Entries by Christie Keith

From the frontlines of America's no-kill movement with one of its most controversial leaders, to the jungles and hideouts of the world of reptile smugglers, to the redemption story of the decade -- no, not the one about Michael Vick; the one about his dogs.

That's just the first weekend of our Thirteenth Annual Chat Month, when we'll be joined by:

What better Valentine's Day subject could there be than cats and dogs in the "Lonely Hearts Club"?

Those are pets who, for a variety of reasons, end up staying longer than others at those shelters who don't consider death an appropriate solution to "been here a while now." Instead, they take a look at their end of things -- does the dog or cat need training, medical care, to be moved to a different part of the facility, some time in a foster home, more exercise -- or just better marketing on the part of the shelter?

This subject is near and dear to my heart because just this weekend, our own Cindy Steinle asked for my help in finding a home for a beautiful "lonely heart" in her rescue, a Dogo Argentino mix named Elsie.

Elsie's had some tough times, but the bottom line on this dog is that she's bounced back from it all to be loving and loyal. I did a little tweaking to her description on Petfinder, emphasizing her wonderful qualities and promising future, rather than her unhappy past:

Just imagine, a dog like something from a legend, noble and loyal. Gentle with children, happy to be with other dogs, even good with cats. Okay, the cats say not to mention that. Something about "gratuitous chasing."

The thing is, Elsie's a once-in-a-lifetime dog who will blow you away with her capacity for love. She lived with two very young children and treated them gently--she let the kiddos take food right out of her bowl. She walks well on a leash, gets along with other dogs, and is friendly and outgoing to everyone she meets.

Our own Cindy Steinle is queen of the pit bull mamas, but in honor of National Pit Bull Awareness Day, I'd like to share a photo of the lovely pit bull mix I used to own, Lita, with one of my favorite quotes:

I just got home from the Cartier exhibit at the San Francisco Palace of the Legion of Honor, where I discovered that Queen Elizabeth I wasn't the only little-known herp-lover in history.

Mexican movie star María Félix apparently had a thing for herps and jewelry, and Cartier was only too glad to create the pieces one of the most famously beautiful, exotic and eccentric women of the day designed.

Félix kept a number of exotic pets, including crocodiles, and it's said she brought a bowl of crocs to Cartier to help him design her crocodile necklace (shown above right) -- a story that's certainly not true, but lives on regardless.

The exhibit included the crocodile pieces as well as a snake necklace studded with the 2,473 diamonds (shown in the photo and the video below the jump). It took Cartier one year to make it.

Veterinary critical care specialist Dr. Tony Johnson has seen it all... and tonight he's going to share it with you in "Tails from the Pet ER," at 10 PM Eastern Time in the Auditorium!

Dr. Johnson, a veterinary emergency care specialist and professor at Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine, will be talking with PetHobbyist.com's Christie Keith in live streaming audio -- a perfect "fit" for this particular guest event, since his "Tails" are long on humor -- so long, in fact, that you'd better consider this a warning not to listen with beverages in your mouth.

You won't just be listening, though -- bring your questions! You'll be able to type them into the chat room so Dr. Johnson can answer them.

To join us the evening of the chat: Registered users log in here; if you're not registered, log in as a guest here and select "Auditorium" from the drop down menu!

We'll see you tonight!

Tonight, Sunday, February 7, at 10 PM Eastern Time/7 PM Pacific Time in the kingsnake.com chat room, Dave Colling and Jeff Clark join us for a Rainbow Boa Panel in live streaming audio.

Jeff Clark of Savannah, Georgia has been hunting and keeping and breeding snakes much of the time since his first pet snake had babies in 1964. He has kept many different species and has captive bred dozens of different ones. He has specialized in Rainbow Boas since 1989. He currently keeps 6 different subspecies of Rainbow Boas and has kept and captive bred one other Rainbow Boa subspecies. Jeff will be able to answer local specific as well as general husbandry questions.

Dave Colling started breeding Rainbow Boas back in the early 80s with the Brazilian Rainbow Boas and was instantly hooked! Specializing in the genetics and color morphs, Dave has amassed a great collection of animals that are pure stunners. Dave will be joining us to touch upon the genetics and color variations in the breeding process as well as sharing his husbandry tips.

We'll see you there!

Tonight at 10 PM Eastern Time in the kingsnake.com chat room, Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry will be interviewed via streaming audio by kingsnake.com site coordinator Cindy Steinle. Dr. Fry is always one of our most entertaining and popular guests. He heads a laboratory at the Department of Biochemistry in the Bio21 Institute of the University of Melbourne that specializes in the research of animal venoms.

His life in his own words: "My name is Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry and I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people alive. I get to travel the globe catching snakes! Ever since I was a small child, all I have ever wanted to do is play with venomous animals for a living. Its quite a satisfying feeling to have this childhood obsession come true. It makes my mum feel a bit better about the myriad of strange, unusual and often dangerous animals that took up residence in our household during my years at home!"

Dr. Fry is a fantastic and lively speaker, and that's why we're leading off with him for our first ever kingsnake.com chat in streaming audio!

On the second night of our 12th Annual Chat Month, Complete Care for your Aging Cat author Amy Shojai, a perennial favorite guest on PetHobbyist.com, joins us this evening to discuss a subject dear to all our hearts: senior cats. As part of this year's focus on "Ending Pet Homelessness," she'll be discussing adopting older kitties, how to care for them, and tips to making their lives longer, healthier, and happier.

Whether you're considering giving a senior feline a home (and you really should -- there's nothing quite like the love of an older kitty!) or want to address the needs of your own cat in his or her golden years, Amy's got you covered. Don't miss it!

The chat will be held tonight, Saturday, Feb. 6, at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT, in Cat Care Central.

Amy Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and nationally known authority on pet care and behavior. She began her career as a veterinary technician and is the award-winning author of 22 nonfiction pet books and more than 1000 published articles and columns.

"I've been an equal-opportunity pet lover since birth," she says. "All kinds of furred, feathered, finned and fanged beasts have shared my life, but I must admit that dogs and cats top my list. I'm very grateful for my success as a pet writer, but feel even more fortunate that I truly love my work. Bottom line, I get paid to talk and write about dogs and cats -- wow!"

Shojai has written widely in the pet field on training, behavior, health care (both allopathic and holistic), and the health benefits of keeping cats and dogs. She is the founder and past president of the international Cat Writers' Association, a member of the Dog Writer's Association of America, Inc. and of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She has won numerous awards for her books and articles.

She frequently speaks to groups on a variety of pet-related issues, and often lectures at writing conferences. She regularly appears on national radio and television in connection with her pet writing. Perhaps most memorably, she represented the "cat side" and won a nationally televised tongue-in-cheek debate (NBC Today Show, Fox, CNN and others) arguing whether cats or dogs are the more appropriate White House pets.

Via DogHobbyist.com site coordinator Cheryl Cooper, this letter, signed by AKC chairman Ronald Menacker and president/CEO Dennis Sprung to Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie and the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation:

On behalf of the American Kennel Club, our 5,000 clubs nationwide, and the millions of responsible dog owners we represent, we are writing to ask you to withdraw Michael Vick as the Philadelphia Eagles' recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

We understand that his teammates selected Mr. Vick for this honor, but in doing so they are demonstrating a lack of understanding about the nature of both animal and child abuse, and are trivializing Mr. Vick's heinous actions. Michael Vick horrified the world, and especially those of us who devote our lives to promoting the health and welfare of dogs, with his engagement in dog fighting. In addition to the bloody fighting contests, reports indicate that many dogs were electrocuted, drowned or hung for underperformance.

A man who has been convicted of these atrocities should not be held up as a role model of sportsmanship and courage. Further, Ed Block, the award's namesake, dedicated his life to ending the vicious cycle of pain and despair suffered by children at the hands of their abusers. It is unconscionable that a man who tortured and abused helpless animals be honored by an organization dedicated to ending abuse.

Please take a stand against ALL forms of abuse by selecting another player to represent the Philadelphia Eagles at the 32nd Annual Ed Block Courage Awards.

Longtime PetHobbyist BFF and nationally syndicated columnist/best-selling pet author Gina Spadafori wrote this morning about a heroic Los Angeles firefighter and the people who object to the fact that he saved a dog's life:

I opened my e-mail, and found crap from haters who are demanding that "our tax dollars" not be "wasted" on animals. In particular, they’re referring to the dramatic rescue of the dog from the flood-swollen Los Angeles River. Firefighter Joe St. Georges was lowered from a helicopter, wrestled with and was bitten severely by the terrified animal -- but would not give up. Instead, he changed his grip to get the dog's mouth facing out, and then signaled for them to be lifted together out of the raging water.

Folks, that's a hero.