• I know that you want a health update. I’m still kicking but very tired and lethargic. No wonder because I stopped eating about a week ago (still drinking some water). I have been offered hot dogs, hamburger meat, chicken and even filet mignon (I deserve it) but nothing appeals to me. I would probably be better if I could eat but just not happening.
Thanks to those of you who have made suggestions about what to feed me and your concerns. Even though I am not a religious dog thanks for you who have offered your prayers. My vet always said that I should go on a diet but not this way.
I have also stopped barking so can’t tell the family when I need to go outside.
I’m still walking around the house with my head up and spending time in several different rooms so still very petable and lovable.
Hopefully I will make it to another issue but just don’t know. I will be 15 in May so would be nice if that would happen.
I’ve had a real good life living with wonderful people and Savana for the last six years. They even let me sleep in bed with them but I haven’t been able to jump in bed for a while so I need to be picked up which doesn’t go over too big if I decide it’s time to get in bed at 3am.
I am told that my article will continue in the Breeze in my memory so I will still be with you in your hearts and minds.
I want to thank my editor for hiring me to write my article (he did get a good deal though just paying me in dog treats). And all of my readers and friends that I have made and especially Scampclub members. To Victoria Usher for helping with some of my columns and to my sponsors who help make the Ventura Breeze possible.
• Dear Scamp:
I hope SPAN has time to tell you how much we enjoyed your part of the Breeze. You have been an entertainment and teaching lesson to all who love animals.
Not too long ago SPAN said good bye to our mascot and best fur-ever friend. It was a heart ache I am afraid we will repeat one day, as our furry friends never live long enough.
SPAN had to say good bye to Gizmo, but with the help of the doctors at Ventura Vet is was less painful.
SPAN has adopted a new little girl kitty (see the photo of Cielo), not a kitten, not an adult, but a teen.
She is starting to help fill the hole left when we lost Gizmo. It will take time.
We wish you many more months of love.
• A “howlingly funny canine comedy” SYLVIA opens at the Rubicon Theatre on April 19. Always fun to have a play about a dog but don’t be disappointed the dog is an actor.
• In honor of National Police Week, the National Police Dog Foundation(NPDF) honors all K-9s that have fallen in the line of duty during 2016. In an effort to showcase their appreciation for these K-9s, the NPDF will send each of their department heads a letter of remembrance for their fallen K-9. They will also receive a copy of the iconic photograph of a K-9 in front of the Law Enforcement Memorial Wall. The photo is from the art photography book Solemn Vow, taken by well-known author/photographer Jim Corbett. Jim donates all proceeds of the book to the aid of active and retired K-9s. The department heads will make a presentation, on behalf of the NPDF, to the handler of each fallen K-9 as tokens of our gratitude for their service.
Ventura has four K-9 officers and handlers who do a great job protecting us from the bad guys.
• We know that dogs have a guilty look, but can they actually be guilty? Well, according to this study, the answer is… kind of. Here, researchers show that dogs are capable of “deceptive-like behavior.” In a set of experiments, dogs tended to lead a human “competitor” away from food when that human would keep it for himself. However, the same dogs happily lead their “cooperative” owner to the noms, who would give the food to the dog. Bad dog!
“Deception, the use of false signals to modify the behavior of the receiver, occurs in low frequencies even in stable signaling systems. For example, it can be advantageous for subordinate individuals to deceive in competitive situations. We investigated in a three-way choice task whether dogs are able to mislead a human competitor, i.e. if they are capable of tactical deception. During training, dogs experienced the role of their owner, as always being cooperative, and two unfamiliar humans, one acting ‘cooperatively’ by giving food and the other being ‘competitive’ and keeping the food for themselves. During the test, the dog had the options to lead one of these partners to one of the three potential food locations: one contained a favored food item, the other a non-preferred food item and the third remained empty. After having led one of the partners, the dog always had the possibility of leading its cooperative owner to one of the food locations. Therefore, a dog would have a direct benefit from misleading the competitive partner since it would then get another chance to receive the preferred food from the owner. On the first test day, the dogs led the cooperative partner to the preferred food box more often than expected by chance and more often than the competitive partner. On the second day, they even led the competitive partner less often to the preferred food than expected by chance and more often to the empty box than the cooperative partner. These results show that dogs distinguished between the cooperative and the competitive partner, and indicate the flexibility of dogs to adjust their behavior and that they are able to use tactical deception.”
The Humane Society of Ventura County has hired Greg A. Cooper as its Community Liaison.
As community liaison, Cooper will coordinate speaking engagements, media briefings and requests. He also will oversee charitable giving programs and donor cultivation for the HSVC and its operations.
Cooper began his relationship with the HSVC in 1990 while working as a photographer for the Ojai Valley News. Since then, Cooper has worked as a volunteer photographer for the shelter documenting their animals, staff, facilities and fundraising events such as the annual Santa Paws.
Cooper, a native of Ojai, graduated in May 1996 from Western Kentucky University with a double major in photojournalism and anthropology.Prior to his experience with Western Kentucky, Cooper was hooked by photojournalism in 1988 while attending classes at Ventura College. He would spend the next eight years finishing up an associate’s degree, traveling abroad, working part-time in photo labs, shooting freelance and working as a staff photographer.
Chad passed on at 17. He received eight flower arrangements, over 70 condolence cards and contributions to all the places he worked as a therapy dog including Foster Library Paws for Reading where dogs and humans volunteer to have children read to them. Chad’s buddy Livi is a little out of sorts, so her humans are keeping her busy working at the VA and the hospital and library as a service dog. This wonderful family have three dog tags on the memorial at EP Foster from the Paws For Reading program, Magic, Nina, and now Chad.
