Standing on a hill overlooking a green pasture, Rachel Ritland and I watched a group of cattle at the bottom of the valley. I pulled my jacket tight against the frigid wind, but Ritland, co-director of 3rd District of the United States Border Collie Handlers’ Association (USBCHA), didn’t seem to mind. She focused intently on […]
dogs
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa dog breeders responsible for 36% of all violations in the U.S. last year
Iowa’s dog breeders had the worst record of compliance with federal regulations in 2022, accounting for 36 percent of all violations cited nationally. The U.S. Department of Agriculture cited dog and cat breeders and brokers for 795 violations in 2022, a total that excludes citations for “missed” inspections resulting from USDA officials not gaining access […]
Posted inCentral Iowa Community/News
Five questions with Megan Casey and Jamie Lamb of Paws & Pints, a ‘doggy Disneyland’ in DSM
Des Moines dog-owners have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Paws & Pints, an indoor-outdoor dog park complete with a bar, grooming center, doggie daycare, and restaurant that serves food for both humans and pups. Little Village sat down with co-owner, Megan Casey, and marketing director, Jamie Lamb, ahead of the soft opening of the […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Spots for Spot: Five dog-friendly things to do in the Metro
Our dogs are our best friends. That’s why it hurts a little extra to leave them at home while we go out and enjoy our favorite summer activities. And while there are quite a few dog-friendly patios in the Des Moines area, sometimes our pup deserves a little more stimulation than just sitting on the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
As greyhound racing ends in Iowa, retired runners like Luci get used to a life of leisure
Kanya Petersen always wanted a dog. But it wasn’t until she and her husband, Erik, bought their house in Altoona that they decided they were finally ready to make the commitment. “We’ve never had a dog before,” Petersen said. “And we were looking online to get ideas for different dog breeds that might fit well […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Eliza, Finn and the art of reinvention
There is this thing that humans — not all of them but, observationally, a sizable majority — do to suffering: They want it to mean something. We want that meaning to make the suffering noble, and we want that noble suffering to reframe that tragedy as beneficial for us. Just watch someone (your humble narrator, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Municipal Airport warns about scams involving puppies and jobs
The Iowa City Municipal Airport put out a warning on Friday morning to alert people to a pair of scams, one involving puppies, the other involving jobs. “The first scam was reported earlier this summer and involves groups posing as pet breeders who say they will fly a dog you purchased to the Iowa City […]
Posted inCommunity/News
State loosens restrictions around dogs on restaurant patios
Restaurants no longer need a special waiver from the state to allow patrons to bring their dogs into outdoor dining areas. The Iowa Department of Appeals and Inspections (DIA), which oversees issues of sanitation and food safety at restaurants, eliminated the waiver requirement last week. “Food establishments still have to follow the same rules as […]
Posted inCommunity/News
When Iowa City searched for Pearl
Since mid-January, much of the east side of Iowa City has actively worked to save the life of Pearl, a black lab mix who has been on the loose amidst one of the snowiest, coldest winters in recent memory. Pearl was a feral dog who was captured (with her litter of pups) and eventually adopted […]
Posted inCommunity/News
America’s first dogs: A UI researcher contributed to a new study of ancient canines
Long before the first terrier, retriever, shepherd or toy breed crossed the pond, America was populated by dogs who could trace their roots back nearly 15,000 years. This ancient and now-extinct breed was the subject of an in-depth study by an international team of 50 scientists, including one University of Iowa researcher, Andrew Kitchen. “The […]
