"the lost dogs" hits shelves

with michael vick on his way back to glory, and some people advocating that we just get over it already, the 47 surviving dogs from bad newz kennels are not so quick to forgive or forget.

but if there is one shining ray of hope in this story, it's that those 47 dogs, originally deemed "beyond rehabilitation" by peta and the hsus, have gone on to become "cherished pets, therapy dogs, and adored members of their communities," as jim gorant writes in his new book, the lost dogs.

the book has just hit the shelves at madcat, and it details the rescue, reclamation, and redemption of these amazing dogs who were given a second chance.

the "lost" dogs

the guy who wrote the "where are they now" article on michael vick's dogs has turned it into a book.

gorant writes about the amazing stories of the 47 "lost cause" dogs who were deemed unable to be rehabilitated by both the hsus and peta. now they have found new homes and are making a difference in hundreds of lives.

as gorant says, "pit bulls are not bad dogs, but they can have bad owners. and if there's one great result from the vick case, it's that animals deserve a second chance." we couldn't agree more.

where are they now

meet hector: a highly-social, non-aggressive pitbull who spends his days visiting nursing homes, hospitals and schools as a licensed therapy dog.

hector is so good at his job, he was recently honored with a prestigious service award.

he is also one of 47 dogs saved after they were seized from michael vick's home in 2007.

the question has been asked before: can seized pitbulls be rehabilitated? the answer is a resounding yes - even though peta and the HSUS took the position that vick's pit bulls were beyond rehabilitation.

check out the national pit bull rescue center for more info on demonized dogs and the efforts to end their abuse.

my fair kitteh - dottie doolittle

straight off the runways of japan, designer clothes for your cats! that white blouse and red skirt would look just darling on our lovely lucy.

in local dog news:

the dane county humane society is asking potential adopters to give pit bulls a chance. at a time when breed bans are a hot-button issue it's comforting to hear local animal behaviorist patricia mcconnell put things into perspective, "every dog should be evaluated as an individual. breed is so irrelevant so often."

good news for fast dogs, the last of the five greyhound parks in the state is closing at the end of the year. yep. six dog deaths in three months will do that to ya.

look at the world from more than one angle

isthmus story on 'off-limits' places in town - denied access to dchs euthanasia room. just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

the fastest human alive is as fast as a house cat. neat-o!

tax-payer money is going to help defend the florida cat killer in the upcoming trial.

'certified pre-owned cats' - even in animal rescue it's all about the marketing.

here's an update on two of the vick pits seized back in 2007. looks like both will be moving on to new, better lives soon!

historic dog fighting bust

as we first reported last week, there was a huge dog fighting bust that resulted in the seizure of 400 dogs. this was not one large fighting ring, but multiple operations across 7 states. the size of the bust makes it the largest known raid on the torture sport in u.s. history.

good news, "rescuers are 'seeing a lot of tail wags.'"

26 people have been charged. "under the law, each of the counts could result in a maximum of five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000."

united animal nations - one of the awesome groups who were involved with the raid. these guys are great!

hsus' dog-fighting fact sheet.

pit bull terrier breed history - remember petey from lil' rascals?

wisconsin independent pit bull rescue - save a life, help to end the stereotypes, and make a new best friend.