March 30th, 2012
Eleven 5km sponsored dog walks will take place across the country on Easter Monday, April 9th, at 2pm in support of The Carers Association.
Setting off from your local Petmania store, the walks aim to raise money for the many carers across Ireland who devote their lives to looking after loved ones. Last year, the fun event managed to raise an incredible €48,000 – with your help, this year can be an even bigger success.
It’s €5 to register for just you and your dog, while it is €10 for a family (up to four people) and their dogs to take part. You can register online now, but remember that there is a late registration fee of €2.50 for any stragglers who don’t register until after the 6th.
As a further incentive to take part in this worthy event, Petmania are offering fantastic walker rewards, depending on the amount of money raised by by partakers. The rewards include store vouchers, pet insurance discounts, free dog food, trips to the groomers and even a weekend getaway for those who reach the top target of €800.
The walks will start out from these Petmania shops: Waterford, Navan,Limerick, Kilkenny, Carlow, Tullamore,Tralee, Santry, Portlaoise,Galwayand Wexford.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, Events, News
March 29th, 2012
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Instead of finding a person in need, a team of police in England responding to an emergency call found a lucky basset hound named George tangled up in a phone cord. Miraculously, he had managed to ring 999 while trying to free himself.
The operator heard the 2-year-old dog’s laboured breathing and assumed it was somebody who had been attacked or had collapsed. On arrival at the home that the call had come from, emergency workers found George wrapped up the wire, on the verge of choking to death.
Gerorge’s owner Lydia, a college student said “By the time I got back the police had gone and George was looking a little sorry for himself.” She added that this act of intelligence is unusual for George because he is usually “really dopey and just likes to chew socks.”
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
March 22nd, 2012
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This week, Dogster.com told the touching story of Rod Calvert, a former marine who, on a routine health-check trip to Pittsburgh, was told by doctors that he had just a few days to live. The liver cancer that he had beaten a few years previously had come back, and he was too ill to return to his home in Florida. His dying wish was to see his beloved pet Labrador, Bailey, just one more time.
Thanks to a great organisation called Pilots N Paws, and the help of dozens of volunteers, Rod’s wish was granted. Usually the charity focuses on transporting shelter dogs across the U.S. to new Forever Homes, but when they heard about Rod’s plight from one of his nurses, they made an exception, flying 7-year-old Bailey the distance to his hospice bed.
The cheerful yellow Lab “smiled” her way through the long journey and on arrival, apparently leapt up on her surprised master’s bed, staying with him until he passed away. Pilots N Paws co-founder Debi Boies said, “[Rod] could not believe she was there… She’s a big girl and she actually jumped up on his bed. She then kept watch over him and would put her paws on him and look at him. She watched him and helped him let go. I believe it brought him great comfort in those last hours.”
After three final days with his dog by his side, Rod Calvert lost his battle with the disease on March 14th. Boies added: “Roger and Bailey touched so many people in so many ways. I’m very honoured we were able to get her there in time.”
Become a fan of the wonderful charity, Pilots N Paws, on Facebook.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
March 16th, 2012
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Three-year-old Alida Knobloch suffers from a very rare condition called neuroendocrine hyperplasia in infancy, or NEHI. This means that her lungs are unable to absorb air correctly and she must breathe with the aid of supplemental oxygen tanks. Without a constant back-up supply of air, she could die.
To help the little girl carry this extra load, her parents have recruited a service dog named Mister Gibbs. The trained goldendoodle – a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle – acts as a constant companion to Alida wherever she goes, carrying the oxygen tanks on his back. On family trips to Disney World and even down the slide at the playground, he affords her with a new lease on life and the freedom to be just an ordinary child.
Alida’s Dad, Aaron Knobloch, from Loganville, Georgia, said of 1-year-old youngster Mister Gibbs: “He’s still learning, as we just got him a couple of weeks ago. He’s very much a puppy in some ways, playful and gangly. But when he wears the vest, he’s all business and does really well, even in public.” Let’s hope that Alida and Mister Gibbs continue to grow together as a happy and healthy duo.
Watch the story of Mister Gibbs and Alida’s sweet relationship below:
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
March 15th, 2012
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When a loved one passes away, it is customary to say nice things about them. But in the case of Yoda, 2011’s ‘Ugliest Dog’, it’s a fitting tribute to say that she was not so easy on the eye.
The cross-eyed Chihuahua/Chinese Crested cross won the unflattering title last June thanks to her protruding tongue, tufty hair, humongous ears and skinny, hairless legs. She died peacefully in her sleep last week.
Her owner, Terry Schumacher, found Yoda abandoned behind an apartment building and initially mistook her for a rat. Schumacher, a dog groomer from Hanford, California, says that she will miss Yoda’s “funny little ways” and that she was “comforted knowing she will be joining my Mom and Dad, who loved her so much. Her memories will live on forever.”
R.I.P. Yoda, you were beautiful in your own way!
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