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Warning To West Coast Pet Owners: Say NO to Potassium Iodide!

March 22, 2011 in Dog Safety, Health & Science News, News, World

Potassium Iodide

WARNING TO WEST COAST PET OWNERS: Do Not Give Potassium Iodide to Your Pets!

A UC Davis veterinary cancer researcher is advising pet owners residing in the West Coast of the United States who are fearing the possible movement of radioactive material from Japan’s damaged nuclear power plants, to not give their dogs, cats or other pets potassium iodide tablets.

“At this point there is no risk to pets in California stemming from radiation released from the tragedy that continues to unfold in Japan,” said Michael Kent, a faculty veterinarian who specializes in radiation cancer therapy.

“While potassium iodide might help protect dogs, cats and other pets, as it would people, from the risks of radiation exposure in the unlikely event that radioactive iodine reaches here in appreciable levels, giving it ahead of time carries risks and would be ill advised,” Kent said.

He cautioned that side effects for pets taking potassium iodide — especially if they consume too much — include severe allergic reactions; gastrointestinal upsets including vomiting, diarrhea and anorexia; decreased normal thyroid function; and damage to the heart.

At high enough levels, potassium iodide can even cause death.

Help Bam Bam, Loving Pup And Marines Guardian In Iraq, Come Home To America!

March 22, 2011 in Dog Files News, Heroics, Military, News, World

Marine With Bam Bam

This is a letter sent to The Puppy Rescue Mission from a Marines wife. They have a ChipIn Donation Widget for Bam Bam right here, plus other ways you can donate to help them with Bam Bam and other dogs.

Let’s help get Bam Bam home. He’s been protecting our boys and now it’s time we protect him.

– Kenn Bell

Bam Bam was taken in as a couple week old puppy when a local child abandoned him in the middle of the road, after unsuccessfully trying to sell him to people in the area. Not only was he in poor health but he also had physical injuries, including a large cut on his nose and other signs of potential abuse.

Marines took him in, though they didn’t think he was going to survive the next couple of days. They were able to slowly nurse him back to health through feeding him applesauce and powdered milk out of their MREs.

After a couple of months my husband began taking him out on patrols. He was surprised to see how quickly Bam Bam adapted to being outside of base as well as how protective he was of my husband’s squad. The area they are deployed to is notorious for having aggressive stray dogs that have tried to attack people before. Whenever they come in contact with these dogs, Bam Bam has taken on the role of being the barrier and the protector between the strays and the Marines. One of his tactics is to distract the dogs until the Marines have passed. He does this by attempting to play with them, and once the Marines are safe, Bam Bam will run ahead to continue in front of the guys and be on the lookout for any more potential dangers.

During night patrols, he’ll bark and alert the Marines if a person is approaching them. After “working” for such a long amount of the day/night, his carefree attitude comes into play when he runs off as they approach the base and comes back with some sort of stick, leaf, or “toy” as his treat for finishing his workday. If he’s feeling extra generous, he sometimes will find a bone and give it as a gift to my husband. He then spends the rest of time sleeping comfortably half-on and half-off of his chair or my husbands rack!

One day when they were doing vehicle searches for a few hours, Bam Bam began playing and running around with some friendly, local dogs. When it came time for the Marines to head back, he was no where to be found. Unfortunately for security reasons they weren’t able to spend time looking for him and had to head back to base. My husband was devastated and everyone was extremely upset. They were relieved in the middle of the night when everyone was awakened by Bam Bam barking outside the base wanting to be let it. He had walked the 3+ miles back to base all by himself!!!!!

One of the things that amazes the Marines is how carefree Bam Bam is. He doesn’t have the life of a normal dog and the conditions they stay in aren’t the best but Bam Bam never shows it. As long as he’s with his Marines, he’s happy and content. He is such a morale booster for everyone and he helps make the deployment a little easier.

Bam Bam is affectionate, playful, social and most of all loyal. This is why it’s hard for my husband to turn his back on his dog when Bam Bam needs him the most. No one will be taking over for my husband’s unit once their deployment is over. Bam Bam will be left to fend for himself once they leave. He will have no one to take care of him, love him or appreciate his personality. My husband will have to turn his back on him even though Bam Bam has always been there for him and knowing that this dog deserves so much better!

Patrol With Bam Bam

Moscow’s Wild Dogs Ride Subways To City Center In Search Of Food

March 21, 2011 in Environment, News, World

Moscow Dog Naps On Train 1

Each morning, like clockwork, they board the subway, off to begin their daily routine amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

But these aren’t just any daily commuters. These are stray dogs who live in the outskirts of Moscow Russia and commute on the underground trains to and from the city centre in search of food scraps.

Then after a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night.

Experts studying the dogs, who usually choose the quietest carriages at the front and back of the train, say they even work together to make sure they get off at the right stop – after learning to judge the length of time they need to spend on the train.

Scientists believe this phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, and Russia’s new capitalists moved industrial complexes from the city centre to the suburbs.

Dr Andrei Poiarkov, of the Moscow Ecology and Evolution Institute, said: “These complexes were used by homeless dogs as shelters, so the dogs had to move together with their houses. Because the best scavenging for food is in the city centre, the dogs had to learn how to travel on the subway – to get to the centre in the morning, then back home in the evening, just like people.”

Dr Poiarkov told how the dogs like to play during their daily commute. He said: “They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails getting jammed. They do it for fun. And sometimes they fall asleep and get off at the wrong stop.”

The dogs have also amazingly learned to use traffic lights to cross the road safely, said Dr Poiarkov. And they use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow.

With children the dogs “play cute” by putting their heads on youngsters’ knees and staring pleadingly into their eyes to win sympathy – and scraps.

Dr Poiarkov added: “Dogs are surprisingly good psychologists.”

By Elaine Furst For Dog Files

Dog Naps On Moscow Train 2

Japanese Dog Video Stirs Controversy

March 21, 2011 in Animal Control, Dog Rescue, News, Tragedy, World

It was one of the more stirring videos of the devastation in Japan.

Two injured dogs are found by a reporter in the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. One dog is seen severely injured and lying down. The other is moving around, agitated and appearing to be protecting the more injured one. Headlines accompanying the video stated: “Loyal dog won’t leave injured friend.”

Several days later CNN and other news outlets reported the happy news that the dogs were rescued.

Now however, a firestorm has erupted over whether that’s even true.

Global Animal, a popular site for animal lovers, questions the accuracy of a Facebook user who claims to have rescued the canines.

Kenn Sakurai, the owner of a dog food supply company in Japan, has been posting on Facebook that he rescued the dogs, and Sakurai has been accepting money from grateful animal lovers wanting to help the dogs.

Global Animal recently interviewed Sakurai after he initially turned down several of their interview requests but thus far however, he has no photographic proof of the dogs.

Now Global Animal does not appear to be convinced that Sakurai or anyone associated with him actually rescued the dogs or that they are still alive.

No other rescue organization in Japan can account for the dogs, either.

So now, the sad mystery continues. The video remains haunting.

By Elaine Furst For Dog Files

Stunning Dog Photography #32: Dogs Of Japan

March 19, 2011 in Dog Photography, News, Tragedy, World

!f you would like a chance to be spotlighted in a future Stunning Dog Photography Column, email a 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!

APTOPIX Japan Earthquake
Two elderly Japanese women and a pet dog pass by a ship that washed into their neighborhood by the tsunami as they try to make their way to search for their destroyed home in the leveled city of Kesennuma, in northeastern Japan, Thursday March 17, 2011 (above). AP Photo/David Guttenfelder

A man holding a dog walks on a street in Kesennuma city,
A man holding a dog walks on a street in Kesennuma city (above). Photo by Loco Steve.


A woman with her pet dog and belongings pauses on the way from her devastated home in the same city (above). AP Photo, Yomiuri Shimbun


Rescue workers pull a small dog from rubble in the wake of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami (above). Associated Press.


A woman shares her food with her dog at an evacuation center for pets and their owners near an area devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in Kesennuma, north Japan March 17, 2011 (above). REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon


A woman comforts her dog during an aftershock at an evacuation center for pets and their owners near an area devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in Kesennuma, north of Japan March 17, 2011 (above). REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon


A man walks with a dog across a residential area devastated by Friday’s earthquake-triggered tsunami in Rikuzentakada, Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, Sunday, March 13, 2011 (above). AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi


A woman holds her dog as they are scanned for radiation at a temporary scanning center for residents living close to the quake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant Wednesday, March 16, 2011, in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (above). AP Photo/Gregory Bull


A man holds his dog as they wait to be scanned for radiation exposure at a temporary scanning center for residents living close to the quake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant Wednesday, March 16, 2011, in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (above). AP Photo/Gregory Bull


A woman and her son eat food as her dogs sit around them at an evacuation center for pets and their owners near an area devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in Kesennuma, north Japan March 17, 2011 (above). REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

110313-F-BW907-266
United States Agency for International Development search and rescue dogs along with their handlers arrived at Misawa Air Base, Japan (above). U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Marie Brown

Base personnel in Misawa draw blood from VA search & rescue unit dog.
Staff Sgt. Travis Lausier, right, and Spc. Jason Hayes, both assigned to the Japan District Veterinary Command, Misawa Branch, draw blood from Lago; while his handler, Tim Dinges, comforts him (above). U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Daniel Sanford/Released

Rescuers working under the snow
Members of Switzerland’s Rescue team and their dog search in debris in Minamisanriku / March 16, 2011 (above). SKH/Michael Fichter

Search dog
One of six Virginia Task Force 1 dogs being deployed on search and rescue efforts in Japan (above). Photo courtesy of Fairfax County

JAPAN-QUAKE-BRITAIN-AID
US rescue workers and their dog search a house for survivors in Ofunato while conducting operations in the devastated city on March 15, 2011 (above). AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM


Korean rescue team members handling search dogs prepare to depart Gimpo Airport in Seoul March 12, 2011 (above). REUTERS/Kim Ju-Sung/YONHAP


A Swiss rescue worker with her dog Betsy waits to depart for Japan, at the Swiss Air Rescue base in Kloten March 12, 2011 (above). REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

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!

Which Dog Is Guilty? Cute Video

March 18, 2011 in Fun Videos, News

We’ve all had this happen to us before. Watch as the man determines which dog is guilty.

Dr. Phil Bites Back Against Dog Bite Lawsuit

March 18, 2011 in Celebrity, Legal News, News

Dr. Phil dog bite lawsuit

It’s enough to send Dr. Phil to the therapist’s couch.

TV therapist and Oprah BFF, Dr. Phil McGraw is fighting back against a negligence lawsuit that claims his dog allegedly attacked and injured a former best friend.

In the court documents filed by his legal team, Dr. Phil’s attorneys are demanding that the lawsuit, filed February 2 by Janet Harris, be dismissed because it’s in violation of an agreement to arbitrate any disputes.

Harris claims she was brutally mauled by Dr. Phil and wife Robin McGraw’s dog, Maggie, a purebred Korean Jindo, at their Beverly Hills mansion without warning or provocation in late 2009. Her lawsuit seeks compensation for medical treatment costs, general damages, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering.?
“Dr. Phil’s response to the complaint exhibits his arrogance which is consistent with the unconscionable manner in which he’s treated Janet Harris since the day she was bitten by Maggie,” says Larry Nagelberg, a founding partner of Nagelberg Bernard Law Group who is representing Harris.

Harris was frequently featured on Dr. Phil’s talk show as a skin care specialist and became a close confidant of the McGraws. Her lawsuit contends that she traveled with the McGraws for business and pleasure, and also spent holidays with them.

But all of that changed when Harris visited the McGraw’s Beverly Hills home in late 2009 and Maggie, their Korean Jindo, allegedly attacked Harris.

Harris states in her filing that the dog bit her right hand and arm so hard she bled.

According to the complaint, Robin McGraw offered to take Harris to the hospital, but Dr. Phil instructed his wife not to because it would create “unnecessary” bad press and he wanted to handle it privately.

In lieu of seeking medical treatment at a hospital, Harris was prescribed antibiotics by a physician through a nurse friend, but the next day her arm became swollen, the documents state.

The lawsuit claims that after getting a Tetanus shot, Harris was forced to take IV antibiotics and had to see an infectious disease specialist who diagnosed her with pastuerella multocida — a disease caused by an animal bite.

Harris says in her lawsuit that the dog bite injury caused the infection and that it would have been fatal if she had not been placed on antibiotics within 72 hours. The lawsuit further states that her medical conditions hindered her ability to work and she was subsequently evicted and forced to close her Beverly Hills clinic.

What Happens When A Seeing Eye Dog Goes Blind?

March 18, 2011 in Inspirational, News, Service Dogs

Opal and Edward Seeing Eye Dogs

It’s something that any dog owner dreads–the vision loss of their beloved pet. But for Graham Waspe of Stowmarket, England, his dog Edward’s vision loss was especially traumatic.

You see, Edward is Waspe’s seeing eye dog.

After six years of loyal service, Edward, an 8-year old Yellow Labrador, was diagnosed with inoperable cataracts and had to have his eyes removed.

Waspe, 60, who lost one eye and has partial sight in the other, was devastated for his longtime canine companion.

“If it was a person or a child you could at least explain to them what was going to happen,” Waspe said.

“In the case of an animal, of course, you can’t, so we found that side of it very traumatic”

Waspe’s wife Sandra said the couple “cried and cried” once they learned that Edward would have to undergo surgery.

However, this story does have a happy ending.

Enter Opal, another Yellow Labrador trained as a guide dog, who is now not only Waspe’s new seeing eye dog but also Edward’s loyal companion.

“They’ve become quite good friends and get on happily together,” said Waspe. “There are certain times I’m sure where Opal will help and Edward is happier by having another dog around.”

And Edward seemed to cope better than his owners anticipated – the commands of “left” and “right” he learned to guide Waspe proved handy in helping him adjust to life without sight.

“He’s just the same old Edward, except I have to say sometimes ‘Mind your head Edward,’” Sandra said.

The couple plans to return the loyalty Edward showed them.

“We just wouldn’t want to leave him,” Graham Waspe said.

They plan to care for the pooch “until the day that either we go or he goes.”

By Elaine Furst For Dog Files