Woof!

This is a story from The New York Times about a cat that needed to be home and be outside without killing various birds. Learning a leash made all the difference.

My cat Mischief. Nothing to do with the story. I will read it to her though. Maybe she might like to try a leash too.

Here is a story from The New York Times.

Joe Calder, ski patrol director at Grand Targhee Resort, and his dog Otter prepare to head back down the mountain after completing training exercises Dec. 17, 2011 . Otter had just demonstrated his search and recovery skills in an avalanche simulation, finding his buried volunteer "victim " is less than 9 minutes . Grand Targhee is located on the west side of Grand Teton National Park along the Idaho-Wyoming border . (AP Photo / Post Register/ Clark Corbin)

ALTA, Wyo. (AP) — The most unusual thing about Otter Calder riding Grand Targhee Resort’s ski lifts is that Otter walks on four legs and eats and drinks from a bowl.

Otter is one of five avalanche rescue dogs working with the resort’s Ski Patrol those ski lift rides aren’t all that unusual for Otter, who is used to riding onboard helicopters and snowmobiles and atop the shoulders of two-legged Ski Patrol members.

Since 1993, the resort has employed rescue dogs as an added degree of safety. Most days, the dogs are never called upon to do anything more serious than complete training exercises and demonstrate their skills to dozens of adoring children.

They’re trained to be able to save lives, though. In the event of an avalanche, patrollers would depend on the dogs to find people who otherwise could not be located by human rescuers.

To keep the dogs’ skills sharp, Ski Patrol Director Joe Calder sleeps with old wool sweaters and blankets for three or four days straight. Then he buries the material on the mountain, outside the presence of the dogs.

Otter, a Grand Targhee Resort avalanche rescue dog.

A day or two later, Calder will hoist Otter, or another dog, on his shoulders and carry him to an area close to where the wool is buried. It’s up to Otter, or Murphy or Burdock, to ignore the people above the snow, zero in on the human scent of the buried wool and dig it up without Calder’s help.

The release command is the word “search.”

“I’ve seen dogs working in one area hit on a scent from a mile away,” Calder said. “Their sense of smell is like being able to distinguish one eye dropper of liquid in an Olympic swimming pool.”

The training starts simply enough.

Patroller Jason O’Neill, who heads Targhee’s canine program, said common games of fetch and hide-and-seek establish the foundation for a dog’s skills.

Once those tasks are mastered, patrollers start to partially bury people in the hide-and-seek games. Eventually, they work up to the point where the “victim” is fully buried and the dogs complete the rescue blind — keying in on human scent. They never actually see the person being buried.

“It’s pretty natural for a dog to dig and investigate different scents,” O’Neill said. “What we’re really doing is honing in on a dog’s natural instincts.”

Once the initial recovery skills are developed, the dogs complete more rigorous exercises and participate in training offered by North American national rescue associations.

Targhee’s dogs haven’t saved anyone at the resort.

But they have been tested outside the resort.

Targhee’s patrol entered interagency agreements that allow the dogs to be called in for rescue and recovery operations in Grand Teton National Park and nearby national forests.

In the program’s 18-year history, Targhee dogs have recovered four bodies from the mountains near the resort. In April, Otter and other Targhee dogs were involved in a six-day search of Grand Teton National Park. That effort aided in the recovery of the bodies of two skiers who were killed in an avalanche.

Normally, things are much more enjoyable for the dogs.

“The biggest part of the job they do is public relations,” Calder said. “People always want to have their pictures taken, and kids love meeting the dogs.”

Ten-year-old Teton County resident Gabe Fischer was among the children who attended a recent rescue demonstration with patroller Kevin Vallade and his dog, Burdock.

“First of all, humans have a 10 times worse sense of smell than dogs,” Gabe said. “Burdock can probably smell all the way to the top of Dreamcatcher (at the mountain’s summit).”

Gabe said he loves all of the dogs but feels especially close to Otter.

The boy said he ran into some trouble on the mountain a year or so ago and Otter was there when the Ski Patrol arrived.

Gabe didn’t remember when the incident happened — he said he fell and was buried a little — but recalled Otter’s name without being prompted.

“The coolest thing I like is that you know they are man’s best friend, and now they can save a life, too,” Gabe said.

___

Information from: The Post Register, http://www.postregister.com

Copyright 2011 The Associated 

In this photo taken Dec. 1, 2011, Lynn Jones sits with her three dogs, from left, Junior, Manny and Jewel, at her Lockwood, Nev. home. Jones, a former airport baggage handler, was fired after refusing to load an ailing dog onto a plane at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. (AP Photo/The Reno Gazette-Journal, Marilyn Newton)

Scott Sonner, Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Airport baggage handler Lynn Jones saw the sad look on the listless, emaciated dog sitting in a pet carrier and knew something was wrong. Then she saw that its body was covered with sores and its paws were worn raw.

“It was so thin, it made me cry,” she said.

If that dog gets on that plane, she remembered thinking, it would certainly die. And when she refused a supervisor’s orders to load it onto the Texas-bound flight, she was fired.

Now, a month after the incident at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, the dog has recovered. And Jones, while her former employer and airport officials have praised her for her actions, remains without her old job.

Peggy Hohl, vice president of employee services for Jones’ former employer, Airport Terminal Services Inc., based in St. Louis, said in an email that the company is taking the matter “very seriously.”

A statement posted on the company’s web site said officials were investigating, and that the company “commends this employee’s situational awareness and her desire to raise the concern on behalf of the canine.”

“ATS is reviewing the actions of all employees involved to determine if the appropriate action was taken,” it said.

Jones, 56, is no stranger to animals. She once owned a dog grooming shop and lives about 10 miles east of Reno with three dogs, three cats and a bird — all rescued from shelters over the years.

“I wanted to adopt this dog,” she said.

When she was working in the cargo area several weeks ago, she saw the pet carrier and the dog.

When she told her supervisor about it, she said, he insisted she load the pointer bound for Corpus Christi, Texas, because its paperwork was in order and its condition was none of her concern.

“I kept telling my supervisor, ‘That dog is going to die if it gets on that plane,’” Jones said.

“He didn’t even really look at the dog,” she said. “He just kept saying: ‘The dog is going, the dog is going.’ And I kept saying, ‘It is not.’ And we went back and forth, ‘Yes it is, no it isn’t, yes it is.’”

“I was hysterical and crying and yelling because the plane was going to leave and I was afraid the dog was going to be on it. I kept saying, ‘Please, please, the dog is going to die,’” she said.

Airport police phoned the animal welfare agency, which took custody of the dog.

The dog, apparently owned by a hunter who has it shipped to places he hunts, was shipped back to Texas after being nursed back to health, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal, which first reported the incident on Monday.

“It just breaks my heart to think that dog has been sent back to that owner. It’s disgusting. It makes me ill,” she told The Associated Press. “I can’t fathom why they would send it back to someone who obviously was abusing the dog.”

Jones said that Monday was the first day her ex-employer had contacted her.

“They wanted to hear my side, finally,” she said. “They said, ‘I abandoned my job,’ but I didn’t. He told me to go home. I was a very good employee. I was there early every day. I would not have abandoned my job.’

Jones said she doesn’t know if she would accept an offer to return to her job.

“I would have to really think about it,” she said.

After being postponed twice, once for rain and another for the crazy snow storm, Adopt-A-Dog’s Howl & Prowl event was a great success. Here are some pictures of the parade.

The Howl and Prowl parade.

Stanley is King. His owner is Jody Ferraro, of Bridgport.

Achilles with owners Caroline Smith and Narayan Venu, of Stamford.

Bailey and Laci get carried by Josie and Carlo Fraioli, of Stamford.

Robbers Benji and Luna owned by Enzo and Letizia Naded, of Yonkers, N.Y.

Parading down Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich.

Ginger, a vizsla, with her owner Ruhama Smith, of Riverside.

Arthur, a rescued Chihuahua, with owner Beth Anrig, of Greenwich.

Quincy dressed as "Sponge Bob Square Pants," with Bernadette Pye, of Mamaroneck, N.Y.

A postman at work.

A dog with a yellow coat.

A prince frog at the parade down Greenwich Avenue.

A couple of dogs dressed as dalmations and a young fireman.

Allyson Halm, the president of Adopt-A-Dog, at right, enjoying their Howl and Prowl parade down Greenwich Avenue.

Take a look at Adopt-A-Dog to find out their next event, or to adopt a dog or cat.

Recently Greenwich Time had a story about the parade (and more pictures.)

Sunshine, wagging, at home this summer.

Sunshine was doing her happy dance.

It was a Sunday in 2010, one of those hot muggy August days when Sunshine, my shepherd mix, and I were outside playing ball.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sunshine screamed and ran into the house crying and shaking. I put her into the car and went to the Norwalk VCA Veterinary referral and Emergency Center. When we arrived at the hospital, Sunshine, then 10 years old, was so scared that she would not even let the doctor touch her at all. The doctors thought it was a seizure. They recommended the Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, N.Y.

A few days later I spoke with my veterinarian, Dr. Evan Kanouse, of Brook Farm Veterinary Center in Patterson N.Y. He knew one of the doctors at the Animal Specialty Center. At first he didn’t think she had a tumor, but during the conversation decided to have her go to the Animal Specialty Center to have an MRI. The next day, we went back for the procedure.

After the MRI, Dr. Jason Berg showed me Sunshine’s tumor and diagnosed it as a glioma brain mass (the kind that isn’t curable.) He suggested radiation or chemo-therapy. All I wanted was to heal Sunshine, not make her sicker.

I went home. I wandered into my den, where I remembered a book I had meant to read, “The Nature of Animal Healing” by Dr. Martin Goldstein. I sat down and started to read. Dr. Goldstein had cured many cancers, the book said, even brain cancers.

“Can he heal a brain tumor?” I wondered. Goldstein said in his book perhaps he could. The next day, Sunshine and I were heading for Smith Ridge Veterinary Center in South Salem, N.Y. Dr. Goldstein’s fee was very, very high, so I chose one of his associates, Dr. Jacqueline Ruskin, instead.

I made a wonderful choice. Using only alternative healing methods, including meditation, homeopathic medicine, diet and massage, Ruskin helped bring Sunshine back to her old self again in less than a year. Ruskin herself marveled at the recovery, calling Sunshine “a miracle girl.”

Sunshine waits for her therapy.

And what an amazing place Smith Ridge Veterinary Center office was: A soft leather couch for Sunshine to lie on in the waiting room. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. But when Sunshine met Ruskin, she dove right under the bench.

Ruskin could understand a dog under a bench. After all, she graduated from the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine. And even better, she is taking courses in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine from the Chi Institute to complete certification in veterinary acupuncture for herbology therapy and tui na, a Chinese medical massage.

Sunshine's favorite place to go.

In the examining room, I told Ruskin about that hot, muggy day that started it all. Sunshine had small seizures, she was lethargic and moaning a lot. I wasn’t sure if she was able to see since she could not see her water bowl. She was drinking excessively and urinating a lot. Ruskin told me that her condition was not good. I told her I would not pursue chemo/radiation, and that I wanted her to do her happy dance again.

“On physical exam she had very dull mental activity and was tired, although when I touched she became very anxious,” Ruskin wrote later in her log. “She had decreased ability to blink her eyes due to the brain tumor and decreased vision. Her coat was dull.”

After taking some blood and an examination, Ruskin suggested a three-day therapy. On Aug. 23, we started her on intravenous vitamin C therapy.

Ruskin suggested raw food for Sunshine. Sunshine is a foodie. She will eat anything. She lapped up the raw chicken with all the supplements that Ruskin prescribed.

Sunshine watches Dr. Ruskin begin the therapy.

Sunshine grew better and better every week with each therapy. Ruskin did reiki and qigong energy work one week and Dr. Mike Bartholomew did tui na, a Chinese medical massage, the next week. (Sunshine loved it.)

Tui na is a Chinese therapy for preventing and treating disease. Tui means push and na means pull or lift.

Bartholomew was my second doctor at Smith Ridge Veterinarian. He is a student of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. He is a certified veterinary food therapist, a veterinary herbologist and veterinary acupuncturist.

Dr. Mike does tui na, a Chinese medical massage for Sunshine. She loves it.

For a while I didn’t really understand the reiki/ qigong therapy. Ruskin explained it to me.

Qigong is meditative and intuitive, and you don’t have to be near the patient. Ruskin starts with the qigong because “you can do it across the room to get Sunshine relaxed,” she said. “With qigong, because you are in a meditative mode, you can intuit what is going on with a patient.”

Ruskin can feel what is wrong with Sunshine. If Sunshine has a headache, Ruskin gets one too. “Sunshine will hurt and then I know that she needs extra attention and then use the reiki,” she said. “In reiki, you place your hand at a certain acupuncture point or a sore place.”

Through the weeks, Sunshine grew better and better. She soon no longer had seizures, and within a month she started doing her happy dance again.

Now every night when I come home, I see my happy Sunshine dancing, and there is nothing better than that.

Below: Watch a video of Sunshine during one of her reiki/qigong sessions.

Click here to read Ruskin’s day-to-day log

Mama, an American foxhound from a shelter in North in Carolina, was chosen to nurse four baby foxes at the LEO Zoological Conservation Center in Greenwich.

Here is a amazing story that was written by David Hennessey with my photographs for Greenwich Time.  Here is the link: hound and foxes .

Hurricane Irene is coming.  Here are some ideas from the Humane Society to keep you and your pets safe in a hurricane.

Residents in the Path of Hurricane Irene Urged to Take Pets with Them If Evacuating
(Aug. 25, 2011) The Humane Society of the United States reminds residents in the path of Hurricane Irene to take their pets with them if they evacuate. Hurricane Irene is in the Atlantic Ocean, and is expected to make landfall somewhere between central South Carolina and southern North Carolina late Friday or early Saturday. Irene could hit the U.S. coast as a category two or higher hurricane, with the potential to cause severe wind damage and flooding in areas of Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

“It is crucial that residents are prepared to take pets with them if asked to evacuate in the face of this potentially destructive storm,” advised Laura Bevan, The HSUS’ Eastern regional director. “If it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your pets.”

At this early stage, Irene’s power and trajectory could change, so residents in the potential areas of impact should stay up-to-date on the storm’s progress. Pet owners should have an emergency plan that includes the safety of their animals, and always be informed about the potential for evacuation in their area.

This emergency supply kit should include:

• Three-or-more-day supply of food in airtight, waterproof container, and drinking water.

• Bowls for food and water.

• Current photos and physical description of your pets, including details on markings.

• Medications, vaccination records and pet first aid supplies.

• Comfort items such as a toy and blanket.

• Small garbage bags.

• For dogs include: leash, harness and a sturdy carrier large enough to use as a sleeping area.

• For cats include: litter and litter box and a sturdy carrier large enough for transport.

Pet owners should be aware that many evacuation shelters do not accept pets, and they must plan their destination in advance. Hotels and motels may be willing to lift “no pet” restriction in an emergency. Friends and family members living outside the area may be able to provide shelter too. Please check with your local animal shelter or emergency management office to determine if a pet friendly emergency shelter will be set up in your location. Pet owners should remember that having your pet microchipped dramatically increases the chanced of reunion if that pet becomes lost.

More than 358 million pets reside in 63 percent of American households. A Zogby International poll found that 61 percent of pet owners will not evacuate if they cannot bring their pets with them.

For more tips on preparedness plans that include your pets, visit humanesociety.org/prepare.

Four shepherd mix puppies at Adopt-A-Dog's kennel in Armonk, N.Y.

The shepherd mix puppies are very gentle, all soft and ready to play. Adopt-A-Dog rescued the four puppies from Bridgeport Animal Control, CT.

Adopt-A-Dog is open every day if you want to have a look. Are  puppies not what you had in mind? There are many dogs and cats at Adopt-A-Dog.  Here are more photographs of the puppies.

Here they are with their stick.

Gavin Sokolof, 19, a volunteer, of Pleasantville, N.Y., with two puppies.

What is better, stick or ball?

A very beautiful puppy.

In the pool.

The pool is made by One Dog Bone.

Adopt-A-Dog’s Puttin’ on the Dog for-fun Dog Show and Festival is on Sunday, September 25, 2011, at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, in Greenwich, CT. It’s a lot of fun. I go every year.

A nice place to be in a summer afternoon.