'Twas the night before Christmas...

T'was The Night Before Christmas


Twas the night before Christmas and the shelter was dark,
The whole place was silent, not even a bark.
The dogs were all locked in their pens for the night,
The staff had gone home and turned out the light.

As I lay my head down on the cold concrete floor,
I fondly recalled the home I had before.
The family I loved who loved me right back,
We'd shared everything from a secret to snack.

Things couldn't be better at this time last year,
But that has all changed and now I am here.
I won't see the tree, the lights or the snow,
I'm scared and alone, my spirits are low.

The others like me weren't put up for adoption,
A new family and home, for us isn't an option.
We've been locked up in cells as if we're all crooks,
We don't deserve homes because of our looks.

Not Diesel, or Bingo or the young one named Percy,
Deserve to be loved nor shown any mercy.
While families celebrate with holiday cheer,
I know in my heart that my end is near.

The vet will arrive, the lights will go on,
By the time you awake, we all will be gone.
A stranger will come and take me away,
I'll never awake to see another day.

As I at last close my eyes I'll shed you a tear,
The fond memories, with you, I'll always keep near.
The only thing I've ever asked of dear Santa Claus,
Is to stop all these unfair and ridiculous laws.

You said without me, your life was not full,
So why does it matter that I'm a "pitbull"?.
In my dream Santa shouts when he's finished his deed,
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL REGARDLESS OF BREED!

-- Author Unknown




I wish I knew who wrote this poem, so I could properly give them credit!

My new dog

Today was somewhat of a difficult day for me; but I ended up with another good friend, in the end. I rescued Scooter from a difficult situation , but that's really not even what's bothering me so much. It's what I left behind there, that's bothering me.

Poor Scooter hasn't ever been in a car, for a walk, on a leash, to the vet, had a bath, had his nails done, or anything else that dogs should be able to have regularly. He's somewhere between 10 and 13 years old, and he's in pain.

Scooter has an abscessed tooth, which created a big sore on his face, that was not taken care of- and became infected. He's got horribly infected ears; and his teeth are awful. The pain in his mouth keeps him from eating. He's been eating Kibbles and bits, and everybody knows how much I love to feed my dogs Kibbles and Bits (Rolling my eyes...). He's got worms, and quite a few other things wrong with him, as well.

Now, Scooter has been to the vet, got lots of medicine, had a nice, warm bath, and is chilling here with us. He can be Archie's new big brother! So far they're doing pretty good together.

I knew I'd never have a young dog... And I don't care a bit!





What I left behind, was what bothered me more. Chained, Hungry, starving for attention and love Pit Bulls. And a Baby Pit bull. I'll never forget those dogs, or what I saw there. The same damn thing as last time.

I saw a Carp Today

Today, Archie and I went to Elizabeth Park-- and somehow, met up with Bridgette and Alyson as well.

Anyway, the sun was just right so that I could see clearly into the water. I saw a HUGE carp in there! It must have been 1.5 foot long, maybe longer! I got some pictures of it.


(Please click on it for a larger view, if you cannot see it clearly.)




And here it is compared to some Ducks-



And last but not least, here's one of Bridgie and Archie on their walk.





That fish just made my day :D

Military Hospital for Dogs of War

CNN published a very cool article today-- I thought it was pretty interesting.

A 15 million dollar Veterinary hospital was opened for the dogs wounded in war. This is because of the high demand of dogs-- they want to keep those that are well trained, in service for longer.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- A $15 million veterinary hospital for four-legged military personnel opened Tuesday at Lackland Air Force Base, offering a long overdue facility that gives advanced medical treatment for combat-wounded dogs.

Dogs working for all branches of the military and the Transportation Security Administration are trained at the base to find explosive devices, drugs and land mines.

Some 2,500 dogs are working with military units.

Like soldiers and Marines in combat, military dogs suffer from war wounds and routine health issues that need to be treated to ensure they can continue working.

Dogs injured in Iraq or Afghanistan get emergency medical treatment on the battlefield and are flown to Germany for care. If necessary, they'll fly on to San Antonio for more advanced treatment -- much like wounded human personnel.

"We act as the Walter Reed of the veterinary world," said Army Col. Bob Vogelsang, hospital director, referring to the Washington military medical center that treats troops returning severely wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The dogs can usually return to combat areas if they recover at the Military Working Dog Center, he said.

Before the center opened, veterinarians treated and rehabilitated dogs in a cramped building that opened in 1968, when the military trained dogs for work in Vietnam.

The hospital was already overloaded by Sept. 11, 2001, but since then, demand for military working dogs has jumped dramatically. They're so short on dog breeds such as German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and Belgian Malinoises that Lackland officials have begun breeding puppies at the base.

Lackland is training 750 dogs, which is nearly double the number of dogs there before the Sept. 11 attacks, Vogelsang said.

To treat the trainees and injured working dogs, the new hospital has operating rooms, digital radiography, CT scanning equipment, an intensive care unit and rehab rooms with an underwater treadmill and exercise balls, among other features. A behavioral specialist has an office near the lobby.

"This investment made sense ... and somehow, we were able to convince others," said retired Col. Larry Carpenter, who first heard complaints about the poor facilities in 1994 and later helped to launch the project.

Training a military working dog takes about four months. With demand outstripping the number of dogs available, hospital and veterinary workers were trying to keep them healthy and working as long as possible, Vogelsang said.

Working dogs usually enter training at 11/2- to 3-years-old, and most can work until they're about 10, he said.

Then, the military tries to adopt them out and "station them at Fort Living Room," Vogelsang said.

Read Article Here

A Day at the Park

Archie and Bridget (Or Bridgette? I'm not sure.) had a really fun day at the park this Tuesday. It was a warm, sunny day, and they had TONS of fun. Especially Bridget and her driftwood stick. And Hippo...

Out on Lake Erie!


















And of course, the Picnic Table Conga Line.

"Death Row Dog Set Free"

I stumbled upon this warming little article today in one of my regular forums, and realized it was a HUGE day for the fight against Breed Specific Ordinances.

This happened in Mississauga, in Canada. This dog, Rambo, was picked up on Christmas Day of last year after escaping his yard. He is supposedly a half-Pit bull (Although to me, he looks ALL pit bull...) and impounded with the Animal Control.

Being Part Pit Bull, a Banned Breed in Ontario, he was not legal to be there. They were going to euthanize him, but his owner and others fought this legislation-- and fought to let Rambo leave the Province to go to a rescue group.

After a year of fighting in Court, they won, and on he went to "Ador-A-Bull" Rescue in Nova Scotia.

By: John Stewart

October 8, 2008 03:15 PM - In the end, Gabriela Nowakowska had to put the interests of her dog Rambo ahead of her own.

"It was very difficult losing my dog," the 21-year-old Mississaugan said, referring to the fact that Rambo was picked up last Christmas Day and has been held in a cage at the Mississauga animal control centre ever since. "But now, Rambo is going to have a life and he's going to be free."
The dog, who has been held at the City's animal control centre on Central Pkwy. for the past nine months, is headed for a farm in Nova Scotia run by Ador-A-Bull Dog Rescue after a deal was struck in a Mississauga courtroom early this afternoon.

Nowakowska pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal dog and received a suspended sentence.
Rambo, who was examined by a veterinarian yesterday and found fit, will be transferred by the rescue group to the East Coast, where he will be trained with a number of other dogs and then could be adopted to a loving home.

"As long as the dog goes free, that's what I want," Nowakowksa told The News a few minutes after the ruling. "The only thing that's important to me is that he's still alive."
Justice of the Peace Karen Jensen commended Nowakowska, who works two minimum-wage part-time jobs as a waitress and at a deli counter, for her efforts on behalf of Rambo. "You've suffered the loss of your dog but you have made some gains ... for which you are to be commended."

Those gains include the change in City policy that now permits dogs like Rambo accused of being pit bulls to be sent to another province rather than automatically being put down.
The City's application to execute Rambo will be withdrawn Oct. 20 if all goes well.
"By then, he should be in a whole new province and everyone's happy," the Justice of the Peace said.

Nowakowska's lawyer, Anik Morrow, told the court that as time passed his client realized that nothing could be gained by going forward. "Her concern is ultimately the dog," she said.
Rambo is now much bigger and it would be difficult for his owner to care properly for him in her apartment, the lawyer said.

"We are now seeing the impact of the long-term incarceration of the dog," Morrow said, noting the animal has begun to groom himself frequently, which is often a sign of stress.
The City agreed to waive the pound fees for Rambo, who has been kept for the longest-time ever at the shelter. Those fees were estimated at $3,000.

Elaine Buckstein, the City's director of bylaw enforcement, commented that, "whether you agree with it or not, we have to enforce the law. The shelter staff did an excellent job of housing Rambo for eight months."

Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish, who championed Rambo's cause, was "delighted" at the outcome.

"We've learned from this that this law is very difficult to enforce and it breaks people's hearts," the councillor said. "Saying that something looks like something else is a very poor basis for a law."
Nowakowska was convicted of owning a dog that was "substantially similar" to breeds of dogs generally known as pit bulls.
jstewart@mississauga.net

http://www.mississauganews.com/article/19746


At least they've changed the Ordinance to where these dogs have the chance to leave the province and find help elsewhere, rather than being condemned to death automatically.

I'm worried for Rambo, who had to sit in the shelter for nearly a year, awaiting his fate. I'm sure he sustained a lot of mental set-back in his life, and is probably suffering from some level of Kennel-craziness. I hope for the best!


Also, I saw this article about a third-grade girl petitioning to save Rambo's life. This was incredible for me to read.

This girl, Jazmine, was severely bitten by a dog a few years ago. A Cocker Spaniel. It didn't phase her, incredibly. She actually questioned her mother about Why they were trying to "Murder" Rambo, an innocent victim and his innocent owner. She started a Petition to save Rambo's life.

Three years ago Jazmine Humble, then aged five, bent down to play with a neighbour's dog and was so badly bitten that her lip was almost torn in half and she required surgery.
But she didn't blame the dog that bit her, which was subsequently put down. In fact, the next day, the animal lover asked her mother Natalie if she would take her to a relative's farm so that she could play with the dogs there.

Now, despite her own personal experience, Jazmine has gone to bat for a dog who's in trouble — the pit bull named Rambo who could be euthanized if his owner doesn't win a court case to free him. Jazmine has started a petition to save the dog.

The Grade 3 student at Cooksville Creek Public School read about Rambo in The Mississauga News. Jazmine recognized the dog's owner, Gabriela Nowakowska, as someone who works at the deli counter at Starsky Foods on Dundas St. E., where the family shops.

That's when Jazmine, "started asking a lot of questions," says her mother. "She wanted to know about the legislation. She was trying to understand why this was happening and why the dog was taken away from Gabriela," says Humble. "She was angry and confused."

Nowakowska's dog escaped from the backyard of a house on Christmas Day and was seized by the City's animal control department.

When she identified the dog as a pit bull cross, the City told her it was a prohibited animal under amendments to the Dog Liability Act made in 2005. Rambo was not neutered or muzzled as required by law.

The owner is in the process of raising funds to hire a lawyer to fight the case in court. In the meantime, the dog spends its days in a cage at the City's animal control centre.
"Jazmine was ready to go down to the pound to picket and she has already asked to be taken out of school when they go to court," says Humble.

In an interview, Jazmine did not want to elaborate much on the dog bite she suffered. "The dog bit me across the lip," she said. " I was, like, surprised."
It was an older Cocker Spaniel that injured her.

"She required major surgery but she's fully recovered now," says her mother. "There's just a scar. At the time she told me, 'the dog is just stupid, Mom.'"
The family, which lives in Mississauga Valley, has its own dog, a half-schnauzer, half-fox terrier cross named Ronin.

Jazmine got her mother and people at her mother's workplace to sign her "Free Rambo" petition and presented the 40 signatures to Nowakowksa at work.
She took up the petition, "because I think it's wrong, what they're doing to Gabriela and Rambo. I think it's murder. We're going to go to court and help her."
jstewart@mississauga.net

http://www.mississauga.com/article/10519

Incredible.

One small Step for the cause, but one HECK of a leap for Rambo. Literally :)

"Families and Dogs against Fighting Breeds"

I found a website a few days ago, about an organization out in Seattle promoting the ban on Pit Bulls. Quite honestly, I think it's the most ridiculous organization I've ever heard of.

It's called "Families and Dogs against Fighting Breeds," or "FDAFB." Here is their website. FDAFB.org

Their organization promotes the banning, euthanizing, and general hate of so-called "Fighting Breeds."

I have quite a few problems with this particular organization, and the first is simply their lack of education. They have no expert advice, no actual facts with references, and no solid information what-so-ever backing them up. There are no quotes from professionals, no real statistics, and absolutely nothing that should be able to move people to join their movement.

Their plight makes no sense, either. Here is a direct quote from their website:


"Akita, American Pit-Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Juvasz, Presa Canario and Tosa Inu.

Note:

Powerful and potentially dangerous dogs such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermann’s, Boxer’s and other “working” breeds are specifically excluded from this definition, because our aim is to eliminate dogs bred to fight; not herders, or guard-dogs. Fighting breeds are those dogs which have historically been bred for fighting other dogs or other animals, such as bull-baiting and bear-baiting."


Okay, so, We're only banning dogs that are "bred for fighting other animals." The first problem I have with this, is that they list off "Bull baiting" breeds. Yet, they forgot one main breed: The BULLdog. The many different types, of bulldogs.

Second problem I have is this: Where are the beagles, who are bred to go after small game? Rhodesian Ridgebacks, who are bred to take down lions? Coonhounds, who are bred to kill small game also? Borzois and Irish wolfhounds, who are bred to take down WOLVES, other canines?? Where's the Parsons' Russel and Rat terriers, who are bred to kill small animals underground? Dachshunds to Badgers? Cats to mice?

If Akitas are bred to bait bears, yet because of this they will turn on us and kill our children, Why aren't the beagles running amok?

Simply put, Animal aggression does NOT transfer to people. There is no scientific or statistical evidence backing their information at all.

Lastly, their plight is against Dogs bred to take down other animals because they'll bite our families, but specifically excludes dogs bred to guard against people?

And one more quote, for the heck of it.

"Pit bulls are protective dogs, but they are also as likely to attack a family member as they are a stranger."

Hmm. Anyway, I did send them an e-mail, politely addressing these issues and how they can account for them, but I received no reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now lets talk a little bit about MY pit bull! (Well, my foster one, anyway.)

Baby Bruno went through 6 weeks of beginner education with his previous foster parent, and now I'm going to continue his education and let him earn his diploma. He's well on his way!

Here we see, the "Leave it."

The "Stay." Perfect form!

This move is called, "The Saltine."

The "Tell me."


And Last but not least, the Innocent Bystander, or the "Incredible Arch" (Whichever you prefer.) Take note of his new Custom-made Halloween Bandana!

"Take care with Pit Bulls"

And finally, for some Non-Anti-Pit-Bull Press!

Wonderful! I'm so glad to see an article in this Detroit Metro area that's not bashing pit bulls, supporting the banning of them, and feeding the fear and loathing of these innocent dogs.

(Please click on link for full view of article)

Sometimes, even the people who pretend to understand get to me. "It's all in how you raise them." "Not All Pit Bulls are bad," and "They're not aggressive at all!" Mind you now, when I talk about this, I'm going to consider American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers as "Pit Bulls." Not the other 32 or so breeds that are considered "Bully Breeds."

Pit bulls are like many other dog breeds. Tenacious, Resilient, High-Energy and Athletic, and Extremely Devoted. All of these things Combined make one incredible dog.

Tenacity and devotion to their owners is what makes them great at anything they put their mind to (or what their owners put their minds to.). That's what makes them either clever, award winning athletes or excellent in obedience or other competitions; or winners in the fight ring. Like I stated, whatever their owners put their minds to.

As far as those above-stated excuses go, there's truth and there's lack of depth in each statement.

"It's all in how you raise them." Well, because of the breeds' resilience, they're usually able to bounce back and flourish after living through all kinds of hell, whether it be physical or mental, neglect or abuse. With a little bit of positive encouragement in the right direction, they can usually come back as a well-rounded Pet.

Even when trained to be a "Vicious fighting dog," they can bounce back. Perhaps not living with other dogs (Although the Vick dogs proved otherwise-- Kudos to BadRap and the other organizations that stepped up to help!) There's no reason they can't be taught proper living skills.

Of course, there is the occasional dog that is just too battered and bruised, so to speak-- and has essentially given up all hope on Humans. There's also the occasional dog that simply has been trained to be aggressive, which is rarely the case. Normally these "Aggressive" dogs have never been taught proper manners and living skills, or have just been encouraged to think that aggressive behavior is a game, that their owners ("Parents") approve highly of. I'd like to think that most of these dogs have a chance to recover.

"Not All Pit Bulls are bad," I believe that NO Pit Bulls, or any dogs, are bad. Some simply haven't been set on the correct track. They're not "Born" Bad or good. They may have genetic tendencies, but good behavior despite that is an achievable goal for any dog-- given that the "Parent" is devoted enough.

"They're not aggressive at all!" When we talk about Aggression, we have to remember that there are many different types. Dog Aggression, Human Aggression, Prey drive can be considered as aggression, there's fear aggression, dominant aggression, Resource guarding (Food or toy aggression),so on and so forth.

Pit Bulls, due to their fighting backgrounds, may be genetically predisposed to be Dog Aggressive. This does NOT mean that all Pit Bulls are aggressive to other dogs, and this does not mean that they're unpredictable and dangerous. Like I stated above, good behavior despite aggression of any kind, is not an unattainable goal. Pit Bulls aren't the only ones, either. Dobermans, Terriers, Akitas, Chows, and many other breeds (Many times Working breeds) have tendencies to be Dog Aggressive when not properly socialized, as well.

Pit bulls are NOT genetically predisposed to be Human Aggressive, or any other type of aggressive. They do have a good prey drive, which I don't think should be lumped together with aggression at all. Prey drive is what drives dogs to pursue prey-- like a Beagle to a squirrel, or a Shepherd to a cat, Rhodesian Ridgeback to a lion, or a Rat Terrier to a Rat. That's what dogs do.

It's always important to remember that Human aggression is RARE in a "Pit Bull," and other types of "Aggression" have no effect on Humans what so ever! Many people believe that they go after our children and families because they were bred to kill other animals. Terriers don't eat our children, but they eat small animals? Ridgebacks kill lions, but not our fathers? Hounds kill squirrels, but not our babies? Wolfhounds hunt wolves, other canines, but we don't worry about them "turning on us"? Hmm.

More importantly, we have to remember that Aggression is NOT BREED SPECIFIC!

Regardless, I believe Pit Bulls are AWESOME family dogs, with normally sweet dispositions, even temperaments and devotion to family. It does take a strong hand, though, as they are one of those strong-willed breeds!

This brings me to the featured Adoptable Pet-- Our Very own, Baby Bruno!

Which brings me to my last point for today:

Butchie is back on his own 4 legs! He's survived his Parvo treatment, and I got word from the vet as of Thursday 9/26 that he can go home now :)

From Butch

Any opinions read in this blog are my own, and not the representative of my place of employment, place of rescue, or any other thing I choose to associate myself with.

The Parvovirus in Puppies

Ah, the Parvovirus. Any dog-person dealing with puppies, a kennel, shelter, rescue, or any other doggy-operation will tell you about Parvo.

Well, I have one word about this topic: Awful.

As most people already know, The Parvovirus is a virus that attacks the lining of a puppy's intestines. Puppies are vaccinated for it at a young age, and after vaccinations, a dog is very much protected against it. However, unvaccinated dogs, especially puppies (And Dobes and Rotties for some reason), are susceptible to this deadly condition.

Kennels, especially shelters (full of stress and unvaccinated, sometimes sickly dogs) are especially devastated by this disease. They quickly fall prey to it's death tolls, and disinfecting against this virus is near impossible with that many dogs. Some shelters go as far as to paint over infected areas after disinfecting.

Which brings me to my problem:

Disinfecting after Parvo exposure.

Bleach is undoubtedly the most effective way of killing the virus, at a strong solution (My vet recommended a 6:1 mixture). Clorox 2 and other "fake" bleaches (Bleaches for colors) do not work. There are also other solutions my vet told me about that work; one was something called "Mikro-Quat." They allowed me to douse my car with this stuff after I transported my Parvo-infected rescue puppy. Whether it works? I do not know, yet.

Also, the Nature's Miracle Company also manufactures a disinfectant that claims to kill the Parvovirus with a 5 minute contact time. I am hoping to use this on my car seat (As well as the Mikro-quat) where the puppy had vomited, since I cannot exactly bleach my vehicle's upholstry. Nature's Miracle's other cleaning solutions (Namely; their Pet stain and Odor remover) is great stuff- in a 5+ dog household, we live by it.

Now, the reason I'm dealing with this Parvo situation:

Butch.


Butch is our little Parvo-puppy, currently undergoing treatment at the Gibraltar Veterinary hospital right now. We're all hoping and praying that he'll survive and have a safe recovery. He's got such a wonderful little Personality.

Which brings me to the Adoptable Pet of the Post, Butch!