If I lived in Ohio right now I have no idea what I’d do. The way this is written…90 days after this law is passed Jezebel would be one of thousands of dead dogs in the rendering barrells at animal control. For no other reason than she was born a Pit Bull.

My first instinct would be to run. But how? 90 days to find a job, a house, register my kids for school? Just to keep my dog? Would I try? Probably not because I know I’d never be able to do it in that amount of time. I’d have no choice but to either give her to animal control…or take her to the vet and put her down myself.

That’s what Pit Bull owners are facing. Allowing their dogs to be killed by strangers in a high stress situation…or allow their dogs to be held and loved during the last seconds of their lives so they can go peacefully.

Rich’s son has boxers. The way this law is written…if Animal Control decides that his dogs look like they might have Pit Bull mixed in them…he will lose his dogs the same way.

“Ohio House Bill 568, introduced by Representative Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, seeks to prohibit the ownership, keeping, or harboring of a dog that “belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog.” Furthermore, if this bill is passed and adopted into law, all such dogs will be seized and euthanized. It is imperative that all concerned dog owners in Ohio contact their elected representatives and express their vehement opposition to this draconian legislation.”
HB 568 unacceptably provides that:
* No person shall own, keep, or harbor a dog that belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog.
* No later than 90 days after the effective date of this bill, a person who owns, keeps, or harbor a pit bull dog will be forced to surrender the dog to a dog warden.
* Within ten days of surrender, the dog warden shall euthanize the dog.
* If an officer has probable cause to believe that a dog is a pit bull, the officer may apply for a search warrant. After obtaining a search warrant, an officer shall seize the dog and transfer the dog to the dog warden, who shall euthanize the dog within 10 days.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
All concerned Ohio dog owners should contact their elected representatives and express their strong opposition to HB 568.
To find your elected representatives, click here.
For more information, please contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.

We’re losing the battle. I’m not in Ohio but I still feel like I’ve been sucker punched. Just thinking about all of the good dogs out there, a good portion of which are mistaken for Pit Bulls (American Bulldogs? Old English Bulldogs?), that will be dead before the end of the year makes me want to cry.

A couple days ago I was afraid that when Jezebel crosses the bridge I would choose to save a dog that isn’t a Pit Bull because it’s so hard. Now I’m afraid I won’t save a Pit Bull because there won’t be any left to save.

I was browsing CNN earlier today and ran across a story about another Pit Bull attack on a young boy. It was a video story that I couldn’t view at work so I hunted it down in another online news site.

A five year old boy “wandered” into a yard where two Pit Bulls were left out in the back yard while the owners were out of town. He went to the gate of the six foot privacy fence, looking for the little boy who lives there. The two dogs grabbed the boy through the fence and pulled him into the back yard. They were attacking him when a 17 year old neighbor heard the boy’s screams. The 17 year old was able to intervene and remove the boy from the attack.

Police arrived some time later and shot one of the dogs. The other was taken into custody to be tested for rabies. (The only way to test for rabies is to cut off the head of the dog and test the brain.) It was later revealed that one of the dogs was a shar pei, not a pit bull. It doesn’t matter though. The headline is already out there and the media won’t see a need to print a retraction. The general public has yet another reason to hate and fear these dogs.

This is a tragic story. The boy was taken to the hospital, treated and released. The 17 year old hero was not approached by the dogs. There’s no mention of the boy’s parents and why he was allowed to wander into someone else’s yard unsupervised. The owners of the dogs were called and they failed to show even the slightest bit of concern…and they didn’t come home.

It’s stories like these that discourage me. Pit Bulls are my favorite breed. Most are unfairly judged based on the misdeeds of a small percentage of dangerous dogs. Unfortunately the small percentage is a large number of dogs because of the gross overpopulation of this type of dog.

It’s getting harder to talk to people about what wonderful dogs Pit Bulls are. I’m starting to feel self conscious about my love and passion for them, and lately I’m even starting to look at Jezzy and feel sad…I’ve said ever since I started working in rescue that I’d always have a Pit Bull in my life but I’m starting to think that by the time she’s gone there won’t be any sound Pit Bulls left to save. They really will all be dangerous, people eating monsters.

Yesterday I was walking Jezzy and a man and his 5 year old daugher asked what kind of dog she was. They’re interested in adopting a dog. I was showing the little girl the right way to meet a dog. She was nervous and when Jezzy started sniffing her hand the girl started swinging her arms around and shrieking. This made Jezzy bark and the girl started to cry. Not the image I wanted to leave this father with.

Do I blame Jezzy for reacting the way she did? No. Most other dogs would probably react the same way. Unfortunatley for Jezzy she has to be better than any other dog. She can’t show fear or nervousness. She can’t do the things dogs do naturally because when she does it people don’t see a nervous or scared dog. They see a mean dog who made a little girl cry.

Jezzy is a good dog. Her breed is being wrecked by money hungry, unethical people who are breeding for looks, for meanness, for fighting. I hate to say it but the only way to save the breed is to euthanize all of the ones who aren’t of rock solid temperament. Bad Rap is doing it right. They only save the best of the breed and they’re able to cull the dogs who aren’t ambassadors. I wish I culd work with them, learn what they know, and bring that knowlege back here. The east coast needs a group like them to work on this side of the country.

It never fails. I read an article that has been brought to my attention by a member of my Pit Bull email list. This particular article was a positive one about a “Pit Bull Party” in Florida. I didn’t read over the whole thing because I intended to read it tomorrow. I was on my way to bed. And then I did it. I did what I knew I shouldn’t do. I read the comments from readers at the end of the article.

It’s hard to explain exactly how upset I get when I read hateful words written by people who have no idea what they’re talking about. Ignorant comments about how all Pit Bulls should die and people who own them are idiots.

I’ve never been as passionate about anything as I am about my dogs. My dogs are like my kids. I can’t imagine my life without them. My passion doesn’t end with my dogs though. You know how gambling addicts need to hit the casino? My need to work with homeless dogs is stronger than that. My loyalty to the homeless dogs, especially the bullys, is unwavering. When I’m 90 years old I’ll probably still own a Pit Bull, unless the government succeeds in banning them, which I hope to God never happens.

Earlier today there was a thread in the Pit Bull emails about what was really destroying our breed. Is it the dog fighters or the irresponsible pet owners? The consensus is that it’s the pet owners.

Dog fighters are cruel, dispicable people. But…you never hear stories about fighting dogs mauling anyone in the audience at a pit fight. You never hear about how a dog “snapped” during training. You know why? Because as horrible as dog fighters are…they successfully manage their dogs so that the dogs never have a chance to fail that way. The dogs know their place. A fighting dog would NEVER bite a handler. If it did it would be destroyed.

The average dog owner is not responsible enough, attentive enough, or educated enough to own a Pit Bull. The amount of research that needs to be done before a Pit Bull enters the family is huge. Most people don’t do that research though. Maybe they mean well and think that if the dog is “raised right” it won’t be aggressive with other dogs. Maybe they have no clue what they’re getting and don’t even know that Pit Bulls should never be left unsupervised with another animal. Maybe they take in a “free to a good home” puppy that is the product of a litter created by a roaming intact male of questionable temerament. Whatever the circumstances…these people are the ones that are ruining these dogs. They’re the ones that are creating situations that lead to disaster.

My Jezebel is the most loving dog I’ve ever owned. There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do to make me happy. She loves me, the girls, and now Rich with all her doggy might. She will love us with everything she has until the day she dies. Her trust is unwavering and her loyalty is strong as steel. I can’t imagine how anyone could look at her and see anything other than what she is. But you know what? My own sister doesn’t like her. My sister “doesn’t trust those dogs” even though she knows Jezzy has never done anything wrong. If I can’t make my sister understand how wonderful Pit Bulls are and what solid companions they’re meant to be, how can I convince anyone else?

A lot of times I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. Sometimes I feel like I want to take the easy road and focus on the homeless hound dogs that are easy to place. Sometimes, just for a fleeting second, I feel like it would be easier if I didn’t own a Pit Bull because then I could rent an apartment and never have to worry about being denied because of my dog.

She makes my life difficult but I wouldn’t give her up for anything. She is what a Pit Bull should be.

If only everyone could see that…

I had to fight the overwhelming urge to cry when I saw this video. This dog looks so much like my Jezzy. I’m betting this poor dog was forced to have those puppies so they could be sold for a profit.

I know she’s just a kid and she’s just repeating behavior she’s been taught…but I still want to beat the snot out of this girl anyway. And then I want a shot at her mother.

I hope you and your pups are saved, Mama Dog. I’d save you myself if I could.

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You, sir, are a dispicible human being. I can’t even BEGIN to describe the blood boiling hatred I feel when I think of you.

You thought you were untouchable. You forced your dogs to tear each other apart for your twisted amusement. You profitted from their suffering. You participated and enjoyed torturing and killing the ones who didn’t preform to your satisfaction.

And now? Now your true colors have been revealed. You aren’t the macho, king of the world your minions have allowed you to think you were. You’re a coward. You got caught and instead of standing up like a man, instead of answering to a judge and jury for your actions, you’re taking the easy way out. Copping a plea so that the public won’t find out the details of your operation.

The really sad thing is…there are so many ways to involve dogs in competition without maiming and killing them. Rally. Agility. Weight pull. Flyball. Organized sports for dogs that can be enjoyed by anyone. I know, you never really gave a rats ass about any of them. Your approval was given only to those who were still standing at the end of a bloody life and death battle.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like for you if the owners of your football team treated you the way you treated your dogs? You were one of the great ones…but were you great ENOUGH to avoid the slow and painful death that would be the result of losing a game?

I hope you enjoy your time in prison. It won’t be anywhere near long enough but it’ll have to do. I HOPE the judge will sentence you to more than just jail time. I hope he hits you where it hurts. I hope he makes you pay with actual money. I hope your money goes to fund organizations who’s missions are to save the very breed you exploited. I hope you never set foot on another football field. I hope your name carries nothing but negative connotations for decades. I hope your fall from grace is a rocky, painful one.

I hope you’re haunted by the sounds of death screams. I hope you lose sleep. I hope you lose your mind. You deserve nothing more.

Well…so much for smooth sailing. The girl we were sure was going to take over one of my areas has kind of fallen off the face of the Earth. Which is weird because she went so far as to provide references, and they’ve already been checked. Why would someone go to all that trouble and then not follow through? Heather and I are hoping she calls tomorrow with some really good reason for disappearing after she agreed to meet some clients within the next few days.

In other annoying news there’s been a blip on my radar concerning The New Guy. Is he still a nice guy? Yes. The problem I have is that he tells me when he has ex-wife businessy stuff to attend to and that drives me bonkers. Which, in itself is probably something I can work out in my head. But, when I told him that I didn’t want to know about his plans with the wife, divorce related or not, he asked me if I was jealous.

That was the exact wrong thing to say to me. A huge turn off. Right now I feel like he dumped a bucket of cold water over my head.

I could be completely wrong in my thoughts here but it seems to me (based on the limited information I have) that the two of them make more excuses to meet up than most divorcing couples who have been together for DECADES can think of. Signing this, notorizing that, conversing through email. I was more tied up household responsibility wise with HE WHO SHALL NO LONGER BE MENTIONED than The New Guy ever was with the soon to be ex yet somehow I’ve managed to make a clean break. No, I didn’t have to do the divorce paper thing but HELLO, I’m divorced from someone else. Which means I know how the process works. The whole point of a separation is to SEPARATE. Not constantly be in each others space unless one or both of them plans to try for some kind of reconcilliation.

And no. I’m not jealous. I simply don’t want to witness any head games. I don’t want to be the distraction for someone who’s feeling bad over the failure of his marriage. I do not enjoy watching her lead him around by the nose while he lets her. It’s the exact reason that I never wanted to be involved with someone who’s separated but not divorced in the first place.

Have I still not learned to go with my gut when it comes to relationships with people? Apparently not. I am a dumbass.

I was walking Jezebel today, minding my own business, when a thug rollin’ in his Escalade stopped in the middle of the street and rolled down his window.

Him: Excuse me! Is that a boy or a girl dog?

Me: (knowing what’s coming) It’s a female.

Him: Hey, you wanna mate her???

Me: (Keeping in mind that he might be equipped to shoot me before I say something that might be construed as bitchy) She’s spayed.

Him: Oh, that’s too bad.

Too bad??? Nobody is using MY puppy to contribute to the gross Pit Bull over population problem. And they DAMN sure aren’t using MY puppy to create fighting dogs.

I hate people.

I haven’t updated in ages. I’ve been so incredibly busy! This is great! Business is awesome! I’m spending more time with my girls and my animals! I’M ALWAYS IN A GOOD MOOD! Life is so much better than I thought it could be. My only regret is that I didn’t make this move sooner.

I’m not going to rehash everything that’s happened in the past few weeks. I’m going to gripe.

Craigslist. The Pet’s section.

Burnese Mountain Dog/Golden Ret. mix puppy available

She is 9 weeks old. Crate trained, great with kids, cats and other dogs. Unfortunately, I need to find her a new home as soon as possible. She had her first round of shots. She is all black with a little bit of white fur on her chest and her chin. Excellent personality. Her brand new crate is negotiable. Please call (540) xxx-xxxx for a quicker response. Please do not waste my time. Only extremely serious persons, interested in giving her a new home need to contact me. I will not ship her, and the buyer must pick her up. Her adoption fee is $150.

Gah! Crate trained??? At NINE weeks old? Get real! Needs to be rehomed as soon as possible? Since it’s illegal to take puppies away from their mothers before they’re eight weeks old that must mean that her “owner” bought her, brought her home, and then found out that puppies take WORK. She was probably an IMPULSE PURCHASE and now the poor thing is going to be bounced around, will probably wind up being an unruly adolecent, and will be dumped at a shelter. If she’s lucky she’ll be pulled by a rescue and she’ll find her forever home right away. Though it’s more likely that since she’s black she’ll be put to sleep. That’s a very pessimistic scenario but it’s unfortunately very common.

But, I’m not going to dwell on that. I’m on rescue hiatus until I find the time/resources to get back into it. When I get involved I jump in with both feet. Hopefully one day I’ll have the free time, until then I’ll just work on figuring out exactly what I want to offer to a new group.