Bark Blog

The $40 billion question

Worth a read, even a month late, is Ginger Strand’s skeptical review of the Global Pet Expo for Orion magazine. In What’s the use of pets?, she attends  the country’s largest pet expo and asks what the $40 billion pet products industry reveals about our relationships with the animal world. I don’t agree with everything she says--it’s a little tidy--but her conclusion is thought-provoking. Here’s a taste:

There’s an element of enigma in our relations with animals, even the most familiar. The diamond-collared pug being toted in a Louis Vuitton bag is still, in the end, a beast, as inscrutable to humans as a giant squid. Yet a human takes that pug into her home, feeds him, perhaps lets him sleep in her bed. He will never unfold the secrets of his heart; he will die, in some sense, a mystery. That mystery trumps every anthropomorphizing human accessory, every impulse to interpret or explain. It locks us out.

That may be their highest use, in the end. The pug’s diminutive size and bugged-out, injury-prone eyes are signs of years of human tampering, his plaid coat and booties tokens of the human drive to humanize everything. But the love heaped—even lavished in commodity form—on his warm animal body suggests a human attitude toward the nonhuman world that, for once, is not about mastery. Even in its consumerist drift, it short-circuits market logic by giving without a guaranteed return. There must be some real value in that.

Lisa Wogan

Fido Film Awards

The first-annual Fido Film Awards were handed out over the weekend by the British Film Institute in London, England.  In the Historical Film category, four corgies named Poppy, Anna, Oliver and Megan took top prize for their role as Queen Elizabeth's treasured pets in the movie, "The Queen".   Another Welsh cardigan corgi, American Travis, won the Comedy Film category for his work in the Molly Shannon movie, ""Year of the Dog"."

The Fido Awards were created by British journalist Toby Rose, who annually presents the Palme Dog Award for best canine on-screen performance at the Cannes Film Festival in France.  How long before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can be convinced that Americans want awards for their big-screen dogs, too?

Leigh-Ann Gerow

The Annual Tompkins Square Park Doggie Halloween Parade

Some of you Bark readers may recall an installment of "Rex and the City" I wrote years ago called "The Curse of the Three-Headed Dog"--about the time(s) I forced my poor dog to dress up in silly costumes in order to compete in the famous Annual Tompkins Square Park Doggie Halloween Costume Contest(s). I was determined that he win, and one year dressed him up as Dogatella Versace, complete with a blond wig and custom made Versace dress, with strategic holes cut out for his privates.

The prizes at this contest were--and still are--stellar, and the competition fierce, and I am surprised there has not yet been a reality TV show about it. It is New York, and NY crazy dog people, at its finest.

But anyway, this year I was invited back as a judge at the contest, alongside other illustrious New York City dog-loving "celebrities." I was more excited about this than my own wedding! 

And for those of you who have not yet had a chance to read "The Curse of the Three-Headed Dog," ( a version of which also appeared in my memoir, REX AND THE CITY), I've posted an expanded version on my own blog page.

Happy Howl-o-weeeeen! 

Love from Lee and Chloe

Helping fire victims

As we all know many thousands of people have been displaced by the wildfires in California, often with  dogs, cats and horses at their side. But in the rush to evacuate, food, leashes and other provisions are frequently left behind. The American Kennel Club and the California Federation of Dog Clubs are working together to collect donations of food, collars, leashes and crates, in addition to reaching out to anyone needing assistance with their dogs at this time. Read more.

Noah's Wish volunteers are also active on the scene, and posting regular updates online.

The San Diego Humane Society has also been active in evacuating and housing animals. Visit their site for the latest updates on the Harris and Witch Creek fires.

Lisa Wogan

Sons and daughters of Anubis

I’m just back from 17 days in Egypt. It’s always a good thing to see how other people live, but the trip also provided an unexpected window onto how other dogs live. Those lessons began before I even landed. Reading the Herald Tribune’s Egyptian daily on the plane, I saw this headline: Cairo to go back to shooting stray animals despite protests. According to the story (which also ran in USA Today), complaints and dog-bite reports in Cairo and neighboring Giza (home to the pyramids) moved the government to begin shooting strays as a population control measure. The policy had been suspended earlier in the year after complaints from animal rights groups and tourists who had seen the carcasses of shot dogs.

The issue of strays in Egypt isn’t going to go disappear at the end of a gun. This controversial practice, which often leaves wounded dogs to die slowly, has been going on for years. Back in 2002, the World Society for the Protection of Animals was cautiously optimistic about a pilot spay/neuter program. But the current  budget for sterilizing strays is $70,000, well short of the estimated $9 million needed.

At nearly every temple and pyramid I visited in Egypt, there was at least one dog, usually many more. They were all mid-size, Dingo-looking mutts, thin with patchy fur and covered in bugs. I couldn’t figure how they survived, especially in the desert. Despite their ragged appearance, I found their presence reassuring. They were playful and romped with us and each other. They lapped water from our cupped hands and gobbled up our snacks. They were like heirs of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian jackal god, greeting us and guiding our journey. While Anubis is most closely associated with the underworld, he is also the god of abandoned and lost children. I can’t help thinking that Egypt’s abandoned and lost dogs could use a powerful god dedicated to their cause right about now.

Lisa Wogan

Ellen DeGeneres Learns Tough Lesson

Oh Ellen DeGeneres, beloved talk show host, how could you be so ... human? DeGeneres and long-time partner Portia De Rossi adopted a dog who, despite their best efforts ($3,000 on training!?!), could not make friends with their cats. So the couple gave the Brussels Griffon mix named Iggy to their hairdresser and her family. Everything was fine until the rescue group Mutts & Moms called to see how Iggy was settling in. That's when things began to get interesting.

The adoption contract stipulated that if the adopter could not keep the dog, he must be returned to the rescue. That is a standard practice of rescue groups. Why go through the painstaking matchmaking process of adoption applications, references checks and home visits if the dog is just going to be given away again? That's how many dogs end up in rescue in the first place. In a video on her Web site, DeGeneres says the whole point of rescue is finding a good home for the dog. That's right -- the RESCUE finds the home, not the adopter who decides to give up the dog.

DeGeneres's heart was in the right place, but she still needs to follow the rules just like the rest of us. If the family was indeed a good match, there's no reason why the rescue wouldn't have adopted the dog to them once notified of the situation. Now the rescue is in a bad spot. If they adopt out Iggy to someone else, the other family and DeGeneres will make a big stink. If the rescue gives Iggy back to the family, it sets a terrible precedent for all future adoptions. It's a shame that both parties couldn't have handled this in a more civilized fashion, for everyone's sake.

Julia Kamysz Lane

How Could This Happen?

When this story first came to my attention, I just couldn't believe how someone could do such a thing. A litter of dead seven-week-old puppies were discovered behind a convenience store in Georgia. As if that wasn't bad enough, they were beaten to death and the likely culprit is a 20-year-old lab technician who worked at the University of Georgia’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. If you can stomach to read more, go to UGA Vet School Worker.

Julia Kamysz Lane

88 Chihuahuas, Pugs, Poodles, Yorkies Need Homes

Backyard breeding is one of my biggest pet peeves because it stems from greed. Mattie Barber Rowell of southeastern Louisiana was recently booked on animal cruelty charges after 88 small dogs were rescued from filthy living conditions. They included Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Poodles, Pugs, Schnauzers and Yorkies. Some were so badly matted that they couldn't even walk. Two dogs had ulcerated eyes. All of them were infested with fleas and approximately one third were heartworm positive. Rowell surrendered her ownership rights and St. Tammany Humane Society in Covington, Louisiana, is doing its best to care for the dogs and find them new loving homes. To make a donation or adopt, please call the St. Tammany Humane Society at (985) 892-7387.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Taboo Treats & Chocolate Chart

Do you give your dog a grape every now and then? How about the occasional chocolate-chip cookie? If so, pick up the October issue of National Geographic and get the scoop on why these seemingly harmless treats can be dangerous. The feature story, "Canine Taboos," focuses on foods toxic to dogs, such as grapes, chocolate, coffee, onions and more. You might be surprised to find what's on the list.

Unfortunately, I have first-hand experience with this kind of food scare. Several months ago, I came home to discover an open bag of semisweet chocolate chips on my kitchen floor. One of the dogs had managed to open up the pantry door and get into my baking supplies. At first, I wasn't too concerned because we have four dogs and I figured the chocolate was divided among my entire pack. But then I realized that if only one of them ate all of the chocolate, s/he would be in trouble. I called my vet and she recommended we make all of the dogs vomit. Turns out that one dog -- our Dalmatian, Darby -- did indeed eat the entire 8-ounce bag of chocolate chips all by herself. Fortunately, she was fine but it was frightening nonetheless.

If you're concerned about the effects of chocolate on your dog, National Geographic also provides an interactive "chocolate chart." You can adjust the weight of the dog and the amount of chocolate ingested to determine the real-life symptoms. It can also help you determine if a vet visit is in order.

Julia Kamysz Lane

REX AND THE CITY paperback book tour begins!

If any Bark readers find themselves on beautiful Cape Cod this Columbus Day Weekend, join best-selling author Lee Harrington Sunday, October 7th, at 1 pm at the Yellow Umbrella Bookstore (501 Main Street, Chatham, Massachusetts) for a booksigning and dog-adoption mini-fair. 

Special canine guests from the Animal Rescue League of Boston's Brewster Branch will be on hand to help spread the word about how wonderful shelter dogs can be. Plus, Lee's new dog Chloe will be in attendance as well, just plain acting cute.

A portion of all book sale proceeds will be donated to the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

As many of you know Lee's column, "Rex and the City," has been appearing in The Bark since 2000, back when she was a struggling, unknown writer.  Now, Rex and the City, the book, has become a local best-seller, and she owes it all to the Bark and its readers!

Stay tuned for further appearances.

Most Vick Dogs Get Second Chance

A team of ASPCA animal behaviorists have completed their assessments of suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's 49 seized dogs. Of the group, only one had a history of biting people and was found to exhibit intense human aggression during the assessment, thus requiring euthanasia. The remaining 48 dogs will either go to adoptive families, a sanctuary or receive training as police dogs. As much as I believe in second chances, I truly hope that Vick does not receive the same reprieve. When will the NFL outright fire him?

Julia Kamysz Lane