Westminster Goes Full Monty, R.I.P. Hurricane, Dog on the Run, and More!

Monty the Giant Schnauzer won Best in Show at the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. photo: Sarah Stier, Westminster Kennel Club

It's a Wrap: Westminster Goes Full Monty

After days of hoopla and what felt like years of dog food ads, the Westminster Kennel Club has crowned Monty the Giant Schnauzer as this year's Best in Show winner. The fetching all black five-year-old beat out over 2,500 contenders, including six worthy finalists, to become this year's top dog.

Bourbon the Whippet took the Reserve Best in Show title for the third year in a row, which may be depressing for her owners (always a bridesmaid, etc...), but luckily dogs don't know or care about coming in second.

As the official runner up, Bourbon will step in for Monty in the event he's unable to fulfill his duties, whatever those may be, or if he's later disqualified for naughty pictures from his past a la former Miss America Vanessa Williams.

Full Monty, anyone?

Source: npr.org 

R.I.P. Hurricane:
Most Decorated Dog Leaves Legacy of Care for Others

Hurricane, the most decorated dog in U.S. history, crossed the Rainbow Bridge last month at the age of 15. A former Special Operations Canine with the U.S. Secret Service, the handsome black Belgian Malinois earned accolades for taking down a White House intruder in 2014 when then President Barack Obama and his family were inside. Hurricane was medically retired in 2016 due to lingering injuries he sustained while protecting the First Family.

Hurricane was the first dog in history to receive the Animals in War and Peace Distinguished Service Medal, earning him a listing in the Guinness World Records. His many other honors included the United States Secret Service Award for Merit, the Department of Homeland Security Award for Valor, the American Medical Center Top Dog, and the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals Award for Merit.

Following Hurricane's retirement, his handler Marshall Mirarchi established the Hurricane's Heroes foundation to provide subsidized veterinary care for retired law enforcement and military dogs. The organization has cared for more than 150 former working dogs since 2020, a living tribute to its valiant namesake.

"I want his story to live on," says Mirarchi. "So that's how I pay it forward for him: to just keep telling his story. And if I keep doing that, then he's always still here."

Sources: washingtonpost.com, nytimes.com 

Gwen and Rue had trouble boarding their Frontier Airlines flight as documented service dogs. photo: kdvr.com

Veteran's Service Dogs Denied Flight Access: Know Your Rights - And Wrongs

Unfortunately, not all is rosy in other service dog news. Navy veteran Michael Stinnett missed his flight last month after a Frontier Airlines attendant refused to let him take his two documented service dogs on a flight from Denver to Washington, D.C.

As an attorney helping other disabled veterans, Stinnett struggles with his own service-related health issues, including PTSD, and depends on two service dogs: Gwen, a four-year-old American Bulldog, and Rue, a seven-month-old Chihuahua mix. The dogs assist him when he experiences panic attacks and help him physically walk down stairs or slopes. Stinnett regularly flies with both animals so he was surprised when the Frontier employee denied them access.

Federal law allows travelers to take up to two qualified and documented service animals on board, but gives airlines the right to check their condition and eligibility. Frontier says its posted policy allows people to travel with two service dogs but only if one can fly in the customer's lap and is no larger than a two-year-old child.

Frontier's gate agent apparently didn't believe Stinnett's service animals met the airline's criteria and told Stinnett he would need to purchase another ticket for his second dog or miss his plane. Embarrassed and frustrated, Stinnett reached out to Frontier's corporate office and, after a delay, he and his dogs were finally placed on a later flight.

While Stinnett and his pups were eventually accommodated, their experience is a timely reminder to double check your airline's policies if you're planning to travel with your dog. In fact, you may want to talk with a representative in advance to be on the safe side.

And finally, please stop trying to pass off your sweet little Fluffy as a service animal if she's not. We know you love her, but you're making life harder for actual service dogs and the humans they help. And that's just plain wrong.

Source: kdvr.com 

Scrim is a living, panting embodiment of the spirit of New Orleans. photo: Emily Kask, The New York Times

Dog on the Run: A New Orleans Legend in the Making

Cats may have nine lives, but they've got nothing on Scrim. The tiny Terrier mix has dodged trains, been shot at, scampered across an interstate highway, and survived for months on scavenged food. Now he's on track to becoming New Orleans' latest folk hero.

It all started in November 2023 when an overcrowded shelter released a list of dogs it planned to euthanize. Michelle Cheramie, who had founded Zeus' Rescues in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, took in the battered and neglected Scrim in hopes of finding him a forever home. He stayed with volunteers for a while, and finally last April, a would-be adopter brought him home for a one-week trial.

But Scrim had other plans. On the first night in his new home, he bolted. Fliers were posted and appeals made, but Scrim stayed on the run for months. When he was finally captured, he had broken teeth, a chunk of his ear was missing, and he'd been shot by a pellet gun.

Following his release from the animal hospital, Scrim began settling in with a new family, but after a few weeks, he chewed through a window screen and was on the run again. By this time, his legend was growing, and a crowdsourced online map began to fill with his sightings. He was spotted by the Superdome, at the Audubon Zoo, and out in the distant suburb of Harahan, but no one could catch him.

Last month, Scrim finally turned himself in, having squeezed into an outdoor trap for feral cats. He's now back with Ms. Cheramie, accepting treats and head scratches, while she obsessively checks doors and windows hoping to foil his next escape.

Is Scrim home for good? Only he knows. But in the meantime, he's become a local legend, inspiring murals, tattoos, and even several Mardi Gras floats.

No surprise this plucky little pup would resonate with Crescent City residents. Despite all obstacles, he's just kept on going. And if that's not the spirit of New Orleans, we don't know what is.

Here are lots more pics of Scrim featured at this year’s Mardi Gras.

Source: nytimes.com

Slinky the dog mentors Amora the maned wolf pup at the Sedgwick County Zoo. photo: Sedgwick County Zoo

One From the Heartland:
Shelter Dog Mentors Orphaned Wolf Pup

When a mother maned wolf at a Kansas zoo passed away unexpectedly after giving birth to a single female pup, zoo staff grew concerned. Maned wolves are naturally solitary, but pups need companionship to develop properly. Without a mother or sibling, they worried that the little wolf they'd named Amora wouldn't grow and thrive.

Enter Slinky, a lively three-month-old male brindle mix from the Kansas Humane Society. The zoo soon adopted him and, after a careful introduction, the two youngsters quickly hit it off. "Slinky's playful nature is helping her grow into the wolf she is meant to be," the Sedgwick County Zoo reported in a social media update about the pair.

Amora will eventually transition to living with other maned wolves, according to zoo officials.  And as for Slinky? When his mentoring gig is up, he'll have a forever home with a zoo worker who has already fallen head over heels for the adorable pup.

Guess that's why they call it the heartland.

Source: ksn.com