Dog of the Week: Lovable Largo

Ruff, ruff and happy Friday!  My name is Largo.  And I’ve been through quite a lot in my short little life.

I am 2 years old and was left in front of a building in New York City.  I was very sick, frail, and was even hypothermic!  But these nice people at New York Second Chance Rescue raced me to the vet to try and save me!

I have had a blood transfusion and continue to live at the vet for now, where I meet other furry friends and slowly, but surely, get my dog-self back!  For a while, I felt very tired and could not even move my head.  But since my human angels found me, I have started feeling a lot better, with an increased blood count, and I even started eating a lot!  I like to eat dry food and crunch away.  I gained two pounds so far!

My new human family made a Facebook page, just for me!  And I have 19,000+ followers.  Everyone is so nice and they send me pictures of other friends like me with messages telling me to get well soon!  This has helped me feel much, much better.  I can’t wait to bust outta the vet to go play with these friends and meet some furry ladies!

For now, if you want updates on my progress or want to share your support, like and share my Facebook page.  Thanks for reading!

Love,

Largo

Operation Rescue: Sochi Olympic Dogs Update

Happy thirsty Thursday, people!  I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the terrible plight of the dogs in Sochi.  Since my post, I’ve been following these sweet pups and have found some pretty awesome stories!!!

Many people, including athletes and celebs, decided to stand up for these stray Sochi pups and rescue, adopt, and foster!   Check out some of the wonderful stories below.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/olympic-hockey-player-david-backes-brings-home-2-pooches-from-sochi/

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/02/ali-fedotowsky-katherine-heigl-rescue-sochi-stray-dogs/

http://www.examiner.com/article/2014-winter-olympics-more-athletes-celebrities-rescue-stray-dogs-from-sochi

http://www.examiner.com/article/olympic-dog-coming-to-america-lindsey-jacobellis-adopting-a-sochi-stray-dog

This is not to say there aren’t many pets in the U.S. in grave need of homes, but it’s an uplifting story of true human spirit.  And those who stood up for these sweet pups deserve to be acknowledged for their efforts.

So, cheers to you, Sochi pups!  Here’s to your new furever homes!

Pittie Kisses,

Grace

Interview: Mac Adams, The Deaf Dog Whisperer

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  I have an awesome contributor this week.  I was able to land an interview (thank you, Malia and Lauren!) with Mac Adams, Richmond Police Officer and deaf pit bull advocate.  He is a great man with a warm, generous heart who rescues sweet pitties that can’t quite hear!  Check out my interview with him below!

A little background, from Mac.

I joined the Richmond Police Department in 1987, after working for the local EMS provider for about a year.  Back then, people either went to the police or fire departments and I chose police.  I was actually a music education major in college.  Over the years, I have worked in patrol, bicycle units, walking units and the honor guard.  I was assigned to the SWAT team as a tactical paramedic and currently I am a detective in our Youth and Family Crimes Unit.

Living with these guys is a team event and my wife does just as much as I do.  She’s a nurse at the VCU Medical Center and has been there for 21 years.  After we began rescuing our guys, she has completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing leadership (magna cum laude) and her master’s in nursing leadership (summa cum laude) and is applying for the doctoral program.

(Love Mac’s shout out to his wife!)

Why did you decide to rescue pit bulls? (as a pit owner, I always like to hear the background, because you and I know they are amazing dogs, but publically, the breed gets such a bad rap!)

I didn’t really decide to rescue pit bulls it just happened that way.  The deaf dogs that we adopted were all pit mixes (Am Staffs, APBT etc.) that happen to be deaf.  We were more concerned about them being deaf than their breed but one we got them, we discovered what a wonderful type of dog the pit can me and just how misunderstood they are.

 How did you get involved in rescuing your beautiful pitties?

It was actually kind of an accident.  My Mastiff, Maddie, died in 2009 and I didn’t want another dog for a long while.  About a year later, I went by Richmond Animal Care and Control and was talking with a friend when she just steered me into the puppy room.  All of the pups were barking and jumping except one and when I asked why, my friend said the puppy was deaf.  She explained that deaf dogs sometimes have a hard time in the pound because they have no auditory stimulation and may become aggressive.  If they are not adopted, they could get passed from rescue to foster or end up getting adopted only to come back because they are deaf.  This little girl, Pickles, was so cute I couldn’t let that happen to her.  The next day I brought my wife in to meet her and it was all over.  She came home with us a week later.  The rest of the dogs ended up at my house for the same reasons.  With Pickles we learned about deaf dogs and how they learn and process things so the rest of them were easy.

 Could you provide a little background on each of your rescue pups?

Pickles was adopted from Richmond Animal Care and Control in 2010, and was our first deaf dog.  She’s one of the most intelligent dogs I have ever met!  You can actually see her thinking about things when you look at her.

Nea was adopted from Montclair (NJ) Animal Shelter in 2011.  Her owners returned her after they discovered she was deaf (the shelter did not know she was deaf when they adopted her as a puppy).  She had been in the shelter for six months when we contacted them and adopted her driving up and back, with Pickles, in one day.

Piglet was adopted from Bully Paws Rescue and was rescued from the King William (VA) Animal Shelter.  The shelter located her owner but he didn’t want her back because she was deaf.  When Piglet came to us, she weighed 65 pounds, had mange and couldn’t climb the stairs without getting out of breath but after many, many baths and changing her diet, she slimmed down to a trim 52 pounds, has the softest fur of them all and bounds up the stairs like a Frenchie!

Opal was in the Gwinnett County (GA) Animal Control shelter and didn’t have a name.  The lieutenant there is hard of hearing and taught American Sign Language at the community college and his wife is deaf and upon emailing him, he said he would not let her get put down.  Opal had several litters and they believed the puppies were being used as bait dogs as Opal is the smallest of all (35 pounds) and was not spayed.  My wife, Donna, drove to Gwinnett County, with all of the other dogs and my daughter, in two days to get Opal (She was able to stop and visit family in Greenville, SC to break up the trip.).  Opal is not one to share affections easily (I’ve only had a handful of kisses) and to this day, my wife has never received a kiss!

Mortimer was rescued by Ring Dog Rescue in Richmond (VA) from the Petersburg (VA) Animal Shelter.  We actually took care of him for a week while his foster mom moved and he fit right in.  A few months after this, his foster mom reached out to us because his OCD was really bad and she didn’t know what to do (he chased shadows, his tail, lights, whatever) so we decided to adopt him.  We treat his OCD with distraction techniques, stim/vibration collar work and Valerian Root and Tryptophan (which helps to reduce his anxiety and the urge to chase things).

 Do you use your dogs in your work?

I don’t use the dogs in my work as of yet.  The picture that was going around was just about how Richmond Police officers love their animals and I had always wanted a picture with all of the dogs with me, in uniform, in front of the police car.

Here’s the awesome picture Mac is referencing.

 How is the process of training your rescues, given that they are deaf?

They all learn at their own pace.  Pickles is more trained than the others but we’re working with all of them.  They all know sit, come, stay (most of the time) and they all walk well on leashes.  We use a lot of over-exaggerated facial expressions with them to help with our expression of emotion.

 Are you and your pack involved in educating people about pit bulls, dog training, etc.?  If so, could you describe some of the activities you and/or your dogs are involved in?

We have been to pit bull awareness days and to the local pet expos.  We were about a year before we decided to reach out and start doing more with them.  We were just getting to know the breed and how to communicate with them and wanted them to be able to be good ambassadors of the breed and of deaf dogs before we decided to start taking them to events.

 If you could describe your rescuing experience (adopting your dogs) in one word, what would it be?

Fascinating!

 Anything else you want to add, promote, etc.?

If anyone wants to know more about deaf dogs, either training or adopting, go to www.deafdogsrock.com and you’ll find everything you ever wanted to know.

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What an AWESOME interview with an AWESOME guy!  Thank you to Mac and his amazing wife for taking the time to understand these sweet creatures.  What an amazing example you both give to all of us, to accept and nurture creatures with special needs.

Definitely check out Deaf Dogs Rock on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/deafdogsrock and their website, www.deafdogsrock.com.   It’s a great resource to learn about deaf dogs and also a great page to follow for fun pictures and adoptable dogs!

Until tomorrow! Pittie Kisses,

Grace

Rescue the Gregarious Goats

And we’re back to yet another post delving into my affinity for farm animals.  I’m telling you, I can’t get enough of these guys.  And today we’re talking about, you guessed it, GOATS!

The first time I met a goat was at my Dad’s farm (that’s a whole other post, and an interesting one, which I should probably start working on!).  I had seen many pictures of these little furry babes, but never encountered one on person.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Goats are a lot like dogs.  They really love humans!

Immediately the clan approached me, most likely looking for snacks.  But then they jumped up and I started petting their little heads.  And their reactions were so happy, tails wagging, heads nuzzling, and little kisses from their strange little goat tongues!  From then on, I knew that one day I would have a pet goat.  This is where I start adding to my dream farm.  Goats running wild, amongst other little pigs, cows, horses, etc.  And, we’re back to reality with no goat.  Nonetheless, I have pictures, and my Dad’s goats, to get me by.

So why is this titled “Gregarious Goats”?  Quite frankly, goats are quite talkative.  They make all kinds of noises, baa-aahs, grunts, and squeaks.  And with their virtually non-existent teeth (ever been bitten by a goat? They don’t really have teeth like ours at the top of their mouths, more of like a hard plated gum with a row of teeth at the bottom, which lets them chew, chew, chew), you can hear them chomping a mile away. They are little, loud, chewing machines who like lots of love.

All of the goats I’ve met have fabulous personalities; they are funny, happy, and intelligent.  They make for great pets and are gentle little creatures.  So if you have the land, and some grass that needs to be mowed, why not think about adopting a goat?

There are plenty of  goats that need rescuing.  A quick Google search yielded a startling amount of results.  There are goats EVERYWHERE waiting to be saved!  Check out some of the rescues I found.

http://www.goatsave.org/

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/wa310.html

http://happytrailsfarm.org/

https://www.facebook.com/newmoonfarm

So get out there, and give some goats a chance!  How can you deny their sweet little faces?  Donate, support, adopt, foster…goats!  Even they need our help.

Come back tomorrow for my weekly interview with an AWESOME contributor!

Pittie Kisses,

Grace

I Don’t Have Mundane Mondays, I’m a Cat. Vol.6. Perpetual Puppiness

Morning, people.  Grigio Bianco Piedi here.  I’m a bit cranky this morning. While I did get in some good fun, relaxing, and sunbathing this weekend, my mom and dad let this puppy come to our house to play yesterday.   This is how I felt about that.

All I can say is that puppies are pitiful.  And if I could’ve gotten into  my favorite drawer to hide, I would have.

But unfortunately, I was subjected to some not-so-harmonious dog crying.  Of course, my mom decided to open all the windows, because it was relatively nice.  Which means that Remi and Bella get to sniff around and whine at virtually anything that came near our house, windows, front door, back door, deck…you get the point.  They just wouldn’t quit yesterday.

And when the puppy came, it was a symphony of dog noises.  Some I had never heard before.  The puppy was OK looking.  I mean, I think he looks like a bit of a bruiser, but of course my mom was gushing and wanting to keep him, talking about how Remi needs a boyfriend, blah, blah, blah.  Also, his name is Sherman.  Which to me, is a bit dorky, and slightly understated for this stocky guy.

He is up for adoption through BullyPaws, which is the same place my mom got Remi.  And honestly, I hope he gets adopted soon.  Because if he comes over again, I’m going to let my mom know exactly what I’m thinking.  Which is – No more perpetual puppies in this house.  I cannot take it.  I cannot take the whining, the waggy tails, the saliva, and sniffing.  My butt, is my butt, but perpetual puppies don’t get that.  They smell it, and follow me, and wag their tails in my face.  And it’s annoying.

And maybe then, she’ll get it.  But for now, I know her, and she’s still thinking about Sherman.

She’s thinking about his baby face.  His cute little tail.  His ears.  His charming, high pitched bark.  Which by the way, was horrifying. I swear, I’m surprised someone didn’t call CPS on our whole house yesterday.  The noises.  Almost impossible to describe.

So, for the love of God, someone please adopt Sherman.  Give him a cozy, loving, sweet home, so he doesn’t come to ours anymore.  And OK, I guess he is kind of cute-ish.  But those sounds!  He really needs to work on his manners.  And delivery of his puppy messages.

Anyway, I’m headed back to my drawer.  It’s quiet and dark, and a great place for a Monday morning nap.

Until next week,

Grigio

Dog of the Week: Update – Kudjoe is Kicking Cancer’s Butt!

Happy Friday, peeps!  Kudjoe here.  I’m becoming a regular on Miss Grace’s blog.  But she can’t get enough of me and also wants to give everyone updates on how I’m kicking cancer’s butt!

My vet friends told my momma a couple weeks ago that I probably wouldn’t make it.  This made her very sad, and I was so sad, too!  And I didn’t want to give up.  This is how I felt about that.

But then, I started to feel a little better.  The vet people say that the chemo is working!  I started eating more (I really missed being hungry!) and I weigh 100 pounds again! Which I know sounds big, but I am a big boy.  I’ve started running around and playing, and even barking at the UPS man!

My momma says this is nothing short of a miracle.  And these other nice peoples gave my momma a grant to help pay for the rest of my chemo treatments!

Thank you for your support, prayers, and love.  My momma and I are very happy and are looking forward to a long life together.

I’m kicking cancer’s butt!

Have a fun filled weekend with lots of snuggles, love, treats, and naps.

Love,

Kudjoe

Bulldozing Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)

So far this blog has been two things for me: an opportunity to raise awareness about animal rescue and an awesome, positive outlet.  Today, I’m writing about something that isn’t so positive, but is in grave need of national attention – Breed Specific Legislation (BSL).

Breed Specific Legislation is defined by the American Humane Association as “…the banning or restriction of specific breeds of dogs considered “dangerous” breeds, such as pit bull breeds, Rottweilers and German shepherds. Many states, counties and municipal governments are turning to legislation that targets specific breeds as an answer to dog attacks.”

Obviously, this offends me as a pit owner and animal lover.  For the love of God, have we not heard  “Do not judge a book by it’s cover” enough during our lifetime?  Let’s get real, people, labeling “dangerous dogs” by their breed alone is just as bad as labeling a person because of their race.  And historically, that hasn’t worked out too well, now has it?  And it’s also proven to be a completely inaccurate assessment of a person’s habits, qualities, lifestyle, I could go on and on.

So what makes Pit Bulls, Rotties, and German Shepherds dangerous?  Nothing.  Their breed alone does not dictate their personality or actions.  Their owner might, though, or specific circumstances may cause a dog attack.  But breed alone? No, my friend (that term is used loosely), you are sadly mistaken.

The Humane Society has a good explanation of why BSL isn’t effective.  Specifically, “There is no credible evidence to demonstrate that any particular breed or type is overrepresented among biting dogs. Professional animal expert organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, have found that no breed is more dangerous than another.”  If you want to read the full article, click here.

Personally, in adopting my pit bull, Remi, I have first hand experience in seeing the love she has.  She has no anger, no hate, no indication of aggressive behavior and she by no means discriminates against who she is going to give her kisses to.  She is a lover, not a fighter.  She is a gentle, sweet, trustworthy, angel dog.

But because of media coverage, BSL, and other bad raps given to her breed, she is judged at first glance.  And by the way, if you’re ever in my neighborhood and snarl at my dog or cross the street because you’re nervous about my “dangerous” pit bull, I hope you know where you can shove it.

Moving on.  So, while BSL exists, what can we do to fight it?  First of all, become aware.  This legislation infringes on our rights as human beings to care for our beloved furry friends.   Spread the word.  Educate.  And sign some petitions.  Below are some petitions circulating.  Now give me your John Hancock! Or whatever it’s called when people give their autograph!

Write your congressman (Say no to Maryland BSL!)

To Congress

To Congress (again!)

Facebook page dedicated to ending BSL in the name of a sweet boy named Lennox

Australia

Last but not least, “Punish the deed, not the breed.”

Come back tomorrow for Dog of the Week!

Pittie Kisses,

Grace

Interview: Mid Atlantic Italian Greyhound Rescue

I have an awesome contributor this week – Carla from Mid Atlantic Italian Greyhound (IG) Rescue!  For those of you who aren’t quite sure what an Italian Greyhound is, click here.  They are tiny, itty bitty, little guys who are incredibly fast, love attention, and love to love.  Check out my interview with Carla below, and the precious pictures of some adoptable pups.  These babies are so cute!

A little bit about Mid Atlantic IG Rescue, from Carla:

Mid Atlantic Italian Greyhound Rescue is governed by IGCA (Italian Greyhound Club of America). Our coverage area includes: Delaware, Maryland, DC, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Our goal is to find homeless IGs their forever home. We are comprised entirely of volunteers.

Reason you started rescuing?

I fell in love with the breed when my husband and I purchased our first Italian Greyhound from a breeder (before we knew rescue existed). I started volunteering for Mid Atlantic Italian Greyhound Rescue because I wanted to help as many IGs that I could whether it be fostering, transporting, or raising funds to help with vet care.

Ever adopted one of your rescues?

Yes. We have fostered many IGs over the past few years, but we couldn’t part with one special girl, so we adopted her.

Single best moment while being involved in rescue?

The best moment is when a potential adopter meets a dog and it’s a perfect match.

Characteristics of someone who you think would be a good foster or adopter?

Italian Greyhounds are a very unique breed. Those interested in fostering/adopting need to know the good, bad, and ugly. They are known to be difficult to house train and don’t like to go out in the cold.

IGs are sight hounds and can bolt in a moment’s notice; therefore they should never be left off lead in an open area. They can easily scale a 6ft fence.

This breed is very sensitive and many come into rescue needing to be socialized. They are known as Velcro dogs because they love to be near their people. IGs love nothing more than snuggling under a warm blanket next to you or in your lap. Most like to sleep in the bed, under the blankets. They are very sweet, loyal dogs.

Unexpected benefits of being involved in rescue?

I have met some wonderful people that I have grown very close to. Volunteering with rescue brought us all together.

Express rescuing in one word, what would it be?

Rewarding

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I’m not sure about you guys, but I feel like adding an IG to my pack!  Thank you, Carla and all of those at Mid Atlantic IG Rescue for selfless volunteering, sacrifice, and heartfelt work!  And thank you for your wonderful interview which helped to shed some light on rescuing Italian Greyhounds.

Below are some pups available for adoption through Carla’s rescue.  Let’s be real…could they get any cuter?

Kiwi’s owner passed away. 😦 She is now awaiting a furever home!

Bella is a senior Italian Greyhound and was surrendered because she is “old.”  Old dogs can learn new tricks, and just by Bella’s style, I can tell that she is one spunky little girl!

Petey was an add in the paper before making his debut as a dapper, adoptable, Italian Greyhound.  He was free to a good home.  Now he is waiting to be adopted!

Punkin Spice was surrendered because her family could no longer care for her.  She was very sick when she came to Mid Atlantic IG Rescue, but is now well and waiting for her perfect family.

If you’d like to see more adoptable IG’s from Mid Atlantic Italian Greyhound Rescue, visit their website at http://www.midatlanticiggyrescue.com/italian-greyhound-adoption/adoptable-igs/.

If you’d like to donate, support, like, foster, or contact Carla’s rescue, you can also visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/IGrescueVa.

Until tomorrow…Pittie Kisses,

Grace

Rescuing Reptiles (Yes, Really.)

Ok…no lie, while I love all animals, reptiles kind of freak me out.  Maybe not all reptiles – I do love turtles and iguanas.  I think my issue is with snakes.  But, they are God’s creatures and are mistreated and abandoned just like dogs and cats.  While they may not be furry, they still need saving and animal rescuers owe it to the reptile community to give these little scaly friends a chance!

Research indicates that reptiles are very intelligent beings, capable of being domesticated.  They are capable of recognizing humans’ voices and scents, similar to domesticated mammals.  And with proper care, their lifespans can be equal to or even longer than the average pet.

Unfortunately, many people who purchase reptiles (they tend to be significantly cheaper than typical mammal pets) end up leaving them behind or discarding them completely.  This leads to lost, little reptiles, in need of loving homes.

Here are some reptile rescues, just in case you are feeling cold blooded and looking for a new, non-furry friend!

http://www.forgottenfriend.org/adopt.php

https://www.facebook.com/internationalreptilerescue

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charm-City-Reptile-Rescue/153731884678374

Forgottenfriend has some sweet little turtles up for adoption.  Take a look!

So, if you’re looking for a “different” type of rescue, reptiles may be the perfect fit for you!

Enjoy your Tuesday and come back tomorrow for my interview with Mid Atlantic Italian Greyhound Rescue!

Pittie Kisses,

Grace

I Don’t Have Mundane Mondays, I’m a cat. Vol. 5: Vacation From My Humans

Happy President’s Day, people! Grigio Bianco Piedi here.  Hope you all had a restful weekend, without any additional precipitation.

I did a lot of sunbathing this weekend, in hopes that my mom and dad would decide to take a trip to Lake Tahoe and leave me be, so I could have some alone time.

But instead, they’ve been home since Thursday.  Actually, my dad went into to work today, but my mom is off for the holiday.  So, it’s me and her again, all day…together.

And lucky for me, my mom finally has something else to do besides take pictures of me and download new apps.  She downloaded an app this weekend that “enhances” pictures.  Unbelievable what snow days do to humans.  So she started editing pictures of me like this one.

Even Remi was subject to this debauchery.

But thankfully, my mom has homework to do, and plans to take a trip to the grocery store (cross your fingers she doesn’t take my favorite bags), so I’ll finally get some quiet time.

While my mom is away, I think I’ll catch up on some reading.  I found this article on Presidential Cats, which to be honest, I’m surprised I’m not included, but since both of my humans wouldn’t make it a foot into the political spectrum, I guess it makes sense.  But I do consider myself royalty.

Anyway, I need to get back to sunbathing.

See you next week.

Love,

Grigio