Is it a necessary evil? Nathan Winograd thinks otherwise.

I will blog about it at another time. This edition of The Daily Biscuit is to save a poor dog who's had a rough life.

Doesn't this story just break your heart? Below is from the Oregon Humans Society

After over a year of nursing Walt back to health he is now going to be destroyed on May 15th. I will help place him and transport if anyone knows of someone who can foster. Should be dog savvy, not gone all day and willing to continue his medical treatment which is only some oral medications, eye ointment, and a a bi-weekly medicated bath. Good with cats and other dogs (if supervised).

We are desperately looking for rescue for our shelter's longest resident dog, Walt. Walt is a four year old American Pit Bull/Sharpei mix. He was rescued from severe neglect by our Humane Officers back in April 2007. Walt's former owner was sentenced to 10 days in jail and a $2,000 fine for the horrific lack of care she provided Walt. Walt has been the focus of many departments at the Oregon Humane Society in the past year, starting with investigations, and the medical care team, on to foster care, behavior and kennels, and even marketing as his sad story became a published success story. Through these combined efforts we've learned a lot about Walt--he is a devoted canine companion to his people, is fun-loving but head strong and would require a special and experienced home with a person or persons who will be understanding and sensitive to his n! eeds. Walt will also require ongoing treatment for his allergies and dry eyes which right now averages about $140.00 a month. Equally as important as Walt's physical needs being taken care of, is his mental well being. He is sensitive and loving dog and it is our fondest hope to place Walt in the care of rescue or home that will be dedicated to Walt's overall welfare, mind, body and spirit.

Walt's story is tail of triumph over tragedy. Despite the miserable shape Walt was in when he arrived at OHS, it never dampened his indomitable spirit, enthusiasm or his love of people. He put up with daily baths and medications without complaint and always had a joyous greeting and kiss for anyone who stopped to say "hello". However, as much Walt loved the staff at OHS and we loved him, it was not enough. What he needed was a miracle. The miracle came in the form of a loving and doting foster mom named Miriam Moore. Under her tender love and guidance Walt blossomed. For ten months, Walt had been in her loving care and embrace. She was not only his caretaker, but his best friend, defender and advocate. She loved him unconditionally and had seen him through months of rehabilitation as he slowly recovered from severe mange, ulcerated eyes and entro! pion (a condition that caused his eyelids to roll inward and aggravating his eyes causing the ulcers and eye infections), horrible skin allergies and would had to have been unimaginable pain and discomfort.

Miriam describes Walt as a sweet heart and real love bug. He wants nothing more than to love and be loved. He thrives on attention, snuggling, giving kisses and being the beneficiary of compliments and kind words. He also loves a warm soft bed and toys, including his favorites, tennis balls and Kongs. Miriam feels Walt is still a puppy at heart. She theorizes he probably never had puppy playtime when he was young so he still has bundles of fun energy stored up inside him ("keep away" is his favorite game). While in foster care with Miriam, Walt took great joy in going for walks, car rides and strolling through the neighborhood making new friends. Walt always tried his best to be well behaved and put his best paw forward. In his quest to always please and do the right thing he quickly learned new commands and was always very agreeable and gentle w! hen he took food from your hand or when you gave him pills or took a prized toy away from him. He was also very proud of himself for being housebroken. However, only on a few occasions he had accidents in the house, which were due in part to the medications he was taking at the time. Miriam tells us Walt felt awful when the occasional accident happened, and he cowered and begged for forgiveness. Walt got along well with Miriam's resident cats. He liked to try and play with them. He was not taught how to play gently with his feline friends, so he needed the gentle reminder "no cats" when he gets a little too enthusiastic. Walt is not dog aggressive, he does however, startle easy around other dogs due to his limited vision. Walt can be around other dogs supervised, such as walking and being kenneled. With the proper introduction and supervision we believe Walt can eventually co-habitat peacefully with other dogs.

As much as Miriam loved Walt, she made the extremely difficult decision four months ago to return Walt to the shelter to better his chances for adoption. The bond between woman and dog had grown incredibly strong and she felt it would be best that Walt not grow more dependent or bonded to her than he already was. The transition for Walt from a stable and loving home environment to the shelter was obviously difficult for him. But again, his indomitable spirit and enthusiasm took over and he quickly adjusted to the routine of kennel life as best he could.

However, over the past several weeks Walt has begun to experience extreme stress in the kennels and his behavior has become more unpredictable and has necessitated that we come to the hard decision that continuing to house him here at OHS long term would be to his detriment. Although we feel he is placeable due to his success in foster with a very committed and caring foster parent, we have not been able to find a home, rescue or sanctuary for him despite exhaustive efforts by everyone involved. For these reasons the difficult decision was made to place a deadline of May 15th on our efforts to find placement for Walt.

Walt needs your help now! Please, please can you be the saving grace for our Walt? If you were to welcome Walt to your home or facility our staff of veterinarians would be more than happy to discuss at length Walt's complete medical history and needs with you. His demodex mange is now completely resolved. To control his ongoing skin allergies and thyroid condition he is currently on several oral medications daily, eye ointment, a bi-weekly medicated bath and a special allergy diet. It may sound like a lot of work, but Walt will more than repay you in devotion and companionship.

Walt has been through so much and it is our biggest hope that Walt can find placement in a rescue or home where he can live out the remainder of his days in love, peace and comfort. OHS is a large shelter with many resources, but we have exhausted those resources in Walt's case and are reaching out to you for help. If you can help Walt in anyway we urge you to please contact us as soon as possible, as time for Walt is running out.

Thank you so much we and Walt look forward to hearing from you!

Name: Walt Code Number: 54088 Date Available: 5/5/2008 Adoption Fee: $35
Breed: American Pit Bull/Sharpei Pattern: Black Color: Black/Not Specified
Gender: Male Age: 4 Yr, 8 Mo Weight: 70 lbs.

Walt is one lucky pup. He's been an ongoing "extreme makeover" involving months of care by the OHS veterinary Medical Team and the Foster Care Department. Walt was quite a mess when he arrived at the Oregon Humane Society. Demodectic mange had taken over his entire body and he was painful and itched everywhere. His eyes were swollen and ulcerated and he could barely see. It was difficult to see Walt in such misery and the medical team began work immediately to treat his conditions. Demodex is a difficult and time-consuming condition to resolve, but as Walt began to feel some relief, his personality began to emerge. The staff fell in love with this comical and clumsy lover boy who couldn't wait for his daily walks so he could say "hello" to all of his friends up and down the halls of OHS. Eventually, Walt's eye infections and ulcers cleared to the point that he could undergo surgery to correct his eyelids, which rolled inward and aggravated the infections. Things were defi! nitely looking up for Walt! This is when a very dedicated and supportive foster care provider came into Walt's life, taking him into her home for much needed one-on-one love and attention, and continuing his medical treatment and check-ups back at OHS. Once again, Walt proceeded to steal the hearts of his foster parent's friends and neighbors with his joy for life and playful personality. He delights in going for walks and meeting new people, and lives in peace with several feline housemates. His foster mom tells us Walt likes to try and play with cats. He was not taught how to play gently with his feline friends, so he needs the gentle reminder "no cats" when he gets a little too enthusiastic. His foster mom describes Walt as a sweet dog with a heart of gold. All he wants is affection, praise and a warm soft place to sleep. He loves to give kisses and go for rides in the car. Walt has overcome so many obstacles and maintained such a great attitude; he deserves a very special adopt! ive fam ily to help craft a happy ending to his extraordinary story. He is a very special dog who will need a very special home where he can continue to recover from his previous neglect. The perfect home for Walt would be one with no children under age 12, where he can be a part of the family as an indoor companion, with people who are willing to accommodate his special needs. He can be very unpredictable around other dogs, due in part to his poor eyesight, so a home with no other dogs is strongly advised. Walt will need to receive periodic evaluations and regular vet care of his skin condition until it is completely resolved. If you would like to learn more about Walt and arrange to meet him, please contact our Shelter Medicine Coordinator Linda at lindaf@oregonhumane.org.

If you're interested in taking Walt into your home to love and care for, please contact
lindaf@oregonhumane.org OR kristinb@oregonhumane.org

and murders them!

There is no valid reason for these dogs to have been shot on site nor the puppies destroyed.

It's sick.

The dogs were taken because the police didn't know whose dogs they were. As a neighor so eloquently put it

"If they didn't know they were their dogs, then why did they knock on their door?" questioned Roach.

We need to stop BSL now! Today it's Pitties, tomorow it's your Dalmation!

To read the story and voice your outrage, click here

Diana VanDusen has been fostering dogs and cats for our troops in Iraq. Now Lakewood is forcing her to remove the animals as she is over the limit per the city's ordinance.

Can you take in a dog or cat for someone in Iraq? She will help you find it a good home if the soldier isn't reclaiming it.

Anyone who'd like to adopt one of the dogs or cats can meet VanDusen's animals at the Puyallup PetSmart at 120 31st Avenue between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday.

To read the rest of the story, please go to KOMOTV.com

Please see my previous post on the Verizon case with the tortured dog Edna.

Taken from Joy's Dogster Dogblog

ACTION ALERT: Calling all animal welfare advocates for Monday, March 31st!

March 21, 2008 : 11:38 PM
Peaceful presence needed for Victor Rodriguez sentencing-supporters of Edna and Bill Whiting are requested!

On March 10th Victor Rodriguez was found guilty of numerous charges but the question still remains - WHERE IS EDNA?

His sentencing will be held Monday, March 31st at Family Court. The address is:
1801 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA.

Supporters are welcome to participate in a peaceful presence outside 1801 Vine Street, where protest signs will be made available. If you are able to attend, please arrive at 8:30 AM on March 31st to show your support.

The presence of supporters may influence the judge's final ruling.

We still do not know where Edna is or what happened to her - and it is very important that the judge and media recognize that there are still many people following the story and coming out to support Edna and Bill Whiting.

We need answers. Help us show the community that we aren't going away. Help us to help Edna.

What you can do. Attend if you can and PLEASE spread the word to your animal loving family, friends, and rescue associates! We DESPERATELY need people come out and support and Bill and Edna!

If you are unable to attend, but would like to send letters to the Judge, please write polite letters expressing your opinion to:

Judge Robert Rebstock presided over the Rodriquez trial and under the Hon. Kevin M. Dougherty, (Administrative Judge Family Court Division).

Letters should be sent 'cc' to both judges at:
Family Court Building, 1801 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Contact information
PLEASE, if you are able to attend on Monday 31st, please contact billandedna@hotmail.com.

I was reading the KIRO TV site and saw a story on a beloved family dog who was shot with an arrow and has now died. This is absolutely disguting on many levels. The dog was in his own backyard, bothering no one when some monster shot him with an arrow through the chest. Now we can't leave our pets in our own private yards? This monster needs to be caught!

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the authorities.

To read the story, go to the KIRO website

If you'd like to help out with the family's vet bills, send payments to Vet Specialty Center 20115 44th Ave W Lynnwood, WA 98036. Or call 425-697-6106, you can call and give credit card info and they will apply it to "Conan O'Hara's" account.

I found out on Tuesday that my boy, Achilles, has hip dysplasia. He's only 2 1/2 years old and has arthritis in his hips as well. The vet was as surprised as I. For now we are giving him pain medication and glucosamine. Surgery may be needed eventually.

My poor boy! Achilles is a wonderful dog. He's calm, sweet, highly intelligent and loves to snuggle with me. He's the only one of my boys that will sit in my lap for hours. He loves raw meat, pig ears and carrots. His favorite thing is for me to take him and his pack to the woods where he can walk through the trees and smell the many animals that live there. He chases cats and he caught mine one time and while he did hurt her, he could have hurt her more. He chases the bunnies in the backyard at dusk. He is fearless and will charge at a noise or movement he sees in the backyard. My other two, Loki and Atasi , would not charge at anything.

Achilles was the most beautiful puppy I had ever seen. I will do my best to keep him safe and comfortable and if need be, spend my life savings on surgery. Heck, I will take out a home equity loan if it means he'll be in less pain!

Here's to you my baby boy!

Sick, sick. What is WRONG with people? Can you even begin to see the pain and suffering this monster's child will be going through? I truly feel for the innocent baby and hope the baby is placed in an adoptive home. She isn't fit to be a mother. Heck, she's not even a human being!

"A housing squabble at a North Bellmore residence escalated until one tenant poisoned her roommate with eyedrop medication, causing him to vomit and bleed from his rectum, and then provoked his two dogs into a fatal fight, Nassau police said yesterday."

If you're in the NY area, please show support!

To read the rest of the article, please go to the Dogster blog

My friend Carolyn is fostering a lovely kitty which is up for adoption. If you'd like a furry, purring bundle of love, keep reading!

Jezebel (Jezzie) is a gorgeous sleek tortie kitty. Her eyes are a real deep golden yellow. Deeper than what they look in the pics. Approx. 1.5-2 yrs old. Was found as a stray. Has just been spayed, wormed, current on vaccinations, and microchipped. Also has tested negative for FIV/FELV. She's starting to get along with my other kiddos - a dog and cats (she's only been here with us a couple days). She is such a love! LOVES to be held and snuggled with, which I think is somewhat unusual for a kitty. Has a great purr motor!

If you are interested in adopting this loving, sweet girl , contact Kindred Souls Foundation and submit an application.

What is the perfect dog to you? Is it one that obeys your every command? One that gives you kisses often? One that likes to play? I don't believe in perfect anything, but Princess here is as close to perfection as a dog can get!

She is the most loving, sweet, affectionate, playful, easy going dog I have encountered. Even more so than my Loki! She is perfect for someone who wants to bring her to work, as she'd just hang out under your desk. She loves to go for walks, and cuddle with you on the sofa (it's up to you whether or not you let her up there.) She also likes to sleep next to you, with her face near yours. She does not bark much, is housebroken and loves cookies!

My Loki is almost perfect, but even he requires a lot of my time in order to be happy. Princess is fine alone in the house all day if you are working too. She will lie about, snoozing. She also loves to go on car rides!

If you are looking for a wonderful, fun, loving addition to your home, email me! Princess is very timid and shy and not good around stronger, dominant dogs. She has been my foster dog for 2 weeks and I adore her so much, and want to keep her, but my one male, Atasi, is just not having it. He ambushes her too often and at 85lbs it's not so easy for me to get him off her. She's now terrified of my pack and my heart aches for her.

She needs a loving person to come save her from my mean boys! Will that be you?

Princess is about 18 months old, calm, submissive, has had all of her shots, walks nicely on a leash, housebroken, adorable!
For more wonderful dogs, check out Ginger's Pet Rescue.

My name is April, and I am a shelter dog. I don't know why my master decided to leave me, but I was found wandering around as a stray. I am not really a stray, I was discarded like trash, so I am a throwaway, not a stray. Why would my master toss me out on the street? I don't recall having done anything that would have made her mad. I hope she comes back to rescue me from here. I am imprisoned in this kennel with 2 other inmates and it's very cramped. People walk by every day, just ignoring me. I wag my tail each time I see someone, so why are they passing? I would like to go home with one of the nice humans to live while I wait for my master.

I want to tell them I love to play with my ball and even bring it back. I am great at burying my toys and bones in the backyard to save for later too. I also absolutely love to give kisses in exchange for a belly rub! I would love it if someone would take me for walks and teach me manners. I think maybe that is why my master left me out on the street. I hear words like sit, stay and come but I have no idea what they mean! I am willing to learn so I can please the nice human that will take me home. All it takes is a little patience and a lot of treats!

Won't you take me home and give me the love I will surely give you? Even though my human abandoned me I still love all humans and I will give you more love and wet kisses than you can imagine! I like other dogs too!

Can't you see it in my eyes all the love I have to give?

continue reading