On Monday TLC had a Kate Gosselin special: You Ask, Kate Answers. This may be why I never bother watching TV, but I digress. On the show she claimed that she had never intended to give them back to the breeder. But yet she did?

Here are the details from USA Today.

They were returned in September amid the fallout of her divorce with Jon Gosselin. Kate said at the time “they’ll come back, but for now I needed a break.” But now, though she didn’t rule out bringing the dogs back, it sounded unlikely, The (Allentown, Pa.) Morning Call reports.

“I had to choose between the dogs and the kids and the kids come first,” said the Jon & Kate Plus 8 turned Kate Plus Eight star.

I cannot believe she said she needed a break, and that the dogs may be back. Seriously, give me a break.  Does she think you can just give your dogs away like their objects, excess baggage, and then you can just take them back at your own convenience?

I said it before and I’ll say it again, this is one selfish narcissistic woman. I think she needs a reality check, life isn’t just about her.

*Picture courtesy By Dr. Billy Ingram, Getty Images

I’ve always thought Hilary Swank was an amazing actress, now I know she’s also a great person.  Swank is the owner of two rescues, Karoo and Rumi, and according to USA Today she is the new face of Iams “Home 4 the Holidays” pet adoption drive with the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

Their goal in the campaign, which runs until Jan. 4, is to find homes for 1.5 million pets. I posted about their adoption drive last year, they not only met their goal, they exceeded it. One Million Eighty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Six Pets found forever homes last year thanks to Iams ‘Home 4 the Holidays.’

*Photos courtesy Timothy A. Clary, AFP/Getty Images

]]> http://dogblog.dogster.com/2009/10/22/rescues-get-swanky-new-diggs/feed/ 2 http://dogblog.dogster.com/2009/10/08/dalmatians-musical-stars-shelter-dogs/ http://dogblog.dogster.com/2009/10/08/dalmatians-musical-stars-shelter-dogs/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:47:10 +0000 Horst Hoefinger http://dogblog.dogster.com/?p=23192

This is the perfect story to go along with American Humane’s Adopt-A-Dog Month.  There is a new ‘101 Dalmatians’ musical starring shelter dogs, rescued from various shelters and rescue groups.

Animal trainer Joel Slaven didn’t have an easy time finding the dogs because shelters didn’t want a replay of what happened 13 years ago. After the original live action movie in 1996 and the sequel in 2000 dalmatians became the ‘it’ dog. Everyone had to have one, unfortunately many who adopted knew nothing about the needs of this particular breed. The other unwanted outcome was overbreeding at puppy mills due to the high demand, causing additional health problems in a dog that is already known to have issues.

This time Slaven was determined to do things different, to use the dogs’ celebrity to teach people about them. To let potential adopters know that when you adopt a dog you aren’t just adopting a cute fuzzy face. You are adopting a family member who is going to require training, love, and patience. Along with the medical expenses that come with dog ownership.

Here are the details from the Associated Press.

Now that they are on the road, the dogs have two rehearsals, playtime in the afternoon, grooming sessions and, of course, media appearances.

Rascal, along with the 14 other dogs, will need to find permanent owners after the tour, which is slated to run through at least June. However, Slaven, who already has two yellow Labrador retrievers, has committed to bringing back to his ranch any dogs who don’t find a home.

Until then, “home” is the bus. Kennels line one side (with living quarters in the rear for two full-time trainers), with a pet-care area for bathing and grooming. An awning pops up alongside the vehicle for shade and there are attachable pens for outside time.

Thanks to Slaven it looks like these dogs will all have good homes. Let’s just hope this time around people who watch the musical and fall in love with those adorable faces on stage will know adopting a dog is a lifetime commitment filled with responsibility, and it doesn’t end when it is no longer convenient for you.

* Photos courtesy AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Although no official wedding date has been set it’s nice to know they want to include their furry friends.

Here’s the scoop from People.

Splash, my alpha, will be the ring bearer,” Moyer said at the L.A. Dogworks and Good Dog Animal Rescue fund raiser on Wednesday. “My son [Billy, born in 2000] might be unhappy about that.”

But Splash, a 10-year-old border collie Moyer calls “a grumpy little sod,” won’t have to worry about getting fitted for a tux quite yet. Moyer, 39, and Paquin, 27 – who spent nearly the entire event holding hands – haven’t set a date yet.

Even if you don’t watch the show you’ll like these two because both volunteer their time to help out the  Good Dog Animal Rescue.

The rescue  helps sick, injured, and abused dogs. They take the “unwanted” and find them loving forever homes. You can buy one of their  cool “I RESCUED MY BEST FRIEND” t-shirts to help support them.

Pictured is Anna Paquin with her best bud at a Good Dog Animal Rescue fundraiser, you can see she’s wearing one of their tees.

Check out more pics of the Obamas on The Huffington Post.

*Pic courtesy The Huffington Post

The reason, Jon claims Kate won’t take care of them when he’s gone.  Why doesn’t he  just keep them with him and bring them along when he goes to the house?  I get it, that would require time and commitment. As for Kate, she wanted the dogs too, where is she? It’s not like they don’t have money to hire a dog walker or someone to help out if that’s the concern.

They can’t blame being a single parent makes it too hard, many single people have dogs. Neither can claim they have eight kids and the dogs put them over the edge because they had the kids before the dogs. They were even having issues when they got the dogs, it wasn’t like this mess happened overnight.

Sorry about the rant, but I am so tired of dogs being thought of as dispensable, throwaway items when it is no longer convenient to take care of them. Everyday I sort through articles for the blog and the things that I see and read are sickening.

While they didn’t abuse the dogs, and are giving them back to the breeder, it’s people who think like this that are the underlying cause for so many homeless animals. Take the easy way out, get rid of the dogs because you don’t want to deal with them, and then blame each other.

* Pic courtesy INF Daily/Radaronline.com

Some people criticized the Osbournes for leaving Little Bit alone in the backyard while watching the Michael Jackson tribute on television.  During coyote season animal rescue and vets advise never leaving pets unattended outside. When you do let your dog out pay extra attention to what’s going on around you, be aware of your environment.

It doesn’t state specifically what happened when Simpson put her pup out but from the description one would assume it was not a fenced area. Perhaps having your dog on a leash when you take them out so they can’t wander could help prevent this type of tragedy.  Even if you do have a fenced in area it’s still is not advisable to put your dog out without supervision, especially small dogs.

Simpson sent out a message via Twitter about the taking of her beloved pup and the horror of watching it happen. She has offered a reward for anyone who finds Daisy alive, although according to experts that is highly unlikely.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jessica Simpson over the loss of Daisy.

* Pic courtesy examiner.com

Ginger, her one-year-old Maltese, is now sporting a blue and orange hairstyle. O’Day claims her dog likes being different colors and that she doesn’t use anything without it being vet approved.

“She likes to have looks,” O’Day, 25, tells Usmagazine.com. “It actually seems like such a taboo weird thing nowadays, but if you research online, you will see a whole underworld of dogs who are dyed.”

She says she changes her dog’s appearance “for different occasions,” revealing that she recently dyed the pup green because, O’Day says, she “loves the [Boston] Celtics.”

O’Day dyes Ginger’s hair while she’s asleep, so that way it’s “hassle-free.”  Interesting, I thought the dog likes it. I suspect she dyes Ginger’s hair as a way to bring attention to herself and because she likes it.

What do you think, is it alright to dye your dog?  Would you ever do it?  Give me a bark.

* Photo courtesy Corrigan/Getty

Since this is a dog blog, a couple of times a month our boy Bo (woof!) thought it would be nice to get the news through a dog’s eyes.

Bo invites everyone to read a chapter from his upcoming book BAD TO THE BONE due out early October. It’s a funny memoir about the crazy adventures we have shared together over the last 14 plus years, told through Bo’s eyes.

Okay Bo, take it from here….

I need to get something off my chest that’s been bothering me the past several months. To some it may sound immature and petty, but to me it’s taken the joy out of my afternoon naps.

What is the deal with President Obama naming his dog after me? Why my name? It ain’t cool Mr. President.

Let me set the record straight so everybody understands, there’s only room for three Bo’s in this world; Bo Diddley, Bo Jackson and Bo Hoefinger. That’s it. No others need apply.

If you want to be a Bo, you can’t be. Membership is closed. Oh sure, you can be a Beau or a Bow, but you can’t be a Bo.

Got it? Good.

Oh, and don’t even think about using an Executive Order to get your way.

I feel so much better now. So here’s a story from the Detroit Free Press about Beau, the presidential pooch (ahh that looks better already, doesn’t it?).

WASHINGTON – He has torn through magazines and stray socks, even sunk his teeth into the president’s gym shoes. Charm school taught him to sit, heel and shake a paw on command. He spent his first summer vacation on breezy Martha’s Vineyard.

That’s just a scoop of the poop on Bo’s[sic] first few months as First Dog of the United States.

… At least one dog trainer wishes the Obamas would use him to highlight such issues as animal overpopulation.

Another option, says celebrity pet trainer Andrea Arden, of New York’s Andrea Arden Dog Training, would be for the Obamas to become involved with programs that teach children to treat pets humanely, or to get Bo[sic] involved with work as a therapy dog.

“I like it better than Bo[sic] writing a book,” she said.

I hear you sister. There’s only room for one awesome book by a dog named Bo, and it’s called Bad to the Bone! Make sure to pre-order your copy today!

The funniest dog blog, written by a dog, on the internet. Commentary on the latest animal news stories of the day.

The extra attention your family pet was enjoying over the summer has abruptly come to an end.  Dogs may experience separation anxiety, boredom, and even start acting out in unusual ways. Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company, offers some great tips to help ease the transition.

Now that everyone is gone during the day your dog may experience separation anxiety. In order to avoid this it’s good to start paying less attention to the dog about a week before school. This helps prepare him for the routine change.

Practice leaving the house by going out and coming right back in. This will stop the dog from associating your leaving the house with your departure. The dog will be more relaxed when you do leave.

Your dog can become bored during the day when there is no one around to play with. It’s important to make sure to keep plenty of toys around, and try scattering treats for them to search for.

If your dog starts exhibiting unusual behaviors, such as jumping or biting, it could be due to stress.  It’s important to correct these behaviors immediately using positive training techniques.  If it is something you can’t do on your own Bark Busters offers in-home training.

To read all the great tips stop by the Bark Busters website.

* Brewtus is new to Dogster, stop by his page to say hi.