paw planet: March 2011

Bill that Prohibits Dog Debarking

Posted on 11:52 PM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

A leading Rhode Island state lawmaker says the state should outlaw the surgical removal of the vocal chords of a dog or cat.

Senate Majority Leader Dominick J. Ruggerio announced legislation Monday to prohibit so-called "debarking" surgery unless a veterinarian deems it medically necessary. It's used by some breeders and pet owners as a way to deal with especially loud animals. Ruggerio calls the surgery painful, inhumane and almost always unnecessary.

Debarking or devocalization is a surgical procedure that leaves dogs and cats with the ability to only make a raspy of wheezy whispering noise. Besides being inhumane, the procedure can cause difficulty breathing, chronic gagging, pneumonia, and infection.

Barking dogs may be annoying, but imagine how scary it would be if there was no warning that an angry canine is nearby.

Cat's head stuck in pipe

Posted on 12:50 AM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

An Erie woman was puttering around her front yard Wednesday when she spotted a black-and-white tomcat with his head lodged in a decorative cast-iron pipe.

Suzanne Engert, who lives in the 11000 block of Flatiron Drive in Erie, reported finding the black-and-white cat lodged in a large metal pipe around 12:30 p.m. She said she walked behind her shed to see her garden when "something sort of caught my eye." "This black cat was just laying there," she said. "I must have walked past the cat a couple of times." Engert said it appeared as if the cat had been digging with its feet to try to free itself for some time.

When Engert unsuccessfully free the cat, Mountain View Fire District and animal control officers responded to help free the cat. The firefighters cut away part of the pipe in an attempt to get the cat out, that did not work. Then they tried using vegetable oil and soap but the cat remained stuck.

The officials decided to brought the cat -- pipe and all -- to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. On the way there, animal control officers realized the cat wasn't alone in the pipe. They realized something was flopping around in the back of the truck, and it was a rabbit.

Apparently, the cat was chasing the rabbit and got his head stuck in the pipe.

Cats: Birds no.1 enemy

Posted on 1:26 AM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

While public attention has focused on wind turbines as a menace to birds, a new study shows that a far greater threat may be posed by a more familiar antagonist: the pet house cat.

The American study set out to examine the survival rates of gray catbird fledglings in three suburban parks in Washington. Researchers fixed tiny radio transmitters to the birds to monitor their progress between May and September.

After tracking baby gray catbirds with miniature radio transmitters, biologists found that cats were by far the #1 bird killer: 47 percent of the birds died at the paws of pet and feral felines (out of 80 percent that were killed by predators in general). This echoes some biologists’ view that cats are a destructive, human-assisted invasive species: “Cats are way up there in terms of threats to birds — they are a formidable force in driving out native species,” said one of the authors of the study.

The studies have found that feral cat predation on birds costs billions of dollars in economic loss every year. To help stop the slaughter of millions of birds by their longtime arch-enemy, President Obama announced his plans to impose a “fly zone”.

World's most expensive dog cost $1.5 million

Posted on 12:35 AM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

Thats right! The 11-month-old red Tibetan Mastiff named Big Splash, or Hong Dong in China, was purchased by a coal baron in northern China for $1.5 million.

It's lucky that his new master is a multimillionaire, because the hefty price tag doesn't factor in Big Splash's diet -- enough chicken and beef to fill a growing 80kg dog, spiced up with Chinese delicacies, such as sea cucumber and abalone. His owner will need a big house too, as Tibetan mastiffs have been known to weigh as much as 130kg -- the same as a sizeable rugby union player.

Not because red is a lucky colour in China, but Tibetan mastiffs are thought to be holy animals, blessing their owners health and security. Also, owning one of the large working dogs has become a way for the wealthiest residents of China to demonstrate their financial success, much like fancy cars and couture clothing are symbols of wealth in the U.S.

Breeder Lu Liang is surely swimming in the dough thanks for breeding what he describes as "the perfect specimen." "He has excellent genes and will be a good breeding dog. When I started in this business, ten years ago, I never thought we would see such a price," he is quoted in The Telegraph. When asked about the details of the buyer, Lu did not reveal anything other than he is a multi-millionaire coal baron from the north of China who paid 10 million yuan for the dog.

Now, a red Tibetan mastiff has become the world's most expensive pet.

Border Collie Dog

Posted on 1:18 AM No Comments
Labels: Dog Breed

The Border Collie was originally called the "Scotch Sheep Dog" and originated in Northumberland along the borders of Scotland and England. It is known as “the workaholic” of the dog world for it's shear drive and love for working. A border collie has an eye that can hypnotize cattle, and can master any type of herd by crouching down and mesmerizing the animals with it's intense stare.

Border Collies are medium-sized dogs without extreme physical characteristics and with a moderate amount of coat, which means not much hair will be shed. Their double coats vary from slick to lush, and come in many colours, although black and white is the most common. It may also have single color coats. The body is slightly longer than it's tall. Eye colour varies from deep brown to amber or blue, and occasionally eyes of differing colour occur. The ears of the Border Collie are also variable — some have fully erect ears, some fully dropped ears, and others semi-erect ears. The front legs are straight when viewed from the front but slightly sloping when viewed from the side. The medium sized tail is set low reaching at least to the hock, raising somewhat when the dog is excited.

The Border Collie is very intelligent and aware of their surroundings. In fact, it was often cited as the most intelligent of all dogs. They are able to be trained to a high degree and can pick up commands easily. They are also perceptive and constantly thinking. In January 2011, a Border Collie was reported to have learned 1022 words, and acts consequently to human citation of those words.

Because of it's extremely energy and being athletic, a Border Collie is not recommended for apartment life. They are better off in households that can provide them with plenty of play and exercise with humans or other dogs, but physical exercises alone is not sufficient. They want to work and must do so with body and mind as one, carrying out different tasks.

The natural life span of the Border Collie is between 10 and 17 years, with an average lifespan of twelve years. The median longevities of breeds of similar size are usually 12 to 13 years.

The Border Collie needs regular combing and brushing to keep the coat gleaming. Extra care is needed when the soft, dense undercoat is shedding. Bathe or dry shampoo only when necessary. Check the ears and coat regularly for ticks. This breed is an average shedder.

Trainer Revive Dog with CPR (video)

Posted on 10:33 PM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

A well-known Tacoma area dog trainer and instructor Ron Pace didn’t just give a 4-year-old Boxer named Sugar an obedience lesson but he also brought the dog back to life.

Saturday, during obedience class at Canyon Crest K-9 Training Center Sugar suffered a seizure. Her owner cried hysterically as her four-year-old dog lay motionless on the grass. The dog trainer, Ron Pace doesn't know dog CPR but when he saw Sugar wasn't breathing, his instincts kicked in and started chest compressions. Applying some pressure trying to give the dog a chance to breathe like what we do on a human. After two minutes of CPR the dog came back frightened but conscious.

Pace has been training dogs for almost four decades, yet admitted that he didn't know how to properly perform CPR. “It may not have been the correct way to do it and the way that they teach. It's the outcome that's what was important,” Pace said.

Mark Zuckerberg's Pet: Beast

Posted on 10:55 PM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

Recently, Zuckerberg and long-time girlfriend Priscilla Chan welcomed Beast, a fluffy, white Puli hailing from Grants Pass, Oregon, into their Palo Alto home. The Dog is a type of Hungarian sheepdog also known as Komodor whose personal interest are cuddling, eating and loving, and it is so cute and adorable as posted in his Facbook fan page.

Oh yes, Beast have his own Facebook account made by his ower (the man behind Facebook). Zuckerberg created a fan page to introduce his new puppy to the Facebook world. Beast account reveals his own history, interest and some pampering pictures with his new family.

Within a few hours of Beast's arrival on Facebook his page had well over 1,000 fans, and has already attracted over 4, 700 fans. It also received lots of comments mostly from happy Hungarian users.

Some call Beast as luckiest puppy on earth, and is pretty much assures that he is going to be pampered to the fullest because of Zuckerberg's status as a billionaire.

The Puli is a unique variety of sheepdog that is originally indigenous to the Hungarian plains. As a breed, these dogs are notable for being energetic and playful, simultaneously enjoying and needing exercise in order to accommodate for their high energy level. They are also excellent house pets, and noted for the protective role they take on once integrated into a family.

Dog dies after Army handler is killed

Posted on 10:42 PM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

An inseparable pair was proven till the end when Lance Corporal Liam Tasker of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps killed in a firefight with the Taliban.

A 26-year-old soldier, Liam Tasker and 22-month-old springer spaniel cross, Theo spent 15 weeks on a handlers course where they learned to work as a team and developed their bond. The two developed a different relationship and treated each other as a companion.

Because of their good team up, the pair had uncovered 14 home-made bombs and hoards of weapons in just five months, and with that success saved many lives. Lance Corporal Tasker loves working with Theo because of it's great character. Theo never tires and can't wait to get out and do his job and will stop at nothing. Liam was very professional, brave and dedicated that made Theo such an amazing dog.

On Tuesday they took part in a mission in the Nahr-e Saraj district in Helmand, a hotbed of the insurgency. Theo’s task was to be the ‘front man’, sniffing out any hidden IEDs, weapons and bomb-making equipment when they were engaged by small arms fire. Liam received injuries from the said attack and died. Theo survived being fired repeatedly but then died shortly after returning to the camp. He was traumatised by the gunfire so the seizure could have been brought on by that.

The two died as a hero, saving many lives. Among many tributes, Liam Fox, the defence secretary, said: "From the accounts made by his military colleagues and his family, I understand that he was a dedicated and highly capable soldier, whose skills in handling dogs were second to none. He and his dog Theo had saved lives and for this, we will be eternally grateful."