11th Annual Dachshund Parade, Saturday, May 12, 2012

If you’re looking for something fun to do on Saturday, May 12, why not head down to Washington Square Park for the annual Daschshund Parade?

This celebration of weiner dogs is in its 11th year, and visitors will get to enjoy all things Doxie – from vendors to the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.

The fun starts at noon. The parade organizers ask that only Dachshunds participate in the parade, and that dog owners bring water for their dogs along with poop bags to pick up after their pooches.

Washington Square Park is at 180 S. Clinton Ave, opposite GEVA Theater. You can learn more on the Rochester Dachshund Parade website.

Australian officials set today to begin euthanizing pit bulls and other “dangerous” breeds

by Joanne Brokaw

A new Australian law requires all dangerous dog breeds or dogs that share physical characteristics of dangerous breeds, to be registered or risk euthanization.

This story takes place on the other side of the world, but given the “all pit bulls are dangerous” mindset prevelant across America, it’s worth noting here.

Following the death of a 4-year-old Melbourne girl, a new law in Australia could mean the systematic euthanization of dogs that deemed inherently dangerous. According to the VIN News service:

“Beginning Friday, authorities will knock on doors in Victoria [Australia], seizing and euthanizing any American pit bull terrier — or dog that looks like one — that is not registered as a restricted breed with local officials. Owners of lookalikes such as American Staffordshire terriers need a certificate from a veterinarian or pedigree papers from breed registry groups that prove their ancestry. ”

Other dogs required to be registered as dangerous include  perro de presa canario, dogo Argentino (Argentinian fighting dog), Japanese tosa and fila Brasileiro (Brazilian fighting dog).

Enter to win in the “Beyond The Myth” giveaway

On October 19, 2011 Pitty Love Rescue is hosting the Rochester, NY screening of the film, “Beyond The Myth” and Bark Around Town wants to send you to the movies! To enter, just “like” the Bark Around Town Facebook page for your chance to win:

• 2 tickets to the screening;
• a copy of “The Lost Dogs” by Jim Gorant, the fantastic book about the dogs seized in the Michael Vick dogfighting case;
• Pitty Love Rescue t-shirt and bumper sticker.

(I apologize for the change in the entry process; the form wasn’t working. If you entered via that form (all 7 of you), you will still be included in the drawing.)

The film explores the contributing factors behind the public’s generalized fear of “pit bulls” and examines the conflict existing between advocates and opponents of breed discriminatory laws, commonly referred to as breed bans.

The drawing will be held on Monday, October 10th from all eligible entries received by midnight, Sunday, October 9th.

Here’s the rest of the giveaway info:

New website helps people make educated decisions when looking for a puppy

This story comes out of Pittsfield, Ma. Not Rochester, I know, but since my mom is from there I have boatloads of wonderful family there. So it’s kind of like home for me.

Plus, this is a great website!

Veterinarian Lorna Grande, who is also a coordinator for the local Human/Animal Violence Education Network (HAVEN), has created a new website called PupQuest.org to educate people about buying or adopting a puppy. The site offers information on everything from breeders to puppy mills/farms to shelters, and is designed to help potential dog owners make the right decisions when they add a new member to their family.

Why is a site like this important? Consider this stat from the website: “Half of puppies don’t last a full year in their first home. Only 1 in 10 dogs spend their whole life with the same family.”

Spend a few weeks at an animal shelter and you’ll see how that can  be true. People move and can’t take animals with them. They get a dog when they’re single and their new boyfriend doesn’t like the dog. Or most often, that cute little bundle of puppy fur quickly gets bigger, starts chewing everything in site, and suddenly becomes the dog it was always destined to be.

Dr. Grande hopes to point people looking for a dog to rescue shelters, but understands that people also want purebred or “designer” (or she calls them, “expensive”) dogs, and hopes to warn people about the dangers of  buying dogs sight unseen, from the back of a car in a parking lot, or even more commonly, online.

If you’re even considering a pup or dog, check out PupQuest.org for some great information!

State Farm Insurance shares dog bite claim info – and tips to avoid getting bit in the first place

Many insurance companies won't provide homeowner's insurance if you own a pit bull. This is our scary pit bull. Run, before she kisses you with her poop breath.

May 15-21 is National Dog Bite Week, and in preparation State Farm has released information about dog bite claims, along with some information on how to avoid getting bit in the first place.

According to the press release, “State Farm paid more than $90 million as a result of the nearly 3,500 dog bite claims in 2010.” California topped the list, with 369 claims totaling an estimated $11.3 million. New York landed at #9, with 119 claims totaling an estimated $4.3 million.

The Insurance Information Institute (III) estimates that in 2009, insurers across the country paid more than $412 million in dog bite claims.

Here is some more info, from the press release:

Raid on Bin Laden compound included help from explosives detection dog

Dogs are used in all sorts of military operations. An U.S. Army military working dog, Andy, searches among rubble and trash outside a target building, during a joint operation with the Iraqi army and U.S. Soldiers of 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, in Rusafa, eastern Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 28 2009. (source: Wikipedia)

Fox News reports today that among the commandos that raided bin Laden’s hideout this week was a bomb-sniffing dog attached to a team member as the SEALs.

The pair were lowered from a Black Hawk helicopter into bin Laden’s compound for the raid that ended in … well, the end of bin Laden.

The dog has as of yet been unnamed. But like his human partner, he was “armed with ballistic body armor, protective gear to shield against bullets and shrapnel, and infrared night-sight cameras that provide crucial feedback to troops and warn of potential ambushes.”

There are currently 600 dogs serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ensign Brynn Olsen of U.S. Central Command has told the New York Times.

You can read more at FoxNews.com.