Massive ASPCA campaign to save California strays

Pet information

Los Angeles is a city with millions of inhabitants, many very poor and far away from the Hollywood glamour associated with the area. There are also hundreds of thousands of stray cats and dogs. Approximately 173,000 animals enter LA shelters every year, and only half are adopted. The rest are killed.

These are grim numbers, and the ASPCA are determined to change the situation. The organization are rolling out a project where $25 million will be used to save these tens of thousands dogs and cats.

The project is already underway, and started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a free spay and neuter clinic in South LA. The area is extremely poor and packs of stray dogs roam the streets. Hopes are that the clinic will sterilize over 4,000 dogs and cats during the remainder of 2014, and even more in upcoming years.

With $25 million, the ASPCA aims to get all dogs of Southern California neutered or spayed. They will also strive for increasing adoptions, helping rescue groups, and helping people keep their pets instead of giving them up. Another part of the project involves moving animals from the most overcrowded shelters to areas where they might find new homes.

The project will encompass Los Angeles city and county, Burbank, Pasadena, Long Beach, Upland, and parts of Downey.

This is one of the most extensive projects in the 148 year long history of the ASPCA. The money is budgeted to last for five years, but the project as a whole is estimated to take longer.

Some dogs can’t swim

Pet information

Many believe that all dogs can swim, but it’s not entirely true. While dogs will do the paddle when they find themselves in water, some breeds are physically unable to keep themselves afloat.

Landseer
The Landseer is a great swimmer

Breeds with heavy, large chests and short muzzles are often very bad swimmers. Best case scenario they can wear a life-vest and splash around in shallow water under careful supervision. Worst case scenario, some breeds can’t even do that. Bulldogs cannot swim, no matter how much they try to paddle. Trying to make them swim is cruel; they will drown.

Some breeds are created for swimming. The Labrador Retriever even has webbed feet. That doesn’t mean that every Labrador loves water.

Going back to the Bulldog, many rescues and breeders require home checks to ensure ponds and pools are fenced off. If you have a Bulldog and open water, it is a good idea to install an emergency monitor that will alert if something breaks the water surface.

Cattle dog watches over disabled kitten

Pet information

Ralphee is an adorable kitten with feline cerebellar hypoplasia. Those big words translate into, “neurological disorder that affects motor skills.” It shows in jerky and uncoordinated movements.

Many cats with this condition falls often and has trouble walking. They also suffer tremors. The condition can come from a bacterial or viral infection, malnutrition, poisoning, injury, or an accident. The cat can learn to compensate for the disease, and can live a fairly normal life with a normal life span.

When it comes to Ralphee, he is lucky. He was rescued from a horse stable, and now he has his very own cattle dog to look after him. Love and caring really spans the species. Ralphee might not have the physical grace of many other kittens, but he is cute as a button, healthy, and filled with mischief.

//youtu.be/f31m5-5-xUY

Can cats see in the dark?

Pet information

CatWhen a cat zips around the house in what appears to be total darkness to us, he or she probably sees pretty well. They can’t see in complete dark, but they see well with only a sixth of the light humans need.

This night vision ability comes from their hunting habits; cats normally move about in the twilight of dusk and dawn, and sneaking up on prey requires the ability to see.

Cats have muscles around their iris that can pull it to a slit in bright light, and open very wide in low light conditions. They always maximize their use of any light available. They also have a reflective membrane called the tapetum lucid that takes available light and reflects it. This is also why a cats eyes can seem to glow in the dark.

Pet Guinness World Record Holders

Pet information

Many dream of getting into the Guinness Book of Records, and some records are right out weird. Here are some pets who succeeded with unexpected records:

1. Longest tongue
Puggy is a male Pekingese holding a record for current longest dog tongue. His tongue measures 4.5 inches, which is very long for a Pekingeses. The longest dog tongue on record overall belonged to a boxer whose tongue was 17 inches long.

2. Most tennis balls in mouth
Many dogs like tennis balls. Golden retriever girl Augie likes them more than most do; she has the record for successfully gathering and holding five tennis balls in her mouth at the same time.

3. Longest cat
The world’s longest cat is called Stewie, and he measures 48.5 inches from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail bone. (That’s just over 4 feet.)

4. Most flying discs caught
This record goes to Rose, a Labrador – Border Collie mix. She can catch and hold seven separately thrown frisbees without dropping one.

5: Most balloons popped
Anastasia is a Jack Russell Terrier who likes to pop balloons. She got 100 balloons in 44.9 seconds.

6: Highest jump
Cinderella May is a greyhound who likes to jump. She clears 68 inches (almost 5.7 feet).

7: Water glass balancing
Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix Sweet Pea holds the record of “most steps walked down by a dog facing forward while glancing a 5-ounce glass of water.” She made it ten steps.

8. Soda can balancing
This record also goes to Sweet Pea. She walked 100 meters with a can balanced on her head in two minutes and 55 seconds.

9. Loudest purr
Some cats purr loudly. Smokey purr loudest of them all with a measured 67.7 decibels. He has also been recorded with a 92.7 decibel purr; equivalent to a hairdryer.

10. Dogs skipping rope
The Super Wan Wan Circus in Japan is the home of Uchida Geinousha’s dogs. They are the main attraction, and hold the world record for most dogs skipping rope with 13 dogs at the same time.

//youtu.be/YtwPzyppOyY

Oregon police dog training meeting

Pet information

Police dog training is rough, as are their jobs. They climb metal stairs in the dark, crawl through narrow tunnels, physically fight people when needed, and still have to be gentle enough to approach victims. 

There was recently a police dog training meet in Oregon. To be certified, a dog needs to score 100 percent in a series of tests. That level of perfection requires around 200 hours for a drug dog, trained to sniff out drugs hidden in secret compartments, and around 360 hours for a patrol dog. The latter have physically tough jobs, are trained to track humans, and even sniff down objects a certain person has touched.

Many trainers use commands in another language, to make it easier for the dog to understand if a word is a command to do something, or said/shouted to a suspect. Many also uses different types of toys at home and as reward at work, to make it easier for the dog to know when it’s on duty.

Sunshine story: Lost boy protected by family dog

Pet information

A three year old boy in North Dakota recently wandered off the family’s yard and was missing for nearly seven hours together with Cooper, the family dog. According to Yahoo News the fire department, local police, and 200 neighbors searched for hours. The situation seemed desperate when even an airplane and 60 four-wheelers couldn’t find a trace of the missing couple.

Just as authorities were about to call off the search for the night, one four-wheeler went for one last sweep of the property, and they found young Carson safe and snug underneath the dog, who protected him against the cold night.

The working theory is that Carson saw his father leave and wanted to follow, so he walked off. Yahoo news reports that Cooper never leaves the yard, but when Carson took off, Cooper followed.

Cooper is a mix of German Shepherd, Labrador, and Golden Retriever. The family adopted him three years ago after someone left him by the side of the road.

//youtu.be/Ds8dj2NbHNs

Fun Facts About Dogs

Pet information

An Appenzeller Sennenhunde requires a large PlexiDor dog doorLove dogs? Here are some fun and little known facts about our furry friends.

1. It is impossible to put an exact figure on the number of dogs in the world; many are strays, and large parts of the world do not require pet registration. Estimates point to well over 500 million.

2. Of registered dogs around the world, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular. The Labradors’ friendly disposition, merry temperament, and patience with other pets as well as children make them great pets. Many also work as guide dogs and police dogs.

3. Most people know dogs have an excellent sense of smell. But how good is it? An average dog can differentiate odors in concentrations nearly 100 million times lower than a human can.

4. A dog’s whiskers are important instruments helping the dog navigate the world, and they should never be cut off. The whiskers can sense tiny changes in airflow, and help the dog determine if something is close to its face.

5. Experts disagree on how long humans and dogs have been together, but it might be as long as 30,000 years.

A happy family reunion

Pet information

Every pet lover fears their pets going missing. If it happens during a storm or natural disaster it’s even worse; the community as a whole is rocked, and loss of home and property is difficult to deal with. Sometimes, the stories have unexpected happy endings.

Reckless is a mixed breed dog who got out of his New Jersey family’s back yard during monster storm Sandy back in 2012. They searched for months, called shelters, and did everything you’re supposed to do when losing a pet. Reckless did not turn up.

Months passed by and as the family got used to living in a hotel as their home is being repaired, they slowly gave up hope on seeing their dog again.

Last week they decided to surprise their daughter through getting a new dog. When they headed to the Monmouth county SPCA, a surprise awaited in the first cage: Reckless.

The family is finally reunited, and we hope they can return to their home soon.

Warning for poisoned meatballs

Pet information

Dog walkers in San Francisco are frightened and shocked by someone putting out poisoned meatballs, apparently with intent to poison dogs. This morning’s finds come from San Francisco’s Sunset District. Police have collected the meatballs and report they have pills lodged inside.

In February, two dogs in the Twin Peaks neighborhood found and ate poisoned meatballs, and last summer hundreds of treats laced with strychnine were found between Diamond Heights and Twin Peaks. Those make many dogs severely ill and killed at least one.

The meatballs have been found hidden in places like the underbrush where dogs are likely to find them before the owners realize what is going on.

There are several rewards offered by various organizations to find the person responsible. Anyone with information should call the San Francisco police.

Spanish poo detectives

Pet information

As several “scoop the poop” campaigns around the US have pointed out, it’s a bad idea to leave dog poop on the ground. Despite scented poop bags, poop vacuum cleaners and poop-scooping services, there’s still an abundance of dog droppings in yards, parks, and along city streets. 

This byproduct of dog owning spreads germs, pollutes water supplies, and releases unwanted substances into the ground. In the small Spanish time Colmenar Viejo, the mayor’s office has tired of residents ignoring signs and information campaigns. They’re hiring professional Canine Detectives.

The detectives will film culprits and hand the evidence over to the police along with a report. Fines are up to 150 euros ($200) with higher penalties for repeat offenders. Before the detectives start working full time on filming dog walkers, hired actors will imitate the detective behavior in order to inform citizens of the campaign.

The campaign is initiated because of health concerns. The city says most of the dog owners are responsible, but a minority destroy the environment for everyone, leaving piles of poop not just along the street but at schools and children’s playgrounds.

Five fun comparisons between humans and dogs

Pet information

Dogs might be man’s best friend, and they are treated more and more like people. Despite all our similarities there are also some interesting differences.

Girl and dog1. Teeth:

Unless some have fallen out, an adult dog has 42 teeth. A puppy has 28.
An adult human has 32 teeth, and a child has 20.

2. Ears:

Dogs can hear sounds 250 yards away.
Most humans can hear sounds around 25 yards away.

3. Eyes:

Dogs have a smaller range of clear focus than humans, but a significantly wider peripheral vision. Dogs have a visual range of 250 degrees, and humans only 180 degrees.

4. Breathing:

Most adults breathe 8 to 16 times per minute.
Most dogs breathe between 10 and 30 times per minute.

5. Heart:

A human’s heart generally beats 70 to 80 times per minute.
A dog’s heart beats between 70 and 120 times per minute.

Keep an eye on the cocoa mulch

Pet information

Gardening time is here, and there are some things to watch out for when planning the summer’s work. It is widely known that some plants are poisonous, but more innocent looking gardening items can also pose a danger to dogs.

Cocoa mulch is popular in the USA. It smells good, repels garden pests, retains moisture, and darkens over time instead of fading. Unfortunately, it can also be dangerous to pets.

Many types of mulch are made from wood, but cocoa mulch is made from cacao shells left over from the cocoa bean roasting process. It is environmentally friendly, and contains theobromine – the same substance that makes dogs sick from eating chocolate. Snopes.com reports that depending on the kind of mulch, it contains 300-1200 mg of theobromine per ounce.

Whether this is dangerous or not depends on the dog’s propensity to eat unusual things. While theobromine is toxic to cats, they are very unlikely to munch down on mulch. Dogs might.

Some manufacturers of cocoa mulch claim their mulch goes through extensive cleaning processes to strip the cocoa fat from the shells, thus making them harmless. If you have a dog that likes to eat strange things from the ground and you want to use cocoa mulch, do some research and make sure you get a kind that’s free from theobromine.

7 fun facts about the Pekingese

Pet information

Pekingese - the Lion DogThe Pekingese is a very old breed, traditionally associated with Chinese emperors. Here are seven fun facts about the breed.

1. Visually, the little Pekingese with its soft coat and short nose doesn’t resemble a wolf. They are still one of the breeds closest to wolves genetically.

2. The breed has been traced back two thousand years, to the Han dynasty.

3. Today’s China doesn’t have lions, but the Pekingese, the Lhasa Apso, and the Tibetan Mastiff were all bred to resemble stylized Chinese lion images. The Pekingese is also called the lion dog.

4. Emperor Lingdi of Han ruled from 168 to 189. He loved his dogs so much he made his favorite Pekingese a member of the nobel cast, making it outrank most  people in the country.

5. During the Tang Dynasty, years 618 to 907, no one outside the Imperial Palace was allowed to breed or own a Pekingese. This was a good period of time for the little dogs; if an ordinary person met one of the dogs they had to bow and show respect.

6. The Pekingese are sometimes called “The Sleeve Dog.” This stems from being bred down in size so their owners could carry them in their sleeves. Allegedly a Pekingese in the Emperor’s sleeve was his last line of defense should enemies get into the palace.

7. It sometimes pays off to be small. Three dogs escaped the Titanic: one Pekingese and two Pomeranians.

Slimkitty, new blog for cat lovers

Pet information

Slimkitty is a new blog for cat lovers, inspiring cat owners to exercise their cats and make sure they have the right types and amounts of food to keep kitty’ weight down. 

58 percent of cats in the US are overweight – 5 percent more than the corresponding percCatentage for dogs. At the same time there are ten percent more obese cats in the US than there are obese dogs. Being overweight can lead to a row of health problems in the cat, such as diabetes and joint problems.

Slimkitty is a sister site to slimdoggy.com. The latter contains everything from ratings of dog food to fitness and fun, and the intention is that slimkitty.com will hold the same position, but aimed at cats.

Cats and dogs have completely different forms of metabolism, and this makes it harder for cats to lose weight. Cats cannot go on crash diets. If a cat’s food intake is significantly and rapidly depressed there’s a risk for Hepatic Lipidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition.      *These websites no longer exist