ohmidog!

Mayor Don Call turned himself in Wednesday and was charged with two felony counts of cruelty to animals and one misdemeanor count of criminal discharge of a firearm.

But he said he had no regrets about killing two dogs, who, according to their owner, were chained at the time.

Call, the mayor of McCune, Kan., said he warned the dogs’ owner on Jan. 12 that if the dogs were found running loose in town again, he would shoot them.

After receiving a complaint about the dogs Sunday, he drove to the home of their owner and shot them.

“They was lying on the sidewalk on the front of the house,” Fox News quoted him as saying. “I shot them with a 9mm rifle … five or six times.”

The dog’s owner, Duane Wahl, said his dogs never bothered anyone and that they were chained when the mayor drove up and shot them from his car window. “They weren’t vicious dogs. They don’t bite people.”

We’ve gotten a couple of comments from McCune residents. You can find them at the bottom of our original entry on Mayor Call.

Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Daniel Rubin was taking his dog Harley for a short morning walk. You know the kind. Hurry up and do your business … It’s cold … Gotta get to work. But — as will happen when new dog meets freshly fallen snow – the short walk turned into a long walk, an acquaintance turned into a friend, and, more important for Dan, taking the time to go down a new path or two turned into a column. Here’s what he posted on his Facebook page, which he later condensed into a column, which appears in today’s Inquirer.

Harley’s first step out the door is up — straight up — all 100-or-so loping, furry, orsine pounds of Bouvier twisting, leaping, soaring into the air. He looks back, wild-eyed and grinning.

To be a dog in the snow.

The idea was to walk him long enough so he could do his thing, then I could excavate the car and drive into town, where bad roads and deadline awaited.

But everytime this dog sees a blanket of snow, he’s seeing it for the first time. I’m not sure how bright he is. But he does know how to live.

We took the middle of the road, usually a whoosh of morning traffic, but there were no cars, no sound. There were no sidewalks yet either at 7 o’clock, just slight furrows in the virgin snow.

In the next block a lone figure shoveled the deep, airy powder. He was pink-faced and wore a beret, a field jacket, sweats and Wellies.

“Nice day for a walk,” he said, happily stopping for a moment.

Read more »

The Oregon man who used a hammer to try to euthanize his daughter’s dog, then buried it alive, has been sentenced to 120 days in jail for misdemeanor animal abuse.

Hyrum Long, 75, of Forest Grove, said Tuesday he was trying to euthanize the dog in October when he hit it on the head with a hammer and buried it up to its neck. The dog, named Molly, was rescued by police but later euthanized by a veterinarian because of injuries and apparent long-term neglect.

Judge Rick Knapp called the situation “appalling” and told Long what he had done was “monstrous and barbaric.” Long, according to the Associated Press, also was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

A seven-week-old puppy found frozen to a tree in Hagerstown, Md., is being nursed back to health, and the Washington County Humane Society is investigating how he ended up alone in the woods.

The puppy, a German shepherd mix named Duncan, was found Friday behind the North Spring Apartments, according to an ABC2 News report. Neighbors said they heard whimpers and went to see where the sounds were coming from.

Paul Miller, Executive Director of the Washington County Humane Society said that, other than the loss of fur that occured when the pup was freed from the tree, and a skin disorder, Duncan is in good condition and should be ready for adoption in about two weeks.

Miller said the society is getting three times as many calls as they normally do from from people concerned about animals out in the cold with no shelter.

“This is a very disturbing situation,” he said.  “Any young animal should never be left outside for any length of time. This puppy very easily could have died from exposure and hypothermia.”  The puppy is now being taken care of at the Humane Society on Maugansville Road. 

Miller added, “If someone is having problems training or taking care of a young animal please call us and we will see if we can help you work through training issues.  If you would prefer to remain anonymous our website at www.hswcmd.org has a Trainer Talk section that can offer guidance on how to constructively correct behaviors that may be causing problems with your pet.”

The HSWC is asking anyone who may have information about the dog or the incident to contact their Field Services Division at 301-733-2060 extension 203.

CNBC takes a look at the most famous dog competition in the world tonight in an hour long special on the business side of Westminster.

The report, “American Originals: Westminster Dog Show” is anchored by Trish Regan and delves into the inner workings of the competition, which opens Monday at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Regan explores the cost of doing business at Westminster, the return on investment, and America’s love affair with dogs that has helped turn the pet industry into one of the largest retail sectors in the country.

Featured in the program are “Uno,” the 2008 “Best in Show” winner (the first beagle ever to secure the honor), and “James,” the prior year’s title-holder, who visit hospitalized children as part of the Westminster Kennel Club’s Angel on a Leash charity. Interviews with experts include Westminster Kennel Club historian William Stifel and dog show judge Don Jones.

It airs on CNBC at 9 p.m. Live opening night coverage of Westminster begins Monday at 8 p.m. on the USA Network before switching to CNBC at 9 p.m.. USA will broadcast the complete closing night competition, starting at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.