to help protect against the spread of rabies and other infectious diseases. But a recent vote by the City of Ozark Board of Aldermen has created one exception.

“We passed a bill last night saying the only situation where a dog would not have to be impounded and there would not need to be a quarantine is if the dog were protecting the owner or the property from an intruder,” said Wright.

Read more: http://www.ky3.com/news/local/ozark-board-of-aldermen-approve-changes-to-city-dog-bite-ordinance/21048998_31084542


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Can aggressive dogs be rehabilitated?

[email protected] – 2:21 p.m. EST February 3, 2015

She went to Whole Foods for cashew butter and came home with an eight-week-old black lab/hound mix that would change her life.

It was a snap decision for Leah Wyman. She didn’t even call her husband. She just knew.

And chances are, if she hadn’t brought home the dog they call Marvin, he would have been euthanized by now.

He doesn’t like people, other than Wyman and her immediate family. He growls and barks and if not heeded, nips at people. Children, forget it. Middle-aged men, them too.

He is a dog with extreme aggression fueled by fear from whatever abuse was inflicted when he was weeks old.

Each year across the country 800,000 dogs like Marvin are put to sleep. Unnecessarily, said Dr. Sharon Crowe-Davis, a behavioral veterinarian at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine who is working with Wyman and Marvin.

It takes patience and time and hard work, and sometimes it doesn’t work.

Read more: http://www.wcnc.com/story/news/features/2015/02/03/can-aggressive-dogs-be-rehabilitated/22805995/


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City puts more bite into animal ordinance

By ANDREW LERSTEN – HP Staff Writer – 2/4/15

SOUTH HAVEN – South Haven is a dog-friendly town – as long as your four-legged friends stay on a leash and stay off the city’s public beaches.

That’s the message that comes with changes made by the City Council on Monday night to the city’s animal ordinance.

One of the changes brings the ordinance into line with the city’s actual policy: That dogs are allowed in public places, except the beaches, if they are leashed and the owner keeps them under control, City Manager Brian Dissette said.

Dissette said people can walk their dogs on the sidewalks near the beaches, just not on the beaches.

The other change raises the fines for people who violate the ordinance. The first-offense fine will go from $50 to $100, and a repeat offense fine will go from $100 to $150.

Read more: http://www.heraldpalladium.com/news/local/city-puts-more-bite-into-animal-ordinance/article_67611b4f-aa7a-5948-8367-15b5ee2b3e3d.html


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Elbow implant saves three-legged dog

by Judy Slate – 2/3/15

BOZEMAN – Dogs suffer from arthritis just like humans. One of the more complicated forms of canine arthritis occurs in the elbow.

Belgrade resident Paul Englund’s dog suffers from elbow arthritis. He and his wife adopted Levi about six years ago. At the time Levi had just lost a leg in a Coyote trap, but being three-legged didn’t slow him down. “If you’d go hiking he’d go up the mountain four times before you even got half way up there and then about two and a half years ago his elbow started to deteriorate,” said Englund.

Levi’s vet Dr. Christine Kenyon explained the complexities of elbow arthritis. “Basically the elbow is the most complex joint in the body, many joints within one joint so it can be very tricky to fix and in a dog it’s a weight bearing and until recently there wasn’t anything we could do about it.”

The Englunds tried everything to help Levi, from acupuncture, a wheelchair and even water therapy, but nothing helped the pain. “I couldn’t put him down as happy as he was just being alive,” said Englund.

Read more: http://www.kbzk.com/news/elbow-implant-saves-three-legged-dog/


Hero by Sara Carson

Heroic team awarded for tricks

Tuesday, February 03, 2015   by: KA Smith

Sara Carson has been named “All-Star Trainer of the Year” at Do More With Your Dog!, a sanctioning body for the sport of Dog Tricks. She shares the title with a handful of trainers worldwide.

At her young age of twenty, she has coached 100 students to earn their trick dog titles. She teaches through live classes as well as online as the Heroic Novice Spark Team! The team is complete with her famous dog, Hero, The Super Collie.  Carson has trained Hero to perform over 300 tricks. They have appeared on the David Letterman Show and performed on many TV shows as professional stunt dog performers.

Carson is pleased with the recognition from Do More With Your Dog! She highly enjoys training dogs but says, “it’s mostly about teaching the dog’s person.”

Asked for advice for the average dog owner, Sara says dogs are like young children. “They need structure and consistancy. Kennel or crate training is important with dogs being den animals. And positive reinforcement is key in dog training.”

Read more: http://www.baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=73469


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Lawmaker looks to heighten liability for dog bites

April Burbank, Free Press Staff Writer – 8:34 p.m. EST February 2, 2015

Vermont dog owners could face increased liability if their dogs bite someone under a bill recently introduced in the state House of Representatives.

The bill would “make a domestic dog owner strictly liable if his or her dog bites a person.”

Strict liability is a standard typically used for “ultra-hazardous activities such as blasting and keeping dangerous animals,” the Vermont Supreme Court noted in a ruling last year. Approximately 18 states have adopted strict liability for dog bites, according to the same document.

RELATED

Rep. Michael Mrowicki, D-Putney, the bill’s sponsor, was unavailable for comment Monday.

Such a law would have made a difference in the case of Gracie Martin, a Vermont girl who was bitten in the face by a dogin 2009, said Christopher McVeigh, the lawyer who represented her family last year as they pushed for repayment of her medical bills.

Read more: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/02/lawmaker-looks-heighten-liability-dog-bites/22770707/


Dog saved

Quick action by Coast Guard saves four-legged friend

by Michelle Nemmers – Posted: 02.03.2015 at 1:10 PM

BENZIE CO. — A four-legged friend is now warming her paws after jumping into the icy waters of Betsie Lake.

The Coast Guard was having a meeting Tuesday morning when they saw a dog jump into the water.

The Coast Guard then halted their meeting to go save the dog. Rescuers were able bring the dog safely to shore but had to help each other get out due to the ice.

The dog was brought to the Benzie County Animal Shelter where she is doing fine. The shelter is now looking for the dog’s owner.

Read more: http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?id=1158548#.VNE6xkfF-KU


IT’S NOT UNCOMMON to see dogs roaming the city streets but there are laws against unrestrained animals. Some citizens have stopped routine walks because of the risk of an animal attack. PHOTO BY MICHAELE DUKE

Loose and leashless

It never fails; you’re taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood when the barking of a dog shatters the quiet. What’s worse is the four-legged vagabond is heading right for you. Armed with nothing more than a stick to defend yourself, you are at the mercy of the growling intruder.

The scary scenario is one that has been repeated with frequency but fortunately dog bites (in Kingstree) have been practically non-existent. What is unfortunate is some residents have given up their daily ritual in fear of being a victim of an attack.

In the event a dog approaches it’s best to call authorities, but that, in and of itself prevents many from doing so. No one wants to rile up a neighbor and cause bad feelings as a result but Kingstree Police Chief Eric Williams says an anonymous phone call to the police department is sufficient. “We like to be proactive,” said Williams. “We don’t want to wait till the situation arises where someone says, oh, you’re here. It really doesn’t help at that point.”

Read more: http://www.kingstreenews.com/article/20150203/KTN01/150209987/1058/KTN


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Rains County deputy on desk duty after alleged dog shooting

By KLTV News Staff – 2/2/15

RAINS COUNTY, TX (KLTV) –A Rains County Sheriff’s Office deputy is on desk duty until the investigation into his alleged shooting of a dog is complete.

On Monday, the Rains County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that one of its deputies shot a dog. The incident took place almost a year after another deputy with the department shot a dog during a burglary call.

The sheriff’s office identified the deputy as Sam Mayer, an investigator. On Tuesday, the department confirmed that Mayer is still active in the department and has not been placed on leave. KLTV requested dash or body cam footage, but police say neither camera was on.

The sheriff’s office says Mayer was assisting CPS with an investigation at a residence off County Road 1308 on Monday. They say they were confronted by a large, aggressive dog, which prompted them to honk the horn to get a resident to come out.

A woman came out and waved at them, after which the CPS caseworker got out of the vehicle and began walking toward the house, the RCSO says.

The woman went back inside, officials say, and the dog continued to bark and became more aggressive, biting at the CPS worker. Mayer then approached the residence, yelling for the woman to go back outside and restrain her dog; instead a small child came out of the house, the statement continues.

“They lost a family member today,” says Christina Harris of her family’s dog Rosie.

Harris and her daughter Alysha say the loss of their dog Rosie was devastating.

“I hear a gun shot and all I see coming out of the dog is… red. I’m kneeling next to the dog and all I see is the dog looking up at me and it dies in my arms,” says Alysha.

The sheriff’s office says the dog was shot after it turned toward Mayer “lunging, mouth open, snapping to bite.” The sheriff’s office claims the dog had already bitten at Mayer.

“The deputy said that it had bit his pants leg and everything, but there were no holes in the pants legs. There was no proof. He never pulled up his pants leg to show us any bite marks,” she says.

Alysha says her eight-year-old sister, Jasmine, saw the investigator shoot her two-year old dog.

“It kind of shocked me when he shot Rosie because she’s a good dog…It really scared me because I don’t like to see animals getting shot or hurt. It just scared me a whole lot,” says Jasmine.

Read more: http://www.ktre.com/story/28006470/rains-county-deputy-on-desk-duty-after-alleged-dog-shooting


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Mountain lion attacks 45-pound dog in Placerville

 By  – 2/1/15 

Australian cattle dog injured

PLACERVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) —A homeowner came face to face with a mountain lion early Sunday morning in a remote, wooded area of Placerville after it attacked her 45-pound dog.

Watch report: Mountain lion attacks dog in Placerville

Susan McPherson knew something was wrong after her dog, Mate, ran into the backyard at 3:30 a.m., and she did not hear his usual barking.

So she followed him – and spotted a mountain lion.

“I saw a large cat walking away,” McPherson said. “I yelled at it. And he turned his head, and there was this gray dog (in the mountain lion’s mouth) … like a rag doll. So, I’m like, ‘This can’t be my dog.'”

Mate is a 12-year-old Australian cattle dog with arthritis.

“I continued to approach (the mountain lion),” McPherson said. “I’m yelling at him and I’m shining my light. He gets down to the pond — he goes up to the other side. And he releases my dog, and this limp body just collapses.”

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/Mountain-lion-attacks-45-pound-dog-in-Placerville/31042322


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Work Just Beginning On Rez Stray Dog Problem

February 1, 2015, 5:30 PM by Kevin Woster

PINE RIDGE, SD – The death of an 8-year-old girl in a dog attack last November on the Pine Ridge Reservation devastated her family and brought focus to the problems with stray dogs. Now tribal officials are working to upgrade their animal-control program.

Immediately after Jayla Rodriquez’s death, dog roundups in the Pine Ridge area filled livestock trailers, sending some dogs out for adoption while others were killed. Residents of the Pine Ridge area say stray dog numbers have been noticeably reduced.

But the work has only begun. Tribal council member Ellen Fillspipe, whose own son was nearly killed in a reservation dog attack, says much more work needs to be done. The tragedy has opened the eyes of reservation residents to widespread dog problems, however.

Read more: http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/work-just-beginning-on-rez-stray-dog-problem/?id=175442


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Time to take a bite out of counterfeit service dogs

A Nasty encounter turned a day of car shopping for Jeff Woods into a dog-day afternoon.

Things went sideways when the Gulf War veteran tried to grab some chow recently at the Clock Restaurant in Gainesville with his Chihuahua. Except tiny Tinie wasn’t an ordinary pooch.

Tinie — spiffy in her service-dog vest — can sniff out blood clots and minute blood-chemistry changes that now plague Woods.

After management summoned the cops — because a manager says Woods yelled at her and staffers, according to a Gainesville Television Network report — Woods and company just left.

In fairness, this might simply be a case of miseducation feeding misunderstanding.

Yet it’s a fair bet that the uncalled-for reaction was partly influenced by reports of fraudsters passing off Lassies as trained service dogs. Though hard numbers on imposters are hard to come by, many experts in the service-dog industry consider service-dog fraud a major concern. Scammers can surf the Internet for bogus vests, service-dog patches and credentials, plunk down up to $300 and presto! Fido is a service dog.

That great social critic Daffy Duck had a word that describes crumbs that who engage in the canine con: despicable.

The conundrum is that under the ADA, the disabled are obliged to respond to just two questions about their service dog:

“Is this a service dog for disabilities?” And: “What tasks or assistance does the dog provide you with?”

Anyone brazen enough to parade a sham service dog has no qualms about lying.

Though punishing impostors through legislation may help, Ken Lyons, executive director of Service Dogs of Florida, says national certification of service dogs, for instance, is a bad idea.

Read more: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-fake-service-dogs-darryl-owens-20150202-column.html


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Dogs die from East Bay lake toxic algae blooming caused by drought

CASTRO VALLEY — Stemming from California’s drought, three pet dogs have died after lapping up water in a popular recreation lake fouled by toxic algae flourishing in scarce rain and runoff.

A chocolate Labrador died Wednesday after being exposed to lake water. Two dogs died in December as well, regional park officials confirmed. The algae produces toxins that attack the dog’s nervous system and liver.

The regional park district has long banned people and dogs from wading or swimming in Lake Chabot because it’s an emergency backup drinking water source for the East Bay Municipal Utility District. Some dogs, however, go for a drink or a swim.

“Our hearts go out to the owners of these dogs that have passed away. It’s tragic,” said Carolyn Jones, a spokeswoman for the park district. “We are putting up more signs and making them more obvious to keep dogs away from the water.”
Algae blooms have come and gone in regional park lakes over the years, with rain and runoff flushing away the impurities. But the drought stoked concentrations to toxic levels last year at Lake Temescal in Oakland and in the northwestern section of Lake Chabot.

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Los Angeles firefighters rescued a dog found floating down the Los Angeles River in Burbank on Friday afternoon.

DOG RESCUED FROM LA RIVER IN BURBANK

Los Angeles firefighters rescued a dog swept into the Los Angeles River in Burbank on Friday afternoon.

A firefighter was lowered from a helicopter into the river near the Cahuenga Pass. He swam towards the Corgi/Chihuahua mix, and caught it in his arms, before lifting it to safety.

Shortly after, firefighters could be seen drying off the dog on the bank of the river.

“As we were watching the dog one of the worst things was we kept seeing the dog submerge and then he’d pop back up. Each time he submerged we were worried he may not come up again,” LAFD Capt. Scott Bowman said.

Read more: https://abc7.com/pets/dog-rescued-from-la-river-in-burbank/498409/


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Clever canine saves woman’s life during snow storm

By Christian Schiavone, The Patriot Ledger – 1/30/15

WEYMOUTH, Mass. —Nancy Sheerin says she might not be alive today were it not for a well-timed kiss on the nose.

Sheerin, who is in her 70s, was home alone with her 3-year-old golden retriever Reilly during the worst of this week’s massive blizzard when she says the dog deliberately woke her up by licking her face to alert her to a screeching carbon monoxide detector, the Patriot Ledger reported.

Sheerin, who is hard of hearing, had taken her hearing aids out for the night and didn’t hear the alarm when it went off at 4 a.m. Tuesday.

“She was a very good dog,” Sheerin said Thursday. “I don’t think I would be here without her waking me up.”

Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/news/clever-canine-saves-womans-life-during-snow-storm/31004450


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Dog Saves Clovis Man After House Catches Fire

 By Misti Reed – 1/30/15

A Clovis man says his dog saved him from a fire Friday morning.

The man was sleeping on the couch inside his home on Polson, near Armstrong. He said he heard his dog, Sugar, barking in the backyard. When he opened his eyes, he said he saw smoke filling up his house.

The man grabbed Sugar and ran to the street. He dialed 9-1-1 and Clovis firefighters were there within minutes.

Read more: http://www.kmph.com/story/27982746/dog-saves-clovis-man-after-house-catches-fire


Photo provided Jenna was a year old pit bull that was one of many dogs held at the KHD in December.

Dangerous dog ordinance remains in effect

Friday, January 30, 2015 – 

The removal of the pit bull ban from the dangerous dog ordinance by the Kennett City Council last December made a lot of animal lovers of the breed very happy. However, there are still other areas of the ordinance that include all dogs.

“No new ordinance was created,” said Kennett City Attorney Terry McVey. “The council voted to just remove any reference to pit bulls in the definition of dangerous dogs, but it is still illegal to own any type of dangerous dog within the city limits.” McVey went on to say that any dog can be considered dangerous, no matter the size. People do, however, need to be aware of all the laws concerning canines within the city limits.

Because of the number of questions being asked, Tena Petix, Kennett Humane Department (KHD) officer, said that it is important for people to understand the dangerous dog ordinance is not breed-specific. It is based on a dog’s behavior. “We’ve always had the dangerous dog ordinance,” said Petix. “But we also had the ban, which meant that you were cited for having a pit in the city.”

According to Ordinance No. 2023, a dangerous dog is defined as follows:

Read more: http://www.dddnews.com/story/2161571.html


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“Spider-Man” Saves Stranded Dog on a Freezing Riverbank

by  – January 26, 2015 – 7:00 pm

There’s a dog trapped on the riverbank and no one stops to help. The dog catchers, police and fire department have all waved their hands in refusal. They all agree that the dog “can’t” be rescued in such a precarious location. But they are dead wrong and one man is about to prove it.

Watch dog rescuer Sasha Pesic calmly slip into a Spider-Man-like persona and climb down a bridge to reach the frightened dog stranded by the water below. Be prepared to get swept away in the way that Sasha makes such an incredible feat look quite easy. If you’re in a hurry, skip to the 30 second mark and start watching from there.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/spider-man-saves-stranded-dog-on-a-freezing-riverbank.html


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Investigators arrest wanted men sought on dog fighting charges

By Ray Rivera – 1/30/15

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, SC (WCSC) –Two men wanted for dog fighting charges in Georgetown County have been arrested.

Authorities arrested 23-year-old Tywaun Heard and 22-year-old Jamie Deon Grant on Friday.

Heard was charged with animal fighting or baiting, while Grant was charged with presence at facility of animal fighting or baiting.

Officials with the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office say they are continuing to search for a person of interest captured in a picture, and are asking anyone with information on the identity of the person to call (843) 461-1331. All calls will be kept confidential.

Deputies have already arrested 24-year-old Dashaun A. White, 20-year-old Melvin D. Hardwick Jr., 26-year-old Antwan White and 23-year-old Shala Armstrong in connection to the investigation.

Three dogs were impounded and a stolen television and 4-wheeler were recovered.

Read more: http://www.live5news.com/story/27988249/investigators-arrest-wanted-men-sought-on-dog-fighting-charges


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Cattle dogs require Brains and Bite

Danielle Lunsford Posted on Jan 31, 2015 – by Danielle Lunsford

OTTUMWA — For the first year, the KIIC Radio Farm Show and the Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference have partnered together to bring the biggest agriculture event in the area to Ottumwa’s Bridge View Center.

The event opened its doors Friday afternoon and saw hundreds of interested community members walk through the door. From successful current farmers to dozens of Future Farmers of America students, each came to learn about farming tools, including new high-tech farm technology such as drones and longtime trusted border collie cattle wrangling dogs.

Jerry Davis brought his two cattle dogs, Rita and Lou, to demonstrate how easy a dog can wrangle and load cattle.
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Cattle Dog

Patrick Shelby/The Courier

Lou, 2-year-old border collie demonstrates her cattle wrangling, brains and bite talents during a working dog demonstration with Jerry Davis, Ranch Class National Champion, as the Cow-Calf Conference & KIIC Farm Show opens to the public at the Bridge View Center on Friday afternoon. Additional photos available at www.ottumwacourier.com.

Read more: http://www.ottumwacourier.com/news/local_news/cattle-dogs-require-brains-and-bite/article_5776e134-a919-11e4-bf36-93224e3ef0a1.html


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Police: Dog saves girl from attempted abductor

11Alive Staff, WXIA – 11:43 p.m. EST January 29, 2015

MARIETTA, Ga. – Cobb County police say a man tried to abduct a young girl Thursday morning.

According to Cobb County Polcie Sgt. Dana Pierce, the girl was walking her dog on Darnell Road near Barber Road between 7 a.m. and 7:20 a.m. The girl said that a white, newer-model single cab truck drove by her and stopped. As she walked by, the man inside the truck got out and grabbed her by the wrist.

As he did, the dog bit the man’s ankle, causing him to release her. The girl was able to flee. She told police that the truck drove northbound on Darnell Road.

Read more: http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/marietta/2015/01/29/cobb-county-attempted-abduction/22556523/


Anaheim Police Officer R.J. Young is now training with a new police dog to fill the spot left by the now-retired Bruno, who was shot in the line of duty in March. Yukon is his new 2-year-old German shepherd partner. SAM GANGWER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

With Bruno retired, Anaheim police introduce newest, four-legged recruit: Yukon

BY ART MARROQUIN / STAFF WRITER – 1/26/15

Yukon has a nose for trouble.

At the command of his handler and partner, Officer R.J. Young, the 2-year-old German shepherd bounds across a yard tucked between the 91 and the Anaheim Police Department’s east station to search for the “suspect.”

Yukon sniffs out Officer Andy Miller, who plays the “bad guy” hiding inside a foul-smelling outhouse. When he’s discovered, Miller makes a run for it.

Yukon gives chase, leaps and clamps his jaw onto an oversized protection sleeve covering Miller’s right arm. The dog snarls as his sharp teeth hold tight – until he’s called off by Young.

“You want a dog who knows when it’s time to work, and when it’s time to turn it off,” Young said.

Yukon quietly joined the Anaheim Police Department’s K-9 Unit in September after going through six weeks of intense training at Houston K9 Academy, a law enforcement kennel in Texas.

The dog was purchased with a $7,500 donation from the Anaheim Police Canine Association, a volunteer nonprofit established in 2001.

While Yukon isn’t considered a replacement within the department, he does take a spot on the team previously held by Bruno, the first Anaheim police dog to be seriously wounded in the line of duty when he was shot in March.

Read more: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/young-649227-yukon-dog.ht


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UP CLOSE: Joshua Fund saves life of dog shot with arrow

By MATTHEW TURNER ([email protected]) , Lake Placid News – 1/30/15

JAY – Joshua Fund, a nonprofit dog rescue operation, has saved hundreds of dogs’ lives since its founding four years ago, but few have a story that compare to a yellow lab named Colden.

In November 2014, Colden was pulled from a high-kill animal shelter in South Carolina along with several other dogs. Joshua Fund’s founder, Dan Bain, said they were told Colden had been shot – they suspected with bird shot.

“He was skin and bones when we found him,” Bain said.

After coming to New York, the dog was sent for a checkup and the X-ray showed something much more inconceivable than a gunshot wound.

“The vet X-rayed him, and everybody was shocked,” Bain said. “Nobody had seen anything like it.”

Colden had a 2-inch razor sharp, three-pronged arrow head inside his right hind leg. The arrow pierced the dog’s pelvic bone. It had been lodged there for about a month before the dog could be transported for treatment.

Joshua Fund has rescued several dogs with gunshot wounds before, but Bain said they never saw anything like this.

– See more at: http://www.lakeplacidnews.com/page/content.detail/id/522809/UP-CLOSE–Joshua-Fund-saves-life-of-dog-shot-with-arrow.html?nav=5005#sthash.4VGO78c6.dpuf


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This photo shows a coyote that was spotted on the same farm where a horse from the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Mounted Division was attacked and killed Sunday, Jan. 25 near the Lapeer-Oakland County border. (Courtesy Photo)

Deadly coyote attack on horse: DNR wildlife technician offers safety advice, hunting regulations

Roberto Acosta | racosta1@mlive.com By Roberto Acosta | [email protected]  – January 26, 2015 at 5:00 PM

HOLLY, MI – In his years as a wildlife technician for the state Department of Natural Resources, Jon Curtis said he can count on zero fingers the numbers of times coyotes have taken down a large animal.

“To actually take a full-0grown horse down is very uncommon,” he said of a Jan. 25 attack in Oxford Township along the Lapeer-Oakland County border that led to the death of a 20-year-old horse that was part of the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Mounted Division. “I’ve never heard of that before.”

The Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday that “A group of five to six coyotes entered the paddock area and attacked the horse while it was eating. The horse was brought to the ground during the attack.”

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/01/dnr_wildlife_technician_offers.html


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Dangerous Dogs: Too Expensive To Keep?

By Phyllis M Daugherty, Mon, January 26, 2015

The city of Ormond Beach, Florida, made an important decision on Tuesday night in favor of safeguarding its residents—two and four-legged—from dog attacks. The City Commission voted to require $100,000 insurance coverage for anyone wishing to keep a dog after it has been declared dangerous, MyNews 13 reports.

Ormond Beach, which is just north of Daytona, considers a dog dangerous after it has attacked a human once or another domestic animal more than twice.

The previous insurance coverage requirement of the city was only $1,000.  Commissioner Troy Kent stated, “We found out that whenever a dangerous dog attacks somebody, the average medical bill is right around $40,000. So, $1,000 doesn’t touch what’s needed.”

“If they don’t have it, they have to get rid of the dog, or they’d have to leave our community,” Kent said. City leaders want to make sure homeowners’ medical bills are covered if attacked by a dog, he told MyNews 13.

Read more: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/dangerous-dogs-too-expensive-keep


Ann McGill with her Great Dane Rannoch

‘Rannoch the Great Dane saved my life’: Hero dog proved to be pedigree chum after saving collapsed man

07:00, 29 January 2015 – By

ANN McGill’s attention to a 48-year-old lying unconscious was drawn by Rannoch who had spotted him lying on the pavement at Coulter Avenue.

THEY say that dogs are man’s best friend.

And one Coatbridge canine certainly turned out to be a pedigree chum on a wintry evening when she bounded into action to become a lifesaver.

Rannoch the Great Dane’s barking brought her owner’s attention to a man who had fallen ill on the pavement outside her Coulter Avenue home.

And proud Ann McGill reckons the two-year-old dog’s heroics saved a life that night.

The 57-year-old said: “It was freezing cold, dark and snowing outside, about 9pm, when Rannoch began barking and growling at the living room window.

“She doesn’t usually act like that at all so I got up to see what she was barking at. I couldn’t see anything though so I just told her to be quiet and stop being so silly.

“But she kept going and must’ve been at it for a good while before I realised there was something outside. It was really dark and snowing so I couldn’t exactly see what.

Read more: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/rannoch-great-dane-saved-life-5057914


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This photo provided by the FDNY, a whippet named Burt that vanished on the streets of New York City five months ago is walked on a leash at the Fire Department of New York’s training facility on Randall’s Island in New York

Warm heart saves lost dog in snowstorm

FDNY finds whippet missing five months

A whippet named Burt who vanished on the streets of New York City five months ago has finally made it home.

The Fire Department of New York said Burt’s incredible journey came to end early Tuesday at the height of the winter storm when he was rescued at a training facility on Randall’s Island.

“As soon as he saw his owner, the dog started wagging his tail, licking her,” said David Kelly, a firefighter who reunited the pair.

In a statement, dog owner Lauren Piccolothanked the FDNY, adding, “Burt is resting at home and is expected to make a full recovery.”

According to a Facebook page, Burt left his Upper Manhattan home in August.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Warm-heart-saves-lost-dog-in-snowstorm-6044380.php

 

 


The dog will now be cremated and his ashes will be buried alongside his owner.

Dog whose late owner’s will called for pet to be euthanized dies after animal sanctuary saves him

Best Friends Animal Society saved Bela from being euthanized, but one month later the dog was diagnosed with cancer and put to sleep, the Utah animal sanctuary said.
BY  – NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Tuesday, January 27, 2015, 10:33 PM

Fate had other plans for Bela.

The German Shepherd who was saved by a Utah animal sanctuary after his late owner demanded the dog be euthanized as part of her last will was, in the end, put to sleep.

When owner Connie Ley, of Aurora, Ind., died in November, her will dictated that 9-year-old Bela be euthanized, cremated and mixed in with her ashes. But the dog’s legal guardian had second thoughts after the no-kill Best Friends Animal Society agreed to take the pooch.

One month after Bela arrived at the Kanab, Utah sanctuary, Best Friends announced the dog was euthanized Sunday when it was discovered Bela was stricken with an aggressive form of cancer.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bela, the German shepherd whose story captured our hearts over the holidays, was euthanized due to severe health conditions at our sanctuary on Sunday,” Best Friends wrote on Facebook. “We know this comes as a shock to you (as it did to us).”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dog-euthanized-animal-sanctuary-saves-article-1.2094437


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Woman hopes for pet dog’s safe return after it was stolen in Bronzeville

By Lisa Chavarria, FOX 32 News Reporter – January 21, 2015

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) –

A South Side woman is making a plea to the men who attacked her mother and stole her dog to return the pet.

Dana Rogers’ mother was still in the hospital as of Wednesday night for observation. The incident, though, happened on Monday night near 37th and Vincennes in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

“He’s really friendly, everybody in the neighborhood knows him,” said Rogers, talking about her pet.

Rogers loves her 6-year-old English Bulldog “Louis.” Rogers’ mother, Charmaine, loves him just as much.

“Louis is my mother’s grandbaby. I don’t have any kids at the moment, so this is like her grandchild. She buys him clothes, she brings him treats,” added Rogers.

On Monday night, Rogers’ mother took “Louis” for a walk near 37th and Vincennes. That’s where she was approached by two men in a car who starting asking her questions about the dog, wanting to pet him, even offering her cash to buy him.

SEE RELATED: 10 most commonly stolen dog breeds

Read more: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/27908836/dog-stolen-in-bronzeville


LauraTyler

Laura Tyler is a certified professional dog trainer with 25 years of experience and has earned associate certification through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She owns Total Teamwork Training LLC in Northwest Colorado.

Dog’s Eye View: Predatory drift

Laura Tyler/For the Steamboat Today – January 16, 2015

Several years ago, the phrase “predatory drift” was coined by some leaders in the field of dog training and behavior. And we trainers often find ourselves arguing about the definition we should use to describe this shift in behavior.

So, just for the opportunity to open this dialog, I’ll give it a go. Predatory drift, in my opinion, is when our domesticated canine family members show a behavior that overrides our relationship and the rules of our domesticated society. They no longer can respond to our calls to come back or stop what they are doing. They are in the mindset of a predator. I’ve described this shift in a previous article called “Locate, Lock and Launch.” Keep in mind that this definition is fluid. I think that circumstances can change this characterization depending on contributing factors.

Remember we have genetically manipulated dogs for thousands of years. As an example, we’ve bred herding dogs to orient, eye, stalk and chase. These would be classified as “breed typical motor patterns.”

We’ve bred these dogs to minimize or extinguish, grab bite or kill bite. Herding dogs that cross the line are not acceptable for the work they were bred to do. The original complete motor patterns are still there but they are minimized through specific breed selection and temperament.

When our domesticated companion dog switches from hiking buddy to running down any type of wildlife, he has drifted over the line. He has shifted from companion dog to predator. I have seen this “drift” in my own rat terrier when we are out hiking in lizard country. She would fall over from heat stroke rather than give up on getting a lizard out from under a rock. Granted, this is predation on a very small scale but behavior is behavior and yes, size matters. Without my intervention in giving her a reality check and removing her from the area, she might dig herself all the way to Australia.

Read more: http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2015/jan/16/dogs-eye-view-predatory-drift/


Assistant manager Adele Cook with Caroline Maguire and her recovering dog Tessa

Assistant manager Adele Cook with Caroline Maguire and her recovering dog Tessa

Pet shop advice saves dog who nearly died

EXPERT knowledge at a Shoreham pet shop helped save the life of a poorly dog.

Caroline Maguire’s King Charles Spaniel, called Tessa, had been given treatment by a specialist vet for pancreatitis.

But the rescue dog was showing no signs of improvement after six weeks of recommended food, so Caroline turned to Pets Corner, in High Street, for help.

“When I got her, she was absolutely starved and came to me with her bones sticking out,” said Caroline.

“She had been in for an x-ray and had developed pancreatitis, so they recommended a hard food.

“The dog was on so many different drugs like painkillers and anti-sickness tablets. Still nothing helped and I stayed up with her all night just holding her.”

As she lives in central Shoreham, Caroline uses Pets Corner regularly so she asked staff there for an alternative.

Store manager Sophie Cook recommended trying a small tin of salmon Nose2Tail and after just two days, Tessa was more comfortable.

“I was amazed,” said Caroline. “I can’t believe it was that simple, I was joyous. I absolutely thought I was going to lose her but she has continued to improve.”

Read more: http://www.shorehamherald.co.uk/news/local/pet-shop-advice-saves-dog-who-nearly-died-1-6530984


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Women rescue dog from interstate, use social media to locate pet’s owner

January 24, 2015 12:00 am  • 

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Jenni. The 1-year-old cane corso wandered from her East Chicago home on Jan. 12 leaving her cold, hungry, injured and lost.

One week later, while traveling along Interstate 80/94 near Grant Street in Gary, Amy Davis, of Valparaiso, and Kathy Sullivan, of Michigan City, spotted Jenni. She appeared to have been hit by a car. Davis and Sullivan, who happen to be members of a group organized to save animals called Guardians of the Green Mile, quickly pulled over to save Jenni.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/women-rescue-dog-from-interstate-use-social-media-to-locate/article_5fcd7a6c-b324-5c80-a818-b2ea5d6f9564.html

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS

Pit Bull Terrier Family

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A police K-9 unit in Port Hueneme, California. Photo: Clotee Allochuku/Flickr

VIDEO: When Are You In The Right To Defend Yourself From A Police K9 Attack?

We all love dogs and no one wants to see them die. Some of us don’t believe it is ethical for police to use them to attack suspects at all.

By |

A man was shot and killed by a police officer after he killed a police dog in what seems like a tragic “do or die” scenario. The man was under his house when police sent the dog under to attack him. But the man could not get out and would likely have been killed if he did not fight back. Tragically, a dog who was trained to attack on the orders of police officers was killed. Then, a human being who never fired a shot at police officers was shot and killed.

The incident occurred during a stand off that lasted for hours in the City of Hemet, California. The man’s name has not yet been released, but police are otherwise speaking fairly openly about some of the details of the case. Naturally, many feel strongly connected to police K9s, and to dogs in general, but the case raises an interesting question: does a suspect have the right to defend themselves from a police dog attack when they have no other way to surrender?

Read more: http://www.mintpressnews.com/when-are-you-in-the-right-to-defend-yourself-from-a-police-k9-attack/201488/


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Hero dog alerts spouse to help Albert Lea man

Posted: Friday, January 16, 2015 7:31 am | JEFF HANSEL, [email protected]

In early October, Larry Lee, 74, went for his early-morning walk in Albert Lea while his wife, Pat, was still dozing — and may never have returned if it hadn’t been for their 2-year-old yellow Labrador.

Pat heard the dog, Dee, start barking. But she figured, at first, that one of the neighbors’ dogs must be outside.

“Then she started barking so loud! I got up and looked out on the deck,” she said.

Their dog was there, but not her husband — he was near the tree line of their property, unable to yell for help because he was having a stroke.

Larry later told his wife, “it was just like quicksand … nothing was working. I couldn’t get to my cell phone or anything.”

“Oh, my gosh,” Pat thought when she saw their dog. “‘Where is he?’ I did think something might have happened to him.” That’s because he’s had two knee replacements, so she thought maybe he’d stumbled and crooked his knee.

She went out to their dog, which they got from an animal rescue shelter, still in her PJs.

Read more: http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/hero-dog-alerts-spouse-to-help-albert-lea-man/article_cde0f84b-7687-515a-adc4-ff2bbcbe130f.html


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Dogs saved from York fight ‘have a long road ahead’

— The York County Sheriff’s Office released new details Thursday about the condition of five pit bulls discovered at a dog fight this week on Lincoln Forest Drive near York.

Physical examinations completed on all five dogs showed injuries “consistent with dog fighting,” said sheriff’s spokesman Trent Faris.

Four of the five dogs were 12 percent dehydrated, Faris said. A veterinarian with York County Animal Control indicated that such a condition “is equivalent to death” for a dog, Faris said.

Two of the dogs in the fight had broken teeth and deep penetrating bite marks, Faris said. The dogs also had old bite marks. One dog was too weak to stand on its own.

All of the dogs are considered “medically recoverable,” Faris said.


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NISD drug dog incident wasn’t as bad as it sounded

KENS 5 San Antonio – 6:27 p.m. CST January 20, 2015

The vice-principal at Joe Bernal middle school said it wasn’t an attack and he wasn’t bitten.

The administrator was talking about an incident last Friday with the Northside Independent School District’s drug dog, “Alice.” The three-year-old Belgian Malinois and her handler were doing a routine sweep of a classroom, when Alice jumped up on the administrator.

The dog’s claws ripped the dress shirt the man was wearing, as well as his t-shirt and it left a nice red mark on his chest. He was immediately checked out by the school nurse and said he was fine. NISD spokesperson Pascual Gonzalez says this is the first incident they’ve had with the dog.

Alice joined NISD’s police force in November of 2013. The dog is used primarily in middle and high schools, in an effort to keep drugs from getting into the schools. Gonzalez says in her 14 months on the job, Alice has done a great job keeping drugs out of NISD schools and when they do find their way in, the school finds them too.

Read more: http://www.kens5.com/story/news/2015/01/20/k9-drugs-school-attack/22071501/


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Dog in Sulphur Springs survives when left for dead

Sebastian Robertson, WFAA11:47 a.m. CST January 17, 2015

DALLAS – All it took was a Facebook post to inspire Lonnie King, a Dallas animal lover, to drive nearly 100 miles to Sulphur Springs to help a dog in need.

“There are few things in heaven and Earth that love you more than yourself, and a dog is one of them,” King said.

King came across a post in his Facebook news feed almost too horrible to believe. The post showed a dog recovering after someone slit her throat.

King drove to Sulphur Springs to see the wounded animal for himself.

“I was in tears, I couldn’t stop crying — I was horrified,” King said. “And then, this dog came up and gave me a kiss, and I started crying some more. At that point, I was hooked, and I knew I had to do something.”

Her injury is too graphic to show you. We have blurred out her wound in our video report.

Sulphur Springs Animal Control Officer Annie DeWolfe responded to the call Tuesday of a dog roaming the street with a neck wound.

If you have any information surrounding Faith’s attack, you are asked to call Sulphur Springs police at (903)885-7602.

Read more: http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/2015/01/16/faith-dog-sulpher-springs-abuse-throat-slit/21887619/


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Heroic Dog Alerts Mission Hill Family To Fire

January 15, 2015, 5:55 PM by Perry Groten

MISSION HILL, SD – A South Dakota family of seven lost everything in a house fire. But the outcome could have turned tragic if not for the quick actions of the family pet.

The McGruder family: Mom, dad and their five young daughters all made it safely out of their burning home early Wednesday morning in Mission Hill. Sadly, their two-year-old lab Izzy didn’t survive. But the McGruders consider Izzy a hero for alerting them about the fire.

All seven members of the McGruder family are living out of a motel in Yankton after being uprooting by a raging fire at their home in nearby Mission Hill.

“We’re just kind of playing it day by day,” Sadie McGruder said.

The McGruders lost all their possessions in the fire. They say their smoke alarms weren’t loud enough to wake them, so their dog Izzy frantically rousted them from bed.

“She jumped on my side of the bed and was just kind of spazzing-out, bouncing on and off my bed just with her two front paws and that’s how I got woke up,” McGruder said.

Sadie McGruder then woke her husband, Adam, and the two of them rushed through the house to rescue their children.

“I started screaming at the girls: get out of the house! Run to my car! Get! And they ran,” Sadie McGruder said.

“By the time we got out, the house just went up. It was just a matter of minutes,” Adam McGruder said.

Read more: http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/heroic-dog-alerts-mission-hill-family-to-fire/?id=174635


potentially-dangerous-dog-300x300Letter: Keep dogs leashed

Robin Switzer, Friends of Emma McCarthy Lee Park and Munn Woods president

I was walking with my dog on leash a few days ago in Munn Woods when a pit bull (no leash and no owners nearby) suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked my dog repeatedly and savagely, causing a wound that required treatment. When the owners appeared, they had a hard time pulling their dog away, so the attack continued while my dog got tangled with his leash around a tree and couldn’t defend himself or get away.

I know it must be tempting to take your dog unleashed to run free around the woods, but it is against the law and it endangers other dogs, people and wildlife. You need to have your dog on a leash at all times in public areas inside the Ames city limits.

See more at: http://amestrib.com/opinion/letter-keep-dogs-leashed#sthash.YKb4SLdj.dpuf


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‘Hero’ Dog Credited With Saving Family From Santa Ana House Fire

POSTED 9:12 AM, JANUARY 21, 2015, BY

A 2-year-old dog named “Foxy” was called a hero after waking up a Santa Ana family as their home became engulfed in flames early Wednesday, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

The single-story home in the 1200 block of South Garnsey Street (map) was well involved in flames when firefighters responded around 1:40 a.m., according to an OFCA tweet.

Fire crews were able to gain control over the blaze at around 2:15 a.m., but by then the structure was deemed a total loss, according to the Fire Authority.

Seven adults and a child were inside the residence at the time, but all made it out thanks to Foxy, who woke them up and alerted the family to the fire.

“She is the hero,” OFCA tweeted.

Outside the home, as firefighters continued to work before dawn, resident Vera Mendez cradled Foxy, who kissed her cheeks.

“She started barking and barking, and woke up one of my sons, and he actually woke everybody else,” Mendez said. “By the time we got up, the whole house was full of black smoke and you could see the fire. I was really scared.”

Read more: http://ktla.com/2015/01/21/hero-dog-helps-save-family-from-santa-ana-house-fire-oc-fire-authority/


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Largo veterinarian: Kids and dogs need supervision

By Peter Bernard – January 19, 2015

LARGO, FL (WFLA) –

It’s hard to fathom a family dog turning on its owner, or even worse, attacking a young child.

But, it happens. Just last week, “Fudge” attacked a 10-month-old Sarasota boy, biting his face and causing severe injuries.

Largo Veterinarian Dr. Robin Moore is a strong advocate for parental supervision.

”It’s always important, especially for younger children, that they’re not left unattended with the animal, period,” she said.

The five most dangerous dog breeds, based on fatality statistics, are: pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies and wolf-dog hybrids.

Read more: http://www.wfla.com/story/27887470/kids-and-dogs-need-supervision


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Lenoir City leaders consider vicious dog regulations

Published:

LENOIR CITY (WATE) – Lenoir City could soon have a new ordinance on the books aimed at vicious or potentially dangerous animals. It’s still in the draft stage, but WATE 6 On Your Side wanted to find out how big of a problem it really is.

According to Loudon County Dispatch, the Lenoir City Police Department responded to four calls for dog bites last year, but 252 calls related to animals.

The proposed ordinance gives Lenoir City police officers the power to take care of vicious animals that attack or threaten other animals or people without a warrant.

Web Extra: Read the full draft ordinance [PDF]

Some Lenoir City residents think the ordinance is a good idea.

Read more: http://wate.com/2015/01/19/lenoir-city-leaders-consider-vicious-dog-regulations/


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Vet’s Decision To Make Rare Travel Call Saves Stabbed Dog’s Life

CBS DENVER – 

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) – A search is on for a man who stabbed a dog at a Lakewood dog park and then left. The 3-year-old boxer Tyni is recovering now at home thanks to the quick action by a veterinarian.

The crime took place on Friday afternoon at a dog park at Forsberg/Iron Spring Park, located on the 15900 block of West Alameda Parkway, just south of Green Mountain.

Both Tyni’s owner and the vet who ended up saving his life say they don’t know the woman who made the frantic call for help. The call convinced Dr. Tony Henderson he needed to drop everything and go help as quickly as he could.

“My instincts said, ‘I just need to go and see what’s going on,’ ” said Henderson, who practices at Fox Hollow Animal Clinic.

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/01/19/vets-decision-to-make-rare-travel-call-saves-dogs-life/


Officer Craig Curry help Ike get dressed for work. Photo by Scott Bartle

 

K-9 police dogs bring special skillset to MPD

By Ryan Bawek – January 16, 2015 – 6:07 pm

The Maricopa Police Department has two dogs in its K-9 Police Unit, including 3-year-old Ike, the newest member of the team.

Officer Craig Curry has been working with Ike for a year after being matched with the dog after an extensive training process. Curry and Ike worked together behind the scenes before going on duty.

When a department knows it’s getting a K-9 dog, officers apply for the chance to be a handler. Police Chief Steve Stahl makes a decision on which officer, or officers, he feels are best suited to be a handler.

“The chief is usually looking for a really responsible person who is up to date with all of the laws concerning K-9s,” Curry says.

Once the decision is made, an officer will visit a kennel of potential partners and see if there is a connection.

“There are 20 to 30 dogs around in cages, and you just have to spot that instant connection or love-at-first-sight feeling,” Curry says. “Some dogs are barking at you like, “Get away from me,” but the first time I saw Ike, he was in his cage, just staring at me, waiting for what I was going to do next.”

Read more: http://www.inmaricopa.com/Article/2015/01/16/k-9-police-dogs


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Hero Dog Recognized For Stopping Two Burglary Attempts

myfoxphilly.com – January 19, 2015

AUSTIN,TX–She’s a dog on a mission to rescue those in need. On two separate occasions, Asia, a Great Dane, helped stop two burglary attempts and put four suspects behind bars. On Friday, she was recognized for her actions.
In one incident, Asia started barking, alerting her owner that someone was allegedly breaking into their neighbor’s home. Police say Asia also helped foil burglars trying to break into her home while her owners slept. The owners say Asia barked and stood guard outside their bedroom door, until they were able to call 9-1-1 and get help. Police awarded Asia for her heroic efforts with a medal and a bone.

Read more: http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/27880093/hero-dog


Ashley Bartlett is the owner of Angel, an American Bulldog. The City of Newark designates Angel as a vicious animal and Bartlett must abide to strict rules for ownership. (Photo: Michael Lehmkuhle/The Advocate)

 

Editorial: Pit bulls deserve another look

Advocate Editorial Board – 12:07 a.m. EST January 17, 2015

Hours after a pit bull running loose attacked a Newark man and his dog walking down the street, a large crowd gathered at City Council Monday night to push for treating the breed just like any other version of man’s best friend.

They’re frustrated Newark law automatically lists all pit bulls as vicious, even if they have never harmed anyone, and requires owners to buy special insurance and expensive dog tags as well as a microchip and muzzle. Pit bulls also must be restrained by tether, fence or enclosure.

There is one exception under a year-old compromise. Owners can ignore the rules if their pit bull passes a good citizenship test once per year by proving they can tolerate strangers and other dogs among other requirements.

In most corners of Ohio, dogs are only declared vicious if they’ve attacked or killed a person or another animal due to a 2012 change in state law.

Regardless where it happened, the dog responsible for Monday’s attack would likely be labeled as vicious and become subject to more stringent regulations imposed by a judge, possibly including dangerous dog signs, a $50 special dog tag, microchip, getting it spayed or neutered, keeping it confined or leashed at all times and adding liability insurance.

 

Read more: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/01/17/editorial-pit-bulls-deserve-another-look/21874015/


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Hero dog channels Lassie and summons humans to rescue fellow canine after it fell through ice into freezing lake

A dog in Illinois is being hailed a hero after coming to the rescue of a canine companion that fell the ice of a lake into the freezing waters below.

The desperate situation occurred in Andalusia as Water and Sewage Treatment were breaking for lunch.

Suddenly a dog came up to the group of men barking, running in circles and trying to get their attention.

That’s when they realized a second dog had fallen into the nearby lake.

‘The dog had been there a long time,’ Matt Stark, a worker at the treatment plant, told ABC News 

You could tell when we first got there it was howling like giving its last goodbyes or it was in pain, because we think it had been in the water about an hour.

‘I told the guys we gotta hurry because the dog wasn’t holding its head up no more.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2914563/Hero-dog-comes-rescue-dog-Buck-fell-ice-drowning-freezing-lake.html

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You Might Be Surprised About Why Dogs Roll Over in Play

by  – January 18, 2015 – 10:00 am

You’ve probably used the expression “showed his belly” at some point in your life to refer to someone who begged mercy or adopted a submissive pose — including your dog. We commonly believe that when dogs roll over during play, it’s because they’re overwhelmed and willing to call it quits, ceding the victory to their partners. In fact, just the opposite appears to be true, as some Canadian researchers just discovered. The rollover is actually a combat tactic, designed to prolong the play session and improve the position of the dog who’s doing the rolling, and if you take a close look at dogs playing at the park, you might see how the rollover really works.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/you-might-be-surprised-about-why-dogs-roll-over-in-play.html#ixzz3PJzHkixn

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“Hero” dog in need of new home

Created: 01/14/2015 5:00 PM WNYT.com – By: Mark Mulholland

MILTON – For a hero, he’s pretty unassuming.

Max, the 8-year-old German Shepherd is a resident for now at the Saratoga County Animal Shelter.

His owner for the last six years is suffering from ill health and had to give him up.

The shelter says the man was in tears when he dropped off Max last week.

And to hear the story, makes it easy to understand why.

Shelter employees say Max saved the man’s life.

“Max had alerted the family that there was a house fire. He got all the family members out and then went back in and saved the family cat,” said Tracy Dussault, a shelter aide.

That was the first incident. Max is a two-time hero.

Read more: http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3676548.shtml

UPDATE:

Hero dog finds new home

Created: 01/16/2015 2:26 PM WNYT.com  – By: Mark Mulholland

The dog described as a hero who was recently given up for adoption in Saratoga County, has a new home.

Wednesday night, NewsChannel 13 reported the story of “Max,” the German shepherd who saved his family’s life from a fire, and on another occasion, got help for his owner who was suffering a stroke. The dog’s owner is ill and can no longer care for Max, so he reluctantly brought him to the Saratoga County shelter last week.

Read more: http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3678933.shtml

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Lori Timczyk with her daughter Jessica, 15, and Rocky, their 4-pound Yorkshire terrier who survived an attack from a hawk.

 

Pet Tales: Dog survives hawk attack

By Linda Wilson Fuoco / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – January 17, 2015

A very large hawk swooped down, dug its talons into a tiny Yorkshire terrier and lifted the dog 15 feet into the air, right in front of its owner, Lori Timczyk, who screamed and screamed. Then it dropped the 4-pound dog on the rear deck of the Timczyk home in Green Tree.

Rocky, 7, almost bled to death but was saved by the quick thinking — and driving — of his family, the navigational help of Siri, the know-it-all voice on an Apple mobile phone, and really good treatment at an emergency veterinary clinic.

Around 9 a.m. Jan. 4, Rocky was in his front yard, taking “his morning constitutional.” Just as Mrs. Timczyk opened the front door to call Rocky inside, the hawk grabbed the dog and carried him away.

Albert Timczyk, a corporate pilot who had been packing for an out-of-town trip, came running when he heard his wife screaming. The couple think their screams made the hawk drop their dog.

“There was blood everywhere. It was horrendous,” Mrs. Timczyk said.

Rocky wasn’t crying or making any noise. He was conscious but “seemed to be in shock.”

“If I hadn’t opened the door exactly when I did,” Rocky would have been gone, Mrs. Timczyk said.

The hawk’s talons had punctured an artery. Mr. Timczyk applied pressure, trying to stop the bleeding. His wife ran for a first-aid kit and her iPhone, and they screamed to wake up Jessica, their 15-year-old daughter.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2015/01/15/Bulter-cats-put-on-a-show-for-nursing-home-residents/stories/201501150051

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Sgt. Melissa Parrish Sgt. Earl Thomas, a military working dog handler, with 525th Military Police Detachment out of Wiesbaden, Germany, and Pfc. Cindy Ortiz, with the 100th Military Working Dog Detachment stationed out of Miesau, Germany, perform bite training with Staff Sgt. Lex, an explosive detection working dog, Jan 15 at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. They are currently assigned to Multinational Battle Group-East as part of Kosovo Force 19.

Sgt. Melissa Parrish
Sgt. Earl Thomas, a military working dog handler, with 525th Military Police Detachment out of Wiesbaden, Germany, and Pfc. Cindy Ortiz, with the 100th Military Working Dog Detachment stationed out of Miesau, Germany, perform bite training with Staff Sgt. Lex, an explosive detection working dog, Jan 15 at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. They are currently assigned to Multinational Battle Group-East as part of Kosovo Force 19.

News: Bite training at Bondsteel

Story by Sgt. Melissa Parrish – January 15, 2015

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Wide eyes peered over the kennel fence and a tail wagged back and forth in excitement as Hundi geared up for his daily bite training.

The two military working dog handlers each arrived with their assigned canine and began training their dogs daily in bite training at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.

Bite training is a simulated controlled attack with the canines and their handlers. One of the handlers acts as the decoy and places a wrap on their arm. They then simulate a situation in which the handler or the canine would be in harms way.

“The bite training is done daily so that they stay proficient,” said Sgt. Earl Thomas, a military working dog handler with 525th Military Police Detachment out of Wiesbaden, Germany. “I take care of him and keep him trained and he keeps me safe.”

His partner is Staff Sgt. Lex, a 4-year-old German shepherd, whose rambunctious personality fits with Thomas’s style.

Even though they train daily, there is also time for treats and playing fetch.

“It’s so important for handlers to bond with their dogs,” said Thomas. “The bonding began day one with Lex. I’ve been with him for a little over a year and we are a good match.”

Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/152052/bite-training-bondsteel#.VLgRgCvF-KU#ixzz3Ov44jCSt

 

 

 

 

 

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Homeowner Herb Hingley’s dog Babe jumps up on him beside his home that was destroyed by fire on the Rowe Pond Road in Pleasant Ridge on Wednesday. Hingley credited his dog with jumping on him and alerting him to the early morning fire. Staff photo by David Leaming

Homeowner Herb Hingley’s dog Babe jumps up on him beside his home that was destroyed by fire on the Rowe Pond Road in Pleasant Ridge on Wednesday. Hingley credited his dog with jumping on him and alerting him to the early morning fire. Staff photo by David Leaming

Pleasant Ridge man, awakened by dog, escapes flames

BY RACHEL OHM STAFF WRITER – January 14, 2015

PLEASANT RIDGE PLANTATION — Herbert Hingley, a retired builder, was asleep at his home Wednesday night when he heard his dog Babe barking.

Babe, a Brittany Spaniel who is less than a year old, jumped on her owner and started pawing at his face to get him out of bed. When he finally woke up, 73-year-old Hingley realized his house was on fire and was filling with smoke.

“She’s a young dog, but she’s smart,” Hingley said. “She came in whacking me with her paws like she does when she wants to go out. She knew there was something wrong so she came over to get me.”

The fire at 205 Rowe Pond Road, which Hingley reported from a neighbor’s house at around 2:30 a.m., destroyed the house that he remodeled himself about 10 years ago, and many of the belongings in it. But Hingley and Babe, as well as nine other hunting dogs that Hingley keeps in a kennel outside, were unharmed.

Read more: https://www.centralmaine.com/2015/01/14/pleasant-ridge-man-awakened-by-dog-escapes-flames/

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Humane Society Police Officer Kelsey Beam holds a male Chihuahua named Christopher Robin. COURTESY PHOTO

SPCA saves Chihuahua left outside in freezing weather

WEST CHESTER >> A nearly-frozen Chihuahua was rescued Saturday in Valley Township by the Animal Protective Service Department of the Chester County SPCA, officials said.

According to a spokeswoman for the CCSPCA, when Humane Society Police Officer Kelsey Beam arrived at the unidentified property, she found one shivering dog left outside on the property, and another who appeared to be deceased. A third dog, an eight-week-old puppy, was living inside the home.

The two Chihuahua mixes, one female and one male, were in a urine-soaked wire cage with frozen water, no food and exposed to temperatures topping at barely 20 degrees. The male Chihuahua, named Christopher Robin by CCSPCA staff and estimated to be approximately three-years old, was motionless and emaciated.

“Officer Beam was surprised that this poor dog still had a pulse,” said Frank Galbraith, Animal Protective Services Manager of the Chester County SPCA. “He appeared to be frozen to death.”

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20150114/spca-saves-chihuahua-left-outside-in-freezing-weather

 

 

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Hero Dog Navigates Seattle’s Complex Bus Routes: Watch Now

by  – January 13, 2015

Think dogs don’t know how to navigate complex city bus routes? Of course you do. You would have no reason to believe otherwise.

Nonetheless, there is at least one pup who can. Meet Eclipse, a black Labrador Retriever-Mastiff mix from Seattle who regularly rides the city’s buses because she thinks she’s peeeeeeopleeeeeee.

Read more: http://www.mtv.com/news/2048885/dog-rides-bus-video/

 

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Head of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit Lieutenant Mike Kelley helps Officer Crystal Peverill put on the office’s new bite suit prior to a recent training. (Photo/submitted)

 

Middlesex Sheriff’s Office uses grant for K-9 training equipment

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Region – Utilizing a $1,760 grant awarded by Vest-A-Dog, the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) was recently able to acquire a Hard Dogs bite suit, which will be utilized for training purposes. The MSO’s four K-9 teams conduct routine training both internally and with units from partner law enforcement agencies. Bite suits allow the K-9s to practice detaining subjects who disobey or disregard orders from their handlers. These drills are important aspects of training for both the K-9s and the handlers.

“These suits are a great example of the vital equipment that is needed for both the K-9s and their handlers,” said Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog President Kathy Hinds. “With this grant cycle, we have now provided more than $100,000 in grants to local and state police, as well as sheriff’s offices.”

Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian thanked Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog for its continued support of the MSO K-9 Unit.

 

Read more: http://communityadvocate.com/2015/01/11/middlesex-sheriffs-office-uses-grant-for-k-9-training-equipment/

 

 

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Collie taken from Portland Starbucks: ‘Why would they take a dog?’

PORTLAND, Ore. — Someone walked off with a woman’s dog in the Pearl District on Saturday as the owner went inside a coffee shop to get some water for the pooch.

Mercedes Ricks tied her dog, Jack, to a tree before going into the Starbucks store on Saturday. She never lost sight Jack, and said she noticed a man walk up and start petting her dog.

“And he’s like petting Jack, and starts touching his leash and I was like ‘what the heck?’ and so then I tripped, and then luckily another gentlemen sitting down kind of figured out what was going on and he ran out here before me but then Jack’s really friendly so he was ‘like oh okay let’s go’,” Ricks said.

The well-trained Border Collie is scheduled to compete in his first sport competition next weekend.

Read more: http://www.katu.com/news/local/Pooch-taken-from-Portland-Starbucks-Why-would-they-take-a-dog-288260101.html

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New Ordinance Requires Vicious Dogs to be Confined in Mississippi City

Claims Journal – January 12, 2015

A new ordinance in the city of Leland requires vicious dogs to be confined.

The Delta Democrat-Times reports the ordinance, approved by aldermen on Tuesday, takes effect Feb. 7.

City attorney Josh Bogen says the ordinance is similar to what Washington County and other municipalities have done.

It requires aggressive breeds, such as pit bulls, be securely confined. Owner must pay a $25 annual registration fee.

“It also requires that the owners carry liability insurance, specifically to cover an attack by a vicious dog, in the amount of $50,000,” Bogen said. “Violators will be subjected to a fine of not less than $250 and no more than $500 for each offense.”

Read more: http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/southeast/2015/01/12/260033.htm

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Pit Bull Saves Little Girl From Vicious Attack By Neighboring Dog (Video)

By Dominic Kelly, Mon, January 19, 2015

A Florida family’s pit bull saved a 5-year-old girl who was being attacked by a neighbor’s pet Labrador.

According to reports, Remayah Hernandez, 5, tried to pet her neighbor’s Labrador while riding her bike when it suddenly went on the attack in the Lake Worth, Florida neighborhood.

“He bit me in the face, and I went to the hospital because I got bitten by the lips,” Hernandez said.

Nehemias Gaspar, the owner of the Labrador, said he has no idea why his beloved dog attacked the little girl.

“He was just a great dog, he was a very nice dog,” Gaspar said.

Read more: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/pit-bull-saves-little-girl-vicious-attack-neighboring-dog-video

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A firefighter and dog owner try to save a trapped dog from a sinkhole. (Photo contributed)

 

Seminole Fire Department saves trapped dog in sinkhole

by Special to the Herald – January 12 2015
One lucky pup is back to his regular tail-wagging this week after the Seminole County Fire Department saved him from a sinkhole.
On Dec. 29 the Seminole County EMS/Fire/Rescue’s (SCFD) Station 42 in Geneva was dispatched to a hazardous condition in the 1400 block of Chippewa Lane.The 911 caller advised their dog was stuck in what appeared to be a sinkhole.
Upon arrival of SCFD’s Engine 42 the crew found a large dog partially buried in what appeared to them also as a small sinkhole.
Read more: Sanford Herald – Seminole Fire Department saves trapped dog in sinkhole

 

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Walton County Sherrif’s Office Still Investigating Animal Neglect Case

Updated: Fri 9:17 PM, Jan 09, 2015 – By: Kelly Baumgarten

WALTON COUNTY– On New Year’s Day, 40 dogs in Walton County were rescued from unsanitary conditions and are now living at the Walton County Animal Shelter. Walton County Sheriff’s Officials met with the state attorney’s office Friday to discuss possible charges against the owner.

On New Year’s Day, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a dog attack. They found a man seriously injured, but they also found nearly 40 dogs living in filth.

“There’s malnutrition. The area they were living in there had feces everywhere, it was just a very bad environment for them to be living in,” said Lieutenant Adam Falk, with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

The dogs are now living at the Walton County Animal Shelter. One adult dog died at the home, and in the past week, three puppies have passed away at the shelter.

“We have had some of the dogs pass away at this time we don’t know what the cause is for that. But we are going have a vet look at them,” said Lieutenant Falk.

Read more: http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/Walton-County-Sherrifs-Office-Still-Investigating-Animal-Neglect-Case-288100681.html

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Stella, a mixed breed dog missing since Friday when a Fords house caught on fire. She was last seen wearing a pink coat purchased the day before the fire. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Megan Holden)

 

Woodbridge fire victims search for hero dog

Suzanne Russell, @SRussellMyCJ7:14 p.m. EST January 13, 2015

Stella, a mixed breed dog, woke up her owner Ann Marie Kelt and Kelt’s friend Rocky Granata, early last Friday as smoke began to fill the Fords home where they lived.

Now the hero dog is missing, and while her remains have not been found in the rubble of the two-story building housing three apartments at 821 King Georges Road, Kelt’s family and Granata remain hopeful the dog will be found alive.

Megan Holden of Sayreville said if not for Stella, her mother, Ann Marie Kelt, might not be alive.

“The dog barked and woke her up,” said Holden, whose mother, 51, is now staying with her.

“Now it’s time for use to save her (Stella),” Holden said. “It’s all I can focus on.”

She said her mother is “heartbroken” over the missing dog.

“She thinks she lost her best friend,” said Holden, adding her mother and the dog are cancer rehabilitation buddies because both have fought the disease. The dog also suffers from a heart condition.

Holden said a neighbor believes she saw the dog take off running as firefighters arrived. She added firefighters did a sweep of the house four times after the fire but did not locate the dog’s remains.

Read more: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2015/01/12/stella-hero-dog-fords-fire/21659737/

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Bruno was the hero, says K9 officer

Durban – A policewoman whose dog was killed while chasing a housebreaking suspect in Pietermaritzburg at the weekend said the 6-year-old German shepherd had been her life-saver.

Bruno – who partnered Constable Bianca Cantello of the Pietermaritzburg K9 unit – is the fourth police dog to be killed in KwaZulu-Natal in the past three months.

Last year Cantello was named her unit’s best woman handler, but she said on Sunday that it was Bruno who deserved the credit for tracking and capture of suspects in the arrests they had made together. She said her role had only been to slap on the handcuffs.

“He loved to work. I’m traumatised by his death. You can’t begin to imagine how I feel. The dogs are there to save our lives, and he saved my life more than once,” Cantello said on Sunday.

There has been an outpouring of sympathy on Facebook and Twitter, hailing Bruno as a hero.

Cantello said she had found solace in this, and in the support of K9 trainer Captain Marlin Smith,

Read more: http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/bruno-was-the-hero-says-k9-officer-1.1803763#.VLQ9MivF-KU

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Heroic dog saves 14-year-old boy trapped in lift

PUBLISHED: JANUARY 9, 2015 AT 10:30 AM  •  ANDALUCIA, LEAD, MALAGA – EXCLUSIVE by Rob Horgan

A HELPLESS 14-year-old boy trapped in a lift over Christmas was heroically saved by an expat’s dog in Nueva Andalucia.

Norwegian expat Rowley Burger’s feisty Yorkshire terrier came to the rescue when Lucas Schmitz became trapped between floors in an apartment block lift shaft.

With no way of contacting the outside world, the intrepid animal – coincidentally named Luca – rushed to the lift doors ‘barking like crazy’.

“We were having breakfast and all of a sudden the dog went absolutely ballistic,” said Burger, 61.

 

Read more: http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2015/01/09/heroic-dog-saves-14-year-old-boy-trapped-in-lift/

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Native American Reservations Are Seeing More Stray Dogs and More Problems

by  – January 9, 20156:00 am

Stray dogs are becoming an increasing problem on some American Indian reservations, and easy fixes that are currently being used to control the problem, like extermination and banning specific breeds, aren’t working. Life on reservations is complex for both stray dogs and their human cohabitants, and they both need more suitable solutions.

Sue Buchholz, the director of the Central Dakota Humane Society in Mandan, stressed the issues involving stray dogs in the Fort Berthold Reservation and the Standing Rock Reservation to the Grand Forks Herald. While the Humane Society does get involved in some cases, animal control is managed by the tribal game and fish officers.

One recent heartbreaking story out of the Pine Ridge Reservation from late 2014 was a true tragedy for humans and stray dogs alike. According to DogsBite.org, 8-year-old Jayla Rodriguez was happily sledding near a housing complex when a group of dogs attacked and killed her. Inspired by the little girl’s love of dogs, Jayla’s family wants to organize a nonprofit to help the reservation’s strays.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/native-american-reservations-are-seeing-more-stray-dogs-and-more-problems.html#ixzz3OLim1Z1R

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Stephanie Strasburg | Trib Total MediaRoss Township Police Patrolman Pete Chuberko walks with K-9 Officer Cezar as he climbs ramps, crosses bridges, and jumps over obstacles as part of an agility course in Ross on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. The agility course was built as an Eagle Scout project at an abandoned NIKE missile site.

‘Willkommen! Welkom!’ Ross introduces new police dogs

 By Bill Zlatos – Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, 9:00 p.m.

The newest officers in the Ross Township Police Department take their orders in German and Dutch and weigh about 75 pounds each.

German shepherds Cezar and Neeko arrived in September. Their handlers trained them for eight weeks, and the township welcomed them as officers at the Dec. 1 meeting of the Ross commissioners.

“Right now, we only have two (police dogs) at a time,” said Detective Brian Kohlhepp, spokesman for the department. “These are our fifth and sixth dogs. It goes back to the ’90s.”

Officer Don Sypolt, 39, of Ross is the handler for Neeko, and officer Pete Chuberko, 39, of Ross handles Cezar. Sypolt gives Neeko commands such as “Auff” in Dutch so that his dog lies down, and Chuberko says “Platz,” the German word for “down,” to Cezar.

Foreign commands prevent American suspects from telling the dog what to do, and it avoids confusion because English commands might sound like other words.

Jim Watson, secretary of the North American Police Work Dog Association, estimates there are 25,000 to 50,000 such dogs in the country, including those in police departments, the military and federal agencies.

Read more: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yournorthhills/yournorthhillsmore/7470994-74/police-dog-dogs#ixzz3OFq6bfDj

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Veterinary Services out of rabies vaccines

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The Veterinary Service of Ghana has warned of more rabies related deaths, as it records acute shortage of dog vaccines.

A total of 890 dog bite cases were recorded by the Veterinary Services in the last quarter of 2014.

120 of the total cases were as a result of stray dogs. There are fears the number of cases could increase this year as the number of stray dogs continue to increase on the streets of Accra and other parts of the country.

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has also recorded an increase in rabies related deaths.

Director of Public Health at the Veterinary Service, Dr. Boi Bashiru Kikimoto toldMorning Starr host Kafui Dey, Tuesday, that city authorities must collaborate with them to arrest stray dogs to avoid the spread of rabies.

Read more: http://www.spyghana.com/veterinary-services-out-of-rabies-vaccines/

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Dog euthanized after rabid skunk attack

 

The skunk that prompted Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement (GCAWE) to issue a rabies alert is blamed in the death of a Dacula resident’s dog.

According to GCAWE Manager Chip Moore, the 15-year-old dog and its owner were walking in the area of Armende Circle on Dec. 27 when a skunk attempted to attack the owner. The dog subsequently began fighting with the skunk.

After the fight, the skunk ran toward a neighboring house and died in the driveway. Testing later showed the skunk was rabid. Moore did not know if the skunk died from the rabies virus or from injuries sustained in the fight with the dog.

Read more: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/jan/09/dog-euthanized-after-rabid-skunk-attack/

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Laura Carroll recently returned to UNC with the help of her five-month old service dog, Jayden. Photo by Katie Williams

Service dogs provide unique support for survivors

Not all disabilities are visible.

Survivors of sexual assault are finding that psychiatric service dogs can help them manage the post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and dissociation many experience.

“You never know what sort of situation someone is in,” said Laura Carroll, a survivor of sexual assault. “You have to be aware that there is no way to look disabled.”

Carroll, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression after she was sexually assaulted at UNC, took time off from school to seek treatment. She returned to UNC this semester with the help of her five-month-old service dog, Jayden.

During her time off, Carroll’s parents helped her manage her symptoms, and she worked with a therapist to become more independent. As she prepared to return to school, she worried about being on her own. Her therapist prescribed a psychiatric service dog.

Carroll said service dogs can provide many support options if trained properly. For those suffering from panic attacks, service dogs can sit on their owner’s chest to calm their breathing. The dog can detect a panic attack before a seizure occurs. The dogs can also be trained to fetch medication or call for help on special phones if their owner is unable to.

“With my depression, it can be hard to regulate my sleep cycle,” Carroll said. “I can ignore alarms, but it’s a bit harder to ignore a dog licking your face. You can’t really hit the snooze button on a dog.”

Carroll’s PTSD causes her to become anxious around crowds. She has trained Jayden to stand behind her to guard her personal space and nudge her if someone comes too close.

Andrea Pino, who graduated from UNC in May, adopted a white German Shepherd puppy named Korra to help her cope with the effects of her sexual assault.

Pino said Korra was supposed to motivate her to leave the house, but rude comments from people made her wonder if it’s worth the trouble.

Read more: http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2015/01/service-dogs-provide-unique-support-for-survivors

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Sheriff: Dog defends St. Albans woman in domestic attack

The dog was hurt when hit with a sword after trying to defend a woman whose husband has been charged with assault, police said.
BY RACHEL OHM STAFF WRITER – [email protected] | @rachel_ohm | 207-612-2368 – January 5, 2015

A St. Albans man remained in jail Monday after allegedly assaulting his wife and then attacking the family dog with a sword when the animal tried to protect the woman, according to police.

Bruce E. Bennett, 33, is charged with domestic violence assault and aggravated cruelty to animals, according to a press release from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department. Both charges are felonies.

After Bennett allegedly hit his wife, the family dog, a bulldog named Malakai, tried to defend her, according to the release. The woman left the residence, and Bennett then allegedly attacked the dog with a 2.5-foot long sword. Deputy Wilfred Dodge of the sheriff’s department responded to the scene after the woman’s brother, who lives nearby, activated an alarm at his house.

Read more: https://www.centralmaine.com/2015/01/05/sheriff-dog-defends-st-albans-woman-in-domestic-attack/

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Cpl. Carson Gramley Marine Corps working dogs Max and Akim, from Law Enforcement Detachment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, Command Element, attempt to apprehend a simulated target in the Central Command area of operations, Dec. 28, 2014. The dogs and trainers conducted controlled aggression training, which is designed to teach them to apprehend and restrain a target rather than kill or seriously injure.

Off the Leash: LE Detachment Conducts Controlled Aggression Training

Story by Cpl. Carson Gramley – January 4, 2014

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND — Marines and working dogs with Law Enforcement Detachment, Command Element, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, conducted controlled aggression training in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, Dec. 28, 2014.

The training is intended to teach the working dogs to maintain a certain level of restraint and precision when they have to attack a target. The dogs are trained to attack only under necessary circumstances and with a level of force appropriate to the situation.

“Controlled aggression is being able to use that dog’s natural ability to bite, [and training] them to use that to apprehend somebody,” said Cpl. Jacob Buck, a military working dog handler with LED, CE, SPMAGTF-CR-CC.

Buck explained how a dog’s bite can save lives. For instance when on a patrol entering a compound and a suspect starts to run, dog handlers can send the dog to apprehend them, sparing Marines loaded down with gear from chasing them, said Buck.

However, bite training and tactics aren’t the only skills these dogs have to offer.

Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/151329/off-leash-le-detachment-conducts-controlled-aggression-training#.VKmajyvF-KU#ixzz3NsuYQWv0

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Josie Conlon has her dog Ted to thank for first discovering a cancerous tumor in her breast before it was too late.

British woman’s dog sniffs out cancerous tumor in her breast

Josie Conlon’s 2-year-old collie Ted started crying and pawing at her owner’s chest, which led to Conlon discovering a lump. Conlon was later diagnosed with cancer, and had the tumor removed in December.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Sunday, January 4, 2015, 12:04 PM

A British rescue dog has been hailed a hero after he sniffed out an aggressive cancerous tumor in his owner’s breast.

Josie Conlon was surprised when her usually reserved and aloof 2-year-old collie Ted suddenly started to cry, paw and nuzzle at her chest, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Suspecting something may be wrong, she placed her hand on her breast and was shocked to notice a bump.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/british-woman-dog-sniffs-cancerous-tumor-breast-article-1.2065378

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Hero dog saves life of owner suffering stroke by barking at passing motorists

Arthur McGarvey, 74, collapsed while walking labrador-collie cross Darky in fields near his home

A dog saved the life of his stroke-victim owner by barking at passing motorists.

Arthur McGarvey, 74, collapsed while walking labrador-collie cross Darky in fields near his home.

The dog immediately started barking and running around, prompting drivers to stop and investigate.

They found ex-policeman Arthur in the field and kept him warm and calm until paramedics arrived.

Cleaner Kelly Weeks said: “We were on our way to our next job when we saw the dog going mad.

“We pulled over and saw a man lying motionless in the field.

“After climbing through a hedge we were able to get to him and call an ambulance.

“He was very poorly, only slightly moving and unable to talk. We put our coats over him and waited for paramedics to arrive.”

Doctors say Darky’s quick response in the minutes after the stroke boosted Arthur’s chances of a full recovery. Just a week after the incident in Torbay, Devon, he has already regained his mobility.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hero-dog-saves-life-owner-4904478

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6355467_GWinchester, VA K-9 named law enforcement dog of the year

Posted: Jan 04, 2015 7:40 AM CST – MyfoxDC.com

6355468_GWINCHESTER, Va. –
Winchester, VA Police K-9 Officer Kota has been named the 2014 Law Enforcement dog winner for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards. “I felt very touched by the loyalty of all his fans,” says Corporal Brittney Neer.

On Friday, January 3, 2014, Kota was injured when he was assisting officers with a breaking and entering. Two suspects were hiding in a crawl space and as Kota was apprehending one of them, he fell through the ceiling nearly 8 feet, to the first floor of the house. The fall caused Kota to break his leg. Even after his injury, Kota showed his dedication to his handler Corporal Brittney Neer, by returning to her side on the second floor of the house. Kota underwent an extensive surgery to treat his broken leg and he continued months of rehab.

Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/27755550/winchester-va-k-9-named-law-enforcement-dog-of-the-year

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Some of the stray dogs that can be seen roaming around New Town, N.D., appear to have suffered untreated injuries Special to The Forum Special to The Forum

Fargo man says stray dogs plentiful as squirrels on some reservations

By Dave Olson – Forum News Service – POSTED:   01/02/2015 12:01:00 AM CST

NEW TOWN, N.D. — The headlines in November were disquieting.

In two separate incidents on different Indian reservations, one adult and one child died from wounds suffered in attacks by stray dogs.

On the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the victim was an 8-year-old girl who was out sledding near her home when she was attacked.

On the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, a 40-year-old woman died from a combination of hypothermia and loss of blood from wounds caused by dog bites.

While there have been no recent reports of fatal dog attacks on North Dakota reservations, both the Fort Berthold Reservation in north-central North Dakota and the Standing Rock Reservation south of Bismarck have large populations of stray dogs.

That’s according to Sue Buchholz, director of the Central Dakota Humane Society in Mandan, which has accepted stray animals from both reservations, where animal control is handled by tribal game and fish officers.

Buchholz said it’s not uncommon for her agency to get animals from the Standing Rock Reservation, but until about three weeks ago it had not received animals from the Fort Berthold Reservation.

In the latter case, Buchholz said a game and fish officer from New Town called and said: “We have so many (strays), if you can help with one that’s fine. If you want to take 20 or 30, you could do that, too. We know of many, many more.”

The Humane Society ended up taking three dogs from the New Town area, one of which promptly gave birth to nine puppies.

Buchholz said animals the Humane Society gets from reservations are usually well-socialized and friendly. But many, she said, come with health issues such as fleas, mange and intestinal parasites.

‘LIKE SQUIRRELS’

Read more: http://www.twincities.com/nation/ci_27244779/fargo-man-says-stray-dogs-plentiful-squirrels-some

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10900246_10152984575838588_3607892519249206294_oSarah Palin Draws First 2015 Outrage by Posting Photos of Son Stepping on Dog

It did not take long for Sarah Palin to find herself embroiled in controversy this year. To celebrate New Year’s Day, the reality TV star and former Alaska governor posted this series of photos of her son Trig, who decided to use the family dog as a step stool so he could do the dishes (almost) all by himself:

“Happy New Year!

May 2015 see every stumbling block turned into a stepping stone on the path forward. Trig just reminded me. He, determined to help wash dishes with an oblivious mama not acknowledging his signs for “up!”, found me and a lazy dog blocking his way. He made his stepping stone.

– Sarah Palin”

Read Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin/photos/pcb.10152984579878588/10152984575838588/?type=1

Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/online/sarah-palin-draws-first-2015-outrage-by-posting-photos-of-son-stepping-on-dog/

 

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Cured: Father-of-seven Bill Hogencamp, 84, was told he wouldn’t see out the year after being diagnosed with cancer of the gall bladder, liver, colon and lining of his abdomen, but he believes a dog his wife picked up off the street, who they called Mahjong, saved him. The two are pictured here together

My little miracle: Dying man, 84, credits stray dog ‘Mahjong’ with curing him of cancer at Christmas after doctors said he would never make it

Call it a Christmas miracle, or a stroke of absolute luck, but a dying Alabama man believes a stray dog he picked up on the street has helped him fight off incurable cancer and live to see Christmas.

Doctors told 84-year-old Bill Hogencamp, of Phenix, that wouldn’t see December 25 this year after being diagnosed with cancer of the gall bladder, liver, colon and the lining of his abdomen in May.

And he accepted his fate.

‘I have seven children and I’ve traveled all around the world,’ Hogencamp told ABC News.

‘I thought, if this is it, then this is it.’

But Hogencamp and his wife, Kathy, made the decision to still try and fight.

In October he had surgery to remove three large tumors.

After the surgery, Kathy went to pick up her husband from a rehabilitation center, she noticed a dog dangerously wandering down the road.

Kathy, and some other cars, slowed down so as to not hit the pup.

But after walking past several cars, he came up to hers and put his paws up on her door.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2887353/My-little-miracle-Dying-man-84-credits-stray-dog-Mahjong-curing-cancer-Christmas-doctors-said-never-make-it.html#ixzz3N9YPbK1y
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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Volunteer with Halfway Home walking one of the dogs from the pound to the transport truck Credit Theresa Bettmann / KSMU

On the Streets and At the Pound With a Springfield Animal Control Officer

Theresa Bettmann KSMU – December 26, 2014

Officer Rob Rem with Springfield Animal Control is loading up to begin his rounds for the day.  He breaks the mold of the old fashioned “dog catcher” stereotype with his warm smile and outgoing personality.  But Rem says it is difficult to shake the negative perception the public often still holds.

“We don’t just drive around catching dogs—we’re trying to make a difference.”

On this morning’s ride, Rem is called to follow up on a reported dog bite, pick up a feral cat, and follow up on a previous report.

“Our role has a lot to do with keeping population down, keeping disease down, and keeping people and animals safe.  Because of our laws against ‘running at large,’ our requirements to have basic veterinary care for the dog, I think it helps with population control and safety,” says Rem.

Rem says he has learned to become a good judge of character over the years.

“You learn to read the dogs—and people too.  I mean you have to watch the people.  I am more worried about the people that are going to go off on me and lose their temper.  I’ve had several people who I’ve had to call the PD on because they were threatening or going to attack me,” says Rem.

Read more: http://ksmu.org/post/streets-and-pound-springfield-animal-control-officer

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Micky, a patrol/explosives detection dog with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, takes a break from his daily exercises on the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima, Dec. 19, 2014. The 24th MEU deployed last week as a flexible, sea-based force tasked with providing crisis response across the range of military operations, from armed conflict to humanitarian assistance.(Photo: Lance Cpl. Dani Zunun, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit)

Working dogs are Marines’ new ‘force multiplier’ on ships

By Hope Hodge Seck, Staff Writer – 4:52 p.m. EST December 30, 2014

Officials with Headquarters Marine Corps said they believed the deployment, which extended from February to October, was the second time that military working dogs had embarked on a MEU, but the first time they had stayed aboard ship for the duration, rather than transferring to kennels in Bahrain or Djibouti mid-way through the float.

The decision to embark with dogs came as MEUs begin to deploy with six-man special operations forces liaison elements — or SOFLEs — designed to improve communication and cooperation with theater special operations commands. The 22nd MEU did not have a SOFLE, but Dunn said the unit had decided to improvise a version of its own, including officers from the MEU and two Navy and Army special operations forces personnel.

Read more: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2014/12/30/meu-deploy-marine-working-dogs/21048753/

 

 

 

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Passerby saves injured dog on I-70

Dec 26, 2014 10:33 AM CST – By Kaylyn Gimber, Producer

LIBERTY, MO (KCTV) –

A dog is getting a second chance at life after it was hit by a car on Interstate 70, right before Christmas, all thanks to a passerby and the generosity of complete strangers.

Brianna Schooley and her mom, Jeanne Sole, were driving near the Adams Dairy exit Tuesday night as drivers were rushing to finish last minute Christmas shopping.

“We see a St. Bernard running down the highway and I’m like, ‘Mom, we got to turn around right now, the dog is going to get hit,’” Schooley said.

By the time her mom could turn the car around, the dog had already been hit and was lying on the side of the road.

“I didn’t care if she was going to be dead or not, I wanted to go get her off the road,” Schooley said.

They called animal control officers, who took her to Grain Valley Animal Hospital. There, X-rays showed she would need expensive surgery to heal her broken bones.
Read more: http://www.kctv5.com/story/27708340/passerby-saves-injured-dog-on-i-70#ixzz3N2mseMY4

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Ollie, one of two dachshunds that attacked the alleged masturbating intruder in Bensalem on Sunday night, disappeared after the hero dog fell out a second-floor window with the suspect, according to one of the canine’s owners. (PROVIDED)

Victim: Our ‘hero’ dog disappeared after fighting off masturbating intruder in Bensalem

TUESDAY UPDATE: Ollie, the dachshund that ran off after attacking an alleged burglary suspect in Bensalem, was spotted near his owner’s apartment this morning, but ran off again before he could be caught.

“He’s obviously trying to come home,” said Evan Greathouse, the canine’s owner. “He knows home.”

He said a neighbor saw the dog but Ollie bolted when a teenager tried to retrieve him. Greathouse said he’s continuing to look for Ollie, but was heartened to know the animal survived and is apparently not seriously hurt.

“We were just really worried that he got cut severely by the fall,” he said. “We’re just thankful that we know he’s okay.”

ORIGINAL STORY:

One of two dachshunds that attacked the alleged masturbating intruder in Bensalem on Sunday night disappeared after the hero dog fell out a second-floor window with the suspect, according to one of the canine’s owners.

Resident Evan Greathouse said his dogs Ollie and Heinz, two 17-pound long-haired dachshunds, did exactly what they’ve been trained to do when they saw an intruder on the balcony of Greathouse’s home in the Franklin Common Apartments on Bobolink Drive shortly after 8 p.m.

Read more at: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20141230_Homeowner_shoots_masturbating_burglary_suspect.html#jlhRyfAqxxuboTxD.99

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UPDATE:

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Hero Dog’ Ollie, Who Took On A Burglar, Happily Reunited With Family After Disappearing For Two Weeks

A dachshund had fought off a burglar and disappeared after the courageous act. However, after two weeks of frantic search and prayers, he has been reunited with his family. The search for the “hero dog” named Ollie was aided by some fancy technology provided by local animal rescue groups.

Ollie, the brave dachshund, had fearlessly tackled a burglar inside his owners’ Bensalem home on Dec. 28. However, right after the spirited attack, Ollie had disappeared. The dog who had evaded search and rescue attempts was finally reunited with his family on Sunday, confirmed owner Evan Greathouse.

Read more at: http://www.inquisitr.com/1750696/hero-dog-ollie-who-took-on-a-burglar-happily-reunited-with-family-after-disappearing-for-two-weeks/

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Prepare Your Dog for Holiday Visitors

Published on Monday, 08 December 2014 – Written by MIchael Konstantaras

The holidays are a busy time for many households. Friends and family come and go, deliveries are made to the door, delicious smells emanate from the kitchen, and a general happy hubbub means that something special is happening. Among those affected by these changes is the family dog.

While one dog may revel in the change of pace, another may find it a confusing, stressful time. Your normally placid dog may suddenly begin to exhibit unusual behaviors, such as stealing food, jumping up on people, or growling or snapping at visitors. As pack leader, you need to communicate and demonstrate to your dog that while his world may be different, you will continue to keep him safe and secure.
When an insecure dog-no matter his size or breed-encounters a new situation, he doesn’t know what to do. If he feels threatened, he may react defensively with a snap or bite.
On the other hand, a well-socialized dog is comfortable meeting and being with others, both dogs and people. He has been introduced to a variety of situations and knows he and his pack have remained safe through them all. The following are some tips to help calm your dog and keep everyone in the home safe during the active holiday season.

Click here to read more

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Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Pit Bull ordinance back under the microscope

The City of Camdenton could see a change in animal ordinances dealing with dangerous dogs and Pit Bull breeds. The Board of Aldermen is taking a serious look at its animal ordinance. During the board’s most recent meeting, the city’s attorney presented the board with a new sample ordinance.

A Pit Bull is defined as a Staffordshire bull terrier breed of dog, the American pit bull terrier breed of dog, the American Staffordshire terrier breed of dog; any mixed breed of dog which contains as an element of its breeding the breed of Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, or American pit bull terrier as to be identifiable as partially of the breed Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, or American pit bull terrier, or any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of the breeds of Staffordshire bull terrier, American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier; and other breeds commonly known as pit bulls, pit bull dogs, or pit bull terriers, or a combination of any of these breeds.

“I do not think there is anything in there that is absolute,” Mayor John McNabb said.

McNabb also said that the sample ordinance is a combination of what the city currently has in place.

Since two members of the board were not present, discussion on the animal ordinance has been tabled until the board’s next meeting.

Read more: https://www.lakenewsonline.com/article/20141221/News/141229904#ixzz3Maj21MES

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242A265900000578-2880145-Man_s_best_friend_This_chocolate_Labrador_named_Buddy_has_lived_-a-3_1419000422540Man’s best friend! Buddy the dog lives up to his name as he saves his owner from a blazing house fire

  • The chocolate Labrador nudged his master awake on Thursday night
  • Thanks to his action the unidentified man was able to escape the blaze
  • He suffered smoke inhalation and appeared with soot on his face 

A dog named Buddy has lived up to his name after saving his owner from a potentially deadly house fire.

The Sacramento Fire Department in California reported that the chocolate Labrador nudged his master awake on Thursday night.

The unidentified man was apparently able to escape the blaze suffering only some smoke inhalation.

Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Roberto Padilla says the man did not recall hearing a smoke alarm.

Firefighters also found no evidence of a working smoke detector in the house.

Padilla says the home had significant damage.

In a bid to prevent such incidents happening First Alert, a safety product company, has donated 100 smoke alarms to the Sacramento Fire Department.

Padilla said they will be available to residents on a first-come, first-served basis.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2880145/Dog-saves-man-Sacramento-home-fire.html#ixzz3MaahUKxO
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In this Dec. 20, 2014 photo, Camille Griffith, aunt of Jayla Rodriguez, an 8-year-old victim of a fatal dog attack last month on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, appears in Rapid City, S.D. Jayla’s family is raising funds to create Jayla’s Dream, an animal shelter in her name. Griffith, has raised more than half of the family’s initial goal and says she wants to work with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and others to address the reservation’s dog problem.

Family of SD girl makes progress on animal shelter

BY JAMES NORD, ASSOCIATED PRESS : DECEMBER 22, 2014 : Updated: December 22, 2014 8:21pm

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — An 8-year-old girl’s death from a dog attack on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation a month ago has left her mother drained and too heartbroken to stay in the home they shared. One of the few bright spots for the Griffith family is the steady progress they’re making on Jayla’s Dream, an effort to improve animal control and start a shelter in her memory on the southern South Dakota reservation.

Jayla Rodriguez‘s maternal family learned on Friday that the state officially approved Jayla’s Dream as a nonprofit. Danielle Griffith, Jayla’s mother, said her loved ones have come together to see the process through since Jayla’s death. A fundraising campaign started by Jayla’s aunt, Camille Griffith, has raised nearly $5,700 — more than half of the family’s initial goal.

“I don’t want it to be one of those things where it slowly simmers and doesn’t happen and we’re … regretting it later,” said Camille Griffith, 25. “I feel like (Jayla’s) helping us, too, because normally things don’t go this smoothly.”

“This is the only good thing that’s actually going on,” Danielle Griffith, 26, added.

About two weeks before she died, Jayla said she wanted to help animals on the reservation after seeing an injured dog, a wish that inspired Jayla’s Dream. Jayla especially loved her own dog, Buppy, a Chihuahua_dachshund mix.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Family-of-SD-girl-makes-progress-on-animal-shelter-5974084.php

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A 15-year-old Florida girl is recovering after she was dragged into a ditch by the bear.

Florida Panhandle girl, 15, survives bear attack

EASTPOINT, Fla. – (WMBB/CNN) A 15-year-old girl from the Florida Panhandle is recovering after her mother said she was attacked and dragged into a ditch by a black bear.

The victim, Leah Reeder, probably has her dog to thank for saving her life.

“I think the dragging her was the biggest thing that scared her,” said the girl’s mother, Sherry Mann.

Mann said her daughter was walking her dog when the attacked occurred around dusk Sunday.

After leaving a grocery store, she was walking along a road when she was attacked. The bear then drug her into a ditch. If not for her pet dog, she may not have survived.

“Out of nowhere, just a big, black shadow kind of engulfed her,” said Mann.

Read more: http://www.wptv.com/news/state/florida-panhandle-girl-15-survives-bear-attack

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A rescue dog finds and “rescues” Rogers Elementary School Principal Mark Conrad as he hides in barrels Dec. 8 during a demonstration in Bloomington, Ind.

Students meet 4-legged heroes

Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 4:00 am – By Mary Keck The Herald-Times

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Second-graders at Rogers Elementary School squealed last when Eddie, a certified rescue dog, found their principal hiding in a barrel on the stage of the school’s gymnasium.

None of the kids knew where their principal was, but there could be no doubt that something was in that barrel when Eddie started barking, ran full-speed toward the barrel and relentlessly pushed his way inside until Principal Mark Conrad emerged.

Since Rogers Elementary kids are studying heroes, they got to meet Eddie, a Labrador retriever; Wylie, a border collie; and Gary Hay, the dogs’ owner and trainer on Dec. 8. Hay is the canine training director for Indiana Task Force 1 for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The students have been writing biographies on heroes, and not just those who become famous for their deeds. Inspired by the Everyday Heroes recognized annually by The Herald-Times, the students have been finding out how day-to-day actions can be heroic and that even animals can be heroes.

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After 2 years wait, Aberdeen teen finally gets dog for diabetes

Updated: Fri 5:57 PM, Dec 12, 2014 – By: Kamie Roesler

It was a day Danielle Porter won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Friday Danielle met her new dog Caroline, but she isn’t just your average dog. Caroline is a diabetes detection dog. She detects high or low blood sugars on people through scent.

She’s been in training for the last year and a half. Danielle has been sending in clothes she was wearing when her blood sugar was high, and when her blood sugar was low. Trainers have been using these clothes with Caroline. Danielle had been waiting for 2 years, and she had no idea when a dog would be ready for her.

“I got told about two weeks ago that Caroline was mine, and that she was a girl. It was very emotional,” Danielle said.

Danielle goes to school at Lake Area Tech in Watertown. She says Caroline will be very helpful during the night.

“During the night I’m a hard sleeper, so I don’t feel it at all. I don’t feel low blood sugars. I don’t wake up for low blood sugars,”

Danielle said.If Danielle’s levels are off, Caroline will alert her. Caroline comes at a cost, over $20,000.

Click here to read more

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Service Animal Scams: A Growing Problem

A cottage industry has developed around fake emotional support animals.

While bicycling around the lovely public squares of Savannah a couple of years ago, I spotted a family with three young kids and a handsome German shepherd wearing bright red Service Dog vest. I enjoy talking with people about their companion animals, so I stopped, complimented them on their dog, and naively asked the dad, “I see she’s a service dog. What service does she provide?” He suddenly got the deer-in-the-headlights look, hemmed and hawed a bit, and finally said, “Errrr…she’s not really an official service dog. She just helps keep the kids together when we go for walks.” It turns out that he had purchased the nifty service dog vest from Amazon.

When I got back to my hotel, I started searching the Internet for service dog paraphernalia. I was shocked. With absolutely no proof of an animal’s training or abilities, Amazon will sell you vests, leashes, collars, and dog tags indicating that your dog is a “Service Dog,” an “Emotional Support Dog,” or a “Seizure Alert Dog.” For a few bucks more you can purchase an ominous legal-looking card saying you are prepared to sue the skeptical restaurant owner who thinks their no-pets allowed policy applies to your puppy.

The Cesspool of Human-Animal Relationships?

One person who is concerned about the proliferation of bogus service animal registries is Dr. Steve Zawistowski, senior science advisor of the ASPCA. When I asked him about the cottage industry that has arisen around fake assistance animal paraphernalia and phony service dog certifications, he replied “It’s the cesspool of human animal relationships that no one wants to talk about.” And when I asked a Department of Justice agent about the proliferation of Internet service dog registrations agencies, she said simply, “They are frauds.”

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Spanish Army Starts Tandem Flights For Dogs And Owner

Military Dogs Parachute With Soldiers: Geared Up In Muzzles And Harnesses, Canines Plunge 10,000-Feet From Sky

The Inquisitr Posted December 22, 2014

Military dogs recently parachuted with their Special Forces handlers in military exercises during a training program, in which they plunged 10,000 feet from the sky. The animals were taking part in tandem parachute jumps since they leapt jointly with their handlers from an aircraft.

The Mail Online reports on the canine military exercise devised by one of Europe’s biggest military training programs in Norway. One dog depicted in the exercise is part of Austria’s version of the SAS. The dogs were part of Operation Cold Response, and joined the British Special Forces and Royal Marines assault teams.
The dogs wear muzzles to prevent mouth damage upon landing, and are securely strapped to their partners while parachuting. Tandem parachuting for dogs and handlers is what the Spanish Army just came up with, according to the report. In trials run in Santorcaz, Spain, dogs and handlers have safely landed with a professional parachutist.
Dogs in the Special Forces exercise are trained in explosives sniffing, tracking, and attacking on command. Two dogs — both Belgian Shepherds — did great in the 10,000 feet leaps, says Spanish Army spokesman, Raul Ramon.

Read more: http://www.inquisitr.com/1697944/military-dogs-parachute-with-soldiers-geared-up-in-muzzles-and-harnesses-canines-plunge-10000-feet-from-sky/

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Fairfield’s police dog, Ruger, sits with the 24 pounds of marijuana that were shipped to a Fairfield address last month.

What do you name a police K9?

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The Connecticut State Police Canine Training Unit has announced the graduation ceremony of the 170th Patrol Dog Training Troop.

The graduation will be held Dec. 23 at 10 AM .at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy, 285 Preston Ave. in Meriden.

There will be a total of 14 canine teams graduating. The canine teams are trained to work patrol and have been trained in the basic areas of tracking, handler protection, evidence recovery, building searches, obedience, and classroom education.

For the canines, all German shepherds, the graduation marks the culmination of a 14-week rigorous and intense training course.

Click here to read more

 

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Making a Difference: veterinarian Lori Pasternak

Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2014 10:30 pm – By ZACHARY REID Richmond Times-Dispatch

“I love what we’re doing,” Morasco said as she offered a tour of the Helping Hands veterinary clinic the two friends opened five years ago in Carytown. “We get to save lives every day.”

While most vets can make a similar claim, Pasternak, a Virginia Tech-trained veterinarian, and Morasco, her longtime assistant and business partner, do it with a greater frequency than most because of the way they set up their clinic.

And there’s no surprise to anything in their clinic. They post a list of set fees online, and nearly everything is less than $1,000. If your pet needs a leg amputated, you know upfront what it’ll cost ($455 for cats, $655 for dogs).

“I always hated talking about money,” Pasternak said. “Now, I don’t have to do that. I can focus on surgery.”

So Pasternak and Morasco came up with a solution for that, too: They added $5 to the cost of every procedure. They pool the money into a “good citizen account” and use it to pay for procedures that pet owners can’t. But with a caveat.

“They have to work it off,” said Morasco, who handles the business end of the clinic.

Customers can earn $10 toward the cost of their pet’s surgery for every hour of community service they donate to an animal-related nonprofit group.

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Emily Elliott, of Redlands, rescued a Jack Russell Terrier along the I-10 one April in 2013 and rallied with the Redlands community to raise funds that would cover a surgery to repair an injured back and his recovery. Thousands raised later and the story going viral, the pup, known as Frogger, now lives with a family in Chicago. The family sends Elliot updates on the pup periodically and she has photos of Frogger on her desk in Ontario. December 3, 2014. (Frank Perez/Correspondent)

On her way to school, Redlands woman saves dog injured on 10 Freeway

By Kristina Hernandez, Redlands Daily Facts – December 18, 2014

REDLANDS >> Emily Elliott was on her way to school when she noticed a dog in desperate need of help one fateful day in April 2013.

The Redlands woman was sitting in traffic on Interstate 10, and she noticed a Jack Russell terrier mix being coaxed from underneath a center divider by others who had exited their own vehicles to come to his aid.

Elliott immediately joined the effort.

Once the dog was safe in the arms of rescuers, Elliott volunteered to take the dog to a local veterinarian. The dog was diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae. Recovery chances were high if surgery was to take place, but Elliott did not have thousands to cover costs associated with it. The only other option — putting the dog down.

Elliott went to work setting up social media accounts detailing the dog’s trial in hopes the public would come to his aid.

Elliott set out to raise the $8,000 needed and named the dog Frogger, after a video-game character who tries to cross a freeway. She wanted to give the dog a “new leash on life,” she said.

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KCPD officer helps 2 stray dogs (Debbie Davis via KCPD’s Facebook page)

Hero police officer helps save 2 stray dogs

By DeAnn Smith, Digital Content Manager – December 16, 2014

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) –

He says he was just doing his job and doesn’t want any publicity. But owners of two stray dogs have a tail-wagging ending thanks to a dedicated Kansas City motorcycle officer.

The officer, who has declined to be identified, stopped Tuesday morning to help out the two pooches who were in a grassy area on off ramp from 75th Street to northbound U.S. 71. He prevented the husky and German shepherd mix from bolting into traffic.

Debbie Davis took a photo and posted it on social media. That Facebook post went viral when it was shared by animal rescue groups and even the Kansas City Police Department’s Facebook posted “Love this!”

Click here to read more

 

 

 

 

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Hero dog who can sniff out cancer saves owner’s life after ‘crying near breast lump’

By

Josie Conlan said: “Ted is the most incredible gift to our lives. People say I rescued him and now he has rescued me”

After a lifetime of owning dogs, Josie Conlan never thought one of her beloved pets would one day save her life.

The 46-year-old mother from Stockton, in the North East, suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome and also has benign breast disease which causes regular lumps – which usually never worry her.

She had thought nothing of a lump which appeared on her breast – but the border collie’s cries and sniffing alerted her to the fact that it could be something serious.

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Selina Booth pets her big dog William. LOIS SWOBODA | The Times | Twitter: @ApalachTimes

Big dog rides bear, protects home, saves trash can

CARRABELLE — A bear got a big surprise from a big dog last week while raiding a trash can in Carrabelle.

The bear was on the back deck of a home snacking on a resident’s garbage when a 150-pound Great Dane bolted out the back door and onto the bear’s back.

William is a big dog. At 10 months old, the great Dane weighs 150 pounds and stands about 3 feet tall at the shoulder. He was born in Apalachicola. His owner, Selina Booth, a professional pet groomer, brought him home when he was just 7 weeks old and weighed only 19 pounds.

On Nov. 26 at about 2 a.m., William began barking and there were noises outside in the yard. Booth went to the door to see what was going on and found a small bear on the steps to her deck, once again raiding the trash.

The dog pushed past his owner and out the door. “William leapt off the porch and onto the bear’s back and rode him out of the yard,” Booth said. “It was just amazing.”

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My final comments on pit bulls

Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 6:00 am – By ELLICOTT MCCONNELL

The recent exchange with readers concerning views on maintaining pit bulls as pets has been interesting, but I suspect people may be tired of the subject, so I promise these will be my final comments.

I have seen nothing that changes the fact that, as reported in the media, pit bulls have been responsible for a disproportionate number of serious, and sometimes fatal, dog attacks. Because they were developed as fighting dogs, they instinctively pursue their attack until their opponent is dead or disabled, something they must do to survive. Of course, pit bulls are not a breed recognized by the American Kennel Club, so classifying any individual dog as a pit bull can be questioned, but there seems to be general agreement concerning their appearance. It is amusing to be assured that pit bulls have received a bad press, and then receive equal assurance that they can’t be identified. I think it’s much like recognizing a duck; if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck. I doubt that many people reporting pit bulls as such confuse them with Great Danes or Chihuahuas.

As others have pointed out, all dogs can and may bite humans, and it even may be that pit bulls bite less frequently than other dogs. But as observed by Dr. Sandi Sawchuk, Veterinary Clinic Instructor at the University of Wisconsin, “I don’t think pits bite more than other breeds, it’s when they do they inflict more damage.” Exactly! And the Humane Society of the United States characterizes their attack as “unrelenting.” How else can you explain this summer’s mauling of a 6-year-old girl in Dorchester County, who obviously posed no threat to two pit bulls which nevertheless left her with the loss of most of her scalp, and 80 stitches in her face and head? This is not the average response of momentarily annoyed dogs. Nor would most of us anticipate that our own pets would have to be shot to break off their attack, as were two other pit bulls this summer in separate instances on the Eastern Shore, and another from Delaware, just reported. Yes, the majority of pit bulls make faithful and harmless pets, but do we wish to deal with the exceptions?”

Whether or not many jurisdictions will, in the long run, be successful in banning a specific type of dog is a legal question, and unpredictable. I notice, though, that pit bulls and certain other dogs are banned from family housing on many military bases. This includes the United States Marine Corps, an organization not noted for its timidity. Of course, the military has no problem identifying breeds; “If the Colonel says it’s a pit bull … !”

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Crime: Blues fan Deborah Carter was punched in the face

Dog named after Sergio Aguero saves owner from vicious daylight attack

By

Owner and Manchester City fan Deborah Carter was walking her pet dog in Droylsden, Manchester, when two men approached and tried to grab him.

A shar pei dog named after Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is a hero after fighting off attackers who beat his owner and tried to steal him.

Owner and Blues fan Deborah Carter, 53, was out for a walk with the one-year-old pooch when she was approached by two men.

She was then punched in the face in a bid to snatch the distinctive wrinkly breed as she walked him in Droylsden.

The two men had passed Deborah, walking Sergio in an alleyway when one said: “We’ll have him”, reports Manchester Evening News.

She was then punched in the face – but both men fled when brave Sergio turned on her attackers.

Click here to read more

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John Rush is escorted into the courtroom today. Rush was found guilty on 11 of 12 charges, including torture of a police animal and four counts of aggravated assault.

Jury finds man guilty of killing Pittsburgh police dog Rocco

By Lexi Belculfine / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The man accused of stabbing and killing a Pittsburgh police dog and injuring officers was found guilty today on 11 of 12 charges against him.

John Rush, 22, was found guilty of four felony counts of aggravated assault, and four other felony charges: harming or killing a police animal, disarming a law enforcement officer, flight to avoid apprehension and escape.

He also was found guilty of misdemeanor one charges of cruelty to animals and possession of a concealed weapon, and a misdemeanor two, resisting arrest.

The jury of eight women and four men found him not guilty on one count of burglary, the most serious charge, a felony one.

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K9s give pause to criminals

Police and 4-legged partners drill together

By: Eyragon Eidam of the Auburn Journal – December 12, 2014

OLSOM — Nose to the ground, testing the air for the scent of drug residue, it didn’t take long for a K9 deputy to find the narcotics hidden in a high school administration office.

The office was vacant and the drugs had been planted by another trainer, but Eros, a focused K9, and his handler, Placer County sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Thompson, treated the training exercise like the real deal.

Each room in the musty building brought a different situation and a new hiding spot, but it didn’t seem to deter the dog’s sensitive snout; he locked on, gave his signal and got his reward — a brief game of tug-of-war with Thompson.

It takes countless hours of real-world training scenarios like this one for the dogs and their partners to do their jobs safely and effectively on the streets, Deputy Shawn Rosner said.

“Like many perishable skills, it needs to be maintained,” he said.

Rosner’s partner, Jet, and many of the other K9 deputies are often regarded as vicious — a stereotype their human partners resent.

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Denis Twomey his dog Hatchi

Hero dog saves pensioner after garden fall

BY RALPH RIEGEL – 11 DECEMBER 2014 03:00 AM

A DOG has been hailed as a Christmas hero for rescuing a pensioner who had fallen in her garden and was at risk of hypothermia.

Two-year-old Hatchi has now been given the Dog of the Month award for saving the frail Cork pensioner.

The woman, who does not want to be identified, fell in her back garden in Wilton on Cork’s southside, sustaining cuts and bruises. She was unable to get back up and was lying on the freezing ground.

Denis Twomey, who walks the Golden Labrador for his owner, Sheila Coughlan, said the dog immediately sensed there was something wrong as they strolled past Summerstown estate.

“We were on our normal route and heading toward the green. Then, totally out of the blue, he stopped dead and wouldn’t budge. This was really out of the ordinary for Hatchi.

“He began pulling backward in the direction he had come. When I tried to move forward, he took a hold of my trouser leg and pulled me back.”

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Ginger gives her owner, Janet Massie, a kiss Sunday morning. They will head to Orlando this weekend for the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.

Monroe breeder and her dog head to national AKC show this weekend

Posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 4:15 pm – Sherese Gore

Among the 32 Staffordshire bull terriers to strut and trot across the stage at the 14th annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship this weekend will be one local pup.

Grand Champion Massie’s Dancing on the Clouds, otherwise known as Ginger, will take the stage in Orlando. The 3-year-old dog belongs to Janet Massie and her husband, Dwayne, owners of Massie Staffys, a breeding business in Monroe.

“My expectations is that I really want her to win ‘best bred-by by’ breed, but if I get a placement I’d be all over myself,” Janet said.

Staffordshire bull terriers originated in England and weigh around 30 to 40 pounds. In that country, they have obtained the nickname of “nanny dogs” because of their affectionate nature and their love for children, Janet said.

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Found: A puppy, named Gladys by her rescuers, is on the mend after being left for dead in a bag

Good Samaritans rescue Gladys the puppy after she was thrown in a trash bag and left for dead

By LYDIA WARREN FOR MAILONLINE – |

Good Samaritans have rescued an abandoned puppy after she was found covered in blood and left for dead in a tied-up trash bag.

Karen Herrera was walking through her neighborhood in Fontana, California two days before Thanksgiving when she heard whimpering in a nearby field.

She followed the sound to a trash bag and opened it to find a small puppy with patchy fur.

‘She was scared and cold,’ Herrera told KTLA. ‘I patted her on the back of her spine and she was bleeding.’

Herrera called the police and another nearby resident wrapped the dog in a blanket as they waited for animal services to arrive, the Fontana Police Department said.

Animal Services Officers took the dog to an animal hospital and learned that the animal, who they named Gladys, was suffering from bite marks and Mange, a treatable skin disease.

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Broken Arrow animal shelter saves dognapped Husky

Posted: 1:54 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — A dog stolen from Kellyville is back home safe after someone tried to have it euthanized at the Broken Arrow Animal Shelter.

Officials said a woman brought a healthy white husky dog to the animal shelter in Broken Arrow to be put down; she said she was the dog’s owner. The admin tech at the shelter questioned the woman further and realized the woman did not own the dog  and they kept it at the shelter.

The tech researched on Facebook and found the husky posted in a lost and found pet group and found the dog’s owner in Kellyville. They believe the dog was stolen from Kellyville and taken to Broken Arrow to have them get rid of it.

– See more at: http://www.fox23.com/news/news/local/broken-arrow-animal-shelter-saves-dognapped-husky/njQqP/#sthash.SiLgaW09.dpuf

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12 Reasons Your Dog Shouldn’t Lick Your Baby

Dognotebook.com

Your dog is part of your family. You might even feel Fido is one of the kids. Naturally, when you bring home baby, you want your dog to greet those charming chubby cheeks and tiny toes just like the rest of you do. Still, while human kisses and snuggles are appropriate, it may not be wise to let Fido indulge in baby kissing.

Here are twelve reasons to consider not letting your dog lick your baby.

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Detroit firefighters save injured dog

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An online petition wants to save Max, a Romanian military dog, from being put down. (Facebook)

Romania to change law to save Afghanistan ‘hero dog’

7:09am December 9, 2014 – © AFP 2014

Romania has ordered legal changes to save an ailing Alsatian that has served in Afghanistan from being put down because the state does not take charge of retired military dogs.

The fate of five-year-old Max, who has served on two missions in the war-ravaged country sniffing out explosives, has whipped up passions with an online petition to save the “hero dog” gathering nearly 27,000 signatures.

Max risked being sent to a dog shelter or being put down as there is no legal provision in Romania for the government to take over the upkeep of canines once they are off the defense rolls.

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All Dogs Go to Heaven! Pope Francis Confirms Paradise Is Open to All of God’s Creatures

by REBECCA MACATEE – December 12, 2014

Finally, Pope Francis confirms what we’ve always known: All dogs go to heaven!

During his weekly address in St. Peter’s Square, the Catholic leader tried to console a little boy who was heartbroken over the death of his beloved pup. According to multiple reports, Pope Francis told the boy, “One day, we will see our animals again the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.”

Of course, this viewpoint goes against the conservative Catholic ideology that because animals don’t have souls (!), they can’t go to heaven. Some theologians have cautioned, per the New York Times, that Pope Francis “had spoken casually, not made a doctrinal statement.”

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A shitzu-poodle mix named Bogey saved seven people from an Indianapolis fire when he woke up his owner in the middle of the night. He did not survive the blaze.

Dog dies in Indianapolis fire after saving owner and 6 other neighbors

BY  – NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Tuesday, December 9, 2014, 11:04 AM

A small dog lost his life after saving seven people from what could have been a disastrous Indianapolis fire.

Bogey, a Shih Tzu-poodle mix, was the first to notice a fire that was started by two space heaters early Tuesday morning. The dog began to bark furiously and was able to wake up his owner Johnny Walker, 44, who woke up and jumped out of a second-story window, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department.

“I was in the front bedroom, opened up the door, and smoke and fire was coming down the hallway,” Walker told TV Station WISH. “If it wasn’t for my dog, I’d been done.”

Once outside Walker alerted his downstairs neighbors by yelling for them and the seven residents were all able to escape, authorities reported.

But Bogey died in the blaze.

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Rescued pit bull was used as a ‘bait dog’

BELLEFONTAINE — After being rescued several weeks ago from a dogfighting ring in Cleveland, a pit bull named Belle is getting better.

Steffen Baldwin, an animal cruelty task force officer for Logan and Champaign Counties, has been caring for the canine and reports she has made significant progress in getting better, both physically and socially.

It’s believed that Belle was used as a “bait dog,” in which she was used to train other dogs to attack.

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Hoppy Langley has done many wonderful and outstanding things in his life (including making the winning kick to defeat Alabama in 1976), but what he did last week trumped everything in my book.

Former Reb Kicker Saves Pup in Downpour on I-40

POSTED ON

Hoppy Langley has done many wonderful and outstanding things in his life (including making the winning kick to defeat Alabama in 1976), but what he did last week trumped everything in my book.

Driving in a fierce rainstorm on Interstate 40 between Jackson and Memphis, he noticed an injured dog in the median. At first glance, he thought this was one of the most beautiful animals he had ever seen. He drove past until the next exit appeared. Then he immediately made a u-turn and drove back in an attempt to save the 2-year-old German Shepherd’s life at the risk of his own.

Upon arriving at the scene of the injured canine, he dialed 911 when he realized he would need help in moving the pooch to safety. The Shepard was badly injured with a broken hip plus other injuries that would come to the surface later that evening. While Hoppy was waiting for the Tennessee Highway Patrol to arrive, he removed his belt to act as a leash in controlling the dog’s movement.

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Therapy dog Kyi, a 6-year-old Tibetan spaniel, lies on the lap of 10-year-old Baylee Polzen during a dental procedure at Adventure Dental in Salmon Creek on Nov. 26. Kay and his handler, Cathy Tramaglini, have been a therapy dog team for four years. (Steven Lane/The Columbian)

Therapy dog taking bite out of dental visits

Canine soothing presence for children undergoing procedures

By Marissa Harshman, Columbian health reporter
Published: December 8, 2014, 6:00 AM

As Kyi walked into the treatment room at Adventure Dental in Salmon Creek, he was greeted with familiar smiles from the dental office staff.

Cathy Tramaglini reached down and lifted Kyi into the dental chair. He took a couple of soft steps before lying down on the lap of 10-year-old Baylee Polzen. Kyi, a 6-year-old Tibetan spaniel, slowly crawled up the girl’s chest toward her chin.

“He senses her nervousness,” Tramaglini explained.

As the dental hygienist drilled into Baylee’s tooth, preparing it for a filling, Kyi nuzzled into the crook of Baylee’s arm. The girl gently stroked Kyi’s head and back as dental tools moved in and out of her mouth.

Kyi laid still as the hygienist walked out of the room and Dr. David Neil took his seat beside the girl. After a few more minutes, Baylee’s dental work was complete. As was Kyi’s work.

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doghug

 

Watch: Dog saves his friend from a bad dream and proceeds to hug the pain away

Next time someone tries to tell you that dogs don’t do anything but sleep and eat, show them this video and remind them that dogs are actually the best.

This guy noticed his pal was stuck in a nightmare and decided that he needed saving, as well as a good cuddle to calm him down after. If only we all had a friend as good as that.

Click here to watch video

 

 

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Kollin Bailey regained consciousness at the bottom of the manhole and screamed out for help until Copper picked up his scent.

Hero police dog saves Utah boy, 6, who fell down sewer

Kollin Bailey was flying a kite in Herriman, Utah, south of Salt Lake City, when he tripped and dropped down a 10-foot manhole Friday afternoon. West Valley City Police Department bloodhound Copper sniffed the boy to safety.

A police K-9 is being hailed a hero after he saved a 6-year-old Utah boy who’d fallen 10 feet down an open manhole.

Kollin Bailey was flying a kite when he tripped and plunged backwards into the pitch-black sewer in Herriman, south of Salt Lake City, on Friday afternoon, reports KUTV.

The youngster was knocked out. After regaining consciousness following the plunge, he continually screamed for help.

But he couldn’t be heard.

When he didn’t return home, his concerned mom called cops to report him missing. A search party was sent out, including West Valley City Police Department bloodhound Copper.

And the incredible pup managed to trace the boy in just 20 minutes.

An officer descended into the hole to lift out the battered and bruised, but extremely relieved youngster.

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Citrus County boy dies after dogs attack him

TBO.com staff Published: December 7, 2014

A Citrus County toddler died Saturday after being attacked by dogs, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said.

After receiving a 911 call about 4:20 p.m., deputies went to a Crystal River residence, where they found the body of 2-year-old Christopher Camejo, in the back yard of the home.

Deputies said the body had marks on it consistent with a dog attack.

Several people, including the boy’s parents, Christopher Camejo, 29, and Claudia Scarbrough, 31, were inside the residence with friends and two other children at the time of the attack occurred, but no one was outside with victim during the attack.

Christopher Camejo was found to be in violation of an injunction for protection and was taken into custody. The injunction had been served in another county on behalf of Claudia Scarbrough.

Animal Control Officers responded and removed four Rottweilers and another dog from the home. A Chihuahua and several puppies were left at the home.

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This police dog, Manu, found a lost 9-year-old boy in a Kirkkonummi forest in October.

News |

Hero dogs honoured in Helsinki

The Finnish Kennel Club handed out 18 Hero Dog awards for lifesaving on Sunday.

The honour is given to dogs who have played decisive roles in saving the lives of one or more people. This year’s honourees have found missing individuals or warned of fires or sudden life-threatening attacks of illness. Along with the 18 medal-winners, another 17 dogs received honourable mentions.

The Kennel Club presented the medals on Sunday during the nation’s largest annual canine event in Helsinki.

On Saturday, a Finnish-owned cocker spaniel named Coastline Johnny B. Good was chosen as Best in Show of the Helsinki Winner dog show. The event features some 7,000 canines of 300 breeds.

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Teens arrested for feeding a cat to two dogs

published Wednesday, December 10, 2014

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Two teenagers accused of feeding a live cat to two dogs, videotaping the attack and posting it online have been arrested in central California on suspicion of cruelty to an animal.

The Bakersfield Californian reports that while the incident apparently occurred over the summer, Animal Control wasn’t contacted until Dec. 4 after a person reported receiving the graphic video on a social networking site.

Sheriff’s deputies said the video appeared to show two large dogs being fed a live cat while voices in the background encouraged the dogs to attack.

Jahmal Anthony Swaby, 21, and Trevaughn Miquan Thomas, 17, on Sept. 30, allegedly encouraged a dog to kill a cat as both were trapped inside a cage, according to Clarke County Superior Court documents.

They were each charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals and cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, according to the indictment.

The Conrad Drive residents were arrested following a neighbor’s report to police that she witnessed the cruelty as it unfolded across the street.

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Emerald White, Pit Bull Owner Whose Dogs Attacked And Killed Family Pet, Will Not Sue Victims

Posted: December 7, 2014

Emerald White, the pit bull owner whose dogs trespassed on a neighbor’s property and killed the victim’s family pet, has decided to drop her lawsuit, Claims Journal reports.

She had been seeking up to $1 million in damages after she entered her neighbor’s property to stop her dogs, which had gotten loose and into the neighbor’s yard, where they found and mauled the family’s beagle.

White was injured in the attempt and felt the owners of the dead dog should be responsible.

“The Bakers then sought legal sanctions against White, saying her lawsuit was frivolous and noting her pit bulls were declared dangerous and vicious under a Texas City ordinance,” CJ adds. “Such a designation requires the posting of signs, fences and liability coverage.

The Bakers’ request for sanctions was dropped as part of court documents recently made public.

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The dogs became inseparable after being rescued from a ditch on the Greek island of Zakynthos. Two-year-old pointer cross Juliet (right) found four-year-old setter cross Romeo (left) after he was shot 38 times

Hero dog saved her companion’s life by refusing to leave his side for THREE DAYS after he was shot 38 times with lead pellet gun

 

  • Two-year-old pointer cross found fellow dog dying in ditch on Greek island
  • The four-year-old setter cross had been hit 38 times with a lead pellet gun 
  • Pair finally rescued after three days and now moved to West Sussex, UK
  • Rescuers said they are now in good health and have become inseparable 

 

A hero dog saved the life of her companion by refusing to leave his side for three days after he was shot 38 times with a lead pellet gun.

The two-year-old pointer cross found the four-year-old setter cross with only his head above water after being left for dead in a ditch on the Greek island of Zakynthos.

The loyal dog went three days without food and barked continuously on a nearby grass verge to try and alert passers-by to her companion’s plight.

It worked and a walker finally came to the rescue of the dogs, with both being taken into care by Greek vets.

The dogs became inseparable and have now been nicknamed Romeo and Juliet, after moving to Holbrook Animal Rescue in Horsham, West Sussex.

Kind-hearted members of the public who read about the tale on Facebook donated to a Go Fund Me page which enabled the rescue centre to fly them over to Gatwick Airport. They had previously been looked after by rescuers Zante Stray during their time on the Greek island.

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76-Year-Old Man Rescues Woman From Dog Attack

Posted: Sun 8:33 PM, Dec 07, 2014 By: KKTV 11 News Email

When Jerrell (he asked us not to use his last name), heard screams coming from the street in front of his house, he looked out the window to see a woman being attacked by two pit bulls. He immediately ran outside and fought the dogs off of the woman.

Jerrell: “What went through my mind was ‘go out there and get those darn dog off of her, just however I could do it.’ I didn’t have time to go get a club or nothing, just feet and hands.”

The attack happened just after 2:30 Sunday afternoon, in the 100-block of Kiva Road, north of Fountain.

The victim told 11 news that she was walking her four small dogs, when the two pit bulls came from behind her and attacked. She said she didn’t even know they were there until they were knocking her to the ground. One of the two bit her shoulder and arm. She had a friend drive her to the hospital. She said that the wounds will likely need stitches, but that she would be okay.

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Pit bull attacks horse

Pit bull attack leaves horse seriously wounded

Reports say that the dog bit the horse several times and ripped off parts of its genitals.
Staff Reporter 7 December 2014, 6:43pm

A  pit bull attacked a horse at around 2pm near a school in Hamrun, seriously injuring it. Reports say that the dog was being kept in the same place as a female dog, likely for breeding purposes, when it attacked a horse that was on the same location. It bit the horse several times and reportedly ripped off parts of its genitals. The horse escaped and hit a car that was parked in Triq Farsons. The dog also bit the horse’s owners’ father, who was allegedly trying to defend the horse. Following that, the dog escaped, prompting a search from the police and the Animal Welfare Department who eventually caught it in Triq is-Sewwieqa, Hamrun.

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Fay Karamanakis still thinks of Blackie the dog.

Cyclone Tracy: Heroism and heartbreak, Blackie the dog’s heroic actions

By Eleni Roussos and Xavier La CannaDecember 8, 2014, 2:01 pm

Blackie the dog, who helped the Karamanakis family escape their home just minutes before Cyclone Tracy hit, will always be remembered as a hero.

Fay Karamanakis was feeling pretty relaxed at the start of the night on December 24, 1974.

“All the years we were struggling to build a house and that particular year we had just finished our house. I felt really good because all my years as a child I never really had much,” she recounted recently.

Sitting in her chair, Ms Karamanakis remembered when the rain began to fall more heavily. She brought her sister’s dog Blackie, a labrador-cross, in from the cold.

“He was scratching the window and really sort of yelping – ‘let me in’ sort of thing,” she said.

“When I opened the door … I had the towel to dry Blackie because he was wet.”

But Blackie was not interested in keeping dry.

He rushed to where Ms Karamanakis’ daughter Sylvia was asleep in her cot.

“He pulled the sheets off the baby, tried to pull the baby, knocking the baby’s head on the cot,” Ms Karamanakis said.

“I was screaming at the dog ‘how dare you!’.

“The next thing the dog saw that I was holding the baby, so he ran off and went into the other room to where Katie was sleeping.”

Blackie then grabbed Ms Karamanakis’ other daughter’s sheets and dragged her down to the ground.

Ms Karamanakis could not understand the dog’s behaviour, and picked him up by the scruff of the neck and dumped him outside, while she consoled her two children.

“I was so devastated because this dog I thought was naughty,” she said.

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Police were called to Church Road in Churchdown at around 10am last Saturday after the woman was bitten by an Akita

Dog walker used shirt as tourniquet after pensioner left with 10-inch gash on arm after dog bite

By CitizenNews  |  Posted: December 07, 2014

A dog walker ripped his shirt off to use as a tourniquet after a pensioner was left with a 10-inch gash on her arm after being bitten by a dog.

Police were called to Church Road in Churchdown at around 10am last Saturday after the woman was bitten by an Akita.

The 68-year-old was then taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to receive treatment for the injury.

Following the incident the dog’s owner said her pet was safe.

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Justice of the Peace Gerald Williams

What you need to know about ‘dog law’

Posted: Thursday, December 4, 2014 12:15 am
By Judge Gerald A. Williams, North Valley Justice of the Peace

Sometimes it appears that lawyers have become as specialized as medical doctors. Every now and then, I hear a story about how some attorney somewhere has decided to specialize in dog law. While I remain skeptical of such stories, there are two key concepts that Arizona pet owners need to know.

The first is that if your dog bites someone, you are most likely going to be liable. This is different than the common law concept of scienter, which means that the victim of a dog bite has to prove that the dog’s owner had prior knowledge that the dog was dangerous.

This legal principle was often called the “one bite rule” because after the first bite, the dog’s owner knows or should know that his dog can be vicious. Arizona has a different standard based on strict liability.

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Bill Evanow of Maple Ridge was attacked by a police dog while trying to assist in a chase.

New regulations muzzle police dogs

A Maple Ridge man who has been part of the fight to minimize police dog bites applauds new provincial regulation on the animals.

Bill Evanow’s case was part of the impetus for the new standards, announced last week.

He was mauled and permanently injured by an RCMP German shepherd in March 2011 after police chased a suspect onto his Maple Ridge property.

RCMP pursued the car thief from Mission. They boxed in a stolen pickup on a Haney street, and had deflated the tires with a spike belt. But the thief smash through the blockade, and ditched the pickup in Evanow’s driveway.

In a spotlight shone from a police helicopter, Evanow saw the thief running on his property. He gave chase, picking up a snow shovel as he ran. Evanow tripped the thief as he went through his yard, then chased him as he leaped over a fence towards a parking lot off 223rd Street. When he saw the man scale a second fence a fair distance away, he gave up chase.

As Evanow turned around to head back home, he felt a sharp pain as a police dog latched onto his thigh.

Even after the RCMP dog handler arrived, it would not release, Evanow said, and he lay on the ground for several minutes with the big dog biting down on his leg.

“The handler couldn’t get him to release,” he remembers.

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Ware Selectmen told a restaurant owner to fence in his dog, which has bitten than 12 adults and has stood guard against trespassers.

Ware officials make the right call in dog case: Viewpoint

Ron Chimelis | rchimelis@repub.comBy Ron Chimelis | [email protected]
on December 03, 2014 at 9:22 AM, updated December 03, 2014 at 10:05 AM

In a society that has renewed its taste for frontier justice, Stephen Kolenovic is a hero in the making.

There’s got to be a reality show waiting for this guy. The hard-working Ware restaurant owner and his dog, Dino, captured the public imagination by essentially telling trespassers that if the law couldn’t protect Kolenovic’s property, they would do it themselves.

Selectmen in Ware ordered Kolenovic to erect a fence that would cover the entire area surrounding Dino, who has bitten more than 12 adults – the precise number is not even clear – who had ventured onto the property without permission.

The town hall was overflowing with supporters of Kolenovic and this particular man’s best friend. In addition to offering donations to pay for the fence, many questioned why the owner of Villa’s Restaurant had to do anything when the creeps who were trespassing were really the ones at fault.

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LETTERS: Debate over pit bulls and their threat rages on

Posted: Wednesday, December 3, 2014 12:01 am | Updated: 2:31 am, Wed Dec 3, 2014.

On Nov. 9, I was enjoying mountain biking in Cameron Park along the River Trail, as I do several times a week. It’s therapy for leg and back surgeries from my younger years. I came upon a couple in their mid-20s with two pit bulls, one chocolate, one white. Each pulled his or her dog to the side of the trail to let me pass. As I passed, the chocolate pit lunged out and bit me on the left kneecap. Four puncture wounds later, the couple apologized and the man left with that dog.

My main concern was rabies and what other disease the dog might have. The woman and I agreed to meet at the shelter to exchange information. However, I saw her get into the man’s silver Ford Ranger extended cab pickup, already in the street. I did not see the dogs in the vehicle as it sped off. My question: Are the dogs now loose in the park?

I called the Waco Police Department at 2:19 p.m. to report the incident. At 2:46 p.m., a Waco Animal Control officer called from his home to take my report. No police officer came to the scene. So I drove myself to the Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center emergency room, where I spent 41/2 hours. Staff there did not clean my wound or know protocol for rabies shots.

Animal Control officers found a pickup possibly linked with the incident at an apartment complex in Woodway, but the revelation was no dogs, no people — and no case.

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Family of girl killed in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation dog attack raises money for animal care

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: December 03, 2014 – 9:47 am
Last Updated: December 03, 2014 – 9:50 am

PINE RIDGE, South Dakota — The family of an 8-year-old girl killed by a pack of dogs while sledding on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is raising money for the care of reservation animals.

Jayla Rodriguez’s family aims to raise $10,000 in an online crowdfunding campaign following her death on Nov. 18, the Argus Leader reported (http://argusne.ws/1pS7ipJ ). The family hopes to use the money to establish an animal shelter, said Camille Griffith, Jayla’s maternal aunt.

“We’re also in the process of starting a nonprofit organization,” she said. “We already have the paperwork started so that could be finished in the next couple weeks.”

The extended family is working together to help bring Jayla’s dreams to fruition, Griffith said. A cousin is creating a Web page and her father knows how to establish nonprofits.

“We’re just trying to put her memory in a positive way and make a difference, like she would want,” Griffith said.

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Pit bull

Mother Lies to Protect Pit Bull Who Bit Child

POSTED 8:55 PM, DECEMBER 2, 2014, BY , UPDATED AT 05:50AM, DECEMBER 3, 2014

DES MOINES, Iowa — On Sunday, two-year-old Gabrielle Looney was bitten on the face by her mother’s boyfriend’s pit bull. The couple took the injured little girl to the hospital, where her mother did the unthinkable.  She lied to doctors and police about what happened to protect the dog.

“She tried to say that this injury to her child occurred from a stray,” says Des Moines Police Sergeant Jim Butler, “And that’s not something that sits too well for me. First and foremost we all love our pets but we have to take care of our children first before the family pet.”

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NBC dog attack

A San Jose dog owner is asking some tough questions of Animal Control after she and her dog were attacked not once, but twice by a neighbor’s pit bull mix. Michelle Roberts reports. (Published Monday, Dec 1, 2014)

San Jose Animal Control Service Questioned After Pit Bull Attack

By Michelle Roberts

Monday, Dec 1, 2014 • Updated at 7:27 PM PST

An after Thanksgiving dinner walk with her dog turned into a life or death situation for Angela Morrow.

“I didn’t realize how in danger I was until it was over,” she said.

Morrow is referring to her and her dog being attacked by a pit bull mix.

“I was punching, kicking, doing anything I could to get him off of my dog,” she said.

Morrow said her dog, Gus, was being attacked by her neighbor’s pit bull-mix.

“The dog’s owner and another neighbor pulled the pit bull off of him, then it lunged at me,” Morrow said.

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Bruce the bull mastiffCouncil takes dog owner to court over backyard attack

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Hero dog saves from shooterHero Dog Dies Protecting Family From Atlanta Road Rage Shooter

The German Shepherd shielded three children from the gunman’s bullets but died shortly afterwards.

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