Happy Boxing Day

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If you live in a Commonwealth country, you’re celebrating Boxing Day today (likely by shopping for discounted Christmas items). If you live in the USA, you probably have no idea what Boxing Day means.

In the most simplistic terms, Boxing Day is simply the day after Christmas, December 26th. The history of the term ‘Boxing Day’ is generally taken to refer to the British habit of gifting their servants and tradespeople with boxes of food and fruit on the day following Christmas (an early version of a Christmas bonus). It’s also been suggested that it refers to the habit of the Church of handing out alms to the poor on this day, taken from the tithes gathered in the Church poor boxes throughout the year.

There may also be a more decidedly pagan history behind the name. Tradition says that the Wren, or King of the Birds, was captured in a box during Solstice festivities. The boxed wren was then taken from house to house, where householders would ask him for the boon of a successful year and bountiful harvest. This tradition is mentioned in the classic book of English mythology and magic, the Golden Bough.

Wikipedia explains the common protocols for decided when Boxing Day will be celebrated:

In common usage, 26 December is continually referred to as Boxing Day whichever day of the week it occurs on. If it falls on a Sunday then in countries where it is a Bank Holiday the Statutory Holiday is moved to Monday December 27th to ensure a day without work. As Christmas Day would therefore be a Saturday, Tuesday 28 December is also declared as a holiday in lieu.

We’re celebrating Boxing Day by eating leftover Turkey for lunch, and Pho for dinner, from the Vietnamese restaurant around the corner from my daughter. After we drop her off, we’ll eat a big bowl of noodle and seafood soup. Then I’ll try to find someplace where I can buy an industrial sized box of puppy pads.

Here’s a photo of Mae’s puppy boy, taken last night. He’s almost completely better.

solopuppy.jpg

I win the dumb caller of the year award!

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I’ve had some impressively dumb ass puppy inquiry phone calls this year, but the one I got just minutes ago (on Christmas eve) wins.

stuffed Frenchie Caller, in desperate voice – “You sell Frenchies?”

Me – “umm, I breed them, yes.”

Caller – “I need a Frenchie puppy, right away. Can you get it shipped overnight, by courier? I’ll pay extra. I heard that UPS is doing last minute shipping for Christmas day.”

Me – “Uh, we don’t do that. We don’t ship at all, and we don’t sell Christmas puppies.”

Caller – “Oh dear, can you tell me someone who does? My daughter REALLY wants a Frenchie for Christmas.”

Me – “Apparently FAO Schwartz has some lovely Frenchie puppies for sale, and they ship. Try them.”

Caller – “Thanks!”

Who the heck thinks you can ship a puppy overnight in a box, like fruitcake?

Happy Holidays, everyone. Peace on earth to you, your family and your dogs (live or stuffed).

Carol and the Frenchies

Happy Night Before Christmas

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Mae’s baby boy is doing much, much better. He’s gained a full ounce and a half, which is an amazing turn around. I’m still bottle feeding him, now about every four hours instead of every two.

The kids took some photos – I’ve been slacking off in the photo taking department, I fear.

There are some of the Bunny pups, a few of Nicole, Ryan, Amy and Derek, and a few of our tree – which fell over early this morning, smashing some of my imported, antique, hand blown glass ornaments.

Sigh. I knew it looked lopsided.

Oh well, it’s the things like this that make Christmases memorable, I suppose. Nothing says ‘Hey, do you remember?’ like an emergency tree water mop up at 6 am, while the dogs run around your feet, sniffing out their gifts from the boxes under the tree and just generally being happy to see everyone up so early.

Enjoy the photos, and have a great, tree-accident free Christmas. BTW, the rest of the photos are here –
http://flickr.com/photos/frenchbulldogs/sets/72157603537591975/

California Cruelty – Justice for Zephyr

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The dog in this photo went from being a healthy, vibrant 10 month old puppy to an emaciated, frozen corpse in less than two months.

2125327031_876347884a_m.jpgI know what to call it when a puppy mill commits this kind of cruelty on an innocent animal, but what do we call it when the perpetrators are an animal SHELTER – the very people we charge to save and protect animals from this very kind of cruelty?

Apparently, you call it Los Angeles County, and its Department of Animal Care and Control.

Nathan Winograd, the National No Kill Advocacy Center, and two pet rescuers have “jointly filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, its Department of Animal Care and Control, and the Department’s Director, Marcia Mayeda. The lawsuit alleges unlawful and abusive treatment of animals at all six Los Angeles County animal shelters.” I’ve attached their 29 page press release, which you can read in PDF format.

Some of the charges contained in this report are:

(T)he County Department of Animal Care and Control routinely:

  • Kills healthy and treatable animals before their state mandated holding period expires;
  • Misclassifies animals as “ill” or “injured” in order to kill them before their holding period expires even though the animals are not irremediably suffering as required by state law;
  • Kills lost animals without making reasonable attempts to find the animals’ owners;
  • Fails to provide adequate veterinary care to impounded animals, resulting in animal deaths;
  • Fails to provide adequate nutrition, water, shelter and exercise to impounded animals and to treat the animals humanely and kindly;
  • Refuses to release animals to rescue groups that are willing to care for the animals until adoptive homes can be found and, instead, kills the animals.

In addition, the County Department of Animal Care and Control unlawfully retaliates against animal rescuers and volunteers who publicize its unlawful treatment of animals.

The shelter, btw, REFUSES to co operate with breed rescues, even while animals of those breeds are being systematically euthanized. They use bogus, unproven ‘temperament tests’ as a blanket reason to kill healthy animals, and thereby fudge their shelter’s stats to enable them to say they place ‘90% of all adoptable animals’. This ‘amazing’ figure is easy to accomplish, when you euthanize 85% of the animals you take in as ‘unadoptable’.

More links, including hi res graphic photos and details on Zephyr’s fate:

http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/whatsnew.html

http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/LACountyPressRelease_000.pdf

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/12/20/lawsuit-alleges-la-shelters-neglect-abuse-animals/

http://laanimalwatch.blogspot.com/2007/08/open-letter-to-marcia-mayeda.html

http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/558767

Media coverage of Zephyr’s death:

http://cbs2.com/video/?id=54196@kcbs.dayport.com

Carol

A much better morning

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After a very LONG 24 hours of every two hour feedings, the little boy seems much better this morning. He’s gained almost .4 ounces, he feels ‘fuller’ in my hand, and he’s back to being active and wiggly. I plan to keep on bottle feeding him for a few more days, and I’m encouraging him to nurse from Mae as much as possible.

I said this once already, but it bears repeating – thanks SO MUCH to everyone for their support. Sitting there in a cramped whelping room with a sick puppy can seem like the most desolate, isolating experience. Knowing people are out there wishing good thoughts your way really makes all the difference in the world.

Carol