NYPD Rescues 47 Pit Bulls from Dogfighting Ring

They would have spent their lives being savagely injured by others of their own species. And those lives would have been brutally short -- ended early either by injuries sustained in those bouts with their would-be companions or by the human beings who trained them to kill or be killed. 

Nearly 50 Pit Bulls were rescued last week from a Bronx basement where they were allegedly being bred, trained, and sold for use in dog-fighting rings, according to the New York Post. 

NYPD officer with rescued Pit Bull pup. Photograph by Howard Simmons for the New York Daily News.

One man was arrested, and "police also seized a loaded .25-caliber handgun, 22 wooden cages, dog treadmills, harnesses, muzzles, syringes, and a shopping cart full of raw chicken parts," according to WABC in New York City.

The 47 rescued Pit Bulls range in age between one and five years "and had various injuries indicative of dog fighting," according to a police spokesperson. The basement in which the dogs were found was windowless, so no one outside could hear the dogs bark, howl, or cry. Located under a six-story apartment building, the basement was partly outfitted as an arena with room for 100 spectators.

As cops brought the dogs out one by one, "many were shaking and timid. Some were bone-thin. Others squinted once outside, never before having seen the light of day. All had sad expressions," reports the New York Daily News.

“It’s pretty horrific inside -- horrible conditions. I couldn’t even describe it,” said NYPD Deputy Inspector Anthony Favale, as quoted in the Daily News. “The dogs appear to be in various stages of abuse and injury.”

One of the rescued dogs. Photograph by Thomas E. Gaston for the New York Post.

Police arrested 57-year-old Raul Sanchez -- the building's superintendent -- last Thursday on six criminal counts involving animal fighting and cruelty.

A second suspect is being sought for allegedly breeding dogs for fighting purposes after "an extensive investigation" that began last October, when NYPD detectives began tracking the duo.

"Despite a few scars and visible wounds, all the dogs were responsive and in good condition before the ASPCA moved them to a local animal shelter," WABC reports. 

That's a relief. Let's hope these little survivors find loving homes. It's not a cinch, given all the prejudice against their breed. But maybe this case, which reveals the depths to which our species can sink, will at least raise awareness about the horrors of dogfighting.

Thanks as always, NYPD!

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Dog Backpack or Life Jacket: Which Would You Choose?

Hey, Jake here! You can enter to win a spiffy new dog backpack or life jacket by following the directions at the bottom of this post. But first you should read my article, because it's pretty awesome.

I love getting packages in the mail. Even when boxes that arrive aren't for me, it's fun to tear through the cardboard and get to the contents. Then Maria eventually comes back downstairs to retrieve the packages, and wow! The way she reacts, you'd think I'd done a leg lift on the Queen Mother. 

So imagine my excitement when three packages arrived in the last couple of weeks with my name on them. It was like it was Christmas, only without the "Jake! Did you eat the gingerbread house?!" kinds of comments I hear all season.

Using my handy, built-in box cutters, I made quick work of the cardboard. Maria realized that the items these companies sent me as a perk of my work for Dogster formed a theme: summertime fun. So she decided I would review them (a dog backpack, life jacket and flying saucer) to earn my keep. It's the least I can do to repay her for all the flip-flops I'll shred this summer.

We'll start with an item that looked pretty great from the get-go: An Outward Hound Pet Saver Life Jacket. This model is a nice chartreuse, and it's really well constructed, with a secure, wide body strap on the bottom, which closes with Velcro tabs. It's made extra secure by buckle straps. This puppy ain't falling off.

I can swim super well, but I do go on boats occasionally, since we have a sea captain in the family. Sometimes I get a little too excited, and people have to do everything they can to keep me from jumping into the drink. Maria said this would be a really handy item.

It looks so good on the Outward Hound catalog model. Check it out.

So Maria, my girl Laura, and I went to a nearby pond for my own model shots. They put it on me and then started laughing. I bet no one laughed at that gorgeous creature above. Check out the picture of Laura laughing so hard she was almost drooling.

Very funny, Laura. Yeah, verrry funny!

Wow, not exactly star treatment! I was a bit confused as to the source of their merriment. This life jacket is super comfortable. I walked around and didn't even notice it was on. Didn't seem funny to me at all. I was beginning to get vaguely annoyed at being the pond clown, as you can see.

What?? Whaaaat?

As I was standing there perplexed, Maria brought the camera close to my bulging chest and took a photo. Ha ha, very funny.

It seems I'm just so well-built that the giant black tummy/chest strap was not coming close to Velcro-ing shut. It's supposed to have significant overlap, but the two sides weren't even shaking hands. I'm just "special," Maria says. She had thrown out the packaging, so we don't know if it's a large or extra-large. I am hoping it isn't the latter, because I would feel a little portly if i can't even fit into an XL.

OK, embarrassing.

This little issue didn't stop me from trying it out in the pond. I can swim without a life vest just fine, so I knew it wasn't going to be a problem. Plus the dual buckle straps, when adjusted to their largest setting, fit around me and held it on super securely. I felt pretty great swimming in it, and I look pretty great, too, don't you think?

I give the Outward Hound life vest four paws up for its comfort, style, and quality construction. I think any dog who isn't a strong swimmer and is around pools or docks or on boats this summer should talk their people into getting one. Just make sure you measure his or her girth correctly when ordering. It's fine when June is busting out all over, but not so good when your chest and belly are ....

The next present I opened was another Outward Hound product. This time, it was an Excursion Dog Backpack (product page here). The first thing I noticed is that it was powder pink. A lot of people think I'm colorblind. I'm not. And a lot of people think I'm a girl. I'm not. The company must have seen one of my prettier pictures and sent this my way.

Initially I was embarrassed. I took a bite from a big yogurt container and tried to hide my face from the paparazzi.

Then I realized: Hey, I am a manly dog! I regularly wear a pastel floral collar, and it doesn't bother me at all. It just sort of makes my manliness shine out extra strong all around it. A pink dog backpack wasn't going to be a problem, either. Real men can wear pink backpacks! 

And I'm happy to tell you that it's another really comfortable, secure product. The torso straps are padded, so the thing didn't bug me at all. The pockets are roomy, and there's even a poop-bag dispenser. How many humans can say that about their backpacks?

The last product I tried out was a Kong Saucer flying disk. It's the usual Kong red rubber, and that alone gets me pretty excited. Maria threw it for me once, and the flight was perfect. When I caught it, it was delightfully gentle on my mouth.

I loved it. To death. Maria got distracted by a visitor, and I absconded with it. When she came looking 15 minutes later, the Kong Saucer was in 138 separate bits. Laura counted. Maria gave me the "OMG you did a leg lift on the Queen Mother" face again. (I warn her that her face is going to stick like that, but she pays no attention.)

Most normal dogs will really enjoy the Kong Saucer for its intended purpose. If your dog is normal and not "special" like me, go get one.

And now for how to enter the contest. It's easy, 'cause I'm a simple guy. Just leave a comment below saying if you'd like to win a doggy backpack or life jacket. We'll do a random drawing for a winner for each. Please leave your comment by Friday, June 15, at noon Pacific time. You must have a valid e-mail address attached to your Disqus account for commenting. If we draw your name, PetSmart, which is supplying the winners with their fun prizes, will contact you to find out your dog's size and your shipping info.

Good luck -- and have a great summer!

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What do Veterinarians Know About Canine Nutrition?

Dog owners are inundated by messages from advertisements, commercials, the Federal government and agricultural extension services to “consult your veterinarian” about the nutritional needs of our dogs. But what do veterinarians really know about canine nutrition?

I’ll tell you.

Thanks to the insight from a book, “Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food,” by Michael Fox B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., Elizabeth Hodgkins, D.V.M. and Marion Smart, D.V.M., Ph.D., I recently learned that during four years at vet school at a grueling rate, around 20 hours or less is devoted to nutrition. And even then, the nutrition information veterinarians receive has more to do with the medical  management of diseased and convalescent animals, and nutritional preventative medicine, than it does with feeding healthy dogs for longevity and good health.

So, if we’re only spending 20 hours on nutrition, and the information covered is widely spread and applied to so many types of animals, does vet school really prepare vets to know what  dogs should be eating?

It seems that most vets these days are “recommending” the food that large manufacturers educate them about via sales reps.  The manufacturers are not in the business of making dogs healthy; they’re in the business of making money. I don’t begrudge them this. I am a business owner, and I do it to make money. However, what makes the most money for pet food manufacturers is a product that is shelf-stable for months or years, is cheap to produce (which means using the cheapest ingredients), and is widely adopted by consumers in the marketplace. Raw beef is none of these things.

Here’s how you convince millions of dog owners to starve their dogs with nutritionally inappropriate food, and get them to keep feeding this food to their dogs even when the dogs become sick with allergies, digestive issues, bone and structural weaknesses, cancers and a whole array of skin and eye conditions:

Put the phrase “recommended by  veterinarians” on your packaging. The phrase is meaningless, does not need to be proved, and even if it was recommended by vets, vets are not canine nutritional experts anyway.Use words like “human-grade ingredients” on your packaging. This phrase is equally successful and equally meaningless, since as soon as any ingredient that enters a pet food plant is is considered unfit for human consumption and therefore cannot be called “human-grade.”Educate veterinarians. Send out an army of sales reps with slick brochures and lucrative sell-through contracts for your food.Tell consumers to “consult with your veterinarian” about what to feed their dogs. Because the veterinarians are selling your food. Do this through government agencies, public awareness campaigns, and “educational” materials pushed out to Federal, state and local agencies.Take advantage of consumer messages about what’s “healthy.” Convince humans to apply human dietary recommendations to their dogs. These include the concepts of vegetarian diets being better than meat-based diets, “balanced” ingredients rather than a majority of the diet being meat protein, and the appeal of nutriceuticals (using food as a drug to treat various ailments up to and including old age).When dogs come down with a variety of nutritional and immunological conditions, tell vets to recommend different commercial dog foods and supplements, rather than feeding a natural diet.Scare consumers about raw diets, raw meat, raw bones, and other foods critically essential to the canine diet. In the age of dental rinse, hand sanitizer and pop-up Lysol wipes, it’s easy to do; more than 700 products enjoy commercial success due to advertising their antimicrobial properties.Rename things. Dangerous coloring and flavoring agents sprayed onto grain-based kibble to make them look like “meat” can be called animal “byproducts” or “enhancers.”

As a culture, we have lost confidence in ourselves to make decisions for our healthcare, education, and a host of other areas, including our dogs’ nutrition. We are told at every turn to just do what the experts tell us to do. We relinquish our responsibilities to doctors, professors, veterinarians and others in positions of knowledge authority. However, these “experts” may not know what is best for us. We need to take back authority for making these decisions.

If we like a certain food because it has beef, rice, and broccoli, why not just feed our dogs beef, rice and broccoli? Why are we not questioning why commercial dog food NEEDS so much flavor enhancer, stabilizers, added nutrients, preservatives, antimicrobials, antifungals, emulsifiers, coloring agents … the list goes on. We look for the bag of food (that’s been sitting on the shelf for six months), hoping the first ingredient is beef or chicken. Not once does it occur to us how beef or chicken can sit on the shelf for six months.

So, repeat after me:

I am responsible for my dog’s health and his diet, not my veterinarian. I will find out what my dog needs, what types of foods deliver those nutrients, and how to serve it to him in a way that he gets the nutrition he needs. I will not rely on dog food companies to decide what I should feed my dog by using my vet to pressure me into buying their product.

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A Trucker and His Lost Pup Are Reunited in Missouri

Rambo might seem like too big and brave a name for a sweet little nine-month-old Yorkshire Terrier. But in the case of a dog who stood his ground and waited patiently after being left behind by his owner at a Missouri rest stop two weeks ago, it fits.

Rambo the left-behind Yorkie. Photograph by Dominic Genetti for the Hannibal Courier-Post.

Arkansas-based truck driver Michael Siau was driving through Missouri when he stopped at a rest area. After stretching his legs and visiting the restroom, he returned to his vehicle.

“Didn’t even cross my mind that [the dog] might jump out; he never has before,” Siau told the Hannibal Courier-Post. “I jumped back in the truck, put it in gear, and drove off. And I just thought he was in the back asleep.”

But he wasn't. Rambo had followed Siau out of the truck -- probably to perform his own version of visiting the restroom -- and had not yet returned when Siau unwittingly drove off without him.

But hey. If you were traveling with a fellow human -- say, your spouse or child -- and this person happened to be so small as to not be immediately visible in the vehicle after you'd left it for a few minutes, would you simply rev up and hit the road without confirming that he or she was there? Or would you assume, upon slipping back into your vehicle and not immediately seeing your companion, that he or she was hiding? Crouching deep in the recesses of the backseat, or on the floor? Wouldn't at least a basic verbal check -- "Hello?" -- be prudent?

Siau drove 170 miles before realizing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he had left Rambo behind. 

"He couldn’t turn the company truck he was driving around; his time would have been thrown off and he would’ve lost his job. The thought of not seeing Rambo again was devastating," the Courier-Post reports.

Siau isn't a mean guy. Last fall, he took several months off work to deal with his grief after Rambo's father, Ollie, was struck by a car and killed. Following in his father's pawprints, Rambo became Siau's new companion on road trips.

Michael Siau and Rambo. Photograph by Dominic Genetti for the Hannibal Courier-Post.

Upon realizing his error, "I was freaking out. I had to calm down and think about how he could have possibly gotten out. And it came to me that [the rest stop] was the only time that I could have got out and I wouldn’t have seen him. I was just sure he was there," Siau told the Courier-Post.

Siau called the police department nearest to the rest stop, then waited on pins and needles -- "in tears, sobbing" -- for two days. Sent to look for Rambo at the rest stop, Hannibal animal-control officer Tim Ledbetter found the Yorkie there, "sitting patiently." 

What timing! Ledbetter arrived just as a family that had stopped at the rest area was about to adopt the apparently lost puppy," the Post reports.

“In about 60 seconds, he would have been gone,” Ledbetter said.

Siau was reunited last Tuesday with Rambo, who was being cared for at an animal shelter.

When a shelter worker brought out the Yorkie, Rambo heard Siau's voice and "began to whimper, tremble and squirm. Once in Siau’s arms, Rambo climbed up his shoulder and began kissing the back of his neck."

“You’ve never been this excited,” Siau said.

Siau told the Post that he will "always make sure Rambo is on board."

Well, yeah -- now that his nearly disastrous forgetfulness has become national news!

Sources: Hannibal Courier-Post

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Alert System Texts When Your Dog Feels Threatened

To many folks, all dog barks may sound the same, but dogs have different barks for different purposes. The friendly bark that your dog greets you with is not the same bark as the rapid, high-pitched bark she may aim at the UPS guy or the passing motorcyclist. A low bark can mean an intruder or direct threat.

A new “dog alert” system developed in Israel is able to recognize when a dog feels threatened or is stressed by analyzing its bark, then sends an SMS to the pet owner’s mobile phone. It also sends an alert if the dog runs away (or is stolen) by tracking whether the dog has left a certain geographic area by means of a GPS system.

The company, Bio-Sense, uses a 1.5? x 3? sensor that analyzes the dog’s bark. The system, named Telidog, uses a combination of a bark analyzer, GPS chip, and movement/motion sensor. It will send a text message or place a voice call to the dog’s owner if it senses the dog is in danger or threatened. The owner signs in to the company’s website, where he can enter his mobile phone number and manage other specifics. If the dog ever leaves the pre-determined geographic area (your home and yard, or neighborhood, for example), you can go online to see where the dog is. So if you dog goes on an unauthorized walkabout (or is stolen from your yard), you don’t have to rely on strangers to scan a microchip or collar tag; you just sign in and see where he is.

HIGH ACCURACY

The technology behind Telidog has been tested with the Israeli Department of Homeland Security and the Israeli Defense Forces, along with hundreds of other sites. The detection algorithm has been found to be extremely accurate, with a very low rate of false alarms.

If you’re worried about what might happen to your dog while you’re at work all day, pair this technology with an Internet-based home camera system and put your mind at ease.

What do you think of this kind of technology?

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Could Caring for Dogs Help Panhandlers Turn Things Around in San Francisco?

In a city named after the patron saint of animals and once known as the mecca for hope-eyed flower children, San Francisco is taking a radically humane approach to its panhandling and pet overpopulation problems.

Matt Traywick, a formerly homeless man living in housing in the Tenderloin, carries Charlie home after a walk in the city. Photo by Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle.

The program has been dubbed WOOF -- Wonderful Opportunities for Occupants and Fidos -- and it hopes to help eradicate panhandling by pairing formerly homeless people with troubled dogs from shelters who desperately need handling, training, and good old-fashioned affection to help them find new homes. The human participants receive a weekly $50 to $75 stipend to look after the dogs -- and to cease begging for money in the streets.

Sound a little controversial? Hold your howling and hear me out.

Beginning in August, dogs who have demonstrated themselves to be ideal candidates will be placed with formerly homeless people (folks who have housing but can't seem to break their panhandling habit) who also demonstrate the potential to benefit from the program, and who have been screened and trained in caring for dogs. They will foster the dogs until permanent homes can be found for them.

The bichon mix named Charlie gives Traywick a sense of purpose and responsibility. Photo by Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle.

Since coming to live with Traywick, Charlie has become a much happier, healthier dog. Photo by Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle.

WOOF leads us to think: We know dogs are special, and we know dogs can and do change people's lives.

When yours truly first moved to San Francisco, experienced a bad breakup, struggled to find work, and realized how how hard it can be to make new friends, it proved to be quite a challenge. Several times I wanted to pack up all my things and return to Los Angeles. I eventually found part-time work as a dog-walker, and you know what? It was those wagging tails, smiling faces, and dependency on me that helped give me the stable footing to stand on my own here in a truly remarkable city. More than that, the dogs taught me how to accept myself -- even at my worst -- and to keep trying. I'm so grateful for my four-legged clients, and I know they've benefitted from my loving-but-stern hand on their leashes. I've seen wild, jumping puppies become elegant, mature dogs, and I believe the dogs have seen me go from someone alone in a new city to a confident, happy woman.

So, who knows? San Francisco has always been known as a radical location at the vanguard of progress. This cuteness correspondent is taking an optimistic cue from the canines, hoping that WOOF gets people and dogs to help themselves by helping each other.

Via SFGate

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Boxer Dog with Brain Tumor Gets a Second Chance

When Peyton, a sweet 8-year-old Boxer, experienced two seizures in a day, her family rushed her to the vet, where she experienced dozens more 10-second seizures. The vet suggested that Peyton's human caretakers, Rob and Renee Henderson, take the dog to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Purdue University immediately, because "there was definitely something neurological going on."

At the hospital, Peyton was sedated while they performed an MRI. That was a Friday. The results came back on Monday, and the Hendersons drove back to the university to receive the news in person -- it was that bad. They were informed that Peyton was suffering from a brain tumor and had only a month to live. Even with surgery, there were no guarantees. The Hendersons were devastated.

Things looked grim for Peyton when she began experiencing seizures. Photo by Jon L. Hendricks for The Times.

The following day, however, the family received a phone call from Timothy Bentley, the veterinary neurosurgeon at Purdue who had seen Peyton. He wanted to know whether the Hendersons were willing to let Peyton participate in their canine brain-tumor clinical trials program. The procedure included using a sample of her glioma tumor as a vaccine against it. Additionally, the expensive surgery and subsequent chemotherapy would be free.

The Hendersons are happy to have Peyton in their lives still. Photo by Jon L. Hendricks for The Times.

Peyton's participation will help not only other dogs, but humans who are suffering from gliomas and other brain tumors as well. 

Following surgery, Peyton lost vision in her right eye, but is otherwise doing well. She is no longer experiencing seizures, and Dr. Bentley calls her progress a complete success.

While the trials have yet to reach conclusive results, Peyton is certainly benefiting from them, and will go down in the annals of medicine as a humble canine companion who has proved how much we need dogs in our lives.

Following surgery, Peyton has to relearn a lot of her motor skills, just like a human who has experienced a stroke. Photo by Jon L. Hendricks for The Times.

Via NWI.com

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