Hey Y'all! I hope y'all are doin' well. I had to pop up and tell yous about sumthin' pretty nifty that Ms. Lynn just told me about. She tells me that today is the last day of the old year and tomorrow starts a brand new one. Now, that didn't seem like nuthin' special really until she taught me dis song I gets to sing. Sees, I guess there is some kind of traydition that says I gets to sing dis here song and forgets all those folks that done me wrong and ended me up in Doggie Jail! Who ever it was that chained me to that tree that left those callouses on my neck, whoever it was that didn't give me that penny candy that would have kept dem dere worms out of my heart and even the fella that loaded me up with buckshot - they all gets forgotten tonight and I gets to start fresh tomorrow. So to all the doggies here and throughout the world that found demselves in dire straits but now found 'em a new friend or two or even a Yankee to look after them, please grabs up your banjo or your saw or just yer purty singin voice and join in: May Old Bad Conscience Be Fergot And Never Come to Mind May Old Bad Conscience Be Fergot And Chew Da Old Dang Sign! Good bye and good riddance all you bad people - I's home now! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Kane Agape
New unscripted show for Animal Planet looking for males, females, couples and families who might be interested in adopting a pit bull. The show centers around a nationally recognized rescue facility devoted to rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned and mistreated Pit Bulls and the day-to-day activities that take place in animal rescue.
We are looking to follow potential adopters through the adoption process of one of these dogs as a way of educating viewers of everything that goes into a person's commitment to this breed. Ideally you are seriously considering and willing to adopt a pitbull, however we will also accept those who are simply exploring the possibilities of adopting.
Must be in Southern California or willing to travel to Los Angeles. Filming will take place January through March. Please forward to any dog-loving friends!
A common reason people give for not sterilizing their pet is, "Just haven't gotten around to it." It is time we get around to it! Lives are at stake. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to prevent pet homelessness. Our pets will also thank us for giving them a happier, healthier existence. There are many benefits to spaying a female dog. First, semi-annual heat cycles or "seasons" are non-existent. A spayed female does not discharge blood or mucous. With hormones regulated, a spayed female is not prone to"wanderlust" or the desire to seek out a mate. Spayed females cannot get ovarian or uterine cancers since their ovaries and uterus are removed. Uterine cancer and pyometra (pus-filled uterus) are life-threatening conditions. Sterilizing a female dog prior to her first heat cycle virtually eliminates the possibility of mammary cancer later in life. Neutering a male dog is a simple procedure wherein the testicles are removed through a small incision. While neutering a dog results in an obvious physical change, the procedure is less invasive than spaying a female. Neutered dogs don't have reproduction on their minds which results in a less-aggressive, more devoted family companion. Neutered males aren't excited by a female in heat and are less prone to "wanderlust." An intact male that cannot get to a female in heat leads a frustrating existence. Neutered dogs can't get testicular cancer. Finally, perianal tumors (lumps on and around the anus) are more commonly seen with intact males. Myths abound on the topic of sterilization. Many believe spay/neutering will render a dog fat and lazy. The reality is, too much food and too little exercise result in an overweight dog, and people, too. Some folks have a litter because their friends want a dog "just like Princess." The reality is, when it's time to take the Princess replica home, most friends aren't committed. Witnessing the birth seems to top some lists for having a litter. The reality is, most dogs will hide and don't want to be bothered during the birthing process. And finally, some say, "it's just one litter." The reality is, unless every puppy in the litter is sterilized, there will be future litters at a compounding rate. The single most important benefit of sterilizing our pets is that they will not contribute to the supply of companion animals. If we choose to add to the supply, we must take responsibility for the pets we create and their offspring and all future generations. Responsibility doesn't end when the cute puppy or kitten is adopted or sold. When we create a life, we have a responsibility to it until it ceases to exist. If we don't accept this, we are adding to the death toll of companion animals. If we choose to spay and neuter our pets, our responsibility ends with our pets.
Driving home today from Minnesota through Iowa, I couldn't help but reflect on my life with dogs. Behind me in the Element were sleeping soundly in their crates: Mojo, Scooby, and Rumble, and two little foster puppies. We had just come from playing disc in Minnesota with the MN Disc Dog Club. It was a gorgeous, sunny afternoon with a slight wind, and what better way to spend it than playing with dogs among friends. I love watching dogs play. The dogs of MNDDC are varied in breed, but the ones at the playdate today were predominantly herding breeds. It is fascinating to me to watch how dogs learn, how each handler works his or her dog, and to see the relationship between dogs and people in action. Dogs think differently, they move differently, and the subtle nuances that their owners must watch for, cue from, and train with, are sometimes barely perceptible but ever present. The experienced handlers see these things. The very experienced handlers can see these things, and teach others to see them. Building motivation and enthusiasm for the game are key to the sport as much as the physical aspect of it. Among the non-herding dogs playing today was Wallace. If you haven't met or seen Wallace in action, I encourage you to go to his website. His story is truly amazing, and he is lucky to have been taken in by Clara and Roo. This dog loves to work, and you can see the smile spread from ear to ear when he is playing disc. A very high drive dog, Wallace was deteriorating in a shelter environment. I don't know that there are too many dogs with as intense of a working drive as Wallace, but certainly there are some dogs with this intensity that find themselves in a shelter. They are simply too much dog for the average pet owner. Give the dog a job or two, and he is a different dog. In my experience in dog sports, I see many dogs with high energy and high drive that turn out to be fantastic performance dogs in the right hands. Wallace and his owner/handler Roo have competed and earned some high awards in the sport, but they have also done a significant amount of positive education about the American Pit Bull Terrier. There is no title for that, it reaches far beyond the scope of tangible awards. Many pit bulls in this country never have a chance...a dog like Wallace would also not have had a chance, had the Yoris not opened their home to him.
Driving through Iowa is a somewhat scary thing to me as a pit bull owner. As I pass the various signs indicating which town or county I am entering, I am keenly aware that my dogs are banned in over 90 communities in Iowa. How many dogs, I wonder, never have had a chance in this state? Euthanized simply due to breed alone. How many of them languish in shelters across this state, their caretakers unable to find them homes because though some are wanted, the places they live in will not allow the breed. I often think of all the unwanted dogs - being shuffled from home to home, home to shelter, abandoned, dumped, tied to posts, left in a box, the list goes on of what people do to 'get rid of' a dog. I personally hate that phrase, when people call or email me saying they have to 'get rid of a dog.' To me, the way they word it is indicative of the dog's relative value to them. One doesn't get 'rid of' things he or she loves or has had a meaningful relationship with. We 'get rid of'' trash, pests, things that annoy or bother us. Working in an animal shelter, I have noticed a distinct difference between the way people word this process. Those who love their animals and who truly have a legitimate reason to give up their pets say things like ..."I need to find a new home for my dog..." or "I need some help rehoming my pet." The two pups I am temporarily fostering are about 4 weeks old and were found outside of an apartment building. How does one LOSE two puppies? More than likely, they were left outside to fend for themselves. One county I drove through, in particular, is very disturbing to me. I recall years ago being called by a shelter worker, begging me to take a pit bull from the shelter. Despite having her own family with a husband, several young children, and several pets, this woman had taken the dog home to prevent her from being euthanized. While visiting the dog to conduct a temperament evaluation, the woman told me 'things are bad here.' And proceeded to tell me about the state of things for pit bulls in that shelter, in that town. She also relayed that up until a few years ago, the way the shelter disposed of dogs that were not reclaimed, was a bullet to the head. The local mayor, when pressed by volunteers and other pet advocates in the community for a more humane method of killing the unwanted, apparently said, "A bullet is only 10 cents." This type of mentality is frankly disgusting, however, it still exists in many parts of the country. In some areas, shelter animals are euthanized by gas, en masse. What century are we in? What country are we living in? One of the disheartening parts of my job as a city shelter worker has been euthanasia. I would like to think that the animals I have had to euthanize went humanely, safely, and with ease. Many came into the room thinking they were just getting a vaccine, or a cookie. I can't tell you how many pit bulls I have had to euthanize, who died, tails wagging, licking our faces. It is painful to think about the dogs (and cats) who never found homes, but the reality is there simply aren't enough homes for them all. Thankfully, as part of my job, I've also been able to assist many owners in getting their pit bulls spayed or neutered so they will not add to this already overwhelming problem. PBRC has a fund specifically for this purpose and it has been beneficial to many dogs and owners. I'll be leaving Iowa soon, and there is a sadness about that. As I see familiar faces and places, I keep thinking... that's the last time I will see the corn fields glistening in the sun - the backdrop to the black dog who runs down the gravel road and chases me, the last time I'll play flyball with these friends, the last time I will touch that cat at the shelter and wonder if someone will love her... but I also know that in a new place, there are four-leggeds who will be inexplicably intertwined in my life. ~ Andrea
What is mange? Mange is a chronic skin disease caused by parasitic mites and characterized by skin lesions, itching, and loss of hair.
What kind of mites cause mange in dogs? Demodex canis, Demodex gatoi, Demodex injai and Sarcoptes scabei. All dogs have Demodex mites on their skin but a normal, healthy immune system provides resistance to infection or disease. Dogs with genetically and/or environmentally compromised immune systems offer less resistance to active mite populations which can create ideal conditions for infection and disease to thrive.
Is mange contagious? Mange caused by Demodex mites IS NOT contagious to other dogs or humans. Mange caused by Sarcoptes mites IS contagious to other dogs and humans, though the mites don't survive long on human skin.
How do I know if my dog has mange? Loss of hair, itchiness, skin lesions and secondary infection are all symptoms of mange. A skin scraping by a licensed veterinarian is the best way to determine if a dog has mange. Note, however, that mites may or may not always show up in skin scrapings so several scrapings several weeks apart may be necessary.
What's the best treatment for mange? Treatment for mange should be overseen by a licensed veterinarian. The veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics to fight off secondary infection caused by excessive scratching. To boost the dog's immune system, the dog should be fed a premium diet with human-grade ingredients. Stress to the dog should be minimized.
Antiparasitics commonly used to treat Sarcoptic mange include Ivermectin and Selamectin (Revolution®).* Ivermectin may be injected or given orally. Selamectin is applied topically and is absorbed into the body and circulates through the blood stream.
Weekly Amitraz (Mitaban) dips preceded by a benzoyl peroxide baths to open the hair follicles are still commonly prescribed as a treatment for Demodex. Oral or injected Ivermectin, however, is the latest treatment of choice for generalized Demodex. Why do some people use motor oil? Misinformation abounds and some folks are willing to try untested 'home remedies' that result in making the dog miserable and can kill the dog. Motor oil adds to the dogs discomfort by causing rashes on the skin and increases the dog's susceptibility to infection. Dogs absorb hydrocarbons from the oil through the skin and may lick the motor oil; injestion can result in kidney and/or liver damage.
Please don't dip your dog in motor oil.
*Ivermectin is known to be harmful to herding breeds including, but not limited to, Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs and mixes of these breeds.
References:Mar Vista Animal Medical Center - marvistavet.comPet Place - petplace.com
One of the most depressing parts of our job here at PBRC is reading reports of newly enacted breed-specific legislation. As last summer’s battle in Lakewood, Ohio illustrated, such laws are based on little more than personal opinion, flat-out untruths, and a total unwillingness to accept empirical evidence. In Lakewood, for example, Councilman Brian Powers publicly admitted that he had no proof that pit bulls were more dangerous than other breeds, then went ahead and pushed through an unpopular ban. In the process, he managed to insinuate that the entire field of veterinary medicine is lying about pit bulls, because they don’t want to offend anyone. The gist of his message was this: nobody—including the AVMA, the CDC, and the AKC—knows the truth about pit bulls except for me, Brian Powers.
It's encouraging to hear, then, that a twenty-year-old breed-specific ordinance will be repealed in Canton, Illinois, where a little bit of knowledge, a whole lot of legwork, and old-fashioned gutsiness are winning out.
Back on September 25th, Canton resident Joy Ashwood e-mailed us with a request:
I am looking for information on ordinances that state that "pit bulls" have to be muzzled if they are off the owners property. Canton is enforcing this ordinance by issuing tickets to owners. The City Attorney said she is unsure if it is enforceable, however, she is looking forward to proscuting the first case.
My son has a pit bull that is a big baby and I would hate to see him labled as a "vicious dog," which is what the ticket is for. Are there any websites that you know of that deal with this type of thing, or any insight you can give me?
Thank you.
Apparently, for a long time, Canton has had an ordinance requiring pit bulls to wear a muzzle in public. Such laws do nothing but stigmatize and shame owners who are responsible enough to exercise their dogs on a leash, making it less likely that pit bull owners will socialize and exercise their dogs. Public health studies show that dog bites rarely occur when dogs are on leash in public. In fact, you are most likely to be bitten on private property by a dog that you know (say, your neighbor’s dog or your friend’s dog). Attacks that cause serious injuries overwhelmingly involve dogs that are chained, penned, or roaming around.
For this very reason, Illinois has one of the country’s better state-level dangerous dog laws. HB184, more commonly know as “Ryan’s Law,” prohibits breed-specific legislation while laying down strict guidelines as to how dangerous dogs should be classified and handled. (Incidentally, Senator Barack Obama supported this bill as an Illinois State Senator. He is the first presidential candidate to have signed off on legislation prohibiting BSL.)
We wrote back with the following:
Hi Joy, As far as I know, Illinois has a law, "Ryan's Law," that prohibits breed specific legislation. I'm not sure of the specific language of the law, but you can read it here:
This would supersede any local ordinances. I believe it also sets the criteria for which dogs should be labeled vicious (being a "pit bull" isn't one of them). Good luck, and please keep us updated. Josh, PBRC Volunteer
Some Illinois municipalities have gotten around Ryan’s Law by claiming “home rule,” so we weren’t sure how it would work out. But a few weeks later, we heard back from Joy:
Hi Josh, Thank you so much for your information. My son contacted the humane society of Illinois and through his local chapter a law suit was filed against the City of Canton. I have attached the article out of the local paper. Once again, without you bringing this law to our attention we would not have known about it. So, on behalf of all pit bull owners in Canton (several received tickets) thank you! Joy Ashwood on behalf of Jonsey, my Son’s beloved Pit Bull
So Canton’s breed-specific legislation was unconstitutional, but the law was severely out-of-date, and nobody had bothered to challenge it. According to The Canton Daily Ledger, at the urging of about two-dozen concerned dog owners, the city council immediately repealed the section of the ordinance defining pit bulls as vicious: “Citations for violating that section of the ordinance will not be enforced, and anyone who has received such a citation will not have to appear in court.”
This is great news for the dog owners of Canton, and it’s one hearting example of how courage and the right information actually works sometimes. PBRC thanks Joy Ashwood, her son Bill, and the other diligent pit bull owners in Canton, as well as the Human Society of Central Illinois, for taking action against an unfair and ineffective law. Pit bull owners everywhere should take a second to thank Alderman Jason Strandberg for lending a sympathetic ear to his constituents and for taking action to remove the unconstitutional section.
Pit Bull Rescue Central envisions a compassionate world where pit bulls and pit bull mixes reside in responsible, loving homes and where their honor and positive image is restored and preserved.
Hey Y'all!
