I realized today that Shibas look so inscrutable because they have perfected blinking while staring. A Shiba always makes an eye blink look like it was a predestined plan instead of a reflex indicating that they’re ordinary mortals just like the rest of us.

Photo courtesy: Reed Botwright of Hired Guns Creative ~ check out their website for some awesome web design!

The New Adventures of Koi

We got the call on July 2nd, 2009.  So, between then and now:

Abby Toll got 30 days in jail for the taping of Rex (now Yoshi) to her refrigerator.  We’re happy that there is actual jail time involved, but of course 30 days is really nothing.  Typically, there are the claims that Toll is actually a pure and sweet innocent from up on high:

Toll’s mother, Sherry, told the court that her daughter had grown up with pets and loved them dearly.

“Her history with animals is extraordinary,” she said. “Her real true love are dogs.”

Ah huh.  You know, when I express love towards Tierce, it usually involves something ripped off a dead animal shoved into his gob.

But, hey, we all make errors in judgement, right?  You know, when you’re stressed with your relationship and health problems, it’s EASY to make the mistake of tying your dog’s paws together with rubber bands, wrapping a rubber band around his muzzle and duct-taping him to a refrigerator.  Happens all the time.  “Gee, officer, I was going to feed him a MilkBone, but I accidentally rubber-banded him and duct-taped him to the fridge!”

ANYWAY, we can be in some way grateful that Abby Toll is such a malicious, abusive person towards animals, because Yoshi is now living the good life with people who love him.  Let’s hope that Toll serves her time (a motion to delay the sentence was denied)  and leaves with an intense desire to never own another dog.

Image from Copper's Facebook Group. Click on the image to join!

In Kentucky, the Franklin “Humane” Society had a 10 year old Shiba dumped because employees thought it was a coyote.  “Copper” is still at large and the president of the Franklin Humane Society, John Forbes, has resigned.

[Captain] Ray Kinney, was called and was told by the Humane Society Director Regina McDaniel that the coyote had to go, according to [Maj. Fred] Deaton.

Okay, I can give a layman a pass on Shiba identification.  I can even give the police a pass.  But Humane society employees? The Humane Society director?

Also, if there’s an animal that peacefully submits to being handled and led around on a lead, how the hell does that translate to ‘wild animal, able to fend for itself in a natural environment’?  Even if Copper was a coyote, the Humane Society would still have fucked up by releasing a human-habituated animal into the wilderness.  As wildlife rehabilitators know, many wild animals that are brought up by humans never attain the skills that make it possible for them to survive in the wild.*

But it’s all okay, right?  Because Regina McDaniel issued a half-assed apology.

“If I misidentified the dog, I apologize to Ms. (Lori) Goodlett and her family,” McDaniel said Friday in her first interview on the matter.

If you misidentified the dog?  If??!  You identified a Shiba inu as a coyote and insisted that it be released into the wild.  That’s misidentification!  There’s really not a lot of room for “ifs” here.

McDaniel, manager of the Franklin County Humane Society, said the animal she looked at “didn’t look like a dog,” or the picture of Copper in The State Journal.

“The animal I looked at was very ragged. Chunks of fur were coming out of its coat. Its tail was straight back and it had pointy ears.
“One of our staff said it looked like a coyote, so I went on the Internet and looked, and it did look like a coyote.
“We’re not allowed to house any wildlife. As shelter manager, I’m responsible for all the animals and staff.”

I hope McDaniel never picks up Tierce when he's blowing coat.

I shudder to think what McDaniel does with dogs that bear a superficial resemblance to pit bulls.

The reward for Copper’s return is well over $1000, but her owner, Lori Goodlett, has scant hope.

Join the Justice for Copper Facebook page!

Chipin:CopperSearch

*I hesitate to say “tame” because this implies to many people “suitable for human companionship” when in fact they require specialized handling and behaviour modification to accustom them to the human world.  Even then many wild animals are unpredictable and not suited for the average individual.

Congratulations, Koi!

Shassi at 12 years old

Tierce:  That’s so awesome!  Bring me anything?

Me:  Hang on; I’ve got to get my stuff off.

Tierce:  …

Me:  Okay, there we go.  Hi, Tierce!  How’s my ‘ittle puppy?

Tierce:  Can I go outside?

Me:  You’re not happy to see me?  I’ve been gone for two days!

Tierce:  Uh, yeah, well, the excitement has passed.

Me:  Fine.  Go outside.

Tierce: Yay!

Me:  Wait… no.  Don’t start chewing on that bone.  I want you to go pee!

Tierce:  I like the bone.

Me:  NO.  Go.  Pee.

Tierce:  *nibble, stare, nibble, stare*

Me:  Okay, that’s it!

Tierce:  Nyah, nyah, nyah!  You can’t have this bone!  Neener neener.

Me:  Oh, it’s not the bone I want.

Tierce:  You can’t fool me; it’s the bone you want and I know it!

Me:  Tierce, I *gave* you that bone.

Tierce:  And I’m keeping it.

Me:  Fine!  In the house!

Tierce:  Okay, whatever you say.

Me:  DON’T TAKE THE BONE INTO THE HOUSE.

Tierce:  Look, I’m going into the house.  Just like you said.

Me:  DROP IT.

Tierce:  See, I’m in the house.

Me:  DROP THAT BONE!

Tierce:  I did what you told me to; I’m in the house and you’re still yelling at me.  You’re never happy are you?

Me:  Drop that bone or I’m going to drop-kick both you and the bone out into the yard and watch you try to chew it while you’re still rooting around in your large colon for your teeth!

Tierce:  Oh, if the SPCA could hear you now, Ms. I-Believe-In-Humane-Treatment-For-Animals!  *drops bone*

Me:  *kicking bone outside*  I could find a better dog.  A respectful dog.

Tierce:  OH ARE YOU PLAYING SOCCER? CAN I PLAY?  I’LL CATCH THE BONE!  KICK IT TO ME!

Me:  We are not playing soccer.  It’s midnight, I work tomorrow, I have to catch up on Facebook and blog about your inhumane treatment of your owner.

Tierce:  KICK THE BONE SO I MAY CHASE IT.

Me:  No, we’re going to play “curl up on the couch and shut the hell up”.

Tierce:  I don’t like that game right now.  KICK THE BONE.

Me:  *shuts and locks door*

Tierce:  Okay, fine, you don’t want to play soccer with the bone.  How about playing tug with my beefstick?

Me:  No.

Tierce:  Oh, let’s play with my toy hamster!

Hamster:  Chirpedeewow! *electronic beeps, squeals, whistles*

Me:  NO.  *turns hamster off, puts in inaccessible location*

Tierce:  My stuffed snowman?

Me:  No!  Go away!  Chew on your beefstick!

Tierce:  Oh, I know, you love playing with the Kong.

Me:  Forget it!

Tierce:  plonk

Me:  FML.  *toss*

Tierce:  Yay!

Koi’s caregiver is committed to getting Koi the best home possible and is willing to wait for the right home for her.

Information for Koi

Sex: Female

Age: 7 years

Colour: Black, Tan and White

Spayed/Neutered: Yes

Shots: Up to date

Training: Housebroken, biddable (typical Shiba)

Barking: Will bark when excited, but calm otherwise.  Home situation has a lot of traffic (pedestrian, vehicle) but this does not trigger barking.

Good with Dogs: Yes (will play with other dogs, good with a variety of dogs, good with strange dogs, good with dogs coming into “her” territory)

Good with Cats: No (will attack caregiver’s cat if not separated; prey drive not curbed)

Good with Kids: Yes

Allergies: None noted; dog does not show signs of skin irritation or hair loss

Reason for giving up: Owner in care home, present caregivers already have pets.

Contact us at redshasta@gmail.com to get contact information for Koi’s caregiver.

I’m going to remember this at Christmas, Tierce.