Beat the heat!

Well, Quartzsite finally hit the triple digit temperatures that can drive away even the "bona fide" residents. "Monsoon season" is just around the corner (June 15th), and then refrigerated air conditioning units are necessary because “swamp coolers” won't be much help when the humidity climbs from the rain. 

The meteorologist out of Phoenix says "we're under an extreme heat advisory, so don't forget to water your pets". While that's certainly a well intentioned tip, it may not do much good. Just like you and I, pets don't like to drink warm water on a hot day. Water left sitting out in a dish can quickly warm up to room temperature, or if you live in Quartzsite, it's probably hot coming right out of the tap! Your dog or cat may avoid drinking until things cool down at night. Here in the desert, there can be several weeks where it never gets even close to cool...by the time your pet decides to drink, it may already be dehydrated. Try giving your pet ice cubes, or putting ice in their water bowl. 

Leave your pet at home in the air conditioning. If you must run errands or you are on a vacation with your dog, make sure that you carry a spare key for your vehicle. With a spare key, you can leave the vehicle running and the air conditioner on, while still being able to lock it.

Even in the moderate temperatures of the early morning, a car acts like a greenhouse, trapping the sun’s heat. Did you know that temperatures can potentially rise as much as 34 degrees a minute? For example, with the car windows slightly open the inside temperature can climb from 85 degrees to 102 degrees Fahrenheit in only ten minutes, and up to 120 degrees in only 20 minutes!

When a dog’s core temperature rises to 107-108 degrees they will quickly suffer irreparable brain damage or even death. Leaving your dog in a hot car is a sure way to bring on heat stroke. If concerned citizens, the police, or animal control believes that your dog is in distress, there’s a good chance your widow may be broken to retrieve the animal and you could face criminal charges.

Early signs of heatstroke include:

*rapid breathing

*dry mouth and nose

*rapid heart rate

*dull grey-pink or red gums

These symptoms can be followed within minutes by collapse, seizures, coma and death.

Even in the early stages of heat stroke, you could be fighting for your dog’s life. That’s because a dog’s core temperature can continue to rise even after you reduce the temperature in the environment.  Wet the dog down with cool (not cold!) water or wrap the dog in a wet towel and get to your veterinarian right away.

Dehydration in Dogs

Know the Signs
and How to React

Dehydration in dogs, which occurs due to an excessive loss of body fluids, is a common and dangerous condition that needs to be immediately addressed. If left untreated, dehydration can lead to serious consequences, including organ failure and death. For this reason, pet parents should learn to recognize the signs of dehydration and how to respond to it with proper dog first aid and veterinary attention.

Dehydration in Dogs is Typically Caused by:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Not enough intake of food or water
• Overexposure to heat

An ill dog is at high danger of dehydration, since the illness can cause dog diarrhea , dog vomiting, fever and a lack of desire to eat and drink.

Along with a loss of water, dehydration also typically involves a loss of electrolytes – minerals such a sodium, chloride and potassium.

Signs of Dehydration in Dogs Include:

• Lack of skin elasticity
• Dry, sticky gums
• Sunken eyes
• Too much or too little urination
• Lethargy
• Delay in capillary refill time (the time it takes for your dog’s gum to return to its normal color after you press your finger against it)

How to Determine Dehydration in Dogs

Although it is less accurate than medical testing from your veterinarian, a quick at-home physical examination to test the elasticity of your dog’s skin can help tell you if your dog is dehydrated. To check, do the following:

Gently pull up on the skin at the back of your dog’s neck. If the skin does not immediately spring back to its normal position (within 1 or 2 seconds), your dog is dehydrated and needs immediate attention. The longer it takes for the skin to return to its normal position, the more severe the dehydration.

Be aware that if your dog is older it will be more difficult to accurately perform this test, since older dogs naturally lose some of their skin elasticity.

After your dog has been re-hydrated, it is essential that your veterinarian perform the proper examinations and tests to determine the underlying cause. Only by doing so can you ensure that your pet is healthy and avoid repeated dehydration.

Again, dehydration in dogs is a serious condition that requires prompt attention by a veterinary profession. Do not take chances with your dog’s life. If at any time you suspect that your dog might be dehydrated, immediately bring him to your veterinarian for diagnoses and treatment.

Legal Disclaimer
If your pet is showing any signs of distress or you suspect your pet is seriously ill, contact your veterinarian immediately. This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care.

http://www.the-happy-dog-spot.com/dehydration-in-dogs.html

Sheriff Joe Arpaio barks out both sides of his mouth

I saw this, and thought it was worth bringing to light, disgusting...

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/02/sheriff_joe_arpaio_desperate_t.php

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "Desperate" to Find Home for Pitbull; If He Finds One, Let's Hope His Goons Don't Burn it Down
By James King, Tuesday, Feb. 23 2010 @ 11:14AM
Comments (15)
Categories: Animal Use and Abuse

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is holding a press conference today in which he will seek a home for a pit bull named Queenie, which has been living in the Sheriff's Department's MASH Unit for about seven years.

Whenever we hear about America's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff''s" soft spot for any animal that can't speak or file a lawsuit, we can't help but think back to another pooch from the sheriff's past, who had a home that the sheriff's goon squad burned to the ground with the dog inside.

In 2004, New Times featured a story titled Dog Day Afternoon about a raid gone wrong, when the sheriff's SWAT team stormed a house to serve a warrant to a 26-year-old man who had some outstanding traffic violations.

In the course of the raid, Joe's deputies fired teargas into the house, which arguably started a fire that burned it to the ground.

As the house was burning, one of Joe's humanitarians drove a 10-month-old pit bull puppy -- trying to flee the burning building -- back into the inferno.

As the puppy burned, sheriff's deputies reportedly laughed at the animal's distraught owner, Andrea Barker.

But when it comes to press conferences, Joe's a dog lover, right?

"I can't understand why we haven't found her a home," Arpaio tells ABC 15 about Queenie. "I realize she's not a celebrity dog like those we confiscated from the rapper Earl Simmons, aka DMX. Those dogs were more easily adopted, but Queenie is a good dog who deserves a good home. I hate to think of her spending the rest of her life behind bars, even though it's true, she's never complained, issued a grievance, or filed a lawsuit."

That's only because she can't talk, Joe.

Arpaio's press conference isn't just for Queenie (or his ego), mind you. The sheriff says his puppy prisons are becoming over-crowded, and he wants to raise awareness and increase adoptions.

"I run a no-kill animal shelter, and I intend to keep it that way," Arpaio says.

Raids by his SWAT team, apparently, are another story.

HSUS and ASPCA thieves steal healthy show dogs

"Google"  search "Joe Woodall" for more information. My favorite link is:
http://bluedogstate.blogspot.com/2009/08/hsus-and-aspca-filling-pit-bull-burial.html


This man got his registered show dogs back after two months and a court order, because he had the presence of mind to video tape them before anything went wrong, then video tape the entire raid, then video tape his dogs in the custody of the non profit animal thieves.

Animal Charities Impersonate Law Enforcement

This is an AWSOME ARTICLE! - Go directly to the original link to see the comments.
http://ar-hr.com/2009/10/29/paving-the-way/


Has the HSUS CEO Paved The Way For HSUS Legal Liability?

Published on 29 October 2009 by ESaunders AR-HR.com in Animal Rights, blog

On October 18, the Carroll Cox Show interviewed Ronnie Graves and Allan Schwartz, former members of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Emergency Rescue Team. There are 3 items that stand out that indicate that the Humane Society of the United States as an organization and volunteers as individuals may have been put into a seriously actionable position. (in layman’s terms, at legitimate risk of lawsuit)

* The badge and identification provided to Ronnie Graves by the Humane Society of the United States, reportedly ordered by Scotlund Haisley & identified by a law enforcement official as ‘too similar to that of law enforcement’

* The statement by Scotlund Haisley to Ronnie Graves, “I want the scum to think we’re law enforcement,” when confronted with the potential illegality of the identification

* The response of Wayne Pacelle, “I like the Cowboy Ways that Scotlund brings to the team,” when the Scotlund Haisley’s comment was reported to him by Ronnie Graves, in person.

These items appear to tie together three potential issues: Impersonation of a Police Officer, action “under color of law” , and issues related to Section 1983 of the US Constitutional Torts Code (cited below). These three elements appear to all be tied together by the Carroll Cox show interview, as well as additional recent court cases.

Would you know this badge meant nothing if HSUS showed up at your door?

Impersonation of a Police Officer
Since Police Impersonation laws seem to be relatively similar across the US, I am referring to Criminal Jury Instructions as published by the Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut:

* Element 1 – Impersonation: The first element is that the defendant
 by (his/her) words or conduct, pretended to be a sworn member of an organized local police department or the division of state police within the department of public safety.

 wore or displayed without authority a uniform, badge or shield by which a police officer is lawfully distinguished.

* Element 2 – Intent: The second element is that by such action, (he/she) intended to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon such pretended authority. A person acts “intentionally” with respect to a result when (his/her) conscious objective is to cause such result.

Scotlund Haisley's Facebook photo, kicking in doors.

I am not a lawyer, and do not pretend to be, but to my layman’s eyes the elements cited in the CT Criminal Jury Instructions appear disturbingly close to being fulfilled. Especially when considering that the badge authenticity as a law enforcement badge is irrelevant to this sort of issue:

* Commentary: The fact that the uniform, badge or shield was not authentic is irrelevant. “The goal of the statute is to prohibit criminal impersonation. Among other things, the statute prohibits an individual from using a badge with the intent of inducing another to submit to authority that he or she does not possess. Because the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant used a badge that appeared to lawfully distinguish him and that he used the badge in the manner proscribed by the statute, we are unable to see how the issue of the badge’s lineage or authenticity bears on the goals that the legislature sought to achieve.” State v. Guadalupe, 66 Conn. App. 819, 828 (2001), cert. denied, 259 Conn. 902 (2002).

Note the common elements between the HSUS badge and true law enforcement badges; especially the use of eagle at the top, the placement of lettering, the use of gold tone metal, the logo in the center and the use of the US flag.

Action “under color of law”

There are two scenarios where private persons (or organizations) are considered to be acting “under color of law”:

1. a private person who conspires with a state actor is a state actor for the purpose of the alleged conspiracy.

2. a private person who acts as an agent of the state acts under color of law.

Humane Society of the United States announces its working collaboratively with government agencies on a regular basis, does this not fulfil the definition of “under color of law”? A few of numerous examples below:

* “Yesterday, our team worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and its Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement” (Source: Wayne Pacelle, “A Humane Nation”)

* “The HSUS’s Emergency Services team had four deployments—puppy mill raids in North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and South Dakota—where we partnered with local organizations and law enforcement to rescue dogs in distress, the victims of greed and neglect.” (Source: Wayne Pacelle, “A Humane Nation”)

* “…we rescued more than 500 dogs and about 15 cats in cooperation with the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office…” (Source: Wayne Pacelle, “A Humane Nation”)

Section 1983 of the US Constitutional Torts Code

Here is where the potential implications for the Humane Society of the United States as an organization, its volunteers personally and any government agency or official become disturbing. According to Section 1983 of the US Constitutional Torts Code: “Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any state or territory, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer’s judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.”

I know, its a lot of legal-ese. The layman’s thumbnail sketch: An individual (and/or organization) in an entwined relationship with government that is involved with depriving any citizen of any of their Constitutional rights “under color of law” is subject to being sued by the injured party in their individual capacity.

So, let’s say you are a volunteer helping a private organization seize animals (property) in association with a government agency. (entwined relationship) Under Section 1983, if there are Constitutional violations associated with the actions of the private organization, not only might the organization be in an actionable position but also the individuals associated. That includes volunteers.

Why should you care?

The recently filed lawsuit in Hawaii is a Section 1983 lawsuit citing violations of Mr Pang’s rights under the First, Fourth, Fifth & Fourteenth amendments. It appears that volunteers are among the included parties, even if not yet individually identified. (Page 8 also references the use of ‘law enforcement looking badges’)

The portions of the Louisville Metro Government Animal Control law struck down in Kentucky as in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment were brought to court through a Section 1983 suit, leaving Louisville Metro Government and associated officials potentially subject to damages and court. Louisville Metro Animal Services Director Giles Meloche has recently resigned, officially leaving as of December 31. The Kentucky court specifically cited that permanent deprivation of an animal owner of his property absent a finding of guilt is unconstitutional. Another federal lawsuit on similar grounds is reportedly being filed against Louisville Metro Government on friday October30.

The information conveyed by Ronnie Graves appears to indicate an intent to deceive people as to the true level of authority of members of the HSUS Emergency Rescue Team and an acceptance of that attitude up to the highest levels of the HSUS leadership. As per statements by Ronnie Graves, these issues were raised in January 2008, yet the use of the possibly illegal badges and identification continue to be used as demonstrated in HSUS photos and videos on a regular basis. (example below from a recent HSUS video)

Afterthoughts…

There have been numerous raids of animals across the US in which animals have been seized and dispersed or even euthanized prior to court decision. This includes the Garwood case in Indiana, another case in North Kentucky just working its way through the courts, innumerable raids involving pitbulls and many more. The number of potential cases could be staggering.
It raises questions. Why are government agents allowing the use of this style of identification, badge and uniform by HSUS personnel under their watch? Do they understand that they are potentially placing their agencies and themselves in an actionable position? Do volunteers understand that they could end up personally liable for unconstitutional actions if they occur “under color of law”?

WELCOME!

This "vigilante vendor" is going to stay here in Quartzsite through the May 18th election this year. After that, the weather will determine when we tear down for the season. So pray for cool weather LOL! (If it becomes too hot for the safety of the animals - then it's time to go...)