Pet Monologues

Theresa Hoang, the owner of runaway Gracie, sent an email to Team Vivi members thanking them for their help—from posting fliers to calling veterinarians — which ultimately made the Italian greyhound’s ending a happy one.

“I would like to specially thank all of you for your tremendous help and support” when Gracie was wandering the streets of Brooklyn, she wrote. “I have never seen such a coordinated effort … I [would love it] if we could meet each other some day.

The dog was missing since July 15, 2007, in Brooklyn.

Now wait a New York minute! Just who/what is Team Vivi? The short version is…who really wants the short version? This is a blog! Let’s go for the long version!

SEARCH FOR A PRIZE-WINNING SHOW DOG BECOMES A NEW YORK OBSESSION Read the rest of this entry »

Vick attorneys negotiating plea. Falcons QB would serve prison time if agreement reached.

Michael Vick’s attorneys are engaged in plea negotiations with federal prosecutors and the Falcons quarterback could reach an agreement before new dogfighting charges are handed down next week, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. Read the rest of this entry »

PM wishes to keep dialog open and alive with regard to the pit bull terrier. That’s because, when people are talking, remedies for polarizing issues come easier.

We have an adult family member with no children who adopted two such dogs and they are great dogs. However, one afternoon when we were packing to go home, it was a cold January afternoon, a jacket with a hood was zipped up and the dogs clearly became agitated at the site of the hood. The jacket very quickly came off and the dogs led to another room. The dogs are one-year-olds and the owner, who is in his fifties, is an experienced dog owner who lives in a neighborhood with plenty of space and no children. So far with conditions as they are everyone is optimistic. We have become very fond of these two dogs and we also handle them with care.

That said, the following article is about finding homes for dogs who may have been exposed to dog-fighting. These dogs who are saddled with “issues” really require evolved sensibilities.

Here is a recent story found in the Chicago Tribune.

by Bill Hageman, Chicago Tribune

Catherine Hedges says she gets a lot of e-mails from people who want to help Michael Vick’s pit bulls.

“We can’t,” she says. “But we can save these South Holland dogs.”

Photo: Chicago Tribune

Hedges spent nearly a decade in pit bull rescue before stepping aside for health reasons. She has been busy lately, though, working behind the scenes with American Animal Rescue Society in an effort to find homes for the dogs that were seized in that big July raid in South Holland. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s start with this. If the pit bull terrier ever needed good press (think PR) now is the time to write something positive about this pooch. The reason? Life is about “balance” and there are few “positive” pit bull stories that we are aware of. PM is happy to publish the following article from the Chicago Tribune…

by Gerry Smith, Chicago Tribune

“Trainer aims to reprogram public’s view of pit bulls: Pit bull olympics.”

Head, a 6-month-old pit bull with tattered ears and a passive demeanor, learned to sit on Saturday, a small but notable achievement for a dog once bred to fight.

Photo by Julia Fishkin

On a sidewalk in Humboldt Park, Head was part of a small group of neighborhood pit bulls participating in a dog obedience class taught by Tony Gordon, whose mission is more than just turning around a few hostile canines.

Gordon, a disciple of Pavlov’s theories, said he also hopes to educate pit bull owners and transform public perception about a breed that has been maligned by the media in high-profile attacks on children. Read the rest of this entry »

CHESHIRE, Conn. (AP) Woman kills raccoon with her bare hands.

Talk about a tough lady! A woman killed a raccoon with her bare hands Thursday when the animal attacked a young boy. Officials with Cheshire animal control say the woman was walking in the woods around 11 a.m. with a group of children when the animal bit the 5-year-old son of a friend. Read the rest of this entry »

Man sent to hospital by decapitated snake.

And here I thought it was only things like say - oh, flatworms and cockroaches that you could cut off the heads off - and still have them live. All right, I’ll be honest, I don’t think it was really alive. But at any rate - 53-year-old Danny Anderson learned the hard way it could still bite. Read the rest of this entry »

MOSCOW Crocodile falls 12 floors third time in escape bid. A crocodile survived a fall from the 12th floor of a Russian apartment block after making an escape bid through a window, emergency services said on Wednesday.

Diving out of the window has become a habit for the crocodile, called Khenar, with concerned neighbors saying it was the third time he had used that method to flee, Moskovsky Komsomolets daily reported. Read the rest of this entry »

CAPE MAY, N.J. - Cats versus birds in this town. Cats are as much a part of this seaside town’s genteel culture as rainbow-colored Victorian bed-and-breakfasts, trolley tours and cocktails on the porch at sunset.

They’re also suspect No. 1 in many deaths of the endangered piping plover, a fist-size, white-and-brown fuzzball of a bird that has closed beaches and stopped development projects in the interest of protecting its habitat. Read the rest of this entry »

Company sinks teeth into dog time shares.

“It prevents dogs from being adopted and then returned to the shelter by people who realize it wasn’t a good fit.”

From the state that popularized purse puppies, drive-thru dog washes and gourmet dog food delivery comes the latest in canine convenience _ a company that contracts out dogs by the day to urbanites without the time or space to care for a pet full-time. Read the rest of this entry »

While searching for “pet stories” it came as a surprise that Sim2 first new companion game is “Pet Stories.” Though Sim2 comes in at #55 on Gamespot.com, this is a popular game—among adults. Craig’s List most popular forums, in Chicago, have huge followings for “romantic advice” and “politics” while “women’s issues” and “pet and animal” are next in popularity, considerably less visited, and evenly weighted. For such a popular adult game to target pets is interesting. The concept of alotting time towards animals but for whatever reason a “virtual” companion, is worth thinking about. Here is just one narrative on the upcoming game…

Based on The Simsâ„¢ 2 Pets, the top-selling expansion pack to The Simsâ„¢ 2, The Simsâ„¢ Pet Stories is the second release in the new product line called The Simsâ„¢ Stories. Train, play with, and care for your Sims’ cats and dogs, and do your best to keep them happy. Count on many unexpected twists and turns in this easy-to-play, laptop-friendly version of The Simsâ„¢. Choose from two different stories in the directed Story mode, taking on a variety of challenges as you compete in a local pet show and learn that even pets have their own personalities. Unlock rewards as you achieve set goals for your Sims and their pets. In open-ended Freeplay mode, create your Sims and their pets, design their homes, and teach your pets tricks. You decide how their stories unfold. Read the rest of this entry »