ClayPaws® Connection

Two-faced kitten

Wow! Every time I see a storysuch as this one I am amazed! This goes along with the story I wrote about a while back about the four-eared cat... This one is even more bizarre in my opinion.

A veterinarian in Australia got a shock when helping with the delivery of some kittens. The mother was having trouble and the vet and his nurse helped deliver three in the litter. The other two were "normal", but the third kitten (a male) had two faces. Literally.

The nurse said, "I have seen cats with two tails and extra legs, but not this." This baby has two faces and so far, is seemingly healthy. It eats out of only one mouth due to having a cleft palate in one mouth. It meows and purrs - and it meows out of both its mouths!

The family who the kitten belongs to says they will keep it and they are considering calling it Mr. Men or QuasiModo. The article says that only about one in a million cats are born with two heads. Wow! This would be a really crazy thing to see! I can't imagine actually having an animal with two heads quite frankly! I'm quite sure I'd get attached just as easily as with any other pet though!

 
(Photo from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article5195172.ece)

Pets as Presents

I read an interesting little article today. It was titled "Pets for Christmas are a bad idea".

I hadn't really thought about this concept before, but with the holidays fast approaching, presents are at the forefront of my mind! (Not only is Christmas coming up, but my husband's 40th birthday is December 15th! Yikes!)

We have too many pets already, so I'm not considering buying a pet for him, but I know that many people probably do give pets as presents. Have you ever given or received a pet as a present?

The author of the article today thinks that we should be really cautious about the gift of a living, breathing being as a gift! "Unlike a pair of slippers, a dog or cat can remain a part of a person's life for up to 15 years." (or more!) She is so right! A pet is a huge responsibility. Taking on the care of a pet is something to be considered and decided upon seriously. If it is a gift, you don't have that time to consider!

Now - if Mike (my husband - just because I like saying that since we've been married for all of 17 days now!) decided to buy me a kitten for Christmas - I would be ecstatic! He would know this, of course, so he wouldn't hesitate to do that. I think, if you know for sure that the person would want a new pet, and would care for it well, then it might be OK. Otherwise, I think you should let a pet decision be up to them, not you!

What is your opinion? Yes? No way? Want a basket with a puppy in it under the tree come Christmas morning?

(And speaking of holiday presents - we have a lot of ideas at our website! Go check it out!)

No exotic pets for kids

There is a news story out there this week about kids and exotic pets. Doctors are warning parents against exposing kids to hamsters, reptiles, and chicks as pets.

According to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, pets such as these can be health risks to children. "These animals are more prone than cats and dogs to bite, scratch, or claw people, particularly children younger than 5 years old, and transmit dangerous and potentially deadly germs, like salmonella, the physicians said."

In reading the story, it seems the largest concern does come from the risk of salmonella being transmitted to young children. The bacteria can cause serious illness in younger children and "11% of cases in children come from handling lizards, turtles, and other reptiles."

What do you think of this? I had hamsters when I was a kid. I never got sick from handling them. I loved turtles, although I never had one of my own. Will you let your children have "exotic" pets? Or will you stick with dogs and cats? Do you worry about germs and illnesses that pets might transfer to you? I honestly don't really think too much about it.

Midweek Cuteness

OK - this baby has to be about the cutest ever! His name is Rupert. He is a 5 day old Muntjac deer fawn. (See full story here.)

His mother was killed after being hit by a car. Veterinarians worked to save her, but were unable to. They did save her baby and he is doing quite well in spite of his traumatic arrival in the world! This happened in Buckinghamshire, England.

The little guy really is tiny. He weighs about 500 grams and is only six inches tall! At full grown, these deer are about 37 inches in length and between 22-40 pounds. Currently, Rupert is being tube-fed and is living in an incubator. The vet clinic caring for him says he is very feisty! (We don't have any ClayPaws® prints of deer. Maybe Rupert should be our first!)



**Sad update: 10/2/08 - Unfortunately, the feisty little Rupert did not make it. The staff at the hospital taking care of him is predictably upset. They did their best to keep this little guy going, but he was too small and premature to make it. Blessed be little Rupert. 

(Photos by Jeff Moore via DailyMail.Co.Uk)

Humane Society Endorses Presidential Candidate

The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) announced yesterday that it would endorse a presidential candidate. They have never before endorsed a candidate for president - congressional candidates, yes, but presidential never.

The HSLF has chosen to endorse Barack Obama and Joe Biden's bid for President/Vice President. They base their criteria for backing a candidate on one thing only: where they stand on animal protection policies.

In his newsletter announcing the endorsement, Mike Markarian, President HSLF, stated, "I'm proud to announce today that the HSLF board of directors -- which is comprised of both Democrats and Republicans -- has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The Obama-Biden ticket is the better choice on animal protection, and we urge all voters who care about the humane treatment of animals, no matter what their party affiliation, to vote for them."

If you go take a look at the post - the issues and Obama's positions on them are listed out. Obama has been a solid supporter of animal protection (as has Joe Biden). He also responded to the HSLF questionnaire - something that his opponent John McCain did not do.

HSLF goes on to say that while McCain has been a supporter of some animal protection legislation (the article says "lukewarm") it was his choice of running mate Sarah Palin that helped them to make the decision to support Obama. Her record is quite extreme (I'll let you go read about it!) and the HSLF blog post states, "Her record is so extreme that she has perhaps done more harm to animals than any other current governor in the United States."

(I promise this is not turning into a political blog! I'm just bringing you the news!)

Dogs and Cats Get Political

I won't go into my own political beliefs, but I came across a new blog recently. It's called Bark Obama! and it is subtitled Dog (and Cat) Bloggers United for Obama. (I haven't heard about or seen a similar blog about McCain, or I would post that link as well. Let me know if you know of one!)

Bark Obama! is a packed full political blog. There are lots of facts (checked out), news stories, and lots of humor too.

Would you use your animals to help promote your political candidate? A McCain t-shirt for your dog? An Obama visor for your horse? (I'm making it up here!) I like the idea. I think my cat Oscar would be a great political blogger - he is just grumpy enough! He'd get the facts, and then smack down anyone who riled him up! :) As long as he gets dinner on time, that is!

Hurricane Ike and pets

It seems that Hurricane Ike hasn't made big headlines like Katrina did several years ago, but the devestation is there! Galveston, TX was hit hard and there are many problems facing residents!

One of them, that we don't always think of, is the pets that get left behind. Humans are forced to flee their homes facing a hurricane, and so many times, pets get left behind to fend for themselves. The Houston SPCA is working hard to help all of these displaced animals! They received upwards of 200 animals who had been abandoned due to the storm. The Galveston Island Humane Society was apparently destroyed in the storm as well!

According to a story I read this morning, SPCA officials are asking residents in Houston to foster these abandoned animals until their families can claim them. If they are not claimed within 10 days, the foster families can choose to adopt the animals or return them to the shelter.

Have you ever weathered a bad storm? Did you have to evacuate, and if so, did you leave your pets, or take them with you? I know it is easy to say from my vantage point that I would never leave my pets behind, but I've never been in a spot where I had to evacuate quickly. Do you have a plan for that situation? It's something to think about and prepare for! My cats don't travel well (AT ALL!) so it would certainly be hard to take them with in an emergency situation. But I sure wouldn't want to leave them behind either! I hope that all of the animals left behind can be reunited with their families!

Dog dies while pet parents wait for speeding ticket

I saw this video this morning from Good Morning America. In Texas, a couple is rushing their tea-cup poodle to the emergency vet clinic. She is choking. (Video is below. It is the Good Morning America interview, as well as footage from the actual traffic stop.)

Admittedly, the owner (with his girlfriend in the car, holding their dog) was speeding at up to 100 MPH. He was stopped by a patrol officer who then proceeded to ignore his pleadings and tell him "it's just a dog, you can get another one!" The distraught owners had to wait 20 minutes for the officer to write out their ticket, during which time their dog, Missy, died in the car.

A lot of people are up in arms about this situation. The officer in question handled this situation SO poorly (my opinion). Yes, he had the right (and duty) to stop the speeding vehicle, but once he found out what was going on, he should have helped the pet owners get Missy the care she needed. Instead, he was unsympathetic, and kept them waiting. Missy died because of timing.

How would you handle getting your pet to an emergency clinic? There is no such thing as an animal ambulance service. Obviously driving recklessly is not good, and could endanger your own life, as well as other people on the road. Rushing your pet for emergency care is a difficult situation. Have you faced this? I never have. I know that it would be difficult for me to follow traffic laws and be cautious when one of my kitties is having a life or death situation in the car!

I send my sympathies to these pet owners. What a horrible ordeal for them! I hope that the officer in question learns from what happened and learns to have a little compassion. Would he have handled this differently if it wasn't "just a dog" but was a human dying in the car?

Animals are amazing!

You all know this, of course!

I have posted stories recently of mothers taking in animals of different species to care for them. The Golden Retriever who cared for a tiger cub, the mama cat who cared for a bunny. But this story topped them all!

I read this morning of a report from Argentina. A newborn baby girl was abandoned by her 14-year old mother, and the baby was found alive, and quite well, nestled in with a dog and her litter of pups. The dog's owner, a farmer, found the baby girl on Thursday. She was warm and sleeping in with the puppies. She was healthy except for some bruises. The farmer called the police and the baby was taken to hospital.

The mother who abandoned the baby has been found. They don't know whether she left the baby with the dog on purpose, or if the dog found the baby and took her to her pups to care for her.

What an amazing way for this little girl to start life. And what a good dog to know that this baby needed her care!

Four Ears!!

Have you heard about Yoda? the cat with FOUR ears?! Wow - he is truly a unique looking animal.

I ran across his story today. His family adopted him two years ago. They named him Yoda after the Star  Wars character with pointy ears. His owners took him in at the age of 8 weeks, and had him immediately evaluated by a vet to be sure he was healthy. The vet had never seen anything like Yoda! He is certainly something special! (Yoda is pictured on the left.)

There have been other reports of four-eared cats. I found an online study called "Feline Medical Curiousities: The Ears". Looking at the pictures on this report is an odd experience. I almost think some of them look like really good Photoshop jobs!

Yoda is in a loving home, and in a safe place. He is an indoor cat, and is microchipped because of his unique-ness. His family worries a bit that he will be cat-napped! He hears well and is affectionate!

What do you think? Would you take in a pet that has a unique feature? I had a cat with "mitten-paws". His feet were huge!

(photo from Barcroft Media)

Can your dog catch your yawn?

(Did you just yawn? Even reading the word makes me yawn!)

I read this news story (Pet dogs can 'catch' human yawns) a few days back and thought it was interesting. It's talking only about dogs, but now I wonder about my kitties... does it happen to them too? Have you ever paid attention to your pet yawning? Was it right after you yawn?

The researchers quoted in the article have recorded dogs behavior in labs and have found that they can and do catch yawns. It is empathising behavior. "Until now, only humans and their close primate relatives were thought to find yawning contagious." Unfortunately, the article doesn't explain WHY yawning is contagious!

"Dogs have a very special capacity to read human communication. They respond when we point and when we signal." I think as pet parents, we can all agree that our own animals are very keyed into us. I konw that my kitties know when I'm stressed out or not feeling well. They try to give me some extra love then. I will have to observe and see if they key into yawns too! Do your pets yawn when you do? I'm curious!

Booger times five!

I wrote a few months back about an order for the first cloned pet. Well, yesterday the news broke that Booger has been cloned. Five puppies were born to two surrogate mothers. The original Booger was a pit bull who belonged to Bernann McKinney of Hollywood, CA. She paid about $54,000 to have Booger clowns created by RNL Bio. (The original price was about $162,000 but they came down in price!)  

Ms. McKinney is quoted as saying, "They are perfectly the same as their daddy. I am in heaven here. I am a happy person." Booger apparently saved her life at one point by chasing off an attacking mastiff which bit her.

The pups will arrive to Ms. McKinney (from Seoul, Korea where RNL Bio is) in September. She said she would consider training some of the pups to be service dogs.

My question remains... can you honestly recreate a dog (or cat) by cloning? I know they will be the same physically, but will their personality traits - those things you loved most about them - be there? I don't know. It will be interesting to hear if Ms. McKinney comments on that as these pups grow. The other thing that popped into my head that I would be interested to know - paw prints on animals are like fingerprints on humans. They are each unique and different. We need ClayPaws® prints on these babies - to see if their paws are all the same! :)

(Photo from News.com.au)

2008 World's Ugliest Dog

Yesterday in Florida, a contest was held (for the 20th year!) to find the World's Ugliest Dog.

The winner this year is Gus who is owned by Jeanenne Todd and her daughter Janey. Gus is a Chinese Crested (hairless?) who only has three legs due to amputation for a skin tumor. He is undergoing radiation currently for skin cancer. He is also missing an eye due to a fight with a tom-cat. He was rescued by the Todds from a bad situation and now lives in a loving home! His winnings from the contest will go to help pay for his treatments!

Gus beat out not only this years competitors, but past winners of the contest to take the title!

Do you have a dog that might win the ugly contest? We love them in spite of (or perhaps because of)their ugliness as do the Todds with Gus!

(Photo from Sonoma-MarinFair.org)

Star Tori Spelling Mourns Her Dog

Even celebrities have to deal with the loss of their beloved pets. They have to deal with sadness and grief in a much more public light than most of us.

It was reported today that Tori Spelling's pug Mimi LaRue had passed away. She was 11 and had some ongoing health problems. Tori was often seen in public with her beloved dog. She often had on dresses or accessories as well! I know that  Tori will miss Mimi LaRue desperately! We send our thoughts to you Tori and family!

In cases like this, I always wish I had a way to get a ClayPaws® print to celebrities! They would benefit from having the memory just like us "normal" people! Any ideas how we could get them in their hands?!

Blessed Be Mimi LaRue.

(Photo from People.com) 

Cat Game Show?

So, I recently heard about auditions being held for a new game show! I thought I'd pass this along to you readers - maybe someone will audition?

The show is called The Meow Mix: Think Like a Cat Game Show. Auditions are being held as we speak in cities all over the country! (I missed getting this posted before the auditions in Chicago!) But, you can still take your cat and audition in NYC, Tampa, Dallas, Denver, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles!

What do you think? Can you think like your cat? I know what my grumpy gray Oscar is thinking much of the time. It's either "feed me" or "take me outside". He has become quite talkative over the last few months! (And by talkative I mean mouthy!)

If you audition - let me know! I'd love to hear about it! The show is to air on GSN on November 15! You and your cat could apparently win $1 million!

Tornado strikes near us

I'm back from a wonderful vacation.  

While I was away in Oregon, Colorado experienced some serious weather! I grew up in the small town of Windsor which is about 15 miles east of our World by the Tail offices. On Thursday, May 22, the east side of Windsor was devestated by a huge tornado. (It was calculated to be an F3 and it was almost a mile wide!) It was quite surreal to be in Oregon and see my town on the national news. Weather like this is not common at all here, so it was quite unusual.

So many people in Windsor have lost their homes and businesses. The stories coming out following the tornado were just devestating. I found it interesting (odd?) that I had just posted before going on vacation about being prepared for an emergency with your pet. I heard one account from a friend of a friend who had very little time to get herself and her husky to their basement before the tornado struck their house. She had to race to get her dog rounded up and they wound up being safe by only about 30 seconds. Her house was destroyed above them!

We know of one veterinary clinic in Windsor that was destroyed by the storm. The account of Sassy hit the news and her worried pet-parents were so happy to hear that she was safe! Fortunately, the clinic didn't lose any animals in the storm! Weld County Animal Response Team has been responsible for reuniting many tornado victims with their pets, as well! We send out our thoughts and good energy for all of you affected by these storms!

(photo from RockyMountainNews.com)    

Emergency Plan: Include your Animals

I saw an article recently talking about being prepared for an emergency. I agree that every family should have a disaster emergency plan. Including your beloved pets in this is SO important!

This article is very thorough in making suggestions about what you should think ahead in case of emergency! It's not easy to plan or make preparations after the fact, or during an emergency! Don't count on the fact that you'll have time to grab up your pets, or get them to safe places! Make a plan that you can put into action IF something bad happens!

The article suggests having an emergency kit at the ready - to include things like carriers, leashes/harnesses, medical records, litter pans, food/water bowls, food, beds, toys, etc.

Also have an idea where you might go if you need to evacuate with your pets. Finding motels near you that accept pets is a good idea!

It isn't fun to think about something bad happening to you and your pets, however some advance planning might make an emergency a little less stressful! Have you already got a plan? What have you done to make sure your pets will be safe? Suggestions?  I'm off to figure out my own plan!

For Whom the Belles Toll

As you have probably heard, there was tragedy amidst the triumph at the Kentucky Derby yesterday. While Big Brown was celebrated, tragedy and loss was occuring right on the track.

Eight Belles, the only filly in a field of 19 colts, had placed second behind Big Brown. Coverage on TV rightly focused on the winner, while just paces away, Eight Belles had fallen to the track with two broken front ankles. She ran the race of her life, but in the process her body failed her. Her owner, Larry Jones, has commented that he knows he will be "criticized and second-guessed", but he defends his decision to run her with the "boys". (She was an odds-on favorite to win the Kentucky Oaks - female only race only days before the Derby.)

All over blog-land today, I've read calls to reform horse-racing, to boycott it, etc. I can't say that I actually know enough about it to take a really strong position on this. I have watched some racing on TV, here and there.... The beauty of a running horse is something to behold. I am glad I wasn't watching yesterday when this tragedy happened. I don't think I will watch again because the death of this beautiful girl has upset me. It seems unnecessary and so sad to have lost her lovely life so soon.

I think what I would like to say mostly is a farewell and rest in peace to Miss Eight Belles. She was a strong and beautiful creature, who only gave what was asked of her. She didn't have the say whether to run or not - she obeyed, and paid for that with her life. We are given a unique duty with domesticated animals - they depend on us for their care and well-being. I know that her trainers, and owners, did not intend for her to die this way, however, their choices (in my opinion only) may not have been the best for this young filly.

Rest Well Eight Belles.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Yoga for Dogs = Doga

I keep hearing about this new trend. Going to a yoga class all decked out with your mat, gear, and your dog?!

No, really! There is a new phenomenon happening with yoga afficianados! It's called Doga. I read an article online about a month ago, and from then on, I keep seeing more about it! There is even a website called DogaDog.com! They have ideas for different poses that will work for you AND your dog! (with pictures!)

There is a book called Doga: Yoga for Dogs as well! If you are a yoga person and have a dog you want to involve, simply do a Google search for Doga. You'll be amazed at what you find!!

NOW... I'm a cat person, and I wonder about yoga for Cats. Somehow, Coga doesn't have the same ring to it! My cats love to wind in and out of my legs while I'm doing yoga (not very safe for me OR them!) I don't have a single kitty (out of five) who would put up with me posing them into yoga poses though! Check out YogaKitty.com! They think it can be done!

The Oprah Show Today

As you may be aware, Oprah is a dog (animal) lover. Recently, her beloved Sophie died. In tribute to Sophie, Oprah is doing a show (to be aired today) about the sad reality that is puppy mills. She has a reporter (Lisa Ling) going behind the scenes with a hidden camera at puppy mills.

While I am sure this will be a very difficult show to watch, it is truly a very important show. There are an "estimated 10,000 puppy mills operating across the United States." (according to the Humane Society of the United States.) Many puppies that are purchased in pet stores are raised in horrible, inhumane conditions in these puppy mills.

Oprah is trying to help raise awareness that so many pups live in these horrible conditions and help to shut down these businesses.

If you have the chance, I recommend watching this show! Oprah has said it has changed her life! I'd love to hear what you think after seeing the show. We are taping it, so I'll watch it also.

Wonder Dog Saves Baby Kangaroo

I came across a lovely, heartwarming story in the news today!

It is the story of Rex, a German Shorthair/Wirehair Pointer mix, and an orphaned joey (baby kangaroo). Rex and his owner were walking when they saw the body of a kangaroo that had been hit by a car. Rex quickly realized that the joey with the mom was still living and let his owner know. He rescued the joey from the pouch of the deceased mom and brought it to his owner. The joey was unharmed and relatively calm. The joey (Rex Jr.) is being cared for at a Wildlife Sanctuary and will be released when he is old enough!

I love reading stories such as this one. It gives me hope. Do you have any lovely animal stories to share? Leave me a comment!

Photo from Icon/Newspix.

Sweet kitty story

Did you hear about the little pig born a few months back with the heart markings? (Named Valentine, of course!)

Well, I just saw a news story about a litter of kittens born on Easter Sunday. One of these new little babies has some interesting markings! On the baby's side, his black markings seem to spell out "I love (heart) dot".

Now, this would be cute because of the heart marking, but what makes this a special story is that the kitten's mom is named Dottie! Kitten's family thinks that this baby is showing love for mommy! 

Photos from Sacramento News 10.

Searching the New York Times archives

This morning, while thinking about my blog, I decided to do a quick search at the New York Times. They have an archive of stories, so I thought I might find some interesting news piece to write about!

Well, did I ever find something interesting!? The NYT archives include articles from as far back as 1891! I saw an 1894 date on one of my searched articles, and really, I assumed it was a typo, but when I clicked open the article, it was indeed a scan of an article from 1894!! Wow! The Internet never ceases to amaze!

The article that I thought I'd share with you today was from March 11, 1894. 114 years ago. "To Catch Dogs Politely; There Are to Be No More Brutal Agents and No Pound. Under a new law the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will take care of homeless dogs and cats -- animals without collars will be seized and held for redemption -- they will not be chased over fences."

Apparently, exactly 114  years ago, the ASPCA was working to rid the newspaper of complaints such as "Mrs. or Miss So and So has been knocked in the breast and has had her pet dog taken away from her by force." The Society was taking over the care of homeless dogs and cats instead of them going to the pound (at least in New York where this law was going into effect.)

I'm not going to expound (no pun intended) on the article any further, but I highly suggest that you take a look at it and others in the NYT Archive! It is very interesting to know that even 100+ years ago there were people working to make things more humane for our animal friends! 

Political Pets

Did you know that almost every president has brought a pet along to the White House when he takes up residence? I didn't know this fact until I opened my daily newsletter from PetPlace.com today! The author of these fun, and informative, newsletters is Dr. Jon and there are two versions, a cat and a dog edition!

Today it was all about politics. I'm following the presidential races closely, as I'm sure are many of you! Tomorrow is a big day for the democrats - with Barack Obama having won so many of the last few contests, Hillary Clinton is hoping for wins in Ohio and Texas.

Do you know who has what pets to bring with them if they win the White House? Well, let me pass on some information. Now, I doubt (no, I hope!) this will not be a deciding factor in your choice for president, but it is fun information!

Republican candidates:

John McCain has quite the menagerie! Sam the English Springer spaniel, Coco the mutt, turtles named Cuff and Link, Oreo the black and white cat, a ferret, three parakeets and 13 saltwater fish.

Mike Huckabee has Jet, a black Lab, and Sonic, a Shih Tzu.

Mitt Romney had a Weimeraner that recently passed away.

Rudy Giuliani has no pets.

Democratic candidates:

Hillary Clinton has a lab named Seamus.

John Edwards has a chocolate lab and a golden retriever.

Barack Obama has no pets currently, but has apparently promised his children a dog!

As for me - I am a cat lover (we have five), however, I am most certainly a democrat, so I will not be voting based on my love for cats since McCain is the only candidate with a cat! What do you think? Are you swayed by the presence of pets in the White House? Does it matter to you if our next president has a mutt for a pet?

Does your employer offer pet insurance?

It is apparently becoming more common for employers to offer pet insurance as a benefit to their employees. I read an article on MSNBC from mid-January that talked about this idea.

The numbers in the article staggered me! In 2007, pet owners spent $9.8 Billion (with a B!!) on veterinary care. That is up from $7.1 Billion in 2001. The article also says that insured pets are still quite rare, but the numbers are growing. Currently, about 2% of pets in the US are insured.

What I liked was the article said that offering pet insurance to employees doesn't cost the company anything. The employee has to cover the full cost of the insurance (unlike health care for humans, where the company picks up part of the bill), but if they sign up through their employer, they get a discounted rate. There are some big name employers offering this benefit too - Home Depot, Comcast, Walt Disney Co., and Del Monte foods.

Does your company offer pet insurance as a perk? World by the Tail doesn't at this point. We're all pet owners though, so maybe it's something we should look into! If your company started offering this perk, would you take advantage of it? I think I would - I have five cats! Insurance is probably a good idea!

New York Times Headline: Give the Dog a Clone

Last Saturday, the New York Times - "South Korea: Give the Dog a Clone".

Apparently, a company in Seoul, South Korea has an order from someone in Southern California to clone her dead dog, Booger. The cost for this clone is steep, $150,000. The story goes on to say that this woman has a disability and Booger was a help to her, so she is "eager to get a clone of Booger".

This company is expecting orders of this sort to grow over the next few years.

Wow. Would you ever want an animal cloned? I love my pets - and have loved pets in the past already gone. But, a clone? I'm not sure about this. If money were no object, I still don't think I'd want a clone. Would a clone have the same personality as the "original"? Somehow, I doubt it, but I'm no scientist! What is your opinion on this new possibility?!

Oogy, Oprah... Oprah, Oogy

My co-worker Marti saw Oogy's story on Oprah last week and brought it to my attention. An amazing story, to be sure!

Oogy, as a puppy, lived in "hell on earth" as his now-owner describes it. He was used as "bait" for pit bulls being trained to fight in a dogfighting rings. His face had been ripped apart and when police raided this particular facility, he was found in a cage, dying.

The police brought him to a local animal hospital and they treated his severe injuries. He is said to be lucky to have survived!

Oogy met his new adoptive family by chance. They had come in with their cat and Oogy fell in love with their kids. (The cat had to be euthanized. Oogy got a second chance at life!) Even though "he looked like a gargoyle", they fell in love with him and took him home! Since his adoption, Oogy has had reconstructive surgery and his face is much better!

Stories like Oogy's give me hope! He is so happy and a loving dog who has been through so much trauma in his short life. His family now has given him love and health!

Photo from Main Line Rescue. 

Paris's Pooches

Paris Hilton has 17 dogs - or so she told Ellen DeGeneres last week. Her claim made on the talk show has led to an Animal Welfare investigation. She is only legally allowed to have three animals (as a non-breeder).

The heiress's claim has made news headlines all over the world. People are apparently up in arms about her having all these little pooches - and people are wondering about the care they are receiving. Paris told Ellen that she has so many because they keep having puppies, and she can't give any of the puppies away. Thankfully, Ellen told her she needed to have said puppies spayed and neutered!

So, what do you think about this headline? Paris Hilton receives media attention no matter what she does. Do you think her claims of having seventeen dogs are true? Or is this another ploy on her part to receive attention (good or bad...)?

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but as an owner (or pet parent!) of multiple animals - we have five cats - I cannot imagine having ANY more than I do! Seventeen seems like an awful lot of animals to care for! How can she possibly take care of them? And clean up after them, and give them good vet care? (I guess this is probably where her money comes in - she hires it done?) What I do know for sure - it is irresponsible of her to have so many animals and not have them spayed and neutered! There are so many unwanted pets in the world! She has the resources to make sure she takes proper care of her menagerie and yet she doesn't do it. Shame on her!

I'd love to hear your opinions about this story! You can watch the clip of the Ellen Show here.

Photo from the Ellen Show website.

Do You Have a Pet Story to Tell?

Dr. Marty Becker and colleagues are publishing a new series of books. And - they are looking for submissions! The Ultimate Pet Lovers books are coming out soon!

There are three books slated and accepting submissions. They are:

The Ultimate Dog Lover
The Ultimate Cat Lover
The Ultimate Horse Lover

Each of these websites has guidelines for submission as well as samples of the kind of stories they are looking for! So, if you have a story to tell - check it out. Maybe your story will fit into one of these new books! Or maybe, you're not a writer, but you have a phenomenal photo of your pet! They are accepting photos as well!

The deadline is coming up very soon, so jump right on it! Deadline for submission is March 15, 2008!

Uno! The Winner

Did you hear the news from the Westminster Dog Show? A Beagle won Best in Show. That has never happened before!

Uno, or Ch K-Run's Park Me in First, took top honors in the presigious dog show yesterday! He was a clear crowd favorite, and you can see why. He's totally adorable! Apparently, on being announced the winner, he let loose with some typical Beagle baying! Celebrating his win, I guess!

I wonder if we sent a ClayPaws® kit to his family, if we could get his "Paw-tograph"? 

(Photo from USA Today, by Peter Kramer, AP)

Breed Specific Legislation

I read an article today that actually made me tear up. I haven't read a lot about Breed Specific Legislation, so I'm not sure where this is actually happening, other than this article (In the UK) but I know that it is a hot topic all over. Pit Bulls especially get the bad rap. I know in our area (northern CO) there are towns banning pit bulls from being kept in their city limits.

This article was about a dog warden (animal control officer) who was forced to euthanize a pit bull simply because of his breed. There are laws in England about pit bulls - and apparently, they have to be euthanized if identified as pits.

"The other day I had to do something that went against everything I have ever strived for, I took a lovely, young, healthy dog to the vets and I had it put to sleep, the reason for this was that he had been identified by an expert as being a Pit Bull type." (Celine Jacobs, dog warden). She goes on to say how difficult the experience of taking a healthy, happy, non-aggressive dog to the vet to be euthanized has been for her.

Celine's response to the law, "The legislation should assess all dogs on their temperament and the owners should be taken into account. Owners in most cases are responsible for the behaviour of the dog. I believe that before anyone is allowed a dog they should pass a compulsory basic test which shows they have some understanding of what a dog requires and what it takes to make sure the dog is well socialised and trained and will not become a danger. I also believe that a license of some description should be reintroduced, if a cost was involved it may deter people buying dogs on a whim. The owners of dangerous dogs should also be punished to make them think twice before getting another dog.”

As this is a controversial subject, I'd really love to hear from you! What do you think about laws for specific breeds? I can't imagine how difficult this situation was for Celine, and probably the vet involved. I don't know if I could have been involved! Share your thoughts in the comments!

10 year old Veterinary Assistant

Have you heard about Courtney Oliver? She is only ten years old, but she is a certified veterinary assistant**. Watch her on video at CNN here.

**Update - we had a comment from Courtney herself - check it out in the comments. Her grandfather also commented saying that she HAS completed coursework to be a veterinary assistant, but does not have a college degree. I apologize if my facts were incorrect (I took them from the video report)! Thanks for the comments! Keep up the good work Courtney!

Courtney says she knew early on this is what she wanted to do. Her mentor, Dr. Shoemaker, has nothing but praise for her.

What an amazing little girl - with big ambition, and obviously the smarts to achieve it! (And we happen to know that her hospital in Washington uses ClayPaws® kits too!)

(Image from http://www.komoradio.com/news/local/14848331.html)

Pets Lose too

Wow, lately all the news is bad about people losing their homes to foreclosure. It seems every other article I read is about people losing their homes and being forced into rental homes.

A piece of this that I hadn't thought of is the pets of these displaced families. There was an article in USAToday about this today. Shelters are being over-run because of this crisis.

"'We had about 33 dogs come in on Saturday alone. So it's just increasing every day,' Sarah Varanin of the SPCA in San Francisco tells KNTV-TV."

To me, this is an amazingly sad tale. Not only that so many families are in trouble and losing so much, but that the family pets are being abandoned too. There are so many counts on why this is sad. For a family to lose a pet is a difficult thing. I think, especially if there are children involved. How does a parent explain to a child that they have to leave their pet? Wow! I would not want to do that (I don't have children... but I do have five cats!)

So many rental houses will not accept pets. When a family is forced into renting, pets lose. What can be done about this huge problem? How would you handle it if you were forced to move where you couldn't have your pets? How can we help families who are facing this horrible situation? I'd love to hear your opinions!

Computer Communication

From Reuters:

"Hungarian scientists are working on computer software analyzing dog barks that could allow people to better recognize dogs' basic emotions, Hungarian ethologist Csaba Molnar said.

The computer correctly recognized the emotional reaction of the dogs based on their barks and yelps in 43 percent of the cases. People had judged correctly in 40 percent of cases."

Wow - a computer that would tell me what my dog was thinking? I thought this was the stuff of Science Fiction! But, there it is.

What would you want to know about your dog's thoughts if you could get them translated? Do you think a software like this one is needed, wanted, even necessary?

I think the first thing my (imaginary) dog would tell me is to make him a ClayPaws® print! :) His next thought would almost certainly be feed me, take me for a walk, and get rid of all these darn cats!