Dog's Rescuing Dogs: Meet Lead Dog Bowser

Meet lead dog Bowser!

Bowser was born in our home on January 24, 2007. He celebrated his third birthday this past January along with his sisters Mysty and Tia. Mysty lives here with us, and Tia has moved to the big city with my daughter Cheyanne.

Yes Bowser was born in our home, but at the age of ten weeks he went to live with what was to be his forever family. Sixteen and a half months later Bowser was returned to us, and labeled an uncontrollable dog. As is our policy we took Bowser back into our home with the intention to rehabilitate him and find him a new home. Little did we know that he would soon become an integral part of the rehabilitation program we were in the first stages of developing.

Bowser was a very high spirited dog, and at 70lbs. definitely hard to control at first. I started his rehab training, and he responded well but his ability to behave was sporadic at best. A few weeks after Bowser came back to us we got in another rescue. Now I was faced with rehabilitating two rescue dogs with issues at the same time. At least that is what I thought at first. A few days in I noticed that Bowser's behaviour was no longer sporadic, he was obeying my every word, and what's more, he was working along side me with the new rescue, and we were getting results.  He had been listening all along, he just needed a job. Now apparently he had chosen one for himself, he was going to be the dog who rescued dogs!

I firmly believe there is no such thing as an unadoptable dog. I thank God for the rescue agencies that do exist in our society, but I truly believe that it is not the dog but the rescue program that is flawed. Bear with me for a moment while I explain, we'll get back to Bowser's story in a bit.

We all have good intentions, those of us who takes these animals and find homes for them. I have learned through years of experience however, that plucking an animal off the streets and placing it in a home is not enough. We have to look at the animals issues, and believe me with the exception of very few all rescues have issues. Most of the time I find myself trying to teach a rescued dog to be a dog. That might sound strange to some of you, but for those of us whom have worked with rescue dogs it is something we understand all too well. You must admit, it can't be easy for a human to teach a dog to be a dog.

Then along came Bowser! Suddenly I had an assistant, a wonderful furry four legged assistant, and the task of rehabilitating rescues became phenomenally easier. Over the next 18 months Bowser would help me rehabilitate many other dogs, he would also help me to train my pre-existing pack to play a part in the rehabilitation process.

Today Bowser together with pack member Nakita whom you will meet tomorrow (see picture below this post), lead the pack and help me to rehabilitate rescue dogs and give them a second chance at life. Every pack member has a specific role in the rehabilitation process, and they are a very close knit group who work together well, and are very good at what they do. Most of them are rescues themselves, so I guess you could say they are paying it forward.

As for me? I am just their handler, in truth they do all the work, and I want none of the credit.

(Nakita, more affectionately known as Nikki, is Bowser's right hand gal when it comes to pack management.)

INTRODUCING:

The Perry Street Dogs

You have all followed us through our recent troubles with the city of Barrie, ON, Canada. Some of you as far away as Australia even offered to take our dogs into your home sight unseen to keep them safe. To those people, I would like to take the time to say thank you on behalf of the Perry Street Dogs. I also extend my thanks to you for your care and concern. Without people like you who are willing to BE the change, we could not save as many lives as we do.

Today the Perry Street Dogs are all safe and sound, and legally licensed by good friends who know us and our dogs well, and are ready to take them into their homes should it become necessary. However, it occurred to me, that those of you out there who stepped forward when we reached out, did so knowing nothing about the dogs they were willing to save. It is for this reason, that over the next 8 days (starting tomorrow) the Barrie Dog Blog will introduce Let's Adopt members worldwide to the Perry Street Dogs. The Perry Street Dogs are working dogs. They work together as a pack to help me rehabilitate the rescued dogs that come through our home. You could say they are dogs that rescue other dogs.

I am a dog trainer, and for the past two years I have been developing a rehabilitation program for rescue dogs. The program relies heavily on a dogs inherent pack mentality, and the bond that develops between dogs who live together as a pack. Using the natural instincts all dogs are born with, we integrate the rescue into the pack and allow the dogs to teach him/her what is acceptable behaviour. (Please do not try this at home, I know that sounds corny, but this method requires a pack of balanced and well adjusted dogs, and a handler with full working knowledge of dog behaviour to control the pack as they work.)

This process is a long one, and takes a trainer dedicated to rehabilitating the animal in question. It is not just a matter of throwing the rescue in with the pack and hoping for the best. Interaction must be supervised, and a knowledge of dog behaviour and body language is essential for the program to be successful.

Since July of 2008 the Perry Street dogs are responsible for the successful rehabilitation and rehoming of ten dogs. A few of those were in rehab for over a year. All save one are still in the homes we found for them.

Tomorrow you will meet lead dog Bowser (complete with photo spread).

D-day for the Perry Street Dogs

Well today is D-day for the Perry Street Dogs. This is the day the city comes back at us to make sure we have disposed of all our "extra" dogs. Now I ask you? What is an "extra" dog? Why does any city in Canada have the right to tell me how many dogs I am capable of caring for?

Down the street from our compound are two little terrier mixes. These dogs are out of control, they bark every time they are let out and disturb the neighbors at all hours with there incessant noise making. According to the city that is just fine however, they only have two dogs so their dogs can keep the neighborhood awake at all hours and no one says anything. Across the street lives a hound mix who is in love with his own voice, every time he is put out (at 5 in the morning I might add) he sings to the neighborhood dogs until he is brought in again. Needless to say no one on our street who owns a dog gets any sleep past 5 in the morning. We do, our dogs have been trained to ignore the howling of the hound across the way. As a matter of fact we train our dogs to ignore any barking dog in the neighborhood. We are conscientious dog parents who do not allow our dogs to disturb the peaceful enjoyment of their homes. Our dogs are not permitted to bark uncontrollably, and as a matter of fact are brought back in to the house if they are too loud. Our yard waste is removed every two days, daily if necessary, and our dogs are NEVER left in our yard unsupervised. As a matter of fact we monitor our dogs playtime the same as a human parent would monitor the play of a very small child. Rough behaviour and loud barking is corrected immediately.

Our dogs are vetted yearly, receive their shots and bordatella vaccines and are treated against fleas and heart worm. A dog without vaccinations is not allowed in our home for the safety of the rest of the pack, as well as any humans they may come in contact with. I know dog owners with one pet who are not so thorough, and have seen neighborhood dogs who have never seen a vet in their life. All of those dogs are "safe" according to the city bylaws, because there are only one or two per household. That brings me to the point I wish to make here, how can the city condone irresponsible dog ownership, merely because the number of animals within a home is in keeping with the city bylaws? Were these laws not put in place to protect animals and ensure that they received proper care?

Shelters all over the county are full to capacity, dogs are being euthanized because homes can not be found for them, yet the city wants to place five of my dogs into the system because they say I have no right to keep them. I will not allow this to happen of course, I merely mention it to illustrate the point that their attitude makes no sense. Talk to my neighbors who will gladly tell you that as pet owners we are a joy to live next door to. I have one neighbor who is amazed on a daily basis when she looks out her window into my backyard, and sees all my dogs running and playing. Why is she so amazed? Simply because that although there are eight dogs running and playing in our yard, she can not hear them, she has to physically look through her window to know they are there. They are good dogs, we have respect for our neighbors, and no one should be able to take our furry children away from us.

We take our responsibility far more seriously than some people who keep only one pet. Yet our dogs are persecuted because the city says we have too many. Would someone also explain to me why it is legal in this city to keep 6 cats, but dog lovers are only allowed to keep three dogs. I like cats as much as the next person, but I am a dog lover, dogs are my pet of choice ( I have rescued cats too, but dogs are my passion.) For the privilege of being a dog lover I am penalized. My cat loving friends can own six animals, I am only allowed to keep three. How is that a fair bylaw? If you are going to regulate the ownership of animals there should be no distinction between cats or dogs, the numbers should be the same for both. Cat owners should not be more privileged than dog owners. Besides, the movement of cats is much more difficult to control than the movement of dogs.

People allow their cats to roam everywhere, but we generally keep an eye on our dogs, and do not let them roam free. Our dogs are controlled, they do not disturb the neighborhood. The same can not be said for my neighbors cats, whom are always roaming our property and relieving themselves in our driveway. (You don't see my neighbor following her cats with a stoop and scoop bag, I get to clean up my driveway after they have used it as a litter box.) If my dogs did that I would be fined for having an off leash animal, and not cleaning up after it, cats however are free to roam about the city destroying property as they go, and their owners are not held responsible.

Go after the woman walking the Great Dane on the beach and refusing to stoop and scoop, or the guy who lets his Rottweiler run around the city parks off leash. Stop wasting your time coming down on people who take their responsibilities as pet owners seriously, and go after the ones who do not license, sterilize, or vaccinate their pets. Leave my dogs alone, they are not hurting anyone, and they are safe and loved.

To my friends at Let's Adopt Global, I thank you for your support both in the past week as this situation has evolved, and in the future when we fight the city. Know that for now the Perry Street Dogs are safe, and that a fight is coming that we will need all your support on. In the coming weeks we will be challenging the bylaws, and at that time we will need the global support of Let's Adopt members. We beat the city of Halifax as a team and saved Brindi, now I am asking you to pull together for the Perry Street Dogs. Mysty, Bowser, Harley, Nakita, Samson, Pebbles, Diva, and Hercules need your help to keep their home. All of these dogs were thrown away by people who viewed them as disposable, they have found a home here with us, they are a family, our family, and the city has no right to break up a family.

Newmarket OSPCA in the Business of Murder?

I went to the Newmarket O.S.P.C.A shelter website this morning. I was shocked that there was no information or announcement concerning their latest decision to euthanize hundreds of animals rather than treat an infection that while highly contagious is not a death sentence if properly treated. Since when is the O.S.P.C.A in the business of convenience killing? This agency that has sworn to protect the lives of these animals is now their executioner, and for no other reason than the fact that they have allowed a situation that could have been prevented to get out of hand. How does an entire shelter full of animals contract the same disease if things are being run efficiently? Are these animals not vet checked vaccinated and de-wormed when they are brought in? If they are not someone explain why? How is it I can rescue animals in my own home, and never have an incident like this take place? These people are supposed to be in the business of saving lives, not ending them because of their own incompetence. I think that the O.S.P.C.A should be put under review, the shelter should be closed to the public until all animals have been treated and are declared healthy. The O.S.P.C.A should not be allowed to follow through with what in my opinion amounts to mass murder!

Are Animals Capable of Emotion? Any thoughts?

I have loved dogs since I was a young child. You might even say they were my first love. I didn't get my first dog until I was 11 years old. She was a 2 year old miniature french poodle. I spent hours playing with her and walking in the park. She died long after I left home for college. I never forgot her and still think of her often. As a matter of fact I think of all the dogs that have passed through my house, each one special in their own way. I remember their little personality quirks, their fears, but most of all I remember the look of gratitude in their eyes when they looked at me. They knew that I had saved them from a much worse fate. That look in the eyes is the reason I do what I do, and have done so for over 20 years.

I don't need anyone to know my name, I don't care if anyone knows what I do, I just want to save the lives of those who can not speak for themselves. I am no Cesar Milan, I have a long way to go before I can make that claim, but I am good at what I do. More importantly, what I do is good for me. These dogs that I bring into my home are not the only ones who benefit. I too am rewarded for my work, not in monetary compensation, but in friendship, and love.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that dogs are incapable of emotion. I see it in them every day. There is Nakita, my big husky/lab cross who clumsy as she is will rein herself in to play with fellow pack member Pebbles a seven pound toy poodle. She will protect her little buddy Hercules from anyone and anything, and will nurse injured pack members when they are recovering, as she did with Harley and the recent paw injury. If I cry she lays beside me pawing and whining, but according to most "experts" she is incapable of emotion.

Nakita (and any other dog or cat) is capable of emotion, she is capable of loving both her fellow pack members and her human family, and she does! Those same aforementioned "experts" would scoff and say it is just instinct that makes her protective, that dogs don't have feelings or emotions. How then do you explain the dog that saves it's family from a fire? Would it not follow that if dogs are incapable of emotion, and your house is on fire, your dog would run? Why then do we hear so many stories of dogs saving their human companions from fire and other dangerous situations?  In order to have the desire to save someone you must have the capability to care about what happens to them. If this is the case, then does it not follow that your dog has formed an emotional bond? Thereby proving that dogs and other animals, are more than capable of emotional attachment.

In a being incapable of emotion there would be no desire to save anyone but yourself. The simple fact that dogs and other animals have been credited with saving lives proves that they are capable of emotional thought. If this were not so then any animal in times of crisis would save only itself, being incapable of giving thought to the plight of anyone else. We know this is not true.

If animals can show compassion towards humans, why does it seem that many humans (supposedly the more intelligent species) are incapable of compassion toward animals? I think we perhaps have a lot to learn from the animal kingdom. What are your thoughts?

Lost Pups Home Safe and Sound! The Miracle of Social Media!

The lost pups in my last post were found mere hours after my blog was posted on Facebook and Twitter. They are safe at home tonight because of the power of social media. Yet we fail to realize the good that sites such as Facebook and Twitter can do. Obviously there is potential for bad as well, but such can be said of any new inovation.

We people of the 21st century are not content to sit back and absorb only what the news channels feed us. We want to know what is going on in the world around us. We now have the ability to instantly broadcast newsworthy stories to millions via sites such as Youtube.  We that dabble or work in animal rescue now have an outlet previously unheard of, we have the ability to get our information out to thousands upon thousands of people worldwide in a matter of minutes. When an animal goes missing we get the word out immediately. This is why I always urge pet owners to keep up to date photos of their pets. As with human missing persons cases the first 48 hours are crucial. If you have a current photo of your pet you can broadcast it immediately, and stand a better chance of finding your pet and bringing them safely home.

URGENT!!!! HAVE YOU SEEN THESE PUPS!!!!!

Have you seen these pups? They were last seen in Sunnidale Park, Barrie, Ontario. They had just had sterilization surgery when they went missing and may need medical attention. Should you know of their whereabouts please contact me. Please crosspost.
(The light colored one on the left is female.)

(The darker colored on is the male)

Both still have stitches from their surgery and could become infected. It is URGENT that these pups be found. They may have been stolen from their owners. If you have seen them or know who has them please contact.