pet connection

We have seen turtles mating. Twice. That is all.

Well, okay, a few more details. Turtles (tut’ls in local parlance) mate on the surface of the water. Given the wave action we’ve been seeing, that must be akin to having sex on a roller coaster. Lots of fin flailing goes on. Mating season lasts from April through July.

Our friend Wayne spotted them as we were riding on the bow of Ocean Frontiers‘ Nauticat, headed for our second dive of the day. George, our captain, stopped the boat so we could get a better look–at a respectful distance, of course. We then moved on to the dive site, Kathleen’s Reef, which for the day was renamed Turtle Love Nest.

During that dive, we saw a green sea turtle, but he didn’t appear to be basking in the afterglow. Hard to tell with turtles. They always wear something of a self-satisfied expression. Based on his size, though, we suspect that he’s not yet old enough for the mating game. Other sightings of note include a porcupine fish, a file fish, and a couple of trunk fish. Topside, we’ve seen lots of chickens. A trip to the Botanic Garden to see the blue iguanas is on tap for later this week.

We saw the second pairing this morning. George says he’s seen five or six this season. Maybe the Nauticat should be renamed the Love Boat.

What are you doing tomorrow? I hope you’ll be watching my dad, Dr. Marty Becker, as he goes live with a “Good Morning America” segment on how to protect you and your pets from diseases that can pass between animals and people. They’re called “zoonoses,” and as my dad will show, it’s pretty easy to protect everyone with some common-sense measures.

Not only will he be appearing live on “GMA” in the morning, but he will also be featured on the GMA Radio show on XM radio, Channel 155. In addition to all the live stuff, dad will be taped interviews: “The Top 10 Tips For Traveling With Your Pets” and “Breakthroughs in Feeding Your Pet,” both of which will later air on the ABC’s all digital GMA NOW program; which is an extended version of GMA offered to viewers through cable, broadband and cell phones. (For for more details go to GMA NOW.)

If you think that’s a lot of running around and talking about pets, you’re right. But my Dad always comes back from New York to our Idaho home tired but happy. Tired is obvious, but happy because he loves what he does and feels blessed to be given the opportunities to help people get the information they need to care for their pets the best way possible.

This time, I want to give you a behind the scenes look at what a day at “Good Morning America” is like for my dad, both what his taping schedule is like, and the observances I have made watching him the day of the show.

Going on the show takes weeks of preparation. Not only does Dad need to make sure he has the absolute latest and greatest information on the topic before the show and practice his delivery, but he also has to contact numerous manufacturers to have product samples sent to the studio. These products can range from a half-ton hydrotherapy treadmill to the Tootsie Rolls he’ll have on hand for the tomorrow’s show. Why Tootsie Rolls? They make excellent stand-ins for cat poop in litter box demonstrations. (Always one to coin something corny, Dad calls the fake doo “Cat Man-Made Doo,” like Katmandu. Get it? At first I didn’t either and I have 22 years of experience deciphering his “jokes.”)

Dad also needs animals to use for the show. For most shows, Dad uses “borrowed” dogs and cats from the Humane Society of New York. It’s good for the group and the pet, too: The HSNY gets airtime on national TV and the pets always end up with hundreds of people wanting to adopt them. The last time I went to watch Dad on GMA, the shelter animals that day were a Pug and a gray kitten. As Dad was practicing before the show aired, I was given the joyous job of being the official pet-sitter. I sat in the back corner of the studio on the opposite side of the live audience, as the two animals played happily on my lap. All the things I see when I am in New York, and these two pets remain one of my most precious memories.  I know they had no idea they were stars that day, and I love thinking they wenr to great forever homes.

On the the day of the show, Dad gets a wake-up call at about 5:15 a.m.  (the equivalent of 2:15 A.M. back home in Idaho). He has to be at the studio at 6 a.m.  to rehearse before the show starts at 7 a.m.  He’ll practice the segment in the area of the stage with the props set up. Someone, usually his producer, will play the part of the GMA hosts  — Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Chris Cuomo — for the rehearsal. During the rehearsal, the camera angles are all practiced and assigned, lighting is adjusted if needed, props are rearranged, and the segment is timed to make sure it will fit within the time that has been allotted for it, usually between 4-5 minutes.  A few minutes before the segment goes live, the host will come down to do a quick run-through, with the camera operators and executive producer making the final adjustments.

The pet segments are so popular that they’re usually held for the end of the show, to help keep viewers all the way to the final credits. Because of this, there’s always a lot of waiting around, since Dad gets there at 6 a.m. and does go “live” until 8:30 a.m. The waiting time is spent in the Green Room with the guests, and that’s pretty interesting, too, since the guest list on any given day can range from the biggest names to everyday people who are in the news for some reason.  He’ll spend some of this waiting time in the radio room, where they broadcast   GMA on XM show. Usually the interview is around 10 minutes long, and both audio and video versions are prepared, so people can listen or watch on the Internet.

About an hour before Dad’s segment, GMA will begin showing what is called either “bumpers” or “teasers,” small clips they usually take before the commercial break to show what is coming up in the next hour and keep viewers wanting to watch. Usually the clips picture Dad handling one of the shelter pets of that day, with the host saying something like, “Coming up is Dr. Marty Becker talking about diseases you can catch from your pet.” Usually one to three bumpers are shown before Dad’s segment.

You’d think it would all be pretty calm after all the waiting, but there’s always a rush and scramble just before the pet segment to make sure everything is right: GMA staff make sure Dad’s hair and make-up. TV folks have to wear gobs of make-up, and with Dad, they have to work a little extra because of his squinty eyes!  While that’s going on, other folks are checking  the pets and props.

The segment only lasts a few minutes which always seems kinda odd when you consider all the weeks of work that go into those few minutes. It’s pretty exciting, though, because it’s live!

Even after the airing, my Dad’s job is rarely done. The GMA staff has a one hour break, and then they come back to tape longer pieces (about 7 minutes), which will air on the GMA NOW show. These are usually taped pieces, which are more in depth, longer, and more casual than those on the live show.

One more aspect of the show Dad does is a written piece with more information on his topic, and that gets posted on ABCNews.com after GMA has been seen in all four  time zones. The written piece is a combination of Dad’s own expertise on the topic, in-depth interviews with experts, and is co-written by both my Dad and a writer from ABC.

Jeez, that’s a breath full just trying to explain what one day for my Dad with GMA involves. I hope I’ve shed some light as to what goes on behind the camera!

(Pictured: Dr. Marty Becker on the GMA set, top, and Mikkel Becker Shannon pet-sitting with a kitten who later got adopted.)

In the devastation caused by recent floods in the Midwest, every city and town has its stories of families, livestock, and pets left homeless, injured, or even killed in the disaster.

One such story hit close to home for me, when one of my colleagues at PetHobbyist.com, who goes by the name of PHRascal, blogged about the flood’s impact on her own town of Cedar Rapids, Iowa:

There are no words in the English language to adequately describe the extent of devastation here, but losses for the state of Iowa already have exceeded those of Katrina, and the tally climbs daily. There are over 25,000 newly homeless people in Cedar Rapids now. Over 1300 city blocks of this town were flooded. The flood waters have receded and the massive cleanup has begun, but it is going to be years before this town recovers from this catastrophe.

[....]

There are countless stories of loss and heartache, and many stories now of heroism, altruism and dedication to rebuilding this fine town. Iowans are helping Iowans as they always do in a crisis, but I want to put in a plug for one place that really needs help.

The city animal shelter was destroyed by the flood and those animals are now being housed at Kirkwood Community College. Fortunately, Kirkwood has agricultural programs and a vet tech program, along with a beautiful new equestrian arena and several barns. Kirkwood is also the temporary home to nearly 1000 animals, including pets rescued from flooded areas, new strays since the flood and drop-offs by owners who have lost their homes and currently cannot care for their pets.

As you can imagine, the expense is huge for this kind of undertaking. Each animal is microchipped, vaccinated, bathed and examined by a veterinarian on arrival. Medical needs are addressed. Local veterinarians have been generous with their time and volunteers have done a yeoman’s job of helping to care for the ever increasing number of animals. PetSmart and other businesses have contributed much needed supplies. HSUS, EARS and other national rescue groups have been helping rescue, transport and care for the animals. Even an HSUS group from Missouri has been here helping. I have volunteered out there and can attest that the animals are receiving excellent care.

Her full account is here.

PHRascal said that Kirkwood Community College has set up a “Friends of the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter” fund and is accepting donations to support these efforts. You can donate online here; be sure to indicate the donation is for “Friends of Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter.”

Another organization Rascal says can definitely use help is the local dog park, which is underwater. You can view photos of the damage here, and donate to help them restore the park here. It is also a 501(c)3 organization and any donations are tax deductible.

The word “oil” has become a dirty word.

It causes wars; dirties our shores, and empties our wallets at the gas pump.

We can’t live without oil, but living with it is becoming more frustratingly expensive by the minute.

So what’s a concerned, dog-loving citizen to do to help make things right with our relationship to oil? There are many ideas floating around, but it all starts with training.

Just as you would train your pup to learn what’s permitted and what is not, people can be trained as well. We can learn to drive slower, or more efficiently, on our daily rounds. We can focus on grouping errands together to save fuel, and we can shop for alternative vehicles that get the best gas mileage while still fulfilling our daily DogCar needs.

And we can keep an eye out for other ways to save fuel. General Motors is currently promoting a campaign in California that busts open the tradtional idea that every car needs to have its oil changed every 3,000 miles.   

Here’s what GM has to say about the oil change myth:

The old mantra that drivers should change their motor oil every 3,000 miles is not always the case – it’s a myth.

Many automakers recommend oil changes at 5,000, 7,500 or even 10,000 miles depending on your vehicle’s model, make and driving conditions.

Research shows that nearly 3/4 of California drivers change their motor oil more often than recommended by their automaker.

Environmental Impacts: Nationwide, if all GM vehicle owners used the GM Oil Life System (calibrated indication system based on driving conditions), 100 million gallons of motor oil could be saved annually

Currently, California generates more than 153 million gallons of waste oil each year. Only 59 percent of that oil is recycled.

One gallon of used oil pollutes one million gallons of water.

Money saving: Additionally, it’s estimated that each driver in California drives approximately 15,000 miles a year. If your car manufacturer recommends changing your oil at 5,000 miles instead of every 3,000 miles – motorists reduce 8-10 quarts of used oil from entering the waste stream per vehicle, and save an average of $76 a year.

Here’s the complete oil change press release from General Motors.

Cutting back on oil changes may seem like a little thing in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something. And right now, with gas prices shooting through the roof, we need all the help we can get.

This November should have been the 30th anniversary of the San Francisco SPCA’s Hearing Dog Program, which took dogs out of shelters and trained them to alert their deaf and hearing impaired human partners to sounds like smoke alarms, oncoming traffic, the phone, and a knock at the door.

But instead of breaking out the birthday cake, the program found itself homeless, its trainers out of a job with not even a day’s notice, its hearing-dogs-in-training moved into the shelter’s adoption program to be placed as pets, and dozens of people in line to receive a dog left having to start their long wait over at a different agency. People like Nona Stegman, whose story is part of my column on SFGate.com this week:

Nona Stegman wants a dog.

Not the way, say, your little nephew who envies his cousins’ golden retriever does. And not even the way you might, after seeing your neighbor running in the park with his happy-go-lucky mixed breed dog.

Nona wants a dog because she’s deaf and a parapalegic. “A service animal is the lifeline for people who have been awarded a dog to help them through their daily schedules,” she told me. She needs a dog with special training, who can walk safely at the side of her wheelchair, alert her to sounds, retrieve objects she’s dropped, and bring her the phone if she falls.

But as important as those things are, they’re not the only reasons why Nona wants a dog. She’s had one before, and found it made a huge difference in the quality of her life. “This animal would be such a major comfort in my life,” she said. “It would allow me to have a friend again. I miss it greatly.”

Nona applied about two years ago to the San Francisco SPCA’s Hearing Dog Program for one of its specially trained assistance dogs. She also recently relocated to California from Nevada partly to provide a better living situation, including a fenced yard, for the dog.

There’s also a canine side of the story:

Before the program was closed, and at about the same time Nona Stegman was moving to California and preparing to receive her trained hearing dog, Central Valley dog trainer Julia Priest was working with Tofu, a bright-eyed little Pomeranian some clients of hers had rescued from an abusive situation. He was a fast learner, eager and alert. “I taught him sit down and come in about a day,” Priest told me. “He was just very bright, very trainable, highly reward motivated, and so easy to teach new behaviors.”

She thought he’d be a perfect hearing dog, so she brought him to Hoffman, who agreed the little dog was a natural.

“I talked to the owners,” Priest told me, “and said, ‘This is the situation. He’ll get this special training and he’ll get to help somebody.’ And they said, ‘OK, well, if that’s what it’s going to be, then we’re willing to let him go.’” So, Tofu donned a bright orange jacket with the Hearing Dog Program’s logo on it, and began the training that might have led him to be the partner of someone like Nona.

But Tofu isn’t anyone’s helper today; he was one of the hearing-dogs-in-training who was put into the San Francisco SPCA’s adoption program, where he was quickly adopted as a pet.

The full story is here.

Other related Pet Connection links:

Has the San Francisco SPCA gone off-course? A defense from the top

Interview with SF SPCA President Jan McHugh-Smith

Martha Hoffman’s statement on the closing of the SF SPCA Hearing Dog Program

Volunteers, donors, and hearing dog partners speak out about closure of SF SPCA’s Hearing Dog Program