BAD RAP Blog

Barn-A-Go-Go: A new matching challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:37:00 +0000

A Roof Over My Head
In between rescue work and conferences, the barn raising has been moving right along. We've been able to get the roof on in preparation for the winter weather that promises to soggy up our work crew. Since our last update, we've raised a big fat $9607! towards the goal of making this project a reality. It was truly a pleasure to raise that bar up once again.

And now ...We’ve been blessed once again with a matching grant opportunity, but this one is very special in that it's a DOUBLE matching grant! Our very generous donors wish to remain anonymous with their donation in the name of their special pit gal Maggie. (Dear Maggie ... thank you for inspiring your people to help other pit bulls!)

We have thirty days to meet this challenge of $5,000, meaning that if we raise it, they will in turn donate $10,000 to us, making a total of $15,000. This amount of course puts us amazingly close to our final goal.

So once again, the pressure is on. Can we raise $5000 in 30 days? It's a lot to ask, but we have faith. Let the challenge begin!

BARNRAISERS. Look at all the people who want a better day for pit bulls. It restores hope, doesn't it? Holly Schneider, Linda Snyder, James Orvis, Daniel and Diane Alspaugh, Larry and Holly Dungan, Joette Martin, Rebecca Huss, Diane Rhodes, John & Brenda Starr, Roma-Dakini Alexander, Cheryl Banuelos, John and Ann Fornoff, Kimberky Baumback, Diane Andronovich, Luba Muzichenko, Jim and Patty Disiena, Barbara & Clarence Evans, Patty Marquez, Bryan Klavitter, Kathryn Hardy, Sarah Deluna, Rebecca Cowles, B A Laauterbach, Michael Harris, Merritt Tu, Cobalt Blues, Leila Gill, Ernest Lee, Josh Liddy, Laurie Metzger, Blue Fields Electric, Jennifer Aleah Nesteby, Carole Worthington, Janet Hurley, Damien Custer, Lisa Moeller, Jamie Cagle, Laurie Holmquist, Robert Stewart, Antone Sousa, Theresa Traylor, Daniel Kamalic, Anne Marie Suciu, Natalie Vietti, Heather Lucas, Melinda Shaw, Bonnie Burton, Gail Santos, Sherise Dobrin, Jason King, Majorie Samples, Leonard Raphael, Stefanie Hundenski, Fred Solis, Cahty Hanlon, Marisa Metala-Clendenen, Mitchell Buellesbach, Bailey Lee, Lisa Soon, Timothy Burns, Robyn Gillette, Stuart Fisk, Esther Shir, Dianne Rhodes, Adriana Aquino, Nicole Burris, Jessica Lamat, Aleksandra Gajdeczka, Beth Wawema, Abbie Ashce, Priscila Ibarra, Romy Nocera, Lyndon Parsons, Kimberly Baumback and Diane Androvich. Thank you all so very very much!

Behind the Scenes

Bust dogs from the midwest are landing in rescues all over the country as we type. Some lucky ducks like our buddy Ernie here are already home for keeps. Siiigh...Ernie! (news later) In some cases, dogs are joining adoption programs. In others, special darlings are 'coming home' for the TLC of Compassion Holds.

We continue to do a little of both, PLUS some exciting news: Plans are underway to bring a special lil' working dog to CA in prep for a job in law enforcement. Updates later - So much needs to happen before any of the bust dogs' stories can be told in full.

Want more dish? One of the groups that brought several bust dogs home has been offering wonderful insights as their dogs settle in to all-things-normal. Miss Jo gave all our hearts a big pitter patter when we met her in Des Moines so watching her via cyberspace is a huge hit around here. CHECK IT: A Rotta Love Plus' Day 10 Case Study

GOT SPARE CHANGE?

MO Bust Victim Gigi Needs It
One of the first dogs that left Missouri this summer (right) is starting her heartworm treatment. Her rescuer, Nicole Rattay of 'Just A Dog Rescue' sure could use a little love in the way of donations for vet care. Please check out her page on 'Gigi' and consider sending her your latte money this week. It would be heaven sent.
..
VIDEO: Gigi meets her vet. Thank you dog lovers!

Remembering the Good Guys

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:25:00 +0000

One of the best parts of our job is meeting people who swim against the current to help nearly forgotten animals in their corners. In so many cases, those people are shelter workers who work to help those ostracized pit bulls without the cushion of a supportive community. (We are so spoiled in the SF bay area!) BR's sister organization - Partners in Shelter Services - has identified three diehards who went above and beyond to make positive change during tough times in 2009. Because it was the year of the bust dog, It just so happens that all worked to help the victims of cruelty in their shelters.

Congratulations Jennifer Cummings (Claremore OK), Laurie Adams (Indianapolis IN) and Gloria Wheatley (Washington GA).

NEWS: Recognition Awards for Outstanding Shelter Work in 2009

Each award winner will receive $1000 to be used to help the pit bulls in their shelters. We're proud to know them and look forward to watching the ripple effect that they've put into motion through their words and deeds.

A Benefit Show This Sunday, Nov 8 in Sacto

Keith Campos and his bandmates came to our rescue in a big way in the spring of '07 when our emergency medical fund for the dogs was running on fumes. They did a benefit show for BR at Gilman Street with four other bands that got us right on our feet again and showed everyone how much heart the punk rock community has for pit bulls.

We were flattened to learn that Keith's life was cut short in a violent crime recently. His friends are grieving in the way they know best: They're putting on a big show to honor their buddy. Keith was a fellow pit bull owner and a big supporter, so all proceeds from the show will benefit the BR dogs. We hope they have a huge turn out and that Keith is there in spirit to celebrate a good life lived large. One thing we know for sure, they will play their hearts out at this show. SHOW INFO

Keith Campos Memorial Show This Sunday, November 8 from 2-8pm at the Casa de Chaos in Sacto. Contributing bands: Secretions, Planetary Ruins, Dissident Aggressor, Rat Damage, Psychosomatic, and Magi-Kool Doods. Contact Ken Fury for more info: furykore@hotmail.com

Two treats in one day: a Calendar and a Column by Christie Keith

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:20:00 +0000

It's done! It's done!

The top 13 most popular photos of the My Dog is Family photo contest are now in calendar form and ready for your walls. Let me tell you what a pleasure it has been to fall in love with your dogs and their stories thru this contest.

2010 My Dog is Family Calendar

Thanks to everyone who entered and racked up votes one dollar at a time, we raised 37K towards our general budget for 2010. Can you believe it! This year end report from '08 outlines how we spend your hard earned dollars. You can see why we're jumping for joy about the contest's success.

Next in production, our ever-happy Happy Endings Calendar with your favorite BR dog faces in their new homes. And lining up: The My Dog is Family BOOK. If you entered your dog's image in the photo contest, you may be chosen to be in the book. Hang tight while we organize our hard-to-organize selves around this bigger project.

SFgate: Unpaid dues.

When the Philadelphia Eagles were in Oakland, writer Christie Keith couldn't help but notice how many unaware people were waving the "Get over it!" flag over the animal lovers who decried Vick's visit. She wrote this article in response to those people who missed the gruesome details that are behind the outrage. If you visit BR's blog regularly, you probably already know more than you want to, but you may want to bookmark this piece for the next time you're forced to explain the obvious.

"...not only has Vick not served one minute in prison for animal cruelty, he was far more cruel to his dogs than most of his defenders seem to realize." - Christie Keith for SFgate: Unpaid dues

Thank you Christie for bearing witness to the brutality so this most important national lesson isn't muffled by humming PR machines.

Happy Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:21:00 +0000

For some people it's their favorite holiday. It is one of the few chances during the year when we have an excuse to dress up, down, be a super hero, be provocative, or for men to wear a tutu. I've seen a few costumes already this weekend, the most ironic being being a tall homeless man wearing an extra tall Uncle Sam hat. But have you ever seen a gargoyle dressed up as a lion?

So many people still write and ask for updates on our unusual Nelly that I'll use this opportunity to let you all see for yourselves. She's as beautiful as ever and is as heavy as ever - which in this case is a good sign - meaning that her babesiosis is in remission. She's still with one of our trainers (Sara and boyfriend Jared) living the good life with a house full of dogs. We visit her when we meet with Sara and it's always a highlight of my week - you know how it is when a dog makes ya feel extra special. She can lift spirits with the best of them and her piggy snorts are a such a hoot. Best Halloween to you all!

Tim

a boy's heart

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:43:00 +0000

Christine Allen's son Sam turned four fingers old on Tuesday. We've had the pleasure of watching him grow from a babe to a boy with a special connection with dogs, starting with his love for homegirl Izzy, then later as one of V-dog Teddle's very first and bestest friends.

Sam's been such a true heart to the dogs, so we weren't surprised when we heard he was already giving healing hugs to newcomer Huckleberry. Happy Birthday Sam - and thank you. The world has so much to learn from your tender example.

Photo: Christine Allen

Wanted: Crystal ball

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:24:00 +0000

These are the days when we sure could use a crystal ball. This sweet soul presented us with a new mystery when he came into Oakland Animal Services, shook up from his past misadventures. He sat in his run looking very forlorn while the days that his owner could come collect him him ticked away. Poor kid almost got lost in the hustle-bustle, such a quiet guy and all, swallowed in a shelter that's being rocked with the challenges that come from staff shortages during an increase in intake numbers.

Somehow his little spirit found a way to stop us in our tracks. "Who are you?", I asked. I blew through the kennel bars into his face; a rude greeting I give to dogs that we want to suss out. Many dogs offer full ecstatic wriggles when we do this. "Me! Me! Do it again!" Occasionally a dog will snarl and spit back, as if to say, "People have not been nice to me. GO AWAY!" But this guy, he stood very still, lifted his paw and licked his lip when he got hit with that rude greeting. Read: Big baby softie, asking for a connection.

We brought him into the trailer to stare at him. He's a mess: Red, swollen toes ... bleeding, yeasty ears...swollen glands...(very) old bite marks and strange red sores on some of his joints. He was having a hard time walking on those feet and looked like he needed to get under a blankie and drink ginger ale and watch old I Love Lucy re-runs.

"What happened to you, honey?" He just stared back, "I don't feel good. Please hug me."

Dogs live in the present moment, so we don't really need a crystal ball to know when they need help now, but it sure would be nice to know more about how dogs like this came to such a crisis state. Of course we hugged him.

A visitor from Australia was with us and offered a new name for a new day. Huckleberry. Huck for short. Unfortunately our Ambassadog ward has been invaded by puppies while a veterinarian puzzles over a recent spread of dog germs. Huck was safe, but relegated to a noisy ward of wild barkers. He hunkered down, as if to wait out a loud thunderstorm. "Please. Get. Me. Outta. Here." Shelter staff slathered his yeasty ears with medicine goo and filled him full of antibiotics while we strategized an exit plan.

Finally, on Sunday, his big day came. Josie Kat adopters Nafia and James drove up in their shiney red mustang, a fitting get-away car for a lovely boy. He's off to foster care now, and while we may never know anything about his past, we'll do our best to create a better future for him.

Stay tuned for news on the softie dog named Huck while we sort out his health issues and see about finding him a new home.

Is it something I said?: Rock bumped from role for stupid talk

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:28:00 +0000

Not much we can say; just read for yourself. Dude.

Rock's Dog-Fighting Comments Cost Him Pryor Role?

From: contactmusic.com The animal-loving widow of RICHARD PRYOR banned CHRIS ROCK from portraying the late comedy icon on the big screen after he made a joke about dog fighting, according to reports. The Head of State star was among the frontrunners to land the main role in a new Pryor biopic, but he allegedly lost the part after jokingly defending shamed American football star Michael Vick, who recently served time for running an illegal dog-fighting ring.

During a recent appearance on U.S. TV's The Jay Leno Show, Rock said, 'What the hell did Michael Vick do? Pitbulls ain't (sic) even real dogs! Dogs have never been good to black people!'

The quip offended Pryor's wife Jennifer, who serves as the director of animal rescue group Pryor's Planet, and she made sure Rock's throwaway comments cost him the movie job.
In an open letter to the star, Jennifer fumes:
'For your information, Chris, what Michael Vick did was to torture, drown, electrocute and murder dogs all for fun and for profit! He went to prison for felony animal cruelty! That's what he did!
These types of comments only encourage abuse and misunderstanding of this breed, as well as actual dog-fighting. Clearly this part of your latest stand-up routine would not make Richard laugh!'

Fellow funnyman Marlon Wayans is reported to have landed the coveted role in Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?, which is expected to hit cinemas in 2011. Pryor, who founded Pryor's Planet before his death, passed away in 2005 from a cardiac arrest, aged 65.

out in Iowa and back at home in Oakland

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:20:00 +0000

There are always so many unspoken heroes behind the scenes of those larger criminal cases involving dog fighters. They stay in the background while making us look good by helping us get the dogs to safety. I was glad when Rita Mason (below) and Scott Wilson gave us the okay to tell people who they are.

Rita is your federal government, ladies and gentleman: US Marshals Service, Southern District of Iowa. And not only did she search out help for the bust dogs that landed in her state, she rooted for each dog during their evaluations and even had her heart broken when a favorite male showed some troubled behavior. (Read: She wept) Scott Wilson, Operations Manager of Animal Rescue League of Iowa, is another helper who was rooting for the dogs. His shelter does not adopt out pit bulls, so it was extra special to have his and his staff's (Karen!) support. He smoothed our visit to the Des Moines shelter in a big way, stayed through almost every evaluation and hugged on every dog that ended up near his lap.

Thanks also to Maureen McGuire, Assistant U.S. Attorney, for bringing our recommendations to the judge and securing the dogs' release. And to Shane Bunn, Assistant Counsel to the Inspector General USDA, for contract help.

This group of dogs they've been focusing their energies on are so very important because they represent a teeny bit of hope to this state that's littered with a whole lotta bad news for pit bulls including breed restrictions and bans. So helping their bust dogs became a mission to help more than just the bust dogs: It meant demonstrating to Iowans that pit bulls matter, including the ones that most would cancel out without a second thought. We knew we had to get involved, but we didn't know how we would be received until we met these big hearts during our visit. What a pleasure.

A Positive from Iowa News - News Video
This past Sunday, four of the dogs left their kennels for good. This report documenting their departure gave me goosebumps. A Rotta Love Plus made the nine hour round trip to gather up the dogs they'd selected during evaluations and staffy bull devotee Kristi Johnson came to collect Ernie, a goofy little cannonball on four legs. Check out the quotes in the news piece - inspired. We're just so proud of all these good people.

(Note: We're currently working to get some lucky Iowa dogs to CA.)

Back in Oakland...

Here's a screen grab of the banner we flew over the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday. There's a story behind this thing: Turns out that the local FAA rep put so much pressure on the pilot to kill this message that the pilot caved and refused the job at the very last minute. We have to wonder if this rep was a big football fan. After all, as Christine Allen reminded us, chilling first amendment rights is a big no-no. We were in a pinch at that final hour but the pilot's partner is a dog lover and felt so bad about leaving us out in the cold that he contacted his competitor and asked if they would do it instead. It's interesting how many people seem to want to quiet the outrage against Vick's return. Even more interesting when a federal agency does the chilling.

BR adopter Dona Fong was at the game and reported back on the drama: "There was a lot of clapping and shouting for the positive when the Bad Rap plane flew over. I did go into the game because most of the protesters did not and I wanted to keep the protest alive once the game started. Whenever Vick came on to the playing field, which wasn't much cause he sucked, the crowd would boo, bark and many shouted dog killer. As I walked through the crowd with my Bad Rap t-shirt on ( "It's about the dogs, Justice for the Vick-tims"), many people gave me thumbs up, or shouted "I love my pit bull" and; several made comments like Vick is a Dick or Vick sucks. I had a few heated conversations with some idiots who tried really hard to defend him by saying it was a mistake. I said a mistake is adding 5 + 5 = 9. I said what Vick did was premeditated murder of innocent animals who's only crimes were they were too nice to fight - defend that. Anyway, it was a good day for Oakland and for our beloved dogs. I bet Vick won't forget his visit here anytime soon."

Thank you for your showing your cajones, Dona. We love knowing that our hometown didn't decide to pick its navel when the Eagles came to town.

Sports heroes among us

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:36:00 +0000

It was a very different kind of Sunday in Oakland: In Defense of Animals gathered up a group of animal lovers at the coliseum for the Raiders game and pushed their message out to several news outlets (well done, guys - news), our banner got off the ground AND the Raiders kicked some serious Philly butt. Woof!

Some people back in Philadelphia are starting to question the whole mess: 'Eagles make a bad decision signing Vick'

On their way into the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Eagles were forced to pass the now-obligatory bands of protesters, still upset that Vick is in the NFL despite his prominent role in a dog-fighting circuit. And on their way out, they were 13-9 losers to the Oakland Raiders, one of those NFL teams believed to be inept --- that after Vick was on the field for one play, a four-yard rushing loss. - Times Herald

The biggest highlight of the weekend tho' came from sports reporter Kimberly Coyle. She knows a real sports hero when she sees one. Check it out...

GO AUDIE!

My Dog is Family Photo Contest - Now Closed!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:13:00 +0000

We're still peeling our jaws off the floor from the high powered maneuvering that went down with last night's photo contest deadline. What a wild ride. Just when we thought the finalists were settled and the contest was wrapping up, four huge donations came in inside the last 15 minutes and pushed long standing favorites in every direction. It was a true pit bull experience - as in, "Move on over, I gotta contest to win!"

We'll confirm the winners as soon as each of the 13 top scoring entrants submits their high res photo, completing our requirements for the calendar. Next! In a couple of weeks, we'll begin selecting photos for use in our My Dog is Family Book, so keep your eye peeled towards your mailbox in case your pic is chosen.

Thanks to everyone for buying votes and for submitting photos of your cherished pets. This contest was crucial in helping us build our funds for the rescue and advocacy work we plan to do in 2010. We'd be nowhere fast without you.

Vick: Still not sorry (we checked)

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:59:00 +0000

This coming Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles will be landing in - gulp - our hometown to play the Oakland Raiders. What to do? In the spirit of moving forward, we decided to invite Michael Vick to meet his victims while he's here so he could look them in the eye and extend his apologies. Yeah we did. It was a tough situation to consider - but at some point we have to find some closure and move this man off of our emotional radar, right? It took five pins & needles days for him to say No. One can only imagine the back and forth between his handlers about that little decision. (Right: V-dog Frodo)

Here's the short version. And here's our news release in full:

Vick refuses to meet former Bad Newz Kennel dogs while in Oakland

Late last week, Oakland based pit bull advocacy group BAD RAP invited Michael Vick to view eight of his former Bad Newz Kennels dogs from behind a window while in town for the Raiders game on October 18, but the offer was refused. The invitation was extended to allow Vick an opportunity to acknowledge the victims of the crimes he committed while running a dogfighting operation that employed torture and death as a means to punish underperforming dogs. Vick has indicated remorse for disappointing his fans, his family, his teammates and his coach, but has steered clear of mentioning his victim dogs in public statements.

BAD RAP Co-Founder, Tim Racer said: "Oakland is a town that welcomed Vick's broken dogs with open arms back in 2007. We understand Vick is trying to right his wrongs and is very interested in redemption, but you can't find redemption without acknowledging your victims. Making amends to the dogs themselves would have helped to create some closure for many of us, especially the people who worked so hard to keep them from being destroyed. It seems that Vick is not ready to go there."

Pamela Browner-Crawley, public affairs director for the Philadelphia Eagles, relayed BAD RAP's offer to Vick. To satisfy the conditions of Vick's parole that bars him from being near animals, a location was identified that would allow him to view his former dogs from behind a window, at legal distance. On Wednesday, Crawley contacted BAD RAP to decline on behalf of Vick. Ignoring the fact that legalities would be followed, she explained, "Michael is not allowed to be around dogs by a court order, so logistically and legally, your plan can't work."

"We were fairly certain that he would decline our invitation, given his continued refusal to make mention of his dogs," said Racer. "The unfortunate thing is that his new position of compassion towards animals would be so much more credible if he could actually say that he looked his victims in the eye and said, "I'm sorry."

So, who's surprised?

Actions speak louder

If you're looking to join an action at Sunday's game, In Defense of Animals is calling for people to join them in a peaceful protest at the Oakland Coliseum Sunday, October 18 from 12-2pm to let the Eagles know that Vick is not welcome in Oakland. Their news release.

We'll be there - sort of. You'll see.
_____________

Thanks to SJ Mercury News sports writer Mark Purdy for asking about the dogs this week. We love Kim Ramirez's quotes, and I blew soda out my nose with Marthina's sock puppet comment. The Aftermath of Vick

ONE MORE DAY to vote for your favorite dog in the 'My Dog is Family' Photo Contest! We end at midnight on Thursday, October 15.

And another batch of bust dogs is freed

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:10:00 +0000

This is a bad luck / good luck story about yet another group of bust dogs who've been given the green light to live...

Good luck. This wonderful creature was removed from one of several midwestern dog fighters along with 34 other dogs in the summer's big seven state sweep.

Bad luck. She was taken to a location where the law defines pit bulls as vicious. Bad for pit bulls, bad for local shelters and rescue groups, who have such a hard time placing pit bulls that most don't even bother to try.

Good luck again for the dogs - Two federal agents each started proactively searching for someone qualified to evaluate the dogs and organize rescue efforts. (Did we ever tell you how much we're starting to like our federal government? who knew!)

Their search brought them to our door, and of course we agreed to get out to Iowa and do our part to help the dogs. Even better luck, Rachel Anderson and Lara Peterson of A Rotta Love Plus in Minnesota were willing to take time away from their busy schedules to assist in the evaluations and help us sort out the difficult task of matching dogs to foster homes.

Like deja vu. Four of us met in mid-September and loaded up on triple lattes in blazing heat so we could get to the task of sussing out dogs and hoping hard for their futures. This past Friday - on Tim's birthday no less - a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa reviewed the evaluation results and ruled - Yes - in favor of the dogs' rescue, and then released one dozen dogs into BR's custody. This is the week that we follow through on sad euthanasia decisions for the more troubled dogs while hammering out transport plans and begging up last minute foster options for the others. I really want to explain more about the feds who worked so hard to make sure the victims from this case got a real chance, but not every dog from this locale is able to be released yet, so I'll bite my tongue. But please put a bookmark in this chapter because the story needs to be told.

Maybe you're like us? We're starting to become strangely comfortable with news that yet another group of bust dogs who once had a snowball's chance of a future have zig-zagged their way to safety. And all via the efforts of a whole lotta good people who happen to believe in the same version of justice for the victims. It truly is a brand new day for our beloved breed.

Above. This pretty girl is about to be absorbed into the care of A Rotta Love Plus. We're all very envious of whoever ends up adopting her!

Photo Contest

There are over 1100 unused votes at this eleventh hour of the My Dog is Family photo contest. Yowsa! We predict a wild and crazy Wednes/Thurs as people pour last minute votes in to their fav photos.

I've had to go back to this photo three times this weekend just for the smile. This is Doula, owned by Bridget Hodson of Fair Oaks, CA. Her story of Doula is as rich as her photo. Treat yourself and give it a look today.

Dogfighting videos = free speech?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:13:00 +0000

So about a week ago, I started reading media sources and a variety of dog-related forums about how the Supreme Court was going to hear a case about whether creating and selling dogfighting videos was illegal. Well, I finally read the transcripts of oral argument yesterday, and as it turns out, the case isn't really that simple.

As background, Stevens, the guy who was convicted was found guilty because he was selling videos that depicted dogfighting and hogcatching. He was charged with violating a federal statute that made it illegal to sell depictions of illegal animal cruelty across state lines. The statute doesn’t apply to videos that have some redeeming value, for example, for historical or educational purposes.

The only issue that's before the Supreme Court was whether that statute violates the First Amendment. The main concerns the Court had were whether the statute is overbroad and whether Congress overstepped its bounds in potentially criminalizing behavior that isn’t criminal.

The Justices peppered hypotheticals at the lawyers to figure out what Congressional limits were on regulating speech: whether Congress could ban a Human Sacrifice Channel where we could buy pay per view to watch sacrifices taking place in some imaginary land where sacrifices were legal. (By the way, everyone seemed to agree that Congress probably couldn’t ban it.) The Court wondered whether the law would criminalize the sale of videos showing off-season hunting or fishing. Or bullfighting videos that were filmed in Spain, where bullfighting is legal. And our newest Justice asked wondered about the possibility of whether the documentary, Off the Chain, would be included under this statute as it’s written because it contained gruesome footage of dogfighting.

I've never been great at predicting which way the Supreme Court is going to come down on cases before it, but I do know that both parties (and the Justices) agreed that dogfighting and animal cruelty is reprehensible. And illegal. Even if the Court decides to throw out the entire statute as unconstitutional, it doesn't mean that it is giving the sale of dogfighting videos a green light. One of the points made at argument was that if legislators intended to make the sale of dogfighting videos illegal because it promotes and encourages animal cruelty and helps cops find dogfighters, they need to draft a more narrow law that doesn't encompass other potentially "innocent" behavior. The only issue the Court is considering is whether the statute is invalid as its currently written because it hinders speech.

No more. No less.

It doesn't even get to the issue of whether the law is constitutional as it’s applied to Stevens. If the Court says the law is constitutional, it will probably remand it back to the lower courts to let them figure it out first.

So what now? If the court throws out the statute, our job is to get on the horn fast and tell our congresspeople that we want them to go back to the drawing board and write a better law. - Christine Allen

Countdown - Seven more days

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Seven more days to submit your photo (if you haven't already) and corral all your friends to vote you onto the BAD RAP 2010 My Dog is Family Calendar. I'm feeling Moose this morning, loved by Angie Reuter in Flemington, MO.

Angie's story is as moving as her photo: "There are no words to describe this dog. He is like a best friend. I got him after a tragic loss. He is a great comedian and a great comfort during sad times. My mother in law passed last July. She loved him, he layed by her bed. If something was wrong or different with her he would come to get me. He loves to ride in a canoe, the first dog I have seen that can be still in a canoe."

That's family. Best luck to everyone who entered your beautiful photos.

Fostering Part III: Sassy bitches are worth their weight in gold

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:38:00 +0000

This is Part Three in our series on fostering, written in hopes that it helps more people say 'Yes.'

Under-socialized puppies are about to come flooding into rescue circles via the big Missouri centered fight bust, and rescuers are going to be faced with a special task: Making up for lost time. Workers on the ground at Humane Society Missouri - where 500+ dogs are being held including 100-some puppies - are reporting that the challenge of cleaning so many pens means little or no time left over for helping new puppies learn the good skills they need to help them grow into well-balanced adult dogs, and that can present an obvious problem.

We met 'the challenge' when we brought Elvessa home from the bust dog batch that landed in Oklahoma this summer. Elvessa had one other sibling when she was seized and a sweet but very stressed mama dog. At just seven weeks old, she was full of piss & vinegar and she was willing to assert her boss-dom on dogs five times her size - Yikes. Needless to say we worried about her future. Time to call up a special foster home with a very special dog with a very special focus: She puts bold, pushy puppies in their place. Lily impressed us years ago when we watched her break up a squabble between two of her own puppies - And they listened. She's since helped us knock down the egos of some surprisingly scrappy little hellions and put them on the path to CGC-style manners. In a very real sense, she's helped to save a number of lives and create some wonderful Ambassadogs. What would we do without our Bitchy Queens?

If you rescue or run an adoption program at a shelter, brassy female dogs can be your best ally to whipping manner-less young pups into shape. Thanks to them, pups that may not otherwise look like good adoption candidates can make a turn-around.

When we turned Elvessa over to Jane and Ron, we told them, "Don't get attached" ... Just in case that little pup was outside of the norm. They've heard it before. But after a five week check-in this past weekend, we heaved a sigh of relief: Elvessa was taking Lily's lessons to heart. That, and all the intense socializing Jane and Ron have given her with every kind of dog they could find. She greeted our dogs with calm interest and she offered an appropriate play style this weekend. A miracle - No more Cujo Puppy. Because she's drivey, she may not be an easy dog to own and she's not going to be a dog-park dog, but in the right home that relishes rules, she'll be a little Smarty Pants Super Star.

In addition to hooking under-socialized pups up with a surrogate no-holds-barred mama dog, Vessa's foster parents set up house rules from Day One. Nothing in Life is Free kind of rules, And they stood firm. Jane used to teach middle school and she told me, "What's a pit bull after dealing with a roomful of eighth graders?"

We don't have any blow by blow video of the first days of Vessa's Boot Camp, but we're pretty sure it was loud and that there were times when Jane and Ron wondered if they should intervene. We're glad they didn't! We're told Lily held Vessa down when she had temper tantrums and even dinged her faced with a mama-style correction, then rewarded her for good signals by giving her what every puppy wants: A happy playmate. Through a combo of tough-love lessons and positive reinforcement, Lily is teaching this under-socialized fight bust pup how to be a real dog. Thank you Lily!

How loud does it get? This here's a video of our Sally, teaching a young female - also from a fight bust - to cool out on the spazzy-slam play style. In a couple of days, once the pup shows due respect, Sally may initiate some play on her terms. Maybe. It's fascinating what we can learn from watching our pit bulls socialize other pit bulls --- and a classic reminder that, yes, they're still dogs.

You can watch Elvessa's progress on our Available Page. Hallelujah.

(I can't watch this video without laughing at Sally. She's such a BEEYOTCH! - dog bless her.)

Fostering Part 1 - The Basics

Fostering Part 2 - Dog-Dog Intros

More info on Socializing Your Pit Bull
...And Monitoring Dog Play

_____
BARN NEWS After an email blast today asking for help with meeting a large matching funds gift, we're now just $1675 away from the big jump up the bar graph to the other side of 60K. WOOT! These kind dog lovers gave to help us meet the current 10K matching gift challenge offered up on September 1. THANK YOU!

Bryan Klavitter, Daniel and Diane Alspaugh, Tish Gayle King, John F. Hill, Judith Blaufuss, Jennifer Clark, Kristin Tassin, Meline MacCurdy, Wade Sheeler, Ester Shir, Roderic March, Julie Niel, Kristen McCants, Marty Schacht, Camille Change, Sara Robertson, Shanda Drawdy, Lauren Kimball, Susan Allen, Karen Iler, Judith Blaufuss, Amy Abascal, Don Keenan, Jackie Gunby, Barbara Nozzi, Andrea Donderi, Paul Sorge, Robin Causbrooke, Katherine Pitts, Sandra Ambrogio, Andrea Ives, Margaret Schrock, Linda Scanlin, Second Change Pet Rescue (thank you Debbie!), Allix Magaziner, Brooke Suchomel, Paisley Rosengren, Shirley Palma, Vintage Grace, Donald Hicok, Deb Mortenson, Carol Toms, Kirsten Reed, Divine Creations, Augusta Kickbusch, Gary Lee, Robert Dvorkin, Margo Willmes, Brittany Admire

caring about pit bulls? that's "white stuff"

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:45:00 +0000

After the Jay Leno Show on Wednesday night, emails started pouring in from people begging us to slam Chris Rock for comments made regarding Michael Vick and his pit bulls. I admit I didn't watch it, altho we're told this is how it went:

Jay Leno: "It's amazing to me that you mistreat a dog and you lose your career and go to jail for two years."

Chris Rock: "What the hell did Michael Vick do, man? A dog, a pit bull ain't even a real dog. A pit bull, that's the white stuff. Dogs are white mans best friend - dogs have never been good to black people."

Yeah. Chris Rock is like so many desperate comedians who shoot hard from the hip in hopes of offending somebody - anybody - into an uncomfortable laugh. If you're black - you get a free pass on caring for animals, so we're all going to give Michael Vick a big prime-time hug now because poor baby's been misunderstood. White people have clearly over-estimated his moral obligation to care about anything besides himself, and we need to just lay the fuck off. Ha, ha, Chris. I'm laughing til I split.

I'm glad I missed that show. Leno hit a new low, too.

I don't think anyone's stuck their neck out this far though, even to get a cheap laugh:

"Pit bulls ain't even real dogs."

And his truth - which is obviously not our truth - strikes at the core of why they will continue to suffer in so many hands. Caring about dogs is seen as weak, and pit bulls fall somewhere much, much lower than other dogs on the how-much-to-care scale. (They're bred to be abused, remember?) That helps explain why to this date, Vick has yet to make mention of dogs, his dogs, (Has he even used the word "dog"?) even while speaking as an 'animal rights advocate' alongside HSUS top dog Wayne Pacelle in D.C.

Don't show that you're weak, man. Temper your words carefully so your boys don't laugh at you once the cameras are off.

"What the hell did Michael Vick do, man?" Well right now, he's showing us exactly how much work we have to do to bring those lowly pit bulls back into our circle of compassion in this country.

Thanks for helping with that, Rock. You're hilarious.

______

Now THIS is funny: Jimmy Kimmey on Vick
And if you like the Onion ...'Michael Vick Fails To Inspire Team With 'Great' Dogfighting Story' (Pssst. The Onion is a parody rag. Love it.)

luck of the Clover

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:19:00 +0000

It's a good day when the media recognizes that pit bulls are as American as apple pie. Contest entrants Kevin Flanagan, Monica Hernandez and their pooch Clover found their way to the Sacramento Bee yesterday with this crazy-fun photo and nice plug for the photo contest. How much do we love this family? Clover's entry here.

We have to admire their ambitions. Kevin told us he threatened to de-friend anybody on Facebook if they didn't send in a few votes for his family, and the votes came rolling in. And then they suddenly appeared in the paper? Hmm. Maybe there's a little Mafioso in those Flanagan bloodlines. Good luck guys!

If you haven't looked at the last pages of the contest, make sure and spend some time there today. Since we announced our plans to create a book with contest images, even more amazing photos have poured in. Food for the soul, for sure.

Seattle bound, and announcing a Photo Book!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:38:00 +0000

I'll be speaking about Shelter Strategies for Pit Bulls at the Pacific Northwest Animal Care & Control Conference this coming Friday and Saturday. If you live in the area and are curious about better ways to help pit bulls, please set part of your Saturday aside to be there. Sat's session is open to rescue groups and wanna-be rescuers. This is my first-ever time to Seattle, and I'm dying to know, will I get to see a wild orca? (Please, please, please)

Announcing, a Photo Book! We've been so inspired by the beautiful photos and stories that have been pouring in to the photo contest that we've decided to run a group of 'judge's picks' in a book, entitled - what else - My Dog is Family. With some luck, it will be completed in time for the holidays. The contest runs for another two weeks, so please vote for your favorites. And if you still have photos that you want to share - submit! They just may find their way into this new project. Above: Sasha Bean is loved by Lisa Hagell and her family in Lloydminster, Alberta. Lisa says she is the "best friend to our 2 year old daughter. Our family would be incomplete without Sasha Bean." Bless you girls!

a video blog from Tim

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:36:00 +0000

I heard Tim chattering away in his shop today and wondered about the long conversation he was having with the foster dogs. What were they talking about? Turns out he was video-blogging. My resourceful guy. Here he talks about the barn raising and why he's looking forward to having a place for the dogs to wrestle besides under his feet while he carves (And YES, that's a sneak-video-peek of new arrival Daisy May!)

BARN PROGRESS: We are currently $4900 away from the big 10K matching gift challenge that Tana Madrigal made the first of September. Not bad! We have these barn raisers to thank for getting us this far: Sara Hughes, Nafija Mujic, Sharon Logan-Smith, Lindsey Wetterhahn, Virginia Kelly, Elizabeth Richards, Darlene Kenney, Will Stearman, Michelle Harrington, Sandra Barker, Kristin Tassin, Lisa Wolverton, Laurie Metzger, Jackie Tracy, Tammy Chang, Lindsey Morris & Bryan Klavitte, John F. Hill, Altria (Matching gift for Jennifer Al Mo) and Salvito - who sent us Euro dollars (!) - in memory of Lulu, from her sister Stormy. Thank you big hearts! We're so very grateful for your help.

Celebrating life, Ritualizing death

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:59:00 +0000

This has been a weird summer of celebrating and grieving. The dogs from the Missouri centered dog fight bust have been front and center of our activities and brain space and, while many of the released dogs are doing well, others that have come with difficult medical or behavior issues have not had the happy endings we all like to celebrate. We're big on doing compassion holds for these dogs, one at a time. Our volunteer crew has been especially giving with their hearts this summer and while we keep these dramas on the down-low, behind the scenes we've been working hard to maintain our optimism and after having good cries from the belly, moving on to the next dog or group of dogs that need us. I don't want to use this entry as a macabre list of dogs that have died (although we will talk about certain special darlings at some point) but I wanted to start to prepare pit bulls lovers for the inevitable .. Through no fault of their own, a LOT of victims of cruelty from the big raid are going to die this summer/fall. We promise to do everything we can to bring dignity to the dogs whose deaths we're able to be a part of.

None have done that better than Molly Gibbs, who was taking care of Daisy for us (above) at the same time that she was letting go of two special darlings from the Oklahoma centered bust dogs of Claremore Animal Shelter. She wrote an essay on what it was like to put two bust dogs to death. It's worth reading - slowly - when you're in the right frame of mind.

The taking of life is something not to be borne lightly or without reflection on a heartfelt level. This is something I learned from my Grandfather, who had been a field surgeon during WWI. He said besides performing triage and surgeries, he had to help those who would not live die with as much comfort and dignity as possible. Today such conversations with a young child would probably be frowned upon ... continued.

In the meantime, we are celebrating Miss Daisy, who somehow defied the odds by getting a foster spot. She landed in SF last night and waltzed off the plane like a seasoned war veteran who can't wait to get back to the living. We cling to her good news because she's such a reminder of the old soul perseverance of the breed during trying times. We have a lot to learn from Daisy. And how much does this little dog look like (another) gargoyle? We seem to be blessed with gargoyle girlies in our corners this year. Go figure.

Welcome to California livin' Miss Daisy.

See this

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:40:00 +0000

I sure needed me some Mavis this morning. We came back from the midwest with a THUD and have been having a bit of a time climbing out of the jet-laggin' hole and back into business as usual. But Mavis - Photo Contest Diva from Madison WI - She put it all back into perspective with her photo and owner's words. Thank you, darlin'!

Mavis's person Alyssa Sean wrote: "Mavis's best trait is putting up with me." I'm sure she sees right thru to your heart Alyssa.

Inspired in Philly - Hat tips to Ken Foster for pointing out this very impressive 'Save A Bull' effort created by Philadelphia group PAWS to help the pit bulls in their city. In their words:

Our Mission is to reshape misperceptions regarding pit bulls in the City of Philadelphia, educate the public about what wonderful pets, family members, and companions pit bulls can be, serve as a source of information and referrals for pit bull owners, and ultimately reduce the number of pit bulls that are killed in shelters by promoting foster care, adoption, and responsible ownership.

Well done, PAWS. We look forward to seeing this website grow. And we love that you're recommending trainer Carol Siegrist among others for help with pit bulls. Carol spent a week with us at Pit Ed Camp and we give her two high paws up for her clear vision and big heart for the dogs.

223 cyber stars, and counting

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:51:00 +0000

We hope everyone is enjoying the daily arrivals of the My Dog is Family calendar photo contest as much as we are. Some have suggested that we find an additional way to get the contest entries in front of public eyes. Thanks guys - Great idea. We're spinning some thoughts around and will see what we can come up with. Hopefully we can find a fun way to show off a bigger number of these heartwarming pix, outside of our 2010 calendar.

If you've submitted an entry, don't forget to promote it around the Net using the handy-dandy share feature located just beneath the Log In button of your photo page. You can launch your favorite entries anywhere you're hooked up (facebook, twitter, etc) via this tool. ---->

Some recent entries that have us smiling:

Eloise of New York is owned by Bara Sapir. Bara says that, "Eloise closes my laptop computer if she thinks I've worked too much." Smart doggy. I sure could use a helper like that.

Lolabean Starlett's photo makes us want the small fluffy as much as we want to squeeze Miss Bean. Lucky Alissa of Medford, NY.

Ollie and his beautiful friend know exactly what family means. Submitted by Rana Pawlowski (Paw-lowski, really? love it) of Tullahoma, TN.

Visit, Vote, Enjoy. BR Photo Contest

Mother Nature says, "NOW" - The barn must begin.

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Mom Nature gave us a nudge yesterday. Just as our contractor stopped by to discuss those final details on the barn's design, she dumped a good rain on us as a reminder that we just better get a move-on with this project. Point taken!

So tomorrow is the day - the Big Day - when the ground is opened in preparation for next steps. We love our contractor, John Hearney. He chopped his price for us and he doesn't seem to pull his hair out - publicly, anyway - when we tell him we have (yet another) leetle change in the plans: The bathroom just got smaller, and the area where the dogs will sleep just got a little bigger, along with the real life area. The 'real life area' is where our crew will gather round for movie night with the dogs. We figure any respectable housing for homeless pit bulls better have a good set-up for movie night. The breeze-way porch will face the sunrise for early morning doggy yoga stretches. And a dog door off of the larger kennel will open to a small fenced in area inside of the larger half acre play yard. I hope the dogs like it. Left: Inspector Sally is fine-combing our lay-out for the barn.

As luck would have it, we're leaving town and will be in a midwest location with bust dogs tomorrow while the crew is breaking ground for the barn. When we get back, we're told the poles to this traditional style pole barn will be planted in the earth, pointing towards the sky and waiting for the next step ... Dog willing.

BARN RAISER UPDATE
We're six thousand dollars away from earning the big 10K matching gift from Tana. These good folks helped us get this far:Luisa Serrano, James Schier, Suzanne Vice, California Latin Dreams, Paisley Rosengren and Susan George all showed up to this virtual barn raising with their gifts sent via PayPal. Edward Ramey, Sophie's adopter held a big music get-together to fundraise for the barn which brought in a big chunk of change, too. Thank you, friends!

Say Cheese

The My Dog is Family Photo Contest has been gathering some of the most charming pit bull pix we've seen, including this one of Louie from Delaware - owned by Gina Fries.

It's starting to feel like a poker game, with lots of players holding their (purchased) votes close for now. Hmm. We predict a wild and crazy scramble once we get closer to the contest deadline of October 15. It should be interesting!

That's what I'm saying ... !

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:03:00 +0000

Claremore Animal Shelter makes the news
It was great to see Oklahoma's Jennifer Cummings in the news for her part in helping the bust dogs. And in the Washington Post, no less. Congrats Jennifer .. And thank you again for your good deeds. WA Post Article + Photo

On the left is the same cute doggy shown with Jennifer in the Post. We all anxiously await her arrival in CA. Thanks to Molly Gibbs for the great photo.

For every dog that we take from out-of-state, we try our best to rescue a local dog. Below is Turner, who just joined us to today from the kennels of Oakland Animal Services. Ambassadog volunteer Inga Sheffield found him tied to a warehouse fence, forlorn and forgotten. We look forward to seeing him get his bearings and attract a new home. Someone's going to love this handsome monkey.

In other news from home: The beautiful Tulip is healing from a second exploratory surgery to find the source of a weeping wound. The culprit? A foxtail .. deep, deep, deep within the muscle. Lolo finished her first week in her new home. Bemis left the shelter and went to a new home today. And Aberfoil and little TugTug both have very promising suitors. A good week for Oakland pit bulls.

Using bad news to do something really radical ... Educate

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:27:00 +0000

An article in today's Salinas Californian is a great example of how the media and animal control can use a bad dog experience to educate the public rather than hype up hate and alienate dog owners....

The bad news is a fourteen year old boy was left in charge of his family's strong pit bull, who pulled him straight towards three leashed and barking chihuahuas during a walk. One chi was bit on the leg and the chi's owner's suffered bites breaking up the ruckus. You can just imagine how some most media outlets would spin this story.

Instead, the paper chose to highlight dog owner responsibility in its headline and the story was aimed and reminding dog owners to keep control of their pets and to get formal obedience training if they aren't able to manage them. No beat up the breed, no screaming that fourteen year olds should not be allowed to walk dogs.

Officials gave very reasonable responses and pointed out that parents need to use common sense when deciding if their young teens can be responsible with walking dogs. To cap it off, the article used former Vick dog Red as an example of a well behaved dog who now helps other dogs. Above: Amanda Mouisset of the Monterey County SPCA with Red, a former Vick dog who helps the shelter socialize dogs,

Gary Tiscornia, executive director of Monterey County's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said a good way to gauge control of a dog is through formal training. At the SPCA, for instance, a pit bull named Red who was formerly owned by NFL player Michael Vick now helps train other dogs with aggression and behavioral issues. Red is also used to test other dogs' aggressiveness. "Pit bulls tend to get more press because of reputation," Tiscornia said, "[but] a great, stable pit bull is a fabulous pet." - ARTICLE

Thank you for taking the lead in educating, Monterey County SPCA. You guys get a two paw salute for the day.