ohmidog!

  In a weekend battle between dog and oak tree (instigated by a squirrel), the mighty oak won the early rounds, keeping a Lab-pit bull named Rocky pinned for more than an hour, only to be felled at the end when, with a little help from his friends, Rocky emerged victorious. 

Volunteer firefighters spent more than an hour Saturday rescuing Rocky from the bottom of a hollowed-out oak tree in eastern North Carolina.

Michael Adams Sr., the dog’s owner, said his fiancée let the family’s two dogs out of the house about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, but only one came back.

“That’s unusual because they’re always together,” he said.

He said the family was looking for the 6-month-old pup when a neighbor walking his own dog heard  whining from the woods and found the dog.

“I think he was chasing a squirrel,” Adams said of Rocky. “But he ran right in there so fast that he got pinned. We tried to dig him out but we couldn’t pull him out.”

When Jeremy Brown, chief of the Harlowe Volunteer Fire Department, arrived, he sized up the situation and called for his equipment truck, according to ENC Today.

“We’ve never been taught anything about extricating a dog from a tree,” Brown said.

Winging it, Brown’s crew fired up the chain saw and cut the tree down about three feet above where the dog was stuck. With the top of the tree gone, they could see that the dog was pinned by one of its roots. Crews then began sawing through the sides of the tree, splitting it open with the Jaws of Life.

The dog was freed amid cheers from the crowd that had gathered.

Brown said the dog emerged unscathed.  “The dog’s fine, no injuries, no nothing,” he said.

For the oak tree, however, it was a career-ending defeat.

(Photos: Harlowe Volunteer Fire Department)

Host Matt Lauer was missing from NBC’s Today show this morning after being taken out by a deer over the weekend.  

Lauer was bicycling on Long Island when a deer ran in front of him. He slammed on his brakes and went over his handlebars, landing on his shoulder. Lauer was wearing a helmet at the time.

Lauer, 51 and an avid cyclist, was scheduled for surgery this afternoon and said he expects to be back on the job Wednesday.

First our restaurants, now our celebrities. Where will the rampaging deer strike next? And who would I talk to about submitting some suggestions?

My brief experience fostering a dog over the weekend — a lively and lovable pup named Fanny — renewed my admiration for those who do it regularly, my own fading memories of puppyhood, and my appreciation for my dog Ace, who was, for the most part, both dependable role model and patient host.

Fanny, who was pulled out of BARCS by the new local rescue group Stop Killing Dogs, is back at the Downtown Dog Resort & Spa, out of which the group works, and available for adoption.

My best guess is she’s part chocolate Lab, part German shepherd, with a small sprinkling of pit bull. Eight months old, she’s sweet, smart, recently spayed, with a lush silvery-brown, short-haired coat. She’ll probably grow into a good-sized dog, and, with proper upbringing, a well-behaved one.

She’s sociable, but sometimes snarly with other dogs. A couple of times she growled and jumped on Ace, but he quickly put Fanny in her place. By weekend’s end, she seemed enamored with him, following him like a shadow, which Ace tolerated.

Ace, who is four, also came from BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter). Fanny’s let’s play, let’s play, Energizer bunny enthusiasm brought back memories of his puppyhood — at least to me, if not him.

Fanny’s previous name was Wonder Woman, and she ended up in shelter when her owner could no longer care for her.

Sunday afternoon, we returned her to Downtown Dog Resort & Spa and said our goodbyes. The new kennel and veterinary center was built by Baltimore attorney Barry Glazer, who is also involved in the rescue group. His hope, according to its website, is to rescue dogs and make a profit at the same time. In addition to seeking new permanent homes for homeless dogs, the rescue is seeking volunteers to serve as foster parents.

It’s a good way to liven up a weekend, or more, and the hardest part, most foster parents will tell you, is saying goodbye at the end — breaking the bond you just made.

While the time’s not right for me to have another dog, there were times it entered my mind — such as when both of us were on the couch, and she, her head on my belly, gazed into my eyes for about 60 seconds.

Twice, I had to ask her to stop doing that.

If you’re interested in adopting Fanny/Wonder Woman — the rescue charges a $200 adoption fee – send an email to  sallyannjennings@gmail.com, or stopkillingdogs@gmail.com.

                                Scene from “Call of Duty: World at War”

More than 100 students at a private school in Massachusetts have signed a petition protesting the killing of dogs in the video game Call of Duty: World at War.

Breanna Lucci, a 19-year-old student at the Academy of Notre Dame High School in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, was watching her older brother play the game when she saw him kill a dog.

“My little 12-pound Pomeranian, Winnie the Pooh, is sitting next to him, and I’m thinking, ‘This looks horrible!’” Lucci told the Lowell Sun.

Lucci’s fear that some people might be driven to kill dogs because of Call of Duty led her to start a petition protesting the acts portrayed in the game.

“Killing dogs as a form of entertainment … over and over again…That’s one of the objects of the game,” she said. “Parents need to know what they are buying their kids. Killing animals should not be a form of entertainment.”

Lucci, who is the president of the school’s animal rights club, has gotten more than 100 classmates to sign her petition. She hopes to eventually send it to the game’s maker, Activision-Blizzard.

Lucci’s has also won the support of school faculty, including the moderator of her club, Barbara Vitale, an English teacher who made a point of adding, “We don’t think killing people is a good idea either.”

There’s an experiment underway up in Newton, Mass — a compromise of sorts between those who would never allow dogs to be off leashes in a municipal park and those who think dogs need to, once in a while, run free.

Up to now, most cities dealing with the same conflicted interests, have tried only a couple of alternatives: One is passing laws that require dogs to be leashed, which many people don’t bother to obey, which leads to crackdowns and ill will. The other is creating fenced in dog parks, which costs money, not a whole lot of which is available these days.

Newton is trying something different. A nine-month dog park experiment at Cold Spring Park was launched last week, allocating one area of the park to off-leash dogs, and, while neighbors of the park objected even before it started, given a chance it just might work.

In a way, it’s a perfect solution. Dogs can run. People who dislike dogs can avoid the off-leash dog part of the park. And police and animal control officers can still cite dog owners whose off-leash dogs stray from the designated area.

Lee McIntyre, a dog owner who helped spearhead the experiment, told the Boston Globe the change will benefit everyone.

“We have had an underground illegal dog park here for years,” said McIntyre, who estimated nearly 200 people bring their dogs to Cold Spring. “… Now that there is an official place to bring dogs, a place with a set of rules, it should really keep them from being places they shouldn’t be.”

Read more »

Dave and Debbie Adams, who opened their home to Hector — the homeless, toothless, but far from  hopeless American Eskimo dog we introduced you to last week — have filed an update on how he’s adjusting to his new long-term foster home.

From all indications, Hector is getting stronger, more emotionally secure and bonding well with his new family, including Jack, the family’s Jack Russell mix. Here’s what Dave says:

Hector continues to improve. We have seen a physical improvement as far as his back legs getting stronger. When we first brought him home there was difficulty getting up on the sofa. Since then we notice he is able to jump up on his own.

There is an emotional improvement as well. He has become more at ease with the environment as well with his want to be close. Last night for instance Debbie left the bedroom and closed the door behind her and I noticed that Hector waited at the door for her to return (he’s becoming a mama’s boy).

We purchased a new doggie pillow for him to lay on. Debbie and I laid on the floor and called him over to it and he laid on it and licked my face as if to say “Thanks”. This morning we left Jack and Hector at the house and went out for breakfast …  When we returned Jack was there to greet us like he always does by jumping up and down, but then for the first time Hector jumped on me standing on his hind legs as if to say “Hi Dad”.

So far this has been a great experience for us and we are appreciative for the opportunity to put love back into Hector’s life.

Dave

At first glance, the Million Doodle March — a last gasp effort to persuade the President and his family to get a Labradoodle (as opposed to the Portugese water dog some members of the family have expressed a preference for) — struck me as a frivolous pursuit, the work of people with nothing better to doodle.

Not to mention too little too late.

Obama, appearing on the Tonight Show last week, implied that the choice of first dog has been made – and that it could be arriving in coming weeks. Beyond that, and the Special Olympics comment he wishes he could take back, the president shed little light on either the dog’s breed or where it will be coming from.

But even if Sasha and Malia are cuddling a Portugese water dog by then, the Million Doodle March will likely go on March 29 — the day organizers are calling upon doodle owners everywhere to parade their pooches in their hometowns in a show of doodle solidarity.

For while the march is capitalizing on all the public interest in the First Family’s dog, its more important purpose is to raise awareness about autism.

The event is being organized by the owners of Bocker the labradoodle (above, an accomplished model, frequent fundraiser, and seasoned show biz pooch) and Matilda 1st dog. It will raise money for autism and  Canada’s National Service Dog Organizatios.

More information on the march can be found here.

On February 25, First Lady Michelle Obama told People Magazine that the family was leaning towards getting a Portugese water dog.  But Mrs. Obama’s press secretary later said they had not decided on a breed. Initially, both Portugese water dog and Labradoodle were said to be under consideration.

Questioned by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, Obama first said jokingly the dog was just a campaign promise. The he said the family was ”laying the groundwork” for the new animal. He went on to indicate the dog had already been chosen and would soon be arriving, but remained mum on its breed, or whether — as many animal welfare types have urged — it will be a rescue or shelter dog.

With the march, Bocker’s owner is hoping to turn the tide (if it hasn’t already come in by then) towards Labradoodles.

“On March 29, individuals from across North America are lobbying for a cause they truly believe in. An issue yet to be answered.. but often in heated debate. A decision that President Obama will be responding to in the coming weeks, which will be highly anticipated. This will not address the economy, the war, or global warming… but for many people takes on its own personal significance. What type of dog will be the First Dog of his administration?

“On March 29, Doodle owners (and their dogs and friends) from across North America have joined forces for the first ever MILLION DOODLE MARCH. This passionate event will make it clear, that Doodle owners want their voices heard.”

Bocker the Labradoodle, through his website, fund-raising drives, and his modeling and acting gig, has become an internationally known star and spokesdog for labradoodles and pets of all kinds, according to his owner, Marie Shelto, an animal advocate, fundraiser and former information systems analyst.

Here’s the full exchange — on the subject of dogs — between Leno and Obama:

Read more »

There’s an email making the rounds warning owners of dogs that are considered members of “dangerous breeds” to never leave their small child alone with their dog.

It goes on to show a highly graphic photo of the kind of carnage that can result.

Because we at ohmidog! have strong opinions about “dangerous breeds” we are presenting this photo here as well, in its raw and unedited form.

Brace yourself.

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “dog art,” doesn’t it?

There’s something satisfyingly circular about a well thought-out flow chart, so — with thanks to HolyTaco.com — we’re sharing this one with you.

I’d like to think my dog Ace has more on his mind on our trips to the park, but given as he’s not a squirrel-chaser, consumption and its opposite, along with a playful skirmish or two, seem to be his predominant interests.

(Graphic via HolyTaco.com)

The Iditarod death toll has risen to five.

With 20 mushers still on the 1,000-mile trail from Willow to Nome, the Anchorage Daily News reports two more dog deaths have surfaced: A 5-year-old male named Maynard in the team of Warren Palfrey died less than 20 miles from Nome late Thursday., and an 8-year-old male named Omen in the team of Rick Larson died between Elim and White Mountain.

Iditarod officials said necropsies would be conducted in an effort to determine the cause of death.

Palrey finished 19th, one spot behind four-time champion Martin Buser, late Thursday. On Friday, Larson was still in White Mountain, about 75 miles from Nome, in 39th place.

Earlier in the race, two dogs in the team of Lou Packer died and a 6-year-old dog in the team of North Pole musher Jeff Holt died between the checkpoints of Rainy Pass and Rohn.