::Serene's Spot::

Pit Bull Controversy

2008-10-17T15:38:00.007-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been a little busy.

Anyway, I wanted to share a story that happened this week, anyone who is a fan of pit bulls can appreciate this little tidbit. I love them. They are held in the worst light in news reports and I really wish this would change. Why doesn't the media blame the IRRESPONSIBLE people who teach/let them fight and not the breed.

I'm a veterinary technician. My practice participates in the NJ state spay/neuter program. Basically this program allows people who adopt an animal from a shelter to get their pet spayed/neutered for $20.

We have a client who has a pit bull rescue in the area. She brought in two 1-year-old females earlier this week to get spayed. She came in to pick them up from surgery the next day. On her way out she brought one dog at a time to the car. While she was putting the first dog in her car, myself and another technician were in the waiting room waiting for her to get the second dog.

The dog was jumping all over us, licking our faces, and rolling over for belly-scratches. Another client happened to be at the front desk picking up medication. She says, "Oh, she is so cute. What kind of dog is that?" We both replied, "A pit bull" at the same time. I couldn't believe how much her expression changed. But quickly she put her smile back on and said, "Oh, they have a bad rep."

The other tech and I both agreed and went on for a few minutes on how most of them are super-sweet and friendly. On her way out, she came up and (very tentatively) held out her hand for the dog to sniff. She licked her hand for a few seconds, the lady smiled and said, "Have a great day, guys." Then she was gone.

I know at first she was putting on an act about how they are great dogs with a bad rep. She was just trying to save face. But I think maybe, just maybe, she might have left that day with a slightly better attitude towards the breed. I hope she did.

They are great little dogs.

I found a great website today. There is a ton of info about pit bulls. Check them out. I especially like the Monster Myths page.

BAD RAP: Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls

Moonlight

2008-08-10T11:53:00.004-04:00

So, I LOVED this show. I had to be home on Friday night to watch this. I haven't felt the need to watch every episode of a network TV show since "X-Files". I was really annoyed to find out that it was canceled (and some stupid show "The Ex List" is taking its place). CBS actually had a great show (it won a Viewers' Choice Award) and they went and blew it.

I was thinking (along with a few other people) that maybe if people would complain to CBS they would bring it back - just like they did for that awful show Jericho. There is also a possibility that TNT or TBS might take it on and make new episodes. Follow the links and make it happen. Bring "Moonlight" back!

Save Moonlight on CBS

Moonlight Line

Save Our Honeybees!

2008-06-15T15:46:00.004-04:00

We all know bees pollinate flowers and fruit, but did you realize that bees are responsible for over one third of all the food we eat?

Due to something that scientists call Colony Collapse Disorder, bees are disappearing by the hundreds of thousands. They are leaving their hives and never returning. Nearly one third of the world's honeybees have vanished.

Farmers have to rent bees from bee farmers to pollinate crops that just a few years ago would have been pollinated by local bees. Please help the bees!

Take some time to educate yourself or donate money to the cause.

National Resource Defense Council : The Bees' Needs

Help the Honeybees

Burt's Bees

We are now experiencing technical difficulties...

2008-04-28T13:29:00.001-04:00

My computer is acting up (bad Mac!) and is now being fixed. I'll be posting again soon.

Earth Day - April 22, 2008

2008-04-16T15:36:00.001-04:00

As we all know, the earth is in some serious trouble. As Earth Day 2008 rolls around, I am taking this opportunity to strongly urge you to do all you can to improve the environment. It would be great if everyone did something drastic for change, but I know that's not always possible. There are small steps you can take in your daily routine.

I have become more conscientious about my impact on the environment, and have implemented some small changes in my home and routine to start making a difference. It's easy to start small, but start doing something!

I have changed all the light bulbs in my house to compact fluorescent, and I bought some reusable grocery bags for shopping. I am also super diligent about turning off lights - at home and at work. It's a start for me, and I plan on making some more changes soon.

We only get one planet. Let's make it better for us and our children. Here are some links to help get you started:

50 Easy Ways to go Green

Earth Day Network

EPA's Earth Day Site

WWF's Earth Day Site

The Nature Conservancy

TreeHugger

TerraPass

Electric Vehicles

2008-04-13T12:06:00.000-04:00

So, i just watched "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and if you haven't seen it, I recommend that you do.

The star of the movie is the Saturn EV1. It was made from 1996-2000 and was available only in California. A couple of other electric vehicles were also made: the Toyota Rav4, and the Ford Ranger.

I had absolutely no idea that Saturn made an electric car. I like to think that I am a somewhat intelligent person that knows what's going on in the world, but why didn't I know about this?

I had a discussion with some people at work, one of whom has a boyfriend that works for Saturn, and no one knew about it.

If they still had one available, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Anyway, the movie talks about the big conspiracy of why they abruptly took them out of the hands of the lessees, and quickly off the market.

Is it because of the oil companies, car companies, or the consumers? You decide.

I've definitely become more environmentally aware recently. We can all work together to make a difference.

Check out some of these green links:

Who Killed the Electric Car? - movie site

Who Killed the Electric Car? - Wikipedia

Plug-in America

We Can Solve It

Inspiration

2008-03-27T19:29:00.008-04:00

I'm a vet tech. I work in a pretty wealthy area, and most people don't refuse tests because of financial reasons. They are mostly just plain stupid, or ignorant, or they think that pets don't feel pain the way we do. "Oh, it's just a cat" or "Oh, he's just getting old."
I can't stand when people bring in cats and dogs that have been vomiting for 2 weeks, or haven't eaten in 6 days, or are wasting away to nothing (used to weigh 10 pounds, now is only 6 pounds). If you were vomiting for 2 weeks, you would probably take yourself to the doctor.
So, I posted this on my MySpace page, and it's sort of the reason why I thought about starting my own blog:

Why are some people so stupid when it comes to their pets?

Hey...It’s Saturday morning.

Wednesday night my dog ate the garbage out of the bathroom. He has vomited 30 times since then. There were Q-tips, some dental floss....OH and some RAZOR BLADES in there. I only found half of the razor blade......hmmmm....maybe the other half is IN THE DOG!!!

The dog didn't look so good. We had to do emergency surgery and get the RAZOR BLADES out of the dog that have been in there for 3 days!!!!! Did these people really think that the dog would pass the RAZOR BLADES without cutting up it’s esophagus, stomach, intestines??? I don’t get it.
And the best part is....the dog has eaten the bathroom garbage before. You would think they would buy a new garbage can with a lid!!!

Well, anyway....maybe spending 3000-4000 dollars on surgery and hospitalization will make them reconsider their choice of trash receptacles.

Welcome me to the world of blogging!

2008-03-26T18:50:00.005-04:00

So, this is my first post on my first blog. Yay! I'll be filling in all my info and changing stuff around soon. Until then you can check out my MySpace page. Thanks for stopping by!