Rusty Smoking

We hope you all had a nice Christmas.  We did.  Until Jan's cousin called late Christmas night to let her know her cousin's younger sister died unexpectedly at their extended family gathering.  That does put a damper on a celebration!

And then yesterday, Jan learned we have not only a cat hater but a cat killer living too close for comfort.  She is so relieved none of us go outside, but sad for anyone who has lost a cat or cats to him, especially the neighbor who confronted him and was angrily told he'd kill any *&^# cat coming on his property and had already killed 44.  We're not sure whether that number includes the ones he had city animal control trap and take to the shelter to kill a few months ago or that's the number he's trapped and killed on his own.  Either way, that man is evil!  And breaking the law.  We will see what comes of this.

Recently Jan smelled something burning and couldn't find what it was.  Until Rusty came strolling through the room with his floofy, ginger and white tail black on one side.  (This is why Jan HATES these gas space heaters, which sit on the floor.) She grabbed a cold wet cloth and a camera.  These are the best photos she could manage while trying to hold a squirming dog-size cat with one hand and take photos with the other. 

And this picture with flash..

We all laughed at the look on Jan's face when she wiped Rusty's tail with the wet cloth a few times.  All the black came off and his tail was fine. 

And lastly, this is why Jan rarely shares her food with any of us.  (Or so she says.  We think she just wants to eat it all herself.)  Not that we don't manage to steal some once in a while.  Like the raisin bran muffin Jan brought home last week and set on the table for a few minutes.  Neither Buddy nor Sam will admit to stealing and eating the muffin, paper and all.  Not even a burp for a hint. But this is the story of a dog named Buddy and the $10,000 burrito. 

Oh, and PS - regarding the question we asked about Blogger and Picasa in our last post.  We have had to resort to uploading these photos to an album of OUR choice in Picasa.  This is not our idea of a solution but it's the only way we can post photos now. 

Miracle and Gracie

Hey, Sam, Merci & Buddy here today.  We decided to do some detective work and track down a mean person or persons.

Merci  ** Buddy, are you sure we can walk to Massachusetts and back before dinner?  It's already kind of late in the day and Jan tires so easily.  Not to mention I'm no spring chicken any more either.**

Buddy  ** Okay, let's take the car then.  I'll drive.**

Sam  ** We wouldn't make it to Atlanta.  I vote we walk!**

Why would we want to hunt in another state?  Because we think they could use some good tracking woofies there.  Actually, we wouldn't even have to leave the state of Georgia to fill a gigantic cell full of the same type of humans..

See, a friend sent us a link to this story today and we went looking for the original.  We were pleased to find a  story and video on My Fox Boston.  We hate stories like this one but we are glad to find a happy outcome for the dogs. 

Miracle is well-named. She is a one-year-old pit bull mix that was abandoned in an apartment with no food or water for nearly two months. Her leap for food and safety last Friday broke her hip and hind leg but her timing was good and a policeman pulling over to the curb saw her jump and called Animal Control.  Miracle was taken to a vet and had surgery on her leg. 

When an Animal Control officer went into the apartment for the second time (on Monday,), a four-month-old puppy was found in shock, barely hanging onto life. They named her Gracie and although she spent some time in ICU, she is recovering. 

Both dogs will be put up for adoption after they recover.  We thought we would join the hunt for the person or persons who abandoned these sweet dogs.  We're not too good with paperwork but you wouldn't want to be a criminal with us three sniffer dogs on your scent! 

Don't be afraid to view the video.  Miracle is obviously a happy girl despite everything that's happened to her, and she's doing well enough she was able to go to the TV station for the interview.   

Starving dog jumps from third-floor window in New Bedford: MyFoxBOSTON.com

This case is not being ignored or taken lightly.

""This constitutes felony cruelty against an innocent animal,' said Lt. Alan Borgal, director of the Center for Animal Protection at the Animal Rescue League of Boston. 'We are counting on the public to step forward with information to help bring the person or persons responsible to justice.'


"Anyone with information is urged to call New Bedford Animal Control Officer Emmanuel Maciel at 508-991- 6366."

The Animal Rescue League of Boston could use some help with vet expenses, if anyone should care to donate. You can read the entire article here.  There is also a very short second video in the upper left of the page.

Cameron has a Question

Hey, Cameron here with a question for you.

Would you ... could you? Then how can so many humans do this to a pet that has been raised dependent on them?


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Rusty Sunday News

Hi, Rusty here. The other Funny Farmers almost forgot to give me a turn to give the news.

We're very glad the ice near the back of our house has finally melted. We have traded the icy steps for a muddy dog pen, though. We don't mind but it comes in the house with us and for some reason Jan doesn't want it. I say "we" because sometimes Jan lets me go outside with the dogs to chew a little grass and look around, but only because I'm as big as Merci so I can't easily slip through the pen openings like the other cats could. Still, Jan only lets me outside when she's pooper scooping the yard or playing with the dogs so she can keep an eye on me. Cats have been known to slip through some very small spaces. She wishes we had a Kitty Kondo so all of us cats cold go outside once in a while.

We have another fun video for you today. We can't help but wonder what happened after the video stopped because penguin #2 was taking the same path to the sea. Just imagine yourself lying in the sun taking a nap and ...


If the video doesn't play, click here.

After listening to Jan whine the last few days about the aches and pains of her aborted flight attempt,we have taken the weekend off to party. We are helping Gracie celebrate her 2nd birthday. Ayla &Iza are celebrating their 2nd Gotcha Day. And Jack, Persophone & Tenzing  are having the first House Trashing Party of the Year. We are going to have to take a long rest after this weekend.We hope Jan will be up to breakfast in bed - for us, not for her.

We would like to note that two Georgia men - Derrick Montez Daniels and Billy Taylor, Jr. - have been convicted of animal cruelty after a Georgia dogfighting raid in February 2010. We would like to see more convictions for this barbaric "sport."

"Each defendant was convicted in Washington County Courthouse for 26 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Mr. Daniels was sentenced to five years in state prison and five years of probation; Mr. Taylor was sentenced to one year in county jail and nine years of probation." To read the rest of the story, click here.

And last, but not least in importance -
Our neighbors in Pike County, Georgia have no animal control and no shelter. Friends of Pike County Animals (FPCA) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization (currently seeking 501 (c) 3 status) We hope you can spare a minute - daily until January 31 - to vote for FPCA for the Pepsi $50,000 grant.

You can vote for them at Create an animal adoption & education center in rural Pike County, GA.

And please pass this on and ask your friends to vote. We all know how important it is that any community's animals have an advocate. They are not a well-known organization with lots of followers so they will need your help to win.

Aoise, Abusers and Zazzle

Cotton:

We just lost two friends over the weekend and now another.

The beautiful Aoise left for the bridge today - on her mom's birthday. We are so sad for her loss. Please go by and leave a kind note for her. Her blog is Aoise's World.

We are in shock after reading this horror story about a service dog dying at the hands of two idiots INCOMPETENT, ABUSIVE,  UNLICENSED "pet groomers" who came to the house to clip the dog's toenails.  Charges should be filed against them!  You can read the story with more detail  here.  And the Examiner story which includes a link to another source as well as a petition here.

We were having problems with arranging our designs in our Zazzle store and this was finally fixed. Our latest designs are now at the top where they should be.

Only we found Saturday evening that while fixing this, Zazzle evidently broke something else. Shoppers are supposed to be able to click on any design/folder to view products using that design. However, it is now impossible to view any of our store merchandise or to purchase anything.

This is extremely frustrating, as this is the height of the shopping season. If you have visited our store lately and been unable to shop, please be patient. We put in a repair request over the weekend but have no idea how long it will take them to fix it. We hope you will return when our storefront is working again. We do have some nice designs for Christmas cards. You can visit our Zazzle store here.

UPDATE: The Zazzle problem is now fixed. Whew!

Killer of Bear Bear Guilty

Federal officer Keith Shepherd has been found guilty of misdemeanor animal cruelty and misdemeanor discharging a fire arm in the shooting death of Bear Bear at a dog park in August. This shooting sparked the wrath of animal lovers all over the world. It appears, though, that he received probation instead of jail time. You can read the story here.

Positive and Negative

Cameron     Our first story today is from a forwarded email we received from one dog rescuer in Texas and written by another.

We hear so much negative that I wanted to give a positive post. In January Robert at PVAC (we believe this to be Palm Valley Animal Center) reached out for help in placing Nevada a Dogo Argentino. PVAC policy is that no bully breeds are adopted back into the valley. Dogo rescue helped find a foster placement for her with a related rescue Boxers R Us in Holland Michigan. With that complete all we needed was transport for the 1600+ mile drive. Again through friends of friends of friends in rescue we got a trucker doing a drive from Ann Arbor Michigan to Edinburg Tx.... And Nevada was off to start a new life.

I have gotten many updates but I had to share last nights. Nevada is a bonafide HERO. She was adopted by a young couple with children and chi-chis. Last night in the early morning hours their home was broken into. Nevada sensing the danger to the family of the intruder coming in through the kitchen window took a serious BITE out of crime. The police told the couple there is no telling what could or would have happened without Nevada's presence there. Just thought you would all enjoy a positive update of what happens when we all work together.      Nancy C


We decided to include a bonus today. Must have something to do with being old because we don't get it but Jan thought it was hilarious and said when she starts doing this, it will be time to retire from the computer.

Our second story is also a positive one - basically.  This is a recent story by a vet on the fact that Massachesetts was the first state to criminalize devocalization of cats and dogs this year.  We have written on this subject before and would like to see it become a crime in every state.  The negative part of the story is that anyone would ever consider such surgery for a healthy animal.  Shane on those who took the "easy way out" and had such horrible surgery performed on animals for their own convenience.  Anyone who does not want to hear a dog bark or a cat meow should not have one because just as babies are going to cry animals are going to vocalize.

Excerpts from the story (emphasis ours) -
Devocalization, also known as debarking, is surgery that either cuts or removes an animal’s vocal cords. The primary target is dogs, but less frequently, cats are ‘de-meowed’ as well.


Many veterinarians today refuse to perform the surgery for non-therapeutic reasons, because the result is strictly for the convenience of the pet owner, breeder or other caregiver. It provides absolutely no benefit to the animal and is widely considered inhumane, similar to canine ear cropping and tail docking and declawing of cats. Devocalization is no longer taught in many veterinary medical schools.


Those still in favor of the procedure claim it can mean the difference between a vocal dog or cat staying with his family or being surrendered to a shelter. However, there is no evidence to support the theory that pets are given up by their owners for being ‘too noisy.’


However, according to Beth Birnbaum of the Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets -- a non-profit, all volunteer organization that was instrumental in getting the Massachusetts law passed -- it is not individual dog owners who want their pets devocalized.


It is dog breeders, sled dog racers, show dog exhibitors and people who collect dogs for profit or hobby. Coalition volunteers have been involved with hundreds of devocalized dogs and cats, and all but a handful of the procedures were arranged by breeders. One animal was devocalized at the request of a hoarder.

We applaud Massachusetts for stepping forward to protect dogs and cats from unnecessary pain and suffering through convenience devocalization. You can read the rest of this story by Dr. Becker here.

Dan Palmer, Hero to 3 Dogs

Unfortunately, this is just one example of animal abuse escalating into human abuse. We hope Dan Palmer will survive and be okay and the scum that beat him for asking them to stop beating the dogs will go to jail for a long time! And, please, may they never, never, never have access to any animal again! 

LONDON, Ont. - All Dan Palmer wanted to do was stop the dogs from being beaten.

Instead, Palmer was beaten and is clinging to life in critical condition at London Health Sciences Centre's Victoria Hospital. You can read the rest of the story here.




If you haven't voted yet, we hope you will take a moment to vote for our friend Bob. Voting is easy. Just click here, fill in email address and captcha.

We just read that our area will be getting a Petsense retail store in the near future. We don't know whether that's an economical and good thing, since we've never heard of Petsense before. But we see it will have an adoption center that will work with the local shelter and rescues. That should be a good thing.  What is really needed, though, is a change of mind-set for those who are blind to the fact that animals are not trash to be chained and/or ignored or thrown away.

Chamberlin and Molly

You might remember Chamberlin, the dog who survived two months alone in a yard with no food, water or companionship while the weeds grew up around him and he disappeared from view, an abandoned, forgotten dog.  When he was finally found he could not even stand up, could barely lift his head. But he's getting some muscle mass in his rear legs and has some energy now, thanks to the wonderful care and physical therapy he's getting.

The owners of the home were a couple who split and just moved off leaving Chamberlin tied to a tree. They were arrested, released and will be in court October 29 to face 2 counts of animal cruelty, which at this time is currently only a misdemeanor where they live.  As of December 1, animal cruelty will be a felony there.

In case you missed it, this is an earlier video of Chamberlin.



If the video won't play, click here. If you wonder what Susie's Fund is, it is the reason Chamberlin is receiving the help he needs.

Unfortunately - if you can even imagine such a thing - there was a second dog found in the house and he had to be euthanized because he was in even worse condition than Chamberlin.

This is Chamberlin after some physical therapy.  Quite a difference!



If the video doesn't play, click here.

We are reading more stories of abandoned animals.  Folks just walk away and leave animals behind.  This needs to be a felony.  And those who do this should be forced in public court to watch a video of the animal's condition -- dead or alive -- when finally rescued.  And the court should order them to repay every penny of the animal's rescue, care and rehabilitation.

Molly of Cat's Cats was helped to the bridge Thursday. She had a good, long life, nearly 19 years, with her family but it was still hard for them to say good-bye.  We're late posting this because, as usual, Jan has been hogging the computer.  She's been trying to make more designs for our zazzle store but since our computer doesn't have a video card right now, it's a struggle.  So we've been laying low, but we do want to acknowledge Molly's passing and her family's pain.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

17 Dogs Left to Drown, Rescued

We were sent a link last night about 17 poodle-mix dogs that were left kenneled in what might be a puppy mill during flooding in Brownsville, Texas.  The owner(s) evacuated to save their own hide but left the dogs to drown.  Fortunately, the dogs were rescued in time - they were up to their neck in water - but they spent at least 24 hours in the water and some were suffering from hypothermia.  You can read the story here.

The dogs are currently at the local animal shelter but they will be returned to their owner.  No charges will be filed because the Sheriff and District Attorney's office decided the animals are well cared for, being abandoned "unintentionally" is not a crime, etc.

However ....

We have received a copy of a press release regarding this case.  Please notice the name and office of the person releasing it.  More elected officials and law enforcement officers need to take animal neglect, cruelty and abandonment more seriously. Way too often, laws passed to protect animals are ignored and official refuse to prosecute. Puppy mill owners are undoubtedly celebrating the fact the law has said there is no reason to prosecute the humans who abandoned the animals.

Thank you for saying differently, Pat, and for standing up for the animals!

Press Release

September 23, 2010

Re: Inhumane treatment of animals and prosecution
Just read the Herald article where the Sheriff is not planning to file charges against the owners of the 17 dogs abandoned. If true, this says a lot about the sheriff and the DA's Office, which should cause all pet owners and pet advocates to withdraw their support. I urge all to call the Sheriff at 956-554-6700 or 440-8441 and the DA's office 544-0849 requesting the revisit his matter and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law with the harshest punishment allowed. Under no circumstances can this case be ignored or dismissed. They both need to value animals. Leaving pets kenneled up in a flood to drown is a crime!!!!

How is it that the owners took off to escape the flood waters, but left all these dogs kenneled up to drown. Why not take them to a pet facility to keep them until it is safe to return. Were all these dogs vaccinated? Is this a puppy mill? Are they paying taxes on money earned from selling dogs? Do they have a permit to operate a puppy mill? These and other questions come to mind that the DA and the Sheriff's department should be investigating.

We do not want puppy mills in Cameron County. We do not tolerate inhumane treatment of pets. We ask that violators be prosecuted to the fullest and ask both the DA and Sheriff to revisit this matter asap.

Thank you,
Pat Ahumada
Brownsville Texas Mayor

93 Breeder Dogs and Ghost Dog

It seems as if some people who don't really like dogs or cats or ferrets or whichever animal go into the business of breeding them. Maybe there needs to be an intelligence test given before licensing. Do you believe furries feel pain .... fear .... cold ... extreme heat .... enjoy being crammed into cramped, dirty quarters ...? If the answer is no, can we subject you to the above extremes before allowing you to breed? Can you give at least five recent furry friend references? Questions along those lines. This might weed out some who should never breed. Um, we mean should never become a breeder.

Doggies and kitties, we wish we could sic all of you - and us too - on the guy in this story so we could sink our teeth and claws into his butt. He built a "gas chamber" to kill 78 breeder dogs and 15 puppies rather than vet them.

We don't understand why the Sheriff needs to find legal reason to file criminal charges. "By killing his own dogs, Yoder violated a New York law which prohibits individuals from using engine exhaust fumes to kill cats or dogs." Isn't that reason enough?

"Yoder admits that the fumes gave him a headache, and he had to leave the area while the dogs were being killed." We can't dredge up a speck of compassion for him. Those dogs suffered.

Even though the breeder has relinquished his license, he should not be allowed to walk away from a mass killing of breeding dogs and puppies, especially in such a horrible way. A large fine and jail time will not bring back those animals or forgive him the cruel imbecility of killing them in such a manner, but he fully deserves both.

You can read the story here.

This morning Jan was searching for an important document and came across a page of old notes mixed in with genealogical records. The first scribbling on the paper just seemed so appropriate to what Yoder did. We have no idea where she heard this, but -

If somebody in this audience doesn't think this is wrong, somewhere a village is missing their idiot.

On the other hand, some very kind humans rescued the emaciated German Shepherd that had been used as a bait dog and was in such bad shape he was scheduled to be euthanized. Once dubbed "Ghost Dog."the canine now named Phoenix has risen from the ashes of his past life and although he will always bear the scars, he will survive. You can read his story here.

We haven't disappeared.  Jan has been hogging the computer and working hard to set up some computer associated hardware and software.  She concentrates so intensely if the phone rings or one of us dogs bark - any sudden noise - she either drops something or screeches or both.   So we're laying low. 

Bear Bear and Funny Pet

We're not sure what a Mutatoe is (we think it's an endearing nickname for Meeshka's sibling?), but it was kind of Meeshka to include us Funny Farmers in their list of those who support justice for Bear Bear. As Meeshka said, those blogs are just a small example of the outpouring of concern and support. You can read the list and the funny Mutatoe snake incident here.

The investigation into the shooting of Bear Bear in a public dog park by a law enforcement officer who obviously knows zip about canine behavior, even though he owns a German Shepherd, should be completed soon. 

We received this email comment on our post yesterday and were asked to post it: PetLover says: That cop and city would get their butts sued off if that happened to my dog. I've helped do it before with the wife claiming damage to her hubby's function to work and their relationship. That gets around the property value of the dog opening up a wide case for damages.

Meanwhile,Alasandra and the Cats posted a few other incidents of officers shooting family pets for no reason.  This is a trend that has got to stop!  One link is to a video of a dog chained to a truck that showed absolutely no aggression while police wandered around and an officer stood in the road with a gun trained on the dog.  The dog tried to run away when an officer attempted to use the catch pole. A NATURAL fearful response.  When the frightened dog was under the officer's control, he shot the dog.  The dog lay on the ground WAGGING his tail and the evil impersonator of a human being put a bullet into the dog's head. (You can read the story, but we advise you not to watch the video.  It will make your blood boil.)  But Artemesia, Scylla, Socks & Fenris did a good post on the subject of police shooting pets Sunday.  Bear Bear's death is not an isolated incident. You can read ASS&F's post here.

Jan can remember the terror of being home alone late one night with the drapes still open, when she saw a group of police officers rush directly in front of the window and pound on her door screaming, "police, open up!" And before her knees could buckle or the dog could bark, a quieter voice said, "We've got the wrong apt." And they were gone. But what if they'd rammed her door, burst in and shot the dog she had then? 

On another occasion, she was sitting outside reading when a group of police officers rushed a nearby apartment, rammed the door and burst inside. Right behind them were 2 Animal Control Officers, each with a catch pole.  They expertly caught the Doberman Pinscherwith and walked him back to their truck, one on either side, without a whimper and without violence.  And that was a dog deliberately trained to be aggressive and attack.  The tenants sold drugs and they used the Doberman to protect them when they made drug deals -  in the apartment, in the parking lot in the middle of the night, or wherever. They even used the dog to threaten tenants and management. (Unfortunately, that dog was back home in a day or two.)

A family pet is not a trained attack dog. Friendly, innocent animals are being killed for no reason, other than that 1) some officers are violent by nature and a policeman, fireman, or other public servant is just as likely as any other citizen to commit domestic violence or animal abuse -- having a gun and a badge just makes it easier for them to abuse/kill "legally" - and 2) law enforcement agencies are derelict in providing training for ALL personnel in how to deal with animals without unnecessary violence.

And on the lighter side....  We don't need to understand the language to laugh at the animal antics in this video.  We hope you enjoy it.



If the video doesn't play, click here.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Gabriel and Stanley

We thought we would give you something light and happy today. Gabriel and Stanley are obviously good friends - best buddies as their human calls them. And by the way, Stanley is not declawed.



If the video doesn't play, click here.

Today is World Cat Day.  Make today a special day for your feline(s).

Okay, this was going to be a light post but just as it published we finished reading Meeshka's post. .  One thing we are aware of is that law enforcement protects its own, which is not always a good thing.  When there is a violent incident such as a shooting, an off duty officer should not be treated any differently than a civilian.  If anyone else would be tested for alcohol and drugs, so should the officer.  If you or I would be questioned and investigated, so should the officer.  There are far too many casual shooting and killing of family pets by on or off duty officers.  We are glad Bear Bear's death is finally being investigated but it was a dreadful botched beginning and a black eye to law enforcement. Please stop by Meeshka's and read Justice for Bear Bear - An Interview with his Family.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Handsome Louis Vuitton

Hi, this is Sam. I asked to write today's post. Any opinions expressed in it are unanimous - we are all in agreement.

But first we need to clear up a misunderstanding from yesterday's post.   This is what we posted, with a photo of Buddy's chest.

"Many of you know we aren't rolling in dough here.  In fact, Jan insists she can't give us an allowance.  If you remember, when our new office chair was turned over to tighten the screws, whatever parts touched the floor were coated in small splinters. Within a few days, Jan had a thick area carpet covering where we like to sprawl out in this heat. If you missed the carpet post, click here.

"Several weeks ago Buddy took to crawling under the couch to sleep. And this is what Buddy's chest looked like when he rolled onto his back on the new carpet."   (You can see Buddy's photo here.)

We highlighted some of it because we evidently didn't explain it too well.  Some readers thought the carpet responsible for Buddy's injuries.  The splinters from the unsealed wood floor were. If Jan had not seen the splinters on the chair, she would not have run out to buy a thick carpet, and if she had not bought the carpet, the dogs would not have been rolling and having fun (splinters in the floor, remember) and she would not have known Buddy was injured until infection set in.  But she caught it and Buddy is healing fine. 



Now we want to give you the good news that the handsome pit bull we are writing about today is now a happy, healthy and loved pet.

But some of you might remember Louis Vuitton, a chained dog that was savagely beaten with a shovel, doused with lighter fluid and set on fire in September 2007. Why? Because Juan Daniels of Montgomery, Alabama, then age 20, was denied the use of his mother's car. So he took out his rage on her dog. His guilt is not speculation. He confessed and was sentenced to 9 years in prison. However, he is now up for parole.

This is a video of Louis today. Don't worry, it's a positive one. He is enjoying life!




If the video doesn't play, click here.

What this man did to his mother's dog is absolutely terrifying. What would he have done to his mother had the dog not been handy? What would he do today to a girlfriend or stranger in another rage?  We believe he should be denied parole and serve his sentence.  Such anger does not just go away because he has been incarcerated. In fact, we wonder would being locked up fuel that rage. 


We ask if you would take a minute to go sign a petition to help keep the perpetrator off the streets to repeat such an offense. Care 2 Petition

According to the information on Facebook, "the Parole Board said if we succeed in NOT Granting Parole a NEW BILL will be passed that supersedes "Gucci Bill" which helped to incarcerate him!!! GUCCI'S BILL: http://www.alvma.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=107 "  

For those who are not able to access Facebook and would also like to write or call regarding this case , we are posting contact information here:  Please contact the Parole Board before 8/24/2010.

The Board reads ALL letters sent to them concerning these cases.
The letters should be sent to:
The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles
PO Box 302405, Montgomery, Alabama 36130
The letter should reference: "Juan Daniels, AIS#263875"

http://www.pardons.state.al.us/ALABPP/Main/ALABPP%20MAIN.htm

EMAIL:
eddie.cook@alabpp.gov
robert.oakes@alabpp.gov
sandra.cochran@alabpp.gov
questions4pardonsandparole s@alabpp.gov
lee.gunn@alabpp.gov

ALABPP EXECUTIVE STAFF PHONE #: (334) 353-3480

This is the type of story we hate to post.  Although it has a happy ending for Louis, he - or any other animal - should never have to suffer at the hands of an abuser.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Washing Steak and Dogs are not Trash

I'm Rusty and I'm hosting today's post.

Yesterday was one of those days! Sam was barfing, Jan had to go out in the horrendous heat to lug several gallon water jugs home, the computer cpu fan kept going off and the mouse died, Jan kept forgetting what she was doing .....

As we told you a couple days ago, the water in our town was off Monday, the second major problem in five months.  Last time we were two days without water and 5 days boiling water.  Well, it was 6 days for Jan since it ended Sunday afternoon but as hard as we tried, we couldn't find out until the next day.

This time, we still have some of the donated bottled drinking water left but our boiled water lasted us just up to 11 pm Tuesday, the end of the 24 hour boil your water advisory.  Jan then washed two days worth of dirty dishes and filled our water bowls right from the tap. We have big water bowls and we all drink a lot of water in this heat and humidity.

We were shocked to hear on Wednesday morning's news that this had been changed at some point.  It was extended to at least noon Friday -- "if all goes well."  So we all started worrying whether Jan has poisoned us.  And then the mailman delivered the newspaper: " people can shower and wash clothes but should not drink the water or wash dishes in it."  NOW THEY TELL US!  After all us furries have lapped gallons of tap water and most of the dishes Jan owns have been washed in water that might contain "viruses, parasites and some bacteria."  Well, at least we found out before Jan washed the salad veggies she bought Monday.   

Jan also bought a small reduced steak Monday. By Wednesday it was looking kind of iffy, so it was either cook it or toss it.  So Jan grabbed the bottle of apple cider vinegar to clean it and sprayed it well, then rinsed it with a paper towel dampened in boiled water. She tenderized it, added spices, and then noticed the apple cider vinegar bottle where she left it this morning.  She had grabbed a bottle of Spic N Span and water to clean the steak.  Ewwwww.  ( For those who haven't heard of SNS before, it's a household cleaner. Jan cleans the floors and other things with it.)

Meat is not in her budget so she was not about to toss it. Even reduced, it wasn't cheap.  So she washed it under running water -- you know, the water that might contain the bad germs.  And then she wiped it with boiled water. And then she beat the crap (probably not the word to use here) out of it with a tenderizing tool.  And threw it in a HOT skillet.

If we disappear suddenly for a while, it might be the computer overheated and died.  Or it might be Jan's culinary skills need improving and we have to nurse her.  Or it could be she's fine but she really did poison us with the tap water and she's getting payback on multiple vomit duty.

Now to our regularly scheduled post.


Yesterday we read another story of a human who had to leave a pet behind -- in this case because of Alzheimer's -- and the family's first response was to kill the pet. Wednesday was our Cotton's 11th birthday and also Bella's, the soon to be sibling of The Monkeys. Fortunately, instead of killing Bella, the vet called a rescue and she ended up being fostered at Samson & Delilah's.

After Katrina, we were heartsick when we read of a family who returned to their home and found their dog emaciated and weak after an extended period without food or water. So they carried the suffering, still-living dog out to the road and dumped her on the trash pile.  Someone picked up the dog and got it medical help, but it was too late.  It died shortly after rescue.

And now we have someone who threw their puppy out with the trash.  An obviously unloved and uncared for dog with an unset broken leg was put it in a crate covered with a blanket without food or water and put out with the trash.  But Dillinger is getting care and is sweet as can be. We hope he gets a terrific home when he's healthy and up for adoption.




Click here to read the story and/or if the video doesn't play.

Have a purring and tail wagging day. And don't drink the water. At least not if you live here.

Happy Murphy and Vote Sugar

We have some good news. Remember Murphy the dog? We have written about him before -- "Murphy" and "Murphy, Mercy and Merci."  Murphy was beaten over the head with a sledgehammer and left for dead by his owner in December 2008. He was saved when a man named Robert Kennedy found him, rushed him to a vet and assumed personal responsibility for the dog and his huge vet bill. However, donations poured in to cover his expenses.

Well, the trial is over and Murphy, who was evidence against the man who tried to kill him, now legally belongs to Kennedy.  These two belong together.  We hope they have many happy and healthy years together. You can read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about the dog "back on his paws" here.

Oh,and would you please vote for our blogging friend Sugar the Golden Retriever to be on TV. You can watch her promo video here.  There's no sign up or password necessary. Voting requires only your name and email address.  Sugar would appreciate your daily vote through the month of June but we imagine even a one time vote would be helpful.  Click here to vote for Sugar for WCIU Top U Dog.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

JFF Writes Reader's Digest

Cotton here with a letter to the editor of Reader's Digest. We recently read something in the magazine which has bothered us.  Today we decided we need to politely voice our concerns on the subject.  We think it's pretty self-explanatory. 

Dear Editor,


We were astounded to read Ask Laskas' response to Rescue Us about barking dogs in the April 2010 issue. She said, "Bark collar. It's safe and humane and follows the same training principle as the popular invisible fence. When the dog barks, he hears a warning beep. If he continues barking, he gets a small 'correction' in the form of an unpleasant jolt. ...I would never recommend something harmful."


Laskas is giving advice to readers, advice at least some of them will take, so we're curious -- is Laskas giving advice from personal experience? Did she use a a bark collar on her four dogs? More importantly, has she tested a bark collar on herself? Is she aware that using "positive punishment" can have negative results?


Dog Injured by Bark Collar at Dallas Kennel.


Are Shock Collars Safe for Dogs?


There can also be problems with using the citronella spray collars Laskas recommended.


As to "the popular invisible fence," yes, the invisible fence is commonly used today, but the gas chamber was the accepted method of killing shelter animals for decades and still is in many areas. "Popularity" or common usage does not make the gas chamber "humane." Nor does it automatically make bark collars and invisible fencing humane. We recently did a post on Jan's Funny Farm blog on this subject, titled "Merci on Invisible Abuse."


Forgive us if this sounds as if we're trying to berate Laskas, but she casually advised readers to use a bark collar and compared it to using an invisible fence, and in our opinion there is nothing casual about either subject. It is our hope she will do some research on this subject for the sake of both her and her readers' dogs.

Sincerely,
The Funny Farmers -
Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

Hope you all have a purring and tail wagging day. We're off now to nap. Writing a letter is hard work!

Merci on Invisible Abuse

I'm Merci. It's my turn to post and there's something I want to bring to everyone's attention today.
I'm a very nervous dog and easily scared. I never had to tell Jan I was abused before we met.  She figured it out even before the first time the leash got tangled around her leg and she lifted her foot to free herself. I took off so fast the leash zipped tightly around her leg and nearly took her down. The other dogs don't move if they're in Jan's way. They expect her to step over them. But if she tries that with me, I leap up, screeching and trip her. Six years later I'm still terrified of raised feet or unexpected movement. 

So I'm not fond of anyone who hurts a furry and from what I've learned about invisible fences makes me even more grateful to Matthew, Kay and all those involved in helping us get the Romper Room set up so we can have some freedom.

Invisible fences seem to have become pretty popular for a variety of reasons. The shock, no matter what proponents claim, has to be painful, yet dogs do get past the "fence." And today we found an article we think describes the drawbacks better than we could since we've only read about them and never dealt with one.  But our thought on the subject is that anyone who wants to put one on their dog should be required to have to wear a matching shock collar so they can have as much fun as the dog is having.  That would quickly put an end to this fad.

How Do You Define Animal Abuse? By Suzannah Sloan

To quote Mark Twain, "The more I know people, the more I love my dog." While I've met up with many truly good people in my three decades of animal rescue work, I've also come across some of the worst of the worst - among them, the ones who choose to profit off the misery of animals. Who comes to mind? Those who run puppy mills, of course, and those who enrich themselves through dog-fighting and dog racing, horse racing, rodeos and circuses. And right up there on the list - the manufacturers and purveyors of invisible fencing.

The horrors of invisible fencing are becoming legion. From pets who take the shock to leave the yard, but won't come back, to pets with probe burns right through the neck, to pets who are dinner for raccoons, coyotes, and other animals who don't happen to wear the torture collars. And the list goes on.

A woman once inquired about adopting a dog from us, and questioned our policy of not adopting to anyone with invisible fencing. She said she had chosen the product because she didn't want to block her wonderful view, and claimed it had been a godsend for her dog and her eight-year-old son. But when I asked how the boy had adjusted to wearing the collar, she was actually offended that I would think she would abuse her child in such a way. Need I say more? You can read the rest of the article here.

If you haven't voted for Tivi yet, please do. If you don't know who Tivi is, he's a special needs dog adopted by a kind man. We posted on Tivi before. Details here, if you need them.

Lance - now known as Sampy -- is a blind kitty cats and humans were tweeting and emailing about the other day. He was rescued from the shelter just 2 hours before his scheduled euthanasia so he could be shipped to his new home in another state. Thursday eve we saw this message on the CB from Whicky Wuudler and since we have to get off the computer ASAP, we're going to borrow his words:

HELP NEEDED! Lance was pulled at the last minute from the kill shelter and his life saved. He has been renamed Sampson EmmCee by his adopter in NY but before he is able to travel to his new home, he needs some veterinary care. Sampy has seen the vet and he has tested positive for FiV (His adoptive Mum still wants him though) He also has pneumonia and a URI. As if that weren’t enough for the poor lad, one of his eyes needs to be removed. Sampy is still in the care of a very kind foster who has experience with blind cats, he’s getting great care, medicines and special foods and of course, all of this costs many dollars. Sampson’s Catster page is where his future adoptive Mum Cheri writes about how he is doing. Believe Cat Rescue is coordinating donations to help meet dear Sampy’s vet and care needs ($500). If any cats or beans would like to contribute to Sampson’s treatment then Sampson would be one very happy cat. We know that times are hard right now and everyone is feeling the pinch, but even the smallest donation will count big time. His future adoptive Mum is contributing all she can to the costs too. Please help Sampy if you can. Thank you 

And Monday the 26th is drawing closer so be sure to get your entry in for our Kids and Pet giveaway.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Wet Noodles

We found an interesting post on The Poodle and Dog Blog yesterday, so today we'd like to send you over there to read their solution to how to fund a registry of animal abuse offenders.

It's not that we don't like you, we do. And we hope you will be back to visit us tomorrow.

But for today, we hope you will take a couple of minutes to read Jan's (not our Jan) On-line registry for animal abusers: two plans that could work

We plan to stock up on wet noodles today so we can slap the judges' knuckles who let abusive animal killer humans off with a light slap on the knuckles.

See you tomorrow. Have a great day!

Nora, Tags & Kittens

When we posted the video of Nora the Piano Cat playing with the full orchestra, Cats in Trees left a link to an interview Milo & Alfie did a while back with Nora. You can read it here. We think you will enjoy it.

And our post on the broken rabies tags of us woofies brought some surprising comments. We were not aware the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand do not have rabies and the pets do not have to have a rabies vaccination. Anyone know why?

The woman who pierced the ears and neck of kittens and calling them "Gothic" was found guilty of animal cruelty. We have trouble understanding why she is so confused as to why this has happened. Just because there is no specific law stating she can't doesn't mean she should. There are laws against cruelty and in some instances it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what constitutes cruelty. You can read about the verdict here.