Jake's Blog

    Utah has passed the law that makes torturing a cat or dog a felony.

    It took years to bring this to fruition.  What it really took, apparently, was thousands of people teaming with phone calls, letters, and emails to elected officials saying "It's time."

    Who are the top 5 worst states for domestic animal protection/laws in 2007? 

                                                            Utah - Alaska - Kentucky - North Dakota - Arkansas.

    The top 5 best states -                          California - Illinois - Maine - Oregon - Michigan.

    From the worst 5, the biggest surprise for me was Utah, home of the Best Friends sanctuary.

    The least surprising was Arksansas - don't even get me started. 

    The most surprising state not on the worst list was Pennsylvania, although it is ranked near the bottom of all the other states.  If I lived in PA (which I did once briefly near the WV border), I'd probably be in jail, and I'm not a radical.

      This info is all public - available from the Animal Legal Defense Fund.  In fact, if you really want to know where your state ranks or more specifics, they have it.

      Let me say this clearly: I am not slamming the good residents of any state.  I suspect many residents of many states have no clue what the laws are with regard to domestic animals.  Shouldn't the laws of any state be by the people, for the people?  Recently, I commented about the response of a GA elected official who felt that strengthening the laws that protect animals would add to the over-burdened prison system in GA needlessly. Really?  Maybe he missed the various statistics about how individuals known to abuse animals go on to hurt humans.  This is some of the most documented pathological behavior out there - animal abusers studied move forward to behavior that hurts humans.  Even if a person had not a shred of compassion for a dog or cat, surely they can see the logic in potential prevention of crimes against people.  There are so few times when law enforcement can proactively do anything to protect the public.  I guess I should not be too surprised - look at how long it has taken to strengthen domestic/elder abuse laws. 

    One huge hurdle to overcome will take many, many like and great minds to overcome.  Ever had someone tell you that if you didn't like a law, you should get it changed?  Until we figure out how to designate animals as less than human but more than property, most states will stay confounded in their legislative efforts.  There has to be a way.

   I am not and have never professed to be a techie, but the following really caught my attention. I do work online and this scares the heck out of me.

  According to word on the internet, a new virus which will be spread via email with the words "POSTCARD" or "INVITATION" in the title.  According to what I read, this virus potentially will burn your C drive.

  I went to snopes.com and it is discussed there as a real virus.  Most importantly, the email will be from someone you know enhancing the odds that you will open it. 

  If anyone has further info, please comment.  My understanding is that this virus has just been detected and there is no cure yet. 

   Six men and women in GA, elected individuals serving the best needs of their constituents, have voted 'No' to HB301 which amends existing laws regarding dog fighting.  Coincidentally, HB301 had 6 sponsors.

    To paraphrase one gentleman from Macon, dog fighting is such a big part of black communities in Georgia that the new penalties proposed would be excessive.  After all, there are already apparently 60,000 GA residents in prison and this is not a good enough reason to add more. 

    Really?  Sounds terribly familiar - words uttered by athletes and friends of Mr. Vicks in the limelight of his arrest.    Tougher laws to knock down supply and demand of an activity that hurts far, far more than animals are just not a good enough reason to potentially increase the inmate population? (By the way, if you read the bill, it becomes apparent that actual jail time is pretty much for the repeat offender).    The 6 nay Reps hail from Austell, Cassville, Marietta, Metro Atlanta, etc. 

    I know HB301 needs some tweaking - the House of Representatives has certainly noted this, and I could understand a dissenting vote due to wording flaws - it happens every day.   I think it will still change in the Senate as it moves on. 

    That said, I still find the comments of said Representative above stunningly offensive on several levels.   Is there truth in his words?   Yes, I'm sorry to say there is truth to be found.   But it is half-truth from tunnel vision speaking from complacency.   Dog fighting crosses every ethnic boundary - whether spectators or participants. 

    As a result of GA's work on HB301, other states, including DE and Maryland are now looking at the laws they have in place. 

   Small important steps.  Thanks Georgia.

  There is a media story coming from our great neighbor to north about a nuclear safety head honcho being fired because she refused to let a reactor be fired up after maintenance because all safety guidelines were not met.  So, the government convenes and makes legislation to make it happen anyway (an offline reactor is a big money deal, anywhere in the world), while simultaneously watchdogs get hearings scheduled to see what the heck is going on.  Apparently hours before she was to testify, the woman holding up progress is fired, a move the government says was justified because she was not resolving the "crisis." 

  This woman was not a whistleblower - it was her JOB to make the call she made.  Nuclear safety regulations are in place for a reason .... do the words Love Canal, Chernobyl.. mean anything to anyone?  We are complacent, again, and how quickly we forget. 

  While, in another lifetime, I have history with safety engineering (carbon fuels), a story comes to mind that I have never forgotten.  I was in a remote hospital in the nether regions of WV/PA in training.  This was a 2 or 3 story building in a remote hillside area.  All the hospital rooms on 1 side looked out onto countryside far and wide towards Pittsburgh and the Allegheny/Monongahela Rivers.  I was interviewing a patient, a man with decades of work under his belt in the area.  At 1 point during the interview as we talked in front of the windows, he looked out and said "Oh my God."  In the distance from my eye was the same scene we had looked at all morning.... countryside, stacks in the distance, various plumes of steam and smoke that rise every day with the operation of the mills and other operations in the area.  Of course, I asked him if he was okay, did I need to get the nurse, but he was focused on something out of that window.  He asked me if I saw a particular color plume of smoke in the distance, and I said yes, of course.  He said something to the effect that if I was truly interested in safety, I needed to get in my truck and get to that smoke.  He said I would have to hurry because roads would soon be blocked entering the site and absolutely no one would be let in. 

    This gentleman was absolutely right in his observation.  There was a nuclear "incident" and it was quickly contained and swept away without a lot of hype.  In fact, I learned later that it was classified a major incident but not quite a disaster, so it went away fairly quickly.  Had the gentleman not informed me, I would have thought it was just another bad accident up on the highway.

    What I've never forgotten was the look on his face.  It reminds me now that we depend on the knowledge of a few to protect us from bad, bad stuff.  I think the woman fired deserves a medal for standing up and doing her job.  Just my humble opinion.

    For JXP, AngelM, Emily, Chippie, and all the other animal lovers here at LP, the BF site has just done their first major press release on the MV dogs.  The dogs were in "witness protection" in each of the rescues until the last legal battle was done, and little to no public exposure was permitted.  The legal issue that impacted the dogs is now over, apparently.

    If you can bear the faces with battle scars, you can see pure joy.  I'm still trying also to get copies of the NatGeo series.

  Now the word is that Seimens is going to donate an MRI to Sumter while awarding the voted for MRI to the NY Hospital.

      I held my tongue but felt strongly this would happen.  I think Seimens just avoided a world of bad press, no matter how fair the outcome actually was or was not.    Actually, this may have been Seimen's plan all along as they probably felt no other hospital could muster the talley that Sumter's situation could. 

       Though many conspiracy theories were already circulating on the web, no official word yet what happened with the actual vote.  I am aware Sumter met all the criteria to be included in the voting because facilities that did not were weeded out as they applied.  Sumter's web page is reporting the "charitable" contribution of Seimens but not a word about what happened otherwise.

  Sumter did not win the MRI.  There's all kind of speculation apparently but the bottom line is that Sumter did not win.

    I don't know what to think personally.  I'm sure Sumter will release a statement at some point explaining what Seimen's explanation was. 

      Thank everyone again for trying so hard.

    This one is especially up my alley as it's about second chances for dogs that don't usually get second chances.  That could be my mantra.  First airing they registered 2.8 million viewers  - I don't know how they do that but that's what they are reporting.  Apparently, that's a good number. 

  Another sad report, this one hitting close to home after a 17-year-old Delaware teenager was leading police on a chase in Kentucky and slammed into a police car stopped on the side of the road, killing the officer and the K9, King, inside.  The teens in the car ran after stealing appr $40 worth of gas.  I asked our local news to pick up on this and try to get more details.

  The earlier K9 death was in Coronado, CA, when another chase stopped on a bridge and a drunk driver picked up the GSD and jumped over the rail, killing the dog.  All officers were uninjured in this incident.  There is speculation, which I have not confirmed, that the dog, Stryker, broke the fall impact and save the life of the drunk.  The drunk in question apparently had also put many lives at risk before police were involved and might have gone on to kill someone had things not culminated on the bridge.

       No surprises other than how difficult it was for me to watch and I know how painful rescue is.  I was ready to fly to Utah to get Porto, my kinda dog definitely.  There is a surprise update about Remington (the hound that was adopted leaving Ruger (or was it Rutger?) behind at the BF website.

       This series is about hope.  As so rightly pointed out, a lot of dogs are taken out and shot (if lucky) or left to die of starvation, thirst, disease and trauma.  Best Friends is about hope for what seems hopeless.

        One animal at a time - we can make a difference.  Yes, it is difficult to watch but what joy that these animals are finding forever homes.  By the way, Best Friends is featuring full updates on after-the-show stuff at their website www.bestfriends.org.

        According to National Geographic, they want our comments about how they are doing.  This is the email addy they list:  comments@natgeochannel.com

        They will only continue the series if public response is positive.  So far, I think they've filmed 3 episodes.  I suspect given the previews, the second will be the hardest to date for me because they will be dealing with big dogs.  My forte.  Yes, I love all dogs but I don't share a heart tug with the little critters the way I do with the big guys.  If you think it's tough watching 7 pint-sized dogs crammed into a metal kennel, you have to see a 70 pound dog living in the same cage 24/7.  This is what puppy mills do routinely. 

          But I know there is BF and countless rescues and individuals across this Country who are fighting for one animal at a time. There is hope.

     Tonight at 9 p.m. EST on National Geographic - Best Friends Dog Town is being featured.  If the reviews and public consumption is positive, they will continue to air the series and, as I understand it, will enhance to cover more of Best Friends which handles every domestic animal and a few nondomestics. 

    One thing you gotta know going in, Best Friends allows dogs to be dogs.  Dogs are assessed based on their personality traits. For instance, how they interact with other dogs, males, females, humans, cats, etc.   

      They are healthy, have the best vet care and nutrition and are safe from predators, abuse and the dangers faced by abandoned animals of starvation, cruelty, and accidents.  Equally important, those that have no chance at future adoption have a chance to live.  I maintain, as I have all the years I've worked with dogs in particular, that the happiest dog is not the most pampered but the dog that is allowed to be a dog without endangering itself or others.  (Not that pampering isn't nice too). 

      Delaware has a group of people that are trying to build a BF-type shelter (Safe Haven) and actually visited Utah in making up their plans.  All I can say is it is about time!  We are the most backwards state in this regard.  A lot of rescue groups for the Mid Atlantic Region won't even include Delaware because our laws and attitudes have been so poor about animal neglect and rescue.  I can honestly say things have changed a great deal in the last 10 years, thank goodness, but we've a long way to go. 

        I hope NG covers some of the background of BF, including how Dogtown came to be built in the first place.  There have been some amazing contributors, financial and otherwise, to BFs, including a single donation for $500,000 which was then mostly matched by other members. 

    I just hope that NG will do their usual fantastic journalistic work and really get to the heart of what BF does so that others will be inspired to either get involved or start a rescue movement where ever they are in this world.   

    I wrote David Seagraves, CEO of Sumter Regional, to let him know that many here at LP were pulling (and voting) for Sumter to win the Siemens MRI.  I took the liberty of telling him what a great online family/community this is and that it just happens to include a great bunch of GA residents too.  I explained that our CBW, Todd, afforded LP members the ability to discuss here a wide range of subjects in addition to all things lottery. I acknowleged that the LP effort was one of many online, personal and group efforts that stepped up to help, but I wanted to share my pride in the LP Family being involved in this endeavor. 

  I received a very nice email letter from Mr. Seagraves today.  He asked that I convey his thanks and that of Sumter Regional Hospital to Lottery Post members for their support in both voting and spreading the word. He stated he had actually been contacted by several individuals and groups nationwide and worldwide, but he was quite impressed with the potential number of people we may have reached on LP.  He went on to express his optimism and hope that the nearly 100,000 vote lead Sumter held would hold through midnight.  His response was very warm, very personable, and I was impressed he took valuable time out to respond.

  Sumter faced stiff competition from big city giants like LA and New York - Every single vote has counted enormously when you look at cities who measure their population in the millions and compare that to Americus.

    Siemens will announce the winner in the upcoming days of January.   If Sumter wins, LP members will have had a direct hand in making it happen and should be very proud of their efforts. 

     My last reminder (I promise!)  Voting ends 12/31/07 at www.winanmri.com  - Sumter has a healthy lead in the voting, but it's not over until the bell tolls midnight.  Please don't forget to vote!  Thanks! 

      Dogtown that is, at Best Friends (www.bestfriends.org) where they are filming a new series airing apparently on January 4th that is focusing on Dogtown.

      This is where the MV Pits are going and where dozens of dogs are being cared for every day.

      According to BF, NG has filmed 3 episodes and if the public response is positive, they will keep going.

      This is wonderful news for the animals who can only benefit from the exposure.

  If you love animals and/or want to help the masses in need, there are many and even a few fairly painless ways.  Some sites to visit ..

  www.theanimalrescuesite.com  --  Here, when you click you send a portion of food and 100% of the donation goes to the animals.  This is only 1 facet of this site dedicated to helping animals.

  www.booboozoo.org  -  This is an amazing story, from its inception to now, 30 years later. The woman who helped start this rescue was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Helping animals helped her channel her desire to live into another realm, and she survived a death sentence. 

  www.goodsearch.com  - Allows you to choose the cause (animal or otherwise) and when you use this search engine, good things happen!  While working 6-7 days a week, I use a search engine easily a dozen or more times a day - works for me most of the time.

   www.rollingdogranch.org -  A neat rescue in Montana doing amazing things with animals who had no other hope.

    www.longmeadowrescueranch.org  -  A place primarily for horses and other barn animals.

    www.assateaguewildhorses.org -  I live on the Eastern Shore and virtually everyone visits the ponies at least once.  These horses have survived on the island for over 300 years but now human intervention is necessary to keep the herd healthy.