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Positive Press 2
Outlawed Stouffville dog saving
lives in United States
Feb 15, 2006
John Slykhuis, Staff Writer document.authorform.sf_dwb_psd_publish_dt.value = "
> " + Math.round((new Date/1000)-1209600);
A Stouffville pit bull terrier facing death is now saving lives in the United
States.
The future looked bleak for Neville, an American pit bull that was given up by
his owner after he was caught by canine patrol running loose in Stouffville last
summer.
The dog was taken to the Georgina animal shelter, which handles
Whitchurch-Stouffville's canines.
Because of legislation in Ontario banning pit bulls and slapping numerous
restrictions on the dogs already here, the owner decided it wasn't worth the
bother and said he didn't want Neville back.
If he didn't find someone to adopt him, Neville was in line to be destroyed.
Impressed by the two-year-old dog's good temperament, shelter staff pulled out
the stops and embarked on a desperate search to find someone to adopt Neville.
"He was such a sweetheart," shelter supervisor Angie Closs said. "Very
intelligent and friendly."
They turned to the Toronto animal rescue organization, Bullies In Need, which is
working to find homes for unwanted Ontario pit bulls.
The group has contacts with dog adoption agencies in the United States that
found him a foster home in Seattle, Washington.
Neville was driven to Buffalo and a donor paid for his flight to Seattle.
Neville's new American foster mother (whose identity was not released for
security reasons) immediately saw there was something special about the Canadian
dog.
"Neville was full of surprises," she said. "He was unreactive to other dogs,
ignored my cats, loved my kids and was just a joy to have around."
What's more, Neville was very well behaved, had good manners and was completely
unflappable -- the opposite of how pit bulls were portrayed by supporters of
Ontario's anti-pit bull law.
The search for a new home ended when his foster mother contacted Diane Jessup,
who runs a program called Law Dogs that tests pit bull terriers for work as drug
and bomb detection dogs.
They are in great demand for the U.S. war on terrorism.
It turned out Ms Jessup was looking for suitable canine candidates for the
Washington State patrol detection dog program.
She liked what she saw in Neville and contacted the patrol detection program.
Neville passed his tests with flying colours and was accepted into the program.
"We were so excited when we found out," Ms Closs said. "It was such a happy
ending."
Today, Officer Neville screens more than 200 cars arriving on the Washington
State ferry system to sniff out any bomb materials, potentially saving lives.
For more information, see
www.pitbulllovers.com For the Georgina animal shelter and dogs available for
adoption, see
www.petfinder.org/shelters/ON53 .html
______________________________________________________________________
Aww...That's a Cute Dog
The hip-hop generation has had a love affair with the pit bulls for a long time.
With stars like DMX, who is rarely seen without the company of one of his dogs
to Big Boi, a member of the group OutKast who breeds pits prominent people have
caught "dog-bark fever". The American Pit Bull Terrier has enjoyed a long
history of very committed owners and breeders. Not only do many of your favorite
stars have these animals around the house both Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt
shared the White House with a pit.
Not all Americans share the stars affections for this specific breed of dog.
Driven by reports of viscous dog attacks, breed specific legislation aims to
make it harder to own the dog. "I have heard so many bad stories about pits
attacking children I don't know if I would trust my child around one" said
Jamicka Calloway, a former University of Washington student.
The American Pit bull Registry does admit that the identified risk group for
attacks is children below the age of eleven. This may be do to the children's
treatment of the animal. Though stigmatized as a viscous killer the American
Temperament Test Society ranks the dog below the toy poodle.
Many breeders blame the poor stigma, that the pit bull has, on owners that fight
the dogs illegally. "My roommate has a pit and I know he would never fight the
dog, but I have seen dog fights before" said Marlo Bradford, a junior from
Shreveport. Every year dogs are confiscated from their owners for maltreatment.
For anyone that wants to get a pit, you can adopt, or visit a breeder. Some
breeds of dogs have become trendy, but the pit bull appears to remain a
favorite.
_____________________________________________________________________
Pit Bull 'Died a Hero'
The owner of a pit bull who was shot to death by armed intruders said the dog
died a hero.
"The dog saved my mom's life," the victim's daughter said Wednesday from her
home on Pacific Place in North Kelso.
She declined to speak further, saying the family was shaken by the events of
late Tuesday night, when two or three men masked with bandannas and armed with a
shotgun tried to push past her mother and enter their home.
Outside, a statue of a little dog bore a sign saying "Go Away." A planter of
bright posies lay spilled beside the porch where the intruders knocked it over,
the victim's daughter said.
A family friend said the house will be "constantly occupied" from now on.
Kelso police Capt. Vern Thompson said that after the intruders fled, officers
arrived and found a large homemade bomb under the front wheel of a car parked in
front of the house.
Neighbors were evacuated until after 1 a.m. for their safety, he said.
The Portland Bomb Squad used a remote-control robot to disable the device at the
scene, then took it to the lab for processing, Thompson said. Further
information about the bomb was unavailable Wednesday.
The victim was too distraught at the time of the incident to provide details
such as descriptions of the suspects. Thompson hadn't spoken with detectives as
of late Wednesday afternoon, so he didn't have updated details.
Thompson said he didn't know whether the attempted break-in was related to an
armed robbery which occurred last week at the Oaks Trailer Park in Longview, but
he said the incident "certainly sounds similar."
Victims of the earlier crime told Longview police that two men masked with
bandannas broke into their residence with a shotgun at around 4:30 a.m. April 8,
ransacked the place and demanded money. They left in a newer dark blue or black
Honda Civic.
The victims in the Oaks robbery described the robber holding the shotgun as
5-foot-8, 200 pounds, with dark hair and medium-toned skin. The second robber is
5-foot-10, 150 pounds, with light brown hair and light-toned skin. The man with
the gun called the other man "Steve."
No arrests had been made in either case as of Wednesday afternoon.
Thompson said Kelso detectives are continuing to follow leads. Anyone with
information is encouraged to call Kelso police at 423-1270 or Crime Stoppers of
Cowlitz County at 577-1206.
____________________________________________________________________
Maverick, a Pit Bull, Helps Woman
BEAVER DAM - Bette Cox said she owes her life to a pit bull.
A dog named Maverick protected the 64-year-old great-grandmother from a wild dog
attack and lost a leg in the process.
At Cox's home on N.C. 210, Maverick is like one of the family. He watches
cartoons with Cox's great-granddaughter and likes playing with the family's pet
ferret. He loves to take baths, and when someone pops in the "Homeward Bound''
video, Maverick always curls up in front of the television.
Maverick, a 3-year-old, isn't aggressive, Cox said, except when a family member
is threatened. Then he's every bit the warrior pit bulls have the reputation of
being.
Maverick showed that the morning of May 29.
About 8:15 that morning, Cox put Maverick's leash on and took him out for a
walk.
"We went out and all of a sudden he stopped,'' Cox said. "I said, 'Come on baby,
go potty.' That's when I saw the hairs coming up on his back.''
A big stray dog approached, snarling and growling. Cox said it looked like it
had the head of a chow and the body of a Rottweiler.
Although Maverick is a formidable presence at a heavily muscled 90 pounds, Cox
said, the stray was even bigger.
Maverick pounced and clamped its powerful jaws around the stray's neck.
Screaming, Cox let go of Maverick's leash and the two dogs did vicious battle in
the yard outside the family's trailer.
It only lasted for minutes, but it felt much longer.
"I heard my mother screaming and I went out,'' said Cox's daughter Mary Brown.
"Maverick had the dog by the neck and kept fighting the dog to keep her from my
mom.''
Eventually, the stray ran into the woods and Maverick limped back into the
trailer. He collapsed on the floor, and that's when Cox and Brown saw the blood.
Brown took Maverick to an emergency clinic, then to the East Fayetteville
Veterinary Clinic. That's where Dr. John Lauby delivered the bad news -
Maverick's wounds were so bad that his left rear leg would have to be amputated.
Hero coming home
Maverick, who is actually owned by Brown's daughter Anna Emmons, had the
two-hour surgery a week ago. When I spoke to the family Thursday, they were
preparing to go to the vet's office to bring Maverick home.
Stray dogs are a problem in the rural Beaver Dam area. Cox said she knows of
neighbors who have been cornered by the animals outside their homes. Sometimes,
the dogs hunt in packs, Cox said.
"We don't go out without protection now,'' Cox said. "We're always uneasy.''
Brown said she worries about stray dogs so much she won't let her granddaughter
play outside alone.
The family's veterinarian bills have surpassed $1,200, Brown said, with more to
come. The cost is hard to bear, but not as hard as losing Maverick would be.
"I know people would say he's just a dog, but he's not,'' Brown said. "He's a
family member.''
The family is aware of pit bulls' fearsome reputation. Maverick's battle with
the stray shows the dogs are capable of inflicting damage.
But they said most of the problems with pit bulls can be traced back to
mistreatment by their owners. Raised properly, the dogs are good family pets.
And, if need be, fierce protectors.
______________________________________________________________________
Rewarded for Community Service
Mary the pit bull educates without saying a word
Genesee County -- Mary Margaret Ann Vaughn wore her best scarf, light blue with
a daisy print, to receive her Animal of the Year award.
But Mary didn't express much surprise, her owner said, when she was picked for
the honor by The Humane Society of Genesee County.
Mary, a 57-pound, black and white American pit bull terrier, was chosen
Wednesday night during the Humane Societies' Real People - Real Connections
Annual Recognition Awards. It's an event where people and animals alike are
rewarded for community service.
"Mary is the type of person, I mean type of dog, that makes you feel like you
are the only person," said her owner, Teresa Vaughn. "There is something about
Mary."
Mary was chosen for her education work throughout Genesee County's schools.
Vaughn, the Humane Societies' Humane Educator, brings Mary along to teach
students how to take care of animals and not to fear them.
Though Mary's work mostly consists of "rolling over on her back and getting
belly rubs," Vaughn said Mary still helps teach.
The Humane Society's Stepheni Lazar said the school visits are important since
many children have not had good experiences with animals.
"In some areas you should be afraid of your neighborhood dogs," she said. "A lot
of kids have never been around a nice dog."
Mary also visits Genesee County's hospices, nursing homes and hospitals to
conduct animal therapy with the elderly.
"A lot of these people don't want to socialize with other people when you go to
visit them," Lazar said. "They are upset with where they are at, but they will
talk to an animal.
"It brings back a lot of good memories; better parts of their lives when they
had pets."
Mary's rise to fame wasn't an easy one. Lazar and Vaughn found her on I-475
covered in mange, ears infected and hair missing about three years ago.
They spotted Mary standing on the hood of a police cruiser while they were
driving in a van. Vaughn said police were afraid to get out of the cruiser and
were waiting for animal control to arrive. But Vaughn wasn't scared. She opened
the van doors and Mary jumped right in.
Nowadays, Mary lives her life in the lap of luxury with pink painted toenails
and a miniature bed with throw pillows.
Vaughn said she hopes the lessons children learn from Mary will carry on into
adulthood when they begin to buy pets. Though Vaughn may be doing the talking,
it is Mary who leaves an impression.
"In stores kids come up and hug me because they remember," Vaughn said. "A lot
of times they don't remember my name, but they remember hers."
______________________________________________________________________
After Nearly a Year, Stolen Dog
Returns to Family
Christina Hansen thought she would never see her dog again.
When Sierra was stolen from Hansen's gated backyard kennel last August, Hansen
said she thought the worst.
"I thought maybe someone stole her for dog-fighting," Hansen said.
The disappearance of the three-quarter Pitt Bull, one-quarter English Bull Dog
was unlucky number three in a series of unfortunate pet-related incidences for
Hansen and fiancé Pablo Luna: Sierra's brother choked to death on a backyard
leash and her mother had been stolen two years earlier.
Hansen's son, Daniel, now 4, took the dog theft particularly hard. Sierra was
born May 25, two weeks before Daniel.
"They were growing up together," Hansen said. "They were best friends."
After a year of recovering from the loss of their pet, Hansen and Luna were
warming up to the idea of a house cat. Then Hansen received some unexpected
news.
"A friend told me that she had seen Sierra up for adoption," Hansen said.
Confounded, Hansen said the information didn't register until almost a week
later.
"I went to the vet and asked about her," Hansen said. "Then the humane society."
There, Hansen said, her hopes were dashed.
"They said they had seen a Pitt Bull mixed-breed that looked like her, but she
was pregnant," Hansen said.
Then Hansen received a phone call from Lavonne Korn.
"Close to a year ago I was doing foster care for the humane society, " Korn
said. "I got a call about a pregnant dog hanging out by a farmhouse near
Armstrong."
A week after Korn picked up the stray dog she named Missy, six puppies were
born.
"They looked like a mix of Pitt Bull and Rottweiler," Korn said.
Missy had been up for adoption ever since.
When Hansen saw a picture of Missy on the Internet she knew it was Sierra. After
a couple rounds of phone-tag, Korn and Hansen connected. Hansen showed Korn one
of Sierra's puppy pictures.
"She started crying," Hansen said. "She was so excited. Then she said, 'I have
your dog.'"
Hansen said she couldn't believe it. But Sunday, June 27, Sierra was reunited
with her family.
"She's really just gotten right back into it," Hansen said. "It's like she never
left."
Korn had mixed feelings.
"When I adopt a dog out I cry," Korn said. "It's sad, it hurts, but I am happy
because they found a good home. I was happy to help Missy find her long-lost
home."
Korn, who recently became the Freeborn County Humane Society director, said she
hopes to help more people like Hansen in her new position.
"We have started a log of lost and found pets," Korn said. "So we can match up
missing dogs and cats with the families that are looking for them."
Hansen said that after her own experience with the humane society she would be
more inclined to volunteer.
"It makes me want to help others," Hansen said. "Because I gave up. I never
thought I'd see Sierra again. Now we are all a family."
Korn said that in the future, Sierra may even have a chance to be reunited with
the rest of her family - her puppies.
"I have the e-mails of the people who adopted the puppies," Korn said. "They
send me pictures and may be interested in a family reunion."
Korn said she was glad this story had a happy ending, and advised those who have
lost a pet not to give up.
"Keep looking," she said. "You don't know what you might find."
_____________________________________________________________________
Judge Spares Pit Bull Zippy
MIDDLEBORO - A Wareham District Court judge Friday overturned the town's
decision to euthanize a local pitbull that bit the animal control officer, but
banished the dog from town.
Zippy the pitbull is expected to be reunited with her owner after being held for
more than four months in animal shelters as the case was decided.
Judge H. Gregory Williams in his decision wrote that the facts, including a
behavioral evaluation by a veterinarian, "suggest that killing her is not the
solution here."
Animal control officer William Wyatt, who was bitten by Zippy in May, was not
happy with the decision.
"It's allowing a problem dog to be a problem dog in someone else's community,"
he said.
"I did what I thought was in the best interest for the town," Wyatt said in
asking for the dog to be put down.
"We've done everything in our power, I hope that dog never bites again," he
added.
Zippy's odyssey began in May when she escaped a fenced-in vacant car lot at 562
Wareham St. and bit Wyatt.
After selectmen ordered her euthanized, on the advice of Wyatt, her owner Austin
Zipp, appealed the decision.
Zipp could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Zippy was the target in two break-ins at the Middleboro pound. The first time,
she got away from her would-be captors and turned up on a door step. The second
time, she was found chained to a tree in the woods.
After the second theft and several visits to a veterinarian, Wyatt moved Zippy
out of town.
On June 18, a clerk-magistrate upheld the selectmen's ruling, and Zipp again
appealed, this time for a judge's review.
On Friday, Judge Williams reversed selectmen's decision on the condition Zippy
is removed from town, gets obedience training and is always leashed when
outside.
After reviewing an Aug. 11 behavioral evaluation of Zippy by a veterinarian
affiliated with the Animal Rescue League, court documents say Williams
determined, "Wyatt did not provoke Zippy and indeed did not even see or hear
Zippy until Zippy bit him in the lower part of his back, leaving two puncture
wounds."
Court documents say the behavioral evaluation concedes Zippy bit people on at
least three occasions, the incident with Wyatt and twice when she was stolen
from the Middleboro pound.
The judge said the biting "seems justified" because in Wyatt's case it was
"territorial aggression," and when she was stolen it was "fear-induced
aggression."
Court documents said, "If not carefully managed and contained, Zippy will
probably bite again."
In his decision, Williams says, "Those facts boil down to a simple incident in
which this pitbull-type dog, which bit an animal control officer, would probably
bite again unless she was carefully managed and contained."
"The court finds a reasonable alternative to killing Zippy," Williams wrote.
"Obedience training, to be enrolled in by Oct. 8." Williams banished Zippy from
Middleboro and said she is not to be allowed outside, "even fenced" without
being on a leash with her owner or an adult.
Wyatt said Zippy has been with the Animal Rescue League at an undisclosed
location since the second time she was stolen from the pound. He said the ARL is
ready to turn Zippy over to her owner. However, Wyatt said the ARL might charge
Zipp for not licensing the dog or keeping it up-to-date on its vaccinations.
____________________________________________________________________
Pit Bulls Can Make Good Citizens
PHENIX -- Susan Parker believes that whether you have a bichon frise, a German
Sheppard, a golden retriever or a pit bull, your dog has the potential to pass
the canine good citizen test.
Parker is currently working exclusively with pit bulls. She recently founded the
pilot program for creating pit bull breed ambassadors.As part of this program,
Parker said she is hoping to at least start a trend to break the bad reputation
that the entire pit bull breed has been labeled with. Once accepted as a canine
good citizen, Parker arranges for these pit bulls to be placed in permanent new
homes.
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"I always try to tell people to judge the dog by the deed and not the breed,"
said Parker."For some reason everyone has developed this horrible impression
that pit bulls are these vicious dogs, but that is just not the case."
"It all depends on how they are raised and what happens more often than not is
that people are breeding these dogs just for the money and they do not care who
they give them to or how they are raised," she said.
"You will always see losers wanting these dogs, never an old fart like me.And I
call them losers because they don’t want the dog for a pet, they take the dog
and they put those big pronged collars on them so they can be ‘the man behind
the dog,’ but on average, pit bulls are not that way, they can make a lovely
family pet when raised in the right environment."
That is exactly what Parker said she is trying to do.
Just this year alone, she has worked nearly 14 different pit bulls through the
canine good citizen training program. Her most recent labor of love is Daisy, a
three and a half year old pit bull. Daisy is currently in the pilot program and
is faring quit well, Parker said.
"Daisy has been in and out of shelters since she was a baby and never had any
permanent family to give her the training she needed, but in the three months
that I have had her, she is already doing great," Parker said.
Generally that is how Parker said she begins the process, by combing local
animal shelters seeking potential pit bull breed ambassadors.After a stint at
the Providence Animal Rescue League and the Rhode Island SPCA, Parker found
Daisy and said she felt that she would make the perfect candidate.
"What I basically look for is a dog that does not display any type of human or
canine aggression," Parker said."You want to find a pit bull that is of sound
mind and character so that it potentially could be the next breed ambassador."
Once Parker adopts the dog from the shelter she takes it home to begin the
intensive training. Parker works with Daisy much like she did with the other
pits in her care, for several brief sessions each day.In their training, Parker
teaches Daisy how to socialize with people and other animals, how to walk
through a crowded area all the while overcoming the many distractions she may
face during her walk, how to handle loud noises, how to walk nice on a leash,
how to sit, stay, and lay down.
"These are all very simple tasks that any average dog can do," said Parker."The
trick is just repetition and to be consistent in your training."
Although not yet a licensed trainer herself, Parker has been asked to be one of
the key speakers at an upcoming seminar in Cumberland entitled "Dog fighting;
Strategies, Solutions and Officer Safety."At the seminar on Thursday, Sept. 30,
Parker will discuss her recent work with Daisy and bring her along to
demonstrate the progress she has made with her in such a short amount of time.
"I may not be a licensed trainer, but I have a love for dogs and the knowledge
to do what I do," Parker said."These dogs are very smart and I do get very
attached to them in the three or four months that I work with them, but I know I
have to put them up for adoption once they pass through the program because I
know that there are always going to be 80 more of them in the wings waiting for
me to work with them and there aren’t that many of us willing to do this."
_____________________________________________________________________
An Old Type of Dog Learning New
Tricks
Norristown, PA -- Forget those canine stereotypes, says well-known dog trainer
and activist Sue Sternberg.
"There's no breed that is either exempt from aggression or all-aggressive," she
said.
"While some of the fighting breeds were bred for aggressiveness toward other
dogs or people, they're not all that way. Just like not all golden retrievers
and Labradors are sweet family pets. There's aggression in those breeds too. It
really depends on the individual dog."
To prove their point to the many pit bull owners in the area, Sternberg and Erin
Deal, owner of All Positive Dog Training in Eagleville, held a weight-pulling
contest at Simmons Park on Sunday.
Harnessed to plastic sleds, participating pooches were encouraged to pull bags
of dog food appropriate for their weight.
Though all breeds were welcome to the event, clearly it was a day for pit bulls
to shine, while gathering with their own kind.
Curiosity had brought Sharon Davis of Norristown and her dog, eight-month old
Mr. Blue - so named for the radiant color of his coat when the sun glints off
the fur - to the sloping corner of the park where the event was being staged.
"When people see him they think he's ready to fight because of his size," Davis
said. "Nothing could be farther from the truth - he's the sweetest dog around."
Further dashing stereotypes, she recalled that Mr. Blue was so kindly received
in her neighborhood, he had become popular with kids that had formerly been
"petrified" of dogs.
"It's all in how you raise them. If you choose to raise a violent dog, that's
how the dog will turn out," she said. "I don't believe in any cruelty to
animals, or that was not an option for me. He's been around kids since he was
six months old and he's never been anything but gentle."
Davis has trained Mr. Blue to be on his best behavior during their almost daily
walks on the Perkiomen Trail.
"When a biker rides by, he stops and waits, very respectfully," then we continue
on," she beamed.
There was no stopping and waiting for Mr. Blue on this day, however, as he
hauled a 20-pound bag of Purina on to victory. His owner's fostering of
cooperation with a hot dog in constant proximity to his jaw did not appear to
inhibit Mr. Blue's champion instincts.
"I was shocked, because he's not a dog who likes to pull," Davis admitted. "But
he's a command dog, so he must have been paying attention."
Deal noted that Mr. Blue's real triumph was in his willingness to listen to his
owner.
"Once they do this, it's a bonding with the owner, to build that relationship,"
Deal said. "The dog listening to the owner starts everything moving. Here, the
dog wanted to do it, he got something out of it, and the human was the leader."
Sternberg, whose training skills and work with shelter animals have been
featured in several HBO documentaries, smiled at the dozen or so leashed pit
bulls playfully romping with their owners.
"You'll find that the relationship between a pit bull and its owner is no less
than what you or I have with our dogs," she said.
"As much as we hate it, the dogs who are bred for fighting do love it. But they
never get to play fetch or do other things normal dogs do, so this is what they
know. But they can definitely be loving pets."
Breeding their dogs and selling the puppies, along with winning casual street
corner fights can be profitable and compelling for urban teens, Sternberg noted.
"These kids have few role models for healthy, constructive interaction with
dogs. Often the only 'sport' these kids see is dog fighting or sparring."
The weight training contest, which is part of an inner-city program called
Lug-Nuts, has all the elements of dog sparring - the excitement, the
competitiveness - but none of the cruelty.
"It's so important that we attract people so they can find out there are other
things they can be done with their dogs, especially when you look at owners who
are using aggressive dogs for the wrong reasons," Sternberg said.
"A lot of times these fighting breeds are used for intimidation or fighting or
things like that. And we're trying to say, 'Hey look, we can do things with this
dog that help keep the macho image but are humane to the dog.' We're telling
them that yes, it's a tough, strong dog, but look what else we can do with it."
Deal nodded.
"Through training we can help the dog bond with the owner instead of using them
in negative ways," she noted. "We're using the Lug-Nuts program as a way to help
encourage responsible pet ownership in other ways, such as getting these dogs
spayed and neutered so they're not overpopulating our shelters with breeds that
are hard to place in the first place."
The canine fighting that Sternberg and Deal most frequently find themselves
battling is not the professional version involved with drugs and gambling, but
the sort found at the far less structured street level.
"Most of the people we meet do not want their dogs to be aggressive, they're
looking for fun things to do," Sternberg said. "When these dog owners find other
ways to get together, it brings the whole community together. Dog owners love
talking to one another."
Allowing a dozen or so pit bulls to convene in a small space did not mean the
women were throwing caution to the wind, however.
As Sternberg and Deal continued to advise the crowd to keep their leashed dogs
apart, Stefanie Fulford of Norristown waited patiently for her lively
11-week-old pit pull Ikemoe to get harnessed for his turn.
"We were just coming to watch, but the organizers said he should pull some
weight," Fulford said, as the gray-and-white pup graciously gobbled up every
doggie biscuit that was offered to him by admirers.
Fulford agreed with the prevailing notion that training makes the dog. "I think
almost any dog can be a good dog if he is taught by nice people. Ikemoe is as
sweet as any puppy."
The lightweight Ikemoe good-naturedly hauled a 24-ounce box of Milk Bone treats
on his sled, as Sternberg enticed him with a hot dog.
As he scurried through the orange cones, the crowd cheered him on.
Deal and Sternberg congratulated Fulford on Ikemoe's glorious showing and
excellent potential for future training.
Then they obliged a few requests for housebreaking tips from the crowd.
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Pit
Bull Plays Mama to Abandoned Kittens
Sage
has a reputation as a really good mother, and that's no small accomplishment for
a 9-year-old pit bull that's long neutered and never had puppies.
What's astonishing is that her new "babies" aren't puppies. They're five little
kittens abandoned at birth and left to the elements before the brindle-colored
Sage stretched out her paws to embrace them. They're all so close now that when
Sage goes to work with her owner, the five kittens - three tabbies, one black
and one gray - hop into their little box and go along.
Sage's owner, Laura Greene, said it seemed strange at first for the dog to take
over as mother and protector of the kittens.
"I brought them home and opened their crate. Sage stuck her head in and I heard
a lot of little hisses. The kittens didn't like her. But she went into the crate
anyway and they just got used to her," Greene said.
Now Sage sticks like glue to her unlikely brood, said Greene, a resident of
Tullytown who works in a Falls dog-grooming shop.
Sage is a little protective of her new-found family. On a recent morning, she
was playing with and licking the kittens but every time someone came into the
grooming shop, she would come to attention, check out the "intruder" and bark
once or twice to make sure visitors knew she was on guard.
At home, "mom" and babies sleep together or, when in a playful mood, Sage lies
down and lets the kittens climb on her body to snuggle or wrestle each other,
Greene said.
Because they're so young, Greene still bottle-feeds the kittens several times a
day and once during the night. When she gets up at night to warm the bottles,
Sage follows her and stands in front of the microwave until it beeps.
The lucky felines were found May 10 in a boat in a New Jersey boat yard. The
person that found them sat for a long time waiting for a mama cat to return
because usually a mother cat won't leave her babies for long periods of time.
Once it was clear that there was no mama cat, the person put the then-3-week-old
kittens in a box and brought them to Greene, who is a former veterinary
assistant. Greene took the kittens home and, for Sage, it was love at first
sight.
The dog's reaction to the kittens is all the more remarkable because she's known
her own hard times. At 3 months old, Sage was dumped in front of a Reading
veterinary office where Greene once worked. It was obvious that she had been
abused and a further examination revealed that her right rear leg had been
broken, Greene said.
No one thought that she would walk again, but after a pin was inserted into her
leg and several months of therapy, Sage was able to "run like the wind," Greene
said.
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Despite reputation,
trained pit bulls can be wonderful pets, experts say
San
Francisco, CA
-- Pit bull terriers may be one of the most controversial breeds around, but
they are also one of the most misunderstood by the public, dog experts said
Friday in the wake of the fatal mauling of a 12-year-old boy in San Francisco.
If bred and trained properly, pit bulls can be wonderful pets, experts said. If
there is a lack of stability, though, they have the proclivity and ability to
inflict serious damage.
Trish King, director of behavior and training at the Marin Humane Society and
author of the book "Parenting Your Dog" said some have characteristics that have
been exacerbated by bad breeding.
Pit bulls were bred in Europe in the 1800s to bait bulls, she said. When that
practice was outlawed, handlers pitted dogs against each other.
"They were bred for intolerance and the prey drive," King said. "Those two
things, in combination, can cause tragedies. The prey drive is an instinct. A
reflex. It can be sparked by movement. If something causes the pit bull to
become overexcited, it might become angry. They can over-respond to stimuli."
Nonetheless, she believes pit bulls can be exceptionally loving dogs.
The Marin Humane Society offers a seven-week class called Bull Breed Basics for
breeds ranging from the pit bull to the boxer. The course was created last year
to build understanding around the more powerful dog breeds and ensure that
owners are aware and in control.
Donna Duford, dog behaviorist at Animal Care and Control in San Francisco, said
"attacks by smaller dogs, other types of dogs, don't get reported like they do
with pit bulls. ... Pit bulls get more press. That's because when they do
attack, they can cause a great deal of damage."
The attack Friday in San Francisco is one of a handful of high- profile maulings
by pit bulls in the Bay Area in recent years.
In March, two pit bulls attacked an 11-year-old boy near his Concord home. Last
June, an 88-year-old Concord woman was pulled from her walker and mauled by a
neighbor's pit bull. In 2001, three pit bulls attacked and nearly killed
10-year-old Shawn Jones as he rode his bicycle in Richmond.
But in this latest case, the dogs were family pets -- named Rex and Ella.
Duford said she didn't know the history of the pit bulls involved in the mauling
Friday. Rex, the male pit bull, was taken to Animal Care and Control. Ella was
shot at the scene.
"Everyone is just devastated," Duford said. "It's a tragic story."
She said she hopes that people don't overreact and cast all pit bulls as
vicious.
She said that, generally, the concern with pit bulls is aggression toward other
dogs -- not humans.
"They were bred for centuries to take bulls down by the nose," Duford said. "So
there is this genetic tendency toward aggression toward animals. Not all of them
have it, but I would say most have it to varying degrees."
Ken White, president of the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA, sighed when he
heard of the fatal mauling.
"I do think there are bad dogs," White said. "Most, though, are bad dogs because
of what people have done to them, or not done to them. I certainly think that
the pit is one of the breeds that if it does harm, the level of harm can be
hugely out of proportion to what another breed could do."
At the same time, White says pit bulls can be as sweet as any breed.
"We have a pit bull up for adoption here who weighs around 110 pounds, and he is
one of the sweetest pups I've ever known," said White, who began working in
animal care and adoption in San Francisco in 1968.
"I've been in this field long enough to have seen other breeds go through what
the pit is now going through," White said. "The pit bull is where the Doberman,
chow, akita or rottweiler was years ago. It's the focus of attention. "
E-mail Julian Guthrie at
jguthrie@sfchronicle.com.
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