By Meredeth Barzen

Grete (pronounced “Greta”) the black lab was hanging out in her usual spot on a pillow in the back hall on a perfectly normal Tuesday in February. Mom was at work, Dad was in Europe on a business trip, and the two girls were at school and Grandma’s house. Like so many retrievers, Grete can be rambunctious and sweet, lively and calm, depending on the moment. “We’ve consistently said she’s 9 years old going on 9 months,” says Grete’s owner, Matt Augustson. When she’s calm, Grete likes to strategically place herself precisely in the center of the family’s activities for a nap. During her livelier moments, Grete likes to show off her tennis-ball-chasing skills in the big yard behind Matt and Jen Augustson’s Edina home. And when someone comes to the door, “Look out,” Matt says. “Barking, jumping … all of the bad habits that dog owners struggle with, and we are no exception. But it’s just who she is. It’s never violent, aggressive or scary—just her way of saying ’hello.’”

But Grete’s mostly a mellow dog, so 2:40 in the afternoon was probably right in the middle of nap time for her that Tuesday, as her family went about their daily business out in the world.

Then, BOOM.

“As far as we can tell from the Edina Fire Chief, a gas leak caused by a utility contractor laying cable in the neighborhood caused natural gas to leak into our house via the sewer line,” Matt says. “From there, it found an ignition source—most likely the water heater or furnace—and caused an explosion.” Grete was the only one at home. She must have been launched out of the house by the force of the explosion, most likely straight up.” The house was a total loss. Grete was the only thing that remained intact.

A person Matt describes as a “Good Samaritan” followed the shaken dog across 50^th Street and through the neighborhoods for a half-mile, then loaded her into her car at 44^th Street and Wooddale Avenue and brought Grete to Westgate Pet Clinic, where Dr. Ben Porter treated her injuries—which were miraculously minor, considering she had just survived a massive gas explosion. “Grete was very nervous immediately after the explosion,” Dr. Porter says. “I suspect that she was not able to hear anything. Since the Augustsons were already clients, we were able to quickly contact them so they knew her location and that she had survived. [Grete] walked into the clinic, and was not afraid or nervous at that time. She allowed our staff to examine her thoroughly, finding surprisingly no broken bones, no lacerations. Many dogs would be fearful after such a terrifying event—her gentle personality and ability to roll with the punches is probably very typical for a Labrador Retriever.”

But even though she escaped major injuries, Grete was a little worse for wear. Dr. Porter says her hair was singed “and she smelled like a campfire times 10. Burns were immediately evident on the pads of her feet, and over the next four days, burns because evident around her nose, muzzle and chin … Her eyelids were damaged from the explosion and have been red and uncomfortable and slow to improve.” Luckily, Grete’s burns were superficial, and most responded to topical treatment and improved over the next five days.

Dr. Porter says the only likely long-term damage to the resilient lab is to her tear glands—she’ll need eye medication for a while—and a couple of burn scars will mean she’ll need to wear sunscreen on the bridge of her nose when she’s out in the sun.

When the Augustsons first saw Grete after the accident, though, Matt describes her appearance as “shocking.” “She looked like a chocolate lab instead of a black lab,” he says. “Her fur was singed around her head and shoulders. She had open sores on three of four paws and her ear. She limped and wobbled along. Her eyes were red and cloudy. The Augustsons’ two daughters, ages five and two, were happy to see their dog, “but it was hard for them because she didn’t look the same,” Jen says.

But things are looking up for Grete and her family. As of last Monday, she no longer needs daily treatments at Westgate. The family is moving into a town house this week; “We can’t wait to get settled again,” Jen says. And members of the Twin Cities pet community are helping out on that front, with an outpouring of support and donations. Sarah Beth Photography, Bone Adventure and Pampered Pooch Playground all gave the Augustsons gift certificates to their businesses. Pampered Pooch also set the family up with a dog bed and some toys and treats to replace what the Augustsons lost in the explosion. Fetch Delivers donated a travel crate, treats and bones; Solid Gold gave a bag of food and Tracie Jacobson of Animal Humane Society sent over a gift certificate to Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet. And to help Matt and Jen let go of some stress, Omni Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork is donating massages.

“I cannot believe the amount of support and generosity [shown by] our family, friends and the community,” Matt said. “This is stunning. We cannot express enough how much Grete means to us or how the community has rallied around her and us.” And to his “thank you” list doesn’t stop there. “We can’t thank that Good Samaritan enough. We can’t thank the great vets, techs and staff at Westgate enough—they have adopted Grete as their special canine, and have reached out with concern for our family as well. Dr Porter has been especially thoughtful. It has been amazing watching the care Grete has received and the compassion we have been shown.”

At the end of the day, the fact that the Augustson family—Mom, Dad, kids and dog—are all safe and sound is all anyone could ask for. Grete’s miraculous survival will remain a mystery. “We’ll never really know for sure how she got out of the house, debris, and fire alive,” Matt says. But that doesn’t matter. “She’s our wonder dog!” Jen says. “We’re thinking about getting her a red cape.”

By Meredeth Barzen

Photos by Sarah Beth Photography

Growing up as daughter of billionaire businessman Irwin Jacobs, entertainment reporter/radio personality/blogger Melinda Jacobs wasted no time ingraining herself in the local pop-culture consciousness. She’s been referred to as “the Twin Cities’ only real socialite” by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, and though she and husband Howard Grodnick have been married nearly 20 years (“yes, I got married when I was 12,” she says with tongue in cheek in her blog) and have two teenage children, Jacobs—a.k.a. “Melly J.”—certainly hasn’t settled down. The committed dog mom is working on “The Adventures of Melinda Jacobs,” “a satirical look at many of my silly and hopefully funny experiences I’ve encountered through my years in the media world,” and keeps loyal fans updated via her blog. And judging from the videos of her dogs she posts on YouTube (see below), her home life is just as silly and funny as her time out on the town. As part of our locally acclaimed series “Almost Famous Dogs,” here’s a glimpse inside The Adventures of Melinda, Crosby and Ernie Jacobs.

Dogs’ names: Crosby and Ernie

Dogs’ nicknames: “Monkey Man” and “Baby Boy” for Crosby, and we call Ernie “Ernsky” and “Big Man”

Breeds: Crosby: Brussels griffon; Ernie: schnauzer (we think!)

Ages: Crosby: 1½; Ernie: 14

Favorite toy: Toy key ring

Dogs’ favorite place to hang out: Kitchen

Favorite dog park: Off-leash area at Bryant Lake Regional Park

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Lucia’s

Favorite pet store: Bone Adventure

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Cabin up north

Dogs’ best tricks: Crosby sits on Ernie to take away his bone. Also, the dogs like to snuggle up on top of the couch and chew on my cashmere blankets.

Dogs’ best friend: Ernie’s best friend is his brother.

Dogs’ nemesis: For Crosby, it’s feet with socks on.

Favorite naughty behavior or bad habit: If you raise your voice or yell at Crosby, he barks back at you.

Favorite way to get attention/treats: Crosby takes things out of my purse and wants me to chase him to get it back.

Sleep on bed, couch, dog bed, floor, or outside: They sleep in a big bed with each other.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dogs? All the time

Are your dogs friends with any other celebrity dogs? We meet new friends at the dog park all the time, and many of the dogs should be celebrities if they are not already.

Do you support any local animal causes? My family loves animals and nature. We’re big fans of the Animal Humane Society and Top Dog Foundation.

Anything else we should know about your dogs? We are not completely convinced that Brussels griffons are entirely canine—we think they are actually part monkey and cat as well.  Also, Crosby likes to run around with a bottle of water in his mouth, and Ernie only has seven teeth, but can eat like a horse.

Presenting Crosby Jacobs in “Brussels Griffon and the Thong”:

By Meredeth Barzen

As the great Dr. Kate Knutson once said, “It takes a lot of money to keep a living creature alive.” With that in mind, U.S. Representative Thaddeus McCotter has introduced a new piece of legislation called the HAPPY Act (a.k.a. “Humanity and Pets Partnered through the Years,” a.k.a. H.R. 3501—you can see why they’re sticking with just “HAPPY” in common usage.) If passed, the bill would allow pet owners to claim up to $3,500 in tax deductions for qualified pet care expenses per year, including vet bills.

“Well sign me up,” you might be saying. Hold your horses; first, we have to help get this thing passed. Clearly, this bill is important given the high cost of pet care, the lousy state of the economy and the fact that many families have had to give up their beloved pets because of they couldn’t afford to care for them. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Let your Minnesota State Representatives know about this bill, and encourage them to support and co-sponsor it. Write letters telling them why the HAPPY Act is so important, in your own words or using this template.

OK, quick review: HAPPY Act, tax deduction, pet care, write letters. Got it? Good. GO TEAM!

By Meredeth Barzen

These days, with the economy in the doggy potty, many pet owners are conflicted because they want to provide good care for their dogs, but can’t afford basic vet services like spaying and neutering. That’s where MN SNAP comes in.

The Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MN SNAP) provides low-cost spaying and neutering to animals from rescues, shelters and low-income families. The organization’s framework was set in place by Dr. Kim Culbertson, a local veterinarian, and is relying mostly on word-of-mouth right now to raise awareness of its services and the growing problem of pet overpopulation.

“Shelters and rescues are trying to do their part [to reduce pet overpopulation] by ensuring that most or all of their animals are sterilized prior to adoption,” says MN SNAP’s Jennifer Allen. “Many pet owners, especially in urban and rural areas, cannot afford spay/neuter surgery, do not have access to a veterinary clinic, or do not understand the consequences of unchecked reproduction by their sexually intact pets. Most rescues operate on a very lean budget and are burdened by the costs associated with spay and neuter, thus limiting the number of animals they can save. Affordable and accessible spay/neuter services are essential to stopping the flow of puppies and kittens being born into a world that won’t or can’t take care of them.”

As the only mobile spay/neuter clinic in Minnesota that specifically targets low-income households, MN SNAP has “been showered with an outpouring of support from the community,” Allen says. The young organization has worked with and served groups like Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet, The Pet Project, Homeward Bound, Pet Haven, A Rotta Love Plus, Minnesota Boxer Rescue and Secondhand Hounds.

And the economic climate has made its services especially important. “More animals are being surrendered due to unexpected litters, people not being able to feed the animals  they have and general lack of income for animal care,” Allen says.

“We are always looking for angels to the animals,” Allen says. “We rely completely on community support; your donations of time, money or supplies, coupled with your love for companion animals, will save the lives of thousands of animals in Minnesota.” And, as the great and aptly named Bob Barker did for so many years on “The Price Is Right,” she closes with the classic line, “Please spay or neuter your pets!”

By Meredeth Barzen

It was the dog version of the United Nations at the West St. Paul Armory last Sunday, as representatives of breeds both big and bitsy communed for the first-ever All-American Dog Fest, organized by MN Bully Lovers.

“Equal representation of all breeds is the goal for this event,” said Jen Jamar of MN Bully Lovers. And from chihuahuas to pit bulls to African mastiffs to Great Danes, breeds of all shapes and sizes (and hundreds of their people) came out to celebrate National Pit Bull Awareness Day (which was Saturday, Oct. 24) and to visit more than 30 booths, including K9-Connection, Dancing Porcupine, The Dog Perk, Sarah Beth Photography, Stray Dog Arts, Lintu Art, The Canine Coach, Bark Busters, Fetch! Pet Care of Golden Valley to Edina and ScoopyPoo. They also took in an animal communication demo with Janet Roper of Talk2theAnimals, a NADSR sanctioned weight pull and appearances by celebrity pitties Ruby (nationally recognized therapy and service dog), Wallace (2007 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Champion and World Finalist) and Hector (certified therapy dog rescued from the Michael Vick fighting ring).

Some bully breed owners hesitate to bring their dogs to dog-friendly events because of the stigma that MN Bully Lovers and other organizations are trying so hard to correct, Jamar said. Along with MN Bully Lovers’ effort to engage in positive socialization of their dogs (the club organizes group walks and other ways for bully breeds to meet and mingle), All-American Dog Fest proved that a room full of well-behaved dogs—bully breeds included—can get along swimmingly.

When the media reports on dogs who are victims of aggression and abuse, Jamar says, “people see that these dogs are suffering, but they don’t see the rehabilitated dogs.” That’s why it’s so important that people meet dogs who’ve survived abuse and become loving family members, like Hector and Ruby. “Hector’s having a great time, meeting so many people,” said owner Andrew Yori. And Ruby beamed with pittie pride as a DVD about her life was shown to attendees.

“Pit bull owners are very passionate people,” Jamar said. “The event’s been very successful so far, we learned a lot this first time around, and we’ll use that when we hold it again next October.”

If you’re interested in adopting one of the many unwanted and neglected pit bulls in Minnesota, we encourage you to contact A Rotta Love Plus, Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue and Gemini Rottweiler and Pitbull Rescue.

By Meredeth Barzen

Hundreds of thousands of dogs around the country are afflicted by an easily preventable condition. We’re not talking about rabies or fleas or accidental chocolate ingestion—we’re talking about Black Dog Syndrome. Luckily, someone’s here to help.

Black Dog Syndrome is a catchy phrase to describe a common problem in animal rescues and shelters: Black dogs are often overlooked by potential adopters, and—much like some bully breeds—are harder to place in homes than their lighter-furred peers.

Though no statistics on black dog adoption rates exist, a San Francisco Chronicle article from last August stated that in a July 2009 survey by Petfinder.com, 54.2 percent of respondents said that they had experienced “Big Black Dog Syndrome” and had found large black dogs harder to place.

The problem isn’t that the dogs are black—it’s that potential adopters often don’t see these dogs’ full potential in poorly lit shelters and grainy, out-of-focus photos. And unlike many breed-specific rescues who focus their resources on the dogs they represent, black mixed-breed shelter dogs don’t have special advocates. That’s why Heather Rosenwald, a local marketing expert, created Start Seeing Black Dogs, which provides free PR and marketing tools to shelters and rescue organizations.

Having read about Black Dog Syndrome, Heather—dog-mom of three, two of which are black rescue dogs—did some research and learned that many rescue groups had successfully used PR and marketing to save more animals’ lives. Inspired by Sugar and Luna, her rescued black mixed-breeds, she decided to focus her efforts on black dogs. Now, she helps make black dogs more adoptable by offering tips and tools to make them shine—including placing them in better lighting in shelters, avoiding what she calls “Black Blob Syndrome” with photography pointers and creating special black dog adoption events.

If you’d like to help, here are some ideas from SSBD’s website:

1. Volunteer for a rescue group or no-kill shelter: Most rescues and shelters have a variety of volunteer opportunities such as helping to update their Web site, assisting with adoption and fundraising events, offering to walk and socialize dogs as well as becoming a foster family. Not sure how to get in touch with groups in your area? Just enter “animal rescue group”, “no kill shelter” or “no kill rescue group” into a search engine.

2. Consider adopting a black dog.

3. Help raise awareness about Black Dog Syndrome: Share information with friends and family members. If they are planning to add a companion animal to their family, suggest they consider adopting a black dog. Explain why and forward them links to Web sites such as startseeingblackdogs.com and blackpearldogs.com. Start a “Black Dog Card Campaign.” Add links to black dog Web sites to your Facebook or Myspace pages, or give us a few tweets on Twitter!

4. Donate to a rescue group or a no-kill shelter: Veterinary care, food, supplies—all these things cost money. Your donations will help rescues and no-kill shelters pay for these expenses, allowing them to free up resources to help even more dogs.

5. Start a Black Dog Walking Group in your area: Want to raise awareness about Black Dog Syndrome, have fun with your dog and get a little exercise at the same time? Start a “Black Dog Walking Group.” Click here to learn how to start your own group.

By Meredeth Barzen

Minnesotans may not know it, but they’re living in the same state as a huge celebrity. No—not Prince or Garrison Keillor—Wallace the Pit Bull, the incredible flying dog.

When Andrew “Roo” Yori rescued Wallace from a shelter, the pit bull was in danger of being euthanized. But with lots of training and love, Wallace showed natural skill in canine flying disc competitions. Now, at 6 years old, he’s won the titles of Purina IDC National Champion and Cynosport World Champion in the sport, is the charter member of the Minnesota Disc Dog Club, and has his very own Web site where his fans can watch videos of him competing and learn about issues in the pit bull community.

“Any dog of any size of any breed can play disc. We create a fun positive game with the disc, so the dog enjoys the experience and wants to work for more. If Wallace does what I ask of him, the game continues and we have a lot of fun in the process. If he doesn’t, the game gets boring and no fun. He’s out there because it’s what he truly loves to do,” Yori says.

Yori is dogged in his love for rescue animals. Last year, he and his wife Clara adopted Hector, one of the pit bulls rescued from the Michael Vick fighting operation. Yori brags about his accomplishments like a proud parent listing their 4th grader’s test scores: “In just one year with us, he passed his Canine Good Citizen test and his Temperament Test through the American Temperament Test Society, and has become a Therapy Dog through Therapy Dogs International. We’ve started doing therapy dog visits to hospital patients at the Mayo Clinic down here in Rochester. He’s got scars all down his chest and legs, but now is happy going for strolls in our neighborhood, meeting other people and their dogs, and laying out on our deck soaking up the sun.”

Though Yori agrees that the stigma surrounding pit bulls is too complex an issue to make any brief statements about, he wants people to know that dogs aren’t good or bad because of their breed—they have individual personalities and should be judged on those rather than what they look like. He references A Rotta Love Plus‘ work towards correcting the public’s perception of the breed and helping people understand how to act safely around any dog.

And Wallace is about to become even more famous—Yori says we can expect a documentary on the dog and his life with the Yoris before the end of the year. “I’ve always said I’m not only out here to talk about [dog rescue], but I’m out here to show it,” Yori says. “We put the action behind our talk and it’s a little hard to argue with the success we’ve had with both Wallace and Hector.”

If you’re a local pit bull lover, you can show your pittie pride on National Pit Bull Awareness Day, October 25th. MN Bully Lovers will be hosting “All-American Dog Fest” in West St. Paul that day, and all breeds are welcome. There will be three stages of guest speakers, dog demonstrations including dog safety for kids, Tellington TTouch and animal communication, as well as live music and family-friendly activities. Sidewalk Dog will be there and will post more information on the event as it gets closer.

Sidewalk Dog is pleased to have author Matt Goldman grace our blog to chat about the role dogs play in our lives and in his debut children’s novel, Dingeltrot and the People of the Mill. A Minnesota native, Goldman has written for several television shows, including Seinfeld, Ellen, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Wizards of Waverly Place (for which he was recently nominated for an Emmy*).

Symbiotic relationships exemplify nature at its best. Two unrelated creatures come together to benefit one another. Clown fish and sea anemones. Bees and flowers. People who enjoy having a box of defecation in their house and cats. But no relationship is more symbiotic than the relationship between mankind and dog(kind). Dogs give us companionship—we give them food. Dogs give us protection—we give them food. Dogs herd our sheep—we give them food. That’s how it started, anyway. Now the mutual benefits between Man and dog(kind) include love, exercise, narcotic detection, escaped convict tracking, anxiety reduction, sight, dead duck retrieval, misplaced mothering instincts (little dogs with lots of clothes), misplaced superiority complexes (big dogs with lots of teeth) and misplaced inferiority complexes (The Westminster Dog Show. )

I’m amazed by and grateful for our relationship with dogs, which is why I’ve included them in my novel for children, Dingeltrot and the People of the Mill.

In the book, secret colonies of foot tall people live scattered across the globe. These people achieved their diminutive stature over thousands of years of selective breeding. Impossible? Picture a wolf. Now picture a Chihuahua.

Dingeltrot is twelve-years old and fourteen inches tall, the tallest person in his colony. For this he is ridiculed and excluded. Then he learns of his people’s darkest secret. Once in a while there’s a genetic throwback—a woman becomes pregnant with a baby that will grow into a big person, a condition known as bignancy. A bignant woman births a fetus so small and unformed it cannot live outside the womb, but the people have learned to incubate them to full term by transplanting the fetus in a watermelon. When the baby is born, the people dump it on the doorstep of big people because, in their colonies, bringing another big person into the world is a source of great shame.

And there’s another part to the secret: Dingeltrot learns that he has a twin brother who is a big person. Feeling unloved and unwanted, Dingeltrot leaves the safety of his colony and ventures out to find his twin.

It’s on this journey where Dingeltrot meets and rescues an abused sheep dog from a life of abuse and neglect. And even though he’s only fourteen inches tall, the symbiotic relationship between man (boy) and dog prevails. Dingeltrot rides the dog, hidden in the safety of its fur, directing it with voice commands. And soon, he learns he’s not the only person of his stature to do so.

By taking a risk and venturing out, Dingeltrot improves not only his life, but the lives of hundreds of others, big and small. But he couldn’t have achieved any of it without the love and help of a dog.

*Editor’s Note: On September 12, Goldman won an Emmy for his work on Wizards of Waverly Place, officially making him Sidewalk Dog’s favorite Emmy-winner.

By Meredeth Barzen

If dogs are man’s best friends, then by the transitive property of celebrity canines, dogs of famous people are famous best friends … or famous best friends are dogs? Hmm, we’ll have to make a flow chart to figure that one out, but in the meantime, we at Sidewalk Dog love to hear your dog stories … favorite parks, best squirrel-chasing grounds, yummiest treats, etc … So thought we’d ask some of the Twin Cities’ best-known dog moms and dads about their best friends. Below are their deepest, darkest dog secrets.

Mary Lucia (Host, 89.3 The Current, Minnesota Public Radio)

Dog’s name: Smudge

Dog’s nicknames: Ladies and gentleman for one night only the incredible Smudgestone!

Breed: Pug/88 year old man

Age: 5

Favorite toy: Anything meant for my cats

Favorite treats: Anything that falls on the floor

Groomer: Keira at Petco in Richfield

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: Two inches from my left arm

Favorite dog park: Not a “throw the stick and run” kinda dog

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Gigi’s Café in South Minneapolis

Favorite pet store: Calhoun Pet Supply in South Minneapolis

Childhood dog: Enzo

Dog’s best trick: Somehow convinced my cat Muse to groom her

Dog’s best friend: Anyone who stops to pet her

Dog’s nemesis: Smudge loves everyone.

Sleeps on: Her own bed in my bedroom closet. I now sleep with earplugs as she snores louder than any human being I have ever heard.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? My voice is too husky to talk baby talk but sometimes I find myself using an English accent when I speak to her: “Good day, Smudgely.”

Pat Neshek (Minnesota Twins pitcher) and wife Stephanee

Dogs’ names: Juicy & Kirby

Breeds: Juicy is a dachshund mix and Kirby is a chocolate piebald dachshund

Ages: Juicy, 4; Kirby, 2

Favorite toy: Juicy likes any stuffed animal that she can rip open, shred apart, and pull the stuffing out of. Kirby LOVES mini tennis balls with squeakers.

Favorite treats: Juicy likes those chewy doggie pizza treats (but she doesn’t get them much because they are terrible for her!) Kirby loves bananas! He goes crazy and can smell them a mile away … he’s even gotten into the back of the car while we were driving and eaten a whole peel with the banana!

Favorite place to hang out: Bike trails by the Coon Rapids Dam—they love walks!

Favorite dog park: Elm Creek dog park

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Eastside Food Co-op

Favorite dog-friendly store: Eastside Food Co-op

Favorite pet store: Petco

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Dog beach in Fort Myers, Florida

Childhood dog: Stephanee’s family had a golden retriever named Brandy. Growing up, Pat had a cocker spaniel named Tuffy. When Tuffy passed away, the Nesheks adopted Dodger, a Lab/shepherd mix. After 14 great years, Dodger died in his sleep of old age last August.

Best trick: Kirby will roll over for treats—and loves getting treats so much, she will keep rolling over in continuous circles!  Juicy can dance—she can even ”raise the roof” when she gets excited! Both dogs will sit up in a “prairie dog” position, but it isn’t really a trick. They do it whenever they want something.

Dog’s best friend: Kirby and Juicy are best friends. Other than Kirby, Juicy’s best friend is Stephanee’s sister’s Chihuahua Ozzie. They grew up together in Florida. Kirby says his best friend is his daddy.

Sleeps on: Both dogs sleep in the bed with us—under the covers—every night.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? All the time … they are our babies.

Cheryl Kaye (Morning show co-host, 102.9 Lite FM)

Dogs’ names: Ursula and Elwood

Nicknames: Ursie (Ursula) and Smelly (Elwood)

Breeds: Dobermans, both adopted from rescue organizations

Age: Ursula is 14 and Elwood is 8

Favorite toy: Anything fuzzy with stuffing inside—they like to rip them apart. I suspect they pretend they are squirrels!

Favorite treats: Anything remotely edible.

Groomer: Uh, I guess that would be me?

Dogs’ favorite place to hang out: My bed.

Favorite dog park: Ursula is a diva around other dogs, so we don’t do the dog park. But they love to go for leashed walks at Central Park in Roseville.

Favorite dog-friendly store: Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

Favorite pet store: Chuck & Don’s

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: The Gunflint Lodge on the Gunflint trail.

Childhood dog: Ringo, a beagle

Dogs’ best trick: Sleeping

Dogs’ best friend: Elwood adores Ursula. Ursula puts up with Elwood. Typical woman!

Dog’s nemesis: The rabbits in the neighbor’s yard

Sleeps on: Mostly the bed. But they love a good sun nap in the backyard.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Every second of every day: “Ursie bursee, boosie, tootie wootsie.”  “Elwood smellwood, pooper dooper.”  Wow, I can’t go out in public anymore after that admission.

Frank Vascellaro and Ameila Santaniello (Husband-and-wife TV news anchors, WCCO)

Dog’s name: Cleopatra

Dog’s nickname: Cleo

Breed: Hound/boxer mix

Age: 16 and still doing OK

Favorite toy: Too mature for toys, but loves being around our three kids

Favorite treats: Cleo has been exposed to a wide variety of foods and eats darn near everything. About the only thing we found she doesn’t like are beets.

Groomer: Hurray for short hair. All she needs is a little nail clip at home every now and then, but Amelia points out that she sheds.

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: These days, she just wants to be around us at home with a special emphasis on the kitchen.

Favorite dog park: The unofficial dog park bordering Minneapolis, Edina, and St. Louis Park near 40^th St. and France Ave.

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Java Jack’s Coffee Cafe

Favorite dog-friendly store: Settergren Ace Hardware on Penn Ave. and 54^th St. Great people, and the dogs always get a treat.

Favorite pet store: Cleo has never had a bad experience cruising the aisles of Petsmart.

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: We take Cleo with us Up North every weekend.

Childhood dog: Frank had Mickey and Gino and Amelia had Chibi and Poco.

Dog’s best trick: Cleo is super smart. She’s 16 and is too mature to be tricked into performing, but she’s still very aware.

Dog’s best friend: Frank

Dog’s nemesis: Thunder and lightning

Sleeps on: In younger days, she would sleep in our bed and could jump up there. These days, I need to carry her up and down the stairs because she’s old. We bought her a dog bed for the floor about two years ago.

M.A. Rosko (Morning news reporter, FOX 9)

Dogs’ names: Munter and Red

Nicknames: Munter, aka “Private Pinkerton” when she’s on squirrel watch duty, and “Princess Muntavia von Licktenstein” when she’s being a willful, yet beautiful Teutonic princess. Red also goes by “Ass Man,” as he charges at other dogs in a terrifying manner, only to gleefully grab a tantalizing sniff of nether regions.

Breeds: Munter is a silver dappled miniature dachshund; Red, to the best of our knowledge, is a Lab.

Ages: Munter is 9, Red’s about 5.

Favorite toys: Munter loves her threadbare, barely stuffed but still humpable Koala bear. Red goes ape for a peanut butter-stuffed Kong.

Favorite treats: Red eats anything; he’s a Lab. Lately he’s obsessed with picking up mulberries that have fallen off the tree in the backyard. Munter likes “people food,” which I should call “other people food” as other people feed it to her, I do not.

Dogs’ favorite place to hang out: Munter likes to go to live shot story locations with me and bask in attention. Red enjoys the backyard.

Favorite dog park: Airport or Minnehaha Falls

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Café Barbette and Galaxy Drive-In (the newly remodeled “Wagner’s” drive-in, in St. Louis Park—gives free kiddie cones to all dogs.)

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Butter, on 36^th and Grand Ave., bakes its own biscuits

Favorite dog-friendly store: Diamond Lake Hardware

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: I can’t wait for this one! October 8-11, the Gunflint Lodge is hosting “Waggalot,” a dog-friendly celebration. There will be hikes, photography, seminars on training and nutrition, canine massage and more. Join Red, Munter and me up north this fall!

Your childhood dog: My first dog was a terrier named Governor, whom I called Govvy Gee-Gee. As an infant, I ate his dog biscuits out of his Christmas stocking, and whacked him on the head with a (soft) xylophone mallet. God bless that dog.

Best tricks: Red makes bananas disappear. As in, I swear I left some bananas on the counter, now all I can find is a bit of stem on the floor.

Dogs’ best friends: Munter’s best friend is my boyfriend’s yellow Lab Samantha. Red has recently become BFFs with my Fox9 Morning News co-worker Alix Kendall’s new adopted dog, Pax.

Dogs’ nemesis: Munter has a prejudice against big fluffy dogs like Huskies. Red wants a piece of my mailman, who happens to be the nicest man in the world.

Sleeps on: Munter likes to change position several times each night, and burrowing under covers is necessary. She has two dog beds (she’s taken over Red’s large bed as well as her own) but  a pile of clothing on the floor will do. Red sleeps wherever Munter has chosen not to.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? All the time. Even on the air.

Lisa Goodman, Minneapolis City Council Member and key player in getting last year’s doggie dining ordinance passed

Dog’s name: Sadie Rose

Dog’s nickname: Miss Sadie

Breed: Goldendoodle

Age: 4

Favorite toy: Anything soft and stuffed animal-like

Favorite treats: Homemade snicker doodles by Senator Linda Higgins

Groomer: Royal Pet

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: Loring Park dog park or any beach

Favorite dog park: Loring Park

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Nick and Eddie or Toast Wine Bar and Cafe

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Cafe Espresso Royale

Favorite dog-friendly store: Corazon

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Lake Michigan dog beach on Montrose in Chicago

Dog’s best trick: Shaking hands

Dog’s best friend: Our cat Coco

Dog’s nemesis: University of St. Thomas–Minneapolis Campus plaza and fountain where she has been told not to play in the water.

Sleeps on: Couch

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Of course!

Al Franken (Recently seated Senator whose first piece of legislation was the Service Dogs for Veterans Act, which will pair service dogs with veterans who have physical or mental wounds, including PTSD. His dog, Kirby, recently passed away.)

Name: Kirby

Breed: Black Lab

Age: 8

Favorite toy: His favorite game was tug of war, so anything that helped him play that was his favorite toy. Until, of course, it ripped.

Favorite treats: He was a Lab, and Labs eat anything. He didn’t get people food or table scraps (unless he stole them). He got the same kibble every single day—Eukanuba—and every day he ate as if it were the first time he’d ever had it. He absolutely destroyed it.

Favorite dog park: Lake of the Isles Dog Park—right by the soccer field

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Childhood dog: There were two—Brownie was a mutt, and Gunther was a dachshund named after Gunther Toody from “Car 54, Where Are You?”

Best trick: He wasn’t a service dog. His best trick was running around in circles chasing his tail whenever I came home. It wasn’t much of a trick, but I liked it.

Dog’s best friend: Me, the kids, Franni, my wife, anyone else

Dog’s nemesis: Franni, only while cooking food he wasn’t going to get to eat

Sleeps: On a chair. It was “his” chair.

We recently blogged about how much we love to blab about the Twin Cities dog scene.

So you can imagine how thrilled we were when AM950 radio host Sage Lewis (aka The Creature Teacher™) of Dancing Porcupine asked us to come on The Pet Playground to talk about the dog-friendly Twin Cities. (After all, we hadn’t blabbed on the radio in quite some time!)

Missed it? You can always listen online or download the podcast (May 31st show). Bonus: You’ll also get to hear Trisha Moreland of UrbAnimal talk about her pet supply stores (Did you know about their St. Paul location inside Dog Days on Grand Avenue?) and answer a question or two about pet food.