According to news reports, about 12 psychics have now joined the hunt for the missing show dog, which has now been missing for a week...
Although a tipster claimed to have seen the whippet around JFK Airport a few days ago, the dog hasn't been spotted since. However, droppings consistent with the 30-pound whippet's were found Monday behind an airport cargo building, and so there is still reason for hope.
The dog's owners have posted a reward of $5,000 for her return.
But each year, dozens of dogs and cats are lost and found on Kennedy's 5,000 acres, which stretch from the busy parkways in the north to Jamaica Bay's marshes in the south.
The lost dog problem at Kennedy became so bad that about five years ago, Bobbi Giordano set up a no-kill animal rescue shelter called Bobbi and the Strays in the airport's Cargo Area C, which is across the short-term parking lot from the terminals. It rents space at the airport and shares a building with the airport's pet hotel, which charges by the day and the pound, and a stable for horses being shipped by air.
But for Ms. Giordano and her workers, Vivi is merely the airport's fourth lost dog this month.
"We feel terrible about this show dog, but honestly, lost dogs are nothing new to us here," Ms. Giordano said yesterday. "In fact, it's the reason we set up here in the first place."
[dog news]
[dogs]
Missing Dog Spotted?
A New York woman says she may have seen the missing whippet from the Westminster Dog Show...
New York Post
February 18, 2006 -- The missing Westminster Dog Show whippet may be alive and well and living in a construction site, according to a tipster who says she saw the prize pooch early yes terday morning near JFK Airport.
The dog's excited owners spent yesterday searching the streets around South Conduit Avenue and 145th Street, not far from the runway where Vivi was last seen Wednesday, running away from cargo workers after she got loose from her cage.
The tipster "sounded like she knew what a whippet was," said Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson. Heidi Singer
[dogs]
[dog news]
New York Post
February 18, 2006 -- The missing Westminster Dog Show whippet may be alive and well and living in a construction site, according to a tipster who says she saw the prize pooch early yes terday morning near JFK Airport.
The dog's excited owners spent yesterday searching the streets around South Conduit Avenue and 145th Street, not far from the runway where Vivi was last seen Wednesday, running away from cargo workers after she got loose from her cage.
The tipster "sounded like she knew what a whippet was," said Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson. Heidi Singer
[dogs]
[dog news]
Pit Bulls - Monster or Myth?
Great article on pit bulls in today's Seattle Times.
As someone who NEVER considered owning a pit bull, I have to say that most of the pit bulls and pit bull mixes I met while working Katrina rescue were wonderful dogs. The ones that weren't had all been fought and had the scars to prove it. Many of these scars were caused by people, not dogs. One of the dogs I looked after had ... a scar that covered his entire back, probably caused by someone throwing boiling water or oil on him in the ring. The fighting dogs were all terribly abused, and understandably aggressive to people and other dogs.
My own little pitty, Miss Peaches, had her ears cut off in a "backyard crop" - someone just held her down and hacked them off. Yet she is as affectionate and loving as any dog I have ever known.
The problem is never the breed; it's the owner.
Pit bulls: Most dangerous of dogs or most misunderstood?
By Lisa Wogan
Special to The Seattle Times
In early January, Sarah Smith went walking in her leafy North Seattle neighborhood. Not far from her house, she saw two of her neighbor's pit bulls running loose. Before she could do anything the dogs rushed her, attacking her small terrier.
"I was screaming. I was out of my mind," says Smith, who asked that her real name not be used for fear of retaliation by the dogs' owner. "I was tangled in my leash, and I closed my eyes because I didn't want to see my dog ripped up."
The dog's owner and neighbors helped break up the attack. It wasn't until Smith got home that she discovered bloody puncture wounds in her own arm.
While she and her dog are on the mend physically, Smith is still emotionally shaky.
"It's kind of consumed my life," she says. "I can't work."
Smith works in a dog-friendly office that includes a pit bull. Yet despite the attack, she disagrees with those who would ban the breeds. "Pit bull" is a catch-all used to describe American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire terriers, American pit-bull terriers and any mixes involving these breeds.
"I am afraid of pit bulls now," she says, "but I see this as an owner problem."
Still, anything involving pit bulls has a way of taking on a political life of its own, fueled by news accounts of attacks and public disagreement that spills into town halls and Internet forums.
In the debate over banning, the questions persist: Are these dogs vicious by nature or victims of irresponsible owners and breeders? Or is their strained place among us, as some have argued, a combination of genetics and circumstance?
The recent history of the pit bulls has been tough. After decades as an all-American favorite (from Stubby the World War I hero to Pete in "Our Gang"), the pit bull was embraced for its more pugnacious qualities.
It happens all the time: A strong dog becomes widely popular for its ability to intimidate. In the past several decades, Dobermans, Akitas, Rottweilers, German shepherds and even shaggy St. Bernards developed short-term reputations as a public menace.
Unfortunately, unlike fads of the past, the pit-bull craze has endured for nearly three decades, putting enormous stress on the various breeds that are called pit bulls and keeping them constantly in the headlines.Adding to the cost of popularity is the pit bulls' tendency to attract owners drawn not by its historic family-dog role but by its reputation as the premier fighting dog.
"It's the dog of choice for drug dealers and young males 12 to 23," says Don Jordan, executive director of the Seattle Animal Shelter.
At best, these owners are too young to take responsibility for such a demanding breed. At worst, they campaign them in dog fights and abandon losers. They often leave their dogs tethered in the backyard, neglect and abuse them and fail to socialize them — all of which can contribute to aggressiveness.
Changing temperaments
While American pit bulls have historically done well in temperament testing (see table), current circumstances may be taking a toll.
"When we first got pit bulls in, they were always friendly. They were always nice dogs," says Diane Jessup, a former animal-control officer in Olympia. Jessup has raised many pit bulls and written several books about them. "I will say now, in the last five years, 50 percent of the dogs are fearful, fear-biters with horribly unsound temperaments."
The number of pit bulls coming into Seattle Animal Shelter continues to increase — from 362 in 2001 to 559 in 2004. Given their reputations, these dogs are difficult to place. More than 1,000 were euthanized during this same period.
Five years ago, Web-site designer Carol Chapman adopted a black-and-tan brindle American pit bull named Sampson through the Pit Bull Project, one of three local rescue organizations that helps place abandoned dogs in homes and improve their public image.
Sampson was among many dogs used as a stud in a home-breeding operation in Bremerton. When his owners were arrested on drug charges, it was a month before animal control learned that 20 pit bulls had been abandoned on the property. By the time officials arrived, 10 dogs were dead and five were so sick they had to be euthanized. Sampson was among the five who survived on trash in the house.
The experience did not ruin Sampson. "He's really mild-mannered and kind of a coward," says Chapman. "He breaks up cat fights. He's kind of like a peacekeeper."
That gentleness, as well as a certain goofy charm, are overlooked aspects of the pit-bull personality, say owners, and among the traits that endear them to these breeds.
Elvie Arnobit, a sales representative from Redmond, didn't know much about pit bulls' darker reputation when she fell in love with an American pit-bull puppy named Marauder-Ivie League's Harvard — Harvey, for short.
With soulful eyes and a sweet disposition, she says, "I had to have him."
At 70 pounds, a white-and-red fawn coat and a giant dog tag that proclaims "Lick Monster," Harvey perches human-style on a chair next to Arnobit as she scrolls through a slideshow: Harvey dressed as a king, as a poodle and in a tuxedo with a cigar in his mouth. As she describes his silliness, Harvey offers her his leash — repeatedly.
Under Arnobit's constant care, Harvey became a United Kennel Club confirmation champion, with an agility title, therapy-dog certification, an obedience title and his own Web site, kingharvey.com. He high-fives for treats, punches the automatic door openers at handicapped entrances and he's a favorite at Paws-Abilities, a dog-training facility in Tukwila.
Controlled cattle
Still, a docile dog is not the breed ideal. According to the United Kennel Club, which registers American pit-bull terriers, the dog should embody the virtues of a warrior: "strength, indomitable courage and gentleness with loved ones."
Pit bulls descend from bulldog-terrier mixes that were first bred in Elizabethan England. They were known as the Butcher's Dog because they controlled cattle by biting and holding the nose of wayward cows heading for the market.
This evolved into a sport where bulls were tormented by the dogs in contests of strength. When "bull-baiting" was outlawed in the early 1800s, these contests were moved to clandestine pits between dogs. Today, fighting is illegal in all 50 states, but is still widespread.
"It's not sensible to get an animal bred for bringing a 2,000-pound bull to its knees and say I'm going to treat this like a soft-mouth Labrador," says Jessup, the former animal-control officer. She blames novice owners, as much as actual criminals, for bringing the breed into disrepute. "It's a capable animal, and it's got to be treated as such."
Jessup does not believe the solution to the pit-bull attacks is to dilute the dogs' core character. Training her four dogs in obedience, tracking and Schutzhund (an obedience, tracking and protection sport originally developed for German shepherds) is one way she channels their energies.
For some, the issues of owner responsibility and the dog's stellar qualities don't complete the picture.
Kory Nelson avoids the debate over whether pit bulls are more aggressive than other dogs. As an assistant city attorney for Denver, Nelson has successfully defended repeated challenges to the city's 16-year-old pit-bull ban, one of the oldest big-city bans in the country.
He concedes that there is no definitive proof that pit bulls bite or attack more often than other dogs or even that they are fundamentally more aggressive.
Statistics about fatal bite attacks, though widely reported in stories about pit bulls, are generally considered unreliable or incomplete.
Instead, Nelson has successfully argued that pit-bull attacks are more severe and more likely to be fatal than other dog attacks because pit bulls bite into deep muscles, and hold and shake, ripping tissue. The dogs are also less likely to retreat in a fight and can strike without warning.
Nelson uses this analogy: Other breeds are to firecrackers as pit bulls are to hand grenades.
"They may have the same equal chances of going off accidentally," he says. "But we can agree that a hand grenade would cause more damage should that event take place."
Some Washington communities agree. Buckley, Pierce County, Enumclaw and Yakima have banned pit bulls. At least eight other Washington jurisdictions have pit-bull-specific restrictions including a special registration, spaying or neutering, muzzles in public, and sometimes owners are required to post a bond.
In this environment, responsible pit-bull owners find themselves in the hot seat. One owner with children said she'd been called an unfit mother for having the dogs. Others are used to seeing pedestrians cross the street to avoid them.
"As an owner you realize you can never make a mistake. Regardless of the situation, it's always going to be your dog's fault," says Jamie Samans, a spokesman for the Pit Bull Project.
When it comes to pit bulls, he says, "there is no room for error."
[dog news]
[dogs]
[dog info]
As someone who NEVER considered owning a pit bull, I have to say that most of the pit bulls and pit bull mixes I met while working Katrina rescue were wonderful dogs. The ones that weren't had all been fought and had the scars to prove it. Many of these scars were caused by people, not dogs. One of the dogs I looked after had ... a scar that covered his entire back, probably caused by someone throwing boiling water or oil on him in the ring. The fighting dogs were all terribly abused, and understandably aggressive to people and other dogs.
My own little pitty, Miss Peaches, had her ears cut off in a "backyard crop" - someone just held her down and hacked them off. Yet she is as affectionate and loving as any dog I have ever known.
The problem is never the breed; it's the owner.
Pit bulls: Most dangerous of dogs or most misunderstood?
By Lisa Wogan
Special to The Seattle Times
In early January, Sarah Smith went walking in her leafy North Seattle neighborhood. Not far from her house, she saw two of her neighbor's pit bulls running loose. Before she could do anything the dogs rushed her, attacking her small terrier.
"I was screaming. I was out of my mind," says Smith, who asked that her real name not be used for fear of retaliation by the dogs' owner. "I was tangled in my leash, and I closed my eyes because I didn't want to see my dog ripped up."
The dog's owner and neighbors helped break up the attack. It wasn't until Smith got home that she discovered bloody puncture wounds in her own arm.
While she and her dog are on the mend physically, Smith is still emotionally shaky.
"It's kind of consumed my life," she says. "I can't work."
Smith works in a dog-friendly office that includes a pit bull. Yet despite the attack, she disagrees with those who would ban the breeds. "Pit bull" is a catch-all used to describe American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire terriers, American pit-bull terriers and any mixes involving these breeds.
"I am afraid of pit bulls now," she says, "but I see this as an owner problem."
Still, anything involving pit bulls has a way of taking on a political life of its own, fueled by news accounts of attacks and public disagreement that spills into town halls and Internet forums.
In the debate over banning, the questions persist: Are these dogs vicious by nature or victims of irresponsible owners and breeders? Or is their strained place among us, as some have argued, a combination of genetics and circumstance?
The recent history of the pit bulls has been tough. After decades as an all-American favorite (from Stubby the World War I hero to Pete in "Our Gang"), the pit bull was embraced for its more pugnacious qualities.
It happens all the time: A strong dog becomes widely popular for its ability to intimidate. In the past several decades, Dobermans, Akitas, Rottweilers, German shepherds and even shaggy St. Bernards developed short-term reputations as a public menace.
Unfortunately, unlike fads of the past, the pit-bull craze has endured for nearly three decades, putting enormous stress on the various breeds that are called pit bulls and keeping them constantly in the headlines.Adding to the cost of popularity is the pit bulls' tendency to attract owners drawn not by its historic family-dog role but by its reputation as the premier fighting dog.
"It's the dog of choice for drug dealers and young males 12 to 23," says Don Jordan, executive director of the Seattle Animal Shelter.
At best, these owners are too young to take responsibility for such a demanding breed. At worst, they campaign them in dog fights and abandon losers. They often leave their dogs tethered in the backyard, neglect and abuse them and fail to socialize them — all of which can contribute to aggressiveness.
Changing temperaments
While American pit bulls have historically done well in temperament testing (see table), current circumstances may be taking a toll.
"When we first got pit bulls in, they were always friendly. They were always nice dogs," says Diane Jessup, a former animal-control officer in Olympia. Jessup has raised many pit bulls and written several books about them. "I will say now, in the last five years, 50 percent of the dogs are fearful, fear-biters with horribly unsound temperaments."
The number of pit bulls coming into Seattle Animal Shelter continues to increase — from 362 in 2001 to 559 in 2004. Given their reputations, these dogs are difficult to place. More than 1,000 were euthanized during this same period.
Five years ago, Web-site designer Carol Chapman adopted a black-and-tan brindle American pit bull named Sampson through the Pit Bull Project, one of three local rescue organizations that helps place abandoned dogs in homes and improve their public image.
Sampson was among many dogs used as a stud in a home-breeding operation in Bremerton. When his owners were arrested on drug charges, it was a month before animal control learned that 20 pit bulls had been abandoned on the property. By the time officials arrived, 10 dogs were dead and five were so sick they had to be euthanized. Sampson was among the five who survived on trash in the house.
The experience did not ruin Sampson. "He's really mild-mannered and kind of a coward," says Chapman. "He breaks up cat fights. He's kind of like a peacekeeper."
That gentleness, as well as a certain goofy charm, are overlooked aspects of the pit-bull personality, say owners, and among the traits that endear them to these breeds.
Elvie Arnobit, a sales representative from Redmond, didn't know much about pit bulls' darker reputation when she fell in love with an American pit-bull puppy named Marauder-Ivie League's Harvard — Harvey, for short.
With soulful eyes and a sweet disposition, she says, "I had to have him."
At 70 pounds, a white-and-red fawn coat and a giant dog tag that proclaims "Lick Monster," Harvey perches human-style on a chair next to Arnobit as she scrolls through a slideshow: Harvey dressed as a king, as a poodle and in a tuxedo with a cigar in his mouth. As she describes his silliness, Harvey offers her his leash — repeatedly.
Under Arnobit's constant care, Harvey became a United Kennel Club confirmation champion, with an agility title, therapy-dog certification, an obedience title and his own Web site, kingharvey.com. He high-fives for treats, punches the automatic door openers at handicapped entrances and he's a favorite at Paws-Abilities, a dog-training facility in Tukwila.
Controlled cattle
Still, a docile dog is not the breed ideal. According to the United Kennel Club, which registers American pit-bull terriers, the dog should embody the virtues of a warrior: "strength, indomitable courage and gentleness with loved ones."
Pit bulls descend from bulldog-terrier mixes that were first bred in Elizabethan England. They were known as the Butcher's Dog because they controlled cattle by biting and holding the nose of wayward cows heading for the market.
This evolved into a sport where bulls were tormented by the dogs in contests of strength. When "bull-baiting" was outlawed in the early 1800s, these contests were moved to clandestine pits between dogs. Today, fighting is illegal in all 50 states, but is still widespread.
"It's not sensible to get an animal bred for bringing a 2,000-pound bull to its knees and say I'm going to treat this like a soft-mouth Labrador," says Jessup, the former animal-control officer. She blames novice owners, as much as actual criminals, for bringing the breed into disrepute. "It's a capable animal, and it's got to be treated as such."
Jessup does not believe the solution to the pit-bull attacks is to dilute the dogs' core character. Training her four dogs in obedience, tracking and Schutzhund (an obedience, tracking and protection sport originally developed for German shepherds) is one way she channels their energies.
For some, the issues of owner responsibility and the dog's stellar qualities don't complete the picture.
Kory Nelson avoids the debate over whether pit bulls are more aggressive than other dogs. As an assistant city attorney for Denver, Nelson has successfully defended repeated challenges to the city's 16-year-old pit-bull ban, one of the oldest big-city bans in the country.
He concedes that there is no definitive proof that pit bulls bite or attack more often than other dogs or even that they are fundamentally more aggressive.
Statistics about fatal bite attacks, though widely reported in stories about pit bulls, are generally considered unreliable or incomplete.
Instead, Nelson has successfully argued that pit-bull attacks are more severe and more likely to be fatal than other dog attacks because pit bulls bite into deep muscles, and hold and shake, ripping tissue. The dogs are also less likely to retreat in a fight and can strike without warning.
Nelson uses this analogy: Other breeds are to firecrackers as pit bulls are to hand grenades.
"They may have the same equal chances of going off accidentally," he says. "But we can agree that a hand grenade would cause more damage should that event take place."
Some Washington communities agree. Buckley, Pierce County, Enumclaw and Yakima have banned pit bulls. At least eight other Washington jurisdictions have pit-bull-specific restrictions including a special registration, spaying or neutering, muzzles in public, and sometimes owners are required to post a bond.
In this environment, responsible pit-bull owners find themselves in the hot seat. One owner with children said she'd been called an unfit mother for having the dogs. Others are used to seeing pedestrians cross the street to avoid them.
"As an owner you realize you can never make a mistake. Regardless of the situation, it's always going to be your dog's fault," says Jamie Samans, a spokesman for the Pit Bull Project.
When it comes to pit bulls, he says, "there is no room for error."
[dog news]
[dogs]
[dog info]
It's A Hard Dog's Night
Two very different dog films have been released recently, and both are worth seeing.
The first film, Dealing Dogs is HBO's latest "America Undercover" documentary, and although an excellent film, is difficult to watch.
Dealing Dogs chronicles the undercover operation of Last Chance for Animals, an animal rights organization. They sent in an investigator("Pete") with a hidden camera to document the activities for six months. During that time, "Pete" worked for the owners of Martin Creek Kennel in Arkansas (a pastor of a local Church of Christ and his wife, no less!). "Pete" collected some gruesome and sickening images.
This is not a film for the faint-hearted.
However, the ending is upbeat: The evil owners are arrested, are heavily fined, lose their kennel and property, and may yet serve some jail time. (I'd rather see them get sold to a lab for experimentation, but we'll take what we can get...).
Best of all, the rescued dogs find love and new forever homes. So tune in to Dealing Dogs - and don't forget the tissues.
The second film, Eight Below, is the latest offering from those eternal purveyors of cute animals, Disney Films. And it's another fine film from the House of the Mouse, with lots of adventure, pathos, humour and sentiment - in short, something for everyone.
In Eight Below, eight sled dogs are left behind in the frigid artic while their trainer and sled master, Gerry, races against time to save them. Featuring a slew of fabulous huskies and malamutes, doing wonderful and astonishing things, in frigid, jawdropping scenery.
SPOILER ALERT: Not all the dogs make it. May be hard to take for little kiddies. Don't let that put you off, though. Keep reminding yourself that it's only a film, and keep passing the popcorn.
And of course, you'll want to rent the Eight Below DVD when it comes out, and snuggle up with your snookums (of course I meant the dog!) for some quality time on the couch.
This one gets an enthusiastic paws up.
[dog news]
[dog info]
The first film, Dealing Dogs is HBO's latest "America Undercover" documentary, and although an excellent film, is difficult to watch.
Dealing Dogs chronicles the undercover operation of Last Chance for Animals, an animal rights organization. They sent in an investigator("Pete") with a hidden camera to document the activities for six months. During that time, "Pete" worked for the owners of Martin Creek Kennel in Arkansas (a pastor of a local Church of Christ and his wife, no less!). "Pete" collected some gruesome and sickening images.
This is not a film for the faint-hearted.
However, the ending is upbeat: The evil owners are arrested, are heavily fined, lose their kennel and property, and may yet serve some jail time. (I'd rather see them get sold to a lab for experimentation, but we'll take what we can get...).
Best of all, the rescued dogs find love and new forever homes. So tune in to Dealing Dogs - and don't forget the tissues.
The second film, Eight Below, is the latest offering from those eternal purveyors of cute animals, Disney Films. And it's another fine film from the House of the Mouse, with lots of adventure, pathos, humour and sentiment - in short, something for everyone.
In Eight Below, eight sled dogs are left behind in the frigid artic while their trainer and sled master, Gerry, races against time to save them. Featuring a slew of fabulous huskies and malamutes, doing wonderful and astonishing things, in frigid, jawdropping scenery.
SPOILER ALERT: Not all the dogs make it. May be hard to take for little kiddies. Don't let that put you off, though. Keep reminding yourself that it's only a film, and keep passing the popcorn.
And of course, you'll want to rent the Eight Below DVD when it comes out, and snuggle up with your snookums (of course I meant the dog!) for some quality time on the couch.
This one gets an enthusiastic paws up.
[dog news]
[dog info]
Where's the Missing Whippet - That's the $25,000 Question
The award-winning whippet that escaped from her carrier at JFK Airport has not yet been found. Now authorities are calling off the formal search.
The 3-year old, brindle and white C'est la Vie is valued at $25,000, and somehow escaped while she was being loaded on the tarmac. The details are not clear, but what is clear is that there are some very unhappy and worried owners tonight...
Official search for dog called off
BY LUIS PEREZ and DENISE FLAIM
STAFF WRITERS
February 16, 2006, 3:04 PM EST
The formal search for the award-winning show dog named Vivi, who bolted from her cage Wednesday at Kennedy Airport, was officially called off at midday today.
In the past 24 hours, "the searchers covered the entire airport property of nearly 5,000 acres but did not spot the dog," said Alan Hicks, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Officers patrolling the area, however will continue to "keep their eyes open" for the wayward whippet, he said, adding that Vivi's owners "have left the airport and did not wish to speak to the media."
"I'm just hoping that she's hiding in the wooded area," the dog's breeder, Bo Bengston, said this morning. "If she headed south through a fence into the marshland the cold water would be bad for her. The most horrible thing would be cold water. It could mean the worst."
Bohem C'est La Vie, aka Vivi, was headed home to Los Angeles on an 11:55 a.m. Delta flight when she ran from her cage.
"She's a very tough, calm sensible dog," Bengston said, adding however that "she'd be very hungry by now."
The 3-year-old brown and white whippet, that is worth about $25,000, won an Award of Merit at this week's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden.
Her owners Jil Walton and Paul Lepiane, of California, today said they will stay in New York as long as it takes to find their beloved canine. The couple, who are staying at a Holiday Inn near the airport, said they haven't slept or eaten much since Vivi went AWOL. This morning the Port Authority police drove them around the airport complex searching for the dog.
Asked if a reward will be paid to anyone who finds the dog, a visibly shaken Walton said: "Just get the dog ... anything you want."
The Long Island Breeders Coalition said they have permission from the Port Authority to use her dogs to look for Vivi. The 45,000 JFK employees have been put on alert and the couple have received calls from around the country offering support and practical help.
"I'm sure she's terrified," Walton said today. "I'm hoping she comes out and starts looking for people."
Vivi was last seen in the marshes at the end of the airport runway, and the Port Authority dispatched a helicopter to help locate her. "She's ... totally unflappable, but by now, who knows?" said Bengtson, who also is editor at large of Dogs in Review, an influential show dog magazine. "She's running very far and very fast."
Whippets are elegant, graceful, medium-size hounds that were originally bred by the English working class to hunt rabbits and race for sport.
Vivi was wearing a black wool coat and a collar with her owner's phone number. She has been microchipped, which when scanned reveals the owner's contact information.
Time is of the essence, said Cindy Scott of Colorado Springs, Colo., vice president of the American Whippet Club, who has lost -- and recovered -- four whippets, one on the desert grounds of a maximum-security prison. "If you don't catch them in the first day or two, they hide. Survival takes over and that's all they care about."
Vivi, like other show dogs is valuable, but that's the furthest thing from Walton's mind. "She's my dog -- she sleeps in my bed at night," she said. "She's priceless."
With The Associated Press
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
[dog news]
[dogs]
Bully for Westminster Dog Show
Rufus the Colored Bull Terrier Wins Best in Show at Westminster
By BEN WALKER
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Rufus won by a head. A colored bull terrier became America's top dog Tuesday night, winning Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club, thanks to his most prominent feature.
His perfect, egg-shaped noggin...
"The classic profile of a colored bull terrier," judge James Reynolds praised.
The tan-and-white canine was the first of his breed to win at the nation's most prestigious show. He was picked over a popular golden retriever, a Rottweiler handled by a former Florida State linebacker, a prize pug and a spirited Dalmatian.
Rufus' handler, Kathy Kirk, said she was "ready to pass out" from the pressure on the green carpet at Madison Square Garden. Her nearly 6-year-old dog that she playfully calls "Puppyhead" took it all in stride.
He stacked in style holding his pose for the judge and wagged his tail when he won. Later, he'll "hucklebuck" that's how Kirk describes how he jumps up and bangs his behind into a door.
At a show that drew 2,622 entries in 165 breeds and varieties, Rufus really earned this victory. He beat out a favorite Norfolk terrier named Coco and a Dandie Dinmont co-owned by Bill Cosby just to reach the final ring.
When it got down the last seven, he also topped an old English sheepdog and a Scottish deerhound.
Rufus left the Garden around midnight. He'll certainly be dog tired by Wednesday night.
He had about a dozen TV appearances set for Wednesday, starting at 6:45 a.m. Plus there was the annual Dog Fanciers luncheon at the famed restaurant Sardi's, where he'll get a meal of chopped sirloin.
Terriers have dominated in 130 years of Westminster, now winning 44 of 99 times that Best in Show has been presented. But usually it's fancier kinds, such as the wire fox, that take home the silver bowl.
This time, the dog registered as champion Rocky Top's Sundance Kid won the prize for owner Barbara and Tom Bishop of Holmdel, N.J. It was his 32nd overall Best in Show victory, including a win at NBC's National Dog Show last November. By any standard, it was his biggest.
"I'm kind of numb," Barbara Bishop said. "This is his last show. It's amazing."
A day earlier, Kirk celebrated his upset win in the terrier group by going shopping. And her new outfit, looking like a black tux, proved lucky.
"Armani was good to me tonight," she said.
This show was full of newcomers. Of the seven breeds to reach the Best in Show ring, only the old English sheepdog and pug had won it all.
Boomer the Dalmatian made a strong bid to take home the title. The black-and-white special was a crowd favorite on Monday night in the nonsporting group and again while facing Rufus.
"I thought the Dalmatian was perfect," Kirk said.
No Rottweiler had ever won the working group until owner-breeder-handler Keith Carter guided Shaka to victory Monday night on the green carpet.
Carter is accustomed to winning on another green field. He played with Deion Sanders for coach Bobby Bowden's Seminoles in the late 1980s, won four bowl games and carried on a fierce rivalry with Miami.
"This is bigger than the 'Noles-'Canes," he said after his early win. "This is very different than football, but it really gets your competitive juices going."
Dermot the pug won the toy group at his final event. He traveled about 50,000 miles last year by motor home, and had 65 overall Best in Show wins.
But when it came time for Reynolds to check him, he backed off on the judging table.
Margot the Scottish Deerhound took the hound group, Smokin' the old English sheepdog won the herding group and Andy the golden retriever was the top sporting dog.
Goldens are the second-most popular breed in America, yet have always been shut out at Westminster.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures
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The Muttly Crew - Dog Photos 3
Miss Peaches. Where to start with Miss Peaches, the Katrina pit bull mix?
To start at the beginning, I first met Miss Peaches at Lamar-Dixon Shelter. She was filthy, skinny - only weighed about 20 pounds - and was too terrified to come out of her crate.
When I coaxed her to emerge, it was obvious that I was looking at a dog who was in bad shape long before Hurricane Katrina. Her spine jutted... under a dirty coat, and she had no fur left under her filthy collar. It was also obvious that her awful ear crop was the result of a backyard hack job. Standing there, coated in flood scum and dried dog poop, she shook and trembled ceaselessly. I stroked her gently, and she flinched under my hand, clearly expecting violence.
As I continued to stroke her, speaking softly all the time, the look on her face changed to one of confusion. It seemed that she was too familiar with harsh treatment from people, but had never experienced kindness, and didn't know how to react to it.
She broke my heart.
While I was at Lamar-Dixon, I tried to find ten or fifteen minutes every day to spend a little time with her. By the time I had to leave, she would wag her tail in greeting, and willing come out of her crate for me. But as I left, I knew that her future was extremely uncertain.
Most, if not all, of the pit bull rescue groups choose dogs that are immediately adoptable. Clearly, this dog would never get picked. Her socialization skills were minimal, at best. She was fearful and tense, and although she demonstrated no aggressive tendencies, she did not present well. She needed patience, love, rehabilitation, and most of all, time. And time was the one thing she was least likely to get. I knew that the chances were that she would go from shelter to shelter until the Katrina deadline for owners to claim their dogs had passed. Then she would be euthanized.
And there didn't seem to be much I could do about it right then.
When I got home, I immediately began contacting pit bull rescues and asking them to consider taking her. None of them could promise that they would take her, and when I looked at their criteria for taking a dog, my heart sank. I knew that these groups would see so many pit bulls that were so much better candidates for adoption than my little pitty. I knew she didn't stand a chance. And so I tried to put her out of my mind, reminding myself that "You can't save them all."
Except that I couldn't forget her. She haunted me.
I contacted a local person I had worked with at Lamar-Dixon, and asked her to keep track of this pit bill. My plan was to foster her as soon as HSUS opened up the adoption/foster process. As the next hurricane rolled in, she was still logged in at Lamar-Dixon. When the huricane left, she had disappeared. No one seemed to know where.
I hit the phones and began calling every shelter listed as having accepted Katrina animals. On the third day, I found her at the Dixon Correctional Institute, where she had been transferred to their inmate program.
I flew back to Louisiana, picked her up and brought her home, and named her Miss Peaches, for her soft little peach-fuzz head.
Miss Peaches (or The Peaches-Smeeches) is a wonderful, loving, and lovable dog. She is dog-friendly to a fault and is finally beginning to relax around new people. She trust me without reservation, and the fact that she is willing to trust anyone after her early experiences sometimes makes me choke up. We're going to start a training class in a couple of weeks, to try to get her even more socialized around other people.
Until then, I'll continue to try to wear her out with chasing snowballs (it hasn't worked yet - she has more energy than everybody in my house combined!) and long hill climbs.
And lots and lots of Peaches-Smeeches lovin'...
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The Muttly Crew - Dog Photos: Part 2
This is Nola, another of my Katrina dogs. She came from Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, the big triage shelter, where I found her without food or water in her crate. There was a note on the crate that said "Did not feed or water. Too aggressive." The time on the note was 36 hours previously...
Nola had obviously been caught in the flood waters, and her skin was caked with a kind of greasy black residue. She was terrified, and had been tagged with an "Aggressive" marker, but what she really was, was scared. And as tiny as she is, instead of cowering, she was kickin' butt and takin' names. I loved her spirit. When I first got her home, I thought she was some kind of Jack Russell and Chihuahua mix. I was calling her "Little Rat Dog" for about a week, when I discovered that... she is a little Rat Dog! A Rat Terrier, to be exact - a breed I'd never heard of before, but which is recognized in the show ring.
Nola has the appetite and heart of a dog a hundred times larger than her puny self, and loves to chase after the larger dogs, barking furiously and non-stop. She also loves to cuddle, and likes nothing better than to snuggle on my chest, place her ear against my heartbeat, and go to sleep.
She is also a bit asthmatic, and snores thunderously. When she first arrived home, her tummy was still affected by the stress and all, and she was an air polluter without equal. Happily, that is no longer the case, but for a while there I was driving around in the November with the car windows rolled ALL the way down!
She has a wicked sense of humor, and loves to play hide and seek in the bedclothes. And even though she is a yapper - it's that terrier thing: it kinda goes with the territory - and she definitely ain't wired right, she makes me laugh all the time. And I knew, very early on, that she was a keeper.
Since I never, ever thought I would ever own a yappy ankle-biter, we are an interesting pair. I guess it just goes to show that you really can't choose who you fall in love with...
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Exercise Goes to the Dogs
From the February issue of the American Journal of Peventive Medicine comes some news that all dog lovers know. Your best friend may help you keep your New Year's Resolution to shed those excess ounces...
That's the conclusion of a Canadian study that finds dog ownership nearly doubles the amount of time spent healthily walking.
"There's this extra dog obligation that helps get people up and out for their exercise," study co-author Shane Brown, a physical education instructor and researcher at the University of Victoria, said in a prepared statement.
The study of 351 adults in Victoria, B.C., found that dog owners walked an average of 300 minutes a week compared to 168 minutes for those without a dog.
Interestingly, other than walking, the dog owners in this study actually got less overall exercise than people without dogs. This suggests that when dog owners go for walks, they do it partly because they choose to be active with their pets, Brown said.
"There's a lot of common sense around the idea that if people have dogs in an urban setting, they're going to walk a lot," Sylvia Moore, director of the division of medical education and public health at the University of Wyoming, said in a prepared statement.
Community infrastructure -- such as dog-walking parks -- may help determine how active urban dog owners will be, Moore and Brown noted.
Despite the findings, Brown said he's certainly not recommending people get a dog just to help them get exercise.
"We're definitely not saying, 'Everyone go out and get a dog.' We are saying that for those of us who have dogs, or those who are thinking of getting a dog, this is an added benefit," Brown said.
[dog news]
[dog info]
[dogs]
That's the conclusion of a Canadian study that finds dog ownership nearly doubles the amount of time spent healthily walking.
"There's this extra dog obligation that helps get people up and out for their exercise," study co-author Shane Brown, a physical education instructor and researcher at the University of Victoria, said in a prepared statement.
The study of 351 adults in Victoria, B.C., found that dog owners walked an average of 300 minutes a week compared to 168 minutes for those without a dog.
Interestingly, other than walking, the dog owners in this study actually got less overall exercise than people without dogs. This suggests that when dog owners go for walks, they do it partly because they choose to be active with their pets, Brown said.
"There's a lot of common sense around the idea that if people have dogs in an urban setting, they're going to walk a lot," Sylvia Moore, director of the division of medical education and public health at the University of Wyoming, said in a prepared statement.
Community infrastructure -- such as dog-walking parks -- may help determine how active urban dog owners will be, Moore and Brown noted.
Despite the findings, Brown said he's certainly not recommending people get a dog just to help them get exercise.
"We're definitely not saying, 'Everyone go out and get a dog.' We are saying that for those of us who have dogs, or those who are thinking of getting a dog, this is an added benefit," Brown said.
[dog news]
[dog info]
[dogs]
The Muttly Crew - Dog Photos: Part 1
Cho Cho San is my first dog. She was skinny, stinky and crap-brown when I got her from the pound and...was slated to be euthanized the very next day. Luckily, I got to her first! She is my angel dog,and the most perfect dog ever, wonderful with other animals, all people, and especially with little kids. She is the kind of person I should be, and her generousity of spirit is truly inspiring.
Ever since I brought her home, Choobie's favorite place to hang out is on the wall of the front porch. From here, she can watch the world go by. She is an extremely social dog, and loves making new friends. In fact, she has more of a social life than I do(!) and regularly gets invited to dinner. She has a set of pearls for such occasions, and displays impeccable table manners.
[dogs]
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