DoggieDeliveries.com Cute Dog Photo Contest

We decided that we need more cute dog photos on our Dog Blog, so we're starting a contest. The winner, decided by a unbiased panel of judges that includes (and ends with) the author of this blog, will get a Dozen Gourmet DoggieDeliveries.com Dog Treats (your choice of flavor) sent anywhere in the continental U.S. So e-mail us your photo before our deadline (ummm, how about April 30th), and we'll post the best entries as we receive them on this dog blog. We'll start, by posting one of my favorite pics, Hannah as a puppy (after her eye surgery). E-mail your photos to cassie@doggiedeliveries.com. Good luck and spread the word, we want lots of cute pics!

Beware where you purchase your pet

Six pet stores in Georgia were shut down after puppies there were widely infected with a parasite called Giardia, which can easily be transmitted to humans. The Pet Company, which is based in New York, is being accused of selling sick puppies and according the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's website, will be dealt with harshly by the state. Just another reason to get your new puppy from a dog rescue, like our friends at Mostly Mutts.

6 stores to stop selling dogs after parasite found [ajc.com]

The battle for a St. Bernard

You had to figure this was going to happen. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many caring dog lovers adopted the homeless dogs that were wondering the streets of New Orleans. Master Tank, a big ol' St. Bernard, was adopted from the North Pinellas Humane Society and now his former owners want him back. It's understandable, but according to a Tampa vet, Master Tank wasn't too well cared for before the storm, so perhaps he's in better hands with his new owners.

Katrina survivor dog in ownership battle [UPI.com]

Genuine, bona fide, electrified, (dog) monorail

We first found this photo on Cute Overload, then after a little digging got the story on Monorails.org. James Horecka had the idea over lunch that it would be funny to build a Puppy Rapid Transit vehicle, then send the photo around for laughs. See, the difference between James Horecka and myself, is that James actually follows through on such hairbrained ideas, and thus the Puppy Mover Monorail was built -- just don't tell Marge Simpson.

The Doggie Bag: Lightning might strike

• Iditarod leader totally jinxes himself: It would take a lightning bolt to stop me from winning, he says. Man, I'm glad I'm not one of his dogs. [ESPN.com]
  
• Trucker drives 1,000 miles to find lost dog. He also 'cried like a girl' when he first lost his dog -- but then again, who wouldn't? [TheChamplainChannel.com]
  
• Is school food dog food? One little girl thinks so. [BBC Radio 1]
• Thief caught while walking his dogs. [ksl.com]
  

Another heroic dog

Let's see, dogs are man's best friend, the ultimate companion, and now we learn they can also be a useful fire detector. A New Jersey family was saved because their dog Toby, a Norweigan elkhound, started barking like crazy from his crate downstairs. The family's dad woke up to investigate the barking, saw the smoke and got the family and dogs out of harm's way. The two family cats weren't so lucky.

Dog's barking alert's family to fire in home [North Brunswick Sentinel]
Newly adopted dogs alert family to fire [Asbury Park Press]

The Doggie Bag: House [and dog] for sale

An assortment of news from around the Internet:

• Dog Included in Sale of Home -- Wow, I never thought of that. We'll happily throw in a needy, attention-starved yellow lab if you buy our 3-bedroom, 2.5 bath traditional home at full price. (Just kidding, Cobi. Buyer would have to pay closing costs too to get you) [KansasCity.com]
• Dog crashes owner's sports car. "I couldn't make a claim as Harvey wasn't a named driver on the policy," says owner. [upi.com]
• Iditarod racers move past the first two checkpoints. [Forbes.com]
  

Young children more prone to dog bites

Maybe it's because they pull more hair and tails, but for whatever reason, a recent study said that more dog bites occur with very small children than with older children. An Austrian trauma center released the data, and experts suggest waiting until your kids are school-aged before getting a dog. It said the numbers are even worse for German Shepherds and Dobermans. I think the solution is easy -- don't have kids. (just kidding, of course, thankfully our two dogs get along great with our 8-month-old son)

Dog bites more common in very young children [Reuters.uk]
Postpone family dog until kids are school-aged [Forbes]

Iditarod about ready to go

We're a dog blog, so we have to cover the biggest dog race of the year -- the Iditarod. It started today with a ceremonial run through Anchorage, where the people can get an up-close look at the dogs competing. It heats up for real on Sunday, where the top 30 finishers will split a pot of nearly $800,000 in a race that typically takes about 10 days.

Video of the ceremonial start [SignOnSanDiego.com]
Team Norway out to Win [Anchorage Daily News]
Meet the 2006 mushers [Anchorage Daily News]

Mailbag: Thank God for Dogs

We got this great photo from an e-mailer, we can only imagine what our dogs would pray for, ("Thank you Lord for my owners, but please let them take us on more walks...").

The Doggie Bag: Gassy dog saves girls

I'm going to withhold editorial comment on the following story, because there are minors involved, but sometimes a farting dog can be a blessing:

• Stinky dog saves girls from meeting sex offender [Cleveland Plain-Dealer]
• In Britain, it costs about 22,000 pounds to raise a dog. Triple that if the dog belongs to Paris Hilton. [The London Times]
• Greyhounds are finding new homes after racing career. Santa's Little Helper is still the best example. [The State Journal]


• Pit Bull owners in West Virginia will soon have to show proof of liability insurance. We're not starting the pit bull debate here, it already crashed our message boards. [Wheeling News-Register]
  

Dog Tie-ups: The Clock is Ticking

We've already given you the San Francisco blogger who takes pictures of dogs who are tied up, now we bring you the Chicago lawmaker who wants to limit the time you can tie-up your dog. Edward M. Burke, obviously bucking for the dog-lover vote, has introduced an ordinance that would limit the time Chicagoans (is that a word? Maybe it's Chicagoites) can tie up their dog. Anything over two hours, and you're getting slapped with a miniumum $100 fine.

Burke wants to limit dog tie-ups to 2 hours [Chicago Sun-Times]
Dog tethering crackdown [Daily Southtown]

Retired police dog finds work in nursing home

I love these kinds of stories -- a big ol' bloodhound who got mixed reviews as a tracking dog for the local police department is a big hit in a local nursing home. Lucy spends more of her time hanging out in the Alzheimers unit and has been a big hit. They say that a dog like Lucy lowers heart rates and makes the experience a little more positive. Good work Lucy, we might have to send one of our dog gift baskets to Salt Lake City!
Salt Lake Tribune: Patients dig dog named Lucy

Blog Sniffing: Exploring other Dog Blogs

• This blogger takes pictures of dogs around San Francisco who are tied to things. The comments are as entertaining as the pictures. Oh yeah, and ignore the fact that we both used the same Blogger template for our blogs. [Jon's DogBlog]
• This dachshund celebrated Mardi Gras with some beads. No word on what Maggie the dachshund had to do to get them. [HotDogBlog.com]
• Blogger reviews the hit book "Marley and Me." Looks like she gives away the ending a little bit, so read with caution. [BigDogBlog.com]
• Great photo galleries - especially of the Golden Retriever. I'm convinced there's not a cuter puppy than a Golden. [Daisy's Dog Blog]
  

Man dies trying to save dog

This is a sad story, but this guy is a real hero. When a dog fell through the ice of a lake in Washington, Mike McCurry's immediate response was to save the dog. The ice broke in his attempt and it cost him his life. It's not known whether it was his dog or a stray he was trying to save.