From the New Zealand papers this week…Lucy the dog helps save her owner when she falls down a cliff and Remi, a naughty Bull Terrier, alerts his owner to help save a trapped motorist.
Read the links – great stories!
Nikita McMurtrie and her dog, Lucy (Photo by Mytchall Bransgrove)
Loyal Lucy alerts mum – national | Stuff.co.nz
Angel Marsh with Remi; credited with saving a man trapped in a wrecked car (Photo by Fairfax NZ)
Dog helps owner to find crash victim – national | Stuff.co.nz
Posted in Dogs, special dogs and awards
Tagged Angel Marsh, bull terrier, Dog, Lucy, Mytchall Bransgrove, Nikita McMurtrie, Remi
Moxie was a 3-year old urban search and rescue dog when she and her handler were called to the World Trade Center in September 2001. Now, she’s a a retired senior dog who is still playing at the park.
Moxie with her owner Mark Aliberti in Coughlin Park, Winthrop, Massachusetts (photo by Kathleen McNerney/WBUR)
Her handler, Mark Aliberti, recalls their experience at the World Trade Center site in this WBUR radio news story:
“The dog is the perfect beast, companion, friend, shoulder to lean on, and scapegoat when too many cookies are missing. And a dog won’t hold that against you, either. I am at peace sitting in silence with a dog.”
– Rick Springfield, musician/actor
I have just finished reading musician Rick Springfield’s memoir entitled Late, Late at Night. I was a fan during my high school years, had his poster on my wall, and I believe I was even a member of his official fan club. I also remember going to see him in concert (twice).
What I discovered in this book is that Springfield is also a dog person. Imagine that – even when much younger – I was attracted to people who liked dogs. There are many comments in Springfield’s memoir about the role of dogs in his early family life and through his career (you might remember that his dog Ron featured on several album covers).
Dogs acted as a source of inspiration and consistency in a life where depression was also a key player.
In January 2010, Springfield’s dog Gomer passed away. He and his people compiled a bunch of photos of the beloved dog in this tribute on YouTube. Dog people will ‘get’ this – the need to share and show how great our dog was and how much we miss them.
Having lost Daisy so recently, this tribute really resonated with me. I hope you enjoy it.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in Dogs, dogs and mourning
Tagged Dog, dog people, dog person, Gomer, memoir, Rick Springfield, tribute, YouTube, youtube video
Trupanion pet insurance, based in Seattle, has been pet-friendly since the very beginning – when it was just the Founder and his dog, Charlie. They are currently a company of more than 300 employees and 90 pets that recognizes the benefits every day of allowing pets in the workplace.
Better still, they are happy to share their knowledge for other workplaces that may want to go pet-friendly. For example, they have a comprehensive page on Getting Started which covers:
As another example, the company made a video about their experience in developing their fire evacuation policy – since there’s a lot of dogs (and a few cats) to evacuate along with their staff:
There’s also a page on Office Petiquette!
I think I’ll be monitoring the job vacancies on Trupanion’s website…this sounds like a great place to work!
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in dog-friendly workplaces
Tagged Dog, pet friendly, pet insurance, Seattle, trupanion, Trupanion pet insurance
This one really is for the record books – how small do you think a dog can get?
The world’s smallest dog, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is Miracle Milly. She’s a Chihuahua who lives in Puerto Rico.
She is only 3.8 inches tall (see photo above for scale).
Since she is a Public Figure, Milly has her own Facebook page and, like many small dogs, her owner likes to dress her up for photos.
Posted in dog breeds, Dogs
Tagged Chihuahua, Dog, Facebook, Guinness Book of World Records, Miracle Milly, smallest dog
Photo courtesy of SOF K9 Memorial Foundation
Special Operations Forces (SOF) dogs are very special indeed. These dogs serve on tours of duty in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and help to detect explosives and intervene when their handler or other soldiers are in danger. Many SOF dogs never make it to retirement because they are killed in action.
A very special statute to honour these dogs has been placed at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Fort Bragg, which has a SOF kennel, is not far away.
When unveiled in July 2013, dog handlers from the various wars including Vietnam and WWII were in attendance. These men have enjoyed a very special bond with their animals and often the handler adopts their dog once it has been retired from active duty.
Handlers who have lost their dog can apply to have a memorial stone placed in the surround of the statue. There is also funding available for handlers to have memorials erected at their home base.
The SOF K9 Memorial Foundation welcomes donations to their cause from military personnel and others who want to honour the service of these remarkable dogs.
Yesterday, Daisy reached the geriatric age of 14 – an achievement for any larger sized dog. We of course celebrated with a doggy birthday cake, which was a wheat-free apple and banana cake with a low fat cream cheese frosting.
I decorated the cake with a vintage Disney carousel ornament – the heat from the candles makes the carousel turn.
(Excuse the singing – it was the best I could do with a cold and sore throat)
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
“Well, I for one am unable to imagine how anybody who lives with an intelligent and devoted dog can every be lonely.”
– Elizabeth von Arnim, novelist
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