| 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.
Rescue groups encourage dog-lovers to adopt pooches - wisely
Good news from the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter is that funds have been granted to redo the heating under the kennel floors. The bad news: The work will not be completed until December. "The repairs will be done in three phases, causing us to close off 30 kennels at a time while the floors are torn up," spokeswoman Temma Martin says. While the kennel loss is temporary, it can be the difference of life or death for animals. "The best thing people can do to help in the next months is to reduce the number of animals coming into the shelter," Martin said, adding that spaying and neutering is the first choice. "Besides cutting the number of litters born, spayed and neutered pets are less likely to wander away from home," Martin says. Current identification tags are vital, and microchip identification is advised.
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.
Pet obesity raising concern
LOGAN - Over recent months, adult and childhood obesity has been a major concern for many people across the nation, and now there is another form of health problem, and it includes our favorite four-legged friends.
Obesity in pets is a growing concern for pet-owners across the country, who sometimes don't even realize their cat or dog is growing larger every day. In fact, a recent study conducted by Pfizer Animal Health said that many owners don't realize their pets are overweight or at risk of health problems. According to the study, 47 percent of American dogs are overweight or obese, yet only 17 percent of dog owners would classify their dogs as being such.
As the No. 1 nutritional disorder in dogs, an estimated 25 to 44 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese.
'Yappy Hours' and more for your dogs
I don't like the yappy little ones that nip at your feet or the loud, big ones that stick their noses in places they don't belong. I like the ones that lie in the shade and gently snore. I liked my friend's boxer Samson (rest in peace) who was big and drool-y. So when I was asked to be on the dog committee (aka the "paws" committee and the "Fifi" committee) for the park district, I was a bit hesitant. Everyone else on the committee has at least one pet. In fact, they have lizards and horses and cats and dogs and probably other animals roaming about their homes and yards that they haven't mentioned yet. But I agreed because I am generally a nice person who looks like a dog lover. Little did I know that the committee, aside from planning fun events, had a secondary, more surreptitious goal: to make me the adoptive mother of some poor pooch.
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