Keeping an eye on Atlanta's animal scene

Sometimes, it’s nice to get together with owners of similar dogs, to exchange breed-specific tips, learn more about the dog or just socialize. Here are several active dog owner meetup groups in the Atlanta area:

ATL-And -All Of -Georgia-GSD-Meetup Group (German Shepherds socializing)
Previous meetup:  Sweat Mountain Park

Atlanta’s Great Danes
Meets first Sunday of the month at Piedmont Park Dog Park

The Atlanta Rat Terrier (and similar dogs) Meetup
Next Meetup – Willis Park Pet Adoption Event – Alpharetta, GA

MUST LOVE DOGS’ Mutt Meetup
Previous meetup: CPR, First Aid and Care for Your Pets

The Marietta-Roswell Chihuahua Meetup Group
Meets 3rd Sunday of the month

Boston Terrier Meetup of Atlanta
Previous meetup: Burger Park

The Atlanta Pug Meetup Group
Next meetup: June 5

ATLANTA UNLEASHED! (on and off-leash recreation, such as hikes and dog parks)
Next meetup: June 2  Gwinnett Braves Bark in the Park

Dog hikers of Kennesaw Mountain
Next meetup: June 6 Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Buddy, the 2010 GRRA Calendar Spokes Dog

Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta is looking for photos of happy and fun-loving Golden and Labrador Retrievers for its 2011 calendar. Twelve dogs will be selected as “Dog of the Month,” and one lucky winner will be the 2011 Cover Dog.

If you follow the guidelines, your dog is guaranteed to appear in the calendar and you will receive one 2011 calendar per submission. But to be selected as a “Dog of the Month” or the 2011 cover dog, your retriever must have been adopted from GRRA.

Entry Fees:

• GRRA members: $25 per entry (includes one calendar for each entry).
• Non-Members: $50 for the first entry (includes one calendar AND 2010 GRRA Membership) and $25 for each subsequent entry (also includes one calendar per entry).

All entries must be received by midnight July 15, 2010. See the complete rules here.

June is packed with weekend events for pet owners:

Sunday, June 6: BarkStock Festival in Norcross, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Lodge at Simpsonwood. Featuring animal communicators Tim Link, and Alexandra Breed, a star of Chip Coffey’s A&E TV series. Pet-friendly vendors will offer a wide variety of products and services including low-cost microchipping, nail clipping, dog massage, and reiki. Dog trainers, caricature artists and animal photographers will also be on hand. All proceeds benefit animals rescued from high-kill shelters and other high-risk situations by Angels Among Us Pet Rescue.

Sunday, June 13:  Animal Rescue Fair and Pet Adoptions, Noon to 5 p.m. at the covered arena at Wills Park Equestrian Center in Alpharetta. Presented by Save the Horses, the event boasts more than 4000 attendees and claims to be the largest pet adoption and educational family fun day in Georgia. Featuring frisbee, agility and FlyBall demonstrations. Admission is Free, but please bring a donation of a bag of pet food (Purina preferred dog, cat, horse) for Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen and Fido’s Soup Kitchen.

Bark in the Park – Movies at Dark, brought to you by Glamour Paws pet spa and boutique. Pack a picnic and bring your pets to New Highland Park, 1082 St. Charles Place. Movie begins at dusk (about 8:30 p.m.). No alcoholic beverages permitted.

Saturday, June 19: All Dogs Go to Heaven
Saturday, June 26: Scooby Doo

Saturday, June 26 (11 a.m.) and Sunday, June 27 (1 p.m.) Georgia Dachschund Races at Jim R. Miller Park. Proceeds from the Races go directly to the all-volunteer DREAM Dachshund Rescue. The Georgia Race Winners will be invited to race for the National Dachshund Races Championship.

Sunday, June 27: Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta Monthly Hike, 10 a.m. to Noon, Georgia State Park-Red Top Mountain. Goldens, their dog friends and owners are welcome.

Are you keeping your pets safe from springtime hazards? What dog and cat owners should know about tulip bulbs, ant baits and organic fertilizers.

I just heard on the radio that STAR 94′s WoofStock (the event that used to be called Petapalooza) will be held Saturday, May 15 from 12-8 p.m. at Town Center Park in Suwanee (340 Town Center Ave.) The party is free and pets are welcome but must be on leashes.

• Over 15 Non-profit and Rescue Groups
• Pet Adoptions
• Dog Agility, Flyball and Frisbee Demonstrations
• Music Performances by Star94 Artists
• Food Vendors and Beer Garden
• Dog Contests for Cool Prizes
• Inflatables for the Kids
• Pet Photo Booths
• Free Parking
• Prize Giveaways

The carriage horse involved in a crash earlier this month likely won’t work again.

Christy, the horse, sustained only minor injuries when a Lexus driver rear-ended a carriage carrying four people in what police said was a drag-racing incident. But she was so traumatized in the accident that her owner told the AJC her career is over.

“I just don’t want to take a chance,” owner Cecil White said.

The driver was charged with following too closely, driving on a suspended license and violating the open container law. The driver and his three female passengers had to be hospitalized, and the horse ran off.

Christy was considered the “Rolls Royce” of the stable because of her calm demeanor and eagerness to work. White said he would keep her at the Fantasy Carriages barn on Tift Street. He invited the public to visit her.

The animal-rights group PETA called on Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to ban horse-drawn carriages.

Next Sunday is a big day for Atlanta dogs.

If your pooch is a Braves fan, tickets are now available for the May 2 Bark in the Park. Tickets cost $25 a piece (covers one dog and one human, plus a donation to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.) Additional human tickets are $12. All canine tickets must be purchased with a human ticket. Fans with two or more dogs must have an additional “owner” accompanying the additional canine. See here for required vaccinations and other details, including a primer on whether “your dog is right” for this event.

Tickets will be available for pick-up on Sunday, May 2, beginning at 11 a.m. The game, against Houston, starts at 1:35.

Event planners say there will be cool water, pools, shady spots, misting machines and ice cream on hand, but older dogs, dogs with short muzzles and/or dogs in general that are quickly prone to heat exhaustion should consider not attending this event or possibly not staying for the entire game.

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Also on Sunday, Piedmont Bark Yappy Hour presents the 2010 Pet Cotillion from 3 to 6 p.m. There’s a $20 entry fee to benefit PALS, which provides ongoing care and support to pets of Atlanta area people living with HIV symptomatic/AIDS and other critical illnesses or disabilities.

Got a dog covered in pollen? Or just in need of a bath? PAWS Atlanta is holding a BYODD (Bring Your Own Dirty Dog) Wash this Saturday, April 24 at the Wagalot in Reynoldstown from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For $15 per dog, PAWS Atlanta volunteers will work their magic on your pooch with their doggie shampoos. The group will hold a discount ($15) microchip clinic at the same time. That’s a 70% discount from average vet rates.

What’s your favorite place to go in Atlanta with your pet: Toy store? Dog park? Pet-friendly dance club? Scoutmob wants to know.

Send your answers to sweatervest@scoutmob.com or via Twitter @scoutmob.

Credit: Animal Planet

Each week on Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog”, British dog trainer Victoria Stilwell wows viewers with her ability to charm unruly pets into well-mannered family members. Stilwell lives in Buckhead with her husband, daughter and chocolate Labrador Sadie. We spoke about the transition from acting to training, her passion for positive reinforcement and the two dogs she couldn’t train.

You can read the interview here on AOL’s Paw Nation, along with two questions that weren’t published:

Did you have a dog growing up in England?
We weren’t allowed. My grandmother was a beagle breeder…and I spent a lot of time there. My father and mother both worked and they knew they didn’t have time for animals but I used to beg and beg and beg, “Please can I have a dog?” It never worked.

Where did you get the idea for the TV show?
I was living in New York and I watched the first episode of the American “Super Nanny”. I remember just getting so excited and thinking, “I do that with dogs. What a fantastic idea for a TV show.” I found the producers and emailed them and the next day, I got a phone call.