Is American Kennel Club doing enough to protect animals that get its seal of approval

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from: today.com

New accusations that one of the country's largest organizations dedicated to dogs, the American Kennel Club, isn't doing enough to protect animals. TODAY National Investigative Correspondent Jeff Rossen reports.

When you go to buy a puppy, you want it to be happy, healthy and well-treated. A lot of people count on the American Kennel Club to find a breeder. When you see that AKC seal, you think to yourself: "I'm getting a good dog." But we've discovered disgusting conditions and sick dogs at AKC-registered operations.

The Westminster Dog Show is the epitome of canine perfection, and the American Kennel Club is proud to oversee it, calling itself "the dog's champion," registering puppies with official papers and inspecting breeders "to ensure proper care and conditions." Many dog owners count on it, looking for that seal before purchasing a puppy.

But critics say there's an ugly reality you don't see: Some AKC breeders raising diseased dogs, malnourished, living in their own filth. It's so disturbing that now two of the country's largest animal welfare groups, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society, are condemning the AKC.

We asked Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States: "If I'm looking to buy a dog and I see it has been AKC-inspected, AKC-registered, does that mean I'm getting a good dog?"

"Absolutely not. It really is just a piece of paper without any value for dog welfare," Pacelle told us.

Lillian Devera thought she was buying a dog from reputable breeder, impressed by an ad saying they were "AKC-inspected." "I assumed automatically I was getting a very healthy dog that was coming from a quality kennel," she told us.

"What did you end up getting?" we asked.

"A very sick puppy." Sick, she said, with intestinal parasites, an upper respiratory infection and a congenital eye defect. But records show the AKC had just inspected that kennel weeks earlier, and found them "in compliance.

To read more click here. 

Map of most dangerous dogs -- akin to sex offender registry -- debuts in Tennessee

from dogster.com:

by Michael Leaverton  

Last week, the Knox County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee unveiled its "dangerous dog map," which lists dogs that a judge has deemed dangerous. It's important to note that the map features only court-designated dangerous dogs, which are dogs cited by the court and found guilty of aggression, biting, or killing another animal. 

It works like an online sex-offender registry. The map shows not only where the dogs live, but also what they did and what they look like. 

"We felt responsible to tell the public about dogs that were classified as dangerous," Knox County Sheriff's Office Capt. Robert Hubbs told WBIR.com.

He says that many times owners don't comply with court orders -- some allow their dogs to run free despite a judge's instructions to keep the dog leashed. That, he claims, puts neighbors in danger. 

"It's not just about that dog and that individual. It extends to the kids in the neighborhood and other animals. Bottom line, we don't want anyone else bit. We don't want anyone else's animal killed," he said.

Knox County is a relatively small area, and only about a dozen dogs are on the map. But already it has become controversial. 

Vernita Law says her Boxer, Sassy, shouldn't be on the list. She says her dog has been wrongly accused and didn't bite anyone. Here's Sassy's profile: 

Click here to read more. 

If your old dog needed $6000 in surgery what would you do?

photo by Morgan Yang

Max at his owners' wedding in 2011, well before his gallbladder became a life-threatening problem.

from: dogster.com

This week, Roz Warren -- a mild-mannered librarian, humorist and dog lover -- wrote a piece for the New York Times about the price one is willing to pay to save a sick elderly dog. 

In her case, she was paying for her son's 13-year-old Bichon Frise, who needed emergency gallbladder surgery, which carried a 30 percent chance of life-threatening post-op complications. The surgery cost $6,000. If it was successful, it would give the old dog maybe two more years.

Bichon resting by Shutterstock.

 Warren writes of the dog owners, "Tom and Amy are crazy about these dogs, so much so that when they married, both Bichons were included in the ceremony. Max, part of Amy’s life since her folks brought him home when she was 12, was the ring bearer. Jack was the 'flower dog.'

"Jack and Max aren’t just dogs," she continues, "they’re regarded as beloved family members. And when a beloved family member needs life-saving surgery, you don’t sit back and 'let nature take its course.' You take him to a hospital." 

The author immediately volunteered to pay a third of the cost, knowing how much the dog meant to everybody. Then she told her friends. Opinion was mixed. 

“He’s an old dog,” one chided. “You’re missing an opportunity to teach your son a valuable life lesson. There comes a time when you have to let go.”

Another said she'd do the same "in a heartbeat." 

Another said, “When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. You grieve. Then you get another dog. Preferably from a shelter.”

Regardless, the family took the dog in for surgery. Unfortunately, there were complications. “Max came through the operation beautifully,” the vet told them. “But his gall bladder had already ruptured.”

And yet Max not only survived, but thrived. After spending 24 hours in the canine intensive-care unit, with his own round-the-clock I.C.U. nurse, he bounced back quickly. 

 "We paid the whopping hospital bill with no regrets. Max, alive and well, is worth every penny. Even if he hadn’t made it through, knowing that we had done all we could for him would have been worth that price." 

The story closed, and we were happy. Then we started reading the comments. There was a heck of a fight going on in there. While many shared our feelings and said they would have done the same as the author, plenty of others said that spending that kind of money on a dog was crazy. They also bashed the notion that we should even love our dogs. Here's some of them:

This article is utterly offensive. People are starving in our own country, yet Ms. Warren proudly defends spending $6,000 to attend to a dog.

I'm sorry but, I think it's disgusting to even consider spending $6,000 to save the life of a pet when there are children all around the world (including many parts of the USA) who need life-saving medical treatments or operations.

This pet obsession in America is insane. Sorry to sound insensitive, but a dog is not your child.

Pets are great, but they are not people. They don't think. They don't "love" you. They are not a replacement for humans.

Strong stuff. Also way off-base -- but that's no surprise in the hornet's nest of a major newspaper's comment section. 

We're curious what Dogster readers think, so we're bringing the same question to you that Roz Warren brought to her friends: “Would you pay $6,000 for a 70 percent chance of buying two extra years of life for an elderly dog?” And if you've had a similar experience, please tell us about it in the comments!

WTF: What the Fluff?? Oops: United Airlines Sends Dog to Ireland Instead of Phoenix

from: dogster.com

In a sad mix-up, the English Springer Spaniel clocks a staggering number of lonely air miles.

Late last week, Edith Lombardo-Albach of Staten Island, N.Y., was waiting to hear that her 6-year-old English Springer Spaniel named Hendrix had landed safety in Phoenix. Lombardo-Albach had accompanied the dog to the airport herself. He was traveling on a United Airlines flight in the cargo hold.

"They marked everything Phoenix, and put the tags on Phoenix," she told ABCNews.com.

Her daughter was waiting for the dog in Phoenix. But minutes before the plane was due to land, the airline called Edith. Hendrix would not be landing in Phoenix. 

"Originally, I thought the dog had died and I started screaming," she said.

But Hendrix was fine, or thereabout. He had just been put on the wrong plane. He was going to Ireland. 

"I almost fainted," she said. "My husband and my daughter were already at the airport waiting for the dog."

Yes, United Airlines sent a woman's dog to Ireland instead of Phoenix. The dog went exactly the wrong direction. 

United tried to console Edith, telling her "they were going to have someone clean the dog, feed the dog, walk the dog, and then they were going to get the dog back on the plane and send him to Newark."

But Edith was beside herself. "The dog had already gone seven hours to Ireland, and now the dog has a two-hour layover and then a seven-hour flight to Newark," she said. "I was insane."

Still, there was nothing to be done. Hendrix arrived in Ireland, got his walk -- and hopefully some pets and scratches -- then boarded another plane and flew back to New York. Edith met the dog at the airport at 11 a.m. and stayed with him until his 5 p.m. flight to Phoenix. Edith made sure Hendrix was on the right flight this time. 

"They boarded him the last possible minute they could," she said. "I stayed and watched them physically put the dog on the plane."

Hendrix wasn't too happy about the whole thing. 

"He was fighting me to put him into the crate. That's just not like him," she said.

What did the airline give Edith in exchange? A refund! 

"This was a major failure on United's part," Edith said. "He's a member of my family."

United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy rushed to assure pet parents that the airline is not as incompetent as all get out.

"Hendrix's experience is not typical of the service we provide to the more than 100,000 pets who travel with us every year," she told ABCNews.com.

We're not so sure. Let's let our previous United Airlines coverage concerning dogs speak to how well it handles pets: 

• How's This for Sky-High Breedism: United Airlines Bans Eight Dog Breeds
• United Airlines Drops Ban on 9 "Dangerous Breeds"
• Supermodel Maggie Rizer: "United Airlines Killed Our Golden Retriever, Bea"
• Disabled Veteran Mistreated by United Airlines

Posted in IN THE NEWS, STRANGER THAN FICTION, WHAT THE FLUFF?

Herman: A county attorney and his dog — and the attorney general

Herman: A county attorney and his dog — and the attorney general

It must be Spring in Austin: 15th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk this Saturday

from: 15th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Help us win these world records with YOUR dog:

Day: Sat., March 23 2013

Time: 10:00 am (Exhibits open at 9:00am)

Where:  Auditorium Shores, Austin, TX

What: A beautiful 1 mile stroll around scenic Lady Bird Johnson Lake + Doggie World Record Attempts, games, free samples & more!

Why:

• Help celebrate Texas Hearing and Service Dogs’ 25th anniversary of Turning Strays Into Stars!  Over 700 shelter dogs given a New Leash on Life!
• Make history with your dog with new World Record wins!
• Take home TONS of free samples of the best products for your pooch!
• Be the first to see the new Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, renamed Service Dogs, Inc!

Admission:

Online through March 22, 2013, By Mail:                  $30/Dog
Day of Event, On-site:                                  $35/Dog

 How:

Online ($30/Dog)

Through Friday, March 22, 5:00 PM

Register Here

By Mail ($30/Dog):

Postmarked by
Friday, March 15, 2013

Mail To:
Texas Hearing &
Service Dogs
4803 Rutherglen
Austin, TX 78749

In Person ($35/dog):

Sat March 16
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Healthy Pet
4301 W. Wm Cannon
Austin, TX 78749
(512) 892-8848

Thurs, Fri, March 21, 22
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Petco ls Trail (Austin Arboretum)
(512) 345-2355

Petco
5601 Brodie Lane, Sunset Valley
(512) 892-7804

Day of Event Registration:

On-Site:

$35/Dog

March 23, 2013, 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration Tent (the big white one!)

Four-legged warriors show signs of PTSD

For years, PTSD — or post-traumatic stress disorder — has been an issue for

 military members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. But humans aren't the 

only ones with problems. Military dogs returning from war zones are also showing 

signs of PTSD. Read the story from: npr.org