South-Western Ontario's Dog Fighting Problem

Michael Vick has been indicted on federal felony charges alleging that he has sponsored dog fighting since 2001, has frequently gambled on dog fighting, and has authorized acts of cruelty against animals on property that he owned.
Michael Vick has declined to discuss the investigation.
Vick, the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback, and three other men were indicted in United States District Court in Richmond, Va.
The indictment of Vick, one of the National Football League’s star players, is troubling not only for the Falcons, but for a league that has taken a harder stance against players involved in off-field transgressions under policies laid out by the new commissioner, Roger Goodell.
Vick has said that he had no idea the property might have been used in criminal activities, but in recent weeks he has declined to talk about the investigation.
New York Times
Guilty of innocent, and the courts rightly will decide. This once again brings into focus the problem of policing a practice that is cruel and should be dealt with. In case anyone thinks that we in south-western Ontario is immune the facts speak of otherwise.
From “Western’s New Media Journalism” blog:
Dog fighting is more of a problem in central and southwestern Ontario than the rest of the province, says the Society for the Protection of Cruelty against Animals.
Mike Draper, chief of investigations with the Ontario SPCA, attributes this to the proximity of Michigan where there is a significant problem.
Cathy Crawford, branch manager of the Chatham-Kent SPCA, is concerned that aggressive dogs are getting out into the community.
Crawford says authorities became aware of the dog-fighting problem in the Chatham-Kent area around 1993. They started seeing wounds on some dogs and got phone calls about dead dogs that were being found in garbage bags or dumpsters.
Crawford says there are still signs that dog fighting is an ongoing problem in the Chatham area, but it has mainly gone underground and is hard to get evidence.
My own experience has been that dog fighting twenty years ago was present in the Aylmer area. There are still signs that it continues around London. Dogs of the supposed fighting breads go missing, I suspect stolen or kidnapped.

Two immediate solutions I feel are immediately possible, though considering human nature, probably not the full solution to the problem. One, is to give existing legislation some bite and enforcement. One reason dog fighting comes to this area is because penalties are mild compared to Michigan or Ohio. Secondly. There needs to be some thought given to dealing with backyard breeders. They are the suppliers of animals to the fighting ring. Ontario has tried to ban pit bulls. Watch and see which breed the backyard breeders switch to; and we will know which breed will be the dangerous one for the next few years.

Paw Protectors

Invisible Boot Paw Protector
Protects your dog's paws during the winter from cold, ice and salt. Invisible Boot provides a barrier to shield the pads while soothing and moisturizing chapped paw pads. Simply apply Invisible boot to the dog's paw pads before walking. After walks, wipe pads lightly to remove salt and street residue.
Provides a protective barrier to shield pads from cold, salt and ice;
Soothes and moisturizes;
Lickable.
Ingredients: soybean oil, cornstarch, cottonseed oil, beeswax, fullers earth, tea-tree oil, benzoin.

Invisible Sandal Paw Protector
Creates a barrier to shield pads from hot pavements, sands and helps heal cracked split pads. This lickable creamy blend of beeswax, oils, and plant extracts provides protection while it soothes and moisturizes. Keeps road and park residues from entering cracked or split pads while healing wounds.
Specially formulated as an aid in the care and repair of dry, calloused pads and elbows. Invisible Sandal softens calloused areas while protecting against the hot pavement, sands, and street/park residues. Works well to soften calloused elbow joints, caused by sleeping on hard surfaces. Jojoba is used to help improve the elasticity and suppleness of the pads while benzoin is used for it's anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and astringent properties.
Ingredients: soybean oil, cornstarch, cottonseed oil, beeswax, melaluca oil,, coconut oil, benzoin, jojoba.

Greyhound and Dachshund Boot Measurement

To measure a greyhound or a dachshund's foot there are two methods. One is to outline the dogs paw on a piece of paper, and then measure heel to toe. The measure width. The other is to lay the paw on a ruler as shown in the picture to get its width, and length.

For a dachshund it is also important to measure from the toes to the end of the leg. Lenghts are variable with these little guys, and you will need to know the length of its leg to get a comfy fit.

If our dog is right on the line between sizes, we suggest getting the larger size.

Most dogs will begin by hating boots. Try putting the boots on the front paws first to get the dog use to wearing them.

Nok Out and Pets

Listed below are some instructions for using Nok-Outfor full odor removal and perfect disinfection. Remember that Nok-Out, the odor eliminator, and Nok-Out, the Broad Spectrum Disinfectant, is totally Non-Toxic and safe to use on and around your pets (dogs, cats or other animals in your home) without fear of any harm to them or to you.
Carpet Odors: Spray directly onto the SOURCE of the dog or cat odor contamination. Allow to penetrate into the padding and backing of the carpet. Saturate for up to 5 minutes. Remember that liquids will "wick" outwards from the site of the pollution. You should spray outwards as well in an irregular pattern. Scrub lightly, and sponge any remaining moisture away with a clean, dry cloth. For overall carpet cleaning, a steam cleaner may be used. Place 8-10 oz. of Nok-Out in the container of the cleaner, and fill with water. Saturate, allowing Nok-Out to be absorbed into the carpet before extracting the liquid back into the tank. (It is always prudent to check for color-fastness before applying Nok-Out. Although Nok-Out is non-staining, different dye lots may cause a color change.)
Upholstery Odors: When your pet has left scent markings, pet urine, or other odors on your furniture, vacuum any solids that may be present, and spray with Nok-Out. Saturate well into the padding where odors may still reside. (For longstanding contamination, more than one application may be necessary)
Pet Baths: It is safe to put Nok-Out into bath water when rinsing your pets. It can be reduced by 50% and retain effectiveness as a sanitizer and deodorizer or you may lightly spray a pets' coat with Nok-Out before toweling dry.
Kennels, Cages, and Pet Bedding: Spray kennels weekly with Nok-Out. Allow to air dry. Cages may be wiped down as often as needed, or on a weekly basis. Place 8 oz. of Nok-Out in your regular laundry alongside pet bedding. Nok-Out will eliminate odors from all of your laundry! Odors in a pet's coat: Spray directly onto your pet's coat for immediate odor removal even skunk odor! Avoid contact with the eyes. Use Nok-Out for any offensive odor that may be connected with your pet. Keep your pets clean with regular grooming. Minimize the amounts of pet dander and pet hair in your home. You can spray NOK-OUT directly on fur to quickly remove all surface odors. Give your pet a rub-down using NOK-OUT. A nice massage is good for the both of you!
Litter box odor will be eliminated with NOK-OUT! Covered litter boxes may be just fine for you but pity the poor cat who has to eliminate in them! Odors collect and stay inside! Treat the entire box with Nok-Out (inside and out), if you prefer the covered type. Spray the entire interior every time you spray the litter. Your cat will smile! If you use an open litter box, simply spray the top of the litter everytime you remove solid wastes, and always spray the bottom of the box when adding or changing litter. Litter box odor is truly gone!
NOK-OUT works best in an alkaline environment. If your cat vomits on the floor (carpet or hardwood flooring) the acidic nature of vomit should be neutralized with a mild baking soda solution before using NOK-OUT. Blot up as much as possible, saturate with a baking soda solution, blot again, and apply NOK-OUT.
NOK-OUT works to eliminate odors and sanitize aviary cages and perches. It is totally safe to use, even around baby birds. You can even spray in the landscape where the neighbors pet has eliminated. Reduce NOK-OUT by 50% with water. NOK-OUT will not harm your foundation plants and perennials.
NOK-OUT, AND THE EFFECTS OF CLORINE DIOXIDE AROUND ANIMALS. The dilemma of animal keepers and pet owners is that if they disinfect cages, litter pans, dog runs, and/or other animal spaces, they put their animals in jeopardy of chemical poisoning, but if they don't thoroughly disinfect, they put their animals at risk for disease. Veterinarians tell us that most deaths are premature and unnecessary. The best answer to date has been to remove pets from their enclosures, scrub the habitat clean, and treat the enclosure with one of a number on nasty (and often expensive) chemicals. It is then necessary to wash everything down, and hope that there is no dangerous contamination lingering from either the pathogens of the disinfectant. The problem is that disinfectants are toxic, and most good disinfectants are not safe to use around pets, period. The newest approach involves the use of Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide. Chlorine Dioxide is a truly remarkable substance. The principal ingredient in NOK-OUT is Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide. It is one the fastest acting broad-spectrum disinfectants, proven to destroy bacteria and viruses (including parvo) that are difficult to treat with other products, and yet is safe to use around pets who may be sensitive to more toxic chemicals. It is extremely powerful, killing bacteria, viruses and fungi. It creates no harmful odors; in fact it is an perfect deodorizer. Cages, enclosures, and animal habitats should be cleaned with water to remove unwanted solids, and then NOK-OUT sprayed liberally on the source of the odors to affect the sanitizing and deodorizing properties of Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide. The chemistry of Chlorine Dioxide is radically different from that of chlorine itself. Technically speaking, both ore oxidizing agents. But, because of their fundamentally different chemistries, they react in distinct ways with organic compounds, and as a result, generate very different by-products. Chlorine tends to react with organic matter by attacking cell walls and creating by-products, some of which are toxic and carcinogenic, whereas chlorine dioxide does not affect cell walls (which is why it is safe to use around living things.) Chlorine Dioxide disassembles organic compounds rendering them harmless. It 's this difference that explains the superior performance of chlorine dioxide. The anti-microbial efficacy of chlorine dioxide against bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa has been repeatedly demonstrated and documented. It is very safe, has an extremely low toxicity, and is not harsh to use. Along with its disinfecting properties, chlorine dioxide is also a natural anti-inflammatory, making it very useful for wound treatment. Veterinarians are using a chlorine dioxide gel mixed with aloe vera to treat incisions and wounds.

The Popularity of Bling

Bling has become the thing for our best friends our dogs and cats. Although one has to wonder just how popular bling is with the cats themselves. Personally I think that my Calico could care less.

Bling itself enter our conciousness through rap artists of the last ten to twenty years. Wearing jewelry to show status or to flaunt wealth is not uncommon. Through man's history jewelry has been used as a status symbol for men and women.

In todays world our attitude towards our pets has been changing. In my youth dogs were pets; but underling everything were very practical considerations- ie. working dogs(we always had Scotties to hunt rats on the farm), guard dogs, hunting dogs, or as my father always said every boy should have a dog(I think he was thinking of the responsibility of looking after my dog).
As such, little thought went into the care of the pet, and it was felt that food and a good brushing was enough.

Now a days we have more money and we look on our pet as a valued family member. Also there are those who use their pet as a status symbol. I have lost count of the times that people have come into the store that I managed bragging about what they payed for their pet. Also, I am seeing more singles, male and female, who spend a great deal of time and effort looking after their best friend. Many times I have wonder if the dog or cat were child subsitutes.
Certainly, Hollywood had had a lot to do with the popularity of bling. One can not miss a hollywood star or starlette's little dog on the pages of the popular fan magazines. I am sure that the increasing numbers of chihuahua that I am seeing in the London, Ontario area has a great deal to do with Paris Hilton.

Bling comes in different shapes, sizes,and prices. Generally bling is seen in collars, charms, and clothing. Also, there is an increasing desire with pet owners to buy jewelry for themselves that announces to the world pet ownership. It is an interesting phenomena that is by no means the same world over. It seems very popular in the cities, and in different states in the US, and different provinces in Canada. It has also been found by business that seems to advertize everything as bling. It will be very interesting to see what comes next.

The only thing that I can be sure of is that the cat will not give a damn.