KSCO Pet Radio

This podcasts features Siberian Husky expert Sandy Ettinger of Aptos and our trainer/expert Laura Pakis helping owners with advice for managing high-energy canines so that they don't end up in shelters. Here is the background and information about an April 6th workshop for owners.

Subject:  Local animal shelters co-host a Husky and

other high-energy dog breed workshop in hopes of reducing shelter intake

Animal shelters in Monterey County are seeing an increase in

stray and owner-surrendered high-energy dogs, such as huskies, shepherds and pit

bulls, and are co-hosting a workshop to help current and prospective new owners

share their life with such breeds. On Saturday, April 6th, the

public is invited to attend “High Energy Dogs 101” from 1-3pm at 160 Hitchcock

Road in Salinas.  The goal is to

better educate pet owners of these breeds to reduce their chance of ending up

in the shelter.

Of specific concern is the increase in husky and similar

breeds in the last several years.  Monterey

County Animal Services, Salinas Animal Services and the SPCA for Monterey

County have each seen an increase in the breed since 2015.  For example, in 2015, Salinas Animal Services

received 58 dogs classified as being as Alaskan or Siberian Husky.  In 2018, they saw 113.  The SPCA for Monterey County and Monterey

County Animal Services have also seen about a 200% increase from 2015 numbers.  (These numbers do not include dogs that are

considered mixes).

In many cases, people are drawn to a particular breed's

looks but don't fully understand the temperament, drive or exercise

needs.  “Huskies, while beautiful dogs, are a unique breed that you should

do your research on before you adopt or buy. They are not for everyone, “said

Cindy Burnham, Animal Services Administrator for Monterey County and Salinas

Animal Services.   

There

is some speculation that the popular television show, Game of Thrones, has

influenced the popularity of such breeds with the dire wolf “characters”.  And as seen in the past with movies like 101 Dalmatians or the Beverly Hills Chihuahua, popularity

in the movie breeds typically result in an increase in those breeds at local

animal shelters. With a new season of Game of Thrones due out soon, there is

concern that the popularity of huskies and similar breeds will continue the

increase that animal shelters are currently seeing.

In addition to the husky breeds, this workshop will talk

about other high-energy dogs that end up in local shelters including shepherds

and pit bulls.  These dogs require a lot

of attention and if their temperament, drive and energy needs are not

understood, it can lead to a difficult relationship for their owners and family.

This workshop also includes local rescue group

representatives and local behavior professionals. Family Dog Rescue, based out

of San Francisco, often rescues these breeds from shelters.  From the Heart Dog Training in Salinas is

often called to assess dogs in local shelters.

For more information on this workshop, please call Monterey

County Animal Services at 831-769-8850. 

This workshop is for current owners, prospective owners and other

members of the public interested in high-energy dog breeds.  No dogs required for this event.  Humans only please.

Participating Agencies & Partners:Monterey County Animal Services160 Hitchcock Road, Salinas, CA 93908 831-769-8850         ...

This podcasts features Siberian Husky expert Sandy Ettinger of Aptos and our trainer/expert Laura Pakis helping owners with advice for managing high-energy canines so that they don't end up in shelters. Here is the background and information about an April 6th workshop for owners.

Subject:  Local animal shelters co-host a Husky and

other high-energy dog breed workshop in hopes of reducing shelter intake

Animal shelters in Monterey County are seeing an increase in

stray and owner-surrendered high-energy dogs, such as huskies, shepherds and pit

bulls, and are co-hosting a workshop to help current and prospective new owners

share their life with such breeds. On Saturday, April 6th, the

public is invited to attend “High Energy Dogs 101” from 1-3pm at 160 Hitchcock

Road in Salinas.  The goal is to

better educate pet owners of these breeds to reduce their chance of ending up

in the shelter.

Of specific concern is the increase in husky and similar

breeds in the last several years.  Monterey

County Animal Services, Salinas Animal Services and the SPCA for Monterey

County have each seen an increase in the breed since 2015.  For example, in 2015, Salinas Animal Services

received 58 dogs classified as being as Alaskan or Siberian Husky.  In 2018, they saw 113.  The SPCA for Monterey County and Monterey

County Animal Services have also seen about a 200% increase from 2015 numbers.  (These numbers do not include dogs that are

considered mixes).

In many cases, people are drawn to a particular breed's

looks but don't fully understand the temperament, drive or exercise

needs.  “Huskies, while beautiful dogs, are a unique breed that you should

do your research on before you adopt or buy. They are not for everyone, “said

Cindy Burnham, Animal Services Administrator for Monterey County and Salinas

Animal Services.   

There

is some speculation that the popular television show, Game of Thrones, has

influenced the popularity of such breeds with the dire wolf “characters”.  And as seen in the past with movies like 101 Dalmatians or the Beverly Hills Chihuahua, popularity

in the movie breeds typically result in an increase in those breeds at local

animal shelters. With a new season of Game of Thrones due out soon, there is

concern that the popularity of huskies and similar breeds will continue the

increase that animal shelters are currently seeing.

In addition to the husky breeds, this workshop will talk

about other high-energy dogs that end up in local shelters including shepherds

and pit bulls.  These dogs require a lot

of attention and if their temperament, drive and energy needs are not

understood, it can lead to a difficult relationship for their owners and family.

This workshop also includes local rescue group

representatives and local behavior professionals. Family Dog Rescue, based out

of San Francisco, often rescues these breeds from shelters.  From the Heart Dog Training in Salinas is

often called to assess dogs in local shelters.

For more information on this workshop, please call Monterey

County Animal Services at 831-769-8850. 

This workshop is for current owners, prospective owners and other

members of the public interested in high-energy dog breeds.  No dogs required for this event.  Humans only please.

Participating Agencies & Partners:Monterey County Animal Services160 Hitchcock Road, Salinas, CA 93908 831-769-8850         ...

Dr. Merrianne Burtch, Birchbark Foundation and Pacific Veterinary Specialists

Because of last week's technical problems, this segment did not run at 1:30 as scheduled. We've given the equipment a stern look and have been assured everything will be fine this week.

Dr. Merrianne Burtch discusses feline heart disease, a very serious if uncommon condition in pet cats.

Note the new location for Pacific Veterinary Specialists + Emergency Service: 2585 Soquel Drive, Capitola CA.

Dr. Burtch received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis in 1993. She completed an internship at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital in 1994. In 1996 she completed an ACVIM SAIM approved residency in internal medicine at the same facility, which included out-rotations at UC Davis. She became board certified in internal medicine in 1999. Dr. Burtch’s special interests include diabetes mellitus, gastroenterology and liver disease.

She is also founder of Birchbark Foundation which provides emergency financial support for pets in need.

* Soquel Drive

Dr. Merrianne Burtch, Birchbark Foundation and Pacific Veterinary Specialists

Because of last week's technical problems, this segment did not run at 1:30 as scheduled. We've given the equipment a stern look and have been assured everything will be fine this week.

Dr. Merrianne Burtch discusses feline heart disease, a very serious if uncommon condition in pet cats.

Note the new location for Pacific Veterinary Specialists + Emergency Service: 2585 Soquel Drive, Capitola CA.

Dr. Burtch received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis in 1993. She completed an internship at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital in 1994. In 1996 she completed an ACVIM SAIM approved residency in internal medicine at the same facility, which included out-rotations at UC Davis. She became board certified in internal medicine in 1999. Dr. Burtch’s special interests include diabetes mellitus, gastroenterology and liver disease.

She is also founder of Birchbark Foundation which provides emergency financial support for pets in need.

* Soquel Drive

Trainer Laura Pakis of ACME Canine was accredited media at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden and will report on what's shes saw, including the new Museum of the Dog.

 

Trainer Laura Pakis of ACME Canine was accredited media at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden and will report on what's shes saw, including the new Museum of the Dog.

 

Trainer Laura Pakis of ACME Canine is accredited media at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden and will report on what's she's seen, including the new Museum of the Dog.

 

John Goodwin, HSUS and Jupiter

Today, a return visit from John Goodwin, anti-puppy mill campaigner from the Humane Society of the United States. Here's the email that prompted this interview, as well as information and a link to last year's interview with John.

On February 6th, a group of U.S. Representatives introduced a bill to crack down on puppy mill cruelty by closing loopholes in the law that allow problem breeders with severe and multiple Animal Welfare Act violations to continue doing business as usual. The Welfare of Our Friends (WOOF) Act, reintroduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Charlie Crist, D-Fla., Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass, has the potential to improve the welfare of thousands of dogs and puppies bred and sold each year by federally licensed commercial breeders.

In today's blog post, Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, and Sara Amundson, president of Humane Society Legislative Fund, explain what this means for animals and our fight to stop puppy mills:

Currently, the USDA, tasked with licensing and inspecting certain businesses that use animals, routinely relicenses puppy breeders with dozens of severe violations on their records, including dead and dying animals who didn’t receive adequate veterinary care, underweight animals and animals kept in filthy and unsafe conditions. Problem dealers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked can also essentially obtain a new license under the name of a family member while owning the same animals on the same property.

For years, we have exposed this disregard for the law and the need to close these loopholes in our annual Horrible Hundred reports on problem puppy mills in the United States, which we compile from USDA and state inspection data.

Here is the earlier post and podcast:

This is a great interview with John Goodwin about Puppy Mills and the Humane Society of the United States' campaign to put them out of business. We touch on what the HSUS is and other issues, but mostly puppy mills. I'm glad we have smart, compassionate people, such as John, pushing our case.

John Goodwin is the Senior Director of the Stop Puppy Mills campaign at The Humane Society of the United States. John joined The HSUS in 2000 as the grassroots outreach coordinator in the Government Affairs department and went on to spend over a decade spearheading the efforts to combat animal fighting in the Animal Cruelty and Fighting Campaign. Most recently John spent time lobbying for the organization on Capitol Hill in his role as the political director for The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the political affiliate of HSUS. In January 2016 John joined Stop Puppy Mills campaign.

John has testified before numerous state legislatures, acted as an expert witness in criminal animal fighting trials and has been featured in coverage from Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, national news programs for ABC, NBC and ABC, Court TV, ESPN, Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times and Men’s Journal magazine. John has appeared on Larry King Live, The O’Reilly Factor, Inside Edition and has debated on several national cable talk shows while giving over one thousand interviews to local media outlets.

Here is the HSUS Stop Puppy Mills page.

John Goodwin, HSUS and Jupiter

Today, a return visit from John Goodwin, anti-puppy mill campaigner from the Humane Society of the United States. Here's the email that prompted this interview, as well as information and a link to last year's interview with John.

On February 6th, a group of U.S. Representatives introduced a bill to crack down on puppy mill cruelty by closing loopholes in the law that allow problem breeders with severe and multiple Animal Welfare Act violations to continue doing business as usual. The Welfare of Our Friends (WOOF) Act, reintroduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Charlie Crist, D-Fla., Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass, has the potential to improve the welfare of thousands of dogs and puppies bred and sold each year by federally licensed commercial breeders.

In today's blog post, Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, and Sara Amundson, president of Humane Society Legislative Fund, explain what this means for animals and our fight to stop puppy mills:

Currently, the USDA, tasked with licensing and inspecting certain businesses that use animals, routinely relicenses puppy breeders with dozens of severe violations on their records, including dead and dying animals who didn’t receive adequate veterinary care, underweight animals and animals kept in filthy and unsafe conditions. Problem dealers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked can also essentially obtain a new license under the name of a family member while owning the same animals on the same property.

For years, we have exposed this disregard for the law and the need to close these loopholes in our annual Horrible Hundred reports on problem puppy mills in the United States, which we compile from USDA and state inspection data.

Here is the earlier post and podcast:

Dr. Merrianne Burch, Pacific Veterinary Specialists and Birchbark Foundation

(Originally aired 1/13/19)

Dr. Merrianne Burtch discusses the medical needs of new puppies, especially vaccinations, and how owners deal with the threat of deadly parvovirus. Interesting discussing for anyone who has (or would like to) add a young canine into their family.