Dog safety, doctored images and responsibility

There are a number of large dog breeds which have shown themselves to be generally dependable and safe with children. Here is Apple, an Akita who regularly makes nursing home and hospital visits, shown at a children's Library event.

Apple at the library - Doggie reading day 2012

One can certainly find similar scenarios involving Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and other types of dogs, with nary a problem. Unfortunately, not all dogs are as dependable. In particular, the pit bull, created by the dog men of Stafford in the 1800s, specifically to kill other animals for their amusement, has been selectively bred for the past 170 years for sudden, all-out attack and a burning desire to press the attack, ignoring pain and injury as long as it is physically capable of continuing to attack. Refer to This article for an introduction to the qualities pit bull breeders strive for. Consequently, It should come as no surprise that pit bulls have a particularly bloody and violent history with children, attacking suddenly, brutally, without warning, and seemingly at random. 

Pit bull lobbyists have in the past arranged for specially trained pit bulls to be put into situations with the public, often with disastrous results - small dogs brutally killed at the dog groomers, at dog-friendly restaurants, surprise attacks on dogs at public gatherings, and unexpected attacks on humans as well. 

One pit bull activist thought it was a good idea to bring her pit bull to the library where she worked as a volunteer. Not surprisingly, the pit bull mauled a library customer, leading to a $158,000 lawsuit against the library. 

I suppose it's only natural that a pit bull activists would eventually realize that the easiest and least risky way to show pit bulls acting like normal dogs among children is with Photoshop. 

Consider the obviously doctored image below -

I wonder what was in the original picture before the pit bull was photoshopped in...

While one's natural impulse to such a fraud to cry foul, it is in fact a safer way to show pit bulls with children, at least at first glance. But then again, if uninformed people see this picture and try it themselves, tragedy could well result.

What do you think? Is it responsible to circulate synthetic images like this, or is it just too dangerous to tolerate?

Pit bulls attack service dog, pit owners flee the scene

Authorities are looking for a man and woman whose pit bulls attacked a service dog at a Washington State Vets office. After the attack, the couple herded the pit bulls into the car and fled the scene.

The middle-aged male and female, both white, were in a silver SUV with Washington plates ADF6496.

Go to www.cdapress.com for more info

Pit bulls: A 21st century depiction of the American Pit Bull Terrier

To further the laudable goal of education, I wanted to call attention to an interesting piece by Gary Wilkes, which was published last year, about the history of the APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) in the USA.

As Colleen Lynn wrote, "It has been over 20 years since a U.S. journalist has presented the pit bull issue in such a compelling and candid way as Wilkes has here. The last was EM Swift who created the 1987 Sports Illustrated cover article, "The Pit Bull: Friend and Killer."  The 2010 Wilkes piece depicts the first accurate U.S. version of pit bulls in the 21st century. Much of its power lies in the author's explanation of the genetic underpinnings of the breed, which cannot be disputed or "trained out" of the breed."

Wilkes, an acclaimed behaviorist, trainer and author with over 30 years experience with dogs, begins the piece by describing the unprovoked pit bull attack on little Charlotte Blevins. This 2008 attack sent shock waves through the heartland of America and three months later, moved the City of Omaha to adopt a breed-specific law. The Wilkes article is 6-pages and covers many areas, including breed-specific laws.

Continue reading the introduction to the Wilkes article here
You can download the article in PDF format here.

Overheard in a technical forum

I was reading an online article in a technical forum today where a discussion arose in the comments thread about the reliability of paypal. I found it interesting to see the following comment from a tech guru in Texas:


Using paypal is like owning a pit bull. Sure, it treats you good and seems harmless, (sans a huge appetite for your money in service fees) But one day, for reasons only it understands, it will turn around and bite the cr@p out of you.

Am I the only one who thought that comment was over the edge? Hopefully, after he cools off, he'll apologize to paypal for the comparison.

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.

The story of Rhett

There was a dog who once had a home, but was abandoned by his owners when they faced hard times. He waited for them, and tried to survive. But then he was found, and adopted by a woman who was smitten by this handsome boy. She wanted to give him a forever home. This is her story:

I miss his velvet ears. I have some of his hair in a pretty little silver box.

In the neighborhood where my husband and I live, there is a graveyard nearby. Dogs are sometimes abandoned there, victims of the economy, and of owners who considered them expendable. It breaks my heart to see these dogs discarded like last week’s newspaper. I’ve always loved dogs. My childhood years were filled with happy memories of our Beagles - I loved their musical howls. One of our beagles actually slept on top of her doghouse - just like Snoopy.

We had been looking at rescues, thinking of adopting an older beagle, when I started seeing a beautiful dog in the graveyard. Kind neighbors would bring him food, which he would take warily and run away. One day, I saw him drinking from one of the leaky sprinklers on my front lawn.  He looked at me warily, but with kind, soulful eyes.  He had his drink, and then returned to his vigil at the graveyard, crossing his front legs, sitting like a statue, waiting for an owner who would never return. One day, I brought him out a can of cat food. He let me pet him, and I was smitten. I told my husband how beautiful he was, and he said, “Well, catch him and put him in the garden” - and that’s just what I did.

The vet thought he was a Chow/Lab mix. His hair was short, but thick and luxurious, with a copper-like metallic sheen. He had a teddy bear face, a black tongue and a curly tail. He’d been neutered as an adult, appeared to be 3-4 years old, and had no microchip. I named him Rhett, because he was handsome, and a bit of a rogue, but also because of his beautiful red coat.  He was never destructive, didn’t dig in my garden, and was very polite about his bathroom duties; always in the same place, and never when we walked. He was a gentleman, very well behaved. Somebody had obviously trained him well, although from what I understand about Chows, they are naturally polite dogs. He was also a very good watchdog. If he barked, we knew something was up. He knew the difference between the little old ladies that walked by, and the hooligans.

Rhett was very smart, a quick learner. I taught him to sit at a snap of a finger, and lie down with a hand command. He also knew “Give me five”, “Give me ten”,  adored having his belly rubbed and would roll over on his back if you said, “Belly time”, he played “patty cake”, and did a “happy dance” when it was supper time.  He was very enthusiastic about food.  One time, he stole a whole container of Loft house Sugar cookies. He would also “speak” on command. If  I threw something, he would grudgingly and dutifully go retrieve it, but if you threw it again, he would give you a look like your were insane…as if to say “Hey, I JUST brought it back to you, silly.”  He had a kind of aloof dignity that I just adored, and respected.

Because of Rhett’s shy idiosyncrasies about going potty, I had no luck in getting him to relieve himself on walks.  A friend told me about the Dog Park, so I thought I would give it a try. At the dog park, Rhett was minding his own business, investigating the grounds and marking the trees, when a pit bull cornered him and would not let him pass. Then the pit bull grabbed him by the neck. I came over and kicked the pit bull, the pit bull owner came over and the dogs were separated. I remember she said that her pit bull was “correcting” my dog’s behavior.  I’m not sure which was more disturbing - the pit bull or it’s owner. Thankful that no blood was shed that day, I put Rhett on a leash, and never returned to the dog park.

About a week later I was walking Rhett and Scarlett, our other Chow mix, when we were attacked by an off-leash pit bull. Another horrible, crazy owner.  A couple of weeks later we were attacked by yet another pit bull. Reports were increasing in my neighborhood of  people being attacked and injured, of their pets being killed, by pit bulls - a little girl’s Chihuahua mauled right in front of her.  A neighbor’s beautiful Chow attacked and seriously injured while on a walk. A neighbor’s home was invaded by a pit bull. A child attacked while sharing Easter Candy. The nephew of another neighbor had his testicles bitten off by a pit bull. One evening when I came home, a loose pit bull chased me from my car to my front door. It was surreal, a war zone.

On Memorial day, around 7:00 in the evening, I was feeding Scarlett, alone in the house, as she was on medication.  She began howling and carrying on, and I knew something was wrong  I looked out the back French door, and was horrified to see the whip of a tail attached to a giant white pit bull.  Rhett had assumed from what I read is a “submissive” posture.  He had surrendered to this pit bull which somehow got into my back garden. I ran inside and called the police, then ran to my front door and called for help. Several neighbors ran to our help within seconds. One of the young boys knew that the pit bull belonged to a man across the street, and he ran to get him. Another neighbor asked for my gate key, while two other neighbors went for golf clubs and a shovel, in an attempt to stop the pit bull which was still attacking Rhett.

The owner of the dog arrived to see his pit bull wagging its tail, covered with the blood of my dog, as if everything were fine. As my dog lay wounded, this owner couldn’t stop grinning - was it some twisted sense of pride? He took the pit bull and left without a word. My next door neighbor helped me pick up Rhett, and she drove us to the emergency hospital while I held him and put pressure on the wounds.

Rhett survived the initial attack, but would never again be the same. He was profoundly disabled, his behaviour that of a stroke victim. He walked at an angle, he drooled, and he would fall while going around corners. He had a haunting, defeated, humiliated, and confused look.

I  didn’t understand how the pit bull was able to enter my seemingly secure back yard, which is surrounded on all sides by a dense, 10 foot high bottle-brush hedge and a masonry wall, until we noticed that the two bottom rungs of the wrought iron gate had been damaged, so that with enough force, a determined attacker could push through. This pit bull had escaped from its yard to ram himself through a locked wrought iron gate. This beautiful garden, which was meant as a restful oasis of peace, had been violated by this hideous creature, transforming it into a slaughterhouse, a nightmare and a lingering sorrow.

My Rhett, my handsome friend, continued to suffer strokes as his condition deteriorated. I could see that he was barely existing, and so I had to make the heart breaking call to my vet. Choking on the tears, I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and Rhett started to follow me, as he always did. I could see a strange, faraway look in his eyes as he stood there. I ran to him and held him. My handsome boy died in my arms. We’d had a bittersweet, 3 week goodbye. When the vet called back I gave him the news that Rhett had already passed, and he gave me the phone number to the pet crematorium.  

I shed a tear for Rhett every day.

Guns are regulated, why not pit bulls?

Well, October is pit bull awareness month - and I just stumbled across an article by Bob Confer of the Niagara Gazette, who has put into words some thoughts that have been swimming around in my head for awhile. What do you think - does he have a valid point, or not?

CONFER: Pit bulls need regulation » Opinion » Niagara Gazette:

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Also posted at Craven Desires