vegansaurus!
12/11/2012
This is a video about Sam, a rescued fighting dog:
Sam was a three-time champion. His “victories” were hard-won. His muzzle is down to the bone. A dog probably grabbed his face and hung on — and without veterinary care, he lost most of his teeth, lips…everything but his nose.
It’s a little tough to watch just because of Sam’s face. But overall I think the story is amazing. I mean, dogs are just amazing. You hear all these stories about dogs rescued from fighting rings being all violent and hostile, and then they let this dog out—this “champion” dog—and he just wants a hug. That’s why I love animals. Animals and kids, so pure of heart.
∞ posted at 08:12 by youtalkfunny 
08/17/2011
The Humane Society has a car donation program, One Car One Difference, where you can donate a car (in any condition) and they will auction it off and use the proceeds for their anti-dog fighting efforts. Cool program but REALLY I’m posting this because that pic is just totally adorable! Isn’t it? The dog is all, “OMG YOU’RE SO AWESOME I LOVE YOU TELL ME MORE.”
But wait, there’s more cuteness. They have this adorbs story about a little boy and his pit:
Terrance and Elmo diverted from dogfightingElmo was about to be sent into the horrific world of dogfighting. His master, then 11-year old Terrance, had seen it before and didn’t understand that it was wrong. It was just what you did with your dogs.
But Elmo and Terrance are no longer on a path to dogfighting. In fact, they are now prime examples of how The Humane Society of the United States is ending dogfighting, one dog owner at a time.
Star students at dog training school
“When I first got Elmo, I was thinking about dogfighting,” says Terrance, now 13. “Then I ran into a man with a dog and a dog training school.”The man was from HSUS’ End Dogfighting program. He changed Terrance’s attitudes and behavior, and helped prevent Elmo from becoming a tragic victim.
Terrance continues. “I taught Elmo how to sit and stay and be a well behaved dog. Instead of teaching him the wrong thing, going out there and killing another dog, I’m teaching him the right thing, and encouraging him to be a good dog. He doesn’t mistreat me, and I don’t mistreat him.” The young dog trainer and responsible dog owner concludes, “Be great with your dog, and no dogfighting!”
Holy cannoli try not to die of adorable overload.
∞ posted at 10:02 by youtalkfunny
04/23/2011
There’s a dog fighting game for Android, probably not as fun as Bejeweled »
That’s right, a damn dog-fighting game. Super. I probably don’t have to tell you this but that is EFFED. Dog-fighting is gross. It is not a game. It should not be promoted in any way ever. EVER.
A call to action from BSLNews.org (Breed Specific Legislation):
Contact the Android market team here and email press@google.com to demand this disgusting application be banned from the Android Market.
REPEATEDLY EMAIL until they take this application off the market.
Can’t kids just play spider solitaire and Bejeweled like me? Why do things have to get all violent? Why can’t they just leave it at mind-numbing?
HILARIOUS/DEPRESSING UPDATE: The makers of the game have an obnoxious note on their info page for anyone who has a problem with the game. They say the note is for anyone “with a bug up your b*tt.” So they can produce a game about dog-fighting but not use the word “butt”? The problem with America in a nutshell!
∞ posted at 09:58 by youtalkfunny
12/31/2010
LA Times book review: Oogy! »
In the Los Angeles Times yesterday I came across a review of this adorable book, Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love. The book is about a bait dog found outside Philly that was adopted by a loving family. Oogy the dog was found almost dead, with all kinds of injuries and without an ear. The animal hospital that found him was seriously considering putting him to sleep but this beat-up dog was so sweet, they couldn’t. They say, despite his injuries and the horrible way he’d been treated, he was giving out licks to everyone and wagging his tail all over the place. Jeez Louise, are dogs not THE BEST?
And guess what: Oogy is going to be a therapy dog!
Oogy’s triumph — not so much the lap-of-luxury life that he now enjoys, but his ability to overcome cruelty — has led Levin to begin training Oogy to become a therapy dog, particularly for those who are wounded and disfigured. “I believe that Oogy will be able to help those in need to understand that scarring, disfigurement, and trauma, whether physical or emotional, do not have to define who they are…. That no matter what has been inflicted upon them, love and dignity are attainable,” Levin writes.
The reviewer seems to only half like the book. She says it needs more doggie antics, and that “Oogy has loads of personality and charm to spare,” which they could feature a little more. I definitely like antics! But the book sounds really sweet anyway—not that I’m going to read it. Well, I’ll consider reading it but in the end, I probably won’t. See, I’m allergic to reading. It’s a terrible affliction but I’ve learned to deal. You guys, however, can totally read it and tell me what happens!
∞ posted at 10:12 by youtalkfunny
09/20/2010
» What happened to Michael Vick's pit bulls? An update!
WHYY did an interview with Jim Gorant last Wednesday, author of Lost Dogs. At the beginning, he addresses the issue of whether it’s good use of resources to rehabilitate Vick’s dogs, considering just how many homeless dogs there are and how much work goes into rehab for dogs abused in dog-fighting. I think he and I agree that these dogs deserve a chance at a good life, and that this particular case did a lot to pit bulls in the public eye. One of the dogs is even a therapy dog in California! So awesome. They interview the “mother” of that dog. They say “mother,” OMG WHYY, you’re so cute!
Some people say that though it’s a terrible thing to happen to these dogs, it’s the best thing to happen to pit bulls in a long time. It brought so much attention to the disgusting world of dog-fighting and it also shed light on just how great pit bulls can be. Another point he raises is that, in this case, each dog is being evaluated individually to judge their temperaments. This is another positive step for pit bulls—it’s like Gorant says, you can’t be a breedist: “You can say some general things about breeds but you really have to go dog-by-dog, and that applies to pit bulls as much as anything else.”
What do you guys think? Any pit bull lovers/haters in the crowd? Anyone else an Eagles fan and Vick-hater like me? E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!
∞ posted at 10:42 by youtalkfunny
08/02/2010
Hey check it out, animal rights concerns on the TV! Last night’s True Blood tackles dog fighting (and this may contain spoilers so stop reading now if you’re prone to blog commenter rage) and shows Sam breaking into a hick hideout to free caged dogs before they’re sent off to fight. While nearly everyone can get behind “dog fighting sucks” as an animal rights issue, it’s not very often you see the act of freeing caged animals depicted in a positive light. So, counts as progress for our side? I think it does!
If you don’t already follow True Blood, the pit bull in the fighting ring is the dog form of Sam’s shapeshifting younger brother, Tommy, who gets forced into dog fighting by his parents to make money. So this show isn’t just about vampires, butshapeshifters, telepaths, werewolves, and lots more to keep your inner (or in my case, outer) sci-fi/fantasy nerd entertained on Sunday nights. Get it in your DVR and watch back-to-back with your Mad Men addiction.
∞ posted at 16:01 by stevesimitzis 
