Posts may not be regular for the next week or so..

I have exams for the next while. (anyone want to write my pharm or biochem exams?) So I might not be posting every day or so. I might have some guest blogs, we will have to see. I do have some blogs planned. There will be the flexi lead rant, a good scathing discussion on Gentle Giants, I did get a hold of a copy of Oprah's show, and a lot more.

So stay tuned, this will be a short hiatus.

-Kerri

A few comments from a reader about Pets of Bel Aire

"We are horrified by the recent video released by the Humane Society of the United States showing footage of puppy mills. We do not condone puppy mills; we would never knowingly buy a dog from a puppy mill; and we are appalled by the possibility that this may have happened."

No s h i t (please edit, Kerri Na sounds good). Really? Appalled that you might not be buying the best puppies? I can't imagine. Somehow I think it has more to do with you being appalled that someone who might have wanted to buy one of your dogs saw the video. Ever wonder why they are being sold in bulk for cheap prices like toilet paper at Costco with no care as to who they are being sold to? Because they are low quality!

"We are investigating all of our sources so that we continue to have the finest and most reputable dogs from the best breeders, a practice that we’ve held central to our business since we opened nine years ago."

Because of course it wouldn't have been smarter to - what, ladies and gentlemen? - do that before you buy hundreds of puppies from them . . . I also find it amusing that they have reputable dogs. Are they reading a bit too much Garth Nix?

"Each of our beautiful puppies purchased out-of –state are from a USDA approved pet breeder."

OMFG they are bragging about it. It's like bragging that the baby sitter you hired to watch your kids is currently being watched by a parole officer - NOT SOMETHING TO BRAG ABOUT!

"We rely on our governmental agency to be sure that these breeders are inspected . . ."

Please see above - did it not occur to you to check that out for yourselves? Maybe not, it's probably a profit margin thing.

". . .and when we see the conditions that these animals are living in it feels as though the USDA has failed our business, and most importantly they have failed the animals that do not have a voice."

NO! The USDA did not fail these dogs, you did, you assholes. You and the people breeding them did. It's NOT the USDA's job to inspect the breeders that you are buying from, it is your job! By buying from puppymills you are sentencing the parents of those little designer mutts (AKA: the Animals Without Voices) to the rest of their lives as breeding machines, and little else. You have not only failed them, you have put fuel onto the fire! You are monetarily helping these mills!

Thanx Noludoru

So who watched Oprah?

Hey Readers,
Did you watch it? I didn't and forgot to get it taped? How was it, and does anyone want to do a guest blog on it?

Puppymill broker to the stars...

So if you were Paris Hilton, and you needed a teacup shmoodle or chi where do you go? Answer: you go here. Pets of Bel Air. An up scale pet shop selling 'up scale' (is that possible?) puppy mill puppies.
Thier clients also include Denise Richards, Demi Moore, Britney Spears and Robin Williams. (Dang I loved Robin Williams) These people have more than enough money to buy a good dog, they have no need to support puppy mills. Now of course Pets of Bel Air deny selling puppies from puppy mills.

"We are horrified by the recent video released by the Humane Society of the United States showing footage of puppy mills. We do not condone puppy mills; we would never knowingly buy a dog from a puppy mill; and we are appalled by the possibility that this may have happened. We are investigating all of our sources so that we continue to have the finest and most reputable dogs from the best breeders, a practice that we’ve held central to our business since we opened nine years ago.

Each of our beautiful puppies purchased out-of –state are from a USDA approved pet breeder. We rely on our governmental agency to be sure that these breeders are inspected, and when we see the conditions that these animals are living in it feels as though the USDA has failed our business, and most importantly they have failed the animals that do not have a voice."

I am NOT a fan of the HSUS, they are only slightly less offensive than PETA. (the HSUS raises millions of dollars by posing has a humane society-but don't fund ANY humane societies) but in this case they actually did some good.

The USDA (which is NOT the US Dressage Association, for you FHOTD readers) it is a body that polices puppy mills. This USDA is the US Department of Agriculture. Those of you who have livestock experience will know how minimal the standards are for livestock. These are the people this site is bragging approved their pups. NEWS FLASH!!!!!!! If the USDA is inspecting the kennels, thats cause its a puppy mill. No reputable breeder breeding good dogs will ever be inspected by the USDA as they don't fall under their jurisdiction.

So what other bad practices does this upscale puppy peddling business have. First of all I love their logo (can you year the scarcasm?) It shows the all important image the store wants you to buy into. Since they are purchasing superiour puppy mill pups, they should be able to offer a decent health guarantee.

"All of our pets come with 2 warranties.

1-Year Health Warranty: Your pet is warranted against certain congenital or hereditary problems.

Limited 14-Day Viral Warranty: Your pet is warranted against certain viral infections (i.e. Parvo virus, Corona, Distemper, Hepatitis)."

Wow a whole YEAR against unspecified health issues? And a limited Viral warranty. Just shoot me now please.

I looked at the pups. They show a JRT pup. OMG are they going to sell that pup to some unsuspecting person expecting Eddie? 99.99999% of JRTs in the rescue come from people who bought from a byb or petstore and had no idea what they were getting into. Of course they are never really told, as that may scare off a sale. This is an out of standard JRT (notice the short legs) who looks like the countless that are dropped off (often still as pups) to shelters and rescues across the continent. This pup did not come from a JRTCA breeder. I bet this pup is very expencive too. As a side note you can get a great JRT pup from a top breeder with a life time health and temperament guarantee for between 750-1200 dollars. This also includes full breeder support for life too.

If they don't have what you want, you can special order your dog. "To special order a puppy or kitten all we need is a deposit of at least $300.00 (depending on the breed) and your desired specifics (i.e. "female, tea-cup, applehead, black & white, Chihuahua" or "large, male, Bernese Mountain Dog")"

So why are stars so stupid?

Guest Blogger: Stupid Dog Owners

CSDB: This was posted on another blog by a friend, CharlieDog. I was told I could share this, I have a DR dog myself, and I KNOW the pain of other people not obeying the leash laws. I don't care if your dog is friendly. What I want to know is how friendly he is with my dog hanging off his lips!

Stupid Dog Owners

This has been bothering me for the past week. Mostly because it is me and MY dog that have suffered for it. And we do not suffer fools gladly.

Walking your dog is usually seen as an enjoyable affair, provided your dog is well behaved and doesn't enjoy trying to yank your arm out of its socket (that's another rant). Not that dog, I'm talking about a dog you can take a leisurely stroll around the block with, and not have to worry about whether or not he uses the bathroom on the walk, because he's already done it at home. Nope, you're out for a nice mosey around town time.

Well, if you live in my neighborhood you are S.O.L. Not only because people drive fifty miles an hour down the sidewalk, but because your neighbors let their dogs run loose in their yards. And these are the same neighbors who don't have really any control to speak of over their offleash (or onleash!!) dog.

My dog, Oz, is DA (dog aggressive, for those who don't know). He used to be merely reactive. But, thanks to a couple lovely neighbors, who let their Siberian Husky out, and who proceeded to attack me and my dog on the sidewalk despite my screaming at them to grab him and that Oz doesn't do well meeting other dogs on the street, and the one lady who let her Chihuahua charge at us from across his lawn, I'm positive he has developed full blown dog aggression. (On the same walk!!! [I had to drag Ozzy away from the Chi, he was making noises I've never even heard from a DOG, let alone him, and I'm sure he would have attacked and killed the little dog])

I don't even know if I trust him to meet other dogs offleash now. Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

This is why there are leash laws. Because of the over enthusiastic Lab who gets attacked for running up to a DA dog being walked safely and under control, the lab gets away scot free, with maybe a few stitches, and the other dog gets the blame. "Oh she KNEW her dog was dangerous!!" or "HIS dog is the one who attacked first!!!" "My dog would NEVER start a fight!", is a common mantra, yeah, right, okay. YOUR dog JUST did lady!! Get your pretty little head out of your ASS. And never freaking mind that the other dog WAS ON A LEASH, HE is CLEARLY the aggressive one, and the problem. Just because he doesn't appreciate RUDE dogs in his face or space.

THERE ARE LEASH LAWS PEOPLE!!! OBEY THEM!!

And the other person is the bad guy. Its even worse if the other dog is a pit bull. And I don't even want to go into the problems pit bulls are facing.

MY dog is on a leash. YOUR dog charged US. I yelled to you to keep your dog under control, my dog didn't like other dogs. And now I'M the bad guy, because my dog caused damage to yours. Never mind that YOU are the one breaking the law, and I am on the sidewalk, which, by the way, IS PUBLIC PROPERTY.

And, by the way, if your dog is attacking mine, and you are standing there and making no move to get your dog, I am going to defend MY dog. With any means possible. So therefore, if I start kicking your dog, please do not scream at me that I'm HURTING HIM, OH NOES!!! That, is precisely the point. HELLO.

I have a right to defend my dog against your stupid monster. So unless you want both my dog and myself attacking your dog, come do something about yours. As long as you do that, I can pick my dog up and get him out of the situation. But if you just stand there gawping at me, you'd better believe I'm wading in the fray.

Control your dog. Then I'm might have an easier time of it trying to help MY dog get through his problems. Unfortunately, you, in your ignorance and ineptitude have cost me MONTHS of work. And whereas before I could have fixed it so that he had no problems, your stupid ways have exacerbated it, and I have an even bigger problem on my hands.

Thank you, retards of the dog owning world. Having a dog is a privilage, not a right, or even something required of you. And if you are going to allow your dog to run loose, PLEASE train it, so that you have AT LEAST a recall or a down that is reliable on it. Wait. Scratch that. Keep him confined. Don't even THINK about letting your dog loose anywhere but in your backyard or at a dog park.

Or is that to hard for you? If it is keep your blasted dog in a fence, or on a leash. If you don't have a fence, stake him out somewhere. Or keep the bugger in the house. I'm sure he is a great dog, but keep him away from me AND my dog.

Whatever, my dog and I are going for a walk. Woe betide any offleash dog we run into. I told you we do not suffer fools gladly.

Is this site trying to give you a seizure or sell you a puppy?

Here is the site, but be warned-if you have epilepsy or are prone to seizures this site is not for you. This site has so much blinking, flashing, dancing, sparkling nausating animations it would make the gaudiest Xmas tree blush. Maybe it is on purpose, your head will be aching and your visual cortex stunned so that you won't notice all the horrid things going on. (and is this dog living in a gerbil cage?)

This site was passed on by a reader. At first I started reading and was thinking-this isn't so bad. (other than the site's garishness)

"We work hard to improve QUALITY, and strive for the standard set forth by AKC. My poms are AKC registered, and micro chipped with AVID chips, the males are DNA certified by AKC as required. I carefully plan and select each breeding for improvement of quality, soundness of body with Health and Temperament being the top priority. I breed mostly for PET, while aiming for the "show" quality, with health and temperament and soundness of body being my top priority, as I want each baby to get a lifetime of love, but also strive to improve quality so those who are outstanding can also be in the show ring besides being a loving pet. I do my best to ensure all pups are healthy, sound in body, have a good temperament, are well socialized as well as having the best quality of conformation I can. I do not breed any dog with a known defect and have been blessed to avoid most of the common issues in poms like black skin disease,
collapsing trachea, etc....I am hoping to start showing some of our fur kids in the AKC ring soon as well as thru the IABCA shows. I evaluate every pup we keep or buy for improving my lines before breeding it. Not all pups hold their potential when grown. We strive to improve with each breeding. Each breeding is carefully planned out long before they come of age, and re-evaluated based on each dogs characteristics or flaws before breeding, pedigree's are studied continually to make the best matches possible always keeping an eye out for improving. I am always happy to talk and answer questions on my babies anytime and assist others any way I can. I pride myself on my integrity and honesty regarding my babies and breeding program."


Doesn't sound bad does it? Then I kept going. Her contract does not guarantee the pup for health or temperment as soon as the new owners take it off the property. No where in the contract does it say that the dog must go back to her if the owner can't keep it. But if you dig hard enough there is another 'contract'

LIFE THREATENING GENETIC DEFECT’S ARE GUARANTEED FOR 1 YR FROM DATE OF PURCHASE AND LIMITED TO A REPLACEMENT PUPPY OF EQUAL VALUE & SAME GENDER, AFTER DEFECTIVE PUP AND ALL OTHER PAPERS ARE RETURNED TO SELLER AND PROVIDED MY VET CONCURS IT IS A LIFE THREATENING GENETIC DEFECT. IF A PUP OF LESSER VALUE IS CHOSEN NO FURTHER COMPENSATION WILL BE OWED OR GIVEN. IF THE BUYER CHOOSES TO KEEP THE DEFECTIVE PUP, WRITTEN PROOF OF THE DEFECT MUST BE PROVIDED BY THE BUYERS VET, AND IF MY VET CONCURS IT IS A LIFE THREATENING GENETIC DEFECT, ONCE THE DEFECTIVE PUP IS SPAYED OR NEUTERED AND PROOF IS PROVIDED, A REPLACEMENT PUP CAN THEN BE CHOSEN AND ½ OF THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE DEFECTIVE PUP WILL BE APPLIED TO THE REPLACEMENT PUP CHOSEN, AND NO FURTHER COMPENSATION WILL BE OWED OR GIVEN.

OH MY! So if your dog has a horrible disease but it is not life threatening, she will do nothing. If it is you don't get your money back, you get a 1/2 priced pup! And really how many life threating genetic diseases show up in the first year?

She breeds poms in funky colours (once again why is it that John Q Public wil pick their new family members based on a cool colour?) And in tiny size, in case you want to be Ms Hilton and carry your dog as a fashion accessory. I am not a pom person, but they don't look like most poms I meet. It gets better.. you guessed it, she breeds designer dogs. She takes dogs like Rowdy here, who is supposed to be a chi (who cares he looks nothing like a chi, he is a cool colour!) and cross them to something like Fantasy who looks like a bazillion other dogs sitting in a shelter hoping for a home but likely to get the needle. Ugg!

And of course she takes paypal, and many credit cards including VISA, Master Card, The Discover Card and American Express. She seems to be all about getting the money. PEOPLE there are dogs JUST like these ones in your local shelter, who need homes.

Wow readership!

Huge thanks to Fugly, just noticed that we are featured on FOTD. Now I feel pressure to continue to blog, as if exams aren't enough (jk I like blogging)

Some people shouldn't even own goldfish.

This is a rant. And to be honest I am as mad at myself as I am at the idiots who got the dog. This is Joey. He was picked up by AC and deemed to aggressive for adoption by the humane society. JRTRO grabbed him before he was PTS and he came here to be assessed. HE was great. I could take food and toys away from him, I could come up behind him and 'nab' him, with no issues. He was a very happy 6 month old Jack Russell terrier. These people applied to adopt him. (it is very hard to adopt from the JRTRO, they are awesome at rigorously screening people.) They sounded great on the application, their references checked out etc etc. As the foster mom I talked to them on the phone. They sounded ideal. I was estatic when I heard that they had a daughter who wanted to get into dog sports as was willing to take lessons with their new dog. Joey was a very bright and active pup, even by JRT standards. They were approved. The day comes for them to pick him up. They know they are coming to a farm to pick up an adolescent JRT, so I would assume they would know not to wear your sunday best.

They pull up. Joey runs up and jumps on the mom. I smile and tell her just to say "off". She makes a big production of wiping the non existant paw prints off her pants. All the time saying "down, down, down." In case she didn't hear me in the excitement of meeting her new puppy (to be honest, I would likely be so excited I would not notice a human when meeting my new dog) I repeated he was trained to not jump up with the cue "off" She still would say "down, down, down." And spend 30 seconds brushing off her pants, which thrilled Joey, he liked this new game. Great. The daughter is mentally challenged. I have nothing against mentally children working with dogs, but don't saddle the poor kid with an over the top JRT puppy. The dad seemed decent. I did not feel this was a good ideaT but they liked Joey and decided to take him home. I should have said no. But at the time I did not know a foster home could veto the adoption process. I did find that out when I went in the house and promptly called the rescue co ordinator and told her I thought they were a bad fit.

Fast forward a year. They took him to someone for training, that I know. He was a mess, and they didn't stick with the training.

Fast forward almost another year. He is now biting people. The daughter is too afraid to enter her room if he is on the bed. So what do they do? They dump the dog back on rescue. I get a phone call asking if I can foster him because as usual the rescue is short on foster homes. So of course I said yes.

Really he wants to be a good dog, just all this nonesense has been working for him. *sigh. He has been here a month or so now, and is doing much better. I am hoping a new foster home opens up soon though, as he as to spend waayyy to much time in a crate right now.