Mutts to Represent at Dog Shows

The American Kennel Club (AKC) recently announced that they will allow mixed breed dogs to compete at some AKC events starting this October. Mutts will be able to compete in agility, obedience, and rally events. (Rally events are where the dog and handler compete on a course designed by a judge and proceed through a set of 10-20 “stations”.) The catch is, mixed breed canines will only be allowed to compete against other mutts and will be excluded from events like Westminster and the “best in show” category.

Credit: Time Out Chicago

According to Lisa Peterson, an AKC spokeswoman, "the dog-advocacy group's rule change creates an opportunity for mixed breeds and their owners to demonstrate their skills—training often acquired in AKC-sponsored classes."

Is it wrong that I am thinking of signing Riley up? She would kill it in the agility category. The obedience category, though, could get awkward.

(Thanks to Georgina for sending this in!)

Portuguese Water Dog Numbers Growing

It’s not too surprising, but the NY Post reported yesterday that the number of Portuguese Water Dogs in New York City has tripled over the last two years. Fifteen were registered in 2007, compared to 45 being registered so far this year. (Um, yeah, pretty sure there are also a hundred or so others that aren’t registered.) Interest has grown, of course, because President Obama adopted Bo, a “portie,” for his two daughters.

Bo, the first dog

If you’re looking for a Portuguese water dog, why not contact the breed’s rescue group? The rescue and relocation coordinator for the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America is:

Mary Harkins 
Coopersburg, PA 18036
(610) 346-9370 
rescue@ pwdca.org

Or, go to Petfinder. I did a quick search and saw several looking for homes on the site.

Black Dogs Get the Shaft

I was recently reading Jill Rosen’s blog in the Baltimore Sun, and she cited a story in the Post and Courier about how large black dogs have a harder time getting adopted than their lighter-coated counterparts. It broke my heart.

Five-year-old Rowdy is a black lab available for adoption from Pet Helpers on James Island. Tyrone Walker/Post and Courier

According to the Post and Courier: “That's definitely ‘the shelter worker's perception,’ throughout the country, said Jacque Schultz, the senior director of community outreach for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ‘If you see a row of 20 black dogs, they fade from your memory. There's very little in the way of research’ on whether black dogs are euthanized at higher rates, she said, but it's likely. ‘The longer you're at a shelter, the greater the risk.'"

To help black dogs get noticed, shelters are trying to market them better. Says the story: “Sometimes, all it takes is better lighting, a brightly colored collar, or even a unique squeaky toy in its cage for an animal to be noticed, shelter workers say. Black dogs just need a little help standing out.”

To read the full story, click here.

(Thanks to Lindsay B. for passing this along!)

Documentary to Show Katrina Dog Stories

I cannot wait to see the new film, Mine, a documentary about people who rescued thousands of stranded pets after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It won an audience award at this year’s South by Southwest film festival and will be broadcast on PBS next year.

Jessie Pullins was reunited with his dog, J.J., after a separation of almost four years due to Hurricane Katrina. Bill Haber/AP

According to this AP story on MSNBC, the film tells the story of the animal rescuers who went to New Orleans as well as the ownership disputes that arose between Gulf Coast residents and the many people who adopted pets from the region.

Since Riley is a dog rescued from this area, I’m always curious to learn more about what happened. The stories are so compelling, tragic, and complex. For more information on the film and to view the trailer, click here. Please watch it if you have the time. You won’t regret it.

How to Keep Pet Health Care Costs Down

The New York Times recently had a really interesting article by Alina Tugend on how to trim pet health care costs during tough economic times. Adopting from a shelter, the author says, is one way to get a dog inexpensively since in many cases shots, microchips, and state dog licenses are included in the adoption price. (Not to mention you're rescuing a pet.) In addition, says the story: "The ASPCA (aspca.org) and the nonprofit groups, Happy Tails (happytails.org) or Friends of Animals (friendsofanimals.org), offer information about low-cost spaying and neutering options in your area." The author also discusses how New York state has a subsidy program through the Animal Population Control Program that allows you to adopt a pet for a lower cost.

Carrie Poff, left, a New Rochelle, N.Y., vet, prepares to spay a dog. Dana Rocco, humane society manager, is at right. Angel Franco/The New York TimesAnother issue the piece addresses is pet insurance. I don't have it, nor do I know too many pet owners who do. According to Tugend, Consumer Reports discourages people from getting pet insurance because "checkup costs alone don't justify insurance," and unless your pet needs a major operation, you could be wasting money. But I wondered, how many of you have it? Is this something worth looking into?