Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The thought makes me sick to my stomach...

I received an email from Clinton County Ohio. They had removed 27 dogs from a hoarder / puppy mill type situation. The dogs were living in horrible conditions, dirty, flea infested, malnourished, stained with pee and poo. Among all the dogs removed there were 2 JRT's.

First thought that entered my mind. "UGH I so don't have room, they are going to be so freaking backwards and it going to cost a ton of money and will never get adopted. I don't want them." Second thought "Great the male is going to be mean and I am probably going to have to put him down." Third thought "how the heck am I going to get them from Clinton County to me?"

Ok, so why was my thought process this way. I am going to be honest I hate taking in puppy mill dogs. They are always so backwards and 9 times out of 10 the males are so aggressive I can't put them up for adoption. As much as I hate getting them.... I love having them and seeing them blossom, I love it when they go from scared, pathetic nothings to DOGS! Dogs who play and run and cuddle and bark. I love watching them get use to freedom and not having babies after babies after babies.

Now here is what makes me sick to my stomach. After a wonderful girl named Ally drove all the way to Clinton County picked up the 2 JRT's and saved 3 other dogs who went to another rescue... she arrived at my house 8:10pm Monday night with the dogs. I was expecting the worse, they are puppy mill dogs.

WOW was I wrong. The girl is ALL personality, happy, bouncy a normal dog. She loves love LOVES people and just has to say hi to everyone. You couldn't ask for a better personality. She is 1 year old 10 pound cutie!

The boy is 6 months old and besides a little skin irritation from fleas and living in his own waste he is pretty good. He is scared, confused and un sure.. you can tell Puppy Mill life had already started to get the best of him.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think of that sweet cute little female and what her future could have been. I look at how happy and loving she is and I think in 2 years from now you would have had 5 - 6 litters of puppies... Thank God she hasn't had one yet... you would have been scared of everyone and every thing, your teeth would have been rotting out of your mouth... you would be Tootie, my current puppy mill surviver who trusts me but pretty much no one else and has had most of her teeth removed because of bad diet. She has been with me since the spring and although has improved still has a long road ahead of her before she is a real dog.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

And the Pit Bull is....

#1 Is Red. He is a Boxer Lab mix and just a doll. Had a hard time adopting him out b/c he looked too much like a Pit Bull. Actually had a person email me saying she was sick of shelters calling Pit Bulls different type of mixes like boxers, labs, etc. She believed Pit Bulls should be placed up for adoption. IDIOT!

#2 Is Tyson. He was 5 weeks old when he was taken to the Cleveland City Kennel. They told the people that were bringing him there that he was a Pit Bull and would be immediately destroyed if they left him there... insert me.. he was adopted in 2009 and for the record is a Great Dane Lab mix.

#3 Is Petey. MY DOG! He is a German Shepard, Rotti, Shar Pei, Borzi mix according to his DNA test.

#4. Is Scout. My husband's new dog. According to his DNA test one of his parents was a GSD Pit Bull Mix.

LOL!! I guess if we lived in Lakewood Ohio we wouldn't be allowed to have Scout.

Pick the Pit Bull

Which dog do you think is a Pit Bull????


#1 Red

#2 Tyson

#3 Petey


#4 Scout

Monday, December 20, 2010

Michael Vick wants a dog

I say let him have one! I think he should have to take in one of the dogs that HE messed up in the first place and help rehabilitate it.

This is what pisses me off. He did all these horrible things to these dogs, the dogs were all taken away from him and so what he went to jail. BIG FREAKING DEAL!

He didn't have to help transport the dogs to the shelters / rescues / people that took them in. He didn't have to transport them to and from the vet for medical care. He didn't have to watch the trainers / specialists test the dogs to see if rehabilitation was possible. He didn't have to watch as some of the dogs were put to sleep.

He was hauled off and put in jail. Never seeing first hand the actual damage he did.

So, I say sure he can have a dog but it has be to one of the ones that is still being rehabilitated. He has to work with the dog that is scared and he has to look at the physical scare he created. Why in the HELL should he not have to???!!

I am sick and tired of rescues always cleaning up someone else's mess! I am sick and tired of animals abusers, dog hoarders, puppy millers having their animals taken from them and they just turn around and do it all over again!

Vick wants a dog, he can have a dog ONE OF HIS!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Depressing

Seriously depressing, I can't get over it. Why isn't anyone getting adopted? I have had so many people back out of adoptions this week. I had a family take home a dog for 1/2 hour. Their dog wanted to play and plays a little rough so the JRT was nervous and they brought him right back. I honestly think that is the fast return EVER! I know it is just because the dogs weren't introduced properly. I have met their other dog, he is just a big goof who has no clue how big he is.

Then I have the WONDERFUL family that I am so excited about who wants the Irish Setter and they backed out today. THEN I have a nice family who was interested in one of the JRTs. They backed out last night and then um... that might be it.

THEN I am getting so many emails from people wanting to get rid of their dog. 9 year old dog who is blind, 2 year old male because well they are having a baby... I told the women people have dogs and babies everyday, it isn't a reason to get rid of your dog. 6 year old female and 3 year old male because the owner moved into an apt. Or my favorite a 100 pound Pit Bull with separation anxiety so bad that the dog will eat through dry wall to get out and has. OMG! Are you kidding me???

Email request after email request of people begging for help for this shelter or that shelter. Knowing that tomorrow is D day for so many dogs and there isn't a darn thing I can do about it. Tonight I will lay my head on my pillow to go to sleep knowing full well my inability to help has caused tonight to be the last night for so many dogs.

Why is it I feel guilty about dogs I have never ever met dieing but their owners don't??

Monday, December 13, 2010

Sparky Update!

From Sparky's foster to adopt mom!

Hiya! Everything is going fine, minus the fact he still thinks cats = chew toys. He's getting better about it, and the cats come down from 'up high' (tops of chairs, shelves etc) now. Sometimes they even play nice! His neuter appt. is January 14th at 8am. I forgot what having a puppy was like - the accidents, the 'oopies I ate the couch and your one shoe and part of the table', the barking at the wind... but honestly, 98% of the time, Sparky is a joy. Mark and I remember how Belle used to act when she was a puppy, and we laugh, now. So I figure we'll laugh in a couple years about what Sparky does, too! We keep his bed in our bedroom, and he's so sweet when its time to sleep. He sleeps for about half an hour, then sneaks into our bed to curl up with Belle. He does this adorable 'army crawl', using only his two front feet to crawl towards us, then licks our faces like "Heh, Sparkys in the beeeddd tooo!!" He's still a little awkward and lanky - he bumps his head a lot of tables, comes up short sometimes around the wall - but he is FAST! when he runs. I think his one back leg might be part spring, because boy, can he jump. Hes smart - he already knows sit, down, stay and roll over. He 'talks', too, but thats because he likes to, not because we taught him =)







Sunday, December 12, 2010

I take them when I see them

PUPPIES FOR SALE READY FOR CHRISTMAS!

Whenever I see signs for puppies for sale (Christmas or not) I take them! Side of the road, community bulletin boards, telephone poles AND THEN I call them and ask a bunch of questions. Keeping in mind everything below ;-)


#1. In Ohio it is illegal to separate a puppy less then 8 weeks of age from it's mom. You can turn someone in and they can be charged with a misdemeanor.

If you would like to read more about Ohio's law or look up a law in your state check out
http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuspuppysaletable.htm

#2. THE SALE OF PUPPIES IS TAXABLE INCOME IN OHIO! Let me repeat that THE SALE OF PUPPIES IN THE STATE OF OHIO IS A TAXABLE INCOME!

To report someone for not paying taxes on the sell of their puppies:

send an email to:
taxenforcement@tax.state.oh.us

send a letter to:
The Ohio Department of Taxation
Enforcement Division
4485 Northland Ridge Boulevard
Columbus, Ohio 43229

There is a form you can down load on the Ohio Dept. of Tax website to make sure they get all the information they need to prosecute someone. Go to
http://tax.ohio.gov/documents/forms/generic/TF1_2006_FI_021506.pdf

REMEMBER you can do this TOTALLY anonymous!


http://www.tax.ohio.gov/divisions/communications/information_releases/sales/st200306.stm

The Ohio sales tax applies to sales of tangible personal property made in this state. The use tax applies to the storage, use, or consumption of tangible personal property in Ohio. Prior to H.B. 95, the Ohio sales tax statutes did not contain a definition of "tangible personal property." Effective July 1, 2003, a new R.C. 5739.01(YY) was added to the sales tax chapter. That section provides:

"Tangible personal property" means personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched, or that is in any other manner perceptible to the senses. For purposes of this chapter and Chapter 5741, of the Revised Code, "tangible personal property" includes motor vehicles, electricity, water, gas, steam, and prewritten computer software.

**A PUPPY IS TANGIBLE**

#3. ANYONE who breeds in the state of Ohio must hold a Kennel License!
Ohio Revised Code, section 955.02, a kennel owner is a "person, partnership, firm, company, or corporation professionally engaged in the business of breeding dogs for hunting or sale." When a person breeds dogs avowedly as a hobby, "but permits sales to become such a factor that he advertises for sale" the breeding activity and dogs, that person "is professionally engaged in the business of dog breeding" and must be registered as a kennel.

In the state of Ohio if you have more then 4 dogs you will be forced to buy a Kennel License. If you buy a Kennel License they will force you to get a vendor's license. This law went into affect in July 2009.

#4. You do need a vendor's license to sell puppies - even if you sell just 1 litter a year. I called the Ohio Department of Tax and they are cracking down on people selling puppies and not paying sales tax. You are more then welcome to call them at 1-888-405-4039 to verify ANY of the information I have listed above!


*** I was told by Ohio Department of Tax that ALL complaints / tips submitted will be researched. Ohio is cracking down on people not paying sales and use tax and one of their targets are people selling puppies.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Honestly it is just depressing

I need to build a freaking shelter! It is just darn right depressing there are so many dogs in need. I can't even begin to tell you how many dogs I have turned away in the last 2 weeks. INCLUDING PUPPIES! So, many are dieing because no one is adopting right now.

Oh and I put an ad in the Newspaper. JACK RUSSELLS for adoption all ages $150 w/ my phone number. I have received about 5 calls and every person is looking for a PUPPY for Christmas. I explain to them what I do and throw in little statistics of how many homeless pets there are and how REAL legitimate breeders you aren't going to find in the newspaper. Not sure it helps but oh well.

There are just so many dogs needing homes yet people won't stop breeding. UGH!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Tis the season to DUMP your pets!

HOLY COW the shelters are PACKED, packed full of dogs. I have received at least, no joke 15 emails from people in the last 10 days asking if I can take their JRT for this reason or that reason. My favorite so far was the one from the women saying she loves her dog but he won't stop running away and she has already been cited by the city and her house community for the dog running loose. Um??? how about a leash or a fence?? That might help??!! But what do I know! LOL!

There are emails going around about dogs being tied up outside, freezing in this wonderful Ohio weather we are having. I have heard more then one story of rescues and regular citizens stealing dogs just to get them out of the cold. Not that the owners in some of the cases even have noticed their dogs is missing. Isn't that crazy??? The laws suck so bad that in order to save an animal you have to steal it!!

Last night on the news they showed these horses that were taken from an Auction House that were HORRIBLY emaciated and abused and neglected. My dad says "how can this happen" I said SIMPLE DAD our laws are REACTIVE not PROACTIVE. Even if you know the dog will freeze to death or isn't being fed or is being abused there is absolutely NOTHING anyone can do legally to help. Shelter as defined by Ohio law is anything where an animal can get out of the elements... meaning if you tie a dog up to a tree and put a garbage can laying on it's side next to the dog and the dog can crawl inside the garbage can THEN IT IS CONSIDERED SHELTER! How ridiculous is that???

If an animal LOOKS healthy then as humane officer can't do anything to help it. So, unless it is emaciated then the humane officer or dog warden or police can't take the dog away from the situation.

PISSES ME OFF! So, by the time the dog or whatever animal looks bad it is so sick or so aggressive from being starved that bringing back to health is WAY more expensive and 50/50 chance the animal will survive.

Awesome society we live in, isn't it?

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

What a day!!

I received an email yesterday from a concerned person who knew of dogs that had been left behind in an abandoned house. This person did not want to get involved because the people that lived there were a bit un predictable.

I called the concerned person and spoke with them. The stories they told me of the horrors they have witnessed throughout the years OMG! Frozen animals in mud, shooting animals as method of euthanizing (which isn't illegal in Ohio FYI!), the starving of animals. Just horrible.

The concerned person even sent me pictures. WOW to think someone was living in that filth.

This morning I called everyone I could think of to try to help the 2 dogs that were left to die. Well OHIO LAWS SUCK and as long as a dog has shelter, which could be a garbage can there is NOTHING the Human Officer can do. Unless the dog looks sick or doesn't have shelter then legally according to Ohio (SHITTY) Laws you can not remove the dog. The dog is property and it would be as if I walked into your house and stole your diamond ring. A dog is nothing more then property!

So basically Ohio Laws are RE ACTIVE instead of proactive. WHATEVER!

The Humane Officer went out to the house and checked on the dog and left a note on the door. My parents feeling bad that the Humane Officer couldn't do anything for the dog, went to the house and with the Humane Officer watching fed the outside dog. While feeding the dog my mom got bit.

The Humane Officer then called the Dog Warden because the dog outside bit someone so now it has to be quarantined for 10 days. My mom getting bit isn't great but at least the dog is actually in shelter and not a plastic mud floor leaking dog house (see picture below).

The Humane Officer said the back door of the house was open. The Humane Officer and the Dog Warden looked inside the house and didn't see or hear a dog. Not sure what the status of that poor dog is. I personally think it ran away...

Picture of the outside dogs shelter!!

Pictures of inside the house