My Friendly Pets

Whether you are a news geek like I am or just a casual observer and listener, no one can ignore the news of last week reminding the country that we have been at war in Iraq for 5 years. The stories of loved ones lost or injured are heartbreaking. However, there are a few good stories that come out of war and I will share one with you today.

In several entries, I have written about military dogs and the great job they do assisting our service personnel and the critical roles they serve. Check here to see a prior entry. However, not all of the dogs over in Iraq are military dogs. Chaos breeds chaos and for the many dogs that wander in Iraq, they often assume their own societal role out of the chaotic environment in which they live.

In the picture above is Marine Major Brian Dennis and a dog named Nubs. Major Dennis is a fighter pilot, but when given the opportunity to work on a ground operation trying to build up the infrastructure along the Syria-Iraq border, he quickly volunteered for the assignment. Dennis would write home and tell his family and friends about the desert dogs - strays that wander the desert getting scraps of food from the Iraqis and also guarding the borders by barking like crazy when danger was approaching. They could hear for miles and would warn the people through their barks if sounds were heard.

One dog in particular became attached to Major Dennis and his unit. They called the dog Nubs, because someone had cut off the top of the dog’s ears to probably try and make it more aggressive. Nubs would greet Dennis during patrols and it was hard for Dennis to watch the way this difficult life was wearing on the dog. One day Dennis found Nubs near death with a stab wound from a screwdriver in his side. It was near freezing and Major Dennis didn’t believe the dog would survive the night. He applied medication to the wound and slept next to the dog to keep him warm. The dog did survive, but Major Dennis had to leave and he was forced to leave Nubs behind. Two days and 65 miles later, Major Dennis was working on a humvee and looked up and there was Nubs …he had tracked down the man who had saved his life. Non military dogs are not allowed with a unit, but Major Dennis was determined to save this dog.

With the help of friends and family raising $3500 in the U.S. and much transportation wrangling in the middle east, Nubs was delivered to a friend of Dennis’ in San Diego. The dog will be trained just to be a dog and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the man who saved his life. Major Dennis is due home sometime this month.

I believe Marsha Cargo, Major Dennis’ mother said it best, “I just can’t believe it. Out there in the middle of nowhere these two find each other�?

Whatever your political opinions are, one thing that hopefully we all agree on regarding the war in Iraq is supporting the troops. These young brave men and women are risking their lives in a war that, for the most part, is opposed by most in the world. What is even more special about these troops is the way they respect, care and support each other.

There was no stronger evidence of this than with what has come to be know as “Operation Puppy Love”. Alex Varela was a 19 year old from Orangevale, California. He loved dogs and especially puppies. Many of the dogs over in Iraq are trained to be alert dogs, meaning they signal when they hear someone approaching, so the troops can take notice of whatever might happen next. You can read more about military dogs in a previous entry, by clicking here.

Alex and five other members of his platoon were killed in May of 2007 when a roadside bomb exploded next to their vehicle. A fellow platoon member, Matt Alford stayed in touch with Rinda Pope, Alex’s Mom. Matt sent pictures of Alex to Rinda and in one of those pictures was Alex with a dog. Matt explained to Rinda that the dog had been pregnant and only one of the puppies had survived. That puppy was named D.J. It became very important to Rinda to have that puppy, almost as if it were part of Alex. With the help of Matt’s commanding officer and other people who pitched in to bring that puppy where it truly belonged, D.J. was delivered to Rinda Pope last month. This dog was welcomed by all, especially Rinda, who knows she will have many happy years with the dog. Rinda opened her heart and her home to the dog who spent time with her son, who will never come home.

Check out the story in this video.

It looks like it will be a happy new year for some of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick’s dogfighting compound. 22 of the 47 dogs rescued were flown from Virginia to a no-kill shelter in Utah today. The Best Friends Animal Society in Utah is a 33 acre sanctuary where John Polis, spokesman for the shelter said that the dogs will watched for approximately six months for evidence of behavioral issues. Some of the dogs might have to remain in this sanctuary for the rest of their lives, while others may be able to be trained to be ready for family adoptions. Some of the other dogs were also relocated to 7 other no-kill shelters across the country. The forty seven dogs (1 was euthanized) were appointed a guardian who is Rebecca Huss, an animal law expert who recommended various organizations across the country that would be the best places for the dogs.

According to the NOKILL Network there are about 235 no-kill shelters or rescue organizations across the country. You can view the entire directory of no kill shelters across the country, but clicking here. These organizations exist with little government support. They most always are run by few local dollars and donated funds raised in their local area. I have spoken about the North Shore Animal League in other entries, click here to see!! This shelter is the worlds largest no kill shelter and it has been in existence since 1944. Located in Port Washington, New York, they have a state of the art facility that houses the Alex Lewyt Veterinary Medical Center. This health facility provides 24/7 animal health care to those at the shelter. According to the League, they have placed almost 1,000,000 puppies, cats, kittens and dogs in well screened loving homes.

Lets hope that some of the dogs that were saved from Michael Vick’s dog fighting endeavors are able to someday go to homes of families that will love, respect and care for them the way they should be cared for!!!

Yesterday, 12/19/07, 237 dogs were seized from a woman’s home in Corpus Christi, Texas. It appears that the woman, 70 years old, was a breeder of dogs and Kelli Copeland, the city’s manager for Animal Care Services, stated that “I think she slowly accumulated them and they were more than she could handle”. According to Copeland, there was plenty of food and water for the animals, but they were living in close quarters and unsanitary conditions. Many of the dogs were covered in urine and feces, so it was hard to determine easily what gender the dogs were. A workman notified the city of the conditions in the home after he had made a service call there. The woman may receive several citations from the city, once they determine the condition of all of the animals.

Many of the dogs rescued were Pomeranians, but there were also some Yorkshire terriers, poodles and other breeds. Unfortunately, the condition of one of the dogs required that it be euthanized. According to Copeland, the city is going to seek custody for the dogs, so that they may be placed in shelters or with rescue agencies and eventually adopted. A judge will determine on 12/27 if the dogs should be removed from the woman’s care. It is predicted that this will happen since the woman is elderly and homes in that area are only allowed a maximum of six dogs. There seems to be a clear indication that the owner truly loves animals, but obviously, it is a situation that had gotten very much out of control.

It also appears that some of the dogs are pregnant. They will require special care and special housing. In addition to local animal shelters and rescue organizations, a national rescue group called Pom Rescue is already involved. For those involved in the care, treatment and organizaing all of these dogs, the holidays according to Copeland are “pretty well shot”. Many people are already calling in wanting to adopt any one of these dogs, but no adoption decisions can be made until after the judge decides who will retain custody of all of the dogs.

There is some great information on another Texas city, Austin to be precise, by fellow blogger Kyla Myers.

Well, in case you haven’t heard enought about Michael Vick, I’ll bring you up to date on the latest. Yesterday, December 10, 2007, Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison after accepting a plea on federal dogfighting charges. the sentencing hearing took 90 minutes in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. The judge, Henry E. Johnson, a known dog lover, did not give Vick any slack. When Vick apologized for his actions and stated that he took full responsibility for his actions and would accept the consequences, the judge retorted by saying that Vick should apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to him and the judge also felt that Vick’s actions were not a result of a “momentary lack of judgment”, but rather, deliberate and planned actions that resulted in the abuse, neglect and death of those dogs.

Above is Bad Newz Kennels, where the the dog fighting operation took place in addition to Vick’s home is currently being auctioned. The assessed value stands at $750,000. In addition to this, Vick’s Atlanta home is on the market for $4.5 million dollars. Vick has agreed to pay $928,000 for the care of the 54 pitbulls that were found on his property. Also, according to court documents, Vick is in default on a loan for $1.3 million dollars for the purchase of a liquor store and still other banks and financial institutions have filed suit against Michael Vick for the repayment of $4.5 million in loans and lines of credit. Also, the Falcon’s are trying to recoup some of the $130 million of the 10 year contract salary and bonuses that Vick received.

Perhaps there are some who feel sorry for Vick. I’m not one of those people. I beleive people some how, some way, get what they deserve. There is no amount of money that can be placed on the suffering that those dogs endured at the hands of Vick and his co-conspirators. The dogs were not just killed, they were tortured and executed.

A poll taken last evening revealed that 56% of the people do not feel that Michael Vick received enough time as a result of his federal prison sentence. Maybe justice will be served at a later date when Vick goes to trial on Virginia state dog fighting charges. Currently Vick and his attorney are fighting these charges saying that he cannot be charged with the same crime twice. Time will tell, but in the mean time, there are a few dogs that are a bit luckier that Vick is currently behind bars.

To read some good things happening in Virginia, read fellow blogger, Michelle Schaefer talk about Virginia Beach.

Well, its about time!!! After Michael Vick’s arrest and the truth about the Bad Newz Kennels (a training site for dogs involved in dog fighting and a death spot for many of the “inferior” dogs on Michael Vick’s property), many celebreties came out of the woodwork defending this individual. There was a fellow sports star, Stephon Marbury, who said it really wasn’t that bad, and we should give Michael a break to Whoopie Goldberg, who told viewers on The View, that in the south, dog fighting is a common practice and Vick was just doing what is always done in the south!!! What a line of baloney!!! My question is, why couldn’t anyone with a name behind them come forth and say the truth? Dog fighting was and continues to be a horrible “sport” and there is no justification that can be given to Michael Vick and his activities.

Well, it looks like there is finally someone out there who condemns this act as much as most people and believe it or not, he’s from the south!!! Willie Nelson, country music star has filmed a television public service ad that condemns the act of dogfighting and is supporting an anti-dogfighting bill that is currently going through the Georgia Legislature. The ad plays while in the background the music playing is “Georgia on my mind”. In the ad, Nelson talks about the illegality of dogfighting in Georgia, but because the laws are so weak, little is done to those caught. The new legislation would make it a felony in the state of Georgia for anyone to sell, trade or transport dogs for the intent of dogfighting. Willie Nelson states that “Georgia is a haven for dogfighters from around the country”

Nelson was asked to participate in this activity from the Utah-based organization named “Best Friends Animal Society”. They are a national animal welfare organization trying to get the word out about dogfighting and hoping to move the legislative process in a positive direction in Georgia. My hats off to Willie and those who support such legislation. All I really have to say, is its about time!!!

Check out Jennifer Springer’s blog on the Whoopi episode!!! I’m glad that people like Jennifer are out there writing about the atrocities of dogfighting. Go Jennifer!!!

Sometimes for reasons unknown to us, our pets will have a psychic sense about things and respond to emergency situations with heroic actions. Such was the case of Toby, a 2 1/2 golden retriever who saved his owner from choking on an apple skin, by jumping on her chest in a type of Heimlich move, which saved Debbie Parkhurst’s life.

Debbie was working on some jewelery she makes at home and decided it was time for a break. An apple seemed appetizing and while she usually skins the apples, she had recently read an article in a magazine that discussed the nutritional benefits of the skins of apples. After taking a bite, the skin of the apple got stuck in her throat and she began to choke. She tried to perform the Heimlich maneuver on herself by hitting her chest, but it didn’t work. Toby, at 75 pounds had been watching her and in an action he had never taken before, the dog began to jump up and down on her chest until the piece of apple was dislodged. Debbie says she does have some bruising as a result of the ordeal, but that is a small price to pay for what could have happened without Toby’s heroic efforts.

Toby was a 4 week old puppy when he was rescued from a garbage pail where someone had left him to die. This dog was meant to be alive for some purpose and it looks like his reason for living has been realized.

Toby was honored in a ceremony with a cat who saved a family from carbon monoxide poisoning and 5 other human heroes on Thursday. The ceremony was held at the Rainbow Room, above Rockefeller Center in New York City. The event was sponsored and hosted by the ASPCA to recognize those human and human-like heroes who make our world a better place.

For some great info on the tv show Heroes, check out:
http://www.watchingheroes.com/

Darwin’s theory of evolution has gained significant support as a result of a study and report that has come out of the University of Manchester where biologists have determined that changes in the shape of the dogs’ heads over time are as a result of human directed evolution through selective breeding. Selective breeding is when animals within a breed who possess the most dominant and positive traits are brought together(through the efforts of humans) to reproduce in order to spawn the “best of the breed”. This is a simplified explanation without getting into a detailed discussion of genetics.

It was found that the traits that significantly identified the St. Bernard became more pronounced over time as breeders selected the dogs that had the strongest evidence of these traits and ultimately bred them together. This resulted in those traits becoming more exaggerated in these dogs. You can see from the skulls above that the angle of the head to the nose of the St. Bernard has become much more defined in the younger dog (1976, the bottom skull) versus the one on the top. The older dog (1892, the top dog) had a much less defined angle and the head to the nose is less representative of what we commonly see of the St. Bernard of today. The dogs of today also have broader skulls and more distinct ridges above the eyes than those of their ancestors of the same breed. These evolutionary changes are the traits by which the breed standard is evaluated.

The findings of this study can be found in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences and were based on studies that examined 47 skulls of St. Bernards that spanned over 120 years. The skulls that were used in the study were donated by Swiss breeders.

This isn’t the place where I wish to get into a discussion of evolution vs. creationism, but the evidence revealed in this study leads to the conclusion that evolution, whether natural or artificial, does occur and the results can be seen over significant periods of time when animals of the same breed are compared.

So the Beethoven that we have grown to love in all of his movies would have looked a bit different 100 or more years ago. Would we have loved him any less? I doubt it. But there is something really cool about that big head and and the large nose that seems to want to sniff everywhere it is not wanted!!!

If you truly are into the science stuff, make sure you check out http://www.dailysciencedose.com/

I was watching America’s Most Wanted last Saturday night (I know I need a life, but there wasn’t much else on)when I saw the most interesting, scary and touching story.

It took place in Pasadena, California in October of 2006. A woman, only identified as Heidi was leaving her parents house after a visit. She had brought along her 12 week old Australian Shepard puppy named Audrey. As she drove away and was a few blocks from her parents house, she noticed a car driving erratically. As any good samaritan, Heidi stopped her car and went to try and help the young man who seemed dazed and confused. When she was walking towards him, he started coming towards her. She tried to ask him if he was o.k. and he pushed her out of the way and got into her car. Her car was being carjacked with sweet Audrey in the front seat. Heidi grabbed onto the car thief and the car began to move with Heidi hanging out of the drivers side trying to get the madman to stop, so that her puppy would be safe. She held on as long as she could as he continued to drive erratically, but as he took a sharp turn, she couldn’t hold on any longer. Heidi fell to the ground as she watched her car with her beloved Audrey disappear. Fortunately, some people stopped, and took injured Heidi back to her parent’s house. She cried to her father to go and find her car with Audrey in it.

Unfortunately, her father looked and looked, but couldn’t find the car. Heidi, now in the hospital being treated for her injuries was grief stricken at the thought of losing Audrey. When the police went back to the scene, the carjacker’s abandoned car had two dead bodies in it and they determined the driver and possible murderer was Manuel Penaloza, a 20 year old gang member with a long history of arrests.

The continuing story on Penaloza is available on www.amw.com. Now to finish the story of Heidi and Audrey. As you can imagine, Heidi was beside herself. But the next day, police located her car, abandoned, and little Audrey was hiding under the carjacked vehicle’s airbag, safe and sound. Take a look!!!

It’s clear to see the love that Heidi had for Audrey. She was willing to risk the loss of her own life to save the life of her best friend. I was glad to hear the Heidi recuperated to as good as new and she and Audrey are sharing much milder adventures now.

If shows like AMW are of interest to you, check out the blogs on these crime shows:

www.watchingcriminalminds.com or
www.watchingcsi.com

Copy and paste to load the url!!!

I don’t know how many of you are politically active or even if that kind of thing appeals to you, but I recently became aware of an organization called Pet Defenders. This is an organization that was started in 2004 and its purpose is to be committed to candidates who support pet-friendly legislation at all levels of government. Since our dogs and pets can’t speak for themselves, Pet Defenders sees its organization as their voice.

Marty Stone, the founder of Pet Defenders says that there are wonderful organizations that help injured, abused and homeless pets. However, there wasn’t an organization that spoke politically for the pets and their families. When there are political issues that involve dogs, it appears Marty and his organization are right there. The organization became very verbal regarding the pet food recall and in April of this year called on Congress to take a stand on pet food food manufacturing processes in China. The Chinese government refuses to allow the Food and Drug Administration to inspect their manufacturing plants.

Pet Defenders is strongly supporting the Human and Pet Food Safety Act which would give the FDA mandatory recall authority and allow for overseas food inspections. The passage of this bill has not occurred yet, but if Marty Stone’s determination and belief in the rights of our animals is any indication of his political strength, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Two of the public officials applauded by Stone for their efforts to investigate the pet food recall recent deaths of many pets due to tainted food are Congresswoman DeLauro and Senator Durbin. These two political officials are trying, but they need more support. It appears that the Pet Defenders is just the organization our dogs (and cats) need on all levels of government. Their voices as well as the voices of their owners need to be heard. I think that with people like Marty Stone, they will be heard - loud and clear.

On a Friday evening in Queens, New York, what is one of the best things you could be doing? Well, it would be to be at Shea Stadium for a baseball game cheering on one of your favorite New York teams- the Mets! Can anything top that? Believe or not, yes. That would be being at a Met game with your dog!!!!

Last night, that’s just what happened because it was Dog Day at Shea!!! This is an event hosted by the New York Mets to benefit the North Shore Animal League. The North Shore Animal League is the largest no kill pet rescue and adoption center in the world. Since 1944, they have saved the lives of about 1,000,000 abandoned animals and have strived to find each and every one a loving and nurturing home.

The game against the Philadelphia Phillies began at 7:10 pm, with dogs and their owners arriving at 5:15 pm and parading around the track at Shea. Tickets for the game were $34.00 for adult and $5.00 for your dog. Monies raised from this event went to benefit the North Shore Animal League America. Representatives from the League were on hand for fans interested in adopting a homeless animal. It was obvious that the event was a success!!! The game was sold out!!!

A great time was had by all, fans and pooches alike, even though the Mets took a tough loss of 3 to 2 to the Phillies in the 10th inning. Last year a friend of mine had her dog at the game and said it was great to see all of the support for the League and truly a sight to see all those great Met fans!!(that includes the four legged ones as well!!)

Today is World Rabies Day. This is the first World Rabies Day and it has been established to raise awareness of the disease that can be prevented in humans and controlled in the animal world. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, joining with The Alliance for Rabies Control, a charity based out the United Kingdom, hope to bring governments, agencies and people together to try make people aware of the problem of rabies and seek its elimination.

Each year more than 55,000 people die from rabies, mostly in African and Asian countries. However, in 2006 there were over 7000 reported cases of rabies in the United States, most originating from a family dog who came in contact with a rabid wild animal, such as bats, skunks, racoons, foxes, etc. These animals can attract the attention of the family dog, who because of their curiousity and predatory nature may go after one of these wild animals who often host the disease. The best way to prevent rabies in your household pets, primarily your dogs, is to make sure you keep up to date on their vaccinations!!

If an animal bite occurs it is extremely important to get medical treatment right away. Death in humans, once infected by rabies, occurs in a matter of days, as this is a debilitating disease that affects the central nervous system. While symptoms may not seem severe at first, like fever, headache and general malaise, as the disease progresses, the damage to the central nervous system will occur quickly and will show symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, confusion, paralysis, etc.

Even though most rabies cases are caused by animals from the wild, domesticated dogs are the most common family pet to get and transmit the disease. Did I mention to get and keep your dog vaccinated for rabies???!!!! Many places across the country and around the world today hosted free rabies vaccine clinics. If you missed it, check with your local animal hospital or shelter to see when the next clinic will be available. Don’t wait, you never want it to be too late for your pet or your family.

Above is the photo promoting the 13th Annual Paws in the Park Petwalk. The Paws in the Park Petwalk started in 1994 as a way to raise funds for the Dutchess County (that’s in New York, about 90 miles north of New York City) SPCA and also to raise the awareness of the plight of homeless and abused animals. In its first year the walk raised $9000. Now it is the largest fundraiser for this local SPCA raising almost $40,000 per year. The SPCA has made this a fun family event with vendors, pet health information and interactive activities to do with your dog. There are some really cool things like “Pet Pawtraits”, “Doggie Limbo” and “Kanine Karaoke”.

The Petwalk is to be held tomorrow Saturday, September 8th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Bowdowin Park, off of Sheafe Road in Poughkeepsie, New York.

This is an awsome way to get out with your dog and do some fun things as well as raise funds for the local shelter. In this area, they are extremely “animal friendly” and the local SPCA receives a lot of support. However, there is always so much needed in terms of health care for the animals and the general upkeep of the facility. Events like this take a lot of work and effort on behalf of mainly volunteers. They should be applauded for their efforts.

Below is a story of the dog that will be the mascot of the petwalk. It touched my heart and I hope it will touch yours as well.

” Meet Bunky…Our Paws in the Park Mascot for 2007

What is it about a dog that draws us to him? Is it his beautiful coat, sweet expression or fanciful personality? This is the story of a little dog that no one wanted because the answer to those questions was none of the above. That is, until one day when a special family was drawn to “what the possibility might be” if someone cared enough to find out.

A husband/wife team was in the market for a new dog and they had been interested in a particular breed — the Shiba Inu. One Saturday, while paging through the paper, they noticed that the DCSPCA had what looked like a Shiba available for adoption. So off to the shelter they went to meet this little dog. Upon arrival, they found a hairless, scab-covered dog that turned his back on them as if to say “keep on going, everyone else does.” But the woman stopped. She didn’t know why. She took him for a walk and sometime during that short outing, a connection was made. She decided to give him a chance.

She named him “Bunky” and quickly made an appointment with her vet. As they walked through the door, the veterinarian gave her a “what on earth did you do” look. She was told that Bunky’s skin condition could be anything from allergies to mange and that whatever it was, his was a severe case. Still, she could not bear to bring him back to the shelter so the family consulted with the shelter managers. Together with the family’s veterinarian, they determined a course of treatment that included oatmeal baths every other day. Bunky was terrified of water and screamed through those baths in a combination of fear and pain. For weeks he hid in his crate and offered little interaction with his new family but they refused to give up on the little red dog. The slow, painful process began to show some progress when small patches of new hair began growing.

It took six months for Bunky to fully respond to the treatment and look like a dog again, but he had no idea how to act or play like a dog. Lots of TLC changed all of that. Today, his family is quick to report that Bunky is a great companion who loves to travel with his family on road trips. He is quite the gentleman in dog-friendly motels where he meets new friends and he has learned to shake a toy and chew a bone with the best of them. You see, hidden in that shell of sores was an adorable little dog after all.

So, what draws us to a particular dog? Perhaps more of us should think about what the possibility might be if we cared enough to find out. Come to our Paws in the Park Petwalk on September 8, where you will meet Bunky as he struts his stuff as the leader of this year’s walk. See for yourself what the possibility became for one little red dog.”

It’s for stories like Bunky’s that remind us that there are so many that need love and attention. Even if having a dog in your life right now isn’t the best idea, there are many ways to help and make the lives of the animals in your local shelter happier and healthier.

© 2007 DCSPCA. A benefit for the Dutchess County SPCA email: dcspcaoa

Well, as previously mentioned, I try to stay upbeat about things, but I can’t help blogging today about Michael Vick and his admission to dogfighting and participating in the killing of those dogs, who were not seen fit to fight. Just writing about it is nauseating. These dogs were killed either by elctrocution or hanging. This again, is a barbaric crime and one which I hope will be punished severely. But who knows? He has been suspended indefinitely from the NFL. It is amazing why someone with a career as lucrative as Vick’s with the world at his feet would engage in the type of reprehensible activites that put him where he is today!!!

Even more extemely unbelievable are statements by NY Knicks guard, Stephon Marbury, who equated dog fighting to deer hunting and called it a sport!!! O.K….maybe we should tape him, play it back and let him hear how truly asinine he sounds!!! About 7% of the American population deer hunt and most do it with respect for nature and the animals. The deer are killed in a much more humane way. Most people butcher the deer and use it as food for themselves or it is donated to a food bank. Also, deer hunting thins the deer population, so that starvation among the deer is not so prevelant during the long winter months. I know many deer hunters who will follow a deer they shot, not only to ultimately catch the deer, but to insure that it is not suffering and to end its life as humanely as possible. Maubury feels that Vick has been singled out and is a “superb athlete and good human being”. Well, if those are the standards by which Stephon Marbury evaluates a person, it is a truly sad commentary. Being a good athlete does not equate to being a good person…lets not forget the saga of O.J. Simpson..!!

Lucky and Flo are two very specialized dogs. They have been trained to sniff out cd’s or dvd’s in the hopes of catching the manay pirates who make illegal copies of movies and music cds. As a result of efforts by the MPPA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the Federation Against Copyright Theft, these two Labradors are working out of the shipping area of the Stansted Airport located in the United Kingdom. The dogs have been trained to recognize the scent of the compact disc. Currently the dogs can not differentiate between the quantities of the dvd’s/cd’s, but it is hoped with more training, they will be able to isolate cases where there are massive pirated copies of films and music cd’s being shipped and sold illegaly.

This news article is from abcnews.go.com, and is relevant is extremely timely as the MPAA is currently looking for new ways to hinder and stop the pirating of newly released movies. It is no wonder that we have come to depend on dogs in our lives for virtually every type of work possible. While this might not seem like glamorous work, it is very important and the pirating of dvds and cds. costs the music and movie industries millions of dollars. Many would say…oh well, the actors or musicians aren’t hurting, but who is mainly hurt by the loss of funds are the rank and file employees who work on the sets, makeup, behind the scenes tech people. These are working people like you and I, who need their jobs to live. These dogs will hopefully, minimize economic loss by eliminating the pirated products. Good job Lucky and Flo!!!!!