Luck in the Year of the Snake and other pets in the news

The Year of the Snake begins tomorrow, another animal year. While I’m not really into the Chinese zodiac signs, I believe that we lose nothing if we keep what is good about what they say about the Year of the Water Snake, and then try to work around what is not so good.

I was told that this year is not too good for the sign I was born under. A well-meaning friend told me that me that in order to stop the bad vibes for this year, I have to get a bird.

A bird? There is no way I would ever own a bird in a cage.

She added that on Feb. 5, I should set the bird I bought free — and that by doing so I would allow good fortune to enter into my life.

Well, I have to confess that I did not buy that bird, so there was no bird to set free.  I did pray for all the birds in cages last Feb. 5. I hope that was enough to keep my good fortune running this year!

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I read about two pet stores on yahoo.com recently: The first one was a heartbreaker and the other something that made me smile. Let me share them with you.

Barney, the Scottish Terrier that accompanied former President George W. Bush throughout his entire two-term presidency, died recently. He was 12-and-a-half years old.

They say if you want a friend in Washington, you should get a dog. President George W. Bush brought one with him from Texas.

Barney was a mainstay in the White House and gained a companion, Miss Beazley, during his eight-year residency at the White House.

In a statement, the former President announced his friend’s passing:

“Laura and I are sad to announce that our Scottish Terrier, Barney, has passed away. The little fellow had been suffering from lymphoma and after 12-and-a-half years of life, his body could not fight off the illness.

“Barney and I enjoyed the outdoors. He loved to accompany me when I fished for bass at the ranch. He was a fierce armadillo hunter. At Camp David, his favorite activity was chasing golf balls on the chipping green.

“Barney guarded the South Lawn entrance of the White House as if he were a Secret Service agent. He wandered the halls of the West Wing looking for treats from his many friends. He starred in Barney Cam and gave the American people Christmas tours of the White House. Barney greeted queens, heads of state, and prime ministers. He was always polite and never jumped in their laps.

“Barney was by my side during our eight years in the White House. He never discussed politics and was always a faithful friend. Laura and I will miss our pal.”

The Bush family was known to dress the dog up for holidays. His comedic YouTube videos were ahead of their time. The Obamas have kept the tradition, featuring their dog, Bo, in similar White House holiday-themed shorts.

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And what about this story about the crowd at the Blocao Carnival street party in Rio?

“It was a decidedly mixed one. Roughly half the revelers were humans, the other half, dogs, though the canine contingent was unquestionably the better dressed of the two,” says a report on yahoo.com.

The report goes on: Several hundred revelers of both species turned out for the 11th edition of the Blocao, the most animal-friendly of the nearly 500 raucous, heavy-drinking street parties that stop traffic during Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival festivities.

Pet owners in flip-flops and cutoff shorts and T-shirts paraded down Copacabana beach with packs of pooches sporting smart neckties, pink tutus, jester hats, dashing tuxes fitted with satin capes, and a myriad of other getups for four-legged partiers.

The crowd shimmied and wagged, sniffed and sambaed as dogs and owners grooved to a thumping soundtrack of traditional Carnival songs that emanated from the sound truck, itself dressed up as a dog, with a giant blowup black terrier attached to the front.

“I don’t usually like blocos for myself, but she’s loving it,” said Angelica Nieva, the proud owner of a year-old poodle-Yorkie mix, Belinha, dressed in a flowing white wedding gown and demure veil. “She’s having the time of her life.”

Asked whether the apricot-coated mutt had met any potential suitors to whisk her down the aisle in her immaculate white dress, Nieva replied, “There’s nothing serious yet, but we’ve got a couple of good candidates lined up.”

Although Cica is a Blocao veteran, the party never fails to delight the 10-year-old mini-Pinscher, dressed up for the occasion as a Hawaiian in a tangle of green tinsel, her owner Sonia Rainho said.

Among the dogs, the atmosphere was nothing less than cordial. Hardly a snarl was heard. Tails wagged nonstop. A dachshund disguised as a hot dog between two foam buns sniffed at a standard poodle flamenco dancer; a dapper terrier in a bow tie courted a yellow lab with delicate fairy wings.