Two Survivors In Japan Reunited......

Sometimes through tragedy in life families and pets lose their way and become lost from one another. Yet no matter how horrible the situation, no matter how tragic, or how long it takes we never give up the search to find each other again...................Not even in Japan.

Two survivors in Japan, reunited by a rescuer. March 13, 2011

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all." – Emily Dickinson

For Michelle.

In Memory Of Shadow

A very dear and special person to me had to put her dog to sleep yesterday. I hope this small tribute to Shadow helps mend her heavy heart. Many of you are dog lovers and I am sure you know what this grief is all about.

REST IN PEACE "SHADOW"

FAITHFUL FRIEND....................

YOU WILL BE MISSED............

AND WE WILL LOVE YOU ALWAYS. 2.1.11

Cats and the Christmas Clean Up!

At the end of the Christmas holiday as you prepare to take down the tree are you like me and just hope and pray that you removed all ornaments and left none hanging? Do you not like sticking you arm into the half dead tree because you know its needles are going to poke you (again) and your hands will be sappy.

I have been known, a time or two........or three or four.......to leave a couple of ornaments inside the branches only to find them the next day, still clinging to the tree that is now outside.

Well, not this year!! My faithful companion was very grateful and extremely eager to assist me. Keep in mind this was her first experience with a pine tree.

After she jumped into the tree she went from limb to limb....................Even checking the drapes..........

Done! No ornaments left on the tree! All it cost me was some nice warm cuddle time and lots of praise.

She didn't bother to stay around for the rest of the clean up!!

Dog Rescued From Icy Water At Inner Harbor By Baltimore Policeman

This is such a wonderful story.jmmb

Officer Americus J. Rambeau wasn't diving for a penny in the Inner Harbor on Wednesday night, but he did swim to save one.

Rambeau and other officers from the city police's marine unit rescued a black Labrador mix named Penny from a pier at Harborview Marina after she left her Federal Hill home, crossed Key Highway and leaped into the cold water.

"It was the right thing to do. [Penny] was struggling. Exhausted," said Rambeau, who donned a cold-water rescue suit and had to swim under two piers to capture the dog.

Penny's owner, Rachel Naumann, who asked to meet the officers from the unit Thursday and hugged them, said she was at work when her roommate opened the front door to sign for a package and Penny got out.

She said she spent hours searching the streets.

"I wasn't exactly sure what happened," Naumann, 25, said, but later "I heard a boat was involved" from a "friend of a friend" who saw the rescue take place. She said it was estimated that 1-year-old Penny spent nearly two hours in the cold water.

Police first received a 911 call about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday that a dog appeared to be in distress in the water, said Detective Jeremy Silbert, a department spokesman. A marine unit supervisor drove in a patrol car to the Harborview Marina in the 1000 block of Key Highway. Three officers went there by boat and spotted Penny. As they tried to get close to her, Rambeau said, she swam away underneath the pier.

He said, however, that Penny stopped struggling once she saw him in the water. She "was happy to have someone to hang onto," he said, once he got close enough to grab her.

After he got Penny safely onto the boat, she was taken by animal control officers to their facility for treatment for cold-water exposure and hypothermia, Silbert said.

Air temperatures at the time were around 38 degrees, Silbert said. According the National Weather Service, the water temperature was in the low 30s.

Rambeau did not require treatment.

Sgt. Michael Kain, who also aided in the rescue, said it was difficult to see the black dog at night in the dark water, but "it would've been the wrong thing for anyone to turn their back."

Rambeau said he loves animals — he owns cats — and didn't question jumping in after Penny. He's had to make similar rescues for dogs, cats and, more commonly, deer, he said. In 1998, The Sun wrote about another Rambeau rescue when he helped save a 79-year-old man who jumped into the Inner Harbor.

When Naumann picked Penny up from the shelter Thursday morning, she said, Penny was huddled under a pile of blankets unhurt but looked frightened. When Naumann opened the crate door, she said, Penny lifted her head and happily licked Naumann's hand.

Naumann said that Penny was wearing dog tags with her contact information, and she had a microchip implanted in her on Thursday. She had to pay a $95 fee to get Penny from the shelter, but, she said, "I'm just happy she's back."

Penny is not normally a water dog, Naumann said. She thought Penny was most likely going after a seagull.

On Thursday afternoon, Penny was still exhausted. She was a little shy in front of TV crews and her rescuers, darting behind Naumann and twisting her new purple Ravens leash.

But, Naumann said, "she's getting a big dinner tonight."

www.baltimoresun.com

Lost Dog Reunited With Family Is 'Christmas Miracle'

WASHINGTON - Andi Vanko starts her mornings with a prayer: "I say, 'Please don't let me see a little stray on the side of the road.'"

Because if Vanko sees one, she'll stop for it.

And that's exactly what happened on Christmas Day.

She, her boyfriend and her mom were in the car driving along Route 140 in Carroll County when she saw it - a little Golden Retriever dashing in and out of traffic.

Vanko and her boyfriend were chatting and laughing while her mom slept in the back seat.

"I started screaming and he says the next thing he knows, we're flying across the turn lane and two lanes of traffic."

Vanko got out of the car and called to the little dog.

"And she came bounding to me and jumped on me like, 'Please! Help me!'" Vanko says.

Vanko hustled the dog into her already-full car, and drove on to her sister's house for Christmas dinner.

When she got there, she explained the situation. Soft hearts seem to run in the family.

Her sister had one question: "Does she bite?" When Vanko told her no, she added "Okay, let's get a leash. Bring her in, we'll feed her."

They checked her collar and found three tags, one with the word "GRREAT" on it.

Vanko thought that was odd.

"I looked at her and I said "GRREAT! What a funny name for you!'"

GRREAT wasn't the dog's name. It was an acronym for Golden Retriever Rescue Education And Training.

A call to the organization was returned quickly: The dog had been microchipped, the GRREAT volunteer was able to crosscheck a database and within hours, the dog's owners were on the way to pick up their wayward pup "Jazzy."

Vanko says a couple from Silver Spring had been in the area for a hike when Jazzy bolted and took off. They had no luck trying to catch her.

Vanko says she could see why. When she stopped to get the dog, two men approached the dog and she initially thought they were the owners. Like, her, they stopped to try to catch the dog, who had been dodging traffic on Route 140 for about 15 minutes when Vanko stopped.

Vanko says that's one reason she says that little prayer each morning.

"For some reason, stray animals have always been drawn to me."

When the dog's owners showed up, Vanko was thrilled for them, but admits she was a bit sad.

She lost her own dog about a year and a half ago and had already given the dog a new name, "Holly."

"She spent the day with us and she was the perfect little creature! And I thought, I hope no one calls me back about this little dog!"

But being able to reunite the dog with her owners was its own reward.

"When she saw her daddy, she was over the moon. And they were so thankful. They gave me a big, big hug. It was like a little Christmas miracle."

GRREAT is a local rescue group that offers all kinds of help and advice to those looking for a dog, and those who feel they have to surrender their dogs. Learn more about the organization by clicking here.

www.wtop.com

Christmas Wish To Help Dog Named JAZZ

OCEAN CITY – Worcester County Humane Society (WCHS) has sheltered and cared for a dog whose fight for life deserves for her Christmas wish to be answered.

According to Meggin McKnight of the Worcester County Humane Society, Jazz was left on the shelter’s doorstep a few months ago.
Jazz is the mother of the puppy featured in the beginning of October that was adopted by a family from Baltimore via Facebook.

“She was almost starved to death and was skin and bones with the exception of her swollen belly,” McKnight wrote. “A trip to Dr. Manniaty confirmed that she was indeed pregnant with 15 puppies.”

Out of the 15 puppies, only seven survived.

“They were all quickly adopted but Jazz remained,” she said.

Once the puppies were delivered and adopted, Jazz’s struggle remained.

“We were aware that she had some trauma to her hind legs as there were pins holding her ankles together,” McKnight wrote.

While being spayed, the doctor and staff discovered that her ankle was severely shattered and her hip was dislocated. She eventually stopped using that leg due to the pain. It was determined that she would have to loose that leg.

“We feared that she had bone cancer,” McKnight said. “However, Jazz finally caught a break when the biopsy showed no sign of cancer.”
Jazz’s surgery was a success, according to McKnight, who said, “she gets around almost better than before.”

After everything that Jazz has gone through, she continues to be sweet and loving, all at the shelter agree.

“It is nothing short of amazing,” McKnight said.

Jazz remains in foster care during recovery. Although she receives the proper attention, her follow-up visits to the vet and medication costs are astounding.

“We want to reach out to this amazing community of ours in the hopes that someone could possibly help us with her vet bill,” McKnight wrote.

Call the shelter at 410-213-0146 to help Jazz with her care or to check up on her adoption status. Jazz is also featured on the Worcester County Humane Society Facebook page.

www.mdcoastdispatch.com

It's A Cats World Too!

Kittens don't know how to read the warning on step ladders. And they know absolutely nothing at all about painting ceilings nor the amount of time it can take. They just know they have things that need to be done first..............

And if there is anything a kitten knows it's how to give themselves a manicure! P.S. The ceiling did get done.

And after all her hard work.................She takes a catnap! I call it a power nap.

Warmth........

Who needs a Snuggy to keep you warm......

When there is someone within reach to snuggle with?

Colorful Dog Park Mural Subject To Federal Lawsuit

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - A colorful mural at an Arlington dog park depicting cartoon puppies frolicking and chasing bones is the subject of a federal lawsuit.

Arlington County has ordered Kim Houghton to cover up a 1,000-square foot mural painted on the side of Wag More Dogs, her doggie day care business in Shirlington.

The county said the mural's content - replete with puppies, bones and paw prints - makes it a commercial sign subject to county regulations, and those regulations don't allow signs larger than 60 square feet.

"Arlington County has said because her picture of dogs, bones and paw prints has a relationship with her business, it's an illegal sign," says attorney Robert Frommer with the Institute for Justice, who filed a free speech lawsuit on behalf of Houghton Thursday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

Houghton's lawyers say the county law is unconstitutional because it requires bureaucrats to determine whether the mural's content makes it artwork or commercial advertising.

Houghton says the mural is not advertising, but artwork intended to brighten up the adjacent dog park. She acknowledges that some of the cartoon dogs in the mural bear a resemblance to the dogs in her company logo.

She says her primary purpose was to brighten up the dog park, and that she deliberately avoided including the name of her business or any text that would associate the mural with her business.

But the county says that under its code, a mural on the side of a dog business that depicts dogs is a sign, not art.

"Once we have decided it's a commercial sign, we have an obligation to make sure it complies with our ordinance," says county spokeswoman Mary Curtius. "We were surprised by the lawsuit. ... We have been working with this business owner for quite some time and trying to accommodate her." Frommer says the county can't be in the business of reviewing a mural's content and deciding for itself whether a mural is artwork or advertising. That's an unconstitutional infringement of free speech, he says.

Frommer says counties clearly have the right to regulate commercial signage. But the fact that Houghton's mural says nothing about her business places it outside the scope of any legitimate regulation.

"Whatever gray areas there might be (in distinguishing advertising from artwork), this mural is far from it," says Frommer, whose institute has filed numerous lawsuits challenging what it sees as overzealous regulation of small businesses.

The law leads to ridiculous interpretations, Frommer says. Houghton was told the mural could depict anything but dogs, even though it would be seen outside a dog park. At one point, Houghton planned to have the dogs repainted as flowers to comply with the regulations.

"The problem with Arlington sign code (is) whether a sign can go up or not or whether artwork can go up or not depends on the identity of who is speaking and what it is they're saying," Frommer says.

Curtius says the county offered, as a compromise, to allow the mural if Houghton painted "Welcome to the Shirlington Dog Park" or words to that effect to clarify that the mural promotes the dog park and not her business. Houghton says the proposed compromise wasn't that simple. The county was insisting on 8-foot high letters spelling out the exact phrase "Welcome to Shirlington Park's Community Canine Area," which wouldn't fit on the side of the building and would cost $7,000 in addition to the $4,000 she already spent on the mural.

After several months of discussions that Houghton says were ultimately not productive, she decided to sue.

"I wasn't going to just walk away and whitewash " the mural, Houghton said.

Houghton says she was told to paint over the mural or cover it with a tarp. She's had a tarp over it for months.

"My heart is wrapped up in that mural right now," she says.

www.wtop.com

Worcester Animal Control Seeks Pet Food Donations

NEWARK--Worcester County Animal Control officers are asking for pet food donations to help feed hungry pets this winter.

Worcester County Animal Control (WCAC) is seeking small bags of dog and cat food for its second annual Secret Santa Pet Food Drive.

Donations can be delivered to the Animal Control facility in Snow Hill Dec. 2-16. Officers plan to distribute the pet food the week before Christmas.

“Lots of people, even those who have donated food to us in the past, are coming to us for pet food,” said Susan Rantz, chief animal control officer. “We’ve been helping as many as we can.”

This holiday season WCAC also plans to raise awareness of the proper care and handling of pets, which require a long-term commitment.

For more information about the Animal Control or the pet food drive call 410-632-1340.

www.delmarvanow.com

Flea-Control Chemicals Can Be Harmful To More Than Just Pets

Fleas are obnoxious and if you've seen your pet scratching a lot or, worse yet, are bitten yourself, you know how itchy and uncomfortable the jumpy little insects can be. But when it comes to treatment, rather than use chemicals, your first moves should be to keep your pet indoors and vacuum and comb to sweep up fleas and eggs. Flea collars and sprays may seem like an easy solution, but they often contain chemicals that can harm your pets, your children and you.

Many flea and tick formulations are safe when used as directed, but two alarmingly toxic chemicals are found in some products. Called tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur these chemicals are potentially harmful to pets and their humans at the levels found in today's flea collars. The humans at greatest risk from these chemicals are young children, especially toddlers who spend a lot of time hugging, stroking, and sleeping with their pets.

Tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) is used in flea and tick collars, powders, and sprays, while propoxur is found only in the collars. Both chemicals are in products marketed for cats and dogs. Flea collars release the chThese chemicals kill by jamming communications between nerve cells in insects. On the most basic level, however, we humans are not all that different from insects. Our human nervous system (and our pets' nervous systems) utilize the same nerve cell messaging system as the insect's, so TCVP and propoxur can harm not only insects but our pets and us. In high doses, these chemicals can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing, sweating and tearing eyes. More severe poisoning can cause muscle twitching, drooling, seizures and death. Over the past decade, the Humane Society of the United States has received hundreds of complaints of pets experiencing severe reactions or death from flea collars.
Although the amounts in the residue left by flea collars are smaller than the doses that cause acute human symptoms, both TCVP and propoxur may cause long-term health consequences. Propoxur is known to cause cancer in humans, according to the State of California. TCVP is classified by the US EPA as a possible human carcinogen.

TCVP and other chemicals in the family known as organophosphates are also suspected of being linked to neurodevelopmental problems including impulsivity, hyperactivity and learning disabilities in children. A study published in June in the journal Pediatrics found that children with higher exposure to TCVP-like chemicals were more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although more research needs to be done to see if the association is causal.

Young children are most at risk, because they spend the most time at pets-eye view, playing on floors and putting their hands in their mouths. Children also have developing neurological systems that may be more vulnerable to toxic chemicals. Through pet collars, children are being exposed to levels of tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur that exceed the US EPA's acceptable levels, according to an NRDC study published in 2009. The study found that after three days, 100 percent of pets wearing a propoxur flea collar and 50 percent of pets wearing a tetrachlorvinphos collar had enough chemical on their fur to exceed the EPA's acceptable dose level for toddlers.

The EPA's acceptable dose is based on the toxicity of the chemical and the safety of the use of a particular product is determined by comparing the expected amount of exposure to the acceptable dose. In the case of flea collar chemicals, the EPA assumes that a typical child spends about two hours per day with his or her pet. But many children spend eight or more hours a day with their pets (including when sleeping), and many children have more than one pet, so a child's exposure can be higher than EPA models predict. Many consumers assume that whatever is on store shelves must be 100 percent safe for use around pets and children. But both these chemicals have significant health risks. Though still allowed for use in flea collars, propoxur has been banned for use in homes for other pests, although the State of Ohio last year asked EPA to approve it for residential use to treat bed bugs. The EPA denied the request in June, citing the unacceptable risk to children.

What you can do:

Start with chemical-free methods and use chemical treatments only when necessary.

Wash pet bedding (and your bedding, too, if your pet sleeps with you) in hot, soapy water.

Vacuum often to remove flea eggs, and replace the vacuum bag frequently.

Comb your pet daily with a fine-toothed flea comb. Dispose of any fleas you find.

If needed, try products made with essential oils of lemongrass, cedarwood, peppermint, rosemary or thyme.

If you are getting a new cat, keep it indoors so that fleas and ticks will not be a problem.

If non-chemical methods haven't worked, look for lower risk products. Check the label to make sure the product does not contain tetrachlorvinphos or propoxur or any of the other high risk chemicals. Make sure the product is suitable for your pet and follow the instructions carefully. The safest options, according to NRDC, are pill-based flea treatments.

Visit NRDC's http://www.greenpaws.org for a comprehensive list of brand-name products with their chemical ingredients and more information about health risks from pesticides. ___ For better health and sustainable living tips, articles and how-tos, visit NRDC SimpleSteps at: http://www.simplesteps.org/.

www.baltimoresun.com

Day Camp For Dogs In South Florida

Your smile for today........
Even if you have never owned a dog in your entire life you must read this..........
And if you have owned a dog you will know just how much fun this must be for a four-legged best friend.

MIAMI (AP) - The yellow school bus makes its rounds, picking up one eager passenger after another en route to day camp. Small legs quickly climb the stairs, heads pop out of bus windows and excitement rises.


Each of these day campers has four legs and a tail and many wag those tails rapidly as the "Doggie Bus" pulls up at a southwest Miami camp created just for canines _ Totally Dog.
Dog trainer Elena Sweet says she opened Totally Dog in 1999 as a peaceful getaway for dogs to run free, socialize and beat urban stress. Husband Jeremy drives the bus and dogs bound off into a bone-shaped wading pool, then romp at play. Owners pay about $45 a day for camp. Kenny Reich says his three pooches go right to sleep after camp _ a sure sign they had a doggone "great time."

www.wtop.com

A Lazy Dog-Day? Afternoon...............

Hope everyone got the chance to do nothing today except cat nap!

Firefighters Dismantle Police Car To Rescue Cat

VIENNA -- This little kitty went home, but only after police and firefighters partially dismantled a police car to find it.

The naughty feline first woke residents of a Vienna neighborhood with its desperate meowing, then kept police and firefighters busy for much of the night.

She was found under the hood of a car but eluded her rescuers' grasp. The kitten took cover under several other cars before seemingly disappearing , except for her meow.

Firefighters and police finally struck paydirt after jacking up a police cruiser, then following the sound and tracing the wayward kitty to a small space inside the vehicle's floor panel.

But it took half an hour of elbow grease before the critter was nabbed and taken to an animal shelter.

But not before having the last meow.

"It bit my finger!" said firefighter Franz Zehetmeier, who finally collared the cat.

www.dailypress.com

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Another hot day!!

Just stretch out and stay cool wherever you find a comfortable spot.....

and chill.................

Man Shoots Neighbor's Puppy

I had a neighbor very similar to this a**hole at one time. It was never pleasant. People that react like this around animals usually don't get along very well with people either. It's just a shame you can't take a garden tool to the heads of people that do these things.

Varina, Va. A Varina man told police he chased down and shot a neighbor's dog last week after it strayed onto his property,Henrico County authorities said.

Mack Donald Hudson, 79, of the 8600 block of Osborne Turnpike told police he was afraid for his life Friday when he saw Grace, an 11-month-old Australian shepherd, on his property with another dog.

But Grace's owners say their dog simply went outside to wander the wooded area around their unfenced property and use the bathroom.

Grace's co-owner, Heather Sheffield, said her boyfriend let Grace outside Friday about 10:30 a.m. A short time later, he heard a shot, and he found Grace bleeding a few dozen yards from their house, she said.

Hudson's property is near Sheffield's, though neighbors' lots buffer between the two.

Hudson told police he was doing yardwork when he saw two dogs running loose. One of the dogs ran off when he yelled at it, but Grace did not, he told police.

Hudson told police he went inside his house, got a 12-gauge shotgun, and went outside to find the dog. When he couldn't find it, he got in his truck and found the dog on the rear of his property, Henrico police Lt. Eric Owens said.

He told police, "I was in fear ofmy life and I shot it," Owens said.

A woman at Hudson's home yesterday said the family had no comment.

Grace remains under observation at the Veterinary Emergency Center in Carytown, where she is expected to recover.

Dr. Robert Fulton, who admitted Grace to the clinic, said she had been shot in multiple places, with two pellets or bullet fragments in her body.

Even worse than the gunshot wounds was the blunt-force trauma to her skull, caused perhaps by a garden tool, that gave her a concussive injury, he said.

The wounds all were consistent with one attack, Fulton said.

Sheffield said Grace would not have been aggressive toward Hudson.

"She's an Australian shepherd. They don't go up to strangers. She's barely 20 pounds," she said. "Her favorite thing to do is play Frisbee.

Mack Donald Hudson was charged Saturday with misdemeanor cruelty to animals, according to - Online Court Records" He is scheduled to appear in court in August.

www.timesdispatch.com

Do Dogs And Cats Really Dream?

How many pet owners have gotten a chuckle out of watching their dog sleep while its paws race frenetically in place?

Many figured that Rover was romping somewhere in dreamland, and scientists say they were right: Pets do dream while sleeping.

As dogs and cats doze, images of past events replay in their minds much the same way humans recall experiences while dreaming, said Matthew Wilson of MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory in Cambridge, Mass. That's because the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in memory, is basically wired the same way in virtually all vertebrates and mammals, he said.

"If you compared a hippocampus in a rat to a dog; in a cat to a human, they contain all of the same pieces," said Wilson, an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences.

Like people, pets go through multiple stages of sleep, from periods of slow wave sleep to REM (rapid eye movement), where most dreaming occurs.

"From the minute your head hits the pillow and you're out, the dreaming process begins," he said.

Non-REM dreams consist of quick snapshots of things usually done that day. During the deeper sleep state of REM, dreams last much longer and tap into a vast pool of past experiences drawn from weeks, months, even years in the past.

REM occurs approximately every 90 minutes in people, and every 25 minutes in cats.

In dogs, research shows the frequency and length of dreams is linked to their physical size, said psychologist Stanley Coren, author of several books, including "How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind."

For example, he said, mastiffs and Great Danes might dream every 45 minutes for about five minutes, compared to their smaller canine cousins that enter a dream state every 10 minutes with episodes lasting less than 60 seconds.

Owners can tell if their dozing dog or feline is dreaming by looking for these clues: whisker twitching, paw tremors, irregular breathing and — in dogs — occasional high-pitched yips.

But what do our pets dream about? Researchers believe they know the answer. Older studies, done decades ago in cats, involved temporarily releasing the suppression of motor activity that happens during REM sleep so they'd act out their dreams.

What researchers witnessed is sleepwalking cats doing things they'd normally do while awake — walking, swatting their forepaws, even pouncing on imaginary prey.

Similar research showed the same held true for dogs.

"Pointers point at dream birds, and Dobermans growl at dream burglers," Coren said.

Those experiments were not a demonstration of actual dreaming, said MIT's Wilson, but do suggest that in REM sleep the brain is functioning the same way it behaves during normal wakefulness. As early as 2001, he decided to find out if animals did in fact dream by eavesdropping on the sleeping brain.

Wilson used electrodes to record the brain activity of rats as they ran a circular track and later as they slept. He discovered, by examining more than 40 REM episodes recorded while the rats slept, that the sleeping rodents often appeared to replay images of navigating the track in real time. About 50% of the episodes repeated the unique signature of brain activity created as the animal ran. In fact, because records of the neural signals in both the sleep and waking states were so similar, Wilson said he could reconstruct where the dreaming rats were on the track and whether they were standing still or running.

This human-like ability to dream about actual experiences almost certainly applies to pets, he said.

"My guess is — unless there is something special about rats and humans — that cats and dogs are doing exactly the same thing," he said.

In the scientific community, animals are often thought of as reflex machines, operating by instinct alone. But this view is slowly starting to change, noted Wilson, as new information about dreaming in animals is unearthed.

Coren, the psychologist, agreed. He said that one of his heroes, Charles Darwin, "basically claimed if you can prove that an animal dreams, then, in effect, you can prove that's consciousness. Because after all, what is a dream other than a conscious image?"

Wilson's current work goes beyond analyzing dream content and relates to what's going on inside the brain during wakefulness. Using lab-built devices with an array of electrodes, he's found that rats appear to replay memories while doing normal, everyday activities like nibbling on food or sitting quietly. In other words, he said, they're thinking about the past, and possibly contemplating the future.

"The idea that rats may actually be thinking — just as humans think when they're sitting, appearing not to be doing anything — suggests the full range of cognitive abilities that we have," he said.

Wilson believes his work extends beyond using animal models to explore human memory and cognition. "It really is using animal models to study animal cognition," he said. "Understanding the differences will give us a better understanding of where we stand in the hierarchy of organisms on the planet."

www.usa.com

Another HOT Day-- Maybe Even HOTTER

The Accomac Office of the Virginia Department of Health would like to remind everyone as temperatures continue to remain extremely high, the Eastern Shore Health District advises citizens to protect themselves by keeping cool and using common sense.



It is important to drink plenty of fluids, wear light weight, light colored, loose fitting clothing, put on sunscreen when outdoors, limit outdoor activities to morning and evening hours, rest often, stay cool indoors if possible, check on family members and neighbors and to monitor yourself and others for heat exhaustion.

Heat exhaustion is a mild form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure and people working or exercising in a hot environment. Warning signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, fainting, cool or moist skin, pulse rate that is fast and weak and breathing that is fast and shallow.

If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to a heat stroke. Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe or the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure. Otherwise, help the victim to cool off and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.

And PLEASE DON'T FORGET-- As you go about your day, trying to keep cool in these record breaking temperatures, remember kindly your animals that are outside. They NEED to be cool also! DON'T leave them unattended in your vehicle for any amount of time.

An empty soda bottle filled with water and frozen makes a wonderful toy for dogs.

Think about it: Would you want to sit in a hot car with the windows rolled up and wait???

www.shoredailynews.com

Local Couple Saves Dog Swimming In the Middle of The Bay

It was a regular day for local business owner Carol Crockett and Tom Waller. The two set out from Morley's Wharf to try and catch a fish before heading to Waller's parent's house for dinner. They headed to the Navigation tower near the middle of the Bay. There wasn't much biting because there were skates everywhere. All the sudden the two spotted a large black object swimming in the water.

Crockett and Waller directed their 16' Carolina Skiff in the direction of the object.

"We moved closer to get a better look thinking it was injured, maybe a seal or sea turtle or maybe Chessie," recalled Crockett. "It was a dog in 40 feet of water. A black lab. And not another boat in sight."

Once Tom had gotten close to the dog and hoisted her up into the boat, the dog collapsed from exhaustion. Once the dog had regained her energy, she began to cry out looking back at the Navigation tower.

"Tom aimed the skiff for shore again and within 20 minutes we finally spotted another boat," said Crockett. "It appeared to be headed right for us with someone high up in the crow's nest seat scanning the water. As we got closer, he saw the dog in our boat and started clapping over his head. The dog saw his 'pet' and the tail wagging started and the happy barking began."

The 16' Skiff followed the much larger boat into shallower water and returned the lab, named "Jazmine", to her rightful owner. Had the couple not been out there, there is no telling whether the dog would have been able to survive for the 20 minutes they waited for the boat to appear.

www.shoredailynews.com

Man Considers Lawsuit After Being Bitten By Dog In His Home

TEMPERANCEVILLE — Continuing a trend of dog attacks that goes back more than a year, an Accomack County man was bitten twice by a neighbor’s pit bull — once in his yard and once in his own home.

Stephen Hopkins has filed a criminal complaint against the owner of the dog, has contacted an attorney and plans to file a civil lawsuit against the owner.

“I’m not going to lay down after getting bitten in the face and on the hand in my own house,” he said.

He thanked Oak Hall Rescue, which arrived at the scene quickly. He was disappointed that it took two hours, by his count, for the sheriff’s department to arrive.

The dog is under quarantine by the Health Department to see if it has rabies. If it shows signs of rabies, Hopkins will have to have post-exposure rabies treatment.

He said several children were in his back yard on the day of the attack and began screaming when the pit bull began to fight his pet beagle.

Hopkins ran out to rescue the beagle, and the pit bull bit him in the face.

“I get my beagle away and I run back in the house,” Hopkins said. ‘The pit bull chases me inside my living room and bites me on the hand.”

Hopkins thanked Supervisor Ron Wolff, who he described as being concerned about the attack and about Hopkins’ welfare.

“He was very, very helpful,” he said.

The beagle was fine afterward, he said.

Hopkins also asked that a photograph of him, bleeding from the face, be published so people would know the dangers of dogs running at large.

“From what I understand, there is a lot of this going on,” he said.

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