Stories

PRECIOUS PAISLEY AND THE POWER OF THE WORD PIT

10.22.2016 The Pit Bull breed used to be described as the "nanny dog", known to be loving, loyal and protective of children. Remember Petey on the Little Rascals? How about Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated war dog of World War I - a true hero. As I walk through shelters and see row after row of Pit Bulls, I wonder - What has happened to this breed? I never fully understood the impact of the word "Pit" until I fostered Paisley. She was surrendered to a rescue organization by her owner. Her origins are a mystery. A paisley print scarf...

WHEN RESCUE GOES WRONG – KILLING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Author: Tressa Lucas I heard a quote recently that made me think. "Sometimes to be silent is to lie." This about my personal experience with the death of an orphaned dog - a rescued orphaned dog. Being silent can also be an indication of agreement. I do not agree with what happened. In fact, it still makes me sick to think about it. I cannot change it, but I can share my story with others. Hopefully, Winston's story can raise awareness and help prevent this from happening again and provide a catalyst for positive change. Every member of my animal...

LITTLE DEWEY – A BIG IMPRESSION

Author: Tressa Lucas Dewey came from the South Los Angeles shelter and was the only small dog in a kennel with big dogs. He was not big in size, but he was big in personality. A fear of dogs was not Dewey's issue, he was fearful of people. At a young age, he was severely abused and it left him damaged physically and psychologically. I met Dewey twelve years ago when he was living at a rescue facility. The staff named him Dewey and it seemed perfect for him. He was in a caged area with big pink iridescent signs...

MY FOSTER DOG MAY…A STORY OF PERSEVERANCE

Author: Tressa Lucas Standing in her kennel run, the adorable blonde terrier looked disheveled and embarrassed. It was a busy and noisy day at the rescue facility, so why weren't people looking at her? Her innocent brown eyes peered through the hair covering them, her glance following each passerby. Mayflower was her name. She had one of the sweetest faces. When I took her out from her kennel for a walk, the smell of urine was strong. The fur on her back end was a matted dark grey mess. It became clear why people were not paying her any attention....

THREE DAYS WITH TRUDY

Author: Tressa Lucas Trudy was a young Husky I met at the first animal organization I volunteered with. My time with her was very short, but everlasting, and a thought of her usually crosses my mind every day. During the brief time we had together, I learned that a caged environment is not the best place to assess a dog's personality. A little bit of time, patience, and love can make all the difference for a homeless dog between living in a cage or being adopted. It was one of the first rescue organizations established in Los Angeles, located in...

A New Year Of Hope For Jack And Jill

Author: Tressa Lucas The New Year is a time of gratitude and hope. We think upon what we have to be grateful for and what we hope for in the next year. I believe dogs do the same. They are grateful for the love we give them when they are adopted and for those that lose their homes or have never had a loving home - they still have hope for being adopted again. Unfortunately, many dogs find themselves abandoned and hoping for a new home. I have seen it time and time again, dogs brought to the shelter after...

PRECIOUS PAISLEY AND THE POWER OF THE WORD PIT

WHEN RESCUE GOES WRONG – KILLING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

LITTLE DEWEY – A BIG IMPRESSION

MY FOSTER DOG MAY…A STORY OF PERSEVERANCE

THREE DAYS WITH TRUDY

A New Year Of Hope For Jack And Jill

Welcome To The NIKA Animal Network