Monday, March 31, 2008

Buttercup needs Surgery and some new purchases

So I've been talking all winter about how bad Buttercup's back legs have been. The whole time I've had her she's had luxating patella in her back legs - her knee caps go in and out - but I've always been able to control it through lots of exercise - by giving her a big dog lifestyle since I've had Charlie and Daisy - we've always gone for long walks and had tons of exercise. But last winter was the first year that she started to show signs that her legs were beginning to be less than perfect - and this year they got even worse. She's at least 12 years old now, and I guess I've always known in the back of my mind that I'd have to deal with it at some point.

When I first got her in 2003 - her luxating patella was really bad, but it got better - and she's always seemed to get younger the longer I've had her - but now she's seemed to get old just all of the sudden and it's awful. My life completely revolves around her - as I'm sure a lot of you who read this blog have dogs you feel the same about. I say that "all light from the universe shines from Buttercup's asshole" - because it does.

And on April 10th she's going to have to undergo anaesthesia to have her left leg operated on - Dr. Eric Carnegy is going to do the surgery - he says they dig into the knee socket and tighten up the tendons, and hopefully that will do the trick. I took her to the vet today because I got all freaked out on the weekend - I could feel a bone on her hip - and it turns out it is her pelvic bone because her muscles have atrophied so badly.

Buttercup is such a trooper though - she's continued to put up with me exercising her, even though Carnegy says that her knees are completely out of their sockets all the time - they can't stay in at all. It's probably only the Metacam - an analgesic - that's been keeping her going - and I ran out of it last week - so that's why she went completely downhill in the last week. This weekend she didn't want to walk at all and wasn't using her left leg at all. It was awful. It is so awful getting old - but I figure that little dogs don't really get old until they're 17 or 18 - so she's got at LEAST 5 or 6 more good years left, AT LEAST.

I tried everything else, physiotherapy, seacure, glucosamine & chondroitin, apple cider vinegar, metacam, coq10, NRG dog food, every different dog food, recreational dog bones - now it's only surgery left.

So I bought a new bag - see below - to carry her around in for the next little while - I bought some other things last week too -

This is Charlie and Buttercup playing a bit tonight to show off a new shirt that I bought last week at Naughty Dog and Glamour Puss - it says "Purebred Princess" - we won't tell anyone that Buttercup's not really purebred.
More playing
This is the bag I bought - out at Four Feet on the Ground - I've decided to lessen my stance on them - I've said I wouldn't shop in there because they have a huge sign that says "No dogs Allowed in store" - but it seems that dogs you can carry in there are allowed - because I've been able to take Buttercup in there several times now, and if you're a patient of the clinic you get a 15% discount. Right now all their coats are 50% off - and they've got some really nice ones too. Buttercup here is telling Jack - "Keep on moving - there's nothing here to see!"
I've had to put carpets down everywhere in the house because with Buttercup's bad legs she can't grip anything - and I saw this little bone shaped rug at Naughty Dog last week and I HAD to buy it - isn't it cute!
And there's been some competition for the dog bed under the computer table - so I went to Wicker Emporium and bought a wicker basket and put some dollar store blankets in it - it fits the dogs perfectly! And it's a lot cheaper than a pet store dog bed!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Where we were for Earth Hour 2008

So our little family took part in Earth Hour 2008 here in Halifax, Nova Scotia - we turned all our lights off and any extra electricity I could think of, although I have to admit I didn't turn off my router, so I could still get my emails if I so chose to check in on them, which I don't think I did anyway.
I'd say this is a pretty usual place for us on Saturday night anyway, I'm a pretty lazy person with not much to do - except instead of a couple lamps on - I just had a couple candles on. The only ones who probably noticed anything was amiss was the fishes who had their tank lights turned off for the hour, I don't know if they were pissed off - do you think they noticed?
It didn't affect Daisy too much, but maybe it'll help us all in the long run.
And it didn't bother Jack too much - all he cares about is when his next treat is coming - he's looking at me here going - "I've been standing in the kitchen for like 5 minutes waiting for you to give me a treat - WHERE have you been!"

Bylaw A300 HAS Been Passed with all it's horribleness!


I always read the Municipal notices in the Saturday Chronicle Herald since I watch the HRM City Council on tv on Tuesday nights - I usually recognize what the notices are about - so I was stung this morning when I read the attached notice - Bylaw A300 HAS actually finally passed - WITH the cats in the bylaw, and most of the horrible things in it that people didn't want.

All a dog has to do to attack another dog or a human is to "appear threatening", a dangerous dog can be a dangerous dog simply because of the way it looks now; you ARE allowed to trap your neighbours cat if it shows up on your property - just about the only good thing that's changed is that prohibited animals owned within 90 days of the implementation of the bylaw and that are microchipped are grandfathered in - so people who own them already are allowed to keep them - they don't have to turn them over to have them killed.

It's nice to see that the HRM City Council - behind closed doors - was listening to their constituents - on both sides of the debate. For shame.

It takes effect April 1st, 2008 - you can read it in all it's glory at http://www.halifax.ca/legislation/bylaws/hrm/documents/By-LawA-300.pdf

FINALLY! Oprah is doing a show about Puppy mills!


Well it's finally going to happen - on Friday April 4th, 2008 - Oprah is going to do a show about puppy mills - she says on her website: Animal lovers, unite! Lisa Ling investigates the hidden world of puppy mills. If you can't watch on Friday, record it…because you truly have to see this for yourself.

Dog advocates have been begging her for years to expose this world for years about where all the puppies actually come from that are so cute and lovely that are in the pet stores across North America - and hopefully on Friday some people are going to have their eyes open - because as Oprah herself loves to say "once you've seen something - you can't deny that you've seen it - you can't turn away".

The email that I got said that a group had funded to have a huge billboard near Oprah's studio put up "begging" Oprah to do a show on puppy mills - maybe that was the final impetus she needed. Whatever it was - I'm glad she's finally done it.


I fostered a bouvier named Ebony who most probably lived her life in a puppy mill situation - and her body showed the scars of it. Her mind however continued to be beautiful - and she was an amazing dog. No living, breathing animal deserves to exist in conditions like what human beings put dogs through in puppy mills - and if you don't think they exist here in Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick - think again.

Any where that government's don't care enough about our companion animals that they're willing to have laws that don't take their well-being into consideration - puppy mills are going to exist - and that most definitely includes our 3 fair provinces currently. There is less legislation in place to protect dogs than there is cows and chickens when it comes to living conditions. Good for the cows and chickens - bad for the dogs.

So watch Oprah on Friday and see what they say. Hopefully Oprah will learn something.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Cruelty Charges laid in Celtic Pets Case today


So today cruelty charges were laid in the Celtic Pets case - 4 charges each against Zonda MacIsaac and Alice MacIsaac. The evening news reports are below.

It looks like the NS SPCA is saying that between January and February 2008 that Zonda and Alice willfully neglected the animals in their care and they're charging them under the criminal code of Canada for it.

I love in the news piece how Judith Gass goes on about that the seizure:

"We did a great job on this. I think we did an excellent job, we did a job that we were asked to do on under the Act, we're asked to work this... we're asked to work if we get a complaint, we're asked to work with this person, we have worked with this person, uh we worked very hard, we would have moved heaven and earth to resolve this situation..."

I should say though that she said this on March 14th (the line above her head says "February 7th" - I think Elizabeth Chiu's editors got their dates mixed up - Judith Gass is wearing the same clothes and petting the same cat that she was petting the day she was interviewed for my news piece about my letter from the SPCA - which was March 14th, 2008) - and it's also interesting that today they're giving her the title of "NS SPCA Investigations Chair" - she's not a "Spokesperson" for the NS SPCA today. For all of you who are keeping track - isn't that interesting?

Anyway - here's the news piece:



Friday evening the Chronicle Herald posted an article stating what the charges are (it's interesting that so far they are only served with a summons):

Mother, daughter charged in animal cruelty case

By The Canadian Press
Fri. Mar 28 - 8:05 PM

PORT HAWKESBURY _ Charges have been laid against a mother and daughter in Cape Breton in connection with a highly publicized case of animal cruelty.

The charges follow the seizure last month of dozens of cats and dogs found soaked in urine and covered in their own feces.

The accused are Zonda Lee MacIsaac, owner of Celtic Pets Rescue, and her mother Alice MacIsaac, a former SPCA special constable.

They are each facing four counts _ two under the Criminal Code and two under the Animal Cruelty Act.

The charges are wilfully permitting unnecessary pain and suffering to animals; having care of domestic animals and failing to provide proper care by providing food, water and shelter; allowing an animal to be in distress; and wilfully causing pain to an animal.

The charges against the elder MacIsaac relate to 24 dogs and one cat, while the charges against Zonda MacIsaac relate to 27 dogs and pups and 78 cats.

The two women were served with a summons Friday and are scheduled to be formally arraigned on the charges during a provincial court appearance May 21.

An animal shelter was raided Feb. 2 and 105 animals were removed.

Days later, an additional 25 animals, believed to be overflow from the shelter, were seized from a home in a Port Hawkesbury subdivision.

Several cats have been euthanized due to sickness and others continue to recover from respiratory illnesses.

Most of the cats were found in a sewage-filled basement, covered in so much fecal matter that some had to be shaved.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Local Dog Trainer's book is mentioned in Modern Dog Magazine!!

I don't know if you know it, but we are really blessed to have a super dog trainer who's moved to our province in the last couple of years. Her name is Silvia Jay and she lives up in the Truro area.

I first became aware of her a couple months ago when she emailed me about my Charlie loves Halifax website, and when I went and looked at her website and read about her dog training philosophy, I was blown away. All the stuff she says makes so much sense and is so on top of what the best trainers in the positive dog training movement are espousing that I couldn't quite believe what I was reading - so I passed her name and website onto my friend who I also believe is a top notch dog trainer - who I don't think anybody in our town will disagree with me on this - Adina MacRae - and she came back to me and said - SHE was ALSO blown away by this lady!

So we have a hidden gem living up in Truro - who will come down and share her services in the Metro area - but that is not what this post is about - it's about a book that she's written called "Dump Dog"(and of which I ordered a copy for myself this morning so I could beat the rush - haha!) that has gotten a mention in the current issue of Modern Dog Magazine! It's about a dog that Silvia found and was able to rehabilitate with her own special brand of training and pure love - which is the best kind of training I think. I am SO looking forward to getting my copy of her book.

On her website she has got free articles - and I was reading some of them - there is an AWESOME article about walking your dog that I think everyone should read - it's at http://www.dogsensecommunications.com/dog-walk.html and it's one of the best things I've read in a long time.

Congratulations Silvia! We are so lucky to have you here!

Jack's first trip to Point Pleasant Park!


Me and the little dogs - when Teddy was alive it was Teddy and Buttercup - used to go to Point Pleasant Park before 10am every weekend to walk along the waterfront. It was a great time to let the little dogs be little dogs and let them rule their world, but once Teddy died it wasn't any fun anymore, so I stopped going. But today I took Jack and Buttercup down for the first time and we had a great time. Jack did super and seemed to really enjoy himself - and Buttercup had a ball - she seemed to be back to her old self again.Jack here is trying to decide what to do with Spike - this is the first dog he encountered when we arrived at the park - so maybe he's trying to figure out what everything's about at this point.
Running and having FUN!
And then we encountered Dana and her little dog Toby - every dog is obsessed with 3 pound Toby - and Jack was no different!
"Toby, you smell like heaven!"
"But you're a boy, just like me! Oh well!"
This is Shane the grey-hound who is a regular at Point Pleasant Park coming in for a treat. I've heard he's not a grey-hound, he's really a treat-hound!

All in all it was quite a successful morning and I'd say we'll be starting to go back regularly now! Yea!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Continuing on the Cartoon Jag


I put up some funny cartoons a couple weeks ago - and I got some more today - and I had to put this one up, the face of this cat just GOT me. I swear Buttercup gives me this face every time I give her a bath - I'm sure every one of us has seen this face on our own companion animals at one time or another - it's so PRECIOUS!

Some very cute shots of Buttercup and Jack


My camera can take up to 6.5 shots per second and today I used that function for the first time - of Buttercup and Jack running towards me, and I think it was to great effect (in my own dog obsessed mind) - so I created a short slide show - these pictures took only about 2 seconds worth of time in real time, but of course a little bit longer than that for me to re-create.


Jack finished his part off with a nice flourish I thought. He figured he was going to get a nice liver treat at the end.

And I figured something out today regarding Buttercup's very bad back legs - of which I've been struggling with all winter - the longer the walk, the better they are! I've been taking her on short walks figuring that if I took her on short walks every day that would be better for her - but today we went for a very long walk and about 1/2 way through - when normally I'd be picking her up and we'd be heading back to the car, her confirmation straightened out and she was doing fabulously. So I think the key really is - a LOT of exercise is going to cure her awful luxating patella and atrophied muscles. That will be music to the ears of the big dogs.

Here's the slide show:

IS the NS SPCA Dartmouth shelter the new PETA?

How is that for a title to a post? I've named it that way, because maybe it's true. I found an article from last July in the Metro Daily News that talks about how the Dartmouth shelter will come to your neighbourhood upon your request and trap your feral cats - and then immediately KILL THEM ALL. Read below for confirmation of that - "Any feral cats - which often run in groups as large as 20 - that are trapped are immediately euthanized, (Judith)Gass said"

I would like to submit that this is not what current literature on trap, neuter, and release of feral cats suggests - but it IS something that organizations like PETA - who don't think that companion animals should exist - do exercise.

This has to be the laziest incidence of animal management that I have ever encountered in all my years of researching, volunteering, and taking part in the animal advocate community.

Scrolling down the list of comments though - one name popped up that was VERY interesting - I'm not going to say WHO it is - but it's a current (as of Marc 22, 2008) Board of Director of the NS SPCA - who left the following comment on this article - it's VERY good!:

The best solution to preventing any disease is education. Trapping and euthanizing is not the answer. Our family was horrified that a humane society would even suggest that. I'm sure if the SPCA advertised that they were trapping, neutering and releasing cats the public would be much more supportive with fund raising and volunteering. Queens SPCA has a very aggressive spay/neuter program and it has made a tremendous difference in the number of feral cats in our area.


Another commenter left a link to an EXCELLENT website - it's http://www.alleycat.org/

Luckily as well - someone left 2 comments to this post - talking about a lady, Angela Miller (who I met last year when a group of us formed a group called Advocates for Responsible Pet Ownership in the HRM to target pet stores around Christmas time in 2006) - who has started to deal with the stray feral cat problem in the HRM on her own - check out the comments to see the local news storys about her.
What do you think?

Here is the article:

SPCA targets feral cats
Trapping program aims to stomp out breathing illness

SKANA GEE
The Daily News

The SPCA is being extra diligent about trapping wild cats roaming city streets, due to health concerns.

"This year, there's a terrible strain of upper respiratory (illness)," provincial president Judith Gass said.

"One of the reasons we're perhaps responding more to the feral colonies is because we think it's infecting the regular population, and we're pretty frustrated, because we're not being terribly successful treating this."

Many house pets venture outside, mingling with strays and - if they're not vaccinated - putting themselves at risk, Gass said.

She said the SPCA responds to hundreds of calls about feral cats each year, many from people who have tried unsuccessfully to feed and tend to the animals.

The latest call came from the Myrtle Street area of Dartmouth, where trapping will be attempted next week.

Residents are learning about the program from signs on telephone poles in the neighbourhood.

One, at the corner of Maple and Dahlia streets, features a photo of several cats and the heading Lets (sic) Solve Our Cat Problem.

"The SPCA will be trapping cats in our area during the week of July 30-Aug. 3 so cat owners can you try and keep your cats in or have their ID tags on their collars if they're out," it says.

While the wild cats are usually easy to recognize because of their aggressiveness, the SPCA often asks complainants to post "courtesy" signs so pets won't mistakenly be caught in the cage-like traps, said Gass.

Any feral cats - which often run in groups as large as 20 - that are trapped are immediately euthanized, Gass said, who owns two formerly wild ones.

That may help stem the respiratory-illness tide, which has prompted the SPCA to isolate more than 40 affected cats and kittens in a rented space in Cole Harbour.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Happy Easter!



I have got the most indulgent little dogs in the world, especially when it comes to laying on the bed and playing with toys - so I picked out Easter themed toys and took some pictures - and here we have a Happy Easter photo spread! So Happy Easter from the little dogs! The big dogs would've joined in but the little dogs don't like to share. They are of course the master of all they survey when it comes to toys, treats, bed space, humans, couches, food.... you get the picture.




Wednesday, March 19, 2008

New Brunswick SPCA's and their shelters seem to be doing things right!


I think anyone who has heard the story about the "breeder" of the pomeranians who didn't want to give up his dogs and instead smashed their heads with a hammer and tried to kill them all instead of giving them up to the New Brunswick SPCA officer a few week's ago is incredulous #1 that anyone could inflict such cruelty on another living thing, and #2 that any animal could live through such abuse.

But live through it he did - and it looks like a 9 year old dog named Ronald might have some quality of life after all. This photo shows Ronald with the manager of the Oromocto SPCA shelter who took in the 8 dogs after they were rescued from the place that they had been living previously - I'm going to post the article below so that you can read the tragic story. This post is about that story and a couple other things I wanted to point out about New Brunswick as opposed to Nova Scotia.

#1 is that the New Brunswick SPCA seems to actually treat their shelters like SHELTERS for their animals. In conversation with Tracy (the manager of the Oromocto shelter) - when they took in those 8 little dogs from the seizure - what did they do with those dogs? They immediately sent them out to foster homes! Can you imagine! Can you think of all the exposure those little dogs must be getting from the local media up there - potentially ruining any hope for conviction in a possible cruelty charge! Oh, I'm sorry - I'm talking such nonsense...

Another thing that I love about the Oromocto SPCA shelter is the fact that they only have seven cages anyway - but what they DO have is twenty-two foster homes - now that's the kind of odds I love to hear - usually "shelters" stats are the other way - lots of cages and no foster homes.

Another fabulous shelter in New Brunswick is Fredericton - they have got a fabulous system set up there too - and I've been getting their newsletter for the last couple years - and they really care about the animals there too. And one of the major volunteers for that shelter has just moved to the HRM - and has just recently become a Board of Directors volunteer for the NS SPCA - I hope that if there is a shake up that she doesn't become disillusioned and leave at this critical time in the NS SPCA's history - because the animals in Nova Scotia are going to need people like her more than ever.

I noticed that on the BOD of the Fredericton SPCA was a lady who worked on a project that the NB SPCA did a couple years ago on chained dogs which got a lot of press and that I got contacted about since I do stuff with Dogs Deserve Better - I remember that it was a really fabulous educational initiative - I have never seen the NS SPCA initiate anything educationally on their own - there was the Porkpie Hat commercials a couple years ago - but I think it was the marketing company who started that, not the NS SPCA.

Another thing that intrigued me about the article about the pomeranians came when I read a really short article about the bust:

Decision awaited on cruelty charges

OROMOCTO - The New Brunswick SPCA will present its investigation into a case of animal cruelty in Minto to the Crown this week. SPCA officers seized eight dogs from a Minto home on March 6. They include a nine-year-old Pomeranian that had suffered a fractured skull from a blow to the head and a newborn puppy that has since died. Many had few teeth, and some were very thin, said Oromoto and area SPCA supervisor Tracy Marcotullio. Five dogs were killed by blunt force trauma before SPCA officers could rescue them. A decision has yet to be made on criminal charges.

What that article says is that the bust happened on March 6th - today is March 19th - and the NB SPCA has already gotten the charges all together and ready to go to the crown. Certainly there weren't 130 animals - but there were quite a few animals, and almost all of them were in very bad condition - a lot worse than any of the Celtic Pets animals.

And last, but not least in this rant comparing Nova Scotia to New Brunswick is BSL - breed specific legislation - and maybe this is the most important, and most timely.

The government of New Brunswick very sagely held public hearings about whether to enact BSL on a province wide basis a couple years ago - and people came from across Canada to give their views and submit their opinions - even I sent a letter (and got a reply back from the Minister in charge of the review no less!) - and the government decided to NOT enact breed specific legislation - showing the world that this end of the country understands that all dogs are the same - and it's the owner and not the dog who is the problem.

This spring - the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, headed by the idiotic Lloyd Hines - of the municipality of Guysborough - are convening to try to figure out how to implement breed restrictions THROUGHOUT the province of Nova Scotia - from one end right through to the other. That's what they want, and they're going to get it done. Starting in May, 2008. So heads up people. Nova Scotia is tumbling down into a crevasse of dog hating, can't take your dog anywhere, the idiots are winning wonderland.

It looks like New Brunswick is becoming the new Shangri-la - Mary - you're going to wish you'd never left Fredericton!

Here's the article about those sad little pomeranians:

Charges expected in animal-abuse case

Ronald is defying the odds and is continuing to recover from a traumatic blow to the head that left him with a fractured skull.

The nine-year-old Pomeranian was one of eight dogs rescued March 6 by New Brunswick SPCA officers from a home in Minto.

Five others were killed by what the SPCA described as "blunt-force trauma" before they could be taken to safety.

Among those left for dead was Ronald.

Tracy Marcotullio, a supervisor with the Oromocto and area SPCA, said the tiny dog is showing remarkable signs of recovery.

"He's done quite well," Marcotullio said Monday. "When he came in, he couldn't stand. He would just flop over.

"When we did the X-ray and realized he had a skull fracture, it kind of all made sense."

The good news is that Ronald is eating, can stand and walk a few steps, she said.

"He is certainly not out of the woods," Marcotullio said. "It's still iffy. When you look at the X-ray, you can see where the blunt-force trauma was and where his skull is actually separated.''

She said it's a serious injury.

"He's doing really well, but we never say anything is fine because we have never really dealt with this situation before."

Ronald may be facing surgery, depending on his recovery.

The incident in which Ronald was injured and the other dogs killed is under investigation by both the New Brunswick SPCA and District 2 RCMP.

Sgt. Ken Goodine said police are in the final stages of putting evidence together and will be submitting their findings soon to the Crown prosecutor's office in Burton, where the final decision on a charge or charges will be made.

"The evidence will be presented to the Crown this week," Goodine said Monday. "The investigation has been pretty well pulled together."

Paul Melanson, chief inspector with the New Brunswick SPCA, said his organization will be meeting soon with the RCMP. He said the N.B. SPCA Act allows his organization to file its own charges, but no decision has been made yet.

Marcotullio said there were eight dogs seized from the Minto location that day. Of those animals, a newborn puppy has since passed away, leaving seven.

One of the dogs will have to have a limb amputated because of "an old broken leg" that was never set properly. It dangles separately from the bone it should be attached to.

Another Pomeranian will have to have surgery on its kneecap.

"Many of them have few, if any, teeth," Marcotullio said. "Quite a few of them were very thin when they came in because, we assume, (they) were being fed large pieces of food that they can't eat. We have them on a diet of very small kibble and canned food."

The seized dogs range in age from the newborn to five months -- with the oldest, Ronald, being between the age of nine and 10.

All of the seized dogs are in foster care because they aren't ready for adoption yet. Several Oromocto SPCA staff members are participating in caring for the animals, with Ronald falling under the personal care of an area veterinarian.

Marcotullio said she and her staff have seen many things over the years, but this incident has left them shaken.

"This particular one was disturbing in its own right, just because of the nature of what it was," Marcotullio said. "I've been doing this for 10 years and we've have seen some really bad things, but this tops it. We've had animals that were maybe in worse shape, but this has been so brutal.

"The brutality of what happened that day, is inexplicable."

Monday, March 17, 2008

Me and the dogs on "Living Halifax"


I personally finally got around to watching myself on an episode of the CBC Television show "Living Halifax" that me, Charlie and Buttercup were on that aired February 14th - it was filmed in January, and then shown on Valentines Day.


They had asked me to take them around to the new off leash dog parks around the HRM - which is what we did. In case you missed it, you can see it below, in all it's very rough glory as photographed by me. Unfortunately it's not still in the archives at the Living Halifax archive - so this is the only place you can still see it...

Buttercup says "Happy St. Patrick's Day"


Buttercup says she'd like to eat some St. Patrick's Day Lamb today!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Snowstorms are fun

Snow storms are fun to run around in while you're out there in them

But I think the dogs also like going home afterwards and getting out of the cold...










Friday, March 14, 2008

We now interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for...


I was contacted today by CTV news because someone must have told them about my blog post about having my membership to the NS SPCA reviewed. And I'd like to point that out - I did NOT contact CTV - they contacted ME. In the news report Judith Gass makes it sound like I contacted the media - it was the other way around - and there were a ton of questions that the reporter asked me that I said - "I'd like to not answer that question if that's okay" - I only wanted to talk about the topic at hand - my blog post - not about all the other stuff that's been going on in the message boards and other vitriole flying around about the Executive of the NS SPCA.


Which is another thing I'd like to talk about for a second if you will humour me. I guess one of the problems with having a blog - a website where I post to almost every day with the goings on of my dogs and me and the things that happen to us - is that people start to think that they actually KNOW me, and can make judgments on my character. That they can somehow DEFINE me, put me into a slot, and feel comfortable leaving me there so that THEY can feel comfortable when DEALING WITH ME. But I'd like to say to that - defining a human being is a little bit harder than that. You can't define a person based on one aspect of their character. And there may be a lot of people who share the same qualities of character - but there are a million different SHADES of that character type - so it's impossible to pigeon-hole anybody. So if you are a person who thinks you KNOW me, and that you've been forced to DEAL with me in some way - I am here to tell you - that you have given yourself any unncessary job. My dogs take quite good care of me, as you can tell from this blog. At least that part of the blog is truthful.

So on to the video portion of this post - CTV contacted me today to talk about my post that I made my membership being in jeopardy, which is weird, seeing as how the NS SPCA is currently having a membership drive - below is the news portion that was on CTV tonight - I hope you enjoy it!