They're ready to play now

It took about 24 hours - but Charlie's friendly nature got the better of him, and he has beguiled DOG into a play bow.
I think that DOG may be the quickest dog ever to have assimilated into our household - but for my health's sake - at least my cardiovascular health's sake - I'm glad she's got a new foster home tomorrow, with a much younger, and healthier foster Mom.

Meet D-O-G!

This is D-O-G - pronounced Deeohgee - I've been calling her G-O-D though - pronounced Geeohdee - I like that better. She's nine months old and I just picked her up tonight from the Antigonish SPCA as a short term foster.
I'm hoping that her new foster is going to pick her up on Wednesday. She just had 10 puppies on June 5th - a 9 month old puppy having 10 puppies of her own! That's like a 12 year old girl having a baby! Poor little thing! So she's currently looking for a forever home.
She is so cute - and has no issues whatsoever - she is a perfect little dog who is probably going to max out at 40 or 50 pounds - she's ready to mold into whatever you want her to become.
The dogs so far have been amazingly good to her. I think it really speaks to her need to get along with everything around her - she is very sociable - and she really wants to be loved.
This is what Charlie thinks of her - she is currently unspayed, which is going to be remedied very shortly - he's all like - I'm the only large male in the house - and you're an unspayed female - and I'm ready to play with you, my lady!!"


Charlie is in love!


You can contact me at dogkisser@gmail.com if you're interested in pursuing looking at adopting G-O-D and I'll hook you up with the people who are in charge of her.

Chapman Kennels vs Gail Benoit & Dana Bailey

There's an article in today's Chronicle Herald where Noemi Chapman says she wasn't responsible for the sick puppies that the Benoit's sold to unsuspecting customers in the last week - and on CTV news Dana Bailey said that they had 12 of the puppies die on themselves as well - so that's 18 puppies of the 37 puppies died. Noemi Chapman said she couldn't guarantee the puppies because the Benoit's were taking them without taking the mothers as well - and the puppies still needed them.

So obviously the puppies were as young as 3 - and I hope not, but maybe 2 weeks old. But probably about 3-4 weeks old.

So this is what I think happened. The Benoits knew that Chapman kennels was having a sale on puppies - so they figured they could have a landfall payout this summer. As I said in a previous post they paid $100 for each of those 37 puppies - and they stood to make at a minimum $20,500 if they had all lived.

But I don't think that even the Benoit's were used to taking 37 puppies all at once. That's a lot of product to get rid of - and probably the way that the Benoit's treat their product before they sell it isn't very good - they were probably just putting kibble, or at best - soft food - in the box where they kept the puppies - and were expecting them to eat it. No formula like they promised, no bottle feeding - that's too much work.

So now we're 2 weeks into the debacle - 2 weeks away from their Mom's that they were taken from way too soon - and they're starting to die like flies - they're dehydrated, they're starving to death - they're doing what any baby would do when they've been separated from the only source of nutrition that they can metabolize at this point in their life - die.

And so here we are today with the circus that has become Dana Bailey and Gail Benoit's lovely professional life. They got very greedy - and hopefully this will finally have some impact on their bottom line. And also affect the professional business of "Chapman's Kennels" as well.

I'd be willing to bet money that as each of those dying puppies were sold, the minute the doors to their van shut - the Benoit's were wiping their foreheads going - thank God we got rid of that one - another couple of hours and that thing would've been dead and we wouldn't of gotten any money out of it!"

If that couple are anything - they are master salespeople - they've been in this business since 1992 some people have told me - so they've had 16 years to hone their skills - they have an answer for every sign of illness that a puppy could possibly present themselves with.

I'm not sure how we can change people's minds like the Benoit's about companion animals. We say that the way to stop puppy mills and brokers is by legislation and not buying their product - but maybe we should also try and change their minds too - wonder why they can't see the suffering they cause, and try to find some way to show them how to be more humane. It would be a lot easier to have treated those puppies in a healthy way, and kept them healthy - so why didn't they? That's a question only the Benoit's can answer.

Here's the Chronicle Herald article:

N.B. breeder: Not my fault puppies died

By KRISTEN LIPSCOMBE Staff Reporter
Mon. Jul 28 - 5:23 AM

New Brunswick breeder Noemi Chapman says finding out that several of her puppies died shortly after selling them to someone she thought ran a legitimate business was "a terrible surprise."

She defended her business, Chapman Kennels, over the phone from her Kilburn, N.B. home on Sunday night, saying she wasn’t responsible for the sick pups recently sold to a Nova Scotia woman, who in turn charged residents here several hundred dollars each for the animals.

Within the last couple of weeks, at least a half dozen puppies have died within hours of being sold by Gail Benoit of the Digby area.

Ms. Benoit recently blamed the New Brunswick business for the puppies’ poor health.

Ms. Chapman, however, said it "broke my heart" to hear about the deaths of the puppies. She said she was sure Ms. Benoit would care for the dogs and that they were healthy when she sold them.

"When she left here she left me a phone number because I want to keep track of my babies," she said. "When I tried to phone her, after a week . . . the phone number she gave me was the wrong one."

Ms. Chapman said she initially promised to make a deal with Ms. Benoit as long as the puppy seller also bought the puppies’ mother, because they weren’t ready to be separated at that time.

"She said, ‘look, I can’t take the mother’ and I said ‘no, that’s not a deal because the babies still need them,’ " she said. "So she turns around and makes me another offer."

Although she was at first unsure whether to accept the new offer, Ms. Chapman said she trusted Ms. Benoit, who assured her she had decades of experience with dogs and promised to buy formula and other necessary supplies on her way back to Nova Scotia.

"I said ‘look, if that is the case, you know what you’re doing,’ " Ms. Chapman said. "‘But one thing — I can’t guarantee those babies. You take the responsibility.’ "

Ms. Benoit, meanwhile, claims she was "roped in" by Chapman Kennels of Perth-Andover, N.B., telling The Chronicle Herald last Friday that she "had no indication" they were sick when she sold them.

Ms. Benoit said that the New Brunswick breeder was selling "tons of dogs" for "good deals." She also told CTV News she would reimburse the families who had lost their puppies — after getting her own cash back from Chapman Kennels.

Kijiji Selling Animals

I've had my blog for so long now, I think I've talked about just near everything now - including Kijiji! When Kijiji first started here in Halifax, people in the animal rescue community got all up in arms - because we knew what it was going to be used for - and what would be happening - like what is happening right now with the Benoit's and Chapmans - looking for a clean way to sell their dirty, dirty product.

For those of you who don't remember - Kijiji was originally marketed as a "regifting site". There was originally an article announcing it's launch in the then Halifax Daily News - the article doesn't exist anymore, but the press release from Kijiji does - at Kijiji.ca's press release section - and it says:

Right gift, wrong person? Turn unwanted gifts into cash

Local online classifieds-style site turns unwanted gifts into cash
With the holiday season over, many Canadians are faced with the dilemma of what to do with a gift that may not be right for them. Did you receive a pair of skis, leather pants, or a piece of artwork that is not your taste? Would you rather have the cash instead?

Though well intentioned, gift-givers don’t always get it right. Once considered a taboo subject, re-gifting is gaining in popularity as Canadians try to figure out what to do with their unwanted gifts. In fact, two out of every three Canadians (67 per cent) receive at least one unwanted gift during the holidays1.

To turn these unwanted gifts into something more useful – cash – try Kijiji (www.kijiji.ca). As one of Canada’s leading online classified sites, Kijiji enables you to sell your unwanted gifts locally. Kijiji is free-of-charge and features a simple format that allows people in the same city to trade various goods and services. So if you’re looking to get rid of an unwanted gift or get a great deal on that special something that was not under your Christmas tree, consider Kijiji.

Kijiji has even created a new category, launching this week – "Right Gift, Wrong Person" – specifically for re-gifting items. Besides this category there are dozens of other categories on the site. Some of the most popular categories are "Clothing, Jewelry", "Art, Antique, Decorations, Collectibles", "Sports, Leisure, Bikes, Camping", "Computers" and "Electronics".

With Kijiji you can easily turn the wrong holiday gift into something you really want.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Kijiji

Kijiji, which means "village" in Swahili, is a group of classifieds-style web sites that offer a convenient, fun, and easy way for people in the same city to meet, trade, share ideas, and help each other out in areas such as housing, jobs, goods, and personals. Kijiji sites are currently available in more than 215 cities in 19 markets around the world.

Once Kijiji was launched - a lot of us sent emails to their support department - imploring them not to have a "pets for sale" section - and I wrote a blog post with my email to them there - it was in January of 2006 that this all went down - so Kijiji has been allowing local puppy millers and brokers to peddle their product unimpeded since then.

It's funny that anyone who dares try to post anything that actually points out WHO these people are, or the fact that Kijiji is ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN - are having their posts immediately deleted. That is very interesting, I think.

If you want to read my post from January 10, 2006 (and I wasn't the only person who wrote in, there were a lot of us who wrote in - I remember Janet Chernin, Tara Bayne, Netta Armitage, Lisa Davis, among others who all tried to have it shut down - it's here - "an Offshoot of Ebay is Selling Live Animals"

Another super blog has spoken out about puppy mill brokers

I have talked about Silvia Jay here on my blog before - she is a local dog trainer that our area is most blessed to have that moved here in the last couple of years from Alberta - she published a book called "Dump Dog" that is must read, and when it got mentioned in the magazine "Modern Dog" I mentioned it here in the blog.

She also has a blog - and today she chose the topic of puppy brokers and puppy mills in her post - and it's a must read.

She posited an excellent idea that I had to mention here - that anyone who has a dog website, or is a dog trainer and who has a website - is behooved to devote a section of their site on how to properly acquire their companion animals. That really - that is the only way we're going to stop people like the Benoit's and Chapmans - and the Pet's Unlimited from continuing to profit from the suffering of puppies and dogs. The people who learn the truth one by one will then tell other people and eventually the word will get out.

It's such a simple thing to do. And so important. And will make such a difference. Tell people the truth about pet stores, puppy brokers who sell dogs on the side of the road and in parking lots - where those puppies are coming from and their chances of a long life - and the truth of puppy mills and back yard breeders. And then tell them where healthy puppies and dogs are - responsible breeders and responsible rescues. Pretty simple. And all will be right with the world.

I just wrote a post to the Kijiji forums that I'm pretty sure will get deleted because I was mean to Kijiji and I also posted a link - so I thought I'd paste it here for posterity - it's on a thread that's started called "Certain puppy killers out Digby" - have I said to you, Brainiac - that I love you! haha! I love that title!

(NB - after I made my post below to KIJIJI - I was right - my post DID disappear - I guess Kijiji doesn't like having anything true about their website said on it).

"I wonder though how many people after seeing last night's news coverage of the puppy mill up in New Brunswick are now headed to that puppy mill because the woman said she had several dozen puppies left - so people are now going to go to that puppy mill hoping to get a good deal on a puppy. That's the sick thing about this whole thing - people still want cute little puppies - they don't think about the fact that these "cute little puppies" have been brought into this world with no thought to their genetic health, or what they're going to be like 2 or 5 years down the road - what are hips or knees going to be like? How are their eyes going to be? Did anyone notice the eys on those pug puppies? They were as bugged out as a pop-eye gold fish. It was so sad - and people are going to buy those puppies because they look cute as puppies - but when they're 2 years old and blind because the dog can't close their eyes and they have chronic dry eye like my Jackie does - what are they going to think then? Are they going to think they're cute then? That's the sad thing about these puppy mill puppies.

And what's going to happen - and what is happening right now at this moment to the Mom's and Dad's of those puppies? Have they ever felt grass on their feet? Have they ever gone for a walk in the woods? Have they ever gotten proper veterinary care? Can they properly breast feed the puppies that are taken away at 2 or 3 weeks old by people like Gail Benoit because of all the mammory tumours that are on their bellies? That's the problem with puppy mills - like the place we saw yesterday on CTV news.

And these places exist RIGHT HERE in NOVA SCOTIA and NEW BRUNSWICK and PEI and they use KIJIJI to sell their product

Joan
http://dogkisser.ca/gail_benoit.html

Gail Benoit's Puppy Mill Supplier Speaks Out

So here are images that I grabbed from the below video. This is a picture of puppies' mom - maybe all of the dachshunds that died that were in the news the last couple of days. Doesn't she look happy? Doesn't she look like she's living a nice healthy, contented life at this puppy farm? Yeah, she looks like a dog I'd like to spend $900 on a puppy she gave birth to.
This Mom looks rather frantic - she almost looks like a springer spaniel. In the video this is when the "breeder" is coming into the cage to try and pick up one of the puppies - you can tell how comfortable this Mom is with her "owner" coming into the cage.
This is another shot of the 1st photo above - of the daschie Mom and one pup she has left. Sad.
These are some yorkie pups that are in cage with some pug puppies you'll see below - what in HELL is in that water bowl? I can't figure it out - do you think maybe antibiotics or something?
Yeah - I really like the looks of THOSE eyes? I don't see this puppy having any vision issues with THOSE eyes as he or she ages. No dry eyes and then blindness caused by THOSE eys.
Hell - both of these little guys may ALREADY have poor vision issues.
Are these poor little things pugs - or ALIENS? And where is their MOTHER? Was she just to UNSIGHTLY for the camera so she was put away for the interview? I'd be willing to be money that she was! Disgusting. I may be starting to get a little bit angry now...
-

Here is tonight's video - the puppy miller has her say -

Happy Jack

What a walk we had this afternoon, I don't think the guys have had this much fun in a long time. The woods are a virtual tropical forst right now, lots of long grass to eat, lots of things to smell - and I'm cooking liver at the moment - so all is right with the world.

Jack especially is enjoying himself at the moment - he seems just SO happy all time, I don't know what I can peg it to, his tummy hasn't been upset in a little while - so maybe that's what it is - he has got the most rotten stomach - I feel bad for him. And when his tummy's upset - the whole world knows it, let me tell you.
Daisy was having a good time today, following my pocket along the trails...
This is a cropped shot of Jackie's eye - you could see my reflection in it! Creepy, eh?


Is this not the cutest photo, ever? My first montage of Jackie running towards me - and he does not disappoint!

Daisy at her cutest

New Web page for Information about Gail Benoit and Dana Bailey

I thought I'd build a web page to put any information that I could find out about Gail Benoit and Dana Bailey - knowledge is power - and that's the only way we're going to stop people like them - by telling people one by one, about couples like them.

It always bothered me that anytime I did a google search about them that there was never anything on the internet that came up about their names. That's why I added my sidebar info about them - so that they'd have an online presence somewhere.

I get a lot of comments left because of my posts - but it's only AFTER people have bought puppies from them and they've died that people go searching for their names - which is too bad. Hopefully their press this summer will put enough recognition, but I don't imagine that it will.

I put up a page here - http://dogkisser.ca/gail_benoit.html - let me know what you think - and if you find anything new that's not there, let me know and I'll add it - you can email me at dogkisser@gmail.com

Gail Benoit & Dana Bailey Speak Out

Gail Benoit and Dana Bailey spoke out on CTV News last night and it was an interesting story they had to tell. They bought 37 puppies for $3,700 2 weeks ago from "Chapman Kennels" in New Brunswick - and they paid $25 extra so that they wouldn't have to take the puppies mother with them because they didn't have the space for the mother. The "breeder" said that because the puppies were so young she couldn't guarantee the health of the puppies.


So in other words - the Benoit's bought the puppies way too young from the "Chapman's Kennel" - and then spent the next 2 weeks attempting to sell these too young puppies to an unsuspecting public, while minimally trying to keep them alive until they could sell them. $3,700 divided by 37 = $100 each that they paid for each puppy - and in my previous post you can see that they were charging between $650 and $900 for each puppy. Now that's a pretty good turnover/profit for each puppy! $550 - $850 for each puppy times 37 = $20,350 at a MINIMUM! Who wouldn't want to be in this business!!!!!

So with those 37 puppies - AT A MINIMUM - the Benoits are making $20,350 - that's if they all lived - so we can now see why they are so pissed off, eh? That's a big cut into their profits if they died before they could be sold. I'd go on tv poor mouthing it too.


I digress. I hear that they are due back in court on October 24th for their pending animal cruelty charges. Surely to dog something can be done in the mean time so that these most notorious purveyors of greed and puppy pain can be shut down until then. But as we all know the NS SPCA is the only enforcer of animal cruelty legislation in the province of Nova Scotia. So don't hold your breath.


Here is the video from last night's news where the Benoit's are telling their side of the story:

What Gail Benoits's ads Look like

Gail Benoit was on the news again tonight but I missed taping the early news so I'll have to catch it at 11pm. And the keyboard on my computer isn't working so this is coming to you from my I-touch!
but I wanted to show the kinds of ads that Gail Benoit puts on Kijiji so that she can sell these puppies. I was able to grab caches versions of the ads for the puppies that are now dead.
These ads all make the puppies look cute and healthy, don't they? It's sick.

Below is the Chronicle Herald article with the CORRECT email address of the lady to contact

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9007736.html

Puppy seller investigated in deaths


A Digby woman already facing animal cruelty charges is now being investigated by the SPCA for selling dying puppies.

Roger Joyce, chief provincial inspector with the SPCA in Nova Scotia, said Friday his agency, along with the RCMP and the SPCA in New Brunswick are investigating the sale of seven unhealthy puppies within the past two weeks.

He said four of the six dead puppies are being autopsied in Truro and a seventh is “hanging on” in a veterinary clinic in Prince Edward Island.

Four of the owners say they bought the puppies from a woman they now know as Gail Benoit, and who is already facing animal cruelty charges laid by the SPCA in Digby provincial court last year.

Ms. Benoit said Friday she was “roped in” by a puppy seller in New Brunswick where she purchased the dogs, and that she “had no indication” they were sick when she sold them.

“He had tons of dogs,” she said when reached briefly by cell phone Friday. “He had a good deal on the computer. I’ve got nothing else to say.”

Esther Smith of Earltown, Colchester County, said her husband and friend wanted to surprise her with a miniature dachshund which died 10 hours after she picked it up in a Windsor parking lot Wednesday morning.

“At first I was so sad. But now, I’m so angry,” Ms. Smith said Friday.

She said Ms. Benoit, driving in a van with the words Puppies R Us, handed her the dog wrapped in a curtain, saying she needed to be kept warm because she’d just had a bath. She paid $500 and the woman left.

“I was devastated when I opened the curtain. There was nothing to her. She was thin and too docile for a puppy.”

The animal lover cuddled the puppy she named Cinni Girl and fell in love during the three-hour drive home. Once home, the puppy wouldn’t eat and drank only a little water.

Ms. Smith called a veterinarian and made an appointment for Thursday, but the puppy died Wednesday evening.

Three other owners reached Friday described similar situations of making contact with Ms. Benoit online and arranging to meet in public parking lots to purchase Yorkshire terriers and Pomeranians for between $500 and $650. All described the puppies they received as being tiny, frail and lethargic. Most received paperwork, including veterinary reports stating the dogs had been examined.

Della Despres of Shediac, N.B., purchased her Yorkshire terrier for $550 last Saturday at 5:30 p.m. It died two days later.

Her husband, who picked the puppy up in a parking lot in Elmsdale, noticed it was lethargic but thought it was just car sick. It vomited a few times during the drive home. It wouldn’t eat and had diarrhea throughout the night.

“When I got up in the morning, she was going downhill, so I took her to the veterinarian and they put her on IV fluids.” That was Sunday and the dog died the next evening.

“It was so sad to see,” Ms. Despres said.

Sandy Reed of Lantz, Hants County, got her Pomeranian puppy in an Elmsdale parking lot for $650 last Monday.

Ms. Reed asked about the puppy’s condition, in particular that its head seemed to be flopping around. She said Ms. Benoit told her the dog was car sick and that she had to give it something for motion sickness.

“When we got home, it wouldn’t use the bathroom, it wouldn’t eat.” The dog died the next day.

“I’m really upset, I’m still upset,” said Ms. Reed who has shed more than a few tears this week. “I’m hurt.”

Another owner from Halifax, who did not want to be named, bought a Pomeranian for $500 at 3 p.m. July 18 in an Elmsdale parking lot. It was dead by 10 a.m. the next morning.

She had planned to take the dog to the veterinarian, and was holding it on her chest when it started convulsing, foaming at the mouth and shaking all over.

“Oh, the dear little thing.”

Mr. Joyce said the SPCA can’t comment much on the status of the investigation, but said the complaints are being taken very seriously.

Owners of the other two puppies live in Halifax and Yarmouth.

Ms. Benoit and her common-law spouse Dana Bailey are facing animal cruelty charges related to the SPCA seizing 10 pups over two days from their Roxville home last fall. That case is still before the courts.

Ms. Smith wants to hear from other people who have purchased sick and dying puppies. She can be reached by e-mail at loving_poohbear52@yahoo.com

Another Halifax Dog Blog!

A lady named Heather emailed me last night, and I'm so glad she did - she also has a dog blog about here in Halifax - and her dog has got to be the most beautiful dog in the world. She has a dogue de bordeaux, and she has got a knack with the camera that has to be seen to be believed.
These are a couple photos that she took of her dog Gary - her blog is called "For the Love of the Jowl" - and you should definitely check it out - I was actually laughing out loud last night when I was going through it, because the photos of Gary are so engaging and - good.

Another great local dog blog to check out is "This is Alice's Wonderland" - about a yellow lab's local adventures. Her name is Alice Moon Dance - and she is also very cute!



Tonight on our walk in the woods I noticed that the BLUEBERRIES are starting to come out! Yummy! I love Spryfield - it has everything that a person could possibly want. And more.
This is Jack saying - "forget the blueberries - where the liver?"
And tonight I got my first photos of a post surgery Buttercup running towards me! It was such a beautiful thing to see. I think this 2nd surgery actually might have been a good thing, because she is walking a lot better now. I've got my fingers crossed - I just need to build up her muscles - which our nightly exercise hopefully is going to do.This is Daisy trying to avert the gaze of the bossy Jack, while still trying to stay close to the liver pocket. It's a hard job - but Daisy is up to the task.

Gail Benoit on news a 2nd night for more dead dogs

Gail Benoit was on the news tonight again because someone else - Sandy Redden - has come forward because she spent $650 on a pomeranian puppy that died 24 hours after she bought it from Gail Benoit. This afternoon she went to the NS SPCA head office in Bedford to tell her story, and they've sent his little body off to PEI to have an autopsy done. There's also 5 other little puppies who they are having autopsies done on - and one little guy who's on life support over in PEI right now.

CTV news have their big guns on this story - Rick Grant - so I hope they keep on this. It would be nice to get some video of Gail and or Dana Bailey spitting at the camera or going off at a reporter. That would be lovely - the camera loves that kind of stuff. It would really show what kind of a professional puppy broker she is.

Pugapalooza - and Percy - in today's Chronicle Herald

I was happily surprised to be reading the Chronicle Herald today when I saw Percy and Krystle Sutton's photo and an article about the upcoming Pugapalooza this weekend. I think the photographer really caught the essence of Percy's eyes - that's for sure! Percy is so cute.

Pug lovers, pets to gather for beach bash and fundraiser

DARTMOUTH — They’re small in stature and have funny little noses, but the pugs of metro have it going on.

Not only do they have regular meet and greets throughout the city, they have their own beach bash coming up this Saturday dubbed Pugapalooza.

And that’s the way it should be, says pug lover and organizer Krystle Sutton, who will be at the event with her own Percy.

"They’re a great little dog," she said. "They’re a lot of fun to watch."

Sutton said this is the first time such an event has been held here and she and others thought it would be a fun day for the dogs and their owners alike.

Hosted by Pug Pals of HRM and Nova Scotia Pugs, the beach-themed day will include a barbecue, games and dress-up contests for the pooches. Donations will also be collected on behalf of the Metro SPCA.

Pugapalooza runs from noon to 4 p.m. at Fetch Inc. in Burnside.

Sutton said the event is an offshoot of the monthly get-togethers attended by herself and other pug owners around the city. "We get them together and just let them run around," she said.

She said 30 to 40 people usually show up for the gatherings, so she’s expecting a good turnout for Saturday. As of last week, more than 70 people had said they would attend Pugapalooza.

Sutton said 14-month-old Percy is her first pug, but probably not her last.

"I always, always, always wanted a pug," said Sutton, who works for Capital Health.

As an apartment dweller, she wanted a small dog but one with personality.

"They’re a great companion dog," she said.

Sutton said if all goes well on Saturday, Pugapalooza could become an annual event. For more information, see www.novascotiapugs.com.

Gail Benoit was on CTV News Tonight

Gail Benoit - Nova Scotia's most notorious purveyor of sick and diseased puppies - was on CTV news tonight - so I taped it and put it on You Tube, you can see it below. I have information about her on my sidebar here on my blog so that there is an online presence for information about who she really is.

She went to court on June 26th and 27th about the charges she was charged with late last year - and then attempted to have thrown out in February, and I haven't been able to find out yet what happened at the trial - but I am continuing to try and find out - so hopefully I'll be able to report on the results. It's kind of odd that no news organization reported on the 2 day trial. I guess that puppy mill brokers aren't very high on their news worthy agendas. Which is too bad. People like her need to be in the news as much as possible so that everyone knows what she looks like and knows her name so that she can't do what she does anymore.

The Idiots Seem to Think that they are Pulling Ahead

PETA are quite happy with themselves right now. They were able to put an ad in the current issue of Dog Fancy magazine - see below - it seems innocuous enough - call this number to get a free gift bag if you've bought yourself a new puppy.
The problem is that when you call the number they tell you it's not a gift bag - it's a body bag for the shelter dog you've killed because you're supporting puppy mills and breeders instead of rescuing a dog from a shelter.

I am the first person to say that shelters and rescues are where you should get your companion animals from - but I am also a strong supporter of responsible breeders - I think that those are what every responsible rescuer should be working towards as the ultimate source of our companion animals. We should be working towards emptying shelters and having responsible breeders being the only way we can access dogs. That to me would be an ideal world - as I'm sure it is for the responsible breeders!

But unfortunately PETA doesn't feel that way - they are saying on the surface here that people who buy puppies are killing a puppy in a shelter - but really - PETA doesn't want anyone to support any kind of companion animal interface. They want to get rid of companion animals altogether because they believe we have enslaved the species of cats and dog - and gerbils and hamsters, and etc. and that it should just be stopped altogether. Any dog they take into their rescue - 97% of them - are killed - because it's better to die than to be placed into a home, only to be enslaved by a human.

So PETA is feeling pretty proud of themselves - they even put out a press release announcing the fact earlier this week.

In another instance of pin-heads thinking they can take over the world - a lady in Seattle Washington was bit by a pit bull last year, and she has made it her mission in life to eradicate the species from the face of the earth. And she's pretty sure she's going to do it. She's started a website and blog called "Dogs bite - and some don't let go" - she's tried to build the blog and website to make it look like it's a national organization, but don't be fooled, it's just her.

She obviously has a "Google Alert" set up so that any news story coming in about pit bulls or breed bans get sent to her email in box - I have the same thing set up myself - and she posts them to her blog - so she's making her site look pretty impressive now.

The problem is - every post says the same thing, and every post targets the wrong end of the leash, and mostly - the wrong dogs. The term "pit bull" is too general - almost all short coated dogs with a wide face could be seen to have characteristics of a pit bull - and 99% of pit bulls will never hurt anyone - so why obliterate a breed that 99% of them will never hurt a fly?

It's because of websites like "dogs bite, and some don't let go" - it gives people the permission to say things like -

"The pro-pit lobby, which is primarily backed by dog fighters and back yard breeders, is losing ground and getting more desperate as public opinion clearly favors public safety over preserving criminals rights to breed these dogs. As more and more communities ban the dogs, dogfighting and breeding operations will be forced into neighboring communities, which will be forced to ban them also when incidents of gruesome attacks happen.

Dogsbite.org needs to keep up the good work of supporting victims and compiling information that tears apart the lies promoted by the for-profit breeder lobby.

That quote comes from a commenter on her page - "Dogsbite.org Comment Policy" - where she talks about why she only posts comments from people who are pro-pit bull bans.

I found the page AFTER I had left a comment and it wasn't posted, and was wondering why it hadn't been posted because it wasn't mean or rude, I was just confused as to why she was so angry - because otherwise she sounded very intelligent - but she was just so dog-gamned wrong.

And then I found her comments policy page - and I knew why she didn't post my comment - it was because I was the enemy - a pit bull apologist - what she calls a "misguided animal activist". Can you imagine.

Her big thing is that she wants to stop attacks BEFORE they happen - and the only way to do that is by banning pit bulls entirely. I would like to submit though that the same people who own the dogs that are causing the dog bite fatalities - are still going to be walking this earth even if the breed of dog that they've chosen to own up until now does not continue to exist. They will continue to not maintain their fences, chain whatever breed of dog they DO now choose to own, they will continue to not supervise the children they continue to pop out of their bellies. People will continue to die and be maimed. Just by another type of breed - because all dogs bite - and guess what - all dogs hold on if they're not very happy.

Some New Zeus Photos!

It turns out Zeus's new owner loves taking photos and is an avid photographer, so I'm happy to have some new photos of him.
These seem to be end of day shots, but Zeus has been out rolling around on the grass and playing and jumping and having a very good time on lawns.
He seems to be revelling in his new found freedom and enjoying himself in whatever he's doing and is trying his best to be the very good boy that everybody know that he is.
We're hoping that the next set of photos are going to be taken at the beach at low tide - now those will be some good photos - and I'm sure that Zeus will enjoy the cold sand between his toes too!

Update on a dog named Shiloh

I talked about a dog named Shiloh when I used to be the webmaster for the website blinddogs.com - he was a dog who had been in a cage at a vet clinic for SIX and going on SEVEN years down in Tennessee. He was discovered at the vet clinic by a rescuer - and when she found him she couldn't turn her back and she had to do something about it.
Which she did - and he eventually got out and into a foster home where he stayed for a few months - with a beautiful couple named Jeff and Linda - and then eventually into his forever home with a woman named Maria.

The final adoption of Zeus into his forever home made me think of Shiloh - and whether he was still happy and living in his final forever home, so I emailed his former foster parents - and I'm happy to report that he is still living forever happily after.

Living 7 years in a cage did happen to be worth it for him. He gets to go for lots of walks, he gets to go to work every day with his Mom who - oddly enough - works at a vet clinic. He gets to eat lots of ice cream, he gets to sleep on a couch,
he gets to play with cats - he gets all the good stuff that a dog should get. Those 7 years in the cage are now forgotten, or hopefully are just a dim memory.

Perhaps it was good intentions that locked these dogs up in the first place so many years ago - but I think it was grace that unlocked their doors and let them out. I only wish that the dogs who haven't made it to today have had the same good fortune as them. It's really too bad for them.

Walking and peeing in the woods

Tonight we went for our first walk in the woods since Buttercup's surgery - and boy was Daisy happy about it! It's been all boring leash walks until now.
Buttercup was very happy to tip-toe to the tulips and pee everywhere she could.
Buttercup and Jack were walking unfettered and fancy free
We run into this guy called Bud every once in a while - Daisy is deeply in love with him - I think it may be because he still has his "bits and pieces" - Daisy goes all gaa gaa and dances around him and acts like a little girl. It is SO funny - but I love it when we run into him and his Dad - Daisy always has such a good time.
This is Buttercup just before she asked me to pick her up for the remainder of the walk - she is down to 15 pounds and her back legs are just like little sticks - we'll build them up slowly though - her attitude is awesome though - so we'll get back to a walking Buttercup.

Here is Buttercup modelling my newest book that I talked about earlier today - no one ever said I wasn't the queen of impulse purchases - you should get out to Bayer'e Lake - there's only 3 copies left!

A Rare Breed of Love

It's not too often I go to a website that's trying to sell something that I come away feeling not only impressed, but also am crying and full of joy. Today when I went to the website - http://www.ararebreedoflove.com/ - about the dog Baby and her rescue from a puppy mill and what she and her Mom are doing now - I am flummoxed.
I get emails from a lady down in the States who is valiantly fighting the good war to end the scourge of puppy mills - and I got one today about this book and this dog and her Mom - and how Barack Obama has decided to get his kids a dog - and Baby and her Mom are trying to convince Obama to adopt a dog rather than buy a dog - so they've gone on a crusade ending at Capital Hill to raise awareness about puppy mills.
And of course - they're also raising awareness about what looks to be a heart wrenching but is probably also a must read book - "A Rare Breed" - here is an excerpt that's on the main page of the above website:

‘Sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming…’
I open my eyes and find myself in a soft, comfy bed, not a wire cage. The house is filled with sweet, peaceful silence, not the desperate cries of dogs. And then there's her. She calls herself "Ma." After she adopted me I didn't know what to expect. After years of being locked in a cage, I had lost all hope of ever being treated with kindness, but from the moment she touched me, I was smitten. Whenever she picks me up or strokes my head, she is careful, soft, gentle. She doesn't grab me. She never hurts me. She feeds me delicious food, as much as I need to feel satisfied. There is always fresh, cool water in my bowl. She actually kisses me. A lot. And sings to me. And lets me sleep pressed against her. I'm not afraid anymore. I have a name, not a number. I am loved now.

– Excerpt from A Rare Breed of Love

I just called Chapter's out in Bayer's Lake - they have 6 copies of the book in stock. I hope I'm not the 7th person who gets out there to buy it.

NB - I wonder though how many people will refuse to listen to what she has to say because she plugs HSUS in several places. A lot of people with political affiliations who don't like the HSUS will probably say - "oh, she's one of THOSE people" - and won't even bother to listen to what she has to say about the horror of puppy mills - and that is too bad.

Some Zeus Photos

I was emailed some photos from Zeus's new owner this morning. He is settling in very nicely. He is finding everything to his liking wherever it is that he is right now - he is ESPECIALLY liking motorcycles - well, he is wanting to CHASE motorcycles, that is!Zeus's owner says that for an old dog - he's a strong dog! But Zeus has got a lot of stuff to make up for - so the last motorcycle he saw was probably a 2000 model or so - and they didn't make hardly any vroom vroom noise.
But by the look of these photos - Zeus is looking pretty happy at this point!
A few extra treats in the pocket can cure just about any problem on a walk - and I'm sure it'll work for Zeus too - treats always trump motorcycles!

Another letter to the Editor about Whitney Pier Pit bull Incident

There was another letter to the Editor about the Whitney Pier Pit Bull Tragedy in the Chronicle Herald on Friday. I'm glad, because sometimes it seems like I'm the only one who's writing in letters to the Chronicle Herald!

Here it is:

Breed gets bad rap


I would like to thank the woman who submitted the July 14 letter "Ban the chains." I own a pit bull and he is one of the nicest dogs I have ever seen. My dog is never outside without supervision. All dogs are capable of biting someone and if they are under stress from being in the heat all day or chained with no one watching, then you can expect disaster.

Don’t ban a breed because of its owners. Why ban an innocent animal because of how an owner trains it or treats it? I wouldn’t take very kindly to someone trying to tell me I wasn’t allowed to have a pit bull because of its breed. If people studied these dogs, they would fully understand them. They get a bad rap and that’s not fair.

Don’t punish the dogs; punish the owners. In the end, we are the ones responsible. I have a very strong passion for pit bulls; they are amazing dogs. Dogs are there for love and loyalty, so please don’t hate the breed. Get educated about them.

P Noble, Sydney Mines

There are some stainless Rescues out there

There is an article in the Chronicle Herald today about the Hope for Wildlife Society over in Seaforth and it got me to thinking about local rescues - and there are some rescues that don't have any drama attached to them - and Hope Swinamer's rescue is one of them. It's pretty interesting. All their organization does is help animals. Pick of the Litter Society out in Bedford is another one - run by Inge Sadler - they foster and save premature kittens - Inge is the go to woman for the whole province for abandoned and motherless premature kittens. She is absolutely amazing. And she is a fountain of information about all things cat, really. And I was talking the other day about the Companion Animal Protection Society up in the Valley. Up in New Brunswick - there's the Oromocto SPCA that always steps up to the plate whenever seizures happen - because that area of the country is absolutely rife with puppy mills - do you remember when that crazy man killed the pomeranians with a stick but not all of them died? It was the Oromocto SPCA who took those poor dogs in. Now THAT was sad. The little dog Raymond did recover though and was adopted out.

Bide a Wile Shelter has been able to build a whole NEW SHELTER without hardly anyone noticing - isn't that super? Now that is something. That is fabulous! They must be doing something right!

SHAID Tree Animal Shelter in Bridgewater has internal struggles from time to time I think - but their committment to animals is legendary. And the people down in Shelburne have been doing amazing things to resurrect the Beulah Berman Memorial Animal Shelter.

So while we go on and on about all the things wrong with one organization - people are still going out and doing good things - day after day, trying to make a difference - and succeeding at it - with little to no recognition. And that is amazing.

When the Chronicle Herald did the article - SPCA Adoptions drop off - maybe there WAS a reason for it - maybe people don't want so much controversy around the hard earned money they're giving away. Maybe they want to see goodness and help - which is what these other rescues are doing.

Interesting.

In the article below the open house this year for the Hope for Wildlife Society is August 24th - it's always a great day out.

In the yard outside, a recovering fawn


For Hurt Animals - a last Hope

Young, unblinking eyes look out in the stillness of this strange place. He sits quietly, remarkably so, for the ordeal he’s endured. A dead mouse lies untouched beside him. He stares as she approaches.

"Hello, beautiful," Hope Swinimer coos soothingly, as she opens the door to one of the small cages tucked low inside a darkened barn.

The red-tailed hawk doesn’t move a muscle.

"They said he was hit by a train," she says, edging closer to cast a concerned eye over the newcomer dubbed Via.

But he seems calm, low-key, not overly stressed. He’s been checked at the Dartmouth Veterinary Hospital, where Ms. Swinimer works. X-rays don’t show any broken bones.

None of that necessarily means he’s OK.

But his odds of survival just got a whole lot better.

Via has come to Hope For Wildlife, a licensed rehabilitation centre operating from Ms. Swinimer’s home in Seaforth, on the shores of Gaetz Lake. Since 1996, Ms. Swinimer’s charity has provided the best — and last — chance for as many as 1,100 abandoned, orphaned or injured animals each year to one day return to the wild.

Hope Swinimer, founder and director of the Hope for Wildlife Society, holds a northern saw-whet owl at her shelter in Seaforth, near Halifax.


They’ve been shot, poisoned, covered in oil.

They’ve been separated from their mothers, like most of the 250 orphaned raccoon babies here now.

They’ve been mauled by cats or, like the porcupine that at first couldn’t even move his hind end, mangled by dogs.

They’ve struck windows, like the woodpecker with a tilted head in the bird nursery.

They’ve swallowed garbage.

Some, like the barred owl perched high in a flight cage, were struck by vehicles. Rescued after hitting a salt truck last November, Salty will be set free in just a few weeks.

Not all are so lucky.

At least four of the 16 bald eagles here in the past year couldn’t recover from their wounds and were euthanized. One of them lost a foot in a bobcat snare. Another was trapped in a snare meant for a coyote.

All of the animals have one thing in common, she says.

"All of our patients are because of human-wildlife conflicts. Maybe two per cent are acts of nature," she says.

Even then, humans are often involved.

In a large enclosed pen, one of 13 fawns curls hidden in the long grass, one leg in a cast after surgery to reconnect a tendon severed by a fox.

Ms. Swinimer says that same fawn had been rescued from a dug well, but by that time, it was long separated from its mother and an easier target for prey.

In an incubator, there are reminders of life, even in death. A snapping turtle with a broken leg and jaw was kept on pain medication to give her a chance to lay her eggs. Eggs laid, the fatally injured turtle was euthanized, and everyone waits for signs that the warming eggs will hatch.

The decision to euthanize is never easy.

"In the summer, you don’t sleep, you just work night and day and you get through it. You don’t have as much time to dwell on the sadness of some of the cases. But in winter, these tend to be our real tough cases, the ones we’re going to try to winter-over, we’re going to see if they’re going to make it or not. You work with an animal maybe six months and you end up having to euthanize. These to me are the real tough cases.

"But they’re all hard."

Hope For Wildlife began caring for deer three years ago, raptors just one year ago.

But there’s no animal that people here won’t try to help get well enough to go home.

"We have a responsibility to fix the problems we have caused. That’s why I would never turn away any kind of wildlife."

But money is always an issue. The centre needs about $350,000 each year, mostly coming from public donations and fundraisers — like the open house celebration planned Aug. 24. Corporate and government grants also help, but how much might come through each year is always in question, she says.

And there’s more Ms. Swinimer, who recently received a Canadian Wildlife Federation conservation award for her work, would like to do. High on the wish list is a laboratory complete with X-ray machine and incubators so animals could be diagnosed on-site instead of having to make difficult journeys to vet offices.

She also hopes to set up remote cameras and big screens so visitors can see the animals, without causing them any stress.

That would help her educate the public, she says.

Although the centre isn’t usually open for visitors, she does allow scheduled tours, often to children.

"My goal is to make people more tolerant," she says. "We’ve got to learn to live more comfortably with nature."

The Best News in the World! Zeus in Home!

I just got an email from someone who had talked earlier this week about the possibility that they might be adopting Zeus the dog who had been seized from Celtic Pets
Zeus has lived the better part of 5 years in a cage - and originally came from a home where he was chained outside - so his whole life has been a pretty shitty one.
It is so wonderful that he has finally found a home after everything he's been through in his life.
The person who emailed me wants to remain anyonymous - as I'm sure anyone would based on all the drama of this national tragedy.
They said said the first thing they were going to do was go for a walk on the beach - so that sounds like an absolutely beautiful start to a great late start in life for Zeus. I wish them all the best in their new life together. I am hoping that they'll send us some udpates so that we can know what a great and totally deserving beautiful life Zeus is having now.

Congratulations to Zeus - and congratulations to his new owners - I'm sure Zeus is going to give them the most wonderful love.

Toby the Biker Yorkie

I have written posts here about my friend Dana's Yorkie Toby - he is just about the cutest little dog in the world.

Well his Mom has taken a little video of him on her motorcycle - and it is just over the top on the cuteness factor. There are no words for it - you've got to just watch it - here it is:



Here are my other posts that have Toby in them:

May 28, 07 - Vroom, Vroom!

October 8, 07 - "A weekend full of taking photos"

Buttercup gets her stitches out

Buttercup went and got her stitches out tonight and while we were there we met Daisy
She was just adopted yesterday from the Dartmouth SPCA and was in for her 48 hour vet check
She had the most interesting face - she's got a canine sibling at home that she's going to have a great life with and her human family obviously cares about her - when I saw a whole bunch of people tumble out of a car - I said to myself - what is up with that! And then this dog got out of the car - and I thought to myself - that is one lucky dog!
This is Buttercup undergoing the horrible procedure of having those horrible stitches plucked from her knee
And this is her trying to escape into the netherworld of wherever she was right thenShe was certainly glad to be home and back in her basket
Daisy was very interested in playing after having seen Buttercup go out all by herself with the main source of the food
And Jackie was wondering when I was going back into the kitchen so I could give him another slice of processed cheese
And Charlie was just glad that everyone was okay.

On another note - Granny's Journal has a great post about the Companion Animal Protection Society up in the Valley - she was up to visit them and was really impressed with their operation and by the sounds of it - it could be a template for shelters in lots of places in Nova Scotia....... enough said...... - you should go read her post - http://grannysstory.blogspot.com/2008/07/first-klass-kittizens.html

somebody has noticed that Halifax is dog friendly!!

The local newspaper "Metro Halifax" has an article in it by Jamie Patterson where he talks about all the local festivals going on - it's called "Around the World here in Halifax" - and he's got a paragraph in there about how dog friendly Halifax has become!

He says:

On Saturday, Club Cal­iente tried to teach some old dogs some new tricks with salsa dancing lessons late into the night.


Speaking of dogs, when did Halifax become such a dog-friendly city? Everyone seemed to be on the end of a leash, and it was great to see many businesses opening their doors for dogs with pet bowls outside and signs in the window welcoming the canine crew.


Now if I could only find a pub that would let me bring in Dexter the Wonder Wheaton …

Now is that neat or what?

Even normal people (ie people who aren't absolutely obsessed with their 4 legged companion canine animals) are starting to notice that our fair Municipality is a great place to own a dog in!

A Moment in time at the cottage

My Dad has a cottage outside Halifax - and I think it's safe the say the dogs like it out there - well, Charlie Daisy and Buttercup like it out there - I don't think that Jack has figured out yet that there's water or a lake yet because he hasn't ventured far enough down the grass yet to figure out where the water is - he has his poop and ambles back up for more treats from Dad - so none of these photos include him. Maybe he isn't water friendly - I haven't heard of any dock diving llassa apsos anyway -

NS SPCA Press Release about Board of Directors

This is for those of you who were waiting for the NS SPCA to release information about who was the new President and Vice President of the NS SPCA - it's going to be awhile. And if you yourself would like to BE President or Vice President of the NS SPCA - I say - you should GO FOR IT!! (if you can't read the text below, click on the photo and a new window will open up and you'll be able to read the text)

Another interesting comment on my post "More Dead Celtic Pet Dog(s) at Dartmouth SPCA Shelter"

So today I had another interesting comment left on my post "More Dead Celtic Pet Dog(s) at Dartmouth SPCA Shelter" that I wanted to talk about because I think it raises some good ideas that I want to talk about:

I think there are good and very committed homes out there BUT they are few and far between (I am speaking to after the novelty wears off the new adoptee).

There are mostly the average homes who THINK they could handle a dog with these issues, get all excited by the hype about them and then can't or won't do what is necessary to protect the dog and the public. You must remember that if one shelter dog bites a whole "shitstorm" can occur that can end up giving the adopting shelter a bad name with the public (they adopt out aggressive dogs) and will cause other dogs with few issues to languish and perhaps die.

What some animal lovers forget is that while we are there to help animals, we are also there to serve the public. If a consensus of people who have been observing these animals have deemed them to be aggressive to the point of unadoptable, then who are we (who have maybe seen the dogs once) to judge them? It is not fair to ask shelters to take on dogs with bite history while applauding so called no-kills & rescues who will mostly refuse to take them in, or turn other happy, adoptable dogs away to warehouse one that is aggressive, while it waits for the "perfect" home.

I don't know why so many people want to label this issue in black and white. It is far from that.

Out of Province Observer.

This would seem to be a person who works or volunteers at a shelter like the previous commenter that I made observations about their comment because they say "what some animal lovers forget is that while WE are there to help animals, WE are also there to serve the public.

That is SO interesting I think - and that raises HUGE red flags for me.

There is a document that when I first read it - it really blew my mind - it was like it was articulating what I had been feeling ever since I first started to learn about what goes on in "shelters", in places that were supposed to be "preventing cruelty to animals". It is a document called "In the name of Mercy" - and it's a piece that basically started the no kill movement. It talks about how it is WRONG that shelters KILL the animals they are supposed to be saving. That it is a very lazy way to do business and that it should be STOPPED. It is a beautiful thing to read and I think it SHOULD be read by anyone even considering volunteering or working at a shelter. The link I provided is a direct link to the document. You should click on it, if you dare. I know it changed my life forever. I still remember where I was when I read it.

There's another thing about the sentence -

What some animal lovers forget is that while we are there to help animals, we are also there to serve the public.

I don't buy that.

I think that an animal shelter is NOT there to serve the public. A PET STORE is there to serve the public. A back yard breeder is there to serve the public. A puppy mill is there to serve the public. A shelter is there to serve the homeless and abandoned animals. They are NOT there to serve the public. The shelter is there to save the animals. Period. They are there to shelter the animals. Period. If the animals were not there - the shelter would not be there.

And the shelter should also be working towards making the cages empty as well - so that there are no more homeless and abandoned animals - but that's another whole thing that I won't talk about here.

So the person who left this comment and who works or volunteers at a shelter may think they have answers to this problem - but I believe they do not have the correct answers. Their answers are very wrong - for the animals.

I hope they come back and read this post and read what I've said about their comment and read the document I've provided the link to - and think about it for a little while and think about the truth of it.

The public is still very important - and the public deserves to be treated with respect and kindness and not treated like criminals and gruffness like it has been my experience that they are treated a lot of the time - adoptions should be made like true love - there is a perfect match out there for everyone - and that's why Petfinder is such a great thing - and liaising with SPCA's and shelters province wide SHOULD BE DONE and started - and would be a wonderful thing. There should be a railroad started up. There is absolutely no reason why 75% of dogs in Cape Breton die when tons of people in Halifax buy puppies at Pets Unlimited when they'd love to rescue a dog instead. It's a travesty. And unnecessary.

But the public is NOT the reason why shelters exist - and animals should NOT die because they are not 100% perfect. There are a lot of people who are willing to take less than perfect dogs. SPCA's are not pet stores - and the day people who work there start believing things like that - they should shut their doors and hang their heads IN SHAME.

Beijing takes dog off the menu for Olympics

I first posted these photos in a post I wrote in November 2006 - these are dogs who were destined to be used as food - these are dogs who in their who life have been treated as livestock.
These are dogs who have never been shown any kindness whatsoever. When we look at these dogs we want to give them a kiss and take them home - but these dogs wouldn't really understand what we were doing initially probably. I'm sure they'd quickly be rehabilitiated - but these dogs, because of the culture they came from - were meant as a food source. How IS that any different from a pig or a cow? REALLY? How IS that different from a pig or a cow? Except for the fact that in OUR culture we sleep and coddle this species?

Anyway - today there was an article about how China has removed dog from the menu in response to the upcoming Olympics - interesting:

Beijing takes dog off the menu for Olympics
Published: Friday, July 11, 2008

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing has asked hotels and restaurants in the city to take dog meat off the menu for the duration of next month's Olympics and September's Paralympics.

Dog is eaten not only by the large Korean community in China's capital but is also popular in Yunnan and Guizhou restaurants.

A directive from the Beijing Food Safety Office issued last month ordered Olympic contractor hotels not to provide any dishes made with dog meat and said any canine material used in traditional medicated diets must be clearly labeled.

Concerned that canine dishes might offend animal rights groups and Western visitors, Beijing said restaurants expected to be popular among foreign visitors must stop serving dog meat "to respect the dining customs of different countries."

The directive "advocated" that all restaurants serving dog suspend it during the Olympics but made no mention of the many popular establishments with donkey on the menu.

Criticism from Westerners caused the dog meat-loving South Koreans to ban canine dishes for a period of time during the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Odds & Ends

Today was Jack's last check-up at the vet for his eye that he scratched a little over a week ago and he got a clean bill of health! It's been a scary week worrying that he might lose the vision in his one good eye - but it seems that he's going to keep the sight in his good eye which I'm very happy about. The drops, good vet intervention and quick access to the Emergency clinic saved his vision.
This is Jack's vet - Dr. Troye McPherson from Westwood Hills Veterinary Clinic - she's been his vet for many years and she's seen him through the good and the bad - she knew him when he still had 2 good eyes - but through it all he's been trying to bite her! haha! He hasn't been successful yet! She still loves him though. She's pretty happy he's finally found a home where his owner makes dehydrated liver in large quantities - and so is Jack.
On that note - this is Percy - his Mom's name is Krystle - and this coming weekend there is going to be a HUGE pug event - called "Pugapalooza" - and I've donated some of my liver for their fundraising efforts as part of their event - I took this photo of Percy yesterday when I dropped the liver off at their house - Percy was just SO cute.

I've changed my Dogkisser.ca website around a little bit - if any of you buy my dehydrated liver at Metro Dog Wash - I've started to sell my liver from the website as well in larger quantities - if you buy 10 bags or more at a time - I'll sell it at a discount. Smaller quantities you can still buy at Metro Dog Wash - but if you want to buy 10 bags or more at a time - you can contact me directly and you can get a discount. It's good for those of you who have multiple dogs or use it for training - the liver lasts for at least 4-5 months from the time you buy it - so large quantities last a long time.
Do you remember Po? I've heard he's going to be on ASN's Breakfast TV this coming Friday morning! Breakfast TV is on from 7am to 9am. I'm going to tape it - so I'll put it on the site Friday night if you miss it - but I hear as well that Po is still available for adoption - his foster family have decided not to adopt him. So if you are a cat free family with lots of love to give - you should consider Po - who is now called "Henry".

I have this picture of Po/Henry on my Rescue links page on my Charlie loves Halifax site - which I've added a bunch of links to if you want to check it out - I've added a whole bunch of new local rescue links that I didn't have there before - like the Oromocto Area SPCA, Lunenburg SPCA, Valley Animal Shelter, Beulah Berman Shelter - among many others!

And the last thing for the day - the letter to the Editor that I wrote last week about the tragic pit bull story in Whitney Pier Cape Breton was published today in the Chronicle Herald - my good luck with letters to the Editor continues on unabated...

Good Things are happening at the NS SPCA

I was at the SPCA's adoptathon on Saturday over at the Dartmouth shelter and everyone seemed so relaxed and happy - everything was focused on the dogs and cats and trying to find them homes and seeing to it that they were healthy and happy.
It was interesting that the people who I've known for the last many months who have been toiling hard in the trenches were there on Saturday volunteering their time - that now that a new era has dawned - that they are ready to step up and make their presence known. These are going to be very interesting months coming up.
You can see it front and centre on the NS SPCA's website - there are minutes available from the June 2nd's Board of Director's meeting - the first time EVER that minutes have ever been made available for public viewing. Can you imagine?
It's all available on their "library" page - they have a newsletter they've just published, and minutes from the June 2nd BOD meeting.
I think (and hope) that it bodes very well for the future of the Provincial SPCA - that they spread their love to all the branches and become inclusive and build a revolution province wide and that the NS SPCA can become the humane institution that it's acronymn says it's suppoosed to be. That would be lovely.
And we could all work together - all the rescues, and individual volunteers to build one big province wide shelter and foster network that saves every homeless and abandoned animal so that no shelter has to kill any animal again.

I was at a website today that was amazing that is out in British Columbia - and they have got the most knock-out mission statement that really applies to what the Dartmouth shelter (I think) has been going through. I'll paste it here:

AAS promises you:
We will never kill you because you're old, ill, homely, upset, matted, withdrawn, untrusting, snapping, noisy, or poop too much.

We will never label you "unadoptable", so you can be killed and forgotten, as though you never existed. And we will never kill you for your "owner" for money.

We will work tirelessly to get you out of your prisons in zoos, aquariums, cages, pens, pet stores, and backyards, by showing your suffering to the world, getting laws changed, and by lovingly looking after you and giving you the life your heart craves and deserve.

We will work tirelessly to expose the sham of false animal-welfare, everywhere that you are being used and cruelly neglected to serve self-interested goals.

To that - all I can say is - WOW.

A Comment to "More Dead Celtic Pet Dogs at the Dartmouth SPCA"

All Gods Creatures - who I assume is either a volunteer or an employee at the Dartmouth SPCA - left a comment on my post "More Dead Celtic Pet Dog(s) at the Dartmouth SPCA" this afternoon:

For you simple minded people leaving comments about the quote, let's see... 2 of the dogs had bitten staff on several occasions(drawing blood) and grabbed a lady's purse missing her arm. They were a danger, and none of them had homes lined up so I don't know where you are getting YOUR info from. It was either that or living a life as a "deamed dangerous" dog, having to always be inside or when out side have a encolsed fence that they couldn't escape from when walking would have to have a muzzle or some sort to ensure no one gets bit! Is that the life you want for those dogs???

I find the quote to be very interesting - with #1 being that they would contemplate the idea of a fierce and dangerous dog. That that idea would enter into their vocabulary.

There are many reasons why a dog could act aggressively in a shelter environment that in the real world - his forever home once he leave a shelter - that he would NOT be aggressive. Once that dog had a chance to be rehabilated - or even had some obedience training - he wouldn't be aggressive anymore - or at least his urges would be controlled by his owner and he wouldn't be a threat to the public. What kind of temperament tests did these animals have before they were killed? Who did them? What kind of qualifications did they have? How many times were they done? Under what conditions?

I actually adopted a dog from the Dartmouth SPCA that had been deemed "unadoptable" and was going to be killed because the shelter manager at the time "didn't like the look in his eye" and she figured he was going to be aggressive because of the previous life that he'd obviously had. He did turn out to be dog aggressive - but guess what? Problems like that can be MANAGED. He had another FOUR YEARS of a wonderful life in a forever home that loved him to bits in Berwick Nova Scotia. His name was Philip/Brodie and if you search this blog you'll find out more about him and he's living proof that just because a dog presents himself one way in a shelter environment doesn't mean he's going to be that way on the outside.

so "All God's Creatures" - you can perhaps understand why I'm a bit skeptical about why dogs are being killed at your shelter. I've seen what can happen when dogs are NOT killed. They become wonderful, loving soulful creatures - just like any other normal dog when given a chance. No dog is perfect. Every dog should be given that chance.

I'm not saying that every dog can be saved - I'm just saying that every dog should be given the best chance they can - unless they are absolutely horribly aggressive and have failed every temperament test by a trained professional in every circumstance and are absolutely incorrigible - then they should NOT be killed.

Cats, a dog, find new homes at HRM SPCA’s adopt-a-thon

Twelve cats and a dog found new homes on Saturday during an adoption drive put on by the SPCA’s metro shelter.

The event was organized in an effort to find permanent abodes for 140 animals currently housed at the shelter, a satellite location and various foster homes.

The shelter’s manager, Diana Forrestall, called the event a success.

"People were even coming in this week to get the best dogs before the adopt-a-thon," she said.

Over 200 people showed up, meandering through rows of spacious cages housing dogs and cats of all shapes, ages, colours and sizes, searching for the perfect pet. Staff and volunteers at the shelter spent the day introducing potential owners to the various animals up for adoption, opening cage doors so people could hold each potential pet.

"We let them spend time with them, to be sure," said Teresa, a shelter volunteer. "What we want are happy people and happy animals."

In addition to the finalized adoptions, the shelter also received 25 applications from people who are waiting for their chosen animal to be healthy enough to leave the shelter. "We had a real mixture of people, which is what we need because every animal is different," said Ms. Forrestall.

The event was also an effort to restore public confidence in the SPCA. Last Tuesday, Pamela Keddy announced she was resigning as president of the Nova Scotia SPCA in the wake of several months of internal squabbling and allegations that the animal welfare agency had mishandled a case of animal cruelty in Port Hawkesbury.

"I think the event was a real eye-opener for the general public coming in," said shelter employee Lisa Dowe. "They need to see what we do and how things work here."

Whitney Pier Pit Bull "Eats" Corgi Mix

So after the uplifing post about the Michael Vick dogs I have to make a post about the news story of the pit bull down in Cape Breton who attacked and killed the neighbourhood dog who was tied.

I of course wrote a letter to the Editor at the Chronicle Herald, because that is what I always do. The topic of pit bulls always brings out the best in people.

The article at the Chronicle Herald website is allowing comments to be left there - and some of the comments are absolutely fantastic - I especially loved this one -

traispealot wrote:
It’s perhaps to time to consider banning all dogs except for working dogs. For a society extremely anxious about disease, injury and risk to health, it makes absolutely no sense to keep dogs as pets. Dogs that live with us lick themselves and trod in their own dirt and how sanitary is that when our health care system is falling apart? When you throw in that people in many parts of the world are struggling to feed themselves, how can we justify keeping as pets animals that are better fed than they are? Better, would it not be, to make the disadvantaged of the world a priority rather than surround ourselves with animals us that put our lives us at risk.

What a maroon! I loved it. How CAN we justify keeping as pets animals that are better fed than starving people in foreign countries? I think what I'M going to do is - I'm going to go over to Africa and adopt 2 or 3 starving adult men and bring them home with me - and THEY can be my companion animals. Then I can really do something. Maybe that will make Traispealot happy. I'm sure they'll love the Orijen grain free kibble and raw recreational bones I feed the dogs.

I'll post the letter I wrote first, and then the article that was in the paper.

The Pit Bull Dog who got loose in Whitney Pier Cape Breton and killed the corgi mix that was chained outside was indeed a tragedy for all involved - and for all dog owners who are responsible dog owners and love their chosen breed of dog that they've brought inside their home - and some of those dogs are pit bull type dogs, rottweillers, and other targetted breeds. On the news it said that the owners of the corgi mix were starting a petition to ban certain breeds from the subsidized housing development that they - the pit bull owner, and their own family - were living in. I'd like to propose another option. I'd like to propose that instead of banning certain breeds of dog - they instead ban the chaining out and abandoning to their back yards any breed of dogs. The news mentioned the corgi mix was chained in the back yard - did anyone see the chain he was tethered with? And I'd imagine the pit bull was chained too and that's how he got loose and was allowed to roam freely. If either of those dogs had been full members of their human's family - this tragedy would not have occurred. Supervision is always the key - and chained dogs are not supervised. Ban the chains - NOT the dogs.

*********************************

Man stabs pit bull after his dog attacked

By LAURA FRASER Cape Breton Bureau
Wed. Jul 9 - 7:21 PM

SYDNEY — The owner of a corgi-mixed terrier stabbed a pit bull Monday night after it got loose and attacked his dog while it was tied up.

Neither animal survived.

The pit bull likely snapped the neck of the smaller dog, said Ken Manning, a special constable with the Cape Breton SPCA. The pit bull was given to SPCA officials, who had it euthanized late Monday.

Police were called to Caroll Crescent in Whitney Pier after the attack and the pit bull also came after one of the cops, Mr. Manning said. The dog was finally subdued when a police officer zapped it with a stun gun.

The owners could not say how the pit bull got out and told officials that they had never before had any problems with it.

Mr. Manning is still investigating exactly what happened and said it’s too early to know whether charges would be laid. The owner of the smaller dog will not be charged, he said, although his grandchildren beat the pit bull with sticks and the man stabbed the dog with a knife.

"People have a right to (use) whatever force necessary to stop an attack, whether it’s a stick, a shovel, a knife, or it can even be a bullet," Mr. Manning said.

Pit bulls have gotten a bad reputation after several highly publicized attacks but Mr. Manning said the breed is not necessarily to blame.

"The pit bulls and the Rotties do a lot of damage when they attack, depending on the circumstances, but there’s not any breed that’s any more vicious than another," he said. "It’s all in the upbringing (and) sometimes dogs get cranky — just like humans."

Could Michael Vick be the best thing that's ever happened to Pit Bulls?

I read a fabulous article about the Michael Vick pit bulls this week - it's from the Washington Post - and what's happened to the dogs that were owned by Michael Vick has been amazing. The fact that they were not all automatically killed because they were in a facility where they were used for fighting absolutely blows my mind. That cooler heads prevailed in roles of authority and dog activists who had the knowledge and courage to take on the Vick dogs and actually turn them into the companion animals that they were dying to be - there are no words for it.

There are slide shows attached to the article that you MUST look at as well - they're at - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/galleries/vickdogs/ - and I googled one of the dogs in the slide show - Leo, the therapy dog - who's owners life has been changed by him - she's the one in the photo above, and Leo is the one who is draped across her chest - and I found a You Tube Video of him which is below the article. I've talked about the Vick dogs before here (as well as another fabulous article about the saving of the Michael Vick dogs) - but I wonder if Michael Vick really IS the best thing that's ever happened to pit bulls - because former fighting dogs really haven't been given these opportunities before - and every one of these dogs is being given the chance to be ambassadors of the breed - and they really are proving themselves to be what they are - normal loving, companion animals - just like every other breed of dog that's on this planet.

I really hope that the example of the Vick dogs will turn the tide for pit bull type dogs. Wouldn't that be awesome if it did? If all their suffering did something and actually effected some change? If the dogs who were actually damaged and are living their lives out at Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah - haven't lived their lives in vain. Now that would really be something.

Here's the article -

Saving Michael Vick's Dogs
Pit Bulls Rescued From the Football Player's Fighting Ring Show Progress in an Unprecedented Rehabilitation Effort

By Brigid Schulte
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 7, 2008; A01



When football superstar Michael Vick pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to run a dogfighting operation, we knew he had kept about 50 pit bulls on his 15-acre property in rural Surry County, Va., on a road named Moonlight. We knew the dogs were chained to car axles near wooden hovels for shelter. And we knew the dogs that didn't fight were beaten, shot, hanged, electrocuted or drowned.

But we didn't know their names. Headlines described the nameless dogs as "menacing." Some animal rights groups called for the "ticking time bombs" to be euthanized as soon as Vick's case was closed and they were no longer valuable as evidence. That's what typically happens after a dogfighting bust.

Instead, the court gave Vick's dogs a second chance. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered each dog to be evaluated individually, not judged by the stereotype of the breed. And he ordered Vick to pony up close to $1 million to pay for the lifelong care of those that could be saved.

Of the 49 pit bulls animal behavior experts evaluated in the fall, only one was deemed too vicious to warrant saving and was euthanized. (Another was euthanized because it was sick and in pain.)

More than a year after being confiscated from Vick's property, Leo, a tan, muscular pit bull, dons a colorful clown collar and visits cancer patients as a certified therapy dog in California. Hector, who bears deep scars on his chest and legs, recently was adopted and is about to start training for national flying disc competitions in Minnesota. Teddles takes orders from a 2-year-old. Gracie is a couch potato in Richmond who lives with cats and sleeps with four other dogs.

Of the 47 surviving dogs, 25 were placed directly in foster homes, and a handful have been or are being adopted. Twenty-two were deemed potentially aggressive toward other dogs and were sent to an animal sanctuary in Utah. Some, after intensive retraining, are expected to move on to foster care and eventual adoption.

How can this be? Reports of gruesome pit bull maulings make international news. Pit bulls are one of the few canine breeds thought to be so dangerous that they are banned in some places.

The answer, says Frank McMillan, a veterinarian who is studying the recovery of some of the Vick dogs, is that we don't know. "We've assumed all pits are the same, and we've never let this many fighting dogs live long enough to find out. There are hardly ever studies, because these animals don't survive," he said.

Classic fighting pit bulls, part bulldog and part terrier, were bred to be friendly to people and aggressive with other dogs. Their ability to withstand great pain and keep fighting is a quality prized as "gameness."

But with an explosion in urban street fighting, some pit bulls are being trained to go after animals and people. Evaluators said that when they walked into the kennels where the Vick dogs were being held in the fall, they weren't sure what to expect.

"I thought, if we see four or five dogs that we can save, I'll be happy," said Randy Lockwood, an animal behaviorist with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "If we had to euthanize the majority, then we could at least say we'd tried."

Instead, they found dogs with behaviors that ran the gamut. Some would lick human hands but lunge at other dogs. Some almost immediately went into play mode with other dogs, wagging their tails and crouching down on their front legs in a play bow. "Some actually perked up and developed more confidence only around other dogs," said Rebecca Huss, a law professor and animal law expert who was appointed by the court to oversee the evaluations and determine the dogs' fates. "They actually seemed happier around other dogs."

Some of the dogs were scarred. All were sick and malnourished. Once it became clear that the dogs might be allowed to live, evaluators gave them names.

Iggy, Zippy, Cherry Garcia, Hazel, Little Red, Uba, Squeaker, Big Fella, Handsome Dan, Ginger, Ernie, Alf.

"One of the things that struck us immediately was that these dogs were more like the dogs we see rescued from animal hoarding situations," Lockwood said. "Their main problem was not aggressiveness but isolation." Loud noises startled them. A light coming on made them jump.

All that the dogs seemed to know about people was that they were to be feared.

Witness Sweet Pea, a compact cinnamon-colored dog with a pleat of wrinkles above her eyes who was hiding under the desk of the Frederick animal acupuncturist trying to treat her for anxiety. Fred Wolfson dimmed the office lights. Soft Native American flute music wafted through wall speakers. Wolfson held out his hand for Sweet Pea to sniff. When she would not budge, he sat on the floor and took his bowl of needles to her.

Sweet Pea began to pant.

"She pants when she's nervous," said Stacy Leipold, who volunteers with the Baltimore-based animal rescue organization Recycled Love and is fostering Sweet Pea in her home. "I thought for a very long time she was just a hot dog."

As Wolfson rubbed the dog's head and felt along her spine for the proper relaxation points, Leipold explained that Sweet Pea was little more than a lump when she came to her home in December. She rarely left her crate. If she did, it was to hide under a desk. She had to be carried outside to do her business. Over time, with Leipold meticulously tracking her behavior, Sweet Pea began to pace in a circle and wag her tail when she realized it was time for a walk. And she seemed to take comfort in Leipold's other dogs, a Jack Russell terrier and a Great Dane. Still, one of her favorite places is the landing on the basement stairs. That way, up or down, she has two routes of escape.

Five needles and 12 minutes later, Sweet Pea stopped trembling.

* * *

Jane, Homicide, Jade, Bandit, Miami, Mike-Mike, Big Boy, Magic, Tiny, Too Short, Seal, Chico.

Sweet Pea is not what Vick, who is serving a 23-month prison sentence in Leavenworth, Kan., called this dog. We don't know what he called her, or whether he had a name for her at all. One of the few names that appeared in court papers was Jane, one of the first pit bulls Vick bought in 2001 to start Bad Newz Kennels. The Humane Society of the United States found results for some of Bad Newz's dogfights in underground magazines. They show that Vick's Homicide lost to Maniac. Vick's Bandit lost to Red Rover. And Vick's Mike-Mike lost, after fighting for three hours and five minutes, to Dragon. Out of 10 fights recorded, Vick's dogs lost seven.

But no one knows who most of these dogs are, or whether they are even alive. Jane is. She is now called Georgia. Her jaw is crooked, having been broken at least once, and her tongue sticks out. She is covered in scars, and her teeth have all been pulled. By court order, she will live out her days in Dogtown, at the Best Friends Animal Society's 3,700-acre sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. So will Lucas, a tail-wagging, 60-pound dog who evaluators suspect was Vick's grand champion fighter.

They are two of 22 dogs who were deemed worth saving but who showed enough animal aggression that they could be held only in a tightly controlled sanctuary. At Best Friends', McMillan, the veterinarian, has developed a "personalized emotional rehabilitation plan" for each dog and measures how they exhibit such traits as aggression, fearfulness, calmness or friendliness. True to their "people soft" nature, all but two of the Vick dogs are on "green collar," meaning they are open and friendly to human visitors. About nine have begun to have supervised play dates with other Vick dogs.

The remaining 25 Vick dogs were given to seven animal rescue organizations across the country, which placed them in experienced foster homes. A number have since passed the American Kennel Club's 10-part Canine Good Citizenship test. Many are in the process of being adopted.

Sharon Cornett, a member of the Richmond Animal League's board, agreed to foster Gracie and is now adopting her. "I adore this dog. She is just a love bucket. She loves people and animals unconditionally," Cornett said. She has four other dogs. All of them sleep together at night. "Gracie is not what the public perception has been of a fighting pit bull."

Still, Cornett and other pit bull rescuers say that they never leave the dogs unsupervised with other animals. And rehabilitating a fighting pit is not for everyone: You have to know what you're doing, they say.

John Goodwin, a dogfighting expert with the Humane Society and a proponent of euthanizing fight dogs, is skeptical of the emerging reports of the Vick dog recoveries. Fighting is in their blood, he said. Retrievers retrieve. Shepherds herd. And fighting pit bulls fight. "The behavior is bred into them," he said. "These groups are not rehabilitating these dogs. They're training them to behave in a more socialized manner. But these pit bulls should never be left alone with other dogs, because you never know when that instinct to fight another dog is going to surface."

Tim Racer, one of the founders of Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit bulls (BAD RAP), who, before taking in 10 Vick dogs, had evaluated and retrained 400 pit bulls over the past 10 years, disagrees. Yes, there are pit bulls who have fought, attacked and mauled other animals and people. But so have other breeds. And incidents almost always have been traced to negligent or abusive owners, he said.

Racer said it is not surprising that many of the dogs get along so well with other dogs. Just as the urge to fight is in their blood, so, too, is the need to get along. "You have 150 years of man trying to produce an aggressive dog. But you have tens of thousands of years of Mother Nature preceding that," he said. "Dogs are pack animals. They survived because of their pack. . . . It's hard-wired into their genes that they do no harm to each other."

Indeed, long before a glowering pit bull came to symbolize tough guy vogue, pit bulls, or American Staffordshire terriers, were the all-American dog. In the Civil War era, they were known as nurse dogs because they were so good with children. Pit bulls sold war bonds, earned medals in World War I and starred in such TV shows as "The Little Rascals."

All the more reason, Racer and other rescuers say, to look at each dog individually. "Every thoroughbred is not a great racehorse. Every pit bull, even if it's of fighting stock, is not an aggressive dogfighter," said Steve Zawistowski, an animal behaviorist with the ASPCA who helped assess the Vick dogs. "There are no simple answers."

* * *

As with any celebrity case, the legacy of the Vick bust has been far-reaching. Dogfighting raids across the country have tripled in the past year. Hundreds of law enforcement officers have been trained to detect the signs of underground rings. And, in some cases, officials have asked pit bull behavior experts to evaluate seized fighting dogs rather than automatically euthanizing them. But most dogfighters don't have the kind of money that Vick did. So even those deemed worthy of a second chance don't always get one.

Charlie, Denzel, Halle, Oscar, Sox, Ray, Frodo, Aretha.

They, it turns out, are the lucky ones.

**********************************************

This is Leo the Vick fighting dog turned therapy dog:

Smaller Victories

Today the world of dog politics and the spectacle that has been going on for months is coming to an end and the people who have been trying to find out what's happening in the back rooms of shelters think that perhaps there might be a light at the end of the tunnel
Tonight though I am deleriously happy with a much smaller victory - Buttercup has had her first poop since Sunday - and it could have been just as momentous an occasion to me as any news story in the newspaper. Old dogs who don't poop for 4 days is a big deal. And when they do poop - shows that maybe there's light at the end of the tunnel on other levels, too. Yea for Buttercup.

Pam Keddy Resigns from the NS SPCA

The first email I got about it today was at 7:59 this morning, and it didn't stop all day. The President of the NS SPCA had finally resigned. And she's certainly done it on her own terms - saying that it's everyone else's fault - the NS SPCA is ab out politics and not animals anymore, she did it because she's lost the support of the Board and she's had to live with malicious lies and rumours.

It's hard to believe what are lies and what are truths though when the protagonist of the story will never say anything about what is and has been going on - who can tell what is truth from fiction? It's impossible to know when that's the situation - at some point the subject of the circus has to come forward and say what is what - and that has never happened - hence the situation we have that we have come to today.

I think I have about 4 or 5 words in the CTV news piece below - and it's very true - the NS SPCA IS going to have a very hard row to hoe in the coming months - I don't envy anyone who is going to take on the job of President immediately after Ms. Keddy. The expectations are going to be impossible to fulfill. And they'll probably get very little Board support if the same members are there as when Pam Keddy was the President.

And if the same staff stay at the Dartmouth shelter - it's going to be verily impossible - unless the next President has the people skills of Jesus Christ himself. I wish them all the luck in the world.

Taking Inventory of the Clan

Everything has been so busy lately - so I went around and took an inventory of everyone tonight. I am continuing to feel bad for Buttercup - she is so uncomfortable. I think it was a mistake to have her knee redone. It was too much surgery for such an old dog. I really hope her leg starts working a little bit and she heals okay and she forgets the pain she's currently in. She seems so deflated.
Jack is doing really well - his ulcer is getting smaller - he went for a recheck today and his regular vet at Westwood Hills thinks he may regain what limited vision he did have before he injured it on Saturday, which is fabulous news. I was happy to hear that. As well - I asked what his weight was in previous visits - and he's actually currently about 2 pounds lighter than he used to be before I had him - so his weight isn't too bad! 23 pounds!
Charlie is also doing really well - his tumour results came back and it was benign - so he has got a clean bill of health - now he just needs to gain a few pounds to get back to get back to his former glory.
Daisy's eye surgery seems to have gone pretty well - it seemed to have been bothering her and she still has scabs - but hopefully the lumps won't grow back - again - but she's still happy - and hungry!
And an inventory wouldn't be complete without a couple photos of Whisky - there IS a cat in the house! haha! Whisky loves his dog brothers and sisters - he loves to bat them in the face with his long sharp claws that is!And he loves to yawn and meow very loudly and tell me that I haven't fed him any soft food in literally hours and hours!
Tonight when I was out walking the dogs - my next door neighbour has a grand daughter who has moved in with her and she has taken an interest in the dogs so she wants to help me walk the dogs and tonight we took out Jack and Charlie together - and we ran into one of the pre-eminent dog walkers of Halifax - Steve Nichols -
I have his information on my dog walkers page - because he's also one of the few people who don't have their own website - but he was taking his dogs up for a walk in the same section of woods that I walk my own dogs in -
Spryfield is great for woods to walk your dogs in - it is Shangri-la for dogs, actually!

Poor Buttercup

Buttercup went in today for what was supposed to be a simple pin removal on her left knee that she had surgery on back in April.

It turns out there wasn't actually any pin there. My vet - who's name I'm not going to mention in this post because the post doesn't sound happy - had said that Buttercup wasn't doing very well possibly because the pin he inserted during her surgery in April was partially coming out - he could feel it sticking out - and it could be causing her some discomfort - so that was something we might want to think about doing - removing the pin. It'd make her more comfortable.

So when I was picking Daisy up from her surgery last week - I set up Buttercup to come in and have the pin removal - in humans it's a pretty easy surgery - a little incision, and then it's basically like pulling a nail from the wall - bada bing bada boom - it's done.


I get a call around 1pm from my vet - they took an xray - it turns out there's no pin in Buttercup's knee - but her knee cap is still really loose so he can go in and tighten it up - I say okay.


I call back at 3 o'clock and I can pick her up at 7pm - and it's awful - the incision is so much worse than in April. I feel so bad for her. In April I had said to myself that I wasn't going to get her right leg done because I didn't want to put her through that surgery again - and here I put her through it with the same surgery on the same leg. It's so amazing how a yes or no in one second can be so life changing.

Poor Buttercup

Oreo Chernin

Oreo "Lumpy" Chernin
December 31st, 1993 - July 7th, 2008
Oreo was the best loved dog in all of Halifax for 14 1/2 years.

Wah?

I had this comment on my post "More Dead Celtic Pet Dog(s) at the Dartmouth SPCA":

"First Joan I am not replying to any of your posts on Kijiji because for one, no matter what anyone says you turn it around...or will have my replies deleted like last time because you didnt like what I had to say. And please post this because it seems the only thing you like to post on your blog is comments of people who think like you! Oh and PS...remove Katie's picture before you look even more foolish when she's adopted!"

So #1 I'm confused because I don't know what the poster means about me turning people's posts around on Kijiji - I figure I'm just having conversations with people over there. And I don't know how I could be having people's posts over there deleted - unless this person means I'm deleted her posts here, which means that it's either "I Love my Animals" or "All God's Creatures" who posts over on Kijiji - they'll have to forgive me because for some reason I cannot tell them or their posts apart.

I'm not going to comment about the part of her comment where she says I only put comments here that I agree with - I've talked about that here before - if someone was speaking ill of you - would you publish it? This blog is called "Me and My Dogs" for a reason! haha!

On to the 2nd part of the comment -

"Oh and PS...remove Katie's picture before you look even more foolish when she's adopted!"

That's interesting.


Here's a photo of Katie. you can go back to the original post I made reporting the one confirmed dead dog, and possible THREE dead dogs that show the three photos and see if this picture of the actual Katie matches up to one of those photos.

I got this actual photo of Katie from a friend of mine that I emailed after I got the above comment and questioned whether maybe I was wrong about the original photos I was emailed after the killings. My friend who knows Katie - and we all agree - I agree, my friend agrees, and the above commenter - ALL AGREE - that Katie is still alive (thank dog) - and is on the adoption floor - and is going to go to a wonderful home and have a wonderful life.

But what we disagree on is whether she is also one of those dogs I posted as a dead dog.

On another note - there was an article in the Chronicle Herald today about the upcoming adoptathon and how adoptions have been down and that the Dartmouth shelter has 230 cats and 40 dogs available for adoption. That's a lot of animals. The first paragraph of the article reads - "The SPCA’s metro shelter is opening its doors next weekend to show the organization has nothing to hide but does have a lot of animals that need a home." I have no idea why everything the NS SPCA puts out in the last 6 months has something like that somewhere in there. Sounds almost like they have something to hide.

A quiet weekend on the computer means...

A quiet weekend on the computer in my house usually means a weekend spent at the Emergency Clinic in Dartmouth. This weekend it was with Jackie. He currently doesn't have very much vision because he somehow scratched the cornea of the eye that he does have some vision in and he's developed an ulcer in it.
He must have done it yesterday when we were at my Dad's cottage - these 2 photos were when we were at the Emergency Clinic yesterday - it all happened in a couple of hours that he went from being his normal self to lethargic, yellow puss coming from his eye, his eyeball had shrunken back into his eye socket - he was a mess. I didn't want to take any chances at all - so off to Emergency we went. And it's lucky we did - because he has a scratch about 4mm's long right in the middle of his good eye. I got 2 different kinds of drops to give him 3 times a day - and I also bought a muzzle so I can actually get the drops in.

Don't these 2 photos look sad? Well that's how sad he was acting - it was awful. He was not himself, that's for sure - and that's how I know how serious it was. Today his eye had bulged back out a bit - but it had gone all cloudy - which almost scared me even more - so we went back over to the Clinic - and this time Buttercup wouldn't let me leave without her.

Although once we got to our intended destination - I don't know that she wished she would've stayed at home!
Jackie however knew what was going on. The vet though said that the cloudiness was part of the healing process. I hope that's what is happening - she did give me some tramadol for the pain - I'm not sure if it's for Jackie's pain or for mine - but I'm going to give it to him just in case. But I think he's in quite a bit of discomfort.

I'm happy to report though that this afternoon I was able to get drops in his eye without putting a muzzle on - so that to me is wonderful - I hate to do anything aversive whatsoever - so a muzzle is horrible for me. But sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do. I don't mind being bit - but if he won't stop moving his mouth - I can't very well get the drops in - hence the muzzle.
Even at the end Buttercup wasn't convinced that we weren't there to do some evil deed upon her - wait until TOMORROW Buttercup....While we were there we met a pre-cocious little bernese mountain puppy named Bailey who had swallowed some fishing line and was in to get it flushed out - it was about to get to be a very expensive fishing trip!
This is one of the resident Clinic cats - Sophie - is this not the cutest thing in the world?Here is Jackie back home. I hope this all turns out okay, to say I am worried is an understatement. When you've only got one eye - and on a good day it's not that good - to injure it is a big deal.

SPCA Adoptions Drop Off

The SPCA’s metro shelter is opening its doors next weekend to show the organization has nothing to hide but does have a lot of animals that need a home.

The SPCA has organized staff and volunteers to offer on-the-spot adoptions during an adopt-a-thon from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at the shelter at 5 Scarfe Court in Burnside Park.

There are more than 230 cats housed at that shelter, a satellite location and various foster homes, shelter manager Diana Forrestall said. The agency is also caring for more than 40 dogs and even has six rabbits.

"We do have some absolutely wonderful dogs and cats here right now," Ms. Forrestall said. "We desperately need the public to come and adopt these animals, because they deserve it."

She said she feels adoptions have dropped off since controversy engulfed the provincial SPCA leadership after the seizure of more than 100 neglected dogs from a Cape Breton shelter.

The internal strife came to a head at an unruly general meeting in Halifax in April.

Ms. Forrestall said that seems to have left a bad impression with the public.

"We need the people to come here and really see what we do — that we’ve got nothing to hide," she said. "If people have any questions, please come ask."

There will be a veterinarian and dog trainers on hand for Saturday’s event.

The regular fees for adoption are $165 for dogs and $120 for cats. These fees include spaying or neutering, deworming and flea treatment, initial vaccines and a first vet appointment.

More Dead Celtic Pet Dog(s) at the Dartmouth SPCA

So there's more dead dogs at the Dartmouth Shelter Metro SPCA. It's so interesting. The only one I've been able to confirm for sure - is this first dog - who is the mother of the puppiesthat were seized way, way back in February. You remember that? The seizure of all those cats, dogs, and puppies that happened down in Cape Breton?

It seems that there are STILL dogs hidden away in cages in the back of the Metro SPCA - and this week - they killed at least one - and maybe 3 of them. And one has to ask - why? Why did it take them this long to kill them, why are they killing them now?

This is perhaps the 2nd dog that was killed.
This is perhaps the 3rd dog that was killed.

So why were these dogs killed mere days before the much lauded Adoptathon that is happening on July 12th?

Or maybe - the bigger question is - why were these dogs killed mere days before the next NS SPCA Board of Directors meeting to be held on July 14th, 2008. That is a date that I personally am wondering about.

Another thing is - over on the Kijiji discussion board there is a thread that is now 59 pages long about Celtic Pets in Cape Breton - and when the last killing of the dogs happened - there was much criticising of why the shelter staff and volunteers weren't asking up front about the killing - so today I DID ask the posters who say they are at the shelter every day - and the silence is deadening. They aren't posting a thing about the dead dogs and whether anything has happened - all they've posted is

"I'm sure the ones that were PTS were for legitimate reasons, or from what I know. They are better off where they are now. I'm sure of that. All the bones they could possibly want hundreds stuffys to tear apart."

Compared to being in a cage for at least the last 5 months - I'll second that.

An Exhausting Day at the Beauty Parlour

My suggestion about grooming appointments? Don't make them for late on Friday afternoons - because YOU are tired, and the groomer is really busy. I did get to hold this little dog Max though who was at the doggy day care - he was very cute.
Buttercup was pretty unhappy with the whole thing - we were there for 3 hours and her legs are really sore - I was getting her groomed because she's going in for more surgery on Monday - can you believe it? Another dog going in for surgery! Carnegy Animal Hospital is making a mint off my dog family this last month. Buttercup's been limping pretty bad on the leg she had operated on a couple months ago and Carnegy says he can feel the pin he put in is sticking out a bit - so that might be the cause - so he's going to remove the pin. Poor Buttercup!
This little doggy felt like I did - he wanted to go home.
He was so cute - laying down by the front door just waiting for human lifetime companion to come get him - even laying with his head on the glass - just waiting, waiting.....

Oreo the lumpy english bull terrier

I was at my friend Janet's house tonight to take some photos of Janet and her english bull terrier Oreo - Oreo isn't doing very well so Janet wanted some photos in case things don't go too well in the next little while. I've turned them into a video that I've posted below. I made another video of Oreo in May of 2007 - and I looked at it - and you can see a big difference between then and now - you can see that video at - http://dogkisser.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-newest-video.html

Good luck to Janet and Oreo in the next little while.

Snakes, Mushrooms, and Daisy on Canada Day

I love having a back yard - it's so interesting. Today when I was out picking up shit in the back yard I saw this little snake - he is probably about a foot long and he didn't seem to be afraid of me at all.
Of course I didn't touch him at all - but he stayed right where he was while I ran into the house to get the camera and take a bunch of pictures of him - I even used the flash and he didn't care. Even the snakes are laid back in Nova Scotia! haha!
These mushrooms are popping up all over my back yard too - should I be worried about them if the dogs decide to have a snack of them? I've never noticed them before in previous years - but they are in a part of the yard that last year was wild bushes and wasn't accessible - so the dogs couldn't have eaten them anyway. Does anyone have any idea what kind of mushrooms they are? Can I eat them? Are they magic mushrooms? Can I make some money? haha!
Daisy went in for surgery yesterday - my dogs are on a conveyor belt of surgery! She's had a growth growing inside her right eyelid - so yesterday she had it removed. She's been very quiet last night and today - she is not very happy. For some reason she's got these growths growing on her body - and I think this one in her eye was particularly bothersome. Last September she also had a growth removed from the inside of her eye and several spots on her body.
Poor Daisy. Some days it's hard to be her.