Bad Spaniels in Court, Why Pups and Pot Don’t Mix, Dog Paints His Way to a Forever Home, and More!
Bad Spaniels’ Bad Humor: Protected Speech or Trademark Infringement?
Here’s a case to take the edge off your throbbing post-NYE hangover.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a trademark dispute involving the Bad Spaniels Silly Squeaker dog toy and Jack Daniel’s. It seems the toy bears a resemblance to the iconic Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle with, as an appeals court judge put it, a few “light-hearted, dog-related alterations.”
The words “Old No. 7 Brand Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey,” which appear on the Jack Daniel’s bottle, are replaced by “The Old No. 2 on your Tennessee Carpet” in the toy version. Instead of listing alcohol content, the Bad Spaniels’ toy notes that it is “43 percent poo.” An attached tag clearly states that the toy is not affiliated with Jack Daniel’s Distillery.
The case was already heard by San Francisco’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel unanimously sided with the toy company, holding that “Bad Spaniels dog toy, although surely not the equivalent of the Mona Lisa, is an expressive work” protected by the First Amendment. In seeking a Supreme Court review, attorneys for Jack Daniel’s questioned the appeals court’s reliance on a “purported First Amendment interest in making poop-themed jokes at Jack Daniel’s expense.”
The Supremes are expected to hear the case this spring with a decision likely in June. Fingers crossed they’ll be too busy vetting dog poop jokes to remove any more rights from us humans.
Source: nytimes.com
Signs of pot intoxication in dogs may include disorientation, incontinence, dizziness, or collapse. image: Elizabeth von Oehsen
Doped Dalmations and Wasted Weimaraners: Why Pups and Pot Don’t Mix
We hate to be a bummer, man, but veterinarians in states with legalized pot are reporting an uptick in marijuana/THC toxicity in dogs. One Vermont vet says she now sees as many as 10 cases per week of canine pot intoxication, a trend that’s becoming more common across the country. Vets are also seeing more severe cases due to access to medical grade THC/marijuana.
Signs of pot intoxication in dogs may include disorientation, incontinence, dizziness, or collapse. And it may not even be your own stash that’s the problem. Your pup could have scavenged someone else’s dropped roach while out on a walk or chowed down on pot found growing wild along a hiking trail.
Sugar-free pot gummies pose a particular danger if they contain a sweetener called Xylitol, which may be fatal to dogs. And, of course, pot brownies are a double threat, with the combined risks of chocolate and THC.
While most dogs easily recover with vet treatment, severe cases may result in low or abnormal heart rates, low blood pressure, or tremors that can lead to seizures, coma, and even death. As with other toxins, a lot depends on the size of the dog, its overall health, and the amount and type of THC ingested. One small dog wound up at the vet’s after eating a cotton swab its owner had used to clean her smoking pipe.
Remember not everything that’s fun for humans is safe for our four-legged friends. So spare yourself a vet bill and keep a close eye on pot and pot accessories – both in your home and out in the world.
Source: washingtonpost.com
Van Gogh was rescued and his talents continued to save more dogs. photo: Happily Furever After Rescue
Painting His Way to a Forever Home: Meet Van Gogh, the Dog Nobody Wanted
Van Gogh was a seven-year-old Pit/Boxer mix with the hardest of hard luck stories. The victim of a dogfighting ring, he was found bloody and cowering in a drainage pipe with one ear ripped off. His original shelter in North Carolina was having no luck getting him adopted until Jaclyn Gartner, the founder of Happily Furever After Rescue, spotted his photo and took a chance on relocating him to her shelter in Connecticut.
But, despite his friendly demeanor, Gartner still couldn’t find a taker for this guy – that is, until she hit on the idea of channeling Van Gogh’s one-eared namesake. Dropping small globs of colorful paint on an 8”x 10” canvas board, she then sealed the board in a Ziploc bag, topped the bag with a thin layer of peanut butter, and let Van Gogh loose on it with his tongue. Et voila - an artist was born!
After a disappointing turnout at Van Gogh’s first in-person gallery show, Gartner took to the internet and soon Van Gogh’s paintings were selling like the proverbial hot cakes. To date, his artwork has raised over $3,000 for the shelter, and best of all, Van Gogh has found a forever home with Jessica Starowitz, one of the shelter volunteers.
Van Gogh’s new family promises to keep him in art supplies in case he’s needed for future fundraisers. “Whenever he sees a Ziploc bag and a jar of peanut butter, he knows it’s time to paint,” says Starowitz. “But right now, he’s sleeping on a big cushion bed in my office.”
Source: washingtonpost.com
Dog Flu is Back: Here’s What to Watch For
It’s not just a bad health year for humans. Canine flu is back and can spread quickly through shelters, kennels, and day care facilities.
The culprit is a highly contagious strain of canine flu known as H3N2, which has caused a spate of recent outbreaks especially in the southern U.S. Much like the human version, it’s spread through respiratory droplets and aerosols. Symptoms may include coughing, fever, and loss of appetite.
Canine flu is not dangerous to humans and most dogs who get it won’t become severely ill, generally recovering on their own. But in a small percentage of dogs, it can progress to pneumonia or worse.
So pay attention to flu reports in your area. And if your pup spends a lot of time in social settings like dog parks or doggie day care, you may want to ask your vet whether a canine flu shot makes sense.
It might be easier than teaching your pal to wash his paws while singing happy birthday twice.
Source: nytimes.com
New York will ban sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits in 2024. photo: AdobeStock
One More Win in the Fight to End Puppy Mills: New York Bans Dog Sales in Retail Pet Stores
Starting in 2024, New York will join California, Maryland, and Illinois in banning the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in retail pet stores. The measure is part of an effort to end abusive breeding practices by large-scale puppy and kitten mills, specifically targeting those that fail to provide animals with proper food, vet care, and socialization. The new law also allows retail centers to rent space to shelters to showcase adoptable animals in need of forever homes.
“Dogs, cats, and rabbits across New York deserve loving homes and humane treatment,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. Let’s hope leaders in the remaining 46 states are listening.
Source: cbsnews.com