Pit Bulls And Parolees - General Discussion

[SRTouch]

Until the recent discussion of the absence of focus on the 'Parolee' portion of 'Pitbulls' and Parolees' I didn't realise how much I was missing those stories. Glad to see that coming back so far this season.... a couple good stories last night with one Parolee melt down, and 1 success story with Toney.  

Truly amazing how Tia's experience and knowledge of the breed led to such a quick turn around with Gunner, the SC husky. The only thing I wondered was how much was edited out..... thought how it would have been nice to see an 'elapsed time' caption 

18 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I was saddened to see the "In memory of Mr. Magoo" at the end of the re-run of the moving to NOLA show tonight. 😪

One of the things about watching reruns of a long-running show about a rescue 😢 Another is when I see a dog first being rescued on a rerun and knowing, through no fault of his/her own, the dog ends up being passed over time after time by adopters and spending years at the kennel

[EtheltoTillie]

I’m behind in my episodes but I skipped ahead to last night’s ep. I was in tears when Gunner came out of that cage so eager to play with Augie. They are so good with understanding dogs. 

After two years, still trying to get my Trixie to jump in the car, just like Johnnie Wobbles. She can jump on the couch just fine LOL. 

Great story with Toney. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 1/13/2020 at 3:07 PM, walnutqueen said:

I certainly hope so.  But if not, I'll take the hit.

Ear and tail docking should be outlawed.  As should owning exotic pets, and breeding any kind of pet until all shelters and rescues are empty.  And, the penalties for animal abuse are not nearly harsh enough. 

[/rant]

 

We now have cat declawing outlawed in NY. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 1/18/2020 at 10:07 PM, Bastet said:

The dog-fighting asshole ... even Blue Eyes, his "pride and joy", was in terrible shape; it seemed like maybe he hadn't been fought, but even if not, basic care/nutrition was so neglected that his legs are malformed and he has to have his bones surgically broken and reset.

Way to distract the aggressive one with food and sedate him without him even realizing he was being poked.  He's been carrying around a chain that weighs half his body weight - I'd bite people, too!  I hope he becomes adoptable in time, but at least he has a home for life at VRC if he doesn't because he can be handled by a caretaker and is thus not miserable.  It's incredible to me how friendly the others were so quickly, having never known kindness but recognizing and clinging to it immediately.

I'm not sure I've ever seen two kids be so focused on "calm" as their number one desired personality trait in a dog.  Sister was as drawn to kids as I am repelled by them, but once Cranberry came out as the embodiment of a mellow couch potato who is also into kids, I knew the deal was sealed.  I'm glad she finally has a home, and it was hilarious when she was like, "Yeah, yard, great - please open the door to my new house so that I may be where I belong."

And it's nice they used the opportunity to welcome Spencer back by taking him on his first home check (letting him see the happy ending all that warehouse work is geared toward), since it was in-state and he could go.

I was distracted by a phone call for the first 5-10 minutes of the show, but from the bits I half-heard, I got the impression they were afraid the parole violation of having a gun was going to send him away for a long time, but his plea deal wound up being something where he could get out on parole after a shorter time if he qualified, and he did (as it should be).  (I heard "third serious offense" but not "third strike" - again, though, I was only half listening - so I'm not sure what he was actually facing and looking to plead down from.)

Another good episode. I’m not sure they really gave any info about how Spencer escaped that sentence, but I was glad for him. I think they have a good plan for helping him to succeed. 

I think we saw Cranberry last  year—no?  I remember the cute name. 

[dbell1]

Catching up with episodes this weekend. The dog fighting pups were so sad. Caught the first Earl episode yesterday, he’s come a long way.

Johnny Wobbles, I remember him from a few years ago. Kills me how there are so many pups there, the 2 older dogs the couple considered, there’s so few people out there looking for seniors.

Not surprised Frank washed out. No family in the area. Feel bad for his son. 13 is too young to be trying to get your dad employed and telling him to not blow it. 

Glad they’re spotlighting Toney again. Guy had a rough few years with the accusations against him. He’s been in the background in a few shots, but no interviews or talking heads. 

[friendperidot]

Caught a couple of older shows this weekend, including the one of the move from California to New Orleans. I had seen clips of it but not the entire episode. I didn't know that the reason they moved was because something legal happened in the town/county where they were in California and they were forced to make changes. I had seen where Tia was looking at another property in California and then it was consumed by the fires. But what an undertaking to pack up all those dogs and drive them across country! Trying to get the kennels set up in the warehouse before the bulk of the dogs arrived! And how nice the Grand Opening was, all the locals turning out to see and help. Overall, good episode.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The move to the new property in Tehachapi was derailed, because at the meeting about her permit, the neighbors went ballistic.    They also had a huge fire that included the Tehachapi property, maybe from a small plane crash? 

 About that time (at least on the show timeline) was when L.A. County Animal Control said that their facility had many violations of the rules, including having a lot more animals than allowed.   I gather the AC people hadn't been enforcing the rules, and were now changing that.  

About that time somehow they were contacted about moving to N.O.    

Edited January 28, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[RoxiP]

9 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The move to the new property in Tehachapi was derailed, because at the meeting about her permit, the neighbors went ballistic.     About that time (at least on the show timeline) was when L.A. County Animal Control said that their facility had many violations of the rules, including having a lot more animals than allowed.   I gather the AC people hadn't been enforcing the rules, and were now changing that.     About that time somehow they were contacted about moving to N.O.    

In retrospect, not moving to the alternative location in California turned out to be a total blessing because I think it has been an active fire zone over the last few years.  Sure they've faced hurricanes in New Orleans but at least you can prepare for those - a fire can turn on a dime and then what do you do in a remote location with 200-300 dogs?

[chenoa333]

On 1/26/2020 at 1:55 PM, dbell1 said:

there’s so few people out there looking for seniors.

Yes. People can be so selfish. It's always about how THEY are going to feel if the senior pet dies in a couple years. Or how much is THIS going to cost me in vet care.

One of the Deacons at a local church in my area adopted a 12 year old mix breed dog a couple years ago. She's had to invest some money on the dog for vet care but I believe the dog is still alive and living a happy life in Laguna Beach CA! 

[Bastet]

They're making up for lost time showing Toney now that they can again, aren't they?  I left before last week's episode ended, and missed some of the beginning of this week's.  I came in just in time to see how skinny and scared the dog Earl and Toney were rescuing was.  I love the name Daffodil, because of how she blossomed after just a short period of care.

Gus Gus is really cute; I love the little squatty bodies.  She's a good size to live in a truck.  The way she hauled herself up in the test truck was adorable, and then she did the same in Phyllis's.  Those two are going to love the hell out of each other.  Phyllis's dream of traveling upon retirement turning into starting over as a long-haul trucker at 58 because she got laid off and had too much seniority to get another job in phlebotomy really touched me.  I'm glad she's making the best of it, but, man, the American economy makes me angry.

I love how they created a VRC Bowl to determine Burger just isn't cut out for multi-dog playing in that small a space, and to get them used to the fog machine that scared the dogs at last year's Dog Bowl.  The Dog Bowl is such a great opportunity to get their dogs adopted, they have to do everything possible to pick the dogs with the best chance of benefiting from the experience.  I wish Animal Planet would just ditch the fog machine, though.

"We don't limit ourselves when it comes to adopters.  We don't care if you're a millionaire.  All we care about is that the dog is going to be safe, well cared for, and loved."  Preach.  I love how few bright-line rules VRC has, instead matching the right dog with the right home.  Maybe it doesn't have a fence.  Maybe it doesn't have a yard to begin with.  Hell, maybe it's a truck.  For some dogs, that's not enough.  But for some it is, and they'll happily make that match.

[friendperidot]

I loved Gus Gus's story and how happy she was to get in the truck and drive away. I hate the American economy too, I was a victim of too much time in a job with very few jobs and was laid off at 62. I wasn't ready for retirement, I had several things I wanted to accomplish that just weren't to be. So I understand how Phyllis feels. I never considered over the road trucking and it probably wouldn't be a good fit for me. But I'm glad she was able to make lemonade when she was given lemons. 

And I enjoyed the visit to NYC and the Dog and Puppy Bowl stuff. Enjoyed Dog Bowl this evening and looking forward to the Puppy Bowl tomorrow and then the Super Bowl where I hope the KC Chiefs are victorious! FYI, even though the Chiefs use a lot of Native American symbols, they weren't named the Chiefs after Indian Chiefs, they were named for a former KC mayor, H. Roe Bartle who was called Chief.

[Gramto6]

((((Phyllis + Gus Gus)))) they are so sweet together! What a great home for that dog!

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, friendperidot said:

FYI, even though the Chiefs use a lot of Native American symbols, they weren't named the Chiefs after Indian Chiefs, they were named for a former KC mayor, H. Roe Bartle who was called Chief.

Yes, despite their subsequent "Arrowhead [tomahawk] chop", mascot horse named "War Paint", and pre-game drum ritual, the team name was itself directly named after a white dude -- one who, claiming to be "Chief Lone Bear" per the local Arapaho in establishing the Boy Scouts of America’s tribe of "Mic-o-Say", lead to Kansas City's culturally misappropriated name.  Yay?

Anyway, according to my friend who follows VRC on social media, Crackles and Samuel had already been adopted before Dog Bowl (but the owners let them appear to promote the rescue), and Hunter and Texas are still looking for their forever homes.

[brilliantbreakfast]

On 12/1/2019 at 9:48 AM, brilliantbreakfast said:

I recently sent a photo of my older cat, now 8 years old, cuddling with his younger adopted brother, to the foster mom who cared for him before I adopted him.  It's been about 4 years since I last sent an update, and she was thrilled to get it.  There is a feral cat rescue called Tiny Kittens in Canada that prefers, though does not mandate, that people put up Facebook pages for their adoptees because they have a 24 x 7 livestream and people get invested in these kittens and cats.  I think rescuers love to know on an ongoing basis that their charges are doing well.

I follow Tiny Kittens regularly  They are an amazing organization and I've learned a lot about cat behavior from them.  I also follow 22 TK alumni cats.  </true confessions>  I follow other 24 x 7 cam rescues and always wonder about the alumni, so I'm grateful to TK for what they do.

I sent a picture of my now-8-year-old cat cuddling with his younger brother from a different rescue to his original foster and like yours, she was so happy to get the update.

On a PnP "personality" note:  Mariah looks so much better this season than she did last season.  I hate that tree tattoo on her neck, but she looks less gaunt than she did for a while.  I think she's an incredible kid.  I also notice that Marcel is nowhere to be seen and I have to wonder what's going on there, though the twins aren't on much anymore either.  I'd be tempted to say the show is focusing more on the parolees now, but Lizzy and M2 (both absolute treasures) are pretty much front and center much of the time.

Edited February 3, 2020 by brilliantbreakfast

[RoxiP]

I am in the process of looking for a new dog (preferably very small) and the hoops you have to jump through for some of these rescue groups is ridiculous.  I am all for looking for great homes and I do not mind them checking up on my situation (actually this dog is for my daughter - we had to put her baby to sleep a couple of weeks ago), but she told me the other day she thinks it would be easier to get a human baby!

Loved Phyllis and Gus Gus and even Tanya put in an appearance.  I like that they are mixing it up more this year with more of the parolees because they are an essential part of what makes VRC work and I love a redemption story.

[Rlb8031]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2020 at 2:21 AM, Bastet said:

Yes, despite their subsequent "Arrowhead [tomahawk] chop", mascot horse named "War Paint", and pre-game drum ritual, the team name was itself directly named after a white dude -- one who, claiming to be "Chief Lone Bear" per the local Arapaho in establishing the Boy Scouts of America’s tribe of "Mic-o-Say", lead to Kansas City's culturally misappropriated name.  Yay?

Anyway, according to my friend who follows VRC on social media, Crackles and Samuel had already been adopted before Dog Bowl (but the owners let them appear to promote the rescue), and Hunter and Texas are still looking for their forever homes.

It seems that a couple of the non-VRC dogs were in the same position. They did a long piece on a dog who was adopted by a trainer and was training to appear on Broadway in Legally Blonde. I was confused as to why he was taking part, but then I guessed that it was a similar desire - to promote the adoption of rescue dogs.

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, brilliantbreakfast said:

I also notice that Marcel is nowhere to be seen and I have to wonder what's going on there,

They split up last year.  It hasn't been announced on the show yet, but it was posted here last summer that Mariah had announced it on social media in response to questions.

[Rlb8031]

12 minutes ago, Bastet said:

They split up last year.  It hasn't been announced on the show yet, but it was posted here last summer that Mariah had announced it on social media in response to questions.

I was wondering about that the other night because he was the only one of the guys who was appearing regularly on the show. Its sad because he was good with the dogs and genuinely seemed to like being a part of the family and the rescue. 

But Mariah does look 100x healthier and happier than she appeared last season. So if that was her going through the breakup and this is her coming out of the other side, she's done ok. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I used to watch the show way back when and recall when they decided to move to LA.  There was a lot going on as stated above, but, also it seemed that the state/county was requiring outdoor kennels.   As it turns out, I can see why they require it.  I feel for all those dogs who live in the indoor kennels in that warehouse, who don't see the light of day.  I know they say they get walks, but, I have my doubts and even if they do, it's no substitute for fresh air.  To me, that's a big negative for that large NO building.  That parish location looks much better. 

[RoxiP]

14 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I used to watch the show way back when and recall when they decided to move to LA.  There was a lot going on as stated above, but, also it seemed that the state/county was requiring outdoor kennels.   As it turns out, I can see why they require it.  I feel for all those dogs who live in the indoor kennels in that warehouse, who don't see the light of day.  I know they say they get walks, but, I have my doubts and even if they do, it's no substitute for fresh air.  To me, that's a big negative for that large NO building.  That parish location looks much better. 

It is simply too hot in an outside kennel in southern Louisiana in the summer - as it is I bet they have fans running all the time.  

[SunnyBeBe]

There are a lot of outdoor kennels in the south.  I'm in NC and it's similar in temperature. Plus, they kennel their dogs at the parish location in outdoor areas. They have a little shelter area and outdoor run that appears to be lined with gravel.  Many dogs live outside in the south year round. It's nice to have fans, air conditioning and certainly shade is a must, but, I can't imagine all those dogs inside a closed-in warehouse round the clock. It just seems ill conceived to me. I hope they can eventually rebuild something better or move all but a small station there to the country-parish location.  When Amanda from the Rescue show was a guest and visited the facility, she soon became very ill on the way home.  I was not surprised. 

Edited February 5, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[RoxiP]

48 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

There are a lot of outdoor kennels in the south.  I'm in NC and it's similar in temperature. Plus, they kennel their dogs at the parish location in outdoor areas. They have a little shelter area and outdoor run that appears to be lined with gravel.  Many dogs live outside in the south year round. It's nice to have fans, air conditioning and certainly shade is a must, but, I can't imagine all those dogs inside a closed-in warehouse round the clock. It just seems ill conceived to me. I hope they can eventually rebuild something better or move all but a small station there to the country-parish location.  When Amanda from the Rescue show was a guest and visited the facility, she soon became very ill on the way home.  I was not surprised. 

I think the VRC people are making changes all the time so hopefully in the future they will be able to afford something more dog friendly.  I suspect Amanda had already contracted something since she got ill the very next morning after her first visit to Villalobos (if I remember correctly and I could very well not...LOL!) - and part of her visit was to the "country" facility I believe.

Edited February 5, 2020 by RoxiP

[Rlb8031]

23 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I used to watch the show way back when and recall when they decided to move to LA.  There was a lot going on as stated above, but, also it seemed that the state/county was requiring outdoor kennels.   As it turns out, I can see why they require it.  I feel for all those dogs who live in the indoor kennels in that warehouse, who don't see the light of day.  I know they say they get walks, but, I have my doubts and even if they do, it's no substitute for fresh air.  To me, that's a big negative for that large NO building.  That parish location looks much better. 

I've visited the site. First, the warehouse facility has kennels both inside and outside (but within the fenced in area). All of the dogs get walked every day - in fact one of the things visitors can do is volunteer to do group walks with dogs (they take about 15 dogs at a time outside of the warehouse on leashes and walk them in the area across the street under the highway). As for fresh air, the sliding doors to the warehouse are kept open during the day (unless the weather is bad), so there is plenty of fresh air circulating. I was there in April when it wasn't super hot, but even then, there were fans to circulate air. Finally, the kennels are kept clean and dry, which means that the warehouse itself doesn't have any odors from feces or even smell particularly "doggy". Is it as great of a place as the AP location with large grassy fields and outdoor kennels? Nope. But it is tons better than having those animals living on the street. In most big cities, animal control has indoor facilities, so having a private shelter that is mostly indoors in a city doesn't seem strange to me.

[SRTouch]

2 hours ago, Rlb8031 said:

it is tons better than having those animals living on the street. In most big cities, animal control has indoor facilities, so having a private shelter that is mostly indoors in a city doesn't seem strange to me.

I think that's the key point....... is it ideal (or even a good thing) for a dog to live in a kennel for years - no, absolutely not..... it's pretty obvious that Tia and her crew know this and try hard to find GOOD homes........ meanwhile, they now have hundreds of dogs to care for in multiple locations and I believe they do the best they can - and that they truly CARE...... we have seen them move a dog from one facility to another hoping to make it easier on a dog - also, some dogs are fostered by employees/family when they are not a good fit for any of the facilities

[EtheltoTillie]

On 2/3/2020 at 9:34 AM, RoxiP said:

I am in the process of looking for a new dog (preferably very small) and the hoops you have to jump through for some of these rescue groups is ridiculous.  I am all for looking for great homes and I do not mind them checking up on my situation (actually this dog is for my daughter - we had to put her baby to sleep a couple of weeks ago), but she told me the other day she thinks it would be easier to get a human baby!

Loved Phyllis and Gus Gus and even Tanya put in an appearance.  I like that they are mixing it up more this year with more of the parolees because they are an essential part of what makes VRC work and I love a redemption story.

This is so true. We noticed this when we were looking three years ago, that things had really changed since the last time we were looking. We were rejected from a couple of places. My friend who was looking recentLy  was rejected as too old at 63. We both finally Found dogs. 

[EtheltoTillie]

2 hours ago, GussieK said:

This is so true. We noticed this when we were looking three years ago, that things had really changed since the last time we were looking. We were rejected from a couple of places. My friend who was looking recentLy  was rejected as too old at 63. We both finally Found dogs. 

I have to add to my own post.  Astonishingly, the group that rejected my friend had let her adopt a puppy three years earlier. When her elderly dog died she wanted a new puppy as a companion for the first pup and they would now not let her adopt. 

Edited February 9, 2020 by GussieK

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, GussieK said:

My friend who was looking recentLy  was rejected as too old at 63.

That's ridiculous!  If an adopter was 83, and especially if she/he was looking to adopt a young animal, I could understand delicately making sure they have someone firmly committed to taking the pet should they no longer be able to care for her/him (everyone should have that in place, regardless of age).  But flat-out rejecting a 63-year-old - one who'd adopted from that same organization previously - because of age?! 

When my parents adopted Chester, an eight-year-old cat, from the shelter six years ago, they were in their early seventies.  The only consequence of that was Chester was a "discount cat" through the seniors-for-seniors program, where senior people who adopt senior pets are given a reduced adoption rate.

Poor Nine, the dog who'd been hit by a car in tonight's episode; it's incredible he didn't make a sound when Spencer picked him up (like he did at the vet's office).  I'm glad he seems to have eventually recovered nicely.

Krewe was seriously adorable on the couch; Lizzy and the other VRC employee are all bummed out because he's heart worm positive and now has to wait to go to his new home, and he - blissfully ignorant - is just wiggling around, excited he's out of his kennel.  He was also very cute enjoying his "pupcake".

I know almost nothing about heart worm, because I have cats and cats basically never get it in my area (and it's not prevalent in dogs, either - they take the preventative, I believe, but not many get it, and certainly nothing like in the New Orleans climate), and it's disturbing that a dog can test negative twice and be on preventative but still turn up with heart worm. 

It stinks that everyone had to wait a couple of months, but what matters is now he's home.  And I like that two country guys, who didn't have a fence for their previous dog (as a lot of people in such an area don't), put in a fence because this dog needs one and he's who they fell in love with.  Krewe making himself right at home, and destroying his tennis ball, was lovely to see.

It is wonderful Spencer can learn a trade, and get paid, when he'd never be able to pay for training/classes.  I hope it's something he takes to, and can turn into a marketable skill in the long run as he supports a child.

I think gender reveal parties are one of the silliest, most-obnoxious things parents have come up with in recent years, but this one was almost cute (especially with Calamity knocking the hat off), and, yay, they're having a girl.  Also, genetics are interesting - that Lizzy and Moe turned out a light-blonde kid.  I wonder what the next one will look like.

[SRTouch]

4 hours ago, GussieK said:

This is so true. We noticed this when we were looking three years ago, that things had really changed since the last time we were looking. We were rejected from a couple of places. My friend who was looking recentLy  was rejected as too old at 63. We both finally Found dogs. 

Ran across this story the other day. Not same thing, but another shelter on high horse making strange policies decisions....

*** long story short - family dog ended up in rescue - rescue refusing to return dog because it was intact - family now having to go to court to fight for return of dog

[Bastet]

Meh.  If the rescue's policy is - as it should be - that no dogs go out without being neutered, and their "but we breed him" objection is the only reason the rescue won't "adopt" him back to the original owners, it seems there's a really simple way for this family to get their dog back.  For whatever reason (the article doesn't say), they didn't find and claim him during the owner hold period at the shelter after he got out, got hit by a car, and came into the shelter, and then the rescue adopted him.  If all they have to do to adopt him back is agree to have him neutered, and refusing to do so is why they're forcing a court case, I'm on the rescue's side all day long. But the rescue may be deeming them unacceptable on additional, ridiculous grounds, because that's what some rescues do.

It takes me back to the dog - Beast? - whose owner was living with him in a cheap motel and got taken to hospital after a medical emergency.  VRC didn't say "you can't take proper care of your dog; we're keeping him".  Instead, they - seeing how the little room was set up to meet the dog's needs and the love the owner had for him (including objecting to being taken to get the medical care she needed because she didn't want to leave the dog) - offered to neuter and vaccinate him and connect her with some resources that could help improve the housing situation.  She happily accepted, and offered to volunteer at VRC to pay back their generosity.

[dbell1]

I have a 13 1/2 year old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier laying around my feet looking for leftovers. I bought him from a pet store. We had a rescue German Shepherd who had hip dysplasia and then seizures from her meds. She was loyal, perfect, and it broke my 10 year old son’s heart when she had to be put down at 8. I checked with several rescues, including ones we’d adopted from before. Our original rescues didn’t have what we were looking for, my son wanted a younger dog, no health issues. Turned down by everyone else because my son was “too young”, or because we didn’t have a fenced yard, or because I worked outside of the home. 🙄 Two weeks of rejection from all over the area, and that was when calls were returned. Some rescues wanted a deposit just to talk to me!

One night my son came out of his room in tears asking why he couldn’t have a new best friend. We went to the store the next day and bought this dog. Son picked him. It was like cartoon hearts coming out of both their eyes. I wanted a girl Shepherd, this is the total opposite. He’d been bought for a client, but they decided they didn’t want him. Marked down half price. Tons of skin issues, ear infections, 6 months old, living in a 4 square foot space with wood chips for 4 months . He’d been bought once and returned.

The rescues that rejected us missed out on the life we could have given their strays. 

And last night’s show with Crewe made me cry. They were so happy to get him. 

[SRTouch]

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

Meh.  If the rescue's policy is - as it should be - that no dogs go out without being neutered, and their "but we breed him" objection is the only reason the rescue won't "adopt" him back to the original owners, it seems there's a really simple way for this family to get their dog back.  For whatever reason (the article doesn't say), they didn't find and claim him during the owner hold period at the shelter after he got out, got hit by a car, and came into the shelter, and then the rescue adopted him.  If all they have to do to adopt him back is agree to have him neutered, and refusing to do so is why they're forcing a court case, I'm on the rescue's side all day long. But the rescue may be deeming them unacceptable on additional, ridiculous grounds, because that's what some rescues do.

Ok, I should have linked the first article instead of the followup. There's a little more detail about how the dog ended up with the rescue. Actually, I went back and read the court filings papers. Dog escaped from owner Christmas Eve, was hit by car and sent to County pound. Rescue contacted by pound to see if they would take dog so it could be treated. Rescue arrived and picked up dog as soon as pound opened on 27th. During transfer, rescue given legal ownership of dog even though required hold had not expired. Later same day, owner shows up at pound looking for dog, and was told dog at the rescue. According to article, pound personnel promise not to sign over ownership in the future unless the rescue agrees to release dog if an owner shows up within the hold period. Problem is, can a small rescue, like this appears to be, accept dog needing medical care without some guarantee bills will be paid if owner shows up. Apparently dog had broken pelvis requiring surgery. Owner alleges in article that rescue has started fund raiser for bills, and questions why when there's an owners wanting dog back.

There are unanswered questions. Nowhere did I read rescue people mention anything about not returning dog because it owner is an admitted breeder. Far as I see, only the owner is saying that's why they won't return the dog. In fact, reading Rescue's answer to complaint in court papers, they question whether this is even the correct owner, as they believe the dog had a collar and ID tags with a different name.

It's a puzzle, not as clear cut as I thought before reading court papers - wonder if it will appear one day show on one of the court tv shows I watch every weekday

Edited February 10, 2020 by SRTouch

[dshgr]

I'm all about rescue, but I've been looking for a small dog (under 25 lbs) for a year now.  I have an 18 year old cat and I don't want to continue to vaccinate her because she had a reaction a few years ago.  She doesn't go outside and she loves my current dog.  None of the local Humane Societies has any small dogs (the local shelter told me the rescue groups scoop them up quick because of demand), and the local rescues are refusing me because of the unvaccinated cat.  

I've started to look at local breeders.  Most of them charge about the same as the rescues, and don't have ridiculous rules.

I think some of these rescues have lost sight of what they are supposed to be doing.

[RoxiP]

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2020 at 7:38 PM, dshgr said:

I'm all about rescue, but I've been looking for a small dog (under 25 lbs) for a year now.  I have an 18 year old cat and I don't want to continue to vaccinate her because she had a reaction a few years ago.  She doesn't go outside and she loves my current dog.  None of the local Humane Societies has any small dogs (the local shelter told me the rescue groups scoop them up quick because of demand), and the local rescues are refusing me because of the unvaccinated cat.  

I've started to look at local breeders.  Most of them charge about the same as the rescues, and don't have ridiculous rules.

I think some of these rescues have lost sight of what they are supposed to be doing.

My daughter and I toured 5 shelters between Friday and Saturday and there were almost no small dogs - and the ones that we found were just not tugging at my daughter's heartstrings (and she really tried).  I must say the Dallas SPCA has a shelter that will put a fine hotel to shame!  Kudos to them!  Another shelter told us small dogs usually get adopted immediately when they reach the shelter.

A friend of my daughter had a dog that had puppies and although she was initially not looking to get a puppy she ended up getting a sweet little, half-weenie, half Jack Russell, 10-week old puppy.  She is in college and only out of the home for no more than 3-4 hours a day so she has the ability to put up with training a puppy.  We would both have preferred to bring a shelter dog into our home but that just didn't work out for us!

I know rescues and shelters do the hard work of taking in and taking care of so many dogs that are in need of a safe shelter - not going to criticize them but it does seem they make it very difficult to give homes to dogs in need.

I didn't quite understand why they couldn't just give Krewe to the adoptees along with the heartworm medicine - did they not trust them to give it to the dog?  Seems like getting the dog out of the shelter and into a good home would have been a higher priority.

Edited February 11, 2020 by RoxiP

[CrazyInAlabama]

My understanding is that the heartworm treatment, either fast kill of parasites, or the slower method, means the dog has to be kept very quiet, for quite a while.    Also, not every dog makes it, and that would be devastating for a new adopter.  

[Bastet]

On 2/11/2020 at 2:16 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

My understanding is that the heartworm treatment, either fast kill of parasites, or the slower method, means the dog has to be kept very quiet, for quite a while.

That was my impression, too, so I just perused an article to confirm, and yep - the treatment is hard on them, and the heart and lungs need to be protected by strictly curtailing activity for a prolonged period.  So it makes sense that VRC would want to take responsibility for that period.

Kathleen and Daisy, from tonight's episode, having spent two days together in bed crying after Barney died is such a sad and sweet image.  It was nice to see Daisy, more comfortable at home but still a little apprehensive about Daisy, calm down a little and pick Annabelle as their new family member.  Minnie vaguely looks like a bigger and more colorful version of Daisy, and Annabelle vaguely like a smaller and more colorful Daisy; I thought look good as a trio.  But those two shy girls are good for each other -- "quietly becoming best friends" is exactly what I predicted from their initial interaction. 

LOL at naming the pair of rescued dogs Brad and Angelina - I know producers include package stories filmed long ago into episodes, but that would go way back.

I like the motivation behind Tania's book.  I read an interview with her years ago in which she talked about how hard it was living in Agua Dulce (their CA location) as an outsider and she didn't need to say more -- it's an insular environment, very unaccepting of anyone who doesn't fit the narrow mold its overwhelmingly white, rural, conservative residents decree as the right way to be (a friend lived in that general area for several years, and her parents remain there).  It's sad to hear she also feels so judged in New Orleans, a more diverse and welcoming city (and I do just mean more than Agua Dulce, as it certainly has its own acceptance problems, as anyplace does), now that she's a parent.  She didn't get anywhere near as many funny looks there when it was just her, but now that she's dared spawn a child, people look at her with a baby/toddler and assume she must be an irresponsible mother.  

The Bluie dedication page is beautiful. 

I really like how Tania and Perry don't allow Salem's face to be shown on the show.  I don't think it's bad that Moe and Lizzy do allow their son's, especially at his young age, but I dig the choice.

[RoxiP]

I was an older mom when my daughter was born (38) and there are many younger parents out there (and I live in a very conservative small town in Texas) who sport multiple tattoos and piercings - what does that have to do with their parenting?  Not something I would do but to each their own.

[BarkityBark]

I was wondering why Country Matt was suddenly back for an adoption in this last episode. I know he's been back for visits here and there but we hadn't really seen him in a season or so. Didn't know if he was there for a visit or back for a longer stretch. 

[Bastet]

Picking which 22 dogs to send to the prison program was a huge task; this is their audition to establish an ongoing relationship that will result in VRC dogs getting out monthly, so they want to pull together the absolutely perfect group for that environment.  I can only imagine the thinking, deliberating, and testing that resulted in the big play group we saw.

Fancy was among the dogs, which reminds me that I had today's repeat episodes on in the background while I painted window trim, and laughed again at how she got her name -- M2 dances around to Reba McEntire while cleaning, and the then-newly rescued dog was really into it.  Fancy hugging Tia when Tia was leaving and Tia saying, "Don't do this to me, you'll be fine" resulted in a teary smile here.

And, of course, Cavalier.  She is fast!  "It takes her coming to prison to be free" is right -- she was chained up, then at VRC she had leashed walks and play time in small groups, but now she has that gigantic prison yard to sprint around in.  She needs to go to someone with a big yard.

Which I'm sure she will.  It's always, when transferring dogs to another rescue/program, a big leap of faith to say okay, you'll be the ones screening and selecting their adopters when the time comes.  But Amy from DAWGS clearly knows her stuff.  It was great to see how many volunteers she had lined up for the arrival of the newest batch of dogs.  (And a nice kudo to VRC for DAWGS to say they've never before received such organized medical history on dogs they've taken from other rescues/shelters.)

We desperately need - for the dogs, and the inmates - more programs like that in this country.  It makes me angry that we don't; like Tia said, they're crucial.  I wish we'd been able to see the inmates as they met their new pals.

Warg loves car rides!  Like Lizzie said, it's a good thing since he doesn't fit in any of their crates.  I don't find him a particularly attractive dog, and he's significantly bigger than a lot of people are interested in, so I absolutely love that someone fell in love with him online and drove down from Michigan to meet him.

His adoption is another illustration of how VRC doesn't have bright-line rules that unreasonably keep good owners from adopting a dog who's right for them.  His adopters have only been together a year and a half.  Sure, statistically, they're probably going to break up at some point during Warg's life.  But they're good dog owners; they'll figure out custody, and, if not, VRC will take him back.  It's not a reason to refuse adoption.  And they've just moved in to their together place, so the yard doesn't yet have the kind of fence he needs.  They'll put one in, and will use a long line in the interim.  Again, not a reason to refuse given their history of dog ownership and commitment to doing right by this one.

Jones's recovery was impressive, and he's beautiful; I hope someone falls in love with him.

Great episode!

 

[Gramto6]

Yes, great episode! I am really happy to see this new association with DAWGS that will take dogs from them monthly. I can see that Villalobos is truly drowning in dogs and this can be a godsend for them.

[LadyNebula]

So, yeah, this was the episode I was waiting for, since I live in the town with the prison.  They also filmed at the federal prison one town over but didn't show the footage. DAWGS is a fantastic program, and like they said, everyone wins with prison programs. There are actually 3 prisons in the immediate area, so they have lots of opportunity here. 

[Stealthy]

The fact that these prison dog programs exist helps me to not lose complete faith in all humanity. Seeing Earl all teary-eyed got my waterworks going. Loved this episode. 

[Calibabydolly]

I was laying in bed watching....and also wondering....WHO WAS CUTTING ONIONS, like Mariah said too!? My gosh how Tia teared up is what really got me. Then Earl, who is my favorite parolee. When they showed the crates actually in the cell with the inmate I was in awe of the program. Like Tia said, those dogs don't care they are in prison. All they care about is having their own human and of course running in that huge yard! I cracked up when Tia said that Fancy was NOT escaping prison! This was probably the best episode yet for me so far.

[RoxiP]

I think the woman adopter's history of having a large dog (Warg is large but she had a half-Lab, half Great Dane before so she knows giant dogs!) previously and having it for many years gave them comfort that Warg would not be abandoned no matter what.  He was not the most beautiful dog I have ever seen but I'm sure with being lovingly homed he would make an amazing pet - plus I loved how he loved being in the car.

[jnymph]

On 2/22/2020 at 10:06 PM, Bastet said:

  I wish we'd been able to see the inmates as they met their new pals.

 

 

Me too !    

I'm in awe of the dogs/prison programs.   Such a win-win.   I certainly hope this is more widely facilitated.  

Fancy saying "thank you, and Good Bye to Tia = me cutting onions !!   So bittersweet. 

[SRTouch]

3 hours ago, jnymph said:

I'm in awe of the dogs/prison programs.   Such a win-win.   I certainly hope this is more widely facilitated.

It'd be great if every few months they could send 20+ dogs to prison. Problem is, it appeared to be a pretty costly undertaking. Lots of people, vehicles, time and money used getting from Louisiana to Pennsylvania and back. Without the show/cameras I'd say it doesn't make much sense - especially as there are countless other dogs much closer that need to be rescued. OTOH, it made for a great episode and hopefully word of program will spread and  encourage people to adopt/contribute/volunteer. After all, it wasn't just us regular PB&P viewers watching, the local news crew was on hand.

All this to say this was a GREAT episode - that shepherd, Warg,  was an amazing dog, friendly, calm, smart - hard to believe such a good dog was rescued as a stray (good dog now, but I note on the web site that when he arrived, Tia worried about his reactions to other dogs). And another amazing turn around with Jones - at death's door when found, but bounced right back and got pep in his steps with treatment.

side note: see on FB that Tania's children's book first run is sold out

Edited February 24, 2020 by SRTouch

[SRTouch]

Off topic, but relates - Local news story yesterday reports that our nearby, privately owned, prison is starting a dog program. (The Lawton prison is reported as largest privately owned prison in Oklahoma.) Their idea sounds very similar to what I understand the one from Pennsylvania. Dogs will live 24/7 with 2 trainers in cell, with primary trainer job to rotate every 8 weeks when they'll receive a new dog to train. Once an inmate has been both the primary and secondary trainer they have opportunity to act as a mentor to inmates entering the program. Sounds like inmates are lining up to participate, with over 200 applications turned in to take part. Article doesn't say how many inmates/dogs are currently in the program, just that they have hopes to grow.

[Bastet]

I am completely opposed to the private prison system that has taken over our country, but I'm glad to hear that.

[Bastet]

Troy saying, "I don't know what any of this means, but I think I'm free" later resulting in Earl providing guidance on how to stay that way was really nice.  He has Country Matt as another fine example; I hope his first offense winds up being his last.

That dog Tania and Orlando rescued, Jaime, being scared of everything was so sad.  It was beautiful to see him, after a brief hesitation, perk up in the presence of his emotional support animal, Hooligan.  Like Mariah said, if he can get into a home with a patient person and a confident dog, his life can completely change.  I hope that happens.

The adopter's dogs being split up in the divorce would be sad at first glance, looking at those pictures of the two of them, but then you find out they were only together two years and Elfie - who is hilariously cute on those tiny legs - just wants to co-exist, and the custody arrangement makes sense even before finding out the adopter moved.

Barney was hilarious, going for his close-up.  But Elfie following Honky-Tonk around sealed the deal; I'm glad she picked the one who's been there for years.

[jrzy]

13 hours ago, Bastet said:

Troy saying, "I don't know what any of this means, but I think I'm free" later resulting in Earl providing guidance on how to stay that way was really nice.  He has Country Matt as another fine example; I hope his first offense winds up being his last.

That dog Tania and Orlando rescued, Jaime, being scared of everything was so sad.  It was beautiful to see him, after a brief hesitation, perk up in the presence of his emotional support animal, Hooligan.  Like Mariah said, if he can get into a home with a patient person and a confident dog, his life can completely change.  I hope that happens.

The adopter's dogs being split up in the divorce would be sad at first glance, looking at those pictures of the two of them, but then you find out they were only together two years and Elfie - who is hilariously cute on those tiny legs - just wants to co-exist, and the custody arrangement makes sense even before finding out the adopter moved.

Barney was hilarious, going for his close-up.  But Elfie following Honky-Tonk around sealed the deal; I'm glad she picked the one who's been there for years.

Does anybody know when Country Matt came back ?  I remember an episode last year when he was back to help out temporariliy, but now it looks like he is back for good?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think Country Matt came to Nola when his brother was first released.    I think Matt has a child still in Nola, so he does come down to visit.   However, Matt and his wife live in New York, last I heard. 

I was so happy Troy was pardoned, but maybe going to the casinos is a really bad idea.  I hope he listens to his brother, and Earl and does very well in the future.