I received a very sad email yesterday from Dogster member Minika Hall.  She wanted to share her recent tragedy at the dog park, which resulted in the loss of her beloved dog Miles’, as a warning to other dog owners.

Miles’ was an adorable Yorkie who loved the dog park, and Hall enjoyed taking him there on a daily basis.  On Sunday they went for a visit but this time Minika did something she had never done before, brought him into the big dog side of the park.

Here are the details from The Buffalo News.

Miles, an eight-month-old Yorkie who frequented the park with his owner several times a week during the warmer weather, was enjoying a late-October romp.

But Hall made a decision she will always regret. She let her five-pound pooch make his first visit to a separate running area that generally accommodates larger dogs. Until Sunday, Miles had always frolicked in an adjacent area reserved for dogs that weigh less than 30 pounds. On this evening, the special area was empty, and she wanted Miles to have company.

“Miles wasn’t afraid of big dogs,” said Hall, her voice shaking. “He loved to play with the bigger dogs.”

The Yorkie was playing with several other dogs, none of them very large or aggressive, according to Hall. She said what happened next is a blur, but she recalls Miles being stepped on and instantly falling to the ground.

At first, she thought he just had the wind knocked out of him or — in a worst-case scenario — was paralyzed. But after she and another Barkyard patron rushed the dog to an emergency clinic, reality set in. Miles’ tiny neck had likely been crushed as the dogs played, she said.

“People need to see my dumb mistake,” the distraught owner said. “They need to understand that when their dogs are playing, they have to consider the size of other dogs. I knew it, but I never recognized the importance of that until now.”

On the side reserved for small dogs there is a warning that it is only for pups 30 lbs. and under, there is no size specifications on the larger side.  Lisa and I bring the ‘kids’ over to our local dog park and we see many dog owners bringing their smaller dogs into the large side, and for the exact reason Minika did, there was no one in the smaller dog area to play with.  I’m sure just like Hall the owners don’t give a second thought to it being dangerous, why would they?

I know Minika feels guilty over her decision but this tragedy could have happened to anyone. If she had seen an article like this I have no doubt she would never have taken Miles’ into the large dog side, and that’s why she contacted me, to get the word out.  Keep in mind, the dogs in the park were just playing with Miles’, no one was vicious, but when you have a bunch of big dogs engaging in rough play it only takes a second for a tragedy to occur.

I want to extend our heartfelt condolences to Minika over the loss of Miles’.  Thank you for sharing your very painful story to keep other dog owners from experiencing the grief you are now going through, I know it wasn’t easy.

I cannot start today without a special note to all the Dogsters out there.

Losing Logan was obviously devastating to us, he was such a special boy.  I posted the tribute because I was so overcome with sadness I needed to get the words out, I never expected the overwhelming response I received.  Horst and I cannot thank you all enough for the wonderful and heartfelt comments that were left. The poems, stories, and words of sympathy are appreciated more than I could possibly express. Dogsters truly are the best, you guys are amazing.

Anyone who has loved and lost a dog knows the heartache, the devastating feeling of loss. Logan only started having issues a few weeks earlier, we had been running every conceivable test but nothing was coming back conclusive, until that final day.  From start to finish, two weeks, never even saw it coming.  The hardest part, as I’ve expressed, is losing a dog who had finally overcome so much and had learned to enjoy life.

Over the weekend we had our ups and downs, but ultimately we have decided to move forward. After all, without sorrow there can be no joy. We are looking at a 5-year-old Berner girl who is in exactly the same place as Logan was when we got him, scared of everyone and everything.  This time going forward we know what we’re getting into, what it will take to try and save her.  It won’t be easy but we think this is the best way of honoring Logan.

So, the journey begins again.

Logan lived at a puppy mill for 4 years, he was the stud dog. He had no name, was kept caged, used and abused.

Eventually when the owner of the puppy mill thought he no longer fit the bill as a stud dog he was put up for auction. Yes, auction, so possibly another breeder could come along to buy him and continue his life of abuse. Or,  if he wasn’t bought he probably would have been put down.

This is where a wonderful organization called the Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition comes in. They bought him, got him medical attention, and put him in a wonderful foster home until he got adopted. On June 6, 2008  Horst and I went to pick up our new family member.  When I saw him I had tears in my eyes, he was so beautiful, and so scared.

We celebrated our 1 year anniversary in June, I left a message on his page because it truly was a celebration. Logan had overcome so much in a year, he was a different dog.

When we first got Logan, I’m not going to lie, it was hard. He barely moved, spent most of his days in our 1/2 bath where he was comfortable. We never pushed him, always let him do things on his own time schedule. Every day we spent quiet time laying with him and petting him. We started taking him for walks everyday and that was when we got our first glimpse at the dog who was waiting to come out.

We made progress, and had setbacks, working with Logan was like nothing we had ever dealt with. We’ve always had rescues but Logan was in a whole different category. I remember after a few months had passed wondering if we were just going to be Logan’s caregivers, which was  fine, or we would eventually breakthrough and show him life could be good and people could be trusted.

I don’t have an exact date or incident to mark the change but it happened. I do remember the first time he wagged his tail it touched my heart in a way I didn’t think possible. Every breakthrough brought us such joy.

As we were saying goodbye to Logan yesterday we knew our tears were for us, we would miss him but he would be fine. In the short time he was with us he went to the park everyday, up to the lake on weekends, had a vacation in Asheville at dog friendly B&B, came to Wilmington with us and saw the ocean, played with his siblings, and was constantly fawned over. He packed a lot of living into a year and a half.

On our drive home from the vet, without him, we didn’t think we could ever go through this again. We knew the risks of  adopting an older dog going in and we knew Berners are susceptible to cancer, yet we thought our dog would live to twelve. What happened wasn’t a total surprise but the pain that came with it was.

Yet this morning, although I’m still crying as I type, something happened. We brought such joy to Logan and him to us, isn’t it out of selfishness to not do it again? It doesn’t seem fair to not give what we gave Logan to another dog in need. So somehow Horst and I found ourselves looking at the BARC board this morning to see if maybe, just maybe, there’s another Berner that needs us as bad as we need him.

Rest in peace my dear sweet Logan, you will be missed every day you are not with us.

The shelter is a lifeline for animals that need a home,  many dogs there have been abused or abandoned. Here are the details from KAKE 10.

“If we close down, absolutely it would be terrible because there would be nowhere for someone to take an unwanted animal,” said the Pratt Area Humane Society Board President Pam Howell.

“We’re pretty desperate. It’s a crisis situation,” said Howell.

Now they are pleading with the public for help. If they are forced to close, the animals already there would go to other shelters. But for those who still need help, it could be devastating.

“If animal control did pick up an animal, it would just be euthanized after the three day hold so there would be no adoptions. If you’re out of town for those three days, tough luck,” said Howell. “We’re working hard trying to do good things but we can’t do it without their support,” said Howell.

To help the shelter, you can send money to the Pratt Area Humane Society, 10233 Bluestem Blvd., Pratt, KS, 67124. Or go to their website and make a donation.

Pictured  is Angel,  she’s a Plott Hound/Catahoula Leopard Dog mix.  See more adorable Pratt Humane Society dogs by going to their website, adopt your new best friend.

I mentioned before about Georgia having one of the highest kill rates in the country, sad but true. Here’s an urgent message I received about the Floyd County Animal Control in Rome, GA. These dogs only have until TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13th to live.

PLEASE CROSSPOST: THERE ARE MANY PUPPIES IN URGENT NEED OF RESCUE AT FLOYD COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL IN ROME, GA~THESE BABIES MUST BE RESCUED BY 6:00 PM ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH AS THEY ARE SCHEDULED FOR EUTHANASIA ON WED. MORNING, BEGINNING AT 8 AM!

There are many lab mix puppies, black and yellow, husky mix babies, a GSD baby, hound-gsd mix puppies–boxer & boxer mix puppies~a little Pugapoo, a wirehaired terrier mix.

PLEASE ACT QUICKLY! PLEASE DON’T THINK SOMEONE ELSE WILL SAVE THEM!

YOU ARE THEIR ONLY HOPE!

Please look at this list and see if you can help even one! All of these dogs and puppies are URGENT! THE SHELTER WILL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY AND ALL ANIMALS PAST THEIR HOLD TIME WILL DIE!

PLEASE HELP THESE PUPPIES!

Local volunteers are available to help with pulling from the shelter and driving to the vet or boarding. If you do not have a local contact to assist you please email Margaret and I will forward your request for assistance to a local volunteer.

FLOYD COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL

Telephone number: 706-236-4545

Fax number: 706-233-0032

Email: broomej@floydcoga.org

Hours:

M, T 10am – 6pm

Wednesdays NEVER OPEN

Th, Fri 10am – 6pm

Sat + Sun 1pm – 5pm

View the slideshow of the dogs, click here.

I’m sure those of you who do get to the park regularly have seen dog owners riding a bike with their dogs, on leash, running besides them. No doubt some think it’s cute, while others an accident waiting to happen.

If San Jose this exact scenario played out at the Los Alamitos Creek Trail, but this time ended in tragedy. A man on a bike with his two Siberian Huskies in tow were out riding when they passed Beverly Head on the trail, their leash  got tangled around her. The 62-year-old woman fell and died the next day.

Head, who walked in the park daily, had always been uncomfortable about bicyclists riding with their dogs running leashed besides them.  However, there is no law against it, no crime being committed.

Here are the details from the Mercury News.

Now, two weeks later, Bob Head is mourning his wife’s death and wondering why there wasn’t a way to prevent it. He is desperate to find the cyclist, who stayed to help the mother of three known for her deviled eggs and Halloween decorations, but left once paramedics came. Propelled by Head’s frustration.

The freak accident is sparking a question among some city leaders about whether it would be reasonable to enact a law that would make riding a bike while walking a dog a crime in San Jose.

” I want closure,” said Head, 65, a retired General Electric engineer, whose voice is filled with anger and grief.

San Jose police investigated and say in this case, there wasn’t a crime.

In San Jose the municipal code does state dog owners must have “direct physical control” of their dogs on leashes up to 20 feet. That applies while owners are walking their dogs, it doesn’t state anything about whether the owner can be on a bicycle.

Head didn’t like seeing dogs on a leash while their owner was riding because she felt it was cruel to the dog. She had seen a little dog trying to keep up with its owners, stumbling along.  What a tragic turn of events, Head was  concerned over the welfare of the dog yet ultimately the safety issue it presented to people is what killed her.

Mona Favorite-Hill, spokeswoman for San Jose’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, said her office has been talking about the unfortunate turn of events, too.

“There was no way to anticipate this,” she said. “We’ve never thought about it before. If there was such a law, how would we enforce it? The only thing we would be able to do is put up signs and put out an education campaign.”

Kathy Sutherland, Councilwoman Nancy Pyle’s chief of staff, said the office began Monday investigating whether the current municipal code.

We extend our condolences to the Head family. What happened to Beverly Head was obviously a horrible accident, the question is, could it have been foreseen?  Should  there be a law against dog owners riding a bike with their dogs in tow?  Give me a bark.

* Photo courtesy Head Family/ Mercury News

Of course, I do have a soft spot for senior dogs, especially those that have been used and abused.

“Aussie” is a beautiful girl that has obviously had many litters of puppies and is a little shy. But she is oooooh so sweet!

Poor Aussie is currently at the Darlington County Humane Society in Darlington, SC. The poor girl has tested HIGH Heartworm positive. To make Aussie a little more appealing to rescues we are trying to raise the funds to pay for her to be treated for heartworm.

We would also like to raise the money for her to be fully sponsored for her vetting (spay, vaccinations, hw test, and deworming). This way she can go to an approved rescue for FREE!!!!

To pay for everything, we need to raise a total of $400. Please help us to help sweet Aussie. She is so deserving of a second chance at life.

**DCHS is a 501c3 organization so all donations are tax deductible as allowed by law!**

Aussie has been moved to a temporary foster home, unfortunately after a lifetime of neglect and having puppies she has more medical issues than previously thought. She is thought to be around 10-years-old, a senior gal. Two lumps were found on her and removed, one benign and the other cancerous. The good news is the vet is very confident he removed all the carcinoma. She is high heartworm positive and has a urinary tract infection.  Her medical bills now exceed $1,500.

Aussie’s foster mom reports that she is a true velcro dog – following her wherever she goes. Aussie also loves some snuggle time on the sofa.  We need to show Aussie what a loving home is. She has obviously never known what being a spoiled and beloved pet is. No matter how much time she has left on this Earth – be it one year or four years. Aussie is truly deserving of a second chance at life.  Let’s help this beautiful girl to retire in style!

If you can help donate to her cause, even a dollar is appreciated-she hasn’t received many donations- go to Dirty Dats & Dogs Rescue. Also, take a look at their homepage, they’re a rescue organization working hard to save the lives of wonderful pets from rural and high-kill animal shelters.

Please post and crosspost this message. Don’t let Aussie go to Rainbow Bridge without ever having a loving family to call her own.

Mike Kelm and his wife Sue went out for a motorcycle ride on Labor Day to enjoy the beautiful weather. And to get out of the house because it was few days before Sue had cancer surgery. Tragically they were both killed when struck by a car. The couple had no children but they do have four dependents, their precious dogs.

While the family grieves over the loss of their loved ones they are trying to honor the couple by finding a new home for all four pups. Here are the details from the Daily Herald.

“They had no children of their own,” the Kelms’ niece Kim Mayer of Joliet said. “These were their children. And as much as people could spoil animals, they did.”

The dogs are Anacortes, 6, a female lab mix; Cedonia, 3, a female husky mix; Tacoma, 7, a male lab mix; and Everett, 4, a male Australian shepherd-lab mix.

“They are their own pack,” Mayer said. “They really take good care of each other.”

Until a permanent home is found the dogs are being taken care of at the Chicago Canine Club in Burr Ridge. Anyone interested in adopting the Kelms’ dogs should arrange an appointment by contacting Kathy Deets at the Chicago Canine Club at (708) 542-8969 or via email.  Or Mayer at (815) 272-4583 or via email.

Our condolences to the Kelm family. We hope the pups find a home where they can stay together, I can’t think of a better tribute to Mike and Sue Kelm.

*Photo courtesy Tanit Jarusan|Staff Photographer Daily Herald

I read something about this a while back and it is truly one of the most horrific things imaginable, dog death squads that come to kill your dog.

It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but it’s not. As you can see from the message below another city in China is going to start a mass slaughter tomorrow, we can help.

Read through the instructions,  even if you can’t make a donation please take a moment to send an email, you don’t need to write it just use the one provided and fill in your information.

Thank you in advance to all those that take a few minutes out of their day to do this.  If you think you’re too busy, think about if someone from the government knocked on your door, took your dog, and then beat it to death in front of you. Don’t let this happen to the innocent dogs of China.

I’ve just received an urgent report that another city in China is planning a mass cull to slaughter any unregistered dogs, strays, and even registered family dogs that are over 14 inches (35cm) tall.

Dog owners in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, are even being told to kill their own dogs, or else their dogs will be beaten to death by the police and the owners will be charged a fine. Can you imagine being forced to kill your own dog to save it from a more brutal slaughter?

Unless we can stop this now, the Dog Death squads could be roaming the streets tomorrow – beating, stoning, and killing dogs – some right in front of their owners.

You might remember the attached e-mail I sent you recently about a similar cull. We found out too late for many of those dogs, but this time we have a chance to stop it before it starts.

I need you to do two things right now:

1. Send an e-mail to the Chinese Ambassador in your country. So you can act quickly, I’ve written an e-mail for you - click here to review and send it.

2. Make a donation to help IFAW end dog culls in China and to protect animals around the world from similar cruelty.

It’s crucial that you act quickly –according to the government notice, the police will begin combing the streets tomorrow to kill dogs. Please send your message now, and then forward this e-mail to as many of your friends as possible urging them to help us stop this slaughter.

In addition to working to stop this cull, IFAW is helping draft China’s first national animal welfare legislation that will prohibit culls like this. And we’re developing a rabies vaccination and sterilization program that we can offer to rural communities to humanely prevent rabies and control dog populations.

We’ve stopped culls like this in other Chinese cities, and we can stop this one too! Please send your message of protest today.

And then please make a donation to help us continue our efforts to help save animals around the world from cruelty and exploitation.

Please act now to save these dogs – make it the very next thing you do.

Thank you,

Fred

I just filled out the info and sent off my email, it took less than a minute.  I also made a donation, no amount is too small, we need to help IFAW fight back against this horrific injustice taking place in China.

Please post and crosspost this message, we need to get the word out.

The CEO of Richmond’s SPCA, Robin Starr,  left her 16-year-old dog in her car where he suffered heat stroke and later died.

The blind and deaf dog was put into the backseat of the car by Starr’s husband Ed because she often took him to work with her.  Unfortunately her husband forgot to tell her and she didn’t realize until four hours later that Louie, their cocker spaniel/poodle mix, was in there.

Here are the details from the Richmond Times Dispatch.

It wasn’t until she left her office about noon that day — after the dog had spent nearly four hours alone in the car — that she discovered Louie in the back of the station wagon, showing signs of heat stroke.

She took the dog inside to the SPCA clinic, where it was stabilized and taken to the Veterinary Emergency Center in Carytown. Veterinarians worked unsuccessfully to restore kidney function in Louie, and the dog died about midnight.

“I just forgot . . . and didn’t think about it until I got this frantic phone call from Robin. I knew immediately what I had done,” Ed Starr recalled yesterday at the SPCA offices on Hermitage Road.

He added, “It wasn’t her fault. It was mine.”

Robin Starr has been one of the area’s most outspoken advocates for animals.  While her supporters are standing by her there are those that think she should resign. I cannot imagine anything more painful than knowing your beloved dog died on account of your actions.

For those that wonder how could this happen, it’s easier than you think.  Children have died after parents have forgotten they were in the car, remember the mom who forgot to drop off  her child at daycare?  The child was in the backseat, imagine if your dog-who doesn’t make any noise- is in the very back of your station wagon.

Ed Sayres, president and chief executive of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, expressed his support for Starr yesterday, saying the ASPCA “truly believes that this incident was a horrible and unfortunate accident.”

Tamsen Kingry, the SPCA’s chief operating officer, said yesterday that “the board of directors for the Richmond SPCA does not waver in their support of Robin Starr, and they will not in the future.”

“While some might unfortunately call for Robin’s resignation as a result of this horrible accident, it is imperative that we focus on the thousands of animals’ lives that she has saved through her work with the Richmond SPCA,” he said.

“Louie’s death serves as a tragic lesson — animals should never be left alone in a parked vehicle, and pet parents must stay vigilant when it comes to their pets’ safety.”

Starr has no intention of resigning from the position she has held since 1997.  I completely agree with Sayres and Kingry, this was a horrible accident and focus should remain on all the good Starr has done throughout the years.

The Starrs have not been charged with any crime.  I don’t think there is any legal punishment you could give them that would be worse than their lifelong self-imposed sentence.

*Photo courtesy JOE MAHONEY/TIMES-DISPATCH