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

Little Bee was confiscated by animal control from a cruel situation. She was a breeding machine and forced to live on a chain with inadequate food and shelter all her life.

The ideal situation for Little Bee would be in a home as the only pet and with someone home a lot. She doesn't require a lot of exercise and is very easy to please. It is simply impossible not to fall in love with this adorable little dog. First of all she is too cute for words! She has THE cutest underbite in the world and her little face is simply irresistible.

Her disposition with people is excellent. She really is as sweet and loving as can be, cuddly and affectionate. She'll lay on your lap, belly up, for hours if you let her. She loves to be held like a baby..... She's in heaven when in someone's arms and her small size is perfect for cuddling. She's a clown! She will make you roll on the floor laughing. She loves to amuse the gallery with her antics too.

Finally, her small size and low exercise requirement make her the perfect candidate for apartment living or a small house. We are confident that Bumblebee will make her new family totally head-over-heels for her. She's a real gem and adorable little pit bulls like her don't come by too often. Little Bee has it all. Don't let her pass you by so APPLY for sweet Bumblebee today!

We're so very pleased this month to recognize the hard work and dedication of our wonderful volunteer, Stephanie Pugh.

She tells us, "My love for pit bulls stems from the hundreds of positive experiences I have had with the breed. I have always been moved by their forgiveness and loyalty to humans. My first dog (a non-pit bull) came from a shelter and I started volunteering at that shelter to "give back" to rescues. This lead me to a part time job at Wayside Waifs where I started fostering and working with all the pits in the shelter. In my real life, haha, I am a full time high school art teacher. My teacher background in me made me realize that shelters are in need of experienced bully breed advocates to help teach others how to care, advocate and educate about bully breeds. So my "Bully Breed" class was born, an effort to take care of the important issues surrounding pit bulls. It was a great success! Before I knew it I had an army of pit bull advocates, many of who were very skeptical of the breed before taking the class. I have three friends who have adopted from Missouri Pit Bull Rescue and had known about the group when I saw a facebook post for volunteers needed. I knew I had ZERO time to give to a rescue but I decided to give it a go anyway. Luckily, MPR welcomed me.

I started MPR with my dear friend Tom Anton so that we both could get our pittie fix. I tagged along to his shelter shifts and did other stuff with MPR from the comfort of my home. When Tom's daughter was severely hurt, I took over his shifts for a few months. So far I have organized 2 Hamburger Mary's BINGO events raising over $3000 total and have a couple more fundraisers going for fall/winter. I just took on a new role at MPR as foster coordinator where I am trying to organize consistent communication with our fosters to make sure they have food and other needs for our MPR pooches. I also foster, do home checks and finalize adoptions. The artist side of me has helped get t-shirts made and photographs taken of our dogs. Rescue is tough but even when I think I don't have the time.....I make the time, it is worth it to see our dogs happy."

Stephanie, 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

   Happy Updates are the fuel that keeps rescuers going....

Isabella is a very smart and sweet girl. She was potty trained the 2nd day we had her. You can teach her a trick once and she's got it. She loves to cuddle and bury her nose in my hair. The beauty shop and the bank are her favorite places to go and when we tell her where we are going she gets this shrill whine until we get there. Her favorite toy is a tennis ball and we play fetch all the time, she could care less about any other toy. When she gets cabin fever she jumps on the couch and gives us her shrill whine until she gets to go for a car ride. But my favorite is when you tell her you love her and she wants to nibble on your ear lobes. She is only 37 lbs. We could not be happier and we are glad she picked us for her family.

Thanks to all of you for all the hard work you do for the pits. You are terrific people.

Christi

I must admit, my wife was the instigator in this new-found, family adventure. Personally, I was adamantly against it! I initially refused to even view the dogs you had available on your website. However, with Mary Ann being Mary Ann, I relented and pulled up your site and saw #20010 "Angus Beef" (the young male pup my wife was considering).

I sat for well over 20 minutes just looking at the different photos of this dog. I studied his different expressions intently and I saw "something" within his eyes that stirred my heart. There was something pure and honest in his look that made me say, "Alright! Dammit, we'll take the chance."

That was as far as I would commit myself. "Just a chance, and no more." I was still skeptical. Well, as most would say, "the rest is history". We pondered for several days over his name, wanting to find one that would be appropriate to suit his personality. We chose "Dempsey" after the famous heavyweight champ, Jack Dempsey. Although the name has remained the same, our collective opinions have drastically changed! Jack Dempsey--he ain't! "Puddin", "Powder-Puff", "Softie" would come closer to a more correct analogy of this dog's personality.

After our initial two-week socialization regimen, Dempsey was allowed to mingle with our other two dogs and two inside cats. Sophie, our Cairn Terrier, is an old "hag"!! Annie, our 8-year old boxer, is a gentle old soul that wouldn't bite a biscuit. Our two inside cats Pinkie and Isabelle quickly got tired of their baths from Dempsey's oversized tongue. NO PROBLEMS!!

Through all of this adventure, we've learned one immutable fact! There is NO SUCH THING as an "indestructible" toy. Dempsey can, and will, reduce any toy to trash in only moments! He loves playing tug-of-war with his knotted ropes. Carrying them around to different members of the family wanting to engage them in play. When Sophie decides to play with him, it is hilarious!! She growls and roars all the time she's being towed from room to room by Dempsey with his wagging tail, happy to be playing with "someone".

He's beginning to grow Hair!! His skin condition is slowly but surely getting better. My wife and I came to the conclusion that his problem was a yeast infection and have altered his diet and nutritional intake accordingly. The recovery is a slow and tedious one, but advances are being made. It may well take 4-6 months for this to be overcame, but we are getting there.

In closing, I would like to let you know that Dempsey is a gentle, loving pup with a heart as big as his grin. He sacks out with the boys on the sofa and intently watches TV with them, or he falls fast asleep, laying across their chest. He turns a bright pink when excited because of his very short, new hair. He loves to run through the back yard and he "woofs" at Kita, our horse, out in the pasture. He can't quite figure out what he is! He's responding well to voice commands and wishes to please all of the time. He does have a bit of a stubborn streak, but will respond to an elevated request. Dempsey is doing just fine and so are we.

Respectfully,

Keith Felts.

When I found out that Violet's adoption fell through, I immediately called my parents to see if they could help me. My parents had never met her, but I knew that they would fall in love with her as soon as they saw her. They were waiting in the driveway when I pulled up. I opened the car door and out pops this stocky little hippopotamus. My mom and my dad were laughing hysterically...needless to say, she was an easy sell. They have worked very hard to keep her allergies in check and her skin looks beautiful! They kept the name Violet, but they actually call her "Ve-Ve." She has settled in really nicely and enjoys playing with her new brother Napoleon and going on walks through the woods. She also enjoys napping in the sunlight and watching birds and squirrels out the back window. However, she may be enjoying her new home a bit too much as she has gained five pounds since she got to their house (which puts her at a whopping 70 pounds). My mother was a little nervous to bring a pit bull into her home, but Ve-Ve has been a wonderful breed ambassador. With such a calm personality and such an adorable physique, she makes friends everywhere she goes. Ve-Ve truly is an amazing dog and I am happy that she stayed in the family. The only sad thing about this situation is that I don't get to see her as often as I would like!!

Sarah