Miami Dade Animal Services labels dogs “aggressive” and then kills them

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

Screen Shot 2016-07-02 at 1.17.26 PM

At least one dog that Miami Dade Animal Services labeled with the often deadly label “aggressive” turned out to be anything but aggressive. He happily cavorted with his rescuers upon his release. Not the biting, growling menace that was indicated on his kennel card. The Miami Dade Animal Services continues to be plagued with complaints that they mislabel dogs which makes it more difficult, if not impossible, to get them adopted or pulled by rescue. In fact, from December 1 of 2015 to now seven dogs have no picture online.

And in spite of the fact that an animal advocate met with the heads of the Miami Dade Animal Shelter over two years ago with concerns about dogs being labeled “aggressive,” and the assurances from those in charge that this would change — kennel cards are still being shown with “aggressive” and “caution will bite” on them. Even when subsequent video shows the dog in question is sweet and friendly.

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‘The Last Star’ by Rick Yancey: Last in bestselling ‘The 5th Wave’ series

/ Pamela Kramer

laststar

Finally, the ending to the young adult scifi series “The 5th Wave,” is out. The author, Rick Yancey, has kept readers wondering what the true nature of the 5th wave will be. The first few “waves” have decimated the Earth’s population killing 7.5 billion people. The very first wave was a massive EMP, electromagnetic pulse that killed all electronics. Planes fell from the skies, cars lost power, all electricity shut down. The next wave was when “The Others,” the aliens, dropped some kind of huge rod onto one of Earth’s fault lines resulting in earthquakes and huge tsunamis that destroyed all Earth’s coastlines and those who lived there. The 4th wave consisted of humans called Silencers, a group of humans who while fetuses were downloaded with alien memories and technology. They didn’t know about it until they turned 13. That’s when they began to kill other humans. Other humans know about the Silencers, but because they look and act just like other humans, they are virtually impossible to detect until they start killing people.

Cassie and her group of allies — some are friends and some are not — are trying to survive. Cassie and her brother Sam survived the first waves, and she is with him in this last book, along with former crush Ben Parish (also known as Zombie), and Evan, who is a Silencer but who fell in love with Cassie and will do anything to protect her. Others include Ringer, Poundcake, and Dumbo (names they were given at the military “camp” that trains children to be killers of other humans).

The aliens who caused this devastation have been watching Earth for ten thousand years and have watched the gradual deterioration of the planet under mankind’s less-than-stellar stewardship. Finally, in order to save the planet, they create a series of events designed to decimate Earth’s population. One of the most fanatic of the alien followers is Colonel Vosch, the Nazi-like, unfeeling, sadistic person in charge of the military camp where Cassie and her group each have spent some time. Eventually, every character in the book meets up with him.

For those who read the first two books as soon as they were published, it’s probably better to reread those books before attempting the third and final book. Yancey creates a group of characters and a plot and subplots that are complicated and interwoven. The only way to really remember and know what is going on is to have recently read (or at least skimmed) the first two books.

Yancey’s writing is just as solid and descriptive as in the first two books. The story is told all in first person narrative from several different points of view. It allows the reader to understand the characters’ motivations and actions. What Yancey does beautifully is reveal the human condition. Some of us take whatever we can get in times of trouble and, like Vosch, use power to ensure survival at all costs. Other humans realize that individual survival at any cost is not always the most courageous option. When humanity is in danger, what is one life worth?

None of the characters is perfect. Cassie kills an unarmed soldier in the first book, but this incident and the reason she killed him are replayed throughout the series. She thinks of those issues when she is forced to make difficult choices. What is one life worth? A valid question and one that is worthy of discussion and reflection.

Yancey makes a statement here about the fact that when hundreds or thousands of people die, we can somehow become inured to those deaths. But when one person dies in front of us — it can be a revelation. 7.5 billion people is an unimaginable number, but a little girl with a bomb in her throat is just one person. What is her life worth? What is the value of the lives of the children who are brainwashed into carrying bombs of their own and detonating them? That really happens in our world. Those questions are certainly thought-provoking; and young adult readers should be carefully and painstakingly considering them.

What finally vanquishes the aliens and their evil plan to exterminate the human race? No spoilers here, but it’s a human emotion that resonates in each book. It’s the strongest human emotion there is.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by the publisher, Putnam, for review purposes.

Board books for babies in 2016

/ Pamela Kramer

boardbooks

There is a plethora of board books for young babies this summer — from teaching a baby about seasons and shapes and the alphabet to telling stories that even older children will enjoy.

Lovers of the plush teddy bear Corduroy will love to read the two board books: “Corduroy’s Seasons” and “Corduroy’s Shapes.” In the first book, children learn about the seasons by seeing Corduroy play in each, from autumn through summertime fun. In “Corduroy’s Shapes,” Corduroy has a birthday party. and the shapes form part of each page from the rectangle birthday gift to the diamond-shaped kite they fly.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s ABC” by Eric Carle contains Carle’s distinctive illustrations from “A – ants” to “Z – zebra” with caterpillars, frogs and other animals in between.

“Little Sleepyhead” by Elizabeth McPike and Patrice Barton is a simple rhyming book about the different parts of little children’s bodies. Each spread features a different child with plenty of diversity and plenty of cuteness. By the end, it’s been a long day and the child in the story is ready for bed (and one might hope the child the book is being read to, as well!).

“Look!” by Jeff Mack, “Blue Boat” and “Yellow Copter” by Kersten Hamilton and Valeria Petrone are board books that are the same as the children’s books by the same names. In “Look!” Mack cleverly balances the words “look” with the words “look out” through illustrations and situations that will make kids laugh. It also clearly demonstrates the difference adding the “out” after the word “look” makes in meaning.

In “Yellow Copter” and “Blue Boat” the copter and boat each save the day when danger is near. Simple words, rhyme, lots of onomatopoeia, and simple illustrations make these books that kids will want to read again and again.

Please note: This is based on the board books provided by the publishers for review purposes.

‘Summerlost’ by Ally Condie: Middle grade fiction about friendship and family

/ Pamela Kramer

Summerlost cover

In “Summerlost,” Ally Condie expands her repertoire from fabulous young adult to thoughtful and touching middle grade fiction. In this story, Cedar Lee is coming to terms with living life with her mother and younger brother after the sudden death of her father and brother, Ben. It’s the summer after the tragedy, and the three of them are in the small town where Cedar’s mother grew up. Her mother buys a house for them to live in during summers, and they spend their first summer — post accident — there.

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‘The Girl from the Savoy’ by Hazel Gaynor: Beautiful historical fiction

/ Pamela Kramer

girl

Rating: 4 stars

In “The Girl from the Savoy,” Hazel Gaynor introduces the reader to a wonderful, plucky protagonist who dreams of rising from her humble beginnings and becoming someone. Dorothy, called Dolly by everyone, begins her adventure as a chambermaid at the Savoy, a grand and glittering hotel frequented by the rich and famous.

She and the reader see the huge divide between the “haves” and “have nots.” When cleaning the rooms of the world famous actresses, she and the other chambermaids admire their shoes and their clothes. A chance encounter with a struggling composer leads Dolly to take some risks. She answers an advertisement for a “muse” and is befriended by that would-be composer, Perry, and his sister, a famous actress.

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‘Ozzie and the Art Contest’ by Dana Sullivan: A picture book about happiness

/ Pamela Kramer

ozzie and art

Rating: 5 stars

In “Ozzie and the Art Contest,” Dana Sullivan teaches young readers some very important life lessons. Ozzie, a bright blue dog, is very excited when his teacher announces that there will be an art contest. Ozzie loves to draw and he is sure he will win.

He quickly reads the instructions on the way home and uses his skills in folding paper to make a paper airplane out of the instruction sheet. Once home, he begins to draw his picture of a goat. His good friend agrees to model for the picture. Ozzie just knows he’ll win the contest — he knows a lot about goats!

On Monday, he proudly turns in his picture. The teacher tells the class that the winners will be announced the next day. Ozzie can hardly wait to see his picture in first place.

But the next morning, when he sees the winners displayed on the top row of the bulletin board, his is not among them. He looks and finally sees his picture of the goat in the bottom row, under the heading “Honorable Mention.”

While the rest of the class is cheerfully celebrating a successful art contest, Ozzie sits miserably at a table alone. He is not happy. His caring teacher notices and joins Ozzie, who simply can’t understand why his lovely drawing of a goat didn’t win.

Clever second graders with whom I read the story were quick to notice that all the winning pictures were of boats, not goats. They also quickly surmised that the contest was to draw a picture of a boat, not a goat.

Ozzie’s teacher gives him some simple advice. She says, “Winning isn’t the only reason to do things. Especially when it’s something you really like to do.”

Two life lessons. Read the instructions carefully. Winning isn’t everything — just have fun. What great topics for discussion with primary students. This is a perfect read aloud for classrooms from kindergarten through third grade.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by the publisher, Sleeping Bear Press, for review purposes.

Bilingual board books in English and Spanish; perfecto para niños bilingües

/ Pamela Kramer

bilingual board books

Adorable bilingual board books for young children can be found from several publishers. “La Llorona” by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein (Lil’ Libros, 2015) is a board book based on the scary legend of La Llorona, “one of the oldest folktales ever told.” It’s a counting book that counts backwards from ten to one. Perfect for Halloween or anytime, it’s perfectly appropriate for even the youngest child. It’s not really scary; even the ghosts looks benign.

“A Color of His Own” by Leo Lionni (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016) is the wonderful children’s tale of a chameleon who wanted a color of his own. Each page tells the story in English with the Spanish translation below it. The illustrations are Lionni’s wonderful watery watercolors, and the moral is one that children love: things are better when they are shared.

“Frida” by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein is a colorful board book that is a tribute to famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It’s a counting book with bright colors and counting phrases in English and Spanish. The number 1 is “One blue house” in English and “Una casa azul” in Spanish. That is a reference to the home where Kahlo lived her whole life,La Casa Azul. (Whether you read it to your small child in English or Spanish, he or she will enjoy the artwork and the colors. (Lil’ Libros, 2014)

“Guadalupe” is another board book published by Lil’ Libros. It is written and illustrated by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein. This one is filled with “first words,” like village (pueblo), sandals (sandalias), garden (jardín), and hills (cerros). The illustrations are simple, but colorful, and even for families who aren’t religious, telling the story of the Virgin de Guadalupe is cultural as well as religious.

Volunteers mourn dog left to die in old shelter when new shelter opened

/ Pamela Kramer

 

Please share this tragic story that shines a light on shelter's unforgivable policies

Lifeisgoodwithdogs on Facebook

Dexter was killed by Miami Dade Animal Services, but only after getting the standard — almost inevitable — label of “aggressive.” Volunteers say he was not aggressive at all, and his video would appear to support that statement.

The video of Dexter shows a dog whose purpose in life appears to be getting some petting. He cries and jumps with his tail wagging, begging for attention. Here is another video showing him in his kennel, sweet and thrilled to get some attention.

He was never given a chance by the shelter. It would appear that they had no intention of bringing him to the new shelter. He and countless other dogs remained at the old shelter to be killed at their leisure. (The shelter won’t allow volunteers in the old shelter any longer, so no one knows exactly how many dogs were left behind.)

The volunteers loved Dexter and were networking him to find a rescue to take this sweet and loving dog. He had been kenneled with other dogs without a problem. If he — suddenly and without reason — became aggressive to other dogs, the shelter could have left him alone in a cage. But the speed with which he was labeled and then killed speaks of a plan to not take Dexter to the new shelter. The shelter lied to those who inquired about Dexter. One person posted on Facebook:

I’m so upset and pissed at the same time!! I went there (to the new shelter) to see Dexter when I couldn’t find him I gave his ID number to a guy and he told me he was at the old shelter and I asked him why and he told me he had URI and as soon as he recovered he would be transferred. I even asked if I could go to the old shelter to meet him and was told no!! I’m heartbroken things will never change!!!!”

One volunteer told Dexter’s story. She said, “First time I met him was in adoption floor, he was alone. He was sleeping and when woke up, grabbed his tennis ball, wanted to play. (A) couple of days later, I saw him he was with Sultan (male), same kennel. He was crying for attention, no aggression towards Sultan who was next to him. Next time I saw him he was moved to another kennel in the adoption floor with a bigger dog, female. Dexter only wanted attention.”

Then Dexter was moved to the back of the notorious west wing, where dogs are taken before being killed. No one goes there (except volunteers), and it’s a stressful area for dogs. There are no fans, it’s hot and humid, and the “aggressive” dogs are kept there. Dexter was there, in a small kennel, still crying for attention. He only calmed down when she pet him. This was the Friday before the new shelter opened. Another visitor posted:

I have walked and played with him. Not one single ounce of aggression, very playful, curious and sweet.”

According to volunteers, he was in the west wing for a week before the shelter documented a change in his behavior. That might have contributed to any change in behavior, but the staff didn’t make any effort to help Dexter. It’s much easier to slap on the “aggressive” label and kill them. (See “Miami county shelter labels more dogs “aggressive” so they can be killed“)

Four-year-old Dexter, beloved by volunteers, was killed on June 15, two days after the beautiful new shelter opened to much publicity. Unfortunately for Dexter, his life didn’t matter to those in charge. He was never slated to be part of the new shelter. He was left alone, unseen and unloved, at the old shelter.

34 animals were killed at the end of May in one 24-hour period. This is a shelter that says it’s “no kill,” but when they label animals as “aggressive,” or “sick,” they can kill them without the kills being added to the no kill numbers. So even if they killed 100 animals in one day, so long as those animals were either labeled “aggressive” or “sick,” they could still say they have a 90% live save rate. It’s all about playing the numbers. (See “Playing the numbers game: Is MDAS really no kill?“)

Dexter, there are many who miss you and are sorry that Miami Dade Animal Services and those in charge at this (kill) shelter betrayed you. Please know that you were loved. The volunteers tried to save you.

Watch the short video, Silent Shelter trailer, to see how MDAS and other shelters punish volunteers who speak out about shelter abuses. They take away their volunteer privileges and worse, take away their ability to pull dogs from the shelter. More than one volunteer at MDAS has been told that they couldn’t volunteer at the shelter anymore because of their posts exposing the shelter practices (you are too negative, was the shelter’s explanation). It’s an excellent video and it shows exactly why change is so difficult to enact. When those who desire the change are intimidated by those in charge, nothing changes.

Volunteers mourn dog left to die in old shelter when new shelter opened

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

dexter

Dexter was killed by Miami Dade Animal Services, but only after getting the standard — almost inevitable — label of “agressive.” Volunteers say he was not aggressive at all, and his video would appear to support that statement.

Please share this tragic story that shines a light on shelter's unforgivable policies

Lifeisgoodwithdogs on Facebook

The video of Dexter shows a dog whose purpose in life appears to be getting some petting. He cries and jumps with his tail wagging, begging for attention. Here is another video showing him in his kennel, sweet and thrilled to get some attention.

He was never given a chance by the shelter. It would appear that they had no intention of bringing him to the new shelter. He and countless other dogs remained at the old shelter to be killed at their leisure. (The shelter won’t allow volunteers in the old shelter any longer, so no one knows exactly how many dogs were left behind.)

The volunteers loved Dexter and were networking him to find a rescue to take this sweet and loving dog. He had been kenneled with other dogs without a problem. If he — suddenly and without reason — became aggressive to other dogs, the shelter could have left him alone in a cage. But the speed with which he was labeled and then killed speaks of a plan to not take Dexter to the new shelter. The shelter lied to those who inquired about Dexter. One person posted on Facebook:

I’m so upset and pissed at the same time!! I went there (to the new shelter) to see Dexter when I couldn’t find him I gave his ID number to a guy and he told me he was at the old shelter and I asked him why and he told me he had URI and as soon as he recovered he would be transferred. I even asked if I could go to the old shelter to meet him and was told no!! I’m heartbroken things will never change!!!!”

One volunteer told Dexter’s story. She said, “First time I met him was in adoption floor, he was alone. He was sleeping and when woke up, grabbed his tennis ball, wanted to play. (A) couple of days later, I saw him he was with Sultan (male), same kennel. He was crying for attention, no aggression towards Sultan who was next to him. Next time I saw him he was moved to another kennel in the adoption floor with a bigger dog, female. Dexter only wanted attention.”

Then Dexter was moved to the back of the notorious west wing, where dogs are taken before being killed. No one goes there (except volunteers), and it’s a stressful area for dogs. There are no fans, it’s hot and humid, and the “aggressive” dogs are kept there. Dexter was there, in a small kennel, still crying for attention. He only calmed down when she pet him. This was the Friday before the new shelter opened. Another visitor posted:

I have walked and played with him. Not one single ounce of aggression, very playful, curious and sweet.”

According to volunteers, he was in the west wing for a week before the shelter documented a change in his behavior. That might have contributed to any change in behavior, but the staff didn’t make any effort to help Dexter. It’s much easier to slap on the “aggressive” label and kill them. (See “Miami county shelter labels more dogs “aggressive” so they can be killed“)

Four-year-old Dexter, beloved by volunteers, was killed on June 15, two days after the beautiful new shelter opened to much publicity. Unfortunately for Dexter, his life didn’t matter to those in charge. He was never slated to be part of the new shelter. He was left alone, unseen and unloved, at the old shelter.

34 animals were killed at the end of May in one 24-hour period. This is a shelter that says it’s “no kill,” but when they label animals as “aggressive,” or “sick,” they can kill them without the kills being added to the no kill numbers. So even if they killed 100 animals in one day, so long as those animals were either labeled “aggressive” or “sick,” they could still say they have a 90% live save rate. It’s all about playing the numbers. (See “Playing the numbers game: Is MDAS really no kill?“)

Dexter, there are many who miss you and are sorry that Miami Dade Animal Services and those in charge at this (kill) shelter betrayed you. Please know that you were loved. The volunteers tried to save you.

Watch the short video, Silent Shelter trailer, to see how MDAS and other shelters punish volunteers who speak out about shelter abuses. They take away their volunteer privileges and worse, take away their ability to pull dogs from the shelter. More than one volunteer at MDAS has been told that they couldn’t volunteer at the shelter anymore because of their posts exposing the shelter practices (you are too negative, was the shelter’s explanation). It’s an excellent video and it shows exactly why change is so difficult to enact. When those who desire the change are intimidated by those in charge, nothing changes.

Dog killed after animal control threatened foster family

/ Pamela Kramer / 2 Comments

Rambo had a family who loved him and wanted to adopt him. He had a rescue that had pulled him hours before he was going to be killed at Miami Dade Animal Services. But an aggressive, pit-bull hating animal control officer named David Aycook decided that Rambo didn’t deserve to live, so he confiscated Rambo and killed him in spite of notification that the rescue had filed the legal paperwork to get Rambo back.

Rambo's battered and bruised body
Second Chance Rescue
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He died because of a cruel animal control officer

Second Chance Dog Rescue

Rambo’s foster family loved him. His foster mom spoke through her tears when she said, “He was the sweetest, sweetest, sweetest dog.” After four weeks of Rambo sleeping with their three-year-old, snuggling and licking their baby, playing with their cat, and loving their other foster dog, they had decided to adopt Rambo. Before they could fill out the paperwork, tragedy struck.

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Volunteers heartbroken; dog failed by shelter three times was killed

/ Pamela Kramer

georgie

A frightened white dog was quietly killed in Tampa, Florida, at the county shelter. His name was Georgie. And he never had a chance. This is the third article about how poor Georgie never had a break in his life, and how the county shelter — Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center — totally failed him, just as they fail hundreds of other animals in this county.

Back in March of this year, Georgie was listed as “rescue only” when a volunteer decided to see what he was like. “As soon as I got to his gate he ran to see me, barking. I offered him a treat and he stopped. We took him outside where he just wanted to be pet and loved. His fur was covered in flea eggs, and his back was a brown color from all the bug bites. This was the dog they wanted to euthanize for behavior? We asked the shelter to reassess him and he passed with flying colors.”

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‘Redemption Road’ by John Hart: Brilliant crime fiction

/ Pamela Kramer

redemption

Rating: 5 (or more) stars

John Hart’s novels are beautiful, which might seem a strange adjective because of their subject matter. He writes about prison, murder, child abuse, and other ugly topics. Yet as he does so brilliantly in “Redemption Road, Hart’s novels are filled with the ultimate beauty of the human spirit. When all around is filled with hate and poison, there are those who can rise above the morass, and show forgiveness, love and understanding.

In “Redemption Road,” the story begins with a serial murderer. The plot lines revolve around a serial murderer; an ex-con cop who was convicted of a murder he didn’t commit and who carries a secret he suffered through hell to keep; a young cop who believes in the ex-con (who is half in love with him); and a motherless child who has lived through a life of neglect. There are many other characters: an unforgiving preacher; an evil, corrupt prison warden and his henchmen; a girl who was raped and tortured before being rescued; drug dealers and those who rely on drug dealers; cops who have secrets of their own to keep and people to protect; and a charming and brilliant octogenarian attorney.

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