Canine classics

Some recent examples of several kinds of traditional canine bad behavior:

Dogs on Drugs:
We've seen dogs on pot before but now in Colorado it's an epidemic. The effects are familiar:

"They basically have lost a lot of their fine motor control, they have a wide-based stance and they are not sure on their feet," veterinarian Dr. Debbie Van Pelt said.

A vet who's studied the problem says it's due to the legalization of medical marijuana - the number of canine cases has quadrupled since the law went into effect:

Vets say they used to see dogs high on marijuana just a few times a year. Now pet owners bring in doped-up dogs as many as five times a week.

Dogs with Guns:
We've seen this so many times that it made it into the subtitle of the book, and although you'd think I'd be jaded by now, to me this is one that never gets old. This time in France:

The 55-year-old man, named only as Rene, said the animal accidentally pulled the trigger of his master's shotgun after jumping on top of him "for a cuddle".

The shot destroyed his right hand and he had to be taken by helicopter to a hospital in Bordeaux, where doctors were unable to save the limb.

As usual, an animal can get away with anything if it's cute enough:

"It wasn't the dog's fault," he said. "And he's adorable! I should have left the (gun's) safety on, that's all."

Fox home invasion:
 British foxes have been making a habit of entering people's property and biting them, often when they're asleep. In the most recent case, an elderly English gentleman was sleeping in a chair in his backyard when he was awoken by a pain in his hand: a fox was chewing on it.

We've seen a lot of useless reponses on the part of officials lately, but this one has to take the cake: here's what a neighbor was told when bothered by the same fox:

The council officer replied: “Well next time you see this fox, throw a blanket over him, carry him into your car and drive him to your nearest RSPCA.”

The RSPCA, to their credit, said "We wouldn’t encourage people to chase around after foxes or cover them with blankets.” But they offer no alternative, since it's only their problem if the fox is in trouble:

“If there is nothing wrong with the fox, then there is no reason we’d be involved."

Sorry, citizens of Britain, but apparently you are on your own.

 Dog that's suspiciously comfortable with a gun by Flickr user Waldo Jaquith.