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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Blind Man Falls on Subway Tracks with Service Dog - They Both Survive



A blind man and his loyal service dog fell from a subway platform in Harlem Tuesday morning and together ducked beneath an arriving train without a second to spare, suffering little more than a laceration between them.

Orlando, a black Lab, stood by Cecil Williams in the railbed after the 60-year-old Brooklynite fainted and tumbled off of a northbound A train platform at the 125th St. station.

Williams was dazed. The train was quickly rounding the corner into the station and transit flagman Larmont Smith was screaming for him to lie down in the trough between the rails.

“I only had seconds,” Smith told the Daily News. “I yelled, ‘Put your head down! Put your head down!’ I don’t think he heard me the first two times, but after the third time, he put his head down.”

Then, and only then, did Orlando do the same — just in time to dip under the lead car, Smith said.

“One more second, he would have been dead,” Smith said, still amazed by Orlando’s instincts and devotion.

Orlando had tried to prevent Williams from falling when the blind man grew faint while waiting on the platform at about 9:30 a.m. He was en route to the dentist.

When Williams fell, Orlando went with him onto the tracks. Williams was laying in the railbed with his head up. Straphangers screamed and yelled and summoned help. The train was coming — fast. Orlando wouldn’t leave Williams’ side.

“The dog was sitting right in front of him, kind of like he was guarding him,” said Smith, a 15-year Metropolitan Transportation Authority veteran who happened to be working at the station on Tuesday morning and was alerted to Williams’ plight by a straphanger.

“I give that dog a lot of credit,” added Smith, 54. “It was incredible. Normally an animal,
or another human being, would run. That dog stayed right there.”

Williams suffered mere bruises and a cut to his head during the fall and was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment, authorities said.

“The dog saved my life,” he told The Associated Press from his hospital bed.

“I’m feeling amazed,” he said, stopping at times as he spoke with a reporter, clearly overcome by emotion.

“I feel that God, the powers that be, have something in store for me. They didn’t take me away this time. I’m here for a reason.”

Orlando was unhurt and still by his master’s side at the hospital.

“It’s a miracle!” Williams’ girlfriend, Cynthia, told The News as she took Orlando for a walk outside St. Luke’s late Tuesday afternoon.

“He’s doing great. He’s feeling fine,” Cynthia, who would only give her first name, said of Williams. “He’s resting. He’s under observation right now.”

Williams said the Labrador retriever, who will turn 11 on Jan. 5, will have to be put up for adoption soon because his insurance will no longer cover the cost of caring for the dog. Williams said that if he could afford it, “I would definitely keep him.”

Williams remembers little about the remarkable drama that unfolded after he fell from the platform, but told the AP he does remember Orlando trying to pull him back from the platform edge.

“He just remembers falling and somebody calling him and that’s basically it; he doesn’t remember much else,” Cynthia said.

Williams said he does not know why he lost consciousness, but added that he takes insulin and other medications.

Witness Danya Gutierrez, 19, who was on the opposite platform, told The News: “I heard him say, ‘Oh, no!’ and I saw him fall into the train tracks with his dog . . . Everyone was screaming and running around to find an MTA employee.”

As the train bore down on Williams and Orlando, some straphangers turned their heads, unable to bear what seemed like a tragedy in the making. “I was in horror,” Gutierrez said. “I screamed. Everyone in the station screamed.”

But after a few moments, someone yelled in amazement. “He’s fine! He’s alive,” the person cried out, said Gutierrez.

Straphangers signaled to the motorman with their hands as the train rounded the corner, and the motorman pulled the emergency brake, but it was not enough to stop the train before it reached Williams and Orlando.

Williams said that his first memory after the fall is of emergency responders reaching him underneath the train, after cutting off power to the third rail.

FDNY Capt. Danny O’Sullivan, a 17-year department veteran who was among the rescuers, said that when emergency officials arrived, Orlando was already back on the platform.

“We checked out under the train and found that he was not trapped; he was just in between the rails,” said O’Sullivan, who is assigned to Engine Co. 37. “It must have been a lucky day for him. This definitely is a miracle.”

Williams was placed on a backboard and in a neck brace. “We lifted him up onto the platform, we treated him for a laceration to his head, and we turned him over to EMS,” O’Sullivan said, amazed.

Orlando’s feat showed the pooch is the Wesley Autrey of the canine world. Six years ago, Autrey made international headlines by jumping down onto the railbed and lying on top of teen Cameron Hollopter as a No. 1 train passed over them in Manhattan. Hollopter had had a seizure and fell onto the tracks at the 137th St./City College station.

So far this year, 144 riders have been hit by subway trains, and 52 have died, according to the MTA. Since 2001, an average of 134 people a year have been hit by subway trains, and 49 people on average have died, records show.

The News reported exclusively on Thursday that the MTA is about to start testing “intrusion detection” systems which would alert train operators when someone is on the tracks. The four technologies being tested involve motion-detection sensors, radio frequencies, thermal-image cameras and an “intelligent video” computer program designed to recognize when someone has left the platform.

Transport Workers Union Local 100 contends the MTA could save lives immediately by telling motormen to reduce speeds when entering stations.

“The ability to stop is an important factor in saving people’s lives, and that should be a priority for the MTA,” said Local 100 Vice President Kevin Harrington.

Orlando's Job
He's a dog that did exactly what he was trained to do, a veteran trainer told the Daily News.

Orlando, a black Lab, is being hailed a hero for sticking by Cecil Williams’ side when the 60-year-old Brooklyn man fainted Tuesday and tumbled on the subway tracks in Harlem.

“It sounds like it was an attempt on the dog’s part to help him in any way he could.

That’s what they’re trained to do, to protect the owner from what the dog perceives as a danger,” said Beth Hollier, who trains guide dogs for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Guide dogs go through up to three years of training, starting as pups, before being put to work. “They learn to cross streets, not walking off the edge of anything, negotiate sidewalks,” said Hollier.

 Cecil Williams pets his guide dog Orlando in his hospital bed after he fainted and fell onto the subway tracks Tuesday in at the 125th St. station in New York.



MTA workers shouted for Williams and Orlando to lie down in the subway track bed, sparing them from being hit by the train.



    Orlando, who is being hailed a hero, did exactly what he was supposed to, a veteran trainer told The News.



                                        Emergency workers respond to the A train platform at the 125th St. station.



                           Williams and Orlando managed to put their heads down just seconds before the A train arrived.



                                                          FDNY rescuer Danny O’Sullivan called it a 'miracle.'



                                      Orlando, a black Labrador retriever, would not leave Williams’ side after he fainted.



                                                Hero MTA worker Larmont Smith yelled for victim to get down.
           


                                                            Williams is recovering in hospital after his near-miss.

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Monday, December 9, 2013

Why You Shouldn't Buy Puppies from Pet Stores!


With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping in full swing, we know you’re busy. But if you have a second, we could really use your help. This week, we launched our holiday campaign focusing on puppy mills and why you should never, ever shop at any pet store that sells puppies.

You see, most pet store puppies come from puppy mills—you know, those huge, factory-like breeding operations where dogs live in horrible conditions and never receive love. Every time you buy anything from a pet store that sells puppies, you’re actually supporting this very cruel industry. We made a one-minute video that explains how:




We think our video has a really great message and we’d love for it to go viral. That’s where you come in. After you watch our video, please share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, and kindly ask them to share it, too. Be sure to use the hashtag #AdoptDontShop. We’re counting on you to help us reach millions of people with this important message.

Also, if you’re really into helping end puppy mills, sign up for a chance to win a free ASPCA Puppy Mill Advocacy Pack. It contains all sorts of cool gear, including a puppy mill message tote, a puppy mill message tee and more!


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Washington Humane Society: When Music and Advocacy Meet: Interview with Doug Ratner


Sharing from: The Washington Humane Society

By: Bethe Almeras, WHS volunteer and guest blogger

To read her story, click here:  When Music and Advocacy Meet: Interview with Doug Ratner






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Visit my blog! The News Whisperer, An informative blog of what's going on in your world today!
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

T-Shirts by Doug Ratner - "I'd Rather Be With My Dog" - (Doug Ratner & The Watchmen)


My friend Doug Ratner...come on you know the name and the music! Doug Ratner & The Watchmen, has just launched his new company, "I'd Rather Be With My Dog", a line of T-Shirts with some of your favorite breeds. Currently available are: Beagle, Bulldog, Black Lab, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and Dachshund.


From Doug:
Check out the shirts, read about the charities, check out the blogs, and tell us what you think and remember that every single one of YOU played a little part in inspiring me to launch this new company.  Check them out HERE! 


                                              Check out these cool T-Shirts...and order your favorite!

                                                                                           Bulldog


                                                                 German Shepherd


                                                                    Golden Retriever


                                                                            Beagle


                                                                        Black Lab



Dachshund  - *IMPORTANT: Dachshund T-Shirts are in production! Pre-order now! They will be able to be shipped by 10/14/13*
                                           
They have just released a new music video for the Washington Humane Society!


Did you see my baby, Jonas in the video!

About: Doug Ratner & The Watchmen

Doug Ratner & The Watchmen have covered a lot of ground in a pretty short space of time. If rock n’ roll and the highway make a perfect marriage, the power trio out of Longmeadow, Massachusetts has spent the last year-and-a-half on its honeymoon.

ON ITUNES! http://goo.gl/A084jj
MERCH STORE: http://goo.gl/JT9yUc
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/dougratner
ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dougratnerandthewatchmen








                                                                    Doug and his favorite girl...Trudy!

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Brian Griffin the Smart-Talking Dog on Fox's Family Guy to be Killed Off of Show - Fans Petition Against Brian's Death


Following the Griffin family dog's death during Sunday's episode, fans have already collected over 30,000 signatures to revive the late pooch.

Hours after the death of smart-talking Brian Griffin on Fox's Family Guy, a fan petition calling for the pooch's revival has quickly become the top entertainment petition on Change.org.

During Sunday's "Life of Brian" episode of Family Guy, the Seth MacFarlane-produced series killed off the Griffin family's sophisticated talking dog, Brian, when he was struck by a car and run over as he prepared to play in the street with Stewie. Ultimately, his injuries were too severe, and he could not be saved.

Family Guy fan Aaron Thompson of Tuscaloosa, Al., launched the Change.org petition Monday and within hours, the effort calling for the beloved dog voiced by MacFarlane to be brought back to life had already collected over 30,000 signatures.

"Brian Griffin was an important part of our viewing experience," Thompson wrote on the site. "He added a witty and sophisticated element to the show. Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffin is not brought back to the show."


Brian and Stewie are the backbones of the series and often team to mock Griffin family patriarch Peter. Brian is one of several characters voiced by MacFarlane, who also brings Peter, Stewie, Glenn Quagmire and countless others to life on the series.

It's unclear just why MacFarlane and the Family Guy producers opted to kill off the character. Shortly after the episode concluded Sunday, Fox paid tribute to Brian with a short video.


'Family Guy' Kills Off Major Character (Video)




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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Law Proposed to Protect Washington, DC Police Animals


Washington, DC - Police dogs and horses do a lot of work to help and protect their police officer partners, so D.C. police support a proposed new law to help protect the animals by imposing stiff fines and prison sentences for injuring or killing them.

“Any police dog that we have goes home with the handler,” Sgt. Johnnie Walter said. “He's with us 24 hours a day. We spend more time with these animals than we do our own family.”

Retired police officer Marcello Muzzatti spent 20 years on K-9 patrol with six different dogs, but he emotionally remembered his last, Checho.

“Worked the streets until 2008 when he retired,” Muzzatti said.” He then passed away in September of 2011. He lived to be 15 years old and he was my partner and my friend.”

That's part of why Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells -- chairman of the Judiciary Committee -- is drafting legislation protecting the police animals.

Injuring a police animal in the line of duty would have a maximum fine of $12,500 and a five-year prison sentence. Killing an official animal would be a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

“Law enforcement animals are important,” Wells said. “They're an important component of insuring public safety.”

Police dogs are trained to be aggressive on command. Few are actually injured, but officers say laws need to protect them.

The District's new legislation is similar to protections that already are in the law for federal law enforcement animals.



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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Meet Scott Giacoppo from the Washington Humane Society - Find Out What this Life Long Cat Advocate Has Seen in the Way of Changes for Cats!



Meet Scott Giacoppo from the Washington Humane Society in D.C. and find out what this life long cat advocate has seen in the way of changes for cats in shelters, adoption programs, community cat programs, feral cat, trap, neuter, vaccinate, return programs, fostering cats and kittens, and even the challenges involved in mountain lion sightings around our nation’s capitol.

Check out the Washington Humane Society


Watch or listen to previous episodes of the Cat Chat Show




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Friday, October 25, 2013

Former World's Tallest Dog, Giant George Dies at Age 7


He was truly larger than life. Giant George, a 5-foot-tall, 245-pound Great Dane, passed away last week, one month shy of his 8 th birthday. He made headlines when Guinness World Records named him the world's tallest dog in 2010.

In his 7 short years, Giant George won the world record and appeared on Oprah, the Today show and Good Morning America. He was even the subject of the book Giant George: Life With the World's Biggest Dog by his owner, Dave Nasser.

"We appreciate the love and support you have given Giant George over the last several years. We look forward to honoring his spirit by continuing his charitable works," Team Giant George wrote in a recent blog post.

To honor his life, the Giant George team is asking animal lovers to donate to or volunteer for their favorite animal cause or organization on November 17, which would have been George's 8 th birthday.


Click on video below to see this Gentle Giant at home!

video platform video management video solutions video player


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