ohmidog!

Once again it’s time to get out the metaphorical crowbar — metaphorical ones being far lighter and easier to use — and dislodge ourselves from the beach.

And once again, pry as I might, leaving isn’t easy.

Though the sun was making only intermittent appearances — which didn’t really matter, because even rain is better at the beach — Ace and I had a great four days in the Wilmington area.

Our appearance went well at Pomegranate Books — a fine little bookstore that pulled in an equally fine crowd. Ace got to meet a lot of people. I did some reading and talking and signed lots of copies of my book, “DOG, INC.: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man’s Best Friend.”

Our hosts, Steven and Louise Coggins, and their dog Earl, were hospitable and otherwise magnificent, somehow making time for us between their jobs and all the noble work they do, for a variety of causes, on their own time.

In connection with one of those, I got to go along to see a screening of the new documentary “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls,” the first of a planned three-part series on human trafficking.

As with my previous visits to their home on Figure 8 Island, I marveled at the amount of good-deed-doing they manage to squeeze into their lives — generally doing so while I was lazily sitting on a rope swing or lounge chair.

On Wednesday, leaving Ace and Earl behind, I went with another visiting friend to Wrightsville Beach, and lunch at a place called the Oceanic. Though muggy, we sat outside on the pier, sharing it — the pier, not the lunch — with the seagulls.

“Don’t feed the birds” signs were everywhere, as were the gulls, waiting to swoop in for the leftovers when diners departed.

As soon as I sat down, this one (above) landed right behind me, and managed to snag a french fry from the neighboring table just seconds after it was vacated. A waiter quickly came by and covered the basket of fries with his tray. Party pooper.

On Thursday, the sun was out in the morning, but then storm clouds rumbled in. For a good hour, though, the beach side of the house afforded sunny views, while, on the inland side, it was grey and dark, with flashes of lightning.

Earl, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, didn’t seem bothered at all by the thunder, while Ace, five times his size cowered with every rumble.

The rain and sun fought it out all day, both winning several rounds. Late in the afternoon, a drizzle was falling when I walked Ace and Earl on the beach. When we turned around and began walking back, into the wind, Ace fell into step behind me to keep dry, sometimes stepping on my heels, sometimes bumping into me when I stopped, which I did a lot, so he would bump into me.

This morning we packed up the stinkmobile for the trip back to Winston-Salem. My first day here, I had left my windows down, to air out the car. Rain left both front seats soaked, which only made it more pungent, and required I cover them with my collection of dog blankets, my towels, and some of Steve and Louise’s.

Finally, they seemed to have dried out.

So the trip home will be a dry-hineyed one, making leaving a little more tolerable, but still difficult.

I just hate leaving the beach.

It makes me feel a little like the seagulls, after the french fries are covered up.

A security guard at a Social Security Administration office in Georgia has been arrested for allegedly roughing up a visually impaired woman who insisted she had the right to enter the building with her service dog.

Which of course, she did.

Which of course, a government employee — even a contracted one — should know.

Melissa McMann says she is bruised and sore, and her shoulder possibly dislocated, after her visit to the Social Security office in Winder.

The guard, Leroy Huff, faces a charge of simple battery after he allegedly grabbed the 38-year-old McMann by the arm and tried to remove her from the office. Huff surrendered to authorities Wednesday and was taken to Barrow County Jail, WSBTV reported.

McMann and her husband, Christopher — along with Hurbie, her 5-year-old yellow Labrador — went to the Social Security office Thursday to complete some paperwork for their youngest daughter, who they adopted from Thailand.

Winder police say, as the couple was waiting to be called, Huff, an armed security guard, came up and told them dogs were not allowed in the facility.

When the couple explained that Hurbie was a service dog and legally allowed to be there, the officer demanded to see papers to prove it.

The McMann’s didn’t have any — for service dogs aren’t registered by the federal government, or most states – but Hurbie did have a guide harness and a sign attached to the harness stating he was “a working dog for the blind,” police said.

The McManns were protesting when Huff “proceeded to grab” McMann and “forcefully remove her from the building,” the police report said. At that point Mr. McMann called police on his cell phone.

Mrs. McMann, who has retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that has left her with little sight, went to a hospital emergency room, where she was told her shoulder may have been dislocated.

Huff works for Paragon Security Services, which provides guards to the Federal Protective Service of the Department of Homeland Security.

The Social Security Administration apologized to McMann for the incident.

“Service animals are allowed in Social Security field offices,” Patti Patterson, regional spokeswoman for the Social Security Administration, told Channel 2 in an email. “We have apologized to Ms. McMann for the unfortunate incident that occurred with the contract security guard in our Winder field office.”

(Photo: WSBTV)

The Chinese government has banned a 600-year-old tradition in the province of Zhejiang — an annual street carnival in which dogs are butchered, cooked and consumed.

Public outrage led to the decision, Xinhua, the official news agency said.

The October dog-eating carnival in Qianxi township commemorates a local military victory during the Ming dynasty in which dogs were slaughtered to ensure they did not bark and alert the enemy, the report said.

According to a Reuters report, dogs are killed and skinned in the streets, partly for tradition’s sake, partly an effort by vendors to show their dog meat is fresh and safe, as a way to ease buyers’ worry that the meat may contaminated.

Opposition to the event — thousands of web users swamped social networking websites to protest the carnival — is just the latest example of evolving sensibilities in China and other Asian countries when it comes to dogs, with dogs becoming viewed less as food source, more as companions.

In April, an impromptu road block by animal welfare activisits and other citizens kept a truckload of 500 farm dogs headed to a slaughterhouse from reaching its destination.

Around 200 people helped block the truck — that’s it in the photo at the top of this post –at a toll booth for 15 hours. Eventually, they were able to negotiate the dogs’ release for $17,000, saving the dogs from being slaughtered and served as food.

(Photo: David Gray / Reuters)

Like something out of a zombie movie, hundreds of dogs are wandering the no-entry zone around the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, waiting — Hachiko-like — for owners who no longer live there.

The Fukushima prefectural government and Japan’s Environment Ministry are trying to capture pets left within a 12.4 mile radius of the plant, which was crippled by the disastrous March 11 earthquake, leading to the declaration of a nuclear emergency and evacuation of the area.

Before the disaster, there were about 5,800 registered dogs in the area that became the no-entry zone, according to a report in the Seattle Times.

It’s not known how many escaped the area with their owners.

From May 10 to the end of August, the prefectural government captured a total of 323 pets, mainly dogs, that were left leashed at empty houses.

While many dogs are suspected to have died in the tsunami or from starvation, hundreds of dogs are believed to still be living within the zone, and it’s likely that some will soon be producing litters of pups.

“(The) offspring will be wild dogs with no experience with people,” an official said. “We want to catch these puppies before they grow up.”

A warehouse in Fukushima is serving as home to about 150 captured dogs.

Most of the dogs’ owners now live in makeshift accommodation units or apartments, outside the no-entry zone, so there are no prospects of them collecting the dogs.

The prefectural government said it plans to establish another shelter for dogs. Care of the dogs is being paid for with about $444,000 in donations, but at the end of August, only about $116,000 of that remained.

“Pets provide people with mental support, so we’d like to return them to their owners as soon as possible, but there’s no end to this problem in sight,” the official said.

(Photo: A dog walks across a street in the deserted town of Futaba in April, inside the 12-mile evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. By Sergey Ponomarev / Associated Press)

A yoga instructor in Boulder faces an animal cruelty charge after witnesses saw her running a Chihuahua alongside her car — at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour.

In court on Monday, Joan Renee Zalk said she was pet-sitting for the dog. She told police officers the dog, named Cooper, needs to walk at least three miles a day or he goes “ballistic.”

Zalk, 29, also faces a charge of felony menacing after a witness who confronted her about the dog told police she was threatened, the Boulder Daily Camera reported.

Zalk, who is also an acupuncturist, told the newspaper there was no abuse involved.

Several witnesses called police Friday after seeing the leashed dog running alongside the car.

“That poor dog was running its guts out trying to keep up,” said Elizabeth Whaley, who followed the car, pulled up alongside it and issued a scolding.

Another woman, Debra Baros, later confronted Zalk, who, according to police, told her, “Excuse me, I have a gun in my car. Do you want me to get it?”

Zalk told police she didn’t really have a gun, but made the remark because she felt threatened by Baros.

Zalk was taken to the Boulder County Jail. She was released on bond on Monday.

Officers observed cuts, scabs and blood on the neck of Cooper, who was taken to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. He was later released to his owner.

Zalk told police that the owner, Erin Livers, knew that she sometimes ran the dog from her car or her bike. But police say Livers, when contacted, denied that was the case.

Zalk is scheduled to appear in court again today.

Although they’re homeless no more, hard times continue in Los Angeles for Michael Reed and his three-legged dog, Topaz.

Topaz had surgery earlier this month to remove a cancerous tumor in her neck, an operation that involved removing part of her jugular vein.

Michael, meanwhile, has been in and out of the hospital since being diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and Hepatitis C.

But, for now, both, when they’re not under the care of doctors, are still living together in the trailer in Torrance that Michael — once he confirmed Topaz could stay there, too — moved into after years on the streets.

Michael and Topaz were homeless when police opened fire on another homeless man they thought was pulling a gun in Inglewood. The gun turned out to be a toy, but that wasn’t discovered until, 47 shots later, Eddie Franco had been killed. Topaz was struck by four or five bullets and would lose her leg.

Ingrid Hurel-Diourbel, the founder of Streetsmarts Rescue who helped reunite Topaz and Michael, reports that Topaz has been spending days at the home of a Streetsmarts member, and nights at the hospital.

A permanent home for the 6-year-old dog is still being sought, as Michael’s illness is considered terminal.

After Topaz had surgery, she was taken to visit Michael at the hospital, where had been admitted after complaining of feeling weak and dizzy.

In the photos provided by the rescue (above), I can see how Michael has physically declined since I met him three years ago and took the photo to the left.

To contribute to the care of Topaz, visit the ChipIn page that Hurel-Diourbel established.

When Pomegranate Books in Wilmington, N.C., invited Ace and me for a book signing, we couldn’t wait for the time to arrive, for — in addition to maybe selling a few copies of “DOG, INC.” — it meant a return to the beach.

Ace dropped the rawhide chew he was gnawing on in the back seat even before we got to the bridge, sensing, or scenting, that we were near.

He got up, poked his head out the window and his tail commenced to wagging.

By the time we pulled up to our host’s house — that’s him, Earl, to the left — Ace was raring to jump out of the car.

Once inside, we found Earl in a first floor room, where he was watching a gardening show on TV.
He showed us upstairs to our room and, after dropping my bags, we all headed out for a quick romp on the beach.

Back inside, I sat in the swinging rope chair on the deck and hoisted him in my lap. He seemed especially interested in my breath — maybe because he was trying to figure out who the heck had invaded his home, maybe because of the peanut butter left from the two sandwiches Ace and I shared on the drive down.

Or perhaps he remembered me. That’s what I like to think.

After a while, Earl went to work on his tan, and Ace joined him briefly on the neighboring lounge before deciding the shade would be nicer.

Some humans live in the beach house, too, who we’ve told you about before. They’ll be bringing Earl along to tomorrow (Tuesday) night’s signing.

It’s at Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Avenue in Wilmington, starting at 7 p.m.

“DOG, INC.: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man’s Best Friend” recounts the race to clone the world’s first dog, the quick transition the service made to the marketplace, and the stories of the first pet owners who, hoping for genetic duplicates of their recently deceased pets, availed themselves of the service.

What do Tom Otterness and Michael Vick have in common?

A lot.

They both killed dogs, then went on to even greater achievement, fame and fortune in their respective professions — Vick as an NFL quarterback, Otterness as an artist.

But both are still dogged by their pasts, and both seem to imply that’s wrong — that those who keep bringing up the dogs they killed should forgive and forget and let them get on with their lives.

Boo. Freakin’. Hoo.

Otterness, a Brooklyn artist who once shot and killed a dog and called it art, has just landed a $750,000 city art contract for the Central Subway in San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

Vick, meanwhile, will have to subsist under the terms of the $100 million contract he recently signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In June, the board of directors of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency approved a contract with Otterness for 59 bronze sculptures for the proposed subway’s Moscone station. (The board was unaware of the incident in Otterness’ past — even though it has reared its ugly head several times before.)

“Tom Otterness is a world-renowned sculptor who has been commissioned by government agencies around the world to create major permanent public art projects,” Susan Pontious, who pilots the San Francisco Arts Commission’s public art program, said in a statement. “The Central Subway Artist Selection Panel chose Otterness based on the strength of his proposal and his impressive portfolio of past sculptural work.”

We can only guess Otterness doesn’t list his dog-shooting movie on the resume.

Otterness has repeatedly apologized for the 1977 film project. He was 25 when he bought a small black and white dog from an animal shelter, chained it to a fence and then shot it. He filmed it for a work entitled, “Shot Dog Film.”

But the artist, like the football player, has learned that — no matter how much remorse is expressed or, in Vick’s case, time is served — some people aren’t willing to let bygones be bygones when it comes to slaying dogs.

“You do not let an animal shooter put up 59 sculptures in your subway system,” said Anita Carswell, director of the Guardian Campaign for In Defense of Animals. “This is a slap in the face of the city. It’s going to be offensive to everybody that rides the subway, a reminder: ‘People who shoot dogs for stupid reasons get rewarded.’”

As Carswell noted, San Francisco is named after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

In a recent New York Observer article, here’s how Otterness responded when the dog killing was brought up:

“What the f— do I do with this? Certainly the scene it was part of, it was in the context of the times and the scene I was in … It is something I’ve grown to understand that nothing really excuses that kind of action. I had a very convoluted logic as to what effect I meant to have with that video. Whatever I had in mind, it was really inexcusable to take a life in service of that.”

Calling all beagles.

Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland will host its sixth annual fundraiser and alumni celebration “Beagle Bash” on Sunday, September 25,  from noon to 4 p.m., at Countryside Kennels in Owings, Maryland.

Beagle Bash is a free event celebrating all things beagle and features a variety of activities in a securely fenced area for off-leash fun and play, including canine good citizen testing, swimming and lounging by the doggie swimming pool.

“Beagle Bash is a wonderful event for the entire family, both the two and four-legged members, that helps raise funds for the care of our beagles all year long,” said Mara Melton, Founder of Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland, Inc.

“Our volunteers are able to reconnect with our dogs who have found their forever families and celebrate their hard work and dedication to finding loving and safe homes for the dogs that come to Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland.”

Countryside Kennels is in Calvert County, located at 9214 Boyds Turn Road, in Owings.

For more information about Beagle Bash, call (301) 934-3616 or email beaglebash@beaglemaryland.org.

Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland, Inc. was founded in 2001, and is a  nonprofit, volunteer-run corporation that helps find homes for beagles in need from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. It has found homes for over 1,100 beagles.

Humane officials are appealing to Montreal residents for supplies and help to care for about 525 dogs seized on the weekend — the largest seizure of dogs in Quebec’s history.

“We’re calling on Montrealers to open up their hearts and give a desperately needed second chance to these dogs,” Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane Society International Canada, told The Gazette in Montreal.

On Friday night, officials raided a breeding operation in Clarendon, northwest of Ottawa, and began removing the dogs, a task that took until late Saturday night to complete.

Aldworth appealed for donations of dog toys, dog bowls and bedding. “We want these dogs to be as comfortable as we can make them,” Aldworth said. “We’re also calling on people to volunteer.”

The dogs – of 30 different breeds, some pups, some full grown — are being housed in an emergency shelter in Montreal.

Officials say the animals were malnourished, and that many had skin ailments and breathing problems.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Department said the animals will remain in care until a judge rules on whether they should be returned to the owner or put up for adoption.

The dogs’ owner, Charlene Labombard defended her operation — Paws “R” Us — Friday, and said the investigation was sparked by a disatisified customer.

Labombard says the facility has automated feeding equipment on every animal pen and that the visiting veterinarian would have told her if the puppies were malnourished.

People who want to donate dog toys, dog bowls and bedding, or who want to volunteer, should contact the Humane Society International Canada at info@hsicanada.ca or call 514-395-2914.

(Photo: Rebecca Aldworth with one of the seized dogs. By Robert J. Galbraith / Montreal Gazette)