NATIONAL PIT BULL AWARENESS DAY - Some Famous 'Pitties'

Because today is National Pit Bull Awareness Day, I thought I'd give a shout out to my breed and some of the more notable 'bullies' who've made headlines thorohg the years. As many of you know (and as we pointed out in our our last post), 'pitties' were and still are known for their agreeable and loyal temperaments. It's what lead to us being labeled 'nanny dogs', because we are so gentle with and protective of the human young in our packs. Helen Keller had this to say about her beloved Sir Thomas: "Whenever it is possible, my dog accompanies me on a walk or a ride or sail. I have had many dog friends - huge mastiffs, soft-eyed spaniels, wood-wise setters and honest, homely bull terriers. At present, the lord of my affection if one of these bull terriers. he has a long pedigree, a crooked tail and the drollest 'phiz' in dogdom. My dog friends seem to understand my limitations and always keep close beside me when I am alone. I love their affectionate ways and the wag of their tails."

Helen Keller and Sir Thomas

 Buster Brown, a popular cartoon character and the mascot of  the eponymous shoe company, had a pit bull named Tige. During WWI, a pit bull named Sergeant Stubby distinguished himself in combat and became America's mot honored and beloved war dog. (read our post on Sgt. Stubby) And, or course, their was Petey, the black-eyed canine star of the Our Gang Comedies. 

Petey

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On a more contemporary note, a certain, strikingly handsome pit bull plays a pivotal role in GIMME SHELTER, the story of an angry man who finds salvation when he rescues an abused, homeless pit bull. So what's the takeaway here? Whether he's a pit bull or some other fabulous dog, be sure to spoil your pooch tomorrow, and every day. Our dog lives are short, and all we want from our human partners is affection, exercise, and lots and lots of treats and toys! A small price to pay for all the love we send your way.

with Tanner @ Calamigos Ranch

A HORSE NAMED 'BRUCE'…MELLOW PIT BULLS…MOVING CLOSER TO 'NO KILL'

While I usually write about dogs and, then, chiefly pit bulls, the L.A. Times recently ran  great piece about a champion calf roper who needed a new partner and took a chance on a rodeo washout named Bruce. It's the kind of  feel good, 'underdog' (in this case, under horse?) tale that makes you want to go out and hug a steed, and maybe a cowboy. 

Bryce Runyan and 'Bruce'

I don't want to crow - a whole flock of the clever birds hangs around outside our condo hoping we'll toss them some stale bread - but Cesar Millan recently posted a list of the 'Best Dog Breeds for Kids'. Care to guess which was number nine, ahead of poodles? Here's what he had to say about my kind: "The media pays a lot of attention to pit bull attacks - way more than other breeds - but these pups are actually great with kids as long as you do a good job of training and socializing them early. Luckily, pits are smart and highly trainable - plus they really like pleasing people. Couple that with the fact that they're energetic, playful, and solid enough to put up with a lot of roughhousing but don't need a whole lot of exercise and you have a wonderful dog for children. Plus, who's going to mess with a kid who has a pit?" Since I'm on a role, a recent Instagram post from @pitbullstagram claims that, according to the American Temperament Test Society, in tests involving 400 or more dogs, pit bulls rank second in temperament (the test covers aggression, panic, avoidance, and other behavioral traits), behind only Labrador retrievers and ahead of their golden cousins. 

What, me worry? Only if we run out of margaritas!

If you follow this blog, you'll know that we're big fans of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a super cool rescue group that sponsors the twice-annual 'No Kill LA' mega adoptions. Their recent newsletter contained the wonderful news that that deaths from euthanasia at L.A. County Animal Services shelters continue to plummet. The story notes that: For the fiscal year of 2014-2015, the six LAAS shelters recorded historically low killings and euthanization: 11,737. That number is a decline of 8 percent from the previous year’s number of 12,683. The overall save rate for LAAS has increased to 78.5 percent, or 88.4 percent for dogs and 68.7 percent for cats. The threshold save rate for a community to be considered “no-kill” is 90 percent. “These numbers reflect the hard work of a lot of groups and individuals coming together to save shelter pets in Los Angeles,” said Francis Battista, co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society and one of the architect of NKLA. The next mega-adoption is right around the corner, November 7-8 at the LaBrea Tar Pits, so stop by, take home a BFF, and help make the City of Angles a 'no kill' zone.

DUMBEST PREDATOR…HARD LUCK MEN, HARD LUCK DOG…SENSE INSTEAD OF BSL

Which is the world's dumbest predator? Hint - it hunts on two legs. As reported in the L.A. Times (Turning Hunting On Its Head by Amina Kahn, August 15, 2015), a study published in Science Magazine claims that humans slaughter other carnivores at a far higher rate than other top predators. Even more troubling than our bloodlust is the fact that we kill healthy, breeding animals needed to replenish their species, and not the small, weak elderly ones favored by other predators. If we hope to avoid altering evolution for the worse, we need to start behaving more like the hunters we've been wiping out. (read story)

While humans are super efficient at screwing things up, sometimes our high nature prevails. That's the case with Petey, a pit bull that was used as a bait dog and horribly disfigured before ending up at the Carson (L.A. County) Animal Shelter. The Carson staff helped Petey make and impressive recovery, and Karma Rescue stepped in to find him a forever home. A mere six months later, the poor pup was diagnosed with cancer. 

Petey

Enter Chris M., an inmate/trainer at the CDCR- Los Angeles men's prison where Karma runs their Paws For Life program, pairing shelter dogs with inmates for a 12-week training course. When he learned of Petey's story, Chris decided to help raise money for his treatment - from his fellow prisoners, who average less than a dollar a day at their prison jobs. To date, Chris has collected over $1,000 from hard luck men moved by the plight of a hard luck dog.

Chris M and his Karma trainee

Like Karma, Best Friends works tirelessly to place rescue dogs in loving homes. Until recently, unwanted pit bulls in St. John's County, Florida, never got that chance. An ordinance passed inn 2007 mandated a 'no-adoption' policy for pit bull terriers, ensuring they would be euthanized. At the urging of a pit bull advocate, Best Friends legal council challenged the ordinance as being contrary to state law. They prevailed and  convinced county officials that temperament screening  and not BSL, breed specific legislation, is the key to weeding out aggressive dogs. Thanks to their dogged (yes!) efforts, beautiful boys like Bobo (adopted by Mary Robinson) have a chance to do what they do best - teach us humans how to live and love more fully.

Bobo

A BATTALION OF SORROWS…A GREAT TAKE ON BSL

"When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions." (Shakepeare, Hamlet, IV, 5) 

With just over four months still to go, 2015 has unleashed a battalion of losses on our small corner of the world. We've lost two close friends to the ravages of diabetes, including Tanner's  trainer Tony Rollins, and another was recently diagnosed with a serious, neurological disorder. Several older relatives are also battling deadly maladies. The dog world has taken some hits, too. Tanner lost Ceba, one of his long-time buddies, and two other canine pals are suffering from serious ailments and advanced old age. The latest blow came last Saturday when our dear friend, Roberta Deutsch, passed away while awaiting treatment for a bone marrow disorder. Together with her husband, Carl, another dear friend, Roberta was an angel for all sorts of worthy causes. A supremely talented dancer and musician, who worked on dozens of TV shows and films, including West Side Story, where she was a fetching Jet girl, Roberta fervently supported diverse charities like SHARE, the Professional Dancers Society, Homeboy Industries, and dozens of programs to help children in need receive early childhood intervention, and education in the arts, especially music and dance. She and Carl also established our weekly Course In Miracles meeting, a program that has helped me recognize and handle my sometimes crushing anger issues. Although she faced some long-standing, debilitating health problems, Roberta never lost her wicked sense of humor, or her impeccable style and grace. She leaves behind sweet memories, and a hole that will never be filled.

Roberta with Janie

BSL, or Breed Specific Legislation is an ill-conceived, ineffective effort to ban certain breeds of dogs, like pit bulls and Rottweilers, deemed 'inherently dangerous'. Based on fear and bogus science, several cities and some states (yes, you, Maryland) have implemented BSL as a knee-jerk reaction to fatal dog attacks, which almost always result from the mistreatment of the offending dogs or  owner neglect. Nearly all canine experts, and President Obama himself, consider it a wrong-headed, ineffective tactic. Tanner and I consider BSL to be is just BS, and we have railed against it in the past. I recently came across a novel, funny take, by a lawyer who specializes in HOA law, on why scapegoating pit bulls makes no sense. In his weekly newsletter Adrian Adams, of Adams Kessler PLC, posted the following: QUESTION: Our condo association is plagued with prostitutes, drug use and pit bulls. I'm a non-voting member of the board and want to know what we can do about the pit bulls. RECOMMENDATION: I noticed it's a class of dogs that bothers you, i.e., compact muscular dogs with great jaw strength such as pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, and bulldogs. If your board were to get rid of the prostitution and drug use, I suspect most of your pit bulls would join the exodus. The task will be daunting but your board should work with the police and legal counsel to clean up the development. Or, in the alternative, you could designate yourselves a "sanctuary association" for drug dealers and prostitutes and then apply for federal subsidies. You could be eligible for truckloads of money.

Eugenie and I with Roberta and Carl at the Professional Dancers' Benefit, 2007

'POOCH PARTY'…A CUT ABOVE

Our dear friend, realtor Sophie Kidian with Seabreeze Estates Realty, has invited Eugenie, Tanner, and I to join her annual Pooch Party at this year's Malibu Arts Festival, Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26, from 10:00-6:00, Malibu Civic Center. We'll be signing copies of GIMME SHELTER  with $5 from each book going to Healthcare for Homeless Animals (formerly Malibu Pet Companions). The Pooch Party will offer cool drinks, hip doggie bandanas, a dip in a pool, and treats for our K-9 pals. Other guests include the “Lucky Lab”, with homemade treats and accessories for your pooch, Malibu Coast Animal Hospital  providing tips and on caring for our furry friends, and the Agoura Hills L.A. County Shelter (Tanner's onetime home) with information on how to keep our four-legged friends safe and sound. If you're in the area, please stop by and say 'Hi'. 

I LOVE A PARTY!

Not long ago Eugenie and I attended a party where we met a local cinematographer. A few weeks later we ran into him in Brentwood. He mentioned that he was getting set to direct a show on kendo, the art of Japanese swordsmanship, and asked if I might be willing to serve as his martial arts advisor and help recruit the kendoka (kenshi) for his shoot. I did, and I got to spend a fun, informative day on the set watching Sensei Cary Mizobe  of Westside Kendo Dojo and a senior student demonstrate the speed, power and grace of the centuries-old discipline. Made me want to go out and take up the sword. Almost.   

Mizobe Sensei- live blade