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NewsHound 034
October 7, 2005 |
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Dear urbanhounders,
It's not easy being American, what with hurricanes, the war in Iraq, reality T.V., and freedom fries. Still, news that Honda has designed for the Japanese market a car just for dogs and their humans has convinced us that American culture is indeed inferior. In Japan, there are now more households with dogs than with children under 15---that explains why any product or service we dog people have ever dreamed of is available there (but not here). Sigh.
Then again, looking at the bright side of things, New York surely has more canine Halloween parades and costume contests than any place else. Where else can you gawk at dogs dressed as fairy princesses or pimps? Below, we list seven major Halloween Howls, but there will be more announced soon, so check in with your local dog run later this month and start thinking about your dog's costume today.
Back to the real world: As stories about dogs displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita fade from the headlines, your help is more vital than ever. To make a donation, to volunteer, or to take in a homeless dog, browse this useful list of animal-rescue organizations compiled by The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals.
What if disaster struck here at home? Would you be prepared to save your dog? For evacuation tips, including a disaster supply checklist for pets, visit the Humane Society's disaster preparedness page.
With best autumn wishes to you and your hounds, yours,
Nina Munk & Nadia Zonis
P.S. If you still don't have a fabulous urbanhound.com tee, get yours now! Help support urbanhound.
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» October is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month. If you're thinking about making room in your home for another dog, first visit Urbanhound.com's in-depth guide to the city's dog shelters. It includes everything you need to know about the Center for Animal Care and Control, the ASPCA, the North Shore Animal League, and others. Plus: our guide lists questions shelters will ask to decide if you're fit to adopt a pet.
» Does your dog jumps up on people? If so, you know how frustrating that behavior is---and how hard it is to stop. Urbanhound's in-house trainer Andrea Arden unlocks the secret behind dogs who jump, and explains how to make sitting quietly your dog's preferred pose.
» A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down---unless you're a dog, in which case getting the medicine to go down can be hell no matter how much sugar is added. If you've got to give your dog a pill, Urbanhound vet Betsy Brevitz has terrific tips to make this often challenging task easier.
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Sponsor
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Blue Sky Dogs: Your Destination for Dog-Friendly Travel
Offering dog-friendly day and weekend getaways, and mid-week city escape day trips for active dogs.
Our upcoming trips include:
Oct. 21-23: Best Friends Weekend in Saratoga Springs
Nov. 5: Best Friends Day Trip to L.I. Wine Country
Every Week: Canine Country Days
For more information, visit www.blueskydogsny.com or contact us at 212-531-DOGS (3647).
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The Beast Festival
Through October 15
Triangle Theatre, 316 East 88th Street (btwn. 1st and 2nd Aves.), Manhattan
Each year, in honor of St. Francis Day, the Triangle Theatre produces The Beast Festival, nine original plays that explore the relationship between people and animals. Tickets are $15, and can be bought online at Theater Mania. The Beast Festival plays Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 PM; on Saturday at 4 PM; and on Sunday at 2 PM. For more information, call the Triangle Theatre at 212-769-7967, or visit the Triangle Theatre website.
Labor of Love - The Concert
Saturday, October 8th, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at W. 95th St., Manhattan
This gospel concert, featuring The Williams Brothers and others, will benefit NY S.A.V.E., an organization that helps fund veterinary care for those who can't afford it, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Tickets cost between $21 and $35 and are available online or by calling 212-864-5400.
Schnauzer Sunday
Sunday, October 9, 11 AM
Washington Square Dog Run, W. 4th St. at Thompson St., Manhattan
Join miniature Schnauzers and their human companions at this monthly social hosted by the New York City Schnauzer Group. About a dozen mini Schnauzers usually show up.
SAVE-Animal Rescue Luncheon
Sunday, October 9, Noon to 4 PM
Verdi's Restaurant, Cross Island Pkwy (btwn. 149th and 150th Sts.), Whitestone, Queens
This fundraising event is for Silent Animal Voices Echo (SAVE), a Queens-based non-profit rescue group that rescues abandoned dogs and cats, provides medical care for them, and helps them find new homes. Tickets are $45.
Veterinary Herbal First Aid: An Introductory Evening
Friday, October 14, 7 PM to 9 PM
The New York Open Center, 83 Spring St. (btwn. Broadway and Crosby St.), Manhattan
Cheryl Schwartz, DVM, a holistic veterinarian, will discuss how Western and Chinese herbs can be used in first aid for animals---and how to tell whether to try home care or to rush your dog to the vet. She'll talk about using basic herbs to treat common animal injuries such as cuts, sprains, bite wounds, burns, and stings. As well, she'll address the use of herbs for digestive problems like vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, and even bad breath. Tickets are $18 for Open Center members; $20 for non-members. For more information or to register, contact The New York Open Center at 212-219-2527 or visit their website.
It's My Park Day
Saturday, October 15
Citywide, starting at 9 AM
In parks and dog runs all over in the city, volunteers are being called upon to help clean, weed, plant, spread wood chips and mulch, and paint. To offer your help, and get the full schedule by borough, visit the Partnership for Parks website. Most dog runs are organizing their own It's My Park Day activities, among them: all three dog runs in Manhattan's Riverside Park; Manhattan's Morningside Park Dog Run, where trainers from the Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption will organize canine games and a weight-pull contest; and Williamsburg's new Cooper Park Dog Run, where trainer Denise Herman will host a clinic on dog run safety and etiquette at 1 PM.
Seminar: The Joys of Adopting an Adult Pet
Saturday, October 15th, 1 PM to 2:30 PM
Bide-A-Wee, 410 E. 38th St., (btwn. First Ave. and FDR Dr.), Manhattan
What are the pros and cons of adopting an older dog? Suzanne Fischman, resident veterinarian at the Bide-A-Wee animal shelter, and Mike Reub, Bide-A-Wee's training and behavior manager, will give the low-down. As well, they plan to explain the inner workings of Purina Pets for People Program, which helps senior citizens adopt pets at almost no cost. The seminar is free, but you do need to register. To do so, call 516-785-4199, x 0.
Canine Companions for Independence Snoopy DogFest
Saturday, October 15, 11 AM to 3 PM
SUNY Farmingdale Campus, Melville Road, Farmingdale, NY
About 1,000 people and their dogs attended last year's Snoopy DogFest to raise money for Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that provides highly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities. This year's event will include nifty demonstrations by working dogs, agility trails, a bake sale, trick-or-treating for dogs, costume contests for humans and hounds, a canine costume parade, raffles, games, the Great Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt, and the chance to have your photo taken with Snoopy himself. To register, download a pledge sheet, or get more information, visit the Events Page on the Canine Companions for Independence website.
Bide-A-Wee Octoberfest
Saturday, October 15, 1:30 PM to midnight
East Village Ukrainian Restaurant, 140 2nd Ave. (at 9th St.), Manhattan
Bide-A-Wee's Octoberfest benefit features live musical performances by lots of different artists, an art exhibit, a seminar on holistic pet care, a raffle, and other as-yet-unannounced things too. Admission is $5, all of which goes to benefit the Bide-A-Wee shelter.
Animal Haven 38th Annual Going Home Luncheon
Sunday, October 16, noon to 3:30 PM
Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel, 135-20 39th Avenue, Flushing, Queens
This lunch, which raises money for the Animal Haven shelter in Flushing, includes a silent auction, a raffle, musical performances by Lala Brooks of the Crystals and Christine Toy Johnson, and, curiously, appearances by a whole host of soap opera luminaries (Louise Sorel from Days of Our Lives; Heather Tom, Bree Williamson, and Catherine Hickland of One Life to Live; Tonja Walker from Guiding Light; and Robin Mattson from All My Children and General Hospital). Tickets are $50 a person; tables start at $1,000. For tickets, contact event coordinator Tiffany Lacey at 917-459-2422.
Mayor's Alliance/Maddie's Pet Adoption Festival - Staten Island
Saturday, October 22, noon to 5 PM
Clove Lakes Park, Clove Rd. and Victory Blvd., Staten Island
Hosted by P.L.U.T.O. Rescue of Richmond County, this event (which takes place near the park's Field House and playground) will include lots of adoptable dogs, a low-cost micro-chip clinic, and, on hand to answer questions, a vet, groomer, trainer, and, yes, an animal communicator. Plus a Dixieland band will entertain. For more information, visit the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals' website or call 212-252-2350.
The 8th Annual Carl Schurz Park Halloween Howl
Sunday, October 23, 1 PM to 3 PM (Rain date: October 30th.)
Carl Schurz Park, East 84th St. and East End Ave., Manhattan
So many dogs are expected to compete in this event that preening and judging will take place not in Carl Schurz Park's dog run, but in its more spacious basketball courts. Costume prizes will be awarded to the three best-dressed large dogs, the three best-dressed small dogs, and to the best-dressed dog-human team.
Narrows Botanical Gardens 10th Annual Canine Costume Contest
Sunday, October 23, noon to 5 PM (Rain date: October 30th.)
Narrows Botanical Gardens, Shore Rd. (btwn. Bay Ridge Ave. and 72nd St.), Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
This harvest festival isn't just about dogs. There's also an art show for humans, a crafts sale, and lots of games and activities for children. Still, our favorite event is the canine costume contest. To enter your dog, be sure to register no later than October 21. For details, go to the Narrows Botanical Gardens' website.
ASPCA 2005 Humane Awards Luncheon
Tuesday, October 25, reception at noon, lunch at 1 PM
The Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan
This gala benefit the ASPCA and "honor[s] our nation's humane heroes." For more information or to order tickets (which start at $200), contact the ASPCA at 212-876-7700, x4652. We assume there's information about this gala event on the ASPCA website, but after seven minutes of searching, we gave up. Sorry about that.
Bobbi & the Strays Halloween Masquerade Ball
Thursday, October 27, 7 PM to midnight
Russo's on the Bay, 162-45 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach, Queens
Bobbi & the Strays is a small non-profit animal rescue group based in Ozone Park, Queens. Their annual Halloween fundraiser features a three-course dinner, dancing, and raffle prizes. Tickets are $80 (the entire amount goes to help animals). For more information, contact Bobbi herself at 718-845-0779 or visit the Bobbi & the Strays' website.
7th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
Saturday, October 29, noon to 1 PM (Rain date: Sunday, October 30th.)
Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn
One of our favorite Halloween events, the Great Pupkin Contest, organized by Fort Green PUPS, draws a big crowd of 50 or more canine competitors, one more outlandishly costumed than the next. The contest takes place in the park, at the top of the hill near the visitor's station.
Downtown Doghouse Doggy Halloween Party
Sunday, October 30, 11 AM to 6 PM
Downtown Doghouse, 259 W. 18th St. (btwn. 7th and 8th Aves.), Manhattan
This all-day event features games (including "Bobbing for Hot Dogs"), doggy bags of healthy snacks, a raffle for all dogs in costume, and, for $15, a 15-minute consultation with a pet psychic. The party is co-hosted by the Animal Haven shelter, which will have dogs and cats available for adoption on hand, and Downtown Doghouse, a grooming salon and shop.
The 14th Annual Tompkins Square Dog Run Halloween Parade
Sunday, October 30, noon (Rain date is the next day.)
Tompkins Square Park First Run, E. 9th St. (btwn. Aves. A and B), Manhattan
The original New York canine Halloween event, this is one fabulous parade and costume contest. This year, $5,000 in prizes will be awarded to winners and runner-ups in seven categories: "Best In Show,""Best Trick," "Best Costume - large & small breed," "Best Dog with Kid," "Best Dog Team Costume," and "Best Dog & Owner Combo." The grand prize: an iPod Nano.
Monster Mutt Second Annual Halloween Mutt Parade
Sunday, October 30, 3:00 PM
Monster Mutt, 297 Warren St. (btwn. Smith and Court Sts.), Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Starting at Monster Mutt (a dog daycare center and sponsor of the event), this Halloween parade makes its way to the Carroll Gardens Dog Run on Rapelye St. That's when the costume contest begins, with prizes in many categories, including: "Most Original Homemade Costume," "Most Creative Costume," and "Ugliest Costume." Registration costs $5 a dog, all of which goes to benefit the Animal Haven shelter. For more details, check out the Monster Mutt website.
If there's an event you'd like us to mention in the next NewsHound, please email us.
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The latest reports on the frightening new, deadly dog flu virus suggest that it may not be as dangerous as first believed. As Dr. Cynda Crawford, the immunologist who first discovered the virus in greyhounds, told reporters a few days ago: "Despite the rumors that are out on the Internet, this disease is not as deadly as people want to make it." Nonetheless, with an estimated mortality rate somewhere between 5 and 8 percent, the canine influenza virus is nothing to scoff at. So far, we don't have reports on the number of cases, if any, in New York City, but two kennels in Westchester had to be closed last month after over 100 dogs being boarded were found to be infected with the virus. The canine flu can easily be mistaken for kennel cough, as the two have similar symptoms---a persistent cough, sometimes accompanied by nasal discharge and a fever. If your dog has such symptoms, a trip to the vet is definitely in order. For more on the canine flu, see these reports from National Geographic and the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine.
In response to Hurricane Katrina, efforts are underway to prevent the abandonment of pets in future emergencies. Representatives Tom Lantos (D-CA), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Barney Frank (D-MA), Don Young (R-AK), and James Oberstar (D-MN) have sponsored The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, H.R. 3858 (PETS Act), which would require that pets and service animals be included in state and local evacuation plans. The Humane Society has a webpage where you can write your Representative and ask him or her to support the bill.
If you don't yet have a 2006 wall calendar, there's a great-looking one on offer from Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit based in Tipton, PA, that valiantly advocates against dogs being kept chained in yards.
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