ohmidog!

A Cane Corso with his ears clipped off was found tied to the back door of an elementary school in Woodbridge, N.J.

Authorities are looking for the dog’s owner, who apparently attempted to crop the dog’s ears at home.

John Hagerty, a spokesman for Woodbridge Township, said the dog is between 5 and 7 years old, with “what appears to be a ‘home done’ ear cropping — the ears are cut flush to the head.”

The dog, wearing a pronged choke collar and a leash, was found by a school employee Tuesday at School No. 9 in the Port Reading section of Woodbridge, NJ.com reported.

Hagerty said the dog has been examined and treated by a veterinarian and is being held at the shelter.

Matt Stanton, a spokesman for the New Jersey SPCA said officers were dispatched to Woodbridge to investigate.

Hagerty said anyone with information about the owner or the dog should call the shelter at 732- 855-0600 (extension 5007).

(Photo: Woodbridge Township)

A Memphis police officer remains hospitalized after being struck last week by a shotgun blast intended for a dog.

Officer Willie Bryant is a member of a multi-jurisdictional gang  task force that was serving a drug-related warrant at a  home in north Memphis.

He was wearing a bulletproof vest when the shot — intended for a Cane Corso police said was charging at officers — struck him in the back last Thursday.

Two men inside the home were arrested and charged with possessing a handgun during attempted commission of a felony, and possessing crack cocaine and marijuana with intent to sell.

The dog, along with three others, were later picked up by Memphis Animal Services.

When police entered the home, two dogs — a pit bull and a Cane Corso — were inside, James Rogers, administrator of Memphis Animal Services, told the Commercial Appeal. The Corso was loose and the pit bull was in a kennel.

Police say the loose dog charged at them, leading officer Byron Willis to fire his weapon. The dog was not struck, and apparently, after the shot was fired, didn’t cause problems requiring officers to use lethal force .

That dog, the pit bull, and two more Cane Corsos in the backyard of the property were taken in by animal control.

Bryant, 32, who has been on the force for nine years, was rushed to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Willis, 43, who has been with the force since July, was been placed on leave pending an investigation.

During a search of the home, officers found crack cocaine, three body armor vests, and five handguns, police said.

“Dogs, armed parties, you never know what you are going to encounter when you kick a door in,” Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong said. “We have to make life or death decisions, not only about our lives, but about other people’s lives, in less than a second’s notice.”

A large brown “ghost dog” who has been repeatedly sighted wandering alone in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park  may have been caught.

Brooklyn animal rescuer Sean Casey, who has been trying to corner the dog for years, caught what might be the mysterious dog last week, the Wall Street Journal reports.

New York City Animal Care & Control spokesman Richard Gentles said the organization received five reports in four years of an unaccompanied animal matching the description of the creature.

“We responded each time but were unable to locate the dog or he/she was gone upon arrival,” Gentles said in a statement. “However, there is no way for us to know for sure if this is the same dog.”

Casey had been getting calls from concerned parkgoers about the dog since 2008, but every time he’d go to the park, the dog was done. “He would be there one minute, and he’d just disappear in the blink of an eye,” Casey said

The dog is the subject of a thread —”large dog living in Prospect Park”— on Brooklynian.com, and was the subject of a short documentary called “Roaming Wild.”

Casey said the dog is a Cane Corso, weighs 109 pounds and is believed to be about five years old.

The dog has proven to be gentle since his capture and willingly walks on a leash.

Casey said catching the dog was a low priority until he started hearing reports in recent weeks that the dog was limping, staying out in the open and allowing people to get closer to him than he once did.

Casey enlisted helpers, including another mastiff, to catch the dog. They formed a circled around him, spread treats on the ground, used the other dog to distract him, and snagged him with rabies poles — metal rods with nooses.

Taken to a veterinarian, the dog was found to have bone fragments floating in a knee, requiring an operation, and Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can cause lethargy and body aches. His medical care is expected to cost several thousand dollars.

(Photo: Brooklyn animal rescuer Sean Casey on Monday with the dog he caught last week in Prospect Park; by Peter J. Smith / The Wall Street Journal)

After an outcry from angry pet owners, United Airlines is lifting a ban on transporting nine breeds of dogs, including pit bulls and others the airline previously listed as dangerous.

United had stopped transporting those breeds when it adopted the animal transporting policies of Continental Airlines. The two carriers are merging this year.

“As a result of feedback, United will now accept previously restricted breeds of dogs traveling in a non-plastic, reinforced crate,” United said in a statement.

The carrier previously listed the following breeds and types as ineligible for air travel: pit bulls, American Staffordshire terriers, Presa Canario, Perro de Presa Canario, Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa (or Tosa Ken) and Ca de Bou.

An online campaign on Change.org collected more than 45,000 signatures on a petition to lift the restriction, according to the Los Angeles Times. The campaign was started by Hawaii resident Jessie Huart, whose 10-year-old pit bull was denied for transportation on the airline.

“This change is a victory for responsible dog owners everywhere at a time when many are facing breed discrimination,” Huart said in a statement.

Does merging make a company meaner, stupider, or just more of a bully?

United, which recently joined forces with Continental Airlines, has opted to adopt the defunct airline’s backwards pet policy. The new policy is stated on this page of United’s website.

What it all means is that the “friendly skies” of United will no longer transport any of these breeds:

• Pit Bull Terriers
• American Staffordshire Terriers
• Presa Canario
• Perro de Presa Canario
• Dogo Argentino
• Cane Corso
• Fila Brasileiro
• Tosa (or Tosa Ken)
• Ca de Bou

United will not accept members of those breeds, or mixes containing those breeds, once they have reached either 6 months of age or 20 pounds.

Additionally, United reserves the right to refuse any animal that displays aggression or viciousness.

The restrictions have nothing to do with the airline’s separate policy on short-snouted breeds for whom air travel, specifically in a cargo hold, can cause breathing problems. This is separate category for “dangerous” breeds.

“These kinds of breed discriminatory policies fuel the misconceptions about dogs like pit bulls that lead to breed bans and the deaths of thousands of innocent dogs,” reads a petition at Change.org, urging United to reconsider the policy.

The petition was started by Jessie Huart after she learned of the ban while trying to book a ticket to travel with her 10-year-old pit bull, Slaw.

“These types of policies are opposed by every major dog-related organization. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Animal Control Association argue that physical appearance isn’t an effective way to predict or address aggression,” the petition site says:

“United Airlines adopted the discriminatory policy … when it merged with Continental Airlines, making it the world’s largest air carrier and the only US-based airline that labels some dog breeds as “dangerous.”

“But while United is still adjusting to its merger with Continental, the company is listening closely to customer feedback. If thousands of dog-loving United customers sign Jessie’s petition, the airline will have to listen …”

(Photo: Slaw, a pit bull who won’t be flying United; courtesy of Change.org)

There are now 167 breeds of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club.

The AKC has announced that the Icelandic Sheepdog will join the herding group, and the Cane Corso and Leonberger will both join the working group.

The new breeds became eligible for AKC registration on June 1, 2010 and, as of yesterday, became eligible for competitions.

The Cane Corso is a muscular and large-boned breed — one of two native Italian mastiff type dogs that descended from the Roman canis Pugnaces. The Cane Corso is known as a watchdog and hunter of difficult game such as wild boar.  According to the AKC, the breed is intelligent, easily trained, and affectionate to his owner while loving with children and family.

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a playful, friendly and inquisitive breed, the AKC says, known for being hardy and agile — helpful traits when you live in Iceland.

Slightly under medium size with pointy ears and a curled tail, the breed has two coat types, long and short, and is Iceland’s only native dog. 

The Icelandic Sheepdog adapted its working style to Iceland’s terrain and farming techniques since its arrival to the country more than 1,000 years ago. Today, the breed is increasing in popularity, and while still small in numbers, is no longer close to extinction. 

The Leonberger, despite its lion-like looks and large size, is a calm and non-aggressive breed. The Leonberger was originally bred as a family, farm and draft dog.  Today the breed excels as a multi-purpose working dog but the most important task is being a reliable family companion.  In fact, Leonbergers are often called the “nanny” dog because of their affinity for children. 

Breeds trying to gain full AKC recognition must first be recorded with the AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS).  While there is no established timetable for adding new breeds, dogs typically compete in the “Miscellaneous Class” for one to three years before gaining recognition.

More information on the process can be found at the AKC’s website.

The bluetick and redbone coonhounds — along with the Boykin spaniel — have been officially recognized as breeds by the American Kennel Club.

The acceptance of the three new breeds brings to 164 the number of breeds fully recognized as such by the AKC.

The Boykin spaniel will join the sporting group while both the bluetick coonhound and redbone coonhound will join the hound group.

The new breeds will be eligible for full AKC registration and competition in their respective groups at conformation shows held on and after December 30, 2009.

The bluetick coonhound gets its name from its coat pattern, which is dark blue in color and covered in a ticking or mottled pattern. The bluetick is noted for its skill in trailing and treeing raccoons and other small animals. The breed has origins in the English coonhound. In 1945, bluetick breeders broke away to form their own slower-working dog that could pick up older scent trails.

The redbone coonhound is noted for its speed and agility and its ability to hunt and swim over a variety of terrain. The redbone dates back to red foxhounds brought to the U.S. by Scottish immigrants in the late 1700s and red foxhounds imported from Ireland before the Civil War.

The Boykin Spaniel, in addition to being the official state dog of South Carolina, is a medium-sized hunting dog with a cheerful, energetic personality. The breed was developed in South Carolina in the early 1900s by L. Whitaker Boykin, originally to hunt wild turkeys.

The road to full AKC recognition requires non-recognized breeds to first gain acceptance into the AKC Foundation Stock Service. After a breed has been in FSS the recognition process begins with a written request to compete in the miscellaneous class from the National Breed Club.  While there is no established timetable for adding new breeds, dogs typically compete in the miscellaneous class for one to three years.  More information on the process can be found at the AKC’s website.

The next breeds in line for full recognition by AKC are the Icelandic Sheepdog, Cane Corso and Leonberger.

(Photos courtesy of American Kennel Club: Bluetick/by Diane Lewis ©AKC; Boykin Spaniel/by Bill Simmons; Redbone/by Christine Smith)