Episode 22 - Pup Aid, assistance dog discrimination and more

The Dog News Show

In episode 22 of The Dog News Show Debbie gets the ball rolling with a story that's sure to provoke outrage. The Right Honorable David Blunkett is the Minister of Parliament for Brightside and Hillsborough; he also happens to be blind and have a guide dog. David and his dog Cosby, were on their way to their officially allotted seat at the Paralympics, currently taking place in London, when an official stopped them, and told David that the seat he was heading for wasn't suitable for an assistance dog. After a conversation a seat was found for Mr Blunkett in another part of the stadium, but this is a disgraceful way for a disabled person to be treated - and how ironic that this discrimination happened at the Paralympics. This is in the same week that assistance dogs access advocate Wendy Morrell was turned away by a taxi driver who didn't want to take her assistance dog Udo in his cab. But resourceful Wendy took action - you can find out more about Wendy via her twitter feed @goldencaesar.
If you live alone and you have animals, how do you make sure they will be cared for if you are put out of action temporarily - or permanently. Two stories have hit the headlines recently that highlight how their owner's death can also be fatal for a dog. In the first story from Port Lincoln, South Australia, Basil the Blue Heeler got trapped in the toilet for a month when his owner sadly died in his house. Fortunately for Basil he drank from the toilet and survived, but it could have been a very different story. For a Jack Russell terrier in Arbroath, Scotland, being trapped in the house with his dead owner for 8 days with no source of water caused his kidneys to fail and he had to be put to sleep. But is there a practical system that can be put in place to help people and their animals who are at risk of this happening?
Marc Abraham - known as Marc the TV vet due to his appearances on numerous shows - is passionate about animal welfare. He runs the campaign Where's Mum? and has organised a huge fun dog show to publicise the plight of dogs in dog farms and to educate people on how to go about getting a dog in the right way. This year's Pup Aid will be on Saturday 8th September and in this show you can hear an extract from an interview Debbie did with Marc where he talks about the fun filled - and celebrity filled - family friendly day out that is Pup Aid. Plus if you want to play Name the Breed (as mentioned in the show) checkout Marc's Twitter feed - @marcthevet.

A very odd and sad story emerged from Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in which stray dogs managed to get into the city's zoo and attack five kangaroos. Apparently the zoo had been modernising and taking fences down to provide greater access to the animals, but it had tragic consequences for the kangaroos. But were the stray dogs hungry or thirsty, and what can be don to help the stray population of the area?
Next a disturbing story from Mexico, where a drug gang hacked off a dog's front paws. The poor dog in question survived the ordeal but was left disabled. Luckily for him he was taken to a shelter which cared enough about him to raise the thousands of dollars necessary to have prosthetic limbs made for him. Lemon Pie as he has been nicknamed, is now learning to use his artificial legs and seems happy and oblivious to any hardships. However, is it always right to try and "fix" every health problem a dog has, and what justice should be meted out to the mindless thugs who damaged the dog in this way?
After a show which deals with some weighty and serious issues, we send you off with a smile thanks to Schmaltz Corner. This week you can hear the tale of the determined dog rescuers of Seaford in Sussex, who went ahead with a fun dog show in the face of awful weather conditions and still managed to raise £1,000 for Seaford Dog Rescue. Plucky dog lovers of Sussex, we salute you!