Animal Rights & Stuff

The other day I came across a very good article about a woman and her rescued pitbull Theodore that resonates with me because of my experiences with Chhaya.
I know I have some dog lovers reading my blog, so if you have time read it
here and smile at the photos of Theodore living a good life now. I tried to pick a favorite picture of him but they are all good. I love it when abused dogs find good and happy forever homes. There are so many dogs that are neglected/abused/abandoned/bred for profit. Almost every day there are stories about severely abused dogs, many of them pitbulls. I wish I could help them all, I feel sick and sad when I read about them. Animal abuse needs to get looked at as a serious crime and offenders need to get harsher punishments and be banned from being around animals and register as monsters. Just like pedophiles are forbidden to be around children and have to register as sex offenders.
Chhaya is an ONLY dog, like an only child. Although I did what I thought was the best for her.....socialized her, took her to obedience classes etc she decided sometime after her first heat that she did not appreciate the presence of other dogs in her face. She had a few doggie friends throughout the years that she played really well with and I wish she could have a friend (or a few) now, because I know how badly she wants to play. But she is unpredictable and very strong. And sometimes dogs get into it with each other. I'm not going to take her to the dog park and hope for the best, meaning that no fight will break out. Even a dog that is considered well behaved can have a moment of not behaving. I remember when I took Chhaya to her doggie training class once and the trainers dog, seemingly unprovoked, decided to jump on Chhaya. The trainers dog, not my ferocious pitbull.
I've learned throughout the years by trial and sometimes error on my part that Chhaya is very territorial. She interacts the best away from the house in a neutral area. She does not like too many strange visitors (in her eyes) coming to the house and she does NOT like kids for some reason, I think they scare her.
I got bit by the family dog twice on the face/head as a toddler and when I was nine years old and visiting Poland a dog bit my hand. I survived and I'm fine and no, the dogs that bit me did not get put down. It is what it is. Chhaya is my best friend, she is a ton of fun, gentle, very polite and well behaved with the people she knows and most strangers too.
Speaking of dogs, we collected over $200 at work that will go to the local no kill shelter. I just have to find the time to drive out there, it's a bit of a drive for me since it's in Nikiski. I can't believe that there are people out there that STILL think it's a good idea to breed their dogs. You need money that bad? I think it's really trailer trash/ghetto behavior to breed dogs. If you need money then why don't you get a job or work extra hours instead of contributing to an out of control pet population problem? Do not fool yourself and others by thinking/saying that you will find good forever homes to all the puppies. Cause you won't.
Although Chhaya has been a problem child sometimes for me (just like LSD to Hofmann) I am SO glad that I got her. Sometimes I wish I would had taken one of her sisters or brothers too and had two little crazy pittskies at home. At least they would had been well taken care of. Never abused, abandoned and not bred.

Me and my (sometimes) little problem child the other night.

Going into work is not a priority when the late evenings are beautiful and sunny. Me and Chhaya ran into a boy moose yesterday evening......the correct term would be bull moose.



He was so pretty and curious about us. He stood and watched us for a while before he decided to run into the safety of the forest, then he came out and looked at us again. I think the moose see Chhaya and want to take a better look at her. I can see it in the way they look at her, ears forward, sniffing in our direction.....it's SO cute! I was telling him to hide and not walk around in the open so others, meaning people, can see him. Because......SADLY hunting season is just around the corner and there are already plenty of trigger happy crazies driving up and down the roads by my house in their trucks and on their four wheelers scouting for prey. I told the boy moose he can come and live in my yard and sleep behind my house where nobody will be able too see him or hurt him. I would make sure he had fresh water everyday. And carrots.



No, I don't understand the hunting thing. A lot of people around here claim they hunt because they fill their freezer up with meat. OK, perhaps some people do survive like that but most people I know fill up their fridge and freezer by going to the grocery store like everybody else. Unless you live in rural Alaska where there are people that still rely on subsistence hunting. Otherwise I think that the hunting is just a way for people to run around in the wilderness with their rifles out and live out their bloodthirsty video game Rambo soldier fantasies. I think it's gross. And don't even get me started on women that hunt. To me and yes, this is my personal opinion and I am fully aware that opinions are like assholes......OK. But to me women that hunt are the same kind of psychos that sit around with the "boys" and loudly roar for their football team while they crush beer cans into their forehead. SO NOT feminine.
I think that there are enough moose that perish here every year in vehicle crashes. That meat is actually not discarded, people sign up on some list for that meat. A lot of moose calves die every year when they do not survive the winter or fall prey to predators like bears. No need to go hunting for the rest of the moose population. I know that everybody that think hunting is FUN won't agree with me. Whatever. I suggest you start eating less meat. How about that?

This is how I grew up picturing moose and how I still feel about them, majestic beautiful creatures. Her is Skutt with princess Tuvstarr.