Happy, Happy Day!

Five years ago today, John and I took Portia back to the kennel at Greyhound Adoption Center to select a playmate for her. We came home with Bingley. We were not to know that in less than eighteen months, Portia would die from a massive wound sustained in an attack by an unsocialized, off-leash dog. Bingley was also injured in the same attack. But he survived, and, now, he he setting new longevity records for our rescued dogs. Happy Gotcha Day, Bingley! A sweeter tempered dog never drew breath. Our only wish today is that we could have you with us for another five years.

Caution

We're having our first serious heat spell here in San Diego County and I've been remembering a very hot night six years ago. I was walking Zephyr not too far from our house when she was attacked by a loose dog--the same dog who attacked John and Bingley and killed Portia less than three years later. Zephyr was badly chewed from her lower back, to her hindquarters and down her tail. Since our vet's office was closed, I headed for the 24 hour emergency vet's. They were swamped. We waited and waited and waited, Zephyr dripping blood all the while. Why was such a badly injured dog treated last? It was because, ahead of Zephyr was a line of dogs with heat exhaustion. Their irresponsible owners had decided to take their dogs for a jog in hot weather. Even after the sun had gone down, it was way too hot for a dog to be running. Although Zephyr was seriously enough injured to require four drains and more stitches than I could count, she was in less critical condition than the dogs with heat exhaustion. So. Remember. Think. Do NOT take your dog for runs--or even more than potty-break walks in the heat. Don't run your dog on hot cement--or even worse, hot asphalt. Don't put your dog in a hot car while you are waiting for the air conditioning to kick in. I trust I do not have to remind you to NEVER leave your dog in a car. Cracked windows do not help. I don't believe in "outside" dogs. But if you insist on leaving your dog outside, be sure to provide plenty of shade and a source of fresh water. Do not shave a long haired dog. Their coat provides protection from heat as well as cold. Some short-haired--and certainly hairless breeds can sunburn. Take precautions. Older or ailing dogs are particularly vulnerable. Since learning of Bingley's heart condition, we are leaving the air conditioning on a lower setting for him when we leave the house. As I type, we are experiencing an "energy flex", which is code for not very effective air conditioning. Bingley and Magic are resting in the coolest places they can find, and I'll keep an eye on their water dishes. I don't know why these are called the Dog Days of Summer. They really aren't very easy days for dogs.

Four Years, Four Months: A Day To Celebrate

John and I adopted our first rescued dog, Daphne, in April, 2001. She died suddenly on August 5, 2005. She was just seven years old. We were in shock. Having only experienced puppies of well cared for, carefully planned pure-bred dogs, we considered fourteen to sixteen years to be a normal life span for a dog. Welcome to the world of adopting rescued dogs. In September of 2005, we adopted Zephyr, a stunning, dark brindle ex-racing Greyhound who eventually weighed in at ninety-seven pounds. I expected Zephyr to grow old with us. But Zephyr's genetic code said otherwise. Osteosarcoma--bone cancer--took her two years, four months after we adopted her. One month shy of her seventh birthday. The story of Portia is the story of this blog. We adopted her on February 10, 2008. She died in intensive care July 7, 2009, after fighting bravely to survive a cruel attack by an off-leash dog, who also attacked Bingley and John. Portia was four years, two months at the time of her death. She had lived with us for a year and five months. I don't think it's any wonder that I have become mindful of milestones in the lives of my canine companions. Today is just such a milestone. Bingley, our sweet-tempered ex-racer who cheated death before we even met him, is now not only the oldest rescued dog of our lives--he is eight years, nine months old--he has also lived with us longer than any other rescue we have had: a full four years, four months. We love you, Bingley, and pray that you live to be a very old dog. By the way, the picture is of Bingley, taken by Mike Dougherty at Windsong Resort for Pets.

When Will They Ever Learn?

Our daughter lives in a pretty residential area of a city in another Western state. She has a Yellow Lab, Georgia, whom she walks regularly. Yesterday, they encountered an off-leash Golden Retriever. What seemed to be an uneventful doggie meet and greet ended when the Retriever attacked Georgia. The Retriever's owner was shocked and distressed and has paid the vet bills. But we have a traumatized dog and human who will never again feel quite safe on their walks.

I hope that the Retriever's owner has learned NEVER to let her dog off leash unless she is in a dedicated off leash area.

I hope.

Miss Magic: Happy At Last-- We Hope

Today is the second anniversary of the day--or more accurately, evening--that Magic came to live with us.

No generalizations can be made about rescues, except to say they all require patience and, given enough time, they will probably let down their defenses and show you who they really are.

We don't know many exact details of Magic's life in her original location. I won't dignify the place by calling it a home. She was kept for long hours in an outdoor cage in the High Desert of California. That means blistering hot summer days and freezing cold winter nights. She was exercised: her muscle tone is excellent. She was bred to an ex-racing Greyhound and had at least 3 puppies in one litter. We suspect she had other litters and, perhaps, more puppies in that last litter.

We do know that Magic, three of her puppies, and the puppies' father were rescued by Greyhound Adoption Center in July, 2008. We know that Magic "did not kennel well." She barked whenever a human passed her kennel and was very opinionated about which volunteers she would tolerate in her presence. Men were not on her favorites list. When she opened TWO locked gates and led a little band of escapees out of the kennel, a foster home was found for her. A foster home with a high fence and secure gates!

Magic adapted to her new home where she was the seventh of seven canines. The first night when all of the resident dogs knew when to line up in the kitchen for their daily treat, Magic joined the line like an old hand. She kept to herself, but quickly established that SHE would be FIRST in or out of an open door. Her fantastic acceleration settled any dispute. To this day, it's not a good idea to be standing in the open doorway to the backyard if Magic is entering or exiting.

Magic also formed her first loving bonds with humans: her foster mother and her foster mother's daughter. Indeed, as weeks and months passed, her foster mother became convinced that Magic needed to be in a much smaller pack in order to receive the human attention that she obviously craved.

Magic had never been removed from the adoptable list at Greyhound Adoption Center, but she was not an easy dog to place. She was not a "pure-bred" Greyhound, but a "Fuzzy"--a Scottish Deerhound/Greyhound mix. She did not "sell" herself, but tended to maintain distance from new people--especially men. And, she clearly required an exceptionally secure environment. No one could forget her "kennel break."

Magic's foster mother set up a website to introduce Magic to prospective adopters and continued to do all she could to meet Magic's emotional needs while trying to find her "forever home."

About that time, John, Bingley and Portia were attacked by a loose dog and Portia died of her wounds. Either you know how painful it is to lose a beloved pet or you don't. If you know, you understand the grief that descended upon our household.

Meanwhile, when Bingley was sufficiently recovered from his wounds, we resumed our weekly walks in the park with Marilyn and her pack, which then consisted of Franklin, Hattie, and the late, much loved, Ruby. Marilyn had started to work on the profiling team at GAC, the team that matches prospective adopters with suitable dogs.

Having had sufficient experience with the loss of a loved dog, John and I knew that for us, there is never a complete end to mourning the loss. But there is a time when the sheer rawness of the pain fades just enough that we can think about rescuing another dog.

So, in September after Portia's death, we went to the kennel at Greyhound Adoption Center and met some dogs. None of the "likelies" were ready for adoption and we were planning a trip to England in November. Perhaps we would wait and look again when we came home.

Then in late October, Marilyn called me. "What about Magic?"

Indeed. I had always been charmed by the rare Fuzzies who came through Greyhound Adoption Center.

So a few days after we returned from England, Magic came to live with us.

Her mourning for her foster mother was awful to witness. She was confused by Bingley's expectations of the rowdy play he had been accustomed to with Portia. She wasn't accustomed to carpeting and house training broke down. And she wasn't at all sure that she wanted to be in the same room with John. She really didn't trust men. She wasn't accustomed to walks, and was easily startled.

And every time she went out to the backyard, she would tour the perimeter, looking for escape.

But eventually she settled in. John worked hard to earn her trust. First she learned to stay in a room with him. Then he could walk by her and she wouldn't move. Now she greets him and asks for pats. She has even decided that he can be trusted to put on her collar, harness and leashes.

She and Bingley have negotiated their arranged association. She's a little pushy and he's a good sport. But when he has reached his limit, he lets her know and she shows her respect for him. Usually, he exits the back door first, she enters first. If John and I walk them, Magic is more comfortable with John and Bingley in the lead and Magic and I trail along. But the best way to get Magic's attention is to pay Bingley attention. If I'm patting him for very long, I usually feel Magic's nose under my hand. That's when I call her Miss Me Me.

She insists on her exclusive snuggle time with me in the morning and usually naps in the room where I am working.

Her last Big Fear is of fire in the living room fireplace. Tonight is a cold, rainy night. I stayed in the bedroom with Magic and Bingley while John started the fire. She was brave enough to move into the kitchen for dinner, and even permitted John to put on her harness and leash for a short walk before the worst of the storm hit.

I tried to tempt her to come into the living room, but she's not ready to be that close to the fireplace. So she's here, lying on some cushions in my study as I type.

We have one more challenge before Miss Magic is completely happy in our home. We'll do our best. She's worth it.

UPDATE:

After I finished typing last night's post, I went into the living room and sat on the sofa opposite the fireplace. Who appeared and lay beside me on the sofa, but Miss Magic herself! I think it helped that there was no popping wood being burned last night, but, even so, we have passed a Big Milestone.

What I Would Have Said

Given the fact that I have had FIVE leashed dogs attacked by unleashed dogs, it's not surprising that I am still mentally reviewing my Walk In The Park yesterday. I am more grateful than I can say that I am not spending today home-nursing two traumatized, stitched and drained dogs. Or worse, visiting a wounded, bewildered dog fighting for its life in intensive care.

Only someone who has done all that can possibly know how much I never want ever, ever to have to do any of that again.

But until the general level of knowledge about dog behavior and differences bred into various groups and breeds of dogs is raised, I must accept that every time I harness and leash my beloved Bingley and Magic and take them out for their favorite treat--a walk--one of them, both of them, or all three of us, might very well end up in an emergency medical facility because some other dog owner has failed to exercise common sense or has failed to follow the law.

As I was shouting to the Boxer's walker "Leash your dog!", "Keep your dog away from my dogs!", "Don't come any closer to me!", she was walking toward me, shouting "You need to train your dogs better!", "My dog is perfectly trained!"

Aside from the fact that I doubt her dog would have remained calm and obedient if it had been leashed and had an unleashed dog charging directly at it,there are other facts that cannot be "shared" when one is literally fighting for the life of one's beloved canine companions.

I would have explained that Bingley and Magic are Sighthounds, and, as such, were bred for a very different purpose than her dog, a Boxer.

Boxers belong to the Working Group, dogs who were developed to work alongside humans, looking to humans for guidance and direction. Their work required a tough, strong body and jaws that rival those of the large terrier breeds.

I am very glad that the Boxer in question has been to obedience classes. If Boxers are not trained and socialized early in life, they can be as serious a canine menace as can be imagined. Well socialized, they are wonderful companions and family pets.

Sighthounds are just about as different from Boxers as can be imagined and still belong to the same species. Sighthounds were bred to run. Fast. They were not bred to "take directions." They were bred to follow normal canine instincts as efficiently as possible.

Greyhounds are the crowning achievement of canine aerodynamics. Greyhounds have long, slender bones, long, fine muscles, that are covered in the thinnest layer of skin and hair. Their skin is so thin that in some places not only can it not be stitched, it cannot even be cauterized. Direct pressure is the only way to stop bleeding. A Greyhound that has been attacked by another dog requires immediate veterinary care to save its life. Even that was not enough to save my beautiful Portia.

Greyhounds--and other Sighthounds, Magic is a Greyhound/Scottish Deerhound--are bred to respond to movement. They will chase ANYTHING that moves. Furthermore, their long distance vision is superior to humans', so they will see something moving before the keenest-eyed human sees it. The running/chasing response to movement is instantaneous. It cannot be trained out of their behavioral repertoire. AND within two strides, the Sighthound is moving so fast and their heart is pumping so loudly, they cannot hear even the loudest shouted command. It is nature's ultimate over-ride of training. Not only does the Sighthound not hear commands, it does not see anything but the object of the chase. Not the tree it is about to hit, nor the car that is about to hit it. An unleashed, unconfined Sighthound is very likely to be a dead Sighthound.

Now. Imagine that you are the fastest breed of dog in the world. You love your walks, but your greatest joy in life is running unrestrained. However, you cannot run unrestrained very often because your human is concerned about your safety. So, you settle for walks. And every week you get to walk with some other dogs who look a lot like you and live in similar circumstances. It's the highlight of your week.

Then, one day, you see a dog across the park who gets to run free. But it cannot run half as fast as you can. You really want to show that silly dog how running should be done! But you've got on a collar, a harness and two leashes and your human isn't responding to your urgent request to run after that clumsy excuse for a running dog.

You get the picture.

But yesterday, it got worse. The loose dog's human let it run DIRECTLY at my two excited, aroused dogs.

I supposed it's unrealistic to ever expect other dog owners to understand the unique vulnerabilities of my sweet Magic, and especially of my sweet Bingley.

But leash laws are there to protect Magic and Bingley. And Franklin and Hattie and Odie.

I can expect people to obey leash laws. Even if they don't understand them

Patience Please

I have not abandoned blogging.

In marking the second anniversary of Friends of Portia, I have been working on a Major Post, distilling the evolution of my thinking about Dog Welfare since I began to write this blog.

Please stand by. I hope to have it completed within a few days.

Happy News: Sad News

This morning John and I took Magic in for a check up on her eye.

Happy News: Magic's eye looks great! Dr. Schultz is very pleased with her progress. The swelling is markedly reduced and the cloudiness is just a hint of what it was a week ago. One more week of eye ointment should be the end of this anxiety provoking episode.

Sad News: When we arrived at the vets, we learned that a Bull Dog was in surgery, "being stitched back together" after an attack by another dog. The surgery had been in progress for a while and was expected to last at least another hour and a half. I have no details of the attack. But my heart goes out to the Bull Dog's humans. John and I have spent our own anxious hours waiting while our beloved dogs were being "stitched back together." And our memories of losing our beloved Portia are still painful.

What can I say? Our living situations are too compact for dogs to be permitted to roam off leash. No dog "always obeys." Know your dog. Be VERY CAREFUL if more than one dog is present when food is available. Your dog's life and the lives of all the dogs that your dog encounters depend on your watchfulness and responsible care.

All paws crossed that the Bull Dog survives.

Happy Birthday, Bingley!

Today, Bingley is seven years old! He joined our family on February 16, 2008. We hadn't planned to get a second dog after acquiring Portia, but we quickly realized that a dog of Portia's energy, intelligence and deviousness needed a canine companion. Bingley was her perfect foil. Always ready to play. Always good natured about having toys stolen from him. Always ready to forgive and forget and start over.

Bingley survived the vicious attack that took Portia's life on July 7, 2009. His mourning for his lost playmate was heart breaking.

On November 20 of last year, Magic came to live with us. Poor Bingley was truly puzzled by her at first. He kept expecting Magic to act like Portia. But Magic is very different from Portia--every bit as feminine, every bit as devious, but lower energy and far more subtle.

She didn't know how to play with toys when she arrived. Slowly, Bingley taught her how. She has been an apt pupil. Just this morning, she stole Harvey, Bingley's rabbit, away from him and draped an elegant paw over Clyde the bear, just to let Bingley know who was boss. Good Old Boy Bingley let Magic have Harvey, but he did persist in pulling Clyde out from under Magic's paw. When Magic tired of Harvey, Bingley reclaimed him. No harm. No foul. That's our boy Bingley.

We hope and pray Bingley lives to a very ripe old age. If sweet temper is the key to longevity, he'll be around a very long time.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Bingley!

Happy Day!

I have been waiting for August 6, 2010 for some time. Just how long is hard for me to pinpoint. Let me explain.

Penny, my first dog, and Mame, Champers and Britches, John's and my first three dogs were pedigreed. Pure-bred dogs whose births were planned, who were well cared for while still in utero. Penny lived to within a month of her 16th birthday. Mame lived beyond her 16th birthday. Champers died "young" just shy of his 13th birthday as a result of an vicious attack 18 months earlier. Britches lived beyond her 16th birthday.

I had this crazy notion that a dog's normal life expectancy was 16 years.

Then we started to adopt rescues.

Our first rescue, Daphne, a Wheaten/Whippet--or, perhaps, Greyhound--was 3 when we adopted her. I expected to have her for 13 years. A few months after her 7th birthday, she hopped up on the love seat in the living room for an afternoon nap. Forty minutes later, John and I called her for a walk. She didn't move. She was already in rigor. I was still in shock over her loss when we adopted our next rescue.

Zephyr was 4 1/2 when we brought her home--a very large, dark brindle retired racing Greyhound. When she was restored to health, she tipped the scales at 97 pounds. She was a dignified, courageous dog. I figured that Zephyr would grow old with me. But she had the bad fortune to get osteo sarcoma--and died exactly one month before she would have turned 7.

Our next rescue was Portia, for whom this blog is named. Her life was cut short by a vicious attack. She had just celebrated her 4th birthday.

Now we have Bingley and Magic. We will never know Magic's exact age for certain. We have declared her birthday to be July 15, 2004, which makes her 6.

Bingley's birthday is tattooed in his ear. September 5, 2003. He will be 7 years old on September 5 of this year. Today, he is one day older than Zephyr was when she died. I have been waiting for this day. Perhaps, I will finally have a dog who will grow old with me.

I live in hope.

August 11 will be another important day for Bingley. It will be the 5th anniversary of his very first race. He won it. Poor baby wasn't even two years old.

We will celebrate today in a unique way. More on that later.

Happy Day, Bingley and Magic!

But, in many ways, every day with a rescued dog is a Happy Day.

Dog Parks

Read any magazine for dog owners, or even some travel magazines, and you will discover articles about "Dog Friendly Cities, Towns, Communities." There are "Dog Friendly" resorts. The translation of "Dog Friendly" is: "It's OK To Let Your Dog Run Around Off Leash."

Off-leash parks and beaches are represented as ultimate Nirvana for both dogs and their people. The image is of dogs of all breeds and sizes frolicking joyfully together as their people chat about the latest in doggie toys and treats and set up play dates for their pooches. Not exactly the Utopia of the Lion lying down by the Lamb, but getting close.

The intrinsic problem with this image is admitted by some off-leash dog parks that have separated areas for "small dogs" and "large dogs". At least this arrangement is a nod to the realities of potential dog behavior, but it's just a nod. The fact is, there are serious reasons why many dogs should NEVER be let loose in an off-leash dog park. Let's look at some of those reasons.

1. A very small dog is a very vulnerable dog. PERHAPS there is a small dog off-leash park available where your 4 pound Maltese can gambol about with other tiny, delicate creatures. But letting a small dog "play" with anything but the smallest of toy breeds is like bringing pizza to a group of teenage boys and asking them to ignore it.

2. Inherent, bred-in instincts of your breed. "Fish gotta swim. Birds gotta fly." Terriers and hounds were bred to kill--or chase and kill. Some dogs--you know the breeds--were originally bred to fight other dogs. Some dogs were developed to be guard dogs. With the exception of our first dog, Mame, a five pound Toy Poodle, all of John's and my dogs have been terriers or hounds. They have been wonderful companions and I would not want to have missed the presence of one of them in my life. But terriers and hounds are Serious Dogs. Beneath the blonde, wavy coat of a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, under the elegant lines of a Greyhound, lies the potential to attack and kill with efficiency and--let's be honest--joyful enthusiasm.

3. Other physical vulnerabilities. The first of these that comes to mind is a very thin skin covering. Having been a Greyhound person for a number of years, I have seen first hand the havoc that can be inflicted when a Greyhound is bitten by another dog. Indeed, Portia died as the result of one horrific bite that ripped a ten inch diameter wound that could not be closed, even with state of the art veterinary care, before her courageous heart stopped beating. Even in non-fatal wounds, days of care for a dog who has suffered an attack by another dog is a painful and exhausting ordeal for both dog and human. In addition to more stitches than I could count, Zephyr had four drains that had to be treated with warm compresses several times a day following an attack by an off-leash dog who was set loose to relieve himself on neighbors' lawns.

4. Individual dog history. I am completely dedicated to rescuing and re-homing dogs who have been abandoned, lost, or mistreated. I have had five rescued dogs as my companions, two of which live with me now. There are many advantages in rescuing an older dog. Given my age, I doubt that I will ever again tackle the challenge of a puppy. For me, walking Greyhounds is NOTHING compared with the task of civilizing a baby canine. HOWEVER. The fact is: EVERY rescued dog has some baggage that is not always apparent until some event triggers a hidden memory for the dog. Until your rescued dog has lived with you for a while and you have observed it under a variety of circumstances, until you have established mutual trust and have established general behavioral expectations, don't even THINK about taking your dog to a Dog Park. In my experience, six months is not too long to wait to really know what your rescued dog's personality and behavioral repertoire are like.


I am not advocating the closure of off-leash parks and beaches. For one thing, it's not a realistic proposal. The conviction on the part of what seems to me to be the majority of dog owners that dogs MUST be permitted to play off leash in places other than their own yards requires such facilities. Even many dog trainers encourage off-leash exercise by insisting that dogs can be trained to reliably obey commands when unconfined and off-leash. All I can say about that is, my faith in the Tooth Fairy is stronger than my faith in any dog's 100% obedience. I once held my breath and prayed while a highly trained, off-leash police dog eyed my two Greyhounds and hesitated to follow his trainer's order to get into his squad car.

I do believe that people who love their dogs deserve more education and caution before they merrily let their dogs loose in a dog park. Call me overly cautious, but I shudder to think of any group other than Sporting, and, perhaps, some Herding and the occasional Working breeds regularly visiting an off-leash park.

My daughter's Lab is a dog that is a perfect Dog Park Dog. Georgia has thick skin with a layer of protective fat that is characteristic of her breed. She barks at other dogs, but is not dog aggressive. She is a RETRIEVER, not a killer. In short, Georgia is the sort of dog for which off-leash dog parks are ideal.

On Thursdays, I answer the phone for a local Greyhound rescue. In addition to wrong numbers asking for bus ticket prices, I receive a wide variety of calls. Yesterday I spoke with a woman who will forever be traumatized by an attack in an off-leash dog park that resulted in serious injuries to THREE dogs. Witnessing a dog attack is traumatic. The woman I spoke to will never again be without some fear when she walks her dog. Believe me. I understand TOTALLY. I say a prayer EVERY time I hook up leashes and harnesses on Bingley and Magic.

Would Bingley and Magic like to run free? Fish gotta swim. Birds gotta fly. Bingley and Magic were born to run--and kill. But John and I are the only protection they have in a world that is completely different from the world in which their ancient breed was developed. For their protection and for the protection of other dogs, they will never be let loose in a Dog Park or on a Dog Beach.

Remembering Portia

A year ago today, Portia's heart stopped. And all of the efforts of a determined veterinary operating team could not get it started again.

Portia came to live with us in February, 2008. We had her for less than seventeen months. But her memory will never fade. She was the most challenging of all the dogs of my life: living proof that beauty and brains can go together. She picked up on the most subtle cues that I was planning to leave the house. And she was determined to either stop me or persuade me to take her with me. She could do great mischief in the house--shredding magazines or clothing that John and I had forgotten to put out of her reach. But on her walks, she was the perfect little lady, basking in the compliments of all who paused to comment on her beauty and comportment.

After a day or two of trying to match wits with Portia, John and I agreed that it would be better for her to have a doggy companion on which to focus some of her energy. So we took her back to Greyhound Adoption Center to choose a pal. She played tirelessly with two male Greyhounds. But it was Bingley who looked up at me with his warm brown eyes that said, "Please take me home with you."

There was never a question of who was boss. Portia teased and taunted Bingley for weeks. But he was so good-natured, he was always ready to play--on her terms. After six months, Bingley slowly took back some turf for himself and even though Portia was still the leader, their relationship was a true partnership.

They were complements. Portia reserved misbehavior for in the house. Outdoors, she was perfectly behaved. Bingley is a Good Boy in the house. Outdoors, he is The Great Hunter, constantly on the lookout for something to chase.

With adequate law enforcement, the attack that took Portia's life would not have happened. Not only Portia, but the dog who attacked her, Bingley , John and Zephyr would have been contained after his attack on Zephyr and he also would still be alive.

I cannot bring Portia back. But I pledge to do everything I can do to create a more responsive and realistic approach to leash laws and leash law enforcement in North San Diego County. When I talked about my dream with Marilyn, my Greyhound rescuing friend, she said, "We'll call it 'Portia's Law'."

A Year Ago

For months I have been dreading June 30, 2010. That's because shortly before 8pm on June 30, 2009, I heard the painful yelp of a dog half a block away. A few minutes later, I received a phone call from a neighbor with the news: John, Portia and Bingley had been attacked by the very same dog who had ravaged Zephyr less than three years earlier.

We rushed both dogs to the emergency vet's. Bingley was able to come home that night with multiple stitches, some holding the skin of his knee together that looked more like raw hamburger than skin. The vet wasn't sure that those stitches would hold. But with careful supervision of Bingley's every move, they did. And his rapid healing potential took over.

Portia was not so lucky. She was transferred to a veterinary hospital for specialty care for her massive wound. We visited her regularly and she seemed to be improving. But the ordeal was too much for her heart. It stopped beating on the morning of July 7, a needless loss that inspired this blog.

So we enter a week of remembering Portia. Her beauty. Her deviousness. Her love of play. Her perfect deportment on walks. Her mischievousness in the house.

We miss you, Portia. And we promise to do all we can to make our neighborhood safer for dogs on leash.

Animal Control 2010

About four years ago, my suburban--or exurban, I've never been able to figure out which--city in North San Diego County switched its contract for animal law enforcement from County Animal Control to a neighboring city's non-profit humane society.

The reason for the change was dramatically escalating charges by County Animal Control accompanied by what was perceived as a deterioration of service.

The humane society contracted to provide the same services for considerably less money.

Flash forward four years. Four years in which three of my dogs and my husband were attacked by by the same neighbor's dog on two separate occasions. The attacking dog was euthanized after the second attack and my beautiful Portia died while being treated for a massive wound. The deaths of both dogs, in my opinion, were the result of an overwhelmed agency selectively enforcing laws pertaining to dogs and people.

The humane society which originally quoted a comparatively low price for leash law enforcement is now requesting well over a half million dollars for the next fiscal year. They are now contracted to provide enforcement for a total of four jurisdictions and apparently have not increased their thinly spread staff to cover hundreds of square miles of urban, suburban and rural territory.

Something has to change.

On my way to share my experiences of attacks by unleashed dogs with the City Council, I stopped by my polling place to vote in the California Primary Election. During the brief time I was voting, TWO unleashed dogs approached the garage where I was voting and had altercations with a leashed dog who was in a voting booth with its owner.

San Marcos, we have a problem.

Two friends from my block and I made short statements to the City Council about our experiences with unleashed dogs and interactions with our current enforcement agency. Members of the Council listened and seemed to be engaged with the problems we presented.

The Council is reluctant to spend over half million dollars for what is clearly inadequate enforcement. And, while our city has been out of County Animal Control's enforcement area, their charges have continued to rise while enforcement has become problematic. Returning to their jurisdiction is not a viable option.

Things look bleak for those of us who say a prayer for safety every time we leash up our dogs and take them out for a walk.

But there is some hope. Our city is in discussion with two other North County cities about setting up an enforcement entity among the cities.

I'm really, really trying not to be too optimistic. But I must say, I love this concept. The current system of laws covering humans and their responsibilities toward their dogs, and the enforcement of those laws, is broken, broken, broken.

San Diego County, like most highly populated counties which cover a very large geographical area containing urban, suburban and rural areas, is just too much for one or even two animal control entities. I understand that it a major break in precedent, but the time has come to bring these services closer to the population served. And that means cities and municipalities MUST take over the responsibility for keeping dog walkers and pedestrians safe from unleashed dogs.

AND, if our local councils can be persuaded to take a fresh look at the laws from a perspective of consequences, deterrence and education, I believe a structure can be put in place that will defray a large amount of the costs of enforcement.

Stay tuned.

Starting Over

Top to bottom: Daphne, Zephyr, Portia, Bingley and Magic


The dog attack in Emerald Heights serves as another reminder that the entire body of laws and their enforcement in San Diego County need to be re-examined and reformulated to fit the current situation which includes:

1. Much denser population than existed when current laws and policies were made.

2. A rise in two career families, leading to dogs being left on their own for long stretches of time.

3. Severe dog overpopulation.

4. No-kill shelters (good), leading to re-homing of rescued dogs with "issues". (Good, but challenging).

This is probably not a complete list of changes that have occurred regarding dogs and people, but these are all factors contributing to the current problem of unsocialized, unrestrained dogs on North County streets and parks who present threats to the safety and lives of people and leashed dogs.

Since April, 2001, five rescued dogs have been a part of my life. Two of the five are currently members of my household. John and I would not have wanted to miss knowing any of them. However. Each one of them came to us with their own quirks and issues that were their individual adjustments to their genetic predispositions and their unique--sometimes cruel--life experiences.

We have not brought one of these dogs into our home that did not make me initially ask myself: "What have I done? Am I really able to meet the challenges that this dog presents?"

Sometimes it has taken weeks. Sometimes it has taken months. But, eventually, we form our methods of two way communication. The dog learns that John and I can be trusted for basic needs, acceptance and love. A new equilibrium is established in our household, and we watch our new doggie begin to share their "true selves" with us.

However: Each one of these dogs has enduring traits that are reflections of their previous life.

Daphne never could overcome her terror of motorcycles and loud trucks. Nor could she learn to modify her aggressive reaction to them. The puppy abandoned and alone on the streets of L.A. was a permanent part of her make up.

Zephyr never was able to overcome her fear of anything that sounded like a gunshot. Whenever she heard an engine backfire, she turned and ran for home. We suspect that during her long racing career, she witnessed the shooting of her less successful competitors.

Portia had night terrors. She was apparently re-living some early trauma--perhaps the race when she broke her ankle.

Bingley is very high prey. A model citizen in the home, he becomes The Mighty Hunter once we hook up collar, harness and leashes and open the door. We are resigned to his never being able to unlearn the early training that his job, indeed his life, depended on his being able to chase down fuzzy creatures.

Magic is still settling in. But the years of confinement in a cage, having no nurturing contact with a human have clearly made her anxious in new situations. Unsure of her safety, she is poised to bolt.

Now. Think about it. Do these dogs deserve a chance to live out their lives in a loving home? I think they do. Do these dogs deserve to enjoy daily walks on a leash? I think they do.

I work with my dogs. I teach them "no", "let's go", "down". But I am not sanguine about being able to overcome early learning and trauma. I depend on collars, leashes and harnesses to enable me to restrain them from being nuisances or even menaces to other dogs.

I also depend on other dog owners to keep their dogs restrained. Their dogs might be models of canine good citizens. But all dogs are unpredictable. Even highly trained dogs. I do not take my dogs into situations that I have reason to believe are beyond their tolerance. I rely on other dog owners to obey the laws so that my dogs can live a reasonable doggie life.

Rethinking dog-human laws and their enforcement is necessary at this time for many reasons. But an important reason is that people are becoming more and more aware of the challenges of homeless dogs and are adopting rescued dogs. This is a Really Good Thing. But it makes realistic dog related laws and enforcement all the more critical.

Consequences, But No Solution

A Reliable Source has informed me that the two dogs involved in the attack in Emerald Heights have been euthanized at the request of their owner.

While this action eases the pervasive fear in the Emerald Heights neighborhood, it does little to address the rampant problem of loose dogs roaming the streets and running around parks in North San Diego County.

Underlining this fact, yesterday, a bicyclist was attacked and bitten by a loose dog in Encinitas.

We now have two more active North County residents who are just beginning to deal with the physical damages caused by dog bites. My husband, who was bitten the evening of June 30, 2009, is still experiencing pain and restricted movement as the result of a "simple" puncture bite to his hand. I wish these two most recent victims a swift and complete recovery.

But the impact of a dog attack lasts a long, long time.

When dogs are euthanized because they are menaces to their community, no one really wins. The system has failed. It has failed to protect innocent citizens. It has failed to educate dog owners about the privileges and responsibilities of dog ownership. And it has failed to truly protect the creatures that it is supposed to protect: the dogs themselves.

We need to take a good, long, sensible look at the laws and the enforcement of laws related to dogs and people. The law now used by the Escondido Humane Society to deal with situations like the Emerald Heights attack is an old California State Agriculture Law! Its enforcement offers NOTHING in the way of a deterrent.

We need a system of graduated fines charged to people whose dogs are loose--for whatever reason. We need to provide mandatory classes in dog ownership for offenders--paid for by the offenders. California got serious about reducing deaths caused by drunken drivers. When we get serious about reducing the threat of dog attacks on our streets, we can do something about that, too. And save lives--human as well as canine--in the process.

Dog Attack

Emerald Heights is a lovely, gated community not too far from where I live. But no community is safe from loose, unsocialized dogs:

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido

(Scroll down to "Loose Dogs Attack Man")

One is reluctant to criticize a humane society which is devoted to the well being of pets. But the response to this attack, as the response to the attacks on Zephyr, Portia, Bingley and John, is totally inadequate.

San Diego County has not had a case of rabies in a domestic dog for more than 50 years. But the official response to a dog bite--at least in Escondido and San Marcos--is restricted to quarantining the dog and testing for rabies 10 days later. Of course, this action should be taken. But it is meaningless as a deterrent to future attacks.

We need to institute a series of graduated fines for each incident of a loose dog biting a human or another dog. Loose dogs who bite humans should NOT be left in the custody of their neglectful owners during the quarantine period.

Owner education classes should be required of owners of such dogs--paid for my the offending owners.

My sympathies go out to the victim of this attack, his friend, and the leashed dog who was being walked. The fear engendered by such an incident never quite goes away. One can only be grateful that a child was not in the vicinity.

Further Thoughts:

I just received an email from a dear friend telling me that the attack occurred one block from her home. She walks her aging Dalmatian mix every day around her neighborhood. I pray for her safety.

If you have never witnessed a dog attack, you can have no idea how sudden and terrifying they are. After our Toy Poodle, Mame, was attacked, I walked with a cane, believing that I could fend off any aggressive dog. I had a cane in my hand when Champers, our Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, was attacked. It was useless. The attack happened so fast and the dogs' positions changed so rapidly while Champers was fighting for his life, all I could do was stand by helplessly and scream. John had a cane in his hand when he, Portia and Bingley were attacked. He, too, discovered that a cane is useless when trying to protect a leashed dog--or oneself--from a loose, vicious dog.

I now walk with pepper spray. I have promised myself that I will spray any loose dog who approaches my dogs while I am walking them. Can I act quickly enough to prevent tragedy? I hope I never have to find out.

We must redouble our efforts to strengthen both the laws related to loose dogs and the enforcement of those laws. Dog walking, jogging, and biking should not be dangerous activities.

Court Report

After a terrifying attack on her dog, Chantel, by a loose Pit Bull on July 5; after dropping her Small Claims Court case when the Pit's owner promised to pay; after re-instating her Small Claims Court case when the Pit's owner did not pay, Kathi finally got her day in court on November 20.

The attacking dog's owner agreed to make monthly payments until Chantel's veterinarian's bill is paid. But having been there, done that, I must add that Small Claims Court does not give the plaintiff any court costs. So, filing fees and fees for subpoena service are out of pocket. And since Kathi was forced to pay for subpoena service a second time, she will net significantly less than what she paid the vet to treat Chantel.

All the same, in spite of the bother and frustrations, it is important that owners of dogs who are attacked by loose dogs pursue appropriate legal remedies. In my opinion, owners of loose dogs who attack leashed dogs should receive significant fines and be required to attend Responsible Dog Ownership Classes. But, until that day arrives--at least in North San Diego County--the only deterrent to repeat offenses is for the owner of the injured dog to take legal action.

Thank you, Kathi, for hanging in there. You have done all you can to make your neighborhood a safer place for dogs on leash.

Correction: Although a plaintiff may not include filing and subpoena service charges in their claim, if awarded judgment, filing and subpoena service charges will be awarded in addition to the claim. However, since Kathi agreed to mediation, she not only will not be receiving the full amount of Chantal's vet bill, she also will not be reimbursed for the fees she has paid.

Remembering Portia

Today Bingley and I were walking in the park with Marilyn and her pack--Franklin, Hattie and Ruby. From across the parking lot, a man who was preparing to play tennis shouted "Where's Portia?"

I told him that Portia had been killed. She had been attacked by a loose dog, had fought for her life for six days, but had lost the fight. He expressed his condolences and spoke of her beauty.

I was touched that he not only remembered that I had had another dog, but that he actually remembered her name.

As we walked away, Marilyn and I, both close to tears, agreed that Portia was one of those really unusual creatures who made a lasting impression on just about everyone who ever met her. If she had been human, Portia would have been a Supermodel or a Movie Star, an Audrey Hepburn or a Jacqueline Kennedy.

I will never forget a scene from a day or two after we adopted Portia. I was walking her about a block from my house, when two of my friends approached in their cars from opposite directions. Simultaneously, both slammed on their brakes, parked hurriedly, and came running over to Portia and me, and said--in unison--"She is beautiful!"

Portia didn't bat a lash. She thought that was how people said, "Hello."

Great Idea!

A concept whose time has come. A new way of dealing with leash law violations based on the model of traffic violations.

Responsible Pet Ownership Program

Presently, this program is available only to residents of the City of San Diego. There are plans to make it a county-wide program. It cannot come to North County soon enough, as far as I am concerned.

It seems to me that this model could be expanded to more serious violations involving attacks on humans and other dogs by off-leash dogs, using DUI enforcement as a model.

My bias is for stiff, graduated fines for these attacks, with the ultimate penalty of the loss of the right to have a dog, if violations persist.

Owning a dog is a privilege, not a right!