Check out these animal pound images:
CBP Agriculture Specialists Seized Avian Carcasses in Bag at the San Diego Border
Image by CBP Photography
030512: San Diego - CBP agriculture specialists seized ten pounds of undeclared raw avian carcasses at the San Ysidro port of entry. CBP agriculture specialists seized the carcasses, which were incinerated on site, and assessed the driver a 0 penalty for failing to declare the prohibited items. Raw avian products can be a host of foreign animal diseases, such as exotic Newcastle disease, that can be contagious and fatal to poultry. Transporting these products from Mexico is prohibited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and enforced at the border by CBP.
Photo Provided by: CBP agriculture specialist Daniel Jehl
Window to his serious soul.
Image by This Year's Love
Israel is a rather quiet, unassuming dog.
He has very intent stares and straightforward expressions.
He is nervous and wary but also calm and still.
He was sitting in the sun this afternoon and I noticed for the first time the peacock blue around the rim of his iris. Yet another piece of the puzzle Israel is.
He is an American Pit Bull Terrier. He weighs nearly 50 pounds and will probably top that in the months to come. He is not overly interested in making friends and I try not to force him to accept people or animals he doesn't like for the sake of appeasing that person's desire to pet my dog. I have to respect Israel's reluctance to warm up to strangers while at the same time encouraging him to not be scared and to accept that people will get too close and will not respect his personal space.
He is a "pit bull". The kind of dog most people are terrified of because of the media and damaging and completely untrue myths. Pit bulls are not human aggressive, they were bred to be completely loyal and submissive around humans. They are dog aggressive and we cannot forget that in our desire to give the pit bull back it's good name.
Israel is an amazing animal. He is a wonderful dog with a stunning loyalty to me from the moment I got him. He is reserved but not outright aggressive. To deny his heritage and the fact that he is part of a breed that man created to want to attack other dogs and larger animals is to invite disaster.
But I don't think we can breed that aggressiveness completely out of them without changing what makes them a pit bull in their core. Sometimes you just have to accept the bad with the good and take responsibility for the animal you decide to own.
He will never be held at fault for anything that happens while he is under my control. Any and all blame for anything that might happen will fall on my shoulders.
Are you prepared for that?
Can you honestly say to yourself that you can handle a pit bull?
They are not for everyone. And to say so is not putting down other people or saying that those with pit bulls and are able to handle them are better or superior than those who can't.
It's the truth, it's real, and it's important to never forget if we are going to be able to fight BSL and win back this breeds good name.
I hope I never am without a pit bull in my life. Israel is one of the most amazing creatures I've ever known.
He would die for me.
He would kill for me.
But all he really wants is to be able to look up and know I'm going to make sure he's safe and that he knows what I want and expect from him. That's all either he or Judah ever really wants. Assurance that I'm in control and they can trust me to show them the way.
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Image by Dr.seshagirirao_vandana-MBBS
Black-tailed prairie dogs are tough, social animals that live in and around burrows deep within the prairie soil. They grow to between 14 and 17 inches (350-425 mm) long and weigh about 2 to 3 pounds (.91-1.4 kg). They are tan with a whitish or buff-white belly. The tips of their tails are sparsely covered by black hair. They have short ears and, compared to their body size, relatively large black eyes. Prairie dogs live from 3 to 5 years.
