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March 28th, 2024

Diversions

Pooch problems; A capital life?

News of the Weird by Chuck Shepherd

By News of the Weird by Chuck Shepherd

Published August 14, 2014

Pooch problems; A capital life?

By now, many in the United Kingdom have such exaggerated concern for "health and safety" that they are sensitive to even the tiniest, most far-fetched risks.

In June, organizers of a dog show in Keswick drew up a list of 25 tests for dogs to perform in competition, but two had to be scrapped (supposedly for fear of lawsuits): biscuit-catching by the dog (canceled unless sponsors can be assured that dogs will try to catch biscuits only while seated) and Frisbee-catching (canceled outright for fear that dogs could injure their backs). (Indeed, in a previous U.K. dog show, an out-of-shape dog did hurt its back leaping for a Frisbee.) [News & Star (Workington, England), 6-18-2014]

District of Columbia government services have improved markedly since the 1990s when News of the Weird reported frequent misadventures as the "District of Calamity."

Still, things happen.

Rose Preston called 911 on March 15, fearing a stroke because of a left-side numbness, and a crew arrived promptly and administered oxygen. However, the two crew members began "bickering" while Preston, in the ambulance, waited to get going. Finally she became so frustrated that she got out, walked to a Metro station and took a train to the VA hospital. [WRC-TV (Washington, D.C.), 3-24-2014]

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