That's right folks, the evil BSL supporters are now moving into Snohomish County. Why must everyone think they know what's best for others? What breed of dog I keep is really no one's business as long as my dogs are well mannered and not roaming the neighborhood. Bad dogs are the product of bad owners. Yes kiddies it's that simple. Are we to stop certain ethnicities from reproducing because of the prison population? We blame parents for their kid's behavior yet we don't want to blame the owner for their dog's behavior---we want to blame it on DNA.

This nonsense has got to stop. Isn't this America? Aren't we free to do as we please (within reason) ? Why are these people who are afraid of dogs allowed to tell us what we can and cannot have? Here's a newsflash---all dogs have teeth. All dogs have the ability to bite and cause damage. Why is it ok that the Chiweenie down the street terrorizes the neighborhood kids but the quiet Staffordsdhire Terrier is the monster?

I have taken my large male German Shepherd to the dog park many times. Each and every time some little dog has an issue with my calm, submissive boy. Why? Because he's large and because they know he's a submissive dog. They wouldn't try that macho behavior with a large dog that is also an alpha. They are all lucky my boy chooses not to react. But if he did who do you think would be in trouble?

Who is going to determine what breed of dog someone has? I have two mixes and people have come up with many crosses for what they are. I only know what the shelter told me so until I have a DNA test done on them (which isn't likely) I will never know what mix dog they really are.

So if a dog that somewhat resembles what someone thinks is an American Pit Bull Terrier the poor dog is banned? Without a DNA test? If I had a dog on the hit list and someone wanted to ban my dog you can better believe I would be calling an attorney and making these people pay for a DNA test to prove what breed my dog is.

Let's all get together and stop this insanity. No one has the right to tell you what type of dog you can own.

For more information on Monroe's new proposed law please click the link below
http://stopbsl.com/2008/11/01/monroe-wa-bsl-proposed-may-pass-without-public-hearing/

So now these owners are vets? How do they know Molly needed to be euthanized? Most veterinarians will not euthanize an animal because the owner wants to. They do an exam and if the animal is sick or injured they will consider it. The daughter states she didn't want to take the dog to the vet because she feared animal cruelty charges. Hello! You should have taken Molly BEFORE you hit her with a hammer!

This was done by a man and his adult daughter. What wonderful family values to be passing along to your kids! The message here is we don't want the dog anymore so let's just kill it. Now I am not for killing your animals but if you must please just shoot it in the head so it doesn't suffer. In WA it is legal to kill your animals but you must have a reason and it must be humane. Burying your dog ALIVE is not humane!

Let's all imagine Molly's point of view. She was a loyal companion for many years and all of a sudden the people she loves and trusts beat her with a hammer. After she's bewildered over what just happen they bury her alive in s shallow grave. She wakes up terrified. Animals have a strong survival instinct and there is poor Molly in a state of panic. All the while not connecting her trusted humans did this!

These people need to pay for their cruelty. We all know they are just going to go out and get another dog!

From the Dogster website:

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- A man and woman under investigation for allegedly attempting to euthanize their 13-year-old dog with a hammer have been arrested on animal abuse charges.

Long and his daughter, Susan, were charged after they hit their Labrador mix, Molly, on the head with a hammer and then buried her up to her neck in their back yard.

Long told KGW Monday he thought the dog had cancer.

Family members previously told KGW they didn't have the money to pay to euthanize their dog.

But on Monday Long said his daughter had been afraid to take the dog to a veterinarian due to concern she would be accused of animal abuse.

He said they were trying to put it out of its misery and that when they buried Molly they thought she was dead.

But a neighbor later heard the dog yelping and called 9-1-1.

Forest Grove Police responded Friday afternoon to a report of a dog buried alive at a house on Laurel Street. The father and daughter were not at the home when police arrived; they had gone out to dinner.

Capt. Ashbaugh said police entered the back yard and found the dog buried up to its neck with an obvious head injury.

Long and Johnson claimed at the time they'd buried Molly in a hole "in an apparent attempt to limit the amount of blood on their property," Ashbaugh said.

Molly ended up being euthanized because it was too late to save her. Dogsters, we need to make sure there is never another Molly, this story is tragic and should never have happened. We are now the voice for Molly, the only one she has.

I urge everyone to contact the Washington County District Attorney, Robert Hermann, and demand justice for Molly. Contact the D.A.'s office at 503-846-8671 or via email at webmaster@co.washington.or.us.

Some people are horrible. This story is not uncommon. We live in an age where everything has to be easy. If a pet or job or kid or marriage requires work Americans just abandon it or medicate it. How many kids are on Ritalin? What is the divorce rate? People want to get paid for sitting around and if your dog needs training well forget it. Get rid of it and get another dog that "just knows".

From the Seattle Times:

In Spokane Valley, one dog owner, Ruth Stallings, wasn't pleased to hear her lost dog was found. In fact, when Bosque Animal Rescue Kennels identified the dog that park rangers found and turned in as belonging to her after scanning for a microchip, she told them that she didn't want the dog back, just send it to the pound.

"They tracked the owner down to Spokane," said Dr. Bill Trotter, a physician who volunteers with the shelter, Bosque Animal Rescue Kennels, in Clifton, Texas. "And they called her, and she said she didn't want to have anything to do with the dog. 'Send him to the pound,' is what she said."

Bruno, a shepherd mix, supposedly ran away when Stallings was camping at Lake Whitney, Texas. She said she looked for him but had to leave.

"It irritated the hell out of me -- I wanted to make sure the people in Spokane knew about this," Trotter said. "Here we run this little kennel, and it's full all the time. Then this woman doesn't want her dog back."

The shelter Trotter refers to is set up for 15 dogs and there are currently 50 living there. And this uncaring woman thoughtlessly added to the problem.

Stallings confirmed last week that she doesn't want Bruno back. "He ran away from us five times, and we figured he didn't want to be with us. First chance he got, he'd take off."

"When we adopted him, we overlooked some things," said Stallings, who's had other dogs. "He was chewing up clothing and stuff, and we thought it was the puppy stage. But it never got any better."

"People abandon dogs here a lot," said Evan Moore, editor and publisher of the weekly Bosque County News. "We are a rural area, and we are close to Dallas-Fort Worth. People drive down here and dump their dogs off."

Y'know, dogs are trainable but you have to take the time and have the patience. Pets are a responsibility, a lifelong responsibility and as sad as it is that Stallings basically abandoned this dog, in the long run, he will probably be better off.

He is reported as being intelligent, leash-trained and house-trained and is currently at a foster home awaiting someone who will love him and care for him and give him a forever home.

I hope that Bruno finds a home where his family will give him the love and attention he needs because it's obvious he wasn't getting where he was and I also hope no one ever adopts a dog to Ruth Stallings again because she doesn't deserve a pet. Wonder if she's a parent and how she is with disobedient children??

Lost Angeles enacted a law this year mandating that all puppies and kittens over the age of 4 months be spayed and/or neutered.

I am all for altering shelter animals or your own pet if you decide to no longer keep it. I will never support mandatory altering of people's dogs and cats.

I purchased my GSD from a reputable breeder 4 years ago. What if I wanted to breed him? What if I wanted to learn all about GSDs and start breeding them? My boy has a wonderful personality suitable for a family with small children. Is it the city's decision whether or not I alter my animal? No it isn't. The government needs to keep out of my life. There's no abuse or neglect going on, stay out of it.

Just as there are arguments for responsible tethering there is also the argument that responsbile pet owners don't allow their dogs or cats to reproduce. An inside only cat does not need to be altered.

What if my GSD had a very high prey drive? I might have decided to offer him to the police department if he would have made an excellent police dog. Police dogs are always intact. Intact MALES. Bomb sniffing dogs and other dogs used by law enforcement may or may not be altered but police dogs that are partners with a cop are almost always male and almost always intact. I have yet to see a female police dog and I have yet to see a neutered one. Why is that?

Neutering interferes with hormones and isn't necessary if the owner has control over the dog. The same people that mistreat animals are the same ones who will not abide by any law when it comes to dogs or cats.

Altering outside and feral cats is always a good idea, mandatory or not. Cats are far less domesticated than dogs are and are much more wild. Cats multiply too much as it is.

Mandatory altering will not stop the abundance of dogs and cats in shelters. If every person that got a dog or cat actually kept the animal until its life end, that would help reduce the numbers in shelters and rescues. The strays the shelter finds? If you see them up for adoption they most likely weren't wild dogs. Owners surrendering their animals are the ones causing the problem in shelters. People need to make the commitment and keep it. Such a lack of integrity to give up your pet because you're moving or having a baby or lack of time. Stop dumping these pets in shelters and own up to your responsibilities.

For more info on LA's new law read this article:

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/02/local/me-spay2

KING COUNTY COUNCIL (WASHINGTON STATE) IS READY TO IMPLEMENT
ANTI DOG CHAINING LEGISLATION, AND NEED TO HEAR FROM FELLOW ANIMAL ADVOCATES BEFORE OCTOBER 20TH!

King County, WA is on the verge of passing a law that would make it illegal to chain or otherwise tether a dog outside to a stationery object. We are all familiar with the plight and suffering of "backyard" dogs. All animal advocates know this law is necessary and long overdue for the following reasons:

PUBLIC SAFETY: The overwhelming number of adults and children that are mauled or bitten by dogs are attacked because the dog is continuously chained in his small territory. See www.mothersagainstdogchaining.org for more information on statistics regarding injury and deaths caused by chained dogs.

CHAINING IS INHUMANE: Of course we know that dogs can literally go insane from the boredom, and the majority suffer neglect from insufficient water, food, shelter, vet care and companionship.

WILL REDUCE UNETHICAL BREEDING AND DOG FIGHTING: How many times have we seen pit bulls chained outside with just enough space between them so they can't touch each other, making them aggravated and violent. At the moment, in King County, WA, the police and animal control officers have no recourse to investigate when they see this type of confinement because it is not illegal. We need to help empower law enforcement to bust these scumbags. Dog fighting rings are a major problem in WA State.

PLEASE HELP US LET THE KING COUNTY COUNCIL KNOW HOW MUCH THIS LAW IS NEEDED.

You don't have to be from King County, just cut and paste the email addresses of the Council Members below BEFORE OCT. 20 into a polite message and tell them this law is needed for of the above reasons. Please cite "Motion 2008-0347, Dog Tethering bill" in your subject line. We are close - they are behind it but want to hear from the community!

bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov;larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov; kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov; larry.phillips@kingcounty.gov; Julia.patterson@kingcounty.gov; jane.hague@kingcounty.gov; pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov; dow.constantine@kingcounty.gov; reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov;exec.sims@kingcounty.gov

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP FELLOW ADVOCATES!

Any Questions, Please Email Sandy Clinton At Numptyland@Yahoo.Com

DOGFIGHTING HOT LINE

The Dogfighting Hot Line (1-877-847-4787) is sponsored by the HSUS.

You can receive an award of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a dogfighter.

All information is kept confidential; no one will know you've called.

The line is answered 24/7.

If you suspect dogfighting please call the hot line!

I am not against breeding dogs. I purchased my gorgeous, well behaved German Shepherd Dog from a breeder that takes care to breed dogs for breed improvement. Breeders that strive to make the breed what the GSD should be--stong willed, smart and agile--have my full support. My boy is not over 100lbs, thank goodness. Traditional GSDs that Max von Stephanitz bred were not huge beasts, they were agile herding dogs. If you'd like to learn more about the working GSD here is a great site:

http://www.nsgsdc.com/breedhistory.shtml

Puppy mill dogs are rarely healthy and bred in deplorable conditions. Puppies in pet stores are often from puppy mills as well. The problem with the law is that puppy mills fall under farming. Now I do not support calves being kept in the same conditions and we should all know where our food comes from, but one step at a time. if we can stop puppy mills we can move onto farm animals.

The HSUS posted this on their website. If you are from PA please contact your representative.

The HSUS Commends the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee for Passing Important Anti-Cruelty Legislation
HARRISBURG, Pa. (June 24, 2008)

The Humane Society of the United States commends the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee for approving a bill addressing some of the cruelest practices employed by puppy mills today.

The legislation now advances to the full House of Representatives. Introduced by Rep. Thomas Caltagirone (D-Berks), HB 2532 seeks to outlaw abusive practices employed by breeders in Pennsylvania's puppy mills, including debarking, performing surgery on pregnant dogs to remove the puppies, and tail docking.

Under current law, it is completely legal for commercial breeders in Pennsylvania to perform surgical births by slicing open the stomachs of pregnant dogs, removing the puppies, and sewing the dogs back up. There is not any requirement that the breeders have any veterinary training, use anesthesia, or conduct the operations in sterile conditions. Breeders may also perform painful debarking by ramming a metal pipe or other object down a dog's throat to rupture the vocal cords and render the dog mute, again without anesthesia and while the dog is fully conscious.

The provisions of HB 2532 are common sense to anyone. Only licensed veterinarians should be authorized to perform surgery on these dogs, says Sarah Speed, The HSUS' Pennsylvania state director. "For too long, commercial breeders have abused the laxity in the law to maximize profit at the expense of the well-being of the dogs and the unwitting consumer."

HB 2532 will also close a loophole in the law that allows commercial breeders to escape prosecution for animal cruelty. Under the current law, only a Humane Society Police Officer has the ability to cite a breeder for animal cruelty. In counties where there is no such officer, a breeder may escape citation. Currently there are three counties in Pennsylvania that do not have a Humane Society Police Officer. HB 2532 will close this loophole by allowing Dog Law Wardens in the counties without officers to issue citations for animal cruelty within the limited scope of performance of their inspection duties.

The Humane Society of the United States is working in conjunction with The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network to pursue this important legislative effort in Pennsylvania.

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