Thanks to the Daily Yomiuri Online for this article.

Abandoned dogs set to serve deaf
The Yomiuri Shimbun

A Tokyo-based nonprofit organization will open a facility Friday in Yokohama to train abandoned dogs to become service dogs for the deaf, and use socially isolated young people cocooned at home to become hearing dog trainers.

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Thanks to the HeraldSun.com.au for this article.

Prisons go to the dogs
April 24, 2008 12:00am

RETIRED greyhounds are getting a second chance at life - in prison. More than 20 racing dogs, who would otherwise have been put down, have been rehabilitated as domestic pets at Dhurringile prison, near Murchison.

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Some people give us all the gift of seeing how life should be lived. Lis Kristof is one of these people. She sent an email to her friends lettting them know that she would be dying soon but before that, she and her best friend, a Chinese Crested named Diva, would make one more agility run. Judy was kind enough to share the email and video with us.

Such grace and dignity! We should all meet our life’s end with such beauty! Thank you Lis and Diva.

And you’re right, Judy. Pull out the tissues.

if this don’t make you cry, nothin’ will!
Judy

Here is Lis’ email to her friends and supporters:

To all of my fellow agility competitors and friends,
Last Tuesday I was admitted to hospital, for eight years I have fought breast cancer. I have been diagnosed now with AML Leukemia and have been given approximately three weeks to spend on this wonderful earth. I have chosen not to do any more chemo as I believe I have received and given all this life has to give and take.

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I love sharing these stories! So why doesn’t every city and town have a program like this????

Thanks to WRAL.com for this article.

Students Help Socialize Shelter Dogs
By KIM GRIZZARD
The Daily Reflector of Greenville

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Ken and Barbie are not the perfect couple. They have fears to overcome, and they lack social skills, probably due to the way they’ve been sheltered all their lives.

Catherine Brown is helping them work through their issues. But she’s not a therapist; she’s a teenager. And Ken and Barbie aren’t dolls; they’re dogs being cared for at the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina.

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This list comes to us from the Listropolis Blog and has some interesting ideas. I wonder if these would work with my most stubborn pack member, Star?

Thanks to Shaun for barking in this article.

9 Foolproof Tips Anyone Can Do to Train a Stubborn Dog
Posted by admin
April 4, 2008

(A Listropolis Original)

I have a Jack Russell Terrier, and if you’re familiar with this breed, you know I have my hands full. Jack Russells are extremely active, and often difficult to train. My dog’s name is Dag (video to explain the name), which isn’t really important, but I took him to a training class at 7 weeks old, and the tips I learned in the class were amazing - so amazing in fact, that I’m sharing them with you. These are all very simple, and I’ve used them to work with four other dogs, all with incredible results.

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What a marvelous program! I’d love to see this in other cities across the world!

Thanks to the Chicago Tribune for this article.

Program turns notorious dogs into good citizens
Pit bull owners steered away from dogfighting
By Gerry Smith | Tribune reporter
10:22 PM CDT, March 22, 2008

On the streets of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, Sean Moore and his 8-month-old pit bull, Jigga, are setting an example.

“The pit bulls you normally see, they’re pulling, they’re not listening, they’re wild, they’re barking at people,” said Moore, 38. “When [other owners] see us with the same dogs, they ask, ‘How do y’all do that? And how much does it cost?’”

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Check out this amazing story and picture from BBC News.

‘Praying’ dog at Japanese temple

Attendance at a Buddhist temple in Japan has increased since the temple’s pet, a two-year-old dog, has joined in the daily prayers.

Conan, a Chihuahua, sits on his hind legs, raises his paws and puts them together at the tip of his nose.

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Thanks to the Seattle Times for this article.

Portland stations giving guide dogs electrical shocks
By The Associated Press

PORTLAND — Wet platforms at some light-rail stations are causing mild electrical shocks to guide dogs for the blind that can cause the animals to ignore their training and make them unable to do their jobs.

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FetchDog’s Adoption Center recently ran a video (voice over by the marvelous Mary Tyler Moore) featuring dog trainer Dennis Owens, who works at the New York City Animal Care & Control. He’s personable, handsome and most importantly, totally devoted to dogs!

Check out this inside view of the life of someone who chooses to live his life to help the dogs he loves!

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What an excellent idea!

Thanks to The Advocate for this article.

Operating manual for dogs

By Meghan Muldowney
Special Correspondent
Published January 21 2008

STAMFORD - Puppies make for adorable Christmas presents, but recipients sometimes find themselves at the end of their rope before Valentine’s Day.

That’s when shelters see an increasing number of dogs arriving.

To help with that problem, Stamford Animal Care & Control, the city shelter, is sponsoring a free 90-minute seminar for humans only at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Ferguson Library’s main branch, Broad and Bedford streets.

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