Although we like to try and write about positive events, sometimes we feel an obligation to report the negative in order to make people more aware that animal cruelty is real and efforts need to be made in order to stop it. We just received an email today concerning an event that occurred last week about a dog who was forced to where a collar made of fish-hooks!

photo from wpxi.com

The Border Collie mix had to have emergency surgery. Thankfully, the dog should be all right. However, Humane officers state that he could have died had he not received immediate attention. They are working to get to the bottom of the problem. If you have any information you are urged to contact them!

Mitch is ALWAYS yelling at me not to feed Chopper too much “people food”. It’s so hard to resist giving him a little nibble when he gives me the puppy eyes. Not surprisingly, I am not alone in feeling this way. Many other dog owners (or dog aunts in my case) feel this way. Most people feel as though they are depriving their beloved companion. While browsing the web the other day, I came across this article that discusses which people foods are suitable for your pooch. I was surprised at some of the items that were dangerous, like avocados and onions.

pug dog begging food

Thankfully, I’ve only fed Emperor Chopper some sliced turkey! Even though some foods are all right, the article maintains that this food should be given in small quantities as it can have negative effects on your dog’s intestinal track…I learned that the hard way one evening when Chopper had some not so pleasant odors.

- Elizabeth

It has been proven that water therapy has done wonders for people suffering from certain ailments, such as arthritis, but can the same technique be applied to man’s best friend? At Kasetsart University, the Suvarnachad canine pool, has helped to cure more than 5,000 dogs! The university just celebrated the pool’s three year anniversary!

Almost everyone knows the character of Cruella De Vil, the fur-hungry villan of 101 Dalmations. Although 101 Dalmations is fictional, dog-napping is not as uncommon as one might think. Just last week, there were two articles detailing the capture of dogs.

The Times of India reports in the article “Thieves Take a Fancy to Pug” that the dog snatching has not been an isolated incident and that purebred dogs can be profitable for purloiners. Another article, “$5,000 Reward Offered for Stolen Puppy”, tells of how a pug puppy was seized from a car in a church parking lot in Fort Myers, Florida!

Coincidentally, both of the dogs that were stolen were pugs… Personally, I think that it is because pugs are so adorable that people can’t help but want them. However, I’m a little bias!

-Elizabeth

Here at snifbostondogs.com, we are committed to bringing you the best of Boston. We are so happy to be a part of this community and any time we can help a neighbor we try our best. This morning, while checking our emails, we came across a letter from Kathy Finn who wrote about her dog Maddie who has been missing for about eight months. Please read her letter below!

I am writing with a heartfelt plead for your assistance in finding our dog Maddie. She is a 45 pound, 12 year old Australian Sheppard mix, white in color with tan spots. Maddie ran from a relative’s home in Needham, Massachusetts on August 13, 2007 after being spooked by someone in the house. She has lived with us in West Roxbury, Massachusetts for over 10 years. Maddie originally came from a shelter in Virginia, has a past history of abuse and is normally skittish with strangers. She is not micro chipped but did have a red collar with Boston tags and the name and phone number of our vet, Wolf’s Animal hospital. Initially, we had multiple sighting within a few miles from where she ran but over the past few months there have been none. At this time we are contacting all veterinarians within a 20 mile radius inquiring whether or not they have come in contact with any stray dogs meeting Maddie’s description. We believe she may had needed care for a hurt foot or hip. From other reports that we received she also may have been dehydrated, thin and exhausted. She has a positive Lyme titer which she has received partial treatment and the vaccine. She is updated on all her other vaccines. Maddie is terrified of vets and normally would need a tranquilizer in order to be examined and still would shake from head to toe. She is a very smart dog, and is fond of farms and has a natural instinct for herding children or people always keeping them to her right. Maddie is also registered with “Saber Alert”.
If you have any information that may help us we would be so grateful if you would contact us. If for some reason you are unable to give us the information would you please call our veterinarian, Dr. D’ Esopo, Wolf’s Animal Hospital in Dedham, at 781-326-9653. It would mean so much to us to just know that she is ok and happy living with a new family.

Sincerely,

Kathy and Frank Finn
45 Wren Street
West Roxbury, Ma., 02132
617-875-1357 or 617-429-8069
or e-mail at ktf@bu.edu

Here at snifbostondogs.com, we try our best not to pass judgment on others’ tastes and preferences. We love how every person has a unique style and taste; it allows us to appreciate the differences in each other. That resolved, we are completely against animal cruelty regardless of what others may think or feel. This morning, we received an email from a good friend of ours asking us to sign a petition. After reading the petition and researching further on the topic, we feel the need to spread the word on this horrible event to as many people as possible.

Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, a Costa Rican “artist”, paid young children to capture a street dog. Once the dog was captured, he was tied to a wall in a gallery in Costa Rica and left there to die. Vargas told all visitors not to feed the dog any food or water. Not long after, the dog died in the corner of the exhibition. To add insult to injury, Vargas has been selected to represent his country in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008.

We may not be able to change the past, but we can change the future. Please sign the petition and help prevent cruelty against animals! If the link does not work, please try copying and pasting the following into your browser.

http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition-sign.html

In an article posted on the Wall Street Journal website today, elderly dogs are getting a second chance at life. Animal Friends, a no-kill shelter in Pennsylvania, is changing the way people view elderly animals. Although older animals have more medical problems, there are positive qualities such as a calmer demeanor, lower energy levels and house training. Ann Cadman, the Health and Wellness Coordinator for the shelter even created an exclusive club for those adopters of elderly animals. It is called the Red Collar Society, a play on the “Red Hat Society” that celebrates women over 50. To read the full article, click here!

It is important that people realize the beauty in adopting an older dog. Although there are some risks, we believe that rewards of giving an animal a second chance far outweigh any of the “cons”. If you are considering adding a new member to the family, don’t rule out older pets right away…they might just surprise you!