National Dog Bite Prevention Week

Today, May 20th, is the start of National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Actually, this should be every day of every week. Most people don't read dog body language well, if at all. Never look a dog, especially one you don't know, in the eye, never loom over a dog. Don't rush up to any dog and hug him. These are simple, basic rules that so many people ignore. Hold your closed hand with your knuckles up and allow the dog to sniff after you've asked the owner's permission. Look away from the dog, let him make the approach after sniffing your knuckles, then you can gently begin to stroke him under the chin. Never bring your hand down on the dog's head to pat him. Children are noisy, move fast and dogs don't understand what they could have done to initiate that sort of behavior from a little human. Supervise all children around dogs. Babies crying can sound like a wounded animal to a dog, children can scare a dog, or poke it and hurt it and the dog has no choice but to clamp down in pain. Whose fault is this? Yours and the child's if you weren't watching carefully enough. It's foolish to leave a dog and child alone together. It's also irresponsible. Don't even think about doing it. Your dog isn't a babysitter and your dog isn't Lassie. Even Lassie has a trainer on the set giving signals behind the camera. If a loose dog runs up to you, freeze. Stand where you are, let the dog sniff and move on. A little common sense will go a long way in preventing dog bites.

Kari Winters' Cats Are Safe!

Kari Winters was an award winning pet writer and animal welfare activist who died mysteriously. At long last, her surviving cats are finally safe. They are in a loving foster home and will be placed with people Kari would want to have them.

When Kari died, her housekeeper took her dog and four cats. This person refused to give them to Kari’s family, despite being ordered to by the probate judge. One of the cats and the dog died, and Kari’s friends were upset and confused and not sure what to do. Finally, a reporter, Joline Gutierrez Krueger, for the Albuquerque Journal, took the story and investigated it. Three columns and a follow-up have moved officials to reopen the case. If you have any information that might shed light on how Kari Winters died, please contact Detective Medrano at (505) 768-2300.

Due to pressure from Kari’s friends across the country, in Canada, and in the United Kingdom, Kari’s four surviving cats were removed from the housekeeper’s home and placed in a safe home far away. Profound thanks go to American Airlines, with special thanks to Susan Baker, Manager, in New Mexico, who took charge of the four cats and flew them to safety, the Albuquerque Animal Services Department and their magnificent team of veterinarians and a wonderful foster in New Mexico who kept and loved Kari’s cats until they could be flown out of the State to another treasured Foster. From there, they will be placed in loving homes to peacefully live out the rest of their lives. We would also like to thank the Rio Rancho Animal Shelter who kept the cats overnight until they could be turned over to Albuquerque Animal Services. Individual names, as well as their current residence, have been deliberately left out for the safety of the cats and the people who have been, and are currently involved in this tremendous act of love, caring and generosity. We are extremely grateful.

Please cross post this, post it on your blog, and let your friends know about it. We have reason to rejoice: Kari’s cats are safe. We have reason to mourn: she, one dog, and one cat are dead. We must continue to press for a full investigation of what happened to her.

The Albuquerque Journal articles can be viewed here:

http://www.abqjournal.com/upfront/05231069334upfront03-05-10.htm Part 1

http://www.abqjournal.com/upfront/080711989upfront03-08-10.htm Part 2

http://www.abqjournal.com/upfront/122252523086upfront03-12-10.htm part 3

http://www.abqjournal.com/cgi-bin/print_it.pl?page=/upfront/162338276262upfront04-16-10.htm Part 4

More on Kari Winters

Those of you who are regular readers will remember the untimely death of my friend, Kari Winters. You will recall that she was an amazing woman who rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed countless cats and dogs.

This past November she was honored, posthumously, by the Winn Feline Foundation with the Media Award, presented to the member of the press whose work has made a positive impact on cats and their health. It is a singular honor. Accepting the award for her from Dr. Susan Little was a bittersweet moment. It was so well-deserved but Kari should have been there to accept her own award.

There was more to her death than met the eye and so, with the help of our friend and colleague, Nancy Marano who publishes Petroglyphs in New Mexico, and Kari's oldest and best friend as well as business manager, Gary Rohde of Southern California, I was able to bring the story to a wonderful reporter, Joline Gutierrez Krueger at the Albuquerque Journal, the story has, in part, begun to emerge. It will appear in three parts. It is our hope that there will finally be justice for Kari.

Here is part one: http://www.abqjournal.com/upfront/05231069334upfront03-05-10.htm
You can scroll down the page and sign is as a guest. Part Two will run this Monday. There will be a third part later in the week.

Where, Oh, Where Did Those Little Dogs Come From?

It's hard to believe but a new report indicates that scientists have pinpointed the origins of small dogs. The scientists believe that little dogs can trace their roots to the Middle East 12000 years ago!

Toy and small dogs are my particular interest even though I love all dogs (and cats, etc.) but I had believed conventional wisdom which indicated that most small dogs were bred down from large dogs. The irony in this that while Miniature Pinschers look like tiny Doberman Pinschers, the Miniature Pinscher is the older of the two breeds.

A new article in BMC Biology indicates that one gene is responsible for the size of dogs. Now, where I take exception to this is where the report indicates that they probably go back to the Middle Eastern grey wolf, which was smaller than other wolves, that those wolves were domesticated. However, dogs aren't wolves and wolves aren't dogs so that part of the equation would seem to be off.

It's a version of the gene 1GF1 that they believe determines the small size of dogs. Indeed, dogs did start out larger. Belgiam, Russia and and Germany would seem to be where the large dogs originated. It was thousands of years later that the smaller dogs appeared in the Middle East.

Confused yet? I'll be thinking about this for awhile...

Have You Heard About The Toby Project?

Well, have you? Heard about The Toby Project? If not, perhaps you should. It's not unique but it is noteworthy. Founder Andrew J. Kaplan, D.V.M. is the person who is behind The Toby Project but it is a combined effort of people, including their advisory board.

The Toby Project is a mobile spay/neuter in New York City that is available in all of New York City's Five Boroughs. Not every dog needs to be intact. Only those owned by responsible breeders who show their cats or dogs, do proper health checks to rule out genetic diseases and show their cats and dogs to get objective opinions on whether or not they meet the standard for their breed should be intact. Those cats and dogs should also have the proper temperament before they are chosen for breeding.

Spaying before the first heat will eliminate mammary cancer; neutering prevents testicular cancer. There are other benefits to having a spayed or neutered pets including the lessening of roaming, a cleaner house since males won't mark indoors and females won't go through the messiness of heat and you won't have male dogs from miles away parked in front of your home, whining and carrying on.

The TobyProject offers free or low-cost spaying and neutering as well as rabies vaccinations. Free would be for Pitbulls as well as mixed breed cats and dogs. However, it's important to note that the fee for purebred dogs and pedigreed cats is more than reasonable, as is the fee for a Rabies vaccination.

Bringing the clinics to the owners means that there's really no excuse for not having a pet spayed or neutered, nor is there any excuse for not giving a pet the Rabies vaccination that is mandatory in every State. The Toby Project has expanded to include a feral cat spay/neuter program which will allow feral colonies to live out their lives in relative peace without creating more feral cats.

It costs $230,000. per year to operate a fully-equipped spay/neuter van. The Toby Project depends upon donations from caring individuals. No gift is too small because when put with other small donations, they can really add up.

For more information, including how you can help, visit http://www.tobyproject.org

Trap, Neuter, Return at Risk in California

It's almost hard to believe that California is embroiled in a fight over Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR), the program in which volunteers trap feral and unowned cats, bring them to a free or low-cost spay/neuter clinic (often a mobile one), and then return them to their colony or clowder. The cats and kittens are marked by having a notch cut into one ear at the same time so the same cats aren't trapped again. This allows them to live out their lives in peace and not reproduce. It's simple, it works, and it's spearheaded by dedicated volunteers around the country. One good place to go for information is Alley Cat Allies (http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=285).

In California the complaints are coming from bird lovers who claim that too many birds are being killed by cats and TNR isn't working since more whole cats are dumped. People complain about cats being dirty, soiling on their lawns, etc.

Looking at this issue objectively, killing healthy cats isn't a solution. Killing birds isn't a solution. TNR works. There's no question about that. In my opinion, no one is looking at the real issue here: education. As fast as the volunteers can trap, neuter and return cats, that is practically as fast as irresponsible people are dumping unaltered cats in those same areas. Unaltered cats reproduce. That is the point. We need education in the homes, schools and communities. We need to stop the dumping of unwanted cats and kittens. We need to make them understand that dumping them in shelters will likely result in euthanasia although it might result in adoption. They need to take responsibility and have their pets spayed or neutered.

Only responsible, ethical breeders should be breeding animals and have done the health checks with proof of same, have shown them to have objective opinions about whether or not they're good specimens of their breed and should be bred. Responsible breeders screen potential homes and have a waiting list for owners. Responsible breeders don't place animals before at least 3 months of age, all the while socializing them properly.

How do we stop people from dumping unwanted cats and kittens, beyond educating them? In this time of economic downturn, perhaps hitting them in the wallet would make them think. If you see someone dumping cats or kittens, write down their license plate and report them. Have a fine put in place for those who dump unwanted animals of any species. Make the fine high enough to matter. Teach owners that they need to keep their cats indoors with proper environmental enrichment. There are bells on cat collars so the birds are warned but even better is providing a good home where the cats get proper attention, where they are safe from cars and other animals, where they can live longer and stay healthier.

For a look at one volunteer's experiences, I highly recommend the book, They Had Me At Meow by Rosie Sorenson, MFA MFT (http://www.theyhadmeatmeow.com).

Do what you can to help educate. Be pro-active. Don't just sit there bemoaning the fact that this is happening. Help change it before this attitude against cats spreads across the country. Educate, Educate, Educate! Find ways to make this work and keep both cats and birds safe.

Bomb Dogs & Terrorism

I've spent a lot of time thinking about the state of airport safety since 9/11. My home airport is Logan International in Boston, where many of the hijacked flights originated. I flew into that airport less than 24 hours before the hijackings and that flight to Los Angeles was one that I often took. Yes, I was rattled. There but for the Grace of God....

Since then, we've supposedly had an increase in security. After the shoe bomber attempt, we all had to remove our shoes for screening. We still do. Travel with a dog or cat and you'll be treated to what amounts to Theatre of The Absurd. I've flown with both species but let's focus on one. It was after 9/11 and I was flying with my cat to visit friends. Clearing airport security is always a juggling act if you're carrying a laptop computer. Carry your laptop companion (who isn't allowed to sit on your lap) and you'll find yourself going through some interesting contortions. Beyond that, however, is the reaction of the TSA people who are supposed to be on the alert for terrorists.

You are required to remove your small companion from their carrier; the carrier is sent through the screening device and you and your cat (or dog) walk through the metal detector. My cat, a lovely Chartreux, is blue which is standard for the breed. Blue is the correct color name but most people refer to blue cats as gray. I tell you this for a reason which will become clear in a moment. As I took Aimee out of her carrier and held her close to me so if she panicked she wouldn't escape from a firm hold, TSA agents came rushing over to us. "Oh! A kitty!" "What's her name?" "Aimee." "It should be Smokey." "Or Stormy." "Or Shadow!" They were so busy gushing over my cat that they wouldn't have noticed if an assortment of Terrorists passed through the screening area. I was really upset but wasn't sure of my ground. What would they do to me if I pointed out that they should be doing their jobs instead of fussing over Aimee whose name was not about to be changed no matter what they thought. And, frankly, I didn't want to be held up, either. I wanted to pass through the metal detector as quickly as possible in order to get Aimee back into the safety of her carrier.

I stopped flying her because I didn't want to be the cause of a TSA Agent not paying attention to the task at hand.

This week we've heard much about airport screening since a Terrorist who had been someone of interest was allowed on a plane in Europe that was headed to the United States. He tried to set off a bomb on board and was stopped by some alert passengers who apparently tackled him. Had he succeeded, not only would every person on the plane have been killed but many people on the ground as well. The reactions, among others, was to have people stay in their seats for the last hour of the flight. Which makes me wonder if we're all supposed to wear adult diapers. And no one can hold anything inflight. My paperback book of choice is not going to get me through any more long trips if their knee-jerk reaction becomes a policy.

So the issue is once again raised: how to prevent it. When the shoe bomber tried to set off a bomb in his shoe, it was decided that all passengers have to remove their shoes for screening. This latest terrorist had the explosive material in his underwear so the reaction is to use invasive screening apparatus that may or may not be able to detect a bomb but will certainly be the visual equivalent of a full-body orifice check. The reaction is always just that: a reaction and nothing that seems to have had forethought. This latest is a particularly expensive option. And still those in high places insist that the TSA screeners are the best option. Well, if they're not admiring my cat, perhaps they are but I'm not convinced.

Here's what I am convinced of, as is just about any dog person: a bomb dog can easily alert to a bomb and far less expensively than any machine and probably more accurately than a TSA employee.

I've heard the objections: they can't work all the time; some people are allergic to dogs; some people don't want a dog sniffing their crotch. Well, for those who are allergic, they can take an antihistamine before leaving for the airport; for those who don't want a dog sniffing their crotch, well, it's less invasive than those machines, and Auburn University is working on a method to train dogs to sniff from a distance - the olfactory system of a dog is a wonderous thing. As for dogs working shorter hours, well, have several teams trained! It's a whole lot cheaper than one of those machines and the dog will not be suggesting names for your four-legged companion.

Today, someone sent me a link to a CNN story about the use of bomb dogs. They mentioned the objections as well as the benefits. My only objection was that the dogs were wearing choke or prong collars. An old and unnecessary way to train dogs that has been scientifically proven to be problematic.

Years ago, before the real terrorist threats, I wrote an article on Bomb Dogs for Dog World Magazine. It was pretty thorough and contained all the information anyone would need, sans the training technique which would have been releasing confidential information. It wasn't necessary to do that and I wouldn't jeopardize my Country's security. I was told a couple of years later that when the FBI had visited the Massachusetts bomb dog unit which was - and still is to my knowledge - based at Logan Airport, they took a copy of my article back to Washington with them. They had been thinking of ending the bomb dog program and I was told that my article helped to save it. I hope that's true.

So, here's the conclusion: please let me have my paperback book, an opportunity to use the rest room before the plane lands, and for heaven's sake, let me keep my shoes on in the airport and once again comfortably carry a four-legged companion with me. Just get the bomb dog program beefed up and we'll all be safer and happier.