Sirius Republic has created ten brand new collar patterns, and shipped one of each to Love-A-Bull as a beautiful gift to our Adopt-A-Bulls. For some of these dogs — especially the five arriving this weekend via long-distance transport from dog fighting busts on the East Coast — these lovely collars will be the first new thing they’ve ever owned. At the bottom of this post you’ll see instructions for how you can help dress our dogs in these collars, and be entered to win a Love-A-Bull t-shirt, too!

But there’s more! The ten collars — all named after Austin-area landmarks and things we love about Texas — have been branded as special Love-A-Bull collars. This means that for every collar of these patterns purchased, Sirius Republic will donate 20% of proceeds right back to Love-A-Bull. How cool is that?

So if you purchase one of these ten gorgeous collars for your very own pooches, you’ll be throwing a donation Love-A-Bull’s way, too. Our own adoptable Snickerdoodle and his foster brother Chick will be the cover-models for the new initiative, and the collars can be found under the hot-pink “Love-A-Bull” link on the left-hand side of the Sirius Republic website:

Dress our Dogs Game

To help us dress our Adopt-A-Bulls, simply match the five collar patterns below with the five Adopt-A-Bulls we’ve randomly selected from our crew. Enter your pairings into the comments box of this blog post, and sit back and wait! We’ll draw a lucky winner early next week, and dress our dogs in that winner’s pairings. To sweeten the deal, the winner will also receive a Love-A-Bull t-shirt of their choice.

Let’s play!

Match these collars:

With these Adopt-A-Bulls:

The contest closes on Tuesday at noon Central, and the lucky winner will be announced on our blog next Wednesday! We can’t wait to see what y’all come up with!

We know for sure that River’s life was saved by the kind soul who rescued him from the Colorado River last week. What we don’t know is how many times his life had been saved before, and how many more times it will take before River can breathe easy.

The poor guy is sweet as they come, but just can’t seem to catch a break.

River was found last weekend, barely clinging to a rock in the Colorado River. He was emaciated, heartworm positive, suffering from hypothermia, and one side of his body was covered in deep, gritty wounds and scratches. Nobody saw him fall in to the river — or the events leading up to it — but his injuries suggest that he may have been hit by a car before his tumble.

After being pulled by Love-A-Bull and moved to a partner vet’s office a few days ago, River’s deep wounds and infections were cleaned up, and Xrays were taken to determine the extent of his injuries. It was at that time that the vet discovered that River had a fractured hip, a broken toe, and had BB pellets embedded deep in his chest from where he had been shot at some point in his prior life.

But River is a brave, strong boy who just won’t give up. He won over everybody at the vet’s office with his sweet personality and his courage, and we are amazed at how loving, optimistic, and happy he seems despite the suffering he has endured.

A few days ago he began daily hydrotherapy for his necrotic hip wound. He has taken to the treatment very well, and his wounds — though still dramatic — look much better than just a few days ago. In addition to the therapy that River is already receiving, he will likely need surgery to repair his fractured hip and heartworm treatment.

But in the case of River, when it rains, it pours. During a routine examination last night, River collapsed, went pale, and stopped breathing. He came back on his own without CPR, but the incident led to the discovery that River suffers from a heart condition called an atrioventricular block (or AV block), which impairs the conduction between the chambers of the heart. Although it is unclear what causes this condition in River’s case, we know that it can be exacerbated in any incidence of high stress or excitement, which can potentially lead to another collapse. River will be seeing a cardiologist to determine the cause of the AV block, which may be resolvable with treatment of the underlying issue.

What River needs right now is lots of TLC and a steady, quiet foster home where he can be kept calm and given the peace and comfort he needs to rest and recuperate.

If you may be able to provide a foster home for sweet River, click here. To donate toward his rapidly expanding medical needs, click here.

Tarak reading with Huxley

About a week ago, we received an email about a recent donation that had been made. This note was from a mother about her son’s gift to us. She explained that her son, Tarak, chose to raise money for Love-A-Bull instead of receiving presents at his 10th birthday party that past weekend. And he made a donation of over $100!

It seems we all might have something to learn from this act of kindness and passion for a good cause. So of course we asked if we could share this story. We received a letter AND pictures! Aren’t Tarak and Huxley just adorable?

Dear Love-A-Bull,

For my 10th birthday, I raised money for Love-A-Bull instead of getting presents, because I have a pit bull terrier named Huxley, and he is the sweetest dog in the world. My family trained him at Love-A-Bull.

People shouldn’t be so scared of pit bulls. They should be scared of the people who train pits to be aggressive. Really, pit bulls are naturally friendly and gentle. When I had my birthday party two weeks ago, over 20 friends came over, and Huxley was kind to everyone. In fact, every night before I go to sleep, my 60 pound pit bull climbs into my bed and sleeps beside me.

I think everyone who cares about pit bulls should try and raise money for Love-A-Bull, so that people who are afraid of pit bulls understand why they should love and take care of them instead!

Sincerely,
Tarak

Tarak and Huxley giving hugs

More hugs

HI!

We are frantically pulling the last details for the BIG, HUGE, FANTASTIC, AMAZING, ALL PIT BULL (and their friends), ALL THE TIME , FESTIVAL AND PITTIE PARADE  in November!  And getting SO excited!  It is going to be fantastic!

You are all coming, right?!  Still on the fence?  Well, we have several confirmed guests (Holly Marie Combs, BAD RAP, John Shipe) and just confirmed another one!  SHARKY the Pit Bull!  I bet you are coming now!

No offense, but if you have not heard of Sharky the Texas pit bull – you do not have access to the internet.  Or, like my grandmother, computers scare you.

I digress – Sharky the big, beautiful, gentle PB type dog and YouTube favorite has confirmed with us that he is attending the festival!  In costume with his mom no less!  They will be walking in the parade and col’ kicking it with us and our doggies at the festival!  By the way, there will be a costume contest – so get your dogs ready!

You can find his YouTube movies here: SHARKY THE SUPER RAD PIT BULL FROM TEXAS.

I can’t decide which is my favorite.. Is it the bunny ones?  Or the chick ones?  And, who doesn’t love a cat pestering a dog video?

They are all great!  What a fantastic breed ambassador!

So, get those doggie costumes ready and come on down on the 6th!  Meet and mingle with all of our special guests, including Sharky.  And, let’s celebrate our pit bull type doggies in front of the whole city!  Hell, in front of the whole state!  No, wait – in front of the whole country!

Oh!  And be sure and check this out!  Sharky and his mom, Helen made a special video just for little ol’ us!  Dogs in hats are awesome…Jus’ sayin’

See you in November!

XOXO – Jessica

While dogs in mainstream advertising campaigns always tend to get that “aww” factor, companies that are unbiased in their choices for these canine counterparts get a double ‘thumbs up.’

Please note that the content below is reposted from a blog. Any views or opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Love-A-Bull, Inc.

from Passion for Pits
Winner and Loser of the Week

Winner: Gap, Inc.
Pit Bulls in Main Stream Advertising
In an effort to “democratize fashion” and boost authenticity of its 1969 brand (launched in 2009) the Gap has gone behind the scenes — showing their offices in recent advertisements and even including their office-dog, Louie, a caramel-colored pit mix! Their new market? “Downtown, semi-hipster, artsy folk” (might I also add, Pit bull owners?)

Louie, now named the “Denim Mascot” has received mostly positive press. While 238 people “like” his commercial on facebook (below), one user wrote “I don’t think a Pit Bull in a Gap commercial is a great idea for an international company as it’s illegal to have them unmuzzled in public or breed from them in the UK.” (Funny thing because this article from the dailymail.co.uk doesn’t seem to have a problem featuring an adorable shot of Louie in its article.) Luckily, her comments was met with rebuke and the rest of the comments were all positive.

Read more about the campaign here.

 

Loser: Pitbull, the Rapper
Mis-using the Mis-understood
This man sadly has chosen the name Pitbull for himself. Singer/Rapper Pitbull (aka Armando Christian Perez) is said to have chosen the name pitbull because, “…they bite to lock. The dog is too stupid to lose. And they’re outlawed in Dade County. They’re basically everything that I am. It’s been a constant fight.” (Washington Post, 2004.)

All completely false. First of all, they do not bite to lock — no animal’s jaws can actually lock.  Also, they are not “too stupid to lose” — they are dedicated to their owners and will do what they are told when manipulated with drugs, starvation, and lack of companionship. TheRealPitBull.com writes, “The truth of the matter is that the Pit Bull is one of the most versatile of canines, capable of excelling at just about any task his owner asks him to complete. This breed is routinely used for: obedience training, conformation showing, Schutzhund (a German sport which requires dogs to perform in obedience, tracking and protection phases of a competition), agility, and have even been known to participate in herding trials, search and rescue work, and a variety of other tasks including police and armed services work. But fanciers will argue that the task this breed performs best of all is that of beloved companion.”

The long and the short of it? Buy Gap and not Pitbull’s music!

Fido Factor helps connect dog lovers with dog friendly locations and services — its tagline is “Your life with dog.” It’s sort of like Yelp.com for canines.

Users can submit dog friendly locations (such as parks, restaurants, bars or pet services), including name, phone number, address and a description. Visitors can also review existing locations, add photos of their pets and participate in a discussion forum.

The San Francisco-based start up that launched June 26, 2009 features more than 50,000 dog friendly locations across the country, with the majority of listings in such cities as San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Boston and New York City.

Fido Factor’s Austin version has about 150 locations and growing.

Getting connected

Fido Factor uses Facebook Connect, a service that allows website developers to use Facebook’s log in system to tap into a user’s social network. Those who don’t have a Facebook account (or don’t want to use it), can create a free Fido Factor account.

Account holders can choose a home city, keep track of their reviews and location submissions, update and manage photos, select favorites and connect with Facebook friends.

Welcome to Fido Factor

A rotating carousel dominates the homepage, which includes featured locations, articles and user-submitted photos. When users pick a city to explore, the most recent reviews and added locations appear below the featured content.

Those who contribute the most reviews and new locations are featured in an area called “Top Dogs.” Same goes for submitted dog photos.

Finding and adding locations

Clicking on the “Locations” tab takes users to a Google map of the selected city’s center. The nearest 10 locations are indicated on the map with corresponding descriptions. Users can also browse categories.

To contribute a new place, click the “Add Location” button. After filling out the easy-to-use form, which allows users to include photos and a review, users submit the item for approval. A clever and useful sidebar called “Fido Factors” allows contributors to offer tips and include such dog-related features as if poop bags and water are available.

Submissions can be approved in as few as two days, but some take as long as a couple of weeks to approve.  That’s because founder Garrett Dodge verify the details himself, often calling each establishment to make sure everything is correct.

Users can also correct items on the map. I submitted a correction for Opal Divine’s, which was a few miles off and on the wrong side of MoPac. I noticed the change was published after about three days.

Reviewing

When contributors add a review, it instantly appears on Fido Factor. Reviews should be dog-specific and those who use Facebook Connect have the option of sending the review to their Facebook wall. Reviews appear below the description for locations for which they are associated.

For every review or location added for the San Francisco area, Fido Factor makes a donation to The San Francisco SPCA in your name to support homeless animals in San Francisco. So far Fido Factor has helped raise more than $500.

Going mobile

A Fido Factor app is available for iPhone users, which provides the only way for users to upload “Pooch Pics.” The photos appear on a Google map showing where and when the photo was taken.

Users can rate and tag the photos for cuteness, funniness, coolness and helpfulness. Ratings influence what photos appear on the home page’s “Top Pooch Pics.”

An Android app is not yet available, but plans call for development to start on it later this year.

Those who don’t have an iPhone can visit the mobile version of Fido Factor to browse locations, but reviewing, adding photos and submitting new locations is not currently supported.

Bottom line

I give Fido Factor two dew claws up! The site has a ton of potential and its open system means every community can make Fido Factor its own.

The delay in getting submissions online can be a little frustrating, but remember: Dodge’s review process ensures all the info on Fido Factor is reliable and he pretty much works alone.

Log on, add some locations and tell Fido Factor’s online community what you think of the listed dog friendly locations.

Q&A with Fido Factor founder Garrett Dodge

Tell me about any dogs you care for and how they came into your life.
My wife and I move to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2008. Shortly after getting settled in we got our Vizsla puppy Captain. We both like the outdoors and wanted a dog that we could take on all kinds of adventures. Some people think that Vizslas aren’t great city dogs, but honestly no dog should be left in an apartment all day. As long as Captain gets his two hours of exercise a day, he is happy to relax on the couch.

What’s your main occupation and how much time do you spend weekly on side projects, such as Fido Factor?
For the first year [Fido Factor launched June 26, 2009], I worked part-time on the business side of Fido Factor while my partner Ketu worked full time building the site. We love working on the site, but last year began to focus full time on our new social jukebox app Roqbot. Unfortunately, we haven’t had as much time to spend on new features for Fido Factor, but every week I approve dozens of new locations from our users. At some point we hope to add more social features and find time for an Android app.

What other web projects have you worked on or have planned for the future?
We also partnered with a website in the UK on a dog friendly app called Dog Friendly UK. Most recently we have been working on our jukebox app, Roqbot. With an active dog like a Vizsla I’m out discovering new dog friendly spots almost every weekend. Hopefully we can find time to make some updates to the site and the app this winter.

What inspired you to start Fido Factor?
On one of our first weekend trips with Captain, we went up to Muir Woods with friends. We didn’t think Captain would be allowed in so Kristen waited in the parking lot while I went in with our out-of-town guests. One of the rangers approached her and said that the dog couldn’t even be in the parking lot. I decided that finding dog friendly rules and places were too hard to find so I started thinking about a mobile app. A few months later, I met Ketu, who had also been working on mobile apps. We began working on Fido Factor. Initially we were focused on the Bay Area but soon expanded nationally and internationally.

Tell me about how people have responded to Fido Facto in San Francisco.
The response has been great. We were selected for a number of start-up events and have been in various media outlets. San Francisco loves dogs and technology so it was a great place to start things.

What’s been the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge is finding the time! We were hoping to make a full-time business out of Fido Factor, but like many pet-related businesses, it has been mostly a passion project. We hope to continue to grow the site and make it self-supporting.

Describe the process you go through to vet submissions.
Every submission comes through to me. Many of them are incomplete, so I look up each business, add a photo if possible, and attempt to reach out the business owner. I try to approve locations a couple of times a week, although sometimes it takes a week or two. We’re looking into ways to make the process easier and faster.

How does Fido Factor deal with the various and growing breed discrimination?
In terms of breeds, we do add specifics like that in the tips. It is difficult to structure that kind of information into the drop down lists. As we’ve expanded the site nationally and internationally, we’ve found a number of specifics like that.  For example, in Boston they mostly don’t even want dogs on the outside patio at restaurants but some places encourage people to tie the dog to the railing and others want the dog on the other side of the sidewalk. Rather than try to structure all this we leave it to the reviews. Users can also submit a correction to suggest we add that to the Fido Factor tips. 

When did you launch in Austin?
We haven’t really had a city-by-city expansion. In late 2009 we added national support and have featured cities that have a good base of active users or that we’ve found time to build out ourselves. Austin is a very dog friendly city so it has been easy to add new locations and support our users there.

Do you plan to expand to other markets? Which ones?
We have over 50,000 locations right now. We try to add new places when we have time or are out exploring, but primarily we rely on our users. It only takes 2-3 passionate users in a city to help make the site great. When we started Fido Factor, we knew there were a number of good dog friendly books and websites, but none of them seemed to really be driven by the community. We wanted to create a site that was kept up to date and growing through user support.

What’s your measure of success for the various markets? 
Simple, happy passionate users! We love it when people share Fido Factor with their doggie friends. We always want to find time to build more cool new features, but in the meantime, we hope Fido Factor is a place where you can add your favorite spots and find new ones.

Do you plan to release and Android app for Fido Factor?
We’d love to do an Android app but haven’t managed to find time. Hopefully we’ll find time this winter and are also looking for other developers that might be interested in helping.

Do you plan to add any additional features soon?
I’d love to add a check-in feature to help people meet up at the dog park and also integration with one of the location data sources so that people can focus more on the doggie details and less on the location info.

What’s your biggest hope for Fido Factor?
We want people to enjoy using the site. We’d like to get to 200,000 locations and better support users in other countries.

This is how they do it in Seattle. Dog Doogity!

Gorant is a master of detail, pace and storytelling. Sometimes Gorant tells the story from a dog’s point of view, an incredibly powerful device.

Other times, the book focuses on the investigation and what authorities did to build a court case.

Mostly, the book shows the former Vick dogs to be just dogs, reacting to their situation the only way they knew how.

“The Lost Dogs” reads like a novel and I often lost myself in the story, missing characters when I wasn’t reading about them and wishing the story would never end.

Being new to pit bull advocacy, I had been putting off reading about Vick because I knew it would be upsetting. Gorant’s account does include some upsetting details, but the story is really about the dog’s triumph.

At times, I put the book down, overcome with disgust or heartbroken as I imagined my dogs chained to an axel in a clearing in the woods. Or too afraid to step out of an open kennel.

Most times, I couldn’t stop reading.

I found myself rereading passages either because Gorant’s words were so elegantly rendered or because the scene described was so heartwarming. I often laughed out loud or cried from sheer joy or pride for the dogs.

Although difficult to read at times, this is a book I plan to add to my personal library partly because I think any animal advocate would find it informative and inspiring, but mostly because Gorant’s words do the former Vick dogs justice.

Former Vick dog fighting mansion to become dog sanctuary

As I prepared to publish this review, I learned that Tamira Thayne, who founded Dogs Deserve Better nearly a decade ago, moved DDB’s headquarters into Michael Vick’s former dog fighting compound.

Vick called the Smithfield, Va. operation Bad Newz Kennels as a nod to his hometown of Newport News, Va. Now, Thayne is calling the 15-acre property Good Newz Rehabilitation Center. She is currently caring for nine dogs at the center with plans to eventually care for about 100 dogs there.

Thayne, who worked to help rehabilitate some of the Vick dogs, released this statement on her blog in March.

To contribute to Good Newz Rehabilitation Center, visit the group’s website.