Every day I am reminded why it is I do what I do. Why I feel, the way I feel. I see two kinds of people. The kind who help those that cannot speak, and those that do not care. It's hard to imagine not caring about something I care so deeply about. But I cannot make someone see their errors alone. They have to be willing to accept that which they cannot understand. Just because you don't understand something, or don't like something, doesn't mean you should condemn them all. I've ran into people that hated animals, thinking they all needed to be euthanized because they were just dirty. When someone says that to me, it's like a smack in the face. But it reminds me of exactly why I have this blog, and why I share what I do on my facebook page. Oh yes, this blog isn't the only thing I promote awareness on. I've lost friends because they didn't like what I posted. People angry that I would defend my beliefs. I don't understand anyone being upset that someone has a cause to fight about. Is it because I picked something that they didn't deem worthy? Well that hardly sounds very intelligent, if you ask me.
I decided something today. I even told my fiance' of my future goals. Right now I can do little. Having two dogs of my own, along with my son.. I just don't have the room to do anything about it now. But once my two furry babies pass (as they will live with me their entire lives of course), I plan on fostering. I don't have money to do full out rescues, nor the space. I also couldn't exactly take any animal in, as I have to think of my son's safety. So I can only do what I have in my power to do.
Dogs that are out of time, and have to find a place to stay until the community (and myself) can get the word out and get them adopted. I am proud to know that I am capable of something to finally help the way I want to. Even if it's a few years away. It's a start, and I heard something today that rang true to me.
"I used to think that someone should do something about this.. And then I realized I am that someone."
What can you do to make your world a better place?
I had a discussion with a friend today, and it had me realize that there are so many people out there that don't understand the severity of the situation. I think anyone who wants to breed their dogs or cats irresponsibly, should have to do research in the surrounding area of all the shelters. I think they should see the faces of the kittens and puppies without homes. I hear the excuse of "Well my puppies will be cute! They will find homes." I've heard this on numerous different occasions. But any puppy is cute. Any Kitten is cute. Still there are countless faces begging for help behind these shelter gates. By breeding your animal, you contribute to the overpopulating of animals which you claim to love. Irresponsible breeding irritates me beyond no end. I've worked with animals many years and I have seen many situations. I think if people had to have been in my shoes, they might think more about the topic of "fixing" their pet.
Statistics show, that every day 10k people are born to the world. Every day 70k puppies and kittens are born. Are you seeing the issue here? There is simply no where near enough homes for all the animals already existing, and people are bring more into the world. So your puppy or kitten can be cute as a button, and that does not make it's chances any better. What happens when that puppy you have given grows up? It turns into a dog that is less cute, bigger (in most cases), and with more responsibilities. Any behavioral issues of the animal, will be as a result of poor breeding and poor genetics. But the animal doesn't even truly have to have any "issues". Some people just want another puppy, and then that dog that was SO CUTE as a puppy to you.. Is now in a shelter, hoping someone will save them. While more people are breeding more animals, slimming down the chances. You have no control where the puppy ends up later in life. You have control over immediate homes, but when this puppy grows up and isn't as cute, then what?
One unspayed cat and an unaltered male, along with all their offspring at just 2 litters a year (when most have 3-4 a year) with just 3 surviving kittens a litter in six years can total 66, 100 cats. ONE pair that had been allowed to breed, could open the door to that many kittens down the line. There are a lot of reasons to spay or neuter your pet, that doesn't deal with the outcome of puppies or kittens. Did you know, that unaltered dogs are responsible for 95% of maulings? Of that, approximately 60% of those attacks are children. They also are more prone to wander. An unaltered male will roam in search of a female if he can smell them. No fence will hold a dog that wants to pass on it's genes back.. And an unspayed female will roam the same way. Seeking out the male if they smell one close by.. (And it's amazing how one unspayed female can attract so much attention from neighborhood dogs!)
The worst combination is two unspayed females. Get them both spayed to increase the chance they may get along. They will not identify themselves as being siblings, family, or anything. It won't make any difference to them what they are to each other.
Spayed and Neutered animals are far less likely to get things such as uterine or testicular cancer, among other things.
There are plenty of resource sites, and places that offer low cost-spay or neutering. As an animal activist, and someone who truly loves the animals in the world.. I beg of you to take a look and see what I mean. Do some of your own research if you like. But save your dogs and cats, by doing the one selfless thing you could do for them. Being a responsible pet owner.
Have you ever gone through the newspaper, or a Craigslist add, and found the listing of puppies or kittens labeled "Free to Good Home"? You might not think anything of it, since we live in a day an age where this is seen all the time. Well what if that beloved Pup that you just can't keep anymore, was placed into the hands of a monster?
All to often, people labeling animals as "Free to Good Home," are very nearly placing targets on their animals that are so dear to them. There are people that prey on the above statement. For Example, On April 6th, there was a story pertaining to Jeffrey Nally. Nally had been charged with 29 counts of animal cruelty because of the number of dead animals found on his property. He had taken all of these poor animals, mostly puppies and kittens, from the "free to good home" listings on Craigslist. This man used every kind of tool imaginable to mutilate, torture, and kill the animals that he had been given.
Oh that's just one time, right? That couldn't possibly be something done all the time...right? Wrong. Patricia Hervey, a Texas woman, is alleged to have obtained animals from these ads and then torturing and killing them. A pond,located on the property, is believed to be where these victim's bodies ended up.
Yes those cases aren't all over the news, but that is mainly because these people take a long time in being caught. No one suspects them, as they always like to make you think you are giving the animal to a good home. Going so far as to send you fake pictures, and fake family photos, to make you believe the charade. In the case of dog fighting, it get's even more heinous. You have no idea who your pet is going to, when someone hires a family to inquire about the animals. These people will sometimes even bring children, and look particularly clean and well groomed. They want you to think, that the animal is going to be their beloved family pet. But once Fido is handed over to them, they drive off to hand it over to the people who actually wanted the animal. Specifically pits in this case, the dogs would go from there to be tested out as a fighter. If they did not pass, usually because the dogs are not from an aggressive line, they are used as bait dogs. Bait dogs have a horrific life, as their teeth are filed down and sometimes even pulled from their skulls, to keep them from being able to defend themselves. They are the meat, and the fighter is supposed to destroy them. If the dog isn't killed, they are brutally tortured until they die. Be it by electrocution, hanging, drowning, etc.
That's not even the worst part.. Dogs and Cats are being used as Shark Bait.. They are cut so that they bleed, thrown into a wire cage, and hoisted into the water, to become bait for the shark. Sometimes they are placed right on the shark hook, impaling the animal's leg.
People called "Bunchers" gather as many animals as they can from these ads (all the while making you think you are giving your animal a nice, new home) and then sell all of what they get to Class B Dealers. Not sure what that is? Think horrific animal testing and labratory experiments.
Sometimes the "lucky" purebeds are kept alive, and sold to puppy mills. This is where your Pet Shop Pup is from.
I suggest doing a home check, or just not advertising free to good home at all. Someone who wants your dog, and to give the dog a loving home, will not be against paying a small fee to take the animal off your hands.
Animals rely on us. They trust us. We are who are supposed to keep them safe, and we are all they know. So it's all up to you where your animal ends up. Don't take the easy road.. Be vigilant about finding a GOOD home, not just ANY home. Because more often than not, that's when the animal is forced to suffer.
Some of you probably know what BSL means. Though those of you who don't, it is Breed Specific Legislation. All around the world, and even in a lot of states around the US, people are trying to extinguish the "Bully Breeds" from existence. This doesn't stop with just the "Bullies" but includes all dogs that even LOOK like the breed. Your dog could be taken, and euthanized from your home, simply because you had a dog that someone else didn't like. I know a lot of people, who think that all Pit Bulls should be put down, simply for being pit bulls. That type of ignorance, is why I started acting for the animals, and it started where I am today. People ask me for links, demanding proof that other breeds of dogs have attacked someone. I shouldn't have to have proof, when any dog can bite. Just because a dog has a stronger jaw, does not mean that it should be condemned as a monster.
Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweilers, American Bulldogs, and more, are all viewed as monsters. They are viewed as less than a dog, and deserving to be destroyed all because of the blood that runs through their veins. Canada, doesn't even view the Pit Bull as a breed, saying that it's a dangerous mix of dog that needs exterminated. I wonder how many of these people claiming these dogs are evil, have ever actually owned one. It's easy to condemn something you don't understand, and hard to accept something that you can't understand. When the media tells you these dogs are vicious, and that they have no heart, people want to follow because they feel that they wouldn't be lead astray. Because the media has never lied, or purposefully hidden certain aspects, to make you think exactly what they want you to think, right?
I understand that the breed, is definitely a breed you need to know how to handle. Putting a dog in the hands of a bad owner, is like a ticking time bomb. We would do better with having to take classes on how to train dogs, before owning them..Over killing an entire breed. Think on it... If people had to sign up for a class in order to get a dog, how many dog bites do you think you would hear about? Well trained dogs, sometimes bite, I understand and I'm not saying it's the perfect solution. But is putting down a millions of innocent souls because no one cares to find a better solution, any more right? The reason these dogs are preyed upon, is their loyalty and their readiness to defend their family. A fighting dog doesn't only fight because of survival. .Though that instinct is strong. A fighting dog is still trying to get the love, of the person who is exploiting them. Pit bulls are exploited every day. Used to show they are vicious by ignorant people who get them to put them on thick chains and bulk them up. Use them against others in an attempt to be scary.. Those people are who we should be looking at. Not the dogs that were put in their "care."
Fighting Pit Bulls, are starved, and beaten. Their lives are so full of torture, that all they know is pain and hunger. Their lives are so full of evil from their humans, and yet the dogs are the ones blamed. If you lived in a world full of pain, and torment, wouldn't you see things from their side?
A Pit Bull is one of those most loving breeds of dogs I've ever met. Once you've befriended one, you have a friend for life. They would give their lives for those they love, and many do. The stories that hit the news, are usually ones of "dog attacks person" without much story other than it being a Pit Bull. You don't always see the stories of heroes. Like the Pit that saved his family from a home intruder, only to be shot in the head. The dog survived, due to sheer luck. He defended his family, from what could have been certain death. They had a newborn as well, and they all lived to tell their story because of their faithful companion. A dog so many think needs to be completely eliminated.. A dog that so many misunderstand.
Let's fight, to get this to stop. BSL is a hate crime. If it isn't right for people, it isn't right for the dogs either.
Sometimes I wonder, how low the human race can actually go. I'm sure that there is no end to our stupidity, when I hear stories like what I heard yesterday.
Rescue Ink is urgently trying to find who is responsible for the "Freeze Branding" of a dog they found. Now, why they did it, they say it's a game. That the number on the side of the dog (or cat) is the amount of points you get if you manage to shoot the animal. If that isn't bad enough, freeze branding is an incredibly inhumane thing in itself. What freeze branding is, is liquid nitrogen sort of similar to that that removes warts off humans. Now, supposedly this process is a very very painful one. They remove the fur where they want the "lettering" and they then use the liquid nitrogen to "freeze brand" the animal. Now this permanently damages the skin, and any fur growing back would lose pigmentation, and therefore make it easy to spot this dog, while permanently branding it.
There is a lot of controversy on this, as a few people think that this is done by a hunter, so that everyone knows the dog is his. However, that is only speculation, and this has been done in other places. Such games, are sick and seriously need to be ended. Even the act of Freeze Branding is inhumane enough to end the practice. I don't know, I guess horses go through it with the fire branding, or sometimes animals are tattooed. But the act of Freeze Branding seems a bit more.. sinister than those do. Maybe it's because I haven't heard of it before, until now. Reading up on it, it seems that hunters do sometimes use this as a way of branding their dogs. However then I read up on the cases where the animals were indeed gunned down. I guess it's up to you to make your own opinions on it.
However Rescue Ink in Tennessee has a $2000 reward for the people who did this to this dog. They want answers, and honestly, everyone should want answers. This dog was picked up as a stray, with no collar. The odds of a hunter, in my opinion, taking the time to mark it as his, and then just letting it become a stray.. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Hopefully though, they find the responsible party, and get that poor dog a great new home.
Anyone with any information can call Rescue Ink on the Emergency # 1-855-772-8465
As I said before, every now and then I will add some things about my home life, and my son to the blog. It helps balance the sad, with the happy. I have been on the lookout for more happy animal stories, but I keep getting pulled into the sad ones. I figured I needed one happy post before I do another about another story I have found.
So! Let's have a good day today. I found the wedding dress I am going to be getting yesterday. So thankful for my Fiance's mom for helping me out! Even if the wedding is small, I am going to be beautiful. I'm really excited for a day that is dedicated to ME, and only me. lol. Yeah that sounds bad, but it's true. Being a momma is hard work, and sometimes we just need days to say "Hey! Yeah you! Look at me!"
I'm growing more and more excited the more I think about it. I wish I could have more of my own family there, but living so far away from everyone.. I knew it wasn't likely to happen. It would be more complete though, if I could have managed to get everyone here.
Things have been hectic with me lately. I haven't really been in a blogging mood, because mostly I've been in a bad mood. Stress finally caught up with me! But I am determined to post once a day, even if it's something as trivial as what I'm posting today.
Though my son did something new today! He gave me a hug, and that is something he hadn't yet mastered. It was such a cool feeling, and I tell you what..Watching your kid grow and do new things, is an experience that nothing else can rival!
I was reading through stories today, seeing if anything caught my eye. I ran across the update for a dog that I had been following for quite a bit. Justice the Pit Bull puppy (They say Lab, I disagree.) was set on fire by a group of teenage boys who apparently had nothing better to do. Doused in lighter fluid, and lit by a cigarette, this pup was burned on over 60 % of his young body. When I first read this story, I was heartbroken. My mind was reeling, trying to figure out how someone would think this is okay.. or that someone would ever WANT to do this.
People rallied together, trying hard to keep the little soul alive, and to give him the life he deserved. This puppy died as a result of his injuries, only a few hours after being rescued. Justice the pup died, and I hope it wasn't in vain.
As I am reading this update, I find that I am incredibly hopeful for the outcome! It seems that a warrant has been issued for the man who lit the cigarette and threw it at the puppy. Man is actually not even the word for him, this 18-year old should be ashamed of himself. Darius Ewing, police say, was the one who did the final act of lighting the dog on fire.
While I am happy, that someone may come to justice over this story.. I am saddened by the idea that some people might still get away with this. Here's to hoping Ewing does the right thing. I'm hoping he breaks like a twig and gives up all the people who helped him. But seriously, that usually happens in movies.
The video I am linking, is one found on Youtube. This was when they thought he was going to survive. Sadly, the outcome would not be as good as they hoped.
One step at a time, Justice! You won't have died in vain.
Tomorrow, I plan on doing a story that can bring a smile to your face.
It's been often lately, that I've heard stories like this. Though usually the dog that is shot, is of a pitbull variety. I'll admit, I was surprised it wasn't this time. But the breed of dog, does not matter in times like this. It could have happened to anyone. As a result of a wrong address given to police over a domestic disturbance, this 7-year old Blue Heeler was killed. Now, I place quite a bit of blame on the caller, but the actions of the officer, were not the callers fault. An Arizona PD officer was dispatched to the home, where Michael Paxton was playing frisbee with his dog in the backyard.
The officer pulled his weapon, before he saw anyone. What's worse, is his lie to his Captain. We hear what happened, and I don't believe that this man had much time at all to have all of what he said went down, happen. How was this man supposed to control his animal, in a split second? What animal, doesn't rush to his Master's aid whenever something is wrong? I know that my dog would run to my side, to be there if I need him, which is what this dog was doing. It scares me to think that it's possible for this to happen to my babies.
The Department claims that there was no wrongdoing, and that there will not be an investigation. I can't understand why they say they did nothing wrong. At the very least, this man deserved an apology, and the one he got was a very cookie cutter apology AFTER the news broadcasts..
A new Facebook page has been started, called "Justice for Cisco". I linked it above, in case anyone is interested in showing their support for this fallen companion.
My question is, When is enough enough? How many animals are going to be killed, before the Police Departments figure out a boundary? Now, I don't go against cops, I feel they do their job and I'm thankful for them. But there are boundaries being crossed here, when if they had a plan for what to do in these situations, that could have been prevented. No apology was offered from the Department, until the Live News report, that Michael Paxton shared his story. I feel a great wrong was done here, really I do. What do you guys think?
Hey guys! This is my first attempt at something like a blog. I don't know how interesting I will be, but I will certainly try! I have dealt with a lot of adversity with my Animal Activist ways. People claiming they don't want to hear about the stories, or that it's too depressing! I think people fail to realize how important it is that the world knows what's going on out there. I don't understand people wanting to keep themselves in the dark, but if that's their choice so be it. It won't be mine. I don't like to be in the dark, when the creatures without voices suffer.. It's just not who I am.
What I will be posting here, are articles that pertain to animals. I may step outside that boundary with updates about my child, or my life. But for the most part, expect to see animal stuff here. From the sad stories that I wish no one ever had to read, to the happy stories that show the good in humanity. It's all a little of everything!
Now I hope you enjoy this new journey with me, as I try to help bring awareness to the situations that are going on around us.
