Donated Pet Masks Already Saving Lives

I hope you saw The News Journal story over the holiday weekend about the Minquadale Fire Company using oxygen masks specifically designed for pets to help save the lives of eight cats. The Wilmington Kennel Club donated the masks -- a set of small, medium and large -- to each fire department in New Castle County. Next up: Kent and Sussex.

It's an example of how a service organization -- in this case the kennel club -- can fill in a gap that government otherwise might not be able to handle. And already the generous donation is paying dividends.

Well done, Wilmington Kennel Club.

Happy Anniversary to Happy Dog Healthy Dog

Happy Dog Healthy Dog on Delaware Avenue in Wilmington is celebrating its second anniversary. Stop in today or Saturday, wish them a happy anniversary at the counter and your pooch will get a free Archie's Alphabet and assorted cookies from the bakery.

And by the way, those dog quotes in The News Journal that confounded many -- including me, although I suspected owner Diane Mayer and HDHD -- are part of an ad campaign for the store. Let's see what else Diane has up her sleeves as the campaign continues Mondays through Wednesdays in The News Journal.

Neighborhood Queen of the Catnip

I love to grow catnip, and the neighborhood cats love that I do.

My sister, who was visiting from Washington, and I came home the other night to find a gray cat on the front step near the potted catnip. He ran off, across the driveway, but stopped as the garage door started to go up. He scooted back to the front step and his precious catnip and hunkered down. He decided he was going to stay.

The neighborhood cats love to rub against my fresh plants, often bending them and breaking off leaves. They used to knock the pot off the front step until my husband came up with the ingenious idea of putting a brick at the bottom of the pot. They no longer can knock over the planter, but, being cats, they had another plan. One brave, or just plain high soul, got in the pot, pulled out one of the plants -- roots and all -- and dragged it across the front step.

"You won't believe what they've done," Brad said as he looked out the front door.

Oh, yes, I would. That's why I've got a backup plant growing inside on the windowsill.

A National Step Toward Good Pet Evacuations

One of the many lessons we learned as a country during Hurricane Katrina is that plenty of people won't leave their pets behind. You remember the little boy who wouldn't leave Snowball behind, and threw up when he was told he would have to. For many pet lovers, it's a choice they refuse to make.

This week, the U.S. House passed legislation requiring that state and local officials take into account pet owners, household pets and service animals when drawing up evacuation plans. (Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., voted for the bill.) Don't do it and you won't get FEMA grants. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate. In Delaware, state, county and local officials, and pet groups are hammering out evacuation plans with pets and pet owners in mind.

During Katrina, one estimate put the number of animals that died or were left without shelter at 600,000. (The accompanying Sept. 10 photo is of a dog in the contaminated floodwaters of the Industrial Canal in eastern New Orleans.) And a Zogby poll found that 49 percent of U.S. adults say they would refuse to evacuate if they couldn't take their pets with them. That puts human lives at risk, too.

Busy Weekend for Pet Lovers

Choices? You want choices? Do we have choices for pet lovers this weekend:

* Doggerel Day: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Canby Grove Park in Centreville. Donations accepted for humane association. Highlight: Costumed pet parade at 2:45 p.m. More info: 655-3315 or www.centrevillede.info

* Barkitecture: Building Hope, Saving Lives: 6 p.m. Saturday at the Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington. Tickets $65 at the door. Benefits Faithful Friends, a no-kill shelter for homeless pets. Highlight: Winners announced in the doghouse and cat condo design competition. More info: 427-8514, ext. 8 or www.faithfulfriends.us

* Adopt-a-thon: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Dover Kmart. A variety of animals from the Kent County SPCA will be available for adoption. More info: 698-3006.

* Historic Lewes Cat Society Clinic: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Wash & Wag on Del. 1, near the Midway theaters. The society, a no-kill cat rescue group, will hold a rabies/microchip/adoption clinic. More info: 645-1575

Is There Anything Better?

Paul Roth of Lewes walks his dogs Sammy and Chloe in Dewey Beach. "I bring them here every day," he told photographer Scott Nathan.

Is there anything better than walking your dogs on the beach on a sun-filled morning with a breeze off the ocean? If there is, let me know.

Tax Form Checkoff for Spaying/Neutering

Why not have a checkoff on the Delaware income tax form for spaying/neutering of feral cats and other wilds? The state would collect money contributed through the forms, and a volunteer group could decide which agencies and rescue groups got the money.

On this year's tax form, 10 groups had checkoffs for contributions. They were: Non-Game Wildlife, U.S. Olympics, Emergency Housing, Children's Trust, Breast Cancer Education, Organ Donations, Diabetes Education, Veterans Home, Delaware National Guard and Juvenile Diabetes Fund. All worthy causes, but why not add another choice?

The House passed a bill in January that would allow a checkoff for Delaware Special Olympics.

How much money could this mean? In 1999, Delaware's state wildlife administrator said the checkoff for Non-Game Wildlife generated $40,000 to $50,000 a year. That kind of money could spay or neuter a lot of wild animals, and not take money out of vets' pockets because they don't usually handle feral or other wild animals.

What do you think? If you want to contact your legislator, use this link to look up his or her phone number or e-mail address.

For the (Too Much) Love of Pets

Normally, advertising and marketing don't get to me. As we say at a communications company, they help pay my salary. But two in the Sunday paper got me going.

One was a full-page ad in the coupon section for a 13-inch high lighted sculpture featuring -- get this -- dozens of beagles at play trimming the tree. As in Christmas tree. As in May. For $129, plus shipping. As Charlie Brown would say, "Arggghhh!"

The other was a lilac-colored coupon ad flier for Cesar Select Dinners -- dog food. I admit the the photo of the cute Boston terrier got to me and so did the words: "I promise/to wait up until you get home/to never run out of kisses/to clean my plate if it's filled with filet mignon." (I would do all of those things for filet mignon.) The flier included a 25-cent coupon to try a can. Can't small dogs have Science Diet like my dog did?

What do you think? Are we too fanatical about our pets? Do we spoil them too much?

Sable, the Great Great Dane

My husband and I were playing golf Sunday at Three Little Bakers when we spotted two women walking a big, black dog on a nearby sidewalk between the ninth and 10th holes. We had a wait on the 11th tee and the dog-walking party was passing by again. I crossed the street to find out the black beauty was Sable, a 14-month-old Great Dane who weighs 107 pounds. Sable was friendly, but she wasn't quite ready for ear scratches. Her owner said she has a good disposition, but they had been painting at home and Sable managed to get her long, curled up tail into the paint. Good for her.

Sable had some of the longest strides I've seen on a dog, but she was calm and her owner and the other woman with her had no problem keeping up.

What's the biggest dog you've known or seen?

Delaware's Dog? Pug? Bichon Frise? Labrador?

Did you see the legislative proposal from state Rep. Robert J. Valihura Jr., R-Laurel Ridge? He wants to make the pug the state dog. According to Breeds of Dog, the pug's motto is multum in parvo - a lot in a small package. That sounds like Delaware. Valihura's bill calls the pug "a small, intelligent, and much revered dog" that is "an excellent representative of the state of Delaware."

If not the pug, what would recommend? The Bichon Frise or the French bulldog as a nod to the du Ponts' French roots? The Labrador because it's so willing to please? The beagle as a nod to our hunting past?

Of Men and Dogs

Saw this segment on "The Today Show" this morning about a new book called, I think, "Everything I Know about Men I Learned from My Dog." The tongue-in-cheek book sounds as if it's been a big hit in England and will be hitting the U.S. market soon. Ann Curry did the interview and said there would be excerpts from the book on the show's Web site, but I can't find any. As soon as I do, I'll post some. They're a kick.

And the Winner Is ... Relish

I asked for your best pet names and I received some gems. (Loved the cat named Pretty Princess Pinky Toes, the rabbit named Shadow Fuzzybutt Bun-Bun and the black and white border collie named Guinness) But the winning name belongs to a 3 1/2-year-old black and red Daschund named Relish (right).

"Everyone loves his name when they ask me, even the veterinarian gets a kick out of it when he goes to visit them," says Relish's owner Sheree, who wins a $20 gift certificate to any Concord Pet location. "He's my little hot dog."

Congrats, Sheree!

Look for more contests to come.

Make Mine a Jitter Critter

Stopped by the Concord Pet in Middletown on Saturday and while checking out saw this box of fuzzy little creatures called Jitter Critters. Two of the clerks said they're fast sellers. I picked out a yellow one (not pictured) -- maybe it's a cat, maybe it's a lion or tiger, maybe it's a cartoon character. Who knows? Pull the string in the back and it scurries forward, sounding like a tiny outboard motor. I tried to entice the clerks to race two of them along the counter, but a customer walked in needing help with dog vitamins, and she ruined playtime.

Jitter Critters are $2.49.

Here's a Must-Have for Cat Lovers

From the folks at Wrapables.com comes this great way to save. The ceramic Me-Ow Bank is sure to be a talker, whether it goes on your desk at home or work, and a great place to throw in that loose change. It's 18.95, plus $5 for shipping. Check out what else is available in the Pet Lovers portion of this very cool online merchant's Web site.

All Dogs Created Equal?

You remember all of those blind taste tests -- Coke vs. Pepsi, butter vs. margarine, eggs vs. Egg Beaters (OK, that last one is a bit obscure, but you get the idea). Could you pick out the pure-bred designer dog vs. the mutt? Take this quiz at DesignerDogBreeds.com

That Dog Saying Ad Is Back

Look on page A10 of today's News Journal. That dog-saying ad campaign is back. This time it says:

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures. For me they are the role model for being alive." -- Gilda Radner.

Amen, Gilda.

Dog Show a Winner

And the winners were ... dog show fans -- newbies and veterans.

The Wilmington Kennel Club had great weather Friday and Saturday for its show at Lums Pond State Park. Martha Doerner, kennel club secretary, said Best in Show honors went to a beagle on Friday and to a Saluki on Saturday.

Doerner is also working to compile attendance numbers, but she said she couldn't get near the rings Saturday for the Best of Show competition. Lums Pond is a great location -- easy access, easy parking, easy to watch the dogs and plenty of fresh air. Admission was only $5 per person and you get to see more than 1,000 dogs of any breed you can think of compete to become champions. (At right, is Louie, a West Highland white terrier being held by Lisa Curry of Randolph, N.J. The show marked Louie's first competition.)

The dog show people that I talked with Saturday were great. I met a woman who owns a 20-month-old mastiff named Luna who was competing. Luna was so friendly hanging out near the ring before her category. Kids and adults came up to pet her, and she loved all of the attention in her pink party collar.

Among the dogs I watched being judged were Bouvier Des Flandres (absolutely beautiful dogs), Dorbermans, beagles, whippets, shih tzus, German shepherds, Boston terriers, old English sheepdogs (even flufflier and more striking in person) and one Komondorok (a big dog with what looked like off-white dreadlocks).

Mark your calendar next April for the Wilmington Kennel Club dog show at Lums Pond. Dorner says the club will be back with the only AKC dog show in Delaware.