There are a couple of things that Natural Balance and I have in common.  One thing is we are both in the Sept/Oct issue of FIDO Friendly magazine.  While I don’t grace the cover, Nicollette Sheridan does and she is talking about teaming up with my preferred brand of dog food, Natural Balance, in support of National Guide Dog Month.  To add a small plug, my Going Green with Fido article is in this issue and I am proud of this accomplishment.  You can read it by visiting Fido Friendly clicking HERE.

Help Us Raise $1 Million in the Month of September to

Support Guide Dog Organizations Nationwide

WHO: Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance has teamed up with Nicollette Sheridan, Petco and Independent Pet Retailers (I shop at my local Pet Supplies Plus store) in support of National Guide Dog Month.

WHAT: A monthlong effort to celebrate National Guide Dog Month by raising money and awareness for Guide Dog Schools across the country.

WHEN: September 2010

WHERE: Select Independent Retailers of Natural Balance and more than 1,000 Petco locations nationwide.

WHY: Natural Balance Pet Foods is committed to the cause of Guide Dog Programs that empower the visually impaired with the life-changing gift of a guide dog. We are dedicated at both the national and local levels to raise money and awareness in support of the transformational power of guide dogs.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Throughout September, visit select independent pet stores or any of Petco’s more than 1,000 locations nationwide and buy specially marked bags of Natural Balance to donate $1 of the purchase price to participating guide dog schools. Petco shoppers can also “round up” their purchases at the register or make donations directly online at www.petco.com.

Stay Connected with Natural Balance by Following on Twitter and “Liking” on Facebook.

Forget what you think you know about pit bulls. Contrary to popular belief they are some of the most loyal, playful and loving dogs around. Michael Vick’s former fighting dogs are on a mission to show the world that this very misunderstood breed is not full of menacing, cruel dogs. In fact, they are some of the best household pets in America. Jonny Justice, who was featured on the cover of last Sunday’s Parade, is just one example of how well the former Vick dogs are doing in their new homes. Many have gone on to be certified therapy workers and adored family members proving that pit bulls, just like any other dog, want to be man’s best friend.

THE LOST DOGS: Michael Vicks Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption (Gotham Books: September, 16 2010; $26.00) by Jim Gorant brings readers the full, behind-the-scenes story of the heroic effort to first save and then rehabilitate the 51 pit bulls confiscated from Michael Vick’s Bad News Kennels. Gorant presents the entire account, from the frustrations of the investigation to the individual rehabilitation of the dogs themselves.

Have you had moments over the past few years where you’ve wondered what happened to the Pit Bulls that were part of Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennel?  I’ve seen a story or two, even a 2-hour Dog Town episode on the National Geographic Channel that touched briefly on them, but now comes Jim Gorant’s book, The Lost Dogs, which covers the investigation, the tremendous effort to save their lives, rehabilitate them, and to find their new places in a society filled with fear of the breed.  This heart-wrenching and emotionally charged look at their lives from the very beginning is a must-read.  It’s filled with inspiring stories that prove Pit Bulls are lovable, caring, and very misunderstood creatures.  It’s heart-breaking at times, but in the end I came away wanting to do more to educate the public on the cruel and violent underworld of dog fighting, the often misunderstood breed, and what we as a society can do to get laws passed for tougher penalties against those caught dog fighting.

I’m thrilled that I had an opportunity to pose some questions to Jim regarding his upcoming book, The Lost Dogs:

How did you feel about the Pit Bull breed prior to this book?

I didn’t know much beyond what one reads in the headlines, which is of course the worst stuff. I’d passed a few in the street, but never met one face to face and certainly never spent time playing with one and having it climb up and lick my face.

Was there one “aha moment” that changed your mind about the breed?

I don’t think so. It was a series of moments, a gradual education about the dog beyond the myth. I’m an open-minded person, but I’ve also developed a necessary skepticism about many things, so I approach with caution but I can be swayed by a strong argument that’s based on facts. As I heard the argument in favor of the breed and learned more about them I came to my own conclusion.

Where were you when you decided you had to know about the fate of the dogs and more importantly, to write about them?

I was in my office when I first read about the Vick dogs, and my curiosity was immediately piqued, but it was a slow process. Initially I didn’t think it was a good story for Sports Illustrated, where I work, so I pushed it out of my mind. But somehow, I kept returning to it. The more I read, the more I wanted to know. Finally, I made a few calls and decided, “why not”, and pitched the idea to my bosses. They told me to go for it.

Did you at any time feel sorry for Michael Vick?

Short and sweet: No, I never felt sorry for him. At the same time, I would say that I think he’s a product of an environment that has a different value system and that he did lose more than many people realize. That’s not to make excuses for him. By the time he was caught, he’d emerged into a world where this was clearly not acceptable behavior and he had the option to do the right thing at any time. Not only did he not do that, but he actively pursued the opposite path. He got caught, pled guilty and was given a sentence, which he fulfilled. Based on what I’ve learned about the case—and a lot of this is detailed in The Lost Dogs—the prosecution did an excellent job, and the sentence actually exceeded what was recommended by federal guidelines.

You decided to not interview Vick for this book.  Can you tell me more about this decision?

It didn’t start out as a choice. I knew that some of my colleagues at Sports Illustrated were pursuing an interview with him and that he was unequivocally unavailable. Moreover, I felt like the book was not really about him; it was about the dogs. Shortly after I turned in the initial manuscript he began giving interviews in support of his reality show on BET, and I probably could have gotten time with him, but I still felt like it would’ve pulled focus away from the thing I truly wanted the book to be about. I may have felt differently if I hadn’t been able to get close to the Bad Newz operation in other ways, but I was, so I decided that interviewing Michael would have been more of a distraction at that point.

Was there one dog that stood out for you more than the others, in terms of how far they’ve come after this horrible experience?

None stood out. There are so many amazing stories that it’s hard to rank them. I will say though, that Sweet Jasmine moved me the most, which is why, she’s one of the main characters in The Lost Dogs.

Was there any part of the book that will surprise the reader?

The book is full of surprises. It was such a sprawling undertaking with dozens of dogs and people and investigators spread out in so many different places that a lot of what the book does is assemble everything that was happening in little pockets and outposts all over the country into one continuous narrative. Some of the rescuers that were involved in the case from the start have read early copies and they’ve all come back with comments about parts of the story that they had totally missed while they were living through it.  Beyond that, I think the surprises will vary depending the reader. For those who don’t know much about pit bulls, I think it will be a real eye opener. For those who didn’t follow the evolution of the case and what became of the dogs, I think the details about how close the whole thing came to imploding and how much effort and passion went into the rescue will be headturning.

Do you think the Pit Bulls that were euthanized could have been rehabilitated?

Only two dogs were euthanized. One was injured and suffering physically. The other, from what I’m told, had simply snapped mentally and was beyond help. There were a handful of dogs that were spared which probably would not have been in a different situation. Not that they weren’t worthy or redeemable, but the amount of effort needed to bring them around might not have been justifiable if not for the high-profile nature of the case, and, to be perfectly honest, the funds available from Vick’s restitution. The safety of the dogs and the general public were the first priority, but beyond, the Vick dogs represented the opportunity to make a few points about pit bulls, fight-bust dogs and rehabilitation, and those opportunities were not missed.

What would you like people to come away with after reading The Lost Dogs?

I came to this as a writer and journalist, so I hope that readers are engaged, entertained and informed and that the story, both through the way it’s told and its content, reaches them on some emotional level. Any impact on attitudes and opinions beyond that is great, but it can’t be the goal or you won’t have something worth reading.

BUY IT:

The Lost Dogs will be available on September 16, 2010.  You can reserve your copy via Amazon.com:

Includes an 8-page photo insert.

I would like to thank Jim Gorant for taking the time to answer questions for my little blog: Doggies and Stuff.  Visit the official website for THE LOST DOGS: Michael Vicks Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption.

About the Author: Jim Gorant has worked as a magazine editor and writer for twenty years, and is currently a senior editor at Sports Illustrated .  His work has appeared in such magazines as Men’s Health, GQ, and Outside.  Also the author of Fanatic, Ten Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die, he lives in New Jersey.

Ok, pet people! Here we go. I’m going to have a pet Halloween costume contest soon. You’ll have a shot at winning pet costumes between now and Halloween! What do I need from you? I need your Halloween pet costume pictures from last year. I’m working with a couple of different companies, so we make sure to cover the little dogs and the big dogs!

CostumeSuperCenter.com carries Halloween Costumes for people, as well as pet costumes.

I’m going to create a page for the pet pictures I receive, so you’ll be able to see all the pet photos!

Riley received her Headless Horseman Dog Rider Pet Costume from CostumeSuperCenter.com:

LOL!  I love it.  She’s the horse for the headless horseman!  The costumes is really light and has adjustable straps for around the neck and girth that attaches with velcro.  It’s very easy to get on and off.

If you would like to be in the know with CostumeSuperCenter.com, you can follow them on Twitter and “like” them on Facebook.

Please send your photos to doggiesandstuff@gmail.com, along with the name of your dog, his/her age, and a short caption. I’ll start a page, where everyone will be able to view the photos.

Disclaimer: I received one costume from CostumeSuperCenter.com for review purposes only.  I received no additional compensation.  The opinions are strictly my own honest opinions of the product.

Originally posted by my friends at Be the Change for animals.

Rabies plagues animals in parts of the world where prevention is not prevalent. Countless animals and 55,000 people – mostly children in Africa and Asia – die  annually from a disease we know how to prevent.

Veterinarians without Borders / Vétérinaires sans Frontières – Canada (VWB/VSF)  provides rabies prevention and community education programs around the world. This September, VWB/VSF asks that we participate in Rabies Campaign 2010 and recognize World Rabies Day on September 28th. Make rabies history!

ACT NOW

• Join Veterinarians without Borders on Facebook. Cross post their information and ask your friends to join. You’ll help to educate people on the importance of this issue. It’s that easy.

When asked what her goal was for this campaign, Sheila Taylor of VWB said, “We would like to get 10,000 followers!” Right now they have 159. Let’s band together and give VWB a good head start!

WHY IT MATTERS

With effective programming, community education and community involvement, the global rabies problem is solvable. To date, VWB/VSF has raised and dispersed over $100,000 towards rabies prevention projects around the world, including projects in Chile, Guatemala, Northern Canada, India, Nepal, Malawi and Cambodia.

See VWB/VSF rabies prevention in action…

In Todos Santos, a remote village in the Cuchamatán Mountains of Guatemala, VWB/VSF-Canada is working with local partners to develop a sustainable and culturally-appropriate canine population control and rabies prevention program. Dogs are the primary reservoir of rabies in the community, and many live in daily fear of these free-roaming animals. Previous population control programs, like mass dog extermination campaigns, have proved unsuccessful and community members are eager to develop more humane and sustainable solutions. With the active participation of local residents, VWB/VSF and its partners are currently implementing a long-term program to improve the health and wellbeing of both people and dogs living in this community.

(For more examples, visit www.vwb-vsf.ca.)

On August 6, 2010, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers raided a suspected dog fighting operation.

When police arrived at the home to serve the search warrant, a dog fight was underway. They arrested 23 people, recovered several dogs, drugs, weapons and cash.

You can view the News Video by clicking HERE.

Now, 21 of the defendants are out on bond and are expected back in court on September 7, for a pre-trial hearing.

The charges in these cases parallel those from other major animal fighting busts across the county. Animal fighters don’t just abuse animals; they also participate in numerous other illegal activities such as gambling and possession and/or sale of illegal drugs and firearms.

There has been a loud public outcry over what can be done to stop animal fighting in our state. We are responding to that call.

This past Saturday, Casa Del Toro was joined with Indy Pit Crew and a number of caring individuals, and wrote letters to the court that will provide a voice for the animals.

Your letters as concerned citizens against animal fighting can and will make a difference.

If you can  would like to donate towards  our Anti animal fighting efforts you can donate via paypal at www.casadeltoro.org for the following supplies:

• Standard Rolls of Stamp Needed
• Legal size white envelopes or the large 8 1/2 by 11 manila mailing envelops

HERE you will find the sample letters for you to mail to the Marion County prosecutor’s  office.

Letters  should be addressed to:

April Fisher

Marion County Deputy Prosecutor

Community Prosecution Division

251 E. Ohio Street, Suite 160

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Letters  have all the charging information already in place.

Each letter can be found by scrolling down, they will be one after another, each one will need to have your contact information copy & pasted to each one.

Do not forget to sign them.

Sample letters can be mailed “as is” or a personal message an also be typed in as well.

This is a 52 page document with charging information of all defendants.

To avoid several stamps, you can send them all at once in a manila envelope with a paperclip that separates each defendant’s letter so they can be placed in each defendants file.

Please let us know  when you have mailed the letters or if you need any additional assistance.

Thank you for taking a stand against Animal Fighting in the State of Indiana.

Casa Del Toro Pit Bull Education & Rescue

www.casadeltoro.org