The DOG thread

[Baz]

Man smiled in his mugshot, after “disciplining” three college kids who used a BB gun on his dog.

It started when the kids came home on break and treated a neighbor’s dog like a joke, firing BBs into him over and over, like it was target practice. The dog survived, but it wasn’t “harmless fun.” It was pain, panic, and a long recovery that never should’ve happened.

Then the punishment came down, and it barely felt like one: a fine and community service.
To the owner, it wasn’t justice, it was permission.

So he walked to their house and confronted them. No speech for the internet, no camera, just a man who’d hit his limit. He told them, “Fight someone your own size.” What they didn’t know is he’s a jiu-jitsu black belt, and when things escalated, it ended fast, messy, humiliating, and unforgettable.

When police arrived, the kids were banged up, and the dog’s owner was the one put in cuffs.
Now he’s facing 30 days in jail. His dog is recovering at his mother’s place. And when people asked why he did it, he didn’t celebrate it he kept it simple:

“Kids need to learn there are consequences.”

[Steve Carlton]

This story about the dog's owner beating up three teenagers seems made up. The owner is Hayden Howard, a woman who lives with the dog and her 2 year old son at the time in 2017. I have a feeling charges were never pressed against Tim Woodard, who was suspected of shooting the dog. I can't see what happened after Woodard was arrested for drug possession.

Tim Woodard


https://tribtown.com/2017/04/20/dog_shooting_leads_to_drug_arrest/

[Turbo_pro]

Shoot my dog and you reap the whirlwind. Not a threat but a recognition of my expected response to a specific action. People who hurt other people's pets have no respect for civilized society.
Hurt small animals....elapsed time .... drive across three states wearing her head as a hat.

[Mr. Merk]

Cooper

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[varmint]

Chaos is starting to scare me. He’s just turned 13 and is falling apart. Staggering and then collapsing. Not quite losing consciousness but close. An earlier dog had very real seizures, and this is something different. Throwing up, losing weight.

Been to the two vets in town. Heart lungs organs good. Slightly elevated white blood count so they gave us some anti biotic. No parasites. No answers. They basically just shrugged and said he was old.

I know there are a couple vets on this board. What are some other ideas?

[john70t]

Change the food over a few days. Lose the "100% Vet Approved" major brand.

Slow bake chicken cast iron 250 covered for an hour. Chop and freeze. Actually cheaper than the store bags by weight.
Pumpkin. Sweet potatoes. other simple ingredients. Clean water.
Let him do his thing.

Dogs licking their paws (constantly) is a main sign of 'allergies'.
The faked protein pet food from another country killed thousands of pets here.

Mom's pup chewed until he left blood in many spots.
Then his kidneys started to fail and had to pee everywhere.
This went on for a while..
Including her rugs which many had to be tossed with no hope of saving. One of those I received after it was bombed with heavy chemicals from the pro cleaners. I had to vacuum use the upholstery wand on it a couple times and keep the windows open.

It's not the animal. Or people.
-It's probably the GMO poison crops which is still being allowed to be sold as 'food'.
-Or it could be 'flea/heartworm prevention' injections.
-Also get rid of poisonous houseplants such as Poinsettia etc which he might be chewing out of anxiety boredom whatever.
-That might include household chemicals or objects/toys.

IDK. The last couple years my kitty had a 'stroke' of some kind. That included puking. Kept on towels in the main room usually (to not be left out) and had carry him to the box for a couple weeks. He recovered somewhat for a while and liked being outside but never fully improved. This was after several rounds of nearly losing him. Probably hit by a car once with chipped shoulder blade and shortened ear, bite in his neck left an abscess next to the carotid drained a couple times, and something else big bit a good golf ball sized chunk of fur another time.


Whatever it is start with diet.

[varmint]

Thanks,

We’re doing chicken and rice. Will start drawing down on kibble. He had a crash test dummy childhood. A stroke is possible. But nothing showed up on x-rays.

Looking back the weight loss has been going on since probably November. I am assuming it’s connected. But the real worrying things have only been the last couple weeks.

[john70t]

Could be cancer or something systemic.
10-15yrs is the usual for larger dogs unfortunately. Smaller get a couple more on average I think.
My buddy had to go about a year ago. He's showing mom around.

Make these times good.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by varmint

No answers. They basically just shrugged and said he was old.

I know there are a couple vets on this board. What are some other ideas?

Winkipop made it to 2 months shy of her 17th birthday. A good run, for sure!

But she started exhibiting mobility issues those last 2 years - so maybe it's the same for your Chaos.

Ultimately they loose so much muscle, tissue, and strength it just becomes hard to function.

It's sad as hell, of course, and at some point you just have to make that hard decision to put an end to the struggles.

[varmint]

Cowboy almost made it to 17. TRex to 15 we think. So I am planning on a few more years.

The next closest vet is three hours away. I want to have an idea what to ask before going that far. This is sudden and does not feel natural. If we can just get him over whatever is happening he might be fine.


Got him diapers this morning. I think he knows it’s humiliating. But has to be.

[varmint]

Last summer

[Baz]

Originally Posted by varmint

Cowboy almost made it to 17. TRex to 15 we think. So I am planning on a few more years.

The next closest vet is three hours away. I want to have an idea what to ask before going that far. This is sudden and does not feel natural. If we can just get him over whatever is happening he might be fine.


Got him diapers this morning. I think he knows it’s humiliating. But has to be.

Awww.....cute photo!

Yeah I bought rolls of carpet from HD and duct taped them all over the house to give WP some extra help with traction over my tile floor. We do what we can!

Billabong made it 14 years with me and we think she was 1.5 when we got her - so that makes 15.5 years before Lymphoma got her. Then 2 years later we lost WP. Haven't been owned by another since. Hopefully one day. Right now it's just a cat to keep me from going further nuts here.

Sending hugs and prayers for your boy......

[Baz]

Returning warrior greeted by his Blue Heeler........

https://www.facebook.com/reel/26136482172604579

[varmint]

New vet has just been throwing pills at chaos, and one of them seems to be working. He’s walking and eating and wagging his tail. Not great but better.

Still no idea what the root cause is.

[gregpark]

That's awesome. You need another Heeler Baz

[Baz]

Originally Posted by gregpark

That's awesome. You need another Heeler Baz

Or two.......

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1558875185365980

[Baz]

Tonight, my daughter is alive—because of the Blue Heeler I was planning to give up this morning.

I’m not being dramatic. The truth is harsh. In an overcrowded city shelter, a six-year-old adult Blue Heeler doesn’t get a second chance—they get forgotten. I knew that. I just tried to bury the truth under words like “responsibility,” “reality,” and “no other option.”

My name is Maya. I’m 34. A single mother living in a worn-down apartment in a city where surviving feels harder than dreaming. I work long shifts at a warehouse just to keep things running. If you’re living through times like this, you know how the pressure slowly crushes you from all sides.

Last week, everything fell apart at once. Rent went up. Groceries became impossible. Then the notice arrived: “Unauthorized Breed on Premises. Large working dogs are no longer permitted.”

“Remedy the situation.” A clean sentence that really means asking a mother to abandon a family member.

His name is Buster. We brought him home during a time when the world felt uncertain. My daughter Ava (7) was struggling with severe night terrors. She was afraid to sleep alone, afraid of the dark, afraid of silence. Buster changed that. He’s tough, fiercely intelligent, and instinctively protective. During the day he’s alert and watchful, but every night he lay beside Ava’s bed. That’s when the nightmares stopped. He wasn’t just a dog—he was safety, comfort, and unconditional love.

But love doesn’t matter to a lease agreement.

This morning, I did the math. Empty savings. The threat of eviction. I tried to make the “right” decision. I scheduled the shelter appointment. I even prepared the lie I’d tell Ava—that he’d be okay somewhere else.

What Happened?

In the afternoon, we went to the park one last time. Ava was playing. I sat on a bench, deleting photos of Buster from my phone because I knew seeing them later would break me.
Buster sat quietly at my feet. Then his body stiffened. He stood up. A sharp, unmistakable warning came from his chest.

I looked up—and understood immediately.

A large dog, completely out of control, was charging toward Ava. She turned, frozen with fear. I tried to scream. Tried to move. My body wouldn’t respond.

I didn’t save her. Buster did.

He didn’t wait for a command. He didn’t hesitate. He ran straight into danger and placed himself between Ava and the threat. He took the impact. He took the bites. He didn’t back away for a second.

Eventually, the other owner intervened and pulled their dog back.

Ava was unharmed. Not a single scratch.

Buster collapsed onto the ground, bleeding and exhausted. I dropped to my knees, crying—not just because he was hurt, but because I had almost given him away that same morning.
I rushed him to the emergency vet. I gave them everything I had and told them to save him.
Now it’s late. Ava is sleeping on the floor beside him because she refused to leave his side. Buster is wrapped in bandages, wearing a cone, tired and sore. But when I walked into the room, his tail moved gently against the floor.

I tore up the eviction notice. I canceled the shelter appointment. The fear is still there—but the decision is final.

Life might get harder. But some things can’t be measured in numbers.
Society called him a risk. Rules called him a problem. My finances called him a burden.
But tonight, I know the truth. He isn’t just a Blue Heeler. He’s my daughter’s protector. He’s family.

And he’s the hero I almost lost.

For the rest of his life, I’ll try to be the person he already believes I am.

[rfuerst911sc]

^^^ man what a powerful story !!! Hope the dog heals quickly . Thanks for sharing .

[wdfifteen]

Gratuitous photos of my girl Ellie. She'll be 9 months old this week.

[mthomas58]

Cold in Atlanta this week! Picked up a puffy jacket for Izzy.