Fall 2021 Children's Sneak Previews

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Deadly Canine Virus On The Rise In Central Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A contagious virus is ravaging Virginia, but it doesn't affect humans.

Animal hospitals and shelters in central Virginia are on high alert after seeing an uptick in parvovirus, also known as parvo.

Primarily found in puppies between six to 20 weeks old, parvo is one of the most deadly and contagious canine diseases. It spreads through direct contact with other infected dogs, infected feces, or other contaminated surfaces.

"We know that there's been dogs dying of parvo in our area, within the last few months even," said Dr. Garrett Wood, veterinarian at Old Dominion Animal Hospital.

Last week, the Fluvanna SPCA received and treated seven puppies with the virus. Shelter Manager Jesse Paye says a positive test requires immediate action.

"Isolate as soon as possible," Paye said. "That's the biggest thing that you want to do to prevent it from spreading. Put them into an isolation room or a vet office and start treatment right away."

Wood says keeping your pet safe starts with prevention.

"Parvovirus is a totally preventable disease, and vaccinations are incredibly important," Wood said. "When vaccinations are given by veterinarians and veterinary clinics, it's about 98% to 99% effective."

Stay on the lookout for any unusual symptoms.

"If people are seeing it more in the area, make sure that their puppies are eating and drinking, not becoming lethargic," Paye said. "If you're seeing a lot of vomiting or diarrhea, that's a sign that something's wrong and they should be seen right away."

If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms, Wood stresses it is crucial to contact your veterinarian or local emergency clinic as soon as possible.

Over the past few months, a few puppies arrived at Old Dominion with parvo. Each survived. Their owners caught the virus within the first couple days, which Wood says was early enough to effectively treat the canines.

Waiting too long to seek help can have fatal consequences.

"With dogs that do contract parvo, it can be very deadly, especially in puppies," Wood said. "Death rates can, you know, get up to 50 percent or so, especially if they come in really, really sick. So, the earlier you catch it, the earlier we intervene, the better the long-term outcome is."

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Dingo Or Dog? Ancient DNA Just Settled A Longstanding Canine Debate

New research shows that Australia's dingoes and modern day dogs have less in common with each other than once presumed. Researchers studied the ancient DNA remains of dingoes around the continent and found little evidence of interbreeding between the two lineages of canine.

Dingoes are one of Australia's most well-known wild denizens. But there's been some debate over where these animals fall along the canine branch of life. They're thought to have originated from a group of domesticated dogs that were brought over to the continent over 3,000 years ago, but it's been unclear whether more recent populations of dingoes have continued to mingle with dogs.

The new research was led by scientists from the Queensland University Of Technology. They were able to analyze samples of dingo DNA collected from sites throughout Australia, with the oldest specimens dating as far back as 2,746 years ago—notably before the arrival of other dog breeds to the area.

There are two major groups of dingoes today living in the eastern and western halves of Australia. These populations were largely thought to have formed in response to human intervention, particularly a large-scale and still-existing dingo fence first raised in the early 20th century to keep livestock in southeast Australia safe from dingo predation.

But the scientists found that the genetic distinction between eastern and western dingoes predates the fence or other kinds of post-colonial human activity. Modern dingoes also appear to be very genetically similar to their ancestors, with little intermixing between them and domestic dogs today. A subgroup of dingoes living on the island of K'gari was even found to have no signs of recent ancestry from domesticated dogs at all.

The team's findings, published Monday in the journal PNAS, still leave open several scenarios for how exactly dingoes became an established part of the continent. One possibility highlighted by the researchers is that there were at least two waves of ancient dingo migration to the western and eastern halves of Australia. Some of the eastern dingoes may have also interbred with, or come from populations of, New Guinea singing dogs, another ancient lineage of dog native to New Guinea that are close cousins of the dingo.

By illuminating their genetic past, the researchers hope their work can help inform dingo conservation efforts. While dingoes can be dangerous to livestock, they also play an important role in their environment, often serving as the apex predator in most of Australia's wildlands.

"Understanding their historical population structure helps us preserve the dingo's role in Australian ecology and culture," said co-lead author Sally Wasef, a paleogeneticist at QUT's School of Biomedical Sciences, in a statement from the university. "Dingoes are currently under threat from lethal culling programs, and our research highlights the importance of protecting populations in national parks and beyond."

'The Art Of Canine Cuisine': The Ultimate Book For Foodies With Dogs

Chinese fried rice

The Art of Canine Cuisine

Our adorable, beloved pets aren't just our 'best friends,' but are also a part of our families. It's safe to say that while sharing meals with loved ones is one of the best ways to bond, most people are not trying to eat the same food as their pets. That said, what if you could share the joy of breaking bread with your dog, while actually enjoying the same healthy, high-quality, thoughtfully-curated cuisine?

When long time movie producer, Deborah Davis was approached by her friend and children's book author to create a dog-friendly recipe for the main character (a dog), little did she know it would be the start of a new venture — bridging the gap between the cuisine both foodies and their dogs eat.

"I didn't want to do a simple cookie recipe so I came up with my first gourmet dog dish called 'Bellissima's Chicken Risotto' — it was very well received," recalls Davis, who's passion for both cooking and traveling led her to a fascination with food and cooking that came at a very young age.

"Being a movie producer, I thought, 'why not expand the idea of dogs and recipes from around the world and couple this with my love of visual arts, photography, and dog rescue,' " explains Davis, who lived much of her life in foreign countries being exposed to many different cuisines and cultures.

Author, Deborah Davis

The Art of Canine Cuisine

"The book idea was born shortly after COVID hit and movie production was shut down. I had plenty of time on my hands to research and develop the book concept with vet approval along the way."

With decades of experience in moviemaking, Davis set on the endeavor of creating The Art of Canine Cuisine, just as she would a movie.

"I put together the team of designers, photographers, and hired the phenomenal cookbook editor who worked for Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey, to name a few. The goal was to create a one-of-a-kind art, photography, and cookbook to use in the kitchen but also have the quality to be displayed in any home or hotel lobby in the same manner as classic hard cover fine art books."

The Art of Canine Cuisine is a full-color gourmet cookbook for both humans and their furry friends featuring visually appealing one-of-a-kind, vet approved recipes spanning six international cuisines. With just a few spice and seasoning tweaks, each recipe can be shared with their human "parents."

From endearing rescue stories of dogs whose breed represents it's country of origin and history within each cuisine section, to original painted portraits of canine guides, its a one-of-kind book that doubles as a beautiful coffee table book/ work of art.

During the three years of creating the book, and after interviews with interested publishers and the brief engagement of a well-known agent, Davis decided to create her own publishing company, Emerald Star Books.

"My purpose after exposure to art and business of publishing, was to break away from the limiting and ordinary judgment of big publishing company editors, not to mention the loss of control," she recalls. "I was committed not to be confined to the concept of typical dog recipes or cookbooks — just how indie movies are made."

Irish Lamb Stew

The Art of Canine Cuisine

The Art of Canine Cuisine's First Edition is currently featured in the special collections of upscale properties and shops that include The Beverly Hills Hotel, the Auberge du Soleil Hotel Group, Society Hounds upscale pet boutique in Beverly Hills, Barkingham luxury dog hotel in Palm Desert, California, and in its first European venture, the yacht and vineyard tours and events arranged by Contessa Consulting, Italy (Gourmet Tourism).

"I had an Italian themed Hollywood party in honor of the star, of The Art of Canine Cuisine, Bellissima, to celebrate the up-and-coming release of my book," she recalls. "I hired a chef from Italy to make pizzas for the human guests in my custom-designed stone pizza oven. I also made dog hors d'oeuvres and cookies from my book for our guests to take home."

"Before desserts were served, several human guests thought that the cookies were on their menu and ate them, overlooking the very large 'dogs only' sign. The dog parents loved the cookies even without the sugar and spices normally in human cookies."

Davis says that this happens quite frequently, and in fact, during the photography for the book, she and the entire crew ate all the food provided for the dogs with "the addition of a few spices added here and there."

"All my recipes came from the dishes I always made for friends and family with new adjustments and inventions to allow humans and dogs to eat the same food," Davis explains.

Davis is currently focused on the launch of her newest menu made in collaboration with Chef Diego Sobrino of Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her menu, which takes inspiration from her book (which is also available for purchase at the Two Dogs Cafe & Boutique), is offered for in-room dining menu.

"Growing up on a farm, I have always been surrounded by animals and had multiple dogs throughout my life," says Chef Diego Sobrino, originally from Mexico, who's favorite recipe from The Art of Canine Cuisine is Carne Asada.

Rabbit with rice, carrots and broccolini

The Art of Canine Cuisine

"Animals have always been an integral part of my life. The dogs and cats on property become a part of the family and it's incredibly rewarding for me to see them interact with the hotel guests. Moreover, Catering to an international clientele is particularly exciting to me because it brings diverse cultures and perspectives to the property."

We chatted with author Deborah Davis on her creative process and overall journey in creating this special book. Here's what she had to say.

Talk about the creative process of writing this book? Where did the recipes come from? How did you choose which dogs to feature?

The recipes are my own gathered from my long experience as a home cook and adapted to the concept of sharing human food with my dogs with only a slight difference in seasoning with vet approval. The dogs featured in the book were chosen to match the selected six international cuisines based on the history and origin of the most prominent breeds associated with the selected cuisines. Each breed and its relationship to its related international cuisine is explained through art quality photography and the history of each dog's origin.

What resident chefs of which hotels have you been working with? How has the experience of working with chefs to create both dog and owner friendly dishes been?

The first edition of the book was featured at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, among art and photography books featuring Hollywood legends and famous artists. I wanted to offer dog friendly cuisine to match the quality of the human food demanded by the hotel's famous and international flair.

I also started selling the book to pet boutiques, hotels, restaurants, bookstores and high-end specialty shops and venues. In my latest venture I am working directly with hotel owners, managers, and chefs as a consultant to advise on dog friendly and vet approved menus for their restaurants, cafes, and in-room dining to create great food and travel experiences for owners and their dogs.

A great example, combining the popularity of my book and my culinary advisory services for people and their dogs is my work with the Auberge group of hotels, particularly Bishop's Lodge in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In our first European venture, the dog friendly yacht and vineyard tours and events arranged by Contessa Consulting, Italy (Gourmet Tourism) feature my book and its recipes as part of its touring and dining events.

Talk about the upcoming customized canine menus for regular and pop-up events at the Auberge hotel group — particularly at the Santa Fe property?

I have been having a blast going to rescue events and helping support dog rescue organizations through my charitable fund, Scarlett's Hope, while working with different chefs and creating new dog friendly menus and recipes originating from the book. A copy of my original menu for the Bishop's Lodge can be found in my Instagram account. A portion of my earnings from the book and dog cuisine services, are donated to Scarlett's Hope for contribution to a wide variety of dog support charities.

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