Thankful Thursday - For Pamela and Blog Paws Swag

I have so many thankfuls and thank yous due, I figure I have to start participating in the Thankful Thursday blog hop just to make sure I get them all in. Over the next few Thursdays, I promise I will get to saying thank you to all the kind folks who have graced us with an award over the last few months.

But first, since I'm tired and somewhat lazy today, I'm going to start by saying thank you to just one person -- Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes for the massively monster bag o' swag she sent us after we won the Match Game contest she ran in July.

Thanks to her fabulous clues (and my obsessive-compulsive analytical nature), I was able to match the bloggers with the pupsters and won her Bag O' Swag contest. This meant we were sent a huge bag of goodies that she picked up when she was at Blog Paws back in June. Well, I'm just going to let video speak louder than words to show you just how awesome Bella thought that was.



As you can see, Bella definitely approves.

So, thank you, Pamela. It was fun opening the package. Tons of neat treats for Bella, new products we're going to check out as well as lots of info for me to read up on. Her favorite thing in the bag, however, were the samples of "Whole Life" freeze-dried treats. A few had fallen out of their baggies and were at the bottom of the totes. This would be why I couldn't get Bella's head out of the bag.

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Thankful Thursday - For Bella

I wasn't planning to post today but, in light of the seriousness of recent posts here on Bringing up Bella, I thought you'd all like to see a short video of Bella in her reactive dogs agility class last night. We were all very, very proud of her.


We've been working a long time to get Bella comfortable with some of these obstacles. Today she even showed some excitement about the opportunity to run a course.

Willie, Bella's "Agility for Reactive Dogs" classmate, is on the other side of the gate visible in the doorway behind the tunnel. He was a very good boy while she ran the course and Bella wasn't even remotely distracted by him being there. This was a HUGE accomplishment for both of them.

So we are thankful for Bella's resilience, enthusiasm and curiosity, our trainers' patience and wisdom and all the good people out there researching and advocating for better ways to help fearful dogs, not only cope, but actually thrive.

Thankful Thursday - For Lennox

Thank you Cokie for re-inviting me to join your wonderful Thankful Thursday blog-hop. It's an important reminder that we have so much for which to be thankful. And I understand the hop is supposed to be a hopeful place where we speak of what is good and beautiful in our lives and I will get there, honest.

But please indulge me a moment first because I really feel I have to say something about the events of the last day or two in the animal welfare community. Specifically about Lennox, the American Bulldog - Labrador Retriever mix who was recently killed in Belfast, Ireland.

I'm not going to say much (I know, that'd be a first, right?) but my anger is deep and my fear, palpable.

My sister has a Bullmastiff. My friends have Pit Bulls, German Shepherds and Rottweilers. Bella's breed cannot be documented.

And what we've learned through the debacle in Belfast is that anyone can claim a dog looks dangerous and that dog can be taken away and killed despite all evidence to the contrary, despite world-wide outcry, despite reasonable offers to provide a gracious out for the city council.

Just for what it looks like.

Breed specific legislation is illogical and irresponsible. It is hurtful and cruel. It is also proven to be ineffective. I weep for Lennox, for his family, for his little girl and for all the dogs killed in the name of ignorance.

And yet I am also thankful.

Thankful for the hundred thousand+ voices raised in protest around the world. Thankful for the efforts of trainers and rescuers and organizers who tried, and keep trying, to help Lennox and dogs just like him.

Thankful that maybe now we have gained the attention of people who were previously able to remain comfortably ignorant of the encroaching danger breed specific legislation poses to their own dogs. Thankful for the communities that have learned and grown and rejected BSL.

Thankful that maybe now we can effect real change.

Rest in peace now, Lennox. Your suffering will not be in vain.

If you have a Facebook account, please consider adding your voice to the "I Am Lennox" event as a show of support that every dog could be Lennox. Today, every dog is Lennox.