Polkas with Pugs

Hi! I'm Birdie Puggins, and I'm your host for Polkas with Pugs, a puggerific blog for you critter lovers out there! I'll be sniffin' the 'Net for news, stories and pics about the furred, feathered, flippered, finned and otherwise critterly folk with whom you hoomans share this wonderful planet we call Earth.

(Deep, dramatic announcer's voice) In a world filled with confusion, violence, corrupt politicians, shallow sit-coms and vacuous "reality" TV, one pug stands alone ... one pug dares to raise her paw against the tide of international strife, government's betrayal of the people, and an apathetic nation's obsession with media personalities, and say, "Look! Isn't this critter cute!" One Pug to rule them all! One Pug to find them! (Erm ... sorry -- wrong gig.) That pug is Birdie. Birdie Puggins.

Um ... thank you.

Goose knocks cop through window Cincinnati Enquirer

A Cincinnati police lieutenant who was out riding a bike on patrol through the Jordan Crossing strip mall Friday evening reportedly was ambushed by a male Canada goose protecting its mate and their nest, somehow knocking him from his bike and into a plate-glass window, seriously cutting his arm.

Lt. Michael Savard’s injuries required stitches, but he was expected to be released from the hospital Friday night.

Jordan Crossing security guard Orlando Smith said he was informed the lieutenant had been attacked by a goose, which this time of year can generally be found standing on the roof of the single-story strip mall[see picture above], keeping a watchful eye on individuals who might bother his mate and their nest, which she built in a square planter in the center of the open-air strip mall.

“He can be intimidating,” Smith said of the male, adding that for the three years he’s worked security at the mall, several Canada geese have come to Jordan Crossing to nest. This year, the nest the lieutenant was near contains just one egg, he said.

“This is their place,” Smith said, “but people always mess with the geese.”

Jordan Crossing maintenance man David Montgomery was called to clean up the broken glass and seal up the window.

He was told by people who witnessed the accident that the officer was riding his bike toward the female goose’s nest when the male swooped down on him.

“No one is supposed to ride bikes through here,” Montgomery said. “There are signs posted.”

He said it’s certainly one of the strangest things he’s heard about working there, but added that the mall put a chain-link fence up around the mother goose and her egg because the geese can be aggressive.

Ahem. If geese can read the signs saying "No Bikes Allowed," then the police officer should have been able to do so. 'Nuff said.

Deer stands guard over goose nest in cemetery Reuters

A deer has been standing watch for several days over a female goose nesting in a city cemetery, a scene normally reserved for a children's movie.

"People always want to turn it into a Disney story and in this case it's not far off," said Gina Browning, director of the Erie County SPCA.

For at least four days, the buck stood guard near the nest of a Canada goose as she sits on her eggs inside a large urn at Forest Lawn cemetery, home to the remains of President Millard Fillmore and rock icon Rick James.

"He does appear to be guarding the goose, as it were," Erie County SPCA Wildlife Administrator Joel Thomas said. "He's within touching distance of her -- there's no doubt what's going on."

Well, if Mr. Goose didn't (or couldn't) hang around to do his job, SOMEbody had to step up to bat for Ms. Goose, didn't they?

Typically positioning himself broadside to any car or passerby who comes near the nest, the deer stares intently until the potential aggressor moves on, he said.

Why exactly the deer has chosen to champion a bird of a different feather is a complicated question, Thomas said. While interdependence among species in the wild is not unheard of, Thomas said whatever is causing this animal kingdom alliance is anybody's guess.

"From a human standpoint we can fill in a lot of blanks but it doesn't mean we're right," he said. "Does he know she's nesting? I don't know. Is he going to leave when the chicks hatch? I don't know."

One thing is clear: It could go on for some time.

"If the deer is determined, he's going to be on the job for at least three weeks," Thomas said.

Devotion rather than emotion seems to be driving the buck.

"The deer and the goose are not in love," Thomas said.

And just how does Mr. Smartypants Wildlife Administrator know this? Could be Bambi is just helping Ms. Goose out. Or it could be that there is a romance in the works. I guess we'll see, when the goslings hatch, and Ms. Goose no longer needs a security guard for the nest.

In any case, I think Thumper would be proud to see his ol' buddy in action here. It's not just hoomans who can help another species out in times of trouble. And I bet the goslings just love their stepdad!

UPDATE!!

Deer who stood guard over nest admires chicks with mother goose Reuters

A deer that stood guard over the eggs of an expectant goose for weeks at a Buffalo cemetery is now admiring the hatched goslings.

One of the most dramatic moments in this animal kingdom saga came the day before the eggs hatched on Wednesday, when the storied stag chased off crows threatening the goose nesting on a large urn at Forest Lawn cemetery.

"The deer was acting pretty much like the gander," said Erie County SPCA Wildlife Administrator Joel Thomas.

"Crows are big predators of baby birds. (The babies) are pretty defenseless and the deer was obviously chasing the crows away."

I toldya Bambi would come through when push came to shove! Whatta buck!

Just hours after the first little beak cracked through its eggshell, the mother goose hustled her babies out of the urn on their first walk around the grounds on Wednesday afternoon. As the family paraded by, the deer watched from a nearby hillside, apparently recognizing the fruits of his labor.

With the goslings comes a change in the adult animals' relationship, Thomas said.

"The last time I saw him he was pretty much beginning to wander more," Thomas said. "I see this bond diminishing now that the chicks are with Mom."

A job well done, for a damsel in distress. Now that the goslings can move around on their own, Mom and the kids can move away from the threats that come along. I wonder if she'll have a new mate next year? Hopefully he will have better luck, and survive to help her out wif the kids.

Maria the Echo Park goose

This is a story of true love... goose meets man, goose falls for man, goose attacks anyone who approaches man...

I guess in the springtime a young goose's thoughts turn to love, and her own species just didn't measure up. Just take a gander at the competition, and you'll understand.

Cross-eyed oppossum capturing the hearts of Germans Reuters

She's middle-aged, gray-haired and stays up all night. Still, Heidi the cross-eyed opossum is Germany's biggest media sensation, and she has not even made her debut at the Leipzig Zoo.

Yet Heidi appears to be the next in a line of animal celebrities in Germany. The 2-1/2-year-old opossum has a growing Facebook following pushing 80,000 fans, sparked a popular song on YouTube and will soon star as a plush toy. However, the public will not get their first glimpse of the opossum until July, when the zoo opens its tropical wildlife exhibit.

The zoo had no inkling of what a cause-celebre the cross-eyed opossum would become when Heidi along with her sister, Naira, and a male opossum arrived from a zoo in Denmark in May.

"The Heidi sensation was surprising and unplanned," said Leipzig zoo spokeswoman Maria Saegebarth. "It's great that there has been a lot interest, but we had nothing to do with the media hype."

Yeah, yeah -- I s'pose the plush 'possum toy designed itself, hunh? At least it won't have Disney(TM) stamped on its butt.

Demand for information about Heidi has been so high the zoo has dedicated a portion of its website to answering Heidi-related questions, such as why she is cross-eyed.

Zoo officials believe that Heidi's crossed eyes could come from a poor diet when she was young, causing fat deposits to develop behind her eyes -- neither of which causes her pain or poses a health risk, the zoo said.

Poor vision is not much of a problem for Heidi, the zoo said. As a nocturnal animal, opossum's rely heavily on their sense of smell instead of their sight to get around.

Well, from what I see on the highways, non-cross-eyed 'possums don't have very good eyesight, either. At least Heidi won't have a chance to risk life and limb shuffling across some high-traffic road one evening, looking for what passes for a 'Possum Happy Meal.

And I'm glad that the Germans know a cute critter when they see one. I've heard too many Americans make unkind remarks about "giant rats" when referring to our 'possum brethren. Hey -- we're all mammals here, and 'possums are one of the oldest of the mammal tree, and worthy of respect.

It's not their fault that their eyesight is so bad that they think those car headlights will fly right over their heads, wifout any tires touching the ground, you see. So no danger to 'possums crossing the road. Which is why they don't get out of the way of the oncoming car.

Makes more sense when you look at it from their point of view, doesn't it?

First fishing bat discovered in Europe National Geographic News

The long-fingered bat is the first bat species in Europe known to catch and eat fish, scientists say.

Weighing around 0.3 ounce (9 grams) and measuring just over 1.5 inches (42 millimeters), the minuscule bat was long thought to feed only on insects.

To figure out whether the bats were actively fishing, Joxerra Aihartza of the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain, and colleagues began monitoring the animals' feeding behavior using small radio tracking devices.

Recently the team captured video of the bats catching live fish.

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"They fly low over the water and catch surface-feeding fish, such as the mosquitofish, with their claws," Aihartza said.

Claws? What, no fishing tackle? No fly-casting, no trolling, no jokes back at the dock about "the one that got away"?

Then again, if they are bringing in "mosquitofish," perhaps bragging isn't in order. But hey -- if you weigh the same as nine paperclips, you aren't going to be cluttering up the walls wif yer fish trophies.

Still, I think these bats are pretty neat. They don't need boats or hip-waders to bring home the bacon, so to speak. And they don't bother to skin or bone the fish, either -- one-hundred percent efficiency wif no waste.

We could learn something from these little flying anglers, and look a lot less silly wifout the fishin' hats!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures" >

See the "Lion Whisperer," Kevin Richardson, do his stuff with the thirty-eight wild lions he has managed to convince to allow him into their pride!!


I'm not believin' this...

Dumped beagle mom thriving Cincinnati Inquirer

A pregnant beagle that was dumped in a farm field during a February snowstorm – then gave birth there to seven puppies – is doing well.

“She’s fearful but friendly,” said Gay Covell, who is fostering the mom and her puppies at her home in West Chester. “She doesn’t quite trust people, and she eats constantly.”

Covell named the mom Valentine and said she eats about four times a day and spends all her time with the puppies.

Darryl Lawson of Hamilton, the man believed responsible for dumping Valentine in the middle of a field, turned himself into authorities and was cited for misdemeanor charges of abandonment, abuse to companion animals, having an unlicensed dog and having a dog running at large.

He will appear Wednesday in Hamilton Municipal Court, said Meg Stephenson, executive director of the Animal Friends Humane Society.

Chris Demoret found the beagles on his property the night of the snowstorm and called the Butler Country dog warden, who brought them to Animal Friends, Stephenson said.

“The mom was extremely skinny but attentive to the puppies,” she said. The beagle mom had made a nest of straw in the snow, but officials said if the mom and puppies had not been found, they probably would not have lived through the night.

“The situation could have been avoided completely if he would have called us and asked for help,” Stephenson said.

People who can no longer care for their animals are urged to call the Animal Friends Humane Society, so an animal won’t be put into a situation that compromises its life, Stephenson said.

Why -- when there are places to take us -- and agencies to help -- do hoomans still treat us critters like this?

Thank heavens for the man who found this mama and her pups the night of the storm, and called for help.

Mommy, I'm so glad I've never had to spend a night out in the snow... and my puppies were born in a warm house, wif hoomans sitting right by me, to help if there were any troubles at all...

NEWSFLASH! Man who abandoned pregnant beagle in snow gets jail time news.cincinnati.com

In a case that outraged animal lovers, a 45-year-old man will serve five days in jail for abandoning a pregnant beagle named Valentine in a February snowstorm.

Darryl Lawson, who pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and abandonment Wednesday in Hamilton Municipal Court, also faces 175 more days if he breaks conditions of his two-year probation, officials said.

Judge Danile Gattermeyer also fined Lawson $500 and ordered him to perform 40 hours of community service at the Animal Friends Humane Society in Trenton, where the county dog warden brought Valentine and her newborn puppies after they were discovered in a field. The order also bans Lawson from living at a home with animals for two years.

Valentine and her puppies are in a foster home, and should be adopted out to loving homes soon. The night of driving snow and freezing cold should fade to a distant memory, and Valentine will hopefully learn to trust hoomans again. It is so hard to love so completely, and have your love treated so badly....

Thank heaven that most hoomans are like the man who saw Valentine in the field, and made sure she and her puppies were rescued.

Family says dachsund gave fire alert Tri-City Herald

JoJo, a 3-year-old dachshund, saved a Kennewick family and their home from a potentially damaging fire early Sunday.

The light-brown “wiener dog” with short stubby legs is being credited for trying to shove 11-year-old Kalen Huntley out of her bed and alerting her parents to an electrical fire smoldering behind an outlet on her bedroom wall.

“Our dog saved our house,” said Diane Urquhart, who lives in a trailer at the Chinook Mobile Home Park with her husband, Colt, and four of their children.

The couple and three of the kids were home when the outlet in Kalen’s room apparently started overheating around 1 a.m. Sunday.

Kalen was asleep with JoJo, who usually sleeps with Kalen until her parents go to bed, Diane Urquhart said.

That night, however, JoJo kept coming out of Kalen’s room but they couldn’t figure out what he wanted.

“He came out to see us four times, then kept going back into our daughter’s room,” she said.

Urquhart said JoJo’s ears usually tell his story – if he’s happy, hungry or has done something wrong.

“These ears we did not recognize,” she said. “And his face, if a dog can look worried, he looked worried.”

Urquhart heard Kalen stirring and decided to see what was going on, and when she walked in her room she could smell a strong burning rubber smell.

They called 911, woke everybody up and quickly got out of the house, taking with them the family’s two cats and JoJo.

There was no smoke in Kalen’s room, but Urquhart said the wall at the head of her bed was hot. Firefighters told the family the outlet, which had a lamp and alarm clock plugged into it, was minutes away from catching fire, Urquhart said.

You know, a lot of heroic critters show up in this blog. We appreciate our famblies, and the things you do for us. A lot of the rescuing critters were rescued themselves, by their hoomans, from shelters or abusive situations. A little love goes a long way, and we want our famblies and homes to be safe, just like you keep us safe and happy.

Most times, a hero pet is just a happy pet who loves his or her hoomans. We don't want any medal -- we just want to stay together -- wif you, forever.

Dog warns owner about cat in danger AP

They eat together. They sleep together.

They’re about the same size and look a bit alike, with similar coloring, although Chloe the 22-pound pug is almost as broad as she’s tall and Willow, a Siamese cat, has longer legs and is, well, more willowy.

Sometimes 7-year-old Chloe even deigns to chase and play with Willow or puts up with the 1-year-old feline’s rubbing and licking her.

But the bond between the pets of Amanda and Ron Bjelland grew even stronger last Thursday.

Chloe started crying at the glass door to the back yard. Bjelland let the 7-year-old dog out onto the deck and continued her morning routine.

But Chloe kept barking and barking, so Bjelland let the dog back inside.

When, after another quarter-hour Chloe still was barking at the door, Bjelland let the pug outside again.

More barking.

So Bjelland went out to see what was causing the ruckus.

Chloe led her owner down the back steps. Willow was nowhere in sight as Bjelland and the dog reached family’s koi pond.

The cat had fallen through the ice that covered the 5-by-9-foot fish pond except for a hole in the center kept open to allow gasses to escape from the koi habitat. The cat was churning with her front paws but couldn’t escape the frigid 3-foot-deep waters.

Shaking, shivering and meowing, Willow was pulled from the pond, then rushed to the house to be warmed up.

Rabbit tracks were in the snow near the pond. Bjelland suspects that the cat may have been checking out birds or wildlife that frequent the yard and gone onto ice, which gave way beneath her. The owner figures the cat was in the pond for about 20 minutes.

For raising the alarm, Chloe was rewarded with a special bone.

This story speaks for itself. You don't see the PUG jumping onto thin ice at some ungodly hour of the morning, do you? (Then again, if there had been a T-bone steak under the ice...)

Star-Telegram.com

Surgeon changes dog's life

A plastic surgeon worked with DFW Pug Rescue to rebuild a jaw for Boca, a female Pug who had been abused. (March 4, 2010)

Go to the website, and see this video about Boca, the poor Puggy wif the broken jaw, and Dr. Yadro Ducic, the wonderful surgeon for hoomans who took on her case when the veterinary surgeons couldn't help her. Boca can smile, and bark, and eat properly again, all because of this fantastic hooman!

(sniffle) It makes a Pug so happy and proud to see hoomans go the extra mile for us like this!

For more details about Boca and her story, go to: Fort Worth team joined forces to put Boca the pug together again. Star-Telegram.com

Squirrel banned from roller coaster ride ANI

Alton Towers theme park has been forced to ban a daredevil squirrel from one of its rides as its antics pose a health and safety risk.

The rodent was said to be causing headaches for operators at Alton Towers by getting in the way of improvement work on an attraction at the resort.

Workers noticed it riding the revamped Sonic Spinball roller coaster as it was tested in the mornings and joining visitors who were offered an early go on it before the official opening.

The grey-haired animal was also caught stealing food from the workers.

Yeah! I'll bet THIS was the biggest reason!! Workmen get grumpy when they don't have their reg'lar midmornin' Moonpie™, or fish 'n' chips, or whatever those British folks have for munchies.

A spokesman for the Staffordshire theme park said: ''It was getting in the way of builders who were painting.

''They couldn't carry on because they would end up with paw prints in the paint.

''And we can't have anything on the track when the roller coaster is going round.''

Paw prints in the paint!! Ah dee-clayah! That awful vahmint was jest makin' uh shambles uv ahwuh fahn entuhtaynmint facility!! Oh, lands!

Alarms were installed that emit a warning noise inaudible to human ears but designed to ensure the squirrel, nicknamed Sonic, avoids the ride in future.

Morwenna Angove, sales and marketing director at the Alton Towers resort, said: ''Unfortunately Sonic's behaviour is a danger both to our guests and himself and so we're doing all we can to ensure that he stays away from the ride."

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- SPECIESISM! If Sonic keeps his paws in the car like everybody else, I don't see why he can't ride the roller coaster. Now, there is the little matter of payment -- if he's a freeloader, and not buyin' a ticket, I can see why the management might be a little hostile. But the workers can buy lunchboxes to keep him out of their food. And as for pawprints in the wet paint, I consider that an expression of artistic freedom. For all I know, Sonic has a grant from the local Arts Council. It's not like it's hurting the roller coaster or anything to have a few squirrel footprints in a contrasting color scattered here and there. Gives the little guy a lasting legacy.

What's that you say, Mommy? "Height requirement"? What's that? What do you mean you have to be a certain height to ride a roller coaster??!!?? MORE discrimination!! They're effectively keeping ALL critters off the roller coaster, except for horses, elephants and giraffes and guys like that!!

THAT'S IT!! I'm callin' in the lawyers!! What's Hairy Mason's number?

Brentley, a 4-year-old dachshund from Cary, NC gets a check-up from veterinary neurologist Karen Muñana, right, and veterinary technician Julie Nettifee Osborne. Photo credit: TED RICHARDSON - trichard@newsoberver.com

Area dogs with epilepsy help test drug at vet school newsobserver.com

The most popular breeds in Wake County - Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, beagles and German shepherds - are prone to epilepsy, according to veterinarians at N.C. State University. Since June they have been playing a key role in finding a more effective treatment for the condition.

Brentley [pictured above] is one of 16 dogs being observed at N.C. State's College of Veterinary Medicine as part of a nationwide study to help scientists find a better medicine to treat canine epilepsy. It is among the most common neurological disorders, affecting more than 4 million dogs.

Only one anticonvulsant drug, primidone, is approved for treating the disorder in dogs. . The other option, phenobarbitol, works well for humans, but it isn't approved for dogs. Either drug can cause excessive drowsiness, lack of coordination and, in some instances, toxicity to the liver.

A veterinary pharmaceutical company that the study's administrators declined to name is sponsoring the clinical trial on a new, unnamed dog epilepsy drug, hoping for approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

"This drug has been tested before," said Karen Muñana, a veterinary neurologist at N. C. State and investigator in the trial. "But we still don't know how safe it is in dogs with epilepsy, or really how effective it is."

Several hundred dogs have been enrolled in 30 centers nationwide since the trial began two years ago.

Five of the dogs at N.C. State, including Brentley, passed screening and are taking either the experimental drug or an approved control drug.

During his 12-week observation period, Brentley suffered three seizures. He was placed on medication more than a month ago. Since then, Brentley has been seizure-free with no side effects.

So, just like hoomans do, these dogs are bein' guinea pigs in a medical trial to test a new drug. It sounds like a good deal for Brentley, who seems to be getting good results for his seizures. Us Pugs are another seizure-prone breed, and I sure hope I never get 'em, but if I do, I hope this medicine turns out to be a good one. Seizures are just as hard for us dogs as they are for hoomans, and many a fine dog has been put down because uncontrollable seizures were making his or her life unbearable.

You're a brave guinea pig, Brentley. Thanks for your participation in this study! Dogs everywhere will benefit!

There's this wonderful lady who moved from California one day, and decided to become a farmer. She didn't know much about it, but she bought a farm, some sheep, and brought in crops to grow along with some farm cats, and she's been doing it ever since. You can catch her adventures on her blog at Farmgirl Fare.

Anyways, I was visiting there reading past posts wif Mommy, and saw a funny description on How to Hug a Sheep. It seems that sheep can't just stand on their hind legs and wrap their forelegs around each other, so they've developed other ways of showing affection. Mama sheep and lambs press together, and as sheep grow up, they continue to pretty much do the same thing to show their love. Farmgirl Susan found out that her sheep were lovin' on her by leaning into her, so she learned to crouch down a little and press back hard. But it's important not to "break the hug" before the sheep is ready, because both parties are pressing against each other with all their might, and if the hooman tries to pull away, she might end up falling over in the sheep pasture, because the sheep will push her right over!

Susan says her favorite sheep, Chip, asks her for a hug every day! Hee!