| Paws and the laws of the road
Long sunsets and easy temperatures. The dog days? They're weeks away. Unless, of course, you're a pet owner. Maybe you've already loaded up your golden for a trip to the beach, or crated your calico for a weekend up at the lake. Maybe you've merely taken Fido to the supermarket, or Whiskers to the veterinarian. The point is, if you own pets, they're bound to be in your car at some point. Especially during summer. Rusty, my childhood dog, just loved car rides. He'd bound into the back seat and stick his long, collie snout out the side window to feel the breeze. We never thought twice about taking him anywhere. Certainly, we never thought about whether we were breaking any laws. But since this is a column about driving, we pose the question. Are there rules about transporting a pet in a vehicle? Do dogs need seat belts? Is it illegal to leave your animal in the car on a hot day? Can you be fined for driving with a cat in your lap? What do you think?The law says Doggie spas.
Loss of beloved dog has left a huge hole for Fergus family
Our family has lived in Fergus Falls since 2002. We have really liked it here. Until today I loved my new home, but today May 24, 2007, I don't. My companion of only 1 1/2 years was taken from me. He was a loveable brown and white Basset Hound named Good Will Hounding. He was my baby. He was one of the only things that brightened my two sons day. Both have ADHD and one is Autistic. He was one of the only things that calmed them down. Not to mention that I don't know what to do with our other dog, Graceland. She misses him so much. She just looks for him everywhere. This is all due to the fact that someone killed him in front of our house by hitting him with a vehicle. I don't know who did it. However I do know it is due to carelessness on the part of that person. You see our home is located just west of the intersection of Broadway and Lincoln Avenue.
Golfer Rescues Drowning Dog
ST. LOUIS -- Golfer Jean Kautzman rescued a drowning dog at a suburban St. Louis golf course Tuesday before her first round even began. Approaching her first hole of the day, Kautzman, 76, passed a pond where a small dog was struggling to keep her head above water. Kautzman removed her shoes and socks, jumped in the pond, and swam over to Lola the pomeranian. .
Donors dig deep to help veteran and his dog
A Chesaning man raising money for an operation for his dog says he's overwhelmed that a news report reached around the world and generated close to $10,000 in about 10 days. Now, the dog has to lose 40 of his 140 pounds before a surgeon will touch him. In April, disabled veteran Richard R. "Ram" Reister, 55, put out fliers around town in which he offered to cut lawns for $10 to raise money for his "best friend." He received one response. But after a Saginaw News report appeared May 12, Reister fielded about 200 calls in two days. His phone is still ringing and donations are rolling in, although the pace has slowed He hasn't counted his pieces of mail but thinks 800 cards and letters is a close estimate. One of the largest donations is from the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C., which is sending Reister $1,000, said spokeswoman Tracey McIntire.
YOUR WHOLE PET
In the next Your Whole Pet, I'll take a look at how to get a pet from ethical sources. In the meantime, when checking out a breeder, be sure that you can meet the puppy's mother and see where the puppies are being housed. And if the only test you have to pass to get the puppy is whether your check clears or your credit card charge goes through, that's a pretty good sign the breeder doesn't have the puppy's best interests at heart -- or yours. The following companies donated services, tests, medications, food and products to help the Oklahoma puppy-mill dogs: MWI Veterinary Supply, Fort Dodge, Purina, Bayer, Merial, IDEXX Laboratories, Antech Diagnostics and DVM Pharmaceuticals. Christie Keith is a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection and past director of the Pet Care Forum on America Online.
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