(Jaime) This is a wonderful drawing of my friend Gus by Jaime Baker. If you want a nice drawing of a dog or person text Jaime at 805-794-1808 or email him at [email protected]
• The Canine Adoption and Rescue League(CARL) has announced an expanded Pooch Parade and is now accepting walker and vendor registrations for the 20th Annual Pooch Parade and Pet Expo.
The Pooch Parade is C.A.R.L.’s largest fundraiser of the year, and a major touchstone for the local rescue community. The day begins with a charity walk that leads into a large festival celebrating pets. Dozens of animal rescues, non-profits, and vendors are expected to exhibit at the beachside event.
The fundraiser is greatly expanded for its 20th consecutive year. C.A.R.L. has moved the Pet Expo to Shoreline Drive, adjacent to Surfer’s Point , the Expo has been restructured with a focus on broadening its appeal.
“The Pooch Parade is about raising funds, but it’s also about raising awareness for the plight of rescue animals,” commented C.A.R.L. President Mary Saputo.
Beer and wine will be served at the Expo for the first time, and contests, games, and activities are planned for kids.
The Pooch Parade is on May 7. To learn more about the event, register for the charity walk, or register as an exhibitor, visit http://poochparade.org.
Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) is a 501c3 registered non-profit, no-kill, all-breed dog rescue and sanctuary. Since 1996, C.A.R.L. has rescued and placed thousands of unwanted, sick, abandoned, and homeless dogs. Dogs in the adoption program are placed in pre-screened, loving and secure homes.
Sheriff Geoff Dean, Senior Deputy Shawn Pewsey, Captain Randy Downard, Tara Diller, Director-VC Animal Services, Donna Gillesby, Deputy Director-VC Animal Services, Commander Ron Nelson and Assistant Sheriff Eric Dowd at Todd Road Jail.
• This brought a smile to my face for sure. February 28th was the greatest day ever for inmates and their new best friends. A day that had been in the works for nearly two years! The day Pivot brought their first dogs into Todd Road Jail. Rusty, Brando, Lipit, and Chance all arrived and were met by the Ventura County Sheriff Office officers and others. The team of employees at VCSO & Todd Road Jail Facility have embraced Pivot’s canine educational outreach program.
The day was amazing from the moment the dogs were removed from the transport van and escorted to the lush green grass of the newly installed play yard. They were introduced to the staff, posed for a few pictures and then were greeted by their inmate friends. The morning was filled with smiles and tears of joy.
It takes courage to believe in second chances. Pivot’s program is designed for second chances, a win-win for both humans and “last chance” dogs.
Pivot’s mission is to encourage Individuals to find their voice through innovative animal literacy based programs that are designed to develop personal and vocational skills by becoming responsible, productive members of the community. Each individual student learns patience, compassion and responsibility by caring for, training, and finding forever homes for last chance shelter animals.
• Haole, Ventura’s surfing dog, will ride with Grand Marshal Mary Osborne when the St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches up Main St. on Saturday, March 11. Haole, an 8-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, wowed hundreds of thousands attending the 2017 Rose Parade as well as millions more watching on TV with his surfing skills on a float equipped with a wave machine. Haole, whose name is pronounced “Howl-ie” lets John and Kim Murphy live with him.
I am practicing dry runs getting ready for my surfing debut except that I even hate taking baths so I may never make it into the water.
• JFK Airport has debuted some of The Ark at JFK, the airport’s much-ballyhooed luxury pet terminal. The Equine & Livestock Export Center and Aviary In-Transit Quarantine, along with the “Pet Oasis.
While the first two have very specific purposes the Pet Oasis is intended as more of an all-purpose animal wellness center.
The center is amazing and offers veterinary care and basic services, provide information on travel requirements for pets, customs clearances and quarantines, making sure animals get on the right flights, along with things like micro-chipping, check-ups when animals arrive at JFK, and premium service individual animal reports available including photograph and information on activity.
• I have fresh appreciation for us dogs sniffing behavior, after reading a new book(of course I can read if I can write) “Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell,” by Alexandra Horowitz, a professor of cognitive science who runs the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College.
In it, she explains the elegant engineering of the dog’s olfactory (I’ve never worked in a factory)system and how familiar canine behaviors like licking, sneezing and tail-wagging have associations with smell.
Her dog is Finn (short for Finnegan)an affable, glossy black 9-year-old mixed breed.
“There are many ways to sniff, and the human method is not the best,” Dr. Horowitz said. Sniff researchers (ya really) have found that people have about six million olfactory receptors and dogs have 300 million(so we win that contest). Humans sniff once per 1.5 seconds and dogs, five to 10 times a second.”
“They even exhale better than we do(another win for us),” Dr. Horowitz continued, describing a sort of doggy yoga breath. Dogs exhale through the side slits of their nostrils, so they keep a continuous flow of inhaled air in their snout for smelling. “This gives them a continuous olfactory view of the world.”
“Dog sniffs are designed to send odor-carrying air along its length”, she said, “humidifying, warming and cleaning it along the way to the back of the nose (maybe to our tails also which is why mine is curved).”
• by Victoria Usher
World-class dog breeders are planning on gathering together in Shanghai for The World Dog Show in 2019 where they will show off their greyhounds, Great Danes, cocker spaniels, etc. to a large audience.
The World Dog Show has been hosted in a different city every year since 1971. Activists (and me) are against having The World Dog Show in China because of the annual Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival that China has in the city of Yulin every year. Somewhere around 10,000 dogs are slaughtered at this dog meat festival for human consumption.
Activists are standing up and saying (and barking) that unless the Chinese government stops the Yulin festival completely The World Dog Show should be held somewhere else.
There are also some people who feel that having the dog show in Shanghai is a good idea because it could raise more attention and awareness to companion animals and hopefully help establish laws that will protect animals.
SPAN lost a beloved member of their family recently with the passing of Gizmo . They are all grieving. They have renamed their donation fund the Gizmo fund. He was the perfect mascot and is deeply missed.
From my friends at C.A.R.L.: Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) wishes a very happy birthday to longtime volunteer Betty Siegfried. Betty recently turned 80, and has been a fixture at the dog rescue since July 2006. Betty began her volunteer career as a dog walker. Lately, she spends her volunteer time sitting in one of C.A.R.L.’s several enclosed grassy areas. There, dogs can run free, play fetch, and enjoy Betty’s company.
Betty began her volunteer career as a dog walker
As Betty is fond of saying, “it’s never too late to start volunteering. Even a simple visit to the dogs brightens their day and lets them feel loved while at the rescue.”
Betty’s favorite dog at C.A.R.L. is Shady, a senior German Shepherd girl. Shady is very close with Betty, and the two are often seen sitting together.
Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) is Ventura County’s largest all-breed, no-kill, non-profit dog rescue and sanctuary. To learn how to adopt, volunteer, or donate, visit carldogs.org or call 644-PETS (7387).
• Us (or is it we?) dogs are even more wonderful then I thought. Brian Hare, a Duke University professor of cognitive neuroscience, is helping pioneer what he calls “dognition” to explore the mutually beneficial relationship between humans and dogs (I don’t think it takes much research).
He said the abilities dogs have developed over time enables them to understand human instruction so closely (that’s how we know when you are taking us for a car ride before you even tell us). These abilities seem closely tied to human interaction, and corresponding social cues.
“I love reading the Breeze especially Professor Scamp.”
Hare explained that in some ways, canines have the ability to process human behavior better than do chimpanzees, the closest living evolutionary relative to humans. Domestic dogs have the ability to understand so-called cooperative-communicative social cues that allow them to quickly and accurately complete social tasks with only simple guidance from an instructor.
Are certain breeds better a given task than others? For example, do German shepherds and Labrador retrievers make better forensic investigators than bulldogs? (I could help find hidden food in prisons)
Each breed, and perhaps individual, has its own strengths and weaknesses when solving problems. Because there is so much variation between different dogs, this means that every dog can contribute to improving our understanding of dog psychology.
• An exciting new accomplishment in animal rescue, the Lange Foundation’s Safety Net Program in Lancaster will be celebrating its first anniversary this summer. Since its launch in August 2015, the Safety Net Program has helped approximately 700 families keep their beloved pets during times of need, rather than surrendering their pets to the already overcrowded shelter. To celebrate its one-year anniversary, the Safety Net Program is partnering with the Lancaster Animal Shelter to offer discounts on pet adoptions on Saturday, August 20.
The Safety Net Program’s one year anniversary event will be held all day at the Lancaster Animal Shelter and is focused on finding permanent homes for as many animals as possible. The event features discounted cat and dog adoptions for $35 or less plus a free gift for newly adopted pets. In addition, $50 spay and neuter certificates will be handed out to pet owners who already have animals at home.
The Lange Foundation’s Safety Net Program is a unique relief system that offers resources to pet owners who need assistance with care for their pets. As with many communities, the pet owners living in California’s Antelope Valley can find themselves struggling with practical realities and financial burdens of pet ownership – realities that can often lead owners to surrender pets to public animal shelters.
The Safety Net Program provides solutions and alternatives that help keep pets with their families through these hardships. Assistance comes in many forms including help with landlord issues, spaying and neutering, vaccinations, pet food and supplies, veterinary care, temporary boarding as well as assistance to those who cannot afford the redemption fees to reclaim their impounded pets.
The Lange Foundation’s Safety Net Program is maintained by donations. The Lange Foundation rescues hundreds of dogs, cats and horses each year by placing them into permanent and loving new homes.
• You, like most, consider pets to be more like family members than furniture. But courts do not. In the eyes of the law, animals are property. So although pet custody battles are often passionate and sometimes truly wacky, courts think of them more prosaically: as part of the “property distribution” in a divorce.
That’s why an amendment to Alaska’s divorce statutes, which recently took effect, is making news in the world of animal law. It makes Alaska the first state in the country to require courts to take “into consideration the well-being of the animal” and to explicitly empower judges to assign joint custody of pets. In a blog post, the Animal Legal Defense Fund called the well-being provision “groundbreaking and unique.”
The Alaska bill also allows courts to include pets in domestic violence protective orders and requires the guardians of pets seized in cruelty or neglect cases to cover the cost of their shelter.
• A unique Tournament of Roses Parade float featuring surfing dogs and other talented animals set a new Guinness World Record.
The Lucy Pet’s Gnarly Crankin’ K-9 Wave Maker float set the world record for the longest and heaviest float in Tournament of Roses Parade history. The float weighed 74 tons and was 126 feet long.
Lucy Pet Products is a family-owned and operated pet product business based in Thousand Oaks. Proceeds from the brand directly fund its 501 (c) (3) non-profit Lucy Pet Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to reduce pet overpopulation and the euthanasia of over 80,000 dogs and cats per week in the United States.
• From the San Francisco Chronicle about just how wonderful man’s best friend is (that’s me):
Each week, patients at the Support Hospital of Brasilia receive visits from a special breed of therapist: dogs trained to help them recover from disease or injury.
Big and small, from German shepherds to Shih Tzus, the dogs get into bed with some patients to snuggle during the 15-minute visits. Folks who are more mobile may take an animal to a crafts class, or play with it in the hallways.
Designed for people who have advanced-stage cancer, live with chronic disease or are recovering from trauma, the program of canine interactions assists with both mental and physical rehabilitation.
“A bit of the sadness goes away,” said Jaqueline Castro, a 27-year-old patient with a degenerative nerve disorder who received three visits in a month.
The project began about five months ago and now counts 60 volunteers who bring their pets to the hospital in Brazil’s capital each week.
But not just any old mutt can make the cut: Only about one out of every 10 dogs whose owners volunteer is accepted, according to program coordinator Nayara Brea.
The animals must pass extensive health checks and undergo training, as they are brought right into the wards of the hospital. They must be exceptionally calm to avoid stressing out the patients. They can’t bark, and they have to be gentle with both humans and other canines.
A therapy dog “accepts the patients without any judgment,” said Valeria Carvalho, who brings her miniature Schnauzer, Paola, to the hospital. “People start to have a different perspective on life, on health.”
• This was sent to me by my friend Ken Winter and is just too funny to not share:
A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty house ‘Talking Dog for Sale’ so he rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.
The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there and asks do you talk?
‘Yep,’ the Lab replies.
After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says ‘So, what’ s your story?’
The Lab looks up and says, ‘Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government so I told the CIA.’
‘In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.’
‘I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running .’
‘But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in.’
‘I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.’
‘I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired.’
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.
‘Ten dollars,’ the guy says.
‘Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?’
‘Because he’s a bullshitter. He’s never been out of the yard’
• by Victoria Usher
There are now plans being put in place to have some much needed upgrades made to the well-known 3.5-acre Conejo Creek Dog Park in Thousand Oaks, which is located on 1350 East Avenida de Las Flores. The renovations for the dog park are expected to be happening in either late March or early April of 2017. The main improvements that are going to be made to the popular Thousand Oaks dog park include a paved parking lot to replace the dirt parking lot, a permanent restroom to replace the portable toilet that is there right now, better landscaping, new concrete walkways, and improved fencing. The district has been wanting to make these renovations for about six years and now they will finally be able to make these changes happen and give dogs and their owners an even better Conjeo Creek Dog Park.
• Savana asked me to print this. She has been nice lately so I did.
So how does a parent figure out what kind of cat to bring into a home The MU Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction University of Missouri is raising money for a research project called Feline Friends to study the possible benefits of placing adoptable cats in homes of children with autism.
Children with autism who have pets exhibit greater social skills than those without pets, according to a 2015 study by Gretchen Carlisle, a post-doctoral fellow at the research center. The objective of the Feline Friends project is to give families of children with autism better research-based information about choosing a pet for their home.
“In social media, people just hear this — dog, dog, dog,” Carlisle said, gesturing toward a photo in her office of a dog in a red collar sitting obediently.
Dogs may not always be the best companion animal for children with autism, though. Some children with autism have a sensory sensitivity to noise, for example, so a dog’s sudden barking can be more upsetting for them than for a child without autism. Dogs can also be more “in your face,” Carlisle said, and are often much larger than cats.
The behavior of cats that come from shelters can be unpredictable, and that’s an undesirable characteristic for an animal living in the home of a child with autism. For that reason, the research center will measure the behavior of the cats before they use them in the study to make sure they’re calm enough.
• The “MY VENTURA” that is mailed to your home from the city has many wonderful dog classes for dogs and our companions so be sure to check it out.
• The Herman Bennett Foundation has launched several programs to help prevent over population of cats and dogs. Some programs include offering 100% prepaid payment vouchers for the spaying/neutering of cats and dogs to qualified low income pet owners with vouchers performed by qualified Veterinary services.
In November, 2015, the “Foundation” established a subsidiary Thrift Store, “Save a Life Thrift Stores of Ventura County, LLC”, located at 601 Mobil Ave. in Camarillo to supplement their funding .
The Herman Bennett Foundation and Save a Life Thrift Stores is supporting new program “Medical Assistance for a Military Service Dogs.” Save this date, Friday, February 3 at the Poinsettia Pavilion for the Valentine’s Sweetheart Dance Fundraiser from 6-10pm. Dance to the live music of the 4 piece Band “Coso Live” with catering provided by Bistro 13 of Camarillo.
Limited seating is available for fifty couples only! Go online to reserve www.hermanbennettfoundation.org. Purchase your tickets at $225.00/couple. All supporters are mentioned in their publications and website. If you wish to donate or volunteer, visit either The Herman Bennett Foundation website or call 445-7171 or Save a Life Thrift Stores website www.savealifethriftstores.com or call (888) 876-0605 for free donation pick-ups.
• The Humane Society of Ventura County has appointed the Rt. Rev. William Downey to its Board of Directors. Downey, Regionary Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church for the Province of the United States, and his wife Anita have been volunteers at the HSVC for several years, mostly performing home checks of potential pet adopters. The couple live in Ojai with their six dogs – all rescues from the HSVC’s shelter.
“I can’t conceive of life without dogs,” Downey said.
The Humane Society of Ventura County is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1932. It does not receive federal, state or local tax dollars to operate and relies solely on private donations.
Cobi Monroe Osborne-Klemme April 28, 1994 – November 22, 2016
The family of Cobi is saddened to announce the passing of our beloved cat. At the advanced age of 22, she passed peacefully a way with her family at her side. We mourn her loss, but celebrate her long and well lived life, sharing it with her guardians Jeff And Roger. Cobi enjoyed snacking, collecting solder energy on her window perch and riding in her Radio Flyer wagon.
Brownie Troop collected towels for animal shelters.
• Brownie Troop 61686 recently teamed up with Anacapa Animal Hospital in Ventura for their annual drive to collect towels for the local animal shelters. The girls participated in the drive as a part of earning their Pets badge. Dr. Burner gave the girls a tour of the hospital, where the girls were able to see X-rays and ultrasounds kept on file and learn about the different aspects of medical treatment. Prior to their visit, they studied about pet care, with a booklet provided by Anacapa Animal Hospital, created for Girl Scouts.
• This is good news for people and dogs that are in need of help. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Detention Services Division will be launching a new interactive inmate program named “R.U.F.F. Road” (Rehabilitation Utilizing Furry Friends) scheduled to start in January 2017. The 16-week collaborative program allows inmates who are instructed by expert dog trainers to train shelter dogs in preparation for adoption.
The Sheriff’s Office has established a partnership with PIVOT Animal Assisted Education Outreach, a non-profit organization that aims to give dogs facing euthanasia at local shelters a second chance by providing them training that makes them more adoptable. The inmates will teach basic obedience, house training, and socialization skills through positive reinforcement.
Inmates will be selected for the program based on completion of an application, good behavior, participation in other Detention Services educational/vocational programs, and an interview with program staff.
This program allows inmates a chance to give back to their community by training dogs to be well-behaved American Kennel Club Good Citizen Pets. While the dogs learn good behavior, trust, and skills that improve their adoption chances, the inmate’s gains patience, confidence, self-pride, communication and job skills.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Pivot hope to help the community by allowing jail inmates an opportunity to choose a different path in life; a life free of crime. Pivot is one example of many organizations willing to work tirelessly to find and save last chance shelter dogs using inmates in county jails.
And the Ventura County Probation Agency has announced the start of “Pawsitive Steps,” a unique dog rescue/canine training program at the Juvenile Facilities in Oxnard.
The Probation Agency is also working with PIVOT on the canine program, which is set to begin in January 2017. The program name “Pawsitive Steps” (what great names)was chosen by youth and staff at the Juvenile Facilities.
“The Pawsitive Steps” program offers last-chance Ventura County shelter dogs and at-risk youth an opportunity to work together toward mutual rehabilitation. The program is designed to save shelter dogs and change the lives of at-risk youth,” said Deputy Probation Officer Debbie Navarro. “The Pawsitive Steps program will help Juvenile Facilities youth develop personal and vocational skills through the career pathway component of the program. Youth selected for the program will learn patience, compassion, empathy, restorative justice principles, and responsibility by caring for, training, and ultimately helping find forever-homes for dogs” .
“Dogs will be selected from local rescue groups and the Ventura County Animal Services shelter. Over the course of 12-16 weeks, program staff will instruct Juvenile Facilities youth in canine training techniques. The dogs will reside full-time with the youth at the Juvenile Facilities.”
At the completion of the program, the dogs will be available to the public for adoption. The program offers youth the opportunity to receive certified training that will help them find employment upon release. For additional information, please visit http://www.pivotareo.org/.
My cousin Dolce Vita is so cute she could be a movie star. Maybe I could be her leading man.
• Cesar Millan Cesar’s Fifth Natural Dog Law says, “Dogs are social pack animals with a leader and followers. They are happiest when they have this structure because the followers want to be told what to do and know what the leaders expect of them. By the time a dog is an adult, it knows its pack position instinctively and is not going to change it. This is why you can’t turn a follower into a leader. If you put a dog like that in charge, it will become anxious or fearful because it won’t know what to do.”
I don’t know who the guy in the phony beard is but he gave me a treat so I liked him.”
Happy holidays to all of my wonderful readers.
• The ASPCA has assisted federal authorities with the removal and sheltering of approximately 156 dogs from a dog fighting operation in eastern North Carolina. The victims have been transported to a temporary shelter for immediate care. Cruelty to animals is just not acceptable. People that do this should go to prison for a very very long time.
• by Victoria Usher
A French mastiff by the name of Hooch was recently named Hero Dog of the Year and given an award by the 2016 American Humane Organization in a Beverly Hills ceremony. The was the sixth year of the awards and the finalists were being celebrated for all types of commendable things. Some dogs comfort those who are sick, some help police officers, and others even rescue those who are lost.
Hooch was nominated for being a strong survivor. Hooch was rescued three years ago by Zach Skow, founder and operator of Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue in Tehachapi, California. Zach Skow said that the rescuing goes both ways. When Hooch was found, he had been emaciated, had a broken tail bone, and had his ears badly cropped. These things were clear signs of abuse. With the help of Skow, Hooch slowly regained his health. Even after everything he’s been through Hooch is still kind to people and trusts them, that’s what makes him Hero Dog of the Year.
“I figure if I stay here I’ll get my presents first.”
• Three to four days a week, Philadelphia veterinarian Clint Kuban drops off his 3-year-old German shepherd, Tsunami, at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center for her eight-hour shift.
But the pooch isn’t just participating in agility, obedience and search training — she’s also on the front lines of cancer research.
Kuban is one of six fourth-year students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Tsunami has worked on the center’s ovarian-cancer-detection research project since it launched in 2013 to study whether odors emanating from ovarian tissue can provide a reliable method for early detection.
Using a “scent wheel” — a circular device with 12 ports used to introduce multiple sources of scent researchers can isolate the exact volatile organic compounds that the dogs can smell. In these 10- to 15-minute smelling sessions, Tsunami’s nose is more than 90 percent accurate in identifying malignancies.
“There is no machine that is as powerful and as specific as what our dogs can do,” says Kuban. “Canines smell up to 1,000 times more accurately than humans, and they have up to 300 million olfactory receptors as opposed to out 6 million.”
Tsunami and the two other dogs in the program — a 3-year-old springer spaniel and a 5-year-old yellow Labrador retriever — were selected for their precise hunt drive and specifically trained to identify the cancerous compounds, first in tumor samples and then just plasma samples, explains Dr. Cindy Otto, director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.
The canine study is hoping to increase survival odds through early detection. Ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the US, according to the CDC. More than 80 percent of patients are diagnosed at a late stage, according to the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.
“By isolating the chemicals of cancer that the dogs can smell, the team hopes to one day create an electronic sensor that can detect cancerous tissues early,” Kuban explains. “The end goal is actually not to have dogs in doctor’s offices doing diagnoses.”
• Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) has kicked off their annual Giving Tuesday fundraiser for new medical kennels and they are asking for support from the community. The fundraiser runs until January 5, 2017.
Those wishing to donate can visit www.vcas.us/GivingTuesday or visit the Camarillo Adoption Center at 600 Aviation Drive, or the Simi Valley Adoption Center at 670 W. Los Angeles Avenue.
This dog was rescued from the Yulin Dog Meat Festival.
• Nice to share this the Front Street Animal Shelter – City of Sacramento is providing free adoptions to get pets home for the holidays because a wonderful generous woman is paying for every animal to be adopted so they can have homes by Christmas!
• The Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) has committed to caring and finding homes for 11 dogs bred for human consumption as part of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China. The dogs have arrived safely at the rescue .
C.A.R.L. is part of a large-scale effort to rescue approximately 100 dogs from China. The effort is spearheaded by Deborah Hall (Groundsboots.org), who has organized volunteers and funds to fly to China, retrieve the and fly them back to the United States.
CARL volunteers flew to China (I would have gone if they had asked) and several traveled to LAX to receive the dogs and transport them back to the C.A.R.L. facility in Santa Paula.
In 2005, C.A.R.L. served as temporary home to 42 dogs left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.
C.A.R.L. receives no government funding. The organization welcomes and relies on the generosity of dog welfare advocates to continue its mission. Visit http://www.carldogs.org or call 644-PETS. And visit the C.A.R.L. Boutique Thrift Store at 4160 Market St (Hours 11am–6pm) to help support them by purchasing all the great stuff that they have for sale including furniture.
This is from ASPCA and important during the holidays:
It’s that time of year again: the time when everyone is decorating, cooking and coming together to celebrate. But the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can make it easy to forget about potential pet dangers, you’ll want to keep the following harmful hazards in mind:
Beware of excess wires. Keep wires, batteries and glass or plastic ornaments out of paws’ reach. A wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock, and a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus.
Noisemakers. While celebrating, it is easy to forget that loud noises and celebratory poppers or noisemakers can scare your pets. Try creating a safe place in your home where your pet can have some quiet space if needed.
Keep an eye out for salt. Ice melt, homemade play dough and salt-dough ornaments (even when dry) can all be a tempting salty treat for pets, but can cause life-threatening imbalances in electrolytes.
Medication monitoring. If you’ll be having guests stay with you this year, be mindful of any medication they may bring. Houseguests who are unfamiliar with pets may not realize just how curious (and sneaky) they can be. Have your guests keep any medication in a closed cabinet instead of in a bag or suitcase.
Watch out for candles. If you decide to give your home that extra holiday glow this year, be sure not to leave your pets unattended around lit candles. A long tail or a curious paw could knock over a lit candle and potentially start a fire or burn your pet.
Holiday eats. We recommend keeping your pets away from the table and keeping lids tightly secured on trashcans. Many of our holiday favorites can be harmful, including sweets, fatty and spicy foods, and alcohol. You also want to make sure not to give your pet any turkey or chicken bones. Check out our full list of pet-toxic foods to keep in mind when planning your holiday menu.
Tis’ the season of snow globes. Some snow globes contain ethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance to all pets. If a snow globe is broken, the sweet smell can attract a pet to lick it up, leading to a potentially fatal intoxication. Keep these out of paws’ reach!
Under the tree. Wrapped presents can pose a threat to curious cats and dogs depending on their contents. Be sure to keep any wrapped food or treats up and away from your furry friends. Just because you can’t see the contents, doesn’t mean your pets can’t smell them.
Pesky plants. While most people fret over poinsettias making their pets sick around the holidays, the truth is that these festive red plants only cause mild to moderate gastrointestinal irritation. However, there are a couple of other seasonal stems you should be wary of: Holly and mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems when ingested, and various lilies that are often found in holiday bouquets can cause kidney failure in cats.
O’ Christmas tree. If you’re planning on putting up a tree this year, there are a couple of things you should know:
Make sure that your tree is tightly secured so that there’s no chance of it tipping or falling over and causing injury to your pet.
Keep the tree water covered and inaccessible. Tree water may contain fertilizer and other harmful chemicals—not to mention it can become a breeding ground for bacteria that could cause nausea, diarrhea or stomach upset.
Stay away from tinsel for decoration. Ingested tinsel can cause severe vomiting, obstructed digestive tract, dehydration and could require surgery.
Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau (VVCB) received an outstanding achievement award sponsored by Destination Marketing Association of the West in their Best Idea Program. VVCB invited six dogs to visit Ventura as part of a familiarization trip targeting dogs who have become Instagram celebrities. Maybe I should become an Instagram celebrity but I don’t know how. Can you help me?
• Jardo, a Boise Police Department K-9, was shot along with two Boise officers while confronting an armed suspect recently.
Jardo was taken to a vet where the veterinarian who performed surgery on him “is hopeful he will be OK,” Boise police report.
Corporal Kevin Holtry and fellow members of the Special Operations Unit were searching for a dangerous felon when Holtry was shot multiple times. His condition continues to slightly improve day by day at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Fellow officer Cpl. Chris Davis and police K9 Jardo are now recovering at home.
• I’m happy to report that a dog park has been approved by the Fillmore City Council to be located at Two Rivers Park.
The park was approved by a 4-0 vote, with Councilman Manuel Minjares absent .
It can proceed because the city recently received $1 million in fees from developers to improve Two Rivers Park. Over $40,000 of that will go toward the dog park.
At the Halloween dog contest held at the Harbor the Best in Show was Beans from West Hills “Pup in a jail bird costume”. Over 75 dogs participated in the competition. My boss was a judge and I sat next to him giving my opinion as to which was the best. I, of course chose a Shih Tzu but was over ruled.
Like most dog parks the park will have a fenced area reserved for small dogs and another area for dogs of any size with play equipment, drinking fountains, trees, benches, and dog waste bags.
I’ve found that most of us small dogs prefer to play in the “any size area” to show that we can take care of ourselves and chase the bigger dogs around to show them who is boss.
• Paw’s Corner by my friend Sam Mazzotta (Actually I don’t know him but I’m sure that we would be friends if he met me)
Dear Paw’s Corner:
I’m in a dilemma. I’ve had my dog for about five years. “Shera” stays with me in my apartment, and there have been no problems until now. Now, a new owner has bought the house and told me I cannot have a pet: I must either get rid of Shera or move out. What can I do? — Desperate in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Dear Desperate:
I feel for you, and I hope I can give you some useful advice in this limited space. My first tip is to act fast, and the sooner the better. I recommend immediately contacting your state’s legal services or aid resource, if there is one, to discuss the problem. You also could find free or low-cost legal advice through the state’s bar association or perhaps at a local university. Your local library can be a great resource, too — you can get online for free, and the librarians can be very helpful.
Renters have fairly extensive rights in most states. A new landlord usually cannot simply walk in and demand you get rid of your pet. The existing lease typically cannot be changed suddenly, either. And even if you don’t have a signed lease the landlord typically must still give reasonable notice of a change in the terms. If you don’t have a lease he will be able to remove you by following your state’s legal procedures.
You also might try offering your landlord a non-refundable pet deposit. These are sometimes required in rentals that accept pets.
• Paws for Reading at Foster Library
12/3, 10, 17, 24, & 31 Saturdays @ 12 – 1pm
Read aloud to a registered service dog (sign-up required).
• The Humane Society of Ventura County will hold its annual “Santa Paws” fund-raisers on Nov. 20 in Ventura and at the HSVC’s shelter in Ojai on Dec. 4, where pets – along with their families – can have their pictures taken with Santa.
Thanks to all of you who supported me in my run for president. Especially my brother Evin and sister Viv. Too bad that they are too young to vote because I only lost by one vote.
The Ventura shoot will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ventura Beach Marriott. The event in Ojai on Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Ojai HSCV shelter is located at 405 Bryant St.
For a $25 donation, pet owners receive several professional photos on a compact disc that will be ready to take home the day of the event. Greg Cooper, a professional photographer, will shoot the pictures and Chuck Bowman will be Santa.Those who do not have a pet can still bring their children to avoid long lines at the mall to see Santa.
The Ojai event will feature a Holiday Craft Fair where local artists and crafts people will have one-of-a kind gifts.
The Humane Society of Ventura County does not receive federal, state or local tax dollars to operate and relies solely on private donations.
• Today (recently)may have been just a normal day for you, but at Ventura County Animal Services we hit a major milestone. Today we celebrated 1,000 days of No-Kill. But after implementing so many innovative programs and projects to help keep our numbers at bay, we’re only at 91.5% Live Release Rate!
We need your help to sustain no kill. So far we’ve saved 217 animals through Social Media alone. You can help save lives by following, liking, commenting and sharing our stories on www.facebook.com/VCAnimalServices, https://twitter.com/VCAnimalService, https://www.instagram.com/VCAnimalServices/.
VCAS would like to show its appreciation to the Ventura County community by offering $20.00(does not include a possible $20 license fee) Pet Adoption fees for all Dogs and Cats until the end of November!
With Much Appreciation,
Randy Friedman, Marketing Manager, Ventura County Animal Services
388-4252 | www.vcas.us
• by Victoria Usher
There is a large expanse of beach that runs between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach where many dog buddies have always taken their pets when they want to get some exercise and enjoy the beach.
Recently some nearby residents have started to complain about them not picking up waste and too many pets being off their leashes. All of the continuous complaining caused Newport officials to get involved and ask the city staff to talk about the issue and consider their options.
If you walk through this specific area of Newport Beach you’re usually able to see a fair amount of dogs without their leashes on and they’re usually playing around and having a good time with their owners watching them in a safe, fun, and also open environment.
The city ended up organizing an online survey on social media; the online survey contained a question about this particular issue. Out of the 266 people who participated in the online survey, 226 said that the city should not have anyone patrol the beach and that everything should stay as it is. There are very few places to take your dog in the Newport Beach area other than this special gem, it shouldn’t be taken away from the residents.
• The Canine Adoption and Rescue League(CARL) has announced an expanded Pooch Parade and is now accepting walker and vendor registrations for the 20th Annual Pooch Parade and Pet Expo.
