The "Apology" Video

A rescue friend passed this video in to me today - and I think it says it all.  People always ask us why a dog was given up or why the dog was left at the shelter, on the side of the road, on a chain.  There is still a misconception that rescue dogs or shelter dogs must have something wrong with them - that is why the ended up homeless.

Of course - that is not the case.  As many of us know - the problem generally lies with the humans not the dogs.  The dogs just want to be loved and will be loyal to you no matter how badly you treat them.  Any behavioral issues are so often the result of a dog's experience with the humans that promised to take care of him.

Okay - I am getting off my soap box now. Please enjoy the video and pass along so other might benefit.

The Dangers of Obesity in Pets on Nightline

Those of you that know me - or have adopted a dog from me - have probably received a lecture about the dangers of overfeeding.  Many roll their eyes or nod blankly hoping that eventually I will finish my speech. 

This week, Nightline covered a terrific story about how America's pets are suffering from the obesity and inactivity of America's humans.  The story also offered some insights as to how we can correct this problem without much effort.

I thought I would share the story with the few followers of this blog.


It breaks my heart when I see dogs that are middle aged (8-10) who can no longer run or go up and down stairs because of their weight.

With the number of obese dogs that come through this rescue - I have seen firsthand the health-related issues that accompany obesity.  Most of these health issues can be avoided with proper feeding guidleines adding years onto your dog's life.

We recently took in Cheyenne - a morbidly obese Pit Bull who is only 10 years old - but can barely walk.

Her previous owner stopped walking her and started to feed her out of guilt when her husband commited suicide - leaving Cheyenne alone for many hours each day.  We are walking Cheyenne every day now - to work the weight off her - but it is sad to watch.  She struggles to breath after just a short bit of execise - and cannot lift her body up steps or into a car. 

Eventually she will lose the extra pounds and be a happy, healthy girl again - but finding an adopter for a pit bull, not to mention an obese, senior pit bull, is going to be quite a challenge!  The good news is that Cheyenne has a beautiful temperment and gets along with humans and other anmals without issue.  So hopefully that will help her.

Here is a picture of Gouda - my own 10 year old Pit Bull.   He is the same age as Cheyenne - but you would never know it. I keep praying that he will start to get old as he likes to climb book shelves, and open the refrigerator door in search of yummy snacks...It takes a whole day of running around to get him tired!  The point being - that age is not a good excuse to have an overweight dog.

We are alway complaining that dog live such short lives - and having our best friend leave us behind this world after 10-12 years is heartbreaking.  If we just focus on proper diet and exercise  - many dogs can live well upwards of 15.  Please give your dog that chance to be your share life for longer - excercise - feed quality food in moderate amounts.  You both will be happier in the end!