Ben Swan's Blog (123)

Cooper's blog: Learning the ropes

Greetings from Cooper, Alice’s new potential service dog. It’s been a long time for her to find me, but I want to be her next working dog. She is so cool. And her house has all these cool dog toys from Morgan, another one of my kind (golden retriever). He gets to sleep on her bed and sofa, but that’s okay by me.… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on December 16, 2009 at 11:00pm — 2 Comments

Off leash: Española looks for help with feline crisis

There’s a crisis at the Española Valley Humane Society. It’s called too many kitties. If this sounds like a common refrain, stop me. Or better yet, make a vow to help stop pet overpopulation. The shelter is desperate to find homes for at least 50 felines who risk euthanasia simply because there’s no room at the inn. Nina Chiotasso, who handles the shelter’s community relations, says her Thanksgiving wish is to give these furry wonders a second chance. The late warm autumn weather and the “con… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on November 15, 2009 at 1:30am — No Comments

Off leash: Doubled donations help double the fun

Those who spent last weekend’s Halloween festivities decked out in funny garb probably would have felt right at home at Zoe & Guido’s Pet Boutique. Crazy was the order of the day, from owner Pam Hagan’s green skin and black hat, to a unique “pet psychic” with her own big hat and helpful suggestions. There were plenty of costume-clad canines and owners, although Cindy Roper’s homage to recycling won top honors from the judges. And if you’re into canine freestyle, the Santa Fe Dog Dancing Clu… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on November 8, 2009 at 1:30am — 5 Comments

Off leash blog: Changing hearts and minds – with a little push

Those who work to improve the lives of animals know that it’s an often frustrating effort, marked more by setbacks than anything else. So it’s great when a group of like-minded animal lovers can come together to simply celebrate and acknowledge that there have been successes along the way, despite what sometimes seems like insurmountable odds. Last Sunday, Animal Protection of New Mexico celebrated 30 years of working toward the humane treatment of all animals at The Chalk Farm Gallery on Canyo… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on October 25, 2009 at 12:41am — 2 Comments

Found dog in Cerrillos area

A female, black-haired Chihuahua mix showed up at Liz Stefanic's rural home on Sunday. I told her I would post the information on Scoop, in hopes that someone recognizes the dog. Here's her note: She is a female, black haired chihuahua - graying on the nose and a little bit of white on the throat - otherwise… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on October 15, 2009 at 4:48pm — 18 Comments

R. Thomas Berner: Farewell My Lucy

R. Thomas Berner recently wrote about his family's beloved golden retriever, Lucy, and said I could share it with fellow Scoopers. Here it is: A couple of years ago we replaced our noisy garage door with one that was so silent, Paulette and I never knew when one another had come home. On the other hand, Lucy would usually jump up from wherever she was and mosey down the hall to the laundry room and await the person or persons who had just driven into the garage. We knew, though, she wouldn't b… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on September 24, 2009 at 6:00pm — 1 Comment

Dog training with a twist

Dog training is a great tool, but if you really want to make progress with your animal companion, it helps to open up the lines of communication. So says Suzy Godsey, a professional dog handler who's gone around the world trying to get people to understand that they can communicate with their animals for great results. Godsey is offering a series of workshops and talks in Los Alamos, and may be offering workshops in Santa Fe on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, depending on interest. Classes throug… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on September 8, 2009 at 11:12am — No Comments

Morgan's blog: Living in the moment

Morgan strikes a pose

Hi all! It’s me again: Morgan the golden retriever, super service dog, now retired. I’m back from my trip to my human sister, Annie’s in Portland, Ore. Boy, did I ever have fun, even if my main person. Alice did leave me there. I made the best of it, put on th… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on August 19, 2009 at 11:35am — 1 Comment

Answering a shelter's call for help

Lily, hiding behind a sign, and donated goods headed for Las Vegas, N.M.

An urgent plea to help the underfunded Las Vegas animal shelter brought out about dozen people Tuesday in Santa Fe who donated goods and cash to ease the lives of homeless animals. Lily Azures and her partner, Bobbie… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on August 18, 2009 at 2:00pm — 15 Comments

A look at angels

Some of Gracie's Angels

Let's hope this is just the beginning of Happy Endings for Scoop members. On Saturday, a loose-knit group of animal lovers dubbed Gracie's Angels met for a reunion of sorts at the Thunderbird Grill in Cerrillos. It was the first time that many met face-to-face si… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on August 16, 2009 at 1:12pm — 15 Comments

News story: Dog days of summer send big cat seeking shade

Photo courtesy Don Nofte

This story by Staci Matlock appeared in Tuesday's New Mexican: Overly protective human parents could learn something from wildlife moms and dads. Among bears, cougars, bobcats and young bucks, there’s no such thing as failure to launch. “We’re entering t… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on August 11, 2009 at 7:13pm — 2 Comments

Your dog may be smarter than your toddler

This just in: A leading researcher on dog behavior says your family dog may be smarter than a toddler. Psychologists, adapting tests designed for human children, have learned that average dogs can count, reason and recognize words and gestures on par with a human 2-year-old. The British researcher said the average dog can understand about 165 words, including signs, signals and gestures. They can also count to about 5. The smartest dogs can recognize up to 250 words -- but not all breeds are equ… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on August 8, 2009 at 5:33pm — 6 Comments

Claudia's birthday surprise

Nita loves to be a part of the celebration.

Who says you can't surprise Claudia, Scoop's No. 1 supporter and a dedicated guardian to many animals? It's her birthday today, so Cindy, whose loving attention to animals is equally well-known, decided to surprise her. Here's a few photos of the… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on August 4, 2009 at 1:30pm — 11 Comments

Kermit finds a home — at last

Kermit, the black Belgian shepherd found emaciated in March outside of Madrid, not only has a new shiny coat to be proud of — he also has a new home. Dennis Jack and his wife, Anne Klosterman, adopted the dog Tuesday afternoon. The couple, who live on an expansive ranch outside of Ri… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on July 7, 2009 at 7:26pm — 13 Comments

Off leash blog: Loss reverberates through community

Gabrielle Amster has a soft spot for pit bulls. The development director for the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society will often point out new arrivals of the breed, commenting on their condition or taking some home to foster. But recently Amster’s family has fallen in love with a foster Chihuahua, said Mary Martin, the shelter’s executive director. Her two boys, Julian and Adrian Martinez, would fight over who could sleep with cuddly pup. Like their mother, the boys cared deeply for… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on July 5, 2009 at 12:00am — 1 Comment

News story: Keeping calm on the Fourth

It might a festive, noise-filled holiday for you, but for your pets it's a war zone — one that many want to escape as quickly as possible. "We encourage pets to be a member of the family," said Bill Hutchison, communications manager with the Santa Fe Shelter & Humane Society, "but pets don't celebrate Independence Day like we do. For them, the bombs bursting in air is just scary." Noise anxiety, especially on the Fourth of July holiday, causes many pets to do whatever they can to get away.… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on July 3, 2009 at 9:21pm — 15 Comments

Writing contest: The summer of love

Every pet has a story, either how he or she came into someone’s life, or what makes the pet a best friend. We want to hear about them. Scoop and Z Pet Hotel are partnering for a summer writing contest. Send in the story of your amazing pet and you could win a prize and have your st… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on June 20, 2009 at 11:30pm — No Comments

Eldorado Dog Club news: Of events past and future

Eldorado Dog Club Event Shines— Again By Randi Gerzofsky-Bildner The next time trudging through inclement weather conjures up images of the postman, you may want to replace them with the hardy members of The Eldorado Dog Club. With two successful events under their be… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on June 13, 2009 at 2:19pm — 2 Comments

Help the Ribera dogs

Heather Ferguson says she has a strong stomach. As an animal-welfare activist on the front line of saving animals, she should have one. Ferguson, of Animal Protection of New Mexico, has been on countless raids and rescues — from puppy mills to cockfighting venues. But when she saw the s… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on June 2, 2009 at 12:30pm — 11 Comments

Kermit's latest trial: Finding a home

The plump dark bullet shooting after a ball in the shelter’s dog park one recent weekday bears little resemblance to the starving canine found roaming the highway south of Madrid in March. A soft sheen of black fur now covers the skin where ribs once protruded. A strong wind no longe… Continue

Added by Ben Swan on May 24, 2009 at 12:00am — 5 Comments