Pet Owners

WASHINGTON -- Galvanized by an unprecedented pet food scare that has killed at least 16 dogs and cats, pet owners and their advocates have begun campaigns nationwide urging members to demand that government and industry take steps to prevent such dangerous episodes. "I feel betrayed," said Bill Thompson, a Hunt Valley banker whose 3-year-old Leonberger dog, Darwin, fell ill after eating a now-recalled Nutro product four weeks ago. Thompson, who since then has spent Sundays cooking for his three dogs, said authorities should do more testing to detect contamination, not rely on complaints from pet owners.

When the FDA recently approved an anti-depressant for animals, some dog owners breathed a sigh of relief -- much as some parents did when they learned that Ritalin would help treat their children's hyperactivity.Maybe a drug called Clomicalm could bring an end to their dog's incessant barking, chewing and other destructive behavior associated with what's being labeled "separation anxiety" in animals.The approval of Clomicalm, though, is just the latest advance in a growing and profitable field geared to treating pets' mental health.

New products for pet loversEvery recent survey says so: People regard their pets as members of the family -- as "fur children" rather than simply dumb animals. Animal behaviorists do say that the smartest dogs can reach the intelligence level of a 3-year-old child.One of my dogs is smart enough to have trained me to turn on the water for him when he jumps in the bathtub and barks. A friend's cat opens drawers. If nothing else, the examples prove that some folks are amused by and extremely fond of their pets.

They arrive at the Maryland SPCA, these creatures great and small, to pant on Santa's lap, perch on Santa's arm, lick Santa's face and, in the case of two very excited guinea pigs, leave a little something on Santa's beard.It's Pose Your Pet with Santa Day, an annual fund-raiser for the nonprofit animal welfare organization. For $5, pet owners receive a photo to treasure, while the staff receives the inspiration of seeing people love their pets the way they wish everyone would.The majority of these happy pet owners adopted their animals at the SPCA.

Just when it seemed things couldn't get worse for the troubled Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park pet cemetery in Elkridge, a new dilemma has arrived right across the street.Competition.Noah's Garden of Pets, on the property of the sprawling Meadowridge Memorial Park cemetery on Washington Boulevard, is planning to make a splash with its facility, which is being touted in newspaper ads illustrated with animals boarding an ark. Meadowridge plans a summer rededication ceremony and is running burial plot specials "to aid the pet community at this time."

Many of the thousands of veterinarians at the annual American Veterinary Medical Association convention this week in Baltimore are convening to talk about, among other things, their survival.The nation's veterinarians, the majority of whom are small-business owners, operate in a high-cost business that requires them to do everything from providing care to staying up to date on medical advances to collecting payments.The consolidation trend that has swept the human health care industry has barely touched veterinary medicine, with the result that most of the 43,000 veterinarians in private practice work on their own or with one or two others.

Laurie Parker conducts Pet Basics 101 each week at the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. But it might be you -- not your dog or cat -- who needs her help.Parker, the society's outreach coordinator, says interested pet owners -- or prospective ones -- should come without their animals to her free, 90-minute classes at 9: 30 a.m. Saturdays at the society mansion house, 3300 Falls Road."People don't know what's involved in owning a pet, even many longtime pet owners," says Parker, whose pets are a husky-collie mix and a Labrador.

Renovate west side, but preserve city's historic architectureIn reference to recent articles concerning the west side master plan, I commend the Weinberg Foundation for its decision to renovate the former Stewart's building, but I hope the foundation and the city will be sensitive to the area's architectural heritage ("Stewart's, adjacent area may be rebuilt," Dec. 20).This includes not only individual landmarks such as 322 W. Baltimore St., but also 19th-century commercial streetscapes that are among the relatively few remaining after the 1904 fire and the Charles Center and Inner Harbor developments.

Inside the sprawling, air-conditioned rooms of Coventry School, all the classic scenes of day care are taking place.About two dozen energetic youngsters frolic about, scooting through a yellow, plastic tunnel, tossing balls around and forming impromptu parades on a plank walk. Occasionally, there are heated scuffles over coveted toys and sentences to the "time out" room.Maggie, a blond with curly hair, nuzzles Ruth Chase, the "principal" of the Columbia day camp. "Hi, Maggie," Chase says, stroking the English setter's head before sending her off to play.

The man seen as the savior of an embattled Elkridge pet cemetery has died, alarming pet lovers who had hoped he would safeguard the remains of thousands of animals buried there.Vernon Leo Edwards, 56, of Elkridge, died Jan. 28 of a heart attack in West Virginia. The mortgage broker was a vice president of Elkridge National Bank. He used his banking experience to help the owner buy the well-known Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park off U.S. 1 in November. Edwards' death sparks concerns about the future of the remains of animals -- and humans -- buried at the 8-acre, 22,000-plot property.

Let dog owners howl in triumph: Baltimore is no longer the city where walking an unleashed poodle can earn the owner a $1,000 fine - at least not for a first offense. Irate pet lovers have successfully embarrassed the City Council into neutering what many saw as an excessive penalty. And make no mistake: It was too big a penalty. A tenfold increase of a fine - any fine, really - should have caught somebody's attention at City Hall before this. That's especially true for something as commonplace as a leash-law infraction.

Unions a barrier to teacher quality In your editorial, "Reform agenda" (May 4), you stated that schools should strive to have a good teacher in every classroom. But you failed to address the real problem - of which I am sure you are fully aware. The National Education Association, which sets the tone and example for all local unions, has as a mission statement: "We believe public education is the gateway to opportunity. All students have the human and civil right to a quality public education that develops their potential, independence and character."

Animal control officers and police patrolled the park at Mount Vernon Square this week, responding to complaints from residents who say some dog owners allow their pets to run wild and destroy flower beds. It was the third time in 10 days that animal control officers visited the park and cited dog owners who either did not have their animals on a leash or failed to clean up after them. Police assisted in the latest call because animal control officers do not have the power to detain, and many pet owners left the area during the first two raids, according to Bob Anderson, director of animal control for Baltimore City.

For millions of devoted dog and cat lovers, the animals in their care are cherished as members of the family. But that's not how the law in Maryland treats pets when their owners die. Unlike human relatives, pets have no legal claim to a share of the estate, and owners can't even ensure they'll be treated humanely by their designated guardians. So leave it to two dog- and cat-loving lawmakers, Republican Del. A. Wade Kach and Democratic Del. John A. Olszewski Jr., both of Baltimore County, to come up with a bill that would allow pet owners to establish trust funds for the furry and feathered friends who survive them.

Well, this is shaping up to be a cheery holiday season, isn't it? A recent Consumer Reports survey said 76 percent of respondents claimed they will cut back on holiday spending. And The New York Times said sales at the nation's largest retailers "fell off a cliff" last month and that this could be the worst Christmas shopping season in decades. Only deep discounters like Wal-Mart reported any gains, and even those are slashing prices to get shoppers in the door. Right now stores are so desperate for your business, they'll practically send a car for you. I got a circular in the mail from a chain store inviting me to a "Big One Day Sale" next Friday.

Anne Arundel County's "Lost Pets" page on its government Web site has successfully reunited 25 lost pets with their owners in its first six weeks, said County Executive John R. Leopold. Started Aug. 1, the new page has attracted 112 notices for lost pets and almost 400 viewers. The county's Office of Constituent Services has received positive feedback from viewers, Leopold said. Noting that "our pets are a true part of our family," Leopold encourages all residents to spread the word about the Web page to pet owners.

At the photo perch at the PetSmart in Towson, the little dogs didn't scratch at Santa's lush beard. The big dogs controlled their bladders - for the most part. The blind pit bull was a sweetie, really. And the cockatiel, Gizmo was his name, was on good behavior. That scene could have gone wrong in a hurry. Sure, some of the terriers were jumpy. One minute they were nosing around the pet store, then they were hauled onto a strange lap with hovering humans beseeching them to 1) look up and 2)

Rocky, my best canine buddy in the world, snarled at the three dogs near the end of my driveway. The driveway used to be my backyard. It's now paved over with concrete. The canine visitors had decided to gather for a late-night - or early-morning, take your pick - confab at around 3 a.m. They must have been getting a jump on the pack. Usually, dogs don't hop their fences and start running around my neighborhood until 7 or 8 in the morning. Rocky, who's not my dog but lives next door, is a pretty cool critter as dogs go. He was either being very territorial and telling the dogs to stay away or he was telling them, "I'm in compliance with the Baltimore City Health Code regulation requiring that dogs be kept on leashes.

When comedian Ellen DeGeneres recently gave her adopted dog to her hairstylist's family, she triggered a major kerfuffle among animal advocates - and a national debate about what's best for a pet. After learning that DeGeneres had given Iggy to a family she thought would be more suited to it, the California dog rescue organization that handled the adoption reclaimed the Brussels Griffon terrier mix. Mutts & Moms said that its celebrity client had no...

Some of us need more looking after than others. Take Shelley, for example. The black standard poodle gets acupuncture every other week to treat her arthritis. She is also named, along with another dog and three cats, to benefit from a $10,000 trust fund if her owners die before she does. "Our pets are an extremely important part of our lives. It's critical that our pets will be well cared for," said Joan Bortnick-Wimbish, Shelley's owner. Bortnick-Wimbish, a former personal shopper at Bloomingdale's, is in her early 70s. The Virginia Beach, Va., woman established the trust for her pets this year in a process that took about two weeks.