Two Years

Hang in there, Faithful Readers. A Modest Proposal for addressing the dual problems of homeless dogs and negligent dog owners is still in production.

Meanwhile. Happy Second Anniversary to Friends of Portia.

Bingley is still with us, and, in another month, he will celebrate his eighth birthday. This will make him the oldest rescue dog that John and I have had. And the sweetest tempered, I must add.

Magic has made herself an important part of our lives. Her unique blend of dignity, iron will, and introversion keep us amused and enthralled.

We still remember Portia. Unforgettable Portia. The picture of decorum on walks. The epitome of mischief in the house.

Rest in Peace, Beautiful Portia.

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 Rescue Day: Happy Official Birthday

The problem with being a rescue is that no one knows for sure just what happened before you were rescued.

Such is the case with Magic, our Greyhound-Scottish Deerhound mix.

When I initially examined her records, I thought that she was rescued on July 15, 2008. However, looking more closely yesterday, I established that she came to Greyhound Adoption Center--along with two of her three puppies and the puppies' father--on July 12, 2008. A third puppy was rescued shortly thereafter.

So, Happy Rescue Day, Magic! And since we will never know her birthday, and two very knowledgeable Sighthound experts estimated her to be four years old when she was rescued, John and I decided to make her Rescue Day her Official Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Magic!

Magic was a frightened creature when she arrived at Greyhound Adoption Center. She was clever enough to open two gates and lead a little band of escapees from the kennel area. It was just very good luck that they were discovered and recovered before leaving the security of the surrounding property.

She did not "kennel well". She barked at everyone who passed her kennel and took an irrational dislike to some of the staff and volunteers, who only wanted to help her.

We will forever be grateful to her foster mother, Lynnet, who helped to socialize Magic before Magic came to live with us.

It isn't every day that a "Fuzzy", that is a Greyhound mixed with a long haired or wire haired Sighthound, becomes available for adoption. So we feel lucky to have been able to welcome one into our home.

Today our Fuzzy Valentine is officially seven years old. We hope that she has at least another seven years to go.

Another Day, Another Sad Story

A great friend of dogs just emailed me with an appeal for an eight year old, 33 pound, white with dark markings, short haired mixed breed female dog who has been dumped at a high kill "shelter" in East L.A. She has lovely blue eyes and is dazed over this turn of events. Her human died and there was no one to take her in.

If you have any room or any prospects for a foster or forever home for this sweet dog, email me:

portiasmom@live.com

Remembering Portia

Portia died two years ago today. She was Bright and Beautiful. She was Wise--in a canine sense. And she was definitely Wonderful.

The legal settlement for the attack that killed her and injured Bingley and John will soon be final. I pray that as news of the settlement filters through our neighborhood, it will make dog owners think before casually letting their dogs roam off leash.

Over the past two years, this blog, named for Portia, has provided a forum in which I have explored my twin concerns: dog rescue and responsible dog guardianship. I will probably never be able to demonstrate that Friends of Portia has made a "statistically significant difference" in easing the plight of homeless, neglected or unsocialized dogs. But if one dog is saved each year; if one careless owner remembers to use a leash or is nagged into using a leash, Portia's memory will have made an important difference.

Rest In Peace, Beautiful Portia.

Happy Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July! It's a wonderful holiday, commemorating the founding of the most remarkable country imaginable. I'll always be in awe that of all the periods in history that people have been born, of all the places in the world that they have been born, I was among the fortunate few to have been born in Twentieth Century United States of America. I have been blessed and I will celebrate whole-heartedly today.

But for many of our canine companions, The Fourth of July is the most frightening day--or evening--of the year. We will be returning home before dark this evening to give what comfort we can to Bingley. He's a fearless hunter, but loud noises upset him. We wouldn't think of leaving him alone to panic.

So. Celebrate and have a wonderful time. But think of your dogs. Above all, do not leave a dog alone in a backyard. Tomorrow morning, Animal Control will be gathering up lost dogs who jumped fences, broke chains, ran in terror because they were left to fend for themselves during the fireworks. Don't let one of those poor creatures be one of yours.

Breed Bans

Recently, there was a horrific incident in San Diego County in which two unattended Pit Bulls broke through a neighbor's fence and viciously attacked a 75 year old woman inflicting catastrophic injuries.

Not surprisingly, there are calls for banning Pit Bulls in San Diego County.

I am old enough to remember a long line of Vicious Breeds.

When I was a very young child, "Police Dogs", that is German Shepherd Dogs, or Alsatians, as they are called in Great Britain, were the Vicious Dog.

Then there were Dobermans.

Then there were Rottweilers. Indeed, my wonderful Champers was attacked by two vicious Rottweilers, who inflicted injuries that ultimately resulted in Champer's having to be put to sleep at an early age.

Now we have Pit Bulls.

What is the common, unmentioned factor in the long line of Vicious Breeds?

It's humans, of course.

Having a dog as a companion is a privilege, not a right, not a "lifestyle statement". It is a huge responsibility.

If Pit Bulls are banned, the banning of other breeds will follow.

Funds and energies of authorities need to be directed toward the human side of the equation.

Currently, the San Diego Union Tribune is conducting a poll about banning Pit Bulls in San Diego County. Please register your support of holding humans responsible for the dogs in their care:

Call 1-800-244-6397, x2506 When asked by the automated message, press 2, to affirm human beings' responsibility not only for Pit Bulls, but for all dogs.

Thank you