Fill your hands, you son of a bitch

Today was one of those epiphany days. I'm dealing with Peninsula Humane society who wants to kill another good dog. She's mouthy, but that's so dang fixable. Earn your keep, behaviorist...quit killing dogs that are fixable.

I'm dealing with a transport from hell and people who think their rescue work is harder than mine. Lest they forget, I will be with this dog for the rest of his natural life. While they're all home asleep in their beds, I'll have my computer on catnap and my phone juiced for the rest of Guido's life. When he goes into foster to adopt, it will be the beginning of his new life. He will, as do all Reunion Rescue dogs, be detoxed to remove all those harmful nasty metals and toxins from recent vaccines. He'll be on a raw diet and go to training. He'll be loved and taught crate and Kong training. His new foster to adopters will join the Reunion Rescue playgroup and when the foster period is over and they're ready to adopt, we will all sign a lifetime contract. If for any reason Guido is given up, he will be offered to Reunion Rescue.

That is how all Reunion dogs are cared for and insured for their lifetime.

I have learned that I must tighten my circle today. I've been getting nasty emails from one of the crew who first notified me about Darla. I have had to bounce these emails. Just too dang nasty and counter-productive. For now, I'll think about Benny and being positive.

I'll think about Guido on his way to Bundock's Kennels where he will begin his new wonderful life while waiting for his new forever home. I'll think about positive things...but, should anybody try and get in the way of where I'm going...

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One door closes and another one almost opens

In between the busy times..like at a garage sale when there is a flurry of activity then a quiet lag and another flurry, then another slow spell...that is rescue life and that is pretty much, life. Learning that I am not the busy times nor am I representative of the lean times and knowing that there is a greater power at work helps me keep on trucking.

Today, I had a bit of a punch in the nose. I was informed by the online newspaper I have been writing a pit bull column for that some people were irritated that I didn't live in the city from which the subject is directed. I am being redirected to a local non-pit bull column, but that's ok. I love animals and will write about any animal I have the opportunity to write about. FYI, thought, whether I am writing about pit bulls for Beaumont, Texas or Paris, France, the subject matter is the same. Didn't seem to matter that I actually lived in this town for 12 years of my life. I met and married my husband there. Rebel came from the east side as did Fu Manchu, the beautiful black chow who was killed by a vet from the same town...getting his teeth cleaned. In fact, the first chapter of Pit Bull Nation takes place in this town.

Pit bulls are going to be the same in any town. I am networked with many rescues and other folks who write me about the pit bulls and other dogs in this town. Some of my favorite songs were written about this town. Have you ever seen ....... from a DC9 at night? And speaking of Truckin', anyone got a soft machine?

Thing about me, I'm going to keep on writing. I am going to keep on saving pit bulls. Doing what I do is beyond any other person. Not trying to brag, but stating a fact. Nobody out there is rescuing pit bulls, detoxing and treating with raw diet, homeopathy and herbal cures like me and Reunion Rescue. At least. nobody I'm running into. I will stand corrected if anyone wishes to step forward.

I spend 24/7 ranting and raving about detoxing dogs and cats from nasty rabies and other vaccines. I spend the rest of the time trying to get people to try raw diet and purified water. Yesterday, I heard about yet another person who treats their own body with homeopathy, but had never considered treating the dog. Unfortunately, the people who make huge dollars testing on animals in research labs depend on the fact that the animals' physiology resembles our own. This is enough data to seduce trillions of dollars for cruel research, but not enough to convince people to wake up and treat their own pets.

But, enough about me. I am on a learning path. I want to know what makes dogs or anyone else aggressive. Before I kick the bucket, I will find out just what that is. I believe, as does the animal alliance believes, that there is a solution to everything. I believe it is complex as the beings we study are complex. I am a student of Konrad Lorenz of the orange boots and the imprinted geese and 'Man Meets Dog'.

I believe there is an explanation for aggression. I don't believe it's a simple one with an easy answer. I believe it's environmentally produced and thus should be addressed. I do believe aggression stems from all vaccines. Considering the toxic contents injected into the body, a body already sick from years of bad diet throughout the generations, no one can express surprise at that animal reacting. Some do not react initially and some, like Raspberry, react violently and immediately. Raspberry's story is addressed in my book, Pit Bull Nation, at length along with the details regarding correcting that condition.

Linda D., who was instrumental in finding the cause of Raspberry's vaccinosis, recently remarked how pit bulls seem to be overly sensitive to rabies and other vaccines. In Raspberry's case, the mercury in the vaccine began to attack the lining of her brain. She could not stand to be touched at all. It was as if her flesh was on fire. I am no communicator with animals, but I knew this about her. She let me 'in' on that knowledge about herself.

Again, this has become my life's work. I feel it is my calling to share what I know with others. Some of those others do not wish to know. It is not about them, but about the animals. I made that decision long ago in my rescue life. In fact, it has been the clearest choice I've made in my life's experience. When there must be a decision to choose the welfare of animals or the politics of people, I always select the animals. It's always been very clear and very simple with me. In return, I've had people scream at me, shun me, gossip about me, ban me from rescuing at their shelter, laugh at me as did Ken White, the overpaid director of Peninsula Humane Society. Go ahead and laugh. It only infuses my decision to follow my path. Anyone who thinks animal research is a laughing matter makes my choices the right choices. If I am the last two legged friend I've got, I find great comfort in knowing I spoke up for the ones who cannot speak for themselves. I will always speak up for them.

For the meantime, I will write some nice little articles about local animals. I will interview sources and quote them as requested. I will bide my time until the day when I will be able to broaden my audience and write about my beloved pit bulls once again.

I am the authority on rescuing the Reunion way. There is a reason we are able to say, 'home of the world's friendliest pit bulls'. And, soon, we will be able to show the world how all pit bulls and other animals can be non-aggressive. It might not be tomorrow, but it will happen. That is a promise from Cindy Marabito, saving the world, one pit bull at a time.

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Benny and the food channel

Today I got to visit at Doug's and watch the crowd get their raw lunch. Benny was really one of the pack today. He came running out to say 'hi' when I arrived with the Hare Today order. I believe he was happy to see me, but probably interested in what might be in all those boxes.

I got to see Miss Holly Berry. She is such a loving sweet girl. I cannot believe I haven't had more inquiries about her. She is a doll. I know she'll get a nice home, but you can tell she is just waiting for her special person to come along.

Before, I started writing on this blog and it just up and disappeared. I think that's because I was upset about Buddy, Arky and Baxter dying and started writing a bunch of negative stuff. I'll have plenty of time to write negative, but now when things like this happen, I really believe it's a reminder from Benny to stay positive. I had an epiphany today. All of a sudden, it dawned on me if I can remain clear and positive, the animals might communicate with me. I sure hope so. I'm willing to give it a shot.

So here it goes...positive vibe...the real food channel...watching Benny eat...

Benny living the good life at Doug's...eating a healthy raw diet..with an audience...

Miss Holly Berry waiting for her forever home...but cared for lovingly by Doug...

And the secret to true happiness...

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Kenneth, Angel, Russell and Marty

Angel Divine was the dog who started Reunion Rescue. She was the first pit bull I ever had dealings with and the first one I liked. I didn't like pit bulls when I met Angel.

She came limping up to my house, had been hit by a car. Nobody took pit bulls but SFACC, so off she went.

Angel and Marty

She was there 6 weeks and amazingly adopted by Marty. Marty had never had a pit bull, but fell in love with her. He'd go by the shelter and pet her every day.

Marty passed away and his partner, Russell took Angel and moved to Phoenix, AZ. We kept in touch over the years. Russ would send me photos and updates.

He began to feed Angel a raw diet and things were good. He fell in love with a wonderful man, Kenneth and Angel had yet another convert. Kenneth said when he first saw Angel, he went, "that's a pit bull!" Little did he know that Angel was truly an angel and was there to help him as well as Russell.

I finished Pit Bull Nation and wanted to let Russ know Marty and Angel were in the book. In fact, Angel Divine has her own chapter.

I wrote and called several times and never received a reply. I was afraid that Angel had passed away. The last time I spoke to Russ, he'd mentioned that Angel was getting older and that she had white around her muzzle.

Last night I got a strange email from Ken. He'd found my website and sent an email which came through the Petfinder site for Pearlie Girl, one of our longtimers. He let me know that Russ had passed away and he wanted to speak with me.

I called back immediately, but was almost unable to leave the message. I just started crying. My friend and longtime soulmate, Toby, had recently passed away and everything just came up at once.

Ken called me back and we spoke for a long while. He talked to me about how alone he felt when Russ passed away.  Angel has been there to comfort him.

He told me about an experience he had before Russ died. He knelt down one night on his knees and made her a promise he would care for her and love her. While he was on his knees, a white light was in the corner. He turned to look and the light disintegrated.

We talked for a minute about spirits and animals. I told him about these blogs and Benny. He told me about a good friend whose mother had passed away from cancer. When she was dying, she began to say the names of all the pets she had when growing up and as an adult. Her daughter and Ken's friend were in the room and said to her mother, 'the animals are not here, Mother.' Her mother replied, 'yes, they are. They are all in this room.'

Angel Divine

I believe that animals are here to help us. In my own case, they are here to help me be a better human being. I never knew that until Benny came. I always thought I was just here to help them. It was my calling. Now I know I am here for that purpose, but also to be useful to all who cross my path. It takes a great deal of faith to live this way. One's always apprehensive of being called upon for a little too much.

That's where the animals come to help me. I'll be overwhelmed at the computer trying to save this one and that one. Tex will come over and whine to go outside or Del will screech. I know to get up and see to their needs. I will go to the cat room and pick up Spook or Freddy Mercury and I will feel very blessed. I can stop just about any time during the day or evening and be very thankful the animals here are all safe and warm with full bellies. That's about as good as it gets.

It's no accident that Marty named her Angel.

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Full day Sunday

Cindy's vegan chicken frieds

Last night, I made vegan chicken fried steaks!! Yum. The gravy came out so good. The hardest thing about not eating meat and being from Texas is giving up chicken frieds. Well, those days are over since I've figured out how to fulfill my craving.

This morning, I still had a hankering for that good gravy, so I made some gluten free biscuits and veggie sausage. Umm boy..now that's a good old country breakfast which will keep a gal rescuing pit bulls all day and night. Yessirree.

All kidding aside, I needed my biscuits and gravy today. Even with the holiday, there are so many dogs who need help. Your head starts to swim. There are just so many families and too many dogs. So many people are dumping at the shelters. It's insane.

Cindy's biscuits

There is a momma dog and puppies at Bakersfield, more dogs at Devore, North Central LA, Stockton, Martinez and on and on and on. How do you pick the ones you can save? I try to tell people how to do it. To collect a chip in and get enough to board for a month. I can help by posting on my sites which get some decent traffic, but I can't pull every dog. There are just too many.

I wish I had some more biscuits.

Patti's snowstorm is over and she is able to write Benny's blog again. I sent my re-worked article in for consideration. Hope it's acceptable this time.

Also, that old group which was going to make my landing page and help Reunion did a disappearing act. My head's beginning to spin. I am going to bed.

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I am a passenger...

Today I got my article pulled. Why? Because I dared to speak up for the animals, the dead ones. There's a little shelter in Garland who keeps killing animals with rescue holds. How do I know? Because, they killed a momma dog with my own rescue hold on her. I left a message for the city paid manager, Oats and one for Luis Martinez and even had the counter guy type in the A# and my 501(c)(3) request to save the dog. They still went ahead and snuffed her and I'm still waiting on a call back.

I have been keeping an eye on this so called shelter since. They were forced to finally shut down their inhumane gas chamber by public pressure. Facebook pages, candlelight vigils, websites and petitions have been organized demanding the dismissal of Diane Oats, the city of Garland's hated shelter manager.

The argument with my piece was without source. I have sources, but in the vein of other so called un-credible journalists, I kept the privacy of my sources private. Anybody remember Deep Throat and the infamous articles by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of the Washington Post...and a little thing called Watergate? Since when must sources be named?

Well, if I'm a so-called un-credible writer, then I'm in good company. When the bullet hits the bone, let me go down with the guys who took home the Pulitzer.

Until then, I'll be watching. The last time I watched a shelter, it ended up becoming a book. Whenever they'd kill an animal and think they'd gotten away with it, I'd plaster the city with posters with the story about the wronged animal.

My posters all had a big, black crow with an open beak and the letters C.A.W. across the top....Citizens' Animal Watch. It was just me, but I put those posters all over the bay. I put them in coffee shops. I nailed them up on telephone poles. I stapled them to plywood boards on closed down buildings. I posted them in surf shops and pet stores. I plastered them everywhere and they began to raise some hell.

I posted those posters in anger and in the spirit of Iggy Pop and Johnny Rotten. I put them up in the spirit of Neil Young and Tom Petty, Patti Smith and Gary Floyd. I posted them for every wronged person, every wronged animal. I promised those dead animals I would not be quiet and I never will be quiet.

So you can pull my little article. I'll sit here and wait for somebody else to step forward besides me and say something, for somebody else to say, 'hey, you can't kill that dog and get away with it.' Until then, I'm going to keep on typing, keep on posting, keep on answering letters and emails and keep on writing.

This is for the Doberman they killed at Garland Animal Services who rescue had spoken for. This one's for the American Eskimo dog they killed last week with two rescue holds which were ignored. This is for the momma dog I called and put a hold on with my 501(c)(3). This is for her and for all the other animals they will kill until somebody steps up and tells them to stop.

I will never shut up.

I am a passenger....oh, yeah....

"The Passenger"

Iggy Pop

I am the passenger and I ride and I ride

I ride through the city's backsides

I see the stars come out of the sky

Yeah, the bright and hollow sky

You know it looks so good tonight

I am the passenger

I stay under glass

I look through my window so bright

I see the stars come out tonight

I see the bright and hollow sky

Over the city's ripped backsides

And everything looks good tonight

Singing la la la la la.. lala la la, la la la la.. lala la la etc

Get into the car

We'll be the passenger

We'll ride through the city tonight

We'll see the city's ripped backsides

We'll see the bright and hollow sky

We'll see the stars that shine so bright

Stars made for us tonight

Oh, the passenger

How, how he rides

Oh, the passenger

He rides and he rides

He looks through his window

What does he see?

He sees the sign and hollow sky

He sees the stars come out tonight

He sees the city's ripped backsides

He sees the winding ocean drive

And everything was made for you and me

All of it was made for you and me

'Cause it just belongs to you and me

So let's take a ride and see what's mine

Singing la la la la.. lala la la [x3]

Oh the passenger

He rides and he rides

He sees things from under glass

He looks through his window side

He sees the things that he knows are his

He sees the bright and hollow sky

He sees the city sleep at night

He sees the stars are out tonight

And all of it is yours and mine

And all of it is yours and mine

So let's ride and ride and ride and ride

Oh, oh, Singing la la la la lalalala

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It's always a good day when Benny's in the picture

Yesterday, I was Ms. Scatterbrains. I showed up at the Costco to pick up the co-op order for the dogs one day early. O-boy. I had myself a little bit more together today and showed up again at least on time.

The good part was being able to visit with Benny and all the other dogs at Doug's house.

This week has been extra hard for rescues. It seems as if every one of the rescues are so full. It's hard to stay focused and positive when you just see the sweet faces of dogs and cats about to die throughout each day.

I'm trying to think of good thoughts, but am thinking of all the time wasted this week..and last week. There was a dog I became involved with, a very precious dog, who'd had an emergency plea put out that she was going to die. I couldn't let that happen and so I called the shelter and put my name on the dog.

What happened next would have made a Peter Sellers movie. What seemed like about a hundred rescues got involved, so I backed out. Last I checked, there was no shortage on pit bulls.

I kept getting emails that this dog was still at the shelter. This went on for over two weeks. I kept saying I'd take her as I had a family in San Francisco whom she'd be perfect for. I had groomed them to feed raw, treat homeopathically and follow the Reunion Rescue program which insures a happy long life for the dog and her people.

Finally, night before last, I get a phone call interviewing me and asking for my credentials. I find myself applying to adopt this dog! I wind up involved in another phone call which lasted forever with stats from Los Angeles and digs at my fellow rescuers whom I've known for years and who were pulling dogs when some of these people were still at rush week in college.

Finally, last night, we were all told to 'back off' and the dog would be going to a rescue which has placed 1200 dogs in five years. That's 240 dogs a year unless my math's off. That's a lot of dogs to place.

You have to be shipping these guys to place that many. And what about tracking after the adoptions? Just plain scary. What was scarier came next. The people who'd created this frenzy demand $1,000 in donations for this dog to be accepted at this rescue facility. $1,000!!! That is incredible. It leaves me speechless.

Well, I'm backing off. Sad thing is, I have a longtime adopter whose family member wants a Reunion dog. This girl would have been perfect. She would have gone to a raw feeding home, been treated homeopathically...gone the distance. I can only hope that she winds up someplace very nice.

She is a very sweet girl and deserves every bit of the attention she derived from all of the rescue groups who have championed her. Even at the expense of God knows how many other dogs could have been saved while emails were sent back and forth over her for the past 2 plus weeks. I hope they are in nice places, too.

I know Benny is in a nice place. Now that my rant is over, I can go back to zenning with Benny. Om.

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