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You are browsing the archive for 2009 September.

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by Kenn Bell

Who’s Reigning, Cats Or Dogs?

September 30, 2009 in Entertainment, Lifestyle News, News

cats-vs-dogs

By Sharon L. Peters, Special for USA TODAY

It had to happen.

The battle royal over which pet is best — dogs or cats — has moved from covert sniping to all-out, online war of words.

Such as:

“Cats are so darn smart — and totally self-contained, self-sufficient and in control of their lives. They march to their own drummers, each is a unique individual and they are intuitive. … If people were more cat-like, we’d all do better … (we’d) do what pleases us instead of what pleases everybody else.” — Ann Strople, Atlanta.

“When’s the last time a cat dragged someone from a burning building or searched dangerous wreckage for survivors? … There is no more loyal and loving creature” than a dog. — Marilynn Miller, Dawsonville, Ga.

They’re passionate. Fervent, even.

This sharing online of heartfelt opinions about cats and dogs is being invited by — get this — the American Kennel Club and the Cat Fanciers’ Association.

You can imagine the conversation between these two groups: We each know which is best, but let’s put this out there to the public and let folks duke it out.

It all started when the AKC had this kooky idea that as long as it was going to organize a huge October event called Meet the Breeds (160 dog breeds on scene that people can interact with) and rent a big building (The Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan), it might make sense to toss a bone to the cat people, who, of course, have their own breeds (41) to showcase.

Still, although the beautifully trained and socialized show creatures will no doubt co-exist peacefully under one roof for the Oct. 17-18 event, there’s no ignoring the fact that most pet lovers have a passionate bias for one species or the other. Thus, the online vote was born.

For a few days, the cat cuddlers leapt out in force and established an early lead. “Say it isn’t so!” AKC’s Daisy Okas wailed soon after an apparent kitty landslide began to form.

But then the canine contingent rose up and surged forward, taking and keeping (for now) the lead.

Some voters wax loving for paragraphs, some for just a line or two.

The cat people

“Cats are so much easier to live with — much less work. Don’t have to be walked, go outside and are quiet.” — Sheila Ullmann, San Ramon, Calif.

“Cats are best because you can get a dog to like you no matter what. Just offer a treat and they are yours. But cats are better judges of character. If they don’t like you, they don’t like you, no matter what you offer them.” — Barb Moore, Marietta, Ohio.

“Cats rarely pass gas, at least not in public.” — Sheryl Woods, Bloomingdale, Ill.

“Cats don’t have to be walked, and they don’t bark!” — Teresa Ford, Center Conway, N.H.

The dog people

“A dog wants to be near you — (they’re) better guards, scare off burglars, and they are especially loving. They usually don’t climb on the kitchen table or counter.” — Jeannine Pummill, Wilmington, Ohio

“Dogs … walk around with a smile … and are always there for us.” —Kelly Smith, Fayetteville, Ga.

“Cats have to have do-over lives because they didn’t figure out how to have fun the first time around. Dogs … are the ultimate team players … (and they) have bigger personalities.” — Marilyn Finley, Sparta, N.J.

As might be expected, there’s some behind-the-scenes drama while the online war is waged. AKC employee Andrea Lane, manager of public education, confessed recently she’d cast her ballot for …cats. She was certain, she explained, that dogs would win, as they should, but she wanted to reduce the margin to something less humiliating for the cats. She still has her job with the AKC (which evidently appreciates the generosity of a dog lover willing to support the under-cat).

And CFA spokesman David White, who breeds hairless sphynx cats and wavy-haired Cornish rex, cast his ballot without reservation for cats. Understandable. Except that his eight kitties share their happy home with a dog. “I’m just not gonna tell the dog about that vote,” he says.

More than 6,300 people have cast votes; the AKC believes that by the time the final tally is announced Oct. 14, many thousands more will have stated their preference at http://www.AKC.org .

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by Kenn Bell

Help 2 Three Legged Doggies Get To New Hampshire!

September 30, 2009 in Adoption News, Charity, News

3legdogs001

Introducing: Chona and Citri.

Chona was hit by a speeding truck on Ave 65 witnessed by many citizens who called the Humane Society to help. Volunteers and vets attended the scene and brought Chona back to the Humane Society. Our vet Dr Marcelo Garcia with a keen interest in orthopedics tried very hard to rehabilitate Chona from her brachial plexus injury she suffered to her right front leg. She never did regain the use of the leg and drag it around. She had no feeling in the paw and puppies often played with her paw like it was a toy. She eventually had to be amputated.

Citri fell from the truck of her owners. Barely 3 months old, her owners rushed her into the clinic. They asked everything to be done to save her life and then they abandoned her at the shelter. Citri was treated for shock and an emergency amputation was performed. She is a playful pup and has no idea that she has any limitation and she does not. She has come on our pet parade on Sunday nights and she never tires and is the leader of the pack!

These two love to play together and they are really funny to watch. Both dogs are extremely loving and playful.

Well the good news is, our good friend and kennel sponsor Mark Grenier has a home for both in New Hampshire. Mark has taken many Cozumel dogs back with him and one is a 3 legged dog named Pi. Mark loves tripods!

We are looking to get these dogs up to Boston or any other airport that will bring them near New Hampshire. American Airlines is the preferred airline to get them there, also Mexicana, United or any airline that will take underneath (forget Continental…..cargo charges). US Airways will not work as they only take under the seat. Mark is willing to drive up to 300 miles to pick them up.

Please let us know if you can help or if you know of anybody who can help escort these lovely dogs. We will do everything: papers, bring to airport, help them get checked in and stay with you until they are boarded onto the plane. It is so easy to be an escort and you are truly helping save a dog’s life by doing so.

For more info, click here.

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by Kenn Bell

Jerry Needs No Help Playing With His Ball

September 30, 2009 in Fun Videos, News

Where can I buy one?

– Kenn

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by Kenn Bell

Pet-Food Industry Enjoys Strong Sales In Weak Economy

September 30, 2009 in Lifestyle News, News

petfoodstore

By David Migoya for The Denver Post

Despite rising unemployment, credit-card debt and thinning discretionary spending, American pet owners remain loyal customers of an industry that is enjoying consistent growth.

The pet-food industry is fueled by consumers who won’t back away from spending on food and necessities for their animals, though they’re likely to pare down the family vacation.

The strong spending comes amid price increases in nearly every pet-food category, the result of rising costs of fuel, ingredients and transportation for manufacturers.

Dogs and cats, though, still feel the pinch in other ways, owners said. Fewer treats, new toys or accessories such as collars and leashes, even fewer trips to the groomer are all part of the cost savings.

“We’ve cut back for us all,” said Kathy Schmidt of Lone Tree, whose miniature schnauzer, Archie, has had to wait longer between clippings.

Though the family has trimmed back, Archie still eats pretty well because “he needs to eat what he’s accustomed to,” Schmidt said.

That’s one reason spending on pets remains robust, with total sales of all pet products topping $45 billion this year, a 5 percent increase, according to the American Pet Products Association. And retail sales of pet food are up 4.5 percent in 2009 at about $18 billion. Future pet-food sales are projected to top $21 billion by 2013.

It’s showing up at local stores, where boutique owners are enjoying growth as many of their counterparts catering solely to humans struggle.

“We’ve seen double-digit growth this year. The recession hasn’t really touched us,” said Deb Dempsey, owner of Mouthfuls in Denver’s Highland neighborhood. “We’re not selling tons of bedding and clothing, and treats and durable goods, the foofy stuff, has stayed down.”

Dedication to their pet’s health apparently has much to do with how owners spend.

“We have so many customers who say they’d eat macaroni and cheese before they’d cut back on their dogs,” she said.

The pet-food recalls of 2007 didn’t leave the industry unscathed but did reinforce owners’ focus on quality, not price.

“I’ll go to McDonald’s and eat lunch from the dollar menu, but a can of food isn’t something I want to skimp on,” money manager Pat Janssen said of his dog-food buying. “But there are fewer toys and chews in the bag these days.”

Prices are stabilizing, but consumers shouldn’t expect too big a drop any time soon. Much is because of long-term supply contracts producers locked into when prices were already high, analysts say.

“We’re trying to cut back, though we’re not real good at it,” Mark Niederhauser said of his two chow-chows and papillon during a recent trip to PetSmart near Park Meadows shopping center.

“I just can’t deny the dogs.”

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by Kenn Bell

Location Scouting For War Dogs Episode

September 30, 2009 in Dog Files News, History, In Remembrance, Military, News

Thought I’d share some pics from location scouting for my giant size Dog Files Episode, War Dogs. This statue is just off the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey at the PNC Arts Center. They also have a Vietnam Memorial there. From the look of the first pic, I think, somewhere down deep, Max knew the importance of this memorial.

If you’d still like to donate so we can continue filming, please do so with the Red Donation Widget in the Side Bar at the right. Even five bucks would help us to our goal. Thanks so much!

– Kenn

Max-Looks-Boldy-On-Small

War-Dog-Memorial-&-Max-02-Small

Inscription-War-Dog-Memorial-Small

War-Dog-Memorial-01-Small

Max-Looks-Up-At-Statue-Small

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by Kenn Bell

Dog Files Fact: Beagle

September 29, 2009 in Breed, Dog Files Fact

Beagle_01

The Beagle originates from England and is a dog of medium size – it has short legs which affords it the title of the smallest of the Scent Hound Dogs. It was originally bred to hunt small game such as rabbits and hares. Most Beagles were used in packs – making a loud, deep baying noise alerting hunters to their location.

As a pet the Beagle is cheerful, alert, energetic, and loves to be part of the family.

The Beagle’s ancestors date back as far as the Greeks who were known to hunt with packs of dogs. The Romans were no doubt responsible for the spread of this type of breed throughout the realms of the Roman Empire. The history of England is long and colourful and is highly influenced by the French, and the French language. This occurred during events such as the Norman Invasion of 1066 and it will come as a revelation to many that the only spoken language of the famed English King, Richard the Lionheart, was in fact French. It is therefore no surprise that many French words have found their way into the basis of the English language – beagle being a prime example. Beagle is derived from “Begle” a French term meaning ‘gape throat’ referred to the animals tendency to bay making what has been described as the the bloodcurdling “beagle music”.

The Beagles are a scent hunting dog, used by hunters on foot, and they are the perfect size for trailing and back trailing their normal quarry of rabbits and hares. Although famed for hunting in packs, of between 12 and 24 dogs, the Beagle’s size made it popular with commoners and poachers. The size of the Beagle varied through different strains which were dependent on the hunting terrain – the smaller Beagle Hound was suited to the open fields whereas the larger Beagle was better suited to the hills. The smallest strain of Beagle measured standing at just 10 inches high and could be carried in a saddle bag or even about the hunter’s person as the nickname “Pocket Beagle” implies.

Beagle_02Their prowess as scent hounds have found the Beagle new employment in the modern day – they are used as ‘sniffer’ dogs for drug and contraband detection.

References to the Beagle appear before the 19th century in works by such writers as William Shakespeare, John Webster, John Dryden, Thomas Tickell, Henry Fielding and William Cowper, and in Alexander Pope’s translation of Homer’s Iliad.

Beagles appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons from the 1950s with the Peanuts character Snoopy (billed as the “the world’s most famous Beagle”), Odie from the comic strip Garfield, Walt Disney’s Beagle Boys and Beegle Beagle, the constant companion of Hanna-Barbera’s Grape Ape. Also as Gromit, from Wallace and Gromit.

They have appeared in numerous films, taking a central role in Cats and Dogs, and the title roles in the adaptation of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s book Shiloh and the live-action version of Underdog. They have played supporting roles in films including Audition, The Monster Squad Chungking Express and The Royal Tenenbaums, and on television in Star Trek: Enterprise and The Wonder Years.

Bagel, one of Barry Manilow’s two Beagles, appeared on several of his album covers. Former US President Lyndon Baines Johnson had several Beagles, and caused an outcry when he picked up one of them by its ears during an official greeting on the White House lawn.

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by Kenn Bell

Lost Dog Gathers Clues to Find its Family

September 29, 2009 in Adoption News, Lifestyle News, News

A truly heartwarming story.

– Kenn


Over the last 20 years, the Love Me Tender animal rescue in central Tennessee has rounded up more than 1,000 abandoned dogs. And although most are timid and untrusting, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports, one Rottweiler named Ella was notably different.

“I could just tell right away she was somebody’s baby. She just didn’t act like a stray dog to me,” said Kathy Wilkes-Myers, who found the dog a few months ago.

Ella was emaciated and drinking from a drainage ditch along an empty stretch of highway. Kathy says it’s typical for people to dump unwanted pets in the middle of nowhere – but again, the dog’s demeanor convinced her there was more to the story. So she did some detective work, and what she found is a heart-wrenching tale of unending loyalty.

“She was hoping her family could come back. But they couldn’t. They couldn’t come back. It just breaks your heart,” said Kathy.

Kathy found the first clues to this mystery – broken glass and tail lights – right near where she found the dog.

And just down from there, she found a second set of even more intriguing clues: personal items gathered up. By the dog, she assumed.

“It was like she was sleeping with them – or waiting with them,” Kathy said.

She took a picture with her cell phone and then gathered the items. They were mostly random, personal things – toothbrush, comb, razor, a candle that said Michelle, but nothing that would explain anything – although now, she did have a hunch.

Kathy remembered two weeks earlier she’d driven by an accident on the same stretch of highway. She remembered because it was such a horrible crash. A single car had flipped over and landed on the side of the road, at just about the same spot where she found the dog.

Based on what she saw that day, Kathy figured there was no way a person could have survived, but what about a dog? So she called the highway patrol.

“She gave me the mom’s name and the dad’s name and the mom’s name was Michelle. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is their dog,” she said.

Thrown from the car, rescue crews never saw the dog. She spent 13 days scavenging for food along the highway – and 13 nights bedding down with whatever she could find that smelled like her lost family.

“That’s the last spot she saw her family and she was going to stay there,” Kathy said.

Kathy figured it all out. But fortunately, she got one thing very wrong. Someone did survive the crash. In fact, all five family members survived.

“I’m lucky to be sitting here with my family,” said Joe Kelly, the family’s father.

After two weeks believing that their dog, Ella, had died, the family of Joe and Michelle Kelly got the most wonderful, slobbery surprise of their lives.

For the first time since the accident, the Kelly’s had a good reason to cry -all thanks to a dog who refused to forget her family – and the stranger who refused to take lost for answer.

Unfortunately, it was a bittersweet reunion because of the accident and the medical expenses, the Kelly family has had to temporarily relocate to a place that doesn’t allow dogs.

The good news is, Kathy has promised to hold onto Ella for as long as the Kelleys need to get back on their feet.

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by Kenn Bell

Cesar Millan’s Dog-Based Empire Adds Magazine

September 29, 2009 in Entertainment, News

cesarmillanBy SUE MANNING for The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – In Cesar Millan’s world, two groups most influence America: politicians and their dogs and Hollywood celebrities and their dogs.

“The rest of the population wants to do what they do,” he said.

So where does that leave Millan? Just about everywhere.

His National Geographic show “Dog Whisperer” is seen in more than 80 countries. He has three best-sellers and another book due out next month. He’s a frequent guest star on talk shows. You’d think that would be enough. Not for the leader of the pack.

Millan has added a magazine, Cesar’s Way, to his dog-driven empire. The first issue came out two weeks ago, with one more planned this year and six more next year. Millan dominates the cover, the stories – even many of the ads, but the 120-page debut issue is also chock-full of information.

There’s food that can kill your dog, including chocolate, onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, sugarless candy, gum, raw salmon, mushrooms and turkey skin. And types of people medicine you can give your dog, and tips for traveling, eating and playing.

Future issues will include why homeless people can walk dogs off leashes and why blind people have such well-behaved dogs.

The magazine is focused on how you and your dog can grow, leaning on Millan’s philosophy that incorporates instinct with emotion, the spirit and the intellect.

“I think it’s quicker to achieve connection with a dog than a human because humans think too much,” he said. “Balance is happiness, harmony, peace, love. There are endless opportunities to create whatever you want with whatever you have. Some people have lost that.”

Photos of celebrities and their pets are featured in a section called “L.A. Paw,” billed as a “K-9 court, where Cesar’s dogs unleash their catty side.” Four of Millan’s many dogs are judges who comment in photo captions.

“That’s one media-savvy teacup!” observes Daddy, Millan’s 15-year-old pit bull, on a photo of Paris Hilton with Chihuahua in hand.

In a section called Tips & Whispers, the magazine offers the yappiest apps for your iPhone and debunks some dog myths like this one: A wagging tail is a sign of a happy dog. Fact: Not necessarily. “A wagging tail can be a sign of affection. But it can also be a sign of competitive dominance.”

There are two-page color spreads of doggie portraits, and a “True Tails” section featuring a corporate attorney turned animal talent scout and a police officer who married his dog trainer.

Jada Pinkett Smith gushes in another article about how Millan helped her – pre-Will – to boost her self-confidence through the training of her dogs more than a dozen years ago.

“We spent a lot of time together in the mountains,” she said of her friend, in the magazine. “He helped me balance.”

Millan, who offers a lengthy explanation of the pack theory, usually has 30 to 50 dogs around his Los Angeles home. At the moment, his pack is down to 15, among them the ever-present Daddy. He won’t call Daddy his favorite “because it’s all about the pack with me.”

But this man and this dog have been together for 15 years, since before stardom.

“He’s pretty much helped me raise my two boys,” Millan said. “He’s kept me wise in my marriage.” If there’s a problem, Millan will ask: “What I am doing wrong, Daddy?”

Pit bulls clearly hold a special place in Millan’s heart. The magazine has a spread on some celebs who own one – Adam Brody, Jessica Alba, Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel.

The last page of the debut issue is a tribute to Daddy. Millan describes making him breakfast, kneading chopped beef with fresh herbs and boiled green beans chopped into thirds.

“Daddy is an old, old man now. He can’t do stairs anymore, and he’ll pretty much only eat his food if I prepare it,” Millan wrote. “I have never had a dog like Daddy. … I’ve been astounded by his intuition, consoled by his affection and awed by his silent empathy.”

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