News Archives - Page 49 of 73 - i Still Love Dogs

Illinois Tornado Victim’s Missing Dog Reunited with Family

After the deadly EF-4 tornado struck Fairdale, Ill., Thursday, Missy, a white German Shepherd belonging to one of the disaster’s two victims, Geraldine “Geri” Schultz, was nowhere to be found.

“This man has lost everything,” Sue Frazier, the daughter of Geri and her husband, Clem Schultz, told the Chicago Tribune Saturday morning. “He lost his home. He lost his wife. He needs to find his dog.”

As Geri’s grieving family was speaking to reporters, they received a phone call. A utility worker driving down a road had seen what he first thought was a white shadow in a field. Then he realized it was a dog. Could it be Missy?

It was. But she was still so traumatized from the storm that she took off running when the Schultz family approached her. Schultz’s grandson, Tyler Rowan, told NBC Chicago the family chased her for over 2 miles until they were finally able to catch her.

And ever since that moment, Clem hasn’t let go of her, Rowan said.

“We are all happy she is home! Bless you all and we are all forever grateful for your help!” read a status update Saturday on the Facebook page The Search for Missy, which was created Friday in hopes that someone would find her.

The Facebook pages Fairdale and Rochelle Illinois Pet Recovery and Dekalb and Surrounding Areas Tornadoes Lost and Found Pets — NDARTT have been created to help other pet parents reunite with their missing four-legged family members.

Anyone interested in fostering a found pet is asked to contact Traci Ann at the Kirkland Fire Department.

“I miss my grandma so much and I would like to thank everyone helping with finding Missy and donations for my grandpa, Clem,” wrote another of Schultz’s grandsons, Dustin Pierce, on the NDARTT Facebook page.

“His dog Missy and my grandma’s Pomeranian, Buddy, are all my grandpa has left to feel close to my grandmother.”

Photos via Facebook

Near-Epidemic Dog Flu Spreads from Chicago to Wisconsin

Updated dog flu news

APRIL 14, 2015 UPDATE: Laboratory scientists have confirmed that the flu affecting dogs in Chicago is not H3N8. It is H3N2, a strain from Asia that has previously not been seen in the United States.

Five dogs in the Chicago area have died since January from H3N8, a type of respiratory flu that is highly contagious to other dogs, but not to humans. Thousands of cases have been diagnosed in the last few months, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Yesterday, a dog in Madison, Wisc. — about 150 miles north of Chicago — was diagnosed with H3N8.

“Canine influenza has been confirmed in a patient in the Madison area,” stated the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in an advisory.

Dr. Jerry Klein, supervising veterinarian for the Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center, described the spread of the dog flu as near-epidemic. “In my 35 years, this is the worst outbreak,” he told WLNS.

The first outbreak of canine influenza occurred back in 2004, when Greyhounds at a racing track in Florida became ill, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Since then, the flu has been reported in 30 states.

The current outbreak is expected to last for a few more weeks.

Here are tips for preventing your dog from getting the H3N2 virus.

Photo credit: Dylan Tweney

Stolen Yorkie Flags Down RSPCA Van for Help

As Stephanie Law, an inspector for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), drove along a deserted country road in England last week, a Yorkshire Terrier suddenly appeared out of nowhere, barking at her van.

When Law opened the door, the little dog jumped in beside her.

“I have had plenty of people wave me down for help, but I have never actually been flagged down by a dog in need of rescue before,” Law told RSPCA News. “It was as if he recognized my uniform and knew I was there to rescue him.”

The 7-year-old Yorkie, whose name is Alfie, had been stolen from his house in the West Midlands, more than 100 miles away, on March 21. He was apparently dumped in the woods days later.

“We are over the moon to have Alfie back – we didn’t think we would see him again,” his dog mom, Kirsty Mitton, told RSPCA News. “I just jumped straight in the car to drive the 112 miles as soon as I heard he was safe.”

Unfortunately, Mitton’s other dog, a Yorkie named Lillie who was stolen along with Alfie, is still missing.

“Thank goodness we had Alfie microchipped, as there’s no way we would have been traced without that,” Litton said. “Sadly, Lillie has not been chipped, so we would really appreciate anyone who might recognize her to let the RSPCA know. We’ve learned the hard way how important it is to have your pets chipped.”

Photo: RSPCA

Help the ASPCA ‘Get Tough’ on Dog Fighting

Thousands of dogs are injured or killed each year in illegal dog-fighting operations in the United States. In honor of National Dog Fighting Awareness Day (NDFAD) April 8, the ASPCA has launched the “Get Tough” campaign, asking animal lovers to advocate for stronger laws and harsher sentences for creeps who fight dogs.

Last year, the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) prosecuted 10 federal dog-fighting cases and secured the longest sentence (8 years) ever, according to the ASPCA. However, thousands of dog-fighting operations continue to operate across the country.

To participate in the Get Tough campaign, you can do the following:

Sign the ASPCA’s petition asking the DOJ to continue to crack down on dog fighting.
Download a free digital toolkit that includes social media shareables, a printable poster and more.
Snap a selfie with the printable poster and share it on social media with the hashtag #GetTough.

Back in 2007, when dogs were seized from Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels, the general mindset was that fighting dogs could not be rehabilitated. Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, told the New York Times the organization recommended that all fighting dogs, including those belonging to Vick, be euthanized shortly after they were seized.

Fortunately, dog experts from BAD RAP and Best Friends Animal Society knew better, and helped to change that mindset. They took in the Vick dogs, worked with them and eventually found loving forever homes in which many of these “unadoptable” survivors thrived, and even became therapy dogs.

Here are stories about dogs rescued from fighting operations who paid it forward and led happy lives:

Photos: ASPCA; Laura Goldman (that’s Ella and Leroy, who gets very sad at the thought of dog fighting)

One-Sixth of Fast-Food Orders Are Going to the Dogs

Many years ago, after pulling up to the drive-through window of a Burger King with my Cocker Spaniel mix, Freckles, in the passenger seat, I said I’d like a cheeseburger for myself, “…and a Gaines-Burger for my dog!” It got a lot of laughs from the crew. (Gaines-Burgers, a long-gone brand of dog food, were shaped like hamburger patties.)

I was joking, but maybe I was a trendsetter. According to a new study, one out of six U.S. households orders something for their dogs when they visit fast-food restaurants. Slightly more than a third of pet parents bring their dogs along, and 80 percent of them order something specifically for their dogs.

These statistics are the results of a survey conducted last month by marketing research company Relevation Research. The 1,499 adult participants were nationally representative online consumers.

The study found that millennials bring their dogs to fast-food places more often than do baby boomers or other age groups. Dog dads make twice as many visits as dog moms.

U.S. consumers spent a whopping $73 billion on pet supplies and services in 2014 — 38 percent more than was spent in 2013. (Perhaps this includes Big Macs and Whoppers.) The pampering of dogs is expected to continue increasing over the next few years.

“Because of disposable incomes and empty-nester status, baby-boomer owners could be strong candidates for QSR [quick-service restaurants],” Nan Martin, principal at Relevation Research, said in a press release. “But the baby boomer also has an evolving focus on health. That means menu items specifically targeted for dogs or dog-friendly in terms of ingredients will resonate best.”

Martin suggests that restaurants and dog-food manufacturers team up to design healthy offerings for four-legged customers. “Companies catering to the dog will win with owners who want to, guilt-free, feel like they’re spoiling the dog,” Martin said.

Until then, the healthiest option might be to skip the order for your dog.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Reyes, Maggie; PRNewsFoto/Relevation Research