Today, inspired by recent events in Baltimore County, I would like to propose some legislation.

Whereas, politicians have repeatedly screwed things up, and aforementioned mistakes often have long-lasting negative effects on the rest of our lives, and;

Whereas, politicians have again and again been caught up in illegal, corrupt and illicit activities and affairs that reflect poorly on the rest of our species, and;

Whereas, while all humans are capable of inflicting harm, politicians are stronger and have more of a bite, leading to the infliction of greater damage;

Therefore, be it resolved that the following bit of "occupation-specific" legislation is hereby enacted, requiring (A) politicians to be kept in a wire mesh enclosure at all times, and;

(B) When not occupying said wire mesh enclosures, all politicians shall be muzzled while amongst the public to prevent the spread of lies, deception and empty promises, and;

(C) When inside their homes and/or offices, those premises must be clearly marked with signs that say "Beware of Politician," or "Vicious Politician Inside" and ...

OK, maybe that's going too far, but that's exactly what two Baltimore County Council members have done by proposing a bill that would require pit bulls -- for starters, anyway -- be muzzled in public and kept locked up in private. The bill, which also calls for extra licensing fees, mandatory insurance and inspection of homes with pit bulls, is scheduled for a vote next month.

Not only is that cruelty to animals, it's racist.

Or at least breedist. Because a dog is, or contains amounts of, what we generally refer to as pit bull is no reason to single it out to a caged and muzzled life.

As anyone who has seen my movie (plug coming up), "Hey, Mister, What Kind of Dog is That?" knows, the percentage of various breeds that might be in a dog is mostly meaningless.

Both the city and county have seen some tragic incidents this year involving what have been described as pit bulls. But breed-specific legislation in neither a reasonable nor humane response to it. The answer is tracking down and arresting the Michael Vicks of the world is -- those that would instill and encourage vicious behavior in dogs for their own sick enjoyment.

Those are my thoughts, anyway. Yours' are welcome. Comment by clicking the button immediately below this entry. If we get a good sampling, we may even pass them on to Baltimore County.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (34) | TrackBacks (2)
        

Vernon Ford and Lloyd, a Great Dane, were among the guests on Little Ben's Big Fundraiser Cruise Friday night.

"We are pleased to have beat the donation we made last year ... by over $1,000 and are able to donate almost $7,000 to a special cause that means so much to me," said Michelle Kownacki, Ben's foster mom.

Michelle and her husband Larry own Paws pet boutique in Annapolis, and have been caring for Ben, a Jack Russell Terrier (see entry below) since he was removed, along with more than 300 other dogs, from a North Carolina home after a lawsuit was filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

The ALDF will receive proceeds from the cruise, which left Annapolis City Dock with 150 people and more than 80 well-mannered canines aboard.

"This cruise fundraiser is a way to give back to the this organization that does so much to protect animals in the legal system -- in addition to having a blast in Annapolis with your dog," Kownacki said.

As for Ben, Kownacki reports "he had the time of his life this year."

***

Pets on Wheels will host the second annual Dog-a-thon at Oregon Ridge Park from 10 am to 3 pm. this Saturday, an event that will feature an “almost a mile” fun walk, an agility course, a demonstration by the Baltimore County Police K9 Unit, a pet trick contest, a pet costume contest, and a doggie kissing contest.

Pets on Wheels is a non-profit volunteer organization that provides friendly pet visits from volunteers and their pets to those requiring the support of an institutional setting. Visits are most often to nursing homes; however, assisted living communities and facilities for the physically and mentally challenged are also visited.

Vendors at the Dog-a-thon will be offering -- for a fee -- services including pet micro-chipping and nail clipping. Canned pet food will be collected in support of the Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc., a non-profit organization that works with local shelters to save the lives of pets that have run out of time by placing them in foster homes.

The event, co-sponsored by Upper Chesapeake Health, will benefit the Baltimore Metro/Harford County Pets On Wheels program. For more information, please contact Vicki@PetsOnWheels.org .

Posted by John Woestendiek at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

This is Ben, a Jack Russell Terrier who was among about 300 dogs a judge ordered removed from the squalor of a home in North Carolina two years ago.

Tomorrow -- Friday -- Ben and two other survivors will be hosting a cruise in Annapolis, designed to help raise funds for the organization that freed them, the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Ben is the foster dog of Michelle Kownacki, owner of the Paws Pet Boutique in Annapolis. The Kownackis were among the volunteers who stepped forward during the North Carolina court case to provide foster care for the 300 abused and neglected dogs.

Kownacki didn't stop there. Last September she organized the first "Little Ben's Big Fundraiser Cruise," which was attended by 80 dogs and 165 humans and raised $5,400 for ALDF.

"Someone made the comment that it looked just like Noah's Ark," Kownacki said yesterday. At least 60 dogs are expected to board tonight.

The cruise aboard Watermark's Harbor Queen departs at 7 p.m. tomorrow from the Annapolis City Dock. Tickets are $44, and some are still available (call 410-263-8683).

Ben, and two miniature Pinschers who will also be aboard, Franklin and Georgia, were among 300 diseased, neglected and abused dogs removed from the home of a Sanford, N.C. couple after a judge's order in April 2005.

ALDF was granted custody of the animals, and the dog "hoarders" were found guilty of animal cruelty charges. All the dogs are in foster care through ALDF because the case is being appealed.

Robert and Barbara Woodley, both in their 60s, had been breeding and selling dogs for more than two decades in the small town 30 miles southwest of Raleigh.

According to the attorney who handled the case for ALDF, Mrs. Woodley had “hoarding disease" -- a psychological disorder in which a person compulsively collects vast quantities of junk, in her case, dogs. ALDF estimates up to a quarter million animals a year are victims of hoarders, and research has shown nearly three-fourths of hoarders are women, most commonly hoarding cats.

Hoarders often start out with good intentions, but their animals reach such high numbers that they often end up living in squalid conditions and suffering from ailments that include malnutrition, untreated medical conditions, dental and eyes diseases, psychological stress.

The ALDF got involved in the case after neighbors tried to get the local animal control department to take action against the Woodleys, but were unsuccessful. The Woodleys had 450 dogs when the ALDF first sought the injunction to remove the dogs but had given away 150 by the time it was granted.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

(Animals at Play from Speaking of Faith on Vimeo.)

I've been wondering a lot lately about inter-species relations -- partly as a result of watching my dog Ace and the horses at the ranch in Montana at which we were staying, partly because I just finished reading Life of Pi, Yann Martel's wondrous and fanciful novel about a man, a lifeboat and a tiger, and a zebra, and an orangutan, and a hyena, and lots of meerkats.

What would happen if you put a Polar bear and a husky together? Probably not always what's depicted in this slideshow -- but that fact that it did this once is amazing enough for me.

The photos were taken by famed German wildlife photographer Norbert Rosing, who once spent three years photographing Yellowstone National Park. He has worked since 1988 on capturing the essence of the Polar bear in photographs, and his photos from the ongoing project have been published in several magazines worldwide, including National Geographic.

In this slide show, part of a story for American Public Radio's "Speaking of Faith," Stuart Brown, a physician and clinical researcher who founded the National Institute for Play (really, there is such a place) describes Rosing's striking images of a wild polar bear playing with sled dogs in the wilds of Canada's Hudson Bay.

(Click the arrow at the bottom left of the video image to make it work, or, if you prefer, to make it play.)

* * *

Tonight, at the Mount Washington Tavern, BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter) will hold its first Celebrity Guest Bartending Fundraiser, from 6 p.m. until closing time. Celebrities pourers will include Duff Goldman and Mary Alice Yeskey from the Food Network's Ace of Cakes, Maynard from "The Ed Norris Show" on WHFS, Justin Berk, Denise Dory and Jamie Costello from WMAR, Patrice Harris from Fox 45 and Joy Freeman from Baltimore Dog Magazine.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

That's Aspen, a deaf and visually impaired Great Dane who, abandoned as a pup in a Washington park, will this month be featured on the label of a wine bottle.

Aspen's month of fame comes courtesy of the Dog Lovers Wine Club, which blends wine with philanthropy to help support animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country.

All wine club members will receive a bottle of wine (a 2006 Santa Barbara County Syrah) with Aspen's picture this month. Members, as they do every month, will also get an art print of the label, tasting notes about the wine, recommended food pairings, and the background story of the month's featured dog.

The club is the project of Carivintas, a boutique winery in California. Those who join can specify which among a list of affiliate rescue organizations they wish to support with their wine purchases.

All ready to sign up? Too bad. Maryland -- whine -- is not among the states to which vineyards can legally deliver, be they in or out of state.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Franky was four-months-old when he was thrown out of a second-story window and, minutes later, tossed into a Dumpster.

Had the incident not been witnessed by a neighbor, that would likely have been the end of Franky.

But a neighbor saw what happened and called authorities, and Franky ended up getting treated for dehydration, shock and a shattered pelvis.

Now Franky's the poster boy for Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter's (BARCS) new Fund for Sick and Injured Animals.

(That's him to the left, in a photo provided by BARCS.)

Franky's ordeal served as inspiration for the new fund, which started this month and will use public donations to pay for emergency medical care for animals so seriously abused, neglected and injured that -- until now -- they would likely have been euthanized to end their suffering.

Every year, BARCS receives hundreds of sick and injured animals, many of which are in need of immediate, specialized and often expensive medical care, said Jennifer Mead-Brause, executive director.

Often, the shelter was unable to find anyone to cover the medical costs needed to save a dog or cat's life, she said. Now, with support from the public, when a critically sick animal comes into the shelter the funding will be in place to spring into action.

An Animal control officer responding to the call from the neighbor who witnessed Franky's abuse took Franky to BARCS, which sent him to Everhart Animal Hospital. Everhart gave BARCS a discount on the treatment, which included repairing a shattered pelvis, and the new fund paid for the rest, Mead- Brause said.

After that, the Humane Society of Baltimore County took Franky in and cared for him until he was adopted.

The pepetrator, meanwhile, escaped charges because police couldn't gather enough evidence against him, Mead-Brause said.

Since it was created, the fund has also been used to provide care for a badly burned dog that was  picked up recently by animal control officers.

The dog's original owner didn't know how the dog was burned, but she suspected neighborhood drug dealers set him on fire to stop him from barking at them, Mead-Brause said. No charges were filed in that case, either.

At BARCS, the dog was given a new name -- "Singe" -- and taken to Anne Arundel Animal Hospital, where the fund was used to pay the discounted medical bills.

"Singe" was taken in by Recycled Love, which is providing foster care. He is available for adoption.

To find out more about the fund go the BARCS website and click on the link for the Fund for Sick and Injured Animals, or call BARCS at 410-396-4695.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I finally received notice of my court date for the citation I received for allowing my dog to be off his leash at Baltimore’s Riverside Park way back in May.

The notice came in the mail on Sept. 10, and it informed me that my hearing would be held … Sept. 10.

I was unable to appear for two reasons – I opened the letter six hours after the 9:30 a.m. hearing took place, and I’m in Montana.

The city’s Environmental Control Board sent the notice on Aug. 22, and it obviously took some time to get forwarded all the way here.

The notice said that if I failed to appear at the hearing, a “Default Judgement” would be entered against me, and the penalty imposed would be three times the original $100 fine I was hit with for letting Ace off his leash (in full view of the undercover police officer who was helping animal control officers during the sweep).

Moe than a dozen of us lawbreakers were nabbed. I had requested the hearing a few months ago – not because I was innocent, but because I disagreed with the law that requires all dogs to be leashed at all times at the park, and because I had hoped to skirt the fine, or at least get it reduced. I didn’t realize paying three times as much was a possible outcome.

Fearing the worst, I called the board as soon as I opened the letter. I wasn’t put on hold, I wasn’t bounced around to 12 different people. I was simply told that the citation had been dismissed and I would be receiving notice of that in the mail.

Relieved, I asked why. “No file was provided (to the board) from the agency that wrote the citation,” I was told.

So, even though I didn’t show up for the hearing, the citation was dismissed because animal control officers apparently didn’t, either – or at least didn’t supply the board with the necessary information. I don’t know if that outcome qualifies as justice, or just lazy, but I'll take it.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

All of you can’t help but know by now -- and maybe are even getting tired of hearing –- about how my dog Ace takes the cake.

But yesterday, he really did -- or at least all of the icing off one side.

It was my birthday cake – chocolate with chocolate icing, but he seems fine. It was decorated, Montana-style, with a plastic horse, a fence, a “Happy Birthday, Cowboy” sign and 24 candles.

Yes, 24. It was, you see, the 24th anniversary of my 30th birthday. That adds up to 54, but 54 candles, in light of Montana’s forest fire problem this summer, might have been hazardous. They had all been lit -- though I didn’t know it -- as soon as my car tires clanked over the cattle guard and crunched along the gravel road, the signal I’m home.

Ace ran out to meet me, and I lingered outside, playing with him. The candles continued to burn, setting the “Happy Birthday, Cowboy” sign on fire. The cake had been extinguished by the time I came inside. We re-lit one of the candle nubs that remained. I blew it out and, leaving the cake on the dining room table, we went out for my birthday steak dinner.

When we returned, Ace bolted out of the house, and didn’t seem to want to go back in – generally a sign that he has done something he’s guilty about. He had carefully removed all the icing from about a third of the cake, which remained right where we left it on the table.

He had shown some restraint – much like he did on his only other chocolate binge (and since chocolate can be toxic for dogs, that’s a good thing.) It was Halloween, just a few weeks after I had adopted him from the city shelter. When I stepped out, he got into the candy bowl, removing, unwrapping and eating only the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The Snickers, Milky Ways, Nestle’s Crunch bars all remained untouched.

What kept him from consuming everything – then and this time – may have been a cue from his body, his sense of right and wrong, or maybe just getting full. I’ll never know.

After some scolding, I still gave him his dinner and a doggie bag of leftovers from the steakhouse. I figured it might help flush anything toxic – did I mention 14 of the 24 candle nubs were gone as well? – out of his system.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

While you may have been reading about Glacier National Park in your Sunday Sun's travel section, Ace and I were there.

Fine as that story about the park was, Glacier comes about as close as anywhere I've ever been to being indescribable. Words just seem a little paltry amid such magnificence.

Even Ace -- who normally only gets up to look at the scenery when he smells something, hears the sounds of people, or senses  we're close to home -- seemed taken by the views along Going-To-The-Sun Road.

Like most national parks -- Grand Canyon, Acadia and Shenandoah being among the exceptions --Glacier isn't especially dog friendly. Park rules prohibit dogs on trails and require they be leashed at all times.

(National forests are generally more tolerant of dogs than national parks.)

But between the cool temperatures, Ace's being a mellow traveler, and the couple of times we cheated (and let him romp among the rocks and waterfalls in the clearest water I've ever seen), it was probably worth all the time he had to spend in the car -- and preferable to staying home alone.

Call me anthropomorphic, but I truly think, on some level, Ace appreciated the majesty of the place. And, even if he didn't, I did. Glacier wakes you up. Glacier rejuvenates your soul. Glacier does for your spirit what dangling your bare feet in one of its ice-cold waterfalls does for your toes.

Go to Glacier, and go soon, because, due to global warming, by 2030 the last of the 27 remaining glaciers -- down from 100 that covered nearly 1,000 acres at the end of the 19th century -- will be gone.

Posted by John Woestendiek at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)