My Dog Rosie

My neighbours were told the same by a warden. He has escaped twice and they have been fined, the warden says the next time he will be PTS and they will be billed.

Gosh what a cute dog... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...game-fetch.html This inquisitive dog was left stunned when a playful seal gave him a friendly slap on the cheek after he bounded into the sea during a game of fetch. The seal suddenly appeared and patted the boxer dog on the face during the unusual encounter after he chased a tennis ball that had been thrown into the ocean by his owner. The young dog noticed the baby seal with its head poking out the water and instead of retrieving his ball, he circled his intriguing discovery. The 53-year-old human resources manager said: 'We had been walking to Aberdour castle when we saw a woman playing fetch on the seafront. 'She threw the ball into the water and without hesitation the dog ran in. The ball landed near a seal and the dog was fascinated by the creature. 'Instead of reaching for his ball he began circling the seal. They were incredibly docile and it was wonderful to watch. 'I was shocked by how calm the dog was, he was quite big and if I'd seen him walking along the road I would've crossed to the other side of the street. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1JUIS4O1R

Wow...I hopes she finds her other dogs http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...other-dogs.html Among all the haunting photographs taken in the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami, one image became iconic - capturing the incredible scale of destruction and the resulting human misery in one unforgettable frame. Published prominently in the Daily Mail and countless more newspapers around the world, it showed a young Japanese woman hunched in despair beside a ripped-up road, her tiny figure dwarfed by vast mounds of debris. Rather strangely, she had removed her red rubber boots and placed them neatly beside her, but the fact that she sat barefooted amid the wreckage somehow made the picture more poignant. The photographer who took the picture never spoke to the woman, nor even asked her name. So who was this tormented woman, with her fashionable clothes and hairstyle, and what was the story behind her anguish? The image was so powerful that I determined to discover the answer while in Japan reporting on the earthquake and tsunami for this paper. But with tens of thousands living in homeless people’s shelters along the country’s north-east coastline, tracking her down seemed an impossible task. However, when I had all but given up and was back in Britain, I finally found her. I had pinned the picture to a town-hall door in Natori in northern Japan, alongside dozens of other appeals to the missing - and by sheer chance she had seen it and responded to my request to get in touch. Her name is Akane Ito, she is a 28-year-old nightclub hostess, and her story is by turns tragic and uplifting – a testimony to the extraordinary spirit with which the Japanese are facing up to their trials. Until the tsunami struck, Akane lived with her construction-worker boyfriend and his mother, in a two-storey wooden house in Yuriage, a fishing port nearly 200 miles north of Tokyo which was populated by some 7,000 people. Akane has no children, but kept no fewer than 13 dogs - including six chihuahuas - which she loved dearly and regarded as her family. ‘On March 11, I was upstairs watching TV with my dogs, when suddenly I felt this mighty earthquake,’ she recalls. ‘There seemed to be no major damage, but we were just left without water, electricity and gas. ‘It meant that we had no radio or TV, so we hadn’t a clue that a huge tsunami was about to come racing in. We weren’t worried at all because a few years ago, when we had another big quake, the tidal wave was only about 10cm high. ‘My boyfriend was at work, but his mother and I decided to drive to the nearest shop to buy batteries and water. The puppies were a bit afraid, but we told them it was OK and thought they’d be perfectly safe until we got back. ‘But on the way home, about an hour after the earthquake, people were saying a massive tsunami was coming and warned us to flee. ‘We headed to the mountain, thinking that even if a huge wave came it couldn’t possibly be as high as the second floor, so the dogs would be fine. ‘The day after the tsunami, I tried to go back for them, but the town was still flooded and I couldn’t get through. I had no idea it had been completely destroyed until two days afterwards, when my boyfriend was able to drive us there. ‘When that photograph was taken, it was about 11am on March 13. I was sitting in front of what had been the entrance to my house, in total shock at the realisation that we had lost everything and our beloved dogs were gone. Akane remained rooted in the same spot for an hour, sobbing at the devastation while her boyfriend searched in another part of the town for his grandmother - who was later found unharmed in her residential home. Given that so many people had drowned, there seemed no hope for Akane’s dogs. Yet she has refused to give up on her adored pets, and since taking refuge in a local cultural centre, she has spent every waking hour searching for them. She has placed adverts on every available notice-board in the ruined town, appealed via social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and traipses the streets for miles around asking people whether they have seen any strays wandering in the rubble. Eventually, she was rewarded. The first dog to be found alive was May, a six-year-old female Labrador. Bedraggled and forlorn, she was spotted by a family as they wandered through the ruins of Youriage, a mile from Akane’s home, in search of missing relatives. Despite their own loss, they took the dog home and cared for her until they spotted on of Akane’s appeals. ‘I was overjoyed when they phoned me and said May was safe. It gave me the strength to keep looking for the others,’ she says. Then, to her delight, she was reunited with a second dog: Momo, a big, brown, female poodle. Remarkably, this one was picked up four miles away in the town of Fukurobara. A kindly woman had rubbed down her sodden coat, fed her, then deposited her at a pet-shop whose owner placed her description on Mixi – the Japanese equivalent of Facebook. This allowed Akane to track her down. Akane has no idea how the pair survived the great black tide of detritus that engulfed the coastline where so many humans succumbed. However, she is utterly convinced that she will find the other 11 dogs alive, so her hunt goes on. Momo and May now live with her in the homeless shelter - where a section is reserved for those with pets. Though some disapprove of valuable emergency resources being devoted to animals when there is so much human suffering, Akane is adamant that it is only fair. ‘For me dogs and cats are exactly the same as a family,’ she says. ‘I’ve never had a child, so I don’t know what parents feel for their children, but they say they are more important than themselves. ‘I feel the same way about my dogs – and that is why I looked so desperate in that photograph.’ Just one question remained – why, with all that dangerous debris round, had she removed her red boots? ‘It was all such a daze that I just can’t remember. They weren’t even mine – I had borrowed them from a relative.’ At this, the woman - whose harrowing image will stand testimony to the horrors of the great tsunami - nuzzled her resilient dogs and broke into a smile. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1Ihad2sgO

I think some people are gullible! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/art...ot-kidding.html Ewe have got to be kidding! The 'puppy' born to a SHEEP Vets say it’s impossible - but to Chinese farmer Liu Naiying his birth is a miracle. For Mr Liu insists one of his sheep has given birth to a dog The 'puppy' has wool like a lamb but its mouth, nose, eyes, paws and tail look more like a dog's. His 'sheep dog' even plays like a hound. The birth has prompted thousands to flock to his farm in Shaanxi Province to see for themselves. Mr Liu told how he found the unusual baby animal shortly after it was born in one of his fields. ‘I was herding the sheep, and saw a sheep licking her newborn lamb on the grassland. The lamb was still wet,’ he said. ‘When I went up close to check on the lamb I was shocked because it looked so weird, like a cross between a sheep and a dog. ‘I was a bit frightened, as I've been raising sheep for 20 years and had never seen such a creature.’ Yue Guozhang, a researcher at Xi'an City Animal Husbandry Technology Centre, said sheep and dogs were different species. ‘It's not possible that a sheep could become pregnant with a puppy,’ he said. ‘It's likely that this is just an abnormal lamb.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/art...l#ixzz1HgYADfUL

I love my dog but I wouldn't read her poetry to get her to sleep!! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-...ted-owners.html The labrador who goes to the cinema in a £6,000 couture collar. The Welsh terrier whose owner tastes his food. The Yorkie treated to a £20,000 wedding. A new TV show reveals how far people will go to keep their dogs happy There’s a touching sweetness about Ted and Lucy Kennedy’s relationship that many a couple would envy. They dine out together at top restaurants; evenings in are spent lying on the sofa together, as she recites him poetry until he finally falls asleep; and she constantly tells him how much she loves him while he, in return, is her devoted companion. But here’s the thing – Lucy is a 40-something singleton, while Ted is a ten-year-old Welsh terrier who has her wrapped round his little paw. Their eccentric – some might say barking mad – life is revealed as part of a new Sky 1 series about the bizarre relationships between dogs and their owners. And there’s no shortage of larger-than-life personalities to choose from. Neurotic, controlling, wilful – and those are just the dogs. Their owners are even more bizarre. The canine stars of A Different Breed include Vinnie Jones, the psychic dachshund who spots ghosts invisible to us; pampered Yorkshire terrier Lola, who is married off in a £20,000 ceremony by her doting owner; and, of course, Ted, the light of Lucy Kennedy’s eyes. When I talk to Lucy, she is busy eating. I assume it’s a sandwich but, in fact, she’s crunching a Bonio. Because such is her devotion to Ted that nothing passes his lips without her tasting it first, and she now has an enviable knowledge of the dog treats market. ‘Bonios are a little heavy-going sometimes, but most of the dog biscuits are lovely,’ says Lucy. ‘One dog treat, made by Burns, tastes like a delicious wine gum. I ate a whole packet when I was stuck in traffic the other day. Somebody bought Ted a box of dog chocolates, and I ate them all. They were delicious, and I’m going back for another box just for myself. ‘The staff at the dog-walking business I run also try the food. One of them, Conrad, ate a packet of dog biscuits the other week, although admittedly he didn’t come to work the next day.’ Lucy loves Ted so much that she sold the string of estate agencies she owned to become a dog walker, dog sitter, groomer and trainer. Her company, Happy Dogs, based at her home in Notting Hill Gate, west London, looks after the dogs of the rich, the famous and the just plain batty. Recently, she took 15 of the dogs to the premiere of the film Cats & Dogs 2. ‘Mimi the Labrador wore a £6,000 Vivienne Westwood couture collar, and Ted was in a black collar studded with diamonds. I knew the dogs would love the film, and they sat riveted. 'Our night out was filmed for the show, but one of the famous owners changed their minds about their doggie appearing on TV – so they’ve had to pixelate his face so he won’t be recognised in the park.’ Lucy’s devotion to Ted began more than nine years ago, when she rehomed him as a puppy. ‘He was so mischievous he was returned to the breeder,’ she says. ‘I recognised he is incredibly intelligent. He understands everything I say. I read him poetry at night, which normally he loves, although he didn’t last night – he rolled his eyes, sighed and pushed the book away with his paw. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-...l#ixzz1HgVPoqiS

What a great story and a beautiful pup! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...n-language.html Abandoned by a breeder at only eight weeks old because she was deaf, Alice had a tough start in life. But less than a month after her rescue, the springer spaniel is learning to recognise sign language commands with her new family. Marie Williams, 41, and her partner Mark Morgan, 43, who are themselves both deaf, adopted the puppy from animal charity The Blue Cross. The couple and their three sons Liam, 16, Lewis, 13, and Owen, five, who have normal hearing, are teaching the affectionate spaniel sign language commands, including instructions for sit, come and roll over. Miss Williams, from West Mersea, Essex, said: 'We were thinking about getting a dog but when we saw Alice was deaf we just couldn't believe it. 'She was so beautiful and the fact that she was deaf just made us fall in love with her even more - we knew that she would fit right into our family. 'When we went to visit her at the centre I had tears in my eyes because she was so cute and we bonded straight away.' The distinctive spaniel, who has one blue eye, was dirty, sick and nervous when she was abandoned by a breeder who decided the deaf pup would not make him any money. Staff at the The Blue Cross adoption centre in Lewknor, Oxfordshire were worried that prospective new owners would be put off by taking on a pup which would need lots of TLC and specialist training. Miss Williams added: 'I feel so angry that someone abandoned her because in their eyes she was not "perfect". It goes to show with a little effort it is easy to cope with a deaf puppy - she has already learned the signs for several basic commands. 'I want everyone to see how well we have bonded to Alice and how well she is getting on - she is so special to us.' Julie Stone, manager of The Blue Cross animal adoption centre in Lewknor, said: 'Alice is such a loving and responsive dog and she proves that with a bit of time and effort, a deaf dog can be trained and become a wonderful pet. 'It was amazing to see how Marie, Mark and their children immediately bonded with Alice and how they knew just how to get her attention. 'They are a brilliant match and Alice has found the perfect home where I know she will get the love she deserves.' The Blue Cross, which relies entirely on public donations, re-homes thousands of dogs, cats, horses, and small animals every year through its network of adoption centres. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1HMtOANkN

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...ensive-dog.html The million pound mutt: Red Tibetan Mastiff becomes world's most expensive dog Choosing a pedigree dog can always be an expensive addition to your home but it’s unlikely any members of the Kennel Club would set you back six figures. But an 11-month-old Red Tibetan Mastiff puppy, unmissable due to his bright fur, has been bought for almost a million pounds by a Chinese coal tycoon. ‘Hong Dong’, meaning Big Splash in Chinese, has become the most expensive dog on the planet after he was purchased from a breeder for 10 million yuan, or £945,000. The puppy isn’t even a year old yet but already weighs in at more than 180lbs and is almost three feet high. The prized pup’s size comes from a reasonably normal diet of chicken and beef, his breeder explained, though having been raised in Qingdao in eastern China, he’s also chowed down on some local delicacies such as sea cucumber and abalone. ‘He is a perfect specimen,' said Lu Liang, who runs the Tibetan Mastiff Garden in Laoshan, near Qingdao. ‘He has excellent genes and will be a good breeding dog. When I started in this business, ten years ago, I never thought we would see such a price,’ he told the Telegraph. While the exact details of the sale have not been released, Mr Lu said the buyer was a wealthy coal baron from northern China. The new owner could also make his money back while Big Splash is still young, due to the breed’s prestige in China. It is thought Big Splash could be hired out to other breeders as a stud for 100,000 yuan per time, with China’s growing upper class increasingly keen on the breed due to its exclusivity. Big Splash has taken the title of world’s most expensive dog from a fellow Tibetan Mastiff, with the oddly-named Yangtze River Number Two selling for four million yuan in 2009. Another of the dogs, named Red Lion, was valued at 10 million yuan last year after it won a mastiff exhibition in Chengdu. Reputedly owned by Genghis Khan and Lord Buddha, Red Tibetan Mastiffs are atypically found outside Tibet and are viewed as a pure ‘Chinese’ breed. The breed is also considered one of the oldest pure breeds in the world and there are thought to be less than 20 remaining in Tibet. The mastiffs have become a sought-after status symbol for China’s newest millionaires, with rare stamps, antique vases and vintage wines also fetching huge sale prices in recent years. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1GiaZwN4r

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...-life-paws.html They may be the cutest things on six legs. And these 10-week-old Chihuahua triplets are ready for a good home. Foster careworkers are currently working with the Methuen, Massachusetts MSPCA who are looking after the puppies that were born without front legs. Kensi, Hetty and G were not only born disabled, but soon after their birth their owner died, leaving them homeless. Staff have confirmed that the puppies are adapting to life without front legs and are potential candidates for wheeled carts. The Boston Herald reported that keeping up with the other dogs has been no easy feat for the tiny pups as they work to strengthen their abs and graduate to the use of wheeled carts. MSPCA spokesman Brian Adams said: 'This is a condition that we rarely see. Even more rare is to see it occur in so many puppies from the same litter. 'These animals have amazed us with how much they can accomplish on their own. 'They don’t know they’re missing those front legs, so they have adapted and overcome the hurdles in front of them. 'They learn behaviours but also to interact and socialize with other young animals of the same mindset. 'Many animals do fantastic with front or rear wheel carts. They have fantastic outlooks, remain consistently upbeat, and basically we are ensuring they’ll have a bright future ahead of them, but they’re the ones doing all the work. 'The puppies astounded us with their upbeat and resilient nature. They immediately showed us that they could overcome their physical obstacle as they hopped and ran after each other.' The three Chihuahuas are currently in the care of experienced foster parents, Linda and Marty Jones, who have provided care to the MSPCA's homeless animals. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1GKJZJJPL

He pleaded not guilty??!! I hope he serves his full sentence and loses his appeal...he's an appalling excuse for a human being... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...end-jailed.html A thug who tried to slice a puppy's ear off following a row with his girlfriend has been jailed. Shamrez Ali Wasim, 27, used a knife or scissors to attack the three-week-old Staffordshire bull-terrier cross in Newsome, Huddersfield. The animal was left screaming in agony as its right ear hung by a thread. Wasim was jailed for 20 weeks after he was found guilty by Huddersfield magistrates yesterday after a trial. He had pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Sentencing him, chairman of the bench John Scott branded Wasim's actions despicable. 'This was a very serious offence and could easily have resulted in the death of the dog,' Scott said. 'You caused it extreme pain and suffering. It was a deliberate act and we find it despicable. No right-thinking person would have done this.' The court heard police were called by Wasim's partner, Charlene Marshall, to her home in Newsome on the evening of June 24 last year. Pc Susan Knowles told the magistrates Miss Marshall, who has a five-year-old child with Wasim, was visibly upset when she arrived, saying Wasim had injured the puppy. Pc Knowles said: She was very distressed, crying and visibly shaking. 'She was obviously very upset and didn't want to go back in the house because the sight of the puppy was far too upsetting for her. 'I could hear the sound of the dog screaming and yelping inside.' Officers went in and found a dog basket covered in blood, with the puppy lying inside it. Pc Knowles added: 'It looked to me as though its ear had been cut off entirely. At a previous hearing, the court had heard Wasim had given his Staffordshire bitch and her eight puppies to Miss Marshall to look after. Two days later, the couple argued over his alleged drinking and Wasim threatened to cut off a puppy's ear. Miss Marshall was out when Wasim attacked the dog. The vet's bill for treating the injured animal came to more than £400. It has now been given to new owners, along with the other eight dogs. Miss Marshall had been due to give evidence as a witness in Wasim's trial, but failed to turn up at an initial hearing. She was brought into court under a warrant at a later date, but claimed she did not remember the incident and could have been drunk at the time. Wasim, whose family owns two dogs, did not answer police questions in interview and offered no explanation for what had happened in court. His solicitor, Marnat Ali, told magistrates there was not enough evidence to convict him. But the bench took less than half-an-hour to deliver their verdict and found Wasim guilty. As well as the prison sentence, they banned him from keeping a dog for five years. There was no separate penalty for a separate offence of being drunk and disorderly. Wasim is due to lodge an appeal against his conviction and sentence at Bradford Crown Court. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1FlfLZwoB

Grrr...this makes me angry. He should go to jail. He killed an innocent creature that was someone's pet, for fun? He took a life and should pay for that crime. This is where I believe and rejoice in community punishment - that others will ensure he pays for his crime when the justice system does not. Like the woman who put the cat in the wheelie bin...

A feel good news item...and wow what a miraculous recovery! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...g-new-home.html She was branded Britain’s saddest puppy after she was abandoned by heartless owners and kicked out into the cold with a skin condition which left her close to death. Rescue workers came close to giving up all hope for her recovery but Princess has now overcome the odds and has made a miraculous return to health. Wagging her tail and bouncing through open fields, life is now a far cry from the days when she could only gaze longingly from a window. The forlorn puppy made international headlines after she was discovered suffering from a condition which made her skin so delicate that she could not go outside in any weather. Even a warm jacket would irritate her beyond endurance. At just six months old, she was pictured sitting in a cardboard box with a horrific case of mange which left her completely hairless. Her heart-melting face laid bare the appalling levels of neglect and abuse she suffered at the hands of her owners. Staff who took her in, at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, near Edenfield, Lancashire, feared the harsh winter weather would kill her and rescue workers said a course of drugs, costing a five-figure sum, was her only hope of survival. But donations flooded in and now, only two months on, Princess has made a remarkable recovery. She now looks the picture of health as she bounds about with other dogs, enjoying rough and tumble play with a shiny new coat. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1FcKSPbA3

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...n-dumpster.html Meet Wall-e, the three-month-old puppy who miraculously survived being put to sleep and now has a new leash on life. He was one of a litter of pups found abandoned outside the animal shelter in Sulphur, Oklahoma. A veterinary surgeon decided they were too sick to survive and put them down. But although Wall-e was declared dead by the vet, the puppy had other ideas and the following morning Animal Control Officer Scott Prall heard whimpering coming from the dumpster where his body had been placed. When he looked inside, he found the puppy wandering around. 'He was just as healthy as could be,' Prall told News9.com. explaining that Wall-e was named after the earth's only survivor, a waste-collecting robot, in the 2008 animated film of the same name. Local vet Amanda Kloski, from the Arbuckle Veterinary Clinic, took him in, and when his great escape story found its way onto Facebook, the clinic was inundated with calls from people wanting to adopt him. 'He needs a really special home because he's really special,' said Kloski who was today deciding on which home would best suit Wall-e. Campaigners claim there would have been no need to put to sleep any of the the puppies if Murray County had a better animal shelter, and are trying to raise enough money to build a bigger facility. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1FUENwPXu

Lovely good news story about a Rotti...about time they had some good press http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...ds-kittens.html You probably wouldn’t pick a ten-stone rottweiler to nursemaid orphaned bunnies and birds. But even kittens are in no danger from Dave the Dog. All he wants to do is look after them. Owner Amanda Collins discovered her six-year-old pet’s maternal nature when she brought home an unwanted French giant rabbit. ‘Dave just walked over to him and started licking him to clean him,’ said the 25-year-old, who runs a pet shop in Blackpool. Dave the rottweiler has helped bring up four ducks, three geese, five rabbits, 13 kittens and five puppies - plus countless new-born chicks ‘They bonded straight away. Now they sleep together, and I’ve even seen them sharing each other’s food.’ Miss Collins, who has looked after a menagerie of abandoned animals, soon found this wasn’t a one-off. 'When I brought home the ducklings, I thought he might not be the same as with the rabbits, but he just went over to them and licked them on the head,' she said.. 'I filled a paddling pool with water so they could learn to swim in it, and Dave went and laid down in the water so they could clamber over him. He even lifted them out if they got into trouble.' So far, Dave has helped bring up four ducks, three geese, five rabbits, 13 kittens and five puppies - not to mention countless new-born chicks. Dave had a traumatic upbringing – his first owner docked his tail with a cleaver – but has remained amazingly good-natured and has now been voted Britain’s most inspirational dog in a contest sponsored by worming specialists Drontal. The online contest attracted over 6,000 entries and 265,515 votes were cast. And six-year-old Dave's owner hopes his success will help improve the breed's image. 'People see him coming and cross the road to the other side - it's so sad,' said Miss Collins. 'Most rottweilers aren't big vicious things - they can be very gentle and obedient if they're looked after and trained properly, and Dave is the perfect example of that.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1FEr7riDk

What an amazing dog...I hope he goes home soon http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...ts-advance.html A pregnant mother-to-be has lost her 'superdog' which can predict when she is about to have an epileptic fit. Andree Trotter's missing greyhound-Weimaraner cross Max rushes to her side when she is about to have a seizure and she gets into a safe position. The remarkable animal has not been specially trained to help her - although he was a rescue dog. The 31-year-old is due to give birth to her first child in two months time and is scared of hurting herself and her unborn baby without the dog at her side. Miss Trotter, from Oxted, Surrey, has up to five seizures a week when her condition is at its worst - and does not know when they are about to happen. The dog disappeared from her back garden two weeks ago while she and fiance Alan Whitlock were away and friends were dog sitting. She said: 'Obviously our friends feel terrible but it's nobody's fault, we just want him back. He is a beloved pet but he's so much more than that. 'He was a rescue dog and we started to notice that he would always be by my side, guarding me protectively, just before I had a seizure, then he would lie right by me until I recovered. 'He would growl at Alan, even though he's really Alan's dog. It was uncanny. We started giving him treats when he did it to encourage him and now I don't know how I got by without him. 'I can have four or five seizures a week when I am bad and I never know when they are coming on. I have hurt myself in the past and even fallen in the road. 'I am terrified I will have one at the top of the stairs and lose my baby without Max here. He is a lifesaver.' Max even runs upstairs - normally out of bounds to him - if she is about to have a seizure in the bedroom or bathroom. She said: 'It gives me just enough time to lie down somewhere safe. He lies next to me cushions me and it is comforting to have him watching over me when I come round. 'I just hope he has wandered off and someone has taken him in as a stray. I would beg them to call us so we can bring him home.' Alan, a 45-year-old graphic designer, said: 'We got him from the dog's home after he was found tied up next to a motorway. 'He is incredibly jumpy and gets spooked easily, by a vacuum cleaner or any loud noise. 'I think someone must have taken him in because he doesn't particularly like being outside. 'We're offering a substantial reward for anyone who finds him.' They have put up hundreds of flyers, visited local rescue homes and even been to a pet psychic in a desperate bid to find him and bring him home. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1F0vGxiDQ

Ugh...I've had trouble keeping the fleas at bay this summer. Frontline was no longer working (I was dosing every 3 weeks and it was getting expensive!) so my vet recommended Comfortis ...and it worked within hours! I sprayed my carpets, washed bedding and for a whole week I vacuumed every day. My dog no longer has fleas...yay!

An awful story all round ...hate the photo of the SBT. Hope that this story doesn't put people off adopting a dog from rescue... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...ahua-death.html A family were horrified when they adopted a dog from the RSPCA - and within hours it had savaged their pet chihuahua to death. Mother Emma Higgins had the four-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier for a weekend trial visit. The first time they took the two dogs for a walk together the terrier, called Troy, attacked and killed their chihuahua Coco. Mrs Higgins, 31, of Rochford, Essex, said: 'He arrived on Friday. He had been found filthy and starving under someone's stairs where he had been kept. He was so thin you could see his ribs and backbone. It was awful. 'They said he would be fine with my children and two cats but they said he should come on a weekend visit first and I should take him out on a walk with our chihuahua Coco to see how they got on.' Mrs Higgins who has an eight-year-old daughter, Maya and stepdaughter, Meggan, 11, added: 'As soon as we got outside he broke off the lead and killed my dog. He had Coco's head in his mouth. It was terrible. There was blood everywhere. 'I ran with Coco to a vet nearby but there was nothing they could do. She was still alive but she was brain dead. She wasn't even three. That could have been my daughter.' Mrs Higgins said she wants to warn other families to think twice before taking rescue dogs on. She added: 'That dog should never have been allowed to be rehomed with a family in that state. He just wasn't ready. They had no idea what his temperament was or what would trigger him.' The dog has since been destroyed and Mrs Higgins said they have received no apology from the charity. Sue Royal, spokesperson for the RSPCA said: 'This is a tragic incident and we would like to extend our sympathy to the family. We will carry out a full investigation to find out what went wrong.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1Eq5dQ8vJ

Click on the link for pictures... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...iend-China.html Dogs are noted for their loyalty to their owners, but this one shows extreme dedication to one of his own kind. On the busy Dazhi road in China, where his companion has been knocked down by a car and vehicles zoom past, a dog risks his life to look after his stricken friend. With horns honking and despite the terrifying sights and sounds of the traffic, the golden-coloured dog stays put, standing guard to protect his fallen friend. Doggone: The faithful dog lies by his dead friend, who has been knocked over on the busy Chinese road Doggone: The faithful dog lies by his dead friend, who has been knocked over on the busy Chinese road Earlier this week the first dog was struck on the Dazhi road and died from his wounds. But thanks to the loyal help of the other dog, the first was picked up by a passer-by, who buried him. Once his job was done, having seen the man carefully pick up his dead mate, the unhurt dog bounded off to safety. Guarding: As the cars speed by, the dog stands over his hit friend Guarding: As the cars speed by, the dog stands over his hit friend Stay away: The cars give the pair of dogs a wide berth and eventually the struck dog is taken off the road Stay away: The cars give the pair of dogs a wide berth and eventually the struck dog is taken off the road This story is reminiscent of the tale of Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh after reportedly spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, until he died himself on 14 January 1872. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1Eq4WxSXV

That's awful. I have no words... My thoughts are with you and your family.

Ummm...glad I'm not alone in this grossness! I didn't think she would eat the cat poop as we buy the super cheap litter which is basically gravel so she is eating stones with her poop. She's definitely a foodie - she will eat anything...literally! Bananas, oranges, carrots...you name it. What's the weirdest thing your dog eats...might start a new thread! Her diet is basically meat (chicken, mince, tinned, dog roll) and veg/rice whatever we have left over from dinner. She is over weight at the moment from being in quarantine and then house sharing with family over here...sigh...she has 'feed me' eyes Might try the pineapple idea...

I love my dog Rosie but she has an awful habit that drives me insane...she eats poop! ;) I should preface by saying in every other way she is perfect...she comes when called (not a lot of setters do this!), she's great with the kids, she never empties the bin even tho she loves food, she is great with cats and she's dog friendly. She's just super low maintenance and I really appreciate this BUT eating poop...come on! She's done this since being a pup and so far it just means I have to watch her when she goes in the garden (she wont do it if I watch her) if I see her from the kitchen window and shout her she pretends she was just sniffing it She's also not picky, she eats my BIL's dogs poop...sometimes while it's still attached to the dog! She likes it fresh. However, we recently got 2 rescue kittens and with indoor cats there are litter trays and I'm sure you can guess the rest... This morning there was a trail of kitty litter from the bathroom where the tray is to her water bowl in the kitchen...gross. My solution is to keep the bifold door open enough for the cats but not for Rosie's big butt. Fingers crossed it works! Please tell me I'm not the only one with a poop eating dog?