Mar 13, 2017

BCSP Report – Week 9

Bollinger County Stray Project Report February 26-March 5 

I want to start this week’s report by reminding our readers I do not believe in banning of breeds for city limits or that I have prejudice against any bully breeds. In fact there is only one breed of dog that I would extinguish from earth if I could. I question the breeding purpose and the level of temperament aggression towards humans that breed exhibits. It is an extremely dangerous dog breed.

If I could outlaw a breed of dog it would be the rare breed Fila Brasileriro.

I have been up close, but not personal, with the Fila Brasileriro at dog shows back in the late 1990’s. The judges don’t even touch the breed and stand a healthy distance from them when in the show ring.

Showing fear towards the breed makes them even more dangerous. That makes sense because an aggressive dog requires a confident powerful owner that they can respect.

The Fila is so vicious and dangerous because they tend to also be fearful and territorial. That is how a handler / trainer explained them to me as well as a couple of owners of the breed. Their dog’s body language also showed the fearful tendencies.

While in the ring the tail was low, not high and cocky like a confident dog. The dogs were uncomfortable as if to say, “I want the heck out of here…I don’t like being stared at. I don’t like having to deal with the activity of these odd strangers, and I just want to spank those people for looking at me…”

Why on earth would anyone have a dog like that?

The few people I talked to who have had the breed had them for protection purposes: “no one will get past the door” kind of protection.

A dog like that is like a hungry lion in a cage given a live chicken as a companion. I don’t think it wise to think the chicken will be safe. Visitors are not safe: not visiting relatives, not the UPS driver, not their kids friends from school…

I witnessed a Fila attack one of its handlers at a dog show. A brother who had been with the dogs for two weeks, the dogs knew him well, but when he went in front of them and starred at them to take a photo of the owner holding them, the one leap at the man taking the photo. All hell broke out as people all around started to run, screaming. The exact thing you SHOULD NOT DO.

The huge dogs were hard for the owner to handle. No one went to the hospital but this is how serious it can be when you OWN a CANNON that can explode over the simplest mistake made by a family member in the home of an aggressive dog.

There are rules to keep from aggravating dogs into an aggressive state.

First do not stare at a dog that is acting aggressive towards you. Staring is challenging and it is the trigger for two dogs to get into a fight, so logically it is also a trigger for an aggressor or a fearful dog to feel compelled to attack to make you submit (alpha thinking),or to rid of the perceived aggressor (fearful dogs may think YOU are a threat).

Don’t corner a dog that is fearful. You had better know the dog and have a relationship. How many kids under age six know better than to corner a dog that is intimidated by them?

It is best not to add dogs to a home with small children where the kids will be unattended UNLESS you don’t have a pack of dogs or the dog or two dogs have a submissive nature and show respect for small children.

Running and screaming excites many dogs, especially herding and terrier breeds. The Rottweiler is a herding breed. A few years ago a police officer from Louisiana had a pair of intact mating Rottweilers. His son was running and playing with the family pets in the fenced in yard. Later the child was found being thrown in the air like a game, mauled to death by the family pets.

Dogs are more apt to be aggressive when in a pack: two or more make a pack. This is why it is so important that all the dogs in your home be well-mannered and loving. They need to be submissive in nature when you have children in the home or as visitors.

It just takes one testy dog in your pack to start a dog pack fight or to harm a visitor or family member.

Spring is the time we see more dog to human and dog to dog attacks because we humans are outside playing or working, more accessible to where our pets and strays may be. This is also when more female dogs are in season and male dogs become more testy based on testosterone. Spaying your female dogs is just common sense and neutering your pet dog makes sense.

My youngest brother was just one year older than I. When we were very young our parents put up a yard fence around the house so they could keep us safe from the dogs in the yard and the farm machinery. There was no other logical reason to do so. This cost them a lot of money because it was a huge fenced in area. They kept us safe from harm until we were older, yet I look back and see there were many times I was lucky I was not harmed by my neighbor’s Australian Shepherd male.

My parents never spayed a farm pet. Dad neutered the males himself, saving a vet bill, but causing a great deal of pain and suffering to the male dogs. Dad hated to do it but he knew that a neutered dog was a less aggressive dog. Yet the female Shepherd we had would lure the neighbor’s dogs when she came into season.

A neighbor’s Australian Shepherd was very aggressive and protective of our female. He fought our neutered males and growled at me many times. To this day when I visualize that dog my memory of him is his teeth.

We can help the female dog owners in the area to spay their dogs and cats too if they call us and ask for assistance. We still have money in our Spay Grant. If you have a hardship we can help you. If you have multiple pets and need help to get them done call us. If you have suffered a recent hardship (between jobs, medical expenses for you, etc.), are in the military, or you are low income you can call us for assistance: 573-722-3035.

Spay and neuter just makes sense, especially when you have small children in the family.

Accepted strays and relinquished pets (Facebook FB) (0):

… Female Walker Coonhound was not claimed.

Adoptions, return to owner or placed in other rescues (1):

… Smiley: with us for two years, adopted to a Bloomfield family who run an orchard.

… Black female Lab mix that was missing near Twin Bridges is now home!

… 12 pound Beagle Rat Terrier type female dog returned to owner thanks to FB.

… Beagle mix in City of Advance returned to owner thanks to FB

Cat calls:

… Most days we are receiving multiple calls about cats with litters. Please spay your cats.

Dogs with Heartworm (HW), Ehrlichia, special needs, or that were euthanized:

… Female Walker Coonhound has Ehrlichia and is being treated.

Calls requesting assistance for dogs we did not admit:

… FOUND 3/6/17 at intersection of Hwy B and Hwy 34: Tri-color MERLE Australian Shepherd, wearing a shock collar, blue eye.

… FOUND 3/6/17, City of Advance: Chocolate Lab female, about age 6.

… LOST 2/18/17.North OO, Hwy 51 junction: $100 reward, red, male Boxer. age 5.

… LOST 2/18/17/Leopold Hwy N: over $300 reward,red, female Boxer, spayed, age 6.

… LOST 2/24/17 North of vet’s office $1.000 reward, Mini Australian Shepherd male pup, 12 pound merle. .

… LOST 2/16/17, Hwy FF just past Co Rd 513: Blue Heeler male mix age 3-4, orange shock collar, beloved child’s pet. .

… LOST between Oran and Bell city: Chocolate Lab male, age 1, intact, belongs to a man in the military. Please return this dog by calling Kodi at 573-887-1533

Miscellaneous and contact info:

We had 30 dogs and pups at our home 3/6/17. If you have a stray camping out in the yard don’t wait, call us at 573-722-3035 or email photos at ace@clas. net.

We LOVE Buchheits! Donate a buck or more at the Jackson store for dog food and supplies when you shop. Also, Second Time Around in Marble Hill is taking donations for the Stray Project. Monetary donations are accepted at the Bollinger County Veterinary Service, Marble Hill Coop, Buchheits, and the MH Town and Country.

Stray Project monetary donations accepted at the Marble Hill Coop. We purchase de-wormer and other supplies at the Coop and donations are greatly appreciated.

Please be advised that the Bollinger County Stray Project is not the county or City of Marble Hill dog catcher. When you have a stray we try to help and can usually offer solutions. Patience is required of the caller towards our ability to find and implement a solution. I wish we had a magic wand but we don’t and can’t always help the callers in a manner they may demand of us. Remember, we are volunteers and help as time and space allows.

Offer a stray water on day one and food day two or three. Call if missing a dog or if you have a stray. We don’t always have room but we may have a solution to help you and the stray.

Dumping dogs is a form of abuse and against the law. Please report animal abuse or neglect.

Please do the following when your pets are expecting or caring for a litter: offer any pregnant dog small-breed-puppy-food the final 1-2 weeks before delivery and while the pups are nursing. Give those mothers all the food they want: bowls full all day and lots of fresh water available all day. Cats need kitten food. Free feed the higher calorie food during the nursing stage to help mom make milk and maintain her own body mass. Babies need to be de-wormed as young as 1-2 weeks, then every 7-10 days until age 10-weeks or older if in a confined environment with re-infestation concerns.

Thank you to the County Residents who have continued to support the Bollinger County Stray Project. 

Check out our available pets at Petfinder.  Call 573-722-3035 about our adoptable pets.

If you suspect an animal is being neglected or abused, call the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Hotline, 314-647-4400 or 800-383-9835 or you can make a confidential report on line at Humane Society of Missouri.

To understand when an animal is being abused or neglected in the state of Missouri read the following link:http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/cruelty/mo_cruel.htm