Wow - a super uplifting pit bull story from Florida - Dolly

There is an amazing story about a pit bull named Dolly in Florida who was brought in as a stray and was adopted in 2009 - but in March of 2010 - she came back into the same shelter in Florida - to be surrendered by her "owners" - who told the shelter that she was fighting with her their other dogs - but it was apparent that she'd been used as a bait dog in a dog fighting ring, and the shelter thought they might have to euthanize her - but Dolly fought back, and lived. The shelter staff knew how kind and gentle a dog she'd been previously and kneww that there was no way she could have been a successful fighting dog - and she has since become a therapy dog - and lives now with other dogs - and is an ambassador for her breed.

She now has a video on You Tube that's going viral - and its a beautiful video that must be seen. You can watch it below and there's also a great news story about her at "Welsh.com"

The person who made the Dolly video has a 2nd video on their You tube channel - and it's also a super video - and it's called "a day in the life of a shelter worker" - and its another must see video - it's also below for your viewing pleasure.

Dolly also has a Facebook page if you want to go there and check her out!

A great article from Ledy VanKavage about responsible pet ownership

There is a really good article published today at Change.org about responsible pet ownership that rings very true to what's going on locally (in my opinion - and last year we learned that - "people are entitled to their various personal opinions") - and Ledy says that -

Let's call irresponsible owners what they really are: "reckless owners." It's easy to understand and memorable. More importantly, cops and policy makers get the concept of reckless: We don't let reckless drivers drive, do we?

She goes on to say -

Reckless owners differ substantially from dog guardians — the responsible folks who love their dog, control their dog, and understand the importance of public safety.
There is evidence to back up the theory that reckless owners are involved in the majority of dog bites. According to the National Canine Research Council, 84 percent of dog-related fatalities in 2006 involved reckless owners. If we want to start reducing dog bites we need to target reckless owners in our laws. These folks are often recidivists, yet they are rarely prohibited from owning animals in the future.

Many communities, and some states, are finally starting to get it right. Tacoma, Wash., has a "problem pet owner" ordinance that forbids such people from owning pets. St. Paul, Minn., targets reckless owners.

The entire state of Minnesota prevents people whose dogs have been deemed dangerous from owning dogs. Illinois prevents convicted felons from owning unsterilized or unmicrochipped dogs. The Land of Lincoln also has a law that mandates psychological counseling for companion-animal hoarders.

Countless communities and quite a few states — including Texas — are targeting reckless owners by putting restrictions on dog chaining or tethering. Yes, Texas, not the most animal-friendly state in the union. Pretty darn amazing.

We need to stop focusing on the dog and start focusing on the owner.

I have cherry picked these sentences from the article because I thought they were so fabulous - so you should go and read the entire article and follow the links that are there - but you get the idea - I have talked about this concept before ad nauseum - that when you hear stories about negative encounters with dogs in the news - it is NEVER the dog's fault - it is always the dog owners fault - so why should the dog have to suffer the consequences?

Sometimes the dog is irretrievably aggressive and has to be put down - after it's been deemed too aggressive - but it's definitely always the pet owner who should face the harshest consequences.

Because why? Because they are reckless and have no care for public safety - or the safety of their own family or their pet. Period. They have proven that over and over.

A couple comments

(NOTE: To read the articles in these posts - click on the article - and then when the new window opens up - click on the article again which will enlarge the article - and then you'll be able to read it - when you want to come back to the blog - click "back" on your browser)


I had an email last night from a friend who after hearing the news about Brindi emailed me the following -

"I take solace in the fact that she someday soon will she not have any more lonely moments and will sleep in peace forever.It's the only way I can allow myself to feel.Brindi does not understand why she is locked up in a cell today and dogs suffer loneliness so much.She is not to blame and has suffered enough.Just hope and pray the decision is right away.There have been enough delays and publicity."

That is something that's being forgotten about - Brindi is once again sitting in a cage alone, and at Homeward Bound Pound - it's not like she was at the SPCA - she's definitely in a cage 24 hours a day. She has no idea why she's there again - forgotten and alone.

And it occurred to me last night that perhaps Francesca agreed to surrender Brindi because HRM has agreed not to kill Brindi immediately - that they are going to fight it out again in the courts.

I can't imagine another 2 years like the last 2. Especially from Brindi's viewpoint.

I really hope I'm wrong.

The end of the story for Brindi the dog

Brindi the dog was seized today by Animal Services.

It is the culmination of events that began when Francesca Rogier adopted Brindi from Zonda MacIsaac from Celtic Pets in June, 2007.

I've been reading through the hundreds of emails tonight that Francesca sent me after Brindi was initially seized back in July of 2008 - trying to make sense of this story. It's gone on for so long. There are definitely no winners and no losers.

Brindi is going to die now. There's probably no question about that - Judge Alanna Murphy said on April 30th - when she convicted Francesca of the 3 charges that she had been charged with - but also gave Brindi's life back to Francesca - that any further altercations - would mean the death of Brindi.

"I do not think I'm overstating the likely outcome to suggest that Brindi would be destroyed if there was a further incident" (page 16 of Murphy ruling 4)

And that has now happened. And there is no one else to blame at this point - HRM has really bent over backwards - I think they really have - they gave Francesca training, they gave Brindi back, they let her be - they gave her - her life back. And there was another incident.

I can tell you what Francesca will say when she does talk though.

This is what she will say - because she has already said this is several places - she's already set it up. She's going to blame it on the muzzle - and on other people. It's not her fault - it's the muzzle's fault, it's HRM's fault for making Brindi wear the muzzle - the muzzle made Brindi feel like she couldn't defend herself. Francesca said that Brindi was attacked more than 7 times within 2 weeks because of the muzzle.

I don't know how a muzzle makes a dog jump out a car window though. That will be a tough one to counter-attack. We'll have to wait and see. There's a lot of people who will have to be sued now. I'm sure I'm pretty high on the list.

I really thought that Francesca had left and taken Brindi with her - or at least gotten Brindi out of the province - away from the prospect of being seized by HRM Animal Services - but I guess she didn't. I can't imagine what the scene was like today when they came to seize Brindi for the 2nd time. It must have been awful.

Good luck in your next life, Brindi...

Here's the article from the Chronicle Herald tonight -

Brindi the dog back in custody

By EVA HOARE Staff Reporter
Mon, Sep 27 - 7:30 PM

Brindi the dog is back behind bars.

The dog that has been at the centre of controversy for two years was seized Monday by animal control services officers for the Halifax Regional Municipality along with the RCMP, sources said.

The seizure came almost two weeks after the dog allegedly attacked a neighbour’s beagle/Labrador retriever mix on East Chezzetcook Road as its owners walked their family pet.

Shaune MacKinlay, spokeswoman for HRM, would not comment on whether Brindi was taken by animal services.

“We can’t confirm that Brindi was seized,” MacKinlay said in an interview Monday evening.

The Mounties deferred questions to Halifax Regional Police, who weren’t immediately available for comment Monday evening.

After the alleged attack in mid-September, the owners of the beagle/lab mix laid a complaint and animal services investigators have been looking into the case ever since.

Francesca Rogier, who owns Brindi, then laid her own complaint against the beagle/lab several hours after the scuffle.

Sources said the dog allegedly attacked by Brindi received puncture wounds to the neck and required treatment by a veterinarian, but no one at animal services, the municipality or the RCMP would confirm those reports.

Brindi was initially ordered euthanized by animal control back in 2008 after she attacked another dog. But Rogier waged a lengthy and expensive court battle with the municipality. The dog was just returned to Rogier, under several conditions, in mid-July.

In an email to this newspaper shortly after the mid-September incident, Rogier declined comment, citing the investigation.

The next steps in the process weren’t clear Monday evening.

Today's 1st Annual SPCA Bark In the Park at Seaview!

So today was the 1st Annual "Bark in the Park" for the Provincial Branch's shelter of the Nova Scotia SPCA - at the end of the function they announced that they had raised approximately $22,000 - so that was fabulous! I hope that was around what they had wanted to raise - this photo is of Brosa - who has appeared many times on the blog - his Mom has her blog and a couple of the photos in this post are hers, because I took some shitty photos today and she once again was the superior photographer - so thanks to Lisa for letting me use her awesome photos! haha!
Me and Buttercup got to the function a bit late - so this is one of Lisa's photos of the large crowd that was there before I got there when they were giving out some of the prizes - of which there were many - they had great stuff today -
They outdid themselves - and it looks like it was because they had tons of sponsors - The Bay, Basics & Beyond, Bredna's Dod Dudz, Casa Dante Hair Studio, Cove Sport Therapy, Fetch Inc, Wheatons, Pepsi, Pet Stuff on the Go, Urban Cottage - and about thirty or forty more!
I won a door prize too! I won a manicure set - for humans - so I was super lucky - and the swag bag was great too - it's a nice shopping bag - and they were also giving out 6 packs of Sprite pop too! In this picture the prize I won is right in the middle
The event was begun with a bagpiper leading everyone in - this was another picture that came from Lisa - I think at this point me and Buttercup were still in bed, or I was vacuuming - at the very least I was far, far away!
Here is Bark & Fitz's table - also one of the sponsor's for the day - a very philanthropic local organization
Another vendor who I see around a lot locally - a local artist Cameron Graves - I love her stuff - and at the booth is SPCA Special Constable Nancy Noel!
This is Bobby Mac from Q104 giving out the prizes - he's got 3 dogs!
And this is Scout - a Pet Therapy dog - the Saint John Ambulance group were there today with their displays
This dog was out having a walk-about and a good time
This nice little mastiff's name is Santana and his Mom's name is Donna - she works at the hospital with me!
this poodle and Rhodesian Ridgeback were having a very good time right in the middle of everything!
And so were these 2 border collies!
I think they might have been part of the Lietash Disc Demonstration that had been going on before I got there - and because they are border collies - they just couldn't stop!
This is Tara and Kano - I think they were part of the Lietash group too - Tara works at Lietash - but Kano definitely isn't a border collie!
This is a picture of Pocket - a dog who has recently made the trip down from Ontario - where she was of course due to be killed because of the way she looks - but in addition she was also going to be used for fighting - hence the absence of her ears - except for the fact that she isn't dog aggressive, so she was completely useless to her owners, and when she was then going to be used as a breeding bitch - somehow she was ferreted away - that's as much as I know of her story - luckily she's now being fostered here in Nova Scotia - and looking for a good home. She was having a good time in the middle of all her good friends today.
This is what Buttercup looked like for the 2 seconds she was down on the ground for the 2 hours we were there - at 16 years old she does NOT like to be on the ground at all anymore - so I guess I really can't blame her.
This photo was taken of me and Buttercup today by my friend Pat - I can hold Buttercup like this for hours - which is pretty lucky.

I've been going to these SPCA - they used to call them "dog jog's" - since 2003 - the only year I didn't go was 2008 - and that was because that year me and some of my best friends were unceremoniously booted out of the SPCA by the provincial management at the time - but luckily SNAP Halifax went to the festitivites and took some pictures - so at least it got documented by someone - there's a nice smarmy picture on the SNAP Halifax site - GROSS! - so you go check it out! haha!

But for the other years - you can check the below links!

2009 Dog Jog - at Point Pleasant Park

2008's Dog Jog? Sorry! No can do - check out Snap Halifax's coverage - and that year it was called the "Royal Canin Dog Jog" - because the only way they made any money that year was because they got a fat cheque from that company!

2007 Dog Jog - at Point Pleasant Park

2006 Dog Jog - at Shubie Park - another very wet one!

2005 Dog Jog - there wasn't one - that was the year we had a huge outbreak of kennel cough locally - and they cancelled just about every dog event that summer

2003 and 2004's dog jog are covered in my post in 2007

The cutest video

My sister sent me this video tonight - I thought it was so cute - great proof that good dogs DO get to sleep in our beds - I know my dogs are good - and I don't want them to sleep anywhere BUT in my bed.

Enjoy!

I WANT ONE!

In the lunch room at my work people bring in their old celebrity magazines and I was flipping through one of them this week and in a "Life and Style" magazine I saw this AMAZING INVENTION!!!!
It's a "pet high chair" - can you believe it! I WANT ONE - I cannot believe that I have not come across this miracle of engineering before in my life time - it's available for order online - and it is made for dogs like Buttercup.

Before my Dad moved in with me - Buttercup's bed used to be ON the dining table and she used to eat on the dining table - but can you imagine how amazing it would be if Buttercup had her own SEAT AT THE TABLE? That would be TO DIE FOR! I must have one of these things! Christmas is only like 3 months away.

I think I'll order one for all my small dog friends. It's only like $50 american. Totally doable. Beauty!

Silvia Jay and Adina MacRae's Seminar about Dog Play and Communication was a ton of Fun!

So this past weekend we had a seminar at the Happy Hounds Doggy Day Care with Silvia Jay and Adina MacRae and they talked about how dogs communicate and also what is proper dog play and how to tell the difference between good dog play and when it might be turning into something else.
From all reports it was a great two days - everybody learned a lot - and the dogs we saw at Seaview seemed to be having a lot of fun when we were there too!


By Sunday afternoon I was pretty tired and it was raining - so I didn't go to Seaview then - so these pictures are only from Saturday afternoon - this is a dog named Tank who is 18 months old - he seemed to be having a lot of fun!
This miniature poodle looked like they were digging tunnels in this 5 month old mastiff am-staff's bits and pieces - he was in there for quite a while smelling around!
This is a view of the water at Seaview park - there really is a spectacular "Sea View"!
This was a harlequin great dane have a nice game of fetch with his owner
This was a shot of our group "observing"
Here is Tank having some fun with the mastiff amstaff puppy - and an australian collie looking on
I seemed to take quite a few pictures of these two, didn't I?
A beagle trying to get a pekingese to play - I think he was successful too!

Yes I am the cutest thing ever

I was taking some pictures today of the dogs wrestling
They were having a pretty good romp in the living room -
Doing some really good jaw wrestling on a Tuesday afternoon -
But Buttercup had some other ideas - she seemed to think that the camera should be turned on her - so I gave in - and let her give me a little show...

Here she is prevaricating a little bit
And then here's the beginning of the long hard stare because I she was being ignored
And on it goes...
And then we have the pout...
Which continued on for awhile. Buttercup is the cutest thing ever. No doubt about it.