The Dog Boots
Today I started out wearing little boot on my back left leg when Elsa and I walked with Mom to the bagel shop. Mom says that a kind person on the "degenerative myelopathy" list gave me the bootie. But after a block, Mom took it off because my foot was dragging too much. It didn't bother me really, but I was having a hard time walking.
Mom walks behind us and she notices how Elsa, age 14, just plods along without any problems but I, only age 11, have so much trouble with my left leg. It just doesn't do what I want it to do! Sometime I trip and end up sitting on my left side, even in the middle of the street. Luckily our neighborhood is very quite and serene so it's not like someone is going to careen down the street and run us over. But still, Mom is uncomfortable taking me on street walks now and says we are only going to go to the park where I can stay on the grass. I don't mind because I like the park just fine.
The Less-than-Perfect Pets
Mom is not happy with us. That is, she isn't happy with Elsa, Pumpkin, the cats, and me. She's OK with Buffy, at least for the moment.
She says we are "less than perfect" pets. And why? I will list our so-called transgressions and you can judge for yourself.
- My (Sam's) bad behavior: Grabbed food out of trash can and when Mom tried to pull it out of my mouth, accidentally bit down on her finger. Half-swallowed a latex glove which Mom had to pull out of my throat. Starting at 5am this morning barked at the front door for an half hour even though absolutely nothing was going on outside.
- Elsa's bad behavior: Caught eating poop.
- Pumpkin's bad behavior: Pulled all of the stuffing out of one of the cats' pillows. This on top of last week's bad behavior of making a hole in the down comforter (what a mess!). And practically choking to death on a baby carrot because he gobbles his food down so fast. Mom almost had a heart attack when he started screaming in pain.
- The cats: Peeing outside their cat box despite that Mom keeps it spotlessly clean.
You know what I have to say about this? Hey, we're dogs (and cats)! This is what we do. You gotta take the bad with the good. I'm sitting right next to Mom as she is typing this for me and making little barks because I think she should reward me for not complaining about her!
The News from Tan, the Tsunami Doggy Survivor
I received an email from another canine, Tan the Tsunami Survivor, who lives in Phuket, Thailand. I am so happy my
donation is helping Tan get food and water and shelter. I begged Mom to adopt Tan but she says than monetary donations are what the doggies need the most right now. So, to all of my loyal readers, I beg you, with paws up, tail wagging & tongue drooling, to please make a donation to the
Human Society International of Asia.
Here's Tan's email complete with a photo!
Tan the Tsusami Survivor, in Phuket, Thailand 
Dear Sam,
My Name is Tan and I live, or use to live, along the Patong River near Phuket, Thailand. Now my family is gone, my house is gone and most of my doggie friends are gone. A big wall of water came crashing through my little village one day and my whole life changed. I got carried up into the trees far away and almost drowned. Then another wave came in and I was carried even farther. I don’t know how I made it. I got bounced around and went under several times. I thought for sure that I was going to die. But I ended in the trees bruised and cut.
When I recovered I tried to get back to the village, but there was water, ruble, wood and broken trees all around. I was cold and wet. It was horrible. There were dead humans and animals all around – goats and even a cow. Then I saw my best dog friend dead on top of what use to be a door. I smelled him just to make sure – it was him. I smelled death all around me – like I had never smelled it before. More bodies of humans and more animals. I finally found my house. I couldn’t tell by looking at it, but I knew it when I found it, because I could still smell some familiar scents. But there was nothing left. It was torn down to the ground.
I waited and waited to see if my family would come. I slept there for two days and nights waiting and waiting. But no one came – no one came. I was scared and hungry and rummaged around through the ruble and followed the scent of death. I found a dead chicken and ate it. By this time, several other dogs started to wonder around all looking for food. Some of them even tried to eat some of the human bodies, but other humans chased them away. It was horrible. I was scared and kept close to my old house since it was the only thing that was familiar to me. But soon I had to leave because I could not find any food nearby. But everywhere I went it was all the same – destruction, death and despair. And whenever I would find food, I would try to hide it, because other dogs would come around and start fighting over it and I would be chased away. There was a lot of fighting going on.
I was hungry all of the time – scared, lonely and depressed. There were a few humans around, picking through the ruble, looking for things and occasionally finding and removing a dead human. None of them would give me food and they chased me away and threw rocks at me. I think they were hungry also.
I ended up down at the beach. There use to be a lot of restaurants down there and there was still a lot of rotting food around. It was awful stuff and made me sick.
Then one day, I was walking along the beach and saw this human who was wearing a yellow shirt. He seemed to be offering me some food so I cautiously approached. Then suddenly out of nowhere a net came down on top of me and I was trapped. I was really scared and angry and tried to bite him but he had me firmly in his net. Next thing I knew he stuck a needle in me and I went to sleep.
When I woke up I was feeling really dizzy and I couldn’t walk. So I just laid there and watched these humans bring in all of these other dogs and stick needles in them, do something with them on a table and then lay them on the ground next to me. After awhile I felt better and was able to stand and they gave me some food and water. Real dog food. Even better then what I had in the village.
I’m still living on the beach, but now the humans in yellow shirts come around once a day and give us all food. I feel a lot better and there is less fighting among the other dogs. I still miss my family and my old doggie friends, but at least I’m not hungry all of the time and not sick.
I guess my life has changed forever. But I have new human friends now and maybe things will work out. At least I have hope for the future.
I’m writing you to say how thankful I am for you supporting those guys in the yellow shirts who helped me and my new doggie friends. We all appreciate your help. Keep up the good work.
- Tan
With a little help from:
- Ken Grant
HSI Asia (Bali, Indonesia)
Humane Society International
Mobile: +62 812 465 0171
Ken@HSIAsia.org
http://www.hsiasia.org/
Yahoo
Chat: KAGrant@yahoo.com
The Big Drool
Too bad there isn't an award for the biggest, longest dog drool. Dr. Pavlov would have loved me. And if you think that dog drool is trivial or even gross, here's a reality check -- the official website for the Nobel Prizes has a game called --
Pavlov's Dog:
"In this game, you will find out if you can train a dog to drool on command! Pavlov's description on how animals (and humans) can be trained to respond in a certain way to a particular stimulus, has drawn a tremendous amount of interest ever since he first presented his findings. His work paved the way for a new and objective method of studying animal and human behavior."
I'm a really good drooler. Mom shows me an ice cube and a long drool comes out of my mouth. I can't help it!
Pavlov's dog is named "Ivan" so really the game should be called "Ivan's Drool". I won't go so far as to say that Ivan should have won the Nobel Prize instead of Dr. Pavlov but...think about it...who was doing the drooling?
The Oxalis Scourge
Not much happened today. All of us doggies got to go to the bagel shop in the big car. We just went along for the ride. Mom ate her bagel and drank her coffee and read her newspaper in the car just to be us! Then Mom went over to a friend's house for lunch and we stayed home. When she came back Mom and I did some weeding. I just kept watch looking out for danger; that Cooper's hawk might try to come back into my territory! Mom does all the weeding work. She's pulling up these pretty yellow flowers with shamrock-like leaves. I think they are kind of cute but Mom hates them.
Mom says she is not alone in despising the oxalis weed. Apparently there was an article about the scourge of oxalis just yesterday in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Oxalis haunts gardener's dreams:
Rainy-season endeavor requires kneepads and mindless endurance
Richard Schwarzenberger, Special to The Chronicle
Saturday, January 15, 2005
The Run in the Park
Today I did some excellent running in the park. I cantered and galloped...so much that Mom got tired. Usually I get tired first. It was fun!
Last night Elsa slept in my bed. She came all the way into the bedroom and lay down right on my dog bed! I let her of course, since she's the boss. Mom says she used to sleep in the bedroom but as she got older she doesn't like to walk on the wooden floors she so she has stayed in the family room to sleep. But now there are rugs all the way into the bedroom. I hope Mom will bring in another bed for her tonight because it's really not right for her to sleep in my spot. Elsa's awfully lively these days, ever since her operation. She has been trying to play with the little dogs, which she never did before. She might even be trying to play with me but I'm going to be careful...she likes to put me in my place!
The Greeting of the Cats
Tonight I got real close to the cats. Mom went in their room to feed them and as usual I was right behind her. The door was ajar so Mom held my collar. Misty, the long-haired gray cat, came right up to me and put her nose up to my nose. My nose is about 20 times bigger than hers. Then Charli, the calico cat with no nose, came up and put her no-nose on my nose. Mom was very happy. The cats obviously have no fear of me at all in fact they just want to be buddies.
(I have to explain Charli's no-nose. She had skin cancer 4 years ago so her nose was removed. She looks a little weird but at age 18 she doesn't care too much about her appearance.)
The Bunch of Bananas
Today I grabbed not one, not two, not three...but an entire bunch of bananas. Like 6-7 bananas. I grabbed them where they are all hooked together. Found them just lying around on the countertop, waiting for me. Unfortunately Mom showed up unexpectedly and we had a banana tug-of-war. She won, and the bananas lost. All of them got squished at the top. I won too because Mom couldn't stop laughing and she peeled one and gave it to me. I had to share it with Buffy, Pumpkin and Elsa but I didn't mind. I only wish she had given me the peel too.
The Adoption Announcement
Linda, the leader of the SF Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue group, sent out an announcement about my adoption. I don't really understand the whole message, but it's not important. All that matters is that I am now in my forever home.
From: Linda
Date: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:30 pm
Subject: Sam/Ams is Adopted!!
Admittedly, I took a chance when I pulled Sam/Ams from the shelter. We knew he was 10, and that it's really tough finding a home for a dog that age. However, I've always felt we could have at least one old timer in our 'stable' without running the risk of becoming a sanctuary instead of a rescue.
Besides, he passed our behavior evaluation, and seemed easy going and healthy. And, at the time, we had just found a wonderful home for Lindsay, who was even a year older than Sam/Ams.
Also on the plus side, I knew that Cynthia was ready to foster just such a dog....in fact, she'd been waiting for a couple of months for an older male to foster, a dog that would get along with her senior GSD, Elsa. Sam/Ams was perfect for that situation, so Kelly made the arrangements and he came into the program.
That was some months ago, and it hasn't been a surprise that we haven't had much interest from Potential Adopters in this dog. Cynthia has certainly given him lots of exposure with his very own blog! Not many dogs can brag about that particular type of publicity! Lots of people learned of his exploits as Cynthia shared his adventures, and of course, they were HER adventures too!
At the last Redwood City Showcase Day, she told Kelly and me that she was worried about him, and we went around the side of the building so we could see what she had noticed. Yes, unfortunately, he was indeed somewhat wobbly and was sometimes turning his back foot so that the pads were facing up. Kelly made a vet appt and our worst fears were pretty much confirmed. It is most likely Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). Cynthia has poured so much love into this dog that she was in tears. But her absolutely instant response was that she wanted to keep him herself.
Wow! How lucky can a dog get?!? To have been surrendered at age 10 by a family that had moved and could not keep him, and had not even let him in the house for all those years, to a foster mom with a heart so big that he has found a permanent place in it.
There is no way of knowing how fast or slowly this disease will progress. The good thing about it, (if there IS such a thing) is that there is no pain involved and as Cynthia says, Sam is a very happy-go-lucky dog. She takes him to the park almost every day for his exercise and he has a great time even though he falls down now and then. He doesn't realize there is anything wrong with him, he isn't suffering. In fact, he is in a wonderful home, the best home he's ever had, and he gets to stay there for the rest of his life.
Personally, my hat is off to Cynthia. I know this is a lot harder on her than it is on the dog. I admire her courage and respect her commitment. I know everyone will welcome her and Sam when they show up at Showcase Days, and I am confident each one of us will do our best to provide all the support she could ask for.
Like Lindsay's story, this one is also bittersweet. But so far, Sam is chugging along, happy and stylish in the bright yellow raincoat Jackie gave him....and I know I look forward to continuing to hear about his exploits on the list and updates to his blog!
Good job, Cynthia! Go Sam!!
Linda
The Canine Diet
News report from CNN:
Study: Exercise, diet help keep older dogs spry
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Exercise and a diet fortified with vitamins, fruits and vegetables helped older dogs learn new tricks and kept them spry in an experiment that scientists said could teach humans a thing or two.
This is exactly what I have been trying to tell Mom! More food, more types of food, and more walks!
The Delicious Banana Peel
I know what you are thinking...he's writing about food
again !?!? Is food all he ever thinks about? Is food at the core of his life? Plus, he's already
written about bananas!
Well, dear reader, yes, food
is all I ever think about! And I love banana peels. Now here's the story.
Mom peeled a banana for herself and when her arm came down to throw the banana peel away I grabbed the peel and ate it. Took it right out of her hand and ran off with it. Mine, mine, mine. Gulp, gulp, gone. Mmmmmmm.
The banana peel treat and the walk in the park were the highlights of today. It was a very good day.
The Good News for Elsa
Some very good news about Elsa's tumor that was removed last Friday. It is barely malignant and with the tumor gone Elsa shouldn't have any more problems. That means she will be around to beat me up! Oh, I don't care. She's only mean to me once/week at the most and she doesn't hurt me. She gets such joy out of being top dog that I let her push me around.
I got to go to the park again today. Mom says it is better for my feet to run on the grass than on the street. I ran pretty hard and only fell down a few times. I loped and cantered and tried my best to sniff the grass and trees but Mom kept pulling on my leash and telling me to run. At one point I decided enough was enough and I sat down and my collar came off! I was free, free, free! I started walking away but Mom grabbed my fur with her hands and put my collar back on. Then she tightened it so that it won't slip off again. I don't mind. I'm not going to run away from home...this is the best life a doggy could have!
The Walk in the Park
I went to the park today. Just me and Mom. Mom put me on a really long leash and then encouraged me to run as fast as I can. I did pretty good at first but after awhile I fell down and couldn't get up. Mom came over to me then and kissed me and said what a good dog I am and not to worry about anything but to just keep trying. I got up after that and felt a lot better and was able to walk. I was tired though! Panting a bit...hey I'm 11 years old. According to Cal's
dog year calculator that is the equivalent of 82 human years!
The park we go to is "El Quito" park in Saratoga, CA. Here's a map in case you want to meet me there! (Click on the map for a larger picture.)
Mom said she is going to try to take me to the park for my daily exercise instead of walking to the bagel shop on the streets. The problem is that I drag my left leg and the toenails are getting worn down from the asphalt and even bleeding a bit. Mom doesn't want me to get a sore foot or have an infection. She also said she is going to buy me little booties for my back feet. Those, combined with my raincoat, are going to make me look pretty darn silly. But hey, whatever makes my human happy is OK with me.
The Upset Tummy
Ooooh. Owwwy. My tummy is upset today. I barfed last night, although Mom thought it was Elsa since she just had an operation. But then this morning I barfed right in front of Mom, all over one of the cheap Walmart rugs. Then I stood quietly with my ears turned back and shivered. Naturally Mom panicked, afraid that her beloved Sammy was ill, and rushed me to the vet.
When we got the vet I ambled in, acting perfectly fine, and proceeded to make friends with all of the other doggies. No barfing, no ears laid back, and no shivering. I was the picture of good health.
When Dr. Brian examined me he said I'm fine...my tummy just got a little upset and, here's the terrible part, I couldn't have dinner tonight! Oh no. Dr. Brian gave me a shot to help my tummy get better quicker. That didn't bother me at all. But no dinner. Oh whine, cry, sniffle, moan. I had to sit in my cage while Elsa and Buffy and Pumpkin and even those worthless cats all had their dinner. Mom says she feels terribly sorry for me but if she really felt all that sorry she would feed me! I hope I live thru the night without starving to death. I am going to have a delicious breakfast with rice which I love. Something to look forward to. Unfortunately, being a dog, I live only for the present, not the future.
The Surgical Operation
Yikes, Elsa had an operation today on her chest. I know this because Mom took her to the vet early this morning and brought her home this evening. She has a big bandage all around her chest and she is wearing a t-shirt. She looks kind of goofy in the t-shirt but I'm not supposed to make fun of her. I've actually been really nice to her and even kissed her when she came home despite that she beats me up all the time. I'm a very forgiving doggy!
I don't really understand what's happening with Elsa but Mom says she had a tumor on one of her breasts that could be "cancer", whatever that is, so the doctor did a "mastectomy". Mom is very hopeful that the tumor is not cancerous, so we are all upbeat and living for the moment, which is what dogs do.
With all the fuss over Elsa and Mom's business meetings in San Francisco I didn't get my daily walk. I did chase that obnoxious squirrel in the back yard though. I practically caught him! (Aside from Mom - he didn't even get close). I feel confident that soon that soft plush squirrely body will be melting in my mouth.
The Adoption!
I'm adopted! Today Kelly came over and Mom filled out the paperwork making me her forever doggy. Not that I had any doubt it would come to this...I am the most adorably irritating dog in the world! Wait, no, I mean I am the most adorable dog in the whole wide world. Being irritating just makes me cuter. I don't know why humans think that being waken up with a big wet nose on the cheek is irritating. Plus, if Mom doesn't get up right after that I serve as a great alarm clock by barking in her ear, as loud as I can. No wonder Mom couldn't give me up!
Now I have to give you my little sales pitch. Please adopt a dog. Please adopt an older dog. And please adopt an older big dog. Older big dogs don't have much of a chance in the shelter and we are the best dogs in the whole wide world. Just ask me for details!
The Loaf of Wonderbread
Well, you see, there was this loaf of Wonderbread on the counter. And then there was no loaf of Wonderbread on the counter but instead there are pieces of plastic wrap on the floor. No bread anywhere. And me and Elsa with big smiles on our faces.
I know you are wondering why Mom brought home Wonderbread. The reason is that Elsa gnawed on some bones that we got as Xmas presents and her tummy is full of bone shards. So the vet said Elsa should have Wonderbread to coat the bone shards so they will come out more easily.
Now the Wonderbread is all gone. Hope Elsa got enough to fix her problem.
The Return of Cooper's Hawk
Today the
Cooper's Hawk came back. Mom was weeding in the garden, and I was standing quietly keeping watch. We were behind the house next to the side yard, right in front of the aviary. We heard a swooping noise and the
Cooper's Hawk came thru the side yard and grazed the aviary; then went up into the oak tree. Naturally the cockatiels and the ring-neck parakeet who are in the aviary got kind of upset. The cockatiels shrieked and the parakeet screeched. The hawk
called too after it couldn't get them -- wow, kind of an evil
sound! The whole thing happened so fast I didn't even get a chance to bark!
To be honest, I'm on the side of the hawk. I'd love to get my mouth around one of those feathered-covered fluff balls! I've tried to get in that aviary many times...I've whined at the door when Mom goes in, I've jumped up the sides. It's impenetrable though. Darn.
The Cooper's Hawk
This afternoon there was a Cooper's Hawk sitting on the power line above the backyard. It was surveying the territory; probably looking for doves. I easily spotted it and ran out there and barked at it.
Mom ran out too she was pretty excited to see a Cooper's Hawk. She said she has seen them three times before -- once in the redwood tree across the street, once snatching a dove from the front yard, and once circling above with crows chasing it. She says the Cooper's hawk considers her native plant garden to be prime hunting ground.
Well, this is my territory now and that raptor had better watch out! I'm good at spotting birds and squirrels up on the power line and fence. I make sure that they all know who's the boss around here. Especially that irritating
white cat from next door. The one that sits on the fence and teases us!
Anyway, to finish the Cooper's hawk story just as Mom got a good close look at it my barking scared it away and it flew over the house and alit in a tree in the front yard. Mom was kind of exasperated with me but I've got a job to do!
The Commercial Dog
Yeah, I've sold out. Yelp, whine, sniffle. I signed up for Google Adsense and now I have commercials on my blog. But what can a doggy do for treat money? It's not like I can mow someone's lawn or babysit.
Woofs to you.
By the way, I'm not the first dog to use himself as a marketing tool.
The Definition of "Food, Water, and Shelter"
More good news for canines! San Francisco is defining what it means for a doggy to have "food, water and shelter".
S.F. planning to unleash dog-care rules Ordinance would define adequate pooch amenities
Suzanne Herel, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, January 6, 2005
"In San Francisco, where orphaned animals live in pet condos at the SPCA, pet parents are called guardians instead of owners, and well-heeled canines are enrolled in doggie day care, now comes a law mandating more creature comforts for the creatures. "
"The ordinance, expected to be approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, spells out exactly what the city means by providing food, shelter and water to San Francisco's estimated 110,000 dogs.
"The food: palatable and nutritious. The water: changed at least once a day and provided in a non-tipping bowl. The shelter: big enough for the canine to stand up and turn around in and with a raised floor and dry, clean bedding for when the ambient temperature falls below that ... to which the dog is acclimated."
for the rest of the article go here
You may be howling with laughter but read the whole article before calling this ridiculous. The animal welfare officers need a tighter definition to keep bad humans from calling a plywood covered mudhole "shelter".
To be honest, I personally would have made the law a lot stronger. I believe every doggy needs to live inside the house with his/her humans, be taken for a walk every single day, brushed once a week, be provided with lots of toys including new ones on a regular basis, be allowed to chase squirrels and cats, and be given as many treats as s/he can eat. Oh, at least one car ride a day is on my list too. You may think this is excessive but I took a poll here at our house and Elsa, Pumpkin and Buffy totally agree with me.
Elsa and I went with Mom to the bagel shop again today and Mei, the bagel shop owner, gave us our own tri-seed bagel! We had to split it but we didn't mind. Mom threw my pieces of bagel at me and I caught each piece in the air. I'm quite talented. Mom says
Saratoga Bagels has the best bagels in the whole wide world, and I certainly agree!
Here's a picture of Mei with a selection of bagels. Mei is very fond of dogs.
Mei Fang Huang, owner of Saratoga Bagels on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, offers a wide variety of bagels.
The Dogs Are Being Fed!
Good news about canine rescue in Thailand (after the tsunami):
"The discovery of the dolphins occurred as Wiek and other members of his group have been tending to animals affected by the tsunami. While few appeared to have died, some are roaming free. He said volunteers have distributed about 800 kilograms (1,800 pounds) of dog food."
The article is mainly about the dolphins but the last paragraph refers to homeless dogs.
Tsunami rescuers work to save dolphins
Click on logo to visit Soi Dog Foundation and make a donation!
"Soi Dog Foundation is a volunteer and not-for-profit organization with the aim to better the lives and living conditions of the street and stray dogs in Thailand. The most important tasks, the physical work of helping the street and stray dogs, is done in Thailand by volunteers. Soi Dog Foundation supports this work through efforts of volunteers working in The Netherlands. People who donate their time, effort and often much of their own funds."
The Dog That Saved the Child from the Tsunami
I love it when canine news is reported in the human media. I'd already heard about this via barknet but thought that it was worth reporting for my human readers.
Family dog saves boy from waves
"While water lapped at Sangeeta's (the mom's) heels as she rushed up the hill, the scruffy yellow dog named Selvakumar (the dog) ducked into the hut after Dinakaran (the boy). Nipping and nudging, he did everything in his canine power to get the boy up the hill.
...
"Selvakumar looks pretty much like every other dog in the village. He hardly ever barks and lets the three boys climb all over him and pull his tail without protest. At night, he joins the rest of the family and sleeps among them, no matter how may times they throw him out.
"Most days, the dog escorts Dinakaran to and from school, spending the rest of the day playing with the other two boys, or begging for food. Sangeeta's brother-in-law gave her the puppy, following the birth of her second son. When the brother-in-law died in an accident two years ago, they changed the dog's name to his.
...
"Dinakaran credits the dog with saving his life. "That dog grabbed me by the collar of my shirt," the boy said from under some trees at Pondicherry University, where the family is waiting for relief. "He dragged me out."
"Sangeeta said she wept with joy when she saw her son walking up to her, with Selvakumar by his side.
...
"That dog is my God," said Sangeeta -- with Dinakaran sitting on the ground at her feet and Selvakumar sleeping on the warm asphalt next to him."
Delvakumar the dog takes a well earned nap after rescuing 7-year-old Dinakaran, sitting behind him.
The Plight of the Homeless Pet in NYC
I don't usually read the newspaper since canine news is so underreported (is this a plot by the government?). But I've been surfing the web incessantly since the Asian tsunami as many domestic animals died, were injured, and now are struggling to survive. See my previous post for how you can help the animals. I tell my human that domestic animals are humankind's responsibility, as they brought us into their world.
Anyway, during my surfing I found a positive story about the improving condition of the homeless pet in NYC.
Fewer Dogs and Cats Are Astray, and Fewer Are Killed in Shelters, NYTimes, 1/1/05
(registration required, older articles are in a paid archive)
I can't copy the whole article into my blog because Mom says that's illegal, but here's the highlights:
"Amid the flurry of year-end statistics, consider this one: New York City put fewer dogs and cats to death this year than in any year on record since the 1890's.
City shelters put to death 23,684 dogs and cats in 2004, according to Animal Care and Control, the group that runs the city shelters. The figure, which accounts for killings through Dec. 30, is down by about 17 percent from last year, and by more than a third compared with 10 years ago.
"This year's drop was sharp, but not unexpected. The number of animals killed has been falling ever since the 1930's, when spaying and neutering started to become common practice in New York and stray populations began to decline, animal experts said.
.....
"Mr. Boks said his organization (NYC Animal Care and Control) planned to make it unnecessary to kill any animals within the next four years, largely through sterilization programs and the encouragement of adoptions. New Yorkers began adopting on a large scale in the 1950's and 1960's. This year, adoptions jumped by about half, to 15,587 animals, up from 10,564 in 2003."
Ed Boks, director of New York City Animal Care and Control
(It wasn't easy to find an appropriate picture of Mr. Boks -- in most of them he is holding a cat!)
This is very good news for dogs (and cats!) and hopefully a trend that occur everywhere in the world. I myself was in a very bad situation at the Silicon Valley Humane Society...only the timely and loving intervention of the San Francisco Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue saved me. I would be grateful but I am only a dog, and I didn't really know what was going on except I was miserable there. Now I am the happiest dog in the whole wide world!
