Results tagged “dogs”

It's no secret that we at Chicagoist are dog lovers (well, lovers of all animals be it dogs, cats, hamsters, unicorns, etc.). Many of us are dog owners and we've witnessed the loyalty our dogs show to us first-hand. Which is probably why we find ourselves getting a little misty-eyed over this story. If you're a cryer, like Marcus, who cries every time he watches The Land Before Time, keep tissues handy.

Many of us have blamed our dogs for a variety of things. But for possessing marijuana plants? That's a new one (and we're totally adding it to our list). A man in Joliet got into hot water when an anonymous tip informed police he was cultivating a few marijuana plants. According to the police report, a woman who lives at the residence allowed officers into the yard where they found two living, growing marijuana plants plus a third dead one. WBBM 780 AM explains what happened next:

Police are investigating the deaths of two beloved pets in Naperville as poisonings. They are offering $1,000 reward for any information leading to the arrests of any culprits. Max, a 9-year-old black Labrador retriever, died late last month from what veterinarians said was an intestinal infection. Bosco, a 8-year-old chocolate Labrador who lived just around the corner from Max, also died after suffering from similar symptoms: vomiting and diarrhea. Veterinarians who looked at Bosco determined he had consumed rat poisoning. The close proximity between the two pets led the Naperville Police Department and animal control to determine whether or not the poisoning was deliberate. Though it was not determined if Max had also ingested rat poisoning, his owner, Gwyn Fahrner, believes it is possible. However Fahrner doesn’t assume it purposely done. [Trib]

              

US Cellular Field went to the dogs last night. Literally. It was Dog Day at the stadium and there was even a parade around the field before the Twins and Sox faced off. We don't envy the grounds crew's clean-up job. Fortunately for us, Chicagoist reader/Flickr pool contributor/South Side photographer Avi Schwab, who shared with us his awesome shots of that Westboro Bapt. protest at the University of Chicago in March, was on hand and got some fantastic shots. (And in case you're wondering, the Chicagoist Intern wasn't present as he's a Cubs fan.)

  

It's a holiday weekend, so we knew it was going to be a slow weekend. Still, it's hard to be cranky about anything when looking at Bo, the Obama's new six-month old Portuguese water dog, a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy (a Democratic U.S. Senator from Massachusetts).

Are you one of the thousands of dog owners in the city who shrug off purchasing the mandated city license for your pooch each year? Chances are, yes. The Sun-Times reports that of an estimated 500,000 dogs, the city sells less than 21,000 licenses. But now your list of excuses just got shorter as the city is - gasp - trying to make a process more convenient for people. City Clerk Miguel del Valle has instituted online registration for dogs in the hopes of boosting those low numbers. Per the Sun-Times:

Randall Madison was sentenced to pay $1,400 in vetrinary bills and 10 days in jail, for beating his girlfriend's Jack Russel terrier so badly that it lost an eye. He was also placed on two years probation, ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation and serve 150 hours of community service by DuPage County Judge Jane Mitton, who said "this is a serious offense."

   

Clyde is a five-month old shepherd mix available for adoption at Chicago Animal Care and Control at 2741 S. Western Ave. For only $65 (which includes neutering, shots, licensing and heartworm testing and a microchip), Clyde can come home with you tonight!

• Motorola, based out of Schaumburg, announced today it would be cutting 4,000 jobs. This is in addition to the 3,000 cut during the fourth quarter of 2008. Damn.
• An Illinois House committee that oversees DFCS may consider tougher laws about aggressive dogs living in foster homes following Sunday's mauling death of foster child Alex Angulo.
• Tom Tuduj, accused of stabbing his boss to death in 2006, testified at his own trial and claimed his medication was to blame.

Not too long ago we ran down the final submissions for the 2009-2010 city sticker contest. Finally, a winner has been announced and it's Denise Ferguson, a senior at Corliss High School. There were entries from more than 350 high school students at 43 different schools around the city, but Denise's design (seen above) was paws and tails above the rest. More than 25,000 votes were cast at the City's website and Denise will receive a $1,000 bond. Oh, and having something she drew placed on over a million cars in the area. Congrats, Denise!

O.K., if you thought the earlier diversion was cool but a bit on the heavy side moodwise, then suck this down as a palate cleanser.

We own a beagle, and don't think this is entirely unrealistic.

Donald Kolakowski of Niles has been charged with theft after he took home a puppy from a Petland store that he said was his but wasn't. According to the police Kolakowski saw a sign on the puppy's cage that said "I'm going home soon" and convinced an employee he was there to pick the dog up. She didn't ask for a receipt, and he apparently left with the miniature pinscher, who actually cost $1,600. The dog has been returned to the store, and Kolakowski, currently on parole, was releaed on bond.[Trib, Pioneer Local.]

Just us, or is time kinda standing still today? Maybe it's because I had a second this morning where I for some reason believed today was Friday, which it is not.

Three people were stabbed in Granddaddy's Deli on the 2300 block of West Taylor this afternoon. [WBBM]

It's not just FEMA that's stepping up to help the flood ravaged Midwest. PAWS Chicago has a dozen dogs that they've rescued from flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While most of the dogs come from families that can no longer care for them, at least one canine was found floating in the water.

Emanuel Lopez, 19, was sentenced to 60 days in jail today for stealing a 2-pound Pomeranian puppy and then blowing marijuana smoke in the dog's face until the animal "passed out." Judge John Kinsella said the behavior was "the bottom rung of humanity."

Now might be the time to adopt that dog you keep saying you're going to get. Animal shelters throughout Illinois are taking in hundreds of dogs and cats in need of new homes due to the recent flooding in nearby communities. Sally Matay, president of Illinois Animal Rescue, is receiving up to 1,000 e-mails a day from people looking for a good home for their pets as many families lost their houses or just can't financially afford them anymore.

Earlier last month officials in Pleasant Prairie, WI seized more 60 dogs that they say were living in cramped, inhumane conditions. A neighbor called police after becoming concerned about just how many animals were living on the property. "Sitting there all winter and watching the cats outside freezing. That blew my mind," she told WDJT-TV, the local CBS affiliate. "Then, the more you hear the dogs barking, the more the people aren't home for days, the more you think, 'what about the animals?'" Safe Harbor Humane Society took over the care of the animals, and local police say they found the body of a dead dog in a garbage can on the property as well. "This would be our second puppy mill since January 31st. But this was different because they were in a house...There were dogs in the basement and just about every room and there were parts of the house where there were cages stacked up," Safe Harbor Director Tonya Howell said.

Woodstock's Kirk M. Locher was released form jail this morning after posting $750 bail. Locher was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm after he fired shots in his home over the weekend, allegedly shooting and killing his yellow Labrador retriever.

With temperatures expected to be in the seventies this weekend, Sunday is going to be a great day to adopt a new best friend.

Oof, we just had a second where we thought it was Friday. But it's not! It's only Thursday. Time for some things that are awesome.

It's going to be gorgeous all day. Enjoy. [NWS]

We love dogs, and we especially love getting them all together for a play date. That’s why we’re looking forward to the 14th annual Bark in the Park event going on this Saturday at Montrose Harbor.

The University of Chicago and the Humane Society released a new study on the causes of urban dog fighting earlier this week. The study was conducted by interviewing current and former dogfighters in Chicago, focusing on why young men and boys in the city get into the illegal practice.

Jose is a Shepherd mix puppy, found at Chicago's Animal Care and Control, and put into foster care by New Leash on Life. Jose has been with his foster family for a while now, and doesn't have the behavior problems that sometimes come with abandoned or lost dogs. Jose has already learned to sit and lay down, and he is working on his skills with stay. Since he is still a puppy, he is learning more every day, and while he doesn't always know what is an appropriate chew toy and what isn't, he still has a lot of capacity for training and growth. He is for the most part housebroken, although being so young, he needs a family that has lots of time for attention and socialization, and he needs to do his business about every four hours.

Judy is a three-year-old Doberman Pinscher available for adoption from Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus. Judy was originally placed with a family that had other, older dogs in the home. Unfortunately, Judy had some problems with aggression, and since she was the youngest of the dogs in the household, the decision to find her a new home seemed the most equitable.

It’s no secret around here that we love dogs. But what we love even more are dogs with jobs. (Not to be confused with dogs that pretend to have jobs.) Seeing Eye dogs are the most well-known service dogs but seizure- response dogs are becoming more in demand for people who suffer from epilepsy. Seizure-response dogs are trained to get help when their owners have a seizure (so it’s not just a clever name) and can sometimes even warn their owner a seizure is coming by recognizing the scent that epileptics often give off before an episode. Seizure response dogs are carefully screened, take over a year to train and can cost nearly $19,000 to purchase.

Not all dogs up for adoption come from heartbreaking backgrounds. Take Radar, for example. He's a well-adjusted Pit Bull Terrier with seemingly endless energy and a penchant for snuggling.