RIP Frodo, Last Surviving ‘Vicktory Dog’

Back in 2007, a shy young Pit Bull named Frodo was one of 48 “Vicktory Dogs” seized from the horribly cruel dogfighting operation run by NFL player Michael Vick.

Fourteen years later, Frodo has become the last Vicktory Dog to cross the Rainbow Bridge.

“Sweet Frodo – How we loved him. He was one of the bravest survivors we’ve ever met,” BAD RAP wrote today on its Facebook page. “[W]e estimate that he would’ve been 15 years old — and THIS is the important part — the last 14 years of his life were spent being pampered like a prince with the Ramirez family and dogs.”

Frodo “was once so timid that he couldn’t look his caretakers in the eye, much less take treats out of their hands,” according to his BAD RAP bio, “but he has since blossomed into a cheerful dog who prods his favorite humans for attention.”

Those favorite humans are Kim and Toby Ramirez, who adopted Frodo from BAD RAP. To help soothe Frodo at night, Kim would turn on a fan or a music channel on TV. “I’ve had to somewhat rearrange my life in a way for Frodo,” she once said. “And he’s worth it.”

It was thanks to the efforts of BAD RAP and a few other animal welfare organizations that the lives of Frodo and the other dogs were spared. Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States at the time, said the rescued Vick dogs would never be suitable as pets and thus should all be destroyed. PETA agreed.

But BAD RAP along with the Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) and Richmond Animal League took in the Vick survivors, rehabilitated them and found them loving forever homes in which these “unadoptable” survivors thrived, earning them the name “Vicktory Dogs.” Many became beloved therapy dogs.

One of the survivors, Jonny Justice, was awarded the prestigious ASPCA Dog of the Year award in 2014. Sadly, Jonny Justice died last week, according to BAD RAP, just two days before Frodo.

As for Vick — who, according to a federal indictment, killed poorly performing dogs by hanging them, repeatedly slamming them to the ground or holding their heads underwater until they drowned — he went to prison for 18 months but was then awarded the second chance he’d deprived of all those dogs he killed. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles and immediately resumed his NFL career.

As recently as last year, the NFL awarded Vick the honor of being a “legends captain” for the 2020 Pro Bowl. Over 1.4 million people signed online petitions urging the NFL to choose someone actually worthy of that title.

If anyone deserves legend status, it’s Frodo and those amazing Vicktory Dogs. May they all rest in peace.

Want to help BAD RAP save the lives of more dogs? Make an online donation.

Photo: CBS/YouTube

Stolen Dog’s GPS Collar Leads to Arrest of Thief

A car thief in Pasadena, Calif., didn’t just steal a vehicle last week. He also stole Kazoo, a dog that happened to be inside the car when the crime occurred.

Fortunately for Kazoo, he was wearing a GPS tracker [affiliate link] on his collar that allowed Pasadena and Los Angeles police officers to locate him along with the thief near the Los Angeles International Airport, about 30 miles from Pasadena.

The car/dog thief was arrested and taken into custody — not only for stealing that particular vehicle, but also for another stolen vehicle he had left behind that day in Pasadena. Cool dude!

Kazoo was unharmed and returned to his owner.

“This is the story of how Kazoo the dog helped us arrest a car thief,” the Pasadena Police Department wrote on its Instagram.

The main selling point of GPS collars is that their global positioning satellite technology can help you locate your pet should they ever escape from your home or otherwise become lost. As Kazoo’s case shows, they can also prove to be very helpful in nabbing criminals!

Photo: pasadenpd/Instagram

Rescue Dog (Very Briefly) Steals the Show as Sandy in ‘Annie Live!’

Sure, 12-year-old Celina Smith was amazing in the title role of “Annie Live!” that aired on NBC last night. But for dog lovers like me, equally adorable was Macy, the pooch playing the part of Sandy. Unfortunately, Macy got to strut her scruffy stuff in just a couple of heartwarming scenes.

This wasn’t Macy’s first rodeo, er, live theater production. Since being rescued from Rocky Spot Dalmatian Rescue in Oklahoma and adopted by dog trainer Bill Berloni, Macy has appeared in more productions of “Annie” than any other four-legged actor.

And if Berloni’s name rings a bell, it’s because he rescued and trained the very first Sandy for the original Broadway production of “Annie” 45 years ago. Ever since then, Berloni has continued to train the dogs for all “Annie” revivals, Broadway World reports.

Seven years ago, Berloni trained the rescued gray Poodle mix named Bowdie who stole the show as Nana in “Peter Pan Live,” also on NBC. It was the first time that a dog rather than a human played the part of Nana.

Besides the wrinkly bald cap that Harry Connick, Jr. wore as Daddy Warbucks, the main criticism by viewers and reviewers was that the production needed more Sandy. A lot more Sandy.

“Note to TV producers: You cannot introduce an absolutely adorable and well-behaved dog in the first half-hour and then have the dog just … disappear,” wrote Emily Yahr in the Washington Post. Amen to that!

“Live animals are notoriously hard to wrangle for these types of things, so the fact that Sandy didn’t cause any hiccups is an early Christmas miracle,” Maureen Lee Lenker and Lauren Huff wrote in Entertainment Weekly. “Our only complaint? The fact he wasn’t in every frame of the show.” Right?!

“‘Annie’ benefited from its sheer unpretentiousness, offering the can’t-miss (or at least miss entirely) combination of cute kids, buoyant dance numbers, a little girl with a big voice, that trademark red dress, and of course a very well-trained dog who shows up just long enough to make everyone swoon,” Brian Lowry noted on CNN. True, but it definitely wasn’t long enough!

Well, if they gave Emmy awards for special appearances by dogs in live musical productions, Macy would surely be honored. Brava, Smith and Macy!

Photo: NBC/YouTube

Using Ring Doorbell, Hero Jogger Rescues Dogs from House Fire

Paul Murphy happened to be in the right place at the right time as he jogged around his neighborhood in Scotts Valley, Calif., last week.

When he saw smoke pouring from the garage of a house, he immediately ran up on the porch and rang the Ring doorbell [affiliate link] to alert the residents.

The Polito family who lives there weren’t home at the time — but their pets, including two Dachshunds, a cat and a rabbit — were inside the house.

Thanks to the smart doorbell, Courtney Polito was able to give Murphy the access code so he could enter her house and save her pets.

“I saw him running back and forth so, I answered it and he said, ‘Hello, do you see there’s smoke coming out of the top of your house?'” Polito told KSBW. She could hear the smoke alarms going off inside the house.

Thanks to Murphy’s brave actions, the pets and house were spared. “The fire department said 10 more minutes and the house would have been gone,” Polito said. So would have those beloved pets.

“It takes a special kind of person to go into a burning house to save animals,” Tony Polito told KSBW.

After ensuring the pets were safe, Murphy continued on his run without telling the Politos his name.

“I want to give him a hug. I’ll bring him to lunch. I’ll bring him dinner,” Courtney Polito told KSBW. “I just want to thank him so much and let him know how thankful we are. My kids, my husband — we would be devastated if we lost our pets, let alone our home.”

A few days later, the Politos were able to successfully track down their mystery hero. In addition to the promised hug and meals, Murphy may receive a recommendation from the Scotts Valley Fire Department.

Photo: KSBW Action News 8/YouTube

Let’s Spread Pittie Positivity on National Pit Bull Awareness Day

If, like me, you’ve ever had the pleasure of having one in your life, you’re already well aware of the awesomeness of Pit Bulls. Now we just need to get the good word out to the world.

That’s why, for the past 14 years, National Pit Bull Awareness Day (NPBAD) is celebrated at the end of October, which also happens to be National Pit Bull Awareness Month.

NPBAD was started in 2007 by Jodi Preis of Bless the Bullys, a small, non-profit rescue organization in Tennessee. It was conceived as a way to bring much-needed positive media attention to this often maligned — and, sadly, often banned — breed.

Many people who’ve never had a Pit Bull may be unaware that these dogs (along with Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers) are frequently the victims of breed-specific legislation (BSL), laws that single out a particular breed instead of placing responsibility on dog owners.

Because these bans are so unfair — not to mention ineffective in increasing public safety — BSL is opposed by virtually all major animal welfare organizations, including the ASPCA, AVMA, HSUS, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Most major U.S. insurance companies also practice their own form of BSL by refusing to provide home or rental insurance for the owners of Pit Bulls and certain other “dangerous” breeds.

“When Bless the Bullys introduced the idea of a nationwide Pit Bull Awareness Day, the response was overwhelming!” says the official NPBAD website. “It was immediately recognized as an opportunity to educate, change minds and bring about positive media attention to Pit Bulls across the country, all on one day.”

Buh-Bye Pit Bull Bans!

For 31 long years, Denver’s Pit Bull ban was one of the most notorious in the world. Pit Bulls, mixes and dogs that happen to look like Pit Bulls were banned from living in the city. Thousands of responsible Denver residents had to make the terrible choice of finding a new home for themselves or their beloved dogs, or surrendering their pets to the city to be euthanized.

Fortunately, just one week after last year’s Pit Bull Awareness Day, Denver voters woke up and overwhelmingly ended the unfair ban. Hooray! And two months later, the city council of Aurora, Colorado’s third-largest city, also voted to end the city’s 15-year-long Pit Bull ban.

Last month, Overland Park, Kansas, joined this positive trend when its city council voted unanimously to end its Pit Bull ban. Hopefully, by the time Pit Bull Awareness Day 2022 rolls around, these ridiculous bans everywhere will be gone for good.

Pit Bull Fun Facts

Here are a few facts you may not know about Pit Bulls. Please share them with anyone you know who doesn’t like these dogs!

    • In tests by the American Temperament Test Society, Pit Bulls score higher (i.e., they’re less aggressive and friendlier) than Beagles, Border Collies and Yorkies — breeds that are hardly ever considered “dangerous.”
    • The most decorated U.S. military dog in history was a Pit Bull mix named Sgt. Stubby. Sadly, Stubby would be banned from U.S. military bases today because of his breed.

As the NPBAD website says, knowledge is power — “and with education and advocacy, the truth will save lives in terms of negating the fear and bias generated by the media, circumvent knee-jerk reactions such as breed bans, and the truth will result in fewer Pit Bulls ending up in animal shelters.”

Photo credit: Laura Goldman. Those are my late, great snugglebug pitties Larry (1995-2007) and Sophie (1997-2009) in the top photo, and Larry as a puppy in the other photo (those ears!!). Larry, an American Staffordshire Terrier, was my first “Pit Bull” and totally changed my mind about these dogs. Yep, I used to be afraid of them, thanks to all the negative stories in the media.

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