Some of you will remember maizey, the boxer/pit pup that had mange. Her owners didn’t want to pay to take her to the veterinarian so they tried to get rid of her mange by wiping her down in bleach……causing a chemical burn. We pulled Maizey from the shelter and had her treated by our veterinarian. Oh how this poor dear suffered, if she even tried to itch her fur would fall out and her skin would slough off.
Four months later Maizey went home. Today we received some new photos of Maizey from her adoptive mom.

You gotta love a happy ending

Maziey~ before and after treatment:

BAN STUPID PEOPLE NOT DOGS!!!

Upon hearing more than an hour of passionate pleas from pit bull owners Tuesday night, the Dandridge Board of Aldermen voted to ditch its proposed regulation on pit bulls and start over from scratch.

Tuesday night was the third and final reading of the proposed regulation that would have banned any new pit bulls within town limits. The regulations would have also required owners of existing pit bull to obtain at least $50,000 of liability insurance.

Going into Tuesday’s meeting, both supporters and opponents of the plan said it seemed to be a done deal. Five residents of Dandridge previously voiced concerns about the breed after some close calls with aggressive pit bulls.

“We were asked by citizens of this town to do something. This is the reason we are here tonight,” said George Gantte, Mayor of Dandridge.

More than 50 people showed up for Tuesday’s public hearing, all of them in opposition to restricting pit bulls. Most of those in attendance were not residents of Dandridge, but said the town’s proposed regulation impacts the entire region.

“When one town passes this type of breed specific legislation, it sets a precedent and signals other towns to do the same,” said Wendy Jackson with the East Tennessee Pit Bull Rescue.

Jodi Preis, founder of Bless the Bullys rescue group, drove from Crossville to voice her concerns about the proposed regulations.

“Dogs are a product of their owners. If you have a problem dog issue, you have a problem dog owner issue,” said Preis. “There are alternatives to breed specific bans that help control problem-owners. That includes escalating fines for each infraction with a tiered system.”

The crowd pointed out several problems with breed specific legislation. Obstacles include enforcement due to the difficulty associated with identifying pit bulls from other breeds.

Preis and others in the crowd provided the board with background literature in addition to outlining alternative laws that target problem-owners or individual dogs rather than an entire breed. Ultimately, the board decided to dismiss the current proposal and go back to the drawing board.

“I tend to lean towards something that regulates vicious dogs rather than a zeroing in on a specific breed. I do not think we should take any action on the current proposal,” said Alderman Ken Thornhill. “I think we should start over.”

Thornhill then indicated one of the residents who expressed concerns about pit bulls was also disturbed by other breeds of dog held by the same owner. He said a blanket regulation would address those problems as well. The board will now return to a work session to craft a new proposal. The final proposal will again require the three readings before it can be put into effect.

While many in the crowd considered the decision a victory, some were concerned the board may return with nearly identical regulations despite starting over.

“Banning a breed is not the answer. Making people responsible for their pets and holding people responsible for their actions, that’s the answer,” said Jackson. “When we address it through an owner’s aspect, they are less likely to do the same thing with a totally different dog. Maybe they [the town] will seek some advice and say, ‘Hey, help us get a better law here.’”

A Sevier County judge has sentenced an 18-year-old for what animal control officers call one of the worst cases of animal cruelty they’ve ever seen.

The investigation dates back to mid-March, when animal control officers got an anonymous tip about a pit bull stabbed and beaten to death in a Sevierville neighborhood.

Tyler Vincent Castellano, 18, and his 17-year-old friend were outside a home with a dog.

A stray dog walked up, and the two dogs got into a minor scuffle.

“The teens broke the canines up and loaded the particular canine into the back of a truck,” said Sevier County Animal Control Officer Deputy Chris Hughes.

But the truck wouldn’t start.

“So they decided they’d put it on a leash and lead it a mile from there to here,” Hughes said pointing to the wooded area behind him.

Hughes says that mile-long walk is where the charge of animal cruelty begins.

“It was not a vicious dog. If it was, they couldn’t have led it from there to here,” he said. “A vicious dog would eat you up.”

The boys took the dog into a wooded area just feet from the road.

“‘To take care of it’ is what they said,” Hughes explained.

When the boys got to a clearing, animal control says they tied the dog to a tree with a nylon rope and began stabbing it in the throat.

“She ran out as far as she could, then she kept coming back in,” Hughes recounted.

The dog ran around the tree so many times that the rope began to strangle her.

“By the marks on the tree, she must’ve been suspended about head high,” Hughes said.

The investigation showed the boys cut the rope and lead her to a nearby hole, where they beat her to death with a cedar tree branch.

“It’s pretty devastating,” Hughes said. “The method in this particular one is what made it so brutal and made it stand out.”

Castellano was charged with intentional killing of an animal, a felony animal cruelty charge. He was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in jail. In addition, he must take anger management classes, find and hold a job for 2 years, and get his GED.

“To educate him. For him to understand that this is not right,” Hughes said.

Castellano will also undergo a mental health evaluation and receive counseling.

The juvenile who was with Castellano was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty. He was sentenced to 65 hours of community service and must undergo a mental health evaluation as well.

Officials say some of the best rehabilitation for juveniles convicted of animal cruelty is therapy and education. Studies show children who abuse animals are more likely to hurt humans later in life.

“Dogs and cats are weaker than another person,” said Dr. Elizabeth Strand of the UT Veterinary Social Work Program. “So they’re an easy target. A child that has anger problems, anger management problems, may take that anger out on an animal.”

I have a hard time believing that this incident was this teens first act of violence. The sixty day sentance, in my opinion, was entirely to light and sends the wrong message.

Apparently this teens parents failed to instill compassion and the ability to empathized in him. He needs to be dealt with swiftly and harshly. It was a dog this time, next time will it be a child?

Dutch is a 2 year old male coon hound. He was taken into Smyth County Animal Shelter after being picked up as a stray by animal control officers. Sadly, no one ever came to reclaim him and now his “time was up”. Despite desperately searching for a new home for Dutch, I had failed. I reluctantly resigned myself to what Dutch’s fate would be in the morning.

This morning, to my jubilant surprize, there was an offer from a coon hound rescue in Virginia to take him in. I contacted them, exchanged the necessary paperwork, and promptly headed to the shelter to extracted Dutch. He was thrilled to say the least to be out of his cell and once again walk on grass and smell the fresh air. He was very well behaved on the car ride to his new family.

I am pleased to report that Dutch is now safe and sound with his new family in Dublin.

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, “Excuse me, where are we?”

“This is Heaven, sir,” the man answered.

“Wow! Would you happen to have some water?” the man asked.

“Of course, sir. Come right in, and I’ll have some ice water brought right up.”
The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
“Can my friend,” gesturing toward his dog, “come in, too?” the traveler asked.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.”

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

“Excuse me!” he called to the man. “Do you have any water?”

“Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there, come on in.”

“How about my friend here?” the traveler gestured to the dog.

“There should be a bowl by the pump.”

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

“What do you call this place?” the traveler asked.

“This is Heaven,” he answered.

“Well, that’s confusing,” the traveler said. “The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.”

“Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That’s hell.”

“Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?”

“No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. (RELEASE) – On October 3, 2009, Diamond Pet Foods announced that it was voluntarily recalling Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Food and Premium Edge Hairball Cat Food. The recalled bags are coded: RAF0501A22X, RAF0501A2X, RAH0501A22X, and RAH0501A2X. The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is asking all pet parents to ensure that they are not feeding these recalled products to their cats, and to immediately return any recalled food to the place of purchase.

The recalled cat food is lacking Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1. Thiamine is an essential vitamin for cats, meaning they cannot manufacture it themselves and must acquire the vitamin from food. Thiamine supports the Central Nervous System, and a deficiency can lead to neurological problems ranging from mild loss of balance to life threatening seizures. Other symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, mental dullness, dilated pupils, increased respiratory rate, and low body temperature.

Any cat that has ingested Diamond Pet Foods’ recalled food should be immediately examined by a veterinarian. Anti-seizure medication, thiamine supplementation, and supportive care can lead to a quick recovery, if the problem is addressed quickly enough. To date, the problem seems to be centered in the Rochester, New York area. There have been 14 confirmed cases of Thiamine deficiency linked to the recalled Diamond Pet Foods products, and all 14 cats were able to recover with medication, Thiamine supplements, and supportive care.

The ASPCA® strongly encourages all pet parents, regardless of location, to ensure that their cat food has not been recalled and to immediately seek veterinary care for any symptoms of Thiamine deficiency.

These videos really speak for themselves. If only humans could act with such courage,compassion and sense of devotion toward each other,the world would be a kinder place.

It also illustrates that animals are acutely aware of what is occuring around them and to them. The courage and compassion exhibited by this canine may surprize a lot of folks……………….but not those of us who share our lives with these furry beings.

The state of Virginia has over 1,000 unlicensed and there for illegal breeding facilities. The following videos, will give you some insight into where that cute pup at the pet store came from, and the conditions it was forced to endure.
Shortly after this video was produced, Junior Horton, a Carroll County Virginia puppy miller, had more than 1,000 of his dogs seized.He was convicted of 14 counts of animal cruelty and 25 neglect charges back in July of 2008.
In 2006 close to 43,000 dogs where euthanized in the state of Virginia, most not because they were ill or aggressive but rather because there simpley was no home or rescue for them to go to.
Please when considering adding a new pet to your family avoid the pet stores and opt to search shelters and rescue groups in your area

Meet Milo and his sidekick Millie. These two fuzzy felines where less than a day away from being euthanized when we rescued them. They are both ten weeks old and have received their first vaccinations. They have not yet been spayed and neutered as they are still too young but will be altered prior to going to their forever home.
If you are interested in adopting this playful duo plesae email us at SavingFurryFriends@yahoo.com