Cats and cows and bells, oh my

The thing about both of these products are they are both equally good for use when traveing with your pet and at home. You can take them along with you on a trip, no muss, no fuss.

And these toys are just so doggone cute. Cici has been very gentle with chewing hers up, too… She has received the cat and the elephant and we have been playing tug of war with the cat. I have not allowed her to just chew it up on her own because it’s just so darned cute and it has a squeaky inside.  Kinda fragile, unlike most dog toys, but one of our favorites.  When you get one, be sure to supervise your dog so that they do not swallow the squeaky or other stuffing.

The Monkeez Makes a Difference pet toys feature a wide-variety of squeaky characters, including cats, alligators, monkeys, cows, dogs, elephants, frogs and dog bones. Each toy retails for $7.49.

In addition to pet toys, Monkeez Makes a Difference features kid-friendly
toys and tools that teach children to give back, including the best-selling
Genuine Monkeez and FriendsT plush characters, online games, real-life Do
Good challenges and a special 10% donation on each child’s behalf to one of
three nationally renowned charities of his or her choice including Best Friends Animal Society.

“There are so many children, families and animals in need not only around
the world, but in our own communities,” Chrysti Carol Propes, director
of Monkeez Makes a Difference says. “Parents are looking
for ways to teach the values of thinking of others and believing every
person can make a difference, and Monkeez Makes a Difference fulfills that
need in a unique and interactive way. On behalf of the entire Propes family,
we believe that even though they may be small, kids can make a big
difference and by creating opportunities like Monkeez Makes a Difference, we
can instill philanthropic values to last a lifetime.”

There are more than 90 plush designs in multiple sizes to choose from, including monkeys, owls, bears, lions, dogs, cats, pigs, cows, octopuses, panda bears, kangaroos, turtles,
koalas, alligators, hedgehogs, elephants, hippos, zebras, frogs, bunnies and
raccoons. Each specially marked character comes with a unique online game
activation code on the tag.

For more info, go to:  http://b2c.monkeezandfriends.com/category/149-dog-toys.aspx

Another adorable product is the PoochieBells®, the original dog doorbell… It is a training tool. Cici is already potty/house trained, she is six years old. And I could see where the Poochie Bells could be a very useful tool for a dog / puppy who is learning and maybe not vocal nor persistent about their needs. All you have to do is train them to touch the bells to alert you that they want to go outside. Of course, hang the bells onto the door and voila. Instant alarm system. What I like about them is they are pretty, useful, and the bells have a nice sound and there are enough of the bells so that you would definitely hear them go ring a ding ding… but in a nice way.

Each PoochieBell comes with simple, clear training instructions.

PoochieBells are for any age, size or breed.

http://www.poochie-pets.net/Training.html

http://www.poochie-pets.net/

Pet friendly animal shelters

There is more than enough Love, Compassion, Kindness, and Generosity to Change the status quo…

http://vimeo.com/48445902

“Animal abuse at local shelters is not an isolated anomaly caused by “a few bad apples.” The stunning number and severity of these cases nationwide lead to one disturbing and inescapable conclusion: our shelters are in crisis.”

For the past couple of years, ever since I got involved with the Patrick movement, I have also participated in a few other high profile cases of animal abuse. In those other cases, Lennox, Wicca, for example, the problem became clear. It was a stubborn, bureaucratic system of people who REFUSED to send those dogs to sanctuaries, that were willing with open arms to even PAY for the dog’s rescue and rehab. All pleas fell on deaf ears and the innocent pups were killed. It was heartbreaking, to say the least.

It is easy to turn away, shut down, and refuse to read or look at ugly photos of animal abuse, in order to stop the pain you feel at the horrors inflicted upon innocent animals. Just leave it to someone else to care. It can be hard to face the truth of what is going on. But the brave and courageous are willing to learn and educate themselves and do the work that needs to be done, for the rewards… the love of animals.  It is time to take off the rose colored glasses. To save even one life is worthwhile.

Those cases took place in other countries, northern Ireland and Montreal, Canada. We here in the USA have similar problems. And thankfully, people who love pit bulls and are true animal lovers, have begun to see the light and identified the true culprits of a shelter system that is broken and kills healthy, treatable animals every day in our local neighborhoods…

Nathan Winograd spells it all out in no uncertain terms in his latest book Friendly Fire, which was available for FREE this weekend on Amazon as an e-book… This is a book that many animal advocates have been waiting for. Winograd and his wife wrote the book not only to expose the cruel system of abuse and death but also to give animal advocates, the media, legislators and others the tools to make necessary shelter reform a reality.

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=10949

Winograd says that either a shelter is No Kill or it is a slaughterhouse. And the public is not at fault but we are too often blamed by the very organizations that are refusing to change. They spend our money not on saving animal lives but on their own salaries and false marketing schemes.  He gives numerous examples and scenarios. He names names and answers excuses. And shows us there are creative PROVEN ways to save lives.

http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/shelter-reform/no-kill-equation/

Try to ladle a bowl of soup out of a pot into a bowl. Go ahead. Notice that either you DO IT or you don’t. Or let me put it another way, either you are pregnant or you are not pregnant. Either a shelter is No Kill or it is not. This is important because some shelters and organizations are trying to fake it by using the words No Kill. Just like some companies whitewash or greenwash, pretend to offer products they say are healthy and natural, eco friendly and/or organic in order to compete in the market place. Just calling yourself No Kill is not a matter of semantics. True No Kill shelters DO NOT KILL healthy and treatable animals.

Winograd has been in the trenches, head of shelters, and has DONE IT himself firsthand. He has created the No Kill Equation and No Kill Advocacy Center. Fundamentally becoming a No Kill shelter requires bottom line, the CHOICE to become No Kill, with no ifs ands nor buts (no excuses), a commitment to becoming No Kill and actionable steps to take. It does not take research, five years or ten years or twenty years. A shelter can become No Kill virtually OVERNIGHT.

Americans are generous, good hearted and too often naive and gullible people, who give millions, if not billions of dollars, to causes in hopes of a cure for diseases (that there are already cures for, most diseases), to end drug addiction, homelessness and other society ills. And the most popular charity is animals. We LOVE our pets and we give money every day because we have been duped into thinking that our money is going to make a difference in the lives of animals. But Winograd points out that the big national organizations such as the ASPCA, Humane Society of the USA, PETA and American Humane Association, the ones with the MOST power and money and credibility, have betrayed our trust and too often collude with and enable the old shelter killing system to continue.

In the arms of the angels of death… the story of a three week old kitten… 

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=9285

We must demand accountability and donate to people and organizations that truly are saving lives not just having pretty photo ops. We must be discerning and learn the difference between those who are all talk and no action and those who truly DO THE WORK.   First, we CHANGE and then others follow.

There were a few gripping paragraphs in the book (like the above about the three week old kitten) that were hard to read. Some shocking, to me, info that I did not know. And yet, ultimately, I am glad that I am better informed. With knowledge, comes power. And this book can empower regular every day people like you and me to stand up for the animals in ways we have not done because it gives us the ways and means, a road map of how it is and has been and is being done. And the way the book is written, with graphics and sections, you can read a little or the whole book and gain important information.  Below is some of the info that grabbed me.

Did you know…

“Whether by coming to the defense of regressive shelter directors, working to defeat progressive shelter reform legislation, fighting new and innovative programs to save lives, or calling for the wholesale slaughter of entire groups of animals in shelters, HSUS, the ASPCA, PETA and other animal protection groups are the biggest barrier to ensuring the survival of animals in shelters today.”

“The ASPCA and HSUS are not only the richest animal protection charities in the U.S., they are among the overall richest charities in the nation.”

“shelter killing is the leading cause of death for healthy dogs and cats in the United States. Today, an animal entering a shelter has only one chance in two of making it out alive, and in some places it is as low as one in ten, with shelters blaming a lack of available homes as the cause of death. And yet, there are over seven times as many people looking to bring an animal into their home every year as there are animals being killed in shelters because they lack one. Half of all animals who enter our nation’s shelters go out the back door in body bags rather than out the front door in the loving arms of adopters despite the fact that there are plenty of homes available.

.

“A CRISIS OF UNCARING Not only are millions of animals needlessly killed in our nation’s shelters every year, but they are neglected and abused in the process.”

“ASK PEOPLE WHAT it means to “rescue” an animal and every single one of them will tell you it means to deliver an animal from harm’s way and into safety. That, after all, is the common sense definition of the word. It’s also the dictionary definition. And it’s the one that HSUS and the ASPCA hope you think of when they put out fundraising appeals for the animals they claim to “rescue.” In their television commercials, in their publications, on their Facebook page and whenever they reach out to the media to announce their latest campaign—all of which are designed to tug on the heartstrings of Americans—they use the word “rescue” to define their involvement in cases involving animal neglect, abuse, hoarding or exploitation. Yet for many of these animals, a “rescue” ASPCA-style or HSUS-style isn’t a rescue at all, but a classic case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.

“quite often the shelters to which the ASPCA and HSUS send animals are kill shelters that are as heartless as the circumstances from which many of the animals have been “rescued.”

“With their combined 300 million dollars in annual revenues and the support of millions of people who love animals, the ASPCA and HSUS have not only the means to provide their own housing and care for animals but also the ability to find them homes. Yet when they assist in a large-scale “rescue,” they often dump the animals at local shelters, pocket the donations meant for their care and then walk away. After the photo ops and the fundraising solicitations have been sent out, the animals get shipped off to shelters across the country, where they are either put to death or local animals are put to death so the ASPCA or HSUS animals can be taken in.

 
“Why doesn’t HSUS or the ASPCA find the animals homes themselves among their millions of animal-loving members and what amounts to endless resources? Indeed, not only does HSUS boast over 12 million supporters, but the ASPCA, located in New York City, has immediate access to the single largest adoption market in the country. But HSUS will not place the animals in homes themselves. And despite the millions hoarded in their bank accounts, the ASPCA has a long, sordid history of a paltry level of adoptions in its own shelter and, worse, of neglecting the needs of the animals suffering in the city pound down the street, even sending animals to be killed there. Kittens and puppies have gone from the ASPCA to one of the most abusive pounds in the nation, only to end up on its nightly “kill list” (see pages 85-88).

“in spite of the feel-good headlines, many of the so-called “rescued” animals actually end up dead or displace others who are then killed—we are left to ask one, inescapable and obvious question: What the hell kind of rescue is that?”

“Many Americans believe that HSUS and the ASPCA own and operate shelters across the country. In reality, HSUS does not operate a single shelter, nor is it officially affiliated with any of them. The ASPCA runs one shelter in New York City which saves fewer animals a year than many rescue groups operating on a fraction of the ASPCA’s budget.

“Local and state organizations have complained about such misleading fundraising tactics, even asking the Attorneys General of their states to open an investigation, as was done in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Then, it was HSUS that was the worst offender, raising over 30 million dollars but spending only seven million before their President Wayne Pacelle announced “Mission: Accomplished” and headed out of town, leaving behind thousands of animals in need who were then shipped off to kill shelters nationwide (they had a policy of not working with No Kill shelters), sticking the money Americans donated specifically for Hurricane Katrina animals into HSUS bank accounts.*

“In 2010, ASPCA revenues exceeded 140 million dollars. They only adopted out 3,389 animals. That is roughly $41,000 per animal. By contrast, during the same time frame, a New York No Kill shelter and sanctuary took in $635,000 and saved 2,932 animals. That is $216 per animal—or the equivalent of the ASPCA saving 645,040 animals. A No Kill animal control shelter in New York took in $439,000 and saved 2,315 animals. That is $190 per animal—or the equivalent of the ASPCA saving 736,842 animals. This amounts to one-fourth of all animals being killed in shelters nationwide, but for a home.”

Winograd outlines specific cases of dogs like Oreo, Fay, Zephyr, Scruffy, Ace and others mistreated or killed or who died at a shelter because of the shelter staff.

If you bring an animal to the local shelter, within minutes, that animal may be put to death. 

“No chance at adoption. No food, water or shelter, just a trip from the front counter to the gas chamber or to be poisoned with an overdose of barbiturates.”
“Scruffy was an orphaned kitten rescued by a man named Daniel in Phoenix, Arizona. Daniel bottle-fed Scruffy several times a day, every day, until she was old enough to eat on her own. Every night, Scruffy slept on Daniel’s pillow. Daniel credited Scruffy with helping him overcome a long-term addiction to drugs. After all, Scruffy needed him. And he needed Scruffy.

“In 2011, the nine-month-old Scruffy cut herself on fencing and Daniel took her to the Arizona Humane Society veterinary clinic for treatment. Unable to immediately come up with four hundred dollars to pay for it, Daniel asked if they would accept his mother’s credit card by telephone (she lived in a different state) or accept cash the following day when she was able to wire it to him. The Arizona Humane Society refused to do either. They told him that the only way they would treat Scruffy was if he signed over “ownership” to them. With a heavy heart but desperate for Scruffy to get the care she needed, Daniel agreed. But instead of treating Scruffy as promised, the Arizona Humane Society put her to death.

HSUS and our beloved Vicktory dogs

“HSUS also fraudulently fundraised off of the Vick dogs, telling people that the dogs were in HSUS custody, when they were not. Shortly after the case broke, HSUS contacted the U.S. Attorney prosecuting Vick and asked if they could see the dogs, then being held at six animal control shelters in Virginia. The U.S. Attorney agreed but only on condition that they take no photographs and not publicly talk about the dogs, citing fears of compromising the case, sensitivities involved in the prosecution and issues surrounding rules of evidence. HSUS agreed and then promptly violated that agreement. HSUS staffers took photographs of the dogs with people wearing HSUS shirts to make it appear that HSUS was directly involved in their care and then used these photographs to fundraise. Not only was that a lie, not only did they want the dogs dead, not only were they not going to use the money for the Vick dogs, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office felt so betrayed that they did not want to work with any animal groups.”

Why do HSUS and PETA hate pit bulls?

“While PETA was busy killing over 95 percent of the animals they took in, Wayne Pacelle defended them in Newsweek magazine by arguing that while No Kill might be noble, it was essentially impossible. But with cities and towns across the country having already achieved it, how could No Kill be “unachievable”? In fact, an HSUS-financed study proved that despite four million animals killed every year, the number of Americans looking to bring a new dog or cat into their homes topped 23 million. If there was an imbalance between supply and demand, Pacelle’s own study showed it went in the other direction.”

“Most people have no idea that at many animal shelters across the country, any pit bull that comes through the front door doesn’t go out the back door alive. From San Jose to Schenectady, many shelters have enacted policies requiring the automatic destruction of the huge and ever-growing number of ‘pits’ they encounter. This news shocks and outrages the compassionate dog-lover… Here’s another shocker: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the very organization that is trying to get you to denounce the killing of chickens for the table, foxes for fur or frogs for dissection, supports the shelters’ pit-bull policy…”

Is PETA a cult?
“PETA systematically seeks out, then kills, roughly 2,000 animals every year. Over 27,000 animals have died at the hands of PETA employees over the last decade alone. While communities across the country are ending the killing of healthy and treatable animals, with save rates as high as 98 percent, in 2011, PETA killed 96 percent of all dogs and cats and 93 percent of other companion animals such as rabbits that it took in, despite revenues of over 30 million dollars a year and millions of animal-loving members.

PETA seeks out and takes in animals for primarily one purpose: to kill them.
“Ingrid Newkirk founded PETA after a job working at the Washington Humane Society where she killed animals. It was a job she has admitted to doing with relish, explaining how she often came into work early to do it (see pages 178-179). She has stated that she does not believe that animals have a right to live, and that, in fact, animals want to die, calling killing “a gift” (see pages 179-180). Perhaps most disturbing of all, she has recruited a legion of cult-like devotees who actively seek out then kill thousands of animals every year at her behest.”

“In a cult, any information from outside the cult is considered evil, especially if it is opposing the cult. Cults train their members to reject any critical information given to them, and to not even entertain the thought that the information might be true.

“PETA is letting loose upon the world individuals who not only maniacally believe that killing is a good thing and that the living want to die, but who are legally armed with lethal drugs which they have already proven—27,751 times in the last ten years—that they are not adverse to using.

“Newkirk wrote that PETA is not an animal rights organization, stating in no uncertain terms: “We do not advocate ‘right to life’ for animals.”

“PETA is an organization that publicly claims to represent the best interest of animals—indeed their “ethical treatment”—while at the same time engages in a campaign to exterminate them.”

CHANGE IS A GOOD THING

“it is the public’s love and compassion for companion animals that could create profound social and legal precedents that would benefit all animals, such as laws making it illegal to kill them. A recent survey revealed that three out of four Americans already believe that shelters should not be allowed to kill healthy animals.”

“A great thing happens when you remove a regressive director and appoint new leadership that immediately and comprehensively implements alternatives to killing: the killing stops.

“The truth is it doesn’t take five years to implement alternatives to killing. It doesn’t take five years to set up a foster program, to recruit volunteers or to set up offsite adoption venues. All of these things can be done in a matter of weeks, or even days; whatever need dictates to prevent killing. No Kill requires action, not endless planning and five years of fundraising.”

“In 2010, the Governor of Delaware introduced a bill called the Delaware Companion Animal Protection Act. The proposed law included a rescue rights provision. It made foster care official state policy, required posting “all stray animals on the Internet with sufficient detail to allow them to be recognized and claimed by their owners” and more. Like all legislation, it involved compromise. But it was a fairly strong, comprehensive bill mandating progressive protocols statewide.

“The bill outlawed some of the most egregious sheltering practices that cause animals to be killed and it mandated common sense procedures that gave them every opportunity for life. And no one thought doing either of those things would be a bad or controversial idea. Why? Because there was no one to confuse them into thinking it was. The large national animal protection groups had no idea this legislation had been introduced. Wisely, activists who worked with the legislators to draft the language did not publicize their efforts, knowing that to do so would be to invite opposition. And not being informed, the opposition never materialized and the bill sailed through the Delaware legislature effortlessly.”

“it is a generous and animal-loving American public that pays their salaries. And the more Americans hinge their donations on an organization’s sincerity, integrity and performance rather than its superficial label, the sooner our nation’s large animal protection groups will be forced—by sheer necessity—to start building, rather than blocking, the road to a brighter future for America’s animals.

what can U do?

“THE LARGE ANIMAL protection groups have never created a single No Kill community in the U.S. because that has never been their goal. But smaller organizations have. Individuals have. If you want to help animals, do it yourself: like the activist who started a No Kill movement in his community where he took on not only an entrenched shelter director, but also the mighty ASPCA—and won.

“Or the animal rescuer who singlehandedly created the infrastructure necessary for her local shelter to go No Kill. Or the husband-and-wife team that began marketing shelter animals, resulting in adoption rates of over 95 percent. Or the long-time animal welfare professional who took over a shelter known for cruel treatment of animals and high rates of killing and overnight turned it one of the safest communities for homeless animals in America.

Their story can be your story. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish if you grant yourself the authority.

Home for the holidays

An interview with Little Red’s mom Susan…

Little Red is one of the former Vick(tory) dogs…

last Christmas Little Red had some challenges with the Christmas tree and decorations

2-6-11 We’ve had a rough few days. I decorated my Christmas tree and put up my house decorations over the weekend. When I turned on the lights, Little freaked. She ran to my bedroom where she usually is too afraid to go and didn’t leave for two days (except for potty breaks). I tried to comfort her and help her see that the lights wouldn’t hurt her. She was too terrified to respond to anything — even treats. I’ve never seen her so frightened –not even her first days here. I stayed home from work on Monday (I was sick and sick at heart). I stopped lighting any of the inside Christmas lights to see if would help her. It has, but even unlit — the tree seems like a scary monster to Little. She finally came back into the living room last night and slept in her usual spot. She let me cover her with her blanket. But tonight, she is back in my bedroom curled up on a dog bed. If she hears me get treats for the other dogs, she comes out to investigate but as soon as the treats are gone, she hurries back to the bedroom. It doesn’t help that it’s been sub-zero for days (yesterday 27 below without wind chill). Little’s feet are so cold that she doesn’t want to do her usual running. Exercise helps relieve her stress but it’s just too cold. All of my dogs are scurrying out and right back inside. Maybe tomorrow will be warmer and Little will be able to go for a good run. We’ll see.

and the good news… a gift for Little

12-11-11 What a difference a week makes. This is a picture I just took of Little sleeping on her easy chair with a fully lit Christmas tree! This past week has been about helping Little overcome her fear of the inside Christmas lights. I took the advice of so many of Little’s Facebook friends. I used lots of treats, the Chill Out spray, melatonin, and very small steps every day. Now the lights are on and Little is comfortable enough to fall asleep in the Christmas glow. Yesterday when we went to her CGC class, she stood between the seats and pressed her cheek against mine like she always does. But she stayed close the entire drive and put one paw on my shoulder. If she could have climbed into my lap, she would have. Little really wanted to be close to me and I like to think she was thanking me for all of the treats and love. I know I was thanking her for all of the bravery and trust.

1-14-12 Can you say relaxed!!!  Little loves listening to her new CD — “Through a Dog’s Ear”. She got this wonderful gift from her good friends CeilaSue and CiCi. We love it! All 5 dogs respond to this music in the most amazing way. After breakfast (which is at 5 am in my household), the dogs are up and down and in and out and have a hard time settling. Now I put on the CD and the dogs all take extended naps while I have time to sink into a novel before the day really gets going. The music is classical piano pieces and the cadences are designed to calm dogs. It’s been clinically tested with shelter dogs and I can say unequivocally that it works!!! We’ve been listening to the music every morning in preparation for Little’s 1st acupuncture session. I played the CD for her to keep her calm. It was really a special time. I’ll write about it later this weekend. Right now we’ve got some more listening and napping to do.

“no matter what she did, Susan never felt the diminutive pit bull truly relax. Little Red slept with her eyes open, her body curled up tight, on guard through the night. Her muscles were always tense, almost as if anticipating a kick or blow. Susan was desperate to help her dog feel safe.

Then one night, she put on a CD of specially arranged classical music designed to calm dogs. “She heard that music, and she just sprawled out on her bed and sighed. She went to sleep with her eyes closed, like her whole body was breathing a sigh of relief.”

“Susan uses the music every day for Little Red, in addition to acupuncture and lots of tender loving care. “It was like a miracle. There’s something intoxicating about that music,” she says.

http://www.sfcv.org/article/classicals-new-bow-wow-dogs

now onto the interview…

please tell a little bit about your background with dogs/pit bulls... and general background…  I’ve been involved with rescue dogs for many years although I’ve never had a pit bull and didn’t know much about them. When I heard about the Vick bust, I became interested in learning more about the dogs who were rescued.   It wasn’t so much that they were pit bulls as much as the fact that the Vick dogs had suffered such abuse and they were surviving and thriving with love and attention.  It seemed like a miracle that such traumatized dogs could learn to trust people again.

when / why / how did you meet little red and decide to adopt her?  I was volunteering at Best Friends in February 2009 and had heard that 22 of the Vick dogs went to BF.  One particular dog broke my heart – her picture seemed so sad and poignant.  It was Little.  I sponsored her and read everything about her through BF.   I had her picture in my office and I looked at her face every day.  I volunteer once a year for a week at BF and in 2010, I asked if I could meet her.  The staff took me to where she lived (Beefcake was her companion) and I got to watch her in the yard.  She was the “out” dog  so she was right in front of her unit and I asked some of the staff to take her picture with my camera.  The next Feb. (2011) when I went on my annual visit, I asked if I could volunteer in her unit.  I had no idea I could volunteer where she lived.  That year, I spend 6 days watching her and I got to observe her shy dog class.  I was already in love with her but never dreamed I could adopt her.  I was sure so many people with experience with pit bulls would have already applied and I’d never have a chance.   On the last day at BF, I screwed up my courage and went to the adoption office to inquire about her status.  I was shocked when Kristi Littrell told me that several people were interested in adopting her but no one had put in a formal application.  That was it for me.  I completed the application and did all the things necessary to be qualified.  Little passed her canine citizenship test in August and a few weeks later I brought all of my dogs to  Best Friends to meet her.  The meeting went very well and in Sept. 2011 she came to live with me.

what is the hardest thing about adopting little red (the process, problems you’ve had with her health, emotional trauma, or?)  Little’s emotional trauma was very difficult and enormously sad.  She was very frightened and nervous for the first few weeks and months.  She was afraid of coming inside the house and I had to carry her through every doorway.  The normal sounds of a household (washer/dryer/dishwasher) frightened her and she wasn’t sure if she could trust me.  It took many weeks for her to feel comfortable at home.  I believe she also missed her caregivers very much, especially Betsy Kidder who had been with her since she was rescued.  She was very lonely and sad about losing all of her canine and human friends.

progress you’ve had with little red … examples  

She smiles every day and she loves to run and prance around her pasture. She also jumps on my lap for her special treats.

why did you want to adopt a pit bull ?

I didn’t necessarily want to adopt a pit bull.  I wanted to adopt Little Red.  Something in her eyes made me want to help her regain the joy in life that every dog should feel.

how many dogs do you have?  5 dogs counting Little:    Cheeto, a heeler cross from Old Friends at BF; Daisy a beagle from my local shelter, PomPom, a 3-legged Pomeranian with 3 teeth who was abandoned; and Ella a mini-dach rescued from a puppy mill.

does little have a favorite best friend?   She and Cheeto are good friends.  She also likes my PomPom very much.  The little 3 lb dog bosses her around and she is so happy to obey.  Little  really  likes other dogs and is very comfortable with them.   In September, we visited with Halle (another Vick dog) and her 2 pit bull brothers.  Little was in heaven. She adored them all and fell in love with Jagger, a small pit bull pup with a spinal abnormality. Little was totally smitten with Jagger  and followed him everywhere.  She loves pittie play. None of my other dogs play like pit bulls do and Little misses that..

little’s favorite toy, food, treat, place?

Little doesn’t play with toys.  She loves boiled chicken which is the treat all my dogs love.  I cook it for them every week. .  She also found an antelope horn in the pasture and she carried it around and chewed it for several months until it was gone.  Santa is bringing her a new one for Christmas.  I’m going to let her “find” it in the pasture.

does little like to travel ?  No she doesn’t.  She is a homebody who likes to run in her pasture and snuggle in her bed.

fears/phobias still to overcome?  Loud noises, changes in her routine, new people. Sometimes she dreams and I can tell that she is upset.  When that happens, I sit with her and play special music that is bio-acoustically engineered to calm her (Through a Dog’s Ear  cd’s).  I also use an herbal spray (Chill Out) that helps her regain her emotional composure.

biggest reward from adopting little?  How happy she is to be in a home.  We are very bonded to each other and I love to hear her snore lightly each evening as she drifts peacefully off to sleep.

unexpected joys?  challenges? Watching her run with abandon across the pasture.  She has a 6-acre fenced yard so she never has to be leashed.  She loves to explore and when I whistle for her, she comes racing to me at top speed, circles around and stops at my side.  She looks up at me and smiles her funny, squinty smile and it makes me laugh.

The biggest challenge is her health.  She has allergies that flare quite frequently.  Because she is Babasia positive, my Vet does not want to keep giving her antibiotics for fear that she will develop an immunity.  When her feet flare, they can get infected very quickly.   We’ve tried so many things to help her and have had the best results with acupuncture and laser treatments for her feet.  She is also on a grain free diet. She has new boots for the snow and that will help to keep her feet dry.

anything else you would like to share?  Little is a constant joy.  She has started to smile more and more and she now comes to me to seek attention and affection.  She’s home and she knows this is a safe place where she will always be loved.  She has blossomed.

 

Blog Hop time…thanks to Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop  link

 

Wallace and Hector’s cross country trip

Wallace is checking off his bucket list…and more !!!!

Great Salt Lake, Wallace Was Here

Wallace hits the beach

watch?v=0cprAR1myrs&feature=player_embedded

Wallace at the dog park

Wallace met Betty White

She was so nice and so sweet! She loved on both me and my bro Hector the Pit Bull! She met us on a break during rehearsal, and when it was mentioned that she really needed to get some lunch before she was due back on stage, her response was “I can eat lunch anytime”, and stayed just a bit longer to give us some more love! Thanks Betty for being so gracious with your time, and for loving dogs of all shapes and sizes!

Here’s a disc used by me and signed by the beautiful Wendie Malick from Hot In Cleveland. She thought I was so gorgeous, she even put it in writing!

http://theunexpectedpitbull.com/cgblog/17/17/Wallace-the-Pit-Bull.php#blog_content

BadRap Reunion

Roo and Clara drove 35 hours from Minnesota with Hector and Wallace.  Seven of the V-dogs who touched down in California five years ago were reunited for this photo at the recent Hoedown.

http://video214.com/play/AnLMASVFBBwVUTIIX7r4Jg/s/dark

It looks easy – but check out the video of photographer Mark wrangling these squirmy dogs and giggling cowboys and cowgirls to get this fantastic shot:

https://vimeo.com/52493758

http://www.pitbullnotes.com/?p=2484

Wallace was kind enough to grant a photo session with his new book when he was here for the big hoedown slumber party. Although what he REALLY wants in this moment is a break so he can “Please pretty please get back to that awesome toy box pleeease?”

Wallace and Roo in 2008

http://vimeo.com/49353843

One of the greatest pleasures we’ve had this year was to see Hector the Pit Bull again at our reunion. It’s been over four years since we put him on a plane to his wonderful new life with Roo and Clara. He’s still the same floppy guy, only with a little gray now around his muzzle. And those EYES!

and that Hector famous flop…

weird…

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/exclusive-rehabilitation-michael-vicks-deadly-pitbulls

Blog Hop time…thanks to Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop code

Adopt a dog

do not talk much about Cici’s spots/Dal side, but this is a wonderful resource about Dalmatians…

http://www.squidoo.com/dalmatians101

now on to the pit bull side…

first, the good news…

Seven happy and healthy former Vick dogs have reunited, five years later

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/11/five-years-rescued-vick-dogs-reunite/

how to adopt or rehome a pit bull

http://www.badrap.org/adoption-strategies

Now, the not so good news, a”vicious” pit bull KTLA banned from the show.

email: sarah.grooters@ktla.com, Nancy.Cruz@ktla.com

Yesterday morning, Sally was scheduled to be on KTLA, a local news station in Los Angeles, with two adoptable dogs, Gideon and Franklyn (see Franklyn’s video)

Franklyn’s foster lives an hour away and arrived early to be there.

Prior to the day, the producers of the show asked for descriptions of the dogs and were given them.

When they arrived, one of the show producers came out, looked at Franklyn (who was busy kissing a human admirer) and said, “Oh no. We have an anti Pit-Bull policy.”

I calmly told her that we were not informed of this, and had we been, we would have cancelled our appearance as breed discrimination is not something I tolerate, and more so, is against public policy.*

She stated that I could go on with Gideon but not Franklyn. I told her that if Franklyn was not allowed, I was leaving as well, so she went in to talk to another show producer. 30 minutes later in the freezing cold, she came outside to say that they would not allow Franklyn on the air. I explained that this is also a violation of law and that they would have to find something else to fill the spot since there is no way I would support or be in a show that discriminates.

Gideon, Franklyn, and his foster Sally then left.

* California Food & Ag code Section 31683 states, in relevant part: “Except as provided in Section 122331 of the Health and Safety Code, no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed.”

JOIN ME IN TELLING KTLA THAT YOU WILL NOT SUPPORT BREED DISCRIMINATION.  KTLA can use some education about pit bulls and could do a show about pit bulls. Be polite and professional. Thanks.

Contact details are below.

Producers for today:

Nancy Cruz
Nancy.Cruz@ktla.com

Sarah Grooters
sarah.grooters@ktla.com and 323.460.5530 (DIRECT)

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ktla5?fref=ts

Fax Number: Morning News: 323-460-5404

To send an email to the morning news in general:

Fill in online form for “Contact the Morning News:”

http://www.ktla.com/about/station/contact/ktla-morningnews-email-page,0,1576831.htmlstory

Twitter: @KTLAMorningNews

http://www.ktla.com/about/station/contact/

Address for letters:
5800 SUNSET BLVD. | LOS ANGELES, CA. 90028

Yes, Vick has a dog

maybe the world is coming to an end…

“…’As a father, it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals.’

‘I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God’s creatures with kindness and respect,’ he added.

‘Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family.’

‘This is an opportunity to break the cycle. To that end, I will continue to honor my commitment to animal welfare and be an instrument of positive change.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216448/Michael-Vick-gets-dog-children-develop-healthy-relationship-animals.html#ixzz292K3Movf
It is a travesty of justice for M. Vick to have a dog. Why? Read The Lost Dogs book by Jim Gorant.

Vick served time for the federal charges of “Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture.” And, while his participation in dog fighting and the death by hanging of some of his dogs was a sentencing consideration, he did not serve time for animal cruelty.  He should have been. Should have been banned from animal ownership EVER again.

“You would have to have something deeply wrong with you not to be thoroughly disgusted at the prospect of Michael Vick taking in a pet dog. Decent people feel that this man — who did not merely run a dogfighting ring, but personally hanged dogs, drowned them and beat them to death — should be prevented from getting anywhere near an innocent creature. If I had my way, I’d keep him away from human beings.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/douglas-anthony-cooper/michael-vick-and-the-huma_b_1976502.html

“Vick and two associates, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips, “thought it was funny to watch the pit bull dogs belonging to Bad Newz Kennels injure or kill the other dogs.” The report also states that the trio executed approximately six dogs by hanging and drowning. The hanging deaths occurred “by placing a nylon cord over a 2×4 that was nailed to two trees located next to the big shed.” The men drowned the others “by putting the dogs’ heads in a five-gallon bucket of water.” Dogs that didn’t perform well were killed. Family pet dogs were placed in the fighting ring as trained pit bulls “caused major injuries” to the pets. And these are just a few of the acts of brutality that Vick participated in.

“Michael Vick tortured many dogs over and over for years. The horrors that these animals were subjected to are unimaginable. And now Vick owns a dog. Do you think someone capable of committing so many unspeakable acts of cruelty against animals can change? Do you think Vick should own a dog?”

http://www.examiner.com/video/new-book-released-on-rescue-rehabilitation-of-michael-vicks-dogs

Who would give him a dog? What have his children been taught?  I hope we are wrong for the sake of the new puppy but we have seen no real repentence, and heard no real apologies.  Does not bode well that Vick kept owning a dog a secret, unwilling to bear the public scrutiny, until he was outted with a twitter photo. We don’t know where the dog came from, its age, its breed or even its name.

“Best Friends is often asked if we think Vick should be allowed to own another dog. While his eligibility for dog ownership is a matter of law, imagine, if you would, what it would be like reading through a potential dog adoption application from Michael Vick:

• Have you had a dog before? Yes
• If yes, how many? Lots
• Do you still have a dog(s)? No
• If you have had dogs in the past, please let us know their current disposition. Dead or confiscated by federal authorities.
• If you no longer have other dogs, please let us know what happened to them. Some I sold to dog fighters, some I had my cousin electrocute or shoot, some I personally strangled, drowned or body-slammed to death.
• Why do you want to get a dog at this time? Because I served my time and kids want a dog.

OK, thank you, Michael. We’ll get back to you on your application.”

http://blogs.bestfriends.org/index.php/2012/07/20/michael-vick-dog-adoption-app/

 

http://jeromiewilliams.com/2012/10/25/humanewatch-org-releases-full-page-attack-against-michael-vick-vick-is-not-amused/

“…the pit bulls Vick once owned are making a comeback of their own, though theirs has been a much slower, steadier climb.  Take the case of Little Red. Three years ago, she would race to the nearest corner and cower, her face buried against the wall, at the sight of any human or dog. Or Ellen, who would growl at anyone who came near her, especially if they dared glance over at her food dish.

“Both dogs had such bad problems, experts said, they’d be better off dead.

“These days, though, Little Red wags her tail a mile a minute and is almost inseparable from her new, best buddy – a cattle dog mix named Google. And Ellen, a tannish-brown bundle of energy, still loves her food but loves her visitors even more – smothering them with kisses as soon as they walk through the door.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/michael-vick-dogs-pit-bulls_n_816246.html#s232910

Jasmine, Ellen, Sweet Pea, Hector, Uba, Lucas, Georgia, Oscar, Zippy, Teddles, Handsome Dan, Ray, Gracie, Harriet, Ginger, Leo, Little Red, Jhumpa Jones, Mel, Cherry Garcia, Stella, Red, Squeaky Jean, Audie and Jonny Justice.

Vicktory Dogs video

http://www.badrap.org/vick-dogs

“Despite spending 19 months in prison for running an illegal interstate dog fighting business, Vick hasn’t expressed a shred of empathy toward the dogs he brutalized and killed. And rather than talk about the horrors of dog fighting, he has consistently chosen to focus on the consequences of getting caught. In a nutshell, his actions are self-serving. We’ve seen little remorse and even less compassion. And let’s not forget, he caused unspeakable suffering to hundreds of innocent dogs. Frankly, the ASPCA has serious concerns about Vick’s ability to be a responsible pet parent.”

Blog Hop time…thanks to Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop code

Pit Bull Awareness month

October is National Pit Bull Awareness Month  

10 Ways to Raise Awareness and Celebrate Pit Bulls

10. Use social media such as facebook/twitter and blogs to show off positive images of Pit Bulls. Post a photo of your Pit Bull in an unlikely pose, playing with a chilld, cat, cute critter or other dog, or being just plain silly.

Educate the media and others…

Kelly Ripa (from LIVE with Kelly and Michael) said on her show yesterday that she is educated on the subject and that ALL pit bulls are dangerous and…”only gang bangers & thugs own them.” Their FB page needs more comments. Go add yours please and show Kelly and Michael some education politely.
https://www.facebook.com/LIVEKellyandMichael?fref=ts

photo.php?v=10152173116085263

what I wrote:

Kelly, your pit bull comment was completely incorrect. Negative sensationalized stories and comments about PIT Bulls leads to abuse and death of many loving animals. …for over half a century in between, 1920 to 1970, millions of Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers,  American Staffordshire Terriers and all their mixed breed cousins served Americans well in every possible capacity and circumstance.”    The Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise.

from dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, Its Me or the Dog show

“Pit bulls can make great family pets in the hands of a responsible owner. Which breed of dog was named ‘most aggressive’ in recent scientific studies?  The family Dachshund.”

There are known factors that contribute to dogs of all breeds biting. If the dog is male, not neutered, kept chained or roams loose in a pack, etc.

 ‘The Little Rascals’  Petey was a pit bull.

and

Kelly, from the history of pit bulls and bull dogs…
True fighting dogs do not show any aggression towards humans whatsoever. Human aggression was in fact considered a major fault, so if a dog showed any human aggression it would be destroyed and the line would not be bred from anymore. Handlers were in the pit with the dogs during a fight and would not be so if they thought there was any danger. and oh by the way, last time I looked, am a newspaper reporter, senior, and NOT a gangster or thug.

and

Kelly, you are a mom with kids and a family pet. Imagine one day, police come to your door and take away the dog. You never see the dog again. They are sent to doggie jail and ultimately killed. Why? not because of anything that the dog did but because of the way they look. If this happens to a person, we call it racism, discrimination and bigotry. When it happens to dogs, it is called Breed Specific Legislation aka Breed Discrimination Legislation. Many such bans of innocent dogs have been repealed because it is ineffective, costly and serves only to assuage people’s irrational fears. Pit bulls are not the enemy. Irresponsible owners, dog fighters, animal abusers ARE the ones who need to be fined, jailed and/or punished NOT the dogs who are innocent victims of humans mistreatment.

http://stubbydog.org/2011/04/so-you-think-you-know-a-pit-bull-person/

MD’s, fire chief, pastor, police, all pit bull owners

Gangsters, thugs and pit bulls

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.288920174550034.61474.172583849517001&type=1

@KellyRipa 8 of the former Vick dogs are therapy dogs now, many live in homes with kids,dogs, cats, loving dogs, The Lost dogs book

@KellyRipa In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, ’80s German shepherds, ’90s Rottweilers. Now they blame the pit bull.”  Cesar Millan

@KellyandMichael

Vicktory dogs and Patrick are pit bull super stars!!!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/341/538/730/boycott-live-with-kelly-ripa-and-its-sponsors-for-misrepresentation-of-pitbulls/#confirm

Pit bull superstars video

http://animoto.com/play/ZhVSzheQ8O25HqTQCfvBzQ

9. Volunteer or foster with your local pit bull rescue. Give a pit bull a second chance, walk pit bulls at the local shelter, foster, rescue, adopt.

8. Share good news articles,videos, photos and books about hero Pit Bulls like Stubby, talented Pit Bulls like Petey, extraordinary Pit bulls like Wallace, Hector and the other Vicktory dogs and shelter Pit Bulls who need homes

More about the Vicktory dogs, their five year anniversary is on Pit Bull Awareness Day, yay

http://www.badrap.org/five-years-later

7.  Write letters, make phone calls, and get involved in repealing unfair BSL bans for ALL breeds

6. Educate friends, relatives, co-workers, your local shelter and the media about pit bulls. Volunteer, foster, adopt, get dogs spayed/neutered.

5. Order your very own Limited Edition Jonny Justice Gund plush toy…. do a fundraising event, order a bunch of books and/or stuffed dogs as prizes

4. Check out the latest posts at a few of the best Pit Bull blogs and Facebook pages of our pit bull superstars.

Badrap Blog

http://www.badrap.org/blogs

Ginger Girl

Little Red

Squeaky Jean

Handsome Dan

Did you know that my Daddy is running for state representative? I don’t know what that really means, but everyone keeps saying we could use someone like him up at the State House. You can say hi to him @ www.facebook.com/repstoutz.

Hector

Cherry Garcia

Jhumpa Jones

Patrick

3. Join or start a Pit Bull walk/hike group and participate on a regular basis

2.  Join, start and/or participate in bully events, pit bull parades, kissing booths, etc

1.  Get your dog trained in search and rescue, as a therapy dog, disc dog and/or other way to show off their star/hero potential

October 27, National Pit Bull Awareness Day  

Pit bull myths

END BSL… Breed Discrimination in America

http://www.examiner.com/article/breed-discrimination-america?cid=db_articles

http://bslnews.org/2012/01/24/the-real-dog-bite-statistics-plus-media-myths-colleen-lynn-exposed/

Lies, negative stereotypes and myths

In the book Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise discusses how dogs of various breeds have been demonized since the 1800’s. People’s perception of ‘dangerous dogs’ has changed over the centuries.

http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/publications/230603563_Pit%20Bull%20Placebo.pdf

Consider the impact of these images imprinted upon the human psyche  …

l. Eliza and her baby (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) being chased by snarling teeth gnashing Bloodhounds.

2. Super-predator Nazi guard Doberman Pinscher dogs became a symbol of cruelty

3. The Time Bomb Pit Bull depicted on the cover of Time magazine

“My kids are around pit bulls every day. In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the pit bull.”    Cesar Millan.  “Pit bulls get a bad rap because of irresponsible owners.”

From the Pit Bull Placebo

“…for over half a century in between, 1920 to 1970, millions of Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers,  American Staffordshire Terriers and all their mixed breed cousins served Americans well in every possible capacity and circumstance.

‘…The first half of the 20th century finds new and different breeds involved in fatal/severe attacks. Collies, Boston Terriers, St. Bernards, Airedale Terriers, Great Danes, Chow chows, German police dogs (German Shepherds), Doberman Pinschers, and Huskies were only some of the new breeds seen in aggressive encounters with humans.”

A combination of the media’s need for scary pit bull stories (to sell papers), dog fighters using bully breeds for fighting, and society’s need to blame dogs for humanity’s problems have joined together to give the pit bull a very bad rap.

“…The early 1980s find the media continuously churning out emotionally charged articles about Pit bull anatomy and behaviors that were based on rumors, myths and unproven claims by both experts and laymen.

“When Pit bulls lost an arranged street fight they were subjected to unimaginable cruelty and violent deaths, because they became a source of embarrassment or failed to uphold the machismo image of their owners.”

“…In 2004 the media reported this Pit bull attacked and killed a 4-year-old boy. It was not reported that this chained, intact male dog was visibly underweight with numerous old scars on his head and neck. Veterinarian examination revealed the dog was heartworm positive, flea-infested, and suffering from internal parasites (hookworms). He was anemic with a low-grade fever and was diagnosed as having very poor body condition and muscle mass. Stress and wear marks along the teeth suggest the dog did not receive adequate nutrition during development. The dog was poorly socialized and very fearful.”

Elevate the conversation

Find the pit…

Many people have never met a pit bull and could not pick one out of a lineup such as this…

http://www.pickthepit.com/

Pit bulls are not a breed of dog, there are numerous breeds all lumped together and called pit bull…American Pit Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bull Dogs, Bull Terriers or mixed breeds that have the appearance or characteristics of one of these breeds…

Does this make ANY sense?

http://loveandaleash.com/2012/06/21/one-of-these-dogs-is-or-is-not-like-the-other-defining-a-pit-bull-dog/

There are NO incidents to date of a spayed/neutered indoor family pit bull ever having killed anyone.

…[S]ince 1975, dogs belonging to more than 30 breeds have been responsible for fatal attacks on people, including Dachshunds, a Yorkshire Terrier, and a Labrador Retriever.” (It’s also key to point out that you are more likely to be killed by lightening than a dog, and dog bites are at historic lows.)

http://stubbydog.org/2012/05/pit-bulls-by-the-numbers/

Pit Bull: Fact or Fiction

1:  Pit bulls are inherently dangerous, as the Maryland Court of Appeals recently labeled them.

Fiction

It’s all in the upbringing, the socialization, and how their owners treat them.

German Shepherd Dog, American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT), and Rottweiler were tested using a bite sleeve equipped with a specialized computer instrument to measure bite pressure. The APBT had the least amount of pressure of the 3 dogs tested. (Source: Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic)

“There is no scientific evidence that one kind of dog is more likely than another to injure a human being than any other kind of dog.[i][ii] In fact, there is affirmative evidence to the contrary.[iii]

http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/whatisadogbite/

Numerous places have recently repealed their bans on pit bulls/bully breeds aka Breed Specific Legislation.

Cincinnati Ohio’s vicious dog ordinance, which previously made ownership of pit bulls within city limits illegal has been repealed.

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-3479-cincinnati_pit_bull_ban_repealed.html

http://willmydoghateme.com/animal-welfare/why-bsl-not-dogs-should-be-banned

DeKalb County ban repealed

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-lifts-pit-bull-1433546.html

2. Pit bulls have locking jaws that make it virtually impossible to separate a pit bull from people or animals they bite.

Fiction.  There’s no scientific data to back that up. They’ve actually studied it and found that the pit bull skull is no different than any other dog. There’s no locking mechanism.

Dr. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia wrote:

“The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of “locking mechanism” unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier.”

3.

Pit bulls are unpredictable and more likely to bite people than other dogs.

Fiction. There are known factors that contribute to dogs of all breeds biting and becoming dangerous. If the dog is male, not neutered, kept chained or roams loose in a pack, etc.

Factors that affect a dog’s tendency toward aggression include reproductive status, sex, early experience and socialization/training. According to the Centers for Disease Control, these concerns are well-founded, given that:

More than 70 percent of all dog bite cases involve unneutered male dogs.

An unneutered male dog is 2.6 times more likely to bite than is a neutered dog.

A chained or tethered dog is 2.8 times more likely to bite than a dog not chained or tethered.

97 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks on people in 2006 (the most recent year statistics are available) were not spayed/neutered.

A female dog usually chained with a litter of newborn puppies

Guard dogs

Abused dogs

Neglected dogs

Starved dogs

Unsupervised dogs, roaming loose

Unsocialized dogs

All dogs, before they bite, give warning signals.

Three MOST aggressive breeds

The number one aggressive breed out of the 33 dogs surveyed, The Dachshund. Yes – the wiener dog. The study found that “one in five dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers, and a similar number have attacked other dogs; one in 12 have snapped at their owners.”

“Number two on the list is an even more diminutive breed – the Chihuahua, while Jack Russells came in third.

“The researchers say that the bite statistics that have been released in recent years are skewed because most dog bites are not reported. Big dog bites are more likely to require medical attention, but this does not mean that those breeds are doing the majority of the biting.”

http://www.dogguide.net/blog/2008/07/the-3-most-aggressive-dog-breeds-revealed-pit-bulls-rottweilers-youll-be-surprised/

4. Pit bulls are good with children.

Fact.  Pit bulls were considered the nanny dog.   Consider ‘The Little Rascals.’  Petey was a pit bull and he never hurt Alfalfa or any of the Little Rascals.

Adopting a pit bull

Of the 4 to 6 million dogs and cats still being killed in shelters each year, most – roughly 1.5 million – are pit bulls. The great majority of these are healthy, good natured and adoptable dogs.

Public and private agencies spend $2.5 billion each year caring for and /or killing homeless dogs and cats. Pit bulls represent one in four of all animals taken into shelters. More than 80 percent of pit bulls in shelters will die before their second birthday.

Some guidelines in adopting a pit bull…

1. Adopt a shelter or rescue org dog due to the above. Also, irresponsible breeders are only interested in your money, not dogs. (this goes for all breeds but especially pit bull type dogs).

2. The dog should be spayed/neutered and given obedience training (basic commands).

3. Are you equipped to give your dog an hour of exercise a day?

4. Do you have a home of your own? If not, make sure that your landlord is ok with your adopting a pit bull.

5. If you are going to keep your dog chained up as a lawn ornament, used as a guard dog, or to show off how macho you are, please do NOT adopt a pit bull. Bullies make terrible guard dogs, they love people too much. And w do not need any more irresponsible owners.

6. Do you have small children? NEVER leave your dog (of any breed) alone and unsupervised with a child.

7. Are you lifetime committed to give the dog a forever home?

8. Volunteer at a local shelter and get to know the dogs there before you adopt. Do some research and then decide what is right for you.

9. Consider fostering a pit bull before you adopt.

10. Do you have the time, energy and patience for a dog who wants to be with you and cuddle all the time?

http://www.ourpack.org/rightforme.html

Contact your local shelter and/or local pit bull rescue organizations to adopt.

BadRap

http://www.badrap.org/adoption-process

Best Friends Animal Society

http://adoptions.bestfriends.org/default.aspx?Ns=P_DateAdded&N=4294967263+4294967242&Ne=2

Our Pack

http://www.ourpack.org/

Villalobos

http://www.vrcpitbull.net/dog/

Shorty’s Pit Bull Rescue

http://www.shortywood.com/pitrescue.htm

http://celiasue.com/2012/05/30/pit-bull-fallacies-refuted/

Blog Hop time…  thanks to Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop code

Michael Vick’s pet rock

On Piers Morgan, the other night, Michael Vick once again expressed his desire to have a pet for his kids. Not a pit bull, he said. There are rumors that he has already bought a beagle. God forbid. (There was a fake World News report last December that said he had gotten a beagle but the article was FAKE). It is important to remember that Vick put his own pet dog Champagne into the dog fighting ring as bait and laughed at the dog getting hurt. He thought it was all fun and jolly to kill dogs in the most horrific ways possible… poor innocent animals who did not perform well.  He killed at least 12 dogs in six years.

Don’t believe me? Look at page 4 of the 2008 USDA report that details him torturing his kids family dogs, for his own amusement and that of his friends.
http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/BadNewzKennels.pdf

but hey Vick says someone else made him kill and torture dogs, oh really… buy that and I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=1789

Intentionally maiming and then killing dogs is no mistake and NO ONE can make you BE A SADIST. It is a calculated and callous crime. Vick not only funded a dog fighting operation, he also engaged first hand in the cruelty for six years. He personally violated dogs using electrical wire and then threw them into a pool so they were electrocuted. He also executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in ‘testing’ sessions” and killed using various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog’s body to the ground.

please vote NO, this poll now says 81% think vick should get a dog, http://www.tmz.com/2012/07/18/michael-vick-dogs-piers-morgan/

In another article, Vick says he does not have to answer any questions about dog fighting anymore. We DISAGREE.  He has NEVER answered the questions honestly.   Psychopaths/sociopaths are all alike… (Like Mitt Romney and his taxes, they think the rules do not apply to them)…

http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2012/07/30/michael-vick-on-his-dogfighting-past-im-never-answering-these-questions-again/

Below are a few well written responses to this idea. Vick does not deserve a pet rock, in my humble opinion and that of many of us who have gotten to know and love the dogs that were formerly his at the Bad Newz Kennels… Ginger, Stella, Hector, Cherry, Handsome Dan, Little Red, Squeaky Jean, and many others, some who have passed. And in memory of those who were killed at Vick’s hands such as the little red dog in The Lost Dogs book by Jim Gorant. It is unbearable to consider such a possibility when the above named and unnamed dogs are still suffering, and Vick has shown absolutely NO remorse whatsoever for the damage he did to them and the others found dead on his property.  Three times Vick was offered an opportunity to meet with Best Friends, Bad Rap and Richard Hunter, pet guardian of Mel, who lost his bark and suffers immensely from anxiety. And Vick refused each time.

When a person refuses to FACE THEIR PAST WRONGDOINGS how can one possibly move forward?  Vick says he paid his debt. Truth is he got a sweetheart plea deal and should still be in prison for the ANIMAL CRUELTY charges that he was never charged with. He only went to jail for the federal charges of “Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture.” (explained below in Chris Durant’s blog post). Animal abuse and dog serial killing is a precursor to people abuse. A homicidal maniac is a homicidal maniac is a homicidal maniac. It makes me ill to think of Vick being allowed near another animal ever again in this life.

watch?v=0c76MdMzh8I&feature=player_embedded#!

Michael Vick’s dog adoption app

“Best Friends is often asked if we think Vick should be allowed to own another dog. While his eligibility for dog ownership is a matter of law, imagine, if you would, what it would be like reading through a potential dog adoption application from Michael Vick:

• Have you had a dog before? Yes
• If yes, how many? Lots
• Do you still have a dog(s)? No
• If you have had dogs in the past, please let us know their current disposition. Dead or confiscated by federal authorities.
• If you no longer have other dogs, please let us know what happened to them. Some I sold to dog fighters, some I had my cousin electrocute or shoot, some I personally strangled, drowned or body-slammed to death.
• Why do you want to get a dog at this time? Because I served my time and kids want a dog.

OK, thank you, Michael. We’ll get back to you on your application.”

http://blogs.bestfriends.org/index.php/2012/07/20/michael-vick-dog-adoption-app/

“Sure, let Michael Vick get a sweet, furry, little four-legged friend; While we are at it, let’s just have convicted serial child molester Jerry Sandusky open a daycare or head a children’s charity of some sort.”

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/07/19/michael-vick-future-dog-owner-no-way/

“Michael Vick says maybe he’ll get a dog.

“And, worse yet, at the end of this month — when the no-dog clause of his sentence for dogfighting expires — he legally can.”

http://www.ohmidog.com/2012/07/18/michael-vick-says-maybe-hell-get-a-dog

 “Between 2001 and 2007 Michael Vick sponsored dogs in eleven fights. Additionally, he traveled to four states to purchase eleven dogs. Again, could this not be construed as 22 counts? Even with Vick’s meager sentencing this would have equated to 396 months or 33 YEARS!! And even at an absolute minimum, why was he not charged with four counts of the incredibly weak “Conspiracy…”?

“But better yet, if he had been truly tried according to Virginia’s Animal Cruelty Laws he could have been tried for twenty dog fights and nine executions. SIXTY FIVE YEARS! Instead, he was again allowed to plead out (while serving out his Federal sentence) to ONE count of dog fighting (the single Animal Cruelty charge was dropped as a part of the plea agreement) and received a three year suspended sentence for time served on the Federal charges. The prosecutor (Virginia’s Surry County Commonwealth Attorney General – Gerald G. Poindexter) didn’t feel that the costs associated with transporting Vick to Virginia from Leavenworth penitentiary in Kansas was worth it. There was also another $2,500 fine which was suspended as well. Nice job, Poindexter. I am sure the good people of Surry County think you’re a real legal eagle, huh?

“Another side note: Five of the surviving dogs rescued from Vick’s compound had to be put down. He was not held accountable for those either. But, according to Virginia law, he absolutely should have been. That would have brought the potential charge count up to 34 and another $12,500 for Mr. Poindexter’s ridiculous transportation fund.”

http://chrisdurant2000.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/michael-vick-was-wrongly-convicted

Look into the innocent eyes of the dogs, some still haunted, some still suffering from fears and anxieties and tell the world, please, does Vick deserve to own another dog???

And sign this petition if you think that the dogs and Jim Gorant, author of the Lost Dogs book deserve equal air time on CNN and Piers Morgan…

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/926/317/992/cnn-let-vicks-pits-voices-be-heard-invite-jim-gorant-author-of-the-lost-dogs-to-speak-for-the-dogs/?cid=FB_TAF_NPO

How to make a pet rock

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/stoneandrock/ss/petrocks.htm

Send Michael Vick Some Balls

perhaps we should send him rocks or balls with dogs names on them to jog his memory and conscience (does he have one?) and let him know what he did to those dogs are why he cannot EVER have another pet, no matter if it is legal… let him tell his kids the real reasons (The Lost Dogs) why he can’t EVER have another pet… IF he really had changed and had a shred of integrity, he would… (am not holding my breath)

Lennox: a rebuttal

Note:  Please STOP the Karen bashing… I did not write this to gang up on her but to state facts as I saw them and make corrections.  ENOUGH… there are many more important and URGENT issues/dogs lives at stake… for instance, the dog in Canada and UK who will be killed in 24 hours and more… we have to STOP BSL NOW.  Thank you.

http://celiasue.com/2012/07/24/lennox-redux-in-canadauk/

 

 

 
Lennoxgate… outcry for investigation of BCC

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joan-k-smith/lennox-the-dog-dead_b_1693590.html

pls share, everyone tweet the prime minister @number10gov and ask him to investigate the BCC re: Lennox,  be persistent… be factual and professional

if Dispatches receives 1,500 emails or more about Lennox they will look into it .. so here’s the email address dispatches@channel4.co.uk

Rebuttal to Karen Friesecke of DoggieStylish’s blog post about Lennox …plus some new info that has come to light about this case, a copy of the court document, interviews and more…

here is the link to Karen’s blog post…

http://www.doggiestylish.com/blog/2012/07/facts-about-the-lennox-case-that-nobody-wants-to-talk-about/#more-10625

First, a rebuttal from Maggie Corchnoy who works as a paralegal in the USA

This is a very biased assessment, masquerading as an objective look at the case. As a paralegal, it is part of my job to read through the briefs submitted by our opponents – this is, in essence, the brief for the BCC. She takes the information she wants to bring forward and ignores that which does not support her case. Look, for instance, at the fact that she accepts Tallack’s status as “expert”. In an American court, it is doubtful that Tallack, lacking sufficient background to prove his expertise, would have been qualified to testify as an expert at all, and would certainly not have been permitted to testify in regards to Lennox’s behavior. In his report he acknowledges that he was not asked to assess Lennox’s temperament or behavior, nevertheless he qratuitiously offers his opinion & does so in a very unprofessional way.

The fact that the trial judge gave more weight to an unqualified person’s opinion than to the assessments of two behaviorists with credentials to back up their opinions would have weighed heavily against the judge with an appellate court in the US – it is highly likely that the decision would have been overturned for abuse of judicial discretion. You cannot substitute, willy-nilly, an unqualified opinion for the opinions of qualified experts.

She takes Alexandra Lightfoot’s testimony at face value, despite what has been brought forward outside of the courtroom that raises grave doubts as to the veracity of her testimony. Lightfoot’s behavior in the videos we’ve seen has consistently shown a person who is quite comfortable with this dog whom she testified under oath that she is afraid of. Her posture is relaxed and she frequently looks like she’s not even paying attention to him. This does not square with her testimony in the least, and certainly raises the possibility of perjury. Her behavior towards the family and online also raises questions as to the character of the woman.

Her discussion of the possibility of an exemption is remarkably off-base, as she ignores the behavioral experts’ assessments that Lennox is a safe dog, while the language she uses makes it sound as if they concur that he could not be safely released. “The judges and people who had ACTUAL CONTACT with Lennox could not be satisfied that he would NOT be a threat to public safety”. Both Fisher and Ryan concluded that Lennox was safe and recommended that he be released back to his family. This is a very old tactic – by avoiding mentioning which “people who had actual contact with Lennox” she makes it sound as if it were the united opinion of all concerned that he was dangerous – while completely ignoring the behavioral experts’ findings and recommendations.

She engages in cherry-picking throughout this opinion piece – and make no mistake about it, this is not an unbiased review of the facts, it is one-sided and anything but an assessment of all the facts in evidence. By starting as she does – presenting posts which easily allow her to tar Lennox’s supporters as emotionally-overwrought and credulous, she makes it easy to dismiss us. Note that she does not present a single post in which facts of the case are discussed, but only those that bolster the image she wants to project. Where, for instance, are there any quotes in the introduction from the website? There isn’t a person who deals in litigation that doesn’t know cherry-picking when we see it. Those are some of the easiest opponents to rebuke in a reply brief because we can take the time to go through & point out each & every little bit of misdirection and half-truth. It’s harder to do in a context like this, unfortunately.

One more note on how she cherry-picks & uses misdirection in an attempt to destroy the credibility of those who have supported the Barnes family & Lennox. Read what she wrote about Victoria Stilwell: “The Victoria Stilwell “noise.” Victoria Stilwell NEVER had contact with the dog and has ZERO education credentials from any recognized institutions as a dog behaviorist. She’s barely a dog trainer. I refuse to take dog training/behavior advice from someone who didn’t own a dog until recently and wrote the book Fat Dog Slim: How to Have a Healthy, Happy Pet”.

Barely a dog trainer? The woman founded a dog-training business, has studied with a number of behavioral experts, has won awards and accolades for her training methods and her personal experience as a trainer. She mentions one of her books, but leaves out the other: It’s Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet. Note how leaving out the first book – a dog-training book – demeans her. Victoria Stilwell has never claimed to have had contact with Lennox. She was asked to assess the evaluation videos & reports of the behaviorists & did so, turning in to the court what amounts to an amicus brief. Her celebrity status has been helpful in bringing attention to the case, which she readily acknowledges, but does not render her opinions any less noteworthy. In fact, I’d venture to suggest, going back to my original post, that while Peter Tallack would most likely not make the grade as a qualified expert, Ms. Stilwell would. So we see bias at work once again – more skillfully applied than some of the other proponents of the BCC have managed, but bias nonetheless.

In addition, regarding the court document…

The decision itself was poorly-written and not supported by the weight of the evidence.

when I’m writing legal documents. I would sink with embarrassment if I turned in a work product as bad as that decision!

Now my rebuttal to Karen...

First, notice that Karen starts off using a quote by Stephen Hawking to bolster her “opinion” as if her opinion is the TRUTH and implies that whatever anyone else’s opinion is or the facts themselves are not true. Tricky way to start off. Anyone who starts off by saying something like that, implying that they and they alone hold the truth and everyone else is ignorant, is flawed from the get go. I trust that Karen has NOT been as intimately involved in this case, has not read the court docs, done a ton of research nor read many different articles, listened to radio and TV interviews, watched videos, all from a variety of sources, as I have done. I could be wrong about that. To me, overall, her piece is a knee jerk reaction. Sorry, Karen.

This clearly is a very volatile issue with lots of people speaking and various opinions on all sides. I am all for people speaking their minds, expressing their opinions and appreciate when people back up their statements with facts. I am as biased as anyone else.  My position is I agree to disagree with everyone. And we can still discuss this rationally, if not objectively. When emotions run high, it takes a lot to bite one’s tongue. And I have been known to run off at the mouth, rant and rave and get on my soap box. But I do not masquerade my opinions and try to pass them off as facts. Stick to the facts, ma’am is usually the best way to go. All of us human beings are flawed and biased. Although I am a reporter/editor, I do not subscribe to and was not taught in J school the myth that journalists are objective. Although we may attempt to present a fair and balanced view, our opinions DO color the facts.

For instance, in my last term of college, I did an independent study of a controversial topic of my choice, abortion. My assignment was to research many different newspapers and to see how the topic was presented. Was there bias or objective journalism going on? I found out through many hours of reading newspapers from many different states that overall, at the time, in the early 80’s, for the most part, whenever pro-choice folks were quoted, they were presented as educated college folks and the article appeared on the front page or first page. However, when the pro life crowd were quoted, the article was on a last page and they were shown to be religious fanatics and nut cases. Perhaps this was coincidence but I think not.

I went to college and studied journalism, became a reporter and have worked as a reporter and editor since the 1980’s, my credentials, by the way.

Moving on.

Peter Tallack, the BCC “expert” is a police dog handler who was paid to testify for the BCC so he was NOT an impartial adviser. He had/has a biased agenda, an ax to grind. Do you believe celebrities or others who are paid spokespeople for a product or your best friend or neighbor who has NO financial stake ???

According to the provisions of the Dangerous Dog Act, Tallack does not have the necessary credentials to be an “expert.” He does not have a college degree.  He also offers opinions that he was not asked for including saying that Ms. Barnes shouldn’t own a dog because of her disability.

Personally, I condemn violence and threats. Victoria Stilwell, who many around the world hold in HIGH esteem due to her professionalism and qualifications as a dog trainer, a person who knows and understands dog behavior and who has worked with ALL types of dogs including aggressive dogs and pit bulls is definitely a credible person. No one paid her to talk about this. No one paid her to take Lennox to America. All you have to do is watch her work  on It’s Me or the Dog and read her books to know that she has integrity and is willing to speak the truth even when she probably should not. She has said that she has received threats by BCC employees and was even sued by Peter Tallack or at least he tried to sue her but he did not actually have a valid case against her.

Her words:

“I do not approve of threats and intimidation being done to anyone on either side and would appeal to those who conduct themselves in such a way to stop – you are not helping matters. But also be aware that those of us who have supported Lennox and the family themselves have also received threats, some from the very people that BCC employ.”

As a government witness for the Belfast City Council, Tallack tried to extort money from Victoria Stilwell.  Peter Tallack was paid by the BCC to condemn Lennox. He also attempted to extort money from The North Country Gazette apparently, threatening to sue and seek an injunction to attempt to stop the news publication from writing about him.

According to Victoria Stilwell’s Facebook page, Tallack tried to extort money from her.

“the BCC’s ‘expert’ did try to sue me for speaking out against him and questioning his credentials, and yes, he did expect money from me to settle the dispute. He was not successful because all I did was speak the truth.”

Apparently, a formal complaint against Tallack has been lodged with law enforcement officials.  Read more here:

http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/07/14/tallack_shakedown/

Karen dismisses the above as rumors. Clearly, they are not rumors.

BCC has a reputation for bullying folks. And now have a campaign against everyone and anyone who is speaking out against what they did to Lennox.  Dogs Today Magazine’s advertisers have been targeted and the company was threatened with calls to the police. For what? For speaking up for Lennox. Gee, all these rumors.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151036125059642&id=22448504641

Karen also mentioned Cesar Millan as if he somehow had more qualifications than Sarah Fisher and Victoria Stilwell. He is a man and also a dog trainer. Does that make him more qualified? He also offered to rehome Lennox behind the scenes. He did not say publicly (as far as I know) if he was able to discuss options with the BCC or not). However, his methods of dog training have been condemned by some as being too dominating, even abusive (kicking dogs, pushing them down, etc).

Stilwell is a dog trainer and behaviorist and works with pit bull type dogs all of the time. Many dogs she works with are aggressive, fearful, full of anxiety. I have seen her work with people and their dogs including pit bulls on TV numerous times. Her credentials are years of experience working with all kinds of dogs, some who have actually bitten people. Lennox NEVER bit anyone, was muzzled in public and was a family pet. Victoria arranged for Lennox to be rehomed in the USA in a sanctuary (she does not say which one but presumably Best Friends where the former Vick dogs live. I can say this as having worked there and knowing that this is something that they would do).

Even if Lennox was a dangerous dog there would have been NO danger to the public as Victoria had the transportation all arranged and the people at the sanctuary have years of working with difficult even so-called dangerous dogs and know how to do so safely.

Lennox had offers of sanctuary from some of the best-known dog advocates in the world, Cesar Millan, Victoria Stilwell, Jeff Coltenback, who has a pit bull rescue in New Jersey and has 20 years experience rescuing dogs and working with dogs including pit bulls. Lennox would NOT have been in a public setting and therefore he would not have been a threat to society as Tallack, Lightfoot and the BCC claimed.  Victoria and Jeff never received a reply from the BCC although they both made many phone calls and sent numerous requests.

Employees of the BCC received a memo issued in December, 2010 by an official of the BCC’s Health and Environmental Services Department which told members of the BCC not to discuss the Lennox case at any council meetings.

For the most part, the media in the United Kingdom also did not print articles about Lennox for the two years before Lennox’s death.

Government officials in Northern Ireland and the BCC knew of the situation as they received many many requests for clemency, phone calls and emails and obviously did nothing to stop the execution of an innocent dog.

With the exception of First Minister Peter Robinson who publicly said he did not agree with the court decision to kill Lennox, no government official has publicly addressed the worldwide outcry to save Lennox and requests for mercy from even the Italian government who also offered to rehome Lennox. There also has been no response to requests for an investigation into the BCC.

James Crosby, an expert witness in the US in several State Courts and one Federal District Court on dog aggression, canine behavior, dog assessment and dog attacks has 30 years experience working with truly dangerous dogs, 30  who have actually killed people. His comments:

“Whenever I evaluate an allegedly truly dangerous dog, I wear protective gear (kevlar gloves, etc.). If Lennox was so bad, where was the AC Officer’s protective gear? I used to make my AC Officers wear gloves at least when catching strays….Jim Crosby

for the rest of his comments, read his post (link below) and listen to his interviews (see below)

http://networkedblogs.com/zNR4K

“Even though the dog wardens claimed Lennox was dangerous, they never muzzled the dog in any of photographs and videos for assessment and evaluation”.  More unanswered questions and evidence at the link below.

http://celiasue.com/2012/07/13/justice-for-lennox/

If the BCC have nothing to hide, then why wouldn’t they let anyone, including the family, see Lennox before and after his death? why did they not allow the Barnes family a last visit (which they certainly had the authority to do). Once he was dead, Sarah Fisher stated that she offered to take the dead body to the family so that they could bury him but the BCC refused. WHY? What possible danger would he have been to anyone once he was dead? Why have they refused to send the family his body and/or his collar as a keepsake for the young girl??? And why have they refused to COMMUNICATE with anyone in the public responsibly???

another opinion

http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981474680

Lightfoot’s promotion to Animal Welfare Officer

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/328631

Perjury of Lightfoot

Lets not forget this dog warden shown in the pictures above gave evidence in court under oath stating that Lennox is aggressive, uncontrollable and she is afraid of him. The pictures raise the obvious questions, does this dog warden look at all afraid of Lennox? Does this dog warden look to be afraid of being in the same vicinity as Lennox? Does this dog warden look like she cannot control Lennox? Does Lennox show any signs of aggression toward this dog warden? Everyone can see that Lennox is willing to please and show love toward this warden and for this same warden to stand in court and claim under oath that she is afraid of Lennox is a disgrace to the dog warden service, the Belfast City Council for employing such an untrustworthy person and to the warden herself. The warden can clearly be seen in the picture placing her face up close to Lennox’s face which is not something a normal person would do if they claim they are afraid of a certain dog or claim it is aggressive and they cannot enter the same vicinity as such dog.
http://savelennox.com/2011/09/09/an-act-of-perjury-by-belfast-city-council-dog-wardens/

The BCC has either ignored phone calls or on the morning of Lennox’s death, they made rude animal noises to people calling and asking if the dog was still alive and hung up on them. And they even lied to at least one person’s face. A woman who was truly concerned and wanting to find out about the fate of the dog called the BCC for info. Two hours AFTER the BCC had released their statement (the woman did not know about this until later), the BCC assured this woman that Lennox was still alive.

What truly disturbs me is the horrible condition Lennox was in when Sarah Fisher met with him. He had NOT been in such terrible shape before when Lennox was with his family. Hair loss, sores on his body,a hurt neck and damaged paw. Were they taking proper care of him as they stated (see below)?

http://savelennox.com/2011/10/11/statement-on-lennox-by-sarah-fisher/

Here are court documents from the case

http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/lennoxcourtstatement.pdf

Some notes/excerpts about the court document…

In several instances they call Alexandra/Sandie Lightfoot… by the names Ms. Whitefoot and Ms. Lightwood…  if they cannot get the names correct, what else is incorrect in this court document? (I used to be a legal secretary and typos are not allowed never mind incorrect names)…at least in the USA this docment would not be acceptable… and inadmissible and certainly not considered a professional court doc.

The dog had a problem with stress and Ms. Barnes admitted that he was bad with strangers but had never bit anyone. She never let the dog near strangers, adults and children. She was willing to comply with muzzling, had insurance. The dog was registered as an American bulldog/Labrador on his license.  (see photocopy below).

Tallack was supposed to measure the dog, that is it. He had no expertise regarding dog behavior. But he said that the dog had a severe personality defect. He is not a dog psych nor a vet. He criticized Sarah Fisher’s methods. He thought that a dog biting a lead/leash as Lennox had was a bad sign (poppycock) and decided that Lennox was an accident waiting to happen… a mature dog fixed in its ways. (The former Vick dogs refute this nonsense completely)…

Sarah Fisher has not had experience with pit bull type dogs in the UK but HAS had experience with these dogs in the USA where they are NOT illegal. Fisher’s assessment started with Lennox being in a van. He was distressed and wanted to stay with Ms. Whitefoot who he clearly had a good relationship with. She clarified her methods, she used a clicker to see if that would upset the dog, introduced and withheld food/treats and tested the dog’s reactions to see if Lennox would react aggressively and he did not. She dropped the lead a couple of times, people walked by and Lennox did NOT attack anyone.

She mentioned his health issues and recommended that he visit a vet surgeon. She said that if the dog was in pain that could make him difficult to handle.  (Was any of this ever addressed by the BCC?)

Fisher then discussed David Ryan’s assessment… the court doc calls him Ramsey instead of Ryan a few times. (again, if they cannot get the names correct in a court document, this is indicative of other errors)…

Ryan noted that the dog could be muzzled and kept in the home of Ms. Barnes. Being in a kennel would be too traumatic for Lennox. More so than other dogs, he said. (Was this ever addressed by the BCC?)

Fisher noted that Lennox could have bit Ryan but did not do so. She concluded that Lennox was a well behaved dog.

There are opinions taken as facts by the court… I was impressed by the evidence of the dog warden… that is the dog’s warden’s opinions were considered facts. It seems according to the court/Judge that the opinions of the dog wardens and paid expert were viable but the real dog experts reports were dismissed.

it goes on talking about the factual evidence of Mr. Tallack which was NOT backed up by any factual evidence, we would call it hearsay.

Mr. Ryan recommended that Lennox go home with the Barnes family.

But then the court says that all of the experts said that Lennox was dangerous. Clearly, this is contradictory and NOT true. Fisher and Ryan said that Lennox should GO HOME.

Then it talks about public safety.

And how the court could not justify allowing Lennox to be in public and be safe according to the experts testimonies. (again ONLY the BCC’s testimony and opinion of the dog warden and Tallack were considered).

and the Judge dismisses the appeal.

Why was the same judge allowed to sit on the bench for appeal? He should have recused himself.

The court decisions in the Lennox case were all  based upon opinions of the BCC.  The decision whether or not he was “dangerous” was not based on facts—it was totally personal and subjective NOT objective.

Both the trial court and appellate court ignored the most important assessment reports from highly qualified dog trainers and behaviorists. David Ryan is listed on the UK’s Registry of Expert Witnesses, certificated as a clinical animal behaviorist by the Association for the Study of Animal Behavior, recognized by both the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Psychological Society and is a highly qualified, independent and impartial expert.

But the court instead took the word of  Tallack, a paid witness not an impartial outsider, someone who is known to have a strong dislike of pit bulls, and a person unqualified to give expert testimony.

The government’s response to a Freedom of Information request submitted to the BCC in November 2010 by a family member seeking “the actual conditions in which Lennox is being kept and a full description of the care that the dog is receiving, i.e. human contact, daylight, exercise, stimulation, feeding”, clearly debunks the government’s claim that Lennox was erratic and unsafe and that the staff was scared of him.

JV Corkey, Environmental Health Manager, wrote “Lennox is currently housed in a DARD approved kenneling facility. His pen is cleaned out on a daily basis.  He is fit and health and receives daily exercise.  He has a lot of interaction with the staff of the facility, has plenty of toys, has blankets for bedding and his pen is adequately heated.  He was recently examined by a vet who said that he appeared to be well cared for and settled.”

The First Minister of Northern Ireland saw no reason why Lennox could not be rehomed. Since I do not know how their system works, I don’t know who had the authority to allow Lennox to be rehomed to the USA. But I do know that exceptions and exemptions are allowed in the USA and could have been found IF the government officials wanted to do so.  We were told that the Queen could have offered clemency and that other officials including the BCC officials could have given Lennox a second chance, to be rehomed in the USA, despite their insistence that their hands were tied and that they had to abide by the court’s decision.

The BCC fought for their right to destroy the dog no matter what. They seemed determined to destroy him. For whatever reasons, I do not know. But from all of the work that I personally did learning about the system, talking to people in the UK and Northern Ireland, the BCC could have allowed Lennox to be rehomed IF THEY HAD WANTED TO DO SO.

Interview with BCC “expert”, Victoria Stilwell, Sarah Fisher and James Crosby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dCrHbQMhj4

James Crosby on BSL

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ask-sue/2012/07/16/ask-sue-show-joined-by-jim-crosby-regarding-bsl-laws-etc

Karen’s call to mobilize the Lennox army???  I laud her being against BSL and for calling for people to take care of pit bulls in the USA. That is all good and fine. She is also calling for Sarah Fisher to release her tape and David Ryan to release his assessment. Um, there are already photos from Sarah Fisher’s assessment as well as a video of Ryan’s assessment with Lightfoot.

Karen, is this your comment or someone who commented on your blog?

“You really do have to laugh at people who claim to be a “journalist” and unbiased and just reporting the facts. Anybody with a computer, internet access and a dictionary can lay claim to the title Journalist in this day and age. But most seem to be lacking that one important quaility; integrity……..Or, in other words, BEGONE TROLL, YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE!”

http://www.doggiestylish.com/blog/2012/07/lennox-the-redux-and-my-call-to-mobilize-the-lennox-army/