Training Aids You Might Not Find At The Pet Store

Hobbit has caused us to be especially creative in our approach to training and search for methods to discourage the destruction of property. Friends and family members have compared our life with Hobbit to life with an ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and OCD(Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) child. We celebrated our first year with him July 3. I thought I'd share some of the ways we've learned to deal with his issues and Ella's, as well.

Nubby rug runners - clear plastic rug protectors turned upside down are useful in keeping pets off furniture. They sell small pieces of something similar in pets stores and catalogs, but we found a 2 x6 ft runner for under $10 at a discount department store. When you have a dog like Hobbit, who jumps on everything (dining tables, coffee tables, bedside tables, you get the picture), you need lots of these things!

Spring step lidded garbage cans - We use them in all the bathrooms, and bedrooms. So far, Hobbit hasn't figured them out. I bought mine at Walmart or Target for about $10 each.

Yard sale buys - You can find collars and leashes, toys still in packaging, towels and blankets in good shape. The little varmint gnawed through about six leashes, so cheap used ones were a must.

Spare collars with tags - Hobbit chewed all his tags and Ella's beyond recognition, so we ordered new ones and keep them on spare collars. My brother the vet, advises keeping tags on the dogs at all times, in case they should sneak out for an adventure. If you're reading this blog, bro, I'm not recommending anyone but people with tag eaters keep their tags on spare collars! You can also eliminate an ID tag by having collars made with contact info on them.

Spray mister - I keep a mister bottle of water handy. This is only for those times when situations escalate to the point of possible harm and quick action is called for. Then, I like to have aids available to distract the dogs to interrupt their escalating agitation or break their focus on that baby bird that just fell out of the nest. I spray the water mist over their heads or in front of them (never spray it into their faces) and it surprises them. Another thing I use as a distraction is a toy that is intriguing and hasn't been fully explored. The ones that work best for my dogs are the ones that make strange sounds. The babble ball that talks and a funky looking toy that moos when it hits the ground a certain way. That one always gets their attention. If Hobbit and Ella are tussling and have reached a level of arousal that signals inevitable dogfight, I can throw that moo toy in the middle of them and they separate immediately. The trick is to interrupt the situation before it gets out of hand and to make sure the toy is one they don't get to play with often, so it keeps the unfamiliar status.

Portable fencing - If you have a portion of a yard that you want to restrict the dogs access to, portable fencing is great. We bought the black wrought iron looking sections that they sell at Home Depot and Lowe's. They come in two sizes ( large is about 3 ft. tall), and are a manageable width, around 4 ft. You also have to purchase the poles and stakes and a gate if you chose. But the beauty is you can do as small a project as you like, they're attractive and fairly sturdy. They will not replace regular fencing and can be knocked over if a dog really pushed on them, but they do a fine job of convincing the dogs to keep out of an area when the gate is closed. And everyone who's seen the fence, has commented on what a nice addition it is to the yard. And yes, that is double fencing you see in the background of the photo above. We installed the shorter privacy fence, to help with the territorial reactions bewteen the dog next door and ours. It helps, because our dogs can no longer see that dog through cracks in the fence, the sound is muffled and it is one more barrier.

Easy Cheese - Those cans of fake cheese product that come out of a nozzle when you squeeze it are invaluable when you know something is coming that will set your dog off. Scott most recently used it while the vet was giving Hobbit injections. It worked better than a muzzle, which was the alternative and Hobbit is slowly learning to accept scary things. I've seen it used effectively in training classes to help slightly aggressive dogs tolerate other dogs coming close. It's powerful stuff! I'm not condoning filling your dog with junk food, but for training it does have its purpose.

Just Say No To Chains

Throughout the year I read stories about bad things happening to dogs who are chained outside, sometimes due to neglect and cruelty, other times not. Like the story in today's Trib about the young pit bull who was stung more than 1000 times by bees and died a horrible death. The owner had no idea there was a huge bees' nest under her neighbor's trailer. She loved her dog and considered it part of the family. She mourns the loss of her pet. I sympathize with her, but I also find fault with anyone who ties a dog outside. What chance did her beloved dog have of escaping those bees? From the sounds of it, he wasn't even near their nest. He was stuck in a place the bees chose to come to. My dogs have been stung by a single bee or wasp and let me tell you, they run for momma. That dog would have at least had a chance of surviving if it had not been on a chain.

Dogs Deserve Better is a non profit group dedicated to freeing chained dogs nationwide. According to their website, besides being a miserable existence for the animal, chained dogs are often unsocialized and can become territorial and aggressive towards other animals and humans. DSB claims that chained dogs have been responsible for the death of over 200 children since 2003. DSB makes it easier to educate people you encounter who are chaining their dogs. They offer a printable version of a letter or door hanger that features the photo of a beautiful canine and reads "Please don't shut me out. I want to be with you." It offers gentle words to encourage the dog owner to reconsider their practice of chaining. If you see a chained dog and are not comfortable leaving literature yourself, you can send the owners name and address to DSB and they will send a letter.

Unchain Your Dog is a beautiful website about a couple in Arkansas who have done an enormous amount of work towards freeing chained dogs. You can read about the most recent work to pass laws, plus what laws are being passed in different areas of the country. There's a link to an article about the city of Miami passing an ordinance against chaining. There's also a poignant comic strip about chained dogs done by Mutts creator, Patrick McDonnell. Chaining dogs is no more acceptable than chaining humans. If a person does not have a fenced yard and intends to put their dog outside on it's own, then fencing should be installed before they adopt a dog. There are dogs who live in cities like New York, who live healthy, happy lives being walked on leashes and visiting dogparks. But a dog is not happy, healthy or safe tethered outside for long hours without human interaction.

*Update on the story of the dog that died from bee stings: Today the Trib reported that someone is donating a puppy to the family. People tend to react impulsively when they're moved by sympathy. But this tells me that the owner of the puppy who has a fresh litter of 11 pit bull mixes, is willing to give her dogs to people who will tie them outside. My hope is that the woman who lost her dog to bee stings has learned a hard lesson and will not subject the new puppy to the same circumstances. Along with the person giving her a puppy, Pet Angel Memorial Services offered her free cremation and memorial services for her dog. I think a fence company offering free services is what she needs.

All Things Dog - July 28

Hill's Pet Nutrition is sponsoring a Second Chance For Love Tour in an effort to place 1 million unwanted pets in suitable homes by the end of the year. Last weekend they offered to pay adoption fees for the first 25 applicants at Pasco County Animal Shelter.

According to St. Pete Times, Jack Q. Brown of Oldsmar is in the Pinellas County jail on animal cruelty charges. He held a bichon, yorkshire mix dog out his car window, letting it hit the ground, then dropped it while going 45 mph. A good samaritan saw the incident and caught the dog, then called deputies. The owner, whose information was on the dog's tags came to pick it up. Here's a case where I wish we had protective services and intermediate foster homes set up for animals like we do for children. I don't know how that man came to have the dog, but I'd sure want to know what the owner's connection is to this man and how the dog ended up in his hands, before I handed the dog over to them.

On NPR's Blog of The Nation last week, Barrie Hardymon talked about our "obsession" with our pet's medical needs. The post includes links to recent features related to this issue including the use of narcotics to deal with animal's psychological issues. It's interesting commentary.

In the Trib, I read that Marlon Scott, son of City Councilman Tom Scott, is likely to receive $50,000 from the city for unfair treatment by police officers when they arrested him in 2006 for animals cruelty charges, battery on an officer and resisting arrest with violence. His dogs had been taken away the day before by Hillsborough County Animal Services for being tied in the sun on short chains with no shelter. Let's assume he was treated unfairly by police officers. Does this negate the fact that animal services officers saw a need to remove his animals due to neglect and cruelty? What kind of message is Tampa sending, to be rewarding this type of behavior, no matter how connected the perpetrator is to city government?

In Seffner this week, The Trib reported that Hillsborough County Animal Services took 55 goats, 35 dogs and 7 cats from a home described as decrepit. The animals were in poor condition. The goats were standing in ankle deep manure and some of them may have to be euthanized. The dogs were in stacked rusty kennels with no food or water. The owners, Larry and Rae Lynn Smart advertised locally as breeders. Their house and yard were strewn with litter and feces, old appliances and broken down cars. The roof was caved in and only one working light could be found inside the home. This is just plain sad. These people can't take care of themselves, much less all these animals. To read more about this story see tbo.com.

Pet Telethon

Are you looking for a new pet? The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is hosting a telethon on Channel 8, Saturday, 7/26 from 1-6p.m. Local celebrities will include Tampa Ray's mascot, Raymond, Buc's cheerleaders, Yankee's mascot, Blue and Sparky the fire dog. So, Saturday afternoon, when you can't stand to be outside in this heat another minute, pull up a chair and sit yourself down in front of the tube for a good cause. To check out any of the more than 50 adoptees to be featured, go to www.humanesocietytampa.org.

Hillsborough County Animal Shelter Too Hot For Dogs And Humans

I remember in 1993 when the new animal shelter was built in Hillsborough county at 440 Falkenburg Rd. It cost $4.4 million and should have been just what the doctor ordered, more space and better facilities for animals and staff. Why then, three years after the grand opening, was the new director told the number of ventilation fans for the kennels was scaled back to save money? Even after noting the ventilation was inadequate, Bill Armstrong, the director, considered the issue a low priority and nothing was done to alleviate the problem. It took one woman, Connie Johnson, chairwoman for the county Animal Advisory Committee, to bring this problem to light. She fosters a dog at the shelter and noticed the stifling conditions in the kennels. After complaining to the current acting director, Dennis McCullough, some ceilings fans were installed. Eight of the eighteen fans along the top of the walls in the kennels do not work. Others are rusted and old. Terry Goodman, county superintendent of plant operations, said if all the fans were working, they would still be only half of what is needed for proper ventilation.

So, for fifteen years the animals most in need in this county have been suffering even more neglect when they go to the very shelter that should be giving them relief. I don't know about you folks, but it's one thing to be hot outside in Florida and another to be suffering inside. I would much rather be outside where I can sit under a shade tree and catch a cool breeze, then be stuck inside a stifling building. Add to that, the smell of hot animals, urine and feces and you have an unbearable situation. If animals are to be housed inside, adequate ventilation is a must. I sympathize with the staff and volunteers at HCAS who must work in that atmosphere. I have no doubt that there were many complaints that fell on deaf ears before Connie Johnson appeared on the scene. We're at a time when government is facing severe budget cuts, so an allocation of funds needed to alleviate the air circulation problem at the county kennels is not likely to happen anytime soon. But, I strongly suggest that before the county spends a drop of money on such a thing as a new sports complex in east Hillsborough, they show some sensitivity for the creatures who are suffering under their care. And if they really have a heart, they'll shoot for air conditioning instead of fans.

*Information for this post was taken from an article in the Trib written by Mike Salinero, an excellent investigative reporter. I'm taking a moment to honor all newspaper writers who are facing extinction.

Leona's Loot and Deceptive Commentary

In last Sunday's commentary section of the Trib, there was an article by David Martosko titled "Let Leona's Loot Go To The Dogs." The story starts off by refreshing our memory about hotelier Leona Helmsley's Maltese who inherited $12 million when Ms. Helmsley died, then announces that $8 billion from the hotel magnate's estate has been earmarked for programs that aid dogs. Martosko makes some valid points about the enormous sum of money Americans spend on their pets and yet, animal shelters throughout the nation are overflowing with unwanted pets. He continues by stating that what we need are more no-kill shelters, spay neuter programs, and "more effective ways to promote the moral imperative of rescuing unwanted dogs from a lonesome existence that is often far too short." Who's to argue with that? But next, Martosko bewails the lack of a national umbrella group that oversees the shelters and organizations who work to end animal abuse, neglect and homelessness. This lack, he claims, destroys the possibility that Ms. Helmsley's billions will ever be used effectively to help needy dogs. In fact, he says, two groups who are already making claims on the loot; PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) are not worthy of receiving it.

Ah ha, now we get down to Mr. Marktosko's true intention for this article. He proceeds to villianize the two groups, claiming they waste more money than they use effectively and are actually responsible for killing more animals than they save. So, just who is this person bent on smearing the reputation of PETA and HSUS? The credit at the end of the article reads "David Martosko is a national expert on the politics of the animal protection movement, and is research director at the center for Consumer Freedom, a nonprofit activist watchdog group based in Washington, D.C." According to the website Consumer Deception.com, the Center for Consumer Freedom is a tool of lobbyist Richard Berman who funnels large sums of corporate money into non profits that he's set up, then uses them to launch campaigns against groups whose viewpoints impact the profit of his clients. Who are his clients, you ask? Big tobacco, alcohol and many in the food industry. He has taken on PETA and other agencies due to their victories over the inhumane treatment of farm animals, which has affected the fast food industry's pockets.

While Martosko did raise an interesting issue about who would be best suited to wisely disseminate a sum of $8 billion, I am disappointed that any newspaper wasted space on an article that serves to promote a tainted agenda. At the end of his article, Martosko tries to get back on the subject of America's dogs in need. He quips, if the people responsible for allocating Ms. Helmsley's estate will make sure that the money goes to the worthiest candidates, then they may be lucky enough to return as cows in India in their next life. Which tells me all I need to know about how aware this man is about animal rights' issues throughout the world. The cows in India are dying from eating plastic garbage bags because they're expected to fend for themselves and are starving.

Florida Poodle Rescue

Florida Poodle Rescue came to life in 1994 thanks to the efforts of two women, Patricia Bonati and Martha Harrington. They were dog rescuers with enough energy and heart to attract others to their cause and since FPR's inception, they have helped find homes for over 6000 standard, miniature and toy poodles. FPR's mission is to place unwanted, abandoned and abused poodles in loving homes where they will be cherished family members for the rest of their lives. They also strive to educate the public about a breed they describe as loyal, with a great sense of humor and a personality that greets each day with delight.

Each dog fostered is neutered or spayed, examined by a veterinarian and updated on vaccinations. Some dogs have urgent needs for more in depth medical care. FPR has provided facial reconstructions, hip surgery, cataract surgery and treatment for heartworms. While in foster care, they are evaluated for special needs. FPR keeps a data base of adopter's requests for dogs of preferred sex, size and color. If you are interested in adopting a poodle, visit the FPR website, where you will find an application form and details about the adoption process. Adoption fees are $150 for dogs over four years, and $200 for dogs under that age.

There are no pictures of adoptable dogs on FPR's website. Like other rescue organizations, they are run by dedicated volunteers and at this time they do not have people who can keep the website updated with current adoption candidates. So, here's a shout out to techies with a couple hours of spare time each month and a soft heart for poodles in need! FPR is also looking for foster home candidates and transporters. Of course, money is always welcome. Contact FPR and help out a good cause. Be sure to click on the link "Where Do Donations go?" on the FPR site. The recovery story of Samson is a tribute to the work that this fine rescue group does. * The beautiful photo up top was taken by photographer Carrie Peterson, who is herself a dedicated volunteer for FPR and the canine mother to a rescued standard poodle.

Another of FPR's hard working volunteers is Julie who sent me the story of some of her rescue successes:

"I have been fortunate enough over the years to adopt 6 dogs (1 standard poodle, 2 miniature poodles, 2 toy poodles and even a collie) from Florida Poodle Rescue, as well as volunteer and be a part of this great organization. They have given me my "children". Some were older souls that needed a home and have since passed on, but I have cherished each and every one and have been saddened by what they have had to endure before Florida Poodle Rescue came to their aid. "Spencer" was turned into animal control over on the other coast of Florida, I was just supposed to transport this middle aged poodle that Florida Poodle Rescue had agreed to take in. When I got there they said, "we didn't want to tell you over the phone but he is about 20 years old and his family had to move and turned him in to be euthanized, will you still take him?" Looking at this poor old soul, how could I say no? I immediately fell in love with him. It was so rewarding to see this sad little poodle blossom into a sophisticated senior that was still so full of himself. Sadly, I only had Spencer for about 2 years before he passed on, but he knew he was loved and went over the rainbow bridge quietly in my arms, not at a shelter which was his destiny before Florida Poodle Rescue stepped in. Lewis, Clark & Baby Ruth have something in common- they were all confiscated by animal control from puppy mill raids. Lewis & Clark were both from a raid right here in the Tampa Bay area, where a breeder had over 400 dogs. They were some of the original dogs taken as evidence to build a case against this breeder and unfortunately had to live in animal control for almost a year before being released. Baby Ruth was from a puppy mill raid in Melbourne, Florida. ( That's Baby Ruth in the before and after photos on the right) Not only was she a matted mess, but she was so sick I really didn't think she would survive. Fortunately, she is a fighter and is stronger than ever. Every dog has a different story or reason that they have somehow ended up in Florida Poodle Rescue but each and every one is so grateful. I know my family wouldn't be the same without my dogs and I am so thankful that Florida Poodle Rescue saved them and matched them up to me!

All Things Dog - July 21

On National Public Radio's Fresh Air program last Thursday, I listened to a charming story about Bill Berloni, who adopts shelter animals and turns them into movie stars. He stumbled upon this career accidentally when as a young man he had the opportunity to search for the first dog to be used as Sandy in the stage production of Annie. Although, his goal was to become an actor himself, he was fated to be an animal trainer. How he became one is a fascinating tale.

According to the Trib, an 8 month old chocolate lab named Justice was found wandering at a Walmart, last week in New Port Richey and turned in to Suncoast SPCA. He was severely neglected and weighed 19 pounds, under half of what his normal weight should be. The shelter is seeking donations to help with the pup's rehabilitation. To contribute, call (727)849-1048, email at info@SPCAsuncoast.org or go online at http://www.spcasuncoast.org/. You can also visit their facility at 7734 Congress St., New Port Richey.

Pet Friendly Florida Politicians is an article compiled by Patricia Collier of Florida Pets.net. It's a good time to be studying who's worthy of your vote, with election time coming.

Megan Hendricks from ACT sent the following information :
The UAN is offering a Crisis Relief Grant to people being displaced due to the housing crunch. The grant is for temporary boarding of pets, airline fees to transport them, etc. One can apply for the grant by going to http://www.uan.org/.

Megan, is also a member of the Hillsborough County Animal Advisory Committee. One thing they focus on is disaster planning. The county is in desperate need of people to help with animals at pet friendly shelters during evacuations. They held a workshop for volunteers last month and very few people showed up. If you're interested, contact CHAART.

In the Trib this week, a police dog in Mulberry died after being left in it's handler's car for three hours. The air conditioning in the car was on, but apparently malfunctioned. This incident has caused the agency to implement new policies requiring officers to check on dogs in cars every 30 minutes and cars will be outfitted with heat alarms. You can read more at tbo.com. Also, this week's Dear Abby featured letters about dogs being left in hot cars. A couple readers gave helpful tips and the final letter will make you smile.

Due to a technicality, 60 of the 121 neglected dogs that were seized in April from a breeder in Tarpon Springs, may be returned to the owner. It seems the agent from Suncoast Animal League who rescued the dogs failed to gain approval from the county commission before seizing them, so a judge has voided the League's petition to take custody of the animals. More than $100,000 has been spent in veterinary care for the dogs to date. The owner, Teresita Hughes has said she only wants 60 dogs back and can care for no more. The judge, Myra Scott McNary did recommend that a representative from one of the county's humane societies should make weekly visits to Hughes' home once the animals are returned to ensure they are getting proper care. For more on this story see tbo.com.

A Bad Dog Day

Last Tuesday and Wednesday were bad dog days. Due to the rainy evenings, Scott had been unable to take the dogs to the park or walk Hobbit around the neighborhood. Ella handles this with grace. Not Hobbit. Tuesday morning he woke up with trouble on his mind. We followed our normal routine of Hobbit proofing the house, so we could have a relatively peaceful breakfast. (That's Hobbit at right, taking a coaster off the game table. He's eaten eight coasters, may they rest in peace, leaving us with two badly chewed ones.) I put the nubby plastic rug runner on the bed, to prevent him from jumping on it. He does that purely to see what's on the bedside tables that might interest him. I shut the closet doors where the delectable bedroom slippers are. I make sure the TV room door is shut, where my husband, the nightowl hangs out and is sure to leave things scattered. I push the chairs tightly under the dining room table, so that I can safely set my cereal bowl, newspaper and glasses on there. Then, I sit down to eat. Hobbit has had his breakfast and been out to do his business, but it's clear he wants something. When I fail to pay attention to him, he hops on the chair behind a quietly sleeping Ella. He pounces on her back and begins pestering her to play. She tells him no, but he believes in his powers of persuasion and accelerates the attack. Finally, she gets out of the chair and now they are seriously arguing. I break them up, but this scenario is replayed multiple times over the course of an hour.

Hobbit's next victim was a pen, one of his favorite munchies. He eats a pen a week, minimum. This is usually my fault for forgetting to push the office chair far enough away from the computer table to keep him from standing on the chair to elevate himself to the appropriate height to do a desktop search. This particular morning, I tried cajoling Hobbit out of the pen. No way. I picked him up which sometimes causes him to drop what's in his mouth. We long ago gave up on other methods that had been suggested. When he has something of value in that Jack Russell jaw, he will not surrender. And that day, Hobbit was set on eating this pen. I tried taking a firm grip on it and that's when he got snarly. He snapped at me and I lost my temper. I yelled no and closed him in the office so we both could cool off.

Later that day, I was able to reflect on the situation. I was discouraged at how quickly Hobbit reverts to old behaviors when he isn't getting the type of exercise and attention he needs. I also knew that I could have handled the morning better. I've grown used to the more manageable dog that Hobbit's become the past few months. But when I look back, I see the huge strides he's made. For the first 9 months, a normal day with Hobbit required my attention every minute. He never relaxed, never stopped looking for things to chew up, and was a blink away from reacting with a bite. He is also the hardest dog I've ever tried to housebreak. (Yes, I am still trying) So, when I put things in perspective, last week wasn't too bad. Victims were limited to two pens, two pencils, one sock, some wood paneling and a springy door bumper that never fails to amuse him. There was only one accident on the floor to clean up and we only had one bad fence encounter with the Boston Terrier next door. Ella didn't enjoy his snarly mood much, but she's a very forgiving girl. And in her day, Miss Ella destroyed two couch covers, three pairs of pajamas, a legion of socks, and every strip of bedding we put in her crate. She was, thankfully only attracted to cloth and that period had a short duration. Cheers to all of you who are dealing with newly adopted young rescue dogs! Keep the faith, love and good training pay off in the end. As a matter of fact, last week inspired me to work with Hobbit to teach him to give up the pens, so that problem will go away sooner. I'll let you know how many pens it takes to accomplish this feat!

Vezzie Needs A Home

*Update on Vezzie; a mother and son are in the process of adopting her. Let's hope Vezzie has found her forever home!

The pup in the picture staring at you needs a forever loving home… please read her story.
My name is Nancy Latimer, and I volunteer for Hillsborough County Animal Services. She is one of my “Search and Rescue” success stories…meaning that after 9 weeks of tracking this missing pup, her owner was found. My pet project as a volunteer is helping reunite lost owners with their pups. It has become a passion. Usually when reuniting separated dog/human families, it’s a happy ending.
However, in Vezzie's case, happiness still eludes her. Vezzie's owners made a decision to surrender her for reasons that I still don’t understand and probably never will. Their reasons are theirs alone but I believe it had nothing to do with this sweet faced pup.
Vezzie seemed to have someone interested in adopting her but for reasons unknown they apparently changed their mind. They never returned to the shelter after Vezzie became available. Another “missed” happy ending.
This pup refused to leave my mind since the first time I saw her advertised as ‘lost’.
I know she cherishes a soft bedspread to lie on. She will put her nose through the kennel gate so you can pet it.
Her real name is Zveszda, which is Russian for “Star” Her birthday is 4/11/01. That makes her about 7 years old. She gets along with small dogs and large dogs. Cats are not high on her ‘be nice to’ priority list. J Taking long walks is a joy to her, and she LOVES squeaky toys. The louder the better. The ones from the dollar store were her favorites. Eating is easy for Vezzie; she especially loves steamed veggies and sushi. (ugh)
Playing is something she enjoys. “Hide the Shoe” is her favorite game. She will take a shoe,…. hide it on a couch, a bed, or outside..etc. She never chews on them…they are much too valuable to her. And, when she is all worn out from playing with them, she takes them to lie alongside of her when she sleeps.
By the way ….she LOVES kids, and is housebroken.
If you look into the eyes of this pup and see something ‘speaking’ to you through your heart please take action.
Call 612-5388 or 625-2611.
You can also send an email to carrm@hillsboroughcounty.org or disalvot@hillsboroughcounty.org

As a final note, I ask that anyone interested in providing Vezzie with a permanent or foster home, please do not wait.
Sometimes wonderful treasures are found in plain brown packaging
Vezzie’s identification number is A1057052. Please refer to that number when calling for information on her.

All Things Dog - July 15

The SPCA shelter in Largo has taken in 64 dogs from a breeder in North Florida who died of cancer and was unable to relocate her dogs before she died. Most of these dogs were breeders, so they are used to life in a cage and will need special homes. They are Australian Shepherds and Aussie mixes, Border Collies and Pomeranians. You can read more and see a photos in the Trib. To contact the Largo shelter, call SPCA Tampa Bay at (727)586-3591.

Gulfside Regional Hospice is hosting a Pet Loss Support Group every other Wednesday from 10 to 11:30 at Trinity Funeral Home, 12609 Memorial Dr. in New Port Richey. The group is open to anyone mourning the loss of a pet. The next meeting is July 23. Contact is Nancy Terkeurst at 727-845-5707 ext.1035 this tidbit was gleaned from our local edition of Community News Publications. You can see their pet page at CnewsPubs.com/news .

At tbo.com there is a photo story of "Baby" the dog, who was rescued by Hillsborough County Animal Services last month.

In the Hernando Today edition of The Trib is another article dealing with the abandoned pets due to foreclosure issue in Brooksville.

You can see photos of some of the animals rescued from the puppy mill in Tennessee last month at the tbo.com photo site.

Are We Prepared?

*The photos for this article were sent by blog reader, Jackie. They've traveled alot on the great email highway and at some point were attributed to a rescue attempt in Kansas after a tornado. In fact, they are photos taken by a woman named Dana, during her animal rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina. You can see the original photos along with many others that were taken by Dana at her flickr site. Her site is worth the visit.



I wrote at the end of last month about considering our pets when preparing for the hurricane season. A New York Times article in the Tampa Tribune states that the loss from Hurricane Katrina alerted us to our lack when it comes to dealing with a catastrophe of that magnitude. It was estimated that almost 200,000 animals were displaced in that storm. Lives were risked and lost because of people not wanting to abandon their pets. The recent floods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa displaced thousands, involving around 4200 homes. The local animal shelter flooded and moved their animals to Kirkwood Community College. As the situation worsened, calls came into the school to allow more animals. Within days they had almost 1000 animals. Volunteers were quick to donate supplies and offer help, including veterinarians, technicians, groomers, even flood victims themselves. Diane Webber, director of the Humane Society of the United States says that what we learned from Katrina is that animals are a valuable part of people's lives and must be considered when planning for disasters.

It's estimated that 52% of Florida households have pets. CHAART, Community of Hillsborough Animal and Agricultural Response Team, is working to assure that this county has a plan in effect to take care of the animal population should a disaster occur. CHAART estimates that Hillsborough has over 500,000 cats and dogs. One of their immediate concerns is the lack of personnel to man shelters. There are only two designated pet friendly shelters in the county, one in the east part of the county at Burnett Middle School in Seffner, and one in the northwest at Sickles High School in Citrus Park. Would they hold all the people with pets who need to evacuate flood zones when a hurricane comes within reach? I don't know, but it's obvious that two shelters could easily be overwhelmed if Tampa had a direct hit from a monster storm.


Until the time that the shelter situation for pets improves, it is up to us, to do what we can to be prepared to take our pets elsewhere, should the shelters be full. CHAART offers a pet owner's evacuation checklist, recommendations for contingency bus transportation and for shelters that are not listed as pet friendly. For information on what is happening on the state level to help deal with pet
evacuation, see SART (State Agricultural Response Team.) I'm ashamed to say, I don't have a plan. And yet, I know I wouldn't leave my dogs. I don't live in a flood zone and I've been lolled by the fact that I've lived this long in my home state and never faced evacuation. But, I visited Homestead after Andrew hit in 1992 and I saw firsthand the devastation. My relatives in Homestead are also lifelong Floridians and they never expected to be living in a travel trailer for almost a year, while their solid concrete block home was rebuilt. So, this week, I will do my research and this weekend when Scott and I have time to talk, we'll form a plan. The storms they are a brewing out there in those waters that surround our dear state. Last year, our esteemed Governor, Charlie Crist proclaimed July 31, Florida Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. Seems like a good day to look fondly at our animals, and know we're prepared to take care of them, should we have to leave our homes.

Foreclosures Affect Animals, Too

Yesterday, on National Public Radio's Fresh Air program, Terri Gross interviewed a spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States about the pet abandonment crisis brought on by the large rate of foreclosure in the nation. We know from the stories we're reading, that this is affecting us locally. It sickened me to hear stories of people who had deserted their pets, leaving them behind in empty houses. Some of those pets suffered horrible deaths, as they tried frantically to escape, then survived on drywall and whatever else they could fill their stomachs with until death brought relief.

That story made me wonder what we can be doing to help. Shelters and rescue groups are crying out for volunteers to help with the overwhelming number of abandoned pets. But is there something we can be doing to prevent the pets from becoming homeless? Talking to individiuals we know who are in financial distress, offering help with petfood and care, whatever else they may need to ease the burden. The Humane Society gives free pet food to people who can't afford it. There are lowcost vaccination programs like ACT. My husband suggested we check abandoned houses for pets who may have been left behind. At the very least, we could help find shelter for pets before they are deserted. People who feel desperate may not have the energy to see that their pets have a safe home. Before this economic downturn is over, I'm sure we'll see rising numbers of people and animals in need. Existing programs are already overwhelmed, trying to aid those who are suffering. It's time for us all to step up and offer what help we can.

Picture Stories

You've heard that a picture's worth a thousand words. I love hearing the stories people tell about their lives with dogs, but it takes a bit of time to write. Believe me, I know! So, this is a call for your dog stories in pictures. I'll be the first to do one, in case my readers are shy. Please don't send more than four or five photos. This blog format doesn't allow creative set ups with photos and text and I am not skilled enought to revise the html.

Today, I'll tell the story of Ella because you've seen plenty of Hobbit. (The reason for that is Ella's camera shy and Hobbit's a ham.) When we first got Ella, in April 2006, she was so shut down, she hid in house and yard. As you can see, she was practiced at camouflage. She was about 7 months old in the picture above.

She had no idea what dog toys were, so we had great fun teaching her to play.

She was very proud of her graduation certificate from basic obedience class, even though she spent half the class hiding under our chairs.

Last year in July, we adopted Hobbit. Here, Ella age 22 months, is learning to tolerate her new brother.

Ella will be 3 years old in October. We've discovered she is at her happiest when she is running. She runs for the pure joy of it, all by herself. She is a sweet, gentle creature. Our time with her has taught us so much about the needs of dogs with fear and about dogs who somehow avoided human contact. We are honored to have her in our lives.

All Things Dog

*All Things Dog is the title I've finally settled on for this blog feature, the recap of dog news for the week.

In the Getaway section of yesterday's Trib, was an article about the growing population of animals at local rescue shelters due to the economic downturn. Every week, there's a notice somewhere, announcing the need of shelters for more foster homes, supplies and volunteers. Some of those in last week's paper are: St. Francis Animal Rescue who needs people with experience in grant writing, public relations and marketing; Hillsborough County Animal Services needs reserve part time animal control officers, as well as volunteers to help with animals; the Humane Society of Pinellas County and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay have need for all financial and volunteer support. Those two agencies also offer temporary help to people who are having trouble feeding their animals and HSPC offers temporary shelter for animals of people who are suffering hardship.

Also in yesterday's paper was an article by the Los Angeles Times that may or may not pertain to Floridians, but I couldn't resist pointing it out. It referred to an organization called Potcake Place, which takes in homeless puppies in the Caribbean islands, gets them veterinary care and tries to arrange transportation to the Americas. The dogs are called potcakes because they are fed by locals from the caked remains in the bottom of pots. The pups are described as medium sized shepherd mixes, hardy and good natured with a perpetual grin on their faces. The article does point out the growing problem of homeless pets in the U.S and questions the wisdom of adding to it with potcakes, but don't look to me to deny a potcake's need.

And this tidbit comes from an encounter my husband had at the dogpark. A fellow dog lover told him about an online dating service called Date My Pet. It allows you to set up play dates for your pet or human dates with pet lovers. Please, do not email me if you use this site and the relationship ends in human or dog divorce!

Today a shelter dog made the front page of the Tribune. Remy, a lab mix was adopted several months ago from the Manatee Humane Society by the Steele family. Natalee Steele has a debilitating disease and Remy has become the child's guardian, which has resulted in an improvement in Natalee's health. The Steele's have witnessed firsthand the uncanny sensitivity of canines and the positive affect they have on us emotionally and physically.

MSNBC ran a story about some of Michael Vick's dogs and their rehabilitation story.

Marion County Animal Center will euthanize 80 dogs due to an outbreak of distemper and parvo. The shelter will be shut down temporarily, so drop offs and adoptions have been halted until further notice.

The Firework Battle

The big night of booms is over. We're still dealing with "children" who are playing with leftover explosive toys, but they will run out eventually. We did our sofa routine last night, watched a good movie with the canine bookends. Ella won't venture out during the bangs and pops, so she's been in hiding for much of the week. She's the third noise sensitive dog we've had in the last twenty years. The first thing we did this morning was look for the remains of fireworks in our yard. In years past, we've found exploded cardboard, plastic and paper, along with slim metal rods that stick up out of the dirt and are potential hazards. As I scan the Lost and Found today, I wonder how many pets bolted during the Fourth of July celebration. How many animals ran out into traffic, how many dogs busted through windows or doors to escape the noise? Wildlife displaced? Horses and cows panicked? People with eye and hand injuries?

I mentioned in a previous post that I hope to someday use this blog to help in the campaign to ban the personal use of fireworks. This issue has been tumbling in my brain for years. I think it will take a substantial effort to create a force effective enough to be successful. I'm not ready to deal with a project of that magnitude, but I'm gathering information. If you know of groups who are interested in this cause, please email me or post a reply. I want to make as many connections as possible, before approaching this project in full. I read that Prevent Blindness America is seeking a ban on fireworks. Animals lovers from all walks are potential supporters. The pet and livestock industries are not to be sneezed at. Physicians who see injuries and veterinarians are another possibility. Eventually, I will contact the groups from the list I have compiled. Along with the connections, I need to know what work others in Florida have already done towards this effort. Is there a petition in circulation? Has someone worked on creating legislation that would truly ban the sale of fireworks to the public? What prevented the recent Statewide taskforce and past efforts from working? Are there other states who have effective bans and how did they accomplish that?

I'm not looking forward to this battle. I don't like confrontation and I like to keep my home life serene. This is a topic that has the potential to cause eruptive feelings and public backlash. But how long can we hide from that? The safety and well being of people and animals are more important than entertainment, no matter how sentimental the issue or how far back the tradition of personal fireworks in American goes. I believe Floridians who choose to, can enjoy firework displays put on by professionals, leaving those who don't the option of a quiet night at home.

Not Free To Celebrate

I dread the two times a year those roadside stands go up filled with pyrotechnics. New Years and the Fourth Of July are not times of celebration around our house. We stay home to comfort dogs who are terrified of the explosions. We close ourselves in, turn the t.v or radio up, and settle down on the sofa. Hobbit reacts to every firework by jumping up and barking. Ella digs in, burying her head behind our backs. She's traumatized. She came to us in April of 2006, a fear filled dog with little human experience. For the first two months, she hid whenever we let her outside. Then, she gained some confidence and started to play a little in the yard. She delighted us with her running and jumping, hunting lizards that she never caught. That all changed in July, when someone threw fireworks at her over our chainlink fence. I found her cowering in a secluded corner of the yard. I had to carry her in the house. It took her months to regain her confidence outdoors and to this day, she's afraid of loud noises and flashing lights.

Ella is a hyper vigilant dog with extreme reactions to situations that are scary to her. But I know we're not alone when it comes to having animals that are affected by fireworks. Every year pets are displaced when they escape from houses and yards, running from noises they don't understand. Inevitably, the Lost and Found section of the newspaper lists pleas for help finding those pets. Most of the time, we're happy to see our neighbors, but in January and July, it becomes us against them. The people creating the havoc pitted against the people being negatively affected by it. I'm not unsympathetic to the sentiment that fireworks and apple pie go hand in hand. I grew up watching a display in the park on Independence Day and coming home to dance with sparklers on the lawn. But those were my childhood days, when I was unaware of the harm that was caused by those light shows.

Florida is benefiting monetarily from the sale of fireworks and has yet to stifle the powerful lobbying that keeps a moratorium on control over the sale of fireworks intact. A recent Statewide task force that was addressing the issue, failed to have an affect. I believe pet owners in this state are a powerful enough force to confront this issue and see changes made. One day, if this blog ever gets big enough to be a part of that effort, I'll post a call to rally. In the meantime, hunker down my friends. Offer what comfort you can to creatures great and small and be on the look out for those who are running in panic.