pets

Another dog gets shocked, in South Boston, but lives.

Spatch reports he has not seen his cat, Abbie, since Sunday:

... I don't want to lose the big guy so soon. This is killing me inside and I feel absolutely helpless from behind this desk. I've contacted animal control and nearby vets and agencies. Nobody's brought in a throw rug yet. It's rainy and shitty outside. He won't be going anywhere for a while if it's a safe space from that orange cat and his friends. I don't want ANYTHING right now except to have my buddy back. Come back, buddy. You're the best goddamn cat in the world and you don't deserve to be miserable right about now.

Jody can now speak to this with first-hand knowledge.

It's good to know that, even in the midst of rapidly declining readership, an endless series of staff buyouts and a fast-shrinking news hole, the Boston Globe has found one area in which it can beef up its coverage: Spotting the trends that matter to the Boston area's rich. Because Lord knows this is a group that has been sadly neglected in the past.

Thankfully, the Globe made the right choice in assigning the local Robb Report beat to Sarah Schweitzer,

A couple of dogs playing at the Arboretum today.

Apparently, pushing babies in strollers is tres passe in both NoWa and SoWa. JD reports spotting somebody pushing a doggy stroller - yes, a stroller designed for a dog:

... Thinking it was just a fluke, I remember my friend Chris commenting on a mosquito-net enclosed doggy baby carriage we saw some lady pushing along the bay in San Diego a couple of years back. "Look at that" he said. "How long before you get the dog one of THOSE?" "Eh, how about NEVER?" but I admit I was fascinated. "Yeah but just wait," he said. "You'll be seeing them all over the east coast in no time. They like that sort of thing." ...

Never walk a Maltese in Boston.

SnifBostonDogs reports on the neighborhood's new doggy park, which officially opened yesterday.

Dogs. Cats. Even giraffes. But apparently not hamsters.

Special bonus cuteness: Baby Sox fan.

The Missus posts photos from today's annual doggie Halloween parade on the Common.

On the way to the Maroon 5 concert at the Garden, Susie comes upon a crowd of people by the escalators in North Station:

... When we stopped and looked, we realized that a little puppy was stuck in the escalator! It was a little Pomeranian-like dog whose paw somehow got stuck at the top. People were freaking out because help was taking a long time to arrive and the poor dog couldn't get loose. Finally a bunch of Boston police came, followed by a ton of Boston firemen with axes. Honestly, there were about 15 T workers, cops, and firemen just standing around trying to figure out what to do. The firemen were using their axes to try and pry the escalator apart, but it just wasn't working. Finally they brought some "machinery" to basically cut away the teeth of the escalator and break the escalator apart. The poor dog was actually pretty calm, aside from the occasional heart-wrenching screeching crying sound it made. ...

Andrew Watson and family realized they could no longer provide Betsy, the hound they'd adopted more than four years ago, the attention she needed. He describes their last day together - before bringing her to the Angell Memorial adoption center:

... She and I walked there. This was partly because the car was busy elsewhere. But it was best, I think, that we had a last good long walk together in and near some of our favorite places. ... We checked in at the reception desk, then sat in the room behind there for a while. I filled out the paperwork. Then we sat together, just the two of us. I haven't had time to do that since before our second kid was born. ...

Mountain lion or tabby in desperate need of some diet Iams?

Ah, what would we do without LiveJournal? Taxine posts a query on B0st0n LiveJournal:

Okay, so does anyone know where(or if) I can buy a formalin (formaldehyde) solution locally? I'm not a funeral director, scientist, or student, I'm just interested in preserving a pet frog who died of old age.

Naturally, helpful LJers suggest alternatives to the powerful chemical, including brandy and freezing - although Morbidqua advises against the latter, because of the possibility of power outages or changes of address:

I froze my favorite pet fish years ago in my Allston apartment. It's NOT a good way to preserve a dead pet. Go for Rum or one of the alcohol based or resin based preservation methods.

Talonvaki takes Gun-Hee on a ride 'neath the streets of Boston (and Cambridge):

Lis Riba has a sick kittie who now only seems to consume liquidy stuff, like the water tuna comes packed in and the liquid that is not the gelatinous gloop that makes members of my nuclear family gag whenever I open a jar of gefilte fish (they're not so fond of the gefiltes themselves, either). So she asks if Boston-area folks could save the liquids, then contact her to arrange pickup.

Steve Garfield posts a photo of a lost-dog poster at Jamaica Pond.

There's less chance the dog will be carried off by a coyote. Police report that's what happened early this morning to a terrier running off leash in woods off River Street in Mattapan:

... The coyote and the terrier were not located.

Big fight over whether dog owners should be allowed any time to let their dogs off leash at Winthrop Park. The Park and Recreation Commission is involved. So is the Brookline Green Dog Committee (What, no Blue Dog Committee?). Even Brookline's relations with neighboring communities are at stake: Are Boston and Newton dogs sneaking in? And if so, should Brookline dog owners be forced to pay for leash stickers to prove residence?

... Representatives from both camps attended Monday's Park and Recreation Commission meeting, which unintentionally turned into a mini-public hearing on the matter and a warm-up for what promises to be a heated battle in December as both sides said they will refuse to back down ...

On Boonville Blog, Jeff sees town government run amok:

... This, my friends, is local government. It is run by people with too much damn time on their hands. I can't help but thinking that the people trying to limit the hours just need to relax and let these dogs, who live in a cramped city, have their 4 hours a day to run around and sniff. ...

Earlier:
Should dogs be allowed to run wild in state parks?

DogBoston is aghast at the possibility the state might require dogs to be leashed at all times in state parks. Instead, the group wants certain areas in parks set aside so dogs can form killer packs socialize and frolic.

As a non-dog-owner, I have to say, short of finding an opossum staring at you from your trash, nothing quite stuns you into sudden wakefulness like having a giant, unleashed dog bound right at you on what you thought was a peaceful saunter along a path in the woods at Millennium Park (which granted, is not a state park, but still).

Jenn Martinelli vows to take on the bitchy Phillips Street lady who has complained to the city enough about dogs in the Phillips Street park that the city is now sending an animal-control officer down there:

... I hear you have been writing lots of letters. Really? I don't think you've seen lots of letters yet bi-atch. I have plenty of capacity to write letters, and emails, and so do plenty of other people.

This is a call for anyone in the city or especially in the Beacon Hill area who would like to use the Phillips Street park as a dog park, an off-leash dog park specifically, and who is sick of nasty people being jerks just for the sake of it. ...

Saturday: 3rd Annual Pet Cabaret Howl-O-Ween Bash at Pet Cabaret in Roslindale.

Sunday: Divas Unleashed Halloween Parade and Contest, co-sponsored by the MSPCA, in the South End.

Sunday: Howl-o-ween street fair, sponsored by the Animal Rescue League, South End.

Jenn Martinelli and dog are at the park on Phillips Street around 10:30 last night (park is open until 11). They begin to leave; the dog barks at another dog. Crazy lady opens her window and yells at Jenn to get her dog out of the park before she calls the police. Lady doesn't know you don't mess with Jenn:

Oh, I don't think so bitch.

"What are you going to call the police about?" I yell back.

She says, "There's a lot of barking and it's very late!"

I say, "They barked for about 20 seconds and have stopped now and it's not past park hours so go ahead and call the police, psycho!" ...

Andrew Watson reports that Betsy, 9, is a great dog. Alas, with a second Watson baby, Betsy no longer gets the attention she deserves. So Watson is looking for a good home for her.

From nosy cat lovers to nosy dog-loving freaks, something seems to be getting into the local pet chow.