Tails Spin

“Stoic” by Pantagrapher.

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Two Chicago alderman introduced a measure yesterday that would require mandatory spay/neuter of pets within the city. Specifically, the measure states that: No person shall own harbor or keep within the city of Chicago a dog or cat over six months of ages which has not been sterilized. Them’s fighten’ words!

Let’s not kid ourselves—this isn’t about the Chicago City Council being animal friendly. After all, this is the same group of individuals that repealed a two-year ban on fois gras yesterday, almost unanimously. Nope, for the sponsoring alderman, this is about reducing dogfighting and canine aggression (a woman was attacked in April by five Pit Bulls that had gotten free). But we’ll take it. Because a wonderful “side effect” of mandatory spay/neuter is a reduction in the homeless pet population. Here’s to hoping Chicago joins Los Angeles at the forefront of this movement. Whether you rationalize it by saying it will reduce aggression, or argue that it’s a good thing because it will reduce the number of animals euthanized, either way it’s a good idea and one I’m definitely behind.

“Doggie Camouflage” by luvnikita13.

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If you go gaga over pictures of baby pandas like I do, you’ll be glad to hear the pandas in China’s Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Center and Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center are safe after a devastating earthquake Monday in China’s Sichuan province.

However, officials are concerned about damage to the bears’ natural habitat and bamboo food source. Protein biscuits are an artificial food source that can provide the giant pandas with fiber if needed.

Hopefully the worst is over for these little (and giant) guys!

Part of the fun of working at a pet magazine (besides the dogs that are always running around the office) is the email forwards. I’m sure anyone with an email address has the friend who can’t help but bombard you with Fwd after Fwd, but here at Tails, most of our forwards are inspirational or funny stories about pets. The latest one about Molly the pony is worth sharing.

Molly leaves a smile wherever she goes.

Not just because of the smiley face engraved on her prosthesis, but because of her story.

Molly is a Katrina survivor. She was abandoned by her guardians and was attacked by a pit bull terrier that gnawed her right front leg, which became infected and needed to be amputated. You can read her complete story here, but to make a long story short, Molly’s determined will and serious survival ethic helped her gain a prosthetic leg and a whole new life.

She now travels with her new guardian to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other places where people need hope. She even has a new book!

She is an inspiration, and in her vet’s eyes, a symbol of New Orleans itself.

“Boogie in the Park” by lilita.

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Rapper DMX was arrested on drug-related and animal cruelty charges in Arizona after a raid on May 9. It was a busy week for the rapper behind “The Year of the Dog… Again,” as he was also arrested on the previous Tuesday for driving 114 miles per hour on a highway.

Those with longer memories than I have will remember that DMX was convicted of animal cruelty in New Jersey in 1999 for housing 13 pit bulls in tight cages. He later agreed to to record a public service announcement against cruelty as part of his plea deal. It seems that he didn’t take his own PSA too seriously, as when the Maricopa County sheriff arrived as his property, they found five Pit Bulls on his property. During last summer’s raid, authorities discovered 12 malnourished Pit Bulls as well as the bodies of three dogs buried in the back yard.

It’s so frustrating that despite all the education and information out there, that people—thousands of people—still participate in dog fighting. I hoped that in the aftermath of the Michael Vick case, that we’d see celebrities come out against dogfighting (and many, many did, and I applaud them). Here it seems like we’re back where we started. Perhaps DMX just wanted to appear tough; a recent study conducted by the University of Chicago and HSUS found that “the appeal of dogfighting to youth originates from the desire to appear “tough,” to work out street or gang conflicts, and to combat boredom and even poverty.”

Let me be the first to say that I have no desire to cross paths with a jaguar if ever I decide to cruise the Rio Grande. But I hate to threaten the steely-faced cat’s very existence on this earth (and precious few places of earth do they now roam) for the sake of what is but a momentary source of geo-political frustration in the grand scheme of things. This, however, is precisely the scenario we are facing in the likely imminent construction of a fence meant to curb illegal immigration along the Mexican border.

And the jaguar is just the beginning of it. And I don’t want to come close to seeing the end of it. Which is why we have to ask ourselves, as concerned citizens, to be more creative here. (Has it occurred to anyone besides me that the flourishing presence of jaguars might function as an ecologically friendly deterrent to unwanted human crossing? Not that I want any of my fellow human beings to end up as dinner for a hungry kitty. I’m just saying that primal fear speaks to people.)

And time is of the essence here. The Bush administration reportedly drafted its environmental impact statement regarding the fence in three months; typically such an undertaking would take two to three years.

We have to get creative before irreparable damage is done––and I never have that chance to be scared out of my skin on the Rio Grande.

A driver that struck and killed a Miniature Pinscher in Minnesota is suing the dog’s guardians for the damage to his car, according to the AP. The family has retaliated with a countersuit.

Having grown up with my fair share of pets who try to bolt out the door when given a chance, I know that sometimes, no matter how careful you are, they just get out. I’ve been spotted one more than one occasion in my life chasing after a loose pooch who just thinks it’s fun to run into the street — and I’m so thankful that none of mine were ever injured because of it. Needless to say, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this story. Especially this line from the driver of the car: “I have complete compassion for [the dog's guardians]. I know how it feels. I love dogs. But once you get them, they are your responsibility.”

I absolutely agree about the responsibility part. But suing someone for damage to a 10-year-old Honda Civic after killing their animal companion? That does not seem compassionate to me. Perhaps the driver’s lawsuit would have more merit (in my book at least) if he had been injured himself. But as it stands, not so much. What do you think?

If I ever decide to move to England with my Chihuahua, it looks like I’m going to have to save some serious cash. The UK’s Daily Mail revealed the results of a 3,000-person study about the costs of having a dog. According to the research, the average cost of a Chihuahua over its 13-year lifespan is £90,000, making it the costliest breed.

“$90,000??—that’s insane!” I thought. But it’s worse—it’s not $90,000, it’s 90,000 pounds. £90,000 = roughly $173,000. I like to think Squirt has a pretty good life, but there’s no way we spend anywhere close to $173,000 on him—that’s the cost of a house or a very swank car! The survey estimated the yearly cost of a Chihuahua at around £6,000 or $11,600.

I’m thinking the 3,000 people surveyed are the Paris Hiltons of England who buy their dogs diamond-studded collars and designer clothing. My dog is happy with his Old Navy polo we got on sale for $6.

The survey also found that 39 percent of pet guardians had no idea how much their pet is costing them. So if your yearly budget has $11,000 unaccounted for, you might want to look into Fido’s expenses.

The cost of living in the UK is higher than in the US, but do you think the numbers are realistic? How much do you think your pets cost you each year?

(Paris’ dogs are wearing clothes from her own line, Paris Hilton by Little Lily Collection )
Top image courtesy MSNBC
Bottom image courtesy FunnyFur