HSUS In Court - AGAIN !

Miami, Fla. – A Circuit Court Judge in Miami-Dade County dismissed a lawsuit against Purebred Breeders LLC [Case Number: 11-38180 CA02], a small business working with reputable dog breeders.  The court determined that the Humane Society of the United States (“HSUS”) completely failed to justify their allegations. 

Brian Bresnahan of York News Times had this to say about their tactics:

“HSUS is an animal rights group which believes animals should have the same rights as people (erasing the line between people, pets, and livestock and between animal welfare and animal rights), promoting vegetarian/veganism, stopping animal agriculture, and banning animals like cats and dogs from being owned as pets.” 

Purebred Breeders advisor, Brent Gattis, former Deputy Chief of Staff for the House Committee on Agriculture, stated:

 “HSUS is well-known for coordinating purported legal claims for publicity against responsible organizations and individuals. The Humane Society of the United States raises funds for its lawsuits and lobbying activities while leading the public to believe that the donations are supporting local shelters.”

Mr. Gattis continues “Purebred Breeders experience in defending itself against legal claims is typical of the attacks other animal organizations and individuals have endured at the hands of HSUS’s large stable of attorneys. HSUS’s strategy against legitimate entities is this:  force them to defend themselves in protracted legal battles over meritless claims, while also creating a false public perception of the group being attacked.”

Currently the HSUS is being investigated by the IRS for tax fraud. In a letter to the IRS  members of Congress wrote:

 “HSUS continually seeks donations through advertisements that claim the money will be used to help neglected or abused animals. The commercials deliberately lead the public to believe direct aid to animals is the main activity of the organization, as does the misleading similarity between the name of HSUS and the hundreds of local hands-on animal sheltering humane societies across America, which are wholly unaffiliated with HSUS and receive zero funding from it. ”

Purebred Breeders has joined other animal professionals in pushing back against HSUS’s agenda. A ten-year legal battle on a lawsuit brought by the HSUS activist group against Feld Entertainment, owners of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, was ultimately dismissed.  Feld has now brought a Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations claim against the activist group [Case Number: 07-1532 (EGS)] based on information uncovered during the HSUS lawsuit.  Feld Entertainment has alleged that HSUS engaged in an elaborate racketeering and conspiracy scheme involving at least one paid witness, obstruction of justice, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and malicious prosecution. HSUS in-house senior attorney, Kimberly Ockene, who filed the legal complaint against Purebred Breeders has also been named individually in the Feld RICO case.  HSUS and Ockene filed motions to dismiss the claims.  These motions have been largely denied and the case is moving forward against them....watch out HSUS, we are  catching on to you ! 

DONATE DIRECTLY  TO YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER 
and
SUPPORT BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF CURRENT ANIMAL WELFARE LAWS AND STIFFER PENALTIES FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS! 

Knox Blocks for Dehydration

It can be a challenge to keep an old or ill dog hydrated. Here's is a trick to get some fluid and a little protein in their system....of course, if they do not improve, you should always seek veterinary care. 

Recipe for Doggy Jello:

Start with 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
stir in 4 envelopes of Knox unflavored gelatin powder
add another 2 cups of boiling water and a tablespoon of honey or karo syrup
stir to thoroughly until completely dissolved.
Pour into a pie plate or cake pan and chill.

Once "solidified," cut into bite size blocks that are easy for both you and your dog to handle. They should 'slide right down and help your dog feel more comfortable. Some people find this useful for a treat to give their dog after it's been out hunting, playing, or working hard along with a few pieces of cheese or other high protein reward. 

DO NOT RELY ON THIS TO HELP KEEP YOUNG PUPPIES OR VERY SICK DOGS HYDRATED ! 

From Vick to VICTORY ! A Happy story for Good Friday

​To see him now, whippy tail wagging as he greets a group of children it’s hard to believe that he once cowered at the sight of a human hand.

To see him now, as he zips from weaves to jump, to tunnel, to tire, to chute in a noisy agility ring, it’s hard to believe that he would once flee in terror at the sound of a barking dog.

And to see him now, sitting tall on a podium, proudly wearing a necklace of blue rosettes, it’s impossible to believe that he was once facing a short, grim life and violent death as a fighting dog in the infamous Bad Newz kennels.

That he is alive at all is a triumph, but what he has achieved in the five years since he left that deadly kennel is nothing short of a miracle.

Many dogs from pro-football player Michael Vick’s kennel have made good, passing the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) test, working as therapy dogs, and being great pets and ambassadors for the pit bull.

Audie, however, has sailed over an even higher bar into competitive agility, a busy, boisterous sport that requires speed, brains, focus, and a bombproof temperament.

Five years ago, when Linda Chwistek met him, it would have seemed impossible. 

“I could tell, deep down inside, he just really wanted to please everybody.

 I think inside he had a rock-solid temperament, and 

there were just some environmental things he had to get through,” says Chwistek. “He’s really just an ordinary dog 

who came through an extraordinary situation.”

Death’s Door

When the 49 dogs were seized from the notorious Smithfield, Virginia, kennel, it was generally assumed they were all doomed.

Their survival, as described in Jim Gorant’s book The Lost Dogs, was the result of the hard work of a small group of rescuers, including BAD RAP, a nonprofit San Francisco organization dedicated to helping pit bulls. 

After rigorous temperament tests, only one of the Bad Newz dogs was deemed beyond hope and euthanized. Audie was among the 25 who seemed stable enough to go to foster homes, and perhaps, one day, to become pets.

At the time of the April 25, 2007, seizure from Vick’s property, the pup had no name, just a number—Chesapeake 54902. Along with the rest of the dogs, he spent five months isolated, warehoused as evidence in the case against the football star. The youngster received bare necessities—food and water—but scant human contact.

Once Vick’s legal issues were resolved, BAD RAP volunteers drove Chesapeake 54902 across the country to a foster home in San Diego. There he got a name, "Dutch."The fosters quickly realized that Dutch had the raw material—high energy and intense people focus—to be a great agility dog. And as fate would have it, they also knew that Chwistek was looking for a new agility partner. She seemed the perfect choice, a combination of sensitivity and skill, to polish this rough gem.

 Except for a brief time in college, she has had dogs since she was 8 now able to claim   nearly a half-century of training experience. On top of that, she has devoted more than two decades to working with shelter dogs and established a CGC program for BAD RAP. About 175 pit bulls and bully-breed mixes have successfully completed her program.

In April 2008, just a year after he had been seized from Vick’s property, the energetic Stafford had a new home with Chwistek and her husband, Bill. He also had a new name, Audie, after another little guy with outsized courage—World War II hero Audie Murphy.

Like all the Vick dogs, Audie had little socialization during the critical canine learning period—3 to 12 weeks, when  puppies must be exposed to all kinds of new things so they learn to be unafraid. In those weeks, Audie knew only loneliness, violence, and terror.

It left him with emotional scars, no manners, and a slew of bizarre habits. He didn’t know how to walk up stairs. He had never seen a lawn sprinkler. He ate everything in sight, even cigarette butts. One time he wolfed down a sock, requiring emergency surgery to save his life.

Oh, Brave New World

Easing his fear of humans was the top priority. An ideal spot for this was the waterfront in Chwistek’s town of Vajello, where large groups of commuters would gather to catch high-speed ferries across the bay to San Francisco. “Initially, he was just terrified of them,” Chwistek recalls. “So I sat on a bench, far, far away. Over the course of a couple of years, I kept moving closer and closer to the commuters.”

Slowly, Audie grew accustomed to the comings and goings of strangers.  One of the first to win his trust was a newspaper vendor, who offered treats. Audie wanted the cookies the man was holding out, but he was too afraid to walk up and take them from his hand. Instead, he’d fall to the ground, and crawl on his belly, getting just close enough to snatch the treat.

“It took a good six months for him not to be terrified,” Chwistek says. Today, he leaps up, wildly wagging his tail, as soon as he sees his friend.

Strange dogs also scared him, and this fear posed serious challenges when the team started training. “For a long time, he didn’t understand the difference between a dog who was barking happily, and a dog who was angry,” she says. .

Normal sounds of dogs playing so unnerved him during his first  classes that he’d bolt from the course and seek refuge in his crate or the car.

But Chwistek’s classmates refused to let her give up and offered to do whatever it took to help  keep Audie on track. They  concealed their dogs behind makeshift made oPVC barriers covered with blankets—during Audie’s turn. They tried to keep quiet and not offer too much overwhelming, loud praise that is indicative of many training sessions until after a task was completed. They buoyed both Audie and Chwistek's self confidence.  Audie became more comfortable, and the dogs emerged from behind the screen. Soon he could tune out everything else, except his handler and the obstacles. After two years of steady work, Audie was ready to start his competitive career ! 

In addition to numerous agility awards, he’s also earned his CGC and his first title in the new sport of nosework. In years to come Chwistek hopes to take him into obedience, and perhaps therapy-dog training.

After that, who knows???

This article was originally published in it's entirety in   AKC Family Dog under the title "She Caught a Chuting Star."

Congratulations to a Newly Titled Rally Lhasa !

This is my good friend Sue Stoddard with her lovely lhasa apso

Indian Hill's

Flat on The Floor - "Dominoe"

He is  a Canine Good Citizen, certified therapy/medical service dog, 

and now has his Rally Novice title ! CONGRATS!!! 

Upcoming Show -- Key City Kennel Club, St Peter, MN

This show will be held at the Nicollet County Fairgrounds in St Peter, MN

May 23rd , 24th, and 25th 2014

Entries close MAY 7th 

Camping with electric is available

Obedience and Rally 

will be judged inside, all other classes

will be held outdoors. 

New Exhibitor Briefing Saturday AM

Vizsla Specialty on Friday

"C" Match for obedience /rally the 23rd

($5.00 / 5 minutes ring time)

"B" conformation match the 24th

                     This is a smaller,  nicely laid out show site.

                     If the weather cooperates, it 

is a great weekend to

 start youngsters (two or four legged!). 

8 SIGNS OF A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER

Congratulations!   

You are getting a new Puppy! And you are not "impulse buying" an insanely cute , irresistible fluffball at the petstore! You also didn't look online or in the classifieds and pick the cheapest puppy you could find! You've spent some time finding out what kind of dog will fit best into your lifestyle and made this an important decision that you realize will affect you and a puppy's life forever....Now to find a responsible, "reputable'' breeder....Finding an AKC registered puppy is just the start....

You should be able to visit the breeder's home or kennel and see at least one of the puppy's parents. While there, pay attention to the parent's temperament and appearance so that you get a sense of what your puppy may be like. Also, observe the premises. Is the house/kennel clean? Odor free? Dogs and puppies should be clean, well fed, lively, and friendly. Look for signs of malnutrition (like protruding rib cages) or such signs of illness as runny nose and eyes, coughing, lethargy, and sores.

While there, interact with the puppies and dogs. Does the breeder appear to genuinely care for them? The puppies should not shy away from the breeder and should be outgoing with strangers.

Breeders should care about health of your puppy and its parents. They should be informative and honest about a breed's physical and temperamental traits. And they should speak knowledgeably about genetic diseases that might affect their breed.

The breeder should be friendly and willing to establish a good rapport with you. A good breeder will be an excellent resource and breed mentor for you throughout the life of your puppy, and encourage you to call if your dog has a crisis at any stage of its life.

A responsible breeder may ask you to sign a contract indicating that if you fail to meet specified conditions of care, or you become unable to keep the puppy, the breeder will reclaim it.

The breeder should not allow you to bring home the puppy until it's 8 to 12 weeks old. Puppies need ample time to mature and socialize with its mother and littermates.A toy-dog breeder should not market "teacup" varieties. This is not an actual size classification and is usually attained through breeding runts. So-called teacup dogs often come with a host of health problems. 

.

Breeders should be willing to answer any questions you have, and they should ask many of you as well. Breeders will want to make sure their puppies are going to good homes, with people who know what to expect and have made all the necessary preparations. The right match is more likely to mean a forever home with a happy puppy and happy owners ! Bringing that joy to people's lives is what helps make the hours of work worth while! Congratulations ! 

OOPS -- the dog had an "accident"

There are many odor and stain fighting products available and most of them work well. But sometimes these mishaps  are on something other than the carpet-- like a blanket, furniture or stuffed toy. If you'd like to try  something non-toxic, inexpensive, and readily on hand I recommend  one of these  cleanup methods: 

1. soak up as much urine as possible with paper towels -- you can put a piece of plastic wrap over them and a heavy book on top of that to add weight and increase absorption

2. Mix 2 cups of warm water with 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda. Apply to the soiled area and allow to soak for two hours 

3. wash as you normally would in machine or by hand

The vinegar's acidity nuetralizes the ammonia and the baking soda acts as a deodorizer.

OR if a stain is not "fresh', try this: 

1.Combine:

8 ounces hydrogen peroxide 3% ( found in a brown bottle in the first aid aisle of most  stores)

3 tablespoons of baking soda

1 drop of liquid hand dish washing soap(any brand)

2. apply with spray bottle.

3. if a film remains after the area is completely  dry, wipe or vacuum it off. 

Do not make ahead of time or try to save the solution, the reaction that occurs when these ingredients are mixed is what cleans the stain and it only lasts a short time.

(This was originally posted May of 2013)

PEunTA

PETA's 2013 statistics from the State Veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Agriculture are now available. According to the records, PETA took in 894 dogs in 2013. They killed 629 of them, or seven out of 10. They also sent 227 to kill shelters, where they were either killed or potentially displaced other dogs who were killed. That’s a  96% rate of killing associated with their intake of dogs. They rehomed only 35, a meager 4%.

In 2013, took in 1,281 cats and killed 1,164, nine out of 10 of them! They sent another 100 to kill shelters, where they were either killed or potentially displaced other cats who were killed. That’s a high-end 99% rate of killing associated with their intake of cats. They rehomed only 1% ! 

The records can be found here: http://bit.ly/1dL07Tu

In the past, PETA has been defended their actions by defiantly  claiming their job was to kill the very  young,  old,  or ill. They lied to people and killed healthy animals they promised to find homes for within minutes in the back of a van: www.whypetaeuthanizes.org/death-squad/ --- injecting them with a fatal dose of poison PETA President  Ingrid Newkirk called  a “gift.” Since 1999, roughly 2,000 animals a year have been systematically slaughtered by PETA, over 90% of the animals they have "rescued"!  Only 1% have been  adopted (ironically, many of theses are adopted by PETA staff! ). Over 30,000 animals have lost their lives at the hands of PETA and they do not deny it.

PETA claims  over 3,000,000 supporters and donations of approximately 
 $ 30,000,000 dollars a year.

 With that kind of outreach, surely they could have found more animals a home. Why send them to shelters where they very likely will be euthanized ? Why? Because killing is what they do and what they believe in. PETA would rather kill animals, than see them suffer lives of "slavery "as people's pets ! 

This is the same organization that has called for every shelter to kill every pit bull, including friendly ones: http://bit.ly/XrvcKf

This is the same organization that tells shelters to kill animals, rather than work with rescuers and foster parents: http://bit.ly/ZAnrvQ

The same organization that  has a history of putting 90% of animals to death within 24 hours: http://bit.ly/1eHkWlD

The same organization that put to death puppies they described as healthy, adoptable, adorable and perfect: www.whypetaeuthanizes.org/photos/

The same organization that celebrates when shelters kill, even after four years of not doing so: http://vimeo.com/48651351

And that complains when over 10,000 animals are adopted in a single day, rather than killed: www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=13122

Don’t take my word for it. Look at the evidence for yourself: www.whypetaeuthanizes.org/documents/

Look at the photographs: www.whypetaeuthanizes.org/photos/

When you donate

 to PETA,

 you pay for

the killing of animals.

please also see 2/25/14 blog on Animal Rights Vs. Animal Welfare

The Terrier Group !

                              

                                                 

This lively group of dogs are well loved by their owners for their distinctive terrier personalities. Feisty and energetic, terriers ancestors were bred to hunt and kill vermin. As a rule, these dogs don't always get along well with other pets, but their high energy level makes them great fun to train and play with.  In general, they make engaging pets, but require owners with the determination to match their dogs' lively characters.Their antics frequently project the attitude that they are ready and willing to take you on in a good argument! Most terriers have wiry coats that require special grooming known as stripping in order to maintain a characteristic appearance.please note, the photos  are not to scale :)

• Airedale Terrier
   
• American
  Staffordshire Terrier
   
• Australian Terrier
   
• Bedlington Terrier
 
• Border Terrier
   
• Bull Terrier
   
• Cairn Terrier
   
• Cesky Terrier
 
• Dandie
  Dinmont Terrier
   
• Glen of
  Imaal Terrier
   
• Irish Terrier
   
• Kerry Blue Terrier
 
• Lakeland Terrier
   
• Manchester Terrier
   
• Miniature
  Bull Terrier
   
• Miniature Schnauzer
 
• Norfolk Terrier
   
• Norwich Terrier
   
• Parson
  Russell Terrier
   
• Rat Terrier
 
• Russell Terrier
   
• Scottish Terrier
   
• Sealyham Terrier
   
• Skye Terrier
 
• Smooth Fox Terrier
   
• Soft Coated
  Wheaten Terrier
   
• Staffordshire
  Bull Terrier
   
• Welsh Terrier
 
• West Highland
  White Terrier
   
• Wire Fox Terrier

While most terrier owners won't expect their dog

to keep the

barn free of rats or take them badger, fox, or rabbit hunting,

they may enjoy competing with their dogs at 

Den Trials,  Earthdog Tests or a Barn hunt  event that encourage their great terrier to showcase it's instinct for going into dens and tunnels in pursuit of  their quarry.