New England Lobsters. Grooming.

"It's unclear why, exactly, southern New England lobsters are faring so poorly while other populations remain healthy. Scientists think that warming waters caused by climate change may leave lobsters vulnerable to disease. This kills some lobsters off and pushes others to scurry away to deeper, colder waters.
Lobstermen are naturally furious about the proposed ban, but researchers say it's the only way to give southern New England lobsters a fighting chance. And if the plights of other marine-dwelling creatures are any indication, I'd have to say I agree with the scientists.


Just look at how populations of bluefin tuna, swordfish, and sharks have plummeted in recent years. Even though many environmental groups continue to call for it, fishing bans on these species still haven't been put in place. Therefore population numbers continue to dwindle.
Even though southern New England lobsters' low numbers may not be due to overfishing, it's clear that we need to stop eating them in order to help the species get healthy and rebound."
More at: http://food.change.org/blog/view/should_lobster_fishing_be_banned
__________________

Today:

Kenya brought "Duffy", a rescue Maltese/Poodle mix for me to try to groom him.  He had never been groomed before, and was a terrible mess.  I have done these before, and apart from not liking to be groomed, their fur mats up so tight, and is such a job, that I wish folks wouldn't mix these two breeds. 
It is so hard on these dogs as they don't have the poodle hair or poodle temperament, to put up with what they have to go through, with that fine matting coat.  

Poodles have their face, feet and tail clipped when they are 6 weeks old, before they have a sense of teenage rebellion, and from then on, they are easy to groom.

Kenya tried to hold him still while I clipped away at the big, close mats, millimeter by millimeter. But like most Maltese/Poodle mixes he is a "jerker", and so I had to be extra careful that he didn't jerk right into the clippers or scissors.  We did what we could, even with the vet's permission to give him 1/2 tablet of Acepromazine to sedate him a bit.  I have never groomed a dog that had to be sedated before, but it didn't seem to make any change in his disposition!  

After four hours I had him all done, except his face.  There was no way he was going to let us do that, and with all his jerking, I didn't want to chance it.  We both got bitten, even though he was wagging his tail!  So he will be anesthetized at the vet tomorrow, and have his face done that way.  This is the first time in over 50 years that I couldn't finish grooming a dog.

A very tiring, rainy day.