Fetch the Paper: Digital Dog Edition

SF/SPCA Closes Hearing Dog Program

We're sad to report that the SF/SPCA is ending their thirty year old Hearing Dog program. The Hearing Dog program trained dogs to help the deaf and hearing-impaired respond to auditory signals (like doorbells and fire alarms), in the same way that Seeing Eye Dogs help blind people.

You can read the SF/SPCA's official statement about the closure of the program here, and pick up the June issue of FETCH to read a more detailed report, including an interview with SF/SPCA President Jan McHugh-Smith.

Typhoon was the demo dog for the Hearing Dog program.

Finding the right breeder

There's a good article on Newsday.com today about how to choose a breeder which you may find helpful if you're looking for a purebred dog. Remember that there's more to being a good breeder than simply producing a pretty dog. Buying a dog from a bad breeder can mean you're getting a dog with serious health problems. Plus, you don't want to support breeders who are overbreeding or otherwise abusing the dogs in their care.

For more info on choosing dogs, check with organizations such as The American Kennel Club to find out what you need to know when choosing a dog breeder.

And don't forget, mixed breed dogs make amazing, lifetime friends too! You can find out more about adopting a shelter dog at the American Humane Society.

Who's your daddy?

This image is from here.

Pups Ahoy!

I won't have photos for a couple of days but just wanted to say we had a great time at today's Dog Day on the Bay event. This annual cruise around the bay is loved by the dogs and people who attend. And it raises money for SF/SPCA, too. We saw a lot of people who were there last year, too--it's a great annual draw for dog lovers who want to do something fun with their pooch.

We took some SNAPS and those photos will be on line ASAP.

Can dogs protect you from asthma?

Good news, future parents! A recent study found that children who are raised with a dog in the house might be building a resistance to asthma and other allergies.

Don't rush out and adopt a litter of puppies just yet, though. The study found that although among the 3,000 children studied, those with dogs were "less at risk from becoming sensitised to pollens and inhaled allergens -- the triggers for asthma and wheezing, allergic rhinitis and eczema -- than counterparts in dog-less homes," kids with dogs are just as likely to actually contract asthma, etc., as kids without. The scientists running the study plan to test the children as they grow older to see if the positive benefits show up more clearly in later childhood.

This image is from here.

Help your dog give something back

Your dog can be a hero to other dogs, and she won't even have to miss dinner. The UC Davis Veterinary Blood Bank needs dog blood donors to help dogs suffering from everything from surgical complications to kidney failure.

The Blood Bank screens dogs carefully. They hope to screen 1200 dogs each year in order to establish a donor bank of 200 to 400 dogs.  Dog donors would be asked to come in 4 or 5 times a year. There is no sedation involved, just like with human donors.

Donors should be between one and eight years old, weigh at least 55 pounds, be up to date on flea, tick and heartworm meds, and never have been pregnant or have had puppies.  The screening visit and all subsequent donation visits will last about half an hour.

If you're interested in helping out, call the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at (530) 752-1393 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or email caninebloodbank (at) gmail (dot) com.

Incidentally, there's still a shortage of human blood in the Bay Area. Visit the Blood Centers of the Pacific website for details on how you can give blood. After all, you don't want your dog to look braver than you are.

Image is from here.

Funny Cat Video of the Day

My niece sent this to me. The cat humor is good, the engineer humor as well. Enjoy!

In Memory of Kathleen

Earlier this week, many in the Bay Area were touched by the story of a woman who died in San Francisco’s Stern Park as she concluded a walk with her dogs. A large redwood branch broke off a tree and crashed into Kathleen Bolton, 50. She died a short time later after being taken to the emergency room by ambulance.
We at FETCH knew Kathleen only in passing. We first met her during the 2006 Bay Area Pet Fair, where she volunteered for Grateful Dogs. We know she fostered several dogs, include Katrina rescues. We saw her at other dog events in Marin and San Francisco. We asked someone who knew her well to provide us with some words in memory of Kathleen. Molly Maloney of Pooches Playtime sent us the following. More information about Kathleen and her life can be found at www.kathleenbolton.org.

Kathleen Bolton died suddenly on April 14th, 2008, while doing what she loved to do...walking her dogs. I met Kathleen about 20 years ago through dog walking interests. At that time she was just beginning to look into the business as she had just taken in a young boy who needed a home and thought he might like to work with her to walk dogs. We became fast friends.
Kathleen did not limit her rescue work to just dogs. Over the years she took in anyone who needed a little help and asked for nothing in return. She always put all of her time and energy into everything she did. If she was fostering a dog, she took the time to attend training classes. If you called to talk she gave you all her attention and really listened. I was hospitalized once and she put together a care team to assist me without ever being asked. That was just her way.
Kathleen was herself disabled, but it never impeded her from enjoying life fully or helping others, especially the dogs.  She gave of herself freely, offering a warm hug and a genuine smile. Her absence is like a hole in my life and in the lives of all her were fortunate enough to know her.

The SF/SPCA Celebrates 140 years of animal activism

Don't forget, the San Francisco SPCA is holding their 140th anniversary celebration this weekend. Here's what they have to say about it:

"The weekend will feature a raft of festive events including contests, demos, raffles, give-aways, special adoptions, and tours of the new Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center, which is currently under construction.  The weekend will also celebrate the 10^th birthday of Maddie’s Adoption Center.    

"The origin of the Society rests in an incident that took place on a spring day in 1868.  Prominent San Francisco banker James Sloan Hutchinson had long been troubled by the everyday animal cruelty he witnessed, and on this particular day, when he saw two men dragging a terrified, squealing hog, with legs and feet tied, along the cobblestone street, he could tolerate it no longer. He stepped into the street and forced the men to halt their cruelty.

"Hutchinson went straight to the State Legislature with a bill that made cruelty to animals a crime and that provided for the incorporation of “anti-cruelty societies.”  The measure was signed into law on March 30, 1868.  Hutchinson then brought together 15 friends to organize The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and on the 18^th of April 1868, the 16-member Society received its charter from the State of California."

Don't miss this exciting event in support of a great organization!

 

 

What's that, Lassie?

Do you ever wonder what your dog would say if she could talk? Probably not, because like most dog owners you know exactly what your dog would say:

"Food! Food! Food! Friends! Walk! Happy! Smell? Ah, I see from this smell that Princess and her people were here eight hours ago, and Princess has been eating some very suspicious salami...Walk! Happy!"

But just in case you're still in the dark as to your dog's true thoughts, you can always try the LED Dog Tail Communicator, a new device that actually spells out words based on the speed of your dog's wagging tail. This device is being exhibited at the MOMA if you're curious. "With the help of technology," the website promises, your dog "can overcome evolutionary shortfalls." If our furry friends had just evolved linguistic capabilities, we wouldn't have to go to all this trouble. Dogs are so selfish, am I right?

What's next, I wonder? A self-opening bag of treats triggered by your dog's drool? How about a little doggy treadmill, so we don't have to go around walking them anymore? Now with fifteen lifelike scents!

Not-quite-live-blogging Oprah

No matter what you might think of Oprah, she has a media machine that is the envy of many. Her perch is mighty high and reaches a lot of people.
In the past, I've had a few words of scorn for the daytime queen. Mostly around her adopting those oh-so-adorable Golden Retrievers, then featuring training sessions with them. Give me a break! She should try her hand some day with more challenging dogs like Wylie, I scoffed.

Well, today she redeemed herself. If you have not had a chance to see the show, find someone who Tivo'd it, or look for it in reruns. She featured an inside look and puppy mills, reported by Lisa Ling. That was intense enough--then she took us into the daily life at the Fort Worth, TX animal shelter, including the filming of an euthanasia procedure.

If you know of anyone who needs to know more about why adoption and rescue are such critical issues for our community, make sure they watch this episode of Oprah because it's a mind changer.

Oh--and Oprah says, from now on she will adopt dogs from shelters. Her mind was changed, too.

We had tears all around in this house, and hugged the dogs hard.

Video, Photos, Resources and more on the Oprah site.