Lake Merritt Dog Park Stalls on Split Vote
On July 14, the Oakland Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission split the vote on a proposed dog park project at Lake Merritt, tabling the issue indefinitely. The proposed project, Lakeview Dog Play Area, would encompass 21,000-square-feet in a corner of Lakeside Park where dogs would be allowed to exercise off-leash. The City of Oakland is far behind other parts of the Bay Area in its dog park offerings. The Oakland Dog Owners Group (ODOG) has been working to improve this situation for a long while and is in favor of going forward with the Lakeview Dog Play Area. ODOG chair Emily Rosenberg will bring Bay Woof readers fully up to date in a report scheduled for our September issue. Stay tuned.
Michael Vick Property Now a Rescue Sanctuary
The property where NFL star Michael Vick’s dog-fighting operation was located has been purchased by a dog rescue group and has already opened its doors to abused and abandoned canines. Dogs Deserve Better (DDB; www.dogsdeservebetter.com) bought the property for a reported $600K. Tamira Thyne of DDB was quoted as saying, “We want this place to be a memorial to all the dogs who lost their lives here.”
Naki’o the Bionic Dog
A Red Heeler named Naki’o was recently fitted with four prosthetic legs that allow him to engage in the same acitivities as a regular dog, like running, jumping, and even swimming. He has been dubbed the world’s first bionic dog.
Abandoned by a family leaving their foreclosed home last winter, Naki’o and his five-week-old littermates barely survived. Weakened from hunger, Naki’o stepped into an icy puddle in the basement and got stuck in the freezing water. When the puppies were finally rescued, frostbite had set in and Naki’o lost his paws and the tip of his tail. He could no longer walk and moved by crawling around on this belly.
A vet tech found out about Naki’o, whose spirit was undimmed by his disability. She organized a fundraiser to pay for his back legs to be fitted with prosthetics. He adapted so quickly that Orthopets, the company that made the limbs, offered to fit his front legs for free. One prosthetic can cost anywhere from $1K to $3K; Naki’o’s procedure cost $4,500.
No Hypoallergenic Dogs?
Results of a recent study published in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy indicate that all dogs produce the canis familiaris allergen 1 (Can f 1), including breeds previously thought to be allergen-free. Dust samples from 173 single-dog homes were analyzed. Dogs living in the homes spanned 60 breeds, 11 of which are often called hypoallergenic, such as Poodles, Schnauzers, and the Portuguese Water Dog.
The data showed that 94.2% of the homes had detectable levels of Can f 1, and that there were no significant differences between breeds. Dog allergy experts suggest that if allergy symptoms occur in children or adults, the family pet should be kept out of the bedroom and be bathed frequently to get rid of the allergen, which is present in his saliva and gets transferred to his fur when he licks himself.
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