DogDiary4u

Arab Amirates : Wednesday, 25 May 2011 (Local Time)

A British man is on trial in Dubai for allegedly kicking his neigbour’s dog while under the influence of alcohol.

The Dubai resident appeared in court on Wednesday. He admitted consuming alcohol, but pleaded not guilty to charges of trespassing on the neighbour’s property and assulting the animal. The trial resumes on Monday.

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Foreign resident must have a license to legally drink alcohol in the Gulf emirate.

It’s the latest in a string of court cases involing Britons in Dubai, home to a significant British resident population and a population holiday spot.

A British couple was sentenced to a month in jail last year for passionately kissing in public. In 2008, two Britons faced trial for allegedly having sex on the beach.

Materials from : www.emirates247.com

Malaysia : Sunday, 20 February 2011 (Local Time)

Petaling Jaya:  Whenever she takes her dogs for a walk, she is bound to attract curious stares. And when she reveals that she is a part-time dog trainer, eyeballs pop out of their sockets.

This is because Maznah Mohd Yusof, 36, is a Malay-Muslim.

Hailing from Johor, the US-trained engineer said that her family never told her that dogs are “haram” (forbidden) for Muslims.

“There are different school of thoughts in Islam. Here, we follow the Shafie school of thought which does not say dog is haram but merely asks us to cleanse ourselves after touching a wet dog.”

Asked how her family felt about her “calling” to train dogs, Maznah said that most of them do not complain. “But one cousin asked if I was still a Muslim.”

Maznah, who holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, said she never enjoyed working as an engineer and was searching for something more “satisfying”.

“I worked as an industrial engineer from 1998 till 2007 in Penang. I believe that you must do things you’re passionate about and my job then was not giving me this satisfaction.”

Maznah’s fate took a furry twist in late 2007 when she and her housemate stumbled upon five abandoned puppies at the car park in Queensbay Mall.

“Two of them looked almost lifeless, so we immediately took them to a nearby veterinarian. When they recovered, the veterinarian suggested that we deliver them to SPCA.

“But we were shocked when SPCA told us that it might put the puppies to sleep since they are too young to be taken care of. They were just two-weeks-old. That’s when we decided to look after them ourselves and give them out for adoption after a month,” she said.

However, Maznah grew attached to the puppies and decided to rear them. She named the quintet

Yusni, Golek, Ciku, Oren and Ross.

After moving to Rawang with her dogs in the same year, Maznah realised that for some strange reason, stray dogs were drawn to her house.

“Even those with dogs that are normally unfriendly to others, are surprised when their dogs are friendly with me. Then, I realised it was a sign that I should be working with dogs.”

She started by doing her own research on how to train dogs, gathering information from books and the Internet. “I learnt a lot from a book called Cesar’s Way penned by Mexican dog trainer Cesar Milan.”

On the training she provides, Maznah said that she is focused on basic obedience training and relationship building for now.

“Dogs also need exercise and discipline. Owners must realise that dogs are very energetic. So if you do not take them for exercise, that’s when they start giving problems like biting shoes.

“As for discipline, it is important that owners set certain routines as dogs like consistency. For example, my dogs know that 11pm is time for them to rest. I will just open their cages and they will enter into it themselves,” she said, adding that dogs are similar to children.

Based on her experience, Maznah believes that a dog is a “reflection” of its owner. “I knew one dog owner who was calm and patient. And these qualities rubbed off on his dog as well.”

Therefore, she added, it is vital for owners to spend time with their dogs to build a strong bond.

“I can say that it is the owner that needs the training rather than the dog. Owners must take responsibility to train the dogs, as trainers like me only come once a week. From there, owners need to follow up with the training to ensure the dogs get it. As I said, dogs like consistency.”

Maznah said people should stop thinking of dogs as just another animal. “They say that dogs are a man’s best friend. For me, they are my sidekicks and protector.”

“Owning a dog is a big responsibility, the dogs demand a lot of attention. Remember, it’s a partnership and there needs to be a lot of give and take.”

As far as Maznah is concerned, dogs are the most amazing creatures. To illustrate her point, she quotes a cartoon strip. “I saw this some time back, it said ‘dogs think of you as their God, while cats think they are your God.”

Story and foto from : www.freemalaysiatoday.com (reported by G Vinod)

Australia : Thursday, 17 February 2011 (Local Time)

Working dogs are sometimes described as a primary producer’s right hand and can be worth their weight in gold controlling livestock in the paddock.

Southern Downs Regional Council in Queensland is now actively asking owners of working dogs in the region to let council know about their four-legged farm hands.

“While working dogs do not need to be registered under new State Government legislation, it is important to remember that dogs can stray and having your working dogs listed with council will help our local laws officers reunite you and your dog or dogs should they become lost,” said Ken Harris, Director of Planning and Environment.

“That’s important because if we can’t find the owner, the pound can only keep a dog for three days.

“Unless it can be re-homed, or is micro-chipped, after three days the dog will sadly have to be euthanised.”

Mr Harris said that apart from working dogs, all other dogs must be registered under new regulations in the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008.

“There has been some confusion over what defines a working dog and the simple answer is that it’s basically a dog employed by a primary producer, as defined under the act,” Mr Harris said.

“So, a business guard dog, a pig dog, or a dog that is living on a farm and used for ratting, for example, do not meet the definition of a working dog under the Act.”

The act defines a working dog as:

Usually kept or proposed to be kept on rural land; by an owner who is a primary producer or a person engaged or employed as a primary producer; and where the dog is kept primarily for the purpose of droving, protecting, tending or working stock; or is being trained to do so.

Any other dog, whether in town, or rural, including retired working dogs, must be registered with council.

Story from : www.warwickdailynews.com

Foto from : www.servicedoghouse.com

Kyrgyzstan : Tuesday, 15 February 2011 (Local Time)

The government of the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek says it has ordered the shooting of 10,000 homeless dogs in the city in 2011.

"We receive around 20 requests to shoot stray dogs every day," city government representative Pavel Klimenko said. "There are an estimated 10,000 homeless dogs living in the city."

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The dogs will only be shot early in the morning and in the evening when the streets are quiet, Klimenko said.

The spokesman said the city authorities had no other choice but to shoot the strays, since it had no funding to build a dog shelter. In 2010, around 5,000 dogs were shot.

"Don't think of us as barbarians; we don't have other option," Klimenko said. "We need 15 million soms ($300,000) to build a shelter."

Story and Foto from : www.en.rian.ru

Afghanistan : Tuesday, 1 February 2011 (Local)

A typical work day may include a nice walk, a brush of the hair, some chow or just gnawing on a chew toy, but do not be fooled, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Bodro, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Beny and U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Enyzi are in Afghanistan to work.
Task Force Currahee’s newest team members are military working dogs. They are trained and certified to seek and find improvised explosive devices, bomb making material, narcotics and paraphernalia, and are qualified patrol or attack dogs. The canines arrived Jan. 13 and are scheduled to remain with TF Currahee until the end of 4th Brigade Combat Team’s rotation.

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Military working dogs are trained to provide a broad set of skills and together TF Currahees dogs have nearly four years of experience. Their handlers bring more than 16 years of experience to the team.
“Our specialty is very useful, especially when you are on missions outside the wire,” said U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam H. Molatore, a military working-dog handler and caretaker from Antelope, Calif., attached to 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division, TF Currahee. Molatore is teamed with Enyzi, a Belgian Tervuren. “We find [improvised explosive devices], that is my main mission here.”
With natural senses, the dogs provide an enhanced set of tools to service members on patrol.
“There are certain things; like the dogs sense of smell, their sight, their hearing, everything about them is way more in tune than ours are,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Patrick D. Spivey, a military working dog handler and caretaker, teamed with Bodro, a Belgian Malinois, attached to TF Currahee, 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Div. “You might be out on a patrol and to you it looks like a normal road and then your dog ... it lets you know, hey there is something not right there.
He said his dog’s senses are incredibly fine-tuned.
“Their sense of smell is so good — for instance, a cheeseburger, we might only smell the cheese or the burger, but they smell the cheese, the pickle, the tomato and the lettuce,” said Spivey, a native of Bossier City, La. “It is almost as if they smell it all in 3D.”
Not only do the dogs provide enhanced capabilities to find threats on the battlefield, they provide a morale boost wherever they are located.
“When I am walking by with my dog, the first thing people want to do is pet my dog,” said Spivey. “It reminds people of back home, of their pets and families. They are obviously not pets, but it kind of gives people a little more normalcy.”
For the military working dog handlers and their canine partners, the preparation to deploy is an extensive process of training and inspections designed to fully vet the dogs before they deploy.
“The dogs go through a school [similar to] basic training,” said Spivey. “Once they get their basic task accomplished, they come to us at the units and that is kind of like their [advanced individual training]. Right now, my dog is ... like that new private who just got out of training, and I am trying to teach him ‘this is how you really do it.’”
At their home station, the handlers help ensure the dogs are fully prepared for deployment.
“By the time [the dogs deploy] they are all pretty solid at everything. They have to be certified or validated before you leave your command. Then, you go through training and you have to pass the training before you get sent out here,” said Molatore. “Once you are out here, you have to validate with the service you are with before they send you [to forward operating bases and combat outposts].”
The dogs provide a significant benefit to their units, but there are some challenges to accommodating them.
“Logistically speaking, the dogs require some special attention, but their needs are not that much different from a regular soldier,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Nicholas Kosierowski, a MWD handler and caretaker, teamed with Beny, a German Shepherd, attached to TF Currahee, 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Div. “They need food ordered from supply, kennels built to house them and a veterinarian or [veterinarian technician] available for emergency care.”
While on patrol, the dog handlers have to bring additional supplies for the dogs.
“When we go out and we leave the wire, you are not just caring for yourself, but you are caring for the dog as well,” said Molatore, a native of Midvale, Utah. “So, where the normal Soldier would carry [equipment] for himself, we would have to carry more for the dogs. We have to carry extra water, food for the dogs, an emergency kit for the dogs and gear for the dogs, such as goggles and boots, and rewards.”
Overall, the benefits of having dogs with the units far outweigh the challenges they create.
“I am never alone, and when we go out, I trust my dog 100 percent,” said Molatore. “I will tread carefully, but I know that when I walk in her footsteps, I will be fine because if something was there she would have found it already.”
TF Currahee plans to add two kennel masters and 31 more dog/handler teams to the fight this spring.

Story and Foto from : www.dvidshub.net (story by Spc. Luther Boothe Jr.)

USA : Friday, 21 January 2011 (Local Time)

Justin Bieber has teamed up with PETA to urge his fans to adopt a pet.

The teen pop sensation has created a public service announcement with the animal rights organisation to encourage people to give a home to an animal from their local shelter rather than buy a companion from a breeder or pet store.

In the video, which has been posted online, he says: "It's really important that people adopt. I really encourage going out to an animal shelter or a place where you can get a dog that has been abandoned or doesn't have a home ... A lot of animals are getting abused in different homes ... and I think it's really important we just stay aware about these different situations."

Justin - who was born and spent his early life in London, Ontario, Canada, before moving to Stratford, Ontario - also reveals he adopted a dog from an animal shelter, a cute papillon breed called Sam.

He explained in the video message: "I have a dog, his name is Sam. He's actually a papillon. We moved to a city where we didn't really know anybody, so I wanted a friend and Sam was kind of like that friend.”

"My dad and I used to just go visit the different animals and stuff."

The 16-year-old singer also posed for two print adverts to raise awareness of the campaign which include the tag lines "My World Includes Passion for Animals, Yours Should Too," and "Animals Can Make U Smile, Adopt From Your Local Shelter".

Justin is the latest in a long line of celebrities to lend their support to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

Other stars who have appeared in campaigns or acted as spokespeople include Pamela Anderson, Pink, Leona Lewis, Sir Paul McCartney and Eva Mendes.

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According to PETA, between 6 to 8 million abandoned or stray dogs and cats enter animal shelters every year and around half of them have to be euthanized because they can't be found a home.

Story and Foto : www.chindaily.com.com

USA: Monday, 3 January 2011 (Local Time)

Dogs are natural born explorers and tend to venture off without owners realizing it, but there is a way to keep your furry friend safe.

In Ottumwa, any dog over the age of six months has to be licensed through the city.

Once your dog has been vacinnated, you must bring proof of the shot to the Ottumwa Police Department or City Hall.

When approved, you will receive a metal dog tag to put on your dog's collar, making your dog officially licensed.

A dog license costs $5 and is good for one year.

Officer Jeff Williams of the Ottumwa Police Department calls it 'cheap insurance' because $5 is a small price to pay to keep your dog safe.

The purpose of the law is to return dogs that are running loose on the street back to its rightful owner.

"If we pick up a dog without identification on it, we hold them for seven days," said Williams. "After the fifth day, the dog can be put up for adoption and a citizen off the street can inquire and pay the fees and that dog could become theirs."

If your dog comes up missing, you should contact the Ottumwa Police Department or the Heartland Humane Society immediately.

Whenever a dog with a tag is found in the street, the owner will be contacted.

You can prevent you dog from getting loose by securely tying it up on a chain or leash and by never letting your dog run free outside of a fence.

Dogs are natural born explorers and tend to venture off without owners realizing it, but there is a way to keep your furry friend safe.

In Ottumwa, any dog over the age of six months has to be licensed through the city.

Once your dog has been vacinnated, you must bring proof of the shot to the Ottumwa Police Department or City Hall.

When approved, you will receive a metal dog tag to put on your dog's collar, making your dog officially licensed.

A dog license costs $5 and is good for one year.

Officer Jeff Williams of the Ottumwa Police Department calls it 'cheap insurance' because $5 is a small price to pay to keep your dog safe.

The purpose of the law is to return dogs that are running loose on the street back to its rightful owner.

"If we pick up a dog without identification on it, we hold them for seven days," said Williams. "After the fifth day, the dog can be put up for adoption and a citizen off the street can inquire and pay the fees and that dog could become theirs."

If your dog comes up missing, you should contact the Ottumwa Police Department or the Heartland Humane Society immediately.

Whenever a dog with a tag is found in the street, the owner will be contacted.

You can prevent you dog from getting loose by securely tying it up on a chain or leash and by never letting your dog run free outside of a fence.

Story and foto from : www.heartlandconnection.com (reported by Henry Blakes)

Thailand, 25 December 2010 (Local Time)

The Special Branch Police Wednesday launched a manhunt for persons behind massacre of over 20 stray dogs inside the compound of the Royal Thai Police.
Pol Maj Gen Chanthawit Ramasut, commander of the Special Branch Police Division 3 which is in charge of the head office, said he had checked records of security camera but did not see anyone poisoning the dogs.
He said his agency did not ordered anyone to poison the dogs.
Critics said over 20 stray dogs in the police head office disappeared Tuesday and might have massacred before the prime minister visited the Royal Thai Police Wednesday.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Wednesday chaired the inauguration ceremony of a new medical service centre of the General Police Hospital inside the police head office.
Chanthawit said police would hunt for the killers of the dogs.

Story from : www.nationmultimedia.com

Foto from : www.komchadluek.com

Scotland : Friday, 24 December 2010 (Local Time)

A dog which boarded a Glasgow bus in freezing conditions and refused to leave has been reunited with its owner.

Cairn terrier Hamish had icicles on his coat when he boarded the bus on Wednesday in Dumbarton Road. He curled up in a warm spot and refused to move.

The 11-year-old was taken to the Scottish SPCA's animal rescue and re-homing centre in Glasgow.

He was later claimed by owner Ashley McGuinness after a relative heard radio reports of Hamish's antics.

Ms McGuinness, from the city's Drumpchapel area, said: "My sister-in-law heard on the radio that the Scottish SPCA was looking for the owner of a cairn terrier who had gone on a bus and I thought it had to be Hamish.

He was out in the garden and I think he escaped by going under a fence. I was desperate to get him back home and I couldn't be happier."

Centre assistant manager Anna O'Donnell said: "The passengers on the bus must have had a real surprise when Hamish decided to climb onboard.

"Even in his short time with us he showed he was a cheeky wee character.

"He certainly must have plenty of spirit about him, especially given his age, to have walked a few miles and then jumped on a bus.

"We're just pleased to have been able to look after him and return him to his owner."

Story and Foto from : www.bbc.co.uk

Germany : Tuesday, 21 December 2010 (Loca Time)

A German Court has ruled that pets are not allowed to be tattoed because it causes unnecessary pain and suffering.

The court at Munster, in Germany, came to its decision after hearing a complaint about the number of people joining the animal tattooing trend, which began when eight pigs were tattooed with Louis Vuitton logos.

Belgian artist Wim Delvoye had tattooed the porkers with the distinctive LV sign as part of an exhibition called Art Farm two years ago.

The judges in Germany also heard a complaint about a man who wanted to get a Rolling Stones Tongue Tattoo on his pony’s thigh.

The court ruled it was not in the interest of the animals, was for the owner’s personal interest and was against the animal protection laws.

Story from : www.metro.co.uk

Foto from : www.bradburnknives.com

New Zealand : Monday, 20 December 2010 (Local)

The women who found a dead dog in a Christchurch shopping mall car park has been having trouble sleeping since she discovered its body, harnessed and muzzled, in the sun.

The dog was left in the car on the hottest day Christchurch has seen this summer, with the temperature at 33.4 degrees Celsius.

The pomeranian dog was left in the sun, harnessed to a seat belt and tightly muzzled, at the top level car park of The Palms shopping centre in Shirley.

Sheryn Macdomald, who found the dead dog, said it was seriously distressing to see it restrained and frothing at the mouth.

“A terrible death for this poor wee thing- cooked slowly in at least 52 degrees Celsius not even able to ask for help,” she said.

Macdonald said she had been waking up in the night feeling upset about the incident.

“It was just awful, everyone was terribly distressed and the mall security were trying to stop people from coming by and seeing the body,” she said.

The windows of the car were down about four centimetres but Macdonald said the dog had been tightly restrained so it could not move out of the sun.

She said mall security needed to patrol car parks to ensure no other dogs faced a similar fate this summer.

Canterbury SPCA mangaer (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Geoff Sutton said it was an avoidable and frustrating tragedy.

“The issue is bloody simple, do not ever leave a dog in the car when you go shopping,” he said.

“Every time it happens it is one too many. But the answer is simple, no ifs or buts, just don’t do it.”

Sutton did not believe malls should have to incur costs for patrolling car parks searching for trapped pets.

“It should not be down to them, this is absolutely about owners. The answer is simple owner responsibility,” he said.

The SPCA now have possession of the dog’s body and are investigating the incident but would not comment on whether the owners would be facing charges.

Sutton said a penalty for similar types of animal cruelty could be as high as a $75,000 fine or up to 3 years imprisonment.

Tracy Thompson, spokeperson from The Palm, wanted customers not to leave their pets in the car while they were in the mall.

“This incident is distressing for both customers and staffl. We ask that customers support the SPCA’s message that no one should leave their pets in the car unattended at anytime.”

Story and Foto from :www.stuff.con.nz (reported by Olivia Carville)

New Zealand : Sunday, 19 December 2010 (Local Time)

They call him Wilson the lotto dog, star of a $2.5 million taxpayer-funded advertisement in which he travels the world to return a winning ticket to his master.

It has emerged the wire fox terrier was left in India after film for the advert because quarantine rules meant it was too much trouble to get him back to New Zealand.

The exile from our borders has ended well for the dog – he enjoyed five-star hotel treatment during filming before being given a home with his own personal servant.

The Lotto advertisement was filmed by advertising agency DDB and has won hearts after being launched on World Animal Day.

It depicts “Wilson” leaping from a yacht in stormy weather to rescue a winning Lotto ticket blown overboard. The faitful animal is shown battling the elements, then braving beggars and slums of the Third World to bring the ticket back to his master in New Zealand.

The dog whose real name was Paddy – was one of three cast for the series of advertisements. But he was the only one who travelled to India on a one-way ticket. The other two terriers live near Wellington.

Lotto spokewoman Karen Jones said the decision not to bring Paddy back to New Zealand was based around the quarantine requirements involved.

She said Paddy faced spending up to a year in quarantine before being allowed to run free in New Zealand.

Paddy’s journey to India and his new home show the seriousness with which the commission considered his welfare.

Animal handler Caroline Girdlestone said Paddy was driven between locations in an air-conditioned car and stayed in five-star hotels.

During the day, he carried a special hydration mixture with electrolytes to replace body fluid, fed through a pump-driven straw at the edge of his mouth. And, rather than allowing him to get dirty on location, special make up was used to give him the appearnace of living rough.

At the end of filming, Girdestone and husband James Delaney escorted Paddy to Bangalore where they met his new family – an ex-pat Kiwi couple with three boys. They stayed for 2 days, building a fence around the property and discussing ways to settle the dog into his new life in India. “He has a maid of his own so he is never alone,” said Girdlestone.

The Wilson character had become so popular the commission had needed to reprint the cardboard cutouts used at Lotto outlets to replace those given away. Wilson had also received fan mail and sent Christmas cards to childern.

Story and Foto from : www.nzherald.co.nz (reported by David Fisher)

England : Friday, 17 Decembler 2010 (Local Time)

Christmas has come early for one family after a Northfleet amimal rescue center reunited a lost dog with its owners more than 25 miles away.

Founder of New Hope Animal Rescue Liesa Clark caught the German shepherd on December 11 in Steele Avenue, Greenhithe.

The dog, named Max, had been missing from owners Sara Bailey and her three dauthers in Mitcham, Surrey, since it escaped on November 4.

Miss Clark, who has worked at the center of 15 years, told News Shopper she spotted the pooch on December 9 while she was driving in Cotton Lane.

She said : “When I first saw the dog, he was eating dirty snow in the middle of the road. He looked extremely skinny and starving.”

Miss Clark says she got out her car and tried to entice the dog with treats, but it quickly fled.

She then spent three days searching for it with volunteers and residents until they eventually trapped the dog.

The 41-year-old said : “We were ecstatic to catch him-we believe he would have died in such cold weather.”

Miss Clark took the dog to Dartford council’s dog pound where he was scanned and found to have an identity chip, which enabled her to return him Mrs Bailey.

Mrs Bailey told News Shopper she was delighted after being reunited with Max. The 44-year-old said : “My youngest was distraught when he went missing. We did everything we could to find him, including off flyers, but I always harboured the hope someone would catch him.

“Getting hime chipped was the best money we ever spent.”

Story and Foto from : www.thisislocallondon.co.uk

England : Thursday, 16 December 2010 (Local Time)

Jersey-English animal shelter, has stopped offering animals for adoption over the Christmas period.

Jersey Animal Shelter is the animal shelter under the Jersey Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) in was founded in 1913 with the intention of attempting to change public attitudes toward animals. 

The decision was made to dissuade people from giving pets for Christmas which may be unwanted later.

The shelter has already re-homed more than 800 animals this year, including over 100 cats in the pest three months.

Maj Steve Coleman from the shelter said that was due to some irresponding breeding of cats which resulted in the market being saturated.

He said the shelter’s facilities were almost at capacity.

Maj Coleman said not offering animals over Christmas was standard practice and that adoptions would start again in the new year.

He said one particular dog had been abandoned beacause the owners did not realise the work they would have to put in to train him.

“He was bought as a young puppy quite expensively and the owners didn’t appreciate he was going to take a lot of time and effort to become a well behaved dog,” he said.

“It is often something we see sadly, people spend a lot of money on pedigree animals not realising they don’t become wonderful animals, you have to train them.

Story and Foto from : www.bbc.co.uk

USA : Wednesday, 15 December 2010 (Local Time)

An estimated 1,200 dogs at a Kansas kennel were euthanized after an outbreak in Wyoming of the highly contagious disease distemper was linked to the large-scale breeding operation.

Kansas Livestock Commissioner, Bill Brown said the state started investigating the Beaver Creek Kennels near Oberlin in September after being contacted by Wyoming’s state veterinarian about distemper cases at a pet store in Cheyenne

Brown said Wednesday that the Kansas Animal Health Department quarntined the kennel twice after investigators confirmed several cases of distemper in puppies that were being sold out of state. When breeder Jeff Fortin couldn’t sell dogs because of the quarantines, he ran out money to pay staff members and take care of the animals.

The dogs were buried on farmland in Decatur County after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment allowed Fortin to dispose of the bodies without a permit.

Distemper, which is usually lethal, can be spread through contact with wildlife, as well as through other infected dogs.

Brown said no shelters would take the dogs because of the outbreak, so the decision was made to euthanize them.

Donal O’Toole, a professor and pathologist with the University of Wyoming, State Veterinary Laboratory, said 24 confirmed cases of distemper were identified in his state primarily at pet stores in Cheyenne and Casper that bought puppies from Fortin’s kennel

Under a consent agreement between the Kansas Animal Health Department and Fortin, he can get back to business in 6 months if he meets stringent requirements.

Nearly three years of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) inspection reports for Fortin’s kennels show violations for things like failure to keep adequate records, failure to adequately treat animals with health problems and allowing trash, junk and discarded kennel material near large dog enclosures.

Story from : www.washingtonpost.com (AP)

Foto from : www.ksn.com

Taiwan : Tuesday, 14 December 2010 (Local Time)

Animal rights activists are to conduct a mass demonstration to protest against a Taiwanese prosecutor’s office decision to drop charges against five suspects accused of killing dogs for food.

They hope the demonsration, when they will demand tougher laws against animal abuse, will raise worldwide awareness.

The activists will insisted that the current law demands too much hard evidence to be practical.

Activist Ruan Mei-ling said the five men were caught killing two dogs by hanging them on a tree and having them grilled.

Prosecutors dropped indictments against the men last week, saying the dog’s bodies showed no signs of torture and the men were not caught eating their meat.

Many residents of Taiwan, an island situated in East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean and located off the south-eastern coast of mainland China, still believe in dog meat’s nutritious value.

Dog meat is known by the euphemism ‘fragrant meat’, and while the eating of dog was previously more common, it is still practised on some areas of the island.

In 2004, the Taiwanese government imposed a ban on the sale of dog meat, due to both pressure from demestic animal welfare groups and a desire to improve international preception, although there were some protest.

In 2007, another law was passed significantly increasing the fines to sellers of dog meat.

But until the laws demanding hard evidence to prove the abuse, activists are worried that the problem will not be stamped out.

Story and Foto from : www.dailymail.co.uk

Australia : Thursday, 9 December 2010 (Local Time)

An Australian special forces sniffer dog that went missing for almost 14 months after a battle in Afghanistan has finally returned home to Australia.

Sarbi arrived in Sydney on a flight from Dubai, where she had been in quarantine for the past six months.

She has now been moved to a quarantine facility, where she will undergo further veterinary examinations.

The 10-year-od bitch went missing in September 2008 after her patrol was ambushed in Uruzgan province.

Nine Australian soldiers, including Sarbi’s trainer, were wounded.

After the attack, there was no sign of the dog, and months of searching failed to find her. Sarbi was officially declared Missing in Action (MIA).

But in late October 2009, the dogs was found by a US soldier in the care of a local Afghan man. She appeared to have been well cared for.

She later returned to the Australian Special Operations Task Group base to a celebrity welcome from then Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the former US millitary commanders, Gen Stainley McChrystal.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) said Sarbi would now spend another 30 days at the Eastern Creek isolation facility near Sydney.

“When released from quarantine early next year, Sarbi will return to the incident response regiment where she will continue her assessment and training to return her to service as an explosives detection dog,” it added.

Last month, it was reported that Sarbi’s origin owner, Wendy Upjohn, had written to the defence minister seeking the return of the dog when her military service is over, saying the army had promised to give her back in 2004.

The army has denied any such undertaking was given and says the dog will remain with her handler and his family when she retires.

Story and Foto from : www.bbc.co.uk

China : Sunday, 5 December 2010 (Local Time)

Volunteers look after stray dogs on a coach, in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province, Dec.4,1010. Ping’an Afu, which means safety and happiness, a stray animal salvation base in Nanjing, started its sixth house moving on Saturday (4 Dec). Under the help of nearly 300 volunteers composed of students and local citizens, a total of around 1,500 stray dogs took a trip by coach to their new home located at a desolate mountain in Houyu Village at the suburb of Nanjing. The organisation that founder in 2002 by Ha Wenjin, an animal protection activist, is now barely maintained with scanty donations from the society.

Story and Foto from : www.english.people.com.cn (reported by Lang Congliu)

USA : Saturday, 4 December 2010 (Local Time)

After weeks of searching and even making national headlines, Ruru – the four-year old wheelchair bound Dachshund – finally has a new home.

Ruru the Dachshund has captured many hearts, but none more than Leslie Newcity – a Venice resident who traveled south from Sarasota County to pick him new home.

Newcity syas she heard about Ruru’s story from a friend who saw the dog here on the news and was determined to give him a loving home.

“He’s courageous, he’s a survivor and he’s very special,” said Newcity.

Ruru lost the use of his hind legs after playing with a Rottweiler. The large dog sat on Ruru, paralyzing his lower half.

The Naples Humane Society stepped in to help Ruru after a couple other shelters were not equipped to provide the care he needed.

Ruru had been there for about 5 weeks. And though they’re sad to see him go, shelter manager Karen Sesso says the workers there have learning some valuable lessons from him along the way.

“Never give up, life is good, don’t worry about it, just keep on going, make the best of things, that’s how he is,” said Sesso.

And he’ll be taking that positive attitude home with his new mom – a woman who is used to helping out people who are paralyzed.

Newcity is a phaysical therapist, who says her new pup will be loved both at home and work.

“He’ll be an inspiration to them for motivation as well, and they’ll be able to relate to him as well, being that a lot of my clients are in wheelchairs and non-ambulatory,” said Newcity.

Story and Foto from ": www.nbc-2.com (reported by Katie Johnson)

North Ireland : Thursday, 2 December 2010 (Local Time)

More than 1,300 stray dogs were destroyed in North Ireland last year. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development figures show dog wardens impounded 6,745 dogs in 2009.

While the majority of the animals were sold, rehomed or given to charities, 1,346 were put down by local authorities.

Fermanagh town had the worst record when it came to finding stray dogs a new home. Some 149 dogs were picked up by the council and almost 60% were destroyed.

This compare to Carrickfergus town, where over 80% of the 212 dogs impounded were reclaimed and just one dog was put to sleep.

The department said last year’s figures show certain trends within local authorities.

Coleraine town had the best record of returning pets to their owners without having to impound them, whereas Cookstown impounded all the dogs its wardens picked up.

Antrim and Moyle towns had a good record of passing dogs on to animal charities.

Story and Foto from : www.bbc.co.uk