Uno Wins the Big One
Upon becoming the first Beagle ever to win best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club in February, a fetching fellow named Uno did his breed proud by baying up a storm as spectators at Madison Square Garden gave him a standing ovation. Three-year-old Uno beat out two Poodles, a Sealyham Terrier, a Weimaraner, an Australian Shepherd, and an Akita for top honors.
More than 169 breeds and varieties were represented at the 132nd Westminster Kennel Club event, and the competition brought 2,627 entries. Uno went into the competition with 32 best in show ribbons overall. Before the competition, one of his owners, Jon Woodring, said, “I think Uno winning would show that an everyday dog can do it.”
Judging from the crowd’s reaction, the people heartily approve this idea.
Uno’s handlers had intended to go for 50 lifetime firsts, but shortly after the Westminster show, they announced that their canine champion would be retiring from the show ring, having already won the most prestigious canine title in the land.
Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, the champ’s home state, has designated March 5 as Uno the Beagle Day.
Lucky Dog Survives High Dive
A one-year-old Labrador Retriever named Dexter survived a 115-foot drop off the cliffs at Old Harry Rocks near Dorset, England. The dog’s owners, Jonathan and Christine Dodd, were out for a walk on their eighth wedding anniversary when Dexter, apparently myopic, spotted the sea and simply leapt off the cliff to go for a swim.
Assuming the worst, the Dodds were too horrified for a moment to look over the edge. A group of children a short way off witnessed the fall, however, and shouted out that the dog had landed in the water and was swimming.
The couple could not immediately fetch Dexter due to the secluded location of the beach. They summoned emergency services and a lifeboat crew ventured out to get him in an inflatable boat.
An astonished Mr. Dodd told the press: “Dexter normally hates boats but he must have been so relieved to see this one because he doggy-paddled out towards it. I met the lifeboat further along the beach and was amazed because there wasn’t a single scratch on him. He is a very white dog but he is a bit paler now after what happened.”
Beware the Waves
Dexter’s story (above) had a happy ending, but this is not always the case. As much as our beloved dogs love to romp in the surf, and we love to watch them, it can be perilous for canine and human alike.
Since the beginning of the year, two people and their dogs have perished in rough seas off Sonoma County beaches. A 19-year-old died in January at Portuguese Beach and a 42-year-old Berkeley woman drowned in early March off Gualala Point Regional Park. Both had plunged into the water to save their dogs after they were caught by big waves and swept out to sea.
Although a rare occurrence, authorities urge dog owners to learn from this sad scenario. “It’s a renewal of the reminder that the ocean can be very unforgiving,” said Roy Stearns, spokesman for the State Parks Department.
Dogs are required to be on leash on all state park beaches, and leashes are advised for most other beaches. If you allow your dog to run off-leash near the ocean, please keep her under firm voice control and stay vigilant for rough conditions that could put both you and your pet at risk.
Mass Killing Halted
In an effort to stop rabies infections in humans, city officials in Kashmir, India had planned to poison 100,000 roaming dogs, some of them family pets. After urging by The Humane Society of the United State (HSUS), other animal welfare groups, and an outraged public, Gen. Kharb, chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India, and Mrs. Maneka Gandhi intervened to halt the mass killing.
Officials were planning to use strychnine for this dreadful deed. Not only is this method widely condemned because it causes so much suffering, but such poisoning campaigns have never been shown to deal effectively with street dog populations and the threat of human rabies.
Large-scale sterilization/vaccination programs are the only means of effective and humane population control. Fortunately, animal rights activists and humane organizations are working in India and around the world to promote and implement this humane solution to a very serious problem – rampant pet overpopulation.
SF/SPCA Turns 140!
The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received its charter from the State of California on April 18, 1868. To celebrate it’s 140th birthday, the SF/SPCA will hold an open house the weekend of April 18-19 at Maddie’s Adption Center at 250 Florida St., featuring special adoptions, contests, and other festivities. A commemmorative kick-off event is scheduled for Friday, April 17 at the corner of Leidesdorff and Clay in downtown San Francisco, near where SF/SPCA founder James Sloan Hutchinson halted an act of cruelty to an animal, an incident that eventually led to the founding of the Society. For more information, visit www.sfspca.org or call 415-554-3000.
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