Dina, a puppy hound, often used to spend happy hour at owner Gabriel’s favorite local watering hole: The Gate, on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, one of many New York City bars that allow and even encourage dogs to come inside.
But now the dog days are over. The Department of Health has begun cracking down on bars like the Gate for violating a health code that bans live animals from being in a food service establishment.
Despite the fact that the gate doesn’t serve any food, the DOH said in a statement: “Per the health code, the definition of food includes beverages that are used for human consumption, so bars are currently considered food service establishments.”
But now a passionate group of dog owners is trying to change that. Allison Hanson, editor of a neighborhood blog called Park Slope for Pets, said she and others decided to start collecting signatures for a petition to urge the DOH to revise its code to exempt from the no-pet rule those establishments that don’t serve food. So far, the petition has more than 400 signatures.
Dog Lost In Pennsylvania
Turns Up 2,700 Miles Away In Oregon
AJack Russell terrier went missing in Pennsylvania and was discovered an astonishing 2,700 miles away along an Oregon roadside nearly five months later. That’s a 40-hour drive by way of the interstate.
It’s unclear how Gidget, a 7-year-old white and brown-spotted pooch, arrived in Oregon after wandering off from her owner in Huntingdon, Pa. on April 22, reports said.
Gidget’s cross-country walkabout ended when she was plucked off an Oregon roadway earlier this month and taken to Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter in Hillsboro. A microchip embedded under her skin helped identify the owner.
“It is an absolute mystery to everyone how little Gidget ended up here, nearly 3,000 miles from home,” the shelter’s Deborah Wood told the Portland Tribune on Wednesday. “We are just thrilled that she was microchipped and that the owner’s information was current. We were able to tell Gidget’s family that she is safe.”
The dog’s unnamed owner can’t afford to fly out, so the shelter is hoping to find some other way of reuniting pet and owner, according to The Oregonian.
The shelter believes a long haul trucker must have given Gidget a ride West. Now begins the journey home.
Wounded Raven Undergoes
Rare Feather Transplant
Broken wing? Nevermore! A wounded raven underwent a rare feather transplant–in which she received feathers from another bird–to help her fly again.
The poor bird was found injured and sick in a parking lot near Richmond, Virginia, by a Blue Cross worker, who rushed her to a wildlife center in March, Barcroft Media reports.
“It was having a hard time flying–so I fed it hard-boiled eggs and other healthy foods to try to lure it into a crate,” said Maureen Bergin, who rescued the bird.
Workers at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Richmond inserted bamboo shoots into the raven’s right wing and attached the other end to six donor feathers in September.
The plucky little squawker, who doesn’t have a name, is gaining strength, wildlife workers said.
Good To Know…
Local Business, Provides For Dogs & Much Needed Jobs For People
Faced with the challenge of finding employment opportunities for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, Vicki Sylvester, Ph.D, CEO of Community Based Services, Inc. in North Salem, NY, jumped at the chance. Combining her 30 years of experience in serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with her love of dogs she created a business: Good Reasons Dog Treats. Good Reasons is a dog treat company on a mission. Job one is baking natural dog treats to please your dog’s palate, but Good Reasons is determined to go beyond the biscuit. The company provides meaningful employment for people with autism and other disabilities from the Hudson Valley and Taconic region in an integrated work environment.
Community Based Services, Inc. (CBS), is a not-for-profit organization that provides individualized support and a satisfying quality of life for people with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Good Reasons Dog Treats became a reality on July 1, 2014. The brand was an immediate hit and can now be found in 25 Hudson Valley retail stores including Adams Fairacre Farms in Poughkeepsie, at the Roosevelt Veterinary Center in Brewster, and Whispering Pine in Yorktown Heights. The company’s website www.goodreasons.com offers online sales of all the chef’s recipe Treat flavors in time for the upcoming holiday season including a festive red tin of “Gracie’s Goodie Too Chews.”
Sylvester says, “We’ve been overwhelmed with the success of the brand. More than that, our employees are thrilled to have a rewarding job that gives them experience in employment, social and life skills.” The great people and good dogs at Good Reasons invite dog lovers everywhere to snap up some Good Reasons
Founder, Vicki Sylvester, Ph.D., merged her professional experience as an advocate for the disabled community with her love of animals to create a company that supports an integrated workforce. Sylvester is also the CEO of Community Based Services, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides the highest level of individualized support for people with autism and other developmental disabilities.
