Dog Abuse At Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz County, California

There's one thing animal lovers like me will never understand. How could anyone have the heart to abuse animals? I tell you, I wanted to vomit when I read that there's this psychotic dog breeder, who has this ambition to breed a new breed of dogs, a new breed of "macho dogs" in his own words, most probably he wants a new breed to name after himself, who not only did not feed the dogs but killed them.

Photo credit: Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel

I don't think I want to know how he tortured the dogs, and I don't even understand how killing the dogs would make a new breed of macho dogs because dead dogs are no dogs, whatever breed it is.

Photo credit: Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel

Now the thing that most disgusts me is that there have been people making reports and pursuing this case since 2002! How many dogs have died since then? How many dogs have been bred and sold since then?

Robert Brunette
Photo credit: Santa Cruz County Animal Services

Animal lovers should never encourage dog breeders by buying dogs from puppy mills and dog breed farms but to adopt dogs, cats and other animals from animal shelters. Rescued animals make great pets also! I, along with all animal lovers, hope that this guy, Robert Brunette, gets his just desserts.

Source: Mercury News

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

The Dog Hero - A True Animal Story

Every time I read an inspiring story like this, all the more I'm convinced that animals, especially dogs (sorry, I am biased), are more intelligent than we give them credit for.

Adapted from Animal Angels, by Stephanie Laland (Conari Press, 1998).

Kathie Vaughan was driving the used truck she had purchased that morning when it suddenly began to fishtail. She finally managed to bring the vehicle to a stop with a loud screech. But her troubles had just begun.

The cabin interior was filling fast with noxious fumes and black smoke. Most people could have simply jumped out of the vehicle, but Kathie is a paraplegic--paralyzed from the waist down by multiple sclerosis. Her truck was on fire and she knew she could be blown up at any moment.

Kathie shoved her Rottweiler Eve out the door, along with her wheelchair. But due to the thick black smoke, she could not find the wheels to the chair.

A throbbing panic overwhelmed her. She had to get out immediately, before the truck exploded. That’s when Eve, her dog, proved herself to be a true hero. Read the rest of the story here:

In danger of blacking out, Kathie suddenly felt Eve, refusing to desert her, grab her leg with her jaws. Eve firmly grasped Kathie by the ankle and dragged her ten feet to relative safety. Then the truck burst into flames. Ignoring the terrifying fire, Eve dragged Kathie to a nearby ditch.

A police car arrived on the scene. “You’ve got to get further away!” the policeman shouted to Kathie. The truck was on fire, the flames were approaching the gas tank; there was danger of a terrific explosion.

Kathie struggled to pull herself away from the truck and toward the police car. Her head and body ached with pain and she found she could hardly move. Eve bent close to her human friend, offering Kathie her collar. Then Kathie held tight as the determined dog dragged her forty feet to safety.

The firemen eventually extinguished the blaze. And Eve was awarded the prestigious Stillman Award for bravery.

Source: HERE

Buddy Clinton (1997 ~ 2002)

Does anyone remember that former US President Bill Clinton had a labrador named Buddy and a cat named Socks? I wondered what happened to them after the Prez left office.

I'm not sure if this was reported in the local papers but CCN reported that Buddy was killed by a 17-year-old driver.

It's sad isn't it, for this to happen to the "First Dog"?

You can read all about him HERE.

Dog Saves Disabled Owner From Fire

The true story of a selfless dog....

Dog saves disabled owner from fire
Washington
October 18, 2006

A dog rescued a disabled woman from her burning home in the US state of Wisconsin, but its devotion cost it its life when it returned to save the family cat.

Jesse, a Labrador retriever and German shepherd mix, dragged its owner Jamie Hanson, 49, to safety after a fire broke out in her home yesterday in the town of Rhine.

Before pulling Hanson to safety, Jesse brought her the prosthetic leg she has worn since an automobile accident three years ago and a telephone to call the fire department, the Sheboygan Press reported.

When the dog pulled its owner to the doorway, Hanson said she heard the cat cry and the dog ran upstairs to get the cat.

"I screamed and I screamed for her, but then I just heard her whine and then I didn't hear anything more," Hanson said at a press conference.

Hanson had trained Jesse to assist her after she lost her leg in an accident. Both Jesse and the cat it tried to save died in the blaze.

"I never treated her like a dog," Hanson said.

"She was always like a child to me. She understood every word I ever said to her."

Another cat started the fire when it knocked over a candle, fire authorities said.

Hanson received moderate burns in the fire, which destroyed her 100-year-old home.

DPA

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

Thongdaeng, the Luckiest Stray Dog

Thongdaeng must be the luckiest stray dog in the whole world. Stray dogs near my house come and go. They get reported to the authorities and get shot down for nothing.

But for Thongdaeng, who was rescued by a Palace doctor, has been adopted by His Majesty, the King of Thailand. Can any stray top that?

Thongdaeng, an indigenous Thai dog who can pick and peel coconuts to drink the juice, has been described by the King as intelligent, loyal and always polite.

And, the King has also written a book about her, and the first print of 100,000 sold out within hours, making it a bestseller.

If that's not enough, the King has t-shirts printed with the image of Thongdaeng and her nine puppies, and the t-shirts, at 300 Baht each, are sell like hot cakes too. Proceeds go to charity though.

It's really wonderful for Thongdaeng to have such an affinity with His Majesty.