Breed Specific Legislation

Ah yes, good ol' breed specific legislation. Something I had always been quite passionate about but recent events have made me even more so. My parents are from Omaha and there have apparently been several pit bull attacks in the last few months. So of course, there is the motion for knee jerk, feel good "let's ban pit bulls!" legislation As I'd like my next dog to be a rescue pit bull as a therapy dog, I was suddenly hit with the realization of wondering how I would explain to a dog that they are not welcome to visit my parents, despite being a certified therapy dog with multiple temperament titles.

In the mean time, I have a gorgeous young female Rottweiler named Dolly who really needs a home where she'll be a therapy dog. She's on the smaller side, LOVES kids, and is very people oriented.

I'd consider her myself if I wasn't full up on four other dogs. However, Buck my oldest is starting to show his age and I think I'm about to the point of always needing to feed him outside. Otherwise, he'll often lose bowel control in the middle of eating.

I sure wish that the people who create these knee jerk legislative bills were aware that the same breed that we read about in maulings is also used in...

Narcotics detection: http://www.lawdogsusa.org
Search and rescue: http://www.forpitssake.org/sar.html
Competitive agility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prW28sSMrUU
Competitive disc: http://www.wallacethepitbull.com
Competitive dock diving: http://flyingk9s.homestead.com/Rajah.html
Therapy work (this is Leo, a Michael Vick dog): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25214356/
Service/assistance work: http://www.chloethepitbull.com

Welcome to the Machine

Finally I try once more this great and glorious adventure known as "the blog." Let me introduce myself. I'm a second year vet student at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine. I have a masters degree in biology with the subject of my research for my thesis being the effect of diet and endocrine disruptors (specifically diethylstilbestrol and bisphenol A) on the mouse reproductive system. I also have two bachelors degrees in biology and religious studies and a minor in history. I like being well rounded, if you can't tell, and appreciate a good classical education, not just science science science all the time. Which is all I get/got in vet school and grad school respectively.

I'm interested in holistic veterinary medicine when I get out, specifically in nutrition and behavior. I, of course, pick the two areas of veterinary medicine where the only thing two vets can agree on is what the third is doing wrong. I'd like to get into mixed practice (mostly small animal/exotic, but occasional equine and food animal for hobby/small family farmers). I would love to also eventually be a professor and teach, as teaching was actually my favorite part of grad schoool. At any rate, I'm excited to be here to freely rant, rave, enlighten, confound, and quite possibly put my foot in my mouth.

-Maren

My menagerie:

-Zoso (3 year old Belgian Malinois/German shepherd) Sch AD, DSA, TT, CGC
-Lily (3 year old Belgian Malinois) TT, CGC, TDI, PALS certified therapy dog
-Buck (10-12 year old Siberian husky/Rottweiler) CGC
-Fawkes (1 year old Belgian Malinois) CGC
-Sheila (4 year old jungle carpet python)
-Severus (3 year old anerythristic boa constrictor imperator)
-Kedavra (rat of unknown age)
-Walker Texas Ranger (6 year old sable ferret who is now mostly bald due to hyperadrenalcorticism)