Of Vicktory dogs, PTSD, and pittie cupcakes

Post Traumatic Stress:

That’s what many of the dogs who came to Best Friends from ex-NFL star Michael Vick’s “Bad Newz Kennels” are suffering from, according to Best Friends veterinarian Dr. Frank McMillan. Dr. Frank is nationally recognized for his studies on the emotional and mental health of dogs. And he’s starting to write about his work with the Vicktory dogs on the Best Friends blog. Whether you’re a soldier coming home from a war zone, or a dog rescued from a fighting ring, you’re at risk for the same long-term effects. And Dr. Frank’s work with the Vicktory dogs will reap huge benefits, in due course, for shelters and veterinarians dealing with abused animals. His blog entries give some ongoing insight into how he works with the dogs.

>>You get to all of it from here.

Pittie cupcakes!

The rehab team likes to have a little fun, too. And they’ve been classifying some of the dogs as cupcakes, beefcakes, cheesecakes and fruitcakes. The differences will be revealed one at a time. And today, in one of her blog posts, Patty, our director of animal care, explains what it is to be a cupcake. (Little Red fits the profile.)

>>Check it out on the Best Friends blog.

There’s lots of new material on the website about the Vicktory dogs, including a special feature on pit bulls, their history, how some cities are banning them, why this doesn’t make sense, and so on.

>>You get to all of it from here.

The Great Kitty Rescue:

This weekend, we’re finally closing down the rescue facility on the edge of Death Valley, where we rescued those 800 cats in great distress last summer. 72 of them arrived at Best Friends last night, and another 50 will be here tomorrow. We’ll try to get news posted about them during the weekend. So check in on the home page www.bestfriends.org on Monday for that.

>>Read the coverage.

The National Geographic TV show:

Nat Geo has now committed to a further series of five shows, including one about the Vicktory dogs. These will all be airing later this year. Meanwhile, they (and we) have been overwhelmed with requests for re-runs of the first three shows. So they’ll be re-airing these in March.

>>Keep in touch on the Dogtown section of the website.

• Sedona, the starving kitten found under an old trailer, goes to a wonderful new home.

• How you helped pass Georgia’s new anti-dog fighting bill.

• Marvin the FIV kitty loves being petted. You can do it long-distance as his sponsor. He’d love it!

Thank you, as always, for making it all possible. Your donations are a blessing to your furry friends here!

Michael Mountain
Best Friends