Terrier: Punish pit bulls ... or their owners?

By: Daisy

As I was wrapping up my walk with my human friend Rich in Cambridge, Mass., the other day, we saw a neighbor, whose political suggestion for the day was, "Say no to measures banning pit bulls!"
While I was unable to contribute to the debate that followed, I thought Rich advocated my position very well, which is that some pit bulls are dangerous enough that they might require being banned.
Case in point: A few weeks ago, I was out with Rich on the North Cambridge bike path when we saw a pit bull with its owner ... or rather, without its owner. The dog had slipped out of his owner's grasp and fixed its eyes on me. In seconds, it caught up to me as Rich was trying to lift me up to safety. Luckily, it seemed all bark and no bite, as a trip to the Porter Square vet confirmed that it had not made contact with me. Rich did some barking himself at the owner when she caught up to her dog and, thankfully, led it away.
I have not seen either the dog or its owner since then, but this incident has made me more aware of the dangers of pit bulls ... or, to be fair, of the dangers of irresponsible people who own pit bulls.

The Perils of Pilgrim

Pilgrim cartoon, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

"Capitol Hill Canine" has added a local commentator this year, Sam the Boston terrier. Here, he voices alarm at the power outage at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Quincy, Mass.

Terrier Takes a Knee

Westie Vet Visit, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

It's been a while since Daisy the Westie last shared her thoughts on the political scene. That's because a medical emergency sent her to the local vet. She reflects on a tough stretch in the latest episode of "Capitol Hill Canine." Thank goodness she, like millions of Americans, has health insurance!

McConnell: Economy Will Take a Bath

McConnell-Pet Shampoo, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader in the Senate, is blaming the government for spending tax money on dog and cat shampoo and a $325,000 robotic squirrel, while at the same time trying to end the Bush tax cuts. Yet a Westie puts him in his place, in the latest episode of "Capitol Hill Canine"!

Terrier: Election lessons, digested

By: Daisy

Like my lunch of microwaved chicken and rice, I feel that I have digested the historic results of Election Day sufficiently enough to share my canine perspective.
One month ago, the drama of the past year reached its climax, with voters lining up at the polls and viewers staying up long into the night, tracking the election results as intently as I track squirrels on the bike path. What lessons can we take from how Americans voted?

Barack ... Back for Seconds

Thanksgiving 2012 Cartoon, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

President Obama has returned for a second term and on the eve of Thanksgiving, his plate is full with pressing issues. Read more, and hear what a Westie has to say, in the latest episode of "Capitol Hill Canine"!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Terrier: Pawprints on Election Day

By: Daisy

This morning, as I watched my human friend Laura walk across Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge to vote on Election Day, I began wailing from the back seat of our Toyota Corolla. And while my other human friend, Rich, patiently waited behind the wheel for Laura to return, I couldn't stop crying.
You see, I wanted to be in that polling place, too, casting my vote in the elections I've blogged about for almost 10 months. Yet until some forward-thinking human introduces a Constitutional amendment that would extend the franchise to dogs, the only way to make my Westie voice heard is by blogging. So here are my thoughts on the final day of Campaign 2012.