Every week I photograph dogs at the Sacramento city shelter on Front St. in hopes of giving them a better chance of adoption. These are great dogs, but they have a lot to say and sometimes photographing them is unpredictable. You can see them all @ http://annethedogphotographer.com

Being on the go before sunup to spend four hours sniffing boxes and running on treadmills might not sound like an ideal job to many, but for Dozer, a 3- or 4-year-old Labrador retriever, work is a dream. “It’s clear that he loves his job,” said Jennifer Berger, who has been Sacramento County’s agricultural dog handler since the program came to the county in 2008. Dozer has been on the job since January, and he is one of about 13 agricultural inspection dogs in the state – all tasked with sniffing out organic materials being shipped into the area that could carry pests damaging California’s lucrative agriculture industry. Materials include flowers, fruits and anything else the dog is trai

Q. I love dining with my Black Russian Terrier, Eli at the numerous dog friendly restaurant patios in Sacramento. Why do some restaurants allow dogs on their outdoor patios and some don’t? Julie S. A. More and more, restaurants are recognizing the buying power of dog owners. So restaurants are welcoming pet diners onto their patios some even making special treats and providing bowls of water for their canine customers. With the exception of recognized service animals, Health & Safety Code (H&SC) Section 114259.5  prohibits live animals in food facilities. A food facility is defined as an operation that stores, prepares packages, serves, vends or otherwise provides food for human consump

Q: My husband and I think we’re ready to get a family dog. We want to adopt from a shelter or rescue and we have two young kids. Any advice? A: The decision to adopt a dog, if given the consideration due, is a weighty one. It sounds like you’ve done the due diligence – an honest appraisal of the time, money and energy required to properly care for and train your dog – and you’re ready to roll. Great! Now what? First, thank you for taking the socially responsible (and extremely gratifying!) route of saving a dog from a shelter or rescue organization. Before you begin your search, do some soul searching and a gut check with the following in mind: Accept and embrace who’s really going to b

Q: I have a 9 month old Lab-Pit mix I adopted three months ago from the shelter. He’s a really sweet dog and plays well with my neighbor’s dog, also a lab mix. We live near a fenced-in dog park and I’d really love to take him so he can socialize with more dogs, but a couple friends have had really bad experiences at dog parks and I’m nervous about going. Any advice? A: Great question! Dog professionals are all over the place on the question of dog parks. Depending on whom you ask, dog parks are the highlight of your dog’s day or the ideal setting for trauma, injury and lawsuits. I personally enjoy exercising and socializing my clients’ and my own dogs at the dog park, but I also know it’s

The Sacramento Sheriff's K9 Association held a fundraiser and demonstration Sunday at Pet Food Express on Fair Oaks Blvd. Along with meeting the K9's, getting to rub a K9 belly and meet their handlers, goers had the opportunity to purchase the new 2012 SSDK9 calendar loaded with dynamic images of the dogs and their handlers by XSiGHT Photography and Video. Ike, one of twelve active K9’s in the unit, has seen his fair share of rough and tumble, part of the job as a K9. Deputy Pomerson, Ike’s partner and handler, related how Ike went over a fence after a bad guy and punctured a lung. With the punctured lung, Ike still latched on to the bad guy until deputies apprehended the perp. Ike’s ch

Though coming high off an 11-4 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers Saturday evening, the Sacramento River Cats were unable to repeat the strong lead needed to keep the visitors from getting their third win in the fourth and final game, losing 4-0. The sun was shining brightly Sunday afternoon and with the slight breeze, the 80-some-degree weather felt pleasant, especially when compared to the recent gray and rainy fits. Fans wore smiles and seemed to be enjoying themselves, as were a number of dogs out that day for Raley Field’s Bark in the Ballpark event, some of whom pranced in a pre-game dog parade around the field. Post-parade, River Cats pitcher A.J. Griffin made his first start at the

A beloved Louisiana Catahoula leopard dog with inquisitive amber eyes and a finicky palate has inspired the central city's newest specialty pet store. Caitlyn Shortt, 25, and 26-year-old MDavid Low opened Nerdy Dogs April 7 on the first floor of their live-work loft at 1118 19th St.  in Midtown. The store offers food, treats, eco-conscious toys and other products for dogs and cats. Shortt and Low have lived in Sacramento for just a year, after Low got a job as a senior producer at the digital ad agency BKWLD ("Buck Wild"). They met in Hood River, Ore., where they grew up. The dog who motivated them to open the business was a rescue adopted from the Portland Humane Society. At the time,

These adorable dogs are looking for homes. They are at the Sacramento city shelter at 2127 Front St.  The shelter is open all weekend.  Here is their website: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/generalservices/animal-care/ More dog photos may be seen at http://www.annechadwickwilliams.com/

Four adorable chihuahuas are in need of homes. They are at the Sacramento city shelter at 2127 Front Street.

These three cute dogs are at the Sacramento city shelter and need homes. A minature poodle, a puppy, and a standard poodle all want to go to a home. Please help them.  The shelter is at 2127 Front St. and is open Saturday from 11-5 and Tuesday-Friday from 12-5:30.

These cute pups are in need of homes. They are at the Sacramento city shelter at 2127 Front Street, which is open Saturday from 11-5 and Tues. - Fri from 12 - 5:30. Cpt. Morgan is only three months old. Doodle is also a puppy and growing up at the shelter.  Great dogs looking for great homes.  Do you know anyone looking for a dog?

On Thanksgiving morning, a woman out walking came upon an emaciated, starving and freezing little dog. He was lying on a thin sheet curled up in the tightest ball under a tree. She took him home and bundled him up and gave him food. It soon became clear he needed emergency vet care. Mueller's Pet Medical Center initially thought he might have stomach cancer, but surgery revealed he had eaten a corn cob. Because he has been in starvation mode for so long, his recovery has been complicated. He weighed in at 22 pounds. He should weigh about 45 pounds. He has been receiving 24-hour care since Saturday, and his bills are about $1,200. He is a very sweet and loveable greyhound mix. The new own

Sacramento- When firefighters arrived at Discovery Park Sunday afternoon, Buddy was on a small piece of beach surrounded by water on one side and a dirt wall on the other, with no way out; whimpering and whining, looking up at everyone staring down as if to say, "don't just look at me, get me out of here." Sacramento Fire Department's Engine 14 and Rescue 20 responded to Discovery Park Sunday afternoon for the rescue. Buddy, a 9 year old Wiemaraner, was with his owner for a Sunday walk in Discovery Park. Wiemaraners are known for their hunting and love of water. Buddy, took off for the water and jumped about 10 feet down to the river. His K9 senses weren't calculating "how am I going to

Sacramento, CA by Ed Fogle   It was a bittersweet day for homeowners in the 6900 block Silverthorne Circle today. While their home was saved, they lost their furry friend.   Kirk Davies, photographer for MaverickPhotography.us and neighbor to the family, stated "it smelled like something barbequing when I walked outside, then I saw smoke pouring from my neighbors house and called 911" Tuesday afternoon, about 4:30 P.M., it is believed (but still under investigation) that a fire started in the dishwasher. Battalion Chief, Richard Anderson stated that the fire was contained to the kitchen area of the home. "A repair man from Sears was supposed to be at the home working on the dishwasher

Peace, love and... pets? Sacramento's SPCA will be holding a dog festival with music this Saturday raising funds for animals sheltered at the SPCA. Dog lovers and their dogs will converge in William Land Park on the corner of Sutterville Road and Freeport Boulevard for Sacramento SPCA's 16th annual Doggy Dash and Bark in the Park. "Doggy Dash" refers to events beginning at 9 a.m. for registrants who sign up for a 5K run and walk, or a 2K walk, while the "Bark in the Park" is a free event with dog contests, music and food. In addition to the dog events, there will be a kid zone where parents can pay a few bucks to have their kids play in a bounce house and use a rock-climbing wall, receiv

There is a pet overpopulation crisis right here in Sacramento. The area’s three major shelters will take in more than 37,000 animals this year alone, and there simply aren’t enough homes for all of them. But this tragedy facing our community does have a solution. Spay/neuter is the key to reducing the number of unwanted animals entering area shelters. The Sacramento SPCA responded to this critical need when we opened our new spay and neuter clinic in May 2007. Through our clinic, the only high-volume spay and neuter clinic in the region, we will alter 12,000 animals in 2008 – saving countless lives. Our clinic is at the heart of what we stand for at the Sacramento SPCA. The Sacramento S