Live and let die, not a James Bond tune: death sentence for most strays FL Stray animals are kept alive for five days and then euthanized at Florida's Orange County shelter. Judi Brown, professional photographer and animal friend, want to increase adoptions. So she visits the shelter and snaps their photos for the county's "Net Pets" Web adoption site. 'Recently, she spent 35 hours taking photos of 200 animals, which she burned onto compact discs and gave to animal services to post. But by the time the photos went online, a majority of the animals had been euthanized. Only 2 photos are now featured...' Needy pets find home on the Net  [Orlando Sentinel] Related: Net Pets Adoption

 DA vows war against owners of savage dogs NY Closing the legal loopholes for owners of vicious dogs 'In Albany, people who keep violent animals now face possible jail time...'  Child maulings, illegal dog fighting rings, and an alarming rise in pit bull attacks prompted prosecutors to change outdated laws... 'There will be one cage for the pit bull and one cage for the owner...'  [The Times Union]  (How about requiring prospective owner to get certified in dog ownership and care. Getting a dog without any thought of training or understanding the dog's instincts is like buying a loaded gun and leaving it around in public and hoping that nobody gets shot. Punishment after the fact doesn't prevent a child from getting mauled or a dog from getting 'put down.')

Livin' high on the hog...er.. make that dog... in New York City NY In New York city, people take their dog pampering seriously. Dogs who live in New York lead happier lives than dogs on the farm, who are sometimes left alone day after day, chained or just plain bored... Urban dogs are 'surrounded by people, other dogs, and interesting smells ... it sure beats being in a small backyard by yourself.' There are downsides too, but they can be sidestepped by caring owners... Pug in the City [New York Post]

Google obsessed: Get  your 'google share' Jenny's  The Shifted Librarian clued us in to some great Google resources today: Dog News has a share of .04% ! results from googleshare... 'http://radio.weblogs.com/0107233/' has a 0.04% googleshare of 'dog news weird.' (ha ha ha ... and Jenny thought her .33% share was low... we beat her in low shares). So my dog wants to know: if he can't eat it or chase it or play with it, why do I bother?.. (short answer: it's darn good fun): Googleshare Gaining. At Edward George: creativity in interactive structures, you can get your google share too; use it lightly so others may get their share ; what a generous service.  The site is beautiful and fun to use too.

'Steven Johnson has introduced the idea of Googleshare to the blogosphere.' [from The Shifted Librarian]

Secure your server like a guard dog... Want to guard your computer connection and server?. Then hurry over to Smoothwall and download their test drive version 2.0 of Smoothwall... (one patch already; Smoothwall keeps their security software fresh and secure).  Smoothwall is a flawless, dedicated Linux firewall that means business. Its user interface is so good that even I can use it and I'm just a dog person, not a Linux geek. Even so, Smoothwall doesn't compromise on the most stringent security scheme. Guess you can tell I love Smoothwall, both GPL and Corporate. Yes, I'd rank Smoothwall right up there with Radioland (and that's a giant compliment). I've been using it for years -- from practically the day Richard Morrell and Lawrence Manning created it. It's never let me down. It has advanced vpn, improved ip tables, a secure kernel, ip masquerading, and solid support (for us non-geeks, that means advanced security). I just 'set it and forget it' and go about my doggy life; that's how software should work.

Smoothwall donates funds to many worthy organizations and the founders have contributed to animal rescue as well. I've watched their team grow over these few years from just two guys to a world-wide concern. Smoothwall gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling like a hug from my dog; every time I go online, I know I'm protected...  (Note: Dog News does NOT work for Smoothwall and they don't even know I wrote this).

What breed of dog are you (and other silly tests online)  Al Macintrye, the guy who's writing a compendium of tips and resources about Radioland, sent Dog News a recommendation for E-mode's Inkblot test.  While the Inkblot test is somewhat naughty (ie, unsuitable for children), it also purports to reveal one's true drives. The test said Al's a man of peace; that's so right on.... Naturally, I skipped to the doggy tests. When I searched for dog, the first test recommended  was Are You Loony?   Guess so.   Then there's the What kind of dog are you, What kind of dog are you at work and What's your cat's true identity... [link tip: Al Macintrye]

Reverse justice: assault victims' dog impounded, perp goes free IL The scene: a drunk, a dog, two friends, a van... Drunk assaults van, shattering windows, because owners won't let her drive it. Next, friend's dog bites drunk on foot because drunk was screaming and assaulting owner. Police respond and impound dog... drunk goes home to sleep... ah justice in a complicated world...  Court delay puzzles Pauline [Peoria Star Journal]

Lewis and Clark's Newfoundland dog, Seaman, killed and retrieved pronghorn in Yellowstone.  But he was more valued for his companionship by the most famous exploration team of the nineteenth century, even though many of them ate dog meat...

"Unlike Clark, Lewis enjoyed Indian dog meat.  Most of the men preferred it to deer or elk. . . . Some of the Pacific Northwest Indians disgustedly called the explorers 'dog eaters.' " from  Dog of Discovery, 'a mostly nonfiction book' (huh?) about the only dog to travel across the continent with Lewis and Clark...  [Salt Lake Tribune]

Lead pipe bad news for dog that chews CO [Rocky Mountain News] (duh... )

Dog works miracles for students FL (no, he doesn't eat their homework for them). 'When Canine Companions for Independence, a service dog organization, sent Olivet, a sweet lab, to McCarty Middle School three years ago, 'a series of little miracles started happening.' Over time, educator Kristine Contos observed the little dog reach her students 'in a way that only a warm and fuzzy critter can. 'These kids benefit so much -- improved verbal and listening skills, socialization, self-confidence'. An untrained observer would have missed this recent landmark: An 11-year-old girl with autistic tendencies brushed Olivet's coat and fed her a treat, too. Contos and Galloway were stunned...'

Canine Companions receives no government funding and has 988 assistance dogs in service with children and adults. [Palm Beach Post]

Shaggy dog stories:

The dog ate my homework, Lawyer proclaims (how to get out of some heavy litigational reading) [Lawyer News]
Shaggy Dog Accounting : 'Over the past year and a half, the Department of Defense has deposited more than $225,000 in Bonnie Peregoy's bank account, which is a little odd since the 49-year-old Maryland resident has never worked for the agency.' The Defense Department mistakenly started wiring large sums to her dog and cat grooming business on Capital Hill in the District of Columbia. [Washington Post] More Shaggy Dog News Stories

Feeding an elderly dog UK Horse and Hound Online has a library of answers on dog nutrition and feeding. In this Q&A, get 'expert advice from Baileys' canine nutritionist on feeding an underweight aged German Shepherd ' You'll also find answers on:

Q&A: Storing dry dog food
Q&A: Coping with tummy troubles
Q&A: Feeding a fussy Labrador
Q&A: Advice on Labradors
Q&A: Feeding for shine
Q&A: Feeding a pregnant bitch
Q&A: Coping with heatstroke
Must Read: Ultimate guide to canine care
Q&A: Feeding young puppies
Q&A: Feeding a pregnant bitch [Horse and Hound Online (a wonderful site for dog and equestrian lovers)]

(Currently, our dog eats Bench & Fields organic dog food (a good buy at Trader Joe's), and he's also done very well on the Nutro brand of dog food.) One concern with dog food is that it may not provide your dog's specialized nutritional needs. Arthritic dogs my require a supplement like Glycoflex (our dog hates it), which purportedly provides many nutrients to help fortify bones and cartilage.

Windows dog screen saver available from Version Tracker: Only dogs screensaver version 1.02  Freeware. Here's what the company says about it's free screensaver: 'Only Dogs Screen Saver contains images of dogs. Big size high quality pictures (10 pictures in Demo version, 80 in Ultra version)...'  [Newsisfree] Version Tracker tracks a dogpile of software. (Note: Dog News cannot  make any representations about this product: we don't run screensavers.)

Pakistan city flooded by stray dogs  In Lahore, Pakistan, thousands of stray dogs roam the streets and cause general mayhem:  'The sudden appearance of stray dogs on roads is one of the major causes of accidents. The carcasses of those run over by speeding vehicles are not removed. This is another source of inconvenience for the people.' In the past, city workers poisoned 50 dogs per day (in the 90s, hundreds of dogs per day, in response to a six-year-old child being torn to shreds by dogs).  Eight officials for thousands of stray dogs [Dawn: Front Page] (guess they haven't heard the words: spay neuter).

Dog's memorial cross banned from roadside AU 'Wendy Sharp claims the City of Canning removed a white cross marking a road death because the victim was a dog... Ms Sharp was so upset she began lobbying Main Roads and other government agencies to recognise pet owners' rights.' But the city council claimed that 'if we put crosses for animals as well, can you imagine how many crosses there would be?' Indeed... all that road kill... a zillion crosses. Ms. Sharp's campaign backfired. In anticipation of a blizzard of crosses, the local government and council plans a policy ban on just such roadside memorials... Cross removal angers bereaved dog owner [The West Australian] Related: On Road Kill and Flattened Pets More road kill