It has been almost a year since the day Santa almost lost his shih-tzu. Well, it wasn’t really Santa, it was me. And it wasn’t my shih-tzu, it was a friend’s — and a dog who normally jumps on me as opposed to off of me.
Still, it’s a rare dog who doesn’t want his or her photo taken with Santa Claus — and there are three opportunities coming up.
The first is tomorrow (Sunday) — at the new Locust Point Dog Park.
Pet Pictures with Santa runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Proceeds go toward the maintenance of the park, which opened this fall.
Two Photos with Santa events will be held to raise money for Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter’s Franky Fund, which helps care for seriously sick and injured animals that arrive at the shelter — On Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 to noon at Federal Hill Park, and on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 to noon at Riverside Park.
All the events are for good causes, and the photos make great Christmas cards.
(If you know of others pet photos with Santa events, please feel free to add them to this entry in the form of comments.)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use Pig Ears and Beef Hooves pet treats manufactured by Pet Carousel because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The products were distributed nationwide in both bulk and retail packaging for sale in pet food and retail chain stores. Pet Carousel is based in Sanger, Calif.
Although no illnesses associated with the products have been reported, the FDA is advising consumers in possession of them not to handle or feed them to their pets.
The affected pig ear products were packaged under the brand names Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel. The affected beef hooves were packaged under the brand names Choo Hooves, Dentley’s, Doggie Delight, and Pet Carousel. All sizes and all lots of these products made by Pet Carousel are included in the alert.
Salmonella was detected in the treats during routine testing in September, leading to an FDA inspection of Pet Carousel’s manufacturing facilities. During the inspection, the agency collected additional pet treat samples. Further analysis found Salmonella present in beef hooves, pig ears and in the manufacturing environment.
Salmonella can affect both humans and animals. People handling dry pet food and/or pet treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the treats or any surfaces exposed to these products.
Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may only experience a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed any of the affected products or is experiencing any of these symptoms, the FDA advises contacting your veterinarian immediately.
Something old and something new sent two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Jon Franklin on a quest to document the transition of wild wolf to family pet.
The old thing was a photo — a man and puppy, exhumed from a 12,000-year-old grave. The new thing was a wife — he married a dog lover. Though he’d never been a dog person, Franklin gave in, and soon he and his wife were sharing their home with a clever poodle named Charlie.
Between watching his own dog evolve from puppy to family member, and his interviews and research, Franklin spent 10 years studying the origins and significance of the dog, and its peculiar attachment to humans.
The result is “The Wolf in the Parlor: The Eternal Connection Between Humans and Dogs.”
Franklin — a former science writer for Baltimore’s Evening Sun, now a journalism professor at the University of Maryland – builds on evolutionary science, archaeology, behavioral science and his firsthand experience, arriving at the conclusion that man and dog are more than just inseparable; they are part and parcel of the same creature.
A dog stranded for days on the second floor of an abandoned North St. Louis building was rescued by firefighters.
The yellow-Lab mix was spotted on the ledge of a second floor window of a home that had been empty since a fire years ago, Fox 2 in St. Louis reported.
“The dog was in the front window, teetering on the window ledge there,” said St. Louis firefighter, Warren Sleep. “She’d been up here probably about a week with definitely no way down on her own.”
Randy Grim of Stray Rescue, an animal shelter and rescue group, had been checking on the dog. Each day she refused to come down the rickety stairway inside.
“It was terrifying to see her constantly going into the window sill and looking like she might jump. So we started leaving food, throwing food [up into the window],” Grim said. “The look in her eyes was pure panic and terror: fear…I tried to get up there one time. I fell through one of the stairs and a beam hit me in the head.”
A short time later, Grim flagged down a passing fire truck from Engine Company 9. Firefighters coaxed the dog off the ledge and inside. Grim named the dog “E-9″, after the firefighting team that rescued her.
“E-9″ is up for adoption, and neighborhood leaders have planned a “board-up” party this weekend, to seal the windows and doors of the abandoned building and another one next-door.
Here’a a preview of tonight’s “Dog Whisperer,” in which Cesar Millan helps “Biggest Loser” trainer Jillian Michaels with a dog that goes nuts whenever she climbs aboard her horse.
Michaels, a fitness trainer and life coach, says her 14-month-old greyound mix, Seven, has been exhibiting the behavior for seven months. While her horse, Buzz, tolerates Seven’s yapping and nipping, Michaels was worried that it could lead to the dog getting hurt or even killed.
Millan solves the problem in a matter of seconds, climbing on back of Michaels’ horse, and simply leading the dog along on a leash. That, Millan says, gives the dog a purpose — following along — and brings the barking and nipping to an immediate halt. In time, Millan predicts, Seven will learn to walk alongside the horse without a leash.
Tonight’s show also features Sara, a German shorthaired pointer prone to escaping, and a Yorkshire terrier named Madeliene who reacts adversely to brooms and windshield wipers.
The episode airs at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel.
