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Anyone who knows me is well aware that I have a great love of our military and a great love of dogs, especially the German shepherd. Our family has a 4-year-old shepherd, Apollo. (He is affectionately known around here as just "The Boy.") That's him over there on the right. These dogs are loyal, protective, highly trainable and always looking for ways to please their masters. Our military, dating back to the Civil War, has been using dogs in warfare for more than 100 years. It is estimated that dogs saved the lives of more than 10,000 troops in the...

A Valley neighborhood is outraged after two dogs are shot and killed by local police. The Shelburn Town Marshal says he was forced to shoot two dogs. Officer Doug Inman says he was called to a field off Mill Street, where neighbors say a pack of dogs were fighting. Inman tried to break-up the fight and even fired shots into the ground to scare the dogs. When that didn't work he shot two mastiff puppies. The family says he had no right to kill the dogs. "I'm just glad it wasn't a child out being attacked by these two dogs,"...

Small dog vs. big cat: US farmer shoots mountain lion after terrier trees animal By The Associated Press (CP) COLMAN, S.D. — A 150-pound (68-kilogram) mountain lion was no match for a squirrel-chasing terrier. Jack the Jack Russell weighs only 17 pounds (8 kilograms), and yet he managed to trap the cougar up a tree on Tuesday on a farm in the north-central state of South Dakota. Jack's owner, Chad Strenge, told The Argus Leader that the dog "trees cats all the time," and that the plucky terrier probably "figured it was just a cat." Professor Jonathan Jenks, who tracks...

The dad who stabbed his dog to death after it savaged his two-year-old daughter said yesterday it was like a scene from a horror film. Gereth Sim, 31, is haunted by the moment the French bullmastiff, named Trigger, sank its teeth into little Taylor's face. He said: "I had turned away for two seconds and heard a growl. The next thing the dog had Taylor on the floor and was biting her face. "I punched him until he let her go, then stabbed him with a kitchen knife. Taylor's face was covered in blood. It was like a horror film....

The United States of America is swimming in an ocean of debt and Washington’s most recent budget, estimated to increase the federal deficit to at least a whopping $1.35 trillion, threatens to raise sea-levels even higher. But as Americans wail and gnash their teeth over the profligate spending by the federal government, they should also recognize that austerity is painful and starts at home. If Americans are paying attention, they will speak through their votes in this election year. Specifically, they must insist that state budgets help minimize the spending problem, not exacerbate it, which requires a ‘taming of the...

The CBS "Early Show" ran a story about dogs and their intelligence, or lack thereof. In the story, they shared their list of the top 10 smartest and top 10 dumbest dog breeds. These were their picks.

A little while ago I made my wife laugh by doing an impression of a dog acting guilty. After the laughter subsided I started thinking: How does a dog even know how to act guilty? Guilt is not an emotion in any part of the rest animal kingdom except perhaps to a much lesser extent in cats and maybe chimpanzees although I am not sure about the latter due to little contact with chimps. Cats have such a superiority complex that they really don't show much guilt about anything. But dogs go completely overboard in the guilt department. You come...

LEESBURG, Va. - Leesburg Police confirm a 20-year-old resident and another dog were killed by a family member's two pit bulls. Carter Delaney was killed by his brother's young pit bulls and neighbors say his grandfather made the disturbing discovery in the 100 block of Plaza Street NE shortly before 2 p.m. Monday. "We were really saddened by it. Me and my kids are going to come out and put something down," said neighbor Doodie Summers. Neighbors who lived near the Leesburg home where Delaney was mauled to death by two family pit bulls were shocked. "Oh my God, it...

Pit bulls have a pretty crummy reputation these days. Between the myth of a pit bull’s “locking jaw” and the constant news stories depicting the dogs as ruthless-attackers of innocent children, it’s no wonder that many people have grown afraid of the breed. The fact is these dogs are no more evil than any other breed. Indeed, pit bulls usually score very high on dog temperament testing, they have a passing rate of 84% compared to the average dog score of 77%, and their sweet disposition around children has earned them the nickname of “nanny dog

A GERMAN town is taking drastic measures to target errant dog owners. The Bavarian community of Volkach is to DNA test every dog so it can fine owners when their pets foul public spaces.Mayor Peter Kornell said the scheme would involve taking either fur or saliva from each of the town's 420 registered canines.He said: "Unfortunately, we have to do it voluntarily because there is nothing in the constitution about a dog DNA databank being enforceable. But we are proceeding and hope to log every pooch.

Puppy Lesson: Establish The ALPHA Position All our dealings with our dog will be from a position of authority, or ALPHA. Being pack animals, dogs see us simply as members of their pack. A pack is a very structured society with a set hierarchy with an absolute leader (ALPHA) on down to a very definite subordinate. Following are just a few basic rules to follow that allow us to establish our ALPHA over our dog: NEVER HIT YOUR PUPPY - even a teeny, tiny flick on the pup's nose can possibly make it hand shy and defensive DON'T SCREAM OR...

Humans are thoughtless and cruel. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but did you know their thoughtlessness goes back many, many years? Check out this invention by some innovator type from back in the thirties. I like how this article from the June, 1936 issue of Popular Mechanics starts out… (When you take your dog along for a ride, but prefer not having it inside the car…

Freedom Middle School Orlando school uses extra-sensitive dog as counselor for students Mr. Harv instinctively picks up on body language, facial expressions and tone of voice. Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer November 9, 2007 When Mr. Harv goes to school, he spends his time playing ball, sitting on students' laps and lying down on the job. It's all in a day's work for Harv, Freedom Middle School's unofficial mascot and Central Florida's only known full-time canine counselor. At Freedom, every day is a dog day. Students greet Harv with hearty "hellos" and a vigorous belly rub. If there's a crisis...

Santa Ana has created a new category of public nuisance: dogs that bark incessantly for no apparent reason. And under the law, the owners of such dogs may have to pay. The city has received nearly 1,000 complaints of noisy animals since 2001, but only three rose to the level of a criminal proceeding. The new law, adopted late Monday, allows the city to issue citations to the owners of barking dogs without pursuing a criminal case.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, July 6, 2007 – Sweetheart, Jackson and Ellie Mae, three pooches, are helping to change the lives of wounded warriors at Brooke Army Medical Center here. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Pettway snuggles up to Ellie Mae, a Lhasa Apso, held by dog trainer and owner Charlie Brugnola at the Center for the Intrepid, a physical rehabilitation center. Photo by Jen Rodriguez  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The mixed beagle, German shepherd and Lhasa Apso are therapy dogs trained to console soldiers, family members and sometimes medical staff with reassuring hugs and occasionally dog kisses....

Two PETA employees accused of stealing a hunting dog and discarding its electronic tracking device are scheduled to go to trial today in Southampton General District Court. Carrie Beth Edwards and Andrea Florence Benoit face grand larceny and petty larceny charges. Southampton County police say they pulled over Edwards and Benoit in a van registered to Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and found the dog inside.

Yesterday afternoon in Norfolk, Virginia, the Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has developed a particular interest in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals . On April 18 a dozen DEA agents searched PETA's headquarters for records related to how the group uses--and trains its staff to use--controlled substances. We already know what the drugs are used for: PETA has killed over 14,000 helpless dogs and cats since it started reporting the practice in 1998. But since the animal-cruelty trial of two PETA employees closed three months ago, we have been wondering whether the feds would...

SPECIAL REPORT: Judge Reminds PETA That Dognapping Is A Felony June 27, 2007 Yesterday, the latest People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) employee to run afoul of the law made her get-out-of-jail-free arguments before a Virginia judge. It didn’t go too well. At the end of a 90-minute “probable cause” hearing in the aptly named town of Courtland, Virginia, PETA worker Andrea Florence Benoit stood charged with the October 2006 felony theft of a hunting dog. And we learned a great deal more about this disturbing case, and just how far PETA will go to substitute its judgment...

TOKYO (June 13) - Japan will get its first nursing home for dogs with round-the-clock monitoring by doctors and a team of puppies to help aging pooches feel younger, a pet products company said Wednesday. Owners pay $800 a month to keep their dogs at the Soladi Care Home for pets, which opens Friday, according to a joint release by Soladi Co. and the Endo Veterinary clinic in Tochigi, eastern Japan. Veterinarians at the home will offer round-the-clock monitoring and residents will be fed specially fortified food, the release said. The home, which can accept 20 dogs at one time,...

Dogs are scarce in Abuja because many now eat dog meat openly The famous reverse news headline "Man bites dog!" is old news to some restaurants in Nigeria's capital, Abuja."Welcome to animal kingdom where man pikin dey show dog pepper," says Chibuzo Eze in Pidgin English, meaning: Welcome to place where the son of man is giving dogs a hard time. Mr Eze then hungrily gets back to tugging his chunk of dog meat. He is standing under a mango tree in "South Africa", the name of an open-air restaurant hidden behind the living quarters of a Western construction...

Caligula considered making his horse a consul, but President Vladimir Putin is content merely to take advice from his own four-legged friend, he told journalists today. When Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister, met Mr Putin in 2004, the Russian leader appeared to have eyes only for Koni The Russian leader said he fell back on counsel from Koni, his black Labrador, whenever he felt angry with the world. "As far as bad moods go, of course I have them like any other person, but in those cases I try to consult with my dog Koni. "She gives me...

7/2/2006 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Staff Sgt. Erick Trusty is tired and dirty. Another day has come and gone that he survived. At least on this day an improvised explosive device -- one of the enemy's deadliest weapons of choice in Iraq -- didn't hit his team. And the raid he and others carried out on a house full of weapons and munitions was a success. Then the sergeant thinks about how much he misses his new bride back in Texas. But that doesn't last long. Before him his four-legged partner signals that there are other things to worry...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (May 3, 2006) -- Unfortunately, Marines can receive permanent injuries on the battlefield, but fortunately there is a new organization specializing in helping wheelchair-bound clients by use of highly trained dogs. A fairly new organization located in Swansboro, N.C., called Lifeline Canines, was founded and is directed by Deborah S. Viel of Manassas, Va., six months ago when she moved from Greenville, N.C., to start the facility. Viel attended The Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, Calif., with an Associate of Science Degree in Assistance Dog Education. During her schooling, she learned how to...

Pit bulls on the loose went on a rampage Thursday and terrorized a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood. The dogs escaped from their backyard at 53rd Street and Cedar Avenue and ran several blocks through the neighborhood, attacking several people. Their rampage ended with a policeman shooting one of the dogs.

(Rochester, NY) 12/22/05 -- Some pet food contaminated with a toxic fungus is having deadly consequences. Several dogs in the Rochester area have died from the toxin and others could be sick without their owners knowing. Stores in 23 states have been notified to pull Diamond Pet Food products off their shelves. The contaminant, aflatoxin, grows on corn put in the products. The food is sold under the brand names Diamond, Country Value, and Professional. The recalled batches have date codes of March-07 through June-07 and were made at the company's plant in Gaston, South Carolina. Products from other facilities...

At a checkpoint leading to the U.S.-protected Green Zone, Gordy stands sentry. The affable Belgian Malinois has a nose finely tuned to detect the nitrates, plastic explosives, gunpowder and detonation cords that suicide bombers use to blow up people. On a barren stretch of road in northern Iraq, a dog rigged with explosives approaches a group of Iraqi police officers. Detonated by remote control, the bomb tears the dog apart but doesn't harm the cops.

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. .................................................................. .................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should...

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood...