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TABLE OF

CONTENTS Winter 2009

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1

Art, Fashion features Design &

25 Meet Julia Szabo

Pet Design Authority 28 Interior Design Dog-Friendly Decorating 32 New York Apartment Living At Home with Laura Husni 34 Awesome Pet-Friendly Home Furnishings 37 Fashion for the Dogs Winter Clothing for Fido 42 Italian-Born Artist Bettina Werner 45 Art for the Senses Great Artisans Featured 48 Fashion Hounds What is your Dog’s Style? 50 Cover Story President Obama & Baby, 3-legged puppy mill rescue dog 52 Undercover Investigations On Pet Shop Puppies 158 Featured Non-Profit Animal Acres in California 161 Featured Non-Profit Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital

The ever-fashionable Darby models the latest in winter footwear from Dogbooties.com. For more doggie fashion favorites see page 37. Photo by Heather Green.

*Cover photo by Robert Sebree, Courtesy of Jana Kohl 12 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 13

TABLE OF

CONTENTS (cont.) Winter 2009

the dog scene 88 DOG PARENT FAMILIES

Featuring “Bullies And Pitties”

118 NEW YORK DOG SCENE 118 BUSINESS PROFILE Carlton Hobbs Gallery

119 MEDIA HOUND

Columnist Cindy Adams

120 NON-PROFIT

Animal Haven Shelter

121 PEOPLE PROFILE

Designer Adam Lippes

122 MOVIE REVIEW Wendy And Lucy

123 PEOPLE PROFILE

Designer Isaac Mizrahi

124 WORKING DOGS Avalanche Dogs

126 TRAVELING IN STYLE In A Bentley GTC

128 AUTHOR PROFILE

Rory Freedman, Author of Skinny Bitch

150 EVERYDAY DOGGIE HEROES Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles Programs

Photo by Heather Green Cheyenne enjoying an afternoon snack at a luxury, pet-friendly hotel in Denver, Colorado.

14 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

TABLE OF

CONTENTS (cont.)

departments 18 Publisher’s Note 20 Our Contributors 22 Our Contributors

Winter 2009

columns 56 Dog Law

133 Farm Sanctuary

134

136 138 140 142 143 144 145 147 148 149

Prop 2 Victory! Animals & Politics Bad Dog, Good Dog American Humane Assocociation. Emergency planning in disasters Animal Advocate Carole Raphaelle Davis Animal Advocate Jana Kohl GREY 2K USA The fight to End Dog Racing In Defense of Animals Animal Research and Testing Defenders of Wildlife Alaska’s Majestic Wild Wolf PETA Spay and Neuter your Pet Dogs Deserve Better Winter Survival of Chained Dogs Animal Legal Defense Fund Fighting to Protect the Animals Best Friends Animal Society A Puppy Store Free LA

Veterinary Malpractice 58 Dog Law When the Dog Bites 61 Dog Law Animals Sold in Pet Shops 63 Dog Law Breed Discrimination in Denver 64 Pet Planning Choosing a Pet Trustee 66 Nutrition Pet Food Labels 101 68 Nutrition High-quality Dog Food 70 Health Outgassing…Beware! 71 Health Your Dog’s Perfect Weight 72 Rehab & Therapy Border Collie with Neurological Issues

Jade Duncan with Peaches, an overtly friendly and loving family dog, rescued from a pit fighting ring. Photo by XSIGHT www.xsightusa.com

16 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

columns (cont.)

73 Dr.’s Corner

Hypothermia and Frostbite 74 Dr.’s Corner Wellness Care for your Aging Dog 76 Dog Training Trainer Brett Titus 78 Dog Training Trainer Michael Wombacher 80 Dog Training Trainer Victoria Stilwell 82 Dog Training Trainer Doug Simpson 84 Supplements Antioxidant Enzyme Agonists 152 Product Finds for Fido 154 Favorite Picks from Top Dogs 156 Bedtime Books to Read

Publisher’s Note Jamie, Chester, Cheyenne and Casey

Founder/Publisher Jamie M. Downey jdowney@theamericandogmag.com Associate Publisher Heather Green hgreen@theamericandogmag.com Editor in Chief Jamie M. Downey Senior Editor David Revierter Art Director Jane Brunton Photographer/Creative Director Heather Green Advertising Director Jamie M. Downey advertise@theamericandogmag.com Managing Editor Casey Rodarbal Copy Editor Christiana Nelson Subscription Manager Wanda Hoff

he American Dog magazine is proud to be a leader in the publishing industry by bringing awareness of animal issues, including the nationwide pet overpopulation epidemic, the horrific cycle of animal abuse in puppy mills, the need to promote adoption of pets from our shelters and rescue groups and the importance of spaying or neutering your dogs and cats. Only with education and knowledge can we bring about positive change for animals and help curb the futile termination of 5 to 7 million animals each year in the “system.” This is our third year of publishing dog magazines. In the preceding two years we published The Colorado Dog and The Chicago Dog prior to merging them to create The American Dog Magazine. During this time we have donated more than $200,000 worth of advertising to nonprofit animal shelters, rescues, welfare and protection organizations that advocate on behalf of the animals from abuse, cruelty and neglect as well as donated more than $500,000 worth of editorial coverage in all three magazines to promote their courageous and noble causes. These persevering animal charities work tirelessly for the animals in the hopes of making this world a more humane, safer and better place for those who can’t speak for themselves. In this winter issue we highlight the dangerous BSL (breed specific legislation) that is canvassing cities nationwide and the incredible work of Best Friends Animal Society. You will find everything from trendsetting dog fashion for really cold days to fabulous pet-friendly home furnishings that will leave you craving a shopping trip. We feature Julia Szabo, a New Yorker who is the authority on decorating your castle when you live with four-legged members, and Jana Kohl, an animal welfare advocate and an anti-puppy mill crusader. We know you’ll enjoy this issue and thank you for being a dog lover! Have a purpose in life; make a contribution to society and a donation to charity!

Jamie Marie Downey Founder/ Publisher

Web Site Design/Manager Jen Griggs-Sebastian Contributing Photographers Robert Sebree, Pat Duncan, Carole Raphaelle Davis, Veronica Selco, Julia Szabo, Brandy Duncan, Lisa Scarsi, Elle Whittelsbach, Dixie Lawrence, Tamra Monahan. Contributing Writers Michael Markarian, Gene Baur, Dr. Elliot Katz, Ed Sayres, Rodger Schlickeisen, Francis Battista, Ingrid Newkirk, Marie Belew-Wheatley, Stephen Wells, Christine Dorchak, Tamira Ci Thayne, Lisa Dulyea, Jana Kohl, Julia Szabo, Carole Raphaelle Davis, Victoria Stilwell, Brett Titus, Michael Wombacher, Doug and Elizabeth Simpson, Deb Dempsey, Lori Moreland, Tamra Monahan, Cindy Nelson, Marty Pease, Dr. Jeff Steen, Dr. Sean Delaney, Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro, Dr. Paula Terifaj, Robert Kavanaugh, Tom Overton, Anna MorrisonRicordati, Gabriela Sandoval, Linda Sommers Green, Sharon Kay Brown, Kevin Green. How to reach us: The Dog Publishing, LLC Dba The American Dog 700 N. Colorado Blvd., Suite #199 Denver, CO 80206 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, LLC 700 N. Colorado Blvd., Suite #199 Denver, CO 80206

Heather Green Associate Publisher Heather, Bella, Remington and Jaidyn

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Copyright 2009 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 reflect the views of the publisher.

Our Contributors Art, Fashion and Design Julia Szabo

Jana Kohl

Julia writes pet columns for the Sunday New York Post and Country Living Magazine, and has also written about dogs for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Bark, Town & Country, and Hallmark. A member of the National Advisory Board of North Shore Animal League America, she lives in New York with her beloved family of rescued dogs, including four beautiful pit bulls.

Jana Kohl is a writer, psychologist, & animal welfare advocate. Having worked for the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, she has long been concerned with how cruelty can become legally sanctioned by society. Kohl has testified before the Illinois State Legislature on the link between legalized violence against animals and inter-human violence.

Carole Davis

Victoria Stillwell

Carole Raphaelle Davis is an actress, animal welfare advocate and author of The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife. Carole is currently working on a new book and an investigation of pet factories that supply the public through pet shops and the Internet. Her Web site is: www.HollywoodJinky.com.

The star of Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog,” Victoria displays how positive reinforcement can do a dog wonders. Her unique brand of firm-but-fair, positive, reward-based dog-training methods are entertaining and educational to watch. A respected author, of two books—It’s Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet and Fat Dog Slim: How to Have a Happy, Healthy Pet.

Brett Titus

Doug and Elizabeth Simpson

K-9 SWAT Officer, Dog Trainer

Dog Trainers

Brett is president of the Colorado Police K-9 Association and is actively involved in training dogs, schutzhund training and showing as well as performing his duties as a full-time SWAT police officer with the K-9 unit in Denver.

Doug & Elizabeth Simpson have been working with animals all of their lives, and love to share their natural method of dog training with the goal of creating as many happy families as they can. They live on a wonderful little animal haven in Boulder, Colorado, and have been featured in many magazines, television shows and radio.

Michael Wombacher

Deb Dempsey

Michael Wombacher is an author, lecturer and expert dog trainer for Bay Area celebrities and families, with over 20 years of hands-on training experience. Michael has written two dog training books, and offers the only digital book on how to prepare your dog for the arrival of a new baby, entitled Good Dog, Happy Baby. He is currently working on his first TV show.

Deb is co-owner of Mouthful’s Pet Boutique, a hip and trendy shop located in Denver, Colorado and her company also manufactures their own line of natural treats for dogs and cats. Deb spends a huge amount of time researching pet health, nutrition, wellness and hygiene for all the products, foods and treats she carries in her store and keeps abreast of all the information regarding the pet industry.

Columnist, Author, Animal Advocate

Author, Animal Advocate

Dog Trainer

Tamra Monahan Writer

Tamra lives in Highlands Ranch with her husband Mike and two wacky cairn terriers, Molly and Mac. She divides her time between working at the Tattered Cover Book Store and freelance writing. One of her favorite topics to write about is dogs with jobs, those amazing canines who love to work.

Lori Moreland

Lori (along with her Newfoundland Magic) established Pet Empawrium & Spaw in 2002 for fur-families with discriminating taste and above-average involvement with their canine (and feline) fur-children. She now brings her knowledge, passion, and customer service to Arvada, Colorado.

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Author, Animal Advocate

Dog Trainer

Business Owner

Cindy Nelson

Environmentalist, Philanthropist Cindy Nelson has lived in the Denver area since 1991. Originally from Madison, WI, Cindy is a former teacher and began her career in Wellness and Prevention in 1996. She and her husband Mike, a meteorologist at KMGH-TV have two grown children and three pugs (& three grand pugs).

Marty Pease, MSPT, CCRP Physical Therapist

Marty leads the Canine Rehabilitation Conditioning Group’s clinical staff. She graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in physical therapy in 1982 and was certified by the University of Tennessee in canine rehabilitation in 2003. Marty has over 20 years of human experience and over six years with animals.

Our Contributors Art, Fashion and Design Dr. Jeff Steen Vererinarian

Dr. Steen (DVM, DABVP) received his Veterinary degree in 1999 from Ohio State University. He is board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practioners and is currently the Medical Director at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital. He and his wife, Lori, have three wonderful children-Joe, Jessic, and Jenna. They also have a black lab named Jewela and two persian kitties, Smokie and Dillon.

Dr. Sean Delaney

Veterinarian and CMO for Natura

Dr. Elisa M. Mazzaferro MS, DVM, PhD, DACVECC

Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro is an internationally-recognized criticalist, author and lecturer. She leads the Emergency and Critical Care team at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital. She has a variety of dogs and cats, including an adorable pug, Vincent Charles. She is a certified Jazzercise instructor and enjoys cooking, gardening and growing orchids.

Dr. Paula Terifaj Veterinarian

Dr. Sean Delaney, DVM, MS, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition,is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of Natura Pet Products, manufacturer of EVO, California Natural, Innova, Karma, HealthWise, and Mother Nature natural pet foods and treats.

Dr. Paula Terifaj graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, California in 1986. She has spent more than 20 years developing her special focus on holistic pet care. Dr. Terifaj is also known for her political stand against Breed Specific Legislation and leads a grassroots movement against restrictive breed polices by city government and insurance companies called www. ROVERlution.org.

Robert Kavanaugh, B.S.C., C.P.A.

Lisa Dulyea

Business Owner

Bob is the proprietor of Agrigenic Food Company. Based in Huntington Beach, CA, the company manufactures and distributes their Biotec Foods, Biomed Foods and Biovet International lines of dietary supplements and feed supplements. Bob graduated from Santa Clara University in 1985 and has dedicated the majority of his career to understanding and developing antioxidant enzyme agonists for use in humans and companion animals.

Best Friends Animal Society Lisa is the marketing manager for Best Friends Los Angeles Programs and is a fourth generation Californian who lives with her two rescued Greyhounds, Georgia and Apollo. She has been involved in animal welfare much for much of her life and believes that with continued education, awareness and campaigns, we will see a day when there are no more homeless pets.

Tom Overton

Anna Morrison-Ricordati

Tom Overton is a highly regarded Denver trial attorney who has been practicing for more than twenty-five years. He lives in Golden, Colorado with his wife Sally and Ozzie a Shih Tzu- poodle mix. Ozzie spends most days at the office with Tom. Tom can be reached through www.overtonlawfirm.com

Anna Morrison-Ricordati is an attorney practicing animal welfare law and general civil litigation in Chicago, Illinois. Her practice includes overturning dangerous dog rulings to assisting animal related not-for-profit organizations with various legal issues. As an advocate, Anna seeks to protect animals from abuse under existing laws and further seeks to extend animal protection through legislative change.

Gabriela Sandoval

Linda Sommers Green

Attorney at Law

Attorney Gabriela Sandoval is licensed to practice law in Colorado and Virginia. In October 2007, Gabriela turned her mission to advocate for the most vulnerable members of society into a reality by launching her own child and animal focused law practice. For more information, visit her Web site at www.animalawyer.com or call the Denver office at (303) 954.4580.

Linda earned her law degree from the University of Denver in 1993 and is licensed to practice law in Colorado. She is a true animal lover and shares her life with her husband, two daughters, four dogs, three cats, four horses, two guinea pigs and some fish. Linda has developed a niche in assisting her clients to consider their pets when planning their estates.

Pat Duncan

Heather Green

Photographer

Pat has been a freelance photographer for five years, photographing concerts, political rallies, and special events. She believes each picture is a microcosm of our lives. They are the reflections of our past and present. You can contact her at (720) 493-1120 or email at Pat3photography@yahoo.com.

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Photographer

Heather has been photographing people and pets since 2000 and has taken on the commercial world from high-end doggie couture to pet-friendly hotels and homebuilders. Her incredible creativity and innovative style make her a leader in Pet Photography and a much sought after photographer. You can visit her Web site at: www.heathergreenphotography.com

MEET JULIA NEW YORKER AUTHOR COLUMNIST ADVOCATE

(for Pit Bulls!)

Photo shoot with Julia Szabo shot on location in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado at the home of Kareen and Jim Kimsey by photographer Heather Green (www.heathergreenphotography.com). Julia Szabo’s dress by Isaac Mizrahi. Jewelry by Kenneth Jay Lane. Makeup by Michael Moore of Simply Moore Makeup Artistry. Julia Szabo’s hair styled by Arsen Gurgov / Louis Licari. Dining table designed with dog treats provided by Deb Dempsey and Tonya Payne of Mouthful’s Pet Boutique in Denver (www.mouthfuls.net). Below photos left to right: Samson with mom, Jen Griggs-Sabastian; Izzy with mom and dad, Connie and David Minter; Sir Bentley with mom Kareen Kimsey. Correction for the Fall 2008 issue: Kareen incorrectly stated that there were 32 puppies in the foyer when she selected Bentley to join their family; there were actually only 13 puppies.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 25

JULIA SZABO

Photo by Heather Green

Book author of Animal House Style, a columnist for The New York Post and Country Living magazine and animal advocate, savior and friend for pit bull rescues

an design help save a dog's life? I say, it absolutely can. In 2001, I wrote a book called Animal House Style: Designing a Home to Share with Your Pets. A lot of people thought my idea to combine companion animals and interior design in one volume was so cute! They laughed it, and me, off. But the subject of dogs and design is serious. Two compelling phenomena prompted me to write the book: one happy and one sad. First the good news: as a design reporter writing about people's homes for Elle Décor and House Beautiful, I noticed that the most fashionable homes had not just one, but several dogs in residence. Too often, people assume that if someone has even one dog, their home must be a filthy mess. Yet the house-proud dog lovers I met proved that stereotype wrong, their dogs had all-access passes,

26 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

yet their homes were stylish and spotless. Like me, these people were more likely to sit on the floor and yield the furniture to their dogs! Now for the sad part: when I became deeply involved with dog rescue, I learned that one of the most common reasons people give for surrendering pets is because “it wrecked the furniture.” But, if an item of furniture could be wrecked so easily, then that wasn't the dog's fault —it was the person's for choosing the wrong kind of furniture! To prove that a house just isn't a home without at least one dog in residence, I got to work researching pet-friendly furnishings. Some tough customers needed extra convincing that an animal house could be the most stylish home in the hood: the holdouts who resisted adopting a dog because they feared doing so would mess up their pretty homes. My priority was to dispel the myth that shelter

About the Author A nationally recognized authority on dogs and design, Julia Szabo writes “Pets” columns for the New York Post and Country Living magazine. She is a frequent guest of “Morning Living” on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Martha Stewart Channel, where she answers callers’ questions live. Julia lives with six rescued dogs; visit her on the Web at www.animalhousestyle.com

dogs are "dirty," so I highlighted the animal houses with gorgeous adopted mutts.

Awareness of dog adoption has also increased, with animal shelters emerging as the first and best place to find the family pet.

My book was published in September 2001, shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center. After this national tragedy, people began to value their own dogs, and dogs in general, more. The heroism of the search-and-rescue K9s who worked at Ground Zero got under Americans' skin, as did the selflessness of the therapy dogs that brought comfort to firefighters and victims' families. We gained new appreciation of dogs as extraordinary beings that are most certainly not disposable.

My new book, Pretty Pet-Friendly: Easy Ways to Keep Spot's Digs Stylish and Spotless (Wiley), due out in March, picks up where Animal House Style left off. It's less coffee-table book and more how-to manual, with detailed information on exactly how to create and maintain the dogfriendliest digs. Because large, black shelter dogs are always the last to be adopted, I proudly placed Tiki, my handsome Chow-Rottweiler mix, front and center on the cover.

Later, another national tragedy would again remind us that home is where the dog is. During Hurricane Katrina, Americans wept to see evacuees forced to leave beloved pets behind, and animal shelters operating beyond maximum capacity to house homeless dogs. Since then, we all take time to enjoy our dogs to the fullest, inviting them to join us on the sofa and at the dinner table every chance we get.

As I was completing Pretty Pet-Friendly, imagine how thrilled I was to learn that Scout, the production company behind "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," wanted Animal House Style for a reality-TV show! Now, thousands more Americans will have the information they need to harness the transformative power of design. I hope this knowledge will inspire everyone to visit their local animal shelter and adopt a dog, or two. And that's how design can save dogs' lives.

Presidential Mutts

As everyone heard in his acceptance speech back in November, President-elect Barack Obama is making good on his campaign promise to give his daughters, Malia and Sasha, the dog they've been lobbying for since well before the historic campaign started. Who will be Canine-in-Chief? Pundits are predicting a canid-ate with humble roots and a mixed ethnic heritage, not unlike Obama himself, who very endearingly reckoned that the future First Dog would be "a mutt like me." With shelter-pet overpopulation at a crisis point, its high time America's mutts got a high-profile advocate in the White House. It so happens that adopting mutts is a bi-pawtisan presidential tradition; Commanders-in-Chief with beloved mixed-breeds have included Abraham Lincoln (whose mutt was named Fido), Ulysses S. Grant, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 27

Int erior Des ign Dog-Friendly Decorating

By Julia Szabo Author of Animal House Style www.animalhousestyle.com it bulls have been unfairly stereotyped in the mainstream media as natural-born killers. But here's what I've discovered after 14 years of rescuing and living with these amazing dogs: they're natural-born decorators! And they're not alone. In fact, any rescued dog, regardless of breed or type, size or stripe, will gladly work—for free—as your live-in decorator and style consultant. He or she will let you know which home furnishings and accessories work—and which ones don't. How will they communicate their design know-how? By voting with their feet, of course!

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OPPOSITE: The Red Cross Palm Beach Showhouse designed by Eric Cohler. Photo by Francis Smith. RIGHT: Photo shoot of the Eric Cohler textile Collection for Lee Jofa. Designs were inspired by Eric’s former and present pets. Photo Courtesy of Lee Jofa. BELOW: Eric Cohler and Sebastian. Photo by Dana Rose Lee.

Not surprisingly, the design world's biggest, most indemand talents are dog lovers whose best friends have tastes as refined as their own. Case in point: New Yorker Eric Cohler, whose hip, elegant spaces are routinely showcased in such magazines as Traditional Home and House Beautiful. A dog lover for as long as he can remember, Eric happens to be allergic to dogs—but refuses to let a little thing like an unpleasant physical reaction keep him from dog adoption. Eric is drawn to standard Poodles because they sport a key design feature—human-like hair that doesn't trigger his allergies—and so, he happily lives with a gorgeous white-haired guy named Sebastian, adopted through Poodle rescue. Two things instantly strike you about this dapper designer, whether you meet him for a moment or you hear one of his engaging lectures on the subject of (what else?) design: his intelligence and his great sense of style. Little wonder Eric and Sebastian are so compatible: renowned for their intelligence, Poodles also have a sense of style that's as high as their IQ. And true to his breed, Sebastian is one very smart, stylish dog with impressive pooch panache. Like his owner, he's a … design hound. Sebastian is one of several dogs featured on "Unleashed," a delightful canine-themed fabric that Eric designed for the prestigious fabric company Lee Jofa. A trompe l'oeil leather leash winds around the dog figures in a motif Eric borrowed from a 1950s Hermes-style silk scarf, and all of the dogs appearing alongside Sebastian and his predecessor Tyler, a black Standard Poodle, are breeds Eric has had as companions over the years, including a yellow lab and an Irish Setter. "My home is my dog's home first, and mine second," Eric says. "If it's the other way around, then it's not safe for the dog. If Sebastian is comfortable here, I'm definitely comfortable." Those are words to live by—and design by. So whenever Eric is hired to design spaces for clients with dogs, as he did for his fellow design professional Stephen Elrod and Elrod's two Pugs—he makes the needs of the resident canines a top priority, just as he does at home. Want to know a few of his expert tips and trade secrets? Read on!

• "For smaller dogs, we've created a little dog bed in the kitchen, built in to a cupboard—I took the door off a cupboard and made it into a little bunk for the dog," Eric explains. "Sebastian is too big for that, but in the apartment I'm planning to move into there's a hall staircase, with a space underneath that's five feet deep, four feet high, and three feet wide; the people who lived there before had made it into a storage space for luggage. I'm

going to line the space with my 'Unleashed' fabric." A plus: giving a dog his own den with fabric-covered walls to muffle sound is especially helpful if Spot is thunder-phobic, or easily frightened by fireworks on the Fourth of July.

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• "Make sure not to leave things out that the dog can chew and choke on," Eric cautions. "Everything dangerous should be kept out of harm's way, as you would with small children. • "You can have a dog, even if you have allergies—having allergies is no reason not to have a dog," Eric insists. "Even with my Poodle, I run an air purifier. The RabbitAir is fantastic; I recommend it unequivocally. I want to make sure the air Sebastian and I breathe is as clean as possible, and the RabbitAir has a toxin filter, so I know the air is being cleared of pathogens that could harm my dog and me." • "I also filter my dog's water," Eric adds. "However you're going to treat yourself, treat your dog the same way. I change Sebastian's water at least three or four times daily. Proper hydration is also key to reducing allergy-triggering dander and shedded hairs; so is frequent bathing with an organic, chemical-free, emollient shampoo and

adding drops of olive, flaxseed, or fish oil to your dog’s daily kibble. All of these measures work wonders to moisturize Spot’s skin from within so it won’t flake. Memo to the Obama family: There’s really no such thing as a “hypoallergenic” dog—with clean, well-conditioned skin, even a mixed-breed shelter mutt can be elected Canine-in-Chief. Yes, he can!

• "Have fun decorating your home with your dog in mind. If you have a Dalmatian, do polka dots on the walls; if you have a black dog, consider doing a black vinyl bathroom—it's really chic and fun. If you have a white dog, do white lacquer walls in the living room!" • "Having a white dog, you know when he's dirty," Eric concludes. "The same goes for slipcovers and other items of furniture; if they're white, they tend to stay cleaner."

Here are 10 “Pretty Pet Friendly” pointers for dog-friendly decorating:

Use Mythic Paint (MythicPaint.com), which is completely non-toxic and VOC-free. With other paints, you need to remove pets from the premises until the walls have dried completely—but Mythic Paint is safe to use even while dogs are in the house! Plus, it comes in a rainbow of gorgeous colors.

For furniture that you share with dogs, upholster with durable fabrics such as Crypton (CryptonFabric.com), which look stylish and feel inviting to the touch, yet stand up remarkably well to pouncing paws. The solids come in a range of luscious colors, while the patterns were created by such prestigious names as architect Michael Graves and photographer William Wegman.

Dog beds with dog motifs are downright delightful—a great example is Harry Barker’s “Silhouette” dog bed, available in round and rectangular styles (HarryBarker.com).

If you can’t get enough of dog imagery, consider a dynamic design such as Tyler Hall’s “Cruisin’” (TylerHall.com), which features charming drawings of dogs joy-riding in vintage cars. This pattern is available as wallpaper or fabric, and it’s especially perfect for nurseries and kids’ rooms.

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Wallpaper isn’t the only way to bring dog imagery to your walls—portraits of fourfooted family members bring a glamorous, personal touch to your dog-friendly décor, whether it’s a custom, life-size bronze by sculptor Jennifer Weinik (JWeinik. com), a personalized portrait by painters Martha Szabo (MarthaSzabo.com) or Heather LaHaise (HeatherLaHaise.com), or a metal “Danger Dog” sign handmade by Nepali artisans (NepalDog.com). Additionally, artworks acquired at antique stores or at auction may remind you of a beloved dog—like the charismatic Keeshond sculpture (pictured at left) for sale at Manhattan’s L’Art de Vivre.

Protect your pets from potentially toxic plants—and delicate plants from pouncing paws—with the Home Garden by Smeg (SmegUSA.com), a stylish safe haven for flora that’s made of clear Plexiglas.

Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting; it’s almost impossible to keep clean if you live with dogs. Instead, use modular carpet tiles by FLOR (Flor.com). These come in a dazzling array of colors and patterns, and they stay put with a low-tack adhesive. They’re the flooring equivalent of a Post-It, so they’re a cinch to lift up and clean (or replace) in the event of an accident.

To get the glamorous look Kareen Kimsey’s wine cellar (page 25), check out raised dog feeders by Whiner and Diner (WhinerandDiner.net), crafted of repurposed wooden wine crates. The owners of the company report that their black lab eats and drinks from the very first prototype feeder they made—12 years ago—and it still looks as good as new. In tough economic times, furnishings must be durable enough to stand up to anything dogs can dish out, or there’s no point buying them in the first place.

If you have long-coated dogs who pant pitifully even in the dead of winter, opt for ceramic floor tiles such as the glamorous ones by Artistic Tile (ArtisticTile.com), which come in gorgeous colors and patterns that simulate surfaces as different as sisal, leather or even metal. Tile is as functional as it is beautiful, as revealed by architect Michael Davis’s elegant design for Manhattan’s Symphony Vet Center.

10. Finally, if you prefer the look of wood flooring, opt for dog-friendly bamboo by Teragren (Teragren.com). Durable and renewable, it has an eco-friendly, water-based, and solvent-free finish that stays cool to the touch—ideal for long-coated dogs who tend to get hot under the collar.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 31

Living Large with

Little Dogs LAURA HUSNI with Roxy & Polly By Julia Szabo Photos by Julia Szabo

anhattan-based interior designer Laura Husni faces a design challenge that's familiar to all bigcity dwellers: making the most of a seriously small space. Just how little is Laura's place? Well, it started life as a one-bedroom apartment, then got divided up; Laura and her two roommates each has a minuscule room of her own. Laura shares hers with two additional roommates: her Chihuahuas, Roxy and Polly. Yet, with flair to spare, Laura maximized her 120-square-foot space, creating delightfully dog-friendly digs. Here's great news for people who put off adopting a dog because they fear they "don't have enough room" for one: you CAN have a dog, even a large breed, in a small space. Remember, dogs get their exercise outside, when you take them for walks and romps in the park. Those daily outings are great exercise for both of you, so don't postpone happiness—visit your local animal shelter and adopt! Meanwhile, here are some tips for living stylishly in a small space:

* Have one item that's large, like the high, wide chair that Laura

bought at the legendary New York thrift-store chain Housing Works, or hang a super-size piece of artwork on the wall. "That will be your statement piece," she says, "and it will actually make your small space appear larger!"

* Choose furnishings that lead a double life—in a small space, it helps

when your stuff multitasks. Laura scored her dress form at a showroom sale in New York's famed Fashion District. It's a life-size piece of decorative sculpture that serves a practical purpose, simultaneously storing and displaying Laura's collection of necklaces, belts and dog leashes.

32 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

* Select a color or color scheme that you love, and stick with it. "My favorite holiday is Valentine's Day, so I love pink," Laura says—and pink turns up in everything from her paintings, to her Urban Outfitters accent pillows, to her plastic Offi stool (which doubles as a petite pooch perch).

* To cut down on clutter,

keep your dog's stuff neat and organized. Laura stores the Chihuahuas' necessities in a separate drawer of her bureau and color-coordinates their sweaters and other gear. "I'm OCD about that," she admits with a laugh.

Pet-Friendly Home Furnishings The Hippest Home Furnishings for Hounds! Dogs make a house a home, and they love napping on our sofas and beds. But there are times when your dog prefers to sleep on a bed of his very own. Just don’t expect him to curl up on any old blanket—he deserves a highstyle nest. These items are built to last, so buying them doesn’t feel wasteful, even in this tough economy.

Hepper Designer Jed Crystal describes his sleek, chic home collection, Hepper, as “Modern Pet Furniture That’ll Make You Jealous”—and he’s not kidding. With accessories like the Podium Bed, living a dog’s life is living the sweet life. www.hepperhome.com

eiCrate “Why must the dog crate be such an eyesore?” wondered designer Peter Pracilio - so he did something about it, creating an ovoid “cage without corners” that, he explains, “makes the crating experience less like jail.” www.designgostudio.com

FatBoy Doggielounge Any dog instantly becomes a fashion hound just by reclining on one of these comfy beds. They're made of no-nonsense nylon, which stays looking spiffy even when it's pounced on by a soaking-wet pooch. www.fatboyusa.com

34 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Fashion has gone to the

Dogs!

Photos by Heather Green

es, there are doggie diva fashionistas! Believe it or not, there are some canines that love to dress up and get glam—just like mom or dad. And then there are other hounds who just have to throw on a cashmere sweater before strolling out the door for their morning walk. Nowadays, there is a whole industry that just caters to the clothing wants and needs of these four-legged mongrels that we love to dress up. Since it is wintertime you're probably in search of some new sweaters or jackets for Fido and we have showcased some of the latest doggie apparel on the market today. What are you waiting for—go shopping!

Dharma Dharma is wearing the Camel Brown Sherpa by Idawg. This piece

has an ultrasuede exterior with a super soft sherpa laminate lining that gives the right amount of protection from the cold. www.idawgclothing.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 37

FASHION

Tiffany Tiffany is wearing the Foxy Scarf Sweater by DOGO. This sweater has a collar that extends as

an attached scarf and is made of a cashmere blend. www.dogodesign.com

38 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

FASHION

Rubie Mae Walker Rubie Mae Walker is wearing a pink and green camo rain jacket by Idawg. This jacket

is thinly lined and equipped with a back pocket for doggy essentials. www.idawgclothing.com

Stella Stella is wearing the Hoodie Sweater Coat by DOGO. This sweater has a functional front zipper

design and made of a cashmere blend. www.dogodesign.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 39

FASHION

Summit Summit is wearing a black and silver bomber jacket by Idawg. This jacket is made of waterproof

fabric, filled with an insulated poly-fill lining and lined with warm fleece. www.idawgclothing.com

Chloe Chloe is wearing the New York t-shirt by OoMaLoo. This collage of New York was designed exclusively for OoMaLoo to celebrate the Big Apple.

www.oomaloo.com

40 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

FASHION

Olookun Olookun is wearing the wool Cable Knit sweater by Chilly Dog.

All Chilly Dog sweaters are made by hand and follow the Fair Trade Guidelines. www.chillydogsweaters.com

Ringo Ringo is wearing a teal and burgundy camo rain jacket from Idawg. This jacket is thinly lined and

equipped with a back pocket for doggy essentials. www.idawgclothing.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 41

Portrait of the Artist’s Muse:

BETTINA WERNER For Italian-born artist

Bettina Werner, inspiration is always spot-on thanks to her beloved

Dalmatian

Bettina Werner and Tibino on the roof, 287 Broadway, NY. Courtesy The Salt Queen Foundation.

By Julia Szabo

n international art circles, Bettina Werner is renowned as the “Salt Queen.” Salt is a subject of great fascination for this talented Milan-born artist, who developed a unique process of applying brilliantly-colored pigment to salt, creating stunning abstract paintings that invite contemplation and discussion.

Salt in various forms—kosher salt, table salt, rock salt—is the basis of her work. “There is so much history behind this powerful and beautiful natural crystal,” she says. “I wanted to bring into my art a new medium—a medium that is not tasteless!”

42 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Through the non-profit foundation she established, the Salt Queen Foundation (now celebrating its fifth year), Werner organizes exhibitions and events that celebrate salt in history and culture. But equally important to the Salt Queen is her other source of inspiration: a handsome Dalmatian named Tibino. Werner combined her two passions, using salt to immortalize her beloved dog more than a hundred different ways—literally. She created a series of abstract spotted artworks called “101 Dalmatian Paintings” and even sculpted a life-size likeness of her best friend that’s a spotted pillar of salt. The

range of the Tibino paintings is astonishing and delightful: one might be a field of white salt dotted with black spots, while another is a circle paved with black salt. “Your dog is your shadow,” Werner says. “He follows you everywhere, and he’s part of your personality.” Sadly, her shadow passed away in 2005 at age 12, but his spirit lives in Werner’s paintings. Tibino has his own section on the Web site Bettina-Werner.com, and his fame continues to spread via Werner's paintings, which are exhibited in museums, galleries and public spaces throughout America and the world. “Mio Tibino, I miss him so much,” Werner says. “Our bond was so strong that I still feel him around me constantly.”

Dalmatian Painting: Tibino,1998. 11 x 14 inches. Painting created with textured colorized salt technique invented by Bettina Werner in the early 1980’s. Courtesy The Salt Queen Foundation, New York www.thesaltqueenfoundation.org

More than her best friend, Tibino was Werner's muse. On her Web site, the artist gives credit where it is due: “Thank you, Tibino, for the precious time we shared and the memories we made together. Thank you for what we taught one another and for the knowledge we exchanged.”

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ART Art can awaken your senses and invoke many positive emotions of appreciation, beauty, happiness, compassion and love…especially when you choose to accumulate pieces of canine paintings, sculptures and abstract objects of anything involving fur, ears and a tail! In this issue we wanted to showcase some impressive works of art from the talented artisans that advertise in The American Dog Magazine. So go ahead, become an art connoisseur and cherish the finer things in life—art, wine, shoes and your dog!

Jane Brunton Jane Brunton creates dog portrait paintings using oil on masonite. These custom paintings will definitely capture your best friend’s personality and lifestyle.

“See Spot Sleep” 30”x40” The Art Station theartstation@mac.com www.the-art-station.com (303) 674-4026

Jen Griggs Sebastian

Jen Griggs Sebastian paints custom, whimsical portraits of your pets from your photos. They are sure to make everyone smile and brighten any room.

“Lab and Hydrant” 30”x40” ScoutDog Studios bark@scoutdogstudios.com www.scoutdogstudios.com (720) 273 8868

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 45

ART

Nancy Allen Nancy Allen specializes in dog and cat sculptures, fine art and masks made of paper mache and mixed media. Commissions welcome.

www.nancyallenstudio.com

Louise Peterson

“Ball Boy is a sculpture of Aramis, a Pharaoh Hound, whose owners saw my ad in The Colorado Dog Magazine. I never met Aramis but had some great photos to work from that showed his exuberant personality and his love of the soccer ball.”

“Ball Boy” Bronze, 19h x 22l x 8d, edition of 9 Louise Peterson www.danesculptor.com (888) 829 0016

Sara England

Whimsical art by Sara England. Matted and signed, ready to frame. Many breeds and fun themes. Custom art also available. Sara also sells wholesale globally.

Sara England Designs www.SaraEnglandDesigns.com (301) 865 1600

46 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

ART

Jess Covey

Jess Covey is a fine art illustrator specializing in portraits and commercial illustration. He holds several degrees and has been painting and illustrating professionally for over 25 years.

www.artistica.info (303) 884 6817

Daniel Glanz

Daniel Glanz is an award-winning sculptor. His art shares a powerful yet elegant quality and is known for its energy, movement and technical mastery.

“Newfie” www.glanzsculptures.com (970) 690 8425

Dana Hawk

Dana Hawk is drawn to intimate situations and contradictions that occur in life’s ordinary situations, human or animal. Each paining is a snapshot of a story that she is conveying to the viewer.

“Crosswind” Oil on Canvas 36”x12” www.danahawk.com dana@danahawk.com (303) 877 0801

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 47

Fashion Hounds What Is Your Dog’s

Style?

Submitted by Lori Moreland Owner of Pet Empawrium & Spaw www.petempawrium.com am a big dog lover in both senses. I have a big love of dogs in general and I love BIG practical dogs. I have two Newfoundlands, and both their idea and my idea of dog fashion is au naturale. I realize that most dogs have a style, their look and personality reveal something about their purpose, and maybe something about the human’s who love them.

So, I begin with my Newfoundlands. What would their style be? I took my husband’s cue on this one. He calls our Newfs ‘green.’ Like most giant breeds, Newfs strive to conserve energy. They will perform when they must, but they will never waste an ounce of energy! I would classify most giant dogs as ‘green.’ Newfoundlands, St. Bernards, Mastiffs, Bernese Mountain Dogs and Leonbergers would be energy efficient canines. Using the definition that Haute Couture is fashion-custom made and designed for a specific person or with a specific purpose in mind, the Doberman Pinscher and the Black Russian Terrier are the epitome of Haute Couture in my book. Both of these dogs were developed for very specific purposes. The Doberman was developed by the German Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann as protection, and the Black Russian Terrier by a military kennel to be a part of the national security force. I know that I am old enough to remember Glam Rock! Lots of hair, energy and winged shoes! Can’t you just see the Afghan Hound as a Glam Rocker? All that long hair, and, when they run, can’t you see their wings? I can also see Bearded Collies and Australian Shepherds in this group. Hair, wings and energy! Sophisticated, dramatic, curls and waves. Old Hollywood Glamour can be seen in our dogs too! Borzois, Cocker Spaniels, Irish, English and Gordon Setters. Portuguese Water Dogs and Bedlington Terriers. Their elegance and style reflect the heyday of the silver screen. On the flip side, there is the New Hollywood Glamour. Tiny skirts and teenier tops. The toy breeds reflect this New Hollywood Glamour best. Chihuahuas, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Pomeranians are small, and, in some instances, downright tiny. They are also incredibly

48 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

portable. I know, stars and starlets see them as fashion accessories, but regular folk like to be able to take their dogs with them and pocketbook pooches are much easier to sneak into your local boutique than my Newfs! Like Ready-to-wear clothing, some dogs are just low maintenance, at least from a coat standpoint. Bulldogs, Weimaraners, Dalmatians, French Bulldogs and Bull Terriers will turn heads with no real grooming effort. (Just don’t confuse low maintenance with easy to train!) Winter styles are generally luxurious, plush and snuggly. This category is reserved best for our northern breeds. Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds and Siberian Huskies. Beautiful, luxurious winter coats and all the grace and class to wear them. Several breeds are native to our great country and are All-American style. The Australian Shepherd, with its less than obvious name, the Boston Terrier, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Cocker Spaniel and the Plott. However, I have no idea what their party affiliations might be! And last, but not least, the classics. Classic styles never seem to go out of favor, and there are many breeds whose style has been consistently in vogue for the last 10 years. Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers, Beagles and Dachshunds. Among these breeds, just about anyone can find a dog they would own. One more thing on dog fashion! Just as not everyone can, or should, wear certain types of fashion, not everyone can, or should, have certain breeds or types of dogs. Unlike fashions and styles, which change every season, dogs are a lifetime commitment. They are living, feeling beings and deserve better than to be just a fashion statement.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 49

COVER STORY

How a 3-legged dog named “Baby” inspired our next president to make history and got a congressional bill proposed in her name Photos by Robert Sebree

By Jana Kohl Author of A Rare Breed of Love www.ararebreedoflove.com

uring the campaign, then-Senator Obama and his wife promised their daughters that they would get a dog after the election. This made lighthearted news after the President-elect mentioned it in his acceptance speech, but there is a tragic side to the story, due to a 3-legged dog named “Baby” who found her way into Barack Obama’s arms when he was a newly elected Senator.

of the cruelest industries imaginable—dog breeding—one that costs taxpayers billions. Most Americans aren’t aware that their hard-earned tax dollars are squandered to the tune of billions a year on animal control due to pet overpopulation, an epidemic perpetuated by dog breeders. The economic crisis our nation faces demands that every sector be scrutinized for greed, mismanagement, and deception—not just Wall Street.

The public promise to adopt a rescue dog is unprecedented for a First Family, and has the potential to strike a crippling blow to one

The houses-of-horror known as “puppy mills,” where breeding dogs are locked in cages 24 hours a day, spinning endlessly in circles as they

50 Winter 2009 2009 | | The TheAmerican AmericanDog DogMagazine Magazine

go insane from lifetime confinement, never allowed to walk on solid ground, covered in their own feces and that of the dogs stacked in cages above them, maimed or diseased yet still forced to breed every heat cycle, is an industry that has gone unchecked and is nothing short of legalized torture. The scores of puppies churned out of these mills each year mean a death sentence for millions of homeless shelter dogs, who wait in vain for someone to adopt them, only to be dragged to the gas chamber. Every time someone buys a puppy from a dog breeder instead of adopting one of those deserving critters, it not only seals their sad fate, it costs you and me a bundle. And yet dog breeders continue to churn out their cruel cash crop, an income that many brag is easily hidden from the IRS. One survivor of these hellholes is a dog named “Baby” who found her way into the spotlight with then-Senator Obama. Known previously by a number, “94,” tattooed in her ear, this gentle creature had her vocal cords cut by the owners so they wouldn’t have to hear her cries to be let out of her cage, and after her rescue had her leg amputated as a result of osteoporosis that is common among breeding dogs. When I learned the shocking truth about this industry, I vowed to adopt rather than buy a dog from one of these animal abusers, and to tell the country their dark secret. I enlisted my new Senator, Barack Obama, to help tell Baby’s story to the world, and several of his colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, as well as celebrities from all walks—Judge Judy, the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox, Lindsay Lohan, Steven Tyler, Bill Maher, even rabbis and priests who weighed in on animal cruelty from a religious perspective. Those essays and portraits comprise the book, A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission she Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere (Fireside, an imprint of Simon & Schuster), which sent Baby and me on a grueling cross-country tour the past several months, culminating in a proposed bill named for her that would ban lifetime confinement of breeding dogs. “Baby’s Bill” (H.R. 6949/S. 3519), co-sponsored by Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Lois Capps (DCA), Terry Everett (R-AL), and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), would require that breeding dogs be let out of their cages for 60 minutes of exercise a day-a baby step as far as I’m concerned, yet one that’s likely to be opposed by dog breeders, “Cruella de Villes” that they are.

industry will see their sales drop dramatically, and countless victims like Baby, prisoners condemned to life behind bars, will be spared that nightmarish existence. Like all the members of the House and Senate who posed with Baby for the book, Barack Obama understands that this kind of legalized cruelty must end. What the Obamas also see is a wonderful opportunity to teach their daughters a lesson in compassion and mercy by bringing a homeless pet into their family. One of the greatest ways to build character in our children is to encourage compassion toward animals, as the National Parent-Teacher Association states. It was fitting that we chose the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for President-elect Obama’s portrait with Baby. President Lincoln himself was an animal lover who once saved the life of a dog, a poignant story recounted in Baby’s book. I believe the 16th President is looking down in approval upon our 44th, for many reasons. And little does a voiceless, 3-legged (hypoallergenic!) dog know, she has helped make history, too.

About the Author Jana Kohl, Psy.D. is a psychologist, animal welfare advocate, and author of A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission she Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere (Fireside, an imprint of Simon and Schuster). Having worked for the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies for many years, she has long been concerned with how cruelty becomes legally sanctioned by society. She is a member of the board of HumaneUSA.

Like all the members of the House and Senate who posed with Baby for the book, Barack Obama understands that this kind of legalized cruelty must end. I remember the photo shoot we did with then-Senator Obama, when he held Baby close, snuggled and kissed her, distressed to hear of her abuse, and an email he sent to his Illinois constituents, telling them about her and his commitment to stopping all forms of animal cruelty. President-elect Obama has made history in so many ways, and now the incoming First Family has achieved another first that could not only end a cruel industry, but would also save taxpayers billions. The simple act of acquiring a family pet through adoption will undoubtedly inspire Americans to follow their lead, meaning that millions of homeless dogs slated for death may instead find loving homes, drastically reducing the cost of animal control. The dog breeding

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 51

GOT’CHA! 52 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Undercover Investigations Prove Pet Shop Puppies Were Coming From Puppy Mills By Carole Raphaelle Davis

“Oh my God,” said my friend Carole Sax into the phone last November. “There’s a new puppy store called Posh Puppy in Beverly Hills and they’re selling dogs! I can’t take it, this is my town; we have to do something!” She was fuming. I had known Carole since we volunteered walking homeless dogs for the Amanda Foundation in Beverly Hills 20 years ago. There, we learned first hand of the pet overpopulation crisis. We were walking dogs who had been rescued from death row in the shelter and the thought of people buying dogs when those dogs needed homes so desperately made us grit our teeth. Today, it’s especially disturbing to us that pet stores seem to be popping up all over the place while at the same time, 5 million companion animals are being euthanized in our nation’s shelters every year. It exasperates us that so many people would rather go to a pet store than go to the shelter and save a life. Though there has been lots of press coverage on the subject, there are still people who don’t know that pet stores are supplied by large brokers and inhumane breeding operations. There is no other way for pet shops to have a constant supply of puppies of different breeds. We knew it was time to take a stand and convince puppy buyers to stop shopping and start adopting. Los Angeles, the second largest market for pets after New York, was the perfect place to tell the public about the ugly truth behind the pretty store fronts. “Let’s picket the store,” I told Carole. “Let’s get all our friends to come out on the busiest puppy buying day of the year, the Saturday before Christmas. We’ll bring our rescued dogs to show the shoppers what fabulous dogs you can adopt at the pound.” The goal was simple: a group of regular dog lovers would get together every Saturday in front of Posh Puppy and tell the truth. We had faith that if we could get evidence, we could prove to shoppers that they were making a mistake by putting money into the hands of a business that profits from animal cruelty. We also knew that if we could convince them in L.A., where celebrities like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears buy their tea cup accessory dogs, we could convince the whole country.

(TOP) Picketing outside of Posh Puppy in Beverly Hills. Photo by Elle Wittlesbach. (ABOVE) Carole Raphaelle Davis holding a rescued dog. Photo by Elle Wittlesbach. (BOTTOM LEFT) Photo by Clay Meyers of Best Friends Animal Society. (BOTTOM RIGHT) Photo by Elle Wittlesbach.

In California, we have a Puppy Lemon Law, which requires pet store owners to post the name and address of the breeder of the dogs on their display enclosures. Putting that law to use, we recruited some friends who were willing to do some reconnaissance trips to pet stores. We wired ourselves up with undercover cameras and disguised ourselves. I put on some bimbo sunglasses and borrowed a long, platinum blond wig to give me the appearance of the kind of woman we disdain, the supercilious L.A. lady who lunches—you know the type, the kind of silly woman who buys a $4,000 pocket dog. We fanned out across the city, hitting all the pet stores to find out exactly where the puppies were coming from. At the same time, we called on some professional investigators from LCA (Last Chance for Animals) to go and film the addresses we provided. When the photos and video came in, the proof was irrefutable. Bingo. Just like we expected, the

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 53

puppies at Posh Puppy were coming from a puppy mill. What we found out through our in-store investigations is that pet stores are openly defrauding the public—not just Posh Puppy in Beverly Hills, but all the pet stores we visited. We discovered that pet store owners, managers and employees routinely lie to people. They are all telling their customers the same lies—that they aren’t in business with puppy mills and that their puppies are “raised in homes” or that they are “well-socialized” and raised “underfoot and with lots of tender loving care.” In the fashionable pet stores, the shoppers we observed who pay up to $4,500 for designer tea cup dogs are oblivious to the facts about the origins of the puppies on display. They don’t suspect that the people who work in the pet stores are actively concealing the truth. In every store that we investigated, when I asked about where the mothers of the puppies were, rather than answer my questions, employees would put an adorable puppy in my arms, allowing it to perform its magic. Walter Hargis, a puppy mill investigator and co-founder of Puppy Mill Awareness Day belives, “They rely on the cuteness factor. Nobody is going to question where the puppies come from when they’re holding a cute little bundle of fur. What’s the first thing they think of? Usually, it’s how cute, or how much? No one ever asks, where are the parents?” We did. And we never got a straight answer. But that didn’t stop us; the addresses we got from the puppy display cages and careful questioning had led us to the truth—the run down, dilapidated properties right in Los Angeles County where hundreds of dogs were imprisoned in outdoor cages, exposed to the elements, broiling by day in the hot sun and freezing at night. The breeding dogs we saw were Maltese, Chihuahuas, Shi Tzus and Yorkies. They were a pathetic lot, filthy, matted, sick with infections and congenital diseases. Many had injuries and all were showing signs of acute stress by continually turning in tight circles inside their cages. Back in the stores, we found that there is a calculated effort to distract buyers and an unwritten policy to obfuscate reality. No one who works in these stores is willing to discuss what is really going on behind the scenes. It’s obvious that most employees have been trained to avoid scrutiny. Pet retailers evade probing questions with misinformation like, “we only get our dogs from small, local breeders.” This description is misleading because the words “small” and “local” make it sound as if the dogs are being treated well. They’re not. Or, they claim that the breeding facilities are “privately owned” or “family owned.” Again, telling you nothing about the conditions and suggesting that the facility is swank, exclusive or that the dogs are members of the family.

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These adjectives: “local” and “small” or “private” are euphemisms being used to falsely describe a business that abuses hundreds of animals nearby. So they are kind of telling the truth about size and proximity, but they are omitting the truth about maltreatment of the breeding dogs inside. We found that some employees genuinely don’t know the answers to our questions, which is unacceptable; others do know which is reprehensible. Another typical misinformation ploy used by pet retailers is to say: “We only sell puppies from USDA licensed breeders.” They use the USDA license as an unimpeachable source, and because the United States Department of Agriculture is a government agency, it serves as an unquestionable reference to erase any doubt that the breeding operation is humane. But it’s not. The USDA lists more than 5,000 dealers and brokers. Some are small operations of dilapidated outdoor hutches and some are large facilities that look like high-tech canine supermax prisons. Within that sinister world there is an even unluckier group of dogs being bred—dogs bound for bio-medical research. That’s right; they breed dogs specifically to be tortured by the bio-medical research industry and it’s all USDA approved.

We found that some employees genuinely don’t know the answers to our questions, which is unacceptable; others do know which is reprehensible. According to Deborah Howard, president of the Companion Animal Protection Society, the USDA, which is supposed to govern livestock enterprises, “has been extremely negligent over the years in its enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).” Deborah finds that the USDA's implementation of AWA has been “grievously insufficient.” If you want to believe that our government is actually making sure dogs aren’t being abused in facilities bearing their stamp of approval, go to the USDA Web site and read the minimum standard of care. Read it and weep; you’ll be appalled to learn how dogs are mistreated legally in USDA licensed squalor. The commercial breeding facilities are only inspected annually. What goes on the rest of the year is up to a bunch of callous people who call themselves “companion animal suppliers.” Dogs are their cash crop. Mill dogs are allowed six inches in front of them in their cages—for life. Don’t gloss over that just yet. Take the puppy mill test. Go stand six inches in front of a wall. Now stay there for the rest of your life. Puppy millers aren’t even required to give their dogs more than an artificial light and a fan. There is nothing on the books that requires millers to exercise or socialize the

dogs. And remember, that is the USDA minimum standard of care. It’s often much worse than that. An investigator (who wanted to remain anonymous) working on a case in a USDA licensed breeding facility in Wisconsin told me one dog, “had been kicked in the eye with something sharp, the eye had been pushed into her head and never treated and left there to rot. They were still breeding this dog. She didn’t need an eye [to breed].” And when these dogs are sick and can no longer produce? The investigator told me, “They dispose of unwanted stock with a bullet to the brain or by slamming them against a wall. They’ll dump them in a barrel of water and drown them.” It costs around $20 to euthanize humanely— it’s expensive to be humane. Many breeding facilities have beautiful puppy selling Web sites with next day shipping. They’ll post pictures of adorable puppies with bows in their fur, romping through fields. Those pictures are posed. What you don’t see are the hundreds of dogs crammed into filthy cages, standing on wire flooring that tears the skin on their feet. What you don’t see is that they are treated without any human kindness or mercy. What you don’t hear is the loud, mournful howling to get out. One of the reasons that people buy from pet stores or the Internet is because they aren’t skeptical enough. Most people don’t like to be a nuisance and they prefer to make their purchases without any stress or confrontations. They like the convenience and they want a fun shopping experience, like when they’re shopping for any expensive accessory or luxury item. But a dog is not an accessory or a luxury item, it’s alive. And it misses its mom. And its mom is being tortured in a cage. You’ve heard of blood diamonds? Well, these are blood dogs. Our little protest grew into a movement with many other organizations joining in. The results from the LCA investigators of the mill that supplied the Posh Puppy store were handed over to David Goldstein of CBS2, who conducted his own investigation, which in turn, led L.A. County Animal Control to raid the mill and cite them for having three hundred and two dogs over their allowed limit. And in this case, those breeding dogs got lucky. Some of them went to the Lancaster shelter, where they were adopted into homes, and others were rescued by the Best Friends Animal Society, Animal Alliance, The Brittany Foundation and other, small rescue organizations. A couple of the breeding moms who were rescued came to us and our lives were changed as soon as we held them in our arms. When we met the breeding dogs and held their tired and broken little bodies, their gratitude for their newfound freedom added fervor to our mission to educate pet store shoppers. We were ecstatic that these dogs would finally get a chance to have loving homes after so many years of torture in the dog factory. But unfortunately, that was only one mill. There are hundreds of thousands of breeding dogs still suffering in mills around the nation. We’d like to see pet stores that sell live animals go the way of old camera film development shops—that they all close because of the advent of newer, better technology. In the case of pet stores, or puppy mill outlets, we feel that adoption centers will eventually take their place as the newer, better, more ethical way to bring a companion animal into your heart and home. As Gretchen Wyler, the late, great lady of animal rights used to say to me, “Cruelty can’t stand the spotlight.” She was right. Five and a half months after we started picketing Posh Puppy in Beverly Hills, they closed. Their other store in Tarzana closed as well. Beverly Hills is

Actor Richard Belzer with Carole Raphaelle Davis celebrating a disruption in puppy sales at Posh Puppy. Photo by Elle Wittlesbach.

now puppy mill free. My friend Carole Sax, the one who started it all, has since adopted one of the rescued breeding moms. She’s a resilient little dog. Though she’s scarred from being forced to have so many litters, she is a happy girl now and is learning to live without fear of humans. She still turns around obsessively in tight circles, a reminder of the only exercise she got in her cage for so many years, but now she can see the sky and feel the grass under her feet. Finally, somebody loves her. Until the cages in our shelters are empty and all the dogs and cats in pet factories are rescued, we need to stand in front of pet stores that sell live animals and speak out. We hear their cries, we are their voice. Our voice is true, our voice is strong. Together, let’s set them free. Carole Raphaelle Davis is an actress, animal welfare advocate and author of The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife, a book “written by” her rescued, death row dog, who describes Hollywood life with “biting” humor. Her Web site: www.hollywoodjinky.com.

What YOU can do:

Get active! Gather some friends and organize a

pro-adoption, anti-puppy mill rally in your community.

It Works! If you bought a sick dog or if you’d like to know if your dog is from a puppy mill: Contact www.PetShopPuppies.org and The Companion Animal Protection Society (http://www.caps-web.org/) to fill out complaint forms. These organizations gather information for investigations and legal action. The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 55

DOG LAW

Veterinary

Malpractice

By Tom Overton, Attorney at Law

One of the most important things you can do for your dog is to find a veterinarian that you trust and then establish a personal relationship with them. When your dog needs a vet, be sure to ask questions. Make sure that you understand what’s wrong with your dog, the treatment alternatives and what the likely outcomes are of any recommended treatment or non-treatment. You also want to ask the risks to your dog, what will be required for follow up and rehabilitation and the total costs you can expect. Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. Communication with your vet is key. When you have a problem with your vet, it is likely to be a result of a breakdown in communication. If you are considering expensive surgery, get a written statement of fees. If you think your dog received inappropriate care or if you think the vet’s bills are too high, don’t be afraid to talk to your vet. Most disputes can be resolved or avoided altogether with good communication.

course of treatment, prescribing inappropriate medication and abandoning treatment. Even if there is malpractice, you must have suffered damages because of the vet’s conduct. Often this means that you can only recover the amount you paid for the vet services. In the case in which a dog dies because of the vet’s negligence, almost all states consider dogs to be the property of their owners and adhere to the “market value” approach. This means that you can only recover the amount of money necessary to replace your pet. The biggest bar to veterinary malpractice lawsuits is the lack of any significant monetary damages to the owner. What about the emotional distress that you suffer? State legislatures are starting to consider laws that will allow pet owners to recover emotional distress, loss of companionship and other non-economic damages from negligent veterinarians, but to date these proposed reforms have not been widely accepted.

Sometimes veterinarians make mistakes that harm your pet. You have at least two options: the first is making a complaint to the veterinary licensing authority and the second is to pursue a claim for veterinary malpractice.

Depending on the state you live in, you must bring your malpractice action within one to three years of the injury to your dog. Otherwise your claim will not be allowed by the courts. In certain instances, there are also additional notice requirements.

Veterinarians, like all other professionals, are licensed by the state in which they practice. If you are unhappy with your vet’s services you can lodge a complaint with the state licensing agency. The agency will investigate and, if appropriate, pursue disciplinary action. The remedies available to the licensing authority include requiring additional training, fines, letters of admonition, public censure, suspension and revocation of the veterinarian’s right to practice.

Remember, not all bad results are caused by malpractice. Just because your dog did not benefit from treatment or experienced complications does not mean that there was malpractice.

Malpractice lawsuits involving dogs are rarely ever practical. Before you file a lawsuit you should check with your state’s local veterinary association, as it may have a dispute resolution service that is quicker and less expensive than court proceedings. What is malpractice? Malpractice is professional negligence, which requires proof of two things. First, your vet must have a duty of care towards your animal. In other words, the vet has accepted responsibility to treat your dog. Second, the acts or omissions of the veterinarian (or in some cases the veterinarian’s employees) must have fallen below the standard of care for the type of treatment provided. This means that the vet did not exercise the skill, diligence and attention ordinarily expected of veterinarians. Normally the testimony of another veterinarian is required to establish the applicable standard and the fact that your veterinarian did not meet that standard. Examples of malpractice include misdiagnosis, following the wrong

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The law of malpractice is very complicated and cannot be fully explained in an article such as this one. If you are considering a malpractice action you should consult with an attorney in your home state. More information about veterinary malpractice can be found at www.animallaw.info, a Web site maintained by the Michigan State University College of Law.

For more information or to contact the Overton Law Firm: Tom Overton, Attorney The Overton Law Firm 1080 Kalamath St. Denver, CO 80204 (303) 832-9249 www.overtonlawfirm.com

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DOG LAW

When the Dog

BITES ... Accident or Not, Provoked or Not, Serious Consequences Can Result When Your Dog Bites. By Anna Morrison-Ricordati Attorney at Law

n many states, any person having knowledge that a person has been bitten by an animal—including the doctor who treats a bite victim—is legally obligated to promptly notify a state health administrator, or other representative authority, of the bite. Once a bite is reported, authorities must proceed with an investigation. This is true even if your dog bites a friend or family member, or if your dog was provoked or bit a trespasser on your property. Regardless of your dog’s intentions, he/she may well be headed to the local shelter where a full investigation will be made into the circumstances of the bite. These “dangerous dog” investigations are often carried out by municipal bodies and depending upon the perceived severity of the bite, your dog may be impounded for the duration of the investigation. In Chicago, for example, a dog under investigation may be impounded at the Department of Animal Care and Control (CACC) where he/ she is caged to prevent interaction with persons and other dogs. Additionally, dog owner visitation is limited to 20 minutes per week for the up to 30 days allowed by law for the CACC to make a dangerousness determination. If allowed to confine your dog at home during an investigation, be aware that you cannot euthanize, sell, give away or otherwise dispose of your dog until released by the administrator.

If Your Dog Bites: 1. Compile a list of witnesses and information about the bite. Under most statutes, a dog cannot be declared dangerous if the bite was provoked or if the person bitten was trespassing or committing a crime. Be sure to document any facts that support your case. 2. Ask the investigating body for references to the specific laws governing your dog’s impoundment and promptly comply with all of the requirements and requests for information about your dog and/or the bite incident. 3. If your dog is impounded, call frequently to check on the status of your dog’s wellbeing. Also, do not miss a scheduled visitation. If you notice any sores or medical problems, report these immediately

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to the impounding facility so that your dog may be seen by the facility’s veterinarian. 4. Contact an attorney to discuss your options. In severe cases, the dog investigator may recommend your dog be euthanized; however, this determination is typically subject to review by an administrative hearing officer and may be further appealed to a court of law.

Preventing Dog Bites: 1. Never leave your dog unattended where children are around, or where your dog could become stressed and anxious. 2. Train your dog. Exposing your dog to inciting stimuli in a training environment could teach him/her to react by retreating or barking, rather than biting. 3. When in doubt, use a comfort muzzle. This simple step could prevent a serious bite. Anna Morrison-Ricordati AMR Law Group, LLC 30 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2200 Chicago, Illinois 60606 (312) 466-7660 Phone (866) 334-7660 Fax anna@amrlawgroup.com

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DOG LAW

Animals Sold in Pet Shops Languish without Adequate Legal Protection

By Gabriela Sandoval, Attorney at Law

There continues to be minimal protections for animals in pet stores, and even where some protection is extended, enforcement of violations remains a problem. Many dogs sold in pet shops come from puppy mills. The only way to absolutely ensure you are not supporting a puppy mill is to boycott pet shops altogether. Federal laws do not adequately safeguard animals in pet shops. The exceptions which would allow their application rarely apply. For example, the Animal Welfare Act not only excludes many animals from protection (i.e., birds, mice, reptiles and fish), but this federal legislation specifically excludes retail pet stores unless the store sells wild or exotic regulated animals, sells animals to research facilities or exhibits animals. Because the vast majority of pet stores are exempt from federal law, the primary legal authority in this area is state law. However, few state laws specifically regulate pet stores. States that do have some protection still have significant limitations and many of them do not require regular veterinary care, adequate exercise, proper employee training, socialization of any kind or regulate euthanasia methods. For example, the Colorado Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act regulates licensing of pet animal facilities (i.e. pet stores, shelters, large kennels and breeders) and unlawful activities. Among other things, it requires payment of annual fees, inspections which can happen as infrequently as every three years, record keeping and reasonable assurance that animals sold or adopted are healthy. Animal cruelty statutes, private nuisance claims and zoning laws may be the only legal recourse for protecting mistreated and neglected animals languishing in pet stores. For example, Colorado’s anti-cruelty statute proscribes, in part, depriving an animal of necessary sustenance;

allowing an animal to be housed in a manner that results in repeated serious physical harm or otherwise mistreatment or neglect of any animal and failure to provide proper food or drink. Look up your state animal cruelty statutes online at www.animallaw.info. While some human victims of animal welfare violations have attempted to regulate distributors through products liability, breach of contract claims and state animal dealer legislation, these means have been unsuccessful at improving industry standards and the well-being of animals. Do not attempt to “save” pet store animals by buying them! It will only free up space for another animal. Only go to pet shops to conduct your own investigation. Document neglect or abuse with detailed notes including dates and times. If possible, take photos and research your state laws. Find a local expert to return to the store with you and confirm the legitimacy of your concern. Write a complaint letter and send it to the store, corporate offices, the landlord, local animal control agency, state health department, city council, District Attorney and your State Veterinarian, found online at www.usaha.org/ StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf.

For more informatioin contact: Gabriela Sandoval Attorney at Law | Child & Animal Welfare Law Rocky Mountain Legal Center for Child & Animal Welfare 600 17th Street, Suite 2800 South Denver, Colorado 80202 (303) 954-4580 www.childandanimalaw.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 61

62 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

DOG LAW

ROVERlution Vet warns dog owners to stay out of

Denver, Colorado

By Dr. Paula Terifaj

n the summer of 2005, I discovered an outbreak of a deadly dog disease some 800 miles east of my veterinary practice in California. Nothing in my medical training had prepared me to battle this sickness. Nothing in my black bag of medical tricks would prove effective. It wasn’t a new virus or resistant strain of bacteria that was killing dogs in Denver, Colo.—it was city politics. City ordinance Sec. 8-55 of Denver’s Municipal Code mandates the confiscation and killing of any dog fitting the description of a "pit bull" or a mixed breed dog having the physical characteristics of a "pit bull." Code for mass breed extermination—under the sanction of what is commonly referred to as BSL (Breed Specific Legislation). BSL is the ugly face of dog breed discrimination. Enforcement of Denver’s blind breed ban has led to the senseless killing of innocent family pets—animals that I have taken a solemn oath to protect from any measure of cruelty. Denver’s law violates my professional ethics and challenges our Constitutional rights. This can’t happen in America and yet it is! Denver copycat cities (to name a few) have sprung up in the states of Ohio, Missouri, Kansas and Texas. As a result of breed discriminatory laws, it’s become my professional duty to caution clients who may own any one of 15 blacklisted dog breeds. Clients are warned to carefully read their homeowners policies for dog breed exclusions and study city ordinances before they travel or re-locate. Unsuspecting travelers through Denver have reported police harassment when their dogs were impounded.

When city leaders believe the remedy for public safety is to exterminate family dogs based on breed, not behavior, they show a reckless disregard of factual data and expert testimony. As early as 1982, a fiveyear study which was published in the Cincinnati Law Review in 1982, vol. 53, which specifically considered both Rottweilers and "Pit Bulls,” concluded in part that: • The statistics did not support the assertion that any one breed was dangerous. • When legislation is focused on the type of dog, it fails because it is unenforceable, confusing and costly to taxpayers. • Focusing legislation on dogs distracts attention from the real problem, which is irresponsible dog ownership. Doctors are skilled detectives in white coats. We are trained to ask the right questions—carefully using our hands, ears and eyes to examine our patients. Next, we decipher the results of diagnostic tests. We must make the right diagnosis before we can deliver the cure. Make the wrong diagnosis or administer the wrong treatment and the legal doorway to malpractice opens wide.

Photo by Lisa Scarsi Photography

Government needs the same accountability. When Denver city representatives were allowed to legislate personal bias, ignoring documented facts and truths, they acted on fear, not reason. Ignorance misdiagnosed is the real problem. Deafness administered the wrong treatment. Hundreds of good family dogs are dead; others await execution at the Denver Municipal Shelter. ROVERlution.org is a national grassroots protest movement to end breed discrimination. ROVERlution is a call to action, as government and business practices are electing to infringe upon your rights, your freedoms and your dog.

To get involved please contact: Paula Terifaj, DVM Founders Veterinary Clinic 330 N. Brea Boulevard, Suite F Brea, CA 92821 (714) 990-0661

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 63

PET PLANNING

How to Choose a

Pet Trustee

Submitted by Linda Sommers Green Attorney at Law

revious articles talked about pet trusts in general and how to pick a Pet Guardian. One of the most important issues is the financial means of providing for the care of your animals during your incapacity or upon your death. In most cases an outright gift or bequest of an asset or money to the Pet Guardian, for the care of the pet, is not appropriate. What if the named Pet Guardian is rendered unable or unwilling to take care of that pet? What if the Pet Guardian is a spendthrift or has creditors looking to the asset or money? What if the Pet Guardian is unable to take care of that pet when the time comes? Where does the money go if the Pet Guardian dies before the pet? The only legal mechanism that can adequately address these issues is a trust. It is my recommendation that the Pet Trustee be a different person from the person named as Pet Guardian. This is to eliminate any possible conflicts in interest between the management of the trust assets (usually money) and the care of the pet. A person’s trust needs to provide distinct duties delegated to the Pet Trustee versus the Pet Guardian. The responsibilities of a Pet Trustee are generally different from those of other trusts, and thus it is important to take care and consideration when naming the person or entity that will fulfill this role. You should take into consideration that person or entity who is best able to manage money and other possible assets that will be left to provide for the care of the pets. The Pet Trustee, whether individual or corporate, must be

64 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

willing and able to manage the assets for the benefit of the pets and to spend the time and effort required to handle trust affairs. Professional and corporate trustees typically charge for their services. Be sure to discuss the specifics of their fees before naming them. For some people, it is a good idea to name an individual to serve as cotrustee, with the corporate trustee, so that the “human factor” is not lost. Backup trustees should be named in case the first named trustee is unable or unwilling to serve. The Pet Trustee will carry out the trust plan, provide the money and/ or other assets to the Pet Guardian pursuant to your directives in the trust, and can be named to monitor the welfare of your pets. Many clients choose to also name a “Pet Panel” to serve as a liaison between your Pet Guardian and Pet Trustee. In the next issue, I will discuss the Pet Panel in more detail; and, why a charity or someone other than the Pet Guardian or Pet Trustee should be named as the ultimate beneficiary of any assets left in the pet trust.

For any questions you may have in planning for your pet, you may contact: Linda Sommers Green (303) 984-9900 or visit the Web at www.pettrustusa.com

Nutrition

Pet Food Labels By Deb Dempsey C-Owner of Mouthful’s Pet Boutique www.mouthfuls.net

You are what you eat. How many times have we repeated this in our heads when we’re trying to make better food choices for ourselves? But imagine if we were eating the exact same food every day for years on end. That mantra would have even more significance. Chances are you’ve been feeding the same food to your dog for quite some time. Is it the healthiest option though? Do you know how to decipher an ingredient label to determine whether it’s a good choice or not? Here’s a quick and easy lesson on pet food. Let’s start with what is not so great. To the right you’ll find an example of an ingredient label from one of the many popular dog foods which are widely available in grocery stores, discount chains and the big box pet stores. These popular foods are advertised on television all the time and has lots of colorful photos of meat and vegetables artfully arranged all over the bag. Don’t let the brilliant marketing steer you wrong, though. Take the time to look at the ingredient panel.

Locate the first fat source on the label. In this case you’ll see the words “animal fat.” The type of animal that the fat is derived from is not specified, which should be a big red flag for you.

• Animal fat can include rendered fat from the 4-D animals (dead, diseased, disabled or dying prior to slaughter), animals euthanized at shelters or zoos, roadkill, outdated supermarket meat and rancid restaurant fat, among other things.

2. The ingredients located prior to the first fat source generally make up the majority of the food. This label shows that the majority of the food is made up of ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal and whole-wheat flour.

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101

• For the uninitiated, corn gluten meal is often used as a weed killer and is a by-product of the high-fructose corn syrup industry. This is a cheap way to insert protein into a low-quality food. • There are many grades of corn, and inexpensive pet food almost always includes the lowest grade available. Labeling laws don’t require that the food label lists the grade or if the food has been genetically modified. • By-product meals are made up of parts of the animal that are left over after all the meat is removed for human consumption. These include things like intestines, feet, heads, etc., which are ground together and rendered. Chicken by-products are cheap and are generally less digestible than the muscle meat that we eat.

As we peruse the rest of the label, we’ll find things like soy flour, sugar, sorbitol, phosphoric acid, “animal digest,” Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 2. Dogs certainly don’t need sugar (sorbitol is another form of sugar), but junk food manufacturers add these cheap ingredients to make the food more palatable rather than adding more expensive ingredients like MEAT! While you’re at it, just say no to multi-colored kibble. Artificial colors are not nutritionally beneficial. The mainstream pet food industry has done a wonderful job of recycling. They recycle ingredients that would normally go to waste and turn them into low-quality dog food, providing us with a cheap way to feed our pets. How nice of them. Dogs can and have survived on this type of food but are they thriving? Are they as healthy as they can be? Is this the kind of food that you would knowingly give to your four-legged child?

good Now let’s look to a healthier option for your four-legged baby. It’s easier than you might think. Here is an ingredient panel from an, albeit more expensive, but much healthier dog food. You won’t see this food advertised on TV and the bag is rather plain. No pretty pictures of ingredients or dogs romping on the front. The ingredients are plainly printed on the back of the bag in a large, easy-to-read font. Clearly the manufacturer is proud of the ingredients inside this bag!

1. Let’s go back to our first rule of locating the first fat source.

In this case we see the manufacturer uses a specified type of fat—chicken fat. This quality ingredient is high in linoleic acid, which is important for a dog’s skin and coat.

2. As we’ve learned, the bulk of the food is made up of those ingredients prior to the first fat source. In this instance, they are turkey, chicken, chicken meal, ground barley, ground brown rice, potatoes and ground rice.

• This might be a good time to discuss the benefit of including “meal” in food. Chicken meal is a concentrated, dry ingredient created by rendering (cooking). This highly digestible ingredient is very

expensive. Meat meal, on the other hand, is generally a very cheap, low-quality ingredient that contains a variety of unspecified meat sources including the 4 Ds.

• In addition to the concentrated meal, this manufacturer also includes “fresh meat” ingredients—turkey and chicken. These are great in combination with specific meal sources like chicken meal.

• Note the grains are whole, unprocessed grains and not flours or fractionated grains.

The balance of the food contains additional nutrition for the dog, not eye-candy for the owners. Note there are no artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives or unnecessary additives. They include a variety of probiotics and digestive enzymes. Many of you will probably choose to switch your dog’s food after scrutinizing your pet food labels at home. You can find high-quality foods like this at specialty pet boutiques throughout the country but if you have additional questions you can contact me through my Web site www.mouthfuls.net.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 67

Nutrition If you want to handpick a really great, nutritious, high-quality dog food for your best friend, then take a look at these superior products listed below and then head over to your local specialty pet boutique where you can find the best selection of foods, treats, vitamins and toys! Bon Appetit!

www.canidae.com

www.life4k9.com

www.evangersdogfood.com

www.naturesvariety.com

www.solidgoldhealth.com

www.wellnesspetfood.com

68 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

www.wellnesspetfood.com

www.naturapet.com

www.karmaorganics.com

Health

OUTGASSING…

BEWARE!

By Cindy Nelson

am sure you are wondering what this article is going to be about. I assure you, it is not what you might be thinking! Outgassing is a very real threat to your furry family members, as well as anyone in your home.

Have you ever walked down the cleaning product aisle of a grocery store? Can you smell the fragrances and the chemicals? THAT is called outgassing. The containers are sealed—in fact, they have never been opened—and yet you can still smell the product. The multitude of chemicals used to create these products and their fragrances are leaching out of the sealed containers. When you bring these products into your home they poison the air you and your pets breath, as well as the floors and counters you and your pets touch and smell. Obviously the odor of the chemicals are going to be more powerful when there is an entire aisle full of laundry detergents, all purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, dishwashing detergents, dishwasher detergents, window cleaners, oven cleaners and anything you would find in those aisles. In your home you don’t realize it because you put these items in a room you rarely go into unless you are doing your laundry or cleaning your bathroom; or you hire someone else to clean your home with them. You “live” with these chemicals so the odors of the chemicals are ever present. Some people even equate this smell with “clean.” It may be “clean,” but the smell usually represents a harsh chemical. There are many unnecessary poisonings to pets and children because of the ingredients used in every day cleaning products. According to the EPA: “Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.”

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You “live” with these chemicals so the odors of the chemicals are ever present. Some people even equate this smell with “clean.” It may be “clean,” but the smell usually represents a harsh chemical. Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored. EPA's Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas. Additional TEAM studies indicate that while people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollutant levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed.” http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html Outgassing happens from many products we use. Think of the products you store in your cabinets, laundry room, garage or basement. If your garage is connected to your home the fumes may still outgass into your living areas. Be careful to properly dispose of products you no longer use or that have expired. Your best choice is to use products that that are environmentally safe and shop at companies that use the highest grade of ingredients available. For more information visit: www.cnelson.parentsunited.com.

Health

Guide Your Dog to his Perfect Weight By Dr. Sean Delaney

ust like humans, dogs need to maintain a healthy weight in order to maximize their quality and quantity of life. According to one study, leaner dogs live up to two years longer on average than their heavier counterparts and face fewer health problems, such as arthritis. Thankfully, weight control is one preventative measure we, as pet parents, can take to protect our dogs’ health.

Identifying an Overweight Dog Obesity in dogs is a growing epidemic – in fact, 22 percent, and even up to 30-40 percent, of dogs are overweight or obese. To learn if your dog has a problem, a body condition chart can provide insight (see below). In an overweight dog, the waist is undefined and the belly is rounded when viewed from the side. In addition, the rib, spine and pelvic bones cannot be seen or felt as well as they can in a leaner dog. When you understand your dog’s condition, you can better discuss the steps for weight loss with your veterinarian and plan an appropriate diet that will leave him looking lean and feeling satisfied.

Choosing the Right Food for Active Weight Loss Many pet parents believe transitioning an overweight pet from an adult formula to a low-fat formula is the key to weight reduction. However, most of these products are designed to prevent weight gain in those dogs with a propensity to obesity, not to aid in active weight loss. A step pet owners can take is reducing their pet’s portion size. The problem is, when calories are cut by 20 percent, nutrients are also cut, creating potentially harmful deficiencies. Therefore, it’s important to

choose a product formulated for active weight loss, such as NutrientEnhanced™ Innova® Flex™. Because Innova Flex offers 125 percent of each essential nutrient, you can feed less, while still meeting your dog’s daily nutritional requirements. And because Innova Flex has a lower energy density, your pet will feel fuller, even on a reduced calorie diet. The online diet planner at INNOVApet.com/flex can help you create the ideal active weight loss plan for your dog, customized to his specific needs.

Additional Preventative Measures Controlling your dog’s weight loss rate is critical to reducing health problems and helping him feel full throughout the day. An overweight dog should lose no more than 2 percent of his body weight each week. Any faster than 2 percent will cause your dog’s metabolism to be affected, causing him to burn muscle instead of fat. Just as important as your pet’s diet, is exercise. In order to lose weight, it’s critical to adjust your dog’s exercise on a daily basis. Even if your dog is nearing his golden years, 20 to 30 minutes of daily activity can make a positive difference. Before starting your pet on any weight-loss program, you and your veterinarian must both agree on a diet plan. With the right amount of food and exercise, your overweight dog can turn into a lean, active pet that will stay that way for years to come. Sean Delaney, DVM, MS, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of Natura Pet Products, manufacturer of EVO, California Natural, Innova, Karma, HealthWise and Mother Nature natural pet foods and treats.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 71

Rehab and Therapy

A Little Rehab, a lot of Therapy and Tons of

LOVE!

Photo provided by Canine Rehabilitation and Conditioning Group.

Submitted by Marty Pease, MSPT, CCRP Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group www.dog-swim.com

first met Lady when she was 6-months old. She was a young Border Collie with neurological issues, which became apparent to her guardian, Marilyn, when she was three weeks old. Marilyn decided not to euthanize her, despite being unemployed and unable to do any diagnostic testing when she was born. It is my feeling Lady has an underdeveloped cerebellum, the balance and coordination control center, and at six-months old Lady was unable to sit up, roll over and stand on her own, with or without support. Lady had significant nystagmus, rapid lateral eye movement, which affected her perception of a stable world. She tended to flail all four limbs with no coordinated effort, so Marilyn started hydrotherapy with her. In the water, Lady circled only to the left and was unable to focus on an object, such as a ball, but seemed to enjoy the freedom of movement in the water. Milestones that have occurred over time (Lady just turned five) have included being able to sit up on her own and hold a sustained sit, to stand for brief periods and walk 50-100 feet without falling, as well as being able to lie on her chest, chase a ball—though not in a straight line—climb a step or onto the couch. In the rehabilitation clinic, Lady walks 30 minutes in the water-filled treadmill and swims 45 minutes in the big pool. She now also uses a quad cart from Doggon Wheels, which allows her to walk, although she needs help steering. Another very interesting aspect of Lady’s case is that every time she went into heat, her nystagmus improved—to the point it no longer

72 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

existed—and she would make significant functional gains, which the veterinarians are unable to explain. However, because of the improvement, Marilyn chose not to spade Lady. Lady has received five cranial sacral sessions when she was about two years old. After those sessions, Lady was much calmer overall; therefore, she became more coordinated and again made functional leaps. Marilyn started acupuncture with her about a year and a half ago and again this helped her settle into her body, become calmer and be able to better control her movements. Lady is a wonderful dog and has a good quality of life, thanks to her guardian Marilyn, who found purpose in caring for Lady at a time in her life when she was unemployed and depressed. Lady’s situation has now given Marilyn a dream of creating a center for disabled dogs.

To contact Marty or for more information: Canine Rehabilitation and Conditioning Group 3760 S. Lipan St., Englewood, CO 80110 (303) 762-7946 Email: marty@dog-swim.com www.dog-swim.com

Dr.’s Corner

Brrrrrr!

It’s COLD Outside! How to Recognize, Prevent and Treat Hypothermia and Frostbite in Our Pets

Submitted by Elisa M. Mazzaferro, MS, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVECC Director of Emergency Services Wheat Ridge Veterinary Specialists 3695 Kipling St. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 Photo Courtesy of Wheat Ridge Veterinary Specialists

he winter weather, snow and ice can be beautiful to watch, but it can be dangerous and potentially deadly to our canine companions, even those with thick coats. Frostbite can occur on any area of the body when tissues freeze. Even if the actual air temperature is fairly warm, windchill can cause severe hypothermia and frostbite to animals left outdoors without adequate shelter. When temperatures fall, or if an animal becomes wet, the skin freezes. The body responds by first constricting blood vessels in the peripheral tissues. In dogs, the ear tips and scrotum are particularly susceptible to frostbite. The body tries to compensate by shivering. Shivering can generate heat, but also expends a large amount of energy. Calorie and water requirements can increase significantly in animals that spend a large amount of time outdoors during the winter months. With inadequate food, water and shelter, animals can develop permanent injury or death. To prevent hypothermia and frostbite, limit your pet’s time outdoors. In dogs with very short hair coats, provide them with sweaters or coats to wear for walks. Make sure that food is available, and that their water dish has not frozen. If an animal spends large amounts of time outdoors, provide a shelter that has bedding or hay in it for protection. Ideally, acclimate your pet to the shelter BEFORE the snow flies. The shelter should be large enough so that they can stand up, turn around and lie

down. If there is too much free space, cold air can surround the pet and make it difficult to maintain body temperature. Clinical signs of hypothermia include lethargy and excessive shivering; signs of frostbite include white, gray, red or black discoloration to the skin. The skin may become leathery, flake off and cause a considerable amount of discomfort. If you notice abnormal skin on your pet or suspect hypothermia or frostbite, place your pet in a warmed blanket and transport them to the nearest veterinary facility for evaluation. Dunking their limbs or submerging the dog’s body in warm or hot water is not beneficial. It may result in rapid dilation of blood vessels that can cause the blood pressure to drop to dangerously low levels. Placing the animal on a heating pad, or using hair dryers or hot water bottles to rewarm the dog can be very dangerous, as thermal burns can occur, and lead to skin slough within several days. Tissues affected by frostbite may not become apparent until days or weeks after the incident. Affected areas may require surgical debridement to remove dead tissue and skin closure. Antibiotics may be necessary to prevent infection. With treatment, many animals have the potential to survive; however, the process can be painful for your pet, and costly for your pocketbook. Some animals can be left with permanent disfiguring injuries. Use common sense when taking care of your pets this winter, and have fun in the great outdoors of our wonderful state of Colorado!

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 73

Wellness Care

for your

Aging Friend 74 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Dr.’s Corner By Dr. Jeff Steen Medical Director Alameda East Veterinary Hospital www.alamedaeast.com

ur four-legged friends grow old fast … too fast. And as sad as it may be to watch your friend age, there are many things you can do as their caretaker to make sure they have the best possible golden years, including good nutrition, mental and physical stimulation and frequent check-ups to find and manage problems.

What is a “senior”? Generally, when a dog is in the last 25 percent of its life expectancy, it is considered a senior. Small dogs tend to live longer than larger breeds and giant breeds have relatively shorter lives than mid-sized dogs. In humans, senior years begin in the late 50s; in dogs, however, senior years generally begin at 7 to 9 years of age, a few years earlier for giant breeds.

Veterinary care for the senior dog Older pets, much like older people, need more frequent visits to the doctor. A good rule of thumb is to have a doctor perform a full exam every 6 months, these exams should include a complete medical and behavior history, as well as a thorough physical exam with special attention to changes in weight, water intake and activity levels. Specific health problems commonly seen in senior pets include obesity, dental disease, arthritis, heart disease, cognitive disorders and, unfortunately, cancer. Complete lab work is recommended on an annual basis for senior pets. Lab work should include a complete blood cell count to look at red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, a complete biochemistry including electrolytes, kidney and liver values, thyroid hormone and a complete urinalysis. Blood pressure monitoring may also be indicated based on clinical signs and lab testing. Additional screening tests may include x-rays and ultrasound to screen for masses or changes in internal organs. Nutrition is also very important in older pets. Senior diets need to be highly palatable, contain additional potassium, easily digested and have a high-quality protein source. Not all “senior” diets have these qualities, so it is essential to do your homework when choosing for your old friend.

Pain management Chronic pain is a very common, debilitating condition in older animals. Arthritis and chronic nerve diseases often cripple our old friends. Providing pain management is paramount to keeping your dog as pain-free and happy as possible. There are many new and exciting treatment options available to control pain. Many pain medications can be used together and tailored to the dog to help us deliver the safest and most effective pain control possible.

Hospice care Many older dogs get to the point where hospice care becomes

necessary. Hospice care allows clients time to make decisions regarding their pets’ quality of life and to prepare for its death. With hospice care, the comfort of the animal is most important. Such care may involve easy access to food and water, good hygiene and sanitation, pain management, clean bedding, mental stimulation, a stable environment and high quality nutrition. You should work closely with your veterinarian so, as a team, you are able to determine the best way to manage your pet’s hospice care.

End of Life and Euthanasia Making the decision to euthanize your pet is one of the hardest things we do as pet owners. Many older dogs have good days and bad days and having to make the final decision can be wrought with emotion. Unfortunately, our pets can’t tell us how they feel and we often have to assess their welfare based on a number of physical criteria. The criteria commonly used to assess welfare include: Appetite/thirst – is your dog eating and drinking normally? Discomfort—is your dog uncomfortable is spite of pain management efforts? Is your pet able to get up to eat and drink? Is your pet able to go outside to urinate and defecate? Injury/disease—does your pet have a serious injury or disease? What is the prognosis for the disease? Fear/distress—is your pet fearful or in distress? Abnormal behavior—is your pets behavior changed recently? Asking these questions can help to better evaluate your pets overall quality of life. There are many resources available to help you and your family make end of life decisions. Your family veterinarian is a good place to start. There are several good Web sites dedicated to the euthanasia decisionmaking process including www.argusinstitute@colostate.edu, www. rainbowbridge.com, www.aplb.org and www.deltasociety.org. There are also pet loss support hotlines including those at Washington State University (509) 335-5704, the University of California-Davis (530) 752-3602 or (800) 565-1526, Tufts University (508) 839-5302, the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (630) 325-1600, Cornell University (607) 253-3932 and the Delta Society (619) 320-3298. Once the decision is made you should discuss the process with your veterinarian. There are several options including the choice for sedation, home euthanasia, indoor or outdoor euthanasia and being present or not for the process, you should also discuss possible effects on your family, children and other pets. Lastly, you will want to discuss choices of disposal of the body which include burial, cremation and return of remains. Your veterinarian should discuss exactly what to expect during the process so you and your family are prepared.

Conclusion Our pets’ lives are much shorter than we would like. Fortunately, there are many things we can do for our senior friends as they grow old to keep them healthy and comfortable. With good veterinary care, proper nutrition and lots of love, you will make your dogs golden years truly golden.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 75

Training

Controlling Your Dog Off-Leash… IN PUBLIC!

By Brett Titus Denver Police SWAT K9 Handler

f all the many joys of pet ownership, there can be a few downfalls—the greatest of which is having a disobedient dog. Although this can be a huge problem for dog owners, it can also be an easy fix. Good, consistent training is the key.

One of the most common problems dog owners need help with is obedience off-leash. For most dogs, off-leash obedience takes significant time and effort. It will probably require a more advanced class than a basic obedience. I can tell you, it’s well worth it. The more time you spend training or communicating with your dog, the happier you both will be. I always suggest that puppies should be placed under 100 percent control, which means on leash or in a confined area that you know is safe and secure at all times. Give puppies the opportunity and they will find trouble. I strongly recommend kennels and crates for puppies that are not being supervised. Start their training right away. Good foundation training will speed up the process of having a well-

76 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

behaved dog. I’m not a big fan of public dog parks for puppies, as the environment is too uncontrolled and can lead to a bad experience for your pup. One instance of an aggressive dog scaring or hurting your pup can lead to a lifetime of dog aggression or fear. Socialization with a new pup should be done in a controlled environment such as puppy classes or doggie day cares. Better safe than sorry with your new best friend. For puppies, don’t attempt off-leash obedience; offleash obedience occurs at different times for each dog and should be determined based on the individual dog. As far as the older dogs, good off-leash obedience can be trained relatively quickly and easily with the proper training, time and effort. One of the most important aspects of off-leash training is to train under distraction. I have seen some of the most well-trained dogs in their own living room, yet outside in the real world, they become deaf and dumb. Your training must be done in areas where the dog will be distracted such as parks, pet-friendly stores or group classes. Make sure you maintain leash control over your dog during the learning phase. Don’t test your dog too early; if they’re not ready, you may

spend the afternoon playing catch with your dog. Another thing to remember when training is to use very little food or reward, using too much food creates “dog tricks,” not true obedience. Not to mention having to walk around all the time with food in your pockets to keep your dog behaved. Use pleasant voice tones combined with petting and playing as reward. Your dog will get as much pleasure from making you happy as it does from treats, and you don’t have to smell like dog treats all day. If by some chance your dog does get away from you and decides to explore on its own for awhile, stay calm. The biggest mistake you can make is to yell at your dog and demand its return. This will put your dog into avoidance and can push them away. Your best course of action is to squat down in a happy play posture and call your dog with pleasant tones; act as if you have a toy or food to entice your dog. You may even try backing up and going the other way. This may be enough to get your dog focused back on you and bring it within reach. Once you have your dog back under your control, refrain from getting angry and scolding. By showing your anger, you teach your dog that

bad things happen if they come when called. You should praise your dog the moment it comes back to you. Let them know that coming to you is the greatest thing they’ve ever done. Bite your tongue, even though you’re now late for work. Remember, even after your dog is well-behaved off leash, many places have leash laws. Some places are very strict and the dog must be on leash, others only require the dog be under control. Know the laws and keep you and your dog out of trouble. For me, as I think it is for most dog lovers, there are few things more rewarding than communicating with our dogs. To reach the level of good off-leash obedience means spending time training and communicating with one of the best friends you may ever have. Believe me when I tell you, it’s worth every minute.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 77

Training

Don’t Get Rid of the

DOG

Because a Baby is on the Way! By Mike Wombacher Congratulations! You're pregnant and your "pack" will soon be growing. Right now you're probably asking yourself: "is there any chance that my dog might bite my child?" If not, you should be, otherwise you may end up unexpectedly re-homing your dog. It is important to identify the changes that need to be made in the life of your dog once the baby arrives and implement them NOW! You don’t want your dog to associate those changes with the arrival of your child, thus setting up a jealous dynamic. Is your dog sleeping in bed with you, is it pushy and demanding or does it engage in a host of annoying behaviors? You might tolerate such antics now but they may seriously compromise the quality of your life with a baby on the scene. Key to addressing any such concerns is building a relationship with your dog in which he is in the habit of consistently taking direction from you. In other words, you're the boss. Simple things like always giving your dog a command before you have an interaction with him, not letting him run out the door ahead of you, and being a little aloof with him can do a world of good, inspiring him to cheerfully accept your leadership. Additionally, you want to develop positive associations for your dog with the presence of your child. To do this, start by teaching your dog to tolerate a few hours of alone time every day. Then create areas in your house that your dog is initially forbidden in and use them to build buffer zones into your dog’s relationship with your child. That is, start by making the baby's room off limits. Once that’s handled, allow your dog to enter only with your permission and accompaniment. Once inside always ask for obedience exercises, especially down-stays. Soon he'll learn that when he enters he's to do a down-stay in the corner.

78 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Pulling all this together, once your baby arrives, allow your dog to come into the baby's room only with you and then assume his downstay. If he has been left alone for a few hours prior to that he will welcome the contact with you and your child as well as behave himself appropriately. In other words, the presence of your child means a positive social engagement for him, as well as trigger-safe behavior. Exercises like these can teach your dog to accept your child as a beloved pack member and ultimately best friend. Other things that you can do to help ensure a seamless transition to siblinghood for your dog include teaching him the difference between doggie toys and children’s toys, hiring a dog walker to take over exercise responsibilities during the period immediately prior and after birth and teaching solid obedience. Practicing these and related exercises early and often is the most important thing you can do to develop a mutually rewarding relationship between your child and your dog. Mike Wombacher has written and lectured extensively on this subject. For more information, visit www.gooddoghappybaby.com, for the e-book and audio seminar version of his best-selling There’s a Baby in the House: Preparing your Dog for the Arrival of Your Child or www.doggonegood.org.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 79

Training

“It’s Me or The Dog”

Photos by Bill Adler

Victoria Stilwell Speaks!

I am very excited and honored to be writing for The American Dog. In future columns I will be covering all kinds of dog related issues, but to begin with I thought it would be appropriate to write about who I am, what I do and why I believe that training dogs is the greatest of professions. I have been a dog trainer for many years both in Britain and the United States, but for the past four years I have been training dogs in the television program “It’s Me or the Dog,” as well as judging for the CBS show “Greatest American Dog.” I have also written two books on training and behavior—“It’s Me or the Dog—How to have the Perfect Pet” and “Fat Dog Slim—How to have a Healthy, Happy Pet,” and continue to write regular columns for various publications in the United States and Britain.

80 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Dog training is an inspiring profession. It can also be an intensely personal and intimate one. Not only do I have to work closely with dogs but also I have to know how to communicate effectively with and in some cases counsel their owners. Those who work with, care for and/or own animals understand how they can stir up the most intense emotions within us. Dogs are our companions, loved ones, best friends, children even, and when things go wrong we can be profoundly affected. “My best friend is behaving badly,” owners tell me, “my child is ignoring me,” “my companion is running away from me—why?” We take our dog’s negative behavior very personally and we should. So much of the behavior that we see in our dogs is a reflection on who we are as people, but we must never forget that dogs are dogs and certain behaviors that are a problem for us are perfectly normal for them. My role as a dog trainer is to help owners understand why their dogs are

behaving in a certain way and develop a training plan that aims to restore harmony. To ensure that the training is a success I must motivate owners to continue working with their dogs consistently and diligently after I leave them. If I fail to do this, both dogs and owners suffer. It continually amazes me how two completely different species such as man and dog have found ways to understand each other. We are worlds apart, yet the barriers that divide us are continually being broken down, and with greater knowledge comes greater understanding. However, this quest to understand the canine mind continues to cause much controversy among the training establishment. Many trainers in Britain and the United States still use traditional training methods. These methods focus on a dominance/ submission methodology where the dog is taught to obey the owner using hard methods such as leash jerks, physical manipulation and punishments in the form of Alpha rolls, flicking, scruffing and sometimes even hitting. The ultimate aim is to have an obediently trained dog that will respond to an owner in all situations with little focus given to building a relationship based on trust and kindness. Reward-based trainers, however, believe that a dog can be trained to respond to their owner just as well through a continuous, variable and/or intermittent reward system. If a dog is rewarded with something it likes immediately after performing an action or behavior then the chances of that dog repeating the action or behavior are greatly increased. Punishment does have a place in reward-based methodology but not to the detriment of the dog. Ignoring negative behavior, removal for ‘time outs’ and using vocal sounds as interrupters of unwanted behavior are the preferred methods of ‘punishment.’ There are many people that use a mixture of traditional and reward-based methodologies and still others that are completely positive and don’t believe in using punishment at all. I strongly believe, as do others, that owning a dog is not a right, it is a blessing and it is therefore up to us as owners to provide an environment where our dogs can live happily alongside us even with all the pressures of domestic life. It is the trainer’s and owner’s responsibility to keep questioning, investigating and challenging themselves to learn more about their canine companions, resulting in a stronger bond. My personal opinion is that training dogs with reward-based methods is a much more successful and smarter methodology than training through dominance and/or fear. Time and time again I see how harsh training damages the fragile human/animal bond and prevents a truly successful and trusting relationship developing. We have come so far and know so much more about how dogs learn, how they operate and what they need to thrive that resorting to dominant methods is not only unkind, but ignorant and unnecessary. I would much rather a

dog respond to me because it wants to rather than responding though fear. There is a better way! Finally, I would like to say to all those dog owners out there—seek out the positive and run far away from the negative. Training and living with dogs is about embarking on a journey together, facing challenges, conquering problems and fostering a deeper understanding of each other. Whether I am training dogs on television, doing a private consultation or working with dogs at the shelter, my aim is the same. I want to help deepen a bond, improve communication and see a happy dog learn and an owner smile. There is nothing better than when a connection has been made, another barrier broken down and a human/dog relationship strengthened. Training dogs is a truly inspiring and wonderful profession.

Visit Victoria Stilwell’s Web site at: www.victoriastilwell.com and don’t forget to tune in to her show “It’s Me or The Dog” on Animal Planet. The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 81

Training Photo by Dixie Lawrence

Dogs are Social Butterflies By Doug & Elizabeth Simpson Tenderfoot Training www.tenderfoottraining.com

Times have changed when the family dog ran with the neighborhood kids and no one worried a bit about the consequences. Today we are all too aware of the very real threats of disease, dog fights and lawsuits. So what do we do? We hide our dog from the world and protect them from the ills of modern society. Dogs are highly social creatures and thrive on interaction with others. Socialization is much more than just being with other dogs, it is about being with all kinds of people, animals and experiencing different environments. If the only interaction your dog gets with the world is a visit to the vet for his shots, then his memories of being in the car, going into a new place and meeting new people is going to be

82 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

negative and scary. The beauty of our modern, urban lives is that we really do have plenty of opportunities for positive social interaction for our dogs.

Dog Parks: Find a clean, low-key dog park and try to find times when a good group of dogs and people are there—a great way to make new friends for both of you. Doggie Daycare: Research the facility as you would a daycare

for your child. Is it clean? Are there plenty of attendants monitoring the dogs? Do they have a quiet time? How are the groups divided? How is discipline handled?

Parks and Playgrounds: Excellent places to meet and greet the world. There are always an abundance of people, children, dogs and usually squirrels to learn about in these community gathering places. Stores/malls/restaurants: Find out which ones in

your area are dog friendly, as it can be very enjoyable to spend time shopping or dining with your dog and it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn good manners in a social situation.

Neighbors: Get to know your neighbors and who have friendly

this class is the answer to your puppy’s social life. Have your pup spend time with all kinds of dogs, large, small, old, young—each dog will teach your pup the subtleties of dog’s social communication.

People and children: Dogs need to meet all kinds of people: tall and short, old and young, people in uniforms, people with hats, sunglasses, people who move strangely, quiet people, loud people and very little people—children, all with good manners. Good luck and know that everything in life is an opportunity to learn—for you and your dog—so make the most of it.

dogs, and you can set up play dates. Be sure to be present for the first few visits so that you can be sure the dogs get along.

Vet Clinics: Take your dog to the vet’s office to just hang out and make it a happy memory. Let your dog meet the vet, walk into an examination room, get comfortable in the waiting room. Fun trips to the vet can set your dog up for a lifetime of pleasant visits to the doctor. Training Classes: Training classes are a great way to help

you learn how to deal with the odd behaviors that can show up when taking your dog out for socialization. A good trainer will give you the skills to develop clear communication with your dog, and will teach you how to read a dog’s body language so you are able to correctly interpret their social interaction.

Puppy Kindergarten: Don’t raise your hopes too high that

Photo by Dixie Lawrence

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 83

Supplements

ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME AGONISTS

Photo by Julia Szabo

the BEST investment

man’s best friend can ever make

By Robert Kavanaugh Owner of Biovet International www.biovet.net

Care and Feeding for Aging Dogs Aging starts from within, and it affects every cell in the body. Scientists agree that aging and many age-related diseases are the result of the cellular deterioration caused by rogue molecules called free-radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS). Free-radical damage is known as oxidative stress or oxidative damage. Free radicals are the same caustic molecules that cause rust. In a sense, aging is nothing more than the process of rusting from the inside out. When your dog was a puppy, his body fought off ROS damage more effectively by producing an abundance of antioxidant enzymes, but as that pup grew into the beloved and steadfast companion you know today, the combination of age related stresses and a diet of commercial pet food may have interfered with his normal, healthy antioxidant enzyme production capabilities. Just as our own health is easily compromised

84 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

by a denatured food supply, our pets’ diets lack the critical antioxidant enzyme precursors and signaling molecules which, if present, will add healthy years to their lives.

Not all Antioxidants are Alike Antioxidant Enzymes should not be confused with conventional antioxidants found in food and dietary supplements (such as vitamins A, C and E). Conventional antioxidants are known as sacrificial antioxidants because they are consumed by the reaction that neutralizes a free radical on a one-to-one basis. However, antioxidant enzymes, also called regenerative antioxidants, act as catalysts, which neutralize free radicals. Consequently, an antioxidant enzyme a potentially neutralize millions of harmful free-radical molecules compared to just the one neutralized by vitamins A, C and E. The primary antioxidant

Hip Dysplasia showing progressive increase in joint space and joint wear.

Normal Hips

Normal Side View

enzymes include Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and its related Catalase (CAT), as well as a special organically-bound form of selenium, known as Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx).

Science Finally Discovers What Your Dog May have Already Known While it may not come as a surprise to your dog—who will naturally graze freshly-sprouted grass, especially when he's feeling ill—antiaging researchers and scientific journals have begun to identify and document the critical role that plant chemicals play in regulating healthy antioxidant enzyme levels in both humans and pets. For the better part of history these phytonutrients, particularly flavones and isoflavones, appear to have acted as important sources of phytoestrogens. Of particular interest is a phytoestrogen produced during digestion and even then, only in the presence of a “healthy colon flora” (i.e. a colon populated by various beneficial species of bacterium.) This phytoestrogen, S-Equol, is known to bind to a specific estrogen receptor sight (ER-beta) and appears to be the critical pathway underlying the “signaling cascade” responsible for activating the specific genes responsible for increasing the production of the antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT. The resulting signaling cascade releases potent natural catalytic antioxidant enzymes that are able to destroy millions of free radicals per second and on a continuous basis. The discovery of this mechanism suggests that dogs benefit from consuming live sprouts and further suggests that supplementing with a live, prebiotic and probiotic, soy sprout powder-based dietary supplement may be the key to maximizing your dog's healthy lifespan. Rather than provide your dog with dietary antioxidants alone, include both conventional, sacrificial antioxidants (such as beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium), as well as regenerative antioxidant enzyme agonists such as live soy- and wheat sprout- based supplements. The combined approach is literally millions of times more effective than supplementing with antioxidant vitamins alone.

Soreness of the Joints, Hip Dysplasia, A Nutritional Deficiency? Often the first physical symptoms of depleted antioxidant enzyme levels are Musculoskeletal inflammatory conditions, which, if left unresolved, result in permanent damage to the joint and joint cavity.

Photos courtesy of Robert Kavanaugh

Hip Dysplasia

Hip Dysplasia Side View

The two most common degenerative joint diseases in dogs are hip dysplasia and spinal arthritis. Certain breeds including those with long legs and long spines are more frequently predisposed genetically than others. Musculoskeletal inflammation is a major cause of discomfort and disability in millions of older dogs. Inflammation caused as a result of excess free radical activity is the common pathology, and may be due to the degradation of the lubricating joint fluid (synovial fluid) in the cavity. Synovial fluid is especially sensitive to reactive oxygen species due to the presence of the protein albumin, the same protein which makes up the majority of the whites of an egg. In a clinical study conducted and published by Biovet International, 387 dogs ranging in size from 10 to 125 pounds, aged 6 months to 18 years, with various musculoskeletal inflammatory conditions were supplemented during a 30-day period with an antioxidant enzyme agonist consisting of a prebiotic/probiotic soy sprout powder mix. (Dismutase® provided by Biovet International, Huntington Beach, CA.) The primary selection criteria were clinical signs of loss of mobility, pain, edema and swelling resulting from inflammation resulting from injury, physical stress, developmental disorders and aging, rather than pathogenic infection. Prescribing veterinarians reported significant improvements in 340 cases, or 88 percent of cases, in mobility, range of motion, relief of pain and reduction of swelling after just eight days.

Processed Pet Foods Alone May be Damaging your Dog's Health and Damaging Your Bottom-line Due to Higher Veterinary Bills. Given the high cost of veterinary care, it makes economic sense to support your pet's normal good health, which, in the long run, will likely prevent costly degenerative diseases associated with aging and reactive oxygen species. Supplementing your dog’s diet with both conventional, sacrificial antioxidants, as well as regenerative antioxidant enzyme agonists is the best investment man's best friend will ever make.

Robert Kavanaugh, B.S.C., C.P.A. is the proprietor of Agrigenic Food Company. Based in Huntington Beach, CA, the company manufactures and distributes their Biotec Foods, Biomed Foods and Biovet International lines of dietary supplements and feed supplements. The company grows and processes nutritionally dense food concentrates in bulk form for sale to distributors and manufacturers. Mr. Kavanaugh graduated from Santa Clara University in 1985 and has dedicated the majority of his career to understanding and developing antioxidant enzyme agonists for use in humans and companion animals.

For more information go to: www.biovetfoods.com The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 85

86 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

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The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 87

DOG PARENT

Families

WE LOVE

DOGS!

Photo by Anthony Sanchez

IT BULLS ARE LOYAL, LOVING AND AFFECTIONATE DOGS that deserve a chance to have a great life with a wonderful family. The American Dog Magazine wanted to showcase some extraordinary dog parents, siblings and four-legged kids who will break the chain of bad press and negative stereotypes which portray these dogs unfairly. Take a look at these amazing family portraits where all these "bullies" love kids, love to play and make marvelous, devoted pets when they are included as a member of the household and belong to a pack!

88 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

DOG PARENT FAMILIES

“Pacifier - $4.00 Giraffe Toy - $12.00 Multi-colored Turtle Toy - $16.00

Kind, Loving, Tolerant, Gentle Pit Bull to Share your Toys and your Life With . . .

PRICELESS!” Patty Letawsky

Six-month-old Aiden Duncan with his Pit Bull Protector, Neo! Photos by Brandy Duncan

Eight years ago Neo was abandoned by his owners when they moved. He was left all alone in the backyard when he was no more than 10 weeks old. The neighbors heard Neo crying and called animal control, who picked him up and took him to the vet to be treated for dehydration and severe demodex. A local rescue group took him in and we adopted Neo shortly thereafter. That was eight years ago and Neo makes our lives special in so many ways its hard to list them all. He is the perfect companion, and is usually up for anything from going down the slide at the park or snuggling and watching a movie with his kids. He has recently figured out how to get on the top bunk of the kids' bunk beds (with help from dad) to comfort his sister when she was having a bad day. He is always happy and makes everyone around him happy. His best quality is his ability to change peoples' perceptions. No one who has met Neo has been able to resist his signature snort and smile maneuver, which he uses upon greeting someone new. He loves people and when they see how silly and gentle he is they can't help but be silly too. Neo is the reason we started rescuing and fostering other dogs and cats. Neo has always had a great temperament and does very well with other dogs, cats and children of all ages, and he does great with the small children in his family. Neo is an incredible addition to our family, and is solid proof that a rescue dog is a wonderful addition to any family.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 89

DOG PARENT FAMILIES

Photos by Veronica Selco

Dad Scott with Bullies Beauty, Luna & Macho! The bully brigade: Beauty, Luna and Macho, love going to the lake with dad, Scott Selco-MD, PhD, in the summertime and Macho enjoys hanging out with mom, Veronica, at the local yoga studio for doggie yoga classes. Macho and Beauty are littermates and turn three years old in January. They both passed the canine good citizen test and became registered therapy dogs at 18 months of age. Luna is a very spirited puppy, who Veronica found one morning while taking Macho and Beauty on their daily dog park run. Luna was on the street without a tag or chip and since no one claimed her, Scott and Veronica decided to adopt her after two weeks of fostering. Luna is now a member of the Las Vegas Dock Dogs and competes in dock diving. The bullies are athletic and enjoy the Las Vegas lifestyle where they

90 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

go hiking in Red Rock, swim in Lake Mead and romp in the winter snow at Mt. Charleston. All three dogs are great ambassadors for the state and have been featured on the local Las Vegas news promoting responsible pit bull ownership and will also be featured in their obedience class on the Animal Planet this winter.

DOG PARENT FAMILIES

Photos by Heather Green

David Edelstein with his

Team-Pit-A-Full

David, a chef and founder of Sizzlin’ Skillet Productions, displays his fondness for food in providing full-service, custom catering, personal chef services, special events and even cooking classes to the residents of Los Angeles and nearby counties. But his other new-found passion is rescuing Pit Bulls on death row in Denver, Colorado. David didn’t have a dog until the summer of 2007, when he was informed about a homeless dog living in the woods and he went in and rescued the dog. He named the dog Daze and a friendship was formed. Then a year later in September 2008 his family doubled when two Pit Bulls on death row in Denver: Forrest and Kane, were scheduled to be euthanized; David stepped up, drove 2,800 miles roundtrip and applied to adopt both of them. Now his Team Pit-A-Full spends their days going to the dog park five to six days a week, hiking, kayaking or going on road trips with dad. The dogs have adjusted to the 9-to-5 lifestyle, where they sleep in until 9 a.m., then eat breakfast, play, take a nap in the afternoon and wait until 5 p.m. for dad David to transport them to the off-leash dog park for some good old-fashioned running, socializing, playing tug-of-war and chasing tennis balls! Life couldn’t get any sweeter for these three pitties who thank dad everyday with hugs, tail wagging and big sloppy kisses! For more info on David or his catering business visit www.sizzlinskilletproductions.net. Daze “flipping” over her favorite toy.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 91

DOG PARENT FAMILIES

Anthony Sanchez with his Bully Brood! When Dad Anthony was 22 years old he didn’t want to have kids or many dogs. Now, he still doesn’t have children (although, he’s not as anti-kids as he was in his 20s), but he does have lots of dogs! Four Pit Bulls to be exact: Buster, Shorty, Boo Boo and Rockie. The quartet of pups is his kids and he knows they are spoiled; wellbehaved, but spoiled! The four dogs are "Sit means Sit" trained (offleash training, where he can walk all four of them anywhere, anytime off- leash). Two of them, Buster and Shorty are CGC-certified and on their way to becoming therapy dogs. Anthony takes them to class a couple times a week and out to the park at least every other day to chase the Frisbee. He has found playing fetch with a Frisbee to be the best workout for his dogs. They end up doing full 50-yard sprints, which keeps them in awesome shape, and when they can't make the park he’ll drop the Frisbee in the pool where they love to frolic and swim all afternoon. This pack of four bullies is relentless and super-competitive. Anthony

92 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

tells us his dogs are beautiful, loving creatures and he really wants to help the Pit Bull breed receive the positive attention it deserves. “I’ve done nothing out of the ordinary with my dogs, except love them and include them in my life, nothing that anyone who loves their family wouldn't do. I just love them … truly love them,” he said. Check out Anthony’s fabulous Pit Bull calendar at: www.peaceloveandpitbulls.net.

Photo by Shane Oneal

Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles Programs FOUR DOGS THAT NEED A FOREVER HOME, PLEASE ADOPT! Bernie The world’s biggest puppy, Bernie is barely two years old and almost 120 pounds. He appears to be a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Rottweiler and is extremely loving with people, good with most dogs (although alpha dogs raise his hackles), so-so with cats and full of energy, smarts and love. He likes toys, he likes to play, and he’s responding well to leash-handling training. Because of his size, strength and rambunctiousness, he’ll be best in a home with a family or individual that is strong enough to consistently apply training techniques and at the same time treat him like a family member. He needs a home with a yard and probably would be best as the only animal in a household; he may also be too playful for small children. Bernie has been neutered, is up-to-date on shots, and is house-trained. He also comes with a free training session.

HY This is our miracle dog. Gorgeous, 2-year-old Hy was found as a little puppy with a fused jaw, and his condition was so severe we had to push wet food between his teeth to feed him. After extensive surgery, his jaw was re-broken and re-set, and he now has full mobility, which he utilizes all the time as he loves to carry objects around in his mouth. The bigger the better! He’s a shepherd-mix with a hyena-like bark, and just loves to cuddle with people. He’s been well-trained for leash-handling; however, due to his selective dog aggressiveness he’ll be best in a home as the only animal. Hy loves to hike and can go on for miles and miles. He has been neutered, is up-to-date on shots, is house-trained and comes with a free training session.

LISA MARIE Sweet, deaf Lisa Marie is a 3-year-old Staffie-mix. She’s very loving with people, yet can be shy and submissive, especially when she goes for walks. She’ll require patience and consistent leash-training, but the reward when you see the smile on her face is well worth it. She’s a little lover and likes nothing more than a chew toy or a belly rub. Probably best with a couple or a single person, and as the only animal in the household. Lisa Marie has been spayed, is up-to-date on shots, is house-trained and comes with a free training session.

CINDY At 80 pounds of solid muscle, Cindy is the type of super-sweet dog who’ll need a strong person or family. She appears to be primarily a shepherd-mix, and while she has been extensively leash trained, she also has a tendency toward dog aggressiveness, and will definitely need to be the only animal in a household. She’s loving with humans, very affectionate, extremely smart and a quick learner. She is not hyper, but does have inexhaustible energy and needs a yard to play in and must have daily exercise with her humans. Cindy has been spayed, is up-to-date on shots, and is house-trained. She also comes with a free training session.

For more information on adopting these kids, contact Elizabeth at Best Friends Animal Society, Los Angeles Programs. Email: ElizabethO@bestfriends.org

The American Dog Magazine | Fall 2008 93

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THE DOG SCENE

New York

BUSINESS PROFILE

CARLTON HOBBS GALLERY By Julia Szabo

visit to the rare antiques dealer Carlton Hobbs, LLC, is a trip to a different world and time. Every item in this magnificentlyrestored mansion is beautiful and unique, and many pieces have actual royal or aristocratic provenance. So exquisite are the objects on display that the world's most sought-after interior designers are rumored to do their shopping here, for clients with names like Madonna, Elton John and Mick Jagger. In addition, institutions such as The Musée du Louvre and The John Paul Getty Museum have either borrowed or acquired pieces from here. But there's a little-known secret about this special place: living happily in this milieu of exquisitely pedigreed, carefully-researched historical objects is a pack of mongrel dogs whose provenance will forever remain a mystery. Hobbs' business partner Stefanie Rinza is as serious about rescuing and rehabilitating dogs as she is about acquiring and conserving antiques of exceptional merit. The lucky canines that have crossed her path all enjoy splendid surroundings the rest of us can only drool over, yet Stefanie insists she and Carlton are the lucky ones: "We always think every rescued dog brings with it some kind of incredible reward," she says. Typical words used to describe Carlton Hobbs objects are important, rare, highly unusual and extremely fine. All apply to the dogs on the premises, as well. Jasper is a small, sweet, 16-year-old white mutt that Stefanie adopted at the famed Battersea Dog Home in London. Dinky, also 16, is an elegant golden Chow Chow mix who came home with Stefanie after her elderly owner died. Charlie, a 12-year-old black-and-tan hound mix, appeared to Stefanie as a sad face on a flyer. "Rescue Charlie," the flyer said, but Stefanie thought two dogs were her limit. Though she did try to change her route to work so she wouldn't see the flyer, the clever person posting the flyers managed to cover the waterfront such that resistance was futile, and Charlie became dog number three. The fourth dog, a Poodle mix named Tillie, was out for a walk on 5th Avenue one fine morning, heading toward Central Park with neither a leash nor an owner. That's when Stefanie spotted her. Capturing the little dog became an epic undertaking, however, as the feisty stray put

An extremely rare tile picture depicting liveried servants carrying food-laden platters—note the prominent placement of two hungry dogs!

118 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Stefanie Rinza and gallery rescues, Dinky, Jasper, Tillie and Charlie. Photo by Heather Green.

up one hell of a chase, zig-zagging in and out of traffic at top speed during the morning rush hour. The doorman of a luxury building managed to slip a rope around the little dog's neck; she repaid him with a swift bite and took off running again. Happily, Stefanie had Tillie's back the entire time. "I decided to stare down the cars, because I was convinced that it was all going to be fine," she recalls. Finally, Stefanie took an extreme measure: a full-length tackle. "I threw myself over her, and I just said, 'Well, all right, bite me—do your best!' But she didn't." All that effort was well worth it. "She's such a perfect dog," Stefanie says. Not to mention extremely fine, highly unusual, important and rare—just like all the other treasures on view at this extraordinary place.

For more information: Carlton Hobbs, LLC 60 E. 93rd St. New York, NY 10128 (212) 423-9000 www.carltonhobbs.com

THE DOG SCENE

MEDIA HOUND

New York

CINDY ADAMS

Photos Courtesy of Cindy Adams

New York Post columnist, book author and

DOG LOVER!

By Julia Szabo

obody, but nobody, is more "New York" than Ms. Cindy Adams. A columnist for the New York Post who regularly hob-nobs with the rich, the famous and the infamous, Cindy has her finger on the pulse of the juiciest, most scandalous gossip—and aided by her star-studded Rolodex of high-profile contacts, Cindy can be counted on to share what she knows with her legions of loyal readers. Her signature, tough-talking writing style packs quite a punch—it can make you laugh out loud or dissolve in tears—and her daily column almost always concludes on an upbeat with some amusing anecdote of Gotham life or other, the moral of which is always, "Only in New York, kids, only in New York." But in recent years, followers of Cindy's column have come to see a softer side to this smart, sassy scribe as the hard-as-nails reporter devotes more and more column inches to the endearing exploits of celebrity dog-lovers, such as actresses Kate Hudson and Patricia Clarkson. How did this kinder, gentler Cindy evolve? Under the watchful eyes of a dog—specifically, a tiny Yorkshire terrier named Jazzy. This little guy exerted an enormous influence on Cindy, inspiring her to pen her now-famous best-selling book, The Gift of Jazzy, and to join the board of the prestigious American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Sadly, Jazzy suddenly became ill and died while boarding at a dog kennel—and his untimely passing awakened the political activist in Cindy, who crusaded in his memory until she saw the passing of "Jazzy's Law," which protects pets and their owners from potential abuses at dog kennels. Nobody and nothing could ever replace Jazzy, but today Cindy's heart is kept warm by two Yorkshire terriers named Jazzy Jr. and his lady friend, Juicy - a.k.a. "the babies." The canine couple

inspired Cindy to write a second book for dog lovers: Living a Dog's Life: Jazzy, Juicy, and Me. And as befits dogs with a literary pedigree, the Yorkies of the title rule at Cindy's Park Avenue penthouse, which was previously inhabited by none other than the late Doris Duke, the tobacco heiress who was renowned for her love of animals. On the spacious terrace, with its to-drool-for view of the Manhattan skyline, Cindy has instructed the gardener to plant only dog-safe flowers and trees that are "OK for the babies." Cindy's sky-scraping pup playground is also the scene of many a memorable party—but the most unforgettable are the birthday bashes Cindy throws every year for her Yorkies. A few of the famous guests who regularly attend have included actress Mary Tyler Moore, realityTV star Judge Judy Sheindlin, novelist Erica Jong and Ricky Lauren, the talented author wife of designer Ralph Lauren—each with her own dog(s) in tow, natch! Recently, the four-footed Yorkies played host to a dignitary with ties to the region of England where their noble breed originated: Sarah, Duchess of York, who was delighted at the prospect of being mobbed by a pair of diminutive Yorkies. "She wanted to meet her countrymen—make that country creatures," Cindy says of the royal known the world over as "Fergie." "Having dogs is my entire, whole, complete existence," Cindy says. "They're my only family, and they mean more to me than anything else in the whole world." To prove it, the queen of tantalizing tidbits shares this: "I've prepared my will, which spells out how the babies will be taken care of for 20 years after I'm gone." Needless to say, her babies will be looked after in the manner to which they've become accustomed—thanks to a bulletproof document prepared by ace attorney Barry Slotnick, one of New York's most high-profile legal beagles. Now that's serious puppy love.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 119

THE DOG SCENE

New York

NON-PROFIT

Animal Haven Shelter In

SOHO!

For more information: Animal Haven Soho 251 Centre St. New York, NY 10013 (212) 274-8511 www.animalhavenshelter.org

By Julia Szabo veryone knows the right way to acquire a dog is at an animal shelter or through a rescue group. Yet many people— including some very high-profile dog lovers—still mistakenly believe that it's cool to shop for a dog at a pet store. It most certainly is not cool: the pups at pet stores are the innocent victims of cruel puppy mills, and buying them supports the endless cycle of abuse that puppy-mill mother dogs endure. Yet, in the eyes of some dog lovers, pet stores look pretty and inviting—not like a sad, depressing animal shelter. And that's why thousands of people bypass shelters in favor of pet stores year after year: it's a sorry case of style winning out over substance.

New York City's Animal Haven Shelter decided to do something to right this wrong. But rather than preach about doing the right thing, they advocated doing the cool thing by doing something truly creative that no other shelter had done before: harness the power of design to make shelter dog adoption every bit as chic and fashionable as a visit to the fanciest, most fashionable pet boutique. In short, they gave the animal shelter an extreme makeover and Animal Haven Soho was born—a brilliant one-stop-shop concept that combines rescue and retail in one exciting charitable venture. Located in one of the world's most high-style shopping districts, downtown New York's Soho, Animal Haven Soho looks just like a high-end pet store, with fabulous, funky fashions for Fido, from basic collars and leashes to blinged-out clothing. Nearby are adorable little dogs on display—except they're not for sale, they're up for adoption! The atmosphere is totally inviting, daring passersby to walk on without stopping for a quick peek. And that quick peek very often leads to a happy, healthy adoption—with the super-convenient perk of having all the supplies you need for your new friend right there for sale, and all proceeds are donated back to Animal Haven's dogrescue effort. Brilliant! Upstairs, there's a suite of offices, plus a fabulous training/recreation space with rubber-padded floors for dogs' romping comfort.

120 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

But the jewel in Animal Haven's crown is the second-floor lounge, designed for the comfort of people and dogs. This first-of-its-kind space was designed for adopters and dogs to hang out together comfortably in a homelike setting, but it also provides a crash course in Dog-Friendly Decorating 101. The lounge is decorated with sturdy, stylish furniture by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams that was customupholstered in durable, dog-friendly fabric by Crypton. The walls, meanwhile, are a sunny, eye-opening shade of bright yellow paint by Benjamin Moore—and for those who need additional waking-up, there's an Illy Caffe coffee machine dispensing shots of espresso! Best of all, every single one of these items, from the furniture and paint to the coffee machine, was generously donated to Animal Haven to help them redefine the animal shelter for a new generation of stylish shopper-adopters. Animal Haven Soho has become such a go-to destination that the Iams corporation chose to launch its 10th annual "Home 4 the Holidays" pet adoption campaign there. With the paparazzi out in full force, the red carpet was rolled out for Felicity Huffman, the "Desperate Housewives" star who proudly tells everyone that her family's sweet lab mix, Tucker, came from Animal Orphans of Southern California and is "the best thing that ever happened to us." After posing pretty with an adorable adoptable Animal Haven dog named Kahlua, Felicity couldn't resist going upstairs to check out the lounge herself! (TOP) Animal Haven’s second-floor lounge, designed for the comfort of people and animals. Photo by Mark McQueen/ Photography. (RIGHT) Actress Felicity Huffman, North American ambassador for the Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption campaign, poses with Kahlua during an event celebrating the campaign’s 10th anniversary Monday, Oct. 6, 2008 in New York. www.iamshome4theholidays.com (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, P&G Pet Care).

THE DOG SCENE

FASHION DESIGNER

New York

ADAM LIPPES By Julia Szabo

he fashion world is on a first-name basis with the talented young designer Adam Lippes. His sexy, smart clothing collection, under the label Adam, is adored by stylish women everywhere, including Oprah Winfrey, who declared him one of her favorites. There's no need to ask who are Adam's favorites, for the answer is clear: his two beloved Labradoodles: Bidu and Lola. Adam's store in Manhattan's chic meatpacking district is one of New York's most elegant destinations, a fitting showcase for his designs. It's also a splendid place to showcase adoptable shelter dogs from New York's own American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Fashion hounds know that no stylish outfit is complete without a rescued dog by your side—so Adam dutifully does his part to help the dogless shop for new best friends by graciously hosting dog-adoption events for the ASPCA.

Adam Lippes, with Bidu and Lola, in front of his Manhattan store. Photo by Julia Szabo.

For Adam, every day is "Take Your Dog to Work Day." Bidu and Lola accompany him to the office each morning at 9 a.m. and stay until noon, when they return home. "They have a quick morning of work and then they knock off early," he says with a laugh. During those busy hours in the office, the dogs perform an important task: "They help me to keep going, and they bring me luck," Adam explains. "They're, like, peace for me." In the high-energy world of fashion, Bidu and Lola are a wonderfully calming influence: "You can just put your head into them and everything else just melts away." Divine is a word that's used a lot in fashion circles, and it can describe everything from sleek suits to beautiful boots. But for Adam, the D-word is an accurate description of his beloved dogs. "I'm convinced they're connected to the angels," he explains. Even people who thought they didn't like dogs wind up changing their minds after meeting Bidu and Lola. "The dogs hang with the sewers in the back," Adam says. “And there's one sewer, a tiny woman, who was terrified of Bidu at first. Bidu is 90 pounds, so he's a big dog; Lola only weighs about 50. But Bidu and Lola are both super-friendly, and they can convert people fast. Now, Bidu never leaves this sewer's side, they love each other."

After a long week of helping run Adam's fashion empire, Bidu and Lola are happy to kick back and relax in the countryside. "I have a house in the Berkshires," Adam says. "It's really the dogs' house, and we try to go up there most weekends." At a combined 140 pounds of canine, you'd think Adam's hands would be full with two dogs, but the designer is tempted to adopt dog number three. "I'm seriously considering it," he says. "I would have 12 dogs if I could!" In the meantime, he's entertaining the idea of introducing a canine collection. "We've talked about doing a dog line," he confides. "We'd call it Bidu + Lola." If and when it happens, that's one fashion collection that will surely earn the accolade Divine.

For more information: Visit the Web site www.shopadam.com or shop at his signature retail store located at: ADAM Boutique 675 Hudson St. New York, NY 10014

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 121

THE DOG SCENE

New York

CANINE EVENTS Movie Review:

WENDY and LUCY Review by Julia Szabo

t's rare for a movie to capture a difficult period in American history, and rarer still for dogs to be recognized on film as fellow Americans who suffer as much as people do during tough economic times. Wendy and Lucy is that rare movie—and it's the most realistic, powerful girl-and-her-dog tale ever filmed. The third feature film by Kelly Reichardt, Wendy and Lucy is destined to become a classic. The economic crisis that now grips our nation was not as dire when Reichardt undertook to adapt John Raymond's short story Train Choir, a contemporary fable of hardship and loss, for the screen. And yet, her excellent film mirrors movies set in the Great Depression, when displaced Americans chased the dream of a better life against impossible odds. Young and broke, Wendy Carroll (Michelle Williams) is driving with her dog Lucy from Indiana to Alaska, hoping to find work at a fish cannery. But passing through Oregon, she comes up against a hard wall of lousy luck: first, her Honda Accord breaks down; then her tenuous financial situation starts to unravel. Wendy and her dog become separated and Lucy goes missing. On her visit to the pound, Wendy doesn't find Lucy. That's heartbreaking enough, but so are the sweet faces of the dogs she does see there, expectantly eager and sadly resigned. Homelessness affects dogs the same way it does people: suddenly, and through no fault of their own, they become destitute, casualties of circumstance. The only difference is that dogs can't tell us where they came from or what they've lost. Right now, animal shelters across this country are filled beyond capacity with these silent victims of the economic crisis. Unless we reach out to homeless dogs and take responsibility for them, we risk losing our compassion for our fellow humans. Let's lend a hand to dog owners who are having a hard time feeding their animal companions. As Americans, we need to work harder to devise creative solutions that could help prevent animal homelessness, such as charity pet-food drives. Our common goal should be to help keep America's pets together with the families they love. Photos cour We also need to urge our tesy

Michelle Williams as Wendy in Kelly Reichardt’s WENDY AND LUCY. Photo by Simon Max Hill; courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories.

elected officials to increase funding to municipal animal shelters, and to sponsor low-cost spay/neuter programs. For a movie like Wendy and Lucy to raise these issues with subtlety and seriousness is nothing short of a cinematic milestone. Director Kelly Reichardt does a beautiful job dramatizing a tough story with huge socioeconomic relevance, making us care deeply about her two main characters. Actress Michelle Williams inhabits and possesses her role completely, like a restless ghost. But the movie's real star is Lucy the dog, who plays herself. A charismatic mixed-breed with a yellow-gold coat, Lucy happens to be the director's own adopted dog. As an all-American shelter mutt, Lucy represents American dogs everywhere. Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes have a steady, piercing gaze that goes right through you. "I love you no matter what," those eyes seem to say, "and I trust you to do right by me." That, in the end, is what Wendy does—the only way she can. The movie Wendy and Lucy opened in December.

of Oscillosc

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ope Labora

tories

THE DOG SCENE

FASHION DESIGNER

New York

ISAAC MIZRAHI with sidekick,

HARRY...

his adopted shelter dog—a mutt with

STYLE!

Story and photo by Julia Szabo

e's one of the most respected and adored contemporary fashion designers, famous for his timeless, all-American style. So it's no surprise that Isaac Mizrahi has an allAmerican dog: an adopted shelter mutt! Harry Mizrahi, the handsome border collie mix, is Isaac's constant companion. But more than that, Harry is a quiet power behind the throne; his strong style influence is felt in Isaac's world every single day. "Harry's color is so heavenly," Isaac explains. "His coat is a fantastic auburn with cream-colored markings. So I often dress because I know I'm going to be seen with Harry. I'll think: which gun-checked jacket could I wear that will look good with Harry, which jean will look good with Harry which tweed ..." Isaac was even moved to design a "mother-daughter"—make that "father-son"—sweater set, so he and Harry could both wear knit intarsia pullovers emblazoned with a capital H. "Harry and I often appear together wearing those sweaters," Isaac says with pride. "They're camel with red letters and black trim." As for the leash that keeps Harry and Isaac connected while they're out for a walk? It's nothing less than elegant leather by Hermes. Silently providing sound style guidance, Harry the mutt is a most persuasive fashion editor, in and out of the closet. "I have a little sofa in my bedroom that fits exactly in that one spot—you know how New York apartments are, you find something that works and you keep covering and re-covering it," Isaac says. "Before, it was upholstered in theater-seat red velvet. But I recently changed it to this incredibly rich petipoint floral that I did for my housewares collection, because I knew it would look so gorgeous when Harry slept on it. So now I have millions of pictures of Harry sleeping on his beautiful petipoint sofa." Speaking of pictures, Isaac has built up a collection of portraits of his auburn-haired best friend; from photographs to paintings to pencil sketches, Harry's been depicted in almost every artistic medium. With Harry providing so much design inspiration, it's no wonder

that Isaac recently published a brilliant book all about finding your style inspiration. It's called How to Have Style (Gotham Books), and although Harry doesn't actually make an appearance in the book, the four-footed fashion hound's nononsense approach to style is present on every page, because Isaac and Harry are great minds who think alike. "Because he's a redhead, Harry tends to like redheaded people—he just gravitates toward them," Isaac says. "Harry loves redheaded women. He also likes anything that redheads look good in, like green and purple." Isaac's book takes the same problem-solving approach to style that has won Isaac legions of fans on TV, and focuses on 12 women as case studies. And wouldn't you know, not one, but two, of the book's real-life models happen to have auburn hair. We just know Harry heartily approves. www.isaacmizrahiny.com

www.WATCHISAAC.com The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 123

WORKING DOGS

AVALANCHE DOGS Noses that KNOW SNOW By Tamra Monahan

n avalanche is one of nature’s most destructive forces, a raging torrent of snow and ice thundering down a mountainside, leaving a serene ocean of white in its wake. But this treacherous beauty masks a violent disposition, concealing death and destruction beneath its snowy waves. Avalanches are fast, furious, and ferocious, the ultimate demonstration of nature’s power and man’s vulnerability.

Avalanches contain chunks of hard-packed snow often the size of cars, under which an errant snowshoer, snowmobiler or cross-country skier waits to be rescued. Despite the depth of snow on top of him, which can be massive, a person’s scent rises up through the snow, working its way between ice crystals and frozen slabs, until finally breaching the surface. Invisible and undetectable to humans, this clue lingers in the air like a beacon to an avalanche rescue dog’s sensitive nose. According to Patti Burnett of the Summit County Rescue Group and Search and Rescue Dogs of Colorado, regardless of how deep people are buried in the snow, avalanche dogs can detect their scent and will find them.

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“These dogs have to be able to find someone buried deep under the snow within a matter of minutes, and they’re very good at it,” she says. During a rescue, the handler, along with other search and rescue personnel, determines where the victim is most likely buried and if the area is safe for a search. If there is no chance of another avalanche, she gives her dog the “search” command and watches the crafty

(ABOVE) Patti Burnett and her Golden Retriever, Hasty, dig in the snow during a training exercise at Copper Mountain Ski Resort. Patti’s book, Avalanche! Hasty Search! The Care and Training of Avalanche Search and Rescue Dogs is full of intriguing stories and facts about these heroic dogs. Photo courtesy of Patti Burnett. (OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP) During an avalanche dog rescue training on top of Vail Pass, Angela Eaton and Shakti, a Belgian Malinois, peer into a hole the avalanche dog has just uncovered where a volunteer waits patiently. Photo by Tamra Monahan. (OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM) Patti Burnett and her Golden Retriever Magic discover the hole where a volunteer is hiding during an avalanche dog rescue training on top of Vail Pass. Photo by Tamra Monahan.

canine sniff the air and the snow for the slightest trace of human scent. Back and forth, up and down, the expert nose moves over the vast blanket of snow, pausing occasionally, then resuming the hunt. As the dog darts from one spot to the next, the handler watches for any telltale changes in the animal’s behavior—tilting his head, slowing his pace, pawing the snow. Minutes go by and the dog seems to be randomly roaming, when suddenly he stops, plunges his nose into the frozen landscape, then comes up for air. He barks and looks anxiously at the handler, as if to say: “This is it, this is where the person is buried. Hurry!” The rescue dog digs frantically, a canine whirlwind of paws and snow, while the handler alerts the search team that her dog has possibly found something. Searchers quickly arrive and probe the deep snow field with long poles. Meanwhile, the handler and her eager companion continue the search and sniff process, until the person has been found. To train an avalanche dog, the handler starts with runaway games. The game works on the dog’s sense of prey by encouraging him to chase a person into a hole dug in the snow. The dog soon discovers that if he locates the person, he gets a reward – a playful round of tug-of-war. Gradually, training evolves into a more difficult game of hide-and-seek as the handler partially covers the hole with blocks of snow, eventually blocking the entrance completely. Over a period of time, the dog learns to focus on the invisible human scent and ignore any visual clues or distractions. And in the aftermath of an avalanche, there aren’t many visual distractions—just a sea of snow where the dogs can focus on finding a scent.

People caught in the grip of an avalanche are not always backcountry novices who unwittingly make fatal decisions. In fact, many avalanche victims are expert outdoorsmen who challenge the boundaries of nature and pay a hefty price for their moment of hubris. Unfortunately, most people buried by an avalanche don’t survive, so these dogs usually discover bodies, which can be hard on their psyches. To counteract the depressive nature of avalanche searches, Burnett and her Golden Retriever Magic also perform alpine search and rescue operations during the warm months. She says finding a lost hiker who is ecstatic about being rescued is a tremendous boost for Magic. “Fortunately, we don’t just do avalanche searches because it’s [hard] on the dogs to only find dead people. We also do wilderness so the dogs have an opportunity to have happy rescues.” And when Magic performs, whether on a snow covered mountain or a dusty trail, it is truly magic.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 125

TRAVELING IN STYLE

BONE-ified

Elegance

What’s the difference between a Bentley and a Rolls Royce? One is driven in a Rolls but one drives a Bentley. By Kevin Green, Traveling in Style Editor for The American Dog Magazine

hat does "UHL" mean? Well, if you’re a car aficionado or Bentley employee, you know exactly what it means. It’s an automotive term that Bentley invented which stands for Ultra-High Luxury, and that's exactly what you get in the 2009 Bentley GTC and Continental Flying Spur. These automobiles are inconceivable works of art. The cachet lines within both vehicles are ubiquitous to the Bentley family—Arnage, Azure, GT, GTC and Flying Spur. My favorite is the Bentley GTC, a convertible, full-time all-wheel drive beauty. When I turned on the engine I immediately heard a growl and then a purrrrr waiting to unleash the horses—all 552 of them. It's a

126 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12 engine that turns out a whopping 479 lbs/ft of torque. Zero to sixty in less than five seconds … how about that? If your dog’s ears aren't flapping enough in the wind and you both need more power, Bentley offers the "SPEED" version with an astounding 600-horsepower engine. I would have loved to travel at its top speed (closed-circuit track, of course) of 202 mph, but I'd probably miss all the signs posted "No Low Level Flying" or "No Autobahn Speeds!" And if you didn't know, the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur, considered the "Ultimate Touring Sedan," is the fastest 4-door sedan in production. It not only exudes pure elegance but also the RAW POWER that every person with a lead foot can only dream of. The best of both worlds! While traveling on the highway, it was like riding

Photos by Heather Green

on a cushion of air with very minimal wind noise. At just under 5,500 pounds, these vehicles are like Japan's Shinkansen—the distinguished bullet train. It's rather surprising, considering its unimaginable display of agility that one would only expect from the world's best sports cars. The interior is just as miraculous. The supple leather is complemented with the incomparable unbleached burr walnut that is showcased within. Nothing compares to this! Concerned about the snowy winter months? Don't worry, both automobiles are full-time all-wheel drive. Your only concern will be cleaning up after Fido's wet paws, unless of course you have one of those charming purse dogs. Both Bentleys await the opportunity to whisk you and your doggie off to your mountainous retreat. For just over $200K, it's inevitable that you'll be turning heads, not to mention, that every neighborhood pooch will be envious of Fido riding in any of the Bentley lineup. Don't say I didn't warn you! Hands down this is the most luxurious car review yet, and I challenge anyone to surpas this vehicle with something better.

If you would like your luxury car, boat, plane or opulent means of transportation considered for review in The American Dog Magazine please email Kevin Green at: kgreen@theamericandogmag.com.

Vehicles sponsored by Ferrari of Denver For your luxury automotive needs contact: Ferrari of Denver/Bentley Denver Mike Parmakian 1480 E. County Line Road Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 (303) 730-7340 www.ferrariofdenver.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 127

AUTHOR PROFILE

Photo by Diana Mrazikova at Rory’s apartment in Los Angeles with adoptees Joey (left) and Timber (right)

RORY FREEDMAN Co-Author of Skinny Bitch and Skinny Bitch In the Kitch The American Dog Magazine reports How has your life changed since writing your first book, Skinny Bitch? I’m definitely a lot more fulfilled than I ever was before. Getting to make a difference in the world and do something I’m passionate about sure beats every other job I’ve had. Other than that, my life is basically the same. Although I will say that things are a lot busier now than before the book came out. There are always a million phone calls, emails, meetings, speaking gigs, events and trips now, in addition to all the writing stuff. It can definitely be overwhelming at times. But when I start to freak out or stress out, I try to remind myself, “Rory, it will all get done. One way or another, everything always gets done.”

128 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

You’ve said you wrote Skinny Bitch to “change the world.” What small changes can people do to make this world a better place for themselves, their kids and family pets? I’d imagine that the people who read this magazine would probably classify themselves as “animal lovers.” But usually, this love only extends to cats or dogs—sadly, there is often a disconnect between “animal lovers” and farm animals. How can we call ourselves “animal lovers” and then contribute to the confinement, torture and slaughter of 10 billion animals a year (in the United States alone) just because we like how they taste?

I was the biggest “animal lover” I knew. Yet I used to eat meat and dairy products seven days a week. But then one day, I got a magazine in the mail that had an article about factory farming and slaughterhouses. Until then, I avoided thinking about how animals were raised and killed so I could eat them. If the thought did enter my mind, I’d quickly imagine Old MacDonald’s idyllic farm with happy animals and green pastures. I couldn’t have been more deluded. What I learned from that magazine that day was shocking, devastating and painful. Factory farms account for more than 99 percent of the animal products in this country, which means no happy animals or green pastures. Cows and pigs are confined in stalls so small they can hardly turn around or lie down comfortably. They also routinely have their horns cut, their testicles removed, their teeth clipped, their tails docked and their flesh branded, all without the use of anesthesia. Egg-laying hens have their beaks seared off their faces with a hot blade, and then are crammed into cages so tightly that they are each relegated to a space about the size of a standard sheet of paper. Because they’re so overcrowded, they can’t even fully spread their wings. Imagine being in a tiny elevator with one hundred other people . . . for your whole life. It may not sound like a “small” change, but the most important way we can make the world a better place is by changing the way we eat. I know forsaking our favorite foods may seem like a big sacrifice, but adopting a vegan diet spares the lives of cows, chickens and pigs, all of whom are sentient beings and suffer immeasurably just so we can eat them. And in eschewing animal products, we not only save the lives of animals, but our own, as well. Vegetarians have fewer instances of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity than meat-eaters. And the lifestyle has been deemed safe by the American Dietetic Association

for men, women, babies, kids, teens and even pregnant or nursing moms. The healthier and happier we are, the better we can care for our pets and provide them with the lifestyles they need and deserve. What animal rights issues do you devote your time, money, passion and energy for? Every single animal rights issue is important to me. For five years, I was an agent at Ford Models in NYC. I quit my six-figure-a-year job to become a full-time animal rights activist. When I couldn’t find a job at a non-profit, I worked pro bono, doing whatever was needed, wherever and whenever I could—fostering; animal adoptions; demonstrations; education; outreach; petition signing; petition circulating; writing letters to editors; calling my local, state and federal legislators; emailing companies about implementing cruelty-free policies—you name it, I did it. When I ran out of savings, I got a job teaching kindergarten and pre-school, but animal rights’ was still calling me. Eventually, with my friend Kim Barnouin, I decided to write Skinny Bitch, in order to highlight the issues surrounding factory farms and slaughterhouses. While every animal’s suffering pains me, the plight of the 10 billion farm animals killed for food every year in the United States is likely the issue I spend the most time and resources on. It’s not because I like cows, chickens, and pigs more than rats, mice, monkeys, dogs, cats, or horses. I made the decision to take on that issue in because of the sheer number of animals affected by the food industry. But I still collect petition signatures, call my federal and local legislators, write letters to the editors of magazines and newspapers, email businesses, attend protests and demonstrations, and distribute educational literature for all the animal rights issues, all on a regular basis as part of my daily life. What else are you working on?

Photo by Denise Herrick Borchert taken at Animal Acres in Acton, California

Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven (a how-to-eat guide for pregnant women) will be out in September. Skinny Bitchin’ (a motivational journal) will be out in December. We’ve got three workout DVDs coming out in January 2009. We’ve got two TV shows in the works. And Skinny Bastard (a how-to-eat guide for men) will be out December 2009. Argh! It’s all so overwhelming. “Rory, it will all get done. One way or another, everything always gets done.”

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 129

What if you had the opportunity... to be a HERO?

to save a LIFE? ADOPT A DOG from your local shelter. Their alternative is death. Their life depends on you.

GO AHEADâ&#x20AC;ŚBE A HERO! This message created by Jamie Downey, designed by Jane Brunton and provided as a public service announcement by The American Dog Magazine on behalf of the 5-7 million dogs and cats euthanized every year in animal shelters. Please consider adopting a dog from your local animal shelter.

“The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing” ~ Albert Einstein

ADOPT A DOG. SAVE A LIFE! The American Dog Magazine encourages everyone who wants a dog to adopt from your local animal shelter or rescue group. You CAN make a difference. Whether it’s giving a little of your time to volunteer, donating a small percentage of your paycheck to a shelter, fostering a dog in your home or making room in your family for one more four-legged kid to join your pack. The animals will thank you! This message created by Jamie Downey, designed by Jane Brunton and provided as a public service announcement by The American Dog Magazine on behalf of the 5-7 million dogs and cats euthanized every year in animal shelters. Please consider adopting a dog from your local animal shelter.

FARM SANCTUARY

CALIFORNIA COMPASSION: Proposition 2 Passes!

By Gene Baur President & Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary

n the 2008 election, California made animal protection history by voting overwhelmingly in favor of Proposition 2, a landmark ballot measure that will effectively ban three of the cruelest factory farming confinement systems: battery cages for egglaying hens, gestation crates for pregnant pigs and veal crates for calves. Proposition 2 will be enforced in the state by 2015 and will improve living conditions for 20 million farm animals in the nation’s top agricultural state. Interestingly, dogs, and the people who love them, played a crucial role in helping to pass this groundbreaking new law. Farm Sanctuary enthusiastically co-sponsored Proposition 2 (along with the Humane Society of the United States) because it is simply inhumane to deny animals any semblance of natural movement for virtually their entire lives. Anyone who kept a dog constantly locked in a cramped cage sitting in his own waste could be brought up on animal abuse charges, and rightly so. The more people appreciate their canine companions as unique individuals who deserve to be treated with dignity, the easier it is for them to extend their circle of concern beyond dogs to the welfare of all animals—including those raised for meat, milk and eggs. Proposition 2 succeeded because thousands of dedicated volunteers participated in a massive statewide grassroots educational campaign to raise awareness and get the vote out. Canine companions were members of this team effort, proving themselves very effective and convincing advocates for change. Friendly dogs at outreach events

Photo Courtesy of Farm Sanctuary

sparked people’s innate sympathy for animals, making them more open to learning—often for the first time in their lives—about the horrible conditions pigs, chickens and calves are subjected to on factory farms. In addition, millions of television viewers were informed about Proposition 2 through advertisements featuring veterinarians appearing with their dogs and voicing strong support for the measure, and encouraging voters to empathize with farm animals; more than 700 California veterinarians, as well as numerous veterinary medical associations, veterinary hospitals and clinics, officially endorsed Proposition 2. Farm Sanctuary’s shelters in New York and California provide lifelong refuge and care for hundreds of rescued farm animals, each one with a name and each special in his or her own way. The landslide victory of Proposition 2 gives me hope that someday, these animals will be accorded the same respect and understanding that we now extend to our beloved canine companions. Gene Baur is the co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, and author of the best-selling book Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food.

For more information visit: www.farmsanctuary.org The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 133

POLITICIANS: BAD DOG

Who’s in the

Dog House? By Michael Markarian President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund

U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.): Serving more than a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Knollenberg has amassed one of the worst records on animal cruelty in Congress, even though his district in suburban Oakland County outside of Detroit has one of the largest concentrations of animal advocates in the country. He has voted time and time again to allow the slaughter of American horses for human consumption overseas, to support the trophy hunting of threatened polar bears in the Arctic, and to permit the slaughter of sick and crippled cows, which could jeopardize the safety of our food supply and national school lunch program. Although he claims to be a fiscal conservative, he voted to give millions of dollars to the luxury fur coat industry and to spend tax dollars promoting the trophy hunting of elephants and other exotic wildlife in foreign countries. He even voted to de-fund the federal law against animal fighting, the same law that was used to break up Michael Vick’s dogfighting ring. U.S. Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.): Rep. Boren is one of only two Democrats in the entire U.S. Congress who voted against the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act last year which upgraded the federal penalties for illegal dogfighting and cockfighting. The bill passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly and was signed into law by President Bush, making all animal fighting a federal felony and banning the sale of cockfighting weapons. Rep. Boren voted to give dogfighters and cockfighters a free pass, even though Oklahoma

134 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

citizens voted overwhelmingly in 2002 to make cockfighting a felony. He has also voted to allow the slaughter of American horses for food exports, and to allow wealthy American trophy hunters to shoot threatened polar bears in Canada and bring home the heads and hides of these rare creatures just for bragging rights.

fyi

Every year the Humane Society Legislative Fund creates a federal Humane Scorecard to give you a snapshot of the animal protection issues considered by the U.S. Congress. The Humane Scorecard lets you see if your legislators are voting or taking action to help protect animals. The scorecard tracks key votes as well as co-sponsorship of important proanimal bills. It is designed for animal advocates like you to assess the performance of your U.S. Senators and Representatives. Visit www.hslf.org for more information.

POLITICIANS: GOOD DOG

...and Who Gets a Cookie? U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.): A leader in the fight to

protect America’s horses, Sen. Landrieu is the author of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Thanks in large part to her efforts, legislation to stop horse slaughter passed the U.S. Senate in the 109th Congress, and passed the Senate Commerce Committee in the 110th Congress—bringing us several steps closer to ending the brutal slaughter of American horses over our borders in Canada and Mexico, just so their flesh can be frozen, packed and shipped to fancy French and Belgian restaurants. Sen. Landrieu has been deeply involved in Katrina recovery efforts in her home state of Louisiana, and has supported legislation to make sure pets are included in disaster plans. She also supported legislation to upgrade the penalties for transporting animals across state lines for dogfighting and cockfighting, even when Louisiana was the last state to allow legal cockfighting. And as a member of the Appropriations Committee, she has backed efforts to increase funding for the adequate enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and other animal protection laws.

U.S. Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.): The co-founder and cochairman of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus, Rep. Shays

stands up for animals in a very consistent and determined way. He was a lead author of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, and helped to pass this bill in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—it was signed into law in 2006 and now requires that state and local agencies include pets and service animals in their disaster plans if they are to qualify for emergency funding. He is now the lead sponsor of the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, which would require that producers who sell meat, eggs, and dairy to the federal government must meet a basic set of animal welfare standards, such as not slaughtering downed animals and not confining animals in tiny crates and cages where they can barely move for their entire lives. In recognition of his work to protect animals, Rep. Shays was honored by The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund as the 2006 Humane Legislator of the Year.

Want to know more about which politicians are watchdogs for animals and which ones are in the dog house? Visit the Humane Society Legislative Fund at www.hslf.org and sign up for Michael Markarian’s blog at www.animalsandpolitics.org.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 135

AMERICAN HUMANE

Photos Courtesy of the American Humane Association

ADVANCING FROM DISASTER: Three Years After Hurricane Katrina, Improved Emergency Planning Benefits Animals and People By Marie Belew Wheatley President & CEO American Humane Association

hen Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, it created a disaster of unprecedented proportions—for people and animals alike. In 2008, when flooding in the Midwest and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike impacted large areas of the country, people and animals again were displaced in large numbers. But this time, things were done differently—and better.

First Came Katrina As Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans, thousands of evacuees headed for safety. But, with no plans or processes for the evacuation of

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American Humane 63 Iverness Drive Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 792-9900 www.americanhumane.org pets, and with no arrangements in place to accommodate evacuated animals in public shelters, many residents stayed home to face the storm with their animal companions. Many others simply left their pets behind with a few days’ supply of food and water, never imagining that it would be weeks before they could return home—if there was a home to return to. Immediately after the storm, numerous animal rescue groups sprang into action, including American Humane’s Red Star Animal Emergency Services™. But with little coordination between the numerous organizations and individuals who responded, with so many

animals left behind, and with few processes in place to effectively log and track the thousands of animals rescued, sheltered and transferred to other areas, inefficiency often slowed progress—and reuniting pets with their owners was not a simple task.

Regrouping After the Storm Shortly after Katrina, many of us who had participated in the largest animal rescue effort in U.S. history got together to discuss both the good and bad experiences. American Humane convened two national meetings of animal care and control organizations and government agencies to address vital issues related to improving processes and increasing effectiveness to better protect animals in future emergencies. Key objectives were to work toward an integrated plan at the federal, state and local levels that provides for the safety of the entire family, including companion animals, and to ensure collaboration among animal rescue groups. We also advocated for legislation to specifically address the needs of animals in disaster-response plans and promoted the practice of locating emergency animal shelters near human shelters. Subsequently, Louisiana passed a bill providing for effective, comprehensive plans for animal evacuation during emergencies. It included co-locating animal and human shelters, as well as implementing a new animal tracking system. On the federal level, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address the needs of pets and service animals prior to, during and following a disaster, including sheltering. Within the animal welfare community, organizations came together to form the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition to plan, train and work together for the common goal of helping animals.

Putting New Processes Into Practice In the summer of 2008, those new laws and the lessons learned from Katrina would be tested. As severe flooding struck the Midwest in June and July, the new spirit of collaboration and cooperation was immediately apparent. American Humane partnered with the International Fund for Animals, Farm Sanctuary and the Animal Rescue League of Boston to rescue and shelter displaced animals in Illinois and Iowa, including more than 60 pigs that were stranded on a levee without food, clean water or protection from the sun. Sharing resources and personnel, we worked side-by-side as an integrated team, accomplishing more than any of our groups could have alone. When Hurricane Gustav struck the Gulf Coast in September, we again worked alongside multiple national animal welfare organizations, this time in managing the Shreveport, La., animal “mega-shelter”—itself a result of the post-Katrina legislation. As residents were evacuated, transportation for their pets was also provided. The mega-shelter was located close to the emergency shelters for people, so they could spend

time with and take care of their own animals, helping people and pets cope with the stressful situation. An improved tracking system ensured that people and their pets would be reunited back home.

Working ‘Within the System’ For the safety of people and animals, the animal disaster response teams must coordinate closely with the state, county and local agencies that have responsibility for operations in the impacted area. When disasters threaten, American Humane stays in communication with those agencies and deploys into the area only after receiving an official invitation, to ensure that animal rescue operations are coordinated effectively with other disaster response operations. When a disaster occurs, we are often contacted by people who want to help rescue animals. American Humane assembles teams only from qualified and credentialed volunteers who have successfully completed appropriate training. Anyone interested in becoming a responder should seek animal emergency services training from American Humane or another recognized animal welfare organization—well in advance of any disaster—and should never enter a disaster area on their own.

Always Be Prepared Since disasters can strike with little or no warning, being prepared before an emergency arises is key to dealing with it effectively. American Humane’s Red Star Animal Emergency Services (which began in 1916 as Red Star Animal Relief ) maintains a constant state of readiness and helps others do the same. It does this by being prepared with the people, equipment and supplies to respond anywhere in the country; communicating and coordinating with local agencies even before a disaster strikes (when possible); preparing potential responders through practical training; informing the public about the importance of having a disaster plan; and providing training to shelter workers in animal shelter disaster preparedness. Each disaster situation is unique and presents different challenges. But the preparation, experience and resources of the responding organizations and trained volunteers can overcome those challenges and achieve the best outcomes for animals caught in disasters.

About the Author Marie Belew Whitney joined American Humane in 2004 after a distinguished career with the American Red Cross, including serving on many national disaster responses, and more than 20 years’ experience in nonprofit management. One of her first priorities at American Humane was to renew the memo of understanding with the American Red Cross to co-locate shelters for animals alongside shelters for people.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 137

ANIMAL ADVOCATE

Class Action Law Suit

By Carole Raphaelle Davis Author of The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife

ets of Bel Air, the Los Angeles pet boutique that sells puppies to Hollywood’s elite, including Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, is now embroiled in a class-action lawsuit which claims the store defrauds customers.

The lawsuit, filed by L.A. attorney Wayne Kreger, states that customers of the store relied on false advertising, which claimed that the stores

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did not obtain their dogs from puppy mills. Dogs born in substandard conditions in puppy mills are often sick and suffer from congenital diseases. Now that class-action status has been approved by the court, Pets of Bel Air has been ordered to provide Kreger with pertinent information regarding the almost 800 participants in the case. The participants include individuals who purchased dogs from Pets

Imperils Pets of Bel Air OPPOSITE: Protesters at Pets of Bel Air. Photo by Elle Wittelsbach. RIGHT: Photo by Melissa Maroff. BOTTOM: Billy, Mr. and Mrs. Kreger’s dog who died weeks after he was purchased at Pets of Bel Air

of Bel Air, which became sick within 15 days. “I’m hoping now that they realize the gravity of the situation,” said Kreger in a phone interview. “This practice of using puppy mills and passing the puppies off as healthy dogs is something that I want to bring to an end.” Pets of Bel Air denies selling puppy mill dogs or sick dogs, but has battled an image problem since the undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States in 2007 revealed that puppies in the store were supplied by puppy mills. In its investigation, the HSUS released undercover footage of a Midwest puppy mill linked to the store. The breeding dogs in the video, which can be seen on the HSUS Web site, were crammed into wire cages in factory-like conditions. The HSUS also uncovered Pets of Bel Air employees deceiving customers by claiming that the puppies are raised by private breeders. Buoyed by the growing anti-puppy mill movement around the country, local grassroots organizers joined larger animal welfare organizations Best Friends Animal Society, In Defense of Animals and Last Chance for Animals to stage a siege around the store. The protest is now in its fifth month. Ben Harding, an activist who has been participating in the rallies in front of the store, was in the courtroom when the lawsuit was expanded to class-action status. “Customers who shop at this store do not get what they paid for,” he said. “They expect an animal that will

be healthy … not one that's sick and sometimes dead in a week. If this were a car dealership selling Volkswagens that ran for one week and died, the store would've been shut down years ago.” “This case is part of a growing national movement to stop puppy mill abuse and make sure its perpetrators are held accountable in the courts,” said Jonathan Lovvorn, council for HSUS. Jana Kohl, author of A Rare Breed of Love and a guardian of a puppy mill survivor was pleased to hear of the lawsuit. "One by one, these vendors of cruelty will pay the price for the torture they're perpetuating, until eventually they all go out of business,” she said. “They are the lowest of the low, as guilty as the puppy mill owners themselves, for promoting legalized torture." Kreger isn’t merely leading the legal charge; he is also one of the plaintiffs. “My wife and I are dog lovers,” he explained. “We bought a little Chihuahua [at POBA]. He [weighed] like a pound. We took him home and within days he became very sick. We took him to our own vet and he said the dog had Parvo. We spent two weeks and almost $10,000 to save him. We took him home and watched him die. My wife was holding him in her arms and he died.” Class action lawsuits are notoriously expensive to defend and this one will surely put extraordinary financial pressure on Pets of Bel Air. In fact, POBA’s sister store, Puppies and Babies (also in Los Angeles) closed its doors in October 2008. For Kreger and other plaintiffs, money is not the object. “This is personal for me,” said Kreger. “I’m going to be the puppy mill industry’s worst enemy.”

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 139

THE BATTLE ZONE: ANIMAL ADVOCATE

The War on Puppy Mills and The Fight to Save Lives!

Animal Hero: Bill Smith Founder of Main Line Animal Rescue

Animal advocate, Bill Smith, outside of an Amish Farm.

Story and photos by Jana Kohl Author of A Rare Breed of Love www.ararebreedoflove.com

Nearly every animal advocate I know is a workaholic, and Bill Smith is no exception. Animal abusers work around the clock, so we’re compelled to keep similar hours. The shelter Bill runs, Main Line Rescue, featured on Oprah and in People magazine, is situated in Pennsylvania Amish and Mennonite puppy mill territory, and is the only bright spot in an otherwise grim landscape. On my crosscountry tour with Baby, my own puppy mill survivor, we met this animal hero. Though the fields are green and lush, the horrors concealed behind the quaint red Amish and Mennonite barns have earned Pennsylvania the rank of “puppy mill capitol of the nation,” alongside Missouri. Main Line Rescue takes in survivors of these houses of horror, and Bill and his staff are the angels of mercy who give the dogs their first moments of kindness and humanity, their first steps on solid ground after years in wire cages, their first touch by hands that don’t inflict pain, but instead heal unimaginable wounds perpetrated by men who call themselves Christians. Bill’s work has led to puppy mill raids that expose the nightmarish conditions man’s best friend is forced to endure for the sake of a cash crop easily hidden from the IRS. I marvel at how upbeat Bill is given the abuse he sees. “Years ago, I read a play by the great Peter Schaefer,” he says. “One of the characters said if we believe in God, then we must believe in the Devil. I can't believe that any God would allow these poor animals to suffer like this. It has to be more to it than that. These people are truly evil. Maybe we're sent by God, or whatever is out there guiding us to stop these people, who seem to have no concept of right or wrong. And we have only our

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Puppy mill cages. Photo courtesy of Humane Society of the United States.

inventiveness, our determination, and our love for these incredible dogs to keep us going. The character in the play said, ‘The Devil is a true thing.’ Every time I look into those hutches, I believe these words to be true.” When I note the shocking contradiction of the religious beliefs of these people, given their lack of compassion toward animals, he shares more evidence of their cruelty, on Sunday of all days. “My experiences with a number of Amish breeders is that they milk their cows on Sundays, but the dogs are left [without food or water] until Monday. I have witnessed this many times. They also don't bother with the dogs on Sundays because they know the state inspectors are off on the weekends and they're not going to be inspected.” Although a bill was passed in PA to reform this barbaric business, one opponent was, incredibly, the leadership of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA), who opposed things like granting dogs outdoor exercise, which begs one to ask why the public should feel anything but disdain and distrust for a group whose policies are so cruel towards the very animals they represent. “Tragically, the PVMA leadership doesn’t reflect how most practicing vets feel, yet they continue to speak for them. It’s a disgrace,” says Bill.

The UGLIEST Place on Earth

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

One of the most beautiful places on Earth is also one of the ugliest. This tragic paradox is owed to the Amish and Mennonite puppy millers of Lancaster, Pennsylvania who have transformed the image of a picture-perfect landscape into that of a grisly garden of evil. Forget the Hollywood version of gentle folk who shun modern ways for a more peaceful, religious existence. The Amish and Mennonite puppy millers of Pennsylvania (Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, too) are brutal in their treatment of animals, pointing to the biblical use of the word “dominion” as a rationale for the torture they inflict upon God’s fellow creatures. They reject cars, televisions and electricity as the spoils of us heathens, and yet cell phones and Web sites are allowed to conduct their dirty business of selling puppies born to breeding dogs who are doomed to life in prison in rabbit hutches and windowless sheds. The dogs live out their miserable lives looking longingly at acres of green fields that lie beyond the bars of their cages, so close yet tauntingly beyond their reach, fields they will never be allowed to run or even walk upon. The only time their paws will touch ground is when they’re dragged out to be shot once they’re no longer of use, just as Amish farmer Elmer Zimmerman did when he brutally shot 80 dogs rather than get them the veterinary care they needed. John Blank is another cruel Amish farmer, whose mill was raided by authorities and dozens of dogs removed due to grotesquely inhumane conditions, including dogs with eyes hanging out of their sockets. As Bill Smith tells me, dogs aren’t the only victims of Amish and Mennonite cruelty. The horses that pull these so-called simple folk from here to there are also mistreated, sometimes underfed, beaten or worked until they drop. Whenever I hear about animals being abused by religious people, those who point to the term “dominion” as a rationale, I recall the most important of God’s directives, the 10 commandments, namely the Fourth, which commands us to observe the Sabbath and to ensure that all creatures in our care be given a day of rest for these holiest 24 hours of the week. Yes, the Fourth commandment states that animals must be allowed a day of rest. And yet millions who call themselves religious have ignored this most sacred of God’s mandates. Not only are animals in all animal-based industries (puppy mills, factory farms, fur farms, circuses, research labs) forced to labor seven days a week,

24 hours a day, they are tortured in conditions so cruel and inhumane as to mock God’s further mandates to treat animals with compassion. Puppy mill dogs (like veal calves, pigs, cattle and chickens) aren’t given a day—or even an hour—of rest. They are literally worked to death. It’s time for the Amish and Mennonites who abuse animals to be exposed for their true nature. It’s time for unsuspecting tourists who visit their farms to know what lies behind the charming displays of quilts and crafts, where dogs are tortured in a nightmarish existence fit for a horror movie. It’s time to stop pretending that commercial dog breeding is anything other than legalized torture.

For more information on how you can help contact: Main Line Animal Rescue PO Box 89 Chester Springs, PA 19425 (610) 933-0606 www.mainlinerescue.com

About the Author Jana Kohl is a psychologist, animal welfare advocate, and author of A RARE BREED OF LOVE: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere (Simon and Schuster). Baby is the inspiration for pending Federal legislation to ban 24/7 confinement of dogs at puppy mills. Having worked for the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, Kohl has long been concerned with how cruelty becomes legally sanctioned by society.

www.ararebreedoflove.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 141

GREY 2K USA

The Fight to

END

Dog Racing Nationwide By Christine A. Dorchak, Esq. President, GREY2K USA www.grey2kusa.org GREY2K USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to passing stronger greyhound protection laws and ending the cruelty of dog racing. Founded in 2001 by attorney Christine Dorchak, political activist Carey Theil and veterinarian Dr. Jill Hopfenbeck, GREY2K USA has become this country’s leading greyhound advocacy organization. We work from coast to coast, fighting for greyhounds in state legislatures, at the ballot box, and in the courts. The inspiration behind GREY2K USA dates back to 1992, when my dog Kelsey and I were struck by a speeding train, and thrown under the wheels. Kelsey managed to pull us slightly off course, preventing a head on collision—and saving both of our lives. Even so, we both suffered serious injuries, and I was pronounced dead on the scene. Miraculously, I was somehow revived on the way to the hospital. And when I awoke from a coma several weeks later, my only words were, “How’s Kelsey?” My dear Kelsey had suffered a broken hip the day of our accident, but she went to live until the age of fifteen. It is Kelsey’s inspiration that continues to motivate my work for dogs each day. In recent years, GREY2K USA has been instrumental in fighting for stronger laws to protect racing greyhounds. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, we successfully passed open records laws requiring that dog tracks begin reporting the numbers and types of injuries suffered by racing greyhounds, and also inform the public about the fate of dogs after racing. These records are now available on our Web site, and we continue to push for universal reporting requirements nationwide. GREY2K USA has worked with lawmakers to close down dog tracks in several states, and as of the writing of this article, is working to pass Question 3, the Massachusetts Greyhound Protection Act, a ballot question to phase out dog racing at Wonderland and Raynham Greyhound Parks by 2010. Massachusetts remains one of only 11 states that still allows commercial dog racing—a cruel “sport” that forces greyhounds to spend most of their lives in small cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around. Many greyhounds are seriously injured while racing, and thousands are killed each year when they can no longer compete.

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(ABOVE) Grey2k USA mascot, Gracie. Photo by Denise McFadden. (LEFT) Zoe Campaigns. Photo courtesy of GREY2K USA. (BELOW) Christine and Zoe. Photo courtesy of GREY2K USA.

My newly adopted greyhound, Zoe, is one of the lucky ones. As Kelsey before her, she gives life to this struggle and reminds me that every dog deserves to be loved. A total of thirteen tracks has closed or ended live dog racing since GREY2K USA’s formation. To learn the facts about dog racing, and to join our fight to end the cruelty of dog racing nationwide, please go to www.grey2kusa.org.

For more information: GREY2K USA P.O. Box 442117 Somerville, MA 02144  Toll Free: 866-247-3925   Fax: 617-666-3568   Email: Info@GREY2KUSA.org

IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS

THE OFTEN UPHILL CHALLENGE My Challenge As a Veterinarian is …

Photos Courtesy of In Defense of Animals

By Dr. Elliot Katz President of in Defense of Animals www.idausa.org

o convey the plight, pain and suffering that millions of innocent animals: dogs, cats, monkeys, chimpanzees, rabbits and mice are forced to endure in our nation’s laboratories without upsetting you; to assure you that I am not exaggerating nor misrepresenting the facts; to convince you that millions of our tax dollars are being squandered on ludicrous animal experiments. This has been no easy task, for the public relations arm of the research community is continually at work convincing the American public that there is no need to question, and that it is even wrong and dangerous to question whether animal experimentation is responsibly monitored, humanely conducted and truly necessary in this day and age. That caring people concerned with the interests of the animals, who question the status quo, are either naïve, misguided, troublemakers or extremists. To this end, in 1989, the American Medical Association (AMA) issued a “Research Action Plan” to its doctor members. The following is excerpted from their plan: “The animal activist movement must be shown to be not only anti-science but also responsible for violent and illegal acts that endanger life and property, as well as a threat to the public’s freedom of choice … Education of the public, especially young people is the key to success.” As a result, if I, a graduate of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, was writing this column about the proper care of dogs and cats, most people would likely not question my credibility and integrity. That unfortunately is not the case when I write about the use of animals in research, thanks to the research community and the AMA’s carefully crafted fear mongering Research Action Plan. In future columns I will endeavor to supply you with facts and information, some garnered from my own experiences, some supplied by whistleblowers from within the research community that will help you understand why the current status quo must be challenged. As for my staff and my efforts to change the status quo, we are making an impact. By documenting irresponsibility and animal cruelty, my organization, In Defense of Animals, has: forced the closure of the Coulston Foundation, once the largest chimpanzee research center in the world, saving the lives of hundreds of chimpanzee and monkeys; ended brain cancer experiments on beagle puppies, as well as vomiting experiments on cats and crack cocaine, mother deprivation, alcohol and psychotropic drug experiments on monkeys. We also stopped the US Army from surgically breaking the legs of 120 retired

racing greyhounds; freed 180 adoptable beagles scheduled to be dissected by University of California veterinary students; in addition to testifying before Congress and setting the stage for the introduction of H.R. 5852, a bipartisan bill that would ban federally funded chimpanzee experimentation. Please feel free to call me at (415) 448 0048 ext. 225 should you have any questions or concerns, or visit our Web site at wwwidausa.org, where you can sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter. Until next time, thank you for your concerns and for your respect for the needs and well-being of other species.

“I am haunted by dull, blank eyes staring out on to a world that offers them no hope. The least I can do is speak out for them. They cannot speak out for themselves.” Dr. Jane Goodall The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 143

DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE Atka is an Ambassador wolf from the Wolf Conservation Center. He’s an Arctic gray wolf. Photo Courtesy of the Defenders Of Wildlife.

ALASKA’S MAJESTIC WILD WOLF Hunted Down and Killed for $150 a Foreleg By Rodger Schlickeisen President and CEO Defenders of Wildlife www.defenders.org

Are You Serious? Aerial Hunting and $150 bounty’s for a wolf ’s left foreleg! Alaska is home to some of the most breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife on the continent. In a land where resources seem almost limitless, most would think that wildlife is safe and secure. But what many don’t know is that Alaska is not quite the safe haven it appears to be for the wildlife that call the Last Frontier home—especially for wolves. While the population of wolves in Alaska is the highest in the United States, there is a concerted effort to greatly reduce or eliminate these special animals in extensive areas of the state. Not long ago management in the lower 48 attempted to do the same thing, and as a result wolves were nearly hunted to extinction. Fortunately, we learned from our mistakes and have made significant progress in recovering wolves in the Great Lakes and in the Rocky Mountains—with small, but hopeful populations in the southwest and southeast. Alaska’s wolf population has never needed protection under the Endangered Species Act, but Congress recognized a need to protect them from aerial hunting, a practice that led to the killing of thousands of wolves. In 1971, Congress passed the Airborne Hunting Act, banning the aerial hunting of wolves and other wildlife not only in Alaska but also throughout the U.S. But for years now, Alaska officials circumvented the law by allowing a type of aerial hunting, in which hunters track wolves to exhaustion and then land and shoot them. Alaska citizens have repeatedly tried to ban aerial hunting from their state, voting two out of three times to end the cruel and inhumane practice. But Alaska lawmakers, ignoring the will of the people, manage to bring aerial hunting back each time. Since 2003, Alaska has actively promoted aerial hunting to artificially inflate game populations for hunters. Under the guise of wildlife management, Alaska permits hunters to take to the air to kill wolves.

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They call this wildlife management. We call it a brutal death. Even many Alaskan sportsmen have rejected this practice as a violation of the fair chase ethics of which honorable hunters abide. In fact, during the last season, Governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, attempted to promote the program further by placing a $150 bounty on wolves killed by aerial hunters. To claim the bounty, the hunter had to turn in the wolf ’s left foreleg. Fortunately, defenders convinced the state court to stop her efforts. Many voters in the lower 48 have just learned about Governor Palin’s efforts to promote this barbaric practice during the presidential elections and have been outraged that this is occurring in our country. We still have a chance to stop the aerial hunting of wolves for good. Thanks to Representative George Miller of California, Congress has the chance to vote for the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act. This bill would stop the practice once and for all by restricting the use of aircraft for legitimate wildlife management purposes, barring aerial hunting to artificially boost game herds, and ending inhumane “land and shoot” hunting. Already, more than 125 members of Congress have sponsored this important legislation. You can help. Call your member of Congress and ask him or her to support the PAW Act. Let’s put an end to this barbaric practice once and for all. To learn more about Defenders of Wildlife and the aerial hunting of wolves, visit www.defenders.org.

For more information, to get involved or donate: Defenders of Wildlife 1130 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 682-9400

PETA

Million Reasons to

SPAY and NEUTER YOUR PET!

By Ingrid E. Newkirk President and Founder of PETA www.peta.org Reason for surrender: “She keeps getting pregnant.” Spunky was only 2 years old when she was abandoned at Chicago’s Anti-Cruelty Society animal shelter, where PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch worked at the time. Her fur was severely matted and falling out, making it impossible to tell what color she was, and she was pregnant. Daphna bathed her, gently cut out her mats and rubbed ointment on her sores. But just a week or so later, Spunky got sick with an upper respiratory infection, and within 12 days of arriving at the shelter, she had to be euthanized, so she would not spread the virus to other animals. Spunky was just one of the 6 to 8 million unwanted animals who wind up in overloaded animal shelters in the U.S. every year. That doesn’t include the millions more who are given away to be chained up like a bicycle or shoved into a laundry room or basement all day like a pair of old shoes. Cats and dogs are dying in shelters and on the street for two reasons: because people, intentionally and unintentionally, neglect to spay and neuter their animals and because people keep buying animals from breeders and pet shops instead of adopting animals from shelters. Sixteen percent of the approximately 90 million owned cats in the U.S. and 30 percent of the approximately 73 million owned dogs remain unsterilized. That’s 14 million cats and 21 million dogs who have not been spayed or neutered, and that doesn’t even count the millions of strays. PETA is tackling the problem at the roots with low-cost mobile clinics, SNIP and ABC (Animal Birth Control), which have sterilized more than 45,000 dogs and cats so far. Our fully-booked clinic schedules show that the key to getting animals “snipped” is to make it easy. Lowincome residents need help not only paying for spay/neuter services but also with transporting animals. PETA provides that helping hand, as well as low-cost physical exams, vaccinations, flea- and heartwormprevention treatments and other veterinary services. The success of this program and others like it has inspired PETA to launch a new ABC campaign to tackle the crisis on a larger scale. As part of PETA’s ABC outreach efforts, we are recruiting volunteers to identify and create low-cost spay/neuter services in their areas, locating and reaching people in need, safely handling animals and more.

Photo courtesy of PETA

If You’re Not Part of the Solution … PETA wants to make people aware that anyone who buys a dog from a pet store or breeder, anyone who allows a dog to have “just one litter,” and anyone who sends an unaltered animal out into the world, whether that person is a breeder or an irresponsible guardian, is part of the problem. Every animal born and every animal purchased from a breeder or pet shop takes a home from a needy dog or cat waiting at a shelter. It is estimated that only 16 to 17 percent of the approximately 143 million dogs and cats in U.S. homes were adopted from shelters. Most of the rest were bought from breeders or pet stores. If the number of animals adopted from shelters increased to just 25 or 30 percent and if all those animals were spayed and neutered, the overpopulation problem would virtually disappear.

About the Author Ingrid E. Newkirk is president and founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and author of One Can Make a Difference (October 2008), Let’s Have a Dog Party!, 50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals, Making Kind Choices, PETA’s Celebrity Cookbook, 250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You and Free the Animals. Newkirk’s work for animals has made the front pages of The Washington Post and other newspapers internationally. She has been profiled in The New Yorker, People magazine, Forbes and other publications and is the subject of the 2007 HBO documentary I Am an Animal.

Visit PETA’s Web site: www.PETA.org. The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 145

ASPCA

DOG FIGHTING

is ANIMAL CRUELTY and a

FELONY in all By Ed Sayres President and CEO of the ASPCA www.ASPCA.org

og fighting, which pits one dog against another in an often fight-to-the-death match, sounds like some brutal spectator “sport” from another century. Sadly, dog fighting is still alive in America and operates at several levels, from amateur to professional. Some experts estimate that tens of thousands of people are involved in dog fighting around the country, despite the fact that it’s a felony in all 50 states. Animal cruelty occurs throughout our society, and it’s a crime that transcends all ethnic, income, religious and political groups. The ASPCA wants crimes against animals to be prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law and the perpetrators to be brought to justice. We are more committed than ever toward providing the resources, training and technologies to stop these crimes, arrest the criminals, and make them accountable for their actions. A spotlight was cast on dog fighting recently with the case of NFL quarterback Michael Vick and three co-defendants, all of whom pled guilty in federal court to operating a competitive dog-fighting ring. As a result of this and other cases, the ASPCA has intensified its efforts to prevent crimes against animals. The ASPCA played a crucial role in the Vick case by leveraging forensic capabilities to assist the U.S.

States

Attorney’s office and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) in their investigation. These collaborative efforts resulted in prison terms for the defendants that were among the harshest allowed under federal sentencing guidelines. The ASPCA’s animal behavior experts also evaluated the dogs seized from the property and made recommendations on their disposition. As an organization that supports law enforcement efforts against animal cruelty in several ways—from having our own Humane Law Enforcement department in New York to contributing to the education and training of officers around the country in prosecuting animal cruelty—the ASPCA is sending a clear message to those engaged in animal cruelty that these acts are barbaric and unacceptable in a humane community. For more than 142 years, the ASPCA has been committed to fighting animal cruelty, and today, our staff of anti-cruelty and forensic experts, veterinarians and behaviorists, is working with professionals around the country in the legislative, judicial, law enforcement, veterinary and social service fields to educate them on strengthening laws against, and prosecuting, animal cruelty.

For more information about the ASPCA or to contact: ASPCA 424 E. 92nd Ave. New York, NY 10128 (212) 876-7700 www.apsca.org

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DOGS DESERVE BETTER Photos Courtesy of Dogs Deserve Better

Old Man Joey vs. Joey before

By Tamira Ci Thayne Founder of Dogs Deserve Better www.dogsdeservebetter.org Did you ever see the movie Joe vs. the Volcano? It's a 1990 comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, in which Joe, played by Hanks, is living a miserable life, a 'downtrodden everyman' who works at a mindless factory job. He finds no joy in his existence, and is diagnosed with a 'fatal brain cloud.' Joe reminds me of the chained dogs I see—listless, downtrodden, sure to die at the end of a chain unless providence (or a helping hand) steps in to change destiny. Joe, after finding out he's dying, agrees to throw himself into a volcano to 'appease the gods,' but first discovers how to truly LIVE on his way to facing his nemesis. In the end he is spit out of the volcano for a happily-ever-after with love-interest Ryan. A recent foster of mine, another average 'Joe' we called Old Man Joey, spent 12 years facing down a different natural nemesis—Old Man Winter—before he was released from his bondage to a good year or two making his own happily-ever-after. Joey struggled every winter for basic survival; his thin, wiry hair doing little to protect him from the harsh Maryland winters, his doghouse a prison cell, his bondage a silver chain keeping him from warmth, freedom and love. Despite his harsh treatment, he continually looked toward the house for a sign that his 'family' would not leave him to die, alone, in the cold. I dread winter, as I’m haunted by images of dogs pacing, in wind and snow; huddling, in decaying doghouses; and enduring, hour after hour of subzero temperatures. How many will die from exposure, how many will be silently 'gotten rid of' by cruel caretakers after losing their battle with the elements, how many deaths will go unavenged, unnoticed. I take heart because a new law limiting chaining was just passed in

Old Man Winter

Frederick County Maryland, in the same area from which Joey was released. The law was fought for by Justice for Dogs, an organization formed after another chained dog, Russ, froze to death in the winter of 2005. May this law save another poor soul from Russ's fate; may his spirit rest, knowing he was not forgotten by those who fought for something better.

Joey after

Old Man Joey now runs in the yard, memories of the hard years waning, seemingly forgiven. He has spunk, and hopefully another good year to love. He was adopted by one of those 'angels' who take in old dogs because no one else will. What better gift for a dog with nothing?

Speaking of Love ... This year join us to send a Valentine to a chained dog near you. Visit dogsdeservebetter.org to read more about Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week, February 7-14. Help us knock the teeth out of Old Man Winter, and bring the other six million backyard dogs into our homes and families—where they will be warm, dry and adored—as they deserve to be.

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 147

ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has been fighting to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system.

By Stephen Wells Executive Director Animal Legal Defense Fund Photo Courtesy of the Animal Legal Defense Fund

SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING QUESTIONS about our human relationship with animals have been posed not by philosophers, but by scientists. Charles Darwin got things started when he challenged our certainty that we are fundamentally different from all other animals—indeed proffering that we share common ancestors. Since then, many of the defining characteristics that we, as humans, have claimed separate us from other animals have been scientifically disproved. One by one, the bricks in the wall between “us” and “them” have been torn loose by scientific discovery. This renaissance in understanding has brought about many positive changes in the way animals are treated, but it also raises troubling questions about the foundation of our relationship to animals and the basis for the laws we have created to protect them. Going back to the early 1960s, Jane Goodall showed that we are not the only animals to use tools—once considered a uniquely human capacity—when she observed chimpanzees using blades of grass and twigs to extract termites from their nests to eat. “But,” said establishment thinkers, “we are the only ones who make tools.” Wrong again. Chimpanzees, orangutans, crows, ravens, magpies (and the list continues) are now among our family of toolmakers and users. Compassion has also been considered a defining human trait, yet, science has taught us that humans are more likely to inflict visible suffering on other humans than rhesus monkeys are on other rhesus monkeys—even when the consequence of not harming others meant near starvation for the monkeys. Aside from these startling, but very specific findings, there are the thousands of anecdotal stories of animals rescuing humans from peril at the risk of their own lives or perceiving things well beyond our

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human capacity. It can no longer be accurately said that nonhuman animals are without thought, feeling or sentiment. What does this say about how we relate to our nonhuman neighbors? Unfortunately, centuries of laws and legal precedents that were founded on outdated assumptions are still relied upon by modern courts. There still exists a large gap between our understanding of animals, based on research and observation, and how our laws interact with and protect them. Indeed, under the law, animals are considered “things” or “property,” inanimate objects valued only for their utility to humans exactly like the chair I’m sitting on. It is clear that this is not representative of how most of us feel about animals today. For 30 years, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has led the way toward changing this outdated and fundamental legal flaw. In addition to filing groundbreaking lawsuits and helping prosecutors win cases against animal abusers, ALDF has established an unprecedented network of law professionals and law students devoted to advancing the exciting new field of animal law. With more than 125 chapters in law schools nationwide and in Canada, ALDF is working to assure that the next generation of lawyers, judges and politicians understand what needs to be done within the legal system to protect animals.

Please help us by signing onto ALDF’s Animal Bill of Rights and finding out more about how you can help our lifesaving work: www.animalbillofrights.com and www.aldf.org.

BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY

Best Friends Animal Society Launches:

“A PUPPY-STORE-FREE LA”

By Francis Battista Co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society

est Friends Animal Society recently launched a new and effective campaign that targets the puppy mill supply chain at the retail, puppy store end of the business.

“A Puppy-Store-Free L.A.” is the first leg of a national campaign that aims to end the sale of puppy mill pups in malls and on Main Street across America. Peaceful demonstrations, affectionately called Pup Rallies, assemble teams of sign and information toting protestors outside targeted pet stores. Passersby and customers are engaged to inform them of why this particular store is being targeted. We provide the name and location of the puppy mills where they get their dogs, plus any known history of consumer fraud involving the sale of sick or exposed animals to unsuspecting families. Those interested in acquiring a new pet are given lists of local shelters and rescues where dogs similar to the ones for sale in the store are available for adoption. “The effectiveness of the campaign,” says Elizabeth Oreck, manager of Best Friends Los Angeles Programs, “lies in the simple economics of any retail business. Retail, even a pet store, operates on a slim profit margin, especially in this economy. That’s not to say that a high volume outlet like Pet Love in the Beverly Center doesn’t make a lot of money marking up $300-$400 puppies to north of $2,000 each, but if we can educate or discourage 10 percent to 20 percent of their potential customers, then that hits where it hurts—in the cash register. And, if we can redirect a third or a half of those potential customers to a rescue or a shelter then we are winning on both sides of the equation ... fewer puppy mill dogs sold and more shelter dogs adopted. That’s my idea of ‘win-win’.” To date, three puppy stores have ceased operation and we have been informed that a fourth is on the brink.

The goal here, however, is not to drive pet stores out of business, but rather to persuade them to convert—from an unethical business model that traffics in the lives of millions of dogs, including those trapped for life in miserable puppy mills as breeding machines—to an ethical, humane business that supports the community by including shelter and rescue dogs for adoption into their business model. No puppy store proprietor has yet stepped up to that challenge, but we are prepared to support and promote any that make a serious commitment to humane operations. As word gets around, more and more people are interested in taking on the puppy store or stores that are funneling puppy mill animals into their communities at the expense of local shelter dogs and on the backs of dogs locked away in filthy mils around the country. It’s easy, but there is a lot of commitment involved and more than a little resentment and even occasional insults and intimidation from storeowners who see the writing on the wall. Once we arrive at their doorstep it’s just a matter time ... stop selling puppies from exploitive breeders voluntarily, convert to a humane, ethical model or stop selling anything.

For more information or how to get involved contact: Best Friends Animal Society 5001 Angel Canyon Road Kanab, UT 84741 (435) 644-2001 www.network.bestfriends.org www.bestfriends.org

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 149

EVERYDAY DOGGIE HEROES Photos Courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society (Los Angeles Programs)

Saves Lives in the Entertainment Capital of the World A second chance at Best Friends Bi-Weekly Adoptions

By Lisa Dulyea Marketing Manager for Best Friends Los Angeles Programs www.bestfriends.org

Twenty-five years ago a group of individuals decided that way too many adoptable animals were being euthanized, and something had to be done. With very little money, 200 dogs and a dream, these wonderful souls founded Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. Thanks to hard work and generous donors, the 33,000 acre sanctuary is now home to 2000 of the nation’s abused, abandoned and neglected dogs, cats, horses, pigs, birds and wildlife. Best Friends began working in Los Angeles in 1991. From those first small steps, which included assistance to animal victims of fires, riots and the Reseda earthquake and working with shelter and rescue organizations for alternatives to euthanasia, Best Friends Los Angeles has grown to become one of the most influential and effective animal organizations in the area.

Pet Adoption Festivals Best Friends Pet Adoption Festivals are unique in both scope and scale. The Pet Adoption Festivals include more than 60 local rescue groups, L.A. City and County Shelters, vendors, dog agility demonstrations, kids’ activities, pet psychics, a food court and pet health care experts to provide information and assistance to people who have adopted new pets. Celebrity friends often stop by to lend their support and take photos with the attending local media. The event has made its mark as

the largest pet adoption festival in the nation, with an average of 8,000 attendees and 400 adoptions in just one day.

Catnippers/Fix Nation In 1999 the husband and wife team of Mark Dodge and Karn Myers discovered that there were hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of homeless cats living on the streets, alleys and backyards Care and recovery after sterilization at Catnippers/Fix Nation of Los Angeles County. Soon thereafter, they founded Best Friends Catnippers, an all-volunteer outreach program, to operate monthly, high-volume spay-neuter clinics to service caregivers of stray, free-roaming cats and help implement the humane, community-based method of homeless cat population control known as Trap-Neuter-Return or TNR. The Catnippers clinics account for more than 2,300 cat sterilizations each year, and with its new affiliate, Fix Nation, more than 6,000 more surgeries have been performed since July of 2007. The permanent facilities are now operating, and are expected to sterilize more than 10,000 cats each year.

Bi-Weekly Private Party Adoptions

Adoption Festival: People and animals making new best friends

150 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Twice a month the Best Friends staff sets up a mini-adoption event where private party rescuers can bring animals. They are provided with proper applications, foster agreements, and home-check

instructions to ensure that responsible matches are made. The Best Friends team also posts the animals on national adoption Web sites. Through these efforts, many people now have alternatives to surrendering these animals to shelters. Last year, 240 animals were given a second chance, which is an average of 10 adoptions per event.

Pup my Ride One day Robin Harmon, the Volunteer Coordinator for L.A. Programs, was asked to pick up an injured Chihuahua from a local shelter. Having done this before, she knew it would be a difficult trip, but nothing could have prepared her for what she noticed when she got there … dozens of adorable, small dogs sitting in cages, one after the other. Within the next week, 21 of them were loaded into a transport van on their way to a rescue group where all were immediately adopted. Due to backyard breeding and puppy mills in and around Los Angeles, small dogs are a dime a dozen in L.A. shelters. In contrast, other parts of this country lack small dogs, so much so that the rescue groups in those areas are willing to take any that Best Friends L.A. can transport to them. Since August of 2007, more than 300 small dogs “red listed” for immediate euthanasia were transported. Thus far, 100 percent of these dogs have found new, loving homes.

The Brigade Once each month, the Best Friends Brigade dispatches a team of volunteers to help with essential projects. The Brigade has assisted more than 25 shelters and rescue groups with everything from grooming to roof repairs and landscaping.

Well groomed animals have higher adoption rates, as this Brigade volunteer knows.

A Puppy-Store-Free LA Nationwide, 25 percent of dogs in shelters are pure breeds, and almost all puppies sold in stores come from puppy mills. Best Friends is mounting a volunteer-driven campaign to end the sale of puppy mill dogs in Los Angeles by holding peaceful demonstrations at local pet stores to encourage the public to boycott stores that purchase dogs from irresponsible breeders, and to encourage the public to adopt from shelters and rescue groups. Sadly, there’s still a long road ahead. Each year more than 70,000 animals are euthanized in L.A. City and County Shelters for simple lack of a good home. The support Best Friends receives from members and donors brings them one step closer to a no-kill shelter system, and our mission of “No More Homeless Pets.” Each of these amazing programs helps the community groups that have the same goals, and more directly, helps the members of the Los Angeles community who don’t have a voice—the animals. For donations or more information, please call (818) 768-8195 or email Lisa Dulyea lisad@bestfriends.org.

Pup My Ride: Getting ready to go from shelter life to the good life

Lint Roller Party The Lint Roller Party is an annual gala, where animal lovers from all walks of life including members, friends, celebrities and corporate sponsors large and small, come together to lend support to Best Friends Los Angeles programs. The evening features cash grant awards to local, national and international rescue organizations.

Puppy-Store-Free-LA: Don’t Shop! Adopt!

For more information:

Lint Roller Party: Fun and fundraising for the animals

Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles Programs 7680 Clybourn Ave. Los Angeles, CA 91352 (818) 768-8195

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 151

Great Product Finds for

FIDO...WOOF!

Pet Nail Trimmer by PediPaws This affordable pet nail trimmer gently and painlessly files Fido’s nails to leave them trim, rounded and smooth. PediPaws nail trimmer comes with a built-in guide that allows only the perfect amount of nail to be removed and contains all the filings so there’s no mess. www.PediPaws.com

Tear Stain Remover by Eye Envy These effective products remove ugly tear stains on dogs and cats. Eye Envy is a two-step process that removes tear stains effectively, safely and gently and the powder helps keep the area dry and repel new tears. Eye Envy contains a cleanser, an astringent, an antibacterial and an herbal antibiotic. Eye Envy contains NO bleach, peroxide, alcohol or whitening agents. www.eyeenvy.com

Flounder Fish Bed by Pet Threads These cozy beds are fun and practical and perfect for small dogs, cats and ferrets. The beds are made of foam and fleece and come in a variety of fabrics for a customized look. All Flounder Fish Beds are handcrafted. www.petthreads.net

152 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

The Perfect Leash by Just Ducky Products This unique leash is made of durable polyurethane (no rubber or latex) with a patented comfort grip handle. The stretch of these leashes makes walking more comfortable and healthier for both dog and handler. The Perfect Leash is made in the USA and is veterinarian, chiropractor, trainer and groomer endorsed. www.theperfectleash.com

The Toronto Coat by Pet Rageous Designs This coat by Pet Rageous Designs is the hottest fashion trend this winter. With camel leopard trim and warm faux suede your pooch will appreciate both your practical and fashionable senses. Ask for Pet Rageous Designs at your local pet boutique. www.petrageousdesigns.com

The Picture Frame Alternative by PopMount OK, so this isn’t for FIDO but this product is the BEST, most affordable alternative to framing. Whether you are a professional photographer, hobbyist, event planner, retailer or just needing to enhance your walls at home, this product is a must. This hybrid of mounting and framing is contemporary, durable and UV filtered to protect from fingerprints, moisture and fading (light-weight, too). PopMount also offers digital printing. www.popmount.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 153

Favorite Picks from

TOP DOGS BELLA’S PICK: FINE WINES FOR THE CANINE by Bark Vineyards

Pinot Leasheo, White Snff-N-Tail and Johnnie Barker Black are just a few of the varieties offered by Bark Vineyards. These gourmet “whines” are made to pour over a meal to add a delicious bouquet of unique flavors to your pooch’s palate. These products are made in the USA with human grade ingredients, veterinarian approved and perfect for gift giving. Don’t worry though; no humans were used in the testing of these products.

www.barkvineyards.com

JAIDYN’S PICK: AIR KONG SQUEAKERS by Kong AIR KONG has combined two classic dog toys, the common tennis ball and the squeaker toy to create the exceptional AIR KONG SQUEAKER. The durable, high quality SQUEAKER tennis ball is covered in a nonabrasive tennis ball material that will not wear down dog’s teeth.

www.kongcompany.com

REMINGTON’S PICK: ORBEE TUFF COSMO by Planet Dog FINALLY…a ball for the giant dogs! COSMOS are a playful assortment of gigantic orbs floating about the Milky Way: VENUS is pink, MARS is swirly silver, SOL is orange and LUNA, representing the moon, glows in the dark. Designed with big dogs in mind, they are appropriate for 65-100+ lb dogs. As always, these toys from Planet Dog are durable, buoyant, bouncy, minty, recyclable, non-toxic and 100% guaranteed.

www.planetdog.com

154 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

CASEY’S PICK: A DOG’S LIFE TREATS These treats are 100% natural with no fillers, pesticides, preservatives or any yucky stuff! They contain local, organic ingredients (no corn or wheat) and taste delicious! You can also customize the label with a picture of your own dog.

www.adogslife.net

CHESTER'S PICK: SUPER S-S-STRETCH SNAKE by WESTPAW Design The Super Stretch Snake is designed for the big dog! At 60" long Super Stretch can tug and pull with the biggest dog out there. Made with in the USA with faux fur, recycled polyfill and a robust squeaker, this snake will keep your dog occupied for hours!

www.westpawdesign.com

CHEYENNE’S PICK: TERRABONE CHEW TREAT by Complete Natural Nutrition The Terrabone is a great-tasting chew treat for dogs made in the U.S with organic and 100% natural ingredients. Each Terrabone ingredient is carefully picked to create a chew treat that is naturally yummy and durable to freshen breath and clean teeth. This delicious treat comes in two sizes and dogs love it!

www.completenaturalnutrition.com

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 155

Bedtime Books Books to Read this Winter! Why Animals Matter By Erin Williams and Margo DeMello “Authors Erin and Margo make their case for animal protection in their book Why Animals Matter. They are attempting to expose the industries that profit from and the myths that buttress the most extreme forms of animal exploitation today. At the same time, they show another face: the faces of the individual animals who have directly experienced this exploitation.”

Animals Make Us Human By Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson “In Temple Grandin’s groundbreaking and best-selling book, Animals in Translation, she drew on her own experience with autism as well as her distinguished career as an animal scientist to deliver extraordinary insights into how animals think, act and feel. In this forthcoming book, Animals Make Us Human, she shows us a revolutionary way to create the best and happiest life for our animals on their terms-not ours. Temple’s journey into the animal mind is essential reading for anyone who’s ever owned, cared for or simply cared about an animal.”

Get Political for Animals By Julie Lewin "Everyone involved in animal rights and rescue have reached a remarkable historical milestone in which everyone in the U.S has an opinion about the treatment of animals and animals’ rights. But from coast to coast, state laws and local ordinances affecting animals remain appallingly weak. Now we must transform this milestone into a turning point. We must become political for animals, so we can win the really strong laws and ordinances that would release animals from pain. Such laws and ordinances have powerful opposition. Yet they are winnable—if we organize our support into voting blocs—that is, political organizations for animals—in our towns, cities, counties, and states."

156 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Mutts: Shelter Stories By Patrick McDonnell “Each year more than six million animals find themselves in shelters across the U.S. Abused, neglected, abandoned, these innocent animals each have a story they cannot tell. Patrick McDonnell, author of the celebrated MUTTS comic strip and tireless animal advocate, helps give them a voice in Shelter Stories: LOVE. GUARANTEED.”

Greyhounds By Barbara Karant "Few dogs are as emotionally engaging or physically elegant as the Greyhound. Yet every year thousands of these animals are euthanized or abandoned once their racing days are over. Author and photographer Barbara Karant fell in love with the breed after she adopted her own Greyhound, and soon dedicated her life to finding loving homes for more of these dogs. President of the adoption organization Greyhounds Only, Karant continues to champion the cause of these gorgeous dogs in her new book, GREYHOUNDS."

Farm Sanctuary By Gene Baur “In Farm Sanctuary, Baur provides a thought-provoking investigation of the ethical questions involved in the production of beef, poultry, pork, milk and eggs--and what each of us can do to stop the mistreatment of farm animals and promote compassion. He details the triumphs and the disappointments of more than twenty years on the front lines of the animal protection movement. And he introduces us to some of the special creatures who live at Farm Sanctuary. Baur is the president and cofounder of the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, Farm Sanctuary, which advocates the fair treatment of farm animals.”

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 157

NON-PROFIT

ANIMAL ACRES Where do celebrities gather with pigs, chickens and cows? Animal Acres, the Los Angeles Farm Animal Sanctuary, of course! The American Dog reports

nimal Acres is a 26-acre sanctuary and compassionate learning center located just 45 minutes from Hollywood. The sanctuary provides refuge for rescued farm animals, as well as a unique opportunity for "city slickers" to interact with cows, pigs, chickens and other "country critters." Animals once destined for the slaughterhouse are provided food, straw-filled barns and tender loving care for the remainder of their natural lives, and people who visit the sanctuary learn about the mistreatment of animals raised for food, and what they can do to help.

James Cromwell and Violet. Photo by Denise Herrick Borchert

It is truly paradise for farm animals and for many people, it is the first time they have ever looked into the eyes of a pig or chicken, and it can profoundly affect the way people view and treat farm animals. In the words of Animal Acres member Bill Maher, "this special place is giving city slickers an opportunity to get to know farm animals—and it's hard to eat a pig after you've given one a belly rub." Animal Acres was founded in 2005 by Lorri Bauston, who is considered a Pioneer of the farm animal sanctuary movement. In 1986, Lorri cofounded Farm Sanctuary thus opening the country's first sanctuary for farmed animals. For 18 years she directed the group's rescue and fundraising efforts and through her farm animal sanctuary efforts, Lorri has directly saved thousands of animals from the cruelties of factory farms, stockyards and slaughterhouses, and brought national attention to the plight of animals used for food production. Lorri's work has been featured in hundreds of newspaper, television and radio news stories, including guest appearances on CBS This Morning, Animal Planet and PrimeTime Live. With her latest project, Animal Acres, Lorri continues to fulfill a lifelong mission of teaching people that farm animals are animals, too. Like all animals, cows, pigs and chickens feel joy, fear, pain and comfort, and they need to be treated with kindness and respect. A vegetarian since the age of 16 (and now a vegan), Lorri believes people will extend compassion to ALL animals; if they have an opportunity to be kissed by a cow. Animal Acres needs your support to continue its rescue, education and advocacy efforts for animals; more than 90 percent of its annual budget is provided by members who contribute time, talent and financial support to make the sanctuary's work possible. You can also visit the sanctuary for public tours every Sunday, or by attending Animal Acres special events throughout the year, including its annual star-studded Gala benefit.

158 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine

Three above Animal Acres photos by Carole Raphaelle Davis

For more information on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities or to become a supporting member, please contact: Animal Acres 5200 Escondido Canyon Road Acton, CA 93510 (661) 269-5404 Email: info@animalacres.org www.animalacres.org

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PLEASE DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T SUPPORT THE CYCLE OF ANIMAL ABUSE IN PUPPY MILLS. REFUSE TO BUY A PUPPY FROM A PET STORE OR THE INTERNET ADOPT FROM YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER OR RESCUE GROUP INSTEAD This message created by Jamie Downey, designed by Jane Brunton and provided as a public service announcement by The American Dog Magazine on behalf of the 5-7 million dogs and cats euthanized every year in animal shelters. Please consider adopting a dog from your local animal shelter.

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This message created by Jamie Downey, designed by Jane Brunton and provided as a public service announcement by The American Dog Magazine on behalf of the 30 million+ animals killed on fur farms every year. PLEASE DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T WEAR FUR.

NON-PROFIT

Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital

Photos by Pat Duncan

By Sharon Kay Brown Director of Development Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation

ince 1990, Colorado’s largest not-for-profit hospital, Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital, has provided donor-subsidized veterinary services for pets by serving low-income, senior and disabled pet owners through reduced-priced veterinary care. The hospital also provides spay/neuter services to Colorado’s citizens and more than 30 shelter and rescue groups. As a program of the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation (CVMF), Harrison Memorial seeks to make Colorado a better place for animals and people and enhance the human-animal relationship by improving the health and well-being of animals in need. Harrison Memorial’s services are often the only resource for lowincome, senior and disabled pet owners for saving their pet’s life. Although services are already deeply discounted, many clients are still unable to afford the bills, so Harrison Memorial relies on donorsubsidized dollars to help make sure no animal is turned away. This year alone, Harrison Memorial medical staff provided veterinary care to more than 12,000 sick and injured animals whose owners have no other way of caring for their pets. The medical staff also performed more than 4,500 spay/neuter surgeries in an effort to help control pet overpopulation and provided discounted spay/neuter surgeries to homeless animals in the care of shelter and rescue partners. We are quite proud of the tradition of excellence at Colorado Veterinary

Medical Foundation and are awestruck by the exceptional support Harrison Memorial has had from the community and the industry. It is their support that has made Harrison Memorial so exceptional. Harrison Memorial’s impact stretches beyond the hospital, providing peace of mind that animals in need can receive the veterinary care they deserve. If you would like to help offset the cost of veterinary care for pet owners who have little or no financial resource through our donor-subsidized program, please contact us at (303) 318-0447 ext. 226. With your support, Harrison Memorial is truly helping animals and saving lives. Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital 191 Yuma Street Denver, CO 80223 (303) 722.5800 www.harrisonmemorial.org

The American Dog Magazine | Winter 2009 161

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SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TODAY! www.theamericandogmag.com The Dog Publishing, LLC • PO BOX 440695 • Aurora, CO 80014-0695 • (303) 997-1590 162 Winter 2009 | The American Dog Magazine