Florida couple clones beloved dog for $155,000

Couple won auction to clone family dog, biotech company says
From CNN

(CNN) — Every dog has his day, but Sir Lancelot — or at least his carbon copy — has a second one.

A Boca Raton, Florida, couple paid a California firm $155,000 to clone their beloved Labrador retriever, who died from cancer a year ago. The clone, a 10-week-old puppy dubbed Lancey, was hand-delivered to them earlier this week by Lou Hawthorne, chairman of BioArts International, a biotechnology company.

“One minute with Lancey and you know he’s special. He’s both extremely aware and very sweet,” Hawthorne said in a BioArts statement.

Edgar and Nina Otto said they began thinking about cloning Sir Lancelot about five years ago.

“I said ‘Well, you know, it wouldn’t hurt to have his DNA frozen,’ and that’s what we did,” Nina Otto told CNN affiliate WPBF.

The Ottos were one of five families to bid and win a BioArts auction for a chance to clone their family dog, according to a BioArts statement. Lancey is the world’s first commercially cloned dog, the company said; the Ottos are the first of six current clients to receive their clone.

Sir Lancelot’s DNA sample was sent to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Seoul, South Korea, which provides cloning services to BioArts. Researchers there put the DNA into an egg, and Lancey was born November 18, according to BioArts.
The Ottos said they have had many beloved dogs over the years — and have nine others currently — but maintain Sir Lancelot was special.

“Sir Lancelot was the most human of any dog we’ve ever had,” Edgar Otto said in the BioArts statement. “He was a prince among dogs.”

In an interview with WPBF, Edgar Otto said Sir Lancelot “was a very, very, very special dog to us. And we’ve given a lot more to the Humane Society than we’ve ever spent on this project.” For its part, the Humane Society of the United States says it’s against the commercial cloning of animals.

“Given the current pet overpopulation problem, which costs millions of animals their lives and millions in public tax dollars each year, the cloning of pets has no social value and in fact may lead to increased animal suffering,” the organization said on its Web site.
“For those looking to replace a lost pet, cloning will not create an animal identical to the one who is gone; cloning cannot replicate an animal’s uniqueness. Cloning can only replicate the pet’s genetics, which influence but do not determine his physical attributes or personality.”

The Ottos, however, said replicating Sir Lancelot’s genetics is enough for them. Edgar Otto said he realizes Lancey might not be just like their departed dog, but “if he’s different, we’re not going to love him any less.”

Edgar Otto is the son of the late Edwin Otto, who was part of the founding of NASCAR and a “motorsports pioneer,” according to www.ottomotorsports.com.

Abandoned Pup With Child’s Note in Collar Looking for a Home

‘Hi My Name Is Kujo. I Am a Nice Dog.’

From Good Morning America

Abandoned Pup With Child’s Note in Collar Looking for a Home

By JONANN BRADY
Jan. 29, 2009 —

When Cecilia Miller’s 11-year-old grandson, Michael, found a freezing puppy in the backyard on one of the coldest nights of the year, she called her neighbor, lifelong dog lover Wanda Martin.

When Martin, 79, arrived, the emaciated dog was curled up outside the basement window of Miller’s Alliance, Ohio, home, but he refused to come inside.

“I took a pillow and a comforter and put it in the dirt and the next day took cheese out of my pocket and gave it to him. From then on, we were buddies,” Martin told reporter Tracy Carloss from ABC News’ Cleveland affiliate.

It took a little while for the dog to warm up to her, but when Martin was finally able to pet him, she found a note written in a child’s scrawl tucked in the mutt’s collar. The note, punctuated by a smiley face, read, “Hi, my name is Kujo. I am a nice dog. My owner can’t feed me. Please help me. I’m great with kids too.”

According to Miller, the note was right on.

“He walked right in the family room and made himself right at home with my grandson,” she told “Good Morning America.” “He’s real gentle with the kids and my grandson. He can be real contended and minds well.”

Kujo’s abandonment seems to be a sign of the tough economic times. Every year, nearly 8 million pets are put in shelters, and shelter workers say more people are giving up their pets as the economy worsens.

Martin and Miller, who is 77 years old, are jointly caring for Kujo, but they feel they don’t have the stamina to keep up with him.

Martin believes Kujo is still a puppy — between 6 and 9 months old — though, at more than 100 pounds, he’s hardly little.

Both women agree that the stray is gentle and very good with children. He also seems to be housebroken.

They are looking for a family with children to adopt Kujo. They’ve received a few offers, but no one seems to click yet.

To anyone interested, Martin said Kujo said they would get “a very beautiful, loving, big giant.”

“He is the kindest little guy,” she said. “He is, I’d say, part boxer, part shepherd. Who knows? But he is nice.”

If you’re interested in helping Kujo, click here to send an e-mail.

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

Police find pit bulls anything but vicious

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6625698

By Phil Schwarz

January 26, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — When we think of police canine units, the breed that most commonly comes to mind is the German shepherd.

But rookie canines on the job now are anything but ordinary.

The two newest members of the Cook County Sheriff’s K9 unit are unique and are already performing beyond expectations.

A big bloodhound puppy named Melanie helped police rescued a suicidal man from a forest preserve earlier this month.

“The point of starting her on the trail where this individual had come into the woods…she solely hunted out that odor by her abilities,” said Jim Pacetti, Cook County K9 Unit.

Melanie found the man in the nick of time. He was semi-conscious and partially submerged in a creek.

The K9 unit consists of a variety of dogs, including bloodhounds and German shepherds, but the most recent member of the force is a very loving, very friendly pit bull.

A pit bull named Elliot Ness is anything but untouchable. Loving and friendly, these traits keep most pit bulls from being good police dogs.

“The main problem we’re finding with pit bulls is that they’re too darn nice. All they want to do is just sit at your feet or crawl in your lap. They’re very nice dogs,” said Deborah Thedos, Cook County K9 Unit.

Police officers main contact with pit bulls is when they break up dog fighting rings. When encountering these dogs they found that they were anything but vicious.

“We knew from the get-go that these dogs, they aren’t made this way,” said Sheriff Tom Dart, Cook County.

For Elliot Ness’s partner the pit bull is much more than just a dog.

“He’s my best friend. He’s my friend. He’s my baby and he knows it,” said Thedos .

(Copyright ©2009 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

“Grumpy” Reptile Is New Dad at 111

This is hilarious!

From National Geographic:

January 27, 2009—A captive tuatara in New Zealand has unexpectedly become a father at the ripe old age of 111 after receiving treatment for a cancer that made him hostile toward prospective mates.

The centenarian tuatara, named Henry, was thought well past the mating game until he was caught canoodling with a female named Mildred last March—a consummation (pictured above) that resulted in 11 tuatara babies being hatched on Monday.

Tuatara are indigenous New Zealand reptiles that resemble lizards but descend from a distinct lineage of reptile that walked the earth with the dinosaurs 225 million years ago, zoologists say.

The rare creatures, which are estimated to number about 50,000, can reach up to 250 years of age.

Henry was at least 70 years old when he arrived at the museum, “a grumpy old man” who attacked other tuataras—including females—until a cancerous tumor was removed from his genitals in 2002, said Lindsay Hazley, tuatara curator for the Southland Museum and Art Gallery.

“I went off the idea he was good for breeding,” Hazley told the Associated Press, but once the tumor was removed, “he was no longer aggressive.”

The new hatchlings, born at the gallery, will provide a badly needed boost to the tuatara’s genetic diversity, Hazley added.

—Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand
Photograph courtesy Lindsay Hazley/Southland Museum and Art Gallery

Boxer’s life saved by rescue

This little pup had a horrendous start to life. But thanks to the network of rescuers and shelters, he was saved. He made it from Kentucky to his foster home in Illinois and is now thriving.

Here is the original story on Takoda from his rescuer:

TAKODA BEFORE

He was brought to the County Dog Pound (in KY) on Thursday evening. They were called by his owner who said that there was something wrong with him and she did not want him. She said that he was epileptic and did not eat. The dog warden went to pick him up and found him chained to a tree in a mud puddle. He was basically lifeless as the Warden picked him up and took him back to the pound. I received an e-mail Thursday night telling me that she had an urgent case and wanted to know if I could Possibly help him. I scrolled down to the picture and could not believe my eyes. I could not believe that baby was actually still alive. He could hardly stand. He has no muscle mass at all and is extremely weak. I think that if they would have waited one more day he would have perished. One of rescuers said that she extended her hand and spoke to him softly and his little tail wagged a bit. The Warden told her that she would never find anyone to rescue him because he was too far gone.

We had him in a very good hospital in Kentucky. He was in ICU and he tested positive for Parvo along with whip worms, ring worms, malnutrition and starvation. I have talked to the hospital this morning and he is wagging his tail today. They wanted me to make a decision, whether to euthanize him and I just could not do it. He is only six months old and he at least deserves a chance at finding his forever family.

TAKODA BEFORE:

An update I received today from the rescue:

I want to thank all of you who cared so much about our Takoda. We are so glad that we did not listen to the vet and have him put to sleep. We just had to give him a chance and look at him now.

The update from his foster mom:

TAKODA NOW!

I just wanted to let you know Takoda is recovering much more quickly than expected. He is eating between 4-6 cups of dry dog food and 3 cups of homemade food each day. It looks like the donations received will cover all of his expenses!! I have attached pictures, taken yesterday. He is still in quarantine (my basement looks like a HAZMAT decon unit), but will be out this Thursday. He will go to the vet either Friday or the first part of next week for his check up. Thanks to all of you for your prayers, good vibes, and donations.

January is “Unchain A Dog” Month

From Peta:

The Cruel, Dangerous Practice of Chaining Dogs

It shouldn’t happen to “man’s best friend,” but it does. Take a drive down many country roads and city streets, and you’ll see them—dogs left to spend their entire lives in “solitary confinement,” trapped at the end of a chain or in a small pen.

We can’t think of a crueler punishment for these social pack animals who want—and deserve—companionship, scratches behind the ears, walks around the block, and the opportunity to curl up at your feet at night.

Many communities across America and beyond have learned the hard way that chaining dogs is dangerous to the public, especially children. Chaining dogs—also called “tethering”—is a safety hazard for both dogs and communities.

How to End Chaining in Your Community

Caring people like you have gradually changed and ultimately saved many of these animals’ lives. You, too, can create miracles for neglected dogs in your community!

The most effective way to help hundreds or thousands of neglected dogs in your area is by working with city or county legislators to ban chaining!

Remember: Dogs are depending on you to speak up and give them a shot at a better life.

Click here for ways to help >>

_____________________

HELPING INDIVIDUAL DOGS

There are two basic ways to improve the life of a “backyard dog.” In some situations, only a quick call to law enforcement agencies will be necessary. In others, it’ll be up to you to build a relationship with the dog’s guardian and get permission to visit and care for the animal. Every case will be different, so carefully assess a situation before you get started.

Call Authorities if a Dog’s Life Is in Immediate Danger or if Chaining Is Illegal

Many counties and cities have laws addressing chained or penned dogs—see the list of such places or look up your local law at the library or on Municode.com. Even if your area doesn’t have such a law, backyard dogs must have shelter, adequate food, and clean water, and they must be provided with veterinary care if they are sick or injured.

If a backyard dog is in imminent danger—for example, if the animal is very thin, obviously ill, or injured or if he or she has no shelter or cannot access it—notify authorities immediately. Refer to our guide for more information about what to do if you spot cruelty to animals.

Law enforcement officials are unlikely to remove dogs from such situations unless their lives are truly in danger. Err on the safe side, of course. But unless you’re unwilling to work with the dog’s guardians or you’ve already exhausted that option to no avail, don’t call authorities for non-emergency backyard dog cases—the dog will probably stay put and the guardians will be less likely to allow you to visit or help the dog.

Work With Guardians to Help Backyard Dogs in Non-Emergency Situations

Your best chance to help dogs in non-emergency situations is probably to befriend the dogs’ guardians.

Using anything other than a polite approach will probably make them angry and hurt your chance to make a difference. You may be pleasantly surprised when guardians help their animals themselves after just one conversation.

Begin by talking to owners about what their dogs need. Avoid being confrontational. Consider starting the conversation by talking about your experience with your own dog or by mentioning that you recently learned some new facts about dogs, such as the following:

• Dogs crave companionship. They aim to please their guardians, and they really want to spend time with them and live with them indoors. Dogs are healthiest and happiest indoors with the rest of the family.
• Dogs left outside need sturdy shelter to protect them from rain, snow, cold, and wind and to provide shade in the summer. Plastic houses or barrels are better than nothing, but they offer no protection from the cold and heat up quickly in the summer. A waterproof, sealed wooden house with the floor elevated a few inches off the ground and with a flap over the entrance is better. Houses should be small enough to allow a dog’s body heat to warm the interior but big enough to allow the dog to get inside, stand up, turn around, and lie down.
• When the temperature drops below 45 degrees, straw (available at feed stores) must be stuffed inside doghouses in order to keep dogs warm. Blankets, clothing, and towels only make conditions worse when they get wet and freeze.
• Dogs need an adequate amount of food every day. Food should be provided in a dry, clean dish, not tossed on the ground. Remind dog owners to give dogs more food in the winter, when they need to eat more to keep warm.
• Dogs need fresh water every day. Water should be placed in a heavy bucket or an anchored bowl to prevent it from tipping over (putting the bucket inside a car tire works well). Water helps to prevent heat exhaustion in the summer. It must be checked frequently in the winter to make sure that it hasn’t frozen—dogs will die of dehydration on even the coldest day without water.
• Backyard dogs should be checked frequently for fleas, mites, and worms, which rob them of the nutrition that they need and can make even a dog who constantly eats thin.

While you work with the dog’s owner to ensure the animal’s physical health, don’t forget to give the dog some attention and playtime too. A happy dog has toys, goes for walks, and spends time with people. Here are some ideas:

• Ask permission to take the dog for walks.
• Offer some toys to the dog (with the owner’s approval).
• Visit the dog regularly (but be careful not to become a nuisance; follow your instincts based on the guardian’s level of cooperation).

Many dogs have eventually been given to people like you who have cared for them, all because of patient and friendly intervention. If you are offered or given a backyard dog—even if you cannot give him or her a permanent home—graciously accept the animal. See our tips on how to find an animal a good home.

Service animals now include monkeys, parrots and more

New York Times Magazine

Creature Comforts
By REBECCA SKLOOT
Published: January 4, 2009

It’s no longer just guide dogs for blind people. Service animals now include monkeys for quadriplegics, parrots for psychotics and at least one assistance duck. Should the law recognize all of them?

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images, for The New York Times Sadie talks Jim Eggers down when he’s on the verge of a psychotic episode.

Jeff Riedel for The New York Times Ann Edie and her guide miniature horse, Panda, checking out at Staples

13 ways to save big on pet care

There are more pets than people in U.S. households, and businesses are continually crafting ways for humans to spend more on their four-legged friends.

By MarketWatch

Few pet owners consider the years of spending ahead of them when they first pick up that puppy with the limpid eyes, but the costs can add up quickly.

U.S. consumers spent $36.3 billion on their animals in 2005, up from $17 billion in 1994, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. That jump hasn’t been fueled so much by pet-cost inflation as by human shopping weakness.

“There’s a whole lot of new ways to spend money that you don’t need to,” said Stephen Zawistowski, the executive vice president for national programs at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York.

“All of the basic stuff you need for your dog or cat — they haven’t really changed,” Zawistowski said, pointing to good food and veterinary care. “(But) all of the other bling that’s come out — that’s for you; it’s not for your dog. Your dog couldn’t care less whether you got a Gucci collar.”

Though prices for pet supplies generally have risen slower than the overall inflation rate in recent years, pet-services costs, including veterinary and grooming, rose more than 5% a year from 2000 through 2005, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Pet-food costs, after rising just 0.4% in 2005, appear ready to complete this year more than 4% higher. Rising costs aren’t stifling Americans’ desire to own pets: About 63% of U.S. households own a pet, up from 56% in 1998. The number of dogs, cats and other pets now totals about 359 million, according to a consumer survey by the pet-products association.

But it never hurts to save. Here are 13 ways to pare pet costs:

1. Take care of some pet needs yourself. For instance, brush your pet’s teeth regularly to reduce the number of vet dental-cleaning visits, which can run about $200. Also, ask your vet about trimming your pet’s claws, Zawistowski said. “That runs up real fast, and it’s not all that hard to do.” In addition, if you regularly brush your pet’s coat, you’ll reduce grooming costs, and “your cats will have fewer hairballs,” Zawistowski said. If your dog is prone to ear infections, ask your vet how to clean your dog’s ears.
2. Ask your vet whether that annual vaccination is necessary. The American Animal Hospital Association changed its guidelines, recommending that “a number of the core vaccinations (be done) every three years,” instead of annually, said Thomas Carpenter, a veterinarian in Costa Mesa, Calif., and the group’s president-elect. That change was to prevent over-vaccination, but it helps pet owners save a bit, too. Carpenter’s practice charges about $18 for a rabies vaccination.
3. Shop medications. Call your local pharmacy or look online for lower prices. Walgreen (WAG, news, msgs) fills prescriptions for millions of animals each year, said Carol Hively, a company spokeswoman, in an e-mail message. When comparing prices, be sure the quantity and dosage are the same.
4. Shop for a veterinarian by comparing fees. Carpenter’s practice charges $54 for a routine visit. Nationwide, pet owners average $211 for dogs and $179 for cats in routine vet visits each year. But don’t sacrifice quality, and compare the same service by finding out what that routine visit covers.
5. Shop around for pet supplies. Don’t assume the pet superstore, the local mom-and-pop or the online market has the cheapest prices. For example, a litter box cost about $25 at a large Petco outlet in San Francisco, while a small mom-and-pop store nearby charged about $18. But that Petco sells cat litter in bulk, offering a good deal.
6. Do you really need it? “Forgo the fashion,” said Jennifer Fearing, the director of economic research at the Humane Society of the United States. “Clothes and fancy bags are a completely unnecessary expense.” While 80% of pet owners report buying gifts for their pets, a better gift might be some playtime, she said.
7. Avoid emergency clinics when possible. “At most emergency veterinary clinics, almost every procedure and medication and boarding fee is marked up,” Fearing said. “If it’s an emergency, go. But if it’s between 8 and 5 and your regular veterinarian is open, give a call and ask for advice.”
8. Consider pet insurance. Check the policy’s exclusions carefully to see how well it would fit your lifestyle. Some “plans cover every routine visit, every vaccination,” with premiums of about $25 to $30 a month, but you don’t necessarily need insurance for costs you know you’ll incur, Fearing said. Pet-insurance policies aimed at covering catastrophic events — they usually have high deductibles and lower monthly premiums of about $10 to $15 — make sense for more people, Fearing said. Still, consumers with problems managing their cash flow may want a plan that pays a portion of routine services.
9. Think twice before adding pets. You might get a multipet discount on insurance, but regular costs will increase. “There are not huge economies of scale with multiple pets. When you look at the big-ticket items — food and vet care — those are items that every animal needs in their own right,” Fearing said.
10. Save for end-of-life care. “End-of-life issues could run $500 to $1,000,” said Catherine Williams, the Chicago-based vice president of financial literacy at Money Management International, a credit-counseling firm in Houston. Some insurance policies cover the cost of euthanasia and cremation.
11. Don’t buy the cheapest food. Higher-quality food helps keep your pet healthier, and you might save on training costs, Fearing said, as cheap food with fillers can lead to hyperactivity.
12. Don’t overfeed. Many people feed more than the package guidelines, Zawistowski said. Feeding the right amount saves on food costs — which average about 40% of a pet owner’s total costs — and reduces the likelihood of obesity-related ailments.
13. Spay or neuter your pet. “Spayed and neutered pets have fewer health problems down the road,” Fearing said, pointing to prostate and ovarian cancer. Also, once neutered, “they roam significantly less, so they’re not getting hit by cars.”

This article was reported and written by Andrea Coombes for MarketWatch.

Please help this wonderful rescue

Dr. Rykoff is a veterinarian who saw the great number of animals in need and started her own rescue. She is dedicated and always there for animals and rescues in dire need. Please help her if you can.

From friends of the rescue:

Dr. Deb Rykoff of Fur Keeps Animal Rescue has been served with notice by the village to close her rescue down or move from Barrington Hills. Her neighbor retired and petitioned the neighborhood (million dollar properties) to have Deb’s rescue closed due to the dogs barking. He was not hearing the rescue dogs, but the indoor/outdoor dogs across the street. Deb has court today at 9am to try to fight this. Other neighbors are petitioning to keep her rescue, and if nothing else to try and get a continuance so the animals won’t have to be moved as early as today. Deb has been looking into other places, but these animals need help now. She has 2 bullies on her property that she will need a foster or another rescue to take on for her while she is in this fight with the village to keep her rescue going.

Lilly - 2 to 3 years old, was owned by a senior citizen and sadly had to be given up. She is a lovely pit / lab mix who is good with children, most dogs, women and is timid of men.

Sydney - 1 year old, has been in rescue since she was 16 weeks old. She is a pit / boston mix who is good with other dogs, adults that she knows and is too strong for small children.

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10080806

Rocky - Currently at Topps and is ok for now there is 4 years old and came in from an abuse case. Great with people of all sizes, loves children, decent with other dogs but no cats. Far too interested in cats.

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12051149

Deb wants nothing more for these dogs to have the best chance for the happiest life they can get. They deserve a break and until all has been decided with her court dates she feels they need any opportunity that would better serve them right now.

Please, if you can help any of these dogs please contact Deb at

Phone: 847-381-8458 or Email: d.rykoff@att.net

UNION’S STORY