Latest news with #dogs
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dogs on GAP trail surrendered to shelter
CUMBERLAND — Two dogs that were running at large multiple times near mile marker 3 on the Great Allegheny Passage are now owned by the Allegany County Animal Shelter. Danny Porter and Nickole Stemple, of Kansas Avenue in Cumberland, Saturday gave the dogs, a Great Dane and a boxer-terrier mix, to the facility, according to a county official. That action followed a lengthy legal battle between the couple and county, and was set for a hearing Tuesday. However, 'as a result of their surrendering the dogs, the replevin action was deemed moot and we dismissed the action today,' Allegany County Attorney T. Lee Beeman said this week. ComplaintsCumberland resident Christopher Allison, an avid bicyclist who frequently rode on the GAP, complained multiple times for roughly three years to local officials that he and other folks had been terrorized on a regular basis by two aggressive dogs loose on the trail 'to assault bikers and walkers.' He filed with the local animal control office an affidavit that included photos and a detailed description of the dogs. Allison said he complained to the sheriff's office 'after animal control's response to the continuing issue was to advise me to find another place to bike.' At one point, attorneys for the county and state brought charges against the dogs' owners, but the case was dismissed by a judge who said a local animal control officer had failed to list dates of prior violations on a citation. In his fight for safety on the public trail, Allison grew increasingly concerned and frustrated by a lack of attention to the problem. 'I do not understand or cannot identify any legitimate reason why this is a continuing issue,' he wrote in 2023. 'Habitual'Paul Ackerman said he often saw the dogs near mile marker 3 on the GAP during his daily 20-mile hike. 'I can't tell you how many times I or others have encountered those dogs,' Ackerman said in September. 'This has been a habitual problem for a lot of people,' he said. 'I've been very close to getting attacked by both of them,' Ackerman said. 'I should be able to walk and not worry about it.' Mile marker 3 is 'a ticking time bomb,' he said. CaseFollowing the complaints, Allegany County last year updated its code to 'recognize that animals running at large pose a substantial threat to public safety and constitute a public nuisance,' which includes any dog that has repeatedly been found at large, 'bitten two or more persons,' or disturbed the peace by excessive barking. 'The ownership rights of a person owning a public nuisance animal may be forfeited to the county,' it stated and outlined a legal process that requires an animal owner to receive written notice that states 'reasons why forfeiture is sought,' including summary of applicable incidents. Animal control subsequently declared the two dogs public nuisance animals due to repeatedly running at large on the trail near Dakota Avenue, roughly a mile north of Cumberland Narrows, and sought forfeiture of the dogs. A hearing on the matter was held in October and included testimony from Allison and Ackerman. OrderAssistant Allegany County Attorney Ramon Rozas, who presided over the October hearing, in November ordered the dogs to become property of the local animal shelter. 'On many occasions, as shown by witness testimony and photographic evidence, the dogs have been off of the owners' property, or property where they have permission to be, and have been on the GAP, public roads and on railroad tracks,' Rozas said via the order. 'The dogs have threatened users of the GAP, and on one occasion a biker had to use chemical irritants to prevent an attack.' 'The owners have often failed to even be aware that the dogs have left their property, or are running at large,' Rozas said, adding that remedial efforts the couple eventually took, which included use of electric shock collars to keep the animals from leaving their property, 'are classic examples of shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted,' and did not diminish the shelter's case. AppealAfter the October hearing, Stemple called the legal case 'a witch hunt.' She and Porter appealed the county decision to take the dogs. In March, Allegany County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey S. Getty dismissed the appeal. Getty 'found our argument that petitioners failed to follow the procedural requirements convincing, and dismissed the matter as a result of their failure,' Beeman said at the time. PersistenceThis week, Allison recounted his many efforts to stop the dogs from threatening trail users. 'Those chartered to protect and serve demonstrated a commitment to neither and less my persistence to achieve a solution to the danger, no action would have been taken to achieve the final outcome,' Allison said. 'This was a public safety issue that took (about) three years to resolve,' he said.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Pick your stick: New library in Riverview leaves dogs spoiled for choice
The Town of Riverview has installed a dog stick library at the Mill Creek Nature Park. There are no fines for late returns, but dogs are responsible for restocking the inventory.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Riverview opens library for tails not tales
Social Sharing Riverview's newest library is going to the dogs — and they couldn't be happier. On Thursday, Mason the brown border collie took his time browsing the offerings at the new stick library at Mill Creek Nature Park, before finally selecting a slender white birch. He paraded it proudly — dropping it several times — before returning it like a very good boy. The return of the stick did cost his owner Ash Arrowsmith a treat — or a few. Arrowsmith, Riverview's community recreation co-ordinator, saw the idea online and worked with his team to bring a stick library to his town. "The idea is that, you know, folks come in, if a dog's interested in grabbing a stick while they're walking on leash, they can take one and then hopefully they bring it back." He said unlike other libraries, there are no penalties if dogs don't return the sticks on time — or at all. It's simply there to invite dogs and their owners to enhance their experience. "It brings a smile to people's faces that are coming into the park and I think to the dogs as well." Arrowsmith said his five-year-old daughter, like many children, loves to collect sticks. He hopes the kids visiting the park can also help with the re-stocking, he said. "We kind of think that between the dogs and little people that are in the park, we think, it'll be, you know, fully stocked all the time." Arrowsmith also suggests it helps in tick prevention, as a stocked library reduces the need for the canines to go off the trail, looking for a perfect stick. Hope Trites said she saw the idea online and was thinking of installing a library in her front yard for her dog Ducky and others. "It's a good way to meet your neighbours with dogs because they'll stop and grab something. So I think it's, I think it's great," said Trites. WATCH | Interested in a stick? Go sniff your pick: Paul Timmerman and his dog Koda were visiting from Ontario. "I've seen, you know, seen the book libraries, but never dog stick. I think it's a great idea," he said. "It's a good start. I hope it takes off. It would be great for the dogs." Dr. Pierrette Mercier, a veterinarian at the Riverview Animal Health Centre, said sticks can help in stimulating dogs, both physically and mentally. They can help enhance a dog's mood by imitating predation or acting on its pleasure and reward system. "[A dog] is just imagining that the stick is a rabbit or something like that," she said. Mercier said although it's a good mood booster, dog owners must be responsible and alert while their dog chooses a stick. She said injuries are possible if a dog goes for a bigger stick that may end up hurting them. "I've seen very small dogs trying to carry around a very large branch ... so sometimes we have to redirect them, give them a smaller stick." Mercier said if the owners are monitoring their dogs, the positives can outweigh the negatives. "Forbidding a child to play hockey because there's a risk of him getting injured, you know, the mental and physical stimulation they do get from playing is probably, you know, more important than the risk of injuring themselves," she said.
The Drive
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
This Dog Trainer Has an Incredible Fleet of Dog Vehicles
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Dogs are a big part of my family life. Only one lives in my house, but between my nearby in-laws, as many as nine canines are running around my yard on any given day. So when I stumbled on the WooFDriver YouTube channel, I was like, hell yeah. I've found my people. This guy has figured out how to exercise a pack of high-energy animals with delightful and wacky vehicles that they pull around roads and trails. I love it. The concept here is pretty simple: Man loves dogs, man is creative, cute adventures ensue. Basically, Bill Helman (the self-described 'WooFDriver') modifies pedal-power vehicles, mobility-assistance vehicles, and even some unusual ATVs to either walk multiple dogs simultaneously or use the dogs themselves as propulsion. It's like dogsledding but with bike wheels instead of skids. Many of the vehicles showcased have some kind of hybrid power, in that they use an electric boost or pedals to supplement the dogs' muscles. His website is loaded with an unbelievably wide range of designs and ideas. Seriously—you should check it out, it's a fun slice of old-school internet in the best kind of way. Screenshots of some of WooFDriver's videos, showcasing different dog-vehicle designs. WooFDriver/YouTube All the dogs in my family love being together and love running. My sisters-in-law and I have figured out how to get them to look the same way to pose for photos in our dog-testing car reviews, now we'll just need to teach them to run the same way. A lot of the videos on this channel are outside the template of what you see on YouTube. I found Helman myself through a BBC article about 'the hidden world beneath the shadows of YouTube's algorithm.' There are songs, completely silent videos, and long single-shot sled-cam clips that most people probably won't be inclined to sit through. However, the series on the WooFDriver's 'Dog MotoSports' should be particularly interesting and enjoyable to any of you who appreciate shadetree mechanic'ing and industrial creativity. And, of course, cute canines. Here's another interesting one from a 'Dog Roading' video—the UTV makes it easy to walk four huskies at once! And finally, when the dogs need to cover more ground than their paws can take them, there's Helman's 'Dog Limousine,' a six-door Ford Excursion with special seats for animals. Seen any other dog-powered cars we should talk about? Drop the author a note at
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Good dog: Survival of the friendliest
'Man's best friend' sure sounds better than 'obligatory symbiont', but what are the true dynamics at play? There's no denying the bond people feel and the attachment dogs have for their humans, but if we put that beautiful relationship under scientific scrutiny, does it hold up? Can any dog go 'full Lassie' if you (or Timmy) gets stuck down a well? Will your dog save you? Featuring: Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University Dr. Mia Cobb, Chaser Innovation Research Fellow (Canine Welfare Science), Animal Welfare Science Centre at the University of Melbourne Dr. Mia Cobb, Chaser Innovation Research Fellow (Canine Welfare Science), Animal Welfare Science Centre at the University of Melbourne Professor Chris Johnson, the University of Tasmania Professor Chris Johnson, the University of Tasmania Dr. Annika Bremhorst, founder of Dogs and Science, and canine scientist at the University of Bern Further reading: Production:
