MUNCIE -- Let's get one thing straight: As dogs go, Gypsy is adorable.

That might not be your initial impression of competitors in the prestigious Westminster Dog Show, where some of the canines seem to be so made up, slicked down, combed over and otherwise prettified, they look more like Star Wars characters.

But no, Alan Hargrave's border terrier looks like an actual dog.

What's more, her recent exposure to the Big Apple limelight notwithstanding, she's not some snooty pooch princess looking down her snout at you, either.

"She's my pet," said Hargrave, Ball State University's associate vice president for student affairs and Gypsy's owner, trainer and handler, between the dog's enthusiastic smooching.

What's more, she shared some slightly sloppy kisses with a visiting reporter, too.

That's not to say she's some wimp, though.

"When they see a varmint, they are all terrier," Hargrave said. "Their hunting drive is so strong, you have to have them on a lead or in a fenced yard."

But why wouldn't it be? As he explained, border terriers were originally bred in the border area between Scotland and England to kill foxes. Riding on the horse with the fox hunter, they would be dropped to the ground when the fox bolted into its hole, then go in after it.

For that reason, border terriers are of compact build, with Gypsy weighing in at about 15 pounds.

"A man's hands should be able to get around a border terrier's chest," Hargrave said, forming his into a circle to illustrate how small it must be to fit in a fox hole.

Other judging points, he said, include the dog's "angles" and "top line," things that can already be seen when they are mere puppies, plus "how the head looks."

"Seen from the side, they should have a head like an otter," he said.

Border terriers also boast a "harsh coat," Hargrave explained, a wiry, weather-resistant one from which mud can be easily cleaned. It is maintained, he continued, by hand-stripping away her long hairs every week.

"They look like woolly hedgehogs when you let them grow out," he said.

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The Bark Whine ball celebrates San Francisco’s most fabulous dogs.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 22, 2012

Tickets are now available for the 16th Annual Bark Whine Ball, San Francisco’s premier event for dog lovers and their furry companions. Presented by Critter Lovers at Work (CLAW), an all-volunteer support group of the San Francisco SPCA, the 2012 Bark Whine Ball promises to be a spectacular evening filled with dancing, dining, and, of course, the city’s top dogs. The 2012 Bark Whine Ball will take place Thursday, March 22, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. at the Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion in San Francisco.

“Dress yourself and your furry friend in your finest and join us for a fairy tale evening,” invites Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, co-president of the SF SPCA. “Your contributions will help homeless animals in need of urgent and extraordinary medical care get the treatment they need."

All members of the public are encouraged to attend with their well-behaved “best friends.” Last year’s Bark Whine Ball drew more than 500 guests and 200 dogs, and this year the SF SPCA expects a record turnout. All proceeds from the Bark Whine Ball benefit the SF SPCA’s Cinderella Fund, which helps pay for the medical needs of the most severely affected animals under the care of the SF SPCA.

CLAW was founded in 1987 to generate support for and raise awareness of the SF SPCA. CLAW produces a variety of fundraising events that benefit the Cinderella Fund and to date has raised over $1.1M for the Fund.

Tickets for Bark Whine 2012 are now available online at the http://www.clawsf.org or by phone at 415-522-3535. General admission begins at $150 per person and $20 per dog.

For information about patron tickets, please call CLAW at 415-522-3535.

For corporate sponsorship opportunities, please call Jamie Holt at 415-522-3548.

Media interested in attending the 2012 Bark Whine Ball should contact Krista Maloney at 415-522-3507.

About the San Francisco SPCA

The San Francisco SPCA is a community-supported, non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to saving, protecting and providing immediate care for cats and dogs who are homeless, ill or in need of an advocate. The SF SPCA also works long-term to educate the community, reduce the number of unwanted kittens and puppies through spaying and neutering, and improve the quality of life for animals and their human companions.

Support the San Francisco SPCA by adopting, donating, volunteering and becoming a client of the state-of-the-art SF SPCA Veterinary Hospital at the Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center. SF SPCA has San Francisco volunteer opportunities to care for shelter dogs and cats, conduct adoption counseling, assist clients and veterinary staff at the Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center, provide foster care, help with the Feral Cat Program, and enrich the lives of people in the community through animal-assisted therapy.

For more information about San Francisco pet adoption and veterinary services, call the San Francisco SPCA at 415-912-1742 or visit sfspca.org.

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Victor Sarracino, who lives on Paul’s Place in Valencia, says he had just begun his bike ride when two of his neighbor’s dogs bolted out of their yard and attacked him.

“I’m training for an endurance race, so I was going for a training ride. I was going pretty slow, adjusting my equipment and bike, when their two pit bulls come out of their yard,” Sarracino said.

He says he couldn’t take off quickly on the bike, so he kicked one of the dogs in the face. An action, he says, that only seemed to anger the dog more.

“I got off the bike and put it between me and them. I was backing away trying to fend them off,” he said. “They were biting the tires, the bike. One of them got under the bike and grabbed my foot.

“As I fell, the third dog went behind me and ripped off a two-inch piece of scalp,” he said. “I didn’t feel it, but I heard it. It sounded like Velcro.”

Sarracino said as he fell to the ground, he remembered thinking, “‘I can’t believe I’m being attacked by dogs.’ I blacked out and the next thing I know, the dogs were gone.”

He was transported to an Albuquerque hospital by ambulance.

Sarracino said he had a puncture wound under one of his biceps and three large lacerations on his scalp, which took three hours to suture closed.

“I could feel the wrinkles on my head,” he said. “I knew this wasn’t just go home and take a shower.”

The owner of one of the dogs, a female pit bull named Xena, said the other two dogs weren’t pits.

“The other two belong to my parents and they are just mutts,” said Steven Dullhoph. “There was only one pit bull, my female.”

Dullhoph said he was returning home on Friday and opened the gate to his parent’s yard to drive in.

“I’m not sure what happened. By the time I realized something was wrong, they (the dogs) were back in the yard,” he said.

Dullhoph said all three dogs were up-to-date on their shots, including rabies vaccinations.

The three animals were impounded by Valencia County Animal Control and will be held in quarantine for 10 days, Dullhoph said. After that, he and his parents can reclaim the dogs if they want.

When asked if he would reclaim Xena, Dullhoph said he wasn’t sure. Dullhoph said the dog has bitten someone else in the past — a friend who walked into the yard without warning.

And Sarracino said he actually witnessed that incident. Sarracino said he was doing yard work about a month ago when he heard screams coming from nearby. He looked down the street and saw Dullhoph’s dog attacking a man in their yard.

“He jumped in his car and took off,” Sarracino said. “Whenever I go riding down the road, it’s a gamble. It’s a gamble for everyone. I told my fiance, one of these days they were going to get me.

“I’ve seen them chase people down the road several times. Maybe it was my job to get bitten before some kid,” he said. “Maybe it took them biting me to get rid of them.”

ROSLINDALE, Mass. --

A mischievous bull mastiff named Bean is recovering after undergoing emergency surgery to remove a knife she devoured while scarfing down a wedge of cheese.

Sean Burte said on Jan. 25 he put a cheese plate on the coffee table in his Roslindale, Massachusetts home and left the room for a moment. That's when Bean, weighing in at 118 lbs, leapt onto the table and ate a wedge of brie and a knife.

The family immediately rushed Bean to Angell’s Emergency and Critical Care Unit in Boston.

X-rays showed that Bean had swallowed the 3-inch serrated knife, which was clearly visible in her stomach.

Veterinarians said fortunately Bean swallowed the knife handle-first, and was spared any laceration to her esophagus and stomach.

"Bean is a very lucky dog because her size, and the position the knife was in when she swallowed it, minimized further damage to her throat and stomach," said Dr. Mike Pavletic, head of Angell’s surgery department.

Bean underwent an emergency operation to remove the knife, which surgeons performed that evening.

Burte said the family will keep a much closer eye on Bean, who is recovering at home.

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In Kalamazoo, Rene Johnson can't sit down to watch the news with her Yorkshire terrier, Juneau, on her lap before the phone rings.

In Hazel Park, Nate Becker can't figure out why the calls are coming - neither he nor his wife will vote in the GOP primary - but they could do without the phone ringing and waking up their 8-month-old son, Trent.

John Mozena, a public relations specialist in Grosse Pointe Woods, got a half-dozen or so calls during the weekend, hanging up on each as the computerized voice came on the line.

"I've got better things to do with my time rather than listen to attack ads," said Mozena, 40.

Robocalls are standard fare for modern campaigns, with tens of thousands of homes being targeted through automated phone messages. Political calls are exempt from the Do Not Call Registry. And though most people say they don't listen, someone must be paying attention.

"They tick off a lot of people, but (campaigns) wouldn't use them if they didn't work," said Lansing-based consultant Craig Ruff.

In recent days, a handful of robocalls are making the rounds in Michigan. Some Detroit Free Press website readers said Tuesday that they had heard messages from former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. But most said the majority of the messages they heard were from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

His robocalls included one in which his wife, Ann Romney, spoke about her husband and another replaying Santorum's endorsement of Mitt Romney, a Michigan native, in the 2008 presidential election. (It indicates it was from 2008).

Joe Trippi, a campaign consultant who ran Democrat Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, said robocalls are most effective when the candidate placing them is trying to suppress his rival's vote. A voter who gets numerous calls may not listen to them all, but he or she will start to wonder whether it's worth voting for the targeted candidate.

The advantage of robocalls is that a candidate's opponent can't defend himself or herself. But they can sometimes be used in shady ways: Trippi said someone placed repeated robocalls before the 2004 Iowa caucuses saying they were from the Dean campaign, and it so infuriated some voters that by the time Dean's folks called, "they were telling us to go jump in a lake."

Not everyone is turned off by the calls: Susan Reed, 24, of Troy is a Democratic-leaning independent who presumes the calls she has gotten from the Romney campaign were meant for her parents or her brother, who are more likely to vote in the GOP primary.

Still, she said, she found it interesting and kept listening. And when the Romney campaign called for her to take part in a telephone town hall - a relatively new political phenomenon that accounts for many of the calls being made - she listened as the candidate took and answered questions.

What about when her family gets the calls? "They tend to hang up, they're not really interested," she said.

At the core of their case is whether a price can be put on a priceless family pet.

On Tuesday, the state Court of Appeals issued a ruling that said indeed one could, but it was not the response the Sheras of Wilmington and their attorney Calley Gerber of Raleigh had hoped to receive.

Under North Carolina law, pets are considered property.

The N.C. Industrial Commission, the group that decides compensation claims filed against state agencies such as the veterinary school, noted that aspect of law when awarding the Sheras $3,105.72 in November 2010 - $2,755.72 for reimbursement of the cost of Laci's treatment from March 31, 2007, to April 6, 2007, and $350 for the replacement cost of a Jack Russell terrier.

The Sheras would not stand for that.

Laci was not their first pet nor their last. But the dog was special to the Wilmington couple. They were willing to spend thousands of dollars on legal fees and take their fight as far as they could in the courts to make a point.

"Laci was and always will be a family member," Nancy Shera said Tuesday after the ruling. "I feel like what we're doing is bringing awareness to people about this situation."

In its ruling, the three-judge panel said the appeals court was not a lawmaking body.

"We sincerely empathize with plaintiffs' loss of their beloved pet Laci," Judge J. Douglas McCullough said in a ruling with which Judges Robert C. Hunter and Cressie Thigpen concurred. "Unfortunately ... this court is not in the position to expand the law."

The state Supreme Court or the state legislature have the power, the judges said, to rectify any inequities in the labeling of pets as "mere property" and the market valuation of pets in negligence and malpractice cases.

"Certainly the numerous policy considerations presented by the issue raised in this case - how to value the loss of the human-animal bond between a pet owner and his or her companion animal - is more appropriately addressed to our Legislature," the judges said in their ruling.

The ruling this month came quickly after arguments in the appeals court on Jan. 24. Gerber, a Raleigh lawyer who specializes in animal law, said she was surprised by the swiftness. Months often pass between arguments and a ruling.

Now she and the Sheras will discuss their options for any further legal arguments or public airing of the issue.

The Sheras now care for a dog their grown son found on the side of the road. It is a big dog that looks similar to a Great Dane. But the way Laci died still makes Nancy Shera break down emotionally and want to continue her fight in some form.

"This was never about the money," Shera said. "This was about bringing awareness to the people, about changing the law."

The recommendation most often given by veterinarians is that puppies should remain with their siblings until 6-8 weeks of age. Though, until now, there has been little evidence supporting this seemingly arbitrary age.

Now, in a research paper published in the Journal of the British Veterinary Association, three veterinarians conducted a study of the effects of removing puppies from their siblings prior to 40 days (about 6 weeks) and after 60 days (8 1/2 weeks), and found a strong correlation between early removal and behavioral issues.

The study was done in the form of a questionaire of 140 adult dogs of different ages (18 months to 7 years), sexes, and breeds divided into two groups, those that left their siblings and dam prior to 40 days and those that left after 60 days. All dogs had been owned by one owner and had never been through a shelter situation.

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Owners were asked about the following behaviors: attention seeking, fear-based, resource guarding, excessive barking, destructive behaviors, and others. People reported higher incidences of all of these behaviors in dogs released prior to 60 days.

Additionally people who owned younger dogs (18 months to three years) that were brought home younger than 60 days had more incidences of destructive behavior and tail chasing.

Lastly, puppies that went through a pet store and were sold prior to 60 days had a higher incidence of behavioral issues than did dogs that came from breeders or through friends at a similar age.

According to the authors, "Early separation from the dam and littermates, especially when combined with housing in a pet shop might affect the capacity of the puppy to adapt to new environmental conditions and social relationships in life. Behavioral intervention can address the development of problem behaviors and improve the dog's relationship with the owners, ultimately reducing the nuber of dogs that are relinquished or abandoned"

The study, Prevalance of owner-reportedbehaviors in dogs separated from the litter at two different ages, was conducted by L. Pierantoni, DVM, M. Albertini, DVM PhD, and F. Pirrone, DVM, PhD.

Education is the key to a quality relationship with your dog, and unfortunately, the people most likely to buy from telephone pole ads and pet stores, are also, largely, the least educated pet owners. Unfortunately, it is also likely that the people bringing these puppies home are also the least lieley to be equipped to handle behavioral issues as they arise, compounding the issue of behavioral problems and subsequent relinquishment.

A grassroots effort should be made by veterinarians and pet owners to educate puppy sellers that puppies should not leave their dams prior to 9 weeks of age. This simple act might forestall preventable behavioral issues down the line that can negatively impact both the dog's owners and the dog.

Thank you for reading. Please join the conversation on Facebook. You can also ensure that you miss no future articles in this series by hitting the subscribe link.

Hundreds of dogs, including puppies are being euthanized.  So many that it’s too expensive to have them cremated.

“They’re put into heavy-duty garbage bags,” says Andy Dunning who worked for Rochester Animal Control.  “If they’re a big dog, tow people lift them up and tie them and they’re put in the freezer.”

The deceased dogs wind up in a landfill.  In 2011, 1028 pit bull dogs were dumped along with the trash.  “I don’t think it should be a machine for killing pit bulls,” says Dunning.  “We’ll always have a pit bull problem but it doesn’t have to overrun the place.”

The problem can be traced back to the popularity of the breed- especially among young men in the inner city.  They are sought after as both status symbols and family pets and that is prompting the underground breeding frenzy that is producing too many dogs.

Rochester isn’t alone in having to deal with this problem. 

Denver, a much larger city, faced a similar problem when it decided to ban the breed altogether 23 years ago.  As a result, just 3 percent of all dogs that are put down in city shelters are pit bull breeds. The numbers dropped to 10 percent in Cincinnati which also bans the breeds.

By comparison 65 percent of the dogs put down by Rochester Animal control are pit bull breeds.  That’s nearly two of three euthanasias.

“Personally I would like to see a stop to the breeding,” says Jenn Fedele who founded Pitty Love, a rescue organization for pit bulls.  She supports a short term or temporary ban for one reason.  “We’ve reached enough of an epidemic with the breed that I don’t have a problem with it.”

San Francisco found success with a different approach.  Rather than ban the breed, city council there voted to require mandatory sterilization.  Within a year, the number of pit bulls euthanized dropped by a quarter.

Yet new laws pose new issues.

“Certainly if there is a law it’s only as strong as the enforcement,” says Chris Fitzgerald, director of Rochester Animal Control.  “We’re already thin in terms of enforcing existing ordinances.” Fitzgerald says there are also legal questions about breed-specific laws.

New York Law already prohibits any restriction on a single breed in order to curb dangerous dogs.  But it is unclear whether the law applies when the primary goal is population control and not safety.

It’s likely any breed-specific law would be challenged in court.

Ultimately, while bans and sterilization requirements can make a difference, neither addresses the root of the problem. Most agree a permanent solution must address the demand for the dogs that is fueling the backyard breeding in the first place.

“We need more responsible people to own these dogs,” says Jenn Fedele.  “We need people who own them to understand them and do right by them.”

When a police officer chases a suspect, especially at night, he is at a huge disadvantage if the pursuit ends in an enclosed space.

That's when highly trained police K-9s can be invaluable. With their superior sense of smell and hearing, they may be able to locate a suspect far faster than officers. And it doesn't hurt that they can intimidate even the most hardened criminal with a snarling attack if given the command.

There are 25 K-9s used by law enforcement agencies in Ventura County as an extra layer of protection between violent suspects and police officers.

That total is expected to increase soon. The Port Hueneme Police Department recently received a $25,000 pass-through grant by the Oxnard Harbor District from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to add a fifth K-9. That which would give the agency the second highest total in the county, behind the Sheriff's Department.

"Most of the time, we never even have to send the dog. We tell the suspect, 'Don't run, or we'll send the dog,' and any suspect that's smart enough and reasonable sees they don't want to get bitten and surrenders," Port Hueneme Police Chief Kathleen Sheehan said.

"The dogs find more bad guys and protect the officers, but the biggest thing is they prevent the suspect from fighting or running. It happens every night."

In addition to FEMA grants, the department gets private donations from individuals and local businesses to pay for the dogs, she said.

Police departments throughout Ventura County, including the Sheriff's Office, supplement their K-9 programs in similar fashion, using money donated by nonprofits and private individuals. The dogs, which cost up to $10,000 each, are predominantly German shepherds. A dog typically is assigned to a police officer, or handler, who works and lives with it. A team requires special training that costs about another $10,000.

The dogs are worth the expense, according to law enforcement officials.

The Oxnard Police Department has four dogs in its K-9 program, according to Cmdr. Eric Sonstegard, who leads the unit. He said the department had five dogs from 2002 to 2007, but reduced the number because of staffing issues.

"The dogs get the most work with narcotics detection," he said. "There were 475 narcotics searches in 2011. It's the No. 1 thing we use the dogs for, but there also is obviously the officer's safety. We are able to use (the dogs) to search buildings or backyards where it would be dangerous for officers to go in. And the dogs are able to find people a lot more  easily."

The Sheriff's Office has seven dogs — six German shepherd patrol dogs and one black Labrador narcotics/contraband dog, which is used in the jails, according to Capt. Dave Murray, the K-9 manager.

"The Lab is not a street dog. It's not trained in apprehension. It does narcotics detection and some tracking, but it's not trained for the streets," Murray said, adding that there is a K-9 unit assigned to each city that contracts with the department: Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai and Fillmore.

Murray emphasized that the K-9 program wouldn't be possible without the help of the Ventura County Sheriff's Foundation. "These wonderful folks put on benefits to fund things for our department that we would otherwise not be able to afford," he said.

The foundation pays for the purchase of a dog, follow-up veterinary care and other expenses.

In Simi Valley, police Sgt. James Buckley said, a police foundation pays for the purchase and training of a dog, but the department covers the remaining costs. He said the department's three K-9s perform an invaluable service.

"The dogs are used best to prevent harm. They are a tool that's available," Buckley said. "Recently we had a robbery suspect hidden in the bushes who could not be seen by the patrol officer, but the dog caught his scent and brought him out, providing a peaceful end to the situation without officers having to expose themselves."

In Ventura, police use four K-9s to help patrol the city, according to Public Communications Officer Kevin Jeffries. In addition to assisting officers, the dogs are a great way to reach out to the community. The department holds five or six meet-and-greets a year at which members of the public may see the dogs perform tasks and meet them.

"The dogs are a big part of what the department does to integrate with the community," Jeffries said.

The Santa Paula Police Department also has three police dogs.

Sheehan said her department will buy its newest dog through Gold Coast K-9 in Ventura, which searches for specially bred and trained animals in Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

The department estimates the purchase of the dog and training will total $15,701, with the balance of the $25,000 grant going to the K-9 program fund. The plan is to assign one K-9 team to the special-problems unit that serves warrants to violent offenders and parolees, with the other four teams providing round-the-clock coverage for Port Hueneme, Sheehan wrote in a staff report.

Officers who are assigned a K-9 must adopt the dog into the family. "The K-9 becomes a member of the family," Sheehan said. "It's like another child, like having a 90-pound child."

Murray said when the time comes for a dog to retire from duty, after six to eight years, the handler has the option of buying the dog as a family pet — most do.