The Canine Angels

Rick Kaplan, Founder of Canine Angels

Wouldn’t it be great if people were given a second chance by dogs that were given a second chance? That is what they do at Canine Angels, a nonprofit organization that rescues dogs from the shelter, then trains them to be service dogs for disabled veterans.

I had this wonderful opportunity to learn about Canine Angels when someone offered to do a review of my dog car harnesses. This dog Bobo is being trained to be a service dog. Bobo is an absolutely beautiful dog that might not have been given a second chance if he hadn’t been selected by Canine Angels.

Bobo, a Canine Angel service dog in training

One of the stories featured on the Canine Angels website is about Dave and Diamond. Says Dave’s wife, Virginia, “Usually a veteran trains with several dogs, working up to his personal dog, but in our case, Diamond “picked” Dave during his interview and would not leave his side.” This means that while Diamond is being trained, so is Dave. It is a challenge, a journey, as Rick Kaplan the founder tells them. But it has already made a big difference. Read more HERE (this story is on a pdf file that will download).

Diamond and Bobo are just a couple of the many dogs being trained right now. The founder currently has a number of dogs that he is working with 24/7. Check out this interview of Rick Kaplan with his canine-angels-in-training.

Canine Angels also trains dogs as therapy dogs. Meet Lady, Canine Angels’ first therapy dog.

Lady, a Canine Angels therapy dog

Go check out the Canine Angels‘ website to find out more. Be sure to make a donation too! Clicking the image below will take you to the Canine Angels donation page.

Click the image above to donate to Canine Angels

Dog Jumps Out of Car in South Carolina, Lost Since Sunday

Photo Courtesy of SC Now.com

If you are in the area of Hartsville, South Carolina please be on the look out for this silver Yorkie. Here is the full article at our other blog, Pet Auto Safety Blog.com.

The Pet Commando; A New Way to Promote Animal Welfare

Louis Pollaro with his dog Yoshi is on a mission to rescue abused and neglected animals. As a professional cinematographer, Louis Pollaro films each wonderful animal and its journey from a pitiable existence to a whole new and happy life with a loving family. The web TV series is available on PetCommando.com, BlipTV and iTunes.

Documenting the rescue of an animal enlightens people to the realities of animal abuse. It also makes us aware of just how many animals there are that are in need of good homes. Please visit PetCommando.com and join the community. Donate to the cause of helping animals, check out some great videos and information, and tell us your story of a rescued dog or cat.

The Pet Commando’s creed should be the creed of all animal lovers:

“I will stop and render help to the helpless lost, abused and abandoned pets.
I will not ignore them or expect someone else to help.
I will take command and do something.”

Max A Pooch the Recycling Dog

Visit www.maxapooch.com for a great Labrador Retriever who loves to pick up litter in the park.  This is a great job for a restless working dog breed (sporting dog who works) and Max really seems to love it.  Not only is Max picking up plastic bottles from the park for recycling, he is also promoting the importance of adopting dogs rather than buying dogs from puppy mills.

(This is something my Labrador Retriever Maya could learn.  However, if I teach her this it is very important that I teach her to pick up plastic bottles only.  Cans and glass bottles can cut her mouth.)

Honoring Service Dogs on Memorial Day

Honoring Service Dogs

We found a great article about dogs who serve in the military at WNDU.com.  WNDU is the ABC Channel in South Bend, Indiana.  According to this article, “Currently, according to the Department of Defense, about 2,300 dogs are working as sentries, detecting land mines and bombs and performing search, rescue, and recovery tasks for the U.S. military.”  The article also mentions the German Shepherd dog who helped to track down Osama Bin Laden, about how service animals used to be put down after the war was over, and about how service animals are transferred to police service or to private homes after their service in the military.  Check out this great article at WNDU.com for the full story and enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!

Must Watch – The Puppy Bowl VII on Animal Planet

It’s that time of year again!  If you’re like me and not interested in football but love dogs, then this show is perfect for you.  Puppy Bowl VII is on Animal Planet on Sunday, February 6^th at 3pm Easter/Pacific time.  This is the Puppy Bowl’s 7^th year.  It was popular the first year, but it is even more popular now.

Check out the above video of Unnecessary Ruff-Ruff-Ruffness and you will get a good idea of the commentary and puppy cuteness for Puppy Bowl VII.  Check out other videos from Puppy Bowl VI, such as the MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) Jake the Chihuahua/Pug, at http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/

Other things to see are the Puppy Touchdowns, Unnecessary Ruff-Ruff-Ruffness, Pre-Game Show, and Kitty Half-time Show.  Meet the Puppy Bowl VII Starting Line-up which includes adoptable puppies like Jessie, a Shepherd mix, Little Red, a Shih-Tzu/Beagle mix, Molly, a Boxer mix, and Calvin, a Border Terrier mix.

Check it out and enjoy your Super Puppy Bowl Sunday!

New AKC Dog Breeds!!! Introducing the Leonberger, Cane Corso, and the Icelandic Sheepdog

As of June 1^st, 2010, the American Kennel Club (AKC) has welcomed three great dog breeds into their club. There are now a total of 167 dog breeds in the AKC registry!

I have had the privilege of meeting a Leonberger here in Kansas City. He was a big gentle giant and amazingly easy to handle considering his great size. The Leonberger name implies that the dog was bred to resemble a lion, or Leo. While the dog was bred to resemble a lion, the name Leonberger comes from its origin in Leonberg, Germany. Check out Wikipedia for more great information on the very interesting history of the Leonberger, including, “Leonbergers today can have their ancestry traced to eight dogs that survived World War II.”

The Cane Corso is a mastiff breed with origins in Italy. According to the AKC, the Cane Corso, “descended from the Roman canis Pugnaces”. Like the mastiff breeds, the Cane Corso is a large dog bred for the hunt and as a guard dog. Although he has guarding instincts, he is generally a gentle breed and a great companion dog.

As indicated in his name, the Icelandic Sheepdog has origins in Iceland. In fact, it is Iceland’s only native dog and the Icelandic Sheepdog’s ancestors may have first come to Iceland with the Vikings. The Icelandic Sheepdog is a hardy dog, perfect for the harsh weather of Iceland. It is a great sheepdog, watchdog, and general working dog.

For more information on these great dog breeds, we recommend starting with the AKC website. (The above photos are courtesy of the AKC.org.)

Donate Bulletproof Vests to K-9s

We recently read a great article at PawNation titled, “Police Dogs Receive Bulletproof Vests from Guardian Angel”. I have seen K-9s on duty before, but never one with a bullet proof vest. That is because the vests are very expensive. A K-9 is a huge asset to a police department. They do us a great service by helping to catch bad guys and protect the police officers who put their lives at risk to serve our community. So I think it is fantastic that there is a non-profit organization out there who helps collect money to purchase bulletproof vests for dogs. Check out the article above for more information on this organization and how you can donate.

Dog Hair is Good for Something

Reports are all over the internet that a company called Matter of Trust is accepting donations of dog hair in order to help with the Gulf oil spill. I have always wondered if there was anything useful which could be done with all my dog’s hair. I thought of pillows or some-such cushy things. But then I thought, what happens when I wash it? I don’t want that ‘wet-dog’ smell in my pillows.

In all seriousness, donating dog hair to help a good cause like cleaning up the oil spill is a great idea. Check out Matter of Trust to see what other unusual items can be donated in order to help other issues. Matter of Trust specializes in finding good uses for man-made surplus and waste.

Video of German Shepherd Dog Leads Police to Fire

An Alaskan State Trooper was alerted to a fire but had a difficult time finding it through the winding roads.  He saw a German Shepherd running down the street so decided to follow him.  And the dog led him straight to the fire!  check out this awesome vidoe on You Tube.  And read more about the story at PawNation.com.