A Luxury Vacation for Two – plus your dog — in L.A.

Our friends at http://www.DogVacay.com are giving one lucky winner a luxury vacation for two – plus the dog – in Los Angeles to meet the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan.

You and your dog will attend a meet-and-greet with Cesar Millan at his Dog Psychology Center. Then, your dog will stay for up to three nights for a fun-filled vacay with the Dog Psychology Center staff and guests while you a guest enjoy up to three nights at a luxury resort in nearby Santa Monica. The giveaway includes airfare for two and your dog, accommodations, rental car and a $400 VISA gift card for meals and incidentals.

Enter here by August 31, 2013 for your chance to win.

And hey, while you’e on the site, check out the great service that www.DogVacay.com offers.

Next time you need to board your dog, try boarding with a pre-screened, selected and insured host home instead of a boarding kennel.

Your dog will have individualized attention, play time with other dogs, and the care of a responsible dog owner like you (not a 13-year-old neighbor kid).You get 24-hour customer service, boarding insurance, daily photos from the host family, and rates start at $15 per night. Hosts are motivated to take good care of your dog because they want to earn extra money with additional doggies guests (great accountability). You can email the host before taking your dog over, if you have any questions. Your dog loves it because it’s personalized, in-home, cage-free boarding. You might even meet some new friends!

I’m going to check it out and try this next time I leave town. (Maybe I can find a host family with a pool.)

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In France, Locals Abandon Their Dogs When They Go on Vacation

This could be the worst sentence you'll read all day: Before they head off on summer vacations, many French people dump their dogs at shelters before they leave. It's a despicable practice, but before you get outraged, think a moment: How many abandoned dogs do you think there are? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands?

How about more than 100,000? Every summer. Now you can get outraged. 

An NPR article reports that the practice of abandoning pets before summer vacations is common across Europe, though France is among the worst offenders, with Italy and Spain close by. 

It seems to be part of the culture, despite campaigns by animal rights groups. Every year, the French SPCA runs a program to educate and inform the public through posters and social media. One poster features a dog and the line, "Animals can't cry, they just suffer in silence. Don't leave your pet this year."

It seems that some people in France -- many people in France, actually -- just don't care about dogs. According to Claire Brissard, who runs Society for the Prevention of Cruelty in Chamarande, many people don't even think they are doing anything wrong.

"So we make them come with us to put the dogs in the cages themselves," Brissard told NPR. "And when they see the stress of the animal they're leaving behind, at least they're not proud of what they're doing. And we hope that keeps them from doing it again."

Anne-Claire Chauvancy, of the Foundation for the Assistance of Animals, says that the education campaign has been so widespread that it has lost its impact.

"Everyone knows abandoning your dog is cruel, and he'll probably starve or get hit by a car," she told NPR. "This campaign has become almost banal and just seems to mark the beginning of summer."

Clearly, a new campaign is needed. The idea that more 100,000 dogs are handed off to shelters so their owners can relax is nearly impossible to for us to understand, especially because France is perceived as dog-friendly country (at least in the restaurants and cafes). France, with 61 million domestic animals, has the most pet ownership in Europe, and nearly half of all household have a pet, reports NPR.

David Chauvet of Animal Rights, a group that wants sales in retail pet stores halted until the shelters are empty, tries to explain: "The large majority of French are horrified by the thought of abandoning their pet," he told NPR. "But there are people with no scruples, much like child abusers."

More than 100,000 dogs, every year. That's a lot of people with no scruples.

Via NPR.

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Bo Obama on Summer Vacation

The First Dog, Bo, joined the Obama family on their summer vacation in Bar Harbor Maine last week. Bo visited several local attractions with the Obamas including Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, before returning to the White House on Sunday.

Credit: Yuri Gripas/Getty

Credit: Cliff Owen/AP

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