This week, the world will commemorate the 100th anniversary ofthe Titanic’s maiden voyage and sinking in the North Atlantic.  As with many moments in history, dogs were part of this event.

Legend has it that not all of the acts of heroism that night were carried out by humans. There were a few dogs on board, and the Titanic’s luxurious accommodation extended to “marvellous kennel facilities”.

Although James Cameron's blockbuster hit Titanic did not feature any courageous canines, some historians argue that it could've been a dog who saved Rose's life on the doomed ship. According to the Belfast Telegraph, some of the most heroic acts that occurred on the night of the luxury ship's crash were carried out by the its canine passengers.
 

A photo (unattributed) reported to be staff of the Titanic taking

 dogs for a walk on deck.

 Dogs were among the passengers of the Titanic and the ship had dedicated kennel facilities.  A dog show had been planned on board the ship for Monday 15th April. When the ship was sinking, it was reported that a passenger went to the kennels and released the dogs to save them from drowning in their cages.

A story written in the New York Herald on April 21, 1912 credited Rigel, a black Newfoundland dog, with finding a lifeboat of survivors and alerting the
rescue ship, the Carpathia, of its whereabouts.

Rigel had been swimming through the icy waters looking for his master when he came across the lifeboat. He began barking and caught the attention of the seaman aboard the Carpathia. The journalist also indicated that Rigel made it to safety, but died in the arms of Jonas Briggs, who was on the rescue ship.

The Astors with their dog

According to (mixed) records, between 10 and 12 dogs were on board the ship.  The Astors  (perhaps the richest passengers on board) were traveling with their Airedale named Kitty.   Each day a member of Titanic’s crew would exercise the dogs on deck.

Three dogs survived the sinking. There was a Pomeranian owned by Miss Margaret Hays of New York; the pair escaped in lifeboat Number 7.  Elizabeth Rothschild escaped in lifeboat Number 6 with her Pomeranian.   The other dog was Pekingese named Sun Yat Sen owned by Henry Sleeper; owner and dog escaped in lifeboat Number 3.

The Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri has established the world’s first tribute to dogs of the Titanic.  Mascots Molly and Carter greet guests each day from Wednesday to Sunday  and show them the kennel facilities of the ship, along with stories of dogs aboard.  This creative commercial for the exhibit is found on YouTube:

Not to be confused with actual history, a book by Marty Crisp for young adults tells the story of White Star:  A Dog on The Titanic.  In this fictional story, a 12-year old named Sam Harris is traveling from England to America.  Sam volunteers to help out in the Titanic’s kennels and meets Star, an Irish Setter. The boy and dog live through the sinking.

Ms Crisp compiled the following canine passenger manifest when she researching for her book about White Star:

Owners	Breed	Boarded	Home	Lifeboat	Survived?
Robert Williams Daniel, 27 (a banker traveling alone)	1) French bulldog “Gamin de Pycombe”	Southampton	Philadelphia	Went down with the ship and was pulled aboard by a lifeboat	Daniel- yes; Bulldog- no, although it was seen in the water by R.N. Williams
Henry Sleeper Harper, 48 (a publishing scion traveling with his wife, Myra, 49, a manservant, and an Egyptian dragoman)	2) Pekinese “Sun Yat Sen”	Cherbourg	New York City	Lifeboat 3 wife, servant and companion all escaped in LB3	Harper-yes; Pekinese-yes
Helen Bishop, 19,(newlywed, honeymooning with Dickinson H. Bishop)	3) small, unknown breed “Frou Frou”	Cherbourg	Dowagiac, Michigan	Lifeboat 7	Bishop and her husband- yes; Frou Frou- no, left locked in cabin
Harry Anderson, 47 (stockbroker, traveling alone)	4) Chow	Southampton	New York City	Lifeboat 3	Anderson- yes; Chow- no
William Ernest Carter, 36, (traveling with his wife, Lucile, 36, daughter, also Lucile, 14, and son, William the II, 11. Also traveling with a maid and manservant)	5) & 6) Two small dogs. One was a King Charles Spaniel and the other  breed is unknown.	Southampton	Bryn Mawr, PA.	Collapsible C; wife and children left the ship in Lifeboat 4; servants were both lost	All members of family- yes; dogs- no
Margaret Hays, 24, (traveling alone)	7) Pomeranian	Cherbourg	New York City	Lifeboat 7	Hays-yes; Pomeranian-yes
Col. John Jacob  Astor,47 (real estate tycoon traveling with his pregnant wife, Madeleine, 19, and a maid and a manservant)	8) & 9) Airedale, “Kitty,”  and a second dog, probably also an Airedale, as per  report from survivor Edwiga Goldenberg	Cherbourg	New York City	Astor went down with the ship and was crushed by a falling funnel Manservant was lost. Wife and maid survived on Lifeboat 4.	Astor- no; Airedales- no; wife- yes
William Crothers Dulles, 39 (attorney, traveling alone)	10) Unknown breed, listed in channel crossing records simply as “dog.” Possibly a Pomeranian or a fox terrier	Cherbourg	Philadelphia	Went down with the ship	Dulles- no; dog- no
Ann Isham, 50, (spinster expatriate who had been living in Paris with her sister for the previous nine years) (Isham is a possible, not a verified, dog owner.)	11) Great Dane (could also have been a Saint Bernard or a Newfoundland)	Cherbourg	Paris and New York City	Refused to get in a lifeboat without her dog.	Isham- no; dog-no.  A woman was spotted by passengers on the German liner “Bremen” two days after the sinking, floating in her lifejacket with her arms wrapped around a large dog.
Elizabeth Barrett Rothschild, 54 (wife of leather magnate Martin Rothschild, traveling with her husband)	12) Pomeranian	Cherbourg	New York City	Lifeboat 6	Rothschild- yes; Pomeranian-yes Mrs. Rothschild and her dog were on the same boat as the famously unsinkable Molly Brown. Martin Rothschild went down with the ship.
FICTIONL Sam Harris, 12 (returning to the U.S. after three years of boarding school in England)	Irish setter, “White Star,” owned by J. Bruce Ismay, president of the White Star Line and also a passenger on the Titanic.	Southampton for Sam; Queenstown, Ireland for the dog	Lancaster, PA.	Lifeboat 4	Sam- yes; Star- yes.  Boy and dog were rescued from the water right after Lifeboat 4 was lowered.

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Fighting can be a way of life in parts of Pakistan, but on the farms, it is more likely to be dogs who are in training for their own violent and bloody battles.

Officially banned by the government and condemned as cruel by animal rights groups, thousands of wealthy Pakistani farmers, landowners and businessmen use the quiet winter months to indulge in a passion for bloody bulldog fights, states a story in the Express Tribune. 

 
 "I love Moti just like my kids. He's a source of pride," crowed a jubilant Tassaduq Hussain after his dog won a fight in Tangdhe Sayedan, a village in Punjab.

To the din of drum beats and flutes, men hoisted Moti onto their shoulders, danced through the crowds and showered the animal with banknotes after thousands watched him bite and tear his way to victory on a secluded plateau.

In villages such as these, fights between bulldogs, known as ‘booly’ in Punjabi, provide one of the few forms of entertainment while crops grow.

The rules are brutally simple, the dogs fight until one bleeds to death, runs off, or until the owner takes pity and withdraw the animal from battle, handing the opponent victory.

Winning owners can get small prizes such as trophies, cell phones, or televisions while some organizers give prize money ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 100,000, depending on what the organizers can afford. "We organize these festivals because we love dog fights. Every organizer chooses his own or associates' land in the village to stage these fights. It's a hobby of the powerful," said Abdul Ghaffar, a local organizer.

A champion like Moti, whose name means “Pearl”, costs hundreds of dollars a month in food and requires extensive training before the annual fighting season, which runs from late September to late March. Hussain explains Moti's complicated and expensive diet.

"We give him two liters of milk, one kilogram of meat, butter and a supplement of an apple every day. It costs us Rs 50,000 every month," said the 59-year-old farmer. "Half my family is settled in Britain and my brother, who is a lawyer over there, gives me money to feed the dog and keep our family's honor." Moti is two years old but spent year training for his first fight, running behind a motorcycle for more than 20 kilometers a day, Hussain said.

Those who win, bring honor and pride to the owners. But it's a different story for those who lose.

"Please don't ask me anything. I am disturbed. My dog lost," said one young man in his early 20s. "I have no courage to speak, it is shame," he added, rubbing salt into his dog's wounds to stop them from becoming infected.

Traders set up tea and snack stalls around the field. There are organized parking contracts and every fight is filmed. Videos of major fights go on sale.

There is an unwritten calendar of meets, and every fan, dog owner and stallholder knows when and where to ship up within 200 kilometers.

"I go to every fight and set up my stall everywhere. I earn around Rs 3,000 a day which is much more than what I get from my shop," Ishtiaq Ahmed, 45, told AFP.

 



Police say they do raid fights and arrest culprits but Punjab Police spokeswoman Nabeela Ghazanfar concedes that most get bail.

The maximum penalty - six months in jail and a fine equivalent to $11 - is hardly prohibitive and activists want the government to do more to outlaw dog fights, which they say are "wrong" and "cruel"."Many dogs die due to wounds after the fights. Fighting dogs develop skin diseases and many of their wounds do not heal," said Nasim Ahmad, secretary for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals.

Zulfiqar Otho, a vet who volunteers for the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society, told AFP that owners of losing dogs sometimes shoot them after fights and that on average, one dog dies per festival. "They are rich businessmen, feudal lords, members of parliament and other bigwigs of society. They influence police through their stature and money... Police can't move against the will of these people," he told AFP.

                                                  

   But the fans are unperturbed

  "God created dogs to fight and bite," said farmer Chaudhry   Javed. "Even if we don't arrange this, they'll fight each other," he added.  

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 Dog Fighting Video - YouTube 


http://www.woofmag.in/articles2.asp?cat=361 

Pets and Ghosts - A Mystery

"Spirit Of Animals" 

A Real Experience of Nuria Rodriguez

This is a real story of one of the member of Pet Tribe's Facebook fan page, Nuria Rodriguez. She mailed us her experience regarding pets and their senses to feel ghosts. We would loved to hear some more interesting incidents or experience from her and our other members regarding their pets.

Nuria experience: 

My first experience happened a few weeks after I moved into a new apartment.  I had 2 cats at the time.  I was laying on the floor, playing with one and felt a breath at the back of my neck, and my hair moving.  I heard a purr next to my ear and when I turned, there was nothing there.  My other cat was sitting by the window, nowhere near me and the other cat.  Other instances are just little things.  I'll be on my bed, and feel like one of my cats is walking on the bed, but when I look up, there's nothing there. 

I see images out of the corner of my eyes, and when I turn, there is nothing there.  One of the more prominent things to have happened was one day I was walking upstairs.  By this time, I had 5 cats, one being an orange tabby.  As I got to the top of the stairs, I saw Maks, (my orange little guy) walking into the bathroom.  Now, I saw this clear as day, straight on.  As I saw him walking in, I walked toward the bathroom as well.  My eyes never left the bathroom door, so had he walked out I would have seen him.  I walked into the bathroom, and it was empty.  Not only was Maks not in there, but I walked out, and looked over the rail of the loft and saw Maks had been downstairs sleeping next to the window the entire time.  And then about a month ago, I was walking downstairs at night, and went to turn on the light in the hall.  For a split second, I saw a black cat walking in front of me, then just disappear. 

I know my cats and dog sense these other beings.  I see them staring in certain directions sometimes, and then meowing at something.  Now and then I'll see them walking and jump, as though something touched them they did not expect. 

The way I see it, as long as they don't feel threatened by anything here, it's all good.  There are a lot of stray cats in this complex, and I wake up early in the morning and go down and feed them in a secret spot.  I wonder if maybe some of the spirits of cats just figured this is a nice place to hang out in.  They are certainly welcome here, as long as they all play nice.

Written by : Nuria Rodriguez

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                   Pets and Their Senses 

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Have you ever noticed that when a storm is approaching, your pet will act differently? 

Pets are often known to quit eating and change their behavior when their owners are sick and/or in the hospital. Dogs have been known to starve themselves to death after a death of a Master.

Yet, to say that Animals have the ability to see and hear the Paranormal is absurd to some. Pets, (and babies for that matter) are very attuned to the Paranormal. Probably more-so in their own house, as that is "their" territory, and they are by nature, protective.

No one can deny that animals have exceptional capabilities. The number of animals who have found their way home from hundreds of miles away, and after many years...coincidence?

Electromagnetic fields?

Dogs and Cats are more highly sensitized to electromagnetic activity than most humans. This tends to make them natural psychics. Any anomalous activity would normally be picked up by an animal.
 

Just as mentioned above, Dog acts weird when there is a storm approaching. Most animals do. I have watched my dog walk up to the door, tail wagging, to greet...absolutely no one I could see. My Papi (Yes, his name is Papi) will sit and turn his head, as his eyes follow something move across the room. I don't see it, but he does.

My Daughter, who swears that she has seen shadows move quickly into the kitchen on many occasions, seems to share the anxiety of my Dog, who will not even eat in the kitchen if he is by himself. He just does NOT like it in there.

Although I have always felt a comforting, almost protective force in this house, I have encountered the Paranormal. Fortunately, although my Dog and Daughter fear the Kitchen, we have had no harmful, and only minor frightening experiences. Most are comforting and protective, and quite friendly.

Other True Paranormal Story About Pets

I, with my cat and dog curled up for warmth, sat on a heater vent wrapped in a blanket. I was in the living room with a perfect view of the entryway. From here I heard some footsteps upstairs. The cat's and dog's ears both perked up at the sound of the footsteps as they seemed to go down the hall toward the top of the spiraling staircase in the entryway. Both animals watched some invisible presence slowly walk down the stairs and through the living room then into the dining room. I, quite apprehensively, looked between both my cat's and my dog's ears as their heads and eyes seemed to follow someone walking though my house. Both animals' heads moved in tandem and the acted very much aware of the presence. Yet I could sense nothing aside from the sound of steps and the reaction of the animals. I was somewhat disappoint.

Author - Unknown 

        The Chinese Foo Dog – A Dog Loved By Buddhists

Chinese Foo Dog

The Chinese Foo Dog is said to be a descendant of the Lhasa Apso breed and has its origins from China yet the exact history of this breed is unclear. Buddhist priests from Tibet showed the dog a special consideration because of religious similarity with a lion which was an animal sacred to them ( the Shih-Tzu name in Chinese means “lion”).

Foo Dogs are the ancient sacred dogs of Asia who guard Buddhist temples.  The association between these dogs and Buddha is one of great significance.  Foo Dogs have the appearance of a lion.  The lion in Buddhist religion is seen as sacred, and has sometimes been offered to Buddha as a sacrifice.  The name given to these guardians originates from China.  The Chinese word for Buddha is Fo, which led to the original title– “Dog of Fo”.  There have been other theories that the name developed from the city of Foochow; however, there is no actual proof of this.  Another name given to the beast is “Lion of Korea”.  This, of course, is due to the creatures close appearance to a Lion.

It is said that they might have existed in China since the Tang Dinasty time in the third century or to have arrived in the tenth century. This breed is well represented in Chinese art, in sculpture and embroidery. Lhasa Apso dogs were kind of gifts made by Chinese emperors to Dalai Lama of Tibet. Their number was increased only by royalty. Precisely because of this association, many dogs were killed during the Chinese Revolution.

The Chinese Foo Dog is small, strong, balanced, vigorous and longer than wide. It has a massive head and round skull which is wide between the eyes with a square muzzle, short, flat and black nose. The head is covered with rich hair forming whiskers and a beard. The hair that grows on the nose is pointed up by giving him the look like the chrysanthemum flower. The eyes are large, round, dark. The large ears are tightly bonded to the head and covered with hair so often that seems to unite with the hair on his neck. The tail is carried high in long hair ran over the back. It has a double coat with a long outer hair, although it is all curled and feather soft in the interior. It can be any color or combination of colors with a white stripe on the forehead and a little white tail tip. The Chinese Foo Dog has a height of 20 to 27 centimeters and a weight of 4 to 7 kilograms.

The Chinese Foo Dog is an intelligent dog, cheerful, gentle, active, proud, dignified, alert, somewhat stubborn and makes friends with everyone. It is affectionate and devoted to the master, friendly and sociable with children and careful with strangers. It gets along well with other dogs and other animals in the household. It is a dog that is does very well in an apartment near a master that is loving and caring. It has a low activity content with short walks. He needs socialization and training.

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                                  Can dogs see ghosts ?

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A howling dog on a rainy moonless night is a common scene in horror and mystery movies. A dog that stares at nothing and then barks, whines and cowers would certainly make your hair stand on ends and for chill to run up your spine especially if you are alone. Dogs are commonly believed to have the ability to see the unseen. Can dogs really see ghosts? Many dog owning individuals have their own stories about unexplainable paranormal situations that involved the pet. Although it is hard to believe something that is never seen, most people believe that dogs can see ghosts. 

What are ghosts and why are dogs believed to have the ability to see these "something" that go bump in the night? A ghost, as depicted by people who profess to have seen one, is an unspecific semi transparent form that resembles the form of the person it once was. Paranormal researchers believe that a ghost or an apparition is the spirit/energy of a person that has died usually from a traumatic or a highly unusual circumstance. Oftentimes, the spirits are not aware that they have died as they are stuck between the level of existence and passing over. These apparitions are perceived by humans commonly through peripheral vision. Most of the times, the presence can be sensed. The odor attributed to the departed and the voices are noticed as well. It is believed that only people with 6th sense or people with an "open" eye can see, smell, hear and feel the presence of ghosts. 

Dogs are noted for their heightened senses. The dog's senses are far superior to what humans have. Dogs are noted to have poorly developed sense of taste. Dogs eat anything that other animals would find offensive. However, the other senses can never be faulted. A dog's sense of sight, sense of smell, sense of hearing and touch are highly developed. Dogs and other animals for that matter are credited to have a 6th sense as well. These ultrasensitive senses allow the dog to see and sense not only ghosts and spirits but also other paranormal things that humans cannot sense and see. 

This phenomenon was demonstrated when a tsunami devastated parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Thousands of people were killed but virtually no dogs and other animals died. These animals were able to escape. It was noted that before the tsunami happened, dogs refused to walk on the beach. Apparently, the dogs were able to sense that something devastating is about to happen. 

Unbelievers and skeptics though have a scientific explanation for a dog's so called ability to see ghosts. Because of dog's superior hearing ability, it can hear distant sounds that are impossible for humans to hear. Moreover, dogs detect sounds much faster than humans can. For a low sound to be heard by humans, the frequency range has to be from 20 to 70 Hz. Sound frequencies as low as 16 to 20 Hz can be heard by the dog because the 18 or more muscles in a dog's ear allow for greater mobility. A dog can tilt, raise or lower and practically rotate the ears to be able to hear the sound and pinpoint the exact location the sound is emanating from. Dogs have eyes that can see better in the dark. 

A dog that is calmly sitting beside you suddenly growls, stares at nothing and starts to bark. The dog's whining and barking, the cowering and the tail that is between the legs would certainly make goose bumps erupt. It would certainly be hard to stay calm given that this kind of actuation is commonly attributed to the presence of unseen beings. But it is also possible that your pooch is warning you of an oncoming intruder.

  http://www.sarahsdogs.com/qa/can_dogs_see_ghosts.html