Posts tagged "california"

Archaeologists have done it again, turning up more clues about the history of dogs in the American West.

This time, they've found evidence of the close bond between the Central Valley Indian tribes of California and their canine companions. Paul Langenwalter, a professor of archaeology and anthropology at Biola University in La Miranda, Calif., found that the Indians buried their dogs with care, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Langenwalter studied dog bones that date back to the 1700s and reviewed historical accounts of Europeans' contact with the Indian tribes. He found dogs were buried curled up in a sleeping position and placed in graves next to their owners.

According to the Sacramento Bee, Indian tribes of the region often destroyed a person's belongings when he died so that his possessions could accompany him to the spirit world. Dogs were likely sacrificed so that they could keep their human companions company on the other side.

Sometimes our pets look so cute it's nearly criminal, but some pet owners in California have an actual legal issue -- it's one of only two states that outlaw ferrets as pets, and California ferret owners want their pets legalized, reports KTVU.com.

Despite an almost 80-year-old law against it, many Californians keep ferrets as pets. As a matter of fact, according to KTVU.com, the state houses more ferrets than any other. The ban isn't strictly enforced, as the Department of Fish and Game's wardens have more pressing issues to manage.

So what's the problem, you ask? "We are already overrun with non-native species in the state of California," says California Fish and Game Commission President Jim Kellogg, according to KTVU.com. "There's no reason for us to legalize one more animal that could come into California and do damage to our native species."

Now there's a reason why some people never leave California.

Despite his fairly run-of-the-mill orange tabby appearance, Christopher the cat is no ordinary feline. Not because he has his own Facebook profile, but because some fairly credible veterinary professionals believe that he possesses an almost superhero level of feline intuition. From comforting the lame to taming the feral to even volunteering to donate blood for a emergency transfusion, workers at the Redwood City, California's Nine Lives Foundation say that Christopher has shown all the signs of being a miracle worker.

It all started on March 15, when Christopher was brought to the Nine Lives Foundation with what Dr. Monica Thompson, DVM, describes as "severe pelvic fractures." Christopher was found by a group of cyclists on Crystal Spring Rd., the inspiration for the name Christopher, after the orange tabby had apparently been hit by a car.

"We take in special needs cats and I agreed to work on him," Thompson tells Paw Nation. Though she expected to perform extensive surgery on the Christopher, Thompson says she didn't need to. "While we kept him, his condition just kept improving, so I left him alone. Then one day, he just jumped out of his cage and started walking." After six weeks, he was walking around with ease. "Now he's even running," Thompson says.

How much is that puppy in the window? It's not for sale.

Those worried about the number of designer dogs ending up at California shelters will be heartened by the news that the West Hollywood City Council is moving closer to approving a ban on certain kinds of pet sales. According to DVM Newsmagazine, the city council members approved upon "first reading" an ordinance proposed by council member Jeffrey Prang that prohibits the sale of dogs and cats within pet stores. The ordinance must undergo a second reading next week and, if approved, will take effect in March.

The discussion was ignited after an investigation of a West Hollywood pet store, Elite Animals, uncovered evidence that the owner was not only allegedly selling puppy mill dogs, but also illegally importing animals for resale.

The ordinance, which can be downloaded from the West Hollywood City Council agenda is full of troubling facts and statistics related to the sales of dogs and cats. One startling detail: "A review of state and USDA inspection reports from more than 100 breeders who sold animals to the nation's largest retail pet store chain revealed that more than 60 percent of the inspections found serious violations of basic animal care standards, including sick or dead animals in their cages, lack of proper veterinary care, inadequate shelter from weather conditions, and dirty, unkempt cages that were too small."

Carole Davis of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) told WeHo News that the "Companion Animal Protection Society assisted the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the City of West Hollywood in drafting the ordinance, as well as providing evidence." The ordinance rules that pet stores who currently sell cats and dogs have until Sep. 17, 2010 to "sell, offer for adoption, barter, auction, giveaway or otherwise transfer cats and dogs". The ordinance doesn't affect shelters or rescue organizations that often ask for an adoption fee when finding homes for their animals. It also doesn't affect actual breeders who sell or adopt out their litters on their own.

After passing Prop. 2, which offers greater protection for farm animals, the state of California is working to give better protection to dogs and cats. California Assembly member Pedro Nava introduced three pet-focused bills that have already passed in the Assembly and are being put to a vote in the Senate today. We break down what they mean for the state's millions of cats and dogs and thousands of breeders.

AB 241
Assembly Bill 241, the Responsible Breeder Act, seeks to limit each seller to 50 adult intact dogs or cats. This will help law enforcement crack down on overpopulated puppy mills (currently, only 70 inspectors are expected to license and inspect these large-scale commercial breeders). Seeing as there are 8,300 facilities in California alone, inspecting kennels becomes a very low priority.

Due to many breeding mills' unsanitary conditions and the poor treatment animals receive during transport, only about half of puppies born in puppy mills actually survive to find a home. Many who do live are sold to impulse buyers and often end up in shelters. When puppy mills are raided and the animals are rescued, it's the state (i.e. taxpayers) who end up footing the bill. AB 241 hopes to not only save animals' lives but save state spending as well.