ohmidog!

The Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter is seeking the public’s help in an investigation into the death of a tortured and executed cat whose remains were brought to BARCS this morning by Baltimore City Animal Control.

The cat’s body was found tied to a fence in the 3700 block of Lewiston Avenue in Baltimore. According to Debra Rahl of BARCS, it was wrapped with a blue cord and had a heavy chain around its neck that was attached to a utility pole.

The cat’s head was placed on a “96 shot Phantom Fireball Display.”

The hair on the cat’s head was completely singed off, and it had multiple contusions and bruises to its body. Its right front leg was broken above the elbow and it had a 6 centimeter wound in its left shoulder area. There was an odor of a gunpowder type substance on the body.

This is the second cat  found tortured and killed in the area  in the past two weeks , BARCS said. The first cat was also found with a blue cord around its neck.

Retired police officer James Symington will receive five clones of his late search and rescue dog, Trakr, at a press conference in Los Angeles today.

BioArts International, a Northern California biotech company, will be presenting Symington with five puppies – all clones of Trakr — at a press conference.

Symington, who says his retired police dog found the last survivor of 9/11, won the “Golden Clone Giveaway” contest sponsored by BioArts International in 2008. His essay explained why Trakr was an ideal candidate for cloning.

The company’s other dog cloning clients — one of five dogs cloned for customers in connection with an online auction has been delivered –have paid an average of $144,000 to clone their canine pets. Symington will receive his puppy clones of Trakr for free.

BioArts International says it holds the sole, worldwide license for the cloning of dogs, cats and endangered species, and is partnered with Sooam Biotech Research Foundation of South Korea. Sooam was established by Hwang Woo-Suk, who led the team that produced the world’s first canine clone, Snuppy,  in 2005, but was fired the next year for falsifying research related to cloning human embryos.

“We received many very touching submissions to our contest, describing some truly amazing dogs,” says Lou Hawthorne, CEO of Bio Arts International. “But Trakr’s story blew us away. His many remarkable capabilities were proven beyond all doubt in our nation’s darkest hour – and we’re proud to have cloned him successfully.”

Trakr was credited with hundreds of arrests and recovered more than $1 million in stolen goods during his career as a police search-and-rescue dog. Symington, a Halifax, Nova Scotia police officer at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks, arrived with Trakr at Ground Zero. According to Symington, Trakr located the last human survivor to be found in the rubble.

“Once in a lifetime, a dog comes along that not only captures the hearts of all he touches but also plays a private role in history,” Symington wrote in his winning essay.

Trakr was presented with an extraordinary service to humanity award by Dr. Jane Goodall, United Nations “Messenger of Peace.”

“They’re identical – down to the smallest detail,” Symington said when meeting  the Trakr clones on Sunday. “Few dogs are born with exceptional abilities – Trakr was one of those dogs. And if these puppies have the same attributes as Trakr, I plan on putting them in to search and rescue so they can help people the way Trakr did.”

In order to clone Trakr,  Hwang’s team replaced the genes in eggs from unrelated dogs with genes from Trakr, stimulated the resulting “couplets” to develop into embryos, then transferred the embryos to dogs who served as surrogate mothers. After normal pregnancies, they gave birth to puppies that are genetically identical to Trakr, the first of which was born December 8, 2008 and the last on April 4, 2009. All were born and weaned in Seoul, South Korea, and all are in excellent health, BioArts says.

“9-11 was a terrible shock for Korean people as well as Americans,” said Dr. Hwang by email from Seoul, Korea. “These five clones of Trakr, who saved a human life at Ground Zero, are a gift not just to Mr. Symington, but to America and the world.”

(Photo: Symington, Hawthorne and clones; courtesy of BioArts International)

 
It’s a familiar chain of events in many a city — a particular neighborhood, usually by virtue of its location, emerges as desirable. Young and affluent people move in. Real estate prices rise and, with them, taxes. The old neighborhood bars get upscaled. Mom and pop shops close down. Oldtimers start leaving. A Whole Foods opens. Then you step in dog poop.

The fancy word for it is gentrification — and while dogs are, for the most part, innocent bystanders (byrunners? bypoopers?) they often seem to surface as the issue around which gentrifications wars play out.

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between a recent story out of Venice, California, appearing in the Santa Monica Daily Press, and our situation right here in South Baltimore.

The  story looked at a growing conflict between long-time black and Latino members of a Venice neighborhood and affluent newcomers and their dogs. Long-time residents are complaining about the presence of off-leash dogs in the park.

“When families in the neighborhood see the blatant disregard for the law and there is signage throughout the park, it sends a message that they’re above the law and privileged,” said Lydia Ponce, who serves on the Oakwood Park Advisory Board, “It sets up a cultural divide.”

Dog owners, meanwhile, say they are simply seeking a place for their dogs to run — an activity that, properly monitored, impinges on no one’s rights or space. “We’re law-abiding citizens and we don’t want to get tickets for exercising dogs in the morning,” said Dr. Douglas Stockel, who has lived in Venice for five years.

Read more »

Amelia Loran lost her dog last week. Snowy didn’t die, or run away. The Maltese mix, injured when run over by a bicyclist, just started accumulating more medical bills than her family could bear.

I’ll let Amelia, who wrote me yesterday, tell the story.

“Hi my name is Amelia Loran. I’m from the Bronx. I am 14 and I had a dog. Her name was Snowy. She was a white long fluffy dog. She was like my other half.

“The accident that happened with my dog, it was a warm sunny Sunday and me and my mom and two cousins were on our way 2 the park so my mom parked the car. We didn’t want 2 be in the jungle gym area. We wanted 2 be in open space where we could run, play, jump.

“So Snowy was on her leash but we let her go so she could be free a little bit, and there was this kid riding his bike in the open space and he ran over her right limb.

(Amelia’s mother, Myra Loran, drove to an animal hospital, and paid for the first vet bill, $629, with credit. She worked out a payment plan for the second one, $275, as well. But the cost of the surgery vets said was still needed — estimated at anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 – was more than she could handle.)

“So my mom had 2 give Snowy up for adoption,” wrote Amelia, whose last night with the dog was last Thursday.

“So Thursday was a night 2 remember. She had a white and blue cast. Me and my mom put on her blue and white pajamas 2 match her blue cast and me and my mom slept together with her … Friday it was a rainy morning so me and my mom went to the humane society and gave Snowy to the adoption agency. I was so sad that I couldn’t say goodbye to her. The ride from my house to where we took Snowy was the longest ride ever. I cried the whole night before that morning and I was crying thru the night. I still cry. When me and my mom go outside I feel like I’m missing a big part in my heart and I feel like I’m forgetting something…

“I have cystic fibrosis and I’m at home most of the time and she was like my twin. I am a only child. My mom works side jobs, babysitting, washing clothes, taxi, to get me extra stuff. I get SSI. So in the daytime I’m home taking meds. I miss lots of school days because of my disease. Snowy keeps me company. She loves to get dressed and lay down and look cute as you see in the pictures. And she is not too active. With my CF I really am not 2 active. We just got her a month ago, but it feels like I been with her my hole life.

“I do not understand why I had to give up my bestfriend because we didn’t have $3000. I had a make a wish about 5 years ago. I went to Florida, and if I can have that gift, I would ask for Snowy. My mom tries to do her best to try and make my life easier because she knows I’m going to need a transplant in the near future.”

(Myra Loran says she now wishes they hadn’t surrendered the dog — even though it would have meant going even deeper in debt. She says she has tried to call the humane society to get updated on the dog’s condition, but her calls haven’t been returned. Amelia’s also an artist. The work to the left was exhibited in 2007 by ArtWorks, a program that provides children and young adults suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses access to creative and performing arts.)

Amelia, meanwhile, is holding out hope that Snowy, after she gets her needed surgery, will be put up for adoption – and that maybe she can get her back then. If so, she’d never let the leash out of her hand again, she says. “I swear not to ever let go when we are at the park.”

Amelia’s email address is amelialoran@yahoo.com.

Her mother’s is mloran169@yahoo.com.

Authorities in South Florida have arrested a teenager they believe responsible for at least some of the recent rash of mysterious cat killings and mutilations.

Police charged 18-year-old Tyler Hayes Weinman with 19 counts each of animal  cruelty and improperly disposing of an animal body, the Associated Press reported. Weinman’s parents, divorced, live in the two neighborhoods where many of the cats were killed.

“It’s shocking to think that someone who lives right here and is our neighbor would do something like this,” said Thomas Shad, a Cutler Bay resident whose black cat, Miss Kitty, was among the dead.

Authorities had been watching Weinman and interviewed him on prom night, AP reported. He was arrested at a party on Sunday.

Weinman’s attorney, David W. Macey, said in an e-mail that his client was innocent of the charges. “Tyler welcomes his day in court, so that he will be completely vindicated,” he said.

In the past month, residents in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay neighborhoods have reported finding the bodies of more than two dozen cats, although police said some were likely killed by dogs. Some were missing fur — neighbors said some had been skinned — and appeared to have been cut with a sharp, straight instrument, police said.

Louis B. Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said cat killings are committed by “complicated individuals,” and are usually solo acts. He said the teenager should be evaluated, and he expected court officials to take the matter seriously.

“When you kill cats, disembowel them and cut their heads off, that is not a good sign and you do not have to be Sigmund Freud to see that,” he said.

Meanwhile, authorities in Broward County, Florida, say the deaths of 17 cats in one neighborhood may have been caused by stray dogs.

Police say three of the cat deaths in Lauderhill have been ruled animal-related. Tests on 14 other cat carcasses found since May 30 are still pending. Police reports say most of the cats were disemboweled, and one was decapitated.

The Animal Rescue Site reports it is having trouble getting enough clicks.

When the site meets it quota, they can get free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. Corporate sponsors and advertisers donate the food in exchange for advertising.

It takes about 15 seconds, and you can find the site among the non-profits listed on our rightside rail.

Yet another dog is being credited with saving his owner from a house fire — and a neighbor, too.

A hearing-impaired man’s service dog, named Roscoe, smelled the fire and jumped on the bed to wake him, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The owner, Darrin Weeks, then went on to save his sleeping neighbor, who lived in the other half of the burning Orlando duplex. (You can see a video report from WFTV here.)

Rescue crews treated Weeks’ neighbor for smoke inhalation. Weeks, who was not injured in the blaze, said he owed his life to his dog.

“I’m going to give him a steak tomorrow,” Weeks said.

A week-old cocker spaniel was trapped in a waste pipe for almost four hours after twin boys decided he need a bath — and opted to give him one in the toilet.

Four-year-olds Daniel and Nicky Blair had taken the pup for a walk in the garden, according to Alison Blair, the mother of the twins and five other children.

“About an hour later I realized the dog was missing and asked the boys where he was, Alison told the Daily Mirror. “Daniel told me it had got muddy so they put it in the toilet and pulled the chain to give it a wash. I ran into the bathroom but the dog was nowhere to be seen. I assumed it was dead.”

Alison decided to check the drain outside. When she lifted the cover, the dog couldn’t be seen, but he could be heard whimpering.

Firefighters were the first to respond to the home in Northolt, Middlesex, but were unable to reach the pup. The Royal SPCA sent a representative as well. But it took a plumber to perform the rescue.

Will Craig, 22, a plumbing specialist for Dyno-Rod used a special camera to locate the pup – wedged in the pipe 20 yards away under a neighbour’s house. Then, apparently using the camera, on a telescoping rod, they gently nudged him towards the nearest manhole cover where a firefighter pulled him to safety.

After a night at the local vets, named “Dyno,” after his rescuers, was given a clean bill of health.

“I never thought a dog could survive being flushed down the loo.” Alison said. “He’s a real little fighter.” As for Nicky and Daniel, they’ve promised not to give the dog a bath in the loo again.

A day after Jeter died in a fire, condolences and offers of help were pouring in to the Piqua, Ohio family whose lives the Great Pyrenees helped save.

Glenda Moss said she was awakened by Jeter as she slept in a recliner about 6 a.m. At first she tried to brush the 120-pound dog off, but then she smelled smoke. 

Moss ran down the hall, woke up her son, David, 19, and fled with him and Jeter. Then, for unknown reasons Jeter went back inside the house, where he died in the fire.

Since then, the Dayton Daily News reports, Moss has received offers of a new dog, including one from the owner of Petland of Piqua.

“It’s really hard to hear when people lose their pet,” Jacque Lavy, store sales manager, said. “We wanted to do this. We are not here to replace him, but offer another companion.”

Connie Cawthon of Texas e-mailed after reading about Jeter to let the Moss family know that her husband’s boss has a dog — part Pyrenees — who needs a good home. She offered to drive up with the dog and meet her halfway.

Others, most asking to remain anonymous, offered donations, a pet memorial and a pastel pet portrait of Jeter.

Firefighters said the fire at the Moss home started in the garage and spread to the house, causing $90,000 in damage. The cause remains under investigation.

Jennie Leininger of Cincinnati, Moss’ daughter, said her mother appreciated the offers.

“She said her broken heart was very warmed by all of the response, by people reaching out.”

Nine of the 32 dogs removed last week from the Wizard of Claws — a Pembroke Pines, Florida, store that was notorious for selling puppy-mill-born designer dogs — were put up for adoption over the weekend, and they all found homes.

Dozens of people lined up outside the Broward County Humane Society to adopt, many returning home empty-handed after learning that most of the dogs taken from the store aren’t ready for adoption yet.

The dogs were removed from The Wizard of Claws on Thursday after an anonymous donor purchased the entire stock of the store, which had declared bankruptcy and closed its doors Monday. The shop was the subject of a class action lawsuit claiming it had sold sick and dying pups.

When The Humane Society of the United States learned the bankruptcy trustee intended to auction off the remaining puppies housed at the store, an anonymous donor stepped in to sponsor the dogs, and The HSUS brokered a deal to have all 32 dogs placed for adoption.

The dogs include Yorkies, Chihuahuas, Maltese, Pomeranians, dachshunds and Shih-tzus. Read more »