Posts tagged "interview"

There are heroes. And then there are superheroes. Meet Mary Spencer. She's giving Wonder Woman a run for her money.

Spencer joined the SPCA of Texas in 1992 and served as its chairman for eight years. Today, she chairs the organization's building committee and represents the mayor of Dallas on the city's Animal Shelter Commission. Last week hundreds who share her passion for homeless pets attended an event in Dallas to launch her book, "All My Fosters Are Rockstars," which weaves stories of some of her foster pets with information about the importance of microchipping, spaying and neutering, adoption, and other animal welfare issues. This week Paw Nation sat down with the affable advocate to talk about her life-saving work.

As a one-woman rescue organization, you have fostered an astounding 500(!) pets. Have you had a favorite?
There have been a few really special ones. Some I still keep in touch with. The blind standard poodles are an incredible story. They were puppy mill dogs I got from a shelter. They were in very bad shape, and their rehabilitation was a unique experience for me. They are now happily living at Rolling Dog Ranch in New Hampshire. It is a utopia for disadvantaged animals, where they can run and play and be cherished like children.

Animal Shelter: The Dutchess County SPCA

Location: Hyde Park, N.Y.

Formed in 1871 by a few concerned and exceptional citizens -- Matthew Vassar (of Vassar College), John Adriance (Adriance Memorial Library was named for him) and Samuel Morse (as in Morse code) -- the DSPCA protects the abused and abandoned animals of Dutchess County. Starting out in a small holding facility in Poughkeepsie, the DCSPCA eventually outgrew its humble digs and found a home in Hyde Park in 1960.

Over the years, the DCSPCA has come to specialize in large-scale animal seizures. That is, the shelter works with local officials to combat the problem of animal hoarding. According to Executive Director Joyce Garrity, when an animal hoarding situation is discovered, it often involves many animals that are in very bad health. Fortunately, the DCSPCA has highly skilled human law officers (animal cops) to handle the job!

This year, the DCSPCA is celebrating its 140th birthday -- 980 dog years! (Sort of.) In honor of this milestone in both human and canine years, the DCSPCA has broken ground on a new adoption and education center. The current facility will be renovated and serve as intake and rehabilitation for incoming animals, as well as housing its spay/neuter clinic. They talk with Paw Nation about how they help pets.

It may seem like the stuff of made-for-TV sci-fi, but that litter of sweet puppies prancing around on your neighbor's lawn could be a pack of clones. In his new book, "Dog Inc.: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man's Best Friend," journalist John Woestendiek uncovers the slippery slope (and often under-the-radar) business of cloning the domestic dog. We asked the author to divulge some of the book's juicier tidbits. Ever heard of the glow-in-the-dark dog? Neither had we.

What inspired you to write "Dog Inc."?
At the time, I was working as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun and one of my beats was writing a dog blog. While covering some stories related to cloning, I met Bernann McKinney, a former beauty queen who eventually became the first customer to have a dog cloned. She left me message after message about her story, which led to an article for the paper about how the practice of cloning pets was turning into a commercial business. I was struck by the lengths people involved in domestic cloning -- from the scientists to the owners -- were willing to go for their pets. It was great material for a book. And, ultimately, I wanted to explore one big question: If cloning dogs is okay, is cloning humans okay?


Why has domestic cloning predominantly focused on dogs?
It's partly the place dogs hold in our hearts. I don't want to say that we connect more with canines, but I do think a lot of owners come to see themselves in their dogs. This is the reason people often stick with the same breed. For a couple of decades now, I've done the dog thing, and when my own died, I got another one that was very similar, with the same coat and everything. No other domestic animal is closer, emotionally, to humans.

"A Dog's Purpose," written by W. Bruce Cameron (author of the book "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" which became the hit TV show) is a novel for humans from a dog's point of view. It tells the story of a dog that continues reincarnating and realizes he'll keep coming back until he fulfills his purpose. But first he has to figure out what that purpose is.

The dog's experiences give us a compelling view into subjects like puppy mills, police dogs and, most significantly, the incredible bond a dog forms with his humans. Cameron is a syndicated humor columnist, but this isn't a breezy summer read. We found it to be funny and heartwarming, but also gut-wrenching at times.

After reading "A Dog's Purpose," we had a few questions we just had to ask Cameron:

You were inspired to write the book when a dog reminded you of your childhood pet Cammie. Could you tell us more about that?
I was taking a bike ride in the mountains and I passed by a dog on a chain outside a house, behind a fence. He barked at me once and then just sort of sat down and stared at me. I got off my bike, and I walked over and looked at him, and we just locked eyes. He was a dark-colored mutt, and he really reminded me of Cammie, and the way she used to look me in the eye.

This dog seemed really excited to see me, but I couldn't get close because of the fence. I stayed there and talked to him for a little while, and it really struck me as I rode away that it felt like I had interacted with my very first dog, as if my dog had come back and I had stumbled across her.

That got me thinking, when our canine friends die, we don't really let go of them. At least I don't. I feel like I always will have my dogs with me. The bond between a person and their dog never dies. I started thinking, "What would happen if the dog was reincarnated? What would that be like for the dog?"

Rachael Ray has become a heavy hitter in the pet industry. Not only does she have her own line of dog food, Nutrish (from which all proceeds benefit animals in need), but she uses her celebrity status to promote animal advocacy, and to bring positive attention to homeless animals and the rescues that help them through Rachael's Rescue.

Ray received the "Excellence in Journalism and Outstanding Contributions to the Pet Industry Award" for her efforts on March 26 by the American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association. The event was sponsored by Nestlé Purina (who also made a generous donation in Ray's honor to North Shore Animal League America).

Paw Nation had a chance to chat with Ray and asked her how she recommended people get involved with pet rescue when they're short on time and money. Her answer? "Just do it! Like the Nike campaign!"

"It's not the amount of time you spend. It's more about the quality," she told us, adding, "Fostering is a great and easy way to make a big impact."

Ray also suggested taking a local approach. "Make food. Drop off homemade treats [at a local rescue]," she said. She recalled a small grocery store she frequents that always has boxes at the check-out line for the local rescue. "Put out boxes with a picture of one of the dogs so people can easily donate food or blankets. You'd be surprised at how much gets dropped off!"

Have you ever taken your dog to a dog park? If so, chances are good you've encountered a situation that was less than desirable. Perhaps your dog picked a fight, or maybe another dog became fixated on yours and interfered with his ability to play freely.

Cheryl S. Smith, the author of the book "Visiting the Dog Park: Having Fun, Staying Safe," has a lot to say on the subject. She took a few minutes to chat with Paw Nation.

Did a specific experience lead you to write this book?
Two things led to this book. First, having a new dog park nearby and watching (from outside the fence) the interactions there, it was obvious that people just didn't understand what was going on with the dogs. Second, the increasing push for more dog parks. If this is going to become a common feature of parks, then people really need to understand the pros and cons.

What is the most common mistake people make when taking their dog to the dog park?
The most common mistake is assuming that everything will be fine, that all dogs just naturally get along with each other. We don't assume that every human will play well with every other human, and we shouldn't put that expectation on our dogs.

Could you share some of your favorite pieces of advice for a successful dog park visit?
For a successful dog park visit, people should know their own dog first. If he or she is a bit insecure, plan to visit the park when it isn't too crowded. Always keep an eye on your dog to be sure things are going well, and be willing to change your plans accordingly. If your dog is running away from other dogs and isn't having fun, then leave the park and go for a walk instead. On the other hand, if your dog is having a blast, stay longer.

If you've owned a cat in the past twenty years, chances are you've owned a Cat Dancer. Even with its uber-simple design -- a three-foot length of wire with a few twisted-up rolls of kraft paper on each end -- cats go bananas for them, and cat lovers keep grabbing them off pet store shelves.

So who invented this marvelous, yet simple toy? That would be Jim Boelke. The proverbial light bulb that inspired the Cat Dancer went aglow over Boelke's noggin in 1978. Thirty years later, Boelke still runs Cat Dancer Products, Inc. out of Neenah, Wisconsin. Paw Nation spoke with Mr. Boelke to get the story behind his creative success.

What were you doing when you came up with the Cat Dancer?
I was going to college and working different jobs. One of them was in an animal shelter, and one of them was at a factory. The shelter was your typical county shelter in 1978. There was no such thing as a no-kill shelter. A pair of [cat] brothers came in that were so tiny. You could hold both of them in one hand. I couldn't take it. It's like, "No, you just can't kill these two; they're too cute." So I took them home, and of course my roommates were a little iffy on the whole idea.

They weren't cat people?
They were college students; they didn't need another expense or something else to worry about. I'm not sure I did either. [laughs]

But you couldn't help it.
I just couldn't. My other job was cleaning up at a factory, and part of what I did every night was to sweep the floors. Wire with some cardboard bits would fall on the floor. And one [piece of wire] kind of bounced around. I looked at it, then modified what I'd picked up, took it home, and doggone it if [those cats] didn't just go nuts over it! They would run after it like crazy. I'd never seen a cat get so excited about a toy. And neither had any of the other people that frequented our house. Pretty soon I was being asked to make them for everyone. "Jim, can you get some more of those?" Well yeah, they're garbage; I can bring you one. And one for your sister and your cousin and your brother-in-law and everybody else you can think of. All I had to do was use the snips and a pair of pliers and I could turn it into a nice toy.