Image Issues

"some freakish, garish beauty pageant" was used by a:

A. Mamapop reader to describe Toddlers in Tiaras
B. pop culture aficionado to describe Lady Gaga's music videos
C. veterinarian to describe the UK's biggest dog fancying dog show

If you guessed C, you're right! Wayne Pacelle quoted the RSPCA's Dr. Evans in his post about dog shows and the documentary showing that, in the UK at least, the pursuit of the "ideal" conformation is leading to severe inbreeding and serious diseases and disabilities for dogs.

Now, I am not opposed to responsible breeders who genuinely want to improve the genetic stock of the breed. I hope that collies are still around in 50 years and I know that likely takes work. There's a wonderful breeder I know via a book club who also rescues stray dogs and carefully controls her small breeding operation. I do think that breeding should be regulated and should have more than a physical appearance as a goal. I think that the health of the animals should be first and foremost in a breeder's plan.

When the pursuit of pet pulchritude leads to widespread genetic problems or animals who can't do normal animal things, there's something wrong.

On the opposite side are those people who care so little about how their animal looks that the animal also ends up sick. My first foster cat was never brushed and allowed to get so fat that he couldn't groom himself. As a result, poor Nik had severe painful matting on his back that had to be shaved off when he came to the shelter. A cat who doesn't groom himself, like Keen before he settled in at casa-la-Bethany, is showing signs of depression that should be addressed. Mange, fleas, matting, and more can all be results of a lack of grooming.

It doesn't surprise me that people go to both ends of the grooming spectrum with pets, we do it with ourselves. This country seems to be constantly worrying about eating disorders that range from anorexia to food addictions--sticks to stouts? Lucy March touched on the issue of women dressing in baggy gray clothes. Penelope Trunk has written multiple times about how people shoot themselves in the foot by not dressing well and taking care of their appearance (I disagree that this should include $80 eyebrow waxings, I enjoy reading her but I don't always agree with her specifics).

My response: recommitting myself to responsible grooming for my pet(s) and myself. Keen doesn't have any health issues now because he is licking himself again, but his white paws are looking a little dingy so I'll give them a gentle cleaning with some great smelling cat foam. Me, I'll break down and buy new jeans so I'll look great at my adoption event this weekend. Penelope did say that better looking sales people have higher sales so maybe this will help me get more dogs adopted ;)

Really, I'm shopping for the dogs.

Have You Heard the Good News?

Nick has a very strong potential adopter!! She wants to fill out the paperwork, pay, and pick him up next week so that she can buy all the supplies and be around the house for his first few days. I'm super excited for my Nikolai. I'll miss him, but I'm so glad he got a home.

(Yes, this was a post title that's been in my head since I noticed that Nik cannot help beelining for my cross necklace, I know it's probably just that it's shiny and hanging, but seriously, he was originally "Saint" Nick...I think he's some form Eastern Orthodox)

In other good news, ESPN is starting their series on fight dogs tonight. I won't be able to watch because I'll be at family dinner, but BadRap said it should be available online soon. Sports Illustrated had a wonderful article in December/January about how wonderfully the dogs who survived the bust are doing. Hopefully E-60 (the show) will help more people see how amazing this breed is in general, and also help push the idea that just because a dog was a fight dog doesn't mean he needs to be put down without evaluation (*cough* PETA wanting to euthanize all the dogs from the bust *cough*). HSUS recently changed their position to one in favor of evaluation and I'm excited for positive publicity to help more of the population see how great these dogs can be. Dogs really are individuals and just like some people can bounce back, so can some dogs.

If you get a chance to watch ESPN, I hope you enjoy the show. If not, say something nice about pitties to someone. They need people on their side.

Busy Week

I have my final project presentation tomorrow in my technical writing class (I made a guide to adopting an animal in the DC metro area--planning to figure out how best to translate it to the web, seriously so proud of the finished project, there are so many different shelter procedures that it took work to figure out the commonalities--duh, love of animals).

Then I need to give Nikolai a bath when I get home because Thursday is his first Meow Mixer! If you're in the DC area and want to meet Nikolai (and other awesome kitties who need a home) come to the Washington Humane Society on Georgia Ave at 7pm for Mexican appetizers (yay for donors!), information, and great cats.

I love these events and I'm even more excited now that Nik will be there. It'll be his first event since the one I signed him up for the other week got canceled due to weather :(

If you can't come to the Meow Mixer, send good prayers/vibes/wishes/etc that Nik and the other cats meet awesome families and have fun. I'm a little nervous for how Nik will do but his coat is looking a lot better than when I first got him (guess that salmon oil really does work) and he's so outgoing now that I'm certain it'll be a positive experience.

Wish him luck!

Attempt at a photo shoot

After a bad shin splint forced me to cancel hitting Dupont with my friends, I was inspired by the photo of a lovely shelter dog (who has since been adopted) and me in my mom's article "Help Wanted: Dogs" (about working dogs) in the March/April issue of Yes Mag, the Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds (Canadian, hence the spelling). Unfortunately the results weren't what I was hoping for!

I was hoping for a really great recent photo of Toby and me to go in the sidebar. I got a photo where Toby looks cute but I'm far too vain regarding my own self to put it in the sidebar. It's at the top for those of you who want to see the reject photo. If I cropped it to just Toby's cute expression, it'd actually be pretty good (in my nonphotographer opinion).

I did get a photo where I'm holding Nikolai who cuddles much more than Toby. However, in the photo where I got the light correct, Nik ended up moving and looks a bit like a furry blur. He's a cute furry blur though, so I'm using that as my photo for now because, well, I am vain :)

I should have learned my lesson with the magazine photos. A professional photographer friend (who is also a vet tech and awesome with animals) and another shelter volunteer both helped me try to get a good photo with one of the shelter dogs. My mom was writing her article and the editor (who seems incredibly sweet and who my mom always loves to write for) had suggested a photo of her daughter with a shelter dog since my mom doesn't play with them herself (this has been explained elsewhere in this blog). I am in awe of animal photographers. We tried two different dogs both inside and outside. We ended up getting a cute photo of Nya and me where she's looking away but still adorable.

I've since learned that patience, treats, a friend, and lucky timing are the key to great human/animal photos. Animals on their own are always cute. It's just more difficult with a person involved!

We humans always mess up a good thing with our vanity.

What's New

Apologies for writing so sporadically lately. I've been working on a complete guide to adopting in the DC metro area which is keeping me rather busy.

Also, I've been learning about fostering and now I have a foster kitty! Two cats, one Beth, the inmates will be running the asylum. Right now there's just a lot of purring.

Nikolai was surrendered to Washington Humane Society when his owner got too ill to care for him. However, it was obvious he'd been neglected for a good while. He had been allowed to get so fat he could not groom himself. Instead of grooming him with a brush, his owner just let his hair mat. Matting forms dreadlocks, which while great for people, can pull apart the skin of an animal.

Poor Nikolai had to be partially shaved when he came into the shelter. He was confused and lonely. He still seemed sweet but totally lacking in confidence. He's now lost a lot of weight and can groom himself again but still could stand to lose more to keep his heart in good shape. At the moment he's exercising by winding around my feet and purring up a storm.

He yowled mightily in the car to show his unhappiness and this strange motion but as soon as I set him down and opened that crate he began to purr and show his loving nature. I'm quite smitten with this love bug and hope he finds a home soon

If you or anyone you know in the DC area wants a sweet black kitty, let me know! I'll try to get a picture of him up soon so you can see his smart eyes and adorable face. Once his fur evens out he'll be quite the looker.

I'll let you know how introductions go with Toby when they occur.