B-More Dog Community Pit Bull Day in Ellwood Park

On Saturday, November 19, 2011, B-More Dog (an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) hosted Community Pit Bull Day in Ellwood Park. With the help of veterinarian Dr. Johnny Slaughter volunteering his time, more than 70 dogs were vaccinated in this Southeast Baltimore neighborhood. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday and more than 200 people came out with their pets!

B-More Dog is a group of dedicated pit bull owners and advocates who volunteer their time, knowledge, and experience with the goal of "Making Baltimore a better place for Pit Bulls and their families." While not a dog rescue organization, B-More Dog focuses on education and outreach. In addition to hosting neighborhood outreach events like this, B-More Dog provides free humane education seminars to schools and community associations, partners with local shelters, and stays abreast of local and state legislation with the potential to affect dog owners.

Inspired by similar pit bull events hosted by organizations across the country, Community Pit Bull Days in Baltimore assists Baltimore dog owners with keeping their dogs healthy and happy. B-More Dog focuses their efforts to pit bull owners because pit bull-type dogs (over)populate local shelters in Baltimore (and across the country).

During Community Pit Bull Day, B-More Dog provided Rabies vaccines for dogs of age, as well as DAPPv (Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type 2, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus vaccine) for dogs who previously received their booster. As part of our mission, pit bull-type dogs were vaccinated for free; nearly 75% of the dogs receiving rabies shots were pit bulls or pit bull-mixes.

B-More Dog also provided a Leash and Collar Exchange booth. This supplies dog owners with sturdy, properly fitting, clean equipment for their dogs. In exchange for the new gear, dog owners have to swap out their old gear which included both leashes and collars made of chains and rope. Unfortunately, we quickly ran out of leashes.

This interaction presented a great opportunity to discuss spaying and neutering animals. Many dog owners were receptive to the idea and 10 responsible pet owners were given free vouchers to use before the end of the year!

Other activities included an “Ask The Trainer” segment, as well as a training demonstration. All of us at B-More Dog were overjoyed with the day’s results, as well as for the many times we heard “thank you” and “bless you.” B-More Dog is unendingly grateful to veterinarian Dr. Johnny Slaughter, DVM, CVA, who generously volunteers his time to make Community Pit Bull Day happen. Information about Dr. Johnny is available at www.camdeninnerharborvet.com/

Many special thanks to Caroline Griffin, Chairperson of the Baltimore Mayor’s Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission, who stopped by to visit and graciously let us put her to work by driving to pick up more copies of our rabies certificates! We almost ran out (our goal for the day was 50 dogs and we only had paperwork for this amount), and Caroline made it possible for many more dogs to be vaccinated.

We also can’t thank our dedicated volunteers enough! (Not everyone is pictured, but we know who they are.)

B-More Dog is planning quarterly Community Pit Bull Days throughout the City in 2012. A “wish list” of donation items (leashes, collars, flea preventives, etc.) will be available shortly. We’d love your support!

More information is available about B-More Dog at:
Email: b_moredog@yahoo.com
Website: http://bmoredog.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/35638834718/10150395379909719/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/bmoredog

Tips for a Dog Friendly Thanksgiving

A celebration of family, friends, and food, Thanksgiving is among the favorite holidays of many Americans. The delicious feast is anticipated well in advance of the actual day. But while preparing for the celebration, it’s important to keep mindful of our four-legged family members and remember what we can do to keep them safe.

Our dogs are part of the family and it is tempting to make a plate for them when doling out heaping helpings of all our favorite Thanksgiving dishes. However, overdoing it on high-fat holiday foods—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and other favorites—can upset a dog’s stomach and result in gas, diarrhea, or life-threatening pancreatitis.

It is fine if you want to give a small taste of some of the holiday dishes, including the turkey—but make sure the meat is fully cooked, boneless, and skinless.

Following are some additional tips to keep in mind:

• Before the guests arrive, exercise your dogs so they are tired and on their best behavior during the meal.
• Make sure guests in your home know the house rules regarding your dogs. Make sure that children know the dangers of roughhousing with the dog and that everyone knows not to feed from the table. Placing your dog’s crate in a quiet room will allow for a quiet break from the action.
• Have stuffed Kongs prepared in case the dog is begging for food and needs to be distracted. Very small portions of Thanksgiving food stuffed into the Kong could make for a nice treat.
• Keep the turkey carcass and plates with bones out of reach, as cooked turkey bones are sharp, can cause extensive damage to internal organs, and can go undetected for several days.
• Keep toxic foods such as sage and onions, as well as uncooked cake batter (to avoid food poisoning from raw eggs), out of reach.
• Do not give uncooked bread or roll dough to your dogs. Heat makes dough rise, and in the dog’s stomach, the dough can expand and cause stomach pain, vomiting, and bloat.

We wish our PBRC supporters and their families a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Sources: Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Dog Owners (http://www.dogster.com/dog-food/thanksgiving-safety-tips-for-dog-owners)
Thanksgiving Safety Tips (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/thanksgiving-safety-tips.aspx).

Guilty ‘Til Proven Innocent Documentary

Guilty 'Til Proven Innocent is a documentary film chronicling the history of Breed Specific Legislation in Ohio since its conception, and challenging its future. Here's what Producer, Director and Assistant Editor Jeffrey Theman told PBRC about the inspiration and creation of this documentary:

The day my whole life changed was not as obvious back then, but in retrospect is starkly apparent. That day has become the reason I wake up every morning. I have always been an animal lover, especially dogs, and I wanted to raise awareness about the cruelty that exists against our four-legged companions. In early 2007, I decided to put my creative talents to use and produce a documentary about animal abuse in general. I wanted to narrow down the topic to one of the many types of cruelty, so I embarked on a mission to find the issue that needed the change the most.

After many weeks and countless hours spent barricaded in my Lakewood, Ohio apartment, brainstorming possible topics for this film, a well known star NFL quarterback was suspected of dogfighting crimes. On April 25, 2007, I had an epiphany, this was sign I was looking for, and started planning my new film with the idea of exposing dogfighting, with an emphasis on the victims - the dogs. It wasn't until nearly a year later that "Guilty 'Til Proven Innocent" became the film that it is today. The city in which I lived in proposed a ban of Pit Bull-type (and "Canary") dogs, just as I was in the middle of adopting my American Pit Bull Terrier, Preston. Preston is a little black dog, who was saved from an Akron, Ohio house during a drug bust where they used him fighting. The first day I met him, I knew that he was my soul dog; I knew he was meant for me.

Preston had spent two years in the rescue getting passed over when potential adopters came to see available dogs, mostly due to his color (black dog syndrome), and the percieved challenges of sharing a home with a dog scarred both physically and emotionally. Add in the mix that he resided in the most restrictive state when it comes to Pit Bulls, due to its statewide breed discriminatory laws. My struggles to adopt Preston and my status as an Ohio resident, which has harbored its breed specific laws for the past 24 years (and counting), prompted me to start seriously investigating the impact of BSL. It felt like negligence if I didn't probe further. I quickly found breed discrimination presented a compelling type of abuse. Hidden behind a cloak of institutionalized legitimacy, these laws target millions of innocent dogs and impact good families across this country and around the world. These laws seemed to grow in popularity, particularly around where I lived. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I never knew these laws even existed prior to 2007. I've heard the media hype about Pit Bull dogs, but I didn't know there were laws in place that could allow animal control to take and kill or label vicious and restrict a dog for no other reason than the opinion of a person with little to no knowledge about dogs, dog behavior, dog breeds, or any other pertinent factor. It became obvious to me that this documentary would transition into a film about these laws and the dogs and owners who battle the accompanying intolerance.

It took five months and a new residence outside of Lakewood to finally bring Preston home. We've now had three years to bond, and to prove to the public that dogs should be judged on a level playing field, based on their actual actions. Because everything that Preston has endured, and as friendly as he is to any human willing to give him a chance, he continues to change people's minds, and makes them question the same things I did not long ago.

It is these questions that the the tagline of the film asks: "Do we have a dangerous dog breed problem..., or just dangerous laws targeting dogs?" When people ask me why I chose to explore breed discrimination with this documentary, I tell them, I didn't choose the film, the film chose me.

Jeffrey Theman
www.GTPIfilm.com - official film website
www.facebook.com/GuiltyTilProvenInnocent
www.facebook.com/Preston.aka.Pig - Preston's facebook fan page

The Joys of Adopting a Senior Pitizen!

When it comes to adopting a dog many people automatically think of adopting a puppy. Though puppies are cute and sweet and they get a lot of attention, they also require patience and energy to help them become wonderful family members and companions. The advantage of adopting an older dog is that they can be just as cute and lovable as a puppy, and they already have their personality and training. Most are already housebroken and over the chewing on inappropriate objects phase. There is no guessing what your dog will become, as what you see is what you get when you adopt an older dog!

You may not want to adopt a senior dog because you fear that your time with your new best friend will be too short and too painful when the dog passes. However; the privilege of bonding with and loving a senior dog makes every day special! The knowledge that you have given an older dog a second chance at life will help create a strong and deep bond, and the love that grows from this knowledge is stronger than the pain of eventual separation.

Reasons to Adopt a Senior Pitizen

• Senior pitizens are generally low maintenance. They love to sleep and cuddle the day away. They enjoy a brisk daily walk, but the best part of the day is their nap, and they love for you to join them at nap time!
• Senior pitizens have learned many of life's lessons. They know, for example, that shoes are for walking and bones are for chewing. They also know that outside is for doing business and indoors is for relaxing! Your carpet will last longer with a senior pitizen vs. a puppy!
• Senior pitizens can learn new tricks and be valuable family and community members. Because they have mellowed, they can focus on you and learn more quickly than a puppy.
• Senior pitizens leave you time for yourself because they don’t require the same kind of time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.

Don’t delay! If you are looking into adopting a dog consider a senior pitizen today! Not only will you be saving a dog, you will gain a dedicated companion for life!