tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350091812024-03-13T23:32:10.243-07:00BAD RAP BlogTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654993049959218916noreply@blogger.comBlogger701125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-80893607670992714622018-10-21T14:29:00.002-07:002018-10-21T14:41:51.528-07:00Pit Bull Awareness, but WHAT'S a 'Pit Bull?'<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<b>Just MUTTS? Maybe not so much.</b></div>
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Science wants us to know that, yes, true American Pit Bull Terriers represent a good number of the 'blocky headed' dogs being adopted from our animal shelters and rescues. 'Pit Mixes' too, 'course. What advocates choose to do with that info is up to (all of) us.<br />
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<b>Visit our Website-based Blog </b>for the skinny on the fat heads, including recent wow-info info from Embark DNA Results.<br />
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<b><a href="http://badrap.org/blog/pit-bull-awareness-month-who-what-why" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LINK</a></b></h3>
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-50261586799871247252017-12-31T13:11:00.001-08:002017-12-31T13:11:30.886-08:00We've Moved! Come join The Force in a new location.<b>Happy 2018. </b>A reminder that you'll find our posts at our new website now, including this year end message and rumination about our wild ride through 2017.<br />
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<b><a href="http://badrap.org/blog/2018-may-force-be-us-all" target="_blank">New Blog Location</a></b><br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-58584001633172981952017-12-19T17:34:00.002-08:002017-12-19T17:38:51.214-08:00New Website .. And a smooth move for our Blog<h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.375em;">
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It's been a long time coming <span style="font-weight: 400;">... </span><span style="font-family: "news cycle" , "arial" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.45px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We're happy to unveil BADRAP's updated website. We hope you like it. As we sharpen our dog owner support focus, our goal for the upgrade has been to make the site more smart phone friendly, but even more, to make resources easier to find so dog owners facing struggles can get quicker answers and help for their dog(s).</span><br /><br /><a href="http://badrap.org/" target="_blank">Check it out: BADRAP.org</a></span><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 400;">Two key sections:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The </span><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://badrap.org/" target="_blank">Home Page</a></strong><span class="0" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 400;"><span class="element-invisible" style="box-sizing: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">lists general topics and the </span><a href="http://badrap.org/keep-em-home" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; font-weight: 400; transition: 150ms ease;" target="_blank"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Keep'Em Home</strong></a><a href="http://badrap.org/keep-em-home" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; font-weight: 400; transition: 150ms ease;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="font-weight: 400;">section lists topics relevant to local (SF Bay Area) dog owners. It's better organized, with smoother entries to spay/neuter information and forms, emergency vet care links, housing strategies and other must-knows for navigating life with a blocky headed dog.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://badrap.org/badrap-blog" target="_blank">Our Blog will now live HERE.</a></div>
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Much of our popular dog management info is still here, with the addition of <a href="http://badrap.org/training-resources/multi-dog-homes" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 150ms ease;" target="_blank" title="multi-dog homes">videos</a> on many of the pages. We think you'll enjoy our new <a class="0" href="http://test-badrap.pantheonsite.io/adoptions/dog-adoption-gallery" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 150ms ease;" target="_blank">Adoption <span class="0" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="element-invisible" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></a><a href="http://badrap.org/adoptions/dog-adoption-gallery" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 150ms ease;" target="_blank">Gallery</a> and our growing library of <a href="http://badrap.org/keep-em-home/keepem-home-stories" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 150ms ease;" target="_blank">Keep'Em Home</a> stories.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Tell us what you think!</strong> There are bound to be bugs, so we appreciate your patience as we continue to download and tap dance through the wild world of html.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Thank you for sharing this site with your friends, and for your warm and encouraging support!</em></div>
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-80169453232968073262017-09-22T08:55:00.002-07:002017-09-22T08:55:36.488-07:00The COUNT DOWN! Oct 1st. One lucky animal shelter will be named.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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October 2017 marks the ten year anniversary that the '<a href="http://www.badrap.org/vick-dogs" target="_blank">Vick dogs</a>' were finally allowed to leave Virginia and start new lives with their advocates. Before age steals the last dog away from us, sculptor Tim Racer, who helped evaluate, train and re-home the dogs as a representative of BADRAP, is commemorating their history-making lives by creating a one of a kind life size carving of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jonnyjustice/" target="_blank">Jonny Justice</a>, (left) one the surviving dogs who is still going strong.<br />
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<b>But where should that carving live? </b><br />
To give it a home where history lovers can enjoy it, we've asked advocates to help us select one lucky animal shelter to be the official guardian and permanent home of the finished piece.<br />
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On October 1, tallied votes from our <a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap" target="_blank"><b>Shelter Dog Celebration Calendar Contest</b> </a>will signal the winner.
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Who's Who? The Shelter Line-Up: </span></b></h3>
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The shelters who are vying for the carving represent a Who's-Who of progressive policy and pit bull advocacy. They include:</h4>
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<b><a href="http://www.spca.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">The Montreal SPCA</a>: </b>advocates on a mission. They're currently<b> </b>challenging their city's breed ban <a href="http://www.spca.com/?p=13494&lang=en" target="_blank">in court.</a> When the city announced plans for the breed ban, the Montreal SPCA adjusted their city contracts with a refusal to seize or hold dogs under BSL (breed specific legislation) and started working to <a href="http://www.spca.com/?p=14209&lang=en" target="_blank">transfer </a>endangered dogs to safe, breed-neutral locations. A win for the Montreal SPCA would help celebrate their commitment to humane, breed neutral policies that treat all dogs as the individuals that they are. <a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap/entries/99488" target="_blank">To vote on their contest photo.</a><br />
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<b><a href="http://lucascountydogs.com/" target="_blank">Lucas County Canine Care and Control</a> </b>in Toledo Ohio. These history makers evolved from a shelter notorious for it's <a href="https://animallawcoalition.com/bsl-and-dog-warden-skeldon-a-tragedy-for-the-dogs-of-lucas-county/" target="_blank">no-mercy</a> "kill all" policy towards blocky headed dogs perceived to be pit bulls, to a place where every dog is given a fair chance. Their new and enlightened approach to helping dogs boasts a new volunteer program, play groups for all dogs, adoption events and increased public access to the shelter's larger dogs. <a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap/entries/99448" target="_blank">To vote on their contest photo.</a><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.animalcare.saccounty.net/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Sacramento County Animal Care and Control</a> </b>welcomed the <b><a href="https://saccountydogs.com/" target="_blank">PB SOC program</a></b>, which is responsible for running playgroups for all the larger dogs, advertising with glam shots and individual web pages for each, adoption counseling, post-adoption behavioral support, and a rehab program for the shy, fearful, and not-as-social dogs. <a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap/entries/100724" target="_blank">To vote on their contest photo.</a><br />
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<b><a href="https://kcpetproject.org/" target="_blank">KC Pet Project </a></b>was founded to take over KCMO shelter operations and by doing that, ended breed specific shelter policies once and for all. Their non-discrimination policy for both pets and people, ensure that every life that enters our shelter gets equal consideration - no matter what the breed, species, age or physical ailment. <a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap/entries/100922" target="_blank">To vote on their contest photo.</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/berkeleyanimals/" target="_blank"><b>Berkeley Animal Care Services</b>,</a> where many of the Vick dogs attended their first <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/interactives/_national/rescued_dogs/index.html?SITE=NVREN&SECTION=HOME" target="_blank">training classes</a>, is also vying for the sculpture. BADRAP has been part of BACS' legacy since first partnering to provide handling classes to shelter dogs and adopted dogs in 2001. <a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap/entries/99688" target="_blank">To vote on their contest photo.</a><br />
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Other notable shelters who are participating: <i>Three Rivers Humane Society, The SPCA for Monterey County, Macon County Animal Control and Care Center, Humane Society Silicon Valley, First Avenue Shelter, Friends of the River Rouge Animal Shelter, Fredericksburg Regional SPCA, Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society, SPCA of Tompkins County, Idaho Humane Society, San Jose Animal Care Center, Alameda County Offices East County Animal Shelter, Front Street Animal Shelter - City of Sacramento, Ventura County Animal Services, Conway Area Humane Society, Petaluma Animal Services, Monadnock Humane Society, Fresno Bully Rescue, Seattle Humane, Multnomah County Animal Services and SPCA of Anne Arundel County.</i><br />
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Funds raised for this contest benefit BADRAP's foster care program - specifically, our Hurricane Irma <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10155019821692399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">relief work</a>. Please keep your eye on the progress and help us select a shelter deserving of being guardian for Jonny Justice's legacy. <a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap" target="_blank"><b>CONTEST</b></a><br />
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<b>Above:</b> Tim has made a name for himself as a carver in the carousel world. His museum quality portraits are hand carved from basswood in old school techniques and capture each dog's unique personality through the pose, gesture and saddle trappings. <a href="http://www.badrap.org/gallery-tim-racer" target="_blank"><b>More of Tim's work.</b></a>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-30054403443672484942017-08-22T08:39:00.002-07:002018-01-16T10:13:01.108-08:00A fad, unfortunate labels and a kennel in decline.<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uouOnNus70/WZmiANFo3WI/AAAAAAAAFHU/od0EyF5cOK4BgtNwNiRXWJ2U4JAda8sxACEwYBhgL/s1600/these_puppies2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1543" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uouOnNus70/WZmiANFo3WI/AAAAAAAAFHU/od0EyF5cOK4BgtNwNiRXWJ2U4JAda8sxACEwYBhgL/s400/these_puppies2.jpg" width="450" /></a>
<b>One of these pups is from a high volume kennel that is trying to shut down.</b><br />
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Not the pit bull. The fuzzy girl on the right came from a kennel in a remote part of NorCA. The woman who owns the kennel has been busy attracting buyers from near and far who dream of owning their very own 'wolf type dog.' <br />
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The power of marketing and personal fantasy is strong. Hundreds and hundreds of pups have been sold from this yard over the years, but the jig is up.<br />
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Along with the breeder's announcement that she wants to retire (she's 72 and facing health problems) the County is demanding that she reduce her numbers by 80% - from 130 adult dogs down to 25 adults, or else. She's told us that she wants out of the puppy business altogether. Good news, since there are only so many families to go around who are ready for the built-in challenges of a high energy dog who carries the burden of a troublesome label. <br />
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Dog rescuers have been shaking their fists at this breeder ever since her dogs started falling out of ill-prepared homes and into overcrowded animal shelters. So understandably, many scoffed at the news that she wants to retire and seemed to believe it was a ruse.<br />
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<b>The Aftermath</b><br />
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Animal shelters and rescues in many parts of the country are reporting a <a href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/whats-now/sd-me-huskies-popular-game-of-thrones-20170816-story.html" target="_blank">sharp increase</a> in the number of homeless huskies and dogs identified (correctly or incorrectly) as Wolfdogs. We've walked this difficult path with pit bulls when Pandora's box first opened in the late 80's, so decided to contact the breeder last spring to learn about her plans and offer some help towards closing shop. She responded immediately.<br />
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Getting to this kennel from the SF Bay Area requires a lot of driving and at least one overnight, so we dialed up rescue friend Shirley from <a href="https://dogwoodanimalrescue.org/" target="_blank">Dogwood Animal Rescue</a>, drove the distance and secured a veterinarian to join us. After introductions, we surveyed the endless rows of haphazardly built pens filled with dozens of bouncing, barking dogs and did a head count while trying not to look too shocked. On that day there were two hundred and twenty two (222!) dogs and puppies. As you can guess, with only two people on-site to provide care, the conditions were less than ideal.<br />
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Before you curse the breeder, remember that this situation is alive and well because it's been supported by hundreds of buyers over the years who desire her product. No buyers, no producers.<br />
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While we were there, we watched a buyer trade a frightened pup for fencing material and we held the space as the veterinarian euthanized eight troubled dogs at the owner's request. It was a tough day. Shirley unloaded a car full of donated kibble and filled it back up with four scared-to-pieces pups and one adult to head back to her rescue for TLC and rehoming. Since that visit, we've organized the spaying and neutering of the small group of adults the breeder is intending to keep. We started lists of dogs from the site titled, '<i>Possible Rescue Candidate</i>,' '<i>Not Adoptable</i>,' and fretted over the impossible details with our most experienced rescue and disaster response colleagues. No one seems to know how to help, to be honest. The skittish behavior of so many under socialized, escape prone dogs requires special management, but rescues are already overwhelmed with sheltered husky type dogs who've been falling out of homes. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is full and the very real problem of <a href="http://www.ocala.com/opinion/20170821/editorial-hoarding-law-good-idea" target="_blank">hoarding </a>in lesser known sanctuaries is pushing responders to the wall. Funders we spoke with were unwilling to engage due to the high number of dogs who would likely be euthanized due to lack of rescue options. Some suggested that the breeder's dogs could only be helped if they fell into extreme health crisis. Then, they said, funders would allow for a disaster relief response. Until then, there were basically SOL.<br />
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<b>Puppy Mill Behavior</b><br />
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In July, a transport brought eight of the breeder's puppies down to Oakland. They'd been destined for sale in a Walmart parking lot - it's how the breeder buys kibble for so many hungry adults - so we took them on to help them out, but also as a bit of an experiment. What would they be like? What kind of owners do they need?<br />
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It was clear from day one that the pups were feral and we had a big job on our hands. Wolfdog behavior? They barely look the part. Trusted Wolfdog experts believe that most of the dogs from this kennel show "low or no" wolfy content. They're mostly husky-german shepherd mixes, they tell us. And boy are they shy. It's not uncommon for generations of tightly bred dogs who have no life outside of their pens to produce timid, socially insecure pups. 'Puppy mill behavior,' it's called.<br />
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The pups ran and hid from us like wild raccoons their first days here and screamed all night for their mama. It was a long first few days. To wriggle their confidence up a notch or more, we brought in the best reinforcements: Cans and cans of soft food, spoons and human vending machines, and our secret weapon - some of the most human friendly dogs known to humankind. Pit bulls, of course. <br />
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Since day one, social butterflies <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10154866231447399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Scamp</a> (below), <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10154869415957399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Hennie</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10154836597592399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Bernadette</a> have been modeling the most ridiculously friendly behavior towards humans imaginable. While the pups now ADORE the dogs, humans are still relatively low on their list of must-haves. Except when we have food, which makes us extremely popular with them several times a day. Baby steps - but progress.<br />
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<b>A Label's Curse</b><br />
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Our modest attempt to help another misrepresented 'breed type' has been educational, to say the least. Wolfdogs! The name alone brings bragging rights to starry-eyed buyers, but sets their dogs up for real trouble with animal control agencies if they find themselves loose. Many animal shelters opt to euthanize dogs who they suspect may be a Wolfdog, and base their decision on nothing more than <i>what they perceive to be</i> a wolfy appearance.<br />
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This no-mercy trend has been fueled by negative messaging in much of the language currently used in animal welfare circles. The ASPCA for example, who helped break huge barriers for pit bulls with their work on the Vick case, recently assisted with a well publicized rescue mission of <a href="http://www.wsaw.com/content/news/ASPCA-continues-seizing-animals-on-Crandon-property-416564703.html" target="_blank">husky looking dogs</a> in Wisconsin. They described the seized dogs as 'Wolf hybrids,' and suggested their gene mix made the animals potentially <a href="https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statements-hybrids-pets" target="_blank">unpredictable and dangerous</a>. <b>The problem is,</b> the dogs who go along with those warnings can look very much like companion animals many have in our homes - including our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/posts/10154891973097399?comment_id=10154892304727399&reply_comment_id=10154893544217399&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D" target="_blank">own</a>. How do we tell them apart? It may be impossible. <br />
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The ASPCA contradicts their warnings by pointing out the fallibility of using visual examination to determine content in their same statement - A reminder that the animal welfare world is still trying to figure it all out. In instances where a dog's breed mix is questionable, some animal control agencies will fall back to the label that the owner chooses to use. A dog owner who brags that his husky is a 'Wolfdog' can be condemning his pet to death if that dog is seized.<br />
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DNA tests that look for wolf content markers have become popular, but are not 100% reliable. Their use has fueled passionate debate when dogs like <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-saving-karma-20150930-story.html" target="_blank">Karma</a>, who for all intents and purposes appears to be a full breed husky, came up positive for a trace amount of content. That trace amount nearly cost Karma her life.<br />
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<b>Remember the days</b> when any dog suspected of having a trace amount of pit bull was labeled and widely condemned by municipalities and animal shelters with breed bans?<br />
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The What-are-they? and How-do-we-describe-them-to-adopters? dilemma of our current batch of pups tossed us right back to lessons from our history with pit bulls. They taught us that, regardless of labels or genetics, <b>dogs are first and foremost individuals</b>, not cookie cutter copies of our most stubborn stereotypes. Their individual behaviors, including challenging ones, are either manageable or they aren't. Those lessons have asked that we view these pups with fresh eyes:<br />
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<b>Who are you? What makes you tick? And, especially, What do you need to succeed? </b><br />
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With help from other rescues (thank you Family Dog Rescue and Norsled) we were soon left with four pups: The intelligent <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10154953100847399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Stella</a>, the gorgeous, impulsive <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10154920459667399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Winter</a> and their still-figuring-it-all-out sisters, Foxy and Baby Face (right). The girls required very special placements, including patient, husky-savvy humans, one or more well socialized dogs to serve as their anchors, and escape proof homes (ie, proper containment and good fences).<br />
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Whatever we decide to call them, dogs who've been labeled correctly or incorrectly as Wolfdogs are being exploited and harmed by their label. They deserve our compassion and the very best game planning from the animal welfare world who is ultimately charged with dealing with them when they fall into crisis. Pit bulls, after all, hammered the lessons home by showing us that condemning any breed 'type' based on nothing but physical appearance and negative stereotyping is inhumane and does nothing to push the needle to a better place. <br />
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<b>EDIT: <a href="http://www.lassennews.com/county-abates-north-county-puppy-mill/" target="_blank">Updated news</a> from Jan 2018 on the 'retirement' of High Desert Wolves.</b><br />
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Photo Album of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/115894220@N03/albums/72157683914597883" target="_blank">Foxy and Baby Face</a><br />
<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-76654843939860969292017-08-07T09:44:00.001-07:002017-08-08T06:17:18.029-07:00Chappy and Crystal: A team like no other.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We couldn't be prouder of '<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sn1tDhwgBw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Barn Dog</a>' graduate Chappy who first came to us from Contra Costa Animal Services and is now serving as a service dog for his adopter, Crystal. <br />
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Crystal is a war veteran and like so many coming home, she's challenged with navigating the world with debilitating post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from her time in Afghanistan.<br />
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Chappy provides comfort, but even more, his full time job is to keep close tabs on Crystal's emotional state and to signal to her when he notes that her stress is mounting to the point where she needs to sit down and regroup.<br />
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Chappy found his calling when <a href="http://operationfreedompaws.org/" target="_blank"><b>Operation Freedom Paws</b></a> came looking for a special dog for Crystal. They needed a dog who was comfortable with the world, relaxed around bigger distractions including other animals, and highly tuned in to people. They were also hoping for a snuggler with a goofy side to help lighten the mood when her painful migraines creep in. As it turns out, this velcro clown had all the right stuff and took to his job almost immediately.<br />
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As a service dog who's been specifically trained for his job, his work is recognized by federal law and supported through the American Disabilities Act (ADA). He's allowed to accompany Crystal to all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, taxis, stores, hospitals and medical offices, theaters, etc.,as she moves about her day. Full time support.<br />
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I asked Janet Wenholtz from Operation Freedom Paws to explain PTSD and how dogs can assist their owners:<br />
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"When a person has PTSD, s/he scans, constantly looking for that threat. The least movement or sound kicks in the "fight or flight" process, which adjusts body chemistry and body language. Adrenaline is as addictive as heroin, and for a lot of people, living in that state of anxiety becomes their normal. Their bodies never stop producing it, so they never truly relax. Even when they're asleep, they're having nightmares, and rarely sleep more than a few hours at a time. Then they're awake -sometimes for days.<br />
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Trauma physically changes the brain. Basically, the conscious mind loses much of its control over their brain's natural reactions. Someone with PTSD lives in a state of constant heightened anxiety. Life in general is just too overwhelming and overstimulating. This causes them to isolate, sometimes for decades at a time. If they go out, even to the grocery store, it's at 3:00 AM. Usually the only place they go during the day is to medical appointments, where they're usually given meds to help them sleep, wake up, cope with pain, etc. These can add to the problems, especially for vets whose VA docs don't always talk to each other about patients they have in common. Psychiatrists at the VA see their patients about every 3 months, if they're lucky. Most self-medicate as well, with alcohol and drugs on top of their meds. It's a very dangerous situation for them and the people around them."<br />
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<b>So where does the dog come in, and how does it help?</b><br />
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"First, when accepted to this program, they have to take the dog out for walks. We require in our contract that clients get out of their houses at least two hours a day, even if it's just to walk around the neighborhood. They have to be in our classes twice a week AND do their homework to solidify the skills they learn in class. And the dogs don't lie. We always know if they've been doing their homework or not, and we don't hesitate to call them out! This training is designed to create new habits to overcome the bad habits their brains & bodies have gotten into since they were injured.<br />
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During class, all of the instructors observe each team---the dog, the handler, and their interactions. If a dog is reluctant to do something we KNOW s/he knows how to do, we say, "What's your dog trying to tell you? Do your inventory. Are you in pain? Are you thinking about something you shouldn't be thinking about? Are you getting angry? Take five!"<br />
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When we visited class at OFP, we learned that some dogs will signal by nudging their people or by stalling out and blocking their path. Some will wake their handlers up from nightmares to comfort them. Each team works differently and relies on the dog's particular skills to surface as the pair begins to bond. One dog shoves socks into the hand of his person during particularly stressful episodes and another lies across his person's legs.<br />
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Below. <i>After training drills, veterans practice what's called 'Doggy Yoga Hour' with their dogs and share personal triumphs from their week with the group. Yes, that's a bloodhound there!</i><br />
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Chappy was more at home and happier than we've ever seen him when we visited. "He has a purpose now," said Mary Cortani, who started the program in 2010.<br />
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Yes, he does. What a gift this program is to our veterans who participate and to the dogs who are lucky enough to find their destiny through serving them.<br />
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NOTE: <i>Mary was named as a Top 10 Heroes in 2012 by the CNN Heroes program that celebrates ordinary people making extraordinary contributions to improve the lives of others. Watch this link to learn more about the important and life changing work of Operation Freedom Paws:</i> <b><a href="http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2012/06/07/cnn-heroes-cortani.cnn" target="_blank">CNN</a></b>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-18582235032795468442017-06-19T11:31:00.001-07:002017-09-07T10:08:23.014-07:00ANNOUNCING: A photo contest to help Jonny Justice carving find a NEW (shelter) home!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>UPDATE: </b>The contest launch has begun! Thank you and best luck!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.gogophotocontest.com/badrap" target="_blank">ENTER THE CONTEST</a></b><br />
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<b>Who are the Good Guys? </b>Do you know of an Animal Shelter that's been a champion for blocky dogs (ie, pit bulls and their mixes) in your community? Maybe you adopted your best friend from them. Or maybe you're a volunteer, staff member or rescue partner with a shelter who's gone the distance through word and deed to lead the dogs away from old days of negative stereotypes into a new era of enlightened compassion.<br />
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<b>If 'Yes,' we want to thank them for moving the needle for pit bulls to a much better place.</b><br />
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October 27 of this year will mark the tenth anniversary that the federal government officially green-lighted the '<a href="https://www.si.com/more-sports/2008/12/23/vick-dogs" target="_blank">Vick dogs</a>' release to new beginnings. <b>Ten years!</b> So much has changed for the better since the dogs showed us that rescued pit bulls deserve a chance to be seen as individuals and whenever possible, welcomed into caring homes.<br />
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<b>To celebrate this special anniversary, we're giving a special gift to one lucky Animal Shelter </b><br />
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BADRAP co-founder and celebrated sculptor Tim Racer has been busy carving a portrait of beloved Vick dog and Poster Boy <a href="http://www.badrap.org/sites/default/files/Jonny_News_World_Report.pdf" target="_blank">Jonny Justice. </a> Our goal is to identify an animal shelter who will 'adopt' his carving and give it a permanent home. <i>Photo of <a href="file:///Users/donna/Downloads/badrapvickdogs%20(4).pdf" target="_blank">Jonny </a>above from Melissa McDaniel's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bulls-Bull-Type-Photo-Projects/dp/0984590323" target="_blank">Photo Book Project.</a></i><br />
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<b>This is a truly special gift.</b> Tim's museum quality dog portraits are carved in the traditional old world Carousel style and are highly sought after by collectors of fine art. They've attracted national media attention and commissions from notable dog lovers including Animal Farm Foundation founder Jane Berkey (Josh & Petal, photo above) and Westminster ribbon winner Patricia Hearst Shaw (See: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/timracer/photos/?tab=album&album_id=943203449037421" target="_blank">Frida</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://www.badrap.org/gallery-tim-racer" target="_blank">Tim Racer Gallery Link</a><br />
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Creating a life size likeness of Jonny Justice will take hundreds of hours. It's a labor of love and a way to keep the Vick dog legacy alive long after the last survivor passes on from old age. Since this will be the first time that a non-profit makes a home to one of his carvings, the question we wrestled with: How do we possibly decide who should be the guardian of this special piece? Our best hope is that dog lovers like you will show up to make that decision.<br />
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<b>Calendar photo contest to determine Carousel Jonny's new home</b><br />
Because a shelter's heart can be seen in the faces of their dogs, we've decided to rely on a calendar photo contest to help us identify a 'winner'. So just after Labor Day, we'll be accepting online submissions of photos of <b>blocky dogs </b>who came through shelter adoption programs - adopted dogs or those who are still waiting for homes. Voters (You!) will help us identify the winning shelter through an accumulation of $1 votes for their favorite submission. The photo with the most votes will determine the shelter who will receive the Jonny art. It's a fundraiser for BADRAP and a way to signal our collective applause for all the shelters who've brought the last decade of Vick dog lessons home to their own corners.<br />
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<b>Yes, this IS a big deal. Here's some of the nitty gritty for participating:</b><br />
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<li>You have time to capture your winning image: We'll start accepting photos online <b>on Sept. 7 </b>and the contest will run for three weeks.</li>
<li>The shelter dog photo with the most votes will win the Jonny Justice carving for his or her shelter and the cover of the <b>2018 Shelter Dog Celebration Calendar</b> produced by BADRAP.</li>
<li>Anyone can enter, but the entries must be submitted on behalf of the specific animal shelter where the dog in the photo came from. <br /><i>Thanks for understanding that we reserve the right to request documentation to demonstrate the shelter of origin for dogs submitted.</i></li>
<li>For the purpose of this contest, an 'animal shelter' will be defined as a public or private non-profit in the United States or Canada with an active adoption program for homeless dogs and an indoor location to safely house and display the life size Jonny Justice carving (lobby, community room, etc.). The winning shelter will agree to make the carving accessible to the general public for viewing and will display signage detailing the historical significance of the Vick dog case. If the winning shelter declines the carving or is not able to meet our display requirements, it will be made available to the next shelter in line with the next highest tally of votes.</li>
<li>Rescue groups? We welcome contest entries of dogs from non-profit rescue groups, however, if the rescue group does not maintain a brick and mortar facility that will allow public viewing, the carving will be gifted to the animal shelter where the dog originated from.</li>
<li>In the spirit of supporting shelters who embrace non-discriminatory laws and practices, participating animal shelters must 1) actively include pit bulls and their mixes in their adoption program and 2) if they exist in a municipality that restricts 'pit bulls' through BSL, must have an anti-BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) position statement published on their website, etc.</li>
<li>More than one photo can be submitted on behalf of the same shelter(s). </li>
<li>Photo submissions can be taken in any location - inside or outside of the shelter. Your adopted dog in your home? Fine. A gorgeous image captured while she was living at the shelter? By all means, Yes. </li>
<li>The top twelve photos with the most votes will place in the same calendar.</li>
<li>'Runners Up' prizes will happen. Stay tuned for details.</li>
<li>BADRAP will cover transport arrangements and hand deliver the finished carving to the shelter. And - BONUS! - if the shelter is within driving distance of the SF Bay Area, it may arrive with a visit from Jonny Justice and his adopters Cris Cohen and Jennifer Long. </li>
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Photo Right: <i>Kathy Kinnear's photos of shelter dogs who live at Contra Costa Animal Services always take our breath away. Keep your eye on </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/smartpawsresources/" target="_blank">Smart Paws Pet Resources</a><i> to for more inspiration from this inspired volunteer photo project. </i></div>
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<b>Get Your Game On! HeARTs Speak's got the goods</b><br />
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Want to get a winning photo? You've got a few weeks to get your game on for an awesome submission in September. A great resource for getting eye-catching pix of shelter dogs is <a href="https://www.heartsspeak.org/" target="_blank">HeARTs Speak</a>. Their Perfect Exposure Project has been offering hands-on instruction, donated photography equipment, training and inspiration to "positively and effectively promote the animals" in animals shelters' care. Look'em up!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-91869526251515206932017-05-16T10:49:00.002-07:002017-05-16T10:54:05.214-07:00Cartoons to the Rescue! (Info-Videos for Adopters of Every Breed)BADRAP's <a href="http://www.badrap.org/home">website</a> is getting a scrub and an update this summer so the mega-ton of content that's been piling up is easier to find. Can't. Wait.<br />
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Here's a sneak peek of some of the ways we're working to put good info into the hands of rockin' dog owners...<br />
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<b>1. Understanding Dog Tolerance Levels.</b> How does your dog feel about other dogs? Some of our <a href="http://www.badrap.org/dogdog-tolerance">most-shared material</a> turned into a two minute animated teach-in. Live it, share it.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>2. Dog Intros at Home - For the Win.</b> A new dog is moving in. Exciting! Got three minutes to learn how to do it right? Here are our best tips for making those crucial intros go smoothly so the friendship starts off on the right paw.<br />
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<b>Shelters, Rescues and Every Day Educators:</b><i> These videos are meant to be shared, so feel free to grab the embed code to help dog owners in your corners find the best success with their buddies. Thank you!</i>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-69065455018827726462017-03-06T10:38:00.001-08:002017-03-06T12:20:20.918-08:00Matzo meets 'his' cats: Slow and steady wins the race<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Amy and James asked to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/115894220@N03/sets/72157669292661735" target="_blank">adopt Matzo Ball,</a> they told us they had two cats at home, in addition to their two dogs. Would it work?<br />
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The dog part would likely go smoothly but the cats were a concern. We were very honest: “He can be an excitable guy and he’s shown some prey drive towards squirrels and birds. We believe he could injure your cat if intros go too fast. BUT, if you take intros nice and slow – and in,<i> weeks-slow</i> rather than <i>hours-slow, </i>and if you stage your intros and monitor every step, we think he could eventually learn to live nicely with everybody.”<br />
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The cats’ personalities factored in to the equation as much as Matzo’s. Amy and James told us that one of their cats was fearless and would likely rush Matzo, while the other cat would probably be nonplussed. Knowing that a rushed intro would be more than Matzo could handle, they set up a plan to create the best success. During this intro period, Matzo was with them under a foster/adopt contract and he was marked as having a ‘pending’ adoption. We agreed to hold off on going full adoption until the household had found a healthy and successful rhythm between all the various creatures.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPJ_XET0g64/WL2erPaKupI/AAAAAAAAFDk/e39q9ah63FIMx7lR2Jz6m7wuV40hODbngCLcB/s1600/matzcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPJ_XET0g64/WL2erPaKupI/AAAAAAAAFDk/e39q9ah63FIMx7lR2Jz6m7wuV40hODbngCLcB/s320/matzcat.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Long story short, it worked.</b> They did such an impressive job making it work that we asked them to bullet out their step-by-step for future adopters. Here’s how they got success:<br />
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Amy and James broke their intros process down into separate phases and waited to see solid success before pressing on. <b>Smart.</b> They said. "Philosophically, we followed similar guidelines to introducing our cats and Matzo Ball as <a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2009/08/fostering-drive-in-slow-lane-for-dogdog.html" target="_blank">this BR post.</a> We tried to make sure that all interactions, however brief, were positive for both Matzo and the cats. We tried to set things up so that the cats could end the interaction whenever they wanted to, and only moved on to the next phase when Matzo was consistently appropriate at each level of interaction.”<br />
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<b>Ingredients for their success: </b> </blockquote>
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<b></b>Doors and a dog crate for safe separating<br />
Leashes and a <a href="http://www.badrap.org/sites/default/files/TieDown_BADRAP.pdf" target="_blank">Tie-down </a>for managed intros<br />
A squirt bottle for corrections<br />
Training lessons for Matzo (<a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2015/07/pit-ed-primer-homework-for-dog-owners.html" target="_blank">distraction work</a>)<br />
Places for the cats to retreat to<br />
A good game plan, good communication between the humans.<br />
Plenty of patience, time and a can-do attitude. </blockquote>
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<b>Phase One: ‘I Smell You’</b><br />
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"Matzo had no visual contact with the cats at first -- We wanted him to just get used to their smell. We closed off the room with Matzo’s crate so our cats couldn’t get in and so he couldn’t see the cats. The way our house is laid out allowed us to also vary the amount of space between Matzo and the cats -- we started with three sets of closed doors between everyone, then went to two, and then one (plus a crate). We’d also periodically bring Matzo into the rooms that the cats had been hanging out in so he could investigate their smells, and brought some of the cats' beds to him, too.<br />
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Our biggest challenge during this phase was actually our brave cat, who wanted to see Matzo so badly he tried to sneak into the rooms he was in. We didn't want Matzo's first face to face with the cat to be when he was excited, so having a cat run at his crate head-first was not part of the plan."<br />
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<b>Phase Two: Closed door ‘Greetings’</b><br />
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"Once Matzo thought smelling cat bedding was boring, we had our cats in adjoining rooms so he could get used to their sounds without actually seeing them. Any extreme excitement -- attempts to paw at the door, whining, or get into the room with the cats, for example -- were discouraged immediately with a sharp NO and, if he persisted, a quick spray bottle squirt.<br />
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The challenge with this phase was again our brave cat: when she heard Matzo sniffing the door, she would stick her paws under the door to get at him. <br />
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This was the longest, most challenging phase for everyone; the cats didn’t like being cooped up, and it was difficult for Matzo not to get excited when our cat initiated a game of Whack-a-Mole under his nose."<br />
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<b>Phase Three: ‘I See You and I’m Trying to Stay Calm!’</b><br />
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"Once Matzo was consistently showing appropriate interest in the cat paws emerging from under the door -- polite sniffing, but no whining, pawing, barking or fixed staring -- we let Matzo see the cats for the first time. We started with him in his crate allowing him to see us holding a cat through a glass door in the next room. If the cat wanted to leave or if he showed any overt excitement -- barking, whining, panting, pawing, fixed staring -- we told him no, removed the cat and redirected his attention."<br />
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(<b>Note from BADRAP:</b> <i>Matzo was learning how to stay calm and focused on his handler around exciting distractions during Saturday Pit Ed class exercises. </i>)<br />
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"Once he was appropriately calm when he saw a cat through the door, we tried bringing the cats into the same room with him while he was in his kennel. Next, we had our cats in the same room as him while he was on at tie-down. And then finally, Matzo could be on leash with the cats in the same room.<br />
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This phase didn’t actually last long. Again, our brave cat was more of a challenge than Matzo. When she saw the dog, she’d try to get away from us and run over to him.<br />
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When Matzo was calm on leash around the cats, we allowed him some off leash time in the room. We made sure there were always places for the cats to retreat to if interacting with Matzo was too much, and supervised these interactions extra closely.<br />
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We were lucky that our cats were already very calm around dogs -- they don’t run away when they see a dog, which means that there are few opportunities for Matzo (or our other dogs) to chase the cats. Being around our other dogs who knew the rules about cats also helped Matzo learn pretty quickly."<br />
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<b>Important Info from Amy & James: </b><br />
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"Our cats are also indoor-only cats. Matzo will still bark at and chase the feral cats in our neighborhood that wail on our fence. He still doesn’t have unsupervised interactions with our cats. When we’re not at home, he stays safe in his crate… although our brave cat’s favorite sleeping spot is on top!"<br />
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<b>Three cheers for smart adopters and their agreeable animals.</b><br />
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Follow Matzo's Instagram Updates: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blanketmonsters/" target="_blank">BlanketMonsters</a><br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-74370003475019209152017-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:002017-02-08T09:29:05.299-08:00Resisting Stereotypes and Bans: True then, Truer now.<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Dealing with hate-think and discrimination</b> is familiar turf for many pit bull owners. We’ve become pros at navigating situations where fear-based judgment can pose real threats to our canine family members. We fight breed bans by wearing thick skins and arming ourselves with facts to help educate, and we participate in creating effective animal laws and policies that reflect contemporary science while embracing canines as the individuals that they are. The animal welfare community as a whole has done beautiful work to disarm the stigmas and stereotypes attached to blocky headed dogs, and trends are swinging towards game changing Owner Support programs that are fueled by empathy for families in our communities. We’re evolving … At least in some corners.<br />
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<b>In recent months,</b> some of our rescue partners have been hit with a different form of stereotyping crisis in their personal lives. <b>As animal advocates, </b>they’ve been heroes. <b>But as immigrants,</b> they’re in the crosshairs of dangerous ideologies of people who condemn their religion, home countries and/or skin color. Who knew we'd see efforts in our country to ban <i>humans </i>based on nothing but their parentage? These trends are so un-American that it seems unbelievable that this is surfacing as a topic on our blog today - but once you see the parallels, you can't un-see them.<br />
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In the interest of inviting a broader dialogue that takes the lessons we’ve learned from pit bull advocacy to a new level, we’re sharing the viewpoints of three valued rescue friends.<br />
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<b>Freba Maulauizada</b> <i>was a pit bull owner (shown with Ariel), a shelter volunteer, a dog rescuer and a vocal city activist who went to bat for Oakland Animal Service’s budget and program needs when we met several years ago. She still rescues dogs in Louisiana where she now lives with Tammy Murray, her life partner of 16 years.</i><br />
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I have all the strikes against me.<br />
My name is Freba. I am from Afghanistan. I am a woman.<br />
I am Muslim and I am also gay.<br />
I now live in a red state.<br />
Well, one can just imagine how I feel.<br />
I feel like a pit bull. All odds are against me.<br />
But just like a pit bull, I like to make sure that other’s ignorance will not belittle me.<br />
I know who I am, and I will fight against hate and ignorance<br />
by being a shining example of my Roots.<br />
Love to all.<br />
- Freba </blockquote>
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<b>Berenice Hernandez</b> <i>is longtime BADRAP team member. ‘Zippy’ - one of the celebrated <a href="http://www.badrap.org/vick-dogs-home" target="_blank">survivors </a>from M. Vick's dog fighting operation - found a home with their family ten years ago. This is what Berenice wants you to know about being an immigrant in today’s America.</i><br />
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"I walked into a local sandwich shop to pick up lunch before I headed to work; it was a few days after the elections. I noticed the young girl helping me had different energy than usual. I, having a heavy feeling, ask her how she is holding up. She looks at me with a sigh of relief and says “as best as I can, given the situation.” She tells me how someone with a Trump button had come into the shop and told her she had voted for him to get rid of people like her. The young girl told me that this wasn't her first encounter with someone like that. This girl of Mexican descent was born here, in this country. We talked for a bit about our fears, our worries and also our strengths. I understand that not all Trump voters feel this way. I know that. I really do. However, my sense of safety and trust is affected by hearing these words. Complete strangers hating on you without knowing you, sure makes you feel uneasy.<br />
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<b>I am an immigrant.</b> I have lived in this beautiful country for over thirty years. I am proud of my heritage, as I am proud to be an American. I wasn’t born here but I worked hard to become an American citizen, to adopt this country as my own. My parents have worked hard to build a life for them and their children. My mother escaped a civil war in El Salvador (worth looking it up for details). She is a business owner, my father a Postal service worker for over 25 years. I have built a family here. I have a job here. I have volunteered my time and money to organizations. My children were born here. My husband is second generation Chicano, part Native American (Yaqui). His family lived in New Mexico when New Mexico became part of the U.S. <br />
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<b>I am a volunteer, an advocate for animals.</b> I have spent time educating against Breed Specific Legislation. I have met with politicians to advocate for our beloved misunderstood dogs. I became involved with Pit Bulls 17 years ago, when a 4 week-old pit mix landed in my hands. She needed my help, so I stepped in. I had no clue that I would learn so much about people’s biases. After all, I had no idea what a pit bull was. All I saw was a dog that needed help so I helped her. Over the last 17 years I have had my share of foster dogs, some which have ended up as permanent family members. Back in 2007, I ended up with a new foster, this foster was different though. Not because she was different as a dog but because of her circumstances. As you know, before the Vick dogs, all fight-bust dogs would be euthanized. Automatically labeled and fate sealed. We have learned many lessons from the Vick case. An accomplishment we can celebrate because barriers were broken. These dogs once viewed as vicious, now exposed for the world to see. They are now seen as what they have always been: just dogs. Dogs victimized by greed.<br />
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<b>I am a mother.</b> My children know what it’s like to not be able to have friends over because the parents don’t approve of our dogs. My children have shed tears because they just didn’t understand how someone who didn’t even know our dogs could have such fears and dislike for them. They learned from a young age a lesson about labels, exclusion and misunderstanding. They have also learned to have empathy, sympathy and compassion, not only for dogs but also for the misplaced fears of people. My two oldest daughters are now 17 & 14. Sadly, they have been experiencing those same feelings lately. They have been told that Trump will build a wall to keep people like them out of “our country”, they have seen confederate flags displayed from the back of pick up trucks in their school parking lot. They have had to stand up to friends because those friends have made hurtful comments regarding the immigration ban. This ban affects family of friends they know. While my children understand that comments like these often come from a lack of understanding, they refuse to accept that saying such things should be okay.<br />
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Think about times when you have been made to feel like you don't belong simply because you didn't speak the language, or you wore the wrong outfit or you walked your big dog down the street and people were scared. I know, in some ways these don’t compare to what we are experiencing these days but you get the idea. This is how some of us are feeling right now. Anger, fear, lack of information hurts people.<br />
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<b>For my fellow immigrants</b>, I want you to know you are not alone. You belong here, I belong here, our families belong here, and our dogs belong here! Here in America! We are a nation of love, understanding and compassion. I truly believe that. To those who may feel that immigrants as a whole are a threat to you, look around. Look at people like me, my family. We are hardworking, good-hearted people, advocates, just like you. We want better for our children and the world. Just as we unite to do right by animals, fight battles like BSL, fight-bust victims and dedicate our time to better the life of animals and people, I ask you to please stop for one minute and practice empathy for all humans. <br />
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<b>No walls, no barriers, no assumptions,</b> no hatred just because we may look different. We are not that different after all." - Berenice Hernandez<br />
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<i>Photo top: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/galleries/vickdogs/" target="_blank">Carol Guzy</a> for the Washington Post. Second photo: Deanne Fitzmaurice for Sports Illustrated.</i><br />
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<b>Farah Ravon</b> <i>adopted BADRAP dog ‘Rosie’ when we were still a young org. She later became a key US-based support member for one of our favorite animal initiatives - <a href="http://www.vafashelter.com/main/?lang=en" target="_blank">Vafa Animal Shelter</a>. Vafa is a brilliant, non-governmental organization that was created to protect animal rights in Iran. Iranian-Americans among others are critical to Vafa’s ability to save lives. They bring supplies with them when they visit, and chaperone one or more dogs back to waiting US adopters when they return home. As you can imagine, traveler bans will have a devastating effect on this struggling animal shelter.</i><br />
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"My name is Faranak, aka Farah, and I am an Iranian-American, but I am more than just an Iranian-American; I am a daughter, a wife and a sister. I define myself most strongly as an animal rescue worker. </blockquote>
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I left Iran when I was 12 and have lived in the United States the majority of my life. This country has always been my second home. </blockquote>
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Suddenly all of that has changed. Suddenly I feel like an outsider, like I don't belong. I am confused, scared and feeling helpless. My friends and family are also confused, scared, and feeling helpless. </blockquote>
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The rescue work I have done over the last 15+ years has opened me up to the beauty and diversity that is the United States. I am proud to say there are many more Iranian-Americans just like me, who also love and rescue animals.<br />
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The travel ban has not only impacted the lives of human beings from Muslim countries, it has already had a damaging impact on our ability to help animals who are desperately in need. We depend on kind souls traveling in and out of the country to accompany our dogs and cats to the United States. Without them, our efforts would fail. </blockquote>
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Because of the ban, there is a very real possibility the people who have volunteered to do this work will be detained at the airport. As a result, our dogs might have to spend 48 hours or more in a crate. Sadly, this is not simply a hypothetical scenario. Just last week we made the very difficult decision to postpone a rescue because of these circumstances. </blockquote>
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How many people traveling to the states, even citizens, will be willing to assume the risk and added stress of accompanying a dog when they might be subjected to delays? How many dogs will suffer? I speak to you now as one animal lover to another. </blockquote>
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We can agree, the intense love and loyalty of an animal has no bounds, sees no color or race. All that is required to feel these truths as a human being is an open heart."</blockquote>
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Talk to us. We welcome respectful, non-inflammatory comments. <br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-19227909096662476302017-01-26T07:10:00.000-08:002017-12-10T06:57:55.238-08:00The Women's March and companion animals: Why human rights matter. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ut_q629d5Oo/WImANB4jxAI/AAAAAAAAFAM/W91HuBlB4S4zQfZq2_vzyPY52Jh2ArdQACLcB/s1600/lolo_march.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ut_q629d5Oo/WImANB4jxAI/AAAAAAAAFAM/W91HuBlB4S4zQfZq2_vzyPY52Jh2ArdQACLcB/s400/lolo_march.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<b>This post was written in response to those who asked why representatives from dog advocacy group BADRAP chose to participate in the Jan 21 Women's March.<br /><br />Last Saturday</b>, we canceled classes and lifted foster dog <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/115894220@N03/sets/72157675869774322" target="_blank">Lolo </a>into our car along with some quickly made signs and headed downtown to <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/21/womens-march-huge-bay-area-turnout-as-california-resistance-takes-hold/" target="_blank">Oakland's Women's March</a>. We didn't know what to expect to be honest, but - serendipity - the first people we ran into were former adopters with their three young kids. Kids and families with handmade signs were everywhere, in fact. We were definitely at the right place.<br />
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We soon had to give up on keeping track of our friends - The crowd was just too massive. (One<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article128154244.html" target="_blank"> in 45</a> California residents marched. An estimated 100K counted in Oakland and upwards of <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/01/23/womens-march-crowd-estimates/" target="_blank">4.6+ million</a> just in the US). While waiting for some kind of announcement to signal the start, we were squeezed into a shoulder to shoulder, slow motion lava flow down Madison Street with the impressively resilient Lolo. Drums were beating, people bopping up and down, pink hats, strollers, kids on parents shoulders, a cornucopia of signs. Everyone smiling and there was chanting and high five-ing and hugging. Wait. We're crammed like sardines, we don't know what the plan is or where the next bathroom will be. Why are we all so HAPPY? Then the realization that the march <i>had </i>started, and without knowing it, we were already in way deep.<br />
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Technically, we've been in way deep since our group was birthed in 1999, even more so since our <b><a href="http://www.badrap.org/keepem_home_project" target="_blank">KeepEm Home</a> </b>mission found its legs. Our nation's pets - pit bulls in particular - will just keep falling into crisis until we tackle the perennial obstacles that block their humans from the support and resources more fortunate dog owners take for granted. Let's be real; we can't begin to save all the sheltered dogs that need to be saved, especially while outside pressures push animal shelters into a constant state of overcrowding and crisis. Something's gotta give.<br />
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<b>The Woman's March</b> <b>was an affirmation of what is sacred and what needs support and tending to in our country.</b><br />
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<b>What do we want?</b> <i>Safe, humane communities for all. </i><br />
<b>How do we get it? </b> <i>By acknowledging our neighbors' struggles. By taking a stand when fundamental human rights are threatened.</i></blockquote>
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<b>So why did we march?</b><br />
<b>We marched for women</b>, including victims of domestic violence. Because when an abuser threatens your dog's life, finding safe places (women's shelters, hotels, even friend's homes) that can or will accept pets is nearly impossible - even more so if your dog is a pit bull. The <a href="http://www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org/animal-abuse-and-dv.html" target="_blank">links </a>between animal abuse and family violence are well known, and while society tries to get a handle on reducing these crimes, we need more safe options for women who need to escape. Violence Against Women programs? They need support, not defunding. <i>Photo right: Paul Chinn, <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/In-Oakland-a-tale-of-2-marches-10884394.php" target="_blank">The Chronicle</a></i><br />
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<b>We marched for worker's rights</b>, including the compelling need for a living minimum wage - because when families are forced to piece several jobs together just to cover their basic necessities, everyone suffers including their children and pets. (Don't tell me that struggling families don't deserve pets - <i>don't even go there</i>). Throughout history, nice families have sold puppies to help keep food on the table and that practice continues today. Affordable vet care and training classes are in short supply. Affordable housing shortages plague our cities; now more than ever, large numbers are <a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-blue-dot-dogs.html" target="_blank">relinquishing</a> their pets when they can't find rentals that will accept them. Our animal shelters are a living museum of these disparities, and they struggle daily with the overflow.<br />
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<b>Suicide.</b> The trends that contribute to pet homelessness are <i>inhumane</i> to everyone, including animal shelter and rescue workers who deal with such high intake numbers and so much burn out that they face the highest suicide rate among US workers: 5.3 in 1 million workers - a rate shared only by firefighters and police officers. <a href="http://stories.barkpost.com/compassion-fatigue-animal-workers/" target="_blank">Link:</a> The fatal epidemic no one is talking about.<source: 19="" 2015="" american="" journal="" jun="" medicine.="" of="" preventive=""></source:></blockquote>
<b>We marched for affordable health care</b> for all. And paid sick days, because when the key provider of a struggling family falls ill and bills can't be paid, gut wrenching decisions to surrender pets naturally follow (See <a href="http://www.badrap.org/keepem-home-stories" target="_blank"><b>Mila's</b></a> story).<br />
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<b>We marched for the environment,</b> because as animal lovers, we root for nature and we understand that the welfare of animals and the health of our planet are intrinsically connected. And because we trust the science behind climate change as well as we trust our own eyes, we know that US support for peer reviewed research and fast action is critical (<b>Note</b>: Keep your eye out for the <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/316023-scientists-are-planning-their-own-march-on-washington#.WIjbQcD7wco.facebook" target="_blank"><b>Scientists March on Washingon</b></a>.)<br />
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<b>We marched for the rights of indigenous peoples, </b>including the peaceful, prayerful water protectors of <a href="http://standwithstandingrock.net/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Standing Rock</a> who've been working tirelessly to block the Dakota Access Pipeline from destroying their sacred lands and poisoning a river. Their courage and vision inspires us and is echoed in struggles of indigenous peoples around the world.<br />
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<b>We marched for People of Color, </b>and the need to address racism in all its forms. Because when you own a pit bull and your skin is brown or black, <i>just imagine</i> the ways that the world (strangers, potential landlords, law enforcement) can judge.<br />
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<b>We marched for refugee and immigrant rights, </b>because they're <a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2017/02/resisting-stereotypes-and-bans-true.html" target="_blank">our neighbors, friends, co-workers</a>. <b>And we marched for Muslims</b>, because our dogs have taught us that stereotypes lie and fear cripples us all. <b>We marched for LGBTQ rights </b>as we do every year in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/posts/172314092832426" target="_blank">SF's Pride Parade</a>, not just because many of our volunteers and adopters are gay, but because the LGBTQ community was the first to extend a welcoming hand to us 18 years ago, back when BADRAP was a young org and pit bulls were widely rejected and stereotyped. They get it.<br />
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<b>Finally, we marched for ourselves</b>. Because it felt so completely right to be surrounded by thousands of positive, supportive, decent human beings who believe in participating in a hopeful future.<br />
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<b>People First</b><br />
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The wake up call was just what we needed. Animal welfare world, this is long overdue: It's time we connect the dots and acknowledge the undeniable connection between human rights issues and companion animal issues. <a href="http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/" target="_blank">Fundamental human rights</a> must be ardently defended if we truly care about companion animals.<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-11059123961489547462016-11-28T05:33:00.000-08:002017-06-07T12:38:07.237-07:00Stories from Our Streets: A front row seat to what's real and what matters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>A first ever show highlighting dog owner support work</b><br />
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Patrons of the busy community-based <a href="http://www.zocalo.com/" target="_blank">Zocalo Coffee House</a> in San Leandro have been enjoying their coffees and convos next to 19 oversized images of what are very likely their neighbors and their neighbors’ dogs. We couldn’t think of a better place to launch our <b>‘Stories from Our Streets’ Photo Project</b>, which was created to celebrate the human-animal bond in our community while raising awareness about the obstacles many pet owners face when trying to keep their dogs during disruptive times - pit bull owners especially. Shot over several months during BADRAP’s owner support and pet wellness events, photographer Kathy Kinnear’s sensitive and candid images always seem to find the heart of the moment. A paragraph that explains the unique story, situation or challenge faced by that pet owner accompanies each photo. <br />
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<b>Until December 30</b><br />
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The show stays up until the end of December and then will be moved to other venues in our quest to help people learn more about the current landscape of pet ownership in our communities – pit bull ownership in particular.<br />
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<i style="font-size: x-large;">The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.</i><span style="font-size: medium;"> - Pablo Picasso</span></div>
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Our best hope is that interest in these photos will bring understanding, and understanding will help to increase opportunities for pet owners including more landlord acceptance, and more support for those who are struggling to keep their dogs in their families, where they belong.<br />
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(Top Photo) Life Saver Dog: <i>Leo’s person told us that he helped keep her going during some very dark days. Their bond was undeniable. "While many of us intuitively understand the benefits of positive interactions with animals in our lives, an emerging body of research is recognizing the impact the human-animal bond can have on individual and community health." - <a href="https://petpartners.org/learn/benefits-human-animal-bond/" target="_blank">Pet Partners</a></i></blockquote>
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<b>Keep'Em Home: A challenge for our times</b><br />
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I can’t lie, the historic shortage of affordable housing in CA has made the ‘<a href="http://www.badrap.org/keepem_home_project" target="_blank">Keep'Em Home</a>’ project one of the most difficult missions we’ve taken on as animal advocates. <b>The Vick dogs?</b> - Moving that mountain was a cake-walk compared to this work! But valuable missions are never meant to be easy, and while we're learning how to be better advocates for our neighbors, we're also encouraged by some of the plans that are underway to <a href="http://cafwd.org/reporting/entry/toolkit-offers-15-ways-matching-scale-of-california-housing-crisis" target="_blank">increase housing</a> opportunities in CA.<br />
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<b>Triaging the need</b><br />
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Requests for help from area dog owners file in almost daily, and while there is a limit to the number of cases we can take on, we’ve gotten better at triaging the need as it arrives: the home with the dog with the impending litter that they can’t afford gets a quick spay/abort, the grieving family who can’t afford a euthanasia for their suffering senior dog gets an immediate appointment with one of our compassionate partner vets, the Good Samaritan with the reactive dog gets a quick spot in our training classes, and the family who lost their housing gets peace of mind from knowing their dog will be <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/pb.21764607398.-2207520000.1463268455./10153684074102399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">safe</a> in our Rescue Barn. Thanks to donor support, we've been able to organize ten larger public outreach events in 2016 and perform 166 spay/neuter surgeries thanks to our veterinarian partners (hats off to Well Pet Veterinary Clinic) while serving over 650 families with everything our team has to offer.<br />
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Our numbers feel good because so much is getting done, but we're humbled right down to size when we remember that that the population of the counties we serve (Alameda and Contra Costa) is 2.5 million people, and pit bulls are counted among the top five <a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2013/10/us-love-for-pit-bulls-bigger-than-you.html" target="_blank">most popular</a> breed types. That's a LOT of dogs. Thankfully we're not alone in our commitment to owner support. <a href="http://pawfund.org/" target="_blank">Paw Fund,</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/friendsberkeleyanimalcareservices/" target="_blank">FOBACS,</a> <a href="http://www.palseastbay.org/" target="_blank">PALS</a>, <a href="http://eastbayspca.org/" target="_blank">East Bay SPCA</a> and <a href="http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/6054/Keeping-Your-Pet-in-Your-Home" target="_blank">Contra Costa Animal Services</a> are among the groups working to serve pet owners, each of us specializing in some things with lots of overlap. The need is big, but because the SF Bay Area has a long history of valuing the search for humane solutions to difficult problems, it feels natural and necessary to embrace owner support work as the social justice work that it is.<br />
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The face of animal welfare work is changing, and the Stories from Our Streets exhibit offers a front row seat to some of the best changes. We hope that you get a chance to see it this December. Please tell us if you do. We’d love to hear your thoughts!<br />
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<a href="http://www.zocalo.com/" target="_blank">Zocalo Coffeehouse</a><br />
645 Bancroft Ave. San Leandro 94577<br />
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<a href="http://www.badrap.org/gallery" target="_blank">PHOTO GALLERY </a>of a typical 'Nut Truck' event. All images c/o Kathy Kinnear.<br />
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-6108389047698057362016-10-03T06:09:00.002-07:002017-04-15T20:24:51.338-07:00Breed ban in Montreal: What we know. How to help.<div>
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<i>We are consolidating some of the information that's surfacing regarding Montreal's ban on pit bulls and ongoing efforts being made to help the dogs and their families. Concern about Montreal's situation is massive and it can be difficult to keep up with the shifting news. We welcome your updates and corrections as we tend to the links and information listed here.</i><br />
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<b>4/18/17 UPDATE: Quebec Gov't Intends to Bring Dog Ban to Entire Province (<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/04/13/quebec-government-planning-pit-bull-ban.html" target="_blank">Link</a>)</b><br />
From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SPCAMontreal/" target="_blank">Montreal SPCA</a>: "<i>The Montreal SPCA is highly concerned by Bill 128, introduced this morning by our provincial government, which includes breed specific legislation (BSL), namely by targeting “pit bull-type dogs”, “Rottweilers” and any dogs resulting from a mix of these breeds.. We are currently taking the time to study the bill, consult with our legal team, and assess how this will affect our organization and the animals and communities across the province. Once we have a clear idea of our next steps, we will be making a public statement. For more information on why BSL is not a solution to the issue of dangerous dogs, please visit www.saferkindercommunities.com."<br /></i><br />
<b>12/1/16 UPDATE: Quebec Court of Appeal Reinstates Modified Bylaw (<a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/3101348/montreal-pit-bull-ban-quebec-court-of-appeal-reinstates-bylaw/" target="_blank">Link</a>)</b><br />
The lifting of the suspension order means many of the bylaw’s provisions targeting pit bull-type dogs will come into force, including the muzzling.<br />
<b>10/5/16 BIG NEWS</b><b> UPDATE - Pit Bull Bylaw in Montreal temporarily SUSPENDED by Superior Court judge. </b><br />
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<i>"During the hearing, Gouin said several aspects of the bylaw presented by the city raised troubling questions, particularly because they appeared to categorize a vast segment of the dog population as dangerous when most of them are not. Gouin noted as well that the city’s definition of “pit bull-type dogs” seemed vague and overly broad, which would unfairly target many pets and their owners." </i><b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://montrealgazette.com/storyline/judge-suspends-montreals-pit-bull-ban" target="_blank">News Link</a>. </b><br />
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This means that pit bull owners will not have to apply for a special permit or muzzle their dogs, and Montreal shelters can continue to adopt out pit bull dogs while the Montreal SPCA unfolds its full legal appeal to have sections of the bylaw retracted.<br />
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<b>UPDATE 10/3/16:</b> Montreal Superior Court says bylaw lacks clarity. Suspends decision about injunction until Wednesday, Oct 5. <a href="http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/pit-bull-ban-will-be-challenged-by-montreal-spca-in-court" target="_blank"> News</a></div>
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<b>The Ban's Requirements</b></div>
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Under the new bylaw, owners of pit-bull type dogs, pit-bull mixes or any dog with similar physical characteristics have until Dec. 31 to apply for a special permit with the city, or risk having their dog euthanized. The dogs must be sterilized, micro-chipped and vaccinated for rabies by March 1, 2017. (All dogs regardless of breed must be sterilized and microchipped by Dec. 31, 2019.)</div>
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Pit-bull type dogs will have to wear a muzzle while on the streets and in their yards if their fence does not reach a required height. Their owners will have to provide proof they don’t have a criminal record involving violence. Licenses for the dogs will cost $150 a year. Source: <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/montreal-city-council-votes-in-favour-of-ban-on-pit-bulls-ignoring-wide-opposition-and-failures-elsewhere" target="_blank">National Post.</a></div>
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<b>What we know / Dated October 3, 2016</b></div>
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Montreal has stated that its ban on unowned and unregistered 'pit bulls' will begin on Monday October 3. However no information has surfaced to help citizens know how it will play out. For example: How will 'pit bulls' be identified? Can citizens request an appeal of their dog has been identified as a pit bull incorrectly? How do pit bull owners prove that they have no criminal record? How will the city enforce the law? - All unknown. <a href="http://dailymagazine.news/montreal-pit-bull-owners-still-unclear-on-how-to-prove-a-dog-s-breed-nid-284869.html" target="_blank">News link.</a></div>
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<b>A leading concern</b> is how Montreal city leaders hope to identify pit bulls. <a href="http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/research-library/summary-analysis-comparison-adoption-agency-breed-identification-and-dna-breed" target="_blank">Contemporary research</a> has shown that using visual analysis to identify breed type is inaccurate and misleading, so all dogs with blocky heads and short coats could become potential targets for fines, expulsion and death. </div>
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<b>Why was a ban enacted?</b> A woman was killed by her neighbor's dog in her yard in June 2016. The dog had two prior bites on record. Police assumed it was a pit bull however its breed type has not been confirmed. A task force committee was assembled to review contemporary expertise on dog safety and public policy. Their recommendations to seek out alternative solutions to a ban were rejected by city Mayor Coderre.</div>
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Information on effective public safety measures from <a href="https://www.saferkindercommunities.com/" target="_blank"><b>Safer Kinder Communities. </b></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xXfm11wR3k/V_JSrfGdijI/AAAAAAAAE-s/oqwMu0xrAPIV5AOIZqM6CreDZgcDj9_NQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-03%2Bat%2B5.43.42%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xXfm11wR3k/V_JSrfGdijI/AAAAAAAAE-s/oqwMu0xrAPIV5AOIZqM6CreDZgcDj9_NQCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-03%2Bat%2B5.43.42%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a><b>How can I help?</b><br />
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<b>IMPORTANT:</b> The Montreal SPCA needs financial support to pursue a <b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-spca-to-take-legal-action-against-new-bylaw-targeting-pit-bulls-1.3782670" target="_blank">legal challenge</a> </b>against the ban. Please be generous so they can build a solid case that presents contemporary expertise, peer-reviewed studies, and world trends to the courts. <b><a href="https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?eventid=201163&langpref=en-CA" target="_blank">LINK</a></b><br />
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<b>UPDATE:</b> A second court challenge is being planned by a Montreal-based coalition of lawyers and experts in animal behavior. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-pit-bull-ban-starts-spca-court-challenge-1.3788473" target="_blank">LINK</a></div>
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<b>How can I help save a dog from Montreal?</b></div>
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There are no large scale plans to move seized or unowned dogs out of the Province and into the United States as of today. We'll all know more after an injunction filed by the Montreal SPCA today is reviewed by the courts. A judge may agree to block the city's ban long enough to review their lawsuit. This is obviously the best case scenario. A good source for news is the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SPCAMontreal/" target="_blank">Montreal SPCA's facebook page.</a></div>
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<b>Within Canada:</b> Some at-risk dogs have been moved to <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/2976984/montreal-pit-bulls-arriving-in-halifax-because-of-breed-specific-ban/" target="_blank">Nova Scotia</a> and to Saskatchewan-based rescue groups Prairie Sky Dog Rescue in Regina and Prairie Pooches Rescue in Cando. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-becoming-safe-haven-montreal-banned-pitbulls-1.3786297" target="_blank">Link</a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8WpWhRN2vR8/V_JTYOam-BI/AAAAAAAAE-w/6L7EqFBGR_IPQDmfV46hlUp71sNqCYNgQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-03%2Bat%2B5.47.01%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8WpWhRN2vR8/V_JTYOam-BI/AAAAAAAAE-w/6L7EqFBGR_IPQDmfV46hlUp71sNqCYNgQCLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-03%2Bat%2B5.47.01%2BAM.png" width="150" /></a></div>
<b>IMPORTANT:</b> News of the breed ban has created a wave of panic on social media, and many rescue and transport groups have responded by offering to assist. Some groups have launched fundraisers for costs they expect to incur. While the outpouring of help is truly inspiring, be aware that there is no vetting of the groups that have offered to accept dogs, which opens the door to false claims and potential for harm. To ensure the safety of Montreal's dogs as well as the best use of your donation dollars, please be extremely selective with your support.</div>
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BADRAP is not currently planning to take displaced Montreal dogs because the number of local helpers is quite large and shipping dogs across the continent does not appear to be a necessary or practical response <i>at this time</i>. </div>
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<b>A First Goal: Keeping them Home</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.prairiepitbullrescue.com/" target="_blank">Prairie Pit bull Rescue</a> in Lethbridge, Alberta announced that they will be working with Montreal-based activists to assist targeted dog owners with resources (spays and neuters, muzzles and financial support) so financially challenged families can keep their dogs. Efforts to keep dogs home - even during less than ideal circumstances - are always preferred over shipping beloved pets off to other places. (Note: Prairie Pit Bull Rescue is one of BADRAP's trusted rescue/transfer partners) PPBR also plans to assist in rescue/transfer efforts of Montreal dogs who do not have homes. New York Bully Crew made same announcement on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crewnewyorkbully/" target="_blank">facebook page</a> yesterday.</div>
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-27808071173869224432016-07-31T15:36:00.003-07:002016-07-31T15:36:42.428-07:00A Slice of Summer<b>A little peek into the goings-on at the Rescue Barn this summer. </b><br />
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Three of the pups are mixed-breed dogs who were found emaciated and sickly, but are now bouncing back. The husky-x pup - 'Chessa' - came from a breeder who has asked for help with placement and spay/neuter for Chessa's parent dogs. Adult pit bulls Snorkles and Mila make an appearance, as well as mentor dogs Eddie (pit bull) and Elliot and Billie (husky/shepherd mixes). Finally, in the last slide, is the tiny 'Lily,' who is new to our program. All photo credits go to Kathy Kinnear.<br />
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<b>Enjoy.</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" id="vp12Lc5b" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1470004524&f=2Lc5b3fRYblvXygQOlwocw&d=0&m=p&r=360p+720p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" title="Video Player" width="640"></iframe>
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Can't see it? Look here: <b><a href="http://video214.com/play/2Lc5b3fRYblvXygQOlwocw/s/dark" target="_blank">LINK</a></b>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-1691934691907961392016-07-31T15:24:00.000-07:002016-07-31T15:40:43.993-07:00Taking on the city: One way to get rabies exemptions for sick dogs<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k6qaPRIURpU/TCMSZncN5wI/AAAAAAAABg4/hm0KoXtMFDI/s1600/vax.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486249002360760066" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k6qaPRIURpU/TCMSZncN5wI/AAAAAAAABg4/hm0KoXtMFDI/s320/vax.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 152px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 203px;" /></a><b>EDIT:</b> This blog post was originally published in 2010. We hope this information is helpful to dog owners with questions about rabies exemptions for their dogs.<br />
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Several years ago, shortly after getting her vaccinations at a boarding kennel, our pit bull Sally experienced an immuno-collapse that sucked the life out of her and scared the hec out of us. Our once outrageously vivacious pit bull melted into a lethargic lump of swollen glands who could barely raise her head. She developed mast cell cancer soon after. Talk about owner guilt. Although she slowly recovered and has been boosted greatly with diet and holistic care, we decided to stop giving our sick girl her vaccines. None. Our vet fully supports our decision, although we are, technically, breaking the law.<br />
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While we need to keep our pet population healthy with standard immunizations, the question has come up: How much is too much? Christie Keith reported on the growing awareness of the downfalls of over vaccinating dogs recently in <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/20/petscol042010.DTL" target="new"><b>the SFGate</b></a>. More and more dog owners are willing to curb some or all of their dog's vaccines - for chronically sick dogs especially - but the decision to stop rabies vaccines makes outlaws out of us in places where rabies renewal is mandated by law. <br />
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Solving this conundrum has to involve amending our animal laws to include exceptions, which is a tall order. This is why we were so impressed when one of our longtime friends - Susi Allen of Monterey - took on her city in order to save her sick dog from a potentially damaging requirement.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k6qaPRIURpU/TCMQMIoWTFI/AAAAAAAABgg/3kvJ8DBeRNY/s1600/bunny1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486246571728587858" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k6qaPRIURpU/TCMQMIoWTFI/AAAAAAAABgg/3kvJ8DBeRNY/s400/bunny1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 175px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Susi's dog Bunny (above) was diagnosed with chronic colitis shortly after being adopted from an east bay shelter. Treating this uncomfortable disorder - which is an inflammation of the large intestine - can involve an exhausting search for solutions with frustrating set backs as the condition cycles through repeat flare ups. Susi found help with nutritional therapy, but she and her veterinarian both felt that a rabies vaccine would exacerbate Bunny's symptoms and make her sick all over again, so Susi decided to skip the shot when she was due. The problem was, Bunny's vet was powerless to help Susi sidestep the law that mandates rabies renewal for all dogs in her city. That's when this pit bull mama got busy. She was kind enough to outline her adventures with local legislation with us ...<br />
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"I contacted Dr. Ila Davis, Supervising Veterinarian for Monterey County, to ask about obtaining a medical exemption from the rabies vaccine. Dr. Davis was very sympathetic, but said a rabies titer would not be accepted in lieu of a vaccine shot. So I contacted the City of Monterey Animal Control Officer, Cathi Cristobal, and explained the situation. Not only did she completely understand the situation, she said she would accept a letter from my vet indicating a vaccine could be detrimental to Bunny’s health in lieu of a current rabies certificate and issue Bunny a one year dog license.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k6qaPRIURpU/TCMQYrpwUaI/AAAAAAAABgo/AaWvuQDFtFQ/s1600/bunny2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486246787288158626" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k6qaPRIURpU/TCMQYrpwUaI/AAAAAAAABgo/AaWvuQDFtFQ/s320/bunny2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 280px;" /></a> About a month prior to the dog license renewal, Bunny was given a rabies titer, which resulted in a 1:95 reading. The Centers for Disease Control considers a result of 1:5 to be adequate in humans. This was a 50 lb. dog with a 1:95! My vet wrote a letter attesting to Bunny’s health and requesting exemption from any further rabies vaccines.<br />
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I took a copy of the letter, the titer results and my dog license renewal notice to the city Finance Department and was told they would not issue the $9.00 dog license without the rabies certificate. There was nothing AC Officer Cristobal could do. At this point I decided my only option was to PANIC! I had to either have my dog injected with a vaccine that could potentially exacerbate her already severe medical condition (or potentially kill her), OR I could not license her and run the risk of having her confiscated under city ordinance for having an unlicensed, unvaccinated dog.<br />
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Officer Cristobal suggested I appear before the City Council, requesting an exemption to the city ordinance requiring rabies vaccines. I couldn’t do it because then I’m calling attention to the fact that I have an unlicensed dog and am violating the current city ordinance. And did I mention Bunny is a pit bull?"<br />
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Susi red flagged an email to Gary Tiscornia, Executive Director of the SPCA for Monterey County, asking for advice. She said, "He responded with several suggestions, one of which Dr. Carol Iida, the SPCA vet suggested: contact the state vet, Dr. Ben Sun. Amanda Mouisset, the Animal Behaviorist at the SPCA (and my supervisor), mentioned legislation she recently heard about which would allow an exemption from the rabies vaccine for sick animals: AB2000. After reseaching AB2000, I contacted Dr. W. Jean Dodds <a href="http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/" target="new"><b>(Rabies Challenge Fund).</b></a> Dr. Dodds was sympathetic but told me that even dogs with terminal cancer were not exempt from the vaccine. Her website states it’s possible to obtain a waiver from the vaccine, although they are often not permitted regardless of the justification. Dr. Dodds provided me with additional research material but not a lot of hope.<br />
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I contacted Dr. Ben Sun, the State Public Health Veterinarian, to explain my situation and ask, at Dr. Iida’s suggestion, how he felt AB2000 would be implemented if passed. I also asked about the rabies vaccine itself, which the manufacturers state should only be administered to healthy animals: what conditions or symptoms need to be present to constitute a legally un-healthy animal to which the rabies vaccine should not be given? I had read some of Dr. Sun’s work and knew he didn’t hold titer results in high regard.<br />
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Dr. Sun responded quickly and provided a lot of interesting, thought-provoking information. He said he was not aware of a list of diseases or conditions that would be a contraindication to rabies vaccine. There’s that Catch 22 again: the manufacturers of the vaccines state it must only be administered to healthy animals, BUT there is no method of defining a legal unhealthy, and thus, exempt, animal.<br />
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After a few more emails, Dr. Sun told me there were several cities/counties in the state that have exemption ordinances. What? <i>Really?</i> He gave me the list and I contacted AC Officer Cristobal, who had now announced her impending retirement. I volunteered to collect the information if she thought it would help. Within a day, I dropped off a large package of information for her at the Monterey PD, containing each localities’ ordinance highlighted and a suggestion that the exempted dog not be confined to the owner’s property, but allowed in public under constant restraint (a leash).<br />
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Officer Cristobal sent me an email stating Deputy Chief Phil Penko was drafting an ordinance for presentation to the City Council. A few days later she sent me a copy of the draft. It would be heard at the May 4th meeting, the day after Officer Cristobal retires. I attended the City Council meeting and the exemption ordinance was a consent item. The Mayor asked if any of the council members objected to any of the consent items, and no one objected to the proposed ordinance….so then it needed to be heard again at the next council meeting. I attended that one also on May 18th. Again, nobody objected and it passed! It passed. I still am in shock….<b>it passed!</b><br />
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I have an email from Deputy Chief Penko stating Bunny is covered under the new ordinance and am awaiting a letter from the Police Chief. I carry a copy of the ordinance, the email from DC Penko, the letter from my vet and the titer results with me whenever I walk Bunny. There are duplicate copies in the glove box of the car. ..."<br />
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Shortly after writing her experience, Susi's hard work paid off .. She wrote again to say, <b>"IT'S ON THE BOOKS!</b> The City of Monterey Code includes the Rabies Exemption!! Sec 6-13 has been amended to include the exemption language. The new ordinance went into effect 6/18/10. I'm still waiting for a letter from the Chief of Police giving me the authorization to allow me to pay the dog license.....but hey, it's only been a month. It'll happen....!"<br />
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We have to salute Bunny for inspiring her diehard owner to step up and champion for sick dogs in her city. Rock on Susi! Monterey City - you got it right, and you didn't wait to see what Sacramento was going to do with AB2000 (below) before you changed your law. BRAVO.</div>
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<i>The state of California is considering </i><b><i>AB2000,</i></b><i> a bill that would allow for an exemption of a rabies license with a veterinarian's permission. The facebook page of the Rabies Challenge Fund is posting</i> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rabies-Challenge-Fund/119106981159?ref=ts#!/pages/The-Rabies-Challenge-Fund/119106981159?v=wall&ref=ts/" target="new"><b>updates.</b></a>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-11053953765300633372016-06-17T07:26:00.000-07:002016-06-17T08:21:03.117-07:00Part II: The Landlord Experience. If you care about pet-friendly housing, this matters.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzZUYoegRMQ/V2NYJVAPmVI/AAAAAAAAE8g/MrWvLfxhIxQlx-4qnoEjewAi_exY74GZQCLcB/s1600/LLfeedback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzZUYoegRMQ/V2NYJVAPmVI/AAAAAAAAE8g/MrWvLfxhIxQlx-4qnoEjewAi_exY74GZQCLcB/s400/LLfeedback.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
The pet-friendly housing shortage in the SF Bay Area and most other cities has been <i><a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-blue-dot-dogs.html" target="_blank">crushing</a></i> our collective ability to keep family dogs in safe, permanent homes and out of animal shelters. Understanding the landlord experience is essential to navigating this trend, but the most recent research we could find on the topic is outdated (<a href="http://www.firepaw.org/CompanionAnimalRentersPetFriendly.pdf" target="_blank">Firepaw</a> Study 2005). The landscape has changed quite a bit since that study was published, so we decided to get busy over the past year by speaking with as many different property managers as we could in order to gain some perspective. In addition to phone interviews and email exchanges, we gathered responses from landlords in a twelve question survey that was shared around by local realtors and via our social media page. Our goal was to daylight some of the key factors that influence landlord decisions when accepting or rejecting dogs in their rental properties.<br />
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Participants were asked to share their insurance providers, dog breed and/or size restrictions, requirements for dogs and dog owners, yard and shared space usage and obstacles they faced (if any) when making their decisions. We also asked them to describe both positive and negative experiences with renting to dog owners. Finally, all were asked to indicate whether they would be interested in participating in more discussion in our search for solutions to the pet friendly housing shortage. (23% said 'yes,' 55% declined and 21% are on the fence.) To encourage candid survey responses, we agreed to keep landlord identity confidential.<br />
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<b>Our burning question behind these efforts: </b><i>What prevents some landlords from renting to dog owners? And what can we learn from landlords who DO welcome them?</i><br />
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People were very generous with their time and seemed to appreciate our interest. Their responses were rich with inside info and gave us a good grasp of some of the key factors that contribute to pet policy decisions. <b>Here's the thing: </b>While a small number of the participants did not allow dogs on their properties, the majority who did expressed a strong desire to improve their pet policies to ensure a better overall success rate with dog owners. Hopeful, right? We think so too. <i>Learn from the negative, build on the positive.</i><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7o_YfQ5swh4/V2PX19FxcyI/AAAAAAAAE8w/qH3DqD7PA4cceatjXNNFS9w_Cih88fEcwCLcB/s1600/graph_landlords2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7o_YfQ5swh4/V2PX19FxcyI/AAAAAAAAE8w/qH3DqD7PA4cceatjXNNFS9w_Cih88fEcwCLcB/s400/graph_landlords2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<b>Who responded?</b><br />
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Of the 69 who responded to our survey, 45 rent to dog owners, 19 accept dogs on a case-by-case basis and three ban dogs outright. Not surprising, the majority who allow dogs are those who rent out single family homes (37) and/or duplexes or triplexes (26). Ten participants counted their rental spaces as 'other' - which included RVs and non-conforming apartments. All but ten property owners reported having fenced yards or patios available for dogs, although a number preferred that tenants not use them as the dogs' main bathroom.<br />
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<b>Multi-unit building managers heard from</b>. Eleven in total. We were so happy they shared. Five told us they allow dogs, five allow them on a case-by-case basis and one does not allow them at all. Nine of the 11 multi-unit managers who responded do not have breed restrictions. <b>They're an important group</b> because multi-unit buildings have traditionally held the biggest resistance to pets - targeted breeds in particular. Interested to hear what their experience with pets has been? You should be! <a href="http://www.badrap.org/sites/default/files/Landlord_Multi_Feedback.pdf" target="_blank">Read <b>HERE.</b></a><br />
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<b>Insurance Providers</b><br />
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Survey participants hold insurance policies with these companies: State Farm (23) / Farmers (7) / AllState (7) / AAA (6) / Liberty Mutual (4) / USAA (4) / Travelers (3) / Pacific Specialty (2) / Sadler (1) / ANPAC (1) / CSAA (1) / Encompass/Safeco (1) / “Several” (3) / Unknown or Declined to Share (6)<br />
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<b>What do property owners worry about? ... Their property!</b><br />
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Hands down, the number one concern expressed by landlords came from having experienced property damage and/or nuisance noise from dogs – <i>regardless of breed type.</i> From our blog post '<b><a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-housing-shortage-bad-apples-are.html" target="_blank">Bad Apples</a>' - </b>Only three of the landlords we polled mentioned insurance as a potential obstacle to renting to pit bulls and other dogs, and only one had breed restrictions (no reason given). Almost all reported the need for expensive and time consuming repairs after dog owners moved out and/or dogs who disturbed neighbors with noise. One of the happier surprises to us was that most of the survey participants who reported negative experiences still welcome dogs in their rentals.<br />
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<b>How are they protecting their interests?</b> Landlords reported these requirements for dog owners. (<i>Can we help them do better?</i>)<br />
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<ul>
<li>Additional rent and/or security deposit: 39 (58.21%)</li>
<li>Pet Addendum language added to lease: 36 (53.7%)</li>
<li>Dog must be spayed/neutered: 34 (50.75%)</li>
<li>Meet and approve dog in advance: 33 (49.25%)</li>
<li>Dogs must get along with other dogs on property: 16 (23.88%)</li>
<li>References for pets from other landlords, etc. required: 12 (17.91)</li>
<li>No requirements: 9 (13.43%)</li>
<li>Proof of basic obedience training: 6 (8.96%)</li>
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<b>Why should we care what landlords think? Read this:</b><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I am a leasing agent and property manager for a 260 unit loft complex. I am currently researching how to create a better pet policy. We currently have a breed restriction and limit large dogs to first floor apartments. I would like to get rid of the breed restriction because I think it is ill-informed and difficult to enforce.<br />
Here is my dilemma. When leasing at such a large scale, it is not feasible for me to evaluate each dog's temperament individually, nor am I really qualified to do so. We would like to encourage responsible dog owners to rent with us but at the same time discourage irresponsible dog owners (which there are unfortunately many of in our area).<br />
We have to establish some sort of consistent guidelines because otherwise we open ourselves up to lawsuits. </blockquote>
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<b>When we listen, we learn</b><br />
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We have renewed faith that a good number of landlords care about their communities and want responsible dog owners to enjoy a lifetime commitment to their family companions. How do we identify and support them so their numbers grow? We've only scratched the surface of this topic, and it's clear we have a long way to go before more landlords feel comfortable opening their doors to dog owners.<br />
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<b>Comments? Questions? Ideas?</b><br />
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Landlords, renters, animal welfare workers: Please join this conversation so we can start to meet the needs of both the landlords who want responsible tenants and the pet owners who so desperately need a place to call home.<br />
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<b>GRATITUDE:</b> <i> Many thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with us. </i><br />
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<b>More info: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Are landlords liable for a tenant's dog's behavior? Not usually. <a href="http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/dog-book/chapter4-7.html" target="_blank">NOLO Press</a></li>
<li>Pet Addendum for use in conjunction with residential lease. <a href="http://www.badrap.org/sites/default/files/Pet_Addendum_0.pdf" target="_blank">Addendum</a> (Need this is a Word Doc? <a href="http://www.badrap.org/contact" target="_blank">Holler!</a>)</li>
<li>BADRAP's best tips for pet owners looking for a home: <a href="http://www.badrap.org/renting-your-dog" target="_blank">Renting</a></li>
</ul>
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<b>Below:</b> A little gallery of insightful feedback from some of the landlords and the pet owners who shared their experiences with us.<br />
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c.parentNode.insertBefore(cp, c); })(); </script><noscript>Powered by Cincopa <a href='http://www.cincopa.com/media-platform/podcast-player'>Podcast Hosting</a> for Business solution.<span>Landlords/Tenant Feedback: Renting with Pets</span><span>Landlords Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>orientation</span><span> 1</span><span>camerasoftware</span><span> Canva</span><span>Landlords Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Landlords Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Landlords Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Jessica & 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1</span><span>camerasoftware</span><span> Canva</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>In East Oakland</span><span>flash</span><span> 16</span><span>cameramake</span><span> Canon</span><span>height</span><span> 3027</span><span>camerasoftware</span><span> Adobe Photoshop Ligh</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 5/31/2015 4:45:00 PM</span><span>width</span><span> 4541</span><span>cameramodel</span><span> Canon EOS 6D</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>In Pittsburg, CA</span><span>flash</span><span> 16</span><span>cameramake</span><span> Canon</span><span>height</span><span> 3609</span><span>camerasoftware</span><span> Adobe Photoshop Ligh</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 4/26/2015 4:35:15 PM</span><span>width</span><span> 5413</span><span>cameramodel</span><span> Canon EOS 6D</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Tenants Share</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>Thanks for reading</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>height</span><span> 768</span><span>width</span><span> 1024</span><span>orientation</span><span> 1</span><span>camerasoftware</span><span> Canva</span></noscript>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-81959279469006420782016-04-15T09:03:00.000-07:002016-04-16T09:21:14.833-07:00The housing shortage: Bad apples are tripping you up<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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"Landlords are greedy and they don't like pit bulls. If insurance companies would lighten up, more pit bulls could get homes." </div>
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<b>False.</b> Well, mostly false.</div>
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According to nearly 70 landlords and property managers who responded to a 12 question survey we circulated recently, insurance and breed types have been non-issues in their decisions to rent to pet owners. Instead, they told us that the main obstacle to maintaining a dog friendly policy is the <b>damage, mess and nuisance noise</b> caused by former tenants with all types of dogs. That, and the fact that housing is at such a premium that there are dozens of qualified families without pets standing in line, ready to pay <b><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/16/rents-rise-to-crazy-levels-zillow.html" target="_blank">historically high rents</a> </b>for their hard-to-find apartments. Supply and demand, headaches vs. landlord convenience. It makes sense, doesn't it?<br />
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Only three of the landlords we polled mentioned insurance as a potential obstacle to renting to pit bulls and other dogs, and only one had breed restrictions (no reason given). Almost all reported the need for expensive and time consuming repairs after dog owners moved out and/or dogs who disturbed neighbors with noise. One of the bigger surprises to us was that <i><b>most of the survey participants still allow dogs</b> </i>despite the headaches they outlined. </div>
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<b>From the survey:</b> Have you had any negative experiences renting to pet owners? Please describe:<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>.... 'Dogs being allowed to mess in the house. We have had to deep clean grout & tile & replace (new) carpet because of excess dog bathroom messes.' ..... 'People were very nice and paid their rent on time, however the condo was a mess after they moved and it had a very, very strong urine odor in the carpet.' ..... 'Constant barking of pet at all times of day and night.' ..... 'Peed on, moldy carpets, all the way through the pad. Chewed baseboards. Kittens galore. Fleas. Large dog poop in the yard.' ..... 'Hardwood floors damaged from pets nails, black fur build up between carpet and trim, pet waste not picked up and neighbors complained, barking complaints' .....'Young tenants went out every night and their little dog suffered from anxiety and would howl all night till they returned and the dog pooped in my house and they would leave it' .... 'The dog caused so much damage to carpet through urination that both carpet and pad had to be replaced throughout unit AND the concrete foundation below carpet and pad had to be treated for urination saturation. Total cost $3,000 plus a lot of extra time and energy hiring contractors, arranging appointment/cleaning times, meeting with contractors, etc. I learned my lesson and went back to a No Pet policy '...</i></span><br />
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<b>Understanding is Key</b><br />
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We have more info to share including the reasons some of the landlords <b>do</b> like renting to responsible owners of pit bull type dogs among others, but as we move forward, it seems important to point out that dog owners may not be interpreting landlord rejection correctly. Understanding the perspective of property owners is crucial if we're going to make any headway in opening more housing to pet owners. And, according to 70 (mostly) dog friendly landlords who were kind enough to speak to us, the insensitive renter who allows his dog to make a big mess of things is one of the key reasons you're facing such a big disadvantage during this housing shortage ... The exception of course being landlords who are swayed by breed stereotypes in towns and counties that endorse Breed Specific Legislation (Yes <a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2016/03/is-san-francisco-ready-to-end-its-breed.html" target="_blank"><b>San Francisco</b></a>, that includes you.)<br />
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<b>Knowledge is Power: Be Awesome. Get Your Home!</b></div>
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<b>There are strategies</b> you can take to show landlords that you're a cut above the rest. Because if you aren't a cut above the bad apples, <i>why should </i>anyone rent to you?<br />
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To help on that end, we've created a 90-second video with a 'landlord approved' approach to securing housing, in <b><a href="https://vimeo.com/157453255" target="_blank">English </a></b>and in <a href="https://vimeo.com/160548148" target="_blank"><b>Spanish</b></a>. All are welcome to embed this on their websites (the embed code pops up with the share button).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/157453255?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Shelters and Rescue Groups.</b> You're welcome to post and print these graphic hand-outs for people in your community. <a href="http://www.badrap.org/printable-hand-outs" target="_blank"><b>HAND-OUTS</b></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-10105030287598182902016-03-14T08:36:00.001-07:002018-04-24T17:04:31.284-07:00Is San Francisco ready to end its Breed Specific Discrimination?<br />
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<b>EDIT: </b>Jonny made new friends in SF city gov't after his meeting but as of December 2016, there has been no indication that SF wants to end its discriminatory policy and language towards blocky dogs.<br />
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<b>SF Dog celeb Jonny Justice has an important meeting</b> with San Francisco Board of Supervisors President London Breed on Tuesday, March 15. He's going with his adopter Cris Cohen and while he's there, he hopes to explain how SF's current designation of “pit bulls” as a special “<a href="http://www.sfanimalcare.org/the-right-pet/high-risk-dogs/" target="_blank">problem</a>” dog has been stigmatizing both the dogs and their owners and contributing to a homeless pets problem in SF and other cities. <i>Photo right: Mark Rogers</i><br />
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Breed specific mandates endorse discrimination and profiling of all kinds, including and especially breed bans by landlords and insurance companies.<br />
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<b>Cris experienced San Francisco's BSL first hand </b>when he was out walking Jonny's sister dog Lily. He told us that, two blocks from their home in the Sunset district, "a uniformed ACO in a white Chevy Astro van, with the SFACC (San Francisco Animal Care and Control) logo on the door pulled up and stopped in the middle of the cross walk, blocking our path. He rolled down his window, and asked 'Is your dog neutered?'"<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Lily was spayed back when she was a BADRAP foster dog, but if she hadn't seen the vet for this procedure yet, the ACO would have been within his right to confiscate her until Cris paid fines and surgery costs. If Cris had been unemployed or otherwise unable to afford the fees, he would risk losing custody of Lily altogether. In fact, we've interviewed several under resourced SF dog owners who had to make the terrible decision to surrender their dogs to an unknown fate at SFACC when faced with the same situation.</span><br />
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Targeted dog owners in SF who are resistant to the strong arm approach to neutering have told us that <b>they just avoid walking their dogs </b>- No training classes, limited socialization, and in a densely populated city where the need for proper training and socialization can be crucial.<br />
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<b>Why the discriminatory law?</b><br />
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Back in 2005, after a dog related fatality involving a young boy whose mother locked him in their house with two very troubled dogs who were mating, San Francisco retaliated by categorizing all pit bulls as "<a href="http://www.sfanimalcare.org/the-right-pet/high-risk-dogs/" target="_blank">higher risk dogs</a>" and started targeting pit bull owners with a mandatory spay/neuter (MSN) law. They were working from the belief that a dog's behavior could be predetermined by its breed make-up, a bias that has been discredited by dog experts in several ways, including peer reviewed <a href="http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Co-occurrence%20Whitepaper%20-%202013.pdf" target="_blank">studies</a>. Animal welfare organizations have long <a href="http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2014/03/expert-opposition-to-mandatory-spayneuter.html" target="_blank">condemned MSN</a> policies, citing a long list of <a href="http://dogtime.com/dog-health/spay-neuter/19516-advocacy-column-mandatory-spay-and-neuter-laws-do-not-work" target="_blank">reasons</a> including enforcement problems, opting for effective, voluntary spay/neuter programs instead that focus on building safe, humane communities through breed neutral laws and owner education/support programs. <br />
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It's unclear why SF is still hanging onto to an outdated and discriminatory ordinance in light of more progressive and effective spay/neuter program examples, but just maybe a change is coming. Anti-BSL advocates have been way too polite in SF and even the progressive San Francisco SPCA has been silent on the city's policy. The nonprofit's general counsel Brandy Kuentzel told us by email that while the SFSPCA is philosophically opposed to breed discriminatory laws, they have never formulated an official statement to denounce SF's BSL due to "limited staff time," but they hope to address it in the near future on their advocacy blog. <i>Photo right: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle</i> <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-animal-shelter-full-as-economy-goes-to-dogs-2311712.php#photo-1821502" target="_blank">Article</a> '<i>SF animal shelter full as economy goes to the dogs'</i><br />
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<b>Housing Shortage: Landlord Rejection = Surrendered Pets</b><br />
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CNN noticed SF's pet retention problem when they ran an <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/20/real_estate/pets-san-francisco/" target="_blank">article</a> last summer entitled 'No dogs allowed: San Francisco's pet housing crisis.' Said to be three times worse that NYC's housing situation, they noted that, "According to San Francisco animal welfare nonprofit SF SPCA, there's been a surge in owners abandoning their pets due to an inability to find pet-friendly housing."<br />
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Pit bulls are counted as one of the top five most popular dog breeds in CA (source: <a href="http://www.banfield.com/state-of-pet-health" target="_blank">Banfield</a>) yet tend to suffer the most when renters can't find housing. As of this writing, 70% of the dogs at SF's city shelter - 16 out of 23 - are adult pit bulls who've lost their homes (source: <a href="http://petharbor.com/">petharbor.com</a>). We are hard pressed to offer realistic advice to desperate SF pit bull owners who contact us for help during a dead end housing search. The law that was meant to curb irresponsible breeding and lower shelter intake numbers has instead cast an ugly light on pit bulls, and at a time when landlords are especially reluctant to rent to dogs over 30lbs.<br />
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<b>Vinegar, Honey or Good Old Fashioned Respect?</b><br />
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Being targeted as a <i>potential criminal</i> made a lasting impression on Cris Cohen. He said that the day he was stopped, "the ACO acted like a jerk. It really could have been a friendly positive interaction, but it was anything but."<br />
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Contrast the ACO's 'old school' approach to nonjudgmental public outreach programs that invite dialogue about spay/neuter options with under resourced dog owners. Across the bay in Oakland for example, our small but mighty spay/neuter van attracts long lines of area pit bull owners (photo: left) for free on-the-spot surgery appointments, vaccines, microchips and training help. People respond well to the welcoming vibe and pour out of their houses to join us at every event, hungry for information and resources. Even the most <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10152288058747399/?type=1&theater" target="_blank">reluctant</a> dog owners will sign on for neuters when presented with information in a respectful way, proving time and again that building healthy relationships with our communities can create more positive change than shaming, profiling and criminalizing ever have or will. <i>Photo left: Kathy Kinnear in East Oakland</i><br />
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<b> <a href="https://vimeo.com/59948031" target="_blank">VIDEO:</a> Who shows up? </b><br />
<i>See a typical Oakland-based voluntary spay/neuter event in action.</i><br />
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<b>Please, stop the profiling in San Francisco </b><br />
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It's our hope that Board of Supervisors President London Breed receives Jonny's information with an open mind. Blatant discrimination of dogs or their people should never be tolerated, especially in a world-class city like San Francisco, and especially during a pet-friendly housing crisis.<br />
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<b>If anyone can move the needle on breed discrimination, little Jonny can.</b><br />
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We encourage dog lovers to show your support for ending breed discrimination in San Francisco. Brief, considerate emails can go to Supervisor Breed and other board members at these <a href="mailto:Breedstaff@sfgov.org" target="_blank">email addresses</a>. <i>Thank you.</i><br />
<b><br />SF Board of Supervisors President <a href="mailto:London.Breed@sfgov.org" target="_blank">London Breed</a></b><br />
District 11 <a href="mailto:John.Avalos@sfgov.org" target="_blank">John Avalos </a><br />
District 9 <a href="mailto:David.Campos@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Dave Campos</a><br />
District 3 <a href="mailto:Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Aaron Peskin</a><br />
District 10 <a href="mailto:Malia.Cohen@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Malia Cohen</a><br />
District 2 <a href="mailto:Mark.Farrell@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Mark Farrell</a><br />
District 6 <a href="mailto:Jane.Kim@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Jane Kim</a><br />
District 1 <a href="mailto:Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Eric Mar</a><br />
District 4 <a href="mailto:Katy.Tang@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Katy Tang</a><br />
District 8 <a href="mailto:Scott.Wiener@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Scott Wiener</a><br />
District 7 <a href="mailto:Norman.Yee@sfgov.org" target="_blank">Norman Yee</a><br />
<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-81916847702698575372015-07-30T12:58:00.000-07:002015-07-30T14:33:34.247-07:00Pit Ed Primer: Homework for dog owners on our wait list <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Next to chihuahuas and small dog mixes, dogs described as pit bulls are some of the <a href="http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2013/10/us-love-for-pit-bulls-bigger-than-you.html" target="_blank">most popular dog</a> 'types' in all of CA. In the SF bay area, we can boast some of the best mannered 'block heads' you will find in the country, thanks to the dedication of hundreds of responsible dog owners and advocates who live here.<br />
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If you've signed up for BADRAP's <a href="http://www.badrap.org/node/114" target="_blank">Pit Ed classes</a>, this primer (with homework!) is for you. Classes are designed to help you and your dog learn how to be a better team. Your pet will learn self control around intense distractions, and you'll learn safe, humane handling skills so he can be a the best behaved dog in your neighborhood. We cover current events that affect our dogs, understanding <a href="http://www.badrap.org/dogdog-tolerance" target="_blank">dog tolerance levels</a>, basic obedience, socialization, responsible ownership must-knows, keeping your dogs safe from negative experiences, and basic problem solving. If you're not in the SF area, we hope some of the info here will be a help as you sort out your dog's leash manners at home.<br />
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Want to come observe? <b><a href="http://www.badrap.org/pit-ed-location" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> We welcome dogless visitors with a heads-up email.<br />
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<b>WHAT? Urban Street Skills - It's What You Want</b><br />
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Most dog owners want great 'street manners' ie, a dog that can walk down a busy street looking rock star cool and collected. This same dog will be well behaved when encountering bigger distractions (squirrels! skateboards! yappy dogs!) and will listen to your cues (leave it. sit. look. let's go!) when you need him to. Having good street manners means you can take your dog to a cafe and enjoy an uninterrupted conversation with your friend, or walk into the crowded lobby of your veterinarian and have the best behaved dog there.<br />
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<b>Left:</b> After six one hour classes and some homework, Tony & Daniel wowed us by showing off their dogs' great leash manners during an up-close greet. This came from practicing new skills and totally rearranging the way they communicate with their dog. <b>The best part?</b> Their dogs loved the training, especially the happy attention they got for each success.<br />
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<b>"But my dog is too excitable to do that"</b><br />
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MOST of the dogs who first come to our classes are mildly to extremely excited by distractions, especially other dogs. How can we possibly help them get the kind of smooth manners you see in the photo?<br />
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<b>HOW? It Starts with the 'Look'</b><br />
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The foundation skill for just about any dog who can be overly excited by the sight of other dogs is eye contact with their handlers. The more you reinforce this skill at home where it's easy to accomplish ('Look. Good boy!') and then practice it in new situations with new and bigger distractions, the easier it is to build great street manners into your dog when he needs them most. "Who cares about that silly barking dog behind the fence. Look at me instead. GOOD boy!"<br />
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Once your dog masters this skill, you're ready to start allowing him to look at the distraction briefly from a comfortable distance, and - important - praising for calm. Baby steps, baby steps!<br />
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Photos left/right: Gustavo Del Castillo N. Rivera<br />
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<b>HOMEWORK: Cementing a Solid 'Look' (Watch Me) Command</b><br />
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It's best to start reinforcing this skill at home without distractions and with a treat held up to the bridge of your nose. 'Look! Good girl!' ... and treat. Repeat.<br />
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Later, skip the treat and point to your nose when you want to get your dog's full attention. Remember to use her name and speak in a clear, upbeat tone 'Sally! Look! Good girl.' Most dogs love to hear their names ... Even better when it comes along with your happy, enthusiastic, purposeful tone. As your dog masters the 'Look' during a 'Sit,' you'll start to ask her to give you eye contact while she's moving. And then you're in business.<br />
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<i>In our classes, the dogs that do the best usually have handlers who act like your favorite coach did in high school - Good direction in loud, happy voices with plenty of warm encouragement. Who doesn't love that?</i></blockquote>
<b>MORE HOMEWORK:</b> Most dogs come to class already knowing 'Sit' 'Stay' and 'Down.' We really want your dog to know a good <b>'Leave It' </b>command, too. You'll use this command to call your dog's attention off of everything from a chicken bone on the street to a reactive dog that pushes her buttons. Here's a helpful <a href="http://www.vetstreet.com/teach-your-dog-to-leave-it#1_xtsva19j" target="_blank"><b>VIDEO</b></a> for your pre-class homework. You don't need to use a clicker btw to teach this skill. Just replace the 'click' with a verbal 'Good dog!' when she backs off from the treat, then make sure and offer her a reward from the opposite hand that you are using to hold the off-limits morsel.<br />
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<b>Equally important: Handling Techniques You'll Practice in Class</b><br />
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Your dog doesn't understand (much) English, but he's a master at reading body language. So your success in class will come from learning to navigate him around obstacles and distractions as smoothly and skillfully as a lead dancer moves his partner around the dance floor.<br />
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<b>But first, let's talk about Training Equipment. </b>Our beginner classes accept up to 20 dogs at a time, and many will be bouncy and reactive to other dogs the first class or two. That's fine! You're welcome to use whichever collar or shoulder or head harness has been successful for you so far, with the exception of a choke or electric collar.<br />
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By far, the most successful and popular training equipment for new handlers has been the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Herm-Sprenger-Chrome-Pinch-Collar/dp/B00I0F8702/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1438208767&sr=1-1&keywords=prong+small" target="_blank">micro-prong</a> or the 'plastic prong' (the <a href="http://starmarkacademy.com/products/pro-training-collar/" target="_blank">Starmark collar</a>). We do not - <i>repeat</i> - we do not allow popping, yanking, pulling or otherwise punishing dogs who wear these collars in class. They're simply going to allow you enough power steering to finally get down to the business of practicing basic skills with your dog and helping him learn to be comfortable in a very exciting setting. This is especially true for people whose dogs are strong enough to pull them off their feet.<br />
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<b>Right: </b>Party Girl<b> </b>Cricket started her first three training classes on a prong collar, but graduated to a martingale as she learned that focusing on her person brought more reward than bouncing towards other dogs. Supported handler, smart pup!<br />
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<b>Below Left:</b> <i>Badda Bing was too rowdy on his harness to learn new skills during his first class, but arrived in his Starmark collar the following week (right) and got right to work. We love and welcome harnesses on dogs who respond well to them, but some dogs like Bing need a little more control initially to get them started. Bing's life was in danger when volunteers were unable to walk him at the local shelter where he was surrendered, so we took him into our program to get him on track. With the right equipment, he gave up the bounce and found quick success and then, a brand new home.</i><br />
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<b>Proper fit and technique is key.</b> If you decide to try a prong collar on your dog, we want you to watch this <a href="https://vimeo.com/25366928" target="_blank"><b>VIDEO</b></a> to help you get a proper fit. And remember, because we want you to reward your dog for good behavior - no popping the leash allowed.<br />
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<b>Handling - It's everything!</b> If you aren't handling your dog correctly, he may pull in front of you or trip you up, especially if he wants to bounce towards other dogs. Please review this video to learn how you will hold the leash and incorporate your 'Look' and other commands during class drills.<br />
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<b>Once you're comfortable </b>with the style of handling shown in the video above, you and your dog will start practicing close contact drills around other dogs, bikes, skateboards, feral cats (yikes!), you name it. Everyone improves. And our favorite part: some of the most challenging - ie, naughty! - dogs tend to turn into the biggest rock stars.<br />
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Photo right: Gustavo Del Castillo N. Rivera<br />
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<b>Q: But what if I do all of the above and my dog still reacts?</b> Dogs are individuals and react for a variety reasons that can change as their circumstances change. Together, we can learn enough about your dog and your communication style with her to customize an approach that works for you both. Because practice makes (nearly!) perfect, you're welcome to continue classes long after you've 'graduated' from Beginner's Class so you can sharpen new skills that can be used out in the real world where it really counts.<br />
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<b>Q: Is there anything I can be doing before class starts?</b><br />
Class provides an excellent opportunity to bond with and improve your relationship with your dog. This work doesn't stop after you leave class. If you're struggling with behavior issues at home, give this hand-out a read to see if it might be time to tighten up on some of your management techniques throughout the day: <a href="http://www.badrap.org/sites/default/files/new_dog_0.pdf" target="_blank"><b>A NEW DOG</b></a><br />
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<b>Q: My dog is afraid of people. Will this class help?</b><br />
Pit Ed can be stressful for dogs with extreme fear issues because it can be loud, busy, full of dog noise and it butts up against a public park full of cars, visitors and other animals. If you think your dog will have a hard time in this setting, you may want to look into working with a trainer for one-on-one sessions.<br />
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<b>Q: My dog misbehaves at the dog park. Will this class help?</b><br />
Pit Ed is an on-leash only class. We'll discuss the pros & cons of dog park use in class, along with some fun ways to exercise your dog safely, but our focus is helping you develop solid on-leash street manners so you can navigate our busy city streets with ease.<br />
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<b>Q: My reactive dog is not a pit bull. Can I still come to class? </b><br />
Occasionally we allow other breeds, but because pit bulls are the dogs most likely to be judged in public and euthanized in animal shelters for bad leash manners, we've dedicated our efforts to helping them. For your non-pit, please look at some of the 'Growly Dog' classes held at local SPCAs and Humane Societies.<br />
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<i>Please be aware that, due to the extreme popularity of pit bulls in the SF Bay Area, our classes have a 6-9 month long wait list. We hope this post helps you gain enough info to get started before we meet you - or maybe, it can help you avoid the need for class altogether!</i><br /></p>
<p><b>More photos from class. Enjoy! </b>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" id="vp1ETU7W" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1438287521&f=ETU7W7bzJvNHgOMK7r7a6Q&d=0&m=p&r=360p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" title="Video Player" width="640"></iframe>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-55513358403258361882015-04-17T07:01:00.000-07:002015-04-17T09:52:30.371-07:00the blue dot dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>First the bad news</b>. This map shows the number of bank owned (foreclosed) homes being offered for sale <i>this week</i> in just one slice of Oakland - East Oakland, to be exact. (Source: <a href="http://www.zillow.com/oakland-ca/foreclosures/" target="_blank">Zillow</a>) It's a shocking graphic that grows as the map reveals more pieces of the hardest hit parts of the SF east bay.<br />
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Behind every blue dot is a displaced family and/or an evicted tenant. Approximately 47% of those homes likely owned one or more dogs and/or cats when they were told they had to move. (That figure comes from the <a href="http://www.americanpetproducts.org/" target="_blank">American Pet Products Association</a>, who likes to keep tabs on the number of American families who own pets). Where did all those families and all those pets go? Many have been heading <a href="http://socialistworker.org/2014/04/07/pushed-away-from-the-bay" target="_blank">east,</a> in search of affordable living. Faced with a dearth of pet friendly rentals, thousands are forced to leave their pets behind every year. In Oakland, where pit bulls have traditionally been among the top three most popular breeds, we can practically draw a straight line from every other blue dot to Oakland Animal Services. Or, hundreds of straight lines.<br />
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Contrary to popular stereotypes, SF Bay Area pit bulls aren't filling shelters because there are 'too many' of them, or they're 'too unwanted' or 'too difficult' to own. Instead, many if not most were well loved dogs who've simply been displaced, right along with their humans.<br />
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<b>“Of those who gave up their animals, the most common reason cited was that the landlord or place of </b><b>residence did not allow dogs or cats.”</b> - American Humane Association Report 'Keeping Pets (Dogs and Cats) in Homes: A Three-Phase Retention Study' 2012<br />
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Many of the blue dot dogs also reflect the lack of affordable training resources in these same communities, so are doubly challenged by a lack of basic manners when they land in the shelters. In a market oversaturated with dogs-in-need, the well mannered dogs are understandably cherry picked for adoption programs, leaving the dogs with caveman manners at a much higher risk of euthanasia.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7qFRab-imw/VTEMOPu9V3I/AAAAAAAAE0Q/RPLEzeA1YKw/s1600/chris%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7qFRab-imw/VTEMOPu9V3I/AAAAAAAAE0Q/RPLEzeA1YKw/s1600/chris%2Bphoto.jpg" width="390" /></a>Dealing with the aftermath of the economic trends and housing shortages has vexed animal shelter workers for over a decade, even while live release rates are closely scrutinized by a public hungry for 'save them all' successes.<br />
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Successes are within reach but can be hard to sustain, and it's not uncommon for frustrated critics to place blame on surrendering families for not trying harder to keep their pets or at animal shelters for not trying harder to attract new homes. To their credit, shelters have increased adoption rates for pit bulls and other dogs substantially over the years all around the country (<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2013/10/06/pit-bull-adoptions-increase-suburbanites-consider-dog-they-previously-ignored/s1bRHM7RzOm9lrtaQ4DgML/story.html" target="_blank">news link</a>). Yet the intake numbers have have held steady.<br />
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What's a shelter to do?<br />
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In a very real sense - until and unless the flow of displaced pets slows - any animal shelter's best defense to the perennial intake of larger dogs is to keep their marketing skills sharp and social media pages humming so well resourced families can be attracted to the same dogs their less fortunate neighbors were forced to give up. Rather depressing, but true.<br />
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<b>So What's the Good News?</b><br />
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The good news is that many in the animal welfare field are finally rubbing their eyes awake to the bigger picture. Under resourced dog owners shouldn't be written off as bad guys, and 'Owner Support' programs that honor the human-animal bond are finding their legs. Inventing new ways to keep challenged dogs in their homes is becoming the in-vogue topic at animal welfare conferences and even publications like Dodo, which ran this article early in the week.<br />
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<b>'People Are Unfairly Forced to Leave Their Dogs at Shelters. Now There's Help.' - <a href="https://www.thedodo.com/owner-support-shelter-dogs-1091117107.html" target="_blank">LINK</a></b><br />
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Understanding the key causes behind high shelter intake numbers doesn't always afford us easy solutions, however. At times, the reality of homeless dogs can seem so overwhelming - It may have almost been easier for animal lovers to believe that the majority of pit bull owners were irresponsible and required policing, as San Francisco and other cities have done.<br />
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But we're smarter than that now, and hopefully more compassionate. Or at least, we know we're supposed to be.<br />
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Photo credit: Chris Arson. <i>An Oakland family comes to a 2014 BADRAP owner support event to have their dog spayed.</i><br />
<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-21230288594340378252015-02-11T15:53:00.000-08:002015-02-12T01:48:30.974-08:00Game Changer Dogs - Viva the Evolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We lost our founding dog Sally recently, which was as big a blow as anyone can experience when saying good-bye to a dear friend. Our <a href="http://badraporg.tumblr.com/www.badraporg.tumblr.com/inspiration" target="_blank">nostalgia </a>about our seventeen year friendship with her stirred a project we'd been simmering for years: An image-rich tribute to the human-animal bond and the ways we're transformed by that bond. <br />
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The healing, motivation and comfort that dogs offer in exchange for a meal and some ear scratches have been a source of poetry and prose for centuries, and now, as pit bulls secure their rightful place in our culture, their fans seem to have no shortage of gratitudes and stories. In fact, people have been writing to us since our group began to express their amazement at their love for ..<i>. a dog.</i><br />
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We feel like therapists at times, taking confessionals from people who can't quite believe how much their lives have changed for the better. "We understand," we reply. The human-animal bond is big stuff. It's been nudging us to evolve our thinking about our planet and its creatures and even each other, and all in the most positive of ways. The newfound interest in <a href="http://www.badrap.org/keepem-home-stories" target="_blank">dog owner support</a> programs, for example, is born out of our shared love for companion animals with people in communities that may be very different from the ones we grew up in. We thought* we were helping dogs, but really, the dogs have been helping us to become better humans. Clever beasts.<br />
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And so, here is the start of our little project: Public confessions of game changing dogs. Many of the entries in this growing collection are heart tuggers, some are funny and a few are quite candid and deeply personal.<br />
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<b><a href="http://badraporg.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Game Changer Dogs</a></b></h3>
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<b>Join Us! </b>This project is for you, and anyone who wants to stamp their story in Cyberspace for all to ponder and enjoy. A few short sentences is plenty and a gorgeous photo tells a thousand words, of course. Thank you for reading and for sharing with your circles. ---> <b><a href="http://www.badrap.org/photo-submission" target="_blank">Submissions</a></b>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-82811729435684410862015-02-05T09:38:00.002-08:002015-02-05T09:38:44.352-08:00We're Hiring!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iVHKJps11zw/VNOpgHaRDxI/AAAAAAAAExo/Z1u-kwWD5RM/s1600/Keepem_home_logo_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iVHKJps11zw/VNOpgHaRDxI/AAAAAAAAExo/Z1u-kwWD5RM/s1600/Keepem_home_logo_small.jpg" height="308" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Now seeking a very special Super Hero who has the vision and fortitude to help us ramp up our <a href="http://www.badrap.org/keepem_home_project" target="_blank">Keep'Em Home</a> work in the SF East Bay. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Thank you for sharing with your community-minded friends and colleagues.</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Keep'Em Home Manager Part Time <a href="http://www.badrap.org/job-opening" target="_blank">Position Opening</a></b></span>Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-17704484513011759112015-01-01T21:05:00.002-08:002015-01-01T21:13:50.137-08:00Hello, Hello to 2015 / Year end report and Good bye to Sassy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Are the holidays always so filled with nostalgia, or was this year special? </div>
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Just yesterday, on the last day of 2014, we said a sad good-bye to Barn Dog alumna <a href="http://badrapbarncrew.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-winter-romance.html" target="_blank">Sassy</a> - a regal elderbull who first came to us from a dusty hoarding case in SoCA. She lived a very happy two years with her adopters, and died of mass cell cancer under the tears of her biggest fans, the Blechman Rivera family. <i>Photos <a href="http://bettinacrawfordphoto.com/blechmanriverafam/" target="_blank">Bettina Crawford Photography</a></i></div>
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<b>Life ends, Life begins.</b> And on the first day of this New Year, our team tended to a small litter of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/pb.21764607398.-2207520000.1420175011./10152608119972399/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">puppies </a>who've just* started to scuffle around. They currently look like wrinkled old men, trying out their new legs. The pups and their most wonderful mom <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/p.10152603310527399/10152603310527399/?type=1&theater" target="_blank">Waffles </a>came to us two weeks ago from Yolo County Animal Services and promise a lifetime of fond memories to their future adopters.</div>
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Life demands that we keep moving forward. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">In the middle of the sad news and those busy tasks, we made preparations to reunite a dog named AJ with his (formerly homeless) family (</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10152635216657399/?type=1&theater" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">photo link</a><span style="text-align: left;">); a reminder that rescue work is intrinsically connected to our wider community, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. AJ's story is spelled out in our year end report, linked below.</span></div>
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<b>Chart Your Course in 2015</b><br />
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If you haven't already, don't forget to purchase your 2015 New Beginnings Calendar. Each month highlights a rescue case who moved through our adoption program on their way to new lives, and each story represents a certain triumph for the dog and a happy day for their new families.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cafepress.com/badrapstore/9549797" target="_blank"><b>Calendars Link</b></a><br />
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For more information on the key projects that kept us busy in 2014, and a look at what we're doing next, please give our year end report a read. Miles to go before we sleep, and we're so happy to have you alongside us for the sometimes bumpy, sometimes silly, always interesting ride of our lives. Thank you for being such a big part of this nationwide movement to keep the 'blockheads' in our circle of compassion.<br />
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<a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs140/1101911701917/archive/1116224364120.html" target="_blank">BADRAP 2014 Year End Report</a></h3>
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<i>Good bye, sweet girl. You won't be forgotten.</i></div>
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-83712920047065963182014-11-19T15:51:00.000-08:002014-11-20T10:55:07.096-08:00Riverside County: The bite prevention effort that isn't<div class="p1">
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Riverside County, CA is having some trouble with dog bite prevention.<br />
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In October 2013, Riverside County Animal Services ushered breed specific legislation in to unincorporated parts of the county in the form of a mandatory spay/neuter law that targets families who own dogs described as 'pit bulls.' They'd hoped to promote public safety through this ordinance and, by focusing law enforcement resources on sterilization, decrease the number of dog bite incidents. That move came on the heels of a well publicized attack involving two mixed breed dogs described as “Australian shepherd pit bull mixes.” </div>
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"It's time to say enough is enough," County Supervisor John Tavaglione said. "I'm tired of seeing innocent people hurt.” <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-riverside-county-pit-bull-sterilizations-20131008-story.html" target="_blank">LINK</a></div>
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Debates leading up to the ordinance stirred the usual pit bull breed myths and stereotypes in online discussion and news stories, but did not bring additional funding for animal control officials, bite prevention education or spay/neuter resources for under resourced residents. Naturally, the ordinance attracted <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151775825747911&id=162246003836827" target="_blank">heated criticism from the public</a> </b>who lamented the use of a tired, outdated strategy that targets under resourced dog owners. The practice of criminalizing dogs owners through mandatory spay/neuter laws is now widely condemned by a diverse array of animal welfare experts and organizations. <a href="http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/mandatory_spayneuter/" target="_blank">LINK</a></div>
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<b>It's not working</b><br />
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Since the ordinance passed, Riverside County residents have watched several tragic bite incidents play out in the media. On November 5, an unsupervised toddler took a bad bite and lost much of his tiny ear after approaching a frustrated dog who'd been chained in his backyard. RCAS's news <a href="http://www.rcdas.org/index.php/about-us/newsroom/news-releases/item/91-toddler-severely-injured-by-family-dog-boy-s-left-ear-ripped-off-by-pit-bull" target="_blank">release</a> and <a href="http://abc7.com/pets/pit-bull-attacks-1-year-old-boy-in-jurupa-valley/382628/" target="_blank">facebook post</a> was quick to call out breed type in their headlines, and the media followed suit. The dog in this case was described as a pit bull and had already been <b>neutered</b>.</div>
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Less than two weeks later, another tragedy when a loose dog mauled a toddler at a playground on November 14, causing disfigurement and lasting nerve damage to the young boy's face. The biting dog, photo right, was called out as "dog" in <a href="http://www.rcdas.org/index.php/about-us/newsroom/news-releases/item/96-dog-impounded-in-french-valley-animal-id-d-as-one-involved-in-serious-attack-on-boy" target="_blank">agency headlines</a> and later identified as a <b>neutered </b>Labrador mix. However, research reminds us that <a href="http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/files/Voith_Poster_11x17.pdf" target="_blank">visual identification tells us nothing</a> about a dog's breed make-up - lab-type dogs included! - and breed type(s) tell us even less about the multifactorial reasons an individual dog may inflict a severe bite on a human. <b>EDIT</b>: The identity of the biting dog is being debated. <a href="http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/11/19/dog-impounded-for-mauling-toddler-in-french-valley-found-to-be-not-responsible/" target="_blank"><b>LINK</b></a></div>
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<b>“You need to be educated on it"</b></div>
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Dog bite prevention information has been noticeably absent from any of RCAS communications following bites. Instead, perhaps to justify their highly criticized spay/neuter ordinance, the agency continues to suggest via clumsy quotes that dog bite risk can be measured by breed type. This past summer, after Animal Services released a blocky headed dog with a history of aggression back to his family, the dog attacked two children. RCAS described the dog as a pit bull. Deputy Director Frank Corvino’s explanation for the attack amounted to this <a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/pit-bull-attacks-rise-riverside-county-ca-2-boys-indio-latest-victims" target="_blank">quote:</a> "If you're going to own that type of breed you need to be educated on it, you need to know what to do with it if folks come by, you need to know your dog inside and out, and be aware of the genetics.” </div>
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Three for three: The dog in this incident was also <b>neutered</b> at the time of the attack.</div>
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<b>It's clear that relying on a targeted warnings and spay/neuter strategy as a cure all to dog bites is failing Riverside’s citizens and will continue to fail them. </b></div>
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This comes as no surprise to animal experts who study dog bite trends and causes. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s paper on breeds implicated in serious bite injuries urges policy makers to avoid assigning bite injuries to breed type, pit bulls especially. <a href="https://www.avma.org/Advocacy/StateAndLocal/Documents/Welfare-Implications-of-the-role-of-breed.pdf" target="_blank">LINK</a></div>
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<i>Owners of pit bull-type dogs deal with a strong breed stigma, however controlled studies have not identified this breed group as disproportionately dangerous. The pit bull type is particularly ambiguous as a “breed” encompassing a range of pedigree breeds, informal types and appearances that cannot be reliably identified. Visual determination of dog breed is known to not always be reliable. And witnesses may be predisposed to assume that a vicious dog is of this type.</i></blockquote>
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Sure enough, a case of visual mis-identity played out last week when the Labrador mix that mauled the toddler was initially identified - and reported by media - as a Rottweiler. The mind plays tricks under duress, and the media is notoriously quick to report unconfirmed hearsay as fact after a dog related incident. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-boy-2-critical-after-rottweiler-attacks-him-at-park-20141115-story.html" target="_blank">LINK</a></div>
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<b>In this era of advanced understanding of dog behavior, it's highly irresponsible for any animal control agency to focus on and sensationalize breed type as the basis of a dog bite prevention campaign. </b>Given their history of well publicized maulings and fatalities, Riverside County authorities are especially obligated to seize every opportunity to educate and lead the dialogue on the known components of dog safety. Fact based information should be pouring off their website pages, social media and in their communications with the public and news sources. </div>
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<b>Dog safety. It's big picture.</b><br />
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We all want fewer dog bites and increased public safety. Riverside County residents have a right to demand that their animal services discontinue the time and resource wasting focus on targeting breed type and instead, recommit to dog bite prevention efforts by promoting an effective, holistic approach to dog bite prevention in the form of tried and true public education and effective, non-judgmental outreach efforts. There are a myriad of places for great info. Here are just a few to start:<br />
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Bite prevention info from the <a href="https://www.avma.org/public/pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx" target="_blank"><b>AVMA</b>.</a><br />
The<b> <a href="http://familypaws.com/" target="_blank">Family Paws</a></b> Parent Education programs.<br />
Graphics for children on how to avoid trouble with dogs. Credit: Dr. Sophia Yin. <b><a href="http://www.badrap.org/sites/default/files/Dogs%26KidsShouldNotPosterFINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Link</a></b><br />
BADRAP's page on dogs and kids. <a href="http://www.badrap.org/dogs-and-kids" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Link.</a><br />
The <a href="http://www.safekidssafedogs.com/index.html" target="_blank"><b>Safe Kids / Safe Dogs</b></a> Project<br />
National Canine Research Council - for <a href="http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/" target="_blank"><b>science</b></a> on dog bites.<br />
An uncomfortable but revealing look at warning signs that say, "Please leave me alone." <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaxCYgqh2ao" target="_blank">Video.</a></b></div>
Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05881171300084907158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009181.post-35289351217884581752014-10-23T07:22:00.001-07:002014-11-18T05:42:06.553-08:00Demonization or knowledge-based support? Aurora, CO is getting ready to decide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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October’s dappled light likes teasing us into reflecting on life's lessons and mysteries. In the spirit of celebrating our bond with dogs, our supporters have been sharing some truly remarkable stories of the power of dogs to change, and in many cases, to save the lives of their people. (When you can, please visit this amazing facebook thread for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/photos/a.109100972398.99670.21764607398/10152493103727399/?type=1&theater" target="_blank">reflections on profound personal change</a>.)<br />
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<b>2014 has been an especially good year</b> for activating lessons learned from living with dogs. At no time in our eons long history with canines have humans had access to so much <a href="http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/publications/suggested-reading/" target="_blank">credible information</a> regarding dog behavior, bite prevention and the all-important human element in creating and maintaining safe, humane communities. That swell of knowledge is changing us for the better. As a result of dog owner education for example, the number of reported dog bites has been plummeting in many major cities. (<a href="http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/reported-bites-decreasing/" target="_blank">Link</a>)<br />
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<b>This year, we’re happy to see Aurora, Colorado put its toe in the water of this exciting trend of progressive change.</b> Thanks in part to a plethora of contemporary scientific research and expert opinion made available through the reach of the internet, Aurora's citizens may end their nine year long ban on 'pit bulls.' If they say ‘YES’ to <a href="https://www.auroragov.org/CityHall/ElectionsandPublicRecords/ElectionsandCampaigns/CurrentandUpcomingElections/index.htm" target="_blank">Measure 2D,</a> they would be following in the footsteps of numerous states and municipalities around the country who've recently <a href="http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/blog/breed-specific-legislation-on-the-decline/?doing_wp_cron=1412711261.5693650245666503906250" target="_blank">repealed or rejected</a> breed discriminatory laws in favor of breed neutral animal control mandates that hold all dog owners equally responsible for the care and management of their pets.<br />
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<b>We can thank dogs described as pit bulls for a big part of the push towards a new and smarter era of dog ownership. </b><br />
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Regarded as <a href="http://www.stateofpethealth.com/state-of-pet-health/breed/trends" target="_blank">one of the most popular dog ‘types'</a> in the U.S., a widespread passion for the dogs jump-started our collective search for answers after fears and misperceptions began victimizing the dogs and their families some two decades ago. Despite the efforts of a handful of detractors who demonize blocky headed dogs with World War Z-like warnings, credible animal care professionals have, time and again, calmly reminded us that pit bulls are simply dogs. And dogs as a whole faithfully <a href="http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Bradley%20Commentary_Mirko%20paper_draft%20publication.pdf" target="_blank">reflect our care, our expectations, and our management</a> - always have, and always will.<br />
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After 15+ years of rescuing and placing hundreds of so-called pit bulls into new homes, we would have to agree. Keeping the focus on <i>the dog owners</i> and supporting them with very basic care and training info can inject our communities with responsible action know-how, no matter the breed make-up of their pets, and even with individuals from some of the most bankrupt beginnings (Cue the <a href="http://www.badrap.org/six-years-later" target="_blank">Vick dogs</a>).<br />
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<b>If we want our communities to enjoy safe, well managed dogs, we need only to activate the knowledge we have available at our fingertips. No manipulative stereotypes, no prohibitions or fearful Dooms Day warnings necessary.</b></blockquote>
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Which brings us to another exciting trend that is growing as fast and large as this past summer's zucchinis. <b>Dog Owner Support.</b> Simply, it's bringing resources to dog owners in under served neighborhoods. And it’s catching on like wild fire wherever dog advocates are asking themselves "<i>How can I be part of the solution?</i>"<br />
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<b>As residents of the dog-filled town of Oakland, CA, this would be our message to Aurora:</b> We hear you! All citizens want and deserve public safety assurances as well as resources to help dog families do a good job. Of equal importance is empowering animal control agencies with the right tools for enforcement efforts and for the progressive sheltering for <i>all dogs,</i> no matter what they look like.<br />
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Our SF East Bay area cities are chalk full of pit bulls: They are THE dog of choice here, owned by responsible as well as irresponsible people and everyone in between. Dog owners here are hungry for help after decades of resource neglect, and recognizing their needs has provided a crystal clear road map for lasting change.<br />
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Breed bans and restrictions force families to hide their pets away; forever under socialized, untrained, unaltered. <b>But busting the door open and embracing dogs of every kind guarantees an increase in healthy, trained, properly socialized dogs and enlightened dog owners in any community.</b> To ensure a quality of life wherever we call our home, pet owners need support, information and resources, and our animal control agencies need the right tools and support to do their job. It’s so simple, it could make urban policy makers cry tears of joy.<br />
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Aurora is uniquely positioned to enjoy this same bump in responsible ownership of ALL breeds, thanks to committed experts who are poised and ready to update their citizens in dog-think. Not only is <a href="http://www.coloradogs.org/" target="_blank"><b>ColoRADogs,</b> </a>for example, on point with educating the public about dog matters, they’ve recently invested in a new focus to bring resources to the dog owners who need them most. They also serve as a hub for information about the dogs Aurora is now voting on. Check them out to learn what they and their colleagues have to say as voters ponder this new focus.<br />
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<b>EDIT:</b> Aurora, CO City Councilwoman Molly Markert stated in a news story on October 23 that she would like pit bull owners to be banned along with the dogs. We're presuming that she believes that only criminals own pit bulls. This kind of discriminatory language is completely unacceptable. We hope voters are watching and aware that at least one of its city leaders is willing to stereotype its citizens in order to avoid taking a breed neutral stance on animal control policies in Aurora. See the video here: <a href="http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/politics/aurora-debating-voting-on-pit-bull-ban" target="_blank">LINK</a> </blockquote>
<b>UPDATE:</b> On November 4, despite having been being presented with doomsday warnings posted as newspaper ads by anti-dog people living outside of Colorado, one third of Aurora's citizens voted in favor of repealing their breed ban. <a href="http://www.coloradogs.org/" target="_blank">ColoRADogs</a> has vowed to continue their efforts to educate residents as they work towards an eventual end to the ban. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/aurora-pit-bull-ban_n_6106514.html?1415199944" target="_blank">LINK</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>"These bans are inhumane, ineffective and based on myth and misinformation," Cory Smith (Humane Society United States) said. "Aurora’s breed ban is one of very few left on the books because communities are waking up to the reality that managing dogs effectively has nothing to do with breed."</i></span><br />
<i><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Photos in this post were captured by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dabielbeckphoto" target="_blank">Daniel Beck </a>at one of many Owner Support events rolled out in Oakland, CA this year. More info on BR's <a href="http://www.badrap.org/keepem_home_project" target="_blank">Keep'Em Home (Owner Outreach) Project</a>.</i><br />
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One of our bigger challenges is keeping up with the demand for free and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries. At each event, veterinarians help us accomplish up to 36 surgeries, depending on our location (fewer surgeries in our spay/neuter van, more at a clinic.) Below, Dr. Noe and Beth Allen-Garland work in our van. They fill the bulk of the need with high quality, high volume surgeries.<br />
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Below: The recovery tent at our outreach events is a buzz of activity. Many dog owners choose to sit with their dogs as they fall asleep and again as they wake up from their anesthesia.<br />
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Below: The young people who bring their dogs to us are our future. The most important resource we have.<br />
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All dogs receive support at our events, regardless of breed. First dibs for supplies and surgeries go to pit bulls because of the high euth rate in local shelters, although chihuahuas and chi-mixes are closing in quickly on those statistics. Small dog owners literally beg for help. We do what we can.<br />
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All dogs go home with cones and pain medication.<br />
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Providing free microchips for large dogs and targeted breeds like pit bulls buys them more time if they end up lost and at our crowded SF bay area shelters. Reuniting dogs with their owners is profoundly more productive than trying to find them new homes.<br />
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