South Bay Pets

With the Westminster Dog Show  approaching fast (Feb. 15-16), I got to thinking. All dogs are special, pure bred or not. Realizing that we have a vast variety of dogs right here in the South Bay, it might be a good time to showcase some of our local talent.

So what makes your dog stand out as a Best in Show in your book?

Consider this your open invitation to send us a photo(s) of your dog along with some of this pertinent information:

1) Breed (or breed mixes)

2) Name -- and how or why you chose this name.

3) Where did you find your best friend? A local shelter or rescue group? A trusted breeder?

4) Personality quirks. What makes your dog funny or outstanding in other ways?

5) Favorite trick?

6) Best habits vs. worst habits?

7) Favorite things to do with your dog?

Feel free to add other details if you wish, special stories or anectdotes. We'll post them here at South Bay Pets as they come in.

Email them to donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com. Pictures should be in jpeg format if possible.

Here's to all the special dogs in the South Bay -- purebred or not!

 

 

Puppy Bowl MVP: Jake

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Jake is a "Chug" (1/2 Chihuahua and 1/2 pug) and he was voted Most Valuable Puppy in the puppy bowl jake.jpgPuppy Bowl VI. Read more about the results. 



Did any of you out there watch the show today? 

Reader Susan wrote in on the previous post that she especially liked the Chinese crested (I think because she has one!).

What were your favorite dogs/moments? 


On Super Bowl Sunday, if football's not your thing, pop some popcorn, make some sandwiches and tune in to the Puppy Bowl

The show (at 3-5 p.m. on cable's Animal Planet) features a bunch of puppies doing what they do best -- being puppies. Rolling, bouncing, trying to figure out how their legs work -- and generally being more entertaining than a lot of what's on television. 

Among those in this year's starting lineup is Addison, a 15-week-old Maltese-Yorkshire terrier mix. I like the wind-swept 'do. 

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This year's broadcast of Puppy Bowl IV also features the sponsorship of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) which will provide pet care tips and answer owners' live questions via Twitter @HealthyPet. 

For more, go to www.healthypet.com.

Kimberley Foley, who founded Peninsula Dog Parks in 1998 and spearheaded the establishment of San Pedro's off-leash dog park that opened in 2002, is the new owner of the Kritter Korral Pet Shop in Harbor City.

The independent store -- at the corner of Palos Verdes Drive North and Western Avenue -- has been a mainstay in the community since it was opened in 1983 by Donna Holick (it was originally in the Park Plaza shopping center in San Pedro).

Dave and Melissa Jones bought the store from Donna in 2003 and now are moving on to prepare for overseas Christian missionary work (see the jump for more details on their plans).

With the sale of the store finalized on Feb. 1, Kimberley's already hard at work this week tearing out the carpet and preparing to re-do the self-serve dog wash tub and grooming area.

"I want it to be more of a day spa for dogs," she said, adding that two groomers are set to come onboard when the remodeled facilities are expected to be finished March 1.

Look for other changes to come, including a transition to a new store name, events and free gifts from time to time.

Anyone who's known Kimberley can testify that she's a whirlwind of creativity and hard work when she takes on a project that's close to her heart.

"She's definitely got the drive," Melissa said of their successor. "She's changing a lot of things, which sometimes is good. She's got a lot of great ideas."

She's also a keen watcher of the latest pet industry trends.

Kritter Korral at 1724 Palos Verdes Drive North will remain open while the remodeling continues (hours are 9-7 Monday through Friday, 9-6 Saturdays and 10-5 Sundays).

So stop by and offer your encouragement. Operating an independent store in an age of chains isn't an easy challenge. The store's phone # is 310-514-4924.

And if you're interested in Melissa and Dave's future plans, check the jump.  

 

Colds

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I woke up this morning, as I usually do, to Annie the cat batting her paws at my face.

This works quite well to get me up, usually. But having been down with a cold for the past few days, I was feeling less tolerant than normal. I wanted her to go away. I needed to sleep. I'd filled her food bowl with kibble the night before, she had plenty of food. 

As the paw-boxing continued, I turned away from her, only to have her start tugging at the elastic band in my hair. Then, she began pouncing, always her final recourse to get me up. 

I could hear her jingle bell ball somewhere near my feet as I moved. How did that get up onto the bed, I wondered in my congested, cold-induced haze. 

The dogs, meanwhile, were restless. They've been running and playing in the backyard as they usually do, but they keep racing in the house, expecting something more from me -- since I'm home and all. I have managed to get them to the local dog park a couple times, but we don't stay long. 

Pets are wonderful. But sometimes they don't really get it when you're sick. You know? 

But now it's getting into the afternoon. Annie's asleep on the top of her cat tree. The dogs are napping out on the patio. I think I'll go sneak back to bed. ... Maybe they won't notice. 




 

Did you see this story the other day in the Daily Breeze?

Seems someone at a dog rescue event at the PetSmart in El Segundo took a dog for a walk -- and never came back. 

***** Be sure to check out the store video posted on our Crime & Courts blog Monday morning.

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Anyone with information should contact El Segundo police Detective Hugo Perez at 310-524-2216.


Kudos to our colleagues at the Daily Breeze Crime & Courts blog for first posting this. 

So where does your dog breed place on the new list of top breeds released by the American Kennel Club?

Border collies rank #52, but have been coming up in popularity over the past few years.

The bulldog is reportedly the top breed in the city of Los Angeles (although I thought earlier reports put it at Chihuahuas).

 

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Sketch from the AKC Web site 

 

 

 

Seems there's a move underway  to end the eating of cats and dogs in China. 

From the story: 



Chinese legal experts call for ban on eating cats and dogs

Widespread and ancient practice of eating dog meat increasingly distasteful for China's growing affluent, pet-loving middle class


Caged cats after being rescued from a Tianjin market that trade cats for meat and fur

Caged cats after being rescued by China Small Animal Protection Association from a market in in Beijing where cats are traded for meat and fur. Photograph: AP

Chinese legal experts are proposing a ban on eating dogs and cats in a contentious move to end a culinary tradition dating back thousands of years.

The recommendation will be submitted to higher authorities in April as part of a draft bill to tackle animal abuse.

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Read the rest of the story at the link above. 

An unusual place for a dog park.

Thoughts?

 

Rosie, R.I.P.

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Our sympathies and condolences to Justin Rudd, whose beloved English bulldog Rosie died Sunday of old age (she was 12). 

The Press-Telegram carried an article about Rosie's passing and her impact on the Belmont Shores neighborhood in Long Beach. She and Justin were a familiar sight for years. 

Lots of tributes on Facebook and there is a public gathering set for 11 a.m. Saturday in her honor. It will be at the Long Beach Dog Beach, naturally. 

From the article: 

Anyone who knows Justin Rudd - and who in Belmont Shore doesn't? - knew his "girl," Rosie the bulldog.

The community activist pulled his brindle-coated friend in a red Radio Flyer wagon to his myriad animal-related events - dog costume parades, pet blessings and bulldog beauty contests among them.

Rudd and Rosie were a familiar sight on Second Street, as well as the avenues that bisect it, and passers-by would often stop and ask to meet the English bulldog they knew from newspapers and TV. Standing on four short legs, Rosie would crane her turtle-like neck to solicit pats and give sloppy kisses that were like running your face through a car wash.

Rosie died Sunday morning of old age. She was 12, a couple of years beyond the typical life expectancy for her breed, but not old enough for Long Beach's best-known animal advocate.

"I've never cried as much over anything," Rudd, 40, said a few hours before Rosie was cremated Monday in Huntington Beach.

Rudd sounded deeply bereft, his normally cheerful Southern drawl turned flat by a cold and by grief. Rosie was not only the wrinkled mascot for his nonprofit Community Action Team, and all of the charitable work it does, but his closest animal companion.

"She was the inspiration for it all," Rudd said, citing the dog beach he won city approval for at the foot of Granada Avenue as one example of how Rosie influenced his activism.

rosie & justin.jpg

About the Bloggers

Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.

E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.

Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.

E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.

Photos

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  • puppy bowl addison .jpg
  • kritter korral dave & melissa.jpg
  • kidnapped dog walk.jpg
  • bulldog drawing akc.jpg
  • rosie & justin.jpg
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  • lost dog eevee.jpg
  • moscow subway dogs.jpg
  • dogs in rain.jpg

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