http://neoowners.com/ Neapolitan Mastiff Owners helping others to enjoy ownership of this challenging and rewarding breed en-gb © NeoOwners.com. Register, login, contribute and keep it clean. Admins do not have time to babysit. Play nice or leave. admin@nospam.com (Admin) admin@nospam.com (Admin) Sat, 19 May 2012 16:02:06 -0500 Sat, 19 May 2012 16:02:06 -0500 http://backend.userland.com/rss e107 (http://e107.org) hourly 1 60 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.124.1
Although ticks, mosquitos, fleas and other pests are around every year, this year they are out in greater force. The warmer temperatures have brought about an increase activity and population of mosquitos and ticks. These pests are carriers of parasitic diseases which can adversely affect a dog's health and can be expensive to medically treat.

•Mosquito bites can transmit heartworm. To learn more about prevention and treatment of heartworm read in our article: Heartworm: How one mosquito bite can kill your dog.
•Tick bites can lead to a host of different tick-borne illnesses. Lyme disease is one of the more serious conditions, so it is important that dogs be checked regularly for ticks, especially when they go into long grass and wooded areas where ticks live. To learn more about symptoms, treatment and prevention of Lyme disease read our article: Canine Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention.
•Fleas are not only annoying, if they infest a dog they can cause anemia and skin rashes.

Talk to your vet about the best preventative treatment options for your dog. All flea and tick products are considered pesticides and should always be used as instructed.

The video below from Health Canada outlines usage of preventative products, ways to prevent misuse and how to report any potential adverse side effects that may come from using these products.

No matter where you live, if you notice your pet reacting badly just after you apply a tick and/or flea medication, contact your veterinarian right away as your dog may be having a reaction to the product. You can also report the incident to your vet and the manufacturer, who are obligated to file a report.

It's important to note that adverse drug reactions will not occur the majority of times they are used. Therefore, their potential benefits in preventing serious illnesses in your dog outweigh the risks of not using them.

To watch video follow http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/posts/1117-veterinarians-warn-dog-owners-to-start-parasite-prevention-early bottom of page.
[Submitted by jessica]]]>
Although ticks, mosquitos, fleas and other pests are around every year, this year they are out in greater force. The warmer temperatures have brought about an increase activity and population of mosquitos and ticks. These pests are carriers of parasitic diseases which can adversely affect a dog's health and can be expensive to medically treat.

•Mosquito bites can transmit heartworm. To learn more about prevention and treatment of heartworm read in our article: Heartworm: How one mosquito bite can kill your dog.
•Tick bites can lead to a host of different tick-borne illnesses. Lyme disease is one of the more serious conditions, so it is important that dogs be checked regularly for ticks, especially when they go into long grass and wooded areas where ticks live. To learn more about symptoms, treatment and prevention of Lyme disease read our article: Canine Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention.
•Fleas are not only annoying, if they infest a dog they can cause anemia and skin rashes.

Talk to your vet about the best preventative treatment options for your dog. All flea and tick products are considered pesticides and should always be used as instructed.

The video below from Health Canada outlines usage of preventative products, ways to prevent misuse and how to report any potential adverse side effects that may come from using these products.

No matter where you live, if you notice your pet reacting badly just after you apply a tick and/or flea medication, contact your veterinarian right away as your dog may be having a reaction to the product. You can also report the incident to your vet and the manufacturer, who are obligated to file a report.

It's important to note that adverse drug reactions will not occur the majority of times they are used. Therefore, their potential benefits in preventing serious illnesses in your dog outweigh the risks of not using them.

To watch video follow http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/posts/1117-veterinarians-warn-dog-owners-to-start-parasite-prevention-early bottom of page.
[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Fri, 11 May 2012 08:21:46 -0500 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.124.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.123.1

A passerby saw the pair around a half mile out and surrounded by water at the top of the bay and noticed White was struggling. Concerned that the fast-incoming tide would sweep the man and his dog out to sea, the onlooker notified the Walney Coastguard.

When Walney Coastguard arrived at the beach they could see some objects in the water, which they thought might be seals or rocks. They could not be certain it was a man and a dog. When they got closer they spotted Starlight. She was recovered into their boat, but she kept on trying to get back into the water. That's when rescuers were certain the other object further out was Starlight's owner.

They got out to White and rescued him from the water. By the time they got to him, he was semi-conscious and face down in about seven feet of water. White and Starlight were taken to shore and White was airlifted by helicopter to hospital. Starlight was taken care of by police temporarily while White recovered.

"The dog was OK, she was a bit frightened and it took us a while to get hold of her and calm her down. But if she hadn't alerted us to her owner, things might have been very different," said Dennis Laird, a Walney Coastguard spokesman.

Laird said: "This was one very lucky man, with three fortunate points working in his favour. Firstly, it was very opportune that he was spotted by the first informant; secondly, his dog wanting to go back in the water suggested that the other of the two objects visible was indeed a person and not a rock or seal as was first thought; and thirdly, to survive for over an hour in water that is still very cold at this time of year is incredible."

Colin White later told his rescuers he had injured his knee while out walking with Starlight on the beach. The surf came in around him as he struggled to get back to shore. "After being pushed under a fourth time I said to myself, 'I can’t fight any longer’. I’d ordered Starlight back to shore - little did I know she was still with me and helped to save my life," said White.

[Submitted by jessica]]]>

A passerby saw the pair around a half mile out and surrounded by water at the top of the bay and noticed White was struggling. Concerned that the fast-incoming tide would sweep the man and his dog out to sea, the onlooker notified the Walney Coastguard.

When Walney Coastguard arrived at the beach they could see some objects in the water, which they thought might be seals or rocks. They could not be certain it was a man and a dog. When they got closer they spotted Starlight. She was recovered into their boat, but she kept on trying to get back into the water. That's when rescuers were certain the other object further out was Starlight's owner.

They got out to White and rescued him from the water. By the time they got to him, he was semi-conscious and face down in about seven feet of water. White and Starlight were taken to shore and White was airlifted by helicopter to hospital. Starlight was taken care of by police temporarily while White recovered.

"The dog was OK, she was a bit frightened and it took us a while to get hold of her and calm her down. But if she hadn't alerted us to her owner, things might have been very different," said Dennis Laird, a Walney Coastguard spokesman.

Laird said: "This was one very lucky man, with three fortunate points working in his favour. Firstly, it was very opportune that he was spotted by the first informant; secondly, his dog wanting to go back in the water suggested that the other of the two objects visible was indeed a person and not a rock or seal as was first thought; and thirdly, to survive for over an hour in water that is still very cold at this time of year is incredible."

Colin White later told his rescuers he had injured his knee while out walking with Starlight on the beach. The surf came in around him as he struggled to get back to shore. "After being pushed under a fourth time I said to myself, 'I can’t fight any longer’. I’d ordered Starlight back to shore - little did I know she was still with me and helped to save my life," said White.

[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Mon, 07 May 2012 03:17:18 -0500 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.123.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.122.1
In an effort to collect information which might help prevent future tragedies, I reached out to a woman who has been in law enforcement for the past fourteen years. Her name is Cheryl Goede and she not only has firsthand insight as a police officer, but she is also an experienced dog owner.

Cheryl collaborated with her husband, Kevin, who has 20 years of law enforcement background in addition to being a dog trainer, and Cindy Earnshaw, a journalist and former LEO/Animal Control officer.

Together, this threesome came up with a plethora of knowledge to share with all dog owners. The following information was written by Cheryl and should be shared with all dog owners.


Before sharing Cheryl's information, I would like to add my own two cents.

Always err on the side of caution with your dogs. Assume the worst. Assume that the officers you encounter may be fearful of dogs. Assume that your otherwise friendly dog may react badly to uniformed strangers. Assume that law enforcement may choose to use deadly force if they feel threatened in any way.


These assumptions, which may seem overly "negative", just might help protect your dog from a fate like Cisco's, or the senior Golden Retriever, Boomer.

Now, for Cheryl Goede's words of wisdom.


If people know that the police are coming, then every effort should be made to make sure that the dogs are restrained in such a manner that they won't be able to escape. Even if you think that nothing will happen and that your dog is friendly and will not charge the officer, bark at them, etc., always expect the unexpected. Things can happen and circumstances can change in the blink of an eye. So always always restrain your dogs.

Do not EVER allow your dogs to roam your neighborhood. If your dog is unrestrained and the police come to your home unexpectedly and the officer asks you to restrain your dog, do so immediately.

USE YOUR VOICE to alert the officer to your dog's NAME and loudly announce "Let me put up my dog, I am putting up my dog!" If the officer is not comfortable with the method of you restraining your dog (a dog on a retractable leash or the dog is jumping up on the fence after being placed in the backyard) and there is a chance that it is making the officer uncomfortable, immediately offer to restrain your dog further.

When you see officers in the vicinity of your home and your dog is outside, ESPECIALLY if they appear to be searching for someone/something, bring your dog inside. If it looks as though police are actively going into yards to search, don't think "I'll help the police out" and let your dog OUT, keep them in until police presence is gone. It is also a good idea put signs on your fence to indicate that there are dogs at the house and possibly in the backyard, so that officers are not taken by surprise if they are searching for someone and jump the fence to find there are dogs there. If both the officer and the dog are taken by surprise, that would put them in all in a position of defense….not good.

Do what you can to discourage your dog's excitement towards any officer or other official who is in your presence. Never tempt fate by encouraging your dog's excitement towards the officer. Dogs react differently to people in uniform, and they can and may behave in an unexpected manner.

It is imperative to remember that the legal default presumption is always that the dog owners are ultimately wholly responsible for the welfare and control of their canines.

If an officer does what was allegedly reported by the owner of Cisco, file a lawsuit against the officer, the police department, and the municipality. Under certain circumstances and under local law, it may be appropriate to file charges of animal cruelty/abuse against the officer. I don't think there was really anything his owner could have said or done in order to prevent the shooting, other than what he already did, due to the fact that the officer was pointing a gun at him and basically telling him not to move.

Kevin is hoping to create a course to help educate law enforcement officials about better communication with pet owners. He also hopes to teach law enforcement about how to read a dog's body language. If you are interested in learning more about Kevin's dog training and would like to weigh in on ideas for an educational course for law enforcement, please click here.


Continue reading on Examiner.com A police officer shares insight on keeping your dog safe from law enforcement - National Dogs | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/article/a-police-officer-offers-insight-on-keeping-your-dog-safe-from-law-enforcement#ixzz1sy8UwmpT
[Submitted by jessica]]]>
In an effort to collect information which might help prevent future tragedies, I reached out to a woman who has been in law enforcement for the past fourteen years. Her name is Cheryl Goede and she not only has firsthand insight as a police officer, but she is also an experienced dog owner.

Cheryl collaborated with her husband, Kevin, who has 20 years of law enforcement background in addition to being a dog trainer, and Cindy Earnshaw, a journalist and former LEO/Animal Control officer.

Together, this threesome came up with a plethora of knowledge to share with all dog owners. The following information was written by Cheryl and should be shared with all dog owners.


Before sharing Cheryl's information, I would like to add my own two cents.

Always err on the side of caution with your dogs. Assume the worst. Assume that the officers you encounter may be fearful of dogs. Assume that your otherwise friendly dog may react badly to uniformed strangers. Assume that law enforcement may choose to use deadly force if they feel threatened in any way.


These assumptions, which may seem overly "negative", just might help protect your dog from a fate like Cisco's, or the senior Golden Retriever, Boomer.

Now, for Cheryl Goede's words of wisdom.


If people know that the police are coming, then every effort should be made to make sure that the dogs are restrained in such a manner that they won't be able to escape. Even if you think that nothing will happen and that your dog is friendly and will not charge the officer, bark at them, etc., always expect the unexpected. Things can happen and circumstances can change in the blink of an eye. So always always restrain your dogs.

Do not EVER allow your dogs to roam your neighborhood. If your dog is unrestrained and the police come to your home unexpectedly and the officer asks you to restrain your dog, do so immediately.

USE YOUR VOICE to alert the officer to your dog's NAME and loudly announce "Let me put up my dog, I am putting up my dog!" If the officer is not comfortable with the method of you restraining your dog (a dog on a retractable leash or the dog is jumping up on the fence after being placed in the backyard) and there is a chance that it is making the officer uncomfortable, immediately offer to restrain your dog further.

When you see officers in the vicinity of your home and your dog is outside, ESPECIALLY if they appear to be searching for someone/something, bring your dog inside. If it looks as though police are actively going into yards to search, don't think "I'll help the police out" and let your dog OUT, keep them in until police presence is gone. It is also a good idea put signs on your fence to indicate that there are dogs at the house and possibly in the backyard, so that officers are not taken by surprise if they are searching for someone and jump the fence to find there are dogs there. If both the officer and the dog are taken by surprise, that would put them in all in a position of defense….not good.

Do what you can to discourage your dog's excitement towards any officer or other official who is in your presence. Never tempt fate by encouraging your dog's excitement towards the officer. Dogs react differently to people in uniform, and they can and may behave in an unexpected manner.

It is imperative to remember that the legal default presumption is always that the dog owners are ultimately wholly responsible for the welfare and control of their canines.

If an officer does what was allegedly reported by the owner of Cisco, file a lawsuit against the officer, the police department, and the municipality. Under certain circumstances and under local law, it may be appropriate to file charges of animal cruelty/abuse against the officer. I don't think there was really anything his owner could have said or done in order to prevent the shooting, other than what he already did, due to the fact that the officer was pointing a gun at him and basically telling him not to move.

Kevin is hoping to create a course to help educate law enforcement officials about better communication with pet owners. He also hopes to teach law enforcement about how to read a dog's body language. If you are interested in learning more about Kevin's dog training and would like to weigh in on ideas for an educational course for law enforcement, please click here.


Continue reading on Examiner.com A police officer shares insight on keeping your dog safe from law enforcement - National Dogs | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/article/a-police-officer-offers-insight-on-keeping-your-dog-safe-from-law-enforcement#ixzz1sy8UwmpT
[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:42:32 -0500 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.122.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.121.1
Veterinarians believe canine influenza, also known as dog flu, swept through kennels at the Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque, Texas.

Racing at the park was canceled so the dogs can rest.

"We have canceled live racing for the rest of the week. We'll make a decision at the end of the week, make sure a relapse does not occur," General Manager Sally Briggs said Wednesday.


Briggs said that over the past few weeks, more than 80 dogs got sick with what is believed to be the dog flu.

"Coughing, throwing up, some had a fever, some had a high fever. There's, like, between 60 [to] 68 Greyhounds in each kennel, and we have 10 kennels. That's a lot of dogs. More than 80 had it but recuperated very quickly," Briggs said.

But six of the youngest Greyhounds were not so lucky.

"One thing led to another, evidently. It's very contagious. Some had low resistance, and we did have some that passed away," Briggs said.

The rest of the dogs at Gulf Greyhound Park now are doing well -- and could be back on the track as early as Sunday.

Now the Humane Society of Houston is warning pet owners to look for symptoms in their own dogs. Its Monica Schmidt said that the symptoms are just like those with the human flu.

"If you have a lethargic animal that's not eating or drinking, as well as maybe a cough, you want to worry when it's multiple symptoms together," Schmidt said, adding it also spreads like the human flu.

"Sneezing, coughing, direct nose to nose [contact], playing with a toy, drinking out of same water bowl [can transfer the flu]," Schmidt said.

The only protection is the dog flu vaccine.

Dog owners were warned if they noticed any flu-like symptoms in their dog to take them to a vet immediately for antibiotics and the vaccine and not to take their dog to the park or doggie daycare.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/12/dog-flu-sweeps-texas-racetrack-pet-owners-warned-to-look-for-symptoms/#ixzz1sD3ZwdzU
[Submitted by jessica]]]>
Veterinarians believe canine influenza, also known as dog flu, swept through kennels at the Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque, Texas.

Racing at the park was canceled so the dogs can rest.

"We have canceled live racing for the rest of the week. We'll make a decision at the end of the week, make sure a relapse does not occur," General Manager Sally Briggs said Wednesday.


Briggs said that over the past few weeks, more than 80 dogs got sick with what is believed to be the dog flu.

"Coughing, throwing up, some had a fever, some had a high fever. There's, like, between 60 [to] 68 Greyhounds in each kennel, and we have 10 kennels. That's a lot of dogs. More than 80 had it but recuperated very quickly," Briggs said.

But six of the youngest Greyhounds were not so lucky.

"One thing led to another, evidently. It's very contagious. Some had low resistance, and we did have some that passed away," Briggs said.

The rest of the dogs at Gulf Greyhound Park now are doing well -- and could be back on the track as early as Sunday.

Now the Humane Society of Houston is warning pet owners to look for symptoms in their own dogs. Its Monica Schmidt said that the symptoms are just like those with the human flu.

"If you have a lethargic animal that's not eating or drinking, as well as maybe a cough, you want to worry when it's multiple symptoms together," Schmidt said, adding it also spreads like the human flu.

"Sneezing, coughing, direct nose to nose [contact], playing with a toy, drinking out of same water bowl [can transfer the flu]," Schmidt said.

The only protection is the dog flu vaccine.

Dog owners were warned if they noticed any flu-like symptoms in their dog to take them to a vet immediately for antibiotics and the vaccine and not to take their dog to the park or doggie daycare.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/12/dog-flu-sweeps-texas-racetrack-pet-owners-warned-to-look-for-symptoms/#ixzz1sD3ZwdzU
[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:44:35 -0500 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.121.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.120.1
In researching an entirely different article, I came across evidence the authorities in the Ukraine – co-hosts of this year’s Euro 2012 tournament – have been destroying stray dogs in their tens of thousands in some particularly shocking ways, to ensure their cities are ‘cleaned up’ in time for the tournament.

And despite protests by German national team players Mesut Özil, Lukas Podolski, Thomas Müller, Miroslav Klose and Toni Kroos as well as supporters of Germany and PETA, dogs are still being poisoned, killed and destroyed in a mobile crematorium or thrown into pits in the Ukraine.


UEFA are turning a blind eye to it. Worse still, it’s their money which is funding the killing of these animals in a most barbaric way. PETA estimated last November 20,000 strays had by then been destroyed in Kiev alone.

The Ukrainian authorities have been destroying animals since 2009 by shooting them in the street, poisoning them, or many other violent and cruel ways. The poisons used inflict a slow and painful death, leaving the animals dying in their own vomit while convulsing on the floor. Their bodies are then thrown into holes in the ground, dumped in waste disposal bags, incinerated or burned in a mobile incinerator bought solely for the purpose of the upcoming European Championships.

Many animals are still alive when being thrown into the incinerator. Videos of petrified strays being thrown into rubbish collection vehicles squealing in pain as they’re crushed in the metal compactors, and weeks-old pups being dumped into mass graves – alive – have been spread across the internet after being featured on English-speaking news station Russia Today and other outlets. I’ve seen a number of them. They’re disturbing, sickening and absolutely unnecessary.

Here is a video from Russia Today from last October. You may find some of the images disturbing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lkv_L3uWgr4

Ukraine’s denial

Ukrainian authorities have stated they would prosecute anyone found to be killing stray animals inhumanely and deny any knowledge they back the inhumane killings. Yet they still carry on.

UEFA provided 8,000 Euros twice towards animal sterilisation programmes in the Ukraine. A token payment, given the Ukrainian authorities paid 20,000 Euros for the mobile cremation van mentioned above.

People don’t invest in guns, poisons and furnace equipment to kill dogs for fun. The groups driving around the Ukraine’s cities killing these animals are doing so because they are being paid by the Ukrainian authorities. Images in December revealed even sterilised stray animals are being destroyed by these state-funded death gangs (Dogs sterilised by animal charities are given red collars to ensure they’re easily recognisable).

What’s worse is the Ukraine’s investment in these killings will be footed by UEFA, but denies it can do anything about the situation because it is not directly related to football.

UEFA funded animal cruelty

The very fact that an estimated 150-250,000 animals will be slaughtered simply to host half of a football tournament IS directly related to UEFA. Germany’s top footballers have led the way by expressing their disgust in what is happening to Ukraine’s stray dog population, yet UEFA choose to ignore their pleas and turn a blind eye to blatant animal cruelty.

Quite simply, the Ukraine has opted to kill these animals in a most disgusting manner which will not only cause unnecessary pain and suffering to them now, but won’t solve the stray animal population problems long after the final whistle is blown this summer.

UEFA’s denial of any wrongdoing is simply complete garbage – they could easily step in at any point and ensure their tournament is being run in a country where animal rights laws are adhered to.

They’re not.

Animal charities across the globe have offered their assistance in providing the only proven method of reducing stray animals. Clearly the need to destroy thousands of animals before the arrival of Europe’s flagship international tournament however, was worth more to Ukraine than a long-term, humane programme.

In football’s name?

Surely the benefits of hosting a major tournament are supposed to be lasting and long term for the host nations? As well as stadia and infrastructure, football tournaments are supposed to provide lasting legacies for nations.

Why can’t a neuter and spay programme for the pets of the nation be the long term legacy for their dog and cat populations, like it is here?

In this case, the only legacy is a nation willing to break European laws in terms of animal cruelty and our European football governing body sitting back and doing nothing, while tens of thousands of animals die cruel and painful deaths.

PETA have a petition. I urge all football fans and dog lovers to sign it. You can do so at the following link, and share it on social networks for your friends to sign too. http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3029249

Hacktivist group Anonymous have also thrown their weight behind this brutal practice. Lets hope something can be done before any more animals suffer. Sadly as the South African World Cup proved when evicting people from their homes to make way for stadiums, and stray animal killings in Greece for their European Championships, profit comes first for football’s governing bodies.


[Submitted by jessica]]]>
In researching an entirely different article, I came across evidence the authorities in the Ukraine – co-hosts of this year’s Euro 2012 tournament – have been destroying stray dogs in their tens of thousands in some particularly shocking ways, to ensure their cities are ‘cleaned up’ in time for the tournament.

And despite protests by German national team players Mesut Özil, Lukas Podolski, Thomas Müller, Miroslav Klose and Toni Kroos as well as supporters of Germany and PETA, dogs are still being poisoned, killed and destroyed in a mobile crematorium or thrown into pits in the Ukraine.


UEFA are turning a blind eye to it. Worse still, it’s their money which is funding the killing of these animals in a most barbaric way. PETA estimated last November 20,000 strays had by then been destroyed in Kiev alone.

The Ukrainian authorities have been destroying animals since 2009 by shooting them in the street, poisoning them, or many other violent and cruel ways. The poisons used inflict a slow and painful death, leaving the animals dying in their own vomit while convulsing on the floor. Their bodies are then thrown into holes in the ground, dumped in waste disposal bags, incinerated or burned in a mobile incinerator bought solely for the purpose of the upcoming European Championships.

Many animals are still alive when being thrown into the incinerator. Videos of petrified strays being thrown into rubbish collection vehicles squealing in pain as they’re crushed in the metal compactors, and weeks-old pups being dumped into mass graves – alive – have been spread across the internet after being featured on English-speaking news station Russia Today and other outlets. I’ve seen a number of them. They’re disturbing, sickening and absolutely unnecessary.

Here is a video from Russia Today from last October. You may find some of the images disturbing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lkv_L3uWgr4

Ukraine’s denial

Ukrainian authorities have stated they would prosecute anyone found to be killing stray animals inhumanely and deny any knowledge they back the inhumane killings. Yet they still carry on.

UEFA provided 8,000 Euros twice towards animal sterilisation programmes in the Ukraine. A token payment, given the Ukrainian authorities paid 20,000 Euros for the mobile cremation van mentioned above.

People don’t invest in guns, poisons and furnace equipment to kill dogs for fun. The groups driving around the Ukraine’s cities killing these animals are doing so because they are being paid by the Ukrainian authorities. Images in December revealed even sterilised stray animals are being destroyed by these state-funded death gangs (Dogs sterilised by animal charities are given red collars to ensure they’re easily recognisable).

What’s worse is the Ukraine’s investment in these killings will be footed by UEFA, but denies it can do anything about the situation because it is not directly related to football.

UEFA funded animal cruelty

The very fact that an estimated 150-250,000 animals will be slaughtered simply to host half of a football tournament IS directly related to UEFA. Germany’s top footballers have led the way by expressing their disgust in what is happening to Ukraine’s stray dog population, yet UEFA choose to ignore their pleas and turn a blind eye to blatant animal cruelty.

Quite simply, the Ukraine has opted to kill these animals in a most disgusting manner which will not only cause unnecessary pain and suffering to them now, but won’t solve the stray animal population problems long after the final whistle is blown this summer.

UEFA’s denial of any wrongdoing is simply complete garbage – they could easily step in at any point and ensure their tournament is being run in a country where animal rights laws are adhered to.

They’re not.

Animal charities across the globe have offered their assistance in providing the only proven method of reducing stray animals. Clearly the need to destroy thousands of animals before the arrival of Europe’s flagship international tournament however, was worth more to Ukraine than a long-term, humane programme.

In football’s name?

Surely the benefits of hosting a major tournament are supposed to be lasting and long term for the host nations? As well as stadia and infrastructure, football tournaments are supposed to provide lasting legacies for nations.

Why can’t a neuter and spay programme for the pets of the nation be the long term legacy for their dog and cat populations, like it is here?

In this case, the only legacy is a nation willing to break European laws in terms of animal cruelty and our European football governing body sitting back and doing nothing, while tens of thousands of animals die cruel and painful deaths.

PETA have a petition. I urge all football fans and dog lovers to sign it. You can do so at the following link, and share it on social networks for your friends to sign too. http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/3029249

Hacktivist group Anonymous have also thrown their weight behind this brutal practice. Lets hope something can be done before any more animals suffer. Sadly as the South African World Cup proved when evicting people from their homes to make way for stadiums, and stray animal killings in Greece for their European Championships, profit comes first for football’s governing bodies.


[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:01:29 -0500 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.120.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.119.1
We deal with genetic disease every day in our practice in pure-bred, cross-bred, and mixed-breed dogs and cats. There is a general misconception that mixed-breed dogs and cats are inherently free of genetic disease. This may be true for the rare breed-related disorders; but the common genetic diseases that are seen across all breeds are seen with the same frequency in mixed-breed dogs and cats.

There are a growing number of breed-specific genetic tests available for pure-bred dogs.

How many old mixed-breed dogs do you have on NSAIDs versus pure-bred dogs? There is no difference genetically between an old pure-bred dog with hip arthritis and an old mixed breed dog with hip arthritis. They both have hip dysplasia. The pure-bred dog may have received the label many years earlier due to early age screening, but the disease process is the same. We genetically counsel owners of large-breed puppies to feed lower calorie foods to provide for a slower, more uniform growth rate that does not contribute to the development of hip dysplasia.

Autoimmune thyroiditis is the cause of primary hypothyroidism in dogs. The phenotypic test to identify affected dogs is thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA).1 Based on thyroid profiles run at the Michigan State University DCPAH, 10.7% of 55,053 mixed breed dogs tested affected for autoimmune thyroiditis. The average frequency of affected in pure-bred dogs is 7.5%.

Mixed-breed dogs often receive health tests only after they have started showing symptoms of illness.

This does not mean that mixed breed dogs are more prone to autoimmune thyroiditis. They are more likely being tested due to clinical signs, while a percentage of pure-bred dogs are undergoing pre-breeding screening. However, these results show us that this hereditary disorder is seen frequently in both pure-bred and mixed-breed dogs.

As discussed in the previous hour, the most common feline hereditary disease is feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD or FUS). This, and feline diabetes are seen most frequently in mixed-breed cats, though some pure breeds have an increased prevalence.2 Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is also occasionally seen in clinical practice in mixed-breed cats with Persian or Himalayan ancestry.

Breed-specific genetic diseases tend not to spill out into the mixed-breed populations. Exceptions to this however, are ancient mutations that occurred before the separation of breeds. These disease-causing genes mutated so long ago, that the mutation (and its associated disease) is found in evolutionary divergent breeds.

The same ancestral autosomal recessive mutation for the progressive rod cone degeneration (prcd) form of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is found in the American Cocker Spaniel, American Eskimo Dog, Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chinese Crested Dog, English Cocker Spaniel, Entelbucher Mountain Dog, Finnish Lapphund, Golden Retriever, Kuvasz, Labrador Retriever, Lapponian Herder, Norwegian Elkhound, Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retriever, Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, Silky Terrier, Spanish Water Dog, Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog Swedish Lapphund, and Yorkshire Terrier.3 This list continues to grow as more breeds are discovered with the same defective gene. The question is not, "Which breeds carried this defective gene during their development", but "Which breeds did not lose this defective gene during ancestral development."

It is also not surprising that prcd-PRA affected dogs (who must receive the defective gene from both parents) have been identified in Labradoodles (Labrador Retriever x Poodle crosses), Goldendoodles (Golden Retriever x Poodle crosses) and Cockapoos (Cocker Spaniel x Poodle crosses).

Collie eye anomaly is another disease caused by an ancestral mutation that preceded the differentiation of breeds. The same causative mutation for choroidal hypoplasia has been molecularly identified in the Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Boykin Spaniel, Lancashire Heeler, Longhaired Whippet/ Silken Windhound, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, and Smooth Collie.

The most common hereditary diseases occur across all pure-bred, mixed breed, and designer bred dogs. These include cancer, eye disease, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, heart disease, autoimmune disease, allergies, patellar luxation, and elbow dysplasia. Labradoodles are being diagnosed with hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and inherited Addison’s disease; all recognized disorders in both parent breeds.

The production of designer breeds – planned crosses between two breeds to produce offspring has become a growing trend in commercial dog breeding. Puggles, Yorkipoos, Cavishons, and Labradoodles, to name a few are all coming into our clinics. Owners believe that these pets will be genetically healthy because they are cross-bred. As we treat these patients, we know that this is not the case.

Therefore, the discussion is no longer between pure-bred and cross-bred, but between purposely-bred and random-bred dogs and cats. There is not much that we can do about genetic transmission in randomly bred animals, but for purposely bred animals, breeders must use due diligence to prevent inherited disease. Responsible breeders perform genetic testing of parent breeding stock for breed-susceptible disorders.

Official test results should be made available to prospective breeders, and the pet and breeding-stock purchasing public. This is facilitated through open health databases and genetic registries. It doesn’t matter whether a breeder is a large commercial breeder, or only breeds once. It is no longer acceptable to say that genetic disease "just happens.” In today’s environment, not testing for documented breed-related hereditary diseases is irresponsible and unethical breeding.

OUR ROLE WITH GENETIC REGISTRIES

There are several genetic registries that have been established to assist breeders and owners with genetic disease control. The Canine Eye Registry Foundation or CERF (www.vmdb.org/cerf.html) is a closed database showing only normal eye examination results by ACVO boarded veterinarians. The not-for profit Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA: www.offa.org) has semi-open registries for hip dysplasia & Legg-Perthes disease, elbow dysplasia, autoimmune thyroiditis, congenital cardiac disease, patella luxation, deafness, and several other genetic disorders. In addition, all normal CERF examination results are automatically sent to, and included in the OFA database. Some of the Optigen (www.Optigen.com) tests, if contracted by the parent club, are also automatically sent to CERF and OFA for inclusion in their databases.

It is only through the open reporting of affected dogs and cats that knowledge of disease risk can be identified through the test results or health status of close relatives. It is important that as veterinarians we encourage open reporting of health results by counseling breeders to initial the boxes for open disclosure of test results on the OFA submission forms. For many breeds of dogs tracking hip dysplasia for example, over one-third of the applicants check the box on the OFA form for open reporting.

The days of stigmatizing conscientious, health-testing breeders who have produced dogs or cats with hereditary disease are gone. No one wants to produce affected offspring from their matings, and no one should be blamed if this occurs (unless the breeder is not doing the recommended health testing). It should be everyone’s goal to produce healthy offspring, but this is not possible if the only available health information is about normal dogs and cats, but not abnormal dogs and cats.

The Canine Health Information Center or CHIC (www.caninehealthinfo.org) is a portal into the OFA health database that has been established by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. National parent clubs determine the testable genetic disorders for their breed. (For example: hip evaluation, CERF examination, and thyroid testing.) Owners and breeders can search online for dogs and view their test results. If a dog completes the recommended testing panel, it receives a CHIC number regardless of whether it passes all of the tests. CHIC is about health consciousness, not health perfection. As more testable disorders are identified, few dogs will be normal for all tests. A similar listing of tests is not currently available for cats, however breed related diseases are found on the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB-UK) website: www.fabcats.org/breeders/inherited_disorders.

If a client is contemplating breeding their dog or cat, they can look up the recommended genetic tests to perform in their breed. Veterinarians can also assist prospective breeders by looking up and discussing the genetic disorders, recommended genetic tests, and appropriate age for testing. Prospective breeding dogs and cats (in either pure or cross-breeding) can be researched, and their genetic test results, as well as that of their close relatives can be studied.

Open registries require an atmosphere of cooperation and understanding between breeders, for the benefit of the breed. Breeding practices do not cause defective genes. If breeders are reluctant to identify affected individuals, then the usefulness of open registries will be limited.

Breeders are the custodians of their breed's past and future. "Above all, do no harm" is a primary oath of all medical professionals. Genetic tests are powerful tools, and their use can cause significant positive or negative changes. Breeders should be counseled on how to best utilize test results for the best interests of the breed. Breeders, veterinarians, and breed organizations must educate the general public of the need to check for verification of health testing results prior to their purchasing a dog or cat. As this happens, the overall genetic health of purposely-bred dogs and cats will improve.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article appears in the proceedings of the 2012 Western Veterinary Conference, which took place February 19-23, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been reprinted with permission from the author.

REFERENCES

1. Nachreiner RF, Refsal KR, Graham PA, et. al.: Prevalence of serum thyroid hormone autoantibodies in dogs with clinical signs of hypothyroidism. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 Feb 15;220(4):466-71.

2. Lederer R, Rand JS, Jonsson NN, et. al.: Frequency of feline diabetes mellitus and breed predisposition in domestic cats in Australia. Vet J. 2007 Dec 20.

3. Goldstein O, Zangerl B, Pearce-Kelling S, et. al.: Linkage disequilibrium mapping in domestic dog breeds narrows the progressive rod-cone degeneration interval and identifies ancestral disease-transmitting chromosome. Genomics. 2006 Nov;88(5):541-50.

4. Parker HG, Kukekova AV, Akey DT, et. al.: Breed relationships facilitate fine-mapping studies: a 7.8-kb deletion cosegregates with Collie eye anomaly across multiple dog breeds. Genome Res. 2007 Nov;17(11):1562-71.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About The Author



Jerold S. Bell, DVM - Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Jerold S. Bell DVM is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Clinical Veterinary Genetics Course for the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. His full biography can be found at the AKC Canine Health Foundation website, where he serves on the President’s Council.

http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/article/the-clinical-truths-about-pure-breeds-mixed-breeds-and-designer-breeds
[Submitted by jessica]]]>
We deal with genetic disease every day in our practice in pure-bred, cross-bred, and mixed-breed dogs and cats. There is a general misconception that mixed-breed dogs and cats are inherently free of genetic disease. This may be true for the rare breed-related disorders; but the common genetic diseases that are seen across all breeds are seen with the same frequency in mixed-breed dogs and cats.

There are a growing number of breed-specific genetic tests available for pure-bred dogs.

How many old mixed-breed dogs do you have on NSAIDs versus pure-bred dogs? There is no difference genetically between an old pure-bred dog with hip arthritis and an old mixed breed dog with hip arthritis. They both have hip dysplasia. The pure-bred dog may have received the label many years earlier due to early age screening, but the disease process is the same. We genetically counsel owners of large-breed puppies to feed lower calorie foods to provide for a slower, more uniform growth rate that does not contribute to the development of hip dysplasia.

Autoimmune thyroiditis is the cause of primary hypothyroidism in dogs. The phenotypic test to identify affected dogs is thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA).1 Based on thyroid profiles run at the Michigan State University DCPAH, 10.7% of 55,053 mixed breed dogs tested affected for autoimmune thyroiditis. The average frequency of affected in pure-bred dogs is 7.5%.

Mixed-breed dogs often receive health tests only after they have started showing symptoms of illness.

This does not mean that mixed breed dogs are more prone to autoimmune thyroiditis. They are more likely being tested due to clinical signs, while a percentage of pure-bred dogs are undergoing pre-breeding screening. However, these results show us that this hereditary disorder is seen frequently in both pure-bred and mixed-breed dogs.

As discussed in the previous hour, the most common feline hereditary disease is feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD or FUS). This, and feline diabetes are seen most frequently in mixed-breed cats, though some pure breeds have an increased prevalence.2 Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is also occasionally seen in clinical practice in mixed-breed cats with Persian or Himalayan ancestry.

Breed-specific genetic diseases tend not to spill out into the mixed-breed populations. Exceptions to this however, are ancient mutations that occurred before the separation of breeds. These disease-causing genes mutated so long ago, that the mutation (and its associated disease) is found in evolutionary divergent breeds.

The same ancestral autosomal recessive mutation for the progressive rod cone degeneration (prcd) form of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is found in the American Cocker Spaniel, American Eskimo Dog, Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chinese Crested Dog, English Cocker Spaniel, Entelbucher Mountain Dog, Finnish Lapphund, Golden Retriever, Kuvasz, Labrador Retriever, Lapponian Herder, Norwegian Elkhound, Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retriever, Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, Silky Terrier, Spanish Water Dog, Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog Swedish Lapphund, and Yorkshire Terrier.3 This list continues to grow as more breeds are discovered with the same defective gene. The question is not, "Which breeds carried this defective gene during their development", but "Which breeds did not lose this defective gene during ancestral development."

It is also not surprising that prcd-PRA affected dogs (who must receive the defective gene from both parents) have been identified in Labradoodles (Labrador Retriever x Poodle crosses), Goldendoodles (Golden Retriever x Poodle crosses) and Cockapoos (Cocker Spaniel x Poodle crosses).

Collie eye anomaly is another disease caused by an ancestral mutation that preceded the differentiation of breeds. The same causative mutation for choroidal hypoplasia has been molecularly identified in the Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Boykin Spaniel, Lancashire Heeler, Longhaired Whippet/ Silken Windhound, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, and Smooth Collie.

The most common hereditary diseases occur across all pure-bred, mixed breed, and designer bred dogs. These include cancer, eye disease, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, heart disease, autoimmune disease, allergies, patellar luxation, and elbow dysplasia. Labradoodles are being diagnosed with hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and inherited Addison’s disease; all recognized disorders in both parent breeds.

The production of designer breeds – planned crosses between two breeds to produce offspring has become a growing trend in commercial dog breeding. Puggles, Yorkipoos, Cavishons, and Labradoodles, to name a few are all coming into our clinics. Owners believe that these pets will be genetically healthy because they are cross-bred. As we treat these patients, we know that this is not the case.

Therefore, the discussion is no longer between pure-bred and cross-bred, but between purposely-bred and random-bred dogs and cats. There is not much that we can do about genetic transmission in randomly bred animals, but for purposely bred animals, breeders must use due diligence to prevent inherited disease. Responsible breeders perform genetic testing of parent breeding stock for breed-susceptible disorders.

Official test results should be made available to prospective breeders, and the pet and breeding-stock purchasing public. This is facilitated through open health databases and genetic registries. It doesn’t matter whether a breeder is a large commercial breeder, or only breeds once. It is no longer acceptable to say that genetic disease "just happens.” In today’s environment, not testing for documented breed-related hereditary diseases is irresponsible and unethical breeding.

OUR ROLE WITH GENETIC REGISTRIES

There are several genetic registries that have been established to assist breeders and owners with genetic disease control. The Canine Eye Registry Foundation or CERF (www.vmdb.org/cerf.html) is a closed database showing only normal eye examination results by ACVO boarded veterinarians. The not-for profit Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA: www.offa.org) has semi-open registries for hip dysplasia & Legg-Perthes disease, elbow dysplasia, autoimmune thyroiditis, congenital cardiac disease, patella luxation, deafness, and several other genetic disorders. In addition, all normal CERF examination results are automatically sent to, and included in the OFA database. Some of the Optigen (www.Optigen.com) tests, if contracted by the parent club, are also automatically sent to CERF and OFA for inclusion in their databases.

It is only through the open reporting of affected dogs and cats that knowledge of disease risk can be identified through the test results or health status of close relatives. It is important that as veterinarians we encourage open reporting of health results by counseling breeders to initial the boxes for open disclosure of test results on the OFA submission forms. For many breeds of dogs tracking hip dysplasia for example, over one-third of the applicants check the box on the OFA form for open reporting.

The days of stigmatizing conscientious, health-testing breeders who have produced dogs or cats with hereditary disease are gone. No one wants to produce affected offspring from their matings, and no one should be blamed if this occurs (unless the breeder is not doing the recommended health testing). It should be everyone’s goal to produce healthy offspring, but this is not possible if the only available health information is about normal dogs and cats, but not abnormal dogs and cats.

The Canine Health Information Center or CHIC (www.caninehealthinfo.org) is a portal into the OFA health database that has been established by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. National parent clubs determine the testable genetic disorders for their breed. (For example: hip evaluation, CERF examination, and thyroid testing.) Owners and breeders can search online for dogs and view their test results. If a dog completes the recommended testing panel, it receives a CHIC number regardless of whether it passes all of the tests. CHIC is about health consciousness, not health perfection. As more testable disorders are identified, few dogs will be normal for all tests. A similar listing of tests is not currently available for cats, however breed related diseases are found on the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB-UK) website: www.fabcats.org/breeders/inherited_disorders.

If a client is contemplating breeding their dog or cat, they can look up the recommended genetic tests to perform in their breed. Veterinarians can also assist prospective breeders by looking up and discussing the genetic disorders, recommended genetic tests, and appropriate age for testing. Prospective breeding dogs and cats (in either pure or cross-breeding) can be researched, and their genetic test results, as well as that of their close relatives can be studied.

Open registries require an atmosphere of cooperation and understanding between breeders, for the benefit of the breed. Breeding practices do not cause defective genes. If breeders are reluctant to identify affected individuals, then the usefulness of open registries will be limited.

Breeders are the custodians of their breed's past and future. "Above all, do no harm" is a primary oath of all medical professionals. Genetic tests are powerful tools, and their use can cause significant positive or negative changes. Breeders should be counseled on how to best utilize test results for the best interests of the breed. Breeders, veterinarians, and breed organizations must educate the general public of the need to check for verification of health testing results prior to their purchasing a dog or cat. As this happens, the overall genetic health of purposely-bred dogs and cats will improve.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article appears in the proceedings of the 2012 Western Veterinary Conference, which took place February 19-23, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been reprinted with permission from the author.

REFERENCES

1. Nachreiner RF, Refsal KR, Graham PA, et. al.: Prevalence of serum thyroid hormone autoantibodies in dogs with clinical signs of hypothyroidism. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 Feb 15;220(4):466-71.

2. Lederer R, Rand JS, Jonsson NN, et. al.: Frequency of feline diabetes mellitus and breed predisposition in domestic cats in Australia. Vet J. 2007 Dec 20.

3. Goldstein O, Zangerl B, Pearce-Kelling S, et. al.: Linkage disequilibrium mapping in domestic dog breeds narrows the progressive rod-cone degeneration interval and identifies ancestral disease-transmitting chromosome. Genomics. 2006 Nov;88(5):541-50.

4. Parker HG, Kukekova AV, Akey DT, et. al.: Breed relationships facilitate fine-mapping studies: a 7.8-kb deletion cosegregates with Collie eye anomaly across multiple dog breeds. Genome Res. 2007 Nov;17(11):1562-71.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About The Author



Jerold S. Bell, DVM - Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Jerold S. Bell DVM is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Clinical Veterinary Genetics Course for the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. His full biography can be found at the AKC Canine Health Foundation website, where he serves on the President’s Council.

http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/article/the-clinical-truths-about-pure-breeds-mixed-breeds-and-designer-breeds
[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:08:19 -0500 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.119.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.118.1 The animals played key roles on Sept. 11, 2001 and in other disasters. Now the therapy is part of the recovery process after years of heroic work.
Red's first assignment as a search, rescue and recovery dog was at the Pentagon following the 911 attacks.

Her handler, Heather Roche said "she handled it like a pro."
"She didn't care about the machinery, bobcats moving the debris and all the people and everybody in their Tyvek suits looking funny with the respirators, and she didn't mind any of it and went to work," Roche said.
Now the 911 hero is in bad shape. All those years of rescue work, and a 12-foot fall from a ladder, have taken a toll.
Arthritis forced her into retirement in July.
On Tuesday, the 12-year-old black Labrador received a breakthrough stem cell treatment to ease her pain and give her more mobility.
The procedure was performed by Dr. John Herrity at the Burke Animal Clinic, where he's done more than two dozen stem cell operations.
Medivet America developed the technology and donated the cost of the procedure.
The treatment won't enable Red to go back to work, but it is expected to put the spring back in her step and make her retirement more enjoyable.

[Submitted by jessica]]]> The animals played key roles on Sept. 11, 2001 and in other disasters. Now the therapy is part of the recovery process after years of heroic work.
Red's first assignment as a search, rescue and recovery dog was at the Pentagon following the 911 attacks.

Her handler, Heather Roche said "she handled it like a pro."
"She didn't care about the machinery, bobcats moving the debris and all the people and everybody in their Tyvek suits looking funny with the respirators, and she didn't mind any of it and went to work," Roche said.
Now the 911 hero is in bad shape. All those years of rescue work, and a 12-foot fall from a ladder, have taken a toll.
Arthritis forced her into retirement in July.
On Tuesday, the 12-year-old black Labrador received a breakthrough stem cell treatment to ease her pain and give her more mobility.
The procedure was performed by Dr. John Herrity at the Burke Animal Clinic, where he's done more than two dozen stem cell operations.
Medivet America developed the technology and donated the cost of the procedure.
The treatment won't enable Red to go back to work, but it is expected to put the spring back in her step and make her retirement more enjoyable.

[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:54:54 -0500 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.118.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.117.1 by Anne Ryman on Jan. 24, 2012

Dogs have been “man’s best friend” longer than any other animal. And, as it turns out, longer than previously thought.


A pair of research papers published in the past few years, one most recently by a team that includes the University of Arizona, significantly pushes back the timeline for domestication of dogs from about 14,000 years ago to more than 30,000 years ago.

Researchers at UA and universities in England and the Netherlands used radiocarbon dating to determine that the skull of a Siberian dog was about 33,000 years old. Slightly older dog remains were identified in Belgium a few years ago by a separate research team.

The two findings indicate the process of domestication was occurring in separate regions at a time when early humans, including Neanderthals, in Europe and Siberia were small-group hunter-gatherers. About 14,000 years ago, Neanderthals were gone and humans were more mobile, living and hunting in larger groups.

The latest study’s co-author, UA professor Gregory Hodgins, said the finding broadens the timeline of humans interacting with the natural world. While humans have depended on animals since the dawn of the human species, domestication of animals indicates a symbiotic relationship between the two.

“It suggests living in close quarters and some sort of emotional bond,” he said.

Scientists believe dogs are the oldest domesticated animal and descended from wolves.

To determine whether dogs were domesticated, researchers look for physical traits, such as shorter snouts, wider jaws and crowded teeth. Scientists theorize that humans perhaps showed a preference for wolves that were more social and looked less threatening. Over time, those behavioral and physical traits became more prevalent.

Before the most recent discoveries in Siberia and Belgium, the first signs of dog domestication appeared about 14,000 years ago. At some point, humans began relying on dogs for things like protection, hunting and companionship.

Dogs allowed humans to become a different, more effective predator, said Michael Barton, an Arizona State University anthropology professor who was not a co-author of either recent study. A dog’s keen sense of smell allowed humans to track animals better.

“They give us an edge,” he said.

Researchers don’t believe the Siberian or Belgian dogs are direct ancestors to today’s modern dogs. It’s likely these early lineages didn’t survive a period when the Earth’s ice sheets were at their thickest about 20,000 years ago.

Recent research indicates today’s modern dogs originated in the Middle East and East Asia.

The Siberian dog’s skull and jaw, found in a cave filled with other mammal bones, was analyzed at UA’s Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. The basement lab in the physics building has also analyzed such famous specimens as the Shroud of Turin and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The lab most recently analyzed the Voynich manuscript, a mysterious book that dates to the 15th century and is written in a language no one can understand.

Radiocarbon dating can take several weeks and uses a machine called an accelerator mass spectrometer, which measures the amount of carbon 14 in a sample. Carbon 14 is part of the environment and absorbed by plants through photosynthesis. An animal ingests carbon 14 when it eats plants or other animals, and when the animal dies, the amount of carbon 14 in its tissues drops over time at a predictable rate. Scientists measure the remaining amount of it in a sample and determine the age.

The UA research on dogs was published recently in Public Library of Science One, a peer-reviewed journal. The team included scientists in Russia, Canada, England and the Netherlands. Research on the Belgian dog was published in 2008 in the Journal of Archeological Science.

[Submitted by jessica]]]> by Anne Ryman on Jan. 24, 2012

Dogs have been “man’s best friend” longer than any other animal. And, as it turns out, longer than previously thought.


A pair of research papers published in the past few years, one most recently by a team that includes the University of Arizona, significantly pushes back the timeline for domestication of dogs from about 14,000 years ago to more than 30,000 years ago.

Researchers at UA and universities in England and the Netherlands used radiocarbon dating to determine that the skull of a Siberian dog was about 33,000 years old. Slightly older dog remains were identified in Belgium a few years ago by a separate research team.

The two findings indicate the process of domestication was occurring in separate regions at a time when early humans, including Neanderthals, in Europe and Siberia were small-group hunter-gatherers. About 14,000 years ago, Neanderthals were gone and humans were more mobile, living and hunting in larger groups.

The latest study’s co-author, UA professor Gregory Hodgins, said the finding broadens the timeline of humans interacting with the natural world. While humans have depended on animals since the dawn of the human species, domestication of animals indicates a symbiotic relationship between the two.

“It suggests living in close quarters and some sort of emotional bond,” he said.

Scientists believe dogs are the oldest domesticated animal and descended from wolves.

To determine whether dogs were domesticated, researchers look for physical traits, such as shorter snouts, wider jaws and crowded teeth. Scientists theorize that humans perhaps showed a preference for wolves that were more social and looked less threatening. Over time, those behavioral and physical traits became more prevalent.

Before the most recent discoveries in Siberia and Belgium, the first signs of dog domestication appeared about 14,000 years ago. At some point, humans began relying on dogs for things like protection, hunting and companionship.

Dogs allowed humans to become a different, more effective predator, said Michael Barton, an Arizona State University anthropology professor who was not a co-author of either recent study. A dog’s keen sense of smell allowed humans to track animals better.

“They give us an edge,” he said.

Researchers don’t believe the Siberian or Belgian dogs are direct ancestors to today’s modern dogs. It’s likely these early lineages didn’t survive a period when the Earth’s ice sheets were at their thickest about 20,000 years ago.

Recent research indicates today’s modern dogs originated in the Middle East and East Asia.

The Siberian dog’s skull and jaw, found in a cave filled with other mammal bones, was analyzed at UA’s Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. The basement lab in the physics building has also analyzed such famous specimens as the Shroud of Turin and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The lab most recently analyzed the Voynich manuscript, a mysterious book that dates to the 15th century and is written in a language no one can understand.

Radiocarbon dating can take several weeks and uses a machine called an accelerator mass spectrometer, which measures the amount of carbon 14 in a sample. Carbon 14 is part of the environment and absorbed by plants through photosynthesis. An animal ingests carbon 14 when it eats plants or other animals, and when the animal dies, the amount of carbon 14 in its tissues drops over time at a predictable rate. Scientists measure the remaining amount of it in a sample and determine the age.

The UA research on dogs was published recently in Public Library of Science One, a peer-reviewed journal. The team included scientists in Russia, Canada, England and the Netherlands. Research on the Belgian dog was published in 2008 in the Journal of Archeological Science.

[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:18:32 -0600 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.117.1 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.116.1
NEW YORK | Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:09pm EST

(Reuters) - Six new breeds of dogs, including Mexico's hairless Xoloitzcuintli, the Finnish Lapphund and the Norwegian Lundehund, will be competing in the 2012 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show next month.


They will join other newcomers, the Cesky Terrier, the American English Coonhound and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog, along with 179 other breeds and varieties vying to be named Best in Show on Feb 14 at the annual New York event that started in 1877 with 1,201 dogs.

This year's entries for the 136th show will be limited to 2,000 dogs.

"We will have at least two dogs in every breed, including the new ones," said David Frei, the Westminster Kennel Club's director of communications and USA Network host.

"New breed is a little bit of a misnomer because a lot of these breeds have been around for hundreds, or even thousands of years in some of the cases," he told Reuters.

Before being included in the show, the breed must meet American Kennel Club (AKC) rules including having sufficient numbers in the United States, a certain geographical distribution and a parent club that makes sure they are following responsible breeding practices and meet certain characteristics.

"It is really an AKC decision, not ours," Frei said, adding that in the past 23 years, more than 40 breeds have been added to the show.

Among the more striking newcomers is the Xololitzcuintli, the national dog of Mexico, which was previously known as the Mexican Hairless and comes in three sizes.

"These dogs are descended from hairless dogs prized by the Aztecs and revered as guardians of the dead. Over 400 years later, these dogs were still to be found in the Mexican jungles," according to the Westminster Kennel Club.

Xoloitzcuintli expert Amy Fernandez said the decision to include the breed is long overdue. She has been working to get them included for 28 years.

"It is an ancient dog and probably the oldest breed in North America and its history dates back about 3,000 years," she said. "It has been recognized in almost every country in the world for many years and the U.S. has been the only holdout."

Fernandez, who admitted that the hairless breed is not to everyone's taste, described the dogs as very watchful, sensitive and great with children.

But with such stiff competition Frei said the odds of a rookie taking the top prize are "pretty long."

"The shortest time between a breed competing at Westminster and winning best of show is 27 years," said Frei. "That was the Bichon Frise. It had its first year in 1974 and won best in show in 2001."

Last year's winner was a Scottish Deerhound named Hickory.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

[Submitted by jessica]]]>
NEW YORK | Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:09pm EST

(Reuters) - Six new breeds of dogs, including Mexico's hairless Xoloitzcuintli, the Finnish Lapphund and the Norwegian Lundehund, will be competing in the 2012 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show next month.


They will join other newcomers, the Cesky Terrier, the American English Coonhound and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog, along with 179 other breeds and varieties vying to be named Best in Show on Feb 14 at the annual New York event that started in 1877 with 1,201 dogs.

This year's entries for the 136th show will be limited to 2,000 dogs.

"We will have at least two dogs in every breed, including the new ones," said David Frei, the Westminster Kennel Club's director of communications and USA Network host.

"New breed is a little bit of a misnomer because a lot of these breeds have been around for hundreds, or even thousands of years in some of the cases," he told Reuters.

Before being included in the show, the breed must meet American Kennel Club (AKC) rules including having sufficient numbers in the United States, a certain geographical distribution and a parent club that makes sure they are following responsible breeding practices and meet certain characteristics.

"It is really an AKC decision, not ours," Frei said, adding that in the past 23 years, more than 40 breeds have been added to the show.

Among the more striking newcomers is the Xololitzcuintli, the national dog of Mexico, which was previously known as the Mexican Hairless and comes in three sizes.

"These dogs are descended from hairless dogs prized by the Aztecs and revered as guardians of the dead. Over 400 years later, these dogs were still to be found in the Mexican jungles," according to the Westminster Kennel Club.

Xoloitzcuintli expert Amy Fernandez said the decision to include the breed is long overdue. She has been working to get them included for 28 years.

"It is an ancient dog and probably the oldest breed in North America and its history dates back about 3,000 years," she said. "It has been recognized in almost every country in the world for many years and the U.S. has been the only holdout."

Fernandez, who admitted that the hairless breed is not to everyone's taste, described the dogs as very watchful, sensitive and great with children.

But with such stiff competition Frei said the odds of a rookie taking the top prize are "pretty long."

"The shortest time between a breed competing at Westminster and winning best of show is 27 years," said Frei. "That was the Bichon Frise. It had its first year in 1974 and won best in show in 2001."

Last year's winner was a Scottish Deerhound named Hickory.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

[Submitted by jessica]]]> News jessica Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:17:59 -0600 http://www.neoowners.com/news.php?item.116.1