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Belicose Wolfe

December 2, 2008 | 6 Comments

This is the story of how Bella came home with us.

I was driving, Ed was in the passenger seat. We were on our way to pick Joey up from school on a Friday afternoon. “Dog!” Ed gasped and pointed. I slowed and watched a medium, brown dog without a tail run across the road. I pulled over and watched her for a second to see if anyone was around.

“Let’s try to catch him,” I told Ed, not knowing Bella was a female dog. Ed was game, so we pulled into the empty lot that the dog had run to. We parked. I grabbed a rope from the trunk. The dog was very fearful and wouldn’t come near. So we tried to leave some water for her to drink. Ed set a plastic bag on the ground and poured water into it, making sure the dog saw what he was doing. The dog was very interested and as soon as Ed walked away from the water, she came towards it.

We had to pick up Joey from school. Ed offered to stay with the dog on the construction site while I got Joey. Ed would watch the dog, see where she went. if she ran, I said, we should call Animal Control. “But they’ll kill her.” Ed worried.

“Maybe. I hope not. But if Floyd were lost and someone found him, would you rather they let him roam around without food and water or have him picked up by Animal Control? If he went to the pound, they’re supposed to scan him for a microchip, which they’d find and contact us.” Ed agreed with me that we should call the professionals. Or at least, that’s what he told me at the time. Neither of us wanted to call them, though. And luckily, we didn’t need to.

When I came back with Joey I also brought some dog treats, a leash, and a water container. I set out to see if I could get the leash around her neck.

“She only has one eye,” Ed told me. He mistook her blue-white eye for missing. To me, that made our effort to catch her more urgent. She might need medical attention. Ed might have been wrong about her eye, but he correctly identified the dog’s sex.

Ed went back to the car to cool off in the air conditioning with Joey while I tried to gain the dog’s trust. I tried not to look at her directly and I crouched down a bit. I walked towards her sideways rather than straight-on, and slowly. I tossed her a few treats now and then. She’d let me get within reach, but whenever I tried to slide the leash over her head she ran away.

I started getting a little frustrated and began to walk around to calm myself. She followed me! I walked around further, towards a housing development. My hope was if I couldn’t catch her, I could at least lure her to a safer location. The busy road and empty lot wasn’t doing her any good, but a neighborhood might help turn her into a catchable, friendly stray. She followed me to the neighborhood.

Ed suggested that I could just walk home and she would literally “follow me home,” like a children’s story. I considered it, but I knew we’d have to cross an even busier street and I didn’t want to risk it without a leash on her. I kept Ed’s idea as a back-up plan.

I kept tossing her treats and cooing to her. I called her “Sadie.” By then I’d figured out she had both her eyes, it’s just that one was a different color than the other. But I’d also noticed that she seemed hungry and interested in the treats, yet unable to eat them. They were hard biscuits so I thought maybe she had a problem with her teeth. Indeed, she had a broken tooth and was likely in a lot of mouth pain.

I squatted and thought for a bit about what we should do. “Sadie” came over and licked my hand. That’s when I knew I’d gained her trust enough that I didn’t have to trick her and try to slide the leash over her head, I could just reach around her neck and clasp it. I took a deep breath and hoped she wouldn’t bite me. I reached around her neck. I did it! I got the leash on her.

Immediately I felt silly for not trusting her from the beginning. Here was this nice dog who wouldn’t hurt a fly and I had treated her like she was a wild wolf. I wasn’t afraid of her anymore. I even boldly picked her up and put her in the car. She gave no resistance, no signs of bodily pain, no problems. I remember thinking that she was so gentle she must have a family in distress looking for her. But she didn’t have a family.

We took her to the closest animal hospital to have her scanned for a microchip. If she’d been implanted with a chip, we’d be able to call her people and reunite them. (Most veterinarians will microchip scan an animal for free, so if you find a lost pet, you can get them scanned without having to involve Animal Control.) Alas, she did not have a chip. So then the question became, “What did we want to do with her?”

I told the vet we should give her the basic shots and get her checked out. So that’s what they did, along with a bath and a deworming. The vet said she checked out just fine, but that she should have her broken tooth removed when she got fixed.

Over the next few days we named her Belicose Wolfe, an ironic name indicating her gentle nature. And we call her Bella for short. We made signs that said “Found Dog” with a photo, description, and my phone number and we put those signs all over about a 5 mile radius from where we found her. We contacted the animal shelters by phone and faxed them our sign. We posted her photo and description online at craigslist, FidoFinder and pets911.

Monday, three days after we found her, we got a call. The caller said the dog must have ran away, that they “used her as a guard dog,” and they wanted her back. I asked if they had “proof of ownership” like vet records or photos of the people with the dog. I figured, that’s what Animal Control requires to release a dog, so that’s what I’d require. No, they didn’t have those things. This dog was “just a guard dog” without a name and she “didn’t go to the vet.”

It all sounded so confusing. This couldn’t be. She had to have a home, with a family, maybe even children. She was too nice to be a guard dog. She was too small, too young, too submissive. And besides, I was already in love with her. I wasn’t going to hand her over to men who were planning to neglect and maybe even abuse her. I ended the conversation saying “Call me back when you have proof of ownership.”

They called back and wanted to show me photos. I told them to speak to Ed. Ed grilled them on their dog care. Did they feed her everyday? No. When did they notice she was missing? Saturday. Why didn’t they do anything to try to find her on Sunday? No answer. They hung up on Ed after yelling vulgarities.

We thought they might contact us again and we made a plan to “buy” Bella from them if we had to. But they never called us back.

We got her fixed a few days later. The next week we enrolled her in a basic obedience class. And now she’s a permanent part of the family.

Thanksgiving Photos

November 28, 2008 | 15 Comments

Here are photos from my family Thanksgiving meal…

The table is set:

Bella, our newest family member, looks on:

Our appetizers were: nuts, fried peas, pretzels, sweet potato fries, yaro root fries, hummus and pita, and fresh vegetables.

The spread:

From near to far: fruit salad, cole slaw, pomegranate quinoa, squash and bean stew, stuffed squash, Celebration Roast, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. Not shown: nog, fruit juice, pumpkin pie, apple pie, vegan ice cream, vegan frozen yogurt, vegan whip cream, and chocolate coconut cookies.

From the other direction:

My sister starts the buffet line:

My plate:

Celebration Roast in the middle. Slaw and green bean casserole to the right. Fruit salad below, quinoa and mashed potatoes to the left. Pumpkin and bean stew, carrots, and stuffed squash at the top.

Our Thanksgiving was filled with abundance. We had our family, plenty of food, and good times.

UPDATE: Here are some recipes…

• BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH WHOLE WHEAT, WILD RICE, & ONION STUFFING
• “THREE SISTERS” STEW
• Quinoa Pilaf With Chick Peas, Pomegranate and Spices
• Pumpkin PIe

The carrots were simply sliced and steamed alongside the Celebration Roast in vegetable broth.
The fruit salad was simply a combination of apples, grapes, clementines, pear, blueberries, and strawberries drizzled with lemon juice and agave nectar.
The green bean casserole was somewhat ad hoc. It’s the basic casserole recipe minus dairy, plus soy or something or other.
Mashed potatoes were basic, too. She simply used vegan margarine rather than butter.

Bella Pix

November 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Bella looks up from a nap.

Looking up for a treat or praise.

Curled up on the couch.

Chewing up her special bed.

Coming soon: action shots!

Sun and Daughter (Vitamin D for Vegans)

June 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment

More pro-meat propaganda:

Glasgow: “A girl of 12 brought up by her parents on a strict vegan diet has been admitted to hospital with a degenerative bone condition said to have left her with the spine of an 80-year-old. [...]

“The youngster, fed on a strict meat- and dairy-free diet from birth, is being treated at the city’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children. She is said to have a severe form of rickets and to have suffered a number of fractured bones. The condition is caused by a lack of vitamin D, which is needed to absorb calcium and is found in liver, oily fish and dairy produce.”

So, that’s the spin. Here’s the truth:

The vitamin D found in dairy is artificial. It’s been fortified. You know why? Because omnivorous children were getting rickets. So the US government started fortifying dairy with vitamin D.

And now, many other foods are fortified with vitamin D, too, such as SOYMILK, orange juice, and breakfast cereals. Even mushrooms and nutritional yeast may be good sources of vitamin D for some people.

Oh, yeah, and vitamin D can be absorbed through sunlight. It’s recommended that everyone spend some time outdoors everyday to get a good, healthy dose of vitamin D. (Hello? One of the reasons I love Vegas: sunlight is good for humans.)

However, dark skin pigmentation makes vitamin D absorption through sunlight more difficult, so some people with darker skin may want to pay extra attention and make sure they get vitamin D in their diet.

Also, vitamin D requires some dietary fat. The best sources of dietary fat are vegan sources.

Also, one can receive too much vitamin D. You can overdose on vitamin D. So it’s not always a good idea to use supplements for vitamin D because of that risk. Simply spend some time outdoors and eat a wide variety of vegan foods. However, if you live in the north, you should probably take a supplement during the winter.

Oh, and if you read The China Study you’ll learn that a diet that contains animal products tends to inhibit the production of a special feature of vitamin D. the resulting trend is that people with low exposure to sunlight (living at northern latitudes, like Scotland) who also eat animal-based diets (meat-centric) are more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis than people who have higher sunlight exposure and eat plant-based diets. (See the appendix starting at page 361.)

What’s the take-away? Well, duh, if you care about your health or the health of your children (or other people you feed) you need to do a little research about nutrition and learn about food. Everyone needs to learn about nutrition, not just vegans!

Anyone can create a poor diet that results in a vitamin deficiency. Don’t think that eating meat will protect you, it won’t. In fact, it will only hurt you. Studies consistently show that people who eat plant-based diets (when given a choice) are healthier than people who eat animal-based diets. Moreover, people who eat whole, unprocessed foods are more likely to get adequate nutrition than people who eat processed foods.

For more information on a healthy, vegan diet, please read these sources:

• Staying A Healthy Vegan
• Feeding Vegan Kids
• Vegan Nutrition
• The Vegan Food Pyramid

Hat tip to Increasing Veganicity, who found the pro-meat propaganda.

Feeding Kids Meat Is Child Abuse

May 5, 2008 | 7 Comments

This is one of PETA’s recent campaigns in the UK. It’s quite controversial, as you’d imagine.

I’m betting Dave Warwak would like it. I like the concept, but I don’t like PETA’s fat shaming. More on that further down. First, the good stuff.

On PETA’s website about it they say:

“Children are inherently drawn to animals. They would be appalled to learn that each year in the United Kingdom, more than 900 million mammals and birds – and countless fish – are killed for food, and millions more die from stress, suffocation, injuries or disease in the food industry.”

I completely agree. Most children love animals and they are literally traumatized when they learn where meat comes from. They are desensitized to violence against animals because eating meat teaches children that violence to animals is socially acceptable under many circumstances. This is a tough lesson that is wholly unnecessary. And it results in real trauma to children, hurt that many carry throughout their lives whether or not they recognize it as such. So, on this point, I agree with PETA that feeding your children meat is a form of child abuse.

(Here are two podcasts related to the trauma of the lies parents tell their children in order to feed them meat: animal advocacy and emotional stress and becoming re-sensitized. Here’s an article about teaching children peace.)

Don’t get me wrong, here. I think feeding kids meat is institutionalized child abuse, not individualized child abuse. I don’t think parents ought to be punished for feeding their kids foods that are not only socially acceptable, but that are also heavily marketed directly to children and that are supported by the government in the form of agricultural subsidies. (And it should also be noted that I’m referring the US here, not the UK.)

But PETA’s main point is this:

“As a parent, you want your children to live full, productive and happy lives. So isn’t it about time you stopped feeding them a diet which leads them down the path of misery, morbid obesity and playground mockery? Stuffing your kids full of burgers and bangers will not only make them fat and lethargic – it may also set them up for a host of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and several types of cancer. In fact, kids as young as 3 have shown signs of clogged arteries!”

PETA should have led with the health problems since they are far more important and relevant. Increasing your kids’ risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer through meat-eating is serious and could easily be considered child abuse since vegan foods are easily available. There’s no reason to feed children meat. As a parent, you can’t ensure that your child isn’t exposed to disease, but you can limit their exposure. For example, you might not be able to move out of Louisiana’s cancer alley, but you can serve healthy meals to your children.

My problem isn’t with the concept. I agree that feeding kids unhealthy foods, such as meat, is a form of abuse. To be sure, I don’t think it’s the worst type of abuse and I certainly wouldn’t support diverting funds away from prevention of other, more traumatizing forms of child abuse in order to prevent this type of child abuse. But I do agree with PETA that feeding children meat is a type of child abuse. My real problem with the ads is the fat shaming.

PETA’s fat shaming is unacceptable. The campaign should not be “Fight The Fat” and instead should be “Prevent Disease.” While there is a causal link between meat-eating and obesity for many people, there are plenty of fat vegetarians and vegans. I know them. In fact, my BMI places me in the “overweight category.” PETA tends to overlook us fat veggies and our objections to their claims that vegetarianism necessarily results in weight loss.

Statements like “fight the fat” are direct attacks on all fat people: meat-eaters AND vegans alike. It’s as though PETA’s campaign thinks “playground mockery” is acceptable when it’s done against fat kids. Well, it’s not. Bullying is wrong. Fat shaming is not OK. From Healing Trauma In Ourselves And Our World - part 1:

“We have to be willing to dig deep into our personal and collective histories, to face squarely the fact that it is never “okay” or excusable for a child to be ridiculed, slapped, ignored, talked down to, manipulated, made to feel ashamed, or otherwise mistreated, and that such mistreatment leaves lasting scars and baggage that are not always apparent at first glance.”

PETA’s ad campaign could very easily be interpreted, particularly to children reading the billboards, to mean ‘fight the fat kids’ and ‘bully the burger-eater.’ PETA should be a bit more careful.

This and some other PETA campaigns tend to ignore the reality that vegetarianism and veganism does not make everyone skinny. Certainly, vegetarianism and veganism are much healthier than meat-eating and many people will lose weight on a veg*n diet, but not everyone. The ones who do, usually lose weight because their omnivorous diet was excessively high in calories and their new veg diet is unintentionally lower in calories. Increased fiber from fruits and veggies helps with weight loss, but it can only do so much. So, if someone switches from a low meat diet to a no meat diet, they might not see any weight loss. Likewise, if someone switches from vegetarianism with low diary/eggs to veganism, they’re unlikely to see weight loss. (That last example represents me.) Moreover, gradual changes are less likely to result in significant weight loss than dramatic change because the body compensates. (Point being: if you want to lose weight, go vegan cold turkey and cut calories. But remember, you’ll still probably need to exercise, too.)

By ignoring the basic premises of weight loss - reduced caloric intake and/or increased caloric expenditure (diet and exercise) - PETA encourages unrealistic expectations for people converting from an omnivorous diet to an herbivorous diet. News flash: if you eat the same amount of calories and don’t increase your exercise, you won’t lose weight. It’s just that simple. PETA’s promotion of vegetarianism = weight loss can backfire and wind up with a lot of disappointed people who care more about weight loss than animals so they go back to eating meat. That doesn’t help animals, much, does it? All the while, the promotion of fat shaming hurts all fat people.

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