Friends and Family Use Social Media to Fight for Phineas the Dog's Life

The death-row Labrador, accused of biting a girl, went missing days before an appeal hearing.

Amber and Patrick Sanders have been fighting for 16 months to save their yellow Labrador, Phineas, from being euthanized. Mayor Gary Brown of Salem, Missouri, declared Phineas to be "vicious" after the dog was accused of biting 7-year-old Kendall Woolman in June 2012 while she was visiting for a play date. On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Sanders had a hearing before the Missouri Court of Appeals, and brought a dog-bite expert to testify that the teeth marks on the girl's skin couldn't have been made by a dog. The judge is expected to bring a verdict within a week, but the decision might be moot at this point: the Saturday before the long-awaited hearing, Phineas disappeared from the veterinary office where he was being held.

The question of whether Phineas lives or dies has brought up a lot of bad blood in the town of 5,000. There have been allegations of threats and abuse on both sides, and one woman was charged with third-degree assault and harassment for allegedly threatening Wayna Woolman, the mother of the girl who was bitten. Woolman told a local reporter, "My life and my family's life have been turned upside down because of threats from Phineas supporters." The mayor, who made the original decision to have Phineas put down as "vicious," also says he's been threatened. Patrick Sanders says that although his family hasn't been threatened, friends of theirs have.

Phineas has become a cause célebrè with dog lovers far beyond Missouri. He has his own website, Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a Change.org petition that has garnered 75,000 signatures. There is virtually no part of the social web that the Sanders family has not used to spread the word about their dog.

Jim Crosby, an expert on dog bites and canine aggression, testified that the bite marks left on the Woolman girl's skin were the wrong size and shape to have been made by Phineas. Crosby used a canine skull and jawbone to show how the long canines would have punctured the skin before the front teeth even made a mark.

The immediate assumption after Phineas disappeared was that his abductors killed him. Even the family's own lawyer, Joe Simon, told the press that "there's a 95 percent chance the dog is dead." However, on Saturday, Sanders family members announced on the Save Phineas Facebook page that they'd received a letter signed "Friend of Phineas," from someone claiming to have taken the dog. The letter is in part a manifesto about animal rights and vegetarianism. It concludes:

Help one friend like Phineas every chance you get.

Thanks for all you do for our fellow earthlings. And shame to the selfish.

If I were on death row I wouldn't want my fate in the hands of a judge. So Phineas is now safe and happy playing with friends.

More to come -- Friend of Phineas

Now on their second attempt to have the mayor's kill order overturned, the Sanders family is obviously hoping that the letter is genuine. However, there aren't any photos or other evidence of its authenticity, or at least none that have been made public. For now, all anyone can do is wait: not only for the court's decision, but also to find out whether someone has made that decision irrelevant.

Via: Fox2Now

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Poignant Road-Vigil Dog Gets to Go Home with Her Family Today

The video of one dog's loyalty to her dead friend slayed us, but at least she seems to have a home. Her poor companion so far is unclaimed.

The loyal Labrador retriever we wrote about yesterday who refused to leave the side of her dead fellow retriever on a busy roadway is heading home today. Worried family members had been looking for her since she disappeared the other day.

In fact, animal control workers say that as their dog was guarding her friend who'd been killed by a car, the family was searching for her at the very shelter where she later ended up.

Maggie would not leave her friend's side after he'd been struck by a car.

It's not clear why it took a couple more days for the family to officially claim her, but it probably had something to do with the shelter being closed for the remainder of the weekend, and the family having to supply proof of ownership. The dog will be returned today, pending inspection of the family's home. According to reports, she was extremely happy to see them Monday.

The dog, who rescue personnel named Grace, is actually named Maggie. She is two years old. She was not microchipped, and wore no identification. She also wasn't spayed, but veterinary staff at the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control shelter in Baldwin Park performed that surgery yesterday.

The family's name has not been released. Nor has the story of how Maggie got out. No one seems to know who her poor yellow Lab friend was, either.

In case you missed it, here is video of Maggie's poignant vigil, as taken by the good Samaritan who set up traffic cones to protect her and phoned animal authorities to help her.

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Hero Puppy Nudges Family Away From Potential Gas Explosion

Ollie, the hero

It was supposed to be a cozy evening at the Hyde family’s home earlier this month. Jason Hyde had turned on the gas in the gas-log fireplace in their Georgia home and the family started putting up Christmas decorations. Unbenowst to them, as they were decking the halls, the home was filling with highly flammable gas from the open gas line into the logs. No one had lit the fire.

With the gas pouring into the house, any spark could cause a tremendous explosion. And there was also a real risk of asphyxiation. No one realized what was going on. No one but a 6-month-old boxer named Ollie.

“He knew something we didn’t know,” Hyde said to an Atlanta TV station. “He sensed something wasn’t right.”

Hyde said Ollie arched his back and started nudging family members until they figured something was wrong and followed him outside. Only then did Hyde realize he’d left the gas on without lighting the fire.

How this puppy figured out something was amiss and that the family had to get away from the danger is anyone’s guess. And how a 6-month-old dog knew how to direct the family away from the potentially deadly area is even more unfathomable.

“He cared about us enough to get us out,” said Sheree Hyde. “He was not giving up until we all came outside. We loved him before and obviously we still do, but we thank God for such a smart dog.”

Jason Hyde agrees: “I just think it’s cool that God has made a creature, made a dog, as smart as this dog and I am glad to have him.”

What a great dog! How can any untrained dog – especially such a young dog – sense danger, and then do something about it? What do you think happened here, Dogsters?

(Source: PRWeb.com)

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Real-Life Aesop Fable: Dog and Rooster Team Up to Save Family

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Remember the Aesop fable about the dog and rooster who stuck together and ended up outwitting the wily fox, who wanted to have the rooster for dinner?

The fable played out in real life in Dover, Florida this week — only the fox’s role was played by a fire. Here’s the tale.

Once upon a time, not long ago, there was a rooster who slept by the freezer on his people’s porch. He liked the warmth from its motor. It felt like the early days in the nest with his brothers and sisters.

One night, something went terribly wrong in his cozy hideaway. Flames started shooting out of a corner where a broken fan stood. As the fire grew, the rooster began to crow, even though it was nowhere near dawn. Whether he crowed because he was scared or because he wanted to alert the family that had let him have a nice place to sleep no one will ever know, because he’s not talking.

But his crowing got the family dog, Buddy, interested in the goings-on, and Buddy took to barking. He barked louder than he ever had in his life. Whether it was because the rooster was crowing at such an odd hour or because he wanted to alert the family no one will ever know, because like the rooster, he’s also silent on the issue.

Their cacophony woke up various family members, who helped each other escape. There was a bed-ridden grandfather in a queen-sized hospital bed, and the fire was getting out of control. The apple of his eye, grandson Parker McIntosh, raced to the bed and pulled it out the back door with his grandfather still in it.

All six people escaped as the fire tore through the roof right above them, thanks to the unlikely team of a rooster and a dog (who are also safe). “I’m not sad about it at all because we’re all living,” said Brian McIntosh, who was smiling even though the family had no homeowners’ insurance.

The moral of this story is that by sticking together, great things can happen.

And as a postscript, that’s just what the community is doing for the McIntoshes, who have to start over because their home is lost. Friends, family, and church members are pitching in to lend a hand, and the Red Cross is helping them get emergency housing (by the looks of things, they’ll definitely be with Buddy, although their roosters may have to stay with neighbors).

We at Dogster wish them a happy ending.

Dog, rooster alert family to fire: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Source: My Fox Tampa Bay

By: Maria Goodavage
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Dogster for the Love of Dog Blog for December 9th, 2011 3 people have already commented. Add yours.
There are 3 CommentsAshley posted a comment on December 9th, 2011 at 5:34 am

What a wonderful outcome from a sad story. I am sorry that they lost their house at this time of the year, but I am glad to hear everyone involved is safe. It sounds like their community will take care of them.

Pepper's person posted a comment on December 9th, 2011 at 6:53 pm

Good job Rooster and Buddy! Way to go!

long beach clubbing posted a comment on December 9th, 2011 at 9:13 pm

OMG….the wreckage says it all. They really did a heroic job. Thank god they are unharmed.

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Family portrait day: Mother-daughter-daughter together

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Marines, motorcycles and the Family of Fur honor our own

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Standing in the warm sunshine of a San Diego County spring day yesterday, I thought of families: The families we’re born with, and the families we make ourselves. Yesterday, both kinds were much in evidence, as hundreds of people came to pay their final respects to Paul Palika, killed two weeks ago in a motorcycle accident on a rain-lashed California freeway. Paul, of course, was the husband of our Liz Palika, and I flew south to join our Kim Campbell Thornton, her dog Harper, and our Arden Moore at the service.

For Paul and Liz, the blood relatives were there, of course: Liz’s mom, siblings, Paul’s daughter. I’d never met any of them, but was not surprised to find I liked them all.

But more astonishing, really, was the response from the family we make.

Some of these families are forged in service and sacrifice, and such was the case with the many Marines and Navy veterans and active-duty service members who were there (Paul was a Marine veteran, and so is Liz). Some of these folks were also part of the other large group, the Patriot Guard, a motorcycle club that honors veterans. Guard members were not the only motorcyclists there, though: The line of riders coming in to the Kindred Spirits training yard was three miles long, with motorcycles ranging from powerful Harleys and BMWs all the way to Vespa scooters.

And then, of course, the family I came with: Dog-lovers.

Liz is a dog-trainer, and with her partners Petra and Kate she owns Kindred Spirits dog training. Many of the dogs at the service were owned by the training team, but many others came with those who’d come through the program and had Kindred Spirits to thank for their well-mannered companions.

A few other dogs were there as well, alongside neighbors and friends. Despite all the noise, people and dogs, Harper could not have been better, even though I’m pretty sure she was the smallest dog there and the crowd was so large that she was nearly stepped on a few times.

The Palika dogs seemed to know how many came for their family. This was especially true of Bashir, who was working his therapy dog magic on everyone.  And anyone who has ever doubted that dogs could grieve need only have spent a few minutes with Archer, Paul’s service dog, to be convinced otherwise. Archer was being protected by Kate, but clearly having a difficult time with his new circumstances. Heart-breaking.

The afternoon was life-affirming in a way I’ve never experienced before, and I can’t help but believe that Paul knew and was smiling.

There’s nothing more important than family, no matter how you make it.

Here is a beautiful newspaper article on Paul.

Consider making a donation to the Kindred Spirits 501(c)3 group to support the training of service dogs. Make checks out to Kindred Spirits Canine Education Center and send them to:

Terry Albert
14021 Earie Lane
Poway, CA 92064

(Top: The Patriot Guard brings Paul’s cremains into the service, courtesy of Kindred Spirits. Above: Memorial pin celebrating Paul and Archer, now on my travel bag.)

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Dog Rescued From Underneath Family Swimming Pool

Molly and family, and some of her kindly and diligent rescuers

Here’s another in our ongoing series about dogs who get stuck in the oddest places, and live to tell about it. Little Molly, from Dallas, followed her nose into a hole under the concrete deck around her family’s pool, and ended up getting trapped 15 feet later underneath the pool.

The fire department realized this was a job for Dallas Fire-Rescue’s Urban Search & Rescue Team 19. Using all kinds of specialized instruments and equipment, and a bit of patience, the men were able to extricate the little terrier from her scary underpool world. Until the hole is fixed (a landlord is involved), the family will let Molly in the yard area only on leash.

Great job, rescuers!! It’s always heartening to see stories like this, especially after some of the stories we’ve been dealing with lately.

Dog Freed from under Swimming Pool: MyFoxDFW.com

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Old Boxer Saves Family From Christmas Eve Fire

Roxy and her very grateful people, Margaret and Andrew MacDonald (Photo: The Cape Breton Post)

A Nova Scotia couple’s elderly boxer is being credited with saving their lives and those of their other three dogs after a fire broke out in their home on Christmas Eve.

“One of our dogs, the big boxer, she’s very old and she’s not well, so she doesn’t move too quickly … she just kinda popped up to her feet, which took me by surprise,” Margaret MacDonald told The Cape Breton Post. Roxy then trotted into the living room, where a fire had started around the Christmas tree.

“She was making sounds that I have never heard come out of her in all of her 15 years. She ran back out to my office and then grunted at me,” MacDonald said.  Roxy ran between the living room and MacDonald’s office making these sounds a few more times before MacDonald decided to take a look.

The entire corner of the living room was engulfed in flames by the time MacDonald saw what Roxy was trying to warn her about. She screamed to her husband, grabbed her purse and the dogs’ leashes, and the MacDonalds and their dogs ran to the back door. But the fire had created a sort of vacuum seal around the door. Her husband had to kick the door in order to open it.

“We’re lucky to be alive,” MacDonald said. “I think there was someone looking over us. I can tell you that because my husband told me when he looked back he saw a red fireball coming at him. Literally, coming through the hall.”

Perhaps she’s right. Maybe someone was looking after them that Christmas Eve — someone even beyond good old Roxy. The MacDonalds lost all their belongings in the fire except two. When they returned to what was left of their home on Sunday, they found two undamaged items: Two angel ornaments. They’re the only belongings that didn’t get scorched.

“How could they be there all in one piece?” an incredulous MacDonald asks.

She will surely be holding those angels — and a certain old boxer angel — very close for a long, long time.

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