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Global Bizarre

By Times Wires
Published March 12, 2008

Dogs in the news

Firefighter saves tiny terrier by performing CPR

Firefighters in West Monroe, La., arrived at the scene of a burning mobile home on Friday night when residents approached firefighter Stephen Odom and told him that two dogs were trapped inside. And not just because his nickname is "Odie" did he feel compelled to do something about it. So Odom burst into the home - imagine it in very heroic slow motion - found the two little terriers and got them out. He noticed one was not breathing and had its tongue sticking out, so Odom took off his mask and started CPR. "I was cupping my hands around the dog's snout and blowing until I could feel his chest expand," he said. "I then did chest compressions similar to that of infant CPR. After approximately one minute of doggie CPR, I noticed the dog trying to breathe on its own." With the fire out and the dogs safe, Odie left, his job as a hero done.

Passions run wild, but dogs need leash

Officials in Amsterdam have ruled that it is okay for people to have sex in one of the city's most famous parks. Oh, but there are rules. First, can't do it near the playground. Which is a good rule. Second, only at night. Maybe a little prudish, insomuch as they are allowing it in the first place, but okay. Third, clean up after yourselves, which is always advisable. So far, the biggest detractors of the policy are dog owners. And not so much because they care what people are doing in the park, but because the council also enacted a leash law. "It's outrageous that we will be punished from now on but public sex won't," a dog owner protested to the council.

I got it! I got it!

Jenny, Jenny, can you refinance me?

Telemarketers in Delaware are preying on fans of '80s pop to get people to answer their phones. The News-Journal in Wilmington, Del., reports that dozens of people are complaining about calls from 867-5309 in the middle of the night. But it wasn't the band Tommy Tutone calling about a reunion tour. It was a pitch for a mortgage refinancing company. People that have tried to call back and complain have had no luck, because it isn't the real number of origin for the call. In fact, 867 isn't a prefix in Delaware's 302 area code. Since Tommy Tutone had a hit with the song 867-5309/Jenny, the number has been largely out of service. It is not banned, though, contrary to popular myth.

Rules of the road

In Austria, pull over or get pelted

Just remember, if you are driving through Austria, it is not illegal for another driver to smack you upside the head with a cheeseburger. A truck driver was stuck behind Hannes Kohl, apparently long enough to get upset about it. When he finally saw a chance to get around, he heaved a burger, which made it through Kohl's window and splatted on his suit. "I was going slowly, but that's no excuse for this outrageous attack," Kohl said. When he told police, they shrugged and told him it's not against the law. "My insurance company also refused to pay up even though there was melted cheese and ketchup on my suit."

Compiled from Times wire services and other sources by staff writer Jim Webster, who can be reached at jwebster@sptimes.com.

[Last modified March 12, 2008, 00:07:17]