I reported earlier on Murphy who was  found beaten in a park. We just got an update on his progress. Murphy is walking!

The 9-year-old German shepherd mix was able to stand up on his own Thursday morning, walk and come to people, said Stephen Pope, the veterinarian and medical director at the Dunwoody Pets Are People Too, where Murphy is being treated.

Focus on Murphy has shifted from worries of brain damage to getting him to eat, Pope said. Because of the shock, veterinarians are worried he may have trouble keeping food down but plan to begin working with him today.

Robert Kennedy who found Murphy while walking his dog has offered to pay for all the bills. This is an exceedingly generous offer seeing as the cost has already hit $3,000, and could reach $6,000. Not only has this wonderful man offered to pay for Murphy’s care he also plans on adopting him.

Offers have been pouring in to help Murphy so a trust fund has been set up. Donors can make a gift at Wachovia Bank, to the Murphy the Dog account, number 1010209642669.  Their number is (770) 452-1001.
The bank is located at 4280 N Peachtree Road in Atlanta, Georgia 30341. The article says donations can be made to any Wachovia, you may want to call to confirm this information.

Investigators are still looking for people who saw anything unusual in the park from 9 p.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses should call 404-294-2818.

* Picture of Joe Waters courtesy the Dekalb County Police.

Or at least no girly dogs allowed. On Friday, November 29th Barbara Walters’  hosted a special featuring an interview with the Obamas’.

Barbara Walters’ was talking about dogs, she has a  non-allergenic terrier, a Havanese named Cha Cha. She showed a picture of her dog and then asked Obama the question everyone wants to know, what kind will he be getting, and he responded he didn’t want a “girly dog”.  Clearly referring to Walters’ dog.

“It’s like a little yappy dog?” Obama asked Walters, foolishly ignoring his wife’s advice not to criticize.

“It, like, sits in your lap and things?” queried the skeptical president-elect.

Michelle, still trying to save her husband from himself, pronounced the dog “cute.”

Barack wasn’t buying it. “It sounds kind of like a…a girly dog,” he said, at which point his wife pointed out, “We’re girls. We have a house full of girls.”

Except for the, well, Top Dog, who forthwith issued an executive order. “We’re gonna have a big, rambunctious dog.”

First Obama starts wavering on getting a shelter dog and now he’s insulted little dogs, not the best move. Despite what he feels, some things are better left unsaid.   Ruth Marcus, from the washingtonpost.com, has some funny commentary regarding the “no girly dog” comment.

As for you, Mr. President-elect, you might want to be careful. Remember, Hell hath no fury like a girl, or girly dog, scorned. Our bite can be even worse than our yappy little bark.

Give me a bark and let me know how you feel about Obama’s comment.

* Picture courtesy George Burns for ABC news.

In Atlanta, GA a dog beaten with a hammer and left for dead was found in a park on Wednesday.  Robert Kennedy was walking his dog when he saw “Murphy”, wrapped in a blanket on the ground.  Nearby was a hammer with blood.

I will never understand how anyone could ever hurt an innocent animal, it’s sickening.  The good news is that an arrest was made,  hopefully this despicable human will be held accountable for this sickening and cowardly act.

ATLANTA — As Murphy the dog continues to recover in a DeKalb County animal hospital, authorities arrested a man they said beat the dog with a hammer and left him for dead in Murphy Candler Park.

DeKalb police spokeswoman Kiesha Williams said Joseph Waters, 48, was taken into custody Wednesday shortly after questioning and charged with one count of felony cruelty to animals.

The dog did not have a name when brought to the Dekalb Animal Hospital so the staff called him “Murphy.”  Dr. Stephen Pope is hopeful Murphy will make a full recovery after being brought in with a skull fracture.  Although, he will most likely lose his left eye.

We hope Murphy has a speedy recovery and gets adopted by a  wonderful loving family. We hope that Joseph Waters sits in jail and gets what’s coming to him.

* Photo courtesy WSBK.com, click on pic to see slideshow.

Did you know our very own Dr. Barchas has his own website?  Not only can you find him on Dogster’s Vet Blog answering questions,  you can grab your leash and run on over to his website.

You’ll find information about diseases, symptoms, treatments, and behavior issues. You can also bark him an email if you have a question or comment.

Eric Barchas, DVM is a veterinarian who lives and works in San Francisco. His emphasis is on small animal medicine, surgery and wellness. An avid traveler, he has studied lions in Botswana and salmon in southern Chile.

It’s a website chock full of good information, be sure to check it out.

If ever there was a story of survival it’s this one.  A  young German Shepard, now called Gideon, was hit and dragged by a car and left for dead.  However, little Gideon had other ideas and wasn’t about to give up the fight.

The details of this story are horrific, not for the squeamish, but the strength the rescue community showed in coming together to help a needy dog is a story worthy of being told.

When an anonymous caller reported a stray dog at Santa Ana’s Birch Park, animal control officers weren’t prepared for what they’d find.

The white German shepherd was propped up against a trash bin. The skin along the left side of his body was gone, leaving a large, gaping wound that made muscles and bulging ribs visible. But at the sight of people, he wagged his tail happily.

It appears that a car hit the dog and dragged him a considerable distance, said veterinarian Matthew Wheaton, leaving him with injuries “like something from a horror show.” When animal control officers discovered him on Nov. 17, the wound was 3 to 4 days old, judging by the maggots that were infesting it.

The Orange County, CA Animal Control tried to treat the injured dog but realized they were not going to be able to do this on their own. They started calling area shelters and pet rescue groups, Coastal German Shepherd Rescue responded.

“Within 30 minutes, we received 20 emails from other rescue groups and individuals willing to donate and do whatever possible to save him,” said Tiffany Norton, co-founder of the Irvine-based Coastal German Shepherd Rescue. “He has so many people pulling for him.”

It won’t be an easy road to recovery, but if any dog is up for the challenge, it’s Gideon the miracle dog.

Norton named him Gideon because it means “strength,” which the pooch has in spades, she said.

“When they found him, he actually walked to the animal control truck,” Norton said. “He has an amazing temperament. He gives kisses and wags his tail, even when they’re changing his bandages.”

The pooch, who looks to be between 12 and 18 months old, is being treated by Wheaton at the Alicia Pet Care Center in Mission Viejo. He has received plasma transfusions, fluids, antibiotics and pain medication. His bandages are changed twice a day and his wound is healing slowly but surely, Wheaton said. The staff packs his wound with table sugar, which acts as an antibacterial and encourages granulation of new tissue.

“He has worked his way into the hearts of my staff,” said Wheaton, with some worried nurses leaving their homes at 1 a.m. jut to go check on Gideon and change his bandages. He even responds to nicknames, including Sugar and Skinner.

Gideon is expected to make a full recovery and eventually will be adopted out to a loving forever home. In the meantime, he is going to require extensive medical care that could top $12,000. The non-profit Coastal German Shepherd Rescue is seeking donations to pay for the treatment.

HOW TO HELP

To make a tax-deductible donation towards treatment or to inquire about providing a “forever” home for Gideon, visit:

www.coastalgsr.org or call 949-768-1313.

Donations can also be mailed to Coastal German Shepherd Rescue, P.O. Box 50726, Irvine, CA, 92619. The organization’s taxpayer ID # is EIN 77-0645853.

* PICTURE POSTED BY ERIKA CHAVEZ OF THE OC REGISTER, COURTESY DR. MATTHEW WHEATO

If you live in the Denver, Colorado area here is a great way to help out some very needy dogs.  It doesn’t cost much, only a can/bag of food or a blanket, and will make a big difference for these homeless animals.

The drive is in conjunction with American Humane Association and runs from December 1st to the 12th, so you have still have plenty of time to donate.

Hard economic times are taking their toll on everyone — including pets. Shelters and rescue groups are overcrowded and in even more need of basic supplies.

To help, the American Humane Association and 20th Century Fox’s new movie “Marley & Me” — based on the best-selling book about a family and its rambunctious Labrador retriever — are teaming up this holiday season to support Denver area animal shelters and rescue groups through the “12 Days of Marley — Dog Food & Blanket Drive.”

The Denver area community is urged to drop off unopened bags and cans of dog food or clean blankets at one of 65 participating locations, including Denver metro area Suncor Energy/Phillips 66 sites and independently owned pet stores. Suncor Energy/Phillips 66 sites will also host a donation drive at the cash registers of its Denver area locations, so patrons can opt to make monetary donations as well. The pet food drive will run Dec. 1-Dec. 12, 2008. Select locations will participate throughout December.

To learn all the details on how to help and participating drop off locations visit the American Humane site. Thanks in advance to all the generous Dogsters out there.

When I first noticed this story I thought it was about the story posted yesterday, the pit bull shooting in Ohio. However, it turns out it was about a shooting of an 11-year-old German Shepard that happened on November 20th in Marion County, Indianapolis.

The police went to Brian Ohler’s mother’s house on Nov. 20th to serve an arrest warrant for him. The yard is enclosed by a chain-link fence about 3 feet tall with posted beware-of-dog signs, according to a police report.

The deputies rattled the fence and searched for a dog. When they didn’t see one, they entered the yard. They went to the front door and then to the garage on the south side of the yard, near Deoge’s dog house.

The police report said Deoge charged the deputies as they were leaving the yard, and one extended his left arm to keep the dog away. Deoge bit Deputy Roger Neitzel’s left hand, puncturing his heavy suede work glove. Deoge continued to charge before the deputies fired nine times and hit him with about five shots, Tingle said.

The dog’s family is bringing suit against the Sheriff’s Department, who allows officers to decide on a case by case basis how to handle potentially threatening dogs, in hopes that a department wide protocol will be developed.

The family wants the protocol put into place so the department would have specific rules as to when it’s acceptable to use deadly force, versus other forms of non-deadly protection.

This scenario is playing out across the country, it is not an isolated incident.  Law enforcement departments need to train their officers so they are properly prepared for these types of situations.  “These cops are going into situations not knowing if their lives are put in danger by a dog,” deputy manager of animal cruelty issues for the HSUS Dale Bartlett said. “That’s the crux of the problem.”

Better police policy needs to be adopted nationwide, local advocacy groups such as Move to ACT are helping bring national attention to this issue.

* The picture above is courtesy Danese Kenon/The Star

This week’s entry comes from a shoot a I held a few weeks ago for a dog who actually works at Dogster (names have been changed to protect the innocent). While we were getting some action shots of her running after a tossed stick (she’s more of a chaser than a fetcher) I managed to capture this amusing sequence which pretty much speaks for itself.

That said, let’s see if you can put words in her mouth, Dogsters, and walk away with the 25-zealie prize next Monday December 8th when the winner is announced. Good luck!!

What was I thinking?

Okay, not like Jamie Summers, but he did have an elbow replacement. Jake is an 11-year old Labrador Retriever, he is only the eleventh dog in the world to have this surgery.  He lives in Grand Rapids, MI and was the first dog to get the procedure in the Midwest.

Sue Falk, his owner, was originally worried Jake might need to be euthanized from the pain he was experiencing. Then she was referred to MSU and met with Dr. Loic Dejardin, who performed the four-hour surgery in April.

Now, after six months of rehabilitation that includes running on an underwater treadmill, Jake is giving high fives, jumping off the bed and going without his leash.

“He’s actually acting like he’s a younger dog again, which is so cool,” owner Sue Falk said. “He’s just more playful and not as concerned about each step.”

Jake’s turnaround is a dramatic difference from several years ago, when he had a bad limp and refused to go on daily walks in the woods behind Falk’s home.

The prosthesis is a new type that reduces infection as well as wear and tear.  Surgery didn’t come cheap, it was $5000 and performed at the Michigan State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Amazingly, the elbow has worked so well in dogs that it’s being considered for use in ankle replacement in humans.

* Photo Courtesy T.J. Hamilton/Press Photo

In West Toledo, Ohio a SWAT team showed up at the home of Sean Gillespie. They were there to arrest a friend who was renting a room in his house.

When the police were entering Gillespie’s property his dog Jozie, a pit bull, ran out into the yard. The police shot the pit bull, firing five times. According to neighbors who watched the incident the pit bull was not on the attack, she was wagging her tail.

“It’s one thing that they may have to protect themselves but from what we’ve heard from the neighbors and stuff she was sitting there wagging her tail,” Gillespie said.

When Gillespie questioned police as to why Jozie was shot, he was told to get back on the sidewalk or risk arrest. According to the owners the police were even laughing after the shooting.  “The one officer came in and said, ‘Yup, that’s the only good pit bull,  a dead one,’” Gillespie said.

Police Chief Mike Navarre has stated the shooting will be investigated by the officers’ supervisors.

We do not have comment from the police as to their side of the story,  but if this is true the officers involved need to be charged and brought to justice.

* The beauty above is Dogster member Pita. According to her owner she is part of the NPC, aka Naughty Puppy Club.