Richard Jackson | Bad Dog

Orange County Museum of Art

Richard Jackson's whimsical (and anatomically correct!) sculpture, titled "Bad Dog," is on display at the Orange County Museum of Art in Southern California through May 5th. This 28 foot tall rendering of a Labrador Retriever periodically sprays yellow paint against one of the museum's exterior walls. Love it! Check out this Los Angeles Times article to learn more about Jackson and his art: Richard Jackson Wants to Make You Fell Uncomfortable.

Pet Jerkey | FDA Summary Report

The FDA is continuing to investigate reports of pet illness and death related to jerky treats manufactured in China. They released their first summary report of their investigation last Thursday. According to the report the FDA has received approximately 2,200 reports of illnesses related to the treats, including the report of 360 canine deaths and one feline death. The FDA states that these illnesses/deaths "may be related to consumption of the jerky treats" but that  "no definitive cause has been determined." 

Despite the fact the FDA is not explicitly linking these illnesses/deaths to jerky treats manufactured in China at this point they seem to be implicitly implying that consumers should avoid them. The reports states that "the FDA is reminding pet owners that jerky pet treats are not necessary for pets to have a fully balanced diet, so eliminating them will not harm pets. Commercially produced pet food, which is very safe, contains all of the nutrients that pets need."

Personally I'm erring on the side of caution and avoiding any edible pet product  manufactured in China. This is actually quite easy given the number of companies nowadays that manufacture their products in the United States. Of course even this isn't a guarantee as U.S. manufactured dog foods are regularly subject to recall. There are however less risks involved with products manufactured stateside as plants in the U.S. are subject to closer inspection and more stringent oversight. 

Save the (Killer) Whales!

I just read this interesting article in the New York Times about a black Lab mix named Tucker with a rather unique talent. This pooch has a nose for sniffing out orca (aka killer whales) poop and is using this skill to help scientists track these intrepid hunters off the coast of San Juan Island. The Pacific North West is a hotbed for whale watching and these scientists are studying the effects of the industry on the killer whale.

Parkour Pup

This American Staffordshire Terrier living in western Ukraine has some mad parkour skills! He's fearless! Parkour is a sport in which people navigate through their environments by running, climbing, jumping, etc. They use nothing but their bodies and the walls, foot and hand holds, nooks, etc. already in the environment. Both Casino Royale and The Bourne Ultimatum incorporated elements of parkour into chase scenes.

 

  

I can't even imagine how this dog's owners managed to get him to do these things! I wonder if I can channel Andy's excess energy into something like this? Just kidding - no way! I'd be way too worried about him getting hurt. To learn more about this amazing dog, Tret, check out this article on Yahoo Sports.

Post-Bath Shakedown

A post-bath shakedown is inevitable after giving a dog a bath. It's the first thing Andy does when he gets out of the tub, which means I get wet, the wall gets drippy, and the floor gets soaked. Sigh. Turns out, according to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, different types of mammals shake at different speeds in an effort to expend the least amount of energy to get dry. "A large dog can shed 70% of the water in its fur in 4 seconds." I believe it!

Check out this article on nature.com for more information on this study. There are apparently "practical" implications for this research (so it's not just for our entertainment!) - "understanding how animals shake themselves dry could help scientists to develop ways to rapidly shed water from man-made equipment."

The Injustice of Breed-Specific Legislation

I hadn't heard about the plight of Lennox, an American bulldog-Labrador cross, living in Belfast, Ireland until it was already too late. This pup was seized from his family two years ago under the UK’s dangerous dog act which prohibits outright the ownership of "bully" breeds such as pitbulls. The Belfast city council took custody of Lennox after determining he was a "possible pitbull type" and thus presumably a threat to the community at large; this despite the fact he was a charming dog, had a perfectly clean record, and his family had taken every precaution to ensure he was never a threat. After two years of wrangling the council had Lennox euthanized today despite public outcry and offers for alternative courses of action.

Pitbulls have long gotten a bad rap and my heart goes out to the Barnes family for their loss. I think Victoria Stilwell, host of Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog,” said it best when she wrote, "We must target the deed not the breed...We must hold irresponsible pet owners accountable. Dogs of any breed can be fantastic, and dogs of any breed can be dangerous. Breed-specific law is flawed; it just doesn’t work."

For more details on Lennox's story check out these articles:
MSNBC Lennox, dog condemned as pitbull, is put to death in Belfast.
Yahoo Outrage over Lennox: Dog put to sleep for looking like a pit bull in Northern Ireland