As most people know, I am not one to run from controversy or conflict. My background in eastern studies have taught me that one must face the enemy head on in order to win, and one should fight with honor. I have lived by my honor my entire life and fought for what I believe in even when the odds …
Socializing Dogs in Shelters
One of the biggest issues facing dogs in shelters is the shut down of the behaviors we’ve bred into them for so many years; namely socialization. A dog’s ability to live with, and be happy with, other dogs and people is one of the key things that makes the dog a perfect companion animal. Among the people who have done …
Here Kitty Kitty….
As an advocate for dogs and someone who has given up a large part of my life to advocate on behalf of dogs; both pets and shelter dogs, I am saddened by the plight of cats at the shelters. They truly are the silent victims, often shut away in small cages and killed in far larger numbers than dogs. For …
Tell me again… why would I want the dog that you don’t want?
It’s not uncommon that I get a call, email or facebook post from someone looking to dispose of their dog that is absolutely perfect… EXCEPT for when….. That is when the litany of excuses comes in: • He loves other dogs, except for when he’s on a leash or there’s food, or if the other dog has brown fur. • …
Laying the Blame
I’ve been kind of absent from blogging and such lately as I’m dealing with a very difficult personal situation right now. However I feel compelled to write this post because I am so pissed off. Having worked in rescue for several years and having instituted and developed programs that have saved thousands of lives I believe I have a right …
she was, “the scariest dog at the shelter.”
When I found Xena at the Yavapai Humane Society, she was first on the list to be put down. No one could get near her and the veteran employee there said that no other dog had ever scared him as much as Xena. However the new director there had a different idea. Understanding what No-Kill really means, he asked me …
2 months and 55 minutes
So I found Donnie at the shelter this last visit. I always try to pick dogs that really need a chance; either ones that have been there for a while, older ones, special needs ones, etc. No sense in making a video of a perfectly adoptable dog that will get out on their own. So Donnie had been there for …
when we fail in trying to help…
As frustrated as many of us are with the shelter system, there are things we can do to make it better, and there are things people do to make it worse. I’d like to focus on the later. Oftentimes in an effort to help save a dog at a shelter, people will call in and place an IP (interested party) …
Before you love him, train him!
It seems that every time I read a story about a rescue dog, the first thing people are compelled to do is take them home and make up for all the love they (the dog) has been denied. This is often times a recipe for disaster. There is plenty of time for love, but be fair to the dog first …