Stella's standing in the middle of the empty baseball diamond, just standing there. She's been doing more of that these days. She could stand there for twenty or thirty minutes or maybe even longer if I don't go over and give her ass a shove. It's almost like she's in a trance or something. For all I know, she could be telepathically communicating with space aliens, telling them to hurry up and send the mothership to come pick her up and take her home.
Wouldn't I look the fool then, having doubted her.
The English Bull Terrier pup doesn't care about any of that. He charges at Stella. He lurves her. Well he lurves her when she's the only other dog in the park to lurve and right now, that would be the case.
The pup runs right into Stella's leg and bumps her back a bit but she tries to ignore him. She's still busy with the UFO. So, the pup jumps up at her face and knocks into her jaw with with football shaped head. This she doesn't like and she growls at him.
The pup takes this as an invitation and butts her again. And Stella growls again, this time louder and more insistent. The pup jumps up again and tries to nip her jowls and then drops low and nips her front ankle. Stella barks at it and backs up a step. The pup keeps nipping at ankles and batting at her face with his paws. Stella is getting really fierce now, growling, baring teeth, giving warning snaps. The pup rams its head into Stella's face again and quickly pulls back as she snaps at him. The pup runs around back and nips at her hind ankles and Stella spins around and snarls and snaps at the pup but they're still all warning snaps. Nothing makes contact. The pup continues its assault even as Stella gets angrier and angrier and starts to walk away from him. He stumbles after her, hoping for a chase and he gets it. She starts running from him, occasionally turning around and snarling and snapping the air in his general direction. She's running from him and he's really having fun - now that the chase is on.
It doesn't last. Stella stops and spins around and I think she's finally going to lay into him. She barks three short sharp barks and gives him her biggest snarl snap yet but he just spins around with joy and when she is through, he bounds into her and nips and paws her and head butts her. Stella gives up. She just stands there, suffering this greatest of all indignities and looks at me.
"Why the fuck are you putting me through this?" she says.
I look over at the owner of the pup and I say, "Well, I guess that didn't work out."
"No, I better go get him," he says. He runs over and spends a couple of minutes catching his pup and putting the leash on him and dragging him away from Stella.
"I don't know," he says. "I don't think Cato's ever going to learn his lesson unless some dog actually beats him up."
"Yeah, he's cute but not too smart," someone else offers.
I walk over to Stella who is cautiously optimistic that her ordeal is over. I pat her on the head and tell her what a good dog she is for putting up with all that puppy madness and she just looks at me and then returns to her spot in the middle of the baseball diamond.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The disease and the cure
Disease:
Cure:
From NBC Los Angeles, "Let This Be a Lesson to Shady Pet Stores".
A $4.8 million default judgment awarded to former customers of a now-closed Bel Air pet store should help deter similar businesses from selling sick animals from puppy mills, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said Tuesday.
This is the type of lawyering we need here. It's time for large scale commercial dog breeders (in Canada it's politically incorrect and pretty damn near illegal to use the term "puppy mill" in case someone's feelings get hurt) to be thinking hard about what they're doing.
Now I'd like to think that this is some kind of knock out victory but we all know that's not the case. There are still lots and lots of commercial dog breeders out there pushing their product through pet stores, private home breeder fronts and direct sales. And there's still lots and lots of them getting away with it too, even with passing grades from our esteemed Canadian justices (check this one out - just make sure you're near a bucket in case your last meal wants to make a quick exit).
No, this Bel Air lawsuit is a good step in the right direction but it's just a step. Some people have got their hearts in the right place and enough bulk in their wallets to push this lawsuit through. Oh yeah, it's still all about the money flow only this time it's flowing straight and true.
Cure:
From NBC Los Angeles, "Let This Be a Lesson to Shady Pet Stores".
A $4.8 million default judgment awarded to former customers of a now-closed Bel Air pet store should help deter similar businesses from selling sick animals from puppy mills, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said Tuesday.
This is the type of lawyering we need here. It's time for large scale commercial dog breeders (in Canada it's politically incorrect and pretty damn near illegal to use the term "puppy mill" in case someone's feelings get hurt) to be thinking hard about what they're doing.
Now I'd like to think that this is some kind of knock out victory but we all know that's not the case. There are still lots and lots of commercial dog breeders out there pushing their product through pet stores, private home breeder fronts and direct sales. And there's still lots and lots of them getting away with it too, even with passing grades from our esteemed Canadian justices (check this one out - just make sure you're near a bucket in case your last meal wants to make a quick exit).
No, this Bel Air lawsuit is a good step in the right direction but it's just a step. Some people have got their hearts in the right place and enough bulk in their wallets to push this lawsuit through. Oh yeah, it's still all about the money flow only this time it's flowing straight and true.
Spin and counterspin
You be the judge. What's the real story?
From Tim Trow on the Toronto Humane Society website:
Our success in helping lost and abandoned animals ought to shame the critics who have been beating up on The Toronto Humane Society of late. The reason we had hundreds of wonderful animals up for adoption this past weekend was because we give animals superlative care, because of our hospital, because of innovative programs, and because of our desire to save the lives of unfortunate animals.
That's why our euthanasia rate is so low, why we are so proud of what we do, and why we are steadfast with our Whatever it Takes commitment to the animals.
From the Help the Toronto Humane Society website:
Here is a letter from a former staff member that we received. Any information that could be used to identify this person as been removed [to help avert a SLAPP suit]:
While I worked at the Toronto Humane Society I witnessed many unusual and cruel behaviours by upper management toward employees, volunteers, and animals. It was a combination of these behaviours, which led me to resign my position at the THS. I simply could not stand the mismanagement, cruelty, and atmosphere of fear and intimidation any longer.
• I have witnessed many dogs living in their own filth for entire days, cornered by their feces, urine and vomit. Many dogs seem to be only walked once a day (sometimes not even once), particularly “white level” dogs who can only be walked by very experienced staff members and also “new arrivals” (including very young puppies) who are often not assessed for several days.
• I have consistently witnessed dozens of potential adopters in the dog adoption hallway waiting for hours to find out about a particular dog. This lack of staffing prevents many adoptions from being made and leaves clients feeling frustrated with the THS due to lack of respect and service.
• While working at the Toronto Humane Society people were fired on a very regular basis. There was a period of two weeks when approximately eleven people were fired, which left all employees feeling frightened and suspicious, and increased the stressful nature of the environment.
Read the rest here.
If you don't know what this is about, start here.
From Tim Trow on the Toronto Humane Society website:
Our success in helping lost and abandoned animals ought to shame the critics who have been beating up on The Toronto Humane Society of late. The reason we had hundreds of wonderful animals up for adoption this past weekend was because we give animals superlative care, because of our hospital, because of innovative programs, and because of our desire to save the lives of unfortunate animals.
That's why our euthanasia rate is so low, why we are so proud of what we do, and why we are steadfast with our Whatever it Takes commitment to the animals.
From the Help the Toronto Humane Society website:
Here is a letter from a former staff member that we received. Any information that could be used to identify this person as been removed [to help avert a SLAPP suit]:
While I worked at the Toronto Humane Society I witnessed many unusual and cruel behaviours by upper management toward employees, volunteers, and animals. It was a combination of these behaviours, which led me to resign my position at the THS. I simply could not stand the mismanagement, cruelty, and atmosphere of fear and intimidation any longer.
• I have witnessed many dogs living in their own filth for entire days, cornered by their feces, urine and vomit. Many dogs seem to be only walked once a day (sometimes not even once), particularly “white level” dogs who can only be walked by very experienced staff members and also “new arrivals” (including very young puppies) who are often not assessed for several days.
• I have consistently witnessed dozens of potential adopters in the dog adoption hallway waiting for hours to find out about a particular dog. This lack of staffing prevents many adoptions from being made and leaves clients feeling frustrated with the THS due to lack of respect and service.
• While working at the Toronto Humane Society people were fired on a very regular basis. There was a period of two weeks when approximately eleven people were fired, which left all employees feeling frightened and suspicious, and increased the stressful nature of the environment.
Read the rest here.
If you don't know what this is about, start here.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
How the great wars start
(All names and breeds, except for Stella's, have been changed)
At the dog park, Ian, with his dog Travis, tells me that Jerry's dog, Dutchie, attacked Travis and broke Travis' leg. When I first heard the story from Jerry, Jerry had told me it was an accident, that Dutchie and Travis were roughhousing and Dutchie landed on Travis too hard and broke the leg. Jerry said that he and Ian had talked about it and at first Ian was pretty understanding, especially since Jerry had volunteered to pay the vet bills, but then after a few weeks, Ian started getting angrier about the whole thing and they haven't spoken since.
Nicola, tells me that Thomas' dog, Toby started a fight with her dog, Elmer, and Elmer got bit and had to go to the vet for stitches. Nicola tells me that she almost got bit as well trying to stop the dog fight. A few days later, Thomas tells me that what really happened was that Nicola's dog, Elmer, had taken one of Toby's toys and when Toby tried to get it back, the two dogs got into a fight and then Nicola kicked Toby.
A neighbour of mine asks me if I know the guy up the street who owns the two Boston Terriers. He says the owner never picks up after his dogs and there's always crap from them on the sidewalk in front of his house. He says if he finds out where the guy lives, he's going to gather up all the shit he can find and dump it on the guy's doorstep. Next time I see the Boston Terrier owner, he tells me that the neighbour I spoke to has got a huge dog that always barks and growls through the flimsy screen door at his Terriers whenever they walk by and so he's thinking about calling animal services because he's pretty sure one day that dog is going to bust through the screen door and attack.
Scotty the German Shepherd and Darling the Chihuahua are standing in front of Sandra. Neither of them are Sandra's dogs but they are standing in front of her because she's feeding them snacks. Sandra holds out a snack to Darling and Scotty snaps at Darling. Darling yelps and jumps back. Sheila, Darling's owner, runs to her dog and picks her up and sees there's a bit of blood on Darling's ear. Sheila starts crying and yelling at Gerry, Scotty's owner, for not controlling his dog. Gerry starts yelling and pointing at Sandra for bringing out dog snacks at the dog park. Sandra continues to feed the other dogs more snacks.
I walk towards the guy I call Barney and say hello. His Dalmatian and my Great Dane Stella are giving each other the stink eye, which they always do because queen bitch Stella demands subservience and the Dalmatian, with his passive aggressive type personality, if that's even possible in a dog, likes to tell her to shove off but usually with a backwards glance while walking away or from behind the protection of his owner. I've been trying to get Stella to be civilized with this dog and haven't been successful yet. This time, I make Stella sit but they continue to stare at each other and then Stella snarls and the Dalmatian growls and Stella lunges at the Dalmatian. She's on leash so I pull her back but before I am able to pull her back completely, Barney, the Dalmatian's owner, jumps on Stella and tackles her to the ground. He's swearing at her and he's got her in a headlock. His Dalmatian, who is off-leash, watches from a few feet away. I'm angry at Stella for lunging but I'm angrier at Barney for jumping on her when I had her on leash. What if she had bit him? What if he had exacerbated her already wary opinion of strange men? Later, I see Barney talking to one of the grounds keepers of the park. They are looking at Stella and me, shaking their heads.
At the dog park, Ian, with his dog Travis, tells me that Jerry's dog, Dutchie, attacked Travis and broke Travis' leg. When I first heard the story from Jerry, Jerry had told me it was an accident, that Dutchie and Travis were roughhousing and Dutchie landed on Travis too hard and broke the leg. Jerry said that he and Ian had talked about it and at first Ian was pretty understanding, especially since Jerry had volunteered to pay the vet bills, but then after a few weeks, Ian started getting angrier about the whole thing and they haven't spoken since.
Nicola, tells me that Thomas' dog, Toby started a fight with her dog, Elmer, and Elmer got bit and had to go to the vet for stitches. Nicola tells me that she almost got bit as well trying to stop the dog fight. A few days later, Thomas tells me that what really happened was that Nicola's dog, Elmer, had taken one of Toby's toys and when Toby tried to get it back, the two dogs got into a fight and then Nicola kicked Toby.
A neighbour of mine asks me if I know the guy up the street who owns the two Boston Terriers. He says the owner never picks up after his dogs and there's always crap from them on the sidewalk in front of his house. He says if he finds out where the guy lives, he's going to gather up all the shit he can find and dump it on the guy's doorstep. Next time I see the Boston Terrier owner, he tells me that the neighbour I spoke to has got a huge dog that always barks and growls through the flimsy screen door at his Terriers whenever they walk by and so he's thinking about calling animal services because he's pretty sure one day that dog is going to bust through the screen door and attack.
Scotty the German Shepherd and Darling the Chihuahua are standing in front of Sandra. Neither of them are Sandra's dogs but they are standing in front of her because she's feeding them snacks. Sandra holds out a snack to Darling and Scotty snaps at Darling. Darling yelps and jumps back. Sheila, Darling's owner, runs to her dog and picks her up and sees there's a bit of blood on Darling's ear. Sheila starts crying and yelling at Gerry, Scotty's owner, for not controlling his dog. Gerry starts yelling and pointing at Sandra for bringing out dog snacks at the dog park. Sandra continues to feed the other dogs more snacks.
I walk towards the guy I call Barney and say hello. His Dalmatian and my Great Dane Stella are giving each other the stink eye, which they always do because queen bitch Stella demands subservience and the Dalmatian, with his passive aggressive type personality, if that's even possible in a dog, likes to tell her to shove off but usually with a backwards glance while walking away or from behind the protection of his owner. I've been trying to get Stella to be civilized with this dog and haven't been successful yet. This time, I make Stella sit but they continue to stare at each other and then Stella snarls and the Dalmatian growls and Stella lunges at the Dalmatian. She's on leash so I pull her back but before I am able to pull her back completely, Barney, the Dalmatian's owner, jumps on Stella and tackles her to the ground. He's swearing at her and he's got her in a headlock. His Dalmatian, who is off-leash, watches from a few feet away. I'm angry at Stella for lunging but I'm angrier at Barney for jumping on her when I had her on leash. What if she had bit him? What if he had exacerbated her already wary opinion of strange men? Later, I see Barney talking to one of the grounds keepers of the park. They are looking at Stella and me, shaking their heads.
Monday, August 3, 2009
SLAPP happy
Any of you ever watch HBO's "The Wire"? It's all done now and it never made it big with audiences but it was the best damn cop drama I've ever seen. It took a couple of episodes to get into it. I almost gave up on it. Seemed too dry, too convoluted. Hell, I had to pay attention; think, even, when watching that show. If I'd dropped it after the second episode, that would've been my big loss because once I got into it, it was like crack. But in a good way.
One thing about the show was that it took no prisoners. Everyone was guilty of something: all the gang bangers were guilty of something, of course, and the mobsters, of course, but so were all cops, politicos, lawyers, union workers, teachers. Everyone had an angle, had some fucked-upness to deal with. No one was spit polished. Everyone was dirty, dented and real.
One message from the show that stands out loud is how corruption is at the core of pretty much any institutional human endeavour. People can pretend it's all above board, that working hard gets us ahead, that holding onto those high moral standards reaps rewards. But, no matter how pure and true we pretend our intentions are, there's a huge chunk of what we do that's all about grabbing as much power and money as we can get our hands on, especially when the other guy isn't looking, and when everyone's grabbing for stuff, there's bound to be fighting, big and small, private and public. And when everyone's grabbing for stuff, there's bound to be some who hardly get anything at all. That guy who holds true to principles, ethics, rules - that's usually the guy who gets hardly anything at all.
It's all chaos out there though, sometimes, by some almost superhuman effort and lots of good luck the good guys win, sort of, but usually it's the bad guys who end up with the trophy because bad is the natural order of things with us.
They could write the same story for any human endeavour. They could easily write the same story for the animal welfare community.
I get sick of the stuff I read, of the stuff I hear. All these people who say they care for animals and all they do is use animals to pad their bank accounts or inflate their power lusting, bloated egos and in almost all these cases there's nothing anyone can do to penetrate the bullshit because it's all so wrapped up in backdoor politics and cash filled envelopes and unenforceable, outdated legislation. And when anyone does try to speak up, the person gets accused of being malicious or slanderous or breaking confidentiality agreements. The person gets hit with a SLAPP suit.
SLAPPs are a beautiful thing for the well-moneyed who don't want their secrets getting out. SLAPPs or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation are used by lawyers representing the ethically questionable but cash endowed to intimidate and silence opposition voices.
You upset and creating controversy with that multi-million dollar developer wanting to pave over that protected wetland with a parking lot? The developer just needs to throw a SLAPP suit at you to get you to shut up, not because what you say is untrue but because you can't afford the legal bills to show that it is true.
SLAPP suits are getting to be a common occurence in the environmental movement. Now, it seems, they're getting to be a common thing in the animal welfare movement.
Let's say you start making noise about a puppy mill, animal shelter, pig farm, circus, whatever, and you've got all sorts of witness testimonies, documents, photos to back up your claims and you think you're safe because you figure you've got the truth on your side. But then the noise you make reaches the ears of the group affected and suddenly you've got a SLAPP suit staring you in the face demanding ten thousand dollars or a million dollars or more. Suddenly, trying to get the truth out is getting awfully expensive. And imagine the personal toll that must take on a person. We're talking about a corporate entity with a six or seven figure warchest at its disposal for teams of lawyers to bear down on, usually, a private individual.
A good strategy for the SLAPP suitors is to prolong the legal process. They know that every extra day in court or additional legal paperwork or rescheduling of witnesses or delay in committee hearings is going to cost money and lots of it. Sure, it may cost both sides about the same amount of money but $50,000 or $100,000 may not be a lot for the corporate entity but it could very easily bankrupt the defendant. Bankruptcy or the threat of bankruptcy shuts most people up.
From Environmental Defence, "SLAPP-Suit Protection Needed in Ontario":
According to the Anti SLAPP Resource Center in Denver, Colorado, most SLAPPs lose in court. They are not intended to win: their “success” comes from silencing opposition in the public arena. Fending off a SLAPP requires an incredible investment of both money and time. Given the power imbalance between environmental and citizen groups and vested industrial interests, SLAPPs can engender such incredible anxiety in their targets that they effectively quell dissent.
What's the point of being right if you lose everything including your shirt to prove it?
SLAPP suits are the newest blunt force trauma weapons of the rich and corrupt Goliaths in their battle against the Davids who are armed with merely the truth and a loud voice. You'll be hearing a lot more about these in the days to come. I guarantee it.
One thing about the show was that it took no prisoners. Everyone was guilty of something: all the gang bangers were guilty of something, of course, and the mobsters, of course, but so were all cops, politicos, lawyers, union workers, teachers. Everyone had an angle, had some fucked-upness to deal with. No one was spit polished. Everyone was dirty, dented and real.
One message from the show that stands out loud is how corruption is at the core of pretty much any institutional human endeavour. People can pretend it's all above board, that working hard gets us ahead, that holding onto those high moral standards reaps rewards. But, no matter how pure and true we pretend our intentions are, there's a huge chunk of what we do that's all about grabbing as much power and money as we can get our hands on, especially when the other guy isn't looking, and when everyone's grabbing for stuff, there's bound to be fighting, big and small, private and public. And when everyone's grabbing for stuff, there's bound to be some who hardly get anything at all. That guy who holds true to principles, ethics, rules - that's usually the guy who gets hardly anything at all.
It's all chaos out there though, sometimes, by some almost superhuman effort and lots of good luck the good guys win, sort of, but usually it's the bad guys who end up with the trophy because bad is the natural order of things with us.
They could write the same story for any human endeavour. They could easily write the same story for the animal welfare community.
I get sick of the stuff I read, of the stuff I hear. All these people who say they care for animals and all they do is use animals to pad their bank accounts or inflate their power lusting, bloated egos and in almost all these cases there's nothing anyone can do to penetrate the bullshit because it's all so wrapped up in backdoor politics and cash filled envelopes and unenforceable, outdated legislation. And when anyone does try to speak up, the person gets accused of being malicious or slanderous or breaking confidentiality agreements. The person gets hit with a SLAPP suit.
SLAPPs are a beautiful thing for the well-moneyed who don't want their secrets getting out. SLAPPs or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation are used by lawyers representing the ethically questionable but cash endowed to intimidate and silence opposition voices.
You upset and creating controversy with that multi-million dollar developer wanting to pave over that protected wetland with a parking lot? The developer just needs to throw a SLAPP suit at you to get you to shut up, not because what you say is untrue but because you can't afford the legal bills to show that it is true.
SLAPP suits are getting to be a common occurence in the environmental movement. Now, it seems, they're getting to be a common thing in the animal welfare movement.
Let's say you start making noise about a puppy mill, animal shelter, pig farm, circus, whatever, and you've got all sorts of witness testimonies, documents, photos to back up your claims and you think you're safe because you figure you've got the truth on your side. But then the noise you make reaches the ears of the group affected and suddenly you've got a SLAPP suit staring you in the face demanding ten thousand dollars or a million dollars or more. Suddenly, trying to get the truth out is getting awfully expensive. And imagine the personal toll that must take on a person. We're talking about a corporate entity with a six or seven figure warchest at its disposal for teams of lawyers to bear down on, usually, a private individual.
A good strategy for the SLAPP suitors is to prolong the legal process. They know that every extra day in court or additional legal paperwork or rescheduling of witnesses or delay in committee hearings is going to cost money and lots of it. Sure, it may cost both sides about the same amount of money but $50,000 or $100,000 may not be a lot for the corporate entity but it could very easily bankrupt the defendant. Bankruptcy or the threat of bankruptcy shuts most people up.
From Environmental Defence, "SLAPP-Suit Protection Needed in Ontario":
According to the Anti SLAPP Resource Center in Denver, Colorado, most SLAPPs lose in court. They are not intended to win: their “success” comes from silencing opposition in the public arena. Fending off a SLAPP requires an incredible investment of both money and time. Given the power imbalance between environmental and citizen groups and vested industrial interests, SLAPPs can engender such incredible anxiety in their targets that they effectively quell dissent.
What's the point of being right if you lose everything including your shirt to prove it?
SLAPP suits are the newest blunt force trauma weapons of the rich and corrupt Goliaths in their battle against the Davids who are armed with merely the truth and a loud voice. You'll be hearing a lot more about these in the days to come. I guarantee it.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Dog and hero
From Kentuckiana Pets:
A day after plummeting 80 feet from the Clark Memorial Bridge into the Ohio River, “Sunny” the pit bull showed no signs of distress Monday apart from a swollen belly.
“A person threw her over. I guess somebody used her to breed and didn't want to take care of her anymore.”
A day after plummeting 80 feet from the Clark Memorial Bridge into the Ohio River, “Sunny” the pit bull showed no signs of distress Monday apart from a swollen belly.
“A person threw her over. I guess somebody used her to breed and didn't want to take care of her anymore.”
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Bach remembers me ...
... or maybe he's just being his usual lovely self with everyone he meets. He seems a bit thinner than before his trip up to TAS north for the duration of the city strike and he's blown his winter coat so he looks a little bit shaggier but otherwise, it looks like he's doing okay. Well, he's just as quick to flop down and ask for belly rubs anyway.
It turns out that while he was away, he was put on some kind of larvacide to kill off any heartworm larvae floating around in his bloodstream as well as some antibiotics to kill off associated bacteria that live off the heartworm. Or something like that. It's a little confusing and I'm not sure I have the facts straight but what it means it that he hasn't started his heartworm shots yet. That's going to be Wednesday.
I also didn't realize how much of a risk factor there is associated with this shot. I know he has to stay fairly immobilized for several weeks but it's the first day or so immediately afterward that is especially risky. If the drug kills too many worms all at once or if his heart is too weak, he could die as the worms die, detach themselves and clog up some artery.
TAS isn't going to send him out to anyone until he's survived his first shot at least (there are two more in six weeks). After all the time Bach's spent locked up, he'd better survive this.
More on Bach here.
It turns out that while he was away, he was put on some kind of larvacide to kill off any heartworm larvae floating around in his bloodstream as well as some antibiotics to kill off associated bacteria that live off the heartworm. Or something like that. It's a little confusing and I'm not sure I have the facts straight but what it means it that he hasn't started his heartworm shots yet. That's going to be Wednesday.
I also didn't realize how much of a risk factor there is associated with this shot. I know he has to stay fairly immobilized for several weeks but it's the first day or so immediately afterward that is especially risky. If the drug kills too many worms all at once or if his heart is too weak, he could die as the worms die, detach themselves and clog up some artery.
TAS isn't going to send him out to anyone until he's survived his first shot at least (there are two more in six weeks). After all the time Bach's spent locked up, he'd better survive this.
More on Bach here.
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