Tuesday, December 23, 2008

A Fantastic Article in Sports Illustrated


I know lately, a lot of this blog has been centering about dogs...specifically pitties.  I've been volunteering for No More Homeless Pets and Best Friends, and of course, having two rescued pittie mixes of my own, clearly this is close to my heart.  I have been following the stories of a lot of dogs, and I am hoping to adopt another rescued pittie in the future (though not while Sweet Winn is of this earth).  I, like many, have been captivated by the stories of the Vick(tory) Dogs that have ended up at Best Friends, and Bad Rap, another fantastic dog rescue out of the Bay Area.

This article was in Sports Illustrated today, and I think it's a great one.  It chronicles not only the horror that these dogs endured, but the hope they now have.  You will also see in print, PETA's stance- if you don't remember reading this on this very blog previously, I'll recap:  PETA believes in Breed Specific Legislation, and that pit bulls should be euthanized.  Sickening and oh-so-ironic.

Anyways, please read this article  in SI today online and be sure the check out the photo gallery if you have a chance- it will enlighten you not only to the plight of the Vicktory Dogs, but to the tradgedy of dog fighting in general, and the important work of the rescues involved.

Also, if any of you readers have cable, tomorrow on the National Geographic Channel, they will run a marathon of the show Dogtown, which chronicles many of the 500 various rescued dogs living at Best Friends.   Adam and I will be volunteering again January 1-4 in Kanab at Dogtown, and I am counting the minutes.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

I love this!




I got nuthin'

No news is good news, right?  Not one exciting thing going on right now.   But, if I had to come up with something:

*Was paid for my first professional interior design gig helping a very nice woman pick out paint colors for a beautiful new Craftsman home

*Finally ate at the Wild Grape Bistro and paid a very large tab...ouch, but the food was excellent- perhaps we'll go just for brunch next time?  

*Climbing A LOT in the gym, damn will it ever stop snowing here?  Nope, probably not until late May.  Yipeeee.

*Working too much- damn whiney skiers and their nasty feet.  EWWWWWW.

*Counting the days until our next trip to Best Friends January 1-4

*Collecting tennis balls from local tennis clubs to bring on the BF trip, along with a lot of donated gear from a few kind souls at Black Diamond to help with the BF Rapid Response rescue team- think Search and Rescue for animals

*Giving huge thanks to the universe that Tiggs is doing AWESOME!

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Tiggs posed for the camera today


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Another ridiculous cop out of "humane" treatment of pit bulls by the SPCA

So…Where Are the Dogs?
reprinted from the Bestfriends.org website
The real victims of Houston’s dog fighting bustBy Ed Fritz, Best Friends staff.

On November 14, one of the largest dog fighting rings in the country was busted in Texas, according to the Houston Chronicle. The individuals facing charges come from all walks of life; from school teachers to oil industry executives to hardened criminals. While many man hours and resources have gone into prosecuting this case to what seems to be the fullest extent of the law, what is missing from the news reports is what has become of the victims? How many resources went into helping these dogs used as pawns by these violent offenders? Chillingly, all reports suggest that all 187 of these dogs have been summarily euthanized, no questions asked.

One group, Love-A-Bull would like to know why rescue organizations were not consulted, if only to save one life - it would have changed the world for that one victim.Desperate attempts were made by rescue groups to get as many dogs as possible to safety. The dogs were placed in custody of the Health Department. Because the Health Department does not house animals, local organizations stepped up. It turns out that the offer to help did not pan out so well for the dogs. These organizations do not adopt out pit bulls, nor do they provide sanctuary.Lydia Zaidman, President of the 501c3 pit bull advocacy organization Love-A-Bull in Austin, Texas is one of those that reached out to offer help with rescuing the confiscated dogs. Lydia was shocked to hear from SPCA spokesperson, Meera Nandlal, that the dogs were “line bred for fighting” and were going to be “humanely euthanized.” According to Zaidman, representatives of the SPCA would not answer more questions or comment any further. She then decided to advocate the best she knew how. She rallied the group and passed the ball to fellow pit bull advocate, Robyn Roberts who got things rolling with her Houston Press blog.

In an article posted on the Animal Law Coalition website, Laura Allen writes that just days after the seizure of the dogs “…a judge awarded custody of dogs seized in Harris County to Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services Dept. Assistant District Attorney Belinda Smith told Animal Law Coalition these dogs have already been euthanized. Harris County animal control also has a policy of not adopting out aggressive dogs.”Nandlal, Public Relations Manager for the Houston SPCA, which took 61 of the dogs, had this to say, “These animals were bred from a long line of fighting dogs to be aggressive. We have made the decision to have them humanely euthanized.”

As Best Friends Animal Society took in 22 of the pit bulls from the infamous Bad Newz Kennels, owned by Atlanta Falcons Quarterback, Michael Vick, I can tell you with first hand experience that dogs that “come from a long line of fighting” do not inherently fight. It appears that even animal care professionals, in this case the Houston SPCA, still need an education on pit bulls.

Dogs from even the worst case scenarios can be rehabilitated and it has been proven by the progress made by the victims of Michael Vick. Some of the rehabilitated canines can even go on to become beloved house pets and therapy dogs! To think that the dogs seized in this raid were given no chances, no attorneys, no reprieve – only euthanasia as their final solution - is unconscionable!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. We urge you to write to the President of the Houston SPCA and ask that they readdress their policy regarding pit bull type dogs.

- Request that in the future, when rescue groups stand up and offer help, that they accept it.
- Request that before decisions of euthanasia are made, reputable animal trainers and behaviorists are invited to fairly evaluate the animal in question.
- Request that the shelter system work towards developing model adoption programs for pit bulls and other bully type breeds.
- Insist that the Houston SPCA live up to their mission statement (from their own website): “The Houston SPCA is committed to accepting all animals in need and giving them a second chance at life.”
Patricia E. Mercer, PresidentHouston SPCA900 Portway Drive Houston, Texas 77024-8022Phone: 713-869-7722
Email: patriciamercer@hspca.org
Other contacts for the Houston SPCA

2. If you love pits, support bully friendly organizations such as:• Love-A-BullBad RapAnimal Farm FoundationOur Pack

3. Support the victims of dogs rescued from fighting rings. Post your comments on the Houston Press Blog. For more background information and updates on this unprecedented case go to:• Petabuse.com

Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staffPhoto credit: dogs pictured were not those seized and were taken by Best Friends photographers

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Please take a brief minute

To click on this link, fill out a vote for No More Homeless Pets to recieve a grant.  It will take less than 30 seconds, and will cost you nothing!  If they get enough votes, they get $10,000!  It's super easy, please take a second to do this.

Into All Things Orange and Retro

If I had room, I'd have one of these...currently on KSL for $300- http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=4982045&cat=&lpid=1 though I probably would forgo the wood paneling, carpet, and weird tile backsplash....I would have it in my fabulous mid century modern glass house like this one.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Pre-Feast Post

Hello to my faithful readers.  For those of you in Salt Lake, please be sure to check out my neighbor's new restaurant The Wild Grape Bistro, where the former Avenues Bakery resided.  Troy and Jessica are great people, and Troy has a lot of experience as a sommelier.  Adam and I can't wait to try it, and plan to go next week.  They have a late night menu (food and full bar until midnight!!), as well as brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.  They are getting rave reviews already, so be sure to stop in for a glass of wine and some dinner ASAP!

The Wild Grape Bistro
481 E South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

$50 Well Spent


Lately I've been bummed out about the lack of cool stuff on Craigslist, but there was one listing that kept popping up that was sticking around.  I kinda sorta needed a more comfortable office chair, but it was far from crucial, but when I saw this baby, I couldn't really get it out of my head.  I have a friend who collects all of this vintage office furniture, and it looked so cool in her house, so I told her about the chair.  Days went by, and she didn't get it, and there it was still languishing on Craigslist.  I decided to offer the seller $40- she wanted $80, but hey, these are tough times.  We settled on $50 and I picked it up last night.  It is a mid century classic office chair made by Shaw-Walker of Muskegon, Michigan.

After doing a little research, I was pleased (shocked) to see that a restored version of this chair is selling for $1250!!!!  So, I'm off to figure out what a restoration would entail.  First thing is getting the upholstery cleaned and re-padded.  Coincidentally, I live across the street from an upholsterer, so that will be the research project du jour.




Monday, December 01, 2008

The Tree is Up!

Early Merry Christmas to all. We got the tree up yesterday, I love the way it makes the house smell.
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