Sherry’s Corner

Soccer-Playing Dogs

      To help when help is needed suddenly, the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has set up the BETTY WHITE  Wildlife Rapid Response Fund to help quickly fund research in the care of health emergencies.  Betty White, as most of us know, is a dedicated wildlife lover and MAF trustee.  She has pledged to match up to $25,000 in donations to the fund.  And this brings us to Ellen DeGeneres, to Octo-mom, to Barbara Walters and to Sara Palin.  These women have endorsed the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)–an organization viewed negatively by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as well as many, many wildlife and farming organizations.  Before playing FOLLOW THE CELEBRITY  consider that two of the most exciting MAF research efforts at the University of Florida involve the development of a one-time affordable contraceptive vaccine that at present has been found to be effective for two years in both male and female cats and a drug that has proven to be effective in birth control in dogs.  Lesson: in today’s economy we need to be especially careful what groups we support and what they are doing with our money.   

      Another grain of salt–this time about the popular outcry for mandatory spay-and-neuter legislation.  University of Pennsylvania professor James Serpell  said, “The thing about mandatory spay-neuter is that those who are most willing to have their pets spayed or neutered tend to be responsible people and their dogs are nice animals.  So what are we doing — taking these dogs out of the breeding population?”  This results in fewer dogs able to be trained to do search and rescue, detect drugs and roadside bombs; dogs to guide the blind and to help returning veterans, listen and encourage children to read and bring smiles to seniors  in nursing homes–as well as sleep in our beds! . As spay/neuter laws spread it is believed that IN TEN YEARS THERE WILL BE NO DOGS.  Where will we find a replacements for family dogs?

      Sprinkle a little salt on the story on the Bloomsburg group newspaper headlines advocating yoga for dogs.  This is a very old idea; in fact, the book, “Yoga for Dogs” by Brilliant and Berloni has been on sale in paperback for $3.00 for many years.  May we suggest the newest sport for owners and their dogs is SOCCER!  David Beckham and his Bulldog Coco are prominently found in pictures making front pages nationally.  Where are these local stories and pictures–will soccer playing dogs be part of the local playground scene?  

      More grains of salt–but not too much.  Did you know that kennel inspectors are being called “building inspectors” since they seem to know more about the shelter than the condition of the dogs being sheltered? And, second, although pistachios are touted as having multiple health benefits for us, they are poisonous for dogs!