Dog Saves Family From Burning Home

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From The Sydney Morning Herald

A family pet has been credited with saving his owners from their burning home.

The dog started barking to rouse the family from their slumber as smoke billowed through their Launceston home around 2am (AEST) on Wednesday.

The parents tried to put out the fire, which had spread from embers in an open fireplace, and then ran out into the street to call for help.

Firefighters contained the blaze to the living room around the fireplace with minor smoke damage to the rest of the home.

Paul Catterall of the Tasmania Fire Service says the house was fitted with a smoke alarm but it had a flat battery.

If it wasn’t for the family pet, an Australian silky terrier, the situation could have escalated to a far more serious situation, he said.

He reminded homeowners to check all batteries on their smoke alarms.

The fire caused around $5000 in damages.

Washington Township, NJ, Police Rescues Elderly Dog From 6-Foot-Deep Ditch

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By Vanesse Vera Roman for dailyrecord.com

WASHINGTON TWP. —Robert Lackey really loves animals. Dogs are his favorite animal, horses his second favorite, he said. He’s minded his neighbors’ cat while they’ve been away, and he’s taken care of his great nephew’s black lab, Charlie, too.

This week, Lackey, 80 — who splits his time between an apartment in New York City and his home in Washington Township — was dog sitting 14-year-old Charlie when things took an unexpected and somewhat frightening turn.

On Monday morning, Lackey was cleaning up after Charlie outdoors when he turned around and realized the dog was gone.

He looked a bit further and found that Charlie, a heavy dog with a bad back, had fallen into a 6-foot deep streambed along the side of Sand Hill Road.

There was only about an inch of water in the stream but the deep banks are steep. Unable to get the dog out himself, Lackey called police.

Shortly after 10:30 a.m., Washington Township Police Officer John Wurtemberg responded to the scene, got into the ditch, and was able to hoist the dog out and return it to Lackey.

Charlie was dirty because of the heavy rain and mud, but, Lackey said, the dog is now home resting comfortably.

“Thank God for the Washington Township Police Department,” Lackey said. “They’re there when you need them.”

Happiness Is Adopting An Older Dog

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By Hints From Heloise for The Washington Post

With the economy still in the dumps, dogs are being given up all across the country, so if you are looking to bring one into your home, visit a shelter.

While some dogs may be older, they just might make great pets. Older pooches have many benefits: Most are already house-trained, and they are full-grown, so no guessing if they are going to get bigger! Depending on age and breed, they can be less active and are usually more relaxed. They just may fit into your household without a lot of fuss.

If you already have a dog or two, the new addition will usually figure out the pecking order — unlike a puppy, which may want to run the place and be Alpha Dog.

When you bring your dog home from a shelter:

– Try to be with your new dog as much as possible on the first day or two to help ease it into its new environment.

– Get everyone in the family on board with behavior and training.

– Establish a routine for eating and exercise. Give your dog time to adjust.

– Let your dog develop a sleeping pattern and find its own place to sleep, or make a safe and cozy spot with a special towel, blanket or pillow.

– Give it lots of positive reinforcement. Make your new dog feel safe and loved in its new home.

Fireman Dog Killer Jailed On Probation Violation

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Categories: Endangerment, Law Enforcement, Legal News, News

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More proof that dog killers and abusers are already law breakers or will continue to break the law.

– Kenn

By John Futty for The Columbus Dispatch

A former Columbus firefighter who served a 90-day jail sentence last year for killing his dogs to avoid boarding them was sent back to jail yesterday for violating his probation.

David P. Santuomo, 44, of Fall Water Court on the Northwest Side, will spend 30 days in jail after Franklin County Municipal Judge Harland H. Hale found that he hasn’t complied with most of the terms of his probation.

“My intention is to get your attention,” Hale told Santuomo.

Santuomo pleaded guilty in June 2009 to two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of a criminal tool for taping a 2-liter plastic bottle to a rifle as a makeshift silencer and shooting his two dogs in his basement. Investigators said he killed the dogs so that he didn’t have to pay to board them while he vacationed with his girlfriend.

Hale sentenced Santuomo to 18 months in jail and suspended all but 90 days if he complied with his probation.

Assistant County Prosecutor Heather Robinson said Santuomo has yet to make a payment toward the $4,500 in restitution that Hale ordered and has performed only eight of the 200 hours of community service imposed by the judge.

She said he also hasn’t sought treatment ordered for emotional and alcohol-abuse problems. Although he was ordered by the judge not to drink, Santuomo was charged Aug. 6 with drunken driving, Municipal Court records show.

Santuomo said he has been unemployed since he was fired from his firefighting job after the conviction and is behind on rent and child-support payments.

“It feels like I’ve gone from crisis to crisis,” he told the judge.

Defense attorney Sam Shamansky conceded that his client “has been less than an ideal probationer” and has “some serious psychiatric issues.”

Hale warned Santuomo that future probation violations could send him to jail for the remainder of the 18-month sentence.

“There is a point at which you can push me past the brink,” Hale told him. “This is your last chance with me.”

Dog Eats Entire Beehive, Wins Award

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By Jill Rosen for Baltimore Sun

It’s not often a dog is rewarded for her silliness.

Except of course with the annual Hambone Award, bestowed by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. The firm solicits stories of pets with extremely unusual insurance claims. People then vote on their favorite wacky story.

This year nearly 3,000 folks went to the polls and chose the story of Ellie: A California labrador that gorged on a beehive.

Here’s Ellie’s story, as told by VPI:

Robert Coe and his wife Sandra of Santee, Calif., thought they had seen the last of the bees buzzing around their home after exterminators sprayed a hive in their yard. That is until later that night when Sandra noticed the family’s 1-year-old Labrador retriever wasn’t acting like herself.

“My wife saw Ellie throw up several times,” said Robert. “There were hundreds of dead bees in each pile.”

Unbeknownst to the Coes, Ellie had discovered and eaten the beehive after the exterminators had left. Frightened by the volume of dead bees Ellie was vomiting, Sandra decided the dog needed to go to the veterinary hospital

The emergency veterinarian on duty examined Ellie and determined she had most likely only ingested dead bees and hadn’t been stung. Additionally, Poison Control indicated the pesticide did not pose a significant risk of toxicity. After a dose of anti-nausea medication and a few hours of observation, Ellie was on her way back home.

For the next week, the Coes administered over-the-counter antacid tablets and put Ellie on a diet of plain white rice and chicken. “She was eating better than we were,” joked Robert. “She acted just fine that week, really, but every time she went to the bathroom, she pooped bees. Thousands of bees. I don’t know where they all came from – the hive wasn’t that large.”

As Hambone winner, Ellie’s owners, Robert and Sandra Coe, get a bronze trophy in the shape of a ham and a basket of doggie toys and treats.

A Girl And Her Best Friend: Video

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Two Surrender In Theft Of Dogs From Hernando Shelter

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By Logan Neill for Tampabay.com

Brooksville, Florida — Two Brooksville men thought to be suspects in the theft last week of five dogs from the Humane Society of the Nature Coast were arrested over the weekend.

According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Juan Claudio, 26, surrendered to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday. The other suspect, Jose Navarro, 20, turned himself in to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday. Both are charged with commercial burglary.

According to a Sheriff’s Office report, deputies following up on a tip discovered two of the puppies in the 16000 block of Fullington Road and then began a neighborhood search looking for the other stolen dogs.

When a woman answered the door at 16161 Fullington Road, a deputy noticed a small brown dachshund that matched the description of one of the stolen dogs. Deputies learned from the woman, identified as Jennifer Kores, that her husband, Juan Claudio, and his cousin, Jose Navarro, brought four dogs home late Wednesday, but did not tell her where they had gotten them from.

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Can Dogs Save Us From Bedbug Scourge?

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From The Wall Street Journal

The march of the bedbugs goes on, leading to increasing demand for bug-sniffing dogs.

Bedbugs conquered the Empire State Building last week. “Like so many other buildings in New York City, the Empire State Building had a small occurrence specific to a uniform storage area in the basement of the building,” a spokesman for the iconic skyscraper said in a statement. “The area has been fully cleared.”

Bedbugs have also found their way into several movie theaters around the city. The AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 had a report of a bedbug bite on July 30 and, according to a company spokesman, the theater was immediately shut down for treatment. But that incident prompted the chain to inspect each of its locations in Manhattan. The company found bedbugs on “two of the 4,700 seats” at the Midtown AMC Empire 25 on Aug. 3, according to a spokesman.

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Canine Lifeguards Doggie Paddle To The Rescue In Italy

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Categories: Heroics, News, Working Dogs

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The Associated Press

They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy’s popular beaches.

For these canine lifeguards, the doggie paddle does just fine.

Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy’s corps of canine lifeguards are deployed each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue.

These “lifedogs” wear a harness or tow a buoy that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore, and unlike their human counterparts, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.

With millions flocking to Italy’s crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year — and their canine helpers are credited with saving several lives.

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Call For Action Over Dog Ownership In United Kingdom

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Categories: Dog Safety, Lifestyle News, News

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The Associated Press

Animal charities and leading trade unions joined forces to call on the Government to improve laws on dog ownership in a bid to offer more protection to members of the public and workers, as well as the animals.

A coalition of 20 groups issued a statement demanding action against irresponsible dog owners, arguing that current legislation was “inadequate”.

The statement, sent to Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and acting leader of the Opposition Harriet Harman, said: “We believe that irresponsible dog ownership, whether it is allowing dogs to stray, be dangerously out of control or indiscriminately breeding them, causes significant problems for the safety and welfare of both humans and animals. Current legislation is proving inadequate in many cases to ensure sufficient protection.”

“We believe that both the provision of sufficient resources at a local level for local authorities and the police, and updated and consolidated legislation that has a genuine preventative effect, are needed to address this problem.

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No Parole For Alabama Dog Torturer; Victim Wags Tail

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By Bob Johnson for The Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A scarred but friendly pit bull named “Louis Vuitton” was the star witness Tuesday as an Alabama state board denied parole for the man convicted of spraying him with lighter fluid, setting him on fire and beating him with a shovel.

After the 8-year-old dog was led into the packed hearing room, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 3-0 to deny early release to 23-year-old Juan Daniels of Montgomery, who was sentenced in 2009 to nine years and six months in prison, a record in Alabama in an animal cruelty case.

Daniels, whose supporters said he had been sentenced far more harshly than criminals who harm human beings, will be eligible for parole again in July 2012.

The dog stuck his head forward for everyone who wanted to pet him as he entered. He bears burn scars from his head to his wagging tail, including white lines on his brown body where the burning lighter fluid seared his skin.

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New Illinois Law To Require History Of Dogs, Cats Before They Are Sold

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Gov. Pat Quinn on Sunday signed a bill into law that will require pet stores, animal shelters and control facilities to disclose important information, including health history and name of breeder, before selling dogs or cats.

“This new law will make sure consumers have all the necessary information before buying a pet,” Quinn said. “Pet owners have a right to know where an animal was bred and if there are any past medical issues to help them make an informed decision.”

House Bill 5772 requires pet stores, animal shelters and control facilities to disclose certain consumer information on or near the animal’s cage, according to a release from the governor’s office. Consumers must also receive a copy of the information prior to purchase.

Pet shops, animal shelters and controls will be required to disclose the following information prior to sale: retail price, including adoption fees or other charges; breed, age, date of birth, sex and color of the dog or cat; details of vaccinations and health history; name, address and identification number of the breeder; and any known diseases or other health conditions (applies to animal shelters and controls only).

Currently, pet stores are required to disclose this information when it is requested by the consumer. However, the law does not specify when the information must be disclosed. As a result, many pet stores do not disclose information until after the sale is final.

The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, D-9th, of Evanston, and Rep. Susana Mendoza, D-1st of Chicago, and takes effect Jan. 1, 2011.

“There are too many stories of Illinois consumers buying a puppy from a pet store only to find out that the dog came from a puppy mill and it has substantial physical and emotional issues. This bill is about giving consumers information about a pet before they buy a dog or cat,” Mendoza said. “Consumers … will no longer have to guess about where the puppy in the window came from, or what medical issues the puppy has.”

— STM