Non-Profit News

Dear Porky & Buddy: My big happy black lab, Rufus, loves to play tug of war with me. He has a lot of energy and it’s his favorite game. But the other day, my next door neighbor was watching us play out in the back yard and he asked me later whether I was worried that I might be encouraging Rufus to be too aggressive toward me and other people. That thought has never occurred to me. Sure, Rufus growls and carries on a bit when we play, but otherwise he is a total sweetheart. Is it really an issue? Signed, Jennifer

Dear Porky & Buddy: Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday that we were lecturing you about the dangers of animals in cars in the summer? WHAT HAPPENED? Now we all have to worry about the dangers of cold weather for our pets. It doesn’t seem fair, but it’s reality here in Oswego County.

Dear Porky & Buddy, I love Halloween, but my dog Ernie hates it when strangers come to the door. Do you have any advice about how to make Halloween fun for him too? Signed, Chris

Dear Porky & Buddy, My two cats, George, age 7, and Elaine, age 2, mostly get along great. I adopted Elaine a year ago to keep George company. But every once in a while, for reasons that are not at all obvious to me, they will start hissing at each other, sometimes swatting, and then stalk away in a huff. They haven't hurt each other yet, but it worries me. What should I do? Signed, Chris

Dear Porky & Buddy, Is it true? I was all set to adopt a cat (and I love black cats the most because they are so beautiful and I know they need homes), but my neighbor told me that most animal welfare groups won’t allow adoptions of black cats around Halloween because witches try to adopt black cats on Halloween for evil purposes. So my first questions is, do we really have witches around here? And if so, do they really abuse cats? I thought witches liked black cats! Signed, Joe

Dear Reader, It’s that time of year again. THE COLD IS COMING. So we wanted to remind dog owners of the New York statute regarding dog houses. The name of the statute is Agriculture & Markets Law Section 353B. It mandates that dogs left outside in inclement weather, (which includes not only cold but also heat, rain, ice, and wind), have a minimum standard of housing.

Dear Porky & Buddy: I was in a grocery store the other day and there was another shopper there with a big shepherd mix dog with a SERVICE DOG vest on. The dog was completely out of control, lunging at other shoppers, dragging its handler up and down the aisles. At one point I saw it snatch some bread from a low shelf. I am all for service dogs and know how much they can help people, but aren’t they supposed to be trained? How do you know if a dog is really a service dog? Signed, Ken

Dear Porky & Buddy: This is not exactly an earth shattering sort of problem—in fact it’s not a problem at all, just idle curiosity. What do cat’s whiskers do? They all seem to have them more than most other animals so they probably do something, but what? Just wondering. Signed, Bob

Dear Porky & Buddy: I just read somewhere that onions and garlic are toxic to dogs and cats. When did that happen? I know that my dog Glenda has eaten leftovers that would have had a few cooked onions in them, and with no ill effect as far as I can see. And yes, I know I’m not supported to feed her leftovers, but she’s a lab. Enough said. I simply can’t break her heart every single day. But what about the onions and garlic? Does it matter whether they are cooked? Is there some amount that is safe? And if they were affecting her how would I know? Signed, Jim