Police warn dog owners to watch out in the New Toronto area after reports of crushed pills were found.

“Police are still trying to determine whether or not the pills that were found could have contributed to the death of a complainant’s dog approximately one week ago,” Toronto Police said Monday in a news release.

The pills were seen Monday noon at the back yards of homes near the Sixth Street and Lake Shore Boulevard near Islington Avenue.

“Police are asking the public who live in the Sixth Street/Lake Shore Boulevard West area to check their properties, report any similar findings and use extra caution when using their yards.”

If anyone has an information, please contact the police at 416-808-2200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, or text TOR and a message to CRIMES (274637).

There have been also reports of crushed fill found in the off-leash area of Allan Gardens park downtown but it has not yet been confirmed if the two incidents are related.

Technorati Tags: dog health, Dog park, Toronto Police Service

Many people would rather stay at home when their beloved dog or cat is not feeling well. According to a new survey by M&S Pet Insurance, people will cancel their dates if their pet is not well.

According to the research, 52% of the respondents would choose their pet over their partner in cases where there is unexpected illness. Only 26% of men will choose relationship which shows that people love their pets so much.

David Wells, the head of the insurance said that he was not surprised with the results.

“Pet owners often have a close bond with their animals as they are often a predictable presence in our ever-changing lives, providing unconditional love, emotional support and companionship,” he pointed out.

“Therefore, when a new partner comes along it is not surprising that they need to love the pet as much as the person.”

There are also people who are willing to put their work at risk for the sake of a sick pet. It was found out that 11% of the owners stayed at home to nurse a sick pet and a similar proportion have taken time to grieve for a lost pet.

Technorati Tags: Animal, Cat, dog, Pet, Recreation

Hilary Duff found her dog DuBois who was previously thought to be missing. Duff asked the paparazzi outside her home to help her look for the missing dog last February14.

The next day, Hilary’s sister, Haylie let people know via Twitter that their pooch has turned up safe and sound. “Yes, DuBois was in the house the whole time,” she wrote. “Thank you for all the wishes and good lucks.”

Hilary was afraid that her dog might meet the same fate as Jessica Simpson’s dog which was said to be taken away by coyotes from her garden. Search was eventually given up after accepting that Daisy, the caramel-colored Maltipoo, was gone for good.

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There was a woman in New York who said that her doggy coat was stolen. Donna McPherson said that she tied up Lexie, her 10-year-old West Highland terrier outside a supermarket in Brooklyn for just 2 minutes as she bought milk.

She said that she heard a funny bark and when she checked, she found her little white dog shivering in the cold. The green wool coat that he was wearing together with the leather trim and belt was nowhere in sight.

McPherson said that the dog coat was $25. Good thing that Lexie was not wearing his Burberry.

Technorati Tags: dog, Pets, West Highland White Terrier

In Michigan, a man who was found to have hundreds of both live and dead Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes has been sentenced to 5 years of probation in a mental health program. He was ordered not to have any animals.

During his sentencing hearing in Wayne County Circuit Court, Tuesday, Kenneth Lang Jr. told Judge Timothy Kenny that he loved the dogs like his own children but that he had just so many of them.

Lang pleaded guilty to a single count of cruelty to 10 or more animals. It was in July when authorities found out about the dogs that Lang kept. They said that there are dead dogs in the freezer which may have been killed with an injection.

Technorati Tags: Chihuahua, dog, Michigan, Pets

Seven guide dogs need homes temporarily while their owners are away. Volunteers will be trained so that they can look after the dogs.

According to the local Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, it would be better if the boarder will be able to look after the dogs all of the time. The candidates would be those who are retired, working from home, or those who are able to take the dog to their workplace.

Homes must be big enough to house a large dog and the garden must be safe and secure. It is preferred that there are no other pets.

The guide dog will have to walk at least twice a day and must follow a set of rules on exercise, grooming and diet.

If there is any variation in the routine of the dog, it can affect its ability to guide and if the rules are broken, the dog may have to be retrained which costs quite a lot.

At the moment when their owners are unable to look after them they’re flown to a guide dog training centre in Exeter, which is time consuming and expensive.

Ken Syvret is chairman of the Jersey branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. He said that,”It’s not a difficult job we’re asking people to do but it is one that is important as far as the dogs health and care is concerned.

“There are three things we need to look at, the feeding of the dog, the grooming of the dog and more importantly the walking of the dog,” said Ken.

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, dog, dog training, Guide dog, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Pet, Service Animals, Training

A sheriff’s dog found the tracks of a drug suspect, a Columbia man who escaped the authorities after a narcotics investigation in north Columbia.

Samuel E. Haley, 36, was arrested on federal narcotic warrants after Utz, a Boone County sheriff’s tracking dog, traced out his trail from near the Red Roof Inn at 201 E. Texas Ave. to nearby Newton Drive. Haley was found hiding beneath a parked car, according to the sheriff’s department.

Haley, of 480 E. Park Lane, was arrested on a no-bond federal probation and parole warrant in connection with a narcotics possession charge as well as suspicion of resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a firearm and receiving stolen property.

The incident begam at around 10:50 PM when a sheriff deputy conducted a narcotics investigation contacted Haley who ran away into the woods near Leslie Lane and Newton. The deputy found a firearm that was said to be dropped by Haley and it was reported to be stolen in Columbia.

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers and Columbia police assisted in the search.

Haley remained today in the Boone County Jail.