59 and counting....

Last night as I was driving home from adoptions after a very LONG and tiring day (up at 3AM and finally calling it a day at 7PM), I was thinking back about the day... How many other people are as lucky as I am?....

Once a week, I get to spend the day with some of the NICEST people... Old and young, I get to see a lot of ladies (and a few gents) come together without a thought of getting paid, a day FULL of hard work and with no other rewards than knowing they are part of a movement to save puppy and dog lives... Yeah, sure - you can just about always count on people showing up if there is a paycheck involved, but the time and energy these folks give up comes not from anywhere else but their heart....  ♥

Today is my birthday and I am adding one more year to my 'official' age... At 59 years old now, I truly believed I would be retiring from rescue 20 years ago 'cause by now, we as a people would have stopped killing adoptable dogs in our shelters and pounds... But as I was (still) reflecting on growing older, I realized that in less than 4 months from now, our county would have gone No-Kill five (5 - yes - FIVE) years ago...

What an EXCELLENT birthday present to give an 'older-than-dirt' lady... Five years of not killing nine of out of ten dogs that walked through their doors...

Over five years ago, I used to physically sick Monday evenings because I knew the next day (Tuesday) was kill day at Ventura County Animal Services (then known as VCAR)... And that any dog I could not save and get out of there, was a dead dog early Tuesday morning... No matter how many times I'd plead for a foster that week and pray for that dog to be adopted by someone over the weekend, there were some dogs that I absolutely failed despite my very best efforts... Those dog faces are still the ones I see at times in my nightmares...

And five years later?... Monday evenings I no longer get nauseated... I don't FEAR Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays any more... In fact, this past week several of the VCAS and TLC volunteers sat at the same table at Sutter's Mill for a great fundraising dinner... Now, just how SPECIAL this memory is, huh?... Something that no one can take from me and I will have forever as long as I live... Thank-you, Donna and Barry, for committing VCAS to No-Kill in my lifetime!...

My husband and I are not wealthy... We are not even 'comfortable' and live paycheck to paycheck like everyone else does... But the love of dogs and doing rescue has 'paid' us back in memories and unconditional love that even the wealthy billionaires in this country don't have... TLC is fast approaching the 3,000 mark of saves, but what numbers don't show is the special cases and not easily adopted sweethearts that have passed through our hands and onto their own furever homes... That never shows up in statistics but it sure shows up in heartbeats and precious memories...

Yesterday, despite the threat of rain and overcast skies, there was a beacon of hope and promise that came to adoptions... A dog, thrown into an industrial trash compactor (pregnant) to have her litter inside and the first miracle was that no one pushed that button or threw in heavy trash on top of them... Feral, but not aggressive, she would not (or could not) leave the trash compactor and her puppies behind, so that is how she showed up in rescue - when brave souls climbed into the trash and hauled her and her litter out...

Her name is DeMara and we don't know how long she and her litter of pups were in that trash compactor... But when I got her, I could encircle her waist with my two hands, thumb-to-thumb and finger-to-finger... Feral, but not aggressive, she would unwillingly submit to being touched by human hands but by her body language, you could tell it was not something she was comfortable with...

Second miracle came along when her pups were weaning and another foster in TLC stepped up to allow her to dry out and start becoming socialized... Those two months brought this beautiful dog from a skin-and-bones skeleton to a plush and healthy, young adult female... Working with DeMara, she went from a 'void, no personality' dog to a dog that looked with interest at a human... It took two months, but oh my, what a big change....

And the third miracle of this dog's life?... Unexpectedly we had to switch foster homes for DeMara... Most of us in TLC foster but few of us have big dogs... I asked Lydia and her husband, Neil, if they could just foster for two weeks... And the switch occurred last Saturday at adoptions... DeMara sat, 'plastered to the parking lot' at PetSmart as she waited for her new foster mom... New sounds? New people?  New dogs?  DeMara was apprehensive and on edge... But in my mind?... She'd gone eons in change already...

Yesterday, this beautiful dog came back to adoptions... And in just a week? What another unbelievable change~!!!... Her third miracle in her lifetime and one of the sweetest birthday presents I have had... DeMara was no longer plastering herself to the ground, but actually going up to strangers and new dogs she did not know... She came up to me as I was eating my breakfast and allowed me to feed her half of my sandwich - something she had never done before to me despite being her foster mom for 6 weeks... She actually sat at my feet and took my pieces of breakfast sandwich from my hand~!!! ... Gentle, gentle too...

At one point, I had one of those 'heart shudders' you get when you realize just how much of a miracle you are looking at - right in front of you... A dog that had NO chance, nor her pups... To have three miracles in a short amount of time and to come from being feral to being a family dog... 

I willingly gave up most of my sandwich... Maybe at the beginning because I could not believe my eyes... But at the end, because I was SO enjoying the vision of her taking food from my hands...

THESE are the kinds of birthday presents I get, not just once a year, but year round... I listen to folks that work in offices and at companies, complaining about the folks they work with and for... I could not have a better job... It is hard, it is emotionally and physically draining, it pays nothing (and in fact, you pay to have it in numerous ways... smile...), but oh, how lucky, LUCKY I am...

Each day is like Christmas and every week is like having your birthday all over for the non-material 'presents' in memories and heart twitters you get... 

Yes, indeed... I am a VERY LUCKY 'older-than-dirt' lady... 

Hugs,
Linda

P.S.  DeMara at her foster mom's home with Bettie (also a rescued and now adopted homeless dog).  Bettie Davis is a Chihuahua mix with a beautiful personality... DeMara is a Jindo/Shepherd/Lab mix, sitting behind her.

Push Button Dogs

Just the term - 'push button dogs' - seems to be quite humorous, doesn't it?  I won't take credit for it... One of the TLC volunteers, Carol K. mentioned it and as I mulled over it?... It struck me as to how many folks expect dogs to be 'push button'... 

TLC does not rescue nor place in adoption 'push-button dogs'

At least on a daily basis, I get 5-10 requests for dogs that are potty-trained, don't ever bark, etc. in our rescue's email... And every week at our adoption events, my volunteers and I hand out hours of free education (to those willing to listen to it) on the handling and care of dogs...

The two biggest errors I see in dog owners that fail with their pets is 1) failure to be consistent and 2) lack of observation... NONE of us have all the answers to ALL of the questions, comments and issues with dogs... The very best any of us can do is to constantly try new things and hopefully find solutions for pet issues... But if you, as an owner, are not committed to being consistent with your dog and willing to be an observant dog owner, you are setting yourself up to fail eventually.... 

Take for example, the big "P" problem - be it :poop: or pee... No matter how cold it is, or rainy, or windy, every morning I go outside with my dogs... I am consistent and I am observant... They know I am going to stand outside there and watch what is going on (even in my pajamas and freezing my tuckus off!)... I want to make sure they are doing what I expect them to do, and this also gives me an opportunity to see if anyone is sick, having problems pooping or the poop is not quite 'right'... You veteran dog owners know what I am talking about here... Even the oldest dog can be potty-trained... Unless there is a medical condition (i.e. bladder infection, etc.), dogs do not want to pee and poop where they sleep and eat... It is just not in their nature... So if your pet is doing his business inside the house, you need to look at how consistent you are about keeping set hours at getting him outside... 

At my house, throughout the day, they have a doggie door they use... If a new foster does not know how to use a doggie door, the other dogs will show him quickly... But if I see the dog is unwilling to follow the other dogs?  Hot dogs work great at encouraging the dog to go through the flap... However, if you work and you are gone 9-11 hours a day, you do best to confine your dog to a section of your home or apartment that has somewhere for him to relieve himself if needed... If you leave your dog free-roam and you get hung up at work, you can only expect him to find a spot on the carpet when you don't come home at the normal time... 

I pretty much go to bed at the same time every night... My dogs and fosters will come around about 15-20 minutes before that time and watch me... Observing me to see how close I am to going to bed... They can't read a clock nor have a wristwatch, but they know... They absolutely know what time it is... My dogs are all kenneled at night for two reasons: 1) I used to let them sleep with me and eventually figured out I don't sleep as well with them in my bed and 2) after a near miss at evacuation for a wildfire heading in our direction, we could not find one of our dogs... Afraid of the smell, the dog hid somewhere we did not think of and that was enough of a scare for me... If I have to evacuate in the middle of the night, I want to be able to QUICKLY grab my important papers and our dogs.

I use the command "Kennel Up" because it is my habit... I too am a creature of habit just like dogs... Our dogs quickly beat us to their kennel at night because they know they will also get a Greenie once in their kennel... SO easy to teach a dog to do this, and even with a new foster, I don't have to worry about finding a puddle or a present somewhere... 

But I am consistent... Over and over and OVER again... If my husband uses a different command, I let him know (and/or show him) how to get the same responses I do when using the same command I do... I'm not being mean - it is for the dog's best interests that ALL family members use the same terms and commands... Dogs LOVE consistency... But they are not 'push-button dogs'... 

The better I am at being consistent in something, the more responsive they are going to be when responding... 

If your life is helter skelter, your work schedules vary, your social life is heavy and being consistent is not going to work?.... Then maybe your life is not really good for having a dog... If you still need a doggie-fix, any rescue or shelter will GLADLY appreciate your help - trust me on this!... 

The other area that comes up with people wanting to adopt 'push-button dogs' is the wrong person is making the selection when adopting... We have parents come in all the time and want to adopt a dog for their children... Let's face reality here... Your child will grow up, go through high school and maybe into college before the puppy you adopt from us today is old... No matter how smart or committed your child is, YOU are going to be the one to be the caretaker of this puppy through its normal lifespan, so if YOU don't like the dog or don't want to take on the role of the major caretaker, don't adopt a puppy... If this is just a temporary measure for a few years, adopt an older, bigger dog breed... The bigger the dog is size, the shorter the life span... 

And?... Dogs don't teach children responsibility... We as parents do... If we are not consistent in our role modeling, our kids won't be either... If you are too tired to get up and take that dog out at 6AM on Saturday mornings when the dog has been going out at that time Monday through Friday, the dog is going to have an accident in the house because your child is not going to do anything they don't see you do... 

Barking?... Well, that is not really something that is 100% genetically programmed in dogs... Dogs in the wild don't even bark - we humans taught domesticated dogs to bark... The only real difference between dog barks and breeds is the size of their lungs and how deep in volume a bark is going to be... But if barking is tolerated (or even encouraged as puppies), your adult dog is going to bark when they are bored, if they are still intact (not spayed or neutered) or hear a strange noise... I don't 'untrain' dogs in regards to the door bell, but otherwise?... I don't like barking dogs... Consistency and a water spray bottle works wonders, but only if you get up and use it IMMEDIATELY over and over again until you have broken the habit in the dog... Hollering out the window to 'SHUT UP' only causes your neighbors to hate you more than your barking dog!

Your dog is NOT going to like each and every one of your friends... Face it... Do you?... Of course not!... Some dogs seem to have a much higher level of tolerating all kinds of smells... Maybe they were introduced to a lot of smells as puppies and aren't surprised by some of these outlandish aftershaves and perfumes... If one of your friends 'smells funny' to your dog and acts nervous around your dog, your furbaby is simply NOT going to like them... Nothing personal... Just not your dog's cup of tea... So when that friend comes over?... Let Spot take a nap in the bedroom... Easy to fix... 

A car gets older, it seems to need more mechanical work... We get older, we take more trips to the doctor's... Same goes for your dog... The older they get (and especially if you've fed them junk dog food all this time and didn't do dentals every few years), the more your dog is going to need to see a vet... With a car we intend to keep, we are much more diligent about the maintenance of it... But dogs aren't leased - once no longer cute and a puppy - and maybe with bad habits you've taught them or allowed them to learn - surrendering to a rescue or a shelter is not a good thing... 

But if you HAVE to surrender your dog, the MOST and HONEST information you can give at time of surrender will be more insurance that your pet finds a good, furever home... There are people that will adopt a dog that bites children - but don't neglect to give the shelter or rescue this kind of information... If your dog lifts his leg in the house all the time, this can be fixed (neutering is the first step, installing a cat scratch tree right outside the doggie door and applying chemicals is another quick fix)... As long as we know what the issues are, we can quickly either re-train or advise an adopter of what still needs work... 

NONE of us knows what the future will bring... When you brought that cute puppy home, you might not have known your new husband is a wife-beater and you can't stay married to them... Moving is something we ALL know about ahead of time, so that is not a good reason to surrender a dog (IMHO)... Just about any other reason, any reputable rescue (if they have room) should not make you feel guilty about surrendering your dog... And most will try and give you proven suggestions and tips that we use...  I always ask, "Do you REALLY want to keep this dog?" and if a pet owner does, I really try to help...

Most good shelters have pet retention programs in place now, so if you have issues you need help with, why  not contact your local shelter, be HONEST with them about what is going on and there is a good possibility that you don't have to give up your dog... But only if YOU made the right decision at the beginning and did not expect your pet to be a 'push button dog'...

We as humans, are genetically programmed to respond to respond to cute, wiggling puppies and sweet babies... If you are totally not affected by one or both, you've learned to ignore the heart tug... But if you adopt based upon what you believe a breed WILL BE LIKE, or because you had that breed as a child instead of how that dog is acting after 10 days in your life with your lifestyle, you are simply going to find there are no 'push button dogs'...

Throw out your misconceptions of what is old (dogs do NOT age seven years to every one human - it all depends upon their size), which dog breeds are naturally aggressive, sex determines temperament and/or automatic bad habits along with the idea that rescue or shelter dogs are 'broken', 'less than', 'someone else's nightmare', etc... Dogs are no more 'push button' than we as humans are... 

Think outside the box (and the button)... There are a wealth of homeless dogs and cats that need a home and yours just might be the best ever!

Straight Outta No-Kill

It is an AMAZING feat to turn a county from "Kill" to "No-Kill"... Ventura County Animal Services committed to the movement in the summer of 2012 and achieved No-Kill status in January of 2014.  

TLC just invested our precious, few financial resources to create this 4'x6' poster we are now hanging on the side of the rescue rig each adoption Saturday...But as amazing as that is?  It is MANY MORE TIMES harder to sustain No-Kill once the goal of saving at least 90% or more of the healthy, adoptable animals is achieved.

Why is this?  Now, I am not an authority on No-Kill, and I can speak for ONLY TLC... NOT the county or the other rescues, or even the general public... 

But as someone in the trenches, fighting for this every day of my life, I have some observations that I would like to bring to the forefront of your consciousness... Some of these ideas you might not even have thought about yet, but I hope by mentioning them, you consider them and join the movement, or at least take the time to spread the word.

In 1975, our KILL rate was 75%... So basically, for every 10 dogs that went into the shelter, only two made it out alive... Pretty grim numbers, huh?

Fast forward 40 years and in 2015, the stats were reversed... For every 10 dogs that went through the shelter's doors, at least eight made it out alive... The challenge (in my mind) would have always been which one of the two had to die... And I never envied the shelter officers for the very hard decisions they had to make each and every day!  Which of the two dogs in the ten would you have chosen to die?

The concept of No-Kill is that no healthy, adoptable animal must die... You will ALWAYS have some animals that die, even in the best of circumstances... Owners will bring terminally-ill dogs to a shelter, unable to afford the high cost of euthanasia charged by vet offices... Animals will arrive as strays, too hurt to keep alive with any quality of humane life... Aggressive dogs that are a threat to the overall safety of our community... But your goal is to achieve at least a 90% save rate... 

So now that Ventura County has gotten there, why are we having such a hard time and immense struggle to maintain this?... Again, my thoughts and opinions based only upon my interaction with the general public and the comments they have made... 

• "Well, now that Ventura County is No-Kill, we need to start saving other animals in high kill counties surrounding us"... (huh?  Other counties need to commit to No-Kill and work as hard as we have - we cannot 'import' their problems or failure to commit into our community and eventually start killing our animals again!)
• "It is still a pound and I don't trust them..." (never mind that our politicians, tax payers and the general public have committed HUGE amounts of dollars and energy turning this around!)
• "The shelter only has Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls - I don't want to adopt either of those kinds of dogs"  (So because of their breed, you sentence them to die?  It is NOT the breed, but the owner on the other end of the leash that determines the kind of canine hooked to the leash!)
• "I only want a purebred (fill in the adjective) dog and the shelter never has those kinds."  (An average of 35-40% of the dogs showing up in America's shelters are actually purebreds without papers... The majority of dogs come into shelters through NO fault of their own, but because of lifestyle changes in the owner's lives... they are not 'damaged' but more victims of the circumstances in the owner's lives - losing their home, job, relationship, etc.)

I can go on with the list, but these are the majority of comments I hear... 

Allow me - indulge me here - to share that people selecting a dog to save based upon their breed is actually profiling... And we don't like that as a society when it pertains to humans... It is no different than saying that 'all fat people are lazy' or 'all ________ (fill in country of origin) are ________ (fill in adjective)'... 

You cannot paint any breed of dog with a broad paint brush like this, and sentence them to die based upon their breed, no more than you can discount overweight folks as 'lazy'....

As you can see from this photo, Momma (DNA confirmed as a "Pitty") does not fit the profile of being aggressive or vicious... I have numerous photos that I can post that show it is NOT the breed, but the owner (me) on the other end of the leash that has determined what kind of canine citizen she is... 

Yes, our shelter has a lot of Pit Bulls and Chihuahua mixes... At any given time, our rescue center could have 60+ small breeds, and it was ALWAYS the Terrier, Poodle, 'fluffy scruffy' mixes that were the 'yappy' small dogs everyone hates... Not the Chihuahua mixes that would be causing the ruckus when a new person same in to see them... 

Do you kill a dog because the previous owner did not train them properly?... Do you kill a dog because of their breed and the probable incorrect reputation that breed might have?... Or do you kill a dog because of their age?... (I'd be in trouble then because I am overweight and an old lady... I am glad this kind of mindset has not flowed over to the human species... yet...)

We as a community and society need to speak up and out, every day, against those who are not supporting No-Kill in this county... There is absolutely no reason someone would need to buy a dog or puppy off of the Internet, from a back-yard breeder or even at a pet store when we have dogs waiting patiently at our shelters to be adopted... There are numerous dogs on Craigslist every day, placed there by owners that need to surrender them, and if no help is given, the dog will end up in our shelter system... 

If you have a friend or relative that has a dog who is not spayed or neutered, ask them why they are shortening the dog's life by not doing this... Intact dogs (both female and male) have a MUCH higher rate of cancer and by not spaying and neutering, the owner is actually lowering the number of years of life with that dog... Unless you are showing a purebred dog in dog shows, there is no other reason to keep a dog intact... 

An issue not spoken about is an issue that gets forgotten... All of us need to contact our politicians and make sure that we are heard... We do NOT want to lose No-Kill in Ventura County... We do not want to go back to killing our animals in the shelter system... We want to leave the legacy of No-Kill to the next generation to carry it on and even less animals have to die... 

If we, as a county, could turn this huge 'cruise ship' around in 40 years to go from killing 8 out of 10 dogs to saving 8 out of 10 dogs, we cannot let this fail... It is VERY easy to turn a 'speed boat' around on a dime, but extremely hard to turn a 'cruise ship'... The concept, system and physicality of No-Kill is very much a 'cruise ship'... It is huge, took a LOT of hard work and sweat equity (let alone too many animals dying before it took root) to lose in one generation... 

Help me by getting word out... Talk to your politicians TODAY... They do listen if they are contacted... Tag your support with #nokillvc to show you are support of this movement... Post your favorite photo of your furbaby on your Facebook page with that hash tag... Start a conversation next time there is a pregnant pause and ask who has rescued their pet... You will be amazed at the good you can do, if you just try... 

Paws crossed for No-Kill in our county and my lifetime,
Linda
Director, TLC

Not in my neighborhood

TLC has always struggled to find space to save animal lives since we went from a foster-based rescue to what is called a 'brick and mortar' organization... 

Having the ability to save animal lives and be open 7 days a week for the general public to view, interact with and hopefully adopt is what we believe is an essential part of No-Kill and keeping this county at the No-Kill status... 

For those not familiar with the definition of No-Kill, basically it means that no healthy, adoptable animal is killed and to achieve No-Kill status, 90% or more entering your shelter must live... 

At one time in our county when I first got involved out here in California in rescue, for every 10 animals that entered the shelter system, only one came out alive... Five years ago, our county had a kill rate of 60%... For every 10 animals that went into the shelter system, only four came out alive... 

TLC has actively pursued the goal that no healthy, adoptable animal needs to die in our county since its beginning on June 9th of 2009... Yes, today is our 7th year anniversary and in 2,557 days, TLC has managed to save 2,723 animal lives - more than one day... 

On a day we should be celebrating our victories and continuing to achieve our goals, we are being evicted by a landlord that does not want to lease to a dog rescue... Not that we don't pay our almost $5,000 a month rent... But because he does not want to lease to a rescue and it is a 'bad fit'.... 

On Monday, June 6th, we lost in court fighting the eviction and are currently waiting for the sheriff to post the notice on our door that we have 5 days to vacate the four spaces we have gutted, built out, created a rescue center in and have operated a full-time, volunteer-run organization in... 

We find it incredible that there is currently 43 empty commercial properties in Simi Valley and not one of the landlords or owners are willing to lease space to a nonprofit rescue that provides such a valuable service to this community... 

Even more ironic is that our county's shelter currently has more than 600 homeless animals - an all time high in their history - and they continue to struggle to keep the No-Kill status they fought so hard for in the summer of 2012... They have stopped owner surrenders for the past week, while we can offer no relief because we ourselves are being kicked out of our rental space!

The 'not in my neighborhood' or 'in my property' prevails... And it makes you wonder about things... 

Simi Valley's citizens have long protested the huge number of massage parlors in our city - to the point we were referred to as 'Slimy Valley'... At last count there were 34, but these businesses don't seem to have a problem finding property to lease... To the point that in January of last year, our city council adopted a 45-day moratorium on the issuance of licenses for massage parlors... Something Mayor Huber spoke out about over 5 years ago... And something our police department has an additional workload to enter and inspect... We, as a city, struggle with the drug problem here as well... Two areas that attract the criminal element - both areas TLC volunteers have observed from the center and reported to the local police department as any good citizen would... 

But to lease to us?... "Nah, not in my neighborhood"... Makes you wonder how many of these commercial landlords and owners actually live in our city...

In the meantime, TLC has no where to go and 57 dogs and puppies in our rescue... And five days to move.

2 more reasons...

No, make that three more reasons to spay or neuter your pet... Their mom (Lady Love) almost lost her life bearing these two little munchkins on Saturday (2/13/16)... 

A teeny tiny little black doll baby of a Chihuahua, Lady Love should have NEVER gotten pregnant in the first place... And whatever male she bred with was much larger than she was... In turn, she carried and then tried to give birth to puppies that were much too large for her... 

Dumped in a shelter because she was pregnant, Lady Love MUST have been someone's loved and treasured pet at one time in her life... She's 'maybe' 4 pounds when not carrying pups, and just as friendly and cute as can be... 

Not one person comes into my nursery and does not comment on her beautiful appearance and personality... She has such a winning smile and is always SO glad to see you... Friendly as can be, Lady Love is a jewel and her owner should have spayed her so she would not have had to go through this... 

She began the birthing process EARLY in the morning on Saturday and struggled, struggled... FINALLY the first pup was born, and with due diligence, she immediately broke the sack, breathed life into her and cleaned her up... When the second pup began its way down the birth canal, Lady Love struggled once again... I could clearly see that this pup was far too big for her to birthing... 

I did everything I could in my 'experience rescuer tool box' and was seconds away from rushing her to the ER for an emergency C-section (a $1200 - $1800 procedure even for a rescue)... Lodged in between, I was not sure the pup and Lady Love would have survived the 12-minute race to the facility, so I did my very best... Once born between the two of us, Lady Love did her part with the placenta and I did mouth-to-mouth without success... A little boy, he crossed the Rainbow Bridge with supreme effort by all of us to no avail... 

The third and final pup was no different... A female myself who has given birth, I was cringing inwardly as I watched Lady Love strain to give birth to this pup... 

And I pushed aside the anger I felt towards the owner for not taking better care of this lovely female Chihuahua...  Not the time nor place - the puppies' lives were at stake along with their mom's life...   The anger could come later, so here it is...  Black dogs are the last to be adopted and the first to be killed in our shelters - it is our mindset about what colors are good and which are 'evil'... If you want to know more about this phenomenon, Google "Black Dog Syndrome"... We deal with it every day in rescue and at TLC offer a discount every Friday on the adoption donation in the hopes the black dogs find furever homes faster... 

And then... 

We kill an estimated 8 million pets in this country each year because we have an epidemic of unwanted homeless pets... Simply going and spay/neutering your pet will stop countless unwanted litters that have high mortality rates and moms that suffer unwanted pregnancies and deliveries... In my 36+ years of rescue work, I have bottle-fed countless litters whose mom has died, trying to give birth... Orphans without a mom, sometimes we save a majority of them - sometimes we lose the entire litter through nights and nights of 3-hour, round the clock feedings... 

I have taken on moms with prolapsed uterus issues, giving birth in fields where the pups and mom's uterus is loaded with grass clippings and fleas... We have taken in moms and dads plus the litter when the two pets were not spayed & neutered and the inevitable occurred... An unwanted pregnancy and an unwillingness to raise the puppies... 

If you cannot do the 'right thing' in regards to your pets, you really should not have them at all... And the 'right thing' is to spay or neuter your pets unless they are show dogs and have legitimate waivers to remain intact... I doubt few reading this blog post have a $6,000+ show dog but many do have pets that are still intact... 

There are SO many low cost spay and neuter options available to all of us... And if you allow your pet to remain intact, you GREATLY increase their chance of testicular or ovarian cancer, cutting short their life... Because you could not afford the $60 to do the 'right thing'?

Are you aware that conservative estimates now state that for every 10 puppies born in this country, only 1 will live out its normal, healthy life into old age?... The other nine will die early because of illness, neglect, car accidents, lack of yearly veterinary care, etc... What gives us the right to kill like this - intentionally or accidentally?

Before you believe you are not part of the problem because you do not have a pet, please allow me to share this fact with you... If you are a taxpayer in California, 8% of what you pay in taxes goes to the care, feeding, housing and eventually killing or adoption of unwanted homeless pets... Whether or not you own a pet... And until we as voters and taxpayers say, "Enough is enough" (whether you are talking to your legislators or to your neighbor who just HAD to buy that puppymill puppy that is still intact and will produce more unwanted offspring), we are ALL a part of the problem... 

Unwanted homeless pets and their offspring is everyone's problem and until we are ALL a part of solution, it is not going to go away, folks... Whether you have an intact male who is not neutered, or a female who is not spayed... Whether you do not own a pet but are not speaking out to those pet owners who leave their pets intact... 

We cannot sustain No-Kill here in Ventura County and across the State of California unless we all get behind the efforts to stop unwanted homeless pets from entering our shelter and rescue systems...  Please think of Lady Love and the struggle she had to bring these puppies into the world... 

It's a Wonderful Life...

On Saturday evening, after we closed the rescue center for the night, many of the TLC volunteers came in for our "M&M"... We have a monthly (quick) meeting and then most stay and watch a movie together... 

We hold them in the Educational Corner at the rescue center... A soft, comfy corner that is filled with cushy leather couches and chairs... "Santa Don" donated a large TV and DVD player for this area and this is where we also hold our workshops, groups meet on a weekly basis, etc... It is a nice, "homey" kind of area that came to be, due to kind donations of furniture and a lot of dreams... A LOT of dreams...

This year has been especially trying for TLC... Promised for years that we would always have a spot at the mall, we hung in there through all of the reconstruction - times when we were missing parts of the roof and rain came in, ruining equipment... Other times when the steel was being worked on and sparks came down, burning our dogs and setting fleece on fire... But we believed in the promises, emails and statements that were made to us - after all, a man (or corporation) is only as good as their word(s), right?...

All along, we asked for a bigger spot when told that one day we would have to move... We wanted a place that workshops could be held so we could teach people how to keep their pets instead of surrendering them... And as we stayed in a constant state of "you are going to have to move as the redevelopment plans move towards your area", we slowed down the number of dog lives we were saving in anticipation of that upcoming move... 'Next month'... 'Next spring'... 'Early summer'... etc.

Each and every time our volunteers were asked to support or join into something at the mall, we were there...  In force... Eventually our small piece of real estate became valuable with large restaurants opening up nearby...  Our use as a community nonprofit at city council meetings was of no value after we helped push through the digital signage on the 118... And we were advised to look elsewhere, outside of the mall, to save dog lives... 

Finding a new location was not easy, and this time the location was not free... We had been doing extraordinary things with the donations we got each month, saving this dog who needed a $1400 surgery... Putting in 6 months of expensive vet care to save that litter infected with ringworm... We came to the realization we either shut down TLC all together or found a location that required rent to continue on with our mission of saving lives... 

I put it to the TLC volunteers for a vote... After all, we are a team and it was going to take a LOT of hard work to happen... Many commercial property owners turned us down, not wanting a dog rescue on their property... Others were priced so expensive, we knew no matter how hard we worked, we would not be able to adopt enough dogs and puppies to make the rent each month... We looked at 51 empty business locations around the city before narrowing it down to three and finally deciding on the spot we are today... Yes, the rent is almost $5,000 a month plus utilities and we scrape by each month... But we also have 4 times the space we had previously and both our dogs and volunteers are better for it... 

And then the REAL work began - laying floor tile, painting, moving the vast amount of equipment we have along with the dogs and puppies... It was a nightmare I will never be able to go through again in my lifetime... 

As I looked around the Educational Corner on Saturday night, my mind replayed the past six months of agony, sweat and perseverance that we would not fail the dogs of Ventura County... As I watched TLC volunteers opening 'Secret Santa' gifts, I thought about all the gifts I have been given throughout the years... 

I know if I had a flat tire at 10PM on a dark, lonely road, there is at least 10 of the TLC volunteers I could call and probably 9 of them would come out on a moment's notice to help me... If not all of them at one time!... I have listened to personal struggles, triumphs, complaints, comments, compliments and just about everything else in between!... I have laughed with and loved all of these folks, who come together with no hidden agenda beyond the desire and commitment to be a part of the No-Kill movement in our county... 

It certainly isn't to be paid or to 'dabble' in something... They all work hard and bust butt, doing what we do... We count our 'payment and reward' as the smiling faces and joy that shows when adopters post their happy photos of their new BFF on our Facebook page or email them in to us... Alumni come by and tell us how great their adopted dog or puppy is, how much they love them and thank us for doing what many others cannot, day in and day out, 364 days a year... 

We laugh a lot among ourselves... The goofy antics of Kathryn, our oldest volunteer at 71... Or other funny things that happen... 

And we cry with each other when one of our furbabies grows old and passes over the Rainbow Bridge, having been loved deeply by one of the volunteers... The circle of Life, ya know?

Loving and laughing... What a great combination, huh?... Hard work aside, this is the most incredible group of people you will find... Numbering over 60 now, it does not matter what age, financial background or education or even sex... 

I always say I have the best volunteers in the county, and I saw it with all sincerity and love... (even if they buy me puppy slippers and laugh at me during the modeling of them!  )... 

We joke among ourselves that TLC has reserved a complete complex up in Heaven... No more poop (clouds are always white, right??)... Dogs will all be healthy and no more vet visits... I requested a dance floor personally... A few of us have asked for a nice spacious kitchen that we can cook in, plus a HUGE dining room table to fit us all in once the meals are made.... 

The husbands of the TLC volunteers have already reserved HUGE wide-screen TVs, and us ladies joke that we will need tables and tables for the massive amount of remote controls required to run all of those gadgets!... Lots of green grass for the dogs and puppies to run in, and a storehouse of warm, comfy beds for one and all to sleep in... No more bills, no more struggles... Just loving each other and our fur-babies without pain or suffering... Just puppy slippers for one and all!

Who would have thought over 6 years ago, a dream of mine spawned by an off-handed comment of my husband's would have evolved into a full fledged rescue center, running 7 days with over 300 volunteer hours a week required would ever come to be?  

Think about it... Just 2,386 days ago, this was all a thought and a dream... And today the TLC volunteers have saved 2,431 canine lives... That is more than one life each day for each day of our existence... And the year is not over yet...

It is TRULY a wonderful life, just like the movie we picked to watch... Not born out of profit or greed, but just because it is the right thing to do... To reach a point where no healthy, adoptable puppy or dog has to die... Just how great is that???!!!  TLC and its volunteers ROCK... what a GREAT group of folks I am proud to be a part of!!!

With much love,
Linda

P.S.  I have to show off my gift from the volunteers... It was given to me on Saturday night as they told me I am the 'heart of TLC'... It is my birthstone and I have been thinking about this for the past six months... I have not worn my birthstone in years and I've been thinking maybe I should again before I curl up and die somewhere.   It was kind of a shock that I was given this - I had been looking at the entwined hearts jewelry the past few months as well... When I opened it (knowing I had not told anyone about these two separate thought processes), and seeing both together in one gorgeous necklace, I was a bit spooked... And so like a baby, I had to well up in tears as I opened it.  I will wear this proudly because I know it was given to me with lots and lots of love!

What part of 'No'....

As a rescue organization, it is our job to save dogs from dying in the shelter, get them healthy again after the owner couldn't afford needed vet care (or wouldn't spend the money), rehabilitate dogs with behavioral issues and get them back up to an adoptable standard... Or if nothing else, stop the clock from ticking on a great dog, who through no fault of their own, ended up homeless and unwanted... 

And because we are No-Kill, we go beyond extraordinary means, each and every day of the year to step up and not fail these dogs we have rescued when the general public has failed them first... 

The bottom line is to find each and every puppy or adult a GREAT home - the best that we can find... 

But here is the rub - each and EVERY time we have turned down a potential adopter because their home was not the right home for one of our dogs or puppies, one of the first things we hear is either "You do not know who I am" or "I will ruin your organization through social media" or "I am going to report you (and/or shut you down)"... 

We don't deny many adoption applications as a rule... We educate folks with pools so their new puppy does not fall in and become a dead puppy floating in it... We educate the general public about the need to go out with their white dog at 6AM to go potty because they leave close to the coyote hunting grounds, and our dogs are prime coyote bait... We encourage people to adopt according to their lifestyles and how much actual time they have to spend with this dog, versus wanting a dog like their sister has, etc... We teach people that a 10-year old Chihuahua is NOT old because of the long life-span of this breed... And we show the general public that not all Chihuahuas are 'yappy, nasty dogs' as they visit the rescue center and see the non-Chihuahuas to be the ones we work the hardest on because the previous owner did not change the barking habit...

But when we receive an adoption application that we know from first hand experience is not going to be a furever adoption, we don't shy away from explaining why their application is not being approved for this particular puppy and that an older puppy or dog is a better fit... 

And lets face facts - if you have 4 children under the age of 6 years old, do you REALLY have enough time in each day to give to a canine when your children demand so much of your attention and deserve the very best of you for the next 12 years?

But when we do say no and you are not willing to listen to reason (or listen to our years and years of experience doing rescue), it gets real old real fast to be threatened with social media... Because if you don't respond and tell both sides of the story, it hangs out there for someone else to come along, read it and decide against adopting from TLC and saving a dog or puppy's life... 

And the general public seldom, if ever, tells both sides of the story... 

The majority of the time, I just let it go... I know why we have said no to someone and the bottom line to us is that 'it is all about the dogs', finding them homes that are furever and that these dogs won't show back up in a local shelter down the road... And when they do, we go back in and rescue them a second time because that is our commitment to any puppy or dog we save... 

BUT, on occasion I have to step into social media and tell the other side of the story... Application came in yesterday from someone in another state (outside of California)... Woman has 2 Brittany Spaniels and a 5-month old baby... Interested in one of our teeny tiny Chihuahuas that maybe (just maybe) will be 3 pounds when fully grown... This Chihuahua is bonded with another small Chihuahua as well... But only the smaller puppy is desired... And this woman intends to leave this Chi puppy alone for at least 8 hours a day... 

Adopting a bigger, older Chihuahua who can withstand being left alone 8 hours a day with two 30-40 pound Brittanies is not an option for her... Adopting a more hardier dog that can easier withstand the safety issues of children learning to walk is not an option... Explaining that our rules about not placing petite dogs in with young children came about because of children falling on our dogs, breaking legs and the owners not being willing to pay the surgery bills to either fix the leg or amputate it, opting instead to euthanize the small dog until we were called and took back the dog... 

I could have been polite and simply said we don't adopt out of state, but being honest, we do adopt out of state when it is a great application... I could have been polite and explained further than I did that putting a teeny tiny with big dogs is very difficult to do - but I know it can be done because I do it at my home... However, I don't have a 5-month old baby that needs my attention and I don't work full time out of the home either... 

The compromise offered (a larger, older dog) was not one she would accept... And called numerous times to the rescue center to argue with us about being denied on this puppy... Finally, when reason and logic was not working in this conversation - and I would not approve the application - I heard that usual threat.... "I am going to social media to tell everyone what a horrible organization you are running"...

So you tell me... When does social media bullying end?... When we are willing say, "Oh, it is just a dog and who cares how the adoption ends up down the road?"

Would you.... ?

Human beings are very much visual creatures... There is a process from the eyes to the brain, stopping off along the way for opinions (based on fact or not), so you tell me.... Would you let this man date your daughter?

Odd question to ask, I know... 

But it brings to my point... What we see and then think - or judge - is not always reality... 

Sometimes our visuals, combined with our opinions, keep us from some of the better things in life... Now, maybe this man does look like he might be on a poster at the post office, but look at the same man with his beard and hair cut... 

While you might be one of those folks that likes the 'wild and wooly' look, there are others that believe this appearance would not be someone you'd want to see your daughter with!  Especially if you did not have the chance to get to know the guy without the visual appearance clouding your mind...

A few weeks ago, I was in a tool store and the gentleman in front of me was dressed in coveralls... An older gentleman with gray hair that was going in many different directions ("bed head"), he had a piece of some tool in his hand and I guess (?) needed to make sure he had the right fitting... The gentleman is sorting through pockets, looking for money to pay and I heard the women behind me sigh, whispering underneath their breath that he probably did not have the money to pay for his purchase... That he was holding them up from getting checked out at the register... 

Judging his financial means by his appearances, there were a few other derogatory comments made that I happen to overhear by these women... And as he found his money, and then pulled out a $100 bill from a solid wad of more $100 bills, I stepped back so the women behind me could see this large pile of bills as I said, "Hmmmm.... guess he can afford what he is buying, huh?"

You would ABSOLUTELY be amazed at how much we rescue folks run into this same mindset and way of thinking... 

Some dog breeds (especially those that grow into platinum) are born black... As they start growing from puppyhood into adulthood, they develop the platinum coloring, such as Poodles and Schnauzers... But if someone sees 'grayish' around the muzzle, they usually assume it is age... We have a puppy now that was jet black and tan at birth and although she's only about 4 months old, her muzzle is almost completely gray!

What you see is not necessarily age at all!

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard someone say they picked this dog over those dogs because their choice was not barking but the others were... When in reality, the rescue center is these dogs' home and there are OMG STRANGERS in their home... One would expect any small dog to bark when a stranger comes into their house, right?... Usually (7 out of 10 times), the dog barking first is the one most alert and with the most self-esteem in any of the communal living areas we have set up...  Many times the dog NOT barking is somewhat fearful of strangers and has lower self esteem levels... 

Again, our eyes (and ears) are making decisions upon what we see and not on fact...   Take that same dog, put them in a loving home and give them reason to protect what they think is theirs a few months from now?.... They are going to bark when a stranger comes in... 

Finally, black dogs are the last to be adopted and the first to be killed in high-kill shelters... This FACT is directly related to humans seeing the color black and subconsciously linking it to something bad or evil... We have seen it so often at the rescue center - a litter of puppies and the black one will be the last one adopted... Or that the black adults will take longer to adopt - ALWAYS... No matter the breed, the age or the personality of the dog... 

That is the one advantage of adopting from a rescue center like TLC's... Our volunteers spend a LOT of time with our dogs and puppies... We tend to know their personalities a lot better than at a shelter (especially a high kill one)... Most dogs and puppies cannot be painted with a broad brush - few things are guaranteed to be true in every dog of that breed...  So we will ask a few questions about YOU first and then fit our dogs' personalities with your lifestyle and environment... 

So before judging a dog's outward appearances, ask a volunteer for their perspective of the dog's personality... Regardless of what they look like or their age, they might be the PERFECT choice for you (or to be your daughter's new BFF!)...

Just sayin!

Food for thought....

Most situations in life are pretty much cut and dried... There is a right way and there is a wrong way... You speed with your car and get caught, you are going to get a ticket... You write a check for more money than you have in your checking account, the check is going to bounce, the bank will charge you fees and hopefully an apology to a business after making your check good will suffice... 

We rely, as humans, on the dependability of having few options and not too many choices to make... Most of us mature adults realize quickly that too many options, too many choices or too much of anything translates into stress...

And then every once in awhile, I come across a situation that is not so cut and dried... And I continue to 'percolate' on the matter in my head, trying to figure it out and what is the right answer versus the wrong one... 

So today, I bring one of these situations to you... So that I can share my inability to determine exactly what is right and what is wrong... 

Let's call this lady "Mary"... She's an elderly lady and has a darling little boy furbaby that she loves dearly named "Pepe"... Pepe has an affair and Mary decides to adopt one of Pepe's children, who she names "Prince".... Prince has been raised since a pup with his dad, Pepe, and this is one happy little family... 

Because Prince has been raised with his dad, he has a very strong bond with Pepe... Dogs are very social creatures and isolation is not something they like any more than we humans do... 

When Mary starts getting sick, she makes a hard decision as to what is to become of her two little furbabies when she passes... Having no one to take care of her two furbabies, and knowing just how bonded and close they are, she also realizes that splitting them up is not an option... Nor a kind thing to do... Not many folks want to adopt two dogs together at one time... 

Mary writes in her will that when she passes, if one or both of these furbabies are still living, she would like them humanely euthanized and their remains cremated with her... 

One would think that your last will and testament is binding and that after you die, the people left behind will honor your last wishes, right? Or why do we bother with doing something like this if after you are gone it means nothing, right?

So Mary passes onto Heaven, but Pepe and Prince are still alive... During this sad and tragic time, it is decided by a vet that fulfilling Mary's last will and testament is not an ethical thing to do, so Mary is buried without her two furbabies' ashes... 

Mary's niece now has Pepe and Prince... But because of the city ordinances, she cannot keep Pepe and Prince because it will put her over-code... In the meantime, Prince and Pepe become even closer to each other because their dear mom is gone and in a dog's situational way of thinking, they don't have a clue what has gone on - just that Mary is no longer here and they are in a strange home... 

Natural for them to bond even closer with each other... 

Even Mary's niece tells me these are really great little dogs, but she is ill with cancer and cannot deal with additional problems because of the city's restrictions on how many pets a person can have... She has her maximum by law and that's all there is to it... 

Makes me wonder yet again why we have the laws we do regarding the number of pets a person can have... If a city's restrictions are four, it doesn't matter if you have four 150-pound Mastiffs or four 5-pound Chihuahuas... Four is four is four... And you can state in the law it is for environmental purposes, but four 150-pound Mastiffs leave a TON more poop behind than four little dogs!!

I get it... These laws are to attempt to prevent people from becoming hoarders... But to whom really does these laws have the most effect upon?... 

People who live in a city that has a pet restriction of four, but want more, will simply not license any over the legal limit... The city simply loses the licensing revenue... People that follow the laws surrender dogs like Pepe and Prince... And the county budget is used to take care of little furbabies like this... These two end up in the county shelter and become the taxpayers' concern to house and take care of... 

Unless a rescue like TLC steps up and takes both of these boys because they are bonded... And continues to work extra hard to find an adopter that is interested in adopting not one dog (which is hard enough on a daily basis to find), but two dogs together at the same time so that Mary's last wishes are honored... 

What is wrong with this picture?... And where is the right and the wrong in these situations?

I don't have an answer, and I've been grappling with this since we pulled these little guys out of Camarillo... So, your thoughts are...... ????

Morally corrupt....

Enter the term "how has Facebook changed animal rescue" into Google and you will find over 13,000,000 responses... It is apparent that most animal rescues have found that they can reach out to the general public with their Facebook page, and get more animals adopted!

And in a country that kills over 8,000,000 animals in our shelter system, what a GREAT use and medium, huh?

That is the positive side of Facebook... A medium that is but 11 years old, it has as many members as the Catholic Church (scary thought, huh? when the Catholic Church is a little over 2,014 years old)... And spawned the term "social media" that became a household term even the young children have heard bandied about, watched their parents glued to their cell phones and dogs get walked - one hand on the leash, one hand rapidly checking a cell phone.

Good?... Well, maybe NOT so good... 

And then you have the downside of social media...

Kids that were playground bullies grew up and found the Internet to be a whole new playground to play on in cyberspace... They don't have to worry about being physically punched if someone stands up to them - they just create another online persona and continue on... 

It does not take a lot of courage to sit behind a computer and vent, bully and/or slander - especially if you can do it and the person or organization you are venting about cannot read it... And we all know that EVERYTHING on the Internet is deeply researched and truthful, right?

Last August, I started my 34th year in animal rescue... I've seen small dogs returned months after being adopted because the owner changed the carpet and the new carpet does not match the dog, so the dog was surrendered back to us... 

We've had a dog returned to us because the pooch liked to sleep in bed with its owners... And because the owners also sleep with their Cockatoo, they were worried... Why anyone would sleep with a Cockatoo is beyond me, but we took the pooch back at the rescue... 

And I would have to take off my shoes and use my toes also to count the number of times one of the volunteers have placed a dog or puppy, gone over and over the basic items... 

"This puppy has just been spayed and cannot get a bath for 10 days until the incision site has healed", "We know this dog was potty trained at the foster's home, but we suggest you don't let this dog run free in your home until they know the rules, where to go and adapt to your schedule.", etc.

... to later learn they took the puppy home, gave it a bath the next day and now the incision is infected.... or they gave the dog free roam rights and it urinated on their carpet!  Then a complaint is posted somewhere on the Internet with only their side of the situation explained... And of course, if it is on the Internet, it must be true, huh?



To me, it is a morally corrupt individual that hides behind a computer screen to trash a nonprofit dog rescue like this...

And all of TLC volunteers have all been given a 'No Bash/No Trash' directive in regards to ever discussing another rescue in public - it is quite clear how I feel about this to every TLC volunteer... Rescues should be backing each other up to save more animal lives - not the other way around... Especially because all rescues are painted with a broad brush in the general public's perception... 

There is always two sides to every situation (sometimes there is three even), and for the majority of complaints regarding TLC I have investigated, the vast majority of them are posted on the Internet because we turned them down on an adoption, it was not a good fit for the puppy or dog, etc.

I can't also tell you the number of times adults with or without their children have come into the rescue shop and were verbally abusive to the TLC volunteers... We have had children climbing into kennels as we've asked the parents to not allow their children to do this, for not only our dogs' safety but for the children's safety as well... And then to see a terrible post on the Internet later about our organization... 

There was someone who came into the rescue shop and when asked to leave, turned around and threw a red colored smoothie drink at the volunteer and all over our meet & greet area... We've had parents come in with children and M&Ms, leaving them behind like bunny buds as our dogs scrambled to eat them (and many got sick with explosive diarrhea in the next hours for the very few our volunteers could not grab before eaten)...

We once had a mom whose child have projectile vomiting over half the rescue shop (that had just been cleaned and mopped)... The mom stood there, comforting her child, who continued on with the projectile vomiting of their dinner (salad and other assorted items from Soup Plantation next door)... No attempt was made by the parent to even help clean up, nor leave with the child as I am running around behind them with towels, trying to limit the amount of vomit we all had to clean up off of floors, cabinets and walls ... 

These things DON'T make the Internet... No one posts in a private Facebook forum -  "I just went into the rescue shop and was rude, verbally abusive and called the volunteers some very offensive and vulgar names"... or... "My child left half a bag of M&Ms scattered all over the floor at the rescue shop as those dogs tried to eat them, and I know chocolate is deadly to dogs, but I just wanted my child to see the puppies!  So it is OK!  They are just dogs and volunteers, ya know?"

In over 5 years and with over 2,000 adoptions, TLC has had but one complaint to the Better Business Bureau... From a woman who put a deposit down on a teeny tiny Chihuahua puppy... California law prohibits rescues from adopting any animal over 8 weeks still intact... And the spay clinic does not spay or neuter puppies until they are at least 2 pounds or more... When her chosen puppy was still too underweight to be fixed, we refunded her deposit as we did not have the exact date the puppy would reach 2 pounds and then could be spayed... Mother Nature we do not have control over... Even so, she filed a complaint with the BBB.... Five years, over 2,000 adoptions - and even though this is not a legitimate complaint, it is the one and only... 

We consistently have inspections from the county, the city, code enforcement, the humane officers... And in three years we have never even been cited or had a warning even... In a time when other rescues and pet shops have been shut down by these same organizations!

So for every bad thing you read, please remember that there is two sides to every story... And you have probably only heard one... So as you read, ask yourself, "What is the motive behind that complaint?  Did the person actually discuss the issue with the owner or just resort to posting :poop: on the Internet because they could --- and the real truth could not be published along side of it?"... Is it from someone who was told 'No' on a puppy or dog they wanted... Or a disgruntled ex-volunteer?... One should ask before immediately believing the worst, ya know?  And silence is viewed as support by others... 

Linda
Director, TLC

P.S.  I purposefully left up a 'War & Peace' diatribe on Yelp after the adopter did a foster-to-adopt on a puppy and then refused to either surrender or adopt the puppy, stealing the adoption donation.  I did this just to allow folks to see what REALLY goes on... if you can steal from an organization that is saving dogs' lives, that's pretty darn low... or sit by and watch an organization's great works get dragged through the mud with false slander and/or comments --- that is morally corrupt in my book.