ohmidog!

A vigil is being held in New York Saturday in honor of Nick Santino, the soap opera actor who took his own life after putting his dog down.

Santino, according to friends and family, was distraught and feeling guilty after having his pit bull Rocco euthanized — a step acquaintances say he took after his condo board instituted rules against pit bulls and other restrictions against dogs.

“Rocco trusted me and I failed him,” Santino wrote in a suicide note. “He didn’t deserve this.”

Santino was allowed to keep his dog under a grandfather clause, but according to friends, he was being harassed about his dog by the board and fellow residents.

In response to the incident, the Animal Farm Foundation, in conjunction with the National Canine Research Council, had scheduled a press conference on on the social, financial, and legal challenges and discrimination facing pet owners in New York City, but canceled it in the wake of a police officer’s death in the city.

Instead, it’s coordinating a vigil that starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, outside of One Lincoln Plaza, 20 West 64th St.

“The recent death of Nick Santino and his dog Rocco highlight the important role pets play in American lives, but it also illustrates the social, financial, and legal challenges facing pet owners, especially in urban areas like New York City,” the foundation said in a press release.

(Photo: Emmacleary.com)

Before its looming crackdown on unlicensed dogs, the city of Chicago will try a gentler form of persuasion — a contest to name the city’s first ever “Dog of Distinction.”

All dogs whose owners apply for a city license in the next three months will be eligible.

In April, five newly-licensed dogs will be randomly chosen to compete for the title, which will go to the dog who captures the most online votes for best exemplifying “Chicago’s spirit.”

Finalists will get dog-friendly cruise tickets, a tea party in their honor at the Palmer House Hilton, and gift bags filled with dog treats and accessories.

The winner gets a custom-designed, ruby and topaz dog tag in the shape of the Chicago flag;  a weekend stay at the Palmer House Hilton, a photo shoot at Urban Out Sitters and a story in Chicagoland Tails magazine.

The city’s thinking, as explained in the Sun-Times, is that dangling a carrot in front of the 470,000 Chicago owners of unlicensed dogs will both help educate those who aren’t aware of the long-ignored requirement and inspire more people to license their dogs.

Those who spurn the carrot will face the stick — namely, fines of up to $200 for failure to license your dog.

“I don’t think it’s fair to ticket people who are not even aware of the legal obligation,” City Clerk Susana Mendoza said. “First, we’ll educate, then follow up with a strong enforcement campaign.”

There are believed to be about 500,000 dogs in Chicago, but even after a surge in registrations sparked by talk of the impending crackdown, fewer than 30,000 are licensed, the Sun-Times reported.

Under the crackdown, the city won’t be setting up roadblocks, raiding dog parks or stopping dog owners at random, Mendoza said. But they will be acting on any complaints.

“We’re not gonna go out there in mass droves and try to stop people legally walking their pet, but there are plenty of other opportunties,” she said. “When you see dogs running on beaches, it’s fair to go up to those individuals and ask if their dogs are licensed.”

The license fee for spayed or neutered dogs is $5; it’s $50 for dogs who aren’t fixed. To purchase a dog license, owners must show proof that their dogs have been vaccinated for rabies. The dog license is a sticker affixed to the rabies tag.

Licenses can be purchased online at www.chicityclerk.com. Applications will also be mailed to dog owners who call (312) 744-DOGS (3647).

(Photo: from Golden Creek Kennels)

Animal rights activists in Moscow are pleading with Russia’s president to reject a plan to banish 26,000 stray dogs from the city.

The dogs would be sent to a facility far outside the city that critics say will be cramped, unhealthy and largely unmonitored.

About 50 activists lined up outside the presidential administration building Wednesday to submit signed petitions to President Dmitry Medvedev asking that the plan — while temporarily on hold — be permanently abandoned, the Associated Press reports.

“We’ve come here today to ask him to protect Moscow’s dogs,” said Yelena Nadyozhkina, an activist with Russian group Save the Animals.

Under the plan — and heavy-handed as it is, it’s still a tad more enlightened than that underway in Fayetteville, N.C. — strays would be rounded up and sent to a camp in the Yaroslavl region, about 150 miles northeast of the city.

“It’s far enough from Moscow that we won’t be able to go there, observe them or control how the animals are fed and taken care of,” said Lyudmila Fokina, a volunteer at one of Moscow’s animal shelters. “The animals will just die there. We won’t know about it, and the money will continue to finance the facility.”

Stray dogs roam the Russian capital mostly at will, including the city’s subway stations where they can sometimes be seen riding the trains.

Dog lovers, including some Russian celebrities, have been petitioning City Hall to abandon the plan since February. But activists say city officials have been slow to respond to their concerns. “After half a year, they still haven’t given us any response,” Fokina said. “We want a written answer confirming that the dogs will not be sent anywhere.”

The petition also urges the city to allocate funds for more dog shelters in Moscow.

(Photo: Masha Guskova, an animal rights activist, sits with her dog, holding a sign saying “What are we killed for?” at a protest in Moscow, Wednesday. By Sofia Javed / Associated Press)

In yet another sign that the animal welfare movement is gaining its legs in China, public pressure has led officials of the city of Jiangmen to withdraw their plans to ban dogs in urban areas.

The decision saved the lives of thousands of animals.

City officials had issued a notice that — to prevent rabies and establish a “more civilized” city — they would ban dogs in three urban districts of Jiangmen. Residents of those areas were ordered to turn their dogs in, and those that didn’t faced having their dogs confiscated and euthanized.

The decision to drop the ban drew praise from the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“Civilized cities don’t ban the ownership of man’s best friend. Killing dogs rightfully owned is an outright violation of basic citizens’ rights,” said Grace Ge Gabriel, IFAW Asia Regional Director, who is from China. 

“Banning and killing dogs are ineffective solutions to preventing rabies, which has been successfully controlled in many parts of the world with education, vaccination and sterilization. We are pleased to see Jiangmen city officials back down from their knee-jerk decision yielding to public outcry.”

You can read more about the ban, and the overturning of it, on Gabriel’s blog.

Lacking national animal welfare legislation and rabies prevention mechanisms in China, local governments have previously resorted to mass dog culls in an effort to “prevent rabies” or to “clean up a city.”

But in Jiangmen, the order enraged many pet owners, who made their voices heard through the online forums, blogs and social networking sites in China.  

“I am tremendously happy and proud to see that public uproar from within China stopped this unethical killing. In the past we were only able to stop some of the dog culls with international pressure,” said Gabriel.

“IFAW stands firm with the millions of animal caring people in China who desperately want to see the country to promulgate animal welfare legislation—the most effective way to ban the culling of companion animals, once and for all.”

The overturning of the ban is another sign that, as pet ownership grows in China and other Asian countries — including some where some members of the population still eat dogs — the animal welfare movement is been growing stronger.

Three months ago, more than 500 dogs being trucked to a slaughterhouse in China were freed from that fate when an animal activist spotted the truck transporting them on the highway, went on line and used social media to arrange an impromptu blockade.

Around 200 people helped block the truck at a toll booth for 15 hours, eventually negotiating the release of the dogs.

Officials in Jiangmen, China, are banning residents from keeping dogs in the city and are telling owners to begin taking their dogs to drop-off centers, where they will either be adopted by rural residents or euthanized.

The ban will be in effect in the most densely populated sections of Jiangmen, a city with a population of 3.8 million.

China Daily reports that dogs will be prohibited in urban public places and illegally raised dogs will be confiscated or hunted in Jiangmen city starting August 26, according to the city government of South China’s Guangdong province.

“We hope that all citizens will cooperate with us in creating a civilized Jiangmen and send their dogs to outskirts or rural areas,” said an official from the municipal committee of political science and law.

The notice has raised great concerns among citizens. “It’s unfair to kill all dogs without allowing people to get their dog a license. Their doing this shows no respect of life,” a citizen said. Others are calling for a more reasonable regulation on dog-raising.

The Daily Mail, in London, reports that up to 30,000 dogs could be put down in connection with the ban, which was prompted by an outbreak of rabies. Forty-two residents have reportedly died of rabies in the last three years.

Officials issued a declaration, called The Notice on Strengthening the Management of Dogs, which stated that residents must re-home their dogs between August 10 and 25. After the 25th, authorities will start confiscating dogs found in the area included in the ban.

The city of Baltimore — for the first time I’m aware of — has issued an advisory calling upon pet owners to keep their dogs and cats hydrated, indoors, or in the shade over the next several days.

Way to go, city.

The Baltimore City Health Department, in addition to urging humans to take precautions, passed along the following tips from the office of Animal Control:

Provide shade. Ensure that your pet has protection from the heat and sun – a dog house does not provide relief from heat. Bring your pet inside during the hottest part for the day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Provide fresh water. Animals do not sweat like humans. They need fresh, clean water to keep their temperatures low. Replenish their water dish with cool water often throughout the day if the animal must be kept outside.

Limit exercise, especially during the hottest hours of the day. Exercise your pet in the early morning or in the evening. When possible, walk your dog on the grass. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws.

Never leave your pet in a parked car. On an 85 degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle with the windows slightly open can reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit within 10 minutes. Overheating can result in irreversible organ damage or even death.

Know the signs of heat exhaustion in pets: drooling, excessive panting and lethargic behavior. Seek veterinary care immediately if your pets are exhibiting any of these symptoms.

“Our pets rely on us for their health and well-being. This includes protecting them from the heat, especially during Code Red Heat Alerts,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

The health department urges residents to call 311 to report cases of neglect, or to call 911 if they see animals or small children alone in a parked car.

I’m not sure who’s behind the advisory, but it’s great to see animal control doing something that’s proactive (and doesn’t involve writing tickets for well-monitored off-leash dogs.)

More information on the city’s heat alert plan can be found here.
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Richard Hunter, the adoptive parent of one of Michael Vick’s dogs, confronted the Eagles quarterback in Dallas after a ceremony Saturday in which Vick received the key to the city — and asked him if he wanted an opportunity to see one of his former dogs.

Instead of getting an answer, Hunter, a local radio personality who we met this summer in our Travels with Ace, got pushed out of the way by Vick’s entourage. He put together this video of the event afterwards.

Hunter and his wife, Sunny, VIP manager for a Dallas gentlemen’s club, adopted Mel about two years after he was seized from the Vick estate in Virginia. He was one of 47 survivors, and one of the 22 who, deemed most hopeless, were sent to Best Friends, the animal sanctuary in southern Utah. He spent nearly two years there before trainers pronounced him adoptable.

Ace and I got to meet the whole family during out visit to Dallas, which included a car ride in which Ace shared the back seat with Mel and the Hunter’s other dog, Pumpkin.

Michael Vick showed little interest in learning more about Mel, despite Hunter’s persistent offers, and at one point a member of Vick’s security team told him, “We don’t care about the dogs.”

In presenting the key to the city, Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway told Vick, “You deserve it, you earned it.”

Hunter’s response to Vick getting presented the key? Maybe, he said, it’s time to change the locks.

Ace made a big impression on pre-k and kindergarten students at Baltimore’s Lakewood Elementary School yesterday, dazzling them with tricks, soaking up their pats and hugs and swearing in two classrooms whose students took the “Oath of Kindness,” a pledge to be kind to animals.

How this latest stop in our continuing travels came to pass was actually pretty simple, and amazingly bureaucracy-free.

A teacher friend asked if we’d visit. We said yes. She got the necessary clearances and, before you know it, a 130-pound Rottweiler-Akita-chow-pit bull mix was being snuggled, stroked and hugged by a bunch of children half his size.

Karma Dogs, the therapy dog organization of which Ace is a member, came up with two more volunteers who visited the school along with Ace and me –  Janet Shepherd and her dog Tami, and Kathryn Corrigan and her dog Puddy.

Together, we covered six classrooms in just over an hour, administering the oath, passing along some basic dog safety tips and stressing the importance of treating animals kindly.

Karma Dogs developed the ”Oath of Kindness” after the death of Phoenix, a pit bull puppy who was set on fire by Baltimore teenagers in the summer of 2009 — not the first, or last, case of its type in the city.

The oath reads: “I … pledge always to be kind to animals. I promise never to hurt an animal, be it dog or cat, furry or fat. I promise to tell my friends to be kind to animals and if I see an animal that is being hurt I will tell an adult right away. Scaly or slimy, feathered or blue, to this promise I will be true.”

After reciting the pledge, the children receive a certificate,which is “pawtographed” by the dog, in this case, Ace. The hope is that children who have openly declared they will not be violent towards animals will remember that, tell their friends and inform adults when they see an animal being taunted or abused.

Of the students Ace and I appeared before, about a dozen raised their hands when I asked who was afraid of dogs. But only one declined a chance to pet Ace. Several more had some trepidations, but those seemed to melt away as they watched the other children interact with him.

They were eager to ask questions, and talk about their own pets. One girl spent three minutes talking about her Chihuahua, which she said had the same name she did. Not until the end of her dissertation did she reveal that her dog was a stuffed toy.

I cautioned them against  approaching stray dogs, told them to always to ask the owner before approaching a dog, showed them how to let dogs sniff their hands as an introduction and encouraged them to treat dogs as they’d like to be treated — calmly, kindly and lovingly.

Ace made an impression on the children in several ways, I think –through his size alone, his gentleness and his back story: a stray adopted from the shelter, like most of the other Karma Dogs, who went on to try and help humans.

He also made an impression with his pawprint, stamped on each of the certificates that was handed out.

The teacher behind the event (who also took these photos) was Marite Edwards, a longtime friend of Ace’s. When she took the idea to her principal, she learned that the school and district were looking at ways to add dog safety and kindness to animals to the curriculum.

That another case of animal abuse surfaced in Baltimore over the weekend — that of a cat set on fire by two teenagers — confirmed just how much those lessons are needed.

You can find more information about Karma Dogs at its website.

(Photos by Marite Edwards)

PETA thinks Baltimore residents are too fat, and that a vegetarian diet could help them achieve a much-needed slimming down.

To that end, it is sending women clad in lettuce bikinis to the city to hand out veggie hot dogs.

Makes perfect sense.

Baltimore was recently ranked the eighth fattest city in the country, so PETA’s “Lettuce Ladies” are hitting the road to show Baltimore (and other fat cities, as well)  how healthy, compassionate, and delicious it is to be vegan.

The free veggie dogs will be handed out at noon this coming Friday at City Hall, 100 Holliday St.

PETA says meat consumption has been directly linked to obesity, and that adult vegans are, on average, 10 to 20 pounds lighter than adult meat-eaters. On top of that, PETA says, foregoing meat also helps fight heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and certain types of cancer.

Baltimore dogs and their humans took to the water today at Riverside Park’s doggie swim — held after the pool’s last day of the season.

 For more photos, see my Facebook album.