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.

•  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.

•   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:

10. 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.

9. 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.

8. 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.

7. 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.

6. 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.

5. 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.

4. 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!

3. 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.

2. 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.

1. 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.

•  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.

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.

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.

•  Paws for Reading presented at Foster Library is a great way to get children reading, especially ones having a difficult time with their reading when they read aloud to registered therapy dogs.

Saturdays from noon to 1:00 on the second floor in the children’s area.

Sign up is required. For more information on the program or to schedule an appointment please call Phillip 648-2716.

•  Storyfest is a wonderful event held at the VUSD facility on Stanley Ave. on the very large grass area. Because it is on school grounds no dogs (except service dogs) are allowed at the event. I’m sure that all of the families and kids attending would love to bring their dogs so maybe an exception could be made for this one event (by insurance company and attorneys?).

•  I have heard Donald Trump say, “he begged like a dog, he is sweating like a dog, he choked like a dog and he was fired like a dog.” He is obviously concerned about me running for president so is disparaging dogs. I would never say a person “snorts and sweats like a Trump”. Or think that the election is rigged in favor of humans over dogs.

•  by Victoria Usher

A new California bill has passed which states that if a person witnesses any animal in danger of serious injury or death because of being left in a vehicle then that person is legally allowed to break into that vehicle in order to save the animals’ life. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office and the Humane Society of the United States are both big supporters of this new bill because even though we teach people not to, the amount of animals that continue to be left in vehicles unattended and in horrible weather is astounding. Senator Steve Glazer has also said that this bill is important because heroic actions such as saving an animal in danger of serious injury or death should not be sued.

•  Ever wonder why us dogs lick things? Licking is related to smell said Dr. Horowitz a professor of cognitive science who runs the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College. Dogs have a second smell system called the vomeronasal organ (VNO). Sniffs pick up airborne odors, but the sensitive VNO can detect the smell of molecules that have been absorbed in tissue. Now Isn’t that interesting?

•  Wow, I have been writing for the Ventura Breeze for nine years as we complete our ninth year anniversary (cats and the Breeze have at least nine lives). I was just a kid when I started.

I want to thank my wonderful readers, Scampclub members, my remarkable publisher-editor( I had to say that to get snacks), Victoria Usher for her contributions and Savana for leaving me alone while I am working at the computer. And those of you that are voting for me as president.

•  East Ventura Animal Hospital, located at 10225 Telephone Rd. is having a Spooktacular Open House on Saturday, October 22nd from 12-4pm.

There will be many free activities including pet costume contests, pet photo booth (from 12:30 – 2), hospital tours, trick-or-treat stations and lite refreshments. In addition to this there will be raffles and prizes, pet adoptions and discounted microchips while you are there as well. Come join the fun and bring your pets!  647-8430

•  The Tinker’s Treat Project, started by long time Ventura resident, John Darling, has created a Go Fund Me page to help raise funds to pay the adoption fees of senior dogs. Isn’t that wonderful?

The project started with enough funds to pay the adoption fees for 23 animals.   Since its launch in June of this year, 18 dogs have found homes with the fund paying the adoption fees for each.

The first recipient of the fund was a 13 year old, toothless, Chihuahua named Penelope who was adopted along with her longtime partner, Jack, an 8 year old Chihuahua.

The Go Fund Me Page is https://www.gofundme.com/2r2uuv8

For more information about how you can help, visit Tinker’s web site www.tinkerstreat.com .

I have written before about the National Police Dog Foundation. They have a new website

www.nationalpolicedogfoundation.org so check it out.

The needs of law enforcement agency K-9 units is growing at a rapid pace. They get grant requests almost on a weekly basis and are committed to help these agencies meet their needs. And so as their needs grow, so must our efforts to meet their needs. This new website is part of their efforts to raise more funds to ensure the proper purchasing, training and medical needs of the K-9s, during active duty and retirement.

•  by Victoria Usher

The city of Fillmore now has more than $40,000 in city funding which they intend to use to help fund a dog park. On October 11th the Fillmore City Council voted on where the location for the new dog park will be. The City Council were supposed to vote on the location for the new dog park earlier than October 11th, but they decided that they wanted to find out more information on how big or small the dog park would be.

The Fillmore Parks and Recreation Commission approved the idea of a new dog park, which now leaves the final say in the hands of the City Council. As of right now there are no dog parks in the Fillmore or Santa Paula area so all five of the council members were very much in favor of the new dog park idea. Dog owners living in Fillmore and Santa Paula must drive to Ventura or Santa Clarita if they wish to take their dogs to a dog park.

This is beloved Charlee … Sept.13, 2003 to Aug.28, 2016. a wonderful companion to Kyle for 12  years.  He will be sorely missed by all.

Charlee ~ Sept.13, 2003 – Aug.28, 2016

September 28, 2016

•  I want to thank all of you that attended my presidential rally and who are supporting me for president. It was pawsitively wonderful. A great turn-out of young and old and many honks from people driving by.

A special thanks to Gloria owner of a Secret Garden (981 E. Main) for hosting the event and to my friend Lyn Fairly and Ana Baker for drawing my posters.

The bad part is that the puparazzi won’t leave me alone so I don’t have any privacy. The drones follow me night and day.

•  There will be an exclusive fundraiser event like no other in Ventura County to raise money for low income pet owners..

The 3rd annual Halloween @ Bard Mansion with a formal dinner, magic, psychics, séances (I don’t know what they are), ghost tours and silent auction!

At the  historic Bard Mansion on the Port Hueneme Navy Base from 6 pm – 11 pm on both Oct. 28 & 29.

Hosted by the Herman Bennett Foundation & Save-A-Life Thrift Stores to help control the local animal population and prevent the needless death of cats and dogs. Proceeds go towards their voucher programs that cover 100% of procedure cost for low income pet owners to spay/neuter their cat or dog. They also provide funding for the spay/neuter of feral cats.

Tickets are available by phone at 445-7171. Only 100 tickets offered each night!  Your contribution is tax deductible! Visit hermanbennettfoundation.org for more information.

•  Mended Sisters MC presents the Hogs for Dogs Poker Run to benefit Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) on Saturday, October 15 from 9am-4pm.

9am – Arrive at Ventura Harley-Davidson, 1326 Del Norte Rd., Camarillo
11am – Non-Riders meet at the finish line, Ventura County Animal Services
600 Aviation Drive, Camarillo, CA 93010

1/2 off adoption fees for dogs and cats 8 months and up!

There will be dog, cat and bunny play areas, face painting, jolly jump, food trucks, music and much more. Riders $25 . Call Jann 818-298-8488 for more information.

•  Walden Surfboards is raffling off a custom 9’0 surfboard with the proceeds going to the Ventura Police Departments K-9 unit. The K-9 unit is mostly self-funded and it is very expensive to train and outfit the K-9 dogs. All of the officers reach into their own pockets to pay for some of the K-9 units cost because they love these dogs and they know how vital the dogs are to their own safety and the safety of our community. They are selling raffle tickets, the winning ticket will be chosen at the Bark Out Loud K-9 fundraiser, Sept. 9th.

Raffle tickets: 1 ticket for 10.00, 3 tickets for 25.00 or 15 tickets for 100.00  Available at Walden Surfboards, Cash only. Please consider buying a raffle ticket and please help me spread the word.

Walden Surfboards
853 E. Front Street

•  A big thank you Professor Scamp for including LostCatVentura.com and LostdogVentura.com in the Ventura Breeze. Your help promoting these resources is very much appreciated!

Cheers Debbie

•  I sure hope that this isn’t applicable to dogs who have been raised with treats (maybe my home companions won’t read this). Like I like praise but no treats?

In an experiment designed to explain the relationship between humans and dogs — whether it’s defined by a true bond or a love of food — researchers found most dogs anticipate the praise of their owner as much or more than a food reward.

“One theory about dogs is that they are primarily Pavlovian machines: they just want food and their owners are simply the means to get it,” Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist at Emory University, said in a news release. “Another, more current, view of their behavior is that dogs value human contact in and of itself.”

In the early 1900s, psychologist Ivan Pavlov trained dogs to associated food with a stimulus, like a bell. Eventually, Pavlov was able to make dogs salivate using only the stimulus.

But the latest research, detailed in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (which I read all the time), suggests dogs aren’t so single-minded.

Berns and his colleagues began their experiment by training dogs to associate three objects with three different rewards: a pink toy truck with food; a blue toy knight with verbal praise; and a hairbrush with the absence of a reward.

Over the course of 32 trials, the 13 participant dogs were presented with the three objects. The dogs’ neural responses to each stimulus were measured using an fMRI machine.

All dogs preferred a reward to none at all. Four dogs showed a particularly strong response to the blue toy knight, while nine dogs responded equally to the two types of reward. Only two dogs were consistently more excited about the pink toy truck and the food reward(my kind of dogs).

In a second experiment, researchers allowed dogs to follow one of two simple maze paths: one leading to their owner, the other to a bowl of food. Owners sat with their backs turned and praised their dog when he or she arrived.

“We found that the caudate (do they mean pawdate?)response of each dog in the first experiment correlated with their choices in the second experiment,” Berns said. “Dogs are individuals and their neurological profiles fit the behavioral choices they make.”

“Most of the dogs alternated between food and owner, but the dogs with the strongest neural response to praise chose to go to their owners 80 to 90 % of the time,” Berns continued. “It shows the importance of social reward and praise to dogs. It may be analogous to how we humans feel when someone praises us.”