Increased urbanization in Australia has been blamed for a rise in animal abuse and neglect cases. A program has been started that teaches elementary school children about animal care and the responsibilities of being a pet owner to try to stop that trend.
Not a bad idea, really. And the kids sure enjoy the dog coming into school, if my memory serves me right.
Click on title to this post for the full story.
Showing posts with label dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog. Show all posts
8.28.2011
6.23.2009
Dognapping in Columbia Heights
A frantic woman stopped me on the street yesterday to ask about her dog that had been playing in her back yard on 11th street. She let the cocker spaniel play in the fenced back yard and someone broke the lock and took the dog.
We had a dog that was stolen out of our backyard, too. It was about five years ago. We had only had him for a few days when he had been taken.
It was devastating.
You'd like to think that life in Columbia Heights isn't as rough as it used to be. Certainly it looks better: no teenage drug dealers standing on every corner, all night long; the trash men actually pick up the trash; fewer abandoned buildings; no empty lots filled with trash and broken glass. When construction on the GIant grocery store started, that entire block was one field of tall grass. Upon cutting that grass, the builders discovered a man living in a hut in the middle of what would become the parking garage for the Giant. Ahh, those were the days. People used to slide under the broken chain link fences with their dogs to have them run around and catch balls.
But outward appearances are misleading. We feel so much better now that we can go to a decent grocery store and furnish our homes within a few blocks of where we live. Restaurants are here now. They didn't use to be.
It's so easy to be fooled.
This is still an urban, changing, neighborhood. And the old crime is still here. Like stealing people's dogs out of their backyards and selling them to people on the street. Or worse.
We had a dog that was stolen out of our backyard, too. It was about five years ago. We had only had him for a few days when he had been taken.
It was devastating.
You'd like to think that life in Columbia Heights isn't as rough as it used to be. Certainly it looks better: no teenage drug dealers standing on every corner, all night long; the trash men actually pick up the trash; fewer abandoned buildings; no empty lots filled with trash and broken glass. When construction on the GIant grocery store started, that entire block was one field of tall grass. Upon cutting that grass, the builders discovered a man living in a hut in the middle of what would become the parking garage for the Giant. Ahh, those were the days. People used to slide under the broken chain link fences with their dogs to have them run around and catch balls.
But outward appearances are misleading. We feel so much better now that we can go to a decent grocery store and furnish our homes within a few blocks of where we live. Restaurants are here now. They didn't use to be.
It's so easy to be fooled.
This is still an urban, changing, neighborhood. And the old crime is still here. Like stealing people's dogs out of their backyards and selling them to people on the street. Or worse.
3.05.2007
Dog Walker, Hilary, Obama - The Dog Walker's Handbook
Econo-Girl has a dog walking business now and it is great. I'm outdoors all day long which I enjoy even in bad weather. It began in mid-January with one dog, and now there is 10. The dogs themselves are fun, too.
What this career shift has given me is NO DESIRE for following the Presidential race. The little tales of one-upmanship are too much for me to care about for the next two years.
Intellectually, I know that it is important who becomes President. But how can you get wrapped up in it this early in the game? Most of these guys are going to be gone in a year.
But really, when you snuggle those furry creatures every day, when you wipe their feet and feed them treats, it gives me a grounded and settled perspective on things.
Read about the dog walking business in The Dog Walker's Handbook.
What this career shift has given me is NO DESIRE for following the Presidential race. The little tales of one-upmanship are too much for me to care about for the next two years.
Intellectually, I know that it is important who becomes President. But how can you get wrapped up in it this early in the game? Most of these guys are going to be gone in a year.
But really, when you snuggle those furry creatures every day, when you wipe their feet and feed them treats, it gives me a grounded and settled perspective on things.
Read about the dog walking business in The Dog Walker's Handbook.
1.24.2006
Dog's Leg Is Broken - The Dog Walker's Handbook
Sorry for the short post before. Just got word that our puppy broke her leg. Had to take her to the Animal Hospital. I won't even tell you how much that is costing.
The vet says that you can tell if there's a fracture to a dog's leg if the dog is trying not to put weight on the leg. At least you should take the dog into the vet at that point. And if the dog is walking normally, there is no fracture. Just a handy rule of thumb.
Click on The Dog Walker's Handbook ($5) for more details.
Econo-Girl feels free to write this since our dogwalker never reads my blog.
He has lost that puppy for at least four times in the last two months. This is while walking it. So he takes the dogs to the same fenced area with the gap in the fence every day, and keeps going back even though the puppy, Molly, runs away about once a week lately.
So this time Molly runs into the street and gets hit by a car that naturally doesn't even bother to stop.
I ask you: what kind of dipshit takes a dog to the same place it always runs away from? Leisure Lad thinks that the guy is cheap and an old friend and means well. He says we should just insist that the puppy always be tethered, and since we never told DogWalker Dipshit to do that we don't have room to complain about him.
Fire his ass, I say. It just isn't acceptable to be that dumb. He is a smart guy, and a good poet. But damn it, I can't keep risking my dogs like this. Econo-Girl is upset.
It is 2 a.m. and there is paperwork to fill out for the job. Can you believe it? They hired me and I still have to fill out an application! Ah well. It's a job at least.
The vet says that you can tell if there's a fracture to a dog's leg if the dog is trying not to put weight on the leg. At least you should take the dog into the vet at that point. And if the dog is walking normally, there is no fracture. Just a handy rule of thumb.
Click on The Dog Walker's Handbook ($5) for more details.
Econo-Girl feels free to write this since our dogwalker never reads my blog.
He has lost that puppy for at least four times in the last two months. This is while walking it. So he takes the dogs to the same fenced area with the gap in the fence every day, and keeps going back even though the puppy, Molly, runs away about once a week lately.
So this time Molly runs into the street and gets hit by a car that naturally doesn't even bother to stop.
I ask you: what kind of dipshit takes a dog to the same place it always runs away from? Leisure Lad thinks that the guy is cheap and an old friend and means well. He says we should just insist that the puppy always be tethered, and since we never told DogWalker Dipshit to do that we don't have room to complain about him.
Fire his ass, I say. It just isn't acceptable to be that dumb. He is a smart guy, and a good poet. But damn it, I can't keep risking my dogs like this. Econo-Girl is upset.
It is 2 a.m. and there is paperwork to fill out for the job. Can you believe it? They hired me and I still have to fill out an application! Ah well. It's a job at least.
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