Author Archives: Michelle
Harbor, the dog with the world’s longest ears
Harbor, a black and tan coonhound, has earned recognition from Guinness World Records as the living dog with the world’s longest ears.
The 8-year-old pooch has a left ear that measures 12.25 inches and a right ear that measures 13.5 inches, according to the 2012 edition of the record book, which will be released Sept. 15.
Harbor’s enormous ears have earned him plenty of fans, according to his owner Jennifer Wert, of Boulder, Colo.
But they can also be a burden. When the purebred was a pup, he used to trip over them and tumble down the stairs, a Guinness press release notes.
Today, passersby often take pictures of Harbor’s droopy ears or give them a friendly tug when he’s out for a walk.
“Most days I forget how oddly long his ears are,” said Wert. “He’s a phenomenon in the world and he creates smiles wherever we go.”
Odd as it might sound, Harbor’s huge ears don’t necessarily improve his hearing — instead they boost his sense of smell. When a black and tan coonhound moves, its swinging ears push scents towards its nostrils, helping it detect and follow prey.
With his inclusion in the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records, Harbor joins a long list of dogs with very long ears.
A basset hound named Mr. Jeffries set a world record in 2002 with ears measuring about 11.5 inches, according to the BBC.
In 2003, a German basset hound named Jack took the title with ears reportedly measuring just over 13 inches.
The following year, Tigger, a bloodhound from Illinois, set a world record that still stands today, with ears measuring 13.5 inches on the left and 13.75 inches on the right — 1.25 and .25 inches longer than Harbor’s droopy ears, respectively.
Tigger, who won many dog show titles and awards, passed away in 2009, according to the Guinness website.
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Roselle, the guide dog who saved her blind master in Tower One on 9/11
Here is an excerpt from Michael Hingson, who is blind, about his faithful guide dog, Roselle, who led him down 78 flights of stairs in Tower One of the World Trade Center on that fateful date of 9/11/2001.
“It is strange for me to be writing this article while I have feelings of both sadness and joy in my heart. Nevertheless, it is something which must be done.
Roselle was born on March 12, 1998 at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California. After her time with puppy raisers she went back to Guide Dogs for the Blind for training. I think I first met her on November 22, 1999. It was obvious from the very beginning that we were a perfect match. Roselle was my fifth guide dog. I could tell that she would be an excellent guide from our very first walk together. What took me a few days to discover was that Roselle was also quite a character; I constantly referred to her as a pixie.
On September 11, 2001 Roselle and I were in our office on the 78th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center when the tower was struck by American Airlines flight 11 which had been hijacked and was being controlled by terrorists. All I want to say here is that Roselle did an incredible job. She remained poised and calm through the entire day. I would not be alive today if it weren’t for Roselle.
In 2004, Roselle was diagnosed with immune mediated thrombocytopenia, a condition which caused her body to attack her blood platelets. Through medications we were able to control the disease and Roselle was able to continue guiding. As usual, she worked like a trooper and never once exhibited pain nor discomfort.
In February 2007 during a normal checkup we learned that some of Roselle’s kidney values were changing for the worse. It was decided that the medication regimen on which Roselle had been placed as well as the stress of guiding were the causes for her kidney value changes. Roselle retired from guide work in March of 2007.
In 2010, Roselle began exhibiting some chronic back pain. We immediately took Roselle to her vet and started her on a treatment of acupuncture, some other back adjustments, and herbs which altogether mostly eliminated her chronic back pain.
Earlier this year [2011] we noticed that Roselle was beginning to have a harder time standing up on her own, although once she was standing she loved to continue her daily walks. She stopped playing tug bone with Fantasia and Africa, but she still enjoyed lying in the sun, eating, kissing everybody in sight, and barking at the doorbell. Her ability to stand on her own grew worse throughout the first half of this year.
Last week she began exhibiting some other signs of distress and pain. On Friday, June 24, 2011 she had to be taken to her vet as she had begun vomiting blood. It is suspected that somehow she had developed a stomach ulcer. Also, it was discovered that her red blood cell count had dropped significantly. Friday evening she was taken to the Pet Emergency and Specialty Center where she was well known and would receive over night care. She had spent many hours with Doctor Harb and the other staff working through her IMT issues. They had also helped her in January 2009 when she developed gastric torsion and had to undergo emergency surgery to untwist her stomach.
Yesterday, Sunday, June 26, we visited her in the evening only to see her condition continuing to deteriorate. She was in a lot of pain and discomfort. There was no one cause for her discomfort, but Doctor Bowie of the PESC felt that some of her immune mediated related conditions had returned in addition to the possible stomach ulcer. After much consultation and discussion we all came to agreement that the best thing we could do to help Roselle was to assist her in crossing the Rainbow Bridge and go to her friends Linnie and Panama. At 8:52 last evening she crossed the bridge and, I am sure, is now more comfortable and has all the doorbells she wants to bark at.”
This was posted on June 28, 2011, by Mike Hingson. For the full story, you may visit his website here.
May you rest in peace, Roselle.
‘Happy feet’ penguin returns to Antarctica
(FP Photo Above/HO/Department of Conservation NZ)
A lost penguin is getting a lift home to Antarctica on a New Zealand research vessel.
FIGHTING FIT AND cheeky as ever, the world’s most famous emperor penguin is set to leave Kiwi captivity for his Antarctic home. Happy Feet captured the world’s attention in June when he washed up on a beach north of Wellington, more than 3000km from home.
UPDATE: Tues. Sept. 6, 2011: Heard on the news today that Happy Feet is now in his home waters making a beeline for his true home. This makes me very happy! 
(Photo Credit above: AAP/Kate Baker). Bedraggled, confused and loaded up with 3kg of ingested sand, the sick penguin was lucky enough to be spotted and taken in by Wellington Zoo, where vets performed four operations to save his life.
His unexpected appearance on Peka Peka Beach shocked wildlife experts, who says he is only the second emperor penguin to ever set foot in New Zealand.
Happy feet fever
Every detail of his recovery, from the daily reports of weight gain and his dietary preference for “fish milkshakes” have been eagerly awaited by animal lovers everywhere. And more than 120,000 people track his progress via a webcam set up in his small, ice-filled room at the zoo.
But after more than two months of five star service, the time has come for Happy Feet to return home. He leaves Wellington Zoo for the freezing temperatures of the sub-Antarctic aboard a New Zealand research vessel today.
Vets have given him a clean bill of health ahead of his four-day voyage and considerably longer swim, fitting him with a satellite device so the public can continue to track his every move.
Emperor penguin migration
Hundreds of fans packed the zoo over the weekend to say goodbye and sign a huge farewell card with “sweet” messages. They could view the operating theatre in five-minute blocks to take photos of the heavily-sedated bird.
The zoo’s veterinary science manager Lisa Argilla, credited with saving the penguin, said she’d be sad to see him go but the time had come. “I’m pretty confident we’ve got him back to a good level of fitness, and he’s ready to go out there and try and survive in the wild,” she says. She said she would try not to cry over his departure, but many of his younger fans have already shed tears.
Authorities have decided to release Happy Feet at the northern point of where other juvenile emperor penguins would be at this time of year. He could then follow sea currents and return to Antarctica with the others.
Once released, he has the same survival chances of any other emperor penguin making the seasonal journey home, experts say. Track Happy Feet’s progress here.
Happy Feet in a special crate before making the four-day journey to the Southern Ocean east of Campbell Island. (Credit: AFP).
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A new photo site has been born!
Hi! This is not dog-related, but I know I have several fans of photography. Therefore, just wanted to share the birth of Motley Photos.
Motley Photos was born at Sunday, Sept. 4th, 2011, at approximately 11 AM. I have dedicated this site purely for photography… and I mean QUALITY photography. No junk like seen on trash or gossip sites. Posts will be both my work as well as some of the best from around the internet. All photographers will be given credit – when known.
Here are a few examples of what you may see, and if you click on the title or the picture, it will take you directly to that slide show. And I hope to see you all on Motley Photos!
* By the way, I also have Motley News – which is about what’s in todays news… and Motley Videos and Motley Dogs coming soon
From my album “The People Around Us”
From my album “Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta – Special Shapes”
From my album “Taos Pueblo: A Journey in Black and White”
From my album “Abandoned Underground Crypts of Belgium”
From my album “Black and White with a Splash of Color”
From my album “Sandia Ranch Sanatorium: A haunted insane asylum”
From my album “Abandoned Schoolhouse in Indiana”
Dedicated to all animal rescuers…
“I am an animal rescuer.
I have bought animal food with my last penny,
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand.
I have hugged those that are vicious and afraid.
I have fallen in love a thousand times,
and I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count.
I am an animal rescuer.
My work is never done, my home is never quiet,
my wallet is always empty…
…but my heart is always full.”
~ Unknown
Thank you for all you do!
With love,
All dogs and animals you have rescued, and those you will rescue
Woofstock!
On Saturday, August 20th, Edgewood, New Mexico had their very first “Woofstock”! The event was put on to help promote and celebrate anything canine – and a benefit for the Edgewood Animal Care Facility Building Fund.
Here is a scan of the follow-up article – which is featuring a great picture of my dear friend Kaia! You have a wonderful dog there, Clint!
