There are almost no words I can find, the pictures speak a million. I ask, how hard is it to FEED a dog? How could their newly brought in on-staff vet NOT SEE dogs in a state of malnutrition? How can employees and volunteers walk by a kennel for weeks on end and watch a dog go from healthy to near death and NOT say anything? How inhumane can you be?

This shelter is provided food from large corporate dog food producers – so not feeding dogs is not from a lack of food – they have plenty to go around! And you better believe, when finished, this article is headed to the corporate executives of these dog food companies so they can see where there donated food dollars are going — which is apparently NOWHERE.   

I implore EVERYONE that sees this story to let their elected officials know enough is enough. These million dollar plus taxpayer subsidized shelters need to be managed by caring professionals. We are sick and tired of uncaring, inhumane and unfocused management and staff running these shelters and apparently running amok. Where are the agricultural department inspectors? Why are there no checks and balances, ongoing inspections? Why do they  seemingly answer to no one. Animal Control Shelters are each Georgia county’s dark little secret – the rock no one cares to look under. It is too disturbing. It is time someone comes up with some answers for the Cobb County taxpayers.

We will not allow this to go on any longer – no more turned eyes. If you have a heart – you must find your voice and let Cobb County know — this is more than unacceptable – it’s cruel and inhumane and needs to STOP!     

Kimi’s story as emailed to me-  

This is Kimi.  Her name was Maggie until my wife Joanne and I rescued her yesterday (on September 25, 2011) from Cobb County Animal Control (aka Auschwitz For Dogs). She is nearly dead from starvation.

Kimi after her stay at Cobb County Animal Control

 

Kimi under the WATCHFUL eye of compassionate employees! Pathetic!

This is how Maggie (now Kimi) looked at Cobb County Animal Control on August 14, 2011 – just 6 weeks ago.

A photo taken of Kimi the day she was brought to the shelter - held by a volunteer.

See the difference?

That’s called animal abuse, and it’s being funded by the taxpayers of Cobb County.

And it’s common at Cobb County Animal Control.

There are other dogs at Cobb County Animal Control which are suffering animal abuse, but you’ll probably never see them.  Why?  Because Cobb County Animal Control will kill them to hide the evidence.  They’ve done that before, and they’ll likely do it to the dogs still in their possession.  No evidence, no problem – right?  Trust me, they’ll get away with it.

So what are you going to do about it?

Unless you speak for the animals who have no voice of their own, they will suffer, and they will die.  Kimi was one of the lucky ones.  She made it out of Auschwitz alive; most others in her condition don’t, because they’re not easy to adopt out.  They just sit and suffer until they’re killed – because they look like this picture from this morning (September 26, 2011).

I urge you to write to Cobb County’s Commissioners, and say something like:

Cobb County Animal Control is abusing animals in it’s care.  Volunteers and other rescuers have also told us about many other dogs who come into the Cobb County Animal Control shelter at normal weight but who end up emaciated and starved under the cruel treatment of Cobb County Animal Control.

Please fire Animal Control Director Jeff Patellis and his entire leadership team.  Replace them with people who are committed to caring for and saving the lives of animals – people who will never let this happen again.

Please give me your personal guarantee that no emaciated animals will be killed.  Destroying evidence is illegal and will not be tolerated.

Please assure me that you will make sure that whoever implemented and carried out the policies that caused this horrendous suffering will be charged with animal cruelty.

This is happening on your watch, and as a leader, you are failing to do the right thing.  What are you going to do about it?

Here is contact information for every member of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners:

Tim Lee
Commission Chairman
tlee@cobbcounty.org
(770) 528-3300

Helen Goreham
District 1 Commissioner
hgoreham@cobbcounty.org
(770) 528-3313

Bob Ott
District 2 Commissioner
bob.ott@cobbcounty.org
(770) 528-3316

JoAnn Birrell
District 3 Commissioner
joann.birrell@cobbcounty.org
(770) 528-3317

Woody Thompson
Vice Chairman
District 4 Commissioner
woody.thompson@cobbcounty.org
(770) 528-3312

Offices and shared fax:

100 Cherokee Street
Marietta, Georgia 30090-9679
fax: (770) 528-2606

Over the years in rescue, I have fostered many. And yes, I have my own personal cats and dogs and work full-time. That’s what we all do – most of America has a full life with existent family and responsibilities. But America also has a big heart and the ability to share it with the creatures so in need of a helping hand.

• Does the responsibility of fostering a pup sometimes frustrate, yes!
• Does letting your foster pup go break your heart, yes!
• Does the reward you get from saving another life bring immeasurable joy to your heart, Yes!

We have heard thousands of times, we would love to foster, BUT it would be so sad to let them go – how do you do it? The same way you let everything else go in your life. Your child’s first day at school, your child headed off to college, separation, losing a boyfriend. It’s called life. Somethings break your heart, but we all survive – that’s just what we do.

Yes, you can and oftentimes do get attached, but the wonderful part of fostering is knowing that you have given a dog a chance at life, a chance at love and it was ALL because of you. You taught the pup some social graces; you calmed his fear when he cried at night; you fed, walked and played with him. You loved him and your love is what made him whole again. Your love provided the impetus to his being loved by another — forever. What could be any better than that!

1000′s of wonderful family dogs are euthanized every week in the state of Georgia, won’t you please consider saving JUST ONE! We can’t promise you won’t shed a tear, but we do promise your heart will fill fuller than it ever has before.

If you would like to know how you can be a foster, please contact Mutt Madd-ness at 404.406.6322.

Saying it’s acting in the interest of public safety, College Park officials will enact a “dangerous dog” registry next month that some critics say is very close to canine profiling. Residents owning dogs that have, without provocation, bitten someone during the last 12 years, will be required to register their pet with the city clerk’s office.

Pit bull, Doberman, Rottweiler and German shepherd owners, will also have to register their dogs whether they have ever attacked someone or not. Registration will cost a $25 annual fee. Those who fail to register their dogs will face fines and confiscation of their pets.

Critics are upset that no public hearings were held before the dog registry became law.

I am not an expert in any way. I have read a lot of articles since becoming involved in dog rescue, especially since here in the South we find ourselves rescuing a lot of bully breed dogs. It is nearly impossible (even with DNA testing) to categorize these mixed breeds. We have discovered many of our dogs, that we thought had some pit in them, after testing did not. Who is to judge (deem aggressive) the majority of these dogs with unknown heritage just by looking at them? And from our experience most of these “bullies” have been the sweetest natured. 

Mean Dog Alert!

Below From Mary Ullmer | The Grand Rapids Press The Grand Rapids Press

“Identification problems aside, educating and holding owners of powerful dog breeds responsible for their dogs’ actions would go a long way toward ensuring safe communities. Banning breeds could result in irresponsible owners simply shifting to another breed they could abuse, fight or train to be vicious. Remember when Doberman pinschers were the problem? Rottweilers? Any dog can bite or attack.

But if the dog is properly trained, socialized cared for and, yes, spayed or neutered – and not abused, taught to fight or tethered to a chain in the back yard all day and night – chances are greater that it will not become a vicious animal.

Calgary, a city of more than 1.3 million people in Canada’s Alberta province, has recognized the importance of placing the onus of nuisance dogs on the owners. Bill Bruce is Calgary’s director of Animal and Bylaw Services and an adviser to the National Canine Research Council here in the United States.

In Calgary, Bruce’s department hits irresponsible dog owners where it hurts: in the wallet. Some examples:

• Owners whose dogs defecate on public property (presumably without the owner picking it up) are fined $250.
• Unlicensed dog? $250 A dog that chases and threatens to bite someone? $100
• A person caught teasing or tormenting a dog? $100
• A person whose dog bites someone? $350
• Serious bite requiring medical attention? $750
• Severe bite or all-out attack? A whopping $1,500 fine.

Bruce’s department will seize dogs who attack and hold them for 30 days, giving the courts a chance to rule. If a judge orders the dog destroyed, his department will comply.

But the “Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw,” funded by license fees, seems to be working. Bruce reports that 95 percent of dog owners are in compliance when it comes to licensing.

His department impounded 4,291 dogs in 2009, with 86 percent of them being returned to their owners. Another 9 percent were adopted out, while less than 5 percent – 203 – were euthanized. Of those, 145 were considered vicious, 36 were put down because of health issues and 22 because of serious injury.

Calgary had just 159 reported dog bites, most of them minor, in 2009, according to Bruce. The bylaw is based on four principles:

1. License and provide permanent identification for your pets
2. Spay or neuter your pets 
3. Provide training, socialization, proper diet and medical care for your pets 
4. Do not allow your pets to become a threat or nuisance in the community.

I’m sure most responsible dog owners in America would agree this is pretty simple stuff. Yet we continue to have irresponsible owners who have a blatant disregard for society and fail to obey the laws when it comes to their pets. We also have understaffed, underfunded animal control teams and fines that either are unenforced or so minimal that they don’t discourage owners from breaking the laws currently on the books.”

I will continue to speak out for the bullies, they deserve as much of a chance at a great life as any other breed. In our rescue we have been challenged by a few other “sweet” pups like a chihuahua, a Boston terrier and Maltese :)

One thing I do know is we need to work to stop breed discrimination, become more responsible pet owners, educate and tirelessly work toward holding responsible those individuals that abuse, neglect or put any animal in harm’s way.

We can do better!

Stay Chill this Summer!

1. Give your pet access to plenty of fresh water at all times. Even the healthiest pets can suffer from dehydration, heat stroke and sunburn if overexposed to the heat.
2. Avoid lathering your pet with any insect repellent or sunscreen not intended for the four-legged kind. 
3. Keep your pet away from matches, citronella candles and lighter fluid, which if eaten can irritate the stomach, lungs and central nervous system. 
4. Be cool near the pool. Don’t leave pets unsupervised around a pool, lake or high waters—not all dogs are expert swimmers! 
5. Never leave your dog, cat or any other animal friend alone in a car! The inside of a car can heat up very quickly—even with a window open. 
6. Be prepared! From tornadoes to floods, we’ve seen the devastation severe weather has brought to pets and their families these past few weeks. Develop an evacuation plan well ahead of time in case you’re forced from your home in an emergency.

And please don’t forget  monthly Heartworm Preventative and Flea and Tick Control!

Up until last week Macon, one of our long-term rescues, seemed to be doing great and then early in the week she started feeling bad. She developed a temperature and lacked her normal appetite. That’s typical in a dog’s life, right? We have our sudden illnesses and get through them, why should this be any different? We decided she should see a vet so her foster took her in for an exam. They did some lab work, the results looked questionable and it was suggested she visit a specialist for an ultrasound and bone marrow biopsy. Not sounding good, but there are all kinds of canine diseases – it doesn’t have to mean something terminal. It can be something treatable, let’s be optimistic. After all, Macon is a young dog, vibrant, and full of life.

Macon and her five babies came to us from DeKalb Animal Control in August of 2010. She was a sweet, but quirky black lab mix with an eclectic group of adorable puppies. She was a wonderful mother and she was smart; after all, she had been clever enough to see that they were all rescued from the shelter. She settled in with us and cared for her puppies while we cared for her. We went to adoptions as a family and it was not long before the little ones had their new homes and families, but Macon never received the same attention.

Macon continued to come to pet adoptions and did all she could to present herself in her best light, but she was always overlooked for something cuter, something younger. The days and then the months passed. Maybe we could have done more – should have done more – written a better bio, taken cuter pictures, presented her in a new, unique way.

She spent time transitioning between fosters. With no inquiries her forever family, like Cervantes’ Don Quixote, was becoming the impossible dream. Macon had become a statistic. The unnoticed older-black dog.

Was she perfect? No-she had her moments, but she was affectionate and just needed a warm, patient and understanding family. That’s when Suzanne and Bob, a dog loving foster family with big dogs of their own and hearts as big as their Great Dane and Anatolian Shepherd stepped in. They, with a house full of animals and fenced acreage, were happy to foster Macon. Not a permanent home, but a loving home –Macon was made a part of something bigger than spending her days longing. She now had a family to enjoy play with, watch TV with, cuddle in bed with. Oh, what treat!

Macon was always ready to greet you. She would jump up – wrap her arms tightly around your waist and hold on, she’d look up at you with a big smile and half-closed eyes – you could hear her (even though it was silent) say ahhhh. This news is surreal; unfair – she did not deserve this.  After being rescued, after what she has endured, this cannot be her destiny! But sadly it is.

Macon never had the opportunity to find her forever family, but she found her loving family and her time with them was the world to her and Macon became the world to them. So today they will do the honorable thing for Macon, they again will show her how much they care for and love her. As they hold her and say goodbye, their compassion and affection for Macon will be her last memory and her warmth and smile theirs.

Macon, losing you breaks our heart. We find comfort in knowing that your time spent with Suzanne and Bob brought you peace, comfort and love. We look forward to the time when we can have another “Macon Hug.” Sleep sweetly.

All of these free classifieds web sites have become a haven for conveniently disposing of pets. Although illegal to sell animals on some, the sellers can get away with pretense – you certainly can “re-home” or “adopt”. Easy enough to comply with for backyard breeders or those with one of the ad infinitum excuses for dumping an animal — finances, moving, aggression, babies, allergies, apartment won’t accept, etc., etc. Poster BEWARE…there are a lot of individuals lining up to take these dogs and their intentions are not always in the dog’s best interest. Based on this recent experience, even with a screening process, there are obviously no guarantees. Dogs, like ours that was placed in jeopardy, are affectionate people pleasers – hand cared for. Our pup was birthed by us, nurtured by us, medically cared for and loved by us – how could someone dare put this pup at risk. The thought of all of these pups (especially little bully breed dogs) being handed off into a black abyss makes me sick to my stomach. In this environment when you hear and see the horror stories – pups being used as bait dogs, chained in backyards or forced to fight because they look the part — the imagination runs wild.

We make ourselves available to support our families; in fact, we have brought several dogs needing re-homing back into our foster program. We would NEVER turn our back on one of our dogs, so how could they have been so thoughtless and so cruel. Why would they not just call or email us and ask for help? It’s that simple. How can they sleep at night not knowing this pup’s fate?

The rescue community becomes a very tight family when it comes to protecting the dogs that we save. Each life is very precious to us and we consider every pup we take into the rescue our personal dog. The families we select for each of our rescues is given our complete trust and faith that they have been honest and will honor our agreement to love and care for the dog – forever. It broke our hearts to see this beautiful little girl posted for any taker.

The good news on our pup is she was spotted by another rescue, she was brought to our attention and she is safe! Hopefully, this will be the one and ONLY time this happens, but the unknown looms and keeps us wary.

HELP NEEDED ASAP

Please help! After two long years of being on a waiting list for a dog, we have been notified by breed rescue that, at long last, our number has come up and … WE ARE HAVING A PUPPY!

We must get rid of our children IMMEDIATELY because we just know how time-consuming our new little puppy is going to be and it just wouldn’t be fair to the children. Since our little puppy will be arriving on Monday we MUST place the children up for adoption this weekend!

They are described as:

One male – his name is Tommy, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), light blonde hair, blue eyes. Four years old. Excellent disposition. He doesn’t bite. Temperament tested. Does have problems with peeing directly in the toilet. Has had chicken Pox and is current on all shots. Tonsils have already been removed. Tommy eats everything, is very clean, house trained and gets along well with others. Does not run with scissors and with a little training he should be able to read soon.

One female – her name is Lexie, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), strawberry blonde hair, green eyes quite freckled. Two years old. Can be surly at times. Non-biter, thumb sucker. Has been temperament tested but needs a little attitude adjusting occasionally. She is current on all shots, tonsils out, and is very healthy and can be affectionate. Gets along well with other little girls and little boys but does not like to share her toys and therefore would do best in a one child household. She is a very quick learner and is currently working on her house training. Shouldn’t take long at all.

We really do LOVE our children so much and want to do what’s right for them. That is why we contacted a rescue group. But we simply can no longer keep them. Also, we are afraid that they may hurt our new puppy. I hope you understand that ours is a UNIQUE situation and we have a real emergency here! They MUST be placed into your rescue by Sunday night at the latest or we will be forced to drop them off at the orphanage or along some dark, country road. Our priority now has to be our new puppy.

 – Author Unknown

A little about the man…
He and his 7 siblings were born to the nationally famous Wiggles :). Ducky and 2 of his sisters Tria and Ali contracted bordetella pneumonia. We lost Tria (the littlest) but Ducky and his sister Ali, under the watchful eye of many loving and nurturing foster moms and specialists, fought to survive.

All the pups including Wiggles went off to new and loving homes. Ali was adopted at a young age to a wonderful family whose husband specialized in lung issues in prenatal babies — so she went off to a wonderful, safe, and thriving life. And Ducky remained behind. And Ducky waited. For the first 7 months of his life he fought this crippling bacterial disease. He took steam baths and had his lungs coupaged repeatedly, he gulped his medicine faithfully and spent time on road trips to specialists and vets. At night he would stretch his neck out and rest it on mine to help himself breathe easier. We spent many nights in that position – waking every couple of hours to have the thick mucous pounded out of his chest. He was always good — never cranky. His tail always had a wag and he is famous for his endless kisses. And Ducky waited.

My two dogs adored the Duck-man and would spend hours running through the house with made up games like unstuff the warthog, redesign mom’s shoes, rearrange the furniture and let’s eat mom’s magazine before she reads it.
Coming home from work was always a surprise – but Ducky was always first at the door to greet me and first at the window to watch me drive away. I think he knew how much I loved him and worried over him. And Ducky waited.

Ducky’s face was on blogs, Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet, our website, and Facebook. He decorated wine bottles. He showed up for adoption events and he always had a smile on his face and a wagging tail. Everyone commented on his handsome physique, adorable nature and his striking eyes. And as each pup got an adoption application submitted, Ducky waited.

And then it happened…
Last weekend a couple walked into our adoption location at K-9 Planet looking for a puppy to complete their newly purchased home. They lingered for over an hour – watching, playing and imagining. There were four adorable 11 week olds in the room and there was 11 month old Ducky. As official greeter ”wagger” – Ducky introduced them to all the puppies by gently playing with each one, skirting around the room to show off their gait and skills at play. Ducky would occasionally stop to show the couple how great his kisses were and how hard his wagging tail could be when near to your face. As the hour passed – the couple smiled – said they loved one of the puppies and were smitten with Ducky and his wonderful demeanor. Glimmer…

The email came and although they wanted to take two dogs – they decided to begin their new home life with 1. And their decision was…hold your breath, the adorable little puppy…NO they wanted Ducky!

My emotions kicked into overdrive. Excitement and joy… he found a forever home; heartache and sadness, I am losing my little man. No more Ducky snores near my ear and no more Ducky kisses as a daily routine. And yes, I will move on from this as another foster moves into my life, but this one has carved a VERY deep pocket in my heart and it’s filled with everything Ducky.

Ducky waited for a long, long time – but he knew as soon as he saw this couple that he had been waiting just for them. Sweet dreams – sweet life Duck-man. Hope to see you soon!

From Care2.com Pit bulls have a better temperament than the average dog, according to a recent study. This lends credence to what pit bull activists have tried to prove for many years: that the pit bull is a gentle and loyal dog, and that the perception of them as violent or aggressive is the result of poor behavior on the part of humans. The study was conducted by the American Temperament Test Society and showed that the average score for all dogs was 82% and the American pit bull terrier scored 86%. In recent years, pit bulls have suffered much at the hands of misguided humans. Because they are strong dogs, they are favored by people who abuse them in dog fighting operations. And as a result of violent and aggressive taste for and abuse of them, they are viewed by many people as a violent and aggressive breed. But the truth is that pit bulls are smart dogs and behave as they are trained to. Violent and mean humans raise violent and mean dogs. Because of sensationalized media accounts, many people fear pit bulls and some communities or specific homeowners may discriminate selectively against the breed when it comes to renting or buying houses. Anti-pit bull legislation is common which deters legitimate animal lovers from adopting pit bulls that desperately need good homes and further relegates the breed to being raised by criminals who have no regard for such laws and restrictions. Public sentiment against pit bulls is a horrifying example of victim-blaming. These dogs have been the victim of violent behavior by the humans who raise them and if anything we as humans bear the burden of making it up to them. We bred them to be strong, and then we made them fight, and now we punish them for being the way we raised them to be and doing what we trained them to do. Speak out against breed-specific legislation in your area and if you are considering adopting a dog, visit a shelter in your area and give a good home to one of the many pit bulls there.

In the words of animal rights advocate and author Gary L. Francione: “We got them into this mess; we have an obligation to help them out.”

The pit bull is truly one of the most misunderstood breeds. I have posted on numerous occasions web sites with  fascinating information on the breed.

Great sites like:

• http://www.pitbulls.org/
• http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html
• http://badrap.org/rescue/index.html
• http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pit_bulls.cfm

You can also watch a wonderful PBS tape on redemption for the Vick Dogs on BadRap’s blog. 

One of Vick's dogs being evaluated.

Jim Gorant, senior editor of Sports Illustrated, wrote a moving book on The Vick Dogs. “The Lost Dogs” tells the behind-the-scenes story from the day of that initial raid until today. 

 “The Lost Dogs takes an up close and personal look at society’s ultimate underdogs, and the animal lovers who bucked the odds—and the system—to save them. Gorant has crafted an insightful and uplifting tale about the way that nurture can sometimes triumph over nature, and how the remnants of cruelty can be transformed through the power of hope and love.” —Allen St. John, author of The Billion Dollar Game: Behind the Scenes at the Super Bowl

The one thing all of this tells us is how important it is to be educated on any subject that we feel so strongly about. We may be very surprised at the results.

The recipient of the funds from the Paws for Japan effort is WorldVets, an incredible organization that is already working to help. (WorldVets is very well-respected in the veterinary world. Please read this post by Dr. Marty Becker of “Good Morning, America” about this organization so you’ll know that your money is going to a great non-profit.)

In a natural disaster, it’s family, not possessions, that matter. Material goods can be replaced but family members–whether two-legged or four-legged–cannot.

To assist our Japanese animals in need please visit the World Vets website.