Trainer of Shelter Dogs-Turned-Actors to Star in New Reality Show

As part of its month-long “Pawgust” dog-themed programming event, Discovery Family is debuting the new reality series, “From Wags to Riches with Bill Berloni.”

Bill Berloni has been training dogs for Broadway shows, movies and television ever since he was 19 and trained Sandy — a rescued pound pup — for the original 1977 Broadway production of “Annie.” Coming full circle, Berloni also trained another Sandy for the 2014 “Annie” movie remake.

He also trained his own Poodle mix, Bowdie, for the part of Nana in “Peter Pan Live” on NBC last December. It was the first time an actual dog, not a costumed actor, played the role. And according to most social media users, Bowdie pretty much stole the show from the rest of the cast — including Christopher Walken.

Every dog Berloni has ever worked with has been rescued from a shelter.

“When I was assigned to find the first Sandy, there was no budget for it, and somebody said they have cheap dogs at the pound,” he told Classicalite. “The day I went looking was an eye-opening experience. I had never been to an animal shelter. I never knew that animals were abandoned and abused and had an expiration date when they’d be put to sleep. That day, I made a promise to myself that if I ever got a dog I would get a rescue dog.”

Each hour-long episode of “From Wags to Riches” will show Berloni working as an animal trainer, as well as in his role as the director of animal training and behavior for the Humane Society of New York.

Berloni “is truly a unique breed: a brilliant trainer with a big heart,” said Tom Cosgrove, general manager of Discovery Family Channel, in a press release. “This new series will charm the entire family with adorably gifted animals, larger-than-life characters and the amusing chaos that comes with owning a veritable backyard zoo.”

The “backyard zoo” Cosgrove is referring to is the sanctuary for retired dog actors at Berloni’s home in Connecticut. Berloni, his wife Dorothy and daughter Jenna currently have 26 dogs, as well as some pigs and llamas.

“From Wags to Riches with Bill Berloni” premieres Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central Time) on Discovery Family.

Photo credit: PR Newswire

This story was originally posted March 30, 2015.

L.A. Sheriff’s Deputy Starts Her Own Rescue to Save Stray Pets

It seems like there’s a story in the news just about every week about a cop who shoots a dog even though less lethal alternatives are available (like the San Diego officer who shot Burberry, a beloved service dog). Fortunately, on the other hand, there are plenty of police officers who have gone out of their way to save dogs in distress (like the heroes who untied Cabela from railroad tracks as a train approached).

While it’s heartwarming to hear about police officers saving dogs — and, yay, sometimes adopting them later — a compassionate sheriff’s deputy in Los Angeles has taken it a step further by starting her own animal rescue for the strays she finds both on and off duty.

When Brittany Fraser was assigned to the L.A. County Parks Bureau in 2012, she noticed many stray and abandoned pets in parks across the county. It motivated her to start Brick Animal Rescue (Brick is a combination of her and her husband Nick Resendez’s first names), which she runs out of her home in Torrance, Calif.

“As much as I want to help people, it’s the same for animals,” Fraser told the Daily Breeze. “When people need help, they can ask for it. But dogs can’t. They don’t have a voice. You have to be paying attention.”

Fraser has rescued and cared for more than 100 animals, according to an L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. (LASD) press release.

“After all possible efforts are made to contact the animal’s potential owners, the animals are bathed; rid of fleas, worms and ticks; vaccinated; micro-chipped; and spayed or neutered,” notes the LASD.

“Some of the animals receive veterinarian treatment for mange, broken bones, etc. Each one learns basic commands, get his/her own collar, and is fed a healthy diet. They are temperament tested and socialized with people, kids and other pets to help determine suitable homes and re-establish faith and trust in people. When physically and emotionally ready, the animals are shown, and eventually adopted out to families who will provide them a lifelong home.”

Fraser pays for all these expenses. Until they are adopted, the dogs and cats stay at her home or in a local kennel that gives her a discount.

Fraser’s former supervisor, Sgt. Craig Berger, told the Daily Breeze she set a precedent for how law-enforcement officers should treat stray animals.

“Before, they would just ignore the problem or maybe, occasionally, if they had time, they might call animal control,” he said. “Eventually, the culture was created to call Deputy Fraser.”

Berger himself did just that one night when he saw two Pit Bulls eating trash on the on-ramp to a busy freeway.

“Pre-Brittany Fraser, I probably would have had no choice but to take them to animal control, and that would have been a death sentence,” he told the Daily Breeze. “But I was able to call her from the freeway, tell her what happened and drive them to her house. She took care of them and took them to the vet.”

Fraser’s efforts are truly a win-win: Not only has she helped improve the way L.A. police officers deal with strays, but she is also helping save those animals’ lives.

The Humane Society of the United States reports that of the 6 to 8 million dogs and cats who enter U.S. shelters every year, 2.7 million are euthanized.

Fraser is working to reduce that number, one animal at a time. “We can all do our part by spaying and neutering, and making adoption our first option!” she said in the press release.

Photos via local.nixle.com; Facebook

A Monkey Gently Pets Puppies and…Awww

Do you love puppies? Well, so does this sweet capuchin monkey, who gently nuzzles, pets and grooms a litter in this one-minute video going viral.

The “Monkey and his new puppies” video was posted on YouTube Wednesday by Jesse Lightfoot, who provided no further information about this delightful puppy/monkey meet-up.

Enjoy!

 

April 1 Deadline to File Claims for Dogs Sickened by Certain Jerky Treats

Did your dog get sick (or worse) after eating Canyon Creek Ranch or Waggin’ Train jerky treats?

In May 2014, Nestlé Purina Petcare Company and Waggin’ Train LLC agreed to pay $6.5 million to the pet parents of dogs who were sickened or died after eating jerky treats that were manufactured in China.

The deadline to file a claim is April 1, 2015.

A two-page list of the products can be found here. For each of your pets who became ill after consuming one of the products, you may be reimbursed up to 100 percent of certain economic damages (such as vet bills and the purchase price of the product), if you provide documentation. You may also receive up to $300 per pet for economic damage for which you do not have documentation.

For more information and to file a claim, visit Dog Treat Product Settlement.

The U.S. District Court is scheduled to hold a final approval hearing on June 23 to determine whether the proposed settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate.

Neither Nestlé Purina Petcare Company or Waggin’ Train LLC admitted fault in the settlement. The agreement requires Nestlé Purina “to undertake enhanced quality assurance measures and modify certain language on its packaging,” according to a press release.

Since 2007, the FDA has warned pet parents about illnesses in dogs who ate jerky treats made in China. The symptoms include kidney failure and gastrointestinal problems. After all this time, the FDA has still not determined what has caused the illnesses. This year both Petco and PetSmart finally stopped selling pet treats manufactured in China.

Nestlé Purina is currently facing another major class-action lawsuit claiming that thousands of dogs got sick or died after eating Beneful dry dog food. In a statement on its Beneful website, the company called the lawsuit “baseless” and blamed social media for spreading “false information.”

Because of this most recent lawsuit, two U.S. senators have asked the FDA to investigate the claim and provide updates about measures being taken to prevent the contamination of pet food.

Photo credit: Parker Knight

Tampa Honors Heroes Who Saved Dog Shot and Tied to Train Tracks

Three police officers, a veterinary hospital team and five detectives received well-deserved honors at today’s meeting of the Tampa City Council for helping to save the life of Cabela, a Pit Bull mix who was tied to railroad tracks and shot multiple times earlier this month.

“I’m humbled by the whole thing,” said Sr. Sgt. Rich Mills (the police officer at the podium in the photo above), according t Bay News 9. “And I’m just glad that we were able to get Cabela help and were able to bring awareness. And I’m very glad the community came together the way it did to solve a crime in their community, and we were able to arrest who we arrested.”

Responding to a call about shots being fired on the night of March 4, Mills and fellow police officer Nick Wilson found Cabela tied to the tracks with a belt. They were able to free her as a train was approaching.

“Cabela was helpless,” Mills said. “She wasn’t crying, she wasn’t whimpering. There was just no emotion, except for she was literally looking at us like, ‘Please help me.’ “

The officers rushed Cabela to Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service (TBVES). She had been shot three times in the neck and shoulder. Dr. Jamie Davidson initially thought Cabela’s shattered right front leg would need to be amputated, but was able to save it during surgery.

Thanks to a surveillance video, detectives were able to identify and arrest the four thugs involved in Cabela’s shooting. Cabela had been bought for dog-fighting purposes, but was too sweet tempered. On March 4, Bobby Hollinger, 17, threw her into the woods and fired a few shots at her. But Cabela ran back to his house and sat, bleeding, on the porch. So Hollinger, along with losers Natwan Callaway, Darnell N. Devlin and Kenny Bell, walked the injured dog to the railroad tracks and tied her down with a belt. Callaway, who’s also 17, shot Cabela three times in the neck and right shoulder.

Callaway and Hollinger, who will be tried as adults, are scheduled for a court appearance on April 8. If convicted on dog-fighting charges, Devlin and Bell face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Considering her injuries, Cabela continues to make an amazing recovery, and is currently living with a foster family. She can be seen happily interacting with other dogs in a video WFTS reporter Jamison Uhler posted on Twitter today.

TBVES rescue coordinator Steven Pahl told the Tampa Bay Times March 12 that the hospital has received adoption inquiries from all 50 states and several other countries.

When Cabela is ready for a loving forever home, TBVES and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay will start the adoption process, Pahl said.

Photo via Facebook

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