Pedigree or No Pedigree: A Dog Park Survey

I was curious to find out how many Lutz dogpark users had rescued dogs, so my husband being the good sport he is, agreed to be the poll taker. He's the official escort for our dogs at the park, because I work at home and spend my days with them. At the end of the day and on weekends he finds the dogpark experience the perfect way to unwind while spending quality time with the dogs. So, for his last two trips there, he visited at peak hours and asked dog owners where they got their dogs. The results were interesting.

Out of twenty owners questioned, nine dogs had come from petshops or breeders, one picked from a box of free puppies at Winn Dixie, two rescued from neglectful or abusive neighbors, one rescued from a neglectful pet store, four adopted from local rescue groups and three adopted from shelters. One person who owns a dog from a breeder, is now involved with a rescue group and will be fostering a dog. Another pedigreed owner had previously had a rescue and one had two rescued dogs at home.

It's a little discouraging to find that almost half of the people surveyed still value buying dogs from breeders or petshops. Some of them may never have given a thought to researching the shelter and rescue pets that are up for adoption. But it is encouraging to note that a few of the people who had purchased their dogs from dealers, were considering adopting a rescue in the future. I don't fault people for wanting purebred dogs, nor for wanting puppies from a specific breed. But if I ruled the world, everyone would adopt shelter or rescue animals. There are still people who aren't aware of the purebred puppies available for adoption, so there is work to be done, getting the word out. My friends who don't have rescued dogs are surely sick of hearing me preach about it. They're so tired of it, they may actually adopt a stray just to shut me up!

This experiment was done on a whim and in no way intends to accurately portray the percentage of rescue dog owners at dogparks. My husband will probably continue to ask people where they got their dogs when he visits the park, because he's persistent. It would be interesting to hear what others may find at their local parks, asking the same question.

Doggy Briefs

I'm catching up, so some of this is last week's news. The Orlando Sentinel reported on a dachshund who fell down a gopher hole into a 16 foot network of tunnels. Who knew turtles were that industrious? The dog survived several days underground, while her frantic owners tried to find her. It's an incredible story with a happy ending. Read more at the Sentinel online.

A couples weeks ago I wrote about the "Meet Your Match" program sponsored by the ASPCA. This year they are encouraging the adoption of pit bulls by entering each new pit bull adopter in a contest. Four times throughout this year, a winning match will be announced with the shelter getting a $4000 grant and the dog owner getting a prize package. The winners will be entered in a "Vote For Your Favorite Match" contest. The grand prizes awarded in April will be a trip to New York for the shelter plus a $5000 grant, and a photo shoot with a professional photographer for the pet and owner. For details, see www.aspca.org/adoptabull.

I got an email a couple weeks ago from a blog reader who belongs to Nature Coast Beekeeper's Society. They not only tend to God's wee creatures, but on their website you will find a page featuring animals who are awaiting loving homes at Citrus County Animal Control. You have to love beekeepers with a heart.

The Parade section of the Sunday paper, June 22, featured a section on lifesaving tips for pets. The article gave advice on poisoning, car accidents, bleeding, choking and loss of consciousness. They also offered suggestions for stocking a first aid kit. See more at http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_06-22-2008/3Save_Pet_Life.

The Tampa Tribune reports that the SPCA shelter in Largo has taken in over 80 dogs and 28 cats from a puppy mill in Tennessee. They are part of a group of almost 700 animals rescued last Thursday from Pine Bluff Kennels by the Humane Society of the United States. They were found to be severely neglected. Some of the puppies have never been socialized. The animals will not be available for adoption until they've been evaluated. For further details, visit http://www.spcatampabay.org/. In other Pinellas SPCA news, two puppies were found in a Clearwater parking lot. One puppy was dead from a head injury. The other, a female is healthy and will probably be up for adoption in a week.

To add to my list of good summer reads of the canine persuasion, tbo.com published their own list of pet themed literature.

Update on Desperate Lab

Some of you may have noticed that yesterday, a post appeared and disappeared. The story of the lab that was scheduled to be euthanized today is a sad one. I was sent the plea to help save this dog early yesterday morning from a reliable source. It was sent to her from a reliable source. Both women volunteer at Hillsborough County Animal Services and both had interactions with this dog. Unfortunately, when the heart is involved, the truth can be hard to find. In this case, the dog was represented in the email I posted, as a friendly, fun loving pal. In fact, the dog was deemed aggressive by people who had the qualifications to know. I apologize for posting a misrepresentation of this dog and his situation. I'll be tightening my screening process after this incident.

What I learned from this is, there are many kind and generous people in our little corner of the world. People who care about animals and reach deep into their hearts to help them. People who will make calls, send emails, open their homes to foster, even travel to Animal Services to investigate this dog's situation. People who stopped what they were doing yesterday to try to save one canine's life. The sad truth is, not every dog can be saved. Rescue groups and shelters are inundated right now. Aggressive dogs are not candidates for adoption and there are very few places that are willing to attempt rehabilitating them.

So, today I mourn the loss of the lab. But I celebrate the knowledge that good people are just an email away.

A Best Friend To Animals

I am honored and excited to bring you the following interview with one of Tampa's shining stars. Jackie Seal not only spends her vacation and free time volunteering with rescue shelters, she put considerable time and thought into answering my emailed questions and she did it so eloquently.

DameDog: Who are your personal pets and how did you come to have them?

Jackie: At the moment we have one dog and one cat. Our dog, Marcus, was rescued only in the sense that if we hadn’t taken him as a puppy, who knows what would have happened to him. His Mom had already produced a couple of litters before this one, and her owner just wanted to get rid of all the puppies at $25 each, although my husband bartered some carpentry work - a big wooden kennel for Mom - in return for the puppy. Marcus is a Magnificent Mutt –he has the body of a dingo, the face of a Belgian Malinois and the ears of a mule deer. He’s 18 months old at this point and still has a lot of puppy power, but he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body and kisses everyone he meets, including all his buddies at the dog park.
Our cat, Princess, is 10 years old and her nose has been out of joint for some time now at our having allowed the aforementioned mutt to reside in the same house. Princess showed up out of the blue when she was about 10 weeks old and promptly made herself at home on the verandah railing of our house. We were happy to add her to our larger menagerie at that time. Princess has since told me her name is a misnomer. “Empress” would be far more appropriate. She’s everything a cat should be.

DD: What is your volunteer work here in Hillsborough County and what inspired you to volunteer?

J: Volunteerism is something everyone should do, I think. I started back in the Seventies with the Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, Massachusetts, which was probably one of the very first no-kill shelters in the country. And though I have done other volunteer work with human organizations, I decided when I semi-retired that I wanted to do something with animals, and it had to be “hands-on,” so I volunteer a few hours a week as an animal companion at the

Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and occasionally with their mobile adoption unit and at other special events. With a couple of other women who are always there at the same time, we make sure all the dogs are taken out of their kennels to walk, run, play and socialize. I have fallen in love with so many of those animals, and it’s gratifying to know that sooner or later everyone finds a home, and that we help make their stay at the shelter a little less stressful and a lot more fun. Many people have asked me how I could volunteer at an animal shelter and not get upset, but I tell those people that the shelter staff are always very busy, so without us volunteers the dogs wouldn’t have all the “fun” times we are able to give them, and it’s incredibly rewarding.

DD: I understand you spend your vacation time in an interesting way. How did you learn about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary?

J: I have volunteered at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah four times (so far!), the first time being a month after Hurricane Katrina. Many of their staff were in New Orleans rescuing animals, or at the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary in Tylertown, Mississippi, where the animals were then taken to be cared for. Originally my name must have gotten onto the Best Friends mailing list from other animal charities and I had been receiving their brochures for a few years and always thought visiting the sanctuary might be nice some time if ever I was in that area. But when I read an article online in the Seattle Times written by someone who had volunteered there, I promptly decided it was what I wanted to do, and a few months later I went with a friend. It’s the kind of place you just want to keep going back to.

DD: How did the sanctuary get started ? How do you spend your days there and what is that experience like?

J: A group of best friends, many of English origin, started a shelter in Arizona to take in animals that were going to be euthanized. As the number of animals increased they decided to look for a larger place, and in 1984 found Angel Canyon just outside Kanab in southern Utah. It was slow going and a lot of hard work at first, but their collective commitment to helping animals and an enormous amount of hard work paid off, and the Best Friends Animal Society has become an incredibly well-organized and well-respected animal rescue group. Among their many outstanding accomplishments is taking in 22 of Michael Vick’s fighting dogs a few months ago. They pushed for all of his dogs to be rescued and rehabilitated rather than euthanized, and some went to other rescue groups. The pits at Best Friends are doing wonderfully (see photo of Curly to the right, taken by Best Friend's photographer, Sarah Ause) – I ask you, is that a vicious fighting dog?!!.
The Best Friends Sanctuary facilities are spread out over their huge 3,000 acre property, so a car is necessary to get around. There are two separate areas for dogs - Dogtown and Dogtown Heights, also Cat World, Feathered Friends for birds, Bunny House for rabbits, all of which have wonderful indoor/outdoor communal living areas rather than separate kennels or cages. There are also various pastures and enclosures for horses, donkeys, mules, pigs, goats and sheep. The sanctuary offers free 1-1/2 hour tours for visitors; volunteers always take the tour and can decide where they want to work and what schedule suits them, whether it’s one day, one week, or one month.
I usually spend one or two days volunteering with dogs, the other days with cats. With the dogs a volunteer usually walks them in the mornings, which is a huge pleasure because the paths wind through juniper and sagebrush with wonderful views of the vermilion cliffs. There’s also “housework” involved, such as sweeping their indoor rooms, feeding them, washing their dishes, scooping their poop, brushing them, and then generally socializing with them. With cats it’s cleaning out the kitty litter boxes, sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning all the sleeping areas, brushing their blankets etc. but it’s always a pleasure doing that kind of housework. And then there’s the reward of socializing with them and boy, most of the cats just lap that up!

DD: Do you have a favorite animal there?

J: It’s hard to say, because the sanctuary has about an 80% adoption rate I think, and a dog I may have fallen in love with one year may not be there the next. My favorite of all was Churchill, a mostly black pitbull who we took on a “sleepover” with us at the motel one night last year; he was one of the sweetest, most loving dogs I’d ever met (I’m a sucker for pitbulls anyway). Others obviously felt the same, as he has since been adopted. I love the older and special-needs animals most of all, and try to make a point of volunteering in those areas.

DD: What have you learned from your time spent volunteering with animals in different places?

J: I have learned that animals who’ve been through any kind of trauma (even just the trauma of being given up by their owners) and wind up in a shelter are definitely grateful for any sort of kindness shown them. And that more and more people are realizing that animals are sentient beings who are as worthy of love, respect, care and kindness as humans are (sometimes more so!) I think the Michael Vick dog-fighting case, the atrocity of puppy mills and disasters such as Katrina and their attendant publicity have taught us that no matter the calamity, there is always a silver lining to them in that the plight of these animals is brought to light, and that gets people thinking and talking and acting positively. I think education plays a huge role. Everyone needs to understand that spaying and neutering their pets is not only beneficial to both the pets and humans, but the only way the euthanization numbers are going to be reduced. We still have a long way to go, even though there are many low-cost spay/neuter programs available. And if we can not only teach, but practice, kindness-towards-animals to youngsters, they will grow up knowing we are all the animals’ caretakers.

DD: Do you know of any places in Florida that are like the sanctuary?

J: Not really, because the sanctuary in Utah is a physically huge operation, with close to 400 employees, and well over 12,000 volunteers a year (probably more since the “Dogtown” series appeared on the National Geographic Channel earlier this year – Best Friends has been inundated with offers of volunteerism) and the scope of its work is enormous, especially domestically, and is growing internationally. But the number of shelters and rescue groups in Florida amazes me and basically they are all working towards the same goal – no more homeless pets. So big or small, it’s the dedication of the staff and volunteers at the shelters and rescue groups that really makes a difference, and the animals benefit, which is what it’s all about.

Too Late For Bandi

For some dogs, rescue comes too late. That is the case for Bandi, an 11 year old mixed breed unfortunate enough to be owned by a man like Thomas Crowe. You can see the photos of just how much Crowe cared for his dog on tbo.com. Bandi has heartworms and is emaciated. Sgt. Pam Perry of Hillsborough County Animal Servives says the dog will most likely be euthanized. A dog in this condition probably wouldn't survive heartworm treatment, which can be hard on an animal, even one in otherwise good health. Bandi was picked up by HCAS Tuesday and Crowe is now in jail, charged with animal cruelty. I have no idea what Crowe's circumstances
are, but I will never understand this kind of neglect.

Dogs Invade Workplace

Tomorrow is "Take Your Dog To Work Day". I'm trying hard to picture my two in an office environment, and what I'm seeing is total disruption. So, they aren't candidates for this event, but maybe your dog is. Created by Petsitter's International ten years ago, the idea is meant to introduce dogless coworkers to the benefits of canine ownership. I imagine this day of dog visitors really livens up most work places, softens some attitudes and brings a smile to many faces. Of course, there will always be those who don't appreciate dog slobber on their freshly printed copies or pethair on their designer clothes. This is fair warning to people with pet allergies and fastidious personalities. Get Ye behind your office door and stay there, because dogs will rule on Friday June 20!

To read more on this subject, check out the article on tbo.com. Petsitters International even has a zany, interactive website about the event at takeyourdogtowork.

An Interesting View On Canine Reproduction

My husband was listening to NPR this morning and heard a story about some Americans in Iraq trying to get a stray dog they adopted, neutered. The Iraqi translator and his countrymen who were working with the Americans were horrified at the thought. Nevertheless, they did find a veterinarian who agreed, against his better judgement to perform the operation. In Iraq, it seems, reproduction is highly valued in people as well as animals. After the surgery was done, the Iraqi's felt bad for the dog and thought it would be best to deport it to America because it would no longer fit in among its own kind in their country. For more on this story go to NPR.

Dogfather Part I

This was Hobbit's first chance to celebrate Father's Day with his human dad. He was determined to show his love, as only a juvenile Jack Russell can. First he helped Scott get his body up and energized for the day.

Next, he took dad to the dogpark, so he could visit with the other guys. No idea what they get out of standing around making noise with their mouths, but hey, to each his own. Back home, he spent some quality time with Scott, reading the newspaper over his shoulder. Then, the job of helping with dinner. Ahhh, grill time. He guarded that grill and was quick to pick up any stray stuff that fell on the ground. Dad's are great at dropping food.

After dinner, was a movie on the futon. Hobbit and Ella help put dad to sleep. Now, that's dog love.

In The News

Yesterday's Tampa Tribune had a nice spread on dog friendly beaches in Florida with lots of fun pictures. They listed parks in all parts of the state including Jacksonville, Port Orange, Dunedin and Key West. In the Tampa Bay area they featured Honeymoon Island's Pet Beach. For more info on dog friendly beaches, check out "The Complete Florida Beach Guide" by Mary and Bill Burnham. This is the perfect time of year to get wet with your dogs.

And, if you are one of the few who can still afford gas for a trip, in yesterday's paper was a blurb about a traveling exhibit called Pets In America. The Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee will host this collection of old artifacts, from collars and vintage food packages to antique medical equipment. Included will be photos of famous historical figures with their pets. Sounds like fun. If you go, bring back some souvenirs and give us a blog report.

And last of all is a "feel good" kind of story that was on the front page of the Trib's Metro section today. A Pitbull Terrier pup had been adopted by a couple through the Hernando County Pitbull Terrier Rescue group. Two days later, they're house was broken into and the dog stolen. Apparently the three month old puppy was too much for the thief who dumped him out on Twelve Oaks Blvd. in Tampa. The Pitbull rescue group sprang into action, printing up flyers about the lost dog and going door to door to help find it. Saturday, through anonymous tips, it was located and returned to the couple. Now, the curious thing about this article is that there are two photos of the dog playing with family members after it's return home. One shows the puppy laying down with a long white tipped tail. The other shows the same puppy with what looks like a docked tail. Maybe that picture is deceiving and it only looks like a docked tail. The other photos posted at tbo.com don't show the tail. But if that is a docked tail, then my question is, did the thief dock the tail, did someone else who had the dog in the last week dock the tail, or did the new owners do it as a home coming present. I'm going on record here to say that I consider tail docking and ear trimming to be mutilation. But that's an issue for a whole other blog article, so I'll stop right here.

Humane Society of Tampa Bay Making Good Matches

According to an article in this week's Tampa Tribune, Hillsborough County Animal Services euthanized almost 2000 animals in April of this year. More cats than dogs are brought into the shelter and more dogs are adopted, so cats are the majority of the animals being euthanized. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, through their program Mission Orange is working in Tampa Bay to lower the number of animals euthanized because of homelessness. As a part of that effort, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay has been transporting animals from HCAS to its facility at 3607 Armenia Ave. in Tampa. HCAS took in almost 90 strays a day in April, which has the capacity for only 325 dogs and 344 cats. The Humane Society has space for 200 animals and executive director, Sherry Silk, says she doesn't want to have empty cages when they are euthanizing animals down the street.

The SPCA has developed a personality test called Meet Your Match that helps partner potential pet owners with animals that are compatible. Humane Society clients are asked to fill out a 16 question form which helps determine what kind of pet they are most suited to. The animals are labeled in categories like Love Bug, Goofball and Couch Potato. Silk says the match making has helped prevent the return of pets after adoption. She feels if the pet stays in the new home for 30 days, then the bond is likely to stick. Last year the Humane Society placed 3,181 animals. This year adoptions have already increased by 125 for January and 208 for February, which is a good sign that Mission Orange is making a difference.

Volunteers also help to make a difference in this effort. Like my friend, Rohana who spends several hours a month in the Humane Society's cat area. Rohana has the sensitivity and gentleness to work with frightened animals. She looks for the cats and kittens who seem the most needy, then brings them out to the play area and spends time with them, helping them socialize. Baby Girl was a sad, withdrawn little kitten. Rohana brings treats and toys, but some cats, like Baby Girl are too shutdown to play. So, she sits with them and gradually draws them out of their shells. Each time Rohana went, she found Baby Girl a little less timid, but still she was a long way from being social. Rohana knew it would take a very special person to care for this kitten. Last week, Baby Girl was adopted after months of waiting. With the care being given to match people and animals, Baby Girl has a better chance of staying with her new owner for the rest of her life. Rohana has moved on to her next candidate, Quincy, who is a shy white cat, with eyes that remind her alot of Baby Girl. People like Rohana are a vital part of the solution to the homeless pet problem. The ASPCA working together with the Humane Society and Animal Services to make good matches, is another.

Summer Calls For Volunteers

So, it's that time of year when the youth of the world sleep late, daydream about the fun they will have the rest of the summer, and celebrate no school work for two months. Then what? How about devoting some of that time doing something fun and beneficial? Hillsborough County Animal Services is holding volunteer orientation sessions tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 28 at 10 a.m. Volunteer duties involve dog walking, bathing, socializing and more. Minimum age requirement is 16 years and parents must accompany minors under 18 to orientation. For more information, see HCAS website. Other places to consider offering your youthful assistance are Humane Society of Tampa Bay, rescue groups and shelters, and your local veterinary clinic.

Summer Reads and Flicks

We've got a long summer ahead, with the kind of hot days that make you want to sit on a shady porch, kick your feet up and sit down with a good book and an icy cold drink. Whether you're a fiction or non fiction reader, there's a steady stream of new dog themed books on the market in every genre. The Bark Magazine features book reviews in every issue. Their latest selections include autobiography "Timmy's in the Well: The Jon Provost Story" co-authored with Provost's wife, Laurie Jacobson. Provost was profoundly affected by his years co-starring with collie, "Lassie" in the 1950's t.v. show. Also reviewed were "Puppy Chow is Better Than Prozac" by Bruce Goldstein about a Bipolar man who finds puppy love to be therapeutic, and "The Art Of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. Old dog, Enzo is the narrator of this book. He reflects on his life with his human, race car driver, Denny Swift. Bark's non fiction picks were "Positive Perspective 2: Know Your Dog, Train Your Dog" by respected dog trainer and prolific author, Pat Miller, "Crate Games for Self-Control and Motivation" by Susan Garrett, and "Perfect Paws in 5 Days" by another expert in the dog behavior field, Jean Donaldson.

Dogwise is a fabulous site to search for dog books. They serve up mostly non fiction, educational type reads, but have recently added some good fiction material. Last week, they spotlighted "The Ethical Trainer" by Jim Barry and "Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook" by Barbara Handelman.

The last dog themed book I read was "Shaggy Muses" by Maureen Adams. It's an interesting exploration into the lives of historical women authors and how they were affected by their canine companions. After searching the local weekend movie section, I could find no summer movies involving dogs. Not even one cute snout poking through the human legs on those movie posters. But, I did look up the progress report on "Marley and Me". Most dog lovers have read the story of the yellow lab written by owner, John Grogan. The movie version is in production and release date is December 25 of this year. It stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson and a bunch of adorable labs who will play Marley and be the real stars of the show.

Any readers out there who want to share their favorite dog books and movies, please publish them in responses. Or use the "Email Me" link (under my profile, upper left hand corner of the blog) and I'll post them.

Hurray For Art And Rescues

Florida Boxer Rescue held a fund raising art auction last month called "The Art Of Rescue". It was highly successful, raising over $15,000. Thanks go out to all the artists who donated work, the generous people who purchased the works, and the hard working volunteers who are necessary to pull off such an event. Florida's homeless Boxers thank you from the bottom of their canine hearts.

Ella, Hobbit And Friend, Last Weekend's Dogpark Pics

ACT Now

Hillsborough County is fortunate to be the home of the Animal Coalition of Tampa. ACT, located at 1719 W. Lemon Street, is a low cost spay/neuter clinic that also offers vaccinations, microchip and exams for dogs and cats. Low income residents can apply for a voucher that allows them to have up to four cats and four dogs spayed or neutered every year for just $10. That fee includes a rabies shot and county tag. ACT opened its doors in March of 2006 and with a mostly volunteer staff, performs surgeries on over 7000 animals a year. Be sure to check out their excellent website at ACT. They even have their very own blog. To make an appointment, you can call 813-250-3900. I'll be posting their monthly specials here. This month, it's called "Who's Your Daddy" in honor of Father's Day. This is a cat special, but it's such a worthy cause, that I got my dogs' permission to post it. ACT will neuter male cats for $20 every Tuesday in June. What a treasure this clinic is to the people of Hillsborough County.