Join us on Thursday, March 31, at 9:30 PM Eastern time when journalist Gina Spadafori of Pet Connection talks with Dr. Jerold Bell, clinical associate professor and director of the clinical veterinary genetics course for the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and project administrator of genetic disease control programs for national parent clubs.

We're bringing you this interview in live streaming audio over Animal Wise Radio, with a text-based chat room running simultaneously so you can ask questions and discuss the interview with other listeners. To ask our guests questions during the interview, log into The Auditorium.

Learn more about how to listen and participate here. ]]> 2012-02-08T22:41:59Z 2011-03-26T14:05:21Z tag:news.pethobbyist.com,2011-03-26:%2Findex.cgi%2Farchive%2Funleashed%2F20110326140521%2F

Winograd, author of "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America,"and head of the No Kill Advocacy Center, will be talking about how the specter of "animal hoarding" is being raised to prevent access by rescue groups to animals slated to die in shelters. He'll talk about issues of transparency and power, as well as experiences in California with the the Hayden Law, the Companion Animal Protection Act in Delaware, and the proposed New York State "Oreo's Law."

Winograd will be interviewed by journalist Christie Keith, pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate.com and a blogger at Pet Connection, who has been producing Chat Month for PetHobbyist.com for the last ten years.

The interview will be streamed over the Animal Wise Radio network, and listeners can join us in our text-based chat room to ask questions, make comments, and chat with other listeners. Find out more about how to access the event here; no registration or downloading is required.

Please join us on Friday, March 4, at 9:30 PM Eastern Time/6:30 PM Pacific Time, in The Auditorium.

Then on Sunday, March 6, we'll be welcoming a panel of rehabbers, rescuers and owners of former fighting pit bulls, including two of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels.

While some consider Michael Vick a hero, pit bull lovers know better. They also know who the heroes really are: The dogs who overcame horrific beginnings to become loving companions and even therapy dogs.

On our panel will be Andrew "Roo" Yori, who shares his life with ex-Vick dog Hector.

Known as "Hector the Inspector" by his friends, his list of titles is impressive by any standards. He passed the Canine Good Citizen test twice, was certified as a therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International, and passed the American Temperament Testing Society test. Hector's life motto? "Making up for lost time." Learn more about Hector at his website.

When Marthina McClay of Our Pack watched the initial raid on the Bad Newz compound, she was drawn to one dog who stopped and hammed for the cameras. She tried not to think about him, though, knowing that fight bust dogs never survived their "rescue."

But times were about to change. When the dogs were allowed a chance at life Marthina and Our Pack took on a hyper dog named Bouncer.

A name change, a home and a lot of love later, Leo emerged. Proud and dedicated, Leo works as a therapy dog. He visits cancer patients weekly at a local facility and puts on his inner clown. He, like Hector, has passed his Canine Good Citizen test as well as the Therapy Dogs International test. He has won an achievement award for his work from the Animal Farm Foundation. He also prefers his bed blankets messy instead of folded and neat. A perfect day is playing with his de-squeaked rubber bone and snuggling with in the bed.

PetHobbyist.com's own Cindy Steinle will also be on the panel. She has shared the story of her girl, Cleo, before. Confiscated during a dog fight right in November 2007 in Milwaukee, she came to live with Steinle and her husband in December 2007, just as the Vicktory crew was gaining their freedom. The histories were the same, but the outcome was different. In Milwaukee there were no arrests, press coverage or outrage. The owner surrendered custody and went on his way.

Often times Steinle's most challenging dog, Cleo is an ambassador for the breed, as well as for the ability to love despite her past. She partners with Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue sanctuary dog Vinnie, also a victim, to be a witness against the horrors of dog fighting. Her scars were not on the outside, but inside. She has overcome a lot in her short life and works tirelessly to show that each dog, no matter their history, has a chance at a life. Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue has a long history of working with dogs from dog fighting homes. If they can get the shelters to release them to us, they give them a shot.

All these panelists work with training, testing and socialization of their beloved dogs was fueled by the "something special" they saw in each and every one of these dogs. We hope you can join Roo, Marthina and Cindy on Sunday March 6 at 8 pm Eastern Time/5 PM Pacific Time in the Auditorium to learn more about what it takes to rehabilitate and live with these incredible dogs.

For the rest of the Chat Month 2011 schedule -- including a number of topics related to the no-kill movement, animal sheltering, and dog and cat rescue -- watch our Chat Month feed, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter! ]]> 2012-02-08T22:42:00Z 2010-11-26T20:30:51Z tag:news.pethobbyist.com,2010-11-26:%2Findex.cgi%2Farchive%2Funleashed%2F20101126203051%2F