Puppies up for adoption

The puppies that were born 3 weeks ago are up for adoption and we are accepting applications. The emails I get from some people just make me roll my eyes. I get questions asking if they have to be fixed before they are adopted...UM YEA THEY DO!

I get asked if they like cats, if the get a long with other dogs... they are 3 week old puppies, they have NO idea what they like or don't like LOL! Right now sure they are great with other dogs and cats and honestly it is all in how you raise them.

My favorite question was "Are you set on the price?" I get this question ALL THE TIME. My response is simply

The puppies ADOPTION fee is $200 which barely covers their food, shots, worming and spay. If you can find a way for all of this to be done for less then $200 please let me know so I can take advantage so I can lower their adoption fee.

I really think that people believe rescue means free. Like rescues and rescue people have endless money, endless resources, endless time... reality check people WE ARE REGULAR PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU... we have families, jobs, our own pets, our own responsibilities. The only difference between you and me is I choose to help those who can't help themselves!

Can you believe I actually had someone want one of the puppies to breed with their male. I was taken a back that I gave a lecture of why breeding should NOT be done for any reason unless you are world champion show dog. What I should have said is, I will find you a female who is pregnant and give her to you and you can foster the mom and puppies. once the puppies are all adopted out, let me know if you still want to breed! I can GUARANTEE you the answer will be NO. It is a lot of work to take care of a mom and puppies.

Turkey is NOT GOOD FOR DOGS!

Just because you are celebrating Thanksgiving by eating a yummy turkey with some gravy that does not mean your dog needs to share in your feast.

Fatty foods can lead to an upset stomach, diarrhea, or a life-threatening condition called pancreatitis.

AND NO TURKEY BONES EITHER! Turkey bones splinter and can cause serious issues for your dogs digestive track INCLUDING DEATH!!

Remember dog food is for dogs, people food is for people!

Because I care

I am not sure why people get into dog rescue... or really animal rescue in general. I got into it because I felt it was a good cause and I could do something good in this world. Make a mark, make an impression so that some day when I am no longer here at least a memory of me doing something good might be in someone's mind. I don't know maybe it just is me but I feel like we have a purpose in this world and instead of just getting up everyday, going to work, making money and buying STUFF you should really do something, do something to make this world better. Now to some people that could be your job but for me it isn't so I volunteer to help save those who can't speak to for themselves and take the brunt of abuse from asshole humans.

Maybe I am a bit over the top in the fact I think it is very important for me to check in every once in a while to see how the dogs I have placed are doing. I took them from hell and want to make sure they don't ever have to go back to living in hell.

This year has well been a very disappointing year. I had a foster home give away one of my dogs without my knowledge and the people they gave it to are acting like complete a-holes. All I asked for was a piece of paper to be signed and to send me an update once a year.....Man oh Man I am one horrible controlling bitch! Shame on me. So instead I am now in a drawn out legal battle with them.... why? Because they decided to sue me... I am so horrible for caring. To hell I will go!

Then I have a lady LIE, bold face LIE TO ME when I noticed one of my dogs at my county pound. Not until I told her I would be going to pick up the dog did she tell me the truth.... ok well her version of the truth... I am not believing her story of how the dog ended up there.

NOW I find out that someone who adopted from me who I have been trying to get a hold of ALL FREAKING YEAR! Gave the dog to the APL. I have never been so sick to my stomach...ok, yes I have been when I found out about the foster home giving my dog away and the lady was so nasty about it.

Now I am on the hunt to see if I can locate her. Not to get her back but just to known she is ok. I seriously am going to be devastated if the APL put her down b/c of her age.

I feel like such a failure. And I also wonder why the APL didn't ask where they got her from.... I always do and if they tell me a shelter or a rescue I tell them to contact them first... I figured this was standard practice but maybe not. In NO WAY am I blaming the APL just wondering why they don't ask and if they do ask wondering what the jerk said.

UGH! I really don't like dishonest people....... I seem to be running into a lot of them lately.

I guess it is my problem.

That is what someone said to me today. "I guess it is my problem" They said that because I wouldn't take 8 feral cats that have been living in her garage.

Listen lady I am sorry, I don't take in cats and honestly the reason it is your problem it because people don't spay/neuter. I feel bad I really do but not sure what you want me to do.

She asked me if I knew of any cat rescues and I said the only cat rescue I know is full to the gills. They have like 80 feral cats. Her response is "Can I have their number? These ferals can go live there."

OMG! That wasn't why I said that... I said that b/c they have A LOT and can't take any more. Now granted I doubt it is 80 but still. Who the hell does she think takes care of these 80 cats I exaggerated about? HELLO! you can't handle 8 but you think some person who has 80 could handle more?

What do people think that we rescue folks have endless amounts of money to help pay our bills and we wake up every morning to 100 animals living in our home and go frolic in the daisies with the warm sun on our faces?

Um NO! Reality check we work, we have families, we have car issues, we have struggles making bills, we get tired, we get sick, we get stressed, we are um JUST LIKE YOU!

Write them, tell them this was WRONG

ACE’S STORY

On Friday, November 4, DDR received a number of emails and Facebook posts pleading with us to help a dog that had wandered into an Ace Hardware store on E. McNichols in Detroit looking for warmth. There was a heartbreaking photo of a dog cowering in the lobby, skinny and emaciated. It must have hurt him to try and sit because he was just skin and bones. There were signs of a wound on his neck, and dried blood near his throat.

Hush and Shance from the DDR crew headed to the hardware store within moments of being contacted, but the store had already contacted Animal Control and they got there before we did. We do not know the names of the officers who picked him up.

By then, word had spread throughout social media, and DDR was inundated with calls and posts asking for updates. We were able to find out that DAC had indeed taken the dog, but there was no further information over the weekend. Due to DAC’s egregious policy of euthanising 100% of dogs that they deem to be pitbulls or pit mixes, we knew that Ace would almost certainly be put down. Luckily, the media had gotten a hold of the story as thousands rallied together. A group of people started a “Save Ace” Facebook page, and a licensed rescue (Stray K-9 Rescue) confirmed that they would take Ace if DAC would release him. Detroit Dog Rescue and Stray K-9 attended a City Council meeting on Tuesday, November 8 to fight for Ace’s release, as well as a bigger picture policy change in Animal Control’s tactics. The City Council President, Charles Pugh, offered support and said that the Head of Animal Control (Harry Ward) needed to account for his actions. Unfortunately, later on that same day, Loretta Davis (the Head of the Department of Health and Harry Ward’s boss) said that Ace would NOT be released to any rescue and that if his owner did not come forward, he would in fact be killed on Friday, November 11 after the mandatory four day holding period.

Late Tuesday night, DDR was able to confirm that Ace’s owner had been found. The dog had been stolen from her family (thousands of dogs are stolen every year in the city and used for bait dogs) and when she saw him on the news and recognized him she almost dropped the phone. She got in touch with DDR and she and Hush went to the DAC armed with the proper identification and proof of ownership. DAC showed the owner a dog that was NOT Ace. We were able to secretly film the dog that DAC insisted was Ace. She confirmed that it was not her dog and DAC told her that she was wrong. It has been Detroit Dog Rescue’s belief that Ace was put down almost immediately upon being picked up on November 4, and that they showed his owner a different dog in the hopes of covering their tracks.

On Wednesday, November 9, Detroit Dog Rescue and Ace’s owner worked with legal counsel to file an injunction. Judge Gershwin Drain passed a temporary restraining order barring Department of Animal Control from killing ANY dogs resembling Ace until a hearing could take place on November 16. The “Save Ace” Facebook group also brought on the Lexus Project (a legal group) and they filed an injunction on Thursday, November 10. There were therefore two injunctions in place both confirming a temporary stay of execution for the dog known as Ace.

Today, Thursday, November 10 at 5:00pm, the Department of Animal Control euthanized Ace, deliberately ignoring the restraining order and the injunction and killing him one day before his originally scheduled day of execution (which would have been Friday, November 11). In doing so, they ignored 20,000 people who had rallied behind this little dog who committed no crime except to wander into someplace friendly, hoping for love, food and maybe even a friendly pat.

We at Detroit Dog Rescue believe that DAC put the dog they tried to pass off as Ace down early rather than have to prove whether he was or was not Ace. It has become clear that Animal Control believes they are above the law and that they are not accountable to anyone.

We are lucky to have the media’s attention and the public’s support and rest assured we will not stop until someone is held accountable for Ace’s death. The system in Detroit is broken. Animal Control can no longer control the dog problem in Detroit and they proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt with their handling of Ace. Their preferred method is one of eradication and they believe themselves to be above the law. They bumbled, lied, tried to backtrack, and then disregarded a direct order from the judge. They cannot ignore the courts, Department of Agriculture and, above all, the citizens of Detroit who are the very people who fund and demand their existence. We are calling upon the citizens of Detroit to speak up — to policemen, to your city officials, to your Mayor, to your City Council and to anyone who will listen. Empower yourselves. Not just for Ace, but because if Animal Control believes they are above the law it means they can pick up YOUR dog if it happens to get out and you will have NO rights to get him back. It means they can put down any dog that they decide has pitbull in him. And it means they can operate outside of any official authority and spend your tax dollars killing dogs we want to save. Get out your cellphones and when you see those DAC “workers” sleeping behind the supermarket instead of working, or you see them picking up puppies and throwing them in a van, film them and send the video to us. We will get it in the right hands. If the Mayor doesn’t want to be bothered keeping them accountable, we will do it ourselves.

In the past *ten* years, a quarter of a million people have moved out of Detroit, leaving tens of thousands of homes and businesses behind. The average income in Detroit is $18,700, compared with $48,700 in the rest of the state. There are entire city blocks populated only by stray dogs. How can a city that should be embracing sweeping large-scale reforms refuse to allow small groups of committed, thoughtful, and determined people be the change they want to see? How can it hurt to change the policy on how the city cares for its animals? With so much broken that needs to be fixed, LET US DO THIS ONE THING. Let us help the abandoned animals. Let us care. Or at least get out of our way.
-Monica

DETROIT ADMINISTRATION CONTACTS:
We are asking those of you around the country and around the world to let Detroit know that you are watching. Please join us – we must make our voices heard and we must keep fighting now more than ever. Following are the list of contacts – please help us keep the pressure on. We need the city to know that although Ace was put down before his time, that we are not giving up and that they WILL be held accountable.

Sending faxes is a great idea because they are a lot harder to ignore than emails!

Use your voices and DEMAND change. The Department of Animal Control, the Department of Environmental Safety and the Department of Health are ALL city entities who answer to the citizens of Detroit and you fund them with your dollars. You deserve answers.

· Harry Ward, Head of Animal Control 313-224-7133, wardhar@health.ci.detroit.mi.us
· Loretta Davis, Department of Health (Animal Control answers to her) ldavis4@co.wayne.mi.us 1-313-876-4201
· Bruce M King, Director of Environmental Health Services (he decreed that Ace be put down and it was his decision to ignore the injunctions). 313 876 4821 KingBM@detroitmi.gov
· Mayor Dave Bing’s Office at (313) 224-3400, fax (313) 224-4128
· Mayor Dave Bing’s Office at (313) 224-3400, fax (313) 224-4128
· Council President Charles Pugh (313) 224-4510, CouncilPresidentPugh@detroitmi.gov
· Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown (313) 224-2450, councilmemberbrown@detroitmi.gov
· Councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins (313) 224-4248, councilmemberjenkins@detroitmi.gov
· Councilman Kenneth Cockerl, Jr (313) 224-4505, CockrelK@kcockrel.ci.detroit.mi.us
· Councilwoman Brenda Jones (313) 224-1245, bjones_mb@detroitmi.gov Councilman Andre Spivey (313) 224-4841, **CouncilmanSpivey@detroitmi.gov Councilman James Tate (313) 224-1027, councilmembertate@detroitmi.gov Councilman Kwame Kenyatta (313) 224-1198, K-Kenyatta_MB@detroitmi.gov Councilwoman JoAnn Watson (313) 224-4535, WatsonJ@cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us

Fax Numbers for each Council member available at the links at the bottom of this page: http://www.detroitmi.gov/

MEDIA CONTACTS FOR DETROIT:

Please share Ace’s story and ask the local media to help investigate the practices at Detroit Animal Control. Please ask the national media to help get attention for the plight of stray dogs in Detroit in general. There are 100,000 stray dogs and only 23 Animal Control workers! Detroit Dog Rescue is trying to change the system, one dog at a time. We should be allowed to get answers from our elected officials and city workers. Please ask the media to help us investigate the practices and keep featuring us as we strive to make a difference.

DDR contacts:
Hush (co-founder)– 313hush@gmail.com
Monica (co-founder) — monmartino@gmail.com
www.detroitdogrescue.com
www.facebook.com/detroitdogrescue

Media contacts:
· WXYZ (Channel 4) 248-827-9407
· WDLV (Channel 7) 313-222-0500
· Fox 2 Detroit (Hall of Shame) Call (248) 552-5150
· Fox 2 Detroit (submit a news tip) http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/subindex/about_us/contact_us
· CBS Detroit http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/11/09/charlie-langton-ace-a-little-dog-digging-up-a-big-problem/
· Detroit Free press: localnews@Freep.com
· Detroit News: newstips@detnews.com
· NBC / MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29104230/ns/nightly_news/t/contact-us/
· CNN http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html
· Rachael Ray Show http://rachaelrayshow.com/show-info/be-on-the-show/
· Jane Velez Mitchell / CNN (she’s a huge animal activist) Email: jane@cnn.com, Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS (1-877-586-7297), or
· Ellen Degeneres Show (submit DDR to be part of their “inspiring” show topics) http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=606

Stop making excuses

Sometimes when I get a phone call or an email from an adopter wanting to return a dog, I want to say to them STOP BEING LAZY AND STOP MAKING UP EXCUSES.

I know sounds mean but it is so frustrating sometimes. I know from the tone in their voice and the way they are talking they are stressed out. Trust me I GET IT! But don't take it out on the dog. I really honestly believe that people get stressed out and just want to get rid of anything they think is causing them stress (hence why people get a new job!! I am a recruiter so I know this for a fact... your job stresses you out, you start looking for a new one). People get it in their head, the dog is causing stress so they have to get rid of it. You can't quit your job at this very moment, you can't give back the new baby you just had, you can't tell your son/daughter that their new sport where they have a million practices and just as many games is to much and they have to quit, you can't make the sick person in your family get well ASAP, you can't bring back the person that was close to you that passed back, so what can you do to help get rid of some stress... THE DOG! You have to walk it, feed it, it 100% relies on you for everything... get rid of the dog and everything will be better.

UGH! Whatever.

Then you have the people who have a dog with an issue, 9 times out of 1o an issue they caused or didn't have in rescue and they just want to give the dog back because they don't want to deal with it. REALLY??

9 times out of 10 it is an easy fix ASSUMING YOU AREN'T LAZY. But there lies the problem they are lazy hence the dog now has this issue... whatever that issue may be.

Then I have these AMAZING families. These absolutely truly amazing people who take in these dogs, love them NO MATTER what... I have crazy Tucker who personally I loved but I knew he wasn't going to be a dog for everyone. I told the family that was interested in him how hyper he was and I even purposefully didn't give him any exercise the day they were coming to meet him so they could see him at his worse. THEY LOVED HIM and to this day still do. I have bad dog Eddie (one from a few years ago) who was just a bad dog.... hyper, didn't listen, escape artist. The people that adopted him, LOVE HIM. I have Bo who we just adopted who apparently has separation anxiety so bad that he has really messed up the families house. The dad absolutely refuses to give up and is going to work with a trainer. I have Sparkle, Dillon, Kirby and a few other dogs who had to have an expensive surgery due to an injury and although expensive the families were willing to work it out so the dog could be happy, healthy and pain free. AMAZING PEOPLE!

Too bad I can't tell the lazy and/or stressed out people to buck up. Oh well, I have to take the dog back with a smile on my face and try to dance around the fact that I really think they are being ridiculous.

And to be fair. I have had people return a dog for legitimate reasons. Trying not to paint everyone with the same brush (as they say). I have had people return dogs and I 100% understood why... but that is rare. very rare. LOL

Newly adopted dog runs of burglar

HILLSBORO, Ohio -- A southwest Ohio couple who adopted a Saint Bernard to save him say he saved their home from burglary a few hours later.

Rubert "Lee" Littler says he was taking Hercules outside Wednesday night when the 135-pound dog started growling, then charged after a man running out of their basement. The dog bit into the man's ankle as he climbed a fence and got away. Police say the home's phone and cable lines had been cut.

Lee and Elizabeth Littler brought the dog home from Highland County's pound less than seven hours earlier. The dog had been found, bloody and dehydrated, by hikers on Oct. 31.

The Littlers tell The Times-Gazette of Hillsboro (http://bit.ly/suYkUf) they wanted to keep him from being euthanized but now figure he's earned a permanent home.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/11/4047384/newly-adopted-dog-runs-off-burglar.html#ixzz1dQZdntt4

Continued

51 more days till the end of the year... 51 more days to find 30 dogs in our rescue homes. 51 more days of hardship and struggle. In 51 more days things will take a turn for the better, right? 51 more days and I will have so much behind me including going to court on Monday for my harassing neighbor and going through a disposition for the lady that stole my dog in December. I am rolling my eyes because all they had to do was sign a piece of paper...whatever.

51 more days and things will get better, right?!

2011 suck fest please come to an end quickly....

Give me a break

What the heck is going on? I checked the news paper today and there a about a dozen ads under pet section... besides my two ads for adoption events and one free cat they are all PUPPPIES FOR SALE.

COME ON PEOPLE! PLEASE GIVE IT A REST!

I don't understand how people can think one litter or hell breeding AT ALL (unless you are a LEGITIMATE show breeder.. but then those don't advertise in papers).

The shelters are FULL and I mean FULL FULL FULL. I gaurente that this year the number of dogs euthanized for space has increases. It has to have had. Shelters that barely euthanized anything last year are putting dogs to sleep 10, 20, 30, 40 at a time just because they can't keep up with the number of strays they are picking up daily.

It is honestly overwhelming. I feel like no one is listening though. Like it has been said so many times that no one is listening any more.

I have great ideas like bill boards or those political signs that say "adopt don't shop" but geez I don't have the time or the money to get any of that stuff in place because I am too busy do stuff with dogs. I feel like it is a vicious circle. You got to save the dogs from dieing so you go the shelter spend all your money and time on that dog so you don't have time to educate and promote adoption so then people buy instead of rescue and then you are getting their adult dog out of the shelter when it gets pregnant and the circle continues.

The foster mom of the mom dog who just had puppies and I were talking. Can you believe she had 9 girls. Do you know what that means if the dog warden wouldn't have picked her up and we wouldn't have taken her in, there could be 9 more female large breed dogs out there make more puppies!!!!

So by this summer they would have their first heat and potentially could end up having 10 puppies each that is 90 more dogs in this world by the end of the summer. Scary thoughts.... don't ya think? And that is just one stray mom dog... think of how many are out there!

I have received 5 requests to take in a pregnant mom dog since we took in our current mom dog and I am just one little tiny Ohio rescue and the 5 dogs were all from Ohio.... think of how many more are out there!

Makes you want to throw up, doesn't it? Sure makes me want to.

WE HAVE PUPPIES

On Tuesday October 25th we rescued a VERY skinny yellow lab mix mom. On Sunday November 6th she gave birth to 11, yes 11 puppies. here they are:



two girl twins
girl
panda girl
BOY - only boy that needs a home!!
girl
girl
girl
girl
girl


BOY ALREADY ADOPTED!!!!

Depressing update

I blogged last week about ALL the dogs at Richland County. Unfortunately, they lost a good number of dogs. Some were dogs we were going to take but one day too late meant no more days for the dogs :-( MAN IT SUCKS!

We did save 5 dogs... should I say my husband saved 5 dogs. He went to the shelter for the first time to pull dogs BY HIMSELF. I told him no less then 2 no more then 4. I told him to make sure he takes the dogs that seem to need us the most.... old, sick, etc.

Well he came home with 5! Here they are: