It starts today! This afternoon at 1 pm Central Time, if you head over to the Petco at 19507 I-45 North in Spring, Texas, near Houston, you can meet Dr. Becker, Gina, McKenzie (the Official Tour Dog), and check out a seriously tricked out bus. Isn’t that snazzy? Tough to miss on the highway. Or a parking lot. Or really, anywhere.
Houston is just the first leg of the 29-city tour across the continental U.S. to support the release of “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual.” Are they coming to a metropolis near you? The tour schedule is here. Every other important detail you need is at DrMartyBecker.com.
The Big Bus Tour (we’ve just taken to calling it BBT) will do a huge loop of the country, finishing in Dallas in June. Over the next few months, you’ll be hearing from Gina and Dr. Becker here at Pet Connection, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. You should definitely follow the three of them wherever you can on social media.
I’m especially interested in McKenzie‘s take on how things are going on the tour. After all, a flat coated retriever’s perspective isn’t like yours or mine, right? Check her out on Facebook. After today, the bus tour heads to the Petco in New Orleans, then invades Florida before heading up the eastern seaboard.
And if you are in the Houston area and can’t make the event for some incomprehensible reason, tune into KTRK13-TV (local ABC affiliate) — they’ll be there with a live report!
Can a Tibetan Terrier can help cure Parkinson’s? A genetic mutation that signals the early onset of dementia in Tibetan Terriers has the same marker in people, leading to Parkinson’s Disease. That big clue came from research at the University of Missouri.
The disease in Tibetian Terriers is called adult-onset neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (NCL). Within the dogs’ cells in the brain and eye, material that should be “recycled” builds up and interferes with nerve cell function. Due to this buildup, around the age of five years old, the dog begins to exhibit dementia, impaired visual behavior, loss of coordination, and shows unwarranted aggression.
NCL ultimately took the life of Topper, a Tibetian Terrier owned by Lynn Steinhaus of Columbia. Steinhaus said Topper showed increased shyness around age five, and showed a loss of muscle control later. Topper also suffered seizures before he was euthanized in July of 2009. Topper’s DNA was used to further the study.
Now that the genetic marker has been targeted in Tibetan Terriers, dogs with the abnormality can be identified. Next up, Parkinson’s in people. Thanks to Phyllis DeGioia for the link.
Chinese dogs saved from dinner: In China, it’s not unusual for dogs to be consumed by humans. Dogs (and even cats) are considered delicacies. That makes this story from Time Magazine more remarkable. A truckload was saved by activists who would not be denied.
[H]undreds of dogs were on their way to Chinese restaurants when a suspicious driver swerved his car in front of the truck to stop it. He then alerted activists on his microblog, who gathered 200 strong around the truck. They rendered the vehicle immobile, jamming traffic on the highway.
After a long standoff right outside Beijing, an animal activist group managed to free the dogs by purchasing them for 115,000 yuan ($17,600). Conflicting reports differ on the number of dogs involved, but the Global Times has placed the number as high as 520.
As animal lovers in China become more organized, we could see more incidents like this.
Daytona Beach approves MSN: In a worrisome development, Daytona Beach, Fla. passed a new ordinance requiring pet owners to spay or neuter the their pets. Not just “should,” but “must.” Mandatory spay neuter legislation doesn’t work, as KC Dog Blog showed so eloquently. We’ve been saying it here for years, but Daytona Beach will have to learn the lesson themselves.
Maine’s gone to the dogs, ayuh. The great state of Maine, home of Acadia National Park and the world’s best lobster rolls (trust me, I know whereof I speak), now has a First Dog. Meet Baxter! As they say Downeast, he’s “Finest Kind.”
The face of local rescue: Mary Cvetan sent me this link from the Indiana Gazette, introducing Crystal Collins-Johnson. Starfish to the Sea, Crystal’s rescue organization, is the perfect example of how to make a difference. One at a time is all it takes.
French fertilizer: I can personally testify that although the good people of France love their dogs, oh yes they do, cleaning up after their pets is not always at the top of the priority list. As SFGate reports, there’s a plan in place to address the problem by turning it into valuable fertilizer. Thanks to Susan Fox for the link.
Shoe shopping suggestions: Full disclosure: fashionable shoes are not in my personal sphere of expertise, so feel free to offer your opinions on these creations, called “Miao.” They’re from Kobi-Levi Footwear Design, an Israeli company. I think they’re, well, unique. Not my style, but could they be yours?
Corgi in the ring! I’m almost positive that obedience isn’t supposed to look like this YouTube clip, but maybe the rules are different for Corgis. Thanks to Jill Gibbs for the wonderful clip.
Simon’s Cat returns: Can’t get enough of Simon’s Cat? Me neither. Here’s the latest, Easter style.
I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.
Photo credits: Big Bus, Gina Spadafori. Miao, Kobi-Levi.
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