Documentary to Show Katrina Dog Stories

I cannot wait to see the new film, Mine, a documentary about people who rescued thousands of stranded pets after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It won an audience award at this year’s South by Southwest film festival and will be broadcast on PBS next year.

Jessie Pullins was reunited with his dog, J.J., after a separation of almost four years due to Hurricane Katrina. Bill Haber/AP

According to this AP story on MSNBC, the film tells the story of the animal rescuers who went to New Orleans as well as the ownership disputes that arose between Gulf Coast residents and the many people who adopted pets from the region.

Since Riley is a dog rescued from this area, I’m always curious to learn more about what happened. The stories are so compelling, tragic, and complex. For more information on the film and to view the trailer, click here. Please watch it if you have the time. You won’t regret it.

Microchipping Your Dog

According to the American Humane Association, only 17 percent of lost dogs ever find their owners, and almost four million pets are euthanized each year because their owners can’t be found in time. I got lucky a couple of years ago, when my dog walker somehow dropped my dog’s leash and Riley ran through Manhattan traffic for 2 hours. (Yes, I told that specific dog-walking company I’d no longer need their services. I’ll spare you my expletive-filled rant.) Thankfully, a sweet doorman on Fifth Avenue was able to grab her and called my cell number on her tag. But, I wondered, what if she hadn’t had her collar on? So, I started looking into microchipping.

The AVID microchip (not pictured to scale)

If you don’t already know, the procedure is easy and doesn't require anesthesia. It’s basically the same as your pet getting any other vaccination. Your dog gets an injection just under the skin between the shoulder blades, and the injected chip (which is about the size of a grain of rice) contains a unique identification code. I did a little research and found the cost can range from about $40 to $125 at your veterinary hospital, and at many shelters it’s included in the adoption fee.

The two largest manufacturers of microchips are AVID (American Veterinary Identification Devices) and HomeAgain. With AVID, you will register with PETrac (your vet will have the application) and will receive a tag for your dog’s collar with the AVID microchip number. With HomeAgain, you will register with the American Kennel Club (AKC) Companion Animal Recovery (CAR) program. This program maintains a national database and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

With both systems, when your lost dog is found, he or she will be scanned (most vets and shelters have scanners that can read the ID code from all brands of microchip), the number will be called in to whatever service you have, and you will be notified immediately. Genius, right?

Does anyone have a microchipping success story? Or, have you heard of any dangers?

Rainiest. Morning. Ever.

Every dog owner knows that your pet doesn’t give a damn about Doppler Radar. They need to pee when they need to pee. This morning’s monsoon unfortunately coincided with my pet’s morning walk.

Here’s how it went: Riley walks out of apartment building, looks up at me, walks back to door. I drag her into deluge. She walks as if wet pavement is somehow burning her little paws. Halfway down block, she stops, looks up at me with disgust, and refuses to budge.

After ten minutes of staring each other down in a battle of wills, we are both soaked, and it’s pretty clear multiple passersby are calling animal cruelty on me. So, we walk back inside. To get back at me, she shakes spastically in the elevator, spraying rain and dirt over my entire face and body. And no, she never peed. Great.

Never before have I wanted a dog towel so badly. I’m not above using my own, but as the wet dog smell filled my apartment, I was kicking myself for not buying that damn ShamWow. So, I started looking around online. Here are a few dog towels I liked:

Soggy Dog
The Cool N Dry Dog Towel
3-Piece Microfiber Dog Drying Towel & Mitt Set
FURminator Microfiber Towel

Soggy Dog Towel

Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

How to Keep Pet Health Care Costs Down

The New York Times recently had a really interesting article by Alina Tugend on how to trim pet health care costs during tough economic times. Adopting from a shelter, the author says, is one way to get a dog inexpensively since in many cases shots, microchips, and state dog licenses are included in the adoption price. (Not to mention you're rescuing a pet.) In addition, says the story: "The ASPCA (aspca.org) and the nonprofit groups, Happy Tails (happytails.org) or Friends of Animals (friendsofanimals.org), offer information about low-cost spaying and neutering options in your area." The author also discusses how New York state has a subsidy program through the Animal Population Control Program that allows you to adopt a pet for a lower cost.

Carrie Poff, left, a New Rochelle, N.Y., vet, prepares to spay a dog. Dana Rocco, humane society manager, is at right. Angel Franco/The New York TimesAnother issue the piece addresses is pet insurance. I don't have it, nor do I know too many pet owners who do. According to Tugend, Consumer Reports discourages people from getting pet insurance because "checkup costs alone don't justify insurance," and unless your pet needs a major operation, you could be wasting money. But I wondered, how many of you have it? Is this something worth looking into?

Does PediPaws Really Work?

So, I was watching TV the other day and saw the PediPaws infomercial...again. Either they show this commercial all the time, or I watch way too much television. Anyway, I was later shopping at an uptown Walgreen's and as I was checking out at the register, there it was, right next to the PediEgg for people. Creepy, right? Still, I was feeling an impulse buy. So I shelled out the $19.99 and took it home to try it out on Riley.

I'm terrified—as I think most people are—of clipping my own dog's nails. One wrong move and you've got a stage-5 gusher and your apartment looks like the set of Saw II. It's hideous. So, I thought this was a wise investment, not only for Riley's health, but for my peace of mind. When I got it out of the package, put in the batteries and turned it on, I noticed two things: 1) it was surprisingly heavy, and 2) it disturbingly resembled a vibrator. But that wasn't all. It was also loud. So loud that Riley bolted off the bed, into the bathroom, and hid behind the door. For close to 30 minutes I tried to get her accustomed to the noise, but she was having none of it. Eventually, I stored it back on my "dog shelf," and I haven't attempted another dog-terror session since.

So then, I guess the answer to the question above, "Does PediPaws Really Work?" is: I have no idea. Sorry if that was misleading. But has anyone else used it? What was your experience?