“Dogs, people get quality time at Naples park - News-Press” plus 3 more

Dogs, people get quality time at Naples park - News-Press
Officials seize two dozen pets from Riverside home - Desert Sun
Officials: Unlicensed pets are health threat - Long Beach Press-Telegram
How to Keep Pets Safe During Severe Weather - Associated Content

Dogs, people get quality time at Naples park - News-Press

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 10:00 PM PDT

Dogs will have their day at the 6th annual Bark in the Park festival today in Naples.

The event celebrates pets and their people and is open to all ages and their well-behaved pets.

In 2009, dogs brought about 800 people to the park.

And attendance grows by leaps and bounds each year, said Patricia Connell, festival organizer.

She's also assistant director of development for the Humane Society Naples, the event's presenter.

"It's kind of a springtime pet festival," Connell says. "It's more of a community event, not necessarily a fundraiser for us."

The pet contests are some of the favorite festivities.

Canines compete in an agility field, a talent show and a costume contest.

This year's categories include Best Costume, Most Original Costume, Best Pet and Owner Look-Alike, Best Voice, Best Kisser and Best Trick/Talent.

There will be a small entrance fee to participate in the contests, which begin at noon.

A few costumes from last year were so creative they still stick out in Connell's mind.

She remembers a greyhound in a "pimp" costume with a purple outfit, big hat and gold chain.

Then there was the little French poodle in a red, white and blue Uncle Sam costume.

And how could she forget the trio of dogs in a fishing boat on wheels?

Stacey Rugh plans to bring her 4-year-old boxer mix, Joey.

She could enter him in the talent show or maybe dress him up, she said.

"I have a dog with the longest tongue," said Rugh, owner of Boundless Pet Services, which covers areas including Estero. "I did put him in a tutu once and stood him up, and he was sort of embarrassed about it. He was like 'Mom, what are you doing to me?'"

Joey, whose full name is Joseph Edward Rugh, is a rescue dog found tied to cinder blocks in horse pasture outside Orlando.

Rugh's pets have only been from rescue groups.

"I've never owned a purebred dog in my life. I love my rescue dogs," she said. "I didn't really intend to keep him actually, but he had other thoughts on the matter."

Pet products, services -like Rugh's pet-walking and pet-sitting business - and rescue organizations will be at booths to talk with the public.

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Officials seize two dozen pets from Riverside home - Desert Sun

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 09:24 PM PDT

More than two dozen neglected animals, most of them dogs, were removed today from a property that apparently belongs to former Beverly Hills mayor and self-proclaimed animal rescuer Charlotte Spadaro, authorities said.

Riverside County Department of Animal Services personnel seized 24 dogs, a cat and her four kittens -- and found one dog dead -- at a trailer in the 3000 block of Myers Street, near Van Buren Boulevard, just south of the Riverside (91) Freeway, according to county officials.

``No animal should have to live like this,'' said Animal Services Capt. Tammie Belmonte. ``There was feces everywhere.''

Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said Spadaro, 68, is believed to be the owner of the property, which has been periodically monitored by animal control officers over the past two years.

According to Welsh, concerned neighbors contacted Riverside police about conditions at the residence, and Animal Services personnel responded shortly after 11 a.m.

Spadaro was not there.

There was no immediate response to a message left for Spadaro at her law office after the close of regular business hours.

Belmonte described the stench inside the trailer as overwhelming. Photographs taken of the dogs, many of them puppies, showed they were malnourished and plagued with mange.

The animals were taken to the county's new 67,000-square foot rescue shelter at 6851 Van Buren Blvd., where they were examined and treated by veterinarians, Welsh said.

``This will be processed as a potential animal cruelty case and forwarded to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office for review,'' said Belmonte.

Spadaro is facing animal cruelty charges in San Bernardino County for allegedly keeping dozens of dogs and cats in unsanitary conditions.

In February 2009, authorities shut down an unlicensed kennel Spadaro was allegedly operating on Jasmine Street in Riverside.

Spadaro was charged with 242 misdemeanor counts of violating the city's dog licensure laws. She is expected to represent herself in a trial slated to start May 21.

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Officials: Unlicensed pets are health threat - Long Beach Press-Telegram

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 08:34 PM PDT

LONG BEACH - The director of Health and Human Services has issued a warning that a majority of household dogs "present a public health and safety threat to our neighborhoods."

Animal Care Services renewed its warning this week, adding residents to help put the bite on the problem by identifying unlicensed or unvaccinated animals with anonymous reports of unregistered animals.

Ron Arias, director of Health and Human Services, said experts project estimate as many as 103,000 household dogs in Long Beach, but only about 29,000 have current licenses and registered rabies vaccinations.

"We encourage responsible pet ownership," Ron Arias, the director, said in a prepared statement. "Compliance with state laws is about being a good neighbor and keeping our neighborhoods safe."

Licensing is also city law, and violators face citations of $50 to $100.

Recent outbreaks of canine distemper and a confirmed case of rabies nearby have highlighted the importance of licensing and vaccinating pets, Arias emphasized in the announcement.

Last week, the City began distributing 170,000 fliers through utility bills in both English and Spanish, encouraging dog owners to get pets registered.

John Keisler, manager of Animal Care Services, said the tips should be easy.

"All we need is the address (and unit), and the number of animals at the property," he added. "We will scan the history of the address and follow up."

Residents can make anonymous reports of unlicensed or unvaccinated dogs, or find more information about licensing their pets in the following ways: by phone at 562-570- PETS (7387); by e-mail at

animalcare@longbeach.gov; or licensing online at www.longbeach.gov/acs/ pet_license/default.asp.

joe.segura@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1274

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How to Keep Pets Safe During Severe Weather - Associated Content

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 08:41 PM PDT

Our pets are very important parts of our households and families, serving many purposes. They may be watchdogs, lap pets, aid pets, farm animals, or simply our family pets. No matter what type of dogs we have, they are (or should be) loved members of our family that we care for and want to keep safe and healthy. Many pets live at least a portion of their lives outside and some of them spend all of their time outdoors. There are times that weather becomes very severe, especially in some parts of the country.

There are many different types of extreme weather, depending upon what region you and your pets are living in. There are hurricanes, thunder or hail storms, heat waves, blizzards, monsoons, and other types of extreme weather conditions that can endanger your pets that are outdoors. The following are some things that you can do to keep your pets safe from the harm that powerful weather can cause.

*Have a leak free covering that he or she can get underneath in case of sudden, extreme weather. If things are falling from the sky, such as in the case of hail, your pet will be able to get to cover and protection quickly. This will also be a dry place that he or she can go when it's rainy outside.

*Provide your pet with a home that has both sides and a roof, with something covering the ground. For instance, a dog should have a dog house and pigs should be able to be in pens within a barn that are comfortable and free of dampness or too much heat. Animals may each have a different type of specific home that they should be provided, but all are entitled to being kept away from the elements.

*Be sure and provide clean and dry bedding that the animal can find warmth in, even on the coldest of days or nights, if they must remain outdoors. Your pets should be able to snuggle down into something that will hold in their body temperature.

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