Pit Bulls And Parolees - General Discussion

[nitrofishblue]

6 minutes ago, nitrofishblue said:

I bought it directly from VRC  online

Go to https://vrcstore.dog/

[Bastet]

At the beginning, when M2 talked about Dilbert's "vampire blood", I told my cat if I was his owner I would tell VRC to contact me when they have a dog needing a blood transfusion, as my way of thanking them (well, I'd also make a BIG donation).  So I was happy when the owner indeed offered.

That parade of senior dogs was breaking my heart, so I decided to concentrate on how wonderful it is the adopter is one of the precious few looking for a senior.  Them having Goose for nine years and this being his first meet and greet was back to breaking my heart.  But Huey - with them since CA - needing to get old in order to become adoptable, and living out his final what I hope are years in the comfort of a home with all of someone's love and attention - had me right back to smiling.  It was great tracking that tail's changed position as Huey's nerves settled.  Just imagining him climbing up that bed ramp every night warms my heart.

I love Earl and Toney realizing they needed to call in for female energy.  Two hours versus two minutes - I straight up snort laughed at that.  Elise delighting in how she's going to feast on this for a while was fun.  I like the name Trixie, because Trixie Belden books were my jam as a kid.  She was cute playing with Gunny.

[chenoa333]

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

At the beginning, when M2 talked about Dilbert's "vampire blood", I told my cat if I was his owner I would tell VRC to contact me when they have a dog needing a blood transfusion, as my way of thanking them (well, I'd also make a BIG donation).  So I was happy when the owner indeed offered.

That parade of senior dogs was breaking my heart, so I decided to concentrate on how wonderful it is the adopter is one of the precious few looking for a senior.  Them having Goose for nine years and this being his first meet and greet was back to breaking my heart.  But Huey - with them since CA - needing to get old in order to become adoptable, and living out his final what I hope are years in the comfort of a home with all of someone's love and attention - had me right back to smiling.  It was great tracking that tail's changed position as Huey's nerves settled.  Just imagining him climbing up that bed ramp every night warms my heart.

I love Earl and Toney realizing they needed to call in for female energy.  Two hours versus two minutes - I straight up snort laughed at that.  Elise delighting in how she's going to feast on this for a while was fun.  I like the name Trixie, because Trixie Belden books were my jam as a kid.  She was cute playing with Gunny.

Thanks for your synopsis Bastet! I don't always have the opportunity to watch the latest episodes so thanks for your updates.

 I love Earl. Great person...kind, caring, appreciative for what he has in life and his compassion and his dedication to Tia and the VRC dogs always brings tears to my eyes.

[friendperidot]

I do love this show, but I wish Animal Planet would not put the 2 little dogs playing on the bottom of the screen. I keep getting distracted and a couple of times, I thought they were part of what was happening on screen, that there were a couple of loose dogs.

[RoxiP]

On 1/30/2021 at 10:06 PM, Bastet said:

 

I love Earl and Toney realizing they needed to call in for female energy.  Two hours versus two minutes - I straight up snort laughed at that.  Elise delighting in how she's going to feast on this for a while was fun.  I like the name Trixie, because Trixie Belden books were my jam as a kid.  She was cute playing with Gunny.

Same with Trixie Belden.  I always wanted to be Honey Wheeler though.  I probably still have some of the books up in the attic.

[Axie]

I feel bad for Petunia.  She kind of had a home taken out from under her.  Of course, she doesn’t know that but still.

 

 

[Bastet]

How great that VRC was able to keep some of the tavern staff employed by having them cook meals for Ninth Ward seniors.  They're as hard hit by the pandemic as anyone, yet Tia still thinks, "How can we help?"  

Poor Thin Man looked so sickly and sad; I'm glad they were able to remove him from the situation and get him the needed help, and Yukon is slowly coming around.  Black (Balou now) and his pack would scare me, too.  It's cute how, with continued exposure, they started to get curious rather than confrontational.  Slowly realizing they didn't have to be so defensive, they even let Tammy introduce Tania to them.  To see the big bad wolf getting brushed and giving kisses was beautiful!

I'm glad they now have a sanctuary for unadoptable - or at least not yet adoptable - wolf dogs.  With some crossover, they have the wolfies in Texas, the hounds in Assumption Parish, the pits in the city, and satellite locations that provide a home environment for those most in need of it.  It's really pretty incredible what they do given the scope of the problem.

Sheeka knew what she was doing with that hug.  She was funny with her whatever, I have grass and treats reaction to the noisy cars.  And absolutely hilarious rubbing herself around the whole tent.  There's wonderful hiking to be done in Utah (I've hiked in all its national parks), and I think she's going to enjoy it immensely, and enjoy just as much their couch potato life during the week since she's got a great backyard to run around in.  The adopter has the perfect lifestyle for her energy; after a few years of waiting, I think she indeed has her forever home.

[RoxiP]

23 hours ago, Axie said:

I feel bad for Petunia.  She kind of had a home taken out from under her.  Of course, she doesn’t know that but still.

 

 

I thought it was Daffodil.  Did I sleep through something?

[Axie]

7 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

I thought it was Daffodil.  Did I sleep through something?

No.  You’re right.  Now I feel worse.  Not only did she not get adopted, I remembered her as a different flower.

[RoxiP]

3 minutes ago, Axie said:

No.  You’re right.  Now I feel worse.  Not only did she not get adopted, I remembered her as a different flower.

That's okay.  She probably doesn't really care that much - I call my dog all sorts of names - my cats' names, my daughter's name, some unmentionable names...she still looks at me like I hung the moon and the stars.

[SRTouch]

On 2/6/2021 at 10:03 PM, Bastet said:

How great that VRC was able to keep some of the tavern staff employed by having them cook meals for Ninth Ward seniors.  They're as hard hit by the pandemic as anyone, yet Tia still thinks, "How can we help?"  

Poor Thin Man looked so sickly and sad; I'm glad they were able to remove him from the situation and get him the needed help, and Yukon is slowly coming around.  Black (Balou now) and his pack would scare me, too.  It's cute how, with continued exposure, they started to get curious rather than confrontational.  Slowly realizing they didn't have to be so defensive, they even let Tammy introduce Tania to them.  To see the big bad wolf getting brushed and giving kisses was beautiful!

I'm glad they now have a sanctuary for unadoptable - or at least not yet adoptable - wolf dogs.  With some crossover, they have the wolfies in Texas, the hounds in Assumption Parish, the pits in the city, and satellite locations that provide a home environment for those most in need of it.  It's really pretty incredible what they do given the scope of the problem.

Sheeka knew what she was doing with that hug.  She was funny with her whatever, I have grass and treats reaction to the noisy cars.  And absolutely hilarious rubbing herself around the whole tent.  There's wonderful hiking to be done in Utah (I've hiked in all its national parks), and I think she's going to enjoy it immensely, and enjoy just as much their couch potato life during the week since she's got a great backyard to run around in.  The adopter has the perfect lifestyle for her energy; after a few years of waiting, I think she indeed has her forever home.

Loved this episode - 0nly thing is, now that I've done away with the satellite I'm a week behind by the time I view the episodes. Black/Balou seemed much bigger before they caught him - hopefully he'll BE bigger once he is healthy and eating right. Thin Man/Yukon also has some filling out to do, but I think the biggest difference in him will be attitude one he gains confidence. Once he stops slinking around and stands proud, he'll look to grow a couple inches. Both have such soulful eyes. I was raised with a  couple German Shepherds, so they have a special spot in my heart.

And Tania certainly has grown during the show. She used to be very tentative. I was impressed at her quiet assurance as she sat with the big bad wolf-dogs. Course, they weren't so much big and bad as fearful, but I'm guessing most bites are caused by fear aggression.

Oh my, Sheeka! She so loves grass! Feel sorry for the time she spent in the kennel - but VRC is so much better than the alternatives (except, of course an actual forever home).

And of course my heart breaks for poor Eve (?) as she watched whoever walk away after being tied to the fence. Such a little sweet heart, and refusing to do her husiness in the kennel,  holding it til taken for a walk. 

[Bastet]

I'm so annoyed we're already done with this batch of episodes.  I know we got two hours each week, but I'm greedy.  (I wouldn't be miffed if another show I like was up in the rotation, but it's some zoo shit.)

9 minutes ago, SRTouch said:

Such a little sweet heart, and refusing to do her husiness in the kennel,  holding it til taken for a walk. 

That was so touching; such a sweet, well-mannered dog.  We don't know what's going on in the owner's life, maybe they tried to find a home through family and friends, at least they didn't take her to the shelter (given its euthanasia rate), etc.  but damn.  Just thinking about the sadness and confusion pets experience when their owners leave them makes me cry.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On the FB for Villalobos they said this was the half season finale, and it seemed shorter because they had two hour episodes, instead of one hour ones.   

Spoiler

Also on the FB, the current warehouse rent was really going up, so they looked around, and there is another landlord who is a supporter of the rescue, and the show.   That person or corporation is going to do a long term rental, and they're building a huge kennel facility, where all of the dogs will be indoors, plus a huge space for the store, and a filming studio that will make the meet and greets easier, and also the talking head segments.    I don't know when the new facility will be finished, but I'm hoping it will have better protection from flooding, and the rest of their problems they've had at the current facility.   It's in New Orleans too. 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

I'm off today and tomorrow to do a whole lot of nothing, so I kicked that off by lounging in bed watching a couple of episodes this morning.  One was where they got X-Box, the dog dumped over the neighbor's fence by an owner who didn't want him anymore because he peed on his X-Box (hence the name).  I so thoroughly enjoy the seething hatred Lizzy has for that asshole.  And her last comment, after she has talked to Tia and calmed down a little, as she drives away with the dog: "I hope his X-Box is broken now."

I also saw Tara, the dog who went to live in a family that not only consisted of a whopping six children, but revolved around a gymnastics studio.  I'd rather sit naked on an ice floe than spend five minutes in that environment, but Tara was in heaven.  I like when Tania and Perry took her to a local gymnastics studio to see how she reacted to the chaos, and Tara was initially anxious, but Tania realized it was because she could see all these kids but wasn't being allowed to play with any of them.  "It's like we'd taken her to Disneyland and didn't let her go on any rides".  They had kids come over and love on her, and then she settled right in to watch them run and tumble.

[Gramto6]

I was really hoping for a rerun of Roxy Mama that was a real tear jerker....maybe next week...loved that episode

Edited March 7, 2021 by Gramto6

[Bastet]

I cried my way through Sloth's story again, especially the scene with the family -- Mariah calling out for her mom, who immediately knows something is very wrong, Mariah explaining the situation and Tia pulling her into her arms as they both start crying, Tia summoning all the other kids, who immediately come and offer Mariah their support.  They weren't huggers back then, didn't toss around "I love you"s freely, but they didn't love each other any less than they do now that they've swung further to that side of the open affection spectrum, and I love how clear that was.

And I so enjoyed revisiting Brandi with an i finally getting her home; I was obsessed with that dog, getting upset every time she was passed over, so even from this distance I was almost as emotional as Tania and the rest when she finally found her person. 

I love Escargot's story - from such a terrible beginning to being happily ensconced in a pack of "beagly things" - but I have a hard time re-watching the tragic tale of that poor scared dog in a crate, given a couple days worth of evaluation in a stressful environment by a thoroughly overworked Animal Control, deemed unadoptable and euthanized, when VRC was right there willing and able to give her the time for a proper evaluation and proceed accordingly.  I always feel so sorry for the good samaritan who called everyone she could think of to help this dog she found, and then found herself in this nightmare where AC arrived first and thus had jurisdiction, despite everyone begging to let VRC take the dog.  Even then, she thought VRC could adopt the dog once the stray hold was up, but then it went completely to hell.  She didn't do anything wrong, it just ended horribly, and I hope she's not haunted by it.

I'm also mildly annoyed by the editing, positioning Moe proposing to Lizzie as happening when they returned from Escargot's home check, when Lizzie's engagement ring is on her finger while she's bathing Escargot in preparation for the trip.  But, whatever - they seemed a good match then and even more so now, and I hope they continue that way.  

[dbell1]

Discovery Plus streaming has all the episodes. I started yesterday with season 1, episode 1. Talk about flashbacks! 

Show returns next Saturday, but it’s on Discovery, not Animal Planet.
 

[Stealthy]

3 hours ago, dbell1 said:

Discovery Plus streaming has all the episodes. I started yesterday with season 1, episode 1. Talk about flashbacks! 

Show returns next Saturday, but it’s on Discovery, not Animal Planet.
 

Wow, thanks for the heads-up! I was not aware of the channel move. Guess I will reprogram the recording. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Since the rescue's fund raising soars during when episodes are shown, this is going to impact the income dramatically if people don't get the word about the change. .     I wonder if they'll even show the episode they usually have each season where Animal Planet donates for each viewer on Discovery too?  

I hope everyone gets the news about the channel change.    At least they're only changing to Discovery, and not the streaming service.

Edited March 29, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

I'm just happy it's also showing on Discovery, not just streaming on that damn Discovery+ thing that is advertised all.the.time.

I checked the VRC Facebook page, and here's what Tia posted about it:
 

Quote

 

Our new season starts APRIL 3rd Surprise! I just found this out myself 🙂 And like last season, you will still get 2-hour episodes so more Pit Bulls and Parolees to watch! And yes, we will still be on Saturday nights.

And to help clear up all the confusion, we will still be on cable AND we are also available on a streaming platform....THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO WATCH OUR SHOW!

But here is the most amazing news of all. Because of all of you, supporting our cause, watching our show and staying by our sides for all these years.....WE ARE MOVING TO THE "BIG HOUSE" aka DISCOVERY CHANNEL!!! EEEKS!!! 🙂 It's like we got a promotion!

Now for all you Animal Planet viewers...don't panic. For most (if not all), since Animal Planet is owned by DISCOVERY, you should still be able to simple "turn the channel" (wait...do they do that anymore?) Okay maybe that's "scroll the channel" and find us on DISCOVERY on the same Saturday nights that we have been for years.

But here is the extra bonus. If you want to try us (and ALL of the DISCOVERY channels) out for a free one-week test drive on the streaming service, go to www.discoveryplus.com I did it and it's sooooooo easy to navigate. If you decide to stick with it, it's only $4.99/mo and yes...that means I had to give up one 12-pack of Coke Zero a month 🙂

I know lots of you aren't comfortable with "change" but at least there are other options to continue helping us take care of these dogs. But trust me when I say...this is a great thing for us as a non-profit dog rescue. The more eyes we can get watching our show, the more dogs we can save. We would love you to all continue being a part of our new journey.

 

And she later posted, as part of a reminder about the premiere date and channel change:  "More platforms means more visibility which means more donations, which means more dogs can be rescued and adopted!!"

There's also a recent post from Roxy Mama's owner, reporting that Roxy just turned 16.

[dbell1]

Still plowing through the first season. Tia’s used a catch pole, sent dogs with new owners without home checks, Mariah is tattoo free, twins have very little hair. The biggest shock is her voiceovers, it’s like listening to a different person. Calm, almost detached. Mando and Jake are babies!! 😂

[jabRI]

I just watched the new episodes, what happened to the twins and to tanya?

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, jabRI said:

I just watched the new episodes, what happened to the twins and to tanya?

What do you mean?  I wasn't able to watch the new episode until the 9:00 repeat and I missed a few quick bits here and there while getting dinner finished, but I didn't see/hear anything concerning about any of them.  And it's not a situation where they just weren't part of the rescues and adoptions chosen for this episode*, because Tania and M2 handled the meet and greet with the folks who adopted Shamrock. 

(* And that's typical; we generally don't see everyone in every episode, especially the twins, who seem more involved with the physical upkeep of the VRC facilities than the work in the streets and with adopters),

Speaking of Shamrock and Tania, him stealing her chair to show off his training was funny.  Love him on his paddle board, and his intense love of toys.  I also laughed at Lizzy just rolling with the fact her kid was handing her pee "rocks" during Shamrock's kid testing.

I'm amused by how tickled Tia is by Augustus's adopter's purple hair.  Augustus and Lulu lying in the sun together - and then assuming their positions on the bed with their owner - is such a cute happy ending for him.  I loved all the talk about how he's the perfect dog leading to him eating a shoe, but the adopter didn't care.

Using Ben to find the elusive well-traveled dog was cute.  I'm glad Miss Pickles was reunited with her owner; the way she just went nuts rolling around and kissing?!  This is not the first time VCR and the show have shown proper respect to Travelers, and I'm happy to see it again.

Polly the paralyzed puppy had the cutest little spots on her back.  Her worn out face was heartbreaking; good on Heidi for the effort she put in, and Polly's face at home with Heidi and the other dogs was completely different in a short period of time!  It's so sad that she wasn't meant to be, but she went out having known love.

Mariah inviting Earl, Toney, and Spencer to design a parolee line of merch was cool, and I like the ideas they all came up with.  Unfortunately, seeing the shirts unveiled was the one chunk of the episode I missed, but hopefully they came out nicely.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On the VRC facebook page, Tia says that after airing on Discovery, that the whole season will also air on Discovery +, and Animal Planet.    I interpreted the air on AP, and D+ to mean after the season ends, but I'm not sure.   The change is due to fans contacting the network, and asking for more availability.  

Edited April 5, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

Are there cable packages where one would get Animal Planet but not Discovery?  I didn't have any problem watching channel 182 instead of 184, so I don't care about the switch (and wonder if more people might come across it on Discovery than AP; I figure Discovery generally has more viewers, which could make the move a good thing), but if it's going to air on two networks (plus the streaming service), all the better.  (Especially because there are probably many fans who had no idea it had moved, so with it not being advertised on AP, they'd just figure it wasn't back in the rotation yet; I wouldn't have known if not for this thread, and my mom wouldn't have known if I hadn't in turn emailed her.)  More viewers = more awareness, and more donations for VRC.

[RoxiP]

The new episode was not aired on Discovery + and I am getting frustrated because their advertising clearly insinuated that all the shows shown across the Discovery Network would be on D+ - and it simply isn't true.  I truly want to get rid on DirectTV but I keep prevaricating.  I assume they will be shown EVENTUALLY but I kind of feel duped.  They show a show about a man who does laundry (which isn't half but but...) but not PB&P?

Edited April 5, 2021 by RoxiP

[CrazyInAlabama]

I just looked on the VRC facebook page.    The new season will air in 2 hour episodes on Saturday only on Discovery channel.   Since they're 2 hour episodes, the season will seem short.      Then, when the new season is over, the entire season will be shown on Discovery+, and Animal Planet.     It's very confusing, and I wish they would have a little caption explaining that on before the show on Saturday night. 

See the next post about the next change to the schedule.   Very confusing. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[friendperidot]

On 4/5/2021 at 12:53 PM, RoxiP said:

I truly want to get rid on DirectTV but I keep prevaricating. 

you might look into Philo, a streaming service, $20/month, I've had it for several years now, since Trading Spaces came back on. It has Animal Planet, Discovery, DIY, Discovery Science. The only channels I'd like to have but don't are TBS so I can watch A Christmas Story and TCM so I can get some Hitchcock now and then and I love old movies. 

[blondiek237]

Just saw an email from Tia.  Now it is not going to be on Discovery but back to Animal Planet starting 4/24.  So nothing until them

Sooo....I have some news for all of you and also my explanation of what I've been dealing with for the past couple of days.  You are the FIRST to hear this so my apologies if I sound like a crazy person.

Much of my time is also spent dealing with production companies and network execs.  When you've had a TV show for 13 years, our lives become intertwined.  I have to balance TV show and rescue work all within the timeframe of a 24 hour day.

The past two days have been rough.  After the people in the "ivory tower" had yet another "executive" meeting.....wait for it......THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT WE DO INDEED BELONG ON ANIMAL PLANET!!!!!!!  Can I jump off the bridge yet???

So.......here we go again.  We will be taken OFF of Discovery Channel and put back on Animal Planet starting April 24th.  Yup, the new season will start all over again on April 24th on Animal Planet.

Additionally we will remain on their streaming platform Discovery Plus and the new episodes of Pit Bulls & Parolees will begin there sometime in May. But for now you can catch up on all the old episodes on Discovery Plus or.....you can watch them here with me....hahahahaha.

Well there ya have it.  We had a "one night stand" with Discovery and now we're going home to....The Planet.  It's where we belong and feel the most comfortable ❤

SAVE THE DATE....APRIL 24th!!!!!!!

[Abra]

3 hours ago, blondiek237 said:

The past two days have been rough.  After the people in the "ivory tower" had yet another "executive" meeting.....wait for it......THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT WE DO INDEED BELONG ON ANIMAL PLANET!!!!!!!  Can I jump off the bridge yet???

So.......here we go again.  We will be taken OFF of Discovery Channel and put back on Animal Planet starting April 24th.  Yup, the new season will start all over again on April 24th on Animal Planet.

Tia seemed pretty happy about the show being on The Discovery Channel, as that supposedly meant more viewers (equaling more exposure and therefore more donations). I hope the premiere last Saturday wasn't such a ratings failure that they decided to "dump" it back on Animal Planet. And if it was, I think that would fall at Discovery's feet for not advertising the changes properly.

[Bastet]

18 minutes ago, Abra said:

I hope the premiere last Saturday wasn't such a ratings failure that they decided to "dump" it back on Animal Planet. And if it was, I think that would fall at Discovery's feet for not advertising the changes properly.

I just looked it up, and ratings were down by half; the final episode of the last batch on Animal Planet, back in February, got a 0.11 (599,000 viewers), while this first episode on Discovery got a 0.05 (337,000 viewers).  And I agree - they did a terrible job of letting existing AP viewers know it would be airing on Discovery, so any new viewers going around the dial Saturday night, happening across it on Discovery, and deciding to watch were never going to make up for that.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I bet a lot of viewers didn't get the word about the change to Discovery.   What they should do is show on both channels at the same time.  

[Bronzedog]

If I didn’t follow this thread, I wouldn’t have known about the show being on Discovery.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Apparently, it's back on Animal Planet, on Saturday the 24th.   The season will start over again, as Tia put it.   So I don't know if they start with episode 2, or rerun episode 1.  

There is also a lot of confusion between being on Discovery channel (the cable one), and Discovery+ or as I abbreviate it, D+, which is the streaming channel.     I have zero intention of replacing my TVs with smart TVs, or Roku, or other sticks or devices so I can pay extra for what I should be getting on my cable plan.   

Edited April 15, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[nitrofishblue]

On 4/9/2021 at 8:10 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I bet a lot of viewers didn't get the word about the change to Discovery.   What they should do is show on both channels at the same time.  

After reading comments here and on another site,  it looks like TPTB at Discovery did a really poor job of explaining the addition of the Discovery+ streaming service. I could tell that many people did not understand how the process worked. One main problem is that the name of the overall group is Discovery. This is the holding company for all the Discovery family of networks (there are about 20 channels in the Discovery family). Within this there is a cable channel called Discovery. This made a huge misunderstanding of the Discovery family.

I get the impression that there hasn't been a wild rush to purchase the Discovery+ streaming service. That is why they overwhelm us daily with their ads and the streaming footer during shows. Many people have complained about the lousy inconsistent streaming service. I for one will not purchase the service. I live on a fixed income. My cable service is what I budget for myself. Besides, I don't have a smart TV and can't use streaming services. Please don't instantly jump in and tell me to get a roku. I have looked into all the issues. I can't afford a new tv plus a router plus the monthly fee. I am very happy and content with my cable.

[Rlb8031]

On 4/15/2021 at 3:29 PM, nitrofishblue said:

After reading comments here and on another site,  it looks like TPTB at Discovery did a really poor job of explaining the addition of the Discovery+ streaming service. I could tell that many people did not understand how the process worked. One main problem is that the name of the overall group is Discovery. This is the holding company for all the Discovery family of networks (there are about 20 channels in the Discovery family). Within this there is a cable channel called Discovery. This made a huge misunderstanding of the Discovery family.

I get the impression that there hasn't been a wild rush to purchase the Discovery+ streaming service. That is why they overwhelm us daily with their ads and the streaming footer during shows. Many people have complained about the lousy inconsistent streaming service. I for one will not purchase the service. I live on a fixed income. My cable service is what I budget for myself. Besides, I don't have a smart TV and can't use streaming services. Please don't instantly jump in and tell me to get a roku. I have looked into all the issues. I can't afford a new tv plus a router plus the monthly fee. I am very happy and content with my cable.

The thing about Discovery + is that unless, they plan on pulling shows or at least repeats of the shows from their cable channels, the "extras" on streaming aren't enough of a draw to get someone to purchase the service. Disney+ makes sense because it has all unique programing. With Discovery trying to build out its offerings by including its most popular shows across all its channels, there is no draw. If Discovery thought PB&P would have drawn eyes to Discovery channel they could have moved it there years ago. But its their cash cow for Animal Planet, especially now that so many of their other "hits" can't be filmed due to the pandemic. I don't know when My Cat From Hell or The Zoo or Tanked will come back.  This whole thing was just poorly thought out.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Rlb8031
because there is a difference between "there" and "their"

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight is the premier on Animal Planet, but I think from the description, it's a repeat of the 2 hour season opener that ran on Discovery a couple of weeks ago.    I saw that one, and it was really good. 

[chenoa333]

Just watched (for the first time) Season 15 Episode 11 "Not Giving Up"., with the yellow lab (?) named Walt. Episode info states he was rescued from the Ninth Ward. Older dog and scared $hitless of humans. 

Haven't seen the outcome of "Walt". Hope he got better with trusting humans and got a good home. 

[Bastet]

"This shit ain't right."  True that, Toney. The way those three dogs of the guy who OD'd were being kept was horrible.  That contraption Chip was in?!  I'm not sure they ever even opened it, because they had a tube hooked up for pouring in food.

I'm glad stubborn little Rocky has such a good prognosis under the circumstances, and I hope someone who sees this turns out to be the perfect person to let him spend the years he has left in a home.

And it's great that the anti-social older puppies were able to go into the prison program at just the right time; they're much improved already but will benefit so much from one-on-one socialization and 24/7 attention, and be highly adoptable.  Same with the little ones.

Deuces peeing on the laptop right after putting on a perfect performance during his virtual meet and greet made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself.  And then as soon as Lizzy said he doesn't cross to the other side of her while running, he does that.  Fun personality.  I love that Kalista's owners wanted to adopt another senior, and it's great he has a home at long last.

The way King looked like wait, where are you going; we've been having fun when the good samaritans handed him off to Earl made me sad, but I knew they were going to find his owner.  Watching him bound across the street to them was great. 

[Bastet]

I recently re-watched the first three seasons (the CA years) via my mom's Discovery+ subscription, and watching them in such a compressed time frame really drove home how much Tia got hit with within a span of just a few years.  And it's not like life was smooth sailing for her before that.  The dogs meant she had no choice but to keep making it work, but it's still admirable.  The kids started maturing at just the right time.

I miss how much the show focused on the parolees in the early days, and didn't shy away from their hard edges.  All shows evolve over time, but I wonder if audience feedback was of the "This is Animal Planet; we're here for the dogs" variety.

I love Tia, surrounded by loved ones with felony convictions, appalled that "I don't get tickets!" when Animal Control cites her.  I mean, my mind would be boggled, too, given the stupid bureaucratic changes providing cover for that ridiculous witch hunt after all those years - imagine being cited for your dogs' kennels being too big - but it just strikes my funny bone.

[Bastet]

LOL at a six-year-old wanting to clean kennels - take advantage of that while it lasts, Toney!

It was interesting getting to see the pre-adoption procedures they go through to help the dog transition from kennel to home and have good information to give the adopters.

Princess knowing how to try herself off after a dip in the pool was cute, and I wonder if Pleagle/Efe will join in after a while.

Peeve having no concept of the idea she's in a cast is so cute.  Anyone who looks at that dog without grinning ear to ear is not anyone I want to know; other than not liking other dogs, she is just the epitome of dog.

I love Lizzy's love for the seniors.  Watching the CA episodes these past few days, I was sad they didn't have a New Orleans version of Rita, but I guess they kind of do in Lizzy.  She and Moe can't take as many, given their other dogs, as Rita, and Rita's home was much calmer, but if they're able to provide a home in the final months for a senior from time to time, that's wonderful.  With Lizzy transitioning to working more from home, I think they'll be able to do it more often.

Because there certainly aren't too many adopters out there like Roan's.   That was lovely, too.

Spencer has been a favorite of mine from his first day, and I was so glad when he came back.  I hope good things for him, and love his attitude; I'm sure it helps so much to have his girlfriend knowing "You're a good guy, you just made bad decisions".  I love how happy he is to be a dad.  It's great to see these guys want so badly to teach their kids to be the kind of people they've become, without having to take the terrible detour they did to get there.

[Abra]

I'm questioning why TPTB decided that this show should air two-hour episodes. I love this show, but that's just way too long for me. I mean I keep the TV on so they get their ratings, but my mind starts wandering a lot now even before the first hour is up. I wish they'd go back to one-hour eps, and I could get behind a couple of two-hour eps sprinkled throughout the season, but the way it is now too much. And Tia has said that when the show doesn't air their donations dry up, so having more one-hour episodes is better for the rescue as well.

 

[Bastet]

Smiley's complete lack of manners on the backyard camping trip and at M2 and Kanani's house made me laugh.

As did Tia's "Let me just get this over with" before putting her hand out for Freya to "bite" in greeting.  And her saying she might need to find a pack of grizzly bears for Freya to play with.

Ben and Spike barely taking time out from playing to have their hearing tested was cute.  I love Lizzy telling Spike not to feel bad that Ben is further along in his training, because he had a head start having been in a home before.

Poor Grandma Sass.  To be used like that her whole life, tied up and cranking out puppies for eight years, and now instead of having an entire second half as a beloved pet she just gets a couple of months in hospice?  It's not fair.  But I have to remember Sassy didn't have any concept of how long the future was supposed to be; she just knew she was loved by Toney and his family, had toys and beds, walks and field trips, etc.  Those two months were the happiest of her life and that's what she knew in the end. 

But I still cried big fat tears when she died.

[nitrofishblue]

So sad to learn that Sassy passed from that damn cancer. At least she was pampered and loved in the final months. Watching Toney and Earl play with her and feed her all the chicken she wanted was wonderful.

[Bastet]

I love that after all this time and all she's seen, Tia still gets upset obsessing over what dogs must be thinking as they're abandoned.  That was an impressively nice shelter for what is not a wealthy area (I looked it up, thinking maybe it was a wealthy ranching area, and there is some of that, but it also has a good chunk of the population below the poverty line and the average annual income is pretty low), but I appreciate that Tia feels Nina is her responsibility, and wants her friend, too, given how pits fare in even the best municipal shelters.

I also appreciate that they've never shied away from allowing adoption fails to be shown. 

Bro running full speed into Tater was funny, but there's a difference between the slow-as-molasses Potato and the hyper-excited Remington.  I loved the adopters for the Remington Steele reference, and I'm glad everyone wanted to give it time to work but didn't want to force something that wasn't right.  So cute to see the buddies now.

M2 and Kanani are so wonderfully cognizant of the fact Luke has been an only child for a long time, and he's not Kanani's biological child while his sister will be, thus making the effort to be honest with him about the baby needing a lot of attention, but him not being any less important or loved.

Losing half that iron Villalobos gate to hurricane winds, yikes - I understand that being emotional, and the warehouse that was a home when they needed it so badly no longer being the right place for them.  

Was this the last episode of this batch, and we'll pick back up with them moving into the new place?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I saw a drawing of the new facility on Tia's facebook (Villalobos page) on FB, and it looks huge, and spectacular.    But I don't know if it's been built yet or not.    I think Tia said the filming, and editing takes a long time, so what we see on TV was filmed about a year or so ago.    

I'm not sure the new facility is built yet.   It's also on rented land, but a supporter of the show, and on higher ground.   It's not easy to find an urban location, big enough for the rescues (plus office space, filming space, etc.), and the sales stores, and not around apartments, or homes.    It would also need parking space for visitors, and staff, and big enough to consolidate all of the satellite locations (apparently there are some we barely see) in one place.    

Edited May 23, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think Tia said the filming, and editing takes a long time, so what we see on TV was filmed about a year or so ago.    

Yeah, and sometimes we're seeing stories from years before.  It's not just how long production takes, but also the way they package stories together; sometimes things are in the can quite some time before being aired.  It's really easy to spot in the earlier seasons, when you can track continuity by the kids' tattoos.

Which is why it's great that Sunflower/Tree's story - at the end of season eight, which I just finished in my re-watch - was not held back.  That's the dog Tania rescued from a trash pile in the middle of nowhere, and when it aired six months later, the owners - whose house had been burglarized in the middle of moving to Mississippi, and the dog was among the "things" stolen - saw it and recognized their dog.  They contacted VRC the next day, and were reunited with the pet they thought they'd never see again.

Season nine opens with Tia's leg injury, and re-watching the first eight seasons I had been repeatedly thinking about how devastating that injury was.  Yes, as she said, she was getting too old to chase dogs and wanted to train more workers on how to do it, but she was still very limber and active and could spring into action whenever needed.  Fucking up her leg like that really took it out of her, and she's never been the same physically.  It's crazy how many life-altering injuries come from something silly like leaping over the back of a couch rather than walking around it.

It's horrible that it happened, but I think the silver lining is that the kids had to learn how to keep the rescue going when she wasn't physically available but able to advise.  And that Tia saw they could do it.  It was sort of a trial run that will make it easier down the road when Tia again has to shift her level of involvement (because this woman will never actually retire).

It's also been interesting re-watching when Lizzy and M2 were new to the rescue.  Lizzy talking about how she doesn't know if she can handle this job and M2 working another job and just being around for the weekend projects, and now here they are both so integral to VRC's success.

Also, Lizzy's white hot rage towards the guy who dumped his dog over a neighbor's fence for peeing on his X-Box (and "I hope his X-Box doesn't work now" as she drives away) will never stop entertaining me, nor will Tia suggesting they name the dog X-Box and reflecting on Lizzy's profanity-filled phone call by declaring Lizzy is truly one of them now.

[Bastet]

I love getting updates.  Emma's owner having to give her up made me cry all over again, so I was thrilled to see where Emma wound up - that's the perfect fit for her!  I hope the former owner is okay, and that she gets word of how well things worked out.

My favorite part of the Jessica segment was her lying there looking like, "Can you two shut up or at least go brag about me somewhere else; I'm trying to nap" in the update footage. 

Samuel, the unaired adoption, passing his family BBQ test was cute, and he immediately looked so incredibly happy with his family.  The little boy saying "We're a family of five now" when Samuel made himself at home was wonderful.  No wonder M2 teared up.

I like seeing bits of the time one of them fosters a dog before taking them to their forever home, so that the simple fact of being in a home is not yet another adjustment the dog has to make once there.  I know producers only started incorporating that because there wasn't the usual [activity]-testing footage to use due to pandemic restrictions, but seeing more of it in this special makes me wish they'll continue to use it in episodes from time to time.

I remember Glenn with the baboon butt that I found ever so oddly cute; great to hear he's happily ensconced in a home, and him working it like a GQ model with that head tilt was fabulous.

I'll take any and all tributes to Earl, one of my favorite people I've never actually met, but I wish we got some former parolee updates in this special; re-watching the series on Discovery+ lately has really driven home how producers shifted focus away from them after the early years.  I know it's Animal Planet, but I'm here all of 'em.  It's one big ecosystem, and the parolees having an opportunity that is very hard to come by is a particularly important story to tell.

I like the behind the scenes stuff, too, all the little goofy things, and stuff like Tia using a boom mic to push a reluctant wolf dog into a carrier because it's soft and, eh, he can bite it if he wants.  Oh, it costs $10k?  Well, I got it back to you in one piece.  It reminds me of Lucky trying to eat the jib camera when they went to shoot the new opening credits in New Orleans.

I really appreciate Tia's gratitude that production didn't have to shut down; this show is a huge source of income for them (the money directly from the show, and the increase in donations when it's airing), and to not have to take a year off was a big deal.

[chenoa333]

On 5/29/2021 at 8:05 PM, Bastet said:

I'll take any and all tributes to Earl, one of my favorite people I've never actually met,

Amen to THAT! Your entire post was so beautiful and heartfelt, but Earl is the man! Lol.

Edited June 4, 2021 by chenoa333

[RoxiP]

Keep Villalobos in your prayers as they are right in the path of the hurricane - especially Tia's place.  She has been posting videos of the new facility this week on Facebook and today she was posting moving dogs around to what hopefully are safer places.