Like I said, this is typical. These are the same people that adopt out dogs that has bitten everyone that works there. and then swear that the dog is not aggressive. Then they put danger signs on cages of dogs who never bit anyone.  You cannot judge any one without first looking at the whole picture.  This is why God created adoption applications.  With these apps. we can verify that the info the people give us is true and in the best interest of the dog.  Don’t act as if your picky about the home a dog is adopted to, when your President of the Board said a few weeks ago that anyone can adopt any dog. Also you said that no shelter does home visits. If this were true why is it on your own applications. For your info most rescue/ shelters do. It is the Dog Pounds that do not.

 By the end of this letter she went on to shame all the people in the city of Monroe and the newspaper for not being more supportive. Did she forget about shaming other Board Members and volunteer’s out of there last fall ?  They were all major supporters. Did she forget about the last scam to get a new shelter?  People tend to not trust some who raises money under false pretences.  This Monroe Humane Society is not a Humane Society at all. But that name is sure to raise money. Is this just another scam? Just last summer they were raising money for the U of Pit program.  This was good promotion for  the breed, the dogs all were to receive a 1 yr supply of dog food, training cert for the dog, and AKC Canine Good Citizen cert. These dogs were then adopted out with  No training cert.  No Canine Good Citizen cert.  and No Dog Food.  Was this just another one of those scams? If they were to be more realistic and truthful they would get much more support. I don’t know about you, but I cannot be shamed into supporting a scam.  I cannot agree with you when your, unrealistic and cannot see the whole picture.  I cannot trust you when your, story changes every few weeks.  That is just the way I am . I cannot help it.

During the next term of classes at the AADTC (starts early April) there will also be a beginning Flyball Class. On the website there is also information about classes and how to register for them.

There has not been a Flyball Seminar in this area for quite a number of years, so I am encouraging as many folks as possible to take advantage of it.

  Besides the normal dog show there is also demo’s of police dogs, rescue dogs, agility competitions and demo’s, obedience competitions, etc.etc. Just about any dog related sport you can find info and see demo’s.  Last year they even had Jack Russell races and herding demo’s.

  They will also have vendors for about every dog product there as well. from collars,and leashes, to dog food, dog beds, tread mills etc. you can find it there.

  This is a great time for all. It is very educational for children as well.

  If you read the comments of the board president you will see more of these words.  He said ANYONE can adopt ANY DOG.  Again we all know this is NOT true. If this was true ,it would be very foolish. Some dogs would NOT do good in a home with children, some may NOT do good with cats,  some would NOT do good with other dogs,  .Etc.Etc. again just words. Also if this were true they would not need adoption applications. Because anyone can adopt any dog.

  He also said NO DOG is left in a cage forever. Again just words. We all know you cant leave a dog there forever. Since NO DOG can live forever this would be impossible. The true question is how long is to long. I feel 6 mos. is to long. If you have a dog stuck in a cage for this long of a period with no exercise, no training, and no socialization, this can create serious problems. The board president does NOT see a problem with leaving a dog in a cage for 3 years or more. If you translate that to dog years that is 21 years in a gage. with NO interaction with other dogs.

  Did these people forget that dogs are pack animals. Or is this something that they never knew. Or do they just NOT care.

 While watching the news every year before a cold spell or in the summer before it gets real hot they all ways say if you see a dog with out shelter you should contact your local Humane Society. Again we all know we cannot do this in Monroe Co.  They tell you to contact Animal Control. This is because they are NOT a Humane Society at all.  They are just a rescue group with a shelter, instead of foster homes.

When you look at some of the insurance companies out there, they are canceling policies, if  own certain dog breeds.

Pit Bulls, Rotts, Dobermans, Chows, Akitas, Shepards Etc.   These bans are because the insurance co. has been forced to pay,  because of these dogs biting. 

   If you look at bite statistics there are 1000’s of dog bites every year in every state.  These bites are from all breeds of dogs.

When I last checked in Toledo Oh.  the Shepard mix was the #1 biter  and the Lab mix was #2    followed by the Pit bull at #3.   

    Cocker spanials, & Terriers are always on the list as well Chows, & Chihuhu’s.

                    WHY is it that when someone gets bitten by a lab mix its not news,  But when its a Pitbull its national news.     

          Also WHY is it that Pitbull bans have many other breeds grouped together calling them all Pitbulls.

 In the Toledo Oh Pitbull ban they have 14 different breeds making up the pitbull category.  It of course includes American bulldogs, Bull terriers etc. but also Boxer mix, Mastiff  mix, etc. 

It seems silly to say that a Lab is not banned and a Boxer is not banned , But if they had puppies together all of the puppies would be banned because they are boxer mix’s.

This ban is in place saying that the breed of dog called PITBULL can be Vicious. 

  If this Is true then it would not  take 14 different breeds to makeup the pitbull category. Even then it is still at #3.  If you notice the German Shepard is split from Shepard mix.  Is this fair when you consider Pitbull includes not only mixes but mixes of several other breeds.  

        We DON’T do that with PEOPLE why is it OK with a DOG.

    1st of all people need to be held accountable for there own actions.  If you cannot trust your dog you NEED to get help.  You are responsible for training and socializing your dog. 

           There is no public school system for dogs.  You cannot put them on a bus and send them to school. You have to bring them to a trainer or get help from someone.

 I see it all to often that people ignore  little problems with there dogs. As these problems progress and get worse, they are still ignored until some one gets hurt.

         Then its all of a sudden a major problem. The dog must be trained in a hurry or he has to go. 

 2nd   TRAIN YOUR DOG.  A well trained dog is a pleasure to be around.  The breed does not matter.   The Target dog should not be banned,   He has been trained,   He would be fun to be around.

 Lets not blame an entire breed of dog for lack of responsibility on the owners behalf.    Lets also not blame 13 breeds of dog when you are complaining of only 1.

    I have heard of people wanting to ban large breeds.  They say that any large dog has the potential to cause serious injury to someone.  This is really dumb , because most Pitbulls are not large breeds. With this ban in place you would have to tell a 70 yr. old lady that her Golden Retriever is banned,  But the teen aged gang bangers can still have there Pitbulls.

    If you are going to put a ban on dogs for aggression, it should be on all aggressive dogs.  Not just #3 on the list. 

 I think it would be better to require testing of certain breeds before these dogs get a licence.  The AKC canine good citizen program would be a great way to start.  Any dog that cannot pass this test is in need of training.  If you cannot or will not train this dog you should not own it.  Find a different dog that you can handle.

 If we were to put a program like this together, It could include any breed equally, do to statistics from past dog bites.  If your dog is a good dog, and he is under control,   you can prove this due to the test.  He is then licenced and  would not be banned.   A dog without a licence is banned.  

The people who always protest the breed bans say BAN THE DEED, NOT THE BREED.  The deed is dog fighting,and it is already banned.  So is owning an unlicensed dog.   Lets focus on the laws we already have.

Animal control office could do this testing before a dog licence is issued.  The fee for the testing could raise a lot of money to help the county. The animal control office could then concentrate on the true bad dogs instead of dealing with restrictions on puppies and well behaved dogs.

      This program is now available for puppies, The puppy must be a graduate from an obedience class, and then pass a 20 point test to become certified.

    TheAKC believes all dogs should be able to pass these tests. If your dog cannot pass this test he/or she is in need of training. These tests are not graded or a competition they are simple, you either   pass or need more training on all of the steps.

   This program is very important if you have a breed of dog that is being portrayed as aggressive, and is often a prerequisite for therapy dogs.

  If you would like more info. on canine good citizen testing you can visit akc.org or contact your local training facility

          ”I would risk my life to save my dog,” Swies said of the 4-year-old lab-mix Sammy. “Pets are a huge part of people’s families.”

And that is why Swies is such an advocate of providing area fire departments with the equipment necessary to save pets’ lives in a fire.

“You save a life of someone’s pet and they don’t forget it,” said Novi Fire Chief Frank Smith. “When a fire happens, the people will get out, but the animals sometimes don’t

Friday, the Novi Fire Department received animal rescue oxygen masks through a donation from Invisible Fence of Tri County, based in Wixom.

“In 2006, it was estimated more than 40,000 pets died in fires and most were due to smoke inhalation,” said Swies, who is the marketing development coordinator of the company. “These have been used on everything from dogs, to cats, to birds.”

Each of Novi’s four fire stations received a kit containing small, medium and large oxygen masks with different oxygen flow settings, specifically designed for pets.

“We’re going to put one bag on each of our four engines,” Smith said. “In year’s past, we kind of did the best we could with what we had, but when it comes to animal care, this is state-of-the-art.”

Invisible Fence of Tri County also donated kits, worth $60 each, to the Walled Lake Fire Department

Invisible Fence Brand Tri County

29242 Lyon Oaks Drive
Wixom, covering Washtenaw, Livingston and Oakland counties
(248) 437-9663
www.invisiblefence.com

     The other one is his new dog bed. PET SAFE makes a dog mat, a dog bed, and a dog sleeper. These have heat and massage, The mat is good for putting in a crate, and it is heated,  Like an electric blanket. The dog bed and the sleeper both have heat and massage. The sleeper is a bed with sides on it. Not necessary for my dogs, they just lay over the sides anyway. But more than likly the little dogs would like them.  These beds are awesome for dogs with arthritis. It not only helps keep them warm,  it also seems soothing to there joints. Just like a recliner with heat and massage.  When your cold, stiff,  and tired that chair sure feels good.