Saturday, April 12, 2014

Interview with Roo Yori- Wallace the Pit Bull


I had the honor of interviewing Wallace the Pit Bull's dad/ owner, Roo Yori! Wallace was a famous disc dog who sadly passed away last year.

Q:  Before Wallace, had you ever believed that the Pit Bull was what the media made them up to be? 

A: Not really.  I had met plenty of nice Pit Bull's that contradicted any negative the media put out there, so I knew there was more to the story.  I've never been one for stereotypes either.

Q:  Were you searching specifically for a Pit Bull when you adopted Wallace? 

A: Nope.  We weren't even searching for another dog to add to our family to be honest.  We were advocating that he didn't deserve to be euthanized, but there weren't any other options lined up once he got the chance to prove himself.  So we stepped up as a foster, and ended up adopting him in the end.

Q:  Before Wallace, did you have an interest in Disc? 
Kind of, but not anything serious.  Our other dog, Ajax, liked to play disc in the park, so I started looking into it for something to do with him.  We were focusing on weight pulling with Wallace at that time.  As we got more involved with Ajax, we tried it with Wallace, and he loved it.  There wasn't a lot of options in our area at that time either, so a few of us started the MN Disc Dog Club and taught ourselves as we went along.

Q: When competing, did you ever feel intimidated by the Aussies, Border Collies, and the breeds that are usually used to play disk?

A: I guess I did in a way.  I'm not sure if I would call it being intimidated though.  Many of the dogs were a bit faster, and could jump higher, so I just assumed Wallace wouldn't really be able to compete against the top level teams is all.  We didn't really have anything to lose though, so in that sense the pressure wasn't really there.  Fortunately, Wallace proved otherwise.

Q: When at competitions did you ever get discriminated by Wallace's breed or were your peers and judges pretty open?

A: For the most part, everybody in the sport was pretty open, which I greatly appreciate.  In general, the disc dog community is very rescue oriented, so they were able to relate to Wallace being a rescue dog and deserving a chance to show everybody what he's made of.  I don't think people expected him to light up the field like he did, but they were open to him taking the field in the first place.

Q: What was the biggest impact Wallace made on your life? 

A: That's a tough one.  I've learned many things through our experiences together, and each of them pertain to various situations that I run across on a regular basis.  I guess I'll go with always doing your best with whatever you face on a daily basis.  Sometimes we can't control what cards we get dealt, or what others do in relation to our situation.  However, we can control how we deal with it and handle it.  Wallace didn't live the longest life, but he lived a very full one.  His accomplishments against the odds inspired others to achieve more than they thought possible.  For myself, I hope I'm fortunate enough to live a long life.  But more importantly, I want to follow Wallace in having a full one that inspired others to do their best.

Q: What made you want to start a Facebook Page for him and did you ever believe that you would get so much support? 

A: I wanted people to be able to connect with Wallace and see for themselves what he was doing.  We actually started competing back when Facebook was just for college students - before it was for everybody and YouTube was relatively new.  Since we saw a lot of views on our YouTube videos, I figured Wallace would do well no Facebook once it became an option, also.  However, I did not expect the growth we've seen over the last 7 months or so since he passed.  I'm extremely grateful though, because it keeps his story alive for others to learn from and enjoy.  It's going to allow us to continue to help dogs and people in his name, and continue to have a bigger impact moving forward.

Q: What was your favorite memory of Wallace? 

A: Ooh, another hard one.  I don't know if I can pick one favorite.  You can check out a lot of cool memories we had through our videos, FB page, and the book.  So instead of trying to pick a favorite, I'll mention one that I've never really put out there before.  A lot of times, it's the little things that you miss.  Every night when I would go to bed, Wallace would be on the couch and watch for when I would go into the bedroom.  I would get into bed and then say "Where's my Pit Bull?", and he would jump off the couch, run into the room, and jump on the bed to settle in for the night.  I love the memory of being able to call out "Where's my Pit Bull?", and have Wallace come running.
Q: Anything else you would like to share? 

A: I would just like to thank everybody like yourself for their support over the years, and for keeping Wallace's story alive by spreading it far and wide.  We're close to having Wallace the Pit Bull Foundation set up as a 501c3, and look forward to helping more dogs in his name.  To keep up with what we're doing, make sure to stay tuned to his Facebook page - www.facebook.com/wallacethepitbull  




You can watch Wallace and Roo's youtube videos here- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-G1x_mYjWhPWbzk0o1sFQ

Follow up with them by "liking" their Facebook page!- https://www.facebook.com/WallaceThePitBull

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Labrador Put to Sleep after Attacking Pit Bull


As a Pit Bull owner I know what it is like to walk the streets while getting the rude looks and ignorant comments, walk into the dog park and when people see us they leave. It's just a thing that we all have to deal with, but 2014 is looking like it's the year of the Pit Bull. Pit Bull owners are beginning to speak out more and work together to end breed discrimination.

Dog aggressive and possession guarding Rottie (right)
romps with 17 month old Pit Bull (left) friend
who rehabilitated his toy guarding, dog food
guarding and dog aggression. 
The media has targeted Pit Bulls for years as owners fight for their beloved Pit Bulls. Anti Pit Bull groups form and bash Pit Bull owners and even getting Pit Bull Therapy Dogs kicked out of schools and hospitals. The media is the center of the bad rap Pit Bulls have. They put these over dramatized stories into our heads and keep us away from the ones that should be told. Pit Bulls are the easiest thing to target and make a great story. It doesn't matter to people that some stories may be twisted because it just doesn't.

A 4 year old boy wandered into a yard and took a bone from a Pit Bull and the Pit Bull bit his face pretty badly, that ends up ALL OVER the news but just a month or so after that 2 Malamutes kill a child and that does not end up on any "big news" channels, why? It's not a story that will get talked about!

Just today, I read that a Black Labrador Retriever was put to sleep after attacking a Pit Bull and multiple people. You can see the story here:
http://www.examiner.com/article/labrador-retriever-put-down-after-attacking-pit-bull-and-multiple-people?CID=examiner_alerts_article


Hades, the Pit Bull/ victim suffered bite wounds to the neck and leg. Usually when dogs bite the neck they are wanting to kill. The owners mother tried to pull the Labrador off Hades but then the Labrador turned his focus on the owner's mom and proceeded to try to bite the mother, owner
and boyfriend.

The Labrador also had not had his rabies vaccine which is SO important for a dog to have whether the dog is dog aggressive, human aggressive, etc, or not! It's not only to keep your dog safe, but the people and animals around you safe.

What this story shows is that ALL dogs are individuals despite what breed they are. We, humans are all individuals despite what nationality we are, correct? With the right training any dog can be a wonderful, loyal and loving companion to you and your family.

-Amaya
www.facebook.com/taterstimetoshine

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Interview with Chris- Gremlin


Taters Time to Shine: Interview with Chris- Gremlin

Gremlin is a page on Facebook that currently has 33,000 likes! This page documents the adventures of 9 (yes, 9!!!) dogs and their 2 owners, Chris and Mariesa.
I was lucky enough to get in contact with them and interview them!
 Enjoy!


1. You have a HUGE pack, did you ever think it would get to be this big?
We never thought we would end up with nine dogs but we are very happy and blessed to have such a large pack. When Mariesa and I met I had 6 dogs and Mariesa had 2. I had Gremlin, Quinn, Moses, Sammy, The Stig & Meatball and she had Money and Tejas. We got DaVinci when we went to visit the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society to see if they needed any help and we could not leave him there.  

2. What do you think is the hardest part about having 9 dogs?
The hardest thing about having nine dogs is a good question. There are a lot of things that are difficult at different times. It is tough for us to ever go away because we can’t ask someone to watch all 9 of them and it’s to costly to board them. It is also difficult to spend an equal amount of time with each one. We work very hard at cleaning and making sure that when someone walks in our house they cant tell we have 9 dogs. The nice thing about having a pack is that they train each other so training is not to bad. As you have seen in the pictures of all 9 of them sitting for a picture they are very well behaved. 

3. Do each of the dogs have a totally different personality or are there similarities between some?
They do each have a different personality, just like all humans are different, so are dogs. Here are all 9 of there personalities and traits listed:
Money: Money is not a typical greyhound, he is very demanding of attention and if you don’t give it to him he will bark until you do. He is also very playful but does not quite know how to play. 
Tejas: Tejas is very independent, he likes his space but is also one of the most affectionate dogs we have. He can sit which is not very common for greyhounds. When he was rescued from the track he went to a Florida Womans Prison for training. 
Moses: We rescued Moses from a shelter in Florida at the age of 10 or so. He has a very strong spirit, soulful eyes and has tons of great expressions. We think he can talk because of the way he grunts and moans as we talk to him. 
The Stig: Stig was rescued from the shelter the day he was supposed to be put to sleep. He is a registered Therapy Dog and the most loving dog we have. All he wants to do is kiss your lips!!
Gremlin: Gremlin was rescued from a fighting ring when Odessa Second Hand Rescue and Rehabilitation saved her and her mom. She is a bad bad dog, since she has recovered from her illness she is living life to the fullest by getting in lots of trouble with Sammy. She has eaten parts off of many vacuum cleaners, rearranged our DVD collection, and loves to get into the garbage. 
Meatball: Meatball is very high energy and very focused on certain objects. He loves tennis balls and also likes to suck on rocks (he does not swallow them) He wears a weighted vest on occasion to help with sensory input and calm him down. He also rocks in a rocking chair to chill him out. 
Sammy: Sammy was rescued form the basement of a foreclosed home, he is very nervous and anxious around new people but warms up quickly. He loves to run full speed and bark randomly. He also loves to lick the top of people’s heads.
Quinn: Quinn also gets very nervous and anxious around new people and also warms up quickly. He loves to lick and because of his hairy face he tickles us a lot. He responds to everyone’s name because I think he thinks if we are calling them we want him to.


DaVinci: DaVinci was rescued in January of this year after we saw him at the local shelter at the age of 12 or so. He seems to have a permanently grumpy face and barks at us for all his needs. If he wants on the bed he barks, off the bed he barks, food he barks. He likes to bark. 

4. Do you and Mariesa have a certain dog that you really connect too?
I wouldn’t say that we have a certain do we connect to but I know myself (Chris) will always have a special place for Gremlin. She was the reason I started the rescue and she has done so much for “Pit Bull’s”. Mariesa has a special connection with the older dogs and Tejas as he was with her while she traveled for work and he went with her everywhere. 


5. You have 6 "bullies" in your pack, was there ever a time that one of you believed the stereotypes about Pit Bulls?
Before Mariesa met us she was very naive and really did not know about the pit bull stereotypes. Now that she lives with all these bullies she is one of the most passionate people I know about educating the public. 

6. Have you always been a dog person?
I (Chris) grew up with dogs and my parents instilled compassion in me at a very young age. Mariesa also grew up with dogs and her child hood dream was to have a shelter at her house. 

7. Before a person adds an additional fur-member to their home what do you feel is the most important thing to do or think about?
Adding a new dog into a household that already has dogs is not a decision to take lightly. There are certain things you should always consider such as cost of another dog, time commitments, and your currents dogs. One of the most important things is the introduction and doing it the correct way. If you introduce them incorrectly it could make for a tough living situation. I always recommend having a trainer help with introductions and helping everyone get along. 

8. Rescue-wise, do you have any goals for 2014?
Now that we have settled down here in New York we want to get everything back up and running. Saving more dogs is always the goal. We need to build up a foster base again so that will be able to pull more dogs and get them into loving homes. 

9. Anything else you feel we should know?
We both think that your blog and what you are doing is wonderful, keep up the good work and know that with your care, you and Tater are going to change lots of peoples minds about Pit Bull’s and service dogs. 

I learned so much I never new about Gremlin and her siblings, I hope you did as well! 

If you aren't already, you can follow Gremlin and her siblings on their Facebook page! 
 https://www.facebook.com/GremlinTheTherapyDog

Also be sure to "Subscribe to their YouTube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/doghouse

Monday, March 17, 2014

Interview with Merrily T.- Owner of Lady Bug from Lady Bug the Pibble Mix


Taters Time to Shine: Interview with Merrily T.- Owner of Lady Bug from Lady Bug the Pibble Mix

Today I interviewed the woman behind the Facebook page Lady Bug the Pibble Mix, Merrily! I have always been a fan of Lady Bug on Facebook and love her sense of humor.
Lady Bug is a rescued Pit Bull mix that lives with her mom and dad (non-fur mom and dad), with 3 dog-siblings, 2 horses, cats, and her 1 million little squeaky squishy basketballs! 
She shares her adventures on her Facebook page and makes sure to share dogs on Death Row and honors those who have died in the name of human ignorance. 
She is a HUGE advocate for strays, rescues and shelter dogs. Lady Bug was sadly one mans trash but another woman's treasure!



Q: How did you get into rescue?
A: My parents always rescued my childhood dogs and I took it as a sign to bring home every stray I found.... Q: Have you always rescued your dogs?
A: Yes....all the dogs and cats I have ever had the honor of having them in my life have been rescued....from all different aspects.. Q: Is Lady Bug your first "Pit Bull"?
A: Well she is not full by any means....but I rescued a baby from a shelter named Trapper, that was Rottie and Pit.
Q: Have you always loved "Pit Bulls" or was there a time you believed some of the stereotypes?
A: I have always loved dogs....I mean love dogs...I never thought any thing different with a pit bull....I mean they are dogs, so yes... Q: You have a fairly big pack which includes horses, cats and dogs, what is the hardest part about having so many fur-family members?
A: The only thing difficult is going away for a trip....my furkids hoofed and pawed are my heart...so if a relative can't stay at my house with them....then I don't go. Q: What made you want to start Lady Bug's page and did you ever think that it would become this big? I would post her antics on my Facebook page...and one of the mom's of a dog page I love....juno the pitbull bulldog goddess....kept saying to start one...it took me awhile to be convinced. And while she us not huge like other pages, I am happily amazed at how many fans she does have.

Q:Anything else you would like us to know?
Dogs are a gift...i wish this world would respect them...show kindness and compassion to them. Oh and please adopt don't shop. ...rescue.

If you haven't liked Lady Bug's page yet go do so! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-Bug-The-Pibble-Mix/227386050660884

Go "Like" Juno's page too! 

Friday, March 7, 2014

Hero Dog Awards 2014!


                 A few months ago I decided to support ParkerPup throughout the 2014 Hero Dog Awards. We have quite a few friends entering in it as well, who we have known for months before that. Including WarriorRafa and many others.

I had never spoken to ParkerPup, never contacted him or anything. I didn't think they would respond like many other "big" pages (not all!). My old foster dog, Bear, was in a contest with Reser, ParkPup's little brother so I posted on their wall telling them congrats. They got back to me pretty quickly.

A few weeks later I posted if I could interview them for my blog and they said yes so I messaged them and literally with in 24 hours they got back to me with the answers to my one million questions! LOL! When I read what they had said, something just hit me.. This family was so very special and so genuinely kind. From how Parker's Dad started the whole Therapy Dog "thing" to how his mom just let him be "ParkerPup" and never forcing him to do anything he didn't enjoy, I just knew I had to support them through this competition.

This is the BIGGEST contest of the year for dogs and their parents. Not only is it the biggest but it can be the nastiest one too! I have heard it all, from cheating to nasty messages, this contest is the WHOLE package!

You usually see certain dogs form teams to help get votes. Last year there was the Dream Team which included 2013 AHA Hero Dog and Therapy Dog category Winner Elle the Pit Bull, 2013 AHA Service Dog Category Winner SD Bronx, 2013 AHA Military Dog Category Winner CWD Carlos EDD , 2013 AHA Emerging Hero Category Winner Cassidy and last but not least 2013 AHA Law Enforcement Category Winner K9 Lakota. This year ParkerPup announced on his Facebook page that even though joining a team may raise his votes, he will not be joining one because every dog in the contest deserves to win. This year, so far, I have not seen any teams form but I am sure there will be some soon!

136 Dogs have entered this year in 8 different categories. Emerging Hero is by far going to be the toughest with 40 dogs! Here are the number of dogs per category:
40 EMERGING HERO DOG
28 SERVICE DOGS 
25 THERAPY DOGS
18 ARSON DOGS
11 GUIDE/HEARING DOGS
6 LAW ENFORCEMENT DOGS
5 SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS 
3 MILITARY DOGS


Even though we will be supporting ParkerPup we will share anyone who wants us to, contest link  every Sunday!

Friday, February 28, 2014

Moisturizing Oatmeal Lavender Dog Shampoo



Taters Time To Shine: Moisturizing Oatmeal Lavender Shampoo

1 Cup Ground Oats
3/4 Cups Baking Soda
1-2 Cups of Hot Water
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
6 Drops of Food Grade Lavender Oil

1. Mix Baking Soda and Ground Oats together in a Medium Sized Bowl. If you don't have ground oats you can put the oats in a food processor.

2. Put the hot water in and stir

3. Next put the coconut oil in the microwave for 20 seconds or until it is fully melted. Quickly put the melted oil in the ground oat, baking soda and water mixture and stir.

4. Put the lavender oil in, stir and it's ready to use!!

5. Separation is natural so just remember to stir or shake (if you jar it) before using.



Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Fake Service Dog


Taters Time to Shine: The Fake Service Dog


This is 9 year old Wyatt with his Service Dog Princess.
 Princess is trained through the organization 1Boy4Change.
Service Dogs are highly trained dogs that are used to assist someone with a disability, whether it be physical or mental. Service Dogs are trained to perform tasks that their handler may not be able to do on their own or may have trouble doing such as picking items up off the ground, walking, opening doors, functioning in public, etc. The most commonly known Service Dog is the Guide Dog that helps people that are blind but there are so many other types of Service Dogs. There are Service Dogs that help people who are deaf or going deaf, Service Dogs that help people with PTSD, Anxiety, Autism, the list goes on! 

While there are these amazing and highly trained Service Dogs walking around with their handlers in public, there are also some not so amazing and highly trained "Service Dogs" doing the same thing. You will usually see a dog wearing a vest with some patches that may say "Service Dog" or "In Training" and maybe a card on their vest. Even though it is not mandatory, most Service Dogs [in Training] wear that. Just because they wear that does not mean they are an actual Service Dog [in training].

It's becoming easier and easier to make your dog a "Service Dog".. a fake Service Dog. You can buy the vest, the card, the patches, everything you need online. There are tons of websites that sell Service Dog equipment. There are also fake "organizations" online that have you pay $60 or something and your dog magically becomes a Service Dog! 


6 year old Abcde with her Service Dog, Pup-Cake
You might see a Service Dog [in training] out in public and think "Oh, that's a Service Dog" but is it? Is it really a Service Dog? Look at him/her, does he/she seam to be "in tuned" with the owner? Is it acting appropriately and not taking things off shelves or getting peoples attention? Is he/she barking at someone or something? Is he/ she jumping on people or on the counters? If you answered "yes" to these questions, that dog is most likely NOT a Service Dog. Sorry to burst your bubble but it's the truth!

If your dog is not trained to act appropriately in public like Service Dogs, it is a safety risk to the people around you. What would happen if your so called "Service Dog" were to bite someone? What would happen then? What would YOU do? That "Service Dog" of yours would probably be put down and give Service Dogs a bad rap all because you had to bring your dog with you everywhere. 

If you need a Service Dog I have provided links below that will bring you to where you can find trainers in your area and organizations that provide Service Dogs. Next time you see a Service Dog acting up in public, out of control and/or if you feel your or someone else's safety is at risk please tell an employee. If their is any questioning going on about laws and rights I have also provided a link below to where all laws and rights are! 


Business Rights (copied directly off the ADA.gov website: 
  • A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken. When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, staff must offer the person with the disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence.
Service Dog Information and References:
To view all Service Dog Laws/ Rights go to: http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

In need of a trainer to train your dog to become a Service Dog? Go here to find a list of trainers in your area: http://www.petpartners.org/servicedogtrainerdirectory

Looking for an already trained Service Dog? Go here to find a list of reputable Service Dog Organizations: http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/members/programs-search/

Follow Wyatt and Princesses journey by "liking" their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/wyattandprincess

Follow Abcde and Pup-Cakes adventures by "liking" their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PupcakePitBullServiceDog

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