The American Dog Magazine - Spring 2011 by The American Dog Magazine

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ven’s Pearly Gates H ea

When you get to the Pearly Gate of Heaven, don’t forget to look down to the base for the Doggie Door because all dogs go to Heaven. Doggie Door If you read the last Solid Gold ad explaining the damage that GMO (not God Move Over) but genetically modified organism did to chickens/ eggs and crops, then you know that there are far-reaching consequences. 90% of all corn has been Genetically Modified to be unable to reproduce (called Terminator Corn). This forced farmers to buy new corn every year rather than saving this year’s seeds to plant next year. This Terminator Corn was fed to some chickens in the mid-west, it weakened their immune systems. Their eggs became infected with salmonella poisoning and the eggs were recalled. Soon after, the chickens died of salmonella poison. The farmers ground up the chickens and sold them to some dog food companies. Solid Gold has never had a chicken-based dry dog food. A few years ago, we were going to put one out. But then came the bird/avian flu and chicken-based foods were pulled off the shelves. Solid Gold waited for years for safety reasons. In the spring of 2010, Solid Gold Sundancer chicken-based dog food was being developed. Suddenly, the news warned that chicken-based dry dog foods were pulled off the shelves due to chicken salmonella poisoning. Two well-known American dog foods were banned worldwide. Then, things got worse. Some mills didn’t clean out their machines after they made the chicken-based dog foods. So when the venison, duck or rabbit food became cross-contaminated with salmonella, dogs got sick. They were told to clean out their warehouses and ran big sales to get rid of the food quickly. They couldn’t tell which were contaminated and which were not. If you had a dirty pot in your kitchen, you wouldn’t put food into it until you cleaned it out. But some dog food companies did just that. History – In 1975, Solid Gold produced the first natural dog food in the U.S., Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken (lamb & fish). It had been a top seller in Germany for 20 years. Then, other dog foods copied us. In 1985, Solid Gold produced the first holistic dog food in the U.S. Fish is the only source of protein at 18%. It is called Holistique Blendz and it is suitable for older dogs and dogs with a white coat, who do well on reduced protein due to photo-aging. Other dog food companies copied us. In 2000, we produced the first bison and salmon dog food – Wolf King, Wolf Cub and Just a Wee Bit for the smaller dog. We used only hook and line caught wild salmon. If small salmon were caught, they were thrown back. Other companies copied us. But they used big nets. Soon, Alaskan wild caught salmon were fished out. We were told that only farmed salmon was now available. We said “NEVER.” Farmed salmon are fed GMO Terminator Corn. The corn can’t reproduce. The salmon which were fed this, are sterile and cannot reproduce. The dogs fed this salmon also cannot reproduce. That was the end of wild caught Alaskan Salmon. A lady who raises Pomeranians said that for the last two years, she had not been able to get any litters. She had fed a salmon based dog food, which was fed GMO corn. Solid Gold now gets its fish from the cold-waters of the East Coast- nothing farmed. (Atlantic salmon oil) Some poultry farms sold the chicken manure to farmers. Within a few months, cilantro and celery from these farms were recalled for salmonella poisoning. Some dairy farms bought the chicken manure for their pastures. The cows developed pus in their udders, developed cancer tumors and died young. Whenever Solid Gold feels that chicken is safe to use, you will see our sparkling purple Sundancer bags. We are also introducing Chia/Salba ingredients into the food. Chia is called the Ancient Grain of the Future. Chia is frequently seen as a clay head with green grasses growing out of it. But it is much more than a decoration. Chia has the ability for endurance, and when mixed with water, it heals wounds. It helps with diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions and bone and joint problems. Solid Gold uses hermetically sealed/vacuumed packaged bags, so we don’t use any chemical preservatives. After you open the bag, close it with a clothes pins or bag clips. Do not pour the contents out into another container. Pouring exposes it to air. Solid Gold is the best pet food you can feed your dog. Look for Sundancer this spring. To receive a free catalogue and a list of stores near you, call (619)258-7356, M, W, F 10am to 5pm, California time. NOW FOR A CUTE STORY Farmer Jones was the most negative man in the world. Farmer Smith was his next door neighbor and a very happy fellow. “Ain’t a beautiful day?” Farmer Smith would smile “Huh! “replied Farmer Jones “If it don’t rain soon, the corns going to burn” Next day: Ain’t’ it nice it’s raining? asks Farmer Smith, “Huh! If it don’t stop soon the corn’s going to drown” replied Farmer Jones. One thing the two had in common was their love of duck hunting. They would compete vigoursly every day and took pride in their hunting dogs. Yes, every year Farmer Jones proved to be the best man with the best dogs. Then, one year, Farmer Smith got the best hunting dog he had ever come across.“Just wait until Farmer Jones sees this-he’s gotta say something positive.” And so they went duck hunting. As luck would have it, a flock of ducks flew overhead, Farmer Smith took a shot and a duck dropped right in the middle of the pond. “Watch this.” he grinned at Farmer Jones. “Dawg-go get that duck” he ordered his new dog. The dog ran nimbly to the edge of the pond, and without breaking stride, walked on top of the water, picked the duck up, walked back to shore and deposited the duck at Farmer Smith’s feet, with not a feather out of place. “Well” smiled Farmer Smith “What do you think of my new dog?” “Huh!” answered Farmer Jones “dumb dog can’t even swim.” Solid Gold is the only dog food company that is a member of the Organic Trade Association, the American Nutraceutical Association, the Medicinal Food Association, Nutraceutical Foods Association and the Life Extension Association.

For a catalog or store near you, call or email us at: (619) 258-7356 or (619) 258-1914 (M-F 10-5 PST) or E-mail us at sarah@solidgoldhealth.com or www.solidgoldhealth.com Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, the Holistic Animal Nutrition Center 1331 N. Cuyamaca El Cajon, CA 92020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPRING 2010

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1

22 14 20 26

Love the Pitties! Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Sharing Smooches! Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Take A Walk On The Wild Side! Style, Design, Play Time, & Fashion Arts & Crafts Valentine’s Day Cards for the Dog

photo by JaMie DoWney

Cover Story At Home With The American Dog’s Bad Boy Chester and Cassie!

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

No Worries

Having Fun

Living Life

Simple Pleasures

Be Happy

Time To Unwind

Sheer Bliss

Enjoy The Moment

American Dog Cooking Club

Need Some Advice?

57 58

Bad Boy Chester’s Rules!

Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Dog Pics From Facebook Fans Dog Pics From Facebook Fans - chicken breast and carrots - meatballs and spinach - Alaskan salmon and peas - chicken breasts and green beans - turkey sausage, squash & carrots - steak with spinach and eggs Ask Bad Boy Chester! Courage: Courthouse Canines

Advanced nutrition for senior dogs Dogs can benefit from specialized senior formulas as early as age six-or a little older for smaller breeds. Innova® Senior, New California Natural® Senior and New EVO® Senior dog foods are specifically enhanced nutritional formulas created to help keep your senior dog living as young as he feels.

Added Ingredients to Support Senior Health

To learn more about senior nutrition and how it can help your dog visit: naturapet.com

Innova, California Natural and EVO Products are sold at Independent Pet Specialty Stores. “EVO”, “California Natural” and “Innova” are registered trademarks and “The Ancestral Diet Meets Modern Nutrition” and “Pure & Simple” are trademarks of Natura Pet Products, Inc. ©2011 Natura Pet Products, Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPRING 2010

6 1

Entrepreneur: Lisa Burns

Dr’s Corner

Founder of Eye Envy Gastric Dilatation Volvulus

Education:

Philanthropist:

Investing in Your New Adoption Madeleine Pickens Compassion: Dr. John Pippin

Devotion:

Inspire:

Champion:

Trail Blazer:

Protect:

Passion:

True Grit:

Action:

Monica “Mo” Ailey Tara Harper Dr. Ellen Jefferson Nathan Winograd

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1

Ist Annual Humanitarian

Awards (top three winners in each category)

112 Bedtime Books 114 Dog Parent Families:

Debra and Bryan with Legend

115 Dog Parent Families:

Julie McClaren and Nut

116 Dog Parent Families:

Sheri-lyn and Scott Shepler

117 Everyday Doggie Heroes: Deirdre Franklin

118 Happily Ever After:

Cathy Petrosky and Keller

121 Happily Ever After:

Nicole Pelkey and Kira

122 Happily Ever After:

Julie Leroy and Cuda

photo BY JAMIE DOWNey

Valerie Hayes Bett Sundermeyer Best Friends Animal Society Scotlund Haisley

10 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

painting by Jen Griggs-Sebastian of ScoutDog Studios

FOUNDER / PUBLISHER

JAMIE M DOWNEY

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

HEATHER GREEN

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

SHARYN BERGLUND

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

NANCY ALLEN

EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR

JAMIE M DOWNEY LAUREN WINEBERG KELLY MAYER MICHAEL ANTONE

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER

HEATHER GREEN

SENIOR EDITOR

DAVID REVIERTER

MANAGING EDITOR

CASEY RODARBAL

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

SONDRA LEVINE

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

DEBORAH JOHNSON

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

JAMIE M DOWNEY KIM THORNTON

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

JAMIE M DOWNEY

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

JOHN HADDOCK

BUSINESS MANAGER SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER WEB SITE MANAGER

ANN JAMISON EMMA BROWN JEN GRIGGS-SEBASTIAN

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: HEATHER GREEN, JAMIE DOWNEY, KRISTINA BOWMAN, CAROL VIZCARRA, BECKY SNODGRASS, CLIFFORD BLIZARD, SAVANNAH LIGHTFOOT, CAROL GUZY, JORDAN JOHNSON, ABE ORTIZ, LISA PRESNAIL, TARA PETROSKY, NICOLE PELKEY, VALERIE FERNANDEZ CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: JANICE ARENOFSKY, SAHSA LEVINE, DR. KATHERINE, TUCKER-MOHL, DOUG AND ELIZABETH SIMPSON, TAMRA MONAHAN, NATHAN WINOGRAD, VALERIE HAYES, BETT SUNDERMEYER, GREGORY CASTLE, SCOTLUND HAISLEY, NANCY ALLEN, CATHY PETROSKY, NICOLE PELKEY, JULIE LEROY HOW TO REACH US: The Dog Publishing, DBA: The American Dog 20269 E. Smoky Hill Rd. #B-136 Centennial, CO 80015 Phone: (303) 840-6111 (Colorado) info@theamericandogmag.com www.theamericandogmag.com For advertising inquiries advertise@theamericandogmag.com Letters to the Editor/Story Ideas: Email to: editor@theamericandogmag.com

Subscription rate is $20 per year within the United States, Add $20 postage per year for Canadian subscriptions. We do not ship to foreign countries. U.S. funds only. Subscribe online: www.theamericandogmag.com

Subscribers: If the postal service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Email change of address to: subscribe@theamericandogmag.com Postmaster: Please forward change of address to: The Dog Publishing 20269 E. Smoky Hill Rd. #B-136 Centennial, CO 80015 Copyright 2011 No part of this publication may be reproduced without expressed written permission of the publisher. No part may be transmitted in any form by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Publisher accepts no liability for solicited or unsolicited materials that are damaged or lost. Views expressed by editorial contributors do not necessarily reямВect the views of the publisher.

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

The Meat, Not the Potatoes of Grain Free Diets! CANIDAE GRAIN FREE The perfect choice for wholesome nutrition and increased energy. All natural holistic formulas made in the USA from only the highest quality ingredients. 80% of Total Protein from Meats and Fish 20% from Vegetables and Fruits Grain Free ALS formula    

Grain Free Salmon formula     with no corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions or fillers, and Naturally Preserved!

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LOVE THE PITTIES

Bella & Fitz

Raja

Riley & Reme

Petey

Queen Latifah

Bron

Rosie

Apollo

Max

Xena

Zoey

14 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

LOVE THE PITTIES

Calpurnia

Smiley

Gabby

Panda

Piper

Dolly

Ozzy

Daisy

Peyton

Lexie

Raven

Buzz

16 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

LOVE THE PITTIES

Missy

Dee Dee

Apollo

Chloe

Bella

Blue

Sadie

Sarge

Trooper

Dolly

Wilson

Oscar

18 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

Celebrating the media ... Celebrating animals Each year, The Genesis Awards honors outstanding individuals in the major news and entertainment media whose artistry and journalistic integrity have raised public awareness of animal issues. In paying tribute to the best in media coverage, past and present, The 25th Anniversary Genesis Awards will celebrate the progress that has been made on behalf of all animals. Come be a part of a very special celebration. For ticket information, call 310-440-0600, or visit humanesociety.org/genesis.

Saturday, March 19, 2011 Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Los Angeles, CA

PRESENTED BY

SHARING SMOOCHES

Anna

Annam

arie &

& Zeus

Schoon

Spirit & Debra John & Sampson

Ama

phy

ur a&M

Dave & T

asha

ada Joy & Pr 20

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

Gerr

Lou

SHARING SMOOCHES

Angela & Gus Elysa

Cathy Mickelsen & Otter

Jessica & Jack

llie

Jon & O

Kissing Booth

Pinky , r e f i n Jen Emma &

Carol

& Osc

Amy & Jasper The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

COVER STORY

photo By Heather Green

AT HOME

WITH THE AMERICAN DOG’S BAD BOY CHESTER AND CASSIE! GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THESE TWO DOGS AS THEIR MAMA, PUBLISHER JAMIE DOWNEY, SHARES SOME PICS OF HER KIDS HANGING OUT IN THEIR HABITAT!

Chester loves to get comfy on his big oversized chair after dinner and watch his favorite TV shows!

22 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

photo By Heather Green

Chester loves to hang out under the dining table and take a nap before it’s time to go swimming!

This is Cassie’s favorite spot after dinner where she can stretch out and relax on the sofa!

COVER STORY

CASSIE CASSIE is a former shelter dog who was picked up as a stray in southern Illinois and dumped at a shelter. She was just two days away from being gassed to death when a guardian angel, Illeana Pullos, from Fortunate Lab Rescue pulled her to safety. Illeana emailed Publisher Jamie Downey a photo of the 45-lb emaciated dog, and Jamie immediately adopted her on the spot! Fast forward two years, and Cassie now weighs 75 pounds and lives the life of a princess! photos BY JAMIE DOWNey

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 23

COVER STORY

CHESTER Chester lives by four words: It’s all about Chester! He just turned eight years old and still acts like a puppy! He absolutely loves to swim and enjoys his tennis balls even more - in the pool! This lucky dog gets to swim for an hour every day and go to the park and play tennis—because it really is all about Chester! By the way, Chester has his own Facebook page at “Bad Boy Chester.” photos BY JAMIE DOWNey

24 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE!

Style

Dogo Design EasyGo: Leopard Harness www.dogodesign.com

New Age Pet Safari Collection www.newagepet.net/pawproof.php

“Save the Pack” Collar and Leash www.wagginggreen.com

Black Leopard Teacup Dog Bowl Set www.dogchewz.com

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

Take A Walk On The Wild Side!

Design

Jax and Bones Giraffe Pillow Bed

Jax and Bones Giraffe Lounge Bed

www.jaxandbones.com

Pet Flys Pet Steps www.petflys.com

Pet Flys Uncle Monkey Pet Carriers

Pet Flys Snow Leopard & Cream Snuggle Bug

www.petflys.com

Kimlor Round Zebra Bed www.kimlor.com

Puppy Hugger Plush & Jaguar Cuddle Pet Blanket www.puppyhuggers.com

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 27

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE!

Play Time

Charming Pet Products Jungle Balloon Collection

Jax and Bones Good Karma Rope Toys

Jess & Co. Wild Style Giraffe Bone

www.petsockmonster.com

www.jaxandbones.com

www.jessandco.com

Pet SockMonster

Go Dog Fun Jungle Pride Dog Toys

www.petsockmonster.com

www.godogfun.com

Kong Tugger Knots

Kong BraidZ

Kyjen Invincible Snakes

www.kongcompany.com

www.kyjen.com

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

www.mouthfuls.net Just Chicken  Nutritious white chicken breast meat  Low-fat, quality protein  High-value training treat

ts e p y k c i n i f s! i h t Your r fo g e b will We include free samples With every Web order

A Website & Store for Pets and the People Who Love Them www.mouthfuls.net • mouthfuls@worldnet.att.net 4224 Tennyson St. • Denver, CO 80212 • 720.855.7505

Take A Walk On The Wild Side!

Fashion

Leopard Hoodie Tank

Punk Zebra Hoodie

www.dogodesign.com

Leopard & Zebra Hooded Sweater and Blanket Set www.furrme.com

Lush Leopard Coat www.scootersfriends.com

Jess & Co. Rosa Dress

Jess & Co. Giraffe Hoodie

www.jessandco.com

30 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

ARTS & CRAFTS

You’re

Sweet! DOGGONE

HOT DAWG! I WOOF YOU!

Be Mine. No Bones about it ...

I DIG YOU!

Will you be my

SOULMUTT?

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

Illustrations created by www.scoutdogstudios.com The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

ARTS & CRAFTS

TO:

FROM:

MESSAGE:

TO:

FROM:

MESSAGE:

Illustrations created by www.scoutdogstudios.com 34 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

NO WORRIES! Kim Bentley’s 3-pack

Mimi & Toby

Remington

Tino Sanchez’s Pittie Crew

Riley 36

Huck & Lily

Moki

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

Puff

HAVING FUN! Cookie

Dexter

Dixie & Grace

Dachshund Puppies

Oscar & Chloe Snuggles & Nike

Casey & the Little Chief Kasper

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

Reme & Riley

custom paintings & illustrationss

greeting cards

! W S M E N N TO IO

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pet id tags

home decor

S AT U C TR S U LL

Shilo & Achilles

Winter Park, Colorado

In addition to offering custom pet paintings, ScoutDog Studios now offers custom illustrations. Working from photos to capture the unique characteristics of your pet in an illustration, you will receive a the custom drawing.

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LIVING LIFE!

Libby, Paige, Milo, Jed & Sadie

Beau Loevner

Jemma & Jaxx

Shelly & Tigger Nelson & Chip

Ziegen, Shadow & Gustav Paver

Phoebe

Deacon Doodle Smith The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

SIMPLE PLEASURES! Molly

Charlton Dane

Ritz & Gio

Archie Tino Sanchezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pittie Crew

Petey

Sasha 42

Trixie & Oreo

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

PHOTO BY CAROL VIZCARRA

Phoebe

BE HAPPY!

Gibbs

Charlton Dane

Gustav

Jewel & Diesel

Dusty Mowgli

Dozer Rupert Davis

Max & Bindi 44

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

TIME TO UNWIND! Feathers

Gianna Marie & Leonardo Souza

Robin, Riley & Raja Tiberius

Grizzly

Dandi & Missy

Daphne

Kathy Deegan’s Crew

Tino Sanchez’s Pittie Crew

Trooper & BeBop

Gus The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

SHEER BLISS! Ziggy

Bella

Ritz & Gio Sassy

Hannah

Robin

Gus

Raja

Moki

Lexie 46

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

Your in vitation for fun ! The sun is warm, the birds are chirping and it’s time to play! While you’re away from home, Beds N’ Biscuits is the 4219 Xenon St. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (1-70 and Ward Road) Open 7 days a week: Day care: Mon. – Fri. Boarding: Mon. – Fri. Sat. Sun.

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Bandit Rubio

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Daisy

Bruno and Chico 48

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

Harley & Sadie

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The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

AMERICAN DOG COOKING CLUB

The American Dog Magazine Publisher, Jamie M Downey, enjoys cooking for her dogs and she wanted to share some of the delicious meals she prepares in the kitchen for her ravenous canine kids! Labs love to chow down, and then eat some more, and her dogsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favorite room is the kitchen! Come on over to the American Dog Cooking Club and join in the fun to meet other canine chefs with recipes and tips on cooking for your dog!

CHICKEN BREAST AND CARROTS

PH O TO BY JA M IE D O W N EY

CHICKEN BREAST AND CARROTS The American Dog recommends SOLID GOLD kibble to go with the chicken breast and carrots for dinner! For more information visit www.americandogcookingclub.com

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

INHALE

MEATBALLS AND SPINACH

W DO

MEATBALLS AND SPINACH The American Dog recommends INNOVA kibble to go with the meatballs and spinach for dinner! For more information visit www.americandogcookingclub.com

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

FLAVOR

ALASKAN SALMON AND PEAS

Ph o to BY JA M IE Do W NE Y

ALASKAN SALMON AND PEAS The American Dog recommends CANIDAE kibble to go with the Alaskan salmon and peas for dinner! For more information visit www.americandogcookingclub.com

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

TASTE

CHICKEN BREAST AND GREEN BEANS

Ph o to BY JA M IE Do W NE Y

CHICKEN BREAST AND GREEN BEANS The American Dog recommends MULLIGAN STEW kibble to go with the chicken breast and green beans for dinner! For more information visit www.americandogcookingclub.com

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

SAVOR

TURKEY SAUSAGE, SQUASH & CARROTS

Ph o to B Y JA M IE D o W N EY

TURKEY SAUSAGE & SQUASH/CARROTS The American Dog recommends HOLISTIC SELECT kibble to go with the turkey sausage, squash & carrots for dinner! For more information visit www.americandogcookingclub.com

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

DEVOUR

STEAK WITH SPINACH & EGGS

STEAK WITH SPINACH & EGGS The American Dog recommends EVANGERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S kibble to go with the steak with spinach and eggs for dinner! For more information visit www.americandogcookingclub.com

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

NEED SOME ADVICE?

ASK BAD BOY CHESTER! Q: A:

Chester, do you think that football player Michael Vick should be allowed to get a dog? ~Duke in Philly

Q: A: Q: A:

Um, that would be a “no flippin way!” Should a child molester be allowed to have a kid, or Bernie Madoff be put in charge of Feed The Children’s 1.2 billion dollar annual revenue fund? Michael Vick brutally murdered dogs for the sheer sport of it, and you can’t rehabilitate a psychopath who enjoyed torturing dogs and think he’ll change and be able to love and respect dogs ever again. I wouldn’t give that creep any animal, even a mouse, for him to abuse. Chester, I’m a handsome boy dog who lives with two other girl dogs. I really like both girls, named Cindy and Annabelle, but Cindy wants me to just be her boyfriend and not play with Annabelle. What do you think? ~Bernard in Vermont Hey handsome boy dog Bernard! My advice to you is to be the man and have two girlfriends! Girls just love it when a man takes control and plays rough, so you need to step up your game and take better care of Cindy! You need to play harder, give her more kisses, and be the man and tell her how the game works. And that game would be since you’re the only boy dog in the house and there are two girls—that you have two girlfriends, end of story! Chester, I’m a golden retriever girlie dog who has put on a few pounds in the last few years. Every time my mama takes me to the dog park no one wants to play with me because I can’t keep up with the other dogs running like crazy chasing each other. How can I get the other dogs to play with me? ~Sassy in Oregon Hey golden girl! First, lay off the extra snacks before bedtime and tell your mama to cut back on your meals and start giving you some fruit and veggies! No one wants to play with the “fat” girl! Second, from the pic you sent me, um, I would play with you since you are quite a pretty girl! But, you need to practice running in your yard every day—chase the birds, chase the squirrels, and chase anything that moves! Oops, that’s what I do! Then in about a month you should be in a lot better shape. When you get to the dog park make sure you put your butt in front of the boy dogs—then take off running! I guarantee you that you will have all the boys chasing you! Have fun!

BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK: “BAD BOY CHESTER” OR VISIT WWW.BADBOYCHESTER.COM 56

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

BAD BOY CHESTER’S RULES!

RULES!

BE A BAD BO Y FOREVE R! PLAY Y L I ON THE WITH OGS! BIG D

I HAVE A BIG BARK A N A BIGG D ER BITE!

JUST REMEMBER… IT`S ALL ABOUT ME

TALK TO MY PAW!

IT “IS CHE ” S WAY TER`S HIGH OR THE WAY !

VISIT WWW.BADBOYCHESTER.COM The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

COURAGE

Photo BY BECKY SNODGRASS

COURTHOUSE CANINES:

You Gotta Lov‘em, It’s the Law Chance’s big brown eyes latched onto those of Child Protective Services employee Becky Snodgrass. The San Antonio, Texas, woman wondered if Bexar County’s 10-year-old courthouse canine was sulking about a grooming mistake that had mowed down Chance’s wavy mane of reddish-brown hair to crew-cut length.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

by Ellen O’Neill-Stephens, a senior prosecutor in Seattle, Washington—Chance and other assistance dogs in Maryland, Florida, and Washington State help victims of crime cope with the criminal justice system. With the cooperation of non-profit certifying organizations such as Canine Companions for Independence, Therapy Dogs International, and Delta—which donate the trained canines—courtroom dogs calm children and reduce panic. Their nonthreatening presence allows children to testify truthfully, distracts them from the feeling of victimization, and re-establishes a trusting relationship.

Chance belongs to an elite group of facility dogs in the U.S. Judicial System. As a “courtroom dog”—a term coined

“The dogs ease stress and make it easier for us all to do a better job in a kinder fashion,” says O’Neill-Stephens, the

But no, the Golden Retriever bounded out of the car and began making friends with a group of sexually- and physically -abused children preparing to be witnesses for the prosecution.

58 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

By Janice Arenofsky

King County, Washington, attorney who launched the program in 2003. Four Golden Retriever-Labrador mixes “Jeeter,” “Stilson,” “Ellie,” and “Astro” assist crime victims, drug court defendants, juvenile and mental health court detainees, and jurors. O’Neill-Stephens says many out-of-state criminal justice agencies inquire about the program, which gained legitimacy from a precedent-making 1989 sexual abuse case of an eight-year-old who testified that holding a doll “comforted” her. O’Neill-Stephens argued that facility dogs also are “comfort items.”

INTUITIVE POWERS Although stress relief—especially in a child—is no small thing, the dogs

COURAGE possess another skill, say program participants. The canines intuit the optimal level of affection or comfort that the witnesses can tolerate. For instance, O’Neill-Stephens interviewed a middle-aged female attorney with a history of sexual abuse. Since Jeeter’s behavioral repertoire varies according to other people’s emotional temperatures—ranging from a low-keyed elbow nudge or a head nestled on a lap to a more demonstrative display of affection such as kisses, a wagging tail, and playful postures—the witness, who actually feared dogs, appreciated Jeeter’s subtle “support” message communicated by bumping her shoe periodically with his nose.

REGAINING TRUST “Children are reticent to testify against their abusers, and for good reason,” says Andrea Lockhart, professional sexual assault counselor, founder of FLA (Four Legged Advocates, Inc.) in Polk County, Florida, and winner of the 2008 Professional Innovation in Victim Services Award. Children fear not only their abusers’ legal consequences but also the notion of trusting another person (such as a prosecutor) with their “secret.” That’s why dogs like “Squiggly,” a Golden RetrieverLab mix, serve such a vital purpose. “Dogs remain nonjudgmental and noncoercive,” says Lockhart. “The kids [who testify] know they have done the best they can and that testifying is the last step.”

County explains that Buddy allays the misgivings of parents of sexuallyassaulted children who must testify. Parents see that prosecutors are doing everything possible “not to revictimize” the children.

SAFE HARBOR Courthouse dogs also function as safe harbors or as barriers between the victims and forbidden territory. For instance, Amanda Harpell, a child interview specialist in the Snohomish County Sheriff ’s Office in Everett, Washington, recounts how a 12-year-old Native American who was molested by an older cousin needed to disengage physically and emotionally from certain interview questions that evoked personal shame. Also, the cultural heritage valued a no-eyecontact, “save-face,” attitude. When the boy volunteered the specifics of the abuse, he moved Stilson positionally so as to separate himself from the interviewer. “Stilson seemed to provide a barrier between the child and me and [added] a sense of safety,” Harpell said.

THE HUMAN(E) CONDITION In similar fashion, but with a criminal population, programs in Ocean County, New Jersey, and in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, nurture the softer side of juveniles incarcerated for felonies and other offenses. Jeanne Richards,

who directs Ocean County’s program, says that in the past the youths detested dogs. But after multiple visits with Richards’ two 100-pound Rottweilers, “Lady McDuff “(Miss Duffy) and “Pippin,” the juveniles begin to respect dogs for their capacity to express affection and obey commands. New detainees often hear others say, “You will show her respect” (referring to Miss Duffy). One former detaineeturned-soldier elected to work with dogs in the Middle East.

BONDS THAT BRING CHANGE Occasionally, the child-canine bonds have life-changing effects, as in the case of a 13-year-old cocaine user and auto thief in Washington State. Under a special Drug Court program, the juvenile received inpatient treatment but always relapsed. Her felonies would not be expunged, the Drug Court team told her. On hearing that, the young woman hugged Jeeter, sobbing and pleading for one more chance. “We were so moved that we put our best judgment aside and agreed…,” O’Neill-Stephens says. Four years passed and the prosecutor bumped into the teenager, who by then was employed and had reconciled with her family. Without hesitation, the young woman said, “Jeeter saved my life.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR Sometimes the entire family feels victimized. King County, Washington, victim advocate Heidi Potter recalls how, during court proceedings, “Stilson” calmed the relatives of a 17-year-old runaway who was tortured and murdered by two associates. Says Potter: “The family got down in his [Stilson’s] face, ruffled up his ears and told him what a good boy he was.” Maryland’s “Buddy,” a young black Newfoundland-Lab mix, has a similar effect, Amy Blank Ocampo, a senior assistant state’s attorney in Carroll

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 59

"Overall, this is the best dog training video I've seen. Yes, better than the Monks of New Skete, or any pop culture TV show on Animal Planet. These folks really care and are sincere about helping people create a true and long lasting relationship with their dogs. Highly recommended to all dog owners!" ~Amazon review

60 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

ENTREPRENEUR

photo courtesy of Eye Envy

AFTER

BEFORE

LISA BURNS – Founder of Eye Envy

We currently have over 45,000 customers, our product is carried in 600+ specialty retail shops and we have distributors around the world, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Indonesia, South Africa, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Russia and Australia. Sasha Levine reports

Lisa Burns started her company— which created, markets, and distributes a tearstain remover called Eye Envy— in 2001, when she decided to resolve the seemingly endless battle to keep the stained areas around her own Himalayan and Persian cats’ eyes clean. The reddish-brown tearstains distracted from their beauty and made Lisa feel like she wasn’t a good owner, even though she gave them the best food, vitamins, water, medical care, and grooming. Her cats still had horrible stains. Little Squishy, her Himalayan, was the worse culprit. She tried everything from tear duct flushing to injections of antibiotics, to ointments and home remedies. Nothing worked. After researching many options, Lisa and others created Eye Envy from four main ingredients that not only cleans the stains but also addresses the root of the problem. This externally applied solution contains a flora-derived herbal antibiotic, an antibacterial, a cleanser, and astringent. Eye Envy is not an aggressive prod-

uct and does not contain any bleach, peroxide, or steroids. “We only use the best ingredients,” Lisa states, “with no chemicals or preservatives.” Eye Envy had its initial debut at the CFA Santa Monica Cat Show on September 15, 2001. That year, they took several 2-ounce bottles to the CFA show as a trial. What they didn’t sell, Lisa’s group gave away. “Some people came up to our table and said that we were ridiculous and that there would never be anything to solve this problem; others said we were stupid to even try to convince people that something would work,” says Lisa. “Well, later that week, orders started flowing. I guess our invention wasn’t so stupid afterwards.” Lisa and company initially thought they had developed a product to help only the cat owners, but they later realized that dogs also suffered from tearing. The next year, at the same annual CFA show in Santa Monica, Jay Leno sent a crew to do a spoof on “Cat Show People.” Eye Envy was featured during the last

few seconds. When it aired, the spoof caught the attention of dog owner Sheila Brey in Ohio. Sheila was desperate to find something to combat the stains on her little Maltese, Sassy. When she tried Eye Envy, she was quick to let her friends and Lisa’s company know that Eye Envy worked extremely well. Hence, this was the start of Eye Envy for Dogs. They quickly adapted their product to accommodate the variety of dog breeds with this inherent problem. Ironically, today nearly 85% of Eye Envy’s sales are in the dog market, servicing over 25 dog breeds that have tearstains. “We’ve worked really hard to create and maintain a great product, and I’m proud to say that we’ve been extremely successful.” Lisa says. “We always want what is best for our pets and will never lose that focus. Eye Envy is a passion; it’s not a job.”

For more information or to contact: www.eyeenvy.com • 310-530-5341

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 61

DR’S CORNER Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus—A Very Serious Emergency By Katherine Tucker-Mohl, DVM, Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital

Many pet owners have heard of the term “bloat,” but few may be aware of the extremely life-threatening nature of this problem. Bloat, also referred to as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), is one of the most serious conditions that can develop in pets. It’s the ultimate emergency; GDV is fatal if untreated, and a dog can die from shock within hours if surgery is not performed quickly. Bloat is most common in large and giant breed dogs. Based on a study performed by Dr. Glickman and colleagues at Purdue University, large (50–99 lbs.) and giant breed dogs (>100 lbs.) have a 1-in-5 chance of developing GDV in their lifetime. The highest incidence is seen in Great Danes, which have a 42% chance of developing GDV. Other breeds include Rottweilers, Weimaraners, and Standard Poodles. Although it’s most often seen in large and giant breed dogs, it has also been reported in Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, and Shih-Tzus. Most dogs are older when they develop GDV, but it has been seen in puppies as young as 3–4 months old. Many studies have tried to determine the underlying cause(s) of GDV. While no clear causal factor has been determined, there are several factors that may inc re a s e the risk.

These include having a first-degree relative that has had GDV (siblings, parents, or offspring), rapid eating, and eating from a raised food bowl. There are a number of symptoms associated with GDV. Most commonly owners will report that their dog is restless and uncomfortable. The dog may unsuccessfully try to vomit (“nonproductive retching”) and a visible distension of the abdomen may be noted. Not every pet demonstrates these classic signs and may, instead, just seem reclusive or withdrawn; so contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect the possibility of GDV. During GDV, the dog’s stomach twists on itself, trapping gas within the stomach. The stomach becomes progressively more distended as gas accumulates and is unable to exit. This is extremely painful, and if left untreated, it will have disastrous consequences for the dog. The twisted and bloated stomach shuts off its own blood supply as well as interfering with the flow of blood returning to the heart from the back half of the body. In only a

62 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

short period of time, the stomach wall can die due to the lack of blood supply. Prompt treatment (pain control, decompression of the stomach, treatment for shock, and emergency surgery) is essential for a pet to survive GDV. How can a pet owner prevent this condition from occurring in his or her pet? The best option is a surgical procedure called a prophylactic gastropexy. This procedure permanently attaches the stomach to the body wall, preventing it from twisting. Considering that 15— 33% of pets may die from a GDV despite emergency surgery, a prophylactic gastropexy could save your pet’s life. This procedure is often performed at the time of spay or neuter surgery for high-risk breeds, but it can be performed at any time in a dog’s life. A gastropexy is always performed when a dog is taken to surgery for correction of GDV to minimize the chance of recurrence. Many hospitals offer a minimally invasive gastropexy using laparoscopy. The incisions for a laparoscopic gastropexy are much smaller than the traditional approach, resulting in a shorter recovery time and less discomfort. It’s also helpful to be prepared for an emergency of any kind, GDV included, with the phone number and address of a 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic. The faster the condition is diagnosed and stabilization is started, the better the chance of survival.

EDUCATION

Investing in Your New Adoption By Doug and Elizabeth Simpson, Owners of Tenderfoot Training

Adopting a dog is a much bigger event than most people consider it to be—it is an investment of your time, energy, money, and emotions. This reality is often ignored when a person stares into the big eyes of a new puppy or dog in need. All you can imagine are scenes of cuddling up to a warm fuzzy body and of a smiling face greeting you at the end of a long day. These images may feel good, but what about the reality of getting up at 2 A.M. because your dog is sick? What about the time you call your dog to come, and he runs off in the other direction, and you have to search the neighborhood for hours? How are you going to feel when you come home to a chewed-up pillow or, worse yet, a shredded iPod? Oh, and don’t forget the stains on the carpet that never quite come out. This is the real world of having a dog in your life. Are you prepared? You would never adopt a child and simply leave her in the house to fend for herself while you carried on with your previous schedules and duties. The responsibility of another life that depends solely on you should not be taken lightly. The same rules apply with a new dog, and there are changes and bumps along the way that you will need to smooth out to make life with your new dog harmonious. Before anyone impulsively adopts a dog, they should think of all the responsibilities that accompany having a dog. Before you adopt, you can prepare yourself by imagining your life with a dog. Mentally go through all of your doggie routines and responsibilities ahead of time.

• Potty breaks: Set a timer for every 30 minutes to let the new dog out until house-training issues are worked out. • Feeding schedule: Feed a puppy 3 times a day and an adult 2 times a day. • Training sessions: This should be an ongoing activity for the life of the dog. • Exercise and play times: Ask yourself how often you can set aside for one-on-one time with your dog. How long can you commit to that schedule? Dogs live to be 10–15 years old, and your life is going to change along the way. • Containment: Where will your dog be when you aren’t with him? A crate? The yard? Loose in the house? • Financial requirements: Plan on food, medications, vet visits, grooming, toys, crates, and boarding/housesitter fees to all add up very quickly. • Mental stimulation: How will you engage your dog’s mind? With agility, obedience, and/or tricks? • Sleeping arrangements: Determine how this will affect your household structure. • Socialization: Dogs are highly social and need the opportunity to meet all kinds of dogs, animals, and people. How will you be able to incorporate this into your life?

64 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

It may seem silly to point these things out to you, especially since you are savvy enough to be reading this magazine. If you are a person who has never given up on an animal, we applaud you. But, unfortunately, there are far too many people who bring dogs into their homes and are simply not prepared. Dogs are surrendered to shelters every day due to people’s lack of knowledge, experience, understanding, patience, or commitment. People have different levels of skills and/or knowledge and should take the time to review the issues raised above. Knowledge is power. Finding a support group consisting of quality canine professionals, organizations, and facilities such as a veterinarian, trainer, groomer, dog day care, boarding facility, local dog groups, and safe dog parks will equip you to make the most of your new relationship. It will also help ensure that you are never faced with the thought of giving up on that little fur ball with the big brown eyes. It’s rather like finding a partner in life. You have certain requirements— e.g., tall, dark, and handsome…but does he cook? Is he outdoorsy? With a dog, you shouldn’t just look at breed characteristics, but also at the individual’s dogonality. Find the right match for you, your lifestyle, your family, and even your current pack. Set your new relationship up for success by teaching good manners and committing to a training program. Don’t just bring the new dog home and hope for the

EDUCATION

best, because you will likely be setting the dog up for failure. Remember that when a dog does something you don’t like you cannot blame the dog. You need to ask yourself what YOU could have done differently to prevent the incident. How could you have been more proactive in teaching? All dogs are sponges for learning and actually crave the stimulation. Finding a great trainer gives you a resource to go to when your dog’s behavior is heading down the wrong path. When you have an established relationship with a trainer, often just a quick phone call or a quick session is all it takes to help things smooth out. Too often, people wait until the dog’s behavior is so out of control that they feel powerless to make a change, and they give up. The rules of the house and a healthy structure are often established in the first 2 weeks of bringing a dog home.

This means the person is setting up a healthy routine for themselves and their dog. It is important to let the dog settle into his new home with harmony and calm behaviors. If you greet your dog with high energy every time you walk through the door, then don’t blame the dog when he jumps on your motherin-law and knocks her down. Dogs do what works, and when it works they do it more. If pulling you on a tight leash from point A to point B gets a dog where he wants to go, then that’s what he will do. Every step a dog takes on a tight leash is a reward for pulling. The dog thinks he has to pull his person everywhere he goes because the person taught the dog that pulling works. If every dog were taught to give in to the pressure of the leash, there would never be any pulling. These are things you will learn from a good trainer; they will show you how to create a loose leash and walk in peace.

The more knowledge you have the better you will do. For humans, this means a good education, and for dogs this means a large working vocabulary. If you only had a five-word vocabulary you wouldn’t get far in this world or in your relationships. You would have limited understanding, and it is the same for your dog. Dogs are capable of so much more than people give them credit for. Maximize your dog’s learning potential, and you will maximize the experience of having a dog in your life. Don’t give up on your dog; you can teach him just what he needs to know. And he has great things to teach you too, like love, patience, forgiveness, and commitment.

For more information or to contact: Doug and Elizabeth Simpson www.tenderfoottraining.com (303) 444-7780

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 65

PHILANTHROPIST

MADELEINE PICKENS Is on a Mission to Save America’s Wild Horses! Jamie Downey reports

photos by Kristina Bowman Photography

Philanthropist Madeleine Pickens is a very successful businesswoman, but she is also very passionate about animals and has three adorable canine kids that she loves spending time with! Madeleine says, “I had dogs growing up and have always loved dogs. I have always been crazy about them!” When asked whether her husband likes dogs as much as she does, she states, “Oh yes, Boone loves animals. When I first met him he had a Papillon, but unfortunately, his dog passed away that Christmas with a brain tumor. But, Boone is very affectionate to the dogs.” Dallas-based Photographer Kristina Bowman went on location to Madeleine’s house for The American Dog Magazine and spent some time taking these beautiful, original photographs of Madeleine with her three precious pups. Her oldest

dog, Oliver, is 19 years old. Madeleine explains, “I have had my lovely Oliver since he was a puppy, and he is blind now and half deaf.” Her Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Princess is three years old, and the newest addition to the family is her rescue dog, Tommy, who Madeleine adopted about six months ago. Madeleine says, “Tommy was from a puppy mill, and apparently the puppy mill breeders just threw him out, and American Dachshund Rescue saved him. All three dogs get along great, although Princess is a very bossy dog and she likes to think she rules the boys—but they just ignore her!”

saving the wild mustangs from slaughter and about her plans for a wildhorse sanctuary that would be a tourist destination. To help these magnificent animals survive, Madeleine says, “I’ve now bought 18,000 acres in Nevada and, with that, another 540,000 acres of public land that goes with the ranch. I’m working with the government and the BLM to convert it from cattle grazing to horse grazing for an eco-sanctuary.

Madeleine is also deeply committed to animal welfare and has dedicated her time and resources to saving America’s wild horses. During our phone interview, she talked extensively about

www.madeleinepickens.com www.savingamericasmustangs.org

To find out more information about Madeleine’s philanthropic endeavors please visit:

You can follow Madeleine on Facebook at: Madeleine Pickens or sign up for her Twitter feeds at: twitter.com/mpickens

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 67

COMPASSION

DR. JOHN PIPPIN

Works to Promote Alternatives to the Use of Animals in Medical and Drug Research

Tamra Monahan reports

Dr. John Pippin has come full circle in his view of animals rights. As a medical researcher in the 1980s, he realized that using animals as test subjects was a cruel and inhumane treatment of these helpless creatures. An enlightened Dr. Pippin emerged from this “dark side” radically changed and has since devoted his life and energy to the protection of animals. “I am about animal protection, a position that focuses on ending our abuse and killing of animals for food, research, drug and product testing, education, entertainment, hunting, and all other human purposes,” he says. “I’m also about a fundamental level of animal rights, because I believe that all sentient creatures—human and nonhuman— have an inherent right to freedom from abuse and killing. This means, of course, that I support the no-kill animal shelter movement.” Two pivotal events led Dr. Pippin to a life of protecting and saving animals. The first was in 1987 when he realized that animal research is not only horribly cruel, but also a fraud that cannot prevent or cure human diseases. This epiphany changed his career and made him a vocal critic of animal experimentation. The second was in 2004, when Dr. Pippin had to choose

For those of us with true hearts for animals, such evils as eating, wearing, fighting, breeding, imprisoning, hunting, and experimenting on our animal kin must be ended. between continuing to advocate publicly against animal research and keeping his career as founding director of cardiology at Cooper Clinic in Dallas. He chose the animals, and has never regretted the choice. “Animals have nobody but the animal protection community between them and egregious misuse, abuse, and death at the hands of our species,” he says. “For those of us with true hearts for animals, such evils as eating, wearing, fighting, breeding, imprisoning, hunting, and experimenting on our animal kin must be ended.”

68 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

For the past six years, Dr. Pippin has worked full time with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a physician-led advocacy organization that promotes best scientific, medical, and ethical practices regarding human and nonhuman animals. He is a fierce crusader for no-kill animal shelters, and he founded two animal protection organizations in Dallas: the North Texas Animal Rights Network and Texans Exposing Petland. These groups, along with the Animal Connection of Texas, are leading the battle for animals in north Texas. As a lover of animals, Dr. Pippin opens his heart and his home for rescues in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Currently, he has seven dogs, but he has had as many as ten dogs living with him, all of whom share a special place in the life of this hard working animal-rights advocate. “In my life I’ve had more than two dozen dogs, all rescues or homeless animals. In my world, they are a combination of child and best friend.”

For more information or to contact: John J. Pippin, MD, FACC Senior medical and Research Advisor Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Website: www.pcrm.org

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No More Excuses

Please ps

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promise I’ll try to be a good boy!

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list goes on and on... you wouldn’t dump your kid at child protective services because of the excuses listed above… so please don’t dump your Dog at the animal shelter either! please take responsibility for your dog and make a commitment for life! This public service message provided by The American Dog Magazine for all the wonderful dogs who wanted to live life to the fullest, but were dumped at shelters by irresponsible owners and euthanized because nobody wanted them. Please be responsible and make a commitment for life.

DEVOTION

PhoTo bY KriSTina bowMan

monica “mo” ailey

wiTh hUSbanD JaMiE — arE ParEnTS To FivE CaninE KiDS (all rESCUES) anD iS a DEvoTED volUnTEEr anD FoSTEr ParEnT To aniMalS in nEED! taMra Monahan reports

The desire to save dogs is a passionate fire that burns bright in Monica Ailey, a fire that sparked into life when she was four years old. Her best friend, a Shepherd mix named Muttley, was ill and had to be put down. Monica’s last memories of her beloved dog are sitting in front of their house waiting for the local pound to pick him up, promising Muttley she wouldn’t let anyone take him. But she was powerless. As the truck drove away, Monica ran after it crying, a heartbroken little girl who has never forgotten the dog she couldn’t save. That day, an unwavering desire to rescue helpless dogs was born—a desire that has shaped Monica’s life and saved many dogs. “As many times as I think I don’t even make a dent in the grand scheme of things, I look back and realize that one person can make a huge difference,” Monica says. “I keep giving back because it brings me joy to see how I can change the life of a living being with my efforts. When you see them

with their new families thriving and happy, it makes your heart smile. This is what keeps me going.” As a volunteer for numerous animal welfare organizations, such as Animal Rescue Corps, Homeward Bound Animal Rescue, Love Our Local Animals, United Animal Nations, and The Humane Society of the United States, Monica’s mission is to promote adoption as a humane alternative to buying a dog from a breeder or pet store. She also works tirelessly to shut down puppy mills, and Monica’s inspiration for this endeavor was her Rottweiler, Sandy, purchased by her father from a pet store. Monica wanted to return Sandy because she knew the dog had probably come from a puppy mill, but she decided to save the cute little puppy and as many other dogs as possible from the horrors of puppy mills. Although Monica has rescued hundreds of dogs, one event changed her life forever: Hurricane Katrina. After

watching television reports of helpless animals being left behind, she and her sister decided to act. In New Orleans, what they found was more devastating than they could have imagined. So many animals left to die; so much work to be done. But in the midst of these deplorable conditions, Monica found hope and intensified her fight for those who had been abandoned. “Our first trip to New Orleans was more than I expected,” she says. “We were pulling animals out of homes left and right. The conditions they had survived in for weeks were astonishing, but his trip felt like a huge success. It was by far the hardest I have ever worked on such little sleep, but I was ready to wake up and do it all over again day after day. This is where I realized my strengths lie in handling animals in distress.” From a small spark, Monica’s passion to save to animals in the Dallas/Fort Worth area has grown into a wildfire, one that will never be extinguished.

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

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INSPIRE

TARA HARPER

COFOUNDER OF PAWS IN THE CITY AND SHE IS ON A MISSION TO SAVE DOGS AND CATS FROM BEING EUTHANIZED IN THE CITY OF DALLAS!

Tamra Monahan reports

photo by Kristina Bowman

As the cofounder of Paws In The City, a Dallas- based dog and cat rescue organization, Tara Harper has saved many dogs, but Max will always remain in her heart as her favorite rescue. Shortly after being found, Max collapsed and was rushed to a local vet, who told Tara the dog would never walk and should be put down. She lay down next to Max and looked into his large brown eyes full of hope and love. He then gave Tara a huge kiss, and she was hooked. Instead of putting him down, Tara took Max home, had a special wheelchair made for him, and gave him a new life. Within months, Max resumed walking and remained with Tara for four wonderful years. Max, and all the dogs and cats just like him, is the reason she never gives up on animals who need help. “I get a call or email every week about the dogs and cats that are going to be put down at Dallas Animal Services. Their faces are all the motivation I need,” Tara says.

Through Paws In The City, Tara and her cofounder, Becky Haisma, rescue dogs and cats that are scheduled to be euthanized, finding them new homes with loving families. Over the years, they have saved hundreds of animals and work endlessly to promote foster care as a way to help animals who have been abused and neglected. “Fosters are one of the most valuable assets of Paws In The City,” Tara says. “We are only limited by the number of foster homes we have. Fostering a dog or cat provides a loving home environment for a needy animal, and it’s such a simple and inexpensive way to save dogs and cats. By fostering, the foster parent is literally saving a life. I am a huge advocate for foster homes and only wish we had even more.” Tara is the perfect role model for foster care. Currently, she has eight dogs, all of which are rescues. Six of these are her own dogs, and she is fostering the other two. Though six dogs may be plenty for most people, Tara always

finds room for more while they wait for a good homes and people who will love them unconditionally. Tara’s love of animals began at a very early age. Her first rescue was a beautiful Vizsla that she saved when she was only three years old. After church one Sunday morning, Tara saw the dog standing in the parking lot. She ran to it and would not leave until the owners came back. When no one arrived to claim the dog, Tara’s family took the Vizsla home, and from that moment, Tara’s desire to rescue abandoned animals was born. When she moved to Dallas from New York City, she volunteered with various animal welfare organizations but had a strong desire to start one of her own. The result is Paws In The City, a beacon of hope for unwanted dogs and cats.

For more information or to make a donation: Visit www.pawsinthecity.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 73

CHAMPION Dr. Ellen Jefferson— A Champion For Austin’s Homeless Pets! The American Dog Reports

Soft-spoken and self-effacing, Austin, Texas veterinarian Dr. Ellen Jefferson is a revolutionary leader in Austin’s animal-welfare community. In fact, she is the single person most responsible for Austin’s extraordinary push to join the ranks of America’s “No Kill” cities (yet also the least likely to take any of the credit). Her track record speaks for itself. In 1999, Dr. Jefferson founded Emancipet, a free and low-cost spay/neuter provider, despite heavy opposition from her own veterinary community. This year, the organization celebrated its 100,000th spay/neuter surgery.

photo by Savannah Lightfoot

And in 2008, Dr. Jefferson left Emancipet to take over Austin Pets Alive, a non-profit with a history of pushing for No Kill reforms in Austin. In just two years under her leadership, Austin Pets Alive, which rescues and adopts out animals from Austin’s municipal shelter, has saved as many animals from the shelter as all other shelters and rescue groups in the Austin area combined. The organization has saved almost 6,000 dogs and cats since she came on board, including every single puppy set to die at the shelter, thousands of adult dogs and cats, and over 1,000 kittens. Yearning for No Kill leadership, Austinites have embraced Dr. Jefferson and Austin Pets Alive. Ellen was voted “Best Activist” in the city’s weekly newspaper, was selected as a finalist for Austin’s Young Professional of the Year Award, and this year, she graced the cover of Austin Woman Magazine. Meanwhile, Austin Pets Alive now boasts over 1,400 volunteers, 600 cat and dog foster parents, and 1,300 individual donors. The organization also has 35 employees (it had none when she took over two years ago), and recently moved into an impressive, two-building complex in South Austin—a compound to match the organization’s ambitions.

plan of hers, but instead to the concept of focusing on each animal as an individual. “It is as simple as saying ‘yes’ to working on a solution for that specific animal and seeing it through,” she says. “It is an enormous amount of work, but it is still simple.” Likewise, although she recognizes what it means to have helped save thousands of lives, she says that “[t]he things that make me the happiest are the small individual things like saving one life. It is the most exhilarating feeling in the world to just make one small action that results in a life being saved.”

Interestingly, though, Ellen credits the organization’s success not to any grand

Despite her successes at Emancipet and Austin Pets Alive, Dr. Jefferson wants

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more for the city’s lost and homeless pets. She says that she may “never be at a place where I can just relax and rest on my laurels.” Her goal is to save every single healthy and treatable adoptable animal that makes its way to the city’s shelter, which she believes is roughly 90% of all impounded animals (72% were saved during the shelter’s last fiscal year). Despite the obvious obstacles, one would be a fool to bet against her.

For more information or to make a donation: Website: www.austinpetsalive.org Email: info@austinpetsalive.org Phone # (512) 961-6519

“It takes a village to raise a child” --- African proverb

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This public service message created by Jamie Downey and designed by ScoutDog Studios (www.scoutdogstudios.com). It is provided by The American Dog Magazine for all of the wonderful dogs who wanted to live life to the fullest, but were dumped at shelters and euthanized because nobody

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TRAIL BLAZER photo by George Washington Law School

THE NO KILL MOVEMENT — FULL STEAM AHEAD! By Nathan Winograd, Founder of the No Kill Advocacy Center

For over a century animal shelters in this country have argued that the killing of animals is unavoidable, and that the “irresponsible” American public is to blame. Without an alternative model to challenge the assumptions upon which these calculations were based, animal shelters, by default were granted a license to kill millions of animals a year while blaming others for the need to do so. Sixteen years ago, Richard Avanzino, then-president of the San Francisco SPCA, showed us a different way when he created a compassionate, life-

affirming alternative to traditional sheltering models. Although he himself never achieved No Kill, he was the first to end the killing of all healthy homeless dogs and cats in a city. And he left us a powerful legacy: the No Kill Equation— a series of programs and services to reduce birthrates, increase adoptions, and eliminate killing that is revolutionizing sheltering and bringing new hope and new life to dogs in shelters across the country. These programs include high-volume and low-cost neutering, comprehensive adoption programs including off-site venues, marketing and

public relations, use of social media, proactive redemption efforts, medical and behavioral care and rehabilitation, working with volunteers and foster parents, and pet-retention efforts. It was this model that I used and expanded upon in 2001, when I took over the Tompkins County SPCA in New York—the animal control authority for all ten towns and municipalities of the county—and created the nation’s first No Kill community. For the first time in any community, all healthy and treatable dogs were saved,

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 77

roughly 93% of them. It didn’t matter if they were young or old, healthy or sick, injured, traumatized, or blind. All were found loving new homes. We had returned “euthanasia” to its dictionary definition, and we did it overnight. Another community began to take notice, and within a couple of years, Charlottesville, Virginia became the second No Kill community in the U.S. under the leadership of Susanne Kogut. They, too, achieved it virtually overnight. But in too many communities, killing remained the norm. In 2004, I left Tompkins County to found the No Kill Advocacy Center in order to promote the model nationwide and to replicate its success elsewhere. But shelter directors in the communities still killing healthy and treatable animals, and the heads of the large national organizations who rose from the ranks of these communities, were not interested. So I decided to take my message straight to the average, animal-loving American; to tell the story they would not hear from those vested in the status quo; to give people the good news that we could end the killing today, not at some undefined, mythical time in the future as we have been erroneously led to believe. That is why I wrote Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America. I then went on the road to promote it. As I stood before my first crowd outside Boston, I was filled with trepidation. How would animal lovers, activists, and

photo by Nevada Humane Society

photo by George Washington Law School

TRAIL BLAZER

rescue groups schooled in the belief that No Kill was impossible because of “pet overpopulation” respond to the news that in fact we could end the killing and we can do it today? In 2011, I now know the answer: enthusiastically. Today, we are a growing and vibrant movement, galloping at full sprint to our eventual achievement of a No Kill nation. As a result of the embrace of the No Kill Equation, we now have No Kill communities in California and New York, in Kansas and Indiana, in Kentucky and Virginia, and in other countries in the world: Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. And animal lovers across the U.S. are advocating and fighting for No Killing in their own communities. The initial leaders like Richard Avanzino have given way to new names and new faces across the country who have taken over the reins of the No Kill movement and are carrying the message of hope and redemption within the No Kill philosophy with a fiery zeal that makes the gradualist approach of the previous generation look dated by comparison. The movement belongs to an impatient new generation with the vision, skills, and “can do” attitude who wants No Kill now and has the determination to achieve it. And in more and more communities, that is exactly what they have done. Bonney Brown, director of the Nevada Humane Society, is one of those leaders. She took over a shelter in Reno, Nevada, in a community with high rates

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of unemployment, foreclosure, and shelter intakes—a community where traditional sheltering dogma would suggest No Kill was not possible. With a communitywide intake of nearly 16,000 dogs and cats a year, the odds were certainly not in her favor. But Brown is a tough-as-nails director who would not settle for failure. “Fundamentally every life is precious and we should not lightly take what we cannot restore. Saving the lives of homeless pets is, quite simply, a moral obligation. We all know that doing the right thing is not always easy, but that does not lessen the moral obligation to do it.” Like me and Kogut, she achieved success virtually overnight. In one year, she doubled adoptions and cut killing in half, saving 92% of all dogs in the county. Before she started, the shelter was adopting out 4,000 animals per year. Today, it is over 10,000. Ryan Clinton, an attorney and No Kill advocate, came into the movement after reading about the success of Tompkins County. “I was a young associate at a large law firm, and our firm librarian handed me an article about a lawyer running the open-admission shelter in Tompkins County, New York. I had been struggling with traditional concepts of animal sheltering, but didn’t know there was another way until that moment. That changed everything for me.” He brought the message to his community in Austin, Texas and was dismissed as unrealistic. But Clinton

THE NO KILL MOVEMENT

Jane Pierantozzi was drawn to the No Kill movement after seeing a terrified little dog mistreated in a shelter. It left her “shocked and heartbroken.” “The animals are innocent and rely on us to care for and protect them,” she says. Calling the system of killing “immoral and cruel,” she vowed not to let them down. As head of Faithful Friends of Delaware, Pierantozzi spearheaded statewide shelter reform legislation that has the potential to put Delaware on the road to becoming the first No Kill state. Valerie Hayes is fighting for the animals in her home state of Georgia. She helped usher a bill that put an end to the cruel gas chamber, and now she is using her talents as a writer and an activist to push for lifesaving measures to end killing altogether. Her resolve comes from her experience in being banished from the shelter for trying to save lives in Tompkins County before I got there. “Ten years ago, if someone had asked me what I was advocating for, I would have said that I was an advocate for treating people civilly, for treating animals kindly, and for telling the truth—the Golden Rule— nothing more, nothing less. I didn’t know to call myself a No Kill advocate, and I had no idea that principles which are taught to young children the world over could be so controversial... [But] we met with success and there is no going back,” Valerie says. Mitch Schneider runs a municipal shelter in Washoe County, Nevada. A

photo by New Zealand Herald

was and is resolute: “It is indefensible to continue killing healthy and treatable animals in the face of lifesaving, cost-effective, humane alternatives.” Believing one does not need to run a shelter to make changes within a shelter, Clinton has led an insurgency that saw pro-No Kill candidates sweep to victory in the City Council and then unanimously pass a No Kill plan. Today, lifesaving is higher than it has ever been in its history, and Austin has a first-in-the-nation No Kill Equation law that forces the city shelter to save lives. skeptic, he did not believe in the No Kill Equation, but he was willing to give it a try. Today, his agency has a 95% rate of lifesaving, with only hopelessly ill and injured and dangerous dogs losing their lives. He is happy to have been proved wrong. “No matter what any of us believes, we ultimately won’t know if something will work unless we are willing to give it a try” Mitch explains. Mike Fry runs the largest No Kill shelter in Minnesota and promotes the No Kill message on his weekly radio program, Animal Wise Radio. “I was driven to sheltering by a love of animals, which is also the same thing that would prevent me from taking their lives,” he said. Not only does his show frequently highlight successful No Kill activists and programs, but he succeeded in making his hometown of Hastings, Minnesota into a No Kill community. The growing success of the No Kill movement has not only saved millions of dogs at home, but it is saving them abroad, as leaders across the globe are recognizing the power of the No Kill Equation model of sheltering. Robyn Kippenberger is a former member of the New Zealand parliament who left politics to take over as the National Chief Executive of the Royal New Zealand SPCA. The RNZSPCA is the country’s largest animal protection organization and the second most recognized charity in all of New

Zealand. Under Robyn’s leadership, the RNZSPCA has embarked on making New Zealand a No Kill nation. “I was appalled that we were killing more animals than we were saving,” recounts Kippenberger. Almost seven out of ten animals were losing their lives when she started her post. Under her leadership, some communities in New Zealand are now saving over 96% of all animals. “I believe in it because it works!” Across the Tasman Sea in Australia, Michael Linke of the RSPCA in the Australian Capital Territory shares Kippenberger’s enthusiasm. He heard all the excuses of why it couldn’t be done and took over a shelter to do it himself. When he set a goal of saving every motherless puppy and kitten, for example, he succeeded right away, including bottle-feeding some of them himself. “It’s not about your operational plan, or how many cages you have, or how big or small your budget is,” he tells others. “It is about how you think, and a dedication to doing what is right. Once you overcome the historical inertia of your organization, the sky’s the limit,” Michael says. They aren’t recognized on the street, the paparazzi doesn’t follow them around, and for most people, their names don’t even ring a bell. But their impact can be felt all over the world. They are helping save lives at home and changing policies across oceans. Their fight, their passion, their commitment, and their hunger for No Kill are forcing shelters to abandon their antiquated policies and to embrace the No Kill Equation. In the process, they are helping lead our great dog-loving nation into one that practices what it preaches. We call dogs “man’s best friend.” People like Bett Sundermeyer, Micah Kellner, Kelly Jedlicki, Joan Schaffner, Ellen Jefferson, Doug Rae, Claire Davis, Karen Delise, Debi Day, and others are working to make sure we live up to that. And luckily for the pooches, they are succeeding.

For more information or to make a donation: Website: www.nokilladvocacycenter.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 79

PROTECT

The Road To No Kill Is Saving Lives! By Valerie Hayes

Lost and homeless animals must navigate a landscape pockmarked with buildings where healthy and treatable animals are killed just for being homeless. Where they ought to find a safety net, these animals often find neglect, abuse, and death. Some are killed without being given the chance to find a new home or to reunite with their owners; others are killed despite offers to save them. We call these buildings “shelters.” Why do we allow this? Shelters cause so much suffering. Why do some people, including those who have labeled themselves animal advocates, make excuses for them? It’s completely crazy if you allow yourself to actually think about it. I believe in No Kill because it is logically consistent and it gets practical results.

Confront this: saving lives requires leadership. But those who kill or make excuses for killing have abdicated their responsibilities, leaving a leadership vacuum that needs to be filled whether they like it or not. I believe in No Kill because it is doable. When the shelter that had previously killed my foster kittens began operating under new leadership, the first No Kill community in the country was created. If it could happen there, it could happen anywhere. I believe it will happen in every community in Georgia, or anywhere else, when people act to make it so.

The problem of shelter killing is clearly defined and solvable, and animals and people have a shared interest in fixing it. Everybody wins. I believe in No Kill because I cannot believe otherwise. When the shelter I volunteered for killed two kittens from my first-ever foster litter, despite my offer to take them back, I was shocked to my core. I had to rethink everything I’d been led to believe about animal shelters. I learned that shelters are places where words don’t mean what they mean elsewhere— where killing is called “euthanasia,” as if it were a kindness to kill a healthy animal rather than finding her a new home. No Kill advocates are sometimes called confrontational, but what could possibly be as confrontational as killing an animal that someone had specifically offered to save?

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Last year, I became involved in an exciting development in Georgia shelter reform: the passage of Grace’s Law. As of December 31, 2010, killing shelter pets by gas chamber is illegal in Georgia—period. Because of the need to keep H.B. 788 on the minds of Georgia animal lovers, this campaign inspired me to write so that they would actively support it along the way. The Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare formulated an all-out grassroots voter campaign, found an outstanding bill sponsor in Representative Tom Knox, and hired a committed lobbyist. There were some harrowing moments, but voter support was tremendous; some legislators reported that they got more calls about Grace’s Law than about the budget. Ultimately, the Grace’s Law team saw the Governor sign the bill into law, ending one form of animal cruelty in our state. We live in an exciting time, and there is much work to be done. The fact is that we need shelter reform nationwide and leadership vacuums exist everywhere. There’s one waiting for you. Ordinary people can make a difference.

For more information: Valerie Hayes writes a column on animal welfare issues for the Atlanta Examiner at: www.examiner.com/animal-welfarein-atlanta/valerie-hayes

TRUE GRIT

BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY: “No More Homeless Pets®”

photos courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

By Gregory Castle

When we started Best Friends in 1984, we were a no-kill organization with a no-kill message: animals are unique individuals and their lives have intrinsic value. Killing them as a method of population control simply was not and is not acceptable. The group of friends that founded the sanctuary had been doing shelter rescue individually and collectively for ten years by then. We have always been a hands-on, rescueoriented organization. What began as a sanctuary of last resort for tens of thousands of animals over the years has evolved into one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the country and the only one with a no-kill mission: to bring about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets®. Beyond the work of the sanctuary (which cares for approximately 1700 dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, and injured wildlife on any given day—most of them with special needs), Best Friends has a national reach that

includes running our own model programs and sponsoring partnerships that make other innovative programs possible. These include Feral Freedom in Jacksonville, Florida, Safe Humane Chicago, No More Homeless Pets in Utah, and FixNation in Los Angeles. Because Best Friends evolved from a hands-on, grassroots approach to animal welfare, our work at a national level is grounded with an understanding that the ultimate test of any big-picture decision is how it affects individual animals as well as the frontline rescuers and volunteers who drive our movement. How a policy affects a feral colony in Iowa or rescued pit bulls in Los Angeles matters every bit as much as the numbers, percentages, and trends by which we measure our progress and effectiveness. For example, No More Homeless Pets in Utah was created by Best Friends to

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lead a statewide no-kill campaign that embraces major municipal shelters, one-horse towns with police-run animal control agencies, and rescues ranging from mom-and-pop operations to substantial no-kill organizations. The results have been impressive. Four Utah counties and three cities in other counties have gone no-kill, and Salt Lake County Animal Services—one of the largest in the state—is close to a 90% save rate for dogs and 65% for cats. At a national level, in 2008, we conducted an analysis of the four primary contributing factors to shelter populations. From that analysis, we also identified four categories of activity that would yield the greatest benefits to the cause of No More Homeless Pets. The results revealing the main streams contributing to high shelter population won’t surprise anyone who spends time at a shelter: pit bulls, feral or community cats, puppy mills, and owner surrenders.

TRUE GRIT

A fact that may surprise some is that, nationwide, cats comprise close to 70% of the animals dying in shelters and most of those are free-roaming (stray or feral) community cats. In order to achieve no-kill, we must institutionalize Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) as the accepted management protocol for community cats at the municipal level. Frightened or fractious cats never make it to the adoption room. They have no business entering a shelter in the first place. Mainstreaming TNR is a Best Friends priority and is the main reason we co-sponsored Feral Freedom in Jacksonville, Florida. The program began in 2008 as a collaboration between First Coast No More Homeless Pets, the Jacksonville Humane Society, and Best Friends Animal Society. Community cats humanely trapped by animal control are taken to First Coast to be fixed. The cats bypass the shelter altogether and, rather than becoming unfortunate statistics, they are returned by First Coast to the area in which they were trapped. This has reduced the shelter death rate for cats from 86% to 41% and increased the live release rate from 14% to 59% in just 2 years. In addition to Feral Freedom, Best Friends provides free food and support to caregivers of 4,000 community cats in Southern Utah and sponsors spay/ neuter for another 12,000 cats in Utah and the Los Angeles area.

Pit bulls and other bully breeds and their mixes are also at tremendous risk in our shelters and are further victimized by media hype and regressive policies in some communities. Examples of this discrimination range from outright breed bans to shelters that refuse to even offer these dogs for adoption. Best Friends has fought against breed discriminatory legislation in 110 communities and has won victories for pit bulls in 73 of them—benefiting an estimated 63,000 dogs that won’t need to look for new homes and that won’t be seized by enforcement officers. Puppy mills crank out an estimated 4 million dogs per year. Many of these dogs wind up in shelters and the mill operations themselves are a source of suffering for the hundreds of thousands of dogs trapped and forced to breed and live in hellish conditions. Puppy mills are driven by market demand from pet store and Internet sales. Best Friends’ peaceful pet store protests have resulted in either a change to a humane model, featuring shelter pets for adoption, or the closure of eleven pet stores in Southern California and Las Vegas. Best Friends’ Pup-My-Ride LA is a small-dog shelter rescue and transport that has moved about 3000 small dogs of all ages out of high-kill Los Angeles area shelters to communities in Utah, Oregon, and Montana where small dogs

are in high demand and not commonly found in shelters and rescues. Helping families keep their pets is an important piece of any no-kill effort. For many families that help often comes down to the basics of being able to afford to feed their dogs and cats. In the last two years, Best Friends has arranged the distribution of 400,000 pounds of pet food to families in need. Finally, local rescues need to raise money to carry out their lifesaving no-kill mission. In 2010, Best Friends produced and hosted community dog walks, Strut Your Mutt LA and Strut Your Mutt NYC, through which local groups could generate sponsors and raise funds. Over $300,000 was raised—all of it going to local no-kill efforts. On top of that, Best Friends distributed hundreds of thousand of dollars in grants to grassroots, no-kill efforts in 2010. These are a few snapshots of our work. There’s a lot more, buts it’s all pulling in the same direction: no-kill. Best Friends is committed to providing practical tools and material support to grassroots organizations around the country. By working collaboratively with individuals and organizations, we can make our shared goal of No More Homeless Pets® a reality.

For more information or to make a donation: www.bestfriends.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 83

ACTION photo By cArol GuZy

ANIMAL RESCUE CORPS — PUttING CoMPAssIoN INto ACtIoN

By sCotlUND HaIsley, FoUNDer oF aNIMal resCUe CorPs

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of animal suffering in this world. If humans find a way to profit from another species, too often greed overrides compassion. Huge industries are created and money is the priority, not the animals’ best interests. As you read this, billions of animals are languishing emotionally, socially, and physically. They are imprisoned in puppy mills and fur farms, tortured in research labs, slaughtered for food, and forced into acts of entertainment. People may profit, but the cost is immeasurable cruelty. I have seen this horrific cruelty first-hand in my 20-year career defending the voiceless, as a humane officer, as an executive director of a shelter, as the leader of a national animal rescue team, and now as the president of an international animal protection organization. I am often asked how I can go on doing this emotional work year after year. I reply, “I know this suffering exists. How can I not do something about it?” There is an undeclared war on animals. It is my life’s work to fight for them, and mine is a mission of peace—to bring freedom and safety to the victims of abuse and promise them they will suffer no more.

This unwavering commitment to ending animal abuse is why I have founded Animal Rescue Corps (ARC), an organization solely focused on investigating cases of cruelty, rescuing animals who are suffering, educating those who are willing, and empowering anyone and everyone to join in this mission. People also frequently ask whether my work makes me lose faith in humanity. It’s true I see the worst humankind has to offer, but I also see the best. A peacemaking mission of this size requires a veritable army of compassionate soldiers. ARC has many partners as we lead rescues in communities that do not have the resources to address large-scale cruelty cases. Volunteers put their lives on hold to join us on rescues and take the impact of their extraordinary experiences home with them. Law enforcement officials realize we offer a solution to stamp out cruelty, and they hold up a shield to prevent further suffering. Local and national animal protection groups work beside us and stand as a unified force in ending abuse. Supporters spread the word about the cruelty we expose and shoulder the mantle for our continued effectiveness. Each of our partners is motivated

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

by a common outrage at injustice and a passionate desire to make a lasting difference for all living beings. We must use our talents and work together to create a compassionate world for animals everywhere. We must refuse to support industries that profit from suffering. We must hold individuals accountable for their participation in cruelty. We must rescue those in need and educate the world in the process. Animals are suffering now. Animal Rescue Corps is putting compassion into action to end that suffering. There are various ways to support ARC and get involved with our live-saving efforts. Please join us.

For more information or to make a donation: www.animalrescuecorps.org

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WINNERS There were 25 different categories There were 253 (people/dogs/orgs) nominees We received AN INCREDIBLE 24,047 VOTES And a grand total of 258,841 individual votes! visit www.theamericandogmag.com for all the contest winners

“EXEMPLARY ANIMAL SHELTER” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY with 4253 votes!

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Best Friends Animal Society runs the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for abandoned and abused animals on a 3,000-acre reserve located in southern Utah. Since its founding 26 years ago, Best Friends has rescued tens of thousands of animals. The sanctuary provides individualized care for special needs animals, and on any give day is home to approximately 1,700 dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, horses, injured wildlife, and assorted other creatures. The training, rehabilitation and special needs care techniques developed at the sanctuary is shared with rescue organizations around the world. Visit www.bestfriends.org

WASHINGTON ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE with 2929 votes! Founded in 1914, the mission of the Washington Animal Rescue League is to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home animals who have nowhere else to go. They provide affordable veterinary care, community outreach, and education. The Washington Animal Rescue League is known not only for its long history of compassionate care for animals, but for its innovative shelter, which is designed to promote the physical, emotional, and social healing of animals recovering from past traumas, and for the progressive programs that benefit animals and the community.

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Visit www.warl.org

SANTA CRUZ SPCA with 2143 votes!

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The purpose of the Santa Cruz SPCA is to ensure the best possible quality of life for animals and to promote respect and reverence for all. Their mission is to strive to prevent cruelty to animals, to stop pet overpopulation, to promote community responsibility, and for the humane care, treatment, and well-being of all animals through adoption, humane education programs, information, and action. They are a proactive, community-oriented shelter with an international impact on animal welfare. Visit www.santacruzspca.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 87

“INNOVATIVE NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTER” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

PAWS Chicago PAWS Chicago was founded in 1997 and is the city’s largest No Kill humane organization focused on implementing solutions to end the killing of homeless pets. PAWS Chicago continues to focus on spay/ neuter, adoptions, and community outreach to ultimately make Chicago a no kill city. In 2010, PAWS Chicago spay/neutered more than 17,000 animals, most of which were done free or low-cost to pets of underresourced families. In addition, more than 4,000 pets found loving homes out of PAWS Chicago’s cageless, state-of-the-art Adoption Center just that year alone. Visit www.pawschicago.org

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Best Friends Animal Society with 3113 votes!

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Best Friends Animal Society’s base of operations is located at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary. Best Friends has done pioneering work in the housing, care and rehabilitation of almost every category of special needs animal ranging from feral cats to dogs rescued from fighting rings, and from damaged horses to self-mutilating parrots. Best Friends’ veterinary staff, trainers and behavior specialists devote their time and energy to the challenges of special needs animals everyday. The product of their work, much of it entirely ground breaking, is shared with rescuers and rehabilitators throughout the world. Visit www.bestfriends.org

PETS ALIVE in Middletown, NY with 1424 votes! Pets Alive currently has two locations. The main site is in Middletown, NY and they recently took over the Elmsford Animal Shelter in Elmsford, NY. Soon they will also start a Pets Alive in Puerto Rico. Currently they save about 2500 lives a year and also work closely with other shelters to help them become no-kill. Their mission is to improve the lives of companion animals everywhere by any means possible, including rescue, adoption, advocacy, collaboration, intervention and education. Many of the animals at Pets Alive are older, have special needs or require special care. Visit www.petsalive.com

88 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“RESCUE ORGANIZATION SAVING DOGS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

DOGS DESERVE BETTER with 4176 votes! Tamira Thayne (Founder) states, “Chained dogs need a voice, a strong voice, and Dogs Deserve Better strives to be that voice every single day. I am incredibly grateful for the recognition of our work, and dedicate it all to our amazing reps who are out there rescuing dogs in tough situations. We are building an awareness of chaining that is heretofore unprecedented. It’s time for this archaic treatment of our best friends to end, and I commend all those who voted for us for recognizing that. I also congratulate every single winner of this year’s awards, and all those who equally deserved to win. Together we can change the world.”

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Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org

A PLACE TO BARK with 2069 votes! A Place To Bark is a no kill foster and adoption rescue dedicated to the welfare of animals and was founded by Bernie Berlin. Established in 2001, they mainly work with animal control agencies, rescuing animals from high-kill shelters and fostering them until they are healthy. This provides an ideal situation for the animals. A Place To Bark are then placed for adoption through humane societies, in various parts of the country. A Place To Bark also covers all costs for the medical care of the animals, with no cost to the humane societies and handles some private adoptions after a strict screening process.

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Visit www.aplacetobark.com

BAD RAP with 1300 votes!

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Best known for their role in working with the federal government to secure the evaluation and rescue of NFL player Michael Vick’s abused pit bulls, BAD RAP has been shining a light on pit bulls and trailblazing new ways to help them since 1999. When they’re not creating adoption matches or orchestrating obedience drills in their award winning training classes, their reps are traveling around the country, assisting in cruelty cases or helping animal care professionals who are eager to jump-start their own shelter adoption and training programs. Visit www.badrap.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 89

“INDIVIDUAL SAVING/ADOPTING DOGS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

Elle Wittelsbach with 3261 votes! Elle founded her own rescue called Strangest Angels Animal Rescue. She rescues all breeds, all animals. She deals with many death row animals who are due to be killed at the shelter. She also takes in foreclosure victims and abuse cases. Elle believes her main purpose in this lifetime is to help animals in need and to educate people on how to be compassionate and humane to all animals. Please go to her Website www.strangestangels.org as they are in desperate need of foster homes right now. Visit www.strangestangels.org

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Tamira Thayne with 1963 votes!

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Tamira Thayne (Founder) states, “Chained dogs need a voice, a strong voice, and Dogs Deserve Better strives to be that voice every single day. I am incredibly grateful for the recognition of our work, and dedicate it all to our amazing reps who are out there rescuing dogs in tough situations. We are building an awareness of chaining that is heretofore unprecedented. It’s time for this archaic treatment of our best friends to end, and I commend all those who voted for us for recognizing that. I also congratulate every single winner of this year’s awards, and all those who equally deserved to win. Together we can change the world.” Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org

Tyler Z Nasise with 1093 votes! Tyler lives in San Diego, CA and started rescuing and advocating for the misunderstood breed, Pit Bulls, about 20 years ago when he adopted his first puppy. He rescues from shelters all throughout California, out of state, from abandoned homes due to foreclosures, and from other places where dogs are left chained abandoned. He also rescues the abused, sick and injured that would otherwise be left to die, or be killed in the shelter system. Tyler does independent rescues. He works to rehabilitate them, raise funds for vet care, place them in foster homes and then he re-homes the dogs to receive the love and care they deserve.

90 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“SPOKESDOG FOR A CHARITABLE CAUSE” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

Dolly The Pit Bull with 2924 votes!

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Dolly is an advocate to her breed, and does her best to educate the public and help overturn the negative perception of Pit Bulls. She is an AKC certified Canine Good Citizen, and is a therapy dog for a local retirement home. She’s also the ‘ambassadog’ for a Pit Bull education class given by the local SPCA. She is an ambassador to the shelter she was rescued from—Seminole County Animal Services in Sanford, FL. Her story is being used in their educational programs and being presented to at-risk kids in juvenile detention centers to help them learn and understand compassion for animals.

photo by www.EppicSurf.com/Diane Edmonds

Surf Dog Ricochet with 2521 votes! Surf Dog Ricochet lives a lifestyle of helping others by pawing it forward, while raising awareness and funds for human and animal causes. Because of her unique and highly skilled background of service/ therapy/surf dog training, she is the only known dog in the world who surfs with disabled surfers and special needs kids for therapeutic purposes! Ricochet’s focus is on assisting the disabled community and she has raised more than $61,260 over the last 14 months. Ricochet has become a philanthropic role model and goodwill ambassador to millions. Visit www.surfdogricochet.com

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photo by Anthony Tortoriello

Faith Stringfellow 2-Legged Dog with 1561 votes!

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Faith’s mom, Jude Stringfellow, a motivational speaker, tells us that, “Faith has been such a loving and inspirational animal to so many. Faith and I travel the country together and share our family story. I think the message I try hardest to share is that when it is time to ask for help you need to be strong enough to do it. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It is a gift you give yourself.” Faith was also given a field recognition for E-5 Sergeant in the United States Army and has traveled to Walter Reed and many other veterans’ hospitals to help with the therapy of injured soldiers returning from the war. Visit www.faiththedog.info

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 91

“SERVICE/THERAPY DOG WHO GIVES UNCONDITIONALLY” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

RUBY THE PIT BULL with 2673 votes! Ruby, at 6-months old, was left to die in an abandoned house, but grew up to achieve the impossible! Ruby is now a TDI therapy dog, a certified Service dog, a veteran of stage plays, has worked at a radio station as a co-host meeting celebrities, and has appeared in newspapers around the world. Ruby’s volunteer work takes her to nursing homes every week; she is “on call” for hospice work, and she participates in the kids’ “read to a canine companion” program. She has been the dog “celebrity” for rescue groups’ fundraisers, and has donated copies of her book, Ruby’s Tale, for charitable causes. Ruby is a cancer survivor (two surgeries), and was flown to Hollywood and has appeared on “The Bonnie Hunt Show.” Visit www.rubystale.com

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photo by www.EppicSurf.com/Diane Edmonds

SURF DOG RICOCHET with 2651 votes!

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Surf Dog Ricochet lives a lifestyle of helping others by pawing it forward, while raising awareness and funds for human and animal causes. Because of her unique and highly skilled background of service/therapy/ surf dog training, she is the only known dog in the world who surfs with disabled surfers and special needs kids for therapeutic purposes! Ricochet’s focus is on assisting the disabled community and she has raised more than $61,260 over the last 14 months. Ricochet has become a philanthropic role model and goodwill ambassador to millions. Visit www.surfdogricochet.com

SARGE WOLF STRINGER with 873 votes! Sarge tells us, “I’m a 16-year-old dog. I spent the first 14 years of my life with an animal abuser in Philadelphia, but humane law enforcement officers rescued me in September 2008, and in February 2009 I went home to my new mom and dad (Kim Wolf and Thad Stringer). In spring of 2009, I got certified with ‘Pals for Life’ to do pet visitation at nursing homes, hospitals, rehab centers, and libraries. I’m one of the oldest (and most famous!) dogs in the program and everyone loves me—especially the ladies!” And since Sarge is an elderbull, he can really relate to the elderly patients because he suffers from severe arthritis also! Follow Sarge Wolf Stringer on Facebook or his blog.

92 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“SERVICE DOG TRAINING ORGANIZATION” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

PUPPIES BEHIND BARS with 2779 votes!

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“Puppies Behind Bars is a non-profit organization dedicated to training prison inmates to raise puppies to be guide dogs for the blind. PBB strives to meet the current needs of the communities in which we work and has expanded its goals accordingly. After the events of September 11, 2001, law enforcement agencies’ need for working dogs increased dramatically. To help meet this demand, PBB added the training of explosive detection canines (EDCs) to its program. In 2006, PBB started raising dogs to assist disabled children and adults and launched Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us, through which we donate fully trained service dogs to wounded soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.” (Reprinted from Website) Visit www.puppiesbehindbars.com

GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND with 1664 votes! Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) creates deep and meaningful lifelong partnerships based on trust and teamwork. Some GDB Alumni describe their dogs as “best friends,” “confidants,” even “soul mates.” From birth, the puppies are socialized by thousands of loving volunteers and cared for by expert veterinary and kennel staff. Using advanced training techniques, they are professionally trained to provide mobility assistance in a variety of environments; through crowds, traffic, and on public transportation. Working together with their blind partners, a deep bond is forged. Public graduations celebrate the beginning of their new life together. All services, including post-training support, are provided free-of-charge. Visit www.guidedogs.com

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PAWS FOR FRIENDSHIP with 583 votes!

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“Paws For Friendship is a non-profit organization of volunteers sharing the unconditional love of their personal pets with people in need, throughout the world. Our program is designed to reach out to all in need, not just any specific age or disability. We reach those in need who are in cancer units, dialysis centers, burn centers, hospices, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. We also work with children who have had emotional or physical trauma. Camp Easter Seals, school programs, health and awareness programs, as well as working directly in schools. We also have worked directly with families on home visitation for the elderly.” (Reprinted from Website) Visit www.pawsforfriendshipinc.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 93

“VOLUNTEER AT AN ANIMAL SHELTER/RESCUE” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

JUDITH LANGMAID with 1879 votes! Judith is a volunteer with Last Chance Animal Rescue of Southampton, NY, which is dedicated to helping animals located in high-kill shelters by underwriting the cost of care and rescue. They are a small, grassroots, 100% volunteer-run organization that recently celebrated their twoyear anniversary with over 1500 dogs being rescued. As a volunteer, Judith is responsible for marketing the organization and their dogs through outreach locally and on the Web. She tells us, “This is the most rewarding experience of my life and I am fortunate to share it with so many wonderful people.” Visit www.lcarf.org

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DAWN ASHBY with 1488 votes!

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While trying to help a chained dog next door to her, Dawn searched the internet and found Dogs Deserve Better, Inc. Since that day, more than 200 chained dogs have been rescued, vetted, fostered, trained, and adopted from Dawn’s home, including that lanky black Lab mix next door. (Not all at the same time, but over the course of years.) Dawn has also toured the country speaking to people against the dangers of dog chaining. She works with lawmakers and animal control drafting anti-tethering laws and limits. Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org

DAISY BALAWEJDER with 1455 votes! Daisy is the founder and president of Hello Bully, a 501c3 non-profit Pit Bull rescue and advocacy group. She has shared her life with rescued American Pit Bull Terriers since 1995. Daisy and her husband, John, formed Hello Bully in 2005, which offers free training, education, and spay/neuter in the Pittsburgh area. Since the inception of their Pit Fix Plus program they have spay/neutered nearly 1,000 Pit Bulls at no cost to the owner. Hello Bully’s board members and staff receive no financial compensation for the countless hours they volunteer. Visit www.hellobully.com

94 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“FOSTER FAMILY FOR SHELTER/RESCUE” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards photo by Elle Wittelsbach

CAROLE SAX with 2258 votes!

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Carole is a volunteer for Animal Advocates Alliance, and spends time fostering, transporting, fundraising, and helping with adoption days. Her most successful fostering adoptions have been a two-legged Chihuahua mix named Binky, and a blind/deaf 4-lb Chihuahua named Keller. Both dogs are now getting fabulous homes because she took them everywhere with her telling their stories. Carole has a fondness for hairless critters and has successfully placed six and is a foster failure to two of them.

DAWN ASHBY with 1862 votes While trying to help a chained dog next door to her, Dawn searched the internet and found Dogs Deserve Better, Inc. Since that day, more than 200 chained dogs have been rescued, vetted, fostered, trained, and adopted from Dawn’s home, including that lanky black Lab mix next door. (Not all at the same time, but over the course of years.) Dawn has also toured the country speaking to people against the dangers of dog chaining. She works with lawmakers and animal control drafting anti-tethering laws and limits.

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Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org

GALE FREY with 968 votes!

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Gale Frey has been rescuing animals since childhood. In 2000, Gale and her husband, David Melot, founded Mutts-n-Stuff—a St. Louis foster-home-based rescue group for all domesticated animals, with a specialization in Pit Bulls and other bully breeds. Gale has dedicated her life to her passion for animals in need. She has personally saved over 1,000 dogs and cats. Gale is truly dedicated to the Pit Bull community, offering education to the public, Pit owners, and local shelters. Visit www.muttsandstuff.com

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 95

“DOG RESCUE TRANSPORTER” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

PILOTS N PAWS with 3862 votes! Pilots N Paws is a 501c3 charitable organization who, through the help of general aviation volunteer pilots, transports rescue animals by air. The mission of Pilots N Paws is to provide a user-friendly Website communication venue between those that rescue, shelter, and foster animals, and pilots and plane owners willing to assist with the transportation of these animals. Founded in February of 2008, Pilots N Paws continues to make a difference in the lives of innocent animals. They have flown thousands of rescue animals, military working dogs, service dogs, and dogs that soldiers have adopted from war zones to safe havens provided by rescues and families. Visit www.pilotsnpaws.org

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CLOUD NINE RESCUE FLIGHTS with 1182 votes!

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Cloud Nine Rescue Flights transports large numbers of animals rapidly and cost-effectively out of harm’s way to where they will find loving forever homes. As an entirely volunteer and donor-funded organization, Cloud Nine performed 32 transports in 2010, traveling 90,000 miles, and transporting over 430 pets to new homes. Cloud Nine has also assisted with animal welfare missions, transporting veterinarians and vet techs to remote areas of Northern Quebec that have no veterinary care whatsoever. Visit www.cloudninerescueﬂights.org

PET AIRWAYS with 1028 votes! Pet Airways is the first airline for pets only and is dedicated to providing safe, comfortable transportation for pets across the US. The founders of Pet Airways are committed to saving pets from euthanasia since they find there are many instances where pets are not adopted due to distance. To help facilitate cross-country adoptions, Pet Airways sets aside space on flights to ensure no pet is left without a forever home because of lack of transportation. Pet Airways has participated in a number of rescues since their launch. Visit www.petairways.com

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“RESCUE ORGANIZATION SAVING DOGS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

photo by Portia Shao

LISA CARTER with 3631 votes!

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Lisa says she has always been politically active, and in 2007 she had the opportunity to work on California Assembly Bill 1634, the California Healthy Pets Act, roughly based on Santa Cruz County and City’s ordinance. On her time off from directing the Santa Cruz SPCA, Lisa uses Santa Cruz County’s ordinance and Senate Bill 250 as a template to speak throughout the United States on media outlets and in person about the importance of differential licensing, spay/neuter, and how to save millions of dogs’ and cats’ lives, as well as billions of taxpayer dollars. Visit www.santacruzspca.org

Tamira Thayne with 3512 votes! Tamira Thayne (Founder) states, “Chained dogs need a voice, a strong voice, and Dogs Deserve Better strives to be that voice every single day. I am incredibly grateful for the recognition of our work, and dedicate it all to our amazing reps who are out there rescuing dogs in tough situations. We are building an awareness of chaining that is heretofore unprecedented. It’s time for this archaic treatment of our best friends to end, and I commend all those who voted for us for recognizing that. I also congratulate every single winner of this year’s awards, and all those who equally deserved to win. Together we can change the world.” Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org

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Nathan Winograd with 1908 votes!

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Nathan J. Winograd is the Director of the national No Kill Advocacy Center. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School, a former criminal prosecutor and attorney. He has spoken nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, has written animal protection legislation at the state and national level, has created successful No Kill programs in both urban and rural communities, and has consulted with a wide range of animal protection groups including some of the largest and best known in the nation. Nathan is the author of Redemption which redefined the animal protection movement in the United States. Visit www.nokilladvocacycenter.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 97

“ANIMAL ADVOCATE FOR DOGS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

RESCUE INK with 4013 votes! Joe Panz, one of the founding members says that “RESCUE INK is like no other rescue group and uses an ‘in your face’ approach to fight against animal abuse and neglect. We do whatever is necessary within the means of the law. Well, that is what our lawyer tells us to say—LOL!! You don’t send a boy scout after a bad guy, and Rescue Ink is comprised of rough-talking, motorcycle-riding tough guys. We are the guys in your neighborhood that if you had a problem and had no one else to turn to, you would call on us.” Rescue Ink Foundation has their own 25-acre rehabilitation sanctuary located in upstate New York. Visit www.rescueink.org

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SCOTLUND HAISLEY with 3514 votes!

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Scotlund Haisley, President and Founder of Animal Rescue Corps, has been a leader in the animal protection field for over 20 years. He has traveled the globe to rescue an unprecedented number of animals from puppy mills, dog fighting, hoarding, factory farming, other cruelty cases, and natural disasters. His leadership positions have included Sr. Director of The HSUS Animal Rescue Team, President of Washington Animal Rescue League, Captain of Humane Law Enforcement for the Wash DC Humane Society and Peninsula Humane Society, and Shelter Director for the Manhattan, NYC Shelter. Visit www.animalrescuecorps.org

TAMIRA THAYNE with 1755 votes! Tamira Thayne (Founder) states, “Chained dogs need a voice, a strong voice, and Dogs Deserve Better strives to be that voice every single day. I am incredibly grateful for the recognition of our work, and dedicate it all to our amazing reps who are out there rescuing dogs in tough situations. We are building an awareness of chaining that is heretofore unprecedented. It’s time for this archaic treatment of our best friends to end, and I commend all those who voted for us for recognizing that. I also congratulate every single winner of this year’s awards, and all those who equally deserved to win. Together we can change the world.” Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“ANIMAL WELFARE BLOGGER” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

SARGE THE ELDERBULL with 2152 votes

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“Elderbulls” is a blog written by Sarge and Martha, along with help from their mom/typist, Kim Wolf. Sarge was rescued at age 14 from a person who abused and exploited dogs, and Martha was surrendered to animal control at age 8 after her owner fell on hard times. They were both adopted by Kim and her husband Thaddeus and are great family pets, humane educators, philanthropists, and community organizers. The “Elderbulls” blog follows the adventures and musings of Sarge, Martha, and their buddies as they challenge stereotypes, dispel myths about dogs labeled as pit bulls, present objective information on safe and humane communities, and celebrate the human/canine bond. Visit www.elderbulls.blogspot.com

NATHAN WINOGRAD with 1976 votes! Nathan Winograd is a nationally recognized speaker and has spoken at national animal welfare conferences from coast to coast. His work has been featured widely in such publications as Newsweek, USA Today, and newspapers nationwide. He has appeared on Fox News, CNN, ABC, and other radio and television affiliates around the country. His book, Redemption, is the most critically acclaimed book on the topic in the United States and the winner of five national book awards. Nathan has also lectured on animal sheltering ethics to students at Cornell University and at U.C.L.A on animal law issues.

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Keep up to date with Nathan on his blog at: www.nathanwinograd.com

photo by Joseph Frazz

BERNIE BERLIN with 1923 votes!

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Bernie, founder of A Place To Bark, has been saving dogs in Tennessee for six years. In that time over 2500 dogs have been saved from euthanasia. The south has the highest euthanasia rate in the nation with the least amount of resources to save these animals from a needless death. They may be a small rescue, but Bernie says, “I have the support of our law enforcement officials, the politicians and the largest animal welfare organizations who embrace and believe in my program. I am a partnering shelter to both HSUS and the ASPCA. Again, it all comes down to everyone working together towards a common goal, saving animals!” Follow A Place to Bark on twitter with 27,286 fans or find Bernie Berlin on Facebook blogging about the animals she saves!

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 99

“ANIMAL WELFARE WEBSITE” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

SANTA CRUZ SPCA with 2806 votes! Visit the Santa Cruz SPCA Website and you’ll find all kinds of valuable information. The purpose of the Santa Cruz SPCA is to ensure the best possible quality of life for animals and to promote respect and reverence for all. Their mission is to strive to prevent cruelty to animals, to stop pet overpopulation, to promote community responsibility, and for the humane care, treatment, and well-being of all animals through adoption, humane education programs, information, and action. They are a proactive, community-oriented shelter with an international impact on animal welfare. Visit www.santacruzspca.org

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DOGS DESERVE BETTER with 2404 votes!

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Dogs Deserve Better has a great Website with all the latest news, plus information on how to rescue a chained dog, the latest laws pertaining to anti-tethering, contacting DDB reps in different cities, ways to get involved in your community, and tips on how you can help the dogs and the families that chain them. You can also see the latest brochures, join their newsletter mailing list, read all the articles written about Dogs Deserve Better, find out how to report a chained, penned or abandoned dog, and access links to other dog advocacy groups and humane societies. Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org

THE NO KILL NATION with 1925 votes! “At NKN, our mission and passion is to educate, enlighten and inspire all of us to know that there is a better way. That the status quo is a betrayal to our kindred spirits. The mass systematic shelter killing of the innocent souls, whose only crime is that they are unable to find a loving, caring home. With compassionate dedication we will and must finally end this injustice. Together with No Kill advocates everywhere we will continue to grow a national grassroots movement that will empower compassionate citizens in every community to implement the proven life-saving alternatives that will make us a No Kill nation.” (Reprinted from Website) Visit www.thenokillnation.org

100 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“VOICE FOR SAVING PIT BULLS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

RESCUE INK with 2401 votes!

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Joe Panz, one of the founding members says that “RESCUE INK is like no other rescue group and uses an ‘in your face’ approach to fight against animal abuse and neglect. We do whatever is necessary within the means of the law. Well, that is what our lawyer tells us to say—LOL!! You don’t send a boy scout after a bad guy, and Rescue Ink is comprised of rough-talking, motorcycle-riding tough guys. We are the guys in your neighborhood that if you had a problem and had no one else to turn to, you would call on us.” Rescue Ink Foundation has their own 25-acre rehabilitation sanctuary located in upstate New York. Visit www.rescueink.org

KIM WOLF with 1612 votes! Kim adopted her first Pit Bull in 2009 and now advocates for the breed after she realized these dogs were also victims of discrimination. Since then, Kim and her adopted Pit Bull partners—Sarge, Martha, and Junior—have hit the ground running to change minds and open hearts. She and her crew regularly visit nursing homes, schools, and community groups. Inspired by her 16-yr-old Elderbull Sarge, she launched “The Sarge Fund” (www.phillypaws.org/sargefund) in 2010 to provide low-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchips for dogs labeled as Pit Bulls in the Philadelphia region.

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You can follow Kim’s work on her blog “Elderbulls” www.elderbulls.blogspot.com

BAD RAP with 1401 votes!

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Best known for their role in working with the federal government to secure the evaluation and rescue of NFL player Michael Vick’s abused pit bulls, BAD RAP has been shining a light on pit bulls and trailblazing new ways to help them since 1999. When they’re not creating adoption matches or orchestrating obedience drills in their award winning training classes, their reps are traveling around the country, assisting in cruelty cases or helping animal care professionals who are eager to jump start their own shelter adoption and training programs. Visit www.badrap.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

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“VOICE FOR ENDING PUPPY MILLS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

SCOTLUND HAISLEY with 2732 votes! Scotlund Haisley, President and Founder of Animal Rescue Corps, has been a leader in the animal protection field for over 20 years. He has traveled the globe to rescue an unprecedented number of animals from puppy mills, dog fighting, hoarding, factory farming, other cruelty cases, and natural disasters. His leadership positions have included Sr. Director of The HSUS Animal Rescue Team, President of Washington Animal Rescue League, Captain of Humane Law Enforcement for the Wash DC Humane Society and Peninsula Humane Society, and Shelter Director for the Manhattan, NYC Shelter. Visit www.animalrescuecorps.org

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ASPCA IN NEW YORK with 2475 votes!

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“The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was the first humane society to be established in North America and is, today, one of the largest in the world. Headquartered in New York City, the ASPCA maintains a strong local presence, and with programs that extend their anti-cruelty mission across the country, they are recognized as a national animal welfare organization. The ASPCA has many programs and services involving community outreach, animal health services, and anti-cruelty initiatives.” (Reprinted form their Website) Visit www.aspca.org

HUMANE SOCIETY of the United States with 1823 votes! Over the past three years, The HSUS Puppy Mills Campaign has assisted in the rescue of more than 5,766 dogs and puppies from 29 puppy mills across the country and in Canada. In addition to groundbreaking investigations, litigation, and public awareness campaigns, The HSUS has also assisted in passing 18 state laws to crack down on puppy mills, including the groundbreaking ballot measure Proposition B in Missouri, the nation’s largest puppy mill state, and federal legislation to ban puppy imports. Increased public awareness via the HSUS Website, billboards, public ads, and a nationwide puppy mills tip line (1-877-MILL-TIP) help pet lovers become a part of the solution. Visit www.hsus.org

102 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“VOICE FOR ENDING CHAINED DOGS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

dOGS dESERvE BETTER with 4567 votes!

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RESCUE INK with 2401 votes! Joe Panz, one of the founding members says that “RESCUE INK is like no other rescue group and uses an ‘in your face’ approach to fight against animal abuse and neglect. We do whatever is necessary within the means of the law. Well, that is what our lawyer tells us to say—LOL!! You don’t send a boy scout after a bad guy, and Rescue Ink is comprised of rough-talking, motorcycle-riding tough guys. We are the guys in your neighborhood that if you had a problem and had no one else to turn to, you would call on us.” Rescue Ink Foundation has their own 25-acre rehabilitation sanctuary located in upstate New York.

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Visit www.rescueink.org

COALITION TO UNCHAIN dOGS with 1690 votes!

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Coalition to Unchain Dogs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to making the chaining of dogs a thing of the past. They work toward this goal by building free fences for people who chain their dogs and educating the community about the detrimental effects of chaining, on both the dog and the community. They also help groups around the country to start free-fencing programs, and to lobby for legislation to help chained dogs or lobbying for legislation which disallows or severely restricts tethering of dogs. Coalition to Unchain Dogs was started in August of 2006 and now has eight chapters across the Southeastern U.S. Visit www.unchaindogs.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

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“VOICE FOR BANNING GREYHOUND RACING” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

GREY2K USA with 2390 votes! “GREY2K USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to passing stronger Greyhound protection laws and ending the cruelty of dog racing. They work nationwide to fight for Greyhounds in state legislatures, at the ballot box, and in the courts. Greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane, and should be prohibited. GREY2K USA was the first organization to successfully outlaw dog racing using the ballot initiative process in November 2008 in the state of Massachusetts. Since their formation, twenty-five dog tracks have closed for live racing all across the country, and the number of states with dog racing has been cut in half.” (Reprinted from Website) Visit www.grey2kusa.org

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ASPCA IN NEW YORK with 1999 votes!

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GOING HOME GREYHOUNDS with 1413 votes! “Going Home Greyhounds provides refuge, aid, and care for retired racing greyhounds until they are placed in permanent homes. The organization’s board members and volunteers partake in various activities such as hauling retired racers from racing kennels, bathing newly retired dogs, fostering greyhounds in their home, doing meet and greets, participating in local parades and various fund raising activities. GHG is a local organization that adopts within a 100-mile radius of the Pittsburgh area. As of the end of 2009, GHG has found homes for 1902 retired racing Greyhounds!” (Reprinted from their Website) Visit www.goinghomegreyhounds.org

104 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“VOICE FOR THE NO KILL MOVEMENT” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY with 3399 votes!

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Since its inception in 1984, Best Friends has become the leading national advocate for the No Kill Movement by rescuing tens of thousands of animals, developing and funding innovative life-saving programs throughout the country, operating the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary for abandoned and abused animals, and mainstreaming the No Kill Movement through its publications, Website, national No More Homeless Pets conferences and frequent coverage in major media. Best Friends’ ongoing work is made possible by the national grassroots support of people, partners, and organizations who care about No More Homeless Pets. Visit www.bestfriends.org

NATHAN WINOGRAD with 2410 votes! Nathan Winograd is a nationally recognized speaker and has spoken at national animal welfare conferences from coast to coast. His work has been featured widely in such publications as Newsweek, USA Today, and newspapers nationwide. He has appeared on Fox News, CNN, ABC, and other radio and television affiliates around the country. His book, Redemption, is the most critically acclaimed book on the topic in the United States and the winner of five national book awards. Nathan has also lectured on animal sheltering ethics to students at Cornell University and at U.C.L.A on animal law issues. Keep up to date with Nathan on his blog at: www.nathanwinograd.com

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THE NO KILL NATION with 1925 votes!

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“At NKN, our mission and passion is to educate, enlighten and inspire all of us to know that there is a better way. That the status quo is a betrayal to our kindred spirits. The mass systematic shelter killing of the innocent souls, whose only crime is that they are unable to find a loving, caring home. With compassionate dedication we will and must finally end this injustice. Together with No Kill advocates everywhere we will continue to grow a national grassroots movement that will empower compassionate citizens in every community to implement the proven life-saving alternatives that will make us a No Kill nation.” (Reprinted from Website) Visit www.thenokillnation.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 105

“VOICE TO STOP ILLEGAL DOG FIGHTING” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

dEIRdRE fRANKLIN with 2655 votes! “Deirdre Franklin, a.k.a. Little Darling, has volunteered as an emergency responder for the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks in NY and Hurricane Katrina. In New Orleans, she personally scoured the city in boats going house to house rescuing dogs and cats. The sheer volume of pit bull type dogs affected by this disaster furthered her desire to start Pinups For Pit Bulls. PFPB works to educate the public about the history and temperament of the American Pit Bull Terrier, and about Breed Specific Legislation and breed-specific abuse such as illegal dog fighting. PFPB also raises funds for rescues and dogs in need.” (Reprinted from Website) Visit www.pinupsforpitbulls.org

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RESCUE INK with 2401 votes!

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BAd RAP with 1300 votes! Best known for their role in working with the federal government to secure the evaluation and rescue of NFL player Michael Vick’s abused pit bulls, BAD RAP has been shining a light on Pit Bulls and trailblazing new ways to help them since 1999. When they’re not creating adoption matches or orchestrating obedience drills in their award winning training classes, their reps are traveling around the country, assisting in cruelty cases or helping animal care professionals who are eager to jump-start their own shelter adoption and training programs. Visit www.badrap.org

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“ROLE MODEL — DOG FOOD OR TREAT BIZ” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

HALO PURELY FOR PETS with 2076 votes!

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“Halo, Purely for Pets evolved from three guiding principles: balance, nature and love. They believe that when these are the basis of pet product development, optimum health, vitality and wellness follow. Giving back is part of Halo’s mission. They’re proud to help you care for your pet. They’re just as proud of the generous donations to care for animals in need and promote responsible pet ownership. Halo is the exclusive sponsor of Freekibble and has generously donated to shelters and dogs in need nationwide.” (Reprinted from their Website) Visit www.halopets.com

PEDIGREE with 1888 votes! “Every dog that finds itself in a shelter has a story. Pedigree’s goal is to make sure those stories have happy endings. That’s why they created The Pedigree Foundation, a 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization dedicated to helping dogs in need find loving homes. With their PEDIGREE Annual Adoption Drive, a campaign initiated in 2005 and is active around the world, has helped raise awareness of, and funds for, dogs in need.” (Reprinted from their Website)

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Visit www.dogsrule.com and www. pedigree.com

BLUE BUFFALO with 1503 votes!

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“The folks at the Blue Buffalo Company, the makers of natural, healthy and holistic dog food and cat food, started the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research when their beloved dog Blue was affected by cancer. The Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research (BBFCR), through the Pet Cancer Awareness Program, was created to help find a cure for the #1 disease-related killer of our dogs and cats. The BBFCR set out to accomplish several important goals: To make pet parents aware of the warning signs of canine and feline cancer, to let them know about ways they can help minimize their pet’s cancer risk, and to raise money and provide grants to leading institutions studying ways to combat and cure pet cancer.” (Reprinted from their Website) Visit www.bluebuffalo.com or www.petcancerawareness.org

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“ROLE MODEL — PET STORE OR GROOMERS” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

THE ANIMAL RESCUE SITE with 4543 votes! “The Animal Rescue Site is owned and operated by Tim Kunin and Greg Hesterberg, co-owners of CharityUSA.com (parent company of GreaterGood Network). Long-time friends and activists, they launched The Animal Rescue Site in July 2002. The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need—providing food and vital care for some of the eight million unwanted animals given to shelters every year in the U.S., as well as animals in desperate need around the world. Over four million animals are put to death every year in the U.S. alone because they are abandoned and unwanted.” (Info reprinted from their Website) Visit www.theanimalrescuesite.com

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WAGS AND WIGGLES (in Tustin, CA) with 567 votes!

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“Laurie Zurborg and her husband own Wags & Wiggles, the ‘original’ in Rancho Santa Margarita. They also co-own Wags & Wiggles Part Deux in Tustin, CA with their partner Lysa Knight, CPDT (certified pet dog trainer). Lysa came to Wags and Wiggles in 1999, as one of the charter employees and began the Wags and Wiggles apprentice program with Laurie, the owner and head trainer. This apprenticeship program gave her the invaluable opportunity to observe raw dog behavior as well as playgroup and pack behavior. Lysa grew with the company, working at the original Wags in RSM and now is partner in the Tustin venture!” (Info reprinted from their Website) Visit www.wagsandwiggles.com

FIFI & FIDO’S BOUTIQUE with 423 votes! Diane Farrar, owner of Fifi & Fido’s says, “I made a commitment when I bought the store to carry only natural, human-grade food and treats, and to offer organic products whenever possible. I know I can’t change the world, but I can help to improve the quality of life of the pets I come in contact with, and the people who love them. I also made a commitment to help those less fortunate animals find their ‘forever homes,’ and work with various shelters and rescue groups to have in-store adoption events throughout the year.” (Info reprinted for their Website) Visit www.fifiandfidos.com

108 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“ROLE MODEL — DAY CARE/BOARDING/TRAINER” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards photo by April Ziegler

Leigh Siegfried (Opportunity Barks trainer) with 2221 votes!

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Leigh Siegfried is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer who began her career by volunteering as a dog walker at her local shelter. After working as the Behavior and Training Manager for one of the most progressive shelters on the East Coast, Leigh founded the award-winning Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training. To support the shelter community, Leigh provides low-cost phone consultations for foster parents and for new adopters. She also works with her local rescues and shelters to offer education programs for the community, and works closely with Animal Lifeline’s “Rescue U” Program, which takes college students and volunteers on site to rural shelters to provide much needed facility repairs. Visit www.opbarks.com

Lucy’s Doggy Day care in San Antonio, TX with 1012 votes! Lucy’s is proud to support San Antonio’s 2012 no-kill initiative. One of the groups they support is CARE (Cressie Animal Refuge and Enrichment). Lucy’s sponsors CARE’s annual fundraiser with a pet play day and gives 100% of the proceeds to CARE. They also offer free doggy day care to anyone fostering a dog. In addition, they support the National Wild Life Rescue Group. The National Wild Life Rescue Group serves as a support to ACS and takes in dogs that would be euthanized. Lucy’s houses and fosters a dog at all times and works to adopt the dog out. They also work with the Boxer Rescue Group and give free doggy day care to anyone fostering a dog. Visit www.lucysdoggydaycare.com

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Endless Love Pet Palace (Sheila Kemp—Owner) in GA with 897 votes!

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Sheila says, “Over the years I have met some extraordinary people with extraordinary pets. I have made great friends and shared many things with the people this business has brought into my life. I have watched pets grow old, and I have had to suffer the pain when it has been time to let one of these most precious babies leave us. I have cried with the parents when that time has come and felt the loss deep in my heart. There are not words I can say that could show the gratitude I feel toward our clients for sharing their babies with us. We will always make each and every one of them feel like the most special baby on earth!” (Reprinted from Website) Visit www.endlesslovepetpalace.com

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 109

“ROLE MODEL — Artist/Photographer/Vet” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards

Kristina Bowman Photography with 2769 votes! Kristina is a professional photographer by profession, but an animal protection activist by passion. Her causes range from stopping puppy mills and factory farming, to ending the use of animals in horrific research labs and circuses. She has served on many committees and boards of local rescue groups, and is currently on the board of the Texas Horse Park, served on the Executive Committee for the Genesis Awards in 2008 and 2009, and co-chaired the 2010 Dallas Spotlight Humane Gala benefiting the HSUS Stop Puppy-Mills Campaign. Most recently, she became a founding board member of Animal Rescue Corps, a revolutionary new non-profit organization founded by Scotlund Haisley. Visit www.kristinabowmanphotography.com and www.animalrescuecorps.org

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DR. TRISHA BALLARD with 1678 votes!

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Dr. Ballard recalls, “As a child I dreamed of being a veterinarian, and for the last twenty-six years, I have had the privilege of being exactly that. After training in Traditional Chinese Medicine I understand the energy of diseases and the opposing healing energy available in herbs, foods, homeopathics, and drugs. Treating the physical and emotional condition of my patients and helping the client by giving a reasonable explanation as to why their pet is sick, what to expect, and what is possible in the treatment of the condition is my gift to my clients. My joy is in making a difference one patient at a time.” Visit www.alternativeveterinaryhospital.com photo by PawMazing Photography

PAWMAZING PHOTOGRAPHY with 1601 votes! Robert Ochoa is the owner of PawMazing Photography and tells us that “everyone calls me PawMazing Rob! I’m a southern California photographer that has a passion for capturing the essence of animalhuman interaction. I’m really honored to be part of all the humanitarian winners. I have to say that I’m lucky to be able donate my time and photography with different non-profits. By donating my photography and time with these organizations, I help bring awareness to their charitable causes, and it has brought me many blessings in return—such as invaluable friendships and, most importantly, joy. That combination keeps me coming back time after time!” Visit www.Pawmazing.com

110 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

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“ROLE MODEL — PHILANTHROPIST (dog or person)!” 1st Annual Humanitarian Awards photo by www.EppicSurf.com/Diane Edmonds

Surf Dog Ricochet with 2765 votes!

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ELAINE HENDRIX with 2609 votes Elaine Hendrix is a world-famous actress with over 100 film, television and stage credits. Said to “earn her stripes” by legendary film critic Roger Ebert, Elaine’s greatest passion is her work for the humane treatment of animals. She travels across the country to rescue, lobby, testify, protest, educate, and build new habitats on the animals’ behalf. She has won numerous humanitarian awards for her dedication to animal protection, and is a proud founding member of Animal Rescue Corps.

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Elaine can be found online at www.elainehendrix.com and www.animalrescuecorps.org

TAMIRA THAYNE with 1300 votes!

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The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 111

BEDTIME BOOKS All books reviewed by Nancy Allen

PIT STOPS: Crossing the Country with Loren the Rescue Bully by Michelle Sathe

This is a great book about Michelle’s 50-day trip with a rescue Pit Bull named Loren who is an adorable, lovable dog. We get to learn about a lot of rescue groups throughout the country, and how people in many cities act and feel toward Pit Bulls. Dog lovers will truly enjoy finding out what happens to Loren—who is still looking for a forever home.

30 DAYS TO A WELL-MANNERED DOG: The Loved Dog Method by Tamar Gellar

Tamar shares her “revolutionary dog-coaching method” of helping everyone with just about whatever problem a person could have with his or her dog. Her “groundbreaking plan” will teach your dog how to be happy and extremely well-mannered in a one-month period. This simple approach is something we humans should all be able to follow, because our dogs truly want to please us. This book will get the message across to both puppy and person alike.

DOGS by Tim Flach

Dogs is a beautiful photography book of (guess what)…dogs! This collection displays some of the most unusual canine photographs you will ever see. You will definitely want to look at this book over and over again and share it with everyone you know, especially your dog-loving friends.

DOG: The Definitive Guide for Dog Owners by Bruce Fogle

Bruce, a veterinarian, gives us a very personal look at the emotional human-canine bonding experience. He takes the mystery out of this complex relationship. The title says it all. Dog is the book that tells people everything they need to know about their canine companions—plus it includes lots of helpful photographs.

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BEDTIME BOOKS All books reviewed by NANcy AlleN

PuPPY MILL DOGS SPEAk!: happy Stories and helpful Advice by chriStine palM ShauGhneSS and chriS Slawecki

Everyone must read this book so that dogs rescued from puppy mills will be a mainstream topic. People will understand why we should NEVER purchase a dog from a pet store or over the internet. These are heartwarming stories of survivor breeding dogs who now have a place to call home and human companions who love them. Again, a must-read book for everyone.

A SMALL FuRRY PRAYER: Dog Rescue and the Meaning Of Life by SteVen kotler

This is a book for not only lovers of dogs, but of science, history, a just good storytelling as well. Steven becomes such an unbelievable, fantastic lover of dogs that he does truly inspiring things to help them. He moves to the country from the city so that no one can take away the rescues he and his girlfriend are fostering. As he tells his own story, he goes over everything from pet ownership history to how humans and dogs co-evolved to writings by animal scientists, and more. An amazingly intriguing and touching book. Pets/Ins piration al/Mo

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ShELBY’S GRACE: From Abused Pup to Angel of Mercy by Joe dwyer

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This tale is a sad-to-happy book about an angelic dog who begins life as an abused pup but ends up helping as many humans as she can, including the author Joe. As she loves, helps, and gives emotional support to humans, Shelby proves that Pit Bulls can truly be benign animals, even though she, herself, was not at first helped by people—but abused. As you enjoy reading this book about Shelby, hopefully you will grow to see what great dogs Pit Bulls really are.

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YOuR DOG IS YOuR MIRROR: The Emotional Capacity of Dogs and Ourselves by keVin behan

This book discusses how dogs are actually an “emotional reflection” of the way we feel and act. Behan writes about his early experiences of training dogs with his dad and explains how dog training has evolved for the better. As you read, you will not only see why and how you can help your dog change, you will also learn to change some things about yourself that your dog is mirroring.

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011

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DOG PARENT FAMILIES photos by Jordan Johnson

Debra and Bryan Johnson with Legend— Running the Family “Doggy Baggage” Business T h e A me r i c an D o g re po rt s

Debra has had German Shepherds most of her life, but after their Shepherd Zeus died in 2007 (at 13 years old), Debra and her husband Bryan spent a couple of years without a furry friend. They soon realized their family was not complete without a dog—so, the search began for their next puppy. This was how Legendary Justice (nicknamed “Legend”) joined the Johnson family in February of 2008. Debra recalls that “he was the cutest ball of fur with the biggest feet I have ever seen. We had doubts that he would ever grow into his huge feet and ears!” Legend was so smart from the very beginning that Debra was sometimes sure that he could read her mind. He understood the sit command by the end of his first week, and the training sessions seemed to proceed as if by magic. Debra attributes his adaptability to the fact that she was able to spend most of her time with him. Because she and her husband were new “empty-nesters,” Legend was her fulltime companion and rarely left her side.

Sometimes, Legend was a little too smart for his own good. Because of Legend’s love for ice cubes, he distinguished the sound of ice cubes clinking against a drinking glass very early on, and he would come running to collect his share. One day, when Legend was five months old, Debra heard a strange sound from the kitchen. When she looked through the door, she saw Legend standing on his hind feet with his front paws flat against the fridge and his nose pushing the ice button! Ice was everywhere! “He had a look on his face that said he had found treasure,” Debra recalls. “It took several weeks to teach him that he would not be allowed to get his own [ice].” Debra works out of her home office and is lucky enough to spend time with Legend during the day. In fact, Legend is the inspiration for the Johnson’s new pet industry business, Doggy Baggage, LLC. “We are definitely a ‘Dog Parent Family.’ I found myself making a 300-mile trip every other week and discovered packing the doggy

114 Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

stuff in a box did not work. We now have a brand of pet travel and organizer bags for all the dog’s necessities,” she says. But the Johnsons aren’t all business. During the weekends, Legend loves to play with Debra’s son’s dogs, Oscar, Miles (miniature Dachshunds), and Bruno (an American Bulldog). “It is a real circus when they visit,” Debra says. As well as granddogs, Debra also granddaughters, Ava and Sophia, who Legend guards in a gentle and regal manner while they are visiting. Debra reveals her surprise about being a dog parent. “Maybe I am getting older or maybe it is because he is responsible for the family business, but either way, he is definitely more than just a dog— he is a member of the family.”

For more information about Doggy Baggage please visit: www.doggybaggage.com

DOG PARENT FAMILIES photos by Abe Ortiz of LAFMIL Photography

Julie McClaren and Nut Her Caregiver and Companion

T h e A me r i c an D o g re po rt s

Julie McClaren, a kennel manager and dog show handler for most of her youth, now has one service dog: Peanut—a.k.a., “Nut”—a Jindo-mix. Julie found this little vagabond on the streets by her home when Nut was only a few months old. “Jindos are known for guarding their ‘hood’,” Julie explains. In this case, Nut had adopted their entire cul-de-sac as her territory. “Every night, she’d pull the welcome mat off the neighbor’s front porch and drag it to the middle of the circle to sleep on,” Julie says. Every morning, her neighbor would have to retrieve it. Julie was so charmed by this little “scruff,” that she set food out for her daily. Soon thereafter, Nut was welcomed into the McClaren family. This Jindo-mix came into Julie’s life just a few months after a serious accident and has helped her throughout her therapy. When Julie is in pain, Nut won’t leave her side. She gives doggie-hugs when Julie is in tears by leaning forward into her chest and

placing her head on Julie’s shoulder. Nut also locates Julie’s keys, her brace, purse, and leash and brings them to her. “I once joked with the kids that this was her job,” Julie laughs. Besides being Julie’s caregiver, Nut has other fun “duties” around the house. During the weekends, Nut, along with Julie, is a Dinner Garden volunteer. She’s added personal touches to garden boxes by tossing in her stuffed toys. She’s made public volunteer appearances and has been on television. “She has made a memorable appearance on Texas Country Reporter—a butt-lick seen around Texas.” At night, she chases “blankie monsters” out of the bed and is the official pillow warmer. But, even during the fun times, Nut is ever on guard. “She sleeps behind my legs and once woke me from a sound sleep for a serious heart arrhythmia,” Julie says. After twelve years, Julie and Nut are a little more arthritic. Julie says, “It’s my turn to take care of her.” Nut once

pulled Julie in a manual wheelchair; now she rides on Julie’s lap in the electric wheelchair, when possible. Julie also listens more closely when Nut orders her to bed. “She goes out of her way to check on my well-being throughout the day. I get nose-checks as she passes, as if to say ‘well done!’ or ‘I’m here.’” Throughout the years, both residences and diagnoses have changed, but Nut continues to watch over Julie. She accompanies Julie on San Antonio’s mass transit and while shopping. One day, some Lackland AFB (Air Force Base) dog trainers approached them in a grocery store. They commented that Nut was “the best-trained dog they had ever seen.” Julie explains, “that a well trained dog comes from both the dog’s ability to read her owner as well the owner’s willingness to read her dog.”

For more information: Find Julie on Facebook at: Julie McClaren or visit www.dinnergarden.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 115

DOG PARENT FAMILIES

Sheri-lyn and Scott Shepler – with Miss Molly, Paddington, Cam Cam, CJ, and Caya

photo by Lisa Presnail of www.littlepetproject.com

The A me r i c an D o g R e p o rt s

Sheri-lyn Shepler, owner of BellaDOG magazine, and her husband Scott are the proud dog parents to a pack of five. Each dog has his or her own distinct personality and tale. Miss Molly, a Spitz/Chow-mix was rescued from Bishop Animal Shelter in Bradenton, Florida, when she was 5½ years old. She was born at that shelter but was returned after years of obvious abuse. Molly is now 16½ years old and remains Sheri-lyn’s little guard dog. “She is the leader of the pack by a landslide,” says Sheri-lyn. “Nobody messes with Molly!” Sheri-lyn found Paddington (“Paddy”) on Facebook, listed as a 15-year-old Black Lab who was waiting for death at a high-kill shelter in Georgia. With the help of many kind-hearted volunteers, Sheri-lyn was able to transport Paddy to her home in Florida. Upon his arrival, Sheri-lyn was dismayed at Paddington’s condition. “He smelled horrible, was filthy, had oozing eyes, ear infections, and a big fat body… he could barely walk.” After just

five months in the Shepler’s care, Paddington’s health improved tremendously. “I am continuously amazed at how this beautiful animal could ever have been left for dead,” Sheri-lyn says. “This lovely creature has enriched our lives and has made us realize the importance of senior rescue.” Cam Cam, a Chocolate Lab, was a breeding dog in a backyard facility. She was dumped when she was no longer needed. The Sheplers adopted this broken-spirited dog five years ago. Now, she is Sheri-lyn’s shadow and does not leave her sight for a minute. Surprisingly, she is also the clown of the pack. “Cam is hilarious!” Sheri-lyn reports, “She does the most amusing things that constantly keep us laughing.” They nick-named her “Camtrack,” because she’s as steadfast as a train—a strong-willed, big-boned girl who doesn’t let doors prevent her from her goals. Cam grunts and moans and makes unexplainable noises, and she is not afraid to clown around in public. “She is a big barrel of love, and I can’t imagine life without her antics.”

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CJ and Caya are Chocolate Labs whom the Sheplers have had since they were pups. “[They] are like twins and have an amazing connection…they have a communication with their eyes that is super-cool to watch!” CJ, the princess of the pack, makes expressions that are almost humanlike. She has the sweetest disposition but is a “barking brat” in public. Sheri-lyn describes Caya as “just plain obstinate,” and says that when she doesn’t get her way, she gives a nibble to remind you she’s there. They’ve nick-named her “Shark” because of everything in the house that has a “shark bite” out of it. She’s never been caught in the act, though, and it’s only while doing laundry that they notice a chunk missing from whatever fabric met with her last! The Sheplers adore their dogs and love being dog parents. “Our dogs are our whole world. They come before us and pretty much run our lives…and we love it!”

For more information or to subscribe visit: www.bellaDOGmagazine.com

Everyday Doggie Heroes

Deirdre Franklin— Founder of Pinups for Pit Bulls Sa s h a L evi n e rep o rts

Deirdre Franklin’s love for Pit Bulls began while volunteering at a shelter. She attempted to adopt a Pit Bull-type dog, but was declined because of the dog’s appearance. That shelter, like many others, had a kill-Pit-Bull policy, regardless of the dog’s demeanor, history, or temperament. “She was never even tested for behavior,” says Deirdre. “She was killed purely because she looked like a Pit Bull.” During her struggle to free that dog, Deirdre reached out to Chako Pit Bull Rescue for help. Though the organization was unable to save the dog, they did introduce her to who would become an important member of her family: Deirdre’s first dog, Carla Lou, an American Staffordshire Terrier mix. Carla had been left for dead in someone’s basement. “When Carla came out of the crate and into my arms, it was love at first sight,” Deirdre recalls. Next, she adopted Baxter, an abused Pit Bull-type dog and parvo survivor who was covered in chemical burns. He became a part of Deirdre’s family, and has been loved ever since.

Deirdre came up the idea for creating a calendar of women posing with their Pit Bulls for charity. The inspiration for Pinups for Pit Bulls came not only from her own bully babies, but also from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. After Katrina struck, she was able to raise funds through her Myspace fan base (for Burlesque and modeling) to help with searchand-rescue efforts through the HSUS. “It was so organic and natural to seek out support for my animal activism through my own network of likeminded people—which is why Pinups for Pitbulls has always remained a grassroots organization. Our fans are our friends, and they keep my vision and passion for dogs going.” Pinups for Pitbulls has quickly gained popular support. They were featured as one of Discovery.com’s Top 10 Videos. They also starred on episode one of Animal Planet’s Pit Boss, and they’ve been asked back for Season 2 (to air in 2011). Recently, the non-profit has sold out of the 2011 calendar and has already had to reprint more!

Her determination has grown along with her family. When Deirdre isn’t attending conventions or hosting fundraisers, she may be found grilling some veggie dogs with her human love, Jefferson, their friends, and (of course) the fur kids: Carla, Baxter, Lexi, and Zoe. “We can help people understand [that Pit Bull-type dogs] have the same needs as any other companion animal.” Such as someone who will provide an excellent quality of life for them. Deirdre feels fortunate for the opportunities that the calendar has provided. “It’s been amazing to have met so many incredible and inspiring women through Pinups for Pitbulls… and to work alongside my best friend, Carrie “Berretta Fleur” Hunter, who I’ve known since I was fourteen.” She is also proud to work with other organizations, like the Animal Farm Foundation, so that they may provide the best facts to readers and seminar attendees. But Deidre looks forward to taking her work to the next level. “A fun pin-up calendar is great exposure, but our ultimate goal is to educate society about the past, present, and future of Pit Bull-type dogs.” A future, Deirdre hopes, that will result in Pit Bulls being seen as exactly what they are—just dogs.

For more information or to make a donation: photos courtesy of Pinups For Pit Bulls

www.pinupsforpitbulls.com

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 117

HAPPILy EvER AFTER

photo by tara petroSky

kELLER, WhO IS BLIND AND DEAF, FINDS hIS FOREVER hOME!

by c AT h y p eT ro s ky (keller’s mom)

When people ask me about Keller, I always start the story with this: “I met him at a party, and he stole my heart.” After Keller had been returned to the West Los Angeles Shelter as a “defective” animal, the Kris Kelly Foundation rescued him and placed him in the foster care of the wonderful Carole Sax, a true champion for the animals. Carole brought Keller to an ACI (Animal Cruelty Investigation) benefit party that I also attended, and I was instantly taken with this tiny little being who sported such a big personality. Keller is not able to see or hear, and he suffers neurological damage as a result of over-breeding, but I thought Keller was just perfect in every way. I sent an email to Carole within a few days, letting her know that I was always

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available if she needed someone to help with Keller. I thought about that little special-needs guy often over the next several months. And then one morning I received an email from Carole asking whether I could foster Keller. I picked him up that afternoon, and both Keller and I were a bit scared about what the future would hold for us. Would my other three dogs be accepting of Keller? Keller howled in his odd little voice on the way home, very aware that something big was changing in his life. But as the days wore on, Keller learned his way around my house, and began to trust in the love he felt in his new home. I learned to train Keller with touch. He knows where the door is to go outside when he needs to; he is familiar with all the rooms in the house and

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

navigates easily by smell and the textures of the flooring. He follows my daughter around the house and plays with his toys. His head will pop out from under his blanket when he smells someone he knows come into the room, and then he greets them with little noises and kisses, dancing into their neck to smell them more deeply. This little throwaway dog has brought such joy and happiness to our family. People always say how wonderful it is that we saved Keller, but the truth is that I could not imagine our lives without him. Each day is a miracle with Keller. He is an incredibly happy dog despite the genetic “defects” that will significantly shorten his life. Keller is truly a wonder and an example to me, every single day, of the power of love.

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SAVE A LIFE

ADOPT A PIT BULL! From Your Local Shelter or Rescue Group

MILLIONS of Pitties have been killed in shelters due to bad owners, backyard breeders, negative press, and shameful BSL laws that are enacted in over 500 cities nationwide. These Pitties deserve a chance and there are thousands waiting right now for a forever home. Please consider adopting a beautiful Pit Bull from your local shelter or rescue group. Like all dogs, they just want a family to love!

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Affectionate • Athletic • Courageous • Energetic Friendly • Humorous • Intelligent • Loyal Loving • Noble • Playful • Strong Please go to The American Dog Magazine (www.theamericandogmag.com) and click on the “Fight Breed Specific Legislation” tab for a list of Pit Bull rescue groups nationwide.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

KIRA WAS RESCUED!

From a Horrible Life with a Hoarder

Before

photo by Black Dog, Second Chance Rescue

photo by Nicole Pelkey

B y Ni col e P el k e y ( K ir a’s m o m )

As volunteers and fosters for Black Dog Second Chance Rescue, my husband and I are always opening our home to dogs in need. On November 21st, 2010, my rescue coordinator Ginny Brown Cerasani sent me an email that said there was an animal hoarding situation in a nearby town. The hoarder was finally willing to surrender 23 dogs to a rescue. Ginny informed me that the dogs were Siberian Huskies and Husky mixes. My husband and I decided we would foster one of the dogs. We saw the pictures of the filth these poor dogs had been living in: dogs in chain-link enclosures filled with mud, water, and dirt; dogs chained to trees, a porch, and to large blue barrels being used as makeshift dog houses. In the pictures, I never saw one single food or water dish. A week later, on November 27th, Ginny and her husband Nate delivered our foster dog Kira to us. When we first met Kira, she was filthy—covered in

mud, dirt, and burdocks. Her fur was matted, and she was malnourished. After introducing her to our resident dogs, the first thing we did was remove her tight collar. When we did so, we saw that her skin was incredibly raw underneath. Her fur was so coarse, when we petted her we could easily feel her spine. Both her hip bones and her jaw bones were protruding. We spent most of the evening helping her get used to her new surroundings. Later that night, we gave her a bath (she smelled really bad). My husband got into the bathtub with her and scrubbed away nine years of the outdoors that had clung to her. After just a few minutes, the water in the bathtub was black! Forty-five minutes later, she was a sparkling clean dog. Kira has been in our home for 4 days now. She is still learning to trust us and is getting used to her surroundings. She loves her new brother Vader (Pit Bull mix) and sister Luca (Italian

After

Greyhound mix). They play together, and tug-o-war seems to be her favorite game. She is very ladylike, and she tries to please us at every turn. Even though Kira is learning that it is okay for her to lie on our bed, right now she is more than happy to go and rest inside her crate. As she learns to take her treats nicely, she is finally gaining weight. Also, Kira is amazing to walk on a leash (with occasional stops to smell the grass or a tree), and she doesn’t mind when strangers want to pet her. And she doesn’t bark! She does talk though, and it is incredibly endearing. Matt and I took Kira into our home, with the intention of rehabilitating her, getting her used to people, and turning her into a loving pet. It has only been four days so far, but I can almost guarantee that Kira will become our “foster failure.”

For more information or to: www.bdscr.org

The American Dog Magazine | Spring 2011 121

HAPPILy EvER AFTER

cUdA –

reScued FroM a GaS Station and Found true loVe with the leroy FaMily!

by JUlie leroy (cUdA’s mom)

photoS by Valerie Fernandez

Cuda is an 11-month-old Pit Bull who is clearly a result of inbreeding. Cuda could have been “culled,” or exterminated at birth, or she could have become a bait dog. Instead, because she ended up with us, Cuda’s funky look and personality have brought so much joy to peoples’ lives. I’m an Animal Control Officer. One day after work, I walked into a gas station, and a couple was there with Cuda. At that time, she was about five months old. It was immediately apparent that Cuda had some issues. I surmised that Cuda was a product of inbreeding because she is misshapen, has a severe underbite, a tilted rib cage, a crooked spine, a fused neck, and flat feet—yes, flat feet! The couple at the gas station was trying to find someone to take the deformed dog, and although I had four more at home, I decided I was the only one qualified to have her!

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On the way home, I decided to stop at the pet store with her and was stunned by the stares and whispers she received. Immediately protective, I decided to take her home and schedule a vet visit to make sure she was healthy and not in pain. Even my husband and son were initially repulsed when they first saw her. After a clean bill of health at the vet’s office, Cuda became an integral part of our family. The other four dogs took to her right away, and she took to them. She also fell in love with our cats. It’s been five months since we’ve had her and I can’t imagine life without her! She is kind and clumsy and loves toys that squeak (although her first reaction is to run away from them!). Everyone who meets Cuda has the same reaction: stunned faces, dropped jaws, and then almost instant love! We get stopped everywhere we go by people wanting to know her story—she’s

Spring 2011 | The American Dog Magazine

been called a gargoyle, a pig, and part frog! She has her own fan club and is becoming quite popular. There is no joking about why she looks the way she does though. Over-breeding and inbreeding dogs is unnecessary and cruel, and I’ve found that Cuda has become an educational icon to teach both kids and grown-ups about this problem. Because of Cuda’s great personality and not-so-good looks (giggle), we are planning on getting her into the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma in June. You can become a fan of hers on her Facebook page at “Help Cuda get to the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest June 2011.”

For more information or to contact visit Cuda’s blog at: www.cudathedeformedpitbull.blogspot.com

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