Disabled Dog Saves The Day!

Meet Milo. This jaunty 7 year old pup lives in Southwest England, where he enjoys seaside walks with his mom Lynda. Sadly, Milo's life hasn't always been so idyllic. He was abused by a previous owner, leaving him with injured legs and brain damage. Still, Milo's limitations didn't stop him from saving another dog's life last year. The little terrier raced into the ocean and pulled a drowning pooch out of the water. Because of his bravery, Milo beat 500 other contestants to win the 2008 PetZfactor competition. One of the judges said, "Having rescued another animal from drowning, despite having damaged legs himself, he's a true star." We couldn't agree more - hats off to Milo for proving that disabled dogs can still be heroes!

Dog Breath

Life would be so much less complicated if only dogs could brush their own teeth! Since they can't (or at least mine can't), it's up to us humans to do the job. According to experts, we should be brushing our furry friends' chompers every day. Notice the emphasis on should. If you have an extremely stubborn pooch (a Dachshund for instance), this might be easier said than done.

We have mixed success with toothbrushing in our house. Dewey loves it because he adores anything edible. He will literally lick the peanut butter flavored paste straight from the tube with a look of ecstasy on his face. After that warm up, I can usually get some good brushing in. Greta, on the hand, makes it virtually impossible. Our docile, geriatric, partially paralyzed doxie transforms into a snarling, snapping hound with surprising strength and determination whenever the toothbrush comes out. We've even resorted to all kinds of extreme measures including mummification with a towel and, yes, tranquilizers. After her last dental at the vet, we just gave up. At this point in Greta's life, she has so few teeth left that we just figured she's better left alone. If you can brush your dog's teeth, however, it really is a vital component of their long term health and longevity. Here are some tips:

* Wet the brush in warm water before beginning

* Have plenty of treats handy to keep the experience positive

* Concentrate on the gum line as that's the area when plaque forms

* Enlist a helper! Canine toothbrushing is much easier as a team effort

* Try a rubber cap brush (fits over your finger) if necessary

* Only use pet-specific toothpaste - the human variety can cause illness

* Don't worry if you see a little blood on the brush, just apply less pressure

* Stay optimistic and remember how much you're helping your pup!

Fanciful 4th Grade Inventions For Disabled Pets

At the beginning of the year, we wrote about a wonderful 4th grade teacher in Oklahoma named Kathy Barton who educates her students about disabled animals. One of their class projects is to brainstorm inventions that would help handicapped cats and dogs. These are some of my personal favorites. There are days when we could certainly use "Brain Helpers" and "Laser Goggles" around here!

Celebrities & Their Extra Special Dogs!

With the Academy Awards just around the corner, we decided to spotlight some celebrities with less than perfect pups. Surprisingly, not everyone in Hollywood has a designer dog!

Selma Blair is one actress who chose to adopt her best friend, rather than patronize a pet store or breeder. Although she's best known for her roles in the Hellboy films, Selma also has a passion for animal advocacy. She's a regular volunteer at the Lange Foundation in L.A. where she helps care for injured and disabled pups. She found her adorable one-eyed pooch, Wink, at the shelter, and expressed her admiration for the organization in an interview, stating "they have the most amazing misfit dogs in the world. You want a three-legged dog with a wheelchair or a dog that has no bowel control, that's the place to go. These are amazing dogs."

Sandra Bullock is another celebrity who has elected to adopt her dogs from rescue groups and shelters. Not only that, she and her husband, Jesse James, have deliberately selected special needs pups! Their brood includes Poppy, a tripod, and Ruby, a two-legged Chihuahua (both shown above). To mark their first wedding anniversary, Sandra and Jesse adopted another Chihuahua named Bebe from Best Buddies Rescue in Long Beach. "Too many people are always looking for the perfect pet, but they're the type who don't get caught up in how the dog looks," said a spokeswoman for the organization.

Matthew McConaughey makes no secret of his love for dogs, and he once had a tripod named Miss Hud. His beloved Lab / Chow mix was his constant companion for over a decade until she succumbed to cancer. Here is an excerpt from a 2006 interview he had with Oprah:

"Miss Hud, that’s a good woman there… I got her in a pound in Tucson, Arizona, 12 years ago and cancer got her. We went on a road trip from California to Florida and back. She got diagnosed with cancer in Louisiana on the way east. We got her leg amputated on the way back. We went for swims in the river… in Texas, and then we made it back, and the night she got me back home she fell off the bed and looked up and was like, ‘Hey man… I need a little help.’ I took her to the hospital that morning and her hind legs were paralysed… The doctor said, ‘We’ve amputated hind legs before but that’s with dogs who have two front legs.’ He and I looked at each other and I said, ‘Miss Hud, do you wanna be a one-legged dog?’ and she looks up and she says, ‘Let me move on, Pop,’ so we let her move on.”

Wynonna Judd shares her Nashville ranch with numerous dogs, including Pixie, a Rat Terrier who suffers from arthritis. Wynonna adopted Pixie from Animal Haven in New York City in May 2003 while she was helping promote National Arthritis Month. The country singer has several other arthritic dogs in addition to Pixie.

Back in California, Maria Menounos of Access Hollywood and The Today Show pampers her quadriplegic poodle Noelle. Although Noelle can't walk, she frequently accompanies Maria to animal advocacy events as an ambassador for rescued dogs. All of Maria's pups - a white German Shepherd, a standard Poodle, two Bichons, and Noelle the mini Poodle - were adopted from shelters, and she is a vocal advocate for rescue. When she interviewed Barack Obama and his family in July, she took the opportunity to tell the future first family about her dogs and "plug the virtues of pet adoption."

It's always fantastic when celebrities use their visibility to champion worthwhile causes, and I applaud those who bring attention to animal rescue and disabled dogs.

Loki's Legacy

Dog lovers everywhere are mourning the loss of Loki, Mickey Rourke's beloved Chihuahua. Loki was a familiar face on the red carpet as she accompanied Rourke to movie premiers and award ceremonies. Photos of Rourke often included Loki nestled in his arms and he famously thanked her and his other dogs in his Golden Globes acceptance speech.

It's comforting to know that little Loki lived a long and happy life: she was 17 when she passed away on Monday. Rourke released this statement to People Pets: "Loki is deeply missed but with me in spirit. I am very blessed she fell asleep peacefully in my arms."

I had a genuine soft spot for Loki and I know that many others did as well. Mickey Rourke's dedication to her was touching and I appreciated his fearlessness about publicly expressing his adoration for his dogs. RIP Loki. Even from a distance, you brightened our days...

For Anyone Who Has Ever Rescued A Dog...

Here in this House....

I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs 'out there'.

I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake my world will not have changed.
I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat.
I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat.
I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness,
and be allowed to smell all that can reach my nose.
My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted.

Here in this house...
There will be an effort to communicate with me on my level.
I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand,
I can enjoy the warmth of the words.
I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many.
My name will be used in joy, and I will love the sound of it!

Here in this house...
I will never be a substitute for anything I am not.
I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves.
I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone's idea of who I should be.
I will never suffer for someone's anger, impatience, or stupidity.
I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all.
If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame.

Here in this house...
I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch...
knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me;
If I am ill, I will be doctored.
If scared, I will be calmed.
If sad, I will be cheered.
No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and thought to be of value.
I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute enough.
My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought.
I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs.

Here in this house...
I will belong.
I will be home.

-Laura Cathleen Patterson

Don't Miss Nature on Sunday, February 15th

Our tripod friend Jerry will be featured on PBS tomorrow in an episode of Nature called "Why We Love Cats and Dogs." We're already devout fans of Nature, and tomorrow's show promises to be especially meaningful with the addition of Jerry's story. Click here for a sneak peak!

Introducing Dixie!

There were three rebound hounds under our roof this weekend with the addition of Dixie - a two year old epileptic doxie. I brought her home from the shelter for a few days since the veterinarian was concerned that the kennel environment would trigger seizures. Luckily she hasn't had a single episode at our house and she's doing great! Like most dogs with epilepsy, Dixie gets a daily dose of Phenobarbital to control her seizures. Phenobarbital is a sedative than helps to control neurons in the brain. It is relatively affordable - typically no more than $1.00 a day at the most - so having an epileptic dog is not as expensive as you might think. Many dogs are not diagnosed with epilepsy until they are several years old. Watching your pooch have a seizure can be terrifying, but there are several things you can do:

1) Above all, remain calm and observant.

2) If possible, clear the area of sharp, hard objects and place bedding around your pet so that it will not get injured.

3) Don't try to touch your dog's head / mouth! She will not be in danger of swallowing her tongue - that's a myth - but she could easily bite you in her unconscious state.

4) Turn off the TV and any music and dim the lights to keep the environment as quiet as possible.

5) Take notes if possible so that you can share the details with your veterinarian later. Record any circumstances that may have triggered the seizure and also note your dog's behavior during the episode.

For more tips, check out the Canine Epilepsy Site to read more about how dog owners cope with their pup's seizures.

Hotel For Dogs Features A Tripod!

Dozens of pups strut their stuff in the new Nickelodean movie Hotel For Dogs, and thanks to producer Ewan Leslie, one of them is a three-legged Pit Bull Terrier! Leslie is a major fan of Pit Bulls (he has two of his own - Mack and Luca), and he works closely with Karma Rescue in Los Angeles - a group that's dedicated to saving bully breeds from city shelters. When it came time to cast the movie's canine actors, Leslie insisted on including Pit Bulls: "When we started working on the movie, I told Mark Forbes, our head trainer... that we had to have some pits in the movie" he said.

Enter Lucy. This sweet tripod was one of the very first dogs that Karma Rescue ever placed. She was adopted by a dog trainer for movies and appears in Hotel For Dogs as "Chelsea" - a ball-loving pup who lost her leg after being hit by a car.

It's always great when rescue dogs are used in movies, and it's especially encouraging when a disabled pooch has the opportunity to hit the big screen. Although I haven't had a chance to catch the movie yet, I'd love to hear from anyone who has!

Red Is A Survivor

Amid all the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, positive outcomes for dogs and other animals were few and far between. Red's story is a happy exception. This handsome Staffordshire terrier was stuck by a utility truck after the storm, resulting in a fractured vertebrae and leaving him partially paralyzed. In a stroke of good luck, Red was discovered by the Best Friends hurricane rescue team. They performed surgery to fuse his damaged spine and found a new loving family for him. Today, Red gets around in a special cart and enjoys an unlimited supply of stuffed animals. Hooray for Red!

Vote For Dewey!

Many of you may know about the Humane Society of The United States' annual Spay Day photo contest. It's a great way for folks to show off their adorable pets and raise money to help spay and neuter animals. Check it out if you haven't already, and cast your votes for Dewey if you're feeling inspired! Click here and go to the "Search Pets" section. My little rebound hound can be found under the name "Dewey Decimal."

Our Rolling Dogs

Dogs love to roll when the mood strikes, and Greta and Dewey are no exception. Luckily I had the camera handy when three-legged Dewey decided to get a good back scratch at the park earlier today. Also here is some "vintage" footage of Ms. Greta rolling away at Aunt Megan's house last August. She seemed enthralled by the California sun!