D-Bag Michael Vick Goes Free

Mike Vick—the NFL quarterback who bankrolled Bad Newz Kennels, a dogfighting ring near his Hampton, Va. home—was officially released today. After 18 months in jail and two months of home confinement, he can now do whatever he pleases. However, one thing he won’t be doing is playing for the Atlanta Falcons. They released him on June 12^th. (Read this Washington Post story for more information.)

I’ve been reading a lot of the sports blogs, and have been seriously shocked at how many people still believe Vick is an upstanding guy. I could go on an on about what I think of him, but I may get arrested if I told you what I think he really deserves.

My only advice to anyone who isn’t familiar with what he did to those dogs is to read this New York Times article. On his property, Vick's dogs were were beaten, hung, electrocuted, or tied to car axels for months on end. Some were used as bait dogs, only used to be literally ripped apart. Many females had every one of their teeth ripped out of their mouths so that when they were forcibly bred, they couldn’t fight back. This wasn’t a one-time crime; this was something he knowingly participated in, supported, and profited from for years.

These days, Vick is seeking reinstatement in the NFL. (He has stated that he cannot pay his bills working in construction for $10 an hour. Message to Vick: Sell your house, bitch.)

If you’d like to voice your thoughts to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, go ahead and call or email him at Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net (212) 450-2000 or (212) 450-2027.

A Doggie Tanning Bed?

Ok, I wish I could claim that I found this on my own, but I didn’t. I get daily emails from Daily Kibble, and this was on their post this morning. (If you don’t get it, it’s worth signing up. Think Daily Candy, but for dogs.) One company, Fauna Sauna, has created what looks like a tanning bed for animals. Their heated spa beds are “radiant heat-enhanced”—meaning, they emit “far infrared” warmth, which feels to a dog (or cat)  like he’s basking in sunlight.

According to the Fauna Sauna site: “Far Infrared has been shown to reduce pain, increase immune function, speed healing and reduce joint stiffness.  In many cases, the use of Far Infrared heat can reduce or even eliminate the need for costly medications.” 

For more information—and to see other designs—take a look at the Fauna Sauna site. What do you think, completely absurd…or amazing?

In Celebration of Old Dogs

This morning, a dog-owner friend I met in Central Park forward an article to me. The excerpt, from The Week, is based on a longer excerpt that originally appeared in The Washington Post and is taken from the book Old Dogs. As far as I’m concerned, the author, Gene Weingarten, is a genius.

Photo credit: Washington Post/Michael Williamson: “Belle, 14, has been blind for eight years and always wears sunglasses for photo ops.”

If you have an older dog, have ever experienced the death of a pet, or you’re simply a dog lover, it’s definitely worth your time:

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/89914/The_last_word_Why_old_dogs_are_the_best_dogs

Be warned, you may want to keep a box of Kleenex nearby.

Thanks Jen, for passing this along.

This Breed Has 6 Little Piggies...

You've probably heard of Ernest Hemingway's six-toed cats, but did you know there's a dog with six digits? (I had no clue and thought they sounded pretty freakin cool, so I decided to look into details.) The Lundehund, a Norwegian breed related to the Spitz, has six toes. Their extra digit is not a dewclaw, which is a nonfunctional vestigial toe often removed when dogs are just a few days old.

The fox-sized Lundehund was initially bred to help northern Norwegians catch puffins (a type of sea bird) for food several hundred years ago. The extra digit helped the dog climb slippery cliffs and navigate into small bird caves. Along with their tricked-out paws, Lundehunds are also known for their extraordinary flexibility. According to ZooToo, “they can turn their heads a full 180 degrees, rotate their legs over their heads, and even lie completely flat, with all four legs sticking straight out to the sides.” Crazy, right?

As of 60 years ago, there were only five known Lundehunds left, but the breed has made a resurgence. However, they’re still extremely rare, with approximately 1,500 of the polydactyl pups worldwide, and only 250 in the U.S.

To watch a video of these dogs (and check out the bizarro extra toes up close), click here.

Dogs Get the Point

Dogs have a human 2-year-old’s capacity to understand pointing gestures, and it takes them basically no time to learn visual communication, says new research from a Hungarian university. The studies found that canines are also predisposed to read other visual cues from humans, such as gazing and head-turning.

Is he just playing the "I'm confused" card?

While some of this may not sound all that surprising, the research is particularly interesting because chimpanzees—who are viewed as humans’ closest ancestors—often fail the pointing test, indicating dogs may simply understand us better.

My dog always seems to get the pointing thing (whether or not she chooses to ignore it) but I’m waiting for the moment when she’ll grasp verbal communication. For instance, as in, “Can you please stop obsessively licking my hand?” or “Do you really need to circle 27 times before going to the bathroom?”