Newsweek,"No Kill", Ken Lay & Enron... A Pattern ?

The girls are worried about the news....

Winograd has started another attack on the
East Coast. We had spotted the Newsweek story, but missed the Delaware Online piece; thank you to a reader for that update. The parallel with Enron came to mind when I read the diatribe of his "successes" in places long gone from claiming " No Kill" The audacity of these fabrications is almost beyond belief. One can only bring to mind Lay's words as he sold his stocks urging a trusting public to Buy, Buy, Buy !

One writer had an article published a while back ( This Week Magazine / USA Today), I believe her name was Elizabeth White, it was well written and from back East, so maybe he ( NW) is still fighting that one. I have never been able to find the entire article, only his response to it. It gets very depressing to reread his tripe over and over. If any reader has that article I would appreciate a link or a doc. Newsweek is a pretty big outfit to just publish unsubstantiated blather, and I am sure they will get letters about it. Oreo is going to write, and she has lots of park buddies who share her passion. None of the places he mentions are accurate and Brown just raving on about nothing.... where was the background read on that story ? The Nevada Humane Society is so desperate to get the word out and the local blogger is connected with a dog blogger back East so I am sure he is asking for some back up. One of the nicer things about dealing with fanatics is, they are so disorganized, one trick pony is a term I think fits them. Yell and threaten, or as Winograd shouts" Demand". I am working on a post about the arrangement we have here in Washoe and how it is almost a disincentive for NHS to take impound dogs. Of course when the deal was struck we were dealing with sane people...... so far nobody has been able to explain things better than the series on KCAS ( see link) entitled the " Playbook"

More to come.. Stay informed and proactive, if necessary, Bark !

http://www.savemoreanimals.org/
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/opinion/83488.php
http://www.newsweek.com/id/134549/page/1

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080428/NEWS08/804280335

Hey Guys, Some Posts Are Not Arriving.

I have checked several times and I can't find any reason that blogger was being stubborn. Sorry if your post was one that didn't make it ...
This pic was taken just few days before our beloved Hawkers Honey was diagnosed with spleen cancer. It had gone quite wild and we lost him, he was the light of our life.
I hope to see a full platter of friends for the morn.... Hate opening up to an empty house ..........Well this is just an update, you can spend some time learning how to do one of these blog things, I must say we. are way ahead of Mark for originality and really cool readership. I was going to do a piece about pet retention and get some figures, but not on this laptop If your post didn't appear, email from the link on my profile.. Just keep sending stuff and I will try to find out why some are getting through and some are not....

Back To Work, So Stay Tuned.

Time to shake off the party and get back to work, nobody does that better than a Newfie. This is another time and place than the video and is a great example of groups working together. this was taken at the Dog Daze Swim, it raised spirits and some much needed funding. Our local Parks and Rec allows this on the last day before the pools are drained. we know it is a lot of work and dog hair for them, but it sure is appreciated. If you don't have such a party going on in your community you may want to check around about starting one up, it does take lots of volunteers and a sense of humor, but FUN !! Oreo took a sabatical for a couple of days, she has a torn crutiate and we are debating having surgery done at her age. Things are a little sad at our house right now. Swimming is great for dogs with leg troubles, so hurry up summer..

The Lighter Side Of Life

The Takeover, Will You Be Ready ?

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. Denis Waitley

Silly title, but as we watch the activities in a shelter under siege it makes sense. The playbook is following it's course and the governing body is not asking the people with the answers. The shelters know they have a problem, they deal with it every day, but now the council/commission have become entranced with a silver bullet theory that says. " Not your fault for not funding" It is Bad Shelter Policy, they always blame the victim. Like the man who leaves the wife at home and takes the mistress to dinner.

Our animal control facility is something to be really proud of, and yet the No Kills are trying to undermine it. I think our 7.5 million dollar budget is a big attraction, and by stacking dogs two or three to a kennel Winograd could save the county money; the heck with the dogs. The County sees a way to cut spending and not being knowledgable about animal behavior you have the victim walking up to the lion. They paint AC as being lavish with policy setting and by cutting corners here and there. Wah Lah !!! Money in the bank. Shave those quality of life issues and load up on animals. This is very short term thinking and very quickly the shelters will over fill and the party begins in earnest. Why do the governing bodies not talk to the shelter staff ? Afraid someone will know they don't know? You learn by asking and that comes by admitting you don't know, and asking the logical person who has been dealing with it. Winograd doesn't do any local demographics, just assumes every shelter has clement weather, Wake up, wake up says the Oreo girl !

Sharing The Same Platter...

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last. -Winston Churchill

Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. -Benjamin Franklin

I watch the girls grab a quick bite, French doors open, sun streaming in, a lot to learn from these two. They eat together, sleep in the same room, boss the same old bulky male around, and yet they don't quarrel. For them it hasn't been the alpha thing, I have watched for that, and am willing to let nature direct the decisions. They respect each other, it comes down to respect, and the willingness to share.

There is no sense of appeasement here, they want to get along, so they do, quite simple really, yet homo sapiens have missed every chance to try this technique out. "Play nice with your little friends" is how Oreo puts it. Fear driven relationships often result in appeasement, never sucess. Relationships based on mutual respect for each others goals and interests are sustainable. The aggressive tactic of the fanatics are not helping animals, they' re hurting them.

Animal Care and Control agencies have different rules they must live by than the non profits, each meets a community need and they work best in a symbiotic relationship. Oreo doesn't believe in Cookies ( ha ha ha ! ) so this site does not use any tracking devices; we have no interest in who views our musings. But the emails I receive to the address on my profile come from all over the country, so I understand the vastness of this problem.

Peace to you and yours from Oreo and friends...

Does Oreo Have An Agenda ?..Hellooo ......

Reading her mission statement gets it out there pretty clearly. Sometimes the ideas seem contradtictory if you don't follow the whole blog, so hang in there. We have tried to keep bad vs good from the conversation, it really is about what is fair and will work in the long haul. Not personal agendas, or an attack mission, a straightforeward honest opinion. Hurling insults at a shelter only hurts the animals stuck there, but, being honest about shelter conditions is imperative if we ever hope to gain cooperation from the public and get the funding and volunteers we need. Telling the truth is not defamation, if it is the truth, get it out there.....
If all the Director puts out is spin, the public will buy it because it suits their comfort zone. It is easier to look through the rosy glasses. I have lost all respect for this current non profit shelter director, I went in with an open mind and she slammed it in my face. But life has taught me that people can and sometimes will change, like a lump of coal under pressure it rises above its humble origins. The pattern of this Director is to never answer a question, spin and smoke and mirrors. If a direct question regarding numbers is asked, which has happened, the answer is dodged. How many animals were euthanized at the No Kill facility on Longley Lane during the months of February and March 2008 ? The director was quoted as saying a "few" I am not in favor of No Kill as it is currently being implemented, it won't work; you can intimidate employees, and that does happen, but you can't change the facts.
This system is based totally on saturation of the community. When everyone who can squeeze a dog or cat somewhere is full, the party is over. The December 2007 and January 2008 numbers were running between 178 & 202 a day for dogs in the No Kill, when the new dog manager came on board in Febuary the dogs were at about 170-175 per day. with in two weeks they began to plunge, yet the intakes stayed the same generally. Once the word leaked out that animals were being destroyed the intake numbers slowed a little. The reason given on the pet dog blog was, a re- evaluation determined some aggression issues. The numbers held steady at about 150 for a week or so and now they are creeping up again. It is not even the puppy season yet.
If mistakes have been made, and they are now being rectified, say so and move on, but the numbers were out there on Petharbor.com, If there is not a revamping of of how animals are evaluated and kept on the No Kill side, we will have another purge in 7 months...keeping an animal confined without reason or hope is not what No Kill should be about.
That's what Oreo said. Her agenda is the humane compassionate care of the animals entrusted to a public intake facility, and sometimes the most compassionate path is the most difficult. She doesn't pretend to be no kill and by gosh nobody should be forced to. It is a wonderful dream that we will come to our senses and stop the sources of overpopulation, but there will always be a need to be fair and make tough choices. Saving a 20 year old cat with heroic measures while young healthy cats are put down is rediculous, spaying 2 pound kittens is irresponsible. I understand the reason behind it, but there is a better way and perhaps I will write about it later.

Please Click On The kcascreatures Link To The Right

It is Christmas in April, does our consultant have a business license ? I won't waste your time, go straight to Catmom's place and by golly the links bear the truth..

Turn, Turn , Turn,.... A Time For Every Season.....

Under Heaven..

Perhaps the tides are coming our way and the animals will find a new peace along with their new Dog Park !! A big thank you to a man who quietly gives so much to this community. Generosity is born in the heart and blossoms into the world around us.

We have been so busy with practical matters we have hardly had time to stop and mark the roses ( doggie joke ) Puppy and Kitten season is upon us, and all the cute puppies that people want to take home " forever" are arriving at the shelters already. We know all to well the obstacles we face. They grow, they chew, they leak and they bark all night, they come back to the shelter.

That's the problem, we all know that, anybody got a solution ? As you can tell from her pic, Oreo is weary of it already. She has had puppies chasing her all her life, chewing her ears and hanging on to her tail, and she has never been in season or given birth. For most of her life Oreo has sought out lonely pups, she teaches them doggie manners, how to interact with others & where to piddle . Oreo is a doggie version of a foster Mom. There are so many pups being pulled from the Mom dog before they can learn dogspeak, they come into shelters and start off disadvantaged because they haven't learned basic body language skills. The kind they learn from other dogs. When Oreo lifts that lip, even the rowdiest pup settles down, next she teaches them play moves, how to bow, when to submit. I don't believe all dogs have the interest or the patience, but if you have a dog with these skills could you consider helping a pup taken to soon from its Mom ?

This doesn't mean a puppy comes into your home and abuses your dog, that doesn't help the puppy and will tick off your dog, but slow introduction and a willingness to be there during the initial stages will build success. If there is an interest in learning more on how to do this, put up a post and I will expand. Oreo is retiring this year, her spirit is willing, but she has so many health issues , I need to protect her from herself. I don't get so concerned about litters that come in together, but the orphan lone pup has nobody to learn from. Check with your animal services agency, breeders quite often put the last unsold pup in the overnight box. I understand the frustration and I know many of these fostered pups may not find a forever home, but we can greatly inprove their chances, and this moment in their lives. Oreo, thanks you...

The County Commission Was Attentive & Diligent

What a great afternoon we had in Chambers. Unlike King County which had tons of people, we did things kind of quiet, but the level of attention to detail was most appreciated. There was only one citizen speaker, Ardena Perry for the County side, the points were brief and well thought out. Urging the upholding of state and county codes, the speaker pressed the County to continue to allow WCRAS policy to be separate from the No Kill non profit stating health issues and public safety. A primary concern was the directing of public policy by a corporation. The commission listened to the presentation put forth by the County Field Supervisior Mitch Schieder, and Bonney Brown of the Nevada Humane Society. Mitch while fluent in matters of his expertise ( field management ) was sadly lacking in the numbers and policies of the brick and mortar shelter. It was not any reflection on Mitch, he was simply told by his boss Dan St. John ( Director of Public Works ) to do a job that was beyond his scope. The commission was denied a lot of valuable information due to this error on Dan's part. Dan gets sucked into some stuff he shouldn't because he is very new in shelter management oversight, Cindy Sabatoni has close to 30 years in the field and we were looking forward to having her answer questions from Commission.
The Animal Services Manager ( Cindy Sabatoni ) was in the audience but not a part of the presentation. Shame , if one wants to know how a Shelter is run one should ask the Shelter Manager, but the Commission was not given the opportunity. I think NHS committed to getting the Staff replaced at the County side. ( a major component of " reforming animal control") The Director of Public Works ( Dan St. John ) seems blissfully unaware that he is being had by the NHS Director, so at her whining/ winning ways; he put an lower ranking staff member before the Commission. The title for the Field Manager is "liason" these days. I do wish the poor man had a clue. He seems pretty smitten by what the locals call the " kittenish" Bonney Brown, or as one local blogger on Marks space refers to her a " real hottie" I don't know how professional that is for a corporate Director, but I take it as a general slap at the facility since the two seemed joined at the hip these days in the minds of most citizens.
Back to the Commission, questions were great, Commissioner Weber addressed impact on county resources from NHS holding animals so long., as well a personal human concern for the welfare of any animal so long in captivity, she also voiced concerns with multiple kennel occupants. Ms. Brown stated the dogs were pack animals and enjoyed the company. Not true, even dogs that come in together will will have arousal fights (often ending in death ) during periods of confinement. Mrs. Weber mentioned three dogs that were there over a year, I could happily furnish her more.
Commissioner Galloway brought up animal complaints about a local boarding kennel going way beyond the description of a boarding kennel and being a neighborhood nusicance. Were the
" rescues" needing to be licensed as kennels, if not, why weren't they ? Mitch tried to cover NHS ( he seems to have forgotten he works for the County) by saying the dogs usually left after 30 days ,Well yeah....and more come in. A fact that Mr. Galloway grabbed on quickly. So he raised questions of supervision and numbers of animals stored on the public sector. Ms Brown touted 585 foster homes, which at 3 dogs per household, would be 1500 dogs, when questioned by Mr. Galloway on this she said she " thought" there were maybe 30 or 40 in foster. More than one commissioner asked how many dogs per kennel in the facility? Commissioner Larkin challenged the numbers put forth for intake and about them being the highest in the nation, he requested per capita proof to keep it apples to apples. Mr. Humpke dealt with a capital improvements issue and raised one animal related concern that I can't recall right now, but when the video is available I will watch it and report back. Ms Jung was fixated on the number of kennels being held for emergency overflow, and wanted very much to talk about disaster versus daily use. she wanted proof that we would have a disaster to justify keeping the rate at 75%. That was her only focus, filling up those kennels; very dangerous for the animals of our community to run above 75%, which we sometimes have done out of necessity anyway.
The Commission had really done their homework and asked the questions needed to get us on track as a community.
All of us volunteers know ShelterManager Sabatoni has tried to get along with Bonney Brown, it just was never on the table for NHS to cooperate, never even in the playbook. And I think the whole take over was so apparent to the commission today. Brown stated that she only got $75.00 per dog after taking 3000 dogs so it was a financial disaster for her to take pound puppies, so that leaves Washoe County dogs ending up in the pound at the mercy of privately funded rescues. The county bears the expense of maintaining the animal during the stray period, holding for the adopter till the spay/nueter process is done, then maintaining the animal until the adopter picks it up. Just one example of NHS cost shaving methods, while claiming the adoption credit. I am so proud of this Commission for stepping up to the plate for the animals of Washoe County. A disaster is not always an earthquake or flood, it can be a disease outbreak, or a fire at a large complex with lots of pets. Afterward, in the lobby, a man came up and mentioned Ms Jung's questioning, he thought she should recuse her self from voting since she seemed such a part of NHS and was a foster for their kittens. That could present a confict. He may have had a point...
The main thrust was the Commission wanted answers and a yearly review, excellent.. We would like to see some control over fosters, because there are complaints from people about the rescues and fosters taking packs of dogs to the parks, so the numbers are high. Citizens are pleased with the fine job our AC had done with keeping the place in such good shape. I don't want it over run in two years which is where it was headed. NHS said they did kill between 14 and 20 dogs per month, but she wasn't sure of any numbers such as the stats they provide at County, just" some got destroyed for sick or aggression", Reasons and numbers for euthanasia that may involve animals from impound, or be reflective of confinement issues should be public.

Off To The Super Adoption

The event at the fairgrounds was nice, I felt bad for some of the dogs, and yet hopeful that a home was in the wings for some . As an expericenced dog activist I don't support impulse adoption, and that is what the event was. Best Friends was there tabling, that is insider for soliciting donations, and many people who make their living from dogs were pedaling as well. I made a decent living working with dogs, most of my life, but I didn't pretend otherwise. Veterinarians make a living from animals, so do shelters, can we all say what we are and why we do the things we did? I saw a lot of " rescues" working the room and that bothered me. I think they put a fair amount of money into an animal and a fee is reasonable, but the pity donations are deplorable. I did search and rescue among other things and I saw three really nice smaller GSD's . Perfect size for S&R and seemed to get along with each other, but the rescue had reservations about them with other pets. Narrows the field for placement, most people have aleast one pet in the home already, very nice dogs though. If you look closely at the picture you can see a Collie, Aussie, GSD, and a Newfie; at the moment the Collie is driving. It is necessary for all dogs to have a social interaction with people and other dogs from early on, and some dogs will never be sociable no matter how much time is given to them. If you respect the personality of the animal it will generally be a lasting relationship. Put the hermit with the hermit. Nobody seemed to know very much about the dogs they brought.That was worrisome, but common with the spontaneous adoptions.....

Congratulations To King County !!

This has been one devoted community and I am sure that if you stay on top of things you can achieve your goal of saving lives sensibly. Shelter management requires a tremendous ammout of knowledge of animals........ a fact that is getting lost in the consultant's marketing. Any other type of work and you better darn well know the product, yet some groups advertise no animal experience necessary to be a shelter director. I feel strongly that your council is utilizing the experiences of others, and that perhaps shows a true concern for the whole community... O, MP, & BD

New Info' On Rancho Adoption Statistics

Recieved a great comment, do go there !
It seems one reason the
"adoptions" are so high is a large Two Fur One promotion and the non-501c3"s pay no fee. That is a loss for the county coffers. There is no way to press for license fee income since the rescues have no requirement to provide the county with placement information. the animals just leave the shelter, for all anyone knows they could be living with hoarders with horrid conditions. Those of us reading this from Nevada have yet to deal with the non 501c3 types. See the comment under" Oreo's Powerpoint" for the interesting details....
Pictured are my Cockatiel neices, they were the first eggs to hatch for my Sis and we continue to celebrate the life. the need to nurture runs deep.

Oreo's Power Point

After hearing that a traveling consultant did much of his work with PowerPoint, Oreo decided to jump into the 21 st Century. As always I trust her judgement, so from here on she will direct and I will type. ( So what's new ? )
Unable to get stats from our local humane society that are not blended with our animal control ( see skewed ) We decided to use last years (2007) reports from Rancho Cucamonga, a So Cal facility that has since the report had to drop the No Kill label. This is a Rabies Control Report so Dogs and Cats are both listed. The report runs from January to December of 2007. It was a complicated read so we will list things in a more reader friendly fashion, with annotations as required for clarity.
1. Total animals entering shelter. 2,335 Dogs.. 2,690 Cats
2. Animals Captured by Animal Control 673 Dog.. 509 Cats
3. Owner Surrenders (dog / cat) 390 Dog.. 340 Cat
4. Public Surrenders ( dog/cat) 1,242 Dog.. 1,834 Cat
5. Bite Quarantines 27 Dog.. 7 Cat
6. Transfers From Other Shelter 3 Dog.. 0 Cat

Animals Leaving the Shelter System 1,881.. Dog 2,041 Cat
1. Reclaimed by Owner 448 Dog.. 28 Cat
2. Adopted into new home 1,005 Dog.. 1,038 Cat
3. Euthanized 276 Dog.. 786 Cat
4. Died of Other Causes 11 Dog.. 149 Cat
5. Stolen or Escaped 12 Dog.. 39 Cat
6. Transferred to Another Shelter 79 Dog.. 1 Cat
7. Animals Carried over to 2008 2* Dog 2* Cat

Working with the incoming animals first ( brown font) ; note: for purposes of time I will use only the dog column. There were 1,632 dogs surrenered versus 673 captured by Animal control. This is highly indicative of citizens feeling complacent about abandoning animals at a No Kill facility. This information's located on lines 2,3 &4. When the shelter announced it was again Euthanizing, the intake numbers dropped. This has been a tradional reaction across the country as the shelter begins to deal with the overcrowding in the only way it can. We cannot adopt our way out of this.
Of the 673 ( brown line 2 ) dogs captured, 448 ( Green line 1 ) were returned to owner, leaving 125 added to the system. Total number of dogs for adoptiion combined is 1,757, the number actually adopted was ( Green line 2) 1005. leaving 752. Of the remaining dogs per lines 3&4 ( green) 287 died, 12 escaped,and 79 were transferred. That leaves 374 accumulation. the numbers are rising faster than they can be absorbed under the No Kill plan.
It is difficult to get this to come across with posting the actual report, so if something doesn't make sense please email to the link in my profile.

Renton Wa. Article Fighting Baseless Allegations

By Steve Hunter

Wednesday, April 9, 2008
County should get out of shelter business, expert says by By Steve Hunter A consultant to the King County Council recommended Monday that a private agency should take over the county’s Animal Care and Control services.
“While I have historically been concerned about the practice of private agencies performing animal-control work, there does not appear to be another reasonable alternative in order to solve the endemic problems of King County Animal Care and Control,” consultant Nathan Winograd wrote in his 147-page report, released in its entirety Monday.
Winograd, who runs the No Kill Advocacy Center in San Clemente, Calif., gave a preliminary report March 17 to the Council. He told the Council then he had doubts whether the county’s animal control division could create a model no-kill program because it couldn’t even properly feed the dogs and cats it now houses at its shelters in Kent and Bellevue. Kent’s shelter, the larger of the two, came under considerable fire from Winograd.
Winograd’s full report criticized County Executive Ron Sims, whose office oversees the Animal Care and Control division. Sims has been King County executive since 1997.
“The county executive has failed for over a decade to take the necessary measures to reform the shelter despite numerous reports, recommendations and credible complaints over the inhumane and inadequate condition of the shelter,” Winograd wrote.
Sims and his staff, including Al Dams, acting manager of King County Animal Care and Control who oversees the Kent and Bellevue shelters, were working this week on a written response to Winograd’s report, and were unavailable for comment for this story.
“We’re still putting together our response,” said Natasha Jones, communications manager for the executive branch, in a phone interview Wednesday. “For a report of that magnitude, it will be a detailed response.”
Jones said she expected the report from the executive branch to be released Friday to the media, which is after the Reporter’s deadline for this issue.
But Dams has denied Winograd’s allegations that animals at the shelter went without food and water for more than a day.
“I’ve found looking at documents (working checklists) and interviewing officers that evidence does not exist to support that allegation,” Dams said in an interview after the March 17 meeting.
The Council will decide whether to continue to operate the animal services division after it conducts a public hearing April 14 in Burien on the issue of its shelter programs.
“This written report identifies serious issues involving shelter management and leadership that must be addressed,” said Council Chairwoman Julia Patterson in a prepared statement to Winograd’s full report. “We look forward to discussing these findings with the county executive so we can move forward together to ensure the humane treatment of animals in the custody of King County Animal Care and Control.”
Patterson represents District 5, which encompasses Kent, Des Moines, SeaTac, Federal Way, Tukwila and Renton.
The Council hired Winograd to determine whether the county has the leadership, human resources and facilities to operate a model no-kill program.
In Winograd’s full report, he wrote the problems include:
• Dismal shelter conditions and animal-care protocols, resulting in lack of humane care that borders on animal neglect.
• Continual outbreaks of disease that indicate lack of proper cleaning and vaccination protocols.
• Animals allowed to suffer for lack of medical treatment.
• Missed opportunities to save the lives of animals or properly respond to calls for service.
Winograd wrote that previous reviews of the county’s animal-care division had similar findings and still nothing has been done to resolve the problems.
“There is no reason to expect that this agency can or will proceed in compliance with Council policy demands when they cannot even ensure that animals in their care are provided with food and water,” Winograd wrote in the full report.
King County Animal Care and Control has been under close watch by the Council since a citizens advisory committee, formed in May 2007 by the Council to investigate the shelter, issued a damning report in September 2007 that called for improvements at the shelter from its current “deplorable” condition.
The Council funded only the most critical upgrades (budgeted at $130,000) to the Kent Animal Shelter for this year until it decides later this spring whether the county should stay in the animal-shelter business, and if so, what changes should be made.
King County provides animal control and shelter services to unincorporated areas and 37 cities within the county, including Kent. The city of Seattle has its own animal control officers and operates an animal shelter.
Contact Steve Hunter at 253-872-6600, ext. 5052 or shunter@reporternewspapers.com

The lead photo shows a typical approach to dealing with shelter issues by the no kill group, put something pretty between you and reality, then hope nobody notices you......

Looking For Answers

The pictures of Max were taken from Petharbor. com a long time ago. It is now very difficult to get the pictures to come through on the hard drive. a friend who does German Shepherd rescue was kind enough to provide them for the purpose of stopping the abuse of overbreeding. I read something on a LA site. This man said he hated puppy mills not only for what they did to the puppies, but what they did to the Mother, I thought that painfully true. When these " retired" bitches come in, they don't know how to interact. And, deprived of puppies the only companionship they have ever known, they are lost. They are rehomed, but not easily, and their sad lives are a testament to mankinds lack of understanding.
Above our guys wait for the guests of the book club to arrive, it means attention, cookies, and a reminder not to jump...

Max In November, The Returns Are Showing On Him

Where is the bright puppy shown in the July pic ? Shelter life has sure taken the grin off this boys face. Please consider a strong program to reduce the pet population, this plan is causing pain and grief. This is not a trick photo of this dog, he actually looked worse in person; from what we hear the last foster adopted him, but I am not sure I believe he had a happy ending. I have lost all confidence in dogs recovering from so many adoptions, I hope he has peace and a quiet yard to call his own at last, not just a kennel in a foster. That is not a life. To find the true nature of the beast, just look at your local paper, so many puppies and they don't all get sold, and the others end up at the pound. Some breeders pay the fee to dump them, but most use the drop box, stop production folks.........

Who Could Say No To This Face ?

This is Max, he came to the County shelter as a stray: at 4 months old he had the world by the tail. I recall he was a " drop box" puppy, but memory could get clouded. From his appearance I would hazard he was overstock from a litter that went home and left him behind.
Max was quickly spoken for by a new hire at the No Kill intake facility, couldn't fall into better hands, one would think. In a short period Max was back at the Stray agency and his adopter never claimed him. He had some health issues and was adopted out a couple of more times and brought back. Max was on the downward spiral. Leftover puppies from greedy breeders end up at shelters all the time. Being purebred doesn't mean you get a home, when the market is flooded, the leftovers end up dumped. I am not sure where Oreo and I stand on mandatory spay nueter, but we are firm on where we stand on puppies dumped at the pound. The No Kill Advocacy opposes mandatory spay nueter . Are there two standards, one for pound puppies which must be nuetered before leaving and another for purebreds? I respect his right to his feelings, but puppies are puppies, are puppies, and a No Kill advcate not in favor of spay/ nueter is confusing. Please visit http://www.petpac.net/No_Kill_movement/ The answer to overpopulation, which Mr. Winograd says is a myth, is a strong incentive to stop breeding your pets ! No Kill has been around for 20 years, if it were sustainable the guru's could retire and open a sanctuary.

With Choices Comes Responsiblity,... Bummer

The right to die, what a strange concept. I would have opposed it, in my youth, probably with a vengence. We put down far to many healthy animals in our society, not so many as other places, but enough for us, with our high American dreams. I like being an American too.....That isn't fashionable at the moment either. I can choose if I want a pet, and I can choose when for the sake of the animal I must let it go. That is a personal decision at this time and I am fighting to keep it that way. I don't like outsiders telling me how to run my life and me being the one living with the consequences. I didn't ask for a consultant for our animals here in Reno, and now that we have one I hate it. Going to the shelter and seeing the same poor animals for months on end, and then , gone, all gone. Ed Muzika in LA put it best, after seeing the same ones for month's on end; when you call to inquire, they get put down. Were they aggressive all along and we just stored them to be cruel , or were they driven crazy by kenneling? You make the call.

All the arguments used by no kill wackos are the ones I use to stop the madness, these are feeling sentinent beings. We have bred them to be companion animals, then we overshoot the mark and get a surplus. Breeding dogs isn't bad, overbreeding dogs is bad, turning our children into little screaming machines to get the latest fad puppy is bad, failing to have the maturity to say "no" is the worst. People who are working to lower the euthanasia rates are saints, the ones who scream life at any cost are wackos.. If a dog gets a 20 minute walk every day , and most don't in a shelter, that means 23 HOURS and 40 minutes are spent alone in a kennel, not touched, not held, not loved. Justify that.......

Growing up I heard a phrase that seems to have been banned today, pity really. Great phrase... " We can't afford it lovey " end of discussion. It was the kinder way. Sometimes I got a lenthy explanation but sometimes I got." When you're making the money dear, you can choose how to spend it" Or the absolute worst " I'd rather have you hate me as a child, and love me when you're grown " I remember screaming once.. "But what if I die first !!!" Then you will die with out the puppy.Mom always won.

What I found out when grown, Mama loved dogs and she grew up in a farm community where dogs were not always treated well. If the dog didn't herd, it got shot, if it got sick it got shot. My Mama made a decision to never have a pet she couldn't keep forever, till one of them died. I learned that from my Mama, don't get a pet till you can keep it.......

News From Around The Water Cooler

Sometimes the girls just hang out and gossip. That is when the extra links appear !! One of the big plans of No Kill is "pet retention", that translates into a lot of grief ( hassle) when the time to surrender the pet arrives. We put in the Indianapolis link so you could see how other parts of the country feel about this. Several of the comments were right on, mainly the concern for the animal that is turned away.
I have touched on that in earlier posts, but it is worth repeating. The decision by a person of integrity to give up the family pet is a difficult one, this group is usually under some type of pressure, money, neighbors vet bills. No amount of talking is going to help them, it will only make an awkward task more painful and the situation is beyond their control. For the people who should never have owned a dog in the first place; they will just dump the animal, or come back at midnight and tie it do the door. Use your resources for cleaning pens and giving love pat's ; isn't this picture so like the unsupervised staff of some shelters ? Link update, The Seattle PI is no longer taking comments; but is still a worthy read.

News Article From Rancho

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Contrary to popular belief, the Animal Care and Adoption Center is not a "no-kill" shelter. Its director, Joe Pulcinella, stresses that the city is making a concerted effort to control the pet population through aggressive public awareness programs and expanding the facilities. But Pulcinella shies away from using the "no-kill" term, saying it can be misleading and can encourage the dumping of animals at the facility. "The public takes (the term `no-kill') literally, and that's a very logical interpretation," he said. "I'd like to say our goal is to build a community in which every adoptable animal finds a home. It's a goal that will take several years to reach." The fact is, though the numbers are declining, the shelter still euthanizes animals due to space constraints. That's disheartening to people such as Nicole Myerchin, an outspoken critic of how the facility has been run by the county and now the city. Rancho Cucamonga wrested control of the shelter away from the county in 2006. It also hired a consultant to map the Animal Care and Adoption Center's path to being a "no-kill" shelter. "If a student goes from an `F' to a `D+,' are you thrilled? No," said Myerchin. "Especially when you know that student is capable of an `A."' This year, 994 animals have been euthanized compared with 1,627 euthanized during the same period in 2005 when the shelter was under county control. But Pulcinella said to immediately go from county-run to "no-kill" is unrealistic and that the center would be overflowing with animals if it did. A new surgical facility - to be completed in January, along with an outdoor meet-and-greet area for dog adoption - should help keep space open and reduce the number of adoptable animals that need to be euthanized. Currently, animals needing surgery are sent to veterinarians, prolonging the wait for those who want to adopt. The new surgical suite will decrease that wait time. The center, which has one part-time veterinarian, also is looking to hire either a full-time or two part-time veterinarians. Pulcinella said he hopes to fill the new position in January. City officials hope the awareness campaigns and the new facilities eventually alleviate the need to euthanize adoptable pets, which is the ultimate goal. But, Pulcinella said, because it is a municipal facility, the center does not and will not turn away animals found in the city. That means euthanizing adoptable pets remains a necessity for now. will help wendy.leung@dailybulletin.com (909) 483-9376

About the Emperor

The story below was a childhood favorite, even as a little tyke I got the drift. It is hard to con an honest man.
Pictured is a lovely fella, found in traffic, I am not posting his name out of respect for his owner; he was mentioned in a previous post and he was not transferred to NHS because of all the Pitbulls that had established residence there for so long. When you run at capacity there is no margin for a dog that has an owner who may be on vacation, or out of town for a funeral. I visited him and was there the day he was euthanized. He was glad to see me and took the treats offered. I know the staff and know that he was given love till the very end. Even on the last day, staff drove to the home of the owner and the post was still up. Sad things happen, every day, in sheltering. We certainly don't need a mercenary at the helm.
On a happier note the lady with the pit's ( Purebreed's post ) has found some help in her area; and the dogs are doing better. It is a concentrated effort and she stated the only driving force was she didn't want to take them back to the no kill shelter to have them and some one else go through this again. This pic was taken at the shelter and I Photoshopped out the chain link , this is how I wanted to remember this special guy. He had been kept beyond his stray period since he had tags, but shortly after this was taken, he was gone.

What is the Common Denominator ?

The Emperor’s New Suit
by
Hans Christian Andersen
(1837)
Many years ago lived an emperor, who thought so much of new clothes that he spent all his money in order to obtain them; his only ambition was to be always well dressed. He did not care for his soldiers, and the theatre did not amuse him; the only thing, in fact, he thought anything of was to drive out and show a new suit of clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day; and as one would say of a king “He is in his cabinet,” so one could say of him, “The emperor is in his dressing-room.”
The great city where he resided was very gay; every day many strangers from all parts of the globe arrived. One day two swindlers came to this city; they made people believe that they were weavers, and declared they could manufacture the finest cloth to be imagined. Their colours and patterns, they said, were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the clothes made of their material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid.
“That must be wonderful cloth,” thought the emperor. “If I were to be dressed in a suit made of this cloth I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I could distinguish the clever from the stupid. I must have this cloth woven for me without delay.” And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time. They set up two looms, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on the looms. They asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold-cloth; all they got they did away with, and worked at the empty looms till late at night.
“I should very much like to know how they are getting on with the cloth,” thought the emperor. But he felt rather uneasy when he remembered that he who was not fit for his office could not see it. Personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it advisable to send somebody else first to see how matters stood. Everybody in the town knew what a remarkable quality the stuff possessed, and all were anxious to see how bad or stupid their neighbours were.
“I shall send my honest old minister to the weavers,” thought the emperor. “He can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent, and nobody understands his office better than he.”
The good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty looms. “Heaven preserve us!” he thought, and opened his eyes wide, “I cannot see anything at all,” but he did not say so. Both swindlers requested him to come near, and asked him if he did not admire the exquisite pattern and the beautiful colours, pointing to the empty looms. The poor old minister tried his very best, but he could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen. “Oh dear,” he thought, “can I be so stupid? I should never have thought so, and nobody must know it! Is it possible that I am not fit for my office? No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the cloth.”
“Now, have you got nothing to say?” said one of the swindlers, while he pretended to be busily weaving.
“Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful,” replied the old minister looking through his glasses. “What a beautiful pattern, what brilliant colours! I shall tell the emperor that I like the cloth very much.”
“We are pleased to hear that,” said the two weavers, and described to him the colours and explained the curious pattern. The old minister listened attentively, that he might relate to the emperor what they said; and so he did.
Now the swindlers asked for more money, silk and gold-cloth, which they required for weaving. They kept everything for themselves, and not a thread came near the loom, but they continued, as hitherto, to work at the empty looms.
Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to the weavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly finished. Like the old minister, he looked and looked but could see nothing, as there was nothing to be seen.
“Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?” asked the two swindlers, showing and explaining the magnificent pattern, which, however, did not exist.
“I am not stupid,” said the man. “It is therefore my good appointment for which I am not fit. It is very strange, but I must not let any one know it;” and he praised the cloth, which he did not see, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the fine pattern. “It is very excellent,” he said to the emperor.
Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth. At last the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on the loom. With a number of courtiers, including the two who had already been there, he went to the two clever swindlers, who now worked as hard as they could, but without using any thread.
“Is it not magnificent?” said the two old statesmen who had been there before. “Your Majesty must admire the colours and the pattern.” And then they pointed to the empty looms, for they imagined the others could see the cloth.
“What is this?” thought the emperor, “I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor? That would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me.”
“Really,” he said, turning to the weavers, “your cloth has our most gracious approval;” and nodding contentedly he looked at the empty loom, for he did not like to say that he saw nothing. All his attendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although they could not see anything more than the others, they said, like the emperor, “It is very beautiful.” And all advised him to wear the new magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take place. “It is magnificent, beautiful, excellent,” one heard them say; everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed the two swindlers “Imperial Court weavers.”
The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place, the swindlers pretended to work, and burned more than sixteen candles. People should see that they were busy to finish the emperor’s new suit. They pretended to take the cloth from the loom, and worked about in the air with big scissors, and sewed with needles without thread, and said at last: “The emperor’s new suit is ready now.”
The emperor and all his barons then came to the hall; the swindlers held their arms up as if they held something in their hands and said: “These are the trousers!” “This is the coat!” and “Here is the cloak!” and so on. “They are all as light as a cobweb, and one must feel as if one had nothing at all upon the body; but that is just the beauty of them.”
“Indeed!” said all the courtiers; but they could not see anything, for there was nothing to be seen.
“Does it please your Majesty now to graciously undress,” said the swindlers, “that we may assist your Majesty in putting on the new suit before the large looking-glass?”
The emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the new suit upon him, one piece after another; and the emperor looked at himself in the glass from every side.
“How well they look! How well they fit!” said all. “What a beautiful pattern! What fine colours! That is a magnificent suit of clothes!”
The master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy, which was to be carried in the procession, were ready.
“I am ready,” said the emperor. “Does not my suit fit me marvellously?” Then he turned once more to the looking-glass, that people should think he admired his garments.
The chamberlains, who were to carry the train, stretched their hands to the ground as if they lifted up a train, and pretended to hold something in their hands; they did not like people to know that they could not see anything.
The emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy, and all who saw him in the street and out of the windows exclaimed: “Indeed, the emperor’s new suit is incomparable! What a long train he has! How well it fits him!” Nobody wished to let others know he saw nothing, for then he would have been unfit for his office or too stupid. Never emperor’s clothes were more admired.
“But he has nothing on at all,” said a little child at last. “Good heavens! listen to the voice of an innocent child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said. “But he has nothing on at all,” cried at last the whole people. That made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, “Now I must bear up to the end.” And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the train which did not exist.

Seniors in Shelters, from the eye of a Senior.......

Very few things tug at my heartstrings like walking through a shelter and seeing some old sweetheart standing alone and confused on the concrete. Years have taught them, the the owner will come home, and time now, will show them otherwise. It is something in the way they greet one, a polite hello while peeking around your legs to see who may be approaching to clarify this error.

My mind still tries to come up with some sensible ( to me at least ) reason for this, did the owner pass away ? Perhap s a nursing home, the need to blame can get pretty strong here, if I don't ride herd on my gut. Where are those darn kids, why didn't they take this sad creature into their lives? I have learned for me, when I am judging I am never helping, and these lovely animals need an advocate not someone wasting time muttering.

And now for things we don't want to read........ Should Dad's old dog even go to the shelter ? From my perspective no......Hope that didn't make your doughnut sour, if you are enjoying morning coffee. And here is another sticky wicket, most grown children have pets of their own, and the old dog, set in its ways may not do well living with the kids & critters. That alone should tell you the chances for a permanent adoptive home are slim to nil. ( Please can we never again say " forever home "" ) we do that like tossing that label on some adopter, is going to make the home stick. I would much prefer that my guys get to miss the whole adoption experience if they are geriatric. & disabled in some manner. And, yep that does mean a hard decision toward, and inclusive of Euthanasia, we call it the E word. I am not asking you to substitute my opinion for yours here, I am simply putting mine forward. I will use Oreo since we have referenced her and Honey in the past. If anyone out here is in doubt on this dog please see "Old Dogs New Home"

on this site. We are talking toatal inability fo the owner to EVER take care of the pet again, ok ?

Little adventures where the dog could be boarded or stay with a friend are not even on the table.

Long before we get to this moment in time, the human should have noted that both they and the pet were getting older, and since age doesn't reverse itself, this needs to be dealt with.... Ask your family, point blank ( no cornering please ) do you want this dog / cat ? Leave them time and space for an honest answer. One hesitation should count as a no. Close friends are another option, don't be afraid to ask, but remember you are asking them for what could be a long and ardous commitment. Next your vet, what do they think, remember vets didn't go to school to kill dogs they have a strong tendency to try and save them, which is a good thing. But a saved older dog without a home is not a good thing. So be clear in your wishes and put them in writing. If your vet has treated your pal for years, there is going to be an attachment there and this is hard on them as well. Line these things up while you still think you don't need to.........After the stroke or heart attack is not when one should be planning for the future of a beloved pet. That is how they end up in shelters far to often, plain old lack of planning and denial. Long love requires some hard decisions. I hope you are up to the job. Have a written directive and give it to your vet , family and close friends. Remember even the most loving, caring shelter is very hard on an older pet, and the chances of adoption into a permanent home are pretty slim, so be fair to the creature who trusts you the most. shown above is dear, gentle Dash, Oreo's sister, a very sweet girl who was escorted to the Rainbow Bridge by her loving owner last year. We owe them the dedication they give us, even if it hurts..........

And Older Kitties Have Needs Too.

Oreo commented that even though kitties are no longer a part of our daily living, we must work for them as well. Our girls Miss Gracie, and Miss Marble Kitty have been gone a long time, 10 years, and I still miss some of the fun things we did together. Gracie lived to be 23 and Marble Kitty was 21, both were pound kitties, they grew up in the same house with the same family and the same vet for over 20 years, so they were blessed and seemed to know it. Adopting a mature friend has several advantages, and the odd surprise. Gracie turned out to be quite pregnant, very far along and the vet took one look and felt she would not survive the birth process. The emergency c-section did not have any viable babies. We felt so sorry for her, we went to the pound and brought home an orphaned kitten. It was a splendid match for both of them, the kitten was newly weaned so it didn't pursue the incision area, but cuddled. We lost Gracie at 23 years old in 1997, and Marble Kitty at 21, three weeks later. We moved to an area with coyotes and hawks, so we didn't get another, but continue to love all things Cat... We don't support the TNR program however, it is cruel and totally out of the nature of cats. It puts them in harms way for many cruel things. we didn't have a Digital camera back then so none of the really great pictures we took show on the computer so we put a friends cat up. He lives in Sacramento, but emails my guys regularly.
Take the time to enjoy the animals in your life, and have a truly blessed evening. Oreo is taking the rest of the night off, and I make no sense without her.