The Rock Star!

Rock is one of the biggest lugheads to ever come through the Bully Buddies program. One of our volunteers swoons at the mere thought of him, and is kicking herself for already having a full house. Rock is dreamy, handsome, smooshable, and turns heads wherever he goes. Seriously, his head is HUGE!! Check out this update from his family:

Thought I'd send you guys some photos of Rock from the past year since Matt adopted him. He's doing amazingly-- continuing to love everything and be loved by everyone who meets him. He's a headturner here in Victoria. We've had people pull their cars over to ask about him, and he's been nothing but a wonderful bully ambassador.He's come a long way in the obedience department, mastering some manners and we're continuelly working on the rest :) He's no longer crated when no one's home, and just sticks to his couch and snoozes like a big baby. Totally fine off leash when we take him for walks up the little mountain here, throughout the woods and at the beach. He loves the water! Swimming's not his strongest ability with his giant head, but he can never resist a stick or log. He's really been a joy to get to know, and watching him grow has been so much fun. He really is the most loving and lovable dog, an eternal suck! Cheers guys, keep up the good work!

Another Tragedy, Another Headline

Our condolences go out to the young child that was attacked last Friday in Surrey. Justice Paradis, only three years old, was rushed to the hospital after being attacked by the dog that lived on the property. This is a horrible incident but, there were many components at play that could have been controlled to make it preventable. Children should ALWAYS be supervised around dogs. Haze, the dog in question, spent a lot of time on the end of a chain, and was reported to not be good with children. So while our hearts go out to the Paradis family, our hearts also go out to poor Haze. He never stood a chance and instead of looking at the factors that created Haze, the media blames the dog.

One of our volunteers wrote this letter to The Province in response to the sensationalized reporting that occurred after the attack.

I am a law-abiding, responsible citizen who happens to have fallen in love with American Pit bull Terriers. I love these dog for the amazing relationship and bond they develop with humans. As a family therapist my dog has assisted me to work with high-risk children and youth who are otherwise slow to trust people.

As a former Animal Control Officer I have also seen firsthand that any dog can bite. For instance, in Vancouver over 50% of dog bite incidents involve German Shepherds; while in Delta over 50% of dog bites involve Golden Retrievers, followed by Labrador Retrievers. What most of the dogs have in common is poor breeding, poor socialization and irresponsible owners. The most recent incident involving the Surrey toddler is reprehensible, but was entirely avoidable. Keeping any dog outside on a chain is a recipe for disaster. I have been bitten twice by dogs- one a Bouvier, the other a German Shepherd- both these dogs were under-socialized, poorly bred and had owners that were not very responsible. I did not blame the breed of dog, I placed blame where it belonged, with the owners. Irresponsible owners are attracted to multiple different dog breeds and when one breed of dog is not easily available they just move onto another breed of dog. In Lower Mainland cities where Breed Specific Legislation is in effect one tends to see more Dobermans, Rottweilers, and Mastiff breeds owned by irresponsible owners as these dogs are thought to be "tough looking" by people who should not own any breed of dog. In response to dog bite strength, German Shepherds and Rottweilers have actually been found to have a stronger bite than Pit Bulls, therefore if a ban was going to be based upon potential bite damage then other breeds would have to also be considered for the ban. Instead of considering a breed ban, it is time to create laws that will actually help prevent bite incidents. Start regulating breeders to help ensure that only dogs with sounds temperaments are being bred, make it illegal to keep dogs tied up on chains,
create stronger laws that effect irresponsible owners whose dogs bite.

This letter represents a fact-based approached and recommends great alternatives to decrease dog-bite incidents. Blame the dog and this will happen again; blame the problem and create bylaws to target these problems and you will become part of the solution.

ROAD TRIP!!

Former adopters Sophie and Bryce offered to take Coconut on a bit of a road trip to give her a bit of a break from the shelter and just to see what this girl was all about. Here is what they found out:

Coconut was an absolute pleasure to have along on our trip! She was so excited to do everything!! She picked up very quickly on her boundries and didn't even ask to share food. She seems to have a genuine interest in learning what is being asked of her and is very patient. Coconut gets very excited to meet new people but settles down quickly and has the most excellent house manners. She was very respectful on leash and even stopped to look back when she was on the long lead. At night, she settles right down and doesn't move or make a sound (but LOVES to cuddle). Coconut loves to play fetch and will bring anything back! She is very playful and even invented her own game when I wouldn't let her on my lap in the car. She would switch from each of my sides giving me a lick until she opened up an opportunity to sneak on to my lap! We did come across a few dogs and she seems just as excited to meet them as she is meeting new people.

Coconut is settling into her new foster home, but is still looking for a home of her own. For more information on Coconut, please email us at bullybuddies@gmail.com.

Meet Mae

Two of our adoption coordinators went on a little road trip, found Mae West, and without a second thought, they loaded her up and brought her home. This is the kind of dog that makes you swoon and she quickly charmed, well, pretty much everybody. Unfortunately, Mae has been diagnosed with cancer. She has been placed in a permanent foster home where she will be spoiled and adored. Please consider donating to help cover Mae's vet bills.

Nicholas Says Hi!

Just a friendly reminder from one of our goofball alumnis to get out there and enjoy life to the fullest!

Have we got the dog for you?

February is shaping up to be a busy month around the Bully Buddies camp and our adoption reps have been a busy bunch transferring dogs into our foster program. We've got a real mix of dogs right now and if you send in an application form one of our volunteers will contact you and help you find a dog that will match your life and give you plenty of love and cuddles to boot.

We've got two cute litters of mixy-mix puppies right now:

And some Pit Bull puppies that are looking for a home that will get them started on the path to becoming Superstar Breed Ambassadors:

We've got some adolescent girls in right now that are as sweet as punch:

Or, if you enjoy a slightly slower pace and you're idea of a Friday night is curling up on the couch with your best friend you should check out Mae West. This girl enjoys the finer things in life and will be a wonderful sidekick.

We are also looking for foster homes right now so if you think you might be interested in joining the Bully Buddies crew drop us an email at bullybuddies@gmail.com.

Halo!

This girl came into our care a scrawny, malnourished puppy who was found eating garbage at a VERY young age. The recent update from her new home is that she's a whopping 92 pounds of pure love! She even had a crush on the sheep that lived on her property and would have to stop to give it kisses whenever she walked by!

Remember this face?

This is Marty. He came in to the New West Animal Shelter last summer but we had no room in our foster program at the time. One of our volunteers brought him out to some of our training classes where he showed off that this boy was not just another pretty face, he had brains too!

We just got an update from Marty's new family:

Everything is going well over here in Victoria. Just wanted to say hi and send some newer photos of Marty. We were also wondering if anyone could recommend any agility training in Victoria? We really think Marty would love getting involved in that. Fortunately i can also report and Marty's separation anxiety has calmed down as he has settled into life with us. We are able to leave him out of the crate and he has dramatically cut down on destroying things while we are away :) thank goodness! He still has a soft spot for opening cupboards and drawers and placing utensils, pots and pans around the apartment though! Other than that Marty is wonderful and manages to amaze us constantly with how quick, smart and affectionate he is. He has become a member of the family and has easily slipped into the hearts of all of our friends and family (no matter how unsure of him they originally may have been). 2 minutes with Marty and it is hard not to immediately fall in love with him. He gladly accompanies us to parties and gatherings whenever possible and quickly becomes the center of everyone's attention.

Thanks for the update guys!

Oh Brutus, you lucky dog you

Yup, Old Man Brutus is still going strong, worming his way into the hearts of all he meets, which started back when his mom first adopted him! She wasn't too sure about the whole Pit Bull thing, but true love is blind and Brutus and her were meant to be! Those that know him adore him, and those that never met him are missing out.

We Heart Creole!

Creole Jumbalaya Hot Sauce still continues to be a favorite of our Training Coordinator and she gets so excited to see updated pictures of her! She continues to love life and be spoiled rotten by her mom. Her unique markings and complete ham of a personality draws people to her where she promptly covers them in kisses! She even shares her bed with her new roomate, a beagle named Harley. Although, we think Creole lucked out, her mom claims that she is the lucky one, for having the pleasure of owning her.

Man, this is what rescue is all about.