Jo administering a dosage of Vitamin B complex
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tessie has a slipped disc
Two nights ago I could hear Tessie rumbling and moaning lighly thru the night. In the morning she was limping. Jo brought her to the vet and she was diagnosed with a slipped disc. She will need to rest for a month.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Expressing Roky's anal glands
We suspected that Rocky had swollen anal glands when he kept trying to drag his butt on the floor.Jo squeezed out some discharge. It has a musky smell. This is why dogs like to smnell each other's butt
Saturday, March 12, 2011
UK soldier, loyal dog, make final journey together
By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Jill Lawless, Associated Press – Thu Mar 10, 4:20 pm ET
LONDON – Liam and Theo were a team, fast friends doing a dangerous job — searching out roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan.
The jovial British soldier and his irrepressible dog worked and played together for months, and died on the same day. On Thursday they came home, flown back to Britain in a somber repatriation ceremony for the soldier remembered for his empathy with animals and the companion he loved.
Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker, a dog handler with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, was killed in a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province on March 1 as he searched for explosives with Theo, a bomb-sniffing springer spaniel mix. The dog suffered a fatal seizure hours later at a British army base, likely brought about by stress.
Military officials won't go so far as to say Theo died of a broken heart — but that may not be far from the truth.
"I think we often underestimate the grieving process in dogs," said Elaine Pendlebury, a senior veterinarian with animal charity PDSA. "Some dogs react very severely to their partner's loss."
She said it was not uncommon for pets to respond to an owner's death by refusing food and becoming sick — and the bond between working dogs and their handlers is especially close.
"The bonding that I have seen between soldiers or police and their dogs is fantastic. When you see them working together, it's really one unit."
A military Hercules plane carrying Tasker's body and Theo's ashes touched down Thursday at a Royal Air Force base in southwest England. As the funeral cortege of black vehicles drove slowly away, it was saluted by a long line of military dog handlers, their dogs at their sides. A black Labrador retriever sat quietly beside its handler as the hearse carrying the flag-draped coffin disappeared from view.
At the nearby town of Wootton Bassett, where people line the streets in a mark of respect each time a dead soldier is repatriated, dozens stood silently — some with dogs at their feet — as Tasker's friends and family laid roses atop the hearse.
The Ministry of Defense said Theo's ashes would be presented to Tasker's family later at a private ceremony.
Tasker, 26, from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, spent six years as an army mechanic before joining the military working dog unit in 2007. He felt he had found his calling.
"I love my job and working together with Theo," Tasker said in a profile of the pair released by the Ministry of Defense before his death. "He has a great character and never tires. He can't wait to get out and do his job and will stop at nothing."
The soldier and the 22-month-old dog had been in Afghanistan for almost six months, uncovering roadside bombs and weapons in a dangerous daily routine.
Theo became a bit of a military celebrity last month after the defense ministry released photos and video of him and Tasker to highlight the lifesaving work of military dogs. The footage, now deeply poignant, shows Theo — energetic, ears cocked, tail wagging — alongside Tasker searching a compound for explosives.
In it, Theo is seen feverishly circling the dusty area, his nose pressed to the ground. At one point he stops, tail wagging furiously, and begins digging the rocky earth before turning eagerly toward Tasker, who calls out "good boy!" and lets out a chortle of delight before tossing him a treat.
The ministry said then that Theo had been so successful — finding 14 hidden bombs and weapons caches, a record for a team in Afghanistan — that the dog's tour of duty had been extended by a month.
Tasker was the 358th British soldier to die in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Theo was the sixth British military dog killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001.
There are calls for Theo to receive the Dickin medal, which since 1943 has recognized wartime bravery by animals, from carrier pigeons to a World War II commando collie.
The loyalty of some dogs is legendary, from Greyfriars Bobby, a 19th-century Skye terrier who guarded his master's Edinburgh grave for 14 years, to Hachiko, a Japanese dog who awaited his owner's return at a train station every day for years after the man's death. Both are commemorated with statues.
Tasker's father, Ian, said Theo would have been devastated by Liam's death.
"I truly believe when Theo went back to the kennel, that that would have a big, big impact because Liam wasn't there to comfort him," he told ITV news.
Tasker's mother, Jane Duffy agreed. "I'm not nurse or a vet (but) I would like to believe (Theo) died of a broken heart to be with Liam," she told the broadcaster.
Tasker's colleague's recalled the soldier's bond with his dog and zealous attention to duty in tributes released by the defense ministry.
"A natural with animals, he had an affection for his dog that truly was a window to his soul," said Maj. Alexander Turner, a commander of Tasker's unit.
He "was here to save life, finding explosive devices that kill more farmers than combatants in our area," Turner said. "His fortitude and zeal for that perilous task was humbling; it imbued us all with confidence. He used to joke that Theo was impossible to restrain but I would say the same about Lance Corporal Tasker."
Tasker's uncle, Billy McCord, said the soldier had been due to leave Afghanistan soon and worried about being separated from Theo.
"He actually said at one point that when he finished his tour he was not sure what would happen to his dog and that he could be separated from his dog," McCord told the local Courier newspaper in Scotland. "That was preying on his mind, but they are not separated now."
LONDON – Liam and Theo were a team, fast friends doing a dangerous job — searching out roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan.
The jovial British soldier and his irrepressible dog worked and played together for months, and died on the same day. On Thursday they came home, flown back to Britain in a somber repatriation ceremony for the soldier remembered for his empathy with animals and the companion he loved.
Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker, a dog handler with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, was killed in a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province on March 1 as he searched for explosives with Theo, a bomb-sniffing springer spaniel mix. The dog suffered a fatal seizure hours later at a British army base, likely brought about by stress.
Military officials won't go so far as to say Theo died of a broken heart — but that may not be far from the truth.
"I think we often underestimate the grieving process in dogs," said Elaine Pendlebury, a senior veterinarian with animal charity PDSA. "Some dogs react very severely to their partner's loss."
She said it was not uncommon for pets to respond to an owner's death by refusing food and becoming sick — and the bond between working dogs and their handlers is especially close.
"The bonding that I have seen between soldiers or police and their dogs is fantastic. When you see them working together, it's really one unit."
A military Hercules plane carrying Tasker's body and Theo's ashes touched down Thursday at a Royal Air Force base in southwest England. As the funeral cortege of black vehicles drove slowly away, it was saluted by a long line of military dog handlers, their dogs at their sides. A black Labrador retriever sat quietly beside its handler as the hearse carrying the flag-draped coffin disappeared from view.
At the nearby town of Wootton Bassett, where people line the streets in a mark of respect each time a dead soldier is repatriated, dozens stood silently — some with dogs at their feet — as Tasker's friends and family laid roses atop the hearse.
The Ministry of Defense said Theo's ashes would be presented to Tasker's family later at a private ceremony.
Tasker, 26, from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, spent six years as an army mechanic before joining the military working dog unit in 2007. He felt he had found his calling.
"I love my job and working together with Theo," Tasker said in a profile of the pair released by the Ministry of Defense before his death. "He has a great character and never tires. He can't wait to get out and do his job and will stop at nothing."
The soldier and the 22-month-old dog had been in Afghanistan for almost six months, uncovering roadside bombs and weapons in a dangerous daily routine.
Theo became a bit of a military celebrity last month after the defense ministry released photos and video of him and Tasker to highlight the lifesaving work of military dogs. The footage, now deeply poignant, shows Theo — energetic, ears cocked, tail wagging — alongside Tasker searching a compound for explosives.
In it, Theo is seen feverishly circling the dusty area, his nose pressed to the ground. At one point he stops, tail wagging furiously, and begins digging the rocky earth before turning eagerly toward Tasker, who calls out "good boy!" and lets out a chortle of delight before tossing him a treat.
The ministry said then that Theo had been so successful — finding 14 hidden bombs and weapons caches, a record for a team in Afghanistan — that the dog's tour of duty had been extended by a month.
Tasker was the 358th British soldier to die in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Theo was the sixth British military dog killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001.
There are calls for Theo to receive the Dickin medal, which since 1943 has recognized wartime bravery by animals, from carrier pigeons to a World War II commando collie.
The loyalty of some dogs is legendary, from Greyfriars Bobby, a 19th-century Skye terrier who guarded his master's Edinburgh grave for 14 years, to Hachiko, a Japanese dog who awaited his owner's return at a train station every day for years after the man's death. Both are commemorated with statues.
Tasker's father, Ian, said Theo would have been devastated by Liam's death.
"I truly believe when Theo went back to the kennel, that that would have a big, big impact because Liam wasn't there to comfort him," he told ITV news.
Tasker's mother, Jane Duffy agreed. "I'm not nurse or a vet (but) I would like to believe (Theo) died of a broken heart to be with Liam," she told the broadcaster.
Tasker's colleague's recalled the soldier's bond with his dog and zealous attention to duty in tributes released by the defense ministry.
"A natural with animals, he had an affection for his dog that truly was a window to his soul," said Maj. Alexander Turner, a commander of Tasker's unit.
He "was here to save life, finding explosive devices that kill more farmers than combatants in our area," Turner said. "His fortitude and zeal for that perilous task was humbling; it imbued us all with confidence. He used to joke that Theo was impossible to restrain but I would say the same about Lance Corporal Tasker."
Tasker's uncle, Billy McCord, said the soldier had been due to leave Afghanistan soon and worried about being separated from Theo.
"He actually said at one point that when he finished his tour he was not sure what would happen to his dog and that he could be separated from his dog," McCord told the local Courier newspaper in Scotland. "That was preying on his mind, but they are not separated now."
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Man fined S$10,000 for unlicensed puppy
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 23 February 2011 1451 hrs
SINGAPORE: A scuba diving instructor was fined the maximum S$10,000 for bringing in a puppy from Malaysia without a licence.
29-year-old Eugene Yeo Jiedong visited a dog breeder in Kuala Lumpur on November 15 last year, to purchase a Golden Retriever puppy.
He paid about RM3,500 (S$1,500) for it before driving back to Singapore via the Tuas Checkpoint.
The court heard that Yeo was aware of the strict import control measures laid down by Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
But he decided to take the risk and placed the puppy inside a black bag before passing through the checkpoint undetected at around 5.30am the next day.
He was exposed when he brought the four-month-old puppy to Mount Pleasant Veterinary Clinic December 7 last year.
Yeo told Dr Boon Chia Yun that he had brought the puppy into the country without a licence and he wanted it to be vaccinated against rabies in case it had the disease.
Dr Boon highlighted to him the seriousness of his offence as it could cause a rabies outbreak in Singapore.
She also advised him to own up to the AVA within a week's time, adding that she would report the matter to the authorities should he fail to do so.
Yeo did not heed the advice and this prompted Dr Boon to blow the whistle on him.
AVA's prosecuting officer, Yap Teck Chuan, who had pressed for the maximum fine, said that the courts should adopt a strong stance against such offences.
He stressed that rabies was a fatal disease transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
Singapore has been free from rabies since 1953 and an outbreak here would spread panic amongst the public, said Mr Yap.
- CNA/fa
SINGAPORE: A scuba diving instructor was fined the maximum S$10,000 for bringing in a puppy from Malaysia without a licence.
29-year-old Eugene Yeo Jiedong visited a dog breeder in Kuala Lumpur on November 15 last year, to purchase a Golden Retriever puppy.
He paid about RM3,500 (S$1,500) for it before driving back to Singapore via the Tuas Checkpoint.
The court heard that Yeo was aware of the strict import control measures laid down by Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
But he decided to take the risk and placed the puppy inside a black bag before passing through the checkpoint undetected at around 5.30am the next day.
He was exposed when he brought the four-month-old puppy to Mount Pleasant Veterinary Clinic December 7 last year.
Yeo told Dr Boon Chia Yun that he had brought the puppy into the country without a licence and he wanted it to be vaccinated against rabies in case it had the disease.
Dr Boon highlighted to him the seriousness of his offence as it could cause a rabies outbreak in Singapore.
She also advised him to own up to the AVA within a week's time, adding that she would report the matter to the authorities should he fail to do so.
Yeo did not heed the advice and this prompted Dr Boon to blow the whistle on him.
AVA's prosecuting officer, Yap Teck Chuan, who had pressed for the maximum fine, said that the courts should adopt a strong stance against such offences.
He stressed that rabies was a fatal disease transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
Singapore has been free from rabies since 1953 and an outbreak here would spread panic amongst the public, said Mr Yap.
- CNA/fa
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