THE TRUTH ABOUT SHELTER ADOPTION!

There have always been much criticism towards animal shelters and the animals in animal shelters. This post is to help separate fact from myth so that people will have a more compassionate understanding towards animals in animal shelters that are in desperate need of finding a good home.


Myth: Shelter pets are obviously not good pets, or else their original owners wouldn't have gotten rid of them
If the main reason why a pet gets brought to rescue shelters was because they were a *bad* pet, there would be thousands of empty shelters across the country. Animals are brought to shelters for a large variety of reasons, some of which are...

*Their owners have passed away
*The animal's owners were abusive to the animal, so the authorities have removed the pet from the harmful environment
*An animal was purchased or adopted by someone who did not take into consideration all of the responsibility that caring for that pet would entail. A good example of this would be someone who adopts a pet in an apartment complex that does not allow animals and then is subsequently forced to get rid of the pet.

Myth: Animals from abusive homes will never be good pets because they have been mistreated for so long
Most animals coming from abusive homes will typically make a full emotional recovery - with proper care and attention. In fact, many of them are so grateful to be rescued from their previous situation, they end up being more devoted and loyal than animals coming from non-abusive homes.
Myth: You never know what you're getting with shelter pets
Although its true that the medical history and temperament of an animal adopted from a rescue shelter are not always able to be tracked down, its really no different than an animal you might get from a pet store, unless you are buying a pedigree, but most animals from pet stores are from Puppy Mills and are more sickly due to unsanitary conditions and repeated inbreeding which causes genetic birth defects and/or severe health problems.

Myth: All animals in rescue shelters are sickly or unhealthy
Once again, it certainly IS possible that a pet adopted from a rescue shelter may have medical problems, however the majority of the animals that are adopted from shelters are perfectly healthy, and just need a good home. If anything, you're more likely to get an honest answer about an animal's medical problems from a shelter volunteer - who is clearly there because they *care* about the animals - as opposed to a pet store owner or breeder that is only it in for the money. Additionally, animals in shelters are typically treated much better than animals in pet stores, which have often spent their short lives in cramped environments with little socializing and often, unsanitary conditions.

To illustrate the point a little more clearly, when you go to a pet store, the animals are kept on display in tiny cages, often with multiple animals in one cage. When you go to a shelter, you will usually find much bigger animal pens, where the animals have some room to move.

Please adopt a sheltered animal or encourage others to adopt. These animals need a good home. Please give them the chance to find one.

Please go to my website to get a list of local shelters

ADOPT, DON'T SHOP!!


SUPPORT ANIMAL RIGHTS!!!

THE STORY OF LINCOLN!

With a very heavy heart I must inform you all that Lincoln passed away Monday, after a valiant battle against a litany of medical issues, including heart worms and osteosarcoma.

For those of you that don't know about Lincoln,he was an amazingly strong, soulful, tenacious creature, that came into my life about 6 months ago.

Although our time together was brief, I experienced a powerful connection to this dog, unlike any other. I would not give this experience up for the world. Lincoln certainly taught me a thing or two........

He was found covered in fleas, with speaker wire around his neck, severely emaciated. He had been waiting to be rescued...6 years later his dream would come true. He met three people that welcomed him with open arms, and did everything humanly possible to make sure he lived his final years knowing love,friendship, a nice place to sleep, good food, and clean water.

Unfortunately, the rest of his life was 6 months..First came the heart worms, then the limp..that turned out to be cancer. We had the leg removed, but you would never know it was missing..the day after the amputation he was running around like a warrior. The biopsy came back negative in the lymph nodes..we were ecstatic. We just knew Lincoln would beat the odds of the 1 year life expectancy.... Then..three days after the amputation, his back legs started sliding around, we think he probably hurt himself running around with the other pups, trying to keep up with them. Finally, he went
down..and stayed. He went through acupuncture treatment for a week before being referred to Dr. Chauvet, a Neuro Vet, we thought possibly a slipped disk, and trust me, we had every intention of having the back surgery. I mean come on, surely he didn't go through all of this in vain?

Dr. Chauvet took another x-ray and confirmed our worst fear...the cancer had spread to his lungs. We were devastated to say the least. How cruel..to put this dog through all of this trauma, did I mention the neuter..:) just to lose him a couple of months later.

I, Derek, and Beth decided we had to do the right thing.We could not let him live like this...zero use of the back legs,and the cancer gaining on him.

Monday October 29Th around 5:30 P.M. we said goodbye to our Lincoln. He still had a sparkle in his eye until his last breath...I could go on for days about Lincoln's brilliance and strong will to live, but I'm getting misty.

You'll be sorely missed my graceful...TRUE GENTLEMAN!

Hope you're flying high.......

FOSTER BABE TO THE RESCUE!

I have to start out by saying...I LOVE Julie Royal... AKA Foster Babe.
She is amazing. This goddess is responsible for saving hundreds of dogs
and cats from certain death. She will FOSTER litters of puppies and
kittens,seniors, crippled..whatever. Did I mention she also has her own
Real Estate business. This woman is such a ROCK STAR..


I got an e-mail over the weekend from a rescue group that I work with in Alabama
They were in desperate need of fosters and other rescues. You
see, they had over 90..that's right (90) puppies that needed to be out
of the shelter by Monday, not a lot of notice hmmm. They had to make room for 50 animals that were coming in from a CRUELTY case. SIDE NOTE...I hate most people, OK,
I digress. I immediately call Jules too see if perhaps she had room at HER Inn..ha. She, as
usual without hesitation, said "SURE" I can take a couple of litters.

She drove to the SPCA in Tampa to meet the transport that was coming from Alabama. She took 2 litters, a total of seven pups. They are all so damn cute.Anyone interested in adopting one of these little guys, please contact me, and I can hook you up with FOSTER BABE..Thank you for everything you do Julie, you are a Guardian Angel for the animals.....

THROW AWAY SOCIETY

This just in folks....if you have a perfectly fabulous pet, and you just
wake up one day and decide they are no longer worthy of living out the
rest of their lives with you...you can just toss them away "LIKE SO
MANY RAGS"..I just don't understand, I never will. How do you throw
your family away? I wish I could just make people understand that
animals have the same emotions as humans..they love, mourn, feel pain,
loss, you name it..I think the only emotions they don't share would be
revenge or hatred. My first example is this absolutely stunning Persian. I don't have his name, I just know he's 2 years old neutered, and declawed. His owners think he is too jealous of a niece that comes over on occasion, this is frigging
absurd If anyone is interested, e-mail me and I will get
more details. Next up is 2 gorgeous Seal Point Siamese sisters...Coco
and Cashmere....ohhh such classy names.. 3 year old sisters, declawed
and spayed. Another tragedy. Again, anyone interested in providing a
FOREVER home for these lovely kitties, please contact me..I have to go
throw up now.. writing this blog LITERALLY made me sick.....

DOGGIE RES Q R' S

I find it so dejecting that dogs love humans with their whole heart. No
judgement, no prejudice,they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.
Yet, humans don't even come close to reciprocation. I watched a really good example of this last night. Please check out this articleThis group of dogs have saved over 70 HUMAN LIVES this year alone...how amazing is that? Would we do the same for them?

“The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog."

Remember this..A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself...

CON-VICK-T

What can I say..I am thoroughly disgusted with
this loser. Yea, I know..innocent until proven guilty, whatever... There is already talk of him copping a plea.I
suppose the thing that bothers me the most would be that clearly Vick
just gets off on torturing and watching dogs kill each other. It's
certainly not about the money. This is a very twisted individual. I'm
so looking forward to him loosing EVERYTHING. I hope it was worth it ASSHOLE!!

MANDATORY SPAY NEUTER YES !YES! YES!!!!!

Dog advocates unleashed
There's wide agreement that most dogs
should be spayed and neutered. But who should make that decision -- the
state, the city, the owners, a selected kind of owner or the dog
itself? All this week, BillHemby and Daniel Guss debate California's kaninekulturkampf.


Today, Guss, founder of Stop Torture Abuse & Neglect of Dogs, discusses the stymied "California Healthy Pets Act" with Hemby, founder of PetPAC. Later in the week, they'll debate pit-bull deprogramming, muscle-dog culture and more.

Don't listen to the profiteers -- mandatory spay-neuter now!
By Daniel Guss



What a great way to start the week: I am a volunteer humane advocate going
against you, Bill, a paid lobbyist and profiteering dog breeder allied
with a PR firm that unsuccessfully defended Big Tobacco and fought
against a living wage law. Birds of a feather, readers!

And now, here's the scoop:


Millions of dogs and cats are killed every year in the United States. I'm
talking about really sweet, please-rub-my-belly pets, including small
ones and purebreds.

Who could say we're doing right by the animals?


Imagine their millions of bodies spread out over Yankee Stadium or the Rose
Bowl, 100 feet deep. This happens every year, as far back as records
are kept. Some image, right? Society used to drown them enmasse. Now they're injected with poison without so much as a sedative to soothe their nerves.

This mountain of death irrefutably proves that humans have failed animals miserably.

Historically and correctly, government does its best work after people create -- and
can't solve -- alarming, preventable tragedies like this. The time for
mandatory spay-neuter laws is now.

In 1984, New York passed the nation's first seat belt
laws because we killed ourselves on the roads at an alarming,
preventable rate. Every state now has seat belt laws, and DUI laws,
because we couldn't stop the killing on our own.


Should the free market decide these things? See how your insurance company reacts if
you get popped for a DUI. Call them and say you won't buckle up. These
laws helped reduce the slaughter.

Likewise, because dogs and cats can't beg for mercy, governments are now actively
considering mandatory spay/neuter laws at the behest of animal shelter directors,
workers and veterinarians, as well as police departments, animal
rescuers and citizens fed up with needless killing of good dogs and cats.
.

My friends devote their lives to saving animals, enduring
enormous personal and financial sacrifice. Hundreds of daily e-mails
pass among them, desperate to save "Coco" or "Lucky" from being dragged
on a rope or pole, and killed on a cold steel table or concrete floor
reeking of the dog or cat killed there minutes earlier.


Not once have I seen an e-mail response from a breeder, puppy mill or pet store
saying that they will save these animals' lives. It would mean one less
family to which they could sell a puppy or kitten at a profit. These
profiteers not only fail to help, they are now frantic to stop those of
us who are demanding a change.

Who do you trust? Those who sacrifice or those who profit?

With some common sense exemptions, like for police dogs, the time for
mandatory spay-neuter has arrived. (See Assembly Bill 1634, at
www.CAHealthyPets.com.) The bill even gives breeders multiple
exemptions, but still they are indignant because saving shelter animals
shrinks their customer base.

So when you see someone foaming at
the mouth about mandatory spay-neuter, ask them how many shelter
animals they've saved lately, if ever.

Mandatory spay-neuter is the only solution. Believe those of us who sacrifice, not others who profit.

LEO GETS A NEW LEASH ON LIFE!!

It seems as though everyday I get an e-mail, phone call, or read about
someone needing to GET RID of their beloved pet. It's the same old
excuse, people are either moving, have just discovered they have
allergies, have children, or this is my favorite(ya know I'm just
really tired of cleaning up all of the hair) after, I might add having
this cat for 11 years. What the hell is that? How heartless can someone
get? This is something I just cannot tolerate.


This story has an excellent ending, but started out quite the contrary. I got a phone
call from a woman that needed to GET RID of her dog ASAP. She had
originally RESCUED Leo as a puppy(big joke)and kept him outside tied to
a tree. Leo was stolen about 3 months after she got him. She had given
up hope of ever getting him back, and even(RESCUED) 2 other small dogs
from Hurricane Katrina. One night she had a dream that Leo was in the
local dog shelter, so she woke up the next morning and went straight to
Manatee Animal Services...low and behold Leo was in fact there. The woman was elated, so much so that she decided to put Leo right back outside tied to the same tree. ARE YOU STILL WITH ME? OK,
she decides she can't handle 3 dogs and it's not fair to Leo, because
the other 2 KATRINA dogs live in the house, and he always looks so sad
that he cannot be a part of the group.The woman decides to give Leo to
some friends?..dubious...to make a long story short, the woman gets a
phone call from Animal Services, guess what? Leo is back. They knew
this because he was micro-chipped from his previous stint in the
shelter. She of course goes down and retrieves Leo. Back to the tree
Leo goes..WTF? She FINALLY decides to do the right thing and call me, the fabulous animal goddess...ha ha I didn't hesitate, I went the next day to pick up the precious Leo. Can I just tell you, what a phenomenal
dog. Derek was back to his fostering duties! He had him for about six
weeks, then we found the perfect family for Leo. SCORE BABY!!!


I just received pictures from his new family, they are so crazy about
him. He now has a sister (DIXIE)the fabulous pitbull, they are the best of friends. oh, and guess what?.....................

LEO WILL (NEVER) BE TIED TO ANOTHER TREE FOR THE REST OF
HIS LIFE!!!! Thank you Samantha and Derek..

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF ANIMAL GUARDIANSHIP

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF ANIMAL GUARDIANSHIP

1. When you adopt me, remember that my life is likely to last 15 to 20 years. Please don't forsake me, any separation from you is painful.

2. Please give me time to understand what it is you want from me. Change can be more difficult for me than for you.

3. Please don't be angry with me for a long time, and don't lock me up alone as punishment. You have your human family, your friends, your entertainment and I ONLY HAVE YOU!!!

4. Please trust me and help me to trust you . . . it is crucial for mine as well as your well being.

5. Talk to me . . . even if you think I don't understand your words I understand your voice and love when you speak to me and stroke me.

6. Don't ever hit me! Remember that I have teeth and claws and could easily hurt you but I choose not to bite and scratch you because I love you.

7. Be aware, that however you treat me, I WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative or bad, ask yourself if maybe something is wrong and there is another reason for my behavior. Perhaps I am sick, hot, old or just plain tired, frustrated and weak. PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE ME AND PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE.

9. Please take care of me when I get old and don't abandon me, for you too will grow old. Please notice when I am ill because I need you to take me to the vet for help when I am ill just as you need to see a doctor.

10. Go with me on the most difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch" or "Do it when I leave" because I need you with me even at the end of my journeys. Please always do what is best for me even if it is unbearable for you to do so because I love you and trust that you will DO WHAT IS BEST FOR ME.

I HAVE BEEN REALLY BAD!

I have been totally remiss in my blogging duties.."AGAIN"..I promise I will start my blogging on a regular basis..please don't hate me..I've been busy saving lives....

LIVING IN CHAINS.. A LIFE SENTENCE

I just have to get something off my chest. I am currently living next door to a NIGHTMARE. My new neighbors, who by the way replaced the other BONEHEAD neighbors that I mentioned in a previous post, keep their two BLACK dogs outside 24/7. They have provided ZERO shelter or bedding. I am so sickened by this. It has been 37 degrees outside, it has poured rain and I mean COLD rain and still they remain outside. Why the hell even bother having an animal if you are going to sentence them to a life of solitude and chains. That's right ONE of the dogs is on a very short chain, while the other is allowed to run free. I don't get it. This is a 6ft shadow box fence. There would be no way for this dog to get out. This is animal cruelty at the highest level. They may not beat or starve the dogs, but they have no interaction with the dogs what so ever. They keep the blinds shut, and pretend as if there is nothing in the backyard but grass. How do I know these things? I'll tell you how.. I am incredibly observant, especially when it comes to the welfare of animals.

DAISY AND GEORGE HAVE FABULOUS NEW HOMES!

I am happy to give two new updates. First is the lovely DAISY. I got so
incredibly lucky on this one. My friend "Julie Royal" called me up a
couple of month's ago and informed me that her niece saw Daisy on the website and had to meet her. I arranged a meeting, and it was "Love at first sight" Courtney has now had Daisy a couple of month's and she is doing great. Courtney takes Daisy pretty much everywhere, which is wonderful. Even though I miss my girl, I know she is very happy. I will be arranging a play date in the very near future, remember Daisy is my little angel Shakespeare's mama. Please go see Courtney if you are looking for a fabulous hairdresser. She works at NUOVO Whole Foods Centre Sarasota. Next up is GEORGE. Derek ended up fostering him for about 6 weeks, and after interviewing several potential families, we finally found the perfect home. George's new mom Joanna, is a Mental Health Therapist for Sun coast Behavioral Medicine. She takes George to work with her daily, and he is able to socialize with Joanna's patients, and from what I understand he is doing a fabulous job. I am so proud of my Good BOY GEORGE! So there you have it....two happy endings for two very well deserving angels.

RAISE YOUR PAW IF YOUR PISSED!

I'm getting really disgusted by the GREED of Sarasota! First, they shut
down Pelican Man's Sanctuary for whatever stupid ass reason. I'm appalled that they were actually able to close
the place down. We desperately
needed that Sanctuary. Now TODAY I read that "the greedy ones" are at it
again, this time trying to close 17Th Street Paw Park. This is an outrage. What
the hell is going on around here? I guess if there isn't a tidy sum of money involved, SARASOTA wants no part of it. They want to make it a "TRIO" of football fields for the "Sarasota Ringling Redskins". Their current field is becoming a parking lot. The proposed plan is 4 million dollars. What planet are these people on? The worst part is they want to move the dog park to Cooper Creek Park, which surrounds a mile-long lake which contains more alligators than the Everglades. Last time I checked dogs and gators don't mix. I seriously hope that someone will step up and put the KIBOSH on this deal. Our dogs need a place to hang out and socialize without worrying about becoming a gator's lunch. I say move the Football field to Cooper Creek. Why not? They say it's safe for our dogs, why not children? Why? I will tell you why. Because this deal is in fact not about a children's football field. It is really about the "Cincinnati Reds", and their plans for building a "NEW" spring training baseball stadium. So there you have it folks. As usual, "MONEY" will always WIN over everything, no matter who it hurts. Please give me your thoughts on this matter.


UPDATE ON THE LOBSTER GAME:

After a little investigating, I found that I was not the only one that was outraged
by the LOBSTER GAME. The proper name is"LOBSTER ZONE", and there is a petition that is going around to have it
stopped. Please go to the website and sign the petition:

JUST SAY" NO" TO AMPUTATION!

I have worked with hundreds of cats in shelters and have participated in many online forums dealing with feline health and behavior. It’s been several years since behavior modification tools such as Sticky Paws and Soft Paws were introduced to the pet supply market, yet vets continue to declaw cats, often without advising clients that declawing involves amputating the cat’s toes at the first joint, resulting not only in extreme pain for the cat (declawed cats have been used in vet schools to test the efficacy of pain medication), but also in behavioral issues. Inappropriate urination or litter box avoidance is a common side effect of declawing. One probable reason for this is that the cat experiences pain in the amputated toes when digging in the litter. Another very common side effect of declawing is biting.

The reason most people give for declawing their cats is that they want to protect their furniture. Sticky Paws is an excellent way to protect furniture while the cat learns acceptable places to scratch, such as a sturdy scratching post or a corrugated cardboard scratch pad. Nail trimming helps prevent damage to furniture and skin. As a last resort, Soft Paws vinyl nailcaps can be applied to the cat’s claws. When our fingernails grow, would we ever consider cutting off our fingers at the first joint rather than trimming our nails?The bottom line is that furniture does not feel pain or have to walk on amputated toes. The U.S. and Canada lag behind most of the western world in banning declawing. If you are considering declawing a cat, please do some research first and learn about humane alternatives.

SIDE BAR: Please read the Feb 14 issue of "CREATIVE LOAFING" There is an excellent article on Feral cats. Joel, you did a great job on the story!

CELEBRITY SKIN

I had the most amazing day yesterday. I was invited to be the "Celebrity" Judge-MC for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser 'BEST IN SHOW"! This Foundation has been the Global Leader in the fight against breast cancer for over 20 years. The event was held at the Rosedale Golf and Country Club. They had several contests for the pooches, along with a ton of Raffle prizes. They had Best Costume, Longest Ears, Shortest Tail, Most Obedient, and Best Trick. I , as mentioned earlier was the judge. It certainly wasn't easy, they were all winners in my eyes. Several rescue organizations showed up with dogs and cats available for adoption. Cat Depot, Humane Society Sarasota, Underdog Rescue, and Humane Society Manatee County. I did my best to coerce the crowd into opening their hearts and adopting one of the beauties available for adoption I have my fingers crossed! I have to say it was such an honor to have been chosen to MC this amazing event, and I must have done something right...they invited me back next year.

On a side note I want to wish my BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING, mommy a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I LOVE YOU!

CATSINO NIGHT OUT!

I just have to thank all of the wonderful people that donated prizes
for the First Annual Fundraiser for "Cat Depot", "CATSINO
NIGHT". It was held at "Michael's on East"
and was a huge success. I went to several business owners looking for
RAFFLE PRIZES at the very LAST minute, I
might add, and they all came through without hesitation. I want to take
this opportunity to acknowledge these amazing people. I want all of my
animal peeps to know who the real animal lovers are in this town, and
hopefully you will patronize their businesses. I will start with "The Table", Rafael
was "Over the top generous; I hear he really loves the kitties, and the
food is amazing.
"Red" a new Peruvian Restaurant is again another fabulous place to dine;The Ceviche is to die for! OK,Chutney's is next, Great Tandoori and Hummus
, not to mention if you want to know the latest gossip in town "ASH" is
the man! If your looking for amazing tapas and people watching please go check out "Sangria's", located in downtown Sarasota, the owners rescued Bella who was on death row, you guys are great. And last but not least for the restaurants is the most
romantic waterfront dining in town, "Ophelia's on the Bay"
Just a quick side bar: the service is FLAWLESS! I was also able to snag
an $85 bottle of Port along with a very generous gift certificate from
Mr.Mike Flanagan, owner of
"Flanagan's Wine
Market", the best wine store in town, AND he has two rescued
kitties. If you like to golf, and I know many of you do, "The Links"
at Greenfield Plantation is the place, beautiful course and
friendly staff. For those of you that need to get away from it all and
pamper yourself, male or female, you must visit my next generous donor,"Urban Oasis Day
Spa",Linda, the owner, will totally hook you up. Any unwanted
hair and she's your wax queen, no need to keep that pesky little
moustache! Last but not least is a Day Spa for your beloved pooch.
"The
Yuppy Puppy". Ask for Becky she will totally give your babies
the STAR treatment that they deserve. So there you have it folks. These
are the people that step up to the plate for animals, even if it is the
11th hour. Thanks again guys, YOU ROCK!

SAVING GEORGIA DOGS!

I know, I know...We have our hands full with homeless animals in Florida. However, I have recently gotten involved with a group in Georgia. As a matter of fact, they are one of the MYSPACE peeps. Just in case you did not know, Georgia has an insane amount of unwanted pets. The shelters in Georgia are very high kill. It doesn't matter if it's a Yorkshire terrier, or a Golden Retriever. This particular group "SAVING GEORGIA DOGS" are amazing. They go around to all of the "HIGH KILL" Animal Shelters in Georgia and pull as many dogs out as they possibly can. They have a network of Foster and other Rescue Organizations around the country that will take these dogs in. The key is actually raising the funds to get the medical, boarding, and transportation for these precious dogs. The group will POST bulletins on MYSPACE, pleading for the lives of these dogs. The amazing part is that 9 times out of 10 they actually raise the money. There are some wonderful caring souls that are on myspace. There is another group I want to mention. They are called "SAVING SHELTER PETS,INC", another amazing group that pulls from high kill shelters all over Georgia, and other states. I had the pleasure of meeting one of their volunteers KASEY. She lives in Orlando, and is one of the most FABULOUS women I have ever encountered. Together, we helped save "MAMADOG", a very pregnant hound mix that came from "THE DEKALB SHELTER" in Georgia. She was literally knock knock knocking on Heavens door. I called the lovely Julie Royal and asked if she could help find a foster for MAMADOG. Without hesitation, she agreed to take her in. The entire operation was executed flawlessly. Several volunteers agreed to transport MAMADOG. She was picked up from Dekalb Shelter, another volunteer met her 100 miles later, then another and another and finally she got to Jacksonville where Kasey met her. Kasey then drove straight to Brandon, where Julie met her, then finally HOME SWEET HOME! Julie has renamed MAMADOG; she is now KASEY..how appropriate! Julie has now had Kasey about 3 weeks. She gave birth to 10 beautiful healthy puppies, and they will all be available for adoption in a few weeks. See, this is what it's all about folks. Animal Rescue may not always be pretty...but at the end of the day, it is sooooo worth it.

MY SPACE....

Hello Animal Lovers. I must share my very recent experience on MYSPACE. You see, up until a couple of month's ago, I, in fact, was a MYSPACE VIRGIN. I decided to make a profile and use it to promote my Pet Adoption Show. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I had a friend walk me through the process of "PIMPING OUT" my myspace. I had a blast choosing my layout. The photobucket copy and paste deal, you can really get creative. Then I go on to learning the friend process. My sole purpose for being on myspace is helping animals, I have found that it is a tremendous networking tool. I immediately joined several Animal Rescue Groups. I was amazed and flattered at the number of people from all around the world that requested me as a friend. I am now up to 51 friends. The funny thing is that I only personally know maybe 7. How crazy is that!? I get these "HAVE A GREAT DAY" messages from complete strangers. I suppose the Esprit de corps is that all of my "friends" love animals, which is a beautiful thing. Let me just say, these Animal Rescue Groups on Myspace are raising money and saving thousands of animals lives. So my point to this blog is...Myspace is not just for pedophiles, bands, and teenagers.

HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR PITBULL TODAY?

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Last night, we shot the most amazing show on Pitbulls. I could not have been more thrilled. We went to Mo-Joe's Family Friends. Melissa Benfield, the founder, is awesome. She rescues mainly Pitbulls and all types of "BULLY BREEDS". Her entire family is very involved, which is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, Pitbulls get a bad rap most of the time. People just don't get the fact that HUMANS are responsible for the violent behavior in all dogs, not just Pitbulls.I have a link that I want everyone to visit"THE PITBULL PROBLEM" It is not fun to watch, but it is the reality of what goes on with these innocent creatures. Pitbull fighting is rampant and doesn't seem to be slowing down. The culture that we live in is branded in a HYPER-VIOLENT PSEUDO WORLD, without consequences. This desensitizing encourages this type of 'ENTERTAINMENT" to flourish. I can attest to the fact that if you give your Pitbulls love and respect, they simply will not attack you. If you knew what these "" "LOATHSOM INDIVIDUALS" actually did to these dogs to get them to behave in this violent way, trust me, you would be OUTRAGED and HEARTBROKEN. Please watch my show this week....You may learn something, and not be so judgmental. Remember, people are afraid of what they don't understand.

LOBSTER KARIOKE

I was recently out with a few friends and we decided to go KARIOKE SLUMMING. There are several dive bars in Sarasota that have FABULOUS Karioke. We decided on "THE CRACKER JACK". Now some of you may or may not know that someone was actually SHOT in there a few months ago, so clearly we were insane for even considering this place. We get there around 11:00 and the place is packed. Some guy was up singing "REBEL YELL", he actually wasn't half bad. Anyhoo, I saunter up to the bar to get a drink, while waiting I look over at a group of people gathering around what looked to be some type of gaming machine. These people were getting really excited, so me being the inquisitive one, decide to go check it out. I finally get a peek, and was absolutely horrified to see it was a LOBSTER TANK, with LIVE LOBSTERS. It is set up like one of those machines with stuffed animals, you know the one where the big CLAW comes down. For $1 you get a chance to "WIN" a lobster. I find this disgraceful. What the hell is some bored drunk going to do with a LIVE LOBSTER? I feel the LOBSTER GAME is an unfortunate example of our culture at large. As the saying goes,"Idle hands are the Devils workshop". I will be contacting several of my Animal Rights peeps, to see what can be done about this repulsive game.

I'M BAAAACK!

Ok, so I have clearly been remiss in my blogging duties. I truly apologize, and promise to try very hard to keep this baby updated. Wow, so much has happened since my last post. I have been able to help many animals get adopted, which of course is my biggest goal in life. At the moment there is one very special dog I'm fiercely focused on getting adopted. His name is George, and he is the most precious angel. I must share his story. I was volunteering at Petsmart one Sunday about 7 month's ago. I had been there about 15 minutes when this VERY young couple came in with a puppy. They approached me and told me they had just found him wondering around the parking lot. He was the most adorable little angel. I thought for sure someone would come in Petsmart frantically looking for their puppy. Unfortunately, that never happened. At the end of the day I called my very good friend Derek and asked if he would consider fostering the little guy ,he happily agreed and I brought him right over. Derek decided to name the hansome boy, Moe. I had Moe neutered and got him his first round of puppy shots,within 3 weeks he was ready to bre adopted. I took Moe back to Petsmart on SDA'S adoption day, of course he was a huge hit, and within 1 hour he was adopted. Now let's flash forward 6 month's later. I get a phone call from the girl that adopted Moe, now renamed George. She is crying telling me she must move out of state and cannot take George. I guess dogs are banned in the state she is moving to...Anyway, I meet her at a McDonald's parking lot to retrieve the now enormous George. Yes, he is indeed a big boy. Thankfully, my very good friend agreed to foster George, AGAIN! He has now had George a little over a month, and I think he will make someone an excellent companion. He just wants to love and be loved. So anyone reading this that thinks they may be interested in having a Fabulous companion, please contact me. Serious inquiries only, I want George's next home to be his LAST, even if you must leave the state!