Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Man Who Couldn’t Fit A Bed And His Dog In Apartment Gets Rid Of The Bed

Man Who Couldn’t Fit A Bed And His Dog In Apartment Gets Rid Of The Bed

by Christian Cotroneoon April 6, 2017

Note: The names of the subject and his dog have been changed for confidentiality reasons.

Marcus and his dog Pickles survived being homeless together.
                                       

The pair had spent much of their lives on the notorious streets of Skid Row in Los Angeles.

IMAGE SOURCE: JOHN HWANG
About the only thing they couldn’t survive was being apart. So when Marcus finally found affordable housing in the area, he insisted on bringing his best friend, the dog he had met on the streets, with him.

It didn’t matter that Sanders’ new home was a single room not much bigger than a closet.

“He essentially shares everything with him, and they go everywhere together,” John Hwang, a photographer who chronicles the lives of people living on Skid Row, tells iHeartDogs.

IMAGE SOURCE: JOHN HWANG
During his many visits to Skid Row, Hwang had forged a special bond with Marcus.
                         

“We hadn’t seen each other in a while, but we often text or message each other,” Hwang says. “He’s like an older brother to me.”

IMAGE SOURCE: JOHN HWANG
This week, Hwang decided to pay Marcus and Pickles a long overdue visit.
                       

“As I’m in front of his apartment about to call him to let him know I was there — he didn’t know I was coming — they are standing right behind me,” Hwang says.

“(Marcus) has this big smile on his face and said to me ‘I had this feeling I had to come downstairs, and here you are.’ Then we give each other a big hug.”

The first thing Hwang noticed as he stepped into the tiny room was the missing bed.

“I saw the mattress leaning up against the wall unused,” Hwang says. “On the floor was the dog bed, a dog bowl for food and water, and a bunch of blankets strewn out.

“The blankets and the dog bed were basically one big pile. There was no dog section or person section, it was just one big jumble of blankets and dog bed.”

IMAGE SOURCE: JOHN HWANG
Hwang had to ask the obvious question: “Where do you sleep?”
                                                 
                                                     

                             Marcus pointed to the floor.

“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him,” he said.

No, nothing could keep Marcus and Pickles apart. And when two souls are meant to be by each other’s side, even inches can feel like miles.


Thursday, April 6, 2017

You're The One For Me!


to all the pitbull dogs

Pitbull Tribute (2)

Pitbull: The Truth

National Geographic - National Geographic Wild Cesar Millan: Love My Pit...

R.I.P Daddy Millan

Daddy & Junior (Cesar Millan)

Little Girl Controls Pit Bull Dogs | Future Dog Trainer

Sir Patrick Stewart and Ginger Are Standing Up Against Dog Fighting!


Sir Patrick Stewart and Ginger Are Standing Up Against Dog Fighting


                                           





April 5, 2017
Pit Bulls do not have a great reputation. Despite the fact that, ultimately there are no bad dogs, only bad guardians, Pit Bulls are widely believed to be innately aggressive and untrustworthy. Time and time again, this idea has been debunked and it is clearly undeserved. But sadly, the myth has very real-life consequences for the dogs. In the U.S. shelters, the average euthanasia rate for Pit Bulls is at 93 percent!

This stigma against Pit Bulls didn’t appear out of nowhere, unfortunately, as their strong physique and no less strong character has been exploited by people over and again for dog fighting. In dog fighting, cruel people abuse and torture dogs until they learn to fight one another for the approval of their owners. Dogs who are too docile to fight are used as “bait” for the others. As you can imagine, the entire industry is wrought with cruelty and is incredibly damaging to the dogs.

Dog fights are now, fortunately, considered felony in all fifty states. However, that does not put an end to the practice that blossoms illegally underground.

Sir Patrick Stewart recently started fostering a Pit Bull himself. After taking in Ginger, a wonderful dog whose first meeting with the actor and new best friend was caught on a video, Stewart decided to use his platform to help all dogs suffering from the practice of dog fight. He partnered with the ASPCA for their “Get Tough” campaign against dog fights.

For National Dog Fighting Awareness Day, the ASPCA, Stewart, and Ginger encourage people to sign the pledge against dog fights, share a selfie in a gesture of support, and donate to the cause.

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