This is Not Hunting

Apparently some people don't get that.

(Warning: graphic content)

Update:  Additional post on the subject here.

Dare Co, NC Alert and New Article on Vick Dogs

Dare County, NC considers BSL:

The recent murder of a pet by two pit bulls has drawn the attention of both state and county leaders.

The dogs responsible for the attack were euthanized on Jan. 30 after the owner gave permission to the Dare County SPCA to do so.

Following the Jan. 19 attack on Jazz, a labrador belonging to Mark and Diane Kent of Poor Ridge Road in Kitty Hawk, the animals were returned to their owner, Nikki Canady, pending a $25 fine per dog. Denise Lambiotte, director of the animal shelter, noted the county's ordinances did not give authority to the SPCA to either keep or euthanize the animals.

Kitty Hawk Police Department issued a leash law violation to Canady the day of the attack, but also was unable to detain the animals. Police Chief David Ward, concerned about the danger posed to the residential neighborhood, worked with District Attorney Frank Parrish to have the dogs seized after their initial release. The motion was granted Jan. 23, and the SPCA planned to impound the dogs until Canady's court date March 24.

The initial lack of legal authority to hold the dogs outraged the community and caused concerns for lawmakers, including NC Sen. Pro Tem Marc Basnight of Manteo.
[...]
The incident also sparked discussion during the Dare County Board of Commissioners Feb. 2 meeting. During public comment, several responses were heard, all in favor of strengthening the county's dog ordinances.
[...]
"This was a home invasion and a murder, I'm for banning this type of dog and others like it," said Chairman Warren Judge.
[...]
The ordinances will be discussed at the boards Feb. 16 meeting.

Am I the only one thinking that dogs don't commit "murder"? What up with the inflammatory language Dare County? This case involves dog-dog aggression, failure of owners to properly confine their dogs and failure to enforce existing confinement laws. If Dare County is unable or unwilling to enforce the pet laws already on the books, why would we want to toss more laws on to the pile? And bad laws at that. Stop BSL has all the contact info so you can take action.

***

The AP has a nice follow up article on how the Vick dogs at Best Friends are doing today:

Half the Vick dogs adapted well enough to other dogs that they’re allowed to have playmates.

The others are being slowly introduced to other dogs.

They’re all being prepared for their Canine Good Citizen tests — a 10-step exam that measures things such as the ability to mingle with other dogs, deal with strangers and behave on a leash.

[...]

When Vick’s dogs were first seized, the courts received advice from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals and other humane societies, which said the animals should be euthanized because their chances of living normal lives outside a shelter or sanctuary were minimal.

Oops. Here, let me wipe that egg substitute product off your face PETA.

Yeah but, No

PETA is never one to miss an opportunity for free publicity in their efforts to stuff more money into their mattresses and kill more animals solve society's problems:

In the wake of a savage attack on an 8-month-old boy by a pit bull terrier in Newport News this week, Daphna Nachminovitch of PETA outlined the organization's "controversial" position on pit bulls.

PETA supports legislation that bans the breeding of pit bulls, along with spaying and neutering legislation as the most effective way to combat the "tragic companion animal overpopulation problem."

*screeching brakes* We have no pet overpopulation problem. Nathan Winograd has definitively debunked that myth. We have a failure to get enough shelter pets into homes. Groups like PETA and HSUS share in the blame on that issue. But it is a solvable problem. We are a no-kill nation. Join us.

Back to PETA nonsense:

Although the pit bull that attacked a child at a baby sitter's home on Barclay Road in Newport News was neutered, PETA's position is about more than behavior. Taken to its logical conclusion, it would lead to the phasing out of a breed.

Right. The phasing out of a breed of beloved pets for many families in this country. Of course this fits right in with PETA's pet extermination plan (kill as many pets as possible, prevent the rest from reproducing) but it certainly doesn't fit in with the average pet owning American's civil liberties and Constitutional rights. But hey, don't let that stop you:

PETA argues the breeding ban would save a lot of canines from suffering.

Actually, what would save a lot of dogs from suffering death by lethal injection is to steer clear of PETA's slaughterhouse shelter.

More from the article:

PETA wouldn't be true to form if its position wasn't controversial. But maybe these proposals are worth further consideration.

Although all dogs are capable of biting a child, it goes without saying that the injuries inflicted by a pit bull will usually be worse than those inflicted by a Chihuahua.

M'kaaaaaaaaaaay. By this logic, I guess we could say that injuries inflicted by a hockey stick will usually be worse than those inflicted by a soccer ball. So, ban hockey? Methinks the author misses the point here. It is certainly tragic that this infant was mauled by a dog while in the care of a babysitter. The breed of dog is about as relevant as the color of the babysitter's skin. What we have here is a failure of a babysitter to properly care for a baby.

Sadly, just two days later in Newport News, a baby died while in the care of a babysitter - this time being choked to death by the chest strap of a car seat. So what do we do now? Ban babysitters? Ban car seats? Ban Newport News because two tragic incidents occurred there this week? If those suggestions sound ridiculous because they wouldn't address the real issues or solve any problems, then welcome to my world. Because that's exactly what I think about Pitbull bans.

As for PETA, do us all a favor and stick to what you know. *crickets*

Animals: I Luv Dem

I rather enjoy pieces of the "Then and Now" genre and came across this one on the human-animal bond. I thought some of you might enjoy it too. Here's a snippet:

One hundred years, we used to speak of 'breaking' horses to being ridden by a person. Today we speak of 'gentling' horses to being handled and ridden by people who consider horses as companions. In the last 20 years, a veterinarian, Dr. Robert Miller, has helped to change the horse industry by demonstrating that imprint training of a foal in the first several hours and days after birth can increase lifelong gentle responsive behavior of horses to people and environmental stimuli. Today, with scientific understanding of natural behavior, we are seeing a revolution among horse trainers to accept kinder, gentler methods to manage behavior of horses.

Today we have multinational and multicultural recognition of the mutual benefits of the human animal bond to health and spirit. Animals offer companionship—someone to talk to who will not criticize. They are living responding beings to touch or hug with emotion. Animals keep us alert and help fulfill our need to nurture and comfort others.

***

Image: Hama, a Jindo dog in Korea who learned to perform Buddhist prayer rituals alongside monks. The temple is home to dozens of stray dogs.

For more info on the Jindo Dog, aka National Treasure #53 of the South Korean Government (!), clicky.

With Apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Oh Peanut Butter Product Recall, how do I consider thee similar to the 2007 Pet Food Recall? Let me count the ways:

1. We now know that such diverse brands as Little Debbie, Keebler, Nutri System and Kashi all use the same ingredients (at least as far as peanut butter goes, maybe more). But wait a minute here - I thought if I paid more, I was getting a higher quality product? *sounds buzzer* Sorry, thanks for playing.

2. You can check a product’s website one day and it has an announcement reassuring consumers that their foods are safe. But the next day: recall! Are we supposed to believe the company didn’t know they were using the contaminated peanut butter from the mildew plant yesterday? Come on!

3. If you ask a company why only certain lots are being recalled (when presumably the other lots contain the same ingredients, at least they say so on the label) and if they’ve switched peanut butter vendors, they can’t give out specifics - it’s "proprietary info".

4. Non-PB products that were processed on the same equipment as the recalled products now have to be recalled due to cross-contamination because apparently they don’t clean the lines between runs!

5. The Salmonella/Mildew peanut processing plant “lab shopped” until it got the “right” results on its food safety tests. Those records only have to be made available to the FDA after people start dying from their greedy scheme.

Gee, PB recall and 2007 Pet Food Recall - you guys are like twins. Let's hope there isn't a triplet happening out there right now which we will only be made aware of after people start dying.



Related:

• Science Friday discussed the sad state of affairs at the FDA as part of the show today.
• Owner who fed his dog PB crackers and then the dog died
• FDA does basically nada about Salmonella tainted pet food

MSN Links

A few examples of bad results for pets after mandatory spay-neuter (MSN) has been enacted:

CA:

Los Angeles - first year stats under MSN (more analysis of L.A.'s failure here)

San Mateo County

WA:

King County



Comparisons between MSN areas and non-MSN areas in CA:

Lake County has the highest kill rate in the state

Santa Cruz County kills significantly more pets than neighboring counties without MSN



Additional reading:

Why Punitive Legislation Fails (pdf) from No Kill Advocacy Center

MSN Fails to Reach Most Intact Cats (pdf) from Alley Cat Allies

One Person Requests BSL in Florence Co, SC

Dear Hand of Fate,

Please don't let me end up being a crackpot old lady who shakes her cane at the town council, whining things like, "There outta be a law!" while dragging my pantyhose around my ankles and pinning together the neckline of my chicken print dress because the top button just isn't high enough for me. Not that I know anyone like that. I'm just sayin'.

Ernestine Haselden, who lives on Railroad Avenue, said the person who lives behind her has four or five “pit bull-type dogs” who charge at her fence “just as hard as they can to get to me.”

She asked council members to consider an ordinance that would ban pit bull-type dogs as well as any other breeds they see fit. She said that if any pets are grandfathered in, the owners should have to hold a $100,000 liability insurance policy on the animals.

Most people living around her are elderly, she said.

“We should be able to live our last years in some sort of peace and tranquility in our own yards, not bothering anybody else,” she said.

Where to begin. OK, in whose judgment are these "four or five" dogs deemed pitbull types? (Sub-question: What is a pitbull type dog?) Can you please describe exactly what you mean when you say they are charging the fence and how is it you've determined they are trying to "get to" you? Could it possibly be that these dogs are just saying hello or even welcoming you home? Or perhaps they are guarding their property perimeter and warning you to stay out of their yard? (btw, they used to have a name for those type of dogs - I think they called them GOOD.)

Moving right along, why ask the town council to ban the entire, albeit unspecified, breed? Are these 4 or 5 dogs representative of some conspiracy? Do you think their brethren might be out there somewhere, perhaps in their own fenced yards, working on The Master Plan? And since we're banning indiscriminatorily, I guess we might as well throw in "any other breeds they see fit". I mean heck, why not, you don't want to have to break out the Banning Wand twice in one lifetime.

I got bit by a dog when I was a kid. It was a white German Shepherd - or maybe I should say "German Shepherd type" (I wanna show the council that I'm hip to crackpot old lady lingo). So obviously all those Shepherd types should be banned. My high school friend's dog always barked at me when I came over to visit. She was a mixed breed. We should prolly ban those types too. There were three Pomeranian types who used to chase me and grab onto my pants legs when I lived in a duplex. Ban. Oh and there's a big dog who gives me a funny look when I drive past him every morning on the way to work. I don't know what kind he is but let's add him to the list. Because I really think that I should be able to drive to work in some kind of peace which obviously I can not achieve with some dog looking at me every morning.

This has got me thinking: Maybe we should ban the owners of these type dogs too. What right does anyone have to keep a pet in their own fenced yard when that dog is free to give me any old look it pleases just because I happen to pass by on my morning commute? This nonsense has got to stop! There outta be a law!

Town of Scranton, SC:

Address: 1818 US Highway 52

P. O. Box 279

Scranton, SC 29591

Telephone: 843-389-2222

Fax: 843-389-0636

Scranton's elected officials:
Mayor Pro Tem Thomas Knotts and Council Members


Florence County Council Chairman K.G. “Rusty” Smith:
Phone: 843-210-7368
Address: P. O. Box 369, Lake City, SC 29560

If you are a resident of Florence County and you want to appear before the council, ya hafta ask in advance:

The written request should be sent to Connie Y. Haselden, Clerk to County Council, 180 N. Irby St., MSC-G, Florence, SC 29501. The request can also be emailed to clerktocouncil@florenceco.org or faxed to (843) 665-3042.

By gosh by golly - that last name looks familiar...

Seriously folks, I don't know a single soul involved in these shenanigans but this good ol' boy Southern tradition thang ain't funny. We're not backwards people here in South Carolina. Most of us are normal, compassionate folks who love pets and love our property rights. Most of us don't harass our neighbors or threaten them with the Law of Nepotism. We just never seem to make the national news. Now's our chance. Let's answer one person's request for a bad law that has been proven not to work with some polite and respectful voices of reason.

Treats on the Internets

United We Bark thinks it's time we do more to increase public awareness about the anti-pet agenda of the HSUS.

Nathan Winograd sorts the wheat from the chaff in Houston's No Kill efforts.

Caveat posts photos of those shape-shifting Pitbulls.

The HSUS has a pdf online outlining their goals for 2009.  Included are some vaguely worded and worrisome items:

5) Puppy mills – require all commercial dog and cat breeders to comply with AWA requirements, including those who sell directly to the public (as provided by legislation like S. 3519 / H.R. 6949 in the 110th Congress, for which Obama pledged support during campaign in response to HSLF survey); require daily exercise and socialization for animals in commercial breeding facilities; prohibit non-stop breeding every heat cycle; prohibit debarking or other invasive procedures conducted for purposes other than the health and well-being of the individual animal; require that humane euthanasia and surgical procedures be performed by a licensed veterinarian only and prohibit other forms of killing animals at these facilities.

Am I a "puppy mill" according to HSUS?  I might be, I don't know.  And since they aren't providing a specific definition, I guess I should consider myself a target of their agenda (which itself is vague and could be twisted to encompass just about any set of circumstances).

And:

93) Breed-specific bans – do not impose breed-specific bans at military bases (breed specific spay/neuter policies may be effective and appropriate, if restrictions are needed; outright bans have proven counterproductive, actually reducing public safety in some cases)

Take your breed specific mandatory neuter and shove it HSUS.

Don't Tread on Me HSUS

A little history on the HSUS's "dogfighting czar" John Goodwin:

Furcommission.com:

Predictably, Goodwin was arrested multiple times in various states, culminating in his being charged as the alleged ringleader of a gang that vandalized fur stores. In April 1993, he and two juveniles pleaded guilty. Sentenced to three years in prison, they spent the next 30 months under house arrest, but the prison term was overturned for six months probation.

Activistcash.com:

Goodwin himself has been arrested and convicted for being the ringleader of a gang that vandalized fur retailers in multiple states during the 1990s. The animal-rights newspaper Animal People News profiled Goodwin in 2000, noting that he “gleefully announced a string of Animal Liberation Front mink releases and arsons against furriers and fur farms” while a “spokesman” for the underground terrorist group.

Furcommission.com:

By August of 2000, Goodwin was trying to clean up his act, or at least his public image. Following the lead of other industry execs before him, he realized that society’s patience with his lawbreaking ways was running thin. "I do not plan to ever do civil disobedience again," he told Animal People. "I’m convinced that politics is the way to go, and to that end I am taking classes in political campaign management. Targeting bad lawmakers, and helping good lawmakers, is what I feel this movement has failed to do, miserably."

The HSUS:

Goodwin, who has been active in the field of animal protection since 1989, joined The HSUS in 2000, as a staff member in The HSUS's Government Affairs department.

Can you say "revisionist history"? I knew you could.

Goodwin's "expert" work with the HSUS in the dogfighting realm:

The Feb. 19 [2008] raids were the culmination of a nearly year-long investigation by The HSUS and the Pima County Sheriff's Department. Conducted simultaneously at four Tucson-area locations, they resulted in the arrests of six people, including Mahlon "Pat" Patrick, one of the most notorious figures in dogfighting, whose involvement in the blood sport stretches back to 1968.
[...]
As a supplier of several major fighting-dog bloodlines, Patrick holds a status among professional dogfighters ranking second perhaps only to the infamous Floyd Boudreaux, who currently awaits trial on felony dogfighting charges after a 2005 raid on his Louisiana property put him out of business.

And since the HSUS page referenced above doesn't tell you, let me clarify: Pat Patrick was cleared of dogfighting charges by a judge. But by then, all his seized Pitbulls had been killed. Floyd Boudreaux was cleared of dogfighting charges by a judge. But by then, all his seized Pitbulls had been killed.

As always, I want to be 100% clear: I am not in any way, shape or form advocating on behalf of dogfighters. Anyone involved in that horrible and cruel "sport" should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There is no grey area - if you breed Pitbulls for fighting, attend dogfights or participate in dogfighting in any way, you are dead to me. And if somehow I was ever in a position to help prosecute you, I'd jump at the chance.

But at the same time, I would fight for your status as innocent until proven guilty and further, I would do everything in my power to advocate to save the lives of your dogs and keep them in your legal possession until you had your day in court or voluntarily signed them over. That's the way the American justice system works. Or is supposed to work. Apparently Goodwin and the HSUS are trying to subvert that. And that's one thing that I can not stomach. If the HSUS doesn't like our innocent until proven guilty premise or our Constitutional rights as property owners, they need to take that up with Washington D.C. Instead, they are trying - and succeeding - to infiltrate local law enforcement agencies and sneak into the civil rights of dog owners with ski masks and baseball bats under cover of night. Forget about obtaining evidence for a successful prosecution, forget about the U.S. Constitution - just get in, seize, kill dogs, take photo ops for fundraisers and move on to the next. Bullshit.

Blue Dog State has more on John Goodwin. And even more, if you haven't had enough already.

Action Alerts for Seized Dogs in Wilkes County

The owner of the 127 Pitbulls seized in Wilkes County, NC in December did not meet a January 15 deadline to pay a $53,000 ransom boarding fee imposed by authorities and therefore forfeited rights to his dogs. Wait, there's more:

There are more than 127 dogs now, because several of the dogs have had litters. The dogs are being held at undisclosed locations because authorities say they are valuable evidence in a criminal investigation.

If the dogs' owner is found guilty, the dogs that were seized will be euthanized, county officials said. County officials said they have never had puppies born to dogs that were seized. They will ask for a court ruling on the disposition of the puppies and the other dogs.

[...]

Even if Faron [the owner] is acquitted, the dogs would still belong to the county if he doesn't meet the deadline.

Nice little scheme you're running there Wilkes County. Did ya think that up all by yourself?

The raid capped a three-year investigation by the Humane Society of the United States, in cooperation with Wilkes County authorities.

Oh. I see. So I suppose the HSUS will be providing some sort of guidance on what to do with these dogs?

John Goodwin, the manager of animal-fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, said yesterday that he couldn't recall a case in which puppies were born to dogs after the dogs were seized. Still, he said, such puppies would probably be euthanized if the owner is convicted of dog fighting.

"It's kind of tough with the puppies, because the characteristics that the dog fighters want are selected for by breeding," he said.

He said that the Humane Society uses an expert who could evaluate the dogs and puppies if the county decides to have them evaluated.

Gee, thanks HSUS. From your previous record on Pitbull killing rescuing and the statements you've made regarding this case, I think we can kinda guess how your "expert" would evaluate these dogs. I assume the methods employed would be similar to those used by the Houston SPCA. That is: kill secretly, kill quickly, keep asking the public for money to "help" pets.

There is one hope to save some of the dogs. Best Friends has reached out to Wilkes County authorities:

Ledy VanKavage, Best Friends Senior Legal Analyst, has been in touch with North Carolina County Attorney Tony Triplet and Animal Control Director, Junior Simmons, to offer help and discuss alternatives to euthanasia. Best Friends is willing to send a certified applied behaviorist out to evaluate the dogs and puppies. Of those who do well, Best Friends will fund their sterilization and transportation to responsible rescue groups.

They've also got an action item:

Please contact each of the following individuals and respectfully ask them to accept Best Friends' offer to arrange for behavior evaluations of the dogs, assistance with spay/neuter surgeries and placement of dogs that pass a stringent behavior evaluation.

Wilkes County Board of Commissioners
110 North Street
Wilksboro, NC 28697
Phone: 336-651-7346

Wilkes County Attorney Tony Triplett
Vannoy, Colvard, Triplett & Vannoy
922 C Street
P.O. Box 1388
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone: 336-667-7201
Fax: 336-838-7250
E-mail: ttriplett@vannoylaw.com

District Attorney Tom Horner
500 Courthouse Drive Suite 2022
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: 336-667-6361or 667-2994

If you are a Wilkes County resident, please attend the Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, February 3 at 5pm. Voice your concern, politely and respectfully, for the seized dogs and regarding the law requiring them to be killed. Remind the Board that every dog deserves a fair evaluation.

HSUS Continues Efforts to Eliminate Pets

Well, this sucks:

If you sell someone a puppy and for whatever reason that person is not happy with their new little fluffy bundle of joy, YOU can be turned in to the HSUS!!! Yes, folks, the HSUS has now appointed themselves "breeder watchdogs"...All a person has to do is download the 6 page form (count 'em **6** pages of forms), fill them out with their name and contact information and supply the BREEDER'S contact information, then submit copies of the packet (with all contracts, registration, medical records, etc) to the following:

Once this form is complete and additional documents have been attached make six copies of your packet. - Send one copy to Puppy Mills, The Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037.

- Send one copy to the Department of Agriculture in the state in which the breeder does business.

- Send one copy each to the Attorney General of the state in which the breeder resides and to the Attorney General in your state.

- Save one copy and all originals for your records.

How is it that the HSUS keeps roping in unsuspecting donors, year after year, making out like they are the Upright Pet Loving Citizens Brigade? The HSUS actively works to get law enforcement involved in the private lives of Pitbull owners. The HSUS actively works to seize Pitbulls from dog owners they have accused of wrongdoing. The HSUS actively works to have these seized Pitbulls killed before the owner gets his day in court. And they use your donated money to do it.

Don't support the HSUS. Tell a friend.

Related HSUS shenanigans here.

Dinner at Chez Dog

Billy cooked up some ground turkey for the dogs last night and put it in the fridge. This afternoon, I tossed some leftover veggies (carrots, radicchio and broccoli) in the food processor and cooked some rice. Since the turkey was cold, I put it in the bottom of the dog bowl. Then added the warm rice and spooned the grated veggies on top. So it looked like this:

Then I mixed everything up so all the food would be room temperature (see how s-m-r-t I am?). It looked like this:

The humans got to eat too and of course the dogs got leftover salmon and risotto afterward:

Graham got a PB jar for dessert:

Owner Suspects Tainted Peanut Butter Killed Dog

In addition to the human death toll in the current peanut butter recall, a dog owner in Atlanta who shares his food with his pets believes there may be a link between the Salmonella tainted peanut butter and his dog's sudden death:

Bert Kanist says his dog Ozzie became sick after eating two packages of Austin brand peanut butter crackers, two days before the snacks were recalled because of the salmonella outbreak.

Ozzie died the next day.

Naturally the owner has questions but in typical secretive corporate fashion, the companies involved with the product are not terribly interested in helping:

"All I get is the same runaround. 'We can't talk to you. We'll take your name number,' and they pass me another phone number," he complained. "All I want is a straight answer from somebody."

Word. 

Delusional BSL Proposal in DC

D.C. Councilman Graham has a philosophy on legislation to ban Pitbulls:  Propose, FAIL, Repeat.  

“I’ve introduced the pit bull legislation every session, and I am continuing in that determined pattern,” he said. “In case you are thinking I am deluded, I also introduced the lead paint hazard bill every session, and it passed last December. Every dog has its day.”

Every dog except Pitbulls, if the Councilman has his way:

The pit bull measure bars the possession and sale of the breed in the District. It requires current owners to register their pets with animal control, sterilize the dogs and tag them for quick identification. Any pit bull that doesn’t meet those requirements must be impounded and euthanized.

Councilman Graham, did you ever consider that perhaps your proposal keeps failing because people understand that breed specific legislation doesn't work?  

Contact Mr. Graham and let him know, politely and respectfully, why you do not support his BSL proposal and what some alternatives might be to keeping people and dogs safe in the community:

Jim Graham - Councilmember (Ward 1) 
e-mail:  jgraham@dccouncil. us
Tel: (202) 724-8181 Fax: (202) 724-8109

The complete D.C. Council contact info is available as a pdf here.

SC Shelter in Need Gets Help from Near and Far

Hundreds of pounds of kibble and blankets were flown in to save the day for the Anderson County Animal Shelter in SC:

The food and blankets, airlifted in by volunteer pilots from as far away as Pennsylvania and brought in by concerned area residents from as far away as Greer, were the answer to a call for help from the Anderson County Animal Shelter.

According to shelter officials, the facility is housing between 400 and 500 animals, including more than double the usual number of dogs for this time of year.

[...]

“The response from Animal Rescue Flights and concerned citizens in and around Anderson has been completely overwhelming,” she [Michelle Shead, the shelter’s adoption coordinator] said while she counted cash, checks and gift cards dropped off by concerned citizens.

One of the donations was $40 from an 11-year old boy.

“His parents said he’d saved up his money and wanted to donate it to help with the animals,” Shead said. “He will never know how much that means to all of us at the shelter.”

Volunteers with the ROTC of Westside High School in Anderson and cadets of the Anderson Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol loaded roughly four truckloads of dog food and blankets, Shead said, and more than $2,200 in cash donations had been received as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

I love community based efforts, especially when they aid the non-voting and otherwise voiceless members of the community. And in this case, a successful fund raising effort drew support from out of state donors as well. I'm glad to know the pets in the Anderson Co. Animal Shelter will have full bellies and blankies to sleep on tonight. It's been cold lately!

Video here.

Transparency and Organization Still Lacking at Secretive SC Shelter

Last month, I wrote about a shelter in Myrtle Beach, SC (run by the Horry County Humane Society) which closed to kill dogs en masse after a Distemper outbreak. The apparent attempts by the shelter director to mislead/hide from the media regarding the handling of the disease outbreak got her sacked not long after the story hit the local news. The shelter reopened after a month long closure (how long does it take to thoroughly clean a facility which should be thoroughly clean to start with?) but now Board members are jumping ship:

There are currently 8 members on the HCHS board with seven seats unfilled.

One of the 8 occupied seats was just filled this past week:

The board voted Wednesday to appoint Carol Bourne-Hunt to the HCHS board after Hunt was voted off the Grand Strand Humane Society’s board days ago.

Hunt told News13 she spend 13 years as a member of the GSHS board, but lost a re-election bid in January after the Myrtle Beach animal shelter staff campaigned for another candidate.

I couldn't find any available facts regarding the failed re-election bid but it doesn't take a genius to realize if the staff at this lady's former shelter campaigned for her ousting, they must have had a reason. Shelter staff are generally the hands on people who try and help the animals in their care within the limitations set for them by the Board of Directors. They see the day to day effects that board room decisions have on the lives of shelter pets. I tend to give their opinions significant value. At any rate, the Horry County Humane Society (half) Board won't be writing their own ticket indefinitely:

Some members of Horry County council cited the seemingly high turnover at the agency’s shelter and board as reason to take a closer look into the shelter’s management and finances.

The county’s Public Safety Committee voted on Jan. 14 to conduct an investigation into the shelter’s finances.

The HCHS received $535, 613 in county tax dollars to run the shelter in a contract with Horry County.

Yeah I'd like to know what exactly this (half) Board is doing with that half-a-million in taxpayer money too. I mean besides adopting out dogs during a known Distemper outbreak, killing dogs in their care and bringing on board someone who just got the boot from her own shelter staff. Accountability, anyone?

PETA and Vick: Pitbull Killing Freaks No Longer BFFs

Although it seemed like a match made in Scumbag Heaven, PETA and Michael Vick have had a falling out. Too bad because they both apparently think that killing Pitbulls is great and both seem to enjoy raking in the millions but alas, the honeymoon is over. Their planned television PSA about dogfighting [beverage spew warning - doh! I'm supposed to say that first, huh?] has been sent to PETA's walk-in freezer:

The organization said Wednesday that an agreement was reached with Vick's representatives to shoot the spot, but that Vick's attorneys sought assurance from PETA the group would support Vick's return to the NFL.
[...]
PETA is urging that Vick undergo a brain scan and a full psychiatric evaluation.

Right backatcha baby!

Peanut Butter Products Recalled

In case you haven't heard, it seems like a long list of processed foods containing peanut butter as an ingredient (crackers, ice cream, dog treats, etc.) are being recalled due to Salmonella contamination. From the FDA:

Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), is expanding the recall of peanut butter and voluntarily recalling peanut paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
[...]
The recalled peanut butter and peanut paste were distributed to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies in 24 states, the province of Saskatchewan in Canada, Korea and Haiti. The U.S. states are the following: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In addition, affected product was used as an ingredient in other products that may have been distributed in other states.

None of the peanut butter being recalled is sold directly to consumers through retail stores by PCA.

PCA is not the only peanut butter manufacturer involved in this recall so you might like to take a look at all the recent FDA alerts. For now, they are saying that regular peanut butter on your grocery store shelf is not affected. As someone who eats a lot of peanut butter, I hope they are telling us the whole story.

Mahalia Jackson Live Performance

Treats on the Internets

This is the Oh My God edition. Check back in future for the Return to Reason edition. I hope.

Blue Dog State posts about a turn-in-your-neighbor-win-big-prizes program in FL which encourages citizens to phone in "tips" about people who own Pitbulls. Cos you know, they might be dogfighters. But what exactly happens when the red Pitbull phone goes ringy dingy?:

When Floridians dial that HSUS dogfight tip hotline number, the one that Attorney General McCollum thinks is such a great thing, they won't get the Attorney General's office. They won't get a public servant at all.

Persons wishing to make anonymous accusations of felonious activity will be connected to an individual employed by a for-profit, private security company employed by the Humane Society of the United States.

The for-profit private security company employed by HSUS will take the ball from there.

And guess whose instructions they'll be following.

Well I certainly hope it's not the kill-all-pitbulls-before-the-owner-gets-his-day-in-court HSUS. It's not them, is it? In the words of Hellboy: Oh, crap.

Blue Dog wisely notes:

I have a problem when private corporations like the Humane Society of the United States -- ones with zero public responsibility -- get into the law enforcement biz. Out of control private warriors operating in the Middle East are a national disgrace.


Do we really want private contractors operating in the domestic sector, too?

:::waves hand vigorously::: Pick me! I know the answer!

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In South Carolina news, the state legislature is working on a bill that basically says a sheriff can deputize someone from an animal group (such as the SC SPCA) to arrest citizens on suspicion of animal cruelty. The group can then seize their pets and demand payment for their "care" in minimum increments of 30 day periods. If the owner can't come up with the cash, the group can rehome or kill the pets as they see fit. What about people who end up being found not guilty by the time they get their day in court? Well for those who couldn't produce the green, sorry your dogs are dead or otherwise disposed. Thanks for playing. But for those who were able to put up the funds, you may be entitled to a partial refund if the group "caring" for your animals hasn't withdrawn every last penny from the account already. Wow - bonus.

Contact Governor Sanford and let him know, in a respectful manner, how you feel about this bill and why he should not sign it into law.

Governor Mark Sanford
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12267
Columbia, SC 29211

Fax: 803-734-5167
Phone: 803-734-2100.

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Smartdogs has all the horrible details on the neglect and abuse charges against the English Shepherd breeder in Montana. It's way worse than the initial reporting seemed to indicate. Do not read while eating.

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Pet Connection calls out a popular Pediatrician for the dispensing of ancient myth advice: if you're pregnant, dump your cat or he'll steal your baby's breath in the night. Dude, what?

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And we gotta have one GOOD Oh My God. Courtesy of Lassie, Get Help. Thank you Captain Sullenberger and crew, cool headed passengers and awesome first responders for the feel good hit of the Summer. In January.