Tamira Ci Thayne, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, recounts her recent experience rescuing a starving/dying/chained dog named Doogie, and the "sentence" she received by a judge for taking the dog to a vet.
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She Pulled Weeds for Doogie After being informed by my parole officer (it's not often you get to say that!) that if I didn't start my community service by August 22nd, I'd be back in front of the judge, I reluctantly went to see the man who is the highest paid man in the WORLD. No shit! He spent about a 1/2 hour with me, took my basic info, and gave me two choices of places to work near me...the Bellwood-Antis Library, and St. Vincent de Paul. Since the library is closer, I chose it (after all, I DO love books), and he sent me on my way with a stack of timesheets and contact info for Hazel Bilka, head libarian. I was to call Hazel within a week and set up a schedule. So yesterday, August 20, 2008 I started my community service, working 5 hours at Bellwood-Antis Library, and then going in today for another 5 hours, just to sorta start myself off with a bang. First I sorted all the book catalogs and threw out the old ones, For Doogie. Next I carried books to the basement and stacked them up, For Doogie. Then, I got to pull weeds and deadhead flowers, For Doogie Today, (even better!), I was lucky enough to clean bookshelves, For Doogie. Having accomplished all these tasks, I'm now 1/30th of the way to completion of my community service hours. For comparison's sake, let's look at some recent 'punishments' of those convicted of HARMING animals, rather than helping them: Domaneek Bradley, Baltimore MD, got 16 hours community service for starving his rottie to a weight of 42 lbs. John Blank was convicted of 8 animal cruelty charges for 23 puppymill dogs in horrible conditions in PA. He received 2 years probation, with apparently NO community service. Ashley DeCent Nebraska, starved 2 dogs, merely paid a fine and surrendered ownership of the barely-alive dogs. Terry Moore shot a neighbor's dog in North Carolina, and got a whopping 24 hours community service (So I could have walked up and SHOT Doogie and only gotten 24 hours...instead of 300 for taking him to the vet's!) (I could have left Doogie and his neighbor white dog without food and water for weeks and just paid a little fine?) (I wouldn't even have had to start community service if I'd taken Doogie and 22 of his friends and put them in cages and abused them for years.) (Heck, I'd be almost done if I'd STARVED Doogie instead of helping him.) Amazing. As I sat pulling weeds, something I don't even do at my own house, I was struck by how we animal advocates are much like the poor weeds I 'got rid of'. Is there really any difference between what is deemed 'the flower' and what is deemed 'the weed'? Who makes that decision? Any human who goes against the ingrained social order is plucked out like a weed, ostracized, punished, and humiliated. Here in backwoods Pennsylvania, like many other locations across the country, anyone who stands against the good-old-boy network of animal abusers, wife abusers, and child abusers will be treated as scum, compared to the 'worst hardened criminals', and put soundly 'in their place'. I really don't know how they manage it, or how any of these people sleep at night. In fact, that's something I wonder every single day of my life.How DO those who abuse and condone abuse of anyone...animals, women, children, truly THINK they are doing the right thing, and how do they sleep at night knowing deep inside what horrible injustices they are perpetrating against society? I hated pulling the weeds yesterday, not because it could be construed as 'menial labor', but because I was forced to take out plants who were 'different' than the rest, just doing their best in a world that was hostile to them and their goals. I spoke of Doogie to a plenary session full of animal advocates Friday night, and was gifted with a standing ovation. I was so touched by the support that I sat in my chair and cried, overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. Two different waiters where I live have paid for my meals out of their own salary, because 'they know who I am, and they know what I did for that dog'. You know these angels aren't making $3000 an hour. My daughter told me 'I'm her hero for the animals', and two little girls in her class came up to me and thanked me for 'helping that dog.'There are those out there who see it. Those who do not deny the suffering, those who stand with me in theory. I need to ask you all to stand with me now in practice. Stop the abuse, stop the abusers, and build a new world where EVERY dog lives inside as part of a living home and family. Help us build our Rehab Center, where chained dogs can come to be healed, loved, and renewed. Most of all, learn to love yourself and those around you, even those you struggle not to hate. If only in theory. We have to stop this cycle of abuse, and hating the abusers will only draw more hatred to us and the dogs we love so much. They aren't worth it, but you are worth everything, and so are the souls we protect. I pulled weeds for Doogie. He was worth it. |
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Hurricane season starts today and it promises to be an active one. Here are some things you need to do now to prepare:
1. Photograph everything you own. Open drawers, closets, storage containers, you name it and take pictures. Make sure to include all furniture, electronics, appliances etc. On the back of each picture write the approximate cost of the major items and when purchased. It will save you hours and hours and hours of time should you have a claim, trying to recreate what you own and what it cost.
2. Have at least two sets of photographs. Keep at home sealed in triple zip lock bags in the fridge. The fridge is waterproof and pretty much fire proof. Or put them in a fireproof safe. The second set should be in the safe deposit box at the bank.
3. Have duplicate copies of all important papers such as insurance policies, bank account information, wills, deeds, birth certificates, marriage certificates, whatever you have that you may either need immediate information from or would take weeks to replace through government agencies. One copy of each goes in the fridge or fireproof safe.
4. Should you have to evacuate take one copy of photographs and documents with you and lock the other copy in the dishwasher! Yes the diswasher. Its fireproof, waterproof, is under the counter and protected from falling debris. A fireproof safe is not usually waterproof. If you don't evacuate still put your documents in the dishwasher. And make sure you run the dishwasher in plenty of time for it to dry out.
5. Make sure to have lots of water, batteries, candles, non-perishable food, pet food, medications, personal care items, anything you can think you might need to survive several days without electricity. Have a full propane tank or extra charcoal for grill cooking. Store everything that can be damaged by water, in tight storage containers. Freeze half gallon bottles of water now for use when the electricity goes out.
6. If you have pets make sure you have carriers handy. Animals tend to freak out in a hurricane. Putting everyone in a carrier keeps them safe and secure.
7. Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage and a replacement cost rider on your personal possessions. If you have a 5 year old fridge that cost $1000, without replacement cost that amount will be depreciated by 5 years, not enough to replace it.
8. Make your house as hurricane proof as possible. Shutters, garage door braces, a roof less than 10 years old. Most of the damage done by two hurricanes in 2004 was water damage due to roof shingles that were worn out. If you are considering a new roof, consider spending the extra money and have a hurricane proof metal roof put on. No worries about shingles blowing off!
9. Consider an alternative power source, other than a noisey polluting generator. Portable solar panel systems which recharge 12v batteries are an inexpensive alternative. Add to that a power inverter and you can run regular appliances using only the power of the sun.
Good luck to us all!
As March fades into April, the official beginning of hurricane season is just around the corner. Now is the time to begin planning our escape! Well if not our escape, at least the means to make life a bit easier when the lights go out for extended periods of time, without having to run a polluting, noisy generator.
I purchased a portable array of three solar panels, which can be used to charge a 12v car or marine battery. The panels come with a "plug in box" with which you can plug in small appliances from 6v to 12v, a cell phone plug in, and a cigarette lighter plug in for 12v appliances. In addition we purchased a 12v coffee maker, and a 12v stove, used by boaters and RV owners. Because marine batteries are "deep cell" batteries, they draw less electricity and will last longer without recharging, we chose those as our battery power. The entire setup works great! The coffee maker brews great coffee, and the stove boils and fries, all on 12v of electricity. In addition, a small power inverter can be added to allow the use of regular plug in appliances, including computers!
So if you haven't started making plans for the possible event this year, time to get those shutters, have your roof inspected, stock up on supplies, and decide how you are going to survive without power.
The downturn in the housing market has prompted not only home sellers and real estate agents to get creative with their marketing, but also home stagers. We are now offering a wide variety of services, not thought of before when home staging became a viable tool for selling a home. In addition to the consultation process, which points sellers in the direction of DIY staging, the hands-on staging services, and the staging and furnishing of vacant properties, home stagers have branched out and now offer services such as:
~ "concierge service" whereby vacant properties are regularly tended to, making sure curb appeal is maintained and the interior is kept pristine
~ shopping for inventory items the home seller may need to spruce up their occupied dwelling
~ doing "walk throughs" and providing clients with a punch list of things that need to be repaired
~ consulting with homeowners who merely want a new fresh look to their homes
~ color and paint consultations
~ providing "lifestyle changes" consulting after a divorce, when the kids leave the nest, or other life altering events
These services are just a few that are bundled under the heading of "home staging."
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