The Riderless Horse...

It is with deep sorrow that we report the loss of " Old School".

As with many commenters on Oreo, we know the person through here, and sometimes we know them other ways and don't make the connection..... Such was the case with " Old School" a long time follower and commenter at Oreo's Place. Her insight and straight forward approach were an asset to the pet world. We never take anybodys help for granted , we know that many times it's a threat to the persons job security to come forward and state their mind; and we are happy to provide a safe haven. Old School had been ill for some time apparently, I had missed her posts but was happy to see her visits. She remained interested in things animal till the end. Thank you to the person who contacted us and for the kind words you shared. We will continue at Oreo's, one small step at a time to speak for the animals.

This sweet old gal crossed the Rainbow Bridge a few weeks ago, perhaps her new rider is coming.

A Tough Nut To Pick..

We always seemed to live under a Walnut tree, the ground would be littered with them. Walnuts found their way to baskets and the root cellar, a cool winter rest and they were ready for picking the meat out. Well, some had matured with time, some just got older. Truth in blogging here. The ones that set and didn't mature were twisty little things with insides that were hard as a rock and just about as edible. There are people walking free on the streets today with less sense than those Walnuts.
I read the Winograd blog today, his rants while not as sensible, are as entertaining as....say, peeling potatoes. he is sure not a man to stand against the wind, which ever way his mind blows, that's his current belief system. He's trying to complain about the hateful comments he gets without admiting he isn't well liked. I am curious as to how one would leave any feedback for the little bugger. He sure doesn't have a public comment format. Shame, todays roll on cross dressing was one of his better attempts to prove he's incapable of clear thought. I know he would get ripped for that one. Seems there was a little boy in New York who likes to wear dresses..now we know most girls ( except Oreo ) don't like to wear dresses, so I'm thinking the kid has a point to prove. Seems his school has a uniform code and not being allowed to wear dresses is descrimination per Winograd. He was so passionate about the little boy standing in his dress at the urinal, it seemed like a self-awareness issue. Winograd stated the other children, being progressive, said " oh that's just Jack" but the regressive principal ( think shelter managers ) imposed their draconian rules.
Pictured is Lucas, one of Miss Priss's many admirers, my guys are somewhere being nauseous. They read the monitor.

Crufts 03 Heelwork to Music

Just For Fun..

The Assessments....

I have been formulating a letter to anyone out there who may give a damn about the loss of our shelter as an AC provider.....

To whom it may be relevant………
I completed my 8th reading of the AHA assessment on WCRAS and the 11th reading of the No Kill Solutions assessment on our public intake facility, NHS.
The thoroughness of the AHA report was impressive, while as usual in his
“ shelter assessments”, Mr. Winograd rambled on about nothing offering little substance for his opinions. His report was hearsay and not documented in any professional sense of the word.
At first glance on the AHA report Mr. St. John and Mitchell Schneider steal the show bemoaning the problems with the “ former Director”. It seems there was something terribly wrong with her, and now that she is gone, the world is once again a soft rosy place to live
. It was a nice snow job on the staffers from AHA who could not or would not realize that, since the WCRAS was in stunning condition, with excellent protocol and “ The Interim Manager” had only had the helm 4 weeks, he had inherited a well-managed agency. WCRAS was still on autopilot from Sabatoni. The current “ Management Team “ all asserted it was so much better with Sabatoni gone and things were much improved…My search was on for areas of improvement which affected the taxpayers or the animals, there was none, as a matter of fact reading the reports shows both lost ground. Management at WCRAS consists of Dan, Mitch and possibly Karen Stark. And the repeatedly mentioned “ issues with the former manager” were at best ambiguous.. The clouding of “issues” was necessary because Sabatoni had maintained a sucessful working relationship with her staff as evidenced in the retention stats. Karen has always exhibited a little rebellious streak; and would clash with Sabatoni from time to time, but she also gossiped madly about NHS so I take Karen Stark with a grain of salt.
Dan and Mitch, however have been on a deliberate mission to malign and replace Sabatoni with Mitch .Schneider. Policy is changing at WCRAS to allow them to be an overflow unit for NHS when they are full. I will be providing annotated copies of the assessments .
This started when NHS began the No Kill rhetoric. I have nothing personal against either Dan or Mitch, as a matter of fact, I had always been attracted to immature, deceptive, manipulative & self absorbed men. Prior to outgrowing my Maternal instincts, anytime some loser would wander out of the shallow end of the gene pool, I would want to drag them to therapy. I don’t want to hurt or help them anymore, just try to stay as far away as possible from the destructive path. AHA is incorporating language to allow NHS to interview prospective WCRAS employees. Since all NHS hiring practices require a commitment to the No Kill philosophy this could seriously tie up hiring practice from the county view point.
I am working on the final annotated draft and will show the areas of concern, I wouldn’t waste my time trying to debunk Dan’s misleading statements to AHA. The condition of the agency and the general state of the employees affirm that it had been set up and managed with professionalism.
Bonney Brown worked with Kris Field of AHA and has started a relationship with her that may bear bitter fruit. The shelter and taxpayer confidence is in grave danger. Mitch traded his loyalty to the county to become a NO KILL star and we need to get this back on track very quickly.
Pictured is Burley Dog waiting for his walk, he understands duty comes first......

Embacing The Lie...

We have heard and read " embrace" so many times lately, the local media looks like a dime novel. All the nut jobs embracing one another makes one a tad ill about the gill.. We are up to our ears in this lovefest between down at the heels cat saviors and up to no good " managers" Mitch wants to " embrace " lifesaving, amazing, wonderful, caring BB; local shelter director gone to seed in a big way. I don't mean in a sexual way, I think they are to far gone for any of that foolishness, but they want to " merge" You know in the South in the summer time, slow river and the leeches want to
" merge " with your calf ? Similar, very similar; sometimes it's hard to tell who is sucking off whom...... Now we have all the rescues on the county page, even though the stats say they aren't pulling. Dog Town was on their stats last month nearly lost my cookies on that one, Lyon county sent out requests to not let her pull, so she moves to Churchhill and fires up the band again. If you have a moment to follow the yellow brick road, known as FB .......
Our sweet BB is "friends" with both Ed Muzika & Ed Boks; now you know that is hard to pull off. Does that mean that since they all network Tom J is now friends with Boks and Muzika ? How about Becky at Pet Network ? She is friends with Tom and BB who is a friend of Dog Town, do we have a coalition there ? Maybe BB could hire Ed Boks as her new assistant director, whoops, Nate would not like that !! Where is Nate by the way ? He is muttering away on his blog and repeating himself and King County is still under the lash of the crazies on KCACCExposed. A must read for those who enjoy tortured minds, trying to appear sane. My word, Oreo sounds like Catmom....

A Day At The Beach..

If only all rescues could be this happy.....I am looking for a bright spot in a gloomy situation. As I whipped through all the local shelter / rescues on Petfinder.Com for our Zip Code, I was stunned by the sheer number NOT in rescue. Our valley shows 284 dogs, with 185 of them being at NHS, WARF shows 83, but they're not a shelter and not subject to accurate tail counts. The SPCA had 14 dogs on Petfinder, but the truth is if a rescue pulls from a brick & mortar shelter, the dog still ends up on Petfinder.com. The best way to count tails is Petfinder for your zip and go 50 miles radius. I fear the economy is the villain here, as people struggle to stay afloat donations drop, and the ability to take in extra animals is diminished.
Here at Oreo's we had a vet trip the other day for a " wellness check" $150.00 later...... Animals require care, we sure consider ourselves responsible pet folks. Good job, no credit cards, even the damn computer is on dial-up, we consider our pets a responsibility & a first priority, yet here we are, broke. I do believe there are people who have planned well and yet, who could ever anitcipate the depth of decline in the economy. I see less people adopting for the same reason I see less fosters, can't afford it........very sad, Oreo whimpers with sadness.
Pictured are two rescues in the same family, meeting up at a get together

All Puppies Are Cute, So What Next ?

On a Pet Network page I read that they had just taken 22 puppies, due for euthanasia...... Hard to believe that NHS would not take puppies, wonder where the puppies came from, had the impression it was California; that would be a guess. Looking at the latest stats I don't see a big difference in numbers, just relabeling the ones being killed. Now under " reason for euthanasia it says unclaimed....marvelous we no longer kill for time and space...... A touch of cynicism on a sunny Sunday afternoon. NHS now has 7 job openings, albeit some partime, must be a dream to work for. Looked at all the pictures of the 51 cats from the hoarding situation that WCRAS did the transport on and NHS took at once; now they need donations of course. Really, if one has hundreds of cats stacked like china in the cupboard, who cares about a few more, just scoot the cages closer........The people had 51 cats and a family member was concerned, do ya think ? WCRAS left six behind and now is going to make sure they are altered. I guess that would be follow-up on a hoarding case ?
I notice all the ltwo animal agencies are acting like nothing has changed, so when is the county going to step up to the plate and quit letting NHS use data and software ?
A friends new cattle dog, sweet and ready to learn......

Woman's Best Friend....

Lots of Job opportunities at the No Kill place, seems to be in a state of change. Flux is a word that comes to mind when picturing the shelter.... fluidity would be a kind word as well. Or, we could just say the help doesn't stay around long. As I type this post there are 6 openings on Longley and they are all on the Intake portion of the facility. A new Asst. Director, be still my pounding heart.....the form indicated a need for knowledge of local & state law. There is a concept for one to ponder. An informed person at the helm.
The last bright star to leave that darkened sky took with her all hope of reviving a Wildlife program, or shouldering the responsibility for education. We are left with a brick and mortar rescue group. The county side is stumbling along under Mitch and we know when he gets through things are going to be very different. Everyone is afraid for their jobs and so secrecy is paramount.
Pictured is Oreo, doing what she does best, making me proud to call her my friend.....

Karen De Souza

Karen passed away from complications of surgery. She was a friend to the community in general, animals in particular, and respected by everyone who dealt with her. Oreo's was blessed to have her on the blog as a commenter and even when disagreeing on some parts of animal rescue, there was a strong bond. Like many of Oreo's friends there was never a physical meeting, but her constant support during some very difficult times meant alot.

It's ironic our last conversation was about transport. She supported it strongly in rural areas, and we were in agreement on that. There is a time and a place for it, but some of the people are getting carried away.

She cared deeply for animals in need and wanted them to find a home, but agreed with Oreo that nice did not mean adoptable. She was not one of the nut jobs who wanted an animal to live out it's life going from shelter to shelter. Her comments will be missed, although she sent a great deal that was informational and thought provoking, she didn't post so much as I wish she could have.

Sometimes discretion is needed to move between the groups. We first connected on a puppy mill operation in Silver Springs and she took some of the leftovers after Cindy and the other AC from that county shut them down. Nice lady.....

Pictured is one of my favorite Iris cultivars, and I actually dug it up in Indiana in 1969 and have been dragging it's progeny all over the world since then.

Burley Dog Says No Transports Of Shelter Dogs...

Just when you think the flakes are melting, a new one crawls out of the woodwork. Unskilled people taking animals of unknown health , history and temperment across the land. Of course Wino would be on that like dew on a watermelon. For you non-gardener types; dew will rot a melon in a blink.
It's not surprising that Wino has a new toy to torment animals with, and we can be spared his " consulting & assessment" expertise for a while; till his reputation fades. King County is still trying to get a grip on Kent shelter, but not a mention of Winograd or No Kill, all Claire Loeb Davis and the KCACC exposed gang. Maybe the plan is to take control of AC and then invite Wino back if he hasn't found a job by then. I did watch the snippet of 15 legs and it was pretty dumb, and I would hope that PBS would see through it fairly quickly.
These people need to get a job and quit sucking off the back of innocent aniamals who have already been abused by the system. Shelters are not the enemy, they are the solution until we can get the public to have some sense of social conscience again. Most shelters are sincerely trying to do the right thing and find a home for those people-less pets who can be saved. Please go back to" nice and adoptable are not the same....."
We are still keeping the focus on policy changes here, I think Mitch is not above giving away the store if it benefits him... and it will take a while for the damage to show if the animals start being shifted to county. Heads up everybody....
Yep, that means you too, Burley Dog.

San Francisco Says No To No Kill Yet Again.

Staying current on other cities is part of the job, and Oreo is not one to shirk her duties. There is a huge rant on the Wino's place about San Francisco declining him AGAIN people.....This guy is so stuck in Reno, I hope our BCC has the balls other regions have shown and stick to their guns. They brought in HSUS and Ed Sayres of the ASPCA. The big guns are coming out in clear force now, and I wish we had called them in Reno, but we didn't, so here's hoping ( as I've always said ) that Oreo is enough. He hasn't mentioned Reno other than the attack on Ardena, which was really quite enough. Desperate people do desperation driven blunders. The assessment from AHA was given to staff on the 20th of June and Dan has not entered it. into a format for public record request yet. Nothing has been said about Wino's assessment. Who cares ? I am sure there were some issues on the AHA paper and I am just as certain the gutless wonders tried to blame them on Sabatoni. We are working on getting a copy now so we can see what the problems were and who determined them to be problems....... Wanna bet there is a BB in the barrel ? Oreo is wondering if she should retire when we put this baby to bed, or just go back to normal fun stuff. We've assembled a wonderful group of people and the friendships that have grown from this are deeply appreciated. I know many people are in the direct line of fire and can't post, but it's good to know you are here looking, and learning......

Pictured is Oreo just yesterday, looking sharp and anticipating a ball toss..

Who Is Oreo ?

The cruel people are trolling again, and it makes me sad to think it spite of every chance to learn and grow; they stay in their sickness. Oreo received a group of concerned emails and the truth is, the commission needs to focus on the consultant not the one bringing the light. This is not a populist movement, if everybody got a wish list some would wish for better roads to bring jobs. Many would say keep the Library staffed and open, some would say save the golf courses. The truth is there is no wish list for luxury items. We don't have enough money to keep the necessary services available. Building a bigger shelter will allow us to store more animals, we found out 2 years ago the bigger the shelter the more animals get dumped. We need a better plan for saving lives, the one being used by NHS only prolongs misery. The hoarders will fill to capacity and then some.

Who anybody is doesn't matter, it's a diversion, nothing more. A shoot the messenger, don't look at the " models" track record...... spin, spin, spin.

Pictured is a victim of naive owner who surrendered a blind dog that couldn't walk, and thought somebody in some shelter would fix it....Didn't happen; dog was adopted out twice untreated for her blindness and structure problems, and extreme anxiety disorder.

Medical Dumping & Hardtimes

Oreo, on patrol checking abandoned houses for abandoned pets. I spoke with an aquaintance on the frontlines the other day and there was a comparison to the late seventies/early eighties. During that period many animals were turned into local shelters with undisclosed medical conditions. That is currently going on at a couple of local shelters now. Oreo wants to educate the public on the realities of life in the shelter. It is not one big vet visit. They don't run tests on everydog for every little thing. It is not possible to give the kind of treatment some of the animals need on such a large scale. If you have an animal with health problems, without your honesty, that animal can suffer in silence, alone unvisited in a kennel. A shelter is not a diaognostic center. Unless there is blood, most animals wait until they are adopted for extensive health checks.

The adopter may not have any more money than the person surrendering the animal. There is not a list of rich people waiting to pour money into a new pet. Leaving an animal alone is a house that has been vacated is a crime. Dumping a sick animal on a shelter without the truth, ought to be.

Often Oreo will smell something a human could miss, this house was empty. Praise God.

Private Thoughts, Again..

The statistics are in..
There is a changing of terms and a new form of calculating who died from what, but pretty much the same old numbers. In May, perhaps in anticipation of going " No Kill" time & space were removed from the stats as a cause of death on one set of figures, but left on another. Under Reasons for Euthanasia there is a time and space number. Skip over to Intake and Release stats and it's broken down into 3 categories; there are bite dogs, owner requested euth's and 18 unclaimed dogs and 50 unclaimed cats. Is that a polite implication of Time & Space euthanasia ? In April there was a long list of reasons replete with animal id numbers, another tidbit that Chameleon could give out if not supervised. I am not sure those were supposed to be shared with me, but they sure as hell are on the server...The question remains of how the stats are being read and put forth as an accurate reflection of life on Longley. I won't post the stats because they carry a disclaimer on the bottom and say clearly not to be decimated to the public and I don't want to fall into any legal cracks here. Got some emails about what a pain this private thing is. Yep, we are all on the same page. I got a hit from Wino country, and none of our regulars were traveling there and the reader gave hearty scrutiny to 8 pages before resting their weary eyes. It was interesting because it was a direct link, not a search. That must have come from one of Bonney's earlier fishing trips. We stay on topic here and don't do what any reasonable person would consider slander, but we're not dealing with reasonable here. I was not so naive as to think they would go quietly into the night. We are their last hope, Washoe County, last of the golden opportunities to take a good shelter down. It sucks to be the only lifeboat left.
Today was spent comparing last year's numbers under Cindy, with 2009 under Mitch. The only difference is the coding, the rescues are backing off and local sources say the shelters are not embracing them. Not sure what is meant by embracing..... Pet Network and WARF haven't taken dogs to speak of for a couple of months, but they get advertising on the County page.
Pictured is Burley Dog and Miss Priss, sleeping in a puddle is their favorite style....

Truth In Advertising

County decides not to adopt “no kill “policy
After hearing that current practices ensure that few healthy animals die at the Regional Animal Control Services Center, the Washoe County Commission on Tuesday agreed not to adopt an official "no kill" policy. It also agreed to hold a community forum to educate the public about the center, which includes the Nevada Humane Society.
The commission agreed that it did not need to create a task force to draft a formal policy to become a "no kill" community, one option that was presented by staff in an update on the joint facility that opened in 2006.
That policy is misleading, said Mitch Schneider, interim animal control director. Vicious animals and very sick animals, not likely to survive, are euthanized under a "no kill" policy.
He said he prefers "pet friendly" as animal services' goal.
Commissioner Kitty Jung made a plea to create an oversight committee to review operations and policies at the center. Chairman David Humke and Commissioner John Breternitz said they didn't have enough information to consider whether that's needed.
In 2008, Washoe County animal control euthanized 188 dogs and 238 cats because the center had run out of space, and no one wanted those animals, Schneider said.
"There were a lot of pit bulls. There's just not enough homes who want them," Schneider said. "The Humane Society is not going to take all pit bulls."
The Washoe County euthanasia rate is 7.4 animals per 1,000 population. That compares with the national average of 12.5 animals per 1,000 population.
The center took in 11,494 animals in 2008, including wild animals and dead animals. Schneider said the number was up by about 300 from 2007.
The complete article is online, Oreo says " this is enough"

WOOOO HOOOOO !!

Thank you, thank you and a big double thank you...... Today the commission and Asst County Director Childs decided the term
" Pet Friendly Community" was the direction we ( Washoe County ) would take. I cannot thank the the commissioners who took the time to learn the issues and asked the hard questions enough. It was the culmination of two years of hard work for Oreo and she is tired. I have read and copy/ pasted more drivel and bombarded more commishioners than I ever thought possible at my age..... and yet the real heros are the animals who lived day in and day out , confined. It's for them Oreo writes.
Pictured Burley Dog celebrating

Burley Dog Goes To The Vet...

Burley Dog got a hotspot, how a dog who is groomed every day for 30 minutes gets a hotspot is beyond me......but he did it. Always good to talk to animal folk and during the conversation we discussed Oreo, and frankly what a mess she is....... From there we go the " when is when," conversation. He said, quite calmly, our policy is not to put them down if they are still enjoying life and are treatable. Now I have always known these guys didn't spend all their time in college learning how to become a Euth Tech, but it still caught me by surpise to hear the finality of his tone. Please know, I have not one concern that Oreo would be a challenge, they have treated her for so long they know her prognosis.
His office is known for not being fond of euthansia as a policy ( as in, you got an old dog and now you want a new one ) but respecting the owners bond with the dog. I came away a bit unnerved at the thought of someone getting up the nerve to have the family pet put down and having to argue with the vet to do it. My mind began to play and some of the old dogs I saw at the pound floated through my brain. Were these dogs taken to NHS to be put down after being refused by a private vet, and then sent to WCRAS since NHS won't do it.... This was starting to seem like a " Black Beauty" type of tragedy. A 14 year old Mastiff that couldn't walk comes to mind; how did the dog go " Stray " ? It had no hips, was neutered and at the least was 30 pounds overweight. Yet there it was on Petharbor...
I have only two minutes to speak at the commission, to try and sway against the unlimited time used to continue this travesty. What remarks would be your choice dear reader ? Mark R chose to wait till this time to release Winograds old herring about 93% of Washoe County loves NHS.... That is tripe, and should we demand to see the survey ? You and I know 93% of the population doesn't even know NHS exists. My understanding is that the SPCA & Petnetwork are pulling more animals than NHS, thats why they' re on the County page, but we don't have a contract with them...The SPCA may have had a memorandum of understanding when the AC was in Reno, but I can find nothing since the merger indicating SPCA is bound to take animals from AC.
I know the interlocal agreement is being looked at, and the use of Chameleon. Please grant the commission the tenacity to wade through the lies to save more innocent animals from enduring the crowded, crazy conditions. .. A scavenger hunt through the facility, how fun is that ? Over night adoptathons, for the love of God, let these animals have some routine or some privacy.
Pictured is Burley Dog last year at the Truckee....

Ebony Hawk & The Secret Soul...

Sand and Stone

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT. DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER IN THE FACE.

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING,WROTE IN THE SAND ":TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE ". THEY KEPT ON WALKING,UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING , BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM. AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE W ROTE ON A STONE:" "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE" .THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, "AFTER I HURT YOU,YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?"THE FRIEND REPLIED" WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT. "LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.
THEY SAY IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM.
I found this old snippet of Hawkers Honey snoozing on the sofa in the sun room...

A Stone For My Pillow...

Here at Oreo's we have been transfering old VHS tapes to DVD format the past few days. It's always fun to look back and see where you've been, and anticipate the next adventure. Our dear Hawk is on so many tapes and he was a part of our life for 9 years til cancer took him. Unpredictable and perhaps not a puppy that should have made it to market; he remains deeply loved and the source of much writing on Oreo's blog.
We got him from a person in Dayton who supposedly was selling the litter for a " sick friend" in Portland Oregon. If stupid came in a can we would have bought a case I suppose..... Of course the sick friend in Portland was a mass producer who distributed through private parties in cities across the west. He was an adorable puppy in horrid conditions, living with his litter mates is a stinking crate in a dark garage. Every warning sign was there, yet we brought him home anyway. I think about the only thing right was, he came forward across the box to us. Once home he grew quickly and became beautiful. But..... having raised and worked with GSD's for 30 years I knew he was different in his reactions to other animals. He taught me more than any normal dog ever could have. The cats never cuddled with him like they did all the other dogs, and by 4 months people were asking me to keep him from playing with their dog at the parks.
In case you haven't figured it out, this post is about nature vs. nurture. The shelter is full of dogs like our Hawk, dogs that are victims of bad genes. The euphenisms like " needs an experienced owner " or " must be familar with this breed" are unfair to the dog and it's new home. Looking at the 9 years of Hawk video makes it clear you cannot socialize a crazy dog, you can contain his behavior , but you don't change the genes.
Long before his little feet could hit the ground, waiting to finish his course of imunization ; we carried him into new situations. Every neighbor for blocks around knew Hawk, and were eager for playdates when the shots were done. One lovely shepherd was Hawks first friend and as soon as Dr. Janet cleared him for public exposure we headed to Sierra's house. They romped every day, along with other dogs he met on his three times daily walks. At 4 months old, he faced his first rejection. Sierra's owner said " your little pup is really mad, and he's not playing " I knew that, but thought at only 4 months I must be mistaken. Shaken, I took Hawk home and we began a more serious look at his behavior. This was not normal puppy play and the grown dogs sensed it immediately.
We continued the walks and instead of playing with the others on the route we " sat and stayed" while the grown up chatter went on. Perhaps he couldn't play, but he could become a good canine citizen. That was never Hawk's plan..... he didn't want to be bad; he seemed as powerless over his spontaneous rages as we felt. Please, let me clarify, he was never a mean dog. even his vet's thought he was the sweetest dog they knew; but he was defective. He was atypical for his breed, hell he was off the charts for any breed... so what to do ?
We kept Hawk, even when he attacked his " Mom" our older female that raised him. That was the wake up call, I had been telling my husband he was " different" but until it happened in front of him, there was denial. It was instantaneous and vicious, and we were fortunate to not lose Sphinx. From that moment on, for the next 9 years, he was never left unattended with any living creature except us..... He never showed any signs of owner aggression, but did snap at a neighbor, so his world became narrow.
I don't think we are going to see that kind of commitment for these special needs dogs coming out of the shelters currently. Just not going to happen, and we must stop pretending this is all about lack of socialization or love in the young years. Many of these dogs had a normal life and got surrendered when the defective genes took hold. They are time bombs, and yes, the pitties are the most prevalent in the shelters so the numbers will be highest among them. The sheer numbers of Pitbulls in shelter right now is a testament to the problem and they can't all be
" abused" some of these dogs could be contained, but the new owner better damn well know what they are getting....
Oreo enjoys the best of both worlds, sleeping on the porch with the French Doors open..

Waking Up To The Sage Green World Of The High Desert..

We're nestled into a hillside here, this bunny pic' was snapped from my bed, and waking up is a joy. We sleep with the doors and windows wide open and the scent of the desert fills our home. The first few minutes of each day are filled with gratitude and offering thanks for gifts from a loving God. The rest of the day can get busier........ Take time to click on Bobbert Bunny, as I call him, he's only the one ear, I wish he could weave a tale for us and let us know more about his life on the hill. Was it a hawk, coyote, or a cruel child who stole his ear ? There was no wildlife rehabber for Bobbert, he just toughed it out. Of course he didn't come out of hiding til he was on the mend, and as you can see; he is the picture of sinewy strenth right now. I am sure he is coming down for a breakfast of fresh lawn with Iris stalk appetizer.....For a little girl who grew up on the streets of Northeast Indianapolis, living in parks and the basements of public buildings, this life I live is Nirvanah.
More good news, when you get my age, just waking up to sunshine is good news though.. I spoke with a commission member at length last evening. The No Kill and Chameleon issue will be heard in detail come June. I feel great optimism. I shared with the Commish the need to practice due dillingence on the fiscal impact portion of Mr. St. John's proposal. That was over $150,000 dollars as written and that was not put in the packet for the board of commission. Also, we discussed a missive provided by a reader and commenter of Oreo's blog, that was a very strong deciding factor in getting to the bottom of things. It came from a source that could not be denied by Dan, it was historical in nature and put in perspective how much we have given away.
Let Oreo state, as she has in the past, if this were helping any animal it would be worth trying. After seeing the video from Calgary one comes away praying for a true working partnership, not a one-way suckling agency.
For those new to Oreo, let me tell you, in it's earlier incarnation, NHS was magnificent, all of this damage has been done since the Bonney and Dan show came to town. There were issues before, as any new set up will experience; but there was dialogue, and while not every item was agreed upon by all parties, the communication was there. The problem was never AC or the NHS as it used to be.... it came about when they came to the table in 2006, one to listen, the other to destroy. They mode of operation for the No Kill Equation is scorched earth, this consultant was a bad idea, his hatchet moll was a worse plan. When you brag repeatedly about firing 70% of trained staff, everywhere you are lucky enough to find a meal ticket....there is a problem..really.......
Bobbert Bunny came to our section of the hill a few months ago, it's not apparent from a distance that he has a few wounds to contend with. We don't feed him, but we do enjoy him.

Oreo's Tired....

Home from a short walk and the mighty Oreo looks like she has done a marathon. I noticed today the first real sideways lean as she tottered up the hill, the flowers of youth are fading. Her boundless enthusiasm for life; and her love of the romp are strong, but we are approaching the time of her becoming housebound. Generous friends and neighbors invite her over and she loves to go and lay in their garden, a few rolls of the ball and she dozes off, when she awakens I bring her home. I don't want to think about losing her and yet we know that death is a part of the life cycle, but never, ever " now " .....when the buds are pink and white and the earth is coming alive. This girl who nurtured so many orphan puppies, taught them the ways of life, it seems 9 is quite young...especially for a girl who has led the good life. So in our own way we all totter on, putting one foot after the other... we could learn from our animals how to live in the moment, thus living a full life everyday. I only know Oreo has been part of a teaching chain, that I have followed for 50 years. My love affair with the German Shepherd dog is, indeed, that long.... so for today we go to the canyon, and a neighbors for tea. and then a nap. I'll worry about tommorrow, tommorrow; I learned that from Oreo.....
Pictured is Oreo, the Girlydog,the Confidant, the Princess , and "The Pain.."

Oreo Talks To Tom of the SPCA..Revised....

There are always things flying about in the air, & change is in the wind. Oreo does her best to go right to the source and check things out. She much prefers to talk to you, rather than about you..

After Volunteer left the animal volunteer service because of shelter to shelter issues, we had wondered if it was the new " nature of the beast" to transfer from No Kill to No Kill. Tom assured us that was not the case. He gave an NK to NK number for the year which was quite low.The SPCA took a total of 30 dogs from NHS in 2008. The major portion of the dogs (25 ) were in the first part of 2008, the latter part of the year totaled 5.

Tom could see where that would appear dubious if one didn't know all the details, but said there were extenuating circumstances.

There were some dogs slated for euthanasia at NHS and the SPCA gave them an extended chance. That blends with their mission statement of taking " at risk" animals. Tom also stated there have been a couple of public surrenders when he and staff felt the animal would be in danger if they did not. That' certainly the humane approach we hope to achieve in our community. If the person bringing in the animal is determined to get rid of it, you must keep an open mind. There is a high rate of abuse inflicted on animals rejected from shelters, as though it were the animals fault. SPCA primarily pulls from the pound and will take out of area surrenders. He continues to be candid on issues of return rate and criteria used in his shelter. That is a good thing.

They found homes for 27 or 29 dogs at the adoption fair and that makes this blog happy. Tom credits staff with the sucessful placements, due in large part to the skill of the interviewer. He was unaware of any Charter dictating policy, but acknowledges the possibility of a " verbal agreement" with the City of Reno. He feels they are close to their original intent however; the program has evolved into a slightly broader base.

Pictured is Oreo dictating to her data entry clerk

May I Have Your Attention Please !!

Both the Obama family and the Bo dog have a new home, can we simply go forward and let them enjoy it? Even Wayne's blog, which is usually one of Oreo's favorites, got stupid. It is none of our business where anybody gets their family pet. None, Nada.....There is a major difference between supporting a shelter animals right to life and taking away the right to choose who you share your home with. This righteous indignation is a real turn off to many who had been open minded before. Taking a shelter animal into your home should be a consideration, and I think many people view it as that, an option, not an obligation. Our family went to all the shelters in our area for several weeks before going to a breeder. There were no puppies and having the resident dog limited our choices. There must be a responsibily to the dog in the home. We have gone a little overboard on the " rightist regime" and lost sight of the mission, which was to help the animals. The cross breed in the shelter does not have more value or entitlement than the dog coming from a breeder, they are both dogs... and the people who take them need to be allowed to make informed, inteligent decisions that work with their lifestyle. So please, butt out if you are the animal lover you seem to be Wayne, you are to big a fish to mess with such small ideas. Our failure to be realistic in our adoption expectations is the reason for overcrowding in shelters right now. There is not a home for every dog, not close, and the fosters are filling up. I blame the current fanaticism for a tremendous amount of suffering.
Here in Washoe County, we have the lunatics taking over the asylum, if only they could figure out how to turn the key. God knows, upper County management has certainly given it to them. In spite of an interlocal agreement which says local governments must be notified of changes in County AC code, they have a draft waiting in the wings... nobody has contacted the other cities. I don't think they are reading the agreement over there. The only person who could find her butt with both hands is gone.
King County Washington gave him the boot, Austin Texas sent him packing, Houston doesn't want to deal with him, even Florida with all the retired poodle lovers selected NACA as their consultant. The only gullible fools seem to be here, Washoe County, Nevada. Two cities repealed all of their animal codes and agreed not to do any enforcement on animal issues, we didn't know we were dealing with an unstable entity at the time. Help !!
Burley Dog is very serious about this stuff....

Oreo Talks To Tom of the SPCA..Revised....

There are always things flying about in the air, & change is in the wind. Oreo does her best to go right to the source and check things out. She much prefers to talk to you, rather than about you..

After Volunteer left the animal volunteer service because of shelter to shelter issues, we had wondered if it was the new " nature of the beast" to transfer from No Kill to No Kill. Tom assured us that was not the case. He gave an NK to NK number for the year which was quite low.The SPCA took a total of 30 dogs from NHS in 2008. The major portion of the dogs (25 ) were in the first part of 2008, the latter part of the year totaled 5.

Tom could see where that would appear dubious if one didn't know all the details, but said there were extenuating circumstances.

There were some dogs slated for euthanasia at NHS and the SPCA gave them an extended chance. That blends with their mission statement of taking " at risk" animals. Tom also stated there have been a couple of public surrenders when he and staff felt the animal would be in danger if they did not. That' certainly the humane approach we hope to achieve in our community. If the person bringing in the animal is determined to get rid of it, you must keep an open mind. There is a high rate of abuse inflicted on animals rejected from shelters, as though it were the animals fault. SPCA primarily pulls from the pound and will take out of area surrenders. He continues to be candid on issues of return rate and criteria used in his shelter. That is a good thing.

They found homes for 27 or 29 dogs at the adoption fair and that makes this blog happy. Tom credits staff with the sucessful placements, due in large part to the skill of the interviewer. He was unaware of any Charter dictating policy, but acknowledges the possibility of a " verbal agreement" with the City of Reno. He feels they are close to their original intent however; the program has evolved into a slightly broader base.

Pictured is Oreo dictating to her data entry clerk

Miss Priss Speaks Her Mind

There is a general feeling among those in the know, that NHS has not been very successful in fulfilling the services it agreed to at the time of the consolidation. And that pertains to me how ??

As a citizen of Washoe County I have certain rights, basic doggie rights, like to be safe in my own yard. To walk on leash next to my owner without fear of aggressive unrestrained dogs attacking me, & to assume that the animals I meet in my daily life are relatively disease and parasite free. I want to know that the policy of Washoe County, which authorizes the enforcement of all NRS and county Code 55 is following due diligence. I have very real concerns about how far we can back up for NHS and maintain a safe environment for me and my human companion . When NHS refuses to do owner surrender Euthanasia that puts the burden on the county, that takes staff time and space, throwing away the Wildlife Rehab program is putting the burden on the County. If NHS took these animals their Euth rates would go way up, because most pigeons and squirrels are not reclaimed by their owners......We have County employees doing this on the taxpayer dollar because it cuts into the profits and kill rates of a private corporation NHS. The feral cat program in fact, conflicts with the law in several areas. Animal abandonment, limits, general care and oversight of domestic animals. Looking into the " colony rooms" how about " floor space" how about following any of the sections of 574 written into the Nevada Revised Statutes. Since February of 2006 there has been a steady decline in the quality of life for animals surrendered on Longley Ln. More is not always better and if the NHS takes the swan dive all of us who know animal sheltering predict...does the county get it's money back ?? Who will pay for the care of surrendered animals when NHS blows through it's endowment ?

Priss is absolutely driven to know....

Oreo Wants To Live In A Bubble Gum World....

We moseyed over to the "What I Killed Today" blog, I had never thought about a hatchery before, I guess I will now....I don't ramble on about being a vegan, it's become a snob issue and that is offensive to me; but I do worry about the callusness with which our food is obtained.

Oreo has spoken before about how we have to take away every ounce of sentinence, to make it okay to kill something for our needs. For some reason, the whole fishing thing seemed most cruel to me, I don't know why that stuck out in my memory, but perhaps the hatchery story jogged it up to the fore..... At any rate, we do follow the farming and slaughter business, it is sordid and I think we can and must do a better job of it. I have no objection to those who choose to eat meat, absolutely no problem for me, but I do hope you step forward in what ever capacity you can to see that the animals are treated well until it is their time. Indifference to suffering in a society is the beginning of the end for humanity among the humans.....

Pictured is Oreo, a few days ago, supervising the Newfies, looking a bit superior.......

Do We Live In A Free Country Or Not ?

Oreo received an email today that really got her ears up. Seems a person was complaining about a deal gone sour with an adoption. when the adopters vet said the dog was really to sick to be adopted out, the releasing agency went off on her and the vet.
Seems like they want to have no negative publicity, especially if it is deserved........ The man is working with the vet to gain proof this was not a condition that could have gone undetected with even the most cursory exam.
Oreo is back writing to the commission and with Cindy gone it is imperative that we get their attention. NHS has refused to do any Wildlife rehab, and now they have the County Killing the owner surrenders NHS should be taking. An Owner requested Euthanasia is an owner surrender, they signed a contract to take all owner surrenders, so we need the department head to hold them to the agreement. For a time NHS was sending the dogs to Shakespeare for killing, but now they are sending the people down the hall to the pound, how friggin cruel is that ? Picture taking your dog in to be put to sleep and having to drag the poor beast further down the way. An absolute abandonment of their responsibilities. Hateful people, sign and reneg......
Pictured is Bodie, he was rescued from a horrible puppy mill and is living the good life.....

A Tremendous Loss For Washoe County, Cindy Sabatoni..

I spent the morning with my direct report and animal care mentor as she cleared her desk, ending over a quarter century of service to the animals & citizens of our community. I have volunteered forever it seems, and with all the agencies touched over the years, this past 3 have been the most difficult.
Katie Stevens was a doll, and all the others at NHS and SPCA have been great to serve with, but Cindy under fire was determined to uphold the standards of care we entrusted her with. The runs are clean, the staff to dog ratio maintains a level of care that all of us should want, if ever Rover skips the fence. She made sure that decent food was provided, understanding the behavioral issues that come with poor diet. Refusing under pressure from NHS to overcrowd the animals in her trust. Every animal that came through her door had the same chance to be chosen for transfer. They were kept clean and the kennel staff and ACO's from the field shared the goal of having a quality of life. Nobody hates Euthanasia more than those who must perform it.
I come at the dog from the emotional / trainer side. I understand kennel care, but have never seen anyone display the understanding of running a shelter to the level that Sabatoni delivered.
She also let me know in no uncertain terms that the letter from the "ACO" posted on this blog , though funny wasn't representative of most hard working officers. She loved her troops and they will miss her. her loss to this county will be felt over time as conditions deteriorate on Longley, and and the failure to support this agency will be far reaching.....I hope the WCC will not cave to the demands of the NO KILL fringe, and add even more burden to the animals who are losing homes.
There used to be Humane Officers at the Nevada Humane Society, and they were eliminated, so AC ended up with more work there. Next the" good folks" over there began foisting the killing off on the County to keep the numbers up.... One can only wonder, should NHS snag the contract......who would do the dirty work? or would dangerous or sick animals be returned to the community. Bet they are, says Oreo......
With the loss of Sabatoni and Arobio, who will speak with sanity for the animals, and who in the county will listen ?
Pictured is Cindy on the final day finishing a project for fosters.....

Oreo's Opinions On Shelter Life

After spending the morning batting the ball around the school yard, Oreo came home with things to say. The pictures show her aging, but gracious, if not agile. We received an email at the "send to" on the blog. We have a skeptic who feels Oreo doesn't exist. Poor soul, hasn't a clue what they're missing. Not to believe in Oreo, is like not believing in Santa Claus. Both bring gifts of joy to those who can see and feel them..........Some of the comments on the Valentine's Day post really deserve a better showcase. Thus we started a thread here to move it up and off the holiday.
The number of Pitbulls at the local shelters is very high, this is because people don't adopt them very often if they have a choice or understand the liability issues. I would urge all readers to make a trip to the Indianapolis Star and follow Doug Rae's change of policy. Oreo has concerns because anytime a Winograd protoge takes over, any shelter, things go south quickly. I do know Indianapolis had a high euth rate, and that was driven by the policy of not releasing pits & pit mixes to the public. After seeing the picture of the idiotic young couple shoving their 6 month old child into the face of a pitbull at the shelter, I can see a need for guidance.If one more person trots out the Helen Keller story, Oreo is going to soil the floor.

The breed has been so modified that it bears little resemblence to it's origins. All breeds have been changed to some degree and not always for the betterment of the dog, but pits have become distorted above the pale. Line breeding for any purpose is "iffy" but to intensify aggression, or out breed with another to expand the focus of aggression is criminal in most states. Harboring a vicious dog is not a socially acceptable thing, and most people don't want the risk. Our local humane society tries to cover their fanny with euphenisms like " protective of food" or " doesn't like to be handled", or my personal favorite....Doesn't like small children.. How many ways can you say bite dog ? That is like if I put a sign on the porch saying if you come any closer you will be entering the firing range. One cannot announce a danger and then break the law having announced their intentions. It is the dog folks, the truth is, the breed has a higher ratio of bite to animal; it doesn't deserve to be killed, but it should not be promoted as being " sweet" If these dogs are to have a chance at happiness, it will be if they are adopted on the truth. Putting them in a home with small children when nothing is known of the animals history is irresponsible and puts everyone at risk. Oreo has family in Indiana and she knows firsthand the troubles they are having with dog fighting and pitbulls in general. Having a no kill nut in charge is not a viable solution.
Pictured is Oreo on Valentine's Day at the local school yard, blowing coat and having a ball...

Happy Valentines Day

May this day remind you of the good in the world, and the sunshine behind the clouds........ Here at Oreo's we are going to kick back and have a big pot of soup and some good company. If it doesn't snow we are off to the parks for a bit of air and convivialty. No more dog parks for us though, way to many dogs that don't have lovin' on their mind.
I will have more news of interest coming soon, the WCC has been busy on the budget and I know change is in the air. I hope the animals have a chance to grab a nap between all the frenetic attempts to shove them out the door. we had the publicity frenzy, and that usually subjects the poor babies to being trotted out for show and and then , back to the dungeon. Loving an animal is not always adopting an animal. Mostly it's about the highest use of resources and quality of life. Hugs from the Oreo gang

Landseer op Trampoline

Oreo's New Neighbor..

Our neighbors adopted this handsome boy, and since they have previous Pitbull expertise our hopes are high. The number of pits at the shelter right now is approaching 70% according to this new owner. As I checked Pet harbor looking at the impound side , two lactating Mama dogs caught my eye. Someone just pulled the pups off these two girls, kept the babes and ditched Mom. That is why I support mandatory spay for any impound that is released. I know that sounds a bit harsh, but Oreo's feeling a bit harsh right now. Those two girls (131419 & 132210 ), teats sagging in the pound, no longer of use, they didn't stray off and leave a litter, the owners ditched these poor creatures. Did they try to take the Mama dogs to NHS or the SPCA or did they become a part of the new culture of turning your own dog in as a stray ? Is this happening as a result of the retention policy in no kill shelters ? Again for posterity people, lactating bitches don't wander off from the litter... Why are these dogs on the stray side, and why are owner requested euthanasia numbers up on the county side. Why are dogs that can't walk coming in as strays ? Lots of questions, anybody got an answer ? Update, did contact the impound desk to check on these girls, one had an owner who declined to pick her up, the other was picked up as a stray also, but no owner. One more time for the road, lactating bitches do not willingly leave a litter ; so in both dogs case, the owner dumped them rather than turn them in....
Nice move slimeball !!

Does Oreo Need A Leash ?

In a recent email sharing a funny, to me, mock letter from an ACO, the topic of leashes came up. As folks become even more enamored of their "rights" to do as they damn well please, more clashes are in the offing. On todays walk I had the usual three dogs running up to mine. I am never thrilled, I don't pretend to be. I suppose all those years of not being able to walk my dog agressive dog, leashed in my own neighborhood are boiling out.He had a Companion Dog Title, so even tho he hated other dogs, he was safe to take to events and even do some shows at schools. I never let him off leash in the back country, he was under complete voice command, but if he was out of range it could get ugly. I am only assuming that; as owners who loved him we kept him safe from misdirected instincts. Hence my chronic chagrin at people who let their dog come charging up to mine. We had a Queensland down grade that always flew out of the garage and up Oreo's leg . One time stitches and an emergency vet bill totaling $560.00 got the owners attention for about three weeks. Nobody thinks your loose dog charging their leashed dog is cute....nobody ! But as the animal rightest push for more and more anarchy those of us who follow the law are sure to suffer.
The owner of the labs came racing out of his garage today, amazed that one more time, his dogs left the yard..Why is this moron so shocked; they have been running out for three years. His neighbors in the cul de sac are tired of putting their dogs in the car in the garage to avoid the "greeter" how does one resolve these issues short of small claims court when the leashed dog trips the owner. Anyone on the blog have a sucess story to share ? I volunteer for AC so I know one way to handle it, but since we are on " education mode" here..... I have made a time to talk to the owners over the week end, say a little prayer. If they don't keep the dogs up, AC time. What a bummer. If you want to let your dogs run, go to the dog park, not where people are connected to the other end of the dog leash. Sure am tempted to post that letter, it was great !!
Oreo sitting coyly, hoping a ride is coming. Listening for the sound of car keys.....

Some Animals Come With Extra Baggage...

The last post got pretty long, pretty quick. we can just wander over here and chat as we feel like it...that's pretty much what we do anyway. Oreo may pick a topic, but I 've noticed the group takes it's own course. That is good, we are all thinking individuals and not to fond of following the herd. We've had a bit of splash back about breeders, as always on this blog we want to stay focused. We don't look for easy hooks to blame anyone, we want to be very clear our agenda is the welfare of the animal in custody of a shelter. We don't like jerk owners either, but at some point you have to pick a direction or you become meaninless. Oreo's direction is shelter care for all animals.

According to several studies we have researched, approximately 20% of all shelter animals are purebred, that gentle reader means 80% are not ! If one removes pitbulls from the equation ( follow me closely here ) 85% of the 20% of purebreds are adopted directly into a home, bypassing a rescue or foster. Put the pitbulls back in and the percentage changes dramatically. So purebreds are not a significant drain on the shelter system, so lets go back to the problem. The problem is primarily the " whoops, didn't think they could get preggers this young" group. and the " Everybody wants a puppy from "Bitsy" folks. I love the idea of mandatory S/ N for any animals not under a commercial breeders permit. It is clear ro us here at Oreo's that asking people to use their heads or be responsible, is not working......... Puppymills are terrible places, but that deserves it's own place at the table.

We are about handling animals that are in the system currently. How can we do that with compassion, and when necessary accept that not every animal will find a home. No Kill with the capitals is a flawed concept, if you doubt that read long and hard of what is available. A recent email from NHS to Mark's blog gives the full extent of the hoops you must jump through to surrender your pet. It would be easier to get on Schindlers List.. I am sure Beata believes in what she proposes, Oreo doesn't. Don't take our word for anything, read the rgj.com mostlydogs blog. They want you to "foster" your own surrender while they " help " you find a home. Well guess what, if they have 700 of their own cats hanging out, your guy is pretty far down the list. Same with dog's . It's disheartening to see the owner slink out, cause you know it is not going to be good for the animal, turned away. Mandatory S/N for all shelter release animals is really the only thing that is a long term solution. The only thing, not BSL, not foisting a dog off on some poor schmuck that dropped into Petsmart to buy bird seed and came out with a pitbul. Slow the reproduction process and you reduce the unwanted animals. Fosters are not the answer, they used to be for the" few" ill or troubled pets, now they are factored in, like the music you get when you call the phone company. They need to be returned to their intended purpose. And what the hell are rescues doing these days. No big stories on the paper blog about distant rescues from the Churchill County gang. Snake oil salesmen and robber barons..be gone, you weary us.

Pictured is Miss Priss with her park pouch, tennis ball and small water bottle; and a very trendy dog is ready for the dog park. We are making sure you know that rehomed dogs can do very well.

The Wait Is Over

It has been a long time since we started the records request, you guys have been pretty patient. That is appreciated, although I did notice some nattering from a couple of folks....The short form is Oreo sent an email rescinding the order. Do I hear the back row moaning ? Thought so. No excuses, no change of heart, purely due to the economy. My advisors (some legal) felt the county was in the wrong to have allowed NHS to continue to badger and harrass WCRAS, and one of it's volunteers. So the county made the mess, the county should clean it up.
I felt then, and do now, that is a valid opinion. But, for those of you who may have tried to get blood out of a rock........
We have employees who have worked for the County a quarter of a century, losing their jobs. In my little City we just laid off 34 more long time employees. Here at Oreo's we rolled it over in every direction, and we couldn't see how adding more to the financial strain would help anything. There is no illusion that Mr. Winograd can give a fair or realistic report on conditions , but we are hoping that it may get the attention of the public in some way. If not we will wait for the Lieds effect.
The shelter director did tell a reporter and it was published that animals are being put down for aggression. Put me in a cage for a year or so and I might go nuts too..... I believe there are a large number of unsocialized dogs coming in; totally get that. Do they get that throwing them in a kennel for months is not working. And that perhaps adoptable animals are dying 40 feet down the hall, while they fiddle madly.... Oreo has discussed community saturation in the past, several times; and it bears repeating. The rescues are full, the fosters are full, the damn shelter is over full by design standards. What will it take for them to get the picture? Clearly we just have to wait for the disaster to strike, and if they quit the happy no kill bs and get honest with people about the reality of the situation, maybe it will slow the flood. On the AC side right now is an 11 year old Mastiff, the dog can't get up. Don't think he ran away from home, so how did he get in the impound side ? I inquired about the dog, hoping to find a place with a person who does large breed rescue on a very small scale. Brought in as a stray.....you fill in the blanks. Mastiff, can't walk..a stray?? Honesty Helps has posted about owners in Rancho Cuccamona turning in their own dogs as a stray when they were discouraged by staff at the No Kill... is that happening here ?
We are not blaming anybody for anything because we don't know, but the situation is odd, at best....
Pictured are the team members at Oreo's, hanging out in the office....

We Welcome A Brand New Year.....

It is wonderful to have Oreo back in the public arena again, and I must say, arena is the appropriate word. It feels like a battle because it has become a battle. For those of you who got here after we closed the gate, just peruse various posts til you get caught up. King County and Austin are both looking forward to participating again.
These issues affect every city and county in the nation, education is the answer and one that will provide sustainable humane treatment of all animals in our sheltering systems. Opening Oreo up again was actually triggered by a series of dangerous "advice posts" on our local dog blogger. A person with a wealth of caring, but not a lot of knowledge on animal behavior.
So, we are back on our mission of educating the public on what does and doesn't work in animal shelters and more on the wise adopter vs. the spontaneous adopter who is a frequent returner. The lady in Spanish Springs Nevada who went to Delano California to bring home 27 dogs is a prime example of the thinking we are trying to change. Her daughter volunteers at the local NHS and perhaps the thinking permeated through air to the Mom who rushed off to save the " dogs on deaths door" This well meaning but under informed lady brought in 27 dogs minus rabies vaccinations, carrying several contagious conditions. She then spread this further through the community to unsuspecting pet owners who's neighbors brought home an uninoculated sick dog. Oreo said, yep, time to get on the public bandwidth again......NHS has visited here in the past and we hope they take the visit as a chance to learn and become compassionate in the care of the charges they have. Seeking quality of life for those entrusted to them.
In these very tough times, the arrogance of one shelter in the paper putting down another in order to gain funding is inexcusable. We support the HSUS and the ASPCA as strong leaders in the overall welfare of animals. There is a lot more to helping animals that needs to be addressed and storing with crowding and poor quality of life is not helping anyone. Except the little troll under the bridge collecting fees, the rest of us are appalled at the current conditions in many no kill shelters.
Pictured is Oreo's favorite view of the world, clean and covered in snow, just waiting to be mussed up.