Seized Pet Dogs back with owner

This story has a happy ending.

Hooch is back with his owner
Two dogs saved from a destruction order by a magistrate earlier this week have been returned to their owner in east Belfast.
Mongrels Roxy and Hooch spent the last year in a dog pound, because it was thought they were pit bulls.

The animals were seized by Belfast City Council last January after a report that their owner, 64-year-old Irene Chambers, kept dangerous dogs.

However, on Wednesday a magistrate accepted the dogs were mongrels.

Dismissing the charges he said the dogs were owned by a "loving and caring lady".


Roxy has also been returned

Mrs Chambers cried when the ruling was made.

The dogs are now back home in Knock Way but have to be kept apart until they get used to each other again. source: K9 news

Flea Control for a Healthy Dog

A dog can lick his fur, but it isn't enough to make him clean. Your dog may need extra help from you to keep his skin healthy. He cannot do it on his own so you, the pet owner, will have to ensure that not only is your dog kept clean and well-groomed, but that his environs are kept clean and sanitized, too.

Your dog's den must always be kept clean, free from dirt and trash, and regularly treated for infestations. In addition, his environs, and that include your house, your garage, your yard, should also be kept clean and tidy.

Start from your living room. Check out the room for any special contributors to your dog's skin irritation. Aha, there's the carpet! Your living carpet may look innocent but for all intents and purposes, it may be the number one culprit to your dog's irritations.

You can have your carpet treated for flea infestations; there are anti-flea mineral powders and salts available in your drugstore or veterinary supply store. Make sure these powders are non-toxic and non-irritating to your dog (check your vet for allergic reactions on your dog's part to special substances). These products make sure that fleas and lice are year-round kept away from your living room carpet, your dog's special nap place.

Check out your kitchen or your garage, too, especially if your dog tends to spend his idle time there a lot. Look under the furniture, in wall cracks, in wall crevices, any areas that are not that accessible to your vacuum cleaner and where dirt and grime are sure to accumulate. Your vacuum may not reach it but your dog probably can.

Your pest control expert can probably refer some natural diatomaceous powder to sprinkle on these areas. While these products are generally harmless to humans and their pets, they are very effective insecticides that will rid you of, yes you said it, fleas and lice. Use these insecticides controllably, though, as inhaling them may cause undue side effects or irritable reactions not only to you, but to your pet, too.

In addition, you can also use other products to ensure that every nook and cranny of your house is insect-free. Sprays or powders with natural pyrethrum are available in your drugstore or home supply depot. Your veterinarian or pest control expert can advice you on its regular use. These insecticides are usually inclusive in flea-control products. As you air out and treat your carpets, you can use these natural pyrethrum treatments at the same time. They not only kill fleas on contact but also prevent the development or reproduction of more fleas.

Outside your living areas, look to your yards and garages, too. These areas must be kept free not only of trash, but also other items that may be dangerous for your pet. Stray gardening tools and mechanical tools left lying around pose special hazards for your pets.

Controlling pests especially fleas is an important aspect of holistic healing for your pet dogs. Preventive as it is, it helps ensure a clean environment for your dog that will not be able to discern whether his surroundings are clean or seemingly clean, hiding insects and pests underneath.
Source: Ezine news

Stray dogs become marine mascots

The dogs have been trained to spot and bark at approaching Taliban
British troops serving in Afghanistan have adopted two stray dogs as unofficial mascots.
Labradors Charlie and Tangey were taken in by Taunton-based 40 Commando Royal Marines after being found searching for food near their base at Kajaki.

The dogs are now said to be part of the unit, having been trained to spot and bark at approaching Taliban.

Earlier this year, Tangey was captured by the Taliban and tortured with a knife before he managed to escape.

The dogs are now a permanent fixture at Camp Bastian in n Southern Afghanistan where they are used for surveillance on the top of a nearby mountain.

Sgt Major Dave Layton said: "They have become the honorary mascots of the company.

"I don't understand how anyone could do what the Taliban did to Tangey.

"Everyone gets welfare packs from back home and that includes the dogs. They are the celebrities of the base." K9 News

Youn Chimp Beats College Students

Dec 3, 2007
NEW YORK - Never mind that TV show that asks if you're smarter than a fifth-grader. Is your memory better than a young chimp's? Maybe not. Japanese researchers pitted young chimps against human adults in two tests of short-term memory, and overall, the chimps won.

That challenges the belief of many people, including many scientists, that "humans are superior to chimpanzees in all cognitive functions," said researcher Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto University.

"No one can imagine that chimpanzees - young chimpanzees at the age of 5 - have a better performance in a memory task than humans," he said in a statement.

Matsuzawa, a pioneer in studying the mental abilities of chimps, said even he was surprised. He and colleague Sana Inoue report the results in Tuesday's issue of the journal Current Biology.

One memory test included three 5-year-old chimps who'd been taught the order of Arabic numerals 1 through 9, and a dozen human volunteers.

They saw nine numbers displayed on a computer screen. When they touched the first number, the other eight turned into white squares. The test was to touch all these squares in the order of the numbers that used to be there.

Results showed that the chimps, while no more accurate than the people, could do this faster.

One chimp, Ayumu, did the best. Researchers included him and nine college students in a second test.

This time, five numbers flashed on the screen only briefly before they were replaced by white squares. The challenge, again, was to touch these squares in the proper sequence.

When the numbers were displayed for about seven-tenths of a second, Ayumu and the college students were both able to do this correctly about 80 percent of the time.

But when the numbers were displayed for just four-tenths or two-tenths of a second, the chimp was the champ. The briefer of those times is too short to allow a look around the screen, and in those tests Ayumu still scored about 80 percent, while humans plunged to 40 percent.

That indicates Ayumu was better at taking in the whole pattern of numbers at a glance, the researchers wrote.

"It's amazing what this chimpanzee is able to do," said Elizabeth Lonsdorf, director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. The center studies the mental abilities of apes, but Lonsdorf didn't participate in the new study.

She admired Ayumu's performance when the numbers flashed only briefly on the screen.

"I just watched the video of that and I can tell you right now, there's no way I can do it," she said. "It's unbelievable. I can't even get the first two (squares)."

What's going on here? Even with six months of training, three students failed to catch up to the three young chimps, Matsuzawa said in an e-mail.

He thinks two factors gave his chimps the edge. For one thing, he believes human ancestors gave up much of this skill over evolutionary time to make room in the brain for gaining language abilities.

The other factor is the youth of Ayumu and his peers. The memory for images that's needed for the tests resembles a skill found in children, but which dissipates with age. In fact, the young chimps performed better than older chimps in the new study. (Ayumu's mom did even worse than the college students).

So the next logical step, Lonsdorf said, is to fix up Ayumu with some real competition on these tests: little kids.
---On the Net:

Kyoto University: http://www.pri.kyoto

Give me Your Votes- I need over 300 votes to win Vote Ev ery Month

Friends: I have entered my blog to win at bloginterviewer and in order for me to win I have get over 300 votes in a month so Im asking all of you who have had any contact with me or who know me through one thing or another to Please support me in this and VOTE fo me just click where it says in Print CLICK HERE AND VOTE FOR ME or just click on this link and it will take you to my blog interview and remember I have to get over 300 votes. It means alot for me to get your votes and to see who really wants to help me out in this .. THe rules are simle and it says I can ask for votes and you can vote for me if you like me or like my blog or like what my blog stands for, or just vote for me because I asked you to. So Come on and VOte. It will not take but a minute of you time. This is something new al together this does not have anything to do with the other voting buttons I have here like BLoggerchoice or Sicy pages this is Votes for my BLog and its interview that I gave and that you can read when you click on the CLICK HERE AND VOTE FOR ME TEXT it will take yu to my review. Thanks and I shall be looking to see who all has voted for me.. THank you. In all sincerity Lilyruth

Why Do I Bother?

Why I bother to blog Dog News or Post Funny Dog pictures or Jokes? I love dogs, dog causes, and the people we can help. That's the focus of these blogs.The process of collating and writing about local news focuses attention on worthy causes, Save the Dogs is such a cause, this is why I have this fund drive going on in order to help Save the Dogs and I ask you to open your hearts and give a few dollars . Just go to the Chip In Box at http://dogcents.blogspot.com and donate whatever you can to get food shelter, heart worm treatments etc. You can make a difference in makeing these dogs lives better. Do not wait till Christmas to get into the spirit of love to give, give now when they need you. Is it to much of a sacrifice to give a donation to Save the Dogs? Really there is nothing to think about just go to the Chip In Box and give your donation, and know you have done something good.. There are some News stories that are swept under the rug are indeed found by bloggers and with the power of blogging, they can bring attention to them. That's the power of blogging.PS. In the process, I'm learning about communication. Also to bring attention to my goal. knowledge between you..." To me, this is very difficult. Perhaps the most important thing is to have integrity, to be as honest as you can be. by lilyruth

Car thieves make off with pet dog

A disabled man was left devastated when thieves made off with his car and unwittingly stole his pet dog.
The 59-year-old man was using a sunbed when his jacket containing his car keys was stolen from a coat hook in the tanning shop in Poole, Dorset.
His silver Vauxhall Zafira was then taken from a car park behind the shop on Commercial Road, in the Parkstone, area at about 1100 BST on Tuesday.
Police are now trying to trace the car and the black and white Jack Russell.
He is a single man and his dog is his only companion
Pc Liz RenshawDorset Police
Pc Liz Renshaw, of Dorset Police, said: "The victim is understandably shocked and devastated and just wants his dog returned.
"He is a single man and his dog is his only companion."
The six-year-old dog was described as long-haired and "looking shaggy".
The man, who has not been named, is from Poole and has difficulty walking.
Police would like to speak to two men who were seen in the Sunsational tanning shop around the time of the theft.
The first man is described as white, 5'10" tall, of stocky build, aged in his mid-20s, and was wearing a cap and had a dark coloured beard.
The second man is described as white, tall, of slim build, aged in his mid-20s, and was wearing blue jeans and a coat. Source: K9 news

Greyfriar Bobby loyal to his master even after death

Friends: everytime I read about this story it brings tears to my eyes . Even after his best friend had died he refused to leave his side come rain or shine he laid there near him. His friends grave was now his home and he was happy til the day he died just to be near his friend. This little dog was truely loyal to his master and ppossed a love that would not die even after his master and friend had gone to their grave. Here I shall tell you a bit of what I know about the story of this little dog whos love for his friend and master went beyond death... John Gray died on February 8, 1858 in Edinburgh, Scotland, leaving very little behind except for a little Skye terrier named Bobby. The day after the burial, the curator noticed Bobby lying on the fresh mound of dirt. He immediately chased the little dog away, but the next day he was back. Again, the curator chased him day, but on the third day-despite the cold and the rain-Bobby was back. Finally, the curator took pity on the poor dog and allowed him to stay.


For the next fourteen years, Bobby kept constant watch over his owner's grave, rarely leaving except to take his noontime meal at exactly one o'clock. After a while, he came to be known as Greyfriars Bobby, after the cemetery in which his master was buried.

Bobby outlasted his master by fourteen years. When he died, he was buried just inside the gate at Greyfriars Kirkyard. He could not be buried with his master because it was consecrated ground. His headstone reads, "Greyfriars Bobby - died 14th January 1872 - aged 16 years - Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all."

Greyfriars Bobby may be gone, but he has not been forgotten. Shortly after his passing, a statue was resurrected in his honor. His story was also passed down and eventually a fictional version of the tale was published in a book titled Greyfriars Bobby by Eleanor Atkinson. In 1961, the book was made into a movie titled Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog. Another movie was released in 2006 titled The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby and starred Oliver Golding and Christopher Lee.

From a book by Eleanor Atkinson

Dog stabbed 55 times

A man has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after a dog was stabbed 55 times in an attack in Brighton.
The American bulldog was found dead in undergrowth in Moulsecoomb Wild Park at about 1300 BST on Wednesday.

RSPCA inspector Tony Pritchard said the wounds were "way beyond what you would do in self-defence".

Mr Pritchard said police were following a theory that a woman had possibly been attacked by a dog, and then another person came and killed it.

"That dog was very nearly decapitated by the severity of the blows to the neck. That's not self defence, nor is hiding the body in the undergrowth," he added.

'Silver shoes found'
Souce: THe World wide web
The animal welfare inspector said an anonymous caller told police that a woman was seen running from the undergrowth between midday and 1300 BST.

The caller also claimed a man was later seen pulling up in a white van and entering the bushes where the dog's body was found.

Stuffing from a coat was found at the scene, along with two silver shoes, Mr Pritchard said.

He added that there were drag marks on the ground, which was covered in blood.

'Get in touch'

A witness appeal has gone out to three other women in their 30s, who were seen walking a dog in the park earlier that day, between 0930 and 1000 BST.

Mr Pritchard said it would be "very useful to talk to these women about anything they may have seen" and urged them, or anyone who knows them, to "get in touch".

One had purple hair in a bob cut, the second had very short brown hair, and the third had curly brown hair.

The dog was not microchipped or wearing a collar and its owner has not been traced.

Bloodhounds lead to anthrax suspect

Sniffer dogs on anthrax case CA 'A three-member team of bloodhounds from California -- considered by the FBI to be the best in the country at what they do -- were each given the scent extracted from anthrax letters posted last year and each, independently, then led handlers to the Maryland apartment of the same man -- Steven Hatfill...' Hatfill denies any involvement in the anthrax murders and even says he has never worked with anthrax. [ABC News]

Man jailed for starving animals

A man jailed for allowing animals to starve to death has been given another six-month prison sentence.
Lee Howard, 41, was jailed last year for leaving horses, dogs, hens and a rabbit to die at Bank Top Stables in Trimdon, County Durham.

At Middlesbrough Magistrates' Court he admitted breaching an order banning him from keeping animals for life.

Magistrates heard RSPCA inspectors found dogs and birds at a house in Middlesbrough months after his release.

Howard, of Shinwell Crescent, South Bank, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to dozens of animals at the run-down stables in March 2006.

Breach reported

RSPCA inspectors found 13 horses and ponies, 11 hens, four dogs and a rabbit had died of dehydration and starvation. Three dogs survived.

But despite the jail term and ban Howard acquired 11 dogs and 16 birds on release from prison, the court heard.

The breach was discovered after a concerned member of the public reported the animals being kept at a property in Delarden Road, Middlesbrough, in January this year.

RSPCA Inspector Garry Palmer, speaking after the case, said: "That he has managed to acquire so many animals in such a short time is shocking, and poses questions about where he's got them from, and what kind of checks should be made."

Dog breaks worlds record for longest Ears

The dog with the largest ears in the world as recognised by the new 2004 Guiness Book of World Records, Mr Jeffries the Bassett Hound, is seen in this handout photo made available Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003. Jeffries, whose ears measure 29.2 cm (11.5 in) lives with his owner, Phil Jeffries, in West Sussex, England. Mr Jeffries' full name is Knightsfollie Ladiesman and he is the grandson of Biggles, the face of Hush Puppies shoes. His ears are insured for 30,000 pounds ($47,800). (AP Photo/Guinness World Records)

Posted by Lilyruth

Jury exonerates dog trainer

A tale of a hounded dog trainer and those pesky game wardens... The Marion County jury in the trial of a Silver Springs man who claimed he was being hounded by game wardens set him free Wednesday, finding that prosecutors were barking up the wrong tree. He testified on the ins and outs of hunting dog training and how most dogs likes their belly rubbed, and how game wardens were trying to catch him doing something wrong and couldn't even though he was a reformed marijuana grower... The jury liked his 'tail' of woe... Jury exonerates dog trainer

Dog Basket, Cruelty man Jailed

A psychiatric report showed Paul Lidford had a personality disorder
A 31-year-old man who subjected his girlfriend to abuse, including forcing her to lie in the dog basket, has been jailed for two years and five months.
Paul Lidford, from Denbigh, was convicted of four specimen assault charges at a trial in February.

Sentencing him at Mold Crown Court, the judge said he had sought to control with violence and verbal abuse.

Lidford was handed an indefinite anti- social behaviour order (Asbo), stopping him from approaching the 27-year-old.

Recorder Philip Marshall said the victim was still suffering from the treatment she had received at Lidford's hands.

You sought to control her, to dominate her, through violence and verbal abuse

Recorder Philip Marshall

During the trial, it emerged that over the course of their five-year relationship he had subjected her to abuse.

The jury heard that on about five occasions Lidford, a heating engineer, had forced her to lie in a dog's bed, and threatened that if she looked from under the blanket she would be assaulted.

Once, Lidford had kicked her repeatedly after she looked out from under the blanket, the court was told.

Swelling and bruising

The victim suffered swelling and bruising across her back and could not move, but Lidford had refused to call an ambulance.

The victim wept as she told the jury that she had reported matters to the police in the past, including an incident when Lidford whipped her with a dog lead.

But she had always withdrawn the allegations, believing that he loved her and would change.

Delivering his sentence, the judge said Lidford's former partner still suffered flashbacks and nightmares.

A psychiatric report showed Lidford had a personality disorder going back years.

He said: "During that relationship, I am satisfied, you sought to control her, to dominate her, through violence and verbal abuse.

"She felt worthless and despite everything said she had feelings towards you. She said on numerous occasions that she loved you."

A Pet Can Change your Life

'Are you feeling a little stressed lately? Do you feel isolated from the outside world because it seems as though no one understands what you're going through? If so, you may want to try out a new therapeutic treatment: Owning a pet. It's no secret that some of us have voids in our lives that can't be filled by other people, at least not as often as we'd like. For many, our lifestyles may depend, whether we realize it or not, on a support system that helps balance out our physical, emotional and mental states. And believe it or not, the right pet can do this for you without asking for much in return -- just the basic necessities. Soon enough, you'll start to see the positive changes it can make in your life.'
Five good reasons to get a pet:
A pet will provide round the clock love and affection without asking for much in return...
A pet can serve to keep your mind off of the constant strain in your life...
It allows you to nurture and take pride in its growth and health...
It allows you to open up: 'A pet will not judge or disagree with you. It's only there to listen... '
It gives you a reason to work out: 'A dog enables you to walk and run considerably more, thus healing your mind and body at the same time...'

If it barks,its not always a dog?

Man's relationship to animals, has fostered some unusual bonuses. In becoming closer to certain species, and domesticating them, the animals themselves have turned the tables on their human counterparts. Take for instance, birds.

You may call them bird-brained, and for certain, they don't have the physical features that produce speech in a human, but these feathered friends are often as fond of calling you, as you are of them.

Parrots have been kept as pets for thousands of years, specifically for this talent of mimicking human speech. The African Grey parrot was highly popular in Greek and Roman times. Macaws, which are a parrot-like bird, can also be taught some speech if you have patience, but are not as chatty as a true parrot. Cockatoos, however, are real performers, often ruffling their beautiful head crest before repeating something you might not have wanted overheard by the kids. Even the common parakeet, or budgie as it's also known, can be taught by repetition to imitate specific things, including words and sentences. They will often pick up sounds on their own, such as a whistling kettle, or a dog barking.

Although if you want to really hear a bird bark, you need to take a trip to the Andes, in Ecuador. For it was there, in 1998, that ornithologist Robert S. Ridgely discovered a black and white duck-like bird with long legs,which startled the daylights out of them by barking like a dog. The bark is a natural sound, and not a learned imitation. The species, now named Antpitta avis canis Ridgely, is the largest bird species discovered in the last half century. There were 30 specimens in the area at the time, and it was suspected that they have remained concealed from Man, due to their remote location.

An Actor gets into cage for animal rights

Indian Actor Gets Into Cage For Animal Rights
Indian actor R. Madhavan squeezed himself into a tiny cage as he appealed for compassion for chickens as part of a campaign by an international animal rights group. The same human rights group has already used Beatle Paul McCartney, singer Bryan Adams and Indian Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan to speak against "cruelty for meat."

gOT a nAME For A dOG? gIVE IT hERE

Whats your dogs name? If you have an original or corney name Let us know about it! Join the Dogchain, Just leave your dogs name in the comments and lets see how many names we can get for our dogs. I do hope everyone who loves dogs will participate and leave a name, Someone might be looking for a good dogs name to name his dog and find it here, so please join in and leave a dogs name that you like and maybe the reason you chose that name? Leave it here in COMMENTS..

The Funnies

TO EAT HERE OR TO GO?