A POET, A SCULPTOR, and FEARFUL DOGS

Normally, our posts focus on dog matters, usually the exploits of one especially charming pit bull. This time around, however, we’d like to shine the spotlight on some of our favorite two-legged creatures. Longtime bff and poet/painter extraordinaire, Linda Simone has several ‘Charley’ poems in an upcoming anthology of dog poems titled "To Unsnare Time's Warp" (Main Street Rag Press).  The volume is due out in October, and you can order copies at the mainstreetbookstore.com. I’m particularly excited to read them since I was with Linda and her awesome playwright hubby Joe (another buon amico from my Iona College days), the day they first brought Charley home from the shelter. The lucky rescue mix lived a long, healthy, happy life as a part of their amazing family. He’ll always be in our memories, and now he’s immortalized in verse as well. If your poetry jones won’t wait until October, grab a copy of Linda’s amazing collection Archaeology and prepare to be blown away by her searching, soulful mastery.

Charley Simone

The girl power shout-outs continue, this time to our favorite badass lady stone carver, my mom, Eugenie Spirito, who is profiled in the Fall issue of Malibu Times Magazine. The writer, Kamala Kirk, really captured the spirit of Eugenie’s artistic focus and inspiration. To make matters even sweeter, mom’s mentioned on the cover along with rock legends Stephen Tyler and Peter Frampton, and acting giants Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Spacey. Thanks to the lovely Roxanne McCann for setting up the story and for the beautiful photo of mom and her work at Canvas Malibu. I’m proud to say that the other shot - of my ‘smoking’ hot mom hard at work - was taken by ‘dad' during a break from his scribbling.

Eugenie - Heady Company

'Smokin' Hot Artist

At Canvas Malibu

While humans get the glory this go-round, Cesar Millan had a nice blog article about the different approaches needed when dealign with fearful and fearless (assertive) dogs. As his fans know, Millan claims it’s much easier to rehabilitate ‘aggressive’ or fearless dogs than a timid ones, since all that’s needed it to redirect their positive energy in a way that puts you, the pack leader, in control of the situation by showing them that good things happen when they do as you ask. "The interesting thing about fearless dogs is that, because they want to be in control, once you teach them what they have to do before you'll do what they want, they'll go out of their way to do it because, in their mind, they're not responding to your actions; you're responding to theirs. It's the ultimate in reverse psychology. Fearless dogs like to show off. Once you've taught them a routine, don't be surprised if they start performing the actions before you ask. The second your body language says "walk", they'll be sitting by the door waiting for you - which is what you wanted all along." Fearful dogs, like a certain handsome pit bull we know, pose a thornier challenge since you need to first rebuild their shattered trust by assuring them that nothing bad will happen if they do as you ask. As fans of GIMME SHELTER know, it can be a long, slow, even messy process, but with patience and gentile assertive energy, the transformation can be startling and oh so rewarding.

Tanner - TLC Cures a Fearful Pup

 

MEET 'CAT MAN…LONE WOLF…A FIGHTING CHANCE

For many film fans, the name Christopher Walken conjures up a host of moody, intense, and sometimes dangerous cinematic characters. If asked to guess his preference in pets, we might think, rats, bats, or snakes…very lethal snakes. But that would be way, way off base. In a recent issue of Parade Magazine, the super-talented thespian confessed to being the doting daddy of a feral cat. Makes you wonder how many other books (and people) we’ve misjudged by looking only at the cover.

Cuddly Christopher Walken

As reported in the LosAngeles Times on July 30, a new study published in Science Advances concludes that eastern and red wolves are actually a subspecies of the gray wolf and not two distinct species as previously believed. DNA analysis of all three populations revealed their common ancestry as well as the presence of coyote DNA in the red and eastern wolves. It's the prevalence of coyote ancestry – 75% in red wolves and 25% in eastern – that accounts for the differences in size and appearance. Conservationists are hopeful that the new findings will ensure the continued protection of the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act.

Gray Wolves

We were thrilled to read that California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed A.B.1825 into law. The bill provides that dogs confiscated from convicted dog fighters will now be eligible for rehabilitation and, if successful, adoption. Previously, such dogs were deemed ‘dangerous’ and euthanized. Kudos to all of the rescue organizations and concerned dog lovers who helped secure the bills passage. In another triumph for animal rescue, NBC's sponsorship of the ‘ClearThe Shelters’ one-day event proved to be a huge success. According to the just-released figures, 6000 animals were adopted in Southern California on July 23 and more than 45,000 nationwide.

Willa, a fight dog saved by Karma Rescue

Finally, a hearty shout out to L.A. County SupervisorMichael D. Antonovitch for his proposal to create a much-needed animal shelter at the County’s Pitchess Detention center in Castaic. If approved, the plan would attempt to address two of the region's most pressing concerns – overcrowded shelters in the rehabilitation of repeat offenders. Based on successful efforts like Karma Rescue’s ‘Paws For Life’ at the Lancaster (CA) men's prison, the Prison Pet Partnership (WA), and Paws In Prison (AR), the program would provide care for animals in need while giving inmates an emotional lift and offering job training for possible future employment in the animal care industry.

Paws For Life in action

    

SUPER SHEPHERD…THE PAYOFF TO PET ADOPTION

Thanks to The Week (April 22, 2016) for highlighting Lucca, a U.S. Marine dog that was awarded the Dickin Medal, Britain's top honor for military animals. A retired explosives dog that uncovered more than completed 400 patrols and uncovered dozens of explosive and insurgents, the German shepherd retired in 2012 after she lost a leg to an IED.

War hero 'Lucca'

As our loyal followers know, we're huge advocates of adopting rescue dogs and cats. After all, if mom and dad hadn't stepped up for me, who knows where (or even if) I'd be living right now. If that isn't enough to send you running to your local shelter, The Humane Society of the United States offers some additional food for thought. According to their numbers, between 6 and 8 million dogs and cats (most of them family pets surrendered because of "moving" or "landlord problems") end up in our nation's shelters each year. Of that staggering number, only half will not be adopted. When you factor in vaccinations, spay and neutering, and microchipping, the cost adopting a dog or cat from a shelter or rescue agency is typically less than for those purchased or gotten for free. If money doesn't move you, then consider the latest study on Human-Pet bonding. According to a roundup article by Valerie Burke, MSN for the website greenmedinfo.com, bonding with pets offers a host of physical and emotional benefits, including better stress management, improved fitness levels, reduced risk for stroke, heart attack and cardiovascular ailments, pain relief from a host of chronic ailments, fewer allergies and a boost to the body's immune system. For children, living with pets has been shown to reduce allergies and boost EQ - empathy and compassion - a key predictor of future academic success.

Tanner sharing the love with our bro-in-law, Ernie, and nephew, Armand

Just because they're good for you,and a great bargain doesn't mean that every pet is right for every potential adopter. As we note in GIMME SHELTER, before you head out to the shelter, it might be wise to do some homework and take a personal financial and emotional inventory to assess your needs and abilities. 

• Ask yourself what you want/need in a dog. Will the dog be your constant companion? Will it have to co-exist with young children? With other dogs or cats? Does your apartment, condo or co-op board have any size or breed restrictions?  
• Spend some time researching the breed you are considering. Learn what it was bred for and the breed’s general temperament. If you live in a small apartment and aren’t big on outdoor exercise, you might want to avoid a dog that was bred for running. If you are away at work during the day and the dog will be indoors, you might want to consider a low-energy dog. A good resource is The ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs. The more knowledge you have, the better your chances for a successful pairing.
• Decide how much time and energy you are willing to devote to the dog. Many people overestimate both. As a result, the dog gets shortchanged on exercise and affection, or becomes a burden to the owners, making a failed adoption more likely. Puppies and young dogs generally require more time and patience than older ones.  
• Include all family members in the selection of the dog. Bringing home a new dog can be chaotic in the best of circumstances. Defining each member’s responsibilities before adoption will help lessen the chaos. Young children may be too physically aggressive for very young puppies or fragile toy breeds. A dog that growls, cowers, raises its hackles, runs from your children, or that is reluctant to be petted is probably not a good choice for families with children.  
• Spend at least one hour getting to know the dog you are considering. Barring unforeseen events, this animal will be a member of your family for 12 or more years.
• Find a local veterinarian and discuss canine nutrition and healthcare needs such a checkups and vaccinations. Medical emergencies can be expensive, so you might want to inquire about pet insurance.

HOW TO GRAB YOUR DOG'S ATTENTION…ASSESSING QUALITY OF LIFE

Much as it pains our humans, we dogs don’t live and die on your every whim. That’s why we’ll refuse to ‘come’ when asked to leave the dog park (our 30-minute respite from domestic incarceration), or refuse to ‘stay’ when neighborhood squirrels invade our turf. According to Cesar Millan, a key step in getting us to do your bidding is training us to look at you. “If you can get your dog to focus on you instead of everything else going on around him, it will be easier to communicate with him and teach him other commands — not to mention getting him to ignore that taunting squirrel, far-off bark, or daily visit from the mailman. In addition, that look is also helping to build your relationship with your dog.” To make that happen, he suggests the following approach: Choose a word or phrase to focus your dog. Sit or stand near your dog and hold a treat close to your eyes. Say your attention word and, when the dog looks at you, reward him with the treat. Later on, you should add in a hand signal to accompany the word. Once your dog get the hang of it, begin phasing out the treats but not the affection for completing the task. Like with many things, practice is the key to mastery but don’t tire your dog and never punish him for failing. 

You have my attention, now where's my treat?

A few weeks back, we wrote about knowing when it’s time to say ‘goodbye’. In his recent newsletter, Cesar offers a practical guide to assessing your dog's quality of life and how it might impact the decision to euthanize or not. Among the categories to consider are Hurt, Hunger, Hydration Hygiene, Happiness and Mobility. If your best friend scores very low in most or all of them, then it might be time to say goodbye. When in doubt, consult your veterinarian. 

Connie & 'Ava'

Our friend and rescue volunteer Connie Kruse recently contacted us about Ava, a 6-year old stray pit bull mix from the Santa Barbara County (CA) shelter who she's trying to place. Ava was a stray recently suffered a stoke, but managed to bounce back nearly all the way. She still needs medication to control her condition but she's otherwise in good health. This pretty 90-lb. girl is playful and loving with people and potty-trained. They are looking for a foster or an adopter  who can love and care for her. If you are interested or know anyone who is, please contact STACY SILVA (stacy.silva@sbcphd.org) or call Connie Kruse at 805-878-8017. And please share this with your contacts. You stepped up big-time for Rex last year (3 tries before he found his forever home). Now we need to save Ava. It takes a village to save a dog!

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