Sophie Tucker Lives!
In a real-life story as dramatic as any Survivor episode, Sophie Tucker, a four-year-old Australian Cattle Dog swept off his family’s sailboat in choppy seas off the coast of Australia last November, was discovered alive on a remote island at the end of March. Judging from several baby goat carcasses scattered around the island, she survived for four months by hunting game.
Sophie Tucker’s owner, Jan Griffith, said the dog was trapped by rangers on St. Bees Island in northern Queensland state, nearly six miles from where she was washed overboard. The rangers initially thought she was a wild dog, but friends who heard about the captured canine contacted Griffith and suggested it might be Sophie Tucker.
The Griffiths assumed Sophie to have drowned after the November incident, but went to meet the rangers’ boat, just in case. Sure enough, the dog was their long-lost companion. When they called her, she whimpered and clawed desperately to get out of the cage. “They let her out and she just about flattened us,” Griffith said.
Montclair Pet Mayor Race Is On
The nomination period for Montclair’s annual “pet mayor” race ends on April 30, but it’s not too late to vote. You can cast your ballot at the Montclair Village Farmer’s Market at La Salle Ave. and Mountain Blvd. on Sundays from 9 AM to 1 PM between May 1 and June 21.
The contest is sponsored by Montclair Veterinary Hospital (MVH) as a fundraiser for its Pet and Wildlife Fund, which provides veterinary care for wildlife found and brought in to the clinic by members of the community, as well discounted care for pets owned by schools, community groups, and rescue organizations. For more details about the fund and contest, visit www.PetandWildlifeFund.org.
Missouri Targets Puppy Mills
Jon Hagler, the new head of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, is determined to change the state’s image as the puppy mill capital of America by working to better enforce a 1992 program for protecting animals cared for by breeders. It’s a tall order. Missouri is home to an estimated 4,000 shoddy and inhumane dog-breeding businesses.
“Missouri led the nation in licensing breeders. Let’s lead the nation in putting unlicensed breeders out of business,” Hagler has said. Among those who appreciate Hagler’s efforts are Missouri’s reputable breeders, who complain that the disreputable ones make them all look bad.
Since taking office in January, Hagler has named a new program coordinator, asked for a re-examination of old cases, ordered a review of internal procedures, and stepped up inspections and citations. His new Operation Bark Alert allows people to report unlicensed breeders by e-mail. Unfortunately, his agency doesn’t have the staff to conduct annual inspections as required by law. The Humane Society of the US has called on Missouri to stop licensing breeders until it has enough inspectors to keep them in line.
Of course, Missouri isn’t the only place where disreputable puppy mills flourish. “Most people think puppies were born in a box next to a fireplace in somebody’s living room,” says Kim Townsend, an activist who monitors the industry. “If they walked into these places, they’d be appalled.”
How can you help? The most important thing is to adopt your next pet, rather than buying a puppy online or from a pet store, unless you are absolutely certain of its origins.
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