the pit-bull problemshelters are pit mixes. i've seen those who adopt these dogs for all the...

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H.O.P.E. Safehouse1911 Taylor Avenue Racine, WI 53403 262.634.4571

The Pit-Bull ProblemAmerica's most-maligned dog wants to be sweet and

docile, but well-meaning humans mess it all up.

By Joan Raymond | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Oct 30, 2009

A 10-acre stretch of land just outside Los

Angeles is pit-bull Nirvana. It's called Villalobos

Rescue Center and it's run by Tia Maria Torres, an

unabashed pit-bull lover. Torres has found homes

for thousands of pits since the rescue opened its

doors 15 years ago. Some of these animals were

abandoned. Some were shelter dogs slated for

euthanasia. Others were confiscated in drug busts

or fighting rings. And some—like Mouse, a small

white pit bull—are victims of nature, the so-called

Hurricane Katrina dogs of New Orleans. (Article

continued below...)

It's a 24/7 job, but Torres gets help from a posse

of volunteers, her four children, and six ex-cons,

who she calls her "pit bulls on legs." Her work is

chronicled in a new six-part documentary, Pit Bulls

and Parolees, airing on Animal Planet, the first of

which premiered on Friday night. You'd have to

carry a cold heart to not feel something for what

these dogs have endured.

But I have a problem with pit bulls. And it has

more to do with the two-legged creatures holding

their leashes (if there is a leash).

Because of their sheer numbers—estimates

show that there are anywhere from 5 million to 10

million pit-bull-type dogs in the U.S. today, out of

about 61 million total dogs—pits have become the

dog du jour for a lot of people, not just gang-

bangers and wannabe thugs who use a pit as proxy

for toughness. About 20 percent of dogs in ASPCA

shelters are pit mixes.

I've seen those who adopt these dogs for all the

wrong reasons. The fearful might get a pit because

they want a great guard dog. (Pits make lousy

guard dogs. A well-bred pit is just too human-

friendly to protect your property.) Some get a pit

because Rachael Ray has one and they want to

rescue a dog. (Why didn't you take up cooking

instead of getting a dog that you know nothing

about?) And the trendiest pet owners spend

thousands of dollars for a "blue" pit because the

dogs are rare. (No, they aren't, and you just got

swindled by an unethical breeder who contributed

to the overpopulation problem.) But pets aren't

purses, and people who jump into pit-bull owner-

ship without the requisite training and education

can often do more harm than good. That's why

when I see a pit off-leash and I'm walking Turk, my

20-pound schnoodle, I'm scared.

Let's face it: pit bulls are public enemy No. 1.

That's quite a comedown for a pup once considered

"America's dog." They were owned by the likes of

Helen Keller and Teddy Roosevelt, and when I was

a kid, a wiry American pit-bull terrier named Sam

endured the indignity of being called a "horsy" as

he pulled me around in a wagon on an upstate New

York farm. But in talking with pit-bull experts, it's

clear that some current owners are too easy to

spook, are too ill-informed, and have unrealistic

expectations of what pit bulls can do.

Torres knows all about the pit bull's people

problem. "Oh, my God, I see it all the time," she

says. "Some of these people are completely

clueless. They get a pit and then they want to get

rid of it if it grabs and shakes a toy and barks. They

April 2009

2 egaP gro.esuohefasepoh.www

don't understand why it loves everybody, but

scraps with dogs. It's insane. And it's hurting the pit

bull."

Some of the so-called pit problems are directly

linked to the dog's history. Today's pit bull can

trace its roots back

to bulldogs, which

were used for bull

baiting, a grue-

some spectacle in

which the dogs

would try to pin a

tied bull by latch-

ing on to its nose.

When bull baiting

was outlawed,

these bulldogs

were then bred

with small terriers,

feisty dogs known

for their drive. The

end result was the original pit bull, a "canine

gladiator" bred specifically for dog-on-dog

combat.

Though the majority of pit bulls today are no

longer being purposefully bred along fighting lines,

pit bulls still can be dog aggressive (as are many

other types of dogs). How that plays out will vary

from pit to pit, and the dogs need a smart owner to

keep them in line. Dog aggression can be managed

by getting a pit into a training program that offers

structured, controlled socialization, says Mary

Harwelik, a certified dog trainer and founder of

The Real Pit Bull, a pit advocacy and education

organization in New Jersey.

Pits are also among the most human-friendly

canines. In tests conducted by the American

Temperament Test Society, which evaluates

stability, friendliness, and other traits in several

hundred dog breeds, the American pit-bull terrier

scored 85.3 percent, higher than a golden retriever.

Their human-friendly nature remains strong even

in horrific circumstances. "I thought I was going to

meet a bunch of Tasmanian devils," says Dr. Frank

MacMillan, a veterinarian with Best Friends

Animal Sanctuary who is working with some 20

pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick's Bad Newz

Kennels. "I was stunned at how sweet they were."

That inherent sweetness toward people can

lead well-meaning humans to be too permissive

with their precious pooches. Because of its

tendencies toward

d o g - o n - d o g

aggression, Torres

advises pit owners

to keep their dogs

out of mosh-pit,

free-for-all dog

parks. "Not a lot of

pit owners want

to hear that," says

Torres. "If there's a

fight, no matter

what dog started it,

the pit will be

blamed."

At Villalobos,

Torres does an exhaustive interview with potential

adopters. She wants to know what kinds of dogs

they owned in the past, whether there are kids in

the house, if it's a multidog household, if they have

a cat, and what they want from their pit. Once they

answer those questions, Torres tries to match them

up with the right pit bull. "Everybody thinks they

want a Ferrari, when they really need a Yugo," she

says. "The good thing about a pit is that some of

them can be high energy, others just want to watch

TV. "

Despite laws in many parts of the country that

place restrictions on pit ownership, things might be

looking up for the breed. "People are having a lot

more empathy for the pit," says Torres. "They

understand that this is a great dog that is enduring

a lot of hell." If you want to rescue a pit bull,

Torres's advice is simple: Make sure the dog is the

right one for you, and you are right for it. Get the

dog spayed or neutered, obey leash laws and any

local regulations, and do ongoing training. That's

smart advice for any dog owner, even if you want

a yappy Shih Tzu.


H.O.P.E. Safehouse, Inc..

Board of Directors

Lynn Nielsen-Eeg Jonathan Eeg Alan Eisenberg Lori Jensen Sharon Johnson Dave Braun Mike Balcer

Cat Minister

Kathy VanParys

Veterinary Assistance

Crossroads Animal HospitalFor Pet’s Sake Veterinary Clinic North Shore Animal Hospital The Animal ER of Racine/Kenosha

Volunteer Coordinator

Samantha Kupper

Web Space and Hosting

Paul Burdick

Critter Quarterly StaffEditor ~ Sandra Knorr Writer ~ Lynn Neilsen-Eeg Printers ~ JD Printing, Racine, WI Labeling & Mailing ~ Pearl Czechowicz

H.O.P.E. Safehouse is a 501(c) 3 charitable organization that specializes in the treatment and care of injured strays.

All contribution of property or monies is tax deductible.

Canine Training ConsultantProper Paws University

Canine Training AssociatesSherri NohaMikey Thompsen

Off Site CoordinatorVacant

Petfinder AdministratorSarah Hempel

http://www.myspace.com/hopesafehouse

RemindeR

If you are movIng or have changed your

name or phone number, please contact

hope wIth your new InformatIon. we

want to make sure everyone Is gettIng a

copy of the newsletter.

NEW CLIENT FUNDRAISER FROM

HOME BUDDIES

BY CAMP BOW WOW

Home Buddies is an in-home pet sitting, dog walking and pet

waste removal service. They will care for dogs, cats, birds, fish,

small mammals and reptiles.

As a way to say thank-you to HOPE, Home Buddies has a

re-FUR-al plan. Home Buddies will donate $5 to HOPE for

every new client that purchases a service with Home Buddies.

This offer is only open to new clients and the re-FUR-al plan

must be mentioned at the time of booking.

If you would like to set up a free interview or find out more

information, please contact Home Buddies via phone at

262-806-7387 (PETS)

or via their website at

www.myhomebuddies.com/southeastWI or via email at

[email protected]


Ways to Help H.O.P.E. …The primary way you can help is to put us out of business. Spay or neuter your pet! • Donate to HOPE Safehouse! Even the smallest

donation is appreciated • Volunteer, there are many opportunities to help! • Donate much needed items (see below)

Pick 'n Save Advantage WE CARE ProgramDo you have a Pick ‘n Save Advantage

shopper card? Designate HOPE Safehouse as one of your non-profit organization you'd like to have the money go to. Our organization account number is 335600, stop

by your local Pick n’ Save to add us or to sign up for the program today.

What if HOPE Safehouse earned a penny every time you searched the Internet?Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now we can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter [my charity] as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

On Going Fund Raiser at

ENDLESS SUMMER SALONEvery first Saturday of the month,

ENDLESS SUMMER SALONwill donate 10% of their sales to HOPE Safehouse.There will also be a 10% discount on all services.

Don’t Tan? Don’t worry, they also offer

touchless message, LED teeth whitening,LED light therapy (helps with acne, mild scaring,

fine lines and wrinkles and much more)

Check out their website:www.endlesssummersalon.biz

RESCUE ROVER Pet Alert DecalsWe are selling these decals for $5 (pack of 2 ea.)Alert Fire Rescue and Police in case of any emergencythat there are pets inside that need to be rescued. Allthe proceeds go directly to HOPE. If you would like tosell some decals they are at the office. Stop by andpick some up. Thanks for your help!!!

FOR THE ANIMALS:Cat Litter - Non-Clumping, Low Dust Dry/Canned Cat foodNew or Lightly Used Cat Trees & CondosNew or Lightly Used Cat BedsDog leashes

FOR THE OFFICE:Laundry Detergent Paper Towels Printer/Copier PaperStamps5x8 Index CardsBrown paper bags (grocery bags)Toilet paperClorox wipesDuct tape

KWIK TRIP CARD Sign up for your Kwik Tripcard and designate HOPE to receive your Kwik Rewards. HOPE will receive 15% of eligible in-store purchases plus 3 cents for every gallon of gas or diesel purchase. Call 1-888-736-5945 or go to www.kwiktrip.com to sign up.

We are looking for people who have

adopted from HOPE in the past and

have moved. We want to update

our records. However, this list is too

long to include in the newsletter; so,

if you know of someone who has

adopted from HOPE and has not

received a newsletter in a long time,

please have the person contact us.


H.O.P.E. MailbagDear Wonderful People & Animals@ HOPE,

I am so grateful that I won the GrandPrize in the Raffle so that I can donate itto H.O.P.E. Whenever I receive yournewsletter, I am so happy to read aboutall the animals given a new life byH.O.P.E. You must have wonderful vol-unteers and staff to dedicate so muchtime & energy to this noble cause.Please continue the excellent work.

Best WishesPhyllis Kukula

Dear Madam/Sir:

We hope that all is well and extend thewarmest of holiday wishes to all of yourvolunteers during this season. We areglad to see on your website that thingsare going well at HOPE Safehouse andthat you continue to help the many dogsand cats that need loving homes.

In memory of our beloved Bosco, thebest Shih Tzu, friend and companion inthe world, who lost his brave battle withkidney disease, we enclose a charitabledonation. We adopted Bosco from arescue “A Place to Bark” several yearsago. Little did we know that he wouldbe so special and enrich our lives somuch. We miss him dearly and wordscannot express the loss we feel, buthope that this donation will help otherrescue dogs and cats find loving homesand enrich the lives of others.

Best wishesIsrael & Maria Ramon

Hi Lynn and everyone at HOPE,

I just wanted to drop a line and leteveryone know that we had to say good-bye to our beloved Lucky this pastMarch. He was a terrific dog that wegot from HOPE Safehouse back in April2000.

We first saw Lucky on television – hewas the adoptable pet of the week onthe Wisconsin Paw and Beak Show thatran on the local PBS station. It waspure coincidence that we saw him as a

friend who was over for supper thatThursday evening happened to be flip-ping around the TV. My wife Bethspotted the handsome dog with his bigtongue hanging out and exclaimed“What a cool looking dog. We shouldget that dog!” We called Lynn the nextday hoping that he was still available.He was, and we went to Racine the nextday to meet him.

As we got inside the door at HOPESafehouse, a volunteer was taking a dogoutside for a walk. As he passed by, helooked up and licked Beth’s hand as ifto say ‘I choose you’. Turns out thatwas Lucky. It was love at first sight andwe took him home 2 days later.

Lucky was called a ‘Boxer-mix’ but wewere pretty sure he was an AmericanStaffordshire Terrier. Big and hand-some, white with brindle fur. He was aterrific dog that loved kids and every-one that he met. Poor guy did havemore than his share of health issuesthough. He had chronic allergies andskin conditions, thus we amassed a verythick folder at our vet. He saw special-ists as we sought to solve his chronicskin issues. He had to go through sev-eral surgeries for a number of things,and at one point was diagnosed withnon-contagious canine MRSA, which isa drug resistant staph infection. Hetook powerful meds to get over that,and his skin finally cleared up.

Sadly, once we seemed to get theseissues behind us, we noticed a lump onLucky’s side. Our vet had it removedand said it was grade 3 mast cell tumor.Unfortunately, it did come back moreaggressively. We made him as com-fortable as possible but finally had tomake the tough decision to let him gopeacefully.

It broke our hearts but we have manywonderful and fond memories of ourdear Lucky boy. He truly was a won-derful, loving dog. Thanks for bringinghim into our lives.

Best,Jim Warchol and Beth Schaefer

In remembrance of our Great Dane,Savannah, adopted 13 years ago.Savannah has been gone 5 years nowbut we all still miss her – including ourGreat Dane, Liberty, who is almost 8.Thanks for all you do at HOPESafehouse.

Valerie James

To the Furry Residents at HOPESafehouse

We (Kodi, Duke, Littlefoot, andTommyboy), would like to give thesetoys to you because we have so manytoys and our mommy works for PetSupplies “Plus” in Racine.

We know for a fact that you will enjoythem more than us. Have fun withthem!!!

Sincerely,The “Kids” (Dayna Goldman)

Dear Lynn,

I just wanted to tell you how muchPaulette (Minnie) means to me. She’sbeen with me about 3 years and is mylittle best friend. She’s grown a lot oflong hair, is beautiful and very smart, aswell as loving.

Thank you so much for her and for whatyou do.

Lee Ann Paulson


Hi Lynn,

So far so good with Winkie andWiggles. At first, it was hard to tellthem apart! We have set up house forthem in our spare room where our com-puter is. John has been spoiling them,we bought a huge cat post for theirenjoyment (they love it) though layingon the spare bedding on the shelf in thespare room closet is pretty cool too.Winkie is very receptive to me, since heis not as used to males, but he’s cominground. Wiggles is very affectionate andthey both enjoy playing. Winkie seemsvery intelligent – he studies everything.

Regards,Sheri Hansen

Hi Lynn,

I just wanted you to know that I putKissee down January 21, 2008. She hadkidney problems for awhile now. She isin a better place now…. I am going tomiss her so much. Who’s going to bossme around now?

Cheryl Carleton

(This was letter was sent in 2008, sorryfor the delay in printing.)

Hi Hope Staff,

Paddington is now in the beginningNovice class at Milwaukee DogTraining Club. He loves training and weplan to continue. Paddington participat-ed in his first obedience demo last week-end and did a great job. We plan to con-tinue training and he may enter someobedience competitions down the road.

Paddington is a great dog-we are sohappy we found him!!!

ThanksAdriana Serwa

Lynn & Gang at the office,

I wanted to stop in on Saturday, but Ijust wasn’t ready to do that yet. Mysweet Nicholas crossed the RainbowBridge on June 20th. In the last coupleof months, he has gotten progressivelyworse and I could no longer reach himverbally when he would get into one ofhis spells. He has spent the last couplemonths with much anxiety and never

seemed to be at peace. He seemed tohave many more bad days then goodones and he no longer enjoyed the simplethings like a belly rub, which he loved.

It took me quite some time to make thisdecision and I can say now that he isfinally at peace. He will always be inmy heart and I love and miss him verymuch.

Tina

Hello Hope!

We adopted Kenai (formerly known asBig Al) in January 2006. Kenai waspart of the Hurricane Katrina group andwas eight weeks old when we broughthim home. He was a cutie-tootie whenwe brought him home and he has grownup to be a good looking dog! He cravesattention and loves to play with hisolder brother Loomis (a black lab mix).He was also recently introduced to ahuman brother, our three-month old,Sean. Kenai loves to watch over Seanand can't wait until he is old enough toplay. Thanks for the opportunity toadopt such a wonderful pup!

Allison & Joey Wright

Greetings H.O.P.E. Safehouse,

I want to say thank you for giving myWife, Jen, and me the opportunity toadopt Bonnie (Bonita INJ 21) and bringher into our home. I can't imagine ourlives without that wonderful little girlbeagle/bassett mix living with us. Shehas brought so much joy and love intoour house and has never failed to putsmiles on our faces.

Thanks again for the opportunity toadopt Bonnie and bring her into ourhome!

Sincerely,Craig Sazama

Hi!

Just wanted to give an update on two ofyour animals that I adopted. I adoptedZoe five years ago (her name wasMiffy) - and she's great! Still kindascared around new people, but whenshe trusts you she is the sweetest dogand has the best personality!

June is a cat that I adopted two yearsago - a tiny cat that is black and white.She was soooo scared for the first yearand a half and never came out fromunder the bed except at night to eat anduse the litter box. Now, she is anywherebut under the bed. She loves highplaces and sitting on the window ledgelooking outside and is very vocal. Sheis a sweet heart.

If you need help fostering dogs, I canhelp by taking one small dog ata time. I wish I could help more, butdon't have too much space witha dog and cat already.

Keep up the good work!Matt

Hello HOPE Angels,

We adopted two wonderful cats fromyou in 2005, Slumber and William, andare so happy with them! We are return-ing to England to live, and of course thecats are coming with us. We hope tobegin their regime of inoculations and 6months blood test soon that will enablethem to travel on an international petpassport so that they will not have to gothrough the six-month quarantine thatthe UK requires.

Thank you again for our two cats andfor all the super work you do for theanimals you save and find homes for –you really are amazing!

Linda and John Sargent

Dear HOPE Safehouse,

I adopted my dog, Egg, in January of2008 and just recently realized that Inever became a member of HOPESafehouse! So I am submitting mymembership along with some recentpictures of Egg.

She is about a year and a half old and isjust the sweetest dog! She lives to playwith other dogs, so now that the weath-


er is getting nicer, we have been goingto the dog park often. We recently fin-ished the Clever Canine Tricks class atthe Wisconsin Humane Soceity and Eggcan now roll over, wave, and jumpthrough a hoop. Now we are in theBeyond Manners class and she is doingwell, although she’d rather play withthe other dogs than practice walking ona loose leash!

Thank you again for bringing this won-derful dog into my life and for all youdo for all the needy animals you help.

Sincerely,Michelle Dunning

The folks at H.O.P.E.

Just a note on the second anniversary ofmy adopting Jim and Patricia.

Since last year I have gotten DeltaSociety certified and am doing therapyat All Saints Lakeshore Manor longterm care, All Saints cancer center, anda local assisted living facility. Thissummer I will be doing several Easter

Seals day camps. I also go to Jane’sschool and try and teach the kids how toget along with dogs (when all they wantto do is play with me).

Jim’s training is coming along nicely sohe does just about whatever I wantwhenever I want.

Patricia has learned what a 75 lb. Lapdog feels like, when I need a nap on mychair and she happens to be in it.

The enclosed donation is to help someother guy get as lucky as I was.

Thanks again,Buddy (Budi) Morrill, AKC CanineGood Citizen

P.S. I had an X ray last fall and foundout I still have shot gun pellets in mefrom when that hillbilly jerk inTennessee shot me. (Jerk is as polite asI can be.) The vet said they are in themussel tissue and won’t hurt me in thefuture. THANKS AGAIN FOR GET-TING ME OUT OF THERE.

Dear Lynn and HOPE Safehouse,

Just wanted to drop a note thanking youfrom the bottom of all our hearts forletting us adopt Bailey who passedaway on 6/26/09. He was a best friend,companion, and a dog truly like noother. Our family feels so fortunate tohave had Bailey which makes hispassing so very, very hard on all of us.

He was an amazing dog. When we weresad, he would sit by your side and letyou hug him with tears rolling downyour face and give you a lick. When Ifell this winter he came running to melicking my face to make sure I was o.k.When someone was home alone hewould stay by your side to protect youeven if it meant going to the bathroomwith you. Some people have told us hewas so spoiled but, when he gave somuch to us we thought it should bereturned with love and fun. Hedeserved it.

It is hard to move on without him, butwe all feel blessed and fortunate to havehad him thanks to you and HOPESafehouse.

God Bless and thanks again for givingus the best dog in the world.

With much love and sadness,Kevin, Lisa, Chris Loew and ErinSuominen

This year’s Party on the Pavement was a huge success! We raisedover a thousand dollars! We had wonderful baskets for the raffle,fun kids games and of course our HOPE designed t-shirts. I wantedto thank all of the Donators: Essence Hair and Spa, J&N Ultra Tan,Woofdorf Astoria Dog Hotel and Day Spa, Camp Bow Wow HomeBuddies, Amanda Lawrence of Partners and Design, Wisconsin

Exotics Avery, Mike and Mikey Thompson, Bob & Elaine Brinza, Kathy Ginther, John & SherriNoha, Heather Hawley, Marcy Kasabian & Suzanne Hall. We couldn’t have done it without sup-porters like you!

We want to thank Joanne Dean and the Racine Zoo for the use of their tables and for deliveringthem and picking them up and Dover Flag & Map and Woofdorf Astoria for the use of their tents.

Also a special thanks to all of the people that helped put this wonderful event together! They all

2009Party on thePAVEMENT

Continued on Page 12


I have three dogs, one is 130+ lbs, he’s a komondor, loves to play, will pick up thebrush when/if I drop it and give it back to me. He has a ghost we call Boo. Helikes to carry Boo around. Great with kids, protective over his family.

A female weimaraner that is 60+, very pretty, shiny coat, blue in color. Can beprotective, but is generally outgoing. Can put a treat on her nose than usually catchit. Sometimes the big dog grabs it before she gets it though.

A 5lb yorkie, he’s 10 years old, and cranky. Pees in the house if he’s upset, and will occasionally leaveother “gifts” for you. Things that upset him are not sleeping in, rain, other dogs, other cats, not givinghim enough attention, anything new in the house, when I’m upset, when I leave and don’t take him, anda few other things. But he does dance for a treat and catch mice and will do agility courses.

My dogs are all neutered/spayed and current on their vaccinations. They get fed holistic food, it seemsexpensive but is really only $1/day for all of them. That’s less than a bottle of soda.

My dogs are not up for adoption. I have moved 6 times in my life, including college and a divorce, theyalways come with. We’ve lived here for 4 years, and if we move, they’ll go with me.

I have two kids, I still have my dogs. They were here before the kids, and I took the time to teach themto be gentle to kids, even tiny babies.

My little dog doesn’t like kids much, he likes them when they’re sleeping. So I trained my kids to leavehim alone.

I don’t have a job, haven’t for the last three years, my job has been being a mother. I still have my dogs.I just don’t buy other things I don’t need.

I have a 130 lb dog who needs to be groomed. I brush him twice a week, it takes less than 5 minutes aday. I don’t feel bad for people who say they “don’t have the time” to groom a shis tzu. It doesn’t takethat long.

My dogs shed, but so do I, so I think we’re even. I’ve had dogs my whole life, and have never“suddenly” acquired a strange allergic reaction to them, nor know anyone who has, and I know a lot ofpeople with dogs.

My dogs do not destroy my house, because I don’t let them. I have two breeds that are commonlyreferred to as strong willed and destructive. I simply have rules and make the dogs listen. They do noteat until I tell them they can. This makes me the pack leader. I do not share my couch or bed. Withthe big dogs, I will not fight over where I get to sit. I don’t have to lock my dogs out of the kitchen whenwe eat. I simply taught them they’re not allowed. A flyswatter being smacked on the table has a lot ofpower in dogs eyes, used with the word “out” it’s amazing.

I have two cats, and a leather living room set. The cats are not declawed. I simply give them other thingsto scratch that are acceptable. They enjoy them.

I have three dogs and two cats. Sometimes they get fed up with each other. I still have them all. I justremind them this is my house, and separate them from each other for an hour then everything is Okay.

I have an old dog, and I got a new dog. I did not get rid of the old dog because he didn’t like the newdog.

An end note to all the dogs who have spent 3-10 years of their lives in the only home they’ve known tobe replaced by a child, other pet, move, new job, etc. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine your heartache ofbeing disowned by your parents who loved you for years.

3Three

Dogs


GGoolldd PPllaatteeddLLiiffeettiimmee MMeemmbbeerrss

Mike & Sue Balcerek Kris & Paul Cook Marie Hillyer Don and Sharon Johnson David Misun James and Jean Mohrhauser Nancy NelsonRunzheimer International Sharon & Robert Trussell

WWeellccoommee NNeeww && RReettuurrnniinngg MMeemmbbeerrss

Claire Banaszak

Janet Behrens

Beryl Brown & Elizabeth

Eisenstaedt

Deborah & Larry

Czernejewski

John & Patti DeVincentis

Michelle Dunning

Sandra Dynek

Nada & Newton Finn

Valerie & Jeffrey James

Beatrice Janiszewski

Nancy Kapplehoff

Pat & Robert Kogutkiewicz

Marion Konsinowski

William Lewis

Jerome & Ruth Miller

JoAnn Neville

Richard & Mary Lee Odders

Alvin & Sue Pryse

Jamie Raschke

Margaret Rifken

Laurie Rouleau

Rick Ruston

Robert & Viola Schmidt

Frederick & June Sewell

Gail Winter

DONATORSSandra & David AndersonArturo's Hair DesignsSue BalcerekBetty BeadlesSonja BecvarJanet BehrensCarolyn BoehmerElizabeth BraunNancy BroenEmma DeRosaFrancoise ElholmNada & Newton FinnDian GabrielChristiane GallinaDebora GaultJames & Susan GitterTim & Bonnie HanscheJohn & Cheryl HansenBettie HardDinah HarnerElaine HartmanCharles & Jill HaubrichEdward & Karen HermansenLeandra KallasBrian KonicekNancy KovalPhyllis KukulaAlice MayDebra MinnieDenise MoriarityHarry MorrillLee Ann PaulsonCharles PeasePet Pals Grooming SalonJanice & Gus PetrakisRoundy'sCatherine RoyaltyRunzheimer InternationalMarie SandsRobert & Viola SchmidtDoloresSultan & Olivia AlcortaErin TaylorPatricia TherkelsonMichael ThompsonWal-Mart FoundationMegan WilsonDolores WittGary & Sujan Yates

in Honor of...

Lauren DeVuyst– Good Luck onyour move to Arizona – BarbSchmidt and Kathy Novak

Mr. Diekman – Happy Father’s Day– Donna Diekman

Carl & Janyce Granetzke – Happy50th Wedding Anniversary –Nina & Tom Keefe and Juan &Raeleah Martinez and CarolRudey

Marlene Hegel – The best on yourretirement – Waxdale H.R. Staff

Marlene Hegel – To celebrate yourlove of animals – MeridethReigel

Bob & Irma Larsen – Happy 50thWedding Anniversary – Les &Mary Fregien

“Mae” – To help with the vet bills –Benjamin Bone and Anita Cohnand Margaret Majewski

Doug Newman – Happy Birthday –The Sunshine Fund at BankMutual

“Riley Royalty” (formerly “Yukon”)– adopted from HOPE in 2003, Ilove him dearly – CatherineRoyalty


People PetsADOPTEDADOPTED!

In Memory of Orv CanfieldCarey & Linda Zimmerman

In Memory of Laura DoperalskiThomas & Ann Davis

In Memory of John LabreGeorge EdgarRobert & Patricia McKee

In Memory of Charlene AnnLukomskiPlatinum Systems

In Memory of Alice Marshall Kathleen AdamsDon & Mary Lou Arnston

In Memory of Bob PogorzelskiHoward BrownMary & Arthur ChiappettaAl DandeneauJeanette Klappauf

In Memory of Dagmar RiggsbyBetty Goebel

In Memory of Brianne Joy WhitneyMr. & Mrs. William Merwin

"Autumn" beloved beagle of LindaBorneman ~ Wiley Coyote (aka“Fawny”)

"Bandit" beloved pet of Chris &Reilly Hage ~ Mr. & Mrs.William Merwin

"Black Jack & Mike (a.k.a. BigDog)" It’s been 13 months sinceBlack Jack crossed the rainbowbridge and jumped into the lov-ing arms of Mike ~ SueBalcerek

"Bosco" best Shih Tzu and com-panion who lost his battle withkidney disease and lived withIsrael & Maria Ramon

"Brownie" beloved furbaby ofColeen Aceto ~ Kathy Garski

"Henna" ~ Elizabeth & DennisTaylor

"Max" beloved German ShorthairPointer of Don & Jill Schwartz~ Barb & Dick Chambers~Connie & Paul Eberly

"Otto" beloved family pet of James,Tina & Olivia Lee ~ Robert &Patricia McKee

"Preston" ~ Pat & RobertKogutkiewicz family

Our condolences go to the

following:

Linda Borneman who lost her 14year-old beagle “Autumn” inJune 2009

Christopher & Chantil Ruud wholost their 16 year-old sheltie“Brandy” in August 2009

Suzanne Hall who lost her sheltie“Chelsea” in August 2009

Sharon Schuster who lost her cat“Oreo” in June 2009

Cheri Trussell who lost her bordercollie “Max” in early 2009

Sadly, some of ouradoptees have crossedover the RainbowBridge. May theywear their silver wingswith pride.

“Bailey” canine adopted 2/24/98

by Lisa & Kevin Loew

“Bububba” canine adopted

10/7/05 by Ralph Perry

“Lucky” canine adopted 4/10/00 by

Jim Warchol and Beth Schaefer

“Remington” feline adopted 8/8/08

by Joanne Dean

AdOPTed!“Arees” – Linda & Joseph Drews

“Belmont” – James & Mary Larrabee

“Benjamin” – Nancy & Chris Tribbey

“Brooklin” – Katie & Troy Okerberg

“Cara” – Kim Lewis & Roberta Levinson

“Clove” – Paula & Robert Blaski

“Corby” – Elizabeth & James Carlock

“Cosmo” – Dinah Harner & Allen Filloon

“Cream”- Terry Gross

“Cupcake” – Jill & Jon Bax

“Dodger” – Christy Sanhuber

“Hunie” – Megan Wilson

“Jak” – David & Sandra Lyon

“Jake” – Lee Ann Tassotti & Jerome Bembenek

“Kenner” – Rachelle & Richard Poteracki

“Kermit” – Beth Casey

“Knickers” – Alicia & Richard Yezzi

“Lab” – Lee Basterash

“Labby” – Kelly Fure

“Larson” – Louis & Terry Rosing

“Luckee” – Jenny Palmersheim

“Meesha” – Fran Elholm

“Merlin” – Karen & Ed Hermansen

“Moh” – Timothy & Natalie Marciniak

“Mysie” – Robert & Debra Christensen

“Shotgun” – Kelly & Doug Johnson

“Suzy” – Shereen & Bruce Kressin

“Tinky”– Kyle Edge

“Val” – Jay & Marla Geerdts

“Vega” – Lorre Inda

“Vegas” – Alicia Covington

“Venessa” – Debra & Steven Albright

“Vicki” – Michael & Darlene Langdon

“Vishnu” – Leah & Joshua Krohn

“Zola” – Terri & Ronald Kromray

Obituary of the late Mr. Common SenseToday we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and Maybe it was my fault.Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend morethan you earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.Reports of a 6 year-old boycharged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Tylenol, sun lotion or a band- aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home, but the burglar could sue you for assault.Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers "I Know My Rights", "Someone Else Is To Blame", and "I'm A Victim".Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

If I did not have animals . . .I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.I would not have strange presents under my Christmas tree -- dog bones, stuffed animals ,toys, treats nor would I have to explain to people why I wrap them.I would have money and no guilt to go on a real vacation.I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through collegeThe most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.IÊwould no longer have to Spell the words B-A-L-L-, F-R-I-S-B-E- E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, BIKE OR CAR.I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading "mud" season.I would not have to answer the question "Why do you have so many animals?"Ê from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get .How empty my life would be!


TOP 10 HOUSEHOLD PET DANGERSIt may surprise people, but the greatest threat to their pet is not the outside world, but the every-day items around the home. Believe it or not, but there are many things that can be found in anyhome that can end up causing anyone's fuzzy friend serious harm or even death. To that end,here are the top 10 household pet dangers, and a brief bit of advice on how to avoid them.• Chemicals. Everyday household cleaners can poison, harm or kill a pet. Imagine your pets

are like children and that they can get into anything. Just as you would lock everything downwhen you have kids in the house, you should do the same thing when it comes to havingpets in the home. At the very least, you are going to want to keep the household chemicalsout of their reach.

• Garbage. If you have a pet, then you should also have garbage cans that have locking lids.This keeps the pets from being able to access spoiled food, bones and other types of thingsthat they should not get into.

• Human Food. One of the things that can harm almost any pet is through eating human food.Chocolate in particular is particularly hazardous (possibly fatal) to pets if they get their jawsinto it. People food is for people, and pet food is for pets. The safest route is to keep your petson a proper diet.

• Medication. Don't leave old medication lying around. A vast majority of medicine that ismeant for human consumption can be harmful to your pets. Keep all medication (even thenonprescription kind) somewhere that the pets cannot reach.

• Dryer. Particularly with cats, the dryer is a favorite place to take a nap. If an owner isn't care-ful, they could accidentally end up putting Fluffy through a drying cycle. After using thedryer, just be sure that you have closed all the doors.

• Electrical Cords. Cat's like to play with things that dangle, and lets face it—electrical cordsdangle. When these things become chew toys, then there is the chance (a pretty good one)that they can be electrocuted. Keep an eye on them.

• Old Toys. Even though toys can become a beloved member of the family, they can still bedangerous to your pet. It doesn't matter if the toy belongs to a pet, or to another family mem-ber, as they get older there is a greater chance that they can break. When things break off,they might accidentally end up lodged in the throat of a pet causing them to choke.

• Outdoors. Even if your pet wants to spend time in the great outdoors, it is not the place forindoor pets. Such things as the weather, other animals (including large predators, if you livein rural areas) and vehicles are all a danger to your pet. Only let your pet outside in carefullycontrolled circumstances.

• Other Pets. Believe it or not, if your pets don't get along with each other, then they couldcause each other great harm. Before bringing in any new pet, you should check to make surethat they can get along with each other. Since pets can become a member of the family, it'salways a good idea to check with all family members before they have to put up with a newmember.

• Human Error. It can happen, any number of accidents can happen and they almost alwayscome back to human error. If you own a pet, you simply need to be careful that you do notstep on, kick, or otherwise harm your beloved pet.




Thank you to Abbott Laboratories Employee GivingCampaign and the following employees: Valerie Aldrichand Mary Ustymowicz.

Thank you to the Aurora Health Care EmployeePartnership and the following employees: Maria Ilao-Pahm, Rosalee Keser, Anne Kuehl, Kelly Mallas,Margaret Myers, Kristin Wasley and Barbara Wendt.

Thank you to Crossroads Animal Hospital and Dr. GlennGeurts for choosing HOPE to receive the Paws forCharity donation from their Merial representative.

Thank you to Freddie’s Friki Tiki for including HOPE ontheir parade float in Racine’s Fourth of July parade. Thedogs had a wonderful time. We also want to thankFreddie’s Friki Tiki for hosting us on Monday’s this sum-mer and for donating the money from Cans 4 Canines thissummer. Please see the article on page 13 for moredetails. Thank you to Jan Johnson for organizing thisevent since Jennifer Aylor moved.

Thank you to Havahart Pets for taking the opportunity toraise money for HOPE during their anniversary celebra-tion. Happy 30th Anniversary!

Thank you to Havahart Pets for doing a school presenta-tion and asking the school to make a donation to HOPE.

Thank you to Phyllis Kukula for donating her grand prizewinning from the summer Raffle! Also, thank you to allof you who purchased raffle tickets, we wish you luck innext years raffle.

Thank you to the “Morning Blend” TV show for hostingHOPE on one of their pet segments. Thank you to Sam& Sharon for taking the time to be TV celebrities and toMysie, with her pink claws, who stole the show.

Thank you to Proper Paws University for donating themoney they raised from their dog demonstration atHavahart. A big thank you goes to the helpers during thisevent: Kathy Ginther, Tammy Lucksted, Sandi Meyer,Sherri Noha, Holly Roberson, Marie Sands and MikeyThompson.

Thank you to everyone who donated to HOPE for Partyon the Pavement. This event always helps us raise moneythrough the basket raffle, T-shirt sales and donations. Italso gives us a chance to showcase some of our animals.Please see Sam’s thank you on page 7 and continuing onthe bottom of this page.

Thank you to Roundy’s We Care program for donating aportion of sales that people with Advantage cards havedesignated to give to HOPE. Thank you to all those shop-pers that thought of HOPE! If you would like HOPE toreceive a portion of your Pick N Save sales, see Ways toHelp HOPE (page 4) for more details.

Thank you to Runzheimer International for there contin-uing generous support of HOPE.

Thank you to Sam’s Club for donating the dog bowls.

Thank you to Wal-Mart Foundation for turning JJAustin’s volunteer hours into cash for HOPE. Of course,thank you to JJ for putting in all those hours.

Thank you to Wheaton Franciscan who took up a collec-tion for HOPE. Thank you to All Saints Women’s Health,Dr. Tasha Johnson, Dr. Wilczynski, Dr. Mary Pezanoskiand Dr. Brockman for your generous donations. Wereceived monetary donations as well as a dog house, dogand cat food, cat toys, dog bed, dog collar and dog treats.We appreciate your thoughtfulness.

~ ~ ~ THANKS! ~ ~ ~

stuck out the chilly rainy weather. John & Sherri Noha, Mikey Thompson, Lisa Barta, BruceSargent, Terri Nelson, Maureen Potter, Nick Potter, Rich and Jody Wagner, Susan Schachts,Jan Johnson, Mary Laphayvanh, Yi Chen Chen, Jenna Franseen, Steven Wright , Diane Wilcox,Sandi Meyer, Brian & Kelly Larson, Chad Hammrock, Dan & Sandra Knorr, Kathy Ginther, HollyRoberson, Jon & Lynn Eeg, Sarah Hempel and Ray & Betty Kading.

I would like to especially thank Sherri Noha for all of her help in putting this whole eventtogether with me! If it wasn’t for her it would not have been as successful!

Samantha Kupper

Continued from Page 7




Each Monday afternoon during the summer,the tables were filled at the Friki Tiki, the out-side eatery at the Chancery Restaurant inRacine. Customers were served complimentaryappetizers and for an entrée, had their choiceof chicken or beef, served in attractive dishesdesigned especially for them.

The service was friendly and the atmospherefestive as old friends got reacquainted andnew friendships were formed. And how didthe staff know they were doing a good job? Itwasn’t the tips. Instead, they were slobberedwith kisses and others were almost knockeddown with big bear hugs. Yes, it was anothersuccessful Doggie Happy Hour at the FrikiTiki!

This past summer, the Chancery’s outdoorbar and grill simply went to the dogs onMonday afternoons. The event was the brain-child of Chancery’s General Manager BrianGrabher.

“Other Chancery’s nationwide had successful-ly implemented doggy happy hours and wethought our lakefront setting would be perfectfor dog owners who wanted to enjoy an after-noon out with their best friends,” saidGrabher.

HOPE Safehouse was asked to attend eachMonday and set up an informational display,showcasing dogs and cats available for adop-tion. Volunteers Jan Johnson and KathlynGlynn-Hallinan came early each Monday toset up the display and then stayed to speakwith customers about HOPE’s mission.

Jan brought her foster-dog-turned-family-petBenny who became the unofficial Friki TikiAmbassador, welcoming dogs and their own-ers. Kathlyn brought available foster dogs tointroduce to possible adopters.

“It was fun to meet all the owners and their

dogs,” said Johnson, “and there were a sur-prising number of people who had adoptedtheir dogs from HOPE, including many fromHurricane Katrina.”

There were at least three adoptions as a directresult of the Doggy Happy Hour event, manygenerous donations and a chance to raiseawareness of the work HOPE Safehouse doesin the community.

As a bonus, Friki Tiki Bar Managers came upwith idea of the “Cans 4 Canines” fundraiser.All aluminum cans used at the outdoor barwere recycled and the funds donated toHOPE. Some supporters also faithfullydropped off their own aluminum cans fromthe week. A “Cans 4 Canines” donationcheck for $500 was presented to HOPE at theParty on the Pavement in Racine in October.

During the Monday Doggie Happy Hours,HOPE also partnered with Central BarkDoggy Day Care at Regency Mall and HomeBuddies In-Home Pet Care, building new rela-tionships with other dog friendly businesses inthe Racine area.

The Doggy Happy Hour will continue nextsummer. All HOPE supporters and their petsare encouraged to come out and enjoy anafternoon of outside fun at the Friki Tiki.

CHANCERY RESTAURANT GOES TO THE DOGS

H.O.P.E. Safehouse 1911 Taylor Avenue Racine, WI 53403

262.634.4571www.hopesafehouse.org

Yes I want to become a member of HOPE Safehouse!

Allmemberships include a subscription to the quarterly newsletter, membership card and a 5% discount on HOPE merchandise.Enclosed is my total contribution of $_________________________ to be used as follows:

PI HSREBME M TFI G PI HSREBME MYLRAEY___$10 Individual___$25 Family*$25 or greater gift membership___$100 Patron___$500 SponsorBuy a 1 year gift membership for a friend___$1000 Lifetime___$2000Benefactorand you receive a HOPE T-shirt*Please list all family members and birthdaysPlease mark the size we should send to you

___S___M___L___XL___2X___3X___4XPlease print your name & address:Please print recipients name & address:

Name:___________________________Name:___________________________Address:_________________________Address:_________________________City/State/Zip:_____________________City/State/Zip:_____________________Phone:____________ email:________Phone:____________ email:________Birthday:__________________________Birthday:_________________________

ALLMEMBERSHIPS ARE DUE FEBRUARY14(If giving in memory or in honor of someone, please include name & address of

DONATION ____________ bereaved family or honored person/group so an acknowledgment may be sent)

the pit-bull problemshelters are pit mixes. i've seen those who adopt these dogs for all the...

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