Monday, November 17, 2014
Four absolute Darlings
The black eared one is RJ (after her mum Ruby Junior), the little Brindle one Little Em but in her new home she will be called Hettie, the white one with the dot in her ear is Dottie at the moment but will soon be Phoebe and the other white one is Crystal. They were bred by Jane Foster and they are PROUDLY fed by Darlings. Sigh. Arent they beautiful?
BAD!!
That is what He sayed!
And He sayed it loud too!
We knowed that when He sayed BAD!!! loud He meaned Aswell should stopped what He is doing.
Aswell did had a busy weekend being BAD!!
He getted on we table and eated we butter.
He runned away and maked He had to go catched he.
He opened the door to getted the garbage and he maked a mess!!
Aswell maked He sayed BAD!! too much times!
Good thing I do not be too BAD, huh? I do be a good girl.
Maybe not all the time - sometimes I do getted in troubles too - but Aswell getted way more BAD!! than me do!
Read More..
And He sayed it loud too!
We knowed that when He sayed BAD!!! loud He meaned Aswell should stopped what He is doing.
Aswell did had a busy weekend being BAD!!
He getted on we table and eated we butter.
He runned away and maked He had to go catched he.
He opened the door to getted the garbage and he maked a mess!!
Aswell maked He sayed BAD!! too much times!
Good thing I do not be too BAD, huh? I do be a good girl.
Maybe not all the time - sometimes I do getted in troubles too - but Aswell getted way more BAD!! than me do!
Pit bulls in the news
Last week, I got on my soapbox to defend pit bulls after the uncle of a boy who was fatally mauled by his parent’s dog said that the breed was “sent by satan.”
Don’t expect me to always be on the pit bull’s side.
I am a reasonable person.
In Waterford Township, where a pit bull ban is in place, a man has been making headlines because he apparently can’t keep his pit bull under control.
First off, I am not in favor of breed bans. But all the same, the law is the law and this man is not following it.
Despite the fact that officials knew he had a pit bull, he was not ordered to get rid of it. That’s kind.
But instead of taking this opportunity to be a breed ambassador, to disprove stereotypes that all pit bulls are bad and all pit bull owners are irresponsible, he chose to reinforce the stereotype.
His pit bull obviously didn’t receive a proper upbringing, as its history of threatening the neighbors shows it has some aggression issues.
And, instead of trying to rehabilitate the aggression issues while keeping the dog safely restrained to its own yard, he let it continue to get loose.
The dog has bitten at least one person and threatened others. Most recently, one neighbor was threatened by the dog twice in one day.
To make a bad situation worse, the man earned himself disorderly conduct charges when he dealt with officers called by the neighbors.
Now it’s a horrible situation, but it gets worse.
This pit bull, who obviously doesn’t have a good temperament, was bred. She has nine puppies.
Why? Why would you breed a dog with a bad temperament?
I am saddened and disappointed by this man’s irresponsible actions.
I can only imagine how his neighbors must view pit bulls and their owners now.
Read More..
Don’t expect me to always be on the pit bull’s side.
I am a reasonable person.
In Waterford Township, where a pit bull ban is in place, a man has been making headlines because he apparently can’t keep his pit bull under control.
First off, I am not in favor of breed bans. But all the same, the law is the law and this man is not following it.
Despite the fact that officials knew he had a pit bull, he was not ordered to get rid of it. That’s kind.
But instead of taking this opportunity to be a breed ambassador, to disprove stereotypes that all pit bulls are bad and all pit bull owners are irresponsible, he chose to reinforce the stereotype.
His pit bull obviously didn’t receive a proper upbringing, as its history of threatening the neighbors shows it has some aggression issues.
And, instead of trying to rehabilitate the aggression issues while keeping the dog safely restrained to its own yard, he let it continue to get loose.
The dog has bitten at least one person and threatened others. Most recently, one neighbor was threatened by the dog twice in one day.
To make a bad situation worse, the man earned himself disorderly conduct charges when he dealt with officers called by the neighbors.
Now it’s a horrible situation, but it gets worse.
This pit bull, who obviously doesn’t have a good temperament, was bred. She has nine puppies.
Why? Why would you breed a dog with a bad temperament?
I am saddened and disappointed by this man’s irresponsible actions.
I can only imagine how his neighbors must view pit bulls and their owners now.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
How to resuscitate your dog if his heart stops beating
A dog's breathing and heartbeat can suddenly stop after being in a traffic accident, drowning, poisoning, or from shock. When this happens, it is crucial to administer an immediate cardiac massage as well as artificial respiration in order to save his life. As soon as you notice that he has stopped breathing, have someone help you call the vet for advice while doing your best to resuscitate the dog. It is very important to get oxygen rich blood to the brain as quickly as possible to prevent brain damage. His heart needs to be restarted within a few minutes in order for him to survive.
If you are not sure whether or not the dog is breathing, press your ear firmly on his chest and listen for a heartbeat. Once you hear a heartbeat, you may go ahead and begin mouth-to-nose resuscitation. However, if you cannot hear the heartbeat, then you need to start administering cardiac arrest immediately.
When starting the mouth-to-nose resuscitation, have the dog lie down on its side, making sure that the neck is stretched forward. Clear any obstructions from the mouth and pull the tongue forward. If you see any damage to the nose, an unconscious dog will breathe through the mouth and the tongue may block its breathing.
While keeping his neck as straight as possible, cup his nose with your hands and breathe into the nostrils for about three seconds to inflate the lungs. Observe the chest to make sure that it has expanded. Pause for 2 seconds and then repeat the process.
Check to make sure that the heart is still beating by feeling behind the dog's elbow with your hand or by placing your ear on the dog's chest to listen for a heartbeat. As long as the heart is beating, keep on administering the mouth-to-nose resuscitation until the dog is able to breath on his own.
If the dog's heart stops beating, you need to start administering cardiac massage right away. Begin by placing the heel of your hand just behind the dog's elbow on the left side of his chest. Place your other hand on top then firmly press both hands down and forward toward the brain. By doing this, you are squeezing blood out of his heart and into the brain. Repeat the procedure 6 times at 1 second intervals.
After you have finished with the 6 cardiac massage, give 1 breath of mouth-to-nose resuscitation. Continue alternating until the heart starts beating, then you may start resuscitating.
Why Dogs Cock Their Heads To The Side
It wasn't by accident that advertising for the company �RCA� once featured a dog cocking his head in front of a speaker horn. There's something about this position that most people find utterly adorable. Dogs know it, too, which is why they do it, even when they aren't trying to hear anything in particular. We give them a positive response, and they remember that. Also, dogs tilt their heads for very practical reasons as well. Tilting the head to the side puts one of the ears up and forward. By turning an ear in the direction of fuzzy or inaudible sounds, dogs are able to hear a little more clearly.
We often forget how confusing human speech is for dogs. Even though dogs understand some of what we're saying, most of our conversation is just a blur of sound to them. Usually, they just ignore it. They can tell from our body language and eye movements when we're saying things that concern them. Once something attracts their interest, they'll often perk up their ears and tilt their heads slightly in order to figure out what's going on.
Dogs rarely cock their heads when sounds are coming from the sides, since their ears are
already in prime hearing position. They mainly do it when people are in front of them, since the sound waves aren't traveling directly toward the ears. You'll see this more in puppies than older dogs. It's not that puppies have more trouble hearing. They just haven't been around us long enough to figure out what's important and what isn't. So they respond to almost any sound with a little head-cock, especially when we're looking at them at the same time. They know something interesting is happening, and they don't want to miss a thing. They often cock their heads to make sense out of the babble of noise. The movement allows them to capture every bit of sound.
The way a dog's ears are designed may play some role in how much he cocks his head.
Pricked-up ears may be slightly more efficient than other ear shapes, since sound waves are able to go right in. Floppy ears present a problem. The sound waves have to pass through a big, heavy ear flap before reaching the eardrum. This probably doesn't make a big difference, but dogs with heavy, hanging ears may have to work a little harder in order to hear what's being said. The inside of a dog's ear is shaped like a cup. This design allows the ears to scoop in sound waves - but only when the opening is unencumbered.
Nottinghamshire Police Dog Section show winner
HQ/05082011/34 PRESS RELEASE
MIJ THE POLICE DOG HAS HIS DAY
Friday 5 August 2011
Mij the sniffer dog is now the most decorated member of the Nottinghamshire Police dog squad after taking home six rosettes at a dog show last weekend (30 to 31 July 2011).
The Springer Spaniel attended the Ged Walker Memorial Dog Show, held at West Park in Long Eaton.
His handler PC Stuart Hazard said: “We already knew Mij was a special dog with some very special skills, but it was great to be able to show him off, as well as raise money for a cause that resonated so keenly with us within the dog section.
“He’s got more decorations than all of us put together now!”
The dog show has been staged for the past nine years in tribute to PC Ged Walker, a Nottinghamshire Police dog handler who died in the line of duty on 9 January 2003 after being fatally injured by a stolen taxi in Bulwell. He died in hospital two days later of serious head injuries.
In December 2003, 26-year-old David Parfitt was convicted of PC Walker’s manslaughter and was sentenced to thirteen years in prison.
Six-year-old Mij, a Specialist Search Dog trained in the detection and the location of narcotics, firearms, and component parts of firearms and ammunition, was proudly led out into the arena for each class by his best friend Robson, the eight-year-old son of PC Hazard.
The pair received rosettes in the following categories: Best Gun Dog, Best Condition, Agility, Junior Handler, Best Six Legs, The Dog the Judge Would Most Like to Take Home and the Waggiest Tail.
Dog handler PC Andy Pickersgill’s daughter Daisy, 11, also won a Junior Handler rosette with seven-year-old operational and firearm support German Shepherd, Blade.
PC Hazard with Mij and PC Pickersgill with Blade also gave the four hundred attendees a demonstration of the dogs’ skills in searching out drugs and weapons, and capturing fleeing offenders
Organiser Jan Wesley, from The Old Park Farm Dog Training School based in Bilborough, said: “The Notts Police dog section always put on a good show for us, but the added novelty of the kids with the two dogs entering the competitions made it a little bit special this year.
“They loved it. They both had lovely smiles on their faces and were very excited before each class. Considering some of the classes had 30 to 40 entrants they did exceptionally well.
“I think we have recruited two more dog lovers and I fully expect them to be at next year’s show.”
In attendance at this year’s show was PC Walker’s wife Tracy, who took home her own rosette in the gun dog category with Cocker Spaniel Tilly.
More than £1,000 was raised during the show, with proceeds split between the Care of Police Survivors (COPS) Foundation, and military charity Help for Heroes.
The mother and sisters of Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, were also at the show. Twenty-six-year-old LCpl Tasker was killed in Afghanistan on 1 March 2011. His sniffer dog Theo died of a seizure shortly after.
The parents of Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe were also in attendance. The 24-year-old dog handler, with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, was killed in Afghanistan on 24 July 2008 alongside his ammunitions and explosives sniffer dog Sasha.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Supplementary to this release is a photo of Robson Hazard, Mij and PC Stuart Hazard at Ged Walker’s Memorial Bench, which is situated outside the Dogs Section at Nottinghamshire Police Headquarters in Arnold.
Mij’s performance in each class is detailed below:
- First place in the Dog the Judge Would Most Like to Take Home class
- Second place in the Junior Handler class
- Third place in the Waggiest Tail class
- Fourth place in the Best Condition class
- Fifth place in the Best Gun Dog class.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
National Police Dog Trials 1988 and 1989
The winner of both Trials Pc Alan French with Police Dog Khan
Cool Treat Ideas for Dogs
Last month at my cooking class hosted by Sizzleworks in Seattle (see pics here) we talked about things that people give to their dogs for chewing treats. Bones of course should be provided with caution because they can crack teeth and cause obstructions when large pieces are ingested. Another favorite used by many of the students at the class is ice cubes. That made me cringe a bit because ice too can crack teeth depending on how cold and hard the ice is frozen. I suggested that ice might be a great way to help a hot dog cool down if we included items like berries, shredded carrots or diced apple. Since these items are porous they compromise the structure of the ice and make it much easier for dogs to chomp through.
Our taste testers at home loved this treat, especially since I made it with homemade (onion-free) chicken stock. Just chop, pour a couple of cups of your preferred liquid and freeze for 4-6 hours. This is a treat best provided outside while your dogs is sunning himself.
Another cool idea is a just providing frozen carrots or green beans. Your dog will wag with appreciation.
Read More..
Our taste testers at home loved this treat, especially since I made it with homemade (onion-free) chicken stock. Just chop, pour a couple of cups of your preferred liquid and freeze for 4-6 hours. This is a treat best provided outside while your dogs is sunning himself.
Another cool idea is a just providing frozen carrots or green beans. Your dog will wag with appreciation.
Helping animals one bottle at a time
My local shelter has started a new donation program though "CLYNK". In case you havent heard of it, let me walk you through. First you go to your local shelter or participating rescue group. In my case that is The Humane Society of Knox County. They give you a package of biodegradable plastic bags.
Each bag comes in a paper wrapper with a sticker on it. The sticker has a bar code specificly for that rescue group. You fill the bag with returnable bottles and cans.
When it is full you peel and place the sticker onto the bag in the assigned spot.
Then simply take the bag and drop it off at your local Hannaford grocery store collection point. This happens to be pretty convienient since I shop there anyways. The collection point scans the barcode and the money collected from the returnables goes into their account. You have nothing to keep track of AND they provide the bags so you arent out anything but your drop off time. It is a fabulous program and SO easy to participate in. Please consider helping out your local shelters or rescue group. Those nickels might not mean much to you but they can add up to a heck of a lot of much needed funds for the animals in need.
Read More..
Each bag comes in a paper wrapper with a sticker on it. The sticker has a bar code specificly for that rescue group. You fill the bag with returnable bottles and cans.
When it is full you peel and place the sticker onto the bag in the assigned spot.
Then simply take the bag and drop it off at your local Hannaford grocery store collection point. This happens to be pretty convienient since I shop there anyways. The collection point scans the barcode and the money collected from the returnables goes into their account. You have nothing to keep track of AND they provide the bags so you arent out anything but your drop off time. It is a fabulous program and SO easy to participate in. Please consider helping out your local shelters or rescue group. Those nickels might not mean much to you but they can add up to a heck of a lot of much needed funds for the animals in need.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Blue Buffalo Recall
I reviewed a lot of dog food labels before deciding on which dry food to supplement our own dogs food. Now Blue Buffalo is recalling some of the lines of food. This is pretty upsetting because this is one of the brands that Ive recommended to many of you based upon the quality ingredients they use. The recall is due to an excessive amount of Vitamin D in the food which can cause calcium in the blood to soar and/or damage a dogs kidneys. This is a manufacturing error; I still believe Blue Buffalo uses quality ingredients.
However, were taking our dogs off this brand and Id suggest that you do the same.
For more information visit the below link:
http://bluebuffalo.com/news/vitamin-d-voluntary-recall.shtml
Were out of homemade food for Raleigh and I was supposed to test my homemade kibble recipe today. It looks like I better get cooking. Our dogs will be getting a lot more homemade food for a while. If anybody else wants a recipe, let me know.
Read More..
However, were taking our dogs off this brand and Id suggest that you do the same.
For more information visit the below link:
http://bluebuffalo.com/news/vitamin-d-voluntary-recall.shtml
Were out of homemade food for Raleigh and I was supposed to test my homemade kibble recipe today. It looks like I better get cooking. Our dogs will be getting a lot more homemade food for a while. If anybody else wants a recipe, let me know.
Piggy!
Today Aswell do be being a PIGGY!!!
She do cooked some sausages!!
They do smelled SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good so I do thinked I will liked to had some!
So I do sitted very pretty and I do waited for She to gived we some sausages!
And She do!!
She do throwed me a piece and it do bounced off me and Aswell do getted it!!
So She do throwed another one and I do missed that too and Aswell do getted it!!
And Aswell do getted too much sausages before I do catched one!!!
Bad Aswell! Aswell do be a sausage piggy today!!!
Read More..
She do cooked some sausages!!
They do smelled SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good so I do thinked I will liked to had some!
So I do sitted very pretty and I do waited for She to gived we some sausages!
And She do!!
She do throwed me a piece and it do bounced off me and Aswell do getted it!!
So She do throwed another one and I do missed that too and Aswell do getted it!!
And Aswell do getted too much sausages before I do catched one!!!
Bad Aswell! Aswell do be a sausage piggy today!!!
A Guide to Dog ‘Shelters’ and Dog Rescue Groups In Ottawa the Ottawa Area Ottawa Valley Gatineau Ontario and Canada
I am providing this guide/listing for the following reasons...
One - So people in the region have access to a comprehensive, categorized list of services.
One - So people in the region have access to a comprehensive, categorized list of services.
Not all ‘shelters’ are the same – in the absence of knowledge you may end-up dropping YOUR dog off at a kill or high-kill shelter.
Two - To ensure that people that TRULY have no choice but to surrender their dog have access to a simple list providing them with multiple contact options.
Three - to Educate People
- Just because you call a rescue does not mean that they can take your dog…
- Most rescues are run by volunteers who foster dogs out of their personal residence.
- If all the fosters are currently looking after a dog, that rescue cannot take your dog until a foster becomes available;
- Second most rescues will not take a dog that has bitten a human, but there are a few rescues who will;
- Third, if you take a dog who has bitten (full out bite - breaking of the skin as opposed to nip) a human and drop it off at most municipally/provincially funded shelters (Humane Society, SPCA, etc) your dog will not be put up for adoption – it will instead be killed – unless you have managed to make your way to one of the very few no-kill HS or SPCA shelters (see list below).
- If you surrender a dog to a municipally/provincially funded shelter in Ontario or Quebec YOUR dog can end up being used as a research animal (‘scientific’ invasive, lethal testing) in which case the dog will die after being USED as a researchanimal.
- This practice of using shelter dogs is called Pound Seizure – it is not only legal in Ontario it is also the law. Pound seizure is also legal and practiced in Quebec.
- Your dog can also end-up in a kill shelter that uses Gas Chambers and/or;
- Heart Sticking to euthanize your dog .Intracardial injections, commonly referred to as "heartsticks," are considered inhumane and cruel when performed on animals that arent anesthetized or comatose. I personally consider the practice cruel and inhumane regardless of whether the animal is anesthetized, comtose or not! Using the "heartstick" method is painful as the needle containing sodium phenobarbital (a schedule II controlled substance used to euthanize animals) passes through the chest wall and several layers of muscle before puncturing the heart. If the euthanasia substance isnt carefully and accurately administered, an animals lungs could be punctured, causing them to fill with fluid. Which is an even more cruel and painful way to die.Often the sticking does not enter in the right place, so the technician will just keep sticking the dog, creating one wound after another until they get the right location...while the dog continues to suffer. Often the dogs are not anesthetised at all, or not sufficiently
Four - For those dear people who love their dog selflessly – just as a dog loves…
- People who find themselves in a circumstance beyond their control – although they truly (and I mean truly) love their dogs but have themselves, become ill, have cancer, are dying and as such cannot keep their beloved dog, and do not have a family member of friend who will take the dog – regardless of the temperament of the dog;
- And in finding themselves in this terrible position will not just list their dog on Kijjij, Used Ottawa, Craig’s List etc. either for profit (money) or for free.
- While some of the dogs listed on these type of sites (i.e. Kijjij do make it to very loving homes...
- Many of the dogs listed on these sites end up absued; used in (illegal) dog fighting rings – either as fight dogs or bait dogs. Yes there are illegal dog fighting rings in Ontario and the Ottawa Region as well as elsewhere in Canada. The dogs who are used in fighting rings suffer much pain , abuse and then death.
‘Shelters’ and Rescue Groups - a Comprehensive List
First, it is of the utmost importance to understand that if your dog has a history of biting people – it does not mean your dog is bad, but it does mean your dog is misunderstood and has lacked the opportunity to have proper leadership in its life. Dogs are not by nature indiscriminately aggressive – people inadvertently create aggression in dogs. And yes, some people intentionally create aggression.
Most SPCA, ‘Humane’ Society ‘shelters’ in this area ARE KILL shelters – they will not put your dog-up for adoption, YOUR dog WILL be killed;Most Rescue Organizations in this area will not take a dog that has a history of biting people, a history of killing other dogs, cats etc.However there ARE a few rescue organizations in this area which WILL take such dogs, as noted further below…
Rescue Groups Who Will Take Dogs
That Have NOT Bitten People, or killed other dogs, cats etc.
Arbed Rescue - Quebec
BARK - Bytown Association For Rescued Kanines – Ottawa Ontario
Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services – Oxford Station Ontario
Blue Moon Catahoula and Big Dog Rescue – Finch Ontario
Catahoula Rescue (Ontario) – various fosters on location in Ontario
Friendly Giants Dog Rescue – Ottawa, Ontario
Friends of Abandoned Pets (FOAP) – Ottawa
Genesis Dog Rescue – Ottawa, Ontario
Good Dog Rescue – Manotick, Ontario
Hopeful Hearts - Dog Rescue - Ottawa, Ontario
K-911 Rescue – Manotick, Ontario
Lanark Animal Welfare Society (LAWS) - Smith Falls, Ontario
Loyal Rescue Inc. – Ottawa, Ontario (email: info@loyalrescue.com)
NARC - Navan Animal Rescue Corp – Navan, Ontario
The Canine Rescue Team of Ottawa – Ottawa, Ontario
Trinity of Hope Dog Rescue - Manotick, Ontario
Additional Rescues in Ottawa, Ontario and Across Canada
No-Kill Rescue Groups and Humane Society Shelters
That MAY or WILL Take Dogs That HAVE Bitten People,
and may or will also take dogs who have killed other dogs, cats etc.
Loyal Rescue Inc. – Ottawa, Ontario (email: info@loyalrescue.com)
Good Dog Rescue – Manotick, Ontario
NARC - Navan Animal Rescue Corp – Navan, Ontario
Arnprior and District Humane Society – Arnprior, Ontario
Gananoque & District Humane Society - Gananoque, ON
SPCA de louest Quebec (SPCA of Western Quebec) - 659 Auguste-Mondoux Gatineau (alymer-Sector, Quebec
High-Kill Humane Society and SPCA Shelters
Understand that if you bring your aggressive-reactive dog to these facilities Your dog will not be put up for adoption - your dog is at a very high risk of being KILLED If your dog has a history of biting People YOUR dog WILL be killed! YOUR dog will be killed at the shelter via gas chamber, lethal injection or heartsticking as detailed below.
Ottawa Humane Society – Ottawa, Ontario
If you surrender your dog who bites or is aggro-reactive in any way to people and in many cases to other animals, your dog has a 99.9% chance of being sentenced to death and subsequently killed (‘euthanized’) in this ‘shelter’. Death is by lethal injection given humanely - usually via an injection on one of the dogs front legs..
Renfrew County Branch - Ontario SPCA – Pembroke, Ontario
If your dog strays and ends up at this SPCA or if you surrender your dog to this SPCA and it is not adopted in 72 hours regardlessof the dog’s behavioural tendencies (beautifully behaved, well trained dogs included!) your dog will be killed either by lethal injection, gas chamber (takes 20 to 60 minutes to die, sometimes requires second gassing – another 20 to 60 minutes, cruel, traumatic, painful, frightening, slow torturous way to die) or may use heart sticking (painful, traumatic, cruel).
SPCA Outaouais – Gatineau, 132 rue De Varennes, Gatineau Quebec
If your dog ends up here, or you surrender your dog here you should understand that this shelter get a very, very high volume of dogs in, and while they do their best to have dogs adopted out the rate of adoption at the facility currently sits at about 30% of intake, the rate of euthanasia is very, very high. The facility also includes a gas chamber which is used to euthanize about 30% of the dogs that are put-to-death, while the other 60% are euthanized by lethal injection. Death by gas chamber is a terrible way to die.
If Your Are Not Familiar With The Use Of Gas Chambers to Kill Dogs (and cats)
You can and SHOULD take a quick read here….
- Did You Know that Some Shelters in Canada ‘Euthanize’ Dogs and Cats in a Gas Chamber? Ban the Use of Gas Chambers in Canada!
Want to Do Something to Stop The Use of Gas Chambers on Dogs and Cats in Canada?
- Join Take-Action-2-Ban-Animal-Gas-Chambers-In-Canada
- Sign petitions on Care 2, Change.Org, Force Change, etc. - I do!
In case you are wondering...
YES, I am an active and dedicated dog and animal advocate (you can go to my Twitter, Facebook Account, and/or read more on this blog site to understand how dedicated I am). I donate a lot of my time to making up for humans that treat dogs (and other animals) as disposable items. I live it, work it, breath it. Perhaps you see your dog as just a ‘dog’ but I know that a dog is so much more. Dogs have much to teach people about being better beings.
Working with, helping and protecting dogs is not just my job, it is my passion. Why? Because I dont have a life No. Becasue...
- I do all that I can to be a truly responsible being;
- I have a strong sense of ethics and morals and the conviction to keep those senses;
- I can can see all of the expressions on a dogs face that you can see on a humans face. Dogs do smile.
- I know that dogs have all of the emotions that humans have – with the exception of cruelty…an emotion that belongs to humans and some primates.
- For the same reason that my methods when working with dogs are more effective than those people that use only treats or force-dominance to work with a dog...
- My attitude IS NOT - me human, you dog and therefore you must listen to me.
I acknowledge that humans are NOT the most intelligent species on earth.
I acknowledge that humans are the most destructive and arrogant species on earth. - I understand the a human cannot own another being or its life, a human can however be that other beings guardian;
- I know that I do not know everything;I understand that non-human animals such as a dog have so much that they can and always do try to teach humans about being better beings...it is just that most humans do not know how to listen...I do listen, and that is why I am a Dog Whisperer and not a trainer.
- The relationship between man and dog should be mutually beneficial, not singularly beneficial (to the human only);
- Dogs are not disposable items to be used however the human sees fit and then discarded in the manner most convenient to the human.
STOP GASSING DOGS TO DEATH
IN MY OPINION, I FEEL, I KNOW THAT...DOGS ARE PERSONS, THEY ARE JUST NON-HUMAN PERSONS.
Why do I think this?
Because I have seen, felt, sensed, experienced that dogs are capable of and do deployimmense intelligence - intelligence that can match and better the capability of many a human.
Because I see the facial expressions of dogs...smiling, happy, depressed, fearful.
Because I have seen and experienced my dogs when they are dreaming and when they are having nightmares…just a gentle word from me - their human mom - and the nightmare stops.
Because I have seen and experienced that they could, can and do teach me things about myself and about others that no human ever took the time to teach me.
Because I have seen and experienced that they do grieve, they do care, they do each have their own unique personalities. They do know right from wrong, they are not cruel, they are always ready to do better, they do not hold grudges.
Because I have seen and experienced that they help others without the motivation of monetary reward or any other reward other than wanting to please and just be themselves.
BECAUSE I ASSIGN AS MUCH WORTH TO A DOG AS I DO TO A HUMAN...and sometimes more...depends on the human!
Because when a human takes a dog’s life away through neglect, abuse - cruelty, it is no different to me than taking a human’s life away.
All dogs have so much that they are willing to share with humanity.
If we are willing to open our minds to see, we can learn so much from them about ourselves. They can help us be more aware of our own behaviour and give us a second chance to grow into better, wiser and happier individuals. When you help a dog it is not just the dog that gets a second lease on life and a new opportunity...it is also the human.
For all these reasons it is wrong to gas dogs to death. Why do some people think there is nothing wrong with this practice? They could not be more wrong. It is illegal to do this to humans and so it should be for dogs as well. Dogs feel as much pain, confusion, stress and terror as we do. Anyone who thinks differently is just deluding themselves so they do not have to take responsibility for the great injustice that they do.
When a dog ends up in a shelter it is because humanity has let the dog down.
Dogs dont get to choose who they live with and what is done to them. Their welfare and their lives are at the mercy of human beings - will they end up with someone who truly respects and loves them or with someone who uses and abuses them - then discards their life as if it is trash. This means that we need be very serious about protecting them.
A shelter should not kill dogs, they should give provide a temporary place of safety, until a dog can be adopted. Dogs are mans best friend - to treat them as you are doing is a terrible betrayal of trust and abuse of a precious gift to mankind.
What a dog wants most is to have the opportunity to live the life it deserves to live - to be loved and to give love like only a dog can. Not only are you not doing everything you can to see that the dog is not let down again by humanity, you are also killing them. You worst of all, the final betrayal - you are killing them in a truly cruel manner.
Shame on you. In doing this you exemplify the worst of the human species - lack of empathy and cruelty.
Please learn from past errors and stop this practice. No more gassing dog to death.
And if you dont like my attitude or views - well too bad.
My interpretation of the following letter is... Can You Face the Truth of What You Do Human?
Shelter Managers Letter - Kill Shelters
As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all - a view from the inside, if you will.
Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you dont even know - that puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when its not a cute little puppy anymore.
How would you feel if you knew that theres about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at - purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.
No shortage of excuses
The most common excuses I hear are:
- We are moving and we cant take our dog (or cat).
- Really? Where are you moving to that doesnt allow pets?
- The dog got bigger than we thought it would.
- How big did you think a German Shepherd would get?
- We dont have time for her.
- Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs!
- Shes tearing up our yard.
- How about bringing her inside, making her a part of your family?
- They always tell me:
- We just dont want to have to stress about finding a place for her. We know shell get adopted - shes a good dog. Odds are your pet wont get adopted, and how stressful do you think being in a shelter is?
Well, let me tell you. Dead pet walking!
Your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off, sometimes a little longer if the shelter isnt full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy.
If it sniffles, it dies.
Your pet will be confined to a small run / kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.
If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers that day to take him / her for a walk. If I dont, your pet wont get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose.
If your dog is big, black or any of the "bully" breeds (pit bull, rottweiler, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just dont get adopted.
If your dog doesnt get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed.
If the shelter isnt full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed, it may get a stay of execution, though not for long. Most pets get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment.
If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles, chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just dont have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.
The grim reaper
Heres a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down".
First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk - happy, wagging their tails. That is, until they get to "The Room".
Every one of them freaks out and puts on the breaks when we get to the door. It must smell like death, or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there. Its strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs (depending on their size and how freaked out they are). A euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesnt panic from being restrained and jerk its leg. Ive seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood, and been deafened by the yelps and screams.
They all dont just "go to sleep" - sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.
When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back, with all of the other animals that were killed, waiting to be picked up like garbage.
What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? Youll never know, and it probably wont even cross your mind. It was just an animal, and you can always buy another one, right?
Liberty, freedom and justice for all
I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and cant get the pictures out of your head. I do everyday on the way home from work. I hate my job, I hate that it exists and I hate that it will always be there unless people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.
Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.
My point to all of this is DONT BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!
Hate me if you want to - the truth hurts and reality is what it is.
I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this thing on a Blog Site and it made me want to adopt".
That would make it all worth it."
Author unknown
And I (being Karen the Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer) would just add that in many places in North America - those euthanized dogs - well their dead bodies are sold by the so called shelter to pet and farm animal food/feed manufactures for rendering down to fat, etc. which is then used to make pet/farm animal food.
Additional Assistance
If you require additional support and guidance I would be pleased to assist you via my In-Person or On-Line Services…
Dog Obedience Training and Behaviour Modification Services:
In-Person sessions are available via this service
In-Person sessions are available via this service
On-Line consultation and sessions are available via this service
Diet, Nutrition Wellness Services:
Unbiased Diet, Nutrition, Product Advice is available via this service
Diet, Nutrition Wellness Plans are available via this service
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
