Some Questions For The Ministry Of Defence And The RAF

Photo: Pat Pilon

Recently, Prince William decided to retire from the military so he could devote himself to his wife and his new child. It was a simple choice and a nice change of pace for the prince, who had focused on being a search and rescue helicopter operator for the RAF.

One would think this would be a decision without controversy. However, approximately two days after the prince left the military, two of the guard dogs assigned to protect him, Brus and Blade, were put down. The dogs had been serving in the role since Prince William joined the military in 2010. Brus, a Belgian shepherd was 7 and a half years old and Blade, a German Shepherd was 9 and a half years old. Brus, was known for having behavioral issues and Blade had issues with his spine and hips. Still, that's no reason for euthanization.

Now, the Ministry of Defence says that it's a "coincidence" and that they both had behavioral issues. It has been said that the military tried to rehome them, but it failed.

Harrowing Questions

Which makes me wonder, did they really do everything they could or was it the easy way out? First of all, the dogs were hired to guard the whole military base, not just Prince William. Why couldn't they have been kept on the base till they were ready to retire?

Many dogs are given to one of the soldiers when their military job comes to an end. Did the decision makers at the RAF even consider this?

It has been said that the dogs were stressed out. Well, when I'm stressed out, I take some time and retreat to a peaceful and quiet place to de-stress. Why couldn't that be done for Brus and Blade?

There are so many specially trained dog experts out there. Why couldn't the dogs have been sent to them?

What about approaching animal advocates? Victoria Stilwell is one of the biggest proponents for protecting animals and she is from Great Britain. Why couldn't they ask her for any help?

If that didn't work, then why not put the dogs in a special dog sanctuary, so they could live out their last years in peace? There was a dog retrieved in the Michael Vick debacle named Mabel. Mabel was deemed too dangerous by a court judge to ever live in a household. She was given a pass to live in the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and has come a long way since 2007. Am I supposed to believe that two highly trainable dogs who were trained to guard, couldn't do the same thing?

This story reeks of laziness and that's why dog lovers around the world are livid. The only thing that the RAF and the Ministry of Defence has proven is that how they have hid behind excuses instead of facing the problem head on and finding a solution. Maybe there's nothing that can be done know but at least, there is something to be learned from this travesty for the future.

Read More About It

Vanity Fair
Daily Mail

It's All Related!

Remembering Lennox
Dogtown

Let's Discuss!

How do you feel about this story? Please share below.

Why Michael Vick Needs To Steer Clear Of Dogs

Photo: Parade Magazine

Almost four years ago, when all this brouhaha came out about Michael Vick and his dogfighting ring, I was wondering if he deserved a second chance. When it comes to dogs, he most certainly does not.

The dog you see pictured above was Vick's personal dog Harriet. She was never fought and after being seized from the premises, she found a home fairly quickly. This was one of 60 dogs. She was one of the truly lucky ones.

By The Numbers

Michael Vick and his friends engaged in this sport for a short period of time. They didn't care about the welfare of the dogs. Dogfighting was something they enjoyed and a source of extra income. Not that he needed it, he was already a millionaire at the time.

If he didn't need the money, then it was obvious dogfighting gave him enjoyment. He was proud of the dogs who won and could care less about the ones who lost. Even when other members of his crew suggested to give them up, he insisted on ending their life.

Nine dogs were killed at the hand of Vick and his crew and buried in shallow graves on his property. 51 were confiscated by the authorities. One of the dogs in the shelter was so badly traumatized from being raped repeatedly, she was too violent to even go to an animal sanctuary. Another was euthanized because of medical reasons. Two of the dogs died in the shelter because of mysterious reasons. 22 dogs like Lucas (pictured right)were given a new lease on life at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary . Just one look at his face and you can see the numerous scars from the dogfighting they made him do.

Of the 25 left, 10 of these dogs were given to BAD RAP, a rescue group that specializes in rehabilitating Pit Bulls. The rest were split between other rescue groups or adopted into new homes.

Constant Lies And Cover Ups

Handsome Dan, Adopted

When Vick was arrested, he maintained that he didn't have anything to do with killing the dogs. Flash forward to one of his associates testimony that he witnessed Michael Vick and another crew member take first try to drown the dog by taking the front and back legs and submerging the dog under water. When that didn't work, he was hurled to the ground with brute force, not once but twice, resulting it his death.

Vick has said he's a product of his environment. While that may be true, if he didn't like what he saw, then wouldn't he stay far, far away? Guess what? He did. So many people will see their parent smoke and are repulsed by it. Yet, they'll never go near a cigarette when they're grown up. Now he's complaining that his daughters will never have a dog of their own. Was he thinking of that when he started this in the first place?

Worst of all, he named his kennels Bad Newz. He passed it off as a boarding kennel when it was really a cover for dogfighting all along. He knew it was illegal but didn't care. He saw those dogs as a means to an end. He had no appreciation for them as beings, they were just property to him.

Vick Has It Good

Yes, he served 18 months behind bars. He had to file for bankruptcy. Still, no sooner than he was out of jail, he was given a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles. He was voted Comeback Player of the Year by the Sporting News, a few days ago.

For him to have a fulfilling life, he doesn't need a dog, nor does he deserve one. Even with his vicious treatment of dogs, he still has many football fans who enjoy his athleticism. There is even a website called Michael Vick Is Back where they praise him and sell t-shirts for this reason.

Some of the dogs that were seized are still traumatized, even now. Michael Vick steering clear of dogs is a small price to pay for the freedom and convenience his celebrity lifestyle gives him.

Let's Discuss!

What are your thoughts on this?

Read More About It

The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant
Michael Vick's Pit Bulls, Where Are They Now?

The Lost Dogs Book Review

The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption was a book I ordered from Amazon right when it came out. However, due to the demands of my classes, I didn't get a chance to read it until I was on vacation. It also didn't help that the first chapter was very graphic. I wouldn't change a thing though because the grittiness of that chapter was very realistic.

That said, this book gives an clear picture of the Michael Vick dogfighting case. It is divided into three sections: Rescue, Reclamation and Redemption. While it wasn't the biggest case ever (that belonged to the folks in Missouri where 400 dogs were seized), it was the case to define all others. 51 dogs were confiscated and all of them had different outcomes. It's also important to note that not all of these dogs were not only pit bulls but also Beagles , Presa Canarios and others.

This book illustrates the mystique and misunderstanding of the pit bull breed. It shows us how Michael Vick's celebrity affected the case procedure. Tackling this situation head on involved people from all over the country. Most importantly, this book takes us on a journey with all of these dogs. It brings out the anger and disbelief of what happened as well as the hope and triumph for the dogs' future.

This is one of the best books I've read all year. It is written with a strong focus and an objective eye on a despicable situation. I picked up my book from Amazon. Here is the link for your convenience:
The Lost Dogs...

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Michael Vick, Does He Deserve A Second Chance

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In The Doghouse: Jay Leno and Chris Rock
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Dogtown

Lawn Lovers vs. Dog Owners

Photo by Schick

University Park, Illinois

Lately it seems, there has been an increase in confrontations between homeowners who love their lawns and dog owners who exercise their dogs. The most serious of these incidents happened last week in the south suburbs of Chicago, when Charles Clements, a 69 year-old man shot and killed Joshua Funches, who was 23 years-old. What did Mr. Funches do? He walked his dog on his lawn and let the dog urinate on it.

Mr. Clements was a man who took great pride in his lawn. He didn't have a huge lawn but won neighborhood beautification awards for what he was able to accomplish. He used Kentucky Bluegrass which is one of the highest quality grasses available. This man also put up a sign telling the mailman to walk on the sidewalk and not his lawn.

This man had never had a previous encounter with the homeowner. In fact, the homeowner grabbed his gun and chased him down the block to shoot him. It's sad that a man who took great pleasure in keeping his lawn beautiful will have nothing but jail time to show for it. Equally sad is the fact that a young man who was being a responsible dog owner, had his life cruelly taken from him.

Copenhagen, Denmark

A 68-year-old man retaliated against a 41-year-old woman for not picking up after her dog. She had forgotten to bring a bag with her. When the homeowner approached her, she offered to go back home and get a bag and come back to pick up the mess. How did he retaliate? He rubbed her face into the feces. This guy wound up getting a suspended sentence of 30 days.

What's The Solution?

These are just two of many incidents that reflect on the tensions between people who love their lawns and those who love their dogs. The irony is that dog waste in small amounts actually contains nitrogen, the key ingredient in many lawn fertilizers. The problems arise when there is an overabundance of this element which causes yellow spots. If not treated in time, the lawn will not come back.

I think that both homeowners and dog owners need to have mutual respect for one another. Acting out in the heat of the moment never resolves anything but guarantees more problems.

Read Up On It!

Sun-Times Article by Mark Brown
The Copenhagen Post
Oh Mi Dog
Dog Gone It Lawn Problems
Yard Health

Let's Discuss!

Have you had a similar situation in your neighborhood? What ways were you able to find a suitable compromise?

In The Doghouse: Jay Leno and Chris Rock

(Note: Due to being incensed with the following, this post is written in a sarcastic tone).

Just when I thought life would go on and the Michael Vick saga would be a distant memory, Jay Leno decided to have a talk on "Politics" with Chris Rock on his show. One of their topics discussed was Michael Vick. This is an excerpt from their "brilliant" chat.


Jay Leno: "It's amazing to me that you mistreat a dog and you lose your career and go to jail for two years."

Chris Rock: "What the hell did Michael Vick do, man? A dog, a pit bull ain't even a real dog. A pit bull, that's the white stuff. Dogs are white mans best friend - dogs have never been good to black people."

I'd be very surprised if either of these guys are dog owners. Even so, I would think a person who doesn't own a dog could at least see the viciousness and senselessness of what Vick and his cohorts did. If Jay spent a day at Bad Rap or Dogtown, I think it would be apparent that Michael Vick's sentence was plenty fair. Sometimes, I think it wasn't harsh enough. For a guy who is playing professional football again and has an endorsement from Nike no less, I'd say he's pretty lucky compared to many others who have been in his shoes.

In response to Chris Rock's comments, if he can't tell that a dog is a pit bull, here is a visual aid:

Dog

Pit Bull

Even if Chris Rock was probably generalizing, he should know better. It's too bad either did not have the sense to realize that when this interview occurred. Yes, they are comedians and are going to stir the pots. However, they are public figures and should remember that some things are going rub people the wrong way.

Cruelty of any kind should not be tolerated or made light of. It's really tragic when you think about it.

What are your thoughts on this?

Related Posts

Michael Vick, Does He Deserve a Second Chance
A Fresh Start, But Has He Learned?

Dogs and Autistic Children

Kaleb Drew, Nichelle, Kelsey (7) and Chewey

Now that many children are back in school, every school district will have its independent challenges to deal with. There are two school districts one being in Lake Villa, Illinois and the other in Columbia, Illinois which have a unique challenge. Two of their students both are autistic and are in the midst of a battle to be able for their children to be accompanied by their service dogs. Kaleb attends first grade in Lake Villa which is close to the Wisconsin border. Chewey his dog was trained to be his service dog.

In Columbia, Illinois which is just outside of St. Louis, Carter Kalbfleisch was initially told that his service dog Corbin could not accompany him to school. His parents had spent $11,500 in training so that it would not be difficult transition for the teachers to work with the dog.

Having an autistic service dog is a huge responsibility for the school district to shoulder. Still, if it means the difference between an autistic child assimilating better into this new environment, then how can it be a detriment to the school.

The biggest challenge would be the fact that it affects children with allergies. However, autistic children are in special education classes. They are much smaller than a regular classroom. If there are no students in that classroom with no allergies, then how could this be a bad thing?

Children in special education classes are given that extra attention because their require more attention. Service dogs are around to make life easier for all of those around them. These dogs will help calm a child in the middle of an autistic fit much more quickly. These dogs are trained to protect the children from darting out and possibly running into oncoming traffic outside the school.

Schools have the necessary education programs that accommodate special needs children best. Special needs children can't be home schooled as easily as non-special needs kids. Schools are one of the best places to teach learning and acceptance. As long as the service dog has been adequately trained, and all precautions have been made, then how is this a bad thing? It's not something that would be easy, but it is possible with patience, understanding and tolerance.

Have any of you experienced a situation in your home town? Personally, since I do not have children, I've never dealt with this topic firsthand. What about you? Do you think this is a great idea or too much of a risk?

If you would like to read more about these two boys, you can check these stories out:

Associated Press
The Bend Bulletin

St. Louis Today If you would like to read more about service dogs, be sure to check Diabetes Detection Dogs as well.

As always, thanks for stopping in. The weekend is almost here. Have a great Thursday.

Michael Vick, Does He Deserve a Second Chance?

I've never been the biggest fan of NFL football. In fact, I'm one who loves to watch the commericials in the Super Bowl moreso than the game. The following post is more serious than most but is an issue that should be addressed.

Today, I was reading the newspaper while having lunch at Taco Bell. I came across a couple of letters to the editor about whether Michael Vick will become part of the Bears. One of the letter was against having Michael Vick on the Bears, the other said basically why would we put dogs before people?

My first reaction as a person who lived in Chicago was that he made his bed, let him lie in it. Part of me feels that he never gave those dogs he killed a second chance. He tortured some of those dogs and his dogfighting went on for six years, since he was twenty-one. His arrested cohorts told of "how Vick participated in the killing of dogs that didn't perform well in test fights by shooting, hanging, drowning or slamming them to the ground".

In July of 2007, he believed that he was not guilty as his plea stated. Three months later, he changed his plea to guilty but still pleaded not guilty for animal cruelty. I think that eighteen months in jail is pretty lenient considering there were 66 dogs were confiscated.

One of the dogs, Meryl was so aggressive, she was ordered by a judge that she could never be adopted. If Best Friends hadn't pushed for her, she would have been euthanized. At least she's in a sanctuary where there are people who love her. One only wonders where Meryl would have been if she hadn't been in Michael Vick's home in the first place.

Then, you hear about the success stories, like Halley who was the first dog out of the bunch to find a home after two years of rehabilitation, and you think ok, maybe something good came out of this.

Still, there are questions that cross my mind. "Would Michael Vick be so remorseful if he wasn't caught?" "Is he doing this because he means it or because he wants to have his career in the NFL again?" "Did he see the fear and pain in those dogs' eyes when he and his "friends" were hanging them and drowning him?

I then read about Michael Vick in an attempt to see how someone who had so much skill, talent and a little bit of luck, could live his a charmed life so recklessly. Did you know the odds of a high school football player getting into the NFL is about .0008%? Basically, 8 out of 50,000 students will have that chance. The odds decrease immensely when you factor in that person having a lifetime career. Vick had already surpassed some enormous odds by being in the league for six years.

I also learned that he first witnessed dog fighting at eight-years-old. That's very young age to be exposed to something so heinous. He is also doing everything he can to make amends for his past mistakes. What kind of adult would let an child get interested in something so violent?

Still, many teams right now aren't even looking at him. Being reinstated in the NFL, he qualifies for a minimum salary of $620,000 a year. That's more salary than what an average person makes in ten years. As his agent said, who knows what teams will need another replacement if their first team player gets injured?

He is very lucky to have been given a second chance by the NFL. It shouldn't be easy for him to come back though. When high profile actors have screwed up in their life, roles that would have been written for them in the past, are not existent. They are lucky to get an audition and if the director likes them, then they'll get the role. If Michael Vick is truly genuine about wanting make retribution for his past mistakes, he's going to have to start from the bottom in more ways than one.

Above all, the NFL is a business. The fans' buying the tickets as well as the numerous sponsors are what give the NFL its revenue. I think any team who is considering this man as part of their team, should get the input of the season ticket holders and their sponsors. What Michael Vick did was despicable. As much as I hate to admit, it was part of his private life and not part of his job. Yes, he got off way too easily by the court system. Yet the guy has done this and he's not even 30 years old yet? Will he never do something like this again?Will he be physically fit enough to pick up where he left off? Will he be able to focus on the game and not succumb to the scrutiny of his fans, teammates, opposing teams and animal organizations? Is he truly sorry and has learned from the error of his ways? I think that time will be the only thing that will answer these questions.

I will never like Michael Vick, am not much of a football fan and being a citizen of the United States, can see that everyone deserves a chance at redemption. I'd like to hear from all of you what your thoughts are on this topic? Do you think he deserves a second chance?

Thanks for stopping in. I hope you guys have a great night.

The Misunderstood Pit Bull

Pit Bulls have been a controversial dog breed for quite some time. It's common to hear many reports of vicious attacks that have happened. It's heartbreaking to hear these stories and my heart goes out to all of the people who have suffered from these incidents. However, I think the dog breed has become a scapegoat unfairly.

My issue with blaming these dogs is that they are known for being strong, devoted and loyal to their owners. The two main factors that affect a dog's behavior, --especially a pit bull-- is how they are raised and the environment they are raised in.

Pit Bulls originated from people who wanted an exceptional fighting dog in the 1800s to fight bulls in England. Since then, some will buy these dogs because they need a dog to be mean. A dog only shows its aggressive side when it's feeling threatened. These individuals specifically bring out the aggressiveness of the dog to get that reaction. Others will buy these dogs as puppies and dogs and use the weaker dogs as bait dogs and teach the stronger dogs to fight to the kill. Of course, they make money off the whole thing because there are people who love to watch this and pick a winner.

Yet, we have a group of dog owners out there who love the breed. They want a companion and family dog, and are responsible owners. They know that the American Pit Bull Terrier is an active breed so will take the time to make sure that their lifestyle is able to reflect those needs.

Still, these stories are heard about these breeds are few and far between. Instead, the media focuses on the horror stories because that is what sells papers. It's easier to dismiss this breed as evil and view the situation in black and white instead of attribute any of the faults to the people who have mishandled or abused them. Insurance companies may not provide homeowner's coverage and some cities have made this breed illegal.

One thing that will not change is that dogs have a strong ability to bond with humans. Dogs give unconditional love and enjoy the company of human beings. Pit Bulls are still part of this group. If a person has never had an experience with these dogs, one can't possibly know how they can be. As long as owners are being responsible and giving these dogs the love and care that they need, pit bulls should be treated as any other dog. They are not for everyone but every dog has its own unique qualities and pit bulls shouldn't be punished for the mistakes of irresponsible people.

Here are some links if you would like to learn more about this breed:
Bull Dog Breeds.com
The Dog Owner's Guide
Michael Vick Dogs

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks for stopping by.