Compassionate Cat Nurses Orphan Dachshund Puppies

It's been a while since there have been some good Dachshund interspecies musings around these parts, and this Texas shelter momma cat who has taken on four Dachshund puppies who lost their mother sure fits the bill.  Meet 'Beatrix,' her five kitties, and four Dachshund puppies.  Excerpt from Central Texas Now:

When the mother of these four miniature daschunds died while birthing her puppies, the owner called Pam Peacock [of Pam's D.O.G. (Depending on God) House in China Spring, Texas] with a life-saving request. "They would've needed somebody to bottle feed the puppies every hour and a half to two hours around the clock for at least two or three weeks or have a mother's milk."
Peacock had no dogs that fit the bill, but Beatrix, a rescue cat and new mother came to mind. "We discussed it and I said 'I know it can be done,' I don't know if she would take the dogs because this is one cat I have out here that doesn't like dogs," says Peacock.
But the moment that the first puppy was put in front of Beatrix, her maternal instincts kicked in. "She just kind of put her arms around them and pulled them up to her and started cleaning them," says Peacock, "and they started nursing and they're doing fine."

The owner of the puppies has decided to adopt Beatrix since she saved the lives of his puppies!  Read more at Central Texas Now.

O.K., when can I take this thing off, already?

'Ziti,' a 14-year-old, red, mini-Dachshund from Soho, dressed as — what else? — a hot dog, was among the hundreds of Dachshunds and their proud owners gathered in New York's Washington Square Park last Saturday at noon. It was no mere coincidence, but the 19th annual Dachshund Spring Fiesta. Organized by the DAX Friendship Club, which was co-founded by two Greenwich Village residents, the furry fiesta occurs the last Saturday of April. But since one dachs fest a year would never suffice, there’s also a companion Dachshund Fall Fiesta, held on the first Saturday of October.  Source.

Related:  2010 Dachshund Spring Fiesta Photos and Video

Those Special Dachshunds: Meet Frank!

(click any photo to enlarge and admire)

Thanks so much to Rocko Designs for sending in such beautiful photos of their handsome red smooth boy 'Frank!'  They write:

Hi Joey and Maggie.

I thought I’d send you some photos of my dog Frank.

He’s a standard Dachshund, and we live on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

Frank’s favourite places in the whole wide world are either at the beach, or snuggled up at the end of the bed, always under the doona, even on the hottest nights.

UPDATE: April 30, 2010: Frank now has his own blog! Don't miss it: frankdavid
 

A young Frank relaxes on the beach

The future's so bright, Frank's gotta wear shades

Another favorite pastime

Cocktail Wieners

Drink, and dance and laugh and lie,
Love the reeling midnight through,
For tomorrow we shall die!
(But, alas, we never do.)

~Dachshund Lover Dorothy Parker

This newly designed image is available on Wienertales.  Use code COCKTAILS to get $5 off when you order two or more shirts, any style. Or use code FACEBOOK for 10% your Cocktail Wiener Pre-order. Proceeds go to putting on the Northwest Wienerfest, July 31st - August 1st in Elma, Washington.

Dachshund Relaxation: Chuck's German Kibble Dance

Chuck sure loves his kibble!  Via youtuber mynameisandysmith who notes:  Sometimes he just takes out one kibble, rolls around on it, throws it a bit then eats it.

Wire (-Hair) Wednesday

Wire Weenie by flickrer sillydog

Thank Dog it's Wednesday cause that can mean only one thing:  It's Wirehair Wednesday - a day devoted to that elusive Wirehaired Dachshund!  Today however, it's just a wire Dachshund.  The photographer of this fine photo notes:  My mother gives me all manner of dachshund related crap. This was meant to help me get my bills in on time (as she continues to believe I can't handle such basic tasks despite my advanced age).

Badger News Roundup!

We've certainly got a love-hate relationship with these critters.  On the one hand, being badger dogs, all our instincts tell us to "go get it!" - we're slightly salivating as we type these words and drooling over the thought of bagging our very own badger.  On the other hand though, we're not sure if we've ever seen anything so cute as an 8-week-old badger missing an ear, lovingly named 'Vincent' after Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, who famously cut off one of his ears   That's right, it's a Badger News Roundup for a beautiful Spring day, Wednesday, April 28, 2010.  Kicking things off, this little fella is being looked after by staff at St Tiggywinkles (huh?) Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, England, after being attacked. Excerpt from This Is Local London:

Les Stocker from the hospital said: “He's doing fine. There's a little bit of damage to the bit round his ear but he should be OK.

“It might have been a fox or a dog that came across him and attacked him. I think another badger would have killed him.”

Vincent will be released back into the wild later this year.

Meanwhile, these often pesky little digging machines have been busy desecrating 100-year-old graves at a cemetery in Sidmouth, Devon, England, unearthing the human remains.  Excerpt from The Daily Mail:

A Natural England representative and Department of Environment badger expert lan Crowe visited Sidmouth Cemetery and will make recommendations about how the badgers should be managed 'in a sensitive, humane and legal way'.
A council spokesman said: 'There is absolutely no question of any harm being done to the animals and it is illegal to interfere with a badger sett during the breeding season.'
The council will erect a sign near the newly dug sett, informing the public of the presence of badgers and explaining they have caused some disturbance.
'In July, after obtaining expert advice, we may be able to fit one-way doors at the entrances to the badger tunnels.
'This will mean the animals can leave their sett but cannot get back in.'

Read more and see more photos at The Daily Mail.

And finally, thousands of badgers will lose their lives in a cull planned in south west Wales over the next few months.  Animal activists, including Queen guitarist Brian May, are up in arms over the cull, which would cover over 100 square miles, and is aimed at combating bovine TB.  Excerpt from BBC News:

The assembly government has said compensating farmers cost the taxpayer nearly £24m last year and cattle and badgers were the main sources of the disease.
Reacting to Friday's (April 16th) ruling Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said: "We welcome the court's decision.
"Bovine TB is one of the biggest problems facing cattle farmers across Wales, and we have to tackle all sources of the disease.
"We are dealing with an epidemic that has serious consequences for us all and we must stamp it out.

Read more about the troubling cull at BBC News.