Acorn woodpecker S.O.S. art by Kat Mulkey, Lafayette

Two Rossmoor homeowner groups — Mutual 68 and Mutual 59 — have decided to shoot 50 acorn woodpeckers to try and stop the birds from drilling holes in their condos to store acorns for use as winter food.

Shooting will NOT stop the problem and your help is needed to save these birds from being killed by humans who obviously don’t understand the situation.
Read the rest of this entry »

Bulldogs

From The Times (London), Jan. 14, 2009, by Valerie Elliott, Consumer Editor:
“The classic British bulldog, a symbol of defiance and pugnacity, is to disappear. A shake-up of breeding standards by the (British) Kennel Club has signaled the end of the dog’s Churchillian jowl. Instead, the dog will have a shrunken face, a sunken nose, longer legs and a leaner body.

“The change has angered the British Bulldog Breed Council and it is threatening legal action against the club. Robin Searle, the chairman, said: ‘What you’ll get is a completely different dog, not a British bulldog.’”
Read the rest of this entry »

Jasmine visits her veterinarian, Dr. Brisbin.

Gov. Schwarzenegger wants to TAX your PETS to help solve the state’s budget problems.

(I’m writing about this again because it’s important.)

Do you want your vet bill to be considered as “nonessential or luxury services” and be taxed 9 percent every time you have to take your pet to visit your veterinarian?
Read the rest of this entry »

Dog caught in flood. Noah’s Wish photo.

ANIMAL DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING

Where: 4651 Gleason Dr. Dublin, Ca.
When: March 7-8

Ever wonder what you would do if you and your family, including pets, were faced with a disaster?
Read the rest of this entry »

Gary’s backyard

Dear Gary:
You’re always blathering on about your backyard and about all the raccoons, opossums, skunks, hawks, owls, lizards, and who-knows-what-else you claim you’ve seen there. Just what, may I ask, does your backyard look like, anyway??? I’m having trouble believing you actually have all these animals visiting your yard.
Skeptic in Oakland

Dear Skeptic:
Does the above photo answer your question? Last week my wife got lost taking out the garbage. I’m putting together an expedition to go look for her, even as we speak. /Gary
Read the rest of this entry »

Newman the cat

Dear Gary:
The Obama family will soon join the 39 percent of U.S. households who own a dog, but the rest of the nation won’t be adopting as readily.

According to industry research firm IBISWorld, the total number of household pets (cats and dogs) will grow at a meager 3 percent from 2008-2013, (compared to 3.5 percent from 2002-2007) reaching 195 million. The drop in growth will likely be attributed to sluggish economic growth and an increase in the relative cost of pet care.
Read the rest of this entry »

ASPCA Responds to Nationwide Peanut Butter Recall

I just received the following press release stating that the ASPCA is advising pet owners to discontinue using peanut butter products in light of last week’s recall by the FDA, which traced sources of Salmonella contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), a distributor of peanut butter and peanut paste — a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts.

Please read the following information carefully and then click on the link at the end to go to the FDA’s Recall Page to find out more about the recall and see which pet-related products might be involved. /Gary
Read the rest of this entry »

Labrador retriever puppies. AKC photo.

For the 18th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America, according to 2008 registration statistics released today by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Read the rest of this entry »

Wild turkeys on a Sunday stroll. Photo by Joe Oliver, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Just about every day I get a call or e-mail from someone complaining about wild turkeys in their yard, on their roof, on top of their car, gobbling up their garden, blocking traffic on their way to work … the list of complaints is endless.

Can you please help me with this quick little survey so we can try and find out just how wide-ranging this wild turkey problem is?
Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t be fooled by adorable pictures and “Free to Good Homes” ads.

In response to recent reports regarding the growing trend of Internet scammers offering purebred puppies for “free to good homes,” the  American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers potential pet parents some valuable tips to avoid such scams.
Read the rest of this entry »