New Hope Pit Bull Rescue

See? No Need to Be Alarmed :)

2010-08-29T17:42:00.006-04:00

Pit bull adoptions have been fairly slow lately and it's made some of us wonder if folks aren't still secretly concerned about adopting a dog who has come from a "fight" bust. Well we're hoping that here, we can show folks (again!) that bust dogs can be normal, every day companions despite their background!

To the left here, take a look at Sadie Mae. Sadie is one of two dogs we were able to rescue from a small bust in York, SC from February of this year. Sadie bears the scars from her past on her coat, hidden away now beneath the shine in her body and light coloring of her fur.

Sadie's paperwork from the shelter screamed "very dog aggressive" on page after page of the legal paperwork we were made to sign before they would release her. I can only hope today those same folks who wrote those very harsh words in an effort to protect themselves from any liability within the unknown SEE this photo and realize that you CANNOT label a dog ANYTHING without an individual evaluation. Sadie now lives in a home with 4 other dogs and 2 cats and loves every bit of it. We're definitely making plans to get more pictures and maybe some video of her "unexpected" home life as she paves the way for more bust dogs in our region to be afforded the opportunity of an individual evaluation before being labeled a villain.

Last October, we traveled to Missouri to assist with the large dog fighting raid and rescue that spanned across numerous states. In total, over 500 dogs were confiscated in this raid - the largest raid in US history to date! We were able to step in and help with 4 of these dogs, 2 of which are already in their adoptive homes :) Eva the Diva was spotted by her adopter from a photo from hundreds of miles away. The match has gone well and her new family adores her :) Superman Dan was the next to be adopted and is making his new dad smile every step of the way with his personality that is as unique as his looks! Suey Dolittle has gone through obedience training and enjoys a good romp with other dogs with a similar play style and has an uncanny love for children - She NEEDS one in her life! She's so polite with them and can certainly take their usual rough and tumble nature. Eddie Munster was saved before having to go through the horrors of training or fighting and my THAT is a good thing! This boy is sensitive and likely would have made a terrible addition to someone's "yard" for the purpose of fighting. Eddie is a busy boy with a way to make the girl's swoon with his goofy nature and polite but pleading hugs for people.

Want to see a video of two of the bust dogs PLAYING? Check this one out of Dan and Suey when Dan came down for a visit :)

Eddie Munster has improved by leaps and bounds since he came to us in October of 2009. Such a timid boy who is slowly but surely testing out new things in life and gaining a new confidence with new things. One interesting thing a lot of people don't realize but is something that is practically a necessity with Eddie; a LOT of dogs from these busts really THRIVE and LEARN from social interactions with other dogs. Eddie's lack of confidence is amplified in situations when there are no other dogs present. For instance, his foster home likes to take him running to meet some of Eddie's needs for physical exercise.

There are times on these run/walks where Eddie loses his confidence and basically just stops and "pancakes" to the ground in an effort to not have to go anywhere. What his foster home has found is that if he takes the other two (yes TWO) resident dogs out on the run, Eddie has no fears and can make it through his full route. It's amazing what other dogs can teach those who know so little!

And then there's Scarlet Justice, the second dog we were able to pull from the bust in York, SC. She has come with her fair share of advanced challenges quite simply because it's obvious she was heavily involved with the more worse things that go on in dog fighting - actual fighting. While we have no solid proof (ie: no one saw it happen first-hand with her) of her full background, her many scars and old injuries tell us a lot. She's not an easy dog for most people as she has a higher energy level than most dogs out there. She's also not so cat friendly. She's a true pit bull terrier through and through though with her insatiable love for people. Her body melts against your's like butter when she's being petted and she has the drive to do whatever it takes to make YOU happy. We're currently exploring her ability to be with other dogs and we're optimistic for the outcome. Not all bust dogs are going to be easy, but there are many, even with "special needs" that still exude the temperament we all look for with these dogs - their love for people.

At present, we're working out the details on what may be going on and where life may be taking Justice with an injury from her past. See, Justice suffered a break of some sort in her left front leg. It has healed, but because it wasn't attended to properly, we're now seeing some "new" issues lower on her leg in what would be our "wrist" area. X-Rays were taken of her leg last week after a bout of lameness in that leg for the second time in a 10-day period. Those X-Rays showed some very rough "healing" in the outer carpal area in that leg. She was prescribed Rimadyl and we're going to see how things progress once she is through with it. It could be a lifelong issue that will require medication to help her cope with the injury. At this time however, we aren't sure and we're waiting on additional guidance from our veterinarian on what this will mean for her over the long term. In the mean time, Justice is now learning what swimming is all about ;) It's a great form of exercise that doesn't require impact on joints that aren't at their best.

Although such a long post, we genuinely hope to reach people who may have reservations about dogs that have come from these fight busts. We understand, the words can sound intimidating and scary! Especially with all the bad press that abounds! And while the media may not find great stories from positive press since that hardly brings in a slew of ratings, the positive press is out there. And here, this is our PERSONAL experience with dogs from these types of cases. And the people that have opened their home and life to one of these extraordinary animals will also speak from the bottom of their heart just how normal and incredible these dogs can be. Ask someone ;)

Scarlet Justice

2010-07-15T05:54:00.017-04:00

Okay all you New Hope fans! The blog is back in action! To kick off our blog reinstatement, we would like to direct your attention to a girl that needs your help! Scarlet Justice came into the rescue from a small bust in upper South Carolina, yes! Here in South Carolina! Two dogs were saved from this bust, Scarlet being the only one left without a home! However, now due to unforeseen circumstances Scarlet Justice is in dire need of even a foster home.

Scarlet Justice is a special dog that would need a foster home that has some experience with under-socialized dogs and has tricks and techniques to assist with inappropriate play behaviors (i.e. mouthing!). A lot of patience and time would really help with her! We also work with an excellent trainer out in Summerville, SC - Kristie Allen CPDT who owns and operates The Learning Canine LLC., who offers her services to some of our dogs and whom we could put you in contact with to help Justice along in her training.

This girlie absolutely LOVES balls of all kinds and is ready to play all the time! She is very busy, and if left alone can easily find something to do (and not always the best thing)! Scarlet is a very sweet dog that enjoys playing outside, playing “soccer” and jumping into the air for treats!

She, like all of our dogs would need to be slowly introduced into a home with other dogs. Due to her extreme prey drive (part of being a terrier) a home with cats will not be considered as she is always up for a good chase!

Scarlet is about 2 years old and sits nicely at about 40 pounds and surprisingly enough Scarlet is heartworm negative. While we would prefer someone who has experience in her direct needs, the right person who is willing to work with this girl could truly help! Let’s all network and try to find this girl a foster home, or maybe even a permanent home!

Let’s pull together South Carolinian's and help out a dog that came from our own state! Help make a difference in the life of a wonderful dog that needs a loving and understanding home!

If you are interested in helping Scarlet Justice find a foster home, or if you are interested in taking this girl in and adopting her, please fill out the foster or adoption application on our website: www.nhpbr.org!

Thank you for your continued support with the rescue and our needs! This is a truly special dog with some special needs, she has overcome some terrible times and experiences in her short life, and we want her to have a great life from then on! Help us get her a foster home or adoptive home and make her life the happiest it can ever be!

If you are unable to open your home to Scarlet Justice, please consider giving a small donation towards her care and training. No amount is too little and we know Scarlet would thank you with lots of tail wags and kisses for any new toys you help bring her way!

New Hope In Columbia, South Carolina

2010-05-10T16:05:00.007-04:00

Many of you may be wondering why our web site and blog updates have been slow going over the last several months. Well, we won't make excuses, but rather we will just say that our web "guru" has been out of pocket due to a big move and it's incredibly hard for one person to stay on top of html stuff, writing content, keeping track of emails and phone calls PLUS caring for her own 2 foster dogs and 2 personal dogs... not to mention her work schedule and somewhere in there she likes to catch a wink or two. Whew!

Things are getting back to "normal" starting today. Our webmaster is back and with a HUGE update to boot!

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue is now a "chapter" organization, with locations in both the Charleston area of South Carolina as well as Columbia. Isn't this exciting!

As always, we are looking for foster homes in the Lowcountry, but now we are in dire need of volunteers and foster homes for the Columbia "chapter" too. If you are interested in getting involved with a great organization with a wonderful cause, please don't hesitate to visit our web site and read our policies... then don't forget to fill out the application that most suits your desire to help Pit Bulls in need!

We are looking for a new foster home for Superman Dan.

Dan came to NHPBR as one of the "Missouri 500", and one of four dogs that New Hope Pit Bull Rescue took in from the large raid back in July of 2009.

Quite an energetic boy, Dan has come a LONG way in learning how to be dog and is doing well in learning basic obedience and manners. Currently Dan lives in a home with three other dogs and his foster mom feels that he would benefit even more if he were in a home where he could receive more one on one attention and a lot more exercise.

If you are interested in fostering Superman Dan, and can offer a home where he will receive the amount of both physical and mental enrichment a dog of his energy level requires, please read our foster policy and fill out an application.

A Pivotal Moment...

2010-02-24T09:56:00.007-05:00

First, we'd like to apologize to all of our faithful readers for slacking on the blog department lately. We've been incredibly busy maintaining behind the scenes stuff that we haven't had the chance to keep you all updated! Give us just a few more weeks and we'll start feeding your need for New Hope updates once again :)

"Catch the dog fighters and give them the same treatment they gave the dogs!" We've all heard the similar cries of support from those against the terrible act of dog fighting. Folks, while the support to end dog fighting is much needed and must continue, please don't forget that behind every dog fighter busted, there are dogs. Usually 10 or more and at other times it can reach close to the hundreds with one person alone. Dogs that have been encouraged by their humans to respond aggressively towards other dogs. Dogs who want to please their handlers and who may have become addicted to their praise and the adrenaline of a fight. Dogs who have lived their lives on chains, day in and day out, unknowingly waiting for their day to be matched. Many of these dogs die because, you guessed it, there is no where for them to go. We've seen little change in the state of South Carolina in respect to bust dogs. Most would prefer to hide the story. Most would prefer to euthanize the dogs simply because of where they came from, ignoring the individual personalities of the dogs or even feeling helpless as to what could be done for them, believing that there are no resources to help.

Resources. That is why we chose to get involved with the Humane Society of Missouri and Mutts N Stuff in aiding in the placement of 4 dogs from the largest dog fighting raid and rescue in US history to date. Although there is never a shortage of great pit bulls in our local shelters, we knew that by not getting involved, we would have a harder time effecting a change for the dogs in our own state, especially those confiscated from raids or busts. All 4 dogs from the MO-based raid are adjusting well. Its been different teaching them things in comparison to most of the dogs we pull from shelters but it seems primarily because they have never had to worry about learning anything. The only real boundaries set forth were dictated by chains. Teaching them impulse control and providing them with coping skills for new situations has been our largest task with the dogs. They want to make you happy one thousand times over but do tend to forget a lot in the beginning and need a fair and consistent leader. Three of the four dogs can safely play well with other dogs. The fourth likely will too but his foster mom is taking things slowly to make sure a good foundation is laid. To compensate for bringing dogs in from out of our home state, we rescued three emaciated females prior to our trip out to Missouri and after returning, rescued an additional five dogs of mixed genders, ages, and conditions. These are huge numbers for us being such a small rescue.

Our point to bringing up the dogs from Missouri is that they have afforded us the hands-on experience to be able to say with confidence that bust dogs ARE worth saving. I don't recall of ANY cases in the state of South Carolina where even a handful of dogs confiscated in a fight bust were released to a rescue for adoption. Folks, we are at a VERY pivotal point in South Carolina history that for the first time, dogs from a bust could make it out ALIVE! It's already a HUGE deal in our opinion that the shelter is allowing the evaluations! Please understand how IMPORTANT this is. Please also understand that to save these dogs lives, we have to move quickly. We NEED foster homes! If even a small part of you is considering fostering, talk to us! We're trying to make history for South Carolina and build up even MORE resources for dogs in the future and we can't do that without YOUR help.

In Memory of Fay - One of the MO 500

2009-12-30T09:42:00.005-05:00

Although today is Wednesday, and we normally try to do a Wordless Wednesday post, there are words that need to be said about one pivotal girl in the pit bull world. Fay, the beautiful girl with Mutts N Stuff passed away Monday afternoon, December 28, 2009 after her second surgery to give her the lips that the dog fighters took from her. Ultimately, the dog fighters still killed her as her body suffered more damage than could be seen. It was the dog fighters that made her body unable to recover from the surgery, even when everything was perfect before hand.

Fay, although gone today, will always live on in the hearts of the people she met and the minds she changed. She epitomized the love a pit bull has for their people and had the courage and spirit to take in all the new things life was handing her in stride.

It is our personal hope that everyone will take this opportunity to revel in her spirit. She still lives strong in our hearts and each of those who met her and were loved by her, and by those who watched her story from afar. That courage to persevere should stand out in each and every one of us as we all strive harder to eliminate dog fighting, to increase the levels of punishment for those convicted, and to help all the dogs that sadly will follow behind Fay, learn that there are better things in life and that they never have to go back to the hell they came from again. Fay is breathing life into all of us to continue the battle against dog fighting.

Mutts N Stuff has set up a memorial fund in honor of Fay in which the proceeds will go towards "Fay's Phoenix House" a "halfway house" for bust dogs coming from situations like Fay's. Please consider contributing to Mutts N Stuff in Fay's memory. It won't bring her back, but it certainly will help to continue making the lives of bust dogs better. And we all think Fay would enjoy knowing that dogs coming out of situations like hers had the same chance she got.

Rest in Peace Fay. You are loved ALL over the world and we'll never forget you!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2009-12-25T09:06:00.005-05:00

As a special treat to show to all of our supporters, here's a simple photo collage of all the dogs we've been able to help this year! You guys are incredible and make it all possible!

Pssssssst! Click the image if you'd like to see it larger :)Thank you everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

Decorate Our Tree!

2009-12-03T08:07:00.002-05:00

Its that time of year again and we kicked off our December fundraiser. Since we don't have a shelter facility, we have to put up a tree in the virtual world we do have. And guess what? You can help to decorate!

Right now, our tree is fashioned with blinking lights, but there are only a few ornaments and gifts under the tree. You can help with this though, and make the season merrier for the dogs in our program :)

We have several different ornaments available to choose from, and when you donate, you have the option to leave a message and tell the world about your donation :) If you have a special pet or person in your life that you would like to recognize, purchase an ornament "In Honor Of" or "In Memory Of" your loved one.

Click Here to view our Holiday Memory Tree and donation options :)

This season, we have our two heartworm positive Charmed Girls to treat, Piper and Prue. They are advancing well in their new home environments and treating their heartworms is the last thing we have to do to send them on their way to new forever homes! We also need many training supplies to help our foster homes with the training needs of our dogs to get them into new homes quicker. Other basic vetting for our dogs adds up too!

We mention these things because we want YOU, as our supporter, to know where your money is going. Our dogs are our priority and vet bills come first! Your help in succeeding with our goals is much needed and greatly appreciated!

Do you need a little extra push on seeing our tree as a finished product? Here is our rendition of what our Holiday Tree will look like upon full decoration:

Thank you all and get to Decorating!

Another Bust Dog Will Be Coming Home!

2009-12-03T06:55:00.003-05:00

Remember our Wordless Wednesday post from yesterday? Well, we'd like to introduce you to Ms. Eva! This dignified lady is our last confirmed dog (although there are several others we'd like to bring in *hint hint*) from this summer's big Missouri-based dog fighting raid and rescue. Eva was a highly sought after girl up at the bunker and we are HONORED that she will be making her trip down to South Carolina soon.

Eva is what many recognize as an American Bully, a dog that looks very much like a pit bull and has similar roots but was bred to be larger and presumably, less "terrier". She's about 4-5 years old and her body is visibly worn from MANY litters of puppies. It's a bit grotesque and startling to see the ragged appearance of her vulva alone, much less the sagging teats that bear evidence to her primary purpose in life.

When we met Eva, there was no doubt in our minds why everyone thought her to be so special. She's a big girl with a big heart and a wonderful desire to be close to you, giving you kisses and getting her back scratched.

We liken her personality to that of Mrs. Howell from Gilligan's Island. She's not "snooty" but seems to give off that air of prestige one often may see from those who've experienced the finer things in life. Lucky for Eva, she'll get that for sure now, for the remainder of her life :)

Eva's new foster dad has been patiently waiting on her arrival and has been making plans for wonderful things for her like a custom cedar bed to fit her crate and a custom harness! We've been trying to talk him into dressing her up in pink to symbolize the princess that she is. We're still working on him there ;)

Like our other bust dogs (Eddie Munster and Ms. Suey Dolittle), Eva's foster dad plans to take her to her highest potential by becoming a CGC certified therapy dog. And Eva has it even MORE lucky - her foster dad has a very strong interest in adopting her. Her move to her new home in the Charleston area may very well be her forever home. We could only hope all dogs be so fortunate!

Again, we want to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful people at the Humane Society of Missouri and the volunteers that came from all over the country to help in caring for such a massive number of dogs for many months. Another thanks goes out to Mutts N Stuff, our favorite pit bull rescue in the Mid West, for helping us out and being a great mentor through the whole process. This has been an amazing rescue effort and means so many unbelievable things for pit bulls confiscated in future busts. Great work everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-02T07:45:00.001-05:00

Now That's Love!

2009-11-26T08:46:00.000-05:00

If you're ever in New York City, you need to keep your eyes peeled for a very special man with a very lucky pit bull.

We received an email forward Wednesday evening from a rescue partner of ours who's friends with friends of the person who took a very touching photo.

What would you do if your 15 year old pit bull couldn't enjoy their walks anymore because walking long distances drained them of their energy? Would you succumb to life sitting at home while your dog stared longingly out the window? Or would you get your dog a wheelchair?

This wonderful gentleman without a name was stopped by a stranger for a picture of him with his dog. And we're glad the picture made it's way down to South Carolina for us to share with you! This man's dog no longer has the energy to walk to the park and still enjoy the visit to the park. This man showed his love for his dog by getting her a wheelchair. He takes her multiple times a day out to the park via the wheelchair - just so she has the energy to enjoy the park when she does go out.

This man is an inspiration with his devotion to his dog. We hope that should he ever come across this blog with his picture and his dog being showcased, that he will realize what a beautiful example he is setting for dedicated pet owners. We wish we could meet this man to hug him and smooch his dog!

Sir, on this day, Thanksgiving Day, we would like to give YOU a special thanks to being devoted to your dog and continuing to offer her a quality of life that so FEW of these dogs are fortunate enough to experience. Bless you!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-25T12:03:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T18:56:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T08:48:00.001-05:00

New Hope Welcomes Eddie Munster and Ms. Dolittle

2009-11-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

Eddie Munster (formerly known as Eli by the HSMO shelter staff) was the first dog released to New Hope Pit Bull Rescue via Mutts n Stuff. We got the chance to meet him for the first time last Wednesday while we were in Missouri and this boy has got it going on! He's a bit unsure in new situations and places but he recovers quickly and is happy for guidance. He's about 8 months old and shows a LOT of potential to become a remarkable breed ambassador and therapy dog. We're going to be sure he makes it there!

We were fortunate enough to be able to take Eddie back to the hotel room with us that night and in doing so, we got a REAL glimpse of his personality and goofy nature. Check out his debut video.

Now that Eddie has been home for a few days and has really begun to settle in, we're learning SO much more about him. It's taken him a bit to get used to the side yard and thankfully, he's beginning to poop outside without me having to haul his butt out there mid-poop! Yes, we consider these things victories! :) Eddie is a busy boy who is definitely going to need a job. He LOVES to play tug and really enjoys playing with those cat toys with the "feather boa" attached to the end. He thinks the biggest game in the world it throwing himself at you with this big ol' cheesy grin and when he gets excited, he flattens his body to the floor and bounces around! It's mildly amusing now, but may not be when he finishes growing so we'll certainly be working on his personal boundaries and respecting others. We'll be teaching him new things in the future using Bridge and Target training and will prepare him to pass the Canine Good Citizen test in the next few months. He's very responsive to his people and he wants nothing more than to be that good dog everyone wants.

Of course we aren't going to forget to introduce Ms. Dolittle (formerly Mimi) aka Suey (because she reminds us of a little pot belly pig)! When we got to Missouri we knew 2 of the dogs we would be bringing into our program, but Ms. Dolittle here was a surprise. We had anticipated a 3rd dog, but weren't sure who that dog would be until we arrived at the bunker and began our evaluations. We had asked Gale Frey (of Mutts n Stuff) to share with us, dogs that she felt would fit the dynamic of our 3rd available foster home and "Mimi" was at the top of her list. We met her and instantly fell head over heels in love! Thank you Gale and Tracy (of Our Pack, Inc.), for recommending such a wonderfully sweet and full of life girl.

This little girl has such a spunky personality and gentle demeanor. Ms. Dolittle is all about a good game of fetch and will spend as much time as you will give her playing with cat toys, playing fetch, going for walks or just snuggling beside you for some love. And she thinks that kids are the best thing in the world next to Borden sliced cheese! (Yes, she really is a princess... she only likes Borden brand so far. Ha!) She can't seem to get (or give) enough kisses to every little one she meets.

Ms. Dolittle will also be working to attain her CGC certification and become a therapy dog. She came to us with a confidence that said "I will NOT let this beat me" and we have every intention of helping her become a true ambassador for the breed and hopefully make it easier for bust dogs in our own area to receive the chance that these very lucky dogs have been given.

We are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of our 3rd dog, and you can bet we will update again as soon as she arrives safely in our arms. She is equally as wonderful as Eddie and Suey, and we promise you all are going to love her!

We Got To Meet Fay!

2009-11-03T08:23:00.004-05:00

You've read about our trip to Missouri and the feeling of overwhelming camaraderie at the bunker, now we want to share with you some pictures of our meeting with this VERY special girl.

We appreciate getting to meet Fay and have our pictures taken with her more than anyone can imagine, because she just radiates love and is one more dog (like our own Mickey Mouth) who is a shining example of how wonderful this breed really is. We want to share our part of Fay's story with everyone who will listen, and hopefully some will walk away with a new sense of understanding about the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Gale Frey, with Mutts n Stuff, brought Fay out to the bunker while we were there and gave us a special opportunity to meet this AMAZING girl! Fay is something else and it's obvious why she's such a much loved character throughout all this. She is a huge testament to the people loving nature of these dogs and why pit bull fanciers favor this breed like they do.

It's painfully obvious that Fay's life has been anything but stellar. Nobody knows exactly what happened to this dog with a heart so full of love. Our guess would be that Fay was as loyal to her former master as she is to everyone she meets, and wanted to make him happy. You see, sometimes when dogs fight, lips get torn and rather than providing proper medical care for the dogs, dog men will simply cut away the hanging skin (in this case Fay's mouth) and use super glue to piece together what little they can.

Although Fay may look scary, she is anything but! She is so gentle and ever so careful not to be to pushy or rough when showing her love. Incredibly, and as we have experienced before with our own Mickey Mouth, Golda and so many other dogs, Fay has such a soft mouth and when she gives kisses, she seems to have an awareness that bumping a delicate human face could actually hurt.

It's always a humbling experience to meet another dog that's obviously been through a less than wonderful life. We are reminded over and over so many times, why we love the American Pit Bull Terrier so much, and just how people loving and good natured these dogs truly are. Why these dogs are so worth saving.

Fay was of course curious about the environment around her, and as most dogs will do... she would sniff the ground, the plants and the objects around us; but she would only step away for a few short seconds before she came right back to our sides wiggling her butt and wagging her tail. She would snuggle in as close as she could get and her whole body was relaxed. This is what we experience with most of the dogs we meet.

We feel so blessed to have been able to meet Fay, the face of dog fighting and spokes dog for so many, and we wish her nothing but the best that life has to offer for the rest of her many years to come.

Fay is scheduled to have multiple re-constructive surgeries to repair as much of this torturous damage to her mouth as possible. Right now, with Fay having no lips, she is suffering from serious dental disease which is causing her teeth to rot and fall out. If you are able to and would like to help pay for Fay's much needed surgery and help give her a better life, please contact Mutts n Stuff in St. Louis, Missouri to learn where to send donations. We know they will appreciate your generosity and kindness.

Welcome Back! Our Trip To St. Louis, MO.

2009-11-03T05:25:00.030-05:00

First we'd like to apologize for keeping everyone in suspense. Our trip out to Missouri and back was a whirlwind and we're just now settling back down and able to think straight enough to share our excitement and experience with you all. Whenever anyone has asked how our trip was, there is only one thing we can say that describes our adventure.

Unimaginable...

You think you know what to expect, but then all preconceived images that you pictured in your minds eye go right out the window when you walk in the door. We were greeted by such caring and energetic staff, and they were glad to have us there; and we were glad to be there. The donations that have come in and are still coming, the support from fellow pit bull owners, breed advocates and animal lovers is just amazing and far more appreciated than anyone will ever know. The sound of dogs waking up and saying, good morning and thank you for taking care of me is deafening, but really... we knew it would be and what can you expect with literally hundreds of dogs in one space.

We sincerely wish we would have had more than a day, because we throughly enjoyed helping clean kennels and spending time with the dogs. Unfortunately we only had one day to help AND evaluate dogs that we would be bringing home, so we had to divide our time and work in the morning and evaluate in the afternoon. But the team work among volunteers and the morale is inspiring! And the system in place to make sure everything runs smoothly is incredible! Everything works like a truly well oiled machine.

We want to thank the Humane Society of Missouri and every employee and volunteer for doing such a wonderful job of taking care of all their charges and making sure that every dog gets as much enrichment and attention as possible each and every single day. We met so many great people in Missouri and we want them to all know how truly grateful we are for being welcomed and being allowed the opportunity to help, even if for a few short hours. The dogs seemed happy, a few even greeted us with literal smiles on their faces, and most every one wore those great big "bully grins" that we all know so well and adore. They were most definitely comfortable and there wasn't one dog that we interacted with that day who missed an opportunity to share some love and enjoy what we gave in return.

A big thank you to Gale Frey with Mutts n Stuff, for getting Eli (now Eddie Munster) out of the shelter and helping him begin his adjustment to life inside a home while he waited for us to come. And we also want to thank Gale and Pam (of HSMO) for all of their help in working with us on our first bust case. We feel like we have learned so much from you all and we hope to take this knowledge and turn it into something positive for the future of bust dogs in South Carolina.

We also want to thank, again, those of you who helped make our trip to Missouri happen. Without your support, we would have never experienced such an awesome event and brought home so much knowledge or our first 2 wonderful dogs. Thank you thank you thank you!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-21T09:38:00.002-04:00

Rescued - Not Damaged!

2009-10-20T11:35:00.000-04:00

It's amazing at times how many people comment that adult dogs are "damaged", or that shelter or rescue dogs are "damaged". A lot of people who contact us only want puppies because of the thought that the adults are "damaged".

We've had many dogs come through our program who appeared damaged on the outside - parts of lips missing, scars on their faces and legs, skin and bones, etc. These dogs, these ADULT dogs have been some of the BEST dogs we've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

We know little of their past and at times, can only speculate on how they came to wear some of the scars they possess. These dogs are a testament to the fact that the scars on the outside only tell a story and have no bearing on the soul of the dog on the inside.

We have SO many wonderful stories of dogs that have come through, there is no picking a favorite, so we'll share a couple of them. Golda was probably our "worst" case as we were able to hear more of the story on how she was found than some of our other dogs.

Golda's first picture alarmed us and broke our hearts. The lip, the overgrown nails, the skinny little body...Golda was found, half dead, on the side of the road by a good Samaritan in late April of 2008. The shelter treated her for her heartworms and spent a couple of months putting the weight back on her and cleaning her up. We were contacted in August of 2008 to bring her into our program and it took us a month to find a foster home for this beautiful girl. When we got to meet Golda, she melted our hearts. And that doesn't even begin to describe how this girl touched us. She was soft, inside and out and greeted us with her belly to the ground, head low, offering signals left and right that she meant no harm. She'd make a lap around the play yard and sidle right back up to one of us for some affection. What a peach! And we can't forget getting her in the car! This girl was so unknowing about much of anything that she had to be picked up and put into the car when we left with her. She slept the whole way back to Charleston with her head on our Assistant Director's leg, drool and all :)

Golda blossomed into such a wonderful dog! It took some time to figure out that it was okay to go in the house. She'd never experienced it before. It also took some time to learn not to potty in the house, but with proper direction, she picked right up on it. She wanted nothing more than to climb in your lap and lay there for hours! How could a dog like that be damaged? She was just never taught about the finer things in life!

Fortunately, a wonderful family came along and Golda was a perfect match for their home. She's now living it up blocks away from the beach :) She's one of our greatest "rags to riches" stories :)

Bones is another wonderful dog that graced many people with his loving and affectionate nature, despite an unknown past. Back in May of this year, Bones was brought into one of the areas highest kill shelters as a stray. This boy was skinny and had old scars around his face and legs. There was also a chunk gone from his tongue! Was he in a fight? At some point in time, probably. Was he a fighter? Well, frankly no one knows. Does it really matter? Bones did SUPERB in his evaluation and regardless of his past, he was a dog we wanted to see make it. And he did :)

Amazingly enough, we were able to find a foster home for Bones and got him out of the shelter within two weeks. He spent some time in foster care where we did learn that he liked to chew on things but, can you really blame him? He was never taught not to chew! The best thing of all though that we learned about him, he made a wonderful cuddle buddy :) He'd lay on his back for hours for you to pet him. Let him on the couch with you and it was time to stretch out on his back next to you and snuggle! Bones came to us, scars and all, a naturally good boy with a desire to please and a drive to get you to love him. His goofy, adoring nature epitomized what we look for in these dogs and naturally, he won over a great couple who wanted to take the next step.

Bones and Golda, although they had visible scars on the outside indicating their lives may not have always been so great, are far from "damaged" dogs. That is the greatest and most amazing thing about these dogs is that they can wear their scars from the past and not dwell on them like we humans tend to do. It's dogs like Golda and Bones that make great therapy dogs. Its dogs like Golda and Bones that can send home the message to the public that rescued does NOT mean damaged.

Courts Release Dogs From Raid into Custody of Humane Society of Missouri

2009-10-14T22:02:00.021-04:00

Did you hear the great news? The Humane Society of Missouri made a press release announcing that two districts involved in the huge Missouri-based dog fight raid and rescue released the dogs into their custody! Isn't this fabulous! So many people were worried these dogs wouldn't have a chance. Well, here ya go folks; they're getting it!

Now, are you ready for him? Eddie Munster, formerly Eli, was released to Mutts-n-Stuff on behalf of New Hope Pit Bull Rescue Wednesday, October 14, 2009! Mutts-n-Stuff will be caring for Eddie until we're able to make it out there at the end of October.

Doesn't he just make you weak at the knees? Our hopes for Eddie are high, as he will be one of 2 dogs from the MO bust that we will be training to become therapy dogs. A third dog coming to New Hope Pit Bull Rescue already has an adoptive home lined up and will attain her CGC certification prior to her adoption being complete.

The American Pit Bull Terrier is a good-natured, amusing, extremely loyal and affectionate breed that is good with children and adults alike. It should come as no surprise that Pit Bulls make great therapy dogs. Just look at Leo, one of the dogs seized from the property of Michael Vick back in 2007. A former bust dog turned therapy dog and a major contributor to the health and well being of so many people!

Therapy dogs play such a vital role in the lives of many people. They visit hospitals and nursing homes; helping to fulfill the emotional needs of patients, doctors, nurses and every life they touch. My own son and family even enjoyed an entertaining visit from a therapy dog when he spent his first birthday in the hospital at MUSC. Therapy dogs are also used in literacy programs and visit libraries and schools, spending time with children or adults who may have difficulty learning to read. These are only a few of the jobs that therapy dogs do, for there are many many more!

We feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to help with the Missouri dogs, and we are grateful for the relationships we've built over the last few months with groups like HSMO, Mutts n Stuff and Our Pack, as well as people from organizations like the Real Pit Bull. We truly hope that by teaming up with such a wonderful group of organizations and people, and working to bring some of the Missouri dogs home to South Carolina, we'll be given the chance to help save dogs seized in fight busts and abuse cases right here in our own state.

There are still many more dogs at the secret location in Missouri who need our help, as well as dogs right here in our own area shelters. If you are interested in fostering a dog for New Hope Pit Bull Rescue, please visit our web site and fill out a foster application today. These dogs need you to help us help them!

Fay Heads to Mutts N Stuff!

2009-10-10T21:27:00.006-04:00

Remember this face? You may recognize her from the big Missouri based fight bust from back in July. Many of you have been pining away for her in hopes she'd be saved. Well, she has been!

Mutts N Stuff sprung her from her secret location today and she's on her way to a new life! They're searching for a plastic surgeon to help restructure her lips as her teeth are beginning to rot and its difficult for her to eat, much less keep saliva in her mouth *wink*

Fay will also be the first dog lined up for the Phoenix House, a building to house dogs from "fight busts", like Fay, with no where to go or who may not adjust as well to life inside a home immediately. Please consider donating to Mutts N Stuff today!

The Stars Aligned for Penny Lane!

2009-09-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

Robert and family, we aren't sure how you found Ms. Penny Lane, but we're simply elated that you did, that you fell in love, and that you made the long trek from Connecticut to add such a wonderful girl to your home :)

Congratulations guys and we look forward to updates in the future!

Charmed Means "Filled With Wonder And Delight"

2009-09-21T08:08:00.000-04:00

We're here to share some new pics of our Charmed girls! These were taken last week but we think it'll get you by until we see them again soon :)

Check out Piper and Phoebe working it for the camera at the vet!

While at the vet, we actually learned that the heartworm test results got swapped for Phoebe and Piper. Phoebe will be ready to go to her new home soon as she is heartworm negative. Piper and Prue (shown at the end of the slideshow below) should be ready for their new homes around January after they go through their heartworm treatments. If either of them steal your heart though, don't hesitate to ask about a Foster to Adopt situation :)

Shout Out To Our Friends at Mutts n Stuff!

2009-09-16T08:53:00.011-04:00

A big congratulations is in order for our friends over at Mutts n Stuff in St. Louis, Missouri, who announced yesterday that they are building a new facility to serve as a "halfway house" for pit bulls rescued from fight bust cases who have no where else to go after being released by courts.

The dogs in the cases are held as evidence until they are no longer needed by the courts, then they're released, often with no where to go. Suitable foster homes aren't always immediately available, and the dogs often require time to learn basic manners.

"Phoenix house will provide these dogs with a place to be cared for as they make the transition from victims to evidence to beloved family pets and breed ambassadors," said Gale Frey, founder of Mutts-n-Stuff.

The facility, named for Phoenix - a dog previously rescued my Mutts-n-Stuff, is being built on land donated by a previous adopter.

While construction for the building is already in progress, your donation is greatly appreciated. Please send your love and contribution to:

Mutts n Stuff
P.O. Box 187
Foristell, MO 63348

We are so happy for and proud of our friends at Mutts n Stuff! Maybe one day we can make something like this happen for bust dogs in our own area.

5 Plead Guilty In Missouri Fight Bust Case!

2009-09-16T07:30:00.009-04:00

St. Louis, MO, September 14, 2009 -- The Humane Society of Missouri today confirms guilty pleas have been entered in connection to the July 8, 2009 multi-state federal dog fighting raid that resulted in the rescue of more than 500 fighting dogs. Federal agents made 26 arrests and dogs were rescued in 8 states.

According to a press release issued by the Humane Society of Missouri, four eastern Missouri men, Robert Hackman of Foley, Teddy Kiriakidis of Leasburg, Ronald Creech of Leslie and Michael Morgan of Hannibal plead guilty today in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to charges connected to the dog fighting raid. Another man arrested in connection with the dog fighting raid, Jack Ruppel of Eldon plead guilty to charges on September 4 in federal court in Jefferson City.

“We can confirm that five of the individuals charged with this gruesome form of animal abuse are being brought to justice,” said Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri. “Today’s guilty pleas raise awareness that dog fighting is unacceptable, inhumane and illegal and will not be tolerated. The unprecedented scale of this investigation and rescue operation should alert the entire nation to what a horrible crime dog fighting is and what a dangerous and serious affect it can have on animals and communities.”

Warnick continued, “We sincerely hope these guilty pleas will result in sentencing that sends the message that this form of animal abuse will no longer be tolerated. Humane Society of Missouri staff and our many partners have selflessly sacrificed much of their personal lives in the pursuit of this investigation and the care of these dogs. We fervently desire that this historic effort marks the beginning of the end to dog fighting in the United States.”

“This was the largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history, but it will not be the last,” warned Michael Kaste, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in St. Louis. “This case sets precedence for the FBI along with our local, state and federal partners to aggressively root out underground dog fighting rings where people have absolutely no qualms about torturing man’s best friend for money and entertainment.”

More pictures of some of the dogs seized in this large scale effort can be seen on HSMO's online album.

We are hoping since the evil men have pleaded guilty they will forfeit the dogs very soon. We hope the dogs will be coming to us in the next few weeks...we cannot wait and lets hope the courts system acts quickly. NHPBR has been working with HSMO and Missouri based rescue group Mutts n Stuff to receive dogs and follow the progress of the cases, so please check back often for updates! We will let you know more as we are permitted.

Among the groups helping to care for the dogs are:

American Humane Association
Animal Humane Society
APA of MO
ASPCA
Atlanta Humane Society
Best Friends Animal Society
Brazos Animal Shelter
Brew City Bullies
Broken Hearts, Mended Souls Rescue
Denver Dumb Friends League
Hawaiian Humane Society
Hickey College

Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of Central Illinois
Humane Society of Greater Kansas City
Kauai Humane Society
Michigan Humane Society
Mutts n Stuff
Oregon Humane Society
Pierce County Animal Response Team
Pit Bull Rescue Central
Seattle Humane Society
Sioux Empire Pit Bull Rescue
UAN

Other groups are expected to arrive in Missouri to begin helping with dogs this week. Included in these organizations is Our Pack, Inc's Tracey Cutler.

Should I Alpha Roll My Dog

2009-09-16T05:20:00.027-04:00

It’s all over the internet, we read it everywhere - “You need to Alpha Roll your dog to show it who’s boss”. Most often we see and hear reference to the famous National Geographic TV star Cesar Millan, better known as “The Dog Whisperer”, but Cesar is not the only trainer who follows “old school” methods of dominance theory. What I believe these misguided folks are lacking in the understanding of the social structure (hierarchy) of the pack is the awareness that any species (including humans), if forced into a family structure, will struggle to form a social order. However, we don’t all run around beating each other up to show that we should be the “top dog”, and the only time we see this sort of violent dominance exerted among animals is when there is an intent to do serious harm or kill.

We came across another one of these such “advice” posts in in the comments section of our local newspaper’s online source, which prompted us to write this blog. (Here is a little snippet from the post that caused us alarm.)

“I strongly believe in "alpha-rolling" a dog. This can be done frequently and lovingly in the home to get the dog used to it. Put the dog on his back. Straddle the dog. Allow ZERO kicking. Hold them there until they completely relax. You'll hear an audible sigh when they "give it up." Gently push his head, so his forehead is against the floor. I straddle my dog this way, give her lots of coo's and affection once she's completely relaxed, which she does immediately now. Then when you are out, your dogs aren't acting optimally, put them in down. You can lay them on their sides and have them leave their heads against the ground. This becomes easier with time and shows the dogs who to listen to when you need them to.

This sounds silly, but if I rush up to my dog to correct her, she goes upside down IMMEDIATELY before I even touch her!"

(It’s interesting to see how this poster dressed up their description of how they use the alpha roll on their own dog… repeatedly. I’d like to know if the dog also wets herself when she immediately goes upside down. My money is on the answer to this being a resounding yes, however the poster does not offer this information.)

What is an Alpha Roll?

An Alpha Roll is the act of flipping your dog onto his back, and holding his throat. This was once thought to be the most effective and “natural” way to teach a dog that YOU are its boss and to respect you. Wrong!

The theory of dominance based training and the alpha roll came about from a series of short-term studies on wolves done back in the 1940’s. Being short-term studies, researchers focused on the most obvious parts of wolf life, mainly hunting, and drew conclusions about “wolf behavior“ based on a small percentage of wolf life/living. Further study of wolves in their natural habitat has revealed a much less physical system in establishing pack leadership. In these studies, it has been observed that wolves are more of a family unit (very similar to our relationships with our own families and domestic dogs) and that the “Alpha” or leader, becomes so by way of physiological intimidation and controlling resources rather than physical force. Much like we humans do with our own children when we instruct them to do something; ie Parent tells child to clean his room before going outside and then reinforces this direction by checking the child's room before allowing him to go play with his friends. This same method is applied in the way positive reinforcement trainers utilize a program called “Nothing In Life Is Free” or NILIF, where the confident leader controls all of the resources.

It has also been noted in more recent studies that early research and conclusion about the alpha roll was misinterpreted and misunderstood. If you watch closely, with either wolves or domestic dogs, the “alpha roll” is actually an appeasement ritual instigated by the subordinate or submissive canine. The higher ranking member then sometimes (though not always necessary) “pins” the muzzle (in its mouth) and the subordinate voluntarily rolls onto his or her back and offers its belly. In other words, what appears to be one animal forcing another is actually a behavior that is offered by the submissive canine and the animal is already on its way down before the dominant wolf or dog has made any physical contact at all.

"In watching the wolves,” says Pat Goodman, MS, a resident ethologist at Wolf Park, “I find it rare for them to forcibly push down and hold down a subordinate, a rival, a youngster. In the overwhelming majority of cases, rather than being pushed down, the wolf who ends up on the ground is already going down in response to psychological pressure."

“ In fact", says Ken McCort, a dog training and behavior consultant,“with wolves the inguinal presentation behavior is usually volunteered by a lower ranking wolf as sort of an appeasement to a dominant animal in the face of some threat or altercation”… and leaders in packs “control assets (possessions, territory) more often than physically controlling individuals.”

But you’re talking about wolves, not dogs…

Dr. Frank Beach preformed a 30-year study on dogs at Yale and UC Berkeley.

Nineteen years of the study was devoted to the social behavior of a dog pack. In his study he found that:

Male dogs have a rigid hierarchy.

Female dogs have a hierarchy, but it's more variable.

When you mix the sexes, the rules get mixed up. Males try to follow their constitution, but the females have "amendments."

Young puppies have what's called "puppy license (puppy breath is well recognized by older dogs)." They have a license to do most anything. Females are more tolerant of puppy license than males are The puppy license is revoked at approximately four months of age (teething). At that time, the older middle-ranked dogs teach the pup what is acceptable and not-- psychologically torturing it until it offers all of the appropriate appeasement behaviors and takes its place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The top-ranked dogs ignore the whole thing.

There is NO physical domination. Everything is accomplished through psychological harassment.

It's all ritualistic.

A small minority of "alpha" dogs assumed their position by bullying and force. Those that did were quickly deposed. No one likes a dictator.

The vast majority of alpha dogs rule benevolently. They are confident in their position. They do not stoop to squabbling to prove their point. To do so would lower their status because...

Blustery-middle-ranked animals squabble. They are insecure in their positions and want to advance over other middle-ranked animals.

Low-ranked animals do not squabble. They know they would lose. They know their position, and they accept it.

Alpha" does not mean physically dominant. It means "in control of resources. Many alpha dogs are too small or too physically frail to physically dominate, but they have earned the right to control the valued resources. An individual dog determines which resources he considers important. An alpha dog may give up a prime sleeping place (or toy) because he simply couldn't care less.

Did you know?

When you Alpha Roll your dog, you are essentially performing an attack on your dog, which leaves you very vulnerable to being bitten in the face by the dog. Not only that, but you are also sending a message to your dog that you are not a confident leader and that you are not to be trusted, but rather you should be feared and not respected.

Alpha Rolling can also have disastrous consequences for dominant or fear aggressive canines. An alpha roll can increase aggression in an already dominant dog. In a submissive dog, the alpha roll will add more fear to the dog's psyche and can lead to submissive urination, loss of trust and possible fear biting.

In a study titled If You’re Aggressive, Your Dog Will Be, Too

Says Veterinary Study at the University of Pennsylvania
February 17, 2009

PHILADELPHIA –- In a new, year-long University of Pennsylvania survey of dog owners who use confrontational or aversive methods to train aggressive pets, veterinary researchers have found that most of these animals will continue to be aggressive unless training techniques are modified.

The study, published in the current issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science, also showed that using non-aversive or neutral training methods such as additional exercise or rewards elicited very few aggressive responses.

Another article can be found in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.

Using “dominance” to explain dog behaviour is old hat
21 May 2009

A new study shows how the behaviour of dogs has been misunderstood for generations: in fact using misplaced ideas about dog behaviour and training is likely to cause rather than cure unwanted behaviour. The findings challenge many of the dominance related interpretations of behaviour and training techniques suggested by some TV dog trainers. Contrary to popular belief, aggressive dogs are NOT trying to assert their dominance over their canine or human “pack”, according to research published by academics at the University of Bristol’s Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.

Dr Rachel Casey, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol University, said: “The blanket assumption that every dog is motivated by some innate desire to control people and other dogs is frankly ridiculous. It hugely underestimates the complex communicative and learning abilities of dogs. It also leads to the use of coercive training techniques, which compromise welfare, and actually cause problem behaviours."

And paraphrasing our friend Mary Harwelik CPDT-KA & Professional Behaviorist: “To sum up my opinion: the techniques Millan uses are outdated, overly harsh, borderline cruel (if not outright cruel), dangerous and can cause side-effects sometimes worse than the original behavior problem they were supposed to solve.”

Read more information about the History and Misconceptions of the Dominance Theory.

Fair, Firm, Consistent, Confident Leader

If you are proactive enough to control the things your dogs wants and needs, by definition you are in a sense the “alpha”.

To be your dogs leader and to have his respect; control the resources (high value life resources) by making good use of the natural, high ranking, and survival items, a dog needs like food, toys and attention. Make resources contingent on behavior—in the relationship between you and your dog. Does the dog want to be fed? Good-- ask him to sit first. Does she want to go outside? Sit first. Does the dog love to greet people? Sit first. Want to play? Sit first. Train your dog. This is the dog-human equivalent of the "revoking the puppy license". Use positive training and the mantra: you do something for me, and I’ll do something for you.

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue's training philosophy is one that uses both operant conditioning and classical conditioning while teaching fosters and dog owners how to improve the relationship between them and their dog through bonding and trust. We teach cooperation and obediance through the use of pain free consequences, positive reward based reinforcement and the implementation of the Nothing In Life Is Free program which teaches the dog that good things happen when he acts appropriately.

Source(s):

http://www.4pawsu.com/alpharoll.pdf
http://www.newenglandpetpartners.org/Alpha%20This%20Alpha%20That.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw3q3FIv4SU
http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/university-of-pennsylvania.html
http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/bristol-university.html
http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/mary-harvelik.html
http://www.k9deb.com/nilif.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNSFVTtgTQI
http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm

Help Them Live a "Charmed" Life!

2009-09-06T15:35:00.002-04:00

Last week, we were contacted by a good Samaritan who didn't find just one, but THREE emaciated pittie girls in our local area. She contacted us via email and shared some startling pictures with us.

To the right here is Phoebe and Piper. Phoebe is laying on the ground looking exhausted. Piper just seems to have no clue what is going on.

These photos prompted us to try. Finding foster homes is SO tough and can be even tougher with a shaky economy but, we're also here to rescue and rehab the dogs that we can in our local area. So, our plea for help began last Saturday. We affectionately named the girls Piper, Phoebe, and Prue from the characters in the TV series Charmed :)

We've spent the last few days getting the evaluations done for the girls and were VERY lucky to find a foster home for one of the girls, Ms. Piper. During our eval, Piper made it very well known that she is going to be a clown who adores people and is going to have this zest for life, regardless of her past. She is buoyant and prancy and she just simply makes us giggle! And she's obviously a great lap dog :)

Take a look at Piper just being her silly self with complete strangers. She is part of the reason why we love this breed SO much!

Piper is the lucky one thus far. Even though it's been a week, we're still pining away where ever we can to find two more locals to help get Phoebe and Prue out of the shelter. These girls also did very well on their evaluations but are going to need a little more care. They are a low heartworm positive so they'll need a committed foster home ready to spend the next 6 months at least making sure these girls are healthy and ready to move into their forever home.

Prue is the other brindle female with an endearing white blaze on her face :) Unfortunately, she was in heat for our evaluation and was a little more interested in the boy dogs nearby than playing with toys with us, but she was very responsive to people and came back frequently asking for attention. She's a spry little girl who seems to have the same prance as Piper, but isn't as comfy yet to really let her little personality shine.

Check out Prue in her video below and please Apply to Foster her today!

Phoebe is probably in the worst shape of all three girls. She's having trouble gaining the weight that Piper and Prue have but she's definitely in much better spirits from a week ago.

This girl LOVES to melt into your lap and soaks up every bit of attention she can get. She also had a great, appeasing response to another female dog that came out to the play yard during her evaluation. She willingly offered her belly and was super polite. She, like Piper and Prue, came back willingly for more attention when called :)

And if you don't believe us when we say she wants to melt into your lap, we have just the video to share with you to prove it!

Isn't it amazing how these dogs can go from near skeletons, with no knowledge of their past and turn out to be such awesome and FORGIVING creatures? They ability of these dogs to overcome so much is one that we cherish deeply and one that keeps us persevering.

If you can open you home to Phoebe or Prue, please please please Apply to Foster one of them today! We provide basic supplies, pay for routine veterinary care, and assist with training and any necessary behavior modifications. Its a win win situation for all involved!

Phoenix Rising High Above His Past!

2009-09-06T15:18:00.002-04:00

Remember our burned boy from a couple of weeks ago? He's in a new, more long term foster home now and this boy is healing up like the wind! Just to remind you, this is what Phoenix looked like when he was brought to the Charleston Animal Society. One of their most dedicated volunteers, Carol, wanted to help save his life so she offered to foster him until we could find a more permanent foster home.

Well, on Friday, September 4, 2009, Phoenix went home with Chelsea, a great girl with a drive to make a difference in Phoenix's life. He'll be getting tons of socialization in Downtown Charleston and other areas and we couldn't be happier :) With some antibiotics and some anti-scarring cream, Phoenix should be good to go in another month! Keep him in your thoughts and go visit downtown! You may just get your chance to meet him :) We'll keep you all updated on when he'll be coming to an event - unless he gets adopted first! Here's a video of this pretty boy showcasing the improvement of his injury. It doesn't seem to phase him at all!

We'd also like to go ahead and give a special thanks to DeDe, Timothy, Miriam, Maureen, Emily, William, and Oleg for their donations towards Phoenix's care. You guys made it possible!

Mickey's Even Finer Livin' in South Carolina!

2009-09-06T14:36:00.004-04:00

Here's a long awaited update on Mickey Mouth! Mickey had his surgery back in June and after trying to get a handle on some pesky skin issues, he's ready to begin his heartworm treatments. Wish this boy all the luck in the world!

Wish They All Could Be California Girls!

2009-09-03T06:46:00.008-04:00

No, not really. We TRULY enjoy rescuing and rehabilitating these wonderful dogs! They enrich our lives as much as we do theirs and more!

We wanted to let you know tho, that Daisy will be joining the pack in Cali with Bad Rap after all! Yep! One of their dogs was adopted and a foster home with experience opened up, so someone will be driving Mrs. Daisy out to Donna and Tim where she'll be off to her new life and new family soon.

Good luck Daisy! We wish you the best that life has to offer from here on out girly!

The folks at the shelter where the dogs were held deserve a great big kudos too for stepping up to help these dogs and for all the hard work they put into caring for them. Now that the last dog is on her way to rescue, we can share the name and location of the shelter, and it would be FABULOUS if you would send them at least a small contribution to show your appreciation for taking such wonderful care of the Oklahoma bust dogs. The shelter is very small and rural, and they don't get a whole lot of support. As with most rural shelters, they are desperately in need of donations such as toys, kongs, balls, pet vitamins, leashes/collars, etc.

If you can, please send them a little something and be sure to include a Thank You note for their support in the Oklahoma bust case and care for the dogs.

Claremore Animal Shelter
815 W. Ramm Rd.
Claremore, Oklahoma 74017

Now, on to other news... there are still dogs out there in other states who need your/our help. There are dogs in Iowa that we hope to learn more about soon and when they'll be released, and there are dogs in Indiana ready to be released immediately. We are in desperate need of foster homes, crates and other supplies for these dogs, the Missouri dogs and for dogs in our local shelters right now who need our help.

If you want to be a part of something huge, please consider opening your home to foster one of these precious and deserving dogs. New Hope Pit Bull Rescue pays for all routine medical expenses and provides the basic supplies necessary as well as help with behavioral modification and training. To learn more about our program and to apply to become a foster home for a New Hope dog, please visit our foster policy page.

Help For Oklahoma Bust Dogs

2009-08-23T18:27:00.009-04:00

As by now you've heard, back in July authorities confiscated over 400 dogs in more than 5 states across the country, making this the largest dogfighting bust in US history. New Hope Pit Bull Rescue has been fervently working with shelters to rescue dogs from the Missouri based bust. The dogs involved in the bust from Oklahoma have already been released by the courts and there are 2 dogs currently needing to come into rescue. We have partnered with Noble Ones Bully Breed Rescue to find foster homes for the dogs.

Molly Gibb, who has been working with the shelter and dogs in Oklahoma (and who is also foster mom to Alf, one of the dogs rescued from the property of NFL Quarterback Michael Vick), has set up a bank account to accept donations for the dogs. Donations to the account will cover the cost of medical care, food and transport for the dogs from Oklahoma to South Carolina, as well as other dogs that were confiscated in the Oklahoma bust. Please send donations to:

The Dasiy Fund & Molly Gibb
c/o Gibb Co.
P.O.Box 76504
Oklahoma City, OK 73147-2504

Please don't forget about the dogs in Missouri! Because of the high profile nature of the case, no information about these dogs can be released until the dogs are released from the courts. When the dogs are released to the Humane Society of Missouri, rescue groups are going to need to be at the ready to accept these dogs into their programs. New Hope Pit Bull Rescue was recently named in a press release from the Humane Society of Missouri. We currently have ONE spot ready for one of these dogs. Out of 400+ dogs seized in this case, it's but a drop of salt in the ocean. We can't take many, but we'd certainly like to bring in more than one. If you can help, apply to become a foster home today! Are you wondering why we're considering these dogs coming from so far out of our area? Read our blog post about how we feel helping these dogs will ultimately help our local dogs!

View our waiting list to see a few of the dogs that are on our urgent list right now. If you are interested in helping us save any of the dogs on our list (or even another in the future!) please fill out our Foster Application.

Topanga's Ready To Go Home!!

2009-08-23T18:22:00.002-04:00

Maybe you haven't met Topanga yet, or possibly you've been following her story and are wondering what's new with this amazing bella. Check out her new video bio! She's been with us a while now folks, and she is finally ready to be adopted and go to her new forever home!!

Penny Lane

2009-08-22T08:14:00.002-04:00

Here's another video to pass around to your friends :) Can you believe that Penny has been in our program since September of last year?! She's such a cool, beautiful girl that we just don't get it! It's time to change that and get her home and settled in with a new family before the holidays :)

Phoenix - A Local Cruelty Subject

2009-08-22T07:55:00.002-04:00

The evilness of some of the members of our society shines brightly this week off of the back of our newest intake, Phoenix. This beautiful chocolate boy with little left in the ear department was given his name as a symbol that he will "rise from the ashes" of his abuse.

We've made a video story to share with you all and please, share this with others. Phoenix's story sadly isn't a new one, but it is one that we can share far and wide in our areas to give credence to just how badly this breed can suffer and how wonderfully these dogs can bounce back and still love their people.

Please be warned that some of the images in the video may be disturbing. Phoenix is suffering from chemical burns from head to tail down his back. He's currently in temporary foster care in an effort to save him from euthanasia but we still need a more permanent home. Please consider fostering Phoenix today!

If you are interested in donating towards Phoenix's vet care, please use the widget below. Any amount donated in excess of his veterinary needs will be used to help other dogs in our program. Thank you!

What About Our Local Dogs?

2009-08-14T07:09:00.009-04:00

With all the bust dog stuff in the air recently and the heavy push to find foster homes for the dogs currently being housed in Missouri, we've been asked a time or two "Why? Why are you going to go all the way to Missouri for dogs when there are so many in your home state that need you?"

Honestly, we fight ourselves with this very thought. But, there IS a reason we are still pushing to help with these dogs. It has nothing to do with money (yeah people think that these dogs will come with some cash HAH!). It has nothing to do with
glory. It does have EVERYTHING to do with making a change in our local area.

Did you know that back in June, 20+ dogs were seized from a property in Union, SC? Did you know that we tried to help? Did you know that not one of those dogs made it out alive? Once a pit bull enters the shelter there, they don't have a chance.

On August 9, 2009, seven people were arrested and 6 dogs were seized in a Sumter County, SC dog fighting bust. Of those 6, one died because of his injuries. Sumter has been trying to place restrictions on pit bulls and pit bull type dogs for several years now. Do these dogs have a chance either? A quote from the article linked above:

"...because of the brutal way the dogs were raised the only thing that can be done to make sure they are not a danger is to put them to sleep.

"These won't have a chance to be adopted out," said Dailey."

The southern states are full of these types of busts, but many of them don't make the news. Hundreds of dogs without a chance because they are pit bulls and victims of cruelty. These busts are more than just "dog fight busts." They are cruelty cases. But sadly for many, the "dog fight bust" term holds people back from helping. It introduces negative connotations about these dogs and their temperament. We need to change that.

By stepping out of our immediate area to help with a larger case such as the Missouri-based dog fighting raid, we are introducing new resources to our own area. Dogs from these "fight busts" are not much different than dogs pulled from area shelters. In speaking with other organizations who have helped these dogs, they actually suggest that they are no harder to work with because of their exceptional desire to please their people.

We want to change the negative perception surrounding these dogs. We want to help the public understand just how amazing they are. We want the public to see even MORE dogs come out of these situations earning and wearing their badges of merit by receiving their Canine Good Citizen certification, becoming a therapy dogs, and even simply becoming cherished family pets that can present themselves as breed ambassadors.

We hope by taking a few dogs from MO or another "fight bust" and showing the individuals in our area, in the southern states that these dogs CAN and DO make great companions, regardless of their past will be enough to save SO many more here, that may not have had the opportunity before. It's about changing perception and moving away from the common stereotypes.

The Missouri dogs, if released from the courts, will need to have rescue ready for them. If you can open your home to a dog in need, please fill out our Foster Application. We need people to commit NOW because we will only have one opportunity to save these dogs.

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue To Help With HSMO Bust Dogs

2009-08-12T15:11:00.019-04:00

A press release was issued this morning that New Hope Pit Bull Rescue, along with several other rescues, is working with Humane Society of Missouri to care for and eventually receive some of the more than 400 dogs that were seized in the biggest dogfight bust in US history.

Rescue Groups Work with Humane Society of Missouri to Give Rescued Pit Bulls a Second Chance

We are very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to help with the Missouri bust case. We look forward to putting our arms around these dogs, training them and placing them into loving forever homes where they will live out their days in the happiness they deserve.

Right now we have ONE confirmed foster home and hundreds of dogs needing a place to go. How do we decide which dog will be lucky enough to get that one spot? We NEED foster homes to help us take these dogs so we can work with them. If you can help and are interested in fostering a dog, please visit our web site to learn more about our foster pro gram and to apply to become a foster home today or email us at info@nhpbr.org!

Rescue groups involved in the effort include:

Mutts-n-Stuff (Missouri)

Our Pack, Inc. (California)

Broken Hearts, Mended Souls (Missouri)
A Rotta Love Plus (Minnesota)

Pit Bull Rescue Central (an online rescue resource)

Brew City Bully Club (Wisconsin)

Dumb Friends League (Colorado)

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue (South Carolina)

Dogs involved in this case still need other rescue groups to step forward for them. Groups or individuals interested in receiving some of these animals should immediately contact the Humane Society of Missouri at 314-802-5712.

Breed Profiling - Another Nail In The Coffin And It Wasn't Even A Pit Bull

2009-08-09T21:48:00.006-04:00

Why aren't there any corrections to this article? I've searched and haven't found a single one, but you can bet this will show up on the oh so 'credible' Dogsbite.org as a reliable and accurate account.

Make sure to pay special attention to the first paragraph here... Classic case of media sensationalism in effort to get ratings.

Published July 28, 2009 01:15 pm -
A 32-year-old Hermitage woman faces charges of endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment after her 1 1/2-year-old Rottweiller named “Cruz” bit a Farrell boy.

(Headline reads:)
UPDATE: Boy needs 60 stitches after pit bull bite

The Herald

HERMITAGE —

A 32-year-old Hermitage woman faces charges of endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment after her 1 1/2-year-old Rottweiller named “Cruz” bit a Farrell boy July 15 at her apartment in the Orange Village apartment complex, police said.

April Hughes of 400 Orange Drive, Apartment 2, was also cited with harboring a dangerous dog because this is the ninth time Cruz has bitten someone, police said.

Police allege Ms. Hughes left the boy alone with the dog in the apartment and he was attacked. The boy needed 60 stitches for a head wound, police said.

http://www.sharon-herald.com/local/local_story_208212923.html

Missouri Bust Update

2009-08-08T15:04:00.012-04:00

I assume you all have heard about the biggest dog fighting bust in US history on July 8th by our friends at Humane Society of Missouri. Over four hundred of my brothers and sisters have been rescued from the horrid life of dog fighting. I am so happy that my friends at HSMO have freed my brothers and sisters but what happens now?

Right now they are in a secret bunker safe from the bad people. The dogs have to be held for at least 40 days until the court hearing.

I, Smiley King the dog you see in the pic above with my special Pooh Bear, went through this process myself and it was scary at first being in a new place but my friends at HSMO made me feel at home right away. In the meantime, my brothers and sisters from this bust are experiencing their first toys, peanut butter, friendly hugs and kisses from humans, and fresh bedding. I wish I could talk to them to let them know their lives made a major change for the good and they will never have to fight again.

My foster mom, Gale Frey who founded MuttsNStuff is on the move to find foster homes for the dogs. She's also been on site helping the MO dogs. I've been in touch with my sister Zoe, who went to Our Pack from the same 2007 Stoddard County Mo bust that I came from. After arriving at Our Pack she went to school to become a therapist. Zoe's been asking Our Pack to ask for foster homes too.

Well heck, Zoe got adopted into an awesome home, they have toys, Kongs, balls and all the stuff that makes life wonderful! I know this is possible for all my buds out here too! Everyone should have a Pooh Bear, very comforting.

I heard that after the big bust other abused dogs outside of this case here were surrendered because their enslavers felt the heat of the FBI and HSMO. Since these dogs were owner surrenders they were able to go into rescue. But hundreds of my brothers and sisters are still waiting. Right now, I have a picture of an FBI agent and HSMO Investigator on my dog crate wall. They are my heroes.

I will send everyone updates as I know them about the Missouri Bust Dogs. They are safe in a secret place waiting for our a laws to release them to rescue. What a sight it must be having over 400 pits in one place, where I used to be! I'm so lucky to be here, with my bear and my friends. Thank you again HSMO for helping us. Your are my heroes.

Thanks for listening,
Smiley King

Our friends over in Missouri are working hard to prepare the Missouri bust dogs for rescue. We need your help to get ready for the dogs here. New Hope Pit Bull Rescue is in dire need of foster homes who can be ready to provide these dogs with a loving and nurturing environment if and when they are released. We will also be taking donations for the dogs once they are in our program, so please keep this in mind and stay with us for updates as we learn more.

Also, we still need foster homes for dogs in other shelters who need our help. Please consider opening your heart and home for a Pit Bull in need. Fostering a homeless dog is a very rewarding experience that many people truly enjoy!

Visit our web site to learn more about our foster program and to apply to become a foster home today!

Facebookers!

2009-08-08T07:09:00.001-04:00

We've got a Facebook fan page! Check us out and become a fan :)

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue on Facebook

Missouri Bust Dogs Need Your Help

2009-07-27T08:23:00.011-04:00

Are You Ready to be a Part of Big Things?
We've been so busy these days but our volunteers are really helping to kick things into high gear!

If you haven't heard yet, the largest fight bust in US history took place a few days after Independence Day and if we're going to help rescue any of these dogs, we're going to need your help!

HSMO Needs Donations for 400+ Bust Dogs
The Humane Society of Missouri is holding the majority of the dogs seized from a multi-state fight bust in a secure, temporary holding facility. As you know, our bullies are power chewers and very needy dogs. The HSMO needs help with donations to keep these dogs taken care of while in their care. Items they can use are:

• Black Kongs, Nylabones, or other hard plastic toys
• Blankets, sheets, dog beds and fans to help keep them cool in the building
• Monetary donations to purchase food, toys, and provide needed vet care

Visit HSMO's Site to Donate!

If you know you can't possibly foster one of these dogs, donating towards their care is the next best thing!

Be a Part of Pit Bull History!
New Hope has been in contact with HSMO and if we are going to help these dogs, we're going to need some special individuals to step up and become a foster home! If you think you'll be ready and prepared to make a difference in the life of one of these dogs, please fill out our foster application so we can get you approved and when they begin releasing the dogs to rescues, we can get them moved quickly!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scars on the outside have no bearing to the heart of the dog on the inside. True beauty comes from within, the scars just show where they have been.

Did You Know?
New Hope has a number of dogs in our program that bear scars that would cause many people to label them as ‘fight dogs’. We’ve rescued dogs from shelters that have been labeled as ‘bait dogs’. It is quite possible that some of our dogs come from a history of being fought or ‘matched’ as some people call it, however we are not here to speculate on our dog’s pasts. Really, does it even matter? We evaluate dogs based on their temperaments and personalities and not their physical appearance. It is also important to note that even though a dog may have come off of a ‘fight yard’ or might have been picked up near fight bust property, it does not mean necessarily that the dog has been fought.

The best thing about these dogs, even the ones that come from fight busts, is that they can leave their pasts behind them and are more than willing and able to live in a home as a member of a beloved family. Many bust dogs are now CGC certified breed ambassadors and some are even therapy dogs with very important jobs! Take a look at some of these wonderful dogs and read what OurPack has to say about ‘Fighting Dogs’ and living wit h bust dogs, and then please consider helping us give more dogs like this a chance.

Almost everyone who has anything to do with Pit Bulls knows who Leo is! Leo was confiscated from the property of NFL Quarterback Michael Vick.

Want to see more bust dogs that OurPack has rescued and sent on to be breed ambassadors and therapy dogs? How about:

Zoe: Therapy dog, lives with 2 Labs.

Charlotte: Therapy dog, lives with a Pit Bull

Violet (now Olive): Lives with 2 dogs and 2 children.

"Largest Dogfighting Operation in U.S. History.”

2009-07-14T17:17:00.014-04:00

By now many of you have probably heard the news and read the articles reporting the largest dogfighting bust in US history. Last week more than 400 dogs were seized in raids that spanned six states. Some articles are reporting more than 450 dogs and raids in as many as 8 states. Regardless…

Not only is this a question of will the dogs be saved, but the bigger question is – how many will die because they have no place to go? The HSUS has said that the dogs will be evaluated individually and considered for placement in approved rescues. What I beg of everyone to understand is that… even if some of these dogs are lucky enough to be considered for rescue, will there be enough foster homes available to place them in? Can we help the dogs seized in the biggest fight bust in American history? The answer to that is… it’s up to you. Will YOU help us help them?

If called upon, New Hope Pit Bull Rescue wants to help as many of these dogs as possible, but we cannot do this without the support of our community and fellow Pit Bull advocates and people who love and understand the breed. No matter where the dogs go, what rescues are asked to take on dogs, they will all need foster homes and support in many forms.

Will you be one to sit by and say, “I wish I could, but…” or will you be there to say “I will help… tell me what to do…”? When the time comes for these dogs to be released to rescue, they will need people ready and waiting to foster them; to take them in and show them love, and to patiently teach them how truly great life can be for a beloved family member.

30 arrested, 450 dogs seized in dog-fighting raids in 8 states

Even if New Hope isn't one of the rescues called upon to help with this bust, there are still dogs in our own area, some victims of abandonment, cruelty and neglect and others who are simply unfortunate and have lost their way home... who need you. Please consider becoming a foster home for New Hope Pit Bull Rescue, and help us save these deserving dogs who are in need.

Pics of Mickey's Progress :)

2009-07-01T17:50:00.000-04:00

Help Us Win $500!

2009-07-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Marke's Heating and Air gives back to local non-profit organizations! If you want to help us win click here to vote! You MUST be a resident of the Lowcountry! We aren't sure if they'll negate all votes if someone out of the Lowcountry area votes but we don't want to find out!

Help us help our dogs! It's easy and FREE!

Yay Mickey He's So Fine!

2009-06-28T07:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry for such a delayed update! Things have been really busy in our neck of the woods as usual :)

Mickey went in for his reconstructive surgery this past Wednesday and he's looking wonderful! The swelling is going down and his mouth still looks a bit alarming at first, but he's taking everything in stride. The one thing he's having trouble with is the plastic cone to keep him from rubbing his face on things either on purpose or by accident. It will come off on Wednesday, July 1st, when he goes back in for a check up. Lucky for Mickey that mouth operations heal faster than other areas so we should see wonderful advancement in the next month. We're excited!

After Mickey's mouth has healed, we'll be getting him treated for his heartworms. The surgeon chose to tackle the surgery first because Mickey's heartworms have not advanced to a dangerous stage and he wanted him to be in the best possible health (no infections on his gums, etc.) for those treatments. Mickey is always going to look a little bit different but his story is one that can teach people so much! Mickey is a young, happy boy that regardless the injury to his mouth, he holds no grudges and lives life to its fullest each day :)

We've run into some great luck as well regarding Mickey's surgery and hopefully with his heartworm treatments. The veterinarian who did the surgery is Dr. Tom Hentges who practices at the Animal Medical West Veterinary Clinic in West Ashley. He offered the surgery to us at a GREATLY reduced price and made this possible for us. Instead of a $1,600 surgery and neuter plus an additional $500 for his heartworm treatments, we're looking at about $600 for EVERYTHING. How awesome is that! People like Dr. Hentges make things possible!

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates in the future and hopefully we can get this awesome guy to some of our events soon :)

Great Things Happening At New Hope!

2009-05-18T07:12:00.005-04:00

First, let me start by thanking everyone who joined us at our first (but certainly not last) volunteer appreciation picnic. We had SO much fun hanging out with you all and I hope you all had a good time and got to know each other a little better too! (We'll have pictures soon so be sure to check our blog often!) I think our little presentation of "Reli-A-Bull Awards" was a great surprise for everyone, and I hope we encouraged more folks to join in the fun. Marva, Amie and Kathe were our first recipients, because they've been with us - pretty much from the get go, and they've really helped us gain so much support. We also want to recognize the hard work and dedication of our foster homes, and we plan to do something special for you all very soon. After all, without you we wouldn't be able to save these amazing dogs!

Don't think I forgot Bill and Beryl! Thank you all SO much for joining us and bringing Golda out with her fur-friends! It was so GREAT to see her again and we can't thank you enough for giving her such a wonderful, loving and happy home. Thank you for everything you've done to help other New Hope dogs in making their lives better. We just can't thank you enough!

We want to thank Jersey Mike's for donating a party platter of delicious subs for our picnic. The tray was beautiful and I think it filled everyone up pretty well. We will be sending a letter of appreciation to Jersey Mike's this week, and we'd love it if you all would support their business by becoming regular customers (if you're not already), or purchasing your next party platter from them.

There's still one more award that we will present, today, to team at Central Veterinary Hospital. These folks do such an amazing job with the dogs in our program and they have gone above and beyond to help save lives. We want to recognize them and thank them for everything they've done for us and our NHPBR dogs!

Now, in other GREAT news... Mickey Mouth and Mr. Bones Mcghee are SAFE! We had some wonderful foster applications come in to help these dogs and we want to thank everyone who stepped up to open their hearts and homes. For those of you who aren't fostering Mickey or Bones, we'd still love your help in getting more of these wonderful dogs out of shelters and harms way. And if you're not able to foster, but still want to help - we have LOTS of stuff planned for the coming months. Fill out our volunteer application and let us know what your special skill is and we will find a way to "put you to work"!

Don't forget! We still need foster homes, we ALWAYS need foster homes! So if you want to become a part of a rewarding and life changing experience, please - please, read about our foster program and fill out our foster home application today!

Their Time Is Running Out!

2009-05-10T08:29:00.010-04:00

Mr. Bones Mcghee and Mickey Mouth are both in urgent need of foster homes! These dogs have less than 1 week to live and we desperately want to help them. Please don't think that someone else will do it. These dogs need YOU!

Mr. Bones Mcghee is waiting for a foster home to open up for him. We got to spend some time with Bones when we took these pictures and he is just a great big love bug! He likes to lay down on his back for belly rubs and he thinks he's a big lap dog.

Don't judge a book by it's cover!

Our next urgent dog is Mickey Mouth. Mickey has a story very much like Golda. You might remember Golda, who we rescued back in August of last year. She was found emaciated and weathered and she was missing part of her bottom lip. With the help of a WONDERFUL foster home and our vet team, Golda made a full recovery from her former life of (only Golda knows) and she has since been adopted into a loving home and is living it up at the beach! We want Mickey to know that kind of love!

We have found a vet who can help us fix Mickey's lip, but we need YOU to give him a foster home while he undergoes surgery and gets all the medical attention he needs.

Our friends over at Bama Bully Breed Rescue said we could share some pictures of Gabe, a dog they had in their program who's lip was missing like Mickey Mouth here. It's amazing what a little reconstructive surgery can do for a dog, and Gabe is now living life to its fullest in his new forever home!

Golda and Gabe are only 2 stories of amazing dogs who may have looked scary before... but with some TLC all things are possible and they have been able to show folks just how truly loving even the "ugliest" dog can be!

Be a part of something wonderful! Please apply to foster a dog in need.

Meet Sassyfras

2009-05-10T07:52:00.009-04:00

Sassyfras came to us from upstate after she was confiscated in an animal cruelty case. We are not at liberty to give much info about her case, but we can tell you that we are extremely disappointed in the outcome. Sassy was found tied to the front porch of a home in the upstate area with no food, water or shelter. She was starved nearly to death and her rescuers weren't sure if she would make it. The man who was charged less than $150 for restitution and vet fees.

After nearly a month of waiting, we were finally able to pick Sassy up and bring her to her into our program! While in on hold for the court case, Sassy was able to enjoy regular meals and water and she gained a considerable amount of weight. It's amazing what a little bit of TLC can do for a dog! Sassy is not out of the woods yet however. She has tested positive for heartworms and we're not sure yet how much internal damage was done by her being starved and dehydrated. We will be taking her to our vet this week for a full exam and to begin planning the best course of treatment for this beauty.

We have started a Chipin to help raise money for Sassy's heartworm treatments, because (and thanks to generous donors like you!) we have treated other dogs in our program and know the cost already. Sassy will also be vaccinated, microchipped and spayed before she will be ready for adoption. We are praying that all goes well for her, and that the abuse she suffered didn't have too much impact on her health beyond what we already know. This poor girl has been through so much, and we only want to give her the life every dog deserves from here on out!

A little bit about Sassy's breed: Sassy here is what many people nowadays know as an American Bully. It's a relatively new "breed" generated over the last 2 decades to look a bit different from the American Pit Bull Terrier. Although these dogs are VERY similar to pit bulls and are marketed as such, they are very much different dogs as far as body structure and potential athletic ability. Many American Bully fanciers like to tout that their breed doesn't and will not wind up in shelters because of what they are and how expensive they are (we're talking $2,000 plus in many circumstances). Well...we hate to be the bringer of bad news but these dogs can and DO end up in shelters. No amount of money or reflection on status can ever protect these dogs from the abuse they are very frequently subjected to. Please, just remember that!

Tax Deductible? Why YES!

2009-05-10T07:47:00.001-04:00

May 7th was a WONDERFUL day for us! We received our 501(c)(3) tax exempt determination letter! All donations ever made to us dating back to February 6, 2008 are tax deductible! We apologize for so many exclamation points but seriously, we have SO many more opportunities now to help out more dogs :)

Remember When...

2009-05-01T12:40:00.002-04:00

This video was posted on the blog of our friends over at OurPack. It can be so easy to get caught up in all of the sadness, fear, pressure to conform or whatever reason one might have for giving up on our dogs. Take a minute to watch this heart warming video that celebrates Americas dog and, for a moment, brings back a time when the APBT was a cherished part of our country and society.

The Humane Society of the United States Announces Policy Change Regarding Pit Bulls

2009-04-16T09:52:00.017-04:00

A summit meeting on pit bulls and other canine victims of animal fighting led to a coalition of groups working together to help the true victims of this organized violence.

Best Friends Animal Society, The Humane Society of the United States and other animal protection organization met in Las Vegas earlier this week to discuss the dispotion of dogs seized from dogfighting operations.

Among the outcomes of the meeting:

* The HSUS has a new policy of recommending that all dogs seized from fighting operations be professionally evaluated, according to agreed upon standards, to determine whether they are suitable candidates for adoption, and that dogs deemed suitable for placement should be offered as appropriate for adoption or to approved rescue organizations. The HSUS will update its law enforcement training manual and other materials to reflect this change in policy.

Thousands of people are jumping for joy at the outcome of this summit meeting. I’ve read countless posts on forums and blogs across the net, posts from folks who continue to pat pit bull advocates on the back for working tirelessly to gain the result we get to read about today – calling this “history in the making”.

What does it all mean though? Really, I mean REALLY give this some serious thought y’all! I have been sitting on this blog post for a week now, trying to get my head around exactly what it is that I want to say. I want to applaud this policy change as much as any of you. I want to give kudos to all who have worked so hard; BUT (yes, there is a but) I can’t. I can only give kudos for effort right now; I cannot give kudos for more until I SEE people stepping up to truly help these dogs. The HSUS did agree to open new doors, but we need YOU to help keep them open.

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue gets calls and emails weekly from Animal Control officials and shelters across the east coast seeking placement for bust dogs. No, not all of these bust dogs come from fight bust cases. They come from drug busts, animal cruelty, neglect and many other forms of criminal activity cases in which pit bulls are confiscated for one reason or another. Very seldom does a shelter have the resources to hold on to these dogs past the time of ruling in a case, and more often than not the dogs literally have only hours to live. We are not made aware of many of these cases until its “crunch time”, because the inability to disclose location or case information prevents anyone from being able to work in advance to save dogs that are held as evidence. More often than not, these cases do not make it into national news, because the people involved are not the famous Michael Vick or Ed Faron. Those dogs did so much to help clear the path for other victims… don’t let this new policy be their only or final accomplishment.

What do you suppose the HSUS will do to help the victims of these cases after a ruling is made and they are released to go to rescue? Do you think they will step in and buy these animals a “few more days” so that rescuers will have the opportunity to secure foster homes to place them in? The harsh reality is that they will not. They have done their part by changing their policy and acknowledging that these dogs deserve as much of a chance as any other, and by creating a new policy that will allow for dogs to be evaluated individually and even be considered for placement in rescue. The rest is up to us. The pit bull community demanded that the HSUS to change their policy, they did… now what will YOU do to help ensure that the victims aren't let down?

We are always in desperate need of foster homes. There is, unfortunately, a never ending supply of great dogs in shelters that need a safe place to go. Add to the ones who are there due to unfortunate life altering family changes… people are losing their homes, and this means that animals are losing their homes too. We are well aware of these animals and we try our very best to save the ones we can; but the ones we aren’t made aware of until it’s almost too late… how are we supposed to help them when the very people who scream for somebody to help them don’t do their part? They ALL need us; they all deserve the same chance.

It’s so easy to sit down and write a letter to an organization that for so long refused to entertain the notion of giving these dogs a chance. It’s simple to stand in protest over the mass killing of innocent animals that, through no choice or fault of their own, were a owned by criminals who would choose to use them for sick entertainment and abuse them. We sit in our homes, hugging our pit bulls and thanking our stars that they have never known that kind of pain or torture, as we cry for those who have; but that’s all many people do… hug their dogs and thank their lucky stars while getting upset that nobody will help those poor dogs. Some of us grit our teeth in rage and shed many tears for those who have been shown no mercy, because we want so badly to help but where is the community support?

A lot of people say they want to help and that they would if the dogs were given a chance. Okay then, prove it, because dogs in future cases are not going to have time for us to blast myspace, craigslist and the many other sources we use to find foster homes. When we are contacted about a bust case we are expected to respond immediately, but without YOU we cannot do that. Just as we’ve all been watching the HSUS to see if they would prove to us that they care about these dogs, the HSUS is now watching us to see if the pit bull loving community will deliver on our end of the deal.

Are we a community of advocates who only produce lip service? Or are we a group of people who will put their money where their mouth is and step up to help these dogs out of the depths of hell? In the famous words of Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.); “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!”

These dogs need you to be there and ready for them BEFORE we are contacted about their case. Will you sit there on the sidelines and watch more die? Or will you stand up to help protect them as you’ve been demanding the HSUS to change its policy? Make a contribution to help support Pit Bull rescue, or apply to become a foster home for a Pit Bull in need today.

What It's All About Folks! YOU Can Make a Difference!

2009-03-30T05:54:00.037-04:00

Become a foster for Pit Bulls in need.

Remember Topanga? Our heart worm positive girl who was so afraid of people that it took a caring neighbor and shelter employees nearly a month to catch her.

This beautiful lady has obviously been through so much. I'd like to tell you the portion of her story that I personally know. You see, I was one of the shelter workers who tried so hard, for so long, to gain Topanga's trust.

I saw her for the first time one cold morning as I was coasting down the shelters driveway going to work. There is a little house that sits off the driveway just a few hundred feet from the shelter its self. As I passed the house, I saw the most broken but sweetest looking dog standing between the house and the driveway, quietly trying not to be noticed. Her teats were hanging and still had some milk in them; I knew she had just come off a litter of puppies. I felt so sad for her and I wondered where her pups might be. She turned around when she saw me so I stopped to watch her, hoping that she would head for home. As she turned though, I noticed a gash on her shoulder, about 6 inches long, and it looked pretty deep. I wanted to go to her but when she noticed that I had stopped she trotted off, away from my truck. And that is how our journey with Topanga began.

For weeks, I, along with other shelter employees attempted daily to win this white pit bull's trust. She hung around the shelter and a neighbors place because there was an abundance of food at her disposal. We always kept cat food outside, to feed the feral cats that were a part of the TNR (trap neuter and release) program, and the neighbor had pets of his own and began leaving food out for Topanga as well. One afternoon the neighbor called the shelter to tell us had coaxed her into his barn, with the help of his Jack Russel Terrier, and that she was warm and safe. The next day we brought her into our kennels and began treating her wound and get her on a healthy track to start a new life.

I was the adoptions coordinator and behaviorist at the shelter. I must say that Topanga is one of the softest dogs I've ever met in all of my 28 years of working with dogs. She literally had a look of doom on her face, as if she expected the whole world to come crashing down on her at any second. It was painfully obvious to me, in seeing both her physical scars and her emotional state, that this poor dog had lived a completely sad and highly probable abusive life.

The picture to the left was taken during one Topanga's daily trips to my office. As part of her therapy, I would bring her up front with me to hang out and gain her trust. It took some time, but eventually Topanga began to look forward to our time together and she grew comfortable enough with me to actually look at me when I had that big scary camera covering my face. (I promise that isn't poop by her tail in the picture. It was a treat that I had given her. She did not like it and she was apparently letting me know!)

The day Topanga went home with her foster mom, she actually had to be carried to the car. You see, there were a few people that she trusted at the shelter and she would walk along happily with those few. She had a couple of "doggie friends" who were confident and open to playing with anyone, and they helped make Topanga feel a little bit better about herself. Their energy seemed to empower this angel enough to help her take walks and she even began to play with her trusted shelter employee friends. With people she did not know however, Topanga was still very shy and unsure of what to expect. When I sent her off with her foster family, my heart broke and I was (admittedly) afraid for her. Not because I did not trust the family whom we chose to care for her and show her what the life of a beloved pet should be, I had every bit of faith in these folks. I was afraid for her because I knew how extremely hard this next step in her road to a better life would be. I knew the obstacles that Topanga would have to overcome, and I knew how afraid SHE was to be leaving the place she had come to call "home" and the people she had learned to trust. The shelter is no kind of home. It's boring, it's cold, it's noisy, it smells funny and it is a very scary place for an animal whether their time is up or not.

A few short weeks ago, we posted an update with pictures of Topanga and myself. We had an event at a local pet store and Mrs. Topanga stopped by for a short visit. Very much to my surprise and pleasure, the dog I saw that day was not the same dog that I said "good bye" to at the shelter. I watched as Topanga approached our table with her head held high. Her tail was still tucked between her legs, but she had a new confidence about her that brought tears of joy to my eyes. This is all because of and thanks to her new foster family and their devotion to helping Topanga through whatever fears she might face, and to their patience in allowing Topanga time to process the new world around her.

I really enjoyed spending time with Topanga that day at our event. I think her favorite part of the day was going into the pet store and getting to choose her own treats from the smorgasbord of dog treats and toys on the lower shelves. The highlight of my day however, was when it was time for her to go home and I watched as her foster mom opened the door to the truck and Topanga jumped right in and took her seat, anxiously waiting for the ride that was to come!

Some of you may have attended Pet Fest at Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park over this past weekend. If you were lucky, you stopped by our table on Sunday and got to meet Topanga in person. I, unfortunately, was not there on Sunday, but Alicia (our director) sent me the most fabulous pictures and a truly wonderful update! Topanga walked through a massive crowd of people and dogs, with noise and smells coming from all different directions and she did it with more confidence and a great big bully grin! She's still got a good bit of rehab ahead of her before she is ready to move into her forever home, but just look at the pictures below and tell me that opening your home to a dog in need is not worth it...

THIS Is What It's All About Folks! YOU Can Make a Difference!
Become a foster for Pit Bulls in need.

Fun Fact: Topanga is a Shoshonean Indian word or name that means 'above place', and is often used in reference to the sky or heaven. I can't think of a better name for this little lady, because she truly is an angel sent down from heaven above.

The Realities of the Negative Stereotype

2009-03-20T22:30:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, we received an email plea from an individual who's found himself in a very tricky situation that makes me simply shake my head because of how easy it is for others who do not like pit bulls to take away our dogs.

Here's an excerpt from the email, with names removed/modified to protect privacy:

Last Friday the 6th of March, while I was at work my roommate accidently left my door open and Sampson got out. Unfortunately, my neighbor’s dog was right outside and they got in a fight. In trying to get my dog of his, my neighbor stuck his hand inside of my dogs mouth and hot a puncture wound on his hand. I saw it and it didn’t even draw blood and CERTAINLY was not a bite. I want/need to be very clear about that- my dog has NEVER, NEVER even came close to biting another human being. Animal control was called and they explained to me that he had to be taken into quarantine for 10 days and that after that I could get him out. However, there would be certain, strict conditions I would have to abide by. i.e I was the ONLY person that could ever handle him, he couldn’t be around other humans unless I was around, and couldn’t even be in the yard without me. During this 10 day period, they would investigate him and see if he was a harm and a “dangerous animal”. I got a call that night from the officer stating that they had investigated him and found him to be a very friendly animal, which he certainly is and that I would be able to pick him up after the 10 day period.

I was supposed to be able to pick him up on March 16th and I got a call from Officer BM stating that they had reversed their position and were now considering him a dangerous animal. Apparently during the week, they received several calls from other neighbors with fabricated stores. For instance, my neighbor down the street stated that she always saw him running around without a leash terrorizing the neighborhood which is a blatant lie. Then last night I found out the my neighbor whom owned the dog was walking up and down the street last week w/ a picture of his dog’s injuries telling everybody to call animal control. As a result, the officer is considering him “dangerous” and said he could live elsewhere, but not in my street anymore.

Folks, this is why it can be TOUGH owning this breed. This is why you need to be 110% on top of your dogs AT ALL TIMES.

I can't personally speculate that this is 100% true because obviously, I wasn't there. BUT, if the story is true as recounted, let this be a lesson of how much power people CAN have over our dogs for even the smallest mistake.

And when one hateful person employs the power of fear within other people who know not to ask the truth, tell me, what CAN you do? This individual is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Rescues are full. Technically, this dog now has a "bite history" even though it may have been a result of the person getting in the way. Many places can't and won't take a dog with a "bite history." This dog doesn't have time to wait. This dog also has no where to go now. All because of fear. All because of lack of knowledge about these dogs. All because some aren't educated or refuse to be educated. This dog will likely die for being a dog. All because of one mistake and a group of people dedicated to his demise.

Let me share another email with you, also received Tuesday. I really want to drive the point home on responsible ownership.

With this next excerpt, we aren't afforded the whole story. There's a lot of grey in this email and it leaves many questions to be answered. However, the one resounding idea we can receive from this is that ONLY YOU can prevent accidents like this from happening in the first place.

My name is *name removed* and I have a problem that I need advice on. My problem is "How to save my dog's life” I have two pit bull dogs that I love and they are a part of my family. On March 10th 2009 my dogs and I were in the yard I live in a rural route area. I had my male pit bull tied to a weighted chain which I use to slow him down other wise I would not be able to catch him. Someone was passing the street in front of my home and my male pit named *removed*, some how got away and attacked the person. Here is my problem, the animal control code enforcement for *location in South Carolina* issued me three summonses for $1500 which I either have to pay or they will euthanize my dog. This would be like killing one of my kids and I cannot allow this to happen is there any help/advice you can render to me and my family to save my dog as I do not have the money to pay the summons. I have a lung disease and do not work.

How did this dog "somehow" get away? Where WAS the owner? It sounds like this dog got loose frequently. Why was that permitted? There are SO many questions to be asked here but one fact remains: the dog was not in control of it's owner and a big accident happened. That one big accident can effectively harm each and every one of us pit bull owners because these attacks fuel the fire under people who want to see our breed eradicated.

We have a lot to overcome by being breed owners and advocates. We must remain a step ahead of the rest. We must put ourselves out there as being the most responsible dog owners around. We have to work together to educate and promote a change in the perception of responsible pit bull owners.

Be vigilant. Be responsible. Be aware. Educate.

Pentagon Bans Pit Bulls From Army Housing

2009-03-19T07:34:00.024-04:00

A Pentagon memorandum issued earlier this year that bans pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans and chows from living on Army bases has come under fire as being cold, backwards, misguided and an insult to soldiers who have served their country. Read more at Ohmidog!

Given the recent decision by the Pentagon to ban Pit Bulls and other "dangerous" breeds from Army housing, we thought it'd be nice to pay tribute to America's [apparently] forgotten heroes.

By the time of WWI the American Pit Bull Terrier had became a well loved and desired dog breed of choice. In fact the Pit Bull was used as America's canine military mascot as seen in such posters as these during war time.

Sergeant Stubby (1916 or 1917 – March 16, 1926), was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat.

Stubby was found on the Yale campus in 1917 by John Robert Conroy. He was of unknown breed; some sources speculated that he was part Boston Terrier and part Pit Bull, while other sources state that he was in fact a pure bred American Pit Bull Terrier while his obituary described him as a "Bull terrier" (which was at the time synonymous with "American Bull Terrier" and "Pit Bull Terrier"). Stubby marched with Conroy and even learned an approximate salute. When Conroy's unit shipped out to France, Stubby was smuggled aboard the USS Minnesota.

At war’s end, Stubby was treated like a hero. Doors were opened for him, as opposed to being slammed in his face. After returning home, Stubby became a celebrity and marched in, and normally led, many parades across the country. He met Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren G. Harding. Starting in 1921, he attended Georgetown University Law Center with Conroy, and became the Hoyas' mascot. He would be given the football at halftime and would nudge the ball around the field to the amusement of the fans.

Stubby wasn't our only hero! Dogs were commonplace during the Civil War as companions for the soldiers and during the Spanish-American War, "Jack Brutus" became the official mascot of Company K, First Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.

"Old Jack", as he was known, was considerably bigger than STUBBY and fortunately the Connecticut soldiers never got the chance to try to smuggle him anywhere since they basically spent the War encamped at various places here in the states providing coastal defense from Maine to Virginia. "Old Jack" died of spinal troubles and constipation in 1898.

From The United States War Dogs Association - Their training is intense; their working conditions are deplorable; their lives are always on the line; and in at least one case, namely Vietnam, their rewards were non-existent. And this seems to be the case again... because the Pentagon is now refusing to recognize the heroic efforts, the loyalty, courage and the undying love that these dogs possess. Instead of honoring these dogs and our troops who sacrifice so much for this great nation, our government now chooses to refuse our men and women, and our war dogs, the dignity and freedom that they fight so hard to preserve for our country.

Today, in light of a recently approved Pentagon policy, soldiers returning home — if they have a pit bull, Rottweiler, chow or Doberman Pinscher in their family — won’t be allowed to keep them if they live on a military base. (Thanks for fighting for our “freedom,” though.)

It has been estimated that these courageous canines saved more than 10,000 lives during the conflict in Vietnam; and that there are some 700 dogs in the Middle East right now. They are being used to patrol Air Bases, Military Compounds, Ammunition Depots and Military Check Points. They are guarding and protecting our Military Personnel as they were trained to do, with courage, loyalty and honor.

The story of Chips is one that brings a tear to my eye, because it is an example of how blind some people can be. In World War II, a shepherd-collie mix named Chips was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for attacking an enemy machine-gun nest in Sicily and, despite a bullet wound, forced the six-man crew to surrender. The Army later revoked the awards, calling it demeaning to service members to give medals to animals.

His unit unofficially awarded him a Theater Ribbon with an Arrowhead for an assault landing, and Battlestars for each of his eight campaigns. Chips was discharged in December 1945 and returned to his original (the Wren) family.

In 1990, Disney made a TV movie based on his life, entitled Chips, the War Dog.

"They did a big part and I think that if you're going to honor the military I don't know how you can do that and not honor the dogs that were involved in that and gave just as much, and when you give your life, that's the most you can give." - Larry Laudner; Vietnam dog handler.

We believe that a dog does not have to serve in the military to be considered a hero. Many of our country's men and women leave behind loyal and courageous family pets when they head out to serve our - THEIR - country. Pets who are trusted to watch over their children and family in their absence. Pets who are loved, and who are there for them when they return. These dogs serve our troops as much as any, because they are there to help mend broken hearts when a soldier does not come home, and they are there to help aid our troops and ground them when they do come home.

I personally, as many of you do, have family who serve our country... who have loved ones, including those of the canine species, more specifically the breeds that are now being BANNED in military housing, waiting for them to return home. Is it fair for our government to tell our loved ones that even though they fight for this freedom, they cannot be loyal to and love the very species who serves along side them?

Best Friends says citizens against the Army’s ban should write a letter to the president, members of the House Armed Services Committee, and Army officials.

To contact the President, click here or send an e-mail to comments@whitehouse.gov and put the appropriate name in the subject line.

To contact members of the Armed Services Committee, click here.

To contact the Army, e-mail Ms. Joyce VanSlyke at joyce.vanslyke@us.army.mil

Ready To Be ZAZZLED?!

2009-03-13T09:28:00.003-04:00

Or visit our gallery at Zazzle

A Long Overdue Update on Rescue Shenanigans!

2009-03-12T09:24:00.001-04:00

Hi there folks!

We've been incredibly busy lately which has kept us from keeping everyone updated, but also means that we've got a LOT to update about! We have no clue where to start!

Hmm....let's see...Topanga! Our lovely lady stopped by at our event at the Pet Lover's Warehouse on February 21st. Ms. 'Panga went in for her first heartworm treatment on Monday the 9th, thanks to all of our very generous donors! She's showing no ill side effects from her first treatment which we're very pleased to hear about. In another month, she'll be going back to the vet for a back to back injection treatment to kill off more of the worms where she'll be under close supervision of our veterinarian. After that, she'll wait another month and get an oral dose of some more meds to kill off the babies and then a month after that, we can get her re-checked for the heartworms and hopefully have a 100% healthy Topanga! Cross your fingers, toes, and paws for a speedy recovery!

Ms. Venus-Honey is doing marvelous as well and is ready for adoption! She has made a full recovery and we couldn't be more pleased with her progress :) She's filled out well and is doing great with obedience training. If you know of anyone looking for a little pittie girl, she's the one! She's at a healthy weight, right around 40lbs and is an adult believe it or not! She's probably closer to age 3 as she has some pretty significant wear on her teeth. She's crate trained and house broken too! Good things DO come in small packages!

Psst! Some people insist that Venus-Honey can't be purebred because she's so "small." Folks, you are correct that she may not be purebred. None of our dogs may be purebred. We didn't get to meet the parents so it's truly ANYONE'S guess. To our experienced eyes however, Venus-Honey is closer to what this breed originally started in appearances. They were built to be smaller, lean, athletic dogs and she is all of that. In general, the females weighed between 30-40lbs and the males between 35-45lbs.

As per the UKC Standard for the American Pit Bull Terrier:
The American Pit Bull Terrier must be both powerful and agile so actual weight and height are less important than the correct proportion of weight to height. Desirable weight for a mature male in good condition is between 35 and 60 pounds. Desirable weight for a mature female in good condition is between 30 and 50 pounds. Dogs over these weights are not to be penalized unless they are disproportionately massive or rangy.

Now that we've got our mini-lesson on the APBT breed standard weight out of the way, we want to update you guys on our shining star, GOLDA! Folks, this wonderful girl came to us after having been picked up off the side of the road near death. This girl came to us after having been treated for heartworms. This lucky girl shows physical signs of having been put through the ringer! We've had people even comment to us when talking about her that they wouldn't want a "damaged" dog! Damaged? HARDLY. The only thing damaged about this sweet girl is where she's missing a portion of her bottom lip. Beyond that, she's one rock solid GOOD girl who doesn't deserve the short end of the stick that's handed to these dogs already, not to mention the reactions some people give to seeing her missing her lip. She is a testament to all dogs out there that no matter what, having been fought, having gotten into a fight, having been physically abused, that these dogs can STILL bounce back and be as forgiving and loving of people and strangers as ever. We should all take note from Golda on the ability to forgive and trust. Now, because she is such an awesome girl, she managed to worm her way into the hearts of Bill and Beryl and is now living the life we all want to live out near the beach! Give her some extra smooches for us because we're gonna miss her! But, we're happy for all of you!

Have you all been wondering about our other shining star? Our beautiful "long timer" Mia? Well for the last month, she's been in a foster to adopt placement and we're all crossing our fingers that we'll know for sure if we can consider Mia adopted finally! Her potential forever home is a wonderful guy who is super devoted to working with his dog(s) :) It was very obvious upon meeting him and his boy Ox, that he puts time into his dog and enjoys the company. We're very pleased that Mia will have the opportunity to potentially have a life with this guy. Cross your fingers everyone! After many months, this girl DESERVES it!

If you haven't heard yet, Pet Fest 2009 is in a couple of weeks and we'll be in attendance! Saturday, March 28th we'll be there from 10AM-4PM and Sunday the 29th, we'll be there from 12PM-4PM. This is going to be super exciting and a very busy day! We're of course going to have Our Magnets there (cheaper at events than they are online by the way :) ) but we've also got a couple of t-shirt designs coming our way. We've had these ideas milling about for quite some time and have just recently been able to focus a little bit of time to get them finalized. Here's a teaser for you guys:

We're also plugging away at more unisex designs so you men out there don't feel so left out. We've got some good ones in our heads, its just getting them onto the computer! We've also started a http://www.zazzle.com account but haven't opened the store yet since we'd like to have a variety of designs available. Hopefully, we'll have that ready for you all around the beginning of April :) Keep your eyes open as we'll be sure to let you know when you can visit!

Anywho, that's all we've got for now but we'll be back to update again soon, so never fear!

Darlington County, SC - Suspected Dog Fighting Ring Raided

2009-03-09T20:44:00.004-04:00

Alright, in our last blog post we said that we would try to update you all as we learn more... and this case is what we are talking about. It is truly sad, as right now we do not have all the facts and we don't know if these dogs were indeed used in a fighting ring. What we do know is that they were confiscated and that they need help.

Folks! This is happening right here in our own "back yard". We are praying like the dickens that these dogs will be given a fair chance and that the Faron dogs, along with the Vick dogs and countless other dogs that have been seized in fight busts and other criminal cases will be their angels and will light the way and allow for them to be evaluated as individuals. We don't want to jump the gun in this, but the possibility is there that we may be called upon to help and if that time comes, we will need YOU... these dogs will need YOU to help us help them.

http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/local/arti....g_raided/36489/

Published: March 4, 2009

About 10 pit bulls have been seized and four people have been arrested in connection with an apparent dogfighting operation discovered late Friday afternoon in Darlington County.

Deputies responded to a mobile home at 1619 Patrick Highway about 5 p.m. Friday, Darlington County Sheriff’s Sgt. Charles Wright said. They found the dogs, as well as the four suspects and about $5,000 in crack cocaine and cash.

Although the dogs are in good condition, investigators believe they were being bred to fight because of the conditions on the property and because they were being fed high-quality, high-protein food, Wright said.

The Darlington County Humane Society has been contacted to take care of the dogs, he said.

The case also is unusual because of the large amount of drugs and cash confiscated, as well as the number of people involved, Wright said.

Investigators also are trying to determine whether the four suspects are linked to a drive-by shooting of a Hartsville-area residence earlier in the week, Wright said. No one was injured in the shooting.

James Barrett, 38, of 1619 Patrick Highway; Triston Wesley of Bishopville; Kendrick Wesley, 20, and Kentrey Wesley, 18, both of Hartsville, are each charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, Wright said.

Kendrick and Kentrey Wesley are brothers; Triston Wesley is their cousin, the sergeant said.

All four suspects were taken to the Darlington County Detention Center, where they will be held pending bond hearings.

Additional charges and arrests are possible as the investigation continues, Wright said.

Dog fights average nearly an hour in length and often last more than two hours. Dogfights end when one of the dogs will not or cannot continue.

Under South Carolina law, any person who owns an animal for the purpose of fighting or baiting, is a party to any fighting or baiting of any animal or obtains the use of any structure for the purpose of fighting or baiting any animal is guilty of a felony and upon conviction must be punished by a fine of $5,000 or five years in prison or both.

The law also provides for seizure and forfeiture of animals used in fighting operations.

Attorney General Henry McMaster formed a dogfighting task force in March 2004 to crack down on the crime. Within about six months, state and local authorities made criminal cases against at least 28 people suspected of dogfighting or owning equipment used to support it.

Law enforcement and Humane Society officials have said it’s believed dogfighting is about a $500 million industry among 50,000 dog fighters nationwide, according to a 2007 report in The (Sumter) Item. The money is made through betting, gate receipts, drug deals and dog sales.

The Humane Society estimates 30,000 people across the nation participate in dogfighting, the report said.

South Carolina is a favorite spot because the state has a great deal of rural space, and breeders here have produced several winning blood lines, he said.

Candlelight Vigil Held for Innocent Victims

2009-03-09T20:37:00.003-04:00

With the last couple of weeks being very busy for us, it's been a little difficult to update the blog here as we should. For this, we do apologize. We've got a couple of things to update you all on over the next few days and I hope that we can bring you all regular updates as we learn more. This post is sort of a "two-fer" in that we want to recognize the love and support for the Faron dogs and let everyone out there know that indeed the death of these dogs was not, and will not be taken lightly nor will it be forgotten.

Candlelight Vigil Held for Innocent Victims

March 5, 2009 : 10:04 PM

Emotional remembrance a hopeful beginning for change in North Carolina

By Pam Hay, Best Friends Network Volunteer

Last night a group of animal advocates came together in Raleigh, North Carolina to attend a candlelight vigil in memory of lives lost - in this case 145 canine lives - who were killed through no fault of their own, but because of an unjust law.

Heartbreaking to all involved, the purpose of the vigil was twofold; to mourn the loss of the euthanized dogs, including approximately 70 puppies, as well as to help make sure this does not reoccur.

The event’s message was clear; change the way dogs are treated once seized from fighting operations. Give them the opportunity to be individually assessed by experienced and reputable organizations and give them the chance they deserve - the one that was denied to these innocent victims.

Laura Gonzo, a Best Friends volunteer, commended law enforcement for taking dog fighting seriously, but criticized the mandatory execution of dogs without due process, instead encouraging change in the current North Carolina law, so that future seized dogs have the right to be given the potential for a loving life.

“We are here today to send a message to our legislators that these are not monsters, but dogs that deserve our compassion; dogs that deserve to be evaluated as individuals, dogs that deserve the same chance that we would give any other dog,” noted Gonzo. “Any dog that comes into the shelter system should be held to the same set of standards and given the same opportunities. All homeless dogs, no matter where they are found or who has failed them, deserve a second chance.”

Shelia Carlisle, Best Friends volunteer and foster parent for several of the victimized animals, described how loving and playful these innocent puppies were and how her heart was torn to pieces when she had to give them up only to then be destroyed. She had recently reached out to Best Friends in an attempt to try and save the puppies she had carefully nurtured.

(click on the image to the left to view a video chronicling the vigil)

“This is a dangerous pit bull dog that must be killed,” noted Carlisle as she held a photo of Grimmy, one of the many puppies born from the seized dogs. After being fostered from near death to health, his foster mother was “told that she must bring him back to the warehouse because it was time for him to be killed.”

A bell was rung 145 times as attendees placed 145 collars on a dog bed, in memory of each canine who had crossed.

There was not a dry eye at the site, as Carlisle then sang Wayfarer Stranger by Johnny Cash with true emotion in her voice. Even one of the journalists reporting on the event noted, “This was done with dignity and was very powerful.”

This travesty of justice was the direct result of North Carolina’s antiquated laws that state all fighting dogs seized be catagorically defined as dangerous.

There are so many misconceptions about the American pit bull terrier, as well as other dogs that fall into the category of "bully breeds." The public is led to believe that fighting and viciousness are "in their blood." This is not true; these dogs are just as innocent when they are born as other breeds.

What makes dogs dangerous is not their breeding; but the people behind them.

They are not lost causes. In fact, there have been many instances that prove just the opposite. Many are capable of being socialized to become loving, loyal pets, even where there are children and other animals in the house.

Bad laws and policies regarding fighting dogs must be changed so that these dogs can be evaluated individually, not as a whole, and given a second chance at a good life.

“This vigil became an event because of the deep conviction of the volunteers,” noted Ed Fritz, Best Friends Pit Bulls Campaign Specialist. “It is the outpouring of support from people at times like this that validate my commitment to this issue.”

It is the hope and prayer of those attending that the public continues to push and give voice to the voiceless - the most unfortunate victims of dog fighting operations.

“These animals were beautiful, they were funny, they were playful, they hugged us, they wanted us to pick them up. We fell in love with them and we tried so hard to save them, and there was no way…,” Carlisle said to the crowd. “I just pray to God that this never has to keep going on and happens to other animals.”

How You Can Help:
• Do not let history repeat itself. North Carolina residents are urged to contact your state Senator and Representatives to request a redraft of North Carolina Statute NC 67-1 - 4.1 (a)(1).

• Find your state legislators here by inputting your zip code + 4 (scroll down page, right hand column).

• Insist that the following language from North Carolina Statute NC 67-1 - 4.1 (a)(1) be removed from the definition of Dangerous Dog: “Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting, or any dog trained for dog fighting.”

Please also remind your legislators that all dogs are individuals and should be evaluated as such, not grouped together by breed.

Media coverage:
• Pit Bull Lovers Hope To Change State Law To Allow Dog Rehabilitation
• Activists upset at dog euthanization over rehabilitation
• Group hopes to save dogs from euthanasia
• Group holds vigil in hopes of changing NC dog fighting laws
• On the Internet, everyone helps your dog

Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staff
Photo credit: taken by Clay Myers, Best Friends photographer

Faron Dogs Did Not Die In Vain

2009-02-24T18:53:00.010-05:00

Since the February 16 ruling by Judge Ed Wilson Jr. to euthanize the 146 dogs that were seized in a raid on Ed Faron’s Wildside Kennels, the pit bull community has been up in arms. The decision to kill the dogs was supported by the largest animal welfare organization in the country, the Humane Society of the United States. According to the Winston-Salem Journal, representatives of HSUS testified in Wilkes County Superior Court that the dogs had to be destroyed because they had been 'bred for generations to be aggressive.' HSUS reasserted its outdated policy, written more than 20 years ago: 'Any dog who has been specifically bred or conditioned for fighting, or for which there is evidence that the dog has been used for fighting should not be placed for adoption by an animal shelter but humanely euthanized as soon as legally possible.'

Pit Bull rescuers and advocates from all over the country have been buzzing about the news. A coalition led by Best Friends Animal Society urged the HSUS to change its policy on fight bust dogs and they listened!

A meeting of the minds

February 23, 2009 : 8:44 PM ET

The Humane Society of the United States on February 23 issued an interim policy recommending all dogs be evaluated as individuals, and is calling a meeting of leading animal welfare organizations concerning dogs victimized by dog fighting.

Wayne Pacelle, chief executive officer and president of the Humane Society of the United States, suggested the meeting of major stakeholders in Las Vegas to work through the associated issues. This meeting is in response to concerns expressed by Best Friends Animal Society in December 2008 regarding HSUS policies related to animals confiscated in dog-fighting busts.

Pacelle said the meeting, scheduled for April, will include the participation of national stakeholder organizations that deal with pit bulls. The meeting was in the planning stages before Superior Court Judge Ed Wilson Jr. ruled that 145 pit bulls, including approximately 70 puppies, confiscated from Wildside Kennels in Wilkes County, North Carolina, would be euthanized without evaluation to determine suitability for placement.

The new interim policy announced by the HSUS, pending the outcome of the meeting, recommends that local law enforcement and animal control evaluate such dogs as individuals rather than as a category before any decision is made regarding their future.

“We expect government, corporations, and individuals to constantly re-evaluate how they deal with animal issues,” Pacelle said. “Likewise, we regularly review our own policies and procedures here at HSUS, and we think it is important to talk with professional colleagues in the movement to examine issues related to the disposition of fighting dogs.

“I am pleased to discuss these issues with personnel from Best Friends and other organizations interested in the welfare of pit bulls.”

Julie Castle, director of Community Programs and Services for Best Friends said, “There had been more than enough airing of feelings and outrage that the dogs were not evaluated prior to being summarily euthanized. It was time to hit the reset button on this in order to move things forward in a constructive way. Mr. Pacelle was open and receptive to what we had to say and we are looking forward to our meetings in April.”

Best Friends, through its campaign, “Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dogs,” is looking forward working cooperatively with HSUS, according to Castle.

The campaign is aimed in part at educating the public and the media about pit bulls in order to help save the breed’s reputation. “Our goal is to bring positive change to lives and image of pit bulls,” she said.

Written by Best Friends staff
Photo of Meryl, a Vicktory dog, by Gary Kalpakoff

As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.

Another small step, but a major one still. The Victory dogs spoke a loud and clear message, as have countless others who have made it from ‘fight bust’ to Certified Therapy Dog, and still others who have been adopted into wonderful loving homes to be family pets. The Faron dogs did NOT die in vain. Because of this latest tragedy, other fight bust dogs will have the chance to be evaluated as individual dogs and they’ll have the chance to show the world that they are just as deserving as any other dog – and that they CAN go on to help our breed crawl out from under this shadow that’s been cast upon them for decades. These dogs may not have come from the Bad Newz Kennels of Michael Vick, but I call them VICTORY dogs just the same!

Read "Coalition Urges HSUS to Revise Policy on Dogs Seized in Fighting Busts"

Coalition Urges HSUS to Revise Policy on Dogs Seized in Fighting Busts

2009-02-20T05:22:00.007-05:00

Coalition Urges HSUS to Revise Policy on Dogs Seized in Fighting Busts

The court-ordered destruction Monday of 145 dogs, including about 75 puppies, which were seized from a fighting dog breeding operation in December, was based on the faulty assumption that all dogs seized in dog-fighting related busts should arbitrarily be deemed dangerous and euthanized.

Wilkesboro, NC (Vocus/PRWEB ) February 19, 2009 -- The court-ordered destruction Monday of 145 dogs, including about 75 puppies, which were seized from a fighting dog breeding operation in December, was based on the faulty assumption that all dogs seized in dog-fighting related busts should arbitrarily be deemed dangerous and euthanized.

The decision to kill the dogs was supported by the largest animal welfare organization in the country, the Humane Society of the United States. According to the Winston-Salem Journal, representatives of HSUS testified in Wilkes County Superior Court that the dogs had to be destroyed because they had been 'bred for generations to be aggressive.' HSUS reasserted its outdated policy, written more than 20 years ago: 'Any dog who has been specifically bred or conditioned for fighting, or for which there is evidence that the dog has been used for fighting should not be placed for adoption by an animal shelter but humanely euthanized as soon as legally possible.'

A Best Friends Animals Society-led coalition offered resources to the county for evaluation, spay/neuter, and support in finding homes for qualified dogs. These animal welfare organizations, which have extensive experience with rescued fighting dogs, urged Wilkes County to accept their offer of support for an alternative approach, such as was used in the Michael Vick case. The coalition includes BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls), Animal Farm Foundation, Villa Lobos Rescue Center, Downtown Dog Rescue, The Sula Foundation and Our Pack.

“We are disheartened and shocked that HSUS, a leader in the animal welfare community, would testify in court for the automatic destruction of puppies and dogs, who had not been given the opportunity to be evaluated as individuals, based on this policy. The Michael Vick dogs have proven how antiquated this approach is,” said Ledy VanKavage, an attorney with Best Friends Animal Society.

In 2006 HSUS advocated that all of the dogs from the Michael Vick dog fighting case be put down for the same reasons they used when recommending the killing of the Wilkes County pit bulls. In that case a federal court appointed a Special Master to oversee the evaluation of Vick’s dogs, all of which were adults. Many of the Vick dogs are now in adoptive homes, and at least two of the so-called “aggressive fighting dogs” are therapy dogs that visit hospitals to cheer up ailing patients.

“The coalition members and their supporters are urging HSUS to reevaluate this policy and apply a more progressive approach that reflects the lessons learned by the animal welfare groups in the coalition, as well as other organizations that work directly with dogs,” VanKavage said.

COALITION CONTACTS:

Best Friends Animal Society http://www.bestfriends.org
Barbara Williamson (435) 689-0200 (cell) (or) barbara(at)bestfriends.org
John Polis (435) 644-2001, ext. 4858 or johnp (at) bestfriends.org

Animal Farm Foundation http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org
Stacey Coleman (845) 868-7559 (or) scoleman (at) animalfarmfoundation.org

BAD RAP http://www.badrap.org
Donna Reynolds (510) 441-6461 (or) donna (at) badrap.org

Downtown Dog Rescue http://www.downtowndogrescue.org
Lori Weise (213) 448-9961 (or) lori(at)modernica.net

Our Pack http://www.ourpack.org/
Marthina McClay (408) 460-4244 (or) marthina (at) ourpack.org

The Sula Foundation http://www.sulafoundation.org
Ken Foster (504) 613-7370 (or) kenrfoster (at) gmail.com

Villa Lobos Rescue Center http://www.vrcpitbull.com/home.htm
Tia Maria Torres (661) 268-0555 (or) tiamaria (at) vrcpitbull.com

About Best Friends Animal Society:
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, Best Friends Animal Society advances nationwide animal welfare initiatives by working with shelter and rescue groups around the country. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southwestern Utah is the nation's largest facility for abused, abandoned and special needs companion animals. On any given day the sanctuary is home to approximately 1,700 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals. The society publishes Best Friends magazine, the nation’s largest general interest, pet-related magazine with approximately 300,000 subscribers. For more information on Best Friends Animal Society, visit: http://www.bestfriends.org/

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Topanga

2009-02-10T18:15:00.000-05:00

Topanga's story starts in the Clarendon County area of South Carolina. One day, not terribly long ago, the shelter employees had noticed a white pit bull type dog hanging around in the woods on the property of the shelter. It appeared that she may have had a litter at one point in time and had a fairly significant gash on the upper portion of her neck. The employees couldn't get close enough to catch her.

After about two weeks or so, one of the neighbors to the shelter was able to befriend her and took her in until a kennel opened up at the shelter. Topanga's wound had mostly healed and it was quite clear that she was a very soft dog. Topanga buried her head in the chest of one of the shelter employees during her wellness exam. She held her head low and was non-confrontational in all interactions.

On one chilly day in January, we took the ride up to the shelter to temperament test her to see if she was a candidate for rescue. Topanga looked as though she were waiting for the world to fall in on her. She seemed to be thinking that nothing good was coming her way and wouldn't dare show an ounce of excitement for anything. She passed her temperament test quite well and it was recommended that she go to a home to be rehabilitated to gain more confidence and to help her learn how to relax.

Let me tell you guys, during her food aggression test, her response was one of the oddest we've ever seen! When a hand was placed near her bowl, her reaction was to stop eating and just stand there. Normally, we see things like body stiffness/tension, a dog that continues eating, wags its tail gleefully, etc. Topanga just stood there. It was almost as though she was waiting for a kick :( She just stood there like, "Take it already, it's yours anyway. I don't deserve it." Her reaction was absolutely heartbreaking.

The shelter employees began working with her more and she began coming out of her shell ever so slightly and wanting to interact more with people. How could we say no to that!? We found a wonderful foster home for this pretty lady and we're working towards her rehabilitation now.

One last major step we need to make is having her treated for heartworms. Yes folks, this "broken" girl was cared so little about that her previous owners allowed her to become infested with a deadly parasite. :( After all this girl has been through and her great demeanor, we owe it to her to make her life better from this point forward. She was seen by our primary veterinarian today and it will be a 4 month process to clear her of the worms. When she begins treatment, she will be given one injection and will stay the day for observations. One month later, she will go back in for two injections back to back. She will have to stay overnight for this portion for observation. One month after that, she will go back in for an oral dose of the Ivermectin and stay for the day. One final month later, she will go in to be tested for heartworms to make sure she is rid of them.

As one can imagine, this is a pricey procedure but one of the safest and quickest ones available. Each injection alone will cost us $105. This does not include office visit fees, overnight fees, other medications, etc.

If any of our readers can find it in their hearts to donate towards her care, it would be greatly appreciated. We will be discussing options later on about specific dates and will get her scheduled in as soon as possible for her treatment. Keep your eyes peeled!

Venus- The Goddess of Love

2009-02-10T10:00:00.002-05:00

We've been pretty quiet lately because we've been super busy! We've got two new arrivals to the rescue and we want to update you guys :)

Venus showed up in Marva's neighborhood the evening of the 3rd. Marva called that night to ask some questions because it looked like Venus had something wrong with her girl parts. She sent me some pictures and to our dismay, it looked kinda like Venus had a prolapsed uterus. I told Marva to meet me at our rescue's vet the next morning at 8:00AM.

The next morning, meeting this sweet girl was like meeting an angel from Heaven. She's very polite and such a tiny girl! We let our vet know what we were there for and got the news that unfortunately, they didn't feel comfortable performing that kind of surgery. We made some other calls and found a private veterinarian in Goose Creek that wanted to see her right away to get looking at the situation to see what we could do. Off we go!

Venus was such a fabulous rider! And she proved to be even more fabulous at the vet clinic. We were there for at least an hour with her standing up on the elevated steel table waiting patiently between the tech and the vet to come in and do some more looking and other tests. She had no issues with complete strangers handling her and showed a fabulous personality in such an uncomfortable situation. The vet decided to go ahead and spay her and he'd work on trying to get her "insides" back where they should be but that with as swollen as she was, it was going to be next to impossible and that we'd have other aftercare instructions to help her along.

Hours later, the vet calls and says we can go pick her up and that she's doing VERY well :) Everyone at the clinic fell in love with her good nature :) She weighed in at 32lbs and likely will not get any bigger than 45lbs. She's a great example of what the true American Pit Bull Terrier should be. We had her scanned twice for a microchip with no luck which is why we went ahead with having the surgery. We also found out that it was not actually a prolapsed uterus but instead, something similar called vaginal hyperplasia. This happens when a female dog goes into heat and her body produces and excess amount of estrogen that causes her vulva to swell abnormally. Eventually, the walls would have receded back into her body, but not after some form of infection would likely have set in. She's getting wonderful care with Marva right now, but we really need to find another foster home for this gal! If you know of anyone that may be interested, they will NOT be disappointed with this girl!

Venus's vet bills for the day tallied in at over $500. We are desperate to raise the money for these expenses as we are now at a point where we cannot take any more dogs into our group. Please consider donating to Ms. Venus's care using the Chip In widget below!

"There's Nothing Wrong With Me!"

2009-01-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hey All!

It's Mia here! My foster mama vented to me the other day about some things and I've been thinking about them long and hard. And ya know what? I want to say something!

My foster mama loves me and I can see that. She tells me I'm a pain in the rear sometimes but she knows that its just because I'm full of energy. She laughs at me a lot when I'm out and about and playing around and she says she's amazed at how much I put up with from my foster sister Penny some days. What she doesn't know is that I LOVE it! And I love making her laugh and I don't mean to annoy her but I just love being a dog! No harm in that huh?

One of the things she was talking to me about the other day is me finding my forever home. I sure don't mind staying with my foster mom and I try very hard to be a good dog for her. I want to make her happy! But, we both know that I'd love to be able to run around more often in a big ol' yard with lots of squeaky toys to squeak and get dirty and shred (I AM a dog ya know!) And I'd love more than anything to make my foster mama happy. I love meeting all sorts of people and I've been trying to show people my good side so they can get to know me but here's what my foster mama was telling me. She says that some people think I'm intimidating! Or that I'm not pretty and I'm scaring looking because I'm mostly black!

How can that be?? I let my foster mama take all these crazy pictures of me having fun and she tells me just how pretty I am every day and that my coat is so shiny and soft and I just don't can't believe people would think that I'm scary! She tells me that people don't necessarily think I'm not pretty but that I'm not "flashy" like the other dogs. My coat isn't red or totally brindle or fawn or even white with some other color. She says that people pick the dogs with more color first because they aren't as "impressed" with my black coat. I guess no one likes a sleek, shiny coat with brindle undertones you don't usually see in other dogs. What a way to make a doggie feel good about herself huh? But ya know what? I know I'm a good dog and that I AM pretty! I know some day someone will see that and they'll want me :)

Something else my foster mama was talking to me about that seemed to upset her the most was that many people ask her "So, she's been with you for a while. Why hasn't anyone adopted her yet? What's wrong with her?" What's wrong with me?? NOTHING! And my foster mama assures me of that all the time! Like her, I just didn't know that there was a set limit in the back of people's minds that would tell them that "Oh something must be wrong with that dog to not have been adopted yet." It makes both me and my foster mama feel like people think we are lying to them about what kind of cool pooch I am! My foster mama tells me that there have been people interested in me before but many times they can't adopt me because they can't have me where they live. She also tells me that some people have wanted me just so they can leave me outside all the time. I'm not a lawn ornament! I LOVE people and they are so interesting! You can't leave a dog like me outside alone all the time because I might find a way to leave the yard and go find more interesting things to do. I enjoy companionship! Someone else wanted me to be a guard dog too. They didn't want me to have as their running partner or a family member, they wanted me to guard their house and property and be another lawn ornament. I'm sorry, but if we don't have a bond, what do I care if someone wants in your house? If you leave me outside alone or chained up, I'm going to be so excited to see someone, I'll gladly invite them over!

The point to all this is to tell folks that there's nothing wrong with me. My foster mama is good to me and reassures me of this all the time. And you know, I know it too! I don't like to seem conceited, but I do like to have fun and I'm confident and its such a shame that people look at me and make up their own assumptions about why I'm still available for adoption, thinking that I'm some bad dog. Meet me and allow me to change your mind!

Collar Mania!

2009-01-20T18:05:00.004-05:00

We just got some fabulous collars in from Lisa with Collar Mania and we want to share! We ordered some custom "Adopt Me" collars and she threw in a couple of extras for the other foster pooches :) We couldn't be more pleased!

If you guys haven't heard of Collar Mania, you guys need to get off your tails and go check it out! Lisa makes collars of all sizes and if you are looking for something special, email her and ask about it! It's so hard to pick just one collar but they are totally worth it :) They are sturdy and well put together and we love these collars for the strong dogs we handle!

If you wind up placing an order with Lisa, let her know NHPBR sent you!

The First Meeting of 2009!

2009-01-16T20:12:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone!

On January 25th, 2009 from 2:30PM until about 4:30PM we will be holding our first volunteer/member meeting of 2009! Please send us an email at volunteer@nhpbr.org for more information on the meeting location, what will be discussed, and what you should bring.

Thank you everyone for your support!

From Dolla' Bill To Kona!

2009-01-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

What a lovely thing to wake up to in the morning - Pictures of Kona, formerly Dolla' Bill!

Just take a look see at one of the most adorable underbites in the world! We are so happy for you big boy and enjoy living it up with your doggie sister and new family! Thanks so much Pam and Earl :D

We love these kinds of updates!

Hello New Year and a New Java!

2009-01-14T08:49:00.003-05:00

First off, Happy New Year to you all! We've got great plans for this one so stay tuned!

Now, you all remember Java, formerly known as Mr. Mike right?

We got to visit with him yesterday at the vet and look at him now!

Does he not look FABULOUS! Great work Pat and Bonnie! And the "Sit Pretty" trick you guys have taught him is absolutely adorable!

See here folks? The following picture speaks VOLUMES about why these dogs need time to adjust in new situations. Compare this picture with the ones above and you have a totally different dog. This is what they need!

Java is still testing positive for the Demodectic Mange but it looks like progress is being made. Cross your fingers for him, and if you can help at all with the expenses, please send us an email at donations@nhpbr.org Thank you!

Help Us Win ! :)

2008-12-28T14:42:00.003-05:00

When you vote for us, you increase our chances of winning $10,000! Do you know how we could help the dogs and our local community with that kind of money? The possibilities are seemingly endless!

Also, for the top recruiters for voting, the top 20 will get $50 gift certificates. There's something in it for you guys too the more you promote it!

Check it out and vote!

Holiday Fun!

2008-12-26T09:56:00.004-05:00

We can't speak for the other pooches in our program but Ms. Mia and Penny Lane got a chance to experience Christmas!

Here's Penny investigating her gift:

And for everyone's viewing pleasure, a video of her opening said present :)

And THEN! There's Mia :) Lemme tell you guys, this girl has such a contagious joy for life!

For me???

And a second vid since I failed to take off the cardboard and plastic from the gifts lol!

Also, in other news, Dolla' Bill got THE best present of all - A new HOME! Pam and Earl, have fun with him and we all can't wait to see new pictures as he grows up!

Local Pitties Now Stars in The REAL Pit Bull 2009 Calendar!

2008-12-21T15:57:00.002-05:00

We are SO pleased to announce that two special Charleston area Pit Bulls have made it into The REAL Pit Bull's 2009 Calendar! Deja (featured in July) and Cyrus (featured in December) are owned and loved by Alicia Domina, Director of New Hope Pit Bull Rescue :)

Mary Harwelik is the brains behind her site, The REAL Pit Bull and devotes much of her time to education and advocacy. She is a wealth of knowledge and a key player in many things pit bull! We are blessed to have formed a friendship with her and greatly look forward to the future :)

Show your support and order a copy of the "Responsi-bull n' Proud!" calendar today!

Precarious Positions and Microchipping

2008-12-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

*waves hi* This is Alicia speaking today :) Kat and I take turns writing up posts but this one, since it is more of a personal story is one that should be directed from me specifically.

For those of you who may not know, my occupation is as a property manager. That's a fancy schmancy word for a landlord but you all get that I'm sure :) I manage a handful of apartments in the area although that's neither here nor there.

I guess when you get involved in rescue, you tend to put off that rescue "vibe" to both people and animals. For instance, about a year ago I believe, I was walking up to my office very first thing in the morning and notice a plastic crate sitting outside my office door. I was excited for half a millisecond thinking maybe that it was empty and we'd be able to use it for the dogs. Now, you know it just ISN'T going to work out like that. I get to the crate and am greeted by the earthy smell of FOUR young adult kittens, maybe 4-5 months old. It was such a "wonderful" way to start off my morning. Now, at this point in time, I've got two dogs at home, one of which is NOT cat friendly. Nor am I even remotely equipped for four cats. I had to call animal control to come get them as it was the most realistic and safest option for them.

I've had to call animal control out for domestic rabbits running around the property. Sadly, no one was able to catch them and after about a month, the disappeared.

There was one week a few months ago that I had to call animal control out for an injured, wild bird, a ferret running a muck in one of my buildings, and a 9 year old labby girl. I remember with the lab, the vet clinic associated with her rabies tag was extremely put off by my calling them as I was about the 3rd person that day. They wouldn't give me any information about the owners which was fine, but...they didn't exactly make it easy to help her get back home. The animal control officer had much better results in getting the owner information and took her back.

Now, all this is leading up to yesterday. I've been watching this pretty little pit mix wander around the neighborhood at the apartments this week. She seemed to be hanging around one specific area so I figured there were some owners possibly near by. Well, yesterday she meandered up to my office to greet our HVAC guys. Naturally, I want to meet her and pet her and check her out and get her safe. I get the slip lead out of my trunk and bribe her with some treats and she's my new best friend :) Silly girl even decided it was a good idea to get IN the trunk of my car where I pulled the goodies out of lol! Now that I've got her contained and safe, I call animal control again. The HVAC guys were giving me h*ll because they know I do rescue and they didn't understand why I was calling animal control to come pick up this pretty, sweet little lady and they thought that I should just take her home.

As much as I would have LOVED to take her home, there are several reasons WHY I chose to contact animal control. One, my significant other would kick me out of our house for bringing ANOTHER dog home lol! Two, bringing another home would have created a much larger financial burden that could potentially hinder the care of everyone. And three, THE most IMPORTANT reason of all, her owners would be looking in SHELTERS for her, not my house.

When animal control showed up and walked in my office, she was greeted by a pleasant, quiet young lady who was happy to see her :) I told the officer how good she was and that she knew commands, etc. While putting her in the truck, I was talking more to the doggie than the officer when I said, "I hope you have a microchip." See, this girl was in fairly decent shape. She needed a good bath and you could see where she was previously wearing a collar. By the looks of it though, she could have easily slipped out of it. Her nails were in impeccable condition :) The animal control officer heard me and piped in, "Well, I have my scanner. We can go ahead and check." ABSOLUTELY. The officer scanned her whole body once and on the second go around, "Beep!" She had a chip!

It made me feel SO much better about letting her go, knowing they had the means to find her family and get her back home.

It's hard to get people to understand the importance of microchipping and even more so, the importance of checking for those microchips. There are also common misconceptions based on appearance alone that will keep people from checking for microchips or trying to find the original owners.

If you come across a stray animal, skin and bones and cut up and neglected looking, please do not automatically assume that the owners of the animal must be trash and that they don't deserve the animal back. We really need to step aside some days and look at the whole picture. Yes, sometimes the situation will be that crappy and will be that real. But other times, things may not be what they seem. It only takes a few weeks for these animals to start dropping significant weight. The reality of living on the streets and getting into fights over food is something big to place in the back of your mind as well.

Here's a little Christmas Story that Heather forwarded on to us this evening that really should make you think a little bit about the importance of looking for the whole picture and making attempts to find the owners of stray dogs. You never know if the dog was stolen, got lost after a move, escaped, etc. Let us read this story and realize that things like this DO happen and that we shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. **Grab a Tissue!**

Martha's Christmas Miracle

Martha was sitting in her living room watching television this Christmas Eve, alone as she had been for the last five years. All of her children had married and moved to the four corners of the nation, her youngest, a surgery resident at the Vet School across the state had planned on coming home, but had been assigned to work the emergency clinic and couldn't find a replacement. Martha told herself that having Sally working to help the sick and injured animals this Christmas Eve was worth being alone, besides, Sally would be driving over for Christmas dinner the next afternoon.
All the animals had been fed and now were safely in either the kennel building or lazily laying around the house. Martha had to stop to think how many dogs she had at her house this Christmas, she sighed when she realized there were 16. She did rescue and the number of dogs was always changing with some dogs being adopted, and new abandoned dogs coming in. Feeling overwhelmed by the number of dogs she had and all the dogs still left in shelters to die because there was no room for them in rescue, Martha seriously wondered if she should stop working rescue. If she didn't have all these dogs, she could have flown to any of her other children's homes for the holidays to be with family. Besides, the heartbreak of seeing each dog in such need was beginning to really weigh on her.
Tonight she had a new dog, brought home that day. Martha didn't really plan on adding another dog but on her way home from the store she saw a dog lying on the side of the road. Certain the dog was dead, Martha stopped, to pick up the body and take it home for a burial. As she got closer, she recognized the shell of an Alaskan Malamute, the breed she rescued. Covered by cuts and festering wounds, what fur was left was matted and filthy, it was so skinny that laying there you could see each rib and it's hipbones were the widest part of his body.
With tears in her eyes, mourning for what once had been a majestic animal now reduced to almost a skeleton she reached down to give the poor dog one last pat on the head. "Oh, you poor boy, what a way to end your life. Well, at least I can name you and give you a decent farewell." As her tears fell on the dog's head, one eye slowly opened and the tail gave a single wag.

"You're alive! Everything will be OK now, I'll take you home and you will have a soft bed and food tonight." She said, tears streaming down her face, this time from happiness.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning the dog's wounds and making sure he was able to eat and drink water. Martha set up the large run in the kennel building for him. A soft blanket and a thick foam pad was to be his bed, fresh water and food beside him. Papers for his 'necessary functions' were placed at the far end of the run. He lay there watching every move she made.
Martha left the dog resting on his bed, somewhat surprised at the reaction of the rest of the dogs in the kennel. Pandemonium usually broke out with all the other dogs wooing and barking when a new dog was brought in, tonight all the other dogs just stood and silently watched as Martha cared for the new dog. Thankful the other dogs were not disturbing the new boy, Martha went to the house to finish preparations for tomorrow's dinner.

Later that evening Martha went down to the kennel to check on the new boy and feed the other dogs. As she walked in the door the new boy shakily stood to greet her. As she was straightening up the kennel after feeding and exercising the dogs, she saw her microchip reader. "Well, this will be a waste of time" she thought as she ran the reader over the dog's body.
BEEP! The reader had located a chip! Writing the number down, she hurried to the house to call the chip registry and report the found dog. As she suspected on Christmas Eve, all she got was a machine.
Very late that night, the phone rang. Martha answered and a strange voice was on the other end. "Did you find a dog with a microchip?" "Yes, are you the registry needing more information? " Martha asked. "No, the registry called us and told us you found our dog!" and then the man broke down crying. After composing himself, he continued..
"The dog you found is BISS AM/CAN/INT CH Wasilla's Ice Sculpture, WPD, WTD, WLD, TT, CGC but to us he is our heart, the love of our life, Icy. Three years ago Icy was stolen from his exercise area in our back yard. We did everything we could think of to find him, but lately we had almost given up hope of ever seeing him again. This is a miracle. We are leaving now to come pick him up. We are about 14 hours from you so we will see you and Icy in the morning."
Martha was crying, indeed it was a miracle! And the new dog now had a name, his own name and his people were coming for him. What a wonderful Christmas gift.
Martha hurried down to the kennel to let Icy know that his humans had been found and they were on their way to take him home. As Martha walked up to Icy's kennel he stood to greet her, "Icy, yes, I know your name and I have spoken to your people. They're coming to take you home." As she was talking to Icy, she heard the old clock in the building strike midnight.
Much to her amazement, Icy said "Thank you."
Martha thought, now I am sure I have been around dogs too long, I could swear I heard Icy speak.
Icy continued "Martha, yes I am talking to you in human language, you see, at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Day, all animals can speak. Let me tell you what happened to me today."
"I have been kept in a dark barn for a long time by some very mean people who beat me and often forgot to feed me. Two days ago I found a loose board on the barn and was able to escape. I walked as fast as I could, looking for my people, or at least for some kind person to feed me and give me a warm place to sleep before I died. I was in the middle of a big field when I couldn't walk or even crawl any more, I laid down, knowing I was about to cross to the Rainbow Bridge . As I stepped onto the Bridge, an Angel came towards me."
"Icy," the Angel said "If you agree, He has a job for you before you cross the Bridge. There is a very kind human who needs you today to restore her spirit."
"Of course I agreed to help a human -- that is what Malamutes do. The Angel picked up my body and carried it to the side of a road and laid it down. The next thing I remember is you were scratching my ear and talking to me and your tears were falling on my face. You have cared for me this day."
Martha heard a chorus of voices all about her. To her amazement she was surrounded not only by her dogs, but dogs she had rescued and sent on to forever homes, all voicing stories how Martha had cared for them and restored them to health and loved them, thanking her for her love.
The first Malamute Martha had rescued many years ago stepped to the front of the gathering and said, "Martha, you took us in to your home, cared for us, healed us both in body and spirit then, even though it broke your heart, sent us on to our new forever families. This gave us a life we would never have had without you. Others of us here, never were adopted and lived out our lives with you, loved and cared for as if we were your own dogs. In our hearts we are your dogs. Thank you."
Then one small mixed breed puppy stepped forward from the back and said, "Miss Martha, you never held me nor fed me, you see I am speaking for all the shelter dogs and cats gathered here for which you did all you could. We understand that you can't save us all, but you read our shelter stories, knowing we would cross the Bridge without knowing a home of our own, and you cried for us. We thank you for that. You see, we knew you cared and loved us, too. And that love helped us as we crossed. We thank you and all the other Rescuers for that small act of love."

Icy looked at Martha and told her, "It is getting late and you will have many people here tomorrow to celebrate Christmas. And you have your rescue work to continue. Our time to be able to talk to you is growing short, but always remember what happened tonight. What you do for the animals is a gift to us and to Him, the Father of us all.

Each of us, animals of every species, needs people like you. Please keep on helping. You are doing the work of Angels."
At that point all of the dogs in unison said "Thank You," and their voices blended into a joyous howl which echoed from the heavens to the ends of the earth.

Humbly offered as a Christmas Gift to all who love animals.
Christmas 2007
(c)Bilinda Marshall 2007
La Vernia, Texas

Updates and New Stuff!

2008-12-11T07:13:00.002-05:00

As always, we've been busy in our neck of the woods but we wanted to pop in and let people know about some of the things that are going on :)

First, Dolla' Bill is NEGATIVE for the Demodex! He's healthy and good to go and SUCH a good boy! Happy days handsome man!

Penny and Java are still on meds for the Demodex so we'll cross fingers that in about three weeks we'll get an all clear for them. Ginger will hopefully make it in early Saturday morning to find out her status.

We're still steadily planning for 2009 and making some nice progress. We have plans to hold a special meeting in January that will be open to the public. We'll keep you all informed and updated on when and where that will be.

We've been deliberating on a way to get our community and interested volunteers better involved and organized with the goings-on of the group and we've decided to try a forum again.

For those of you who don't know what forums are and what their purpose is, they are almost like their own website. A topic is posted and members can reply to the topic at hand. It keeps thoughts and ideas better organized to where new members can easily go back and view the topics and read the discussions that were had about them.

We've set our forum up so that anyone can join. They don't have to be directly involved in the rescue. We wanted to create a space for people with a passion for the breed to come and chat with us and other knowledgeable members of our group. We can discuss things like training issues and health, share pictures of our pooches being the goofballs that they are, or just talk in general about doggie stuff.

For those more interested in getting their hands "dirty" with the "behind the scenes" stuff, we have a special forum slated specifically for those discussions. It will be a great way to discuss particular applications and proper procedures. This forum is one that we will have to specifically add interested parties to; the general membership will not have access or viewing rights to this part of the forum.

If this sounds like something you may be interested in, please read our topic, "How To Get Started" for instructions on registering and how to make a post. We require that you make an introduction post to be granted posting access to the rest of the forums. We just want to make sure you're a real person and not one of those annoying spam bots that make their appearance wherever they can on the web.

Want to just browse the forum first? You can visit it HERE.

Thank you everyone! Don't forget, we have another Meet and Greet this Saturday at Hairy Winston in Mt. Pleasant from 11 until 3. Come join us!

Don't Forget!

2008-12-07T13:12:00.002-05:00

We've seen dozens of people carting their holiday trees to their house today alone! Keep us in mind after decorating your tree, to decorate ours! We guarantee it will be TONS easier! We've had several people participate recently and we can't tell you just how exciting that is! In case you've forgotten, visit our Holiday Memory Tree for more ideas and information :)

In other news, we had more great fun at our event yesterday! Check out Mia in our new "Adopt Me" vest!

We must say that the vest really did help to bring more attention to her. Let's hope it helps her find her forever home!

We also had a visit from Dolla' Bill who is looking FABULOUS I must say :) His foster parents also sent us some updated pics of him having a blast and we can't not share!

Great work guys!

We're going in on Tuesday to find out the Demodex status on the pups so we'll keep you all updated. Cross your fingers!

Exciting News!

2008-12-05T12:42:00.002-05:00

Our 501(c)(3) application is IN THE MAIL!

It was tons of hard work but it's in the mail now! We can all start biting our fingernails in anticipation. The approval process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months on average and with the holidays, it will likely take a little bit longer.

Cross your fingers everybody! A WHOLE new world opens up to us when we get our tax exempt status from the IRS. One big thing that means to YOU - Tax Deductions!

Keep your eyes peeled for an update!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

2008-11-27T06:16:00.002-05:00

In addition to the many things to be thankful for this holiday season, we're especially thankful of all the people who've helped New Hope come as far as it has!

Marva, Amie, Pam, Bonnie and Pat, Sommer, Chris and Muchan, Gina, Kathe, Jim, all of you have helped us out tremendously and we can't ever begin to thank you enough.

And since there are SO many other names, please VISIT Our Supporters Page. Lots of people have stepped up to help our dogs and it's absolutely amazing to see so many in less than one year's time!

You guys rock!

Have a stellar holiday and enjoy!

New Thinking!

2008-11-26T19:56:00.000-05:00

Lately we've been hearing lots of people say (as we've been guilty of it ourselves!) that donations and adoptions are down because of the economy or for this or for that.

We've seen this excuse SO much that you know what we think? It is simply an EXCUSE. If it wasn't the economy, it would be gas prices (which are now at THE lowest they've been in what, three or four years???). If it wasn't gas prices, it would be the war. If it weren't the war, it would be something else.

We aren't going to stand by meekly and blame miserable results on the economy anymore. Each and every one of us has the power within to rise above tough times and make our lives what we want them to be!

We have great dogs that need great homes and you know what? There are people out there willing and ready to do anything and everything in their power to make sure their pets are well cared for. We know there are people out there prepared to make a commitment to these dogs for the rest of their lives no matter what. And we're going to look for them! We know you are out there!

Our dogs don't understand that we may be in the midst of troubled times. They still need food, medical care, love and attention like each and every one of us do. When you look into the eyes of any of the dogs in our program or any that need to come into our group, or even into the eyes of your own dogs, what will you see? A compassion and loyalty like no other. They don't watch TV for the latest updates on the world. They look to YOU. Their provider, their friend, their life long companion. To these dogs, their people ARE their world.

Mia has been with us the longest and she is one of THE most fabulous dogs that anyone has ever met. When I look at her, especially after a tough day, I think, "It's worth it." There's an innocence about these dogs. A sheer joy and thrill for life that should be contagious to us all. For many people across the country, their dogs have given them a reason to live, a reason to persevere and continue on during hard times. For this reason, we will continue forward to pass along a great dog to a new, wonderful, attentive owner to share in this blessing, this friendship that our canine friends give us.

How can you look at this clown and be sad??

If you've looked at our Holiday Memory Tree and left it feeling a little stumped about what it should mean to you and what difference it makes to us, let's break things down a bit :)

For a simple one time donation of $5.00, you can recognize any pet that was near and dear to you in your life. You remember, that one that was with you through thick and thin and never missed comforting you on a bad day? That one. Imagine the bells ringing in remembrance of your pet.

These three ornaments are available for a one-time $10.00 donation, your choice in color. Let these symbolize a current pet in your life that means the world to you :) Imagine our blinking lights shining sweetly on your chosen ornament for your pet.

There are many other options of ornaments and gifts to choose from so let your heart do the talking and help us show these pooches that they will be living the good life from here on out! Safe, loved, and cared for :)

Remember, our dogs can go from this:

To this:

This is why we do what we do. Tough times or not, these dogs are why we are here :)

Get Involved! Help Us Decorate Our Tree!

2008-11-23T10:17:00.002-05:00

Since we don't have a shelter facility, we have no where to put up a tree for this holiday season. So, we improvised! But, we need your help decorating the tree!

Right now, our tree is fashioned with blinking lights, but there aren't any ornaments or even gifts under the tree. You can help with this though, and make the season merrier for the dogs in our program :)

We have several different ornaments available to choose from, and when you donate, you have the option to leave a message and tell the world about your donation :) If you have a special pet or person in your life that you would like to recognize, purchase an ornament "In Honor Of" or "In Memory Of" your loved one.

Click Here to view our Holiday Memory Tree and donation options :)

Our needs are great this holiday season as donations have slowed down and our dogs still need care. If you've been keeping up with our blog, you'll know that the three puppies were diagnosed with Demodex and Sir Java has been suffering as well. Treatment can get expensive as these particular mange mites are persistent and it sometimes takes a few months to be rid of them. Also, our shining star Golda, has been suffering from an unknown fungal infection that took over her whole body with icky, itchy lesions. She's making improvements now, but we've spent over $200 on her in the past month trying to get her better. Java still needs his neuter and a microchip so that's another $100 coming up VERY soon for him.

We mention these things because we want YOU, as our supporter, to know where your money is going. Our dogs are our priority and vet bills come first! Your help in succeeding with our goals is much needed and greatly appreciated!

Do you need a little extra push on seeing our tree as a finished product? Here is our rendition of what our Holiday Tree will look like upon full decoration:

Thank you all and get to Decorating!

Java Has Hair!

2008-11-23T10:08:00.003-05:00

Lookit that tuft of white on his chest! Before, it was just a "passing thought" so to speak.

Bonnie, he's looking lovely!

Look! Even one of his cat siblings loves him :) Or, he's just plotting to get the crate all to himself lol!

"These dogs are not pets".....huh????

2008-11-19T06:23:00.011-05:00

I asked my friend Leo if we could repost his letter on our blog because I think it's a wonderful letter and I think everyone should read this. If you don't know of the angel who took Leo in and helped him become the AMAZING guy he is today, she is Marthina McClay (CPDT/Dog Trainer/Behavioral Counselor/ Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator/ Tester/Observer for Therapy Dogs/Animal Behavior College Mentor Trainer) with Our Pack Inc. Our Pack Inc. is an amazing organization who has rescued, rehabilitated and trained so many wonderful dogs. Like us, they strive to place the best of the breed and bring about awareness through public education programs. We are honored to call them our friend.

That said, please read Leo's letter and feel free to post comments. Better yet, go to Our Pack's blog and post a comment to him there and let him know how much you love and appreciate all of the wonderful things he and the other Vick dogs are doing for our breed! Don't forget to read the article about the Harris County fight bust that's linked here. We will try to keep you as up to date as possible about this case and what happens with the dogs. Please everybody, lets pray for them and God willing that they will be given a second chance, just as Leo and his "brothers and sisters" that were found on Michael Vick's property.

"These dogs are not pets".....huh????

My foster mom was reading this article today about another big fight bust and this is what she read to me:

Huge dogfighting ring broken up in Harris Co., DA says
"These dogs were bred specifically to fight," Smith said. "And
they were inbred back and forth. They are not pets."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/pets/dogs/6112617.html

My name is Leo,

I’m sure many of you have read my story and this makes me very sad.

I think I make a very good pet. I love my mom and my sister Hailey

and my brother Dexter

and I even try to be nice to Daisy who isn’t always too thrilled to have me around but she tolerates me.

I work very hard at the Cancer Center helping the patients forget their troubles for a few minutes at a time

And I’ve even gone to school to visit some kids?

Have I done it too well? Did people forget where I came from? Didn't they learn anything from my case? I wasn’t “raised” to be a pet, but I’ve tried really hard to become a good one.

Why won’t these other dogs get the same chance? Didn't we make a difference at all?

Love.
Leo
Former Michael Vick dog, Now a loving pet. (or so I thought)

You Know You Wanna Foster!

2008-11-16T22:43:00.004-05:00

Meet Forrest:

Forrest made his way to one of our volunteers homes who are unable to keep him and we're trying feverishly to help him! He needs a good bath, flea meds, shots, neuter, and plenty of food!

Just look at this picture here:

Forrest is approximately 6 to 7 months old as he has all of his adult teeth in. He THRIVES on attention and wants to be in your lap.

We need a home to step up for him so we can help him! If you are interested, please fill out our Foster Application. Please realize that this will be a minimum of a three month commitment!

Crash Course in Demodex

2008-11-16T15:10:00.003-05:00

So, Thursday, I get a call from Dolla' Bill's foster home. He's concerned because Dolla' is scratching all the time and they only found a couple of fleas on him the first day. Nice. Penny Lane had been scratching a lot as well and we couldn't find any fleas on her either. I call the vet and schedule a visit and they tell me to bring in the worst one. To the best of my knowledge, Penny fit the bill. Friday morning, off we go and wouldn't you know, we get a diagnosis of Demodectic Mange. I leave with Ivomec for all three puppies since Demodex is considered non-contagious but something genetic passed down at birth.

Here is Penny, doing what she does best right now, gnawing on her tail lol!

Penny is the only pooch that's really suffering any hair loss. Both Dolla' and Ginger are scratching, but still have their hair. All I can say is that we must have caught this REALLY early because all the cases of typical Demodex I have seen have involved a significant amount of hair loss.

Now, since we have all three puppies AND Java confirmed to have Demodex, I decided to do a little more reading on the subject.

Apparently, all these mites live naturally on most dog's bodies. They are passed down to the puppies from the mother during the first week of life. It is said that after that initial week, a dog's body will not accept any new mites.

Most dogs do not have issues with these mites living on their bodies. The ones that do are rumored to be genetically predisposed to being susceptible to an overabundance of these mites during certain stages in their life where their immune system is weakened. Demodex generally affects dogs under 1.5 years of age, however, it is not unheard of to hear of an older dog with it. Obviously, that is the case with Java, as he is approximately 3 years of age. We aren't sure what happened to him to get him in the situation he was in, but it was obvious he was under tremendous stress and showing up so skin and bones, of course his immune system was likely to be compromised. With the pups, their immune systems are still fairly immature so it is highly possible for them to be diagnosed with Demodex, with no real underlying causes.

Now, some of you may be wondering about the possibility of relapses. Well, from my research, relapses are possible, but the dogs generally get over Demodex if all the mites are really gone. Most relapses occur 6-12 months after the initial treatment when they do happen, and this is normally because the handler failed to have the dog rechecked for the mites because it looked as though the problem was gone. Mind you, these mites are microscopic!

Penny and her siblings will be going back to the vet for another skin scrape right around the 6th of December. Java will be going in about a week prior to that.

For the fun of it, here's a picture of ~~our horse~~ Ginger just the other day. She is growing up fast and will likely be an EASY 60lbs of fun!

Java Mike!

2008-11-10T20:09:00.003-05:00

Howdy howdy folks!

Mr. Mike, now known as Java has made it into the rescue!

We are absolutely thrilled and can't wait to watch his progress :) Bonnie, thank you and Pat both for agreeing to bring this pooch indoors and offer him stuff he may never have had before. You are AWESOME for that!

Ready to see how much he's improved in the last two weeks?

Now, he does look frowny still, but give us Two Weeks and let me tell you what, we will see a totally different dog! It's already amazing how much weight he has gained and how much cleaner he looks! Helping Hands Animal Rescue Rehab and Therapy played the biggest part in that and we can't thank them enough :) Now, we're in for helping him out the rest of the way as guess what? He was diagnosed with Demodectic Mange. This IS NOT the contagious kind of mange, but the kind that rears its ugly head in cases of severe stress in animals. It's a bit harder to treat but all things considered, we're VERY optimistic as he really looks so much better than he did before!

And! Java is heartworm NEGATIVE! How awesome is that!? All in all, we're very excited and can't wait to see the beauty this boy holds shine on the outside like it should :)

We'll keep you all updated :)

The Holidays Are Coming!

2008-11-06T14:59:00.002-05:00

We've got a great holiday fundraiser going on right now and we invite you to check it out and get involved! For every purchase you make, we get a portion of the proceeds! You get something, we get something. How cool is that???

Check out the page that The Uncommon Garden has made for us for this fundraiser! We're very excited and we HAVE made some money thus far, but not even quite enough to cover the cost of a microchip yet!

Here's some common services and supplies we need and how much they generally cost us:
Microchip - $30
Spay - $60-95
Neuter - $50-85
Crates (for safety!) - $90
Collars - $8-12 per collar
Leashes - $6-10 per leash
Bowls - $5-7 per bowl
Food - 35lbs = $30-50 per bag (one bag will feed an adult for about 4-6 weeks)
6 Months of Heartworm Prevention - $90

And all these are just basic things! No dog is the same and each dog needs a different level of care.

If you don't want to purchase any of the candles in our fundraiser, consider sponsoring one of our dogs or making a general donation to the rescue to help offset our veterinary costs! We've got some lovely dogs and it costs money (darn the luck!!!) to keep them healthy :) If you have questions about donating or our fundraiser, please send an email to donations@nhpbr.org.

Thank you all and be looking out for another update soon! Sunday maybe??? :)

Update on Jezzy!

2008-10-30T17:47:00.003-04:00

We received a LONG awaited email up date on Jezzy today and we couldn't be more THRILLED!

To give a little bit of a backstory, Jezzy was surrendered to us in January 2008, by LowCountry Pit Bull Rescue (now known as South Carolina Pit Bull Rescue). She came to us underweight and with a multitude of health issues. It was believed, by the vet we took her to after her arrival, that Jezzy suffered from an intolerance to rich foods and it was recommended that we feed her a bland diet of chicken and rice. During that appointment, we also learned that Jezzy was heartworm positive. Poor girl!

We took Jezzy to our own vet to begin planning her heartworm treatment. While she was on antibiotics and steroids, a pretreatment to build her strength before starting the toll taking heartworm treatments, Jezzy became very ill and we almost lost her. She was hospitalized for more than a week and on Sub-Q antibiotics and fluids just to keep her alive, while our vet ran various tests to try and figure out what was making her so sick. It turns out that Jezzy was suffering from a severe hookworm infestation in addition to having heartworms. A double whammy for this beautiful and sweet girl.

Being a brand new and small rescue with very limited resources, we were faced with a heartbreaking decision. We had another dog in our program too, and we were desperately trying not to exhaust all of our resources to treat Jezzy, but to also get her healthy at the same time. Our vet team had fallen in love with this girl, and the clinic stepped up to offer us a true miracle. A vet tech had grown attached to Jezzy and wanted to adopt her, so our vet offered to take Jezzy on as the "clinic dog" and treat her free of charge in hopes that she would make a full recovery. It was a slow process but she did recover, and the wonderful tech adopted her and Jezzy was able to go to her new forever home at the end of April. She was treated for the hookworms that nearly cost her her life and able to begin treatment for the heartworms. She was tested again a few days ago and is now heartworm free!

Here is a slideshow of Jezzy's pics while she was in our program.

Now, 6 months later, LOOK at this BEAUTIFUL dog!

We absolutely CANNOT thank the vet clinic enough for stepping in and going above and beyond for this girl! She looks fabulous and her new "mom" is obviously doing a superb job. Does that even look like the same dog to you guys???

Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful. Things like this totally MAKE OUR DAY! This here folks, THIS is WHY we do what we do. :)

Mr. Mike :)

2008-10-26T08:19:00.004-04:00

As previously mentioned, several wonderful people came through with donations for Mr. Mike at our National Pit Bull Awareness Day event and we couldn't be any happier about it! Two bales of straw, two bags of cedar bedding, a large bag of dry dog food, cans of wet food, bowls, a collar, harness, leash, treats, toys, blankets, all sorts of stuff! (You all should have seen how we managed to stuff all these things in my car!) It is absolutely amazing and helps give us all faith to see people step up to help out these dogs who have been mistreated in the past by other people. You all are WONDERFUL! We can't say that enough!

Now, just so you all know, Tino DID make it into a new foster home so we can now start looking for a new place for Mr. Mike to go to that will keep him warm indoors and help give him the affection from people he wants so much :)

Mr. Mike was an absolute joy to be around and so affectionate, even though it was obvious to us that he was sore. He had a significant amount of hair loss that we aren't quite sure just what color he'll be when he gets better. We're guessing either fawn or red but...well you'll see what we're talking about in the new pictures we got of him. He is going to need a long term foster home while he recuperates but to see him go from bad to wonderful makes everything worth it!

If you are confident you can open your home to Mr. Mike, please fill out our Foster Application.

Now, on to the new pictures. You're heart may break a little at them, but remember, he's on the way to recovery now and so many of you have already stepped in to help get him there. Now we just need one more person to stand up and provide their home and spare time to him to get him indoors and out of the coming cool weather.

See what we mean about not being sure of his coat color? Those "golden" patches are fur that he hasn't lost. He does have new hair growth but it's minimal at this time and will be a different color when it first grows back in.

There's reason to believe that Mr. Mike may have had a broken leg at some point underneath that bright pink bandage. It has healed but they are keeping an eye on it while he's there and it will need to be checked out when we can get him into the vet.

This is the topside "close up" of his rear end.

If you'd like more information about fostering, please send us an email at volunteer@nhpbr.org

Thank you everyone!

Busy Busy Busy!

2008-10-26T07:05:00.004-04:00

What a day yesterday! We had SO much fun and got to meet a lot of great people and their dogs!

A complimentary view of our table:

And just to show that we have no shame whatsoever....LOL!

I'm scratchin' m' ears!

*woof*

Those pics are SO embarrassing but you know what? We want everyone to know that we have a lot of fun at our events and that we're down to earth people :)

Now, to the other pooches we got to meet (with their people) :)

Gibby and his kid

Gibson and Harley

I didn't catch her name, but we got to meet a 7-8 month old English Bull Terrier! She was a beauty and so spirited :)

Meet Botox, a one of the area's American Bullies!

Botox and another pretty lil girl :)

Dog pile!

Look at Mia sporting this awesome bandanna that Marva made! Marva, those bandannas are GREAT!

This is Karma. Isn't she pretty?

And last but not least, by far our best Halloween costume seen on a pooch ALL day: Cheyenna!

We also want to take this time to thank everyone who stopped by to visit, our volunteers for helping out both at the event and "behind the scenes". We also want to give a HUGE thanks to Bonnie and Melanie (and their husbands!) as they brought a substantial amount of donations and goodies for Mr. Mike! Beverly and Marva also helped out with some supplies too! Every bit of it will make a difference in his life :) We will be posting an update on Mr. Mike shortly so keep your eyes peeled!

Thank you everyone for making yesterday such a GREAT day!

Ethical Considerations of Rescue Work

2008-10-24T20:03:00.002-04:00

I thank Mary for writing such an important article with such tact and grace.

Article Written by:
Mary L. Harwelik
The Real Pit Bull
Permission to repost from:
The Real Pit Bull Blogspot

There are many, many APBT rescue groups in the USA, with more being formed with what seems like daily regularity. And while the work of those dedicated to helping individual dogs and restoring the breed’s reputation is noble in theory, it’s not always so noble in individual practice. Sadly, ‘rescue’ isn’t always synonymous with ‘ethical’.

Rescue work is a complicated, heart-rending, expensive undertaking that only those with the best of intentions for the FUTURE of the breed should pursue. This means that rescues must have a firm grasp of The Big Picture, recognize that they cannot ‘save them all’, and be 100% dedicated to thoroughly educating themselves on the breed BEFORE they open their doors up and present themselves as breed experts. And egos must be left behind. Rescue work is about the DOGS. Period.

Several years ago, a group of reputable advocacy organizations penned The Code of Ethics for Pit Bull Rescue. The impetus for writing this ethical document was not to try and control or judge the work of other groups, but rather to help guide and educate those newer to the world of APBT rescue. There is no ‘manual’ on how to do this work ‘right’, and experience, while often the best teacher, can sometimes come at the price of devastating mistakes and mishaps. The COE, as it’s been come to be known, was meant to help steer newer rescues on the path of least mistakes. The COE was also meant to help aid the public in spotting those APBT rescues that may not have the best ethics.

Ethics in rescue must always come first. Rescue is not a race to place the most individual dogs, or raise the most money, or build the biggest name. It’s about preserving the future of the breed, educating those who would impact the APBT breed, saving the best breed ambassadors, and committing to the public to always be open and honest about practices.

Breed rescue and advocacy is not for everyone, but if a person chooses to pursue this path, they must do so with the desire to always represent the field of rescue work to the best of their ability. They owe it to others who stand beside them on the front lines, and most of all, they owe it to the dogs.

National Pit Bull Awareness Day!

2008-10-22T07:18:00.004-04:00

Don't forget! This Saturday, we will be at the SuperPetz in North Charleston celebrating National Pit Bull Awareness Day! We're going to be doing a 50/50 deck of cards raffle and we'll have some fun contests as well! We will be there from 10AM until 4PM so there's plenty of opportunity to come out and meet with us. We'll also be presenting Pit Bull 101 and Kid and Dog Safety demonstrations throughout the day :)

Want another reason to come visit us? SuperPetz has chosen us, New Hope Pit Bull Rescue and the Holiday Charity recipient this year! Ask them for details in the store on how you can help out :)

We also have another neat idea up our sleeves for November and December but the cat will stay in the bag for now *grin* We want to make sure all the finer details are worked through before we announce it. Keep an eye on our blog and website as we'll be announcing it there first :) Look for it at the beginning of next week!

As far as the pooches, everything is going well :) The puppies have finally finished all their vaccinations and some of them will be split up into individual foster homes soon. Pam has been SO patient with us and wonderful for the pups that she deserves a much needed break! Also, Golda is about ready to start looking for her forever home! She's of sound temperament and would make a great therapy dog! She still needs some focus on proper manners in the house. You gotta remember, when she first came into the group, she had no idea that she was ALLOWED in a house, much less society's rules for living in one successfully. Her current foster home notes that she's getting better, but still needs some work. We're still keeping an eye on her pesky tooth that has been gnashing into her gums too. We haven't made the decision to have the tooth pulled yet and if at all possible, would like to avoid it. Golda will also need to be rechecked for heartworms to make sure the treatment was successful. We should know her status at the beginning of November :) Cross your fingers for her!

We're still needing a couple of foster homes right now. Tino still needs a foster home. Tino was one of the first dogs New Hope rescued from the shelter. He was left tied to the shelter gate so no one knows much about his background. Tino needs a special foster home who is willing to work with him on building his confidence. However life treated him before made him lack confidence in new, strange situations. In these situations, he gets uncomfortable and pees just a little. He's such a submissive guy and his peeing at over-stimulation is him telling whoever that he's stressed out and not a threat. Tino needs someone to show him that new situations bring good things. Tino needs someone who can follow through with unexciting greetings to help Tino learn that people coming and going is no big deal and that he can relax and trust in humans to do the right thing for him and keep him safe. Tino is a LOVER BOY and I personally would take him back into my home if we could get Mia adopted or moved into a new foster home.

Check out his Petfinder Page for more pics and a video of him. And if you are interested in helping Tino know what love and companionship is, let us know!

We were contacted by a couple of people who found a dog, emaciated, mangy and in serious need of some love and attention. His guardian angel is offering to foster him until we can find him another place to go but, Mr. Mike (as he's been dubbed) is being housed in an outdoor kennel. Mr. Mike has been promised some money to help make him better, and he's not on his way to the shelter, but with the weather getting colder, Mr. Mike is still in danger because he is not in healthy enough condition to maintain himself for too long. We are going to go on Saturday to meet him personally and temperament test him and could really use any cedar chips, hay, blankets, ANYTHING to at least try to leave with him to make him as comfy as possible until we can get him moved indoors.

Here are some pictures of Mr. Mike:

Here's the trouble, many people may be willing to put their heart and home out on the line for Mr. Mike to make life better for him. However, we can't bring Mr. Mike in without first securing a foster home for Tino. Tino is our obligation and responsibility first and foremost as a previous dog saved by our group. This is one tough part of rescue but one that we cannot forget!

If any of you can help, please let us know! If you are going to be at our Awareness Day event, let us know that too! If you have items you'd like to donate to help with Mr. Mike's care, please send us an email at donations@nhpbr.org

Thank you everyone!

Our Next Event

2008-10-16T07:23:00.002-04:00

This Saturday, October 18th, we will be back out at Hairy Winston in Mt. Pleasant! If you can make it, you need to come out! We're going to have the three puppies, Mia, and Ms. Happy Golda Fawn there. It's gonna be super busy but lots of fun!

Visit Hairy Winston's Website Here. There are lots of neat things in the store so be sure to check them out too!

The Breed Issue

2008-10-08T20:16:00.003-04:00

This is Chapter 5 from Karen Delise's book "Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics." There's so much valuable info in this chapter that makes SO much sense that we couldn't NOT share it with you all.

It is important to emphasize that the breed of dog is never the sole determining fact in a fatal dog attack. A fatal attack is always the culmination of prior and present events that include: inherited and learned behaviors, genetics, breeding, socialization, function of the dog, physical condition and size of the dog, individual temperament, environmental stresses, owner responsibility, victim behavior, victim size and physical condition, timing and misfortune.

If breed were the primary or sole determining factor in fatal dog attacks, it would necessarily stand to reason that since there have been millions of Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and German Shepherd Dogs that have existed over the past 37 years there would have to be countless more human fatalities. Obviously this is not the case, as only an infinitesimal percent of any breed's population is implicated in human deaths.

Definition of a Breed

A breed is defined as: a relatively homogenous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.

Domestication is defined as: to tame (an animal), esp. by generations of breeding, to live in close association with human beings as a pet.

The definition of both "breed" and "domestication" are based on the principal of human management and control. There are no bad breeds of dogs. There are only different types of dogs designed by man to exhibit specialized behaviors or traits.

A breed is a man-made creation. There are breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and of course, dogs. A more precise definition of breed was offered by the Arabs centuries ago as, "a grop of animals raised by man so that it possesses certain hereditary qualities, including an uniform look which distinguishes it from other members of the same species."

Only recently has a uniform look become the primary concern of many dog breeders. Throughout the centuries, dogs were mostly classified by their function. Dogs were grouped according to their use as fighting, herding, guarding or hunting dogs. Today the American Kennel Club still uses the groupings of working, herding and sporting, but few dogs actively function in accordance with their groupings and appearance is often the primary trait considered when breeding.

Animals have been selectively bred over the centuries to maximize their capacity to serve man. Cattle have been genetically manipulated to maximize milk or meat production. Horses have been selectively bred to increase drafting abilities or to increase stamina and speed. Of all domesticated animals, dogs appear to have been selectively bred for the most varied and diverse reasons. From hunting, guarding, herding, retrieving, tracking, guide dogs, and companion animals, dogs have served man in dozens of capacities over the centuries. Breeds of dogs have come and gone as they sited the needs of man.

Breed, Function & Behavior

Besides the obvious diversity in size, shape and colors, different breeds also have innately different behaviors. Generations of selective breeding have made some breeds superb retrievers or herders, while others excel in tracking or hunting. With these specialized skills come specialized or accentuated behaviors. Besides being valued for their hunting and herding skills, dogs have been bred and maintained throughout the centuries for their ability to provide personal protection for their owner and his possessions.

The Doberman Pinscher breed was developed in Germany in the late 1800s by Herr Louis Dobermann. As the local tax collector and part-time policeman, Herr Dobermann set out to create the perfect guard dog to protect him from bandits while making his rounds. It is believed he started with the German Pinscher and added the Rottweiler for courage and guarding instinct. The old smoothcoat German Shepherd type was bred in for hardiness and intelligence. Interbreeding wth the Manchester Terrier was the probable source of the trademark black and tan coloring of the Doberman Pinscher. Other breeds, such as the Greyhound and the Weimar Pointer were introduced to improve the overall condition of the breed. After the death of Herr Dobermann, Otto Goeller continued to develop the breed. A breed standard was drawn up and accepted by German Kennel Club in 1900.

Selective breeding continued with the Doberman Pinscher breed throughout the 20th century. Many breeders in the United States no longer considered the initial aggressiveness associated with the earlier versions of this breed an advantage and began to selectively breed against this trait. Today, the Doberman is still an alert and watchful guard dog, but much of the fierceness originally associated with this breed has been selectively bred out.

This is rather an encapsulated version of the creation of a breed, in this case a breed developed to guard and protect, but it serves as an example to show how man can genetically alter an animal to exhibit a temperament and appearance to suit his needs. It also demonstrates that when a particular trait, for example, fierceness, is no longer desired, it can actively be bred out of the population.

The prior function or purpose for which a breed was created and the subsequent uses the dog serves in the life of his owner are vitally important factors in explaining temperament and behavior. Temperament can be explained as: genetics + environment = behavior (temperament).

It should come as no surprise when a breed of dog which has been selectively bred over generations for protective or aggressive traits is involved in an attack or an occasional fatality against a human. Over the decades different breeds of dogs have gained popularity as protection or attack dogs. Great Danes, German Shepherd Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and Pit bulls have all been hugely popular at one time or another as private and professional guard or protection dogs.

In July of 1923, an 11-year-old boy was killed by two Great Danes in Florham Park, New Jersey. The boy had sneaked into a park where the dogs were kept as guard dogs and was immediately set on by the Great Danes. As the boy vainly attempted to escape the dogs witnesses gathered and a handful of men attempted to beat the dogs off the boy. A park attendant arrived and was able to easily call the dogs back. The owner of the dogs stated that he had trained them to protect himself and the park premises.

In June of 1995, a young boy scaled a fence and entered into an equipment yard to retrieve a ball. The yard contained trucks and cement mixing equipment that was guarded by three German Shepherd Dogs. The dogs attacked and killed the boy. The dogs were taken to the local shelter, where they showed no signs of aggressive behavior.

In July of 2001, two Pit Bulls were being rented out as guard dogs for a business in a crime infested area of central Phoenix, Arizona. An intruder scaled the fence sometime during the night and was found dead in the morning by employees of the business. The 50-year-old man had died from blood loss due to dog bites. (Employees of the business reported that on two separate occasions security dogs had been killed - one was found wrapped in razor ribbon and the other had been beaten to death with a board that had nails in it.)

While the breed have changed over the last 80 years, the function of these dogs were basically the same: protecting or guarding a business or location. There was no distinction made on the part of these animals as to the status of the intruder. A child retrieving a ball or man intent on burglary is seen simply as an intruder and these dogs behaved instinctually and as agents of a human interest.

None of the animals involved in the above incidents could be considered "vicious," as all were easily controlled after the attack. Their behavior was in accordance with innate canine territoriality, human-managed breeding goals and their individual selection and training as guard dogs.

With dogs that seemingly act without the auspices of their owners or employers, it is important to remember that the creation, maintenance and continuousness of any breed is wholly dependent on human management. When a particular breed of dog begins to attack humans with little or no provocation, it is not because the breed is bad or vicious, it is because we as managers of the breed have either willingly encouraged this behavior or have irresponsibly allowed this behavior to be expressed genetically. (genetics + environment = behavior). Allowing a dog to behave aggressively and allowing aggressive animals to breed will ultimately produce a breed that exhibits increased levels of aggression against humans.

The Right Breed for the Right Onwer

By design, different breeds of dogs have innately different behaviors. This by no means implies that Rottweilers are dangerous and Golden Retrievers are trustworthy. What i means is that the individual breeds have traits and behaviors that have been selected for service to man. The problem arises when uneducated or irresponsible owners obtain dogs without knowledge of the breed's history and are not capable or willing to train, supervise and take responsibility for the behaviors that come with the breed.

A person who obtains a Border Collie without knowledge of the intense herding behavior and high energy level of this breed may have many trying days of dogs ownership. A person who obtains a Bassett Hound in hopes of the dog doubling as a jogging companion or watchdog will be sorely disappointed. While these are rather obvious examples of how certain breeds are not right for everyone, it should be just as obvious that a Rottweiler, Pit bull, Doberman Pinscher, Akita or Chow Chow is not the right dog for many people.

In the case of the uneducated Border Collie or Bassett Hound owner, the results are usually frustration for the owner and a very uncertain future for the dog when the breed does not live up to expectations. in the case of an uneducated Rottweiler or Pit Bull owner the price for ignorance can be higher than simple frustration.

A significant part of the problem with dog aggression as it relates to attacks to humans is not the breed of dog, but rather the inability of many owners to control, supervise, and properly train the breed of dog they choose to keep.

New Pics of Mia :)

2008-10-05T13:49:00.002-04:00

We managed to get some really good, new pictures of Mia at our event at Hairy Winston yesterday :) She looks a lil "porky" in some but a lot of it is how she's laying on the ground, trying to keep cool. We also were able to snag one GREAT picture that shows off her brindle undertones in her coat. You can't tell me she isn't one GORGEOUS dog!

Mia may be in luck soon too! A very sweet girl came by to visit her at the event yesterday and things look promising :) She's going to come back to Hairy Winston at our next event on October 18th with her husband and her dog to do a little meeting to see how things go. Cross your fingers for her!

And, if you haven't done so yet, you all REALLY need to go check out Hairy Winston in Mt. Pleasant. Their website address is www.hairywinston.com The ladies there are wonderful and they have a lot of unique and upscale items at very reasonable prices :) It's a great location and I can't say enough good things about them :) You HAVE to go check them out. Especially if you like to spoil your pooch :)

Update on Golda :)

2008-09-27T20:46:00.002-04:00

We got some updated pics of Golda today after her vet visit and she is still amazing as ever!

Golda may have to have one of her teeth removed as it is causing some pretty intense irritation to her gums where there are no teeth. We're looking into pricing today and we're checking out some other options. We'll keep everyone updated!

Big Thanks!

2008-09-25T21:53:00.005-04:00

We'd like to go ahead and take the time to thank a few people in our rescue lives who are making a big difference in the lives of the dogs we love!

Beverley, thank you so much for your generous donation to the care of Mr. Dolla' Bill (the name and the meaning behind the name is SO funny)! It helps out so much!

Marva, Pam, and Sommer, thank you SO much for opening your homes to dogs in need! You all have made a huge difference in the lives of the dogs in your home so give yourselves a BIG hug from US to YOU!

Amie, Marva, Pam, Megan, and Beverley, thank you guys for taking the time out of your busy lives to help spread the word about us. We really, really appreciate the effort and time spent on your part. Keep telling people about us as word of mouth is always THE BEST form of advertising :)

And just in case you guys might be wondering about how some of the dogs are doing, we'll share :)

Look at one of Juno's shelter pictures:

And now a picture from our event on the 20th:

Marva, she looks WONDERFUL!

And :) Complimentary puppy pictures!

Ginger Snap

Penny Lane

And Dolla' Bill!

Thank you again everyone!

Myspace :)

2008-09-24T21:21:00.002-04:00

Hey you guys! Don't forget that we have a Myspace page set up for the rescue. Show your continued support for New Hope by adding us today!

http://myspace.com/nhpbr

Oh! And the beautiful pooch below got the goal amount of $150! They still have more on that bill to pay but what a great thing internet networking can do!

Ramon Needs Your Help!

2008-09-23T11:02:00.004-04:00

This might be a bit disturbing to look at but the reality of the situation, his plight, and other dogs like him is VERY real!

Ramon was picked up as a stray - missing half of one of his back legs!! I mean...this is why it's disturbing, the bone was exposed! :(

Please look at Ramon's picture, and then go visit the Fundable page that the Anderson County Humane Society has up for him. The ACHS is a 501c3 organization so your donations are tax deductible. No donations will be taken until their initial goal of $150 has been reached.

We'll update as we learn more about Ramon's situation. Bless this pup!

Donate for Ramon's Care!

Volunteer Meeting!

2008-09-22T20:43:00.002-04:00

Don't forget! Tomorrow night, September 23rd, 2008 at 7PM, we will be having a Volunteer Meeting at the Arby's on Hwy 78. It is off of exit 205B off of I26.

We will be discussing volunteer needs and future event planning so this is the time to get involved if you are interested!

Call Alicia at 843-814-2974 if you need directions or other information. Thanks everyone!