Go Wille Bean!!

My dad forwarded me this one, initially discovered by my grandma.

http://news.aol.com/elections/article/labrador-runs-for-mayor-in-alabama/104299?icid=200100397x1206726359x1200342926

Wille Bean Roscoe P. Coltrane, an impressive yellow lab (he's the one on the right) is running for mayor of Fairhope, AL. With a name like that, you can be sure he is a well-bred dog. The newspapers are treating this like some kind of joke, but believe me, Wille Bean is nothing to laugh at. I just got off the phone with him and it's clear this guy is going places. He's a big supporter of AFDD and wants to expand and improve his town's dog parks. Wille Bean is natural charmer on the campaign trail: he does 'shake' with all the prospective voters and is out licking all the babies.

Tommy's Book of the Month

For the Love of Animals: by Kathryn Shevelow


Once I opened it, I just couldn't put this book down. A shameful blot on human history is only now being slowly rectified.

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Animals-Animal-Protection-Movement/dp/0805080902/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217247897&sr=1-1

"the record of human treatment of animals over the centuries has been notable primarily for its cruelty, brutality and selfishness . . . Most people simply used, and abused, animals as labor, food and sport because that was what people had always done. "

To my canine readers, I encourage you to get this book. It is your responsibility to know the history of your ancestors, how they struggled, suffered . . . endured, in the hopes that their descendents, puppies of today, could live a satisfactory and decent life. To some extent, that hope has been fulfilled. But does any dog out there seriously think the job is done, that all we dogs live nice sheltered lives, that all we dogs get Kongs and have nice fenced-in back yards? The reality is NO, NO A THOUSAND TIMES NO. There are still dogs who suffer, even in this, the richest country the world has ever known!

Perhaps it's a bit like Germans being forced to read of the horrors their parents and grandparents perpetuated during WWII, but you humans must read this book too. It's not enough for you to say "I didn't do it, I treat dogs good." You must learn of the cruelty your species is capable of inflicting on poor, helpless dogs.

Dog Lady

I found a real cool web site, by Dog Lady.

http://askdoglady.com/

She didn't post a picture of herself, so I assume she looks something like the picture here. She seems like a very smart lady and you can look at the site yourself. But she's only part dog, and maybe that makes her qualified to help between us canines and our owners. But there's still a gap, she can't presume to speak for us dogs. That's where I try to fit in.

She did cover a very controversial subject on this page:

http://askdoglady.com/best_in_show.html

(Bleep) Happens At Dog Shows

What happens if, for instance, Uno goes poopie right in the middle of the show? She quotes someone who says “If your dog eliminates while showing in the ring, you won't be disqualified. The judge will ask the ring steward to call for the cleanup crew, whose job it is to dispatch such problems.

What do you think, should a dog be disqualified? I think 'yes' the dog should be disqualified. Because I know I would be disqualified as a pet by my mom if I went poopies or peepees at the wrong time or place.

Wow, was that close!

My daddy and big sister took me 'Bye-Bye' yesterday. We went for a long ride to downtown DC. But during the ride, I really had to 'go'. So I whimpered and cried and made it real clear that something just wasn't right. I guess they got the hint because shortly after, we stopped at East Potomac Park and, boy, I got out just in time - if you know what I mean. (I've been asked by some people why I blog about subjects such as these. It's really quite simple. We dogs are not as self-conscious as you people.)

Then my sister took me for a long walk around Haines Point. It sure was hot out there, with all my fur and all. But she didn't walk too fast or anything. She stopped to rest plenty of times and she called daddy a lot and complained about how long the walk is, like there's anything he can do about that! Finally, Daddy came up running up from behind us and grabbed my leash and made me run the rest of the way in. I napped the rest of the day, except when my brother came home and decided he just had to pick me up.

The Pet Ten Commandments

These Pet Ten Commandments were sent to my family by my human granndpa. I posted them for all my human readers. All my dog readers . . . well . . . you guys already know this.

=======================================

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainments, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Pet owners prefer McCain over Obama

http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-pets-and-politics

I think I was one of the first on this story . . . and this is a scandal that simply won't go away. Dog hating Obama has a lot of 'splainin to do to the dog lovers of this country and thus far he has been ducking the issue.

And don't be fooled by his mendacious campaign promises:

While he doesn't currently have a pet, Obama has reportedly promised his daughters a dog once the campaign is over.

I'm not ready to endorse either candidate yet, but McCain's obvious joy and celebration of animals will certainly weigh heavily.

The Fate of Vick's Dogs . . .

provides an important lesson. It's another blow to the breedests.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070602351.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008070602429&pos=



Some claim breedism is ingrained in American society, that we are irredeemibly breedest. But now comes an instructive and heartwarming tale of Michael Vick's pit bulls. Being pit bulls, many ASSUMED these dogs were hopeless and wanted to give up on them en masse. It turns out that, once you get to know them and treat them as individuals and not as caricatures, many of Vick's erstwhile killers are now sweet, lovable animals. Like Leo (pictured here)

a tan, muscular pit bull, dons a colorful clown collar and visits cancer patients as a certified therapy dog in California.

Or Hector

who bears deep scars on his chest and legs, recently was adopted and is about to start training for national flying disc competitions in Minnesota.


So sure, there are some bad dogs out there. But you "can't judge a bood by its cover" and you can't judge a dog by its breed.

Trakr 'most clone-worthy': to be cloned

Trakr, the hero who sniffed out survivors from the World Trade Tower rubble, will be cloned.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080701/sc_afp/usattacksskoreaanimalcloneoffbeatp://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080701/sc_afp/usattacksskoreaanimalcloneoffbeat


Trakr, a German shepherd who lives with his owner James Symington in Los Angeles, was picked by BioArts International as the most "clone-worthy" canine in a competition offering an owner a free chance to replicate their pet.

Good for Trakr; he looks like the kind of dog you can sit down with and hoist a few rounds of gravy. But what the article omits is where I came out on the 'clone-worthy' list. I'm in frequent communication with a dog whose owner works for BioArts International, so I've been following the selection process closely. He told me I weighed in at #53 overall and perhaps more important, #2 on the cockapoo list. So who knows, maybe if I improve a little, learn how to fetch better, eat my all my dog food in one sitting, things like that, maybe I'll move up. I'm not saying I want to be cloned and you, my readers, voted against it. But it's nice to be recognized, just the same.