Dog Bites A Constant Problem Across State. - The Monitor (McAllen, TX)

Byline: Sabrina Hamilton

Jun. 17--Esara Rubio grabbed Chico and huddled over her Chihuahua to shield it from a pit bull German shepherd that began barking at them.

The bigger dog charged toward 10-year-old Esara, who jumped on her and bit her on the back.

Esara started screaming. Fortunately for her, the dog's owner came running, yelling at the shepherd and hitting it with a newspaper.

She was lucky. The dog's bite marks did not leave major scars and she didn't bleed very much.

But the Pharr girl is one of more than half of all Texas children who are victims of dog bites by age 12, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Even though last year's reported dog bite cases in McAllen and Edinburg do not reflect an increase in the summer, animal control supervisors and health officials say there are more opportunities to be bitten during this time.

Last year, 138 dog bites were reported to the McAllen Police Department. Forty-nine of those were between May and August. There were 64 dog bite incidences in Edinburg in 2005, and 14 of those were between May and August.

'Most (reports) are serious, but many (people) wait or don't report incidences,' said McAllen animal control Supervisor Chris Sanchez.

Walking, bicycling, barbecues and pool parties all increase outdoor exposure and interaction with animals.

'Dogs are more prone to bite or be aggressive during their mating season in February or March,' said Eddie Olivarez, Hidalgo County Health Department chief administrative officer. 'But there may be a higher incidence of dog bites in the summer when children are out of school and there are more opportunities for an encounter with a dog.'

In Texas, dogs bite approximately 400,000 people each year; 40 percent of severe dog bite victims are children. Children are almost five times more likely to be bitten by a dog than adolescents and adults, according to the TDSHS Web site.

Pit bulls, rottweilers and German shepherds are commonly considered violent dogs. Dog biting is based not on breed, but on how a dog is socialized, said Laural Powell, executive director for the Humane Society of the Upper Valley.

She said the chow chow is the state's leading breed reported for dog bites.

'Every year a different breed is bred for specific traits for those who are looking for aggressive types of dogs,' Powell said. 'Each dog breed gets a reputation for being a bad or aggressive type of dog.'

'The incidence of dog bites is directly related to the encroachment of space,' Olivarez said. 'The more open spaces in the country make it less likely for a dog bite to occur. The odds are more likely in town because there are more people interacting.'

Children often play with dogs, many times getting them too excited and get bitten, Sanchez said.

'Children are small and although dogs have been domesticated for years, dogs may still think of them as prey,' Powell said.

Puppies that are taken away from their mothers and littermates do not learn how to play, said Albert Gonzalez, pet trainer for PetSmart in McAllen. Owners are then responsible to teach their dogs when their 'play biting' is too hard. Learning proper bite conduct is essential to a dog's development.

Texas is a 'one-bite state,' where owners are not held responsible if their dog bites someone once, unless they are negligent. For each case after the first incident, the dog's owner is held responsible, according to dogbitelaw.com. McAllen, Mission, Edinburg and Pharr all have laws requiring dogs to wear identification tags and be on a leash or contained on the owner's property, according to local animal control supervisors.

Spaying and neutering dogs helps reduce aggression, but not protectiveness. Unaltered dogs are up to three times more likely to bite as those that have been sterilized, according to TDSHS.

'Unaltered males are more likely than neutered dogs because of their increased amount of testosterone,' Powell said.

There is not a major difference in bites between male and female dogs, but males tend to be a little more aggressive, said Joe Cruz, Mission's animal control supervisor.

Reporting dog bites ensures not only the affected individual, but the rest of the community, Olivarez said.

'Rabies is lethal in humans,' he said. 'It's rare that a person can survive rabies without the proper medical attention.'

Hidalgo County has a large population of coyotes, skunks, raccoons and bats and they frequently carry rabies.

'You have a greater chance of contracting rabies from those animals,' he said. 'But stray dogs that interact with these animals can contract rabies from them.'

----

Sabrina Hamilton covers general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4463.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business

News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

BREEDER CHARGED WITH SHOVING SHELTER OFFICIAL - The Record (Bergen County, NJ)

JOHN CHADWICK, Staff Writer
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
09-09-1997
BREEDER CHARGED WITH SHOVING SHELTER OFFICIAL -- WAS VIDEOTAPING AREA WHERE
DOGS ARE KEPT
By JOHN CHADWICK, Staff Writer
Date: 09-09-1997, Tuesday
Section: NEWS
Edition: 2 Star, Also in 5 Star, 4 Star, 3 Star, 1 Star

The dog breeder who had nearly 50 German shepherds confiscated by
authorities has been accused of shoving an animal-control officer while
trying to videotape the shelter where some of the dogs had been taken.

Bloomingdale Animal Control Officer Deborah Hoskins said that she
called police and filed harassment charges against Joseph Petracca. A
police dispatcher said Monday that a Municipal Court summons has been
issued against Petracca in connection with the incident.

Hoskins said Petracca showed up at the shelter Friday with a video
camera and became agitated when told he could not enter the area where
the dogs are kept.

'I asked him to leave, and he starting flaring up, cussing me and
the whole nine yards,' Hoskins said Monday. 'He then pushed me right out
of the way and proceeded to the back of the shelter.'

Petracca, of 116 Highland Ave., Riverdale, began breeding dogs 30
years ago, but admitted in court that he has become obsessed with
creating the perfect German shepherd. He could not be reached for
comment Monday afternoon.

Petracca had as many as 105 shepherds last month before a Superior
Court judge ordered that he give up his breeding business and turn over
all but four of his dogs to authorities.

Forty-nine dogs were seized on Aug. 27, and about five were being
kept at the Bloomingdale facility when Petracca showed up there on
Friday, Hoskins said. The rest were taken to other area animal shelters.

Hoskins said she believes Petracca was videotaping the shelter to
show the court that the dogs were better off in his care.

A lawyer for the Riverdale Board of Health said Monday that
Petracca has filed an appeal to the judge's last order, but there has
been no response yet from the court.

Hoskins said that, after Petracca shoved her out of the way, he
shot footage of the shelter and left before police arrived.

In court, Petracca has argued previously that shelters are nothing
more than 'concentration camps' for animals.

'I guess he is trying to make a case that his dogs were in better
care with him,' Hoskins said.

She said, however, that nothing could be further from the truth.

'We are feeding them twice a day, and walking them four times a
day,' Hoskins said. 'That is more than he did for any of them.'

Of the 49 dogs seized by authorities, all but 13 have been adopted,
said John Barbarula, the lawyer for the Board of Health. Five or six of
those are receiving medical attention, and at least two have serious
health problems.

Petracca still has approximately 20 dogs on his property, and has
until Sept. 18 to remove them. About 30 puppies were moved by Petracca
to a location outside Riverdale immediately after the judge's order was
issued, Barbarula said.

Keywords: BLOOMINGDALE. ASSAULT. ANIMAL. BUSINESS

Copyright 1997 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.

At shelter, barking up the wrong tree. - The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD)

Byline: John Woestendiek

May 15--As reporters, we're not supposed to fall in love with those we write about -- no matter how soulful a set of eyes they flash at you.

So sue me.

I was working when I first laid eyes on Ace, visiting the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, known as BARCS, on a Saturday in October for an article about people who spend their weekends volunteering.

He was enjoying some outside time with a volunteer; later, I saw him again inside as I walked down a row of pens. He was in the first one, and unlike the rest of the inmates, he wasn't yelping.

Back home, even once my article was done, I kept seeing him -- in my head. I spent the week debating whether I really wanted another dog and all the responsibility that entails.

The Saturday that the article on volunteers appeared on the cover of The Sun's Today section -- with a photo of Ace and a BARCS volunteer -- I headed back to BARCS, my mind made up. I left with a partner.

What exactly did I come home with, though? Then, as now, it was anybody's guess. His official shelter documents called him a 'hound mix.' Several workers at the shelter called him a 'shepherd mix.' On the Web site petfinder.com, where he had been viewed 302 times, he'd been listed as a 'Labrador mix.'

That confusion -- and the possibility that it could be scientifically resolved with a newly available DNA test -- is what led Ace and me back to BARCS 18 months later. It was Step 1 of my quest to trace his roots, a journey that would later include sending his DNA to California for analysis in hopes of finding out what breeds are in him.

First, though, I wanted to see if the shelter knew more about him than it told me at the time I got him, which was basically that he was a 6-month-old stray.

BARCS Executive Director Jennifer Mead was amazed at how big Ace had become in 18 months, and she was as stumped as ever over what breeds he might be.

'We had him down as a hound mix, but I kept thinking shepherd mix, too. He had a hound look to him,' she said. 'But looking at him now ... I don't know that I see the hound. He's so tall, and his ears are so short compared to most of the hound ears, and he's got such a big block head -- as thick as a Rottweiler head.

'If I had to pick two, I would say Rottweiler and something else for a bigger size and a curled-up tail ... either shepherd or Akita.'

AA[acute accent]A

ACEACE[From Page 1C]

When it came to Ace's history, it appeared that was going to be a guessing game as well.

Shelter records showed that he was a stray, found by someone who called animal control to come pick him up.

I asked Mead for the name of that someone, but she declined.

'I'm legally not allowed,' she said. 'But what I could do is call him and give him your number, and he could call you. Whether he'll know any more, I highly doubt it. He may have just found him that day and called us.'

We left it at that, with Mead promising to let me know when she reached him.

Ace was one of the 5,000 to 6,000 dogs -- who are found on the streets, abused, neglected or given up by owners no longer able or willing to care for them -- that end up at BARCS each year. Another 3,000 a year wind up at the private, nonprofit Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Baltimore and thousands more at other local and regional humane societies and rescue organizations.

At BARCS, where up to 98 percent of the 10,000 to 12,000 dogs and cats that came through each year were euthanized in the past, about half now get out -- either they are adopted or turned over to rescue groups, Mead said.

Formerly known as the city animal shelter, BARCS, on Stockholm Street south of M&T Bank Stadium, took on nonprofit status in 2005. It is now operated by a board of directors headed by the city's health commissioner, is able to raise money to supplement its city funding and has put more emphasis on finding homes for pets.

Mead, who has two mutts of her own, said about 90 percent of dogs entering the shelter are mixed breeds.

'We don't get a lot of purebreds in, and pretty much any breed has a rescue group that's very willing to take them when they are purebred. There are not many groups that take mixed breeds.'

For Mead, though, mutts have a special appeal and a few advantages.

For one thing, crossbreeding seems to cut down on the genetic problems that can arise in purebreds.

All three breeds Mead mentioned as possibilities for Ace, for example -- Rottweiler, Akita and German shepherd -- have reputations as dogs that can, in some instances, be aggressive.

Ace, though he appreciates a good wrestling match, has shown no evidence of that.

'Not all Rottweilers are bad. Not all Akitas or German shepherds are bad. A lot of it is how they're raised, and some of it is genetics,' Mead said. 'But also I think when you start mixing them you don't always see the same concerns you do when you have a purebred.'

She added, 'Mixes are one of a kind, you'll never get another dog exactly like it. ... The majority of the world says, 'I want that look,' and goes for the purebred. But these guys, their personality, the mix of different things, it's fun. Like the puppy I got. I have no idea what she will look like in the end. Mixed breeds need to become more of a fad.'

I left BARCS not knowing much more than I did when I arrived, but with the hope I might still be able to get in touch with the man who found Ace and called to turn him in. Beyond that, there wasn't any more Mead really knew about Ace's background.

What she couldn't tell us, though, maybe his DNA could.

john.woestendiek@baltsun.com

Tomorrow: Testing Ace's DNA

Copyright (c) 2007, The Baltimore Sun

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Ticks turning warm weather into neighborhood nightmare - The Beacon News - Aurora (IL)

Kandra Breyne of Aurora with her German shepherds Loki (left) and Odin. Odin contracted Lyme disease last year from ticks that have plagued her neighborhood.

AURORA -- Kandra Breyne and her neighbors are getting a little ticked off about ticks.Several residents of Andover Drive -- all dog owners -- say they are experiencing an infestation of the pesky parasites, which seem to have made a home of a ComEd right-of-way that backs up to their yards.The number of ticks here was unusually high last summer -- and seems to be again this spring -- prompting consternation in this quiet neighborhood on Aurora's far East Side.

Breyne, who has contacted her alderman and is waging a campaign to get rid of the ticks, is particularly worried because her German shepherd contracted Lyme disease last year.

DuPage County and Illinois public health officials say there is no cause for panic.

They advise the residents are most probably seeing the American dog or lone-star ticks. Not that these ticks are harmless -- they can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, although cases away from the illness' namesake region are rare -- but they are not the same as the deer ticks (smaller in size) that can transmit Lyme disease. There are only isolated numbers of these deer ticks in the Chicago metropolitan region and collar counties, health officials say.

Nonetheless, the dog did test positive for antibodies to both Lyme disease and another tick-related illness ehrlichiosis, said Naperville Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Anthony Walley. While tests can be inaccurate, the dog also presented with clinical symptoms -- high fever and lethargy. Dog's don't get the characteristic 'bull's-eye' rash that humans with Lyme disease develop.

Breyne's dog, who had to be hooked up to an IV for a couple of days, is faring better now. And both her dogs are now vaccinated for the illness -- a precaution she encourages all dog owners to take -- along with applying tick preventative ointment to dogs as an additional measure.

Lyme disease rare

Still, Breyne remains concerned about catching the disease herself.

Again, county and state officials say not to worry too much.

There were two human cases of Lyme disease in DuPage County last year that were not traced back to out-of-state travel, as with other cases in the past.

Neither state nor DuPage County health agencies have received a large number of calls about animals dying of the illness, which would be a likely precursor to humans contracting the disease.

'It would be pretty big news if we had an established population of deer tick like in northwestern Illinois,' says Linn Haramis, an entomologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health. 'Although, it might be possible for a deer tick to fall off a migratory bird.'

Lorrie Nimsgern, an administrator at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital, adds that many dogs don't get Lyme disease because they have been properly protected by their owners with flea and tick preventive ointments. But they would be more prone to being infected by the few deer ticks around than would humans.

'If it is a hunting or a camping dog,' she said, 'then it is possible.'

Grass too high?

Lyme disease aside, the neighbors along Andover Drive say they are alarmed by the sheer number of ticks they are seeing.

'It is so bad that we have the dog on the prescription stuff for the vet, although she rarely goes out,' said another neighbor Melisa Raketic. 'They are crawling on our baby; they are crawling on me.'

Indeed, the folks at both Naperville Animal Hospital and VCA Aurora Animal Hospital have noticed it's a bad year for ticks.

Several of these neighbors are asking for the grass to be cut along the utility right of way -- and there is disagreement between some who believe in spraying pesticides and those who don't.

'(The problem) is huge and it is all because of the tall grass,' said resident Dave Burgeson. 'Also, people are dumping crap out there because they can.'

Aurora Alderman Leroy Keith contacted ComEd, which has referred the matter to its 'vegetation management' department.

Complicating the matter is that some of the residents say the grass was planted there five years ago and left to grow on purpose by ComEd as part of a prairie restoration project.

'I don't like the mowed suburban lawns,' said an undecided Suki Baldwin, also of Andover Drive, 'but the ticks are a great problem.'

Meanwhile, a ComEd spokeswoman was not able to find anybody who knew if the grass had been left to grow on purpose.

Anyone wanting a tick identified should call Rick Daugherty, environmental program manager for the DuPage County Health Department, at (630) 682-7979, Ext. 6111.

Tips for tick control

Wear light-colored protective clothing -- long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes and head coverings. Tuck trouser cuffs into socks.

Apply insect repellent containing DEET primarily to clothes. Apply sparingly to exposed skin.

Walk in the center of trails so weeds don't brush against you.

Check yourself and your children and family members for ticks. If your pets spend time outdoors, regularly check them for ticks, too.

Remove any tick promptly. Do not burn the tick with a match or cover it with petroleum jelly or nail polish. Do not use bare hands to remove the tick because tick secretions might carry disease. The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it firmly with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. If tweezers are not available, grasp the tick with a piece of tissue or cloth or whatever can be used as a barrier between your fingers and the tick.

Ticks can be safely disposed of by placing them in a container of soapy water or alcohol, sticking them to tape or flushing them down the toilet. If you want to have the tick identified, put it in a small vial of alcohol.

Make sure the property around your home is unattractive to ticks. Keep your grass mowed and keep weeds cut.

Monty's got his illness licked. - Birmingham Evening Mail (England)

A CANINE copper is back on the beat with a Midland police force after a wonder cure saved him from being pensioned off.

Staffordshire police dog Monty is now fighting fit just weeks after being diagnosed with a potentially serious illness of the pancreas.

Animal health firm Pharmacia and Upjohn Ltd came to the rescue and the police are now satisfied that Monty will remain in the peak of health as long as he keeps on taking his medicine.

The seven-year-old German shepherd is a crack member of the Staffordshire police dog squad and, with his handler Pc Chris Hewitt, has represented the force in regional competitions.

It was feared that the dog's police career was over when he became ill. But Chris Johnson, Midland sales representative with Pharmacia and Upjohn, heard of the problem and offered to supply suitable medication for the rest of Monty's working life.

He said: 'German shepherds are one of my favourite breed of dogs. After hearing of Monty's good track record with the police it seemed a shame not to help him to keep working.

'His condition is something to which German shepherds can be quite susceptible.'

'We are very grateful for the help that Monty is being given,' PC Hewitt said.

'He has never missed a day's duty, but without treatment he might have reached the stage where he would have had to retire early.

VETERINARIAN HELPS CANINES IN NYC RESCUE - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

BURLINGTON - Siri Dayton was prepared. A veterinarian with theBurlington Animal Hospital, Dayton went to the smoldering ruins ofthe World Trade Center last week knowing she would see some severecases of injured rescue dogs.

A graduate of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine,Dayton served an internship at Boston's renowned Angell MemorialAnimal Hospital, 'which holds me in very good stead for this sort ofthing,' she said en route to joining her Veterinary MedicalAssistance Team in New York.

'Just about the worst of the worst kind of critical cases that youcan see in veterinary medicine came in on my graveyard shift,' Daytonsaid. 'There are some veterinarians who would be potentially a littleintimidated by what you might find, having to go in and amputate aleg in the field or something.'

Dayton has the skills, stomach, and heart for the work. Her owndog, a mixed breed named Ella, arrived in Dayton's care as a puppyabout eight years ago after the dog was severely beaten by its owner.'A neighbor brought her to Tufts,' Dayton said. 'I was the student onintensive care when she came in, and I nursed her through it and tookher home.'

The rescue dogs at work in New York, more than 95 percent of whichare German shepherds, are suffering from a number of maladies as theyhelp sort through the rubble at ground zero.

'Cuts, scrapes, dust, lots of foot injuries and lacerations,broken claws,' said Barry Kellogg, commander of Dayton'sveterinarians and technicians, a support team of the US Public HealthService on the trade center mission.

Kellogg said last week that as far as he knew none of theapproximately 300 dogs on the job had died, but Dayton said someserious problems could surface later. 'You can't put a respirator ona dog,' she said. 'So, I imagine there are going to be some serioushealth problems for these dogs down the line.'

Dayton's is one of four veterinary teams that serve the countryduring presidentially declared disasters. Her team is based in NewEngland, and the others are in Maryland, North Carolina, and SouthernCalifornia, Kellogg said.

Once a disaster has been declared, some team members go inimmediately while others remain on standby to rotate in and relievetheir colleagues as rescue and recovery efforts continue. Dayton wasscheduled to leave home this past Wednesday and stay for about aweek. She could return to New York in November.

'I've had this desire to do some sort of humanitarian aid, andthis seemed like the perfect opportunity to volunteer my time,' saidDayton, who got involved with the team three or four years ago. 'Iwas a very high-end emergency doctor at Angell Memorial, and this isa way of making use of the kind of skill that I have.'

The New England team, consisting of about six each ofveterinarians and veterinary technicians, arrived on the scene withintwo days of the attack. 'We were the closest in proximity and themost appropriate in terms of talent,' Dayton said. 'We happen to havesmall animal veterinarians on the team, which is very different thansome of the other teams that have some large-animal vets. They needsomeone who can go in and take a valuable dog and stabilize it.That's what I do.'

Dehydration is one of the biggest problems for dogs, and they canreceive fluids intravenously, according to Dayton. 'You can also givefluids just under the skin and they get absorbed more slowly,' shesaid. 'If the dog isn't very critical you can do that, and get themready for the next shift that they have to work.'

Leg and foot injuries are common, and pairs of padded dog bootieshave been shipped in by the thousands, according to Kellogg. Thebooties can be worn on flat surfaces but not in the rubble pile,Kellogg said.

Dayton added that without the unencumbered use of their paws tofeel their way around, the dogs can slip and sustain more seriousinjuries than pad lacerations.

Dogs and their handlers work 12-hour shifts, as do theveterinarians.

German shepherds are regarded as best for this type of workbecause they are highly intelligent, strong, durable, and easy totrain. 'They're often difficult to have as pets because they're sohigh-strung,' Dayton said. 'They have so much mental and physicalenergy.' When not working, German shepherds can resemble people wiredon caffeine, Dayton said.

The dogs, whether they are used for rescue or to locate corpses,can suffer from emotional stress and depression. 'They very clearlyknow death,' Dayton said. 'Animals' reactions to seeing people die issomething we couldn't possibly understand, but it's a very powerfulthing. It's really taxing for them.'

Monty's got his illness licked - Birmingham Evening Mail (England)

A CANINE copper is back on the beat with a Midland police forceafter a wonder cure saved him from being pensioned off.

Staffordshire police dog Monty is now fighting fit just weeksafter being diagnosed with a potentially serious illness of thepancreas.

Animal health firm Pharmacia and Upjohn Ltd came to the rescueand the police are now satisfied that Monty will remain in the peakof health as long as he keeps on taking his medicine.

The seven-year-old German shepherd is a crack member of theStaffordshire police dog squad and, with his handler Pc ChrisHewitt, has represented the force in regional competitions.

It was feared that the dog's police career was over when hebecame ill. But Chris Johnson, Midland sales representative withPharmacia and Upjohn, heard of the problem and offered to supplysuitable medication for the rest of Monty's working life.

He said: 'German shepherds are one of my favourite breed of dogs.After hearing of Monty's good track record with the police it seemeda shame not to help him to keep working.

'His condition is something to which German shepherds can bequite susceptible.'

'We are very grateful for the help that Monty is being given,' PCHewitt said.

'He has never missed a day's duty, but without treatment he mighthave reached the stage where he would have had to retire early.

A MIX OF NATURE AND NURTURE MAKES A DOG INTO A BITER.(LIFE & LEISURE) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: RICK ANSORGE Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph

Colorado Springs, Colo. Six allegedly vicious dogs pace back and forth at the shelter operated by the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.

Among them are a pit bull, a German shepherd mix and a wolf-hybrid named Shy.

Shy appears as submissive as his name. With his wide face, bulbous nose and pancake-size paws, he looks like an overgrown teddy bear.

On Jan. 6, Shy attacked 10-year-old Tony Valenti of Colorado Springs after the youngster unhooked his chain. Without warning, Shy leaped on Tony's back and started biting his head.

If Tony's father, Sean Valenti, hadn't kicked Shy in the ribs, the boy could have died. As it was, he suffered two head gashes that took 28 staples to close and 30 puncture wounds on his right arm.

A large dog can bite with a force of more than 450 pounds per square inch, enough to puncture sheet metal.

Coming less than a month after two Colorado wolf-hybrids killed Debbie Edmonds, a 39-year-old mother of two, the second attack made front-page news.

The incidents focused attention on a possibility many people would rather ignore: their four-legged companions can turn into biting machines and killers.

``It goes unrecognized as a public-health problem,'' says Suzanne Hetts, a certified animal behaviorist based in Littleton, Colo.

Although the spotlight lately has been on wolf-hybrids, which some experts say are too dangerous to keep as pets, they're hardly the sole source of the problem. More than 1,000 dog bites are reported each year to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region. Dogs impounded as dangerous animals at the society's shelter have ranged from wolf-hybrids and Rottweilers to schnauzers and Chihuahuas.

Nationwide, up to 3 million dog bites are reported each year. Most victims are children.

``Children are at the dog's eye level,'' Hetts says. ``They make more accessible targets than adults.''

Thousands of years of domestication have not eradicated the canine instincts to hunt and kill prey. When dogs attack children, they typically attack the most vulnerable areas -- the head and neck.

Some attacks occur when a child innocently tries to hug a dog, unaware that dogs interpret this as threatening behavior. But many attacks appear senseless.

In 1993, Brianna Staat, then 7, attempted to pet a 40-pound pit-bull/Australian-blue-heeler mix in Woodland Park, Colo. She'd even asked permission from the owner standing nearby.

With not so much as a growl, the dog went straight for Brianna's face, ripping it open and shredding the muscles around her left eye. It took 90 minutes of plastic surgery and 150 stitches to put her face back together.

While a disproportionate share of serious attacks involve the usual suspects -- wolf hybrids, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German shepherds, chows, Akitas, malamutes and Siberian huskies -- most experts agree it's a combination of nature and nurture that makes a dog vicious.

If a puppy isn't properly socialized during its first few months of life -- that is, gently exposed to different people, places and situations -- it can end up with such a low tolerance for novelty that it lunges at everyone.

Everyone, that is, except its owners.

``While some animals are just nasty and ill-tempered and shouldn't be in the community, most animal problems are people problems,'' says John Pape, an epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. About 6,000 dog bites are reported each year to the Colorado state health department. ``That's way under the number that actually occur,'' Pape says. ``I don't think it's a decreasing problem.''

Some serious bites go unreported because the owner -- often the victim's parent -- wants to protect the dog.

In Colorado Springs, Humane Society officials shake their heads over a dog owner whose son was attacked four times. The first three times, the owner argued the dog was not to blame because his son had teased it.

The fourth time, the dog ripped open the boy's torso. Doctors were required by law to report the serious dog bites, as they would be a suspected case of child abuse.

Only after the Department of Social Services got involved was the Humane Society able to prove viciousness and obtain a court order to have the dog destroyed.

While most owners of such dogs opt for euthanasia, cases in which owners pull out all the stops to save their dogs are not uncommon, says Allison Wroe, the Humane Society's director of community resources.

``People are fighting for their rights. If they want to own a big, aggressive dog, they feel they should have the right to do so, regardless of how it might impose fear and stress.'' For the most part, the law is on their side.

Some loopholes are big enough to drive a team of sled dogs through.

In 1996, a Denver woman was found not guilty of owning a dangerous dog, a German shepherd that nearly tore a man's ear off at the annual Springspree celebration in Colorado Springs. The reason? Someone else was in control of the dog when it attacked.

In another incident, a Colorado Springs Girl Scout was selling cookies in a residential neighborhood when a dog leapt through a front door and mauled her. The owner was not charged with harboring a dangerous animal because the attack occurred on private property.

In yet another incident, two Akitas couldn't be declared dangerous even though they jumped through a neighbor's window, nearly killed a pet and left the house smeared with blood and feces. The applicable law only recognized dogs that threaten or attack humans.

To close some loopholes, the Colorado Springs City Council adopted a revamped animal-control ordinance in July.

``The new ordinance has made it easier to get convictions,'' says city prosecutor Melissa Riddle.

But the new ordinance doesn't address cases in which children are attacked while attempting to retrieve a ball from a neighbor's back yard or sticking their hands through a fence.

Technically, such a child is guilty of trespassing, and the revised law still protects owners whose dogs attack someone who's committing a crime.

Nor does the new ordinance address cases in which owners move dangerous dogs from one jurisdiction to another to avoid prosecution.

The home-invading Akitas represent a typical example. After they got involved in another scrape, they were sent to live in another area.

But not for long.

``They're back in Colorado Springs with another owner,'' says Donna Straub, the Humane Society's director of field services. ``It's a pass-the-buck situation.''

A century ago, people wouldn't tolerate vicious dogs. Here's a typical news item from an 1890s Gazette: ``A vicious dog attacked a young daughter of Mr. A.E. Hicks and bit her quite seriously about the head. The dog was immediately killed.''

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Law enforcement dogs show off skills - The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO)

The applicants obeyed commands with happily wagging tails. Theyjumped over mock fences and walls, and crawled under an obstacle andhunted out 'suspects.'

Their handlers took things pretty seriously, however, at theUnited States Police Canine Association certification trials forRegion 14, hosted by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office atWidefield High School.

Twelve teams sought certification at the event Saturday, comingfrom several cities along the Front Range, and Wyoming and Kansas.The dogs were a mix of German shepherds, Dutch shepherds and BelgianShepherd Malinois.

'We don't go looking for a particular breed,' said Mark Miller,an El Paso County sheriff's deputy who participated with his dog,Axel. Miller is the Region 14 president of the United States PoliceCanine Association. 'We just look for the best dog.'

Typically, law enforcement officers travel overseas to find thebest dogs, since dogs in the U.S. are often bred for size, whichsometimes mean slightly shorter lives because of health problems,Miller said.

The law enforcement dogs and handlers go through an eight-weektraining academy, and spend time working with an experienced pairbefore working on their own. Certification is a voluntary step.

Most handlers use positive praise training, and not treats,during training that never really stops.

'Humans are expected to retain their training,' Miller said. 'Youcan always train a dog.'

A dog stays with his or her handler every hour of every day, evenvacations if it is something like a camping trip to the Coloradohigh country.

'That bond is the most important thing,' Miller said.

El Paso County K-9 units receive free care from veterinarian BillPuryear at Faithful Friends Animal Hospital.

A lot more dog-handler teams attended the certification trials inthe past, Miller said. Budget cuts have taken a toll on lawenforcement K-9 units, in part because there are extra costs, hesaid.

However, a handler and dog can do the work of four officers,Miller said, saving time during searches.

'Canines are an essential tool in modern police work,' said JoeClingan, Nunn police chief and head judge for the trial. Simplyhaving a dog and a handler at a scene tends to improve thesituation, he said, since suspects are less sure about what a dogwill do.

Although some of the spectators had ties to law enforcement,others came just to watch the dogs with their handlers.

'It's interesting,' said Tonja Rayan of Colorado Springs. Shedropped by the trials because the company she works for makespecialized equipment for K-9 units around the world.

'When you're out and about, you don't think about how much the K-9s do for your community,' she said, adding that she planned toattend the second day of trials Sunday to see the bite work.

Dogs attached to law enforcement officers help with searchingbuildings for suspects, and finding evidence and drugs.

'They are hunters,' said Miller. 'They're just better at it thanwe are. We rely on our eyes too much.'

Many aspects of the work were on display as part of the trials.

Nancy Dement of Colorado Springs and her husband have raisedGerman shepherds and appreciate how well the dogs can be trained.

'This is one aspect of the breed we really like,' she said.

Although they have seen police dog demonstrations before, Dementsaid, the sessions were not as elaborate as the trials on Saturday.

She said she also enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between thehandlers and their dogs, and among the handlers.

Dave Galaway of Colorado Springs brought his four kids to watchthe trials, and the antics kept the kids smiling, giggling andcommenting.

'I love German shepherds,' said the his 6-year-old daughter.

Details

The United States Police Canine Association certification trialscontinue Sunday, Aug. 12, starting at 8 a.m. Bite work and otherchallenges are on the agenda. The trials are on the sports fieldsbehind Widefield High School, 615 Widefield Drive.

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CATSKILL NEIGHBORS WAGE BATTLE OVER FIGHTING DOGS.(Local) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: Cailin Brown Staff writer

Sister Gloria Petrie moved to this town in September for solitude, peace and prayer.

Her neighbor Bob Strout was also looking for a quiet place to live when he moved next door in February.

Petrie brought with her two German shepherds, Michael and Hildegard, both named after saints.

Strout brought his two pit bulls, Trapper and Shayla.

What has developed between these two neighbors and their dogs is a tale of anger and violence, threats and even court action.

Both Trapper and Michael have been maimed in dog fights: The pit bull's head is scarred, the German shepherd has stitches in its foot and hindquarters and gashes in its neck and forehead.

The most recent dog fight, however, a little more than a week ago, has turned this canine clash into a neighborhood nightmare.

Petrie is taking Strout to Town Court on assault charges, claiming that he kicked her while she tried to pry his dog off her dog's back, and Petrie's landlord has given her 30 days to move out because he says she can't control her dogs.

'I feel something has to be done to control these dogs. I want the dogs euthanized,' Petrie, 27, said from her living room, which is decorated with religious portraits and statues, including one of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals.

Petrie, a home health aide nurse in Kingston, says she is a member of the Order of the Holy Virgins, an order of nuns that subscribes to pre-Vatican II doctrine, and is not recognized in the Albany Catholic Diocese or the Archdiocese of New York.

In the most recent dog battle, Petrie used a 70,000-volt stun gun to fend off the pit bull as it chomped on her dog.

'I was stunning him. It didn't stop him,' Petrie said. 'I was panic-stricken.'

'The owner kicked me in the right hip because I was trying to get his dog off my dog,' said Petrie, who got teary-eyed a number of times when she spoke of the dog fights.

Strout, however, a residence counselor for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled in Ulster County, denies ever kicking Petrie.

In defense of their dogs, both Strout and Petrie were quick to pull out photos showing their pets with children. Both claim that the photos are proof that their dogs are docile and not the beasts each charges they are.

Strout says his pit bulls are family dogs, and Petrie is using her sister's habit and the pit bull stereotype to work against him.

Given that, the 24-year-old Strout wonders just whom most people would believe.

'This whole thing is because she won't keep her dog on a leash,' Strout said from his porch.

On one occasion, Strout said, Petrie's dogs surrounded his car and he and his fiancee were afraid to get out until Petrie finally called the dogs.

Strout said he was treated last week at Columbia-Greene Medical Center after one of her dogs bit him.

The dog warden and the State Police have both made several visits to the Strout and Petrie homes, and both have been told to keep their dogs leashed.

But their landlord has had it with the dog and people fighting and last week took some action.

'I've had four sets of tenants in the other two houses and each of them have had problems with the nun's dogs,' said Tim Cornelison, both Petrie's and Strout's landlord. 'All four had their own dogs and have not had problems with each other, which shows me that there's something wrong with her dogs.'

'Basically, I'm just kicking her out,' he said. 'I thought, 'This is great, I'll rent it to a nun and I won't have any problems.''

Petrie, however, still contends that the pit bulls are the source of the problem.

The dog named Trapper started biting one of her dogs, and when she could not break them apart, she took a barbecue fork and jabbed it into the dog's head.

'If it persists, I can bring applications for a formal complaint and it can be turned over to the town judge,' said Don Fetty, the dog warden. 'I think what we got here is a little thing where two people don't like one another. It's an odd case, I'll tell you that.'

After a visit to both homes late Friday, Fetty recommended to Strout that he photograph Petrie and her dogs if she is not using leashes.

The crux of the problem, Fetty said, might be the combination of the two dog breeds.

'It's just like people. If you have a combination of two hotheads, they are bound to fight,' Fetty said, adding that none of the four dogs has been vicious in front of him.

'I think the dogs are just dogs. They're just doing what's coming natural to them,' he said.

Trooper Herman Arp of the State Police in Cairo said he was called to the Strout home recently when one of the German shepherds attacked a pit bull.

'I just think it's two neighbors that aren't getting along. It's probably something that could be settled with an intermediary,' he said.

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PHOTO - TIMES UNION PHOTO BY CAILIN BROWN

Spinal Cord Degeneration Hard to Detect, Has No Cure - Chicago Sun-Times

Q. My 14-year-old male German shepherd mix was diagnosed with aherniated disc in his lower back. He lost use of one hind leg, thenthe other. When he tried to walk he knuckled his hind legs. He wasput on pain pills and two shots of cortisone, which didn't help. Ifinally put him to sleep. At the end the veterinarian said he had adegeneration of the spinal cord. Is it like any human disease? Anyinformation would be appreciated.

A. Degeneration of the spinal cord, or degenerative myelopathy,is most common in German shepherds and German shepherd mixed breeds,although it may be found in most large breeds.

Basically, it is a degeneration of the cells in the white matterof the cord, usually from the lower chest to the lower back. Itoccurs mostly in males more than 5 years old. The cause of theillness is unknown, although it is thought to be inherited.

At the beginning it may be difficult to diagnose, because thesymptoms resemble other diseases of the cord. It's progressive,usually leaving the dog paralyzed in the hind legs. There is usuallyno pain associated with the degeneration.

Prognosis is poor and there is no treatment.

Q. I have a 6-year-old German shepherd mix who weighs 50 pounds.Last week we had a tumor removed from his front leg. It wasdiagnosed as cancer. Amputation was recommended because it wasimpossible to get the entire tumor, and chemotherapy does not workwith this type of tumor.

I don't want to lose my dog, but I'm afraid he will have adifficult time getting around, especially stairs. This is a terribledecision to make - can you help me?

A. This is a difficult question to answer because everyone hasdifferent levels of what they can do for a handicapped pet. Somefolks consider it cruel to amputate, and others consider it cruel toeuthanize him. A dog accepts life as it is and will probably do wellwith only three legs. I have seen dogs fitted with a wooden orplastic leg - it works well once the dog gets used to it.

If you should decide on surgery, make sure the tumor hasn'tspread to other areas or the surgery will be useless. An X-ray ofthe chest is an absolute necessity.

If the dog is in good health and condition, I would go for it.

El Paso County dog breeder facing new animal abuse trial - The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO)

An El Paso County woman with a prior conviction for animal abusewill soon face trial on new charges of underfeeding dogs at a Yoderkennel where she and her husband bred German shepherd puppies forsale.

Jennifer Hobbs-Butler, 41, was initially due to be tried thisweek, but a judge agreed to move her trial date to Dec. 8.

She faces nine counts of felony aggravated animal abuse - one foreach of the German shepherds confiscated from Denali Kennels ineastern El Paso County last December during a raid by the HumaneSociety of the Pikes Peak Region.

According to the Humane Society, one dog was malnourished to thepoint of being emaciated. Others were similarly underfed andsuffered from parasites and severe dental problems, the agency said.

In 2006, Hobbs-Butler was convicted of similar allegations whileoperating what she billed as a horse rescue in El Paso County.

In that case, she was accused of underfeeding five horses andposting their pictures online in a bid to solicit donations.

A jury found her guilty on all five counts of misdemeanor animalabuse. She was sentenced to probation and ordered never again to ownlivestock. A judge in August 2010 extended her probation for threeyears, after finding that Hobbs-Butler owned animals she hadn'tclaimed as her own, and ruled that she would be subject to randomproperty checks by the Humane Society, according to an arrestaffidavit.

A random check in December raised red flags among animal controlofficers, leading to the raid at Denali Kennels, court records show.

Her attorney, Jay Swearingen of Denver, said his client disputesthat any of the dogs were underfed or otherwise abused.

The German shepherds that were confiscated were bred for civiliandog-training exercises, and are naturally thinner than house dogs,Swearingen said.

Swearingen also blamed bias at the Humane Society, saying that ananimal control officer involved in the case, Jamie Norris, is arival German shepherd breeder in Peyton and wanted to shut down hercompetition, he said.

Reached at her home Tuesday, Norris said her business,Kriegerhund Shepherds, specializes in nursing rescued dogs back tohealth and putting them up for adoption. She said she only raisedone litter of 10 pups and has no plans for further breeding.

'If they want to try to argue that, they can knock themselvesout,' she said, calling the argument a ploy to take the focus offthe defendant.

Three of the dogs required extensive dental work worth $2,000 to$3,000 each, said Joe Stafford, director of animal services at theHumane Society. Donations paid for the procedures.

The agency is still caring for five of the animals that wereseized. Four others were adopted out to other families before ajudge issued an order that they be kept pending the outcome of thetrial, Stafford said.

If Hobbs-Butler is found guilty, the Humane Society said it willseek restitution for the medical expenses as well as the cost tofeed and board the animals - $600 a month for each dog.

Her husband, Robert Butler, faces nine misdemeanor counts ofanimal abuse. Under Colorado law, anyone with a misdemeanorconviction of animal abuse is charged with a felony for subsequentoffenses.

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Sent to Coventry; PET S.O.S.(Features) - Coventry Evening Telegraph (England)

THE LONG SEARCH FOR A HOME FOR GERMAN SHEPHERD NINA WAS FINALLY SUCCESSFUL WHEN SHE WAS ...

NINA, an 18-month-old German shepherd, certainly didn't mind being sent to Coventry. For it was here that she found a new home with Roy Swalwell and his partner Clare Grady - and she couldn't be more contented.

Nina, known previously as Nula, had originally been in kennels at Liverpool, but unable to find anyone to adopt her there, was sent to Coventry in the hope of finding a family to love her here.

Fortunately for Nina, Roy and Clare, of Ferndale Road, Balsall Common, were looking for a dog.

And as Roy has had German shepherds before and Clare has always liked the breed, they were hoping to find a German shepherd at the RSPCA animal shelter.

They didn't have to look far. Clare explained: 'I spotted Nina from the office window and fell in love with her before I'd even met her!'

Roy also liked her immediately, and once they had taken her for a walk and discovered how good she was on a lead, he also fell for her.

'Roy was the one who picked her up from kennels initially,' said Clare. 'So Nina associates him as being boss. She's Roy's shadow.'

Roy continued: 'When I brought her home she was a bit nervous. But she soon settled in. She's an absolutely brilliant dog.

'She's quite barmy and runs around all over the place but she's great.'

Clare added: 'She's a very loving dog and she's been very good. She hasn't wrecked the house, although she does like Roy's socks, my underwear and sleeves!

'We also had to change her name. She just wasn't responding to Nula at all, so we changed it to Nina and after two or three days she was answering to that perfectly.

'She's a very intelligent dog and while Roy is used to German shepherds, I'm not. So Nina and I are going on a beginners training course at Knowle Dog Training Centre.

'It's important that Nina understands my commands too. It will be a new learning experience for the both of us and I'm really looking forward to it.'

After the eight-week beginners course, Roy will be joining Clare with the training sessions.

Like Clare he is looking forward to seeing just what Nina can do.

'Nina has certainly changed our lives - we haven't got time to rest now,' laughed Roy, adding. 'But we are absolutely over the moon with her.'

Cat charity's 'tough and tender' approach

TOUGH and Tender is the theme for Cats Protection Week which starts today.

Tender refers to the Cats Protection League's 5,000 volunteers who are so dedicated that they help to rehome more animals than all the other animal welfare charities in the UK put together.

The organisation's 250 volunteer branches are responsible for 90 per cent of the 165,000 cats helped and the 70,000 rehomed yearly by the charity.

Tender also describes the organisation's strict 'no kill' policy. If for some reason a cat doesn't find a home, it remains in care until it does. Cats are never destroyed - except on the advice of a vet.

Tough represents the strict standards for cat care followed by Cats Protection League branches and shelters. Tough cat care also involves neutering, microchipping, medical treatment etc. Tough also refers to a strict set of cat care guidelines set out by the charity on matters of hygiene, feeding, accommodation and health - the line followed by every one of the league's 1,000 voluntary foster homes.

Tender is also the tale of the Helpline team that takes over 400 calls a day from members of the public on problems ranging from lost cats to advice on cat welfare.

l For further information, contact the Coventry branch on 024 7625 6524.

lHave you given a home to an unwanted animal? Has it changed your life for the better? We want to hear your happy stories. Telephone Ann Evans on 024 7650 0353.

l The RSPCA Animal Centre in Coundon Wedge Drive, Coventry, is open six days a week (closed Tuesdays) 11am-4pm. Tel 024 7633 6616.

l The NCDL Animal Shelter is based at Honiley near Kenilworth. They are open every day except Fridays 12-4pm. Tel 01926 484398.

l Contact numbers for the Cats Protection League are 024 7647 0263 or 024 7625 6524.

TILBY is a 10-month- old female cross breed who came from kennels in Liverpool. Staff have found her to be very friendly and playful. She is not destructive in her kennel and she seems to like other dogs.

LUCY is a three-year- old cross breed. There is little information on her as she came from Liverpool RSPCA. Staff have found her to be very friendly and aching for affection. She loves to walk, so will need an owner who can match her energetic nature.

SALLY is a five- month-old cross- breed. She is very nervous and needs time to build up her trust in people. Ideally, she would be happier being the only animal in the house. Given time, Sally will make a lovely family pet.

THESE two adorable little kittens are hoping to find a home together - but a very special home.

One kitten is blind and the other, also with sight problems, acts as her eyes.

The kittens, named Rosie and Jim, were found dumped in a cardboard box under a hedge. They were taken to the Cats Protection League where Jacky Cashmore hand reared them back to health.

Jacky, of Jobs Lane, Tile Hill, Coventry, said: 'They had obviously been there quite some time as they were soaking wet and not at all well. They were only about 10 or 11 days old, not even old enough to leave their mother.

'Jim was very ill with cat flu and an eye infection and on several occasions we feared we were going to lose him. To make matters worse he wouldn't feed from a bottle, so I had to force feed him with a syringe every two hours.

'Rosie developed a horrendous eye infection which has left her blind, although we think she can tell light and day and can see large shadows. We are hoping as she grows the scar tissue will stay small and her sight may get a bit better.'

With lots of tender loving care from Jacky and her grandchildren Charis and Stefan Jardim, the kittens are now in perfect health except for their sight, and ready to go to a loving home.

Jacky added: 'Although Jim wouldn't feed from a bottle in the early days, he now loves a bottle and will lie on his back with the bottle between his paws!'

These kittens, who are now seven weeks old, are hoping for a new home which must have a secure area as they will never be able to roam freely. Ideally, they would benefit from an owner who has had experience with partially-sighted cats.

JESSIE is a 10-year-old German shepherd dog. She is very well trained and would suit a family with older children. All she needs in her twilight years is a small amount of exercise and a large amount of TLC.

PET PEEVE A NEW STATE REGULATION PROHIBITING OWNERS OF SOME DOG BREEDS FROM ADOPTING DRAWS FIRE DSS REGULATION ON DOGS DRAWS FIRE - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

When they got the call from the state Adoption and Foster Careunit, Kathleen Brophy and Maria Melchionda expected the news thatthey would soon be adopting their first child. Officials had alreadytold them they were prime candidates, and they recently completed thestate training course. After more than six months on the waitinglist, they figured it was only a matter of a little time before theywere told a child was awaiting them.

Instead of being good news, however, the call was to tell theBrockton couple they were no longer a prospective family. The reason:Not that they were a same-sex couple, but because they owned a 3-year-old German shepherd.

'I was in total disbelief,' Melchionda said. 'We'd come so far,and then this.'

Last year, the Department of Social Services began following newguidelines that disqualify adoptive parents who own a pit bull,rottweiler, or German shepherd because they are considered 'highbite' breeds. DSS insists it's a matter of safety following the deathof a 5-year-old boy in Springfield. But the decision has driven awedge between some adoption groups and enraged dog owners who say theDSS decision could help lead to the end of families having largedogs, because they are already contending with rising homeowners'insurance rates.

'It's a choice,' said DSS spokesman Michael MacCormack. 'And wehave to make sure that a kid is safe. . . . If you choose [to keep]your pet, we cannot place the child if we cannot assure theirsafety.'

Research compiled for DSS by insurance representatives indicatedthat nationwide, 4.7 million dog bites occur a year and most are bypit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds, and mixes of those breeds.Indeed, more bites from pit bulls, 243, were reported to theMassachusetts Bureau of Health in fiscal 2002 than any other breed ofdog. Following pit bulls were Labradors, 174, German shepherds, 152,and rottweilers, 126.

Still, some adoption advocates don't think DSS should be judginghouseholds based on their breed of dog, especially since plenty ofnon-adoptive families bring babies into homes with large dogs.

'One of the reasons adoption has been such a successful socialinstitution has been that law and society have treated adoptivefamilies the same as biological families,' said Thomas Atwood,president of the National Council for Adoption in Washington.'Prohibiting adoptive families from having dog breeds that are notbanned for biological families violates that principle.'

'Adoptive parents are as protective of their children as arebiological parents,' he added. 'If having a German shepherd candisqualify prospective adoptive parents, what's next? Junk food inthe house? Video games?'

But while Atwood believes the risk of a large dog attacking achild is small, Joan Clark, executive director of the Open DoorSociety, an adoption organization in Holliston, said DSS is right toput the protection of the child over the pets of the adoptiveparents.

She said in-depth investigations of each dog would be preferableto an outright ban on certain breeds, but that DSS can't afford extrahome visits and the state can't risk having another young childharmed by one of these heavy animals.

'The agency's requirement is not to make the potential parenthappy,' Clark said. 'Their goal is to find safe homes for thechildren.'

For dog owners, it's the worst blow since a nationwide push byinsurance companies to deny homeowners' insurance to families who owncertain dog breeds.

'There is going to be a time in this country when it's impossibleto own a dog over 25 pounds,' predicted Robert Clark, owner ofParagon Dog Training and Kennel in Northbridge.

The American Kennel Club, which has been fighting insuranceregulations, says the adoption policy is an extension of the problemand that any dog should be 'judged by the deed and not the breed,'according to legislative director Stephanie Ortel.

A DSS caseworker met Brophy and Melchionda's dog Max in fall 2001,but that was before the guidelines were implemented, so the twopublic school teachers were placed on the waiting list and movedalong the adoptive process. By June, they were off the list.

It's DSS's latest move since closing seven foster homes because ofdogs and a snake, to tighten safety requirements after the 2001tragedy in which 5-year-old Kyle A. Ross was mauled to death by hisfoster family's rottweiler in Springfield.

Massachusetts joined Vermont, Maine, Arizona, and Wisconsin asstates with language in their adoption policies that restrictspotential parents from owning dangerous dogs. However, Massachusettsappears to be the only one to specify those animals by breed.

MacCormack said the rules are not yet official policy, but shouldbe within a year after progressing through the department'sregulation process.

Michael Cahill, rabies program coordinator for the Bureau ofAnimal Health, said measuring bite statistics by breed can bemisleading. He downplays the statistics, explaining that the highpopularity of German shepherds and labradors creates a falseperception of a greater danger.

'It's because there are so many of them that even if a smallpercentage of them bite, it looks like a large number,' Cahill said.'I wouldn't say any other breed has any greater disposition to bitethan any other. It has to do with the training, or the lack of.'

Brophy and Melchionda are convinced their sexual orientationplayed no factor in their dismissal. DSS officials say they have beenfacilitating adoptions to same-sex couples regularly sincequalification requirements were changed in the late 1980s.

'If anything, we sometimes get criticized by conservative groupsfor placing a child with a same-sex couple,' MacCormack said.

MacCormack said they would reconsider Brophy and Melchionda asprospective parents if they ever gave up Max, but the couple saysthat's simply not an option.

'We are not going to give up our dog,' Brophy said. 'Every familydeserves the right to run their family the way they want. I grew upwith animals. Everyone I know has a pet, and we want a pet, too.

The hard-working Hollander.(CRITTER CORNER) - Faces: People, Places, and Cultures

Hale and hearty! That's a good way to describe the Hollander. Before the 21st century, the Dutch shepherd, a muscular and alert dog, was kept busy on the farm, pulling small carts and guarding and shepherding sheep and cattle. They could even defend a flock of sheep from predators. With its insatiable desire to work, it was a valued member of the farm family.

Though obedient, affectionate, and faithful, this breed is not recognized by many people. 'Is it a German shepherd? A mixed breed?' some might ask. No and no. The Dutch might not guess correctly, as even in the Netherlands this dog is not a very common breed. At the moment there are about 3,700 Dutch shepherds here. Though originally the all-purpose fatal dog in the Netherlands, few work on farms today in the United States or in their native land.

Their popularity, however, is growing in the United Stales, where they are sometimes used as police dogs. In fact, because they are smaller and therefore easier to handle, they are sometimes preferred for police work over German shepherds, a breed most commonly known as a police dog. There are other reasons for their growing popularity as helpers. According to Trudy Donais, of Weiss Hauzahn K9 Training in Sonora, California, and owner of two Dutch shepherds, 'They have fewer health problems than German shepherds.'

The breed might have disappeared entirely once raising sheep began to decline in the Netherlands had it not been for a dedicated group of people. In 1898, the Dutch Shepherd Dog Club was formed and they kept the Hollander from going the way of the dinosaur because they simply loved shepherds of all kinds, no matter whether they were Dutch, German, Belgian, or French.

Little has changed in the temperament or abilities of this breed. They are very loyal and full of energy. 'They are dedicated to their owners,' Donais says. Like all shepherd dogs, the Dutch shepherds herd and guard. Bull Donais warns, 'This dog breed does not usually make good family pets because they need a great deal of stimulation and exercise.'

In other ways, they are relatively carefree. Though the longhaired variety need a brushing, this breed's generally easy to care for. Too much bathing could actually be harmful, as it would wash away the natural oils thai keep their coats clean.

At about 24 inches high and weighing about 65 pounds, its size is not too big and not too small. Hearly, friendly, smart--some might say it's the ideal working dog.

Ironically, the owner of Frits, one of the most famous Dutch shepherds, didn't think so. He sold his Dutch shepherd because he thought the dog was quilt stupid. Alas. he was quite wrong. Frits's second owner trained him to do police work and the dog went on to win the first place prize at an international competition for dogs in 1908.

Frits wasn't this breed's only high-performing dog. Another famous Dutch shepherd was Artessa 'Tessa' van Diepenalm, a Dutch shepherd that worked for the Dutch Customs department and carried her own identity card with a paw print. Though Frits and Tessa have gone down in history as remarkable Dutch shepherds, the many humble Dutch shepherds who make no claims to fame still have all the pleasant qualities of this breed, thus making this canine a dog the Dutch can be proud of.

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EX-NAZIS LIVING IN U.S. GET GERMAN PENSIONS.(PREVIEW) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: CHUCK SHEPHERD

A German television station reported in January that as many as 50,000 former Nazi SS troopers might be receiving up to $600 a month in German government pensions for World War II injuries (including more than 3,000 who live in the United States) -- while no comparable government benefit exists for concentration camp survivors. One example cited by The Washington Post was that of Heinz Barth, 80, an SS officer serving a life sentence for his part in a 1944 massacre in France, who gets $450 a month because he lost a leg.

In May, a San Francisco Chronicle feature alerted readers to the problem of people addicted to lip balm, and especially Chapstick brand. According to one addict who studied the problem, the Chapstick ingredients fuse with the skin, requiring constant re-use. Another source cited a better, nonaddictive lip balm: a person's own nose oil, which is reported to have been used by watchmakers for years to lubricate tiny gears.

The Hong Kong Standard newspaper reported in February on the thriving business of a Dr. Liu, who runs a virginity- (hymen-) restoration practice in Ghangzhou province, China, charging about $500. ``So many Hong Kong girls come to us,'' she said. ``They come just before their wedding. They don't want their husbands to know they had many boyfriends in the past.'' And New Scientist magazine reported in January that the German government, fearful of immune-system reactions and the spread of ``mad cow'' disease, has banned the popular sheep-fetus injections that men and women have been receiving to firm up their buttocks.

POLICE BLOTTER

Following in the footsteps of her completely unsuccessful predecessors (Mr. Mellon E. Bank and Mr. Roadway V. Express, reported in News of the Weird in 1989 and 1996, respectively), Keisha Yvette Gregory was arrested in Durham, N.C., in March and charged with theft of a check made out to the Tension Envelope company, which she tried to pass off as a personal check made out to Ms. Tension Nicole Envelope.

The trial of National Institutes of Health police officer Bruce Blum ended in a hung jury in April on the Dec. 19 accusation (based on a surveillance videotape) that he stole the current issue of People magazine from the NIH library in Bethesda, Md. And Rhode Island state traffic court clerk-typist Sharon James, 30, was fired in March for stealing a bag of potato chips and some coins on the counter of a blind vendor in the traffic court building.

In March, in cases in San Diego, Calif., and Norfolk, Va., prosecutors came under fire for allegedly allowing witnesses in a gang murder case and drug case, respectively, to have numerous conjugal visits in government offices after business hours while in custody as part of deals to coax their testimony.

A 24-year-old, unidentified woman was arrested in Waukesha, Wis., in April on suspicion of child abuse. Her son had complained of a nose infection, which she said was caused by acid from a wristwatch battery that he had put in his nose several months earlier, but which she had declined to help him remove until the battery started leaking.

Peter Lerat, 33, was arrested in Toronto, Ontario, in May and charged with two robberies, one in a doughnut shop while he was carrying a goose and one on the street while he had a raccoon. In each case he threatened to kill the animal unless someone gave him money. He $60 from a woman in the doughnut shop, but a prospective victim in the second robbery ran to call police, and Lerat was captured.

In January, West Palm Beach, Fla., police officer Ed Wagner filed a lawsuit against the city for removing him from the SWAT team following a complaint he made about a neck injury. The injury occurred at a car-crash scene in 1993 when one of Wagner's colleagues playfully grabbed his head and gave him a noogie. And Franklin, Tenn., water and sewer director Eddie Woodard was suspended for three days in February after he goosed police chief Jackie Moore at a fire scene.

Richard Lee Hamrick, 28, was picked up in Longview, Wash., in February, suspected of being the guy who robbed a Safeway a few minutes before. Not only was the robber wearing bikini briefs on his head, backward, with eye holes cut in the derriere, but, according to the officers who had to book the evidence, they were soiled.

CLICHES COME TO LIFE

Life Imitates the Three Stooges: Julio Guaman, 31, landed in a tree, with a broken pelvis, after a five-story fall from his Queens, apartment in December. According to his wife, Julio had lunged at her in a fight in order to push her out the window, but she ducked, sending him out.

Life Imitates Prison Movies: Joshua John Jaeger, 25, housed at the Queen Street Mental Health Centre in Toronto in January, and David Anderson, housed at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville in April, became the latest inmates to escape by tying bedsheets together and lowering themselves to the ground. (Anderson even left a pillow-and-blankets dummy in his bed as a decoy.)

NO LONGER WEIRD

Adding to the list of stories that were formerly weird but which now occur with such frequency that they must be retired from circulation:

The person easing into the parking lot of the driver's license office, either arriving for the exam or just completing it, who accidentally crashes into the office's storefront, as a woman did in Hillsboro, Ore., in May and a man did in Barrie, Ontario, in March. And the burglar attempting to enter an establishment from the roof via a vent pipe but who gets stuck and must be rescued by the police, or, as with a 20-year-old man in Dayton, Ohio, in December, who suffocated.

The thousands of times a year (about 50 in the past year in Fremont, Calif., alone) that trial-bound defendants and others cheerfully place their belongings on the X-ray machines at the entrances of courthouses, only to have their illegal drugs detected. The burglar who sneaks into a home or building intending to loot the place but who falls asleep before he can get to work, as allegedly did Brian Hodgson, 28, who was arrested in September after the ceiling at a Pompano Beach, Fla., McDonald's gave way, disturbing his slumber.

The family that leaves behind one or more members at a highway rest stop and fails to realize they are short-handed until way down the road, as happened in April to a 9-year-old boy whose father left him in Lloydminster, Manitoba, and did not miss him until he got home to Red Deer, Alberta, nearly 200 miles away. DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES

In April in Chandler, Ariz., Johnel Trinidad, 18, sitting on the toilet inspecting a gun he planned to buy from a friend, accidentally shot himself in the knee. Said police Sgt. Matt Christensen, ``Bathroom gun safety and gun safety in general pretty much dovetail.'' It was Chandler's second such shooting in a year. In July, Harold Hughes, 52, was on the toilet, his gun on the counter and his pit bull lounging nearby, when the dog became startled and knocked the gun to the floor, where it fired a shot into Hughes' leg. WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME

On Sept. 29 in rural northeast Vermont, the car in which Michael O'Keefe, 44, was riding was hit by a 700-pound moose. O'Keefe was taken for treatment of cuts and returned to the road a few hours later in his own truck, which was then hit by another moose.

FIRST THINGS FIRST On an Israeli TV program in January, Hamas militant Rashid Saqqer, who was captured by the PLO last year before he could carry out a scheduled suicide bombing in Israel, waxed rhapsodic about his love of soccer. He said he was such a fan that ``I couldn't (kill myself) in (an Israeli) soccer stadium. Yes, they are Zionists (and) unbelievers. But I couldn't do it (there).''

The New York Times reported in November on the project by the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, N.Y., to create more environmentally friendly bullets while still maintaining the bullets' killing power. (Three years ago, the federal government closed a nearby firing range because spent, leaded bullets were contaminating the soil so as to endanger people and animals.)

Make sure cats can get away from chasing dog, Color of a pet's tongue offers clues about its health - Charleston Daily Mail

Q: My 10-year-old half-yellow lab, half-German Shepherd chasescats. Ever since I got her from the Kanawha/Charleston HumaneAssociation, she has been chasing my cats. When I walk her to go doher business, she chases the stray cats, too. Now they are afraid ofher and so are my cats. What should I do?

A: Unfortunately to some dogs, the cat is the other white meat.Your question brings up a few good points. First of all, I like tohear of a 10-year-old dog still interested in the thrill of the chaseinstead of the comfort of the couch. Second, because she is from thehumane association (good for you for opening your home to a needypet) she may have been behaving this way long before she came to livewith you.

Dogs like to chase, whether it is cars, mailmen, cats or theintruder from their territory. The problem lies in the fact that theprey always runs away. (Are you getting a vision of the meter manleaping your fence in a single bound?) This creates confidence inyour dog that she is successful and will be successful each time shechases something. She is learning this behavior and getting positivereinforcement; a hard habit to break.

My best advice to you would be never to let your dog loose in theneighborhood to terrorize the cats; she is a known cat chaser. As faras your own cats go, I do not recommend trying to condition the dogwith positive reinforcement to like the cats, for example, by doingsupervised get-togethers. This would be too stressful for the cat andowner both.

The golden rule of cats is never, ever upset the cat. As we allknow, cats hold a grudge and owners are always the victims. What youcan try to do in the home is to create safe places for your cats.Allow them to be above the dog or in areas that the dog can't get to,like cabinets, garages and rooms. Most importantly, make sure youspend time with the cats without the dog present to reinforce yourbond with them and give them some peaceful relaxing time. Lastly,take heart, your problem is very common. My beloved Nehlen enjoys agood lap through the kitchen in hot pursuit of a flying furball atleast once daily.

Q: My dog's tongue has become discolored. It looks like a piece ofliver. Any ideas? There are no other symptoms, but I did take her tothe vet a day ago and he put her on antibiotics for a urinary tractinfection.

A: Veterinarians always notice oral pigment. There are two classesusually: abnormal and normal pigment. Yellow, white or blue pigmentsin the oral cavity are abnormal and should raise a red flag in yourmind. Pink is the normal pigment for gums and tongue, unless your dogis a chow or a chow-mix whose normal oral pigment is blue-black. Theylike to be difficult.

A liver-colored tongue is definitely an abnormality and is areflection of how the circulatory system is doing. Because the tongueis such a vascular muscle, even small changes in the ability of bloodcells to carry oxygen will be readily visible to us by its pigment.

One condition that can cause a muddy-red color is hyperthermia, ora high fever. We see this sometimes in greyhounds in warmer months orafter a race when their body temperatures can go as high has 104degrees F. To determine if hyperthermia is the cause, take your dog'stemperature rectally; normal temperatures for a dog are between 99degrees and 102.5 degrees F. Antibiotics are the treatment for mostfevers, so it sounds like your vet was right on.

An aspirin a day is all the medicine that I need; me and my health. - Daily Mail (London)

Byline: GRAHAM BRIDGSTOCK

AT 18 MONTHS, Wilbur Smith was struck down with cerebral malaria and doctors warned he could be brain-damaged. Yet now, at 66, he is the world's leading adventure writer and has just completed his 27th novel, Monsoon. The father of three children from his first marriage, he and third wife Dee Dee, 60, divide their time between homes in South Africa, the Seychelles, and London's Knightsbridge. Here he talks to GRAHAM BRIDGSTOCK.

WHEN all my friends began falling off the perch, I decided to go to one of the top cardiac specialists in Cape Town for a complete check-up.

After examining me, he said: 'Has anyone ever mentioned you have a murmur?' Puzzled, I replied: 'People have told me I talk too much, but they've never accused me of murmuring.

' Yet it transpires I have a congenital condition. When my heart pumps out into the aorta, one valve doesn't shut properly and I get a bit of a leak there, a sort of turbulence.

My father had a fatal heart attack when he was nearly 80, so I was naturally eager to know what the prognosis was in my case. 'Well,' said the doctor, 'you're unlikely to make it to 100.' Apart from that, there is no cause for alarm. On the contrary, all I have to do is take half an aspirin every morning to thin the blood and prevent clotting, otherwise I am disgustingly healthy.

Callouses can be a problem because I wrote my first 25 books in longhand, with a ballpoint. But, at 66, there is still no sign of the arthritis that a witch doctor at the Victoria Falls glimpsed on the horizon a few years ago.

Although I have worn glasses since I was a boy, my close sight is fantastic. When my wife wants to thread a needle, I do it for her.

She has worked wonders for me healthwise. Before we met, I was on 60 cigarettes a day and a carnivore. A vegetarian, she taught me to enjoy fruit and vegetables as well.

MY ONLY real injury was when I broke the big toe on my right foot three or four years ago; I kicked a table on the way to the loo at midnight.

Walking has never been easy - polio at 16 has left me with a slightly withered right leg which I tend to drag when I am tired.

But over the years I've found three things are crucial: eating well, worrying as little as possible and getting lots of sleep.

Having said that, because of the rising crime in South Africa, an armed security man patrols my grounds at night with a German shepherd and I keep a loaded 357 Magnum Smith and Wesson on my bedside table but I still average eight hours.

At birth - on January 9, 1933, at Broken Hill in what is now Zambia - I was a hefty 9lb.

These days, my appetite is probably too good. But at nearly 13 stone and 6ft, I think I have it under control. As a rule, I start the day with cereal, fruit and English breakfast tea, no sugar. And in the evening, after a whisky sundowner, I have two glasses of Chardonnay with a light supper and turn in at 9pm.

Alas, mosquitoes have an enduring liking for me. My last bout of malaria was five or six years ago. But my first, when I was 18 months, was the worst.

That was cerebral malaria, which can be lethal when the infection gets into the brain's cortex. I was delirious for ten days. Hence the doctor's grim warning: 'If he survives, he could be brain-damaged.' In the event, a course of quinine saved my life. And to this day I've had only two operations - for tonsils as a child and piles as an adult. Cheerful and optimistic, I look upon life through fairly sanguine eyes.

Occasionally - perhaps two or three times a year when I am working very hard - I feel a bit low-spirited and everything requires greater mental effort.

It's almost like a masculine menstrual cycle of ups and downs. But, let's face it, there is not a lot to be depressed about.

Life has been good to me and I have everything I want except immortality.

My epitaph will be: Don't grieve for me. I did it all. I had it all. And I've left nothing undone.

My mother - who set me on the path to writing and instilled in me a love of words and books before I could even read - is very much alive at 86. I hope I'll be able to emulate her.

Charity helps Bella to take steps to health; PDSA AID FOR DOG WHOSE LEG WAS BROKEN UNDER STONE PILLAR.(News) - Coventry Evening Telegraph (England)

Byline: CATHERINE TURNELL

A CHARITY has helped put the smiles back on the face of a Coventry dog owner and her young son after coming to the rescue of their injured pet.

In June, Tina Bines and her son Kieran of Coundon, found their eight- year-old bitch Bella trapped beneath a heavy garden ornament that her lead had been tied to. The dog's left hind leg had been crushed as the 5ft stone pillar fell on her.

Bella, a collie-German shepherd cross, was taken to the PDSA PetAid Hospital in Barker Butts Lane, Coundon, where X-rays showed the dog's shinbone had been fractured in several places.

To stabilise the broken bone, the PDSA attached an external fixator - a frame of pins and wire - to Bella's leg and she was kept in hospital for two days. She was discharged with painkillers, antibiotics and orders of strict rest.

The veterinary charity, which last year treated 26,000 injured pets across Coventry, has since given Bella's steady progress the 'thumbs up'.

Miss Bines said: 'Thanks to the PDSA she is on the road to recovery. Bella has coped well with learning to live with the external fixator. At first she was bumping into things but now she is getting around fine.'

PDSA vet Rob Ingle said: 'Bella was checked four days after the operation and she was bearing weight on the leg and there was no sign of any infection. The bone is healing slowly but there have been no problems.

'Bella has a lovely character - she is very placid and quiet. We are hoping to move the external fixator soon, once we are happy the bone has healed.'

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Cats not likely to endanger health of pregnant women - Chicago Sun-Times

Q. I'd like your opinion on how cat litter affects unbornchildren. My family doctor claims the germs in the litter can evenbe transmitted through the air. Also, sometimes when my cat comesin, she has a messy bottom, forcing me to clean her up. I understandthere is a test to take before pregnancy to determine if I would beaffected by the litter. Since there is such a danger, I think it'sdisgusting that doctors don't discuss this more with women. I neverheard of it until now.

A. The disease your doctor is concerned about is calledtoxoplasmosis. Your vet can easily check your cat for this disease.The most common source of this disease is poorly cooked meat - notpets! Germs are not transmitted through the air. If your cat doeshave the toxo 'germ,' you still don't have to get rid of her - justwash your hands carefully after handling her, and have your husbandchange the litter.

Q. I hope you know of some magic to help my German shepherd.She is 11 years old, very spry and will chase a piece of firewoodlike a race horse. She would protect me with her life, yet she isgentle. She was spayed after her first year. The last few months Ihave noticed that she leaks urine in the morning. Now she hasstarted leaking in the evening when she sleeps. The vet says there'snothing I can do - that it's the result of spaying.

I do not want to put her outside because she would feelpunished. Do you know of anything I can do? Would she surviveoutside in a pen? I doubt if she would go in a doghouse.Incidentally, our house is carpeted throughout.

A. Sex-hormone replacement therapy may help your dog'sbladder-weakness problem. However, considering her age, she may havea bladder tumor or large calculi and these possibilities should bechecked out. Don't put her in an outside pen because this couldcause too much distress. Let her sleep on pads of newspaper and awashable blanket, and take up the carpet in the room she frequentsmost. Her minor inconvenience is no reason to get rid of her.

Q. I read in one of your columns that you would not use noradvise the use of oral pesticides to control fleas. Could you pleaseexplain why?

A. I feel that oral pesticides and pesticide powders and dipsshould be used only as a last resort to rid animals of fleas.Chronic exposure to pesticides can weaken the immune system andpossibly harm your family members who are exposed to them. There areother ways to control fleas without routinely using dangerouschemicals. Your veterinarian should be able to advise you aboutthese.

Q. My cat has terrible breath. She loves to eat chicken liver.Could that be causing the odor?

A. Halitosis does not result from the foods a cat eats. Youshould have your cat's gums and teeth checked. Most likely they areinfected. That's the usual cause of bad breath. Have your vet checkher out soon, before oral disease sets in. Also, start feeding herdry food. Experiment until you find one she likes. All moist foodstend to collect between the teeth.

Q. Our two parakeets have grown scales on their beaks, eyes andlegs, and one has a horny growth on the membrane at the base of hisbeak. Am I feeding them too much calcium?

A. Your birds are infested with mites called cnemidocoptespilae. These mites burrow into the bird's tissues, and theirritation causes the scales and growth. Remove all deadencrustations and paint the afflicted areas with a 10-percentemulsion of benzoate in water (which your veterinarian can prescribe)daily for three days and repeat once seven days later. Also,thoroughly scrub out the cage and put in new perches.

MESA POLICE K-9 DIES DUE TO HEALTH PROBLEMS AFTER 6 YEARS OF LOYAL SERVICE - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

The city of Mesa issued the following news release: The Mesa Police Department is sad to announce that Police Service Dog Ully had to be put down on Saturday July 1st, 2006. K-9 Ully was suffering from a bad spleen and bleeding tumors in his abdomen. It was not know these two conditions existed until Ully's last veterinarian visit where it was found his red blood cell levels were very low. Ully's veterinarian discovered this condition during a routine teeth cleaning and blood test. The veterinarian said Ully's condition was not curable, with or without an operation. An ultra sound was performed on Ully's abdomen, which located the tumors and problems with his spleen. Ully's condition deteriorated very quickly on Friday June 30th. Ully would not eat and could only walk short distances before collapsing onto the ground. Ully was obviously in pain and was suffering from his condition. Ully's handler stayed up with him all night in hopes he would get better, but he only got worse. Ully's handler had to make the difficult decision on Saturday, July 1st, that he had hoped would not come for a couple more years.

Ully, a German Shepherd dog, was purchased from Adlerhorst International Inc. Police K-9 Academy in September of 2000. Ully's full name is Ully Vom Anrachtal. Ully was 3 � years old when purchased by the Mesa Police Department in September of 2000. Ully was born in Germany on 05-01-1997.

Ully was trained in all patrol functions and narcotics. Ully specialized in patrol functions such as building searches, area searches, handler and police officer protection, missing person searches and tactical entries. Below is a list of some of the items Ully assisted in:

* 5,287 patrol back-ups

* 54 call-outs

* 475 building searches

* 539 area searches * 143 deterrent/officer safety assists

* 71 high risk stops

* 76 public relations demonstrations

* 433 narcotic searches

* 84 tactical assists

* 143 suspect finds

* 26 surrenders

* 24 suspect bites

* Ully assisted in recovering over $500,000.00 dollars in recovered property, stolen cars property, etc.

* Ully assisted in seizing over $50,000.00 in currency

* Ully assisted in seizing over 200 pounds of marijuana

Ully was very successful in locating suspects and assisting patrol officers. Ully was very sociable and loved attention from children. Ully was an unusual dog that could be fighting a suspect one-minute and could be petted by a child the next. Ully competed in five K-9 competitions, including the Tucson annual K-9 trials and two Desert Dog K-9 trials. Ully represented the Mesa Police Department very well and brought home numerous trophies.

Ully was injured in November of 2005 while assisting his handler take a suspect into custody. He tore his ACL in his right rear knee and could not return to work. Ully's knee was operated on in hopes of returning to work as a narcotic only dog. Ully was brought out to compete in the 2006 Desert Dog K-9 Trials that were held at the Hohokom Park in Mesa in April of 2006. Ully competed in the narcotic search part of the competition. Ully had not worked the street for over four months, but took 2nd place out of 41 dog teams. Contact: Chuck Trapani, 480/644-3147.

Health: Jenny to the rescue; Every owner knows the distress of discovering their pet is ill and the worry of visiting the vet. Now a new service in Birmingham is aiming to ease the stress by visiting animals - and their owners - in their own homes. Women's Editor DIANE PARKES spent a day with the Visiting Vet.(Features) - Birmingham Evening Mail (England)

Byline: DIANE PARKES

IT is 9am and we are ready to go. The Visiting Vet van is packed up with all the necessary equipment, vet Jenny Moffett has her diary in hand and driver and vet's assistant Steve Smith is ready with the A-Z.

First call is Willenhall for a check up on Jack, a six-year-old German shepherd. Jack underwent an operation last week to remove a stone from his intestine and Jenny is popping in today to see how he is getting on.

I am warned beforehand that Jack can be a bit 'lively'.

Lively he may be, but he is also looking incredibly well for a dog who had his intestines cut open just a few days ago.

And his owners, 40-year-old singing teacher Elaine Buckland and her husband Stephen, a 38year-old learning disability support worker, are pleased with his progress.

Elaine has come up with an ingenious method for preventing Jack from licking his wound. 'He wouldn't wear the collar, he went crazy,' she says, 'so I rang the vet who suggested ripping up an old nightie and putting that on him - it is working wonders.'

Jack began being occasionally sick a few months ago but only became seriously ill last week, so Jenny believes he swallowed the stone a while ago but it then moved to block the intestine. Elaine and Stephen have kept the stone as a memento.

'We have been in the garden clearing all the stones so it can't happen again - now I don't know where to put this one in case he tries to eat it again,' jokes Elaine.

The couple give Jenny and Steve a card to thank them for their help and explain why having the vet visit them was so important.

'Jack is such a big dog and he doesn't have the best of temperaments and he can scare people at the vet's,' says Stephen. 'Having the vets come here makes it much easier for all of us. Everyone we have dealt with has been excellent.'

Meanwhile a call has come in about a dog whose mouth is bleeding in Pleck, Walsall. We have a slight gap in the day so with a bit of re-arranging, we head off to see Becky - a border collie.

Becky is a much-loved pet. Her owners 82-year-old Christopher Stroud and his wife Jennie, aged 83, are worried that at 16 years old, Becky's illness may be too serious to treat.

But Jenny has some good news for them. Becky has bad tooth decay which is making her gums bleed but it can be treated. They will try antibiotics and if this does not work, Becky may need some dental work, but she is certainly fit and healthy for her age.

The couple are relieved and agree to follow all the medication that Jenny leaves.

We are on our way to visit another patient when an emergency call comes in from Norman Durnall. His cocker spaniel Pepe has been suffering from cancer for a year but his condition has deteriorated and Norman believes it is time to let Pepe die in peace.

At the house in Darlaston we find Norman and his wife Hilda very distressed. The couple have had Pepe since he was a puppy but he is now old and very poorly, and barely able to stand on his legs.

The couple describe how Pepe has now reached a point where he can no longer eat and is not even drinking - and they feel they cannot watch him in pain. Jenny examines Pepe. With her soft Irish brogue and gentlehands, she reassures Pepe and agrees with his owners that euthanasia is the best option. It is a heart-breaking scene. Both Norman and Hilda are crying and talking to Pepe as he is put down with an injection. Jenny and Steve then leave the couple to say their goodbyes before taking Pepe with us. He will be cremated and the couple plan to scatter his ashes in the garden.

'He always loved to play there,' says Hilda.

Jenny, who has been a vet for four years before taking on the post of visiting vet in January, admits that putting an animal down is always difficult.

'You could see how much they loved that dog and it is very hard for them,' she says. 'But it is better than letting an animal live in pain and at least he didn't feel any of it.'

Back in the van, Jenny is answering calls by the minute. Vets are calling to check up on animals she has been to see, clients are calling to book appointments and Jenny is making numerous checks on families and animals she visited last week.

The Visiting Vet service is funded by four veterinary practices - Ashwood Veterinary Clinic at Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, The Veterinary Clinics in Erdington, The Veterinary Clinic in Bearwood, and Richard Hillman practices in Walsall, Brownhills and Darlaston.

And judging by the amount of calls Jenny receives, it is a service that is greatly appreciated.

Next stop is Pelsall to see Jasmine a 12-year-old border collie cross with an eye infection.

Jasmine's owners, Alison, a 43-year-old full-time mother of nine-year-old Bethany and six-year-old Francesca, and her husband David, a 55year-old driver, are also concerned at Jasmine's age.

Jenny drops coloured liquid into Jasmine's eyes to examine her. The dog has ulcerated eyes and has already been on medication but the problem has not yet cleared up. The family plan to continue treatment but, if it is not successful, face the decision of putting Jasmine through an operation.Lunch consists of a quick sandwich on the go before we head off to West Bromwich to see Kathleen Parker and her cat Bit.

Bit was a stray who 56-yearold assistant cook Kathleen and her welder husband Malcolm, aged 57, adopted a few years ago - but she is in the final stages of a terminal illness due to chronic renal failure and a heart complaint.

'It is very stressful for Bit to go to the vets and with a heart condition we don't want her to get stressed,' Kathleen says. 'She is settled here and it is much easier for her.' Bit is doing well and Jenny arranges another check up in a month's time.

Our next stop is Erdington to check on Bertie, a nine-yearold poodle with a sore neck. The cause is a bit of a mystery as x-rays failed to show the problem but Bertie is clearly in pain as he is unwilling to lift his head. Gently Jenny examines him and then suggests a pain-killing injection.

Owner Hazel Tullah, aged 83, is worried.

'He normally comes to the door but he just wants to stay under the table,' she says. 'He is crying with the pain, it goes right through you.'

Jenny recommends a course of pain killers for Bertie and we are off again - this time to Cannock to visit German Shepherd Rebel.

Jenny and Steve have been making twice weekly visits to Rebel and his owner Christine Skeldon since Rebel underwent an operation to remove two lumps - one malign. This is to be the last visit as the dressing is removed.

Jenny and Steve have clearly become attached to their gentle giant and are sad to say goodbye. They have also built up a friendly rapport with Christine, a 61-year-old carer. Christine's husband Ron died of cancer a couple of years ago.

'When Ron was here it was him who managed it but I couldn't see how I could get a dog of this size into a three door car. My sister told me about the Visiting Vet and it has been marvellous,' she says.

It is nearly 7pm by the time the day is finished but neither Jenny nor Steve are complaining about their overtime. 'You can't judge with this job,' says Jenny, 'because you never know what each day will bring.'

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