PITBULL ATTACK

I WON'T BE BUYING THIS FOOD

My friend and I went to the Southern Women’s show today.  One of our first stops was at Bonafide where a new business owner was trying to sell his holistic dog food. We talked to a nice girl who told us to take some free samples.  That’s kind of what these shows are about anyway.  I had some questions so she told me to wait for the guy, most likely the owner, so he could answer them.  

I asked about the Glucosomine/Chondroitin percentage, the Omegas and the price for each flavor and size of the bags. We talked for a second and he asked me to fill out an information card. I told him I preferred not to but I would contact him after checking out all the ingredients online.  He said “I’ll contact you”. So I declined once more. 

He said “well then give me back my samples”.  We thought he was joking but again “give them back” so I did.  We were both shocked.  I was seriously interested in the food, the prices were good and he offered free delivery.  I liked that he manufactured local so I could keep my dollar in Tennessee.  He just lost a potential customer who spends a lot of money on dog food. 

Of course, I had to send him an email to let him know. 

63 PIT BULLS FOUND AT TRIPLE MURDER SCENE

A tragic discovery was recently made in a rural ranch in Idaho. Three adults were shot and killed, but two children at the scene, a two-year-old and two-month-old, were found physically unharmed. The baby was found under the arm of her deceased mother, who apparently tried to protect her newborn daughter at the time of her death. Both children are now safe with other family members — and hopefully will have no memory of this horrific life-altering day.
As officers arrived on the grisly scene, it became apparent that this isolated ranch was also a dog-fighting compound. Sixty-three pit bulls were found – most of which were in hideous condition.  The Idaho Humane Society (IHS) has taken over the care for these poor animals. According to the IHS, “most of the dogs are underweight and suffering from malnutrition. Many of them have open cuts and extensive scarring from old wounds and have skin, eye, and ear ailments resulting from neglect of their basic care. A few dogs have old injuries of broken bones that were left untreated.”
But as a testament to the generous spirit of these dogs, who have obviously been severely abused and neglected, the majority of the canines were reported by the IHS to be friendly and accepting of handling by people. “It’s heartbreaking the treatment some of these animals have endured,” said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, “but they’re resilient and getting lots of care and attention.” Many of the pit bulls are surprisingly playful and are romping around the exercise yard. Maybe they intuitively understand that the worst is over.

Further behavioral assessments will be necessary to see if these dogs can be rehabilitated and adopted, but the IHS is hopeful. Since these dogs have been bred to fight other dogs, one of the primary concerns is how they will interact with other canines. IHS has experience with pit bulls, as they are the second most common breed that end up at their facility. The IHS does not, however, have significant experience with dogs bred specifically for fighting, so two national experts on the subject are flying in this weekend to consult with them.
The Idaho Humane Society is currently unable to accept offers for hands-on assistance due to the crisis nature of this situation, but donations for their care, feeding and veterinary expenses are urgently needed and can be made at www.idahohumanesociety.com. Additionally, IHS is not seeking foster homes or permanent homes until a full assessment can be made on each dog. As the dogs become available for adoption, the IHS will make announcements on their website.
Even though this is a sad story on many levels, the children and dogs can hopefully close this tragic chapter on their lives and move forward to a place where they are loved, respected and treated with compassion. I am hopeful, as I see each one of them, child and dog, in the near future enjoying many sunny, carefree romps in the grass — as every dog and child should.

MAC'S BIRTHDAY

My big baby, Mac, turned 11 years old on Saturday, April 6^th.  It was a busy day for me, sharing the same birthday but he got both of his walks, I cooked them a large ribeye and they all got new toys.  And yesterday, they all got a little mini bath. But Jazz peed on Stinky so that kind of started the ball rolling.  I would have taken a picture but the damn cats broke my camera. They saw the string on it and next thing I knew, it was flying down the stairs. So I’m attaching this picture I took of him when he was almost a year old. 

I also caught the yellow tabby cat after trying for almost a month.  We put the trap at my neighbor’s because that’s where “Hobbs” seemed to gravitate when not sneaking in my garage to eat or hiding in an old doghouse I have in the back for shelter. We knew he was a boy but he has been fighting and so not only did he need to be neutered, he needed medical attention for the wounds.  I hope he won’t fight any more.  Again, would have taken a picture but…..

Mac is still walking pretty well with the Adequan shots every 10 days and the K-Laser one a week now. I’ll go back to bi-weekly if I notice a difference.

Beasley is still making progress.  She runs outside by herself almost every time, even runs the fence and barks at times but I still have to stand outside and make sure she potties.  And she tries to fake me out sometimes by squatting for a second and then running back on the deck.  Smartie.  But then she’ll come in and potty on her spot so I continue to be diligent in trying to train her. She has only hidden under the bed twice in the last month and once, it was because they were cutting the grass so I think the noise scared her.

I have walked her four days in a row now and while she’s scared, she has actually sniffed a few mailboxes and peed on them.  Her “dog” is finally coming out.  But then a car will drive by or a person will be outside and she’s terrified again.  So I’m hoping like with being in the fenced yard, it will eventually become more comfortable for her and she’ll love it like all the other “krazy kritters” do.