Who gives a hoot about the stereo or TV if someone breaks into your home and steals your dogs?

Skippy and Gizmo/submitted photo

Such was the case in Oro Valley when burglars took off with Skippy and Gizmo, two purebred Yorkshire terriers.

Oro Valley police have no leads on the Feb. 19 burglary, which also included unspecified electronics. We don’t know if any stereo or TV was involved, but we do know the thief or thieves also stole the pooches’ two dog carriers.

Skippy, age 6, is black and tan and weighs around 4 pounds while Gizmo, no age given, is salt and pepper and about 8 pounds.

The pet carriers are navy blue with soft polyester sides and measure 20 inches high by 18 inches wide by 23.5 inches deep.

The Animal Cruelty Task Force is helping to spread the word on this theft with a news release that notes the following:

It is possible that someone in southern Arizona knows of the whereabouts of these dogs without realizing it. Often stolen animals will simply materialize in a new home overnight with little or no explanation. If you happen to know anyone who happened upon two Yorkshire Terriers in crates like those described above, please contact 88-CRIME, an anonymous tip-line run by the Pima County Attorney’s Office. Tipsters have three options for reporting information anonymously:

Talk: 882-7463. (Collect calls accepted.)
Text: 274637, enter “Tip 259” plus text message
Visit: www.88crime.org

Sawyer Says: Nab them.

What do you think?

What would you do if someone stole your pet?

The most glorious gleam I ever saw in someone’s eye is when a fellow riverbed dog-walker described how she just killed a rattlesnake.

Rattlesnakes sans fangs are used in training/Ryn Gargulinski

She smashed in its head with a rock, she said, a big rock. A very big rock. Smashed it numerous times. Did I want to go see?

“If you grew up in Arizona,” a native told me, “you know what a thrill it is to kill a rattlesnake. Those things are a menace.”

Lots of things are menaces, but that doesn’t mean I go around killing them. Well, maybe cockroaches. And mosquitoes. And flies. Just the little things without too many guts.

Technically, rattlesnake season is every season in Tucson – one snake handler said for every one snake you see, there are 12 you don’t see. Now that it’s warming up, more snakes will be coming out to play.

At least 150 people are bitten by rattlesnakes in Arizona every year, according to statistics from the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. We can cut down our odds, and those of our pets, with a few nifty tips.

Phoebe with snake trainer Web Parton refusing to go near snake/Ryn Gargulinski

Be observant. Catching a snake off-guard by accidentally stepping on it is a surefire way to get bit. Rattlesnakes dig sunning themselves on rocks or hanging out in wood or rock piles. They also like to hide in tall grass off the beaten path, preferably where your dogs enjoy romping.

Get your dog trained. The Humane Society of Southern Arizona is one place you can go to get your dogs trained to avoid the rattlesnake. Sawyer and Phoebe both went and, while they did not enjoy the shock collar used in training, I told them we’d all enjoy it much less if they were ever bit by a rattlesnake.

Rattlesnake avoidance training at the Humane Society costs $70 per dog for a 2.5 hour class. Classes run through spring and summer at 5 and 7:30 p.m. on Fridays. Dogs 10 months to 10 years eligible. Upcoming dates include March 12 and 26, April 2 and 16. Register online at hssaz.org or call 321-2704 ext. 147.

Veterinarians say the cost to treat a snake bite can easily top $1,000.

Even though Phoebe has twice alerted us to rattlesnakes after her training, it’s still a good idea to keep dogs leashed and out of heavy rattlesnake zones.

Be smart. Don’t go sticking your hand in holes or stepping where you can’t see the ground. But even the most careful walkers have a chance of getting bit – like my friend who has since recovered but nearly lost her leg. Another rule is to always wear long pants, boots and carry your cell phone and a stick to poke around when out in rattlesnake territory. Yes, walk loudly and carry a big stick – or go ahead, grab that rock.

Rattlesnake bites are best treated at the hospital or vet, depending on your species.

Sawyer's "I'm staying away from snakes" face with Web Parton/Ryn Gargulinski

What do you think?

Have you ever smashed in a rattlesnake’s head?

Have you or your pets ever been bit?

Our pets may be smart, but they may not know everything – like what to do during a fire.

Fire photo Ryn Gargulinski

Chances of our furry, feathered and scaly friends surviving a blaze will soon be increased, thanks to a slew of donated pet oxygen masks.

The donation comes from Tucson Pet Care Network, a group of local animal care professionals which aims to give pet oxygen masks to every fire station in the Tucson metro area.

Four masks are going to Northwest Fire District Fire Station 38, 8475 N. Star Grass, on Wednesday, March 3.

“Many people consider pets members of the family,“ said Northwest Fire Capt. Adam Goldberg in a news release, “and the devastation of losing a cherished pet is often much greater than the trauma of losing a house or possessions.”

You got that right, Captain.

Designed to fit the noses and snouts of dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, birds and other small animals, pet oxygen masks could mean the difference between life and death if our beloved pets were ever trapped in raging smoke and flames.

“We’ve already donated some masks to local fire stations,” said Tucson Pet Care Network Chairperson Kate Titus, “but we want to make sure there is one on every truck that might be responding to a fire.”

Individual members have donated to fire stations near their homes, and the Northwest delivery marks the first donation by Tucson Pet Care Network.

“We’ve also had a few vets get in on the action,” Titus said. Both Dr. Tim Ireland from Encanto Pet Clinic and Dr. Ann Campbell from Plaza Pet have purchased and donated masks.

The Network has five more masks to deliver, most likely going to Tucson Fire Department stations.

“We’re well short of that goal and need the public’s help to make that a reality,” Titus said. “Outer-lying areas have the most need, but there is a need in Tucson proper as well.

We discovered the need for the masks from a group called Bark Buckle UP (www.barkbuckleup.com ) and their promotion, Bark 10-4, for fire awareness month in October. They worked with SurgiVet, manufacturer of the masks, and Smith Medical, distributor of the masks, to make them available for public sponsorship and distribution to fire houses in the community. The masks are sponsored by 100 percent donation and there is no tax or shipping costs. The masks are delivered directly to the firehouses. It’s easy for the public to get involved. The masks are just $25 for a medium mask or $65 for a set of three masks in small, medium and large.

To help Tucson Pet Care Network with its efforts or to learn more, visit TucsonPetCareNetwork.com.

Side note: In addition to the network’s chairperson, Titus owns A Loyal Companion Massage Therapy. Sawyer and Phoebe both swooned over her pet massage techniques, which she outlines during free workshops.

Sawyer Says: Thank you, Tucson Pet Care Network. Pet oxygen masks are a great idea, even though I hate things on my head. Heck, I even chewed off that lampshade thing they put around my head when I had stomach stitches.

What do you think?

Have you ever seen a pet oxygen mask in action?

Have your pets every survived a fire or other life-threatening circumstances?

Move over, Vicodin. Get lost, OxyContin. The new way to get high is with a drug normally prescribed for pets.

Beware of taking pet medication/Ryn Gargulinski

Torbutrol, also known as Butorphanol Tartrate, is a painkiller meant for dogs and cats – and sometimes stolen by people.

For suppressing coughs in canines, the site drugs.com says the drug is “four times more potent than morphine…and 100 times more potent than codeine.”

If it does that for a canine cough, imagine what it could do for the rest of the human body.

Perhaps it was no surprise then when two Kentucky women were busted for stealing the drug from animal clinic where they worked, according to a report from NBC.

Julia Thomas-Ficken and Dannette Foulks were arrested by the McCracken County Sheriff’s Department and are facing drug charges after the clinic reported 177 doses of Turbutrol missing.

Bet 177 people in Kentucky sure aren’t coughing.

Butorphanol was once available for people in the form of a nasal spray, but soon needed to be monitored by the Controlled Substances Act due to is rampant abuse, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration website.

Of course, the stolen torbutrol story came complete with all the warnings to veterinary offices and other places that house animal drugs to keep an eye on the stash.

It also warned that people should not really be taking animal drugs of any sort as they could lead to very bad side effects – like death.

You think?

Ketamine, or Special K, is another animal drug – which is also available in people form – with a history of abuse.

In addition to having the power to knock out a horse, Ketamine is known to give people near death or out-of-body experiences and hallucinations.

It’s known for date rape cases, where it’s slipped into an unsuspecting person’s drink so they pass out and have no idea what’s happening to them. 

Sawyer Says: Leave the animal drugs to the animals.

What do you think?

Have you ever taken drugs meant for animals or heard of others doing this?

Have you ever given your pets medicine meant for humans?

We had a record year in Arizona for one trend we’d rather not see: poaching and other wildlife related atrocities.

Why would someone shoot and kill a cow?/Ryn Gargulinski

A total of 768 violations were reported through the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief Program, according to an agency news release.

That was more than double the 360 reported in 2006 and a big chunk above the 451 reported in 2008.

Are people getting more brazen, less considerate – or just increasingly sloppier and careless enough to get caught?

Game and Fish solved 39 of the violations, paying out 39 rewards to folks who reported the crimes to the tune of $14,125.

Those busted included Jared A. Youngs, 22, and his hunting buddy Josh L. Ferrigna, 24. These partners in crime were slapped with more than $12,000 in fines and license suspensions – one for life – after being caught slaughtering animals at night on Willcox-area farm fields.

The duo received a hefty 22 citations from Game and Fish. These included knowingly taking wildlife: during a closed season, at night with artificial night, without a hunting license and with the aid of a vehicle. They were also cited for wasting game meat and trespassing on private property while killing off their prey.

“During interviews, these individuals were asked why they had engaged in this type of activity, and their responses were they just got caught up in the excitement and the adrenaline rush,” said John Bacaorn, wildlife manager for Game and Fish.

Some rush.

18 violations involved deer/submitted photo

Other 2009 cases included:

* A dismembered doe found shoved in a bag dangling from a tree near Wentworth and Sahuarita roads on Dec. 3

* An adult female mule deer left to rot in the desert, at the end of a trail of beer cans and garbage, east of Wellton found on Nov. 26

* A cow shot dead and left to rot on the privately owned Sierra Bonita Ranch property somewhere between Nov. 11 and 13

Big game accounted for 416 of the 768 violations. These included 15 cases involving mule deer, three cases involving whitetail deer, 16 cases involving elk, two involving black bears, two involving antelope and one involving a bighorn sheep ram.

Wonder if the jokers were after the ram horns.

Those who report the crimes can remain anonymous, and there’s still plenty of reward money left for those who help solve cases.

Anyone with information about wildlife violations can call the department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline toll free at (800) 352-0700

Report them online at www.azgfd.gov/thief.

Callers may be eligible for a reward of up to $8,000, or more, for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of wildlife violators.

Sawyer Says: Go for it – come forward if you know anything.

Game and Fish's John Bacaorn and crew don't fool around/submitted photo

What do you think?

What’s your theory behind the massive increase in wildlife related violations in 2009?

Have you ever seen or reported such violations?

The terrible twosome’s wacky habits

Sawyer and vacuum/Ryn Gargulinski

Vacuums are tops when it comes to cleaning up after our pets. But many pets, like Sawyer, certainly don’t agree.

Sawyer barks, paws at and tries to attack the thing when it comes out every Wednesday to suck up a week’s worth of dog hair and debris. Phoebe simply runs in the other room or hightails it outside.

Saywer’s hatred of the vacuum most likely comes from one of three reasons:
It’s big, noisy and disrupts his naps.
It’s big, noisy and he thinks it’s a monster from which he must defend me.
It’s big, noisy and “eats” all the food he purposely and constantly spills all over the orange shag carpet.

In a dog training class at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s Companion for Life Center, the instructor told us how to make our dogs less adverse to the evil vacuum.

We are supposed to leave it out, unplugged, in the middle of the floor for days on end. Each time our pet goes near it, we should call the pet over and pet him. We should coo at him, coo at the vacuum and give the pet a treat.

We should keep up this training, to get our pet to see the vacuum is just a harmless yet practical tool, until he no longer hates it.

Then we should turn it on for short periods, each time getting the pet to come over, get a treat, and see the vacuum is not going to suck him up and send him into a black hole in outer space where there are no Beggin’ Strips.

I tried this sequence briefly.

Sawyer and his friend the vacuum/Ryn Gargulinski

I left the vacuum out, unplugged, in the middle of the floor for days on end.

We then tripped on it, got tangled in its cord and eventually put it away, wholly forgetting about the rest of the experiment.

Guess Sawyer will have to learn to live with the vacuum on his own. Or I’ll just have to learn to live with him barking at and attacking it.

Related note: The best vacuums for pet hair I’ve found are Bissell, which I initially bought because there’s a cute white dog on the box that kind of looks like Mr. Angel. Marketing at work.

Related note II: Sawyer also goes nuts and attacks the Swiffer mop, except the floor is wet beneath his paws and he often slides in mid-attack. When he does get close enough, he goes for the mop’s “jugular,” or the big bottle of cleaning fluid attached to the mop stem.

The terrible twosome’s wacky habits is a feature that highlights the strange habits of Ryn’s dogs Sawyer and Phoebe. If you have a strange pet habit to share, please e-mail to rynski@tucsoncitizen.com,

Sawyer thinks the vacuum will eat his food/Ryn Gargulinski

Haul from just the living room/Ryn Gargulinski

What do you think?

Does your pet like to attack vacuums and mops?

Has he ever eaten a feather duster?

What cleaning tools are essential for every household with a pet?

What brands are the best/worst for pet cleaning tools?

Sawyer’s snazzy product review

Sawyer gives a "paw's up" to One Mean Kitty/Ryn Gargulinski

Sawyer loves his toys, although it’s quite a challenge to find any that last more than five minutes without being mangled, mauled, mutilated or eaten whole.

Enter One Mean Kitty.

Manufactured by Fat Cat Inc,, this toy is a tough canvas cat stuffed with green foam that’s hard to vacuum and a squeaky.

For those not in the know, a “squeaky” is the little plastic device inside squeaky toys that emits air and a squeaky noise that supposedly mimics a dying rat. Squeakies make pets go wild.

One Mean Kitty not only had a squeaky, but it also made a new world’s record.

The mean ol’ cat lasted a whole three weeks. Amazing.

Sawyer first snatched the toy from Phoebe on Christmas Eve, as it was supposed to be her gift. Grandma and Grandpa always send the finest presents for the duo, selecting them with much thought and care.

One Mean Kitty is one quality toy/Ryn Gargulinski

They got the cat for Phoebe as she has a strong general  desire to rip felines to pieces. But Phoebe instead ended up with Sawyer’s canvas star that promptly disappeared and is most likely buried in the yard.

One Mean Kitty stayed in the house, visited the yard, ended up on the rain, was found atop, below and crammed in between cushions and pillows everywhere from the couch to the bed.

The cat was batted, chewed, drooled upon, snorted at, tossed, thrown and hurled. It even survived several three-way tug-o-wars among Sawyer, Phoebe and myself.

The legs did often make hurt little ripping noises, but none ever came loose.

It’s the squeaker that did the cat in. Since Sawyer once chewed through a hard plastic ball to get to a treat that was stuck inside, chewing through One Mean Kitty’s canvas was just a matter of time.

The squeaky saw daylight on Jan. 16.

Squeaky exposed/Ryn Gargulinski

Once the squeaky is visible, the toy gets retired. Some dogs have choked on squeakies while other have swallowed them whole and end up needing surgery.

Sawyer already has his surgery after eating river rocks that lodged above his intestine. Sawyer says: enough is enough with that surgery stuff.

Sawyer also says: One Mean Kitty is one cool toy. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

Mean kitty's disabling injury/Ryn Gargulinski

Close up of mean kitty's disabling injury/Ryn Gargulinski

What do you think?

Have you found toys that withstand lots of wear and tear?

What’s the chintziest toy you’ve ever run across? The dumbest? The most dangerous?

The Oro Valley dog who was found shot, semi-conscious and lying in his own excrement on New Year’s Day died on Jan. 14, according to the vet’s office where he was being treated.

The dog, a small breed named Winchester, had been hospitalized and in stable condition following the shooting, which Oro Valley police surmise happened on New Year’s Eve.

Although Winchester had previously survived a bout of cancer and was quietly living into old age, being shot by a pellet gun was evidently too much for him.

Winchester’s plight came to light when the dog sitter called 911 on Jan. 1 after finding him lying semi-conscious in the yard of the home in the 10700 block of North Sand Canyon Place, according to a news release from the Oro Valley Police Department.

The gun’s projectile had passed through Winchester’s small intestine and pancreas, lodging itself in his spinal cord.

Winchester’s vet bills are still a concern, and the vet’s office confirmed donations can be marked “Apply to the care of Winchester” and sent to Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, 141 E Fort Lowell, Tucson, AZ 85705.

Police and the Animal Cruelty Task Force are still looking for suspects in the case. They urge anyone with information to call or text 88-CRIME or enter the info online at www.88crime.com.

Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Sawyer Says: Some people really stink. I’m glad I’m a dog.

Sigh.

A dejected Phoebe and Sawyer leaving the Tubac dog park/Ryn Gargulinski

Sawyer and Phoebe were delighted with our recent day trip to Tubac – they just got a bit crumpled getting there.

Every dog not only deserves his day, but he also deserves a wild romp after being in the car for more than an hour.

After stretching a bit and peeing on a tumbleweed, the dogs were overjoyed to stumble upon a grand fenced space known as the Tubac dog park.

The two pent-up pooches raced for the gate, excited to see three dogs were already inside.

We went in the first gated area we saw, which appeared to be the dog park’s entryway.

Sawyer and Phoebe were jumping and frolicking right along with the other three dogs who remained on the other side of the main fence.

So we asked the two owners who were with the three dogs, an apparent mother and adult daughter, how we got into the main area.

You don’t, they told us. At least not while we’re here with our three dogs.

If you want to come in another time, they said, the gate is around the back there.

Your dogs can play in this little dog run area, the told us. They were referring to the front entryway, which was long, boring and only a tad larger than the car the dogs just sat in for 50 miles.

How rude.

Although all three of the dogs inside the main gate seemed willing and more than eager to play with Sawyer and Phoebe, the mom and daughter explained how one of their dogs once had a bad experience. Their “alpha female” once got beat up by an alpha male, they said.

So now they come to the park and hog the entire thing while all other pooches must stay outside.

This was a city park, mind you.

Another dog sat with his owner beneath a nearby pavilion. Both appeared forlorn.

Since one of my new year’s resolutions was not to punch people in the face, we just turned around and left.

While we’ve run across some crummy dog park etiquette, hogging a public park for your private use seems to rank near the top.

Other bad dog park etiquette on the list includes:

The paranoid -
These folks are often right inside the dog park gate where they get the best vantage point for gawking in fear at all dogs that enter. The paranoid will often freak out if your dog even goes near their dog and make a big spectacle about protecting their pooch. “Get your mean, scruffy beast of a hound away from my darling dog Darla!”

The haters –
Similar to the paranoid, the haters spew anger rather than fear. One man went as far as picking up a pooper scooper and shaking it in my general direction when I walked in to a dog park with a pit bull mix. The dog had not done anything wrong – or even had time to do anything at all – but the man was ready and hating.

The “I don’t cares” –
These are the folks that unleash their dogs in the dog park then promptly start yakking on their cell phones or bury their noses in their books, not giving a dang what their dog is up to. They do not look up once, not to check if their dog has escaped nor to see if he happened to rip out another dog’s throat. One woman even once had the audacity to drop off her dog and ask someone to watch him, saying she’d be back in about 45 minutes as she had to run some errands.

The busybodies –
On the opposite end of the spectrum from the “I don’t cares,” we have the busybodies. They are in your business every step of the way, not only asking your dog’s name, age, breed and habits but also offering unwanted and unwarranted advice. “Your dog’s collar is too tight,” “Why do you let him jump on the table like that?” and “What do you feed him? His stool looks mushy.”

The pooper snoopers –
The pooper snoopers are a subset of the busybodies who are only concerned with one thing: where your dog just pooped. They will sit on one end of the park and yell across the entire expanse every time a dog goes to the bathroom. They don’t care if you are already on your way to the pile with a scooper or bag, as they seem to glean joy from making these loud announcements.

Sawyer Says: Sometimes the dog park is crummy. Why didn’t the Tubac people put their “alpha female” in the little dog run area if she’s so precious and let the other four of us play?

What do you think?

What’s some awful dog park etiquette you’ve run across?

What would you have done in the Tubac case?

Many dogs love to ride in the back of a pickup – some may even live for it.

Actual photo on Ajo Way/Ryn Gargulinski

A Jack Russel we’ll call Sam was one of those dogs. And now Sam’s gone.

Well, Sam is gone because he ran away and never came back. It had nothing to do with riding in the back of a pickup but everything to do with the fact he was not neutered and rarely leashed.

But the back of a pickup can be a dangerous place, and not just for your dogs.

Other motorists could be in danger. After all, drivers behind you may see the pooches in the pickup bed and want to take a photo. That’s a fender bender waiting to happen. (Thankfully, I’ve become quite adept at taking photos while driving.)

Your dog-in-the-pickup scenario could end up like the Ruth and Johnny poem, with Ruth being your dog:

Ruth and Johnny, side by side, went out for an auto ride.
They hit a bump. Ruth hit a tree. And John kept going ruthlessly.

Sudden swerves, bumps and Tucson’s plethora of potholes could send your dog flying to his death.

Even if the dog is not injured from being hurled from the truck, he can end up in the street with a good chance of being mowed down.

Other drivers, unless they are sadistic, will swerve to avoid your dog and they, too, could end up crashing.

OK, you say. I’ll harness or leash the dog to the pickup bed.

That can also be hazardous – even when the truck is parked.

I once saw a dog nearly strangle himself to death when he lunged at a passerby from his perch in the truck bed. The dog had been leashed to something in the back and dangled for several minutes before someone ran over to help him.

But Fido likes it, right. And the chances of such happenings are slim – or are they?

Sawyer Says: I’ll take the driver’s seat, thank you.

What do you think?

Do you ride with your dogs in the back of a pickup?

Do you think it’s safe and all these warnings are just silly?

What are some other pet vehicle hazards?