i Still Love Dogs

GRRR: 2 Hero Dogs Who Apprehended NYC Mugger Euthanized by Shelter

When a teenager snatched a woman’s purse in Queens, N.Y., earlier this month, two stray dogs — a German Shepherd and a Pit Bull — took off after the thief. They pinned him down in nearby Springfield Park and bit him.

Even then, the four-legged crimestoppers were treated very poorly by officers from the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit. The two dogs were pepper-sprayed, beaten with batons and shot with tranquilizer darts before being transported to Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C).

“The dogs were still lingering, looking to get him,” a police source told the New York Post. “They were set up to continue their mauling.”

The 15-year-old boy was treated for bite wounds at a local hospital. He was charged with petit larceny and will live on to hopefully not steal more purses.

But if he does, those two hero dogs won’t be around to stop him. Even though George Petruncio of Sewell, N.J., let AC&C know he wanted to adopt the German Shepherd and Pit Bull, the two dogs were euthanized yesterday because they were allegedly too aggressive.

“They never gave the dogs a chance,” Petruncio told the Post. “They did a good thing and this is how you repay them? It’s garbage.”

Polices officers in Queens’ 105th precinct also did their best to spare the lives of the two dogs. They offered to help AC&C place them with a rescue group.

“The dogs deserved a second chance because of how they helped out,” a police source told the Post. “It just doesn’t seem like justice was served for these dogs.”

AC&C has a troubling reputation with animals, and not only dogs. Earlier this week a bull that escaped from a slaughterhouse — and was promised to be released to a sanctuary — died after being shot with multiple tranquilizer darts. In December, a beloved deer that lived in a Harlem park died from stress after it was captured by AC&C.

However, it wasn’t the AC&C, but the NYC Department of Health that issued death sentences for the hero dogs.

“After a comprehensive assessment by an animal behavioral specialist, the two dogs that mauled a teenager were determined too aggressive to be placed at rescue organization or put up for adoption,” spokesman Julien A. Martinez said yesterday. “They were humanely euthanized today.”

The heartbreaking tale of these two hero dogs makes me all the more thankful for groups like BAD RAP and Best Friends Animal Society, who took in and rehabilitated some other famous dogs that were also deemed too aggressive to ever be adopted: the survivors of Michael Vick’s dog-fighting operation. Many of those dogs went on to become therapy and service dogs — and even earned the title of ASPCA Dog of the Year.

Good thing the AC&C’s animal behavioral specialist and the NYC Department of Health didn’t get to Vick’s dogs first.

Photo credit: FastPhive

Euthanasia Drug Also Discovered in Against the Grain Dog Food

IMPORTANT UPDATE — MARCH 3, 2017

Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food is expanding its recall of Hunk of Beef Au Jus dog food and announced it is now also recalling Evanger’s Braised Beef dog food due to “potential adulteration with pentobarbital.”

The latest recall includes these 12-ounce cans of these products (the numbers are the second half of the barcode, found on the back of the product label):

Evanger’s: Hunk of Beef — 20109
Evanger’s: Braised Beef — 20107

The products have expiration dates of December 2019 through January 2021. They were distributed online and through independent boutique pet stores nationwide. According to Evanger’s, this voluntary recall affects only Hand Packed Beef Products, in which the meat is placed in the can by hand, not machine.

How the heck did a euthanasia drug end up in dog food?!

Traces of pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize dogs, have been discovered in one lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs canned dog food that was manufactured two years ago.

“Against the Grain takes full responsibility of its products, and despite having no affected products on the market and no reported illnesses in the lifetime of the brand, has decided to proactively initiate a voluntary recall out of an extreme overabundance of caution,” the company stated on its website.

Earlier this month, Evanger’s recalled one lot of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef Au Jus canned dog food for the same reason. In late December, a Pug named Talula died after eating the Evanger’s food. Five other dogs were sickened.

According to Food Safety News, members of the same family may own both companies.

When ingested, pentobarbital can cause side effects like “drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner), inability to stand and coma,” according to the voluntary recall announcement from Against the Grain Pet Food Inc. No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following product has been voluntarily recalled. It was distributed to independent pet retail stores in Washington and Maryland in 2015, and is no longer on any store shelves.

Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs
12-ounce cans
Lot number: 2415E01ATB12
Second half of UPC code (located on the back of the product label): 80001
Expiration date: December 2019

If you bought one of the recalled products, return it to the place of purchase to receive a full case of Against the Grain food. For more information about the recall, call 708-566-4410 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.

Photo credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Recall Alert! 3 Dog Food Brands Due to Possible Metal Contamination

Note: This post was originally published Feb. 9, 2017. It’s been updated with information about the latest voluntary recall of yet another canned dog food product — Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight — because it too may contain foreign materials.

Some lots of canned products from ~~two~~ three dog food brands — Grreat Choice Adult Dog Food sold at PetSmart stores, Companion Dog Food sold at Giant supermarkets and, most recently, Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight — have been voluntarily recalled due to the possibility of metal contamination.

If you have a cat, be aware that WellPet has also voluntarily recalled some lots of Wellness 12.5-ounce canned cat food only because it was manufactured in the same unnamed facility as the recalled dog food products. The company stated it’s “taking this conservative step to ensure the well-being of cats and to put our consumers’ minds at ease.”

This has been a disturbingly busy month for canned dog food recalls. On Feb. 3, one lot of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef Au Jus canned food was voluntarily recalled because it contained traces of pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize dogs. One dog died and five were sickened after eating the food.

Here’s what you need to know about the dog food products voluntarily recalled because of possible metal contamination.

Grreat Choice Adult Dog Food with Chicken and Rice Classic Ground

13.2 oz. cans
UPC: 7-3725726116-7
Best By date (on the bottom of the can): 8/5/19
Lot code: 1759338

According to the PetSmart website, this voluntary recall is “a precautionary action due to metal contamination found in the single lot.” No other Grreat Choice products are impacted. There have been no reports of dogs being sickened or injured by this product.

If you purchased the recalled product, stop feeding it to your dog and bring any cans to your nearest PetSmart store for a full refund. For more information, call PetSmart Customer Service at 888-839-9638.

Companion Dog Food

Giant Food announced it is voluntarily recalling some 13.2-ounce cans of the following three dog food products because they may contain “foreign material.”

Companion Dog Food with Chicken and Rice
UPC: 68826707501
Best By date: 08/05/2019

Companion Dog Food with Chicken, Lamb and Rice
UPC: 68826700360
Best By date: 08/05/2019

Companion Dog Food with Turkey and Bacon
UPC: 68826700356
Best By date: 08/05/2019

If you purchased one of these products, stop feeding it to your dog and return it to the store for a full refund. For more information about the recall, call 479-935-6145.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food

The Blue Buffalo Co. announced Feb. 13 it is voluntarily recalling some 12.5-ounce cans of the following product. “Last week, we were notified by one of our suppliers of the possible presence of aluminum in one of our production runs,” the company stated.

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight, Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables
UPC: 8-40243-10017-0
Best By date (on the bottom of the can): August 3, 2019

If you purchased this product, return it to your local retailer for a full refund. For more information about the recall, call 866-800-2917.

3 New Breeds to Watch for at the 2017 Westminster Dog Show

Making their debuts this year at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are three breeds: the American Hairless Terrier, Pumi and Sloughi.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is being held Feb. 13 and 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. You can watch streaming coverage of the breed judging for free on the WKC website. The competition will be broadcast live on FS1 from 8 to 11 p.m. EST Feb. 13 (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding breeds) and Feb. 14 (Sporting, Working and Terrier breeds, and Best in Show).

Here’s the 4 (paws)-1-1 on each of the breeds competing for the first time this year. If you’re interested in adding one of these or any of the other breeds you see in the WKC Dog Show to your family, I urge you to adopt, not shop. A rescue organization or animal shelter probably has just the dog you’re looking for.

American Hairless Terrier

If this dog reminds you of what a shaved Rat Terrier might look like, you’d be right — the American Hairless Terrier (AHT) is derived from that breed. It began with a hairless puppy who was born into a litter of Rat Terriers in the early 1970s, according to the American Hairless Terrier Club of America.

These dogs are completely hairless, although some have eyebrows and whiskers. Just like Ratties, AHTs are alert, smart and friendly. Their smooth muscles make them excellent contenders for agility sports. Despite their athleticism, AHTs are couch potatoes who enjoy spending time indoors. And although no dog is truly “hypoallergenic,” AHTs would make good pets for allergy sufferers.

Check AdoptAPet.com for rescue information. Look for the American Hairless Terrier in the Terrier group on Feb. 14.

Pumi

Is that a little lamb/dog hybrid? Nope, it’s a Pumi, which may be new to the WKC Dog Show but is an ancient Hungarian hunting breed. They were bred by shepherds (of the human variety) who needed dogs to help herd cattle, sheep and pigs.

These dogs are intelligent and quick to learn. They need regular physical activity and mental stimulation, so they’re best for an active owner. Fun fact: The plural of Pumi is Pumik.

Check the Hungarian Pumi Club of America website for rescue information. Look for the Pumi in the Herding group on Feb. 13.

Sloughi

Like the Pumi, the Sloughi (pronounced “SLOO-ghee”) has been around for thousands of years. They were bred by the Berbers and Bedouins to hunt prey like gazelles, jackals and wild boar. These rare Arabian sighthounds can be found nowadays in the North African countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.

Here in the United States, they are mainly companion dogs who can show off their hunting skills in lure coursing competitions, according to the American Sloughi Association (ASLA).

Check the ASLA website for rescue information. Look for the Sloughi in the Hound group on Feb. 13.

Photo credits: Rpping (American Hairless Terrier); Inger-A. Karlsen (Pumi); Dr. Sabine Schlenkrich (Sloughi)

Indiana K-9 Officer Kenobi Really Loves His Partner

You’ve probably seen the official portrait of astronaut Leland Melvin with his two dogs, arguably the greatest portrait in NASA history.

And now, although they didn’t make the “official” cut, photos of K-9 officer Kenobi snuggling with and smooching his partner, Indiana Conservation Officer (ICO) Levi Knach, during their photo shoot are definitely contenders for the greatest police dog portraits ever. The two work in the state’s Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement District 2.

After Indiana State Parks posted the outtakes on its Facebook page Thursday, they’ve deservedly gone viral.

“Kenobi is cute, but make no mistake — he is a trained, working officer and can track people and locate a variety of objects ranging from venison to ginseng,” Indiana State Parks wrote. “We are grateful for the work that our ICOs do all over the state to protect and serve people, and to conserve our fish and wildlife resources.”

Thank you for your service, officers Knach and Kenobi!

Photos via Reddit