New York state ranks 10th in the country for dog attacks on postal workers, according to a new report.

The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that the state is 10th for most dog bites reported by mail carriers, citing United States Postal Service data.

Buffalo and Brooklyn tied for 11th on the list of cities with the most dog bite-related State Farm insurance claims, according to the company.

The city with the most attacks on postal workers was Los Angeles.

California also was top ranked for the state with the most insurance claims relating to dog bites.

Next week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

The AVMA advises against running past a dog, disturbing a dog caring for puppies or screaming if threatened by a canine.

“Dogs are wonderful, intelligent and loyal creatures, but they depend on responsible owners to teach them how to behave around people,” AVMA President Douglas G. Aspros said.

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One neighborhood is having such a pet poop problem that students are competing to create posters warning owners to pick up after their pooches.

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer announced today a “curb your dog” contest, where students created reminder posters for pet owners.

Van Bramer was joined by students from P.S. 150 in Sunnyside, who noticed a large amount of dog waste around their school and reached out to his office for help.

His office is sponsoring their poster contest, which features students’ art encouraging people to clean up after their pets.

“Most dog owners are not guilty of leaving their pet’s poop behind,”  Van Bramer said. “With the help of the students, we will get the message out that all dog owners need to be responsible for their mutt’s mess.”

The contest was part of their social studies classes, and kids from Pre-K through sixth grade submitted more than 280 posters, his office said.

Assistant Principal Zulma Tanzer said students learned valuable lessons about community members’ rights and responsibilities.

“In our community, there has been an ongoing issue with dog owners not being responsible,” Tanzer said.

Vote for your favorite at the Councilman’s website starting March 25.

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Credit: Michelle Riley/The HSUS

It’s the less cute side of the pet industry. World Spay Day 2013, Tuesday, Feb. 26, galvanizes organizers, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, with various animal welfare organizations in 45 countries to promote the sterilization of companion animals, feral cats and street dogs.

According to the HSUS, about four million cats and dogs are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year, most of them simply because they have no home. That’s about one every eight seconds, every day.

“The main reason for neutering is to stop suffering,” says Vicki Stevens, the HSUS’s World Spay Day coordinator. “Euthanasia is horrible for everyone: for the people who work at the shelter and for the animal who dies prematurely in a shelter. Much of it is so avoidable by neutering. Shelters do their best, but there are not enough resources for all the kittens and pups who need homes.”

Stevens says anyone with a much-loved non-neutered pet with a forever home who thinks spaying doesn’t apply to them should look at the bigger picture. For example, pets who aren’t neutered but are allowed outside can impregnate other animals, the offspring of which could end up at a shelter or killed.

“People who think that their animals have a good home and aren’t the problem should think about it [that] way. It’s personal.”

But on the cuter side…

The World Spay Day 2013 online Pet Pageant invites animal lovers to upload pet photos. The pageant ends March 15. Proceeds benefit U.S. non-profit organizations participating in World Spay Day. For more info, visit www.worldspayday.org.

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The ASPCA took in about 300 pets in the days after the hurricane, many who had been found roaming evacuated neighborhoods. Others were given to the ASPCA while their owners tried to salvage their own homes and lives. 

More than two months later, the ASPCA and other volunteers are still trying to get pets to their owners.

“Many of the evacuees left in such a way they could not take their pets with them,” said ASPCA director of planning and field operations Joel Lopez. Some thought they would be back soon; others simply did not have a way to bring along furry friends, he said.

The ASPCA hoped to connect all pets by yesterday (Sunday Jan. 5) before beginning to shutter an emergency boarding facility opened just for Sandy pets in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The group does not have a strict date for closing, Lopez said, but they will soon begin placing pups through adoption shelters around the northeast.

Out of the 280 pets rescued, from cats and dogs to ferrets and birds, about 140 were waiting to be claimed last week, ASPCA officials said.

Trying to identify owners
 
The ASPCA tried to track down owners with flyers and advertisements in newspapers,  on the radio and on their website.

Facebook is another way a separate group of volunteers is trying to place pets. The Hurricane Sandy Lost and Found Pets Facebook site posts photos of pets found during the storm. They also feature pets whose owners can no longer keep them and that now need foster or adoptive homes.

“It’s such a sad situation,” said Rosalie Carlson, who makes fliers for the pets on the site.

More than 500 pets have been featured on the page, she said, with about 174 reunited so far. Just Friday, they reunited a parakeet, she said.

One Dec. 31 post described a 7-month-old male cat “found almost drowned on Atlantic Ave” during the storm, adding, “He is super friendly and must belong to someone.”

(Photos via ASPCA)

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Germany is one of the last European countries to tolerate the practice, which has been legal since 1969. It hosts a thriving zoophile community, which has reacted angrily to the law change.

“There are already laws against hurting an animal, but there is no harm from what we do,” Michael Kiok, head of the Zoophile Engagement for Tolerance and Information (ZETA) group, told Metro. “Animals can show if they want to have sex or not, as they can show if they are hungry or want to exercise.”

Kiok, who is in a relationship with his Alsatian dog, claims to represent thousands of zoophiles and says they will campaign to stop the law. “We want to inform the public that we are not cruel, we see animals as equal to people, and we want to stop the hate.”

However, animal rights groups claim the practice is out of control. “The issue has become so public and inhibitions fall,” Astrid Behr, head of the German Association of Veterinarians, told Metro, indicating the growth of popular websites and forums, although she could not confirm the existence of rumored ‘pet brothels’.

Behr denies that bestiality would be a victimless crime: “Perpetrators go unpunished, but sexual acts with animals are always associated with great physical and psychological injury.”

The amendment is expected to be finalized in December, and offenders could face a 25,000 Euro fine. 

Q+A with Michael Kiok, 52, librarian and head of ZETAs

Q: You claim to defend consensual sex with animals – how can they consent?

A: It’s simple. If you know your pet, you can know if it wants to have sex or not. Animals can communicate their needs.

Q: How can you have a relationship with an animal?

A: You can’t go out for dinner together! It’s like a normal relationship with a pet where you look after it but the difference is that you regard the animal as on the same level and you don’t want to dominate.

Q: How do you cope with the abuse?

A: People come from all over Germany to protest at my house, and there is a lot of hate on the Internet. I try to understand why – I think it is because people see animals as children. There is a lot of pressure, many zoophiles have depression or even commit suicide. But I have never been attracted to people and my situation now (with Alsatian Cessy) is the best possible.

FACTS

Still legal in…

Denmark  – The government resisted a 2006 campaign to ban bestiality.
Sweden – The Animal Welfare Agency wants to update abuse laws but is not calling for a ban.
Thailand – No laws on bestiality but you can be fined for “subduing a female dog”.

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Time for a swim?

Smaller breeds are definitely easier to house in less space and transport around town — pets are not permitted on public transit, unless in a secure carrier. Some apartment buildings have pet policies and weight limits, but plenty allow larger dogs too. My 75-pounder lives in 825 square feet. Somehow my furnishings have remained intact, and we’ve managed to stay off the hated neighbor list in our
co-op.
 
I’ve realized that dog-owners in NYC love and cherish their pooches probably a little more than average. Many aspects of the lifestyle in New York are convenient, but owning a dog isn’t one of them. Opening the door to the backyard isn’t possible in apartment living. Just getting Fido out can be a pilgrimage, especially in a walk-up apartment. Regardless of temperature or weather conditions, it’s business as usual, and when five flights down are too far to halt Mother Nature, well — puppy pads are a safe alternative.
 
Somehow as New Yorkers, like most anything, we’re up to the challenge. And as for man’s best friend? Not every dog can bark that he lives in Manhattan.
 
 
For more about life in New York, follow me on Twitter, or on Tracy’s New York Life.

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Westchester County police said 66-year-old Andrew Manesis of Animal Clinic & Surgery Of Throggs Necks PC bagged at least 35 dead pets and tossed their bodies into the woods off the Hutchinson River Parkway. This after police said he told owners their animals would be cremated or buried in an area designated for pet remains.

Department of Transportation workers made the grim discovery on April 5 while they were cutting grass in dense brush. Most of the remains were decomposed, police said.

Manesis, a resident of New Canaan, Conn., was charged Friday with two counts of petit larceny, scheme to defraud and violation of environmental conservation law.

Police tracked him down using a bar code from a shoe box containing the body of a cat. Officers subpenaed the shoe company to obtain the name of the person who made the purchase. That customer turned out to be the owner of the cat, who told police she put the animal in the box after it died of natural causes and brought it to Dr. Manesis for a “group cremation.”

Manesis’s mug shot

A photo of a smiling Manesis appears on the website for the animal clinic, along with a pledge: “At Animal Clinic & Surgery Of Throggs Necks PC, we understand that your pet is more than just an animal – your pet is a part of your family and we are committed to providing them the quality care they deserve and you expect.”

Calls to the clinic went unanswered Tuesday.

Pet owners paid the animal clinic as much as $315 to euthanize and/or properly dispose of their pet’s remains. Instead, he dumped the bodies of cats, dogs and a lizard, on the side of the road, a spokesman for Westchester County Police said.

“Most of the detectives that worked on this case are pet owners themselves so they understood that any pet has a special place in their family and that these animals and owners deserved better that what we found under the circumstance,” Westchester Public Information Officer Kieran O’Leary told Metro.

Police are still trying to track down some of the owners of the pets that were found. Anyone who asked Animal Clinic & Surgery Of Throggs Necks PC to euthanize or dispose of an animal, can call Westchester County detectives at 1-877-220-3560.

More photos of the animals below. [Warning, they are mildly graphic.]

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According to an ASPCA study reported by the Wall Street Journal, the reason that people settle on a particular dog is rather superficial, really. The lyrics of a favorite children’s song prove to ring true:

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail

That’s right, it’s all about looks for 76.8 percent of people when they’re picking out a cute, rambunctious puppy, and 78.3 percent of adopters when picking out an adult dog.

When it comes to picking out a cat, though, people tend to look more within. The study shows 77.9 percent of adopters said how a cat interacts with people is the deciding factor on choosing it — probably because they all look the same anyway (full disclosure: we are dog people here at Metro). It’s also the most important factor for 69.3 percent of people picking out a kitten.

The study was particularly important for the ASPCA because it provided insight into how people select pets that are up for adoption. Sure, it’s easy to settle on a cute, clean puppy or a frisky kitten — but many animals that wind up in shelters have had a rough life on the streets or have suffered abuse, causing dogs to sometimes lack that freshly groomed look or cats to shy away from people.

A person’s tendency to choose interactive pets was especially evident when adopters answered the question, “What did this pet do when you first met him/her?”

Sounds like picking out a pet is a pretty similar process to picking out a dating partner.

More adventures in psuedoscience:

• If someone adopts a pet, they’re probably a pretty nice person, right? A new study says niceness (and meanness) might be in the genes.
• On that note, nice people probably have a more positive outlook, which could be good for your heart, according to research.
• Have chinplants replaces breast implants? More women are opting for a chin makeover. 

The post A Study Has Found: People choose dogs based on looks; cats, based on interaction appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Not even the most self-conscious of pups will mind Cole Haan’s reversible dog coats — they look
just like your own outerwear! $98, www.colehaan.com

2. Your dog can ride in style with a little help from an Orvis car hammock. Or, at least, not fall off
the backseat while trying to look over your shoulder. $129 and up, www.orvis.com

3. The beautifully packaged Harry Barker Good Dog gift basket includes soothing shea butter
shampoo and conditioner, as well as toys for when bath time is over. $25, www.onekingslane.com

4. Want a puppy break at your desk? VueZone is a wireless system of battery-operated cameras that stream video straight to Internet browsers. Just log in to your Vuezone.com account and you can check in on your pups. Anything you miss, the motion sensors can capture with a snapshot and e-mail to you — seriously. $200-$250, www.vuezone.com

The post Gifts for pets: Don’t forget your pup on Black Friday appeared first on Metro.us.

Here are 10 of the best pet costumes we found floating around the web, posted by proud pet owners.

A dog dressed up as a human baby… yep, adorable!

It’s always adorable to dress up an animal as a different animal–
especially dressing up a dog as a ferocious member of the feline family.

There is nothing cuter than a cat pumpkin turkey.

The only things dogs love more than hats… are goggles.

One pug wanted to be a crab, but their owner decided on matching costumes to make it fair.

Express your love of public transportation through your pet.

We’re not sure what this is (sea anemone?), but it’s adorable!

What can make a dog’s lady bug costume even cooler? Sunglasses.

Take advantage of your pet’s natural features! Just add a balloon!

Confusing at first glance. Is that.. a bird? No.. it’s a plane. Oh wait, it’s a dog dressed up as Superman.
 

The post 10 great costumes you’ll love (but your pet will hate) appeared first on Metro.us.

“It’s not really protection against disease,” says Bob Molloy, who has bred Norwegian Elkhounds for 20 years and runs Bark Place, a dog day care, spa and store in Boston. “Once the dog is bitten, then the risk of disease is there and pesticides don’t stop ticks biting. A much better idea is to use something that repels ticks right from the start.”

As if ticks weren’t enough to worry about, there is growing concern over how the neurotoxins in flea and tick shampoos or topical drops affect pets, too. The Food and Drug Administration is investigating thousands of cases of toxic reactions in dogs and cats, some fatal. How can you tell if your pet is having a reaction? Skin irritation and hair loss are two indicators.

The Environmental Protection Agency is issuing new label directions for usage, but the risk of developing cancer from these medicines is a major concern for pet-owners.

“No one is doing research on the effect long-term,” warns Malloy, who offers these tick bite prevention tips:

Apply a natural tick product as directed — and before walking outdoors, back it up with a natural spray product.

After walking, either use a flea comb to remove any ticks, or bathe the dog with a natural tick shampoo.

Get these!

Mad About Organics Dog and Cat skin care products, $10-$15, www.madaboutorganics.com

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Brooklyn sorceress P.D. Cagliastro will teach a four-hour class at the Observatory, an art space in Gowanus.

“Mummifying anything,” Cagliastro explains, “is a long-term, intimate relationship. Even with a hamster.”

The $60 class sold out quickly, she said. The frogs are from a Chinese grocery store.

She makes her living mummifying dead pets for mourning owners, charging anywhere from $100 to $4,000 per mummy.

It’s not taxidermy; pets are embalmed and then lovingly wrapped in cotton or linen. The most common requests are for birds, hamsters, kittens and rabbits, she says — but she’ll encase anything under 15 pounds.

Once, she interred a $100,000 Cartier ring inside a 14-year-old cat. Another time she coated a full grown iguana with purple glitter.

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