pit bull nation.pdf

7/27/2019 Pit Bull Nation.pdf

1/149

Pit Bull Nation

by Cindy Marabito

Published by Doggirl at Smashwords

Copyright 2010 Cindy Marabito

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enoyment only! This ebook may not be re"sold or gi#en away to other people! $f you would like to share this book with anotherperson% please purchase an additional copy for each person! $f you&re reading this bookand did not purchase it% or it was not purchased for your use only% then please return to

Smashwords!com and purchase your own copy! Thank you for respecting the hard workof this author!

This e"book is designed to pro#ide information and moti#ation to our readers! $t issold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged to render any type ofpsychological% legal% or any other kind of professional ad#ice! The content of each page isthe sole e'pression and opinion of its author% and not necessarily that of the publisher! (owarranties or guarantees are e'pressed or implied by the publisher&s choice to include any


2/149

of the content in this #olume! (either the publisher nor the indi#idual autho shall beliable for any physical% psychological% emotional% financial% or commercial damages%including% but not limited to% special% incidental% conse)uential or other damages! *ur#iews and rights are the same+ ,ou are responsible for your own choices% actions% andresults!

This is a work of fiction% and all names% characters% places% and incidents either arethe products of the author-s imagination or are used fictitiously! .ny resemblance toactual e#ents or locales% organi/ations% or persons% li#ing or dead% is entirely coincidental!

PIT BULL NATION

This book is dedicated to T"e'% to unior% to ittle Piggles and to all the dogs $couldn&t sa#e!

Table of Contents

Chapter *ne" ebelChapter Two" MookieChapter Three" .ngel Di#ineChapter 3our" MarthaChapter 3i#e" 4irlChapter Si'" oom 152Chapter Se#en" uniorChapter 6ight" 7uster and SueChapter (ine" Mr! 7urns

Chapter Ten" ound 8p escueChapter 6le#en" More DogsChapter Twel#e" T!e'Chapter Thirteen" . 4irl ike SlappyChapter 3ourteen" uniorChapter 3ifteen" 7o' of ainChapter Si'teen" 9ord to your MotherChapter Se#enteen" . Day in the ifeChapter 6ighteen" . Day in the ife"Part 26pilogue $" The Story of PipEilo!ue II" .rthur

Chapter *ne

"ebel

Cut .cross Shorty7y Mariohn 9ilkin and 9ayne P! 9alker


3/149

$t all started with a dog! $t has been a long% incredible ourney from there to here% butone $ would repeat e#en with all the sad times! $ am going to tell the story of my

e'periences with dangerous dogs! $ am not a doctor nor am $ a trainer! $ am ust a personwho happened to find a dog! $ ha#e ne#er bought a dog or a cat in my entire life% but theones whoe crossed my path ha#e brought me as much oy as the rarest of bred dogsmust ha#e brought to their ancient emperors! Speaking of emperors% it seems appropriateto begin my story with the tale of 3u Manchu% a magnificent black Chow Chow! 9e didnot find him while contemplating the 4reat 9all of China% but on the down low corner of:omer and :enderson in Dallas% Te'as!

9e were preparing to mo#e to Port :arbor% California in 1;;


4/149

stray dog% known to e#eryone who li#ed within spitting distance! .s a small puppy% thecrack"dealing owner had gi#en him the boot! 3u had been wandering those same streetsuntil the day he wound up on our front porch!

The neighborhood locals were happy we adopted 3u! $t wasn&t much of a decision onour part% because 3u really adopted us! $t seemed he&d already made up his mind to mo#e

in with Scott and me and the cats! :e ust began sleeping on our porch until we got usedto the idea and made it official! 3u was so proud the first day we took him on a walk withhis new purple leash and matching collar! :e was regal and he was owned! $ learnedsomething that day from 3u as he pranced down the sidewalk with his nose pointed uphigh into the air! Dogs lo#e to be owned!

3u came to us with a se#ere heartworm infection! :e also needed a kidneyoperation% had cherry eye and of course% he was still intact! The heartworm treatment wasthe worst! The cure for heartworm infestation used to be a shot of arsenic into the mainartery of the heart! ,ou then waited to see if your pet would oin the


5/149

luscious black coat was shiny and full after we finished! :e gleamed like a show dog!3u had the first appointment the ne't morning! 7eing #ery anal about medical

records% $ had gi#en the receptionist the folder containing 3u&s history and treatments!This would update the #et in regards to 3u&s condition as well as pro#iding a clear pictureof e'actly what procedures 3u had endured to date! $ was in the middle of learning how to

process a stool sample when $ heard the emergency call from the operating room upstairs!$ knew instantly something was wrong and that something in#ol#ed 3u! My shock systemset in and $ continued to fidget with the sample $ was working with! $ remember trying toblock out the #oices on the P. system! $ didn&t want to know what they were saying! $tried to concentrate on the fecal matter $ was holding between the glass slides in my hand!Time stood still and so did $! $ ust stood there!

. technician came and told me they needed me upstairs in surgery! $ arri#ed to find3u lying on the operating table completely still! $ knew he was dead without e#entouching him! The #et was distraught and upset! They had gi#en 3u a big shot of SodiumPentothol% a drug no longer e#en being used for surgical procedures in modern hospitals!To compensate for his weight% they&d gi#en him an e'tra large dose% killing him instantly!

(o one had bothered to look at his file% still downstairs on the receptionist&s desk!The staff began to ask )uestions about what to do with his body! $ was ama/ed at thecallousness! This was my belo#ed 3u Manchu and they were talking about him like somesort of high class garbage which needed disposing of! $ took his body outside to wait forScott! 9hen Scott got there% he pulled up and left the car running in the road with thedoor open! =4i#e me my dog?= he yelled and tried to grab 3u in his arms! $ had ne#erseen Scott so upset! :e dropped 3u in the street and scrambled to pick up 3u&s lifelessbody! The hospital sheet flew off and blew down the street!

9e took 3u home and buried him in the yard! $ was still wearing the raspberrycolored scrubs $&d been issued at the #et hospital! People began dropping by to pay theirlast respects to 3u! ulie came from the store across the street% 6meralds to Coconuts!ulie and oan% the manager% had tried to sa#e many dogs and cats happening to wanderinto our neighborhood! .t the time% chows were as numerous where we li#ed as pit bullsare today! oan had three chows% each with beginnings similar to 3u&s story!

.s the day wore on% so many people came to say goodbye to 3u! $t was ama/ing tome the number of li#es this dog had touched in his own )uiet way! Sometime after @o&clock% it was dark and already getting cold when the last person left! $ was still in thosescrubs and noticed the chill in the air! To some people% the loss of a pet is much likelosing a child! To those of us lucky enough to share our li#es with animals% to those of uswho hear too often that we don&t know real lo#e% because we don-t ha#e children% to thoseof us who must keep our grief a secret from other people who do not understand% thiskind of loss is de#astating and sad!

$ didn&t go back to work at the #et hospital or e#en try to sue for losing 3u sotragically! 9hat amount of money could s)uare off the life of that incredible dog whohad brought so much to so many peopleA The hospital did ask me to return the scrubs!They also sent out the standard sorry for the loss of your belo#ed pet card that #eterinaryhospitals send out after the loss of a client! $ felt empty and helpless! Scott was e#enworse! :e had suffered the loss of his best friend and soul mate!

9e had managed the first day without 3u and made the attempt to get on with ourli#es! $ was dressing the ne't morning when $ heard banging and yelling at the front door!


6/149

Scott was calling my name o#er and o#er! :e was standing there when $ threw open thedoor with the scroungiest and funniest looking orange ragamuffin dog $&d e#er seen! edlike a little fo'% he was grinning ear to ear! Scott had dri#en o#er to the barrio to pick upsome workers and this puppy had run up to him!

=ook what $ found%= he said! $ told Scott there was absolutely no way $ could take

on a puppy right now! (o way! Scott said% =well% $ can probably take him back where $found him!==(o%= $ said! =et me gi#e him a bath and we&ll put his photograph up at ulie&s! 9e

can find him a home!=$ started running water in the bathtub and put the little dog in! :e was so smiley! :e

was so silly looking! :e had short legs and a s)uatty stout body! :is face was ChowChow with perky housetop ears! . filthy kite string was tied around his neck! .s $lathered him up% he looked up at me like $ was the best person he&d e#er seen! ight then%$ knew $ had myself a new dog! :e wasn&t going to ha#e his picture in ulie&s window!:e wasn&t going anywhere! $ knew 3u had sent this little one to take care of us and for usto lo#e! ebel!

Chapter Two

#oo$ie

Master&s Song7y eonard Cohen


7/149

Mookie

9e said our goodbyes and headed out for California! 9e must ha#e lookedsomething like the .nimal Planet 7e#erly :illbillies dri#ing down the road in our 8"

:aul and towing a Caddy full of cats! ebel sat up front with us! Set for ad#enture% heparked his little elbow on the armrest and wide"eyed% he and $ took in e#ery tree andmountain the country had to offer us! Candy% oy% ay and 7uddy were tuckedcomfortably into two Bari"kennels facing one another with the doors remo#ed so theycould ha#e a litter bo'! Candy sat on the litter side all the way to California% guarding itfrom the boys ust like she does at home% the litter )ueen!

The trip was wonderful! 9e stayed at pet friendly motels along the way! .t night%we would drag in all of the animals and pile up in )ueen si/e beds to watch mo#ies!.lthough% we&d gotten some tran)uili/ers for the cats% they ne#er needed sedating andwere perfect tra#eling companions! ebel was the one who needed a pill? :e was barelyfour months old and wanted to play all night! . word to the wise% no pork ears for a

puppy tra#eling in close )uarters! Pee"yew?9e reached Port :arbor in the middle of rainy season! $&m from a town called7eaumont% Te'as% 1@ inches under sea le#el and #ery humid% howe#er% $&d ne#er in mylife seen so much rain! Scott was fighting off the flu and had a hard time getting well inall of the moisture! The trailer needed to be unhooked from the 8":aul and re"attached sowe could search for a place to li#e! My dad was keeping the birds with him in Te'as untilwe got settled! 9e tried to lease a flat while still in Dallas% but it was near impossible!The Symbionese iberation .rmy used to pick up and mo#e into gorgeous Bictorians in


8/149


9/149

sheepdog and wolf cartoon when the same shrub and rock would pass o#er the screenagain and again!

*ne night $ woke up to the sound of Mookie crying! :e was always tied up outsideunless he was playing with ebel! :e was lonely and cold! $ heard% =shut"up% shut"up%Mookie?= Mookie cried louder! 7ack in those days% $ was better at minding my own

business% so $ ust went back to sleep! There were many mornings when $ would wake upto the sound of Mookie crying and barking!$ ha#e come to learn a little about Shepherds! These incredibly sensiti#e% intensely

social dogs are dedicated to their person! My first and only pre#ious 4erman Shepherde'perience had been with Missy% the family dog of my childhood friends% the Powellfamily! *ur moms were best friends as were the kids! The Powell&s ne't"door neighborswere also part of our pack! The three family&s daughters% Di'ie% 7ernadette and myselfwere best friends! $t was 1; and we were twel#e! 9e had the world by the tail!

Missy was e#erybody&s buddy% the neighborhood dog! She went e#erywhere with uskids and we were all o#er the place! *ur stomping grounds were as green as the backroads of 3ii and brimming with opportunities for mischief! Missy always had our backs!

$f we&d wrestle% though% Missy would instantly come to the defense of the Powell kids!Protecting them was her ob and she was darn serious about it! 9e learned right )uick notto play too rough with the Powell kids!

Mookie was the only other Shepherd $&d known up close and personal! :e remindedme so much of Missy! This must be one of the pitfalls of attributing )ualities to a dog inregards to breed! 9e tend to rob the indi#idual dog of his uni)ue personality% the #eryessence of what connects us to them! Mookie was a 4erman Shepherd in the classicsense% but he had such an abundance of emotion% it was hard for him to contain himself attimes! Mookie was soft and beautiful like a rainbow of the colors brown! :e was aspecial and precious dog!

That first day when $ met Mookie tied up to the side of the house% $ broke all therules of meeting a strange dog! *ften% $ will encounter someone while walking a dog!They will approach my dog gingerly while holding out the back of their hand for the dogto sniff! $ know the reasoning behind this% but still ha#e to wonder what would happen ifthat dog decided to bite! 9ould he snap at the hand coming at himA 9ould it matter if thepalm or other side of the hand were offered firstA 9ouldn&t one prefer to ha#e the palmbitten instead of the more tender outside of the handA My own palms are much tougherthan the backs of my hands! .nd all those #eins?

$ went right up to Mookie and committed a dog sa##y fau'"paus! $ put my face rightup in his face% something you&re ne#er supposed to do! $ wasn&t attempting to gain entry toMookie&s personal territory% but ust wanted to make friends! $ knew $ would be ok%because $ felt it! $ had a connection with Mookie from that first day! $ knew it and so didhe! 9hen $ bent down and stuck my face into his% he started this low weird growl% a habitpeculiar to his nature and a trait that $ grew to lo#e! That day% it did surprise me! :e thenopened up his big old 4erman Shepherd mouth% must like one of those &beware of dog&signs you buy at the hardware store with drops falling off the cartoon fangs! :e let out theloudest succession of barks $&d e#er witnessed! $ umped backward% shocked! ater% $learned this was Mookie&s signature greeting! :e was a #ocal dog and had a lot to say%#ery loud and proud!

.fter many years of playing face ong with Mookie% which $ repeatedly lost% $


10/149

learned to get my face out of the e)uation pretty )uick! Mookie taught me if you wantedto learn dog beha#ior% you learned from a dog! Playing with Mookie% $ saw how a gamelike face ong could result in an inury! Mookie and $ had a dynamic! 9e knew it was agame and we knew the rules of the game! $ wondered how many dog bites in#ol#ing kidshad begun with an innocent game! Maybe our game was not safe% but we knew how to

play! 9e knew our boundaries% ust as Mookie and ebel had e#ol#ed a system in theirdaily game of hide and chase! unning% charging% barking% growling% attacking andretreating were all part of their game! $ ne#er once saw either one break the rules theyestablished all those years ago in our yard chasing and ne#er catching the other one!

.s our own family grew close to Mookie% Scott and $ became concerned aboutMookie&s wellbeing! 9e met someone who offered to help us! 6wen was an .nimalControl *fficer in Port :arbor! :e rode a motorcycle and wore black leather chaps and abiker acket! The asta guy who owned Mookie was running a small time pot operation!*ne day% 6wen dropped in to see us and left his card with Mookie&s dad! .n impressionhad been made! Mookie&s owners started treating Mookie a little better! $ tried to mind myown business and tried to hope for the best!

*ne day% $ heard Mookie s)uealing and crying! $ was on the phone and randownstairs to see what was happening! $ saw Mookie&s owner punch Mookie with onehand while holding onto the rope around Mookie&s neck with his other hand! $ lost it!=9hat the hell do you think you&re doingA= $ asked! The guy dropped the rope% his #oiceraising an octa#e! =:e was barking too loud!= $ remember swinging the phone o#er myhead% using it to emphasi/e my point! $ told him the days of punishing Mookie forbarking were o#er! :e ust s)ueaked and nodded in agreement% his #oice gone! The more$ talked% the more worked up $ got! $ let him know if $ heard so much as a peep comingfrom Mookie% $ would drop a dime on him and his pot operation would be history!

*ne other thing 4erman Shepherds are known for is loyalty to their masters! MostShepherds are one man dogs which has contributed toward their reputation as guard dogs!$n fact% where $ come from% it&s not unusual to hear someone refer to a 4erman Shepherdas a guard dog as a breed rather than a ob! Mookie broke the mold on that one! Thewhole time $&m screaming at the asta% wa#ing the phone like a handgun% Mookie iscalmly sitting by my side% #ery ho"hum! :e was like% &buddy% you&re on your own withher!=

ike 3u Manchu before him% Mookie began sleeping at the top of the stairs by ourfront door! 6#en though he legally belonged to the folks downstairs% he was telling us thathe was our dog now! The astas e#en bought him a beautiful teal collar after thatincident! Today% when $ see that shade of greenish"blue% $ think of Mookie! That becamehis color! The wife strangely enough worked for a large holistic grocery chain and beganbringing home a#ocados she would mi' in with his dog food!

*ne day% the couple knocked at our front door and asked if they could speak withScott and me! They were mo#ing to San Clemente and wanted to gi#e Mookie to us! 9easked if we could think about it! (ow that $ look back on it% $ find it hard to imagine whatwe possibly needed to think about! 9e considered the Mookie adoption in depth anddiscussed at length adding another dog to our family! 9e talked about it for a month! $don-t recall e#er taking that long before or after to make a decision during our marriedlife! 9e weighed all of the pros and cons% hard% long% back and forth! $t was as though wewere considering ha#ing a baby! 9e finally told the couple we would take Mookie%


11/149

although Mookie already knew he was ours! :e&d made that decision long before we had!9eirdly% they asked us to keep him intact and $ immediately had him altered!

9e had inherited a dog who&d ne#er been to a dog park% was chronically abused%both beaten and screamed at% had ne#er slept inside a house and had a load of maladies toshow for it! The first thing we did was take Mookie to the dog park! 7efore we adopted

Mookie% ebel and $ would take off on all day long treks! 6#erywhere we went lookedlike a mo#ie backdrop% a scenic nir#ana! To hike and climb all day and find yourself andyour red chow chow in the public rose garden% fully abloom% or bla/ing the fire trailsthrough ohn Steinbeck&s &tawny backs of lions& was pure hea#en on earth! $ felt guiltylea#ing Mookie tied to the side of the house! :e would cry as ebel and $ left! $t was notthe first time $ felt sorry for a dog and wished $ could do something to help!

(ow $ had the opportunity to make up to Mookie for all of the times ebel and $closed the fence gate on his crying! .s we opened the gate% we were met by theneighborhood mailman% Maurice! 7efore anyone knew what was happening% Maurice puthis pepper gas can right in my face! $ was shocked! =.re you pointing that at meA= $asked him!

:e was ust as startled and answered that he was trying to protect himself from thedogs! Mookie and ebel were on leash and trying to get themsel#es into the car! (eitherdog was e#en aware of the mailman! $ tried to e'plain this to Maurice% but he wasn&tha#ing any of it! The situation escalated into a disagreement and ended with my tellinghim $ was going to report him to the post office!

$ was a little apprehensi#e about taking Mookie to the dog park for the first time! $didn&t know how he would beha#e! So far as $ knew% he&d only been around ebel!Mookie surprised us all by beha#ing like a perfect gentleman! :e was respectful of allother dogs he met! :e liked people% kids% big dogs and small ones! :e met a large intactottweiler% a feisty female ack ussell terrier and lo#ed e#eryone! Mookie was ha#ingthe ad#enture of his life! :e was enoying himself as he so deser#ed to!

Mookie became best friends with the ack ussell whose name was ois! She was aball hog! 9hen we&d #isit the seaside dog park% her dad% e#in% would throw the tennisball far out into the water! Mookie would ump in beside ois and swim all the way outwith her to retrie#e the ball and escort her back to shore! They would go on like this forhours! . few years later% when e#in mo#ed to os .ngeles% Mookie and ois wouldtalk to one another by speaker phone!

9e stopped by the post office after the dog park to complain about Maurice and thepepper gas! edirected through the building in search of the complaint department% wewere finally able to speak to someone! 9ay in the back of the warehouse by the loadingdock% a lady came to the desk we&d been instructed to wait by! $ started to introducemyself and she said% =oh% $ know who you are! ,ou the one with the bad dog!=

=7ad dogA= $ was totally surprised!.t this point% Scott tried to e'plain what had happened outside our gate that

morning! 9e were beginning to learn a first hand lesson that not e#eryone likes dogs andnot all of the citi/ens of this town were old flower sniffing lefto#ers from the summer oflo#e!

The incident was less about dogs and more about these redneck sounding peoplefrom Te'as with their big old dogs! $t seemed Maurice had run right back to the postoffice and filed a #icious dog report against Mookie! $n the report% Maurice claimed that


12/149

Mookie had attacked him! 9e were floored! Mookie is one of those dogs who li#es up tothe saying% &all bark and no bite&!

*ur mail deli#ery was cut off as of that day! 3rom then on% we had to retrie#e ourmail directly from the post office! 3or months% $ had to dri#e down to the post officee#ery day to get our mail! $n addition% the mail was mysteriously lost each day! $ would

wait in line and the clerk would return saying he could not find the mail! Maurice alsofiled a report with the local animal care and control stating that Mookie had attacked him!This was bra/en beha#ior considering Scott and $ were both in#ol#ed and could testifythat no such attack took place! Postmen% as public ser#ants% are sworn by oath to tell thetruth!

:ere was this wonderful dog who&d been abused his entire life! $ was not going toallow a false accusation to create a black mark on Mookie&s record! $t was not fair!Suppose another incident should occur in the futureA $ couldn&t take the chance of ha#ingan unfounded complaint compromise Mookie&s second chance at a happy life! $ decidedto file a complaint myself! $ was getting my first little taste of animal rights! .nimalsdepend upon us to protect them! $ had not agreed to adopt Mookie with ust the intention

of slapping a bowl of kibble in front of him! There was more to the arrangement thanthat! To me% adoption was a complete commitment% like a marriage!9e embarked on an ad#enture together that would take up the better part of a year

and would begin to change the course of my life! $ started by making phone calls! $telephoned the local postmaster and tried to e'plain what had really happened the day ofthe complaint! The postmaster replied he would need to in#estigate the matter and wouldget back to me! 3air enough! :e then sent me a letter stating that other carriers hade'perienced &threatening encounters with& my dogs! :e went on to say their own &safetyhad been eopardi/ed&! $ found out then that Maurice had pepper"gassed Mookie througha fence knothole while Mookie was still owned by the astas!

7efore Mookie mo#ed in with us% he was a backyard dog! The neighborhood kidswould bang on the fence and taunt him! $ understand that workers and mail carriers mustcome into contact with dogs and respect the work they do! :owe#er% we had a study andhigh pri#acy fence surrounding the property! The dogs were certainly no threat toMaurice or any other person!

8ntil the matter was resol#ed% we were instructed to continue picking up our mail atthe downtown post office! This was not only incon#enient% but complicated byinconsistency on the part of mail clerks to locate our mail each day! $t had become suchan issue% that $ began to collect stamped receipts stating the mail could not be found!8pon occasion% a bundle of our misplaced mail would turn up in strange placesthroughout the building! Scott was becoming increasingly irritated with the whole messand demanded that it be resol#ed! :e told me to settle it once and for all% but $ wasn&tabout to concede to a false charge in#ol#ing my dog! $ was not going to eopardi/eMookie&s wellbeing simply to ha#e my mail deli#ered!

$ wrote up a description of what really happened the day Maurice claimed Mookieattacked him! $ had e#eryone who witnessed the e#ent sign the document! 6#en theneighborhood children who were playing in the street signed the account! $ still ha#ephotos of the children who would run to me when $ came home from work e#ery day!They would pose for pictures and beg to play with Mookie and ebel! Mookie was aspecial character in that neighborhood! These kids had sad% grown up eyes that had


13/149

already seen life&s rotten side! $n a place where days of innocence are few% these kids weredefenseless against the po#erty and drugs and destruction! They were happy to seeMookie sa#ed from an abusi#e situation that reflected their own li#es! They were ourfriends and truly lo#ed Mookie and ebel!

3lowers peeked through the dirt and cracks and birds and bees went about their

business! ife went on and Mookie and ebel chased each other around the houseendlessly! $&d sit on the steps by the tomato and pepper plants and watch them play! Thekids lo#ed both the dogs% but Mookie had been one of them% locked behind that fence%baited and tormented by e#eryone who walked by! They had heard him cry when theasta would punch him for barking! They were sad when he was punished! They hadgrown up with Mookie and were happy when the astas mo#ed away and Mookie mo#edin with us! They were happy when Mookie got to go on ad#entures with ebel!

Mookie was an absolutely oyful dog! Destination didn&t matter to him! :e was sohappy to get to go anywhere% to the ocean or the mountainsE on long trail walks withebel or to the dog park! $t didn&t matter to Mookie! .nywhere was a party! :e wore abig grin on his face most of the time! So when the postman lied and said Mookie attacked

him% the kids did not appro#e and signed the petition! *nce this was reported to the localpostmaster% we recei#ed a typewritten apology for any rudeness we might ha#e felt wehad e'perienced! $t was a back handed statement and went on to e'plain the carrier&sapprehension due to the many dog attacks occurring each year! The postmaster asked fora letter ad#ising my intensions within 10 days!

4eorge padlocked the gate so the carrier could lea#e the mail without apprehension!$ then recei#ed an additional letter from the postmaster regarding yet another attack on apostman at our address! This latest supposed attack in#ol#ed three dogs according to thislatest claim! Since only two dogs li#ed at our address% ebel and Mookie% this wasstrange indeed! The postman had filed a written complaint with animal care and controland $ recei#ed a copy of that report! (ot one of the descriptions of the three dogsresembled Mookie or ebel! This new accusation was suspicious% especially in light ofthe newly padlocked gate!

$ wrote to the postmaster general in 9ashington and asked for help! $ had tried tofollow the chain of command% but reali/ed we were getting nowhere! Scott was irritatedat the entire situation! :is position was to basically end it and get our mail deli#ered! $was not )uite ready to throw in the towel! My instinct was to stand my ground! .ninspector was dispatched from 9ashington to set up shop at our local post office andin#estigate the matter! :e began by inter#iewing me and then spoke with Maurice! :efinished up with the second carrier who issued the three"dog attack claim! This wholething had turned into a big mess!

.ll the unpleasantness did not stop us from ha#ing fun% though! Mookie added sucha spark of life and made our day trips a blast! 9e enoyed watching him thri#e andbecome the dog he was meant to be! ooking back on the way Mookie has been treated% $did not feel as bad about the beatings as $ did about his being anchored to the house! 3or adog like Mookie who lo#ed to run and feel the wind% it must ha#e been torture to bechained up 2FG@ and to watch us lea#e with ebel!

(ow we had the opportunity to make it up to him! 9e would go to 7olinas for theday! 7olinas is right ne't to Dog Town and )uite hard to find% because the townspeoplekeep hiding the sign! 6#ery uly Fth% 7olinas has a tug of war with Stinson 7each! The


14/149

losers get pulled into the lagoon! 9e always rooted for 7olinas! 7olinas is more dogfriendly as Stinson 7each has strict dog restrictions! $f you ha#e your dog on a leash%7olinas nati#es holler% &no dogs on leash?& 9hat a great custom!

$ had made a super Hmm mo#ie about ebel going .9* from the army called =Mi(ombre is ebel=! ebel is a Te'"Me' dog and the &is& remains true to Te' Me' lingo!

:is tra#els take him through the 7erkeley :ills to *akland&s ack ondon S)uare andthen on to San 3rancisco&s 3isherman&s 9harf! :e rides a fire truck and a city bus% getschased by a policeman out of the 7.T station until he finds his way back home toScott! Scott wouldn&t )uit eating his lunch while $ was trying to film the mo#ie% so we ustfoleyed in his lines post production! ebel was the star and the only actor who followeddirection! 9e e#en got permission to use =ebel ,ell= from 7illy $dol&s people!

$ spent many hours in my big yellow kitchen writing and calling people for help withthe Mookie post office situation! $ lo#ed being in this room of the house! $t reminded meof the kitchen in =Member of the 9edding=% the kind of room you shelled peas and drankcoffee in! $t was a family room and the heart of our home! Mookie&s being there with usmade our li#es full and complete!

The man from 9ashington stayed occupied while in#estigating Mookie"gate! ightaway% the second dog attack report fell apart! That had a great deal to do with animalcontrol becoming in#ol#ed! 6#en though a go#ernment official had documented underoath he&d been attacked% the story lost credibility when it was disco#ered there were notthree dogs on that property! The post office began to lose some points!

$ got my hopes up for nothing% though! The 9ashington guy finally closed the casewith a re)uest that our dogs be secured inside the gate when the mail was beingdeli#ered! The mailbo' was to be attached to the outside of the fence in front of the gateso that the postman would ha#e no opportunity to come into contact with the dogs! 6#enwith all of the new stipulations% the fence% gate and mailbo' remained the same as beforeMaurice and the pepper gas incident! The only difference was the padlock being added tothe gate so only residents could enter the actual property!

9e continued about our li#es with only one fly in the ointment! Scott was wateringthe lawn one afternoon when Maurice deli#ered the mail! :e claimed Scott sprayed himwith the water hose? This time% he was claiming Scott attacked him? 9e recei#ed yetanother letter from the postmaster regarding the water hose incident! This was the lastwritten communication we recei#ed from the post office in what had turned into a reallife mini"series! So far as the city was concerned% meaning animal control% Mookie&srecord was e'punged! $n a tiresome and ridiculous battle that had lasted o#er a year%Mookie was able to resume his life and ust be a dog!

9e mo#ed down south to a small tract house in a suburb! $ still can&t remember whywe mo#ed other than to be closer to Scott&s ob! The day we mo#ed in% a yellow noticewas taped to our door% courtesy of the post office! $t was a #icious dog notice! $ assumedthey ust wanted to ha#e the last word after all! *ur new postman% icardo% was awonderful guy! $ made it a point to introduce myself along with Mookie and ebel! :ewas a dog lo#er and thought is was funny when Mookie and ebel barked! :e carriedcookies in his pocket and would reward Mookie for barking! $ don&t think Mookie knewhow to handle getting a treat when he was so accustomed to being beaten! $t was funny tosee Mookie&s lip catch on his canine tooth% gi#ing him a silly% )ui//ical e'pression!icardo let Mookie and ebel know that all mailmen weren&t dog haters and in return%


15/149

they let him know how much they lo#ed their new postman! They looked forward to themail deli#ery e#ery day from their place at the window! *r a cookie!

Despite the great new arrangement with our postal ser#ice% $ was not a fan of thetown or the house we li#ed in! $ lo#ed the backyard% though! 9e sat right on about 50acres of property owned by the airport! 6#erybody in the hood trespassed! $t was don&t

ask% don&t tell and some of the locals claimed to ha#e walked their dogs on the land for 52years! There was rarely anyone walking when Mookie% ebel and $ took off for our hikee#ery day! 9e had our own personal dog park with tons of room to romp and run! Therewas a eucalyptus gro#e along the western side shading a deep creek that ran the length ofthe property! Mookie would swim the creek and clear the long tree branches floating inthe water! Some of the branches were fifteen to twenty feet long and Mookie wouldsystematically di#e in and grab onto a branch with his teeth! :e&d then run clear out to themiddle of the field where he&d place the limb! Mookie took to his new ob like a (a#ySeal! eeping that creek free of tree limbs was Mookie&s new purpose in life!

9e tramped that land whether it was cold and rainy or hot and muggy! 9e didn&tcare what the weather decided to do! $ remember the three of us saturated by the storms!

9e ust had that much more fun! Mookie and ebel were so happy! They re#eled as thewind would howl and eucalyptus trees blew down hori/ontal with the land that tried tohold them! The town didn&t seem so dull and the house so cramped! 9e had a fantasticwilderness to oursel#es right in our own backyard!

*ne day% icardo was laughing when he brought our mail! =7oy% do $ ha#e somenews for you! ,ou know the postman who ga#e you and the dogs all that troubleA=

$ nodded! 9ho could forgetAicardo shook his head! =9ell% he&s gone!==9hat do you mean by goneA=icardo shrugged his shoulders! :e answered that Maurice had been fired% but it was

speculation! 6ither way% Maurice was no longer at the post office and the postmaster wasgone% too! icardo didn&t know the details and said no one was talking! The one sure thingwas both Maurice and the postmaster were no longer employed at the post office! $ had tobelie#e it had something to do with Mookie! Somebody smiled on Mookie from hea#en! $still ha#e the file $ compiled about our long ordeal with the 8nited States Postal Ser#ice!Talk about postal? $ ga#e Mookie an e'tra big helping of dinner that night! $t was causefor a celebration!

Chapter Three

An!el %i&ine

earning to 3ly7y Tom Petty


16/149

.ngel Di#ine and Marty

9e mo#ed again! This time% it was into our own #ery precious cottage in Port:arbor! The minute our rent house had been sold% the airport property was boarded up to

trespassers! This mo#e had been a stressful one! 9hile the house was on the market% wehad to crate all the cats and load the dogs up and lea#e while they showed the house! aywas especially distressed! :e had always been a sprayer% but stepped up his game duringthis period! 7efore the mo#e% his spraying was so bad we had to use e'treme measures toprotect the house from damage! 9e lined the rooms with the kind of plastic runners oldgrandmas use to protect the staircase! *n top of those% we laid down boards and brickswith towels! .ll this was changed out once a day! This was long before pheromonesprays hit the market!

ight as the house sold% we were able to mo#e into our dream house! 9hen the dayarri#ed% we had been loading the last of the bo'es when $ had a surprise #isitor! $ hadinstalled a kitchen window bird feeder outside which played host to a myriad of birds!

*ne day% $ had a sense $ was being watched! $ looked out to see a teenage red"shoulderedhawk at the feeder staring right at me! 3rom time to time% he would fly o#erhead and $&dfeel his shadow cross me ust like the words in (eil ,oung&s &:elpless&! *n this day% hecircled deep three times and then flew away! $ ne#er saw him again% but $ knew he wastelling me goodbye in his way! $t was one of those moments you know in your knower!9hene#er $ see one of these magnificent raptors% $ think of my a#ian friend down southand know that $ had% for a moment% one small moment% a connection with the wild% withnature and the #ery spirit of life!


17/149

*ur new house was almost perfect! *ur neighbors on each side were animalfriendly! There were little parks tucked away in our neighborhood which Mookie% ebeland $ made good use of! 9e were near a lo#ely city lake surrounded by a fi#e mile hikingtrail! There was an old army fort turned into a huge dog Mecca within walking distanceand the playground hosted tons of dogs from all o#er the county! $ swear there were dogs

of e#ery breed from e#ery part of the world in that park! 9e had landed in a doggroo#er&s paradise!The front gate opened to a precious flower garden! $ planted hibiscus and Scott

added lush rose bushes that were mindful of the rose garden where ebel and $ hadwhiled away so many happy hours! *ur backyard was si/able compared to most in thecommunity! *ur cottage was one of se#en built in the 50&s on a hill% something like theblue"collar #ersion of the famed painted ladies in San 3rancisco! *ur yard was co#ered ini#y and #ine and slanted down to the fence line of the adoining property! My first orderof business was to get rid of that i#y and create an area for the dogs to play chase! $ alsohad another card up my slee#e% a little surprise for the cats!

$ would come home from work each day and grab my pick"a'e before heading out

back! $ do belie#e that i#y #ine was prehistoric! My neighbor would catch me going at itand ask what $ was doing! $&d answer% =20 to life= without missing a beat! 9e tried to useorganic methods to e'tinguish all of the weeds and fo'tail% but the #ines were left to mytrusty picka'e and me! $ had come by my dislike of 6nglish $#y honestly! My grandfatheronce cut back all of the i#y in his yard with hand clippers! :e&d spent days and weeks onthe proect! $nstantly% the stuff grew back and bigger? :e hated 6nglish $#y and taught meto feel the same way! $ didn&t like fo'tail either! Mookie had sniffed one up his nostril thepre#ious summer and had to be taken to the #et! $e since found that homeopathicremedies can e'pel fo'tail% but at the time $ didn&t know any better and hit the panicbutton! The #et hospital performed surgery on Mookie% but no fo'tail was reco#ered fromhis nasal passage!

9e put in grass seed and waiting patiently for the little blades to peek through theearth! Mookie and ebel continued to #isit surrounding parks so they wouldn&t tramplethe new lawn! $t was almost time to reali/e our dream of letting the cats enoy the greatoutdoors as well! They had always been indoor cats% but we had disco#ered a way tosafely con#ert them to be able to use the outdoors as well! $t was called the adio 3ence!

9e had begun to research the adio 3ence when the package featured a photo ofboth a dog and a cat on the bo'! 9hen we were finally ready to try it% there was only adog on the bo'! The cat had been photo"shopped o#er! $ called the company and was toldthat cats were no longer considered domestic animals! The company was only allowed tomarket their product to be used on dogs! 9e decided to go ahead and use the adio 3encewith our cats!

9e lo#e our cats and wouldn&t hurt them for anything! The adio 3ence% howe#er%deli#ers a small monitored warning signal! 9e set our signal e'tremely low! Scott e#entested it on himself! The recei#er is attached to a collar worn about the neck! 9e put thecats through an intensi#e two"week training period that in#ol#ed little white flags! $t waskind of like that 6DS commercial about herding cats! $t&s funny when someone else triesto train a cat% but not as humorous when trying it on your own! *ur cats are #ery smartand caught on )uickly! The main offender was 7uddy% who would not lea#e the deck andrefused to participate in the training! $ would pay dearly for slacking with 7uddy&s


18/149

training!The day finally arri#ed when we were ready to spring our plan into action! $t was

#ery e'citing! 9e put the little collars around their necks with the recei#ers! The radiowire ran around the perimeter of the property! 9ith oy% Candy and ay% we only had toemploy the correction once! 7uddy ust sat on the deck and refused to mo#e! 7uddy had

&escaped& a couple of times back in Dallas! :e had figured a way out of the bathroomleading down to an alleyway behind our house! 9e would find him e#ery time in aneighbor&s shed ust sitting by himself on a stool in the middle of the room! 9hen he wasindoors% 7uddy was a needy little creature% but outside% he considered himself wild! :ewould hiss at me as though $ was some sort of monster!

*ur little dream cottage became ust that% a home filled with lo#e and animals! Therewere a few flaws with our new system! Candy began to house hop from rooftop torooftop! $ could relate to the mothers whose teenage daughters sneak out at night! 7uddywould withstand the radio signal to escape! :e had found another neighbor&s shed similarto the one in Dallas! $ would find him holed up in there% fangs bared and hissing when $&dtry to pick him up! .side from these small snafu&s% though% we got along pretty well!

Something happened that completely altered my life! Scott would take Mookie andebel to the top of the hill at the end of our street to play! 3rom that point% there was apanoramic #iew of the city! *ne e#ening% they met a stray female pit bull at the top of thehill! 9hen Scott told me she&d been playing with Mookie and ebel% $ about hit the roof!$&d heard about these dogs! The e#ening news was full of stories about pit bulls! Theywere known to be fierce fighting beasts with no respect for life! $ could not belie#e Scotthad allowed one to play with our pets!

The ne't day% $ saw this dog trotting in front of our house! She stopped at our gateand looked inside the courtyard! $ went about my business and pushed any concern out ofmy head! She was probably ust lost! :er owners would find her! The ne't day% $ heardwhimpering and went to see what was the matter! She was limping and had blood runningdown her legs! 6#en though $ didn&t like pit bulls% $ approached her and she let me pet her!$ took her inside the gate and got her some water! $ went to call for help!

$ found out really )uick there was no resource for pit bulls! 3irst% $ called CoastalCounty SPC.! 9hile $ was holding the telephone% $ had been thinking how wonderful itwas we&d mo#ed to a place that cared for animals and wanted to help them! 7ack in Te'aswhen we&d find an inured bird% there was no one to call at that time! *ften% the mosthumane thing would be to put the animal out of his misery rather than let him suffer! $felt grateful to be surrounded by organi/ations de#oted to helping animals! 3inally% $ got ali#e person who directed me to call Coastal County .nimal Care and Control% CC.CC! $was told that the CCSPC. did not take in stray pit bulls! The woman did go on to tell methat should the dog pass all temperament tests at CC.CC% the CCSPC. would accept herinto their program!

$ then called CC.CC and was asked to bring in the dog myself! Since $ could not%they told me an officer would be dispatched to pick her up% but there would be a wait asthey were #ery busy! 7ecause she was a pit bull% CC.CC was the only a#enue for thisdog! They assured me her medical needs would be met! ater% $ would find that usuallymeant an '"ray and a bandage! $ was offered the option to place a call interested party inher computer record! This would insure that $ would recei#e a call before she was put tosleep!


19/149

.t that time% CC.CC allowed si' adoptable pit bulls to be adopted at any time!These dogs were kept in a room containing si' kennels! 8nclaimed and otherwiserelin)uished dogs earned their places in the pit bull room after completing the strayperiod and passing a series of temperament and medical e#aluations! The beha#iorassessment at that time consisted of taking the dog into a hallway and facing off with

another dog of the same se' and si/e% both leashed! $f the dog showed any aggressi#e orfearful tendencies as interpreted by the person conducting the test% that dog wasdestroyed!

The lucky dogs% ones who-d passed the test% were transferred to the a#ailable side!.ny time a new dog needed to be temperament tested% one of these dogs were pulledfrom his or her kennel and tested again% sometimes o#er and o#er again! These dogs wereoften tested when they had not had opportunity for a walk or to relie#e themsel#es! *necan only imagine the stress these animals feel in a strange cold place surrounded byterror% noise and barking!

The dog we had turned in was cleaned up after being '"rayed! She was bruised% butluckily% nothing was broken! She passed her temperament test with flying colors and was

mo#ed to the adoptable side after her stray period was o#er! The downside of this systemwas the dog was euthani/ed to make room for a new dog! The dog in a#ailables longestwithout being adopted was the one put down! To be pulled at random and pass temp testafter temp test only to lose your life by an unlucky throw of the dice is sad! $ called e#eryday to see if our girl was still ali#e!

$ met someone who was to become #ery special in my life! ayla 9illiams wasrescuing dogs and fostering them in her home for a local dog and cat rescue! $ had metayla on a street corner with her hair dyed bright blue and her arms loaded with dogs onleashes! She looked like an ad#ertisement for something% but whatA 9e had talked ande'changed cards! $ called her for ad#ice about the stray girl! ayla&s house was full offoster dogs at the time! $ belie#e she had something like 2< dogs li#ing with her at thattime! *#er the years% 2< was a lowball number for dogs sharing ayla&s )uarters! She ustcan&t say no to a needy pooch! She told me to keep monitoring at CC.CC and ust not letthem euthani/e the dog!

.fter si' long weeks% the dog was adopted? $ was beside myself! $ tried to find outwho had sa#ed her% but was told this would be in #iolation of some code or law or somesort of thing! $ was referred to the assistant deputy director at CC.CC% ill 7urns! She% inturn% offered to refer my name to the adopter! .fter a couple of weeks% $ recei#ed a callfrom Marty% the wonderful person who had sa#ed her! Marty had renamed her .ngelDi#ine! 9e began an enduring friendship lasting o#er the years! $ got to see .ngel e#ol#efrom the poor hurt dog walking down our street to the girl nicknamed the Princess of7each 7oule#ard! She made her daily rounds with Marty to all of the local shops whereproprietors would gi#e .ngel treats! $e seen her ride the kiddy airplane ride at a carni#aland wearing her yearly :alloween costumes! Sometimes% .ngel and Marty don&t e#enwait for :alloween to dress up! (o matter what day it is% in costume or not% .ngel cannotdisguise her smile! She always wears the biggest ear"to"ear happy grin and is truly anambassador to the breed!

$ wanted to gi#e something back% so $ began #olunteering at CC.CC! $ became thephotographer for the website! My ob was to take photographs of the dogs and cats andupload the pictures to the CC.CC website along with a short bio for each animal! $


20/149

would spend one or two afternoons a week taking the photos and uploading them to thecity&s website $ still had misgi#ings about the pit bulls and rarely #isited the pit bull room$ noticed the public a#oided the room also! They would #iew the other dogs and whenmost people reached the pit bull area% somebody would usually say% =oh% this is wherethey keep the pit bulls%= and shut the door to the kennels! They were fearful and $ must

admit% $ was scared% too!$ dedicated my picture taking to the cats and other dog breeds% because $ was afraidof pit bulls! $ had seen the stories on the news and heard the tales about triple lockingaws! $ had heard how pit bulls would snap for absolutely no reason and turn on theirowners% often mauling them to death! CC.CC had a rule in place that only moree'perienced &green& #olunteers were allowed to handle and walk the pit bulls! $ was ano#ice &blue& #olunteer! 9e were color"coded by the shade of our aprons we wore while#olunteering!

$ began to feel pangs of guilt for e'cluding the pit bulls after a couple of monthsinto my #olunteering! $ would walk past their kennels and feel surprised when they didn&tlunge out and attack the cage as $ had e'pected them to! Deep down% $ began to suspect

that these dogs ust wanted someone to lo#e them! $ began to feel a connection when $would look into their eyes! $ was still pretty green% e#en though $ wasn-t wearing a greenapron! $ hadn&t yet learned to trust my instincts! That would come later!

.fter a few months% $ decided to obtain my green status as a CC.CC #olunteer! Thisway% $ could take photographs of the pit bulls and at least gi#e them a fair shot at beingadopted! The super#isor at the time was Colleen 7lanchette! She was a full figured girlwho bolstered an immense amount of self"confidence as well as demeanor! *ne cameaway from spending time around Colleen with the idea that she knew all there was toknow about pit bulls! She came off like she knew e#erything about all dogs! Debbie&sDe#il Dogs was contracted by CC.CC as the group who trained the county&s dogs!Debbie worked #ery closely with Colleen to super#ise the dog program and train all ofthe dog #olunteers!

The day $ was set to achie#e my green status% $ had e'pected to work with Debbie%howe#er% Colleen met with me in the front lobby! $ would be following her around for acouple of hours while she assessed some dogs! *ur first dog was an adult femaleottweiler mi'! Colleen enoyed listening to herself talk! She also liked the position ofpower in deciding a dog&s fate! She had a good deal of braggadocio and seemed sure ofeach comment made regarding dogs and pit bulls! $ had no reason to doubt her and triedto take in as much as $ could! ater% $ later disco#ered her pre#ious e'perience had beenclerking in a chain pet store! 8ntil she had landed the CC.CC position% she had rabbits aspets% but no dogs! Many of the people $ would come into contact with who heldsuper#isory positions in county animal control lo#ed holding meetings and lecturing! $would ha#e to learn to separate the science from the bullshit!

Colleen had an opinion about the way a dog would hold her ears% her stance or thehackles raised on her back! These could be read as signs of aggression% she told me! $remember her telling me the current trend was to breed dogs small for fighting! Shewarned me that should $ see a smaller breed of pit bull in the shelter% say a Staffordshirebull terrier% $ must beware! Most likely% that dog had been bred for fighting! 9hile on thissubect% she pointed out the fire hose outside! Should $ e#er be concerned for my safety% $was to turn on the hose full force and point it at the dog! The hose was in the side


21/149

recreational yard and used mainly to water in the poop! The water pressure was so strongthat it gouged a huge hole into the ground! This fire hose packed a mean punch!

.fter my training session% $ was ner#ous% but ready to take my first picture of a pitbull! $ went to the kennels and asked for help! 3or the first few sessions% $ was to ha#e akennel attendant accompany me! Most days% the staff was o#erworked and could not

spare an e'tra person to watch me! The kennel tech on duty ust told me to take one of thedogs into the get ac)uainted room and $&d most likely be fine!$ was ner#ous% but umped in there and took out my first pit bull! :is name was

ainbow and he wasn&t really a pit bull! :e was classified as a pit bull and therefore%faced the same fate as faced the rest of the pit bulls at CC.CC! ainbow was huge andpointy! :e looked to me more like a greyhound mi' with the long slender snout and whipof a tail! :e was brindle with hues of gold% caramel and black with a giant white bla/ecarried across his chest! Perhaps the brindle coat inspired him to be categori/ed a pit bull!*#er the years% $ ha#e met a lot of these so"called pit bulls who )ualified due to theirbrindle coat and not much else!

ainbow had a boatload of energy! 9hat ainbow had running through his #eins

could gi#e ed 7ull a run for their money! $ was a tad apprehensi#e to say the least! 9ashe going to maul me to death once we got out of the kennelA *r could $ e#en get out ofthe kennel with him at allA .t this point% $ did not trust my own feelings! $ could usuallytell if a dog was scared or ner#ous without the training% but all of the #olunteerorientations had caused me to doubt my gut instincts!

$t took me a good while to get a collar and leash on ainbow! 7y the time we madeit out of the kennel% down the hall and into the get ac)uainted room% $ was drenched withsweat! The small room was ust big enough fit a person and a dog! $t was designed forsmall dogs or petting a cat% but certainly not for a big rollicking dog Maybe if $ ust lethim ump around awhile% he would wear out% but no! The camera belonging to the#olunteer department was e'tremely unforgi#ing! Digital had ust hit the market andalthough inno#ati#e% still complicated and rife with kinks! 7y the time the shutter wouldregister% ainbow would be a brindle streak across the room! .fter a lot of effort andhea#y panting% $ finally got the money shot and took ainbow back to his kennel! 9e hadbeen going at it the better part of an hour% but $ had the photo $ needed and $ was still inone piece! Maybe the media wasn-t all that smart after all! 9hat if all these dogs with so"called pit bull in them were not sadistic killers who turned on you in a second!

ainbow was one of the lucky ones! :e was rescued by a #olunteer and fostered to afamily who adopted him! $ saw him at a park with his people about a year after he left theshelter! :e had settled down tremendously! Sometimes% a little lo#e can work a miracle! $belie#e in my heart that lo#e is the main ingredient for training a dog% but a goodobedience class doesn&t hurt either!

Chapter 3our

#artha


22/149

Sa#e Meby .imee Mann

Martha

Sometimes% a #olunteer gets the opportunity to name a dog! My practice is to changethe name of the surrendered dog! $ want to gi#e that animal the chance at a new life andam a little bit superstitious in this respect! $ belie#e with a new name% the dog has a bit ofe'tra luck! To gi#e up a dog or a pet youe shared your life with is something $ ha#e ahard time understanding! $ hope $ am ne#er faced with ha#ing to make that decision! 9eli#e in a world with many resources for rescue animal and belie#e me% $ would e'hauste#ery e'treme to a#oid gi#ing up my companion! $ ha#e built two whole rescues by

practicing what $ belie#e!There is not a day that goes by in my life $ don&t think about Martha! My sister&s

name is Martha and $ named this girl Martha% too! She wasn&t that much to look at! $nfact% she was another brindle girl mi'ed with ust enough pit bull to wind her up in the pitbull room at CC.CC% enough to become a member of the club that killed its se#enthmember when the room got too full!

ayla had ust formed her own rescue group% *uter Space escue! ayla refers tothese dogs as ha#ing the brindle curse! She felt that brindles had a harder time gettingadopted! $ don&t understand why% because $e always had better luck with brindles thansome of the other colors! 7rindle dogs remind me of tortoiseshell cats! Martha had thatrich dark brindle found in Torties% lots of inky black and deep sienna oil paint brown! $f

you spread the hair between your fingers% you might see cream or a funny orange like apiece of burning wood! 7rindles come in many shades and hues! ots of dog breeds sharethe fraternity of ha#ing a brindle coat! 4reyhounds% 7ull Terriers% whippets% 7o'ers%7ullmastiffs% Presa Canarios and little 3rench 7ulldogs can sport a brindle coat to name afew!

$ was still taking photographs of the cats and dogs at CC.CC and was a bito#erwhelmed with the scope of work $&d taken on! 9e had actually seen a flurry ofadoptions with my updated internet photos! $ took my commitment #ery seriously! $ could


23/149

see a difference! 6#en though $ worked full time% $ was coming in at least two days aweek to try and get as many cats and dogs up and running as possible! $ wrote alluringand )uirky bios so the animals might ha#e a chance at finding a special home!

Cats had a better opportunity% because the CCSPC. would come o#er daily to take afew under the 1;;F adoption pact between the two facilities! The CCSPC. is a huge

facility! $t set the standard for such organi/ations throughout the rest of the country! Catslolling in rooms with tele#isions and comfy cat furniture greet CCSPC. #isitors as theywalk through the front lobby! 9hat the public doesn&t see are all of the animals in smallcramped kennels warehoused in the back of the building! .ll one has to do is step backand look at the si/e of the building to reali/e the cats up front are the few of the many!Complicating the issue is the no"kill reputation infused by the media! The adoption pactis referred to among rescuers as Coastal County&s dirty little secret! 8nbeknownst to thepublic% the city is not a no"kill city! $n fact% more animals than most fall under the&disease& or &beha#ior& ca#eat to the agreement! Shamefully% most of the animals beingeuthani/ed are turned away systematically by CCSPC. on a daily basis! The animals areput on the daily euthanasia list% offered to CCSPC. where most fall under the &sick& or

&beha#ior& clause! The animals are then routinely euthani/ed! 6#ery single animal $ ha#ee#er sa#ed from CC.CC was on that list and turned down by CCSPC.!7ut% back to Martha! $ had placed this pressure on myself to try and get some of

these dogs adopted before their time ran out! Martha had no redeeming characteristics toattract the a#erage family! She was not particularly good looking! She didn&t e#en ha#ethat great a personality! To tell you the truth% she and $ had more in common than $&d careto admit! $t&s funny% the ones who get under your skin! The first few times $ bypassed herkennel% she looked ust like another brindle pit bull mi'! $ had to agree with ayla% therewere certainly a lot of brindle dogs and it was a kind of curse!

$ started Martha&s photo session by taking her outside and letting her run around alittle! $ thought she might get tuckered out and $ could time that la/y shutter enough to geta decent shot of her! Then% perhaps% the photo would appeal to that wonderful person outthere who&d been looking for a Martha all their life and would rush in and ump throughall of the hoops to adopt her! .nimal control made it as difficult as possible to adopt a pitbull! 3irst and foremost% they re)uired landlord permission to ha#e a pit bull on thepremises! This was always put to the landlord #ery bluntly% something to the effect of%=do you want a pit bull li#ing at your residenceA= Many of these dogs weren&t e#en pitbulls outright% but more often than not% were cheated out of a good home! $n addition% theprospecti#e adopter had to ha#e pit bull e'perience! .t that time% not many people on thestreet had pit bull e'perience on their resume! Should the adopter pass all of themandatory conditions% he then had to sign up for training! The training was gi#en atCCSPC.% the same organi/ation who would refuse to take the dog in their ca#eat! .lldogs should take an obedience class% but $ would rather send the dogs and their people toa trainer who works with shelter dogs!

CCSPC. makes a lot of money through dog training classesE howe#er% they take inrelati#ely few pit bull breeds from CC.CC! They had recently begun teaching a classcalled 7ark Class! This was geared for aggressi#e dogs and cost >F00! $ had to wonderwhat would happen to the dog whose owner dropped dead of a heart attack in class! Thatdog would be sent right around the corner to the county shelter and held in the stray sidefor what used to be fi#e days! :e would then recei#e his temperament test and medical


24/149

assessment deciding whether or not he was &adoptable&! :is record already reads&problematic& with a paragraph from the >F00 dog beha#iorist! 8ltimately% 3ido winds upin room 152 where he gets a dose of blue uice administered to other &beha#ior& dogse#ery afternoon at 5 p!m!

(o one is suggesting that dangerous animals be released to the unsuspecting public%

but one can&t ignore the fact that a lot of money is being made on their beha#ior! $ wouldthink more than twice before purchasing a book written by a famous dog beha#ioristwhen the department headed by that person won&t take a dog who looks scared%frightened% hesitant% ner#ous or basically any dog who doesn&t already look trained andsociali/ed! $f you can&t train a dog that isn&t already trained% then $ want to know what youare doing in the dog training businessA

$ became a green #olunteer and allowed to handle difficult dogs! $ belie#ed $ was inthe company of others who lo#ed animals as $ did and wanted to help them! $ thought theother #olunteers like myself% were there for much more than walking the dogs! :ow canyou walk a dog you know is probably going to dieA Most of the other #olunteerssubscribed to the De#il Dog training program! 7ecause she was the resident dog trainer at

CC.CC% Debbie&s group became a nucleus for dogs and dog business! $ began to noticemore control issues in relation to the dog department than other animal programs atCC.CC! These attitudes were not restricted to animals solely! There were definite linesbetween the paid staff and the #olunteers who donated their time freely! Most stafferslooked down upon the #olunteers with an air of superiority!

7ut% again% back to Martha! $ took Martha&s photograph and posted her on theCC.CC website! Sadly% #ery few animals were being adopted from the site! There wasalso a public access tele#ision spot featuring the website&s cats and dogs along with theirbios! The tele#ision show was slow to turno#er% though% and all too often% the morbidparade of photos would be of animals already put down! $t was not unusual to tune in andsee euthani/ed dogs pictured one right after the other% o#er and o#er again!

The first day when $ photographed Martha outside% $ found out something )uiteincredible about her! $ had been trying so hard to listen to those more e'perienced andknowledgeable about dog beha#ior and had forgotten to listen to my own heartI!myown dog language! This was a 4od gi#en resource $&d brought to the party! Dogs talk tous! (o matter what the breed% each dog is an indi#idual ust as we people are! 6ach onehas something to say! That is why the definiti#e dog book has not yet been written!

The kennels filled with dogs say% =hey% you? $e been bred to work and theye gotme locked up in this tiny cage with an old tennis ball in the corner! Can you please get meout of hereA *r could you ust come inside and pet meA $ need human contact! $ am asocial being! Do you know what one little fi#e minute walk would do for meA Do youknow the difference you could make by putting your hand on my head and petting meA$&m going cra/y? 9hat did $ do wrong to be put in hereA $ didn&t hurt anybody! $e alwaysliked people! Please help me! ook at me! Don&t ust walk by!=

$ had been listening to the dog e'perts who belie#ed public speaker and kennelowner% Sue Sternberg wrote the bible! $ had forgotten to listen to me? $ took Marthaoutside! She was what $ like to call a busy girl! .fter running around a few minutes% shewent to the potty outside! This was a dog needing to go potty outside and would hold ituntil she could do so no longer! This is a girl who is potty trained and waits and waits fora #olunteer to show up so that she can go potty outside like a good girl! 9hen no one


25/149

comes that day% she and so many others will go potty in their kennel! This is so sad%because they are trying to be good% to do as they ha#e been trained to do! They do notunderstand that they are in a new location% that somebody has changed the rules andforgotten to tell them! They are on a new schedule% somebody else&s time frame and theold routine is history! Many of these dogs ha#e come from a background in which they

were punished for ha#ing an accident% ha#ing their noses rubbed in their e'crement orspanked! :ere they are% most at the end of the line% still trying to be good dogs!Martha was all about the ball! She was a two"ball dog% meaning she immediately

went for that ball when it was thrown and wouldn&t release until you ga#e her the &lea#e"it&command! Martha stepped up the game a notch! She would not release until you showedher the new ball! She would then gently set the ball in her mouth on the ground beside herand tear out after the new ball as far and as fast as you could throw it! Then% Marthawould return like clockwork for the ne't round! This would go on and on! She ne#er% $mean% ne#er tired of the game! She was relentless! Someone who is not a trainer% likemyself% will toss the ball a little and then try to get some lo#ing and sugar from the dog!Martha wasn&t wired that way! She was there to work! :er ob was that ball! $f you

reached down to pet her% she routinely mo#ed her head to the side and waited for you tothrow the ball again! $ remember that mo#ement so clearly% as if it were yesterday or e#ena few seconds ago! She was a machine! That&s what $ remember about Martha! $remember that about her e#ery day!

Something funny happens to you when you #olunteer or work at a city animalshelter! ,ou ha#e to de#elop skills to sur#i#e or you will go nuts! 7elie#e me% $ know!The people who wear green aprons at CC.CC often cop a know"it"all attitude regardingdogs! Some of them ha#e been to a couple of seminars and return with commonplaceindustry terminology peppering their con#ersation! Some ideas are helpful% but taken outof conte't in a fear"based arena such as a city shelter% these concepts can do more damagethan good!

9hale eye is a term that absolutely terrifies me! 9hen $ see &whale"eye& written on akennel card% $ want to put a leash on the dog and get the hell out of Dodge? $ think there issomeone who&s been to a high dollar dog conference! 9hat &whale&"eye& means is toomuch white of the eye is #isible round the pupil! $t is supposed to denote fear in a dog andagain% $&m terrified to think how many dogs ha#e been destroyed with &whale"eye& writtenon their kennel card! 9hat $&d like to see is the dog properly assessed% then re"assessed onanother day and by more than one e'pert! My goodness% what these dogs could teach us ifwe&d let them! 9e are here to learn% rightA

Martha didn&t ha#e the opportunity to teach us much of anything! Someone put theword out that she was a bad dog! $t didn&t take much to remo#e a dog from the adoptableside! She was immediately put on the euthanasia list! $ was heartbroken! $ knew she wasnot a bad dog% but $ didn&t ha#e the book knowledge or street credentials myself to pro#eit! There were more powerful people at CC.CC who supposedly knew so much more! $went to Colleen and begged for permission to spend time with Martha in the side yardduring her last days! $ knew there was nothing else $ could do to sa#e Martha! She wasgoing to be killed% put to sleep% euthani/ed% whate#er you call it and nothing could changethat fact! To her benefit% Colleen did grant my re)uest to spend Martha&s last few dayswith her!

9hat one goes through when spending time with an animal about to die are hard to


26/149

weather% feelings of total aloneness and of despair! .t this time% $ was not aware of anylegislati#e measures that could ha#e enabled me to help Martha! $ had no money orresources! $ did not e#en ha#e a place to put her were $ able to sa#e her! Martha-s beautylay in her intent to focus! To her% e#erything was about the ball! :ere she was% literallyli#ing on borrowed time% but e#ery bit of her intensely dedicated to working with her ball!

That was her purpose in life! :ow many of us can say we ha#e reached that plateau in ourown busy li#esA 9hen $ remember Martha% $ prefer to remember her retrie#ing her ballout there in the side yard! She was truly a magnificent dog!

Some of the green #olunteers who formed Colleen&s dog department cli)ue actuallysuggested $ accompany Martha when she was administered the euthanasia fluid! $ couldnot do it! $ do not ha#e that in me! To take the life of a #ibrant being is near impossiblefor me to watch! $ noticed that some of these #olunteers regularly sat in on the process!9e did sign a paper wai#ing our opinion of euthanasia when we attended the #olunteerorientation% but $ was beginning to )uestion whether or not $ could continue to ignore myown feelings regarding the destruction of healthy and non"threatening animals!

Martha was let down by all of us! She was betrayed by the system% by the people

paid to protect her% by the #olunteers who thought they knew dog beha#ior! Most of all%she was let down by me! :ad $ tried harder% $ could ha#e found a way to sa#e Martha! $know that now!

ater on% $ would speak to a woman who tra#els all o#er the 8nited States recruitingcanines to participate in the 8!S! Customs Drug Detection Program! There is ane'tremely strict criteria applied to the s)uad! The program lasts a year and is structured toescalate the dog&s prey dri#e! 9hen $ in)uired regarding pit bulls% she was #ery clear onthe matter! $n fact% she had personally bought a house should her all time fa#orite dog inthe program fail! She would be prepared to adopt the dog and offer her a home! Pit bullsare not considered adoptable due to the heightened dri#e it takes to complete theprogram! . 4olden etrie#er or abrador type dog that drops out can be adopted% but pitbulls are considered too intense to transition to ci#ilian life!

9hat she looks for in a dog is basically a dumb"dora% a dog all about the lure% butnot too bright! She lets the dog sniff a rolled towel when scouting for )ualifiedcontenders! 9ithout making too big a deal% she tosses the towel and watches the dog goto work! The dogs must be people friendly for ob#ious reasons% but ultimately all aboutthe lure! Martha would ha#e been a superstar! She was the best $e e#er seen% handsdown! $f Martha had entered the course% she would ha#e become as famous as Popsicle%the drug dealer&s dog who&d been found by D6. agents in a free/er! (ot only wasPopsicle brought back to life% but also after training% he went on to bust tons and tons ofdrug dealers! Martha could ha#e been in his league!

:arry 9hittington% a famous pulp fiction writer% commented on writing westerns!:e said you don&t ha#e to ride e#ery horse to write about them% but you ha#e to ha#elo#ed that one! That&s how $ feel when $ remember Martha! $ ha#e met my share of pitbulls and $ ha#e lo#ed pretty much e#ery one of them! $ ha#e lo#ed some of these dogsmore than $ ha#e lo#ed others! $t&s impossible to define who and what you will lo#e inyour life! Martha was not e#en that lo#able a dog! She was certainly not a huggy dog! Shewas all about business! $t was a crime to put a dog like Martha to sleep! $ think aboutMartha and what she taught me and $ look forward to the time $ might see Martha again!


27/149

Chapter 3i#e

'irl

Still is Still Mo#ing to me

7y 9illie (elson

.fter Martha died% $ began walking the pit bulls as my primary #olunteer work atCC.CC! 9hen things get bad for me% $ know to walk the dogs! $ still took photos of theother animals for the website% but the pit bulls had touched something inside me! $ beganto see more and more of the a#ailable pit bulls being e'terminated ust because theyweren&t lucky enough to be adopted! More and more% $ de#oted my waking moments to

the dilemma facing these pit bulls! $ thought surely there must be a solution for thisincredibly o#erwhelming problem! .t the time% pit bulls were ne#er seen being walkingaround Port :arbor! ,ou&d see pit bulls around town all right% but most of them wore atow chain around their necks! :ow could we change that pictureA 9hat could $ doA

Most of the dogs brought into the shelter were puppies and under a year old! . goodmany were under two% but seldom much older! $ don-t know if the reason most shelter pitbulls were so young had to do with the temperament test and an older dog&s ability topass! There were certainly no studies being conducted to e'plore why the maority ofthese dogs were brought in so young! $ would hate to think that the .merican Pit 7ullTerrier faced the same short life e'pectancy as (orth .merican $ndians! 9hat a sadcomment about the first nati#e .merican dog and the nati#e people of our land! ,ou

would think we would stri#e to protect and cherish our history!,ears before% $ took a great go#ernment class in college from a 6ugene% *regon

professor! :e-d guaranteed an &.& if $ enrolled for the e#ening class! The students weremainly nursing and criminal ustice maors on their way to being cops or working in theudicial system! *ne night% our instructor asked us to raise our hands if we belie#ed incapital punishment! . sea of hands bolted upright! :e asked how many of our group werenursing students! .bout half the arms remained proudly erect! The ne't )uestion wasregarding capital punishment and lethal inection! :e asked if we knew who actually


28/149

deli#ered the shot! The answer% not surprisingly% was a registered nurse! The arms beganto drop down as the class members considered the taking of a human life! The issuebecame real when we thought about putting our opinions into the action of taking a life!

The people who perform daily euthanasia at CC.CC are regular people like you andme! Many of the employees started out as a #olunteer or answered an ad#ertisement in

hopes of helping animals in a low kill shelter! $magine taking a ob to help the animalsand then% upon reporting for work% finding out part of your daily duty was to kill thoseanimals! $n some cases% the ob re)uired remo#ing the animal&s head% maybe an animalthe kennel tech had been feeding and caring for on a daily basis!

There is no counseling program at CC.CC for the people who perform euthanasia!The )uestion is a moral one! Shouldn&t this sort of procedure be conducted by aprofessionally trained technician% meaning someone who is psychologically prepared forsuch workA ennel techs are the lifeblood of any shelter! They keep the facility runningsmoothly! Most of these people are good human beings! $ ha#e met many animal caretechnicians whose own homes are o#errun with other people&s unwanted animals! .tCC.CC% technicians often work under the radar to see that the animals ha#e blankets and

toys along with an e'tra scoop of food!9orking in an animal care facility is debilitating work! $ ha#e seen good peoplebreak under the pressures of trying to care for the animals and more often than not%witnessing their euthanasia! *ne girl in particular comes to mind! Margaret was ustcompleting her training as an animal care technician when $ started my #olunteer work atthe shelter! She% too% had been in the #olunteer program before being hired as an animalcare technician! She encouraged me to obtain my green status so that $ could take photosof the pit bulls! She lo#ed the mastiffs especially and told me stories about growing uparound bullmastiffs!

The day in% day out stress took its toll on Margaret! $ sensed her pull away and thelight in her eyes begin to dim! $ probably could ha#e reached out to her% but $ was caughtup in my own whirlwind! Margaret% who had so lo#ed the animals% was suddenlydismissed from the shelter! The people who ran the shelter did not like contro#ersy!$ssues frightened them! They were always wary of anything hinting of lawsuit! Theshelter&s way to handle any kind of disturbance was to )uietly snuff it out!

$ heard from some of the other techs that Margaret had begun to withhold food fromthe animals! 3or an animal in a shelter% or any animal for that matter% food is the highpoint of the day! 3or an animal not to be fed is the #ery essence of desperation!6#erything about this story is hopeless to me! 9hat $ saw was this good well"meaningperson being forced to kill animals e#ery day% animals she had cared for and petted andlo#ed! .fter a while% it ust took a toll on her and robbed her of her soul! $ ha#e seenpeople respond to the pressure in many ways% but Margaret&s story affected me deeply!

$ increased my focus on the pit bulls! $ ha#e a lot in common with pits! 9hen thegoing gets tough% $ look for a loophole! Pit bulls% as their de#otees will testify% are likethat! They are manipulati#e% but in a good and funny way! (othing is )uirkier to me thanwatching the wheels turn in a hard"headed pit bull while she tries to figure an angle tooutsmart you and get something she wants! $ continued to take the photos for the websitewhile $ looked for ways to help the pit bulls! There were so many of them and more beingbred e#ery day! $ knew enough not to waste time culti#ating an outlet for them at theCCSPC.! They clung to their adoption pack ca#eat like white on rice?


29/149

Then% $ met the most beautiful pit bull $ ha#e e#er seen! :er name was 4irl! Carol% a#et tech at CC.CC named her 4irl because she was such a girl? She was an .mericanStaffordshire Terrier% grand and proud with gorgeous long shapely legs! She wasdefinitely the poster girl supermodel for the breed! She was fawn with a lo#ely white faceand a freckled ear! :er eyes were golden and she wore her own liner rimmed about each

eye like an 6gyptian princess! She had the tiniest little white lashes and her nose andmouth were framed with the dusky rose"colored shape of a heart! She stole my heart that#ery first day!

4irl had a huge white chest% pure muscle% which melted into her fawn torso! :erlong tail looked like it had been dipped in cream! She looked like she was wearing littlewhite socks in the back and long glo#es in front! $f she had a plaid skirt% she could gi#e7ritney Spears a run for the money as a Catholic schoolgirl!

Some of the pits were pretty like 4irl% but for some reason% $ couldn&t always get agood photograph of them! They were either mo#ing too )uickly or so e'cited to get to gooutside% they had a hard time sitting still! 4irl was a natural! She took the best photos%each better than the last one! She absolutely radiated and would grin the minute $ picked

up the camera! She was on! $t was as if she knew something was e'pected of her and itwas her ob to deli#er! The first photo $ took that day was perfect! That photo became atattoo on my arm and later a logo for the most notorious pit bull rescue to hit the streetsof Coastal County!

4irl was a natural athlete! She ama/ed me that first day when we began to play! (otall of the dogs are like Martha and hell on the ball! Some like to sniff e#ery corner andmark it like my little shorty pants% ebel! Some are like Mookie and sur#ey the domain%barking at all of the birds and people and anything that mo#es! Some like to roll around ine#erything and ha#e you rub their bellies! 4irl came ali#e the first time she eyed a3risbee! $ had ne#er been able to interest any of the dogs in the plastic discs lying aroundthe side yard! 3or some reason% $ picked up one of the 3risbees and tossed it into the airthat day! 4irl was off and running! She flew through the air like a #ery large% gracefulbird! She bucked midair and snapped her aws on that 3risbee before landing! She was anatural! 4irl absolutely soared!

$ couldn&t belie#e my eyes as $ watched her! $t was ama/ing% something you wantedpeople to be able to share! She tirelessly went after the 3risbee! $ could hardly keep upwith her! She was a two"ball dog in the same respect Martha had been! She picked up#ery )uickly what was e'pected of her! 3or dogs like Martha and 4irl% this was work!4irl came ali#e with that 3risbee in her mouth! This was her purpose! 9hen she&d returnwith it% she was hesitant to let go! She shook it a few times% as dogs do% as if to punishthat naughty 3risbee! 9e carried on for a good while that afternoon% 4irl and $! She wasso happy% smiling and panting! :er big% pink tongue hung out like a cartoon #ersion of apit bull! 9hate#er they had in mind when trying to breed the .mStaff was reali/ed in4irl! She was perfect!

$ took her back to the kennel that afternoon for the first of many times o#er the ne'tfew weeks! .s amped up as she&d been in the yard% she was e)ually calm when $ closedthe door to her kennel! $n fact% rarely had $ seen such a calm dog in the shelter! Shesmiled sweetly and sat directly in the middle of the floor as $ closed the iron gate andfastened the lock into place! There was a moment between us where her eyes lookedtrustingly into mine as if she knew $ was going to get her out of there! .nimals sense


30/149

things! They might not know what it is% but they know when something is up! 3or the firstof many days% $ made an out loud promise to 4irl that $ would sa#e her!

$ went directly upstairs to enter her data on the city&s website! 6#erything had to bedone by the book according to bureaucratic standard! The website was the only resourceto find potential adopters while the clock ticked! $ made posters and tried to put them in

local coffee shops and pet stores around town% but so often% the dogs were destroyedbefore anyone had a chance to in)uire about them!$ continued to work with 4irl and 3risbee! $ asked e#eryone $ met to adopt her! She

was popular with both staff and the #olunteers! The green #olunteers were especially fondof her% because she was so calm! This group could be circumspect regarding most of thepit bulls in the shelter% but e#eryone liked 4irl! She was e#en liked by Colleen% who wasfostering a dog who looked a bit like 4irl! They had both been apprehended in the samearea and were suspected to be littermates! Colleen mentioned she didn&t know pit bullscould play 3risbee! 9hat an unusual statement coming from someone who was a pit bulle'pert! The pit bull rescue she was instrumental in forming% 7ig Top% issued a statementon their website warning against playing 3risbee with pit bulls! This was rather odd% but

they e#entually re#ersed their position and retracted their former statement regarding3risbees and pitties!.fter crossing all of the hurdles to adopt a pit bull% the last stop was Colleen! 9hile

she was CC.CC .nimal Control Super#isor% all pit bull adoptions had to be appro#ed byher personally! Many dogs were put to sleep who had good homes waiting for them!ustin was a #ery cute young pit bull mi'! 7efore he wound up in the CC.CC kennels%his ears were deformed! :is former owner had chopped them off like Mr! Spock&s andsewed them up with fishing line! :e wound up at the shelter with that fishing line still inhis ears! That didn&t stop ustin% though! :e was a happy dog with no ill feelings towardanyone! :e was golden colored% soft and fluffy with puppy fur! . #ery nice lady wantedto adopt him and had a female pittie whom she&d already introduced to ustin! They werelike peas in a pod! 6#ery criterion was met and the adoption was a go until they got toColleen! *nce Colleen found out the young lady took her social dog to a dog park% theadoption was killed! So was ustin! :e was put to sleep% because Colleen and her newgroup% 7ig Top Pit 7ull 4roup% did not belie#e pit bulls should go to dog parks! ustinwas only one of so many dogs who lost his life due to politics and opinion!

7ig Top clearly states on their website that no pit bulls are allowed to #isit dogparks! $ am not o#erly fond of dog parks% but ha#e seen more than a few well"trained pitbulls at the dog park in my time! $t should be a case"by"case decision! $n other words%some dogs are dog park dogs and some aren&t! That simple! That ethic applies to allbreeds of dogs! $f people were more in tune with their dogs% there would be fewermishaps at the dog parks and elsewhere% for that matter! . good &off& and recall should bea must for all dogs! . blanket statement that all pit bulls should be prohibited from dogparks is harmful and breed specific! ,ou&re demoni/ing the #ery dog you-re attempting tohelp!

The catch 22 at CC.CC prohibited anyone from using the resources at Craigslist!orgto find homes for the animals! .t the time when $ was #olunteering% Craigslist wasemerging as an online classified network! The official reason gi#en by CC.CC was fearthat the public would respond en masse to sa#e animals and o#erwork the staff! 6#enthough the world &care& preceded &control&% it was a clear case of the &control& trumping the


31/149

&care&! Most of the CC.CC staff is caring and hardworking% willing to go the distance tohelp an animal find a home! $ had seen a smile cross e#en the most war torn CC.CCemployee&s face in the rare instance of a last minute adoption! 8nfortunately% thesemoments were infre)uent!

.dministration argued the public should not be encouraged to adopt animals based

upon emotional reason generated by Craigslist postings! $ had nine &unplanned for&animals li#ing in my home at that time% each one a cherished member of our family! Thereal reason prohibiting posts on Craigslist is known by select few in the rescuecommunity of Coastal County! The myth perpetuated by the media% the CCSPC. andCC.CC is that Coastal Co

pit bull nation.pdf

Documents