Upcoming Events: Cincinnati

1. Saturday February 28th

Bark & Purr Ball --Don't forget, this coming Saturday, February 28th,Luke, Hudson, and Murphy will be attending the Bark n' Purr Ball from6 to 10 PM at Receptions located in Fairfield, Ohio at 5975 BoymelDrive. Tickets for the event are $50.00 and include dinner andcomplementary beer and wine all evening. Masters of Ceremonies will be George and Tim from KISS 107 and live music will be provided by Thunderbay Band and Wishing Well. Events will include both live andsilent auctions and raffles with hundreds of items for sale. There isopen seating or you can reserve a private table for your group orcorporation if you call ahead. For inquiries or to RSVP contact Sheilaat Animal Friends Humane Society, 5225 Trenton Road, Trenton, Ohio,45067, phone: (513) 867-5727 or email them at: mailto:info%40animalfriendshs.org.The event benefits the Animal Friends Humane Society's AdoptionProgram http://animalfriendshs.org/ .

Wednesday March 4th

7:00 PM – Presentation at Cincinnati Canine Companion Center – Luke and The Boys will be giving a presentation andmeeting with people in the area. The Cincinnati Canine CompanionCenter www.cincinnaticanin e.com is located at: 529 Loveland-MadeiraRd, Loveland, OH 45140; phone: 513-489-6239

Friday March 6th

Your "friendly" dogs arewelcome to attend as well!!Purple People Bridge Crossing -- No kidding! There really is a PurplePeople Bridgehttp://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/04/20/loc_purplebridge20.htmlthat spans the Ohio River, from Kentucky to Ohio, and Luke and theBoys, along with the Crew from KISS 107 FM, and other friends will becrossing it Friday, March 6th at noon. To find out where the PurplePeople Bridge is, please follow the link below. We invite everyone tocome out, bring your dogs, your cameras, and your camcorders to markanother historic bridge crossing!

This bridge used to be the former L&N Railroad Bridge between Newport,Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio, but it was reopened as a pedestrianwalkway. The "Purple People Bridge," the longest connector of its kindin the country that links two states, is 2,670 feet, or just over ahalf a mile long, and has been redesigned to provide an easy way forpeople (and dogs!) to move between the two statesBy the way, the more sedate name for the bridge is the NewportSouthbank Bridge. But don't you think Purple People Bridge is a lotmore fun?

Sunday March 8th

Meet and Greet at the Red Dog Pet Spa and Resort from 1pm until 3pm. More info forthcoming.

These Animals Urgently Need Our Help!

Lorri C. Hare, the Director of the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society, emailed us this evening, Wednesday, February 25th, with this appeal:

Hopefully most of you have heard about the terrible situation in Adair County. Unfortunately, our shelter has received almost 150 animals from the Green River Shelter in only 5 days. We will be getting more in the next few days. You may also visit our website to give a monetary donation via Pay Pal if you wish. We have a "chip in" link on our home page. Please see the below press release. Would you all help us get the word out?? We need as much help as possible.

Thank you for always being there for our animals!

The Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society is working non-stop to help those animals recently found in Adair County to save as many as possible. Double Dogs Chow House (restaurant) is setting up a drop off center in their lobby for much needed items. Blankets, old towels, pet shampoo, paper towels, bleach, cedar shavings, dog houses, crates and latex gloves. Items can be dropped off during regular business hours, starting at 11:00 am daily. There will also be a monetary donation bank set up at this location. Double Dogs is located at 1780 Scottsville Road, Bowling Green, KY..

[Yes! This is the same fantastic Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society Shelter that is in the running for the 'million dollar' shelter make-over on ZooToo. See our earlier blog.]

For those of you not familiar with the story, here are some of the most recent press releases off the web:

From KTYT 27 News First:

Feb 22, 2009 ADAIR COUNTY, KY -- More than 300 animals — including dogs, cats, chickens and goats — have been rescued from an Adair County organization where the bodies of dead animals were found with live ones and feces and urine contaminated the rooms, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader in its Sunday edition.

David Floyd Howery, the owner of Clean Slate Animal Rescue in Columbia, has been charged with 195 counts second-degree animal cruelty.

"It's the worst thing I've ever seen in the way of animals and the conditions that they were living in and the health that a lot of them are in," said Chief Deputy Bruce McCloud of the Adair County sheriff's office.

Clean Slate, whose mission is to provide a temporary home until animals can be placed in a permanent one, was raided Friday [February 20th] after the sheriff's office received a call about the conditions at the rescue agency, McCloud said.

The sheriff's office seized about 210 dogs, 30 cats, 50 chickens, 12 goats, three potbellied pigs, three chinchillas, two donkeys and a horse at Clean Slate.

Six dead goats were found in a room with the 12 live goats, McCloud said.

Howery, 50, is being held on a $1,500 full cash bond at the Adair County Regional Jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Adair District Court.

Additional counts of animal cruelty will be added and the total will probably exceed 300, McCloud said. Howery and his elderly father were living in the building with the animals and the animal carcasses, he said.

The sheriff's office called in the Environmental Protection Agency, the health department, the social services department and a hazardous-materials team for assistance, McCloud said.

The original 195 counts against Howery do not include charges for the dead animals or the chickens, goats, pigs, chinchillas or donkeys, McCloud said. The number of animals already dead hasn't been determined.

The animals are being housed at three locations for the time being, McCloud said. A local farm has taken in the goats and chickens. A rescue agency has taken in the horse and donkeys.

All of the dogs and cats have been taken to the Green River Animal Shelter in Columbia, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Copyright - The Lexington Herald-Leader

From The Associated Press: COLUMBIA, Ky. (AP) - Authorities have added 100 animal cruelty charges to the case against a south-central Kentucky man.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that 50-year-old David F. Howery of Columbia pleaded not guilty to 295 charges at his arraignment Monday in Adair County. Howery originally faced 195 cruelty charges.

Sheriff's deputies raided the Clean Slate Animal Rescue in Columbia on Friday. They rescued dogs, cats, chickens and goats from the center that was set up to give rescued animals a temporary home.

Police say they found dead animals next to live ones and feces and urine contaminated the rooms.

Howery declined to discuss the specifics of his case with the paper, but said there needs to be more recognition about the overpopulation of dogs and cats.

From: WBKO in Bowling Green:

Local animal groups are stepping up in an effort to save as many dogs and cats as they can, who were victims of a recent animal cruelty crime in Adair County.

Employees and volunteers at both Warren County's Humane Society and our local rescue have spent the day bathing and taking care of around 150 dogs and cats.

But their work isn't going unnoticed as hundreds of rescue groups from across the U.S. are trying to help.

It's all in an effort to ensure these animals don't go back to the same conditions they just came from.

"We first got involved with the situation about 5p.m. Friday and never did we think it would be to the level that it is," explained Lorri Hare, with the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society.

More than a hundred cats and dogs, many covered in mange, insects and infection, all here at the Warren County Humane Society.

"These animals were in horrible shape," Hare said.

They were taken from the Green River Animal Shelter in Adair County, a shelter not equipped to care for so many.

"The facility is just a small town shelter," she said. "They don't have a lot of staff. They don't have a lot of funding."

So the Warren County shelter and Bowling Green's "RePets" have been helping ever since.

"We're going to get them vetted. We're going to take care of them here. The main thing is just getting them healthy," assured Sarah Wilde, with RePets.

The animals were brought to the Columbia shelter, after David Howery, the owner of Clean Slate Animal Rescue was arrested.

Police found the animals either sick or dead in his care.

But RePets, a local rescue, says Howery's operation was more like a puppy mill.

"Rescues know what numbers they can and can't have. If animals aren't in good health, it's not in fact a rescue," Wilde said.

"I'm very lucky he didn't get any animals from our facility," Hare added.

The Warren County Humane Society has been working non-stop to move as many of these animals into rescues both in-state and out, and plan to head back to the Green River Shelter to pick up more.

That's because Hare says the outcome for those left in Adair County won't be good.

"Unfortunately by the weekend they will be euthanizing majority of these animals," Hare said.

Both the Warren County Humane Society and RePets are asking for blankets, shampoo, financial donations and even volunteers, in hopes of finding these animals and the ones they previously had good homes.

For more on how you can help, click here and visit www.repets.biz.

Memorial T-Shirt 4 – Deadline March 7th

Memorial T-Shirt 4 is in the works! As some of you may know, Luke always wears the current Memorial Shirt (he's wearing #3 right now) on his travels. On the shirt are listed the angels we have lost and companions still fighting cancer who inspire Luke and keep him company on the road. As Luke says, “The Memorial Shirt is the most important part of my attire. This walk is for and about all of our beloved companion pets who have been touched by cancer. It is both an honor and a privilege to have them with us all the way. While walking, I only wear the Memorial Shirt.” If you’d like your companion’s name added to Memorial T-Shirt 4, here are the directions:

A. Go to Click and Pledge at: https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanced/default.aspx?wid=20247.

B. Look for the selection called Memorial Donation and click Add to Cart. (If you have more than one name you’d like added, change the amount to reflect the number of names x $25.00.)

C. Then click Go to checkout.

D. You will come to a page that says Donating to 2 Dogs 2000 Miles. Scroll down to the box that reads Gift In Honor or Memory of Someone and check the box. Another box will appear where you can fill in the name of your animal.

E. When you have filled in all the information, click on Pay now and follow directions. Shirts are $25.00 each.

Purple People Bridge Crossing -- Kentucky to Ohio

No kidding! There really is a Purple People Bridge that spans the Ohio River, from Kentucky to Ohio, and Luke and the Boys, along with the Crew from KISS 107 FM, will be crossing it Friday, March 6th at noon. To find out where the Purple People Bridge is, please follow this link. We invite everyone to come out, bring your dogs, your cameras and your camcorders to mark another historic bridge crossing!

This bridge used to be the former L&N Railroad Bridge between Newport, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. It reopened as a pedestrian walkway. The "Purple People Bridge" is the longest connector of its kind in the country that links two states. The bridge is 2,670 feet, or just over a half a mile long, and has been redesigned to provide an easy way for people (and dogs!) to move between the two states

By the way, the more sedate name for the bridge is the Newport Southbank Bridge. But don't you think Purple People Bridge is a lot more fun?

The Boys Invited to The Bark N Purr Ball

On Saturday, February 28th, Luke, Hudson and Murphy will be attending the Bark n’ Purr Ball from 6 to 10 PM at Receptions located in Fairfield, Ohio at 5975 Boymel Drive. The event benefits the Animal Friends Humane Society’s Adoption Program . Tickets for the event are $50.00 and include dinner and complementary beer and wine all evening. Masters of Ceremonies will be George and Tim from KISS 107 and live music will be provided by Thunderbay Band and Wishing Well. Events will include both live and silent auctions and raffles with hundreds of items for sale. There is open seating or you can reserve a private table for your group or pr corporation if you call ahead.

For inquiries or to RSVP contact Sheila at Animal Friends Humane Society, 5225 Trenton Road, Trenton, Ohio, 45067, phone: (513) 867-5727 or email them at: info@animalfriendshs.org.

And of course, the shelter is looking for donations year round, which help them continue the numerous programs they have in their community. All donations are tax deductible. For more information, please contact their fund raising volunteer Beth Johannigman, who may be reached by calling: 513-503-1006 or emailing her at: bjohannigman@bigsolutions.com.

Pictured is their new shelter being built.

Cross-Country Trek Calls Attention to Canine Cancer

from The Madison Courier.com

by Sara Denhart

Kentucky News Desk

Friday, February 20, 2009

Five years ago, Luke Robinson of Austin, Texas, found out his best friend had cancer. He researched every medical journal to find out more about the cancer that was slowly killing his friend, but the lack of preventive medicine and treatment options was mind-numbing.

"He was a big part of my life," Robinson said. "I never knew you can have such a profound relationship with a pet."

While Robinson's best friend was not human and walked on all fours, it did not diminish the fact that his best friend was going to die in two years. He cherished the early memories of raising the Great Pyrenees puppy until the dog, Malcolm, was 8.

"When I got him, I had the father-son dog talk about you will listen to me and do what I tell you, but he broke me in a week," Robinson said. "I love to play golf. I would quit playing golf with my friends because Malcolm was my caddy."

After Robinson had provided care for the sick dog for two years, Malcolm died in 2006. He had gone through amputation and chemotherapy only to slow the progression of the cancer that later metastasized to his lungs. No one could tell Robinson why or how Malcolm was afflicted with cancer.

Robinson knew he had done everything a good pet owner should - provide shelter, love and proper nutrition; take him for checkups and exams at the veterinarian; and play with him from time to time.

"Dogs get the same type of cancers people get," Robinson said. "Canine cancer is a crisis of epidemic proportions."

Since Malcolm's death, Robinson sold his truck, put his belongings into storage, quit his job and started a walking trip from Austin, Texas, to Boston, Mass. He was on a mission to bring awareness of canine cancer.

"Malcolm is who got me on the road," Robinson said. "My family thinks I'm a nut job for doing this, but they are very supportive."

Since leaving his home a year ago, Robinson has met hundreds of people across the country who have told their stories about the pets they lost to cancer. He has made several shirts, as memorials, filled with the names of pets that have died from cancer.

"Cancers are becoming more common and more frequent in dogs," Robinson said. "I saw pictures of a beautiful corgi that died at the age of 2 because of cancer."

Robinson said the average age of some dog breeds is being reduced by several years because cancer is becoming so widespread. He said the Bernese mountain dog's life expectancy has been reduced from 10 years to 6 to 8 years because of cancer.

"Dogs even get breast cancer," Robinson said. "Nobody knows why dogs get cancer, but everybody wants to know what is causing the cancer."

Robinson, through his research and discussions with experts, believes the canine cancers are developed through environmental factors, nutrition and genetics. But genetics plays a small role in the cancers, he said.

"Everyone thinks it's a nutritional component," Robinson said. "The drug companies don't want to invest in researching it because all they care about are cures and treatments. There is no money invested in the prevention of canine cancer."

After four pairs of hiking boots, four tents, two cameras and three wireless phones, Robinson and his two Great Pyrenees dogs, Hudson and Murphy, have traveled 1,000 miles and have 1,300 miles to go. He will head to Cincinnati next and continue north before taking a dogleg east to New England.

"The dogs love the new sights and new smells," Robinson said. "Great Pyrenees are guard dogs, but they like to walk. Hudson loves horses and cows. He saw his first Shetland pony in Hanover and wanted to play with it. I couldn't do this trip without them."

Along the way, Robinson and his dogs, who walk about 10 miles a day, stop at animal shelters to volunteer, meet up with families who are hosting them and pick up supplies that have been shipped to post offices nearby. One of his sponsors sends 10 pounds of dog treats to every shelter where he volunteers during his travels.

"I considered myself a dog lover, but I never spent any time in a shelter," Robinson said. "I worried I would get too attached to the dogs there, but I found out that's not the case."

As the "pack," as Robinson refers to himself and his two dogs, walks, Robinson said they can carry about five days' worth of human food, dehydrated dog food packs, and water. The dehydrated dog food is similar to military rations given to soldiers, but it is formulated for dogs. The owner just has to add water, and the dogs can have a nutritious meal, Robinson said.

"We've been so blessed," Robinson said. "Every city has its own character. Memphis was really rich in culture and history. In Bowling Green, Ky., we met a really awesome head of the humane society there who has transformed the focus of the town on the need of animals. Louisville - I love that city. It's so eclectic and artistic. I love Madison. It's got a historic downtown that's really cool. I'm kind of a geek when it comes to history and science."

Robinson is using technology to document his journey for people who want to keep track of him online. He's using social networking programs such as Twitter, Dogster and Facebook to document his journey. After reaching Boston, he hopes to write a book about his journey and raise money for preventive measures for canine cancer.

"This is just phase one of the project," Robinson said. "I'm building a network now."

To track the journey of Robinson, Hudson and Murphy, visit www.2dogs2000miles.org.

Caption with picture: Jenny Slover, manager of the Jefferson County Animal Shelter, plays with Murphy and Hudson, who were visiting Madison with Luke Robinson this week. Robinson and his dogs are a year into a 2,000-mile trek on foot and paw from Austin, Texas, to Boston, Mass., to raise awareness of canine cancer. (Staff photo by Ken Ritchie)

Shelter Make-Over -- We Can Help

The Bowling Green -Warren County Humane Society Shelter is in the running on Zootoo for a “Million Dollar” shelter makeover, and we can help.

You’ll remember that Luke volunteered at the Bowling Green Warren County HS Shelter, and Lorri, her staff and friends were very helpful to The Boys while they stayed in the Bowling Green area. We’re asking our readers to please support this excellent shelter – a shelter that has earned a rating of 4.9 out of 5! If you’re a member of Zootoo, you already know how it works. If not, it’s very easy to join, and lots of fun to make connections with other animal lovers. It’ll take you no more than 5 minutes to join and won’t cost you a thing.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1. Log on to www.zootoo.com/makeover and join the community
2. Select The Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society shelter to support
3. Start earning points through activities on Zootoo.com

Pet lovers across America will help decide which Pet Shelter will receive a 'million dollar' makeover, simply by being active on Zootoo.com. The more active you are on Zootoo.com, the more points The Bowling Green -Warren County Humane Society Shelter will receive. We need your help to earn points for this terrific shelter.

From the ZooToo site: This year, the makeover contest is in divided in 3 phases: In the first one (from 9/18/08 to 3/13/09), shelters supporters earn points by being active on Zootoo for their affiliated shelter. The top 20 shelters become semi-finalists. During phase 2 (3/14/09 to 4/1/09), Zootoo and its advisors will tour these shelters and view their condition in order to narrow the 20 Semi-finalists down to 10 Finalists. During phase 3 (4/4/09 to 4/24/09), it will be up to America to vote on the most deserving shelter. The shelter with the highest number of public votes by America will win the makeover! For more information on voting and how points add up, follow this link: http://www.zootoo.com/makeover/points.

We hope you’ll take time to visit Zootoo often and help put the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society Shelter in the top 20 contenders. Let’s see if we can help this great shelter win a most deserving makeover!

Rudy Green

Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of Rudy Green's passing. In his remembrance, I walked across the 2nd St. bridge with Luke, Hudson and Murphy at my side, along with some wonderful folks from Louisville. High above the water with the wind whirling, the sun broke through as we crossed into Indiana and I felt like I had really accomplished something. In reality, this little two mile stroll is NOT even a blip on the screen compared to Luke's journey.

May Rudy, Malcolm and all angels above be at your side, dear man. I am honored to know you.

Power Points and Presentations in Louisville, KY

Luke and the Boys have been very busy, as usual, even though the weather in Kentucky has been abysmal. When they’re not out on the road, they have been at several functions including the event organized by Cheri Hildreth at The Brown and Williamson Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Luke gave a Power Point presentation (to download the presentation, visit our home page and, under Past Events click on the link “power point presentation.” We hope to have a video of this presentation available for you soon.) Luke's presentation was very well received. Notice even Hudson and Murphy are paying very close attention to what their Papa is saying.

Also attending the event was a panel of three local veterinarians, Drs. Scott Campbell, Tom Day, and Lara Day. Dr. Campbell,(pictured with Murphy), a veterinary internist, talked extensively about the bond between man and dog, the importance of once a year routine check-ups before the age of 8 and check-ups (some vets call these geriatric exams) at least twice a year for companions over the age of 8, the value of early detection and treatment, determining treatment options and planning the stages of treatment, and the criteria for determining quality of life. Dr. Tom Day, board certified in pain management, discussed the fact that dogs, because of their survival instinct, often hesitate in showing pain, and may well have a higher threshold for pain. He pointed out that, because of this, it can be more difficult to determine if your companion is suffering from cancer (or any other illness for that matter) -- another reason for yearly check-ups. He discussed pain management and options. Next, his wife, Dr. Lara Day (pictured with her husband and The Boys) , a veterinarian who specializes in alternative medicine and acupuncture, discussed alternative treatment options (which are becoming more readily available for our companions) and the use of alternative therapies and acupuncture in treatment. All three veterinarians gave informative and thoughtful presentations and we thank them for their participation. Special thanks too to Cheri Hildreth for making the event possible. If you'd like more information on the practice of Drs. Tom & Lara Day, please follow this link: http://www.lvses.com/ .

By the way, Murphy would like everyone to know that he was yawning only because it had been a really long day!