BEACH O' BASSET

Here's the way to enjoy the last of the dog days of summer.  BEACH O' BASSET

HAPPY BELATED NATIONAL DOG DAY

Yesterday was National Dog Day, according to the American Kennel Club.  I missed that one, but I hope that you spent quality time with your K-9.  Hold the Milkbones!  Our best friends deserve only one day out of the year?  How about National Dog Week, or National Dog Month, or better yet, National Dog Year.  Let's make every day National Dog Day.  If you don't have a dog, then go to your nearest shelter or rescue and adopt a homeless one who needs a loving home.  I can't think of any better way to celebrate National Dog Day.

NEW PET FOOD RECALL

Certain Eukanuba and Iams products are on the latest FDA hit list.  When, if ever, will we be able to trust that the food we feed our pets, and ourselves, is 100% safe?  As someone whose dogs became ill after eating tainted food and who is herself a survivor of a life-threatening Salmonella and e. Coli combo, I would love to know. 

SWORN TO PROTECT

An officer in a South Carolina K-9 Unit, AND A DOG HANDLER, left his black Labrador K-9 officer inside the patrol car without the engine running and all the windows rolled up (leaving the engine running and A/C on is no guarantee; engines can die, and so can the dogs left inside). By the time he returned to his car, irreversible damage had been done.  The dog was rushed to the vet but died the next day from the devastating effects of heat stroke. Apparently, even police officers, whom we are told to summon when we see a dog left inside a hot car, are ignorant of the danger. Why can't people, even officers of the law, understand that it's never okay to leave a dog unattended and closed up in a car?

I got a frantic call from a friend last Friday who went all Dog Day Afternoon on a lady who left her 3--count 'em 3--dogs shut up inside a hot car while she shopped at an Asian food market.  Good for my friend!  The woman didn't leave her toddlers in the car to cook, just her dogs.  From the verbal lambasting she received, I'm sure the woman clearly got the message not to do this again. 

Perhaps it's time to stop being all nicey-nice and politically correct about this persistent problem, waiting patiently for official help to arrive that often never does in time to save the dog. That's especially true when the officers, like the one in South Carolina, are as ignorant as the thoughtless pet owners themselves. Surely, we wouldn't be expected to wait for the police to arrive if it were an infant or toddler dying in a hot car.  Dogs are just as helpless to save themselves in such a situation. They can't open the car door or roll down the windows to escape.  

Why, why why won't store owners make it standard practice to post reminders in their front windows for patrons who might be stupid enough to bring their dogs along on shopping trips and park them in the lot: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS IN THE CAR WHILE YOU SHOP!  I've even seen people do this on hot days in front of pet stores!  My local Raley's Superstore recently posted a warning to customers not to bring dogs into their store unless they are service dogs, but not one word is mentioned about not leaving your dog in the car to die while you shop at their store. Take your dog home, leave it in a cool, safe place, and come back to to your shopping.  If you are traveling with your dogs and have to make a stop, have someone take the dog to a shaded area.  Maybe stores and shopping malls should provide a Cool Dog Oasis in their parking lots with grass, shade and cool water for pets.  If airports are installing pet potty areas inside terminals, why not cooling stations around town for pets?  

For more information on Red Rover's "My Dog Is Cool," campaign to educate people about the dangers of a hot car and help save a dog's life, please visit the link provided.  Their feature story today is about a dog saved from a South Carolina puppy mill.  What's with those South Carolinians, anyway?  

THIS IS THE LIMIT!

What the...???!!!  I was flabbergasted when I saw the unbelievable photo in Britain's Daily Mail of a dog being towed behind a speeding SUV in a pet crate in Florida.  If the dog survived the exhaust fumes from the vehicle, he wouldn't have survived the heat for long, and there was no water inside the crate.  This is an even worse case than Mitt Romney's dog, Seamus, being transported in a crate on the luggage rack of his SUV.  Could it be there was no room inside that big, air-conditioned auto for a pet crate?  Is there no limit to people's stupidity when it comes to the welfare of animals?  Apparently not.  Thank doG that a roadway Samaritan reported this abuse and the dog was spared certain death.  I hope that the owners were thrown in jail and the dog was re-homed with an intelligent, caring family.  

The Law is long overdue to really crack down on this kind of idiocy and cruelty.  Ignorance is no excuse.  It's high time for a no tolerance policy on any form of animal cruelty or deliberately putting companion animals in danger, including leaving dogs in cars to cook in the summer.  Politicos and celebrities should not be above the law when they neglect or abuse animals (Romney, Michael Vick, and their ilk).  Shame them!  Jail them!  Get 'em in their wallets, where it is mostly likely to make an impression.  People like these should forfeit the privilege of having pets.  If you harm a pet or put it in the kind of jeopardy these folks did, you shouldn't be allowed to have another one.  Ever.

TAHOE BOOK SIGNING

I'm pleased to report that I have been invited to make an author appearance at Dog Dog Cat, a popular pet shop near State Line in South Lake Tahoe.  Their official greeter is a basset hound.  I've been going to that store for many years with my own bassets.  There is a lot of great gear for dogs and cats and yummy pet pastries, too.  They look good enough for people to eat!  I always bought Dr. Becker's Bites (dried bison snacks) whenever I went there, which were Bubba and Daisy's favorite treats.  Dogs love 'em. 

This pet store is one of my all-time favorites and a must-see for any pet lover visiting Tahoe.  I am thrilled to finally be doing a book signing there.  Here are the details:  

August 31, 2013
Saturday, 3 - 5 pm
Dog Dog Cat Pet Store
4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd. C-17
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

If you're in Tahoe that date, stop in and say hello.

BOOK SIGNING REMINDER

Just a reminder that I'll be autographing copies of my latest Beanie and Cruiser mystery, Braced for Murder, tonight from 6-8 PM at Face in a Book, a charming bookstore located at 4359 Town Center Blvd., #113 in El Dorado Hills, CA 95762.  Join me for a doggone fun evening with Q&A and refreshments.  Hope to see you there!

IF ANIMALS WERE FAT PT.2

If animals were fat...and everything else.  (Love the hound dog in this one.)

BOOK SIGNING

I'll be making an appearance and signing copies of my newest book, Braced for Murder at Face in a Book on August 9.  Here are the details:

August 9, 2013

Friday, 6 – 8 PM

Face in a Book

4359 Town Center Blvd., #113

El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 

Hope to see you there!

VICTORIA STILLWELL ON AVERSION COLLARS

What kind of collar do you use on your dog?  If you use choke chains, pinch/prong collars, or shock collars, all of which inflict pain, discomfort and can even injure your dog, you need to watch this excellent video on the subject from Victoria Stillwell.

My personal opinion is if you wouldn't use it on yourself or your child, then don't use it on your dog.

DRIP, DRIP, DROP

Turns out that Peaches doesn't have an injury to her left eye or a foxtail in it, which is a danger when things are dry like they are now.  I'm treating her eye with antibiotic drops and hoping it improves.  If not, it's back to the vet with her next week to make sure that there is not a growth under the third eyelid that is causing the trouble.  I'll keep you posted...

IF ANIMALS WERE FAT

Before you give your dog that next treat, watch this: If Animals Were Fat