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LAPD Pilot Program for the
Prevention of Animal Cruelty
Needs Support

As many of you may be aware, the Los Angeles Police Dept has a fairly new animal cruelty unit where they investigate and prosecute severe cases of animal cruelty. They need your support to not only get the word out regarding the unit but to contact Chief Bratton and let him know that you feel this unit is important. This is a pilot program and they have been renewed after a 6 month trial period but there are many within the Dept who feel that the unit is a waste of resources and that animal cruelty is not a serious crime. They recently had one of their first felony cases prosecuted [in which a gangmember with a taser gun put a girlfriend's puppy in a bathtub and repeatedly stunned the animal in the anal area leaving horrific injuries to the animal. On a happier note, the puppy was eventually adopted by one of the first officers who arrived at the scene]. You can view photos and read the story at www.laanimalservices.org [go to "helpful info" scroll down to "animal cruelty task force"] . The animal cruelty hotline number is (213) 847-1417. Please help in getting the phone number and awareness of the Unit out to the general public!!
To thank Chief Bratton for taking animal cruelty seriously, you can call or write Community Relations:
150 N. Los Angeles St.
room 806
L.A., CA.90012
phone# (213) 485-4101

This is such an important step in the right direction in getting animal cruelty taken seriously.
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CANINE INFLUENZA

City of Los Angeles L.A. Animal Services 1-888-4LA-PET1 / 1-888-452-7381 / www.laanimalservices.org

WHAT IS CANINE INFLUENZA (Canine Flu) Canine influenza is a new virus that causes a respiratory infection in dogs and is highly contagious. It is believed to have jumped species from horses to racing dogs in Florida sometime in the last few years, and gradually spread out to dogs around the United States, including Southern California. HOW DO DOGS BECOME INFECTED? Canine influenza spreads most easily where numbers of dogs are kept in close proximity but could also be passed "on the street" or in kennels. It has been reported that kennel workers have carried the virus home with them and infected other dogs. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS? The symptoms can look a lot like the common disease “kennel cough,” because coughing is the most common symptom. However, dogs with canine influenza are usually sick for a longer period (weeks), and are more likely to have a fever and nasal discharge, and to develop pneumonia. Most dogs develop the milder form of the disease (cough, mild fever). Some require hospitalization and intensive care. WHICH DOGS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE VIRUS? Because this is a newly emerging pathogen, all dogs, regardless of breed or age, are susceptible to infection and have no naturally acquired or vaccine-induced immunity. Virtually 100 percent of exposed dogs become infected. Nearly 80 percent have clinical signs. There are two general clinical syndromes – the milder syndrome and a more severe pneumonia syndrome. The milder disease syndrome occurs in most dogs. INCUBATION OR SHEDDING PERIOD? The incubation period is two to five days after exposure before clinical signs appear. Infected dogs may shed virus for seven to 10 days from the initial day of clinical signs. Nearly 20 percent of infected dogs will not display clinical signs and become the silent shedders and spreaders of the infection. HOW CAN CANINE INFLUENZA BE PREVENTED? There is no vaccine for canine influenza virus at this time. This virus is spread by aerosolized respiratory secretions, contaminated inanimate objects and even by people moving back and forth between infected and uninfected dogs. This is an enveloped virus that is most likely killed by routine disinfectants, such as quaternary ammoniums and 10 percent bleach. This information sheet is for general information only. It is not intended to provide individual veterinary advice or diagnosis. Consult your private veterinarian for examination, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations for your companion animal’s health and behavior. Acting on any information that is provided here without first consulting your private veterinarian, is solely at the reader’s risk. Sources: CDC Media Relations and AVMA For further information, please contact your local veterinarian. Captain K. Knipscheer, Public Information Office (323) 224-3548

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Does Your Dog Eat Greenies?
Better Read This Story
http://www.kirotv.com/investigations/5325021/detail.html

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Bringing Puppy Home

From raising many puppies for a guide dog organization, I have learned that you can begin shaping a puppy’s behavior as young as 8 weeks. Young pups are constantly learning, whether their owner is actively teaching it or not!

The following can be started the day a pup is brought home:

1. Begin housebreaking by picking one spot in your yard where you would like the pup to use. Take the pup outside, on leash, to relieve in that same spot every few hours and merely stand still and let him wander around only as far as the leash will go…. do not follow the pup or else you could end up touring your yard and he’ll forget he has to go! The pup will soon associate this one spot with it’s own scent, and will quickly relieve itself when you get there. If you want to, you can even use a command such as “go potty” or “do your business” right as he begins to relieve, and he’ll eventually be able to go on cue. Take outside often to relieve himself (especially right after he wakes up from sleep, and after eating) as avoiding accidents is key to quick housebreaking. For this same reason, crate the pup whenever you cannot supervise for any length of time (showering, on the phone, etc

2. Begin “puppy handling sessions” where you have pup sit calmly as you handle feet, head, ears, mouth and eyes; ask it to lay over as if being examined by a vet; ask to “stand”. Do this for 5-10 minutes at a time, once or twice a day, or whenever you’re just sitting around watching tv, even.

3. Start teaching “come” command: Two people sit on the floor about 5 feet apart, with one of them having the pup in front of them on leash and the other person holding the end of the leash. Have the second person call pup by name and say “come” but say it one time only. If pup doesn’t start to move toward person, gently tug a few times on leash until it reaches that person and then calmy give praise. Never allow pup to refuse to come, even if it means gently tugging on the leash until it reaches you.

4. Begin to teach pup to walk on a loose leash, without pulling! Gently tug back as a correction when pup pulls… don’t continue walking until pup is walking beside you. PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE whenever pup is right by you!

5. Start teaching “sit”, especially when food is being put down to feed and when greeting people. Say the command one time, then gently place pup in sit position and praise.

6. Learn to use “wait” as an informal “stay” command. This is used for shorter periods of time such as when a door is being opened for the dog to go out, when food is being put down, or when the dog is getting in or out of a car.

This is a basic start to good manners and a well behaved pup, and is not a replacement for a formal obedience class, however formal obedience classes will usually go smoother if the puppy is already accustomed to some of these things. I am constantly working with the pup on the “sit” and “wait” commands, whenever the appropriate time comes up in the day, so it’s not just at specific time set aside for “training” (I find that it’s actually easier to just get in the habit of expecting the pup to do these things when I need them to than it is to put aside a block of 10-15 minutes to “teach” them these things.
One more thing I might add is to avoid giving a command more than once. If a pup doesn’t get “sit” when you say it the first time, gently place it in a sit and PRAISE. If you repeat “sit”, “Pup, sit,” “sit sit sit,” “aw, come on, please sit.” Puppies will learn that you aren’t really serious the first time.

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CAUTION Beware of Scams
Lost Dog Owners Exposed to New Scam Online
The Internet lost and found dog web site FidoFinder.com reported today that some of its web site users have been exposed to a new twist on an old scam. It has been reported in recent years that people have preyed on owners of lost dogs by using information from lost dog posters to demand reward money for the return of their dog. Unsuspecting lost dog owners have been coerced into wiring cash to individuals who promise to return their dog by flying them back home in a pet carrier only to never receive their pet or hear back from the caller. Now this scam has spread to the Internet.

Denise Roussy, a FidoFinder.com user, was contacted by an individual who said he found her lost dog. The individual demanded a $1,000 reward for the return of her dog, Denise was publicly offering a $250 reward. Denise was smart to inquire about the characteristics the found dog, where he was found, and how the finder got her number and she was able to outsmart the crook. "I asked him a number of questions, some of which he could get from the information on the posting (on Fido Finder) and the picture. The other information was what helped me ascertain that it was a scam and he did not have Bailey at all." says Roussy. The scammer claimed that Roussy's dog was found with a Fido Finder identification dog tag on his collar, a specialized tag that the web site sells to help return lost dogs, and that this tag was how the individual knew to go to FidoFinder.com to contact the owner. But Roussy's dog did not actualy have a Fido Finder identification dog tag on his collar when it went missing. The caller was exposed as a scam artist. Fido Finder has released a notice on its web site about the newly formed scam to prevent anyone from being tricked into wiring money. Wes Cutshall, the founder of Fido Finder, urges all dog owners to be cautious of this scam as people can be vulnerable if they have a missing pet and are emotional about their loss. Internet users must be careful as old scams evolve to the digital age.

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Dobie Thanks Firefighter in
Best Way Possible

This photograph shows a red Doberman kissing an exhausted fireman. He had just saved her from a fire in her house, rescuing her by carrying her out of the house into her front yard, while he continued to fight the fire. She is pregnant. The firefighter was afraid of her at first, because he had never been around a Doberman before. When he finally got done putting the fire out, he sat down to catch his breath and rest. A photographer from the Charlotte, North Carolina newspaper, "The Observer," noticed this red Doberman in the distance looking at the fireman. He saw her walking straight toward the fireman and wondered what she was going to do. As he raised his camera, she came up to the tired man who had saved her life and the lives of her babies, and kissed him, when the photographer snapped this photograph.

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Fostering is Fun!

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LA County Dog Safety Tips
for Kids and Parents

DO's

1. Always ask the owner's permission before petting a dog.
2. Not every dog that wags its tail is friendly.
3. Always approach a dog slowly and carefully.
4. Meeting a new dog: let him come to you and smell you first.
5.Know where the dogs in your neighborhood live.
6. Stay away from stray dogs.
7. If a strange dog approaches you, stay quiet, calm and still.
8. Always protect your face, neck and arms.
9. If attacked, toss the dog your bookbag or jacket to chew.
10. If you get knocked down, curl into a ball.
11. If attacked, cover your head, face and neck.

DON'T's

1. Don't make loud noises around dogs.
2. Don't bother a dog while he is sleeping or eating.
3. Never tease a dog.
4. Never reach through a fence to pet a dog.
5. Never put your hand between 2 dogs.
6. Never put your face too close to a dog.
7. Don't try to help an injured dog: call an adult to help.
8. Never enter a yard with a dog without permission.
9. Never leave baby or small child alone with a dog.
10. Don't bother a mother dog when she is caring for
her puppies.

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-More-

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