Dog Blog

Tuesday, February 25, 2014


This one's dedicated to Beau...

Today's Joke

Upon entering a little country store, a stranger noticed a sign reading, “Danger! Beware of Dog” posted on the glass door. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor besides the cash register.

He asked the store manager, “Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of?”

“Yep, that’s him,” he replied.

The stranger couldn’t help but be amused. “That certainly doesn’t look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?”

“Because,” the owner replied, “before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him.”

Around our house, these speed bumps are known as "hundulations."


Today is World Spay Day.  If you haven't spayed or neutered your pet, then make an appointment to do it.  It's the one thing we pet lovers can do to reduce the number of unwanted pets and prevent the abandonment and suffering of companion animals.  

I hope that Russia will join in World Spay Day to humanely reduce their stray problem, or their "biological trash," as they referred to the proliferation of stray dogs in Sochi.   Did anyone besides me notice that once the Olympics were in progress there was no further mention in the media of their street cleaning (killing) of homeless dogs prior the Olympics?  I guess we were all supposed to be distracted from this abuse and Cossacks horse-whipping girl band members by that great big cuddly Mishka bear in the closing ceremonies.  Whew, talk about propaganda!  

Thursday, February 20, 2014


Last I heard, poor Roscoe's life is hanging by a thread because his idiotic owner tied him in the back of a truck with a rope that was too long.  Apparently, the pit bull mix fell out of the truck bed and was dragged for a city block behind the truck.  At least you hope it was accidental.  The horrific abuses this breed of dog are subjected to and the part of town where this occurred, plus the owner's reaction, make me wonder about that.  I'm surprised the dog survived.  He looked already dead in video taken at the scene.  

I can't describe in a civil manner how furious stories like this make me when I hear of them.  It still happens every day.  Why is it so hard for people to think of the consequences of transporting a pet in the back of a pick-up, tethered or not?  Every time I see this, there is always an empty space in the seat next to the driver.  Why not secure the dog inside the cab?  Or better yet, leave it at home where its safety is assured.

When two women tried to save the man's dog by cutting the rope before the dog could be dragged further, he cursed them out and drove away.  Shows how little he cared for his dog.  Whenever you confront people like this their reaction is usually the same.

I haven't heard if Roscoe has survived his ordeal, but he didn't look good on the evening news last night.  He was obviously in great trauma, shaking and unresponsive, and probably has internal injuries.  Poor, poor dog.  It breaks my heart to see incidents like this.  I hope if Roscoe does recover, he will be re-homed with someone who gives a damn about his welfare.  If his cruel, clueless owner is ever found, maybe they should tie him to the bumper of his truck and drag him down the block!  He should certainly never again be allowed to keep a dog.  

If you doubt how often tragedies like this occur, just google "dog dragged behind pick-up." The list is long.  Sometimes it is accidental.  Someone forgets he tied the dog up to the car and then drives off, like Chevy Chase in "Vacation."  All that's left is a collar and no dog, but in reality, it would probably be much worse than that.  My mom and I were always horrified by that scene in the movie.  Not funny, Chevy!  

Monday, February 17, 2014


According to today's insert in the Sacramento Bee, "Essential Sacramento," our town ranks 34th out of 100 Best Cities for Dogs. Come on, Sac, we can do better than that!  One way is to make more public places in our town dog friendly, including pubs and coffee shops.  Can you think of some other ways to improve our standing as dog lovers?  Also, I noticed that many of the things listed which make Sacramento so special were actually in Davis.  Davis is not Sacramento! But they do have a helluva nice performing arts center and smoke-free patios at restaurants.  

This blog is dog focused, but since we're discussing Sacramento, I have a question to pose to my fellow citizens.  If a visitor from another city or country comes to our city and you were to ask that visitor what attracted them to come here, what do you think they might say?  Would they say they came from so far away to see a new sports arena for a second-rate basketball team surrounded by a bunch of restaurants and loft apartments, or would it be something else? Did they come to see the California State Capital or a city situated at the confluence of two beautiful rivers, one of which has a great parkway/bike trail? How about a city rich in history that dates back to the Gold Rush? There's Historic Old Sacramento, of course, which is now composed mostly of junky tourist traps and a rail museum.  There's the Crocker Art Gallery, but what other fascinating sights would you suggest they see while in Sacramento? As a Native Sacramentan, I honestly would be at a loss about what else to recommend to a traveler that might have them leaving as impressed with Sacramento as say, San Francisco, London, Paris.  

Instead of an ugly sports arena slapped in the heart of our city, I would love to see a fabulous museum to rival the ones I've seen in Europe or New York, one that celebrates the Golden West.  How about a Smithsonian?  That's what Sacramento should be spending its money on (besides education, housing for the homeless, and repairing Sacramento's crumbling infrastructure, etc....), and I hope the building wouldn't look like a crushed aluminum can.  But just think what a great recycling plant this will make in a decade or so when it is as outdated as Cal Expo and Sleep Train Arena!  

Friday, February 14, 2014


My heart belongs to Peaches and Beau on Valentine's Day and every day!  And their hearts belong to each other.  None of my dogs has ever bonded like these two.  It does my heart good. 

Thursday, February 06, 2014


Beau and I recently were invited to a photo-op with Susan Maxwell Skinner at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center for their upcoming art show, "Animal House," along with several other artists. My painting of Beau will be in the show with other animal-themed art by local artists.    

If you are wondering why there are two Beaus in the photo, it's not because he's a shapeshifter but for better photo composition. I wish I really had two of Beau!  He's such a handsome fellow, perfect artist's model (he stays pretty still), and the most wonderful, loving dog ever.  My watercolor painting portrays him lounging on our living room rug, which is where he lies every day when I play the piano or ukelele for him.  This guy has two long ears for music!  I'm thrilled that his painting will be shown in the Animal House exhibit.  I hope you'll attend.  It promises to be a great show.

Tuesday, February 04, 2014


Here's some more information from the Sacramento Bee about the Sable & Quill event at the Sacramento Poetry Center this Saturday.  Hope to see you there!