One By One

One by One, they pass by my cage,
Too old, too worn, too broken, no way.
Way past his time, he can't run and play.
Then they shake their heads slowly and go on their way.

A little old dog, arthritic and sore,
It seems that I am wanted no more.
I once had a home, I once had a bed,
A place that was warm, and where I was fed.
Now my muzzle is gray, and my eyes slowly fail.
Who wants a dog so old and so frail?

My family decided I didn't belong,
I got in their way, my mind set was wrong.
Whatever excuse they made in their head,
Can't justify how they left me for dead.
Now I sit in this cage, where day after day,
The younger dogs get adopted away.

When I had almost come to the end of my rope,
You saw my face, and I finally had hope.
You saw thru the gray, and the legs bent with age,
And felt I still had life beyond this cage.
You took me home, gave me food and a bed,
And shared your own pillow with my poor tired head.

We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low,
You love me so dearly, you want me to know.
I may have lived most of my life with another,
But you outshine them with a love so much stronger.
And I promise to return all the love I can give,
To you, my dear person, as long as I live.

I may be with you for a week, or for years,
We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears.
And when the time comes that God deems I must leave,
I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve.
And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new,
My thoughts and my heart will still be with you.
And I will brag to all who will hear,
Of the person who made my last days so dear

~Author Unknown~

Puppy Frozen to the Ground in Hagerstown MD

A seven week old puppy is being nursed back to health after he was found frozen to the ground in Hagerstown. Now, an investigation is underway by the Washington County Humane Society to determine how the puppy got there.

The puppy, who has been named Duncan, was found in the woods Friday behind the North Spring Apartment Complex. Neighbors said they heard whimpers and went to see where the sounds were coming from.

Nick Schenck says the puppy was shivering from the cold and stuck to the frozen ground. He lost a chunk of fur when he was pulled from the ice. He says if someone left him there deliberately, they should face criminal charges.

Paul Miller, Executive Director of the Washington County Humane Society says other than the loss of hair, and a skin disorder, Duncan is in good shape and should be ready for adoption in about two weeks.

Miller says they're getting three times as many calls than normal from people concerned about animals they're seeing out in the cold with no shelter. He says whenever there are weather extremes, either cold or hot, it generates more concern from citizens.

He says Duncan isn't even the worst case he's seen. And he says there are some stories that are hard to wipe from your memory.

All things considered, Duncan is a lucky dog. The shepard mix is sure to find a home. But the Humane Society is filled with dogs, cats and rabbits that need a family to love them. It's everyone's hope that they all find loving forever homes too.

Credit: pet-abuse.com, ABC Channel 2

Caged Cat on Ice Saved by Pedestrians

Two friends walking home from work on a pedestrian bridge above the Clark Fork River in Missoula, MT, heard cat cries. They searched for the source of the cries and spotted a house cat trapped in a wire cage resting on slushy river ice and called 9-1-1 for help. And help arrived swiftly. Firefighters launched a boat and rescued the cat, discovering that a 16-pound rock was also in the cage, indicating an attempt to drown the cat that failed, fortunately. The wet cat was malnourished and rescuers didn't know how long it was trapped on the ice. One of the firefighters, Josh Macrow, adopted the female calico cat, naming her "Lucky." "It's just the sweetest cat," Macrow said. The identity of the abuser is not known.

Credit: CNN, SunbearSquad.org

More Strange Animal Laws

In Kingsville, Texas, there is a law against two pigs having sex on the city's airport property.

It is illegal for hens to lay eggs before 8 am and after 4 pm in Norfolk, Virginia.

Ducks quacking after 10 pm in Essex Falls, New Jersey are breaking the law.

In Quitman, Georgia, it is against the law for a chicken to cross any road within the city limits.

In McDonald, Ohio, farmers cannot march a goose down a city street. And fowl, particularly roosters, are prohibited from going into bakeries in Massachusetts.

In Kansas, it is illegal for chicken thieves to work during daylight hours.

In New York, frogs may be taken from their ponds from June 16 to September 30, but only between sunrise and sunset.

In Pennsylvania, no one is allowed to shoot bullfrogs on a Sunday.

In Arizona, the bullfrog-hunting season is permanently closed.

In Vermont, you can be fined if your pig runs in a public park without the permission of a selectman.

French Lick Springs, Indiana, once passed a law requiring all black cats to wear bells on Friday the 13th.

Madison, Wisconsin, will not allow joint custody of a family pet when a couple divorces - the animal is legally awarded to whoever happens to have possession of it at the time of the initial separation.

Dogs in Foxpoint, Wisconsin, may not bark profusely, snarl, or make any menacing gestures.

In Texas, it's illegal to put graffiti on someone else's cow.

It is illegal to ride a mule down Lang, Kansas' Main Street in August, unless the animal is wearing a straw hat.

Over in Berea, Kentucky and also in Willamantic, Connecticut, horses are not allowed out on the streets and highways at night unless the animal has a "bright" red taillight securely attached to its rump.

Horses may not wear cowbells inside the city limits of Tahoe City, California.

In Washington, though, every cow wandering the streets of Seattle must be wearing a cowbell.

In Burns, Oregon, horses are allowed in the town's taverns, if an admission fee is paid before they enter.

You can't blow your nose in public places in Leahy, Washington, because it might scare a horse and cause it to panic.

In Wanassa, New Jersey, a dog is breaking the law if it is heard to be "crying."

Credit: comedy-zone.net

Know Your Pet's Rights in a Disaster!

Following the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3858, the "Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006" which amended the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. This law ensures that State and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency.

The full text is here: http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusfd2006pl109_308.htm

Credit: wikifido.com

Care for Your Pet in A Disaster

1. Know where you are going to take your dogs: Identify a pre-arranged safe location for your pets outside of your community, for example with a friend in another city.

2. Know how you’re going to get there: Here’s where timing is important. If disaster occurs, whether it’s by fire or flood, the longer you wait the more roads could be blocked and your options could be limited.

3. Emergency kit: Remember your dog’s needs while putting together your family’s emergency kit! Be prepared to care for your pet for at least 72 hours, and include items such as:

* food (especially if your dog has special dietary needs)
* water
* dishes
* any medication your dog needs
* a copy of your dog’s vaccination records, and
* current photographs of your dog (be sure to show any identifying marks).

After the Storm

When the most immediate danger is past, get your dog back into its familiar routine as soon as possible. Also, try to focus on keeping your dog calm and quiet. This can be difficult when you’re in the midst of highly emotional settings, but it’s important because your dog will pick up cues from you, the leader of the house.

If You and Your Dog are Separated

Rule #1: The more identification you have for your pet, the more likely you are to get it back.

* Put an alternative emergency contact and phone number on your dog’s ID, preferably for someone outside of your hometown.
* Get your dog microchipped
* Keep a picture with you that shows both you and your dog. This acts as another proof of ownership should you get separated.

Credit: wikifido.com

Take This Toy Away From Your Dog!

The "Pimple Ball" has been determined to have a design flaw which causes the ball to create a vacuum around a dog's tongue when the tongue is inserted inside the center hole. Nationwide, several dogs have been severly injured as a result. If you wish to keep using the toy, the manufacturer recommends taking a nail or something sharp and putting a large hole in the opppsite end of the ball to prevent formation of any vacuum.

Credit: wikifido.com

Strange Animal Laws

In North Carolina, it is against the law to use elephants to plow cotton fields.

In New York City, one is forbidden from shooting rabbits from the back end of a Third Avenue streetcar when it is moving.

In Kansas, people cannot shoot rabbits while in a motorboat.

In Statesville, North Carolina, it is against the law to race rabbits in the streets.

In Tuscumbia, Alabama, no more than eight rabbits can reside on the same block.

A law in Detroit, Michigan, prohibits crocodiles from being tied to a fire hydrant.

Donkeys are not allowed to sleep in bathtubs in Brooklyn, New York.

In Baltimore, Maryland, it is necessary to document any services performed by a jackass.

In Ohio, it is against the law to set a fire under your mule if it balks.

In Arkansas, if your 2-year-old mule runs wild and is unclaimed within 2 days, anyone may castrate the animal.

In Marshalltown, Iowa, a horse will be breaking the law if it eats a fire hydrant.

People can be fined, arrested or jailed for making ugly faces at a dog in Oklahoma.

Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, dogs are prohibited from going on private property unless the owner gives his consent first.

In Chicago, it is illegal to take a French poodle to the opera.

Dogs are strictly forbidden from riding in ambulances in Westport, Massachusetts.

Wallace, Idaho, decreed it is unlawful for anyone to sleep in a dog kennel.

In Clawson, Michigan, a law specifically makes it legal for a farmer to sleep with his pigs, cows, horses, goats, and chickens. But the animals may not be in the house after sunup or during the day.

Florida has a law prohibiting the transporting of livestock on school buses.

If you live in Franklin, Kentucky, you can't legally trade horses after dark.

In Alabama, no mules can be traded after supper when the sun has already gone below the horizon. And in Idaho, you can't buy or sell chickens after sundown without the sheriff's permission.

It is illegal to lasso a catfish in Tennessee and the state of Washington.

In Seattle, goldfish can ride the city buses in bowls only if they keep still.

You cannot shoot fish with a bow and arrow in Louisville, Kentucky. And you cannot shoot fish with a gun in the state of Washington or in Hazelhurst, Mississippi.

It's against the law to get a fish drunk in Oklahoma.

In Kansas, you cannot fish with your bare hands, while in the state of Washington, you can't catch a fish by throwing a rock at it.

Credit: comedy-zone.net

When I Am Old

I shall wear Turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts...
and a bandana over my silver hair...
and I shall spend my Social Security Checks on Sweet Wine and My Dogs...
and sit in my house on my well-worn chair and listen to my dog's breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm Summer night and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow...
and when people come to call,
I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs...
and talk of them and about them...
The Ones so Beloved of the Past and the Ones so Beloved of Today...
I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft, loving way
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel and I will be an embarrassment to all...
and my family...
who have not yet found the peace
in being free to have dogs as your Best Friends...
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall...
and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to greet you as if you are a God.
With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you will stay and their big, strong necks...
and kiss their dear sweet heads...
and whisper to their very special company...
I look in the Mirror...
and see I am getting old...
this is the kind of woman I am...
and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy,
they are part of me,
accept me for who I am,
my dogs appreciate my presence in their lives...
when I am old this will be important to me...
you will understand when you are old...
and if you have dogs to love too.

~Author Unknown~