Dogs

Consumers Energy wants customers to tie up their dogs to protect meter readers

Steve Carmody — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:46:47 +0000

Consumers Energy meter readers may soon start making their rounds with a police escort.

The Jackson-based utility announced it is implementing a new aggressive dog policy.

Spokesman Roger Morgenstern says last year more than a dozen Consumers meter readers were attacked or threatened by dogs.

“The fact is this is the customer’s home. The customers have a right to have pets,” says Morgenstern, “So we’re hoping this would strike a right compromise.”

Most popular names for Michigan dogs and cats

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:08:58 +0000

Failing schools, emergency managers, and problems at nuclear power plants have populated Michigan headlines lately.

Important, but not very cheery.

We thought we'd lighten your Friday by sharing a few stats from Banfield Hospital's State of the Pet report. Here are a few of our favorites.

Making room at the table for dogs

Steve Carmody — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:58:00 +0000

A state lawmaker wants to open the doors of Michigan restaurants to dogs of all shapes and sizes.

Currently, only service animals, like guide-dogs, are allowed in restaurants.

Margaret O’Brien wants to change that. The Kalamazoo County Republican wants to let local communities and restaurants decide whether they will permit dogs to sit with their owners at outdoor tables.

Dogs helping veterans with PTSD

Christina Shockley and Emily Fox — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:56:23 +0000

As part of Michigan Radio's Seeking Change series, Morning Edition Host Christina Shockley talked with Terran Frye. He’s a veteran of the Marine Corp and had two deployments in Iraq. He’s now the veteran liaison for an organization called Stiggy’s Dogs, based in Howell Township. It trains psychiatric service dogs to help military vets who suffer from PTSD or Traumatic Brain Injury.

Genesee County cracks down on unlicensed dogs

The Associated Press — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 19:44:15 +0000

FLINT, Mich. (AP) - After a brief amnesty, Genesee County officials are sending a small army of enforcers door to door to find dogs that don't have a license.

The Animal Control Department predicts the crackdown could raise more than $250,000 in fees this summer. There are 18 full-time workers who will sell licenses on the spot or write tickets.

“Puppy protection act” may have prevented Allegan cruelty case

Lindsey Smith — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:30:44 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xCA9C6ScYu8

Last week Allegan County officials took more than 350 small breed dogs (more litters of puppies have arrived since) from a two bedroom home in Cheshire Township, about 30 miles northwest of Kalamazoo.

More than 300 of the animals have ended up in shelters across the state to help the over burdened shelter in Allegan County, and to get the dogs through the adoption process quicker.

The owners were breeding the small dogs for sale. This report came from the Associated Press.

The sheriff's department said Cheri and George Burke, both 64, were arraigned Wednesday (April 11^th, 2012) at the Allegan County jail on felony animal cruelty charges following an investigation by animal control officers and sheriff's officials. According to authorities, some of the dogs were covered in feces and fleas, and some had eye problems.

Some hope the cruelty case will help get the public to push lawmakers behind a bi-partisan effort to license large scale commercial breeders. It’s called the “puppy protection act”.

“Something like this bill would give us the authority to make sure it doesn’t get to this point,” said Dr. Steve Halstead, the Michigan Department of Agriculture's State Veterinarian.

The proposed state bill would’ve given his office authority to inspect the dog’s conditions before getting a state license. “It’s working with the proprietors to make sure that the animals never suffer,” Halstead said.

The Wonder Years

Wade Rouse — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:39:41 +0000

April is prevention of cruelty to animals month. Michigan based writer, Wade Rouse shares a story about why it’s a month of note for him.

Over the last year, Rouse has been sharing stories about his life, the holidays and other days of significance on the calendar.

You can find his stories in his book titled, It’s All Relative – Two families, three dogs, 34 holidays, and 50 boxes of wine…a memoir.

Detroit dogs get a big gift to start the new year

Sarah Cwiek — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:08:48 +0000

The Detroit Dog Rescue, an organization devoted to Detroit’s estimated 50,000 stray dogs got a huge boost to start the New Year.

Detroit Dog Rescue received more than $1.5 million from an anonymous donor.

Early this year, Detroit officials quashed an effort to make a TV documentary about the city’s stray dog population.

But out of that effort, the Detroit Dog Rescue was born. The group rescues abandoned dogs from the streets, then works to place them in permanent homes.

Fatal bacterial disease claiming pet dogs in metro Detroit

Rina Miller — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:49:15 +0000

A disease that can quickly kill dogs has resurfaced in metro Detroit after almost 40 years.

It’s called leptospirosis.

The bacterial disease is spread by rats, and from dog to dog. It can also infect humans.

Dr. Carole Bolin is a professor at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

She said the onset of symptoms in dogs can be very sudden.

“The inside of their mouth may be yellow-tinged, and they may be severely vomiting, and obviously very, very ill," Bolin said. "And those animals, when taken to the veterinarian, have very severe abnormalities which are consistent with liver and kidney failure.”

Bolin said more than 20 cases of leptospirosis have been reported in Detroit-area dogs in the past three weeks. Most were pets and most had to be euthanized.

A vaccine is available to prevent the disease.

In this morning's news...

Mark Brush — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:16:20 +0000

Drama in Detroit

It seems to be a case of "he said, she said."

Rochelle Collins, a former executive assistant to the mayor, says she was wrongfully terminated and is seeking a settlement from the city, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The Free Press reports that the city says Collins was not terminated, and now the Mayor's office is speaking out.

From the Detroit Free Press:

Mayor Dave Bing’s office launched an unusual preemptive strike today against a potential lawsuit by a former aide, saying her demand for reinstatement to a high-level position and $750,000 amounted to extortion to avoid the release of “salacious details” designed to embarrass the administration.
“We will not be intimidated by such tactics and will vigorously defend any attempt to raid the treasury of the City of Detroit and get a lottery-style payoff,” attorney Sharon McPhail, who is representing the city, told the Free Press.

Saginaw officials could pass "dangerous dogs" ordinance

On the heels of a debate in the State Legislature about pit bulls comes a city ordinance aimed at breeds deemed "dangerous."

Justin Engel reports in the Saginaw News that city officials say their proposed "dangerous dogs" ordinance could have prevented the mauling of a twelve year old boy.

From the Saginaw News:

The Saginaw ordinance, which the council could approve at its June 20 meeting, addresses both pit bull breeds and tethering.

The proposal requires owners of pit bulls — along with Rottweilers, German shepherds, presa canarios and bull mastiffs — to register their animals with the city for a one-time $20 payment or face fines up to $400.

The measure also forbids tethering dogs to objects outdoors “for extended periods” or face additional fines.

Black Bear wandering in Washtenaw County

From the Associated Press:

WEBSTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Authorities say they've confirmed that a black bear cub is wandering in Washtenaw County.

AnnArbor.com reported Tuesday that the sheriff's department confirmed the bear sighting in Webster Township near Dexter, about 9 miles northwest of Ann Arbor.

The confirmation comes after three bear sightings Saturday, including two at Hudson Mills Metropark and one at a home near the park.

Authorities are asking anyone that spots the bear to call 911. Since a cub was seen, authorities say a mother bear may also be in the area.

Backpack bomb scare

The backpack was left outside the IRS building in Detroit.

From the Detroit Free Press:

A backpack that set off a bomb scare outside the IRS building on Michigan Avenue in Detroit has been detonated by the Detroit Police Bomb Squad.
The backpack was found at about 4:30 a.m. at the corner of Third and Michigan, said Detroit Police Inspector Don Johnson. A power source spotted after an X-ray of the bag, prompted authorities to detonate the bag at the scene, versus remove it and detonate it elsewhere, he said.
Johnson, who would not elaborate on what the power source was, said investigators will review surveillance video to determine whether the bag was left accidentally or intentionally.

Saving Animals

Jack Lessenberry — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:59:17 +0000

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/michigan/local-michigan-973114.mp3

There’s been a big controversy lately involving the Michigan Humane Society -- and by extension, every animal shelter in the state. It has to do with how many animals they have to kill.