Beware Cocoa Shell Mulch
It isn’t an Internet hoax: cocoa shell mulch really is toxic to dogs. Every year, cases of poisoning – some of them serious, occasionally even fatal – are reported. The mulch is made of the ground up shells of cocoa beans, and it contains theobromine and caffeine, two dog-toxic chemicals also present in chocolate. The mulch has an appealing sweet smell, which may be why some dogs are attracted to it. Be advised, all dog-loving gardeners: use a different kind of mulch to prevent harm to your own or visiting pets. For more information, visit www2.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_publicationscocoa.
First Dog Pending
According to a People magazine interview with Michelle Obama, oft-repeated in other media outlets, the first family is leaning toward an allergenic Portuguese Water Dog as their new canine companion and hope to bring him home during Sasha and Malia’s spring break.
Advocates of the Portuguese Water Dog aren’t exactly thrilled with the choice. When a certain type of dog suddenly gets popular, there is often an increase in unsavory breeding practices and irresponsible ownership. “It’s ‘101 Dalmations’ syndrome,” says Stu Freeman, president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America.
The good news is that the Obamas intend to adopt their new dog from a shelter, rather than buying from a breeder.
Happy Ending for “Swipe”
In January, a tiny Chihuahua was snatched from the puppy room at San Francisco Animal Care & Control, setting off a public outcry heard far and wide. Two weeks later, he was dropped off at the Ingleside Police Station near Balboa Park, apparently well-fed and healthy.
SF/ACC staff named the 10-week-old puppy Swipe and decided to hold a lottery to select his new home, fully expecting multiple offers of adoption. Of the seven eager applicants from all over Northern California, four were deemed most qualified for the honor of adopting Swipe. In a happy ending to Swipe’s story, ACC director Rebecca Katz selected one of four slips of paper from a jar and announced a name: Carlos Soto, who lives in the Duboce Triangle with his partner, Sam Alvarez. They had already visited the pound with their own Chihuahua, Kiki, to make sure the two dogs would get along.
Congratulations to the proud new puppy parents. Hopefully, the lottery losers took home some of the shelter’s other adoptable dogs.
Rourke Honors Dogs
In other Chihuahua news, actor Mickey Rourke honored his canine companions when he accepted the Golden Globe award as Best Actor for his work in the film “The Wrestler.” Accepting the award before a massive television audience, Rourke said, “I’d like to thank all my dogs; the ones who are here and the ones who aren’t here anymore… Sometimes when a man’s alone, that’s all you got is your dog.” His 17-year-old dog, Loki, had recently died, and Rourke has credited Loki’s sire, Beau Jack, who died in 2002, as once saving him from suicide when depression and substance abuse had ransacked his life.
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