Remembering Daisy....

Jessica Simpson toted her new Malti-Poo puppy, Daisy, with her to a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman in New York City on Aug. 5, 2004. Daisy joined Simpson on many TV shows, including Good Morning America in 2005.

5 year old Daisy was snatched by a coyote during a walk earlier this month near Simpson's home in California.

Source: peoplepets.com; Photo: Brian Prahl/Splash News Online

Better Safe Than Sorry!

Get window clings and magnets to alert emergency personnel to the presence of your handicapped pet in your home or car at handicappedpets.com

Source: handicappedpets.com

Cat Saved After 8 Days in Tree

A cat in Hagerstown, Maryland used one of it's nine lives when it was rescued after 8 days from its perch 75 to 80 feet up a tree.

The kitty cried for days until a good Samaritan, Garrett Tharp, owner of "Doctor Tree", a tree trimming service, went up into the tree and rescued it. Earlier attempts to reach the cat, including efforts by a local fire department and the humane society, had failed. The cat was examined at a local vet and will soon be up for adoption at the Washington County (MD) Humane Society. For more information about this little survivor, contact the Washington County Humane Society at 301-733-2060.

Source: your4state.com, herald-mail.com

K-9 Bends Steel to Escape Fireworks

"JJ", a drug-sniffing Spokane, Washington police K-9 officer, made a Houdini-like escape from his kennel at the police academy on the night of July 4.

JJ's handler thought JJ would be secure in his kennel which is latched with a u-shaped steel bar and locked and surrounded by chain-link fence.

"I couldn't believe that a dog was able to pry open the steel clasp that held the gate shut, you know, he was very motivated," JJ's handler said later when he returned to find blood and a deformed latch. Most likely spooked in response to illegal fireworks set off near the police academy, the kennel had been pried open and JJ was no longer around. JJ had used his teeth to bend the steel latch back and push through the cage. To finish his escape, JJ then scaled or jumped over two chain-link fences -- one of which is six feet tall.

An urgent email was sent out by the police department and word of the escape was picked up by local media. Fortunately, JJ's handler found him the next morning running along the street next to the Police Academy.

JJ had no serious injuries from his escape and police are considering additional safety measures for the facility.

Source: kxly.com

Hey California! Did you Lose your Saluki??

A stray neutered male Saluki dog brought to a Carlsbad, California animal shelter last week has an implanted microchip registered to the U.S. Military headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The dog was found on June 15, 2009 near Escondido, about 30 miles north of San Diego. The shelter believes someone in the military owns the dog and likely brought him from overseas; however, they haven't been able to track down the owner.

Plenty of people have said they would take him but authorities hope the real owner will come forward.

"There's a lot of unanswered questions, and dogs can't talk, so we're kind of restricted as to what information we can get out of him," a shelter rep said, chuckling. "We're trying to put the word out. He is a sweetheart of a dog."

Source: nbclosangeles

Chi Flies High

Tinker Bell, an 8 month old, six-pound Chihuahua, has been reunited with her owners after a 70 mph wind gust picked her up and carried her out of sight.

Owners Dorothy and Lavern Utley (on left, holding Tinker Bell) of Rochester, New York credit a pet psychic for guiding them to a wooded area nearly a mile from where Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty and hungry but otherwise fine.

The Utleys had set up a display Saturday at a flea market near Detroit, Michigan. Tinker Bell was standing on their platform trailer when she was swept away. Mrs. Utley stated that Tinker Bell "just went wild" upon her return.

Source: msnbc

Big Brother IS Watching!

The LoveMyPets GPS safety Collar and Harness come with a battery charger, quick start guide, two wallet cards and a brochure with helpful tips. After receiving your LovemypetsGPS safety collar or Harness, you will need to go on line to complete the final activation and subscription process. There is a onetime charge of $19.95 for the activation and setup and a monthly subscription fee of $14.95 per month. The monthly subscription fee includes the use of the secure locating and tracking site, the use of the cellular network and 100 locates per year. When tracking your pet for example, if you want to receive a location update every minute until found, each locate each minute is considered a locate. The monthly subscription fee is based on an annual contract renewable year to year with an early termination fee of $50. Each year when the subscription renews, 100 hundred additional locates will be added to your account. Locates left over from the prior year will rollover and will be added to your account. If additional locates are needed, they can be purchased in quantities of 50($9.95) or 100($14.95). The LovemypetsGPS System uses the Sprint cellular network and its effectiveness will be determined by the strength of the signal received in your area.

Credit: lovemypetgps.com

German Cat Using His Nine Lives

On April 7, a 12 year old cat named "Felix" was found alive and well beneath the rubble of a six-story city archives building that collapsed on March 3, 2009 in Cologne, Germany.

Felix was in surprisingly good health, authorities said. Rescue workers were clearing away the rubble from the ruins, in which two people were killed, when they spotted a pair of small paws. "The men lifted some concrete blocks when suddenly a little cat came to light," said Dietmar Paust, Cologne fire brigade spokesman.

Source: reuters

Dog Overboard!!

A dog that fell overboard in rough seas off Australia has been reunited with her owners after surviving alone on an island for four months.

"Sophie Tucker", an Australian cattle dog, fell overboard as she sailed with her family through choppy waters off the northeast Queensland coast in November 2008.

The dog was believed to have drowned, but Sophie Tucker swam five nautical miles to largely uninhabited St Bees Island, where she survived on her own by catching and eating feral baby goats.

Rangers captured Sophie Tucker and returned her to her family last week. According to her owners, Sophie is in good shape and is quickly readjusting to the comforts of home.

Source: afp

Pet Reward Rip-Offs

Unfortunately, there are always people looking to capitalize on someone else’s heartache. Thankfully, these instances are the exception and not the rule.

If you are offering a reward, or are asked to send money, be sure to meet the person who claims to have your pet at a public place – a local pet supply store or shelter, for example. Be sure to verify that they have your pet before money trades hands. 99.9% of people will gladly hand your pet over to you and never ask for money. Do not give anyone money until you have your pet – even to cover vet bills or other expenses.

Take a minute to review the notification you are receiving. Does it sound far-fetched? Then if probably is. Is the person being rude or persistent? These are signs that this person probably is trying to scam you for money. Most people who find your pet are very happy to return it to you and won’t harrass you for money. In addition, taking a pet out of the country is very tedious and quarantine laws apply. Someone who has just found your pet is not going to take it overseas then contact you to pay for shipping it back to you.

If you feel someone has stolen your pet, or if you suspect that you are being scammed, contact your local animal care and control and/or police. If you are receiving suspect scam email, report it as follows: Yahoo! -- http://info.yahoo. com; Federal Trade Department -- email to spam@uce.gov

Credit: pets911.com

K-9 Search Teams Find Your Lost Pet

Dogs Finding Dogs is a group of Canine Search teams with years of experience in multi-surface tracking of people and animals. They will conduct searches for a variety of lost animals -- including both dogs and cats. All of their search teams train several times a week to keep the search dogs at their peak abilities. Available search areas include Maryland, District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania. When you call Dogs Finding Dogs you will answer a series of questions to determine the best method for a successful search of your lost pet, such as: How long has your pet been missing? What was the last sighting of your pet? Do you have a article of your pets with only its scent on it? What location are you in? and more... They will then quickly dispatch a canine search team to meet up with you and perform the search. The sooner you call, the better the chance of recovering your dog. Dogs Finding Dogs donates 10% of all fees to various local rescues and shelters. Contact them via the web at www.dogsfindingdogs.com, by email at dogsfindingdogs@gmail.com or by telephone 410-908-6374.

Credit: dogsfindingdogs.com

Find Emergency Pet Assistance Fast!

Find an emergency vet anytime using an internet connection or smartphone with the locator feature at

http://www.vetlocator.com/hotline.php

The list of vets is not comprehensive, but if you need to find medical help fast -- for example, if you are traveling in an unfamiliar area -- this locator is a great help!

Below are additional Emergency Hotline Numbers. Keep these numbers handy -- You can: (1) bookmark this blog entry to your laptop or mobile phone for quick reference; or (2) use the green "ShareThis" button below this entry to send the entire entry via email or Instant Message or post to a social network.

• National hotline for reporting lost pets - 1 800 Humane-1 (486-2631).
  Please note that these operators are not on-site at the shelters but will be taking reports.
  
  
• ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center - 1-888-426-4435
  (A consultation fee may be charged).
  
  
• 1-888-4ANI-HELP or 1-888-426-4435 ($50.00 per case).
  The charge is billed to caller's credit card only. Follow-up calls can be made for no additional charge by dialing 1-888-299-2973. There is no charge when the call involves a product covered by the Animal Product Safety Service.
  
  
• Animal Poison Hotline - a joint service provided by North Shore Animal League America (NSAL) and PROSAR International Animal Poison Center (IAPC).
  1-888-232-8870 ($35.00 per incident). The charge is billed to caller's credit card only. Staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

Credit: vetlocator.com

The "TogetherTag"

Dogster and Catster, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, have launched a new pet ID tag system which they recommend to supplement microchipping of your pet. The tag details and enrollment are available at http://www.togethertag.com

Easy Online Enrollment - A one-time fee of $24.95 covers your cat or dog for life. Simply add profile information to activate your account. Special discount for families with 3 or more pets. Your profile information can be updated online as often as needed.

Cool, Disaster-Proof Tags - The service features stylish, reflective tags, which are lab-tested under extreme conditions.

Shelter & Community Alerts - Targeted alerts to over 5,000 shelters and 1 million pet lovers are dispatched as soon as you report your pet as missing.

Credit: www.togethertag.com

MicroChips -- The Smartest Money You'll Ever Spend

In March 1995, my new Yorkie puppy, Chancery Collette Byers ("C.C." to her friends) was the second dog in Manhattan to receive the newest fad in pet safety -- a microchip. We had an 8:30AM "well-puppy" vet visit and the microchips had just arrived the night before. The vet explained that the microchip was used in the event a dog was lost with no tags or collar. The chip could be scanned with a portable handheld device (available at most vet offices and shelters) and the pet returned using owner contact information stored on a central database.

The vet was eager to work with this new technology and encouraged me to get a chip for C.C. I was hesitant because the technology and the insertion procedure was new. However, the vet assured me that he had practiced insertion of the chip that morning on the (poor and unsuspecting) clinic cat ... and he looked none the worse for wear. So I authorized C.C. to be the second pet in Manhattan to have the Very Best. Thank goodness the vet was a quick study, because C.C.'s procedure went perfectly. C.C. kept that microchip for the remainder of her life with no problems whatsoever.

********

How Does A Microchip Work?

A veterinarian injects a tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice (12mm) beneath the surface of your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. The process is similar to a routine shot, takes only a few seconds, and your pet will not react any more than he would to a vaccination. No anesthetic is required.

The microchip itself has no internal energy source, so it will last the life of your pet. It is read by passing a microchip scanner over the pet’s shoulder blades. The scanner emits a low radio frequency that provides the power necessary to transmit the microchip’s unique code and positively identify the pet. If your pet gets lost and is taken to an animal shelter or veterinarian, they will scan the microchip to read its unique code. This is the number used by the chip provider to identify the pet and retrieve your contact information, which is used to contact you and reunite you with your pet.

Credit: homeagain.com

Beware of Pet Theft

It’s happening all over the U.S. And stolen pets may be used in horrible, unimaginable ways. It’s even a "business!" You can protect your pets from theft by following a few simple rules:

• NEVER leave your pet tied outside a store, even if you think you have your eye on then pet. It takes about ten seconds to grab a pet whose leash is tied to a pole or fence. (It’s also illegal to tie a pet on the public way.)

• DO NOT leave your pet alone in your car, even if it is locked. Pets have disappeared from cars and never been seen again. (Air circulation and temperature are factors, too.)

• DO NOT leave your pet alone in an unlocked back yard. Even if you have locks on your gate, it is still possible for someone to steal your pet – and it’s been done.

• NEVER allow your pets (dogs or cats) to roam streets and alleys unattended. ALWAYS keep your pet on a leash in your hand in a public area – it’s the law. It’s too easy for someone to jump out of a car, grab your off-leash pet and drive off. Leashing your dog protects your dog, other people and dogs and lessens your liability in case of problems.

• ALWAYS make sure that you leave your pet in the care of someone who is as careful about your pet’s welfare as you would be. Insist they abide by the above rules.

Always file a police report or call 911 if the theft is in progress.

Credit: lostandpound.com, D.A.W.G. (Dog Advisory Work Group)

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