Interesting Tidbits

Today has been one of those weird days. I feel flighty and nervous, but I'm in a good mood. Strange. Go figure. Anyway, I've been up running all over the place today. I've been trying to tie up some loose ends at work today. The last few weeks have been feast or famine in nature, and this week's motto is "Go ahead, be a glutton!" Not a whole lot to report on the home front. Casey and I did remember to tune into our new show "House" last night, after I got back from Curves. Again, another fabulous show. I'm pretty sure that we are going to put it on our list of regular watches.

Since I'm so slim on the homefront today, I thought I'd leave you all with a couple of interesting tidbits of information. First an interesting piece of information that I found in an article about the Westminster winner. It's about the rarity of the Otterhound breed on CNN.

Asleep in her crate much earlier Tuesday, Morgan hardly had a care in the world. Let the other dogs get cramped by the backstage crowds, this otterhound was taking a nap. And certainly unaware of the pressure she faced.

A win could've brought much-needed attention to one of America's rarest breeds. Instead, she lost out to Knotty in the hound group -- too bad for a breed that keeps moving closer to extinction.

Yes, extinction.

Believe it or not, there were only 23 purebred otterhounds registered in the United States last year. That's 23, compared to the 146,692 Labrador retrievers, the most popular dog.

"We don't get a lot of exposure," offered Morgan's co-owner and breeder, Betsy Conway.

Conway described Morgan as a bloodhound with a black-and-tan, woolly coat. Think of the shaggy dog in the Disney film "The Absent-Minded Professor" and that's close, but bigger.

"There's no such thing as an otterhound," kidded Lab breeder Christine Tye. "I've never heard of them."

Most people haven't. There are fewer than 1,000 in the world, perhaps 350 scattered around America. The population steadily declined in the 20th century when otter hunting was outlawed in many places.

Also, Conway admitted, they're not for everyone. Otterhounds have oily coats that can rub off on clothes and furniture, need room to roam and have a deep bay voice. At home in Sherman, Connecticut, Morgan loves to dig for moles and look for cats.

"But if you want a dog that will love you, they're perfect," she said.

Conway currently owns or co-owns 10 of the 23 registered otterhounds. A career insurance saleswoman, she intends to ensure the breed sticks around.

"They will not become extinct in my lifetime," she said, "because I won't let it."

Yesterday, Tennesseans that support the animal cruelty laws had another major victory. Story from The Tennessean:

Siliski jailed after judge revokes bail

By MITCHELL KLINE Staff Writer

Former dog breeder could stay until appeal is settled

FRANKLIN — Former dog breeder Jennifer Siliski, who was convicted of animal cruelty last year, will spend at least 10 days in jail for violating a court order that she never breed animals again.

During a hearing yesterday, witnesses said Siliski had been breeding and selling dogs.

However, Siliski took the stand and said one of her dogs had inadvertently become pregnant and delivered three puppies in December. She said she thought the dog had been spayed, and claimed a neighbor's dog must have impregnated hers by accident.

Siliski also said the puppies and five adult dogs were stolen from her home on Sunday.

Judge R.E. Lee Davies called the chance pregnancy and Siliski's stolen-dog story ''unbelievable.''

Siliski, 47, turned herself in at the Williamson County courthouse hours after Davies revoked the bail she had posted while pursuing an appeal of her conviction. She was later taken to the county jail, where she could end up staying until her appeal has concluded, according to Assistant District Attorney Braden Boucek.

Siliski's attorney, John Herbison, said she should be held for only 10 days, which is the sentence Davies gave her after the cruelty conviction last August for the conditions in which her Maltese dogs had been found. Herbison said he will ask for a review of yesterday's hearing.

Siliski testified that she lied to probation officers when they asked her if there were any puppies at her house.

Taz Farmer, a probation officer, said he visited Siliski's home Feb. 3 and found a mother dog nursing at least one puppy in a locked room. Siliski said Farmer did not see a real puppy but a stuffed toy dog that was being used to comfort the mother.

She said the real puppies were under her bed because she was trying to wean them.

''I find this absurd and totally unbelievable,'' Davies said. ''If they were under the bed, (Farmer) would have found them the first time he searched the house.''

Davies said Siliski was allowed to have only five dogs at her house, and all the dogs were to be spayed.

Carolyn Martin, a caregiver who had been taking care of Siliski's disabled daughter, testified that she had seen people taking dogs in and out of the house and saw evidence that Siliski was inseminating dogs.

Regina Case, another caregiver, said she was at the hospital with the daughter on Feb. 3 when Siliski called her and asked her to go home and remove the puppies because probation officers were coming.