BRING THE HOPE

Halloween Goes to the Dogs

Most dogs hate the Fourth of July and the loud fireworks that come with it. But, Halloween has to rank high on the list of days that dogs dread. Here's why...

 
 
 
 
 

Rex The Boxer and His Guardian Angel

Cheers to David for passing along a true and inspired story that he received yesterday from a friend who is a vet in an emergency clinic in Indiana. I love this kind of stuff. It's contagious, it brings the hope and it makes me want to help somebody out. Here goes the story in the vet's own words...

"Rex came in tonight (this morning, 1:15 AM) because his owner let him out to do his business before bed and when he came back, he had this gash on his shoulder.  The frantic owners called and wanted to bring him in.  We gave them our GENERAL estimate for wounds and told her it may vary and that payment was due at time of service.  She did not have the money for emergency services and was turned down for our care credit payment option. 

"Turns out, she arrived anyway and sure enough, the wound was going to take some time (and $$) to repair.  She stated to us that she was part of a "chat room" on some website for dog owners and was discussing her dilemna.  A random person in the same chat room felt sorry for her situation and told her that if she gave him our ER info he would call and pay the bill over the phone.

"Of course, I've heard it all from people so my assistant and I were like, 'yeah right'.  Sure enough, at 1:30 in the morning, a random stranger called, gave us his name, address, and credit card number.  (Yes, it was run and approved for the $300.00 of services).  The man of course had to give us his name but asked us not to share with Rex's owners. 

"Rex's owners understood that anonymity request and asked us to thank him for them.  I am sure they will chat again online as she only knows this mystery man by his screen name.  I was impressed that someone was willing to give a significant amount of money to help a complete stranger and an unknown Boxer named Rex.

"A blessing from a chat room???  Sometimes the internet's not all bad, I guess..."

 

Today is Going to the Birds

Happy Bird Day. According to people who know about these things, today marks the 115th anniversary of Bird Day in the United States. I wasn't around to see the first one, but I bet people flocked to take part in the festivities. And if they had a gift shop at the event, I bet things flew off the shelves.

Sorry, folks. I shouldn't try to wing it with these pitiful bird jokes. I guess you could say that I just find myself migrating to them. Okay, I better stop.

Cheers to the birds for providing such a cool soundtrack outdoors. I love this time of year when you can go to sleep with the windows open and wake up hearing the birds and their different calls. My favorite bird is the Cardinal. That could be because the Cardinal is the state bird for Indiana and the mascot for the Fighting Ball State Cardinals. But, I like the Cardinal's call too.

Enjoy this one and take some time to listen to the birds this summer.

Willie The Parrot Brings The Hope

Have you heard the story about Willie The Parrot and his super life-saving skills? Willie is just a little guy, but he can make big noise in an emergency.

According to the Associated Press and Denver's local CBS affiliate, KCNC-TV, "Willie the parrot was given the Animal Lifesaver Award by the American Red Cross last Friday at a breakfast attended by Gov Bill Ritter and Mayor Hickenlooper."

According to the media outlets, "Willie received the award for his actions in November, when he and owner Megan Howard were babysitting a toddler. Willie repeatedly yelled 'Mama, baby' when Howard went to the bathroom and the toddler started to choke on her breakfast. Howard ultimately saved the baby by performing the Heimlich maneuver. But, she claims that Willie 'is the real hero.'"

Cheers to Willie for making a racket and saving the day. That bird was on his toes and I hope he gets an extra helping of fruit and nuts for dinner tonight.

"Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip." - Will Rogers

 

Canine Cabinet

President-Elect Obama is working on his transition and several key Cabinet members are expected to be named in the weeks ahead. This is important stuff, but one of the most anticipated decisions is sure to revolve around what kind of dog the Obama girls will bring to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

One thing is certain. America voted for change on Tuesday night. So, Barney will have to pack up his doggy bed in a few months and join President Bush on the trip back to Texas. Barney, the Scottish Terrier, brought some class to the White House and this blogger thinks history will treat him well.

As we ponder which kind of dog should take up residency with the incoming First Family, may I suggest that we consider a Canine Cabinet? Indulge me. My recommendations follow.

Secretary of Labor - This cabinet post calls for a dog that will pack a lunch and get some work done. Sounds like we need a Boxer for this slot. 

 

Secretary of Defense- Gotta have a Pit Bull for this position. I'll humbly suggest the Obamas consider a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Secretary of Education - Gotta have a pup with a brain for this one. Border Collies are wicked smart.

 

Secretary of Energy - We need a high-energy dog here. I'm thinking...Dalmatian.

President Harry Truman once said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." Good luck to the Obamas as they look to build their Canine Cabinet.

Will Wag For Food

Dogs are being shown some love in Berlin. Homeless dogs, to be specific. And the timing could not be better. As the author Joe Weinstein once said,

"my dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $.99 cents a can. That's almost $7 in dog money."

I love this story that Reuters (Josie Cox reporting) ran over the weekend. Check it out.

Soup Kitchen Opens for Dogs

BERLIN (Reuters) – A soup kitchen exclusively for dogs has opened its doors in Berlin providing pets of the homeless and unemployed with a free meal, the director of the establishment said on Friday.

Despite the looming financial crisis, director Claudia Hollm dismissed criticism that it may be more sensible to collect money for humans than for dogs.

"Nowadays people underestimate dogs. They are incredibly important for those who lack social contact with other humans," Hollm told Reuters.

"Making sure dogs don't go hungry is just as important as making sure that people don't starve," she added.

Hollm, and her company "Animal Board," gets sponsorship from companies, including animal food manufacturers.

One woman who uses the free service said she had two dogs, four cats, a rabbit and some guinea pigs.

"Without this animal bread line, I'd probably starve to death," the 20-year old told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

The opening of the soup kitchen follows last month's launch of a new bus service in Berlin for dogs, which shuttles their furry friends to a luxury dog day-care center.

George Schaller Wins Indianapolis Prize Award

If you're a mountain gorilla, a panda bear, a snow leopard, a blue sheep or even a warty pig, the odds are pretty good that you owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. George Schaller. The German-born biologist has been a man of hope to many species and for that he has been named the 2008 Indianapolis Prize recipient.

So, what's the Indianapolis Prize? According to the organization's web site, "the $100,000 Indianapolis Prize represents the largest individual monetary award for animal conservation in the world...(designed) to inspire local and global communities to celebrate, protect and preserve our natural world through conservation, education and research."

Schaller has been all over the world for his work. He studied mountain gorillas in central Africa when he was 26. He's spent days at 14,000-foot elevations for his work with Marco Polo sheep. He's explored China's Qian Tang region to study the Giant Pandas. And through all of his work, he has kept the belief that, "a country doesn't have any future if it doesn't have an environment."

If you're interested in learning more about Schaller, you can tune into a live Webcast being broadcast from Ball State University on September 29. The program will also air on some PBS stations. For more info, you can contact Heather Grisham at the Indianapolis Zoo at hgrishman@indyzoo.com

In a recent interview on National Public Radio, the reporter asked Schaller about some of the challenges of trying to save and/or protect animals. Here is how Schaller responded. "I find it very distressing to be an optimist, but I'm ever hopeful. Hope always transcends experience...You know, in conservation, the only way you ever get anything done is to focus on something at work at it. Okay, you win a few, you lose a few. But more often than not, you actually do accomplish something."

Cheers to George Schaller for bringing the hope to animals for more than 50 years.

Competing With Fido

Did you see the recent survey that explores who would get voted off the island first in a contest between man and beast? According to a poll conducted by the insurance carrier Petplan, "more than two thirds of Americans would rather be stranded on a desert island with their pet than with their partner."

The survey also revealed that the majority of pet owners host parties for their furry friends, cook for their pets, dress their pets and allow them to sleep in the same bed.

So, why do pets outrank partners in the desert island dilemma? Here are a few observations from others to help shed some light on all this. 

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticism." - George Elliot

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." - Ben Williams

"If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of fun out of owning one." - Andy Rooney

"I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons." - Will Rogers

"It's really the cat's house - we just pay the mortgage." - Author Unknown

Peacock Needs a Home

The Associated Press is reporting that a peacock from Pennsylvania needs a home. If you have a large backyard in need of some color, maybe you should give Jerry Dimick a call.

According to the AP report, Dimick was traveling on Route 307 with a friend on Wednesday when they saw a peacock near the road. Instead of driving on, Dimick pulled over and called the bird to him using the "smooch, smooch, smooch" technique.

The bird obliged and ended up sitting between Dimick and his friend for the ride back into Clarks Summit, Pa. Dimick told AP that he hasn't been able to find the bird a home just yet. Calls to "the Game  Commission, animal control, the Soceity for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the local zoo have turned up nothing so far." Here's hoping that someone brings the hope to the Peacock. We don't want to see the bird back hitchhiking again on Route 307.

I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura

You can't make this kind of stuff up. This story is amazing and the Associated Press writer captures it perfectly. This parrot makes me laugh. Check it out...

As reported by the Associated Press:

TOKYO - When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.

Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.

He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.

"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.

"We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we've found Yosuke," Uemura said.

The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.

But Yosuke apparently wasn't keen on opening up to police officials.

"I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me," Uemura said.