Neopets - the greatest Virtual Pet Site on the Internet Robert Scoble says: 'Maryam's niece is crazy about Neopets. The first thing she wants to do when she sees me is to get on my computer and start playing with her pets. Neopets keeps the kids busy for hours...' [Scobelizer Weblog]
Scoble also points to a new version of RSS Bandit; he likes Sharpreader too... too much software, too many news feeds, so little time; think I'll just walk the dogs. It's really overwhelming to me too. If you're in the mood for a better browser, try Mozilla Firebird Hmm... can't remember who recommended it. It's supposedly better than Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Opera. (Is that a compliment? I'm not sure... )
Nationwide insurance won't cover homes with chows, Dobermans, pit bulls and Rottweilers A review of insurance company practices finds some homeowners will be left out in the cold if they keep certain breeds (or trampolines) in their yard.... [News Journal]
(Our two chow chows are the calmest, friendliest dogs on our block. Neither dog cares to bark, guard, or jump around. But both dogs ARE interested in getting petted and having some friendly attention. A quote from our trainer: 'your dogs are basically inert...' Insurance companies may be guarding the bottom line, but they'll still have losses if they don't figure out that dogs at risk are dogs who aren't trained, supervised, cared for and socialized... )
Canine vet 'Fluffy' comes to America [CNN] (A canine war dog returns from Iraq... )
Woman says the Lord told her that Cindy the dog is worth $50K A tale of inheritance money set aside to care for a dog and how the dog's caretaker needs/wants more...
"...She figured that Cindy's haircuts would cost $2,700 a year; veterinarian bills, $3,000; food and treats, $1,000; medicine and shampoo, $250; gas, minivan mileage and depreciation, $1,500. That totaled $8,450 a year. Multiplied by seven years, that equals $59,150..." [Romenesko's Obscure Store]
Homemade pet food [ABC 7] (recipes for pup-cicles and more... )
Speaking with the dog via psychic animal communicator FL Pet psychics are picking up in popularity and will probably never be displaced by the much anticipated Bowlingual service. "I then proceeded to have my first conversation with our dogs ... he does private readings, as well as travel to dog ... charges $25 per 15 minutes of chatting with a pet ..." [Fort Pierce Tribune]
FDA CAPSULES The Food and Drug Administration stressed that there is no scientific evidence that dogs can contract BSE or transmit the disease to humans. [Newsday]
Pet meals fortify the bond FL "In a new national trend, free pet food is delivered to seniors, who often are Meals on Wheels clients..." Recognizing that pets provide much needed friendship and comfort to housebound seniors, Lee County Meals on Wheels has extended the service to clients' pets... The 'Meals for Pets' program is privately funded: "The Older Americans Act, which funds Meals on Wheels, doesn't recognize the therapeutic value of Friskies..." [St. Petersburg Times]
'The New Work of Dogs': Furry Little People A book review of John Katz's new book on the evolving social status of pets and the reasons behind it... [New York Times]
Reigning Cats And Dogs UK "Besotted pet parents are raising a generation of spoilt, selfish and pampered pets, according to the results of a new survey of 760 UK cat and dog owners commissioned by Norwich Union.." [UK Pet Industry News]
Eulogy for the patron saint of stray dogs TX Pat Arnold had a dream which she and her husband devoted their lives to. A story to read, ponder, remember and act on...
'Dogs do not ask for very much – care, shelter, something to eat, a little affection -- but hundreds of thousands go without, even in our ostensibly civilized nation. Most of us just sigh and shake our heads sadly at the hopelessness of the situation, but Pat couldn't stand it. The Arnolds didn't take vacations, and they lived on a shoestring budget. Every donated penny went to care for the dogs, even though the board of their nonprofit organization, Straydog Inc., urged them for years to accept a salary. They were always in debt to the vet...' Donate in Pat Arnold's memory: Straydog at P.O. Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, Texas 75147 [Dallas Fort Worth] Related: Stray Dog
Why Americans are obsessed with rescuing dogs '... lavish and forgiving affection showered on rescued dogs may be psychologically satisfying for the pet owner, it isn't always good for the animal...' [Slate]
Woman tells mail carrier 'dog won't bite', pit bull mauls mail carrier CA The U.S. Postal Service wants to thank a man for "saving the life of a 50-year-old letter carrier who was bitten about the face, head and arms last Wednesday so severely she had to be hospitalized..." The carrier had just received assurances from a woman that her dog was not a biter...
"She had blood all over her face. She started going into shock,' he said. As bystanders called 9-1-1, Jaimez said, the carrier kept repeating, "Don't let the dog get me!' "I told her, 'No, I have the dog. I have the dog.'' [Whittier Daily News] (how about awarding the mail carrier for heroism too... )
Fido finishing school... where Fido learns to pay attention FL If your dog seems to have lost the gene to 'watch and listen' for your every command, there's a school available to teach it to flatter you with attention. Many a Hollywood celebrity and politician has sent their dog to the Babette Haggerty's School for Dogs, where dogs learn personalized tricks to pamper their owner/guardians... [South Florida Sun Sentinel]
Check on Fluffy via Bowlingual service... testing underway in Japan
"Through a TV monitor and the special device connected to each other, the dog owners talk to their pets from the outside of the room. Then the Bowlingual displays dogs' reactions on the display, indicating how much communication can be possible at a distance..." [NE Asia Online]
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The real difference between dogs and wolves... dogs tune in ... and watch people. UK In a twist on 'Nature versus Nurture', dogs have a uncanny knack to watch and learn from humans (a trait brought about by 15,000 years of domestication), while wolves do not:
"They [dogs ]can follow the human gaze or a pointing hand, figure out what it is we are looking at and seek out the target. Dogs frequently looked back at their master while wolves just kept their heads down and tried to solve the problem. Wild wolves generally tend not to look at human faces, and not even careful hand-rearing of the wolves could change this behaviour..." [BBC News]
Identify your dog's breed with DNA mapping WA Ever wonder what your mutt's real pedigree is... now you can find out thanks to scientific research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Washington state. Scientists hope the DNA mapping of 400 dog breeds will aid the fight against cancer.
An "advantage of studying purebred dogs is that they have breed clubs that scientists can work with - and cooperative dog-owners interested in ridding their pets of disease. A project to decipher the entire genetic sequence of the dog should get underway this month... " [Nature] Related: Missyplicity Project
Pets on Wheels!
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