John Maney, a 26-year veteran of the Polk County, FL Sheriff’s Department, needed a new dog to work narcotics with him. But there was no money in the budget.

So Maney went to the pound, looking for a dog with “alertness, lack of fear and eagerness to learn.” He found a black lab mix who fit the bill, took him home, and trained him himself, based on his years of experience with five previous K-9 partners.

The pup, named Rezadu, did so well that after just 12 weeks, he was nationally certified as a narcotics dog – possibly the first rescue dog to earn that distinction.

Rezadu with members of the Polk County Sheriff's Department

Sheriff Grady Judd pointed out that Rezadu’s story has multiple benefits: “[T]he taxpayers benefit from having a low-cost, top-notch narcotics detection canine team, and Polk County citizens see the value in adopting a pet from Animal Control.”

Maney says, “People tell me that Rezadu is a lucky dog, because I rescued him and made him my partner, but I tell them that I’m the lucky one. Rezadu is a one-of-a-kind.”

Patrick Ohara’s dog Tyko got herself in a sticky mess when she swallowed some Gorilla Glue. The glue combined with the water she drank to form a solid, football-sized mass in her stomach.

Tyko the Akita

After a trip to the vet, Tyko has fully recovered from surgery to remove the mass. But Ohara is making sure that glue and other substances are well out of her reach from now on.

The newly-formed animal welfare club at Chatham High School is campaigning on behalf of a ballot measure that would end greyhound racing in Massachusetts.

Proponents of the measure say that the dogs are kept in small cages 20 hours a day, and often are hurt when they’re raced. State records show that more than 800 racing greyhounds have been injured since 2002.

Industry opponents argue that the dogs are never mistreated and that phasing out the races will eliminate jobs and cost the state money. However, the students in the club say that most people seem to favor the ban.

Greyhound & Italian Greyhound card from Dogstuff

Website Rover411.com sponsored a “My Dog Looks Like Obama or McCain” contest, and the winners have been announced: a Boxer and a Maltese. Photos of both winning dogs and their look-alike politicians, as well as pix of the runner-up dogs in each category, are available at the site.

Max the Maltese, who disappeared from a home in Florida months ago, is headed back home

Trick or Treat Dogstuff card

It’s that time of year again; soon there will be hordes of little goblins, ghosts, witches, fairies, and who-knows-what-else knocking on our doors. Along with all the costumes, trick-or-treating, and gorging on sweets, it’s a time for pet owners to take extra precautions. Thanks to Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland, Inc., for sending along these tips:

- Keep pets in another room while handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, in order to keep your furry friends from dashing out the front door into the night.

- Make sure your up-to-date I.D. tags are securely fastened to your animal’s collar.

- Avoid using lit candles inside pumpkins and other Halloween decor, as many curious animals have burnt their snouts trying to sneak a peek.

- Keep candy out of the reach of pets; make sure it is located on a shelf or at a distance where your pet can not reach it. As most people know, dogs cannot consume chocolate of any kind as this can lead to severe illness and even death.

- Finally, consider giving your candy to trick-or-treaters outside of the house so that your animals are left safe and secure inside your home.

If any of your pets mysteriously find themselves wearing their own costumes on All Hallows Eve, send a photo to dogpix@rescuefirst.org – we’ll share them as space allows.

Halloween card from Dogstuff

The economic downturn is affecting an upscale dog – the chihuahua.

Though people from all walks of life have chihuahuas, they’ve been especially popular among some trendier lifestyles. Now, people being foreclosed on find themselves unable to keep their pets, and chihuahuas are disproportionately represented among the animals losing their homes and families.

So many chihuahuas have been surrendered in Santa Barbara County that the three shelters there are concluding a week-long “Adopt a Chihuahua” campaign. During the campaign, every chihuahua adopted came with its own pink carrying case trimmed with fake black fur, a nod to the pink-clad chihuahua in Legally Blonde, as well as the dogs’ pampered image in the recent film Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Chihuahua tiara birthday card from Dogstuff

Peggy Langle, head of the Santa Barbara Human Society, says surrender trends have happened before; shelters were full of dalmatians, for example, after the 1996 remake of 101 Dalmatians.

Chihuahuas aren’t only popular because of Hollywood; their size makes them compatible with small-scale living, a benefit when many apartments have size limits on dogs. Nevertheless, here’s to hoping that humans will try to be less fashionable, and more discerning, when choosing their canine companions.

Freddie, a 14-year-old cairn terrier, got more than he bargained for when he went for a walk along the beach in Northumberland, England with his owner, 73-year-old Jean Brigstock.

Disoriented by the fog, Freddie got too close to the waves and was swept out to sea. Fortunately, he was rescued by a group of fishermen.

Freddie was nearly a mile out to sea when he was found, but all is well; his vet has given him a clean bill of health. Lucky Freddie will doubtless be walking a little farther up the beach from now on.