My Pit Bulls Are Now Therapy Dogs

Last Friday night my second pit bull and only whippet tested Part 2 for becoming therapy dogs. Happily they all (other pit bull already tested and passed both parts with flying colors) passed the test! All that's left is to send in the paperwork, and they'll receive their TDI badges in the mail and they can then go into nursing homes, hospitals, schools and libraries to visit, cheer up, listen and provide a soft, furry coat for hugging and touching, warm soulful eyes for people to look into and connect with, a cold nose that says, "Hello! I love you!", and just a general feeling of peace and calm as they sit patiently by a patient's bedside, or while a child builds his confidence in reading to a dog. 

Soon I will have pictures of Rocco and Cricket, and little 12 year old Mamie (the whippet) doing this good work. I am so happy to contribute my time in training these dogs for this wonderful work, but I can't say the whole reason completely revolves around a selfless drive to help people. I must be honest; I have a hidden agenda, and it stems from my passion to help this breed. I wanted my pits to be therapy dogs to help dispel the bad reputation these dogs have gotten, however unfair and untrue the reputation is. Pit bulls ARE a very challenging breed with a relentless drive and "gameness" that cannot be matched by any other breed. They are determined not to give up at whatever it is that they are doing, whether it be shredding your living room or exuberantly bestowing you with lovely pit bull kisses. This determination, coupled with their supreme physical and mental abilities, is what makes it a difficult breed for people who may be new to dog ownership or who may not have a lot of experience with dogs in the first place. 

The best thing about this breed is its desire to please people and its intelligence and eagerness to learn. I can't say it enough—there is nothing more important in owning this breed than to SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE. The more different types of positive situations you can have this breed to experience while young, the better dog you'll have when he is an adult. 

Pit bulls are clowns. They are about as exhuberant, affectionate and fun-loving dog as you'll find. They are not for everyone, but what dog is? Also, though, why should they be crucified due to irrational fears that the ignorance about them has ignited? The answer is, they shouldn't. I am pledging to work tirelessly against it.

OK, off my soapbox. In closing, I will simply say that I love this breed and I'll do what it takes to save and help as many as I can. And if that means going in front of whatever audience I can get in front of, I'm there.

Pit Bulls For Obama

I can't help but think that pit bulls, and all animals everywhere, for that matter, will be better off if Obama wins the presidential election next Tuesday. There's no question (at least from my viewpoint) the middle class will be better off, but people who know me best know if there's one thing I am passionate about above most others, it's animals and their well-being. 

I rescued two pit bulls this year after losing two of my whippets in the past two years. I think one of the reasons I relate well to pit bulls is that as member of the middle class, over time I think we've been "left behind", "swept under the carpet" and there has been an overall neglect of us, as if we didn't matter in this great country. I know how it feels to be cast aside and exploited...which is the life of the general population of pit bulls. The people who've been in charge are definitely in a different class than us, and therefore they chose to ignore us. They've been kind of busy anyway lining their pockets....with our retirement savings, and with the money they've demanded from us for gasoline, which they know we depend on to go about our daily lives. Maybe I did forget to give them credit for remembering the middle class for one specific reason, and that is, when they needed soldiers to go to Iraq and die for the oil money they have been profiting from. Exxon reported a $14.8 billion profit today. So they didn't forget us entirely.

Pit bulls have been exploited for years to make big money for people who have forced them to fight when it's not really what they would choose to do. They live to please people and so they are easy to exploit.

There's a huge problem with this way of governing the people, and that is, that the middle class makes up THE MAJORITY of the population. So this year everyone will have a chance to change that. You must not pass up this rightful opportunity! Go out today and vote early. Unless you like what's been happening the past 8 years.

Obama is the more compassionate candidate. He will be giving tax cuts to 90% of Americans, the ones who make less than $250,000 per year. So if you fall into that category, it probably makes more sense for you to vote for him. You, along with pit bulls and animals everywhere will be much better off for it. If you do make over $250,000 per year, by all means, vote for McCain. He will look after you.

VOTE TODAY. It is your obligation and your duty as an American.

Options for Rehoming an Animal, if You're Interested in What's Best for the Animal

Back in February, there was a front page newspaper story out of Burlington, NC about a college student who was being kicked out of his apartment complex due to a barking dog. This dog happened to be a beautiful 2 year old pit bull. He relunctantly decided to rehome his dog and stay in the apartment. He figured his best bet for finding the dog a new home would be to turn him over to the local animal shelter. There could not have been a worse decision if the goal was to find him a new home, and tragically he was euthanized only one hour after the paperwork was signed. I think the blame for this tragic story lies in multiple places. The public is obviously largely uninformed about the realities of local animal shelters if they think that's the best way to find a new home for their animals, so some of the blame lies with the student for being ignorant to the facts. However, I believe that the animal shelter was negligent in not clearly detailing what was going to happen to the dog. I think if the student had been told there was a possiblity the dog would be put down within one hour, he would have never chosen to leave him there.

Being the animal lover/advocate I am, I was understandably horrified by the senseless tragedy this story told. In response to the story I wrote an editorial to the paper who published it, and my editorial was quickly published behind it. It went like this:

Two weeks ago I had to put my dog Hannah down. She was 14 yrs. old, had breast cancer, and was in a lot of pain. My choices were: 1) constant surgery, or 2) put her out of her misery now. I made the tough decision to go ahead with it, knowing she would never understand all the surgeries and pain. As sad as this was to do, I felt at peace with my decision knowing she would never suffer again.

The story in the Times News last Wednesday about the Elon student who turned his dog in to the Alamance Co.  Animal Shelter broke my heart. It is all to indicative of society's casual, dismissive and uninformed views when it comes to pets...if we decide we can't keep them, there's always the local animal shelter that will find them a new home. It'd be great if it worked that way. But it doesn't.  85% of animals who are taken to shelters in NC are euthanized, which comes to about 250,000 animals annually.

I know the Elon student had a change of heart and went back to get the dog, so obviously he cared about his dog.

Owning an animal is a privilege that brings a lifetime of joy and unconditional love. The decision to have a dog or any animal is also a lifetime commitment, not just for a year or two while the puppy is still so cute and playful. It involves sticking it out through diarrhea and vomiting, paying whatever it takes to make sure the animal is well cared for and healthy, and a physical commitment to exercise...every day. And, when the dog has lived a long, full life, yes, it involves you having to make the difficult decision to humanely put him down when he tells you it's time.

It is a real shame that the bulldog mentioned in last Wednesday's story was put down after only one hour of being turned in by his owner. What a waste of a great dog. I hope people will think very hard about whether they're truly ready for a lifetime commitment to a dog, which is what the dog is offering them.

This story has weighed heavily on my heart and mind for some time. My goal in this post is to inform the public about the best ways to go about rehoming an animal you can no longer keep, after considering all options and finding there is just absolutely no way you can keep it. There is an obvious need for education on the subject, so here goes:

1) BACK TO WHERE HE CAME FROM. Go back to the place you got the dog. Was it a breeder? Even if you've had the dog for years, a responsible breeder will care what happens to any of the dogs they've bred, and will make every effort to help you find another home or possibly even take it back to live with them. However, if you do not feel comfortable giving the dog back to the breeder for some reason, don't. There are other options. If it came from an animal shelter, DO NOT JUST TURN YOUR DOG IN, thinking it will be rehomed. As the story above showed, most will not make it if turned in to a shelter. That said, there is probably something in your adoption contract that says whether you must return the dog to the shelter or rescue group you got him from if for any reason you can't keep him.

2) IS YOUR DOG ADOPTABLE? Next, you've got to consider what your dog's potential adoptability odds are. If the dog is old or in bad health or has any behavioral problems, it will be much harder for you to be able to find a new home for him. Your dog's chances will greatly increased if he is 4 yrs. old or younger, knows some basic obedience commands, is friendly to people and is adaptable to new situations. What would you think if you were meeting your dog for the first time? This is where you will have to step up as the responsible owner and get him ready to meet new potential adopters. Consider these points:

• It may require you to take him to a basic obedience class to get his manners tuned up. 

• You definitely will want to have him bathed and groomed and presentable to new

     prospective families. Make sure you throw his old ratty collar out and dress him up 

     in a brand new sporty one to spruce up his overall look. This small act can make a world

     of difference in how he is received by new people meeting him for the first time! 

• Now would be a good time to take him to the vet as well to get all of his vaccinations up

     to date and make sure he is in good health.

• Remember that spaying or neutering a dog will go a long way in helping reduce 

many behavioral problems, and will give your dog a healthier future, not to 

mention the possibility of saving his life. Some animal rescue groups and SPCAs 

offer low cost spay and neuter surgeries. Check with your local rescues in your

area to inquire about where you can have the surgery performed for a reasonable

cost.

• Please consider microchipping your dog before finding him a new home. Not only

could this save your dog's life, but prospective owners will look at this as a real 

plus, and it may help them choose your dog over another they may be 

considering.

3) ADVERTISING: Consider placing a classified ad to let more people know he's available. 

Don't forget to make use of the internet as well. There are lots of ways to get the word out to 

people who may be looking for something specific, and using such avenues such as craigslist.org 

and similar sites will help you in your search for a new home. Include a description of your 

dog, his needs and your requirements for the home you're looking for, and your phone 

number. Emphasize your dog's best points. Is he good with kids? Is he trained? You may want 

to charge a fee for the adoption, so you can weed out people who may not have the best 

intentions for your dog, and to offset some of your costs you've put into him. Do not list your 

ad as "Free to a good home". This will attract the wrong type of people.

4) FLYERS: Take some flyers that include a cute picture and great description of your dog

around town and hang them up. Your veterinarian's office would be a great place to get him

noticed!

Finally, when the calls do start to come in, be sure you screen the interested parties as

stringently as you were during your adoption process when you initially got the dog.

• Ask questions like: Do you have a fenced yard? How will the dog get his exercise every day?

What happened to your last dog? Where will the dog stay during the day? If the weather is too

hot or cold, you know you don't want him to live outdoors 24/7.

• Ask the person for references such a their veterinarian's name and number and call it 

to make sure the person is a responsible animal owner. Ask for 2-3 other personal references 

as well and call those too.

When all references have checked out, make an appointment to have the prospective new

owners meet you and your dog. If at any time you get a bad feeling about them, no matter

what.....DO NOT GIVE THEM THE DOG! There'll be other potential homes, and you would

always wonder if the dog was ok if you gave it to a person you didn't have a good feeling

about.

When you do find a home you feel the dog will have a good life with, tell the new owner that

if for any reason it doesn't work out, they should call you and you should be willing to take 

the dog back. Tell them you want to keep in touch and that you'll call them in a few days to

see how things are going. Tell them to call you with questions or problems.

These are the ways that are in the best interest of your dog if, after long and careful

consideration, you come to the decision that he must be rehomed. Some people would say

that the animal shelter should be the last resort for the place to take your dog to be rehomed.

I would say that it is not even an option, and I cannot stress enough that by turning your dog 

over to an animal shelter, odds are it is most likely going to be euthanized. Don't get me

wrong, animal shelters are doing all they can do to help animals find homes. The problem is

that there are just too many animals in the world and not enough homes. By law, animal

shelters have to keep stray animals that come in for several days to give owners time to find

them. However, an owner-surrendered animal is not protected by the same law and can and

will be destroyed to make room for others who are.

These are the realities! So, take great care in selecting a new home for your dog. You are the

only one he has looking out for him and you're responsible for his success.

I hope this posting has helped inform people about the realities of shelters and helpful info 

on ways to rehome an animal. Good luck to all of you who decide that you have to give up

your animal. They're counting on you to make the right choices for them. Give them the

best chance by following the advice above.