Blackie on the prowl

Another poignant farewell to a beloved family pet.

Print from Dogstuff

Not for the planes (naturally). For the birds.

As the Los Angeles Times reports, the number of incidents of planes hitting birds and other wildlife has increased dramatically in the last decade. Though they seldom, if ever, result in human fatalities, they can cause damage to the planes — and, of course, the unfortunate wildlife.

The Southwest Oregon Regional Airport has responded by hiring a border collie named Filly, who keeps flocks of birds away from runways. A case study at Durban International Airport in South Africa found a 57% reduction in bird strikes after it started using its own “wildlife management dog.”

Card from Dogstuff

Card from Dogstuff

In the medical sense, that is. A Virginia vet recently did her annual free check of all the working and therapy dogs in the area.

You know, of course, that dogs have three eyelids. What else did she see? Turns out there’s poetry in the science, hidden in those eyes.

The Washington Post’s John Kelly explains.

Lynne Engelbert has been doing canine search and rescue for 20 years, including Oklahoma City, the World Trade Center, and Katrina. The Mercury News has a good profile of her life (”I was raised by border collies,” she says semi-jokingly) and work.

Engelbert and Sweep

How does she stay motivated in such a grim occupation? “To be able to [recover bodies], to bring closure to the families, is truly a gift. It’s a blessing that I get back.”

In addition to aiding search and rescue operations, Engelbert is active in supporting training programs and facilities for the dogs.

Municipalities across the country are increasingly offering mediation services to resolve noise and other neighborhood disputes.

A woman in San Francisco was able to use mediation to convince her neighbor to keep his border collie inside in the mornings. The dog had been waking her with its barking at 6:30 every morning.

Tapestry throw from Dogstuff

It’s not just the neighbors who appreciate mediation. Dog owners who’ve been fined say they wish there had been other options before neighbors filed complaints.

Not everyone is a fan, though. Some anti-barking activists don’t think offended neighbors should have to compromise with the owners of noisy dogs.