PetSugar

Out and About: New York's Buttercup's PAW-tisserie

PetSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:00:23 -0800

Buttercup's PAW-tisserie is often featured in my pet snack or people snack quizzes because they stock (and bake) some of the cutest animal yums around! This gourmutt dog bakery specializes in freshly baked, all natural and healthy treats with no added sugar, salt, or preservatives. They use only the highest quality, human-grade ingredients like fresh meat, roasted peanuts, organic carrots, fresh spinach, and carob and all biscuits are handmade, rolled, cut and then slow baked to perfection. Furthermore, the snacks are soy and corn free and are lab analyzed for protein, fat, fiber, and moisture content helping pup keep that boyish (or girlish) figure. Located in Park Slope, in addition to their special occasion pupcakes and truffles, stock up on great everyday treats here as well – perhaps after a stop by nearby Prospect Park, too!

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Out and About: New York's Prospect Park

PetSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:00:36 -0800

Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is just one of the many parks in New York that's open to dogs, but it also features an especially cohesive community of pet lovers. They've joined to form local organization, FIDO (Fellowship in the Interest of Dogs and their Owners), and welcome off-leashed dogs on the first Sunday of every month for coffee, goodies, and good, ol’ fun for the pooches to help spread the word about animal-related news, rules, and other events. The park itself features many wide-open, roaming spaces with off-leash hours (in the evenings and early mornings), and even has a Dog Beach for those Summer nights.

Typically, there are four types of rules established in NYC parks - no dogs allowed; leashed dogs allowed, off-leashed dogs permitted (usually during certain hours only), and off-leashed dogs allowed in separate, fenced-in dog runs within the park. The Parks Department keeps a location list of the dog runs and their rules for all five boroughs to let pet people stay up to date. That way, when it's time to play, you'll both know where to go!

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Quick-Thinking Zookeepers Save Woman From Hungry Bears

PetSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:35:11 -0700

Last Friday, a 32-year-old woman leaped a fence and scaled a wall to jump into a Berlin Zoo enclosure holding four polar bears (including Knut). Six zookeepers attempted to distract the bears, but she was still bitten several times by one of the creatures. Even though it was their normal feeding time, she was able to be pulled out safely – minus those injuries – and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. Now after my initial shock, I flashbacked to a similar situation that so disturbed me as a child, that I instantly recalled that story when hearing this one. Learn what stuck in my head some 22 years later, when you read more.

In 1987, three kids broke into the Brooklyn's Prospect Park Zoo after dark, and attempted to swim in the polar bears' moat. One child was attacked by the bears, locals called police when hearing yells but, by the time the officials arrived, the animals had eaten both his legs . . . and the officers shot and killed both bears. As a child, I was unable to comprehend most of this situation, including why they still killed Teddy and Lucy. Now, I assume we'll hear more about this 32-year-old woman's motives in coming weeks, but I commend the Berlin Zoo's quick-thinking keepers to attempt to save this women without instantly harming the bears in the process.

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True Tails: My Dog Has Lyme Disease!

PetSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:00:21 -0700

You may be wondering why I've been going a tad tick crazy on the site during the Dog Days of Summer. Well, there's a reason. Last week when chatting with a pal in NYC, she shared a scary story about her rescued Rottie mix, Jack.
While he's seen here in sleepier times, my friend woke up one morning a couple weeks ago to find him not only resting, but totally unable to get up. Obviously, she freaked out and called a friend with a car to help carry the dog to his doctor. The vet did some tests but initially asked if her pooch had spent anytime in the country. Countryside? Does Brooklyn count? To learn where and when he contracted the disease, and what's happening now read more.

Even though her pooch is always on his tick medication, it's not 100-percent guaranteed. Tracey was home visiting her parents in rural Massachusetts last Fall when she found a tick on her pooch. She removed it, and assumed all was well. Not so, as he was eventually diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

It seems that he exhibited some of the symptoms I mentioned when not being able to walk . . . and it's true that this disease can be dormant in pets for months before owners can notice it. While he's now on medication and doing much better, I know my take-away lesson from this was to never overlook a possible illness – even though I sometimes overreact, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Pet Peeves: Children Sticking Hands in My Dog's Face!

PetSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:06 -0700

My friend passed along this frustrating tale of walking her dog in Brooklyn over the weekend, and I wanted to share her story with you and get your take on the right and wrong . . . and the best solution:Q: While walking my dog on Saturday afternoon down a side street, I stopped to pick up my dog's poop and, while I was taking care of his business, a child about four or five years old came up behind me and reached for my dog with her spare hand holding a bagel. I turned around right as my pooch went for the bagel and was able to pull him away before he grabbed it. The adult said nothing, gave me a "look of death," and dragged the child away by the other hand. I was shocked! If my pooch had grabbed the bagel, I'm sure it would have caused a scene, nevermind if the pooch wasn't as friendly as mine is. Shouldn't the mom pay more attention to her kid and not let her approach a strange dog with hands out . . . especially while appearing to offer food? What do you think?

See my answer when you read more.

A: First off, no child or adult should ever pet a dog without checking with the owner first, so I'm siding with the dog owner here. Parents of both four-legged and two-legged kids must remain alert at all times on busy sidewalks. As smart as pooches are, they can't be expected to tell the difference between you holding food out for the pet to take and a stranger appearing to do the same thing.

My best recommendation whenever you're on a busy sidewalk is to be mindful of what's coming up next. If you see children (or any distraction that could cause tangles and scenes), switch hands and walk on the sidewalk with your pup on the opposite side of the approaching people. This may mean walking with a dog's leash in the hand closest to the street or the hand closest to the buildings. It may sound harsh, but you can also address the approaching parent with "watch the hands" before the child gets close enough to reach out - although they may be miffed by your directness, it's better that than tears (or worse!) afterwards.

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Breaking News! Dog Bite May Cost JLo $5 Million!

PetSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:46:56 -0700

All I can say is wow: In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Brooklyn, former flight attendant Lisa Wilson claims she was attacked by a German Shepherd belonging to Jennifer Lopez on a plane trip nearly two years ago! This former flight attendant is seeking $5 million in damages and lost wages as a result of this attack as the back injuries (and surgery) prevented her from working anymore.

The shocking event allegedly happened on July 3, 2006 on a private Gulfstream IV jet leaving from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, LI when private airline company, NetJets, assigned Wilson to this flight headed to California's Burbank Airport. Hear the rest when you read more.

"Floyd" is described in the manifest as "a well-behaved guard dog," yet Wilson alleges that the pooch is nothing of the sort, claiming that, as she walked by, the dog lunged for her, bit her pant leg, and sent her tumbling her to the ground. Wilson says that her attempts to settle the case have been ignored, hence the suit contending the couple is "absolutely liable for all injuries" because they "should have known the dog had vicious propensities," and kept it muzzled and leashed.

Wilson's also seeking damages from Lopez's company, Nuyorican Productions, although it's unclear (to me) what that has to do with the event. Maybe I'm just skeptical but it's the two years that passed that leaves me scratching my head – what's your take?

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Bare Bones: Kept Pet Beds

PetSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:00:05 -0700

From time to time I find some really great stuff while cruising around on Etsy. Whether it be unique doggie duds, or a totally awesome handmade cat tree for those kitties, I always get pangs of jealousy from the crafty folk with time to whip up interesting and (quite durable) pet goods on their own.

Take the beds from Kept Pets ($80-$120), for example – these handmade pet pillows are perfect for those lazy Sundays on the porch, or after a full day at the dog park. Stuffed with a one-inch foam insert, the pillowcases are removable, so you can keep them clean and looking new. Thankfully Kept has their own website to go along with their Etsy shop, which will give you care instructions and more info about this Brooklyn-based company.

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What Do You Know About Beagles?

PetSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:00:14 -0800

Everyone's howling about the hounds this week following Uno's big win at the 132nd Westminster Dog Show. Now I've got a couple Beagle pals of my own – Oski, Brooklyn, and Cleo – and those baying barkers sure make me smile. Am I the only one who was dying to learn a little more about the award-winning breed? Test your knowledge when you take my quiz!

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New Pouch Potato Alert!

PetSugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:00:38 -0800

The birth of baby animals is super exciting and, when it's a kangaroo, it's a hopping good time! Brooklyn's Prospect Park Zoo announced the arrival of a new 'roo last Friday. The still-nameless marsupial is temporarily going by the classic moniker, Joey until zoo officials can get a closer look to determine a more gender-appropriate name. This Western Grey kangaroo is the child of Christy and Junior and has been hanging out in mom's pouch for several months and has just recently begun peeking out. Baby kangaroos are born at about two centimeters long (!), weigh less than a gram, and spend about 10 months getting a free ride until they're strong (and big) enough to come out on their own. Check out a couple more first peeks at this new pouch potato when you read more.

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LL's Puppy Rehab Not Going As Well As Planned

PopSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:02:09 -0700

Lindsay certainly looks hot (and she seems to know it) on the cover of GQ's Sex Issue, but when we saw the shots we had a sneaking suspicion that they're not new pics. As we suspected, these sexy shots were taken back in the fall when Lindsay was posing for the Obsession Of The Year issue (as seen in the video after the jump) and recycled for the new issue of the mag. For the interview, however, GQ caught up with Lohan more recently and talked to her about post-rehab life. She says (via text message):

"I bought two puppies today! Sober impulse buying of companions who will help me stay home etc. A Jack Russell terrier. named him Brooklyn. he's white and black (like Chanel), and a yorkie named Dakota (like my movie name and my lil bro)."

While we're sure they're adorable, they don't seem to be working very well as club deterrents -- she's been out in NY every night of the past week. Hey, maybe she's a totally attentive puppy mom during the day....

To see the old video of the photoshoot for these old pics just read more

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