Hot Topic, the ASPCA Failure of Oreo

Two weeks ago, I was mowing my little patch of yard when Marley, a Standard Poodle rescue I placed with my neighbor walked by with a woman I didn't know. Always happy to see Marley, a dog who had lived a feral life for 18 months before being captured, he is now quite happily domesticated and well-loved. The woman introduced heself as Lisa and said she was visiting Marley and his owner. The talk turned to dog rescue and she asked me what I thought of Peta and ASPCA. Well you know I gave her an earfull about Peta. I hesitated about ASPCA, this year I have been very concerned about their approach to animal welfare and so I have withheld sending them any funds....then Lisa told me that she is in the advertising/marketing industry and just landed a really fat advertising account with the ASPCA. She was worried about the 'karma' of such an account. I told her to trust her own judgement but in my state, they have been doing things that make them appear to be an appendage of Peta. For example, they raided a local puppy mill, gave it lots of publicity, got locals to donate to the welfare of those poor dogs, but THEN only allowed a tiny handful to be adopted by locals, claiming that we didn't have enough prospective homes and said they were taking the rest of the rescued pups to New York...let me tell you something folks, that sounds like a flat out LIE. Nashville is FULL of millionaires, more per capita than anywhere else in the U. S. and Nashvillians love their dogs. We have a whopping 75% dog ownership population, far more than the average U. S. city. So it does sound like the ASPCA lied . The rumor is that the dogs were taken somewhere in Manhatten and euthanized.
After reading the story of Oreo, the dog who was thrown from a roof, and had her broken body repaired only to be euthanized by the ASPCA, I have to really wonder if those rumors about the puppy mill pups are true.
Read this post about the ASPCA Failure of Oreo and let me know what you think, she was offered sanctuary by another rescue group who was turned down by the ASPCA in favor of killing her.http://petsalive.com/blog/2009/11/14/failing-oreo/

A Cautionary Garden Tip for You and Your Dog

Today,in honor of Earth Day, Puff and I hung out together and did some gardening. It got me to thinking about the dangers of pesticides and herbicides that your dog can encounter.
A few years ago, my neighbor called the city health department and requested free mosquito spray for her yard. Puff and I took a walk past her house shortly afterwards. His fluffy coat brushed the ornamental Monkey Grass she had planted along the walk...
..the next morning there were small, dead and dying animals all over the sidewalk, mice, squirrels,etc. My friend Mary surmised it must have been from the city mosquito spray. A couple hours later Puff showed signs of being very ill and after rushing to the vet, I asked him to do a blood panel and look for pesticides.
Puff's bloodwork came back positive for the mosquito spray....my complaint to the city fell on deaf ears as they said the pesticide was pet safe....obviously it wasn't since now before they spray, they warn people to put the pets in the house for a few hours.
Puff recovered at considerable expense with no liver damage, but in our case, we were able to know what pesticide we were dealing with enabling the vet to act promptly.
Your dog can be exposed to pesticides and herbicides in a variety of places outside of your own garden,even the dog park gets sprayed from time to time. Heavy rains often wash lawn fertilizer and weed killers onto the sidewalk where you and your dog walk.If you suspect that your dog may have walked in such chemicals immediately wash his/her feet in a mix of baking soda and water, the baking soda will often neutralize the acid effects of the chemical. Use at least 1 cup baking soda to 2 cups water. If you think your dog may have ingested some, call the ASPCA Poison Control Center at 1-(888)426-4435.
Remember, always use caution in the garden when your dog is present and if you can, go organic, it is better for you both, just don't let him pee on the peppers...