Well, today I was at the BARCS shelter in Baltimore, to help B-More Dog present its first B-More In Control class. And while I was there, I got some sad news. The poor pit bull set on fire here in Baltimore was euthanized this morning. She had been doing well, her spirits were high, the vets thought she had a decent enough chance of recovering to pursue medical attention for her burns. But apparently her kidneys started to fail, and the decision was made to end her suffering. Poor thing.
You can read more about it in detail at Ohmidog.
It was a sad morning--we set up our class and one of the people who came to attend walked into the room with tears in her eyes and told us all the news. Later, when BARCS executive director Jennifer Mead came in to talk with us, she was also fighting back some tears.
I never met Phoenix, but apparently she was a special dog whose spirit touched a lot of people. And it absolutely has infuriated some dog lovers who think City Hall here in Baltimore ought to be doing more to point out that animal abuse and violent crime are directly linked. And anyone who knows Baltimore knows this city is besieged with violence. So why NOT make a big deal about a dog burned, practically to death, on the street while spectators just watched it happen?
Hopefully we will see some dog lovers--and pit bull groups--take action over the next couple of weeks to help City Hall realized that taking animal abuse seriously isn't a waste of time.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Am I a Creep or an Imbecile?
Hmmm, not sure. But according to this guy, I own a pit bull, so I must be one or the other.
By the way, I happened to watch the news clips of the animal control officers handling this dog described in the above-linked story. This is the dog owned by Steelers linebacker James Harrison. The dog was let out of a cage or kennel and bit Harrison's toddler in the leg.
The one thing I could not help but notice in the video clips of this dog is that it was clearly was not a confident animal. He was a nervous, fearful, stressed dog from what I could see. Submissive to his handler, sitting and downing on command, but still panting, pacing, and looking for an escape route. Granted, he had just been through a pretty traumatic event, but still it made me wonder: Was this how the dog usually operated? If so, did he show fear and avoidance behaviors leading up to this incident that weren't recognized by the family?
My guess is that he probably did. Most dogs do. But since people who own dogs generally don't understand the difference between a dog averting its eyes in uncomfortable avoidance and a dog turning its head to watch a squirrel run across the lawn, people end up getting bitten.
By the way, I happened to watch the news clips of the animal control officers handling this dog described in the above-linked story. This is the dog owned by Steelers linebacker James Harrison. The dog was let out of a cage or kennel and bit Harrison's toddler in the leg.
The one thing I could not help but notice in the video clips of this dog is that it was clearly was not a confident animal. He was a nervous, fearful, stressed dog from what I could see. Submissive to his handler, sitting and downing on command, but still panting, pacing, and looking for an escape route. Granted, he had just been through a pretty traumatic event, but still it made me wonder: Was this how the dog usually operated? If so, did he show fear and avoidance behaviors leading up to this incident that weren't recognized by the family?
My guess is that he probably did. Most dogs do. But since people who own dogs generally don't understand the difference between a dog averting its eyes in uncomfortable avoidance and a dog turning its head to watch a squirrel run across the lawn, people end up getting bitten.
Pit Bull Severely Burned in Baltimore
Another simply horrifying story about a pit bull set on fire hit the news this week.
Last month, I pointed out a story from Dallas, where two pit bulls were set on fire by some kids and burned so severely that they were put to sleep.
This month a similar thing happened just a few miles from my house. You can read about the horrific situation here.
I have to comment Baltimore Police Officer Syreeta Teel for stepping up to help this dog out, while others stood by and watched the poor animal suffering.
BARCS, the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, is taking donations to help put together a fund to offer a reward for information leading to the capture of the person or persons who did this to this poor dog. If you're interested in donation, you can contact BARCS at: (410) 396-4695
If the perpetrators of this cruel act are not captured, any money collected will be donated to the shelter's Franky Fund.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Where Does the Time Go?
So today someone told me that there's nothing worse than a blog that hasn't had a post in months. And that reminded me: I haven't really posted here recently.
Lucky for me, Rob took some fun photos of Button this weekend that are perfect for helping me get back on the ball.
Although this pup is kinda weird about experiencing new things and isn't as confident as I'd like, he sure does enjoy playing with the baby pool and the hose. He's a riot. It's a shame he's such a shy pup--he's got drive to spare and it'd be fun to work with it if only he wasn't such a scaredy.
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