Back in March, we brought you the story of a condo complex in Northern Virginia where dog-owning residents had been given 30 days to provide DNA samples of their canine companions. But the condo owners tell Consumerist that in spite of the condo association’s best attempts to ignore them, they aren’t about to take the DNA requirement lying down. [More]
dogs
Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Get A Dog
By 4.6.12
If you’re thinking about bringing a dog into your life, you’ve got some homework to do to make sure you set yourself up for success. Before you choose your new best friend, it’s a good idea to take an inventory of your lifestyle to determine the traits you’re looking for. [More]
UPS And My Dog Turn Cupcake Boxes Into Expensive Chew Toy
By 3.29.12 — Updated: 5.30.17
Crystal’s delivery from a third-party Amazon vendor was already more than a week late, and she lives in Hawaii. When UPS finally showed up with the box, the driver simply pitched it over the five-foot fence and into her yard. The good news is that there was nothing breakable in the box, so the act of hurling the package didn’t damage her purchase. The bad news is that her dog was chilling in the yard at the time, and thought that the box of boxes was for him. To chew. [More]
My Condo Association Is Demanding DNA Sample From My Dog
By 3.12.12
Dave and his wife live in a condo complex in Northern Virginia. They also own a dog. Now, because of new a rule by his condo association, they and anyone else who owns a dog has 30 days to provide a DNA sample of their canine companion. [More]
Who Should Pay This Sick Rescue Dog's Vet Bills?
By 3.8.12
Last month, Zachary and his girlfriend adopted an adorable dog, Sophie, from a rescue organization. She had been transported across several states from a shelter to her new home, but arrived extremely ill. Her new family rushed her to the veterinarian, where she got badly needed but expensive treatment. The vet claims that Sophie should never have traveled in her condition, and would have showed symptoms long before the transport left. The rescue claims that she wasn’t sick before departure. So who should pay this vet bill? [More]
Before You Get A Pet, Determine How Much Money It Will Steal From You
By 2.1.12
When you’re looking for a pet, you’re probably thinking with your heart rather than running a cost-benefit analysis. But animal sidekicks come with a plethora of hidden challenges, including financial demands that you’ll need to make sure you can handle. [More]
This Receipt-Handling Dog Is Adorable, But Is It Icky?
By 1.31.12
By now, there’s a chance you are one of the million or so people who have already watched the viral-buzzworthy-internetty-whatever YouTube clip of the dog that apparently works at a veterinarian, where it takes a printout from the printer, takes it to the assistant, who staples a receipt to the page, and then brings the whole thing to the customer. [More]
City May Issue Fines If Your Dog Barks For Longer Than 10 Minutes
By 1.24.12
Barking dogs can be an annoyance. Ask anyone who has ever lived next to a chatty canine. But at what point does that annoyance cross the line and become a nuisance worthy of being issued a fine. For the folks in Fort Worth, TX, that threshold is ten minutes. [More]
Chipotle Understands When Your Dog Eats Your Gift Card
By 1.11.12
John’s greyhound has no patience. If the dog had waited just a little while, the Chipotle gift card in a paper sleeve that his fianc√©e left on the kitchen table would have been magically transformed into food. But dogs don’t think that way, and this dog really, really likes to chew up paper. And so the $50 gift card was destroyed. [More]
Baggage Handler Fired For Helping Sick Dog Can Have Her Job Back
By 12.7.11
Last week, a baggage handler at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport made headlines when she said she was fired for refusing to stow a visibly ailing dog onto a plane. As sometimes happens when these stories get pushed into the spotlight, the handler has now been offered her old gig back. [More]
Baggage Handler: I Was Fired For Helping Sick Dog
By 12.5.11
Usually when you see a Consumerist headline that involves a baggage handler and a pet, it means the furry friend is lost or dead. But here’s one that’s more uplifting… except for the fact that the handler says she was fired for doing a good deed. [More]
Illness In Dogs Traced To Chinese Chicken Jerky
By 12.1.11
The first thing that I do when looking at a bag of pet treats is turn it over and look for the country of origin. I’m not alone–and not paranoid, as it turns out. A few weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration reminded American pet owners about unexplained and sometimes fatal illnesses related to chicken jerky treats imported from China. The FDA and its counterparts around the world have been warning consumers to be alert about jerky-related illnesses since 2007. [More]
Why Is There A Dog Sitting At The Table At Outback Steakhouse?
By 11.10.11
If they knew what an Outback Steakhouse was, most dogs would want to visit there as often as possible. But non-service dogs aren’t allowed inside. Reader Erik and his wife recently attempted to dine at Outback, but the presence of another customer’s large, poorly behaved ostensible service dog drove them out of the restaurant. [More]
Purina Goes After Desirable Doggy Demographic With Sounds Only Your Pet Can Hear
By 10.4.11
While fast food advertisers have taken a lot of heat in recent years for packaging and marketing that is targeted heavily toward children, the evil ad geniuses of the world have found another demographic on which it can focus its marketing laser — your furry friends. [More]
Dog Group Says Dog Theft Is Up 32 Percent This Year
By 8.17.11
According to the American Kennel Club, dognappers are on a rampage this year, making off with nearly a third more canines than they did at this point in 2010. [More]
Farmers Insurance 'Totals' Dog After Car Accident
By 8.17.11
Sasha, a 9-year-old Lab mix in Colorado, was hit by a minivan while walking her human last week. She survived the accident with damage to her liver, lungs, and diaphragm that may require surgery. While her person clearly considers her a family member, the law and the driver’s insurance company see things differently. Injuries to dogs are property damage, and the company “totaled” out the dog. They did not haul her off to a dog junkyard to be used for parts. [More]
Chihuahua Emasculates Armed Robbers
By 7.19.11
When you’re evaluating which pooch is worth the most bounce per ounce, consider the mighty chihuahua. Often itself the brunt of humiliation by being tied up in pink ribbons and carried around in tiny backpacks by humans who consider it fashionable, the chihuahua is actually a fierce and loyal companion capable of fending off attackers many times its size. Witness the ferocity and devotion of the chihuahua in this video showing one running off two masked thieves robbing a smoke shop. They may have a shotgun but he’s got moxie! [More]
