Pit Bull Awareness Day, Part Two

We had a great time walking through the French Quarter with these two dogs and their family on Saturday morning. What was surprising was the number of people who came over to squeeze them and talk about the pit bulls in their own family. Well, maybe that wasn't so surprising. Also not surprising: the number of people who nearly fell of the sidewalk trying to get away from the dogs, even though the dogs weren't anywhere near them.

We also distributed cake and cookies to Octavia Books, Canine Connection, Zeus' Place, Neophobia, and Slim Goodies Diner, where one young woman said, "There are people who don't like pit bulls?"

National Pit Bull Awareness Day

October 25th is National Pit Bull Awareness Day, and we'll be doing a visibility event on Saturday morning.

What: Pit Bull Awareness Walk through the French Quarter
When: Saturday October 25th at 10:30am
Where: We'll meet near the base of Canal Street at the pedestrian entrance to the Ferry
Why: To show people what responsible pit bull owners look like

Please bring your dog if you feel he or she is up to it, but remember that we'll be walking through the Quarter, which means lots of other people, dogs, horses, noise, traffic, etc. We want to show our dogs in the best possible light, so if your dog doesn't like crowds, consider his/her feelings. But, you can still join the walk, even without a dog. Wear a t-shirt, make a sign. We'll have Sula shirts at a discount for anyone who doesn't already have a pit bull themed wardrobe.

If you plan on coming, please respond to this email so that we know how many to expect.

Also, we'll be offering petit fours and cookies along with pit bull facts at various locations in town, including Octavia Books and Neophobia furniture store. The LA-SPCA will be having an adoption day at Canine Culture.

And, we're still looking for some volunteers with the following events:
Jefferson Pet Fest, Sunday Nov. 2
NOLA Bookfair, Saturday Nov. 15

Was your mail returned?

We recently discovered that the post office has been returning some of our mail, including donations. And invitations! We've straightened all out, but we have no idea how many pieces of mail were returned "undeliverable" while others were in fact delivered without a problem. If you have had a problem with this, please let us know.

Meanwhile, here are Roseanne and Lucinda, who were abandoned in a yard at about six weeks old. They are going through the vaccinations now, and will eventually be socialized and put up for adoption.

Come to the Bark Market, Saturday Oct. 18th

Hugh

Hugh was sent to us from another Animal Welfare organization in Louisiana. Before agreeing to take him, we asked that he be vaccinated and checked for heartworms. We were told this was done and that he tested negative. When he arrived with no vet records, we discovered that he had been taken to a vet, but no vaccines were administered and he was not tested for heartworms. In addition, he had patches of missing hair from what was apparently some type of staph infection. And he tested very high for heartworms.

Unfortunately, this is an example of how difficult it can be taking rescues from other individuals or organizations. And Hugh will now take the resources required for five or more other dogs. The good news is that he is really sweet.

Saturday October 4th: Two events

Rick Arruzza will be reading and signing books inspired by his pit bull/pointer mix Sparky on Saturday October 4th from 11:00 AM until 12:30 at Maple Street Bookshop, 7523 Maple Street.

From noon on, we'll have a few dogs at an adoption event at the Freret Market, at the corner of Freret and Cadiz. The Louisiana SPCA and ARNO will also have dogs on hand.

Vote for The Sula Foundation and help us win a grant

The good news is that several dogs now have new homes: Grover, Kaspar, Bandit, Bess, Sable and JP all have foster or permanent homes. Maude, the female bulldog, had to have a hernia repaired, but hopefully she and Harold will soon be in a foster home receiving their heartworm treatment. The bad news is that an organization in Baton Rouge sent down a pit bull named Hugh that is in much worse shape than we were led to believe.
So, if you want to help out but don't have the cash, please vote for The Sula Foundation at The Animal Rescue Site's Shelter Challenge. You can vote everyday through December 14th, and they will be awarding $100,000 in grants based on the results. Just follow the link and type in The Sula Foundation and select LA for the state. Then follow the directions to vote.