ARTOKLASIA: The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of the Cats

ARTOKLASIA: The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of the Cats

Flying Beagles by anonymous

When I was just a boy, my family lived in Europe. My father was in the U.S. Army, and we were stationed at a number of posts in Germany during his career. Without exception, the locations were beautiful and the experience, magical. But I was even luckier than most, because every summer, we would hop in the car and drive to France to see my mother’s ma and pa, my French grandparents. My French family is situated in the quiet, beautiful green hillsides of Charente, in the southwest, about three hours northeast of Bordeaux. The county seat is Angouleme, and old Roman fortress-town built on the tip of the largest hill as far as the eye can see. Normally, as soon as we would arrive, all the relatives (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends, whoever was able to take Holiday leave) would form a convoy and head west-northwest, towards the historic town of La Rochelle and the picturesque, quaint, authentic (read: unspoiled by tourists) island of Isle de Re. Our clan had the perfect location chosen beforehand, and it would take no time at all to have the campers unloaded, the tents put up, and one the kids, running to the beach with half his ass still hanging out of his swim trunks (probably me). We lived like that for three weeks or so, running to the market every couple of days to buy food to prepare for dinner (and bread…..bread is essential). I could turn this story into a book, but let’s leave that for a more appropriate forum. The animals are comin’, keep yer hat on.

After roughly three weeks of this torture, we were all chocolate brown and actually thinner from all the running and goofing off on the sand. We headed back to Angouleme for a few weeks before departing for Germany. But the fun wasn’t over. Once we had gathered ourselves, we piled back into the caravan and headed for the medieval farm house out in the country, called La Chabre. This rectangular, solid stone structure was owned by dear friends of the family, and they were pleased to see it being visited every summer. It must have been fifteenth or sixteenth century at birth, and the floor consisted of these perfectly cut, giant, I mean GIANT square rocks. The house was impenetrable and indestructible; it stands to this day. Electricity had been wired, and a well provided running water. The beds were a bit of a challenge. The mattresses were filled with hay, which took some getting used to (“what happens if an ember from the fireplace reaches my bed? Then you’ll go mercifully quick.”); thank goodness we brought our own pillows. We were never without something to do at La Chabre. My Aunt Veronique and I would go exploring, and my brother and sister and Uncle Michel would go for a ride in the junked out car that was kept t the property. They both learned how to drive stick-shift in that 1950-something Peugeot. And there were no people as far as the eye could see. The tiny village of Mainzac was just a few kilometers away, so we had access to the small Tabac (corner store) for water, sodas, milk and BREAD). My mother and grandmother always over-packed the food so they wouldn’t have to listen to any complaining.

My grandfather Marcel used the property more than anyone else because he would occasionally go rabbit hunting. La Chabre was the ideal location, with a nice warm place to eat and sleep, a large pen for the Beagles, and nothing but farmland and rabbits waiting to be slaughtered on the horizon. Yes, I said Beagles. They are brilliant hunting dogs, and rabbits are at the top of the list. My grandfather raised Beagles back in Angouleme, in a structure he built for just such a purpose. When my grandfather would go rabbit-hunting, I believe he would take seven, maybe eight dogs, although I have no clue what the official number is for competitions. Although I never did see my grandfather catch a rabbit, he was dedicated to those dogs. They were fed, watered, sung to, and exercised. In order to transport the dogs to La Chabre, my grandfather saved a great deal of money by building his own dog-carriage-trailer-thing. He sued the wheels from my brother’s baby stroller, and bits and pieces of anything else he could find. He would load these barking, loud, kinda dumb, dogs into this little trailer with two wheels, double-check the hitch, and we were off. Now I knew better than to question anything that my grandfather crafted by hand. Just like my American grandfather, he was an artist with his hands. But even Michelangelo had a flub up-once or twice, I imagine. One this particular afternoon, we were leaving la Chabre for the summer, and already mentally planning the trip back to Germany. We were in two cars, with my Uncle Patrick driving the gray Renault and my grandfather driving the white Renault, with everyone split evenly between the two. We were driving a safe distance behind the white Renault because it was pulling the homemade ex-pram full of barking, shitting, peeing, unhappy Beagles. We hit a sharp turn, and the unthinkable happened. As if it had never been screwed on to begin with, one of the two wheels of the dog-trailer/ex-pram came flying off into a ditch. My grandfather realized in a split second that something had gone wrong and stopped, but the damage had been done (relax- no injuries). The poor beagles….all eight of them, had been flung out of the contraption totally against their will, and onto one side of the road or the other. And there was my grandfather, trying to catch the dogs, yelling at my grandmother that somehow this was her fault, and my uncle and father trying to find a way to put the contraption back together at least until we finished the five-minutes left of our drive. To this day, I think about the people who passed us by, who I could see in their cars, quickly surmising what had occurred, and probably wetting themselves laughing. The French love a good tragedy, as long as it’s not happening to them. We finally rounded up all the dogs, who were only psychologically damaged, thank goodness. We managed to fit all the dogs into the two cars on top of the already-squeezed occupants, for the five-minute drive home. Whenever we have a family gathering, we have to retell that particular story. When I recall each Beagle, being deposited out of the contraption against its will, I can’t help but start to giggle to myself all over again.

For my friends of the West that will be celebrating Easter tomorrow and my friends of the East that will be celebrating Pascha next Sunday. I find it amazing and awesome that this sermon has been read every year around the entire world for over 1,600 years. The beauty and tradition  of Orthodoxy!

The Paschal homily of St John Chrysostomos (Archbishop of Constantinople)

This sermon is read at the Paschal Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of the Resurrection. It was written circa 400 AD

If any be a devout lover of God,
  let him partake with gladness from this fair and radiant feast.
If any be a faithful servant,
  let him enter rejoicing into the joy of his Lord.
If any have wearied himself with fasting,
  let him now enjoy his reward.
If any have laboured from the first hour,
  let him receive today his rightful due.
If any have come after the third,
  let him celebrate the feast with thankfulness.
If any have come after the sixth,
  let him not be in doubt, for he will suffer no loss.
If any have delayed until the ninth,
  let him not hesitate but draw near.
If any have arrived only at the eleventh,
  let him not be afraid because he comes so late.

For the Master is generous and accepts the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him who comes at the eleventh hour
  in the same was as him who has laboured from the first.
He accepts the deed, and commends the intention.

Enter then, all of you, into the joy of our Lord.
First and last, receive alike your reward.
Rich and poor, dance together.
You who fasted and you who have not fasted, rejoice together.
The table is fully laden: let all enjoy it.
The calf is fatted: let none go away hungry.

Let none lament his poverty;
  for the universal Kingdom is revealed.
Let none bewail his transgressions;
  for the light of forgiveness has risen from the tomb.
Let none fear death;
  for death of the Saviour has set us free.

He has destroyed death by undergoing death.
He has despoiled hell by descending into hell.
He vexed it even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he cried:
Hell was filled with bitterness when it met Thee face to face below;
filled with bitterness, for it was brought to nothing;
filled with bitterness, for it was mocked;

filled with bitterness, for it was overthrown;
filled with bitterness, for it was put in chains.
Hell received a body, and encountered God. It received earth, and confronted heaven.
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?

Christ is risen! And you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is risen! And the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is risen! And the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen! And life is liberated!
Christ is risen! And the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power, now and forever, and from all ages to all ages.
Amen!

Does Blanco County,Texas Need Animal Control?

Does Blanco County, Texas need animal control? I don't really know, many people think we do, I am not so sure. In the past I have been happy that there was not animal control, because it would give people an easy way to "get rid" of cats. Considering that 70% of cats that enter a shelter are killed and that number goes up to 100% if the cat is a feral, I am not so sure that cats in Blanco County need animal control. What is needed is for people to contact The Blanco County Cat Coalition (BCCC) and get "their" cats fixed and vaccinated. Then let the kitties live out their lives without adding to the overpopulation of cats. Please Spay and Neuter!

A Short OverView of Animal Control by Michael Suarez

A short background on animal control; there was animal control in England before there was orphan care, matter of fact the orphanages were modeled after the humane care of lost and abandoned animals in major cities in England. The term 'dog catcher” is frowned upon by officers that care for animals, and calling the few of us that care, murders or killers is a contradiction because we are in essences the ones that care for the animals when they are either abandoned or lost, regrettably we have to put animals down because of age, overcrowding, disease or aggression.

When a city reaches a critical point, things like police, fire, and sewers comes to mind. These are essential, part to prevent disease and damage to personal and public property, but often over looked are the actual residents of the town, human and animal alike. Dogs and cats have been a part of humanity for about 100,000 and 2,000 years respectively. The house/barn/alley cat was the last animal domesticated by mankind around the time of the ancient Egyptians.

O course when you take an animal into a place where you live we also bring with the chance of zoonotic outbreaks. What are zoonotic outbreaks you ask? That is where a virus or bacteria jumps from one species to another. Some are simple and just annoying, like ringworm or scabies, others are deadly like rabies. To help prevent this from spreading like wild fire many years after the Black Plague people finally understood it was the rats and mice covered with fleas that spread the virus, of course this came to late for about 25 million people, that was ¼ of the entire world's population at that time. With today's open boarders and flights the whole world could face exposure in less than 72 hours; humanity would have little or no chance to survive a virulent outbreak leaving less than 1% of 1% naturally immune to any particular virus.

Now that I have you attention you can understand the important role animal control plays in everyday life. Horses without their coggins test can be 1200 pound incubators for West Nile, and Chickengunya both horrible diseases in humans often referred to as swamp fever in horses there is no cure and the normal standard operating procure is to destroy the horse. Rabies is one of the most horrible deaths I have ever seen (in film, not in real life). For two of my jobs I was required to watch a film when a human had been exposed to rabies and in the final stages were filmed (in the 50's) so doctors could see the ravages of the virus, it haunts me to this very day. Over 100,000 people a year die worldwide from rabies mostly in Asia and Africa but make no mistake rabies is alive and well in the United States with a rabid dog confirmed at a dog park in Austin in February 2015. That is to close for comfort in my book, that's why one of the cities first job is to mandate all domestic animals (dogs, cats, ferrets) have a rabies shot, followed by another in a years time that will be good for 3 years, then every three years following that till the animals demise.

A comprehensive spay and neuter campaign is the next logical step that would include TNR (trap neuter return) to reduce the feral cat population. Feral or wild cats pose a possible vector to infect other normally healthy animals and humans. Cats have the ability to pass a number of illnesses to humans, cat scratch fever, toxoplasmosis, rabies and a plethora of other not so deadly but uncomfortable things that we rather not go into right now.

Of course enforcement is the next step, animals should be required to have a city tag to return them or contact the owners if their animal is caught outside of their yard or has been injured, or lost. In my many years of animal control the best form of identification is a microchip, and it cannot be removed or lost like a collar. Many people have the idea that a cat will hang itself with a collar on, but they make break away collars for cats and if not, micro chipping is the way to go. A small chip is embedded under the skin and it sends a ID number and a phone number to the proper receiver, it is not powered so it will last the lifetime of the animal. Even if an animal is killed by a car strike, a micro chip can bring closure to the pet's owner.

The state of Texas requires its animal control officers to go through a course to become certified, in a small town they normally send a member of the city road crew to become certified in animal control and euthanasia. Another option is to send a marshal or police officer. Of course this is NOT something that can be put off; if you have an animal control department it must be run correctly and by the laws set forth by the State of Texas.

The actual running of a shelter also falls under many hats, it must be humanely run and follow all state set rules. Animals in the state of Texas are considered property, so in essence if you pick up a dog and do not allow the public to have a chance to recover said property you are doing an unlawful search and seizer, violating not only local and state laws but the very constitution of the United States. Kennel cards must have a picture and a written description of the animal, location it was caught, and gender is always helpful as well as a guess on breed. Also a set time limit must be set for all animals, the norm is 3 days without a collar, and 10 days with. Of course you have to have either a website of some means to show the public you have animals in your care, a weatherproof poster board with picture of the animals help to avoid the problem of having someone at the pound 24/7 But it must be updated and monitored daily with a contact number for people to recover their animals. A scanner is required to scan ALL animals to see if they are chipped, putting down an animal before contacting its owner is destruction of private property and is punishable by law.

The additional costs of animal control are covered by licensing, fines, and impound fees. The additional officer can also double as a code compliance office adding to the cities beautification by other fines. Additionally animal control trucks can either be purchased used from Austin or grants and loans are available if you plan to run a no kill shelter.

This is just a short for a reminder of things to come for me, the actual codes and everything that are necessary for animal control would take me days to tell you everything we have garnered over the years. Please fell free to contact me at my e-mail address with any thing you may have forgotten or may have discovered during your quest to become a modern animal control with a heart.

Michael Suarez Executive Director of Hope for Dogs

7703 Tennessee Walker

Van Ormy, Texas 78073

email: hopefordogsanimalrescue@gmail.com

What to Do ( and NOT Do) IF You Find a Newborn Kitten

I have met Valerie and have attended her work shops. I hope this article will give you some valuable information.

What to Do (and NOT Do) If You Find a Newborn Kitten

Posted on May 4, 2013 by OOTC Editor

During kitten season, it’s not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by his/her mother. (Photo by Ken Hanly)

by Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative
During high kitten season in the spring and summer, it’s not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by the mother. You want to help, right? Before jumping to the rescue, consider these recommendations.
First: Wait & Watch
You might have come across the kittens while their mother is off searching for food, or is in the process of moving them to a different location. Try to determine if the mother is coming back for them, or if they are truly orphaned.
To do this, stand far away from the kittens — 35 feet or more. If you stand too close, the mom will not approach her kittens. You might need to go away completely before the mother cat will return to attend to the kittens. It might be several hours before the mother cat returns — until she no longer senses the presence of humans hovering near her litter.
If you need to leave before the mother cat comes back, carefully evaluate whether the kittens are in immediate danger: Is it raining or snowing? Are dogs or wild animals that might harm the kittens running loose in the neighborhood? Does the neighborhood have kids or adults who are likely to harm the kittens? Are the kittens located in an area with heavy foot or car traffic?
To help with your decision, it is important to know that it might take several hours for the mother cat to return, and healthy kittens can survive this period without food as long as they are warm. Neonatal kittens are much more at risk of hypothermia than they are of starvation. During spring and summer months, waiting a longer time to see if mom will come back is much safer than during frigid winter months.
The mother cat offers her kittens’ best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you can. The best food for the kittens is their mother’s milk. Remove the kittens only if they are in immediate, grave danger.

The mother cat offers her newborn kittens their best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you safely can for her to return before removing them.

If the mother cat returns…
If mom returns and the area is relatively safe, leave the kittens alone with mom until they are weaned. You can offer a shelter and regular food to mom, but keep the food and shelter at a distance from each other. Mom will find the food but will not accept your shelter if the food is nearby, because she will not want to attract other cats to food located near her nest.
Six weeks is the optimal age to take the kittens from the mother for socialization and adoption placement, and any time after eight weeks for Trap-Neuter-Return (spay/neuter, vaccination, eartip, and return to their colony). Female cats can become pregnant with a new litter even while they are still nursing, so don’t forget to get the mother cat spayed or you will have more kittens soon! Learn how to socialize kittens and how to successfully trap a mom and her kittens.
If the mother cat does not return…
If you discover that mom has been hit by a car, or if for any reason it appears that she is not coming back, then you should remove the kittens. This is crucial to the kittens’ survival. But you must be prepared to see this project through to weaning if you decide to intervene!
If you take the kittens in, it is unlikely that you will find an organization with available staff or volunteers to take on bottle-feeding on short notice. Some organizations do have experienced bottle-feeders, but prior logistical planning is necessary. Animal shelters and veterinarians generally do not take in newborn kittens, since they do not have the staff to feed and stimulate them for elimination around-the-clock.
You can contact the NYC Feral Cat Initiative at kittens@NYCFeralCat.org or (212) 330-0033 x5 and we will attempt to find someone to bottle-feed the kittens, but this might take days or weeks, and we might not be successful in locating a feeder. If we do find someone to bottle-feed, you might still be responsible for taking the kittens back when they no longer require bottle-feeding. You also might be responsible for paying for veterinary visits, which might include emergency medical care, and will definitely include spay or neuter surgery, disease testing, and vaccinations. And finally, you might be responsible for adopting the kittens into permanent homes. The NYC Feral Cat Initiative can help you locate low-cost veterinary care, and might be able to help you find new homes for the kittens, but completing these tasks will be your responsibility.
Kitten Care & Bottle-Feeding
First Steps

1. Prepare for bottle-feeding and proper care before you take the kittens off the street.
2. If you feel you must take the kittens in, wrap the carrier or container you will transport them in in a towel for warmth, but make sure you leave air holes uncovered so the kittens won’t suffocate.
3. Check to see if the kittens are warm. This is more important than feeding. Never feed a cold kitten! If the kittens are cold, you will need to warm them up slowly. You can tell a kitten is cold if the pads of his feet and/or ears feel cool or cold. Put your finger in the kitten’s mouth. If it feels cold, then the kitten’s temperature is too low. This is life-threatening and must be dealt with immediately. Warm up the kitten slowly over 1–2 hours by wrapping him in a polar fleece towel, holding him close to your body, and continually rubbing him with your warm hands.
4. Determine the age of the kittens by comparing them to the photos and descriptions on the Kitten Progression: Week-by-Week page on the Alley Cat Allies website, or the Boutique Kittens website (Note: we do not advocate buying kittens; these kitten development photos just happen to be particularly descriptive.).

Newborn kittens need to be fed and stimulated for elimination every three hours around-the-clock. (Photo by Valerie Sicignano)

Feeding & Elimination
Neonatal kittens (under four weeks of age) cannot eat solid food (not canned, not dry) and cannot urinate or defecate on their own, so you must bottle-feed them around-the-clock and stimulate their genitals after every feeding so they can eliminate. For example, if you have kittens less than one week old, they will need to be fed and stimulated every three hours. That means you will be caring for them eight times a day — for example, at midnight, 3:00 a.m, 6:00 a.m, etc. If the kittens are unusually small or sickly, they might need to be fed every two hours.
Skipping feedings or overfeeding can cause diarrhea, which results in dehydration, a condition that can be fatal for small kittens (not to mention a hassle for you to clean up after). Diarrhea requires a visit to the veterinarian.
As the kittens age, the number of feedings they need per day goes down. You can start weaning at four weeks of age.
Milk Replacement Formulas
Powdered kitten milk replacement formula is better for kittens than the canned liquid formula. We recommend that you use only powdered kitten milk replacement formula from the start — or as soon as possible — to prevent diarrhea. Two major brands of formula are available: PetAg KMR^® Powder and Farnam Pet Products Just Born^® Highly Digestible Milk Replacer for Kittens. Both brands are available in both canned and powdered formulas. We highly recommend the powdered type to prevent diarrhea. It can be purchased at pet food stores, veterinarians’ offices, or online. Revival Animal Health offers the lowest prices we know of.
Make sure that the powdered formula you are using is fresh by opening the pop-top and smelling it. It should smell slightly sweet, like powdered milk. If it has a sharp smell like bad cooking oil, cheese, or chemicals, it is rancid, and dangerous to give to the kittens. Do not use any type of formula past the expiration date.
Once opened, kitten milk replacement formula (canned or powdered) must be refrigerated promptly and stored in the refrigerator. You cannot keep opened kitten milk replacement formula out of the refrigerator for very long before it spoils. Think of it as fresh milk.
Tip: Using unflavored Pedialyte electrolyte solution instead of water when mixing the powdered formula for the first 24 hours of feeding helps prevents diarrhea and eases the transition from mom’s milk to commercial kitten milk replacement formula.
Bottle-Feeding Guidance for Beginners

• Visit the the NYC Feral Cat Initiative website for detailed information on bottle-feeding orphaned newborn kittens,
• E-mail us at kittens@NYCFeralCat.org and describe what instructions/information you need, or
• Call us at (212) 330-0033 x5 and leave a voicemail with your name, address, and a description of what instructions/information you need.

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About the Author
Valerie Sicignano is Community Relations Director for the New York City Feral Cat Initiative and has been working with feral cats in New York City since 1990. She holds a Certificate in Humane Education from the ASPCA, and her work with animals has been recognized by the Manhattan Pet Gazette’s “Animal Guardian Award” and In Defense of Animals’ “Companion Animal Guardian Award.”

What I Did On My Day Off

 

Well today was a rather pleasant day. Some of you folks out there may wonder what this crazy cat lady does on her days off. First of all, yes, I do have a day job. I work for a CPA, it is part time, then I trap cats part time and make handwoven jewelry to sell at a Renaissance Festival in upstate NY. Today I had the day off. After a yummy breakfast of eggs, onions, kale and feta cheese, I spent the morning typing out the blog post about dog fighting. I found myself feeling angry and sick when I imagined the cruelty visited upon those innocent animals. But I am happy to share the info in hopes that it will help stop those criminals. Then I vacuumed the couch, any one with more than one cat know what little fuzz generators those kitties are and will understand why vacuuming the coach is an almost daily chore. I baked some bread and cleaned up the kitchen. One loaf turned out well enough to take to church, but the other one didn’t turn out so well, so guess what I had for supper. Since I was being so domestic I decided to actually cook something for lunch. I made salmon patties, they turned out quite tasty. By then it had warmed up out side so BG and I did a little weeding in the garden. Then I went to town to get gas for the lawn mower and mowed most of the front yard. After a short nap I decided to work on a painting that has been in progress for quite some time. What does a crazy cat lady paint? You guessed it, Cats! In this case it is a painting of five kittens sleeping on a blanket. I will try and post a picture. Then as evening fell BG and I went off to the back acre and dug up a wheelbarrow full of cactus. I have about a third of an acre of cactus left to dig up. I have been working on it a little bit at a time. At dusk, all eight of my kitty family gathered around the back porch for brushing and play time. Rosie and Emerald both like the tennis balls. Rascal and Mia love to chase a peacock feather. All of them like to roll around in the fresh catnip I scatter about. Now it is almost time for a shower and bed. Thank you for reading my blog, Good Night! Zzzzz

PS To my church family; I hope I didn't scandalize you, if so please forgive me.









Nap Time

What I Recently Learned About Dog Fighting

Last Saturday I had the pleasure to attend an informative meeting put on by animal control officer Michael Suarez of Von Ormy, Texas. One of the many issues he discussed was how to recognize a dog fighting ring. Some of that information is what I would like to share with you today.

“Dog fighting, which is appropriately called a blood-sport, is the actual pitting of two dogs against each other in a pit or ring to fight for the entertainment of the spectators, some mere children. The dogs, usually pit bulls, literally bite and rip the flesh off one another while the onlookers cheer, scream and place bets on which dog will win the match. Much of the time there is alcohol involved or illicit drug use as well. After the fight, both dogs are critically wounded, often with massive bleeding, ruptured lungs, broken bones and other life threatening injuries. Generally, the loser of a match dies or is killed, unless he has any salvage value to his owner. When dogs are killed after a match, it is not done by a humane euthanasia methods, rather the animals are shot, beaten, or tortured, the local flavor is hanging the animal. The animals that survive generally never see a veterinarian; regardless of the gravity of injuries or the amount of suffering that the animals will have to endure due to the chance a veterinarian will report the injuries to the authorities.

While it takes an investigator to properly investigate a dog fighting operation, there are several warning signs that dog fighting may be occurring. Of course, only local law enforcement officials, animal control officers, and prosecuting attorneys may investigate criminal actions against any suspected dog fighters. However, a good Samaritan who sees evidence of dog fighting enterprises may contact local law enforcement agents who may then launch an investigation. Simply because the following signs are present does not indicate a person is involved in a dog fighting operation. Rather, these signs are based are based on data collected from years of dog fighting investigations and prosecutions. So even if you think IT is happening, it mat not be, so please do not try and take the law into your own hands.

Law enforcement agents may encounter suspicious activity as a result o f a citizen complaint, an unrelated investigation, a deliberate investigation or completely by chance. Field agents must be trained. to recognize the indicators of potential dog fighting activity. It is extremely common for agents to come across any or all of the following, often in plain view when there is presence of dog fighting: From an animal welfare standpoint, dog fighting is one of the most serious forms of animal abuse, not only for the heinous acts of violence that the dogs endure during and after the fights, but because they literally suffer their entire lives. Dogs that are born, bought or stolen for fighting are often neglected and abused from the start. Most spend their entire lives alone on chains or in cages and only know the attention of a human when they are being trained to fight and they only know the company of other animals in the context of being trained to kill them. Most dogs spend their entire lives without adequate food, water, or shelter. They are not perceived as sentient beings capable of suffering, rather they are commodities that exist for the sole purpose of making the owner money and prestige. The prevailing mindset among dog fighters is that the more the dog suffers, the tougher he will become, and the better fighter he will be. The fighting dogs are not the only victims of heinous cruelty. Many of the training methods involve torturing and killing of other innocent animals. Often pets are stolen or otherwise obtained to be used as live bait in training exercises to improve the dogs' endurance, strength, or fighting ability. If the bait animals are still alive after the training sessions, they are usually given to the dogs as a reward, and the dogs finish killing them.

(1) Dogs: Certainly not all pit bulls are fought, but officers should be watchful of signs that pit bulls on the premises are being trained or bred for fighting or have been fought. Multiple dogs are generally housed in one location. More sophisticated operations may look more like a kennel; in fact many that breed and fight dogs do so under the auspices of a kennel to deflect suspicion. Less sophisticated dog fighters, especially the urban street fighters generally have several dogs chained in back-yards, often behind privacy fences, or garages. Dogs that have been fought have fresh wounds or scars, in various stages of healing, on the head, chest and legs.

(2) People: A dog fighting data base should be maintained to track suspicious and known dog fighters. They will often lead you to other dog fighters and to multiple locations where dogs are kept and fought. Dog fighters move their dogs frequently, so it is important for law enforcement to pay close attention to whether a suspect has multiple residences, including out-of-state. Detailed records should be kept of the individuals that come and go from suspicious locations. Surveillance is especially important on nights and weekends, when large number of dog fighters may come together.

(3) Signs of Training or Fights: The presence of a pit is a sure sign of fighting, but agents should pay close attention to blood spattered on any surface. Many new fighting rings are portable and fold into an unsuspecting pile of boards in seconds. Dogs may be fought or trained in garages, barns, and vacant buildings, so spatters of blood on any interior walls or floors should be closely documented. Dogs are often trained outside, so agents should watch for blood spattered out side, especially near training equipment. When live animals are used as bait, there are generally remains of the animals on site. You should look for patches of fur, bones, or decomposed bodies.

Officers and citizens should be able to identify devices and implements such as: treadmills, catmills (jennys), springpoles (jumppoles), flirtpoles, chains/weights, and any implements used to hang or harness bait animals. Pry bars, bite sticks, or breaking sticks are used too pry the dog's jaws open when he has gripped onto another animal. Investigators should be trained to recognize these, as they would be quickly overlooked by the untrained eye. Often we carry these item in out truck as well because of catching feral animals.

(4) Signs of Transport: Large numbers of portable dog-kennels on site may indicate that the dogs are frequently transported to and from matches and between multiple locations. Adult pit bulls frequently appearing and disappearing from a certain location with no explanation may be involved in fighting.

(5) Vitamins, Drugs, Food supplements and Veterinary Implements: Most dog fighters do not take their animals to a veterinarian for treatment for fear of exposure; as a result, it is extremely common to encounter veterinary supplies and manuals during an investigation. Again, I have several drop shipments of common drugs to my home weekly, so it is not always as it seems.

(6) Physical Evidence of Bookmaking/Contest: Agents should watch for trophies recognizing match winners, or conferring the titles “Champion” or “Grand Champion.” Other physical evidence to look for include: ledger slips, match results, stat of an individual animal's performance in matches, photos of dogs or matches.

(7) Publications: Agents should be able to recognize pro-dog-fighting publications, such as,

• The Sporting Dog Journal
• Your Friend and Mine
• American Game Dog Times
• The Scratch Line
• Face Your Dogs
• The Pit Bull Chronicle
• The Pit Bull Reporter
• The American Warrior

The collective American conscience has long been repulsed by the undeniable brutality within the culture of dog fighting, but the law enforcement community has been regrettably lax in appreciating the full scope and gravity of the problem. Historically, the crime of dog fighting was considered an isolated animal welfare issue, and as such was ignored, denied, or disregarded by law enforcement. Within the last decade, however a growing body of legal and empirical evidence has emerged exposing the clandestine culture of dog fighting and its nexus with other crimes and community violence. Dog fighters are violent criminals that engage in a host of peripheral criminal activities. Many are heavily involved in organized crime, racketeering, drug distribution, or gangs, and they arrange and attend the fights as a forum for gambling and drug trafficking. Many communities have been morally, socially and culturally scarred by the menacing pestilence of dog fighting for generations. From a very early age, children in those communities are routinely exposed to the unfathomable violence that is inherent within the blood sport. Even seasoned law enforcement agents are consistently appalled by the atrocities that they encounter before, during, and after dog fights, yet the children that grow up exposed to it are conditioned to believe that the violence is normal. Those children are systematically desensitized to the suffering, and ultimately become criminalized.

I have culled several items from my school books and other publication for this information, it is by no means complete or a “holy grail” of dog fighting signs. Many items were left out for reasons my son and I thought were important for public safety. This is NOT a game, this is not a joke, thousands of dollars are exchanged at cock and dog fight, it may also have illegal drugs or weapons present. Observe, document, report, and let law enforcement do their job. No one wants to get that “call” in the middle of the night, be safe out there.”

by Michael Suarez email: hopefordogsanimalrescue@gmail.com

Michael is an animal control officer in Von Ormy, Texas and also the Executive Director of “Hope for Dogs.”

Here in the small town of Blanco at the local grocery store there is a community bulletin board. On it at certain times of the years there always seems be be a lot of lost pets posted. I have often wondered about that. Are these animals being stolen to be be used a bait animals, or are they unaltered animals that have answered natures call? I probably don't really want to know the answer to that question. Please spay, neuter, vaccinate and microchip your pets! And if you are involved in any way, in dog fighting I hope you rot in hell!