Why dogs aren’t allowed to play baseball

Meet Mona. The seven-month-old beagle mix was the Northwest Arkansas Naturals’ Iams Adoptable Pet of the Game at a recent minor league baseball game. But she wasn’t content with her brief appearance and decided to do some “relief” work. Unfortunately, it was in the outfield and had nothing to do with pitching.

The good news is, Mona found a home, as did two other pups at her shelter, when folks began lining up the next day to adopt her.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean


Pets in the paper – beekeepers buzzing

Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Cute but wrong

I know this is cute, but part of me also thinks it is very wrong.

Ruben Gaviria rescued an injured red squirrel at a local park near his home near Medillin, Columbia. Luckily, when he took the critter home to recover, his cat took to it. Tita the cat even feeds the little guy her milk.

Tita’s kitten also plays with the squirrel.

These pictures are undeniably cute, but I wonder how long before natural instincts take over and this ends badly.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean


Pet Show – Scots are tops!

Listen to Pet Show! We talk about Clint Eastwood’s orangutan pal and daredevil squirrels. But most importantly, we talk about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the winner, Sadie the Scot. So, in honor of her, we discussed our Top Five Scottish Things. Here is my list. (Bryan Dean posted his as a comment.)

No. 5: Haggis.

No. 4: Hooligans.

No. 3: J. K. Rowling, who lives in Scotland.

No. 2: Oklahoman Database Editor Paul Monies.

And No. 1: Sadie, the Westminster champion, of course!

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Bixby dog finalist on America’s Funniest Home Videos

I’m not sure what the Gartner family paid to adopt Junior the Chihuahua, but I’m sure they’ve made a profit. They adorable pup earned the family $100,000 on America’s Funniest Home Videos, and now they’re competing for the grand prize. The finale will be taped in March and will air in May. Here’s the video that won the Gartners the big bucks:

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Plaza pup looking for owner

Check out this poor little gal!

She was found this morning in the Plaza District in northwest Oklahoma City. Contact kristen@plazadistrict.org to claim her!

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Pets in the paper – smacking the shark

Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Rescue group robbed, dogs stolen

A dog rescue group is looking for help after someone robbed their Doggie Care Center in Johnson City, Tenn.

The group, led by Tammara Josselyn, keeps all its rescue animals in the center while they are nursed back to health so they can be adopted. Josselyn’s niece, who lives in an apartment above the center, came down to check on the dogs when they wouldn’t top barking in the middle of the night.

She was confronted by the robbers, one of whom pulled a knife and cut her. The woman was treated at a nearby hospital. The robbers made of with 14 dogs. Twelve were dobermans, one was a labrador retriever and one was a miniature pinscher. Some of the dogs have special medical needs.

Animal advocates in the area fear the robbery could be the work of a local dogfighting ring. There has been a strong of break-ins at shelters recently, with thieves taking large breeds known to be used by dogfighters, along with declawed cats, puppies and small dogs.

The small animals are used as bait to test the larger dogs’ fighting instincts. They are often mauled and killed. As the owner of a miniature pinscher mix, this story is particularly disturbing to me.

Supporters have set up a Web site with the full story along with photos and contact information for anyone who might be able to help bring these dogs home.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean


Pets in the paper – goodbye, lions

Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Puppy rescued from train tracks

A railroad employee saved a puppy from almost certain death during the recent cold snap that hit the deep South.
Gary McClean, a track inspector for CSX Railroad, found the shivering puppy with his paws frozen to some train tracks in his home state of Alabama. The temperature outside was about 14 dtrack1egrees.
McClean was checking for any obstacles ahead of a train expected along the tracks in an hour. Apparently the puppy had become wet in a nearby ditch and his wet paws froze to the tracks in the extreme cold. McClean used a knife to cut the pup’s fur and free him before the train came.
McClean already had three dogs and couldn’t adopt another. So his wife put the pup’s picture and story up on her Facebook page. As the story made its way across the Internet, the calls started to pour in.
The puppy, which looks to be a German shepherd mix, now has a new home and a new name — Track.
track2
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean