Buy your Giggle Dam tickets today!

As many of you know, our Giggle Dam fundraiser is just over a week away! It's a fun night of food, entertainment, and great company, all in support of a good cause.

The Giggle Dam is a great supporter and is hosting this event for the second year in a row. All they ask of us is to sell a minimum number of tickets, and unfortunately sales are a bit slower than expected. We need your help!

If you are thinking of going, please order your tickets today so we can make sure this night is as big and spectacular as it can be. Here are some options:

- Call the Giggle Dam box office 604-944-4453 where you can pay by credit card

- Email info@hugabull.com to reserve a ticket (please note that reservations are binding and you will be accountable for payment!).

- Use the HugABull Paypal account. Click here.

Do you want to support the event but aren't able to attend? Consider sponsoring a ticket so we can invite a special foster family, volunteer or supporter who otherwise wouldn't be able to participate.

Event details
October 4, 2009 (doors open at 4:30)
Giggle Dam Dinner Theatre
2616 Shaughnessy Street, Port Coquitlam, BC
Tickets are $48 (plus GST) with a portion going to HugABull

More info on our blog:
http://hugabull.blogspot.com/2009/09/get-ready-to-giggle-with-hugabull.html

We hope to see you there!

Emergency Foster - UPDATE!

We are pleased to report that, once again, the HugABull community came through for a dog in need. One of our members and her dog pack of three volunteered to provide JJ with a home while we searched for a longer-term arrangement. During this time she was rechristened as "Paige" and indulged in a serious case of puppy love with Seven, her baby Visla foster brother.

Paige will be moving to a foster-to-adopt family in the next week or two, and we have a great feeling about this match (although little Seven will be disappointed to see her go...). Thank you to everyone who helped spread the word, volunteered their time and homes, and ultimately saved this little girl's life.

Emergency foster home needed

A pocket sized pit bull needs your help!

We met JJ at a local shelter last weekend and knew she was born to be a HugABull dog. Unfortunately due to a shortage of foster homes we couldn’t take her right away, and with every day that went by JJ became more stressed. The shelter was squeezed for space, and told us that she had to go NOW or a difficult decision would have to be made.

Lauren, our foster care coordinator, couldn’t let anything happen to this stellar dog. She called Country Squire Kennels, who agreed to look after her at a reduced rate until we could find a foster home.This move will save JJ’s life, but it’s still not the best environment for her – this cuddly, kissy girl needs to be surrounded by a family and lots of love.

JJ is a tiny thing who weighs only about 40 pounds and barely reaches your knee. She is about 1.5 years old with an immensely sweet, outgoing personality. She will let you get away with anything as long as she’s getting some human attention! She loves to play but never forgets her manners: she will stop and sit nicely when you ask for her toy.

Her doggie social skills are hard to gauge due to kennel stress and a recent heat (she was just spayed) but she has no problem meeting other dogs, especially males. She may be somewhat selective with females but doesn’t have any reactivity in their presence. A cat-free home would be best as this girl does love to chase.

JJ needs a foster home as soon as possible so she can de-stress and blossom into the loving family dog she was meant to be. Please contact lauren@hugabull.com if you have room in your home for this girl (she doesn’t take up much space!) even if it’s only short-term.

Give a DAM with HugABull's 4th Annual Fundraiser

When: October 4, 2009 - doors open at 4:30
Where: Giggle Dam Dinner Theatre at 2616 Shaughnessy Street, Port Coquitlam, BC

Cost: Tickets are $48 (plus GST) with a portion going to HugABull

Please note that the ticket price includes:

-- a four course meal
-- pre-show entertainment
-- a mainstage theatre show
-- silent auction with all proceeds going to HugABull.

Buy your tickets in advance! Contact the Giggle Dam Box Office at 604-944-4453. To learn about the Giggle Dam, visit http://www.giggledam.com/

The event will also include a silent auction with some great items courtesy of our sponsors and supporters. Here's a sneak preview of what will be up for grabs:

- Dog & Hydrant photography session
- 2010 PNE & PLAYLAND Passes
- In The Raw gift basket
- Vancouver Canadians grandstand passes
- Urban Pets gift baskets
- 2 Nights Stay at the Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet
- 1 yearr subscription to Modern Dog Magazine
- Bow Wow Haus gift basket
- Makoa Custom Leather gift certificate
- West Coast Tails all inclusive doggy package
- Angelo's Salon & Spa package

Get your tickets before they are gone....call 604-944-4453 today!
Check out last year's event at 2008 Giggle Dam

BSL in Nanaimo - UPDATE

We have been in touch with Nanaimo City Council and they have reassured us that there are no plans to change BSL in Nanaimo or implement a breed ban.

It appears that discussions about breed bans have been fueled by a few vocal citizens and some recent op-ed letters in local newspapers. We remain concerned, especially given the mayor and councillor's public support of Ontario's breed ban, but fortunately Nanaimo's pit bulls remain safe for now.

We encourage you to support the Nanaimo Kennel Club's upcoming events in support of Responsible Dog Owner's Week. Nanaimo is already a city with stringent BSL, so we invite responsible pit bull owners to make themselves visible and be part of the responsible dog owner community!

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NANAIMO KENNEL CLUB Is pleased to present a public forum on “Putting a Muzzle on Dog BITE Incidents in your Community” and “Responsible Dog Ownership”

Speaker: Bill Bruce, Director of Animal Services and Bylaws, Calgary

DATE: Wednesday, September 23, 2009
LOCATION: Beban Park Auditorium
TIME: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
COST: No charge to attend

If you love dogs and have them in your life, you need to attend this forum to find out what may lie ahead....Find out why the most common "knee-jerk" actions, and traditional bylaws DO NOT work, and discover a role model that has a proven track record that DOES work. Learn about possible dog bylaw changes, bite and muzzling issues and much more. Learn about the dog bylaws implemented in Calgary by Mr. Bruce and why they are among the most successful in North America.

Responsible dog ownership and how it affects you and your life, how it impacts on your city, your home and most importantly your dogs. Mr. Bruce will be coming to Nanaimo to share his expertise and knowledge on this important subject with us. As part of the Canadian Kennel Club’s encouragement for Responsible Dog Ownership and RDOG walks being held all across Canada, the NKC invites you to attend this topical and worthwhile presentation.

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Responsible Dog Owner's Walk

Saturday, September 26

1:00 -3:00 pm

Port Place Mall , Nanaimo

The Pit Bull attack that wasn't?

It seems that now Pit Bulls don't actually have to do anything to make the news. The most recent media coverage is about a Pit Bull Attack that wasn't? This one has us scratching our heads.

Dog Attack Incomplete

According to news reports a man got out of his car in his driveway and was approached and barked at by two Pit Bulls. The man then got back into his car and dialed 911. Animal Control and the Police attended the scene and removed the dogs, but not before the news stations captured animal control officers petting the relaxed and happy dogs on the head, who both had HUGE bully grins slapped across their faces, not to mention the owner who showed up to apologize profusely.

While we at HugABull absolutely do not believe that dogs of any breed should be at large we also have to wonder why this story made the news and does this mean that we can now call 911 and have animal control show up every time our neighbours Labrador is seen wondering lose while barking at us? Of course not, that would be silly.

Lets get real... this must have been a very slow news day.

Pits in the Park - Sunday, September 13

Bring your polite, leashed dog for an afternoon of visiting, food and fun following the SPCA's Paws for a Cause walk. Two-legged friends and family are welcome (we recommend they be polite too, but we'll make an exception to the leash rules).

For dogs that prefer the company of people and would like to maintain their personal space around other dogs, green bandannas will be available. We want everyone to be included!

We hope to see you there...

If Bryant was a pit bull

By now many of you have already heard about Ontario's former Attorney General and his run in with the law. Michael Bryant was arrested for allegedly dragging a man to his death with his car.

We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of the victim, and we hope this gets people thinking about public safety and the importance of personal responsibility. We are all individually responsible for our actions, whether behind the wheel of a car or at the end of a leash.

We think this blog post on "If Michael Bryant was a pit bull" has some great food for thought: http://www.dogsincanada.com/blog/