A Barbaric Military Practice.

I was reading an article about the army the other day, and got totally disgusted. In Honolulu, HA, an medical unit was training to treat wounded on the battlefield. All well and good, except for what they were training with and on. They were using pigs that were being shot, right there,

This is so barbaric I just sat in disbelief after reading the article from the AP. There are simulators that are so real that the army could use, but they said that it isn't the same as live tissue training. This is not true. The research I did says otherwise. A distraught soldier tipped off PETA, and they, in turn, tipped of the media.

They tried to justify the use of the live animals by saying that they are sedated before being shot with M16's and another carbine type gun. Who cares, they are still alive. It is scary what we, as civilians, don't know about our military. It is time we started to inquire. We would all be shocked. I applaud the men and woman of our armed forces and am proud to be an American, but I am not proud of the under-handedness and barbarism that exists. A soldier has to perform what ever his superiors order him or her to do, but don't have to like it.

Deleted Posts On New Store In The Huntington Mall.

To all of you that posted the great comments on the new store in the mall for dogs, thank you! I have been informed by the paper that I cannot post anything like that. Seems it is considered promoting a "for profit" business.

I contacted the paper last week to see if they wanted to do a story on this great place, but haven't seen any story yet. This is a great place, with great stuff. Thanks again to my readers that took the time to post your great comments.

The Fabulous Therapy Dog.

Chance says, " I love to go and visit people. I kinda know when they are sad or sick, and I just lick their hands, and they seem to do something funny with their mouth, it turns up at the corners." " My mom says that is a smile."

Hello again. I want to talk about a great service that is provided to area nursing homes and hospitals and area shut-ins. This service is Therapy Dogs. These wonderful animals and their owners/handlers are one of a kind. There are several areas of service work that dogs can do, but the therapy work is so, so rewarding.

Not only do you get to interact with people whom, in most cases, don't get a lot of visitors, but you get to spend quality time with your dog. They are so receptive to our dogs. Even the few that are afraid at first, come around so quickly to the love that our dogs provide. Dogs are extremely loyal and dedicated, and can tell when someone is weak or sad. If you looked through the archives of this blog, you will see that I have a post on my old therapy dog, her name was Madam Kallee.

This dog found me. The minute I saw her that foggy morning outside my house, I knew she was so, so special. We did our obedience work and then I certified her for Therapy with Therapy Dogs International. By doing that, she was able to go to anywhere that requested Therapy dogs. I was grooming at the time, so Kallee would go everyday with me to wherever I was grooming and then we would go home. We were literally together 24 hrs. a day. She was such a sweet dog.

She worked the patients she visited like she was some kind of magic dog. If someone was afraid of her, she would soften her facial expressions, sit at their feet(in front of the wheelchair, usually) and just look at them. This would win them over every single time. She passed away in May of 2005 at 14 yrs. old. I now have the lab you see on this blog named Major B Chance, He is a 2 yr. old yellow Labrador out of Sunnyburke's Major General B and Heringo's Autumn Angel.

He is fabulous, too. I certified him for therapy, too. For an intact male, he is so sweet. I am for neutering and spaying, but I am in the process of finding the right female so I can get a puppy from his line. His temperament is so special. But, this is not something that I am taking lightly. I have looked for almost a year. My friend, Tim Childers, is helping me find the right girl. Since I have never bred a dog, I wanted the expertise of Tim to help me in this important task. Chance was supposed to be my husband and step-sons dog, and I was just going to love him, but I started in training with him and realized just how smart he was, so I continued on with him. Now, he is mommy's dog. Thanks for reading my blog.

Ex-Boyfriend Beats Puppy To Get Back At Girlfriend.

I just watched a video on the CNN website about a little Schnauzer mix puppy that was beaten and had detergent forced into his mouth. This little guy they say, is getting better, but has an air bubble in his lung. If it bursts, he will suffocate. The perpetrator was the owners ex-boyfriend. He broke into her house and beat and kicked the puppy to get back at her. The police are looking for the sicko. The vet in the video said she can not see him getting off easy. I certainly hope they throw the book at this creep.

I have posts on the correlation between animal abuse and domestic abuse. It is sickening. The abuser uses violence to scare the victim, and often, the animals in the home are the target. If you know of anyone abusing an animal, please contact the police. You can remain anonymous, I promise you that. I know this for a fact.

Buyer Beware.

I was looking through the pet classifieds in the HD, and came across one that said, "New Designer Breed." This stopped me cold. It was for Newfidore puppies. This is a cross between the Newfoundland and the Labrador Retriever. I called the number. The man told me this was not a planned breeding, but decided to let the puppies be born. I asked him if the parents had been OFA certified, and he said no.

These two breeds are notorious for bad hips and knees. The Newfoundland is one of the giant breeds and has a lot of problems if not bred correctly. The Labrador Retriever is a medium breed, or some consider them a large breed. It depends on who you talk to . This man said that his dogs didn't have hip problems, and their parents didn't. But, that does not mean that it won't show up down the line.

People that are breeding these "designer" dogs don't know what they are doing. That is a personal opinion, by the way. I have seen too many problems with these dogs when I was grooming. Mostly with the small guys, your peekapoos, puggles, oh, I could go on and on, were skin and knees. With the Labradoodles, I saw hips and eyes. Just because you think a dog is cute, does not mean it is sound.

I am what is called a "purist." I do not believe in mixing breeds. You get the worst of both breeds. People that are doing this are just in it to make a buck. They don't care about the puppies. That will be the new owners responsibility. That is the mind set. Oh sure, they have a health guarantee, but examine it closely. It has loop-holes. Just like the pet stores guarantees.

Do not buy designer dogs. They are just like puppy mill puppies. Most are sick and will have serious health problems down the road.

Electric Fencing And Invisible Fencing - Torture Devices.

Do you know of anyone that uses an electric fence to contain their dog(s)? Do you have any idea of how the dog(s) learn not to go over or under the fence? One way is letting the dog(s) learn on their own. The other way, which is how most people "train" their dog(s), is by taking them up to the fence and forcing them to touch it. This is nothing but abuse. Can you imagine someone taking their dog(s), that they supposedly "love" and making it touch this fence, repeatedly?

Another stupid thing is the invisible fence. I just read a story on PETA's website about a dog that the invisible fence "shock" collar that it was wearing had malfunctioned and burned a hole in the dogs neck. This went unnoticed for almost 3 days, because the owners had left town and left their dogs with a dog-sitter. Finally, after the dog stopped eating, playing and everything else a dog does, the sitter decided to take a closer look at the dog. It has a gaping wound where the 2 prongs of the shock collar had burned, literally, into its neck.

I looked at the official website of the invisible fence company, and it is really a sham. I mean that. A total sham. As the PETA site said, if you cut corners in your training methods, bad things are bound to happen. I usually don't agree with PETA, but on this I do. If you are thinking of getting one of these invisible fences or using an electric fence, please don't. You can put up chain link for about the same price, or do a wood fence and put chicken wire on the inside. The wire can be painted to match the fence. I know, I have a friend that did that. Her fence is white, and she just spray painted the wire white. I have also seen wood fencing with wire on the inside. The wire was painted brown to match the wood.

Also, if you are having financial difficulties, which is happening to a lot of people, the organization, Dogs Deserve Better can help you with fencing. You can go to their website, http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/ and get the information. Remember, training with pain only does one thing, makes your dog afraid. What good is that?

A.K.C. Contest.

source: 1st paragraph taken from HSUS website, Waynes Blog.

Over the weekend, at www.presidentialpup.com, the American Kennel Club launched a public contest to help the Obamas choose a dog, identifying five "hypoallergenic" breeds—the bichon frise, Chinese crested, miniature schnauzer, poodle, and soft-coated wheaten terrier—as the best choices for the Obama daughters, since one of the girls reportedly has allergies.

For many years, I have been an advocate for the AKC registry. But, I am sorry, I feel, and this is a personal opinion, that they are just trying to get their name in the limelight. There are so many dogs, purebreds, that are in shelters and breed rescues that need homes. I feel that the Obamas should go to one of those to adopt a dog.

If anyone of my readers have an opinion, please post your comments.

Will The New GA. Dog Fighting Laws Hold Up?

source: HSUS website.


Madison County, Ga. — The Madison County Sheriff's Office, acting on intelligence provided by The Humane Society of the United States, raided "Shake Down Kennels," an alleged dogfighting operation in Danielsville, Ga. Johnny Johnson, the apparent owner of the operation, was arrested and charged with felony dogfighting. Authorities seized seven dogs along with suspected dogfighting paraphernalia.

"Today's raid is the first salvo in what we hope will be a long list of law enforcement actions that utilize Georgia's newly strengthened law to end the horrible spectacle of dogfighting in the state," said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for The HSUS. "The Madison County Sheriff's Office deserves great recognition for taking such quick action against a suspected dogfighting operation. The raid shows that once law enforcement is given the necessary tools, they are ready and able to bring animal fighters to justice."

Information regarding Shake Down Kennels was first provided to The HSUS via its tip line, 877-TIP-HSUS. The HSUS animal fighting tip line was established as a pro-bono venture by Atlanta-based security firm Norred & Associates in the wake of the Michael Vick case so that Georgia residents can easily report illegal animal fighting to authorities.


You can go to the HSUS website and order an information packet that includes reward posters and brochures that you can put out to let people know that the HSUS offers a $5000.00 reward for information leading to the conviction of anyone that is fighting dogs or that attends a dogfight. If you know of someone that is breeding dogs to fight, fighting dogs or is attending dogfights, call the number in the paragraph above this one. You can remain anonymous.


I see so many people in our area that are selling Pit Bull puppies. If you are intent on getting one, please, please look at the bloodlines. If you find any of these bloodlines, don't buy and report the breeder. The fighting bloodlines are: Redboy-Jocko (shortened to RBJ in many classified ads), Jeep, Mayday, Barracuda, Chinaman, Frisco, Eli. There are more. But these are the most prominent. I have met some really nice Pits, but I also have met some that were so vicious they needed to be put down. The people that owned these dogs didn't fight them, they just didn't do the research and bought from a backyard breeder, because they "wanted one so bad."

Dangerous Pet Insurance.

Chance says, "Labs are not vicious. We are extremely loving, and I tolerate a lot of silly things that my mom makes me do. But, I love her very much"

source: mypetcover.com

It can be difficult to find insurance for your dangerous dog/pet. Even if you obtain it, dangerous pet insurance is often more expensive than insurance for your common or ill animal. That is because there is always a danger of someone being hurt by your animal, and as a result, the insurance companies include dangerous dog liability insurance on the policy, to protect you from the possible problems your dog could cause.


Classifying Dangerous Pets: Dangerous pet insurance is usually applied to dogs, since they are the most common pet to cause injuries and deaths. Insurance companies classify dogs for dangerous dog breed insurance based on their breed, for the most part. There does not have to be any history of dangerous behavior for a dog to need dangerous dog insurance. It can come down to simply what breed you choose for your new pet. What has happened; is many insurance companies have classified particular breeds as high risk breeds, meaning that these dogs are in a high risk of biting. Often, people who own a high risk breed dog have trouble getting housing insurance, because the liability portion of the housing insurance covers dog bites. This is where dangerous pet insurance comes into play. Many insurance policies are providing a separate policy to cover the dangerous pet, instead of requiring the dog to be covered in the housing policy.


Dangerous Breeds: The most common breed to be classified as a dangerous breed is the pit bull. In fact, some cities are now banning pit bulls. These dogs are often bred to be fighting dogs, and once pit bulls have been trained to fight, it is next to impossible to retrain this behavior, making these dogs dangerous no matter what their training may be. Other dogs that are sometimes classified as dangerous dog breeds are Rottweilers, Dobermans, and shepherds.



Risks of Owning Uninsured Dangerous Pets: You may be thinking of purchasing a dog that is classified as a dangerous pet. Before you head to the breeder, check with a dangerous dog insurance company to find out what your insurance options are. You do not want to own a dangerous dog without insurance.

There are a few things that could happen if you do. If you are caught, your dog could be taken away from your family and sent to a shelter. If the worst should happen and your dog was to bite or attack someone, you will be liable for the damages, without the protection of dangerous dog liability insurance. Not only that, but you will be fined and possibly sued for not having coverage if it is required in your city.


Getting Your Dangerous Dog Insured: If you own a dangerous animal, it is your responsibility to get the animal insured. Start by checking with several insurance companies to find out if the dog you are having insured is considered high-risk. Then, find out what the policy covers, and how much it is going to cost. Keep a list of several companies that you could get the insurance through. Choose the company that has the best policy combined with the best price. Make sure that any damage your dog causes to another person is covered by the dangerous dog insurance.

Once you have your policy, take steps to make sure you never have to use it! For example, make sure your pet is securely fenced in at all times. Keep in mind that a tie out is not always secure. Many dogs are able to break free from their leashes or chains. A dangerous dog must be kept in a fence! If your dog proves to be somewhat aggressive, consider keeping him or her muzzled when on walks or in public. This will be an added level of protection should your dog do something unexpected. Do not leave your dangerous dog alone with people that are strangers to your family.



Dangerous dog breeds tend to be protective of their families and territory. If you have your heart set on a certain breed of dog, but would like to avoid the necessity of having dangerous dog liability insurance, consider adopting a mixed breed that has your favorite breed as part of the mix! This is a great way to have the qualities you want in a pet, without needing the dangerous pet insurance. Not only that, but you will save a life by adopting a pet from a local shelter!

Tips To Protect Your Pets On The Fourth Of July.

Chance and my son, Keith, whom is a volunteer fireman with the Ohio River Road Volunteer Fire Department, want everyone to stay safe and be careful when putting off fireworks.


1. I know many people like to take their pets on outings, but resist the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays.
2. Never, never leave your pet in the car. With only hot air to breathe inside a car, your pet can suffer serious health effects—even death—in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air, but they do provide an opportunity for your pet to be stolen.
3. Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals can become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you've removed any items that your pet could destroy or that would be harmful to your pet if chewed. It has been proven that leaving a television or radio playing at normal volume will keep your pet company while you're attending Fourth of July picnics, parades, and other celebrations.
4. If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4Th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.
5. Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain. In their fear, pets who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death. People that chain dogs, really don't care about them anyway.
6. Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly. Animals found running at-large should be taken to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners. Micro-chipping your pet is a great way to ensure that you will be reunited, if your pet should become lost.

source for some of these tips came from the HSUS website.

Designer Dogs And Pet Store Puppies.

Chance and Mr. Puppy say, "Don't buy from a pet store, they sell puppy mill puppies and mixing breeds brings out the worst of both breeds."

I have been cruising the Internet and found a site for "puppies for sale" in the Ashland/Huntington area. I was dismayed to see the number of "designer" puppies for sale on this site. Also, there were many people looking to buy these dogs, because they looked "sooo cute." Buying a dog because it is cute is a really, really bad idea. You need to research very carefully when purchasing a puppy.

In the Herald Dispatch opinion section today, a lady wrote about a puppy she bought from a retail store that was sick. I wish she had read my blog. I have many, many posts on why not to buy a puppy from a pet store. I am sure I know the one she is talking about, but for legal reasons, I am not going to mention it. Pet stores have what is called "Pet store doublespeak."

From what I read in the letter to the editor, the lady's puppy survived. She is very, very lucky. I will continue to speak out against "designer" dogs and buying a dog from a pet store. If you want to ensure you are getting a healthy puppy, never buy a dog from a pet store, through a classified ad either in the physical paper or off a classified ad on the Internet. Any reputable breeder never sells through these means. You need to see both the parents or if both are not on site, contact the owner of the parent dog that is not available to view and talk to the owner of that dog.

But, I advocate getting a dog from a shelter, as they have many purebred dogs, and there are many, many breed rescues out there. And, let it be known, that these places will not place a dog with special needs to just anyone.