Mustang Deaths in Roundup at Owyhee

Big News courtesy of Madeleine Pickens; direct from her website

Madeleine Pickens & wild horse coalition call for suspension of all summer roundups, full transparency in agency operations

(July 13, 2010) Philanthropist and businesswoman Madeleine Pickens was joined today by the million-member ASPCA, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, and many other organizations expressing their outrage over the deaths of at least seven mustangs in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundup conducted Saturday in the Owyhee Complex in northeastern Nevada. The wild horses died of dehydration-related causes—including brain swelling, colic and acute water intoxication – as a result of being stampeded by helicopters for up to eight miles in 90+ degree desert heat.

In a sign on letter addressed to President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Mrs. Pickens and the groups also harshly criticized the agency for cracking down on public access to observe and videotape roundup operations. The advocates released footage of a BLM representative stating publicly that public video of a prior roundup caused the agency to have “a really hard time trying to explain what’s happening.”

“The BLM simply does not want the American people to see what its wrongheaded policies are doing to our mustangs,” said Mrs. Pickens. “The horrific deaths of Owyhee horses recall the tragedy earlier this year in Nevada’s Calico Complex, where over 100 wild horses lost their lives and dozens of mares spontaneously aborted their late term foals in another deadly roundup.”

“We are calling on the President and Secretary Salazar to immediately instruct the BLM to suspend all summer roundups to avoid a repeat of the tragedy at Owyhee,” Mrs. Pickens continued. “The entire wild horse program must be fundamentally reformed. America’s mustangs are still waiting for change.”

Over the next four months, the BLM intends to capture and remove 6,000 wild horse and burros from six Western states. At least half of these roundups are scheduled to take place in desert environments in the hot summer months. Public access to observe the roundup operations will be severely limited to a handful of staged opportunities, with broader access given to small number of handpicked “experts.”

The crackdown on public observation comes in the wake of public outrage and international media coverage of the Calico roundup, which ended in February. The controversy was fueled by release of photographs and video showing of wild horses, including young foals, heavily pregnant mares and older horses, being forcefully driven by helicopter out of the mountains of Nevada and into BLM trap pens.

“The BLM’s crackdown on public observation of roundup activities is unacceptable, and makes a mockery of President Obama’s stated commitment to open government and transparency in government operations,” added Suzanne Roy, Campaign Director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, whose grassroots efforts are endorsed by a coalition of more than 40 horse advocacy, animal welfare, conservation and historic preservation organizations.

Other coalition supporters signing the letter include Mrs. Pickens’ Saving America’s Mustangs Foundation, The Cloud Foundation, Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, Return to Freedom, American Wild Horse Sanctuary, Animal Welfare Institute, and In Defense of Animals.

The BLM wild horse program has been harshly criticized for its lack of fiscal sustainability. The agency now stockpiles more wild horses in government holding pens and pastures (36,000+) than are left on the range (less than 33,000). The cost to taxpayers for this program is expected to exceed $70 million next fiscal year.

Wild horses comprise a small fraction of grazing animals on public lands, where they are outnumbered by livestock nearly 50 to 1.

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Bid Dogs in Big Cities

I was in New York last week to settle Son #2 in his new digs (he will be attending Grad School in the Fall) and as we wandered the streets looking for various apartment accessories as well as sustenance, I couldn't help but notice that the city is literally overrun with dogs. I do not think I am making this up. It seemed like every other person was walking at least one dog.

And I am not just talking about the small apartment types. Big dogs, like Great Pyrennes and Rottweilers were in abundance as were labs and golden retrievers. I cannot imagine having a big dog in NYC--it was really hot and the sidewalk must have been blistering in the sun--but obviously people do it.

Yes, there were the very talented dog walkers with five or six leashes in hand (I don't know how they do it either) and all sorts of dogs trailing very obediently behind them, all of them looking very happy, I might add.

Personally, after living a life with three big canines in the country where they can and do run free, I cannot imagine they would ever adapt to being walked four or five times a day but I suppose it's all what you are used to. Trust me, none of these dogs seemed any worse for the wear, but there will always be a part of me that thinks it is not fair to a dog to raise it in the city.

There is the matter of doing ones business on the pavement since green spaces are few and far between, but once again, none of this seems to be an issue and people are incredibly obedient when it comes to pooper scooper laws.

If I did have a pet in the city, I would opt for a small dog that might be able to be trained to go in a litter box, just to save myself the hassle of elevator dashes in the middle of the night, but once again, New York is the city that never sleeps. And what a market for our book!!!

What about you? Have you ever raised a dog in a city? It is easier than it looks?

We're Having a Heat Wave

In case you don't know it we have been having some insufferably hot conditions on the East coast and at this rate it is going to be a long hot summer. Although I rarely do this, the following advice from dogbreedinfo.com is so good about protecting your pet from heatstroke that I printed it as written.

Stay cool!

The summer months can be brutal to your dog. Dogs are much more susceptible to heatstroke than humans. One reason for this is, your dog wears his fur coat all year round. And while dogs do have sweat glands on their feet, they do not have them on the rest of their body. They rely on panting, a method of breathing out excess heat, to cool down their bodies. This method is not as affective as sweating.

Some breeds are much more susceptible to the heat then others. Dogs with thick, double-coats have a harder time beating the heat. Also dogs with pushed back faces, such as Bulldogs, Pugs and Boxers, have smaller airways, and therefore have less of an ability to blow out hot air.

The major cause of heatstroke in dogs is leaving a dog in a parked car. Even with the windows cracked on a 70° F (22° C) to 80° F (26° C) day, while it may feel comfortable outside, the inside of your car can heat up to over 100° F (38° C) in minutes! As you can imagine, with that fur coat on, your dog's body temperature rises very quickly.

Exercising in hot weather is another common way heatstroke can occur. As with humans, older dogs, over-weight dogs and or dogs with heart or lung ailments, are much more likely to suffer from heatstroke than younger dogs that are more in shape. Do not push your dog to exercise on very hot or humid days.

Suspecting Heatstroke

If you suspect your dog has heatstroke, cool him down as quickly as you can and call your vet immediately. Some of the are;

Symptoms of Heatstroke in Dogs

Rapid heavy panting
Drooling
Petechiae (pinpoint, deep-red hemorrhages on gums/ skin)
Bright red mucous membranes on the gums and conjunctiva of the eyes
Hyperventilation (gasping for air)
Salivation early then dry gums as heat prostration sets in
Staring
Glassy eyes
Anxious expression
Refusal to obey commands
Warm, dry skin
Fever
Rapid heartbeat
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Weakness
Collapse
Seizures

In some extreme cases seizures, diarrhea and vomiting can occur. Cooling your dog's body temperature down quickly is very important. The fastest way to do this is by using cool water. Do not use ice water, as a dramatic change in temperature can be dangerous. You can put your dog in a bathtub, sink or kiddie pool filled with cool water. A very good way to cool down a dog is to put water on their chest. Also a lot of heat exits the dog's body through his feet, so having the dog stand in cool water will also help. Another way is to put cool wet towels around your dog's body, while he is standing in something cool. It is important to cool off the chest and feet. Be sure to refresh the towels in cool water every few minutes, as the towels will quickly reach the same temperature as your dog's body. Spraying your dog with the hose, dumping buckets of water on your dog, or placing your dog directly in front of an air conditioner are a few more ways you can cool down your dog's body temperature. Offer your dog a drink and be sure to contact your vet right away.

And Never, Ever, Ever leave a dog in a parked car for even ten seconds. Just imagine sitting in your parked car wearing a fur coat. Forget about it Ever.

Nicanor Three out of Four in Sussex

Well it was pouring yesterday and while it was great news for the flowers, trees and grass that were very thirsty, it was not such great news for Nicanor. As a result of the heavy rain most of the day, the tenth race at Delaware yesterday was moved from the turf to the dirt which resulted in a four horse field.

To his credit, Nicanor, did very well in the slop, all things considered. He led for most of the race, which was very smart since I don't think he would have liked having mud kicked in his face. As they came around the final turn you could see the jockey urging him into another gear (or maybe urging him to change leads a little more quickly)and Nick gave it a valiant effort.

Still in front at the top of the stretch, he would eventually be overtaken by Pickapocket about a length shy of the wire. A photo for second between Nicanor and Bullsbay with Bullsbay taking the honors. Nick finished a game third by a length and a half, having faded in the stretch.

It was tough going in tough conditions and I think it was great he got another race in and took away a little something to show for his efforts. It is a shame that the conditions were not different and that the field was so diminished, but clearly Nicky needed this race or Matz would have scratched him as well.

In my opinion, we should see him back on the turf at the same distance at Saratoga this summer.

Big Day of Racing at Delaware for FOBs

On the same day as the Barbaro Stakes, named in honor of his brother, Nicanor will run today in the Sussex Stakes at Delaware Park, his favorite track (so it seems).

Assigned post position number seven, a weight of 119 and his winning jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr., Nicanor seems perfectly positioned to make a good showing. Let's hope the heat, which has forced local tracks including Delaware Park and Philadelphia Park, to cancel racing earlier this week, will be a little more bearable and that the thunder storms, which are forecast, hold off until after the post time of 5:18 p.m.

I predict lots of wearing of the blue and green and hopefully a nice trip to the winner's circle in honor of big brother and all those who continue to follow his legacy. What a fitting tribute that would be!

Delaware Park - July 10, 2010

Race 10 - 5:18 PM Daily Double (Races 10-11) / Exacta / Trifecta / Superfecta (10-cent min.)

STAKES
Sussex S.

Purse $100,000. For Three Year Olds And Upward. No nomination fee; $500 to enter and $750 to start. Supplemental nominations of $2,000 will be accepted at time of entry which shall include all fees. $100,000 Guaranteed, of which $60,000 to the winner, $20,000 to second, $11,000 to third, $6,000 to fourth and $3,000 to fifth. Weight: Three year olds: 117 Lbs. Older: 123 Lbs. Non-Winners of $45,000 at a mile or over on the turf since May 10, allowed 2 Lbs. $25,000 at a mile or over on the turf since April 10, 4 Lbs. $18,000 at a mile or over on the turf since Feburary 10, 6 Lbs. (Maiden,claiming and starter races not considered in estimating allowances). Starters to pass the entry box by the usual time of closing. Preference to horses that have accumulated the highesttotal earnings on the turf in 2009 - 2010. Trophy to the winning owner. (If deemed inadvisable by management not to run this race over the turf course, it will be run on the main track at One Mile and One Sixteenth). One And One Sixteenth Miles. (Turf)

PP Horse
Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Pick Six (KY) 6/H LA* T J Thompson 117 E M Oare
2 Nownownow (KY) 5/H L J Rosario 117 P L Biancone
3 Bullsbay (KY) 6/H LA* J Bravo 117 H G Motion
4 Tybalt (KY) 6/H LA* A R Napravnik 119 M Stidham
5 Pickapocket (FL) 6/G LA* B J Hernandez, Jr.121 S Margolis
6 Leading On (KY) 6/G L J Shepherd 117 J A Dodgen
7 Nicanor (KY) 4/C LA J Valdivia, Jr. 119 M R Matz
8 Minnie Punt (NY) 4/G L G Saez 123 M Miceli
9 Saco River (PA) 6/G LA* J L Flores 117 T B Houghton
10 Vanquisher (FL) 6/G LA* J Rose 117 G A Griffith
11 Pleasant Strike (VA) 6/H LA* F Jara 117 T A Pletcher

Run like the wind Nicky and come home safe.

A Daring Rescue

From the Today Show Archive, Juy 2. Click on link to see video.

A puppy trapped in a remote Arizona canyon is getting a second chance thanks to rock climber Zak Anderegg. 'Today' correspondent Kristen Welker chronicles the daring rescue of the dog, now affectionately known as "Puppy." On a weekend hike through the canyons along the Arizona-Utah border, Anderegg was shocked to find the dog at the bottom of a narrow 350 foot deep canyon, "emaciated, all alone, and scared."

An animal lover at heart, Anderegg sprung into action. "Borrowing a cat carrier from a local animal hospital, and attaching it to his ropes, Anderegg was able to lift the dog from the depths of the cavern all by himself," Welker explains. With the help of a local vet, Anderegg was able nurse the miracle pup back to health. Puppy is temporarily living with Zak and his wife while they search for a permanent home.

Secretariat's Triple Crown Victories

I went to the movies over the weekend and saw the trailer for the movie Secretariat on the big screen. It does promise to be a great movie, told in that Disney style that may skimp a little on the truth, but makes up for it in the emotions department.

For those of you who never saw Secretariat's actual races, I dug up this very good video that shows him winning the Triple Crown in 1973. That Belmont race still gives me goosebumps.

Enjoy!