2008 Hero Dog of the Year Award

Somehow, this morning, I decided to look on the web for the dog hero of 2008 and amazingly, I found that really, a dog has been awarded with the Hero Dog of the Year 2008!

I mean, it was just a random search and I did not expect it to turn up any results but it did. I thought that it would be a police rescue dog or something but NO, this is a pit bull that had saved her owner from assault one day in mid-2007, when she was attacked from behind when she was entering her home.

I am always moved by stories like these, true animal hero stories that seem like they came from the movies or something. Here is a pit bull, a breed that is so ferocious that I think that some countries banned it.

I keep telling people that animals are like people and they do know when we are in need of help, they do understand our feelings and such but these are only what another animal lover would understand.

To read the full account of Maya and how she saved her owner's life and why she was honoured as the Hero Dog 2008, visit the official website of National Dog Day. You can also read about the Hero Dog of 2007, Moti, and of 2006, Honey.

On The Run With 100+ Dogs

Did you read the news article a few days ago about an Australian couple, Joseph and Margarete Higham, who has more than a hundred dogs in their car and that they drove from state to state in Australia, escaping from the authorities?

No matter how they love dogs, this is not the way to go about it. Just look at this picture of the condition of one of the dogs is.

Its mange is so bad that it is completely bald and the skin has turned black. Mange is a seriously difficult skin condition to treat but this is total neglect. Is this called “animal love”? I don’t think so!

It would be interesting to see how the Australian police will deal with this case. They should send a strong signal that they will not tolerate such acts of cruelty to animals!

The Story About Webster

This is Webster, a very cute puppy but led a short and tragic life. One wonders how can an innocent puppy be made to suffer? Ultimately, man can plan and God decides. Maybe things happen for a reason. This may seem senseless now but this is life.

To read Webster's amazing adventure, click HERE!

Pierre the Poodle

It really pisses me off to know that there are people who discard their pets like yesterday's garbage when the pets are old and worse, sickly. How can they do that? Do they do the same when their parents are old and sick? I guess this is why senior citizens homes and nursing homes are thriving!

Pierre the poodle is now 16 years old and will spend the rest of his days at Margo’s Animal Sanctuary.

Pierre and another poodle were no longer wanted by their owner because she considered them too old.

The two poodles were transported across three states and now reside at The Sanctuary

Pierre is a spoilt pooch who insists on his favourite meal every day. Duck eggs in milk!

Precious Pierre may not win any movie rolls like some of his fellow sanctuary dwellers but he sure wins the hearts of everyone who meets him.

Source: HERE

From Garbage Bags To Glory

This is a really heart-warming story. The brown of the twin poodles looked like natural coloring, eh? Am glad that this story has a happy ending!

"Barbi" & "Bella" Beddlington twin white poodles were living atop bags of garbage under a logan city house when margo was called to the house to take the two dogs victims of major neglect.

Margo's dog groomer clipped & cleaned the dogs, margo had them vet checked & desexed. The twins were unrecognizable from the tangled matted neglected state by their former owner.

The twins became triplets when joined by another neglected white poodle "Tiffany Lamb".

The trio then auditioned for roles in a movie starring Olivia Newton John. All 3 have now left Margo's & live in luxury sleeping on a $1,000 rug in a 3 storey mansion with trips on the owners luxury yatch!

Source: HERE

Holly the Tree Dog

This is unusual. Dogs are not tree-climbers. That's reserved for animals in the cat family.

A tree-climbing dog is an unusual added attraction at an illuminated trail in a Worcestershire park.

Officials at Spetchley Park Gardens, near Worcester, hope Holly, a short-haired collie, will swell the number of visitors to the seasonal walk.

Holly, whose owner Kate Portman is the head gardener at the park, has opted to enter the spotlight in recent weeks by climbing trees at the 30-acre site.

Ms Portman said: "She climbs trees in the garden at other times of year and has her favourites, such as cedar, pine and evergreen oak, but when the illuminated trail is on she just goes crazy, climbing anything and everything in sight.

"You would think she would go for the easy ones which have branches hanging down to the ground, but if it's a tree she particularly likes the look of, it doesn't seem to matter if it has low branches or not, she simply runs and accelerates straight at and up the trunk.

"Then she sits in the branches for a few seconds, admiring the view, and then jumps down to repeat the process."

Source: HERE

A Doggone Miracle Thanks To Google

The internet is an amazing tool if it is not misused and abused and Google is like the best thing that was ever created since sliced bread.

The following is a true story of how Mikey and his master were reunited after almost two long years.

Sacramento, CA
Thursday, December 16, 2004

After spending nearly 2 years in an animal shelter, “Mikey” has been reunited with his owner and is finally home.

Mikey had been separated from Matthew Strong after he and his wife divorced. His ex-wife kept Mikey until she moved and her landlord would not allow dogs, Strong explained.

"She told me she was taking him to a shelter," he said.

By this time, Strong had moved to Sacramento, where he also was living in a complex that did not allow pets. Strong even asked friends to take Mikey in, but had no luck. He thought often about Mikey, remembering that he didn't want a dog at first, but how after his wife brought the puppy home, he became more and more attached to the dog.

Soon, he and Mikey were best buddies.

“I thought I’d never see Mikey again”

18 Months later when he was having trouble sleeping, Strong began surfing the Internet, and found himself at Google. “Out of curiosity I typed in “Tahoe Mikey”.” Strong explained.

“And there he was, the very first result; staring at me was Mikey!”

Strong worried that Mikey was possibly no longer at the shelter. He sent an email to the organization that had posted Mikey’s photo. Connie Nowlin of the Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation contacted Strong and Mikey’s identity was confirmed. Mikey had been at the shelter for 18 months.

"Mikey was so lucky. WARF took really good care of him," he said. "They had a kiddy pool with rocks for him to play with, volunteers that would take him on long walks, and people would bring him home to play."

A few days later Strong made the two hour journey to the Placer County Animal Shelter in Tahoe City where Mikey was housed. Mikey recognized him right away and was ready to go home. Before leaving the shelter, Mikey demonstrated to the WARF volunteers some hidden tricks he learned from Strong years before.

Samantha Loudon, one of the co-directors of Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation, said the reunion must have been meant to be. "He had been adopted two weeks ago, but was brought back because one of the roommates wasn't comfortable with him," she said.

Strong and many of his friends at work have pitched in donations to give to WARF for taking such good care of Mikey.

“Mikey has always been my best buddy and now he’s home back where he belongs. We have a lot of catching up to do and I’m looking forward to it. I’m so thankful for WARF and all the volunteers who helped bring Mikey home, they made us a very merry Christmas.”

Source: HERE

Laika ~ the Dog Who Was Sent To Space

This is Laika (also was known as Kudryavka *Little Curly in Russian*) a small mixed-breed dog who was sent to space by the Russians on Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957. Laika is an example of how cruel man can be towards animals, in the name of science and technology, in the name of propaganda, of politics and of saving face.

Laika was sent on this mission, without knowing that she will never return to Earth alive. This is because the rocket scientists did not have enough time to prepare the shuttle for an eventuality like what happened to Sputnik 2.

Provisions had not been made for a safe re-entry. And do you know why they did not have sufficient time? That's because of the politicians.

In their power play, a dog had to die a painful and unnecessary death.

Read the full story of Laika HERE.

The True Story of Prince

Image courtesy of PETA's Animal Times

This story is so touching, it is the reason why we must champion for better animal (health) care.

The old black-and-white dog died peacefully in the arms of people who loved him. He had lived well and brought great joy to his family. Toward the end, when his whiskers turned snow-white and his legs got wobbly, he sometimes lost his way about the house, but he never forgot to show his gratitude for the smallest kindness. He was buried with his favorite toy, a green rubber mallet, and a bush of red roses was planted on his grave.

Continue reading this hero's story HERE.

Pax the Hero

I love animals, especially dogs, and have kept dogs almost my whole live. I love reading anything that has to do with dogs, how to train them, how to keep them happy and healthy.

Here is another hero story I'd like to share with all animal lovers. It was written by Pauline of Maine, USA.

My hero is a Golden Retriever named Pax. He was born in California and now lives in the state of Maine. He was donated to be a public relations dog for the Prison Dog Project of Pathways To Hope.

His registered name is Cinnabar's Peacemaker and he has two obedience titles: CDX, which means Companion Dog Excellent, and TD, which means he is a certified Tracking Dog.

Pax goes into prisons and visits the inmates and the guards. He helps us show the inmates how they can raise and train a dog to help the disabled. He helps break down hard hearts. He makes people laugh. He delights the guards, staff and inmates by opening doors, turning on lights and doing other tasks that make a handicapped person's life more comfortable.

Pax also helps people learn how to care for dogs. Dogs love us unconditionally, so we have to remember that they depend on us to care for them properly, which means feeding them on time, keeping them groomed, and cleaning up after them when taking them for walks. It is especially important to obedience train dogs so they will be good citizens.

Pax lives in the woods of Maine where he loves to run and play, but he also travels to many places. He even travelled on a plane to Rome. He visits children in schools. He is always happy and greets everyone with great joy, not caring who they are are or what they have done in their life. He sees people as friends. Because he has not experienced abuse or neglect, he sees the world much differently than we might see it.

You can see many more pictures of Pax on my web page, Pathways To Hope. Just click on "Prison Dog Project."

Thank you for letting me share about my hero, Pax, an extraordinary dog whose mission in life is to be a peacemaker.

Source: HERE

Tuscie Warns Owner of Hidden Fire

Leigh with Tuscie

Leigh, like most of us pet owners, sometimes feel irritated with the persistent whining of our pets. If only we know what our pets are telling us!

In a true account as told by Leigh of her doggie, Tuscie, Tuscie managed to bring to Leigh's attention, a hidden fire that was from a lit candle, one that was lit by her flighty roommate, who have no memory of lighting it, and so it kept burning and almost burnt through the dresser where the candle was placed on.

And of course, if the candle burned through it, a fire would have started.

Luckily, it did not happen, all thanks to Tuscie.

Source: HERE

Teddy Bear - The Dog Who Could Sniff Out Cancer

Georgina with her doggie, Teddy Bear

Being an animal lover, I have read many accounts of animals who saved people from fire or flood or robbery or any other form of danger.

Teddy Bear, on the other hand, could easily be the Hero of heroes, when he managed to sniff out Georgina's tumour in her right breast, which turned out to be malignant.

For a month, Teddy Bear acted strangely and kept nudging Georgina's right side each time they cuddled, and it took that long for Georgina and her husband to finally figure out that, no, Teddy Bear wasn't just being playful. He was telling them something!

After Georgina successfully treated her breast cancer, Teddy Bear did not act strangely anymore. Doesn't that speak volumes of Teddy Bear's ability?

Georgina and her husband are convinced that Teddy Bear is the major player in saving Georgina's life.

Teddy Bear has recently been inducted into 2006 Purina's Animal Hall of Fame.

Source: HERE