Pet Tales: Carnegie's Dogapalooza celebrates and entertains dogs

When Cristy Crawshaw was a junior at Carlynton High School, she wanted to organize a community project that would earn her the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award.

"She came to me four years ago about doing a public safety program, and I said that is done quite often. I suggested she do something that would highlight dogs and the Carnegie Dog Park," said Jack Kobistek, who was mayor at that time.

Ms. Crawshaw organized and executed the Carnegie Dogapalooza in 2015, and she did get the Gold Award.

The event — with dogs as the honored guests — included a pet parade and costume contest. It was so popular with people and dogs that Ms. Crawshaw made it an annual affair on the first Sunday in June.

Now a rising junior at Point Park University, she's putting the finishing touches on Carnegie's fourth annual Dogapalooza, which will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 3 at Carnegie Park on Forsythe Road. There is no admission charge and parking is free.

The number of vendors has grown from 20 last year to 30 this year, said Ms. Crawshaw, who lives with her family in Carnegie while working toward a bachelor's degree in sports, arts and entertainment management.

Pet Supplies Plus will offer free nail trims, Humane Animal Rescue will have low-cost vaccinations and Allegheny County treasurer John Weinstein will sell dog licenses. Hound Haven rescue in Washington County is bringing adoptable dogs.

The parade and costume contest starts at 1 p.m. with prizes for most creative and unique, funniest costume and Pittsburgh spirit.

There will be giveaways, including tickets for free games at Forsythe Miniature Golf, next to Carnegie Park. There will be raffles and donations collected for a dog-oriented cause not yet announced.

The Franktuary food truck will sell hot dogs and fries, and the Wish 99.7 Street Treat Patrol will hand out free snacks.

Carnegie Dog Park has two separate fenced areas where small and large dogs can play off-leash. They can also cool off at the "dog beach," which has three kiddie pools. There is also a free do-it-yourself dog bathing station, with shampoo.

Ms. Crawshaw credits borough manager Steve Beuter and Mr. Kobistek with helping her get Dogapalooza off the ground. They return the compliments.

"Dogapalooza is a big thing," Mr. Beuter said. "Cristy does a fantastic job and the borough supports her."

The dog park, which opened in May 2013, "is heavily utilized and is open to all, not just Carnegie residents," noted Mr. Kobistek, who is now a district justice in Carnegie.

On a recent sunny Sunday, many dogs and owners gathered in the large and small dog parks.

"The dogs here are all so welcoming," said Leeann Alley of Dormont.

Dogs played nicely, with no aggression. The owners — most of them regulars — supervised their pets while socializing and sharing dog stories.

Ms. Alley brings her high-energy 8-month-old puppy, Bailey, to the park for three hours every day. Ms. Alley said a DNA test indicates he is a Chihuahua-poodle mix.

Adopted last fall from Humane Animal Rescue, "this dog changed my life," Ms. Alley said. She served eight years in the Air Force, including deployments in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. "Bailey is like an emotional support dog for me."

Pet owners told to avoid buying dogs with cropped ears, as illegal trend grows

Pet owners are being urged not to buy dogs with cruelly cropped ears following an increase in reports of the practice.

The RSPCA has said it has seen a rising number of cases in which dogs have had their ears cropped or removed.

The practice is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act but has become more widespread as a result of people sharing pictures of dogs with cropped ears on social media.

There is now a growing trend for certain bull breed types to have cropped ears, such as American bullies, cane corsos, presa canarias and dobermans.

An RSPCA Special Operations Unit (SOU) officer - who works covertly and so cannot be identified for operational reasons - said: "Dogs with cropped ears are coming to our attention for lots of reasons. Many are being advertised on social media while others are being spotted at breed shows.

"We believe ear cropping is being carried out illegally in this country. And we also believe that many breeders, sellers and buyers are sending dogs abroad to have their ears cropped before bringing them back home."

The charity said there had been a 157 per cent increase in reported cases of ear cropping, with the number of going up from just 14 in 2015 to 36 last year. But RSPCA officials fear this may just be the tip of the iceberg.

"This is going on within certain close-knit breed groups so we believe that many cases are slipping through the net unnoticed and that the issue is actually much bigger than we are aware," said the SOU officer.

In November 2015, the RSPCA prosecuted a man and woman from Essex for causing unnecessary suffering to a doberman by 'splinting', the practice of inserting hard wooden or cardboard splints to force the cropped ears to grow upwards.

In some cases dogs are having their ears cropped in the UK illegally, while others are being sent abroad to have the procedure done.

Dr Samantha Gaines, RSPCA dog welfare expert, said: "Ear cropping is a process where ears are removed or surgically altered, usually for the purposes of appearance.

"It's a painful and wholly unnecessary process which does not benefit the dog in any way and can, in fact, be detrimental to their health, behaviour and welfare.

"We do not believe dogs should be mutilated for cosmetic purposes and we'd urge people not to buy a dog with cropped ears as - whether the process was carried out here or overseas - they still will have undergone this very painful process."

A warning to pet owners: Two dogs found dead after eating poisonous mushrooms from owner's yard

A Wake County woman has a warning for other pet owners after two of her dogs died over the weekend after eating poisonous mushrooms from her yard.

Janna Joyner works for a nonprofit that helps foster dogs and had six of her own.

"Her pack was incredibly tight, and she loved every one of them," said Joyner's friend, Nicole Kincaid.

Kincaid said Drago, a 3-year-old Saint Bernard, and Adoni, an 8-year-old lab retriever mix, were great dogs.

"Adoni was her first baby. She adopted him from Wake County Animal Shelter. Drago was a foster of hers. We call it a 'foster fail' when they don't adopt the dog out and they keep it for themselves," Kincaid said.

Joyner came home Sunday to find Adoni and Drago dead. The four other dogs were acting strange, stumbling and vomiting.

Kincaid works with Joyner at the nonprofit. She described her fellow pet lover as a "wonderful person and wonderful dog owner."

Joyner didn't want to do an interview, but she told WRAL's Claudia Rupcich that her dogs were like her babies.

"I can't even imagine," Kincaid said.

Joyner took them to the hospital where blood exams showed traces of Amatoxin, a toxin found in poisonous mushrooms.

“The really toxic ones are called Amanita mushrooms,” said David Dorman, a toxicology professor at N.C. State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dorman says those types of mushrooms, nicknamed Death Cap or Death Angel, can cause liver failure. He says there is no antidote.

“A dog that consumes those mushroom can go from healthy to very clinically sick, to dead within 24 to 48 hours. So it's a very rapid disease syndrome,” said Dorman.

Dorman said the toxic mushrooms can vary in size and color. There is no way to know which are safe. He says if you have mushrooms in your yard, you should get rid of all of them.

“(It's) always best to cut them, bag them and throw them away. And then wash your hands yourself so you don't get exposed,” he said.

Kincaid and Joyner hope people will listen to that advice.

“She didn't know they were there, they were under the mulch. It's just scary to know how close it was to home and how it can happen to any dog,” said Kincaid. “That's what we're really hoping, that we can educate people.”

Dorman says if you see your dog eating a mushroom, you should treat it as a medical emergency and take your dog to the vet immediately. The vet can induce vomiting or do diagnosis to see if the mushroom is poisonous.

Family's terror as pet dog is snatched by bird of prey

A FAMILY told of their terror when their pet dog Sally was attacked by a bird of prey as they walked by the side of the River Wharfe in Lower Grass Wood, Grassington.

The bird, believed to be a Harris hawk, pounced on the Jack Russell, digging its talon into her mouth, gouging her tongue and dragging her about 15 metres towards the river as her owner Anthony Woollacott desperately tried to rescue her.

His wife Rachel and children Bethany, 13, and Alexander, ten, watched in terror as their dad struggled to free the seven-year-old dog by pushing the huge bird - the Harris hawk can have a wingspan of up to four feet - with his foot.

 Even after the hawk released Sally, it continued to follow the terrified family until it eventually responded to its owner on the other side of the river.

"The bird came from nowhere. We didn't know what had hit us. It lifted Sally off the path and dragged her down the river bank," said Rachel of Harper Grove, Sutton.

"Sally was trying to fight back as hard as she could but I really thought we were going to lose her.

"We'd seen the owner across the river - he was wearing a glove - and had shouted for him to call the hawk off. He was whistling but it didn't seem to be interested.

"Anthony managed to get the bird off Sally but as we walked away it followed us. I was petrified and the children were crying."

Sally was taken to Ashlands vets in Cross Hills and only then did the family realise how badly injured she was.

She had a talon hole in her gum and serious injuries to her tongue where the hawk had struck She was having to take water by syringe and soft food, said Rachel, who now fears going back to the area.

"She has been left with serious injuries inside her mouth. The vet has said she is very lucky.

"We've done research on these huge birds and found that you do not need a licence. Attacks are becoming more common. I think walkers, especially those with small children and dogs, need to be aware of this danger."

Ashlands veterinary surgeon Sam Burnell, who treated Sally after the attack, said: “I have never before heard of an attack on a dog by a hawk in the 14 years I have been in practice, so it has to be rare. Sally had some serious injuries but we expect her to make a full recovery.”

The Harris hawk is a popular bird for use in falconry because it is easy to train.

Grooming your pet can be a good bonding time

Bringing home a new pet over a holiday has its pros and cons, but supposing you are waking up to a puppy tomorrow, one of the first things you may have to tackle is keeping your little pet clean.

Dogs aren't capable of keeping themselves pristine the way cats do, so usually their human family gives a hand with grooming. However, if you're the type of person who thinks that a bath is a good start, be warned: this may not be a great idea.

Yin Tan, owner of Yin Mobile Pets Grooming Service in the Klang Valley, has been a pet groomer since 2014, and is certified by the Malaysian Kennel Association, Malaysian Groomers Association, and International Society of Canine Cosmetologists, USA.

"Having a bath can be frightening, and as pets will be nervous about being in a new environment with new people, you need to wait until they've settled down," Tan advises. "How long that takes, depends on the dog. A sign they trust you is when they come when you call, and let you hug them and pick them up without crying or barking.

"Also, talk to your vet. If your pet has just had a vaccination or flea treatment, you may need to wait. So get good advice."

While suds are out, a brushing session is a great idea, according to Max Kek, a groomer since 2003 and now owner of Do Do Pet, an ethical pet supply shop and groomer in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

"When you first brush your pet, he will wriggle and you may still be learning, so it won't be easy," he smiles. "You should try, though, because this is where you are building a relationship."

A short-haired dog is simple to maintain. Buy a soft bristle brush, and lean it gently against your pet's flank. Then brush, following the coat. Brush the lower back and flank, the move forward, do the chest, and finish with the tummy.

It's like being petted, so your dog should love it. However, pawpits and tummies are often ticklish.

Also, if your dog is shy, he may be afraid of lying on his back. This is because dogs feel very vulnerable when in that position. So take it slow and if your dog is nervous, stop, praise and leave it till next time. When every experience is positive, your pet will learn to relax and trust you.

For playful pups, expect to have the brush bitten and the session turn into a wrestling match. Be gentle!

Long-haired dogs are more complicated because feathery coats can be thick, layered and need special care.

"You can't use a human comb as they're not tough enough," Kek points out. "You need a doggy comb. Prices start around RM20."

Remember when you were a kid and you squealed when your mum combed the knots out of your hair? Long-haired dogs are prone to tangles and it hurts to have them combed out, too.

Groom your pet gently, starting at the flank, just like brushing a short-haired pet. If there are small tangles, hold the fur above the tangle with your fingers, to minimise tugging.

While you groom, talk nicely to your dog. Make it a loving session aimed at bonding, not a chore.

You should be combing a long-haired dog every day, but even then, the occasional knot is inevitable.

"You can't ignore knots because they pull on the skin, leaving it red and painful," Kek warns. "They have to be dealt with. Comb it out if you can. But if it's a bad tangle, you may need to cut it out. If you've never seen it being done, then go to the groomer and get a lesson."

After a week or two, when you and your dog have bonded and there's trust between you, you can start to think about bathing your pet. Short-haired dogs are easy as they dry fast. Just be certain to use a very mild shampoo that preserves the skin and natural oils.

As long-haired pets may have difficult coats, do consult a groomer first to see if you need special gear. You don't actually need to sign up for a bath; you can book a consultation where you get a lesson in what needs to be done.

"I'm always happy to teach," Tan says. "We all are, I think." And Kek agrees.

For that first bath, make sure you are working at a height you're comfortable with and have all your gear ready. You don't want to be searching for a towel with soaked pup in your arms!

"When you wash your pet, always start with the back of the body, and go slowly," Tan cautions. "Your furbaby may be frightened. Soap gently, and rinse carefully.

"The head is the most sensitive part of the dog, so whatever you do, don't start there. You don't want to get soap in their eyes or nose. In fact, if you want, leave the face, and just wipe afterwards with a damp cloth."

When you're done, stand back. Dogs with a fresh, clean coat tend to be frisky and ready for a game. So be prepared for zoomies, lots of barking and a happy face. If they've had your vaccinations, go to the park and play a bit of fetch.

Merry Christmas!