Annie and Ken on the morning news

Brando begins therapy

Brando continues to get older, in spite of all my efforts. In fact, we'll be celebrating nine years together in January. But being a large dog with tall legs, he's started to have issues with his joints. In "Dogs I Have Met" I wrote about the success we had with Adequan injections. But three years later, we're augmenting that with some other therapies, including acupuncture and the use of an underwater treadmill (at Dag's House.)

In this video, Brando begins his first treadmill session. Remarkably, he got into the tank on his own, had no concerns as the water rose from the bottom and surrounded him, and hesitated only for a second when the treadmill began to roll. Still, you can see the look on his face which seems to be asking "Why?"



In the next clip, we get a side view, which looks a little like something from a science fiction movie. But you can also see how much range of motion he has while underwater. The idea is to maintain and redevelop atrophied muscles, so that the effects of the deteriorated joints will not be as severe.

Have you ordered your Sula calendar yet?

Babe was found wandering the Lower Ninth Ward last fall after we returned from a hurricane evacuation. (He had formed a pack with the English bulldogs Harold and Maude, who we also rescued.) Babe was fostered at Zeus' Place and there he fell in love with Charity and her beagle, Hubig Pie. So, of course, they're all living together now. In this shot from our 2010 Calendar, Babe makes a very confident first visit to a bar. (And somehow manages to look twice his actual size.)

If you haven't ordered your calendar yet, get on it! And pick up a few for your family and friends too.

You can buy my childhood today, at auction

Brando has moved on from sniffing the boxes that arrived from Pennsylvania a little over a week ago. Now he has simply taken possession of an old blanket that I'd used in packing some of the items. Wherever the blanket is, Brando plants himself on top of it and refuses to move, which makes me wish I'd taken more from my parents' house before today's auction. I've been pouring over the items that will be on sale, and thinking "Wait, that's still there? I thought someone had taken it!" And yet, realistically, I have no need for cut glass or silver tea services.

I do wish I'd remembered to take my Italian Annie Hall poster, or the Andy Warhol coke bottles, or my Rembrandt reproduction etchings. Yet, I do not need them. And still it is strange to see them listed as part of the sale.

Things I did remember to take: My Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car; a green glass insulator collected from an old power line; my Keith Haring inflatable baby; our dog's obedience certificate.

A friend here in New Orleans asked if I had done a final walk through before leaving last month. I did not. At the time, I still hadn't decided whether I'd be coming back for the sale, and we were anticipating that the house itself would be on the market for quite a while before we found a buyer. But yesterday we were surprised with an offer, and accepted it. So, now it really is done, isn't it?

Brando remembers my parents

When he was a puppy, Brando used to visit my parents house quite often. It was a nice break from the social pressures of a Manhattan dog park. Later, when we moved away, he would sniff any envelope or package that my mother sent, and run to the door or window to see if she was there. Today a truck arrived with furniture and art and books from my now deceased parents' house. And this is what happened:

I'll be speaking on a panel at Temple University on Wednesday October 28th

What: Temple Student Animal Legal Defense Fund presents a panel discussion on dog fighting in the city of Philadelphia. The discussion will highlight how the issue of dog fighting affects the city’s animals and people alike and what is being done to combat dog fighting in the city. Panelists will discuss the breeds commonly involved, what dog fighters typically breed for, misconceptions of the breed and owners, as well as commentary on the dog fighting bust involving Michael Vick and the rehabilitation of the recovered Vick dogs.

Temple SALDF seeks to raise awareness about the issue of dog fighting and discuss the impact it has on the community.

Who: Panelists include:

* Ken Foster, author of best-selling memoir “The Dogs Who Found Me” and founder of the Sula Foundation in New Orleans;
* Jim Gorant, Senior Editor at Sports Illustrated who reported on the seized Michael Vick Dogs which also inspired his upcoming book
* Marisa Scully, dog behaviorist and certified pet trainer
* Leigh Siegfried, a certified pet dog trainer and owner of Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training, who worked with eleven of the seized Michael Vick Dogs.
* George Bengal, PSPCA Animal Control Officer involved in dog fighting raids

Where: Moot Court Room, Klein Hall, Temple University, 1719 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, 19122

When: October 28, 2009 – 7pm
RSVP to: Samantha.Jones@temple.edu

Buy a calendar, help a pit bull

I spent the past few weekends working with two photographers to create the Sula Foundation's 2010 Pit Bulls of New Orleans Calendar. And my back is killing me from hunching over the keyboard with a designer all day Sunday. But the result is pretty fine--and its always fun dragging people around town with me as we scout models and locations.
Just $18 plus $4.95 postage, with proceeds going to continue The Sula Foundation's work. You can use the PayPal button below, or send a check to The Sula Foundation, PO Box 3780, New Orleans, LA 70117.

Calendar plus shipping

1 Calendar $18.00 2 Calendars $36.00 3 Calendars $54.00 4 Calendars $72.00 5 Calendars $90.00 6 Calendars $108.00 7 Calendars $126.00 8 Calendars $144.00 9 Calendars $162.00 10 Calendars $180.00

Sarah Vowell, New Orleans Film Festival, and a busy busy October

I keep meaning to find the time to write interesting posts on here. I really do. But my schedule has been so nuts that there's no time for it. None at all.

For example, last Friday my old classmate Meghan Daum came to town and visited my NOCCA students for a master class in the afternoon. That evening I ran uptown to a party hosted by Tom Beller for Meghan and others participating in a symposium on the personal essay. Also there: Phillip Lopate, Jonathan Ames, and many friends and colleagues. I ended up staying quite a bit later than I intended. I spent the next day working The Sula Foundation's vaccination clinic, where we had over 30 dogs come for low-cost shots, and signed up about ten for free spay/neuter.

Something happened Sunday, but I don't know what. Oh, I spent most of the say working on the pit bull calendar for 2010. Then, Monday and Tuesday, I switched my workout schedule so I'd have time later in the week, because last night was the kickoff for the New Orleans Film Festival, which runs for the next seven days, and today we have a visit from Sarah Vowell, who will also be speaking tonight at 8pm at NOCCA.

And yesterday, movers arrived at my parents' former house in PA to load up the things I'm taking. Now that seems very strange. I'll be living in a house with furniture and art from my childhood. Something to write about, when I get the time.

Help restore Shawn Hall's 500 small oil paintings

My friend and former neighbor Shawn Hall is raising money to restore a group of 500 small paintings that were damaged in storage. Her work is amazing, and if you help her out with a donation, you'll receive a print from the collection:

Vote for Doug in BAD RAP's My Dog is Family Photo Contest

My Doug is competing in Bad Rap's calendar contest. You can vote for him, or any of the other dogs in the running, by going to: My Dog is Family Photo Contest.

"Albino": a new short story at Guernica Magazine

Four years ago in October, I returned to New Orleans and began volunteering every day at a warehouse on the Westbank that had been set up as a temporary shelter for the Louisiana SPCA. One of the many dogs that showed up was an albino Doberman that a man brought in after coaxing it into his car. The dog had been showing up at his house on a regular basis and wasn't very friendly, but the man gained his trust and brought him in, and then put a sign up along the Westbank Expressway to try to find his owner. Meanwhile, a young volunteer at the shelter recognized the dog--a friend of hers had a photo of the very same dog that had been given to her by a young man that came to clean her pool. I was fascinated by the fact that we had all of these clues to the origins of this dog, yet no one could make a connection. The dog itself was a bit wild; he seemed unpredictable, although one of the staff discovered that he had been taught with hand signals. It was possible that the dog was deaf, which would also explain why he was so freaked out at everything that had unfolded around him.

The owner was never found. The dog was sent to a sanctuary. And four years later, here is a totally fictionalized account inspired by the mysterious albino dog.

Celebrate Ken Foster's birthday by donating to The Sula Foundation's spay/neuter fund

Yes, it is time for Brando to dust off his party hat and celebrate Ken's birthday. This year, you can join the fun by donating $10 or more to The Sula Foundation--and one lucky winner will receive an iPod Touch!

Annie from Oklahoma

Here's Annie from Oklahoma. She's dog #3 in the video posted earlier on this blog. She was transferred to the custody of The Sula Foundation last week, and arrived in New Orleans Saturday at midnight. Among many other neglected medical needs, she must have at least five teeth extracted due to fractures. We're taking small contributions toward this expense via Fundable.com.

The Long Goodbye

Yesterday I finally booked a ticket back home for the internment of my parents' ashes and I was kicking and screaming the whole way. We've had the date set for quite a while, but I just could not get around to confirming a flight. Then, as I searched for fares the past few days, I became crabbier and crabbier, lost sleep at night, and yet could not pinpoint why I was feeling this way. Then it hit me--it was all about the ticket, and the ticket was all about this final step that I do not want to take.

The past month has been one in which I've really tried to snap out of it. My parents were both diagnosed in the summer of 2007. My mom passed away in March of 2008. We had a memorial for her in June of that year. My dad followed her this past March, and we hired the same tent, rented the same chairs and invited everyone back to the house again in June. So, in August, I started organizing my life, picking up unfinished errands that had stalled out two years ago. I framed some art that had been collecting dust in my spare room. I bought a scooter to get around town. And I started back to the gym, which has been more difficult, in some ways, than the rest of it. Last night, my trainer was trying to figure out the puzzle of my right arm, which doesn't want to lift in a straight line and instead goes off to the side every time. She wondered if I had an injury. No, I insisted. And then, in the middle of another set of reps, I burst out laughing. "I broke my right clavicle," I explained, wondering how I'd forgotten that painful injury. The mind plays powerful tricks on us.

Now we have this final ceremony, and on Halloween, we'll have the estate sale and the material part of this process will almost be over.

And here I am, blogging again, even if my parents are no longer here to read it. Or to scold me.

Meet the Oklahoma dozen

A few weeks ago, I spent 24 hours in Oklahoma, where I met up with Tim Racer from Bad Rap to help with assessments on a dozen dogs that were confiscated earlier this summer as part of a large federal investigation. We're still keeping most of the details under wraps until the dogs who passed arrive at their new foster destinations. But in this clip you can see the whole group of dogs, just after we arrived at the facility.

For more information, visit The Sula Foundation.

I'm fat--and other recent discoveries

My gosh. Didn't I say I would be blogging with more frequency rather than less? And then, in the blink of an eye, three weeks pass without a peep from me.

But it's been a busy three weeks. Today we start back again at NOCCA, where I'll be teaching full-time through October. And since my time will be filled up with all of that, I've been trying to get a few things settled at home. I even started going back to the gym, working with a trainer, trying to get into better shape because...well, I spent the summer getting fat. And it is the horrific kind of fat that sneaks up on you. I'd been doing well at the beginning of the year, running around with Doug/Buddy. But then my dad passed away in March, and my yard doubled in size in May and the combination allowed me to wallow in grief in my bedroom, or sit on the deck watching the dogs as they played. And I got fat.

And, of course, I've been busy with all the Sula Foundation foster dogs, many of whom have found their way to new homes in the past month. And last week I made a trip to the midwest to get a closer look at some of the dogs taken in during a massive federal dogfighting bust. But more on that later, as we're allowed to release more details.

So here I am, still in bed, making a list of the things I'll need to run home and finish at the end of the day--a revision due on a story, notes for my online students, laundry, laundry, laundry.

And probably a little more grief.

Inseparable

This is how most of the day is spent now that Buddy has moved in. Brando can't get enough of him. My favorite moment in this clip is when Buddy looks up in the sky (following an insect, I think) and reveals his irresistible jowls.

There is a name change in the works; Buddy seems to prefer to be called Douglas.

Nearly 400 dogs seized in fighting ring

Nearly 400 dogs have been seized in a fighting ring in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. This story broke earlier this week, and it seems the perfect topic to relaunch my blogging on a regular basis. This is the largest dog bust in US history--and the arrested individuals include a registered nurse, an employee of a school for the handicapped and a public school employee. In a way, this is great news--because it dispels the notion that dogfighters are only a "certain kind of person" or that it is limited to "urban" environments. There's no telling how long it will take for the trial to run its course. The dogs, meanwhile, will be held as evidence. PETA, of course, has come out with a statement urging that all of the dogs be euthanized without evaluation. But they will be evaluated. And they will try to find responsible organizations to take those we evaluate well. But I'm afraid that with that many dogs, it will be hard to find placement for all of them.

The Sula Foundation has already decided that when the time comes, we will take one or two dogs. Why, when there are so many dogs that we cannot take? Because the dogs deserve a chance, and up til now they haven't had one. And because saving a few of them will also offer the chance to educate people regarding the nature of dogs, and the nature of dogfighting. (And then, too, there is the example of Katrina, when many of these same organizations came together to save our New Orleans dogs.)

More important, The Humane Society of Missouri needs donations to help keep the dogs comfortable while they await their fate. Donations of sheets, towels, blankets, shredded newspapers and sturdy toys to its St. Louis headquarters, as well as donations to its fund for investigating animal cruelty. 1201 Macklind Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110

Here are some links to news of the bust:

St. Louis Today


Humane Society of Missouri (with links to donate and more news links)

The new dog in the house

Okay, so Buddy is still here. Brando loves him and spends a good part of each day carefully kissing and grooming him. Sula likes to chase him around the yard. And Zephyr is happy to have anyone around. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I like him too. Here's a short video I took yesterday with a new Flip camera.

Another eight week online course at Mediabistro

I've been so busy this summer that I haven't had time to really post much of anything on this blog. But, in the meantime, if anyone is interested, another round of personal essay starts this week:

http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs4730.asp

Tuesday July 7th: The Dollar Store Show comes to New Orleans

On Tuesday July 7th, the Dollar Store Show comes to New Orleans, and I'll be one of the featured writers. What is the Dollar Store Show? It started in Chicago, and all of my Chicago writer friends have been talking about it for years. Each of the evenings writers is sent an item from a Dollar store, and you have five minutes to tell a story that somehow springs from that item. (Or not.) I'll be joining New Orleans writers Pia Z. Earhardt and Michael Patrick Welch, along with a traveling troop of Dollar Store veterans: Aaron Burch, Blake Butler, Zach Dodson, Amelia Gray, Mary Hamilton, Jac Jemc, Caroline Picard.

Tuesday July 7th, 8pm
The Allways Lounge
2240 St. Claude Avenue

The End of Whitney Bank

For me, anyway. I've been a Whitney customer since just after Hurricane Katrina, when my previous, friendly bank, Hibernia, was bought out by Capital One. I had a number of lost deposits and other strange incidents, so I moved everything to Whitney, because I wanted to support a local institution. I opened a savings account, and when the Sula Foundation was formed, the account was at Whitney as well. And I did all of this in spite of relatively small incidents that should have shaken my confidence, but for some reason did not. For example, the paperwork for the Sula account was filed incorrectly, then had to be redone. And the savings account was opened incorrectly and mistakenly given a checking account number instead of a savings number. Then there was trouble accessing the Sula account online, which required multiple phone calls and registrations and still doesn't work. In fact, there seemed to be a general lack of knowledge of exactly how to open any accounts.

But they were generally nice people. And it was local.

But this week, I deposited a fairly large check, and the following day discovered an erroneously negative balance in my account. In seemed that a hold had been placed on the entire amount of the check, and then the entire amount had been deducted from my balance. A double hold. So I called and the first person I spoke to thought that deducted the amount of a deposit made sense. I explained why it did not. Then I asked that someone call me back to correct the situation. No one called. Finally I got a hold of someone at a few minutes before 4pm on a Friday. Incredibly rude, the woman explained that a hold would remain on the deposit for eight days, and that no portion of the amount would released until then. I've never had a deposit in which no portion of the funds were available for nearly two weeks. But the rude woman explained that since the bank the check was drawn on was unfamiliar to them, they had no way of knowing if the amount would clear. This is nonsense. They do have access to this information, and the obscure bank she was dealing with was The Bank of New York. She suggested that I contact the Bank of New York myself, and obtain confirmation that the funds had cleared, and then they might credit my account. And I will do that. And then I'll withdraw all of my money, redirect my direct deposit, and do business somewhere else.

Luna, the latest foster dog

Luna came to The Sula Foundation after being held for four months as evidence in a court case. Now she's learning to play. To learn more about The Sula Foundation, go to www.sulafoundation.org. To see more adoptable Sula dogs, go to sula.petfinder.com.