Pet Education Center Update!

8/23/07. We're almost done, but we need your help! Volunteers needed this Saturday, August 25th, to assist in the following: Putting up kennels, fencing, painting, and more! Future volunteer days will be announced soon. If you are interested in lending a helping hand this weekend, or on a future weekend, please email Mary at: boandshu@yahoo.com.

The ABP (A Better Place) Pet Education and Adoption Center is nearing completion and hopefully we will be hosting an open house soon! Hope to see current and past adopters there. We can house and train up to 12 dogs in the building, while they wait for a chance in a foster home. All our educational materials will be available on-site. Our mission is to educate, promote spaying and neutering of pets, and continue our rescue work to make our community “A Better Place”.

Our wish list:

• Veterinarian Formulated brand adult dog food
  (sold at the feed mill in Belleville)
• Stainless steel buckets for water (1/2 gallon or larger)
• Stackable storage bins
• Bookcases or shelving
• Donations to help us purchase supplies and last-minute items for our Pet Education and Adoption Center. Please click here to go to our Donations page.
  

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Renting with Your Pit Bull

Moving is one of the top reasons why people give up their Pit Bulls, the biggest problem owners have is finding Pit Bull friendly apartments or rental properties. See the helpful links below.

Moving and other common reasons why people give up their Pit Bulls (from Pit Bull Rescue Central’s website)
Great advice about moving with your Pit Bull, links to other sites with advice about renting with your dog, how to look for pet-friendly housing, talking to your landlord, etc.

Renting with Pit Bulls (from BadRap’s website)
Advice from fellow Pit Bull owners. This is a downloadable flier.

Finding Animal-Friendly Rental Housing (from HSUS website)
“With planning and a few compromises, you can find animal-friendly housing in virtually any area of the country. After all, isn’t your pet worth it?”

Do you know of a place that rents to Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans or other targeted breeds?

Please help us start a breed-friendly apartment list! Email breed-friendly rental info to Diana at: mipitcrew@yahoo.com. Please make sure to include the name, city, state and phone number of the rental property.

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“Knucklehead News”

One of our adopters has a talented English Springer Spaniel (Max), who is keeping a diary of his time in his new and forever home. Our adopter (Bruce, also known as “The Butler”) will be sending us excerpts from this diary for the benefit of all. Bruce hopes Max will allow him to continue being his cook, driver, and butler.

Meanwhile, his experiences, training tips and such, should be useful to all the rescued dogs who have found their forever homes and those still waiting for theirs. This info will, hopefully, be helpful and entertaining, for humans and dogs alike.

Max's diary entry: Meal Manners

“I don't beg at the table, bad form; however, while owner is preparing meals one can lie down in the kitchen, looking calm and bored. Owner thinks I am taking a nap (yeah, right!).

Always keep one eye open for loose food, or small hand-outs. Owners feel guilty when you look at them with wide open brown eyes and occasional tail wag. The best part is when your human sits somewhere other than the table! Follow along nicely, wagging tail, let human sit down. I sit down in a dignified manner looking directly at plate and owner; wag tail accordingly. This causes some kind of silly owner reaction, cause they tend to share things with you. Once the meal is over, take your human outside for fresh air and exercise, owners need that kind of stuff.

After dinner, this really gets good, allow owner to sit down on their part of your couch, climb on couch placing head in human's lap! This causes humans to scratch your ears and back (always refreshing, and feels great!) After a good scratch, give owner a break, and curl up in favorite spot. This really works! After several months of training, your human will know how to respond in the proper manner. I think this would work for alot of us four-legged wonders. Well, time to go chase some squirrels and sandbag my human for another biscuit. You could really get used to this in a hurry!”

The above entry may be used with Max's permission to train other owners. This advice applies to all breeds, however, larger dogs may need to have their owners purchase additional oversized furniture as necessary!

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New Southgate Vet Clinic Now Open

Dr. Singh, the veterinarian who takes care of our rescue dogs, has opened a new office in Southgate, MI. Angel Animal Hospital is located at 15250 Eureka Rd., just east of Toledo-Dix (between CVS and Blockbuster). Phone 734-281-6500. Make sure to mention Diana or Mary from A Better Place when you go. Coupon below!

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Thank you for helping us make the world A Better Place for animals by supporting our pet adoption and education programs!

Sincerely,
Mary and Diana
www.betterplacerescue.org