PetSupport

There are two camps when it comes to Michael Vick: those who love him, and those who hate him. It's no secret which camp I'm in. And to hear that our President gave the thumbs up on his "rehabilitation" gets my hackles in full rise.

President Obama was calling to congratulate the Eagles on their stadium, but that isn't the part of the call that hit the news. Not in the least. No, what got the media buzzing was that Obama thanked them for signing a sociopath to the football team and seeing past what he did.

Really? How's that working out, Hector? Jonny, Mel -- any thoughts?

The folks at Best Friends, a sanctuary that is rehabbing and, when necessary, providing lifelong care to many of Vick's dogs (that's their "Vicktory Dog" Lucas in the photo), had some things to say on the topic. Best Friends is usually known for the kinder, gentler animal welfare perspective, but they took a slightly different approach to this particular issue. From their blog post:

Why do we do all this for these dogs? Well, Mr. President, that’s a big question but I’ll try to keep it short. First of all, we don’t believe that killing the Vick dogs, which many people and even some animal organizations wanted to do, would have been right. We know that they are individuals with the potential to have rewarding lives. They were like child soldiers kidnapped by warlords and forced to fight; no one thinks child soldiers should be killed just because they are damaged. Same thing applies here. Also, the Vicktory dogs are victims of a crime. As long as they are struggling to regain even a semblance of the life that should have been theirs from birth, then that crime continues to affect lives, dog and human, and is not yet a thing of the past, regardless of Michael Vick’s jail time or talent.

As for "comebacks," these are noteworthy -- not necessarily morally, but of interest -- when the "setback" that provides the stage is extrinsic, or at least not a direct and easily avoidable result of the staggering moral perversity of the one who has "suffered" the setback.
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From what has Vick "come back?" Merely the cushioned, mitigated, kid-gloved semi-consequences of his own freely-chosen, focused and sustained moral depravity. From a token prison sentence for a few of his crimes, and unconscionable legal and media gloss over the worst of them.

Also, just saying, court-ordered community service is not a mitzvah. It's part of the goddamn sentence. Completing it is not optional, so you don't get extra credit points. It is not intended to "clean up your image" on the way to lucrative endorsement contracts.

Last month, LA Times sports writer Bill Plaschke explained very clearly why he and many others -- including me -- are not ready to forgive Michael Vick.

In his article, he told the story of Mel, one of the victims of Vick's Bad Newz Kennels (shown in the photo hiding in a corner behind the dog she lives with):

Every time the 4-year-old dog meets a stranger, he goes into convulsions. He staggers back into a wall for protection. He lowers his face and tries to hide. New faces are not new friends, but old terrors.

While Michael Vick was officially outracing his past Monday night, one of the dogs he abused cannot.

"Some people wonder, are we ever going to let Michael Vick get beyond all this?" said Richard Hunter, who owns Mel. "I tell them, let's let Mel decide that. When he stops shaking, maybe then we can talk."

I am a giant sports fan. However, the cynic in me thinks maybe if Vick were a third-string lineman, the NFL would have set an example and banned him for life. Maybe many of the other significant charges Vick was facing wouldn't have gone away if he didn't have the prestige of being an NFL quarterback who can afford high-priced lawyers to wrangle pleas and deals.

For the NFL to be that forgiving of evil, vicious behavior is a terribly inappropriate act of forgiveness and has brought a sick, sad, dirty feeling to many of us fans who have loved the game for so long.

Musician and huge sports fan, hurt and demoralized

Cleo looked out over the pond at the Urban Ecology Center and didn’t like it at all. She huffed at it when we arrived and continued to huff when ever she was near it. She was cold, and shocked to show up somewhere with so many dogs. Usually Cleo doesn’t attend events with a lot of dogs. They bother her. She doesn’t always trust them. Well over 100 people and many dogs were there. Everyone was here to say goodbye to Lucy, a dog we never met.

Lucy started as a family dog. Given away through a few Craigslist ads as a free to good home dog, Lucy ended up in some very bad hands. She ended her life as a bait dog.

No one at the event met Lucy in her prime. The animal control officer who pulled her body from the pond was there. I believe she was also the person who held her at the end of her life. I wonder if her original owner was moved to come say farewell.

Dog fighting is very real. It did not end when Michael Vick went to jail. Not all dog fighters even go to jail. Cleo’s owner was let go because he surrendered the dogs. He faced no charges. The dogs were safe, what did it matter? However, this person is now free to start over.

Jill Brown, the head of a Milwaukee based group called Battle Against Dog Fighting (BAD) has worked to try to educate people that dog fighting is real. I have worked along side her at several events. People are still shocked to learn that dog fighting is common. Dog fighting does in fact happen everywhere. It is not limited to places like the inner city or major metropolitan places. It is not limited by race or gender.

Lucy was tossed away as trash in the pond, still alive, to drown. When we arrived a week after her drowning a thin layer of ice covered the pond. She had wounds and scars covering her body and she was still alive when she was pulled from the water. Upon arrival at the animal control facility, Lucy began uncontrollable seizures. The decision was made to euthanize. Her body was so heavily battered, she was in the water at freezing temperatures for Dog knows how long, and she was beaten.

Lucy had a name, but the countless other victims do not. In my times out with the folks from BAD people are afraid to step forward. They worry about retribution if someone learns they reported it. Fear from retribution is a hard thing to have, but imagine learning these are things your child is seeing when playing at a friend’s house. This is going on in backyards all over the country. Not just the country like Newport News or the city like Chicago or Milwaukee.

For Lucy, the fight is over. She is at peace now and no longer in pain. For thousands of other dogs, the fight is still happening. For people like Jill and myself, we will hold up our end of the bargain and continue to fight as well. We have no choice. Dogs like Lucy are now part of us.

Below are a few news reports and after that photos. I want to warn you some of the things in the news reports are graphic. The final photo in the group is Lucy, it is also very hard to look at.

Amy Shojai is an equal opportunity lover: If it's a pet, she is in love. And her favorites? The golden oldies.

That's right, Amy Shojai loves the senior dogs and cats. That's why she's joining us on Saturday, Nov. 27, in The Auditorium at 9 PM Eastern Time/6 PM Pacific Time for a streaming audio chat all about caring for, adopting and just generally loving older pets.

Amy's appearance is part of her "blog tour" celebrating the second edition of her books Complete Care for Your Aging Dog and Complete Care for Your Aging Cat in both paperback and kindle editions.

Amy started her career as a vet tech, and is a certified animal behavior consultant as well as an award winning author of 23 books on pet ownership. In her chat with us, she hopes to take some of the nervousness of dealing with issues with our aging pets and demystify them. If you can't attend, but have questions for Amy, please feel free to post them here in the comments or email them to me at phfaust@pethobbyist.com.

We hope to see you at chat!

Pet graveyards and crematoriums are common-place these days, but a new discovery of graves in Virgina shows American colonists felt dogs were part of the family as well.

From UPI.com:

When two "small, rectangular shafts" dating to the late 1600s to mid-1700s were discovered July 13, archaeologists initially thought they contained the remains of children, Joe Jones, director of William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research, told The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot Friday.

But the bone fragments, most of which were smaller than a fingernail, turned out to be from small to medium-sized dogs, Jones said, calling the discovery "unprecedented."

An explosion and fire in San Bruno, Calif., a town just south of San Francisco, has caused hundreds of people to be evacuated and left more than 5000 without power. There has been one death reported so far, and there may be many more.

Petco in Tanforan, a shopping mall in San Bruno, is offering to shelter any pets displaced by the fire tonight. They will be open all night at 1150 El Camino Real in San Bruno and can be reached at 650-589-3757.

What better way to pay tribute to our best friends than create a day for them? National Dog Day was created not only to pay tribute to the dogs we love in our lives, but also the dogs who are awaiting homes in shelters and rescues nationwide.

Founded in 2004 by pet lifestyle expert and author Colleen Paige, National Dog Day was created to honor dogs more than we currently do, to give them "a day", to show deep appreciation for our long connection to each other - for their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work, their capacity for love and their ability to impact our lives everyday in the most miraculous ways. National Dog Day wishes to encourage dog ownership of all breeds, mixed and pure - and embraces the opportunity for all dogs to live a happy, safe and ”abuse-free life”.

West Nile Virus may have taken the life of Krakatoa, a nine-year-old Komodo dragon in St. Augustine, Florida.

Krakatoa was one of the coolest animals I ever had the honor to meet. A gorgeous blue and green monster of a lizard, Krakatoa was as docile as my cat.

From the St. Augustine Record:

"We're leaning toward it being something like encephalitis or West Nile Virus," Brueggen said Sunday.

Brueggen said the death is a shock to staff at the 117-year-old alligator farm.

"He's a young dragon," Brueggen said, still struggling with referring to Krakatoa in the past tense. "Something went wrong. It wasn't old age."

Merrick Pet Care is again expanding their initial recall on Texas Hold 'Ems and Beef Fillet Squares. From their website:

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling all lots of its 10 oz “Beef Filet Squares” for dogs and “Texas Hold’ems” pet treats because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly
washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.

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Consumers who have purchased 10 ounce packages of “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” & “Texas Hold’ems” are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00 – 5:00 CDT.

Procter & Gamble announced today that it's recalling its feline prescription dry food for cats with kidney disease due to the "potential" that it's contaminated with salmonella. From the release:

The Procter & Gamble Company is voluntarily recalling two specific lots of its prescription renal dry cat food as a precautionary measure, as it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.

The following products are included:

Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal 5.5 lbs with lot code 01384174B4 and UPC code 0 19014 21405 1

Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal 5.5 lbs with lot code 01384174B2 and UPC code 0 19014 21405 1

This product is available by prescription through veterinary clinics throughout the U.S.

No illnesses have been reported. A FDA analysis identified a positive result on the lot codes listed above. Lot codes can be found in the lower right corner on the back of the bag.

Consumers who have purchased dry cat food with these codes should discard it. People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

For further information or a product refund call P&G toll-free at 877-894-4458 (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST).