Do you love pitties and Scentsy???

People often talk about the joy of watching the miracle of birth of puppies. This is particularly disturbing since we know only 1 in 600 Pit Bull born in this world will find a loving home. We know also, that nothing is more difficult than to find a home for a "momma dog". We currently have a few brave mothers in our program in dire need of a loving home. Aurora, Titania , Nika...

Some people believe that a female dog should have at least one litter before being spayed. There is absolutely no justification to that belief. In fact, the longer you wait before spaying a female, the greater the chances she will develop cancer later in life.

A pregnancy is extremely hard on a female dog. MPR has rescued countless mama dogs who had given literally all they had to their pups and were on the brink of death when discovered. It takes months for a female to recover after a pregnancy. And if you think you are doing the dog a favor by letting her experience the joy of motherhood, please think again...

Like humans, canines need strong social structure to thrive and survive. In the wild, puppies stay under the protection of the pack and their parents until they are old enough to survive on their own. Only then, when the dogs are about a year old, some youngsters will leave the pack and move on, though many canines stay with their family for their entire life.

No six, seven or height week old puppy is strong enough to survive on its own. The dogs know that. Pulling an 8 week old puppy from a mama dog like humans do is like expecting a 2 year old baby to move out of his parents home, get a job and find an apartment. We are messing with nature when we remove puppies from their mother and siblings and place them in a home at 8 weeks old.

Dogs do not understand that we will be there to care for them. In the puppy's mind, he or she will die away from his "canine family", hence why puppies scream bloody murder the first few nights we bring them home. As for the mother, she has to witness her pups disappear one by one helplessly, and has no clue what will happen to them. We can't explain to her that the pups have found a new home and everything is ok. She believes they are getting lost and dying. Think about the emotional stress this causes a loving mother...

With Pet overpopulation causing more death than happy endings, and knowing that momma dogs suffer a great deal physically and emotionally when having and losing puppies, do we really need to add more puppies to this world so we can witness the miracle of birth? The miracle of birth when it comes to companion animals these days is simply a step towards euthanasia.

May 5 to 12, 2013 - Be Kind to Animals Week begins. Join the event that's been celebrated every year since 1915 -- American Humane's Be Kind to Animals Week. In this annual tradition, we commemorate the role animals play in our lives, promote ways to continue to treat them humanely, and encourage others, especially children, to do the same. Sponsored by the American Humane Association.

May 6-12, 2013 - Puppy Mill Action Week - Puppy mills contribute to pet overpopulation and cause countless dogs lifetimes of suffering in squalid wire cages. Help us stop this cycle of cruelty: Do your research before getting a puppy, and look into adopting a dog from your local shelter. Program of The HSUS.

May 12, 2013 - Happy Mother's Day!

May 19-25, 2013 - National Dog Bite Prevention Week - National Dog Bite Prevention Week is a public service campaign that offers safety tips and emphasizes the need for increased pet owner responsibility in the prevention of dog bites. Sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Northland Pet Pantry - The mission of the Northland Pet Pantry is to provide short-term help in the form of free food and basic supplies for the companion pets of people who are struggling financially.

Reminder from the National Canine Research Council - The excellent book The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression is available for free download at the National Canine Research Council website. Find it here.

Breed Discriminatory Fiscal Impact Calculator - Tool for municipalities in understanding the real cost of enforcing bans and restrictions on dogs because of their looks. The study that led to the calculator pointed out that dogs often identified as pit bulls may be, in fact, another breed entirely, which raises the question on how to properly identify animals that under the law might be banned.

Dog Training and the Myth of Alpha-Male Dominance - Victoria was profiled in a recent TIME Magazine article entitled "Dog Training and the Myth of Alpha-Male Dominance." In the article, Victoria helps highlight the differences between traditional dominance-based methods and her brand of positive reinforcement philosophies.

EXPECTING???? - Dogs Need To Be Prepared For Baby, Too - Shawnee Mission Medical Center Offers 'Dog & Storks' Class. Families preparing for a new baby may also want to consider preparing the family pet for the new addition, too. Dogs and Storks class is $29. For more information please see, Shawnee Mission Medical Center Classes

Maybell is fostered in a home with a male dog, 2 cats and an older child. She does well with the male dog in the home. She can't seem to figure out why the cats won't play with her so she tries to get them to play every time she sees them.

She walks well on a leash and is crate trained. She listens well and aims to please. She knows a couple of commands and is working on more.

She is very friendly and loves everyone she meets.

She is very energetic and silly but will also cuddle with you on the couch. She loves to play and give kisses.

Won't you show her love and give her a forever home and family of her very own? Don't wait another day ... APPLY today!

We're pleased this month to recognize the dedication our volunteer Sarah Anderson.

I have two boys, ages 14 and almost 8, two cats and a foster dog-son. I became interested in volunteering a few years ago; my sister is an active pittie rescue worker. She had fostered several dogs and failed several times so Griffon and Essie became part of my extended family. When she brought home Penny as a tiny pup, I was smitten. We had boxers and a full house so I started looking for volunteer opportunities. A friend had adopted from MPR and suggested I apply to volunteer.

On my first shelter shift I fell in love. The dogs were all so sweet and so loving. I do a lot of playing on my shifts and some training. I love to snuggle them all but I like to keep the dogs active when they are out to try to burn some extra energy, it has to be boring sitting in a kennel most of the day! During a game of fetch in the yard I was tackled by a handsome blue boy who not only stole the rope, he stole my heart. Everyone has a favorite and Malachi was mine from that first night. Learning the personality of each of the dogs, knowing who likes to play and who prefers a good cuddle, kissing each one good night as I tuck them into bed. I spent many a night driving home in tears wanting to keep them all.

My mantra is the Starfish Story; it brings me back and gives me focus. A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement. She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!” The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”

With my boys, my dancing and work I have a very active lifestyle but I did not feel like I was contributing enough to MPR with just my shelter shift so I became the Foster Coordinator. Hooray for spreadsheets! I keep track of who is fostered where and stay in contact throughout the month. If you have a question and you are a foster parent, I’m your girl! I moved recently and was able to open my home to foster. There was never any doubt in my mind who I would bring home but I did question whether my home would best for him. We don’t have a fence and my boys can be nuts and my schedule is a bit hectic most days. Our games of fetch no longer involve a tackle but Mal still owns my heart. He has fit right into our family and our crazy life and the boys and I couldn’t be happier. I made a difference to that one!

Sarah, your caring, hard work and commitment are such an asset to MPR and the dogs. We are so very fortunate and thankful to have you on board. Thank you!

~ MPR Volunteers

Stevie Ray (Conquest) and Marmy are doing great. I text Mike regularly about Marmy and have texted Courtney a few times as well, last time being about Stevie Ray eating my bedroom door due to separation anxiety. Problem solved, he goes everywhere with me. haha

They are doing wonderful. Thank you also for the wonderful gifts you gave me.

Elisa