DogTails - The "Give a Dog a Bone" Blog

So, how to approach a fearful dog in your shelter?

2011-06-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yawning may indicate nervousness.

We've had wonderful success stories

with this approach.

http://baywoof.com/1106.GoodDog.shtml

"From Snap to Sugar Snap" in this blog also keys in on a fearful dog.

POSEY + LUCY + AGILITY = THE GOOD LIFE

2011-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

PARTNERS IN TIME, a column published every so often by DogTails columnist Reed S. Anact (Column XXI, all rights reserved, comments welcome)
Recently I was delighted to have the opportunity to interview the incomparable Posey and her guardian Lucy. Wow. Posey’s and Lucy’s journey began eight years ago at SF/ACC. Posey, all of 4 weeks old, was in the custody cat room, too small and too young to be kenneled in the puppy room.

poetry in motion

Jump to December 2010, Posey having been invited to the AKC Agility Invitational. How this shelter pittie wound up winning 3 ribbons (out of a possible four) at this national event is the story of today’s column. This interview is taking place in a typical agility ring, and I’ll tell you, folks, watching Lucy and Posey together is the real deal. I’m sure enjoying being here, I must say.
Reed: Tell me about the first day you saw Posey and how you wound up taking her home. Did you name her? You were volunteering for Give a Dog a Bone at that time, were you not?
Lucy: Well, I first saw Posey with a shelter employee outside of SF/ACC. I was a GADAB volunteer, coming in for my shift. She was so tiny, her legs looked the size of my finger. Her eyes were blue and she was blinking in the bright sunlight. I was told her name was Posey. I thought she was cute, but went on my way. I had no idea she would become a huge part of my life.
Posey: May I interject? I knew, I just knew that Lucy was the right person for me, I can’t say how I knew, I just did.
Reed: So you took the little American Pit Bull Terrier mix home, and then what? How did your life change?
Lucy: Well, she was so energetic, I suddenly had my hands full keeping her busy. I worked hard to housebreak her, and made sure she got lots of socializing with both people and dogs. Back in those days, we went to the dog park so she could run around, and to tennis courts to throw the ball for exercise. She needed to be taken out for running twice per day
Posey: Boy, did my life change. I was just a baby after all, and looking back to when I was just a puppy, from what I can remember, Lucy had a lot of patience with me – I didn’t know much of anything and I kind of got into everything, well, I tried, but most of the time Lucy let me know what was cool and what was totally uncool. I had to learn a lot. Lucy is a good teacher, and if I may say so, we do teach each other.
Lucy: That’s so key to a good relationship with your dog.
Reed: So you took Posey out twice daily and threw 100 balls for her in an enclosed unused tennis court? That’s amazing to me – she needed that much exercise. Can you comment on that?
Lucy: Posey really settled down after our exercises. I can’t emphasize enough how priceless exercise is. She needed to run her little tail off, pretty much before anything else we did, like manners training, so that’s what we did.
Posey: I plead the fifth.
Reed: So you moved due to work, and is that when you began agility with Posey? What brought you to agility?
Lucy: I actually started agility before I left San Francisco for Seattle. I thought that Posey was a smart dog, and deserved something more than just throwing a tennis ball around, so I started looking online. Agility seemed like the most fun thing to try. I found an agility school close to my home that had a great reputation so I sent them an email and enrolled in a beginner class. That’s how the addiction started.

so graceful

Posey: I loved going to agility class!! I knew when you brought out the treats and tug toy that’s where we were going!!
Reed: I understand that a lot of people like to do agility with their dogs because it’s fun, and then there’s a whole other realm of the agility world: competition agility. I know our readers would like to hear more on that. I hear the words “positive reinforcement” and “the human/animal bond”. Is competition agility a good fit with those two phrases?
Lucy: Absolutely! I think competition agility is a perfect fit! To me, having fun, bonding with your dog, and doing competition agility are all one in the same. I can’t imagine anything more fun to do with my dog! Agility is a timed sport, so both the dog and handler need to be fast, motivated, and enthusiastic. The way you get that is through positive reinforcement and making the obstacles highly rewarding for the dog. When you are able to give clear cues and the dog understands your body language, it strengthens the bond between the two of you. It’s the perfect match for us.
Posey: Totally. Agility is amazing. I love everything about it. My mom and I rock. We just love this.
Reed: Lucy, before I turned the mike on, you used a word with which I am not familiar: the “zoomies”. Can you tell us what that means, especially for you and Posey when you are trialing? Lucy: (laughs) Well, Posey sometimes runs like a crazy dog in circles, especially in cool weather. It’s one of those things, you can’t say what it is, but you know it when you see it. Some people say it’s stress relief, some people say it’s a training issue. I just think that Posey is an active, exuberant dog who enjoys life and sometimes needs to get her ya ya’s out. Before a trial in cool weather I need to run her around a little bit with things like long-distance stays/recalls so that she can focus.
Posey: I literally can’t help it. It feels like, oh, it feels like I’m flying, as if all the joys in the world were compressed into me, actually, and I just burst with the unparalleled energy of it all. It’s sheer ecstasy. Does that sort of explain it?
Reed: That’s quite a description, Posey, you said that very well. Very well indeed. Might I say that I myself would like to experience the “zoomies” sometime! Another question for you both: could you elaborate on the past six years, from starting out to where you are now?

posey relaxing with her ducky

Lucy: Well, we’ve been doing competitive agility for six years now, and I can’t imagine my dog-related life without it. We’ve progressed from ‘please pay attention to me’ into a great team that had the privilege of attending the 2010 AKC Invitational. I’ve learned how dogs respond to my body language and non-verbal communication, and that has strengthened the bond between me and my dogs.
Posey: I am the luckiest pit bull in the world. My mom and I are tight. I mean tight. Agility brought a renewed depth to our relationship and it keeps on giving. I LOVE agility, especially the tunnel. Going through the tunnel rocks big-time. Now the weave poles, not my strong suit, but Lucy and I are getting there – it is hard work, tons of practice time, but when you get to do the thing you love most in the world with the person you love most in the world, tell me what could be better than that.
Reed: Looks like we’re almost out of time here, but Lucy, I feel it’s important for our readers to know how deeply you feel about trialing a shelter dog, especially a pit bull. They get such bad press.

family: posey and hammer

Lucy: That’s very true. I feel that if you have a shelter pit, it’s so important to do positive public things with them to improve their image. Agility is physically demanding, and as Posey gets older I will look for other things to do with her so that her breed can be put in a positive light. I’ve started competitive obedience with Posey recently, and that will be our next adventure.
Posey: My mom is so proud of me. And she shows it too. Boy, does that make me feel mucho mucho bueno, I just can’t tell you. I can roll with the obedience, too, it’s a whole different challenge for us.
Reed: Anything you’d like to add, ladies?
Lucy: The most important thing to me is to enjoy your dog and have fun with what you do. If you do that, everything else will follow.
Posey: She nailed that one. I totally second that.
Reed: Ladies, I can’t thank you enough for giving me this time with both of you. Readers, I’ve learned a lot here with Lucy and Posey, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I have. Now, we have a special treat for you. A professional video of Posey and Lucy’s first run at the invitational. For you agility buffs, here’s Lucy’s explanation of why she chose this round (around a minute long):
“I like Round 1 the best, because it's standard and we ran clean. It shows all the obstacles, including teeter, tire, A-frame and dogwalk. Our other two Jumpers runs are clean, but just shows jumps and weaves.” http://www.youtube.com/agilepit#p/u/3/4-11vkmcsWQ
Notice the teamwork these two have and listen for Lucy’s praise to Posey at the end of the run. It’s beautiful.
Lucy: Thank you, Reed.
Posey: Woof!
Reed S. Anact on special assignment

Princess Pepper T. Lincecum

2011-01-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

She's 11 years old and looks it. Greying muzzle, warty, lumpy, wonky hips, but one doesn’t really see all that. One sees that happy tail, that beautiful face reaching up for touch, and the carefree body wiggle when she spots pretty much anyone.

She wasn’t that open when she came to live at my house. It’s been a new and wondrous adventure for all of us; myself, my two little guys - Munchie and Mutley, also from Give a Dog a Bone - and her especially. After having led an unbelievably barren life for most of her 11 years, moving into a home with furniture, music, television, other people, doggie beds and water bowls everywhere, and in particular, enough food, she’s well on her way to being a regular dog. All new to her.

She eats regularly, something else new, and when she first began to recognize doggie meal preparation indicators, my heart stung at the sight of her drool on the floor. She was so very anxious. After around three months, she still gets a bit worried around meal time, but her progression from high level anxiety to almost mere nervousness is so gratifying.

She rearranges the dog beds frequently, and curls up in the smallest of beds. She hops in pleasure and heads for the front door when she spies her leash in my hand. She is able to settle now, unlike when she first moved in, unable to relax.
She loves riding in the car. She loves going on walks. Her favorite place to go turned out to be Bernal Hill, as soon as she discovered the joy of trolling for gophers. If staring into holes on the hill for long periods of time was an Olympic event, the Princess would win the gold medal hands down.

She’s slowed down some, my theory being that she finally feels safe, and I think that if she spoke English, she would now be able to define the word “home”. She IS safe, she is cherished, the boys are comfortable around her, and she with them. I do not allow her to make mistakes with them. We have had, of course, some “faux paws”, not at all unexpected, but our learning curve continually steadies.

When we go upstairs at night, she hums softly as I kneel and tuck her into her bed, covers up to her neck. Bedtime rituals have developed. Pepper sleeps on two soft beds, with a lovely heavy quilt covering her.

I feel almost compelled to photograph her. I have to document that she has a life, that she is a good weight now. Not just for me, but for her shelter family, who have greatly loved and cared for her. Each of us remembers being stricken by our first sight of her, every rib visible, her bony skull, her graying muzzle. We’re well aware that Pepper’s life, her life now, is to be recognized and cheered. I don’t need to say why that is so. Soon she’ll just be a regular dog. I can’t think of anything better.

For more on Pepper and from whence she hailed:

read incorrigible animal lover Eileen Mitchell's column in the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgif=/c/a/2010/12/29/DDAV1GUCSQ.DTL

"Give a Dog a Bone cares for animals in custody"

(Please note Pepper’s unique necklace.
     It’s made of 2010 World Series tix.
        The Princess is a diehard SF Giants fan.
            She looooves Orange Fridays in particular)
- AND - from the January 2011 issue of the Bay Woof:
http://baywoof.com/1101.HappyTails.shtml.
    (scroll down Happy Tails for Princess Pepper T. Lincecum )

ONE VOLUNTEER AT GADAB

2010-12-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

PARTNERS IN TIME, a column published every so often by DogTails columnist Reed S. Anact

(Column XVIX, all rights reserved, comments welcome)

Once again, from behind the green door, this reporter shares the story of a real life hero.

Time to welcome to this column the incomparable Christine and her beloved Sormei. Confirmed vegans, they envision a world in which we all "act as a guardian towards our kindred beings".

Christine is an Usui Reiki Master and an avid animal rights advocate on many fronts, from local city government to national and international issues. Her focus on energetic healing of emotional and physical traumas may not be visible to all, but the dogs have a special hurrah for her. One has to listen carefully to discern the different quality of this unique salute. Christine has a new website featuring her reiki practice and also her reiki products, found at http://www.sassymonkeyreiki.com/, a real plus for GADAB canine residents.

Christine also enjoys helping out dogs in foster with Grateful Dogs Rescue. She takes them on outings, socializing them to the real world, giving each dog time alone with her. Most of these 4 legged buddies hail from GADAB.

Christine, an avid animal advocate in every sense of the word, talks the talk, walks the walk, and every Sunday can be found in the shelter park with our dogs, or making up a fabulous Kong for one of our buddies, communicating with them in her unique manner, while Sormei awaits her eagerly at home after preparing one of Christine's favorite vegan drinks with her top secret ingredients.

Premier mixologists world-wide have attempted to duplicate Sormei's recipe without success, but this drink belongs to Christine alone, reports Sormei. Sormei is the perfect listener, curling up in her Special Somebody's lap while Christine narrates her day and sips on Sormei's tasty treat. They both treasure this special time together.

Reed S. Anact, on special assignment

join us, support us, we'll be "sittin' on the docks of the bay . ."

2010-11-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

Four Paws Up !!!
for Bella the Boxer's
'Secrets of a Working Dog

What: Book launch seminar for Secrets of a Working Dog:
Unleash Your Potential and Achieve Success by Bella the Boxer, with Ellen and Patrick Galvin

i'll be there in spirit!

and Fundraiser for Give a Dog a Bone
Bella, Ellen and Patrick are generously donating 50% from books sales
this evening to Give a Dog a Bone
Where: Club Room, OCSC SAILING, One Spinnaker Way, Berkeley, CA 94710
Date: Monday, November 22, 2010 - coming right up!
Time: 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM (snacks and networking) and 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM (program)
Program Details:
. . . . connect with your "inner dog" The friendship between humans and dogs goes back thousands of years. In this fun and insightful evening, we’ll discuss how dogs are much more than great companions. They can teach you how to work smarter and be happier using techniques that come naturally to them. Presenters Ellen Galvin and Patrick Galvin live and work with Bella the Boxer, America’s self-proclaimed smartest work dog. They are also the co-authors with Bella of the recently-released book Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Achieve Success. Specifically, Ellen and Patrick will lead a conversation about how dogs can help you:

· Make happiness happen
· Keep your eyes on the ball
· Shake off setbacks and pursue your dreams
· Show meaningful appreciation
· Incorporate play into your daily life

Oh, and also. . .

Meet Bella the Boxer who comes to the San Francisco Bay Area about once a year. When she’s not begging for snacks, Bella will be selling “pawtographed” copies of her book for $19.95.

About the Presenters:

Bella the Boxer is the director of goodwill (D.O.G.) at Galvin Communications, a word of mouth marketing firm in Portland, Oregon that has handled PR for OCSC Sailing for the past five years. Ellen Galvin is the company’s chief wordsmith. Patrick Galvin is a professional speaker who galvanizes audiences to achieve greater levels of success in work and life.

OPPOSABLE THUMBS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

2010-10-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Why, yes, I have gained a few lbs.
Thank you for asking.

Skinny, skinny, skinny. Oh, skinny. That would be the first thing one noticed. The second would be her way of greeting pretty much anyone. An over-the-top, where’s-your-face-you-need-a kiss black whirl of a dog. What’s a collar? What’s a leash? WHERE’s the food?
And how do I get the food? That pretty much summed up Spirit’s primary interest, as any dog who’s been starved will tell you. Around a year old, she was the epitome of unchanneled energy with the attention span of a gnat. Was there really going to be a person who wanted to take all that on? Challenging, grabby, exasperating at times, the meaning of focus completely eluded her, and there was never a doubt in her mind that any possibility existed of her not getting whatever she wanted. There was something though, none of us can define it, but all of us can see it. Spirit had it.
And the right person saw it.Then he did everything in the right order. James visited Spirit over and over again, he made sure that his life partner was on board with getting another dog, consulted with his male dog’s trainer, Kelley Filson of DogEvolve, who then choreographed a meet and greet between Spirit and Bruno. Does everything have to run smoothly from the get-go, or can dog/dog relationships evolve, given time and care, lots of monitoring by their guardians, and a fabulous trainer? Who’s to say?

BFF 4ever

Ultimately, Bruno and Spirit. But not alone. Two very different dogs, with two loving guardians, who patiently and firmly, led both dogs into a relationship that worked for both of them. Every day, there was a good long training walk with Alice of Go Ask Alice Dog Training, and under Kelley’s innovative guidance, Spirit gradually learned Rules To Live By. She learned how to play with other dogs. And she learned some pretty cool tricks as well. Spirit can jump rope with the best of them. She may always be a scavenger, but I theorize that, biologically, her brain failed to learn how to properly communicate with her stomach in those early days of never having enough to eat, and having experienced enough starving dogs who come into the shelter, it seems to hold true. No science involved here, just observations.

About those opposable thumbs? Well, I was Spirit’s designated dog sitter, and was warned by one of her guardians about her sleeping habits. Seemed that Spirit had picked one side of the bed to be her own, and once she settled in, she planted herself as if she had roots growing through the bed. No grouchiness, not touchy or bratty, she just simply morphed into a rock with roots. So I needed a plan, since Spirit’s side of the bed was the one with the bed lamp, and I like to read in bed. Here’s what I did, every time I dog-sat her. With my OT’s, I turned the doorknob to shut Spirit out of the bedroom, and got ready for bed, covers turned down, everything I needed in place, and then, again with my OT’s, I opened the door. Spirit, of course, was just on the other side of the door, ready. I raced her to the bed, leapt in just ahead of her, pulled the covers up over both of us, and she, forever the loser in this particular situation, settled for snuggling as close to me as she could get. Not a bad deal for many of us – pittie snuggles are as good as it gets.

Wait, I'm getted adopted???

End of story? Not quite. Everybody moved to New York. But the family was not yet complete. When James and Rob were shown a photo of a young dog by a friend whose daughter was fostering the little guy from Oakland Animal Services, and were told his story, they knew immediately where his forever home would be, as they had been discussing adopting another pit bull. They learned that about five months prior, “firefighters responding to a call of “shots fired” arrived on the scene fully expecting to find a human in need . . . "but were hard-pressed to find any victim at all. That is, until a careful search of the Oakland address led firefighter Ryan Minnagen to a black-and-white pit bull puppy suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.” Little Remy had been shot five times, in his front leg, pelvis and back.

After meeting Remy for the first time, Rob recognized another match. And after Remy’s surgeries, convalescence, and another plane flight by Rob, this time with Remy, for the first time, the dogs in the household outnumbered the humans.

Sweet dreams, babies.

All happy, all healthy. Once more, it’s about the love, baby, but don’t forget about the how, the time, and the R+ training. Whether you get a trainer or go to classes with your new dog, you're off to a good start.
Take a look at these two. Life’s good, right?

N0T QUITE THE USUAL PUZZLE

2010-05-07T05:20:00.000-07:00

In my last life, I created crossword puzzles. I was famous. So famous that I had to retreat to northern Nova Scotia to escape the endless hordes of enthusiasts who pursued me relentlessly. “How, how, how, did you create this?”, they would ask me breathlessly while they jabbed repeatedly at a particularly clever and complicated witticism, stabbing their paper so hard with their precious pen that one could no longer decipher the place at which they were poking. Paper, after all, is not meant for jabbing.

After I found my retreat, I was alone at last. I could not create fast enough, since those who had hounded me relentlessly could no longer find me. I had found the solitude that I craved, and my mind exploded with crossword puzzles that made their way to my public so circuitously that my whereabouts remained a puzzle in itself.

Now, I find myself in a different body, and I am no longer the creator, but rather, the one who deciphers different puzzles with which I am presented. I am utterly fascinated by this, and I find myself understanding those who pursued me in my former life. I love figuring out puzzles! How ironic that I now find myself at the opposite end of the spectrum – from the creator to the aficionado.

This particular puzzle is a milk crate,

but I have been successful with plain
cardboard boxes of all sizes, I have found treasures in traffic cones, and pawed through small piles of rocks to get to my reward.

My nose is incredible, a gift, I might say,
that leads and stimulates me to figure out just how to get my reward. When I figure out how to get to my treasure (S!), I get praised profusely, and I get to eat my reward, or play with it. Under my puzzles are what my puzzle makers call my “motivators” – that is, what motivates me to try to get what is underneath that puzzle. For me, its’ treats, but I also LOVE squeaky balls, and stuffed toys rank right up there in my top five as well.

Here’s my friend
Pokey
walking
through
a box
puzzle.
He looks like he's
walking
on water,
doesn't he? He's a happy feller.

So, if I may present some advice to all of you shelter volunteers, please see for yourself how our brains work. Do we get to our treasures with our paws, or do we use our mouths, or do we push the puzzles around with our noses until the box upends itself? You see, we are still learning how things work and anything that stimulates our mind, well, it might be as exhausting for us as calculus might be for you. Challenge our brains!

Our puzzle makers make sure we’ve got the zoomies out of us, that we’ve done our business, and we’ve checked all the doggie mail. Then out comes the box, and we watch carefully to see what is going under it. Oh, yeah. Then the puzzle makers clap and say, “Get It!” and we hop to it. Well, some if us; not all of us enjoy it, but plenty do!

woo-hoo! You puzzle makers rock! And the affection you give us – oh, mama . . . .

BELOVED

2010-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved,
to feel myself
beloved on this earth.

- Raymond Carver, “Late Fragment”

Why does this quote strike me as apropos for
Give a Dog a Bone?

Perhaps it has to do with the love that we receive from our dogs. I am beloved by my dogs. I feel so beloved. What we have together has nothing to do with pulling them from the shelter and bringing them into my, now our, home.

People we meet ask sometimes if they are rescues; clearly they are not identifiable as a particular breed, but the word “rescue” brings with it a connotation that implies that I rescued them. More accurately, I feel, is that we found each other. The odds were pretty good since I used to spend most of my time in a shelter.

They are both formerly GADAB dogs. And perhaps why this quote resonated so strongly with me is that the dogs with whom we work are beloved as well. Do dogs know that they are supposed to feel beloved?

They are.

As are we.

Oh, Errant Blogger

2010-04-07T01:08:00.000-07:00

My goodness, not the same spending most of my days at the shelter. The tears still come, especially when I think of Pepper, and days go by as I wonder who is taking out whom to the shelter park. The pictures of the kennels and the runs are in my head, not all the time, mind you, but I don’t even know the dogs who occupy those kennels. I’m not in the thick of things. But yes, I truly need this away time. Those pesky tears just out themselves without warning.

I know that they are being well cared for. The volunteers, bless them one and all, keep in touch and send photos, and our GADAB shelter ops director, bless her, keeps things running as smoothly as possible. I miss my co-workers, I miss a lot. The little joys. The big joys. The camaraderie. I miss talking and laughing and commiserating with those who understand how life in a shelter is. No one else knows the bittersweet of the day-to-day complexities, and it’s not just taking out dogs, or spending time with those who can never leave their cage, or filling kongs.

It’s endlessly looking for kongs to fill, or the sudden need for a clean blanket so the puppies won’t step in their own poop, the rush to prepare a kennel for an incoming dog, up and down the concrete stairs countless times a day to get something special that you just thought of that would be perfect for a sweet old dog, or to find a sheet to cover one-half of the front of a kennel so a fearful dog can have some visual protection from any passer-by.

What is it? Why do we do it? Where does the compassion come from? Some say that compassion comes from our own hurt. Part of that is true for many of us, and having found a way to address that which cannot be expressed, except in this particular way, in this particular place, is what it is.

So vital that we find joy in what we do. And we do. Plenty of sorrow and anger, no doubt about that, but to keep sight of any light at the end of the tunnel is a must. To think that there will be more resources, there will be more volunteers, there will be more kongs, and more people to stuff them might sound a bit bright and cheery and unrealistic, but if you don’t put it out there, then what? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Ideas for enrichment, simple things, no-brainers - keep on coming, but how to implement them? Keep your eyes on those prizes. We are. Sustainability and strategic planning have become part of my vocabulary. We’ve got some good people, but it’s gonna take some time.

We will have the time that we need to care for the endless animals coming into the shelter. We will encounter many loving animal guardians, and moving along towards an end goal, there will be education. It’s only education that will stop the cycle. And you. You and I know that it comes down to all of us.

None of this will be a dream if you practice compassion. Times are tough for all, and this is not a plea, but an optimistic wake-up call. We still need your help. Give a little, or if you have a lot, give more. For those of you who already wear that hat, hats off to all of you.

the longest memory

2010-02-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

i reach my hand
gently and slowly towards you

and even after five lovely years together,

at times i still see an almost imperceptible head flinch
as you shrink ever so slightly away from my hand.

I imagine once again what your first year of life was like.

MANNERS ???? . . . . puh-leese

2010-01-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

So what to do, for example, with that intact 9 month old who has zero impulse control, has no idea how to harness his energy, which is off the charts, and whom adopters pass by time and time again? We all know that the guy has lots to offer, but even volunteer dog walkers take a strengthening breath as they approach his kennel to get him out.

Bottom line is that manners, an essential component of environmental enrichment, impacts adoptability. And how many adopters can then go home with their new dog, and proudly say, “we got him from the shelter, and look what he can do!” Or doesn’t do, such as jumping up on everyone that he comes across. Better adoptions, more adoptions, less returns, good pr.

So you’re walking down the run, headed towards Sparkplug’s kennel, and he is barking and leaping about excitedly. You have your equipment with you, a fitted collar, a fitted front clip harness, and your leash. You stop in front of Sparkplug’s kennel, equipment organized in your hand, and wait for that millisecond when he settles. When he does, move your hand quickly towards the lock on the kennel. The millisecond is over as soon as he sees your hand move. You stop. Wait for another millisecond. Repeat, repeat, repeat. You both have the same end goal, you’re both totally focused on each other, but since he’s never been taught any impulse control, it’s going to take some time for him to learn the criteria that you have set for each dog to leave their kennel and get out.

Basically what we require for dogs to leave their kennels is to settle. That means that the dog waits for you to enter his kennel, put on his equipment, and waits for you to leave the kennel first. The likelihood of the process being picture perfect is highly unlikely! We don’t ask him to sit, or to be perfectly motionless, he can lick you in anticipation, he can wiggle some, but there’s no jumping up, no bouncing around the kennel, no shoving past you to get through the door, no frantic barking. Not acceptable behavior, but that is precisely what you’re working on. Your job is to have the equipment ready to put on, using a soothing/low cheerful voice to help settle Sparkplug, and treats aren’t a bad deal either, if you need them. If you sense that Sparkplug is approaching threshold, you have the option to stop and/or leave his kennel until he settles himself. Give him a couple/few moments, then try again. He will learn what behaviors will get him out of his kennel, although learning them all at one time would be like winning the lottery. (You should always have your body next to the door of the kennel; the dog should never be blocking your exit from the kennel.) Sparkplug will get it, maybe in small increments, for which he should be praised softly, but he will get it, and his reward is leaving the kennel. Each dog is different, and after learning the basics, you will able to adapt your methods to each individual as you better learn to read your dogs’ body language.

OK, you’re both out and you’ve shortened the leash so you have more control over him -- success! Now, as you walk down the run, your body is by the wall, not by the other kennels as you leave the run. Why? If anyone is planning a fence fight as you leave with Sparkplug, your body is not in the line of action if Sparkplug reacts to another dog’s arousal.

Our terminal goal is to get to our shelter park. We’ve gotten over the first hurdle, now we have a couple more impulse control exercises as we manouver our way there. We require a wait at each threshold prior to the dog getting through the door. We also go first. This does not stem from any misplaced sense of “dominance theory”; it has to do with safety. We want to know what or who is on the other side of the door before we let Sparkplug through. And the other factor involved in Sparkplug getting through that door is a nice settle – no jumping, no pawing, doesn’t have to sit, just has to show a modicum of impulse control.

I’ve found that asking for a “watch” is quite effective for that settle and quite often, the dog offers a sit along with the watch.

They also do get better at waiting. Consistency is key – if you break and let Sparkplug through without maintaining your criteria, well, the next few times will be much more challenging for you. Dogs do, after all, teach us patience.

And then, of course, pulling. The front clip harness helps a lot, but what we’d really like is for Sparkplug to LEARN not to pull. There are many methods for teaching dogs to walk on a loose leash. Again, it’s up to you and what works best for the dog. Red light, green light is one way, with verbal cues to help your dog along. And he’s so eager, and you want him to get there to have some fun, and you have a gazillion more dogs to get out, but in the long run, all of these impulse control exercises are going to benefit every dog that you ever work with.

And with any luck, you’ll be the one who does the introduction to potential adopters or rescue organizations, and you can show them how you’ve worked with Sparkplug, as well as facilitate transferring his manners-in-progress to the people who are going to love him as much as you do.

Take a minute to help us out.

2009-12-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

donations matter . . .

paypal has a pretty good job with our dogs(you can just click on the paypal banner on the home page of our website, and the dogs do take checks as well.

send directly to to their current (not by choice) abode, Give a Dog a Bone, 1200 15th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

cheers, woofs, wags, and deck those halls, eh? And drive safely, for the love of Mike.

VOTE EARLY!!!

2009-12-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

ok, this is dorky and self-serving,
but I did it anyway.

Chase Community Giving is donating $5,000,000 to charities around the USA through Facebook.

Chase is donating $5 million to charities in your community, and your votes help decide where it goes.

Facebook users are voting for the recipients! And it's easy to do . . . .

Log in to Facebook and do a search for my name (Corinne Dowling), you will see a Chase icon on my wall, click on that to go to their link, and vote for us and any other 501(c)3) that you would like to support.

Muttville. Grateful Dogs Rescue. Wonder Dog Rescue. Gimme Shelter. Toni's Kitty Rescue. Home at Last. While I'm not sure that they are all on Facebook, when you go to the Chase icon, it is easy to search your charities of choice.

And - check out my notes and photos with captions on Facebook.

Non-Profits on Facebook

Be sure to cast your vote for your favorite non-profit in the Chase Community Giving: You decide What Matters campaign.

Cheers, woofs, and wags especially from the you-know-whos.

CIAO, BELLISSIMA

2009-11-15T15:23:00.001-08:00

I woke up this morning thinking about one of our dogs. She had two stays with us, the last one lasting for seven months.

She was something else. A huge dog, nothing small about her at all. Intimidating. For weeks, she roared her displeasure every time one of us even opened the door to her run and walked past her kennel. When she stood, as she did every time during those weeks, she almost reached the top of the front fencing with her paws. She growled, she bared teeth, she lunged at us, and if one can take that as intent, well, our girl had already proven that she was serious. She was impounded on a bite complaint, and subsequent investigation showed that there had been more than one.

She wasn't born that way, she was clearly damaged goods, and as with pretty much all dog aggression that we encounter (if not all), as she began to let us in, the threat displays dwindled, and the fear that all of that had masked appeared in heartbreaking ways. We learned some of her triggers, but never all of them, and her unpredictability ensured that there would always be a safety barrier between her and us. We never touched her. I don't know how long it would have taken her to be comfortable with touch.

But we did get through to her. Greeting her cheerfully by name as we opened the door to her run to let her know who was coming was a good start towards forming our relationship with her. We would pass by at an easy pace, not looking at her, with gentling, quiet words, as we rounded her kennel. I had sheeted one end of her kennel for calming and although she dashed over to the other side as we passed, she became more curious about us. We were not invading her world, not being intrusive, not asking her to stop protecting herself.

We began taking a little longer on our pass-bys, tossing goodies on the floor, always stooping to do so, so she never saw a raised hand. We gradually stopped for longer and then even longer periods of time, meaning minutes. She determined how long it was safe for her to be with us - we always left as she began to show signs of reaching threshold, so she had some control over her environment. Her threat displays diminished over time, and got to the point where if we could see one coming on, we could just say in a normal voice, "oh, knock it off, silly", and we could almost hear her saying to herself, "oh, right, what am I thinking, no need for this", and she would stop.

Food helped a lot. On impound, all of her ribs were showing, and although she was very picky about what she ate, we discovered a high quality nutricious kibble that she loved, and she was fed frequently by each of us. There were rules of course - since our lassie showed food possession, we had to be careful how we fed her, and she learned to sit or down a distance away from the food bowl while we slid it into the bowl hole. And, yes, she filled out nicely.

She learned boundaries, something I don't think she'd ever had before. That made her comfortable, gave structure to her life. She also learned how to play - such a young dog not to know how to play, and how it made us laugh to watch her playfulness emerge. Not much, and not for long, it made her nervous initially, but as her confidence grew, she was able to play with us for longer times. She also learned to relax. One of the most beautiful memories that I have of her is the vision of her laying calmly on her bed, just looking at me, soft as could be.

She loved kongs, she loved music - a friend of GADAB had gifted us with a CD/radio and we played music for her all day - classical mostly, but she really enjoyed a wacky Norwegian CD that one of our volunteers had brought in. She also loved being sung to, and, this was amazing, some nights when I stayed late, I'd sit in front of her kennel and sing to her, songs that I love and can remember the words to, and here's what she would do. She would sit and look at me, then lay down, then put her head on her forepaw, and then, I would hear her snoring. Oh, baby mama.

I danced for her too and she play-bowed back at me and bounced around awkwardly in response. She learned to give paw from one of our volunteers and learned how to stand up on her hind legs on cue.

All of us loved her; many short or long visits from whoever was there filled her days. We made sure that she had the biggest quilts that we could find.

You'd think she was the only dog that we had, but not so. It's been crazy busy this year with all the dogs for whom we've cared, so, so many, and how do you pick one victim to whom you want to give every star in the sky? I can't say. Any one of us could write volumes about our buddies, and the time we spend with them, but tell me, where would that time come from?

How does her story end? No judgements from any of us on that; it's her life that counted.

Truly, the memories will always be an honored part of each of us, the happy more than the sad for me. I cried bitter tears when I learned that she was dead. I was almost inconsolable that I was not able to be with her during her final moments. There was nothing more I could for her. Nothing. I am left, however, with wonderful mental images that put a smile on my face when they come to mind. Thanks, baby.

Buona notte, Bellissima.

FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

2009-11-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

anticipation.

joy.

tummy rubs.
Not too long ago, I was contacted by Elizabeth Brock, of Zootoo PetNews, which is a national online site devoted to the animal world in which we are fortunate enough to reside.

http://zootoo.nypost.com/petnews/alonedetaineddogsfeelwomanslov-1413

This was a different kind of interview, done entirely by email, which gave me the opportunity to really reflect upon her questions, some of which I either hadn't thought about in a long time or hadn't thought about at all. I found myself in a place that I can't quite explain - jumbled feelings and memories that I had to sort out, as well as many clear, concise pictures of the past few years that came to mind, bringing up issues that appear over and over again. I really had to think about how to convey my world in a way that readers could feel the truth.

Truth.

"For me, dogs have always been a measure of our humanity, not only in how we regard and treat them, but perhaps, even more important, in how they help us to regard and treat our fellow humans. The miracle of dogs for me - and Orson was the living embodiment of this - is the way they brought me back to people. . . . Through him, I came to see that the work of dogs is not to lead us away from humanity but towards it." A Good Dog Jon Katz (http://www.bedlamfarm.com/)

People and dogs. Quality of life. Compassion. Humanity. Shelter dogs. Volunteers.

Our babies thrive on affection. Quiet time. Down time.

Shelter dogs, not surprisingly,
lose the ability to relax
in such a species
inappropriate
environment.

Just sitting with them is such a gift.

One stick, two road cones, and a young dog braves the leap, enticed by a treat in a volunteer's hand that holds good things. Learning that hands are good is huge for a lot of our dogs.

One of our buddies follows the treat hand as the other hand controls how slowly this homemade see-saw lowers. Our hesitant buddy learns confidence as the volunteer handler responds only to the dog's movements. And then we throw a party as our pal makes it on through to the other side. No hurry, pal, we're on your time.
One case of neglected demodex. This little guy was bald on intake, and in this photo is in the midst of traditional (our shelter vet) and alternative (GADAB) treatments, and now enjoys a good life with a full, healthy coat in a good home.

Real life "weave" objects and an enthusiastic volunteer handler allow our four-legged friends to become comfortable with everyday objects, some of them upside down, some with treats on them, and a big jackpot at the end with a sit. A hose? That's what I'm talkin' about!

This little fellow, a victim of sickening abuse, perches himself on a homemade tunnel that he has learned to jauntily run through with the encouragement of this volunteer, and next (not seen), he will balance himself, hind legs on the tunnel and forelegs on the fire hydrant, for a jackpot. Hey, what else can we do with this tunnel and this fire hydrant? Rehomed happily.

Dog with people. Quality of life for all of us. Make it so for all species.

SOMETIMES TREATS JUST AREN'T ENOUGH

2009-10-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that a dog would notice the small opening between the floor and the elevator? Most of our dogs have never given a thought to that opening but to this dog, not only did he notice the opening, he had severe misgivings about crossing over it. Just look at what his body language is telling us.

He considered the treat lures that were offered, but to him, the value of those treats (which he had thoroughly enjoyed just moments ago out in our shelter park) were not enough to overcome his fear of making it over that threshold safely.

So we covered the threat, a very simple solution to a very real problem for our buddy, and it worked for him. His body language in the second photo is telling us that it's not a done deal for him, but he succeeded. Bigtime. That's what this scenario was about - giving the dog control over his environment and giving him an opportunity for success. Kudoes to our brave buddy.

No pushing the dog , no dragging the dog with the leash, no carrying the dog, no loud voice telling him it's ok when he knows perfectly well that it's not, all of which would have exacerbated his fear and done nothing to change it. We created the beginning of a positive emotional response to this particular fear. Each small success leads to a more confident dog. Not to mention the trust factor that we're establishing

So, thanks, honeybunch, for giving us yet another tool to work with youse guys. (No, I'm not from the Bronx.)

BANJO DECIDES TO JOIN THE WORLD

2009-09-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Meet Banjo. We believe that he hails from the ancient Isles of Rivatelah, the second dog from there whom we have been fortunate enough to have encountered here at GADAB. Although the people of Rivatelah are long gone, the breed has always been admired for their prowess in the art of lap snuggling and their outstanding ability to capture hearts.

Unlike The Captain, our first Rivatelahan, it took Banjo some time to get used to us. We used the tried and true techniques that we use with all our, "I don't really want to bite you, so please stay away from me" signals that we get from our fearful buddies. But once he decided to come around, he exhibited traits that Rivatelahan Snuggle Terriers were known for, although he is clearly a mix. What really got to us was his outstanding underbite. If you are a sucker for a good underbite, like I am, this guy could win prizes all over the world just for that. He shines as well in many other important ways, perhaps the most delightful being his cheerful demeanor. He loves playing outdoors with us, truly a people loving dog.

As we noted before with The Captain, not much is known today about the Isles of Rivatelah. They were thought to have been in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England. The scant artifacts that the Rivatelahans have left include many images and partial sculptures of dogs resembling the Snuggle Terrier in loving positions with human companions, indicating a profound intimacy between the two species.

Banjo lives now in a foster home with Grateful Dogs Rescue. His background and the wonderful times we had with him lead us to believe that his forever home isn't too far off in the future.

SEEN ANY FLYING PIT BULL TERRIERS LATELY??

2009-09-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Meet our newest volunteer, Jonathan, along with a couple of his dogs. He's now teaching our dogs, mostly pitties, the joys of frisbee.

The dogs come back in from a frisbee outing, panting happily, tails wagging, and exhibiting the famous pit bull grin. They've learned impulse control, gotten unbelievable exercise, and once back in their kennels, take a well-deserved looooong nap.

Nothing like seeing a stretched out shelter dog snoring away in his bed, completely oblivious to his or her surroundings. Wonder what they are dreaming of? Since dogs live in the moment, what more can we ask for than a happy, well-exercised dog who is relaxed enough to conk out completely in a shelter environment?
One of these days, we'll be publishing a new super-star from GADAB because Jonathan will be looking for a foster from us.

Right now, it's Aztec and Ruby who compete with Jonathan and give demos to delighted and astounded folks in the Bay Area.

Sadie is retired after an illustrious career.

UPDATE ALERT!!!

Jonathan, Aztec, and Ruby will be showing their stuff just behind the Give a Dog a Bone booth at Pet Pride Day on Sunday, October 25. Pet Pride Day is the annual San Francisco Care & Control outdoor super event. For more info, go to http://www.petprideday.com/

Pippin, World Class Dock Diver

2009-09-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

None of you could have forgotten our Christmas story this past year . . . posted on our blog December 22, 2008, entitled "Our Christmas Story" . . . starring Pippin and a young man whom we will always salute as a hero.

AND HERE SHE IS, THE FEARLESS ADVENTURE LOVER, PIP-PIP !!!!! And MaxineeBean shakes her head indulgently at the antics of her young roommate as she heads back to the tent where multiple doggie comforts await. Angela puts her babies first, as do we all, don't we now?

We will forever be grateful to the young man who rescued Pippin, and to Angela, a truly fabulous mom.

Truly an ending we never could have foreseen. It's still all about the love, baby.

SHADOW DOZES OFF

2009-08-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sweet dreams, darlin', darlin'.

"Lay your head

Upon my pillow.

Hold your warm and tender body

Close to mine . . . "

For the Good Times

by Kris Kristofferson

FROM SNAP TO SUGAR SNAP

2009-08-22T16:24:00.001-07:00

Someone had named her "Snap".

And snap she did, as close to the rear corner of her kennel as she could possibly be, from anyone who approached her in any way, lunging, baring teeth, growling. So utterly fearful of absolutely everyone - had her former people named her Snap because they thought it was funny to see such a tiny little dog acting so ferociously? Someone clearly had made this little girl act incredibly aggressively towards people - for one of those insane reasons we don't even want to guess at.

But we had something different in mind for her. And lots of experience with good instincts based on former successes. I waited her out. I would pass by her kennel and say hello to her without looking at her a few times a day. I would open her kennel door, and again, without looking at her, place some tasty morsels on the floor, close the door quietly and leave.

Then I spent short increments of time laying down as far away from her as I could be and ignored her. I did not lift my limbs, I moved very slowly, and not towards her. Using a lot of the calming techniques of Turid Rugas, such as keeping my body relaxed, soft yawning, quiet lip smacking, and never looking directly at her.

I upped the ante slowly, letting her feel safe enough to initiate an approach. At first, of course, there would be slight movements towards me with lots of darting retreats. Gradually, very gradually, her approaches became closer and she began eating treats in front of me, then from my hand. I still did not make eye contact with her, keeping my head lowered and facing away from her.

When I first touched her, I still did not face her directly, but let my hand drift towards her neck, speaking softly and cheerfully, saying her name a lot, and letting the tips of my fingers wiggle playfully just the tiniest bit. It worked. She was ready. My hand came towards her, always touching the blanket, and I never lifted it until I reached her neck and then I reached up to underneath her neck where she could see it. I stroked her gently and she stayed. Oh, baby.

That was the beginning of our love affair. It went slowly for a while and then she made the leap. Suddenly I was the apple of her eye, the person who made her twirl with happiness and jump for joy, who made her heart sing. She trusted someone. She found out about love. And how!!!

Then it was time for others to do the same thing. She needed to continue to grow and expand. She decided that was a good thing to do, although it took time with each new person, with each new place, and with each new dog whom she encountered. She met each challenge with suspicion and wariness and perhaps she always will.

Someone changed her name to Sugar Snap. Perfect. A little ( :-) ), or a lot (!), of each, our baby has finally made it out of the kennel where she began her transition into the dog she will become.

Sugar Snap is in a foster home with Grateful Dog Rescue and awaits her forever home.

FARAH aka LADYBUG - update!

2009-08-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Who could resist a face like this?

Well, it didn't take long for our little charmer to find a forever home, but it's turned out that there was a glitch in the works,as she reports from Lake Tahoe (where she spent the weekend with her foster family), "my new forever family has had a family emergency that is going to be a long term time commitment, so they had to put off getting a dog. Yup, me. Oh, dear, dear. So, I'm going to be with my lovely foster family until my new forever home finds me. My foster dad emailed this about me: I am housetrained, crate trained, I know sit, down, stay and come. We are working on loose-leash walking and I am improving on that quickly with his good leadership. I am (listen to this!!) incredibly good with adults and older children, and other dogs. I am active and affectionate and snuggly.

"I've been living on the streets of San Francisco (yes, I have heard of the tv show!) for most of my young life with different folks and I was never sure who my family was. How I landed in the isolation kennel at SF/ACC I'm not really sure, but there were some bald patches on my skin that made me itch like crazy, so I'm guessing that someone just dropped me off. One bath and a few Full Spa Treatments from the folks at GADAB changed that pretty quickly. Here's the kicker, though, I was adopted from ACC by Home at Last Rescue through the magnificent efforts of a particularly spectacular woman who is an ace at finding foster and forever homes. Her name is Joyce. Remember that, all you people who are looking to hire a most excellent foster coordinator. This is her true calling and we need to keep her in this field!!! By gosh and by golly!!!"

"Anyway, on one of the first days that Corinne had taken me out to the shelter park, she tossed a ball for me, and as I ran to catch it, I slipped onto my belly and then frog-legged to the ball. That cracked her up so much that she almost fell over too! Add that to my natural affection for people, that I play well with most dogs, and you can see why she called Joyce about me that same night.

"I am a lucky, lucky dog. J and C (as I call them) make a fabu team. Hey, guys and gals, I'm here to tell you - Dreams will come true."

10/06/09

And so it did. I have a nice size family: two (count 'em - 2!) dads, a doggie brother, and a kittie.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Joyce of Home at Last Rescue in Berkeley.

2009-07-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

ANIMAL TORTURERS

Make my blood boil. Horrified beyond belief. Afraid yet compelled to read one more paragraph. I’m sorry, I like happy endings as much as the next person, they very much make my day, but how do I ignore the rest? Soapbox time. Graphic too, I’m afraid, and very off topic from GADAB’s Mission Statement, but may I? For the squeamish, skip through to the last four paragraphs if you just need to know how you can make a difference.

The recent news stories, about the three state dog fighting ring, involving 30 men and 350 dogs, made news, I’m afraid, because of the sheer numbers involved. And that would just be the current number of dogs, not those maimed and killed over the years that these men were in business.

Men and women who fight animals are profiteers in other ways - arms smugglers, drug smugglers, gamblers – big money. It’s a huge business as well as a sick pleasure. You say it doesn’t happen in Canada because it’s illegal? Here’s a wake-up call – dog fighting is illegal in every state in the Union. Multitudes of animals are fought all over the world. Perhaps Michael Vick could offer some insight into the vast networks of global animal fighters.

Those of us who are familiar with dog fighting busts, canary fighting busts, cockfighting busts, also know about those animals who are bred to be tortured daily in testing laboratories all over the world. Include beagles as a breed especially victimized by animal laboratories, bunnies, monkeys and other primates bred as “test” animals by agencies that are both familiar and unfamiliar to you. The packaged meats that are displayed in your supermarket and butcher stores with nice fake grass sticking up between the different cuts – those farm animals live sickening, abysmal lives that the consumer does not see.

How about that new mascara being touted as “24 hour perfect long-lash” worn by the beautiful model smiling at you from the full page ad in a national magazine? That mascara was tested on many, many cute animals that you would snuggle in your arms as quickly as you could swoop them up, but she wouldn’t have any eyes, since the chemicals used to test that mascara have burned those little eyes crisply and effectively, without anesthesia. Anesthesia is too costly. But those companies don’t tell you that other, equally effective ways have been developed to test those live-saving drugs that are pushed as the reason for animal cruelty. Cosmetics are barely mentioned.

Those eggs that were $.79 a dozen last week at the supermarket chain people shop at were produced by chickens living in filthy cages so small that they could not move. They are filthy themselves, living in stacked cages, beaks removed so they cannot injure each other, living with dead chickens. Their life span, understandably and thankfully, is very short. Eggs come at a cost higher than $.79/dozen.

Puppy mills have been in the news lately. Good. Those darling little white and fluffies in the pet shops are damaged goods - both physically and behaviorally through no fault of their own. Breeders are to be looked at carefully; and just try to meet the dams and sires of those little ones. The lives of the dams especially would make you gag.

And Breed Specific Legislation? How safe does BSL make you feel? Wait til they target your favorite breed. Who will stand up for you?

What to do? Really, where to start? As always, with education. Then, in this economy, how do most of us afford to put our money where our mouth is?

As always, there is finding out who our legislators are and writing them, emailing them, calling them. There’s one-person boycotts, again contacting a corporation or company who practice animal cruelty and letting them know that your dollars are going to a socially conscious competitor. There’s going bigger - joining an organized group or donating a few or lots of your hard-earned dollars. In this networked world, it’s pretty effortless to do something easily and quickly.

Go to caringconsumer.com, do a search on Covance Research Products or Huntingdon Life Sciences. Your helping stop animal cruelty can just be a click away.

As for dog fighters, harder to find, harder to stop. But we can make our laws stronger, the penalties more severe, and teach our kids that morality applies to all species.

Speak up.

STOP THE MICHAEL VICKS OF THIS WORLD

2009-07-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

ENOUGH

For NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to even consider meeting with Michael Vick, who was recently released from federal custody for dog fighting, speaks volumes about the NFL.

As for Michael Vick, his efforts to resume his professional football career indicate that he has little understanding of how sickened we were, and are, by the "blood sport" which he practiced. And, how additionally sickening that he wants to return to his former "glory days". It's over, Michael Vick. There are no more glory days for you. We all know who you are.

If such a meeting does occur, from the statements given by the Commissioner's office, I hold little hope that it would be to discuss Michael Vick's more appropriate future, which would be to spend the rest of his life speaking publicly, openly, and apologetically about the harm he has inflicted on the most maligned and victimized dog breed in our world today, the American Pit Bull Terrier. Easy victims are brutalized by the most cowardly of people.

Courage, Michael Vick, means openly recognizing that you chose to victimize helpless living beings in unspeakably cruel ways. Courage means owning up the harm that you have done. Courage means saying no in the first place.

But it also means that you, along with your influential friends and acquaintances, have a unique opportunity to educate the public and to actively promote the positive character of American Pit Bull Terriers, and even further, to discuss animal cruelty in an open, humane forum that addresses the possibility that one day, our species will stop hurting other species. Activism works. I hope you can meet some of the dogs that you terrorized and tell them that you are truly sorry and I hope you have heart enough to mean it. I hope you cry until you have no more tears. It will do you good to cry.

And then I hope you put your money where it belongs - directly to the shelters all over this country who care for these animals. Do you have guts enough to volunteer in a shelter? You see, it's not the animals who judge you - it's us, we're the ones who will be looking at you and trying to understand and forgive while we mop up canine blood from the floor.

Don't even think about giving your money to big animal organizations - that's the easy way out, to write a big check. Do some homework. Opportunities exist for you to make some reparation.

Then you can look your kids in the eyes and tell them that their daddy finally learned how to do the right thing.

JOIN US THIS SATURDAY - JUNE 20 over at SF/SPCA

2009-06-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Rescue Recycle Renew Adoption Fair

Come look for our table

have a great time with all

of us! Cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, other small mammals . . .

and YOU!

San Francisco SPCA invites you

Rescue, Recycle, Renew

Free Adoption Fair

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

11:00 am - 3:00 pm

201 Alabama Street
(in the courtyard of The SF/SPCA’s Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center)

FREE parking available

♥ Variety of Rescue Groups (adoption fees apply for each group)
♥ “Second Chance Sale” of new or gently used pet toys, outfits, bric-a-brac, supplies & more
♥ Education on recycling: garbage vs. compost vs. recyclables
♥ Tours of the new SF/SPCA Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center
♥ Maddies Pet Adoption Center
♥ Foster Care Program with kittens, and Fospice (Foster/Hospice) animals

Participating Bay Area Groups:

California Chins
Copper's Dream Animal Rescue
The Dog Spot Rescue

Give A Dog A Bone

Golden State Greyhound Adoption
Grateful Dogs Rescue

Hopalong and Second Chance Animal Rescue
Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue
The Milo Foundation

Muttville
Rocket Dog
San Francisco Animal Care & Control

Save A Bunny
Toni's Kitty Rescue
Wonder Dog Rescue

Meet some really cool animals and bring your kids

- the next generation of adopters.

Adopt a homeless animal and save a life! Join The SF/SPCA and Bay Area rescue groups for a free Adoption Fair featuring cats and dogs of all ages, birds, bunnies, and other small mammals!
------------------------------------------
Participating Vendors ...

Dress My Pooch
Greenhome

-------------------------------------------
Sponsored by ... PetCo Foundation - thank you, PetCo!

SEE YOU ALL THERE !!!!

De-stressing your dog

2009-05-26T09:36:00.001-07:00

It is easy to forget that dogs, like people, need very similar things to thrive. Your dog follows your routine, your eating habits, exercise habits and more. It is time that we thought about our own routines, and how they can impact the life of our pet. Dogs don't just need "dog food" and a ball to chase: each dog has something special and unique about them that should be honored, and it is up to you-- the owner-- to find out what it is!

In order to live, humans need the basics: food, water, and shelter. In order to thrive, however, we need a stable home environment, whole and nourishing foods, regular exercise, touch, love, community, strategies for managing stress, and a positive outlook on life. It would seem, to me, that we can say the same things about our pets.

At Give A Dog A Bone, we may work on a tight budget, but Corinne and her volunteers try to tackle the physical, emotional, and mental health of the dogs. One thing in particular: STRESS is not just our enemy, but an enemy of our pets as well. Although in some cases, prescription medicine is a necessity, these days, it is fun to play around with some of the extremely effective holistic and all-natural stress-busting options. Corinne has come up with some all-natural remedies that are worth sharing for de-stressing the dogs at the shelter:

1. Lavender spray bottle: Lavender has been used for ages as an herb to combat depression, anxiety, insomnia and a variety of other conditions. It works by having a calming effect on the body and thereby reducing the body's stress response. At the shelter, Corinne has a spray bottle filled with filtered water and lavender essential oil. Sprayed in the air around the dogs, they are noticeably intrigued and calmed by the smell. It is worth trying at home if your dog is having a barking attack, or noticeably agitated.

2. Bach's Rescue Remedy: A long time holistic health staple, rescue remedy is a combination of flower essences developed by Edward Bach to be used in times of stress. Everyone from celebrities, to health professionals, or just your Average Joe can keep this in mind when stress arises. (Some EMT's even carry it around in their medical bag to use when patients are presenting with signs of shock!) The combination of flowers works synergistically to reduce stress, calm the mind, decrease anxiety, and even goes so far as to decrease panic symptoms.

3. Diet: Dogs and people are sensitive to food. We may not know it, after all of the processes and refinements have taken place, but food definitely effects how we behave. Refined white sugar, for instance, spikes the blood sugar, causes mood imbalances, cravings, anxiety, and weight gain. Instead, it has been found that complex carbohydrates: quinoa, brown rice, millet, and protein: fish (high in protein and omega-s), chicken, lean meats have a profoundly calming effect on the body and mind. If you are up for it, make your dog breakfast of salmon, quinoa, and steamed veggies with olive oil to see how they respond to an all-natural and nourishing meal!!!

The list can go on forever, and it is fun to play around with your own stress busting ideas: Meditation, Yoga, massage, long walks, doing something fun with someone you love, watching a movie. Whatever your tactic is for stress-relief, try to get your dog in on the action as well!

Wonderful wishes for a beautiful spring- the perfect time of year to enjoy a sunny patch of grass at the park with your furry friend.

Agility on a budget

2009-05-05T08:45:00.001-07:00

It is one of the many perks of non-profit work that when recessions hit, you normally have a pretty good idea already of ways to save money. In an effort to make sure you can still get the most joy out of your time with your dog, we can show you how to do agility on a shoe-string.

When looking for inexpensive thrills for your pet, look no further than some of the training equipment we use here at Give A Dog A Bone. Trust us, it doesn't take fancy toys, equipment, or high priced training sessions to make your pet happy (although I guess that never hurt, either). As any dog will tell you, they prefer your old shoes or stuffed animals to any of the other high priced toys you can find at the dog "boutiques".

And why not let the pictures speak for themselves? The first thing you think when you see these pictures is, "My Gosh! That is one happy puppy!" Again, big thanks to Sylvia Spiro (our wonderful volunteer photographer) for being able to capture a puppy smiling and exuding pure puppy joy. You know, what we see in the pictures is not a picture-perfect puppy on a picture-perfect agility course; but rather, a sweet little guy with a patch of demodex (treatable mange) and a beautiful spirit making his own real-life agility course. Using a chair, a cone, a frisbee, and a fire hydrant (although we are not expecting you to have well-placed fire hydrants in your back yard:)), this puppy is in heaven!!! Using household objects: a broom handle, plastic chair, step stool, frisbee, rope, and any safe combination you can think of, can prove to be just the agility course your dog needs. In fact, using objects like cones and plastic chairs (cheap thrills!) is a wonderful way of getting your puppy used to objects that may seem "scary" or "strange" to its young mind. If you are looking for fun ways to socialize your puppy and get them accustomed to the big world out there, an at-home agility course could be just the mental and physical exercise they need to grow into strong, confident dogs. So look around your house today, and get experimental with your pet's agility course, they will thank you for it!

Life Behind Bars

2009-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

It isn't always glamorous at the animal shelter, but there is some serious work that gets done while the animals are "behind bars". When animals are not being taken out for exercise and love, they spend the majority of their time inside of their kennel looking at life behind metal bars. Through no fault of their own, these dogs have ended up at Animal Care and Control, and it is through the effort of dedicated volunteers, like Corinne and her staff, that they end up with any human interaction at all.

But don't despair yet! Where others might see a dead-end, Corinne and her volunteers see another opportunity to enrich the lives of the dogs. They strive to give their dogs the emotional support and mental stimulation they need in order to keep sane, even with a metal fence between them. In fact, Corinne once told me that every single time she enters a run she tries to acknowledge each dog she passes by.

The photos above are taken by a wonderful volunteer, Sylvia, who uses her gift of photography to capture some of the wonderful day to day moments at Give A Dog A Bone. While in the cage, Corinne (seen above) is practicing "Ups" with one of her dogs. Treats abound in these training sessions, which Corinne stresses to me, keeps the dogs mentally stimulated and engaged, even when they can't be taken out. It seems that everything in life works from the inside out. Even when inside of their cages, Corinne and her volunteers begin putting behaviors on cue that will help groom these animals into well-behaved, loving dogs. Each time they pass by they have a kind word, a delicious treat, or squeaky toy to make each dog feel special.

At Give A Dog A Bone, no dog is too hopeless to be worked with or too sick to be loved. Every volunteer knows that each animal comes to the shelter with a unique set of circumstances and behaviors. Even dogs that are confined to their kennels because of aggression are not excluded from Corinne's remarkably positive training sessions. It may seem a small victory, but an animal deemed "vicious" or "aggressive" taking a treat from your hand, and doing "ups" for the volunteers, is just one of the many reasons that volunteering at Give A Dog A Bone is a worthwhile and enriching experience.

More broadly, can you imagine what that would do for the world, if instead of turning a blind eye to others who need our help, we took the time to acknowledge each individual's beautiful and unique existence? We may not always have the answer to a problem, but taking the time to acknowledge what is around us is one of the most thoughtful things we can do.

So this is a big Thank You to all of the volunteers at Give A Dog A Bone, and to San Francisco's Animal Care and Control who make it their passion to acknowledge every dog, and give love, toys, treats, and affection to the dogs "behind bars".

Do you have a type?

2009-03-27T12:33:00.001-07:00

You can like them lean and handsome, scruffy and wise, young and nubile, or edgy and dark. Dogs, like humans, come in all shapes and sizes. No doubt most of us love all dogs unconditionally, but is there one certain type that goes straight to the soft spot in your heart?

An obvious start would be the big dog vs small dog battle that seems to divide most of us, but there may be more to it than that. Do you like big fluffy dogs with brown hair? Or small dogs with spots and sassy attitudes? The list continues with young dogs, adolescent dogs, old dogs, parti-colors, brindles, wire-haired, short-haired, bossy, laid-back...oh my!

While shadowing Deb (one amazing lady and volunteer!) I got to take a peek at her daily interactions with the dogs, and in the process, discovered her type! While we were taking the dogs out for some exercise and love, there was one adolescent puppy in particular who had captured her heart. Hunter is a gorgeous black pit-bull puppy, heading into his adolescent phase, and with lots of love to spare. Watching them work together, I saw a lot of the depth of emotion that passes between each of these volunteers and their animals. Despite how long they are in the shelter, or whatever the outcome may be, GADAB volunteers treat these animals like their own, with all of the nurturing and love that the animals can handle.

As I watched them together, and saw such genuine affection pass between them, I got to thinking about my own "type". I'd have to say that I'm a sucker for fluffy black and white dogs with goofy personalities, but I still manage to fall in love with animals of all shapes and sizes. Type or no type, these dogs are loved to the maximum capacity of each volunteer, and let me tell you, these volunteers have pretty huge hearts.

Squeaky Faucet? Nope, that's just Squeakers.

2009-03-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things about volunteering at Give a Dog a Bone is finding the very thing that ROCKS a custody dog's world! Sometimes it's just hanging out in the park offering some TLC, for other dogs it's fetching a ball and learning a new agility trick.

This last Sunday, we found Squeaker's very favorite thing--so simple, so refreshing...the water hose!

Squeaker is a red Merle and LOVES to chase and bite the water straight from the hose. Now, doesn't that look like fun? Yay Squeaky Squeaker McSqueakerton!!

Update: Danni the Great

2009-01-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

Now, this is a happy ending.

Do you remember Dandelion? She's the adorable girl who came in to Give a Dog a Bone under some unfortunate circumstances. She was instantly a favorite...and how could she not be? All love, this little girl wanted nothing but affection, attention, and to crawl into a lap. She was very lucky to be fostered by some very kind and patient foster parents while she was put up for adoption through Grateful Dogs Rescue.

I just so happened to be Dandy's biggest fan, and sent out an email to friends and coworkers, touting her adorableness (is that a word?). A very good friend of mine from Sacramento happened to share this email with her friend/coworker, who just happened to be looking for a 3rd dog to join their family.

A few days later, Barbara was on her way down to San Francisco.

Now, no story doesn't have a few bumps, and there were a few little bumps when Dandy, now deemed Danni, joined her new family. The dogs all had to adjust to the new dynamic. But, because they were committed to making it work, Barbara and her husband took the time to learn how to make all of the dogs comfortable in their roles in the family. And soon, the dogs were doing great, and Danni was even going to doggie school, and from what I hear, was the best dog in the class.

Plenty of exercise, dog companions, loving owners...this girl hit the jackpot.

"I am so excited to have her, she brings such great energy to our family," said Barbara in an email to me, and I have to say...it makes me a little verklempt every time I think about Danni, starting out behind the bars of the shelter, and now...well, look for yourself...

So, thanks to Corinne for running a program that allows such happy endings to occur, and thanks to Jordan and Ellie for being great foster parents, thanks to Grateful Dogs Rescue for putting Danni in their program...and thanks to Barbara for giving the girl a chance...and for making a special little pittie's dreams come true!

OUR CHRISTMAS STORY

2008-12-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

AN ANIMAL HERO EMERGES
Is there a rule somewhere that says before one is twice blessed, one must endure pain and suffering? For our newly named little Pippin, a puppy somewhere between three and four months old, one wonders if maybe such a rule did exist. But on October 12, 2008, her life and luck changed.

A thirteen year old young man celebrating his birthday became a Hero that day. He was on a San Francisco city bus, on his way to church to meet his grandmother, and saw something that suddenly made him pull the string and request a stop. A group of young males were beating a puppy. The puppy was Pippin and our young Hero stepped in and rescued her. He took her to his grandmother at church and together they brought her home to call San Francisco Animal Care and Control. The responding officer took the young pup to the emergency for a complete examination, treating not only the possible injuries inflicted by the beating, but also a severe case of long neglected non-contagious mange.

After being temporarily ensconced in a kennel at Give a Dog a Bone with toys, soft blankets, and chews, our lucky little lassie now lives with her foster mom, a foster brother, and a big sister who maintains a semblance of order in the household. She is learning proper doggie house rules, play skills, and most of all, is well loved and well cared for. Lively, active, and still a lover of people, we’re hoping that that this little pittie will be twice blessed with a loving, breed-savvy home.

For those of us who witness instances of animal abuse, neglect and brutality every day, it is truly inspiring to encounter a young man in our community with such heart, strength and compassion. With barely any time to think about doing the right thing, he did. Decisions that can make a difference and lead to such lasting change in our community can be quite simple. Give A Dog A Bone’s mission is to foster just that.

Together, we can help encourage more Heroes and make San Francisco an even better place for us all to call home.

May all of us be as blessed as Miss Pippin during this season and the forthcoming year.

Underbites and Puppy Love

2008-12-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

I've recently returned to volunteering Sunday mornings for Give a Dog a Bone. Boy, did I miss these pups. It's so great to be back. First thing I did: Belly rubs, massages, treats, and genuine affection for Chiqi, the dachshund with an *award winning underbite*. One look at this little man and he will steal your heart for good. THEN...puppy shuttle tour! Yada and Dollar are 3-month-old white pitbull puppies..(yep, puppy smell!).
Give a Dog a Bone works to socialize puppies that are in the custody dog program as much as possible. We tour the shelter with the Puppy Shuttle by introducing them to all kinds of people, environments, sounds, and smells. I was so impressed with how fast these two little ones learn - they aleady know that when they sit, good things happen. Even little Yada who is deaf!

Take a look at this cute overload!

READ ALL ABOUT US !!!!!

2008-11-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful article written about us. It's been a while since we've received any serious publicity, and of course, I am hoping that it generates interest in Give a Dog a Bone. I feel that the author, Eileen Mitchell, speaks well about who we are and what we do . . . she also writes frequently about her rescue Greyhound, Elvis - he's quite a character!

Enjoy and please leave a comment at the end of the article if you feel like doing so!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/14/HO2F13S3MH.DTL

arf!

The Nothing-in-Life-is-Free Club

2008-11-12T19:17:00.001-08:00

is not, by any means, exclusive. Not at all. Any ill-mannered dog should join, if they don't, they're headed for trouble.

If a pup is not taught manners, it may mean that her life will be spent in a back yard with no understanding of why she is not in her home with her people pack because, after all, when she was a puppy, her people family thought all of that nipping and jumping up was cute. A cute puppy jumping up on your child means an adult dog jumping up on your child. If dogs are not taught manners, it can mean the difference between a good life, a lonely, distressed life, or death. We are all social creatures.

What NILF does is let our pups, and some adults, know that impulse control is a good thing. It's part of our quality of life practices. It's absolutely a given that quality of life directly impacts adoptability. The bond between our two species is only enhanced when both species understand how to live with each other.

I'm not sure why C.K. looks worried here, could it be that he's looking at his treasured squeaky stuffed toy while Christine is taking his photo and wondering why he can't have it RIGHT NOW? Our little redhead is learning that he can't grab toys from our hands, that by being mannerly at doors will get him through that door, and that jumping up gets him - nothing. Nothing. We just ignore that behavior. We know that he knows better and we have a lot of patience. Dogs like little C.K. have taught us lots of patience.

Both he and our little Pippin are reminded over and over again that rewards for good behavior are many and varied. They've learned to sit, to watch (making eye contact with people is huge), C.K. has learned down and roll-over, and done some "agility jumping". Miss Pippin, being newer to GADAB, is still learning down, learning to use her mouth on objects, and has a good watch working. She loves to chase stuffies - it is her main joy in life. She is also a very funny dog - just look at her little froggie imitation, and that's only one of the many ways in which she makes us laugh.

Pippin's ugly destiny was changed forever when she was rescued by an unlikely hero. Like too many of the dogs whom we see, she has a hideous case of demodex (non-contagious mange), but our little froggie love bunny's skin is slowly getting better, with both traditional and alternative medical treatments. Our shelter vet does the traditional; we do the alternative. She's going to be a big girl - she's only 3 1/2 months old in this photo!

Both of these confident, fearless tykes, who came in as cruelty cases, love other dogs and will learn proper play skills in their new foster homes. Yes, they're outta here! They have been adopted by Grateful Dogs Rescue, and their fosters, carefully selected, will continue to socialize, train, and love them until they find their forever homes.

Stay well, little treasures!

Just Dandy.

2008-11-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a dog gets under your skin, and you hold a piece of them in your mind all day. Dandelion is one of those dogs.

She came into the shelter with a different name. And, I won't go into her whole story, but just know that it isn't the happiest story. The first time I went into her kennel, she crawled into my lap, laid her neck on mine, and let me hug her for a long time. I was hooked.

When I found out that Dandy (I call her Dandy. And Princess Dandelion) was not going back to her owner, and was going to foster care, and was going to foster care with friends of mine (!!)...well, let's just say I was ecstatic.

Last week, I went to my friends' house to see Dandy. She had been out of the shelter for a few days. When I walked into their house, she ran up to me, and I swear I could hear her say, "LOOK AT ME. How cool is this? I am SO happy! Thank you!"
In her foster home she is surrounded by two humans, two dogs, a hairless cat, two hairless rats, and a gecko. She likes to lay on the couch, and I hear she likes to sleep under the covers. I can't tell you how much this warms my heart.

Today, my dogs got to meet Dandy. We all took a walk together at McClaren Park. I was a little worried that my big girl would try to boss little Dandy around, but it went really well. From kennel to wooded trails, this little girl has come a long way.

I can't wait to see how happy she will make a very lucky adoptee. I just hope she'll keep in touch with me. I consider her a friend, and I think she might kind of like me too.

Pictures of the Week

2008-11-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes

photos just tell it how it is -

and you're reminded

of that oh-so-sweet

puppy breath
and your heart gets to melt

all over again.

Who's a ham?

2008-10-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Sunday mornings at the shelter can sometimes be a little quiet...a little morose, even. But, for the last few weeks, there has been a big boy named Bopper waiting for me, and he is all sunshine and joy. And I'm going to admit it...he's my favorite. Could it be the resemblance he has to my girl dog at home? Maybe that's part of it. But, the guy is a clown, and he has me laughing at all of his jokes. Today we had a little impromptu photo session as we played games in the park. Isn't he just a natural?

For all the dogs we've ever loved . . .

2008-09-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

and for all of those whom we haven't met yet . . . .
come help us celebrate and honor their lives.

Yes, a fundraising party at:

the one and only

El Rio

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT
Give a Dog a Bone
Muttville
Grateful Dogs Rescue
Wonder Dog Rescue

We're all small, we all work together,
we all need each other, and we need you!

Enjoy fabulous food, great company, check out our fun raffle prizes and then bid on marvelous items at our live auction. To take a look at some items, please go to www.raiseyourpaws-sf.org. We've got dinners, hotel stays, gift baskets, art, photography sessions, dog training sessions . . .

When was the last time you were at a live auction raising your paws, er, paddles?

Save the date!!!!!

Date: October 11, Saturday
Time: 4-8 p.m.

It's a good thing this shot is grainy.

2008-09-25T15:21:00.001-07:00

I don't even know how to start this post. I'm not sure I should. It's not all happy endings here.

When one sees a dog and just seeing her feels like a gut punch, what do you say?

I said, "ohhhh, baby. Oh, you poor, poor baby", and bent down sideways towards her with my head lowered to show her that I meant her no harm. I think that's all she had ever known. I began massaging her spine gently and then I named her, as she went from person to person in the lobby that first night seeking affection. How could she be so sweet? She just was.

Persimmon's time with us was short, but likely the most loved and well treated that she had ever been in her three years of life. Fearful, submissive, undersocialized, in horrible pain due to long neglected demodex, she was still a love, with the cutest face ever. We've all been dumped, rejected, left in tears, but the meaning of the word "dumped" has changed for me. Persimmon was dumped from a truck, with a brand new choke chain (ugh) and a bright new red leash. What's that about? Don't even try to tell me, because no matter what anyone might say, I feel sad and angry. And I feel empty right now.

Farewell, sweetness. May moo-tubes and mounds of soft quilts follow you wherever you go.

And remember, you were loved and honored in this life. And you are no longer invisible.

Meet Berkeley,

2008-09-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

our Saturday mascot. Not that we have one for every day of the week, mind you, we should be so rich, but this lad comes in every week to help his mommy, our fabulous and revered volunteer office administrator.

As you can see, he is back home and WIPED OUT from his chores - greeting folks who come to the gate, locating any extra treats that may have hidden themselves during the week - like most dogs, Berkeley cannot abide a dirty floor - and helping GADAB dog handlers who are taking our puppies out for a Puppy Socialization Shelter Tour (he loooooves puppies and no puppy is safe from Berkeley's copious kisses). Berkeley actually loves all species and is non-discriminate in his affections. Among his many talents, Berkeley knows how to say "please", and does it several times a day, since everyone gets such a kick out of it.

Berkeley is also in training for an Animal Assisted Therapy dog, along with his two pittie in-laws, and Aschley says that their training is coming along great, so it looks like this lad will soon have another job.

Does this guy just do it all or what?

Congratulations, Community Heros !!

2008-09-04T12:42:00.001-07:00

Dear Corinne,

Congratulations! The local Chapter of the American Red Cross would like to congratulate you for being selected as the

2008 Animal Rescue Hero!

The Heroes Breakfast will be on Thursday, September 25 at the Marines' Memorial Hotel on Sutter Street (starts at about 8 a.m.).

The American Red Cross joins with San Francisco County civic leaders to recognize those in our community who have shown courage, dedication and character through acts of heroism and kindness.

Join us in saluting our 2008 Community Heroes:

Life Saving Hero, Youth: Daniel Bateman
Life Saving Hero, Adult: Jocelyn Rollins and Greg Lawrence
Act of Courage Heroes: Bill Mutch and Michael Waring
Community Service Hero, Individual: Sue Parcell
Community Service Hero, Organization: Champions Youth Ministry
Animal Rescue Hero: Give a Dog a Bone, Corinne Dowling, Founder

You may purchase tickets at http://www.redcrossbayarea.org/ or by calling (415) 427-8170 for $50 each. Proceeds benefit disaster preparedness and relief efforts throughout the Bay Area.

We are deeply honored not only to receive this award, but also proud to be part of this community. Thanks to all our special volunteers, past and present, you are all special and give so much, and thanks to those whose generosity continues to make our work possible.

Kudos to all of you who better the lives of shelter dogs.

Thank you for recognizing and contributing to the importance of the animal/human bond.

Not just our own beloved companions and for what they give us day after day after day, their unconditional trust in us; but those who do more: Disaster rescue dogs, animal assisted therapy dogs for seniors, for sick children, for vets - those people who find themselves unable to respond to other human beings but can give a soft smile to a four legged being, those who suffer from mental health issues, the homeless - the disenfranchised.

We make a difference and you can too: donate to our small cause and count yourself as a hero.

Because you are.

Thanks again, Leslie Smith!!

2008-09-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

for writing about Give a Dog a Bone in the current issue (Sept - Oct 08) of Animal Sheltering magazine, published bimonthly by the Humane Society of the United States.

This is huge for us!!!

You can find us in the Field Trip section on page 17 of this issue.

Read all about us . . .

Four paws up for Leslie, volunteer supreme!

The Captain

2008-09-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Another sweetheart needing a home, can you believe that Captain
is only 4 years old? He gets the full Spa Treatment, of course. His skin will be better in time.

I call him "Cappy". He is just a lover boy. If you rub his back, he will be your friend forever.

Guessing his breed is a tough one. Maybe the famous Snuggle Terrier, from the ancient Isles of Rivatelah. Although the people of Rivatelah are long gone, the breed has always been admired for their prowess in the art of lap snuggling and their outstanding ability to capture hearts .

Scamp and Zeus's ball tips

2008-09-02T13:39:00.001-07:00

These fellas will chase a ball ANYWHERE. We have over ten ways to throw a ball and teach a dog manners and impulse control while we're at it. Scamp and Zeus came from the same home, have the same ball drive, are quick to learn new ways to get the ball, and will show some manners in order to achieve their respective goals. We introduced the hula hoop to them, and made an agility jump out of a broom pole and two plastic chairs. Doesn't get more inexpensive than that, and these guys have learned some new skills.

Here Scamp is being asked for a sit prior to getting the ball thrown for him. Fortunately, he's not a grabby kind of guy, something we always have to be aware of. If Scamp won't sit after being asked the first time, well, we'll just move a foot or so away, and repeat the command as if it's being asked for the first time. Not quite the same as saying, "Scamp, sit, sit, sit, sit etc" which is likely to produce a sit on the 4th or 5th "sit". We appreciate the bum being firmly on the ground after saying it once. The dog gets clear on what's being asked of him also, making for good communication between our two species. We'll also combine the verbal cue with a hand signal. Ultimately, with consistency, you'll have a dog who is likely to sit every time he sees a ball in your hand. He's gotten the message that it's the fastest way to get the game going. Scamp has.

Zeus flies over our makeshift agility jump, completely focused on the yellow round prize that I've tossed over the pole. I ask first for a sit, making sure that he is facing the jump and is far enough away from it to achieve good clearance. Yes! Great jump, Zeus!

If Zeus would have shown fear of this odd looking contraption, we would have slowly introduced him to it. We want Zeus to succeed. We might do this by starting out with Zeus stepping over the pole, no chairs nearby, on the ground, or even letting him approach the pole on his own, placing treats by it to encourage him, or whatever motivates him to approach. We're cheerful and praise a lot for each step of the way. If Zeus is just a bit cautious, we might lower the pole between the chairs and encourage him, watching for cues from him if he is comfortable with each new step. To paraphrase what some wise man said about us humans, and this applies so well with dogs, "it's not just about the destination, it's also about the journey."

Scamp flops into the pool on a hot day after some enthusiastic ball play. We play "long" ball, as I point to the far end of the park and say "long", "wall" ball, as I point to the shelter building that the ball is going to bounce off of and say"wall", "air" ball, as I point in the air, "sit/stay" ball, as he learns to gradually sit and stay for longer periods of time as he gets more familiar with what will get him the ball the longer that we play this game. I vary all of these as we play; for each game, I have a verbal cue and hand signal, and he has to sit prior to me throwing the ball - every time. Now Scamp is offering sits, sometimes quickly, sometimes I'll wait, just holding the ball, until he sits. I also ask him to "out" or "drop" the ball, showing him that I have a ball in my hand ready to throw as soon as he outs and sits.

Of course, this doesn't go the way I'd like it to every time. It's very reciprocal. The dogs teach me patience and they get to learn impulse control and manners, which will go a long way in every aspect of their lives. As will my patience training - dogs are really good at teaching patience. Thanks, guys.

And thanks to Sylvia Spiro, who captures the spirit of our buddies so well.

I want to be Bobbie's girl, I want to be . . .

2008-09-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, I mean I am Bobbie . . . wait a minute, I've been adopted by Grateful Dogs Rescue, and my new name is Willa, gee, didn't mean to mislead you.
I am in my foster home now, learning more manners, and an older dog lives there too, goes by Abner, who lets me know when I get out of line. Which isn't often, of course. ; -)))). Always good to have a big brother to show you the ropes.

Here's a couple of great photos of me (no, I'm not shy at all). Annnnyway, about this big tennis ball, you can see I just love it to pieces, I chase it when the GADAB folks throw it for me, I wrestle with it, and carry it to important places in the shelter park. It's a bit flat, but all the better for me, I say. You might notice that my skin looks a little, well, sparse and crinkly. I have a pretty bad case of demodex, which if you don't know, is a non-contagious form of mange. It feels funky, so I'm on meds, plus while I was under the care of GADAB, I got what they call the full Spa Treatment, which I had no problem with, let me tell you. Orally, I got Ester C. and Omega 3's - only from the health food store, of course. (We don't get the drug store kind - too many fillers, and who the heck knows what is in them). They just put the vitamins in some canned dog food and I gulp it right down. And then, icing on the cake for me, I get Aloe Vera/Comfrey gel rubbed all over my body, all the bare spots, all the sore spots (you can see how swollen my feet are), and then a fabulous back rub while all the gel gets rubbed into my back. Oh, oh, ohhhh. That feels sooooo good.

And then this other photo of me is in the pool. Corinne had to use lots of treats to lure me into that pool, I must say. And even though in the photo, I'm giving her the fish eye, actually I learned to love going into the pool, it's been so hot lately. You can see the clicker in her hand - yes! I'm getting clicker savvy!!! And we, well, I, went through the hula hoop, over the broom jump, and walked on all kinds of surfaces. I understand that at GADAB, they want to get us used to as much "real world" things as they can, so what the heck, I went for it. Almost everytime I got a treat, and, everytime, they told me what a good, clever, beautiful girl I am.

I am still just a pup, so they did a lot of extra stuff with me, "cradling" - I hadn't heard of that one, and really was not too fond of it, but I did get used to it and accepted it. They handled me all over, to get me used to being handled by various people. You know, all that stuff that's going to make me a good solid, adult blue pittie. That's what color I'll be when all my hair grows back. I'm so excited, I love my new foster mom, my new big brother, and my forever home awaits. And blue is such a breathtaking color. Need I say more??

Thanks, Sylvia, for taking these fabu shots of me. I'll need some good head shots for when I begin my career and will be in touch.

Willa

Happiness is....

2008-08-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

...watching Isis frolic in the park.

Let me tell you: This girl LOVES getting her picture taken. Honestly, don't you think she's in the running to be: America's Next Top Pitbull Terrier Model?
Tyra? Are you accepting applicants?

Or wait maybe America's Pitbull Terriers Have Got Talent! is more appropriate...

...wherever you go, Isis: you've won our votes!!!

Almost 300 Days

2008-07-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

That’s how long Pepper was at the shelter, in the Give a Dog a Bone program. Her owner took her home yesterday. And, yet, this is not a happy ending.

Pepper came into the shelter as a cruelty case. The four-year old female pit bull had come in looking like a skeleton. She was seized by Animal Care & Control due to her awful physical condition. Pepper had been starved, that was obvious. Who knew what seemed like a cut-and-dried case of animal cruelty would be anything but.

As a GADAB volunteer, I don’t know the details of every dog’s story. That is on purpose. But, I hear bits and pieces, and what I don’t hear, I can guess. I can fill in the blanks. A starving dog. An owner charged. The dog is taken away from the owner.

Yet, the last part never happened. This story didn’t end that way. And I still don’t understand why.

The owner fought the charge. While Pepper stayed in the shelter, in a kennel, her owner walked free for 10 months. She had to appear at court a few times, while Pepper served the entire sentence behind bars. Why? Why would someone who had starved their dog fight to get her back? And why would ANY judge who saw the photographic evidence ever let them succeed?

I saw the photo. I wouldn’t give the owner a goldfish. If it were up to me, the owner would never, ever be allowed to have an animal again. What is wrong with our legal system? A story was laid out for them, with photos and testimony. A living creature was mistreated. Starved. And the person responsible was not held accountable. For 10 months, Animal Care & Control fed, loved, trained, and took care of Pepper. And now the owner was getting her back, healthy. With even a little extra weight on her. How could it be that this person gets back the dog they starved? How can that be right?

The case was never heard. ACC lost the motion to suppress due to illegal entry. Apparently a starving dog is not an "emergency"... So, tell me, judge, what would be an emergency? A dead dog? Explain that to me.

The only good side I can think of in this case is that we all got to be friends with Pepper. Smart and funny Pepper. We took her out to the park, and Corinne was able to spend time with her in the GADAB office. We did so much to keep Pepper sane and sound. She was first to go out. She had a special place in the office where she could enjoy a kong on a cushioned bed. She learned so many things, and made so many friends. The perfect girl, we called her. I especially loved the way she trotted when out for a walk. She always trotted, like she had somewhere to go.

Like Corinne says--"it's pretty amazing to shelter a dog for 10 months and see her leave as temperamentally sound as when she came in, if not better socialized, more mentally stimulated, very playful, and with some new and fun tricks up her sleeve."

Oh, Pepper, big girl, you will be missed.

And, because we are helpless at this point, I am trying to think positive thoughts for Pepper. Maybe her owner learned something. Maybe her owner will realize she can’t handle the responsibility and we can help Pepper find another home. Maybe…

Yesterday I did a google search for “animal law.” Am I too old to go to law school? Because, if the case of Pepper came across my desk, you better believe I wouldn’t sleep until the roles were reversed. The human behind bars. The dog, free to go.

Sweetie-Angel-Heart-Baby-Cakes-Doll Face

2008-07-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hello my name is Sweetie-Angel-Heart-Baby-Cakes-Doll Face. Okay, well it’s my new unofficial name given to me by SJ, a GADAB volunteer. Yesterday, we played fetch for what seemed like hours – it tired me out so much.

One time, she threw the ball up and it got stuck in the tree. Silly, volunteer—I can’t climb trees! Although I wanted to, and I thought about trying…you see, I’ll do anything to retrieve a tennis ball! After many attempts, SJ finally got my ball back down from the treetop and our tennis match resumed. I’m so good that I’ll drop it right in your hand and wait for you to throw it for me again. AND if you should drop it, or if I should place the ball in an inconvenient place for you to pick it up, I’ll re-place the ball near your feet, so it’s easier for you to throw it for me!!

I know what your thinking – this feathery Farah Fawcett-like fur may not make me look like a champion retriever –but I’m telling you – I’m ready for the Olympics. I just need an agent.

Formerly Cui, now a happy Henri, on his way to his new home.

2008-07-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Henri spots his stuffie in the air and readies himself to catch it.

Although still a little skittish,
his socialization is coming along mahvelously, and his new parents couldn't be more ready for him. He's met his new siblings, also poodles, he'll be seeing a vet regularly, groomed regularly, and tons of exercise with his new family.

"They're working dogs, you know", his new mom said proudly.

Au revoir, Monsieur Henri!

One great ball, three great dogs

2008-07-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hennessey thinks that keep-away is the best game EVER and is really, really, realllllly good at it. When he absolutely has to, meaning that I've managed to either do a treat exchange for the ball, or waited him out as he gaily prances by me over and over with The Ball of the Day in his mouth as he gets closer and closer to me, knowing perfectly well that I won't grab for it, he finally drops it in front of me, then sit as he's been taught, and wait for me to throw it for him again. A real prankster, but if you don't know his game, he'll pass by you just close enough so you think you can grab it from him. You can't. Just try. Or he'll drop it and pretend he's interested in something else to tempt you to believe that he's lost interest and you can walk over casually to him to pick up the ball. Oh, no. He'll wait until you get just soooo close and then grab it and dash away. One has to laugh. Funny, delightful boy.

Who else loves this ball? Roxie, that's who.
She actually retreives for a treat exchange. Nice - she learned that one pretty quickly as she swerved on a dime, ball in mouth, to see what my outstretched hand held for her. Beautifully built, lavish with affection, and a glutton for belly rubs, Roxie is truly poetry in motion. She had a particularly hard time being kenneled, so we hope it's a good thing that she was redeemed yesterday by her owner. Have a great life, Roxie girl.

Then what about Cui? What is a Cui? Hard to tell, but when a standard Poodle has not been groomed for eight months, this is a horrific look at neglect. When he arrived at GADAB, he was frightened, undersocialized, and young - he is eight months old. We do know that he was kept in a small space, not walked or exercised. Was he ever groomed? We don't know. It was hard to feel anything but mats on this guy. But, the amazing resilience we see over and over again with our dogs has surfaced in Cui, and he is absolutely delighted to be in a world that he had no idea existed.

Still head shy, we are playing Treats Rain from the Sky with him so he'll learn that hands mean good things are coming to him, and I've tossed the favored ball up in the air and he actually lifted his head UP to try to grab the ball. I playbow, he play bows - he loves to run with me, his docked tail is now waving happily as we play and it seems that he wants to do everything that I show him. We're going as slow as we need to with him; he still startles easily, but with time, it looks like this special guy will enjoy life to its absolute fullest. And oh, yeah, he had to be pretty much completely shaved and underneath that rug of hair is an obviously unused body - no muscle tone. But how much better must he feel.

Was it Billy Crystal in his Fernando Lamas persona who said something like, "Dahling', listen to me, in order to feel mahvelous, one must look mahvelous". Cui is both now - devilishly handsome and feelin' mahvelous!

Written by Corinne Dowling

Wally invites someone, anyone to play with him.

2008-07-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hey! You, over here, it's me, Wally.

Ready to toss the ball for me? I will drop this one if you show me that one in your hand - isn't that the game? Then you throw the slobbery ball for me while I run to get the clean one and bring it back to you?

Yeah, that's it. Then both balls get slobbery and I don't know why you have issues with that.

No, please - not the ballchucker! I have to run too far and as you can see, I'm not built for that. Handsome, yes, built like a Mack truck, yes again, but, run-very-far, no, run-very-fast, no way. Long periods of ball play, no, not for me, Sir.

So now that you know how I like to play, are 'ya ready?

Let's play!

A little more to the left, please.

2008-07-18T12:04:00.001-07:00

" Oh, gosh. Oh, golly. Oh my.
Oh, my, my, my. My"

"Thanks, gosh, that feels good - nothing like a good massage, up, down, and around my spine - ooh, hit that spot, girl, thanks. I think you may have done this before."

Little Sandy is a guy who knows how to receive.

Many of the dogs with whom we work do not - for many reasons - and if we can get them to trust us enough to touch them, that's big. For all of us - the givers and the recipients. If we get to the belly rub stage for a dog who's afraid of people, it's a marvelous thing. For a dog to position himself in a position of such vulnerability, exposing his belly, that's a dog who's come a long way.

We'd like to thank YOU for showing us trust.

Now how about a little kiss, riiiight here? Thanks, darling man.

Baloo smiles.

2008-07-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I guess you could say I'm kind of a big guy, actually I AM a big guy.
Newfoundlund/Tibetan Mastiff mix, my former guy said. I just moved to the city - I've been a country boy all my life and these city noises, well, I tell you, they just make me nervous.

Right now, I'm over at the SF/SPCA. I either still have the country blues or has all this city stress gotten to my stomach?

The folks at SF/ACC treated me like a prince and I do feel like one sometimes with all the attention that folks give me. Corinne even sings to me and my, I sure love that. My favorite is "Til I met you" - anyone remember that beautiful song? My favorite part, the part that makes me feel so special, goes like this, "there was love all around, but I never felt it at all, no, I never felt it at all til I met you . . . " Corinne remembers her mom singing it and she says her mom's voice is really something.

I also love TTouch, especially along the sides of my body. When I'm being sung to and getting TTouch at the same time, I can just lay right down, close my eyes, and relax. Right now, that's what I want to learn how to do more of - just reeeelllllaaaaaxxxxxxxx . . . . .

Kelsey celebrates the Fourth of July a day early . . . .

2008-07-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hugalicious ???

Hugalicious !!!!!

Excuse me, miss,

but I can't find your nose.

Come to mama, baby

Hey, this Find the Treats on the Fire Hydant is sure a fun game.

I didn't know my hind feet

worked by themselves!

Thanks to Sylvia Spiro for capturing this glorious day!

xxx Kelsey

ANYBODY OUT THERE?

2008-05-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

As we struggle to grow,

if you'll just let us know

what you think,

'cause if you don't,

when next your eyes blink,

I might be gone, without a bone,

no caresses, all alone, and no toys.

I remember, as I waited with joy

when I heard those vols,

and wagged as they called,

no trouble with a good snuggle

as they sang my name.

I bless them all.

Never ending pups like us,

Yes, there's muss and of course fuss,

at times a good cuss -

But behind it all, just give us a call,

offer what you will, for we'll be here still.

. . . Dante

Hey, Bill, I'm next! I do many interesting things! Heyyyyy, Bill, me next!

2008-05-23T14:29:00.001-07:00

Bill makes
adjustments to his camera
as Slim, helpful as he can be,
does his best to make his claim
to fame. Slim does not
suffer from a lack of confidence.

Bill is our, well, not exclusively, of course, videographer. With an remarkable eye for capturing what it is we do on film, along with a remarkable patience for dog and people foibles, he will be the not unsung hero behind our forthcoming DVD.

We're getting there, folks.

Great article about GADAB

2008-05-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Corinne and Give a Dog a Bone capture the attention of a national web site -- hooray! Check out the article:
http://dogtime.com/give-a-dog-a-bone.html

Truly happy endings

2008-05-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of tails that we'd like to share with you. Recently we made it down to visit a couple of our former residents and wow - sometimes its hard to express how joyful and how satisfying it is to see them in their forever homes. It just feels so good. Dogs that we've worked with, that we've played with, marvelous dogs that we have to see in their kennels day after day - are finally where they should be - in a home, a real home, with people who adore them

Here's Cali aka Coco (at the SPCA) aka Stoney (at ACC) at the park where she goes every day with her two moms. How well loved is she? We showed them her outstanding ball tricks and they had a couple new ones to show us. Cali was so happy to see us, happy memories from her past and it was wonderful to love her up again and toss some balls for her.

Remember Frankie with the hot pink neckpiece (who's been on our website forever) ? Well, he's still Frankie, still a ball champ, well loved and understood by his guardians. No more hot pink for the now grown-up, still playful, and well-mannered Frankie. His personal scrapbook is a work of art, well designed and meant to be pored over at length by his proud "parents". We visited him at the home of his favorite pals, where he makes himself right at home with the four labradors who own the house. Doted upon, well-exercised, and well managed, we couldn't have imagined a better home for our Frankie.

After a hot retreiving session, Frankie lays down for a well-deserved rest and waits for someone to notice how cute he is.

You won't find these little girls in a chi-chi bag in Hollywood

2008-04-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Chihuahuas (chi’s). Coming in a close second to pitties for dogs dumped, at least here in San Francisco, we are seeing more and more of these frightened little dogs. While Give a Dog a Bone's charges are mostly custody dogs, we also take medically challenged dogs under our wing.

"Dumped dog" is not a nice term, but then, neither are the dogs that are found wandering the streets, brought into the shelter by a Good Samaritan (Good Sams, we call them), or just dumped in a box in front of the shelter, the pitties and chi’s are usually in sad shape and go directly to a medical isolation kennel.

Many of these dogs are terribly undersocialized, as well as having severe medical issues. Having been bred to sell as a member of a fad breed for maximum bucks and for all the wrong reasons, care is not taken to ensure their well-being in ways that dogs need to become good healthy (behaviorally and medically) companion animals. We have adults, puppies, adolescents, all shapes, colors, and sizes. We have dogs that come from backyard breeders or puppy mills and they all consider the dogs whom we treasure as a commodity. Perhaps I preach to the choir, but you who read our blog do know that those cute dogs that you see on on-line lists, newspaper ads, and pet stores come from these places? People also surrender these dogs to shelters because they haven't done any breed research and have no idea who the four-legged being is who will be sharing their home.

GADAB starts their lives over. While the vet staff does their part, we treat skin holistically, work on fear issues with slow, soft, gentle approaches, using calming methods recommended by Turid Rugaas. They work. Most recover enough to go to a solid rescue organization, usually Grateful Dogs Rescue, where they go to foster homes until they can be adopted to a forever family. I say most, because sadly, some of these pitties and chi’s cannot recover from earlier traumas, and as much or as long as we try, their lives have become so awful that we are the last to care for them on this earth. Perhaps we have also been the first.

These three little girls went to Grateful Dogs Rescue, where they await their forever homes.

Written by Corinne Dowling.

The Dog who was told she was a Dalmation

2008-04-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

Wait a minute. Let's get one little thing straight - I like Dalmations; I've always found them to be a lot of fun, but the gal I lived with wanted me to be one and I'm just not.

I'm Tina. I'm playful, love the water, very affectionate, and have a bit of an identity issue. Not for me, of course. I'm clear on who I am. A dog. An ideal dog. One who is looking for a home and I'd like folks to know that there's a good possibility that I could be an Aussie/couch potato/kitty mix.

"Well", I say, "yeah, the couch potato part was pretty clear. You folks here at the animal shelter saw right through my soft eyes and yummy soft coat that you can just sink your faces into as I roll over and you tuck yourself into into my body and listen as I hum. Almost like a purr? Ummmmmm, I am lovin' this".

Excuse me if I say this, but do Dals have the soft coat that I do? Nothing against Dals, of course.

The folks here at GADAB took me out to the park, played with me, even have a little pool out there that I love to jump in and out of, and - this was kind of big - showed me how to play with toys, which I love, love, love. I can toss stuffed toys into the air and sometimes I bring them back to the person who threw it for me so they can throw it again. Woo-hoo!!!

Now I'm available for adoption at Animal Care and Control in San Francisco. And if you're looking for a Dal, google Dalmation Rescue.
Written by Corinne.

How about some updates on dogs that we've blogged?

2008-04-12T12:40:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder about GADAB's dogs whereabouts now? Sometimes it seems as if they're stuck here in some kind of depressing timeless warp, but no, eventually, they all leave, somehow.

I go back and read these blogs, remember our roster of characters with so much fondness, sometimes smiling with happiness, sometimes with a heavy heart. The bitter with the sweet. I remember their favorite toys, their issues, their triumphs, the butt scratch/slap with The Retreiving Meister, the world-class grin of Her Serenity when she succeeded in catching a ball in the air from a TWENTY-FIVE FOOT sit/stay (she was here a while - of course, we didn't start at 25'), how Ms. Dog and A Half took soooo long to learn to trust again, how Sir Hugeness jumped for joy every time he saw one of us, how Little Barky-Snarky Guy really liked to curl up in a lap and take a good snooze.

I remember how one of my favorite pitties of all time came out of her shell, treat by treat, creeping closer and closer to me while I dare not move a hand or a single body part or she would retreat. That lovely dog finally found joy in being with us, generous with her kisses, and we discovered about the same time that she did that she was a born wiggle bug. None of us ever would have known had we not been there for her, day after day, week after week, month after month.

Another favorite mental visual is of Mr. Hip-Hop dancing merrily across the mid-bar of his kennel, which he never left the entire time he was with us. But if he could find joy in two-stepping across his kennel, how am I not to celebrate his dancing prowess and laugh with him, his huge mouth stretched widely in a grin?

Can I ever forget how Sparkle's passing was, how her favorite animal care attendant grabbed her into his lap and held her close while I fed and touched her, how surprised I was that she went so quickly from this life into the next, and how I didn't know what to do with myself then, she had no more need for me, how numb I felt, and how much her life changed the person who loved her more than anything in the world. He knew, when he came back later and we talked, he knew why Sparkle had come into his life, how he grew into the person he was supposed to be because of her. We cried together.

I salute him and all of you who who recognize why our dogs come into our lives. They are teachers, they allow us to love when it's so hard sometimes to remember why we are here, they kiss away our tears, they make us laugh, they accept us, they put their trust in us. They are givers.

The rescues with whom we work, the funders, and individuals who make this possible, the volunteers who give themselves to the animals. Stay. Grow with us.

Dogs, go. Grow without us.

Remember Blackie, the grumpy reindeer, posted on 12/4/07? She went to Chow Rescue (quite the adventure that transport was!) and was adopted from there to an older couple who fell in love with her.

You'll be seeing Leroy and Samson when you arrive at the Pearly Gates. Farewell, laddies.

Little Mo, whom I tracked after he was allowed to go home with his owner, has a much better life now. His owner is on track with pulling his life together, hanging out with Mo at one of our lovely multiple-use local parks, keeping him well fed and quite dapperly dressed.

Booda, adopted by rescue. Grow into a good adult, baby.

Pops, aka Little Papa, aka LP, adopted. Bear, his partner, euthanized. Just too long at the fair. Some dogs deteriorate so much from being at the shelter that they can't make it out in the real world again. They become unsafe. Sadness.

Frankie, Stoney, Jeckel, Gracie, all adopted. Joy.

You were loved.

To paraphrase what Mark said about Momo and Minna, "it's been an honor to know you". All of you. Each and every one of you.

The Sweetest Pea

2008-04-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, as a GADAB volunteer, you fall in love just a little bit with a dog. It may be a short-lived love, but it's immediate and real. In the case of my latest puppy love, Sweet Pea, this love is of the 100% feel good, happy variety. It's the giggly, squealing, the OH MY GOD YOU ARE SO CUTE kind of dog crush that makes it all worthwhile.

To be realistic, volunteering for GADAB isn't always easy. We see some things that are hard to see. We see dogs in very bad condition, often at the hands of humans, and that can be difficult to say the least. But, then there are the wiggly, happy, and grateful dogs. And then nothing else matters.

The last kennel run at the shelter is the isolation run. Often the dogs back there have kennel cough or skin problems, and the vet wants to keep a close eye on them. In the last run, I found Sweet Pea.

OH MY, I said out loud when I saw Sweet Pea, because Sweet Pea is my very favorite type of dog. Short, wiggly, and pitbull. I knew I was in love. When I saw that she was able to go out to the park, I was ecstatic. I was going to get to hang out with the little girl with the itchy, patchy skin....and that made my day.

We took Sweet Pea out the park. What a good girl...no matter that she is young and probably hasn't had much training (if any), Sweet Pea behaved herself beautiful. Yes, she was excited to get out, but she didn't get over stimulated. She didn't get mouthy, and she didn't jump up. Letting her off leash, and sitting on the cement step as she took off, I could feel her happiness. And before I knew it, Sweet Pea was in my lap. Just like I knew she would be. See, I have a lap pitbull myself (with the same beautiful yellow-green eyes as Sweet Pea) and I just KNEW that little Ms. Pea was of the same ilk. Rub me, rub me, scratch me, love me, she said. And the three of us in the yard did just that.

It's so important sometimes for the GADAB dogs to JUST BE DOGS. To run around the yard, chase a stuffed animal, and to feel kind human hands on them...this is what they live for. And this is why I volunteer.

I don't know if Sweet Pea will still be in the program next week. I never really know when I leave the shelter for the day who I will see again and who I won't. Some dogs with pending cases...I know they'll be there, and I look forward to seeing them. Others, like Ms. Pea...I'm not sure. But, that 20 minutes in the park....it was heaven. It was pure joy. It was sunshine, happiness, and love. For her AND for me.

Jojo FINALLY leaves life in the shelter

2008-03-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

Jojo is going to foster today!!!!! Grateful Dogs Rescue and I have been coordinating this for how long (?) and it is finally happening. Yay!!!!. Since mid-December, our affable, very large GSD/Akita mix, has been howling for this very thing to happen. We've been listening, big fellow, and how it hurt our ears.

Ok. Now. He is gone. Out of here! We went to the shelter park for his afternoon outing, where we met up with his foster mom, I gave her some Jojo tips and my phone #, GDR got him some fabulous food, a new bed, toys, and he jumped right into the back seat of the car, settled himself in the middle in a princely manner with his favorite yucky soft donut ring beside him, and off they went. I cannot express how I feel about him getting out of here into a good home.

And - for the icing on the cake . . . . . she works at home. How good life is at times.

If you're interested in adopting him, check out his Grateful Dog Rescue page

A Beautiful Story

2008-01-23T12:11:00.001-08:00

Give a Dog a Bone attends to San Francisco's "forgotten dogs." It's a phrase that still packs an emotional punch, though I've heard it hundreds of times in my years with the shelter. Unfortunately, forgotten dogs exist everywhere, but the below article is a moving account of how one person can affect so many...
http://dogtime.com/second-chance-pet-rescue.html

The future, the past, and puppy breath

2008-01-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

Spending a few hours on the weekend surrounded by puppies isn't a bad way to spend a few hours. In fact, it's amazing. I never knew my current dogs as puppies, and haven't had a puppy in years and years. I didn't know how much I missed puppies until I was surrounded by 7 squirming, yipping, tumbling, tugging little furry babies. OH my gosh, I missed puppies!!

Two weeks ago, we spent some time with the pups in the kennel while mommy dog Tessa was put in the kennel next door. It's important for puppies to feel human touch, human affection, and to hear the human voice. These puppies were actually born in the shelter, so in order for them to get used to people, GADAB is working with them on a daily basis. We were lucky enough to get to spend some time with them, picking them up, petting them all over, touching their paws, and holding them. It was almost overwhelming--7 little pups climbing up on our laps, grabbing sleeves, pantlegs, shoelaces--and it was amazing.

This week, we were able to take the pups--Amos, Ernie, Bert, Bella, Roscoe, Gus, and Charlotte--out in the "puppy shuttle," a little cart in which 2-3 puppies can ride in at a time, in order to travel around parts of the shelter. Because they are too young to be put on the ground (to protect them from disease), this is a handy way to get the puppies used to things, noises, and people. It's a great way to study the personalities of the pups to find out who is shy, who is outgoing, and who is afraid of new things. That way, we can know who needs special attention and extra socialization. It's funny...in this litter, it's the black pups that are more shy. Is it because they might have different fathers, aka different DNA? (at least one is very Shar Pei and a few are so Rottie!) It's not clear, but it's very interesting to witness.

Three hours later, that felt like minutes, we had taken all of the pups out, named them, and got them back to their playpen safe and sound. I couldn't help to wonder about the future of these puppies. Would they all get good homes? Would they be treated well, even spoiled? Would I see a dog at the dogpark and wonder, was that the little black pup we named Amos?

I also can't help but to think about the dogs we see at the shelter that are there because of unfortunate circumstances-- irresponsible owners, cruel owners, those who don't take their role as guardian seriously. Dogs who lost their way, lost their trust, lost their chance at a happy life filled with walks, treats, and a purpose. It breaks my heart every time a dog has to be put down, and I KNOW things could have been different. If only...if only...

So, my dear puppies, may all of you be lucky. Lucky 7, right? Little Amos and Charlotte, big Bella and Roscoe, the boys Bert and Ernie and fluffy brown Gus....I wish you years of sleeping on soft blankets, car trips to the beach, and a loving person who thinks that they are lucky too, to have such a great best friend. I hope to never see you back here at the shelter, and I mean that in a very good way.

Response to Vick's plea for leniency

2007-12-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Michael Vick,

That was some letter you wrote.

How nice that a judge permitted you to be home for the birth of your child, but I sincerely hope you don't love your children the way you "love" animals: by drowning them, hanging them, starving them, electrocuting them, and smashing their skulls into the ground.

You say you've "lost everything" including your freedom, and I have to admit that would be difficult -- especially since you were living the life of a super star. But unfortunately you've lost all that the same way murderers, kidnappers, sex offenders, or burglars lose their freedom: through their own actions. You weren't singled out and imprisoned randomly -- you committed heinous crimes. If not you, who should pay? Should we not insist that a child molester serve his sentence, simply because his only other recorded crime is a traffic violation? Your actions were unbelievably cruel. Do you get that?

You seem to think you lost your endorsements unfairly. Was it not you that committed these offenses? Is it actually surprising to you that an endorsement would not be desired by someone who actively causes excruciating pain and suffering to another? The public does not want to buy any product from a brand that represents itself with someone who finds sport in the torture and killing of animals.

As for being exposed to dog fighting when you were growing up, I don't doubt it. Many people are exposed to ugly, horrific things in their lives -- it doesn't mean they grow up to perpetuate that ugliness. At any rate, I would expect a grown man -- who has also been exposed to incredible kindness and generosity -- to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. "Growing up with" is a great excuse to perpetuate bigotry, child abuse, racism, and misogyny. At what point does one start thinking for himself?

And now you want leniency? How much more lenient could we be? In fact, we are showing you the very compassion that you deprived others. We are not torturing you or denying you medical treatment. We are seeing that you have daily meals and a bed to sleep in. We are not forcing you to spend your entire life tied up outside in below freezing temperatures. Why you think you should not have to pay for the crimes you committed is beyond me. You say you found religion? If you believe in an eye for an eye, you've gotten off easy.

I don't doubt that jail is unpleasant. But you will never ever know the kind of pain and suffering you inflicted on others. As for wanting to be there for your kids, you should have thought of that before you decided to torture, maim, and kill other living beings. I believe that your animals, your kids, and even your houseplants are safer with you behind bars.

Sincerely,
Leslie Smith

Happy Holidays

2007-12-04T20:44:00.001-08:00

Have you ever seen a grumpier reindeer?
Meet Blackie, a dear shepherd mix who's in our care at GADAB.

Blackie endured a photographers's orders and props today and I have to say the results were worth it.

Happy holidays

And sometimes we take them home.

2007-11-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

My little Munchie, a delicate flower, firmly believes that the best defense is a good offense. It does seem to work for him, although he is learning that he doesn’t need to stand down every dog or person who approaches him. When I first saw him, he was an inert grey wrinkled tiny thin lump lying in an isolation kennel. He was bald. He looked and smelled awful. All I could guess is that the first year of his short life had been pretty miserable. Why I gravitated to him after all the dogs I have seen in the shelter whom I have wanted to take home with me over the years, I just don’t know. What I do know is that a year and a half later after I took him home is that when I see him skipping and leaping through the park, with a full coat of hair, as fast and as graceful as anyone I’ve ever seen, it makes me happy. He was a tap dancer in a former life. His gentle eye kisses feel like rain falling on parched soil, and life would not be as rich as it is without him.

My little Mutley came along about 6 months later. Unhappily ensconced in the back of the shelter, he had come from an abusive home. He would have bit me as hard as he could have the first time I took him out to the shelter park if he had not had a cone on his neck due to an infected eye. He tried like mad, a whirling dervish of wavy black hair, teeth, and flailing legs, but after that one incident, he decided to trust me and just squirmed his way into my heart. And now we wake up together, the three of us, Munchie and I slowly, Mutley ready to capture the best of the day as soon as his eye opens. He has one beautiful expressive brown eye.

Two different dogs, both small, both very loving, both needy, both fun. They make me laugh a lot. I’d pictured my next dog as a female pit bull, around 3 years old, but somehow these little foster dogs found my home first. I’d never planned on having small dogs, nor more than one, nor any more males, but fortunately for the three of us, plans have a way of going south, and I’ve found that as is usual for companion animals, the longer that we live together, the better it gets. Happiness resides in loving and in being loved. It’s all about the love, baby.

Published in Tails of the City, quarterly magazine of San Francisco Animal Care and Control and in Dogtime.com, an online magazine.

Getting to Know You

2007-11-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

My favorite part about volunteering for GADAB is the fact that I get to meet, and sometimes get to know, all kinds of dogs. I have two dogs of my own, and every time I leave the house, I tell them that I'm off to hang out with dogs that aren't as lucky as they are--at least not at the present moment. The dogs at GADAB are all so different, and at the shelter for so many different reasons, but they are all the same in that they crave connection, moments of joy and of human friendship.

Last Saturday, I spent some time with two very different dogs--Leroy and Samson. Leroy isn't able to go out, so we spent our time playing kennel games. He is so very clever, this boy (not to mention he reminds me of my very own girl pittie). His favorite game is PAW, and he is quite generous in his paw giving.

Under the kennel door, between the door and wall...he anxiously awaited my hand to move so that he could touch it. Working diligently for treats, Mr. Leroy consistently made me laugh with his goofy demeanor and enthusiasm.

On the other hand, Samson was all business....until he went outside, that is. This big guy really had to GO, for lack of a better word, and on his way out of the building, he couldn't be bothered with anyone or anything. Once that was taken care of, Samson ran around the yard, ready to play and explore and fetch. His joy that day was apparent, and he thanked me in many ways. It was hard to take Samson back inside, and I only wished I could conjure up his very own yard in his kennel. The best I could do was offer him a Kong and leave him with the memory of the gray morning sky.

Such different dogs, but such good boys...
both of them.

You've come a long way, baby!

2007-11-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

I'm a new volunteer at GADAB. Unfortunately, Gypsy has been here nearly as long as I have. When I first met her, she was very timid, kept to herself, and would just lay in bed in the back of her kennel. Weeks later, walking by her kennel, sometimes she would be up and about near the front – seems like maybe she was whispering hello to me. Lowering down near her, I would calmly greet her and offer her my company. She wasn't into taking treats; maybe she liked my companionship though. Her deep brown eyes will melt anyone's heart. GADAB volunteers have spent hours sitting or kneeling outside this Gypsy girl's kennel, coaxing her, talking with her, and trying to tempt her with treats.

Now, when I see her, she's wagging her tail, hoping I'll stop and play some games with her. She actually made up a game I call "kisses". I put my hand flat against the kennel; and say "kisses" and Gypsy licks/kisses my hand and gets praise and a treat. I move the target (my hand) around the kennel and continue to ask for Gypsy kisses. Gypsy girl, you've come a long way.

Oooh, ooh, a little more to the right, please....

2007-11-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

Blackie is one-of-a-kind. She's a sweet, gentle soul who enjoys prancing around the park to the beat of her own drum. Blackie's not the kind of dog that begs to retrieve balls or chase toys. She likes it when you sit on the grass with her…and…well, scratch her behind. I think it's one of her favorite, favorite things. Pictured here…she's in heaven.

Tito out of the pool and headed home.

2007-11-15T21:09:00.000-08:00

After four month in our care, one of our favorite residents, Tito, finally went home. Agency teamwork in action. With PAWS in charge of the human end of the matter, and GADAB handling the dog part, Tito was able to return to the person who had raised him since he was a pup.

All the best to you, buddy, we sure enjoyed your company - what a great dog you are, active, playful, responsive and sooooo affectionate. Good student, too, quick and eager. He learned quickly how to play a proper game of tug, could catch a ball on the fly as well as any baseball major leaguer, drop the ball right in front of our feet, and sit promptly, waiting for the next throw.

What a guy. How sweet it is when a guy like Tito goes back to a good, solid home with the person whom they love most in the world. Have a great life, pal.

You say you don't have agility equipment?

2007-11-12T23:18:00.000-08:00

You do!

Brooms, orange street cones, chairs, treats between rake tines - changing the unfamiliar from scary to fun. Each dog is different and we take as much time as as everybody needs to get them acclimated to new things.

Take a look at little Mo's flying leap over the "jump pole".
With a rake resting on one end of a kiddie pool and the other end resting on an upturned plastic chair, Mo flies over the pole, eyes on the treat prize in one of our hands. Rewards can include balls or toys as well, whatever gets your dog motivated.

We desensitized him to the pole first, being cheerful and encouraging, laying it on the ground, putting treats near it, then putting treats on it, moving it around on the ground with treats by it, then asking for a jump over it with it still on the ground, and little by little, our fearful little lad gained enough confidence to make The Big Jump. Dog agility equipment? Just look around your house, your block, your child's room. Get some tips or take a class.

He discovered that he loved it, leaping over it back and forth, like a little wind-up toy. Mo likes to zoom around anyway and now he can zoom and jump. Success breeds success and confidence builds confidence.

We miss him and fear for him. http://www.sfdistrictattorney.org/page.asp?id=33 Oricha.

"Trouble in mind . . ."

2007-11-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

Trouble and Mark taking a break in the shelter back lot. We use this space when the shelter park is occupied. As you can see, Trouble delights in receiving affection.

What can you do in a space like this? It can look pretty barren before you envision it as a playground. See that single dumpster? One or more of them can generate spirited games of hide-n-seek or "catch me if you can!" In this space, we can initiate games of ball or stuffed toy retrieves, especially toys that squeak. We can bounce balls off the shelter wall (it's behind the dumpster) that our ball-loving friends can pick up on the fly or on a bounce - that's poetry in motion, folks.

We can work on manners training; we can play find the treat and as soon as they find it, call them to us to get another treat (find-it/recalls) for recall reviews. Find a space and use it.

Give them tools for life, give them fun, work their brains and their bodies, love 'em. Love them as much as they love us.

It's only a bad hair day if it itches.

2007-11-09T22:40:00.000-08:00

Good thing we got you before you lost all your hair, sweetie. You're a lovely little girl - did they just not see the spots of bare skin all over your lovely body? Or is that why they dumped you? We can joke that Christine's hair is a close match to yours, but we've got something else for you - our Special Spa Treatment. You're getting one of those today, baby.

We get a lot of dogs in with mange, ranging from minor to serious cases. In addition to vet treatment, we add holistic vitamins to boost their immune systems and apply aloe-vera comfrey gel topically for itch relief. We also use Vitamin E.

I always have the feeling that dogs with mange have not been touched for a long time, and how they must need it. Just look at this little girl thriving under Christine's gentle caress.

The Kiss

2007-11-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

Teaching a puppy the proper way to kiss is a canine life lesson upon which we place a great deal of importance. We practice over and over again, with multiple puppies of all ages, different sizes, and varied techniques.

One look at this photo, and it's immediately apparent just how powerful a good puppy kiss can be. Judi, the lucky recipient of Booda's tender ministrations, is utterly absorbed in a soft, perfect moment.

Got a good hairdresser?

2007-11-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

I'm Lil' Mo Mohawk (aka Oricha).

Lots of folks find it hard to believe that I had to go back to a guy who was witnessed abusing me.

If only I could speak.

One sweet moment for Mo

2007-11-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Mo, in a rare, still moment, pauses long enough to receive some love from Sarah Jo.

This little dog's owner was witnessed beating him and was subsequently charged with misdemeanor cruelty. The case went to trial, but the jury hung (6-6). The District Attorney's Office initially made the decision to refile, but then abruptly dismissed the case.

We don't know why. We don't know why little Mo will be going back to the same owner. The futility and sorrow we feel cannot be measured.

The correlation between animal cruelty and cruelty towards human beings has been sadly and profoundly documented. When will we learn what justice for all means? Mo is just one little dog, but he counts. Everybeing does.

Give a Dog a Bone on Exhibit

2007-10-24T14:44:00.001-07:00

For anyone who's interested there's an exhibit of Give a Dog a Bone black and white photographs at CitiPets in West Portal (183 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco CA 94127). These are portraits I've taken of some of our dogs over the last few years. Prints are for sale and proceeds will go to GADAB. You can check out all the images in this gallery and buy prints from it, too.

Tito and Booda

2007-10-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

I love explaining what GADAB is all about to people who ask what we do when we volunteer at the shelter. Most people don't think about the dogs behind the scenes-the dogs that are at the shelter for legal reasons and aren't up for adoption. Some of these dogs may become available for adoption, depending on the circumstances, and some may not. I try not to focus on that when we go hang out with the dogs...dogs live in the moment, and during our time at the shelter, so do we.

We started to volunteer for GADAB because we have two pit bulls at home, and have special love for any dog that has had a hard past, a bad reputation, or rough circumstances. My boy Po would have had a really hard time if he had ever ended up at the shelter. He was a street dog and had outsmarted all of the people trying to catch him. He had been abused, that was obvious, and it took him a long time to trust people again. Our dog Puddin' spent 3 months at the Berkeley shelter. She had been bred and dumped in the night drop box. We love these dogs more than anything, and because we have a little extra love, we like to share it with the GADAB dogs.

Tito is an amazing boy. He reminds me so much of one of Po's old friends, Monty. He's brindle, athletic, and a bit of a goof. SJ and I had taken him out before, and Saturday we took him out with Corinne. Such a happy boy, he likes to play fetch, tug-o-war, and chase the water from the hose. Corinne is amazing, and we have been learning so, so much about dogs through this program. Saturday, we learned about the psychology of tug-o-war, and when the game is being played well and when a dog is playing with their own rules. "We are not here to be play slaves" was the lesson of the day, and time and time again, Tito had to ask nicely, and play nicely, in order to play games with us. We learned that, during tug, the dog is not allowed to "move up" the rope with his mouth, and if he does, the game is over. He also had to sit before each tug session; if he jumped up, the game wouldn't start. Tito was a star, and we had a great play session. He's one happy dog, and he definitely makes the most of his time in the yard.

Our last visit of the day took us to the puppy room. Looking down, I saw a little chub of a puppy that about hurt my heart. Now, I love puppies, but this puppy....he was like a piece of candy. Beautiful eyes, wagging tail, and puppy breath...pure pit bull terrier sweetness. Corinne showed us the proper way to socialize and handle puppies...including handling techniques, the right way to deal with climbing and jumping, and a little bit of clicker training. Booda was the perfect puppy student, and made sure to kiss and lick our faces before we left. This is one little guy I have to visit during my lunch hour...I can't get enough of that puppy smell.

GADAB is an amazing program, and we're lucky to be part of it. Being a positive part of these dogs' lives is really a feel-good experience, and on top of that...we get to hang out with dogs all morning. It's a win-win situation!

Stoney aka Coco aka ??

2007-10-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

"What's your name now?", I wonder. Have they discovered your vast repertoire of ball talents? Even if they haven't found them all yet, I'm sure they will grow to love you as much as we did/do. A cheerful lass by nature, affectionate, graceful as a gazelle, and so much fun to play with, I was happy as I've ever been when the San Francisco SPCA took a good look at you and placed you in Maddie's Pet Adoption Center. A subsequent visit revealed that you were a staff favorite over there too, and then the next time I came to visit, you were gone. Some lucky person wanted you to share their home and baby, you made it. Bless us, you made it. You go, big lovely girl. Have a great life with your new family.

Give a Dog a Bone's Position on Michael Vick

2007-08-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

We at Give a Dog a Bone are outraged and sickened by the dog fighting and animal cruelty allegations brought against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and his subsequent guilty plea.

Sadly, it's naïve to think that such violence occurs only in certain regions of the country or in rural areas. Here in San Francisco, the most humane city in the country according to the Humane Society of the United States, we see the effects of dog fighting and attend to its victims
on a regular basis.

Give a Dog a Bone, a pioneering environmental enrichment program, cares for long term shelter dogs at San Francisco Animal Care and Control. Dogs, especially pit bulls, who have been used in fighting are among those we care for. We also care for dogs who have been subjected to felony cruelty, similar to those in the Vick case.

Our program ensures these dogs have kind human contact, yummy treats, rawhides or bones to chew on, soft blankets to sleep on, and clean quarters. We give these dogs affection, and strive to relieve their suffering and stress by giving them outlets for natural dog behavior. Additionally, we engage in training which the dogs look forward to. In short, within the confines and constraints of a shelter, we try to provide these dogs with the love and affection each companion animal deserves.

There is no doubt that even dogs "bred to fight" suffer terribly -- they would not and do not choose this life for themselves. Dogs are by nature social predators—that is, they survive by collaboration with each other, not by fighting each other to the death. Breeding dogs to fight is a perversion of this essential nature.

Dog fighting is unspeakably cruel, and we at Give a Dog a Bone work for the day when animal cruelty no longer exists.

Guilty.

2007-08-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Michael Vick story has made a mess of me. At home, I’m banned from cnn.com and I’m not supposed to watch the news. But it’s pretty much illegal to drive around San Francisco without NPR on and I can’t bring myself to turn the dial. So I manage to hear the latest.

My question to the NFL: What are you waiting for? If I found out that someone who worked for me – even if he was my star employee – enjoyed abusing and killing animals, I wouldn’t hire him to clean my toilet. Dump Vick. Don’t let him near a dog, a fish, or a fly. Don’t let him water a houseplant.

And how is it that he’s being commended for “doing the right thing” by pleading guilty? He only did so when it was clear the evidence against him was strong enough to yield a conviction. What a coward. It's not ok to torture people, and it's not ok to torture animals. The "just a dog" argument sickens me. Suffering is suffering -- no species should have to endure it for the sake of another's entertainment.

As for apologizing to everyone, those he hurt the most will never get an apology (as if that could undo the torture that was inflicted anyway). Vick isn’t sorry for anything other than getting caught. This was not a one-time mistake. This was not an error in judgment. Hanging a dog takes forethought. Electrocuting a dog takes planning. Starving a dog takes persistence and determination. These were choices Vick made again and again, not a one-time act done out of carelessness.

And as for Vick’s potential, yeah, it truly is a waste. He’s a failure as a human being.

And in Some States, Merely a Misdemeanor

2007-07-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

I wonder how long it will be before I get used to seeing suffering. This week was particularly unbearable. Sage was so emaciated, I was shocked he could even stand up. And Angel's tumor had become so large, the skin around it was broken, exposing a football-sized mass of blood, bone, guts, and bacteria. At Give a Dog a Bone, we frequently see the victims of neglect and cruelty, but rarely do we see the perpetrators. Maybe that's for the best. If Michael Vick is guilty of the crimes he's been accused of, he deserves worse than anything I could inflict. Had his property been in San Francisco, his surviving dogs would now be in custody, in our care. So instead of hoping for justice that can never be served (no matter what Vick's sentence, it won't erase the torture these dogs endured), I'll throw the tennis ball for Trixie, one of the many pit bulls at ACC now. Living in a tiny kennel, with 20 minutes in the park on a good day, it's hard to believe she is one of the lucky ones.

Picture of the Week

2007-07-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

More of What We Do

2007-07-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

A lot of the GADAB dogs have to be interacted with through a kennel door - they've either not been cleared by the staff behaviorist for direct human interaction or they've failed a temperament test. In either case, we take maximum advantage of the situation to work as closely with the dog as we can. A lot depends on them. If they're shut down or scared all we can do at first is use short visits to gain their trust. If they're more affiliative we can engage them in all sorts of behaviors and even train them to sit, stay, fetch, and high-five. Junior, seen here, is an example of the latter. We've trained him to retrieve a ball and release it on command. The back-scratcher on the floor in the foreground is used to scratch his ears as a form of reward.

What We Do Here

2007-07-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Teaching ours dogs new behaviors is one of the many things we do at GADAB. Training custody dogs, especially puppies, gives them much-needed mental stimulation and focus, something that can be very fleeting in the din of a noisy, crowded kennel. For dogs cleared to go outside to the shelter park we often introduce them to agility behaviors such as the obstacle run you see little Beefcake running through here.

Way to Go Red!!!! You're adopted

2007-06-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Every time I spotted our little pal, renamed Red, I'd bend down as he came up towards me for a mutual love fest, and I'd wonder to myself, "now why is this is this sweet little guy still here"?

Well, just the other day, it was all made sense to me as I met his new family on their way out the shelter door with Red proudly showing off his new pack. Not only was it abundantly clear that his new daddies and his new canine buddy were not only thrilled to have finally found Red (they've been looking for ages for a good fit), but they subsequently called and could not say enough about how happy everyone was - all sleeping together, dogs busily wrestling and bustling around the house, walks are frequent, all hands on deck with affection, and - does this sound a bit like true love? Well, as one of our trainers said," Maybe Red knew they'd be coming along and has just been waiting for them". Good pick, little buddy - have a great life, I can feel it.

We're Jumping For Joy

2007-05-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Give a Dog a Bone would like to extend a thankful paw to the good folks at the Severns Family Foundation for their generous grant to GADAB. We appreciate their ongoing support and interest in what we do. Their contribution will help us not only continue to improve the quality of life for the long-term shelter dogs at the San Francisco municipal shelter but also allow GADAB to better share its practices with other animal agencies nationwide.

The Best and the Worst of People

2007-05-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a feel-good entry. I was still on sort of a high from last Friday afternoon's shelter tour. It made me so proud to show off our hard work and to demonstrate what a difference our program is making. To illustrate that point, I was going to write about today's session in the park with Trouble (above). In her months with us, she'd gone from ill-mannered and a bit bratty to a dog that can now control her impulses, even enjoying a quiet moment of affection once in a while. I was planning a clever title for the entry. Something about Trouble actually being her middle name.

But as is my routine, when I got home from the shelter, I sat down at my laptop and jumped online. I checked my usual handful of sites, and against my better judgement, clicked on a headline I knew better than to pursue. I could barely get through the story, I felt so sick. Sick to the point of thinking I was going to vomit. I began having those non-sensical thoughts one has when one hears something terrible, like trying to figure out a way to take every meal I'd ever overeaten and somehow transmit it to that starving dog. It didn't matter that it wasn't possible, that it doesn't even make sense.

Amazingly, the dog did not die -- the story has a happy ending. But I'm not satisfied. I want the man responsible for this to pay. Because we live in a society in which cruel and unusual punishment is not acceptable (even when appropriate), my wish that he be made to starve to half his normal weight will not come to be. So instead I will point readers here and support organizations that make more of an impact than one anonymous blogger.

It's been hours since I first came upon the article; it's taken that long for me to get my head around it. It occurs to me that I haven't eaten since I left for the shelter at ten o'clock this morning. Not even a full day, but I'm suddenly uncomfortably, painfully hungry.

His 15 Minutes

2007-05-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Splinter is aptly named. His image sticks with me (and it hurts a little). The highlight of Splinter's day is the 15-minute walk we do around the shelter; he's heart-broken when we return to his kennel. Affectionate and full of energy, he deserves so much more than I or any of the volunteers can give him. He deserves a family. Sometimes I wonder if he'll ever have the chance to roll around in real grass or fall asleep in an actual home. Five months old, and already his pitbull label puts him at a disadvantage. There's a strong possibility he'll never leave the shelter. Only 23 hours and 45 minutes until that kennel door opens again. The wait must feel interminable.

We Meet Again

2007-05-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

She's unmistakeable. Those eyes. That tongue. Once she left the shelter, I honestly never expected to think about Lilli Bear again, let alone see her. It's not that I didn't like her -- in her months with GADAB I did develop a fondness for her. But we see so many dogs and not every one becomes the sort that embeds himself in your consciousness and never fades away. When her owner redeemed her, I wished the best for Lilli Bear; I hoped her time after her stint in the shelter would be better than her time prior to it, but my focus turned to the dogs still in custody.

When I saw her on the street, it was like running into a friend from a past life. "Lilli Bear!" I cried. But she and her owner hurried along, and I was left standing there, stunned and unnerved. "I know that dog!" I shouted to no one in particular. People began to give themselves an unnecessarily wide berth as they passed me. After a moment, I continued toward home.

Sometimes at the shelter I get sloppy with my handling. I'll let a dog jump on me more than he should or I won't ask for eye contact before bestowing a treat. Corinne reminds me that the greatest gifts we can give these dogs (in addition to comfort and affection) are the tools to help them when they leave our care. We can teach them manners. We can show them tricks. We can equip them with behaviors that perhaps will endear them to the people they ultimately go home to. Just maybe those behaviors will prevent people from mistreating them. Maybe. As for Lilli Bear, I don't know if our work with her has any affect on the way she's treated now. I do know that her coat appeared shiny and her demeanor seemed relaxed. I can only hope she's living the life she deserves.

I Hate Posts Like This

2007-05-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

The happiness of Little Papa's good news is unfortunately dampened a bit by what I have to share about Bear - the pitbull who came in with LP on the same cruelty case. Bear was euthanized after being officially surrendered to Animal Care and Control and subsequently failing her handling tests. As was the case with Momo and Minna earlier in the year this is a heartbreaker. We worked hard with Bear while she was with us the last 6 months and she came a long way. Unfortunately, she deteriorated behaviorwise from being in the shelter for so long and even the attention we gave wasn't enough to counteract the effects of longterm custody on her. I'll think of bear every time I see a tennis ball (she loved fetch) or a garden hose (chasing water was close second to tennis balls). Farewell, Bear. I hope you've met someone who can throw a ball a few miles for you.

I Love Posts Like This

2007-04-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes me happier than passing on a happy ending. We have one for one of our longtime guests, Little Papa, a spunky brindle boxer who came to us in November for a cruelty case along with his friend Bear, a pitbull. Their case ended recently with them both being surrendered over to the shelter -- this was a good outcome since their home was not a good place to be . For Little Papa, it's the best outcome. He's very adoptable and I'm sure will find a good home - in fact, he's already passed his medical and temperament tests and been moved over to the available animals section of the shelter. If you know anyone interested in adopting a loveable goof of a dog that needs tons of exercise and no small children in the house, please pass this along.

His Name Is Radar

2007-04-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last Friday on my way out of the animal hospital, a small, frightened pit bull was making his way in. Huge patches of fur were either hanging off of him or missing completely, and deep cuts ran across his throat and chest. All four legs were spotted with pink open sores, some the size of quarters, and his right front leg appeared dislocated, horribly swollen, or both. A vet technician spoke lovingly to him as she coaxed him through the door. She told me that the dog had been born and bred to fight. Apparently he'd lost this bout and was dumped on the street to die.

All weekend, he drifted in and out of my thoughts; like many of the dogs I work with, he appeared in my dreams. When he was well enough to travel, I knew he would wind up here at ACC, and on Monday when I came in, there he was, gazing at me from his makeshift bed in his kennel. Woozy from pain medication, he looked nearly as roughed up as he had two days ago. Still, I was overjoyed to see him. As I crouched in next to him, he moved slowly and deliberately closer to me. I stayed there stroking him a long time, avoiding his wounds and his injured leg. He nuzzled into me so intensely, a bit of his patchy fur remained stuck to my sweatshirt when I finally pulled away.

On Tuesday, he seemed better. Or maybe I just wanted him to seem better. When I went in to sit, his appetite instantaneously returned and he began eating the kibble he'd thus far left untouched. I told him I knew he was a gentle dog, and I promised he'd never be made to fight again. On Wednesday his tail wagged as I approached his kennel. Limping, he walked the few steps to greet me. I worried to see him struggling out of his bed, but I was thrilled he felt strong enough to attempt it. On Friday he licked peanut butter off of my fingers and seemed to smile, the way dogs do, as I cooed and pet him.

Today, Saturday, it rained, and the shelter felt gray and cold in those morning hours. As usual, we snuggled for a long long time, he and on his bed and me sitting beside him, so close I felt each breath come in and out. I worried about his injured leg, but each time I'd shift to give him space, he moved closer to me, his brown eyes sorrowful, yet somehow brimmed with hope. "You're so beautiful," I told him. "You didn't deserve this."

I got the phone call a few hours later; a decision had been made. A scared dog, wary of humans, he'd be euthanized within the hour. Because the sadness stung so acutely, I tried to focus on the indignation: born to be abused, made to fight, sentenced to a life of pain and cruelty. I had wanted so badly for this dog to be the exception, to somehow prove that a week of tenderness could erase the fear. That he could know, finally, a happier life. The sense of injustice is overwhelming. I can't find any meaning in it, and writing about it doesn't help.

But at least I can keep my promise. He'll never fight again.

Red, the rocket dog

2007-04-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Who says long legs make for the best runners? Barely off the ground, he's across the park and back within a few blurry seconds. That's Red. A miniature pinscher-dachshund mix, he's not especially lean, not particularly leggy, but not to be underestimated when it comes to speed. He zooms past me, darting at the bird in the far tree, and an instant later he's back investigating the noise coming through the other side of the fence. Red's owner is in the hospital, and with no one to take care of him during this time, we give him the closest thing we can here to a home. And he gives me something too: a pretty good workout during our spirited games of chase. You can guess who wins.

Dog of the Week

2007-04-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Meet Jeckel. He's a very smart, highly energetic pitbull mix. He loves running, playing fetch and is extremely trainable. He's also a very typical Give a Dog a Bone resident -- he joined us for a few weeks while his owner was in jail. Since there were no friends or family to take care of him, Jeckel came to Animal Care and Control and was put under GADAB's care.

Put the Word Out For Gracie

2007-03-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

Folks who've visited this blog before may recognize Gracie. She came in with a litter of 5 and her mom at the beginning of this year. She's now in a foster home but needs a permanent pack.

You can find out more details about her and who to contact at Home At Last Rescue

Sweet on Brownie

2007-03-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with a dog named Brownie. She's shy and soulful, just like the guys who made me swoon in high school. When we get out to the park, she doesn't zoom back and forth, like Lilli, or immediately attack the first tennis ball she sees, like Bear. She sniffs around cautiously, meticulously, and perks her ears at the sound of passing skateboards. She takes her time. There is a wisdom about her.

Unlike the boys in high school, Brownie's always got one eye on me. She checks in often for long stints of petting and cooing. I sit in the grass -- er... astroturf -- and she nuzzles into my shoulder. It's hot out today, but she nudges closer and closer until I'm trapped between her mass of pit bull muscle and the park fence. We sit together in the shade like that until it's time to go back inside.