Hulu/DogTown

Great news! Some full episodes of DogTown, the TV show about where I work, are now available on Hulu.com!

Wait for the body to cool

save the pit bull, save the world.

Probably one of the best dog family photos ever taken.

Dad Bummed By Gay Rodeo's Best Buns Contest

Best Headline Ever. Right up there with "Headless Body in Topless Bar".

You should Google 4 definitions

Puppy Rumble

Lonnie

Lonnie passed away last night at the age of 12.



Lonnie was one of the dogs I was very much looking forward to taking care of when I joined the Best Friends staff, he was part of a legendary run of dogs that had been together for a very long time with his companions Fred and Sahara. He'd been with Fred for 7 years and Sahara for 5. I'd met them up close but I always had to see Lonnie from a distance; he was a red collar (restricted to staff only) so I wasn't allowed to touch him as a volunteer.

He was a joy to take care of. His faults were few and easy to work with: he had a great love of food and wouldn't allow anyone to mess with it (he was SO enthusiastic about his morning and evening meatballs that he got them through the fence so he wouldn't miss the spoon and clip a finger by mistake!), and he was afraid of quick foot motion (such as a kicking motion) and might bite someone who he thought was going to kick him. Easy enough. I used to walk him beside volunteers and tell them that as long as they avoided breaking into any tap routines, everything would be fine - and it always was.

Lonnie was such a happy guy. Always in a great mood, always boppin' around, very affectionate and loved people - he was a licker and very enthusiastic about licking the people he liked. He was great with his runmates and could even warn Sahara to calm down - she was a good 5 years younger than the other two and could sometimes get on the nerves of the two older gentlemen, zooming around and nipping at them playfully.



Soon after joining the staff here, I had the pleasure of seeing both Fred and Sahara adopted to wonderful homes. Lonnie stayed behind with us and adapted quickly to other runs, living peacefully with some very difficult dogs! He took everything in stride. Lonnie had been here a long time, he came to BF around 2001 after the organization that had rescued him from a Los Angeles pound had him returned to them, twice, for fear biting. He was accustomed to rolling with the changes here and remained his mellow, joyful self.

In April of this year we noticed slight changes in Lonnie's breathing and made a vet appointment for him, and inoperable masses were found in his chest. Not knowing how long he had, we were determined to find the best situation for him and were very lucky when our BF Lead Dog Tech, Sarah, agreed to take him in for hospice fostering.

Lonnie absolutely blossomed in Sarah's home. It was amazing. He wasn't just a good dog, he was a great one; his issues with food largely disappeared and he stopped being nervous about fast foot motion - Sarah could dance in her living room and he didn't care at all. He was in his element, his true home, and he loved her dearly. I saw him at parties surrounded by people and he was happy as a clam, soaking up attention from everyone. He was trusted off leash and had perfect recall. By accident, by fate, Lonnie had found his person and she had found her dog. Even as his health issues snowballed and his body began to break down in so many places that it was difficult to keep track of them all, his behavior was nearly flawless. Lonnie may have now passed away, but it is because of Sarah that Lonnie truly lived. I am sad for his passing but I am so happy that his last months were full of joy and adventure.

(Photo by Gary Kalpakoff, BFAS)

I'll miss you, Lonnie. You were one great dog.

TSA

This is why people need hot tubs after skiing

C’MON BOB!

News from Nashville…

[via]

Big Al

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rape-Nuts
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

BUELL OUT OF BUSINESS

Harley Davidson has decided to shut down Buell. This is amazing, and it's heart breaking to see Erik Buell so obviously emotional. No matter if you liked or hated the bikes, they always did something new, different, envelope-pushing, and interesting and made a uniquely American sportbike. I did a demo ride of most of the line a few years ago and it was more fun than a pack of greased weasels. The end of a motorcycling era.

Dow 10K

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Money Shot
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Michael Moore

Who hoped in here?

On the dangers of backcountry offleash hikes

[via]

GRAMMAR, people!

Redneck Fire Alarm

Thanks, Tamara!

Photo Contest

I just entered a pic of one of my dogs from work in a photo contest, could you drop by and vote for it if you like it? I sure could use a new camera - oddly enough, mine is full of sand.

The contest benefits multiple animal charities, including Best Friends. You can check it out (and enter) here!

GET ON MY HORSE!

Get On My Horse!

Flawed Dogs

I'm such a Berke Breathed fanboy.

RIP, Captain Lou

Captain Lou Albano died today at the age of 76. Here he is with grunting provided by George "The Animal" Steele presenting his theme song from The Wrestling Album...

"Sexy" Halloween Costumes

...not just for people anymore.

One Helluva Deer

Pit bull breaks into home...

...to play with the dogs that live there.

Denver: The Beginning of the End of BSL.

Google Maps

What if you were checking out your house on Street View and found this?

Ginger's Freedom Day

Like many dog people, I celebrate my dogs' birthdays. With rescue dogs that gets a little tricky, so I use their estimated age and celebrate their adoption day as their birthday. I don't get too crazy about it, but the dogs might get an extra biscuit or two.

Ginger, however, gets another day of celebration every year: today is the second anniversary of Ginger's freedom from puppy mill hell as a breeding dog in an infamous VA puppy mill. This Amish-run facility had no electricity or running water and had already burned to the ground once in March of 2007 from unattended propane heaters, killing 167 dogs. Best Friends rescued 178 dogs and saw the facility shut down two years ago today - when I met Ginger, who was then known as Butterscotch. I am in awe of her resilience, her determination, and especially her sense of humor - this little dog has quite the mischievous streak and I love her for it.

Puppy mills are now on the public radar more than ever before, but this is no time to let up the pressure. The place that produced Ginger never should have existed in a civilized society. Please help me celebrate her Freedom Day by learning about puppy mills - and how to stop them.

Okay, now we check the molars

Not Anymore

Tinkerbelle

Tinkerbelle was a 10 year old German Shepherd mix who came to Best Friends from an Indian reservation in New Mexico, where she was a semi-feral (wild) dog. A rescuer trapped her after observing her many times from afar and eventually she made her way to us.

I met Tinkerbelle when I first started at Conrad and Leopold's, she was very very shy but also gentle and curious. She was very treat-motivated and would allow some contact at first if you had some good food. She wanted to walk on a leash so very badly, but she was very apprehensive about being leashed and would not allow herself to be cornered in her run, so we made up all kinds of Rube Goldberg solutions where we would lure her out of her run into the center of the building using food, then close her gate with leashes strung together from across the room so she couldn't flee back into her run. Without a place to go, she would give in to being leashed and then happily head out with her runmates for a walk. Tinkerbelle really loved her time at the dog park as well and was very comfortable there, where she would show her quietly affectionate side by sidling up to her caregivers sitting on the bench and exchange chin scratches for treats. She was a quiet observer of everything around her and always a gentle joy to be around.

Eventually the run that Tinkerbelle was a part of broke up - Blue Bear went to a different area for his special medical needs, and Nino and Kenickie were adopted. We didn't have an appropriate group to add her to, so she transferred to a nearby octagon under other caregivers. I didn't see her too often but I was always happy when I did - easier to leash now, she still loved being out and about.

Tinkerbelle hadn't been feeling well lately and I had seen her in the clinic a few times - then last night I got a call to come up to the clinic. A freak internal abscess had gone septic and Tink was about to go into surgery to try to save her life. That surgery revealed extensive internal damage and Tink was euthanized on the table while under anesthesia.

Goodnight, sweet Tinkerbelle. We love you.

Vicious

Get stuff with this design here.

More John Garcia!

Jinni

There's a new movie recommendation site called Jinni, and if you sign up for it through this link, a donation will be made on your behalf to Best Friends - no cost to you! I'm checking it out.

Just Chew It

Uncomfortably Close to the Truth