Moggies, then and now

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A "Moggie" road sign - cats live here?

A "Moggie" road sign - cats live here?

I’ve spent the last six and a half months taking the same drive to work almost every day. It’s picturesque – a winding back road, past creeks, over rivers, and through landscape that ranges from stark cedars on bare rock to lush pastures with contentedly grazing cows. Every day, I’ve passed the same red brick cottage, and every day, I’ve smiled at the sign they have on their side lawn.

“Moggie”, it says – white letters on a green background. In the spring, they have flowers attached to the base of the sign.  I’ve been touched to picture the type of cat loving ex pats who’d have to gone to such lengths to display their devotion to their pets. ‘Moggie’, for anyone in Great Britain, is affectionate slang for ‘cat’ – non pedigreed cats, in particular.

From About.Com –

Moggie

Definition: Noun.Term used in Great Britain to describe a domestic non-pedigreed cat. Also used as an affectionate term for “stray” cats.
Pronunciation: moh-gee
Also Known As: stray, alley cat

Examples:
My favorite “breed” of cats is the Moggie.

It took me until last week before I realized that their sign had absolutely nothing to do with cats – a fact I realized only when I finally noticed this tiny cemetary, tucked away at the side of the road a few hundred yards from the Moggie sign I’d been admiring.

Moggie Pioneer Cemetery - no pets in sight

Moggie Pioneer Cemetery - no pets in sight

Turns out Moggie was another one of Ontario’s lost villages – early settlements that had just slowly vanished, absorbed into larger towns, or simply disappearing when the small schools and churches had ceased to exist. Moggie is marked now by three things only – a small cemetery, home to three gravestones, each dating from the mid 1850’s, a green road sign, and this small commemorative sign, almost buried in the brush near the roadside entrance to the cemetery.

Pioneer Settlement Moggie

I’ve since learned that the village of Moggie has a very interesting story behind it, but I’ll leave that for another blog I’m currently working on. Suffice to say, it has nothing to do with house cats.

Your Friday Moment of Zen

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Oh hai - I'm a nudibranch, and I'm so cute it's almost painful.

Oh hai - I'm a nudibranch, and I'm so cute it's almost painful. Not as painful as it will be if you lick me, however.

This funky little dude is a nudibranch, and before the urge to kiss him and hug him overtakes you, it’s good to remember that —

a) he’s a slug

b) he’s a poisonous slug

So, probably best if you skip snuggling on the nudibranch. He’s still pretty cute, though.

h/t to F U Penguin for this one.

At Risk Kids Graduate Class of Assistance Dogs

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Participating in BARK program are (from left) Holly with her trainer Amanda, Maple with trainer Matt, and Daisy with trainer Sean.

Participating in BARK program are (from left) Holly with her trainer Amanda, Maple with trainer Matt, and Daisy with trainer Sean.

A great example of how partnerships between dogs and at risk youth and adults can help everyone involved.

From the Londoner –

Residents of London’s Craigwood Youth Services are preparing to say goodbye to their first class of new assistance dogs after more than a year of training at the Ailsa Craig campus.

The youthful trainers began to work with the assistance dogs in September 2007, when the dogs were still young pups. Since then, the pups have had regular training sessions with the youth to learn specialized assistance tasks for local people with physical challenges.

The youth and pups were partnered under the BARK program (Building Awareness Responsibility and Knowledge), a collaboration of Craigwood Youth Services and Golden Opportunity Assistance Dogs, with funding from the Trillium Foundation.

Donna Frezell, the owner and lead trainer at Golden Opportunity Assistance Dogs, brought the concept to London in 2006 after participating in similar programs in California.

Project BARK is modelled after an innovative, therapeutic intervention program for youth who are identified to be at high risk for continued emotional and behavioural challenges.

Under the guidance of Golden Opportunity Assistance Dogs’ trainers the youth learn to train and place assistance dogs with people with physical disabilities. The training teaches youth responsibility, emotional regulation and nurturing skills.

As the group is nearing graduation day, trainers and dogs met recently at the Golden Opportunity Assistance Dog training centre in Westmount Shopping Centre to demonstrate advanced skills such as retrieving a water bottle from the refrigerator, turning on light switches and even fetching a telephone.

Graham Ashbourne, program director at the Craigwood campus in Ailsa Craig, considers the program to be a “win-win” for all participants.

“It’s wonderful to see the effect that the dogs have on our kids,” he says. “The dogs have a dramatic calming influence on children who are often dealing with significant emotional challenges. The attachments they form are important for the children and for the dogs. Both our youth and staff look forward to the BARK days here.”

Read the full article here – http://www.thelondoner.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1694828

Lest We Forget

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World War I Messenger French Bulldog

World War I Messenger French Bulldog

A note of thanks this Remembrance day to all of our Veterans, for all that they have done for us in all of our wars.

In Canada and many commonwealth countries, Remembrance day is celebrated through memorials, and by wearing the poppy on our lapel.

The poppy symbolizes our war dead, and is immortalized in the famous poem “In Flanders Field”, written by Canadian army Doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

By the way, this will be the first year that no World War I Veterans were present at Westminster Cathedral to help celebrate the Armistice Day Celebrations. The final surviving British WWI veteran is in his 100’s, and lives in Australia.

A few French Bulldogs have done their part through the years – the image above shows a small brindle French Bulldog acting as a messenger dog during World War I.

Perhaps he had answered this ad, which ran in the New York Times –

Wanted - A French Bulldog to enlist

Of course, the most famous War French Bulldog is likely the fictional “Dumbo”, hero of the World War II children’s illustrated book “Gunner and the Dumbo”. After their fighter plane crashes, Dumbo’s big Frenchie ears help him to save the day, and the life of his pilot pal.

Gunner and the Dumbo

Repeal BSL in Ontario – Rally at Queen’s Park

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Cheri and Miss Vickie - Courtesy Fred of One Bark at a Time

Cheri and Miss Vickie - Courtesy Fred of One Bark at a Time

As many of you realize, this ban has affected not just Pit Bulls, but ALL Bully breeds in Ontario, including Frenchies. French Bulldogs came dangerously close to being included in the last version of the ban, and without our involvement, it could actually come to pass next time around. Frenchies across Ontario have been targeted by ignorant ACs and the general public, with a KW owner being harassed recently for not muzzling their ‘pit bull puppy’.

It’s time to stand up and say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”, and to call for end to this ridiculous legislation that has killed so many innocent dogs in Ontario, and put so many others at risk.

Oh, and if you’re still ‘on the fence’ about this whole issue, meet one of the people who the government of Ontario allowed to testify in favor of BSL. Tom Skeldon is the Dog Warden of Lucas County, Ohio, and has made it his goal in life to kill as many Pit Bulls (including puppies under 3 months of age) as possible. He sees his job as ‘protecting people from dogs, not the other way around’, which goes a long way towards explaing a kill record that, for this year alone, includes:

131 German shepherds, 88 Chows, 38 Beagles, 31 Cocker Spaniels, and 16 Shar-peis, to the 16 Chihuahuas, 12 miniature pinschers, 11 Jack Russell terriers, 7 pugs, and 5 Lhasa Apsos.

And remember, that’s not including all the “Pit Bulls” and “Pit Bull mixes” he’s had summarily executed.

Mr. Skeldon also refuses to co operate with breed rescue groups, and dismisses the idea of a No Kill sheltering system as ‘ludicrous’.  This is the man that the Ontario government turned to for ‘professional advice’ when crafting our breed specific laws – a dog killing, un repentent monster, who has refused to step down from his post even in the wake of outspread cries for his resignation. Way to go, Ontario – I feel so proud.

Please come out on November 18th, and show your support for Cheri Di Novo, and for all of the other people who have tirelessly fought against DOLA.

I plan to be there, and it would be great if some other Frenchie owners could come out to support us. Heck, come even if you’re still just THINKING about getting a Frenchie!

By the way, the ever excellent Fred over at One Bark at a Time has an audio interview with Cheri Di Novo. Turns out Cheri is a Bull Terrier owner, and is actually quite up to speed on all of the issues involved with DOLA. Wow, another politician who actually examines facts! It’s starting to feel like my birthday.

ATTENTION ALL DOG OWNERS
On November 18th, 2009 a BILL will be put forth by MPP Cheri Di Novo to
Queens Park removing the breed specific part that is currently in Ontario’s Dog Owner’s Liability Act.

If possible, attend the morning PRESS RELEASE at the front of Queens Park
on November 18th, starting at 9:30 am and ending around 11:30 am.

Cheri will be presenting the Private Members Bill in the house around 3pm,
for those who would like to stay for the afternoon and would like to sit  in
the gallery.
PARKING.  For those who need parking and do not want to drive to the
Queens Park location,  attached is a list of subway stations where you can park cars.  One would have to check if there is a cost involved at their preferred station.

http://www3.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Parking/index.jsp
http://tinyurl.com/cdtdns

Please see Cheri Di Novo’s blog page for further information.
http://www.cheridinovo.ca/blog/
http://tinyurl.com/yk6wzlz

Cheri’s interview on newstalk1010, November 7th, 2009 on “The Ben Mercer
Show”.

http://tinyurl.com/yfa6l7o

http://tinyurl.com/yjl77xt

http://tinyurl.com/y8jczqx

We have also designed a poster for people to put up in all areas of  Ontario
and the link to the poster is below.   We are in the middle of designing a
web page called “stopcanineprofiling” in support of the private members
bill.  It will be added to the poster as soon as it is decided if it will
be either dot com or dot ca.  When this is done (anytime now) the poster will
reflect the change and the support web site will be added to the poster.

POSTER FOR PRINT OUT:

http://tinyurl.com/ykvaldk

In the meantime face book has a support page up and running.  The link to
it is below.  In the discussion pages are samples of letters.

http://tinyurl.com/yau884n

If people, on face book, want to attend, please go to this EVENT page to confirm.
http://tinyurl.com/yau884n

In the meantime, PLEASE feel free to write Cheri a letter of support.

We ask that you also phone, fax or write your local MPP’s and ask THEM to
support Cheri’s private members bill.  A full list of Ontario’s MPP’s is below.

http://www.ontariotenants.ca/government/mpp.phtml

Looking forward to a end of legalized discrimination and profiling in Ontario.