Adopt a dog (or cat) and keep them safe and warm! or Support your local shelter.

or

Do what I do and support Dalmatian Rescue!!

and remember, there is no obstacle you can’t get around if you’re willing to run, jump, tunnel or weave!

Wrigley
You can also follow my adventures on twitter @wrigleysoapguru or I’m NOW on Facebook too!

We have learned so much in the three classes we have completed.

Here are a couple of videos made of Wrigley last night!

Wrigley
You can also follow my adventures on twitter @wrigleysoapguru or I’m NOW on Facebook too!

I can’t imagine living how some dogs live. Let’s save them all!

Here’s a nice video on the dangers of having your best friend trapped in a car on a warm day. (HINT: if I am with my people on a warm day, and we MUST make a stop, one of them will stay with me and keep the A/C blasting).

Unfortunately, my people have had to call the police twice this year to save dogs left in a vehicle.

Let’s be careful out there, y’all!!  and remember, there is no obstacle you can’t get around if you’re willing to run, jump, tunnel or weave!

Wrigley
You can also follow my adventures on twitter @wrigleysoapguru or on facebook http://www.facebook.com/wrigleysoapguru

We were very amused, and after posting it to facebook, realized a whole lot of people found the wording just as strange as we did.

While having animal waste in a public place is unseemly, there are real environmental concerns related to not scooping the poop.

According to the Stormwater Manager’s Resource Center “The presence of pet waste in stormwater runoff has a number of implications for urban stream water quality with perhaps the greatest impact from fecal bacteria (for more information see Microbes in Urban Watersheds: Concentrations, Sources and Pathways, Article 17 in The Practice of Watershed Protection). According to recent research, non-human waste represents a significant source of bacterial contamination in urban watersheds. Genetic studies by Alderiso et al. (1996) and Trial et al. (1993) both concluded that 95 percent of the fecal coliform found in urban stormwater was of non-human origin. Bacterial source tracking studies in a watershed in the Seattle, Washington area also found that nearly 20% of the bacteria isolates that could be matched with host animals were matched with dogs. This bacteria can pose health risks to humans and other animals, and result in the spread of disease. It has been estimated that for watersheds of up to twenty-square miles draining to small coastal bays, two to three days of droppings from a population of about 100 dogs would contribute enough bacteria and nutrients to temporarily close a bay to swimming and shellfishing (US EPA, 1993).

Pet waste can also be a factor in eutrophication of lakes. The release of nutrients from the decay of pet waste promotes weed and algae growth, limiting light penetration and the growth of aquatic vegetation. This in turn can reduce oxygen levels in the water, affecting fish and other aquatic organisms.”

IN Washington’s Puget Sound area they have created this cleaver video to remind people to scoop the poop.

Studies have shown that men are less prone to pick up after their dog than women. This chart shows the reasons most often given for why people don’t scoop and why the do.

While I agree, it’s a dirty job! No one wants to pick up poop, but in the infamous words of Nike, JUST DO IT! Your neighbors and the fish will thank you.

and remember, there is no obstacle you can’t get around if you’re willing to run, jump, tunnel or weave!

Wrigley
You can also follow my adventures on twitter @wrigleysoapguru or on facebook http://www.facebook.com/wrigleysoapguru

1. Monitor any open flames. If your pets are anything like me and Marshall, they are incredibly curious about everything.  Keep a close eye on candles or fires to ensure they don’t knock them over.  Keep a very close eye on the stove as well.  And before you leave the house, be very sure that all flames have been completely extinguished

2. Practice evacuation routes with your pets. It’s a great idea to have a plan for how you are going to leave the house if there was a fire.  And it’s also important to practice it, so you can leave quickly.  Make sure when you are setting up your plan and practicing it that you include all your pets.  Just knowing who will do what in case of emergency can safe time and lives.

3. Pet fire proof your home. Take a walk around the house with a critical eye and look for areas where your pet might accidentally start a fire.  Pay close attention to stove knobs, frayed wires or other hazards.

4. Have your fire alarms monitored. If you aren’t home and a fire breaks out, your pets can’t leave by themselves.  If your smoke detectors are attached to an outside monitoring company, they can alert the fire department.

5. Get a pet window cling. Firefighters are trained to look for these and an accurate count will save them time as they locate your pets.  Free window clings are available from the ASPCA.

A few minutes of planning can save you and your pets from disaster. Let’s be careful out there!

Wrigley
You can also follow my adventures on twitter @wrigleysoapguru or I’m NOW on Facebook too!

and remember, there is no obstacle you can’t get around if you’re willing to run, jump, tunnel or weave!

Wrigley
You can also follow my adventures on twitter @wrigleysoapguru or I’m NOW on Facebook too!

Dogs usually jump in tandem with their trainers

Dogs have been fighting alongside U.S. soldiers for more than 100 years, seeing combat in the Civil War and World War I. But their service was informal; only in 1942 were canines officially inducted into the U.S. Army. Today, they’re a central part of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan — as of early 2010 the U.S. Army had 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed (the largest canine contingent in the world). And these numbers will continue to grow as these dogs become an ever-more-vital military asset. Read the rest of the story by Rebecca Frankel.

I, for one, would like to say thank you to all the dogs who serve in war and those who keep out service men and women safe!

Google’s android.com is allowing a game called Dog Wars to remain available for download. The game was created by Kage Games, LLC and is causing outrage among animal lovers, who are demanding that Google take down the game. According to Google’s Android Market policies, “Android Market should not be used for unlawful purposes or for promotion of dangerous and illegal activities.”

The dog in the game’s logo is a cartoon Pit Bull with yellow eyes, a studded collar, cropped ears, and apparently a blood-covered muzzle. In the game, the controller trains a Pit Bull to fight and wins “virtual cash” by fighting other players’ dogs. The controller also has a gun for police raids and can inject the dog with steroids.

Search tags included by the developer include “train to dogfight,” “juice your dog,” “buy weapons,” “aggression,” “bite” and “puppy.”

On Saturday, dog lovers responded with an Anti-Dog Wars Facebook pageand a petition asking Google to block the app reached 5,000 signatures in one day.

Those who disagree with the game should sign the petition and lodge a complaint with android’s market team.

According to FOX News “Even Michael Vick, the football star sent to jail for his involvement in illegal dog fighting, said the game was beyond the pale.

“I’ve come to learn the hard way that dog fighting is a dead-end street,” Vick said in a written statement. “I think it’s important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify this form of animal cruelty — even in an Android app.”

Let’s use the prower of the people to get this app removed from the market place! I’d also like to see us all boycott any game of app produced by Kage Games, LLC

When I saw this story in the North Raleigh News, I knew I had to share it.

Firehouse mascot Angus slowed by arthritis, tumor

BY CARLENE STEIN - Correspondent

The tiny pup’s first fire call took him to the Angus Barn. He was so small, his body barely filled the hands of the firefighter who held him.

After the fire was contained, the Durham Highway Fire Department crew returned to the station and their new pup had a name: Angus.

Angus, the beloved mascot of the Durham Highway Fire Department, is in declining health. - CARLENE STEIN

Angus, a Dalmatian familiar to many in North Raleigh, turned 14 in December and his health is declining.

The arthritis in his hips has curtailed his duties as the firehouse mascot, but now Angus faces an even more serious threat: He recently was diagnosed with a tumor on his left leg. It’s since been removed, but the extent of the illness is still unknown.

“The men at the station are discussing the best treatment options available,” said Pam Childress, a veterinarian at Leesville Animal Hospital. “At this time, his arthritis is actually more painful, but both diagnoses have forced Angus to cut back on his duties. I’m keeping a very close eye on him as his condition could change at anytime.”

Over the years, Angus has become a fixture at the station. As an official member of the crew, he has duties, such as being the station’s public safety mascot on visits to local schools.

“Children from the schools love him,” said Capt. Mike Dillard. “He can ‘stop, drop, and roll’ giving the children a demonstration of what to do in a fire.”

Angus also is the station’s welcoming committee. “Everyone who comes into the station loves him.”

For the men, though, there is the constant concern about his health.

“It’s difficult … to watch his heath decline,” Capt. Barry Andrews said. “He has his good days and bad days, but overall we’re really concerned about him.”

Outside of the Durham Highway Fire Department along Norwood Road, there is a picture of Angus on a billboard.

He warns passersby about fireworks and Christmas lights, and the dangers of an unwatched frying pan.

These days, Angus can be seen taking a leisurely nap in front of the station.

Occasionally, when the mood strikes him, he’ll wander next door to the Hawthorne neighborhood, his nose sniffing at the grass with great purpose.

But now, he’s not looking for fires, he’s catching the scent of a squirrel passing by.

After 14 years of service, he’s earned the right.

stein.carlene@gmail.com