“Tired of your pet's look? Try a dye job - China Post” plus 3 more

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• Tired of your pet's look? Try a dye job - China Post
• Pet of the Week: Bunnies abound at Santa Cruz shelter - Santa Cruz Sentinel
• Iran cleric says dogs "unclean" and not to be kept as pets - Reuters
• Purdue to open emergency veterinary clinic - Indianapolis Star

Tired of your pet's look? Try a dye job - China Post Posted: 21 Jun 2010 12:54 AM PDT Raphael the toy poodle runs around in his playpen like any other dog — except his snow white coat has been dyed neon green and is partially shaved with a protruding shell on top to resemble a turtle. He seems oblivious to his unique look but enjoys the attention of onlookers. Raphael, named after a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character, is one of half a dozen dyed dogs on display at the spa in downtown Beijing, which caters to wealthy Chinese who are fueling a booming pet craze in China. "If you can dream it, we can make it come true," said Sun Ruowen, who owns the spa and has worked in the pet industry for 10 years. Sun charges anywhere from US$7 to dye one ear to US$300 for permanent dyeing and trimming of larger dogs — with most dye jobs lasting six months before the hair grows out. Once banned by the Communist Party as bourgeois, pet ownership is booming in China, spawning a slew of cat and dog pampering businesses — where pets are treated to pedicures, rose petal bubble baths and massages. This year, the Year of the Tiger in China, has brought an interest in the dyeing trend — with tigers being the most-sought-after look. From golden retrievers to Pekingese, pets are not just being dyed basic colors but are being transformed to look like other animals, says Sun. "Dyeing pets is popular in many developed countries like Japan and Korea, but China is quickly catching on," said Sun, who recently participated in the first national pet dyeing competition in Beijing. She attributes the phenomenon to a "head-turning effect." "People already love to show off their pets and draw attention, so a panda-dog walking down the street is bound to turn heads." Dog owners say the attention their canines receive has improved their mental well-being. Kung Fu, a 10-month-old Old English sheepdog, can barely make it down the street without swarms gathering to admire his thick coat dyed to look like a panda, says owner Queenie Yang. "Kung Fu loves the attention, and his self confidence has shot up since lots of pretty girls come up to pet him," said Yang, a 31-year-old housewife from Beijing. Yang's husband decided to dye Kung Fu's hair after seeing an advertisement from the spa and since Kung Fu's features were already similar to that of a panda. From the back, the 80-pound dog, with his black button tail and tan fur, could be mistaken for a panda — with fur around his eyes that have been dyed black to a create a droopy and almost comical expression. He sits impatiently on a metal table in Ruowen's spa, waiting for another bleach job of his gray hair, which is now a tan color. His front and hind leg sections have been dyed black, hair trimmed short and patches of hair on his head dyed black and fastened with elastics to look like panda ears. One veterinarian warned that owners should be careful of damaging a dog's mental and physical well-being before considering dyeing their pets. "Owners should seek pet spas that use natural coloring which won't damage the dog's hair or irritate the skin," said Tian Haiyan, who works at the Beijing Guanshang Animal hospital. "Mentally, some dogs that aren't used to being in the spotlight so may react negatively to the sudden attention." While some critics say the new trend is inhumane as the dogs are sometimes forced to undergo hours of unnecessary dyeing, Sun says her products are all natural and it's nothing more than an innocent dress-up session. Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Pet of the Week: Bunnies abound at Santa Cruz shelter - Santa Cruz Sentinel Posted: 20 Jun 2010 01:31 AM PDT Santa Cruz County Animal Services has three white rabbits residing in their Santa Cruz shelter. The animals are sweet, gentle bunnies that are easy-going and soft to the touch, according to SPCA staff. Both males have been at the shelter for more than four months and the female came to the shelter as a young mom about a month ago. Clark is a handsome guy that came to the shelter in January. He is a young, energetic boy that enjoys running around and being happy, according to staff. Fez is an 11-month-old brought to the shelter in February. He is mellow and easy to please and would make a really great first rabbit, according to staff. Juliet is a white female with tiny black specks whose owner could not afford to keep her. She would love to go to a home where she can munch greens, play and relax, according to staff. Those interested in adopting or looking for a lost pet, can visit the Santa Cruz County Animal Services shelters or go online to www.scanimalservices.us. The Santa Cruz shelter at 2200 7th Ave. is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, though closed 1-2 p.m. The Watsonville shelter at 580 Airport Blvd. is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, though closed noon to 1 p.m. Call 454-7303, ext. 0, for information. Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Iran cleric says dogs "unclean" and not to be kept as pets - Reuters Posted: 21 Jun 2010 02:20 AM PDT TEHRAN (Reuters) - A senior Iranian cleric has decreed dogs are "unclean" and should not be kept as pets -- a move aimed at discouraging Western-style dog ownership in the Islamic state, a newspaper reported on Saturday. World Dogs are considered "unclean" under Islamic tradition but, while relatively rare in Iran, some people do keep them as pets. By issuing a fatwa -- a religious ruling -- Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has sent a clear message that this trend must stop. "Friendship with dogs is a blind imitation of the West," he was quoted as saying in Javan daily. "There are lots of people in the West who love their dogs more than their wives and children." Guard dogs and sheep dogs are considered acceptable under Islamic law but Iranians who carry dogs in their cars or take them to public parks can be stopped by police and fined. The Koran does not explicitly prohibit contact with dogs, Shirazi said, but Islamic tradition showed it to be so. "We have lots of narrations in Islam that say dogs are unclean." The interpretation of religious rules on personal conduct is a constant source of debate and potential conflict in Iran which has been an Islamic republic since a revolution ousted the Western-backed Shah in 1979. In a television interview last week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad weighed in on the issue of the Islamic dress code, saying women who fail to cover their hair completely should not be harassed by the police. Morality police are conducting their annual crackdown and women who reveal strands of hair are liable to be stopped in the streets for failing to respect the dress code, or "hijab." Ahmadinejad's surprisingly liberal view was condemned by fellow hard-liner politicians and senior clerics "I wish he had not said those words about the hijab," Grand Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati told the faithful during the week's Friday prayers, in a rare criticism of the president. "We are grappling with many problems including economic and political ones but the issues of morality and ethical security are among the important issues that cannot be ignored," he said. Tehran University has set up a thinktank "to investigate the problems related to hijab," the representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the university announced on Monday. (Editing by Matthew Jones) Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Purdue to open emergency veterinary clinic - Indianapolis Star Posted: 20 Jun 2010 12:44 PM PDT WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Pets needing emergency veterinary care will be able to get help at Purdue University starting next month. Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine will begin offering emergency services for dogs and cats on July 1. The clinic will replace Lafayette's Animal Emergency Clinic, which will close June 30. Purdue officials say the new program will allow the school to expand its curriculum while providing an essential service to area residents. Purdue expects to see nearly 3,000 animals each year at the facility located in the Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The clinic will be open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. Clients will be charged for evaluations and services based on the pet's needs. Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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