dog

It is with a very sad and heavy heart that I find myself having to type this letter. On November 18th, 2008, I lost my beloved dog and friend, Keesha Baby. I can say that I was so lucky to have been blessed to have her for so many years. She lived to be 17 and she was my companion for 15 of those years.

Keesha lived her life to the very end with love, energy and never once did she seem to complain. She was the happiest, most laid-back dog I have ever owned.

It's weird because that morning everything was fine.

Loving dogs of all breeds live happily with their human families. Unfortunately, Breed-specific legislation, or BSL, place restrictions on "controversial" dog breeds. These can include (but are not limited to) "pit bulls", rottweilers, doberman pinschers, or mixes of these breeds.

People who own such breeds - or are considering adopting one - should take the extra step of researching local pet laws prior to adopting a dog, moving to a new city, or even travelling with their pet.

Dominent dog behavior is not that unusual, but can be a serious problem if not addressed. In the interests of responsible pet ownership - and the safety of other people and pets - it's necessary to first identify dominent dog behavior (or the possibilities of such behavior), and then take steps to deal with it.

Dominant puppy training is usually easier to deal with since the dog is still young. However, this is not an excuse to ignore dominant dog behavior with adult dogs.

It might seem like housebreaking adult dogs is more difficult than housetraining a puppy, however, adult dogs have a longer attention span and can focus better. Even older dogs that have been adopted from an animal shelter or humane society may never have been taught to go outdoors - but they can be.

I truly believe my Thor is not quite "working with a full deck" and I have to wonder if he has ANY survival instincts at all!

Incident #1:

   While viewing the breathtaking scenery at Point Waronsoff - David and Thor were standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Thor looks down at the sheer drop-off and decides to jump off! (thank DoG he was wearing a harness). Poor David is left standing there looking incredulously at Thor who is now dangling off the cliff wagging his tail and giving a small woof of triumph!

Our dog Stella is a brindle (brown/white) Boston terrier breed. She is the sweetest puppy, always jumping on our bed waking us up in the morning, following us around as we're getting ready for work in the morning, and faithfully waits by the window for us to get home.

We just recently lost her for 2 whole days during a horrible rainstorm and was afraid we would never see her again.

We brought her over to my sister's house because we had to take a trip to NJ for a weekend wedding.

"Where'd the cookies go? They were here a minute ago!" my sister Sylvia shouted from the living room. It was Christmas Eve and she was crouched under the artificial tree, staring at an empty dish resting on the tree skirt. A few crumbs were visible, but otherwise, there was little trace of what had been there. Only a short while earlier, our mother had set a dish of crunchy oatmeal raisin cookies under the tree. She had made them for Santa Claus. But someone had gotten to the treats before Ol' Saint Nick had a chance to shimmy down the chimney.

Because of old age, we had just lost two more of the many animals that we had saved from abusive situations. I was not in the mood to take on any more animals, mainly because of the high veterinary costs that we had incurred throughout the years. A process we began almost ten years ago; one that that has caused us many hardships.

As the wife and I were driving near the airport, all at once she turned into the Glynn County Animal Shelter and came to a stop.

"What are we doing here?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure," she replied.

"It didn’t occur to me when I was pulling into the driveway in February of 2003, that my life was about to change. I walked in the door to find my roommate frantic on the phone with his mother. He pointed to the backroom and said, “Keesha was just mauled by the neighbor’s dog!”

“Oh, Dear God!” I thought and ran to the backroom. When I opened the door, my heart sank. Our poor 10-year-old poodle-mix was laying on the cold, concrete floor in a pool of blood, panting. I gasped when I bent down and saw her abdomen beginning to swell.

We are three kitties: Narkis, Fanti and Maui. Our canine companion Oki the Terrier changed our lives for good. Oki took Fanti and Maui away from the miserable life as feral cats in an abused colony.

Oki's life had not been easy, either. He had been hit by a car and left to die in the middle of a busy avenue. Our Mummy happened to ride past by and stopped immediately when she saw a terrified malnourished canine lying injured on scorching asphalt. Mummy picked him up and took him straight to the vet. He happened to be a blind and deaf senior canine.