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.
 

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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." 

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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. 

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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.

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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.  

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A boy's fetching poem about his dog

On this, the last day of National Poetry Month, FetchDog friend Raphael Pierson-Sante, age 8, gave us this minimalist free verse about his dog Nelly.

Look out, New Yorker poets: this pre-teen polymath does his own drawings, too.

If I Were My Dog
 
If I were Nelly, I might not get up and beg
For my food or steal from the counter

If I were Nelly, I might not bark to go out
To romp and play and run about

But I hope I would do the good things she does,
Like kiss people when they are feeling sad.

And when I pet or stroke her,
She always returns with a loving lick.

If I were Nelly, I might do annoying things,
But I would always be forgiven.

Because I love Nelly too. 

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Raised with dogs, kids grow up allergy-free, German study finds

We already knew that dogs make kids happier and more confident, especially when tackling such challenges as learning to read - now we have scientific proof that dogs actually make children healthier, too.

As reported by Reuters, a team of scientists in Munich has found that having a dog in the house reduces the risk that young children will develop allergies.  

The scientists arrived at their conclusion after analyzing detailed questionnaires answered by parents, then testing blood samples taken from children age 6 and under for antibodies to common allergens. "Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during subjects' infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and inhaled allergens," said Joachim Heinrich of Munich's National Research Center for Environmental Health.

The group's findings, published in the European Respiratory Journal, is based on a six-year study of 9,000 kids and gives credence to the theory that growing up with a pet "trains" the immune system to be less sensitive to potential triggers for allergies like asthma, eczema, and hay fever.  

Recently, scientists have advanced the notion that it's good for children to be exposed to germs carried into the house on the animal's fur, as it helps their immune systems develop. The same beneficial effect was not seen in children who did not have a dog at home, even if they did have frequent contact with dogs outside the home.  

This is great news for animal shelters, which often take in pets surrendered by owners "because we're having a baby" yet can't find enough people to adopt because families with children are fearful of germs transmitting from dogs to kids. The data collected by the German researchers could ultimately help save the lives of shelter dogs all over the world, who would otherwise be killed for lack of available homes. 

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When Oprah Winfrey talks, dog advocates are all ears.

As reported here earlier this month, Winfrey admitted to being so moved by her special correspondent Lisa Ling's investigation of abuses at puppy mills on The Oprah Winfrey Show that she is "a changed woman."  

Winfrey's late Cocker Spaniel Sophie and Golden Retriever Gracie were both purebreds purchased from breeders, as are Winfrey's current three dogs. But Winfrey promised that from here on out her future dogs would come only from animal shelters. "I would never, ever adopt another pet now without going to a shelter to do it," she said. Now, thanks to that powerful statement, thousands of other Americans are following Winfrey's lead by making the switch from breeders to shelters.  

Today, as part of a follow-up to that important puppy-mill expose, Oprah's show visits the Richmond SPCA, whose web site proudly declares, "We stand for the principle that every life is precious." The shelter has rescued numerous dogs from appalling situations at Virginia puppy mills, successfully rehabilitating and rehoming them. Will one of the shelter's worthy adoptable dogs wind up as Oprah's pet? Animal advocates all over the country will be tuning in to find out!

The show airs in the Richmond area on WRIC Channel 8 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. For air times elsewhere, please check local TV listings. 

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Celebrating dogs as all-American as baseball

"We made a giant baseball card to pass out to the fans at this Sunday's Zephyrs game at New Orleans' Zephyr Field," reports FetchDog friend Ken Foster. "It's the annual Bark in the Park event, with special seating for people with dogs and proceeds going to the Lousiana SPCA."

"The team asked me to throw out the ball with my own dog, who's called Zephyr," Foster adds, "But I said I'd only do it if I could bring a bunch of pit bulls on the field with me. They said 'sure'."  

Missing no opportunity to promote adoptable pits  - Foster is a huge fan and advocate of the all-American Pit Bull Terrier as well as the author of the acclaimed The Dogs Who Found Me and Dogs I Have Met - Foster invites those who must miss this Sunday's game to buy the poster here.

The back of the poster features links to such worthy pro-pit organizations as Animal Farm Foundation, Bad Rap, Pit Bull Rescue Central, Law Dogs, and the National Canine Research Council.

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On TV tonight, Jack the dog goes operatic

FetchDog friend Joanna Doster gives us the heads up that her magnificent Maltese Jumpin' Jack Flash, a.k.a. Jack, will appear in tonight's telecast of Puccini's Manon Lescaut, a lavish production of the Metropolitan Opera.

"Jack - excuse me, Jacques - is presented on stage to the lead, world-famous Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, as a present, and she responds lovingly," Doster says. "She is an avid animal lover, having grown up on a farm in Finland, and went backstage a lot to bring carrots for the horses that appear in the opera - and for Jack, when she found out that he adores carrots."

Although he does not sing, Jack is a performer with an impressive resume. His career is managed by the prestigious All Tame Animals agency, which often supplies performing animals for Met Opera productions.

Manon Lescaut will air on PBS stations all over the country tonight at 8 p.m.

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On visit to NYC, dog is thrown off bridge, survives

Yesterday, Animal Care and Control of New York City took in a handsome pit bull that had been thrown off a bridge in upper Manhattan and left to die. The dog sustained serious injuries, suffering broken teeth and multiple fractures, but is expected to recover.

Happily, the shelter - which already has dozens of eligible pit bulls available for adoption - does not have to find a new home for this one, whose name is Kato. That's because Kato's owner, Jamese Robinson, who was visiting from Georgia when Kato ran out of her sister's house, filed a lost dog report with Animal Care and Control, which resulted in their swift reunion.  

When Robinson went to visit her beloved dog, vet hospital staff warned her that he was in bad shape, so she wouldn't be shocked. Kato was groggy from serious pain-management medication, so it took him a minute to recognize his owner. Once he did, he was very happy to see her - and she was overjoyed to have him back.

"We applaud AC&C for its determination to reunite Kato and Jamese," said Jane Hoffman of the Mayor's Alliance for New York City's Animals. "Thanks to the Mayor's Alliance Picasso Veterinary Fund we were able, when called by AC&C, to have Kato sent to Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists to get the emergency care he needed to pull through this ordeal." 

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Dog lovers celebrate Earth Day

For dogs, every day is a celebration of the Earth and its pleasures - especially terriers, who love to commune with earth by digging in it. 

But today we humans have designated Earth Day, so many dog lovers are celebrating by doing one small thing to help ensure the longevity of our home planet.  

Did you know that plastic bags take over 100 years to begin to degrade? They cannot be composted, and less than 2 percent of plastic bags ever get recycled - they end up littering the world's streets and waterways.  

One simple thing all dog lovers can do to help preserve planet Earth is to pick up after pets with bags made of cornstarch, which are 100 percent biodegradable and compostable.

Already, several dog parks provide biodegradable bags for owners' scooping convenience - let's all lobby our local dog-park supervisors to do the same. 

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Queens dog shelter seeks generous benefactor ASAP

On April 4th, Queens animal shelter Bobbi and the Strays learned it had placed number 20 out of 973 shelters across the country in ZooToo's nationwide Shelter Makeover Contest, making it a finalist for the contest's top prize of $1 million - and the only shelter in the New York metropolitan area to make ZooToo's Top 20. On April 8th, ZooToo founder Richard Thompson visited the shelter - a halfway house for some 36 homeless dogs - and presented founder Bobbi Giordano with an award.  

The winning shelter, to be announced the third week of May, gets a $1 million makeover. But the lease on the space at the JFK Vetport rented by Bobbi and the Strays since 1996 is up in one year, when the Port Authority plans to tear down the building. Giordano has been diligently looking for affordable space - but sadly, as reported last week in the New York Post, ZooToo informed her that, unless she could find a new place by Monday, May 12th at the latest, her shelter would be out of the running for the million-dollar top prize.  

Now the shelter that has successfully placed over 1,000 homeless dogs and cats in permanent homes is desperately seeing a home of its own. Giordano is appealing to the City's animal lovers to donate or rent out property to shelter her adoptable animals. "We desperately need help before it's too late," Giordano says. "We can save so many more dogs' lives - but we need a generous benefactor."  

The ideal property would be a 6,000-square-foot commercial building with outdoor space for putting up dog runs to exercise the adoptable dogs - or roof space to convert into an outdoor run. Because Giordano and most of her 50 volunteers are Queens residents, she'd prefer that the property be in Queens or Long Island City. Move-in condition or fixer-upper, anything would be greatly appreciated.  

"If we had our own place, we could definitely take in more dogs," says shelter manager Laura Miller, pictured in the photo with a handsome adoptable pit bull named Bones. "Plus we could improve things for our existing dogs."

To contact the shelter or to make a donation, go here.
 

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Dog rescuer responds to cruel "art" exhibit with kindness

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Veggies help overweight dogs get slim, fast

Now that my white pit bull Angus has successfully shed his excess tonnage, whittled his waist, and maintained his fighting weight for several months straight, my sable Border Collie Sheba has managed to go and wreck her girlish figure, surreptitiously supplementing her high-protein, grain-free diet with hefty helpings of corn. How did she manage this? By grazing on my cats' litter,  which is made of corn, which is known to fatten pigs and other animals whose snacking habits resemble those of pigs.  

So it's back to the organic frozen vegetable routine: boiling up twice-daily servings of cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans for Sheba, garnished with small servings of high-protein kibble. Sniffing Sheba's custom-blended breakfast and supper, Angus appears to crave veggies, so his kibble is garnished with small helpings from Sheba's stash.  

Celebrity chef Rachael Ray also enjoys cooking for her dog Isaboo, a pit bull who happens to be young, healthy, and in great shape. This month, Ray's web site shares her recipe for Pet Friendly Carrots-and-Peas Orzo. It looks like the ultimate mouthwatering comfort food for pets and people to share, but if your dog needs to melt off some pounds, this is not the ideal diet: orzo is pasta, and pasta's a carb that packs on pounds almost as quickly as corn.  

Also, for dogs who are fighting cancer, like my black pit bull, Sam, peas and carrots off-menu items because they're sweet; cancer thrives on sugar, so these two veggies are best avoided (as are sweet potatoes). Ray's recipe also calls for an optional drizzle of honey, another ingredient that's best avoided by dogs with cancer.

For more ideas on recipes that pets and people can share, including Sam's Chicken Soup, check out my book Bow Wow Chow.

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Stray dog deliberately starved to death in sadistic "art exhibit"

Animal lovers were outraged to learn that self-described "artist" Guillermo Vargas, a.k.a. Habacuc's entry last September in Costa Rica's Bienal Centroamericana Honduras, a.k.a. Visual Arts Biennial, a.k.a. Bienarte, was an injured, emaciated stray dog he took off the street in Managua, Nicaragua, and tethered to a gallery wall.  

As visitors walked through the gallery, the dog slowly died of starvation. Not one person who stopped to look at the animal offered food, water, or comfort. As shocking photographs of the spectacle reveal, a nearby gallery wall was decorated with pieces of kibble arranged to form letters spelling the phrase "eres lo que lees" ("you are what you read").

The "artist" is invited to repeat this unspeakable act of cruelty at this year's upcoming Bienarte. On YouTube, a video and slideshow urge viewers to sign a petition that is currently circulating online, asking that Habacuc be prevented from a repeat performance. 

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Laika, first dog in space, honored five decades later

As reported by Associated Press, last Friday Russian officials unveiled a monument to the space pioneer who made the ultimate sacrifice in paving the way for human exploration of the cosmos. Laika, a 2-year-old female mongrel, was the first living creature to go into orbit, an experiment to see how a complex organism would react to spaceflight. The Soviet space program used exclusively small, stray mutts picked up on the streets of Moscow.

The monument is located near a military research facility in Moscow where Laika was prepared for her historic flight. Sputnik 2 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Nov. 3, 1957, less than one month after the launch of Sputnik, the world's first artificial space satellite.  

Nicknamed "Muttnik" by the American press, Laika was harnessed into the capsule with no room to move and tethered to a life-support system, her vital signs monitored by electrodes. The capsule was rigged with food and water, but it was not designed for recovery. The eyes of the world were on this launch, and with Cold War pressure mounting there wasn't enough time to design a re-entry vehicle. The little dog was doomed.  

Technical problems just prior to launch meant that Laika waited three days in the capsule. "Laika was quiet and charming," said cosmonaut Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky. Before taking her to the launch pad, Yazdovsky took Laika home to play with his children. "I wanted to do something nice for her. She had so little time left to live," he recalled.  

When the capsule reached orbit, doctors discovered that the dog's heartbeat and blood pressure were normal. The plan was to euthanize her with a programmed injection, but Laika died of overheating and asphyxiation. Sputnik 2 re-entered the atmosphere in April 1958; the capsule and its passenger were incinerated.  

In 1998, Oleg Gazenko, the scientist who selected and trained Laika, said at a Moscow news conference, "Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. We treat them like babies who cannot speak. The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We shouldn't have done it. We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog."  

Sadly, more dogs would die in failed launches until August 1960, when two more female mutts, Strelka and Belka, orbited Earth eighteen times aboard Sputnik 5 and returned safely to Earth. After sending more dogs into space, the Soviet Union put cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the world's first human, into space on April 12, 1961.

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Guarding dogs' safety, indoors and out

Living with dogs inevitably makes one concerned about hidden dangers to dogs and other safety issues. As Spring rapidly becomes less of a date on the calendar and more of a glorious season in bloom, safety in the garden is also a timely top priority, from the POV of protecting dogs from toxic plants as well as protecting your garden from overeager diggers, especially terriers.  

But what about apartment tenants whose landlords tell them to give up their dogs or risk losing their home? Currently, that's a very real dilemma for many residents of New York City, where the law defends landlords seeking to evict elderly tenants on the grounds that the tenant replaced a longtime pet who died with a new pet.  

This past Saturday, the League of Humane Voters of New York City, Council Member Tony Avella, and nearly 200 animal advocates gathered on the steps of City Hall to announce Avella's submission of a Sponsor's Privilege Request asking the Speaker of the City Council, Christine C. Quinn, and Chair of the Housing and Buildings Committee, Erik Martin Dilan, to schedule a hearing on the longstanding "Pets in Housing" Bill, which would clarify the rights of pet owners in multiple dwellings (a.k.a. apartment buildings). The bill was introduced in 2006 and would restore the original intent of the law for rental tenants in multiple dwellings by providing that once the no-pet clause is waived for one pet, the rental tenant may replace that pet or pets without being subjects to eviction for violating the no-pet lease clause.  

"This legislation will limit the displacement of people who move in order to keep pets and provide much needed homes for animals at shelters who might otherwise be euthanized due to the lack of available homes," Avella said. Animal advocates hope that City Council Speaker Quinn will pass the pets-in-housing bill as soon as possible. In the meantime, to find out where New York's political leaders stand on animal issues, go here.

For those tenants of multiple dwellings who fear that landlords might evict them for causing a nuisance of "pet odor," real or imagined, Febreze has a new product that recently won an endorsement from the ASPCA: Pet Odor Eliminator. Whether or not one's pets smell, a daily spritz on the hallway carpet outside one's apartment door (never on the animal) could go a long way toward protecting and preserving a dog's tenancy, as the scent is a familiar one that says "clean" to lots of fussy people. 

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The little dog shelter that could

One reason animal shelters don't get a lot of traffic is many people fear that visiting will be a downer. To combat this widespread misperception, and to help solve the crisis of pet homelessness, Zootoo devised a brilliant plan: sponsor a nationwide Shelter Makeover Contest. The winning shelter will receive a $1 million grant to spruce up its facility, enabling it to save more lives by making it more inviting to potential adopters.  

After the contest was covered in The New York Times and many other media outlets, animal lovers all over the country rose to the challenge of nominating their favorite local shelter. Now the top 20 finalists in the running have been announced, and Little Shelter in Huntington, N.Y. - Suffolk County's oldest humane society, dedicated to saving animals since 1927 - has finished fourth out of the 947 shelters around the country that entered the contest. Tomorrow, on the first stop of Zootoo's tour to visit all 20 finalists, Little Shelter and its home base, the Town of Huntington, will be presented an award.  

"Little Shelter does big things" has always been a motto of this pillar of the Long Island community; one of the shelter's many outreach programs is a dog food delivery service that helps the pets of low-income families in need. Little wonder Little Shelter counts among its celebrity fans Sir Elton John, the actors Richard Belzer and John O'Hurley, and the entrepreneur Ivanka Trump, all of whom have appeared with adoptable dogs in pro-bono advertisements for the shelter.

Now Little Shelter could achieve national prominence, and that's great news for the dogs who live there while they await permanent homes. One of them is a sweet pit bull named Ingrid who has a heart condition that necessitates taking a daily dose of sildenafil citrate. One of the primary benefits of this drug, a.k.a. Viagra, is to help patients with high blood pressure. 

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Oprah vows to adopt her next dog from an animal shelter

As major as her talent is for talking, here's proof that Oprah Winfrey is also big on listening: For some time now, advocates of shelter animals across the country have pleaded in letters, emails, and blog postings that Winfrey consider adopting a homeless dog instead of buying from breeders. And on her TV show tomorrow, Winfrey will reveal what finally converted her.  

As reported by Associated Press, today's episode of Oprah features special correspondent Lisa Ling's investigation of abuses at puppy mills, which Ling calls "horrific." Winfrey has dedicated the show to her Cocker Spaniel Sophie, who died last month of kidney failure at age 13. Winfrey wrote movingly in the July 2007 issue of O Magazine about another member of her dog family, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever named Gracie who died after choking on a ball.

Sophie, Gracie, and Winfrey's current three dogs all came from breeders, but she promises that from here on out she will adopt only from animal shelters. "I would never, ever adopt another pet now without going to a shelter to do it," Winfrey says. "I am a changed woman after seeing this show."

Her position is bound to influence her dog-loving viewers in no small way. In doing so, it will raise awareness of the millions of dogs awaiting homes in our country's shelters, increase adoptions, and decrease the number of dogs killed for lack of cage space. Winfrey's stance on this issue could be just what it takes to help offset the recent, dramatic rise in animal deaths resulting from the mortgage foreclosure crisis.

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Brunfelsia plant is toxic to dogs, ASPCA warns

Now there's a new hidden danger for dog lovers to be concerned about: According to a study by Dr. Safdar Khan, veterinary toxicologist for the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, Brunfelsia, a favorite of many gardeners, may cause life-threatening illnesses in dogs and cats.  

Also known as "Morning, Noon, and Night" or "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," this ornamental, purple-flowered plant thrives outdoors in warmer climates, or year-round in pots. But it's toxic at all times: "If pets consume any part of the plant, they can become ill within hours and develop gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as tremors, seizures, and muscle rigidity that makes the animal appear to be in a 'sawhorse' stance, closely resembling the signs of ingestion of the once-common rodent poison, strychnine," explains Dr. Khan. "Brunfelsia toxicity can progress very rapidly to a potentially lethal situation, so it's critical that pet parents seek immediate veterinary care."  

The ASPCA discovered that dogs seem to be particularly attracted to the plant's seeds and berries. "The most commonly affected breeds are Labradors and Golden retrievers," warns Dr. Steven Hansen, director of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, which has treated 38 cases, mostly from California, involving 42 dogs; three of them died as a result of ingesting the plant.

Dog-loving gardeners should replace this beautiful but deadly plant with a non-toxic alternative; for the ASPCA's suggestions, go here.

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Kong toy saves senior dog at Mississippi animal shelter

The Humane Society of South Mississippi made history as the animal shelter where director Joe Camp ended his nationwide search for a mutt to star in the 2004 sequel to his 1970s classic of canine cinema, Benji. Now the shelter is making headlines again as the location of a Hollywood-style happy ending for a senior dog previously feared unadoptable.

A mixed-breed named Easy Boy was feeling dejected, and wouldn't lift his head when potential adopters stopped by the door of his run. Shelter staffers worried about his dwindling chances of finding a home. Then they discovered what makes him come alive: a durable, rubber Kong toy.

By the time Bryan Ladnier and his wife saw the dog, "He was alert and active," Ladnier recalls, "and as soon as he caught my eye, he grabbed the toy lying in front of him and brought it to the gate." Wagging his tail hopefully, Easy Boy made eye contact with Ladnier, and resistance was futile. "We took him for a short walk," Ladnier says, "and the decision was sealed."

Easy Boy now shares his new home with six other rescued dogs and one little girl. "My daughter is always happy to keep him chasing after his Kong," Ladnier says. "It's the same toy he carried in his mouth the day we found him." 

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Poems about dogs are not doggerel

April is National Poetry Month, established in 1996 and now the world's largest literary celebration. To mark the occasion, tonight the Academy of American Poets hosts its sixth annual benefit, Poetry & The Creative Mind, at New York's Avery Fisher Hall (for tickets, go here).

At last year's event, Glenn Close read poems by Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Frost; her fellow readers included Lauren Bacall, Alfre Woodard, Patrick Wilson, Dianne Wiest, and Ethan Hawke.

The term doggerel was historically applied to less-than-stellar verse, and yet many of the greatest poets, from Lord Byron to Billy Collins, have penned unforgettable verses about beloved canines.

Poems about dogs are not doggerel - unless, of course, they are deliberately written to appear so by the master of this practice, Ogden Nash.

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Dogs avoid harm in fire on Manhattan's Upper East Side

Last night I got the scare of my life when, walking home, I noticed huge, black clouds of smoke billowing over my block. Picking up my pace to a run, I raced home, where my dogs had been left unattended for about three hours. A three-alarm fire had broken out on the top floor of the building two doors away from mine, and threatened to spread to the adjacent building.  

It took about 150 firefighters to prevent the fire from moving to the neighboring structure.

The entire block was sealed off and guarded by police as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, which displaced about 35 people. At either end of the block were fire trucks, police cars, and vehicles from the Red Cross and Salvation Army. Five of New York's Bravest and one civilian suffered minor injuries; no dogs were harmed.

NYPD officers on the scene didn't permit anyone back on the block until it was deemed safe - several hours later. The possibility that our building might also need to be evacuated, without me there to manage my dogs, made this an excruciating wait. Finally, people began being allowed back on the block. Residents of the buildings closest to the one that caught fire were the last to be allowed past the yellow tape. They walked through shards of broken glass that lined the sidewalk, from the many windows that wound up shattered.  

I'm grateful to report that, by the time I finally got back in to my apartment, all my dogs were fine - sneezing from the smoke that still hung in the air, but fine. I caught sight of a fellow dog lover who lives with his little Pomeranian in the building between the one that caught on fire and ours. He was standing with several fellow tenants, wrapped in a Red Cross blanket. Asked if he and his dog were OK, he nodded yes.  

As for my dogs, they showed admirable grace under pressure. Only one managed to have an accident during the long wait to get outside: my youngest, DD, who spared the wood floor by thoughtfully using my North Face jacket as a wee-wee pad. A swift pre-soak with odor extractor followed by a cold-water wash with Planet laundry detergent erased the evidence completely.  

Having the privilege of doing a mundane chore like laundry is an excellent reminder of how very lucky we are that our home was spared. 

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Clearing away obstacles to dog adoption

With the nationwide foreclosure crisis landing large numbers of dogs in already overcrowded animal shelters, adopters and foster homes are urgently needed now more than ever. And yet, many people resist bringing home a dog because of the lingering stigma that animals introduce mess into a pristine living space.  

With her multiple pets and pristine homes, FetchDog friend Martha Stewart proves that animals and stylish interiors can and do coexist. All it takes is thinking through your decorating choices so everything stays chic and ship-shape.  

If an item of furniture doesn't work for the dog, chances are it wasn't a good choice for the rest of the family, either - because if furnishings can stand up to pouncing paws, they're ready for anything anyone else can dish out (hello, kids and wine-glass-wielding guests).  

Sadly, many animals are surrendered at animal shelters "because they wrecked the furniture," when heartbreak can be easily avoided by, say, upholstering with Crypton, the ultimate pet-friendly fabric that adds fashion flavor to everything from your dog's bed to your sofa.

This topic generates frequent, lively discussion on Morning Living on Sirius Satellite Radio's Martha Stewart channel. The show's dynamic hosts, Kim Fernandez and Betsy Karetnick, both live with dogs, so they appreciate what it takes to keep a dog-friendly home looking its best: selecting and placing furniture according to Animal House rules.

Read more about those here. 

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Missing dog championed by Howard Stern returns home safe

Let it not be said that notoriously sharp-tongued Howard Stern doesn't have a soft spot when it comes to dogs. Last Wednesday, when New Yorker Jessica Kurland called in to Stern's radio show, frantically describing how she tied her 3-year-old Bulldog, Clara, outside a Manhattan supermarket, then returned a few minutes later to find the dog gone, the shock jock gave the caller a stern tongue-lashing for tying her outside.

Stern then appealed for anyone with information to step forward and help reunite Clara with her distraught owner. The self-styled "King of All Media," whose multimillion-dollar contract with Sirius Satellite Radio  makes him America's biggest radio star, offered a $3,000 reward for Clara's return, promising to keep all calls confidential.

The dognapping hit close to home for Stern, who shares his home with a Bulldog named Bianca, the best girlfriend of his live-in fiancee Beth Ostrosky. The following day, Ostrosky was quoted in the New York Post saying, "Howard and I are extremely concerned. It's a don't ask, don't tell deal. Just please return her."

Happily, Clara the Bulldog was returned to her overjoyed owner on Friday. "I am so happy," Ostrosky told FetchDog. "Everyone saw the article in the Post and we had so much support."

As for Clara, her ordeal appears to have been exhausting. "She was thirsty and she was tired; she hopped up on the couch and she was out," Kurland says. "I will never tie her up outside again, and I'm going to to be one of those people who stands next to dogs until their owners come back - then I'll tell them what happened to Clara."

Meanwhile, Devera Lynn, Vice President of Communications for Ostrosky's pet charity, North Shore Animal League America, where the future Mrs. Stern serves as celebrity spokesperson, warned dog lovers never to leave dogs outside unattended. "Before you even leave the house you should consider where you are going and if it is appropriate to even take your pet with you," Lynn cautions. "Going to a park or a beach can be fun for both you and your dog, but careful consideration should be taken if you have to run errands or be involved in an activity where your dog cannot be with you. It is not appropriate to leave your pet alone tied up in front of a store for any amount of time." 

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A puppy named Obama campaigns for a change ... of address

The speech on race that Sen. Barack Obama  delivered Tuesday in Philadelphia has inspired author, animal advocate, foster caregiver, and FetchDog friend Carole Raphaelle Davis to name her most recent rescue Obama. He's a small, black, mixed-breed pup, approximately eight months old and 14 pounds, and he's available for adoption.

Davis, who has appointed herself the dog's campaign manager, is busy sending out emails containing the following slogans: "Elect Obama the puppy into your home for 2008! He has the audacity of hope! He's sleek, he's gorgeous! He's an optimist, his tail wags a mile a minute, he's a great kisser, he's smart, he's calm, he's a good guy, and he deserves to win your heart!"

Perhaps Davis has a speechwriting career in her future. In the meantime, her cute canine candidate is a natural for Puppies 4 Obama, the online constituency that aims to harness "Puppy Power" on behalf of its pet politico. Being a black dog, Obama the pup is almost certain to experience prejudice in his lifetime - but it's hoped that his candidacy, like his namesake's, will have the power to change minds on the issue. To meet the canine Obama, contact Davis here.
 

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Mixed-breed dog is star of 29-Second Film Festival winner

There are short films and really, really short films. As reported in the Kansas City Star, the winners of the paper's 29-Second Film Festival have been announced, and Best Drama honors went to a mini-movie called "Canine Clarity."

"Joe Gleason's existential portrait of man and dog might not have been the best film of the bunch," wrote Steve Paul in the Star, "but it had a Zenlike vision, an edgy style and genuine emotional content."  

The film is a dream sequence that features a dog guru speaking telepathically with his human disciple. In it, we detect echoes of a 1975 cult classic of the canine cinema: "A Boy and His Dog," which happens to be in the FetchDog Top 20.

Except this film is decidedly less dark than "A Boy and His Dog" - and about 89 minutes shorter.  

As in the earlier, longer, more famous film, the dog star of "Canine Clarity" is a senior mutt. Half pit bull and half