Woman Tries To Mail Puppy In Box

One of my friends emailed me an article that was so amazingly horrifying that I had to not only share it but felt compelled to comment. We require people to take a test and get licensed to drive a car, we should make this mandatory to own a dog. WHY? The headline below says all that needs to be said:

Woman Tries To Mail Puppy In Box

Stacy Champion wanted to send a puppy to a friend, but to REALLY ship a dog is quite expensive, some times as much as $200.00 - $300.00. So she had the brilliant idea to send the little poodle-mix through the US Postal Service! She also thought ahead, and decided to pay extra, a whopping $22.00, to ship the poor dog Priority mail so it would be there in 2 days. I guess she figured imprisoned in a dark, cramped box for 2 days with no food or water would be fine for the young pup.

The only reason this handsome dog is still alive, is because during the sorting at the Post Office the dog must have started moving, causing the box he was imprisoned in to fall from a table. The Postal Worker that picked up the box said he could hear panting inside, so they ended up opening the box. Had this package gone into the unheated, unpressurized baggage compartment the puppy would certainly have died.

Perhaps even more disturbing that the behavior of Ms. Champion, is the fact she can still get the puppy BACK! A quote from the article really shows how serious we are about punishing abusers of animals:

“Champion has until Friday to make an appeal to animal control to get the puppy back. If animal controls says she can’t have the puppy back, it will go up for adoption.”

Get it BACK? Either locally for cruelty to animals or federally for mail fraud (or some such), my primary question is why is she not in jail? This is one of the most abhorrent examples of owner stupidity and blatant cruelty and yet no one seems willing or able to punish this person to the level she deserves.

The report says she was charged with animal cruelty; however on a local level this generally means a fine of some kind and perhaps community service but rarely any jail time. 

Tough on the Outside, Soft on the Inside!

So you think Pit Bulls are tough? Take a look at THIS guy! His name is Bernard Hopkins. True, that does not sound terribly tough or scary but then you may not know his profession or nick name. Mr. Hopkins is a professional boxer known as “The Executioner.” He not only help ALL FOUR middleweight championship belts (the only fighter to do this at any weight class,) but successfully defended his belts over 20 times in 10 years.

This is a very, VERY tough man.

Why is this important? Because Mr. Hopkins is also a very soft, loving man that has partnered with another VERY tough but VERY loving partner – Pit Bulls. Together they are trying to dispel some myths about Pit Bulls, specifically the myth that spaying or neutering your dog will ‘make it worse’ or otherwise change your dog negatively. The truth is that Spaying and Neutering your Pit Bull is a GOOD thing. In a recent article on Phily.com Mr. Hopkins said:

"I'm a dog lover. At the end of the day, if you don't spay and neuter dogs like this, it can cause chaos."

Mr. Hopkins will be featured on billboards in primarily inner-city areas to help get the message out that spaying and neutering is not only a GOOD thing, but is very important to the health of the dog and their socialization. These billboards will also feature some more very though people like Ivan “Mighty” Robinson, and an Olympic Hopeful by the name of Mike Jones. The hope is to show inner city males (the prime demographic for this issue) that their manhood is not tied to their dogs testicles, but that they are actually more of a man by taking care of their dogs and being a responsible owner.

One of my favorite quotes from the article is from Kathy McGuire, president and founder of NJAFA:

"Neutering your pit bull doesn't make it any less of an animal, but it makes you more of a man," said McGuire.

Take that you guys!

This program is being sponsored by the New Jersey Aid for Animals (www.njafa.org)

The Pit Bull Training Team; Changing Hearts and Minds

Just about every Saturday morning in one of the most depressed areas of Chicago, Jeff Jenkins can be found setting up home-made obstacles and dog agility equipment at the Carrol Care Center on the Chicago’s west-side. Jeff is something of a brand-new hero of mine, because not only is he on the front lines of the fight against dog fighting, and making progress, but because he is also helping at risk youth in that same neighborhood.

Jeff’s program, called the Pit Bull Training Team, began in 2006 with a simple goal; To reintroduce the concept of a dog as a pet and family member to at-risk youths. This sounds really silly until you consider many of the targeted demographic have never known a a dog as a loving pet, but only as a participant in blood sport for fun or money. All they have ever known of a Pit Bull is that is is entertainment at best, perhaps the source of a few dollars in their pockets. But Jeff is changing that perception, and perhaps significantly more as well.

In any class of 20 or so, at least half of the students have fought dogs. In an interview with Time Out Chicago,  Jeff said: “To a lot of these guys, fighting their dogs was like a pickup game of basketball.”  This shows in very real terms just how much these kids have invested in or care about their dogs. But the Pit Bull Training Team is making real progress in changing this perception. These 20 kids and their dogs come every week, and help a Pit Bull stay out of the fight game, and in the pet game.

During the course of a class, the handlers are tasked with leading their dogs through a series of obstacles and challenges. Some dogs are less than thrilled and it is the handlers job of finding some way of engaging and encouraging the dogs to complete the task or overcome the obstacle. Whether is is getting silly, getting excited, or getting down on the ground and just silently encouraging a frightened or unsure dog, the handler has to find a way.

Another excellent quote from Jeff in the article: “You gotta pick your energy up, get silly. Your dog could be 90 pounds of angry, but if he’s intimidated, you might have to sit on the ground, pull out a treat, wiggle it around and encourage him. Sometimes you gotta get little for your dog to get big.”

It is precisely this philosophy that makes is pretty clear that, in the end, it is not only the dogs that are being trained and learning confidence. Jeff’s program targets “both ends of the leash” as he says it. As with any teenager they are only trying to fit into their environment as best they can: “Oftentimes, these guys are scared and they’re looking for something to be tough with. If it ain’t a gun, maybe it’s a pit bull.” Jeff’s program helps the trainer develop pride in themselves, pride in their accomplishments, and pride in that they have been able to “rehabilitate” a fighting dog into a wonderful pet and beloved family member.

For more information on Jeff’s program, please see the links below. Most especially PLEASE use the ‘donate’ link. A tax deduction, and a very worthy program:

• Full Time Out Chicago Article (with a LOT of GREAT pictures!)
• The Pit Bull Training Team
• End Dog Fighting Program
• DONATE to the Humane Society!

Michael Vick Wants to Get a Dog?

In general I am a person that believes in second chances. I believe they are important to help someone claw their way out of whatever hole they have dug for themselves. I have been fortunate in my life to be the recipient of a few second chances myself (some I really didn’t deserve) and am very grateful to have received them as many (no, not all) helped me get past something and become a better person. Also, giving someone else a second chance is a very good way to pay into the “Karma Pool.”  It helps them develop a little character, and can really make YOU feel good as well..

Now, with that said, there is one person that wants a second chance, and I vehemently disagree that he deserves it. Michael Vick said in an interview with Fox Sports that "I would love to get another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process . . .” Mr. Vick went on to say "I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love and my passion for animals; I think it would be outstanding. If I ever have the opportunity again I will never take it for granted. I miss having a dog right now. I wish I could. My daughters miss having one, and that’s the hardest thing: telling them that we can’t have one because of my actions."

Some of you may be thinking WHY doesn’t Mr. Vick deserve a second chance? Well, for those of you living on the sun, Mr. Vick is a dog fighting enthusiast, fighting dog breeder, dog torturer and murderer, and oh YEA, he was convicted for all of the above. While I generally have little respect for our legal system, one of the GOOD things they have done is made a part of Mr. Vicks sentence is the proviso that he may never own a dog again, period.

The dogs that were rescued from the clutches of Mr. Vick initially faced being euthanized, however due to the work of some amazing groups like Bad Rap, they have been saved and rehabilitated, and many are now working Therapy Dogs. Check out A Second Chance for the Vick-tims on Bad Rap’s website. Great stuff.
So, this man that has tortured and murdered hundreds, possibly THOUSANDS of dogs wants a second chance? He wants to be responsible for the life of ANOTHER DOG?

No sir. You have proven beyond any reasonable doubt that this should never happen.