A terrible event happened to the Boston Maltese pictured above. Gandalf, a member of the Boston Maltese Meetup Group, was attacked and killed by a pitbull by walking in a sidewalk with his owner.

Please be very careful: avoid walking your Maltese outside in the open! Don’t underestimate the possibility that your Maltese can be quickly attacked by another dog.

Here is the moving letter that Allen Su, the owner of Gandalf, has written to the members of the Boston Maltese meetup group.

“I wanted to write to you to report that while my girlfriend, Diane Wong, was walking Gandalf less than fifty feet from her house to a friends’ apartment, a neighbor’s unleashed pitbull charged and mauled Gandalf, literally tossing him around like a ragdoll for several seconds before she was able to get the pitbull to release Gandalf. Luckily, Gandalf survived without internal bleeding and is at an emergency care veterinarian being treated and operated on for a broken hip with bone protruding from the skin. Unfortunately, the veterinarian’s prognosis was that there was a less than 50% chance of recovery and that he could potentially have incontinence and an amputated leg. He may have also been in pain for the rest of his life. Taking his qualify of life into account, we made the extremely difficult decision to let Gandalf go. He was in an immense amount of pain at the veterinarian and we did not want him to suffer.

It all happened so quickly that Diane wasn’t even able to pick up Gandalf even though he was being walked on a leash. It must be known to all members of the Maltese group that you will not have a chance to react to this sort of attack. It is not just pitbulls and other large dogs, but other cats and wildlife as well. We should have heeded your warnings not to walk him. I would very much appreciate it if you could warn the other members of our Maltese group again not to walk their Maltese in public, or at least carry their dogs when they are in public. Freak accidents like this do, unfortunately, happen. THE NATURE OF THE ATTACK IS THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT COULD HAPPEN. It could, as in our case, literally be right in front of your doorstep. I know earlier this year you said a member’s Maltese was mauled and killed by a pitbull on a walk.

Gandalf is remembered by his primary owners, Diane and I, as well as both of our families. He was virtually a son and grandson.”

As Allen Su told us, the incident occured in early September. Allen Su and Diane got a new dog, Alfie, pictured below. He is now three and a half months old and has actually helped them a lot with the grieving process. “While he will never take Gandalf’s place”, Allen Su wrote, “he will always remind us of him.”

If you would like to express sympathy for Allen Su and Diane, please write a comment below.

It’s almost December which means… more chances to dress up your dog!

The Annual ReinDog Parade is Saturday, Dec 1, at 3 PM at Pinehills Village in Plymouth. Pinehills is Route 3 South to Exit 3, left at the exit, and watch for the signs on the left for the Village.

Don’t forget a dog costume: judging will take place during the parade and Santa Claus will be there, too! Click here for more info. Registration is at 2 PM.

It’s time for a Public Safety Announcement!

I’m sure you’ve all read about the numerous toy recalls recently due to potential lead poisoning - but you may not have thought about how this relates to your dogs!

As Channel 7 News recently pointed out, lead in toys could actually be more dangerous for pets:

“…Vets say many dogs weigh less than children and so smaller amounts of lead could cause serious health problems in pets. Even worse: Unlike kids many dog spend hours chewing on their toys, sometimes even actually eating them.”

One of the potentially dangerous dog toys is the green monster pictured above, and it is sold at Wal-Mart. ConsumerAffairs.com hired a laboratory to test some pet toys for pets for heavy metals and other toxins.
This toy tested positive for what the lab’s toxicologist said are high levels of lead and the cancer-producing agent chromium.

Take a look at this extensive list of recalled toys and follow the precautions outlined from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Most chew toys should be fine- this list is very thorough and mainly includes children’s toys.

If you have any tips for avoiding these problems- post them in the comments below.

Here are some great shots of Bella and Hudson!

These two Yorkshires, who organize the Boston Yorkshire Meetup with their mom Amanda, are simply adorable in their Christmas outfits!

Several animal blessings took place in Boston in the past few weeks. Here are some pics from a blessing at Christ Church in Cambridge, around Harvard Square.

All animals, including several dogs, ferrets, and fish, assisted to the ceremony in the church. After the function, everybody moved to another room, where the blessing took place. There was food both for animals and people, and rev. Jeffrey W. Mello blessed all animals there. The event was really special - and all people and animals who took part to it had a lot of fun!

This Thanksgiving made me think of all the great things in life to be thankful for- like great dog rescue organizations!

Meet Yogi and Maggie, two rescued dogs who lived in a shelter for a while and then found a new lovely family.

Yogi (pictured above) was transfered from Alabama to the Greater Nashua Animal Shelter . His owners found him through a Dog Walk-a-thon benefit on October 13, this year. They held a ‘parade’ of the adoptable dogs and Yogi seemed really sweet.
Yogi is settling into his new home in Jamaica Plain well. He’s crate trained for bedtime and he’s quickly learning how to hurry up (and pee!) outside and do tricks like sit, give paw, and lie down and roll around. His favorite toys are his squeaky duck and his roaring tiger. He’s really smart and he knows where to bite it to make it roar!

Yogi likes to sit on the top part of the couch, and he curls up on it like he’s a cat or something. He also likes to throw himself at your feet and roll around when he wants his owner’s attention.

Yogi is currently training for a 5K. He likes to go running, but is only up to 2 miles at a time. Yogi got his name because he loves yoga mats and likes to do downward and upward dog everyday!

Maggie (pictured above) was adopted from Save A Dog, an all-volunteer dog rescue organization located in Framingham, MA. She was found in a “drop box” for unwanted dogs in Tennessee and transfered to Save A Dog. She is very playful and especially likes her terry cloth animal toys and her nylon bone. Some of her favorite activities include running around the house outside and jumping off and onto the patio steps. Also, according to a friend who has walked Maggie, she is a chick magnet - girls flock to you when they see Maggie. Maggie resides happily with her family in Andover, MA.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!