Woof!

Panda Fu Long, left, plays with his mother Yang Yang in the outdoor enclosure at Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna, Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. The two pandas are in Austria on loan from China. (AP Photo/Lilli Strau

Now that I’ve got your attention, take a look at the San Diego Zoo’s panda
cam and Web site all about pandas.  Yes, the panda cam can be sort of like
watching paint dry, but perhaps if you have the time, the mother panda might
do something interesting. Apparently she cuddles her babies. And the Web
site has a lot of pictures and information about these adorable animals.

Go to San Diego Zoo’s Pandas.

Here they are – the dog days of summer, and boy has it been hot!  And how lethal it can be to let dogs ride in the heated car.

I spoke with Allyson Halm, president of Adopt-A-Dog, who knows from experience, the dangers of leaving dogs in car in the summer.

“Animal owners MUST NEVER leave their pets in the car during the warm weather, even for a few minutes,” she said. ” As a former Animal
Control Officer I experienced first hand how tragic it is to leave a dog in a vehicle, even with the windows open. Even
cooler days can be deceiving and cars heat up immediately. How many times I heard ‘It was only for a few minutes’ with
deadly consequences.”

For more information about the dogs in hot cars, the weather channel website’s article “Your Car is an Oven” is very helpful.

Instead of going in the car, consider these ideas to keep Rover happy in the heat:

Pepper waits for his owner to start up the boat, at the Byram CT marina.

Captain, lucky dog, gets to swim in his owner's pool in Greenwich CT

Cody takes an swim in Greenwich Harbor CT.

Wendle arrives in style, at Greenwich Harbor CT.

And one more:

Piper plays with a friend in Greenwich Point beach CT. This was taken in the winter. It would be nice if Greenwich let dogs swim all year round!

Rocky is standing on his on with no bandages or tubes! Photographs by Kristen Alousia, Adopt-A-Dog

Several blogs I posted a story about Rocky, a  very sick dog who was rescued from the South, and brought to Adopt-A-Dog, Greenwich’s private shelter.  Kennel manager Kristen Alousia has been visiting him every night at the  Animal Specialty Center, at Yonkers NY.    I heard recently  from Kristen that Rocky is much better.

” I saw him last night and took him outside for a walk, which he enjoyed very much.” she said. ” They took out his chest tube last Saturday, and all of his iv’s earlier in the week. It’s an amazing improvement — he looks like he’s gained a bit of weight, and whereas before his coat was dull and he was shedding a lot, his fur is all shiny and healthy looking — a wonderful sight to see. He’s getting better day by day. I’ll be in touch with you later.”

A few days later I heard again from Kristen:  Rocky is back at Adopt-A-Dog!

She writes, “Big Rocky is back at Adopt-a-Dog! I brought him there on Monday evening. So far so good … he has about a week until he gets the last of his sutures out. The boy is eating like a champion, and has warmed up to all the staff. Thanks so much again for helping him out!”

That is really good news.  Hopefully Big Rocky will soon be on his way to his new home.  We will keep you informed.

Rocky is on his way to recovery!

Jocelyn Taranto, 11, and her mother Renee, from Stamford, after the family adopted Mufasa.

Sunday was a day of smiles. Beginning at 9am, a group of people lined up in front of a small flower store in Cos Cob CT. But this was not a rush for roses.   The SPCA was using Flowers by George for a puppy adoption center. Some folks were looking to adopt a new puppy; others were curious to see the dogs from the South, and some just came to feel the joy of holding a wagging wiggling puppy.  Thanks to two wonderful women from Greenwich, Lisa Wysocki and Susan Maonis who brought the puppies North and the SPCA who was happy to shelter the dogs and cats when the arrived here, the adoptions were a great success.  Seven of the 10 dogs they brought to Cos Cob were adopted and 1 of the 4 kittens found a home. Lisa Wysocki said that the 2 women have been bringing puppies from the South since last September, making dozens of trips back and forth.  They have rescued hundreds dogs and cats who would otherwise be euthanized.

Animal lovers and rescuers Lisa Wysocki, Lexi Maonis, 14, and her mother Susan Maonis from Greenwich made the transport of puppies from the south to the SPCA possible.

When they needed a place to have the adoption, George Von Tobel volunteered his flower shop in Cos Cob for the adoptions.  So Flowers by George turned into a SPCA extension for a day.

George Von Tobel holds one of the Southern dogs up for adoption in his flower shop.

One family from Greenwich went home with a Boston terrier mix.

Matthew Wan, 11, and his brother Jeffery 7 promised to take care of their new puppy.

John Kearney went to the adoptions to begin to think about finding another dog. He had lost his Golden Retriever recently and the puppy brought a smile.

Jack Kearney enjoyed cuddling the puppies up for adoption.

Katie Caldwell knew right away that this was the right puppy when he showered her with kisses.

Katie Caldwell holds a puppy that would become hers.

Lisa Bonnano, of  the SPCA said that there would be more adoptions in Cos Cob in the future.  Now, thanks to all the volunteers, many lives have been saved, and many a heart warmed this gray Sunday afternoon.
I have put a gallery of photographs of the SPCA Adoption on the Greenwch Time website.  Click Adoptions for the link.

For more about the story, read  Colin Gufstafson, Greenwich Time reporter’s story.  Click on Puppy (and Kitten) Love for the link.

Charlotte and Cookie had a great time at the NYC Doggie Dash.

Several weeks ago I posted a blog about Cookie’s first race.   Charlotte Dequeker and Cookie ran the IAMS Doggie Dash, part of the 9th Annual NYC Triathlon July 26, 2009. Charlotte  wrote back saying recently that Cookie was wonderful.

“Cookie had a lot of fun with his furry friends!!”  she said. “He sprinted the first mile because he wanted to be in the lead.  But I had to slow him down, he was too fast for me!! We finished the 5 miles in 42mn and came in 8th position I think.”

Congratulations to both Charlotte and Cookie!

Here are some other pictures of the Doggie Dash:

Beowolf and Nathan at the finish line. Photo by Sean Walkinshaw/brightroom

Beowulf again. Photos by Sean Walkinshaw/brightroom

To see Cookie and his competitors click here.

A wonderful story appeared in the Greenwich Time/Stamford Advocate recently about a Stamford office building at 20 Summer Street that welcomes dogs at work. A whole office building!  Imagine!

Here’s the link: Dogs at Work.

Some some more lucky people who can bring their dogs to work:

John Wade, of Greenwich Jeep Chrysler Dodge City, with Kittie.

Rev. Hugh Tudor-Foley, formerly at Christ Church Greenwich with Sunday.

Rev. Tudor-Foley always had either Sunday or his other golden retriever Stanley at work at the church.

Greenwich Animal Control officer Stacy Ramour brought Cheech along to work.

Does anyone have the pleasure of bringing their dog to work?  Let me know, and I will post a photo on the blog!

Big Rocky needs help.

My source for this story comes from  Kristen Alousia, the dedicated kennel manager at Adopt-A-Dog.  She also took the photographs.

Big Rocky, a 4-year-old rottweiler is on his second miracle. Not long ago,  somewhere in North Carolina,  Rocky was shot with a BB gun, and possibly beaten, or hit by a car, left for dead  in a ditch.  He had a crushed vertebrae, and a compressed spine.  He was brought to a shelter called For Love of Dogs in NC, where he was treated for his wounds.  Then on a recent trip to North Carolina’s shelters, Adopt-A-Dog’ s  kennel manager Kristen Alouisa found Rocky at  For Love of Dogs. She brought him, with 8 other dogs, north to Adopt-A-Dog’s shelter for adoption  in Armonk NY.   The next day, Kristen noticed he was still a very sick dog. Refusing his food, he was running a fever, vomiting and drooling.

Kristen rushed him to Animal Specialty Center where Dr. Joseph Palamara took over his care.

Palamara  proceeded to do x-rays, where he noticed a lot of fluid around the outside of Rocky’s lungs. The doctors took a sample of the fluid, and after getting the results back  found that it was indicative of an infection. The next step was to perform surgery to 1) find out what was causing the infection and 2) clean out the area of his chest cavity that was infected. During the beginning of the surgery, Big Rocky’s heart stopped, but he was revived via drugs.

The surgery found that a chopstick-sized barbecue skewer was lodged in his chest cavity, with part of it poking into one of the lobes of his lungs and part of his heart. The doctors removed the skewer, and had to remove a lobe of his lung as well (which is being sent out for tests); the area inside that was infected was cleared away.

But on the next night things still weren’t looking too well. The doctor gave a prognosis of very guarded.  Big Rocky was having difficulty breathing and  had very low blood pressure. The next  morning Kirsten found that he made it through the night, and the doctors had him very heavily sedated due to the pain from the operation.

Rocky, after his operation.

Kristen spoke with the vet at the Animal Specialty Center recently to find that Big Rocky actually got up on his own and walked around a bit which the pleased Dr. Palamara. He said that Rocky has made a lot of progress since the night before. Blood work was done which indicated that he has a blood-borne infection, which is being treated with antibiotics. Dr. Palamara said this was not unusual, due to the surgery that was performed. The doctor also said that he has a lot of fluid still draining from around his lungs which the doctor said was not unusual due to the surgery performed. The doctor said that soon they were going to try and get him to eat real food.

When Kristin visited with him, he picked his head up for a moment, but was still very out of it. He ate some food.  The next day she visited with him, and as opposed to the past couple times when she visited in his ICU area, he was strong enough that the vet tech walked him out and into a room. Kiristen said that it was wonderful to see him up and moving. He was still in a lot of pain, still had a chest tube, but all in all is making wonderful progress.

Dr. Palamaro has been the vet who Kristen has been in contact with the most. He has said that Big Rocky has been very good-tempered, allowing him and his staff to care for him. Dr. Palamara is pleased at Rocky’s improvement.  “He is doing great”, he said. “He’s eating,  and walking.

Kristen agreed.

“Big Rocky is like a miracle dog”, said Kristen. “He should have died when he was found in North Carolina a few months back, and we almost lost him again Monday. He’s a fighter — he possesses an amazing resilience and desire for life. Despite the way he was treated by humans early on in his life, he still seeks out a pat on the head.”

And a home to call his own.  For more information go to Adopt-A-Dog.

Kristen visits Rocky every evening.  She will send Woof pictures with each improvement, so stay tuned!

Rocky is making progress!

SPCA brings puppies to Greenwich CT for Adoption!

The SPCA ’s  adoption will take place on Sunday, August 9th from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. at 7 Strickland Road (Flowers by George) in Cos Cob, CT.  The puppies  were rescued from certain death in Southern shelters, and were transported to the SPCA of Westchester.  Two Greenwich animal lovers, Lisa Wysocki and Susan Maounis, of Greenwich CT have helped to underwrite the transport.

Adopters must be at least 21 years of age.  Adoption fees for dogs and puppies will be $325 which includes spay/neuter, pre-adopt vaccines and deworm, microchip and heart worm test (age appropriate).  Fees for cats will be $50 and kittens, $175 and will include spay/neuter, FIV/FELV test, pre-adopt vaccines and deworm.

For further information on the SPCA’s  Adoption Extravaganza, please visit www.spca914.org or call (914)941-2896 ext 22.

Here are some dogs who will be Greenwich, if they are not adopted first:

Bella, 7 months old. photo/SPCA

Buck, 1 year old. photo/SPCA

Scooby, 1 year old. photo/SPCA

I ‘m looking forward to this wonderful event.  See you there!

More than 90 dogs removed from Detroit-area home
DAVID RUNK,Associated Press Writer

A Chihuahua is shown in a travel kennel outside a home in Dearborn, Mich., Thursday, July 23, 2009. Law enforcement officials said a man kept more than 90 dogs, mostly Chihuahuas, locked inside the home. (AP Photo/David Runk)

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — A man kept more than 90 dogs — mostly Chihuahuas — in a suburban Detroit home that from the outside looked generally well kept but inside was filled with feces and trash, authorities said Thursday.

Neighbors in the past had complained of an odor, but this week was the first time Dearborn officials got inside. On Wednesday and Thursday, crews wearing masks to help them breathe carried dogs from the two-story home.

“There’s trash from floor to ceiling,” said Nick Siroskey, director of residential services for the city. “There’s feces and urine throughout the entire house. Basement, first level, second level.”

City workers, along with Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter, removed 42 ailing and feces-covered dogs from the home Wednesday. They returned Thursday and found about 50 more dogs.

The 56-year-old man who was living in the house was taken to a local hospital for observation. His family, which lives in Florida, was involved in his care and cooperating with officials.

The man’s sister told officials that she believed he initially had two dogs in the home and that they may have reproduced, Siroskey said. Misdemeanor, animal cruelty charges were possible, but Siroskey said the man appears to have mental health issues that could be a factor in the case.

Outside, the lawn was neatly cut and the bushes were manicured. Neighbors and investigators said the smell of urine, noticeable from the street Thursday, may have been contained previously because windows were closed and covered.

“There was a little bit of a smell, but it was just like a … person that doesn’t keep their house up,” said Abe Baydoun. “He didn’t take care of himself, personally, but he took care of the outside of his house.”

Baydoun, 25, lives across the street and said he only had seen two of the man’s dogs outside.

“It just seemed like there was five or six,” he said.

Police Chief Ronald Haddad said officers found piles of feces and fleas inside the house. The dogs, which were being examined at the animal shelter, appear to have been unattended and were in various stages of health.

Crews pulled bags full of trash from the home to clear pathways inside, and dogs sat in cages outside before being taken to the shelter. The house was deemed unfit for human habitation and the city likely will seek to tear it down, Siroskey said.

On Friday, Siroskey said police were called to the home by a neighbor who spotted some kittens in a hole in the backyard, and the officer who responded reported that it seemed like there were many dogs inside.  Animal control authorities got the case and, after obtaining a warrant, investigators went inside Wednesday.

“Sometimes you have no clue how many pets are in a house,” Siroskey said.

Law enforcement officials search a home in Dearborn, Mich., Thursday, July 23, 2009. Authorities said a man kept more than 90 dogs, mostly Chihuahuas, locked inside the home. (AP Photo/David Runk)

___

Associated Press Writer Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.

NC puppy owner expedites surgery to remove 5th leg

In this photo taken on July 16, 2009, Lily, a Chihuahua terrier mix, that has fiveå legs, that was rescued by Allyson Siegel of Charlotte, N.C., licks a bowl. The Charlotte Observer reported Saturday that Siegel, 45, of Charlotte bought the puppy last week because she couldn't bear for the Chihuahua-terrier mix to be sold to a Coney Island, N.Y., sideshow that features disfigured animals. (AP Photo/The Charlotte Observer, Jeff Siner)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The new owner of a five-legged puppy says the dog has undergone surgery to remove the extra appendage.

Owner Allyson Siegel told WBTV that the amputation surgery was expedited early Thursday morning in part because a Coney Island animal show owner said he was the rightful owner of the dog. John Strong told The Charlotte Observer Wednesday that he planned to file a lawsuit over the matter, saying he had an agreement to buy the dog, Lilly, from a Gastonia man.

The New York man says his show contains “amazing animals, oddities and freaks.”

The dog’s former owner, Calvin Owensby, sold the Chihuahua-terrier pup to Siegel, who vowed to get the extra leg amputated so the dog can walk normally.

In this photo taken on July 16, 2009, Allyson Siegel of Charlotte, N.C. holds Lily, a Chihuahua terrier mix, that has five legs. The Charlotte Observer reported Saturday that Allyson Siegel, 45, of Charlotte bought the puppy last week because she couldn't bear for the Chihuahua-terrier mix to be sold to a Coney Island, N.Y., sideshow that features disfigured animals. (AP Photo/The Charlotte Observer, Jeff Siner)