Allie Gator's Swamp and Snuffles Cave

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/19KrCO/www.joe-ks.com/archives_oct2007/DearAbbey.htm (via shareaholic)

Dear Abbey
From a kind soul working in the dead letter office at the US postal service


[Meredith's Dear Abbey]

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.
Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, “To Meredith” in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called,“When a Pet Dies.” Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I am wherever there is love.
Love, God

Image from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ban-stupid-people-not-Pitbulls/145166128886113

http://bslnews.org/2011/02/02/max-the-pit-bull-takes-3-bullets-to-save-owner/ (via shareaholic)


By Matt Miner

So when you Google search “pit bull” you get a plethora of stories of pit bull attacks, stories about pit bulls being dangerous, etc etc. The media is biased and anything pit bull related will generate hundreds of news stories if the dog is seen in a bad light.

You don’t see the stories of heroic and noble pit bulls unless you dig, because the general public doesn’t care about good pit bulls, they thrive on the grossly inaccurate image of the bloodthirsty savage pitty.

Enter Max, the pit bull whose guardian was being robbed by armed gunmen. The robbers opened fire and grazed owner Osmar Persisco in the forehead.

Max had seen enough. Nobody was going to attack his owner and best friend and get away with it. He took off like a rocket and chased the gunmen, taking two bullets in the chest and one in the leg.

Max lived, and his guardian, Osmar Persisco, was saved by this hero dog’s bravery.

Max, thank you for your selfless devotion and your fantastic bravery in the face of death. For your astounding valor we induct you into the Pit Bull Heroes Hall of Fame. GO MAX!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD_POLICE_DOG_TEASING?SITE=WBNSTV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (via shareaholic)

Apr 5, 6:14 PM EDT

Cops: Ohio man charged after barking at police dog

MASON, Ohio (AP) -- Police say an Ohio man has been charged with a misdemeanor for barking at a police dog.

A police report says 25-year-old Ryan James Stephens was charged with teasing a police dog in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason.

Officer Bradley Walker wrote that he heard the K9 dog barking uncontrollably inside his patrol car while he was investigating a car crash at a pub early Sunday morning. Walker says Stephens was making barking noises and hissing at the animal.

Walker reported that Stephens said "the dog started it" when asked why he was harassing the animal. The officer said Stephens appeared highly intoxicated.

There was no answer to calls to Stephens' home in Mason. He is to appear April 21 in municipal court.

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http://mxp.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/12/adopt-heroic-working-dogs-from-iraq/ (via shareaholic)

Monday morning (3/14/2011) "Morning Express with Robin Meade" welcomed two retired military contractor dogs, Ivy and Nugget, onto the set. After their service sniffing out explosives in Iraq, these pups and many others need homes.

The official press release from the group that brought Ivy and Nugget to the states is below... if you are interested in providing these heroes a place to retire keep reading:

SPCA International Announces U.S. Arrival of 7 Heroic Working Dogs from Iraq

In an emotional journey, several dogs that worked tirelessly as contractors in Iraq for the U.S. Military and Coalition Forces are arrived in America this week for adoption after their many years of service in Iraq. The dogs worked primarily in the %u2018Green Zone%u2019 where they sniffed out explosives in vehicles at checkpoints, in military bases and buildings, at the airport and in hotels where Americans stayed while on business in Baghdad. Some of the dogs worked in land mine detection as well.

%u201CWe are extremely happy to be able to give these wartime heroes a new life in loving, caring homes after all their years of service in Iraq,%u201D said Terri Crisp of the SPCA International (www.spcai.org). %u201CThese animals played an important and noble role protecting civilians and military personnel in Iraq and they deserve a comfortable retirement filled with love.%u201D

The seven working dogs originally come from South Africa where they were trained before being relocated to Iraq where they worked for a security contractor based in Baghdad. One of the dogs%u2019 biggest discoveries while in service came when they found a rocket at the Al Mansour Hotel in Baghdad where several Americans and members of the media were staying at the time of the detection. It is believed the dogs%u2019 discovery may have saved hundreds of lives.

The dogs were retired from service at a typical age for service animals of their kind. Late in 2010, SPCA International learned that these American heroes were living in solitary dog runs with little hope of a happy future. Since then, SPCA International supporters have rallied around the dogs donating funds to help bring them to the United States and collecting over 7,000 signatures in support of their safe return.

The dogs range in age from 5 years old to 8. They are all in good health, except for one dog, Nugget, whose epilepsy forced his early retirement. All are very well-trained and behaved. Currently, three of the seven dogs have adoptive homes awaiting their arrival, but SPCA International is still looking for the right homes for the remaining four. People interested in giving these wartime heroes an honorable retirement in a loving home can email SPCA International at answers@spcai.org to enter the screening process.

For more information, go to www.spcai.org.

Filed under: Extras %u2022 Salute to Troops

http://www.examiner.com/military-canine-in-national/the-establishment-of-dogs-for-defense-during-wwii (via shareaholic)

At the onset of WWII, the United States still had not considered the idea of war dogs, even though many of her Allies had been using them successfully since WWI.

Nonetheless, it took the attack on Pearl Harbor to initiate a group of civilians to get together and try to convince the US army about the value of dogs in warfare.

Alene Erlanger, dog breeder and exhibitor, along with dog fancier Arthur Kilbon got together and had a meeting with Leonard Brumby the President of the Professional Handler%u2019s Association, Dorothy J. Long an authority on obedience training, and Harry L. Ceasar the American Kennel Club Director. This meeting officially established Dogs for Defense in January of 1942.

The organization%u2019s focus was on sentry dogs for the United States and US coast lines. At the time, no thought was given to using dogs in combat. Organizations such as kennel clubs and dog trainers became a part of Dogs for Defense, and while the American Kennel Club supported the group, it did not officially participate in its affairs.

Even with the establishment of Dogs for Defense, the US military was not interested in using dogs in warfare. Finally, Maj. Gen. Edmund B. Gregory and Lt. Col. Clifford C. Smith, Chief of the Plant Protection Branch met to discuss army security. Smith had heard about the idea for sentry dogs and suggested the idea to Gregory. He agreed to try a dog training experiment with 200 dogs to see if it would work. On March 13, 1942 Dogs for Defense became the official agency in the selection and training of United States sentry dogs.

March 13, 1942 became the official day that the United States recognized the Military War dog. It marked the beginning of a new relationship between dog and handler, and would test the boundaries of trust, loyalty, and dedication.