puppy pride, prejudice, and a shock jock who needs a muzzle

Meet our newest family member on the right, now named Elliot Scandal Dooley. (That name could totally change six times before we settle on it for keeps, btw.) He came from a big-hearted sled dog rescuer in Idaho who snagged him from a bad situation in early March. We've been fabulously distracted by his arrival this past week and it's been a welcome brain break. We're over the moon, actually.

Elliot is a malamute/husky mix and he's going to be 70-80 plus pounds huge. What's in store? True to his breed(s), we can expect this wonderfully people-focused boy will have some prey drive that we'll need to monitor. And we'll have to keep our fences in good repair and make sure he doesn't get escape fantasies. We know he's intelligent, super impressed with obedience work and he seems ready to enjoy being part of our pack of dogs - even so, he's going to need to be socialized to the nines with all kinds of other dogs while he's young, then will need measured intros as he matures, especially with other male dogs. Since he's a confident fellow, we'll have to learn what his hot buttons might be so we can prevent arguments with other dogs (it's looking like one of his buttons could be TOYS) and we'll have to stay on our toes and remind our friends not to stir things up when they come over to play with everybody. Sound familiar, pit bull owners?

Having this joy boy in our lives is like having all the responsibilities of a pit bull but with none of the baggage that comes along with that bad-word-name. I didn't have to think twice about which airline to use when I brought him home since none of them ban his breed, and everyone I talked with from here to the baggage claim was thrilled for me ... "A husky dog! Congratulations!" Random strangers at the airport rushed over to pet him and offer their best wishes. Not one dirty look, ignorant, insulting comment or mention of harm caused by irresponsibly owned sled dogs. It was like the whole world was supporting me; wishing us well. Wow - What a vacation! So this is how other dog owners live? Having Elliot is going to remind me what it should feel like to own a pit bull, and I have to thank him for that ongoing and much-needed reality check. We sure have a long ways to go, pit bull people.

Stop the Shock Jock

While I was blissing though air travel with my new heart throb and soaking up all the love, his soon-to-be pit bull siblings back home were taking a beating from a dipshit shock jock attorney on a popular radio show. If you're from the SF bay area you probably already know that long-time pit bull hater Len Tillem on KGO radio advised a caller who was worried about unruly neighbor dogs to toss poisoned meat over the fence to solve her problem just this last Monday. Why? One of the dogs at the home was a pit mix and good old Len doesn't like him some pit bulls. So this brilliant attorney recommended malicious animal cruelty to a radio listener.

A transcript of the conversation, and audio:

Len Tillam: Let me ask you a question. I'm not encouraging it. Have you already started thinking about rat poison wrapped in hamburger meat thrown over the fence?
Caller: Uhm...No
LT: Well you should
Caller: Well I thought of something but I have a cat...
LT: Oh wait til they kill your cat. Pit bulls love to kill cats. Wait and see what and your 3 year old kid will have to go to therapy because he saw his dead cat being chewed up by the pit bull.
Caller: Oh I hope not.
LT: Welcome to pit bull world. And everything I'm saying about pit bulls I mean and I know with all my heart is true and if you own a pit bull you're an idiot.

After phone complaints to the station, Tillem offered a half-assed apology, but we're less than impressed. Care to join us in calling him on his actions? We'd like to see stronger repercussions. For one, you can join us in filing a complaint with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for actively promoting an act of animal cruelty to a radio audience (maliciously poisoning an animal in California can be charged as a felony).

Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)
TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)
Fax: 1-866-418-0232 e-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov

You can also file a complaint and ask the State Bar of CA to investigate this unethical attorney. They certainly will, if they get complaints.

For the pit bulls. Thank you.

Party in Philly for the April fools that care

We're clinking a long distance toast to the PAWS crew in Philly, who went out on the town tonight to celebrate their commitment to better days for their city's animals. We're so happy to see you guys enjoying yourselves via cyberspace and we thank you for doing what you do at the shelter!

Hello - I am a volunteer at the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). I'm totally biased, but I have to say that the entire staff and corps of volunteers work so hard day in and day out, so it was nice to be able to share a few drinks with some of these awesome people. The attached picture was taken at a favored watering hole that serves extra large pitchers of margaritas. Starting from left, it's, Rob, who is a volunteer, Sara, who started as a volunteer and will soon be joining the PAWS ranks as an employee, Jennie, who is a volunteer and foster, Sunshine, who is also a volunteer and foster, Allison H, who is the Assistant Manager of the PAWS Adoption Center, Jon, who is a volunteer, Allison L, who is the Manager of the Adoption Center, and Robin, who is the Foster Manager. I'd love for you to post this picture so that the PAWS crew, everyone that volunteers their time, anyone that donates much needed money or supplies, or anyone that has supported PAWS be given a moment of recognition for all that they do for the needy pitbulls, dogs, and cats in the city of Philadelphia.

Thanks, Rob Firestone

Absolutely. Thanks for pulling everybody together, Rob!

dearest Maude

The bully gods have seen fit to challenge us with some real heartaches this year. Maybe they want to see if we're still up for the job of advocating for these dogs. (Answer: Yes, yes, and yes.)

I'm sorry to report that we lost the most wonderful Maude this week to a disease we've never experienced before: Distemper! It's been a shock to all of us, especially to Maude's foster mom Katie Moyer, who fell deep into those big brown eyes from day one.

Maude came from Sacramento, where somebody bred her before she landed in the city shelter. Her badly sunburned ears told us that she was most likely a backyard dog. Distemper is very rare in adult dogs, but unfortunately Sacramento is experiencing a frightening situation with what is being called a distemper epidemic in their wild raccoon population. The same strain of distemper that the raccoons are carrying can easily transfer to dogs (but not to people). We're surmising that Maude's former owner never took her to the vet for shots, and that the virus caught her when she was most vulnerable.

Distemper is a multi-systemic viral disease that produces excruciatingly painful symptoms that are often fatal. It's a horrible experience for any animal to endure. The disease has been nearly wiped out thanks to the DHPP vaccine, but will crop up in some areas to show us where dog owners are not taking care of their pets.

We loved this dog and wish we could go back in time and find a way to vaccinate her as a pup and let her live the life she was meant to live. The best we can do is to get out to Sacramento and do a Free Shots Fair for low-income dog owners in memory of Maude. We'll let our readers know when that event goes down.

Til then, we salute the most beautiful brown eyed girl who charged into our lives with a smile as wide as Texas, and stole our hearts solid before slipping back to her Maker.

Our hearts are wrapped around foster mom Katie today, who spent every waking moment this past week caring for Maude before saying a painful good-bye. And to Deassa, who helped enormously with vet care and TLC to the very end. Katie wrote this tribute, no doubt through a lot of tears. We're all humbled by her compassion and courage.

Phatman on the Road - Part II

Phatman is putting on some miles with his road trip adventures.

Here's the latest update from his travel guide, Cindy:

"We zipped through AZ, NM, TX and OK.

Phatman experienced Tornado warnings and the craziest thunder and lightening in Little Rock AR. Phatman is not a fan of thunder. He spent most of the night under the bathroom counter. Poor guy! "

"Next we were off to Nashville. Weather was not to good so we didn't get out to much but we did go to the Grand Ole Opry. Next was Louisville and Lexington KY. Phatman visited the Louisville Slugger factory and met some horses in Lexington. Then it was off to Savannah GA - a very dog friendly town."




"He played on the beach at Tybee Island in Savannah and did some sightseeing around town and today he played on the beach in South Carolina. Now we're in North Carolina and in a few days will be off to Virgina and then our nations capital!!"

Thank you Cindy! We're so glad to see you guys having such a good time.

meet four dogs from the oakland breeder bust

We've been sorting through the dogs that were seized last week during Oakland Animal Service's raid on a notorious backyard breeder. As is all-too-common with cruelty cases, most of the dogs are squishy sweet with people but under-socialized to the real world and to other dogs. Most have skin problems and/or deformities (especially, 'flat feet') from their history of neglect and confinement.

We pulled four of the dogs into our program today. Many have already been put to sleep. We have our work cut out to help them catch up from a crappy past, but they all showed us the good stuff. More later as they settle in, get named, etc.

For now, here are the fab four ... Out of the breeder's hellhole, and into a brave new beginning.

Trumbull County OH: where BSL victims went to die

Imagine you're forced to consider giving up your family pet because BSL has made it virtually impossible to find insurance for your dog's targeted breed? And you're getting friggin' desperate. And you know that your local shelter is a dead-end - emphasis on dead - because, who in their right mind wants to adopt a dog with overwhelming state restrictions attached? And rescues are beyond full with dogs they can't place? And you're thinking, "Good god - How can I possibly put my beloved to sleep?"

And you learn about a sanctuary that takes pit bulls. A no-kill sanctuary with a warm and inviting website for your family pet; the wonderful dog that's been your steady and loyal companion for months or years. Would you take him there rather than euthanize him? Oh hell yeah, you would.

You and me, and many, many other people. When we learned that a sanctuary in Trumbull County Ohio had been raided for overcrowding and horrid conditions, it almost didn't land on our radar. But I grazed the seizure photos at the urging of a friend and nearly fell over. These are pets - family pets - on chains, starving, some dead or dying, crammed into crowded, nightmare conditions. Dogs that once played fetch and rolled over for treats and hogged the covers and showed up in family photos - left there by desperate people who probably had no idea.

When we say BSL pushes family pets under the carpet, this is what it looks like under that carpet. (Warning: Don't look if you're feeling off-kilter today. It'll ruin your day, I promise) "SANCTUARY"

Not counting the scores of decomposing bodies, the raid uncovered over 162 barely living dogs ... a third of them pit bulls. Of course it did. Pit bulls have no where to go in Ohio.

A judge found the owner of the sanctuary owner guilty of misdemeanor animal cruelty and sentenced her to five years probation. Yes, she got in over her head. Typically, hoarders are treated as people with a mental illness, and you can certainly understand why an animal lover would lose their marbles in a state with rampant puppy mills and laws that send families with pit bulls into a desperate tailspin. Hell, I might turn into a psycho hoarder in her shoes.

We're absorbing one former pet from this case - this ding-dong boy here - although I wish we could take twenty. If you're a dog rescuer, I hope you can find a way to take one, too.

The surviving animals from this death camp are being cared for by the now very crowded Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County. This struggling organization has an antiquated shelter, a tiny operating budget of only $350K, and now they have the weight of the world on their shoulders as they try to sort out all the animals from this raid, including and especially the pit bulls. Send them your donations, good people. Here they are in the middle of BFE Ohio trying to help pit bulls that no one else wants. I mean, I could just die.

Stay tuned for updates. We'll be keeping our ears peeled towards this case and will post updates on the situation, as well as the Ohio transplant who's coming to find a new family in CA.

Fool's Day: buy your local rescuer a margarita

April Fool's Day is coming up quick. It's going to be BR's 11 year anniversary, and to celebrate, we decided it would be fun to honor all the other overworked, under-partied pit bull rescuers who are out there doing good deeds.

So for our birthday, we're asking a special favor from pit bull fans and friends....

Buy your local rescuer a margarita.

Margaritas have been the official BADRAP birthday drink since Fool's Day '99. We were, admittedly, under the confidence-enhancing influence of tequila when we decided to start a pit bull advocacy group, and it's served us well since. Even today, whenever this work gets a little too heavy, at least one group member puts out a call for a tequila date -- medicine for our minds.

No matter how crappy things might get, a respite involving decent food, icy drinks and riotous laughter pulls us together quick. Not everyone in our group likes alcohol, but they seem to put up with our custom and are probably relieved when we trade in frustrations for ridiculous giggles. And then of course there are always virgin margaritas and the fun of a good contact buzz.

If your local pit bull rescuer accepts your offer (you might have to show them this blog post so they don't think you're hitting on them), please send us a photo so we can see them happy, and tell us a little bit about who they are. We'd love to post your outing here so the rest of us can learn about their work. Don't forget to splurge a little and go top-shelf: a splash of Grand Marnier and/or Cointreu truly makes all the difference.

Not sure who's helping the dogs? Check PBRC's list of rescuers for names of groups in your locale. Don't forget to include shelter workers that rally hard for the breed in their agencies.

In lieu of a drink date, you can send a gift certificate to Chevy's or similar mexi-favorite restaurant with a thank you note for all their hard work. By giving these good folks a mini-break from the madness, you'll do more for the cause than you'll ever know.

Do it!

Thank you!

and, Happy Fool's Day to anyone who is as foolish as we are. We heart you!

Below: Tim powering our blessed Margarita Cart in Black Rock Desert. (Yes, he's wearing a tutu. Hey, it was Burning Man, whaddaya expect?)

shake ups and shake downs in oakland

We're grateful to everyone who has expressed their concern about the 23 dogs that were rescued by Oakland Animal Services from squalid conditions in an Oakland home on Tuesday. We know the perpetrator all too well ... This 'prolific' backyard breeder - who stuffed crates-full of young dogs into a crowded out building - has been vexing our fair town and filling our shelter's kennels with homeless pit bulls for many years. We all look forward to watching the legal process unfold.


Fear not. The dogs are safe and will be evaluated and offered placements as appropriate.

It's too early to think of setting them up with homes, but stay tuned. Maybe this is the spring that you decide to take the plunge and foster a needy pit bull? Wouldn't that be fantastic.

retrofit time

In other news, tomorrow the work crews show up to pour the big bad ass earthquake retrofit footings for the barn. Woot!

Did we ever tell you that we're near the big bad ass Hayward fault line that runs underneath the east bay? Yeah, that one.

We lucked out when a staffy bull owning civil engineer with a heart of gold offered her time gratis to help us figure out how to retrofit the barn, among other tricky brain-teasers. Kelton Finney has been a lifesaver and has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make sure the dogs stay safe during a big shaker. (If you know her, please - buy that woman a beer for helping the dogs!)

good news and events announcements

Dog Happy

We're celebrating that little Oklahoma bust dog again ... Vessa just passed her Therapy Dog test with Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services with flying colors!

She'll follow in her pit/mix brother Tahoe's paw prints by visiting nursing homes, facilities for disabled or seriously ill children, hospital rehabilitation wards, the Children's Shelter and psychiatric facilities in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, California. Next Saturday counts as her first ever visit.

Many congrats to her proud people, Bruce and Alven.

Good Guy Karma

We like it when good things happen to good guys. Assistant US Attorney Mike Gill, who prosecuted the case that put Mike Vick in jail, earned a big promotion recently and is now the deputy criminal chief in the Richmond office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. We embarrassed him by sending him a bouquet of flowers after Judge Hudson approved Mike's recs to send the dogs to rescue, (I forgot ... you're not supposed to 'gift' federal employees) but he really did deserve those flowers, along with so many other heroes.

Mike was interviewed for Jim Gorant's book "The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Pit Bulls and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption," which is due out in September, 2010.

Conference Events 2010

We're filling up our schedule for 2010. BR will be representing the breed at the NACA Conference (National Animal Control Association) in Columbus Ohio May 21-22. We'll be back east to present at the ASPCA's Spay/Neuter Summit late summer (dates to be announced) and then to Nashville TN in September to present on pit bulls at a smaller two day 'Pit Bull Summit' organized by the Nashville Humane Association. Stay tuned for firm dates/locations for these last two events.

And yes, before we get too busy with all of that travel, we plan to have a party to cut the ribbon on that barn you're helping us build!

trading lives

I have a sad story to share and I hate to do it since we've had a few recent tear jerker cases, but our supporters deserve to know: We traded lives last week, meaning, we put down one of our dogs on the heels of saving the life of another. That happens in rescue often enough to be commonplace, but it still feels like an earthquake when it happens.

Who was it? We're sorry to report that we said good-bye to the most beautiful Susie Q, who some may have met through her foster mom's wonderful blog. We first met Susie in Oakland Animal Services late 2009. She'd had a rough start in life, and fell apart fast in the loud and chaotic wards of the shelter. She was later put on the euthanasia list for behavior issues related to kennel stress - (kennel stress-related euths are another situation that happens often enough to be commonplace). But we hate giving up on dogs that suffer through no fault of their own, so when a spot opened up in our foster program the same week as her end-date, we weighed out our options and voted to give it to the oh-so sensitive but hope-filled Susie Q.

We puzzled over this large leggy girl's breed type - Pointer-Pit? American Bulldog-Hound? - but in the end, we decided that since the world would always see her as a pit bull, she would need a pit bull rescue's support.

Because she'd shown some behavior issues at the shelter, the foster family was prepped with some hardcore "What ifs" and Rep Linda went to work helping them smooth out her transition with a peaceful decompression time, training protocol and lots of happy play. We celebrated as she settled in and woke up to a new life of rowdy romp sessions with dog-sister Otter and - for the first time - a human leader who would teach her new manners and show her what a good girl she was. We all started falling in love with the tall, quirky pony girl who bounced into class on Saturday, sometimes full of happy fun. Altho truthfully, she sometimes had off days and was startled by random phantoms that robbed her of her confidence and sent her home early from class, away from the ghosts that set her alarm barking.

Somewhere around the time that Susie was getting her bearings and showing us who she was, a dog in Sacramento was nursing a litter for some young * cough * entrepreneuer. We don't know much about her early life, but she was left outside long enough for the sun to burn into the tops of her tiny white ears and split the soft velvety skin on her young muzzle. She was optimistic and social, but neglected. At one point in her youth, someone thought enough of her to teach her to 'Sit,' but when her work was done and her babies were sold off, she found herself among the many cast-offs at Sacramento City Shelter. The clock was ticking for this one; with sagging boobs and diamond in the rough manners, this used up mama was set to be destroyed as soon as her stray hold was up.

The same week that Maude was waiting for her death was a bad one for Susie Q. Behavior issues that had seemed to be fading re-emerged, and after one particularly bad day last week, we were faced with a fact that we'd been hoping to avoid: Susie's fear was deeply ingrained and would always be a part of who she was. Despite the enormous progress that's been made for dogs with special needs, the world is still not ready for a pit bull type dog that uses her voice to scare random 'scary' strangers and other phantoms away. Her foster family was understandably crushed by our collective decision to let her go.

So as you can probably guess, we pulled Maude (left) out of harm's way just hours before putting Susie Q to sleep. Trading one life for another and talking to each other again and again and again the way people do when they need to be reminded of the bigger picture. Commonplace practices in rescue might be responsible practices, but they still hurt.

We look forward to the day when pit bulls can be seen as dogs again, with quirks and pimples and foibles like all other dogs - and when worriers like Susie can earn the general public's sympathy rather than their outrage and disdain. But we're not there yet. Someday, Susie - maybe.

We're deeply indebted to Susie's foster family for loving that girl with all your hearts, for giving her hours and hours of fun and then, for doing the impossible and letting her go. You did what most people could never do, and you did it with compassion and grace. Thank you Carol and Larry and OTTER -- and bless your sweet, sensitive heart, Miss Susie Q.

Above the fold in Michigan

What a pleasure it was to see these beautiful faces, not only above the fold in a Grand Rapids newspaper, but on the Humane Society Kent County's Adoption Page - ready and waiting for applications. (fullsize scan) Of course, like any shelter that has many pit bulls up for adoption, the challenge will be finding enough qualified homes. But that's a welcome challenge to the people who saved these dogs from horrible abuse and a discriminatory death. Rock on Kent County!

News on Denver lawsuits

Just got an email from some people around Denver that one of the two federal lawsuits against the pit bull ban recently SETTLED:

The Arnold case has been settled by the City of Denver for a multi-thousand dollar settlement. Did you hear that? Let's say it again. Denver has settled the Arnold pit bull case for thousands and thousands of dollars.

Included in the monetary settlement are some procedural changes to Denver's ordinance. What those procedural changes will do is make it easier for people to understand the often inscrutable system of pit bull pick-ups at animal control. Details on that will come later. Denver will start implementing these procedural changes this spring. These changes came after hours and hours of mind-numbing meetings with the city about the minutia of the procedures. Hopefully, it will help people whose dogs were picked up and who don't have any kind of advocate with them. We'll see.

The email also says that there are two more lawsuits challenging the ban waiting in the wings to be filed. And, sources say that Denver's city attorney's office is short staffed so they've hired an outside law firm to handle the rest of the currently pending federal case. Denver, a city with a massive budget deficit, is paying them about $150 dollars an hour to handle it and have so far paid out close to $5000 in December and more than $10,000 in January.

Hopefully Denver officials are finally waking up and realizing that as long as they continue to blindly take and kill family pets based only on appearances, John Q Public will not stop fighting for his dogs.

Photo credit: Anthony Camera.

Kent County Humane: We salute your solution

A federal prosecutor in Michigan made a recommendation of euthanasia for a group of dogs swept up in a cruelty case this past summer. The problem is, the Humane Society of Kent County has been housing several of the dogs for months and believes that they're adoptable.

The solution? Kent County Humane hired a lawyer and filed an affidavit to argue in favor of letting the adoptable dogs live. (backstory)

Guess what? They won the case today for 11 dogs in their facility, and they also won the right to evaluate five dogs that have been housed in a different facility. STORY: Judge spares dogs.

Right: 'Froggy' just won the right to a real life with a qualified home.

"We've spent nine months with them," Terpstra said outside the courtroom of the dogs in her care. "We would not make dogs available that we feel would be a danger." - Karen Terpstra, Humane Society of Kent County

This case is significant as it sets a precedent in Michigan that will affect the survival of future victims of cruelty. Up until today, courts and animal control agencies have used a vaguely worded Michigan statute to condemn dogs from cruelty cases to automatic death. Today, Judge Lawson demonstrated that the law has been used inappropriately to destroy dogs, and he set an example by allowing a qualified animal organization the right to treat the dogs as individuals. In a state that suffers from perennial BSL threats and breed discrimination, this win is a biggie.

We were keeping our eye on this case since we first learned of the dogs' plight and, and are just jumping up and down around here with the good news. We salute the Humane Society of Kent County for their MAJOR CAJONES tonight and are celebrating this victory for the dogs.

It seems fitting to play a little song from Detroit band Ranconteurs for all the people that rocked these dogs out of the hands of the bad guys and into the compassionate care of this organization. Turn it up.



Please keep your eye on this one. The Humane Society of Kent County is still trying to save two dogs from the group, and will return to court in two weeks to plead their case. Send your thanks here: humane@hskc.org

courage

Maryland SPCA’s Executive Director Aileen Gabbey released the following statement about the decision to give the Ed Block Courage Award to Vick today....

“The Maryland SPCA remains shocked and disappointed that Michael Vick will, indeed, receive an award for courage from the Ed Block Foundation after being nominated by his team. Mr. Vick does not deserve this honor. He has been convicted of horrific crimes against living creatures; he has served jail time; he has somehow been re-employed. His attempts to speak on behalf of animals have been half-hearted and disingenuous. None of this warrants a special award."

“No truly courageous or honorable person would say ‘Yes, I deserve an award.’ Yet, this is precisely what Mr. Vick has done, defending his nomination and claiming that he has suffered hardships. He has never suffered the hardships, or torture, that his poor dogs did at his hands. The honorable thing for Mr. Vick to do would be to not accept this award. This would actually show some courage and that he is serious about being on the road to atonement for his terrible actions against innocent lives.”

h/t to omidog.com.

The adventures of Phatman

We're living vicariously through Phatman and his new family this week, who are living big adventures on the road. Cindy wrote home this weekend with some highlights from their travels....

Below: First snow.



Just thought I would give you a little update on Phatman. We've been in southern Utah for the last week. He's been playing in the snow, hiking in the red rock mountains and just relaxing. He's a great traveler. We're headed to AZ tomorrow and then we'll be working our way across to the east coast. - Cindy

Below: First big red rocks for Phatman beefcake series.





Thanks for sending, Cindy. Looks like a great start to your road trip!

Exhaling now ... Vessa is home.

We all love the before and after stories, especially with the "snowballs chance in hell" dogs. We got to celebrate a special snow storm survivor this weekend when puppy Vessa went full adoption. Here she is when we first laid eyes on her, back in August (she's the little brown dog). She was whelped in makeshift box that doubled as a fighting pit, then shuffled to an Oklahoma shelter by HSUS reps just after the big bad multi-state arrest that netted nearly 30 abusers.

If you've been following some of our dialogue about Vessa, you may know that the wee thing flew home with Tim after his stint assessing the 'Oklahoma Dozen' - as they've come to be called. She hit the ground running in Oakland and proceeded to impersonate Cujo Puppy with a fine display of monster manners. It didn't help that she wasn't quite weaned yet and came to our house without any waiting Ebsilac (puppy formula) her first night home; Vessa was pissed and not about to let us sleep for - oh - a week straight? That's okay Vessa, we forgive you ... now.

She came to us with a big sense of self: Tail held flagpole high and very ready to tell everyone how things should work. Many of the adult dogs in our local packs (wimps) learned to avoid her. She even had Phatman running scared. Ruh-Roh. Not a good lesson for a little Helen of Troy.

Her whole-lotta-tude won her a spot in the home of no-holds-barred surrogate mama Lily, who undoubtedly earned a dozen gray muzzle hairs putting this puppy into place. Word has it, it was very loud in Lily's kingdom for a few long days. And so Vessa survived yet another snowstorm....Or maybe we survived hers.

Once she showed us that she could be a civilized girl, she started puppy charm school with foster humans Jane and Ron. And then, she finally moved in to her real home ... All spit shined and ready to be a real dog.



Vessa is a true ambassador now, thanks to all the people (and dog Lily) who set the stage for her. She's thick as thieves with brother pit-mix named Tahoe who teaches her new games and who makes sure she remembers her manners. Her mom Bruce is a dog obedience junkie and already has her lined up to earn her therapy dog certification, just like brother Tahoe.

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So many of the dogs from "the largest dog fighting bust in U.S. history" did not survive, so the ones that did mean that much more. Vessa made it in more ways than one, and we're all exhaling now.

Picture this: A marathon photo day with your dog

Los Angeles photographer Lori Fusaro contacted us recently and asked if she could use her photography to help our cause. I thought, "Oh how very nice," which turned out to be a bit of an understatement once we took a look-see at her work. This girl has got it going on!
Check out her portfolio.



Lori's been lending her talent to numerous animal causes, from shelter dogs to rescue groups. After some excited back and forth, we set up a date/place for an all day photo marathon to benefit BR and to give dog lovers an incredibly affordable portrait with their favorite dog. Kids are encouraged to get in on this with their pets, too.

Save the date:
SAT, MARCH 27th from 10am- 3pm - in Oakland

Lori is waiving all her fees for this fundraiser. Sessions are 20 minutes each and can include dogs and people too. There are 2 donation levels: $50 and $100. BADRAP will receive 50% and the person getting their photos taken will be able to use the other half for themselves to purchase prints.

Bring a bag of Bully Sticks and/or Tough Toys for the dogs and you'll receive an extra $10 print credit.



The event will be held at a gorgeous Oakland area location. Once you make your appointment, all details will be sent to you: APPOINTMENTS

Sessions are limited and are first come first serve, so book early to make sure you get a spot. A BADRAP representative will confirm your reservation and send you all the details.

Once you book your appointment, Lori wants to know about you and your dog :

Talk to Lori



Thank you Lori. We can't wait!