ohmidog!

Texas police and Humane Society officials seized 500 to 600 dogs and about 15 cats Tuesday in a raid on what they say is a puppy mill in Kaufman County, Fox News reported.

The Humane Society began investigating the kennel when someone came to them inquiring about dog food donations for the operation. Authorities found poor living conditions and sickly animals when they visited the location.

The kennel operated in a large metal building in a rural area near the Prairieville community, about 45 miles southwest of Dallas.

The animals seized are mostly Chihuahuas, poodles and other small-breed dogs. They were examined by vets to determine which ones needed medical attention.

The seizure was conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), in conjunction with the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake and the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department.

“This day marks a new beginning for these animals, who are suffering from a variety of serious health conditions and have been kept in constant confinement their entire lives producing puppies for the profit of the mill owner,” said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services at HSUS.

The dogs were found to be living in filthy conditions. Many were severely matted and suffering from chronic infected wounds, internal and external parasites and serious skin and eye infections, officials said.

All of the animals were being transported to a nearby emergency shelter.

A bloodhound in the employ of the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office ran away from her handler in Waldorf last week, but was returned yesterday.

Zoey, a 5 1/2 -year-old bloodhound, is expected to resume full duty, the Washington Post reported.

Authorities said the missing dog was found wandering the streets by a man who contacted Zoey’s trainer after seeing an Internet posting about her disappearance.

 Zoey slipped out of her collar on Aug. 5 while on a walk with her handler. Police searched for Zoey, trained as a search and rescue dog, for six days.

Zoey, who has been with the sheriff’s office for 3 1/2 years, was trained to search for people in distress and had most recently helped locate missing children and Alzheimer’s patients who had wandered away from their homes, authorities said.

The Maryland SPCA invites you to waste away in “Barkaritaville,” with a doggie happy hour that lasts two hours — from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 14.

Guests are invited to dress in tropical attire, in keeping with the Barkaritaville theme.

Tickets are $10 per person in advance and $15 at the gate of the Maryland SPCA, 3300 Falls Road. Dogs are admitted free, but only one per person.

Tickets can be purchased in advance on the SPCA’s Wine & Wag page (advance tickets are encouraged).

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres, courtesy of Lebanese Taverna and Cabot Cheese, will be served. There is a suggested donation of $5 for margaritas, $3 for beer and wine and $1 for beer and wine provided by The Wine Source .

Activities include a treasure hunt for great doggie prizes, bobbing for hot dogs, musical chairs, paw painting, a canine pool party and off-leash play in the fun runs.

County commissioners in Bucks County, Pa., are unanimously in favor of  establishing a dog park at Core Creek Park in Middletown — but  not in agreement over how much it should cost.

While all county commissioners support the concept, one is concerned by the estimated cost, set at $350,000 by county Parks and Recreation director Bill Mitchell.

“That’s way too much money,” said Commissioner Diane Marseglia. “I hope in the future we can have talks about scaling it back. I am completely confused about that cost estimate because the last price I thought I heard was about $100,000 and I thought that was too much.”

The 2.6-acre dog park is planned for near the Tollgate Road entrance of Core Creek Park, next to the 24-hour fishing spot on Lake Luxembourg, according to Phillyburbs.com.

Mitchell said the commissioners could vote to send the project out for bids by mid-September and that it could be finished by the end of the year.

Mitchell said dog park users will have to register and pay a yearly membership fee. The park will include a 2-acre fenced-in area for larger dogs (more than 25 pounds) and a 0.6-acre area for smaller dogs (25 pounds or less).

“When I was young, you could take a dog to an open field and let it run, but with all the development, those open fields are less and less,” said Newtown Township resident Patrick Flanigan, who has helped collect about 1,000 signatures on petitions in support of the dog park.

Relationships between dogs and their owners generally fall into three distinct categories, according to a university researcher.

As a result, says David Blouin, a cultural sociologist at Indiana University South Bend, some dogs live pampered lives while others are still expected to work for a living, all depending usually on their owner’s lot in life.

Blouin, according to Science Daily, says the attitudes of dog owners generally fall into one of three following categories:

• Humanists, who highly value their dogs and consider them close companions, treat their pets almost like pseudo people, or surrogate children.
• Protectionists, often vegetarians, greatly value animals in general, not just as pets.
• Dominionists, who see animals as less important than people, often use their dogs for hunting, guarding or pest control and require them to live outdoors.

“I found it interesting that there are different ways to relate to and think about animals and that people are able to switch and latch onto a different way of thinking about and treating animals when other things happen in their lives, like having children,” said Blouin, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Blouin conducted 28 in-depth interviews with dog owners from a Midwestern county.  Blouin said the distinct orientations toward animals are a result of personal experiences, demographic characteristics and family structure. Rural dog owners were more likely to leave their pets outside, for example. Empty-nesters seemed to be the most attached to their pets.

“People don’t make this stuff up themselves,” Blouin said. “They learn how animals should be treated. There are different ideas out there and these ideas exist in little packages, which are promoted by different groups, like the Humane Society or kennel clubs.”