Pets In The City - New York City Pets & Animals - Pets & Animals on Pet Life Radio (PetLifeRadio.com)

We all know New York is the center of the universe for all things exciting, and cat shows are no exception. In this segment we take you through the Westchester Cat Show which took place recently in White Plains, New York. Come with us on an exciting auditory tour where we talk with famous Nora the Piano Playing Cat (as translated by her press agent and human caretaker, Betsy Alexander). Heck, we even sit in on a Cat Fashion Show (I kid you not.) We’ll also talk to experts like Carole Wilbourn, one of the nation’s only certified cat therapists and author of The Complete Guide to Understanding Your Cat, who gives some tips on how to keep kitty from going crazy during the holiday chaos. Also give a listen to representative of the Elmsford Animal Shelter and a very special cat named ZuZu who could really use a home for Christmas.

On September 13th, New Yorkers cheered on some 25,000 runners and walkers in the annual Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" in Central Park to raise awareness and funding in the continued fight against breast cancer in women and in a growing number of men. But lounging on couches and chairs throughout the country was another, even larger group of unlikely supporters -- those four-footed furballs we call cats. Since May of this year, Purina Cat Chow’s "Connected for the Cau" campaign has highlighted the special bond between people with breast cancer and their cats, and how these usually self-centered creatures are very much a part of the healing process for many facing this challenge. The campaign runs through October and has many fun ways any cat lover can donate to the cause, such as posting a photo of their cat on the site’s mosaic. Pets In the City spoke with one of these tremendous individuals, New Yorker Lara Pilla and her cat, "Mingo", and how Mingo -- in Lara’s words "gives her ‘little gifts’ throughout the day to help her on her journey to recovery". This interview will leave you inspired to find joy and laughter in every day.

There are relatively few songs in the world that bring a knowing smile to your face in the first few notes, and Ian Anderson of legendary band Jethro Tull has written and performed more than a few of them. From the gallows humor of ‘Aqualung’ to the urgent, demanding cords of "Locomotive Breath" Ian has sometimes been referred to as the ‘mad minstrel’ with a unique mix of hard rock, epic-poem lyrics, and, of course, the flute. Probably one of the few-- if only--bands that can described as ‘Renaissance Rock’, Jethro Tull has been playing nonstop, worldwide, for over 40 years, with Ian still at the helm. Pets In the City spoke to Ian just a couple of weeks before his trip back to the ‘colonies’ this fall, where he will be playing a mix of classic Tull favorites as well as some of his solo works. It turns out that not only does Ian love music, but cats as well. And we mean really loves them, both domestic and wild, devoting efforts to the conservation of some of these beasts in their natural habitats. You’re going to download this interview, featuring both Jethro Tull and solo Ian Anderson song classics mixed throughout, right on your playlist. Get ready, New Yorkers-- he’ll be at the Beacon Theater live on October 13th.

Mad Juana (sometimes used in literary circles as shorthand for “Juana the Mad”, the rather passionate daughter of Spain’s King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I) is hard to describe. Rock, gypsy, punk, hypnotic, are just some of the adjectives that comes to mind. One can just as easily imagine them providing a haunting soundtrack to one of the “Kill Bill” movies or performing spirited, joyful dance music at a gypsy-esque festival. Karmen Guy, the sultry voice of Mad Juana, relishes in the idea of the band’s elusive description. Their many, diverse fans dig their sound, and that’s good enough for them. World travelers, the band’s hearts are never far away from The Tijuana River Valley Animal Rescue, an independent, small, grass roots animal rescue group founded in 2005 dedicated to rescuing stray and abandoned dogs in the Tijuana River Valley, on the U.S. side of the border, as well as rescuing and rehabilitating abused, neglected and problematic horses and off track thoroughbreds. City Pound caught up with Karmen while the band set up camp in New York to talk about music, animals, and her veggie-powered car.

The case of a kitten being put in a 500-degree oven and left to die in a Bronx, New York apartment last month left people throughout New York and the country outraged and asking one question: why would a pair of teenage girls do such a horrible thing under the guise of a 'prank'? For that matter, why do some people do cruel things to animals at all? This week, Pets In the City asks Officer Joe Pentangelo, assistant director of humane law enforcement at the ASPCA and frequent face on the popular Animal Planet show, Animal Precinct, this question and more. Officer Pentangelo, one of the first on the scene of the horrible crime involving Tiger LIlly the kitten and her teenage tormentors, gives us his personal insights and updates on the case, tips on how to spot signs of an animal in an abusive situation, and how to report it suspected cruelty to animals. He'll also tell us about the changing legal protections afforded to animals who are victims of cruelty and the penalties against those who do it.

Sounds bites and small video clips about the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan filter into the airwaves and onto the Web everyday. But they don’t really convey the physical and psychological demands U.S. soldiers endure on a daily basis while serving in one of the most politically and culturally complex wars of our time. Pets In the City had the honor of speaking with Sergeant Allen Hill, an Iraqi war veteran whose therapy dog, Frankie, was trained by an inmate serving time for manslaughter at the Fishkill Correctional Facility in Beacon, New York, just a commuter train ride north of New York City. Sgt. Hill was joined by Gloria Gilbert Stoga, who founded the "Puppies Behind Bars" program to train guide dogs over a decade ago, and whose group recently added the "Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us" program to train therapy dogs for veterans like Sgt. Hill with post-traumatic stress disorder. All three recently appeared on a recent episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, joined by actress Glenn Close, devoted to the animals in our lives.

If you're looking for a new band whose sound isn't hard to swallow, then you have to check out "The Choke", guests on this episode of "City Pound" with hosts Victoria Wells and Diane West. The Choke, a self-described 'punk and roll' band with a soft spot for animals filters the influences of Motown, soul, and garage rock through the attack of anthemic punk. Since the band’s debut in May of 2005, the New York-based foursome has performed for large audiences throughout New York and London, toured with the UK’s legendary Buzzcocks, enjoyed regular rotation and performed a live set on WFMU 91.1 FM (NYC/NJ). And their stage show--with hula-hoop dancers and other side-show entertainers, is something to see. The animal-loving rockers also lend their talents to raise money and awareness for animal welfare efforts in New York City. Several years ago, the band performed at a special, sold-out NYC Animal Rescue Benefit by opening for Beastie Boys in an event that raised thousands of dollars for several animal rescue groups based in and around New York City. Come talk shop and rock with lead singer Cameron Eve, guitarist "Hott Deth", bassist Josh Machlin and drummer Jonny Napalm and hear their thoughts on music, life, and the future of all three.

For fifty years-- just around the time television was born-- game show personality Bob Barker has been a guest in almost every home in the United States and, later, the world. And while this perennial, ever-friendly game show host always brought a sense of fun to every project he’s worked on, he couldn’t be more serious about animal rights. From throwing down the gauntlet 20 years ago at the Miss USA pageant with his very public anti-fur stance, to sending Price is Right viewers off with a friendly reminder to spay and neuter their pets at the end of every show, Mr. Barker has become an enduring part of American culture. Bob’s retirement from The Price is Right in 2007 has not slowed down his work on behalf of animal welfare, including continued work with the DJ&T Foundation (http://www.djtfoundation.org), a non-profit foundation he established in 1994 that subsidizes low-cost spay and neuter clinics and voucher programs for dogs throughout the country. Priceless Memories, a book recounting his favorite moments of his career in television, his life-long love affair with late wife Dorothy Jo, and their shared love of animals, comes out in April 2009.

Tens of thousands of dogs and cats are surrendered to Animal Care and Control of New York City (NYCACC) from throughout the five boroughs each year by people who are no longer willing or able to care for them. The reasons why these pets end up in the city’s three shelters range from the heartbreaking to the bizarre. Ten years ago, about 75 percent of the animals who came in through the shelter doors never came out alive. But thanks to combined national, state and city efforts, adoptions are actually up: more than half of the 40,000 animals turned in to the ACC eventually found adoptive homes. Jane Hoffman, President of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, leads over 140 community-based rescue groups in their efforts to find more animals ‘forever’ homes with the eventual goal of making New York City a ‘no kill’ city by 2015. Pets In the City interviewed Ms. Hoffman in a candid interview about some of the current and future challenges the city faces in achieving this goal, including what the oft-controversial term ‘no kill’ means--at least for animals in New York City.

Just call him the Comeback Canine. To everyone’s surprise and delight (including his owner and the show judge) "Stump", a ten year-old, a droopy-eyed, chocolate Sussex Spaniel, overcame a mysterious life-threatening illness to beat out more than 2,500 other dogs for the title of 2009 Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 10th. This week Diane West takes you on a behind-the-scenes, all-access radio tour leading up to and through the event, from the Westminster kick-off party to the lobby of the Hotel Pennsylvania the final "Best In Show" announcement on Pets In the City this week--including a special surprise greeting from one of the ‘sexiest’ women in the world!

Can birds crash a plane? Absolutely, according to aviation experts who were watching the skies over New York City on the afternoon of Thursday, January 15th, just two weeks into the New Year. Minutes after take-off, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger of US Airways Flight 1549 made a dicey emergency landing in the Hudson River due to what is so far being called a ‘bird strike’ of both its engines by a large flock of Canadian Geese (DNA and other evidence pending.) Birds get caught in airplane engines more than most flyers want to think about, but modern design usually causes them to ‘bounce off’. This time, perhaps because of their numbers and size, they didn’t. Now local politicians and others are looking to cook the goose--by shooting, egg destruction, and tearing up nesting grounds. No one argues plane crashes must be prevented at all costs--but is there another way fix the bird problem other than massive extermination? Patrick Kwan, New York State Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of the Humane Society of the United States, says yes. Pets In the City sat down with Mr. Kwan to talk about the geese, as well as dog fighting rings in pockets of the city, and the legislative process. Learn how animal lovers like you can become effective ‘citizen lobbyists’ for a wide variety of issues.

Pets In the City turns into the City Pound! This special once-a-month treat will feature exclusive interviews and sounds from some of the music industry’s most well-known names, including performers, DJs, artists, and other notables--with an emphasis on rock n’ roll and punk rock! Why? Turns out some of the hardest-rocking talents are also the hardest-working advocates for animals--and many of them live in New York, of course. Hear some of your favorite bands and artists talk about their music, their views on life, and their work with animals. We’ll also be playing music for you--some of them heard for the first time, anywhere, only on PetLifeRadio! So get out that iPod and be ready to rock! On our first episode of City Pound, we talk with Tony Barber, longtime bass player of one of the most influential punk bands of all time, The Buzzcocks. Tony has played with a wide range of rock-and-roll and punk royalty over the last 30 years and has recently begun producing some up-and-coming bands in New York and beyond. He’ll be talking to City Pound about his life as a punk rocker, his perspective on the economy, and his fundraising work with fiancé Andrea Purcigliotti in support animal adoption in New York City. We’ll also here some brand new music from some of the bands Tony is currently working with, including The Choke, Easy Image, Airport and Swivel. Also this episode, we’ll be meeting Victoria Wells, a frequent face on Animal Planet, head of Wells Animal Services, and founder of AMP. She’ll join Diane West as a regular guest co-host of City Pound.

We really step in it on this week’s episode of Pets In the City. Chances are you have, too. We’re talking about dog poop, of course. That’s right-- a whole show devoted to the poop, the power, and the passion behind New York’s thirty year-old ‘pooper scooper’ law. Don’t laugh, it’s a subject that continues to have dog lovers, non-dog-lovers, political leaders, animal rights activists, and pretty much everyone in-between asking the same question: should you really own a dog in New York City? Author Michael Brandow dug into this debate in his new book: New York’s Poop Scoop Law: Dogs, the Dirt, and Due Process: (New Directions In the Human-Animal Bond) by Purdue University Press. What he uncovered was an unusual and intriguing commentary on life in New York City from the 1970s to present day, and how we all learned to get along-- or at least not kill each other--over this still-hot topic.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and perhaps this is illustrated in no better way than in the love story between Rick Caran and his wonder Yorkie, "Jilli Dog." Little did Rick know that the wet, dirty and scared little dog abandoned not far from his Long Island, New York home would lead him on the adventure of a lifetime, taking him around the world for her poker-playing abilities and general above-average intelligence. But how did Rick, who never trained dogs professionally, teach Jilli to do such amazing things? Rick confesses to Pets In the City that there’s just one thing any pet lover can see in their pet, and once they see it, the sky’s the limit. Next- if you think setting up a dog park in the big city is easy, listen in as we talk to Laurie Light, one of the founders of the NYC East Side Small Dog Group in Manhattan. Her candid, cautionary tale is as funny as it is inspiring. You’ll never look at a little dog (or the person walking him or her) the same again! And, of course, we’ll give you the "Pets In the City" highlight of pet events in and around New York -- lets just say Santa ‘Claws’ is coming to town!

People love pets. And, although not all of them admit it, people love reality television. So it was inevitable there would be a convergence of the two, and now animals big and small are common ‘characters’ on reality TV. But are some of these animals unwittingly getting pulled into the ‘drama’ that drives reality shows, and are they getting hurt or even abused as a result? American Humane, the 131 year-old animal group best known for giving movie and television shows the coveted "No Animals Were Harmed" seal of approval, says more and more animals are being harmed on reality shows, whether by the inappropriate use of devices to distort their faces or being eaten alive for the shock of it. Listen in on our exclusive one-on-one interview with Karen Rosa, director of American Humane’s Film and TV Unit, as she describes the dangerous ‘gray areas’ reality TV is treading into in terms of the safety of animals on these shows and the what her organization is planning to do about it in the coming year.