ADOPT an ANIMAL!!!!!

[BRANDON BOND]

love love love


we have another one coming down the pipe now - she is a gorgeous white pit girl with a black eye like "PETEY" from lil rascals....

shes next in line after lil orphin annie oakley.

Aloha Brandon,

I saw your video on YouTube and just wanted to pass along a thank you for your work rescuing Pit Bulls from certain death and giving them a second chance at life. My partner Diane and I have two beautiful pit bulls that we rescued and spend a lot of our spare time promoting the breed. We are both extremely busy people but after watching your video I realized that we also could rescue pits from the local shelter and foster them until we find them a good home. Thanks for the inspiration. When I'm writing and educating people about the breed and rescues, I'm going to borrow your quote, "You may not be able to save all of them, but you can save one."

Mahalo for your work,

Paul

http://www.myspace.com/privateschoolgangsta

this just came to us for the efforts to save these loving mistreated dogs

[resonanteye]

Originally Posted by BRANDON BOND

love love love


we have another one coming down the pipe now - she is a gorgeous white pit girl with a black eye like "PETEY" from lil rascals....

shes next in line after lil orphin annie oakley.

oh s&!t petey dogs are the coolest

[BRANDON BOND]

yeah this one rules I want her baaaaad but only have so much room.... and were maxed out - pics coming.

[BRANDON BOND]

post COCOA!!!! her story is amazing!!!!

[Nicole]

COCOA'S Story: A Breeding Female Finally Learns the Meaning of Love

When Missouri law enforcement, humane officials and Homewoods Rescue rescued this 6-year-old Pitbull from a chronically problematic puppy mill, she was a heartbreaking contradiction: a dog who had spent her first few years producing litters, but who was barely hanging on to her own life.

The dog, who has come to be called Cocoa, bore all the symptoms of a puppy-mill breeding female: She not only had the blank expression and frail, bald body of a perpetually neglected animal, but also had untreated sarcoptic mange, ringworm, skin infections, dermatitis, ear infections, and a stilted walk (from years of close confinement). Her condition was due to poor care and nutrition.

Cocoa was one of 100 dogs at a commercial breeding facility when the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO), working with law enforcement officials, closed down the mill. Ultimately, HSMO was able to rescue and nurse back to health most of those dogs, but it wasn't easy.

Many of the dogs had severe medical problems that required a prolonged recuperation time before they could be placed in homes .Others with less serious problems were carefully matched with appropriate adoptive families within a matter of days or went to rescues.

Then there was Cocoa and a few others -- dogs so socially maladjusted that they had no interest in humans, which made it difficult to place them.

Just two months after her rescue, Cocoa looks dramatically better. Following countless hours of humane care and veterinary treatment, her coat has grown back, her ear infections cleared, and her skin condition is much improved. Cocoa came to Homewoods Rescue so that we could help develop her social skills. Initially in MO, she was just existing -- only there in body. In helping her out of the carrier when she arrived here, she was almost completely bald and afraid of everyone but who wouldn't fall in love with her? She was so helpless.

The first thing we did was help Cocoa relax when people touched her, no small feat for a dog who likely equated humans with cruelty. We began by using a variety of massage techniques to help her learn to enjoy human touch. We also groomed her with a soft-bristle brush. After a few weeks, she would often fall asleep during our sessions. We also used food to facilitate training: Treats were used as a lure to help Cocoa learn to walk on a leash, to approach people independently, to walk down the stairs, and to approach strangers.

Cocoa’s confidence has grown. She now follows anyone around the rescue and yards, sometimes even initiating play. She wasn't sure what to do with a ball because she never had a toy of any kind .She still backs up and shies away if she is approached too fast because she was mishandled for so long.

This dog who initially recoiled at human touch has come to enjoy being petted and brushed. Little by little, she has begun to show signs of her great personality potential. Cocoa’s amazing recovery has come to symbolize many things: the resilience of the canine spirit to overcome years of living in a filthy, desolate cage, bearing one litter after another; the hope that resides in even seemingly hopeless creatures to find love, trust, and happiness again; and the difference that humane, responsible care makes in an animal's health and well-being.

COCOA is lucky to finally know human kindness and devotion and now is waiting for her loving forever home.

For most puppy mill females, though, there will be no such happy ending. Most communities have neither the resources to investigate puppy mills nor the space and staff to accommodate the large number of animals typically involved when a mass-commercial breeder is shut down. There are other options, however. The one promising way to end the suffering of dogs like Cocoa is to cut the flow of consumer dollars to those who sell dogs raised on puppy mills -- namely retail pet stores, Internet sites and even people selling through newspaper ads. PLEASE think about these animals and how they are treated and decide that you're not going to support that.

There could be some hope on the horizon in Missouri, but only with continued community support. A state-wide audit inspired federal officials to focus more attention on enforcing Animal Welfare Act care standards. But inspections that result in puppy mill closures will also place sudden and unpredictable strains on area shelters, which must quickly accommodate as many as 200 animals at a time. The medical, grooming, and behavioral needs can severely overtax a shelter, so community support of local shelters is crucial to the effort to help rescue and rehabilitate animals from puppy mills.

LOOK AT COCOA'S EYES. SHE IS SO READY TO GO HOME !

Notes: Please join our fight to free the prisoners of greed from the mills of Missouri . The only person who is going to make a difference for these dogs is you! Cocoa is a very sweet brown and white female pit-bull of about 6 years of age. She is not spayed. An intent to spay clause within 30 days will be an incumbent clause in her adoption contract. She is probably not good with cats. She is able to scale the 4' gate of her kennel. When she has escaped her pen, she has not shown aggression towards the other dogs. She is a very friendly girl who loves to go for walks and roll over for belly rubs. Cocoa may be easily housetrained because she won’t mess in her kennel. Cocoa is heartworm negative and on preventive. If you have an affinity for “bully breeds,” Cocoa is your girl. She is a wonderful dog! EXCELLENT WITH CHILDREN!

http://homewoodsrescue.tripod.com/special_rescue.htmlfor more information

[BRANDON BOND]

looks like a non skinny annie oakley!

is she still in mo?

[Nicole]

I think we are going to fill out an application to be foster parents

[BRANDON BOND]

I think you should! - and heres a message we were sent this morning!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

hey people - i was wanting to get a message to brandon bond concerning 5
pits in a Tennesse shelter that will be pts this friday (7th). TOMORROW!! I
have heard he has a pit rescue. i am a lover of the breed myself & we have 3
rescued pits. i just hate to see them die needlessly. i am including a link
to the page, it is listed at dogsindanger.com
the shelter has 2 of them listed as 'staffies' and 3 listed as 'amer.
bulldogs'- which is a common practice so as not to scare people off who are
under the impression that pits are monsters. anyhow,,, if there is anything
he knows of that can be done that would be AWESOME!!! hey it's worth a shot
to possibly save 5 lives!!pls. get the message out asap, as they will die on
Friday - the 7th. TOMORROW!!!!
here is the link to one & they rest are listed under the same shelter;
Johnson City, TN
Shelter: Johnson City/Washington co. Animal Shelter
Contact Tel: 423-926-8769
Contact Name: hannah greene
Contact email: jcanimalshelter@embargmail.com
HERE IS A LINK TO A SWEET LIL GIRL PITTY called Rebel;
http://www.dogsindanger.com/dog.jsp?did=1196455682119

(if it won't work w. a click - u can copy & paste into browser)
Thx - Peace - Gina*