Author: Louis Spirito

SHELTER ‘KILL’ RATES DROP IN L.A. – VAMPIRES FOR RESCUE DOGS – HOMELESS HEROISM

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According to an article in the Los Angeles Daily News, ‘kill’ rates plummeted this year at County Animal Care facilities, and are approaching a decade low. “Los Angeles Animal Services was on track to have put down 4,00 fewer cats and dogs in the fiscal year that ended June 30 compare to the previous year, with final numbers due out next week. “The city is poised for its best year of reducing shelter deaths and increasing the live-save rate since the city established it no-kill goal a decade ago,” said LAAS General Manager Brenda Barnette in a statement. “I believe this success belongs to all pet loving Angelenos.” That means groups like No Kill L.A. and their supporters like Kristen Bauer Von Straten who plays fetching, feisty vampire ‘Pam’ on HBO’s True Blood and stars in the latest NKLA ad.

Kristen Bauer Von Straten as ‘Pam’ on HBO’s True Blood

Finally, if you’re a member of the ‘dogs are great but people stink’ club, it might be time to rethink your misanthropy in light of a story by L.A. Times reporter Bob Pool about Martha Aguel, a homeless woman with two dogs, who rescued a North Hollywood man’s lsot beagle and then declined a reward, saying she was just “glad he had his dog back”. With help from the grateful dog owner, County officials are trying to get Martha and her two dogs, Chino & Nina, permanent shelter.




HOMETOWN HEROES – ‘COMPASSION FOR ALL CREATURES’

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Summer…a time of long, lazy days spent lounging at the beach or pool, eating junk food and reading trashy novels (or moving dog books!). Hah! Tanner, Eugenie and I have been busier than ever trying to stay on top of work, book business and social events. That’s probably why we forgot to trumpet the fabulous article about GIMME SHELTER in the July-August issue of Malibu Times Magazine. Writer Michael Aushenker’s piece was very flattering and  the photos by our dear friend and ace photographer, Roxanne McCann, make us look like movie stars. That’s no great feat with Eugenie and Tanner, who always look terrific ,but I sure needed her magic. Roxanne began her career doing stills on film sets, and learned photography at the side of Academy Award-winning Cinematographers. Her photographs have been published around the world, and her fine art is in private collections in many countries. If you’re thinking about doing photos for a big event – a graduation, anniversary, wedding, book signing or just to have some great shots – you should give Rox a call.

Lou, Eugenie & Tanner @ Diesel Books, Malibu (photo by Roxanne McCann)
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As someone who cares about all animals, pets and their wilderness cousins, I was heartened to read about the Malibu City Council’s vote to oppose the sale and use of rodentcides, which often harm our resident raccoons, possums, squirrels, bobcats, coyotes and birds. In explaining his support, a local rabbi, Levi Cunin, offered this quote from well-known book on Jewish mysticism, Tomer Devorah, by Rabbi Moshe Cordevero: “in addition… one’s compassion must spread over all creatures. Do not humiliate them, do not destroy them, for the Higher wisdom has compassion on all creatures, and its compassion spreads forth over all of creation, the inanimate creations (such as minerals) the vegetative creations (all plants) living creatures (all animals, mammals etc.), and the speaking creatures (humans). And for this reason our sages cautioned us regarding disrespecting our food source. This matter is noteworthy, for just as the Higher wisdom, does not waste any existence, and everything is made from there (the higher wisdom) as it is written “You have made everything with wisdom” so shall be the mercy of man on all of His workings, blessed be the source”. Amen.

GRAZIE, AL SANTILLO, OUR BIGGEST FAN

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As you know, Tanner, Eugenie and I often use this blog to thank friends, family and supporters who promote GIMME SHELTER, animal rescue and other things we consider important and fun. Well, Al Santillo, a master baker from my hometown of Elizabeth NJ, deserves kudos as our biggest fan. Although our families lived in the Peterstown neighborhood (the Burg for locals) and did business together, that doesn’t explain why Al, who’s busy running his family’s terrific pizzeria and bakery, would make the time and effort to share the book with his friends and customers. Next to Diesel, our local bookseller, Al has sold more copies than any other person or outlet. So, when you’re in back East and looking for a great, award-winning pizza, and some fun conversation, stop by Santillo’s and tell Al Tanner and Lou sent you.

The Maestro at work. Grazie, Al.

$$ FOR MUTTS, PASTA-EATING DOGS & OTHER NEWS

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Between book events, working at Probation and workouts, things get hectic around our place. Maybe that’s why we’ve neglected to mention that the Gimme Shelter Campaign recently made our 2nd and 3rd official donations to the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation and the St. Martin’s Animal Foundation. For new visitors, we’ve promised to donate 10% of the profits from GIMME SHELTER to various animal rescue groups. We’re at 3 and counting, so keep buying books and we’ll keep sharing the proceeds.

Pit-Lab pups being fostered by Sky Valencia of St. Martin’s Animals Foundation.
Interested? Contact: skyvalencia99@gmail.com

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With all of those cute kitty YouTube videos, it’s tough to keep current on dog news so here are two stories that might be of interest.
– An L.A. Times‘ piece from June 22 detailed the protests by China animals lovers upset with mistreatment of stranded dolphins and the traditional Yulin dog meat festival. In a country not noted for its human rights concerns, it’s heartening to hear that people are willing to speak up about perceived animal cruelty.
– The April issue of Scientific American ran a piece by Kate Wong outlining scientists’ theories that adaptation to humans starchy diet may have lead to the domestication of dogs and cats. I love Tanner but he is NOT getting my pizza!

SPAY & NEUTER FOR L.A. PIT BULLS – FREE, and GOOD KARMA!

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Thanks to Karma Rescue, Los Angeles owners of Pit Bulls and Pit Bulls mixes can spay or neuter their dogs free of charge. ‘Fixing’ your dog can curb aggression and will help reduce the population of unwanted animals. Tanner hopes that lots of people will take advantage of this great deal. He’s ‘fixed’ and still a, handsome, buff boy.  To learn more or make an appointment (there are clinics on both the East and West sides of town) contact Karma Rescue (310) 512-7833 or email Karma at info@karmarescue.org. The offer is good until the end of 2013.

Tanner and his peeps near the Malibu Library

‘THE PAW PROJECT’

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On Saturday, June 8, we attended a local screening of The Paw Project, a documentary film about DVM Jennifer Conrad and her efforts to ban animal declawing. Like many people in the packed house at the Malibu Film Society, I had no idea just how brutal and inhumane the practice is. I’ve only had one cat, Blanche, whose story kicks off GIMME SHELTER. Ironically, she was a Scottish Fold that looked amazingly like the cat on The Paw Project poster. She had been declawed when we got her and her gait always seemed off, as if it hurt her to walk. Know I know why. If you’d like to learn more about the efforts to ban this sanctioned mutilation, visit The Paw Project website.

Blanche

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On a softer note, a friend recently sent me a terrific piece ‘What Shamu Taught Me About A Happy Marriage’ by Amy Sutherland, that appeared in the NY Times column ‘On Modern Love’. If you love animals, or just have a headstrong mate, here’s a taste.
AS I wash dishes at the kitchen sink, my husband paces behind me, irritated. “Have you seen my keys?” he snarls, then huffs out a loud sigh and stomps from the room with our dog, Dixie, at his heels, anxious over her favorite human’s upset. In the past I would have been right behind Dixie. I would have turned off the faucet and joined the hunt while trying to soothe my husband with bromides like, “Don’t worry, they’ll turn up.” But that only made him angrier, and a simple case of missing keys soon would become a full-blown angst-ridden drama starring the two of us and our poor nervous dog.
     Now, I focus on the wet dish in my hands. I don’t turn around. I don’t say a word. I’m using a technique I learned from a dolphin trainer. I love my husband. He’s well read, adventurous and does a hysterical rendition of a northern Vermont accent that still cracks me up after 12 years of marriage.
But he also tends to be forgetful, and is often tardy and mercurial. He hovers around me in the kitchen asking if I read this or that piece in The New Yorker when I’m trying to concentrate on the simmering pans. He leaves wadded tissues in his wake. He suffers from serious bouts of spousal deafness but never fails to hear me when I mutter to myself on the other side of the house. “What did you say?” he’ll shout. These minor annoyances are not the stuff of separation and divorce, but in sum they began to dull my love for Scott. I wanted — needed — to nudge him a little closer to perfect, to make him into a mate who might annoy me a little less, who wouldn’t keep me waiting at restaurants, a mate who would be easier to love.
     So, like many wives before me, I ignored a library of advice books and set about improving him. By nagging, of course, which only made his behavior worse: he’d drive faster instead of slower; shave less frequently, not more; and leave his reeking bike garb on the bedroom floor longer than ever.
We went to a counselor to smooth the edges off our marriage. She didn’t understand what we were doing there and complimented us repeatedly on how well we communicated. I gave up. I guessed she was right — our union was better than most — and resigned myself to stretches of slow-boil resentment and occasional sarcasm.
     Then something magical happened. For a book I was writing about a school for exotic animal trainers, I started commuting from Maine to California, where I spent my days watching students do the seemingly impossible: teaching hyenas to pirouette on command, cougars to offer their paws for a nail clipping, and baboons to skateboard. I listened, rapt, as professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same techniques might work on that stubborn but lovable species, the American husband. READ MORE

India’s WOOF MAGAZINE and GIMME SHELTER

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Woke up this morning to find that WOOF, a digital dog magazine from India, yes India, just published a piece I wrote for them entitled ‘What A Bullie!‘. The story (p. 14-16), which is based on material from the GIMME SHELTER sidebars, offers readers some useful tips on adopting and caring for a Pit Bull or any shelter dog. Following the article, which has several great photos of Tanner, there’s a full-page profile of the book. Thanks to Nirav for contacting me and running the story.

Tanner, Eugenie and Lou (photo by Roxanne McCann)

SGT. STUBBY – PIT BULL WAR HERO

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 A few month’s back I wrote a short piece on Stubby, America’s first and most decorated war dog who happened to be a Pit Bull (no surprise to those of us who live with them). With Bullies once again getting hammered in the press, here’s a fuller picture of this amazing solider.  



Sgt Stubby, was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. One day he appeared at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut, while a group of soldiers were training, stopping to make friends with men as they drilled. Corporal Robert Conroy, developed a fondness for the dog. He named him Stubby because of his short legs. When it became time for the outfit to ship out, Conroy hid Stubby on board the troop ship. To keep the dog, the private taught him to salute his commanding officers warming their hearts to him. Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division in the trenches in France for 18 months and participated in four offensives and 18 battles. The loud noise of the bombs and gun fire did not bother him. He was never content to just stay in the trenches but eagerly went out, searched and found wounded soldiers. Stubby entered combat on February 5, 1918 at Chemin Des Dames, north of Soissons, and was under constant fire, day and night for over a month. In April 1918, during a raid to take Schieprey, Stubby was wounded in the foreleg by the retreating Germans throwing hand grenades. He was sent to the rear for convalescence, and, as he had done on the front, was able to improve morale. When he recovered from his wounds, Stubby returned to the trenches. 
After being gassed and nearly dying himself, Stubby learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, continued to locate wounded soldiers in no-man’s land, and since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans could, he became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover. He was solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne. The spy made the mistake of speaking German to him when they were alone. Stubby knew he was no ally and attacked him biting and holding on to him by the seat of his pants until his comrades could secure him. 
Following the retaking of Chateau-Thierry by the US, the thankful women of the town made Stubby a chamois coat on which were pinned his many medals. There is also a legend that while in Paris with Corporal Conroy, Stubby saved a young girl from being hit by a car. 

At the end of the war, Conroy smuggled Stubby 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 Georgetown Hoyas’ team mascot. He would be given the football at halftime and would nudge the ball around the field to the amusement of the fans. Stubby was made a life member of the American Legion, the Red Cross and the YMCA. In 1921, the Humane Education Society awarded him a special gold medal for his service to his country. The medal was presented by General John Pershing. In 1926, Stubby died in Conroy’s arms. His remains are featured in “The Price of Freedom: Americans at War” exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington DC. Stubby was honored with a brick in the Walk of Honor at the United States World War I monument, Liberty Memorial, in Kansas City at a ceremony held on Armistice Day, November 11, 2006. 

"DON’T BLAME THE DOGS…BLAME PEOPLE"

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A few days ago 29-year-old Alex Jackson was arrested and charged with murder in the death of Pamela Devitt, 63, the Lancaster, CA woman who was fatally mauled by a pack of Jackson’s dogs with a history of previous attacks. Despite his wife death, Devitt’s husband, didn’t blame the dogs involved, or demonize the breed. Her husband told KCAL-TV he blamed the dogs’ owner for what happened. “I do not blame the dogs. I don’t blame pit bulls,” Ben Devitt said. “I blame people who don’t take responsibility for their animals.” For more details, check out the Huffington Post report.

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When I wrote about our last book signing at Bank of Books a few weeks back, I forgot to thank some of the friends who stopped by to show an share some love. Since it’s better late than never, a big ‘Thanks’ to – David & Terry, Annette & Jasmine, Carl, Robert, Zari, Margaret & Ryan, Karen, Gary & Eleanor, Jake and Melissa. Eugenie, Tanner I I really appreciate your support. 

Dexter & Tanner: Pitbulls are inherently dangerous. Really?
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If you are looking to keep your dog healthy, happy and under control, consider dispensing with that retractable lead and using something that offers more control and safety. In an article in Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan’s online newsletter, Jon Bastian writes: “There are three big issues with retractable leads, the first of which is safety. Since they can effectively allow your dog to run for twenty or more feet before the end of the line, they allow your dog to build up a lot of speed. Remember “force equals mass times acceleration” from high school physics? Well, give even a small dog a twenty foot head start, and they can build up enough speed to pull you off your feet, break the lead, or yank the handle right out of your hand. That last situation can be particularly disastrous, since the handle will then retract on the lead, and the sound and motion of that big hunk of plastic suddenly whizzing up from behind can make your dog think something is chasing it, inspiring it to run faster and farther. 
There’s also that twenty feet of line between you and your dog, which can be nearly invisible under the right circumstances. Your dog can get tangled in it, or tangle you or another person in it. Even the website for a prominent manufacturer of retractable leads warns of multiple possible injuries, including cuts or burns from the line, falls, eye and facial injuries, and even broken bones or loss of fingers. You wouldn’t let your dog run free in the middle of the street, but very long leads can allow exactly this to happen. Dogs on retractable leads can and have run into traffic and been killed by cars. Beyond safety issues, retractable leads just teach your dog the wrong thing: That pulling on the lead will get them what they want — in this case, the freedom to run all over the place. When they stop pulling, the lead pulls back, so the desire to pull and run away is constantly reinforced. Finally, retractable leads may be illegal in your area. For example, the leash law in the city of Los Angeles reads, “Every person owning or having charge, care, custody or control of any dog shall keep such dog exclusively upon his own premises provided, however, that such dog may be off such premises if it be under the control of a competent person and restrained by a substantial chain or leash not exceeding six feet in length [emphasis added].” The same is true for leash laws in Los Angeles County, and may be similar in your jurisdiction. Aside from endangering a dog’s safety, many users of retractable leads may not even know that they’re breaking the law.