Cayr Ariel Wulff's Blog, page 14

Unspeakable Acts of Cruelty and Making Enemies

A couple of months ago, as I was advocating shelter pets, I came across a cute little dog named "Roo" on Pet Pardons, and I sent the photo to my brother with the little dog's information. Since my brother had recently lost two dogs, I thought Roo would make the perfect companion for his remaining dog, Riley.  Among the info that I sent him along with the photo, was an unemotional statement that Roo was on death row and had three days before he would be euthed.  Advocating is what I do. .. if I got emotional over every precious face I saw on Pet Pardons or Facebook that only had 72 hours or less to live, I'd be an emotional wreck. So I just do what has to be done and try not to let it get to me.

My brother is not an advocate, so he became very emotional. He couldn't adopt Roo. He and his wife don't want another male dog because they've had marking issues with Riley. He doesn't have a network of friends he could share Roo's info with. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to save Roo made him very upset. He told me that he couldn't concentrate, he couldn't work. Basically, he couldn't do anything but agonize about the cute little dog he'd seen in his email. I felt terrible.

I advocated for Roo all that weekend, and on Tuesday I got the great news that he'd been pardoned. (That meant that a rescue group had stepped up to take him and he was saved.) When I let me brother know, he told me that he could not adequately convey what it meant to him to learn that Roo was safe. I was grateful that I had been able to give him the good news, because otherwise, I was afraid he might never forgive me.

Fast forward to today.

When I logged onto Facebook, I was assaulted by a photo of one of the most unspeakable acts of animal cruelty I have ever seen. (I will spare you the details). This was the fourth such image in my newsfeed this year, and like the others before it, it was about an animal in another country. The four most heinous acts of animal abuse I have seen this year took place in Lebanon (2), Bosnia and Afghanistan.

I carry the images of those dogs in my soul. I will never forget their faces or their suffering.  There is nothing I could do for any of these dogs. The news of three of them came long after the abuses had occurred.  I do not know who the abusers were or how to tell the authorities about them. I do not hold out any hope that even if I could, there would be any justice for the animals involved.  The abuses happened in other countries, in different cultures. And here is where I am likely to make some enemies…

I do not close my eyes to acts of animal cruelty in the US, no matter how horrific. That's because there is something I can do about it. There are judges and prosecutors I can write to, there are places to donate, there are media outlets, there is advocacy.

But I do not want to see images of animal cruelty of this magnitude from other countries. Because it's the culture that is the problem, and until the culture of the country changes, the animals cannot be saved. It's like trying to put a band aid on a chainsaw wound.  The abusers will not be punished, the animals will never have justice, because the mindset of the culture is one that does not value them. When a culture advocates putting humans to death for homosexuality, infidelity, and secularism, how can we expect that culture to care about how their animals are treated? How can anyone hope to change minds that are shuttered by such staggering ignorance?

Sharing those photos with advocates who have no resources to help the victims creates the same pain and agony that my brother felt over not being able to help Roo. If you are going to show us the abuses, then give us the tools and hope to make a difference.

Putting the "Fun" in Fundraising

I just want to send a shout out to everybody who bid in the online art auction that I organized for Lucky Dog Rescue in October. The auction was very successful, and raised over $1,400 for Ashley's rescue.  An extra special tip of the hat to Chris Hoar, Ashley's Pet Pardon's co-founder and loyal friend, who stepped in at the last minute with a challenge. Chris offered to match the highest bid in the auction with a direct donation, and it was his generous gift that sent the auction soaring over $1,200. Ashley was surprised by all of it; by the idea for the auction, by the generosity of the donations, and by the super generous bidding.

I'm still trying to figure out how my little yelodoggie paintings consistently bring in such nice bids when I donate them to charity events, but it remains a struggle for me to sell them outright from my etsy shop for only an eighth of what they bring at charity auction. What's up with that?

The art that was donated came in a wide variety: from anime to comic book art, to impressionistic painting, to photography and even handmade jewelry.  Additionally, a couple of people wrote to me that they were donating to Lucky Dog directly. I hope Ashley got a lot of that action, too.

While I was begging artists for donations, my friend Bob McCarty (author of the Planet of the Dogs series) had no art to offer, but was willing to donate a book. That gave me an idea.

Now that the auction is over, I'm starting a second phase fundraiser for Lucky Dog Auction. Sticking to the arts, phase two will be donations from writers. And since everybody likes to gamble once in awhile, especially if it doesn't cost much…this will be another fun fundraiser.

If you love to read and if you like animal-themed books, then you are going to want to get in on this action!

Beginning November 1, 2011, I will be hosting a weekly book raffle to benefit Lucky Dog Rescue. The books being raffled will all have animal themes, and each book will be autographed by its author! There's even some special fun stuff a couple weeks in…when the book to be auctioned will be Garth Stein's "The Art of Racing in the Rain". For that week, anyone who buys a certain number of tickets will automatically receive an Enzo bookmark and "goenzo" lapel pin.

There will be one book raffled per week, for as many weeks as there are books donated. Some of the authors who have already agreed to donate are:

Garth Stein – The Art of Racing in the Rain  [image error]


W. Bruce Cameron – A Dog's Purpose
Ted Kerasote – Merle's Door
Barbara Techel – Frankie the Walk 'n Roll Dog
Deborah Eades – Every Rescued Dog has a Tale; Stories from the dog rescue railroad
Robert McCarty – Snow Valley Heroes
Tim McHugh – Ivan! A Pound Dog's View on Life, Love and Leashes
Pam  Houston – Sight Hound
Kelly Meister – Crazy Critter Lady
Carolyn Parkhurst – The Dogs of Babel
Bo Hoefinger – Bad to the Bone
Bob Tarte – (with a title to be announced)

…and more authors may be joining the cause.

I've already kicked off week one with my own book:  Born Without a Tail. The raffle for the first book will run from November 1-7. Tickets are $1, with discounts available for buying multiple tickets.

All proceeds will benefit Ashley's Rescue, which is "saving the world, one dog at a time".  Lucky Dog Rescue is a 501c3 non-profit that depends on donations in order to operate.

To help out Lucky Dog Rescue and buy some chances to win, please visit: www.yelodoggie.com/ldrbookraffle.html.  Be sure to bookmark the page and stop by every week throughout the months of November , December and January for a chance to win great books!

And please share!!  The more the word gets around, the more it will benefit Lucky Dog Rescue.

[image error]

Online Art Auction to Benefit Lucky Dog Rescue

Between Up on the Woof and the Cleveland Pets Examiner,  I have been writing and blogging about Lucky Dog Rescue and Pet Pardons for months. In case you missed all that, Lucky Dog Rescue is a tiny animal rescue located in Meridian Mississippi. It is a 501c3 non-profit organization of approximately ONE. Ashley Owen Hill is the owner and operator; the driving force behind Lucky Dog Rescue.

Ashley dreamed about having a rescue since she was a kid, and when she grew up she opened up Lucky Dog Retreat, a boarding facility. Lucky Dog Retreat helps to fund Lucky Dog Rescue. Ashley pays for everything her rescue dogs need out of pocket, and relies on donations to help her cause.

What is Lucky Dog Rescue's cause?  To save the world, one dog at a time.

Noah: a former bait dog.

Ashley rescues the most broken dogs she finds in kill shelters, brings them home, rehabilitates them, teaches them what it's like to be loved and valued, and then she finds adoptive homes for them.  It's pretty amazing because aside from the occasional volunteer, Ashley does it all by herself. And some of the dogs are really broken; former bait dogs, dogs that have been starved and abandoned, dogs that have been abused. Although it's possible for any type of dog to end up a Lucky Dog, Ashley has a real soft spot for the bully breeds, who seem to be abused, mistreated and abandoned more than any other type of dog.

Ashley lives a simple life in a small building on her property, giving everything she has to her rescue dogs. Sometimes it means there is nothing left for her; that's how selfless and dedicated she is.

I wish I had a boatload of money to give to Ashley. She needs beds and bowls and kennel cleaner. She needs collars and leashes and dog toys. She needs lots and lots of dog food…and of course, she needs money to vet her rescues, who sometimes come to her in horrible shape. 

I saw Ashley's "wish list"  on Amazon .com, and I wrote to the companies that make some of the items she needs, asking if they would donate. But they are assholes. It's all corporate-this and corporate-that and they have no monetary interest in a little backwater place like Meridian Mississippi, even though their donations would be tax deductible.  So after I got letters back from them with all the excuses why they couldn't donate a box of sponges, or paper towels or dishwashing soap, I thought screw you, billion-dollar-Procter & Gamble, and screw you, billion-dollar 3M; if you won't help Lucky Dog Rescue, I will.

So I started emailing all the artists I know on Facebook, and quite a few artists that I didn't know. I asked them all to donate a piece of artwork for an online art auction to benefit Lucky Dog Rescue, and wouldn't you know that almost every one of them did?

Artists, folks. People who are often struggling to make a living with their talents. Regular people suffering in this messed up economy. They donated – but the billion dollar corporations wouldn't.

The artists who have donated their work to help Lucky Dog Rescue are from all over the US; Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Colorado, California, West Virginia, Florida, Connecticut, and Texas. Some of them donated more than one piece.

The art auction will run on eBay for ten days from October 20-30, and will offer many types and styles of art, including oil paintings, jewelry, fine art photography, sculpture, comic style drawings, sketches, watercolor, enamel and glass.  I want the auction to be a big success, so if you are reading this, please share this post on your social networking sites.

The artists who have donated work are listed here:

Sandi Shorter is an artist from Sophia, West Virginia who has a passion for drawing animals and family pets. Sandi is a commission artist, who will work from a photo you provide. Sandi has created a piece of artwork of Lucky Dog Rescue dog, "Susie", who was half-starved when Ashley saved her from a kill facility.
Dawn Brunell , who makes Sunz Jewelz; glass tile charms in various styles and shapes.  Dawn's charms are fun and beautiful.
Michael Mitchell is an artist from Detroit, Michigan. He teaches drawing at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, and paints classical portraits and still lifes.
Nicole Tadgell is an Illustrator of childrens books and loves to draw children of all races, full of motion and emotion.
Don "Sonny" Strait is (among other things) a comic book artist. Sonny's forte' is Anime style art.
Gary Garrett is a Plein Air Painter who paints Impressionistic landscapes.
Christine Dowling Kelsey is a watercolor artist, self-taught nature photographer, and an animal advocate.
Jamey Lee Balester Lopez is a California artist who has combined formal and self-taught techniques which include; drawing, painting, print making, ceramics, sculpture, and digital media.
Delfin Barral is a New York cartoonist, illustrator, animator and comic book artist. The work Del has donated he created together with the late Barry Blair .
Stephen Paternite is a fine arts photographer whose stunning photographs are created via digital infrared photography. His photos are unlike anything you have ever seen before.
Anna Arnold is an American artist, muralist, jewelry designer artrepreneur (entrepreneur/ artist) and educator. She has a vibrant and unmistakable style of painting.
Carol Adams is a dimensional artist who does large public installations. Carol also creates enamel-on-copper animal themed pins that are beautiful pieces of wearable art.

And of course, I donated some of my own artwork. Not just Yelodoggie art, but some of

Canis Miscellaneous

my earlier work as well.

Please take a look at the beautiful art when the auction goes live on Thursday. You can find the auction once it begins . And please, PLEASE…share the auction with your family and friends. 100% of the winning bids (less a portion of eBay's closing fees)will be given to Lucky Dog Rescue.

Wow..did you read this whole post?  THANKS!

Naturally, I hope you will bid in the auction, but if you don't win a piece of art, maybe you can send Ashley something that's on her wish list.

If you want to send Ashley something directly, Lucky Dog Rescue is at: 8659 Hillview Dr. Meridian, MS 39305  or you can donate directly online HERE.

[image error] [image error]

Ariel's Rule

If you've been following Up on the Woof for the past year, then you know a common theme runs through many of my blog posts; the conviction that one person can make a difference. Maybe you read one or more of these:

"Yeah, I Believe That  I Can Change the World"

"Pardon me, but this is really important"

"How to Change the World in Less than 30 Seconds."

"Dealing with Cause Snobs"

Or "Pets in Danger on Craigslist"

They all discuss one thing; how if one person takes action, something is changed. How everyone can do something, because even the smallest, most simple things matter.

The local newspaper here ran an article this week about a man in Akron who started a new website. His name is Drew Auman, and the website is the reGives network. The idea behind reGive is that everyone has stuff they want to get rid of and stuff they need, and nobody these days has any money. On reGive, you can list things to give away or ask for things you need.  It's simple.

I signed up on reGive to check it out, and found three communities in my area to subscribe to.  I was subscribed exactly one day, when somebody posted that they want to give their dog away.

When that post appeared in my inbox, those of you who read my blog regularly could probably hear my head exploding in whatever state you're in.  I went completely ape shit…and let me tell you, that's not pretty.

All I could think of is what a tragedy Craigslist has been for pets across the country. Craigslist rules say you can't sell an animal on their site, so people started offering them for free. There is literally an army of rescuers around the country that scan their cities on Craigslist every day and flag those messages so they will be removed. (If you still don't know why it's absolute disaster for pets to be offered for free, click on the Pets in Danger link at the top of this post.) Dozens of rescuers contacted me after reading that post and asked for a copy of my letter to share.

When I saw the free pet ad appear on reGive, I thought, Oh my God.  Here we go again…and there are just not enough hours in the day. Craigslist is already so out of hand with free pets that rescuers are flagging around the clock. So once I calmed down, I shot a message to the person who had listed the dog, explaining exactly what sort of danger they were putting their pet in.  Just the way I do for ads on Craigslist. Then I reported the post to the site admin.

Much to my surprise (and delight), I received a reply from Mr. Auman. He said that as soon as he saw the post for the dog it gave him pause, too. So he asked me what my thoughts were, and I told him. After I explained the dangers, I reminded him that it's his website and he can make the rules. Why doesn't he just make it a rule that no live animals can be listed on the site? (his rules already (comically) stated "no people").

Guess what? He liked the idea and he made a rule. That. Freaking. Simple.  And you know what else? He named it "Ariel's rule" because: "[the] site is all about people in this world making a difference and I want everyone to have a say in how this community of people comes together." Awesome.

One person.

Talking to one other person.

Making a difference.

How cool is that?!

How to Change the World in Less Than 30 Seconds

There's a saying I've heard repeatedly in animal rescue.

 "Saving One Dog Won't Change The World But Surely, The World Will Change For That One Dog"

Well, I'm here to tell you that I think that's complete bullshit. I think that saving a dog most certainly changes the world.

Let's take a look at it from the simplest standpoint. Say you have a Facebook page and you go to the Pet Pardons app.  You click on any dog. By clicking, you have just advocated for a doomed dog. Now suppose somebody rescues him because they saw his picture on your Facebook page. Three things have already changed:

You, the dog, and the people who have him now.

You change because saving the dog has made you feel good. You advocate another dog, and another. Each dog that is saved because you choose to click on his picture gives you more confidence. When one of the dogs you advocate doesn't get saved, it just makes you more determined. You realize that your actions can make a difference. Once you realize that, you know that it's possible to affect change wherever you apply yourself.

Pretty soon you are writing letters to the editor and contacting your state Representatives about changing laws. You start to think, why stop there? You begin to focus on other problems in your community and in the world.  Maybe you feed the hungry, or clothe the homeless. Maybe you fight for human rights. Whatever you do affects others, who undergo their own internal/external changes, who are able to make different choices and attain different goals because you helped them.

And what about that dog you saved?  There is nothing more joyous and grateful than a dog that has been saved. Dogs don't keep those sorts of feelings to themselves, they want to share them. That dog becomes the most loving, faithful companion you can imagine. He will protect his new family in times of danger and comfort them in times of sadness. He will teach the children in the family to love and respect animals. Maybe knowing him will even inspire a child to grow up to be a vet. He will bring hours of laughter and joy to his people. He will keep them healthier in body, mind and spirit.

But there are more possibilities. He may become a service dog, helping a handicapped person live a less stressful  life.  Or maybe he'll become a therapy dog, and bring comfort and joy to the sick and lonely in nursing homes and hospitals, or help children learn to read in library programs.  Maybe he'll become a search and rescue dog and save lives. There's just no way of knowing until he is saved. And you saved him, remember?

The world is changed.

Get busy. Advocate for a dog today. It's SO EASY, and it changes EVERYTHING.

Blissfully on the Safe Side

My dogs don't know how lucky they are, and that's the way I like it.

Waldo doesn't ever need to know about the horrors that may have befallen him at the Summit County Animal "Shelter". He doesn't need to know about how dogs were fought on death row there under the old administration, or about the heartsticking without anesthesia.

Lammy Lamb, Waldo, Rocket Boy and Maria, chillin'.

Lammy Lamb doesn't need to know about how many dogs find themselves in shelters where they languish ignored and alone until they are euthanized to make room; because there are just not enough homes for all the homeless.  She never needs to worry as my friend Dawn Ashby has pointed out, "that her fate relies on a few people up too late on Facebook." We are her third home, and her forever home.

Taco doesn't need to know how many female Chihuahuas like her are spending their entire lives in wire cages in puppy mills across the nation. She doesn't need to know about backyard breeding and what it's like to be pregnant all the time. When she landed at our house (also her third home), we had her spayed.

Lammy Lamb and her cuddly bear.

Rocket Boy doesn't need to know about all of the dogs that were burned in Arizona this year.  He doesn't need to know about the dogs that are beaten to death by their owners or shot by their neighbors, or staked out in yards to live lonely lives on the end of a chain.

And Maria doesn't need to know what can happen to pets that are offered "free to a good home". She doesn't have to worry about being sold by a buncher to a class B dealer, and then being sold to a laboratory to be tortured.  Abandoned by three previous owners, she is home now.

My dogs are cuter than your dogs.

None of our dogs have to worry about being crammed into a cage with so many other dogs that they can't move, and then be butchered for somebody's dinner. Our dogs eat better than we do; natural food with no preservatives.

Dogs all over the world are experiencing these horrors every day, but our dogs are loved and they are safe. They have no idea how lucky they are.

I'm glad they never will.

Pets or Property? by Guest Blogger, Kelly Meister

Welcome readers! Today's post is by guest blogger Kelly Meister, who I've come to know through a mutual friend. This is the first time another writer has guest blogged here at Up on the Woof.

When Kelly Meister turns up at the local pond, she is greeted by the resident flock of abandoned pekin ducks. That's because the ducks know that Kelly is there to feed them and make sure everyone is healthy and safe. Kelly is a writer, photographer and potter who devotes much of her time to rescuing and caring for injured wildlife. She has done such an amazing job acting as their advocate that she now works in conjunction with Animal Control to develop strategies to keep the duck population in check and the ducks safe.

Not one to play favorites when it comes to animals, Kelly is also affiliated with a number of animal charities like The Healing Barn, and can often be found in the company of cats, horses, donkeys, and the occasional dog.

Kelly is the author of the new book: Crazy Critter Lady, the story of one woman's determination to do the right thing for the animals around her. Kelly Meister goes out on a limb – and sometimes a half-frozen pond – to help injured birds, mice and chipmunks, homeless "Aflac" ducks, cranky horses, lost frogs and a host of others.In addition to her book Crazy Critter Lady, Kelly authors the Kelly's Critter Talk Blog.

———————————————————————————————-

I once knew a 30-something couple who felt that pet ownership was a right, not a privilege. They acquired two large-breed dogs, built a tiny kennel on stilts in the back yard, used chicken wire for flooring so that the poop and pee would fall through to the ground below, and, apart from beating the dogs into submission as a form of "house training," had little in the way of contact with them.

The dogs spent every day trapped in that too-small kennel, and no time whatsoever being exercised by their humans. Indeed, the woman involved told me that she would have loved to bring them inside for the night but they were far too rambunctious. I gritted my teeth and said nothing, though I couldn't help but think that if they would only take the poor dogs for a walk, they wouldn't be nearly so wound up. I have no idea why those people wanted dogs at all.

As every pet owner knows, animals require a huge investment of time, money, energy, and love. We give those things gladly, even when we don't have them to give in abundance: I, myself, have endured times in which I was so poor, my cats ate better than I did.  Unfortunately, there exists a segment of humanity who seem to view animals as nothing more than chattel, property to use as they see fit, with little or no regard for what the animals actually need.  I believe that they own animals for no other reason than because they can.

     Given the benefits that we all receive from our critter friends – unconditional love, lower stress levels, and lower heart rates, I can't understand why anyone would be averse to opening themselves up to a deeper bond with their pets. Is it really necessary to house train your dog by beating him into submission, when you could just as easily train him in a kind, loving way? Is it really necessary to cast your pet outside to the purgatory that is a back yard kennel, when you could just as easily enjoy his company while you watch t.v.? Dogs, in particular, are pack animals. They want to be members of your pack.

I've often wondered about people like the couple I mentioned earlier. I never could figure out why they wanted pets, when they clearly didn't want the hassles of pet ownership. They were willing to pay for dog food, but they weren't willing to spend time training their dogs. They were willing to provide basic necessities, but it didn't seem to occur to them that the dogs might need or want more. Indeed, they didn't seem to consider the dogs' end of things at all.

I wanted to report those people to my local humane society, but I never did. The reason was that, at the time, they were friends of mine. Curiously, someone else did report them, but the cruelty officer – a person who clearly lacked an understanding of what it must feel like for a dog to walk on chicken wire – didn't cite them for anything. In that situation, I dropped the ball, but you don't have to: you can report neglect and cruelty to your humane society and remain anonymous. Often, it's the only way animals are saved from a lifetime of misery.

      If you're wondering whether a dog might be a suitable pet for you, think about this: he will need much more than just food, water, and shelter. He'll need training, guidance, and exercise, and an Alpha dog (you) that he can respect. He'll need love and patience, and an understanding that sometimes, he won't be able to hold his business until you get home. Mistakes happen. Crotch sniffing happens. Poop happens. No one will be happy about it, but if you think that an occasional pile of poop in the front hallway would be a huge disaster, then you might want to consider a chia pet instead. They're a lot easier to care for than a live animal.

 

                                                                                                                        Click here to order.

Pardon Me, But This is Really Important.

In December of 2010, a woman named Ashley Owen Hill from Meridian Mississippi, and a guy named Chris Hoar from San Diego California, created an app for Facebook called Pet Pardons. Ashley and Chris are animal rescuers and advocates, and Pet Pardons is quite simply; genius.

Essentially, it's an application where other rescuers can list dogs and cats that are on death row across the nation. The idea is that when a person uses the Pet Pardons app,

Boris. He is in Columbiana County Animal Shelter.He's been there half his life.

with just a click they can share an animal on their Facebook wall, and bring it to the attention of potential rescuers and adopters. When you use the app, it first shows you the animals that are in your area. Under that is a section called "Pets that die within the next 48 hours", which lists dogs and cats in kill shelters all across the country that are in imminent danger.

The Pet Pardons Facebook application has been responsible for the successful adoption of over 5,000 pets since its launch in December of 2010 and has amassed over 170,000 followers on Facebook who are ready to help advocate for an animal in need at a moment's notice.

Yoko. He is at the terrible Summit County Animal Control facility

When I logged on tonight to use Pet Pardons, and clicked on the "Animals that die within the next 48 hours", there were 77 pages, 20 animals per page. 1,540 animals that are going to die within the next two days?

Talk about swimming in quicksand. How can I even describe the agony in my heart seeing that sea of faces? How can I begin to explain my approach/avoidance conflict when using the app?

I have to be careful about using Pet Pardons. I want to click on every animal in danger. I agonize over clicking one over another. You see, I don't feel like it's helpful to share animal-after-animal, day-after-day. How soon before many of my 311 Facebook friends get tired of seeing all those dog faces every time they log on? How soon before they just hide my updates so they don't have to deal with it?

See, not everyone can handle seeing all those animals every day, especially knowing that the animal might be killed tomorrow or the next day. It's overwhelming. It's depressing. It makes people feel helpless. And if people hide my updates, not even one animal will be helped. I don't want that to happen; so I'm careful.

A lot of dogs get saved. The app lets you enter your email address, and if one of the pets you advocate is "pardoned" (meaning that a rescue or adoption has come through), you get an email telling you.

I can't begin to describe how great that feels.

For the really brave, you can click on the "My Advocated Pets" section, where you will see who is still alive, who has been pardoned, and sadly, who has been euthanized.  You can readvocate for any still alive.

Lyle. He was at the Stark County Dog Pound. He died last Tuesday.

I love Pet Pardons and I hate it. I hate it because it is a wake-up call. The faces  of all those animals just beg for mandatory spay and neuter laws and an end to breeding. I hate it because it makes me feel sad to see them all.

I love it because two people have made it a no-brainer to help animals. All it takes is a click. Anybody can do it. Ultimately, the greatest thing would be if every one of my Facebook friends shared at least one pet a day on Pet Pardons.

I got two emails today that two of the pets I advocated have been saved. I helped do that, and that feels great.

[Advocate for Boris]  [Advocate for Yoko]

Call of Doody

A friend emailed me a couple of weeks ago about her dog not feeling well, and when I wrote back, I asked her what his poop looked like. We both got a laugh out of that, because only one dog ma would question another dog ma about her dog's poop.

People with multiple dogs can carry on entire conversations about poop.  We are masters of poop; Poo Meisters, if you will. Take it from a girl who actually keeps an excel worksheet of dog food ingredients in an attempt to pinpoint what is upsetting Lammy Lamb's digestion.

A dog's poop is the first clue that he might have an upset stomach, or that something more sinister is afoot. Changes in the poop's appearance can indicate allergies, poor nutrition, worms, and even liver problems.

In our household, I see a lot of poop. A LOT. We've got five dogs, so I can't escape it. And like any other multi-dog ma will tell you, I can identify which poop came from which dog. Dare I say, sometimes I can even identify which-dog-did-what by the smell.

A crescent butterfly. They survive on dung. At least they make poop pretty.

Every day is a veritable Poop Adventure at our place. Lammy Lamb has a recurring digestive issue that seems allergic in nature. I think we've got it pinned down to wheat. Days when she has a reaction are spent taking her out every fifteen minutes so she can assume the position. She has the urge, and stands in the yard like she means business, but can't produce anything substantial. What she *does* produce, is…totally weird.

Rocket has poop issues that we haven't figured out yet .

A typical day doesn't go by in our house without the question: "Did you see Rocket poop today? What did it look like?" and then a lengthy descriptive discourse follows, along with a verbal recounting of everything he's eaten in the past 24 hours.  Yes. An entire conversation about poop.

And how many times have I run the dogs out to potty before we are planning on leaving the house for an appointment or something, when one of them has a poop emergency? At our house, that's when somebody ends up with a poop pancake stuck to their butt, and I have to give them an emergency bath.

That probably happens as often as when the floors have just been mopped and while I am rinsing out the mop and hanging it to dry, somebody is busy leaving me a poop present on the newly cleaned floor. An "award" doody for doing such a good job; and look mom, I made it myself!

Then there's all the poop weirdness.  Rocket Boy doesn't like anybody to see him poop, so he tries to hide it. Maria is the only dog I've ever known who tripods to poop – right rear leg always lifted daintily. Taco marches when she poops, leaving a doody trail -  like Hansel and Gretel are going to need it to find their way home. And Lammy Lamb's poop sometimes shoots out so fast it makes an audible "ping". Should it be after dark (no mini dogs out at night because of the coyotes) and Lammy Lamb's used a pee pad or newspaper, she spends 20 minutes trying to cover it. The only normal pooper at our house is Waldo, God bless him.

The Poo Meisters

A friend emailed me a couple of weeks ago about her dog not feeling well, and when I wrote back, I asked her what his poop looked like. We both got a laugh out of that, because only one dog ma would question another dog ma about her dog's poop.

People with multiple dogs can carry on entire conversations about poop.  We are masters of poop; Poo Meisters, if you will. Take it from a girl who actually keeps an excel worksheet of dog food ingredients in an attempt to pinpoint what is upsetting Lammy Lamb's digestion.

A dog's poop is the first clue that he might have an upset stomach, or that something more sinister is afoot. Changes in the poop's appearance can indicate allergies, poor nutrition, worms, and even liver problems.

In our household, I see a lot of poop. A LOT. We've got five dogs, so I can't escape it. And like any other multi-dog ma will tell you, I can identify which poop came from which dog. Dare I say, sometimes I can even identify which-dog-did-what by the smell.

A crescent butterfly. They survive on dung. At least they make poop pretty.

Every day is a veritable Poop Adventure at our place. Lammy Lamb has a recurring digestive issue that seems allergic in nature. I think we've got it pinned down to wheat. Days when she has a reaction are spent taking her out every fifteen minutes so she can assume the position. She has the urge, and stands in the yard like she means business, but can't produce anything substantial. What she *does* produce, is…totally weird.

Rocket has poop issues that we haven't figured out yet .

A typical day doesn't go by in our house without the question: "Did you see Rocket poop today? What did it look like?" and then a lengthy descriptive discourse follows, along with a verbal recounting of everything he's eaten in the past 24 hours.  Yes. An entire conversation about poop.

And how many times have I run the dogs out to potty before we are planning on leaving the house for an appointment or something, when one of them has a poop emergency? At our house, that's when somebody ends up with a poop pancake stuck to their butt, and I have to give them an emergency bath.

That probably happens as often as when the floors have just been mopped and while I am rinsing out the mop and hanging it to dry, somebody is busy leaving me a poop present on the newly cleaned floor. An "award" poop for doing such a good job; and look mom, I made it myself!

Then there's all the poop weirdness.  Rocket Boy doesn't like anybody to see him poop, so he tries to hide it. Maria is the only dog I've ever known who tripods to poop – right rear leg always lifted daintily. Taco marches when she poops, leaving a poop trail -  like Hansel and Gretel are going to need it to find their way home. And Lammy Lamb's poop sometimes shoots out so fast it makes an audible "ping". Should it be after dark (no mini dogs out at night because of the coyotes) and Lammy Lamb's used a pee pad or newspaper, she spends 20 minutes trying to cover it. The only normal pooper at our house is Waldo, God bless him.