Paw Print

"The average dog is nicer than the average person.”
-Andrew A. Rooney

If only we lived in a world where people were as nice as dogs are....consistently!

Dogs are the best therapy for humans strong or weak, young or old, small or large.  It’s more than the unconditional love and support they offer willingly every time you walk in the door (unless of course they’ve had their own unscheduled or unchaperoned play date with something they weren’t supposed to), the full body wiggle and their undivided attention.  What a wonderful welcome home!  And if a therapist ever suggested I find my “safe place” you can bet it would be somewhere with my two dogs and cat.  In addition to the always cheerful welcome, dogs have become more than household pets - there are now an estimated 40,000 service dogs assisting people with disabilities in the United States BUT there are tens of thousands of dogs assisting even more people with reading problems, depression, illnesses, old age, disorders ranging from autism to Alzheimer’s.  Studies have shown that animals have a way of getting through to people that often other people can’t.  There is a summer and fall program held every Saturday at local libraries where children with difficulty reading join the program and read to a dog - conceptually children can improve their reading skills and confidence levels by reading to a warm, accepting, non-judging, non-correcting dog.  One child sat and read while holding the dogs paw, one child read and shared pictures in the book with the dog, another read while resting her arm on the dogs back - this is a win win win!  The child has time to read without being corrected or challenged, the dog gets attention, and the dogs owner gets to spend time with the dog doing something pretty terrific!  Dogs don’t criticize or judge people - can’t we all learn a little random kindness and consideration for others from our dogs!

Mark you calendar and get those walking shoes ready!  Sunday April 20th from 10 - 2 is the Maryland SPCA’s 13th Annual March for the Animals held at Druid Hill Park.  Several different ways to participate and support the SPCA on April 20th including Collecting Pledges (those that raise more than $30 will receive a MD. SPCA dog bandana, goody bag, and bottle of water.  Those that raise $40 or more receive a “March for the Animals” t-shirt in addition to the bandana, goody bag and bottle of water.  You can also create you own personal web page - for free!  Go to marchfortheanimals.kintera.org and follow the directions to create you page.  A perfect and easy way to collect pledges from your friends and family.  You can also Form a Pack - gather a group of friends and family or co-workers to walk - packs can be 4-25 people and must raise at least $40 per person and a total of $500 per pack.  Your unique pack name will be printed on your packs t-shirt and have your photo taken at the event.  For more information go to:  http://www.mdspca.org or call 410.235.8826 ext. 138.  Get some exercise with your dog on the 1.5 mile walk-a-thon, have fun, play well with others and always support the Maryland SPCA of Baltimore City.  Rain or Shine.

Just when you think living in NYC and going to the vet via subway is bad enough poor little 6 month old kitten Georgia gets loose in transit.  Georgia was on her way home from the vet and escaped her carrier on the subway platform.  After 25 LONG days and nights Georgia was found under the midtown Manhattan subway Saturday hiding in a drain between two tracks...awww.  I’m pretty certain before Georgia and her owner venture out for a little subway action again the latch on Georgia’s carrier will be checked inside and out.  I found this little snippet refreshing good news and somewhat close to home - when growing up my family lived just outside of Manhattan in Westchester County and we traversed the subway generally without incident.  However, there was a special time when my parents, older brother and I were going on vacation - luggage and all.  Part of the journey to get to the airport or train station was the subway and like Geogia my brother and I got separated from my parents on the subway.  Separated means my brother and I got off the subway at our stop with our luggage, the doors closed with my parents still on board and quickly speeding past us.  My brother was probably 13 and I was 9, i can relate to how Georgia felt but we weren’t lost for 25 days just maybe 25 minutes or long enough for my parents to get off at the next stop, back on the opposite way and to the stop where my brother and I was still standing somewhat frozen in time from shock.  Way to hang tough Georgia!

This years Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show included many touching and sad Pedigree commercials.  These commercials showed an adorable face behind chain link in a shelter with the voice over “for every dog that gets adopted, one doesn’t.” If that wasn’t enough to make me cry and want to run to the closest shelter and adopt at least one more dog or donate money to help shelter dogs the Pedigree mission for these commercials did.  Pedigree has a web site dogsrule.com - all things dogs to help shelter dogs through donations (they raised $900,000 in 2007 and have a $1 million goal for 2008).  The site dogsrule.com has several different components:  adoption, volunteers for shelters, donations for shelter dogs and dogsrule products.  But what is really different, easy and costs nothing is the Million Dog Mosaic:  this is a spot for all of us dog owners to upload our dogs photo to be included into the million dog mosaic.  Pedigree will make a $1 donation to the Pedigree Adoption Drive for every dog photo that’s uploaded to the mosaic.  Once your dogs photo is uploaded they will send you a search code that you enter to see where your dogs photo is in the mosaic - cool huh, and it’s a TREMENDOUS cause.  Over 4 million dogs enter a shelter every year and each one deserves a loving home.  If you can’t adopt a shelter dog take a minute and upload your dogs photo and help a shelter dog have a better life!

There are many reasons and ways Paris Hilton is pathetic but what disgusts me MOST today about her is not that she didn’t bail her 18 year old brother Barron out of jail for his DUI arrest (he didn’t deserve it anyway) but that she is just an insensitive selfish irresponsible moron.  Paris adopted a cat which she named Prada and took him to the vet January 31st to be neutered and as of February 12th she had still NOT gone back to pick up the cat.  That’s just sad and wrong.  The Kris Kelly Foundation has tried repeatedly to contact Paris to pick up the cat with no success.  (Not to mention she was supposed to have the cat neutered before she spent her time in jail but that too did not fit into her schedule.) Why are the likes of Paris and Brittany allowed to adopt or BUY pets - they can’t even manage themselves responsibly.  And don’t get me started on Brittany and her children…
Pets are NOT fashion accessories and they absolutely deserve more than any of these self centered celebrities can offer.  Abandonment of Prada is really sad but just might be the best thing for him considering.  Thoughts?

I mentioned yesterday in an earlier entry that I was happy to see UNO the 15” Beagle win the Hound class marking the first time in history that a Beagle has won in all 132 years of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and can I say that when that sweet little noisy dog WON Best of Show last night I was beside myself.  Talk about being an underdog!  Hopefully now that UNO has taken home the top prize of the Dog Show circuit he’ll still show and not retire.  We all need to see more of UNO, his sweet sweet face and hear those fabulous ar-hooos!  Good dog UNO!!!

What names would you be least likely to read about showing or in attendance at the 132nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show than Patty Hearst and Carson Kressley?  But they were indeed there, Patty Hearst showed her French Bulldog, Diva.  Of course Patty Hearst now goes by Patricia Hearst Shaw for obvious reasons and has been working with dogs for three years.  Her Frenchie Diva won a red ribbon for Best of Opposite Sex - say what?  That means a male won the breed but Diva was judged the top female.  Now why was Carson Kressley formerly of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and reality show “How To Look Good Naked” attending the dog show with his hair “zhooshed” just like the dogs?  Dog lover, dog handler fashionista?  Carson apparently was interested in more than the dogs, “I was mesmerized by the handlers’ outfits, “ he said.  “And they have to wear sensible shoes.”
Now that’s just funny stuff!

Tonight is the closing night of the 132nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show culminating with the top honor, Best In Show.  Last year James, an English Springer Spaniel was named Best In Show.  Looking forward to tonight’s winner.  What has caught my attention this year specifically is the winner of the Hound Group - a 15” Beagle named UNO.  This is the first time at the WKCDS that a Beagle has won the group.  UNO apparently had lots to say in the ring, lots of Ah-roos for the crowd.  Beagles are as close to a canine Dennis Menace that I know.  When living in Palm Springs my friends from Huntington Beach were visiting with their precious pooch Maggie, a beagle of course.  The guys went camping and the girls went out leaving Maggie home alone!!!  Well, when we returned home Maggie was not there.  She had very cleverly (they are clever) dug a nice tunnel under the backyard fence and had escaped!  Now let me remind you this is in the desert where the other wildlife consists of coyotes, mountain lions, roadrunners, etc. oh yea and Maggie.  Luckily she wasn’t too hard to find but it was a bit of a buzz kill.  Another experience with the beloved Maggie was when she decided to get into the cabinets one day while her parents were at work and not only did she find, devour and hide the human cookies she also found a bag of charcoal - now that was really fun to hide!  My friends found charcoal in their bed, under sofa cushions, behind the drapes basically everywhere but in the grill.  She really was a little devil but you couldn’t help but laugh at her.  I now have a true affection for Beagles and their playfulness however bad.  There is a Beagle named Hunter in my neighborhood that I look forward to seeing each and every time I walk my boys - seeing Hunter works instantly like taking a happy pill.  Glad to see UNO representing a truly hilarious breed at WKCDS.

Here it is, Super Tuesday in Maryland.  Of course we had light snow fall in the wee hours but don’t let that prevent you from getting out to vote.
Being the animal lover that I am I often find myself matching people’s personalities and looks with one breed or another, generally dogs but sometimes monkeys, snakes or ... let me stop there before I digress too far.
So what do you think of the Presidential candidates as canines - I’m seeing Barack Obama as a strong lean smart athletic dog and immediatley I think of a Greyhound, Doberman or Great Dane.  A breed that commands respect by stature and poise and never looses their focus. But Obama’s personna is actually better matched with a German Sheperd or Dalmation. German Shepherds are highly intelligent, agile and well-suited to active working environments.  Dalmations are well-muscled, midsized dog with superior endurance and are very fast runners, with a great deal of stamina and self-reliance.  Good match?
Hillary Clinton as a dog naturally presents a completely different set of images for me, I kinda see her as a Chow Chow, Bull Terrier, Bulldog type.  The description of a Chow seems oddly like Hillary - they can be very aloof . They often do not get along well with other dogs unless properly socialized. Chows are extremely loyal to their own family, though they may be less friendly to strangers.  (anyone see the color of Hillary’s tongue lately?) I read recently that another blogger had likened her to a Labradoodle and I must respectfully disagree.  There is a 10 month Labradoodle puppy in my neighborhood and he’s got no resemblance to Hillary - Winston, is fun, rambunctious, playful, and somewhat clumsy but very sweet and funny - not Hillary so much.  Then there’s McCain, I immediately see a boxer with the strong jaw, stronger will and determination.  Although being a POW I also relate McCain to an abused neglected Boxer that has been adopted and given another chance, similar to Michael Vick’s pit bulls that were saved and spared. Yay!
From there I could go on to other local politicians - Barbara Mikulski would definitely be a bulldog.  The Bulldog is a relatively small but stocky breed, with a compact body and short, sturdy limbs. Their shape results in a waddle-like gait. Warning, no one take her bone away!  And Martin O’Malley - is there a dog breed out there that is as boring as he is?  I see the pointed ears of a Pinscher or a Doberman but I hear the rhetoric that constantly comes out when O’Malley speaks and I just can’t place that on an undeserving dog.  Do they cut human vocal cords to stop them from speaking like they do dogs from barking?  Enough already!
If you agree/disagree about my “looks like” opinions or have another suggestion please let me know.  We have a long way to go until the election!