When did puppies become auction items?!

It came to our attention that St. Mary's Hospital Foundation made the appalling decision to auction off a puppy at its upcoming annual gala this year. Along with such extravagant silent auction items as a winter vacaton in Tahoe, a week in Tuscany, and an African safari, guests are invited to bid on the nine-week-old puppy that will be wandering among them during the evening:

How Much is that Doggy in the Window?

Feeling lucky? You could take home the very first "Saint Mary’s Puppy"! Be sure to keep your eyes out for this adorable puppy meandering throughout the auction. It is a nine-week-old, home-raised, AKC-registered Golden Retriever. The sire is hip certified, the puppy has been vet checked and has had all initial shots and is sure to warm everyone's heart. This cuddly creature will make a wonderful addition to any family. A basket full of creature comforts, collar, leash, food and treats is included. Value: Priceless

Who came up with this incredibly stupid idea?!

The president of our shelter's board, apparently joined by many other voices from the community (see comments section), immediately wrote to the organizers demanding that they remove this poor creature from the list of "items" being auctioned.

And it paid off. She received this message:

After receiving input from the local community and beyond, Saint Mary's Hospital Foundation had decided to call off plans to auction a puppy at its 19th annual gala. Each year a number of unique items are auctioned,such as dinners, travel, and other one-of-a-kind experiences...

A puppy? Seriously - "unique, one-of-a-kind experience"? Get a life... They don't have dogs on your planet?

"The idea to auction the puppy came about as our committee researched other charitable auctions and the items they had successfully auctioned," said Margaret Lawlor, President of the Saint Mary's Hospital Foundation. "However, after the concerned response that we have received, we have decided to forgo this idea. We certainly would not want to do anything that could be considered potentially harmful or inappropriate."

Yeah, you wouldn't want to do anything that would be inappropriate LIKE AUCTION OFF A PUPPY to THE HIGHEST BIDDER AND NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST POSSIBLE HOME now wouldya. Glad they didn't find other auctions where guns were "successfully" auctioned items.

More on the decision here.

Coyote Attacks Woman, Pit Bull in Westchester

An interesting twist: A coyote attacked a woman walking along trails in Greenburgh, NY yesterday afternoon, and later went on to attack a man's Pit Bull.

Thankfully, both the woman and the dog are expected to recover from their injuries.

The animal was seen darting in and out of traffic, odd behavior for a coyote, never mind in broad daylight. Officials tracked the animal by helicopter, but weren't able to catch it. They warned residents that it may have rabies and residents should keep an eye on their kids and small animals. I'd keep an eye on all sized animals, seeing how it attacked a Pit Bull and a woman, but what do I know.

Sidenote: It's funny; I tried to find more links to this story, but I only found one link to the Journal News' LoHud.com story and a short story on a radio station. I guess potentially rabid coyote attacks aren't as interesting as Pit Bull attacks either.

Dogs and Hard Stares or "They told you to do what?!"

Recently in the news was a story of a mail carrier who claimed to have been cornered by two Pit Bulls.

Normally in a situation like this, he said that he would use pepper spray, but he finds that the spray just angers Pit Bulls even more. Actually, it would piss me off, too, but I'm sure other breeds of dogs welcome it with wide open eyes and incorrigible smiles.

Actually, this guy is pretty lucky. He says that in 2 1/2 years of being a mail carrier, he has yet to have been bitten. Amazing, since he said that

"carriers are trained to stare at dogs to prevent them from attacking"

WHAT?!

I have three questions for this fellow: 1) who heads up your training department, 2) how's the workman's comp at your facility, and 3) when was your last tetanus shot?

A dog sees a hard stare as a CHALLENGE. If these dogs cornered you, you invited them to do so. Did you also turn your back to them and run?

I know a postal carrier's job isn't easy, especially when they're faced with dogs they don't know who are roaming the neighborhood. That's no picnic. But, honestly, would this story have been news worthy had these dogs not been Pit Bulls? What if he were cornered by two roaming Dachshunds? Or a pair of Poms? Would the papers have come out to investigate? Would AC have come out at all?

Oddly enough, if you look closely at the picture, you'll see a smiling woman holding a baby, a man restraining one dog who is looking kind of friendly, a few people gathered around. And everyone, including the dog, looks rather relaxed.

Why I Hate People

They lie.

As it turns out, yesterday's frantic post regarding the theft of 13 dogs from a doggy day care/rescue facility was all a hoax.

Yes, the dogs are missing, but it appears to be a cover-up for a case of neglect. Perhaps. The police don't have the full story yet. But the injured employee, as well as the owners of the business, have been arrested. Good.

Now let's hope the dogs are found and soon because I shudder to think of what may have happened to those poor pooches.

Dogs Stolen from TN Day Care/Rescue

***UPDATE: This story was fabricated. See next post. Also see post on YesBiscuit.***


Canine Hope All Breed Rescue is both a doggy day care and rescue facility.

During the night, someone broke in, stabbed an employee, and - this part isn't clear - they either stole 13 dogs or stole some dogs while others got away through open gates or doors. Pictures of stolen dogs...

If you can help spread the word, all they want is to get these precious dogs back to safety. Some have medical issues which need prompt attention while others are new to the facility and might not know their way back.

Here is the entry from Facebook from our friend at Life with Dogs:

At 3:30 am this morning, two men broke into Doggie Care Center in Johnson City, TN. 

This is where our friend and fellow rescue person, Tammara Josselyn, keeps all the rescue animals she takes in, nurses back to health, and finds loving homes for. They stole several dogs and stabbed an employee. 

Please contact Tammara at caninehoperescue@comcast.net or call her 423 773 8113 immediately if you have any information or contacts who can assist. Tammara needs our help, she is devastated and only wants these dogs back. Through our vast network, I am hopeful we can do just that. 

There is also a substantial reward being offered for the safe return of these dogs.

If you can, take a moment to post this to your blogs or Facebook pages. The more eyes that see this, perhaps the more information the police can collect.

My best wishes to the employee who was injured and the owners of the facilty.

Wordless Wednesday

Dog Saves Family from "Trilogy of Terror" Demon Doll

If anyone remembers that most excellent movie, Trilogy of Terror, a 1970's very-B TV movie, you'll definitely remember the doll. Actually it was a fetish. And Karen Black. Poor KB; such potential. But back to the doll.

In the 70s, I was just a kid. A little kid. And having seen that movie, I was fairly really incredibly freaked out. As far as I was concerned, there was a crazy, demonic Zuni fetish under my bed, waiting for the perfect moment to attack my ankles.

Now I have Buster, my very own Zuni fetish!

Actually, he's quite the cutie, a sweet little guy, but when he plays, he can become a demon in his own right.

Thank goodness, Charlie saved us from his evil side.

Charlie Has Laser Vision

... and it's obvious she uses it for evil purposes.

Petition to Stop Vick from Receiving the Ed Block Courage Award

Change.org has started a petition to prevent Michael Vick from getting this award. He's not the epitomy of courage, and we all know the thought of this award has our blood boiling.

If anyone out there reads this blog, please read the story and sign the petition here, and share this link with your friends. We just might be able to make a difference.