Deep in it!

Snow that is! We had an overnight blast of snow again! This time is came up of my armpits!!! At first I didn't want to walk - er, jump in it...but tonight I was running around like crazy loving it! Not sure if it's gonna last...it's now begun to rain! Crazy weather!

Power of the Paw! Your help is needed in Animal Cruelty case!!

Thanks to Jake and Just Harry for barking this story to me!
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Marc-Andre Laporte, 59, was found guilty of two counts of animal cruelty at the St. Jerome courthouse in Montreal this week, following the seizure of 97 fox terriers in November 2005 from his Blainville puppy mill. Judge Jean Sirois rejected Laporte's argument that he loved his dogs too much. When police raided the property, they found dogs matted in feces feeding on dogs' carcasses and stronger dogs preying on weaker ones.

Click here -- if you have a strong stomach -- to see the photos:
http://www.spcamontreal.com/english/pages/whats_new/news.html

Almost 40 animals had to be destroyed. Laporte's home was later condemned and demolished in March 2006. The surviving dogs were cared for by the SPCA and later, with the help of devoted fox terrier lovers, found wonderful foster homes where they have been living for the past 2 years. Despite his horrendous treatment of these innocent creatures, Laporte, who wil be sentenced on February 22, 2008, is facing only six months of jail time and up to $4,000 in fines. At the same hearing, the judge is to decide if Laporte is to get any of his fox terriers back!

WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. The surviving mill fox terriers took months to recover physically, medically and emotionally from their ordeal. To even consider removing ONE wire from the safety and care of their loving foster families back to Laporte is OUTRAGEOUS!

Today we are launching a two-fold campaign to prevent Laporte from getting his dog/s back. We know we can count on you to take action and spread the word:

1: Please go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/no-dogs-for-laporte to sign the online petition that has been set up. Once all the signatures are entered, it will be printed out and given to Elizabeth Pierce who has been instrumental in saving and caring for the Blainville wires, for distribution to the media (unfortunately it is illegal in Canada to hand petitions to the court).

2: Please take a few minutes to write a letter to Judge Jean Sirois imploring him to prevent Laporte from ever taking possession of his former fox terriers or of owning any dog again. If you can, include a photo of yourself and your foxie/dog. All the letters received will be put in a file and also handed to the media.

Letters should be mailed to:

Elizabeth Pierce
119 16th Street,
Roxboro, Québec
Canada H8Y 1P1.

The sentencing hearing is February 22, 2008 – so write those letters soon. Please cross-post this information on your blogs, to your fellow dog owners etc. Thank you for your support in this important matter.

Remember, this could have happened to any of us or our friends. It's not just about wire fox terriers. It's about treating all animals with the love and respect they deserve.

What I want for Christmas...

is the Chilly Dogs Great White North coat. I covet this coat. It comes in a pawesome turquoise fleece that contrasts my fur quite nicely!

Puuuhhhllleeeeezzzze Santa Paws!! I've been a good pup all year!! (well, mostly....but good enough!!!)




[photo credit]

Manchester Terrier vs. Doberman vs. Min Pin

My buddies, Wiley and Fivel, left a comment that I hear a lot. They thought I was a Doberman, or some kind of off shoot (I'm also always confused with being a Min Pin). So for them, and you, a little "edumaction"!

I am a Standard Manchester Terrier (not a miniature Doberman - they do not exist!). I'm about 17" tall, 24lbs, terrier through and through, I love to jump, track, RUN and eat!!

Appearing in the form we know today in the late 1800s the longevity of this breed should be recognized. Writings referring to an earlier version of the breed (the English Black and Tan Terrier) date back almost 400 years, making the Manchester one of the oldest breeds of terrier currently recognized. [source]

It is believed that some Manchester Terrier genes were used among many other breeds to create the Doberman we know today (hence the similarities in look). [source]

Miniature Pinschers even pre-date the Doberman. They too are a cross breed of the Dachshund and the Italian Greyhound. [source]

Originally we were bred as ratters, and even participated in various sports pitting us against rats in a fight. Once that was outlawed, some fanciers decided to refine the breed. By using a Whippet cross they were able to transform the breed from the rough coated, rugged terrier of the ratters to the sleek, elegant, gentleman's companion we now know.

Another factor is colour. Where Doberman's and Min Pin's come in either Black & Tan, Chocolate or Stag Red, the Manchester Terrier is only found to be Black & Tan in colour.

The Manchester now appears as two varieties in North America, distinguished primarily by weight: Toys up to, but not exceeding 12 lb., and Standards 12-22 lb.

If you want an awesome site that breaks it down...check out Ebet Toy Manchester website. Here are some pics from their site.

Toy Manchester Terrier, Standard Manchester Terrier, German Pinscher, Doberman Pinscher

Here's a little video of me playing at the park with my Doberman buddy, Vegas. He is about 8 or 9 months old...so he will still get bigger. I, on the other hand, am full grown. Enjoy!

2 Plus = Too Much FUN!!

My human and I were at her sisters yesterday baby/puppy sitting her niece, nephew and my 7 month old fur-cousin, Daisy.

WHAT FUN!!! We completely drove my human NUTS, cause it was NON-STOP action! She left thinking 2 dogs is too much...but I say you can never have too much fun!! BOL!

Daisy is a 60lb Golden-doodle. She is so cute and cuddly...but she knows who the boss is! I made sure to establish that early!

Here are some camera-phone pics and video of us playing. It was like this from 3:30pm - 11:00pm!!! My human was exhausted!

BOL! you can see the size difference between me and Daisy!

Snow Video

Whoops...forgot to add the video from our snow day!

Sadly...we had mild temps on Sunday, and it rained today. All the snow has been washed away....for now.

Snow Much Fun!!

I met up with Denali and Starr this morning at the off leash, and we played in the snow! (btw: check out my "sick" camo coat!)

Here are the photos of our play date.

Sniffing the welcome rocks! Checking out who's dropped by the park

Further inspection...

Yes, the snow is cold on my toes!

Checking out the action!

It SNOWED!!!

OMD!! It snowed today!!

Silly humans didn't take pictures...I'll try to remind them tomorrow! I loved it! It's a bit cold at first, but once I got to run around in it...whoooooo! So much fun!

Just Rude!

My human mom went to a "Dog Sense" seminar tonight...quite informative apparently, she learned stuff about my behaviour, and she says there are going to be some changes. Hrmpf! What's up with that?

Anyway, she told me something funny that happened after the seminar. A woman in the audience was looking for a new dog, and after hearing about me, asked my human at the end of the night about me. It went like this:

"So, what kind of dog is it you have?"

"A Manchester Terrier."

"Oh. I've never heard of that..."

"Um, well most people think it is a miniature Doberman"

dead silence...

"OH" (said with disgust) "I have to go!" And she stormed out of the building like my human just told her I was going to eat her children!

WTF??? (excuse my language). One thing my human and I for that matter can't stand...ignorance! It's just RUDE!


I mean, how could you deny this face!!

'Tis the season to be shopping!

With the holiday season upon us, I'd like to make your shopping experience a bit better! What's on your list for pawesome gifts this year?

Well for whatever Fifi and Fido are asking for, you don't have to go far to find it! Online stores specializing in dog apparel, treats, toys and more can easily be found with the click of your mouse!

Some of my favourites include: Pampered Puppy, Johann the Dog and Just Barks.

Now of course, shopping online means the use of credit cards. Just like the online stores available out there, finding the right credit card for you can be a daunting experience. Card companies like Mint try to make it easy for you.

As well as an attractive introductory offer the Mint credit card comes with many benefits and features like: 24 hour online shopping security, 0% interest on purchases until June 2008, online fraud protection and no annual fee, the Mint MasterCard is a great option to look into.

On top of that, you can personalize the card! Imagine...your cute fuzzy face on your humans credit card!

If you are finding it hard to get that pawfect gift for your pooch pals? Mint even offers Visa gift cards. Starting at denominations as low as $10, you can send your pal a pre-paid Visa gift card, so they can shop online or in store for their pawfect gift!

Happy shopping everypup!

*this is a sponsored post*