Bill Would Allow Advocate to Speak for Animals in Court

A Connecticut legislator has proposed a bill that would allow the appointment of an advocate to act on behalf of an animal during court proceedings.

Rep. Diana Urban proposed the bill, known as HB 6310 "An Act Concerning Animal Advocates in Court Proceedings." It would permit a veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture to be appointed as an advocate for an animal whose welfare or custody is the subject of a civil or criminal court proceeding.

"HB 6310 would give the option for an advocate in court for an egregiously injured animal," said Urban, a Democrat from North Stonington. "This would enable the animal's injury to be identified as a red flag for future violent behavior. We are putting together a public/private partnership with the state Department of Agriculture and non-profit rescue groups including Connecticut Votes for Animals to be available to speak for the animals in court."
Urban was joined at a news conference Thursday by Asa Palmer, a North Stonington high school student who discovered two of the cows on his family farm shot in the face in January. One of the cows had to be euthanized.

"If this was in place today, Asa Palmer could request an advocate for his young cow, 'Angel,' who was shot in the face and left with her jaw hanging off," Urban said.
Two men have been charged with shooting Palmer's cows.
The bill, which is awaiting action in the legislature's Judiciary Committee, has the support of other lawmakers.

"Much like our children who cannot advocate on behalf of themselves, innocent animals that are abused or worse, killed, deserve that same right," said Rep. Brenda Kupchick, a Republican from Fairfield. "Violence of any type is unacceptable and we must do whatever we can to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves."
It was not clear if or when the Judiciary Committee would take action on Urban's bill

Wayward pooch, owner reunited after 3 months apart

Pet Reunited With Owner

Great article about a pet that was away from his owner for three months.

New Haven man accused of stabbing 'Princess' the bulldog in Hamden

A dog owner was charged with cruelty to animals after stabbing his bulldog.

When police arrived at 1061 Dixwell Ave. at 12:30 Wednesday afternoon, police found an 8-month-old bulldog lying in blood in the driveway of the home, Sgt. Anthony Diaz said. Officers also found a silver-colored folding knife with a blade of about 3 inches with blood on it, lying just feet from the animal, Diaz said.

The owner of the dog, Alexander Bernard, 25, of 257 Sheffield Ave., New Haven, was arrested at the scene and charged with cruelty to animals.

Animal Control officers responded to the scene and transported the dog, named Princess, to the North Haven Animal Hospital to be treated for her injuries. She is listed in stable condition.

The reason for the stabbing could not immediately be determined

Pets Impacted by Flooding Find Safe Haven

As evacuations and flood threats continue throughout Tennessee and Missouri, rescue organizations are coming to the aid of the four-legged victims of this severe flooding.




Since last week alone, the ASPCA has helped more than 1,000 animals affected by the disaster throughout the southern United States. In Shelby County, Tenn., the organization's disaster response team has been working with Memphis Animal Services and the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County to establish an emergency shelter to prepare for severe flooding. The emergency shelter will provide temporary housing for a large number of animals, where they will be cared for until they are reunited with their owners.



And more animal rescue groups are coming to the rescue. Agencies assisting on the ground include American Humane Association, Code 3, and International Fund for Animal Welfare. The Humane Society of the United States has also responded in Missouri with the ASPCA to assist with rescue and sheltering needs in areas with extraordinary flooding damage.



"Pets are members of the family, and we realize how stressful it can be to leave your pet behind," said Kathryn Destreza, Southeast director of ASPCA Field Investigations and Response. "It has been a challenging period for both people and pets in communities affected by the disaster."



Additionally, the ASPCA is partnering with PetSmart Charities, Inc. to establish a distribution center in Memphis, Tenn. where pet food, sheltering supplies, and crates can be distributed throughout the region to various local agencies in need.



Pet owners who need sheltering for their pets should go to the emergency shelter located at 1716 N. Shelby Oaks Drive in Memphis, Tenn. The ASPCA asks that pet owners bring vaccination records, carriers, leashes/collars, and instructions for pets with special needs.



In Missouri, volunteers are continuing to respond to emergency rescue requests and sheltering of approximately 200 animals displaced by flooding. The ASPCA transported nearly 60 animals from Caruthersville Humane Society in Caruthersville, Mo. to various rescue groups throughout Missouri and Kansas. The animals were permanently relocated to allow the local shelter the capacity to accept incoming animals. Agencies that quickly stepped forward to support the ASPCA's relief efforts include the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri (Springfield, Mo.), Wayside Waifs (Kansas City, Mo.), and Animal Haven (Merriam, Kan.).



The ASPCA assisted other communities in Arkansas and Kentucky with sheltering needs, transporting displaced animals to temporary shelters, conducting field assessments, and offering supplies such as pet food to residents in the community. All supplies were generously provided by PetSmart Charities.

Doubts rise on bedbug sniffing dogs

Earlier in the year, I had posted about bedbug sniffing dogs.
According to a recent New York Times Article some doubts are being raised.

As the number of reported infestations rises and the demand for the dogs soars, complaints from people who say dogs have falsely alerted to bedbugs are also climbing. And within the bedbug industry, where some dog trainers and sellers are on back-order until next spring despite the dogs’ $11,000 price tag, there are fears that a rise in so-called false positives by dogs will harm their credibility and business.

This has led to many paying money for bedbug remediation where no signs of bedbugs ever existed prior as apartment complexes are having these dogs check every room.

Hero dog from Afghanistan mistakenly killed

What a terrible story -

FLORENCE, Arizona — A dog named Target that lived through explosions in war-torn Afghanistan couldn't survive a brief stay at an Arizona animal shelter.

The shepherd mix was featured on "The "Oprah Winfrey Show" and local media for her heroics in Afghanistan, got loose from her owners on Friday and was put down on Monday after spending the weekend in a county shelter.

An unidentified employee at the Pinal County facility was placed on administrative leave after euthanizing the female shepherd mix by mistake, county Animal Care and Control officials said

I'm heartsick over this," Ruth Stalter, the county animal control director, said in a written statement. "I had to personally deliver the news to the dog's owner and he and his family are understandably distraught."

Stalter said that the shelter works hard to reunite lost pets with their owners and that an investigation had been launched to determine how the mistake was made.

"When it comes to euthanizing an animal, there are some clear-cut procedures to follow," Stalter said. "Based on my preliminary investigation, our employee did not follow those procedures."

Adopted by U.S. troops
Sgt. Terry Young, the owner of the dog, told The Arizona Republic, "I just can't believe that something like this would happen to such a good dog."

Target frightened a suicide bomber inside a military base and potentially saved dozens of soldiers' lives, Young said.

According to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" website, Target and two other stray dogs, Sasha and Rufus, were adopted by U.S. troops in Afghanistan after wandering into a military compound there.

The three dogs were hailed as heroes after attacking a suicide bomber who entered the compound, apparently headed toward barracks with some 50 soldiers inside.

Story: Dog that 'came back to life' gets new home
Story: Botched euthanasia leaves dog owner in quandary

Sasha was badly injured when the bomber detonated an explosive device and had to be euthanized, but Target and Rufus survived and were brought home with soldiers returning from their tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Young said the dog was treated like royalty at the base at Dand Patan, near the Pakistan border. Target was brought to the San Tan Valley area southeast of Phoenix in August, when Young returned home.

"He had personally been profoundly affected by this dog's heroism and had worked very hard to bring the dog back over here," Pinal County spokeswoman Heather Murphy said.

After the dog escaped from the family's back yard Friday, Young put out online notices and contacted TV stations that did reports on the missing hero dog.

A neighbor found Target wandering later Friday, put her in his back yard and called the pound. The dog did not have a microchip or tag.

On Friday night, Young found Target's picture on a website used by Pinal County's dog catchers to help owners track lost pets. Young figured the shelter was closed for the night and weekend.

He showed up at the shelter in Casa Grande to claim his dog on Monday, only to find out she was dead.

County officials say the employee mistakenly took the dog out of its pen Monday morning and euthanized it.

The Republic said Young and his family will get Target's cremated remains.

Botched euthanasia leaves dog owner in quandary

In the category of I've never heard of this happening before, After bringing dog's body home from vet procedure, owner finds her standing up.
From the Associated Press -
REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A suburban Detroit man whose Rottweiler was given a new leash on life after surviving a botched euthanasia said he has neither the heart nor the money to try the procedure again.

Redford Township resident Matt Olivarez, 27, said he's in a tough spot: facing possible home foreclosure while at the same time trying to do right by Mia, an 11-year-old pooch that he feeds by hand, partly because of her spinal problem that makes walking difficult.

Olivarez said he took Mia to the Westcott Veterinary Care Center in Detroit on Saturday to alleviate her suffering. He said Westcott officials speculated afterward that the drug dosage wasn't strong enough or had been watered down.

He now shudders at the thought of almost burying his beloved pet alive.

"I don't know if I could do it a second time," Olivarez told The Detroit News for a story published Wednesday.

Olivarez said he returned to his garage Sunday morning and noticed Mia missing from where he'd placed her on a pile of hay the day before. He'd planned to bury her in his grandfather's backyard.

Instead, he turned to find her standing on all fours, staring at him.

"Are you still my dog?" he said, saying he felt like he was living a scene from one of the scary movies he enjoys. "It was like a scene from 'Pet Sematary.'"

Olivarez purchased Mia, the only member of her litter to survive, around the time his first child was born. She was intended to be a companion for his sons, now 8 and 9. Olivarez tried to explain Mia's resurrection to them Tuesday night.
"It's crazy," he said. "It's not something I planned for."

Meanwhile, Olivarez is seeking a new owner who can give Mia proper care.

"I'll keep her until I figure something out," he said

Thinking Pink for Pups: Dogtopia Pampers Dogs for Cancer Research

Dogs across the country will get primped and pampered in October, all in the name of breast cancer awareness and research. Dogtopia, a full-service dog day care, spa and boutique with locations throughout the U.S. is partnering with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® for their first annual “Paws for Pink” campaign.

Throughout the entire month, all 22 Dogtopia locations in 11 states will be giving pups fabulous fluffs and perfect pawdicures to help raise money for cancer research. For everyone who treats their canine to a spa bath or nail trim in October, Dogtopia will donate 10 percent of the purchase price to Komen for the Cure in support of breast cancer research and community outreach programs.

“It’s difficult to find anyone who hasn’t been personally affected by breast cancer, whether themselves, family, friends or co-workers,” said Amy Nichols, CEO and Founder of Dogtopia. “A number of our locations have participated on the local level for the annual Komen Race for a Cure, so we decided to hold this system-wide event because it’s such a worthy cause.”

Founded in 1982, the organization has raised more than $1.5 billion for breast cancer research, education and health services. With more than 100,000 volunteers, Komen is the largest breast cancer charity in the world.


Dogtopia has pledged at least $5,000, with a goal of raising double that. For information on local Dogtopia stores, visit www.dogdaycare.com.

supermarket sued over dog ban

Should service dogs be allowed in supermarkets? What if the dog is being blamed for causing damage to the store? This debate is going on in Connecticut

New Haven Register Article

Driving dog runs over his owner

RIDGE MANOR, Fla. — A Hernando County man was reportedly run over by his own truck after his dog put it into gear.

The sheriff's office reports that 43-year-old Christopher Bishop was checking under his Ford F-150 for oil leaks Sunday evening. He had put the running truck into neutral and left the driver's door open. While he was under the truck, Bishop's bulldog, Tassey, jumped into the truck and knocked the vehicle into gear. The truck rolled over the left side of Bishop's body.

Bishop managed to get up, stop the vehicle and go into his house. After several hours of pain, Bishop finally called for help.

He was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Natural Balance Dog Food Recall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- June 18, 2010 - Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc., of Pacoima, CA, announces a voluntary recall of Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Chicken Dry Dog Food with the "Best By" date of June 17, 2011, in 5-lb. and 28-lb. bags because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall notification is being issued out of an abundance of caution based on an isolated instance in which a product sample with a "Best By" date of June 17, 2011, had a positive result for Salmonella in a random sample test conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product was originally manufactured on December 17, 2009, and is the only Natural Balance product being recalled.

Salmonella can affect animals and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. This product was manufactured on December 17, 2009.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Recalled products were only distributed in pet specialty stores in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The only product affected by the recall is the Sweet Potato and Chicken Dry Dog Food with the "Best By" date of June 17, 2011, product information as follows:


Product: Sweet Potato and Chicken Dry Dog Formula
Bag Size: 5 lb
Bag UPC Code: 7-23633-9000-4
Bale UPC Code: 7-23633-99003-5
Best by Dates: June 17, 2011

Product: Sweet Potato and Chicken Dry Dog Formula
Bag Size: 28 lb
Bag UPC Code: 7-23633-99002-8
Bale UPC Code:
Best by Dates: June 17, 2011

"Ugly" Dog Raising Money For Shelters

Miss Ellie, a chinese crested hairless dog, was a runner up in the Ugliest Dog Contest 2009 and became quite famous last year. Her pictures were in papers worldwide (more so then the actual winner).

Alot of it had to do with the fact she was doing it for a cause, to raise money for her local shelter. Ugly for a cause, not cause she's ugly.

She also gained fame when she tried to win the nationwide Cutest Dog Competition. She was a weekly winner and recieved more votes then any other weekly finalist. There were over 50,000 dogs entered and 12 weekly winners. She was trying to win 1 million dollars for the animal shelter. She did not advance to the final four to win the grand prize. But her efforts brought incredible awareness and support for rescue dogs and the humane society.

Last year her owner and her raised over $30,000 for their local humane society.

She was featured on Animal Planet's DOGS 101, on billboards, and her home town even named a day after her.

This year was to be her last year in the contest since she was almost 17 years old..

She just passed away.. possible stroke and as the vet said.. she was just old...



Her owner is determined to carry on her legacy and is vowing to raise 1 million dollars for the local shelter to build a new shelter. The current one was built in the early 70's to house 1,000 animals per year, and currently they take in over 5,000! With the ecomonic problems they are bound to see more! They are a full service shelter for the 4-5 surrounding towns and take in everything, including cruelty case animals and livestock. More kennels means more animals can be held for adoption! They are in dire need of a new building.



Dawn Goehring, Miss Ellie's owner, owns 14 rescue dogs total and has spent the last 8 years using her dogs as advocates for shelter animals. They do school shows, pet therapy, commercial work, and have been performers at a family theater called The Comedy Barn Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN. They do over 500 shows a year. They are active in promoting a positive, fun, relationship with your pet. They also teach pet responsibility and bite prevention at the schools.



Dawn would love to see people come together to help the animals. With so much publicity about where donated dollars go, people can rest assured that ever dollar donated to this cause will go directly towards building a new building. Even if it is just a dollar, every bit helps. Miss Ellie was a face that people remembered and her work will never be forgotten. This is about helping animals, even if it isn't your community, you can still be part of something big and important in saving animal's lives.


Go to www.misselliesmission.com to find out more

Throwing your dog a bone could be deadly

By Jennifer C. Kerr
Associated Press Writer
The Food and Drug Administration issued a reminder to consumers Wednesday to toss out bones from their meals rather than feed them to their pets.

“Some people think it’s safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast,” said Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA. “Bones are unsafe no matter what their size.”
The FDA spelled out 10 reasons it’s a bad idea to give doggie a real bone.

Among them: broken teeth, mouth or tongue injuries, bones or fragments of bones getting stuck in a dog’s esophagus or even its stomach, which might require surgery. Bone fragments also can cause constipation.

Worse, it could be deadly. Giving your dog a real bone could cause a bacterial infection of the abdomen, called peritonitis, when fragments poke holes in a dog’s stomach or intestines. “Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog,” says the caution from the FDA.

Dog stayed by owner’s side for 7 days

Golden retriever guarded deceased man, who had dementia

Through the last six years of his life, Parley Nichols, 81, never left his Hartville, Ohio, home without his dog Lady. The two were best friends, soul mates and constant companions who took care of each other.

So when Parley, who had developed dementia, went missing on April 8, it was no surprise that Lady, his 6-year-old golden retriever that he bought as a puppy, was also gone.

"Dad had been wandering around, and we kept looking for him for a solid week, sending out flyers, doing whatever we could," Terry Nichols, one of Parley's two sons, tells PEOPLEPets.com. "With his dementia, he would struggle to hear you talk to him, then four hours later he seemed okay. We were very worried."

Finally, a neighbor called saying someone had driven by a field outside of town and heard a dog barking, trying to attract attention. But when Nichols and other family members drove to the area, they found nothing.

"When we went a second time to a different place by a creek, we found Lady and my dad, who was already dead," Nichols tells PEOPLEPets.com. "Lady was standing by his side protecting him. We are sure that she never left my dad for seven days, staying alive by drinking water from the creek."

Lady didn't know what to do when she saw other members of the Nichols family arrive at the scene on April 14. They had to pull her away from her master and place her in the back of their pickup truck.

"I don't know how dogs perceive things but she knew she had to stay with dad no matter what," says Nichols. "And she did."
Lady may not have eaten for a week, but the sturdy dog (who weighed 75 pounds before the incident) was in great condition.

The preliminary autopsy conducted by the Stark County coroner found that Parley Nichols, whose story was first reported by WKYC-TV, passed away from heart failure. He could have been dead for the full week.

With the sad loss of her owner now behind her, Lady has been able to move on. She is living with other Nichols family members in the immediate area, enjoying a similar lifestyle that she had with Parley.

"Lady seems fine now ... she is a friendly, happy dog," Nichols tells PEOPLEPets.com. "I don't know if she misses my dad, but she is responding well to the rest of us. She did the right thing for dad, and we will always be comforted by that."

Missing dog turns up 600 miles from home

About two weeks before Christmas, Deacon, an 85-pound German shepherd, went missing from his family home in rural Stuart, Va.
During the first couple of days, Pamela Holt, her husband Keith, and their daughter Brooklyn, 3, weren't terribly worried because they figured their nearly 2-year-old pet was running in the fields behind their home.

"We have a lot of land and thought Deacon might be enjoying the outdoors," Holt, who works as a teller for SunTrust bank, tells PEOPLEPets.com. "But we soon got worried and called the area dog warden, the pound and the sheriff's office. After two weeks, we gave up, fearing he had died or was stolen."
Deacon, a gift from Holt to her husband Keith, a teacher and football coach, had become a beloved family member, and everyone was upset. But a curious call in late February from a man in Deland, Fla., changed everything.

"A male voice on the other end said he thought he may have Deacon," Holt tells PEOPLEPets.com. "I was angry at first and thought he was a prankster trying to play a joke on us ... I nearly hung up on him."
The man, who said he was from Animal Control in Deland, told Holt he was looking at her dog. Holt said she thought Deacon was dead. But when he asked her if the dog's name was Bruno, Holt went crazy with joy.
"I was speechless," she says. "The dog was originally called Bruno when he was micro chipped, so I knew this was not a hoax. When the man emailed me a picture, and I knew it was Deacon, I called my husband. We were so thrilled that we drove 10 hours to Florida to pick him up."

The Holts believe Deacon was stolen by people who had hoped to breed him, but they were unaware that he had been fixed so it was a waste of time. And somehow, the dog ended up in the Sunshine State for the holidays.

"Deacon was in a pen with another dog when he saw us," Holt recalls. "He trampled the poor thing to get to us. He ran to my husband and jumped on him. He was so excited."

The following day, when they got back to Virginia after the 600 mile drive, Deacon ran directly over to the outside window of Brooklyn's bedroom, hoping to see her.

"He cried and cried until she got home," Holt says. "Once he saw her, he was so happy!"

Even though there is no leash law in their area, the family has vowed to tie their dog in the yard so nothing ever happens again.

"We are blessed to have Deacon back," Holt says. "And will do what we must to keep him safe and sound."

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35696541/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/?gt1=43001#ixzz0hDjeBe0C

Mom Forces Son to Kill Family Pet

Reported by Tacoma Perry | Edited by Steve Dixon

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Mom-Forces-Boy-to-Kill-Family-Pet-012510

A Georgia mother is in jail after being charged with punishing her son for a bad report card by forcing him to kill a family pet.
Investigators said the mother ordered her 12-year-old son beat the animal with a hammer.

The crimes the mother is accused of are so bizarre and brutal, top law enforcement officials are stunned.

Investigators said what happened inside a Meriwether County home was a horrific act of violence. But the mother – 38-year-old Lynn Geter -- calls the incident punishment.

"She said she wasn't going to put up with his bad grades," said Meriwether Sheriff Steve WIlcox.

As soon as her 12-year-old son got home from school with those bad grades, investigators said Geter sat him down at the kitchen table with his beloved pet.

"She said that she loved her son and asked if the son loved his gerbil and he said yes. She proceeded to, uh," said Wilcox.

What she is alleged to have done next is hard for even an experienced law enforcement official to say.

Investigators said Geter put the pet in a bag and ordered her son to hit it with a hammer until it died.

The allegations stunned parents who know the family from school.

Investigators believe the boy was threatened. They said he had marks on his neck, which is why, in addition to child and animal cruelty charges, Geter faces a count of battery as well.

Geter is now sitting in a Meriwether County jail cell. Her three children are in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.

A judge has continued Geter's case until February 8.

Salmonella warning issued for some dog treats

WASHINGTON - Consumers should not use certain beef dog treats distributed by Merrick Pet Care because the pet food might be contaminated with salmonella, health authorities warned on Thursday.

Merrick Beef Filet Squares for dogs were distributed nationwide through retail stores and the Internet. No illnesses linked to the products have been reported, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA warned that contaminated pet food could also infect people if they handled the dog treats and have not thoroughly cleaned their hands.

The Merrick Beef Filet Squares were packaged in a 10-ounce green, red and tan resealable plastic bag. They are labeled "best by 111911."

Last month, the FDA conducted routine testing of the treats and found evidence for salmonella. Another inspection found deficiencies in the packaging and manufacturing.

Humans infected with the salmonella can experience fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. It could also cause more serious problems such as arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract problems. In pets, salmonella can cause diarrhea, fevers, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and abdominal pain.

Florida Chill Threatens Tropical Fish Industry

NEW YORK TIMES - LAKELAND, Fla. — Frosted oranges, strawberries encased in ice: the images of Florida’s freezes are familiar, sad and earthy. But just past the crop rows here in the state’s agricultural core, there swims another sizable industry that has suffered more than any other because of this year’s unusually long cold snap — tropical fish.

A severe guppy shortage has already emerged, according to distributors, while fish farmers statewide expect losses of more than 50 percent as African cichlids, marble mollies, danios and other cheerful-looking varieties sink like pebbles to the bottom of freshwater ponds across Florida.

“It could be devastating,” said Ray Quillen, the owner of Urban Tropical, holding a few angelfish he hoped to save by moving them to indoor tanks. “Not just for me, but for everyone.”

The freezing temperatures have come at the worst possible time. Florida provides about half of the tropical fish sold nationwide (Asia provides most of the rest), and like oranges, the colorful pets sell best in winter.

The fish farmers who serve the $45-million-a-year industry here were already suffering because of the recession and a slow shift away from live hobbies and toward electronics. But the freeze has tipped them from glum to depressed.

“It’s bad,” said David Boozer, executive director of the 120-member Florida Tropical Fish Farms Association. “We were hoping for an economic turnaround to pull us up by our bootstraps, and that may happen, but we certainly didn’t need 10 days of subnormal temperatures.”

Florida, of course, thrives on warmth above all else. The Sunshine State has successfully sold a sweaterless life to retirees. For fish farmers, the subtropical temperatures and high water table made this the best place in America for the outdoor cultivation of tropical fish.

The first entrepreneurs got started in the 1930s, mostly around Miami. When land prices there spiked, the farmers moved here to the lake-filled area between Tampa and Orlando.

Their efforts tend to be hidden, down dirt roads on the edge of quiet towns, and largely ignored. As recently as a few years ago, tropical fish were the No. 1 cargo shipment out of Tampa International Airport, but fish farmers complain that not even the hobbyist who pays $100 for an emperor pleco gives much thought to the producer.

“People know there are pet stores, they know there are fish,” said Mr. Quillen, 49, who got into the business eight years ago after working as trucker. “I guess they think they just appear or come from the wild.”

In fact, they come from places like his — a family-owned hatchery on 20 acres marked by 84 man-made, rectangular ponds the size of large swimming pools. There are a few greenhouses, too, steamy fish locker rooms filled with species bred to be red, green, striped, albino or bearded.

It is a world part science fiction — with row after row of concrete water tanks built from the same molds as burial crypts — and part simple farming: most of the workers end up muddy and pungent by the end of the day.

The freeze, however, has transformed the usual routine. Tropical fish begin to have problems when water temperatures dip below 60 degrees. So for most of the past week, as air temperatures collapsed into the 20s, farmers who should have been filling orders scrambled to cover ponds with plastic and to pump in warm water.

Then, as the cold continued, they started to move as many fish indoors as they could.

At Mr. Quillen’s farm, that meant ditching millions of babies to make room for angelfish closer to the size needed for shipping.

At Imperial Tropicals, a few miles away, Mike Drawdy said the water temperatures in some of his ponds had dipped to 48 degrees when he checked them in the morning. That meant catastrophe — and not just from the cold.

Mr. Drawdy pointed to a row of three-pronged prints in a pond’s sandy bank. At dawn, he said, a scrum of wading birds feasted on the fish that were either dead or too cold to move.

Later in the day, workers pulled a net through the ponds to collect what they could. Only a few dozen fish came from waters that should have produced thousands. Yucatan mollies, marble mollies, pineapple swords — every pond showed another population diminished.

Mr. Drawdy, 31, a commanding former Marine who joined his parents’ business a few years ago, said it would take at least three months to bring the numbers back up to what they should be.

He dumped a small net of ink-black Yucatan mollies into a plastic bin on the back of a golf cart. “This is enough to start a new pond if we had to,” he said. “But we were hoping for more.”

Mr. Boozer, at the Tropical Fish Farms Association, said it would take weeks to determine the scope of the damage. In addition to the fish already dead in the ponds, he said, there will also be fish that die later from the temperature swings or from diseases like Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (also known as white spot disease, which makes a sick fish look as if it has been salted).

In the worst cases, federal aid might be available. Farmers with losses of more than 50 percent can file crop insurance claims with the Department of Agriculture to receive assistance. The area’s congressman, Adam H. Putnam, a Republican, is closely monitoring the situation.

But for Mr. Quillen, Mr. Drawdy and many others, the frigid present is their main focus. They are hoping for high temperatures, or at least sunny days without wind. Those conditions help warm the ponds after a cold night. That helps save the fish. And that helps save their businesses.

“There’s nothing more we can do,” Mr. Quillen said, standing in the cold. “We’ve done everything.”

(in the picture, a bearded pleco)

Polluting pets: the devastating impact of man's best friend

The following article discusses the carbon footprint of pets...though the way it is written is someone disturbing and has pet owners, no surprisingly, up in arms....here is the article....
by Isabelle Toussaint and Jurgen Hecker Isabelle Toussaint And Jurgen Hecker – Sun Dec 20, 3:23 pm ET
PARIS (AFP) – Man's best friend could be one of the environment's worst enemies, according to a new study which says the carbon pawprint of a pet dog is more than double that of a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle.

But the revelation in the book "Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living" by New Zealanders Robert and Brenda Vale has angered pet owners who feel they are being singled out as troublemakers.

The Vales, specialists in sustainable living at Victoria University of Wellington, analysed popular brands of pet food and calculated that a medium-sized dog eats around 164 kilos (360 pounds) of meat and 95 kilos of cereal a year.

Combine the land required to generate its food and a "medium" sized dog has an annual footprint of 0.84 hectares (2.07 acres) -- around twice the 0.41 hectares required by a 4x4 driving 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) a year, including energy to build the car.

To confirm the results, the New Scientist magazine asked John Barrett at the Stockholm Environment Institute in York, Britain, to calculate eco-pawprints based on his own data. The results were essentially the same.

"Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat," Barrett said.

Other animals aren't much better for the environment, the Vales say.

Cats have an eco-footprint of about 0.15 hectares, slightly less than driving a Volkswagen Golf for a year, while two hamsters equates to a plasma television and even the humble goldfish burns energy equivalent to two mobile telephones.

But Reha Huttin, president of France's 30 Million Friends animal rights foundation says the human impact of eliminating pets would be equally devastating.

"Pets are anti-depressants, they help us cope with stress, they are good for the elderly," Huttin told AFP.

"Everyone should work out their own environmental impact. I should be allowed to say that I walk instead of using my car and that I don't eat meat, so why shouldn't I be allowed to have a little cat to alleviate my loneliness?"

Sylvie Comont, proud owner of seven cats and two dogs -- the environmental equivalent of a small fleet of cars -- says defiantly, "Our animals give us so much that I don't feel like a polluter at all.

"I think the love we have for our animals and what they contribute to our lives outweighs the environmental considerations.

"I don't want a life without animals," she told AFP.

And pets' environmental impact is not limited to their carbon footprint, as cats and dogs devastate wildlife, spread disease and pollute waterways, the Vales say.

With a total 7.7 million cats in Britain, more than 188 million wild animals are hunted, killed and eaten by feline predators per year, or an average 25 birds, mammals and frogs per cat, according to figures in the New Scientist.

Likewise, dogs decrease biodiversity in areas they are walked, while their faeces cause high bacterial levels in rivers and streams, making the water unsafe to drink, starving waterways of oxygen and killing aquatic life.

And cat poo can be even more toxic than doggy doo -- owners who flush their litter down the toilet ultimately infect sea otters and other animals with toxoplasma gondii, which causes a killer brain disease.

But despite the apocalyptic visions of domesticated animals' environmental impact, solutions exist, including reducing pets' protein-rich meat intake.

"If pussy is scoffing 'Fancy Feast' -- or some other food made from choice cuts of meat -- then the relative impact is likely to be high," said Robert Vale.

"If, on the other hand, the cat is fed on fish heads and other leftovers from the fishmonger, the impact will be lower."

Other potential positive steps include avoiding walking your dog in wildlife-rich areas and keeping your cat indoors at night when it has a particular thirst for other, smaller animals' blood.

As with buying a car, humans are also encouraged to take the environmental impact of their future possession/companion into account.

But the best way of compensating for that paw or clawprint is to make sure your animal is dual purpose, the Vales urge. Get a hen, which offsets its impact by laying edible eggs, or a rabbit, prepared to make the ultimate environmental sacrifice by ending up on the dinner table.

"Rabbits are good, provided you eat them," said Robert Vale.

Police Dogs Assist in Arrest

I always enjoy stories of police dogs coming to the rescue to help stop a criminal. The full article can be found HERE, but the dog part is as follows:

Man commits carjacking and police find the car.

Police found the car and the suspect fled the car, and both Cromwell and Middletown police attempted to find him. With the help of a K-9, police tracked the suspect to a garage at a home in Middletown, where he was found hiding beneath a car.

Fazzina refused to leave the garage, but was eventually drawn out by the K-9. He was taken to Middlesex Memorial Hospital for treatment of dog bites, police reports said.

Hopefully that dog received some great treats.