What Kind of Guy Punches a Toy Poodle to Death?

Among my circle of friends back on the grade-school playground, the way to characterize any bad person was to say that he or she probably kicked dogs. 

"That new music teacher is so mean -- she probably kicks dogs."

"My Little League coach! What a jerk -- I bet he kicks dogs."

In our imaginations, kicking dogs was the ultimate cruel act. But even kicking has a somewhat detached aspect about it. Feet, after all, are way down there at the far end of the body and usually clad in shoes. Our young minds could not have even imagined the otherworldly horror of people punching dogs with their bare fists.

Ted Shuttleworth. Photograph courtesy of Gawker.

Yet a former Hollywood scriptwriter was arrested last weekend on suspicion of doing exactly that.

Ted Shuttleworth, a former scriptwriter for the TV series NYPD Blue, was arrested in New York City on Saturday. Authorities believe Shuttleworth killed his Toy Poodle, Lola, by punching her in the face.

Shuttleworth is accused of punching the tiny 5-year-old dog "after being annoyed by her while at his home in Queens," according to CelebrityCafe.

As the New York Post put it:

"A 230-pound, washed-up TV screenwriter took out his anger on his four-and-a-half-pound poodle — punching the pooch in the face so hard that it died from a brain injury, police said."

Small poodle by Shutterstock.com

The alleged assault took place on May 29. 

Shuttleworth, 51, formerly worked for Steven Spielberg. His NYPD Blue gig was the type that any writer would envy, and he also wrote an episode of the series Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family, according to IMDb. But Shuttleworth had fallen far down the status ladder lately, working as an administrative assistant at New York University and not writing scripts but reading other writers' scripts "for $300 a pop," according to the Post. 

After growing angry at the tiny dog that day, he is believe to have punched her in the face, sources say -- and then took her to a local veterinarian, "where her death raised suspicions. The hospital called the ASPCA, which took Lola’s remains for a necropsy."

Oddly, the former celebrity hobnobber who envisioned fictional scenarios involving New York City police was arrested a few days ago by the real NYPD.

He could face a year behind bars for the crime. 

“Lola sustained a traumatic brain injury secondary to the application of blunt force to the right side of her head at the hands of the suspect, her owner,” said ASPCA spokesman Joseph Pentangelo, as reported by the Post.

The alleged puncher's wife, Isadora Monk Shuttleworth, called it “a horrible accident," also according to the Post.

Hmm. An accident is when your hand knocks a pitcher off the shelf while you were trying to swat a mosquito. And conceivably you could punch someone in the face by accident -- say, if it was dark and you mistook the person for a burglar, or if the person leaped in front of your punching bag. But punching a dog square in the face by accident seems nearly impossible to do by accident.

Poor little Lola can't tell us her side of the story.

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Surf Dogs Break Guinness World Records in San Diego

We know it's not officially summer yet, but we are definitely feeling the dog days.

Over the weekend, dogs of many shapes, sizes, and pedigrees gathered in San Diego for the Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition. We sure hope the competitors brought their summer safety kits in addition to their longboards.

The competition, which raised money for the ASPCA, invited dogs to catch a wave and hang 20 out in the surf and sand.

With careful supervision from their human friends, more than 50 dogs competed in various categories. The scores were based on each dog's best two waves. In the small dogs heat, Australian Kelpie Abbie Girl took first place, with Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Torri taking second, and a German Shepherd mix named Kona taking third. In the big-dogs heat, a Golden Retriever named Ricochet took first, and the winning dog-and-human team was Russell Terrier Zoey and two-legged friends Scott and Tyler Chandler.

Prepping for the tandem surf event, dogs and humans gather around.

Little Bobby Gorgeous came all the way from Hawaii to cheer on the surf dogs!

Nani, a Bernese Mountain Dog, was one of the largest competitors present!

The event also saw a couple of Guinness World Records broken: most dogs riding on a surfboard at one time (17!), the most dogs riding on a surfboard with one human, and the most dogs riding a surfboard at one time with two humans.

Cowabunga, canines!

The dogs who made record-breaking history posing on their custom made board.

Via Huffington Post and Laughing Squid, images via the Surf Dog Comptetition Facebook page.

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Meet the World's Ugliest Dogs

You might be asking why a Cuteness Correspondent might be at the 2012 World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin County Fair in Petaluma, California. I was certainly asking myself this as I packed my camera and my notebook and set off on the hour-long drive from the city of San Francisco to the suburban farmlands of Petaluma. Grabbing my press pass and heading to the Kiwanis Stage, I wondered what would be in store. I claimed a perch among the camera crews (at my stunning 4'11", I never get in anyone's way), dialed in my camera settings, and waited as a crowd gathered on an overcast but comfortable day.

Looking back, I noticed the competitors' enclosure, crowded with humans and their ugly dogs. And that's when I got it.

Darling Daisy and her drooling, droopy tongue.

There's something about a flat-faced Pug with her tongue dangling helplessly from her mouth as she cuddles in her person's arms that is overwhelmingly endearing. It makes your heart inflate with warmth even as you might feel mildly repulsed.

For dogs, love is blind -- they don't care if we have a bad hair day, they don't care if our skin has broken out like a slice of pizza, and they definitely don't care if we haven't showered in a couple of days because a bout of depression has laid us out on the couch (in fact, they'll come lick the salty sweat right off of our faces). Though we're the ones with opposable thumbs, we are humbled by their capacity for unconditional love and devotion. And even with her massive drooping tongue, Daisy the Pug looked on to the people around her with an eagerness to please and adore.

Floppy-eared and arthritic Addison is adorable in her own way.

Hosted by pet psychic Sonya Fitzpatrick alongside a panel of judges, the dogs competed for a trophy, a $1,000 cash prize, a VIP (Very Important Pup) stay at the Petaluma Sheraton, a glamorous photo shoot with Nuena Photography, and a year's supply of Doggie Dollar$ dog cookies. That and bragging rights as the World's Ugliest Dog -- who wouldn't want that? In a world where everyone is clamoring for beauty and perfection, to be its ugliest is no small feat.

Sipan's got a face only a mother could love ... so that makes us all his mom.

The bow is a nice distraction from Josie's face -- just kidding!

A couple of the dogs brought entourages of supporters outfitted in t-shirts emblazoned with the mutts' mugs. Fan favorites, such as Icky and his human, Jon Alder, drew enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. When Peruvian Inca Orchid Sipan proudly addressed the audience with his elegant stance, we couldn't help but cry out in admiration.

Harley brought his entourage.

Icky and his human sport similar hairdos -- only one is intentional and the other is not.

Who ya callin' "ugly," huh?

Competing in two classes -- pedigrees and mutts -- a winner was decided on from each to go head to snout against each other for a $600 cash prize. The 2012 winner was then hedged against previous years' Ring of Champions to be declared the World's Ugliest Dog.

Reggie stole my heart with that patchy coat and lazy eye.

One of my favorites was Reggie, a mixed breed rescue whose patchy coat, dangling tongue, and bug eyes won my heart. The competition was ruff, with Chinese Crested and U.K.-based therapy dog Mugly winning the pedigree class and 10-year-old Mexican Hairless mix Creature earning the blue ribbon for the mutt category.

Mugly attempts to look dignified in his goofy attire.

Placed side by side, Mugly topped Creature for the 2012 title, and became overall champion against 2002 winner Rascal and 2010's reigning matriarch Princess Abby to become the World's Ugliest Dog. It was a British invasion of the gnarliest kind, but we all agreed that everyone at the contest was a winner even if they didn't take home a prize.

Long live Mugly, the Ugliest Dog in the World!

Creature's ugliness is definitely otherworldly.

The Ring of Champions from left to right: Princess Abby, Rascal, and Mugly.

Congrats to Mugly, who has to now figure out how to get those darn trophies home on the plane.

Photos by Liz Acosta Photography 

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Will Lennox the Dog Be Just Another BSL Statistic?

Lennox as a puppy. Photograph courtesy of the Barnes family.

Lennox has lost his last chance to escape a death sentence -- just because he looks like a Pit Bull.

A valiant worldwide campaign to save this dog's life has apparently failed, thanks to a court decision this week in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Because of breed-specific legislation, Pit Bulls are illegal in Northern Ireland. In May 2010, a 5-year-old American Bulldog-Labrador cross named Lennox was taken from his owners by the Belfast City Council and declared a "danger to the public" simply because he was a "Pit Bull-type dog." Lennox was then placed in a kennel, waiting to be euthanized.

His distraught owners mounted a campaign to save his life. Word spread around the world that Lennox had been microchipped, Safe Pet registered, and DNA registered, and that he was a protective companion to the family's disabled preteen daughter. Even though the DNA registry evinced no trace of Pit Bull in Lennox's ancestry, the death sentence was not removed.

Striving to save Lennox's life, owner Caroline Barnes said in court that the dog had never bitten anyone or misbehaved since being impounded, according to Irish Central.

"She says her dog was never given a chance."

On Tuesday, Barnes' legal team went before the Court of Appeal and three judges to make a final plea. But the judges remained firm, confirming yet again that Lennox will be put down.

Lennox. Photograph courtesy of the Barnes family.

"An expert dog handler, retained by the City Council, said Lennox had a severe personality defect, including having a problem with strangers. They added it would be impossible to tell what the dog might do under stress," Irish Central reports.

The court’s statement reads:

“The judge had heard evidence on the issues relating to this dog over a protracted two-day hearing, carefully considered the evidence and the issues, and he reached conclusions of fact which have not been vitiated by any error of law on his part.”

No date for Lennox's destruction has been released, nor will the Barnes family get a chance to see him again before his death, Irish Central reports. We at Dogster HQ think that's just plain cold considering all they have done to rally support around their dog over the past two years.

The following message was posted at the "Lennox Campaign" Facebook page:

"Lennox's family will release a statement in due course once they have had time to absorb today's ruling by Chief Justice Girvan. The family kindly ask all supporters to remain calm and dignified as always in their response to today's sad and very wrong decision by the Northern Ireland Chief Justice. Thank you."

Advocates for Lennox launched a petition on Tuesday. Titled "Boycott Belfast," the petition reads: 

"This page is to let Belfast know that animal lovers all over the world are angry and that we will not support them in any way -– EVER. We will never travel to their city –- some will even not come to the country, we will not endorse you in any way. Unless something is done to make this injustice right."

Editor's Note: When we first heard this story, we were hoping against hope for a happy ending for this dog who had done NOTHING wrong. He wasn't even the "breed" they were discriminating against! This is disappointing and disgusting, Northern Ireland, and we're crossing you off our places-to-see list.

Lennox, sweet boy, you won't be forgotten by many of us around the world soon. 

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Rescuing Rosie: A Heartbreaking Example of Backyard Breeding

When I first saw photos of Rosie -– with her needle-nose snout, devastatingly misaligned jaw and teeth, severely bowed legs, and pinky-purple skin with hardly a patch of fur -- I figured someone was having fun with Photoshop, morphing a pig and a rat and a dog and some other zany stuff together. It was a startling, even a bit disturbing, but I reasoned that she couldn’t be real.

Meet Rosie. The poor girl barely looks like a dog.

But as I’d come to find out, Rosie is very real -– a product of backyard breeding and animal hoarding. She may be shocking to look at, but inside she’s a beauty, full of love, intelligence, and an incredible will to live.

Rosie is one of 20 dogs pulled by rescuers from a house in Woodland Hills, Calif., last week. She is the worst of the group, which is saying something, because two other rescued Chihuahuas -– some form of sibling or half-sibling to Rosie -- have no front legs at all.

Dogster caught up with the woman who found the dogs and instigated the rescue, as well as Rosie’s new “mom.” We bring you their exclusive story.

Kate Hannah (name changed at her request) was walking her dogs around her neighborhood when she saw a sign reading “Chihuahuas for Free.”

Snowy had her puppies on Sunday. She has a foster, but need food and donations for medical costs.

She came back to tell the residents -- a woman in her sixties and her thirtysomething daughter -- why that was a bad idea. She explained to them about dogfighters who pounce on free or cheap dogs to use as bait dogs, and how dangerous it can be for animals to go to unscreened new homes and owners.

Rocky, age 5, is also looking for a long-term foster or adopter. This is what it says on his description. "Apparently his eye did pop out a few years ago." What?!

The women told her they had a menagerie of 20 or so tiny pooches they were trying to get rid of. They said the woman's grandmother started breeding them a few years back, and they “sort of kept things going” when she died a couple of years ago. They said it was more that they let it get out of control, since none of the dogs were spayed or neutered because they couldn’t afford it. So things happened, sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident -– sometimes probably between canine brother and sister, father and daughter or granddaughter, mother and son; you name it.

The hoarders told Hannah that local authorities were pushing them to leave the house before they were forced out through foreclosure. In desperation, they’d found homes for more than 20 dogs the previous week. They were delighted to report that one man had taken a whole litter of young pups -- but Hannah felt sick when she thought about their possible fate.

Merlin, another sad-looking soul. Hannah has been involved in rescue for years, and realized she had to get every dog out of there. She asked to see the dogs, and the women brought them out to the front yard one by one.

It may seem preposterous, but Hannah says the women seemed to genuinely care about the dogs, giving their names, telling about their personalities, and snuggling them like babies. She said that it isn't uncommon that hoarders love their animals, albeit in a highly irresponsible way.

The women said they wanted to make sure the dogs didn’t wind up in cages at shelters, because they were used to running free at home. They couldn’t bear thinking of the dogs perishing in cages, or, worse yet, being euthanized if no homes could be found.

The dogs were mostly Chihuahuas, and most had terrible flea problems. Some were underweight, but they seemed generally in good health.

Conner before his time at the groomer. It was later discovered that he is blind and deaf.

But there was Conner, a 13-year-old Bichon mix who was so badly matted that even his eyes were covered with fur. Hannah took him to a groomer later and had him shaved down. She later learned that he was both blind and deaf.

Two of the dogs the women showed her had been born without front legs -- not an uncommon trait in bad breeding practices. Still, they managed to move pretty well, even scooting quickly at times, and seemed in good spirits.

There was still one dog the women didn’t want to show Hannah. “You don’t want to see her,” she says they told her. But she insisted. “Prepare yourself,” they told her as they went inside to get the last dog.

Despite Hannah's long history of animal rescue, nothing could have prepared her for Rosie. “I was in a complete state of shock,” she says. “But I didn’t show it. I needed to get her out of there and didn’t want anything to prevent this.”

In addition to all the deformities described at the start of this article, Rosie’s bulging light-blue eyes have permanently dilated pupils, adding to her strange appearance, and probably causing her a great deal of discomfort in bright light. If you ever got your pupils dilated for an eye exam and left the doctor’s office without sunglasses, you’ll know the blinding, distorted sensation.

The orange gunk in her mouth is old kibble that turned super hard because it couldn't get past her upper snout thanks to her mouth deformity.

The hoarders said Rosie was in no pain and was able to get around pretty well, getting herself outside to go to the bathroom. Hannah didn’t see how this was possible, but she continued the pleasantries. The hoarders seemed very fond of Rosie, showering her with affection as they held her close for photographs. The older woman called her “Little Valentine,” since she was born on Feb 14, 2010.

Hannah learned that two other deformed dogs had been adopted out during the previous week, when the women were giving dogs to any taker. Some people prize odd-looking dogs. In fact, in Japan, dogs have routinely been inbred to create startling results. A New York Times article from 2006 stated that highly unusual small dogs can fetch as much as $8,600.

The blue merle coloring Rosie’s (in)breeders may or may not have been trying to get often comes with a slew of genetic defects. Puppies in these genetic experiments are often born so horribly deformed that they die right away or have to be killed by the breeder.

Hannah says the hoarders were proud to tell her that in their years of dealing with these dogs, not a single one –- old or young -- had died. If true, that’s a real odds-beater, since at least some dogs had genetic issues -- and as she found out, they all ate cheap kibble, never saw the vet, and didn’t really go outside the house.

There are no words. Hannah went home and hastily posted photos and descriptions online for her friends. She was heartened at how quickly rescues came forward to help. She had already decided not to get animal control involved, because of the high chance that many of these dogs would not be seen as adoptable and thus euthanized.

Over the next couple of days, her rescue friends visited the women's home as if they were just people, not rescue group representatives. And one by one, two by two -- and in one case, six by six -- the dogs started on the long road to forever homes. Every time the dogs were adopted out, the hoarders cried. “They were deeply grateful they were going to good people,” Hannah says.

Hannah was especially worried about Rosie and her deformed siblings and half-siblings. She lost sleep over them. But her co-rescuers knew event planner and animal rescuer Cinnamon Muhlbauer was a woman with a special place in her heart for the dogs many would consider unadoptable. They contacted her and held their breath.

When Muhlbauer saw the photos, she melted. She has a pig and two “wheelie” dogs (missing front legs but getting along well with carts), among other creatures, but had room in her heart and home for Rosie. She and her husband live in the Santa Monica Mountains on a 100-acre horse-rescue ranch in the Malibu area. She asked the ranch owners if they could temporarily take in Rosie’s two sibs, and brought Rosie home to live with her.

It’s only been a few days, but Rosie is already doing better. She's gaining weight, and coping with treatment for her terrible demodectic mange. She follows Muhlbauer everywhere with her eyes, even if her little body can’t take her where she needs to go.

As for being able to go to the bathroom outside, “It was an outright lie,” says Muhlbauer. “She can’t move more than a couple of feet on her own. She’s very clean, and will manage to get away from her bed to go to the bathroom, but it is so hard.” 

A look at Rosie from behind.

Rosie has a long, hard road ahead. She has so far received only a preliminary veterinary check and one shot, since doing too much at once could make her already-stressed immune system falter more. She’ll need X-rays, ongoing evaluation, possible physical therapy, more mange treatment, and lifelong help for her deformed jaw and teeth. She may need monthly non-anesthetic cleanings, since many of her lower teeth are loose, and it may be the only way for her to keep them.

Rosie has taught Muhlbauer a good trick: feeding her. Somehow the dog had survived on hard kibble, and she arrived with super-caked-in kibble cementing the roof of her mouth, back of her throat, and around her gums. Once that was cleaned up, it was easier for her to eat.

At first, Rosie ate by grazing high-quality soft food Muhlbauer gave her, kind of scooping it up. But while taking a video for Rosie’s Facebook page to show people how Rosie eats (“It’s one of the top questions I’ve been asked,” she says), Rosie didn’t like the camera so close, so Muhlbauer held up some food for her and Rosie snarfed it. Muhlbauer did it again, and the same thing happened.

Resting after her rescue.

Since then, Rosie has held out for hand feedings. The Facebook fans concerned that Rosie may be brain-damaged can rest easily now: She has trained her human in record time! Muhlbauer says when Rosie has gained weight (she is four-ish pounds and should be around six), she’ll wean her back to eating more independently.

Muhlbauer is livid about the condition of the dogs. “I don’t know how anyone could let her suffer and say that they love Rosie and she was their baby. How in your mind do see how that’s love? It’s like men who say, 'I love my wife but sometimes I have to hit her.'”

Even though she is in close contact with the hoarders –- they call frequently to check on Rosie -– she says part of her feels like “hauling off and slapping them.”

Most of the dogs from this covert rescue operation are in desperate need of foster or adoptive families, and all the rescue groups need funds to help defray medical expenses. The needs are piling up: One dog had puppies on Sunday. Another is nursing two-week-old pups. Your assistance can make a tremendous difference.

Rosie at the vet's office. She is tiny!

You can find information on all the dogs, the rescue groups, and their needs, at Help Still Needed CA Hoarder. Rosie’s Facebook page also has links. Rosie has received about $3,600 in donations, which go straight to the veterinarian for her medical fund. She and another rescuer, Shannon Keith, have a dream that songwriter and heavy-metal musician Glenn Danzig will somehow hear about what huge fans they are and what plights these dogs are in, and volunteer to do a fundraiser for all the dogs. If Danzig or any of his friends reads Dogster, who knows what may happen?

Muhlbauer says people who can’t afford to donate often ask what they can do. She urges them to check out their local backyard breeder laws, and to lobby for strong ones. “If Rosie’s suffering has one good side, it could be creating awareness of the dangers of this kind of breeding,” she says. “She is the poster child for this.”

Sarah Sypniewski, who created the CA Hoarder Facebook page, urges everyone to get involved. “Even though [these dogs] are now out of harm's way, we really need people's help to network, fundraise, foster, and adopt. These animals have survived hell. They have a chance at a new beginning. And now it's up to the rest of us to see them home -- literally.”

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Dogs Are Rapidly Replacing Children in Japan

Dogs are rapidly replacing children -- loved, pampered, spoiled -- in the lives of an increasing number of Japanese who opt out of having kids. 

A Tokyo eye surgeon whose two dogs have their own bedroom and sport jeweled sunglasses, chic shoes, and designer clothes -- Chanel, Dior, Hermès, Gucci -- is typical, according to the Guardian. 

English Bulldog puppy in glasses by Shutterstock.com

In Tokyo, "a poodle pullover can cost $250 or more. In many parts of Tokyo, it is easier to buy clothes for dogs than for children," the Guardian reports. Boutiques sell items including frou-frou frocks and designer jeans, and doggie diapers are big sellers as well. Japan's pet industry includes doggie hot-springs resorts, doggie yoga classes, and restaurants where dogs dine on organic meals.

The Guardian reports that Japan is now home to "many more pets than children. While the birthrate has been falling dramatically ... Japan has become a pet superpower. Official estimates put the pet population at 22 million or more, but there are only 16.6 million children under 15."

Japan's plummeting birthrate of only 1.39 children per woman is worrying many social critics in that country. Some warn that it presages lonely lives for seniors in a nation where the elderly have always -- until now -- been lovingly cared for in the homes of their own children and grandchildren. It also marks a sharp cultural change in a country that has traditionally cherished children, with several holidays throughout the year -- Boys' Day, Girls' Day, 3-5-7 Day -- designated to celebrate children and childhood. 

"It's good to have a dog if you don't have a baby, because it is quite fun to take care of him like a baby," a Dachshund owner in Tokyo told the Guardian. "In Japanese society, it's really hard for women to have a baby and keep a job ... so my girlfriend decided against having a baby, and that's why we have a dog instead."

Family-planning researcher Kunio Kitamara attributes his country's low birthrate to "less sex." According to the Guardian, Kitamara found that 32 percent of young men have come to dislike sex out of fear of rejection, and that 70 percent of unmarried women don't have boyfriends. 

Blewer Terrier in a toy car by Shutterstock.com

Fancy buggies are another hot item as owners want to save their precious pets the trouble of actually walking. 

At doggie hot-springs resorts, $100 buys a swimming lesson, bubble bath, aromatherapy massage, deep-pore cleansing, mud-packs, and more -- for a dog. The same price also buys a night in one of Tokyo's dog hotels, which bear no resemblance to kennels. 

When life ends, Japan has temples where, for about $8,000, dead dogs are cremated with full Buddhist rites.

A monk at a temple near Tokyo told the Guardian. that he sees people grieving more for deceased pets than family members.

Creepy -- or not? Love is love. But that Dachshund won't be around to feed his owner 40 years from now.

Source: The Guardian

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Tucker the Lab Sniffs Out Whale Poop: The Best Dog Job EVER

A lot of people think I have a great job. My "mom," for lack of a better word (I still remember my mom; she was furry and warm and smelly -- Maria is only one of those, but I won't tell you which one) writes a guidebook on great places to travel with dogs in California, and she often takes me along as her research assistant when checking out new places for updates.

But while we were perusing the Internet the other day, we came across a story about a dog who uses his nose for detection. Not unusual. Many working dogs do. Maria has even written about those guys in her latest book. Those soldier dogs sniff out bombs, and work in 120-degree heat with bullets flying at them. I wasn't envious. Not of those war dogs, anyway.

This detector dog is another story, though. He uses his nose to detect something utterly delectable. Something indescribably complex with odors that are positively intoxifying. This dog, a black Labrador named Tucker, sniffs out poop. Not just any poop, but whale poop -- that of orcas (killer whales), to be precise. And he does it in the name of science.

Really? REALLY? He does this for his living? Image: Jean Hyde via MSNBC

All I can say is lucky dog! He gets to hang out on boats in Washington state and British Columbia with cool people and sniff whale poop while the scent-tinged breeze makes his ears flap. And when he finds a scent, he's praised like he's just all that! AND he gets a ball or some mouth reward. Really? A job like this exists? They call that a working dog? I don't know why their headhunter didn't recommend me for it. Whatever.

Tucker was even thanked in a recent peer-reviewed study about the research. After acknowledging various humans, the authors wrote "Special thanks go to Tucker, the Conservation Canine, for his keen nose and assistance with non-invasive fecal sampling."

I have to admit that his nose really is quite good. He can detect whale scat a mile away, which means the scientists don't have to get too close to the whales to get samples. Because of this great distance, they can usually scoop the scat about 400 meters from the whales, leaving them relatively undisturbed. (Scat is a cool word for poop; I'm going to make Maria start using that instead of poop. "Do you have to go scat?" is so much less embarrassing if said in front of company, don't you think?)

The scat is analyzed for levels of various stress hormones to see if environmental factors like noise or availability of food have an effect on the whales. You can read more about all this business (so to speak) in an article at MSNBC/USNews.

Tucker was chosen for the job because he was obsessive about playing with balls. It's just like the dogs they choose for military dogs. They have to want that ball really badly in order to work hard for their paycheck. He quickly came to associate the scent of whale poop with a ball reward, and now he's just Mr. I Have the Best Job in the World and You Don't. I mean, look at him!

Ahoy, lucky dog! If you ever need someone to fill in while you go on vacation, call me! Oh wait, I forgot. Your life is ALREADY a vacation! (Image by Fred Felleman, via MSNBC)

Tucker wasn't always taken so seriously. Ha! Lead scientist Katherine Ayres has an amusing story about her first revelation of Tucker's job.

"When I told my parents that I was going to train dogs to track whale poop from the bow of a boat for my Ph.D. dissertation, they must have laughed for a good twenty minutes straight. When the initial laughter burst had subsided into giggles, sighs and the wiping of hilarity-induced tears from their eyes, I said, 'No really, that’s what I’m doing for my dissertation,' "she said in an article in Companion Animal Solutions.

Okay, I have to admit Tucker is a pretty good guy. We four-leggeds have to stick together. Tucker, you pretty much rock, actually. But old buddy, old pal, if you EVER have a break in your schedule, if you ever feel like hanging out on the couch and watching TV for a week, call me and I'll be up in a flash. My bags are packed. I'm waiting by the phone.

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The Painful Art of Saying "No"

More and more, dog rescue organizations have to turn down dogs. They say it's the economy, the "no-kill-shelter nation," the lack of foster homes, the increasingly older population. Whatever the cause, it's a heartbreaking reality.

Sad woman on phone by Shutterstock

We've heard this from numerous rescues, but never thought about what it must be like to be the person who has to turn down dogs people want to surrender. What must it be like to be a volunteer at a rescue group and have to say no, time after time?

Dogster spoke with Joani Ellis, shelter liaison for Florida Poodle Rescue, to find out more about the fine and crushing art of saying no. Sadly, she is an expert. Her group fields hundreds of calls a month from people wanting to give up their dogs. Old-dog surrenders are common where she is. They often happen when elderly owners can no longer take care of their beloved dogs, and no loved ones step up to take the dog into their own homes.

"Every rescue has these calls, by the hundreds. There is no mathematical algorithm to figure how hard it is to say no in rescue," she says. "Think of how difficult it must be to turn dogs away, again and again and again.

"These volunteers deserve a round of applause for being special enough to handle these rejections with class, grace, and style. But it takes its toll on them. Many cry, many get angry, many quit because of the pain it causes. It leaves a hole in your heart as a rescuer each time you have to say, 'I'm so sorry, we can't help.'"

I've been on the other end of the phone from one such volunteer. At the time, I didn't think what it must have been like for them, but looking back, it was probably just as hard as it was for me.

Franky (left) was a joy, but all rescues said "no." (Photo by Maria Goodavage) It happened 14 years ago, when my daughter, Laura, was a toddler. We had two dogs already, and one day I found a giant Rhodesian Ridgeback mix in the park. I looked around for his owner, and waited and waited, but no one came. He was super hungry. So with toddler in tow, I got the dog into the back of the station wagon with the other dogs and we went home.

I figured it would be a cinch to find this beautiful dog's owners, but he had no tags or microchip, and animal control had no "lost" reports that came close. I let animal control know we had him, and waited for a call from his happy owners. But the call never came. And meanwhile, the newly named and hyperenergetic Franky was getting into everything. He absconded with whole meals I set out on the counter. He knocked down Laura with his exuberance. And he wasn't always thoroughly housetrained.

After a week, my husband basically said, "It's me or the dog." He didn't mean it, of course, but I had to agree. As much as I really liked Franky, all I'd wanted to do was find his owner, not add him to the household. So I called various rescue groups, figuring he'd be a shoo-in.

But no one was taking big dogs. Or crazy dogs. Or not-quite-housetrained dogs. Or dogs with a little pit bull in them (which I didn't see, but others did). Especially the combination of the four. Some of the rescues that might have taken him in today (like Rocket Dog Rescue) didn't exist back then.

Our no-kill shelter turned Franky down for the same reasons, plus they saw it as "owner surrender." And I wouldn't turn him in to Animal Care and Control. I just couldn't. And each time I heard a "no," it seemed unreal. At the last place I called, I asked, "Do any rescues actually rescue?" I was still polite, if rather frustrated.

Liver retriever by Shutterstock

Ellis says that many people looking to surrender get irate because they don't understand why there's no room. They plead: "But you are a rescue, and you are not taking my dog/my mother's dog that we don't want."

Eventually we found a home for Franky on our own. He went to a wonderful couple who had no other dogs and no kids.

But if Franky had been an elderly dog, it might have been impossible to place him. As hard as it was to get him a home (it took more than a month, several broken plates and downed groceries, and a few accidental take-downs of my daughter), I don't want to think about what it would have been like if he were old, and needing medical care.

Rescuers try to explain the difficulties of placing a mature dog. But Ellis says they don't want to hear any metaphoric examples, such as "If you were looking to adopt a child, and we said, 'We have this great 70-year-old who needs a home, wears glasses, plays golf two times a week, makes a mean meatloaf, very clean and tidy,' that wouldn't cut it. No one looking for a child will want to adopt the 70-year-old."

"Many, many times the caller hangs up in frustration," she says. "Then the telephone/intake volunteer takes a deep breath, and it all starts over again.

Old Chihuahua by Shutterstock

Amy Howland, codirector of Dogma Pet Rescue, knows what Ellis's volunteers go through. "Every time we respond to people we can't help, it kills us to say no," she says. "What some do not understand that none of us got into dog rescue to say no to a dog in need, or to say no to a good person in a bad situation trying to do the best for their dog."

Rescues like these might be able to say yes more often if there were more foster homes to house these harder-to-place dogs. More donations for the hugely increased veterinary costs of elderly pets would also enable them to take in more dogs.

If you're inclined to help local, trusted rescue groups by fostering or making donations, some of the more desperate people on the other end of the phone may not have to hear "no" so often.

Have you been on either end of the phone in a situation like this? What was it like?

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Man Blames Dog for Starting a Fire He Started

We dogs get blamed for all kinds of things. Maria's been collecting stories for years about dogs taking the heat for murders, car accidents, and broken dishes.

It's easy to blame dogs. We can't talk. We can't say, "THAT jerk did it, not ME!" We just sit there mutely, trying to look as innocent as we usually are, but with the accusations of some liar tainting our otherwise unimpeachable character.

Labrador behind fence by Shutterstock

I bet the dog of a Western Pennsylvania man wishes he could kick his owner's tail for the doozy the dog got the blame for. I understand pointing the finger at the dog for flatulence, or even for eating the last few cookies from the package on the counter. But this guy blamed his dog for something big: starting a fire in his apartment.

According to CBS News, 58-year-old John Saparo pointed the finger at his dog for causing a blaze that wrecked his apartment. He told officials he was cleaning and had a bunch of fans going, and the dog walked by and tipped over a fan, causing a spark that led to the fire.

But Saparo didn't realize that fire investigators are very savvy. With what they find at the scene of a fire, they can often put together the real truth of how it started. Sometimes dogs are involved in the investigation. Trained dogs can sniff out fire accelerants. We dogs are so cool.

Since the investigation, the blame is off the innocent dog. Fire officials have accused Saparo of setting the blaze. The guy is even in jail now, waiting for a June 20 hearing.

And as much as his dog should be mad at him for the accusation, he's probably just waiting for his man to come home so he can greet him and snuggle up to him with all the unconditional love he can offer.

(Lab photo via Shutterstock)

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The Puppy Mill Song: A Catchy Tune with a Serious Message

Here at Dogster we believe that you can never denounce the evils of puppy mills enough. They are bad, no good, and wrong. We want them to go away forever.

In an effort to continue raising awareness about the deplorable conditions of puppy mills and encourage people to adopt their fur friends from shelters, the San Francisco SPCA has teamed up with the Jullien Brothers and BBDO San Francisco to create this charming and informative little video about why you shouldn't purchase puppies from puppy mills.

Beneath the video's cuteness lies a very serious message. While purchasing a dog online may seem fun and convenient, the truth is that most Internet puppies come from mills that don't give a damn about the welfare of their animals. Adult dogs are bred and bred and bred until they can no longer produce offspring, at which point they are callously destroyed. Their puppies are confined and overcrowded, exposed to the elements, malnourished, and dehydrated.

But while all of us Dogsters are well aware of the sinister puppy mill cycle, a lot of people just don't know the story behind the doggie in the browser window. Even in San Francisco -- a city committed to social awareness -- 30 percent of dogs purchased in the city came from puppy mills! For shame.

Do your part and help spread the word. It's as easy as showing someone this video.

Via Laughing Squid 

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Win a Collapsible Double-Feeder, Grippmat, and Doggie Travel Cup from Popware

We get a lot of things in the mail here at Dogster HQ, and only a small sample of them tip our cool-o-meter from "blah" into "seriously cool" territory. The items we recently tested from Popware for Pets are definitely in the cool (and pretty darn useful) camp, so we're thrilled to be giving some of them away. The giveaway details are at the base of this post, but before you scroll that way, here's a little about why these products snagged our eye.  

Dogster editor Janine digs the Collapsible Travel Cup with Bottle Holder

She says: For the past three years, I've been taking my dog's stainless steel bowls along for the ride when we go on day trips, so I'd been looking for a more portable alternative for a while. This collapsible travel cup snaps onto any bottle of water or belt loop, and I like that I can fill it up instead of subjecting Moxie to a grimy dog park fountain. Who uses those things, anyway?

The grippmat and double-elevated feeder from Popware.

Dogster editor Vicky digs the Single Elevated Feeder

She says: "My elderly cat, Miss Uppity Tibbs, finds it hard to bend over a normal feeding bowl. So now she doesn't have to hunch over like an arthritic vulture." 

We also liked the nonslip pet bowl Grippmatt, which keeps crumbs from rolling out onto the floor with its raised edges, and that every item in the pet collection is BPA-free.

We dig the collapsible, detachable cups.

Contest Time!

We're giving away the following from Popware for Pets to one Dogster Magazine reader: a Double Elevated Feeder, Pet Bowl Grippmat, and the Collapsible Travel Cup with Bottle Holder. To win, let us know the your preferred color (each product comes in pink, green and blue -- whoops, that's actually purple, our mistake!).

P.S. In order to be eligible for prizes, you must use your Disqus account to comment below. Creating a profile and avatar takes just a minute, and is a great way to participate in Dogster's community of people who are passionate about dogs.

We'll pick a random winner on Friday, June 22, at noon PST, and will notify you by e-mail (so please make sure you have a valid e-mail address associated with your Disqus account, or we won't be able to contact you!). 

Another look.

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Welcome Earth Animal to the Raise A Green Dog Partner Program!

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How One Great Dane Opened the Door for Battered Women

Dogs are amazing. We don't need to say it twice. They can sense our sadness and try to comfort us, they can help turn people's lives around, and they can make living with an illness much easier. Dogs and humans share a bond unlike any other relationship between people and animals. We've evolved to need each other -- it's a cosmic alliance that is centuries old.

It's this very bond that saved one woman from domestic violence and helped change the very rules of one women's shelter in Kansas City. Dubbed "Mackenzie" to protect her identity, the woman has her Great Dane, J. Matthew, to thank for where she is today -- a survivor who escaped an abusive monster.

"Mackenzie" can't show her face on camera in order to protect herself from her abuser.

Speaking bravely before an audience, Mackenzie described her painful experience, explaining, "When your life is being threatened and you're in that situation, you don't think. [You only want to] make it through the next blow. Make it through the next second. Make it through the next minute." It was during just such an incident that Mackenzie's boyfriend at the time hurled her right through a wall by her shirt. "Literally -- drywall, boards, nails -- to the other side."

J. Matthew risked his own life to save Mackenzie's.

Alerted to the commotion, J. Matthew rushed to Mackenzie's aid, lying on top of her to protect her from the continuing onslaught. Once the abuse subsided, Mackenzie was able to escape, but her boyfriend threw the dog off the porch, dragging him to a busy intersection and abandoning him there.

Afterward, and back with J. Matthew, Mackenzie was directed to a women's shelter called the Rose Brooks Center, where she learned her dog was not welcome. When Mackenzie insisted she would rather just leave town and stay at a rest stop than stay at the facility without J. Matthew, the Kansas City women's organization had a change of heart.

The Rose Brooks Center now welcomes women and their pets, and is building a fabulous new kennel to house the companions who are more than just pets, but family and support systems. With as many as 40 percent of battered women revealing that they don't leave abusive situations because they don't want to abandon beloved animal companions, the shelter's change of rules is one that can help save the lives of women like Mackenzie.

Rose Brooks Center CEO Susan Miller has no regrets about allowing dogs in the shelter.

Rose Brooks Center CEO Susan Miller doesn't regret the decision to banish the center's no-pet policy, saying, "It was just great to see the bonding they had ... the healing process they went through together. ... It really made us realize this was something we needed to do. We needed to provide this opportunity for women to bring their pets."

We're totally crying at our desks now, and we're not ashamed to admit it!

Via CBS News

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Pup Sales Boom for India’s One-Child Families

A recent news item in the Hindu Business Line reports that purebred puppy sales are booming in India, thanks in part to a growing trend among “educated” couples to have just one child. According to a news report from New Dheli in the Financial Times, more than 10 percent of Indian couples are opting for one child in a scramble to secure high-paying jobs and stockpile resources.

India’s Director of the Population Foundation, A.R. Nanda, says that the growing number of one-child families is “unanticipated,” and is leading to a “Little Emperor” syndrome in India as is seen in China. The number of Indian families opting for one child has doubled in the last 10 years.

Shailesh Omkar, a dog breeder in Mumai, says, “Dogs are not only effective stress busters, in single-child nuclear families, they often play the role of a companion.”

So let me get this straight … we’re having only one child because we want to maintain a certain lifestyle, and children interfere with that.  So we’re going to give the child a dog, rather than a sibling, to keep him company.

I love dogs, but it seems like priorities are getting flipped around over there in India. Is anyone else troubled about this trend?

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RIP Lucky the Maltese, Friend to A-List Stars

She hobnobbed with glitterati, her winsome brown eyes winning the hearts of the rich and famous. So it was with sorrow that her many famous friends learned that Lucky died this week.

Betty White, Wendy Diamond, and Lucky. Photograph courtesy of AnimalFair.

The rescued Maltese was about 15 years old when she succumbed to cancer of the spleen in her dog bed in New York City on Tuesday.

Last November, Guinness World Records named Lucky as "the animal photographed with the most famous people." At that point, her total was 363 -- a number that included Kanye West, Bill Clinton, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Biel, Jon Stewart, Dr. Phil, Buzz Aldrin, Richard Branson, Rosie O’Donnell, Dave Matthews, John Travolta, Barbara Walters, Sting, Cloris Leachman, Kelly Ripa, Hugh Hefner, Richard Belzer, and Al Roker.

Rescued by animal-rights campaigner, TV personality, and socialite Wendy Diamond in 1999, the fluffy pup suffered from separation anxiety. Not wanting to leave Lucky home alone, Diamond brought her to celebrity-studded events. There the dog won so many hearts that Diamond began building connections to raise money for charity. Woman and dog embarked together on animal-advocacy missions in Russia, Greece, and Mexico, according to the Daily Mail.

Ted Danson with Lucky. Photograph courtesy of AnimalFair.

"Lucky had no idea exactly how lucky her life would be," Diamond writes in an obituary at her website, AnimalFair. "Lucky promoted animal rescue and helped endangered species globally. Together [we] created a media mindshare where charity combined with celebrity raised public awareness about animal rescue and the need for adoption from shelters nationally and on the local level. ...

"In her constant quest to give back (and get some treats in return), Lucky served as the Chair-Dog for the Katrina Pet Memorial, Grand Marshal of Barkus, as well as the American Cancer Society’s Bark for Life, and hosted 1000s of fundraisers in her lifetime. She was the only civilian dog admitted into the United Nations, and inspired the White House Pet Correspondents Benefit, St Pawtricks, Yappy Hour, Paws For Style, Howloween events, all to promote animal rescue and welfare."

Diamond described her relationship with Lucky as characterized by "unconditional love, loyalty, and a genuine bond that happens when people and their pets live together and work together with mutual respect and harmony."

Lucky's last public appearance was as "chair dog" of the American Cancer Society's Bark for Life on May 6 in Manhattan's Riverside Park.

“She made me realize how lucky I am, no matter what transpired in my life,” Diamond said. “I’m beyond grateful for the outpouring of generosity and support from friends and strangers who know exactly how much Lucky meant to me.”

Lucky was set to be the bride in a six-figure dog "wedding" benefiting the Humane Society of New York in July. According to the New York Daily News, Diamond vows that the event will still take place, with another dog in Lucky's stead.

View the original article here