Health/Science Calendar

Race against resistance Dr. Deborah Hung, an infectious disease specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, will talk about the promise of genomic technologies in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria. At 6 p.m., in the Broad Institute auditorium, 7 Cambridge Center. Go to broad.mit.edu/outreach/midsummer. Science on TV The next edition of "NOVA scienceNow" looks at the Phoenix Mars mission, the hidden toll of common brain injuries like concussions, and the legacy of Children's Hospital Boston cancer researcher, Judah Folkman. At 9 p.m., on Channel 2. Go to pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow.


THURSDAY, JULY 31
Save the tigers The Harvard Museum of Natural History will open its doors for half-price after 5 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. screening of the 48-minute BBC2 film on the Bengal tiger's fight back from the brink of extinction. A discussion will follow with John Linehan, executive director of Zoo New England, on zoos' efforts to combat animal exploitation and the illegal pet trade. At the museum, 26 Oxford St. Cost: Adult $4.50. Call 617-495-3045 or go to hmnh.harvard.edu.


FRIDAY, AUG. 1
The incredible cell Sir Paul M. Nurse, president of Rockefeller University and winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Medicine, will talk about the cell as the fundamental unit for all life. At 8 p.m. in the Lillie Auditorium, 7 MBL St., Woods Hole. Go to mbl.edu. Breastfeeding week The Breastfeeding Task Force of Cambridge Health Alliance will offer breastfeeding advice and answer questions. At 1 p.m. at Cambridge Hospital, 1493 Cambridge St. Call 617-665-3750. Wild ocean A new film, "Wild Ocean," opens at the Museum of Science's Mugar Omni theater. Wild Ocean addresses the interconnectedness between the ocean and the people who live along the coast. Go to mos.org.


SUNDAY, AUG. 3
Alzheimer's future Alzheimer's researcher Rudolph E. Tanzi, of Massachusetts General Hospital, will be featured in a new PBS program, The Future of Alzheimer's, airing at 10:30 p.m. The 2004 Alzheimer's documentary "The Forgetting," featuring the Noonan family of Boston, will air at 9 p.m.

Cleese: I'd rather be a lemur

Monty Python star John Cleese has revealed that he regarded having a species of lemur named after him as a greater honour than a knighthood or a peerage.

The comic actor returned to Bristol Zoo Gardens to discuss conservation, his childhood in the West Country and three fund-raising performances to be held within the grounds of the zoo.

Cleese, who went to school at nearby Clifton College, visited the zoo as a boy and fell in love with lemurs at an early age.

The 68-year-old, well-known for his role as Basil Fawlty in BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers, came face to face with one of his favourite creatures at the zoo today - Colin the red ruffed lemur.

Cleese has been back to visit the zoo on several occasions and has championed lemur conservation for many years.

As a result of his campaigning work, a new species of woolly lemur was named after him - Avahi cleesei.

The animal was discovered in Madagascar by Urs Thalmann of Zurich University.

Speaking at the zoo, Cleese - who declined a CBE in 1996 - said: "Well, I've had a species named after me. A Swiss guy discovered it. He called and asked if I will give him permission to name it after me.

"I would rather have that than a knighthood or peerage."

He added: "They're the sweetest little creatures. They never snatch food from you."

Stronger Pet Laws Approved in Washington

By Soraya Gutierrez
Posted: July 18, 2008 2 a.m. EDT

Washington, D.C., animal cruelty and control laws just got tougher.

On Tuesday, the city council unanimously approved B17-89, introduced by councilmember Mary M. Cheh, which includes a provision to increase licensing fees for pets that are not spayed or neutered. The bill is the culmination of an initiative by George Washington University Law School’s Animal Welfare Project launched in 2004.

The bill also includes stiffer penalties for spectators at dogfights (making it a felony instead of a misdemeanor) and allows for courts to order those found guilty of animal cruelty to seek counseling.

The measure also includes a section that requires law enforcement and child and protective service workers to report suspected pet abuse, or when they see an animal at the home of someone who’s suspected of abusing a child, adult or pet.

Other provisions called for in the ordinance:

Require permits for commercial breeders who raise and sell 25 animals per year.


Require the inclusion of pets in disaster plans.


Increase licensing fees for animals that are not spayed or neutered, to encourage sterilization and reduce the euthanasia of unwanted puppies and kittens.


Establish licensing, immunization, insurance and notification requirements for commercial guard dogs.


Sets up a spay/neuter fund to assist lower-income residents in gaining access to these services for their pets.

Dog with outdated ID and heading for adoption returns home

By Jake May, Times Staff Writer
In print: Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Tears. No Sammy.

Countless missing dog fliers, but still no Sammy.

Gema Nunez made phone calls and nightly searches for the excitable, 2-year-old golden retriever she and her two daughters have grown to love and consider a member of the family.

A week passed. No Tampa shelters or neighbors had word of his whereabouts, and the family eventually gave up hope of finding its dog.

"I was so upset. The girls, they were just so sad," Nunez said. "I didn't even know what to do. We looked everywhere. We gave up. I felt horrible."

Sammy has a microchip ID. Problem is, the information on it was not updated to his owner's current address, which separated the family and dog for nearly two weeks.

Microchips act as permanent identification that can be scanned by veterinarian offices or animal shelters for information about the pet's owner.

Sammy's story begins with Nunez's family vacation in early June. They left their dog in the hands of their neighbors, Lora and David Hernandez, before leaving for a weeklong trip to Orlando.

At about 2 p.m. on June 9, David Hernandez let the dog out to run around and "do his business." When he went to let Sammy in at 2:30 p.m., the dog was nowhere to be found.

Sammy roamed the streets for three days. His tag had broken from his leash.

There is no telling how he made it from the Tampa back yard to downtown St. Petersburg, but that's where the shaggy fellow was picked up by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on June 12. He was taken to Largo, where a search for the dog's owner began.

Lost and found coordinator Melissa Snyder used Sammy's microchip to try to locate Nunez, but the information was outdated. Instead the chip led to a closed Petland store in Tampa, where the dog was purchased.

"People don't think about the fact that the microchip doesn't update itself when you move," said Marissa Segundo, SPCA Tampa Bay public relations manager. "When we can't locate an owner, we pretty much have to treat (a pet) like a stray and put it up for adoption."

With no luck on the first few attempts to find Nunez, Sammy was put up for adoption, but Snyder didn't give up.

After calls to other Petland stores around the area, a connection was made. The Largo Petland had access to Sammy's records and was able to reunite dog and family.

"Oh, my God. It was amazing," Nunez said. "I was at work when I got the call. I started jumping up and down and screaming, I was so happy."

As the family sat in the living room of their Tampa home Friday, a television set blared the sounds of other dogs barking. The family was watching Cesar Millan on National Geographic's Dog Whisperer.

Nunez said she is making an effort to be a better owner.

"We're already brushing up on how to be better in touch with Sammy," Nunez said.

"I would never want anyone else to go through this. We haven't updated our microchip yet, but we are keeping a close eye as we let Sammy out. ... I will get online soon and register his new information."

To update a pet's microchip, owners must contact the microchip company, such as 24PetWatch, by phone or through Web sites.

If owners do not know under which company their pet's microchip is registered, contact a local veterinarian or animal shelter. Either is able to scan the pet's microchip and access the name of the company that supplied it.