Posting for Stormy today.

The Flowers Will Bloom

The small girl worked with her grandma in the garden. The child was sad, her dog that she had loved had died a few weeks ago. Her tiny hands worked, pulling dry leaves from the new green shoots peeking though the dirt. She told her grandma that it would be nice to see new flowers. They talked as they readied the flower beds for spring. When they were done, the child sat on the swing under a big oak tree.

Later, as the sun was high in the sky, the grandmother looked out the window. Her granddaughter was holding a small watering can, pouring water over the dogs grave. Very upset, she went out, "What are you doing child?"

The girl answered, "You told me that everything that is sleeping in the ground will come up in the spring. My doggie is sleeping, so if I water the ground, it will be soft and he can get out."

Her heart breaking, she held her granddaughter close while trying to explain the harsh reality of death to a four year old. It was a hard lesson to learn at such a tender age. Her grandma, scooped her up, got the car keys then drove into town.

Once there she took the child into a building where she asked to look at puppies. They had only one. He sat alone in his bed, in a small cage, his eyes watching the door hopefully. When the child entered, he stood up, his tail wagging. The cage door was opened, the puppy placed into the child's arms. It was love at first sight. It didn't matter to the child that he had three legs. He had been hurt in a car accident. No one had wanted to take him home.

As the puppy licked the girls face, his wee tail fanning the air, she looked up, "Oh Grandma, he is just perfect. He's beautiful. He's been here all this time waiting for me to come and get him."

Just to make sure the child understood that the dog wasn't like all puppies, he was missing that one leg after all. The four year old hugged her puppy close, "Grandma, he'll be okay. Just like you watch your flowers come up, my doggie will bloom too. He has me to love him now."

Out of the mouths of babes~!

Stormy

I know these rent-a-pet businesses are controversial but I don't want to slam them because, to be honest, I don't really comprehend them. The article below seems to offer some decent reasons why somebody might want to use one of these services but I just think there has to be a better way for people to interact with a dog. If people want to spend time with a dog couldn't they take the time they're using to rent a dog and, perhaps, go to their local shelter to help out? I know shelter work isn't for everyone and it takes an emotional toll on people. But there is something kind of creepy about renting a dog.

I really hate to judge people. Do we have any readers who have used one of these rent-a-pet services? Maybe they could comment and say something about the business.

I have read the opinion elsewhere that rent-a-pet services are not good for the emotional well-being of the dogs because they start bonding with one person or a family, only to be taken back at the end of a week or weekend. They don't have any security. I think that may be a fair comment.

Any thoughts?

From the New York Times.

For a Temporary Best-Friend Fix, Rent a Dog (Kibble Included) for a Day

Sarah Stevenson with Oliver, a 3-year-old cockapoo, and Chris Haddix, who runs the New York branch of Flexpetz. The business, which originated in California and opened in New York in October, rents out dogs that have been rescued from animal shelters. Earl Wilson/The New York Times

By VINCENT M. MALLOZZI
Published: March 30, 2008

Sarah Stevenson scampered through a heavy rain one recent Friday evening, arriving at a Manhattan rental agency just before it closed.

Ms. Stevenson, a 26-year-old nurse’s aide from Brooklyn, had reserved a compact cutie with a lot of spunk for tooling around on the weekend.

The man behind the counter went and fetched it from a pillow in another room.

“Hi, hi, hi,” Ms. Stevenson said with a smile that kept getting wider. “How have you been, my handsome boy? I missed you.”

Ms. Stevenson picked up Oliver, a 3-year-old cockapoo — half cocker spaniel, half poodle — whom she had rented before.

“Last weekend, I didn’t want to bring him back because we were having the best time,” she said as she ran her fingers through Oliver’s tan curly locks.

The agency was Flexpetz, which rents dogs that have been rescued from animal shelters in the hope that they will eventually be adopted. Flexpetz operates out of the Wet Nose Doggy Gym at 34 East 13th Street, which provides day care and boarding for dogs. The company started in San Diego and opened in Los Angeles in June and in New York in October. It plans to expand to Boston, Washington, San Francisco and London.

“There are a lot of people out there looking for companionship,” said Chris Haddix, 28, who runs the New York branch of Flexpetz. There are usually five or six dogs available for rent, many of them on display in the Wet Nose storefront window, attracting crowds.

Ms. Stevenson explained why she was a customer: “I’m single and moved here from Scotland two years ago, and it’s been difficult to meet people because everyone in New York just kind of goes about their business. But when I’m walking around with Oliver, I seem to get into so many conversations about him. It becomes a nice way to meet people.”

But it isn’t cheap. A monthly membership, which includes four one-day rentals, costs $279.95. Additional rentals cost $45 for a day, or part of a day.

Anyone interested must first register at www.flexpetz.com before meeting Mr. Haddix. “I ask them a lot of questions,” he said. “I want to know if they have ever owned a dog, why they can’t own a dog full time, how renting a dog benefits them, stuff like that.”

If the head office in San Diego gives the go-ahead, there is a mandatory one-hour training session on handling and training. Then members can choose one of the dogs pictured on the Web site for rental.

Mr. Haddix said his customers were a mixed bunch.

“There are people from other states and other countries who couldn’t take their dogs with them when they were transplanted to New York,” he said, “and there are families with small children who enjoy taking these dogs on vacation with them.

“There are also people who live in places that do not allow pets, and a lot of single people who wouldn’t mind just hanging out with a pal every now and then. There are all sorts of reasons for renting dogs,” said Mr. Haddix, who is studying for a master’s degree in philosophy at the New School for Social Research when he is not studying the qualifications of prospective renters.

Mr. Haddix noted that big dogs are rented out on the West Coast, where the dogs generally have more room to roam, and smaller dogs are rented in New York, where, as he put it, “many people live in apartments the size of coat closets.”

Stacy Faulkner, 39, is a Flexpetz client in San Diego. She has been married for 10 years and does not have children, she said, so “renting a dog can really fill a void.”

Two years ago, her 10 ½-year-old Rottweiler, Kaya, died.

“When you don’t have kids,” Mrs. Faulkner explained, “your animals are like your own children, or a new best friend.”

“Kaya was a great dog, and I really miss her,” she said. “I’m not ready yet to get another full-time dog — I can’t make that kind of emotional commitment.”

To fill the void, Mrs. Faulkner has been renting for the past eight months. She has returned time and again to rent Charlie, a 4-year-old black dachshund. When she visits New York, she rents a 2-year-old miniature Doberman pinscher named Nixon, who was rented on a recent Friday to a family in Port Jefferson, N.Y.

After Mr. Haddix handed Oliver to Ms. Stevenson, along with a leash and a bag filled with kibble, he closed shop for the night and said that he was going home — to his cat.

“I love my cat,” Mr. Haddix said of Stoli, his 6-year-old Maine coon, before turning out the lights, “and no, he’s not for rent.”

Stormy is in the middle of moving this weekend and without computer access so I'm posting her stories for her for a couple of days. Here's one I really liked.

What You Can Do To Help Dogs

I've often been told, I would love to help lost dogs, or strays that no one wants, but I'm not allowed to have a dog in my home. How can 'I' help?

There are a number of ways to give a helping hand to recued dogs and their foster homes, or even put a few hours in at your local shelter or pound.

Food! It is a huge expense. It doesn't have to be top of the line expense wise, just not the cheapest stuff out there either. Some dogs require special diets if they have been starved, abused, or old. In the rescue work I've been involved in, sometimes if I was lucky, a dog came to my home with enough for a few weeks, then it was up to me to buy the kibble, or canned goods. Locate your nearby dog shelter, or SPCA, ASPCA and ask what they need. Don't feel bad if they ask for money. They can usually buy dog food at a discount, the money you spend to buy one bag, may stretch to three for them. If you aren't comfortable handing over money, go for a large bag of kibble, for adult dogs. If you can afford it, add a bag for small dog's, kibble that comes in smaller bites. Or a bag of puppy kibble. It will all get used.

Dry food is used, but canned dog food is needed as well. For puppies, dogs who's teeth are poor, old dogs like the softer food. Again, you don't need the most expensive, but look for canned dog food that can be fed to puppies, adult and senior dogs.

Toys are a sure bet. Anything cuddly to squeaky to Frisbee's. Try and make sure soft toys don't have any plastic eyeballs, or pieces the dog can nibble off and swallow. Toys that can have treats placed inside, making the dog work to get them out helps prevent boredom when they are caged.

Beds. Check with the shelters. Some have a desperate need, others have enough. The ideal bed is one that has four legs, a frame with a piece of canvas like material stretched over it. It keeps the dog from laying on the cold floor. Blankets are appreciated. Large towels, dog shampoo plus rinse, grooming tools, all of those dogs need a bath now and then. Phone ahead and ask what they prefer.

Have a yard sale and donate the money you earn to a shelter. You'll be their friend forever. Offer to walk a dog, or go in and romp with the puppies.

Sit beside an old dog and brush him, or just stroke him. Dogs in shelters are hungry for a loving hand, soothing voice and a bit of attention. Ask what the rules are before you go to make sure you are comfortable with the atmosphere. Staff work very hard at making dogs lives easier, but it is still stressing to see cage after cage with dogs who are all begging you to please take them home. You can go to the front desk and ask that a dog be brought out for you to walk it.

Get your friends together and hold a bake sale. Advertise that the money is going to a shelter. Every cent helps. If you know of someone who is fostering dogs, approach them as ask if you can run errands for them, if they can't get out of the house. Offer to walk their foster dog to give them a break. People who foster dogs are on 24/7 duty. It can be exhausting and extremely stressful. Don't be shocked if they haul you into their house to have a coffee and just talk to you.

Get involved. Ask how you can help, see if you have special skills that you can use to provide those unfortunate dogs a bit of comfort. One lady who I know is in her early 90's spends her time knitting sweaters for dogs. Every one gets used. Another helps by taking photo's to put on posters, even your children can help by organizing a dog party, with the idea of bringing an item of dog food for the gifts. Take the kids and the presents to the shelter, phone ahead to let them know you are bringing a mob of excited youngsters. It's wonderful when kids get to see just how many dogs there are that don't have homes. Be prepared for each child to want to take a dog home.

Stormy

From the North County Times. Some ugly comments following this story.

I have to say that I am still of two minds on this issue. I'm glad the soldiers got their dogs and puppies home to the U.S. I know what they mean to them. But I truly question the appropriateness of American humane societies in raising funds to bring these dogs here when they complain about pet overpopulation in the U.S., especially humane societies based in California where they are trying to pass such draconian legislation to require mandatory spaying and neutering and against breeders. It doesn't make sense and it's a huge double-standard.

A Marine captain in the story says that he's never seen the extreme order of killing the dogs on a base in Iraq carried out. It does happen. That's what happened to my fiance's dog before we could find a way to bring him to the U.S.

One person in the story below says that the fondness Americans have for the dogs in Iraq is enlightening for the Iraqis. That's a little naive. Not only are there some cultural and religious differences at work, but many Iraqis are in a situation where dogs are superfluous. There may not be food to feed a dog. When Desterie was trying to find a vet who could give his dog, Festus, his vaccinations, we discovered that there was only one vet in a nearby town. There were no vaccines for rabies and other common dog shots. There were barely medications for many Iraqis. They were relying on coalition troops for medicine. The advanced middle eastern country, in terms of medicine, which had existed prior to the war had been drastically set back by bombing and related war events. Frankly, having pets was not a priority for most people in Iraq when Desterie was trying to find a way to help Festus. That was in 2005. I doubt that things have changed too much for a lot of Iraqis.

My heart goes out to these dogs and to the troops who have adopted them on the bases. It's a difficult situation for everyone.

REGION: Adopting Iraqi dogs violates military order
By: GARY WARTH - Staff Writer
Act of compassion defended; troops suggest some commanders look the other way

NORTH COUNTY —- Stories about American troops adopting stray dogs in Iraq are heartwarming, but raise questions about whether the effort and expense is justified when so many dogs in the U.S. have no home.

Organizers of some adoption drives defend the practice as beneficial to troops, but also acknowledge the military's rules forbid troops from keeping pets in Iraq.

"They're risking a lot by keeping these animals," said Stephanie Scroggs, spokeswoman for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International in Washington, D.C. "That is really a testament to how important they are to these soldiers."

The military's rule against the practice is clear: "Adopting as pets or mascots, caring for, or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal" was banned by U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks in 2000.

The order applies to all troops in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia and remains in effect today.

Scroggs said helping bring a dog to the United States can help a troop get out of hot water for keeping it as a pet on base.

"We've had soldiers contact us in a panic, saying 'I have to abandon this dog unless you guys can get in here and help,' " she said.

Army Specialist Charles Espie, a multi-national force spokesman in Baghdad, said this week that the 2000 order addressing dog adoptions is still followed, although there have been lapses.

"The official response is we do go by General Order Number 1A," he said during a telephone interview, citing the specific rule. "But obviously, if you look into it, there are instances where it doesn't happen."

While the rule is frustrating for troops who want to adopt cute and friendly puppies, Espie said it's there to protect them from violent and diseased strays that run free in Iraq.

"It's actually to protect the solders' safety," he said. "The animals over here are foreign to us."

While the rule is strictly adhered to in Baghdad, Espie said, ignoring it seems to occur in more remote outposts around the country.

A Marine Corps official at the Pentagon said any questions about the dog adoption policy on its bases in Iraq need to be addressed by officials there. Efforts to get comment from a Marine spokesman in Iraq were not immediately successful.

'Overlook the rules'

Sacramento's Terri Crisp, program manager of Operation Baghdad Pups which was formed last year by SPCA International and a group called I Love Dogs to assist troops with bringing dogs back to the U.S., acknowledged the military directive is being ignored.

"We realize that there are rules, but there are times to overlook the rules," she said during a telephone interview this week, adding that there has been some sympathy for their efforts within the military's higher ranks.

"There are commanders who were willing to look the other way, who said, 'I'm going to turn my back for 20 minutes, and you do what you have to do and don't tell me anything about it.' "

The program has brought six dogs to the U.S. and is working to bring 35 more, said Crisp, who stressed that Operation Baghdad Pups started in response to troops who contacted the SPCA International for help.

"What do you say to these soldiers?" she said. "We didn't go looking for this, but being an animal-rescue operation, whenever someone contacts us, we have to look at it."

Locally, Miramar Marine Corps Air Station-based Maj. Brian Dennis raised $3,500 to bring home Nubs, a German shepherd-border collie mix he befriended while on patrol in the Anbar province last October. The two were reunited in San Diego on March 22.

In another rescue, Marines in working with Iraqis on border security adopted seven puppies.

Marine Capt. Jamisen Fox, who adopted two of the puppies, said this week he was not violating any military rules because he was on an Iraqi base along the Syrian border about 210 miles from Baghdad late last year.

"This base happened to have some dogs," he said.

Putting down dogs

In stories about his dog, Dennis was quoted as saying he had been told by commanders to get Nubs off his base in four days or have him killed.

Fox, however, said this week that in his two years in Iraq, he never saw such an extreme measure carried out.

Dangerous dogs or those running loose on a runway may have to be shot, he said, but an injured or diseased stray more likely would be humanely euthanized by an Army veterinarian on base to care for military dogs.

"You have to remember that these are Americans, and 99.9 percent of Americans love animals," he said. "We're talking last resort."

But Crisp maintained that dogs have been killed just for being on base. In one instance, she said a soldier claimed his puppy sneaked back on base one too many times and was killed.

"His e-mail (to his mother) said, 'I have sacrificed so much for this country, and all I asked in return was to bring a puppy home, and they took that from me,'" Crisp said.

She said she plans to ask the military to consider the adoptable dogs as "force-protection" canines while the paperwork is being processed.

"Each military unit is allowed to have a force-protection canine," she said. "Basically, they want them around to bark."

The cost, the reward

Bringing dogs from Iraq to the U.S. can cost more than $4,000 for transportation and security. With so many dogs already waiting for adoption in America, Crisp acknowledged that some people have questioned the practice.

"We do have people e-mail us and say, 'How dare you?'" Crisp said. "But I don't think six dogs are going to keep many dogs here from getting a home."

Patty Brook, spokeswoman for the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, which cared for Fox's puppies and Dennis' dog when they first arrived earlier this month, also defended the adoptions.

"These Americans have already adopted the dogs, so in a sense they are American dogs," she said.

All of the adoptions, locally and the ones organized by Operation Baghdad Pups, were funded by private donations.

Brook, Crisp and Scroggs said criticizing the expense misses the point.

"I think it is a lot to spend on an animal, but I think that it's worth it because the troops are sacrificing so much for us," Scroggs said. "These relationships are able to help our soldiers get through really tough times in a war zone."

Scroggs said one female soldier told her that having a dog in Iraq was the only thing that kept her from becoming callous toward life.

Fox said an unexpected benefit of the relationship between American troops and dogs may be a change in how Iraqis view animals.

"A majority of the people do not have pet dogs or pet cats," he said. "Iraqis, if a dog is wild and in their way, will shoot it with no hesitation."

But after watching Americans play with puppies in camp, young Iraqis were beginning to see dogs in a new light.

"I would absolutely, positively guarantee that the young Iraqis were picking up on our relationship with dogs," he said. "They were thinking, 'These things aren't all bad. They're kind of fun to play with.'"

This is such a great story! I've heard about wheelchairs for pets for years but I haven't known where people could get them. I'm sure there are other sources, but here's at least one good source discussed in this article.

Many people have pets who develop problems with walking. This is a way to keep them mobile. Other people seek out handicapped pets to adopt. These wheelchairs can really make a difference.

From Yahoo News

Wheelchairs keep disabled pets moving
By STEPHANIE REITZ, Associated Press Writer Tue Mar 25, 8:43 AM ET

SHELBURNE FALLS, Mass. - When Gary Mikus learned that an incurable nerve disease was starting to paralyze the hind legs of his German shepherd, he immediately dismissed the idea of putting the dog to sleep. Then he spotted an ad in a pet food store: "Eddie's Wheels For Pets. Help for Handicapped Pets." Now the dog named Bear, which has been Mikus' constant companion for a decade, has a lot of living left to do — much of it in his new pet wheelchair.

"He's healthy in every other way," Mikus said. "Until something tells me otherwise that he's failing, I'll do everything I can to keep him mobile and happy."

A growing number of pet owners are turning to custom-built wheelchairs to restore mobility to furry friends whose legs, hips or backs don't work. The owners' goals are simple: to reward their pets' unconditional love with whatever it takes for the animals to live normally.

The two-wheel carts support the dog's midsection with a padded saddle, and are secured with a shoulder yoke and chest strap. Most dogs have rear-wheel carts to compensate for lame hind legs, though a growing number of front-wheel carts are being ordered for animals with front-leg problems.

Donna Blain's 7-year-old Maltese named Gizmo hopped and hobbled on his deformed front legs before she adopted him a year ago. She ordered his cart after learning the odd gait had damaged his spine and would have required surgery.

Now he wheels himself around for hours on sidewalks, in parks and anywhere he can find treats and praise.

"He's into everything," said Blain, of Woodstock, Conn. "He just wants to live, after all those years of really hobbling and not being able to get where he wanted to be."

Eddie and Leslie Grinnell, founders of Eddie's Wheels, built their first pet wheelchair in 1989 when their 10-year-old Doberman, Buddha, lost the use of her rear legs because of disc disease and spinal problems.

Their veterinarian, impressed by Buddha's revived mobility and vitality, started referring others to the Grinnells. In 1998, they started their own business.

Similar wheelchair makers can be found in Montana, Maryland, Oregon, Washington and elsewhere. Most dog carts start around $250 and can exceed $500 based on the size of the dog, while the cost of wheelchairs for other animals can vary depending on the type and size of animal.

Since launching the business, Eddie's Wheels has shipped carts worldwide — the largest to a 220-pound Saint Bernard in Great Britain — and has made wheelchairs for several cats, a ferret, alpacas, goats, sheep, a rabbit and a possum.

They even keep a supply of tiny wheels on hand for a gerbil or hamster.

Veterinarian Derek Fox, a University of Missouri professor specializing in orthopedic surgery for dogs, cats and other small animals, said pets that once would have been irreversibly crippled are benefiting from a variety of advancements: improved hip and joint replacements, better physical therapy and wheelchairs.

"Even if a treatment is expensive, these are people who say they'll do anything to keep their pet moving, to keep them happy, to keep their quality of life up," he said.

Many of the dogs who need the chairs become disabled from degenerative myelopathy, a neurological disease common in German shepherds, golden retrievers, Labradors and other large sporting breeds. Others, like Corgis and Daschunds, are vulnerable to disc and spine problems that eventually leave them lame.

"Dogs don't understand why this is going on, but they're very accepting: 'Oh, this is the way I am today.' So when we put them in the cart, they're like: 'Oh, now I'm back to normal. I can go where I want," Leslie Grinnell said.

That was the case with Max, an 8-year-old German shepherd whose owners, Gordon and Linda Landry of Granby, said his degenerative myelopathy left him dejected and hobbling behind their other dog, Molly.

As he tried his new cart for the first time, the dog whimpered at the door to go outside and promptly wheeled his way down the walkway, around the parking lot and past Molly as she peered at him from the Landrys' truck.

"This just amazes me," Linda Landry said as she watched him, laughing at his vigor. "We never get to see him like this anymore. It's like having a younger Max back."

On the Web: http://www.eddieswheels.com