Spindletop dogs, PTSD and the Reunion detox

Dogs are slowly being reunited with their rescues and owners by HSUS, Animal Farm Foundation and Mountgomery County. Two of the first went to a well regarded sanctuary for boarding. Their legal owner picked up two very different dogs than the two she had entrusted to Spindletop Refuge. Both were covered in fresh wounds and both extremely dog reactive. One dog was in such dreadful shape, he had to be sedated to get through the night.

Luckily a knowledgeable rescue was in care of these two dogs, but with more soon to be released, the concern for transitioning these animals back to a normal life is going to be a long and sometimes difficult road.

Reunion Rescue has had extensive experience rescuing dogs with kinks. We pulled every pit bull from the availables before euthanasia in San Francisco for years. In fact, every dog we pulled had been turned down by the 29 million dollar San Francisco SPCA. Granted, this group didn't want to become a house full of pit bulls, but with all that cash and a well funded behavioral team, you'd think they could take a puppy ever so often.

Our experiences are colorfully documented in Pit Bull Nation, my part-rant, part how-to, part page turner and the only book out there which has blow by blow directions how to pull dogs from kill shelters. SFACC still kills 2/3 intake. Obviously, they haven't read Pit Bull Nation.

I'm gonna share a little bit of our detox protocol, but first, take a look at Raspberry's story. Raspberry was a perfect wiggly staffie bull who went totally ballistic after getting a rabies shot.

Raspberry taught me about detox. She showed me how a dog can and sometimes will go insane from over vaccination. Not all of the dogs from the Spindletop raid are vaccinosis cases, but all have been recently vaccinated and should be detoxed. The rabies vaccine contains mercury, formaldehyde, rabies, toxins and all kinds of things you don't really want in your dog...or cat.

Reunion Rescue's Nutrition Page has a nutshell version of our entire program in a wonderful document we call the Reunion Rescue Detox Protocol. It's worth a look-see for any animal lover who might be interested in curing their pet's body. How about never having a dental...or a flea? The healthy immune system is unattractive to pests, parasites and disease. We can safely promise our adopters that adhere to the Reunion program, their pet will live a long life and die of old age. No cancer is our motto.

The Spindletop dogs are seriously malnourished and suffering from PTSD. In fact, when I used to volunteer at SFACC as a dogwalker and website maintenance for the dogs and cats, I saw many a dog literally batshit crazy. When a dog is suffering from being kennel crazy, you do not worry with sit sit treat treat training. You just want the dog to get outside and acclimate to good fresh air...or what I call grass therapy.

When I returned here to the sanctuary with Batgirl and Amber, I listened to my own words. These dogs have been crated 24/7 for a long long time. They must still be crated as our Step 1-2-3- Pit Bull Starter Kit doc points out. Nothing is better for a dog than simulating that den behavior. These dogs have obviously had an overdose of this theory, but that being said, they feel comfort to an almost neurotic level in their crates. So a little crate time is good for them right now.

Take a look at Junior's Page on the site and read our Kong doc. I have a confession to make. I trained on the Kong wrong for 10 years. Once I found out how to properly train a dog on the Kong, I wanted to share it with the world. It's available to view on our site, Junior's Page, the Kong doc.

This effort is to help those picking up their dogs know how to handle them. First and foremost, there is a good dog in there....you saved that dog because you saw something special and unique. He's still down in there and wants to come home. With a little flower essence and detoxing and a lot of love, he can do just that...come on home where he belongs.

Please keep reading our blog to keep up with happenings at the Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge...a real one...and the dogs from the Spindletop raid.

Batgirl eating a raw diet

Batgirl getting down on that chicken

Amber had to be coaxed a little, but is now a raw food fan!

And this little pittie had roast beef....

Yesterday, I made my third trip to Conroe and back from Austin. The stress of the Spindletop raid, trying to get our dogs back, all this driving, attempting to put together a makeshift refuge with no money and no volunteers really is putting me in an empty grave.

Angel when impounded at Garland TX ACC

On a sad note, I was not able to bring back Angel. There were a couple of dogs who looked like him, but the photos I had printed out on my shitty printer were not conclusive enough to redeem Angel. Again, the horrors of this entire ordeal are deep and complicated. Leah Purcell is managing to cause so much pain to so many animals and the people who care for them. Without proper id and release, the HSUS, Animal Farm Foundation and Montgomery County are understandably hamstrung.

Late into the night Wednesday, I am printing out photos and proof of ownership for the fourth go round to try and redeem my last two dogs caught up in this nightmare, Angel and Amber. Amber had entered Spindletop for boarding last summer when they'd been abandoned in a Houston vacant lot. Stella's ears had been butchered off. Angel came from Garland ACC last September. All three dogs were surrendered to Reunion Rescue by their benefactors who'd paid the initial boarding fees. Along with Batgirl who I picked up Sunday, Reunion Rescue has paid almost $10 thousand dollars in boarding fees to Leah Purcell and her sidekick James Cowboy Mind Brewer who operates the Paypal account.

Stella died with the 38 in the Morgan building on Spindletop property. Leah and her lawyer, Zandra Anderson still claim Stella was adopted and 'they love her' even though Spindletop employee Brandon Louth positively identified Stella as one of the dogs buried in the mass grave. Now that grave is filled with rotting bones and decomposing bodies. We cannot even cremate our pets murdered on that property and place the ashes in shrines like the one I maintain for all of our animals who've passed on. Most of the others have died peaceful deaths of old age as we raw feed and treat homeopathically.

Amber

I broke down at the building where the dogs are all housed. When I knew I had to leave Angel for the third time and drive back, everything caved in. I sat down and cried. What kind of monsters are these people at Spindletop? How could I have trusted Leah for so long through so many conversations?

I find out today she has been trolling my little Examiner articles for kind hearted people who have offered to generously donate to the animals in the stories. One dog, Nolan, was on his was there last week. Luckily, his temporary foster heard about the raid and turned around. One of his donators had been bilked out of $450 by Leah and the dog was not even there.

How many others has she robbed, people that are trying to help animals, but unknowingly are lining the pockets of Leah and the tribe who still hangs with her...all protected by Texas Dog Attorney Zandra Anderson. Hopefully the Texas Bar will get wind of her threats and rants over the internet and deal out appropriate punishment. I wouldn't lose one night's sleep if that pariah was disbarred. Lord knows we've got enough lawyers in Texas, but maybe there might be some business for a Texas Dog Killers' attorney.

Chris and the HSUS crowd posed with Amber and me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the HSUS team who has been extremely caring and so good to our dogs. Thank you Animal Farm Foundation and all the volunteers and sweet inmates in their orange and white suits. Orange is a Texan's favorite color. Amber is even wearing an orange collar now.

I must be strong and drive Amber home. She is a love. She was hurt by all this. I got her back, her little squatty body, all big ol' head. She just wants to lay down and rest. She thinks she's a lap dog. How could anyone hurt an animal like Amber? I called Theresa who found Stella and Amber in the first place to let her know we were on our way home. She has been completely destroyed over the loss of Stella. It was good to be able to share some good news.

We drove over to the Which Wich and got Amber some roast beef and turkey. I got one the best sandwiches I've ever eaten mozzerella caprese with pesto. Ok, Amber had to have half of that, too. 

There is hope. We might not get all of our dogs back, but it sure won't be from the lack of trying. One of our constant members, Bonny, is tirelessly seeking her Scarlett. Even when she is broken and sad over the results, Bonny has been putting together a spreadsheet of all our dogs so that we can track them and file a suit against these terrible people.

We got home late and got everyone fed. Amber got an opportunity to get a little grass therapy like Batgirl so enjoys.

We have much healing to do and a long road ahead.....but we'll get there....We're the pit bulls.

Batgirl and the long road ahead

Last Tuesday, a rescuer's worst dream came true. Hundreds of people like me found out Spindletop Refuge was being raided. While we waited for news about the dogs people had boarded at the longtime pit bull rescue, photos and stories began to turn up on the internet.

Reunion Rescue had four dogs boarded at Spindletop. Batgirl came from Austin's Town Lake Shelter. I'd adopted her on the night of my birthday last April and drove her to Spindletop the next day after she was spayed and released to my care. Over the next year and some months, I came to know the director of Spindletop, Leah Purcell, very well...or so I thought.

She is a likable soul and I fell hook, line and sinker. In the world of pit bull rescue, one doesn't meet that many people that really get the life. I do this 24/7. I am driven to find out what makes these dogs tick. I wrote in my book, Pit Bull Nation the story of Raspberry who taught me about rabies vaccinosis and how over vaccination causes much illness, disease and behavioral issues.

When I delivered Batgirl to Spindletop, she came with her herbal heartworm treatment and Waiora Cellular defense to remove the metals and toxins injected into the body by vaccines. I left a bottle of Emergency ABFE Australian Bush Flower Essence which helps dogs segue through new beginnings with ease.

I took Batgirl to Spindletop because my husband had put the kabosh on any more rescues living with us. It was good, or so I thought.

When I think back today of leaving Batgirl there, I am incredulous. Over the past year and three months, I got to know Leah pretty well. She was always in trouble due to finances, needing a generator, electric bill or phone bill paid, dog food, you name it. I tried to help by writing articles for the American Pit Bull Examiner mentioning Spindletop.

I began to suggest the refuge to others as a place to take dogs from death rows across the U.S. Two dogs, Amber and Stella, were found noosed to a chain link fence last summer in the blistering heat. Stella's ears had been chopped off and dried blood caked the sides of her head.

The wonderful woman who found them contacted me and we put together a chip in to collect enough money to board them at Spindletop. This part is hard to write. I never once got to pet them or meet them. Stella was killed in the Morgan Building from heatstroke with 37 other dogs. That was thought to have occurred June 14 of this year.

When Leah told me Stella had been adopted, I asked her for the adopter's contact info so I could post a photo and happy update on Stella and Amber's Facebook page. The email was down or some such story every time I reminded her about Stella. Angel was another of our dogs who came from Garland Shelter and was taken by our transport to Spindletop.

I placed Stella three times during the year she was at Spindletop. Each time, Leah explained Stella was too aggressive to be adopted. I remember Leah using terms like 'cold' or 'hot' to describe the dogs..dogfighting terms. Now that I look back, I get the feeling that she fancied herself a pundit of sorts. Now that I look back.

There is a lot of looking back for me right now. I keep racking my brain about Stella. If only I'd insisted on getting photos sooner. If only I'd insisted on moving the harder to place girls and Angel to my Lodi boarding facility. If only, if only, if only.

What I must do is try to concentrate on getting Batgirl better...lots of grass therapy..the kind you walk on, not the pot. She is back on her herbal heartworm treatment with twice daily doses of Yucca for cough, COQ10 and hawthorne supplement for circulatory. She is dosed several times a day with Rescue Remedy and ABFE Emergency and Slender Rice which supports behavior with flower essences. She is dosed three times a day with Waiora Cellular Defense to remove the rabies virus, mercury, toxins, formaldehyde and other poisons injected into her body through over vaccination upon both impounds.

Last night, I received a call from one of our benefactors who's been fleeced by Leah and camp for several months for over $4 thousand dollars. During one of Leah's rum induced nighttime rants, she was asked how Batgirl's heartworm treatment was working. Leah laughed her cigarette raspy rattle and said she'd thrown it out. "That shit don't work."

As the details unfold around this horrible case, many of us continue to wait as we did in the courtroom. Some have taken to the Facebook pages like Victims of Spindletop Raid to look for their dogs while others without pets involved are delving into a sadder and more loathsome pastime. Several of these posters are attacking those of us who had animals at Leah's Spindletop, more commonly being called "Swindletop". Just when you think you have experienced the lowest of human element, an even more vulgar specimen surfaces.

Some of these people are spitefully attacking those of us who had animals killed at Spindletop and are unsure if the ones we are seeking to redeem are even still alive. For these individuals, if you have even the slightest trace of human decency, please find another hobby. We already feel enough guilt for placing our pets at this hellhole. Nothing you have to say to me or anyone else can make me feel worse that I already do.

I'm going to take Batgirl for a grass therapy session. She's got a little bit of me in her, only she loves all people. Maybe she can give me a little therapy to handle the haters.

Please keep in touch with Batgirl and the rest by following our blog and the American Pit Bull Examiner stories. Look for us on Facebook and help us build the dream at the No Kill Reunion Rescue Refuge...a real refuge.

Batgirl and me...fighting criminals down the line....