Hero Dog Waits For Life Changing Surgery

I know the images are very disturbing, I had a hard time looking at them.  When I first saw the images of Kabang, my mind raced with what the story was.  But my heart continued to break when I read the story and realized this dog was willing to give her life for these two little girls, but she didn't have to give her life, just her snout.   Below is the full story of Kabang and the hopeful happy ending on the horizon brought to us by Dogster.

In February in Zamboanga City, Philippines, a dog threw herself in front of a speeding motorcycle that was bearing down on two little girls -- cousins Dina Bunggal and Princess Diansing, ages 11 and 3 respectively. The girls were shaken but unhurt. The motorcycle driver was also unhurt. But the dog, the hero of the day, didn't get off so easily. Brave, valiant Kabang did stop the motorcycle, but in doing so her snout became caught in the spokes. It was ripped off.

Kabang's owner, Rudy Bunggal, a father to one of the girls, freed Kabang from the wreckage, and Kabang fled -- for two weeks, according to Inquirer News. 

We can only imagine the pain the dog was in, but when she returned home and Bunggal took her to the vet, he was asked whether he wanted to euthanize her. He refused. 

“It does not matter if she’s ugly now. What is important to us is she saved our children and we cannot thank her enough for that,” Bunggal said.

After being treated for the wounds given and antibiotics, Kabang has been getting along as well as she can. She got pregnant and had puppies. She became a local (and international) legend, with people visiting her at her owner's shop at all hours. Here's an account from one eyewitness from the World Behind My Wall Blog:

We stayed at the vulcanizing shop for about an hour and was surprised to see a lot of people coming over to visit her. It's touching to see a lot of them bringing food and giving donations for the dog owner and his family but what's surprising is that Mang Rudy only gives the food to his canine heroine and they never consumed any of it. He says the dog deserves all the treatment and the rewards since it was her that saved him and his family.

The risk of infection from Kabang's wounds, however, means that a full recovery will not happen without complex surgery. And complex surgery of this sort cannot happen in the Philippines. 

"The more time that goes by, the more Kabang is at risk of infection," Karen Kenngott, the U.S. coordinator for Animal Welfare Coalition, told Dog Heirs. "Fungal infections can be especially difficult to eradicate, and any infection in the bone can be a lengthy process to treat at best. Her chances are better the sooner she can get those wounds closed."

Fortunately, this story seems to be headed toward a happy ending. Veterinarians, animal lovers, and humanitarian groups, including Animal Welfare Coalition, have been raising the money to bring Kabang and her family to the U.S. for the surgery. Kenngott said Kabang is expected to be treated at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California Davis, under a team of surgeons. 

Let's hope that happens soon.

We'll let you know.

I for one am crossing my fingers for this brave dog!  I hope Kabang gets her surgery soon.

Staying Cool

The weekend is upon us and it is going to be a hot one!  If you are looking for something to do with your dog and keep them cool, maybe these videos below will inspire you.  If not, you will at least crack a smile, especially at the music set to the second video.






Have a great weekend and remember to keep your dogs cool!

Watch Out For The Heat!

Heat can effect your dog before you realize it!  Be careful out there in these rising temperatures, especially for the older dogs and young pups!  It is not just the sun to be worried about, these side walks are HOT, make sure you are not asking your dog to stand or sit in a hot spot for too long.  If you have a young pup, their pads may not be able to take the heat, be sure to protect them!

Below are a few quick tips to remember when dealing with severe heat and your dog:

1.  Keep your home cool.  If you have an air conditioner, the setting should be at about 78 degrees at least and if you do not have an air conditioner, make sure to run a couple of fans and get a cooling pad for your dog to rest on. 

If your dog has access to the back yard or patio/balcony you can set up a kiddie pool for your dog to lay in.  There should only be about 3 inches of water in the pool, and it should be in a shaded area.

2.  WATER!  Make sure your dog stays hydrated.  Take water with you on walks that are 30 minutes or longer.  Stop every 15 minutes or more, depending on your dog, to offer water and take a rest in the shade.  Make sure your dog has access to water all throughout the day.

3.  Walk in the morning and late afternoon or even better, evening.  Most dogs need an afternoon potty break, so try to do this in the late afternoon.  If you are also exercising your dog during this time, take it slow, try to be in the shade as much as possible and don't forget the water.

4.  If you have a dog with sensitive pads or a young pup who's pads are still very soft, you may want to use booties or wax to protect them.

5.  Keep exercise and high energy play to mornings or evenings during the heat.  Your dog can exert themselves quickly and in the heat of the day also may dehydrate themselves, this is when they are at risk for heat strokes.  If you must exercise during the day, do it indoors where it is cool.

I hope these safety tips help keep your pooch safe and cool.

Why Prong Collars?

Anyone who knows me and my training style or is a reader of this blog knows how against prong collars I am.  But this morning my mind was blown when I saw one on a new puppy in my building.  First, I know who the puppy belongs to, someone I was hoping would call me to train as he told me he was getting a puppy from the shelter.  This morning I saw the pup for the first time, so cute, he or she looks to be a Shepherd mix of some sort, but then around the pup's neck I see a prong collar. 

So, I understand there are times that prong collars may be the right answer, it is not just that a prong collar is being used that I object to.  What I am objecting to is that this is a little puppy, probably about 5 or so months, is already in this type of aggressive equipment and it is most likely being used because a friend or the shelter told the owner to get it.

What happened to training your pup to walk?  I know it is not easy, but there are other types of equipment that can help and not be so harsh as a prong collar.  Further, when you have a pup, you have such a better chance at shaping their walking behavior through consistent training. 

I feel like we have come to a point with all the television shows and information you can get on the web that everyone thinks they are a trainer, your friends with dogs will give you advice, the clerk in the store, the shelter worker and let's not forget the perfect strangers on the street.  I don't blame the pet store workers, they are doing their job, you ask for something and they point you in the right direction for the product they carry to handle what you are asking.  They are not trainers, so they are not thinking about the things I am, they are simply doing their job.  The manufacturers of the equipment, especially prong collars, should put a warning on them about proper use and to consult a professional before using.

My biggest problem is that I see all these dogs in prongs and their problems are getting worse.  Maybe they don't pull on walks, but they are still aggressive with other dogs, they are still hyper aroused when other dogs come near, they are still jumping on people and you still don't have control of your dog.  How many times have I seen a prong collar break in a moment that the handler needed it to work?  The answer is  a lot!

Training may not be the easy answer or the quickest answer, but it is the answer that will get you the best results, especially my training.  You end up with a better relationship with your dog, a well behaved dog and knowledge on how to handle future problems.

If you have a prong collar and want to change or need some training... please give me a Bark!

Breed Specific Legislation Banned In MA

With all these stories about dogs being taken from their owners and/or eventually put down for being a specific breed, it is really nice to know at least one state is moving forward towards no more discrimination.   Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signs a bill that banns breed specific legislation and also creates a spay-and-neuter program and gives pets protection in domestic-abuse cases.  Below is the whole story covered by Dogster.

Finally, some good news on breed-specific legislation -- namely, Massachusetts has banned it. That’s right, banned it. It’s the first sensible thing we’ve heard on the subject in recent months, what with the recent death of Lennox in Northern Ireland -- who was killed just because he looked like a Pit Bull -- while a real Pit Bull named Dre faces a death sentence in Colorado when he has hurt no one.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill on Thursday that states "No city or town shall regulate dogs in a manner that is specific to breed," according to South Coast Today. The law further states “no dog shall be deemed dangerous ... based upon the breed of such dog."

 

Gov. Deval Patrick signs the bill with Boujee, a stray adopted by a friend of Norfolk Animal Control Officer Hilary Cohen, who was at the event. Photo via The Sun Chronicle and the MSPCA. 

It’s part of a broader law, which has been worked on for six years, to reform animal control.

It establishes a spay-and-neuter program for Massachusetts and imposes training requirements for animal control officers, among other things.

One backer of the law described the nonsense behind targeting specific breeds -- such as Pit Bulls -- in law.

"The breed-specific thing is a quick reaction to a complex problem," state Sen. Mark C.W. Montigny told South Coast Today. The Democrat from New Bedford, Mass., described Pit Bulls as “beautiful, loving dogs if not mistreated by ugly, mean human beings."

Amen! Let’s elect more lawmakers like Montigny! We can start with the Colorado legislature and the Belfast City Council!

 

Other backers of the law included animal advocacy groups and people who work in animal control.

“I’ve been bitten twice since I’ve been on the job and both were Pomeranians,” North Attleboro animal control officer Karen Fontneau told The Sun Chronicle. “Each case will be an individual case.”

The Massachusetts law includes another provision that we find remarkable: It extends restraining orders in domestic-violence cases to include pets as well as human family members. So that means dogs, cats, and other animals can be kept safe from abusers who might otherwise use the pets to get back at family members who’ve taken action. It will also let people escaping abusive situations take pets with them.

"We heard horrendous stories of pets being abused or used as leverage in custody or divorce cases," Sen. Montigny told South Coast Today.

One law-enforcement official praised this part of the law.

"As a police officer, I like the fact they included domestic violence protection in the bill," Joe Magnani told MetroWest Daily News. "This bill will help us handle pets when we report to a domestic violence call."

The law also bans the use of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to euthanize animals.
Helping develop the bill were groups including the Animal Control Officers Association of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

A 5-week-old kitten sat alongside the governor as he signed the bill. One of the law’s backers, Democratic state Sen. Karen Spilka of Ashland, brought her dog, Sienna, to the ceremonly.

It was Sienna’s 15th birthday.

This is progress!  It may be slow and only one state for now, but this is a good start.

Another Innocent Pit Bull May Lose

I sit writing this blog this morning both saddened and angry!  I can't believe I am about to post another story about an innocent Pit Bull being taken into custody and about to be put down for no other reason than him being a Pit Bull!  Below is the full story of Dre, the post is from Dogster and beyond just giving the facts, Dogster echos my sentiments on this entire situation.  Please Read.

Here we go again. Have we learned nothing from the death of Lennox, the tragic eradication of a once healthy, thriving dog in Northern Ireland? I cringe when I think about the mindset of the Belfast City Council, the powers who extinguished a light as bright as Lennox in the name of ignorance and hate. And here we go again.

(Dre bit no one, but he's in custody.)

This is what we know: On a recent afternoon, one of Mary O’Brien’s children accidentally pressed a button on the remote garage door opener at their home in Brighton, Colorado. O’Brien’s cousin was babysitting at the time and did not realize what had taken place. Dre and Machomotto, the family’s dogs, ran outside through the open garage door.

Dre began barking at people, and one person jumped into her car (apparently in fear). A few folks called animal control, with one call placed to 911 to report “vicious dogs running loose.” Five officers were reported to have secured Dre, but in the process no one was injured, bitten, or scratched. Repeat: Five strangers, chasing a confused dog who is barking. If my dog ever bolted, he’d be dazed, confused, and none too happy to have five men in uniform chasing him in a haphazard situation.

Dre was held at a shelter in Brighton, where there is no breed-specific legislation in place, like there is in Belfast. (Lennox was put down because he resembles a Pit Bull.) When O’Brien went to retrieve her dogs from the pound, she was allowed to take Machomotto but not Dre. He was quarantined and labeled "vicious" with the recommendation that the dog be destroyed. Dre is a Pit Bull.

An officer reported that Dre acted aggressively by chasing people and barking at them. He never bit anyone; he ran around and he barked at people. It sounds like the dog park on weekends in my area.

(Dre is a family dog.) 

A hearing was held on Tuesday, July 31, leaving the family very little time to persuade a judge that Dre is not vicious. In Brighton, a dog running at large is unlawful, but Pit Bulls are legal. Generally, a fine is imposed for loose dogs. Animal control can, however, choose to destroy "any vicious dog when deemed necessary in the interest of public safety by an animal control officer under circumstances where a significant and immediate threat to the health or safety of a person or other animal exists."

Dre has been labeled. The hearing came and went, and the dog remains in animal control’s custody. Dre’s family has been allowed to visit him in the shelter, where he wagged his tail, licked their hands, and was allowed to eat treats through the cage. A sign stating “Dangerous Dog Will Bite” was placed on his kennel and remains there. The next hearing is Aug. 10, and the family has a lawyer from The Animal Law Center working on their behalf. Dre remains alone, torn from his family.

 

I can’t take it anymore. I’m angry, I’m disgusted, I’ve donated, and I wanted to write about this. Dre is not alone, but in the purest form of the word, he is. Every day, dogs are being mislabeled, put in cages, and unjustly eradicated.

Dre sits in a kennel, locked in a tiny area. Dre is a family member who requires a special diet and allergy medication that his family brings to the shelter. He’s stressed and confused. I would be, too, or probably gnawing at myself in the same situation. He gets little interaction, and now he waits. We all do. But there must be something more we can do, as people, to stop this insanity from repeating itself, right?

“I’m appalled at all the stories I read online about dogs being put down because they’re one breed or another,” BlogPaws cofounder Yvonne DiVita says. "With Pit Bulls taking the brunt of this focus, the pet parents to these warm, funny, and delightful dogs have an extra job on their hands making sure they protect their furkid. I wonder when we’ll get over this -– as we got over worrying about German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers. Can it be today?”

These are the thoughts that run through my head as I sit here with my Cocker Spaniel snuggled by my feet. Oddly, many years ago, Pit Bulls carried a different label: that of “Nanny Dog.” Need a dog to keep your children safe? Why, the Nanny Dog fits that bill, doesn’t it? So how did the Pit Bull become so feared and the target of such discrimination? A huge part of me blames Michael Vick and the nightmares inflicted on those dogs. Part of me blames evil people in general: the dogfighters of the world who force innocent animals to tear into each other in the name of greed.

So Dre waits to see what fate has in store for him. As of this writing, O’Brien has been advised by her attorney not to say anything else. We all want to help the innocent here, and whatever is needed to bring Dre home safely (and quickly) is what I advocate. All questions and comments should be directed to the Animal Law Center, per the family's request.

Lennox’s legacy must be to never let this happen again. Knowledge is power. And Dre could use a lot of that now. As I learn more, I'll report whatever I can. Meanwhile, you can follow along with Dre's Facebook page.

 All I can think about is what would my dog do if he got out.  He would run and bark at people if they tried to capture him.  For that matter, when we are at a park if a stranger gets too close he will bark, not because he will bite, but because he is scared.  My heart is breaking for Dre and I am so angry that we as people have created this fear of this breed!  Let's not forget it was HUMANS that made them so vicious to begin with, but do they not get a second chance?  Did we not see so many of this beautiful dogs be able to be rehabilitated?  When does this discrimination stop?  I urge all of you to do what you can to start to change this perception of Pit Bulls, as Dogster said, we did it for German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers.

What's Up Downtown August!

Happy August!  With August comes the prime of summer events in Downtown!  All the summer festivals, summer concerts and special summer events are in full swing.  There is so much to do and so many new places to try.  It is amazing the rate new shops, restaurants and other businesses are popping up, it makes me proud and excited to be a part of this growth period.

Some of the hot things to do this month are:  6th Annual TV Costume Design Exhibit at FIDM Museum & Galleries (FREE, Now - October 20), Hard Summer Music Festival at the State Historical Park (August 3-4, Tickets on sale now), Chinatown Summer Nights in Chinatown (August 11 & 25, FREE), Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson (August 9 - September 2, tickets on sale now), LA Craft Beer Crawl (August 18, tickets on sale now), Race LA (August 18, register today), Grand Performances (now - August 25, FREE), Music Center (now - August 24, FREE), and Pershing Square Summer Performances (now - August 18)

Looking for something with your dog... Sign up today for the Sizzlin' Hot Dogs Pooch Parade!  Not to be basis, but I know for a fact it will be fun, educational and a night your dog and you will be thankful for!  As well as this great event, you should try a walk through the newly open Grand Park!


There are a lot of new restaurants to try.  I am most looking forward to Kitchen Table (Main & 4th),  The Parish (Spring & 9th), and  Towne Food & Drink (9th & Flower).  There are many more to try and I am still trying to get to all the new ones that have opened up in the last few months!

Whatever your plans for August, try to spend some time in Downtown and don't forget your dog!  The Sizzlin' Hot Dogs Pooch Parade is filling up, be sure to get your spot today!

Keep cool and enjoy this beautiful summer!