Yes, Barney, the outgoing presidential dog, bit a reporter.”It seems President Bush’s dog Barney wasn’t much in the mood for friendly attention during his walk outside the White House on Thursday. So when Reuters reporter Jon Decker reached down to pet the Scottish terrier, the seemingly docile dog snapped at him and bit Decker’s right index finger,” according to AP. The reporter has to be on antibiotics for a few days. What happened, Barney? Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for first lady Laura Bush, told AP this: “I think it was his way of saying he was done with the paparazzi.” Barney must have had a rough day. Check out Barney in this Christmas special video co-starring the president. He was adorable. (The dog, I meant.) And in case you missed it, here’s the video of Barney in action.
OMG. Did you catch that part in President-elect Obama’s speech? Yep, the girls are getting a dog! Sorry, catlovers. “I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House,” Obama told Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, during his victory speech, according to Associated Press. “The good news for his daughters came as Obama acknowledged his family’s contributions to his campaign. The news prompted even bigger smiles as they surrounded him. He did not go into details about a name or breed for the new White House pet, who will follow in the steps of the Bush family’s Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley.” Folks, weigh in please. What breed makes a good presidential puppy? Check out the Presidents and Pets.Photos from AP: (Top) The Obamas; (Bottom)President Roosevelt with his pooch, Fala, and Ruthie Bie, grandaughter of a caretaker.) And check out “All the President’s Pets.” Then, learn more about hypoallergenic breeds before you cast your vote for which one the Obama family should pick.
Pssst. We’re all among friends. Let’s be honest. Do you always pick up after your dog? Always always? Or almost always?
Not too long ago, my colleague was at a sports event and ran into a scene that you could recognize: Picture it. A sunny Sunday afternoon. A baseball park in Atlanta.
She was following a woman in a dress and her Boxer into the stadium, somewhere between the parking lot and the entrance. The woman was with two or three other friends.
Then, the dog stopped. She - or he - had to go to bathroom. And, the dog went.
As you may know, “when dogs stop to poop, You have to stop with them,” my colleague said.
The owner waited for the dog to finish the deed, and the crowd moved forward. Except the remnant.
Other people were around but said nothing. It’s like when a stranger’s child misbehaves, but onlookers refrain from saying anything.
Bunny, a 9-month-old spayed collie/terrier mix, is a sweet girl who enjoys playing with other dogs and having a good romp in the yard (although she needs to live indoors). She is energetic and will need someone who can give her the structure and training she craves. Bunny is still a puppy, but she shouldn’t be large when full grown. She would probably make a great companion for your existing active dog. Like most terriers, she is a jumper, so will need a calm adult to help her learn to keep “four on the floor.” Bunny has been attending the Atlanta Humane Society’s basic obedience classes with a volunteer, and has made great progress. With a dedicated owner, she will be a delight to own. Bunny has had her DHLPP vaccinations and has been dewormed. She will be available today at the Atlanta Humane Society, 981 Howell Mill Road N.W. Adoption will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The Atlanta Humane Society is open seven days a week.
Meet some of Bunny’s friends who also need a forever home. Or check out the cute pets available for adoption at Clayton County’s Animal Shelter. Also, consider adopting from an Animal Control location near you.
Photo by MAILEY McLAUGHLIN / Atlanta Humane Society
“My oldest cat, Jake, who is now 16, is leash trained. When he was younger I use to take him camping with me. Most of the campgrounds in the state of Georgia, at least back then, I guess they still do, allowed pets as long as they were on leashes. I would tie a rope between two trees and attach his retractable leash to this, or if there were no trees I would attach it to the top of the front of the tent, when we were just hanging out at the camp site. I only found one campground in North west Florida and it was a private camp ground. It was on a beach but it was on the sound so it had a barrier island between it and the open ocean, Jake liked walking on the beach there since the waves were not as high as they would have been on the open ocean, he loved the smells especially when the tide was out and he could go out further and smell what I been there when it was covered in water, fishy smells.
The state run campgrounds in Florida would not even let you through the gate with a pet due to the rate of abandoned animals, especially feral cat’s.
Jake loved camping and it was fun to take him camping with me. Other people would get a kick out of it because most of them said they had never seen a cat on a leash before. I can’t believe the number of people who think cat’s cannot be leash trained. Jake always had to have his covered litter box, he would not even pee on the ground. During the day I would sit his litter box out beside the tent and at night I would sit it back in the tent with us. The only time he was off his leash was at night when we were in the tent sleeping. In the mornings he knew he had to get his harness on first thing, before we went outside.
He never even tried unzipping the tent until one night we were camping at Lake Winford Scott, I was awakened by a storm in the distance and I realized that Jake was not in the tent with me and the bottem of the tent was unzipped. I could just imagine him going down to the lake and one of those alligators taking one bite and he would be gone. I was terrified. I dashed out of the tent and started looking and calling him. I looked and he was sitting under the picnic table staring back at me like “What’s the big deal” I took the bread ties and tied the 3 zippers together in the middle after that and he never got out of the tent again.
We don’t camp anymore, Jake has arthritis and I am afraid I would hurt him trying to put a harness on him. I have never tried taking any other cat camping, but then Jake has never been an ordinary cat.”
Do you go camping with your cats or dogs? What was your experience?
Folks, do you remember Prince Chuck, that fat cat in Jersey?
Don’t worry. He’s well. But, a recent entry at AJCPets highlighted a tricky dilemma: How do I get my overweight cat to lose weight?
Isn’t this a cry for help? Don’t you, as the owner, have the responsibility to make sure he or she isn’t too chunky?
“I want to know how they got the weight off; I have two rather portly critters at home and I could use some hints”
Another member, Jennifer, wrote:
“Dang. When the headline said, “Diet That Worked” I thought they were going to give me tips on how to slim down our kitty, Moose. Moose was large and in charge when we got him from the Humane Society in 2000. We monitor his food and don’t let him over-eat, or anything like that. But now he is a whopping 32 pounds.”
Do you have a cat with a similar issue? How did you resolve it? (Read between the lines: Did you put her or him on a strict diet?) Please share your tips, folks, and help your fellow pet lovers.
(Bonus: Here’s a YouTube clip of a Japanese TV show in which the owner is shown struggling with her weighty cat. It’s in Japanese, but a picture tells a thousand words.)
Posted September 25th, 2008 by cyoo - 4 Comments »
As we heavily debated over Dieselmom’s entry the other day, AJCPets member Ron quietly shared PetDish his pet peeve.
“My pet peeve is people who think their dog has to go everywhere with them.I’ve seen small dogs in the grocery cart inside the store.I’ve seen dogs downtown during festivals where there are lots and lots of people.”
Tiny poodles have been spotted in hair salons and on the laps of drivers.
What are some unusual places that you’ve you see these adored creatures?
Are you encouraged by these caring owners and would like to emulate them? Or Are you just annoyed? If so, why?
Wow, have you kept up with the replies to the story about that couple suing their vet following the death of their 13-year-old dog! From anger to disbelief to sympathy, the posts covered a range of sentiments.
And the discussion unveiled something else.
How do you get over the death of your pet? Was it as difficult as the death of a fellow human being? Did you get another pet? What was your mourning process? Any suggestions to others undergoing the experience?
One member, Kim, wrote:
“My 13 year old dog died too. It was a few weeks after she had her teeth cleaned, and some cysts removed. I was told having teeth cleaned could be dangerous to an older dog because bacteria could get in the blood stream. Doc said nah, it is fine. I was riddled with guilt for a year over it, but finally forgave myself. I did nothing wrong. I am not sure why my dog died, I did not pay for an (autopsy). I wanted to believe the doc did something wrong. 13 years is a long time for a dog though, and she had a good life. Sure, I wanted to blame the doctor, maybe she got an infection or something, how come he didn’t know something was wrong? She died suddenly, so no idea what happened. Either way, the dog is dead, I had to accept it. What was I supposed to do, live in pain and suffering forever? Let it go. The dog had a great life at 13 years. Let it go…”
An Elijay couple are grieving the death of their 13-year-old miniature Schnauzer, Marshall. Grief also accompanies anger. Michael and Kathryn Sutton believe Marshall would still be alive today if it weren’t for what they describe as the poor care by their former vet.
The Suttons now have a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court charging Sandy Springs-based vet Julie Duval with doggy malpractice.
The couple want at least $75,000 in damages for their loss. (They say it isn’t about money because they say the pet is irreplaceable.) The vet says she treated Marshall like her own.
This case underscores a thought that pet owners might have had one time or another: ‘How much do I trust my vet?’
Under what circumstances would you sue your vet? What would you do if you were Marshall’s owner? What do you think about this case?
Folks, how did you like “Bark in the Park,” where Braves lovers and dog lovers become one with the universe?
Dr. Ralph Davis, executive Director of clinic support services at Life University, had a blast at the event this year. (That’s him with his dog Sadie.) Check out the photos from Bark in the Park. (Why don’t you share yours? Upload them!)
Davis writes: Having only recently moved to Atlanta from Tampa, my wife Linda and I have been getting to know the Atlanta scene. We heard about the “Bark in the Park” event and thought it would be a great way to see our new hometown team play.
Our Jack Parson Terrier, Sadie, is a very social dog who enjoys the company of other dogs and humans. Getting to go to the ball game wth 688 other dogs and their human friends was her version of dog heaven! She spent most of the day greeting everyone and freely giving dog kisses on request.
Thank you to the Braves organization, and we understand especially to Bobby Cox, for holding this event. The day was beautiful; a perfect sunny baseball day. The organization of this event was great with plenty of water and treats for the dogs. The only downside was that the Braves lost. Given the great time that we had at this event, we can see that attending Bark in the Park will become a family tradition.
How was your day at Turner Stadium? What other events should be dog friendly?
Yes, Barney, the outgoing presidential dog, bit a reporter.”It seems President Bush’s dog Barney wasn’t much in the mood for friendly attention during his walk outside the White House on Thursday. So when Reuters reporter Jon Decker reached down to pet the Scottish terrier, the seemingly docile dog snapped at him and bit Decker’s right index finger,” according to AP. The reporter has to be on antibiotics for a few days. What happened, Barney? Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for first lady Laura Bush, told AP this: “I think it was his way of saying he was done with the paparazzi.” Barney must have had a rough day. Check out Barney in this Christmas special video co-starring the president. He was adorable. (The dog, I meant.) And in case you missed it, here’s the video of Barney in action.
OMG. Did you catch that part in President-elect Obama’s speech? Yep, the girls are getting a dog! Sorry, catlovers. “I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House,” Obama told Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, during his victory speech, according to Associated Press. “The good news for his daughters came as Obama acknowledged his family’s contributions to his campaign. The news prompted even bigger smiles as they surrounded him. He did not go into details about a name or breed for the new White House pet, who will follow in the steps of the Bush family’s Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley.” Folks, weigh in please. What breed makes a good presidential puppy? Check out the 
Photos from AP: (Top) The Obamas; (Bottom)President Roosevelt with his pooch, Fala, and Ruthie Bie, grandaughter of a caretaker.) 
Folks, how did you like “Bark in the Park,” where Braves lovers and dog lovers become one with the universe? 
