SpokAnimal
C.A.R.E.
COMPANION
ANIMAL
RELATIONSHIP
ENRICHMENT
Companion
Animal News
Your Inland Northwest Humane Society
Vol. 23 No. 4
Winter Issue - Published Quarterly
Winter 2006
Thanks to Our Members
A wet dog shivers in the dark, alone - while his family
gathers, warm inside. A stray cat huddles against the glass on
frosty window sill, longing to curl up on a warm lap. A lonely dog
gives a mournful howl from a shelter kennel run.
For some, a pet is a fashion accessory, an extension of ego,
or merely a money maker. To others a possession, a toy for the
kids to be discarded when the novelty wains. To us, cherished
family members who bring us joy every day for the whole of their
lives that are far too short.
Our beloved pets sprawl contentedly at our feet. They have
no idea how lucky they really are. Why such a contrast in
society’s views in our regard for animals?
When we see animals left out, shivering in the cold, left
behind when someone moves, abandoned on the street to fend
for themselves, we wonder WHY did they get a pet in the first
place? How can they look out their window, drive away and not
see the misery?
All of us at SpokAnimal would like to say thank you for your
continued support and for being the animal lover that you are.
We would kindly ask that you share the gifts of the Season by
taking a few minutes of your time to make a special year-end tax
deductible donation to SpokAnimal CARE to help us raise the
critical funds that are needed every day to help pay for food,
supplies and to provide the emergency medical care and spay/
neuters needed for homeless animals. We can’t do all we do,
without YOU!
What’s Inside:
Page
Waiting and wishing for a forever home.
Our staff thanks you for your
continued contributions to help us
help the unlucky ones.
Here’s Wishing Them All a
Home Like Yours for the Holidays!
What’s Inside:
Page
From the Executive Director ............................................ 2
Dog Whisperer Article Stirs a Few Yelps ................... 9-10
President’s Message ........................................................2,5
Readers Response to Dog Whisperer Article ........... 10, 13
Lucky To Be Alive .......................................................... 3-5
In Loving Memory ............................................................11
The Dream of a Dog-Friendly Community ................ 5, 12
In Memory of Greta .........................................................11
How You Can Help .......................................................... 6
If Jesus Had a Dog ...........................................................11
Purrs, Licks & Tailwags ..................................................... 7
City Dog vs Country Dog ................................................12
Pet Sponsors ...................................................................... 7
Articles Submitted By Our Readers .......................... 13, 14
Sit Up and Beg .................................................................. 7
Basil Barks ........................................................................14
Happy Endings .................................................................. 8
Thank You Auction Donors ............................................15
Letters From Our Readers ................................................. 8
Volunteer Spotlight .......................................................... 15
SpokAnimal
C.A.R.E.
COMPANION
ANIMAL
RELATIONSHIP
ENRICHMENT
Your Inland Northwest Humane Society
Board of Directors
Pres: Christel Carlson
Vice Pres: Regina Winkler
Sec: Kimberly Kamel
Treas: Barbara Grant
Teresa Evans
Reiko Linde
John Dorwin
Wendy J. Walker
Linda Jacobs
Martine Maxey
Terri Atkinson
Cynthia Scwartz
Elin Zander
Kay Nash
Advisory Board
Gary Buck
Lori Humphrey
Monica Meglasson Cathy Fox
Frank Harrison
Mary Ronnestad
Location:
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.
N. 714 Napa • Spokane, WA 99202
Phone:
(509) 534-8133 • Fax: (509) 535-9630
Website:
http://www.spokanimal.org
Shelter Hours:
Adoption Center:
10AM-6PM ~ Mon-Fri
Noon-4PM ~ Sat-Sun
Licensing / Front Desk
8:30AM-6:30PM
24-hour Lost Pet Hotline
232-2230
~ OUR MISSION ~
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. is a non-profit
organization dedicated to promoting
kindness and consideration for animals
through education, to reduce pet
overpopulation through sterilization,
and to establish programs and sheltering
which meet national standards.
TUNE IN!
SpokAnimal is featured on:
KREM Ch 2
Tuesday noon news
KXLY Ch 4
Tues. & Fri. on Good Morning NW
KHQ Ch 6
Saturday morning news
The BOB
Catch us on Tuesdays at 4:30 pm
From the Executive Director…
Dear Friends,
We are currently still in
negotiations
with the City of
Spokane to
continue animal control for
an interim
period to enable them to
have a workable plan in
place for them to take over animal control.
It looks like we will be continuing for a
short contract, which will enable us both
to transition well.
As you can see by this newsletter, we
have had a rash of very disturbing cases
since November 15. There has been a
happy ending for all but the one dog
found dead on the end of a chain.
SpokAnimal will be working towards an
anti-chaining law for the City in the
coming months. Additionally we will be
pushing for legislation that will require
those selling animals on street corners,
parking lots and public places to have a
peddler’s license. We have all seen the
pitbull and rottweiler puppies for sale on
North Division from the back of a pickup
with some scruffy looking character selling them. This would give some teeth
(forgive the pun) to stopping this practice.
On our website we have posted the
statistics concerning the number of
animals handled and outcomes, for 2004
and 2005. As you can see, we euthanized
very few healthy, adoptable pets. However, even one is too many. To that end,
staff and board have been dedicated this
year to increasing placements of those in
our care. To date, we have placed 1092
more animals in 2006 than in 2005. Our
incoming animals for the year 2005 was
10366. Thru December 5, 2006, we have
received 9073. This includes the animals
we assisted in placing from the Bonner
County hoarding case, the 114 cats we
took in from a hoarding case in the City of
Spokane, and the 38 cat hoarding case in
Spokane. Our team is to be commended,
and I am very proud of the work we have
done, but there is more to do.
We need your help in finding homes
for more animals. If you or someone you
know has a request, call 534-8133 ext 206
and be added to our Wish List. Refer your
friends looking for a new pet to come by
the shelter. Thanks for the help you have
given us this year and for your continued
support. Our goal is to place every healthy,
adoptable pet in our care. Once we have
realized that goal, we will progress on to
treatable pets. It is a lofty goal, but you can
see by the figures that we are close to goal
number one. You have made it happen.
Let’s keep it going.
Sincerely, Gail
Gail B. Mackie, Executive Director
President’s Message
Hard to believe that this is the final
column of 2006! We have taken great
strides as an organization in 2006 and we
have much to look forward to in the near
future. Gail Mackie and the Board of
Directors (special thanks to Barbara Grant,
John Dorwin and Kim Kamel) worked
hard to establish a more equitable animal
control contract with the City of Spokane.
The new contract more accurately reflects
the cost of providing this service and will
allow us to increase reimbursement to our
very loyal and talented, but grossly
underpaid, staff.
We have good news and bad news
regarding our annual fund raising auction.
The great news is that many loyal donors
provided excellent items which were
purchased by old and new supporters,
staff attended in record numbers and met
supporters (thanks to donated tables from
some of our BOD), and significant funds
were raised for SpokAnimal. The difficult
news is that the amount of work and
energy by staff, BOD, and volunteers
continued on page 5
Issues of SpokAnimal’s Companion Animal News are now available for
download online at “http://www.spokanimal.org!”
2
Lucky to Be Alive
Your donations to our “Lucky to Be
Alive” fund help us provide emergency
medical care for dogs like Snuf, Molly and
Blue!
Long Haul Trucker Spirits Dog to a
Better Life
able to keep him and brought him to us.
He was featured on the noon news on
KREM TV. Gail Mackie reported, “The
part of his skull that supports his nasal
passages and front and side teeth were
apparently crushed by multiple blows of
a baseball bat. He is truly lucky to be alive
and even luckier that a kind soul saw his
plight and removed him. His breathing is
raspy and his tongue hangs out, but he
eats well and is trusting and loving to
all he meets in spite of his previous
treatment.”
SpokAnimal veterinarian Dr. Lisa
Branford performed surgery to remove
the remaining teeth and bone fragments
from his jaw, then neutered him so we
could find him a forever home.
Snuffalupagus waits for a home
This very sweet Shepherd/Lab cross
was rescued from an abusive life and
brought many miles by a long haul trucker
to Spokane to find a new family. She said
she had found the dog with his nose
smashed in and had taken him to her vet
to help him. The vet told her his injuries
were from blunt force trauma, probably
from a baseball bat. She was no longer
Starved & Stray - a Walking Skeleton
On Halloween, SpokAnimal’s officers picked up a beautiful blue Doberman
Pinscher running stray. He was very
sweet and lovable, and extremely emaciated. While shelter staff would have liked
to give him as much as he would eat, in
his starving condition, his body couldn’t
handle very much at once. He was fed
small amounts of food every two hours to
ease his stomach back into working
order. From his stool it looked like he had
been eating whatever he could in order to
stay alive, it was mostly seeds. His owners
never came looking for him. Director of
Operations Angela reports, “On the 3rd of
November, I adopted this sweet boy to a
wonderful couple, the Ticen’s. They left
the shelter and headed straight to their vet
to have blood work and a complete
checkup.” A favorite of shelter staff, “The
big guy loved everyone, even though it
doesn’t seem any human had ever been
kind to him,” said Angela. “And before
they left, he got up on his hind legs and
gave me a big Dobie hug and sloppy kiss.
Then on his way to his new life with good
humans he went. It was a perfect day!”
This nice couple from Cheney came in on
October 11th and adopted him into their
family.
Cruelty Case Dogs Relinquished by Owner
Molly, an Old English Sheepdog, and
a young Border Collie named Stormy
were finally relinquished to SpokAnimal
as part of a cruelty investigation right
before the terrible Thanksgiving cold snap.
Adult sheepdogs should weigh 55-65
pounds. Molly weighed only 35 pounds.
Following up on a neighbor’s report,
SpokAnima officer and Director of Operations Angela Johnson went by to check
out the situation on the 22nd and took
photographs to document the dogs’ living
conditions. The sheepdog wouldn’t come
out of the doghouse, but the border collie
was very friendly and came up to the
fence to say hi. Angela noted on her
report that she was very, very thin. There
Continued on page 4
An uninsulated dog house, no blankets in
a small pen full of feces ...
3
Blue was found emaciated and
abandoned.
Lucky to Be Alive (continued from page 3)
were three empty bowls in the kennel,
feces everywhere, and the canvas top was
about to cave in from the weight of all the
water and leaves. Angela had some dog
cookies in her car, which she tossed into
the kennel on the cleanest spot she
could find.
Several door tags were left. Initial
contact with the owner was impossible
as she had been incarcerated since
September. The boyfriend or brother
kept removing the door tags we posted.
By law, it must be proven that the dogs
were left unattended and unfed for a
minimum of 36 hours* before officers
can enter the property and remove the
animals without owner release (with
some exceptions). The removal of the
tags indicated someone had been there.
When we finally received a call back,
we made contact with the caretaker and
finally obtained an owner surrender.
Both Molly and Stormy were then transported to the shelter.
It was then that the actual condition
of the dogs could be assessed by shelter
veterinarian, Lisa Branford. Fecal matter
indicated the dogs had little more to eat
than the apples that fell into their
kennel from the tree above. Molly’s
overall condition scored a 1 (out of 9).
What little coat she had was matted.
Staff took on the tedious task of clipping and brushing out the tangles and
found she was a very sweet girl. They
bathed her and the water ran red with
the blood from fleas.
Additionally, Molly suffered from
an autoimmune problem which left her
unable to produce eye lubrication. She
will be on medication for the rest of her
life for this condition. Stormy, the
border collie, was also underweight,
but in slightly better condition being
the younger, more agile and able to get
to the apples as they fell. She has an
excellent disposition and was placed
for adoption - and found a home!
The investigation is ongoing and
cruelty charges will be filed. The story
of these two lovely dogs is a work in
progress, illustrating the partnering of
animal welfare groups area-wide.
SpokAnimal investigated, impounded
the dogs, obtained veterinary care, and
is prosecuting the case. Patricia Simonet,
an employee at SCRAPS, offered foster
accommodations for Molly so she could
begin her recuperation in a home
environment. Seattle Purebred Dog
Rescue put us in touch with their
Eastern Washington rescue. They came
to town to evaluate Molly and will
transport her to Idaho Old English
Sheepdog Rescue, where she will recuperate and be placed for adoption.
Blood work, treatment, medication
and care were provided through your
generous donations to the Lucky To Be
Alive Fund.
*When we receive a complaint and
an officer is assigned to investigate, we
try to make contact with the owner. If
that isn’t possible, a 36-hour door tag
is left. We do check on the animal
during that time and make sure food/
water is available if we are able. If the
door tags are still in place after the 36
hours (set by the Revised Code of Washington), the animals are removed. If
the door tags are not still in place the
options include: asking neighbors to
notify us when the animal owner is at
home, replacing door tags, and
continuing to ensure the animals are
receiving food/water. In some conditions spelled out by the RCW, we are
able to remove the animal if it is a
life-threatening situation.
Continued on page 5
Dirty, matted, and infested with fleas ...
We can’t do what we do,
without you! Your donations make it possible for
us to investigate cruelty and
provide care. They depend
on you. Donate today!
It wasn’t until Molly was wet that the full impact of just how emaciated she was became
apparent. Clean and dry - very little fur remained due to the fleas and matts.
4
President’s Message (continued from page 2)
(thanks Janice Williams) to secure these
donations and run the auction is significant and we raise much less than we hope
for ($20k this year). As expenses mount to
host an affair like this we need to take a
hard look at how best to generate funds
for our organization and evaluate whether
we continue a face-to-face or other format
– let us hear your ideas.
I was humbled at the number of
individuals that donated to the Lucky to
Be Alive Fund and for dog dorm ($75/yr)
and cat condo ($50/yr) sponsorships at
the auction. We had 61 dog dorms and 50
cat condos to adopt out and have to date
sponsorships for 27 dog dorms and 8 cat
condos. The really great news is that this
is the perfect holiday gift to honor friends,
your loving animals, and support
SpokAnimal and we have plenty of
opportunities left for you. We provide the
acknowledgment plaque and will gladly
notify you in time for you to renew next
year. Memberships are only $20/yr and
those funds support our animals directly.
(See pg 12 for a kennel sponsor form.)
We are especially grateful to some of our
major sponsors throughout this year such
as RV’S Northwest, Petsmart, Walmart,
Costco, Mr. and Mrs. House, and our
veterinarian partners. We really could not
exist without their cash and in-kind donations. Our media partners KREM, KXLY,
KHQ, The BOB, The Inlander, and the
Spokesman -Review enable us to showcase our adoptable pets and get important
service messages out to the public. The
outcome of everyone working together
has been the adoption (thru 12/5/2006) of
an additional 1092 animals over those
adopted in 2005.
We are pleased to welcome Kay Nash
and Elin Zander as voting members of the
B.O.D. and thank retiring members Nancy
Downs and Bridget Bossio. We will
continue to emphasize some of our
wonderful programs in the coming year,
make improvements to our physical plant,
and plan for future dreams (dog park,
education and training area and new
adoption shelter). Thanks to all of you
who love and care for our companion
animals and support our efforts to assist
those that just need our help in finding
them a new home. Happy holidays to
you all.
Christel Carlson
SpokAnimal BOD President
Lucky to Be Alive
(continued from page 4)
Some are not so lucky ...
On 11/29/06 Officers Trambitas and
Walker responded to a report of a dog on
a chain that was dead. They interviewed
a man who was working on a vacant
duplex who directed them to the backyard where they found the carcass of an
emaciated dog covered in snow attached
by a chain to a tie-out. It seemed obvious
we were looking at a possible 1st degree
Cruelty to Animals charge, which is a
felony. Our officers are not commissioned
to investigate felonies so we called the
Spokane Police Department. SPD officers
were dispatched to investigate and
gathered info. Another officer was called
out to photograph the dog. The police
officers said the case would be turned
over to the detectives. We then transported the dog to SpokAnimal, where
Dr. Lisa Branford examined the dog.
She assessed a body condition score of 1
out of a possible 9 based on the Purina
Body Condition System chart. It was
obvious the dog suffered greatly before
dying of dehydration, malnutrition and
exposure.
The Dream of a Dog-Friendly Community
Dogs welcome! In states like California and Florida, it is legal for restaurants
to allow dogs in their outside dining areas
where food is served.
“California is perhaps the most dogfriendly state in the country with regards
to dogs at outdoor dining establishments.
The state has been pet-friendly in this
manner for at least the past 20 years.
According to Susan Strong, a representative of the California Department of Health
Services (CDHS), Food and Drug Branch,
“(pet) dogs are allowed throughout
California at any outdoor dining areas
unless they have to walk through the
inside of a restaurant to get to the outdoor
seats.” It does not matter if food is served
outside or taken out by the customer, or
if the seats are located on a patio, sidewalk, or in a fenced area as long as there
is access through an outside gate or
opening. The California law is set by
statute which was last updated in 1986. In
addition, the California statute forbids
counties or cities from making these codes
stricter. Of course, it is still the prerogative
of a restaurant owner to choose whether
or not to allow dogs in their outdoor
seating area, but the choice lies with the
owner, not the city or county.”
“Compared to California, the State of
Washington has an entirely different set of
statutes with regards to dogs at outdoor
restaurants. According to Janet Anderberg
of the Washington Department of Health,
“Animals are not allowed on the premises
of a food establishment”. The premises is
defined as the area that is controlled by
the restaurant owner, including an outside dining area, regardless of whether
food is served there or not. However,
even though Washington’s state health
code does not allow animals on the
premises of a food establishment, this
does not automatically preclude dogs in
outdoor seating areas throughout the state.
In Washington, the state allows the county
health departments to issue variances if
5
they are willing to do so. Also, tables that
are not controlled by the restaurant
directly, such as those in a shopping
center that are cleaned by mall janitors or
an area on a sidewalk beyond a restaurant’s
railing may not be defined as the premises
by local health inspectors. In the absence
of any variances, generally the only way
for people with dogs to dine outdoors
with their dog in the State of Washington
is to get the food to go or carry out, and
continued on page 12
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SpokAnimal is a non-profit and tax-exempt organization.
All contributions, donations and gifts are tax-deductible.
Not Everyone Can Have a Pet, But Everyone Can Help an Animal Find a Home
Donate • Become a Kennel Sponsor •Volunteer
Every time you see a homeless pet
featured on TV or hear about a needy
animal whose family can no longer keep
it, you sigh. You just can’t help them all or can you? Of course you can! By
becoming a Pet Sponsor to provide direct
care and subsidize a portion of the adoption fee for an animal in our adoption
center or donating to our Lucky to Be
Alive fund, you can make a difference,
one animal at a time. Donate today!!
Board President Christel Carlson has
set a goal of having each and every dog
and cat compartment sponsored prior to
her leaving office in March 07. From the
auction we received the following:
$50 sponsor of kitty condo:
• In memory of Spot and Rudy, Lady,
Shelby
- from Ellen Johnson
• In Honor of Our Pets
- Dave & Linda Meredith
• In Memory of Barbara G. Moore 2006
- Carla Saffle
• Bill and Marie Malloy
• The Spokesman-Review (5 condos
sponsored)
• In Memory of PJ - A Cat Much Loved
• In Loving Memory of our cat Gizmo
- Amanda Novotney
$75 sponsor of dog compartments
• You Could Be My Friend For Life
- Colleen Mallon
• To Honor Alaska
- Cyra & Christel Carlson
• To Honor Dixie
- Cyra & Christel Carlson
• The Spokesman-Review (5 compartments sponsored)
• Dorothy Stewart
• In Honor of Our Pets
- Dave & Linda Meredith
• In Memory of my Best Buddy Augie
- Marilyn Meyer
• In Memory of UBU and GRAMPS
- Elin Zander
• Inland Empire Veterinary Imaging
• In Memory of all the animal kids we
love
- Janice Williams
• In Memory of Boomer
- The Crew at MJM Grand
• New Leash on Life
- Bill and Brenda (2 sponsored)
• Remembering Thunder
- Marilyn Meyer
• In Honor of Paige - Volunteer for
many years
• Every One Needs A Home
- Printing Rescources INC
• In Honor of Whit
- Dennis Penna
• In Honor of Max
- Dennis Penna
• In Memory of Mandy & Maggi
- the Grants
• Lilac City Sprinklers
• Larson Demolition
Funds from these sponsors help pay
for cleaning, maintenance, and special
paperwork for these cages for one year.
A notice of expiration will be mailed out
next year to continue the sponsor.
Thanks to those who have sponsored.
Please use the sponsor form to participate in this program.
✁
Please Help Save A Life - Become A Kennel Sponsor
Please fill out the information below and mail along with your contribution to:
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.
Kennel Sponsor
P.O. Box 3151
Spokane, WA 99220
Name ___________________________________
Important: your message must fit in the squares below:
Address __________________________________
City_______________ State____ Zip ___________
Day Phone ________________________________
(make checks payable to SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.)
Evening Phone ______________________________
If you have further questions, please contact
SpokAnimal at 534-8133.
6
Purrs, Licks & Tailwags
Pet Sponsors
Thank you!
The following fabulous people have
donated $25 or more to sponsor
animals in our adoption kennels:
To all who donated and attended and
bid at our Annual Auction! We made a
grand total of $21,128.13. We have
purchased a new printer for both receiving, data processing and the kennels.
New materials will be purchased for the
Education department library. A new cart
will be purchased which will make the
cleaning process more streamlined for the
cat department. Special thanks to Laura
Thulean and the Auction Committee without whom this event would not have been
possible. We have the most fantastic Board
of Directors EVER and thank them all for
their sales of tables, donations, and skill in
preparing baskets. Thanks also to all who
sponsored kennels and donated to the
LUCKY TO BE ALIVE FUND.
Special thanks to all our contributors
who make our programs a reality. We
couldn’t do what we do without YOU!
Snow plowing: Steve Day
Shelter repairs: Mark Worden
Spokane Art Suppy for the loan of all
their easels for the auction
Dorie Peck, Cunningham Photography
and the Spokesman for featuring each
and every shelter animal in the area for
adoption in a special section of the Sunday
Spokesman, and to all donors who sponsored.
PetSmart for allowing us to feature our
cats for adoption.
WalMart (all 3 area stores) for sponsoring
the Very Best Pet Network
Aslin Finch Valley Store and Will Parks
for donation of cat butlers
PetFinder.org for continuing to support
shelters and advertising our pets for adoption
The E-Team for behavior assessments of
dogs in our Adoption Center
Foster homes and Transport volunteers who provide interim care and help
get our adoptable animals out of the
shelter.
Sit Up and Beg
WE NEED • Items for re-sale on EBAY
• Good quality flatbed scanner to
use in listing items for sale on
EBAY
• Small scale to use for EBAY sales
• Bathroom Tissue
• Paper Towels
• Writeable CD’s
• Print Cartridges:
HP78
HP15
HP 12 (this is the most used)
HP 41
HP 23
HP 26
Brother TN570
Xerox 30
Xerox 70
Xerox 40
• Batteries for the scanners AAA
• Gift Cards to Staples, Office Depot
and Walmart
• Books and DVD’s animal related
for our library
• Gift certificates/cards to local gas
stations for pet therapy, adoption
outreach or educational visits
For the Animals:
• Cheez Whiz (kong stuffer)
• Peanut Butter (kong stuffer)
• Pig Ears (temperament evaluations)
• Small kitty toys or ping pong
balls
• Canned food for dogs/puppies
(for all our thin pups)
• Dog toys and all sorts of treats
and goodies!!!
• Grooming brushes
For the Adoption Center, Clinic
& Receiving:
• Mop buckets, mop heads and
handles
• Empty pill bottles for clinic
• Blankets and towels
• A commercial washer and dryer
for clinic and receiving would be
wonderful
• Bleach, bleach, and more
bleach
• Wet floor signs
• Frames so we can hang
things up nicely
• Office supplies
• A vacuum cleaner (ours died)
7
Brock Eubanks
Donna Mergen,
Windemere Real Estate
Brenda Fairbanks x2
Mary Elaine Penton x3
Ronald Reed x 6 !!Sheri Lattimare
Jon & Sally Wamba x3
Art & Alma Vogt
Mary Ann Lachiewicz
William & Pam Whitcomb x2
Bernita McKereghan
Maria Riegert x3
Gerald & Marla Dittrich x4!
Ruby McNeill
John Hollett & Zandra Saez x2
Robert & Geraldine Conrad
Linda Sheridan & Linda Wolcott x2
Michelle Powers
Robert & Helen Hinnenkamp
Shirley Alexander x4!
Charles & Linda Murphy
Barry Ryan x2
Carol Puetz
Mark & Marjorie Winters
Bonnie Dashiell
Truella Stone x4!
Cindy Ballard x2
Adam & Tammy Merrick
Romeo Pavlic
Daniel Mitchell
Lizz Russell
Gilbert & Yvonne Goodwater
Holly Renga x2
Mike & Ann Kolbeck
Barry & Linda Shook x2
Candy Mills
Vickie Boren
Johnny & Jan Humphreys x4!
Erin Clason x2
Ingeborg Fisher
Donna Mergen x2
Will Parks x 8 !!!
Kathy Moe x3
Kendall Feeney x2
John Harris
Lori Kunz
Happy Endings ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Why We Do What We Do!
Lucy
Dear Ms. Mackie,
My name is Catherine Yarnes and I
am a former resident of Spokane. I was
living alone thousands of miles away from
my family and friends. I enjoyed Spokane,
but I knew that I needed a companion. So,
I decided to adopt a dog and on January
3, 2003, I went to SpokAnimal and met the
dog who would become my dearest
companion.
Lucy was about 10 months old and
had been living on the street. There had
been a pretty hard snow storm and she
was skinny, hungry and cold. I was so
fortunate to have walked into your shelter
the first day she was available for adoption. I know that if I had come a day later
she would already have been adopted.
She is beautiful and the sweetest being
on earth.
Anyway, my application to adopt
Lucy (who is a bull mastiff) was
approved and I took her home that night.
In her first week with me she gained 10
pounds and is now very healthy and
pampered. We walk every morning and
she has lots of canine friends to play
with. In fact, she is such a wonderful dog
that my parents got a bull mastiff, too!
Now Linus (my parents’ dog) and Lucy
have play dates at least once a week.
Anyway, I am sure you get many
e-mails like this. I was just thinking about
how lucky I am to have her and I wanted
to let the employees and volunteers at
SpokAnimal know how much I appreciate your efforts. I am truly blessed to have
this dog.
I have attached a picture of Lucy. You
can see how happy and content she is.
Thank you!
Catherine S. Yarnes
Praise for SpokAnimal
I have to tell you how impressed I am
with the response that I received today
from our organization, which makes me
even prouder to be a member. I left a
message today about 2 huskies abandoned by one of our renters on 40th. I had
received a complaint from their neighbors
and I called the lady to give her a chance
to get these dogs taken care of. She called
me back to let me know they had moved
out and they were building a fence on
their new property for the dogs and they
would be taken care of. I told her I did not
want to get another complaint, but I got
another call today from the neighbor
telling me the same thing - dogs were left
with no food or water alone in the backyard. I immediately called her today to
tell her that I had called SpokAnimal and
she called her son (the dogs belong to
him) who assured her the dogs were
taken care of and they were on a special
diet so to make sure no one would feed
them, bull. The neighbor had asked them
this way in the spring to make sure she
could give them treats. I went up to the
house today to meet the new neighbor
that had called me and SpokAnimal had
already came by and picked up the dogs.
A few of the neighbors had been feeding
them, and they are willing to give
statements for us to proceed. I gave
them a chance, but one is plenty. On the
lease, I had agreed to one dog living
there and they assured me only one dog
and paid the pet deposit. If they take
care of their dogs in such manner, I am
afraid to see how they take care of their
children. I was very impressed with your
response, and so were the neighbors.
Officer Thames asked me to sign a
release and I will be glad to do so. I will
have it tomorrow for you. Thanks again
and I am so proud to be part of an
awesome organization.
Martine Maxey
LETTERS
SpokAnimal Shelter,
I was a girl scout for four long years.
In my experience it came to our troop’s
attention that there were thousands of
animals suffering and unloved in the U.S.
I, as well as my troop are animal lovers, so
we decided to do something good for the
poor animals of the world. At least 7 out
of the 10 of us came to your shelter. As
you probably know we were given the
full tour and we asked our questions.
Before we left your brilliant shelter, we all
brought you something of use. Towels,
From our Readers
food, detergent and beds. After that
discovery, I realized that you seemed
like more money was needed. I plan to
raise money for your wonderful shelter.
Throughout my life, I will always be a
constant pet lover and contributor to
your shelter! Thank you for taking time
to read my letter out of your busy day!
Please write back as to tell me when and
how else I can be of service.
Signed,
The Animal Lover
Sarah Oakes
8
Dear SpokAnimal,
Thank you so much for your generous
donation of pet food to help us officially
launch the first Ferry County Pet Food
Bank! The total tally was almost exactly a
ton, and the first participants have already
begun to benefit from your kindness. Many
animals who will now be able to face the
winter with full bellies say ... THANK YOU!
With love, the animals from Forget-Me-Not
shelter & the Pet Food Bank recipients!
- Kim Gullen, executive director
www.forgetmenotshelter.org
Dog Whisperer Article Stirs a Few Yelps
We received a lot of feedback on our last issue of the newsletter
and appreciate this chance to continue to encourage dog owners
to examine their relationship with their canine friends. Far too
many dogs live alone in suburban yards for hours, weeks, months
on end with too little exercise, attention, training and leadership
and are turned over to shelters for no other reason than lack of
training and exercise. Millan’s messages in this regard are a much
needed wake up call to the pet- owning public. We also hope that
by reprinting the American Humane Association’s official statement
(see article last issue) we have encouraged pet owners to be aware
that not all trainers are created equal - and that when choosing a
trainer, tool or method for their dog, they need to be educated
themselves. Included in this issue are letters and interesting
re-printed articles submitted by our readers. Thank you for your
article submissions and response!
effective trait we
should all strive to
achieve. How many
of us are able to
remain neutral and
unemotional when
our dog is fighting
back or has pushed
us to the limits of
our patience? There
is a fine line
between “assertive”
and aggressive. Too
few viewers understand the difference.
Even fewer can
muster the mystical
“energy” of the charismatic Millan.
In the wrong hands, the drive to be dominant is a slippery slope
that can result in mistreatment — if not abuse. It gives justification
and perhaps alleviates guilt in using physical punishment to keep
disobedient dogs in line. Under the “us against them” premise, a
frustrated pet owner might lose his temper and rationalize that “the
dog deserved it” - so it’s “okay” to get physical with your dog for
the sake of making it be obedient. This step backward in training
perspective causes current day trainers to take issue. The family
dog does not lie awake at night plotting to take over the family.
“Do not try this at home.” Mr. Millan himself ends up
bleeding in more than one episode. Is it because the dog was “that
bad” or because the dog was pushed beyond its limits? Should
a novice pet owner attempt to correct a dog that is “that bad”?
Could he recognize when his dog is approaching its threshold and
about to bite? Ethical considerations aside, we would have to
agree that it is inadvisable for an inexperienced owner to attempt
these methods without the hands-on coaching of an experienced
trainer.
Most troubling, children often copy how the adults in the family
handle the dog. Children who mimic the techniques will be more
likely to be bitten. At what cost to the family’s relationship with
the dog? American College of Veterinary Behaviorists president
Dr. Debra Horwitz states, “We have serious concerns. For one thing,
many of the techniques shown on television are very difficult for
owners to accomplish and may result in injury to them or their dogs
and neither are they the more updated training techniques that are
now used.”
Training evolves. The Monks have re-released “How to Be
Your Dog’s Best Friend” with 40% new material and the following
notation: “The Monks of New Skete advocate the philosophy that
“understanding is the key to communication, and compassion with
your dog; whether it is a new puppy or an old companion.” And
from “The Art of Raising a Puppy”: “We have learned that our
monastic environment offers us a unique perspective. Here we are
forced to re-examine our attitudes about everything, including
dogs. We are constantly challenged to become more open to the
language dogs use to communicate with us.” This season, Millan
looks into the camera and tells viewers there are other training
methods out there.
Thank heavens we are beyond the once-common practice of
continued on page 10
It is important for people to understand the impact, both
short and long term, of what we do to our dogs in the
name of “training” and “behavior modification.”
Millan is absolutely right. Our family dogs desperately need
leadership, exercise, attention and to be a valued member of our
family “pack” - not bored and alone with a bare few minutes of our
companionship each day. We can’t expect our dogs to be perfectly
behaved by treating them like “children in fur coats” or by spoiling
and over-loving them with no structure or respect for their true
canine nature. Thank you, Mr. Millan, for sharing this message and
for being a catalyst for dog training methodology and the need for
building a healthy relationship with our canine friends.
So, why all the hoopla?
Steve Dale, certified dog and cat behavior consultant who
writes a twice weekly syndicated newspaper column states,
“Nobody disagrees with Millan when he says that dogs don’t get
enough exercise; in fact, behaviorists have been saying this for
decades. And nobody disagrees with Millan when he says that dogs
need to understand their place in the family — again, leadership
skills have been preached by behaviorists for a long, long time.”
The issue is “dominance” vs. leadership. Confusing
compliance with submission. Dale goes on to express his
reservations, “But you don’t have to dominate your dog to be leader
— which is exactly what Millan preaches. And that’s why reputable
trainers and behaviorists are horrified that Millan’s outdated and
overbearing methods have attracted such a following.”
“Cesar’s Way” is not new. The “dominance theory” was
made popular in the 70’s and early 80’s. It supports the expectation
that a dog should obey because the human is the master - the alpha.
If the dog doesn’t, we can say the dog is being purposely
disrespectful or vying for pack leadership. The dog is “dominant”
and must be made to be “submissive.” Within this model, punitive
action would be “justified” to reassert the human as leader.
The Monks of New Skete published “How to Be Your Dog’s
Best Friend” in ‘78 - another book with an amazing amount of great
information for pet owners, if you discount the parts describing the
execution of the “alpha roll” where the dog is lifted and propelled
onto its back and forcibly pinned there until it ‘submits’ - stops
struggling. Inexperienced pet owners are often bitten trying to
master this maneuver. Over the years, the Monks have revisited
their recommendations and revised their text.
Calm and assertive. Cesar Millan demonstrates this virtue - an
9
Dog Whisperer Article Stirs a Few Yelps (continued from page 9)
incentives and rewards; in other words convincing followers you’re
working for the same goals. Would you rather follow a leader like
Castro or Ghandi? It’s no different for dogs.”
From the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals: “We share a common vision of a better world for
companion animals ... a humane community in which all animals
are treated with kindness and respect.” SpokAnimal is devoted to
promoting a human-animal bond that is rich and rewarding for both
ends of the leash, where public and pet safety and the animal’s
physical and mental well-being are a priority.
rubbing puppies’ noses in feces or tying dead chickens around their
necks in the name of training. No one passes on the horrifying
advice of a best selling book published in the 70’s by a Disney
movie trainer which advocated “filling a hole with water and
submerging the dog’s head” to discourage digging. Humane
societies are still called to investigate cruelty cases regarding brutal
training methods promoted in once-popular training manuals, but
thankfully less frequently than in years past. Our perspective of
what constitutes kind and fair treatment continues to evolve as our
understanding of canine behavior grows. “Calm, assertive energy”
doesn’t necessitate force or intimidation. You can be a kind,
benevolent leader without physical domination.
Leadership vs. Dominance. Dr. Sophia Yin, who teaches at
the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine – Davis,
and is a member of the American Society of Veterinary Behavior
says, “Yes, owners should be calm and assertive and it’s true to help
dogs, we need to be in charge. But dominance and leadership are
two different things. Dominance is defined as the use of force to
gain priority access of the things you want, so animals compete for
food, toys and favorite resting areas by fighting. Leadership is the
ability to convince others to do things they normally wouldn’t do
otherwise. A person can be a leader by bullying, or by providing
Looking for a resource for information on calm, effective
leadership without the overtones of dominance theory? We
urge you to seek out books by Jan Fennell, a British trainer
known as the “Dog Listener.” Her books are available through
Amazon or Dogwise.com: “The Dog Listener: Learn How to
Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation” and
“Tales from the Dog Listener: 28 Secrets to Being Your Dog’s
Best Friend” which features a Forward by “Horse Whisperer”
Monty Roberts. She also has an excellent DVD available for
order online: http://www.janfennellthedoglistener.com/dvd.htm.
Readers Respond
“Dog Whisperer Training Approach
Helpful!”
Our credentials are as follows: my
husband and I have been a rescue group
“New Leash on Life” and successfully found
homes for many dogs from SpokAnimal.
The husband is retired air force officer,
myself, an RN at Deaconess then Shriner’s
hospitals. We currently have 3 dogs, a
bipolar cat, and 16 chickens. We did have
a variety of horses.
After reading your Fall issue of
Companion Animal News, we were upset
to hear all the negative information about
“The Dog Whisperer.” Having watched
multiple episodes of Cesar Millan on the
National Geographic, we found him to be
insightful, and helpful in “training humans
and rehabilitating dogs.” He uses these
words to describe what he does. He
notices shifts in attitudes and gently corrects the dogs or the humans (if need be).
All seem safe, improved, and happier after
working with Cesar. He has rescued many
dogs himself. He’s saved many dogs given
up on and taken to shelters. He advocates
spay and neutering, proper care, exercise
for dogs. He too part in rescuing some of
the more difficult dogs from Katrina dog
survivors.
We feel critics should watch Cesar
Millan first before they criticize. Everyone
who read the article by Randy Blauvelt
should watch Cesar Millan on National
Geographic (usually on Fridays) or see his
DVDs, or read his book before getting on
such a negative bandwagon. Perhaps a lot
of animal trainers feel threatened by people
having such easy access to dog training.
This could possibly hurt their livelihood.
Please watch and decide yourself.
Our thanks to Gail Mackie for giving
us a rebuttal - a chance to defend a great
dog whisperer and TV person.
- Bill & Brenda Phillips
Fall Issue
You are so wrong about Mr. Millan.
This man has done more than you in
educating toward proper treatment and
handling of pets. You should be ashamed
about printing and wasting your space in
your news letter. Get over your self about
not calling him the dog whisperer. Shame
on you and the higher ups. Mr. Millan
educates people, unlike Mr. Torgerson*. - Laura Stjern Hansen, Ravenheart
(*Mr. Torgerson is the vice president of
Animal Protection Services for the
American Humane Association who wrote
to the National Geographic Channel
regarding Millan’s treatment of the
animals on the show.)
10
Dear Editor,
I would just like to take the time to say
how much I appreciated your printing of
the American Humane article in regards to
“The Dog Whisperer” in your most recent
edition of the SpokAnimal newsletter.
I watched the show on the advice of
my mother. Although I have only taken 2
training class sessions with my dog, and
don’t know much, I was disturbed to see
that Cesar Millan knows almost as little
about dogs and their psychology, as I do.
The thought that there are many unsuspecting people out there who follow his
“training” practices is frightening, both
from the standpoint of the trauma done to
the dogs, as well as the emotional damage
to the trainers who, through their own
naivete & trust of this man, submit their
beloved animals to these misguided practices. After all, if it is being shown on such
a reputable network, it must be true, right?
The fact that this show continues to be
run is insulting to the many caring &
reputable dog trainers out there. I wonder
how long it will be before he is sued and
The National Geographic channel is forced
to pull this show from it’s viewing schedule? It can’t be soon enough for me. The
fewer abused dogs out there, the better.
Respectfully, Anna Lee
continued on page 13
In Loving Memory
of Greta
- loved and missed by Shanti Perez
Of Malachi
- loved and missed by Lisa Lucas
of Libby
- loved and missed by
Carolyn Takeuchi
of Olaf
- loved and missed by Leah O’Dell
of Darren
- loved and missed by Annie & Bill
Zeck
- from all of us at Diamonds
in the Ruff
of Margaret Craig
- Bronze Bay Community Assoc.
of Richard Huber
- Bertha Campbell
of George Thomas Ross
- Maragaret Buckner
- Autumn Barlcay
In Memory of Greta
Good bye to my sweet Greta girl.
After a horrible three days, Greta went to
sleep forever with her head in my lap
around 7 pm on Monday, October 23rd.
She’s my baby girl, the best friend any
human being could ever ask for and I was
privileged beyond average comprehension to have shared the intimate bond that
was unique to us. It is my hope that every
human being has that chance, to know
true love without words, to be so perceptive of their loved one that they can
interpret signals unreadable by anyone
around, to be protected and loved unconditionally by a soft and wonderful beast
that makes people cross the street,
but wants nothing more than to show
affection.
I have no doubt that, over the years,
Greta has protected me from numerous
dangers time and time again. She saved
my 85-year old grandfather from a
murderer in 1999. She inspired me to
commit myself to photography for several
years, during which time a collection
featuring Greta in black and white was in
If Jesus Had a Dog
of “Stinker”
- Bonnie, Patches, Athena,
Rusty & Lucy
of Richard Boge
- Willette Schmidt
- The Kiebert Group
- Susan & Kermit Kiebert
of John Shahfer & Peek
- Rosemarie & Don Rader
of Marie Lockhart
- Ruby Holmes
of “Bruno”
- Kaye, Justin, Missy, Patricia & Robyn
of “Hetty”
- Carol Ellsworth
- SpokAnimal Staff
of “Sami”
- Bonnie, Lucky, Patches, Athena
& Rusty
of Kaleb
- Connie & Larry Glass
a Seattle gallery for a month.
So often I read a story about a man or
a woman or a child with his or her dog.
Most often the dog is just tagging along,
heeling obediently, padding softly, patted
on the head, and fed table scraps. Not
Greta. If I am to look back on the past
decade of my life with honesty, it was
most often Greta that walked in the limelight while I tagged along. I would not
have gone on so many wilderness excursions had it not been for Greta (and Lou)
and I would not have felt outgoing and I
would not have wished to live sometimes,
if it weren’t for Greta. In this case, it was
the dog who led the way. It is the dog who
still lights the beacon that I am traveling
toward.
In my heart, in my mind, for the rest
of my life, this protective, loving, clown
Greta is woven throughout my being. And
in some way I believe she will make an
impact on many others that I will come in
contact with, even though they will never
know it.
- Shanti Perez
11
I wish someone had given
Jesus a dog,
As loyal and loving as mine.
To sleep by His manger and
gaze in His eyes,
And adore Him for being
divine.
As our Lord grew to manhood,
His faithful dog
Would have followed Him all
through the day,
While He preached to the
crowds and made the sick well
And knelt in the garden to pray.
It is sad to remember that
Christ went away,
To face death alone and apart,
With no tender dog following
close behind,
To comfort its Master’s Heart.
And when Jesus rose on that
Easter morn,
How happy He would have
been ,
As His dog kissed His hands
and barked its delight,
For The One who died for all
men.
Well, the Lord has a dog now,
I just sent Him mine,
The old pal so dear to me,
And I smile through my tears
on this first day alone,
Knowing they’re in eternity.
Day after day, the whole day
through,
Wherever my road inclined,
Four feet said, “I am coming
with you!”
And trotted along behind.
City Dog vs Country Dog
Is Room To Run All a Dog Really Needs?
Should people resist getting a dog
unless they have “room to run?” Some feel
that a suburban city yard is no place for a
big dog; big dogs belong in the country.
Some are adamant that large breed dogs
should be “outdoor dogs” and don’t
belong in the house at all - ever. Others
enjoy dog ownership living in high-rise
apartments and urban condos.
I spent a week in Seattle in September. Both of my sons live in apartments in
urban areas and both are dog owners.
There are three trendy little dog supply
stores, a great positive training school, two
dog day cares and a beautiful dog park
within walking distance of their apartment
buildings. Both of their buildings allow
pets and most of their neighboring condo
dwellers have a dog - some have more
than one. While taking my youngest son’s
two Italian Greyhounds outside his building to relieve themselves, we crossed
paths in hallways and shared elevators
with many dogs and owners. A big black
Labrador, two Siberian Huskies - yes,
huskies - and three Beagles rescued from
a medical lab all live on his floor. All of
these dogs were physically fit and well
mannered around other dogs and people.
None were stir crazy from apartment
living. All of these owners saw to their
dog’s daily exercise needs and the
majority of dog walkers that I saw on the
street carried visible poop bags and treat
totes!
It isn’t the size of the yard, but the
quality of the relationship that makes
living in an apartment better or worse than
living in a suburban backyard or rural
setting with “room to run.”
A big yard is great, but unfortunately
many people put “room to run” above the
need for a hands-on relationship with their
dogs. Dogs with a big backyard often get
far fewer walks outside the confines of
their enclosure. As a result, these dogs are
often under-socialized and more nervous
and reactive on the rare occasions that they
are taken out, compared to dogs who live
in apartments who see the world every day
and get their daily supervised exercise
in dog parks or alongside their jogging
owners.
We walked home from puppy class
on a warm fall evening with my oldest
son’s French Bulldog pup, through the
busy streets, along a crowded soccer field,
passed open doors of businesses and
people sitting on porch stoops. We passed
bicycles and street musicians. We crossed
paths with people carrying packages and
pushing strollers, many with dogs. I saw
very few dogs who weren’t walking along
on slack leashes, pretty much ignoring the
people and dogs they were passing. Their
relaxed attitude wasn’t about training but
it was about the total saturation of daily
socialization and hands-on direction of
their humans. These dogs belong to
people who MUST put on a leash and walk
them first thing in the morning, last thing
at night and several times during each and
every day from the minute they joined
their family. Living with a dog in an
apartment demands a conscious commitment of time and energy. The decision
to get a dog isn’t made on a whim when
you have to get landlord approval and
consider the logistics of house training a
pup who will have to hold his bladder
riding an elevator to his potty area, rain or
shine!
We walked through the sprawling
Seattle Arboretum - not a single “no dogs
allowed” sign to be seen. The majority of
people do attend to the Seattle “scoop
The Dream of a Dog-Friendly Community
take it with them to a public bench on a
sidewalk, a picnic table in a park, or
somewhere off of the premises of the
restaurant.”
“Florida has made news this year
since it passed a statute in May 2006,
allowing cities and counties to permit
dogs in outdoor seating areas despite the
state ban on animals on the premises.
Florida’s State Code has similar wording
to Washington’s State Code in that
“Animals are not allowed on the Premises
of a Food Establishment”. In most states,
no state law would be needed for local
governments to allow pets because local
health departments could issue a variance
to the code, as was done in Alexandria
and Austin. However, Florida, unlike most
states, employs state health inspectors
instead of local inspectors. There was no
12
law.” Dogs are welcome because people
don’t leave dog mess behind. By in large,
Seattle is a city accepting of canines, inhabited by a large percentage of responsible
dog owners who cater to their canine friends.
Portland was recently voted the “most
dog friendly city” by Dog Fancy magazine.
In contrast, it’s unusual to see a dog on
Spokane’s downtown streets unless it
belongs to a transient. Spokane has
ordinances banning dogs in Riverfront Park
during all events. Our one and only dog
park is as far away from the City as it can
possibly be located and still be in Spokane
County - all the way at the State Line. But it’s
a step in the right direction! When the City
of Spokane gets their dream condos built
and more people work and live in downtown proper, our City will face the reality of
more upscale Urban dog owners who own
pets without yards in densely populated
areas. Spokane’s dog sentiment will need to
evolve with the growth of the city. Those
money spending, voting, Flour Mill condo
dwellers will be walking their dogs in
Riverfront Park, won’t they?
In the mean time, it’s up to us to change
public sentiment. Pet owners who keep
their dogs leashed and confined, who carry
poop bags and pick up after their dogs and
who socialize and train their dogs so they are
well-mannered members of society can make
the difference in how our dogs are viewed
by the public and the City Council. Is there
a poop bag in your coat pocket?
(continued from page 5)
such thing as a variance in the health
code in Florida that local governments
could use to allow pets at outdoor dining
areas. By passing its statute in May of 2006,
Florida gave its cities and counties the
equivalent of variances specifically in
regard to dogs at outdoor restaurants.”
- excerpts from an article by Tara and
Len Kain,
DogFriendly.com, July 19, 2006
Readers Respond (continued from page 10)
Dear SpokAnimal,
I so appreciate your publishing the
article from the American Humane
Association about the validity of the Dog
Whisperer’s techniques. My own experience leads me to question the popularity
of dominating dogs or using the “alpha
roll” when training them. It was the first
thing our new vet told us to do. She said
it was the most important thing. It would
enable us to establish the respect of our
dog and all learning could flow out of that.
It sounded good in theory and I trusted
and respected my vet, so home we went to
practice what she’d demonstrated.
My puppy grew progressively worse
and we sought professional help. The
trainer almost passed out when I told her
that each member of our family was alpharolling the dog five times daily whenever
he would puppy-bite us. As far as she was
concerned this was so traumatic to the
animal, that had our dog attacked us, he
would have been justified. We have since
stopped focusing on “dominating” our
puppy and are now giving him the consistent guidance and direction he was
obviously needing, and he is learning to
trust us again. The aggressive behavior is
gone and we have gained a sweet and
trusting family member by simply focusing
on and rewarding what we want him to do
instead of putting all our energy into
making him “submissive.”
Thank you, again, for being
advocates for the humane treatment of
animals!
- Susan Ferguson
Regarding the AHA-Cesar Millan
Article
Finally, someone has the courage and
the integrity to publish some truth about
Cesar Millan! In a world full of fantastic
behaviorists and trainers (Jean Donaldson,
Kathy Sdao, Patricia McConnell, PhD.,
Nicholas Dodman, DVM ... I could list a
dozen more!) it is a shame that Mr. Millan’s
views and methodology are what is touted
as gospel.
One reason I believe that so many
have taken to his teachings is that he
offers a quick fix. Sure there are some
minor issues that only require simple
changes in routine, but for a lot of behavior issues, serious behavior issues, there
are no quick fixes. I have seen some of Mr.
Millan’s work and from listening to him
speak and watching him work one thing
is very evident, it is more about him than
it is about the dogs. It seems that it is more
important to extinguish the behavior
quickly, which understandably impresses
some people, than it is to actually watch
the dogs body language and work to
help the dog through their problems.
While he does bring attention to the
need for physical activity, which is
lacking for so many pet dogs, his overall
training philosophy does not promote a
healthy pet/owner relationship. Thankfully, many of our dogs will survive
through this sort of training. They did
30 years ago when his style was the
only way we knew how to train. But is it
fair to these loving creatures to subject
them to something that is so outdated,
inaccurate, and in some cases inhumane,
just because they will tolerate it? I don’t
think so.
Many Cesar followers rebuke
anyone who speaks out against Cesar,
insisting that we watch him or read his
book. I have watched him, and my
opinion has not changed. I challenge all
Cesar followers to read three books:
Culture Clash, by Jean Donaldson; The
Other End of the Leash, by Patricia
McConnell, PhD.; If Bones Would Rain
From the Sky, by Susan Clothier.
Hopefully, for our dogs’ sake, Cesar
will be a quickly passing fad.
- Jean Foster
Submitted By Our Readers
Don’t Believe an “Expert” until You’ve
Read Lots of Other “Experts”
When I reviewed Mr. Millan’s book,
CESAR’S WAY: The Natural, Everyday Guide
to Understanding and Correcting Common
Dog Problems, I noted that my dogs don’t
have the kind of behavioral problems that
would warrant his methods. And I also
noted the controversy.
But let’s look at the positives for a
moment.
• I have friends and neighbors who rarely
walked their dogs before reading
Millan’s book. Now they walk them,
and the dogs are happier, less neurotic,
and less destructive.
• The same friends and neighbors
allowed their dogs to run their households, and now they don’t. From my
observation, Millan is correct in that the
dogs don’t really want to be the boss, as
they know what an exhausting job it is.
When the people are the pack leaders,
everyone seems much more calm.
• Millan is very clear that there are few
bad dogs, but lots of bad dog owners.
This puts the blame on us where it
belongs, and more people are seeking
behavioral counseling for themselves
and their dogs than ever before.
• Millan is very clear that we have created
breeds of dogs that are vicious (e.g., Pit
bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds,
and Doberman pinschers) and it’s tragic
that so many are being abandoned and
euthanized (not to mention forced to
fight one another to the death) because
of what we’ve done to them. This is a
huge issue, as many cities are trying to
ban certain breeds (or have already
done so), and in my opinion that’s a
dangerous precedent.
• Clearly, Millan has done dogs a tremendous service in that for some reason it
was he, among the thousands of dog
trainers and behaviorists, who would
captivate the nation, and make them
pay more attention to their dogs.
13
This doesn’t mean we all jump on the
bandwagon and tackle our dogs, roll
them around, and sit on them, or put
them on treadmills until they pass out, or
plunge them into terrifying situations to
help them conquer said situations.
As always, read with a critical eye.
Don’t believe an “expert” until you’ve
read lots of other “experts” and you’re
comfortable with why they’re even
considered “experts” at all.
There’s a lot of Gray Matter, here,
and each person must do the work of
sifting through it all for her/himself.
- Mary Martin, PhD
continued on page 14
Submitted By Our Readers
The Pitfalls of Punishment
Excerpt From “Good trainers: How to
identify one and why this is important to
your practice of veterinary medicine”
The Journal of Veterinary Medicine Volume 1, Issue 1, Pages 47-52 (July 2006)
There are many pitfalls of punishment:
1. In most animals, punishment increases
anxiety and fear. This increase can be
noted directly, through behaviors, and
has been measured in a number of
species by monitoring changes in neurochemistry. The neurochemical changes
associated with anxiety and fear interfere
with learning appropriate behaviors but
facilitate learning that the individual associated with the punishment is a threat.
2. Punishment ruins relationships. Punishment teaches animals to be wary of
the punisher because – in truth – the
punisher is a threat.
3. Punishment inhibits desirable learning.
By activating the amygdala, the region of
the brain that is the first step in creating
acquired fears, punishment interferes with
a neuroanatomical response that would
be associated with learning the desired
behaviors.
4. Punishment does not tell the pet what to
do. Punishment only tells the pet what
NOT to do. Unfortunately, there is an
almost infinite set of choices of things
that we and are our pets should not do,
but if we had to go through all of them
before we learned what was desired,
learning would be hopeless. No one can
learn associations for learning (eg, eliminate only outside) by punishment
because the essential information is
missing, and punishment, itself, teaches
something we did not intend.
5. Punishment makes animals more
reactive, so it increases aggression and
arousal. Any animal that was already
aggressive will become worse when
punished, because now there is little
certainty that the person punishing
them is a threat. Increase in arousal,
particularly if associated with fear or
aggression, also makes it difficult to
impossible to learn – or even to offer –
appropriate behaviors.
6. Punishment increases the risk of physical and psychological injury. Dogs
manhandled with choke chains and
L BARK
I
S
A
’s
o
r
ni m
Ad
visor
S po k A
al
O ffi
c i al P et B
vi
a
h
e
prong collars often have laryngeal,
esophageal, thyroidal, and tracheal
damage. Recurrent laryngeal nerve
damage or paralysis can be sequelae
and may be detected early by a change
in bark. Additionally, physical punishment, like beating, can break bones
and damage internal organs. Fortunately, patterns of injury associated
with abuse are now widely examined
and the criteria have been published .
Clients often think that the dog benefitted from punishment because the
undesirable behavior stopped. Close
examination of the actual changes in
behaviors usually indicates that lots of
normal behaviors stopped also, and
that the dog or cat is spending more
time engaged in escape, hiding, and
vigilance and scanning behaviors
(behaviors all associated with anxiety)
than in normal affiliative canine and
feline behaviors. Please note that dog
abuse is tightly coupled to child and
spousal abuse. There is now no excuse
for veterinarians not to screen for
routine signs.
Dear Boston,
Those cute Bostons never do anything half way! The average
dog will lick a chin while a Boston will wash a whole face!
Generally face licking is thought to be a socially submissive
greeting/attention seeking behavior of a lower status individual to
a higher one. Puppies greet their mothers this way from birth. A
“left over” pre-domestication behavior from their wild ancestors?
Wolf cubs greet their mother with face licking which appears to
stimulate her to regurgitate food when she returns from the hunt.
Of course there is a learned component as well - anything that was
cooed over and responded to with smiles and pets (worked to get
attention) when a pup was tiny will increase in frequency and be
repeated well into adulthood. Pushing the dog away and scolding
will make it worse, not discourage it, as licking is an appeasement
behavior. Withdrawing (no looking, talking or touching) and
exaggerated ignoring until the initial greeting frenzy has passed is
the best way to reduce the behavior. You must replace it with a
desired attention seeking behavior teach and respond only to a
desired alternative behavior: sitting still.
It will get worse before it gets better as the dog firmly believes
that this is THE way to get attention and greet people. It makes
them squeal and laugh!
S
B
(continued from page 13)
Dear Basil,
bo st on
I ha ve a 3 ye ar old
ly going
nt
ta
ns
terrier.....she is co
uth) to
mo
d
an
after the face (nose
they
en
wh
an
lick? What does it me
do that constantly?
Hope That Helps!
Basil
- Blithering Boston
14
Thank You Auction Donors
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Volunteer Spotlight
Mary Crane
The “E-Team” is a group of trainers
and dog lovers coordinated by Elin Zander
who come to SpokAnimal weekly to
perform behavior assessments on the dogs
in our adoption center. The test is
designed to evaluate a dog’s temperament
and behavior, prior training and adoptability. The goal is to identify dogs with
dangerous tendencies, so an unsuspecting
adopter doesn’t take home a dog who
won’t be good with their children or other
pets, and distinguish dogs who would be
great choices for first time dog owners
from those who need the guidance of an
experienced dog owner in order to be
successful in their “next life.” Adoption
counselors can use the results of the tests
to match prospective pets with the right
people.
Mary Crane is the newest member of
the behavior assessment crew - and one
who has jumped in with both feet! She is
a dedicated volunteer who not only comes
on testing day, but returns several times a
15
week to visit the dogs and bring them
treats. When “Frodo” - a young copper
colored pitbull who had tested with flying
colors - broke with kennel cough, Mary
volunteered to take him home and foster
him until he was well. Mary said, “I am
having so much fun and learning a ton.
What a smart boy and good teacher he is.”
Learning is what being part of the
E-Team is all about. Volunteers who join
the assessment program must be experienced with dogs and willing to study all
they can about dog behavior and body
language. Identifying subtle signs of
stress is essential to evaluate the dogs and
stay safe while performing the assessments. If you would like to help, contact
Elin at 448-5250 or email her at
[email protected].
Looking to adopt
a cat or dog?
Call SpokAnimal
for specific information
on any coming event at
534-8133
or email:
[email protected]
Pick up a
mouse!
Mailed quarterly to over 3,500 animal lovers.
Editor: Carol A. Byrnes
Executive Director: Gail B. Mackie
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this newsletter
pass it along to a friend !
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