Life - AT ALL COSTS

The pit bull propaganda machine has had a huge head start, being well funded and having gotten started long before anyone had a clue what they were up to. But the one thing working against them is the fact that, by nature of daily new atrocities, pit bulls and their owners are making new enemies at a dizzying pace, and eventually all the well-funded and orchestrated propaganda campaigns money can buy won't make a dent.  Elsie is an animal lover who was introduced in a typical rude fashion to the pit bull movement, when her beloved Chihuahua, Ricky, was nearly mauled to death by a neighbor's pit bull. Here is her story:

My journey into 'Pitdom' began after my Chihuahua Ricky and I were attacked on the 3rd of October, this year. Thus began my journey into total fear, confusion...and hatred for what a Pit Bull can do. And what disturbed me even more was how much I hated that Pit Bull for the horrendous suffering he caused my Ricky. 

Ricky

I felt consumed by this hatred in a way I have never felt before. Then I realized my hatred was spilling over through my fear onto all big dogs, but especially Pits and similar looking dogs. A couple of nights ago as I tried to go to sleep, I could not let go of the anger, so that I could sleep in peace. I kept re-living the attack over and over. I kept hearing Ricky scream in pain, I kept smelling the warm blood and smelling the Pit Bull's breath on my cheek as he bit me trying to rip Ricky back out of my arms, I kept seeing the fixed, glazed over blood-lust in his eyes. But mainly I kept seeing Ricky looking at me with agony in his eyes and beseechingly asking me for help when the Pit Bull kept ripping and tearing his flesh off and my feeling of absolute helplessness and powerlessness to stop the attack, to stop Ricky's pain. 

I kept seeing myself being attacked again and again...but this time I had all sorts of weapons...first a knife, then a gun, then a break-stick. Sometimes Ricky was in the Pit's mouth, sometimes it was just me. Then I knew it was time to try to heal this rip in my life or it was going to destroy any happiness I could ever have. I prayed and asked for help to release the anger and the hatred... and the overwhelming fear. 

After the pit bull attack

 I know animals are an extension of us humans and are dependent upon our goodwill in so many ways. I also know that sometimes this dependence we feel from the animal kingdom, especially our canine and feline friends, can go wrong. We can begin to idealize our part in these animal's lives to the point that we cannot separate idealization from logic, fact from fiction, truth from falsehoods, what we wish to be from what is. We become blind to the fact that an animal is still an animal and that genetics play a large part in WHO our animals really ARE at the basic root level and we forget that no matter how much we love them... they remain animals with a genetic makeup different from ours. 

So with the anger and hatred still seething in me and tons of 'not wanting to' I began to watch the videos of attacks by Pit Bulls and I began to watch the videos of Pit Bulls that people have put up on YouTube of their pet Pit Bulls being the family dog. I saw the murderous fury in the attacking Pit Bulls and I saw the love from the family Pit Bulls toward their humans. And there was no doubt that they loved their humans. I watched videos of family Pit Bulls being loving towards their humans...and an instant later attacking one of the family members that it loves. All this was not unexpected to me. BUT what was unexpected by me was watching the confusion in its' eyes once an attacking Pit Bull calmed down. Absolute confusion. It had no clue that it had done something so horrendously savage. 

This is when the anger and hatred in me for these pit bulls left me. They really are not to blame for doing what their genetics lead them to do. The ones to blame are the humans who wish upon them the ability to be something that they are not. It is not that attacking pit bulls have bad owners, though many do as is the case with pet owners of any animal, it has nothing to do with being mistreated... it is what they are. You cannot love out genetics that were created to attack and attack until either they or their chosen victim is dead. They are not lap dogs and never will be. Put all the tutus you want on them, it will not change their lethal genetic makeup. But what it will do is cause untold suffering to these dogs and it will lead to their injury and death by people trying to protect themselves, their loved ones and their pets, and rightly so - just as these humans would do in the event of an attacking bear or mountain lion who is out of its' territory and attempting to do what its' genetics lead it to do, namely to attack. 

I've been a bleeding-heart animal rights person all my life. I use to get furious when I'd hear about animal shelters euthanizing cats and dogs. Feeling anything was better than death for these poor creatures. And when I would hear about no-kill shelters, I would be ecstatic, thinking "okay, they are finally getting it that killing all these strays is wrong". When I would hear about dogs being shot, especially by police officers, I would be furious, and demand that person's head on a platter. Never once did I question why the dog was shot. In my ideological thinking death was death and always wrong in reference to an animal losing its life by a human's actions, regardless of the reason. 

 Now to the Pit Bull and Pit Mix breeds or lineages...My first encounter with a Pit Bull was in Georgia when one was at large (not a stray) and killed my sister's Shitzu, Gizzy. It was not reported and the hunters who owned the Pit Bull were not confronted. Then the second time the Pit Bull who was at large (not a stray but owned by the same hunters) that came onto my sister and brother-in-law's property and attacked my sister's 17 year old cat, China. My sister was not at home but my brother-in-law was and stood by helpless to stop the attack that in a mere minutes left China in shreds and an unrecognizable bloody mass in what she had always believed was her safe home to laze about in the sun. My brother-in-law got his gun and when he came back out with it, the Pit Bull owner pulled up and asked in sad hysterics 'You not gonna shoot my dog, are you man?' No my brother-in-law didn't shoot the Pit Bull and the man loaded up his blood-soaked dog into his truck. Leaving my brother-in-law in horror at what had just happened and wondering how the hell he was gonna tell my sister that her beloved cat was dead, not from natural causes after a life well-lived, but by a nightmare called a Pit Bull. He buried China before my sister came home because he didn't want her to see the condition China was in. And again the attack was not reported and the Pit Bull owner was not made to be accountable. 

Several years later I moved to Florida where my sister and brother-in-law now lived. There were two chained Pit Bulls next door. One of them got off his chain all the time. One day my Chihuahua, Ricky, happened to cross paths with this Pit Bull. There was a chain-link fence around the Pit Bull's home and around my sister's home. But that did not stop this Pit Bull. I heard Ricky screaming and ran out the door with my sister and brother-in-law. The Pit Bull had Ricky. He 'de-gloved' Ricky's whole back-end. By this time the dog's owner was trying to get his dog to release Ricky. His wife was screaming at him that she had told him to get rid of 'those dogs.' A neighbor got to Ricky before I could and brought him to me. I could not tell just how bad his injuries were because there was so much blood. I held him under the faucet to wash away some of the blood to assess his injuries. They were horrific. I wrapped his back-end to try to stop the bleeding. The Pit Bull's owner came over and was crying and telling me how he will 'replace' Ricky if he dies 'with any dog' I chose. Right. Our beloved pets get murdered and they are just replaceable. I stayed by Ricky's side, tending his wounds and praying while he went through pain, shock and horrendous fevers...On the third day he looked at me and wagged his tail. I thought I was all cried-out but I wasn't. This time I cried because I knew he was going to make it. It took days and days before he could stand. His left hip still goes out on him and I have to massage it back into place. He also has the scars on either side of his hips and on his hind legs that are a testament to this attack. But did I ever once think that I should report this attack? No. Did I even once expect this vicious Pit Bull, that obviously cannot be controlled by his owner, to be put down? No. Did the owner keep this vicious Pit Bull? Yes. He continues to get loose and up until this last attack on Ricky, my sister would yell at him to go home. 

After the attack on me and Ricky on October 3rd, my sister now knows to not do that and she also knows that her grandchildren are potentially in danger from this dog. Let's talk about the two attacks on my sister's pets by Pit Bulls owned by a hunter. Would this hunter tell you he loves his dogs? Absolutely. After all he allows them to run loose because when they are not running loose they live boxed in a prison with bars. Is he a responsible Pit Bull owner? Absolutely not. Does he respect other people, their pets and the law against unlawful trespass? Absolutely not. Should he lose all rights to own a killer dog? Absolutely. 

Now, this Pit Bull owner loves his dogs, right? Yet he knowingly puts these dogs in danger of being shot by allowing them to run at large. Right? If he loves his dogs so much, why would he put them in danger? He puts them in danger because he knows most people love animals and do not wish them harm. Thus he does not feel he is putting his Pit Bulls in danger. So actually, he's not just putting his Pit Bulls in danger, he's putting all pets and other domestic animals in that area in danger. Does he care? No. The owner of the first Pit Bull that attacked Ricky...Would he answer yes if you asked him if he loves his dogs? Absolutely. But he keeps these dogs that he so loves on a chain the majority of their lives. Like slaves of the past or like the prisoners in the chain-gangs in the past, like the elephants and tigers and lions in circuses. 

Were those slaves or those people on the chain-gangs and those exotic animals that live their lives within caged bars and in chains, happy? No. And neither are his dogs. He lives with these Pit Bulls in the city so of course he thinks he is doing the right thing by keeping them on chains. After all, he knows that they are not lap dogs. And he was horrified that the one Pit Bull attacked my Ricky. He tries to make sure that his beloved dogs do not get off chain, but being Pit Bulls, they will get off chain and they will get through a chain-link fence, and they will attack. Is it their fault that they do what their genetics tell them to do? No. For that is what they know. 

The fault lays with a human being that is forcing these dogs to live an unnatural existence and then crying when they revert to what they are - dogs - with the genetic lineage to attack and not stop until the prey is dead. It does not matter that the prey may be a child. Dog science has proven that these dogs do not differentiate between animal prey and human prey, especially human prey that is small. These dogs do not need anything to 'set them off' - what sets them off is their genetics kicking in. When they attack, maul and kill the child who has been by their side since birth, it's not that they suddenly hate that child, it's because their prey drive was stronger than their love for their human. I have watched video after video and looked at picture after picture of these dogs during an attack, and after the prey-drive has abated. 

During the attacks they would look like demonic hounds of hell, worse that anyone's nightmare; these pit bull attacks were the most horrific things I've ever witnessed, and that includes my many years as an ICU and ER nurse. Watching these videos and looking at these pictures of and after attacks is so not easy. After the attacks when the adrenaline dies down and their prey-drive is abated they are the saddest looking, most confused looking blood-covered creatures imaginable. 

They have no clue what a nightmare they just caused. They have no clue why the humans are screaming at them. They have no clue why the humans have wounded them. They have no clue why they are being cruelly lassoed by AC and thrown in a cage in the back of a vehicle and are being driven away from the humans they love. Do not for a second think these dogs do not love, for they do and they do wish to make their human owners happy, but they cannot resist their genetics forever. No more than a Siberian Tiger can resist its' genetics. No more than the Bear can resist its' genetics. 

Just like the Siberian Tiger and the Bear that loves their human masters but 'snaps' one day when their prey-drive kicks in, killing the person who loves them and whom they love, these dogs cannot resist their genetics when it kicks in and overrides whatever love they have for their human companions. And for humans to continue to torture these creatures by expecting them to be other than what they are is an inhumanity indeed. 

And what is even more wrong for these Pit Bull genetic-lineage dogs, if they survive an assault after they attack, is that they all eventually end up in an animal shelter, and a great many are euthanized. Some live out their lives for years and years in unrelenting isolation with a 'bone' thrown to them here and there while they wait out the rest of their lives in confinement. This is how the bleeding heart animal lovers show their love for these poor dogs. Life at any cost, whether to the dog itself, or to the people and animals these dogs attack. There must be life for this sad dog, at any cost.

Not to even mention how many safe adoptable animals lose their lives or receive less than ideal treatment due to the over-abundance of Pit Bull types taking up limited shelter resources, leaving little for the rest of the animals. The bleeding heart animal rights crowd know it is wrong and to try to atone for that wrong, they push these creatures on an unsuspecting public through their unending attacks on anything or anyone contrary to their aberrant love and anyone or anything that sees how wrong they are. 

They attack, smear, use the terms 'racist,' 'breedist,' 'unfair,' 'hatred,' 'ignorant.' - a never ending list of vicious descriptors. Meanwhile they totally dishonor these dogs by dressing them in tutus and push propaganda that has been proven false and while they take pictures of their babies with these poor dogs, being forced to portray a fantasy image about them, and more importantly, putting their children in harms way. 

Their aberrant love for an animal outweighs their love and responsibility for and to their children. Knowing this is wrong, they push unrelentingly an unholy and unsafe agenda to give these dogs status above a human. The world these dogs were created for is over. That is why people who use them for their intended purpose are found guilty of animal abuse. 

Horrible thought it may be for these dogs to have been designed and bred to fight each other, that was their purpose and that is what drives them. This will no doubt piss off the animal rights and the Pit Pushers but it's the truth. The only difference in the people who use these dogs for their intended purpose NOW and the men who created them for fighting THEN, is that back then it was a well-respected 'sport' and the dogs were valued and their well-being was valued, much like a race-horse is valued. The people who use them NOW for dog-fighting are the dregs of humanity and the dregs of the dog world and have no respect nor well-wishes for their dogs. They do their dog-fighting in secret and in shadow because they know it is wrong. The dog-fighters of old DID NOT know it was wrong. They took pride in their sport and that pride showed in how they treated their prize dogs. I am so thankful that we now live in a world where it is KNOWN and ACCEPTED how cruel and wrong dog-fighting is and we want the stiffest of punishments against people who do such.

But, in a nutshell that is is exactly why these dogs no longer fit in in our world. Their world is dead. They have NO PLACE in this world for their killer genes. Except to dog-fighters who will never totally disappear because the dogs they use are the dogs bred for the purpose...Pit Bull and Pit Bull Mixes. As long as this genetic line exists, there will be dog-fighters. Plain and simple. And you bleeding heart animal rights people and you Pit Pushers have condemned these dogs to lives of hell because you are trying to force them to fit in in a world where they do not belong. YOU are NOT 'animal lovers' nor 'Pit Bull lovers'...you are aberrations of the most cruel kind who force life at any cost upon a genetic species that are making life hell not only for the dogs themselves but for every other living creature, human and animal. pit bulls are not in the wrong, you pit pushers and bleeding heart animal rights people are correct in that - don't blame the breed. But I will complete the sentence for you: blame yourselves.

 The last attack on Ricky almost cost him his life, again, and ended up also harming his human...an attack by a Pit Bull that is so loved by his female human owner that he spends 99% of his time in a feces and urine-soaked wire cage because he is too vicious to be out in public. But she loves him, so much that his being in her life is all important...to the point that he is an unwilling and unhappy prisoner all the days of his life...

He loves her and the small children that live with him...until his genetics kick in and over-ride his love for his humans and then he will look out from his blood-spattered eyes in confusion when his prey-instincts abate to find one of his young humans that he so loved laying under him, and as he is being led by AC to be euthanized, he will be looking back at his human and wondering what he did wrong. In the year that I have lived next to this long-suffering young Pit Bull I have seen him 5 times. The 4th time was when he attacked me and Ricky when he was being brought out his front door on a leash. He was an it loved... above and beyond all costs by his human jailer.

I just saved my dogs life

Lucy says:

The pit bull across the street (a new one) darted across the street into my yard and started going after my Chihuahua and ran in side my house trying to catch her. I have this combo mace/alarm siren device and a knife I always carry on me. I deployed the siren, dropped the mace, opened up my knife. It was complete mayhem. Both of my daughters and my husband were trying to get the pitbull away from our Chihuahua. The pitbull then ran outside and the owner of the pitbull face planted on our driveway and was all bloodied from trying to get his pitbull under control. I stabbed it between the shoulder blades in the back, and it took off across the street back to his house with the bloody owner chasing it. I stood in the driveway and screamed at the top of my lungs. My husband told me to get into the house which I did. My girls came with me while my husband talked to the owner. I do believe that, this time, I was prepared. I managed to save my dogs life.

Roxanne, safe after the attack

Update: the owner of the Land shark that came into our house to attack our dog didn't know that I stabbed the beast until he read the police report today. He called the police to press charges against me and they said "Absolutely Not".

Update - the owner of the mauler that tried to kill Roxanne has concocted a story to peddle to social media:

 The all too predictable reaction from those eager to form a lynch mob:

Unfortunately this is quite typical after a pit bull goes on a killing spree. The pit bull owner paints himself and his mauler as victims, and spreads his own narrative. Lying comes to these people as easily as breathing comes to most of us. (Fortunately the post above was removed once the fraud was discovered - but the damage has been done)

The epidemic of pit bull violence against pets, livestock and companion animals is horrific, and getting worse every decade. Roxanne was blessed to have an owner who was ready and willing to defend her.

Lessons from the school of hard knocks

Here are a few accounts from readers who have chosen to remain anonymous for their own safety. 

The sweet pit bull

My coworker owned a pit bull. She described her as very sweet, wouldn't hurt a fly. She often dog sat for a friends large akita, and the pit and akita were always best friends. One night they were out in their yard together and they noticed that their play had escalated to a full on dog fight. The pit was no match for the akita, who had size and a protective coat on its side. But despite the fact that the pit bull was losing badly, it continued to fight. Her husband had to beat her with a shovel to get her to stop. Once the pit stopped, the akita stopped.

Some years later this same coworker decided to adopt a small, elderly chihuahua mix that someone found wandering in the road. I warned her not to trust her pit bull, but she was not concerned. For a year the dogs lived together happily, often sharing a bed and seeming to enjoy each other. Then one night the pit walked over to the sleeping chi mix and grabbed it around the neck and began shaking it with the clear intent to kill it. The chi was screaming but the pit was silent. Again her husband and to stop the pit bulls attack, but there was no shovel handy. He had to punch the pit bull repeatedly in the head to get it to stop, and he had to do it so hard he broke his hand. The little chi survived only because he was wearing a thick collar. The next day my coworker came to work and was clearly still shaken up by the whole thing. She kept saying "you were right, you were right..."  She will never own another pit bull. Wise woman.

The Vet

She was connected to the company I worked for, she was not my vet. Because she knew I had  knowledge of dogs, she called me one day and told me that she adopted a pit bull and wanted advice on how to integrate this male dog into her household of three other dogs, a male and two females. I told her to return the pit bull and not even bother trying. She did not take my advice, but she did call frequently to keep me posted. Big surprise, the pit decided that her male dog needed to die, and would attack him whenever he saw his chance. She had to separate them, and enlist the services of a trainer. Of course it did no good. It got to the point where if the pit bull even heard the male dog in another room he would go ballistic and try to get to him, through the door or wall if necessary. He could not be distracted when he was in such a state. Eventually, of course, management fails and he had a fight with the male and the vet and her husband realized that it was not going to work out and that someone was going to be seriously injured. They returned the pit to rescue where it was placed in home with no other animals. I hope their neighbors have no other animals either... That vet did call me and say that she would NEVER own another pit bull again.

The Dog Walker

Several years ago I helped out a local dog walker with her overflow clients. One of her clients owned a young male dog, Ralphie. The dog walker mentioned she had a "bull pit" and when I asked her what that was, she said it was a pit bull that didn't realize it was a pit bull. I know. Nauseating. In any case, her bull pit figured it out pretty fast. When Ralphie was taken to the dog sitters house for the evening, he was attacked by the shit bull and his throat torn open. He survived, but the dog walker didn't even have the decency to tell his owners. She returned Ralphie while they were at work the next morning and went off on vacation. I got the phone call asking what the hell happened! I could not believe that not only would she endanger a clients dog's life by bringing it near that fucking thing, she didn't even tell them what happened! She just took the dog to the vet where she worked and had it treated!

Pit bull awareness month: a reader speaks

A reader (who requested anonymity out of legitimate concern for violence from pit bull activists) related this story about one of her co-workers:

My coworker owned a pit bull, which she described as very sweet - "wouldn't hurt a fly". She often dog sat for a friends large Akita, and the pit and Akita always seemed to be best friends. One night they were out in their yard together and they noticed that their play had escalated to a full on dog fight. The pit was no match for the Akita  who had size and a protective coat on its side. But despite the fact that the pit bull was losing badly, it continued to fight. Her husband had to beat her it a shovel to get it to stop. Once the pit stopped, the Akita stopped.

Japanese Akita

A few years later this same coworker decided to adopt a small, elderly chihuahua mix that someone found wandering in the road. I warned her not to trust her pit bull, but she seemed unconcerned. For a year the dogs lived together happily, often sharing a bed and seeming to enjoy each other. Then one night the pit walked over to the sleeping chihuahua mix and grabbed it around the neck and began shaking it with the clear intent to kill it. The chihuahua was screaming, the pit was silent. Again her husband had to stop the pit bull attack, but there was no shovel handy. He had to punch the pit repeatedly in the head to get it to stop, and he had to punch it so hard he broke his hand. 

Chihuahua

The next day my coworker came to work and was clearly still shaken up by the whole thing. She kept saying "you were right, you were right..." She will never own another pit bull. 

Pit Bull

Wise woman.

It's a good thing when someone is enlightened, and begins to take seriously the safety and well being of  their pets, and the pets of others. It's even better when it doesn't require a fatal mauling in order for them to see the light.

Susu's last day

 On the night of June 21, 2012 Susu, a elderly chihuahua mix, breathed her last. After having been given the cocktail which would put her to sleep, she passed away in the arms of a kindly stranger who had taken pity on her. In that sense Susu was more fortunate than many elderly dogs, whose owners abandon them at the shelter as if they were worn out toys, rather than the sensitive, feeling creatures they are.

Susu had been dumped by her owners, perhaps simply because she was old; perhaps because she had advanced arthritis. In any case, Rancho De Chihuahua was her final stop, and RDC co-founder Joy Nicholson was the kindly stranger who held Susu in her last moments.

Joy's observations of the little dog's last days:
"The amazing thing about Susu is how doggedly she looked for her family. Our property is about 3 acres, and is not level, but on wobbly, painful knees, with little sight and very, very little hearing, she searched endlessly for them, walking through every inch. She would sense my presence, ( I think through smell) get very excited, 'run' towards me, then realize I was not who she was looking for, and then turn away and continue her search. When she got too physically tired, she would lay down, and I would go pick her up ( she hated to be picked up, and would buck, bite, and salivate) then she would lay, very depressed, until she slept. The other dogs scared her, so we always kept her alone, which she preferred, but didn't 'like'. When she woke, she would want to search again. Immediately. Any time of day or night. She would turn endless circles, and cry, trying to find a way to get out and search. Her happiest moments were the first 1/2 hour of each search--she would navigate to the fence, then carefully, with an upraised tail, walk the fence line, back and forth. Her tail would sink lower and lower as she got tired, and she was unable to find her people. Still, she wanted to walk. She seemed to believe that if she kept walking, she would eventually find her people, and everything would be okay."

I have to wonder where her family was during this time, and what they were doing. Did they love her? Did they stop loving her when she got old? Were they thinking about her at all? Susu could seemingly think about nothing else except finding them again. 

Joy continues:
"Susu was on Rimidyl, which seemed to help with her pain. And her ability to walk further did increase with less pain, but the emotional pain got worse, not better, when she couldn't find her people."

As sad as Susu's death was, the fact is that dogs put down at the shelter generally come to an even less pleasant end. It varies from place to place, but 50 to 80 percent of Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes in shelters will ultimately die for lack of someone to adopt them. An older dog has virtually no chance at all but the least crowded shelters. An older dog with considerable health issues, like Susu, will suffer greatly for the few days spent at a shelter before the euthanization takes place.

Joy recalls Susu's last hours:

"I gave her a tranquilzer ( Acepromazine) in her breakfast treat, and when it set in, I brought her to our vet. She slept the whole way, looking at me, but not in any apparent distress or fear, and seemed very relaxed--the most relaxed she had been. At the vet, we gave her a little more tranquilzer, waited until the injection fully 'took' and she was completely under. She did not open her eyes, wake, struggle or seem to have any signs of distress when she was euthanized. I was touching her the whole time, and lightly petting her face. Susu did not like to be touched, so I kept it very light in case she was feeling it--just enough to let her know she wasn't alone--but not enough to irritate her.) She went to sleep and did not wake up.

She should have been euthanized with her people holding her. We couldn't give Susu much in life, but I do think her death was a peaceful one."

Many of us have been guilty in the past of letting the vet or someone else handle the details when one of our pets is put down. Let's resolve to do this, at least: If and when the time comes that our pet must be put down, let's not dump the poor bewildered baby off somewhere and wash our hands of the whole affair. Let's be with our pets in their final moments, and hold them as they leave this world. Let them feel love and compassion, rather than fear and loneliness. I believe It really makes a difference. 

"One can measure the greatness and the moral progress of a nation by looking at how it treats its animals." -- Mahatma Gandhi 

Abused Chihuahua - Lancaster, Ca

Update 12/10/2011 -

I'm sorry to say that Stevie has been put to sleep. Her adoptive mom, Stefanie Larue, agonized for some time over the decision but ultimately decided that the pain she was suffering did not afford her the quality of life she deserved, and made the painful decision to end her suffering.

From her facebook page: "her time has finally come...there is nothing else that can be done for her. her bones have deteriorated...it's not just her legs anymore...it's her inner bones. "

Finally free of pain:

STEVIE AT PEACE*** TEARS IN HEAVEN R.I.P. 12/10/2011

To friends of Stevie from her step mom:

"To all of those who loved and supported our little Stevie the Survivor…
It is now been one week after having to let my precious Stevie go. Last Saturday, at 4pm, I experienced one of the biggest heart breaks my mind, body and soul has ever felt. It has quietly shaken my internal peace. Have since felt such emptiness in my moments of existence without her and a profound sadness lingers within. I know it was the right decision to make. But it still hurts. SO MUCH!! But I loved you so much that I had to gift you with freedom. Freedom of pain. You hid it well with me until the end. I know it’s because you too wanted to stay here as long as you could to be with me as I felt the same about you. We made a pack. If I had to stay here on this earth, then so did you! We had to survive together!! And we did. For a while. But things change, our bodies change, and they give out on us sometimes. And sometimes, we have done all we can and there is nothing left to do… but to let go. It was the hardest thing to let go of you. Of your body as it lay in my hands and arms. Even after you left to go sleep with the angels. I apologize to the vets for it taking so long for me to actually give you over to them. Your spirit had already gone. I saw it leave. Never witnessed that before but I saw that it was peaceful. But again, it still hurts. SO MUCH!! I would hold you as much as I could while I was gifted with your presence because I knew… I knew it would be some of my last moments to hold you. Especially at night snuggled up watching movies. Beautiful moments embedded in my memory.

I will see you again soon my little Stevie girl. I smile thinking of when I will join you over the rainbow bridge to complete the end of my journey because that is where I want to be. To see your little crooked wiggie tail going in circles when you see me again, to hold you for so long, and this time, never having to let you go. I will see you again soon…

Until then, there is another Stevie the Survivor out there that needs people like us to help rescue them from the shelters. Sadly, there are so many in fact. And it is my continued commitment to rescue another that is need of my sacred love. And I will do in honor of Stevie and all others out there like her… May God bless their unconditional souls.

Thank you again, truly, to those of you who helped rescue Stevie from the shelter, those who transported her to Brent Air Animal hospital from the shelter, all of the vets, especially Dr. Edmonson, and vet techs, especially sweet Kaylan (you were always her favorite) who cared for her and helped her heal quickly. And without the undeniable efforts of my kick ass animal advocate and long time friend Linda Delizza and ever so big hearted Kris Kelly and the Kris Kelly Foundation… I would have never been able to adopt the most amazingly little vibrant creature that deeply enriched my life. Kris Kelly, I am devoted to you for life for choosing me to adopt Stevie. We were meant to be together until her end and I am so grateful you understood why.

Finally, to all of Stevie’s supporters… some of you donated, and donated greatly. And I, more than anyone, thank you so very, very much. Without your generous donations I would not have had the treasured time with Stevie that I had and she, would not have experienced the unconditional love, fun, joy, excitement, play time, and some levels of comfort from the pre-existing pain. And to those of you who supported her by showing her love on her Face book fan page, constantly following her, posting such inspirational and loving thoughts… even just the valuable time you took out of your days and night to check in on her was so appreciated.

The on-line support has been so overwhelming so that is why I decided to write this letter. In hopes of precisely expressing my deepest gratitude to you all along with sharing a bit about what it was like to be blessed to have crossed paths with such a beautiful spirit and soul. Stevie… you are forever cherished."

 
Rest in peace, sweet girl. Your life was short and hard, but you knew what it was to be loved for the final 6 months of your life.


-- original story below--

On May 25th an injured Chihuahua was brought to the Lancaster animal shelter. On May 26th, a call for help was posted to the Chihuahua Rescue group, with a picture of this terribly abused little girl.

On May 27th The little Chihuahua was rescued by the Kris Kelly foundation. Her new name is Stevie and she is getting help.

Over the Memorial day weekend, Stevie was taken to Brent-Air Animal Hospital for treatment. Images are available here.

6/6 - An update from Dr Schlanger:
Stevie's head wound is healing nicely and responding very well to our daily treatments and bandage changes. Her attitude has significantly improved as she is feeling much better. We are consulting with specialists in order to determine the best way to further diagnose and manage her orthopedic issues.

Update 6/7 - New photos of Stevie at Brent-Air Animal Hospital

Update 6/9 - An update from the doctors...
Testing has revealed that Stevie has an immune mediated disease (erosive polyarthritis) that is causing her joint problems. It is very severe and advanced. Surgery is not an option for Stevie. She will need to be on medication for the rest of her life to try to control this disease and protect her other joints. She will likely also need lifelong physical therapy. Hopefully custom splints can be made so that Stevie is more comfortable when she walks. Her head wound is more than 50% improved but there is no way of telling what caused it. She is still getting daily bandage changes and lots of love. Stevie is most comfortable when being held or laying in a soft padded bed. Once her head wound has healed she will be ready to go to her loving foster home.

This poor baby will always need special care

Update 6/20/2011 - Stevie now has her own facebook page - Stevie the survivor

Moving forward, Stevie's facebook page is the best place to monitor her progress.

Update 6/27/2011  - Stevie has been taken home to live with her new caretaker Stefanie LaRue. Her head wound is healing, but her arthritis related issues are not so easily fixed. There are plans to get her a wheelchair to help her get around. Good luck Stevie! Visit her facebook page to track her progress moving forward.

Final update 8/04/2011 - Stevie is doing well in her new home, is loved and happy, and has some new wheels to help her get around. Her facebook page is kept up to date with her progress, so feel free to visit and comment there.

Rancho De Chihuahua - a worthy cause!

I recently learned about Rancho de Chihuahua, a dog sanctuary in New Mexico which has been doing really good work, rescuing doomed and hopeless dogs and nurturing them in a healing environment. Some of the dogs have special needs, some are "lifers" and some will be placed in homes.

Here is an introductory video: Chihuahuamercial - Chitastic!

I discovered this little community some months ago. While I was browsing books on amazon.com, the cute and soulful image of a supplicant Chihuahua caught my eye -

Naturally, I bought a copy of "a small furry prayer" and reading it kept me up way past my bedtime. I was taken on a quixotic journey - I found myself captivated by the sheer sweetness of their vision, and moved by their bittersweet experiences in living it out.

This highly readable tome is really two books in one. On the one hand it's the story of their rescue, and on the other, it's some really deep philosophy about dogs. Mind you, I'm not saying I agree with every single idea that Mr Kotler has ever had, but I have to say that some of his insights are genius - simply going where no one else has even thought of going before.

I won't spoil the plot here - I'll recommend that you just go buy the book - or watch the trailer first to help you make up your mind.


Visit Rancho de Chihuahua

A lost puppy saved from the wilderness

In October of 2009, a tiny chihuahua puppy was separated from her mother and siblings, and ended up abandoned in a rural area outside Lake Elsinore. We may never know where she came from, or how she ended up beside a road far from any dwellings or businesses, but I can tell you what I know of her story.

Not a good place for a tiny puppy to be stranded

Not too long after she landed in the middle of nowhere, some good Samaritans happened to be driving through, and spotted the tiny puppy struggling to climb up out of the ditch beside the road. When they stopped the car to investigate, they found a black and brown female Chihuahua puppy the size of a rat, with filthy, matted fur, and the smell of death about her. They brought the poor little dog home, not sure if she would survive, but after they cleaned her up and fed her they discovered that she was essentially intact.

The photo sent to the chihuahua rescue list

Since they already had big dogs at home, they sent a message to the yahoo chihuahua rescue group, along with the picture above, to inquire about finding her a home. We saw the message and the picture, and contacted her rescuers to arrange to see her, and on Sunday, Oct 11th, we made the trip down to Lake Elsinore to meet her. When the puppy greeted us by licking our face, they were surprised, saying she hadn't previously licked anyone. After some discussion we arrived at a mutual agreement that we were a good match, and so we drove home with our new little puppy, naming her Bella.

Bella in her new home after a long day

Max, our 10 year old min pin, seemed a tad resentful at the newcomer but grew accustomed to her. On the other hand, Baby Girl, just one year old at the time, was very gentle and affectionate with Bella from the beginning, treating her like a long lost daughter. They became playmates and friends, and many who have seen them at play together have assumed that Baby is Bella's mother.

Bella with her new friend and big sister

We were concerned about Bella's small size, and tried to protect her, keeping her inside at all times unless we could directly supervise her, since we didn't want her to be carried away by some bird of prey when we weren't looking. In the months since her adoption, Bella has grown to a weight of about 10 lbs, and for the most part has been quite healthy and energetic.

A grown up Bella in the back yard

It's still a mystery to me how that little puppy ended up out there, how long she was there, and how she survived. Was she taken from someone who loved her? Was she was tossed out of a car window and left for dead? Did she have siblings?

In any case I'm writing this blog entry on the off chance that someone near Lake Elsinore, Ca, who was heartbroken over the loss of their tiny chihuahua puppy in Oct 2009, might someday stumble onto this page and know that she was saved, and is now a happy and healthy, if spoiled, little dog who loves her home and her adoptive family.

Spoiled puppy under the covers

It's a shot in the dark, but what the heck. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

On buying a fake Chihuahua

Perhaps it was inevitable that hucksters would cash in on the Chihuahua fad. There's certainly easy money to be made in that racket.

After our little Chihuahua girl Libby died in November of 2008, we were devastated, and soon wanted another Chihuahua. Of course, Libby could never be replaced, but I felt that raising and learning to love another puppy would be a healing experience. We started looking online for chihuahua puppies and on Dec 3rd we found an ad that had just been posted that very morning, accompanied by a picture of a cute 9 week old black and brown female puppy with floppy ears. We called the seller and made arrangements to see the puppy, and hopefully to adopt her. The sellers offered to meet us at a mall so that we didn't have to drive all they way to their kennels. We met the sellers, we loved the little puppy, and so we brought her home that night, and named her "Baby Girl", or Baby for short.

Baby Girl the first week we had her.

The sellers told us that she'd most likely be no more than 4 or 5 lbs when full grown, since both her parents were small. She exceeded that weight within a few weeks. As she hit 10 lbs, then 15 lbs, we tried to figure out what we had, studying videos and images of chihuahua mixes and their characteristics. We looked for signs of that classic Chihuahua face in her but it never emerged. We began to see a resemblance to the Jack Russell Terrier Chihuahua mix, AKA Jack Chi AKA Jackhuahua. She had the characteristic triangular head, the right size and shape, and a mischievous personality.

Baby's ears stood up for good a few weeks later

Today, at somewhere around 25 or 30 lbs, she's too large to be a Chihuahua, or even a Jack Chi, She's got the large, expressive Chihuahua-like ears, but her size and temperament are decidedly not Chihuahua. Clearly, there is something other than Chihuahua in her. But she's unlike other dogs we've known. She moves with a certain clumsy yet graceful, cat-like style. We've jokingly referred to her as our "autistic puppy" because she doesn't react to people as dogs normally do. Not hostile, just indifferent, in her own world.

Baby "helping" me on the computer

In retrospect, the folks who sold her to us were perhaps not entirely forthcoming about her rich heritage. When she hit 12 pounds or so I called them to ask if they were sure about her pure Chihuahua family tree, and they admitted that perhaps the father was not Chihuahua after all. (Gee, you think?). It doesn't matter though. She's our big girl now, and we wouldn't dream of giving her back.

She becomes intensely focused if I say the word "walk"

I was recently asked by someone who had just met Baby if she was a Chihuahua-Doberman mix; another person recently commented that they thought there could be some Rottweiler in her. I've been thinking, along with some other people, that she bears some resemblance to a Queensland Terrier. One of these days I'll get a proper DNA test done.

Baby Girl at 2, taking it easy out back

Since I started taking Baby to the local dog park to get her socialized, I've run into other people who've apparently been caught off guard by hucksters peddling fake chihuahuas, which typically turn out to be some sort of terrier mix, but now I've seen it all: One day I took Baby to the local pet supply store, where she proceeded to make friends with a well-behaved young female German Shepherd mix, who I'd say weighed about 40 lbs. The lady who'd brought her to the store told us she'd bought the dog as a tiny pup from a pet store where it had been sold as a Chihuahua!

A giant "Chihuahua"!

She seemed to be in a state of dazed amusement over the size of her dog, which even though well behaved, would be a handful for anyone who expected a chihuahua. It was clear that she really loved the dog, as she stocked up on special treats, studying the labels carefully. I loved what I saw in that relationship. In a way I felt sorry for her because she had been conned, but at the same time, I could see that her giant "Chihuahua" brought her happiness and companionship. By the time the puppy had grown into something resembling a German Shepherd, she'd already fallen in love with the dog, and she would never part with her. 

I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes, what you end up falling in love with is not what you originally thought you wanted at all...