Loki's Christmas Wish Foundation

Cross posted from www.hugabull.blogspot.com

Loki’s Christmas Wish Foundation was named after one of HugABull’s own. Loki was a 5 month old pup that came to HugABull from Chilliwack Animal Control. Surrendered by his previous owners Loki had been neglected and his future was uncertain.Luckily for him the team saw something in him, the determination to trust and be loved.

Just days after Christmas Loki found his forever home in the arms of a loving family whose life was forever changed. Unfortunately only 3 short years later Loki was laid to rest due to health issues. From Loki’s passing came this wish from his family. “Let no dog at Christmas time go unloved or unwanted”With that wish, each year in memory of Loki, HugABull will be collecting donations of dog beds, toys, treats, jackets, food and anything else that could give a dog something to bark about.

This year we will be collecting for New Westminster Animal Control and the Victoria CRD Pound. Two very deserving groups working hard with what they have.

New or Used items needed for in the kennels

Dog Beds - Please wash if used

Blankets - Please wash if used

Jackets - Great for dogs in kennels without heat, again please wash if used.

For Some Fun

Soccer Balls

Basket Balls

Lacrosse Balls

Stuffed soft toys

Long Tug Ropes

Kongs

Ultra Balls

Treats that will REALLY make their christmas

Raw Meaty Bones - they would be in heaven

Bully Sticks - again a great chew for a lonely dog

Salmon Skin Chews

Healthy Dog Treats

Can't forget the Cats!! (calling all cat lovers)

This year because both shelters also support abandoned/neglected cats we are looking for donations for the felines at these shelters.

Cat Scratches

Cat Toys

Food

Bowls

Cat Nip

Cat Treats

If you can help with donations please email us

Carla at carla@hugabull.com to make donations on the Island

Kristen at kristen@hugabull.com to make donations on the Mainland.

Let's work together to make sure these dogs get the Christmas they deserve.

What are you thankful for?

Being a Pit Bull owner can be tough! With constant media attacks, the ever present threat of BSL, and the dirty looks you get from people out in your neighborhood, pit bull owners have a lot to deal with. I've often been asked why I would own a breed of dog that causes such strong visceral reactions. Today, and every day, this is why I would never own another breed of dog.

1) Bully Smiles. They're the best. I've known lots of dogs in my day and no other breed of dog has got a smile that comes right from the soul.

2) Unwavering loyalty. These dogs are committed to you through and through and when you have the worst day, coming home to a bully makes the world way more tolerable.

3) Cuddles. Owning 2 sixty pound lap dogs warms my heart and my bed now that the weather has turned a bit cooler.

4) Bully kisses. These dogs love from the depths of their toes and make sure that you know how much you are loved.

5) Zoomies. No explanation necessary.

So go hug your pit bull today. They need it just as much as you do!

Re-evaluating BSL in Naniamo

Nanaimo is currently in the process of analyzing their animal control bylaws as they are ineffective and not working. Hmmm, interesting. A city that implements BSL and it doesn't work? Concerned citizens are afraid that when the laws get rewritten that instead of doing away with useless BSL legislation they will actually attempt to make the BSL more rigid. Sound familiar? Breed Specific Legislation is not the answer. The Netherlands already overturned the laws there as after 15 years they figured out that targeting dogs wasn't the answer. Please Nanaimo, learn from others mistakes. Replace your BSL with a model of dangerous dog legislation similar to Calgary. Don't believe me? Then check out this seminar:

NANAIMO KENNEL CLUB Is pleased to present a public forum on “Putting a Muzzle on Dog BITE Incidents in your Community” And “Responsible Dog Ownership”
Speaker: Bill Bruce, Director of Animal Services and Bylaws, Calgary
DATE: Wednesday, September 23, 2009
LOCATION: Beban Park Auditorium
TIME: 700 pm to 900 pm
COST: No charge to attend If you love dogs and have them in your life, you need to attend this forum to find out what may lie ahead....Find out why the most common "knee-jerk" actions, and traditional bylaws DO NOT work, and discover a role model that has a proven track record that DOES work. Learn about possible dog bylaw changes, bite and muzzling issues and much more. Learn about the dog bylaws implemented in Calgary by Mr. Bruce and why they are among the most successful in North America. Responsible dog ownership and how it affects you and your life, how it impacts on your city, your home and most importantly your dogs. Mr. Bruce will be coming to Nanaimo to share his expertise and knowledge on this important subject with us. As part of the Canadian Kennel Club’s encouragement for Responsible Dog Ownership and RDOG walks being held all across Canada, the NKC invites you to attend this topical and worthwhile presentation.

Fabulous Darling!

Last weekend, a group of Hugabull volunteers came out show off their PRIDE! They marched in the pride parade to show their support to other communities of individuals that haven't always been treated as equal. And the dogs, well any excuse to get dressed up. They kissed, smiled, and wagged their way past thousands and thousands of people looking fabulous the entire way. Check it out!

That's What I'm talking about

I came across this great article written by Sara Enos on http://www.examiner.com/.

Breed specific legislation failing globally

June 30, 10:24 AM

Does appearance determine personality?

After almost six years of costly enforcement of breed specific legislation, (BSL) Italy has lifted its breed ban and is replacing it with a law that will hold owners accountable for their dogs. In September of 2003, Italy placed into effect laws that banned or restricted 92 breeds including not just controversial breeds such as the Rottweiler and Pit Bull, but breeds such as the Corgi and Border Collie. Italy later dropped the deemed dangerous list to 17 breeds, and just this past April, removed the restrictions all together. In light of the new law, Health Undersecretary, Francesca Martini said “This is a historic day because we have established for the first time the responsibility of the owner or the person who is momentarily in charge of the animal.”Dog advocates and experts globally have argued that dogs are individuals and aggression cannot be pinned on specific breeds as a whole. Many share the thought that banning an entire breed is nothing but a costly band-aid fix to quiet the hype caused by the media. Until owners are held responsible for their negligence, incidents will continue to occur even if specific species are eradicated. Possibly following suit to Italy’s new reversal on BSL, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has ruled in favor of an appeal challenging the constitutionality of the Denver, Colorado breed ban, which currently restricts owners with American Staffordshire Terriers, Pit Bulls, American Bull Dogs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and dogs that appear to be mixed with the listed breeds. Since the Denver ban was re-enacted in 2005, over 1,000 dogs were subsequently euthanized. In their decision, the Tenth Circuit Court is quoted to say "with its affections for its friends, and children in particular, its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, [the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is] a foremost all-purpose dog." In 1988, in Dade County, Florida, a breed ban was enacted. In 2002, it was estimated that over 50,000 of the banned breeds were residing there.In 2001, Baltimore, Maryland spent an estimated $750,000 just to enforce breed specific legislation. Unbeknownst to many tax payers, BSL is very costly. Examples are given using the Economic Impact Calculator.June 9th, 2008, Holland lifts its breed ban against Pit Bulls after discovering that fifteen years of BSL did not decrease the number of dog bite incidents. After euthanizing many puppies that had Pit Bull appearances, they concluded that physical traits did not pre-determine temperament. Ignoring statistics and efficacy of BSL, Canada remains firm on their stance to ban specific breeds. On June 9th, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear the appeal to remove their ban on Pit Bulls. In 45 years, there had only been 1 reported fatality resulting from a “Pit Bull” attack in Canada, out of 47 cases of fatalities involving at least 100 dogs, most of which were sled dogs. The one listed incident was the result of provocation by a drunken roommate.Charlotte currently does not enforce breed specific legislation with the exception that Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes cannot be adopted from the Charlotte Mecklenberg Animal Care and Control, (CMACC) Facility. Members of the rescue community are trying to help present solutions to change the city legislation preventing their adoption, without putting the dogs in danger of being adopted by fighters.In hopes to provide more than a band-aid fix, programs to promote responsible ownership are sprouting throughout the country in an effort to help with breed discrimination caused by negligent owners. For more info: Visit the National Canine Research Council, and Pit Bull Rescue Central BSL, or email Sara at dogexaminer@yahoo.com.

A Sad Day in Ontario

Supreme Court will not hear appeal of Ontario's pit bull ban

By THE CANADIAN PRESS – 11 hours ago

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday it will not hear a bid to quash Ontario's ban on pit bulls.
The attempt to take the fight to Canada's highest court was launched in April by a Toronto dog owner represented by lawyer Clayton Ruby. "That's the end of the legal attack, but it remains a bad law, a terrible law," Ruby said in an interview.
In his submission to the Supreme Court, Ruby argued there is no scientific or statistical basis to conclude that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs.
He asked the Supreme Court to review a decision from Ontario's Appeal Court last October that upholds the province's ban.
The high court decided Thursday that it would not hear the appeal.
The Ontario Appeal Court concluded that pit bulls are dangerous and unpredictable dogs that have the potential to attack without warning.
The Ontario government enacted the Dog Owners' Liability Act in 2005 to ban the breeding, sale and ownership of pit bulls after several incidents in which the dogs attacked people.
When the law was enacted, pit bulls that were already pets in the province were grandfathered and allowed to stay with owners, but with strict rules.
As a result, many owners have opted to give up their dogs and the animals are ultimately euthanized, Ruby said.
"The dogs are winding up in the shelters, the shelters can't keep the dogs forever and they kill them," he said.
The challenge was launched on behalf of Ruby's client, Catherine Cochrane.
The Supreme Court also ordered the woman to pay the costs associated with her application to take the case to the high court.
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

I Love My Dogs

Tonight, I am laying in bed. I have spent the last week worried about my own dog, who had a scary bout of pancreatitis and I thought I was going to lose him. But, he is home and he is recovering and is back to his normal, geeky self. At times like this, I remember that is because of the love and devotion that he shows me that spurs me on to continue this fight. I love this breed because I love my dogs. And my dogs love me. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that I never have my dogs taken from me. Or that other Pit Bull owners never have their dogs taken from them. They are not my dogs, they are my family. And tonight, they will be right where they belong, curled up on my bed while we drift off to sleep. And so tonight, I wanted to officially introduce you to Alabama, the one that introduced me to the wonderful world of bullies, and to Shermann, who has managed to worm his way into my heart and my home.