By Liz Belilovskaya
Editor’s note: We would’ve loved to have Rambo in The “Monsters” section but sadly, Liz does not have any picture of him so we decided to honor him by telling his story on the blog instead.

I met Rambo by accident.

A little while back, I was employed at a children’s gymnasium where I managed an afterschool problem and supervised birthday parties. On a particularly hot summer day the temperature inside the gym became intolerable. Our air conditioning happened to be busted at the time, so I decided to open the doors to the parking lot on the side of the building; it was closed to the public and used by employees of the various businesses that shared it.

The kids remained inside – yes, they were supervised – as I ventured outside by myself. I heard a noise that seemed to be coming from the yard. Thinking it might be a raccoon, I inched a little closer trying not to startle it. To my surprise, instead of a raccoon I found a huge animal cage. As I inspected it, a large but friendly dog appeared our off the little house situated within.

This was Rambo, a Rottweiler/pit-bull mix. The chain leash hanging around his neck was hitting the metal bars as he happily ran back and forth inside the cage. He was clearly excited to have company and seemed desperate for attention. As I had kids waiting for me, I went back inside, but I knew that those eyes would bring me back.

Eventually, Rambo and I became very good friends. It turned out that he was my boss’s dog, but because she had cats when she found him on the streets, he lived in the lot. Although he was fed daily, he was walked only occasionally. My boss was an older lady who lacked the energy to give him proper exercise. But Rambo was a social dog and needed more than a feeding schedule, so I decided that I would take care of that part.

Rambo and I jogged, played, ate, and hung out together. He was the best part about my job, and the kids grew very fond of him as well. I loved him very much.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. We soon learned that the company next-door was expanding, and since the parking lot was their property, they wanted the cage gone so that they could use it as their commercial space. I started looking for a home for him. I had rescued four cats a few months prior and couldn’t take Rambo in myself.

It was a truly disappointing search. People couldn’t, wouldn’t believe that a mix like Rambo could be as affectionate as he really was, so the poor animal was regularly rejected. I cried a lot during those months, uncertain of his future. Then, it seemed, there was silver lining. My boss’s son said he would take him.

Three months after Rambo moved in with his new owners, I requested to see him. This is when the guy admitted to giving Rambo to a pound (or a shelter). He would not tell me which. I never saw Rambo again, and I still don’t really know what happened to him.

He was a truly beautiful dog, both inside and out. Everything about him was trusting, kind, and pure. I cannot imagine, understand, or accept what happened to him. He never bit, attacked, or hurt anyone. His only fault is that he barked, but that’s what dogs do, we can’t really hold this against him.

______________________________________________________________

About Liz Belilovskaya:

Professional dog lover, cat hoarder and animal rights advocate. I’m a mix of super Soviet ethnicities and believe the day should start at the crack of noon. I am also a cancer buttkicker as the community manager of I Had Cancer—social support network for cancer fighters, survivor and supporters.

Brooklyn’s Mom, Megan, tells us how awesome Brooklyn is:

The Life Saver

Brooklyn may have literally saved my life when we were living in Chicago. My husband, Robert, was at work and I was home alone in our apartment. It was an evening in the early spring and about 4 months after we had found Brooklyn. We lived on the first floor of a walk up and I had opened the front window to let some air in.

I was cooking dinner when I heard voices at the front door. I looked out the window and saw 3 very large men dressed in all black with their faces covered trying to break into the building. I immediately felt my self panic and my adrenaline started to rush. My breath was short and I went to go get my phone but before I could even locate it, Brooklyn had flew to the window and pushed his head out and began barking in a crazy loud ferocious manner, with his teeth flashing and snarling. I heard the one guy yell “oh shit” and then watched them run down the street away from our apt. I called the police who said that they had tried to use a crowbar to pry open the front door and that Brooklyn must have scared them away. I have absolutely no doubt that he saved me from a very bad experience and that he knew, probably before I did, that I was in danger.

Since then he has remained appropriately protective. Once there was an off-leash dog in Brooklyn (when we lived there) who came running toward me, and Brooklyn placed himself between my and the dog and again gave out a warning bark which stopped the other dog dead in its tracks.

Basically I have found that he will bark if the door is knocked on by a stranger (he can smell my mom and never barks when it’s her) or if I am very tense and indicated I am fearful. But he never is aggressive. I have no doubt he would defend me to the death but he doesn’t attack, he just lets others know he is there and not to mess with me.

The Cancer Connection

Bella, our little dog, was the dog I had during treatment but Brooklyn was there when I had a scare with irregular cells and lots of testing. When we moved to NY in Sept. of 09, the Doctor found carcinomas on me, which were cancer cells that had not yet become invasive. I had to have them removed and undergo a bit of treatment.

During this time my anxiety was very high. I was not only scared that I was sick again but I was very terrified that I would have to get a hysterectomy, and as I had gone through more intensive treatment during my time with cancer to avoid that and to have a chance to have kids, I felt very sad, mad and anxious. The anxiety got really bad and I had a panic attack, which if you have never had one is basically your heart racing, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, numbness in your hands and feet, and an overwhelming sense that you are going to die or that you are not OK. Apparently your brain begins to releases chemicals during a panic attack that are similar to those released when you do die, so it’s basically sending singles that you are a goner.

So if I begin to have a panic attack and I am home alone, Brooklyn immediately comes over to me and puts his head on my lap. I’d start to pet him and then lay down and put my ear to his chest so I could hear his heart beat. The combination of having him there, petting him and listening to his calmer heart beat slowed down my own and I began to relax and feel better. I can even tell that now when I am anxious or nervous he can sense or more likely smell it and does not leave my side.

Another fact of awesomeness

In a final fact about Brooklyn, the wonder dog: Since I have been pregnant he will not leave me. He follows me around from room to room, lays at my feet and when I am sitting down on the couch he will crawl up next to me and put his head next to my belly, never on it, but right against it. He no longer jumps up when he seems me but is very aware that he must stay down off of my growing belly. Even when I shower in the morning he waits right outside the bathroom door for me, and at night sleeps next to my side of the bed. I know that he can smell the changes in hormones in me, and even if he doesn’t exactly know what they mean, he instinctively wants to protect me and be with me.

Content courtesy of StubbyDog, Our Pack, Inc. and Marthina McClay on Responsible Dog Ownership. By Marthina McClay, CPDT

Over the decades there have been myths told about many breeds including pit bulls. Below are some facts that dispel some of these myths.

Pit bulls feel pain just like any other dog. The people who fight dogs have promoted the idea that their dogs don’t feel pain to excuse their abusive and criminal actions. We must stop buying into to the insidious claims of criminals. All dogs are individuals and will respond differently to pain, but every dog feels pain.

Pit bulls are not predisposed to human aggression. Human aggression is not a breed trait attributed to American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers (also called “pit bulls”) by the UKC or the AKC. While human aggression does occur in all kinds of dogs, it should never be considered to be expected or acceptable behavior in these breeds. All cases of human aggression should be evaluated on an individual case by case basis and not judged by breed. Please consult a trainer for human aggression in any dog of any kind.

Pit bulls have varying degrees of dog-dog tolerance. Dog directed aggression and human directed aggression are entirely unrelated. They are completely separate behaviors and do not cross over. As all dogs are individuals, some dogs may always be social with other dogs throughout their lives while others will have minor to severe levels of dog-to-dog issues, even if they have been well socialized. Those that show leash reactivity can be trained to be calm around other dogs while on leash. Each individual dog should be evaluated based on his own level of reactions to dogs and not because he’s this breed or that. Over-the-top or extreme dog-to-dog aggression is not expected or acceptable in pit bulls.

Pit bulls with scars were not necessarily used for dog fighting. Dogs get scars from all kinds of injuries, not just dog fighting. It is not helpful to speculate about how a dog received scars. Instead, spend time getting to know the dog to determine if previous experiences or injuries have affected the dog’s behavior or physical abilities. Scars do not predict behavior.

Pit bulls are just as likely to be good with children as any other kind of dog. American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers (also called “pit bulls”) are expected to be very safe around children. Well socialized dogs of all kinds do well around children generally. Supervision between dogs and children is always a must in any setting. Sometimes children may not know how to interact with dogs. It’s also key to teach children how to treat animals appropriately.

Pit bulls do not have locking jaws. All dogs are mammals and no mammals have locking jaws.

Pit bulls are not guard dogs. Pit bulls are not known or expected to be guard dogs. Better get a guard dog for your pit bull!

It is a shame that many times in our lives we let misperceptions define our views. And sadly, if we don’t do something to correct these misperceptions, many of these beautiful breeds are going to die. Be a responsible pet parents and show the public that it’s the deed that’s to blame, not the breed.

Content courtesy of Love on a Leash

Summer heat can be extremely dangerous. Many dogs die needlessly each year because of heat stroke and that’s something none of us wants to see. Allowing a dog to remain in a car with closed windows on a hot summer day is probably the most common cause of heat stroke. And leaving your windows down an inch or two will not prevent heat stroke from happening: your vehicle cannot remain cool in these temperatures.

What is heat stroke? It is a serious condition caused by an extremely high body temperature (rectal 105-110 F), which leads to nervous system abnormalities such as lethargy, weakness, collapse and coma. Further signs of heat stroke may include: intense rapid panting, wide eyes, excessive salivation and staggering.

High body temperature develops after increased activity with the ability to give off body heat seriously impaired. This is caused by high heat and humidity. In plain English, your dog cannot cool his own body down fast enough.

Normally dogs dissipate some body heat from their skin, but they do not sweat, like us humans and cannot cool off through their skin as effectively as we do. Panting allows evaporation of water from the respiratory tract and is an effective method of heat dissipation, but when these cooling mechanisms are overwhelmed due to high temperatures, hyperthermia and heat stroke usually set in… and they set in fast. Dogs have defective cooling systems that rely on their bodies releasing heat through panting and through their paws. Walking on the hot earth prevents any heat from being released from the paw pads.

All mammals can suffer from heat-related illnesses, all of which can be prevented by taking precautions. Canine hyperthermia is a significant threat during the summer. Help your dog stay cool and comfortable by learning how to protect him.

Here are some important tips to keep your dog safe and prevent heat stroke:

1. Keep your dogs in well ventilated areas
2. Provide exercise early in the morning or late in the evening (coolest times of day)
3. Exercise your dog gradually. Don’t overdo it. Don’t go for a long run on hot days with your dog. This is especially true if your dog is older, obese or has a heart or lung condition
4. If it is hot and your dog is panting hard stop what you are doing immediately. Allow him to cool down and stop panting before continuing
5. NEVER ever leave your dpg in a car for any reason at any time—ever! Not for two minutes and not for 20 minutes. There is no excuse. When hot outside, do not take your dog with you if you cannot remain in the car with him with the air conditioning running
6. Make sure your pet has plenty of fresh, cold water and keep it in the shade if they are outdoors
7. Try to keep pets indoors in a comfortable, cooler environment during extreme weather conditions
8. Limit sun exposure, especially during mid-day
9. Remember, if you are uncomfortable, your dog probably is, too
10. For sudden high temperature changes, allow your dog to acclimate before stepping out for activity of any length
11. Ensure puppies drink adequate amounts of liquids

This potential elevation in body temperature known as heat stroke stimulates your dog’s body to release substances that activate inflammation. When body temperature becomes greater than 105 degrees Fahrenheit, failure of vital organs and consequently death may occur.

The mortality rate for hyperthermic dogs treated immediately by a qualified veterinarian is only 50%, due to irreversible changes in blood chemistry.

In short, summer is hot, dogs are already hot, and there isn’t a whole lot of room (4-5 degrees) between your dog “doing fine” and “likely to die.” Protecting dogs from hyperthermia is mostly about prevention and common sense. Take the right precautions, and you and your companion can relax and enjoy the summer in comfort.

Stay cool!

For more, visit ASPCA’s Hot Weather Tips.

I reached out to Joe Dwyer, who co-authored Shelby’s Grace with his beloved rescued pit bull Shelby, and got to chat on the phone. What an awesome guy!

He’s a certified Dog Trainer and a passionate animal rights advocate, and while volunteering at the Bloomfield Animal Shelter, he met Shelby. Shelby was an abandoned pup, injured, chained to a gas station, and was left to die. Joe welcomed her to his family, which includes Spartacus (another rescue).

Shelby now goes with Joe to schools in the tri-state area, like at PS 14 in Queens as seen here and the Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, to help fight bullying. Just like how you profile a pit bull as a menacing breed, bullying is the same type of profiling. So Joe and Shelby work to advocate and fight against abuse, cruelty, stereotyping, profiling, discrimination and bullying against animals and humans. In doing so, they also get to educate people on what an amazing breed Pit Bulls really are.

Go to her beautiful photos & story