A surprising resource for an old dog rescuer

I recently attempted to apply for a Petfinder Foundation grant to repair our sadly dilapidated dog play yard. Reunion Rescue fits the requirements to a T. 

"This grant program is part of our commitment to enhancing shelter dogs’ quality of life by allowing them to engage in natural social behaviors. Play Yard Renovation Grant are available to active Petfinder members that have completed a play-group training seminar. Grant funds must be used to construct or improve play yards to bring them into compliance with current safety recommendations."

One of the specifications was to complete two Maddie's University courses. The first course Canine Body Language in the Shelter focuses on understanding how dogs communicate what they are experiencing. The course includes a video followed by interactive materials to reinforce the learning. I immediately liked the instructor Sara L. Bennett, DVM. She was calm, spoke clearly and was very easy to listen to. Unlike many 'dog professionals' she didn't come off with a didactic 'leader of the pack' attitude. It was surprisingly refreshing and her approach compelled you to come to the class with a desire to learn what she had to impart.

Without giving away the whole class, she covered body language and signs of arousal. Despite all of the dog training classes I've attended and tons of speeches, many highlighted in my book Pit Bull Nation: Special Edition, I found Dr. Bennett's class to be informative and enlightening. I have used her teachings already in my dealings with the dogs here at Reunion Rescue refuge. It is fun to observe the dogs in your care and ask yourself what are they thinking? What does that wrinkle mean on the forehead? What does the growl mean? It's not always aggression. It gave me a deeper dive into the goings on with the dogs in my care. The class is designed toward shelters, but I feel any pet owner will benefit from this resource-packed session.

The classes offered at Maddie's University are free to the public.

A kitty cat paradise in the Lonestar state

Donna Dayhoff Powell is the director of Street Cat Rescue, a longtime Austin, Texas area feline organization. Donna is an expert when it comes to TNR or 'trap, neuter, release.' "Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a type of program through which free-roaming cats are trapped, sterilized (males are castrated and females undergo ovo-hysterectomies), and returned to the outdoor locations where they were found."

When she received notice a feral cat feeder was moving and needed to find someone to continue caring for a colony, Donna knew relocation of a colony is difficult. Then, the unexpected happened. A realtor contact knew of someone interested in becoming a feral cat caregiver. 

"She said, we'd love to take on this project. She is teaching her kids about the whole process and how to have a backyard family of cats." Literally, a case of the impossible happening.

Donna contacted the person who said, "I have this chicken coop that we could keep them up in for a month...and then when it's time ..there's a chicken run which leads to a kids "play area".

"I told her I'm not a fan of relocation and will only do it IF they have the proper setup, and IF, they will be held up for at least a month and IF they have an enclosed area (NO CRATES in a barn)," Donna tells the property owner.

So.....upon property inspection, Donna relates, "I say, she understated this one! A Cats paradise!"

Donna was blown away. "Trees galore, two acres and THIS! I was in awe the whole time and I kept saying..uh this is no chicken coop! The chicken "house" is solid, with hardware cloth windows to look out and she's going to add several perching spots for them to make their "month" stay comfortable. And then she will add a cat door for the comings and goings, after a month. The chicken "coop" is next to the barn."

Anyone in rescue will tell you, events like this don't happen every day! Donna 'warns' her cat friends, "don't even bother asking me feral cat folks....if she takes any more down the road it will be from me!"

Street Cat Rescue is revving up for their annual fundraiser. If you are in the Austin, Texas area a love cats, this one's not to miss. Prizes, music, fun, food and lotsa cats and cat lovers.

My name is Amber

I came from the hard streets of Houston, Texas. Reunion Rescue helped save my life along with Stella who was tortured and abandoned with me.

Stella and I were sent to Spindletop Refuge in 2012 when everyone thought this place was truly a sanctuary. Leah Purcell, the proprietor, was even called upon to testify in courts across the United States. She and Spindletop had everyone fooled.

Stella was killed at Spindletop and Reunion Rescue came for me. I have been here at Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge ever since.

I am a really good girl. I love to eat and go on walks. I'm a little chunky monkey. It took me a little while to detoxify and decompress after being rescued from Spindletop, but I'm fine now.

Unfortunately, most people look at me like a pit bull even though on a closer inspection with a trained eye, my bulldog and boxer characteristics blossom forth. Because of the haters and the media most people do not want to adopt a dog like me.

That's ok, though. I am very much loved and always have a place of refuge at Reunion. Sometimes at the end of the day, we sit on the back porch and watch the sun go down. It is calm and happy here. Reunion has promised that I will never go to another place that kills animals or mistreats them.

It costs Reunion about $250 a month to care for each dog, so I'm reaching out to you for help. Please consider a small donation to help buy me a raw meal and some chew toys each day. I don't ask for much, but I do love a cookie, too.

You can help out by visiting Reunion Rescue's website and clicking the donation button. Please visit me on Facebook and like my page:

Help Save Amber and Stella, abused in Houston

Your friend,

Amber

William says there's hope for our sad old wold

William was starved nearly to death, dragged behind a truck and thrown on a bar-b-que grill while lit before being dumped in one of the country's most disgusting facilities in Stockton, California.

Today, he's enjoying his life at Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge. He eats raw fed diet with organic free range chicken and humanely raised beef. He is treated with herbs to calm his anxiety and goes on lovely nature walks along the lake.

When he looks out at the swans floating on the calm Colorado River, William looks like he might be regaining some faith that not all humans are horrible.

Hope is wonderful thing. Some behaviorists have said dogs don't have the ability to 'hope'....to experience emotion, but looking at William in this picture certainly argues that thought.

No matter what might be going on in the stresses of rescue work and the sad stories one encounters on a daily basis, a leash and a walk down by the lake pretty much cure all that ails one...man or dog.

All under one rooftop....Reunion No Kill finally a reality!

Amber getting down on Kong

It's been a long, long time since I was able to wake up in the morning with a song in my heart. I am very grateful for all the Reunion Rescue dogs living great lives and the ones who haven't found their homes yet, living a good life at Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge, the only raw feeding holistic no kill pit bull shelter in the world.

It ain't perfect yet, but it's a hell of a lot better than it was. For years, we've boarded our Texas and California dogs while thinking we just were not set up to be a shelter. The Texas dogs were boarded at Spindletop which was raided last summer. We made four trips to Conroe to get some of our dogs back, but Stella was killed with 37 others in the Morgan Building. Many other dogs are still missing and presumed dead.


Just as the dust was settling over the Spindletop tragedy, we began making plans to bring our three remaining California dogs which were being boarded in Lodi. What's three more, right? Once you've set your mind to run a sanctuary, it's really not that hard.

BeBe at the lake

We are set up here on the river outside Austin, Texas to comfortably house these animals. Each of these dogs came from nasty beginnings.

Amber and Stella were butchered and noosed in a hot Houston vacant lot. Stella still had blood running down her head when she was found and we raised money to board them at Spindletop.

BeBe doing some Christmas shopping

BeBe burying her Kong

BeBe, formerly known as Batgirl, was beaten severely with a baseball bat and scheduled to die in Austin.

Merry Christmas from Nolan

Nolan was starved nearly to death outside Dallas and on his way to Spindletop when news of the raid and seizure hit. Luckily, his transporter turned the car around, but not before Leah Purcell pocketed over a thousand dollars which had been raised for his care. Heartworm positive and down to 70 pounds, this beautiful Great Dane/American Bulldog mix is thriving at Reunion on a raw diet and lots of sunshine and exercise. He's even well enough to finally be neutered for Christmas.

Peanut and Scott

Peanut was named 'Feo' and pulled illegally by Purcell from city of Alvin shelter last December. It's anyone's guess how much money she made off this dog. Since The American Pit Bull Examiner covered his story in the first place, Reunion felt a kinship with Peanut, so here he is. Peanut had a lot of fearful problems he's working on and goes to work with Scott these days. Along with his herbal remedy and raw diet, Peanut's 'job' has turned out to be the very best medicine.

Peanut and Scott..just a job

Angel overcame his abuse from Spindletop so quickly, he was able to join Murmur and Barbara in Minnesota where he's now called Hub and enjoying a Dickinson life in a small quaint town.

Our sweet brave William

William was one of the three left boarding in California. There was a lot of rumor and innuendo about William, but he is proving them all wrong. He came from the hellhole Stockton shelter after being burned, starved and drug behind a truck.

He was transported all the way to Texas with Guido and Kingston, a.k.a. King James/Spuds, and is thriving in a fab foster home. He is living the high life in a doggy day care Disneyland, eating a raw diet and happy for the first time in his whole life.

Guido Sarducci on the trail

Guido, from Wasco, and Kingston from Marin Humane, who is blind, arrived quite obese. They've been under-exercised and over-crated. Although Reunion is all about the crate as it provides a safe and confidence inspiring environment, mimicking the wild instinct, the crate is certainly not intended to be utilized 24/7. Kingston's muzzle was scarred and covered in dried bloodied marks which look as if he'd been stressed from over-crating.

Guido and Kingston were a very hard sell on the raw. Who knows what these two have been eating? We've tried just about everything from raw ground chicken blend to ground beef blend, chicken livers, yes...even kibble...but nada. I tried boiled chicken spiked with cottage cheese and even some cheddar flavored 'Easy Cheese' to no avail.

Kingston hoofing it the natural way

This morning we had a major breakthrough. Green tripe is the daily blue plate special for these two persnickety customers. First, I filled a couple of empty marrow bones with tripe and when that was snarfed down, filled a couple of big Kongs. It was a winner! Finally, getting some raw meat into these two boys. From experience, I know it's all gonna be easy pickings from here on in. Kingston's face is healing with new pink skin growth. Both these boys have relaxed and begun to settle in very nicely.

I've not had the time to sit down and write an update on these guys. Each day, I try to get each dog a nice nature hike. It's amazing to see these precious dogs doing what dogs are supposed to do. They are enjoying good healthy diets filled with ingredients their bodies were created to eat. They are exercising and learning to love the sounds of wild birds and lizards scurrying through the brush, the smells of browning leaves and sound of flowing fresh water creeks. They feel the freedom of warm sunshine on their happy faces and are slowly learning that tomorrow is another day and holds something new and fresh, an adventure. We are learning this together, that this sad old world can really be a happy place if we just put one foot in front of the other and believe.

Help us save lives by walking your own dog

Reunion Rescue is strutting across the nation to save lives .... one dog at a time!

LuLu and Nolan are ready to strut!!

For over 15 years, Reunion Rescue has been saving pit bulls and now has the refuge to prove it. Reunion Rescue operates the only no kill raw feeding holistic refuge for pit bulls in the world. We need help to keep things running.

Each dog costs about $250 a month for upkeep, toys, treats, food, medical, herbal and homeopathic support. Plus, we're trying to buy a van so we can take our beautiful healthy happy pit bulls to events and show the world just how magnificent these former abused dogs are.

We are strutting in Austin, Texas:

http://www.strutyourmutt.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=6334

and in San Francisco, California:

http://www.strutyourmutt.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=6335

Peanut says, 'hey, let's strut!'

Please consider walking your dog to help us save more homeless pets. You can do a virtual walk and ask your friends to help out! Anything helps.

Please join us so there will be no more homeless pets, inAustin, in San Francisco or anywhere else.

Please check out the links and consider walking your pet for Reunion Rescue. We need volunteers to help us walk the dogs and share the news. You can volunteer for Reunion Rescue from anywhere in the world...contact doggirl1@earthlink.net or visit our website http://www.reunionrescue.com and click the Get Involved tab.

Reunion Rescue needs a water purification system

Our old reverse osmosis system bit the dust and we are raising money to buy a Kangen water system for the animals here at Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge.

Reunion operates the world's only no kill holistic pit bull refuge and has the happiest healthiest animals on earth to show for it. Besides feeding a raw food diet, all of the cats, dogs and birds here at Reunion drink and bathe in clean pure healthy water...the secret ingredient of our success!
For the price of a cup of coffee you can help us out with a small donation to purchase this system. Kangen water is used to clean, wash, drink, bathe and any other use for water to help keep your pets and yourself healthy.

Reunion Rescue has signed on as a distributor for Kangen so we can help other animals and their people while also funding our refuge and helping homeless animals.

So please consider a small donation and forward questions you might have about Kangen Water.

Take a second to visit our current refuge dogs on our website. Donations can be made on the website or the Fundrazr page.

Perks are available for your donations on the Fundrazr page....get a tee shirt or calendar for your donation.

Why is Nathan Winograd teaming up with Spindletop dog killers? No kill meets real kill!

Imagine the horror when this come-on appeared in my email box? Knowing that 'Texas Dog Commission' is an outfit run by Zandra Anderson, close friend and legal counsel for Leah Purcell and the animal abusers and killers from Spindletop.

Does Nathan Winograd know who he's dealing with here? Has he not heard of Spindletop? These evil animal killers never did a day of hard time and are out walking around and boarding more animals while those of us who lost pets at Spindletop still grieve for their wrongful deaths and disappearances.

Craig Malisow's brilliant piece 'No Sanctuary at Spindletop' reads like a horrible monster movie of the worst kind with lurid tales of sex offenders plowing a hammer into the heads of Rottweilers and other despicable acts which occurred at the former 'refuge' located on Calvary Road in Willis, Texas.

A Facebook page has been created to honor those animals murdered and gone from the house of horrors formerly called 'Spindletop Refuge' called Spindletop Missing and Dead Dogs. Zandra Anderson who collects donations without benefit of a 501(c)(3) non-profit has threatened Reunion Rescue repeatedly with false claims to the Examiner in an effort to quiet the truth. When our articles were illegally pulled based on Anderson's threats to sue, we republished a series of articles (see below) in an effort to seek justice, justice that the hundreds and perhaps thousands of dogs killed by Leah Purcell will never be afforded.

In a later piece, a former manager at Spindletop stepped forward to report the mass loading of innocent dogs sent to board at Spindletop loaded up on U-Haul trucks and taken to off-site locations to be 'disposed of.'

A fellow rescuer who had animals disappear and presumed killed received this answer from Nathan Winograd's No Kill Nation when she asked for help with the Spindletop mass murder:

"I emailed them back when when all this was going on and they responded that they were not releasing any information because it would only feed the drama and their only interest was in keeping the dogs safe. They would not give me any information on the dogs at all."

Please write to Nathan Winograd and ask him to reconsider aligning himself with people who not only condone animal abuse and murder, but defend and friend others who have made a fortune doing so.

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/spindletop-dog-killers-try-to-shut-down.html 

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-dog-lawyer-rebuttal-2.html 

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/rebuttal-texas-dog-lawyer-part-3.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/telling-truth-republish-inside-living.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/hoarding-for-dollars-reprint-of-article.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-following-reprint-is-story-of.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/reprint-spindletop-raidwhere-are-our.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/truth-be-toldlast-reprint.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/caring-for-spindletop-refugees.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/09/reunion-rescue-spindletop-refugees.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2013/12/liars-lawyers-death-abuse-dog-killers.html

Sheriff's department has no update on Nina the chained pit bull in the woods

Petal, Mississippi: The following story was written about Nina, a chained pit bull in wooded terrain outside Petal, Mississippi on July 23. Only one comment has been published regarding Nina's wellbeing, but the information is suspicious.

The country sheriff's department promised to contact the original owner, J. R. Reynolds July 26, but no word has been received regarding contact. No word has been received about Nina's welfare, although Dogs Deserve Better posted a notice on their Facebook page that Nina was in the care of some third party.

In light of the horrible abuse sweeping the nation, care by some third party is not comforting.

I placed another call today with Purvis County Sheriff's Department at 601-544-7800 only to get the same story, that Nina is in the care of some third party. If this third party is responsible for the chain around Nina's neck, then something certainly must be done.

I asked the sheriff's department to call J. R. Reynolds again and left my phone number so that we can attempt to trace Nina's whereabouts.

According to another Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/dogs-deserve-better/new-nina-newsnina-the-white-pittie-is-with-third-party-and-is-safe-per-southern-/10151493579766086

Nina is safe with some third party. If this is fact, where are photos of Nina off the chain and in her safe new whereabouts?

If Nina can be located, Reunion Rescue will save this dog. She can come to Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge in Austin, Texas.



Here is a copy of the original article printed July 23, 2013:

Nina is the beloved pet of J.R. Reynolds. She was stolen from his home over a week ago. Mr. Reynolds received a text on his cell phone of his beautiful dog on a tow chain somewhere in the woods.

Facebook groups are posting Nina's picture everywhere in hopes that someone recognizes the terrain and will turn in the evil criminal who stole Nina.

https://www.facebook.com/Buddyonwheels/posts/625240704183417

The photograph of a terrified Nina inspires dreadful thoughts. Concerned animal welfare advocates are fearful Nina will live on this chain the rest of her life or is being used in the nasty sport of hog hunting...or even a worse fate.

According to WDAM News, Nina is only 7 months old. She was stolen from her outdoor pen, which is yet another testament to not letting your pet outside without direct supervision.

What kind of monster steals a puppy and sends the photograph to the owner?

According to the article, local police are involved, but a call to both Petal Police Department and the County office provided no information:

Petal Police Dept. (601) 544-5331 LFuller@CityofPetal.com

Purvis Police Dept. (601) 794-5070

County (601)544-7800

Again, it appears that justice will come from Facebook posts and social media outreach.

Please continue to share Nina's story in hopes that she is returned to her family and in hopes that her family will bring their pet indoors with the rest of the family.

Reunion Rescue...you don't have to feel bad dog days

Every day is a holiday at Reunion Rescue. Even though these dogs came from terrible backgrounds, each of them is learning how to enjoy life for the first time in their lives.

All Reunion Rescue dogs are fed a raw diet and treated homeopathically. Reunion Rescue's Health Page is full of healthy tips with our wonderful dogs as evidence that these simple ideas work and work well. Emphasis on well.

We are currently building our volunteer program with dogged young people and their families. Phil is spending his summer vacation helping Reunion dogs strut in the sunshine.

Even if someone doesn't live nearby, Reunion can use help with social media and getting the word out. Imagine others finding out how to cure heartworms with our herbal program? How many dogs dying in shelters and their rescuers could benefit from the easy healthful way to combat heartworm, kennel cough and a whole slew of other nasty, but treatable issues that dogs are needlessly dying for.

Reunion Rescue can't save every dog, but we want to show others how they can have happy, healthy dogs just like we do.

Take a look at the photos and see for yourself.....

Visit our website and click on the Health page for resources and visit our Facebook page Home Remedies to Heal Animals. Click on Get Involved to check out our Facebook Pages and Meetup group to get involved and help. Reunion has a lot of good information, but we need help sharing it.

No bad days at Reunion Rescue

Today, Phil and his brother, Dante, came out to walk dogs with Wilmonda. It was truly a love fest here at Apache Shores. We have running creeks and were enjoying a moderate summer day for a change. It must have been around 85 degrees with a nice summertime breeze. We literally had the kind of weather people on soap operas enjoy. Nobody ever sweats in soap operas.

We took turns walking Amber, Vinny, Guido and BeBe today. Peanut's leg is still sore and William is too nervous. Having had a horrible background from the bar-b-que grill, drug behind a truck and nearly starved to death, William is still acclimating and learning that the world can be a wonderful place. We have the rest of our lives to show William how nice life can be.

We want William and everyone else to know there are no bad days, but only dog days at Reunion Rescue.

If dogs run free

Hotter than a tick in Texas this morning, but we're still doing our deal. The dogs want to be inside literally chillin' out, but I got to make them get their vitamin D...and daily dose of sunshine.

So, I turn up the radio and it's Mr. Dylan singing about dogs and running free....

....oh, winds which rush my tale to thee...
....so it may flow and be...

Guido in the creek...............and Amber

Peanut ........... Vinny, Guido and Amber

Guido and Amber....................................Tex and Girl

A wild and crazy day with pit bulls and other animals....

Reunion Rescue is running around like a chicken today. I picked Hildi up and dropped her off at Emancipet for spay surgery, microchip and shots.

Gave Hildi arnica 30c which eases any sweet dog through surgery and rarely requires any hard core pain meds. She was also dosed with Australian Bush Flower Essence Emergency to help her be calm during such an invasive procedure. We'll be dosing her with Waiora to counter the toxic effects and remove harmful metals from the vaccines.

Made it to Emancipet along with some soothing Loft music...we were groovin', me and Hildi. After I dropped her off in Emancipet's capable hands, I stopped by my good friends Hut's Hamburgers to throw myself on their mercy. Hut's turned 70 years old yesterday and God Bless Hut's as they say!

Hut's stepped up to the rescue for Reunion and will be hosting a wonderful benefit for Reunion Rescue in the next couple months. Please keep tuned. You'll definitely be hearing a lot LOT more about this.

It was pedal to the metal after that to zip it back to Reunion Rescue No-Kill Refuge to meet Mimi who valiantly came out to walk the pitties with a recovering sore knee. Thank you, Mimi and all our wonderful volunteers for making our lives happy, productive, thrilling, adventuresome and full of love!

 

Take me home, Jesus!!!! Now, that's what I'm talking about.....what a great day!