Will never work: Poo WiFi

You may think that Hoboken has a dog-poop problem – but here’s one idea floating around the internet that would never, ever work here.

The concept (being “rolled out” in several parks in Mexico City), is that anyone who picks up their dog poop and places it in this ridiculous contraption – it would “reward” the nearby park with free Wi-Fi minutes. This technology, at the very least is five or ten years too late. Most phones now have super-fast speed connections that can be tethered, along with very capable tablet like devices (i.e., Samsung Galaxy Note) and the need for a “WiFi” isn’t even that much in demand.

The only way getting more people to clean up their poop (beyond a highly enforced police-state), is to literally pay them, don’t you think?

Technorati Tags: Bad Idea, dog poop, FAIL, Hoboken, Mexico City, New Jersey, NJ, Poo WiFi, Terra, WiFi

Zimmer calls for council to approve “dog death contract” in Hoboken, NJ

Earlier today, Councilman Tim Occhipinti alerted constituents about a frightening agenda item for tonight’s City Council meeting.

It’s a proposed $43,000 annual contract with Liberty Humane Society to manage stray and lost pets. However, part of the contract specifies rather harsh penalties for any animals that are caught:

“When specifically notified by the Municipality, LHS shall attempt to impound any stray or licensed dog or cat running at large on the streets of the Municipality for the purpose of issuing summonses to the owners thereof where possible and appropriate. When such impoundment occurs, the dog or cat shall be put up for adoption or humanely disposed of, after the seven (7) day waiting period.”

Wow, that’s crazy! Who would support that?

Technorati Tags: 7 days, city council, Dawn Zimmer, dogs, Euthanize, Hoboken, Liberty Humane Society, New Jersey, NJ, Tim Occhipinti

“Paulie” the pooch needs a Hoboken home – is he for you?

Hoboken “friend of dogs” Jamie is back with another astonishingly cute puppy today named “Paulie.” This adorable fella will likely be adopted in a flash – so if you’re ready for a dog, you might want to act now!

“We have a new foster dog who is up for adoption, Paulie!

Paulie is about 12 weeks old and we think he is a lab mix, maybe with some husky or shepherd in him. He gets along great with our resident dog and is playful, but loves nap time just the same. Paulie is just fine going in his crate to sleep and when we go out and is just learning how to walk on the leash. He loves greeting people on the street and is happy to let kids pet him as well. He loves to follow you around, and will find just about any spot to take a nap if you’re nearby.

Paulie and his sister Juno are available for adoption through A Pathway to Hope. For more information on them or any of the other dogs and cats available, please visit www.apathwaytohope.org or send an email to pathwaytohope@yahoo.com.

Thanks again for all you do. You’re helping to find some amazing dogs great homes right here in Hoboken. Bobby the border collie was adopted last week, courtesy of Hoboken411′s posting!”

Technorati Tags: A Pathway to Hope, adoption, dogs, Hoboken, Lab, Mix, New Jersey, NJ, Paulie, Petfinder, Pets, Shepard

HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue in Hoboken this weekend

Interested in learning more about bulldogs? Considering bringing one into your life?

Then swing by Cornerstone Pets (105 9th St.) on Saturday, May 5th from 12pm to 3pm, as HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue will be on hand with an information table with tips, adoption advice and much more concerning the bulldog breed.

Who is HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue? What do they do?

The HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue group is run by volunteers, and their mission is to re-home bulldogs who are surrendered by their owners or find themselves without homes, land in shelters or wandering the roads as strays.

Volunteers provide foster care, veterinary care and rehabilitation for the needy dogs – and ultimately place them in forever homes. They also are taking donations – and on their wish list are: Bowls, towels, collars, leashes, toys, food, gift certificates and other items. Check out www.heavensentbulldogrescue.com for more – or just get out of the house and say hello in person.

Good luck!

Technorati Tags: Animal Care, Bulldogs, Cornerstone Pets, dogs, Foster, Heaven Sent Bulldog Rescue, HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue, Hoboken, New Jersey, NJ, Pets, rescue, Volunteers

Annual dog licenses in Hoboken are NOT healthy!

Is your drivers license based on the calendar year?

No? I didn’t think so. Nor is your license based on anything that can cause health issues for you.

However, the dog licenses in Hoboken, and likely most other cities in America – are based on YEAR. This poses a MASSIVE health issue for your dog. Let me explain…

Hoboken bases dog licenses on rabies vaccinations: BIG problem

While I agree that Rabies is a serious issue and has to be dealt with responsibly, Hoboken’s dog licensing scheme is impractical and quite possibly very detrimental to your canine’s health.

Here’s the deal: In order to obtain a proper license for your dog – the city will only issue one if your dog has “proper” Rabies coverage THROUGH the entire calendar year. Rabies vaccinations typically last for three years. Sounds normal and harmless on paper, but what if your dog’s Rabies shot expires in October, November or December?

The problem here is that let’s say you’re in year three of your current Rabies vaccination – you CANNOT get a dog license in Hoboken if your dog is only covered for 9, 10, 11, or partial 12 months of that calendar year. That means you need to OVER-VACCINATE your pooch in order to get the license from the city. Why is this bad?

Over vaccination of dogs can cause serious health issues

Well, I ran into a serious health scare with Hoboken411 Mascot Oscar earlier this year. Because his vaccination didn’t expire until the end of October – but he was unlicensed in Hoboken, it required that I gave him a PREMATURE Rabies shot in order to obtain the proper “licensing” (i.e., hidden tax) for him. He had a shot almost a year before it was necessary.

What happened next was atrocious. My dog lost control of his face, mouth, jaw.

I’ll spare you the intricate details of our uncertainty – but it turned out that the unnecessary early vaccination caused an auto-immune reaction that resulted in Trigeminal Neuritis in Oscar. He could not drink or eat without assistance for weeks. Our doctors thought it might have been brain cancer, and thousands of dollars in tests were required to reach the eventual diagnosis.

You feel like donating to the cause?

Oscar is doing much better now, but it was scary and totally avoidable.

Hoboken reform: Make dog licenses expire MONTH & YEAR!

Realizing that over-vaccination is bad for ALL breeds, we believe that the Hoboken Dog Ordinance for licensing ABSOLUTELY needs an overhaul. At the very least, revise the law (in the name of healthy pooches) so that the licenses are NOT annual calendar year, but MONTH AND YEAR! This allows residents who become new pet owners to license their animal any month of the year, and not risk their “best friend’s” health with over-vaccination.

There is no reason why the city shouldn’t make this change ASAP. They cannot blame “costs” or “administration,” because those tags cost pennies, and all it takes is a little procedural change to improve the system in the name of healthy (and properly licensed) Hoboken doggies.

Technorati Tags: Dog License, dogs, Hoboken, License, New Jersey, NJ, Over Vaccination, Rabies, Rabies Shot, Rabies Vaccination, Trigeminal Neuritis, Trigeminal Neuritis in Dogs

“Bobby” the pooch needs a Hoboken home – are you ready?

Hopefully most dog owners in Hoboken don’t buy their dogs from the chain pet stores – but rather have great rescue stories! See what our “friend of dogs” Jaime has to say about our latest dog up for adoption!

“Once again, Hoboken411came through and got our last foster dog Lexie adopted so we’re on to the next! We’re hoping Bobby can find his forever home through Hoboken411 as well.

“Bobby is a 5 year old Border Collie mix with one brown eye and one blue eye. He is very sweet and has the maturity and energy of an adult dog but is playful and puppy-like in his personality. We think he’d do well in an apartment or a house. When Bobby first arrived with his foster family right here in Hoboken, he was a bit anxious but quickly came out of his shell. He learns quickly and responds well to training. Must be the border collie in him, smart breed! He is house trained and is doing well with basic commands, leash training and crate training. His foster family works during the day and he does fine in his crate with a dogwalker coming to let him out. He seems like a very loyal dog that just wants to be loved and please his owners.

One of his favorite things to do is to sit at his foster dad’s feet and just hang out and watch TV. He is currently in foster with another dog and gets along great with her. He does fine with children as well.

Bobby came to A Pathway to Hope as the children in his family had developed allergies. He was a loved pet and is looking to find his forever home now. For more information on Bobby, please visit www.apathwaytohope.org or send an email to pathwaytohope@yahoo.com. To read more about Bobby, go to http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22732205

Technorati Tags: A Pathway to Hope, adoption, Bobby, Border Collie, dogs, Hoboken, Mix, New Jersey, NJ, Petfinder, Pets