Beautiful park gone to the dogs

Here is what Nancy van Allmen used to see when she took a quiet spring stroll through Parley's Historic Nature Park: narrow paths lined with lush greenery, hillsides covered with native wildflowers, birds singing from the trees and a clear stream dotted with pretty shrubs and grasses. Today, the view is dramatically different. The trails are now wide enough to accommodate a Hummer, the hillsides are stripped, many of the birds are gone and the stream bed is bare and eroding. The tranquil park that Nancy has devoted much of her life to is no longer a desirable place for school kids to have a picnic and enjoy nature within city limits. "It's gone to the dogs," says Nancy bluntly. "This land was set aside to be a nature park.

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Doggy Pedometer ushers in new era of dog training

Sometimes all we can do is tell you about a product and leave it as is. In this case, Yamasa Tokei delivers the canine accessory for which all jogging dog owners have been pining -- the Doggy Pedometer. Tripling as a dog tag, timer, and pedometer, this little gadget has several uses outside of the obvious. Say Scrapps runs away and you want to know how far he went. Or you don't have a pedometer yourself and go jogging with the dog all the time. Or you're a concerned pet owner and want to make sure Scrapps is exercising and running about in the back yard when you're away. Maybe you're a jealous spouse and want to see if your husband is running farther than he says. Perhaps you're an architect and you want to use Scrapper-do to measure long distances. Stop us now. .

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Malnourished Dogs and Cats Rescued

More than three dozen malnourished dogs and cats have been rescued from a Fond du Lac home. But, some are just too sick to save.The Fond du Lac Humane Society and police removed 34 cats and four dogs yesterday from the home of a woman who has been jailed for several weeks.Humane Society President Rob Post says one cat was so thin that it died when it jumped from their van into the snow. He says its legs were about the diameter of a pencil.Eleven other cats were euthanized.Police found six cats and a German shepherd already dead inside the home. The dog had been partially eaten by other animals.An officer went to the home after a concerned neighbor called to say that no one had been there for several weeks to care for the animals. .

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Shelter has pets to adopt

The shelter, 6010 County Farm Road in Ballston Spa, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for adoptions and visiting Monday through Saturday. Animals can be claimed by their owners until 5 p.m. The shelter, run by its supervisor, Daniel Butler, is closed on Sundays and holidays. To reach the shelter, call 885-4113, fax 885-2570 or e-mail sarpets@govt.co.saratoga.ny.us. To check out the animals, visit http://www.co.saratoga.ny.us/shelter2/index.html. Costs for animals include: for dogs -- neuter deposit, $40; already neutered, $15; license, ranges from $2.50 to $10.50; rabies vaccination, $8; and heartworm test, $7; and for cats -- neuter deposit, $35; already neutered, $15; rabies vaccination, $8; and feline AIDS and leukemia tests, $9. Also, check out the listing of numerous pet adoption locations at http://timesunion.com/ life/pets.asp.

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Pets fed as bait to fighting pit bulls

Cape Peninsula pets are being fed as bait to dogs being trained to kill as part of what animal rescue organisations say is a growing appetite for the banned "sport" of dog fighting. The fights are sometimes heard but seldom seen except by those involved in making money from the bloody spectacle. The SPCA's chief inspector, Andries Venter, has warned that smaller dogs, especially Maltese poodles, are being stolen to incite fighting dogs and to train them to kill. He urged the Cape Argus to make the problem public. "(Then) a lot more people will come forward who have had their pets thrown to fighting dogs," he said. .

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Timeless Round Gray Catseye Cufflinks Framed in Silver

Italian-inspired gorgeous round gray catseye cufflinks with silver finish. Fiber Optic catseye made by fusing millions of glass strands together, which creates glass that emits a brilliance when seen under different lighting conditions. They are absolutely beautiful! You won't find these for sale anywhere in the U.S. They measure approximately 11/16" in diameter and are finished with a silver tone. These cufflinks will match any shirt with style. Cufflinks arrive in high-quality chrome presentation box. Nice heavy feel speaks to their quality. Set in rhodium silver frame so it never needs polishing Covered by Cuff-Daddy's Lifetime product guarantee Great for wedding parties! This comes without a presentation box.

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Commissioners agree to buy four dogs for the sheriff's department

The Forsyth County Board of Com-missioners voted unanimously last night to buy four additional dogs for the Forsyth County Sheriff's Department's dwindling force of canine cops. Three of the police dogs will be trained for patrol missions and drug seizures. One dog will be trained to detect explosive devices. In the past, the Sheriff's Department has had up to 14 police dogs on staff. Over the past few years, however, the department has not replaced dogs that have died or retired. There are only four police dogs working in the Sheriff's Department. "I think (the dogs) play a really im-portant role for the Sheriff," said Gloria Whisenhunt, the chairwoman of the board. "I certainly support what we did tonight." The dogs, either German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, are not cheap.

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Dog training firm runs off, leaving a mess

Dear Greg: I just got a call from a dog trainer who has been working with me and my two golden retrievers. She didn't get paid last week and started making calls and all the phone numbers for Canine Counselors Inc. have been disconnected, including the owner's phone. The trainer said she doesn't know much except that the company appears to be shutting down Orlando operations. The trainer is out money, and I am out $1,042, which was to cover six training sessions as well as yearly in-home refreshers, training tune-ups and unlimited telephone consultation. I am very cautious in choosing companies, and I know this one has been in Orlando since at least 1995 when I moved here. MICHELE PINNAU MAITLAND Dear Michele: You were not barking up the wrong tree.

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