HugABull Holiday Open House in Vancouver

Join us at Dizine Canine Training Centre on Sunday, November 14 for an afternoon of photos, shopping, and gearing up for the holiday season. The event will feature:

-- Pet portraits by Luv U Pets (www.luvupets.com) by donation to HugABull. Photo prints and holiday cards will be available for purchase featuring your pet’s image.

-- Vendors with holiday shopping offerings.

-- Launch of the 2011 HugABull calendar. Purchase your copy and view full-sized renditions of the stunning artwork featured in this year’s edition.

-- Donation drop off for Loki’s Christmas Wish 2010 (www.hugabull.com/LCW)

-- Bake sale and refreshments.

There’s something for everyone, human or canine. Leashed pets and attentive owners are welcome. Please contact kristen@hugabull.com with any questions or to inquire about renting a table.

Details

Sunday, November 14
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Dizine Canine Training Centre
1730 Vernon Drive, Vancouver

www.hugabull.com/events

Book Review: Love Like a Dog

There are a number of great pittie-themed books on our reading list this year and Anne Calcagno’s Love Like A Dog was one of them. So imagine our delight when she put a couple of copies in the mail for us to review! We appreciated the books, and we were flattered that from way across the border, she identified us as a reputable rescue she wanted to support.

Our review? A unequivocal two paws up! It’s clear it was written by a bullie breed owner as the writing entirely captures the essence of this breed – their extremely human-oriented nature, their athleticism, their tenacity.

Love Like A Dog is a story of a young boy, Dirk, who along with his single dad is adopted by Bull's Eye, a stray pittie who quickly becomes an integral part of the family. This leads to increased involvement in the bullie community and competitive dog sports – at first a positive experience that brings the family together, and Bulls Eye thrives.

Soon, though, Dirk’s father becomes exposed to the darker elements of the pit bull world, and greed takes over. This leaves the teenaged Dirk to risk losing the only family he knows, in the name of his best friend and the breed he has come to love.

The story weaves together many dimensions of the pit bull experience: the joy of a pit bull as a family companion, the reputable breeders and sports enthusiasts that show the positive potential of this breed, the rescue community, and the widespread abuse they endure at the hands of fighters and irresponsible owners. It's a wide range of perspectives, but Calcagno brings them to life with relatable and vibrant characters (human and canine).

I found myself staying up late to finish chapters, eager to learn what happens with Bulls Eye and his kin. There’s sadness in this story, but there is hope and there are a lot of great moments that will make a pit bull owner smile in recognition.

Want to read for yourself? We have a copy of the book to give away! Visit our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hugabull) and post a comment telling us about your favourite book, movie or TV show featuring a bullie breed. You’ll be entered into a draw to win your own copy of Love Like A Dog.

To purchase a copy or to learn more about the book and what it has inspired, visit http://lovelikeadog.net/

Review by April Fahr

Is your family DOGSAFE?

Many of us have taken a first aid or CPR course, but how much of that knowledge would translate to animal care? Would you know what to do if you saw a dog hit by a car? How to best measure circulation and breathing? How to tell if a limp requires a day of rest or an immediate trip to the vet’s office?

DOGSAFE Canine First Aid training programs equip you with this information and more. Founder Michelle Sevigny is committed to improving the safety of all dogs in our community, and as she writes on her website, “Prevention of injury is the key, however, accidents do happen. What you do between when an injury happens and when veterinary care is available will greatly affect a dog's chances of a full recovery.”

Michelle has always been a strong supporter of dog rescue (her demo dog Monty is one) and HugABull in particular, and this summer she offered to sponsor a full day Canine First Aid Level 1 course for HugABull directors and senior volunteers. Considering the dozens of dogs we work with each year, this was a fantastic opportunity to hone our handling skills and better serve our dogs, foster homes, and adopters.

The session was a full-day, hands-on course, focused on assessing and stabilizing injured dogs. As with human first aid, the priority is to evaluate airway, breathing and circulation – and DOGSAFE allows you to learn by doing, using a specially designed canine mannequin.

DOGSAFE also covers common canine emergencies – poison, skunks spray, bloat, vomiting, and broken bones to name a few – giving you the tools to take quick and appropriate action should they occur.

Even the most experienced dog handlers amongst us walked away more confident and knowledgeable, eager to recommend the course to any dog lover. DOGSAFE equips you in case of any canine emergency – whether in your home with your own dog, or out in your neighbourhood.

Courses are offered every 3-4 weeks in the Lower Mainland, as well as in Nanaimo and Victoria. Visit www.dogsafe.ca for course information, and to check out the many resources there, including emergency contact lists every dog owner should have handy!

Floyd is a lucky boy.

WOW.

We asked for help with Floyd's medical bills, and we could not have been more inspired by your response. We have received 26 donations to date, ranging from $10 to $300!

This has been phenomenal, not only by helping us through a precarious financial period, but by reminding us how very much you care. Your supportive words, and the time and thought behind every donation is so much appreciated by all of us who work on the front lines.

We are pretty sure Floyd knows how lucky he is, because he is a thoroughly happy boy completely in love with his new life. He has settled into foster care and has wonderful house manners (even around the grouchy cat who won't play with him). His health status overall is good, although he's fighting a nasal infection as a result of the untreated trauma to his face.

Thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, to all of Floyd's guardian angels, listed here alphabetically:

Sam, Arlo and Draiman Andress
Candice Archer
Lyn Bittner
Kaile Biglow
Jessica Coulter-Brown
Jennifer Cully
Gini Davenport
Dave Davies
Karen Grange-Buie
Amy Hazlett
Tamarack Hockin
Sara Lima (on behalf of Paco Collars)
Sheri Luzzi
Kieran McConnell and Jessica Main
Jan McDonagh (in memory of Rascal)
Monica, Tom and Tiger
Nicole McTague
Kim Peacock
Elise Redmond
Kim Rose
Southpoint Hospital
Jessica Schlegel
Kym Spencer
Stephen Sutherland
Signy Thorleifson
Veselka Wilson-Nanka
Shantala Wilson

New!
Dayle Francis
Jonathan Phaneuf
Andrew Scaglione


And for those of you on the island, Kim Rose is organizing a pet portrait fundraiser in Courtenay on Saturday, October 23. Bring your pet to the Van Isle Pet Hospital for a portrait session by donation, with proceeds directed to HugABull. More details on facebook and on Kim's website.

Please note that we don't have a final total on Floyd's medical expenses, but if donations surpass our bills, you can rest assured that 100% of these funds will be directed to medical care of other dogs in need.

Until our next update, a little glimpse into Floyd's idea of "bed rest"!