The Woof Report – Dogs in the News

Franky, the famous drug sniffing dog

Who would have thought a dog could be the center of a Supreme Court case?  That is just what has happened to Franky, the drug sniffing dog.  This dashing chocolate lab and his fellow police officers received a tip about Joelis Jardines growing marijuana in his house and went to investigate.  After sniffing the front door, Franky gave the signal that there were drugs in the house, and a detective left to get a warrant.  Franky’s nose was correct, but Jardines is arguing that his Fourth Amendment rights were violated as a dog sniff without a warrant is “unreasonable search.”  A bit ridiculous….but also a fascinating look into our legal system.  At the very least, it has brought to light the importance of dogs in law enforcement…and the importance of outlining in detail how they fit in with law.

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Oscars?  Who needs ’em! On January 18,  Dog News Daily will be announcing the nominations for it’s First Annual Golden Collar Awards.  Categories include: Best Dog in a Theatrical Film, Best Dog in a Foreign Film, and Best Dog in a Direct-to-DVD Film….along with all those honorary and lifetime achievement awards that have become a must at awards shows.  A panel of prestigious judges have already been selected to choose who will be top dog.

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Ole, the amazing corgi

A Welsh corgi Ole, thought to be killed by an avalanche, showed up four days after the tragedy at the motel where his owners had been staying.  Unfortunately, the slide killed the Ole’s father…but the rest of the family was cheered and amazed to hear of Ole’s survival.  A skier followed the corgi’s tracks back to the avalanche and found evidence that the pooch had been buried about three feet deep and walked over four miles to get back to the motel . All I can say is WOW.

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Oscars?  Who needs ’em! On January 18,  Dog News Daily will be announcing the nominations for it’s First Annual Golden Collar Awards.  Categories include: Best Dog in a Theatrical Film, Best Dog in a Foreign Film, and Best Dog in a Direct-to-DVD Film….along with all those honorary and lifetime achievement awards that have become a must at awards shows.  A panel of prestigious judges have already been selected to choose who will be top dog.

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I was extremely happy to hear about this last story:  Elena Zakharova spent $1650 on a new puppy from a pet boutique in New York City.  A few months later, Umka (the pup) began showing unusual behavior…turns out the poor pooch had a congenital birth defect in her knees and hips (a pretty much sure sign that Umka came from  puppy mill.)  After spending over $4000 at the vet (with several thousand dollars in procedures still on the horizon) Zakharova is suing the boutique for the medical bill.  “So what,” you are thinking “people sue all the time here in America!”  Well, she is also suing for “pain and suffering”….the dog’s pain and suffering that is.  In New York, though, pets are property, and by definition property can’t feel pain.  Now Zakharova has to get her lawyer to prove that dogs have souls, and therefore are not “property” but living creatures that can indeed feel pain.  I’m incredibly curious to see how this plays out.  It is fascinating isn’t it….and brings up similar points as Franky’s story above.  Dogs have become so important in our society and our personal lives, we are going to have to decide how they fit into our laws.