Archive for December 13th, 2008
Joe Biden gets his dog (a German shepherd)
The first family-elect still hasn’t gotten a dog, but Joe Biden has picked his — a German shepherd pup from Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Vice President-elect Biden, arriving in an entourage of seven Secret Service vehicles, selected a three-month old male from a litter belonging to East Coventry breeder Linda Brown.
The purchase fulfills a campaign promise — one Jill Biden made to her husband during the presidential race. She then went on to tape pictures of different dogs on the back of the airline seat in front of Biden to inspire the candidate as he crisscrossed the country.
“He is the nicest person on this earth,” breeder Brown said about her meeting with Biden. “He was very gracious. He hugged and kissed all of the shepherds.” Read more »
Posted by jwoestendiek December 13th, 2008 under Muttsblog.
Tags: breeder, buys, chester county, dog, dogs, first family, german shepherd, joe biden, linda brown, male, mark tobin, obama, pennsylania, president, puppies, puppy, purchase, secret service, vice president, vice president-elect, white house
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BBC refuses to televise Crufts dog show
For the first time in more than 40 years, the BBC will not televise Britain’s biggest dog show.
BBC officials said Friday that the network had suspended coverage of the 2009 Crufts show “pending further investigations into the health and well-being of pedigree dogs in the U.K.”
Crufts organizers accused the BBC of making “unreasonable demands” that it exclude certain breeds of dog from the show.
The Kennel Club, the show’s organizer, and the BBC have been at odds since September when the BBC aired a documentary claiming decades of inbreeding had led to serious health problems in some pedigree dogs.
The show will take place as scheduled in March, but, because Crufts organizers would not comply with the BBC’s request for particular breeds to be excluded from the show, it won’t be shown on BBC.
Posted by jwoestendiek December 13th, 2008 under Muttsblog.
Tags: air, bbc, breeding, britain, broadcast, congenital, crufts, defects, dispute, documentary, dog show, drops, england, health problems, pedigree, pedigree dogs exposed, purebreds, refuses, televise
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Animal rights: A way of life (and death)
Animal rights activists can continue fighting for their furry friends from beyond the grave — thanks to a new, PETA-sanctioned, all-wood coffin that bears a PETA slogan.
In a partnership with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a New Mexico company is building human coffins that bear painted slogans, such as “Lifetime PETA Member,” ”I saved 500 animals,” or “Told You I Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead in Fur!”
The coffins, which went on sale last week, are priced from $620 to $670, according to an Associated Press report. For each one sold, PETA receives a $75 donation.
They are made by Dienna Genther, 44, a former construction worker from Bellingham, Wash., who operates a company called The Old Pine Box in rural Edgewood, about 30 miles east of Albuquerque.
She began handcrafting Earth-friendly coffins from pine, cedar, maple and other woods in 2004. They are made without screws, nails, hinges or animal-based glues.
When initially contacted, Genther thought PETA wanted to discuss marketing coffins for pets. Her company builds those, too. “But then they sent the designs, the classic toe-pincher style, and I realized they wanted human coffins,” she recalled. “I told them, `We can do it.’” Genther is not a PETA member but says she supports their cause.
Michael McGraw, a PETA spokesman in New York, said he expects a “healthy interest” in the coffins from the organization’s 2 million members. “It’s the best way for people to continue to use their voice for animals in death.”
More information on the coffins can be found at Genther’s website.
(Photo from theoldpinebox.com)
Posted by jwoestendiek December 13th, 2008 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animal rights, animal welfare, coffin, coffins, dienna genther, earth-friendly, edgewood, new mexico, old pine box, people for the ethical treatment of animals, peta, peta coffins, wood
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