Dogs among us

Today there is an article with regards to yet another Pitt Bull attack.

While these stories tend to put fear into the hearts and minds of those that either are ignorant or extremely prejudiced, Everyone needs to stop, take a look at the animals that are among those that are considered dangerous.

Pitt Bulls are the street names - Staffordshire Terrier is the actual name. While these dogs are protectors, strong, and often stubborn, they, in the proper hands, make a wonderful pet.

Now, I have been told many times that I should have my boy destroyed simply because someone has fears that are based partly upon fear and partly upon prejudice. Yes, my boy bit another dog when he was eight months old, no denying the fact. Though the fact of the matter it was a scratch and we paid all the vet bills - something like seventy five dollars to have an emergency appointment plus iodine flush, all the while I was paying the bill the vet, tech and receptionist kept telling me that I was an idiot for having this dog, if they had their way I should be sued and the dog destroyed. All because another dog came up, jumped on me while I was holding my dog in my arms. I told those people where they could shove their opinion and if they wanted to sue me - bring it on.

Prior to that though, people at that particular park watched my boy grow from a eight week old puppy to a nine month old boy - yes he grew large and to some, looked scary. Such was the prejudice that when we would show up, my other dog (shepard mix) and my boy people would grab their children and dogs and leave. What a nice reception for a couple of puppies.

THIS IS THE ATTITUDE that I am referring to, people see these types of dogs and flee.
Not all people do this though, they are either true animal lovers, people whom are not afraid or those that generally have no preconception either way. Then we get to those bastards that breed and fight these poor dogs. These are the dogs that need to be put down, while their owners rot in prison for animal abuse, neglect among other things.
I have absolutely no patients or sympathy for those bastards out there that mistreat, abuse, fight or whatever ill will towards animals. They are the ones that tie up their dogs out side all year long, beat them when they bark, let their cats run around terrorizing the neighborhood and yell and scream when their animal get hit by a car or gets taken away by the spca people. These people, doesn't matter whether its male, female, white black or other there are just as many out there to pick up the tethers when one gets hauled off to jail for abusing their animals.

People need to wake up, do their research about a specific breed the potential risks inherent with that particular breed and make a sound desicion based upon the desires of their families and what will fit in best with them.

Yes, those animals that were fought should be humanly put down, those animals that are mean whether it be a Poodle or a GreatDane - doesn't matter, if they cannot be rehabilitated then they need to be humanely put down. There are far too many dogs that are readopted out to families or given away with no history or very little information about where they came from.
The public needs to stop buying animals from puppy mills, go to the local shelter, rescue a dog or cat or whatever. Any animal that you choose to bring into your home, you assume the risks.
Just like you assume the vet bills for checkups, you should also assume that there might be a dog bite or two in the future.

Lessons Learned

There are many lessons in this life that need to be learned. How one goes about this, seems entirely arbitrary. In my life I have always taken the road less traveled. Lessons in life have always come to be difficult.
It pains me when I see others going in the same direction that I went through and not able to help with knowledge that I have obtained.
One of the most obvious lessons that I have learned in my long life: One is not always as strong as they think they are. Why does it always have to be one person in the family that everyone else turns to either in times of tragedy, for advice, money, or for what ever.... I have a love hate relationship with this role. While being needed can seem nice, even wonderful at times, there will always be a price for this. That price, I have found, Tends to be steep. As a result, I now have very strained relationships with what's left of my family. I no longer talk to my mother, though the latter will rarely trouble me.
I say rarely if only for one reason: sometimes I miss the thought of having a mother. The Song by Kellie Pickler: I wonder, seems to tap into this reserve of misery that I cannot seem to shed no matter how far I try to bury it. (Make the song about a boy, rather than a girl.)

Another lesson that I learned the hard way: God always provides unto us what we need. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure we would like to have more, some pray for relief, while others pray for various other reasons. Every one, whether we like it or not, have lessons to be learned in this life. God always makes sure that we learn what we need to, when we need to. I am a stubborn person, impatient would be an understatement at times in my life. I generally take charge when I see that no one either can or willing.
Patience will always be something that I will need to work on, I truly believe that God gave me this last job to teach me patience, acceptance and to remind me that things are not as bad nor as hopeless as we may think.

Keep your hearts & minds open - there's probably someone willing to teach you something that they have already learned. After all, you do not need to recreate the wheel.

Always Leave things/something better than you found it.