ANIMAL CONNECTION

Archive for the ‘Working Animals’ Category

Do you care about animals?  Would you like to find a new job, or need a job? Listening to the news I would think the economy is coming back, but not when I talk with a lot of people around the country.  Making a living still seems to be a challenge for most.  Many people are very unhappy doing the work they are doing everyday.  They have passions and desires that are not being fulfilled.  Others are out of work and say they want to find “anything” because they need the income.

This is the perfect time to evaluate what is really important to you, what your passions are AND help animals at the same time.

If you are out of work, or would like to do something else, this is the best time to open the doors for the kind of work YOU want to do.  Do you know what you’re really passionate about?  Most people have no idea.  Don’t think in terms of income but what kinds of things get you really excited and leave you happy and fulfilled when you are finished. It could be ANYTHING:

1. Walking in the woods

2.  Doing crossword puzzles

3. Meeting new people

4. Caring for animals

5. Gardening

6. Talking on the phone

7. Reading

8. Traveling…..the list goes on and on

Recently I’ve had a number of friends ask me to help them figure out what they should do, they are not happy doing what they are doing, or they got laid off and fear they won’t find a job in their industry.

If you know what you’re passionate about, you can use that passion to help animals and open doors for your next career.  Yes, CAREER, not job. The animal organizations, and charities, around the country need help now, more than ever before.  Funding has dried up so they can’t hire the people they need.  They also can’t afford to buy the food and supplies needed to care for the animals.  Everyday I get requests from these organizations for volunteers and donations.

Right now you are asking yourself, “How can helping an organization help me”?  It can, in MANY ways. You meet new people who might open the door to your next position.  You also get to do the things you are passionate about.  It’s a great way to find out if it’s something you want to do for a living.  If so, you can put the experience on your resume.  Most people have only worked in the field they have been trained in, but that is not what they love doing.                                                                                                    

Here are some ideas for you to think about:

1. Walking and caring for animals at a shelter (if you like being outside)

2. Help the staff with ideas about how to raise money and supplies (doing crossword puzzles)

3. Feeding baby animals or holding ones that are afraid (caring for animals)

4. Cleaning up and landscaping the facility (gardening)

5. Making calls for supplies, donations, volunteers, etc.  (talking on the phone)

6. Research and help find new ideas that can benefit the organization (reading)

7. Animals and supplies need to be transported to other locations (traveling)

These are only a few ideas.  I could go on for quite sometime.  There are also a lot of animals that need to be fostered until a permanent home can be found.  They can be cats, dogs, ferrets, iguanas, pigs, etc.

What kinds of animals do you like?

1. Tigers

2. Dogs

3. Cats

4. Birds

5. Horses

6. Monkeys

7. Deer

8. Pigs

There are organizations caring for any kind of animal you can think of, all over the country.  All of them need help. You can Google the kind of animal you want to help with “rescue” or “shelter”, then your area.  (Ex: ferret shelter Florida)  You will most likely find something in your area.  If not, call or email the ones that pop up.  The animal community is very small and we all help each other the best we can.

I hope that this post will inspire people to find their true passion, and use their passion in a way that will fulfill them personally and help animals that have a lot of needs.  At the very least, you will open doors by meeting other people who might know a company that needs a position filled with someone who has your qualifications.

Would you and your family like to really get away this summer?  How about becoming one with nature again, if you could sleep in a comfortable bed and take a nice hot shower?  There is a place like that in the North Carolina Mountains.  It is called Clear Creek Ranch. Nestled in a quiet valley in the Great Smoky Mountains at an elevation of 3,200 feet, Clear Creek Dude Ranch is surrounded by the beautiful Pisgah National Forest.  They welcome guests from April to Thanksgiving.  Some of the activities you will enjoy are horseback riding, camp fires, golf, fishing, hiking, swimming and many more.

It is owned by some wonderful friends of mine, Rex and Aileen Frederick. Rex was a great basketball star at Auburn University.  He became only the 3rd Auburn Tiger to have his jersey (#32) retired.  Rex is in the Auburn Hall of Fame.

Rex and his wife, Aileen, have always had a passion for animals, especially horses.  They decided to buy a dude ranch. It has been a wonderful experience for them but it is time for them to move on.  They are at that age where they want to travel and enjoy other things life has to offer.

They have been running this ranch 24/7 for many years.  It is not as easy, and glamorous, as you might think. Can you imagine having to get up at the crack of dawn to meet your guests as they arrive for breakfast every morning?  Then organize the activities, make sure everyone is having fun, oversee the business of the ranch, etc. At the end of the night making sure you are still awake to tell your guests, having a nightcap in the Cantina, good night before turning in?  Talk about a long day, everyday.  They have wonderful staff that come back year after year because of the way they are treated.  Even in the winter, when it is closed to the public, they need to care for all of the horses and other animals, as well as continue to run the ranch.

I hope you will visit Rex and Aileen before they sell this beautiful ranch.  If you go, tell them I said hi.  If you, or someone you know, has interest in buying this ranch, please let me know.   I’m selling the ranch for them.

Please enjoy this video of the ranch.

I got this from one of my animal supporters:

Please take a moment on this memorial Day to honor all of those dogs, horses and all of the other animals who have passed on in combat while saving lives and all of those who were casualties of war.

“America’s war dogs prevented over 10,000 casualties in Vietnam alone and brav…ely served our country in Operation Desert Storm as well as WWII. Yet, many of these K9 soldiers were declared “surplus armaments” and were unceremoniously euthanized or left to unknown fates in Vietnam.

America’s war dogs were trained to recognize booby traps, mine tunnels and weapons caches. They were trained for parachute landings. They warned troops about ambushes. They saved lives by dragging wounded soldiers to safety. These K9 heroes lived, bonded and fought side-by-side with our veterans.”
Taken from War-Zone dogs.

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe memorial Day Weekend.

Your typical dog may not be so typical.  There are a number of dogs that have been flown to Haiti to help in the search and rescue of missing people.  These dogs are the last chance for most of these people.  This is a serious situation but to the dog, it’s a game, like hide and seek.  If they find the hidden treasure they get a prize.

I’ve been luck enough to see a number of dogs get adopted from shelters and rescues specifically for the purpose of using them in situations like this.  They have a certain personality and quality that is noticed.  Once they are adopted, then trained, they go to work and are very happy animals.   See, you never know what you will find at your local animal shelter or rescue.

Here is a video clip on some of these dogs.

There are ways you can help the people of Haiti.  Please review the list below.

The U.S. State Department says Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti should call 1-888-407-4747 or or 202-647-5225.

Due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording. “Our embassy is still in the early stages of contacting American citizens through our Warden Network,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement. “Communications are very difficult within Haiti at this time.”

The FBI is cautioning Americans who want to donate to Haiti relief funds to be careful. If past tragedies are any indication, not all of them are legitimate.

Text Donations
To make an automatic $10 donation to the Red Cross, text “HAITI” to 90999; the money will be charged directly to your cell phone bill.

To donate $5 via your cellphone to Wyclef Jean’s grassroots organization: text “Yele” to 501501.

What’s Needed
Experts say whatever you do, don’t donate anything but money. Under no circumstances should you mail care packages, toys, food or clothes. Read more on this from GlobalPost.

Special Report: Haiti Earthquake

Charitable organizations that offer aid to Haiti:
• American Red Cross: Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation’s premier emergency response organization.

• Habitat for Humanity: A nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry.

• Salvation Army: an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

• Action Against Hunger: Named for the original member of the International Network, Action contre la Faim, or ACF, the ACF International Network shares an overall vision of a world without hunger, collaborating closely and sharing human resources, logistics, and technical capacity.

• AmeriCares: a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs – and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs – for all people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion.

• American Jewish World Service: American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community.

• Beyond Borders: Beyond Borders is a registered tax-exempt (501c3) non-profit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible. We are certified by the state of Pennsylvania as a charitable organization.

• CARE: CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.

• Catholic Relief Services: Help CRS rush humanitarian relief to survivors within hours of man-made and natural disasters around the world.

• ConcernUSA.org: a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

• Childcare Worldwide: At Childcare Worldwide, our unique programs not only help feed hungry children and their families, they also help children receive an education that leads to employment. Our goal is to help children survive and succeed.

• Direct Relief International: Since 1948, Direct Relief International has worked to help people who confront enormous hardship to improve the quality of their lives.

• Doctors Without Borders: Doctors Without Borders provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters.

• Episcopal Relief & Development : In the aftermath of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing critical emergency funds to Haiti.

• Food for the Poor: Food For The Poor ministers to spiritually renew impoverished people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Food For The Poor raises funds and provides direct relief assistance to the poor, usually by purchasing specifically requested materials and distributing them through the churches and charity organizations already operating in areas of need.

• Feed My Starving Children: Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s starving children hungry in body and spirit.

• Friends of WFP : Friends of WFP is a U.S.-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that focuses on building support in the United States for the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and other hunger relief operations.

• Haitian Health Foundation: The Haitian Health Foundation provides health care, development, relief, and the hope of a future to more than 225,000 of the poorest people in over 100 rural mountain villages in southwestern Haiti.

• Hope for Haiti: Hope for Haiti has held the vision from the very beginning that the people of Haiti are the ones who take control of their future and we are here to lend a needed hand along the difficult path.

• International Medical Corps: International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

• International Relief Teams: International Relief Teams is a nonprofit, international relief organization dedicated to organizing volunteer teams to provide medical and non-medical assistance to the victims of disaster and profound poverty worldwide.

• The Jewish Federations of North America : The Jewish Federations of North America represents 157 Jewish Federations and 400 Network communities, which raise and distribute more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services and educational needs.

• Lutheran World Relief : Lutheran World Relief is responding to the affected communities through its partners on the ground in Haiti. LWR anticipates a large response. Every dollar donated to this life-saving effort is critical to providing the necessary emergency support to the people of Haiti.

• Medical Teams International: Since 1979, Medical Teams International has shipped more than $1.3 billion in antibiotics, surgical kits and
lifesaving medicines to care for 35 million people in 100 countries around the world. More than 2000 volunteers meet the needs of people worldwide each year.

• Meds and Food for Kids: Meds & Food for Kids is dedicated to saving the lives of Haiti’s malnourished children and other nutritionally vulnerable people.

• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a team of 3,700 professionals helping turn crisis into opportunity for millions around the world. By trade, we are engineers, financial analysts, drivers, community organizers, project managers, public health experts, administrators, social entrepreneurs and logisticians. In spirit, we are activists, optimists, innovators and proud partners of the people we serve.

• Operation Blessing International: Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) humanitarian organization based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.

• Oxfam: Oxfam International is a confederation of 14 like-minded organizations working together and with partners and allies around the world to bring about lasting change.

• Operation USA: Operation USA helps communities alleviate the effects of disasters, disease and endemic poverty throughout the world by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction and development aid.

• Partners in Health: Our mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care.

• Samaritan’s Purse: Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world.

• Save the Children: Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world.

• UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) : Humanitarian fund established by the United Nations to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to areas affected by natural disasters. CERF will assure that the funds for the relief effort in Haiti will go where they are most needed in the network of international aid organizations.

• UNICEF: UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

• World Concern: World Concern works in 24 of the poorest countries on Earth, giving hope and opportunities to vulnerable people in great need.

• World Vision: World Vision helps transform the lives of the world’s poorest children and families in nearly 100 countries, including the United States. Our non-profit work extends assistance to all people, regardless of their religious beliefs, gender, race, or ethnic background.

• Yele Haiti: Yéle Haiti is a Wyclef Jean’s grassroots movement that builds global awareness for Haiti while helping to transform the country through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment.

The Asian elephant is an endangered species.  I have always heard that they are very sensitive, loving and emotional animals.  When babies are separated from their moms they become extremely depressed.  I have always been told they have feelings that match the feelings that humans have.  My friend, Hanna,  is in Asia doing a documentary about them called “Elephant Nature Park“.

One elephant she told me about is Menaka.  She was rescued by the Forest Department.  Menaka was emaciated and had a bad case of gangrene when she was picked up.  She could no longer dance or even stand on her feet.  She had been housed in appalling conditions in a garage in a Gayatri Temple in Yeshwantpur.  The only water was she had access to was from a small spicket.  The 17 year old elephant had been exploited. She is in such bad shape it is assumed she will not make it.  She receives medical services at Bannerghatta, Biological Park, and animal shelter.  Unfortunately, there are 9 other elephants that are being treated as well.  They were all rescued from Temples in the area.  It is so costly to care for these animals (RS 15 K a month for food alone) that they can only stabilize the animals before sending them on.

Menaka had been born with 22 other elephants in an elephant camp.  At 3 years old she got separated from the herd and was sold to Gayatri Temple, where she has been earning revenue for the temple.  She was made to walk on tarred roads in the scorching sun damaging her health and psyche.  The captive elephants suffer from untrained and unaffectionate mahouts and lack of water resources, which is essential for bathing.  The animal can turn violent if it is subjected to unlivable living conditions.

Lek, which means “little” in Thai, is a very special lady.  The name might mean little but she has a lot of courage!  She is now touring and filming a documentary, Elephant Nature Park”.  The Indian elephant is the symbol of the Asiatic elephant.  There is an urgent need to protect the wild elephant, as well as the ones suffering in human captivity.  Lek was successful in creating an artificial forest close to a village for rescued elephants.  Today 33 elephants live a hassle-free life on the 50 acres.  The Maytag River cuts across so the elephants have a lot of water.  Currently elephants have no support from the Government in Bangkok.   Lek says there are ways to help end the conflict between humans and animals.

Currently, elephants that are captured are brought to submission so the can do hard physical work, paint for the public, give rides, etc.  Many don’t survive the process of “breaking” them.  If they do it can be a very hard life.  Elephants bring in a lot of revenue for the Asian people.

I will be posting more information once I get updates from Hanna.  Here is a link to a photo gallery.

Here is a statement Hanna sent to me:

“When you meet one in life and look into their eyes, it is so painful to think of how they are treated. They are such intelligent animals with compassion (they do weep!) and incredible memories. At Lek’s sanctuary- all of them come from a morbid past, and  though they have suffered for years at the hands of humans, they can forgive and are extremely gentle with all people who surround them. Probably because they can feel the love and a safe environment. It’s the closest to paradise they’ll get!”

Here are some facts about Asian elephants:

1. Giant herbivores, Asian elephants can tear down huge tree limbs or pick up small objects with their muscular trunks.

2. Physical Description: Asian elephants are huge gray animals inhabiting Asian tropical forests. Their gray coloration conceals them in their shady habitat. Elephants’ trunks, unique among living mammals, are versatile, enabling them to reach the ground, manipulate tiny objects or tear down huge tree limbs, squirt water over their backs or into their mouths, or blow dirt onto their backs during dust baths. Female Asian elephants usually lack visible tusks as do males in some populations, such as those in northeast India. Wide, padded feet enable them to walk quietly. Large, flappable ears help these huge animals cool off, although elephants often must retreat to the shade or water during the hottest part of the day.

3. Size: Asian elephants grow up to 21 feet long, stand up to 10 feet tall, and weigh up to 11,000 pounds. Females reach around eight and a half feet tall and weigh less than males. Despite their size, elephants are able to walk silently.

4. Geographic Distribution: Asian elephants live in large blocks of forest near water sources and grasslands, habitat that has been greatly reduced in the last half century. They inhabit India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and southern China.

5. Status: The Asian elephant is listed as endangered on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Animals.

6. Habitat: Asian elephants inhabit a variety of tropical forest habitats from moist, evergreen lowland forest to dry semi-deciduous teak forests to cooler mountain forests up to 10,000 feet. They also frequent adjacent grasslands and farm areas. Their varied diet enables them to live in disturbed forests as long as they have plenty of space to move around and exploit different foods without coming into conflict with people.

7. Natural Diet: A dexterous trunk and large, rasping molars allow Asian elephants to gather and process a wide variety of vegetation, including grasses and herbs, leaves, fruit, farm crops, and bark.

8. Reproduction: Older and larger males—especially those in musth (condition of heightened testosterone levels) dominate the breeding, winning the acceptance of females in heat. Gestation takes 20 to 22 months, and usually only one calf is born. Female Asian elephants can usually breed by age 14 and usually give birth to one young every four years.

9. Life Span: In the wild, Asian elephants may live up to about 60 years but most do not live that long.

10. Behavior: Female and young male Asian elephants live in cohesive herds of related adults and their offspring. The matriarch, usually the oldest and largest female, sets the pace of the group’s activities. Herds often join with others to form large groups called clans. Males leave herds at puberty, around their 13th year, and travel alone or in bachelor groups. Elephants wander widely in search of food. Movements vary widely depending upon food availability. Asian elephants communicate via rumbles, growls, bellows, and moans. Some of these varied, low-frequency sounds may travel a mile or more.

Past/Present/Future: Asian elephants once ranged from Iraq east through Asia south of the Himalayas, into southern China and possibly south to Java. However, centuries of hunting and habitat destruction caused dramatic declines. Males are still killed for their tusks, although this happens less often today thanks to a global ivory ban, in place since 1989. Today, Asian elephants thrive mostly in large remote reserves as well as in and among human habitation. Where elephants and people inhabit the same area, conflicts often occur.

Elephants can cause great damage to crops, and they occasionally kill people. Males in musth are responsible for the majority of attacks. Elephants play important roles in the cultures and religions of countries in most of their range, which inspires support for habitat protection measures, continued studies about elephants and their conservation needs, and efforts to mitigate conflicts between elephants and people.

Information found here.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I have a friend who sent me a video of a new born kitten she found.  It was barely alive and was covered with fleas, ticks and hungry.  She brought it home and nursed it back to health.  She will be taking it to the veterinarian this week.  My friend owns a Pit Bull.  When the kitten and the Pit Bull met they clicked.  She took some footage of the interaction.  Keep in mind that her dog is NOT nursing but was willing to allow this kitten to enjoy what she had to offer anyway.  My friend also has a young daughter.  The child and dog get along very well together

Please Enjoy This Video

This is an example of how loving the Pit Bull really is.  I decided to do a piece on this breed.  I have found that a lot of people have no idea about this dog.  If you say, “Pit Bull” most people become fearful and think of fighting and danger.  Until the Mike Vick incident, a lot of people never realized how common fighting rings are in communities across the U.S.  I assume it is the same in other countries.

Here are the names of people you might know, who have all owned Pit Bulls:

Jessica Alba,  Fred Astaire,  Jessica Biel,  Mel Brooks,  Adam Brody,  Linda Blair,  Humphrey Bogart,  Jack Dempsy,  Thomas Edison,  Kevin Federline,  Jamie Foxx,  Michael J. Fox,  Ken Howard,  Jesse James (West Coast Choppers),  Helen Keller,  Ann Bancroft,  Pink,  Madonna,  Bernadette Peters,  George Patton,  Brad Pitt,  Joey Porter,  Rachael Ray,  Theodore Roosevelt,  Jon Stewart,  Alicia Silverstone,  Sinbad,  Usher, Jan Michael Vincent.

What Is A Pit Bull?

The purebred American Pit Bull is America’s greatest working dog.  They have their roots in “Olde England”, where butchers specifically bred “gripping dogs” for use in controlling bulls and cattle. No other breed had (or has) the courage and determination to stick to the dangerous task of controlling a mad bull. The dog’s desire to complete the task of holding the bull often saved his master and other humans. In the middle ages, there were no guns or easy means to control a bull.  These dogs were highly prized and carefully bred heroes.

These bull dogs (not to be confused with the modern AKC show version “bulldog”) were used in exhibition contests against bulls called bull baiting. When bull baiting was outlawed in the 1800’s, bulldogs were contested against each other, seeing which dog had the determination and drive to keep at the task in the face of pain, fatigue and even death. Because two handlers and a referee were in the pit with the dogs, the breed was selected for amazing stability; a calm, friendly manner with people….even under extreme pressure. Dogs which lashed out at humans, even strangers, while fighting or in pain were not tolerated.

The pit bull’s athletic build and legendary determination to get the job done makes him a perfect candidate for detection work. Nothing deters him, heat, cold, fatigue, etc.  If drugs or explosives are there, the Pit Bull will find them. It’s in his nature.

Today’s American Pit Bull

The American Pit Bull has a strong pleasure to please. They have more human emotional response than any other breed that exists today.  By no means are these dogs people-haters or people-eaters. Their natural aggressive tendencies are toward other dogs and animals, not people.  If they are trained properly they are not aggressive with other dogs or animals either.

The pit bull enjoyed wide popularity during the period of 1840 – 1950 as a family pet and farm dog. At the turn of the last century, the pit bull was one of the most popular of dogs.  Pete the Pup on the Little Rascals Our Gang comedies was a purebred, registered American pit bull.

The Pit Bull is a good-natured, amusing, extremely loyal and affectionate family pet, which is good with children and adults. Almost always obedient, it is always eager to please its master. It is an extremely courageous and intelligent guard dog that is very full of vitality. Highly protective of his owners and the owner’s property, it will fight an enemy to the death. It is usually very friendly, but has an uncanny ability to know when it needs to protect and when everything is okay. They are generally okay with other pets if they are raised with them from puppy hood.  They are not good match with every owner.  They need to know who is boss in the house.  If someone is meek and lets the dog take over, and doesn’t know how to discipline properly, the dog will think it’s the owner.

The Pit Bull has been exploited by back yard breeders, criminals, dog fighters and others who abuse the breed’s amazing strengths for their own selfish gain. The press encourages fear and hysteria because fear sells.  In addition to the Mick Vick incident, whenever someone is hurt by a strong, broad, short haired dog it is reported that the breed was a Pit Bull.  In reality, the dogs might be another breed that looks very similar to a Pit Bull because of their build.

Professional dog trainers, and those who know the breed, understand that the properly bred and raised Pit Bull is one of the sweetest dogs with people.  Although, most Pit Bulls will not back down from a challenge from another dog.

Pit Bulls don’t see strangers as a threat or “the enemy”. Each person is a “new best friend”! This makes them ideal for those situations where a non-threatening dog is required.

Why We Use Pit Bulls

With Homeland Security concerns elevated, the need for explosives and narcotics detection dogs for law enforcement is increasing. There are programs that connect cops with outstanding working dogs – many of whom might otherwise be euthanized for lack of a home.

Because they are a “fad breed” right now, there are literally thousands of pit bulls being euthanized in American shelters every week. There simply aren’t enough homes, and breeders keep breeding to make money. Many of the Pt Bulls are being used adopted from shelters and used as working dogs with police and military.

Taxpayers should know about these issues. Find out if police departments in your area utilize free, or low cost, animals before they spend several thousand on an untrained “green” dog from Europe or a dog vendor.  There is a myth that there is a shortage of good detection dogs in America. This is simply not true. It is time people became aware of this breed and others in this country.  We should learn more about our own, American, working breed and use them accordingly.