Diogi, an almost nine-year-old German Shepherd, served New Jersey’s Police Department for seven years as part of the K-9 unit, but his career was cut short after the canine officer was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The news of the terminal illness didn’t come easy for Diogi’s human partner, Officer Joseph Van Pelt, but nevertheless, Van Pelt loved and honored his four-legged work partner until the dog’s last day.

The dog and the officer’s friendship was meant to be. The bond the two of them had was unlike any other.

“He just walked right to the gate of the crate, licked my face, and I said, ‘That, that’s gonna be my partner,’” recalled Van Pelt of his first encounter with his dog. “It’s 100 percent love. It’s 100 percent loyalty. It’s 100 percent dedication we have to each other. It’s just a total, complete bond.”

When the Police department learned there was nothing veterinarians could do to save Diogi’s life, an emotional farewell was organized for the k-9 officer.

Police officers, family members and Diogi’s friends lined up the street outside the Red Bank Veterinary Hospital for one last roll call. After paying tribute to the dog, the furry officer was humanly put to sleep.

Van Pelt gave his partner one last kiss on the head and walked him into the animal hospital. That was the last time the two friends were together.
Diogi is remembered as the true hero he is and his loved ones miss him dearly.

It’s bad enough that we are constantly bombarded with tragic stories about police killing friendly family pets for often no reason at all, and it’s just as sad to learn that police aren’t even treating their own K-9s well. Jack is a Belgian Malinois police dog who has been forced to live in a squalid cement pen for the last two weeks. Why? Apparently because his partner decided to take a promotion with the sheriff’s department.

This comes from friends of Jack in an anonymous letter to the editor of Rowan Free Press:

♦ Behind the Salisbury Police Department (Salisbury, N.C.), in a cramped chain-link and cement dog run, a Belgian Malinois named “Jack” has been imprisoned, day and night, for almost two weeks.
Jack sleeps, exposed to the elements, on the cold cement often with his urine and feces his only company. He is not properly exercised, and his body shows signs of deteriorating muscle mass. At night you can hear the dog’s whimpering. He also shows signs of separation anxiety and social isolation, which can result in aggression in breeds such as Jack’s.

Why?

Jack has aged out of K-9 duty and should be retired. The timing would have been good for him to retire with his handler, Officer Fox, who would dearly love to be with Jack. Dogs are customarily retired to their handler’s care and protection. Yet Chief Rory Collins said no and has instead subjected Jack to inhumane conditions. Is this action out of spite because officer Fox took a job with the Sheriff’s Office? Who can blame deputy Fox for trying to better his lot?

Our photographer was able to take photos from behind the police department, where Jack displays signs of separation anxiety, physical neglect, and discomfort. Jack is located in one of the two 6’ x 8’ pens on the cement yard behind the police headquarters building. Jack has many friends in the Police Department, but they fear for their jobs to speak out.

Police Chief Collins’ peculiar choice came on the heels of Fox’s resignation and employment with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. Collins would be well aware that the small pen is intended to house the high-energy dog breeds employed by Salisbury PD for only a few hours while a handler is busy in court or otherwise. No K-9 should ever be caged in such conditions for longer than a few hours.

Is Collins’ animal cruelty due to a grudge held over Fox’s departure to work in the Sheriff’s Office? Officers are disturbed by the Chief’s petty behavior at the aging dog’s expense. It does nothing for the department’s crumbling morale.

When Fox recently resigned and took a job with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, he requested to adopt the dutiful Jack, with whom he worked closely. Jack had aged out of K-9 duty and would have to be retired, and the bond between Jack and his handler Officer Fox was very close. You can imagine the emptiness these two experience at each other’s loss.

Why would Collins deny Jack a caring home at the time he is due to retire from K-9 duty and instead subject him to cruelty and inhumane treatment?

High energy dogs such as this Belgian Malinois bond closely with their handlers and require frequent exercise, closeness, and attention. The relationship between dogs such as Jack and their handlers are central to their well-being. At retirement, continuing the Malinois’ relationship with his handler is considered to be in the dog’s best interest. Police Chief Collins’ decision to pen such a dog in a cramped environment that is isolated and exposed to the elements with no consideration of his age or even common humane treatment is one he has made with ample knowledge of the unique requirements of such a breed.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A psychologist who stars on a reality TV show testified at a murder trial that a California man accused of killing an animal control officer had a hoarding disorder and could have reacted violently to anyone trying to take away his many animals.

Robin Zasio, from the A&E show "Hoarders," appeared in court for the defense Tuesday in the trial of Joseph Corey, 67, the Sacramento Bee reported. Zasio founded the Sacramento-based Compulsive Hoarding Center.

Corey is accused of shooting and killing Roy Marcum, 45, on Nov. 28, 2012, as Marcum arrived at Corey's home in Galt, about 20 miles south of Sacramento.
Marcum was there to remove Corey's multiple dogs and cats amid eviction proceedings.

A sheriff's deputy served Corey with an eviction notice a day earlier. Authorities said Corey had garbage stacked 6 feet high.

Corey is charged with first-degree murder. But his attorney, Jennifer Mouzis, told jurors during her opening statement Corey was so impaired by his mental disorder that he was incapable of planning the killing beforehand, a requirement for a first-degree conviction.

During questioning Tuesday, Mouzis asked Zasio hypothetically how a person facing foreclosure and living with mountains of refuse and multiple dogs and cats in cages strewn with feces would be affected by the likelihood of his animals and prized possessions being taken away.

"It would be absolutely devastating," Zasio replied, adding that it could lead the person to become homicidal or suicidal.

Asked by the prosecutor if she had ever seen another instance of a person killing someone under the threat of animal removal, Zasio said she had not.

Corey was arrested following a 17-hour standoff with police after he shot the officer with a high-powered hunting rifle.

Eviction papers were served on Corey, a former electrician and mechanic, after he failed to make a house payment for three years, authorities said.

Marcum's mother, Charlotte Marcum, testified at trial that she visited Corey in jail and asked him why he killed her son, the Sacramento Bee reported. She said he told her, "I wanted to kill an officer."

Zasio said there are an estimated 4 million hoarders in the country.

Nina Pham, the Texas nurse who has been recovering from Ebola, has been reunited with her dog Bentley, both of whom just got out of quarantine.

“I’d like to take a moment to thank people from all around the world who have sent their best wishes and prayers to me and Mr. Bentley,” said Pham at a press conference on Saturday. She was thrilled to “have my best friend by my side again.”

They hadn’t seen each other since October 12th, when Pham tested positive for Ebola after treating Thomas Eric Duncan, who had died a few days earlier. Her Cavalier King Charles had already been in close contact with Pham by the time symptoms developed.

Dallas officials did not want Pham to endure the same fate as the nurse in Spain whose dog was euthanized without even having been tested. Bentley was instead tested and placed in quarantine. He was cared for in the former residence of the executive officer at Hensley Field (military air base).

Being in quarantine wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Specially-suited staff members kept Bentley company and played with him until he was due to be released.

“We are going to miss seeing Bentley every day,” said city spokeswoman, Sana Syed. “He had a long bath this morning and hugs from Dr Bissett.”

Pham and Bentley have some catching up and celebrating to do.

“Right now, I’m just excited to take Bentley home so we can start picking out his gifts for his two-year birthday party this month,” she said.

October 29th

This girl’s heart broke the moment her dad walked out the door.

Yesterday, while at an open access shelter, a man walked in with his dog named Mira. He said that he was moving and no longer had time for her. [Please try not to judge too harshly – we don’t know what his circumstances were, and taking his dog to a shelter is a much better alternative to leaving her on the street.

Mira was wagging her tail and was so proud and happy to be walking with her dad. It was not until they were removing her collar and replacing it with a slip lead that she started to realize that something was up. It was then that her dad turned around and walked out the door.

As Mira watched her dad walk away, she started to whimper. Once he made it outside, she began to cry for him. Mira did everything that she could to get out the door to be reunited with her dad and her stress level quickly went through the roof… she just cried and cried.

At this point, I knew that she would have a complete meltdown if she were put in the general population with the other homeless dogs.

I asked if she could stay out by the front desk with me so that she could be calmed down. Needless to say, I didn’t have the heart to bring her to the back room and so she ended up in my car.

November 1st

Just this past week, Mira sat frantically crying at the front door of an open access shelter as her former dad walked out and left her behind… for the days to come, she cried and found it hard to eat. Mira’s heart was shattered into a million pieces.

We at TAF knew that it would take a caring and gentle man to mend Mira’s emotional wounds and make her happy again.

Well, as fate would have it, that man was about to walk into Mira’s life and help to ease her pain and show her that she was loved.

A while back, Mira’s new dad lost his senior pittie girl to cancer and the thought of bringing a new pup into his life was just too painful… after caring for his baby girl until the end, his heart was broken.

It was not until he saw Mira’s story and the look of despair in her eyes that he knew they were meant to be together. That very same day he filled out an adoption application and the rest is history.

As of today, Mira has a new dad and two broken hearts are happy once more.

The Fallen Soldiers March was an idea born in the USA with the hope at it’s core of honouring fallen soldiers, veterans and those currently active, helping to provide service dogs to veterans in need.

The non-profit organisation is currently running a ‘Smooch your Pooch’ challenge encouraging people to share photos and videos online of them with their dogs to help raise awareness.

K9 Magazine caught up with Jim Retzke, president of the Fallen Soldiers March, to hear more about their history and how they hope to build a better future for those they seek to support through a dog’s companionship.

Here’s Jim’s story…

The Fallen Solders March roots originate from Master Sergeant Jim Williams, a returning member of the 269th Military Police Company, Tennessee Army National Guard whose was deployed in Irqa and survived a Humvee explosion.

After recovering from his physical injuries, he sought out to confront the emotional trauma resulting from his service in Iraq by initiating the “Nine Mile March” in August of 2005, and to draw attention to the families that grieve the loss of a friend or family member. The Nine Mile March incorporated a nine mile course beginning at the National Guard Armory in Lebanon, Tennessee and concluding at the Wilson County Fair, reported to be one of the largest county fairs in the country.

Up until 2009, the Nine Mile March had been loosely attended, in fact Williams professed, tongue-in-cheek, “people thought I was hitchhiking”. On Veterans Day 2009, a promise was fulfilled after a challenge had been met whereby if more than 100 soldiers showed up to take the challenge, the route would change and the “Thirty Mile March” was born.

Frank Romano was in Los Angeles at LAX airport, waiting to board a flight home to Tampa, Florida. He is blaming Delta Airlines, the company he trusted to bring him and his dog home together and safe for losing his dog.

Now, a week into his dog being missing, Frank is saying that it seems as if no one at Delta is willing to help.

“To me, it sounds like they don’t care. They sound like they lost a piece of baggage. No. He’s family. He’s like my best friend. He’s another part of our family,” said Frank.

Frank and his dog, Ty, are a bit of a unique pair. Frank says that Ty rescued him, more than the more usual way around where a person rescues a dog. Frank was homeless when he adopted Ty last year.

“He was like a big anxiety pill. He would help me through the rough times,” said Frank.

Delta is claiming that Ty chewed his way through his travel crate in the cargo hold of the plane. He then took off across the tarmac, and was lost. Delta is also saying that workers at LAX tried searching for the dog, but couldn’t locate Ty. They say that the dog is still being searched for.

Frank isn’t buying it. “I have no clue how they could just lose a pet like that.”

Frank keeps in contact Delta daily. Every time he actually talks to someone, he feels like he’s getting the run around. According to Frank, it seems like he’s getting a different story from each Delta employee he speaks to. He even says that Delta had called him at one point telling him the dog had been found, but that is apparently not the case.

Frank said, “I have a feeling someone stole him or something. This is a fishy story.”

Delta reps say that they are doing everything they possibly can to help find Ty. They have even offered Frank a $200 credit toward another flight. Frank isn’t interested in flight credits. He wants his dog back.

The first time officer Aaron Morgan, from Pantego, Texas, saved Ginger’s life, was back in September when he was off duty, visiting relatives in Arlington, Texas. The rookie officer heard the yelps of a dog and when he peeked through the fence, he found a young boy beating, choking and kicking the tan color, seven-month-old dog.

He called area police and immediately a squad car was dispatched to the location. The dog’s owner surrendered the pet, and Ginger was sent to the Arlington Animal shelter.

Morgan believed Ginger would soon find a loving forever home,after all the pet was cute and very young, but on October 30th, 2014, the police officer learned Ginger was on death row. Time was up and no one had come forward to take this beautiful dog home.

The rookie cop couldn’t accept he had saved the young dog from one bad situation just to have the dog land in another, therefore the very next morning he showed up at the shelter to adopt and save the dog.

“It wasn’t fair to let this dog be euthanized,” Morgan told the Star-Telegram. “It wasn’t fair to take it out of one situation and then say ‘Sorry, this is where your road ends.’ ”

Ginger found a loving forever home with Morgan and to start a new life, the dog received a new name. Ginger is now called Duke.

Nine years ago, I lived in a third-floor apartment off the famous Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles with my boyfriend and our dog. I no longer have the apartment, nor the boyfriend, but I still have my love of my life: the dog, Riggins.

We had moved into the apartment because I wanted a puppy and where we lived didn't allow dogs. Once settled into our new home, I reached out to three or four popular rescue groups in the area and was told the same thing over and over again: no.

The rescues wouldn't let me adopt a puppy. It wasn't that they didn't have puppies; it was that they didn't think I should get one. I was a first-time dog owner (other than a family dog when I was young), living in sin with my boyfriend in an apartment that we both vacated during the day to go to work. We were labeled "not puppy material."

One day, my folks emailed me a flyer they had seen of a family offering puppies for sale in their neighborhood. I was on vacation at the time, but rushed over the day after I got back. I knew I should go through the steps of adopting from a rescue group, but the ones I had contacted left me discouraged.

The family's two dogs, a German Shorthair Pointer and a Samoyed had had an accidental litter. I should have lectured them on the importance of having pets spayed or neutered. I didn't. Instead, I fell in love with the only male left, named Gargantuan.

I handed over $5 and walked away with my sweet baby. After a bath to de-flea, trip to the local vet, and drive home to meet his new daddy, Gargantuan became Riggins. The rigorous adoption rules of the rescue groups may have kept me from adopting one of their pups, but the situation led me to the best dog in the world!

Open adoptions such as the one that brought Riggins and I together are necessary for ours to become a "no-kill" society. In an open adoption, the goal is to place as many animals as possible with the acknowledgement that no one is perfect. This means no house checks, no vet checks, and no reference checks.

Adopters aren't denied if the pet will be home alone while they work nor if the home does not have an enclosed backyard.

Many in the rescue world do not approve of this type of adoption. Some have nightmares of dogs being scooped up to become bait or to be used for breeding. I currently volunteer for Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles, well-known for its open-adoption policy. Some believe that this means cuddly animals are handed out like cars at a very special taping of Oprah. "A dog for you, a dog for you, dogs for everyone!" That is simply not true. Groups that follow open-adoption policies still have guidelines.

If you want to adopt from Best Friends, you have to fill out a survey so your adoption specialist can better understand you, what you are looking for in a pet, and your living situation. You are interviewed, although you may not know it is happening. The specialist guides you to the dog that will best suit your life. Then there is an adoption fee and an extensive adoption agreement, which is gone over in detail before you sign. The entire process takes hours, not minutes, and not everyone who applies gets what they want.

Best Friends also has a no-kill policy for the life of its animals. If an adoption doesn't work out, the organization ask that the pet comes back to the facility. This less-stringent adoption policy allows more animals to be adopted. That means more animals are pulled from shelters and saved from euthanasia. Is there a chance that after all the time and effort, someone with an ulterior motive will walk off with a pup? You can never say never, but if you are evil there are easier ways to grab your prey.

The rescue groups who don't have open-adoption policies take additional steps to make sure the connection between the pet and the owner is a good one. This can include house checks. I've heard from a number of people who are great dog owners, who said they were originally denied a pup because there was no one at home during the day (darn those humans for having to go to work!), their backyard wasn't big enough, or they lived in an apartment. Some (like me) were just told no.

There is a place for all rescue groups and their different adoption policies. Each one services a purpose: saving animals and placing them in loving, caring forever homes. If you have doubts about the positive aspects of an open-adoption policy, I ask you to visit a group that utilizes it, see how it works, keep an open mind, and then think of Riggins sitting here on my lap -- the lap of someone who was deemed "unfit" by many rescues to raise a puppy. This dog is living the life of Riley!

WASHINGTON (AP) — A District of Columbia woman has spent more than $35,000 in a year-long search for her beloved missing dog.

Janet Mihalyfi, 39, of Georgetown has hired psychics and private investigators, posted thousands of fliers, installed cameras in the woods and put out dog food at spots where the Rottweiler mix has reportedly been spotted.

Mihalyfi lost 5-year-old Havoc on Nov. 9, 2013, after she took him and her other dog off their leashes during a run in a wooded area. Just then, a deer bolted by and both dogs gave chase.

She hasn't seen Havoc since.

"Anybody that has a pet knows that they are a family member," Mihalyfi told The Associated Press on Thursday. "I love him as I would anybody that I'm close with ... I can't give up on him."

Mihalyfi, an information technology director at a Washington consulting firm, said she has devoted every weekend since Havoc's disappearance to the search, which she called all-consuming, exhausting and depressing.

"It's been a very emotionally taxing year," she said. "It just feels like all these efforts — why am I not getting closer to getting to him?"

But Mihalyfi said her hope of finding Havoc, who has an implanted identifying microchip, is constantly renewed by tips from people who have seen her signs begging for information about his whereabouts.

Mihalyfi estimates that about 30 to 40 percent of the tips have been accurate and said she has plenty of evidence that Havoc is spending his days in two wooded parks in the District that are thousands of square miles large.

Though Mihalyfi has gotten help searching from a group of volunteers sympathetic to her plight, she's also fielded some criticism for the amount of money and time she has spent searching for a dog.

"I know people are in shock by the number but there's also a correlation between how long I go after this," she said. "Lost-dog searches are expensive and this has lasted a year."

She said she can't imagine a better way to spend her money than getting a member of her family back.