Share your animal related links, stories, questions and news in the comments.
Open Thread
Posted in open thread
Posted by YesBiscuit on June 21, 2014
https://yesbiscuit.com/2014/06/21/open-thread-116/
Next Post
Weekend Jade
Weekend Jade
Adoptable at UPAWS in Michigan
That Other Blog
Recent Comments
Robin Hood on FOIA Requests: Samples and… june bullied on Former Director Who Killed She… Annie Hall on Former Director Who Killed She… Althea M Perkins on Willa: A Sort of Warning/Endor… John Nucifora on Former Director Who Killed She… Judy on IL: Report of Killing Without… Joseph C Nucifora on Former Director Who Killed She… Nicole Heindryckx on NYC Shelters Killing Animals P… Heindryckx Nicole -… on Former Director Who Killed She… Joseph C Nucifora on Former Director Who Killed She… Joseph C Nucifora on Former Director Who Killed She… Shimri Renee Owens on Know Your Rights if Animal Con… Renee Owens on Know Your Rights if Animal Con… Renee Owens on Know Your Rights if Animal Con… kathyg92256 on Former Director Who Killed She… Classic YesBiscuit!
Find a Friend
No Kill
- Alley Cat Allies
- Animal Ark
- Animal Wise Radio
- Austin No Kill Coalition
- Fix Austin
- Fix Austin Blog
- Fix NC
- Fix San Francisco
- For the Love of Dog Rescue
- Justice for Bella
- KC Dog Blog
- Maddie's Fund
- National Canine Research Council
- New Mexico Pets Alive
- No Kill Advocacy Center
- No Kill Allegany
- No Kill Blog
- No Kill Declaration
- No Kill Houston
- No Kill Kershaw Co
- No Kill Memphis
- No Kill Nation
- No Kill Nation Blog
- No Kill Tallahassee
- O is for Onward
- Oreo's Law
- Pets Alive
- Roanoke No Kill Coalition
- Save Shelter Pets
- Saving Pets
- Strayed (video)
- Vox Felina
- Welcome Home Sanctuary
- Wisconsin Watchdog
Pet Care Basics
Resources for No Kill Advocates
RIF
- Blue Dog State
- Brindle Stick
- Carpe K-9
- Caveat
- Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
- Disapproving Rabbits
- Dog Foster Mom
- Dogged
- For the Pit Bulls
- For Your Entertainment
- Forest Walks
- Frogdog
- Full Cry: A Hound Blog
- Humane Watch
- John Sibley
- Lassie, Get Help
- Lolcats
- Loldogs
- No Pitbull Bans
- One Pibble's Wish
- Our Pack
- Petsit USA
- Raised by Wolves
- Rural Shelter Help
- Smartdogs
- Social Mange
- The Poodle and Dog Blog
- They are What They Eat
- U.S. Service Dog Registry
- Underdogged
-
Recent Posts
- Willa: A Sort of Warning/Endorsement
- Anyone Have an Opinion on a Thing?
- Is There a Frog Doctor in the House?
- Shine
- Personal News
- Backinbowl
- The Arctic National Wildlife… Refuse?
- Podcast You Will Like
- Tattle Tale
- Good Hurricane Tweets
- Climate Change: An Unnatural Disaster
- Palm Beach County Animals in Danger
- Keeping Watch
- Open Thread
- GOP Candidate for Congress Kills Mama Prairie Dogs with Trump Jr in Montana
Click Daily to Feed Shelter Dogs
- ACO misconduct adoption screening Alabama 44 animal advocacy animal control killing pets animal cruelty animal shelter animal shelter abuse animal shelter improvements aspca available rescue pets behavior blog breeding breed profiling breed specific legislation cats Charlotte-Mecklenburg ACC dog bites dogfighting enablers FDA feral cats food safety foster gas chamber good samaritan holidays home prepared pet diets HSUS human-animal bond kitten lame totally lame legislation life the universe and everything lost pets mandatory spay neuter marketing shelter pets memorial memphis animal shelter Michael Vick microchips my pets name that animal needless animal shelter killing No Kill oddball oh really oops-killing open thread PETA pet food pet food recall pet food safety police killing dogs public servants behaving badly puppy mills rescue responsible animal care retaliation robeson co animal shelter shame Shelter Pet of the Day shelter reform south carolina shelter southern shelters strays stupid is as stupid does tha hell? transport trap-neuter-release treats on internets Uncategorized wild animals wildside kennels
Archives
- April 2019
- November 2018
- July 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- December 2017
- September 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
The views expressed in this blog are the opinion of the author.
Pages
- "I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." - John Cage
KateH
/ June 21, 2014Awww! It’s a waterfall of goats!
mikken
/ June 21, 2014Well, you know what it’s like when the kids are out of school…
KateH
/ June 22, 2014Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!! :-)
Linda S.
/ June 21, 2014We have three rescued pet goats…they really are fun. Ours are old now, but they still play sometimes.
Tired Caregiver
/ June 22, 2014Can I offer the closure to a somewhat random story?
A little bit back I posted about finding an older dog wandering the neighborhood and how I was eventually able to locate the owners and return him home. I mentioned the dog looked a little unkempt…not well-groomed, longer nails, no teeth…but that he was also visibly a very old guy. In my attempts to find his home, I stopped by my regular animal hospital to have him scanned for a chip (which he did not have.)
What I didn’t mention was everyone’s reaction to this dog, and it’s been on my mind since. Everyone basically told me that I should not bother finding the owner and that I should instead either keep him or turn him into a rescue. Because he wasn’t well-groomed and because he was intact and not chipped, that was evidence enough that his owners were unfit.
When I did locate the owner’s house, they were not home at the time (I left a note on their door and they came and got him as soon as they saw it.) There was another dog in the yard…a much younger dog…who looked to be in very good condition. So I wasn’t satisfied that these owners were clearly neglectful. When the owner came home, I learned the little old guy was a recent adoption…basically a hospice case. So if I had followed everyone’s urgings, I would have stolen a senior dog who was lucky enough to find a home despite his age and issues.
So I guess the moral is don’t be quick to make assumptions and judge people when you don’t know the story. But even then, I kept thinking…what if the dog *wasn’t* a recent rescue? Yeah, he wasn’t in the absolute best shape, and it’s not how I would have kept one of my pets. But the dog was by no means *suffering*. He wasn’t malnourished, he was wiggly-butt friendly once he warmed up to you, and he was *old*, so clearly the owners were doing something right. He had a nice big fenced yard and a doggy friend that he was overjoyed to reunite with (and because I’ve seen this house before, I knew the dogs were mostly kept inside). And yeah, he wasn’t neutered or chipped…but does that mean the owners didn’t deserve him back? Can we blame overpopulation for ‘making’ us kill homeless pets while encouraging people to *steal* owned dogs because we don’t agree with how they’re kept? Yes, obviously the story would be very different if the dog had untreated injuries or was underweight or had nails so long he couldn’t walk. But none of those things were the case.
Sorry for ranting a bit, I just needed a place to vent because I really can’t stop thinking about it. It’s doubly disturbing because I think once upon a time I would have been one of the people encouraging the finder not to return the dog…I was very quick to judge, quick to label people bad owners on little evidence, and quick to talk about the evils of the ‘irresponsible’ public.
akollars4260
/ June 23, 2014There could have been another explanation! While the economy is picking up, there are, still, people out of work! The dog could have wandered off from a home in this situation. If that had been the case, maybe the people couldn’t afford the high price of grooming, etc, but loved the dog & wasn’t about to dump him in a “high-kill” shelter as, so, many do! I email rescues for animals in these shelters. You wouldn’t believe how many dogs are dumped due to getting older & many other unacceptable reasons…..TO ME!!!! Older dogs are hard to place, even though they are wonderful, loving, family dogs or dogs suitable to a senior! I live on $600 a month & nothing would give me reason to dump my cat no matter what! I certainly wouldn’t dump him in a shelter of any kind. And this dog that was found may have had health issues that kept these people from bothering it with the toenail trimming, etc. You, just, never know. Had the dog belonged to an elderly person, they would be devastated not to get their dog back!
Tired Caregiver
/ June 23, 2014That was one of my thoughts…he was an old dog, so what if he had bad hips and arthritis, and the owners didn’t want to cause pain or stress him by clipping his nails or grooming his rear end? This dog wasn’t terribly matted or anything, just scruffy. But unless a dog is sparkling clean and perfectly groomed, people will slap on the abused and neglected label based entirely on that.
YesBiscuit
/ June 23, 2014I too used to be quick to judge owners who lost their pets. I think we tend to invest so many emotions into these situations because the animal is basically defenseless and dependent upon humans for care but these feelings can cloud our judgment. While I don’t deny that there are irresponsible owners, just as there are irresponsible parents, drivers, etc., I do believe they represent a very small percentage overall. I think most people are trying to do right by their pets. We all have the opportunity to grow and learn and for that I’m thankful.
KateH
/ June 23, 2014If our oldest dog got loose, and was found, I’m sure many people would decide that we’re bad owners because his teeth are gross, and he’s rather wobbly and has lost a lot of muscle tone, so he looks (well, he IS) a little feeble. However, because he’s a greyhound, he’s always looked a little or a lot thin to lots of people unfamiliar with the breed. In his prime he weighed 78-80 lbs and now, at 14 1/4 yrs, he’s 68lbs, so yes, his ribs and hip bones are easily seen, but he’s not malnourished. Greyhounds have a real problem with the enamel on their teeth, and need their teeth cleaned every few years unless their owners are religious about brushing every day – and then they might get away with having the vet do it every four years. Sadly, three years ago, we thought he had bone cancer, and another dog had bladder cancer (ending with the final kindness), so we spent more than our budget on care that didn’t involve his teeth. Then two years ago, when we’d built up some money, another dog needed that for her serious medical issues and demise. Because we had dogs that were basically a year apart in age, they basically got sick and needed assistance in that same order as they aged, and last year, the oldest (before this one) needed a chunk of money for her care and journey over the bridge. Our biggest problem is that we’d lost two previous greyhounds under anesthesia, so we did keep putting off his dental cleaning with everything else going on. And now, we really don’t expect him to be with us for a whole lot longer, so we’ve decided, since he eats well, and his bloodwork is within normal limits, we’re not going to spend the $800-$1000 on his teeth, as we just started spending ‘his’ budgeted money on old age issues of various kinds. We just want him to age as well as can be expected and pulling most of his teeth (which is what the vet thinks would need to be done if we did have his teeth cleaned) isn’t what we feel will benefit him as much as arthritis meds, and laser treatments to keep him comfortable. We’ve hung on to ‘his’ special couch (which I hate and will get rid of right after he leaves us), and we know he’s as happy as he can be (even though he’s love to run and go on long walks, those are impossible now) with daily mini-romps in the big back yard, and special treats and attention. He’s very well-loved, although you do NOT want to have him breathe on you! :-)
akollars4260
/ June 23, 2014When i opened my emails there was YesBiscuit & a short video of these tiny giats running across a porch…….OMG! So cuuuuuuuuuuute!!!!!!
akollars4260
/ June 23, 2014Excuse me, I meant goats & thought I had corrected it!
YesBiscuit
/ June 23, 2014At first blush, this sounds like a terrible accident resulting in the deaths of 17 dogs but then you get to the part where the boarding kennel owner told pet owners their dogs had run away and had them out driving the streets looking for them.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/06/23/17-dogs-die-arizona-pet-boarding/11255323/?sf27655658=1
db
/ June 23, 2014Something is wrong with this – my guess is there is more to the story than a nonfunctional air conditioner. How tragic for the pups and for their owners. I hope it isn’t dismissed as a tragic accident. Too many things don’t add up – other ac units in the house, overnight temperature 80 degrees, telling the owners the dogs had run away . . . RIP pups.
Tired Caregiver
/ June 23, 2014I have to think that at the very least, the dogs were in that room without AC for longer than just one night. Either that or it was a very poorly constructed room with no ventilation.
Clarice
/ June 23, 2014Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said 3 additional dogs were found dead to bring the total to 20 in a news conference this afternoon.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert/2014/06/23/gilbert-dogs-dead-arizona-boarding-questions/11253033/
Arlene
/ June 23, 2014Here is a link showing the room where the dogs were kept. It looks too darn small for that many dogs. Sheriff Joe will get to the bottom of this and I for one am glad that he is investigating this matter. There is something not quite right here!
YesBiscuit
/ June 24, 2014They were all crated in there or loose or what?
Kittypurr
/ June 23, 2014Tired caregiver- I would like permission to cut and paste your story on my FB page.
Tired Caregiver
/ June 23, 2014Sure…maybe it’ll help someone else think twice about leaping to judgement.
YesBiscuit
/ June 24, 2014Politician’s son was responsible for care of the dogs at the AZ boarding facility at the time of their deaths:
County deputy doesn’t appear to be taking the investigation seriously:
Arlene
/ June 24, 2014Shirley, all the dogs were in the room loose. Big dogs, little dogs, all loose. The county deputy may not be taking this seriously but Sheriff Joe Arpio is and he will conduct a full investigation and whoever is responsible for this will be held accountable.
YesBiscuit
/ June 24, 2014I hope you are right. Whenever the family member of a prominent politician is involved in a criminal investigation, it makes me suspicious as to how hard anyone is really trying to get justice. It’s already so difficult to get cases involving animals to be taken seriously and this just adds another layer.
sassybrat1904
/ June 30, 2014http://www.examiner.com/article/record-number-of-unwanted-pets-overwhelms-no-kill-shelter?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Clarice
/ June 30, 2014Indianapolis Animal Care and Control tweeted a picture of empty cages at their shelter after a successful weekend adoption event.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/good-news/empty-cages-at-iacc-after-more-than-700-pets-adopted