Terrier World News: Got A Story?: Contact Us |
|
| NEWS AS IT HAPPENS | ||
|---|---|---|
Man dies after falling through ice
The man was walking his two dogs when they strayed onto the ice and he followed in an attempt to save them. A member of public rang the police just before 1pm to say the man had fallen through the ice and emergency services were called to the scene. Attempts were made to resuscitate the man as he was pulled from the river near Stockton-on-Tees by the Coastguard. He was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, but later died. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the man had fallen through the ice on the Stockton side of the river, between the Millennium and Princess Diana bridges near the River Tees Barrage, around 50 yards from the northern bank. The Ambulance Service and Redcar Coastguard Rescue Team were called to the scene but as it had happened above the barrage no lifeboat could be used, so the fire service used their fire boat to help the search. When emergency services arrived they could not see the man but he was eventually found after a police helicopter was brought in. Graham Dawson, duty watch manager at Humber Coastguard said: "We're advising all dog walkers to be very, very careful in these treacherous conditions. Untreated paths and concrete surfaces can become ice rinks." Cleveland Police said there had been no sightings of either dog since the accident. OPPOSITION FOR TOTO KANSAS USA February 9, 2012
Saying it would have deadly consequences if Kansas adopts a state dog, an official with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written a letter to a Kansas politician, asking him to withdraw a proposal establishing the cairn terrier as the state dog. State Rep. Ed Trimmer, D-Winfield, proposed the bill, House Bill 2513, designating the cairn terrier as the official dog breed of Kansas. Toto, the dog in “The Wizard of Oz,” was a cairn. News about the proposal spread quickly throughout the nation with news reports carried on major television networks, in newspapers, on NPR and blogs such as the Huffington Post. “If passed, HB 2513 would worsen one of Kansas’ serious problems: its reputation as a hotbed for cruel, filthy puppy mills. Naming the cairn terrier – or any breed – Kansas’ state dog would drive up demand for these dogs and entice puppy mills to churn out litter after litter of the breed, meaning fewer dogs would be adopted from your state’s animal shelters,” wrote Martin Mersereau, director of the cruelty investigation department for PETA. Mersereau wrote that he was sending Trimmer the letter “on behalf of PETA’s more than 3 million members and supporters worldwide – including many in Kansas – to urge you to immediately withdraw House Bill 2513.” That’s not going to happen, Trimmer said. “I’ve gotten more positive responses from people – people glad we are doing this,” Trimmer said. “They recognize this bill is not a super-critical piece of legislation – but that it is not harmful. Their comment that Kansas is a horrible place because of puppy mills and because we have animals in animal shelters are separate issues. I’m drawing on my past experience as a debate coach and I would make the argument for causality. I don’t see a causal relation between naming a state dog and the proliferation of puppy mills. I haven’t seen any evidence take place. They’ve overstated their position.” Responses from Kansans to the state dog proposal have been mixed. Eagle readers responded with many suggestions for a state dog – from mongrels, greyhounds and Labradors to prairie dogs. Some, though, voiced support for the cairn terrier. A Wendell, N.C., woman, Jo Anne L. Beckerich, wrote The Eagle an e-mail on Wednesday saying: “Our local radio station in North Carolina alerted me. … My husband and I have had the pleasure of living with Cairn Terriers since the mid 1980s. If any testimony is needed re passing this wonderful, loving, feisty, intelligent, fun loving dog as your state dog, let me know! I would be glad to give you from-the-heart opinions on the Cairn Terrier breed! I wish that I could live in Kansas!” PETA is the same national animal rights group that in 2009 – just days after the shooting death of Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller – proposed erecting billboards in Wichita urging people on both sides of the abortion debate to go vegetarian. One version of a billboard was to say: “Pro-Life? Go Vegetarian. “The other said, “Pro-Choice? Choose Vegetarian.” Both showed pictures of baby chicks. Their request was denied by local sign companies. In the meantime, Trimmer said, he has received requests from Kansas schoolchildren and teachers saying their classes will closely follow the bill through the legislative process. Before any bill can become law, it must go to a committee for a hearing – in this case, the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. If the committee approves the bill, it will go the House floor for a vote. The hearing date has not been set, Trimmer said. Brenda Moore, obedience chairwoman with the South Central Kansas Kennel Club, who contacted Trimmer in the first place, also has heard plenty about the proposal. “I’ve seen some negative comments, and that is sad,” Moore said. “With the economy, I know we are going through a rough time but when you try to do something fun or make some people happy, it’s bad enough. We’ve got to find little bits of happiness along the way. To me, the cairn terrier is as much of Kansas as sunflowers are.” As for PETA asking for the bill to be withdrawn because of the state’s reputation for puppy mills, Moore said she thought that was a bit much. “That’s people grasping at straws,” Moore said. “The thing about Kansas is that we now have laws that if people see puppy mills, we can do something about it – it used to be, we couldn’t.” TERRIFIED OF DOGS PETERBOROUGH ENGLAND February 7, 2012 
Man frightened of dogs drowns trying to flee bull terrier Call centre worker Mohammed Faisal, 24, dived into the water while walking home through woods – even though he could not swim. Ritchie Frost, the dog’s owner, tried to save Mr Faisal but he drifted out of reach. Advertisement >> Mohammed’s colleague Samantha Persaud, who saw the incident in September last year, told the inquest in Peterborough that the dog had been calm. She said it wasn’t barking or growling – “it was just ambling along”. Mr Faisal’s family said they did not blame Mr Frost. Mohammed’s twin brother Mohammed Yassar, 24, added: “I know him and know he would have helped.” Verdict: Accidental death. CRUFTS ON MORE4 BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND February 3, 2012 Crufts returns to More4 The nation’s favourite dog event Crufts is to return to More4 in March, with Clare Balding at the helm. The channel, which has broadcast from Crufts for the past two years, will be covering the event for two hours each night, from 7-9pm on the 8th to 11th March. All of the live, archive footage and catch up service is free to view on YouTube and dog lovers can subscribe in advance for updates and the ability to rate and share videos social networks. Visit www.youtube.com/crufts.
|
ELDERLY MAN KILLED ELDERLY MAN DIES AFTER DOG ATTACK
Leslie Trotman died after being attacked by a pitbull-type dog that had escaped from a neighbour's garden. .A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the attack on Leslie Trotman in Brentford, west London. Mr Trotman suffered bite wounds to his right leg in the attack on January 23, receiving further injuries when the dog knocked him over. He was taken to hospital and released later that day, but his son found him dead in his home on January 29. The incident was reported to police shortly after it happened, and officers spoke to Mr Trotman following his release from West Middlesex Hospital. Scotland Yard decided to treat the matter as manslaughter after a post-mortem examination on February 2 revealed that Mr Trotman had died from a haemorrhage, caused by a ruptured spleen. A police spokesman said: "Officers believe these injuries were sustained during the attack by the dog." The matter has now been taken on by the force's homicide and serious crime command under Detective Chief Inspector Charles King. Mr Trotman had been in his back garden in Rowan Road when he was attacked by the dog. It is not clear how the animal managed to escape and enter Mr Trotman's property. Police arrested the suspect before releasing him on bail, pending further inquiries. Three dogs have now been seized from an address in Rowan Road. CHARITABLE TRUST HELPS UNITED KINGDOM February 9, 2012 Great Danes helped by Boston locals and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust
Last year, the Kennel Club registered over 1,300 Great Dane puppies in the UK. This giant breed of dog can be a loving pet and a loyal companion, but their size, food requirements and exercise needs when they grow up mean they are not for everyone. What happens when someone can no longer look after their Great Dane? •Science - funding research into health problems in dogs TRAPPED IN HAIR BEDFORDSHIRE ENGLAND February 7, 2012 CRUEL COUPLE FACE JAIL OVER DOG TRAPPED IN OWN HAIR
Floyd suffered from chronic eye and ear infections amd an untreated mouth tumour Animal cruelty officers described the level of suffering as “incomprehensible”. The couple said they were too ashamed and embarrassed to take their pet to the vet when the problem got out of hand. He also had chronic eye and ear infections, an untreated mouth tumour, and had two-inch toenails which caused more pain. Floyd was dumped at an animal shelter where carers sheared off his hideous coat. It took four workers more than an hour to free Floyd from his hairy cocoon. They discovered his body was riddled with cysts and sores. Magistrates warned the couple that the length of the abuse meant they were considering imposing a custodial sentence. The RSPCA investigated after Floyd was left tied to a gate at Wood Green animal shelter, Cambs, last August. The couple, from Beeston, Beds, claimed they had Floyd since he was a puppy and insisted that up until a year ago he had always been groomed and well cared for. David Massey told an RSPCA inspector he recognised he should have taken the dog to a vet but said he had become too embarrassed by his condition. He claimed they had used a professional groomer in the past but that they reached a point where they could no longer afford it and that any neglect was due to a lack of money. It was only when their daughter decided to move back into the family home, bringing her young daughter with her, that the Masseys decided to get rid of the dog. Massey said it was his decision to take Floyd to the animal shelter and to tell the police and RSPCA where he was. The case was adjourned to Wednesday for sentencing. RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP LONDON ENGLAND February 3, 2012 Need for responsible dog ownership stronger than ever says Kennel Club As new figures released by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) reveal that over one million dogs in the UK are showing signs of aggression, including growling, snarling, and biting, towards humans and pets on a weekly basis, the Kennel Club has again expressed concerns that certain irresponsible dog owners, combined with highly flawed dangerous dog legislation, are putting public safety at risk.
|
PUPPY LOVE WE FELL IN LOVE BECAUSE OF OUR DOGS
Yvette and Michael admit it was puppy love for them For according to research by Dogs Trust (www.dogstrust.org.uk), the UK's largest dog welfare charity, having a hound at your heels could increase your chances of finding love. We all know it's tough to approach someone new but 95 per cent of those surveyed admitted they'd be more likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger if they had a dog. Among those who prove the point are TV presenter Davina McCall and husband Matthew Robertson, who met while they were each walking their dogs. These three couples did the same. CAROLINE MUNDAY, 43, works in customer relations for a medical company and lives in Bath with husband MALCOLM, also 43, a company director, and their three dogs Ozzie, Gypsy and Monty. CAROLINE SAYS: One afternoon on the way home from a day's shopping in Bath I stopped for a drink in the garden of a pub I'd never been to before. As I sat at a table I couldn't help but notice a tall, well-built man cuddling a cute, fluffy dog in his arms while his big Staffordshire cross tugged at its lead by his side, clearly desperate to run around. The man was on crutches so there was no way of him being able to calm down the bigger dog. So as a dog lover myself - I'd had a Collie cross for 17 years until she'd died a few years earlier - I went over and asked if I could help. The man introduced himself as Malcolm and when I asked about his injury he told me he'd had major surgery to reconstruct his ankle after damaging it playing rugby. He was also hugely grateful of my offer to take his dogs for a bit of a run about to get rid of their energy.
SEARCH for: Afterwards we chatted about dogs and rugby and he told me how this was the first time he'd ventured out since his surgery, having finally got fed up of being housebound. As the conversation flowed he invited me to join him as a spectator at a Bath rugby match a few weeks later. Malcolm's a very intelligent man, good looking and with a brilliant sense of humour and we had an obvious connection in the pub garden that day in 2007 so I agreed to the date. We hit it off so well that we ended up going for dinner after the match and we've been together ever since. Thankfully his dogs also took to me, especially Gypsy the Staffy. I moved in with the three of them the following May and he proposed in October 2009. We got married in June 2010. Dogs are such an ice-breaker and make it easy to approach someone and have a conversation, as Malcolm's dogs proved. Had he been sitting alone in the pub garden that day I'd have had no reason - or the confidence - to talk to him. You could say Gypsy and Ozzie were our matchmakers. HELEN BARLOW, 30, is a support relations officer at Dogs Trust and lives in Warwickshire with husband LARRIE, 40, a graphic designer and photographer, and their three dogs Diesel, Zak and Molly. HELEN SAYS: Had Larrie's dog Diesel not snapped his lead one day in the summer of 2009 and come hurtling towards me, almost knocking me off my feet, we might not be married today. Although Larrie had got Diesel from the rescue centre where I work we had never met. He had returned to ask a colleague for advice on how better to control his dog who became very boisterous when he saw other dogs, as I was about to find out. I was walking another dog around the grounds at the same time as Larrie was arriving with Diesel when he broke free from his lead and came bounding across the field in my direction, with Larrie in hot pursuit. Larrie was very apologetic and there was a bit of a spark between us. Larrie's sister also works at the Dogs Trust and confided that he'd been asking questions about me. A few months later he came to take photos at an event we were holding and we got on really well. When he asked me if I knew a good dog groomer he could take Diesel to for some pampering I told him I could do it. In December that year Larrie invited me out to dinner to say thank you for grooming Diesel. That brought us together and we got married in September 2011. We'd have loved the dogs to be at our wedding but they would have caused havoc so my friend dog-sat for us. We've not had a honeymoon yet because we don't like leaving them but hopefully we'll get away for a week this year. I'm so passionate about my own two dogs that I needed a man who would love them too. I do put my dogs first and that can be hard for people to understand if they're not animal lovers. Having dogs governs your social life too as whenever you go out you're always thinking about what time you need to get back to let them out or feed them. Because Larrie's a fellow dog lover he totally understood all of that and, of course he expected me to love Diesel too. When they first met, my dog Zak got on well with Diesel immediately but it took Molly longer. We had to put a baby stairgate up to keep them apart at home and give them a chance to get to know each other properly. I do think dogs make a person more attractive if you're a dog lover yourself. It's so easy to talk to someone who's walking a dog. I've had lots of random conversations with other dog walkers over the years that would never have happened but for our pets. Thank goodness for Diesel nearly knocking me over that day because Larrie and I wouldn't have met and fallen in love otherwise. YVETTE HEADLOW, 50, is a community carer and lives in Sittingbourne, Kent, with husband MICHAEL, 52, an operations manager, and their three dogs Beano, Macey and Dora. They have five children aged from 20 to 31, and five grandchildren. YVETTE SAYS: But for an Afghan hound called Poppet, I doubt Michael and I would ever have got together as teenagers. At the time I lived with my parents above a shop and Michael worked in a nearby butcher's. I'd spotted him through his shop window and thought he looked lovely, I just needed to find a way to get his attention. Then an idea came to me. If I borrowed the Afghan that belonged to a man who worked in the shop below our flat and walked it past the butcher's after school every day Michael might notice me. After all, being so huge the dog came up to my hip and was quite a sight to behold. It worked a treat because, unknown to me, Michael was a dog lover too having had a red setter when he was a boy. From then on, whenever I walked Poppet past his shop window, he'd look up at us. So I was thrilled when I received a Yorkshire Terrier called Jason for my 13th birthday and had even more reason to walk to and fro. But it wasn't until one evening a couple of years later that Michael finally asked me out after stopping to talk to me as I walked home from a dog training class with Jason. We spent our courtship walking Jason through the fields. It was a brilliant excuse to get away from the adults and be on our own. It really was puppy love. We got married in 1978 when I was only 17 and Michael was 18 and we had Jason for 10 years until he died. We've had various dogs since and currently have three, including a new puppy. We tend to go for cross-breeds rather than pedigrees as they have quirkier looks and personalities. People always stop to talk to us when we're out walking them. By nature most dog lovers are warm, caring people because dogs are so dependent on their owners - unlike cats who are independent creatures. Dogs are like family and dog lovers instantly know a lot about each other's personalities before they've even spoken. Michael tells me that all those years ago it was Poppet he noticed first because she was so huge but then he began to clock the "pretty girl walking her" too. He admits he probably wouldn't have spotted me if it hadn't been for Poppet and I'd definitely have been too shy to start talking to him. Our mutual love of dogs is what brought Michael and I together and is one of the things that has bonded us so tightly throughout 34 years of marriage. HELPING UK LABRADORS CAITHNESS UNITED KINGDOM February 9, 2012 Caithness woman helping the UK's Labradors Carolyne Poulton from Lyth has helped thousands of Labrador Retrievers, now the breed rescue club she works for has been invited to Crufts, to tell people all about its valuable work. SAVE MY DOG NORTHUMBERLAND ENGLAND February 7, 2012 Caught on camera: The moment good Samaritan had to be saved after leaping into freezing river to save passer-by's dogTrying to save the dog, the good Samaritan then needed to be saved himself
A good Samaritan had to be pulled from a freezing river after risking his own life to save a stranger's dog. The well-meaning 51-year-old man jumped into the icy water in Northumberland to try save a dog which was in trouble. But things soon took a turn for the worse when the good Samaritan himself began to drown - other park-goers ran to find buoys to throw to him. He then had to be helped to safety by passers-by, who threw buoys after the freezing conditions in the river took hold The man was taken to Wansbeck Hospital to be checked over while the dog emerged safe and sound. Police warned people not to go into icy water in any circumstances. ‘Particularly with the recent freezing temperatures which can lead to even strong swimmers getting into difficulty. ‘We would always warn people against going into open water and to contact emergency services so that they aren't endangering their own lives in attempting a rescue. ‘Fortunately this didn't result in tragic consequences and I extend my thanks to those people who assisted this gentleman prior to emergency services arrival.’ John Phillips, from Morpeth, Northumberland, took pictures of the rescue while he was in the park with his son, Cameron, seven. The 38-year-old coach builder said: ‘I was down at the park in Morpeth sledging with my son and I saw someone running with a buoy. ‘They were trying to pull him out of the water. ‘There was a woman shouting and everyone was wondering what was going on. ‘The ambulance, police and fire brigade came but the man was already out by then. It was the public that got him out of the water.’ Temperatures plummeted to well below freezing on Saturday night with heavy snow fall causing delays around the region's roads. MASSIVE RESPONSE URGED LONDON ENGLAND February 3, 2012 Kennel Club urges mass response to Welsh consultation on dog breeding
|
