The little dog that roared

The September release of the Disney movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua is several months away, but already city streets are decorated with dynamically-designed promotional posters featuring the imposing image of a larger-than-life Chihuahua with the legend "Heel."  

Meanwhile, YouTube features a teaser video showcasing a rebellious, opinionated gang of tough Chihuahuas, whose don't-mess-with-me leader "Papi," voiced by George Lopez, utters the fighting words "No mas!"  

Judging by this video and Disney's exuberant trailer, Beverly Hills Chihuahua is going to be muy fun.

The comedy-adventure - whose tag line goes, "50% Warrior. 50% Lover. 100% Chihuahua" - tells the story of Chloe, a ritzy 90210 pet who gets lost while on vacation in Mexico. Drew Barrymore provides the voice of Chloe, the dog of the title; other vocal talents include Salma Hayek, Edward James Olmos, Jamie Lee Curtis, Andy Garcia, Placido Domingo, and Cheech Marin.
 

Permalink Post a Comment

Uno the flying top dog

Since winning the top-dog title at Westminster in February, Uno the Beagle has been one jet-setting pet. He flies across the country so much, he's looking to outdo Underdog for sheer amount of time spent in the air.  

Uno has racked up an impressive number of frequent flyer miles on Midwest Airlines, which offers the perk to pets as well as people. Normally, pets too large to fit in an airline-approved underseat carrier must fly in cargo. Not Uno, however, whose celebrity status, impeccable manners, and good looks have earned him the special privilege of his very own seat in the cabin, alongside the mere humans.  

The beguiling Beagle's latest trip was to the White House and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where Uno lifted the spirits of the brave patients in residence. The four-footed VIP's in-flight companion was a VIP herself: Midwest executive Susan Kerwin, who arranged that Uno's seat be customized with a doggie harness for safety. "The focus of Midwest's 'Premier Pet' program is the safety and comfort of all pets, famous or not," Kerwin says.

Kerwin is a breeder of champion English Setters so she knows first-hand what a traveling show-dog needs. Says her fan David Frei, co-host of the Westminster broadcast, who travels with Uno as part of his entourage, "After years of managing her own dogs as an accomplished breeder-owner-handler, Susan understands all the nuances of air travel for dogs, which is great for us. With her there to pave the way, and with the 'Premier Pet' program that she designed, we feel we're in good hands." 

Permalink Post a Comment

At the dog park, dogs and their doppelgangers

A recent picture-perfect day at the dog park included meeting (or in DD's case, leaping aerobically over) a group of extremely friendly dogs, many of whom closely resembled their people.  

Exhibit A: Rana the blue Weimaraner, who is the canine equivalent of her person: slender, dark, short-haired, and lovely. Not to mention easy to walk on leash thanks to a harness that keeps Rana at heel despite the powerfully distracting proliferation of pigeons in the vicinity.

For more ocular proof of the old saying that two halves of any couple tend to look alike, go here. 

Permalink Post a Comment

Dog lovers who like pigeons are a breed apart

In crowded cities like New York, dogs and pigeons cross paths on a regular basis. In fact, you can usually gauge the force of a dog's prey drive by how attentive s/he is to these ubiquitous bobble-headed birds.  

My former foster dog Syd used to go airborne after pigeons (fortunately he never so much as touched one despite his best efforts). My dog Angus has an unfortunate tendency to stalk pigeons, who always manage to stay two steps ahead of his laughable attempts to run them to ground.  

Meanwhile, my dog Pepper has a stomach-churning taste for pigeon poop, and she is wildly allergic to most ingestible substances, so I have to be extra-careful of sidewalks decorated with droppings, or she will not hesitate to lick them right up and risk an adverse reaction.  

This pigeon prattle is occasioned by a fascinating blog dedicated to this bird's many contributions to history and culture. Reading it will give anyone new respect for pigeons.

The blog's many links are fascinating too; one of them lists famous pigeon fanciers. Among the pigeon people who also happen to be serious dog people are England's Queen Elizabeth, who has lofts and pigeon keepers at her estate in Sandringham, and American cinematic royalty Joanne Woodward and her husband Paul Newman of delicious dog-food fame.

Permalink Post a Comment

Meet a dog named Harpo who needs a home

How does a dog get a distinctive name like Harpo? In the case of a pink-nosed, sweet-as-sugar female pit bull temporarily named Sweetie Pye, pulled last weekend from Animal Care and Control of New York City, she gets it by playing a squeaky toy as if it were a musical instrument.  

An adorable creature who doesn't speak, but carries something that squeaks - remind you of anyone? Like, Harpo of Marx Brothers fame?  

But New York dog rescuer Deb DiIorio had another, even more famous person top of mind when she renamed Sweetie Pye: Oprah Winfrey, who deserves a humanitarian award for featuring the rescue efforts of the Richmond SPCA on her show earlier this week. Oprah's production company is her name spelled backwards - Harpo Productions - so Harpo the dog is so named as a tribute to Oprah.

To adopt this K9 sweetheart - and make beautiful music together - email jszabo@fetchdog.com.  

Permalink Post a Comment