Welcome back to the Gina Farago interview series. If you’ve missed the rest of Gina’s interview about her novel, Ivy Cole and the Moon, you may want to scroll down to the first day and follow the interview back to this point.

When we left the last installment, Gina had just mentioned that her sequel to Ivy Cole and the Moon is due out next year.

JW: When’s that one scheduled to come out?

GF: I’m hoping it will be out early next year and it’s titled Luna.

JW: You are talking to animal people on Dogster and Catster, what else would you say to them about why they need to read this book?

GF: That there aren’t a lot of werewolf stories out there that are going to make you feel really good about wolves and dogs. So if you do love the supernatural thrillers and you do love the paranormal but you want those elements in your story as well, you want some heart-warming elements in your story, that mine is a good book to pick up.

JW: You have a toy poodle right now?

GF: And a Belgian Malinois.

JW: You’re telling me earlier that after going to Wolf Park you’re seeing some behaviors when you’re interacting with your Malinois?

GF: At the time I was at Wolf Park we had a big Belgian Mallenois named Sadie. She has since passed away and we have a younger one named Maggie. But as I was writing the book, Sadie was a lot of my inspiration. She was very wolfish.

JW: Tell me about that.

GF: Well, one thing that I picked up at Wolf Park that wolves do is when they go into sort of a predatory mode is they lower their heads. The ears are still pricked and the gaze gets very intense but the head lowers. That is how Sadie would protect our home. When she would come out of the house, if there were a stranger, the first thing she would do is that head would go really low. The hackles would come up on the back and her gaze would get very, very intense. That was a very wolfish behavior that I had observed at Wolf Park from these animals.

JW: Well as you see Sadie doing that, what goes through your mind?

GF: That she was closer to the wolf than I realized.

It made me have a new respect for her. It made me realize that I was a little closer to feral nature than I realized. That even though I did have a domestic dog in my life I could not take that for granted that she was all domestic dog because those wolf genes are still in her blood and sometimes those did come out. Even though before Wolf Park I didn’t quite realize what I was looking at, after that trip I saw her in a completely different way. I started to observe things she did that I thought were just funny, quirky Sadie things and I realized she’s doing wolf things. A dominant behavior or the hunting stance and I viewed her in a completely different light.

Come back tomorrow to hear more from Gina Farago!

Charlie keeps an ear up for the
Staffies & Bullie breeds forever

Looking to meet some new doggy friends? Want to learn more about a particular subject? Just want to have more fun on Dogster? Check out some of these new groups looking for more Dogster friends!

CuRL tAiLs – curlin, hangin, broken, or bent;curls and kinks makes animals uniques!!

Sydneysiders — Beach bums & city slickers; All pups that live in Sydney, Australia

Raw Fed Dogs –raw, barf,dogs; Place for people to talk about Raw feeding

I LOVE ROCKS – rocks rock; 4 All dogs who love rocks (Does this qualify as REALLY raw feeding?)

Staffies & Bullie breeds forever — Bullie Breeds forever; A page for all Staffiies, Pitts, Mastiffs & any bullie big breeds.

Concerned Owners for Vaccination Education — Information every dog owner should have. Providing a forum for dogs and their people to learn about the effects of and alternatives to vaccination.

new pups and pups that are willing to help us new pups out –new and old; new pups and old pups

Angels On A Leash — Therapy Dogs Worldwide Unite! Therapy Dogs International

Star Wars Legend — Hold on to your lightsabers! All Star Wars fan, REJOICE!

The Kewl Dogs of New Jersey — All dogs who live in NJ join now!!!!!!!! A group for all dogs big and small who live in New Jersey.

Chihuahua World Domination! — little dogs…..big plans; Founded by Dr. Ernesto “Chi” Guevara.

Dog & Cat Mamas — R U a furmama or expecting? Join us. This group is to provide support & advice to expecting furmama’s

Seppala Siberian Sleddogs — The new breed from Canada’s Yukon. Information and companionship for Seppalas & Seppala-folks!

This is just a few of the MANY fun and enlightening groups here at Dogster! So jump in and make some new barking buddies!

President Isabel Roverandom wrote:
Dear Joy,
I have a legislative update to post on the Blog. When we first started the Animal Abuse Commission group I sent a letter to our Congressman, David Price, and asked him what we could do to toughen animal abuse laws. I just received the following reply.

“Thank you for contacting me concerning dogfighting.

I agree that dogfighting is a cruel practice that inflicts a great deal of suffering. All 50 states currently have laws making dogfighting illegal. On the federal level, under Congress’ authority to regulate interstate commerce, the Animal Welfare Act prohibits the movement of dogs and birds between states for fighting purposes.

I am a cosponsor of legislation aimed at strengthening federal law targeting animal fighting. H.R. 817, the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, would establish a felony-level penalty for any interstate movement or foreign commerce in fighting dogs or birds. The bill would also ban the interstate shipment of sharp metal implements designed and used specifically for
cockfighting. H.R. 817 has been referred to the House Agriculture Committee for consideration.

You may be interested to know that both the House and Senate approved language as part of initial versions of the 2002 Farm Bill that would have authorized penalties of up to two years in jail for violations of the dogfighting and cockfighting provisions of the Animal Welfare Act. Unfortunately, this
language was removed in the final version of the bill.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please continue to stay in touch on issues of concern.

Sincerely,

DAVID PRICE
Member of Congress”

This bill was submitted in March 2005 to the Horticulture and Livestock Subcommittee.

The contact info for the committee members can be found by following this link.

I urge everyone to contact the subcommittee members and ask them to please approve this legislation so that it can be brought before the full Agriculture Committee, and then to the Congress for ratification.

This is a very important bill that would create a national felony standard for dog and cock fighting.

That’s our President Isabel, always looking out for her furred citizens! For all you Dogsters who write in and ask what we can do, here we go!

And what would you do to save your furbaby? Thanks to Ted R. for sending me this piece from SFGate.com.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) —

A morning walk Monday turned into a dangerous tango with an alligator for one dog owner.

Michael Rubin took Jasmine, a 6-month-old golden retriever, and his other dog, a border collie named Frisbee, for a run near a construction site. The puppy ran ahead of Rubin to the edge of a pond, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.

Rubin heard the dog cry. When he went to check on her, he saw the puppy’s head inside an alligator’s mouth. Rubin jumped in the water and started beating the gator with his fist.

The reptile refused to let go of Jasmine and started rolling in the water with the dog still in its mouth. He estimated the gator was about 7 feet long.

“I thought she was dead,” Rubin said. “But at that point I wasn’t going to let him have my dog.”

He eventually pried the dog loose and rushed her to an animal hospital, where she was treated for cuts and puncture wounds. The puppy is in good condition, Rubin said.

Welcome to Day Four of Gina Farago’s interview. Gina’s book, Ivy Cole and the Moon, is the tale of a responsible dog-training werewolf living, and killing, in a small mountain town.

In the last installment of Gina’s revealing interview she told us that part of the reward for her in writing this novel is helping others come to better understand and appreciate wolves.

JW: What’s important for you about doing something worthwhile like this for the wolves and the dogs?

GF: I have always grown up with a real concern for the environment, a real concern for animals. I’m a member of the Defenders of Wildlife, the World Wildlife Fund, the Humane Society and it’s very satisfying for me to know that I can combine my passions. I can be a writer. I can entertain with a story. But I can make a difference to perhaps educate and help people learn about wolves and love wolves and consequently, love dogs because they’re so much love for dogs in my story that I feel that someone who may never have given their family pet much thought or has never owned one might think, “wow, I never realized the amount of depth that a dog can bring to a family.”

JW: Take us to a point in time when you’re telling yourself that this is the right book, the right subject, the right everything.

GF: There was a magical moment for me. Surprisingly, it wasn’t right at the wolf facility. It was down the road. They were having a cookout for the participants of the seminar. It was October. It was very crisp night. The sky was clear. The moon was out and there was a campfire. I was sitting at the campfire just myself and my husband. One of the little handlers came over and began asking me about my book. Before I knew it a small crowd had gathered because all the other participants had come over. So now I’m sitting at this fire. I’m surrounded by this small group of people. I’m telling the story about Ivy Cole and in the distance, the wolf pack started to howl. And so it was like I was being serenaded by the wolf pack as I told the wolves’ story. And that is a moment I will never forget.

JW: I’m getting chills as you’re telling me about it. As you see this time in your mind’s eye, what goes through your mind?

GF: Grateful. I feel grateful.

I feel grateful that God has put me on a path where I can combine the things I love and get these opportunities to do these really special, remarkable things and then share them with other people. I just feel grateful.

JW: What is it about the combination of the wolf and this magical moment you’re telling us about that’s really adding to that grateful feeling?

GF: I almost feel like I have their validation.

I was telling the story and I was talking to these people who also loved wolves and I was talking about how I wanted to do right by the wolves in my story. It would be very easy to write a werewolf story and make people walk away hating the werewolf and wishing the werewolf were dead and that is not the goal of my story. I wanted them to love the wolf and love the werewolf. I’m talking about this and the wolves started to sing to me, it was almost felt like it was a sign that you’re on the right path.

JW: How does that make you feel?

GF: Really good. It makes me feel encouraged. It gives me the confidence that I am doing what I’m supposed to do and I am working on the sequel so her story will continue onto another book.

Join us tomorrow for part five of this seven part series!

Thanks to Peanutty for announcing the winners of the Pet Poetry Group Memorial Day Photo Stroll and Contest!

First of all, I’d like to say how wonderful it was to see all of the picture entries! So many truly awesome photos were in this contest/stroll - 80 dogs!! It made it really, really difficult for me to choose winners. Originally, I was only going to give out 4 rosettes, but with all of the super pictures….I am giving out 8 rosettes instead. Even if your picture didn’t get chosen for a rosette, please feel proud on entering in this contest! You all look wonderful in your Memorial day photos. Thanks so much for entering! Now, on to the winners….

First place goes to - Daisy

Second place goes to - Lela

Third place goes to - Maggie

Fourth place goes to - April

Fifth place goes to - Little Boo

Sixth place goes to - Leroy Hatsis

Seventh place goes to - Belgian

Eighth place goes to - Jeannie

Honorable mentions are the following:
Tucker
Flu Flu the Princess
Hummer
Jombie
Yoshi
Kirby
Gadget
Tohbi
George Underwood

Thanks again to all of you that entered! If you’d like to take a look at the wonderful pictures, just go to ’search photo tags’ and type in ‘Memorial day contest’! =)

I know Memorial Day was yesterday but its never too late for inspiring poetry. Thank you Joy, La Kota and the Pet Poetry Group for this recent contest!

Congratulations Sluggo, you are the Winner of the PPG Memorial 06 Poetry Contest!! Congratulations!! Your Rosette is on the way!
~*~
Honorable Mentions are Shamren, Snuffy, Dahlila & Miss Emma!! Congrats to you all~ You’re Rosettes will be awarded on June 16.
~*~
Thank you so much for entering this meaningful Memorial Day poetry contest!!

Hugs & Kisses
xoxoxox

And most especially congratulations to Sluggo for winning! Here is the winning entry.

When You Think of Liberty Think of Me

When you honor the red, white, and blue
When you celebrate our nation’s liberty
Think of the one who’s been beside you
in spirit, in heart, in body…
No being could be as loyal as me, for I am
your best friend, your partner… your family

When our nation was young
I was the runner, carrying messages
in a war that would leave us undone
where brother fought beside brother.

And, alone in the face of terror
I moved through enemy lines,
as families fought one another,
my mission foremost in my mind.

I was the one waiting for you even though
I sensed you would not be coming home
I languished on our wooden porch
growing thinner, until the war was over
and my days on earth were done.

I was in the trenches, fields, and meadows
accompanying you into foreign lands.
With you in the jungles and swamps
and at your heels on hot, dusty roads
or on blistering, desert sands.

I have been first in the line of fire
first to enter a field laden with mines
putting myself in your stead.
I went unflinching, leading,
to wherever, doing whatever you said.

With you I’ve jumped from the belly of a plane
dropping into places neither of us had ever seen.
All for the greater glory and good. All for humanity.

When a bullet took your life I laid by your side
my chin on your chest–despair in my eyes.
Content to have remained with you,
until a man in our unit lifted me up,
carrying me back to the war… as he cried.

When we had parted, when you’d gone home
and when on foreign soil I was left all alone
through no fault of your own I was forsaken.

The government advised you that your friend
and helper; the soldier who’d been by your side,
would not be accompanying you home…
To our home, our country, I could not be taken.

And so it was that we were abandoned
after you tearfully told us we could not follow
the men with whom we had served.

Confusion set in as we watched you depart;
being left behind, we had not deserved.
You left us dispirited, empty, and hollow
for we had given to you all of our all.
Like ghosts were we, missing our souls,
for you had taken with you… our hearts

I have been injured for you.
And I have died for you.
In your absence I have wasted away
from the loss of you.

I’m the scruffy, thin dog sitting quietly
next to the veteran in his wheelchair.
On the hill, the band plays a song
and the man softly cries, while
fireworks light up the night’s air.

Gently I place my paw on his knee
lay my muzzle on his withered leg.
He looks at the small flag he is clutching
then he turns his attention to me.

His eyes are filled with thoughts and tears
but his smile is as warm as the sun.
“Thank you for reminding me,” says he,
“what’s been sacrificed for the freedom we’ve won.”

In the now, we cannot know
who will be needing who.
But what you may not know is
that when you’ll be needing me
I’ll be needing and looking for you.

We’ve been a team, you and me
through the many years
that have shaped this land,
and God has blessed us mightily.

So, every now and then, thank me–
with a look, kind words, and the
touch of a gentle hand…

When you think of liberty
and count the reasons you are free
Don’t forget to think of me!

Copyright © 2004 by Sluggo’s human

If you would like to read all the entries (and I would definitely say check out the talent over there!) then follow this link.

Its Day Three of the interview with author Gina Farago. Her exciting new novel featuring a werewolf who is also a dog trainer came out last Fall, Ivy Cole and the Moon (NeoDeo Press).

In the last installment we left Gina telling us about how as she visited Wolf Park in Indiana she began to see some of the some behaviors she had seen in her home pack (a toy Poodle and a Belgian Malinois).

JW: Let’s go to one of these times when you’re at Wolf Park and you’re seeing one of these behaviors. Tell me about this time.

GF: A funny thing is that wolves love to play. I don’t know if a lot of people realize that about them. But they can be quite jokesters. There was one wolf that would just flop over on its back, all four feet in the air and just wiggle around in the grass. And everybody has seen their dogs do that at home. I would never think of a wolf doing that same thing. And that is wolf behavior just the silliness with the feet waving in the air and the tongue lolling out and the tails wagging. That too is wolf behavior!

JW: What goes through your mind as you see this wolf behavior that you know your dogs are doing at home?

GF: It feels a little spiritual to see the kindred spirits. I’ve always loved the wolf but because the wolves are pretty much extinct in our area (you know they are starting to make a comeback out west; they are trickling a little bit farther east) but I feel that I get to enjoy the wolf a little bit more in my own dogs that way. Just to see the kindred spirit of the behavior.

I think a lot of it is the intelligence in the eyes.

Seeing, you look into a wolf’s eyes and the gaze is so deep and it’s so full of wisdom and there is so much intellect there and you know he’s thinking. You know he’s analyzing you. You know he’s working things out. You know he has known things for centuries and centuries that I will never know. And I can go home and I can look in my own dogs’ eyes and see the same kind of wisdom and the same kind of understanding. I really did leaving Wolf Park. You know the wolf is the totem for the Native American as the teacher, the teacher and the brother. I come back and I look at my own dogs and I look in their eyes and I see that same kind of deep wisdom and understanding.

JW: What does that do for you, having been at Wolf Park and coming home and seeing that same kind of understanding in your dogs’ eyes?

GF: It makes me feel like I was right.

I had always loved dogs and admired them and seen them as, I believe you mention in your book “angels on earth,” that they just know something that we’re not getting but they forgive us anyway. I’ve always felt that way about dogs. Then I go out and meet the wolves and I have that experience. I’ve always thought wolves are cool, wolves are great! But after actually working with wolves, I was more right than I realized and I had no idea.

JW: How does that make you feel?

GF: It makes me feel very good because in my book I’m very careful to not vilify the wolf. Right now there is a big movement to debunk all the bad myths about wolves and to educate people as to what wolves really are. It made me feel really good that I could go up to Wolf Park and have all of those opinions validated that debunking the myth is exactly what we need to do and letting the public understand that they’re not bloodthirsty, thoughtless killers. That they are just a predator put on this earth that are very much like humans in their pack dynamics and the way they interact with each other. And I just left thinking YES! I WAS RIGHT! Wolves are good!

JW: What does that do for you to be part of that de-villification?

GF: It makes me feel that my book has a little bit more of a purpose than entertainment. It is a fiction story but I was able to weave so many non-fiction elements through it from what I learned, including an environmental message, a conservation message for the wolf, and I’ve had people come up to me and say, “I’ve always had a negative opinion about wolves and I never really thought that much about wolves but, man, after I read your book, I think wolves are great.”

JW: And when that happens, what goes through your mind?

GF: I feel like I did something worthwhile. I wrote a fiction story but its having a little bit of an impact to maybe change people’s minds a little more beyond what they learned as kids in fairy tales.

Looking for new tricks to teach your canine companion? Here’s one that you can show off at the next family reunion. Teach that furbaby the ABCs.

Teach Your Dog the ABCs
By Liz Palika for The Dog Daily

Teaching your dog tricks can be great fun. Not only can trick training add some fun to your obedience training, but it’s fun to show off your dog’s tricks. If you want to teach your dog a trick that will wow crowds and astound audiences, teach your dog to recognize his A, B, Cs.

To teach your dog his A, B, Cs, begin by teaching him the “touch” command. Have some good treats in one hand. Tell your dog, “Sweetie, touch” and gently touch his nose with the flat part of your empty hand. Praise him and pop a treat in his mouth. Repeat this several times, then stop and come back to it later. After a few days, stop touching his nose and hold your hand a half an inch from his nose. Wait for him to reach forward and touch your hand himself. Praise him and give him the treat. When you can hold your hand on either side and at different distances and he will reach forward to touch it, you’re ready to go on to the next step.

If you want to read the rest of the article, check it out at The Dog Daily. Maybe if your dog learns them well enough he can get in the neighborhood kindergarten instead of the neighborhood dog park. Think what you could save on petsitting!

The pressure is increasing in favor of the Northeast Georgia No-kill shelter, Canine Angels, that is being forced to close by June 3rd. This in from author and animal advocate Jim Willis. Follow this link to the original press release.

Cross-postings to all lists and distribution to all media is appreciated.

International Effort Swells to Save Georgia’s “Canine Angels” by June 3 Deadline from GA Dept. of Agriculture Threat of Closure & Confiscation of Animals

In the international effort to save one of Georgia’s most necessary no-kill animal rescue and sanctuary efforts, “Canine Angels,” perhaps signer number 915 of the on-line petition that will be presented this week to the Governor, the Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner, and others said it best: “Shame on Georgia!”

Messages of protest from as far away as England, Europe and Australia have circled the internet in an attempt to stop the State from shutting down a no-kill animal rescue effort that has placed over 1,200 animals in adoptive homes in a six-year period, and currently houses 154 dogs and over a dozen cats. Proponents say that the two founders of the animal rescue and sanctuary, one of whom suffers from multiple sclerosis, have been unfairly persecuted by local and state government and ask if officers of some agencies broke the law. Charges against the sanctuary founders were dropped for lack of evidence but they still face $15,000 in fines. The States seeks to shut down the facility on June 3 and confiscate the remaining dogs. Animal activists say they will block all efforts to do so, including with legal challenges.

“We’ve got some of the biggest names in animal efforts supporting this campaign,” said Jim Willis, animal advocate and author of the best-selling book Pieces of My Heart. “There remain several open questions about whether some local and state officials should be charged with animal cruelty. There remain questions about whether Dept. of Ag’s Ray DeLuca has a personal vendetta against Canine Angels and a report by a neighbor that he was seen climbing over the sanctuary’s fence, and whether a former county animal control officer who was relieved of her duties broke laws and is responsible for the campaign of harrassment conducted against Canine Angels. There are reports that a critically ill dog was planted on their property and ‘discovered’ by an animal control officer. We’ve seen the photographic evidence of ‘animal control’ practices in that county that included driving animals to remote locations, shooting them, covering their bodies in lime and burying them in mass graves. We have eyewitness accounts. You can’t tell me that county and maybe state officials didn’t know what was going on there. We think the State Attorney General should be asking questions. And meanwhile, there was Canine Angels taking in the animals and finding them homes - including for the two years when there was no public funded shelter.”

An independent inspection of the Canine Angels facility and audit of their veterinary medical and adoption records conducted last week by an independent inspector, former animal control officer and Best Friends satellite sanctuary director Don Hills of Augusta, GA found the sanctuary to greatly exceed the level of care expected for such an animal facility. Hills said Canine Angels has struggled to operate in an “ungrateful community.”

Willis and other animal advocates say the treatment of Canine Angels founders Sue Wells and Lynette Rowe is “criminal” and instead of being praised for their efforts they have been persecuted, possibly because of their alternative lifestyle. Although an e-mail message from the Dept. of Ag’s legal officer was leaked last week that claims that all animals will be sent to other no-kill facilities and no animals will die, Willis said, “They have already proven themselves to be liars - why should we believe them now? Should those innocent animals be terrorized on June 3 by being hauled off from the only loving security they’ve probably ever known in their lives, we are asking the media to follow each and every one of them to report on their fate. We expect that fate in the State’s hands to be one of Georgia’s horrible gas chambers.”

A group of animal rescuers and supporters calling themselves Friends of Canine Angels has made arrangements to move some animals to other qualified rescues and no-kill facilities and is actively pursuing those efforts now.

“We still need a lot of help,” Willis said, “and updates about the needs will be posted on the Canine Angels website. Mostly, we need more time and with one phone call the Governor of Georgia can give us that. You only have to go to the Canine Angels website and the site created with some of the animals for adoption to see that the facilities are clean and that the animals are fat, healthy and happy.”

Canine Angel’s website

To see the animals available for adoption follow this link.

Supporters of Canine Angels encourage animal lovers worldwide to sign the petition in support of Canine Angels before Wednesday morning, May 31, when it will be sent to state officials and others.

“We’re asking everybody to call Gov. Perdue at his office –404-656-1776 – Dept. of Ag. Commissioner Tommy Irvin at 404-656-3600 or 800-282-5852, the Animal Protection Division at 404-656-4914, and the Elbert County Commissioners at 706-283-2000 before June 2 and tell them to put a stop to this insanity,” Willis said.

He added,”We’ve already been in touch with the candidate running against Irvin in his bid for re-election. The Governor is up for re-election, too. Animal lovers make up an important part of any constituency and they have economic might - they vote their conscience. We hope Irvin will not be re-elected and there won’t be any such repeat of this travesty. Already people in other states and countries are writing to say that if Canine Angels is shut down, they won’t be spending their tourist dollars in Georgia. We’ve tried to be reasonable, we’ve tried to get the State to listen to reason. I can tell you one thing - if they stress and terrorize one animal by removing them from Canine Angels’s premises, then they are in for the fight of their political careers.”