Yard Check

Karma finally came back to bite me for every time I rolled my eyes at people who said their dogs got lost because someone must have opened their gate and let them out.

Everyone knows how VERY diligent I am about my boys' safety. I regularly check my gate to make sure it's closed securely. It's wonky and REALLY hard to get open, so it's just as hard to get it shut. But nobody had been here. Nobody had been in or out of my yard in at least a week. I'd checked the gate 100 times since then and it was fine. It was fine at 4:00 yesterday afternoon, so when I let the boys out around 6:30 last night I had no reason to think otherwise. I went back to watching TV and shortly thereafter, Chicken Wing came and perched on top of the couch to watch with me. Everything seemed perfectly normal.

I got a call from a former Animal Control officer and thought nothing of it. What's up, dude? "Is Beau with you?" I checked his crate. I checked my bedroom. I checked the office. I looked outside and saw my gate open. I immediately went into a terror panic, running up the middle of the street screaming, with her still on the phone. An Animal Welfare and Management truck was heading up the street straight at me (she was in my neighborhood on another call and had recognized my dog). She pointed and I saw Beau trotting up the sidewalk. Luckily, he came to me with relative ease, and I was able to get him home safely. I started screaming for Cheeto. He was gone too.

As the AMW officer and I continued to scour every street in my neighborhood (with me sobbing uncontrollably) I got a call from a sweet young lady who lived several streets farther away than where we were looking. She and her daughters had found Cheeto, wet and scared, but otherwise relatively unscathed. They had him back to me in a matter of minutes but it felt like an eternity pacing my sidewalk. I gave them every dollar in my wallet because I felt like I couldn't thank them enough for bringing my boy home. It was only $14, so it's not like they won the lottery, but maybe she got the girls some ice cream.

The moral to this story is that no matter how careful you are, accidents still happen. Although, I'm convinced this was no accident; my gate didn't accidentally "fall" open. Someone with a grudge WANTED me to lose my dogs, and it worked. People really ARE mean just to be mean. So, take an extra second to check your yard next time you let your dogs outside. It may seem silly, but it might also save their lives.

I'm All Ears

I got a message recently about going to see some pit bull puppies. Because of the content of said message, I knew this wasn't going to be a happy visit. I knew I would be angry and eventually cry. Both of those emotions stood true.

When you Google “dog ear cropping,” very shortly down the list of suggestions is “dog ear cropping at home.” My stomach began to turn at even the question being so popular. The first result is a site which answers thusly: "For the sake of your dog do NOT cut its ears at home." 

I'd copy the entire article but that's pretty much all you need to know. Even when it's done “correctly” I still get emotional about the subject because it just isn't necessary. It's cosmetic - period. Here's an example of a beautiful dog who's probably papered and clearly had his surgery (and it's a serious surgery) done by a veterinarian somewhere between 6 and 12 weeks of age:

A friend of mine sent me that picture on Facebook thinking I'd probably comment with a smiley emoticon. Instead, I replied with outrage because they didn't NEED to do it. To me, it doesn't make the dog look any more handsome than he would have been naturally.


It's illegal in many countries and most states to crop a dog's ears yourself. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is opposed to ear cropping for cosmetic purposes, and encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.


From the Textbook of Small Animal Surgery: “The veterinary procedure is known as cosmetic otoplasty. Current veterinary science provides no medical, physical, environmental or cosmetic advantage to the animal from the procedure, leading to concerns over animal cruelty related to performing unnecessary surgery on the animals. In addition to the bans in place in countries around the world, it is described in some veterinary texts as "no longer considered ethical."


If you've ever had your ears pierced, you know the pain associated with a tiny hole that you chose to put there. Sometimes months of redness, swelling, hotness, and possible infection. Now imagine having half your ear cut OFF while you're under NO anesthesia. If you're lucky, it might be with a really sharp butcher knife. If you're not lucky, it's probably done with some rusty scissors or maybe garden shears.


When it's done by a vet (and some vets won't do the procedure at all) the puppy is anesthetized so that the puppy will stay still, he doesn't feel the pain of being cut, they can somewhat control the bleeding, both ears look the same, the scarring is controlled, and the risk of infection is minimized. After the surgery, the ears are stitched or glued, put in splints (or taped) to train the ears to stand erect until the cartilage hardens with age, and bandaged to reduce the risk of infection and bleeding. The puppy will also receive antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication. There needs to be a follow up visit to monitor the injuries for infection, scarring, and potential injuries and irritation from the splints or tape.


But if you're a backyard breeder with no heart or compassion who only cares about how many dollars you can make off the dog, THIS happens:

This sweet little girl was found with nine of her siblings, ALL in this condition. (With the exception of another female on the property, found dead and rotting in a trash can.) The puppies are at least 4 months old (probably closer to 6 - they're HUGE) and this was done recently.

WHYYY!?!?!?

You can't tell me this isn't cruel. Well, physically I suppose you can, but I'll never think it isn't. Those babies were so squiggly and excited to see anyone come to show them any affection, I picked her up to have this picture taken. She immediately froze. I could tell she'd never been picked up before... she'd never been held or loved. And THAT IS CRUEL.

They were all incredibly sweet and although physically fed, they were emotionally starved. I got into the kennel with them so that they would know what love was, even if only for a few minutes. As much as I wanted to cry, I made sure to hold it back until I left. I didn't want them to think I was sad. I wanted them to know that I was happy to see them and grateful for their kisses.

They were initially awkward and unsure of themselves. They inspected me for quite some time before they figured out I was happy to let them crawl on me. Once they knew it was cool, it got at little rowdy though. I lost my glasses and my hat at one point but I don't remember any other time I was so pleased to do so.

I want to know why the person who did this to these beautiful babies isn't in jail. I've been doing research since I came home and can't find a specific law in Texas that makes this kind of mutilation illegal. I think the best shot they have is a general one.

In Texas, two types of laws protect animals from cruelty: civil laws and criminal laws. The laws are similar but differ in the penalties they impose.

In a civil case, if a judge rules that a person or people have been cruel to animals, the judge may take away their animals and/or order them to pay restitution.

If prosecuted in a criminal case, a person may face penalties including fines, jail or both. Those under the age of 18 are also required to undergo counseling if convicted of animal cruelty.

Section 42.09 "Cruelty to Livestock Animals" and 42.09(2) "Cruelty of Non-Livestock Animals" of the Texas Health and Safety Code prohibits a person from intentionally, knowingly or recklessly cruelly treating an animal. The following actions define cruel punishment:

1. Torturing an animal
2. Failing to provide food, care or shelter
3. Abandoning an animal
4. Transporting or confining an animal in a cruel manner
5. Killing, seriously injuring or poisoning an animal
6. Causing an animal to fight with another
7. Using a live animal as a lure in a dog race
8. Tripping a horse
9. Injuring an animal belonging to another person
10. Seriously overworking an animal.

By seriously and intentionally injuring these animals, I believe that to be torture. Granted, it's not the same barbaric torture many animals endure, but it's torture nonetheless.

It isn't ignored everywhere... just here: ""This man's practice of cropping the dogs' ears without a license and this covered about a five state area, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, even Florida," said Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton."  http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/a-man-is-arrested-for-allegedly-performing-illegal-operations-on-dogs

If you'd like to know more about me and what I do, click either link below:
http://www.sheawhitedogtraining.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DogTrainingBySheaWhite

Be Humane

Hu·mane

adjective

Characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, especially for the suffering or distressed

synonyms

Merciful, kind, kindly, kindhearted, tender, compassionate, gentle, sympathetic; benevolent, benignant, charitable

antonyms

Brutal

I started working for the Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society just about a year ago, give or take a couple of weeks. I was already somewhat familiar with the facility, having performed my volunteer hours there in order to gain my Certification to become a Dog Trainer. In addition to that, I'd been there several times just being a resident of Amarillo.

The Humane Society is essentially the adoption arm of Amarillo's Animal Control. APHS is housed on the same property as Animal Control, and must therefore abide by the City's rules and regulations. This means it is a kill facility.

When a stray animal is picked up by Animal Control, it has three days to be reclaimed by its owners. If it has a name tag, rabies tag, or microchip, the owners are contacted and have five days to retrieve their animal. Unfortunately, the identifiable pets are in the minority. (There are a total of 8 buildings on the property with one reserved for tagged animals; the building is smaller and usually has the fewest dogs in it.) Even then, the owners often refuse to pay the impoundment fees and leave their animals there to die.

The lucky ones who are extended by the Humane Society are granted an extra five day stay in hopes that the small amount of time will be enough to find them a new, loving home. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Through breed specific rescues and external foster programs, an additional number of animals get a ticket out. Because of the Humane Society's new Executive Director and the staff she assembled, adoption rates are higher and euthanasia rates were lower while I was there than they had been in the history of its existence.

Saving lives was important work for me. It was also the hardest work I've ever done. Not just physically (working outside in snow or 100+ degree heat, carrying huge dogs who refuse to walk on a leash because they're so frightened they just shut down), but mentally and emotionally. The staff tried to prepare me for what I was about to endure with pep-talks and warnings... but no amount of second-hand stories can prepare you for the horror or the atrocities that humans do to animals on a daily basis.

My first day on the job, I went with a co-worker to pick up a litter of kittens from the vet. The vet had diagnosed them with feline leukemia. Perfectly happy and healthy kittens are euthanized every day because there aren't enough homes. We certainly couldn't adopt out the sick ones. We took them directly to the EU room and my partner asked me, “Do you want to wait and watch?” Do I want to watch them die? That's enough for day one, thanks. I'll skip it. (Although I would later carry several animals back who were severely injured and hold them while they were injected so that they would know someone was with them. I figured if it was going to be their last breath, they should know that someone cared. Even if it made me cry.)

At the end of my first week, I was given a stack of “yellows” (the carbon copy we received of the intake form from Animal Control) and told to go match them up to the puppies in the kennels of the puppy building. If there wasn't a dog matching the description on the sheet, I marked a blue line through it and kept counting. Those puppies hadn't been adopted. They hadn't been reclaimed. I was counting dead puppies. I drank myself to sleep that night.

Some time during my first month, a family came in to reclaim their missing pit bull. I was relieved, knowing that more of those die than any other type of dog. One more reclaim is one less death sentence. I went to the kennel with the family to leash their dog and could tell the dog was horribly frightened, even at the sight of his own family. Something was wrong. What dog wouldn't be happy to finally see his family and get busted out of jail? As we got closer to the door of the Humane Society, one of the bigger kids said something ugly and kicked the dog. I stopped, stuck my finger in his face, and said as sternly as I could without yelling, “Do NOT kick the dog!” He was stunned for a second but I could tell it hadn't made much of a difference. Within a few minutes, I found out why. I watched the dad of the family drag the dog out to their truck, pick him up by the skin of his neck and his back legs, and pile drive him face first into the bed of the truck. I was FURIOUS.

I went next door to Animal Control to tell them what I'd seen. “Isn't anybody gonna DO anything!?” Nope. According to Texas state law, the dog is that man's property. He can do anything to it that he wants. I was told to let it go. Walk away. Don't get involved. It's none of your business. “If you actually CARE about this job, you'll lose your damn mind.” The Director of AC tried to console me by telling me to give it about a week and if I still remembered, I could have an officer dispatched to their address to do a welfare check on the dog. I wasn't going to forget.

Exactly one week later, I asked dispatch to send an officer out for a welfare check. The dog was outside on a chain, dead in their yard. No tickets. No charges of animal cruelty. No prosecution. NOTHING. “Let it go?” I couldn't.

I came home that night and vented my frustrations on Facebook. I posted a video of L7's song “Shit List” with a caption naming the owners of the dog. “This is for …... whose dog is dead now because I didn't stab them in the face when I had the chance.” (The face stabbing isn't really a thing I would have done. I admit I was being emotional.) Animal Control supervisors saw it and called MY supervisor who then called me and said I had been instructed to remove it immediately. “They might know she posted it, and we can't have that.” I was actually hoping that someone I knew would forward it to them. I wanted them to know I posted it. I wanted them to know that someone was watching and that what they had done was deplorable. Legally, I wasn't even allowed to publicly humiliate them. Within a week, my supervisor had a new list of employee regulations and guidelines we all had to sign, including the promise that we would never speak of or mention anything regarding business of the shelter in public or on social media.

I cried almost every day. Every face behind every kennel trying to claw their way out while screaming for affection would seep their story into my soul. The heart-wrenching indifference of humans was turning me into one of those animals who saw people as the predators. Because I cared - just as I had been warned - my sanity was in serious jeopardy.

I was regularly called a “murderer” for working in a kill shelter. It didn't matter that I poured everything I had into my job and often went above and beyond what it took to get every animal I could into a decent home. Nobody who works for the Humane Society or Animal Control WANTS to see animals die. They certainly don't enjoy it. An overwhelming majority of them are on medication because of it, myself included. It's because of the general public – not the animal staff – that thousands of animals in our area per year have to die. They die because of neglect. They die from starvation by people who don't realize they need to eat every day. They die from lack of medical treatment. They die because people have litter after litter after litter of unwanted puppies who have no homes. They die because people can't be bothered with flea and tick treatments. They die because they chewed on a rug when they didn't have any toys. They die because they're given as gifts to people who didn't want them. They die because people don't have fences and dogs break chains. They die because people let their dogs out and when they get picked up, they don't want to pay their tickets.

The people at Animal Control aren't the bad guys. I've gone to bat for them publicly on more than one occasion. They have incredibly hard jobs and get bashed way more often than they deserve. Then there came a time when they needed me to do it again, but I'd signed that nifty “shut-it” clause. If I wrote anything in their defense, it would first have to be approved by my immediate supervisor, then the board of directors for HS, then finally the City Commission. I wound up posting my story anonymously.

The people at AC are there to keep people and animals safe. Sure, you're upset about your tickets, but would you rather have had your dog hit by a car? Possibly picked up by a stranger who tossed it into a dog fighting ring? (Those aren't just Pit Bulls, by the way. People use Boxers, Dalmatians, Ridgebacks, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, cattle dogs, and even smaller ones who would never be seen as “vicious” by normal standards. Having a Beagle or a Yorkie doesn't keep them safer from sociopaths.) Or perhaps left to their own devices, roaming the streets for months until they starve to death? Is THAT better? No, it isn't. At least when they're picked up and put in a kennel they have safety from the elements, food and water until you come to get them. IF you come to get them. If not, it is then squarely on the shoulders of the Humane Society staff to do their best to clean up the mess with which you couldn't be bothered.

One day I was walking through the Quarantine building for sick and injured animals. I don't remember what I was looking for but what I found knotted my stomach. At first, I couldn't tell if it was the worse case of mange I'd ever seen or if it was something else. My fears were confirmed when it was decided this boy had actually been set on fire. I knew that nobody was going to reclaim him. I knew that he would be dead by the end of the week. All I could do was talk to him and try to comfort him with pain pills and treats.

In this particular instance, I knew that no cruelty charges would ever be filed. No one knew who owned him and nobody knew who did this to him. Nothing would ever be done to the monsters who sealed this dog's fate. I'm positive they're roaming the streets today and this couldn't have possibly been their only victim. Granted, that's me assuming this wasn't an accident. It could have been, but I don't find it very likely.

People often forget that there is a direct correlation between animal abuse and people abuse. People living in a household with someone who can do this to an animal, will likely face domestic violence issues themselves. That's not just me being emotional about it - it's a FACT.

There was another case with a dog named “Sponge Bob.” He came in with a broken jaw and a dried up, dangling eye. He'd been that way for a while. The owner signed him over to be euthanized because she didn't want to pay the vet bill. The Humane Society decided to pay for it and got him to a vet. According to the vet, the dog wasn't hit by a car as the owner claimed must have happened. The break to his jaw was too clean. And since it was the eye on the opposite side of the broken jaw that had come out, the vet determined that the dog was most likely kicked with such force to the jaw that his eye had been dislocated from the socket. Now, because I didn't personally see what happened, I was told not to make any declarations or assumptions which is usually the wise decision. However, once the previous owner of the dog admitted that she had seen her grown, 40+ year old son repeatedly kick her animals, there was very little doubt in my mind as to whom the offender was. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as the vet bills had been taken care of through the generous donations of strangers, the woman decided she wanted the dog back. 

Nobody saw it happen though, so it couldn't be proved. His mother certainly isn't going rat out her own son. Once again, animal cruelty charges won't be filed. And I was once again reprimanded for being too sensitive.

When DO animal cruelty charges get filed? That's the million dollar question I'm still trying to figure out. APHS employs the ONE person who is certified to investigate animal cruelty in the top twenty-six counties in Texas. ONE girl – twenty-six counties. Needless to say, she's a little overwhelmed.

The trick to this is that the Humane Society can only investigate inquiries outside Amarillo city limits. Since that's the case, the sheriff's department of the offender's county must first be contacted. If the Sheriff doesn't feel like picking up the case because his county doesn't have the time or resources (or give-a-damn) to deal with it, it's out the window. There are endless amounts of red tape that prevent these prosecutions.

Earlier this year we were involved with some hoarding seizures from a woman in Dalhart. Our cruelty investigator had been dealing with this woman for four years and couldn't get anything done to her. There were finally enough people involved that the news outlets started paying attention. Once the spotlight was on the officers, they had to do something. After THREE seizures back to back on different properties, more than a hundred animals in total were confiscated. She finally served a few days in jail.

http://www.newschannel10.com/story/20628819/nearly-70-animals-seized-from-dalhart-women-for-possible-cruelty

Aside from that one case, I haven't really seen any others prosecuted. I've never heard of ONE inside the city limits. Why is that? “It's none of your business.” Well, then whose business IS it?

Amarillo Animal Control officers are allowed to give tickets for inadequate food, shelter, and water. That's about it. Their hands are tied because there aren't any laws in place to back them up. Even if there were laws in place in defense of the animals, AC is only there to write tickets. They can't prosecute any of them. That would be the Potter County District Attorney's office. Someone needs to ask them why they're letting people get away with murder.

Some of the more observant readers may have noticed that I previously mentioned I haven't been legally allowed to speak about any of these things. “What makes you able to talk about them NOW?”

They can't fire me now. Here's why:

On Tuesday, July 2, I went to work just like every other day. We've recently been painfully understaffed and it was often down to me and one other girl in the office (who is due to have her baby in 2 days, which left me with a lot of the legwork). I took a call from a sobbing and belligerent woman in Indiana because her pit bull had shown up in our tagged building. I went next door to the AC office to check on the dog's paperwork before I could decide if it was worth the effort to try and put together a transport for the dog across the country.

While I was standing there, a man came in with another pit bull to drop it off. He said he was moving and couldn't take it with him. It happens every day. Knowing that “owner donates” who are dropped off with AC are taken straight to the back room to be put down, the girl behind the counter said, “Sheaaaa, come look at this beautiful dog! Could you guys put him up for adoption?” I exhaled a sigh of exhaustion and went around the counter to see the dog, even though I knew he had about a 1% chance of ever being adopted (and that's a 1% chance IF he's exceptionally well-mannered and has been perfectly socialized). I knelt down sideways and reached my hand out for him to sniff it. He growled. Studying animal behavior is what I do every day. It's not just a hobby for me. I knew exactly what that dog was thinking and precisely why he reacted the way he did. He was scared senseless and had NO idea what was going on. His owner obviously didn't know that or didn't care and proceeded to smack the daylight out of his dog. Right in the face. Right in front of me. 

Imagine being less than 1/4 the size of your protector. Now imagine being dragged into a strange place and not knowing why. Imagine only being able to sense that something is wrong and that your life is about to change drastically without being able to do anything about it. Imagine cowering in fear. Imagine being able to hear hundreds of other animals crying simultaneously just outside the door. Imagine being able to smell the rotting corpses of the other animals who didn't get adopted out and wondering if you were next. Imagine vocalizing your fear in the only way you know how to, and then getting beaten in the face for it by the only person on earth who is supposed to care for you.

Within a fraction of a second, I DID imagine all those things. I felt that dog's heart racing inside my own chest. I was helpless and angry and disgusted, all at the same time. And I snapped.

Before I knew what was happening, I saw my hand raise itself into the air. My brain flickered a futile synapse, “Stop!” But before the command of logic had processed, it was too late. The damage had been done and could not be reversed.

As rumors spread, surely the legend of what happened that day will grow. Years from now, I will have knocked out the man's teeth and given him a concussion. That's not really what happened. Dude got popped upside the head. It wasn't any harder than a mother smacking the hand of her toddler for picking up a piece of candy it shouldn't have... if that toddler is muscular and 6'3” tall.

I went on about my business. Back at the Humane Society office, I called next door and apologized about the happenings. The girl who answered said that the same man was on his way to our office. He was there before she finished her sentence.

I gave him our intake sheet for him to fill out but wanted him to know that I was doing him a favor. I apologized for my reaction while I pulled out my business card with a picture of my dog Beau on it. I told the man, “This is my dog.” I pointed at pictures on the wall of my other two (now deceased) pits and said, “Those were my dogs.” He said, “You got pits?” Yes, I do. And that's why I'm sensitive about their abuse. We went back and forth and I promised I would do everything I could to help get his dog into a new home. He thanked me for my help and shook my hand. I thought that was the end of it. It almost was.

At closing time, I saw my boss come in the office with the Vice President of the Humane Society board. I didn't take the time to consider it odd because I was in the middle of an adoption with some other people. Everyone was smiling and laughing and taking pictures. I congratulated them and they went on their way.

Then I heard, “I need to see you in my office.” Okay. Even in that instance I still had no idea anything was wrong. I casually said, “What's up?” She looked at me with confusion and disappointment and said, “Did you HIT somebody today!?” Oh. That. Yeah. I guess I wasn't supposed to do that, huh? Is that gonna be a problem? “You did it AT Animal Control, ON city property, AND in front of witnesses. It's a HUGE problem.” I hung my head in shame as I finally came to process the situation. I knew I couldn't explain why I did what I did, and I certainly couldn't defend it or justify it. I looked at her and said, “I understand you gotta do what you have to do.” Because my supervisor is also a very dear friend to me, I know it put a dagger in her heart to tell me, “I have to let you go.” I had put her in the position where she didn't have any other choice. I'd finally become too much of a liability. It wasn't the first time the word “liability” had been tossed in my direction, but it was the last I'd hear it in that building. We all knew from day one it was only a matter of time... and the time had come.

All too often I heard the words, “I don't know how you do it; I couldn't do it.” Well, apparently I couldn't do it either. Not for much longer than a year.

I only sulked for a day or two before I started seeing it as a gift. “Emancipation” is a fitting word. My heart wanted a way out but my mind kept telling me I was needed there. The way in which it finally unraveled was the easiest ticket the universe could have possibly handed me. It kept me from leaving in the back of a cop car or in a straight jacket. Either of the aforementioned routes would have been highly unpleasant, although highly plausible as well. I don't begrudge anyone on staff for the way things happened. That was all MY bad and I'll own it. I still love, respect, and miss them dearly. Someone has to keep doing the work that I'm not able to do.

I wanted more time to read and study. I've got that now. I wanted more time to do the job I love – training people and their dogs. I've got that now. I longed for the ability to use what I learned in my year at the Humane Society as an opportunity to teach people through writing about it. I've got that now. As for my sanity? That has yet to be determined.

Feel free to follow my training adventures at https://www.facebook.com/DogTrainingBySheaWhite

Pet First Aid

I recently attended a lecture (or seminar, or class, or whatever you wan to call it) given by the American Red Cross on First Aid for Dogs and Cats. Most of the first aid you'd need to give a cat is the same as it is for dogs with slightly different handling techniques. Mainly, don't get your face slashed off, but that's a pretty good rule of thumb in ANY scenario.

Because I care deeply about the accuracy of the information I absorb, I had a lot of questions during this particular presentation. I've been patching up dogs from minor accidents for as long as I can remember and have always used basics from my medicine cabinet. Since they were selling “Pet First Aid Kits” after the presentation, my first question was “Is there a difference between a Pet first aid kit and a People first aid kit?” The answer I got was “Yes,” but with no elaboration. I can only assume this was in order to sell me a new kit. The "teacher" was also there to show us how to accurately perform CPR and how to find a pulse on an animal, even though she admittedly couldn't find a pulse on her own dog. I'll do my best to refrain for any additional smarmy comments, but you may rest assured I won't be recommending anyone spend their hard-earned money on this course. Bear in mind, this is NOT a slam on the American Red Cross in general - just this one particular person who was visibly irritated by the presence of anyone who might question her lack of knowledge on the curriculum she was chosen to teach. Rant over. Moving on.

Because I'm prone to accidents myself, I've got a medicine cabinet overflowing with random items I've accumulated for the past 20 years. Gauze, ointments, pills, ace-bandages, knee braces... you name it, it's probably in there. If something in there doesn't fix what's wrong, it's probably time for a trip to the emergency room. To answer my own question – and one you've probably asked yourself by now – there really isn't much difference between a pet first aid kit and one you may have for yourself.

BUT! Even though people normally have things around the house, most people rarely have a sufficient stock for their vehicles. Accidents are just as likely to happen elsewhere, especially during spring and summer when you may be traveling with your pets to somewhere as simple as the park for a stroll.

I went ahead and bought a “Pet First Aid Kit” for my truck (mainly just so I wouldn't have to waste the time it took to purchase the individual items). I opted for the “fanny pack” version as opposed to the “in a box with a handle” version so that I could strap it to the head rests and not worry about it sliding around in the back where the dogs usually ride. One misstep by my beloved Beau would have smashed a plastic box into a thousand pieces. If you have a place in your car to safely store a box and that's easier for you, go for it. Here's mine:

Now, to see what's IN it:

In this bag, there are three zippered compartments. Everything came in the middle, so I just put things where they seemed most logical to me.

In the front pocket, I have two sets of rubber gloves, and that thing that looks like a pen is actually a tiny flashlight. People who work with dogs for a living are used to being covered in things like vomit, fecal matter, blood, and any other assortment of bodily fluids all day. Eventually it tends to not bother you... but there might be that one accident by the side of the road that's just a little TOO gruesome for bare hands that you've decided to stop and help with. Gloves are almost never a bad idea to have around. And even if you carry a regular flashlight in your car for general safety purposes, having a smaller one on hand might help in case your dog gets something in his ear or down his throat. If your dog is choking on something, you may need to be able to see it in order to safely remove it.

In the back pocket, I've placed the bulkier items that were blocking my view of the smaller items I finally decided to place in the middle pocket. Here we have two different sizes of sterile gauze packets and three q-tips. Just use your imagination on the q-tips; I'm positive there are hundreds of uses for them. As for the gauze pads, it's best to keep several handy if you can. If your dog ever gets a laceration (or cut) that's bad enough he bleeds through one, DON'T REMOVE IT to replace it with another one. If the wound has started to coagulate, you're just going to open it up again by moving any gauze that's on it. Just put a new gauze pad on top of it and keep applying pressure while you're on your way to the vet because at this point, it would seem as though Fido needs some stitches.

Now we've come to the middle pocket where there are all sorts of nifty little gems.

Yes, that's a person on the thermal wrap. As I've previously implied, ALL these materials can be used for people too, because DUH. But whatever. If you live in a region where your dog may have fallen into an icy river, or perhaps gotten himself stuck in a snowbank, this could come in handy. It's quite similar to a huge sheet of aluminum foil; it's VERY fragile so if your dog freaks out and decides he's going to claw his way through it, he will. If your dog is freezing and you need his temperature up, you may want to put a towel (or a blanket if you have one, maybe an extra hoodie or jacket) on him first, then apply this to reflect back any heat. The fabric will keep him from tearing as many holes in the thermal wrap, as well as absorbing any excess moisture.

Next, we have more gauze. This is the long, wrap-around kind that you may need to dress a leg wound, or to secure the bigger gauze patch from earlier if there's a chest or rib area laceration. Most injured animals are going to want to bite, so if you absolutely have to, the longer gauze can also be used for a make-shift muzzle. Make a secure loop around the mouth (avoiding the nose), go back under the jaw, and make another loop behind the neck. This won't really work for a relatively non-snouted dog such as a French Bulldog or a Pug.

I'm forever finding reasons that I need scissors when I don't have some. (Please don't judge my manicure or lack thereof. I work in dog poop. I don't care.) Your dog may get tangled in something. You may need to shorten a rope to tie something somewhere. (Rope wasn't included in the first aid kit and I'm not trying to imply that it should have been. But rope is one of those things that I hate not having when I need it, so that's in a different pocket of my truck.) If you're in an area where there might be people fishing, your dog could wind up with a fish hook through his paw pad. Use the scissors (if they're strong enough) to cut off the end with the hook in order to safely remove it. Also, you're probably going to need these around to cut the extra gauze length from the previous picture.

Tweezers are another thing you always need when you don't have them. I'm not too sure what I think about these plastic ones yet, but I'd rather have a set of crappy tweezers than none at all. Use them to pull out stickers or broken glass, etc.

Of course, you'll need some ointment. If you can't find little packets like these, just get a regular tube. If your dog has long hair, make sure to sweep the fur aside before applying ointment to a wound. The ointment can actually help you “goop” the fur out of the way if you need to get some gauze on top of it.

If you suspect your dog has ingested something poisonous, don't call 911. They're going to yell at you that 911 is for people and hang up. You should call the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center for specific directions. Here's the number: 888-426-4435 (Enter it into your cell. Right now.) If you need to get your dog to vomit and can somehow get some Hydrogen Peroxide down his throat, don't forget to make sure the bottle is NEW. If it's been previously opened, it won't have the bubbles in it to make it work. This one is only 4 ounces and doesn't take up much room.

This might help you get the Peroxide where it needs to go:

Next is an ice pack... for when you need an ice pack.

Also, here are some eye drops... for when you need eye drops.

I'll save the picture of the tongue depressor because everyone knows what those look like (not to imply that most of you didn't know what scissors and tweezers are - I'm just tired of loading pictures). “But why would I need that!?” Well, mainly if your dog is choking on something and you're not really sure what it is. As soon as you try to look in your dog's throat, his tongue is going to back up and block your view. In addition to using it for its actual purpose, you can also use one to help build a splint if you have a smaller dog with a leg injury.

Lastly, we have a styptic pencil. The main ingredient in most of these is aluminum sulfate and it's used on cuts. Most groomers use a styptic powder for when they cut nails into the quick to stop the bleeding. (Before safety razors were invented, it was a standard part of shaving kits and was used to heal shaving cuts.) When applied directly to the wound, it constricts the surrounding tissue sealing the injured blood vessels. But be warned: it's gonna burn.

And there you have it! I'm sure there are other things you could find helpful in an emergency but this is a pretty thorough list. Keep in mind, if your dog has a severe injury, PLEASE use these items and methods on your way to your vet or an emergency care clinic.

Thanks!

(I knew I'd think of something later...)

This won't come in any emergency kit but I ALWAYS have some around the house. It's called Vetericyn and can be used to treat almost any wound. Hot spots, rain rot, rashes, post-surgical sites, burns, cinch fungus, ringworm, skin infections, scratches, eye infections, skin ulcers, thrush, and insect bites. The thing I love most about this is that I use it on ME all the time too!

Amarillo Magazine

A sweet little girl by the name of Sarah Clark thought it would be interesting to do a story about me for Amarillo Magazine. We sent some e-mails back and forth, and met in the park to take some pictures with my dog, Beau. Then this happened. The abundance of flattery was almost unbearable for me to stomach. I snorted awkwardly when I read that she had called me "petite." Granted I AM short but I've also got shoulders like a linebacker, so I wasn't really sure where she pulled that from but I was willing to take it as a compliment. I never considered myself a "star" and I still find myself moderately uncomfortable when people call me a "dog whisperer"... all I did was take the time to learn how to communicate with them. Anyway, that's enough about that. Here's the article:

Amarillo Magazine - Unpathed Path

***I'd like to add a little something to this; an addendum that CANNOT be overlooked. In this article, while I was still working for my previous "mentor trainer", I mention the use of "e-collars", which is essentially a sugar coated abbreviation for an electric shock collar.

It was mandatory (meaning I didn't have an option and neither did my customers) that I use them on my Camp & Train students and I was repeatedly reprimanded for not using them enough. I knew that I could train my students effectively without their use and always tried to avoid it until the last minute. It was during that last minute that my "mentor trainer" would step in and, without fail, shock the living daylight out of my dogs and puppies as young as 4 months old. I watched those babies flinch, scream, try to run away (but couldn't because they were leashed), and sometimes urinate out of sheer terror. It made ME cry to observe the brutality of such a completely unnecessary infliction.

I wound up covered in stress hives and no longer enjoyed my job. As a matter of fact, I began to loathe my training time when I knew my obligation wasn't just education, but causing pain. So, I quit. I walked away from the only training opportunity I thought I had because I just couldn't take it anymore.

From there, I began my OWN training business. I have since then vowed to NEVER use or endorse the use of an electric shock collar. I also strongly loathe the use of choke chains and prong collars. They just aren't necessary. With some time, patience, and proper techniques, ALL of the aforementioned "tools" can be completely avoided.

If you're in the Amarillo area and need help getting your dog to walk politely on a leash, please visit my website for more information: SheaWhiteDogTraining.com

Allegations and Absurdity

The next entry I wrote for “The Dog Logs” was going to be about the foster puppy, Rango, but before I had the time to finish it, something else came along that demanded my attention…

There is a picture that started circulating on Facebook a few days ago of a bloodied and sad little Australian Shepherd. It’s a heart-breaking picture, really. Having sincere concerns for the welfare of this animal, I immediately had questions. How did this happen? WHY did it happen? What kind of injury are we looking at? Is anyone taking responsibility for this?

The picture and its caption were soon spread with adamant intent. The caption varied slightly from person to person with each posting but its general gist was this: “This is what happened when Animal Control picked up Cassie Simms dog!!! This is Auston, he is the nicest dog ever and he was out in their alley yesterday playing with some other dog when animal control picked him up and proceeded to beat him. Those of you that know Auston know that he wouldn’t hurt a fly, this makes me sick to think that anyone could do this to such a sweet dog, or any animal at that. When we went to pick him up this is how his owners found him, his lip was busted, he had a cut on his chest, he was bleeding from his nose, and looked like he had been tossed around. The owners feel like there is nothing they can do about it. The police were called and they won’t do anything about it because animal control is who deals with animal cruelty. We want this story to spread like wildfire. This happened right here in Amarillo, and it’s completely unacceptable. Something needs to be done to whoever did this.”

This caption only raised more questions for me. Dogs don’t belong in alleys. Why was the dog in the alley? Had it run out the door of his home or had he escaped his yard? How did Animal Control happen upon this dog? Was his home near where he was found or had he been wandering the streets for days? My next concern was why the people involved automatically assumed the dog had been beaten by Animal Control. The dog could have been in a fight with another dog. The dog could have injured himself while escaping his own yard. There are MANY questions that a rational person would have asked before jumping to that particular conclusion.

Being somewhat familiar with the establishment, I was positive that there is NO person employed by this agency who clocks in every morning with the intention of breaking into someone’s yard and stealing their dog to beat it bloody (which is the FIRST position the owner took – that later changed). The notion is absurd beyond comprehension. Every single person on staff there owns at least one, if not several animals. Contrary to the currently popular circulating rumors, they’re actually employed to help protect animals as well as people because they CARE.

This is going to bounce around a bit because this story has been ALL OVER the place and it's quite confusing, even to me. Please bear with me as I try to piece it together as logically as possible from the information I have gathered.

The night the dog was taken into custody (Tuesday, May 8), the owner told officers that she would be going to the media because of her outrage over the situation. Animal Control had no problem with that because they knew they weren’t in the wrong. She has every right to do so, should she deem it necessary.

On the afternoon of May 9, the head of Animal Control contacted the owner and asked if the dog had seen a vet about his injuries. She was told that if she didn’t have a particular vet she already used that they could recommend some and would happily pay the bill for a full examination including x-rays or whatever was deemed necessary. She already had a vet that she had seen regularly, so it was suggested that she go see the one with whom she was already familiar. Animal Control also contacted the vet and asked for a full medical report upon completion of the examination because if there WAS any sign of abuse from one of the officers, action upon said officer would be taken swiftly. The vet soon reported to the owner of the dog and to Animal Control that the only injuries found were several cuts in the mouth and a slightly swollen jaw, consistent with any animal biting a staff. The vet also advised there was no wound on the dog’s chest as stated in the caption. The animal displayed no tenderness or soft tissue damage indicating that the animal had been abused in any way.

I soon found a page on Facebook that had been created for the incident at hand: “Justice for Auston.” (I’m not here to question why the spelling of the dog’s name changed 3 times; I’m sticking with the “O” because that’s what’s been most consistent.) They posted the video of the ProNews7 interview where the dog was happily bounding around the yard, playing with the owner, and with no visible injuries. What WAS visible in the video were gaps in their fencing large enough for a small horse to escape.

See for yourselves here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LYzJ9dHW6kU

As people lined up to bash the government agency for their cruelty, I decided to start asking questions. It was only fair to start with the instigating party, to see if I could get a more fully formed side of their story. “If the dog was so severely "beaten" why is he running and playing in the yard? Have you ever seen a scared animal on the end of a catch pole? Have you ever had your tongue pierced? It bleeds a LOT. The wounds could have very easily been self-inflicted and have apparently been confirmed by HER veterinarian as such. Keep in mind there are always TWO sides to every story.”

I know now that these were not the correct questions to ask of these people. The point to the tongue piercing question was that when I was 16 and living in Austin mine was done incorrectly and bled profusely for nearly an hour. I didn't think it was ever going to stop. A frightened animal biting at a metal stick could cause a lot more damage. You could Google a medical analysis, or just read this,: “Mouth injuries are common, especially in children [or dogs], and may involve the teeth, jaw, lips, tongue, inner cheeks, gums, roof of the mouth (hard or soft palates), neck, or tonsils. Sometimes mouth injuries look worse than they are. Even a small cut or puncture inside the mouth may bleed a lot because there are many blood vessels in the head and neck area.” Thank you, Cigna Medical Care.

After logic evaded the “Justice for Auston” group once again, I added that their own posting began with the phrase, "An Amarillo dog-owner is breathing a sigh of relief after it was confirmed by a veterinarian that her dog was not abused by Animal Control officials." I continued asking questions. “Then why the tirade? What justice does she want? I'd think she'd want a fence that isn't full of holes. Not ONCE have I seen anywhere that the owner took responsibility for HER dog being out of HER yard.”

As suspected, the Shea-bashing continued. Rikki Lynn Nicole Quaas replied, “wow seriously ^^^^ thats just insane.... and complete bs. NO DOG SHOULD LOOK LIKE THAT WHEN IN CARE OF ANIMAL CONTROL, and if the "catch pole" is such an obviously horrible way to capture an animal, then WHY USE IT!!?? and not to mention they knew where the dog belonged and instead of getting the owner and returning them home they leave a note???? and catch and "BEAT" an animal that cant speak up. Plus we all heard side 2 to the story ....”

First of all, why am I insane? For suggesting that the owner take responsibility for having inadequate fencing? Lemme 'splain a little something to you. The owner was clearly not home at the time of the incident. Do you expect the Animal Control officers to break into her house to leave the dog inside? No. Should they have put the dog back into the yard from which it just escaped? No. If they had done so, the dog would have easily been able to escape again and what then? Get run over by a car? Is THAT better for the dog than taking it into custody? No.

After this, a young gentleman by the name of Jake Hudson decided to toss another spit wad in the bucket. I'm not here to call Jake a bad guy – he's clearly passionate about the situation, although it would seem slightly misguided. It's obvious he cares about the dog and its well being. He's just not willing to look at any view point other than his own.

“@Shea if you read, there was more than a bitten tongue. The dogs nose was bleeding and had cuts. I understand there are two sides to the story, but when you look at the FACTS, regardless what you think you can not ignore the fact that they left the dog in the kennel to bleed. Im about 99% sure if that was your dog, you wouldnt go "oh the pound didnt do this cuz the vet says so".


Actually, if I didn't SEE any wounds on my dog, I certainly wouldn't invent them. And if I should have my dog inspected by a professional of my choice who agrees there are no additional injuries, I wouldn't be seeking an attorney to sue someone over something that didn't happen and demanding that everyone who was called in to help (because of MY mistake) lose their job because of incompetency.


Jake continued, “Obviously if the dog was bleeding from the nose, there would have been some type of blunt force trama. If you watched the video, the director blamed that on the stick they used. Oh please that thing was plastic, likelyness that the dog was close enough to the officers to hit it on the nose is ridiculous.”


Again, I have to point out some inaccuracies. The poles are metal. The dog doesn't have to be in close proximity to the officer in order to bang his nose on it. The point is to keep the dog AWAY from the officer. If you think this is physically impossible, you've clearly never watched an episode of Animal Cops. If that's still too much effort, you could just take a gander at this video which PROVES the possibilities. I know your attention spans are short, so just skip to the 50 second mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVuC8LHiM3A


Oh dear mother of pearl, he's still talking. “Also Shea, this has nothing to do about her lack of responsibility. We all understand that things happen, dogs get out. But when it looks like the dog was beaten and thrown in the kennel is unjustifiable. You cant remotely consider taking there side on that, if not you dont deserve to have a dog.”


Actually, yes, it has everything to do with her lack of responsibility. And I can forgive the grammatical errors and misspellings to an extent. But to say I don't deserve to have a dog? Them's fightin' words. And it's not stopping there! “Also, i have had my tongue pierced and no it does not bleed alot ;)” I'll give you the grace of assuming you've been misled up until this point but now I can without hesitance call you a LIAR.


For some reason, I continued to beat my head against a virtual brick wall. “I work with animals every day. I am a teacher, a trainer, a reader, and a writer. Too many people are using emotion in the place of logic here. Is it not standard practice to notify an owner if their dog has been picked up? Yes. That's why they left the note. Obviously, the owner was not present when this occurred. Why was Animal Control called concerning the animal in the first place? What did the owner SEE happen to justify - aside from what a veterinarian has already disclosed - the accusations of abuse? What state of panic, aggressive or otherwise fearful as is its natural instinct, was the dog displaying at the time? How long was the dog in Animal Control's possession before the owner arrived? You shouldn't be angry at someone for having questions. I don't want to see any animal hurt when the situation could have been prevented - I care for them as much as anyone here. All I want to know is the WHOLE story. That shouldn't offend anyone rational.”

Here comes Rikki Lynn Nicole Quaas. “There was no questions asked by you. You made a blatant statement suggesting the animals injuries were self inflicted. And absolutely no animal should ever be returned to the owner looking like that ... No matter how long it is in animals cares control. Not EVER. Call whomever you like irrational, fact of the matter is if you see this picture and hear both sides of the stories which we all have and you still want to place blame on a defenseless animal then I don't even have any more to say ...that pretty much says it all. anyway.... enough outta Shea ....”


I pointed out that there were indeed TEN previously asked questions, none of which were answered. You can't say that both sides of the story were clearly represented, then turn around and accuse the news station that the owner went to of somehow providing a cover-up. It can't be BOTH. According to the owner and her friends, the TV station is lying, the newspapers are lying, the veterinarian of HER choice is lying, and of course Animal Control is lying. Everyone BUT the owner is at fault. These people are making my brain tired. I give up. If the people on this side won't answer my questions, I'll ask them elsewhere.


The entirety of my day has involved investigation of every aspect of the events which Cassie Simms has personally deemed newsworthy. Her outcry for “justice” while running to every media outlet in town is what made this information public. I didn't get into this looking to take sides or pick a fight. All I wanted to know is WHAT HAPPENED.


And this is what happened:


It was reported that several male dogs were wandering loose in an alley near Cassie Simms' home. A resident nearby owns a female Boxer who happened to be in heat. The woman who owned the boxer – and had her contained safely in her yard – called Animal Control to have the excess animals removed because they were also acting aggressively to other residents who were trying to use their alley.


At approximately 4:10, the first officer arrived at the location and quickly assessed he would not be able to handle the situation on his own and called for back up.

The people who know Auston well say that he is a very friendly dog and never aggressive towards anyone he knows. This persona can change dramatically when a male dog is trying to mate with a female in heat. In addition to this, he was also being pursued by people he didn't know who were trying to take him away from “sexy time.” In this instance, a dog would be naturally aggravated. That's just science. If you disagree, feel free to look it up.


It took both officers several minutes to corner Auston and contain him with a staff, also otherwise referred to as a “catch pole.” Once he was secured on the staff, he continued the aggressive behavior and attempted to attack one of the officers. This is another reason for the implementation of the staff. The animal fought and bit the staff from the location of his capture, all the way to the vehicle into which he was loaded. Even with the additional protection of padding on the end of the staff to help prevent injuries, he wound up biting his own lip and tongue, and banging his nose on it.


At approximately 5:55, Cassie Simms arrived at Animal Control demanding the return of her pet and accused “someone” of opening her gate to allow her dog to escape or that Animal Control had trespassed onto her property in order to steal the dog from her back yard.


Before I continue, let me show you some pictures of her “gate” and you can make your own decision as to whether or not this scenario seems plausible.

Where else could an Australian Shepherd – whose breed is known for their acrobatic skills - have possibly had the opportunity to Shawshank his way out of there? The more sensible question to pose would be, “Where did he NOT have the opportunity?”

At approximately 6:05, the officer returned to Animal Control with Auston secured in his unit. He was advised that the animal needed to be cleaned up before giving him back to the owner. Both the officer and his supervisor made several attempts to clean Auston up. The more they tried, the more aggressive the animal became, and the more he bit the staff and kept injuring his lip. In fact, he was SO aggressive that even Mrs. Simms could not contain him and had to wait for her husband to arrive before they could leave with the dog.

I'm not here to say who's right and who's wrong, but you can clearly see where my suspicions lie.

I should also add that the ConnectAmarillo.com article containing the previously debated video ended thusly:

“Results of the examination concluded the dog did not suffer any type of injuries from any sort of abuse.

Cassie said she is content with the outcome and glad her dog was not abused.

As for Auston, Cassie said he is doing fine and getting back to normal.

She said her family now plans to upgrade their fence to ensure their pets do not escape again.”

Yet the fight continues because justice has still somehow been avoided. Justice for WHAT!?

Here's what I want you to ask yourselves: Which story makes more sense to YOU?