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You are browsing the archive for 2011 March.

Stunning Dog Photography #33

March 26, 2011 in Dog Photography, News, Tragedy, World

!f you would like a chance to be spotlighted in a future Stunning Dog Photography Column, email photos that are at least 700 pixels wide right here! This is ONLY for incredible photgraphs, NOT snapshots. Please DO NOT send us photos that have watermarks. Make sure to provide us with your full name, town, state and your doggie’s name.

It’s always so much fun putting together the Stunning Dog Photography post using photos sent to us from the Dog Files Community. Keep those stunning photos coming and I hope to do more and more posts featuring your very own hounds!

Ella the Snow Dog

dog

Good dog!

Dog. Drums.

Dog days

dog

dog in swing

The rainbow dog 2

Suicidal dog

Dog Amid Blue Flowers

Mike L's Great Pyrenees dog Tavish - mikes-tavish-dog

Random snap of a dog

Check out Stunning Dog Photography #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28., #29. and #30.

Watch the video below to learn how to take better photos of your dogs!

Woman Dives Into Hudson River To Save Her Drowning Dog

March 24, 2011 in Dog Safety, Heroics, News

Wheaton Terrier

File photo of Wheaton Terrier

Boogie doesn’t usually like the water. But a gull flying over New York City’s Hudson River was just too good to resist.

“I saw her go down into the water and I went after her,” said Molly Pfeiffer, Boogie’s owner who jumped into the frigid waters of the Hudson River to save her beloved (and unleashed) Wheaton Terrier mix.

“The dog doesn’t swim, so I don’t know why she let her jump in—[Boogie’s] not good in the water,” Pfeiffer’s boyfriend Ryan O’Connell said.

“But [Boogie jumped]. And my girlfriend jumped in after her.”

Once in the water, Pfeiffer grabbed the canine and got him onto an algae-soaked piece of wood while she called out for help. Meanwhile, a Good Samaritan nearby called 911 while Pfeiffer pulled herself out of the murk and then called 911 herself (followed quickly by her boyfriend). Either way, the NYPD Harbor Unit arrived on the scene quickly and got the sopping wet dog out of the 40° water.

“She was freezing and panicked… I am furious with her. I don’t know what happened,” O’Connell explained before bringing Boogie home. Pfeiffer was taken to the hospital to be checked for signs of hypothermia before being sent on her way.

Meanwhile, it’s against the rules in New York City’s Hudson River Park to have your dogs off-leash outside of one of the three dog runs.

New Hampshire Dog Rescued After Living On Streets For Entire Year

March 24, 2011 in Dog Rescue, Dog Safety, Endangerment, Inspirational, News

Holly Mokrzecki with Gypsy Girl

Holly Mokrzecki with Gypsy Girl.

It sounds just like the plot out of a fairy tale. But the story is all too true.

Gypsy Girl, a Nashua, New Hampshire dog that was reported missing a year ago was found Friday living on the banks of the Merrimac, New Hampshire River with a group of feral cats.

Holly Mokrzecki, founder of the all volunteer Granite State Dog Recovery, said Gypsy Girl “was giving us kisses and wagging her tail” right after being rescued..

“It was almost like she was relieved that she was finally caught. She’s a wonderful, wonderful dog.”

Gypsy, a 3-year-old black Labrador mix originally from Alabama, was adopted by a New Hampshire family in March 2010. Shortly after she was adopted however, Gypsy slipped her collar and ran away.

“Her adoptive family did look for her for a while but finally gave up,” said Debi Vaughn, director of operations for the Human Society for Grater Nashua. She has been living without human contact in a wooded area of the city of Nashua ever since.”

A couple of weeks ago, we received a tip from Kitty Angels, a nonprofit group that cares for feral cats, about a dog living among cats near the riverbank,” says Mokrzecki.

The group, along with the help of the Humane Society for Greater Nashua, set up a kennel with food in it in the hopes of rescuing Gypsy. They also set up a camera to watch the dog’s comings and goings. They would stake out the kennel every night from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the hopes of catching her. But the sly dog eluded the group for 11 nights.

Finally on the 12th night, Granite State Dog Recovery enlisted the help of Steve Sprowl of the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Sprowl placed a spring trap with marrow bone in the kennel.

The bone proved to be the kind of bait Gypsy couldn’t resist. She was finally caught at 3 a.m. and taken to the Humane Society for Greater Nashua, where she is being treated for Lyme disease but is otherwise healthy and happy.

And since she was abandoned by her former family, Gypsy will be put up for adoption by the Humane Society in a few weeks.

“Gypsy is a sweet dog that loves people,” Vaughn says. “Her personality would fit anywhere, but since she is a bit of a flight risk, this will be a special adoption to a person or family who has experience with dogs, particularly dogs with a tendency to wander. But she will make a very sweet, very good pet.”

Dog Euthanized After Misunderstanding At Florida Animal Shelter

March 24, 2011 in Animal Control, Endangerment, Inhumane Practices, News, Tragedy

Denise Wilkinson

Denise Wilkinson's dog, Sunny.

I decided to post this because I thought it had important information that needed to get out there. My advice is to NEVER board your dog at a kill shelter. Don’t even think about it. This was a very foolish thing to do, but I feel bad for the owner.

– Kenn

It’s a misunderstanding that can never be fixed.

When Denise Wilkinson dropped off Sunny, her 118-pound Rottweiler-Mastiff mix at Florida’s Pinellas County Animal Services Shelter, she did it with the intent of having a temporary place for Sunny to stay until she could find him a new home.

When Wilkinson went to pick up Sunny the very next day however, she was told Sunny had been euthanized.

“I instantly cried,” Wilkinson said. “I was so upset.”

The problem it seems was Wilkinson’s misunderstanding of the shelter’s confusing language about surrendering animals, which stated: “Surrendered or lost animals will be held for seven days for an animal with an ID, four days without ID, to give owners a chance to claim their animal. After the holding period of seven days, the animal will be evaluated for temperament and adoptability.”

Senior Animal Control Officer John Hohenstern said Sunny was put down because he was deemed aggressive and caused concerns about the safety of shelter workers and was therefore, considered unadoptable.

Hohenstern also said Wilkinson had initialed a paper, which superseded the website, and stated that she understood that the surrender is unconditional and that “Pinellas County Animal Services makes no promise, actual or implied, regarding holding time, treatment, adoption or disposition of this animal.“

The same language was posted on the wall at Animal Services.

Now however, because of this tragedy, the language on the website has been changed to read: “There is no guaranteed holding period for an animal that is surrendered by its owner, or surrendered by the owner’s designated agent. Animal Services Veterinary staff will thoroughly examine the animal(s) as soon as deemed possible for health and temperament”. The site also reads that if the animal is deemed to be aggressive or severely ill, it will be humanely euthanized.

This tragedy brings to the forefront important lessons about leaving a pet at a shelter, including the need to closely read the shelter’s agreement and the dangers of using a shelter for boarding services, no matter how short.

Wilkinson said if the revised language had been on the website when she looked at it, she wouldn’t have taken Sunny there. She also hopes the change to the website’s language “saves another dog’s life.”

Alabama Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Dog Fighting

March 24, 2011 in Endangerment, Inhumane Practices, Law Enforcement, Legal News, News

On January 11,Terrance McNeil of Atmore, Alabama plead guilty to 27 counts of felony dog fighting charges.

Today Judge Bradley Byrne handed down McNeil’s sentence for dog fighting –10 years in prison.

McNeil’s troubles started back in June of 2008, when Atmore, Alabama police got a tip that led them to McNeil and his dog fighting “arena”. Once there, police found buckets of water for washing down the Pit Bulls prior to the fight, scales for weighing the dogs to verify fighting weight, fighting dog pedigrees and a gun with two bullets for the losers of the fights that night.

Police also seized two dogs still in crates and then arrested McNeil, Johnathon Stallworth and Patrice Marshall.

Then in September of 2008, police raided McNeil’s home this time in Autagua County, Alabama where they seized 20 dogs and 7 puppies. Police re-arrested McNeil and Marshall. They also arrested McNeil’s twin brother, Terrell, and Shantay Robinson.

All defendants now face 27 counts of felony dog fighting with each count carrying a potential sentence of one to ten years in prison and/or up to $15,000 fine. Stallworth and Marshall have not yet gone to trial.

Dog Pit

The Dog Pit where the dogs would fight.

Howard Stern Rants About People Who Abandon Their Pets

March 24, 2011 in Animal Control, Celebrity, Dog Safety, News

Howard Stern with wife and animal activist, Beth Ostrosky

Howard Stern with wife and animal activist, Beth Ostrosky

Once again, Howard Stern talks about what is on all our minds. Warning: Some Bad Language.

Dog Imitating Dog Imitating Baby Crying: Cute Video

March 24, 2011 in Fun Videos, News

It’s cute, short and very meta. What else can I say? Enjoy!

Miracle Dog Emerges From Burnt House One Month After Fire

March 24, 2011 in Dog Safety, Inspirational, News

An absolutely, incredible story of a little dog that survived for a month in a burnt out house before her owner found her. Enjoy!