At the dogpark / Play safe!

June 25 /08

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So I went to the dogpark with Mama today for the first time in I don't know how long. It was so much fun playing with all my friends again. But I got myself into a teensy weensy bit of trouble, on account of I was running and jumping and acting like a coo-coo dog...
.

I really carried on, racing around and just plain being a sillyBoxer, and I kind of overdid it. It also got pretty hot out there. So when Mama saw me getting too worked up and panting, she hustled me home.

She put the a/c on and practically stuck my whole head in my water bowl. But I was still panting really hard and Mama was getting so nervous. She put cold, wet towels on me and fed me ice cream... then the silly woman called the vet!

"Should I bring him in?" I heard her ask, sounding like she was about to cry. But by then my panting had started to subside and then I was OK.

Then Daniel came home and told Mama that it happens all the time when he plays with me outside in the summertime. Being a guy, he really gives me a workout. He's used to seeing me like that. Even though Mama knows that Boxers are short-snouted, which causes respiratory issues, she just never saw me that winded. She's such a worry-pimple ... what's the expression? Oh, ... a worry-wart.

Anyway, the vet had told Mama that Boxers tend to think they have more energy than they really do and they don't know when to stop acting like savages. Oh really? Hmmm...

Anyway, maybe it was really all a ploy that Boxers use to get ice cream from their Mamas!! Ha ha ... Snort...

Sorry you were scared, Mama.


While on the subject of dog parks, read on:

This article appeared in our newspapers today about some sicko who's been poisoning dogs that were running off-leash in a Toronto park. It scares me so much to think there are people (monsters?) out there who would do such an evil thing to a dog. But I guess there are, and we have to do everything we can to stay safe.

Running off-leash is a lot of fun but now I am worried about doing that at a public park. It's a real problem because not everyone lives on a huge property with lots of running space, and we have to rely on parks to get our exercise and play.

We have to be really careful:

= Our parents have to limit the space we run in so they can watch us at all times to make sure we don't eat anything strange off the ground.

= It's best to bring a bowl and some bottled water, rather than drink out of the fountain.

= We should watch for people who hang around the dogparks who don't have dogs with them. Sometimes at our park there is a lady who sits all by herself and she brings a baggy of treats for all the dogs. Whenever she offers them to us, all the Mamas say "no thanks." Chances are, she's a sweet, lonely lady who just wants to be kind to us, but you never know...

= Even if a people park is designated for off-leash dogs, it's better to go running in a dogpark, where there aren't any people who might resent dogs running around freely.

If you can add to this list, please do and we'll post it.

Play safe, my friends.

Here's the article:

Police investigate Toronto dog poisonings
CTV.ca News Staff


At least five dogs that went off-leash in Toronto's High Park were poisoned by anti-freeze over the weekend, police said Monday

It appears the poison was poured into a water-dispenser for dogs that is located in an off-leash area of the west-end park, police said, noting it is also possible the poison was simply sprinkled on the grass.

Police have seized two water containers from the park as evidence and have taped off the area.

A spokesperson from the City of Toronto's Parks and Recreation Department refused to comment on the issue, saying the department doesn't discuss matters under police investigation.

One of the dogs is not expected to survive, while the others are in serious but stable condition.

The Veterinary Emergency Clinic near Yonge and Bloor was the only downtown emergency clinic open over the weekend, so doctors there saw many of the sick animals and managed to connect them to High Park.

Dr. Barb Bryer, who works at the clinic, told CTV Toronto she doesn't think the poisonings were accidental.

"I would like to believe that somebody wouldn't do this, but the likelihood of someone having a jar of anti-freeze at this time of year, walking through a no-leash zone and accidentally dropping it is hard to believe," she said Monday. "I'm very concerned someone has intentionally done this."

According to emergency veterinarian Dr. Karen Nasir, dogs are drawn to anti-freeze due to its sweetness and can sniff it out from a distance. Once ingested, it can cause kidney failure within hours, she told CTV.ca on Monday.

"It's such a potent toxin because it's highly absorbable," Nasir said. "Once the kidneys have been damaged, you can't really get them to recover."

............... Police tape surrounds the off-leash area at High Park in Toronto on June 23


Nasir advised dog owners to watch for signs of dizziness combined with extreme thirst, vomiting and frequent urination.

"The important thing is that people shouldn't panic," she said. "But if they're noticing dramatic changes, they should get their pet to their vet or an emergency clinic."

If ever in doubt of the safety of an area, owners should keep their dogs on leashes, Nasir advised. "When dogs are going off-leash... it can be hard to see everything they're doing," she said, suggesting pet owners who opt for fenced-in areas should do a visual sweep of the park before letting their animal roam free.

One dog owner who spoke to CTV Toronto at High Park on Monday said hearing the news made him fearful for the lives of his dogs.

"The first thought I had was that these two were here both days over the weekend so I'm hoping they're alright," he said.

.................Two dogs run in the off-leash area at a High Park in Toronto on June 23.

The case is not the first where dogs have been poisoned in a Toronto park. In February, numerous dogs fell ill and three died after walking in Delma Park, south of the QEW and west of Brown's Line.
Four years ago, 16 dogs got sick and one eventually died after hot-dogs laced with insecticide were found in an east end park.

And while we're on the subject of being safe, my pal Gunner's blog is dedicated to the health and well-being of dogs. It's full of important information that we should all read:

Go to Gunner: http://urbanpetsdogblog.blogspot.com/