Bark Blog

Act Against Dog Auctions

Last year, when a controversy was brewing over a new pet shop in the Chicago area, I was sickened by the naive comments of a dog owner. She had purchased her puppy from a pet store. Because her puppy was healthy and well tempered, she didn't understand -- and therefore, did not support -- criticism of pet shops. Her dog was fine, so what was the problem?

For every cute puppy for sale at a pet store, there are tens of thousands of adult dogs who live in commercial kennels. And I use the word "live" very loosely. A dog deserves more than just being "fed and bred." Two years ago, Mary O'Connor-Shaver attended a dog auction and saw firsthand the neglect and suffering of dogs at the hands of puppy mills.

There has been a long-standing controversy among dog rescue volunteers in regards to dog auctions. Some people believe that saving the life of even just one dog at auction is reason enough to go and bid. Others believe that this act, though compassionate, does nothing to increase awareness of the horrors of dog auctions and puts money in the pocket of the puppy millers.

If you want to help stop dog auctions, please go to Animal House and Ban Ohio Dog Auctions. We might not all agree on how best to shut down this deplorable industry, but increasing public awareness of the puppy mill dog's plight is a good first step.

Julia Kamysz Lane

New hope for shelter dogs

Ever wonder what you'd do with $3 million? Well, The Stanton Foundation has given that sum to the Animal Rescue League of Boston to fund a Center for Shelter Dogs -- with the exclusive goal of improving the welfare and placement odds for dogs in humane societies, animal control shelters and rescue groups. Among some of the goals of the new center will be developing a better awareness of the shelter environment and the disruptive effect of the stress of homelessness and rehoming on dog behavior; improving methods of evaluating and mitigating stress in the shelter environment; and improving strategies for matching dogs with prospective adopters. What a great idea!

Lisa Wogan

A Selected Short by Merrill Markoe

Oh! Le crisis! Where's Lassie when you need her?

Let us say up front that we know there's nothing even remotely amusing about a heart attack. But, since this piece is a skit, not a documentary, from Merrill Markoe--one of our favorite writers--we're pointing you to it.

There was much laughing in the Bark office as we watched this short video, perhaps because each of us could easily imagine our own dogs in a similar situation. (By the way, If you love books as much as dogs, you'll find lots to enjoy on this Red Room site.)

Susan Tasaki

Taking Care of Dog Business

The aphorism, "a picture's worth a thousand words," may be a cliche, but it's also true. For anyone who's ever read instructions on how to, for example, trim a dog's nails or give a dog a massage and was still confused, hang on! Help is on the way.

At Wonderhowto.com, you can choose among 365 dog-specific short videos (that's today...tomorrow, the number may be higher) and watch people who know what they're doing do something useful. The website describes itself as a "community-fueled search engine and directory for free how-to video," which means that there are many sources and points of view behind the clips, but we were pretty impressed with those we spot-checked. Seeing is sometimes believing!

Susan Tasaki

Reward or Ransom For Lost Dog?

I'll never forget that horrible day when Jetta's new owner called to tell me that she was missing. We had fostered the beautiful German shepherd for a local rescue group and grown very attached to her. On the very day of the adoption, a friend came over to visit and left the front door open just long enough for Jetta to bolt. Thankfully, someone suggested I contact Sherlock Bones, an experienced pet detective, and he helped us take immediate action. Within hours, we got Jetta back safe and sound.

Since we were a nonprofit rescue group, Sherlock Bones didn't charge us for his services. I will always be grateful for his generosity. He told us that it was important to scrape together whatever we could to offer as a specific reward on our flyers because that got everybody -- even people who didn't like dogs -- keeping an eye out for her.

Apparently, Bert Clark of Canada received similar advice. The distraught dog lover offered a $15,000 reward for the safe return of his beloved chocolate Lab, Huckleberry. Clark scoffed at a reporter's suggestion that his reward was "excessive." (I think all of us who read Bark would agree!) Soon thereafter, he got his dog back, but questions remain as to whether Huckleberry was dogknapped and the reward was actually a ransom.

Lost in all of the drama over the reward money is the fact that the dog walker left Huckleberry alone outside a cafe while she went inside for "five minutes" to grab something to eat. If a dog were left in my charge -- and I made a living at it -- you better believe that pup would never leave my sight. Now that Huckleberry is safe, I wouldn't be surprised if Clark tells the dog walker to get lost.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Dog Power!

Bored with the same old walks? Then you and your pup might like to try the Dog Powered Scooter and the Dog Powered Trike. They're similar to mushing, except the dogs are harnessed from behind the human driver so he can steer without worry. Architect Mark Schuette of Bend, Oregon, invented the dog scooter and trike as a way to spend more time with his dog and give him enough exercise. For a cool video demo with a Husky and a Rottie, click here.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Bad example of the week

When asked why she had 17 dogs, far in excess of Los Angeles’ zoning that permits three-dogs per address, Paris Hilton said: “They keep having babies, and I feel bad about giving them away.” Seems she's really as clueless as we suspected.

Lisa Wogan

Woman Wants Ex's Dog To Be "Axed"

Last night, Anderson Cooper -- reporting live from New Orleans -- and his in-studio substitute, Erica Hill discussed a radio station publicity stunt that went awry. On Valentine's Day, listeners were invited to come down to the Atlanta-based radio station with something that either belonged to or was given to them by an ex and that they no longer wanted. It would then be destroyed in the parking lot with an ax. You'd assume that most people would bring the usual -- old love letters, photos, clothing, stuffed animals, etc. But one woman showed up with her ex-boyfriend's dog! You can see a video of this sweet shepherd mix on CNN. Thankfully, the Humane Society and caring callers intervened, so the dog found a loving home by the end of the day.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Dogs are in the picture

We don't usually go in for the celebrities and their dogs around here at Bark. But when I saw a photo of Christina Aguilera with her new baby in Hello!, it seemed worth a nod. The new family tableau includes mom, dad, baby, and three, count 'em, pups all nuzzled together. It may just be a photographer's notion but hopefully it's a sign that the dogs aren't about to become second-class citizens in this household, which happens all too often.

Lisa Wogan

PETA No Fan of Best In Show

Animal-rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is no stranger to stirring up controversy. In the past, some dog owners have questioned PETA president Ingrid Newkirk's canine devotion as a fundraising ploy or worse.

So it comes as no surprise that PETA debuted a provocative ad campaign (one commercial compares purebred dog breeders to the Ku Klux Klan) during Westminster Kennel Club's annual show, the Superbowl of dog shows. You can watch all three commercials through You Tube or the New York Times.

What do you think of the new PETA commercials? Are they fair? Or too over the top?

Julia Kamysz Lane

Beagle me silly

I was tracking the Westminster Kennel Club dog show results for The Seattle Times last night—reporting on any local pups to make good. I figured I’d have to watch another terrier, poodle, or Pekingese take the big prize. I love terriers and poodles and Pekingese, but honestly I longed for a regular dog—without puffballs, or silky long hair, or a wiry muzzle to take the prize. A sturdy, short-haired Average Fido even mutts can raise a paw for. Well, I got my wish, or as close as you're likely to come in a show ring. Last night, a 15-inch beagle named Uno stepped into the celebratory bowl (literally, see this unbearably adorable photo). He’s appropriately named not just for his win, but because Uno is the first beagle to take the crown in the show's 132 year history. Snoopy would be proud.

Lisa Wogan

The Puddles/Panchito debacle

So you’ve got the mayor in a small Texas town who agrees to take care of her neighbors’ Shih Tzu, while they go to a water park for a long weekend. The dog is very sick from chemical treatments for serious flea infestation, and needs an expensive transfusion the family cannot afford. When the family calls to check in, they learn their dog has died. Only Puddles has not died. The mayor has secreted the pup, now named Panchito, at her twin sister’s ranch, about 12 miles outside of town.

When they get home, Puddles’ family is suspicious. The mayor won’t return their calls. Someone sees Puddles at a groomer. An enterprising TV crew videotapes Panchito at the ranch (which the sisters claim was discovered by another woman and dropped off just before the cameras showed up). At one point, the mayor even pretends to be her sister to avoid questions, but is duped when someone calls out “Ms. Mayor.”

The family wants Puddles back, but due to legal machinations he will remain with the sisters until an April hearing. Meanwhile, the 64-year-old ex-mayor (she resigned earlier this month) has been indicted on felony charges that carry up to 10 years. I can’t tell from The New York Times’ front page story about the case if the family was truly neglecting the dog and the mayor was really trying to save her, but there’s no doubt she was pretty ham-fisted about the whole thing. Still if a dog I thought was deathly ill because of mistreatment by his guardian was placed in my care, I might make some pretty bad—in the eyes of the law—choices myself.

Lisa Wogan

Chicago Tribune Loves BARk!

To those of us who love dogs, the success of BARk magazine makes perfect sense. Who wouldn't want to read a smart periodical dedicated entirely to our cherished companions? But it's always nice when non-dog people (or entities) admit that they find it fascinating, too. So thank you, Chicago Tribune, for congratulating BARk on its 10-year anniversary in today's editorial, "That's 70 in dog years."

I especially like the dare at the end, in which the editors "defy anyone -- dog-haters and cat-lovers included -- to thumb all the way through BARk without grinning like a border collie. It will make you want to get a dog. Or be one." BARk readers, how do you feel after you read the magazine? Are you compelled to give your dog a big hug? Does it inspire you to try something new with your dog? Or add another pup to the pack? Let us know!

Julia Kamysz Lane

Not a Hallmark moment

I’m a sucker for a lost-dog reunion story. I want my free shot of feel-good, but have you ever noticed how in most lost-and-found stories there is usually some weird detail that gets in the way of true misty-eyed pleasure. The case of Luke in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today is a perfect example.

First, the woman who “found” the three-year-old shepherd-beagle mix, actually lifted him out of an off-leash area where she said she thought he’d been abandoned. Why she didn’t ask around or try to find the guardian somewhere in the park is never explained. But you can cut her a little slack because Luke was, after all, naked. At the end of the story, his guardian reveals that he wasn’t wearing a collar. Duh. (Oh, and we learn something about microchips, too: The vet didn’t scan for one.)

Lisa Wogan

More ticks, more places

When I was a kid growing up in Colorado, I got a wicked case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever after my dad somehow used a match to entice a blood-bloated tick out of my scalp. So, I flinched when I read that a recent study has found tick populations are not only increasing in number, but also in reach. The data revealed the presence of at least three tick-borne diseases, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis, in every state in the country. Apparently all three can cause health complications and even death in humans and dogs, if untreated. The results were presented during the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) in late January in Orlando.

Lisa Wogan

Report from the North

Two weeks ago, a five-year-old husky mix named Lorenzo joined my household. He is one of the many dogs to enter (and now exit) life with Arna Dan Isacsson in Fairbanks, Alaska. I visited Arna last year, and my story about her efforts to rehabilitate neglected and abandoned huskies and to encourage more humane, dog-friendly practices among mushers is in the current issue of Bark (January/February 2008). (In the photo, Lorenzo (left) and another Seattle-bound pup Emman arrive with Arna at SeaTac airport.)

Arna’s trip south to re-home two-year-old Emman and Lorenzo was almost cancelled several times because a pack of wolves was roaming the wilderburbs where she lives. Apparently, reduced snowfall had disrupted the wolves’ normal patterns, and they were preying on cats and dogs in the neighborhood. Arna’s November and December emails about marking territory with scarecrows and urine (her own) and playing music full blast would have been comic if the circumstances hadn’t been so serious. Amateur traps in the woods and errant gunfire being among the many wolf-prevention strategies that posed dangers in themselves. It was a reminder to me of just how difficult her avocation can be. In Fairbanks, rehabilitating and protecting these dogs is complicated by stretches of 40-below days, no running water, and, recently wolves.

Meanwhile, Renzo is bright-eyed, calm and well-adjusted, responsive to commands, a delight on trails (where he bounds like a gazelle) and city streets (about which he knows nothing). In his past are bad patches, periods of neglect, anxiety, boredom, and weeks on the lamb, but his four months with Arna seem to have smoothed these wrinkles and brought out his core healthy doggy self. I’m grateful to her and newly admiring of her work.

Lisa Wogan