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Lake County Commissioners Speak up for the Dogs

Thanks to the efforts of concerned citizens, Lake County Commissioners are moving forward with a proposal of an ordinance that will ban the unattended tethering of dogs. There were recommendations for a total ban on tethered (tied-up or chained) dogs. However, the South Lake Animal League supports the current proposal as this option is more realistic for the community to adjust to and for the authorities to enforce. The current proposal to ban unattended tethering, among other specifics, will require a guardian to be visually present when a dog is tied up outside. Dogs will not be allowed to be tethered outdoors in inclement weather such as excessive heat or storms. Also, dogs less than 6 months old are not permitted to be tethered at all unless his guardian is attending him. Joanne Rittenhouse, a South Lake Animal League Humane Educator notes, “A reasonable, easy to follow and enforce ordinance is something we need to work together on. Lake County Animal Control has a shrinking budget and a workload that often exceeds their resources. This proposal is something they feel they can enforce and this is a big step in the right directions for the dogs we care for. Let’s get an ordinance passed that will work for all of us, especially the dogs.”

E-mail your County commissioners and Animal Control to give them your ideas and thoughts on this very important matter. The next public hearing addressing this matter is on April 10, 2012. For more information about contacting your County Commissioners visit: www.lakecountyfl.gov

Keep the volume down when driving with your cat
by Jane A Kelley, Paws and Effect

Cats have very sensitive hearing, so if you’re like me and you enjoy listening to loud music while you drive, do your kitty a favor and keep the volume low or turn the music off altogether. Some types of music are less aggravating for your cat and can even help him relax. Pitch range and tempo are important factors; in my experience, cats prefer slower tempos and music without too much thumping bass or shrieking treble.Cat expert and animal communicator JaneA Kelley is the webmaster and chief cat slave for Paws and Effect, a weekly cat advice column by cats, for cats and their people.

Rescue Dog Rescues Owner by Detecting Her Breast Cancer
By Maria Goodavage | Dogster.com

A mammogram — the gold standard in breast cancer detection — failed to detect Lisa Hulber’s malignant tumor. But Effie, her rescued hound mix, did. The dog whose life Hulber saved helped save hers after she sniffed her to the point where she decided to get double-checked. This time, doctors found Hulber’s tumor, and did an excisional biopsy. But Effie was ahead of them again. She started sniffing around and apparently detected the only lymph node that had the cancer. Hulber underwent a double mastectomy and 20 weeks of chemotherapy, and will soon start radiation. “It’s hard to go through cancer and stuff like that,” the Michigan resident said. “I’m not a ‘woe is me’ kind of person and knowing what she did for me, that gift, that’s what makes me cry.”Hulber thinks Effie got her “medical” training on the family’s kitten, who died of cancer. The dog may have associated the similar scent, and it’s easy to make the leap that Effie was trying to tell her rescuer that something was amiss.

These rules are intended to protect everyone’s usage and enjoyment of the Dog Beach Area.

-All dogs must enter and exit the beach from the South crossover.
-All dogs must have proof of current rabies vaccination and license.
-All dogs must be on a leash (no more than 6ft), no more than two dogs per handler.
-Handlers must stop their dogs from digging and are responsible for immediately filling any holes.
-Handler is responsible for picking up and disposing of dog waste into the trash receptacles.
-You are responsible to remove your dog from the beach should they become aggressive.
Brevard County is not responsible for the behavior of any dog.

Dog bites should be reported to Brevard County Animal Services and Enforcement (321) 633- 2024, option 1
It is illegal to harm or harass sea turtles their nests or hatchlings F.S. Chap 370.

If you see someone who is not following the rules, please politely remind them. If we don't follow the rules, the pilot can be cancelled and the dog beach taken away.

Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other
by Julie Rover | npr.org

Those of us who own pets know they make us happy. But a growing body of scientific research is showing that our pets can also make us healthy, or healthier.That helps explain the increasing use of animals — dogs and cats mostly, but also birds, fish and even horses — in settings ranging from hospitals and nursing homes to schools, jails and mental institutions. Take Viola, or Vi for short. The retired guide dog is the resident canine at the Children's Inn on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. The inn is where families stay when their children are undergoing experimental therapies at NIH.Vi, a chunky yellow Labrador retriever with a perpetually wagging tail, greets families as they come downstairs in the morning and as they return from treatment in the afternoon. She can even be "checked out" for a walk around the bucolic NIH grounds.