ohmidog!

ABC News has boldly gone where BBC went before, airing a Nightline episode last night that looked at the world of purebred dogs and dog shows — and how some of the former are suffering for the sake of the latter.

The Nightline segment didn’t really pick up where “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” left off – it was more of a rehash — but it does signify, at least, some attention to a controversial issue that, for the most part, has been far less likely to surface on American shores.

“The Westminster Dog Show is the showpiece for a multi-billion dollar industry, a festival of primped pooches, prestigious prizes and perfect pedigrees. This year’s big winner, a Sussex Spaniel called Stump, became an instant celebrity,” the piece began. “The owners love it. But whether such competitive shows are good for the dogs is debatable.”

A bulldog is the first to be featured, shown being sprayed with a cooling mist backstage at Westminster to keep him from overheating.

Read more »

Robert Larsen was playing fetch with his chocolate Lab, Nick, when a ball got lodged in his dog’s throat.

Rushing to his side, Larsen reached into his dog’s mouth. Nick bit down, severing Larsen’s fingertip.

What happened next is why we like Robert Larsen, 72, of Lincoln, Neb. – even though we don’t know him.

Rather than looking for his severed fingertip, uttering a few choice curse words, or rushing himself to the emergency room, Larsen took his dog to the veterinarian first.

The ball was still lodged in the dog’s throat when he arrived at Omaha Animal Medical Group. Vets removed the ball and revived the dog, and Larsen was taken to Methodist Hospital, then transferred to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Larsen was visiting a family member’s home in Omaha when the accident took place.

Part of Larsen’s index finger was found in his coat pocket, where it apparently had fallen off when he reached for his keys to rush Nick to the vet. Because doctors couldn’t guarantee the operation would be successful, he opted not to have the fingertip reattached.

“The finger was secondary,” Larsen told WOWT-Channel 6 News. “The dog was priority.”

Experts don’t recommend sticking your hand into your dog’s mouth if he’s choking, advising instead a Heimlich maneuver or blows to the dog’s back.

Eight dogs are now suspected of ingesting poison in a Mesa, Arizona park, according to a story in yesterday’s Arizona Republic.

One of the cases resulted in death — a German shepherd mix named CJ, who died March 1 after a walk in  Carriage Lane Park in southwest Mesa.

CJ’s owner, Christine Pomerenke, said she had let the dog off the leash and found him eating hamburger left on the ground. About 15 minutes after returning home, she found CJ dead.

Earlier that day, Reece Ponicki’s dog, Max, a black Labrador/greyhound mix, had also fallen ill after eating  hamburger laced with strychnine at the park.

“(Max) was panting pretty heavily,” Ponicki said. “All of a sudden he stood straight up on his hind legs, stared up at ceiling and fell over, and started having seizures.” The dog spent two days in the hospital, resulting in a $3,000 vet bill for his recently laid off owner.

A sample from Max’s stomach tested positive for strychnine, said Chad Willis, an officer with Mesa’s animal control office.

Willis said recent budget cuts may hinder their chances of finding the culprit. The city recently slashed its animal-control officers from seven to two.

Concerned residents have started a website about the poisonings: www.carriagelanecanines.com.