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02/16/2005: Hounds and Creature-Features
Lots of Doggie News in the offing today following the close of the Westminster Kennel Club Show.
The Daily Herald has two doggie updates: The first about the Kennel Club winner in this article Raising the Woof about Carlee:"posing like the very symbol of the Westminster Kennel Club, a German shorthaired pointer became America's top dog Tuesday night.The 5-year-old female with the soft eyes and gliding gait won best in show, beating out a popular Norfolk terrier, a champion bloodhound and a wobbling Pekingese".
Section 1 has this gem of a story about pooches called Do they need a good lawyer?. The article say, in part:"The thought of hunters with bows trekking for kill through a North Barrington subdivision so alarmed Mindy Nelson that she hired an animal lawyer....
....Animal rights activists are fighting to expand animal legal rights, believing that pet owners should be compensated for the emotional distress they endure at the loss of the pet. There is also a push to give animals standing to sue. Animals suing? Pain and suffering? Don't laugh too loudly, said Amy Breyer, a Chicago attorney devoted exclusively to the practice of animal law."
I was rooting for the Dachshunds - of course - and I don't think Sami needs a Lawyer yet...because she has her own In House Legal Counsel.
For more fun than you can shake-a-stick-at about my "Creature-Features" from The Karen Files click on the "more" button.
Samantha is actually my third such Hot-dog dog...we had two when I was growing up. Our first "Ozzie" was inherited from a neighbor. We used to dog-sit for him. When his owners moved...Ozzie kept running back to his old 'hood. His real name was Hugo Oswald III...because their grandfather had wanted someone named after him...but having only one son...they refused to saddle that kid with such moniker (lucky stiff) ...so the dog got the name. He was called "Ozzie."
Then there was "Hugo Oswald IV". Adopted from a neighbor (she had called him "Charlie Brown" cause he had this bow-tie shaped patch of white fur against his reddish-brown coat under his neck...but Ozzie IV it was for us.) When we got our Black & Tan model....I wanted to call her "Harriet" (of course)...but the girls didn't get the joke...so, Samantha she is. (or would have been Hugo Oswald V... if a boy.)
Anyway...we've had lots (LOTS) of creatures. My brother was a Falconer (Great Lake Falcon Assoc...must be licensed and is a Federally Regulated sport.) So we had Red Tail Hawks, Kestrels (Sparrow Hawks), a Cedar Wax Wing and even a Great Horned Owl. (My job at 10 yrs old was to read the Owl stories to "socialize" him to people's voices...and they really can turn their heads 180 degrees around!)
Plus, he studied to be vet and worked part-time for a vet...so we had dogs...forever dogs...every kind (Spaniels, German shepherds, Beagles, Basset hound, Dachshunds, Bulldogs, Springer spaniels...even a baby Wolf.)
Plus...to feed said Hawks...100 mice, 20-30 baby chickens. (my Mom liked the chickens for some reason...we teased her that it was cause of an affinity with her own "chicken legs.")
Then there were the obligatory haamstas, gerbils, parakeets, finches, bunnies ("Maxwell Smart" was a huge Dutch Flemish Rabbit, and "Oreo" was an English Spotted rabbit) chinchilla, horned toads, turtles...etc. I've also had snakes (corn snakes, green snakes, brown snakes and an Indonesian Tree boa) -one of the snakes we named in of honor of Princess Di..."Squiggie" *smile* (Her nickname.)
Charlie hates my penchant for little Creature-Features...but I love-em....and they (mostly) love me back.
Goodness...Chinny is like "squeaking" loud enough so I can hear him from the other room. He usually had this teensie barely audible squeak...excepting when caught by his tale on escape days. But he's a squeaking now!! I'm giving him his "dusty bath." (They roll around in dust to keep their fur soft, fluffy and dry) to take his mind off of whatever it it...Spring Fever?
Karen on 02.16.05 @ 06:57 AM CST
