Precious Pets www.preciouspets.ca VOLUME 3
u
ISSUE 10 u JUNE 2016
Bram Eisenthal Photo
The
Pit bull
Issue
2 BARKING BRAM - WE REFUSE TO CONDEMN ANY DOG
PICTURED LEFT – RIGHT: CLIVE, OLIVE, JOHN TRUSS, OCEAN (FRONT) JJ, DEBRA AND GRACIE (ONE PIT BULL IS NOT IN THE PHOTO). See story page 4
3 SPCA EXPOUNDS ON PIT BULLS
WORDS FROM THE EDITOR
Pit Bulls not necessarily the demons they are portrayed to be
Barking Bram with Bram Eisenthal
Okay, so I know a young guy who named his baby Boa Constrictor snake ”Demon” and they used to call Habs sniper Guy Lafleur ”demon blond” during his heyday. See the difference? A boa has such an ill-deserved reputation, in many cases, but it is still s snake that can act unexpectedly at times. Lafleur? Hardly a demon, just a talented hockey player. But to the opposition, a demon of sorts, I suppose. Names are not just for show sometimes. If you buy a Pit Bull puppy and name him Killer, what sort of message are you sending? I once knew a neighbouring family on Prince of Wales in NDG, where I grew up, that named their very sleek and dangerous-looking Doberman dog Satan. He never bit me and sure licked me a lot, but did he deserve to be linked to the Devil? Hardly. This issue of Precious Pets looks at the bad, bad, baaaaad reputation that the Pit Bull breed has attracted and we have asked some experts whether this is warranted and whether society is to blame, or whether the breed is. If Pit Bulls are indeed dangerous animals that are likely to attack and kill your child or the lady next door, then we should not be allowed to have them in our homes as pet companions. If, on the other hand, they are only as violent as we teach them to be, then maybe, just maybe, those owners with mal intentions are the ones who should not live among us, huh? The truth might hurt, truly, but there
Photo - Bram Eisenthal
is the truth and there are also many untruths. We will try to get to the reality of it all. Don’t forget the kitties, too! Don’t forget the annual Cote St. Luc cat concert, to be held at the Syd Wise Auditorium (5785 Parkhaven) of the Marymount Adult Education Centre (formerly Wagar High School), with unbelievable classical talent and low prices, funds to benefit the CSL Cat’s Committee. This year (and, as always, buy early because this is always sold out), it’s on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. The theme is A Bouquet of Classics: The Music We All Love and tickets are only $12 each. More information: Call 514-485-6806, ext. 2200 or log on to www.cotesaintluc.org/ cats You will purr with happiness, believe me! Eisenthal’s Erudite English debuts So, due to the apparent attempt to annihilate the (spoken) English language, I have decided to make myself available to anyone who has an upcoming oral, a verbal exam, an interview and such. I helped some major-league actors prepare for their interviews when I was a film unit publicist and I am sick and tired of hearing English brutalized by the ENGLISH media here in Montreal every time I turn on the radio and listen to the deejays and talk show hosts - on virtually every station - insinuate their horrendous English into their comments. Even the so-called
Precious Pets The ultimate monthly paper for pets and their companions
Precious Pets is a publication of Precious Pets Media Group Inc. Volume 3, Issue 10, June 2016. Copyright 2016. Precious Pets does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not presumed to be the opinions and statements of Precious Pets Media Group Inc.
VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016
“Trivia Show” on CJAD Sunday mornings is produced with such bad taste linguistically that it amazes me that they continue to allow these jokers to entertain on air. You want my help? E-mail me at superscribe@sympatico.ca or call me at 514-975-7745 and leave a message. Thanks to Mrs. Iris Clendenning, my excellent Grade 10 and 11 English teacher at Wagar High for making me care, perhaps a little too much.
as a med-school dropout, she sets Steven the Seagull’s wing. Loads of fun and a helluva lot scarier than the seriously lousy The Conjurer 2, a snorer if ever there was one.... in my opinion. The Legend of Tarzan also features amazing animal scenes, many of which just HAD to be either animatronic or CGI effect-filled. The young lead, whom you adored in True Blood, is very believable as Tarzan.
The Shallows best shark movie since Jaws The SyFy Channel and its member stations may run a lot of crappy, fun, shark movies with catchy titles like Sharknado, but for one of the better, scarier films based on wildlife to come out in a long time, I highly recommend The Shallows, a horror film about a surfer stuck off the coast of a Mexican beach with a huge, killer Great White shark hot in pursuit. Blake Lively is not only easy on the eyes in her skimpy -bikini, but she acts up a storm as the sole thespian with any screen time to speak of, minus the Great White, of course. And a seagull she shares a rock with and,
Taking this month off as usual As we are wont to do every summer, we are taking the late July issue and giving it a well-deserved rest. We will be back in late August, with our third anniversary issue, marking the start of our fourth year. From the staff and volunteers at Precious Pets, we wish our readers and advertisers a happy, fun and SAFE summer, your pet companions included! This current issue is much smaller than usual, as most of our contributors appear to be away or resting, as well, and the school season is at an end. Look for Stuart Nulman and his EMSB contributions when school begins again.
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MAILING ADDRESS: ....................................... P.O. Box 66521, Cavendish Mall, Côte Saint-Luc, QC H4W 3J6 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: .......................................................................................... Bram Eisenthal SALES MANAGER:........................................................................................................Tina Di Salvia CREATIVE DESIGN: ................................................................................. ..............James McCafferty ART DIRECTOR:............................................................................................................Marta Barnes ONTARIO DIRECTOR & DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA:.................................................. Janet Boiangiu
This issue is dedicated to Tina’s Golden Doodle Simba, celebrating his first birthday on July 11, 2016.
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821-6769 975-7745
PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
PIT BULL
Pit Bulls: Devils or Demons? We and the SPCA (*) think not with
Bram Eisenthal u Exclusive to Precious Pets
Photo - Bram Eisenthal
The recent controversy regarding how to deal with Pit Bull dogs, in light of attacks on humans, which occasionally have resulted in the deaths of some of the victims, has taken up much of our thinking time the past few weeks. We at Precious Pets will never, ever blame a specific type of dog for being a killer and we firmly believe that
it is the owner who trains an animal to be vicious, rather than a natural occurrence. A Chihuahua can be as vicious as a larger dog anytime, as far as we are concerned. So we asked the Montreal SPCA what they think and this is what we got: Q/ Essentially what is the SPCA’s view about this issue? A/ The Montreal SPCA shares citizens’ concerns and recognizes that
canine aggression represents a serious threat to public safety. This issue must be addressed in order to ensure for safe communities in which humans and dogs co-exist and enrich each other’s lives. Studies show, however (and experts agree) that banning dogs of a certain breed or those which display certain physical characteristics does not reduce the risk, nor the severity, of dog bites. The most effective way to tackle the issue of dangerous dogs is for humane societies, municipalities, and experts in canine behaviour to work together on multi-faceted strategies that target aggressive dogs of all breeds, with a strong emphasis on prevention. Effective dangerous dog legislation must be breed neutral and include preventative measures focusing on the root causes of canine aggression and owner responsibility, as well as remedial measures to deal with aggressive dogs based on their actual behavior. The Montreal SPCA firmly opposes the enactment of breed-specific legislation (BSL, a knee-jerk reaction to a problem much better addressed
pixabay.com photo
by aggressive dog ordinances, as a means of addressing the issue of dangerous dogs.Peer reviewed studies and veterinarians agree that BSL does not have any scientific basis and is ineffective in enhancing public safety. BSL also comes at high social and financial price: it punishes responsible dog owners, results in the killing of thousands of healthy and behaviourally sound animals, and is extremely costly to enforce, removing precious resources from other programs. Q/ Why are pit bulls always singled out as a targeted breed? A/ Pit Bulls are not a real breed – in fact, they are a mix of three different breeds with completely different genetics. Mix breeds, who do not have even a drop of any of the three breeds, often resemble what we know as the “Pit Bull-type dogs.” It is nearly impossible to identify a “pitbull” type dog. Instead of focusing on a dog’s physical appearance, let’s focus on a dog’s behaviour – in the end, dogs do not bite because of their looks. It’s time to focus on the underlining causes of aggres-
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SPCA
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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
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COVER STORY
Pit Bulls: When five is not enough Story and Photos by Bram Eisenthal u Exclusive to Precious Pets
Photo - Bram Eisenthal
Photo - Bram Eisenthal
I walked into Bark Avenue last weekend and it felt just like yesterday. There were clients, along with one of the Truss family Pit Bulls, Ocean, John’s girlfriend Debra, their son JJ (as good as a little boy can be, almost a year and a half old), the clients, their young child and their Pit Bull. Listening to John talk about animals, I really missed him. The big guy really knows his stuff regarding dogs. After the clients left, I asked John to elaborate on the big dog
controversy that is sweeping Montreal and environs lately. He left us with the following to ponder.... and, remember, the couple has FIVE Pit Bulls at home, where they are raising their young son. Four of them were on hand to smile pretty for the camera and I never felt intimidated, not even for a second. First-off, I was curious how John felt when he heard that pit bulls were about to be targeted for damnation, essentially, in some jurisdictions.
“The discussion is about not making certain breeds illegal: They (the authorities) are trying to ban the freedom of certain breeds,” John told me. “It’s a very emotional response to a serious issue and I think that the politicians and media tend to fan the flames of a very decisive topic. You won’t often see more passion shown than when you try to mess with someone’s dog. I understand, however, why there is such a strong response.
Photo - Bram Eisenthal
Someone died! You can’t get more serious than that.” “To blame the breed, or big dogs in general, though, is doing a disservice to a cause we all believe in, and that is to see the laws AND the enforcement brought to a level where bad owners will either be educated or not allowed to own a dog. It has nothing to do with the breed. Try telling me that a Pit Bull bites hard while that Shih Tzu is digging into your cheek. A dangerous dog is a dangerous dog and the bigger the dog...the harder the bite.” So what does John do while training dogs to ensure they do not become killers, I asked? “That’s a loaded question. I think that, when it comes to dogs, both none and all are born hunters to some degree. Dogs are animals and animals have instincts and impulses that need to be controlled if they are to be able to coexist with us in our homes. Pit Bulls are terriers. They are tenacious and require a fair amount of activity in a day. At the same time they are all individuals and have their own level of necessary activity. Some are couch potatoes and some aren’t. My experience would say that MOST are the latter,” he said with a laugh. “The training is no different. They are dogs, simply put. All dogs
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PIT BULL Continues Page 8
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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
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USEFUL GADGETS
The BeyondInk pen:
Keeps your cell charged for pet companion videos every time (and writes well, too)! by
Bram Eisenthal u Exclusive to Precious Pets
Everyone is always looking for the next coolest gadget, both to create and sell and to use. We are all gadget freaks today, but the gadget needs to make sense. If it is just a battery-operated gizmo that makes
a light turn on when you push a big button, those days are long gone, dear friends. So, the minds behind BeyondInk came up with the perfect gadget to use when you need a quality pen, when you need a charged
cell phone nearby (and which pet companion does not want a fully-charged cell phone nearby, with which to watch the latest on-line video of his fur-baby opening the fridge to get to the water?) and when you need everything in working order. I was recently sent a BeyondInk pen to try and then to review and I am, frankly, quite blown away. They call it “the world’s most empowering pen” and I’d say they are pretty close, as far as I can determine. Not only is the pen more like a Mont Blanc in quality than a BIC, but it works superhuman magic when you use it. Each black or white-coloured pen is equipped with a USB connector that charges your pen when hooked up to your computer and, in turn, attaches to your phone’s charging slot to ensure your phone’s battery is fully-juiced. A steady green light informs you that the pen’s battery is likewise charged or blinks to tell you that charging is required. The cherry on the cake is an included adaptor that is easily screwed on if you wish to use your pen as a stylus.
The pen is a bit too large and heavy, truth be told (then again, there are many necessary circuits
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Coming up NEXT ISSUE
FRIDAY August 26, 2016
DEADLINE WEDNESDAY August 17, 2016 info@preciouspetscanada.com
PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
ASK THE DOCTOR
They Call Me Dr. W
Pets: Early spay and neuter? (by Dr. Wybranowski, B.SC. DVM CCRT)
Since the second half of the 20th century, spaying and neutering your pet has become the accepted practice in North America. Pets would be spayed or neutered at around six months, just as they reach puberty. Sometime after the nineties, very early sterilization was introduced. By early I mean at the age of 6 to 8 weeks of age. The preliminary data showed many advantages: •
The surgeries were much easier to do
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It was much less expensive
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It would not allow animals to reproduce as they would be sterilized before they reach puberty
should I treat these house pets like the SPCA does? If I were working for the SPCA, then my primary motive would be to decrease the number of unwanted pets and I would perform early spays on homeless animals before adoption. As a veterinarian working to help keep household pets healthy,
however, my primary goal is the welfare of the pets I treat. You as a pet owner should decide if it is worth putting your pet at risk via early sterilization. If you can assure a lifestyle for your dog in which he or she cannot reproduce, I really suggest waiting till the age of 14 months (before the second heat in females).
Next issue, we will take a more indepth look at sterilization for dogs and cats. You can see the original articles at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/vms3.34/full https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/130401s.aspx
Pet rescues like the SPCA promoted the idea and it became very popular. Evidence has, however, been accumulating to indicate this may not be such a good idea when applied to all pets. A recent study published in the Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Science shows that research done on German Sheppard dogs by the University of California in Davis, indicates that neutering a German Sheppard dog before the age of 12 months triples his or her chances of having joint disorders, especially cranial cruciate ligament rupture or CCL tears. Prior to this, a different study done on Golden Retrievers showed that hip dysplasia was twice as likely if sterilization was performed early. There is more and more data suggesting that performing this surgery on dogs at a very young age can have serious consequences. Besides joint problems, sterilization predisposes to other health risks as well. I understand that we suffer from overpopulation and a surplus of pets and that millions of pets get abandoned and euthanized every year. I question, however, the principle of placing every pet under the same denominator. Here is what I mean: I am a veterinarian working on the West Island of Montreal. We have leash laws. Pets do not wander the streets alone, unless they run away. All the owners who bring their puppies to me love them very much and want the best for their pet. Their dog will lead a protected life style: They will not wander around the neighbourhood impregnating other dogs. They will never reproduce. Why
PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
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PIT BULL
SPCA
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sion – as shown time, and time again through experts, including veterinary associations, canine behaviourists an countless peer-reviewed studies. Q / Should people require a license if they have a potentially dangerous animal or require training? It seems that just about anyone can get a dog without requiring training. A/ The most effective way to tackle this issue is for humane societies, municipalities and experts in canine behavior and health to work together on multi-faceted strategies that target dangerous dogs of all
Editorial Board The Editorial Board of Precious Pets is comprised of individuals connected to the pet field in some manner,
who are ready to ad-
vise the partners and/ or staff when asked for their opinions. They are:
Michael J. Cohen, Councilor, City of Cote Saint-Luc (Quebec) and founder of its Cats Committee Averil Robinson, owner of Pet Friends (Vaudreuil, Quebec) Gerdy Gouron, owner of Gerdy’s Rescues and Adoptions (Quebec) Dr. Wojciech Wybranowski – Veterinarian (Montreal’s West Island) Suzanne Villeneuve – President: Suzanne Villeneuve Associates Inc. & SVbiz Inc.
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breeds, with a strong emphasis on prevention. Effective legislation that address the root causes of aggression: including the development and enforcement of animal control bylaws which address sterilization , mandatory pet identification, proper education and socialization, effective licensing regulations, and accountability of pet guardianship for an animal’s behaviour. Tougher laws need to address animal neglect that very often contributes to canine aggression, regardless of breed or physical appearance. As of right now, pretty
pixabay.com photo
much anyone can breed their dog and sell puppies to anyone: This issue needs to be regulated. We will soon offer additional tools via a website that address the issue of Dangerous Dogs. This site will en-
PIT BULL
well-behaved boy... which also describes their Pit Bulls! Ocean is the sole female, by the way.
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need to have their needs met, as far as physical and mental stimulation, as well as love and affection. When your dog’s needs are not being met we often see problem behaviors arise.” I asked John to continue discussing training. After all, he IS very good at it. “Every dog is an individual, regardless of breed, and requires a training regimen that is suited specifically to them. The breed of the moment is the Pit Bull and I deal with a lot of them. I can tell you that I have seen everything from debilitating anxiety in a Pit Bull to severe aggression. “I see many more shy or nervous Pit Bulls than aggressive ones, by the way. In fact, true aggression is very rare in any breed of dog. Most people mistake the moments of aggression as just that…aggression, when in fact it is a fear-based response to a situation. True aggression can rarely be cured. By treating the dog as an individual we can figure out what is making that particular dog act out and work with the owner to solve the puzzle. What can John say to families who have lost people to Pit Bull attacks? Do they have a right to feel a bit vengeful? Everyone has the right to feel vengeful if they so desire. I would
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sure the public knows how they can take positive steps to tell their municipal and provincial officials how to address this important issue. *(NOTE: SPCA comments by Anita Kapuscinska)
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say to those people, as well as the victims of Husky attacks, Akita attacks, Shi Tzu attacks... all dog attacks, really, that all of them were very likely avoidable, but that to blame only one breed of dog is not the answer. We need to target poor owners as well as educating our children on the correct way to interact with dogs.” John and Debra are doing just that with JJ, thus far with great success. Again, he is a very sweet,
PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
John Truss is the owner and head trainer at Bark Avenue Montreal. Bark Avenue is a training and daycare facility located in Ville Saint-Laurent. John works side-byside with his girlfriend Debra and is raising their young son JJ along with their five Pit Bulls. John wrote a regular column for Precious Pets and we occasionally ask him to elaborate on various issues that affect us, regarding dogs. Bark Avenue is found at: 5385 Cote de Liesse, Ville St. Laurent, QC, H4P 1A1, Tel: 514747-2275.. Their website is found at http://barkavemtl.com/, with their e-mail at info@barkavemtl.com
Photo - Bram Eisenthal
PIT BULL
Have a Safe Summer, Everyone! The staff and management of Precious Pets would like to wish all of our readers and advertisers – and your pet companions, of course - a safe, fun and healthy summer vacation. We will return at the end of the summer with our Third Anniversary Issue. We look forward to seeing you all here!
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contained within), but it’s a really nice, functionally-integrated tool, not some meaningless toy. I recommend it highly. To buy a BeyondInk pen, go to wwww.beyondink.com. The pen retails for $70 U.S. and PayPal is accepted as a mode of payment, as is VISA. The included instruction sheet refers to other items that will soon be available on their site, such as ink cartridges. We are told that the replacement
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ink at present is the Lamy M 21, available at Amazon presently. I checked and while the ink cartridges are indeed available at Amazon.ca in Canada, the pen itself does not appear to be sold on the site. NOTE: When placing your order, you must choose black or white as your pen colour, plus Android or Iphone as your charging option.
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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
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PUZZLES
SUDOKU
Sudokus from: http://www.puzzles.ca/sudoku.html Crosswords from: http://alberichcrosswords.com/pages/id156.html
Solution
ACROSS 1 See 7 8 Marxist speaking of modern fruit (10) 9 Something of Shane Warne’s encore (4) 11 See 7 12 Funny business with McBain in my grasp (6) 14 Material Chaney linked to the Five Boroughs (5) 15 Race comically needing a starter that’s majestic (5) 16 Muscle-woman’s replaced by one intellectual (5) 17 Blessed 16 with vowel shift (5) 20 Sailor against wearing spectacles from the beginning (2,3) 22 See 7 23 Cater for Germany entering with fifty minutes of the hour gone (6,2) 25 Amanda’s Shakespearean 15 (4) 26 Hoeness’s quiet scheme when entering races – some bloomer! (5,5) 27 “Who shall have a fishie on ----- “ (Miles away, I let Delia Smith loose!) (1,6,6) DOWN 1 Oddly got on Ribble bus twice, tragically wrecking airy ambitions? (8,7)
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2 US government supporter supplied another 25 (7) 3 Alumni gathering for holy matrimony 9? (7) 4 Dress up twice in Western Australia (5,5) 5 Stubbs’s student splitting bone (4) 6 The St Petersburg Palace: unknown and cold (7) 7,13,21,24,1ac,10,11,22 Tuttut, thus a no joy era, OK? Or, “A sad world here.” “Gorblimey! Why be sad?” (The Life of 17) (6,4,2,3,6,4,2,5,4, 6,3,4,4,8,6) 10 See 7 13 See 7 18 Eisenhower’s veto on a Tokyo flower arrangement (7) 19 Number Ten abbreviated memo (4) 20 Terence’s brothers maybe lead one behind the tavern (7) 21 See 7 24 See 7
CROSSWORD
PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca
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Sudokus from: http://www.puzzles.ca/sudoku.html Crosswords from: http://alberichcrosswords.com/pages/id156.html
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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10 • JUNE 2016 • www.preciouspets.ca