Lilly The Kid

If you can’t have your own, you adopt. So is the motto of one Billy the boxer.

A paternal dog has adopted an abandoned baby goat as his surrogate child.

I wonder what kind of hoops Billy had to jump through for this adoption. Was he on a long waiting list? Did he have to travel to foreign lands? Will he get a tax deduction? So many questions, so little time.

Billy the boxer has become the constant companion of the 12-day old kid called Lilly. He sleeps with the goat, licks her clean, and protects her from any dangers at Pennywell Farm wildlife centre at Buckfastleigh, near Totnes, Devon.

Hey, is this an adoption story or a mail order bride story?

The kid was abandoned by her mother when she was only a few hours old and adopted by paternal Billy when his owner Elizabeth Tozer began hand rearing the goat.

Hand rearing? I think that’s illegal in the U.S. and if it isn’t, it sounds like it should be.

The unusual bond has developed over the last month and the pair are now inseparable.

Elizabeth said: “Lilly follows Billy around which is really quite amusing to watch and Billy sleeps with the goat and cleans her mouth after she feeds.”

They’re inseparable now, but wait until Lilly becomes a teenager.

It is a wonderful story and highlights that we all can get along. Except, of course, with cats.

Doody Olympians

It’s Video Friday and today we watch some sports. Not sporting dogs, but sporting humans.

As a canine, there’s something satisfying about watching this video. I have to say, these are folks that see the water bowl as half full instead of half empty. Maybe there’s hope for humanity after all. Let the games begin…Click more to watch the video

 

 

 

 

 

If you like watching this competition, you’ll really enjoy watching the elephant one.

It Takes Studs To Build Houses

Pieces of advice, it’s like a nipple, we all have at least one. Today I bring you the question of studs and the advice from Jill Bowen of Roanoake’s Paws and Claws.

First, the question:

I have a lovely boxer male that I think would make a fantastic stud dog. How do I go about telling people about him? How much should I charge?

It’s as if my parents submitted this question about me, except that I’m not a boxer and I lost my…uhh…tools long ago. Let’s check the rest of the qualifications shall we. Am I:

• Fantastic? – check
• A Stud? – check
• Worthy of bragging about? – check
• An appreciating asset? – check

Here’s the advice from the expert: Read more

Ich Bin Ein Berliner

I live in a glass house. Well, a house that has glass floors. Ok, they’re hardwood floors, but they might as well be glass. As an ‘experienced’ canine, these floors are akin to asking a 90 year old woman to walk down a stoop of stairs after an ice-storm. To help me, my parents got me boots to wear so my feet would grip the surface a bit better. I think they’re crazy, and it appears, so is the Berlin police department.

BERLIN – Police dogs in the western city of Duesseldorf will no longer get their feet dirty when on patrol – the entire dog unit will soon be equipped with blue plastic fiber shoes, a police spokesman said Monday.

“All 20 of our police dogs – German and Belgian shepherds – are currently being trained to walk in these shoes,” Andre Hartwich said. “I’m not sure they like it, but they’ll have to get used to it.”

He’s right, it does take getting used to. For instance, now when I walk in my own pee, I don’t even feel it.

The unusual footwear is not a fashion statement, Hartwich said, but rather a necessity due to the high rate of paw injuries on duty. Especially in the city’s historical old town – famous for both its pubs and drunken revelers – the dogs often step into broken beer bottles.

They’re not a fashion statement yet since Nike and Reebok haven’t gotten involved. When they do, rest assured, puppies being mugged for their footwear will be all the rage. Until that time comes my unfortunate canine brothers will look like they’re wearing orthopedic shoes…or worse…lifts.

The Magic Paintball

Some people deserve to be shot, like people that throw away leftovers. You know the type, they think you’re getting too fat so they ignore your begging and dump that savory meatloaf into the garbage bin. They’re shortsighted and a drain on the world’s resources..

Click more to read the rest of this ad . . . Read more

Mad Max

Another story about dog napping or car theft? Not so…

Doggone it, my truck’s gone!

Police said Charles McCowan parked his pickup in front of a mini-mart Wednesday, leaving his 80-pound Boxer named Max in the passenger seat. When he came out, the truck and Max were gone.

McCowan called police, assuming the truck had been stolen. When officers arrived, they found the pickup across the street in a fast-food parking lot but had no idea how it got there.

Never understimate the power of the munchy. If it was me and I had access to a truck with keys in it, I would have cruised over to Sam the Butcher’s place for some freshly cured ham hocks. Looks like Max was a bit hungrier and opted for something quicker at Burger King instead.

In security video shown Thursday on KCAL-TV, the truck can be seen rolling backward out of the store lot and across the street, threading its way through traffic and out of view.

Sounds like Max got the hang of driving pretty quickly. Heck, he even drove it backwards.

I remember operating an automobile my first, and only, time as if it were yesterday. With that experience I realized why people drive 100 feet down the road instead of walking. It’s not just because they’re lazy, they are, but because they have a couple hundred horses under the hood at their beckon call. Granted, when I was driving, my team of horses was lead by Mr. Ed but it was a great feeling nonetheless. Don’t worry, you’ll read all about that adventure in my book.

Both Max and the truck emerged without a scratch.

Without a scratch, a smile on his face and a belly full of USDA Grade ‘C’ hamburger meat.

Dogs for McCain

I hate to get all political on you, but sometimes when you believe in a cause, or candidate, it needs to be howled from the rooftop to the moon. My hot button issue? Well, just take a read …

[John McCain], the Arizona senator beats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton hands down when it comes to the number of potential first pets.

McCain possesses a menagerie. He has four dogs, including Lucy and Desi…He also has a cat, a parakeet and a shoal of fish, including one called Lucky, and once owned a ferret and an iguana named Henry, who turned out to be Henrietta and laid an egg.

Four dogs? I didn’t know he was that well qualified to be president. But read on, this is where it gets distrubing.

The Obamas do not own a pet, though they have two photogenic daughters, Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6, who have been promised a puppy should they move into the White House. Read more

Survey Says …

Before I’m willing to accept the results of any surveys, I need to see the questions, sampling methodology and treats used to entice the responses. Since the following story doesn’t provide this, I’m skeptical of the results provided.

A distinct lack of ‘pet-iquette’ is leaving pet owners red faced says PDSA!

It’s usual for your children to embarrass you at inopportune moments by saying or doing something, usually in public, that makes you want to crawl under the nearest rock! However, according to leading veterinary charity, PDSA, our pets are leaving us equally red faced when we least expect it. The charity for pets in need of vets has surveyed pet owners* to compile a list of ‘pet-iquette’ moments that have left owners more than a little lost for words! Around one in eight pet owners had embarrassing pet stories to share**.

You think pet-iquette is a problem? What about ‘hu-maniquette’? In my personal survey I found one in two dogs had an embarrassing human story to share.

The anonymous survey, in which pet owners lifted the lid on their most embarrassing pet stories, found that a pet’s natural bodily functions give owners the most cause for humiliation, with calls of nature (29%) and vomiting (5%) top of the list.

Equally embarrassing antics include pets mounting other people, animals breaking wind, either loudly or melodiously in public, and pets being a little too familiar when checking out friends and family!

My survey found several causes leading to pet humiliation with the top three being; throwing good food away (97%), speaking in an irritating baby voice (85%) and failing to sniff a pet’s butt when first meeting it (74%).

“However, it’s important to stress that in some cases medical problems could be the reason for ‘paw’ behaviour.

Indeed, this is true of humans too. In fact, it has been shown that most exhibiting this type of disturbing behavior are sick in the head.

Global Warming Needs Your Help

I want to stay warm and I know you do to.

Click more to continue reading this blog ad… Read more

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

You know I’m not afraid of anything besides needles and blood. That’s why the following story impresses me so.

HOWELL, MICH. – He’s donated blood 20 times and is being honoured by the Livingston County chapter of the American Red Cross.Not bad for a 200-pound, 2-year-old English mastiff who answers to the name Lurch. He’ll receive the chapter’s “Pet’s Best Friend” award at the Thursday event in Howell.

He’ll also receive the coveted Golden Vampire for “Best Giver” in the Budget Blood category.

“We’re doing something different this year,” executive director Diane Serra said. “We’re honouring Lurch because he’s actually donated blood.”

Lurch’s owner, Joni Melvin-Thiede of Gregory, said he donates blood about once every four weeks. He started out an emergency veterinary clinic in Chicago where Ms. Melvin-Thiede worked until moving to Michigan a year ago.

This story isn’t coagulating the way it should for me. Something’s amiss. You think Melvin-Thiede (or is it just Thiede and he goes by Joni Melvin) is donating Lurch’s blood for money? C’mon, once every four weeks? That’s practically one donation a month. Read more

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