Petopia

South Beach's Mr. Clucky, the Famous Rooster, Ordered Evicted by City Hall

Look who's clucking in South Beach
Have you ever seen a bicycle riding rooster? Have you ever seen a parade with a chicken serving as the Grand Marshall? If your answer is "no" then you haven't met Mr. Clucky, the South Beach icon owned by Mark Buckley, who has delighted many visitors and residents in Miami's South Beach area. He was featured on this morning's NBC Today Show and on the cover of Miami New Times magazine which makes him quite the celebrity. He was featured in this video on Animal Planet as the Daily Treat.  You can hear Mr. Clucky cock-a-doodle-do at his website and read all his press coverage.

This rooster is more than a pampered celebrity, he uses his prominence to help worthy causes. As noted from his website:

Clucky believes in peace, protecting the earth and being kind to animals. Mr. Clucky, a mascot for EarthSave, Critical Mass and PETA, was named Best Activist in Miami Beach, 2008, by Metromix magazine.

Unfortunately Mr. Clucky ruffled someone's feathers enough to send an anonymous complaint to the city. Miami city code prohibits the keeping of farm animals within city limits. And despite appearances to the contrary -- while Mr. Clucky may be a celebrity, a pet, and a friend to many -- in the final (legal) analysis, he is just a farm animal in the wrong location. If you would like to help Mr. Clucky here are ways to show your support.

I'm rooting for the plucky Clucky -- how do you feel?
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The Closer's "Miss Kitty" Cat Put to Sleep

Fans of TNT's The Closer may have read about the real tears shed when Kyra Sedgwick's character, Brenda Leigh Johnson, put her cat, Miss Kitty, to sleep on a recent episode. Miss Kitty has been on the series since being adopted in the first season of the series.

Miss Kitty allowed us to see the softer, cuddly side of the tough Chief. But when the cat developed a terminal illness (in real life), the show's creator decided not to replace her. In Miss Kitty's final scene (and the episode's final scene), Brenda is at home, hugging her one last time as the vet arrives to put her to sleep; tears are falling and the screen fades to black. Since Kyra had recently experienced this same situation with her own cat, you can imagine that it wasn't too difficult for her to shed some real tears.

The next week's episode took the story line a bit further as Brenda carries around a container of Miss Kitty's ashes in her famous tote bag. It seems that she hasn't quite decided what she should do with them. And during the course of the day she periodically pulls the container from her bag and you can see the reactions of others. The following week the story continues when you see that she has Miss Kitty's carrier and toys in the back seat of her car -- she plans to donate the items so that some other cat can make use of them.

I like that the show's writers keep the story line going. We all know that grief and practical matters remain long after a pet's death. The photo shown here is one of a gallery of photos in memory of Miss Kitty.
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Related reading: Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet.

Pets Only Airlines: Main Cabin Travel For Dogs and Cats

It's been more than 20 years ago, but I'll never forget a friend's tragic loss of losing her dog who was traveling in the cargo hold of an airplane. When she reached her destination and went to retrieve her beloved pet she was informed that he died during transit. Supposedly he escaped his cage and was crushed by shifting cargo but she was not allowed to have the remains and she always wondered if maybe he was transported improperly and didn't get oxygen.

Even when pets arrive safely at their destination you are still concerned that the experience may be traumatic. If you have a small pet you may have the option of transporting them under a seat in the passenger section but that is not ideal either.

Now we have another option -- Pet Airways seems determined to take the angst out of air travel for both pets and their owners with a first class travel option for pets only. The Pet Airways website makes a compelling case for using their service:

Pets Fly in the main cabin Not in the cargo hold.
A Trained Pet Attendant is always monitoring your pet.
We make sure there is plenty of fresh, cool air at all times.
Pets are never left unattended in a warehouse or on a ramp.
No need to buy a pet carrier, we provide it FREE of charge.
Peace of mind that your pet is in the hands of pet professionals.
If you’re delayed don't worry; your pet is in good hands.
No hot or cold weather restrictions that prevent pets from flying.

The only downside might be that the flight service is limited to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC/Baltimore and Denver. The price starts at $149 each way -- seems a reasonable price to pay for your peace of mind and your pet's safety. What do you think, would you use this service?
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Related reading: Traveling With Your Pet, 10th Edition: The AAA Petbook.

Pawfect Sponges for Cleaning Up After Pets Make Perfect Sense

I usually use paper towels to wash and then dry my cat's food dishes. This is not a very ecological habit that I have. That's why I like these Pawfect Sponges.

The Pawfect Sponge was designed for use on the pet’s dishes. It may be used to clean any area the pet frequents, or makes a mess, as well. Pawfect Sponge is a 5"-7" sponge shaped like an animal paw, fire hydrant or dog bone. It is designed to wash and clean animal bowls. The sponge has a rough side and a smooth side, similar to a dish sponge. The rougher side is for tougher scouring, and the smooth surface is for wiping.

You could accomplish the same thing by just using any sponge. If it's a different color, or if you cut off one corner, you could keep it separate from your usual (people's) sponge. But other members of the household could get confused (or careless) and use the pet's sponge on your dishes or counter tops. That's not a very appetizing, or sanitary, prospect.

I think: The design of the Pawfect Sponge makes it's intended use fairly clear and it could save paper, and money, over using paper towels. What do you think?
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This Bissell SpotBot Pet might actually be a dog or cat owner's best friend.

San Francisco's Dog, Cat, Rat Man Guilty of Public Obstruction (Big Crowds)

San Francisco's Gregory Pike and his stack of dog, cat, rat are a big hit with the crowds (see my earlier story: YouTube Video: Dog, Cat, Rat, Man with Unusual Friendship). Wherever this street performer goes he quickly draws a crowd of admirers who love watching Booger, Kitty and Mousey snuggling and licking each other. He laughs a lot and seems to enjoy entertaining and amazing passing people.

And now that seems to be a problem -- he was just fined $236 by a San Francisco judge for the misdemeanor charge of public obstruction (drawing large crowds to his street corner). Pike, who rose to YouTube celebrity and became a hit at Fisherman's Wharf and Union Station, says he does not plan to pay the fine and will leave San Francisco and return to Arizona.

Watch Pkie's video here. Share your opinion -- has this victim of success been fairly charged and convicted? Photo credit: SF Weekly.com Blog

Pet Safety: Fire Exit Door for Emergencies

All pet owners are concerned for their pets' safety. For example, what happens if your home catches fire and only your pet is locked inside? How does he escape? The Pet Door Fire Exit is an electronic pet door that addresses that concern. This door can allow your pet to exit should the smoke detector be set off. A voice recording could also be triggered to call your pet to the fire exit. The exit door could also be opened by a remote device so that a homeowner could release his pet before getting out of the car. The pet could then protect his owner as he moves from the car to the house.

The product has a lot of features, read the full description of the Pet Door Fire Exit for more details. I think it sounds like an interesting product that addresses safety concerns in a unique way. What do you think?
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Recommended reading: Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food.